Hey everyone, James here (a.k.a. the Boss, Rooster Illusion, etc.). Our twelve dedicated readers will surely recognize the banner above this intro, but for the rest of you, it’s my pleasure to introduce Colin French, writing under the column name of Strange Bacon. Back in the archives, you can find his thoughts on Canadian cinema,…
Neither was the first one, so… Smile 2 (2024): The Plot: Staging a comeback tour a year after a traumatic car accident, recovering addict and international pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) soon finds herself doubting her sanity when she’s tormented by a supernatural entity. Will she be able to get help from her mother/manager…
Picture this, if you will: Octoberween, 2021: the Korean Wave washes over Netflix, introducing millions of Americans to subtitles; a Saudi consortium purchases Newcastle United for £300 million, introducing thousands of Geordies to sportswashing; a returning Second Breakfast writes a multipart series touching upon all of Christopher Lee’s turns as Count Dracula in Hammer films,…
Ah, fatherhood. A favorite pastime of dads everywhere. It seemed only fitting to follow up my review of The Mummy with a film about a Daddy*. After all, as I sometimes remember that I recently decided, Octoberween is a long-standing family tradition for many of our twelve dedicated readers. Like The Mummy, Trap is a…
I’m going to be terribly gauche and start by quoting myself (kids, don’t try this at home). Last year, in my review of The Wolf Man (1941), I wrote: In the early to mid 20th century, Universal Pictures produced an iconic run of horror movies, starting with 1931’s Dracula and ending in 1956 with The…
\ Comforting nostalgia. Candy*. Halloween and Halloween-adjacent vibes. What does Octoberween mean to you, the people? Frankly, that’s none of our business. Here at Rooster Illusion, the Octoberween Headquarters of North America, Octoberween means only one thing: Fun for the whole family**. Many of our twelve dedicated readers will have fond childhood memories of Octoberweens…
Time to dust off those critical thinking caps, mes amis. Film criticism isn’t just for October anymore. Now it’s for some other times as well, such as shortly after I have watched this specific French film. Zut alors! Mars Express (2023): The Plot: In the 23rd century, private eye Aline Ruby (Léa Drucker) and her…
Rooster Illusion 