Here are some quick reviews from this week’s movies. Check out the full schedule here.
Midnight Club (2022) – 8/10 – I’m going to rank this one right behind Mike Flanagan’s last three series: The Haunting of Hill House (10/10), The Haunting of Bly Manor (9/10), and Midnight Mass (8.5/10). That being said, this one has the possibility of continuing beyond this season, so that could changes things later.
This definitely wasn’t a fun, Halloween-time watch. I think in the darker, colder days of January and February, I likely would’ve enjoyed it a little more. Still, I’m giving it an 8/10 because I think it’s really good.
Flanagan can tell great stories, and we’re all benefiting from his relationship with Netflix. (I’m really looking forward to his House of Usher and wish that could’ve been the October release, but I’m guessing we’ll see that in the spring.) I could even see someone liking Midnight Club better than Midnight Mass, especially if he or she grew up reading Christopher Pike’s books (which I didn’t). But to me, if I had to start one of the four series over again right now, I’d choose one of the other three.
I thought last year’s Fear Street 1994 did a pretty good job with the music, so I was anxious to see how Midnight Club handled that. The mid-’90s was a crucial time for me as both a music fan and as a songwriter in the beginning stage of starting to figure things out. And Midnight Club almost nails it. I heard old favorites and was reminded of songs I hadn’t heard or thought about in over 20 years. (You guys remember The Flys??)
But yeah, my number one complaint about the entire series, the thing I’ve texted friends about the most so far, involves a song from 1997 being used solely for its emotional impact. (I won’t name the song in case anyone might see that as a spoiler, but Flanagan addresses his decision to use it here.)
Otherwise, if you like Flanagan’s work, Christopher Pike’s books, music from 1994, ghost stories, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and/or good (and sometimes fun) storytelling, you’ll likely dig this.
The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022) – 5/10 – This was totally fine for throwing on the TV and watching as a family. I love Rob Riggle, so that was a plus for me. It’s always fun to see John Michael Higgins pop up. And Marlon Wayans and all the others were fine. It has some fun moments, especially if you like Halloween decorations, and it’s 10 times better than that Spirit Halloween movie that I tried to watch and turned off after 15 minutes.
Snow in Southtown Christmas Podcast 