Ip Man 4 (5 Stars)

I watched this film in December while I was in England. I couldn't resist going to see it again now that it's been released in Germany, even though I knew it would be dubbed into German. I'm glad that I went today. I voted it the third best film of 2019, and after seeing it again I'm wondering whether it should have been higher in the list.

The atmosphere in the cinema was overwhelming. The theatre was more than half full. There was spontaneous applause and cheering whenever Donnie Yen won a fight. At the end of the film, when the final credits rolled, everyone was applauding. With the exception of films at the Fantasy Film Festival, I've never seen that happen in a German cinema. Germans are so reserved. Usually. It takes an exceptional film to get them out of their shell.

I usually praise German dubbing, but today it was done inconsistently. To explain: the film begins in China. Everyone is talking Chinese (probably Cantonese), but a visitor arrives from America, so there's some English dialogue. After this Ip Man goes to America, so all the dialogue is in English, except for phone calls that he makes to Hong Kong.

Now, in the opening scenes the Chinese dialogue is dubbed into German, while the English dialogue is left in English, with German subtitles. Okay. That's a convenient way to do it. But when Ip Man is in America the English dialogue is dubbed into German. That's not logical. And then the international phone calls in Chinese are also dubbed into German. I expect that the mixture of dubbing and non-dubbing was a deliberate decision, but I don't like it. The version I saw in England was better: the original languages throughout, no dubbing, and subtitles for the Chinese dialogue.

The film is a masterpiece. (Yes, I know I overuse that word). There's less fighting than in the other films, the second film especially, but there's a lot of emotional material. An important part of the plot – so important that I don't want to call it a sub-plot – is the healing of the broken relationships of the two Masters with their children: Ip Man with his son Ching, Wan Zong-hua with his daughter Yonah.

The Ip Man films aren't biopics in a strict sense. They're a mixture of truth and fiction. To sum up the films:

"Ip Man" is mostly true, with a few fictional elements.

"Ip Man 2" is half true, half fictional.

"Ip Man 3" is mostly fictional, with a few true elements.

"Ip Man 4" is half true, half fictional.

I need to go back and watch the first three films. Maybe not all at once. I want to spread them out until the fourth part is released on Blu-ray.

Bikini Sorority House (1 Star)

I was pleasantly surprised when Amazon sent me an email recommending this DVD. A new film by Dean McKendrick? I wasn't aware that he'd made any films since he stopped making erotic thrillers for Retromedia. It wasn't listed on IMDB, but IMDB isn't infallible. So I ordered it... and waited... and waited... which is normal, because deliveries from America to Germany normally take a few weeks.

Yesterday it finally arrived, and I couldn't wait to see it. The opening credits listed a lot of my favourite actresses, including Christine Nguyen, whose name wasn't mentioned on the Amazon product page.

When the film started I was puzzled. Erika Jordan and Krissy Lynn were in college listening to Ted Newsom talking about asexual reproduction. Hadn't I seen that somewhere before? Yes, it's a scene from "Strippers From Another World". Ah ha. So it's a re-release with a different name? That's okay. The DVD cover, shown above, describes the film as a director's cut, so why not?

The film continued with Sophia Bella offering Madge and Anita (Erika and Krissy) the possibility to join the sorority house Gamma Phi. But then the film cut to a fight scene between Erika Jordan and Jazy Berlin, taken from "Sexy Warriors". The on-screen text explained that Madge was engaging in Live Action Role Play (LARP), which is why she was calling herself Athena.

At that point I started to realise something was going wrong. The film is a cut-and-paste medley of scenes from five of Dean McKendrick's films:

"Strippers from another world"
"Sexy Warriors"
"Great Bikini Bowling Bash"
"Intergalactic Swingers"
"College Co-Eds vs Zombie Housewives"

Visually, the film can get away with it. Dean McKendrick's films intensively re-use the same locations, so it's easy to cut from one film to another. The same actors are also re-used, but the problem is that they don't have the same names or roles. People are addressed by different names too often for it to be excused as LARP-ing. Baily Beetleman is the strip club owner in an early scene, but later in the film he's just a customer. Added to the problem is that the cuts are made clumsily, abruptly ending or beginning the background music. This is worst in the final ten minutes, when there are quick cuts from one film to another, every 30 seconds or less, to resolve the various plot lines.

I'd have nothing against a film being advertised as a compilation of Dean McKendrick's best scenes. That would be acceptable. What I dislike is this film pretending to be something it's not. It's not a consistent narrative. It's a mess.

When I began to write this review I thought I would rate it two stars, because it at least has beautiful naked girls in it. No. That would be an insult to the actresses who will feel ashamed if they ever see this film. It's awful, and nobody should consider buying it. Not now, not ever.

Snatch (5 Stars)

"You should never underestimate the predictability of stupidity".

As I've often said in the past, I find it easier to write about films I don't like than films I like. In that case, this should be an extremely difficult film to write about, because it's one of my favourite films. I was inspired to rewatch it after seeing "The Gentlemen" last week. Both films have in common that they're complex, interwoven stories in which so much happens that you're confused after the first viewing. Well, maybe confused isn't the right word. Neither film is difficult to understand. It's more accurate to say that both films are so overloaded with details that it's difficult to remember everything that happens. If I wanted to write a complete summary of the plots I'd have to watch the films a few times.

Don't worry. I don't intend to do it. There might just be one person reading this review who's never seen the film, and I don't want to spoil it for you. This is a masterpiece, even better than "Lock, stock and two smoking barrels", which Guy Ritchie made two years previously.

Guy Ritchie's first film was about shotguns, but "Snatch" is about a diamond. It's a big diamond, and it's said to be 86 carats. I'm no jewellery expert, I don't know what that means, but it sounds good.

But "Snatch" is about lots of other things. There are gypsies, boxing matches and a dog. And even guns, although they aren't as important as in the previous film.

There are also twins in the film, played by the real life twins Teena and Nicola Collins. I'm sorry, I don't know which is which. They've only appeared in three films, always together.

How is ex-footballer Vinnie Jones able to sit between them so calmly? I'd get whiplash, constantly looking from one side to the other.

I don't know if he'd agree with me, but I consider this to be Brad Pitt's best film. He talks with a crazy accent. I don't know if it's a genuine Pikey accent, but it's amusing. I've watched the film a few times, but today is the first time I noticed that my Blu-ray has a subtitle track solely for Brad Pitt's dialogue, for nobody else. I wish I'd known about it before. There are a few lines that I never understood.

"Snatch" is a British gangster film and a comedy. On the other hand, aren't all British gangster films comedies? If you're used to watching traditional American gangster films, it's difficult to take the British equivalent seriously. It's a million miles distant from "The Godfather".

As you can see, I've written hardly anything significant about this brilliant film. However, if my enthusiasm encourages you to watch it for yourself, it's worth it.

Success Rate:  + 6.4

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The Three Servants

The Parable of the Three Servants

(loosely adapted from Matthew 25:14-30)

An old king was about to leave on a journey. He called his three most trusted servants and gave each a hundred pieces of gold. A year later he returned and asked what they had done with his money.

The first servant was a tall, strong man. He said, "While you were gone I bought a farm. I bred livestock, and I ploughed the fields. Every night I was so exhausted that I slept until morning. Here is your money with interest", and he gave the king 200 pieces of gold.

The king replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant. I grant you your freedom, and a reward of 50 pieces of gold".

The second servant was a small but wise man. He said, "While you were gone I worked in the marketplace, buying and selling exotic clothes and spices. Every night I lay awake, unable to sleep, worrying what the next day would bring. Here is your money with interest", and he gave the king 500 pieces of gold.

The king replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant. I grant you your freedom, and a reward of 200 pieces of gold".

The third servant was a young, beautiful girl, barely 18 years old. She said, "While you were gone I went out partying with my friends every night. Older men were fascinated by my beauty and gave me money to sit with them. I went to bed very late every night and slept until the afternoon. Here is your money with interest", and she gave the king 1000 pieces of gold.

The king looked upon her with pleasure and replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant. I grant you your freedom, and a reward of 500 pieces of gold. I am an old man, with no children. When I die I shall make you the ruler of my land".

The second servant was filled with rage and spoke, "King, it is not fair that the girl should be rewarded. She was lazy and slept all day while we were working hard to make money for you".

The king replied, "You wicked, ungrateful servant. The girl has proved herself more talented than either of you. Your reward shall be given to the girl. You will be stripped naked and imprisoned in my dungeon for the rest of your life. Those who have much will be given more. Those who have little will lose even what they have".

Marvel Years 12.05 - May 1972

Marvel is continuing its expansion, encouraged by its monetary success in the 1960's. New writers and pencillers are being hired on a regular basis. Stan Lee's writing has (unfortunately) been reduced to a minimum, but there are still two very prolific writers at the company: Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. Does that mean that there is more more quantity and less quality? I have mixed feelings. It's true, there were more poor quality comics written in the 1970's than in the 1960's, but there were still some very good comics in the mid to late 1970's. I've considered adding a rating to each comic, using my usual 1 to 5 scale. It's probably too late to go back and add the ratings to my old reviews. I don't know.

This month's new comic is Red Wolf, a western comic continuing from Marvel Spotlight #1. Evidently the fan response was enough to justify the launching of a solo comic. The writer is Mike Friedrich, a 22-year-old writer who has only written western stories until now. He'll go on to write mainstream Marvel comics in years to come. The artist is Syd Shores, who was one of the most prolific artists for Marvel's predecessors, Timely and Atlas, from 1941 to 1958. He returned to Marvel in 1968, working primarily as an inker, but he drew many western stories and horror anthology stories up until his death in 1973.

---

Tomb of Dracula #2

Title: The Fear Within!

Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gene Colan

Regulars: John Drake, Jean, Clifton

Kills: Two women (total 3), one man

Embraces: None

John Drake returns to London with Clifton. Dracula visits one of his old servants to get new clothes. Now he looks like a fine gentleman. He kills the servant, then follows the others to London.

Jean, now a vampire, has also somehow followed them to London. John stakes her, but it seems that it's the sunlight rather than the stake which destroys her.

Let's continue with the rules for Marvel's Dracula:

Vampires cast no reflection in a mirror.

Vampires have to sleep in the daylight, because the Sun makes their bodies turn to dust. (It's not yet clear if this applies to Dracula himself),

Dracula has to sleep on the earth of his homeland.

---

Marvel Premiere #2

Title: The Hounds of Helios!

Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Gil Kane

Villain: Man-Beast

Regulars: High Evolutionary

Warlock, as the High Evolutionary called Him last issue, has fallen to Earth, or rather to Counter-Earth. The shock has made him lose his memory. Four runaway teenagers find him and carry him to a deserted barn to recover.

The only thing Warlock can remember is his name. The teenage girl Ellie says that one name isn't enough, so she calls him Adam. From now on Adam Warlock will be Him's official name.

The High Evolutionary didn't create Counter-Earth completely identical to Earth after all. On Counter-Earth there are no super-heroes or super-villains.

The Man-Beast sends some of his servants to capture Warlock. When he fights with them he remembers who he is.

The children's parents arrive and want to ask them why they've run away. Using the power of the emerald gem on his forehead, Warlock makes them see their own faults.

---

Fantastic Four #122

Title: Galactus Unleashed!

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Buscema

Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Susan Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm

Villain: Galactus

Guests: Silver Surfer

Galactus has returned to Earth. He's an enemy the Fantastic Four can't fight.

How could Stan Lee have forgotten something like this? Everyone knows it was Fantastic Four #50. But wait! The No-Prize is offered to anyone who can name the issue, and there's no time limit. I've just won my very first No-Prize. That's incredible! Now I just have to figure out a place to put it. I'm so proud.

Galactus says he's leave again if the Silver Surfer agrees to serve him. Didn't he make a similar request in Fantastic Four #74? That time the Silver Surfer agreed to serve Galactus, after initial hesitation. This time he refuses.

The Thing really thinks he can defeat Galactus by yelling his battle cry? It's clobbering time!

Reed Richards has an idea. He flies to Galactus' hovering spaceship. He threatens to destroy it if Galactus doesn't leave. Will Galactus agree? You have to wait until next month to find out.

---

Amazing Spider-Man #108

Title: Vengeance from Vietnam!

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita

Regulars: Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson

This is yet another mini-masterpiece from Stan Lee. At the end of last issue Flash Thompson was driven away by military police. Spider-Man follows the car, and he sees it stopped by Vietnamese thugs who take Flash prisoner. Spider-Man grabs Flash, carries him to a rooftop and demands an explanation.

While Flash was in Vietnam he was separated from his platoon, and he took refuge in a Buddhist temple. After he returned to his platoon there was an American air strike which destroyed the temple. The believers think that Flash was responsible, so now they're seeking revenge. The military police were trying to protect him.

Spider-Man returns Flash to the military police, but the Vietnamese capture him again. Peter Parker wants to change into Spider-Man again to rescue him, but Gwen Stacy stops him. She says he always runs off whenever there's danger, so she thinks he's a coward.

---

Avengers #99

Title: Whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad!

Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Barry Smith

Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Vision, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Hercules, Black Panther (cameo), Ant-Man (cameo)

Villain: Skrulls (flashback), Krotos, Bia

Regulars: Jarvis

Guests: Rick Jones, Kevin O'Brian

The Avengers try in vain to restore Hercules' memory.

Hawkeye tells how he returned to Earth. He boarded a Skrull spaceship. After fighting with the Skrulls he was knocked back to Earth, probably by the power of the Supreme Intelligence. He fell in Yugoslavia and joined a circus troupe, performing stunts as an archer. In Belgrade he met another circus performer called Hercules. Hawkeye recognised him as the real Hercules, but he'd already lost his memory. Kevin O'Brian arranged for transport for Hawkeye and Hercules back to New York.

Hawkeye was given his kinky new costume by the circus people. Maybe they like men to wear mini-skirts in Yugoslavia.

Krotos and Bia, two servants of Ares, arrive to capture Hercules. The other Avengers fight with them, but Hercules himself doesn't resist.

After Hercules is taken away, the Avengers prepare to invade Olympus.

---

Iron Man #46

Title: Menace at large!

Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: George Tuska

Villain: Guardsman

Regulars: Marianne Rodgers

J. Jonah Jameson's editorial says that four students were wounded by the Guardsman. Weren't they killed?

In the flashback Stan Lee and Gary Friedrich apologise for not making it clear in the last issue that the four students were merely wounded. Let's take another look.

This is the Guardsman's attack in Iron Man #45.

And this is his reaction. It certainly seems like they were dead. Thanks for the apology, Stan and Gary.

The next day anti-war demonstrations start outside the Stark Industries factory again. The Guardsman arrives to stop the students. Iron Man defends them from him. The Guardsman dies in the fight. Seemingly? I think this is a real death.

---

The Incredible Hulk #151

Title: When Monsters Meet!

Writer: Archie Goodwin
Artist: Herb Trimpe

Villain: Morton Clegstead

Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot, Betty Ross

Between the end of the last issue and the beginning of this issue Bruce Banner has explained to Betty Ross who Jarella is. I'm surprised at that, because I thought he would hardly have remembered anything, since he spent most of his time in Jarella's world as the Hulk.

General Ross is successful at the congressional hearing and is allowed to continue with Project Greenskin. Senator Morton Clegstead has a vested interest in the project. He thinks that the Hulk's blood can cure his cancer. He injects himself with a blood sample taken from the Hulk, but it turns him into a slime creature.

The Hulk fights with the slime creature, but he can't defeat it because it oozes everywhere, and it burns the Hulk's skin. A lightning bolt strikes it, and it's destroyed.

---

Captain America and the Falcon #149

Title: All the Colours of Evil!

Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Sal Buscema

Villain: Batroc, Stranger

Regulars: Sharon Carter, Countess Valentina, Nick Fury, Sgt. Muldoon, Leila Taylor

This month Gerry Conway takes over as the regular writer. Why do I get a sinking feeling in my stomach?

The Falcon is investigating children being kidnapped in Harlem.

Nick Fury asks Captain America to join SHIELD full time. When he refuses, Nick throws him out and says that nobody at SHIELD is allowed to talk to him. This even includes his girlfriend, Sharon Carter.

Doesn't Nick Fury know that Captain America has other responsibilities? He's an Avenger. He's the Falcon's partner. He has a civilian identity as a rookie cop.

While driving round the town as a policeman, Captain America recognises Batroc the Leaper, who we last saw in Captain America #130. He waits until after work to investigate. He asks the Falcon to accompany him, but the Falcon says that looking for missing children is more important. I agree, but Captain America doesn't. The two partners go different ways.

Here are some French lessons from Stan Lee. Batroc the Leaper's name in French is Batroc ze Leapair. Now you see how educational Marvel comics can be.

Batroc and his group of fighters, called Batroc's Legion, are too much for Captain America to handle. Batroc says he's a mercenary, but he doesn't know who's hired him. He reveals that he's been kidnapping children for an anonymous buyer. At that moment the Falcon arrives, because they've been unknowingly working on the same case.

Suddenly the anonymous client appears. It's the Stranger.

That's certainly a shock, but this is a messy story.

---

Sub-Mariner #49

Title: The Dream Stone!

Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gene Colan

Villain: Doctor Doom, Modok

Regulars: Cindy Jones

Sub-Mariner, still suffering from amnesia, is defeated by Modok. Doctor Doom seems strangely emotional and goes to rescue him. While Doctor Doom is fighting with Modok's androids, Sub-Mariner releases the Cosmic Cube. No, I don't know what that's supposed to mean either.

Doctor Doom's servant Kenner turns against him and knocks him unconscious in sight of the Cosmic Cube. We find out that he really serves another master who wants Sub-Mariner dead. Cindy Jones gets free by flirting with a guard. Clever girl. She finds Doctor Doom lying in front of the Cosmic Cube and pulls him away.

The Cosmic Cube is building up to critical mass – I still don't understand that – so Sub-Mariner, Doctor Doom and Cindy Jones leave the AIM compound just before it explodes. The Cosmic Cube is destroyed and Modok is dead. Seemingly. Seemingly.

Doctor Doom and Sub-Mariner part as friends. I still think that's out of character.

---

Thor #199

Title: If this be death!

Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema

Villain: Hela, Pluto, Karnilla, Ego Prime

Regulars: Odin, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, Hildegarde

Guests: Tana Nile

Asgard is taken back to its rightful place and the rainbow bridge is repaired, as a result of a final spell cast by Odin before his death.

Hela arrives to claim Odin. Thor stands in her way, but she tells him that if she doesn't take him, Pluto will. This is a far worse fate, so when Pluto arrives Hela and Thor team up to battle Pluto. Thor fights against Pluto's followers, while Hela fights against Pluto himself.

Sif, Hildegarde and Tana Nile face a creature called Ego Prime, a mobile piece broken off from Ego, the living planet. Ego Prime is accelerating evolution in the bizarre world where they are stranded. To me it looks like more than evolution is being altered. I don't think that Gerry Conway thought things through.

Pluto defeats Hela, so she flees. Thor stands against Pluto, but he's no match for him. Thor is knocked unconscious, and Pluto prepares to slay him.

---

Daredevil #87

Title: From stage left, enter Electro!

Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gene Colan

Villain: Electro

Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Black Widow, Ivan, Ironguts O'Hara, Paul Carson

The story starts off with a big surprise. Daredevil moves to San Francisco! Being cynical, maybe this is a ploy by Gerry Conway to take Daredevil out of the normal Marvel continuity.

Natasha has bought a beautiful house and invited Matt to live with her. They're just friends, she says, but it's obvious they're a lot more.

Electro, who last appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #82, has also relocated to San Francisco. He doesn't let the opportunity pass to take revenge on Daredevil for his previous defeats.

It seems that Daredevil and Black Widow are unknown in San Francisco. Doesn't anyone read the newspapers? The police commissioner, Ironguts O'Hara, has never heard of either of them, but one of the men on his force, Paul Carson, vouches for them.

They defeat Electro, and he has to flee after a short fight.

A man called Danny French is looking for Natasha Romanoff.

---

Amazing Adventures #12

Title: Iron Man: D.O.A.

Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Tom Sutton

Villain: Blob, Unus, Mastermind

Guests: Professor X, Marvel Girl, Iron Man, Marianne Rodgers

This is a landmark issue. It's the first mainstream Marvel comic written by Steve Englehart. I consider him to be one of Marvel's top three writers, alongside Stan Lee and Roy Thomas.

Hank McCoy is unable to change back to his human form. He forms a rubber mask for himself to disguise himself as the real McCoy. (I couldn't resist slipping that joke in). He wants to have a relationship with his colleague Linda Donaldson, but he can't kiss her, because she would notice that his face is made of rubber.

Tony Stark visits Brand Corporation, including Hank McCoy's lab. He's accompanied by Marianne Rodgers, whose psychic powers warn her that Linda is evil. Tony Stark returns later as Iron Man. Hank McCoy, in his full Beast appearance, challenges him as a trespasser. After a hard fight, the Beast thinks he's killed Iron Man and flees. Blob, Unus and Mastermind are standing outside the factory. We last saw them briefly in X-Men #60.

Iron Man didn't die, it was one of Mastermind's illusions. They want to persuade him to join their new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

---

Marvel Spotlight #3

Title: Werewolf by Night!

Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Michael Ploog

Regulars: Lissa Russell

This story takes place a few months after the previous issue.

Jack Russell is captured by a man who used to be his step-father's psychologist. They want a book that belonged to Jack's father, because it contains instructions on how they can cure their son Kraig's misshapen form. Jack says he knows nothing about any book, but they don't believe him.

Kraig kills his father in a rage. Then Kraig is killed when lightning strikes him. The Werewolf sees Kraig's mother die in a dream.

This is a strange story. I can't say whether I like it or not. It slowly builds up a powerful intensity, and then it all fizzles out in the last two pages.

---

Non-canon comics published this month:

Marvel Team-Up #2 (Gerry Conway, Ross Andru)

Conan the Barbarian #15 (Roy Thomas, Barry Smith)
My Love #17 (Atan Lee, George Tuska)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #98 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Red Wolf #1 (Mike Friedrich, Syd Shores)
Rawhide Kid #99 (Larry Lieber, Larry Lieber)
Creatures on the Loose #16 (Roy Thomas, Gil Kane)
Where Monsters Dwell #15 (Mimi Gold, Rich Buckler)

Note: The first 14 issues of Where Monsters Dwell were reprint comics. Where Monsters Dwell #15 contains a new horror story written by Mimi Gold. From next issue onwards it will go back to being a reprint comic.

Bedroom Eyes (3 Stars)

This is the 23rd film directed by Dean McKendrick, made in 2017. It's the last film that he made for Retromedia.

"Bedroom Eyes" is another erotic thriller, and it follows the usual pattern of a woman killing men either during or immediately after sex. The plot is somewhat more complex than in Dean McKendrick's other films. Two detectives, Parker and Jake, are hunting for a serial killer who leaves her victims dead in bed. The prime suspect is Jake's girlfriend, who works as a webcam model, and he's torn between his professional duty and his personal feelings.

The film's highlight is a brief appearance by the ever delightful Beverly Lynne. Apart from that, I find the film disappointing. I don't understand why I rated the film so highly the last time I watched it. After watching all of Dean McKendrick's films in order, I find this the weakest of his erotic thrillers, possibly the weakest of all his films. I think the complexity of the film spoils it. I have nothing against complex plots, but in this case it isn't done well. It was obvious from the start that the detective's wife couldn't be the killer, and as soon as all the characters had been introduced I knew who it was. It was so obvious that there was no mystery at all.

"Bedroom Eyes" is still available from Amazon on DVD, if you're curious about it. It's a must-buy for Beverly Lynne's fans.

The Voices (4 Stars)

"There are moments of inspiration and beauty when all the world makes sense and the elegant secret mechanics of man and God are revealed in their many dimensions, and the universe is laid out before my eyes, and it is a blessed place".

I can't help feeling that this film, more than any other, recommended Ryan Reynolds for the title role in "Deadpool". No other film in his career puts his madness on display to such an extent. He plays Jeremy Hickfang, a manual labourer who hears voices. They aren't voices floating in the air all around him, they have sources. His dog Bosco talks to him, and his cat Mr. Whiskers talks to him. They argue with one another, and they argue with Jeremy. Bosco is a voice of reason who tells him to do good, while Mr. Whiskers tells him to give in to his dark side. Why does he choose to listen to Mr. Whiskers?

Jeremy kills Fiona, the woman he loves, and he keeps her head so that he has someone to talk to. She talks back, of course. She tells him that he should kill another woman, so that she'll have another head to talk to when Jeremy is at work. That means the dog is outvoted 2:1 by the other voices.

Fiona justifies Jeremy's homicidal urges with philosophical arguments:

"Is a serial killer something that you are, like being brown-eyed or right-handed? Or is it something that you choose, like being an accountant?"

This is a twisted, irreverent film. Most of the time I don't know whether to laugh or gasp in horror. That's why I like it so much. It's crossed the line between good and bad taste, but it's impossible not to like Ryan Reynolds as a schizophrenic serial killer.

Success Rate:  - 24.8

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