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Sleepaway Camp (1983)
So weird and so fun!
This is my favourite slasher film! I do not mean the best, because it is very awkward and downright amateurish in parts, but the end result is so memorable that it makes itself stand out from other contemporary slashers.
The "Noo Yawk" kids yelling & swearing at each other is a particular charm, and unlike most Friday the 13th films for example, this actually takes place in a busy summer camp. The kills are so goofy and oftentimes unrealistic, but are interspersed throughout with some of the bombastic scoring you'll hear in a slasher. Lastly, the ending is something I would call audacious, and probably the reason why anybody actually remembers Sleepaway Camp, but to the film's credit there are numerous set-ups and hints that benefit from a repeat viewing. Don't sleep on it (no pun intended)!
Black Christmas (1974)
Very creepy and unsettling.
This has become a recent favourite of mine, as while I knew about the original 1978 Halloween and its influence on the slasher genre, I was completely unfamiliar with this one beforehand.
The film is a deliberate slow-burn, with selective choices of discordant score often juxtaposed with Christmas standards resulting in a very chilling effect (no pun intended)! Like many of the best horror films, there is a constant sense of ambiguity throughout that lends itself to multiple viewings. Lastly, despite some 70s eccentricities, this film has genuinely funny moments as well, mostly from Margot Kidder's character. Recommend!
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Just a miserable time.
This is one of the most strangely depressing films I've seen in recent years, and I'm not sure how intentional this was on the part of Disney/Lucasfilm. Indiana Jones has always been an escapist character: a canvas that people project themselves onto and want to emulate. Why make him an alcoholic, miserable, soon-to-be divorcé? Was this whole enterprise designed to remind us that Indy is a by-gone product of his era, and holds no place in today's world? How exciting!
In all seriousness, aside from a few moments here and there, this is a largely turgid affair. Harrison Ford still has some charm even as an older gentleman, but the end result leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth, and the realisation that Lucasfilm is haemorrhaging their intellectual properties.