"Happy Death Day" To You!

Happy Death Day (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Charles Aitken,

Directed by Christopher Landon

The Story:

Tree (Rothe) wakes up in Carter's (Broussard) dorm room. She partied way too hard the night before. Not the most illustrious way to start out her birthday, but by the end of the night, she faces the prospect of dying at the hands of a mysterious murderer! Once she has been killed, she wakes up, and relives the day over and over again. Can Tree solve her own murder and possibly end the time loop she's stuck in?

It's always good to find a "Best of the Year" candidate in January.

I absolutely loved this movie, from start to finish.

I even watched the alternate ending on YouTube and didn't hate it nearly as much as the test audiences did. : )

But anyway, Christopher Landon helms his next great horror comedy (The Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse) and it is a lot of fun.

Red herrings galore as their is an infinite number of suspects that crop up as Tree goes through her day, then eventually tries to track down  her murderer.

There's a lot of fun and humor in each of her situations as she tries to avoid being killed, then as she eliminates suspects, has to endure another day.

Sure, it sounds like Groundhog Day, but that's because if you're going to have a plot where you relive a day over and over again, that comparison is always going to be made. The point is, can you make one that is enjoyable for the audience, because the formula works, as long as you don't deliver a snoozer of a film.

Rothe is fantastic as Tree. She's really quite unlikable when we first meet her, then as her days repeat, she wins the audience over as she both becomes a better person and we endure the mystery of trying to find her killer at the same time.

So, enjoy the spot at the top of the list for now; Marvel Studios is sending 3 definite contenders, but I'm pretty sure this one will still end up on the Top 10 list by the end of the year.

To be even more fair to the film, I want out and bought a copy of it over the weekend.

Plus, the rest of the family that has seen it, they all loved it as well.

Can't ask for much more than that from any film!

Not sure how they'll work with the inevitable sequel, but if it's half this good, it's going to be a lot of fun.

Final Grade:  A- 

Always Be Prepared..."Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse"

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)

Rated R

Starring Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont, David Koechner, Halston Sage, Cloris Leachman

Directed by Christopher Landon

The Story:

Ben and Carter ( Sheridan & Miller) feel they are too old for the Scouts, but they agree to go on one last camping trip with their friend Augie (Morgan) and their Scout Leader (Koechner). However when they are invited to a party by Carter's sister (Sage) they decide they will sneak away to the party that night. Of course, this happens the same day as a massive zombie virus infects the town, and leaves pretty much the three kids, alone, against the marauding assault of the undead. Good thing they have their scout training to fall back on!

From the killer opening, this movie will have you waiting to see what happens next all the way through to the end.

The horror-comedy is fast becoming my favorite genre of film to watch, because when they are good, they are really quite special. Especially the zom-coms.

However, when they are bad, they can be atrocious.

Thankfully, Scouts Guide falls into the really good category. Great cast, clever dialogue and wonderful action sequences make it a humorous jump fest at every turn.

While Tye Sheridan is the star of the film, it's Logan Miller who steals pretty much the entire movie out from everyone.

David Koechner has a great turn as the Scout Master who is repeatedly defeated throughout the movie, but something about being a Scout just won't let him quit.

Then of course, if you ever wondered what Cloris Leachman as a zombie might be like, look no further.

I'll also add that humans are not the only beings that get zomibified in this movie.

:)

If you were on the fence about seeing this one, get off that fence and give it a spin. I think you'll be glad you did.

Final Grade: Solid B