The Last Five Films I Watched #3: Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death, The Rage, Severed, Shallow Ground, Superman (2025)

*"Superman" (2025)*
-Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Bradley Cooper, Angela Sarafyan, Wendell Pierce, Skyler Gisondo, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, Michael Ian Black, Frank Grillo, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Anthony Carrigan, Milly Alcock, John Cena
After watching James Gunn's take on the Superman legend, I hope "Supergirl" doesn't cross into my line of sight. The opening credits are an information dump, regarding a fight we don't get to see (even in flashback). From there, Lex Luthor is threatening the world again, Superman is embroiled in a dispute between two countries, and Lois Lane and Superman are already an item. There are some nice action scenes, but some of the computer animated effects are terrible and Gunn forcefully injects his flippant filmmaking style into a traditional hero story and it doesn't work. Gunn was completely suited to "Guardians of the Galaxy," and Chris Pratt responded accordingly. In "Superman," every character is a goofball and the menace wasn't suspenseful but cloying and quirk laden.


*"Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death" (2021)*
-Cast: Caroline Flack, Olly Murs, Dermot O'Leary, Christine Flack, Jody Flack
I remember hearing about Caroline Flack's death a few years ago but it didn't register with me because I loathe social media, talent game shows, and reality television, all of which were a part of Flack's short life. What I did know, watching her family and friends talk about Caroline, is the effects constant anonymous criticism and depression can do to a person. I wish the documentary had been longer, but this is a cautionary tale that should not have happened. Limit your social media, you will be so much happier because of it.


*"Shallow Ground" (2004)*
Cast: Timothy V. Murphy, Stan Kirsch, Lindsey Stoddart, Patty McCormack, Rocky Marquette, John Kapelos, Natalie Avital, Chris Hendrie, Tara Killian, Steve Eastin
Thanks to some nice visuals, this film grew on me. The sometimes familiar cast helped, and Sheldon Wilson presents something a little deeper than just another forest-based slasher film. There are a few mean turns here and there, and the ending is off-putting to some but I had a good experience with this one.


*"The Rage" (2007)*
Cast: Andrew Divoff, Erin Brown, Reggie Bannister, Ryan Hooks, Sean Serino, Rachel Scheer, Christopher Allen Nelson, Anthony Clark, Angela Gasparec, Matt Jerrams
This terrible effort from Robert Kurtzman seems almost intentional in its badness. A virus that turns a flock of vultures into bloodthirsty creatures is unleashed, and the viewer must sit through terrible CGI effects and child murder to get to a campy ending. I tried to get onboard with the "fun" but Kurtzman does everything in his power to alienate the viewer that I finally just waited for this to end.


*"Severed" (2004)*
Cast: Paul Campbell, Sarah Lind, Julian Christopher, JR Bourne, Michael Teigen, Leanne Adachi, Patrick Gallagher, John Reardon, Hrothgar Mathews, Jerry Wasserman
Zombies come to the forest in this weak horror film that tries to integrate its politics into the plot. Lumberjacks do battle with the undead and anti-corporate, anti-logging vegans and to be honest, you don't really find a side to root for except maybe the zombies. Christopher and Bourne are fantastic, the rest of the film is a preachy "28 Days Later" ripoff punctuated with unanswered questions about the plot.