We’re back on a better path with the movie of the day today. That, plus a decent amount of news, a bunch of birthdays, and plenty of movies released on this day can be found below!
What I Watched Last Night
Last night’s movie was a cat-and-mouse style thriller titled Pins and Needles. I had a few fairly significant issues with it, but overall it was pretty good.
The story involves a diabetic grad student, Max, whose ride back to campus from a field trip is interrupted by two flat tires. Max goes to find help at the only house within miles, and she soon finds herself trapped in a desperate situation. The homeowners are killers, and Max has no choice but to enter their house to find her insulin which was taken inside. As Max tries to stay hidden long enough to find what she needs and leave, confrontation seems inevitable.
Pins and Needles is at its best when it’s being a plot-driven suspense thriller. Watching Max sneak around a huge house while trying to avoid detection is well done. Tension mounts nicely, especially when we know that the killers are nearby. The addition of Max needing to find her insulin adds a time-limit to her quest. We know bad things will happen (because Max told us so) if she doesn’t get her insulin dose in a timely manner, but exactly what form those “bad things” will take, and when it will happen, adds some great unpredictability to the scenario.
That bad news is that the movie struggles with storytelling. The opening scenes do some okay character building, but a large part of it (two-thirds if I were to put a number on it) is unnecessary considering the plot’s inciting incident. It also feels slightly overcomplicated and inorganically contrived with regards to how Max finds herself in her life-or-death situation. Not all of it feels that way, but enough to feel unnatural.
There are also a few very obvious and extremely obtrusive exposition dumps. The villains are the biggest providers of these moments. Some of the information is necessary, but a lot of it isn’t. Leaving Max and the audience in the dark about certain things is perfectly fine. It can even add more suspense to a movie like this. Instead, we’re treated to clunky dialogue in which the villains talk to each other about stuff they both already know. Examples abound, like talking in detail about their previously discussed escape plan if things go wrong, what they did earlier, how they got their house, and blatant foreshadowing like “I didn’t know we had a hatchet.” Plus the characterizations of the villains often come across as cartoonish, which clashes with Max’s more grounded presentation.
But, thankfully, most of the movie is centered on Max. So, despite the clunky story, the plot and action make Pins and Needles worth watching for thriller fans. It’s currently streaming on TVOD platforms including Amazon Prime Video.
Events on This Day
Birthdays today begin with Isabelle Adjani, born on this day in 1955. Isabelle co-starred with Sam Neill in the 1981 film Possession, and anyone who has seen her performance in that knows how amazing she is. Isabelle also starred in Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) as Lucy Harker (yes, the character names in that movie are mixed up).
A couple of The Walking Dead alumni share a birthday. Chandler Riggs (Carl) and Akabba Masterson (Tara) were both born on June 27th, in 1999 and 1988 respectively.
For movies today, it seems like I can’t go more than a couple days without writing about the 28 Days Later franchise. On June 27th, 2003 28 Days Later was released in the United States. This came more than half a year after its premiere in the United Kingdom.
Also on this day, in 2013, was the digital release of the found-footage sci-fi film Europa Report. From my own experience with the movie, it seems to be one that grew in popularity thanks to positive word of mouth.
Also released on home video on this day, but on VHS in 1995, was Leprechaun 3. That’s the one that takes place in Las Vegas and introduces the lore of a magical medallion for some reason.
And finally, on June 27th, 1973, Scream Blacula Scream came out in theaters across the United States. I enjoy this sequel a lot, and I think it’s even better than the movie it follows, Blacula. I’d argue that Scream Blacula Scream is the best blaxploitation horror movie, period.
In the News
Variety reports that the Jason Universe is going to release a “vignette” featuring their version of Jason Voorhees. The official description of the short, titled “Sweet Revenge,” is quoted as this: “fans will drop into a chilling weekend in the woods filled with blood-soaked surprises only Jason can deliver.” It is “set to be told” by Mike P. Nelson (Wrong Turn 2021). I have many thoughts about this news, but it’s too much to post here. If you’re interested, keep an eye out for an article later.
A sequel to the science-fiction survival thriller Circles (2015) is in the works, reports Deadline. The plot description reads, “18 years after being pawns in a cruel game of psychological warfare, the survivors of an invasion face a new threat.” Niels Bourgonje will direct.
Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace are set to appear in an upcoming film titled Water Rites. As Bloody Disgusting reports, Water Rites is about a couple who decide to spend their summer at a lakeside community, only to be confronted with the local population’s dark secrets. Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace have appeared in the same movie a few times, including Death House (2017), The Lords of Salem (2012), The Hills Have Eyes (1977). Water Rites is expected sometime later this year.
A trailer was released for the upcoming Shudder Exclusive Monster Island. Read more about it in my article.
That’s it for now. Have a good Friday, and keep a lookout for today’s new horror movie releases later this afternoon!
