Table of Contents
Welcome back for another daily digest from Creepy Catalog! I had some ups and downs with today’s movie, which split my opinion on it. Read about that below, and keep reading for a little news and some daily trivia.
Movie of the Day: Waltz
When I saw the trailer for today’s movie, Waltz, I didn’t expect much. It looked like it could be pretty good, but nothing really stood out about it. Then I started watching it, and I was surprised by how much I was enjoying it. Then, at about the 46 minute mark, my interest started dipping steadily. Waltz is a movie that I describe as 50/50. It’s half good, but half not so good.
The story of Waltz is about Alice. She’s a copywriter who loses her job at the beginning of the movie. Not having any luck finding work in her chosen field, she decides to take a chance modeling on Biggest Fan (the movie’s version of OnlyFans). She recruits her photographer friend Calvin to help with her new venture, though it’s obvious that Calvin wants to be more than just friends. One night, Alice is kidnapped by someone in a mask and top hat, and she is held captive and tortured as the Hatter confronts Alice with all of her faults and misdeeds.
The first 45 minutes of Waltz focuses on Alice and Calvin. This is the section of the movie that pleasantly surprised me. The dialogue is well-written, and the chemistry between Hannah Keeley and David Dietz (who play Alice and Calvin) is quite good. Even though there are no horror aspects during this part of the movie, I found myself getting invested in the characters. I do think think this part could have been tightened up, because it did feel like it started to drag after a while. But it’s all well done. There’s good drama, and it’s a nice setup for the remainder of the film.
Once Alice is kidnapped though, the final 50-ish minutes don’t match the quality of what came before. The pace grinds to a halt as Alice has to listen to the Hatter talk for a very long time. It eventually builds up to a bit of bloody torture, but the focus is heavily weighted towards the talking. That could be good if the revelations brought about through the Hatter’s speeches were more interesting, but it all amounts to one thing: Alice isn’t a very good person. That point is belabored over and over, with only one particularly good reveal which I won’t spoil.
Adding to the problem is that the Hatter’s voice is distorted to hide the person’s identity (even though their identity is absurdly obvious almost immediately). The distortion is too heavy, making listening to their voice kind of a chore. I understood everything, but it wasn’t a very compelling experience. Which, really, is what I have to say about most of the second half of Waltz; It’s not even close to being as compelling as the first half.
Star Rating: 2.5 out of 5
I’m 50/50 on this movie, so I have to rate it right in the middle. It’s a shame, because I enjoyed the story between Calvin and Alice, but they don’t get much time together in the latter parts of the film. I give Waltz a very mild recommendation, mostly based on the quality of the first half. That might be enough to carry some people’s interest through the entire film. You can rent Waltz on Amazon Prime Video.
In the News
- The trailer for the upcoming Shudder Original Night of the Reaper was released yesterday. The Halloween-set horror movie streams on Shudder beginning September 19th. (Bloody Disgusting)
- IFC announced that the film Good Boy will now receive a wide theatrical release beginning October 3rd. Previously, this horror movie shown from a dog’s perspective was only going to get a limited release. (IndieWire)
- A new trailer for Bone Lake was also released yesterday. Watch the trailer on YouTube, and watch the movie in theaters starting October 3rd.
- The slasher short film Half-O-Ween is currently crowdfunding. Check it out on Indiegogo.
Birthdays
Andy Muschietti was born on August 26th, 1973. In horror, Andy directed Mama (2013), as well as It (2017) and It: Chapter Two (2019). Coming up, he’ll direct episodes of the HBO Max series It: Welcome to Derry. Andy was also attached to an adaptation of Attack on Titan, but it looks like that’s not happening anymore.
Also celebrating a birthday today is Keke Palmer. Born on August 26th, 1993, Keke starred in Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022). Keke also appeared in episodes of Scream: The TV Series (2019) and Scream Queens (2015-2016).
More birthdays on August 26th:
- Yvette Vickers (1928) – Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959), Honey Parker in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
- Joan Freeman (1941) – Mrs. Jarvis in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
- Luna Maya (1983) – The Doll 2 (2017), Sabrina (2018), Sumala (2024)
- Tiana Okoye (1991) – Dollface in Twisted Metal season 2
Events on This Day
Don’t Breathe was released in US theaters on August 26th, 2016. This was Fede Álvarez’s first feature after his breakout success with Evil Dead (2013). Fede didn’t direct the sequel, Don’t Breathe 2, instead handing the reigns over to his writing partner for both films, Rodo Sayagues.
The War of the Worlds was given a wide release in the United States on August 26th, 1953. Though it is based on the novel by H.G. Wells, there are some significant differences between the movie and the book. Such as, the Martians themselves are quite different from their descriptions in the novel. The Martian war machines also look different. In the book they’re described as metallic tripods, while the machines in the movie look like they’re flying crafts of some sort. Technically, the machines in the movie have three invisible legs made of energy, but that’s not at all like the book.
More movies released on August 26th:
- Strip Nude for Your Killer (Italy, 1975)
- Suburban Sasquatch (video, 2004)
- In the Spider’s Web (Sci Fi Channel, 2007)
- Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2011)
- The Invitation (2022)
Thank you for reading!
