Movies At Midnight

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This week, we're continuing on with Cody's Birth Month with his and Nikki's review of The Thing, directed by John Carpenter.

It's the first week of winter at U.S. Outpost #31 in Antarctica, when two Norwegian piolets show up hunting down a dog. Before the Americans can figure out what's going on, both Norwegian men are killed. Two of the Americans, MacReady and Dr. Copper, go to the base the Norwegians come from, and find the entire base destroyed and everyone else dead. They find the melted remains of an alien creature and bring it back to their base to study. One night, the dog that the Norwegians were hunting turns out to be a shapeshifting alien creature, and the Americans kill it before it can imitate the other dogs at the base. Paranoia now starts to set in, as each member of the base starts to think that anyone can now be this thing.

The Thing came out in 1982, and became a box office bomb. Audiences at the time did not respond well to the movie's grim tone and overuse of gore effects. Over the years, however, the movie has gained a cult following, and is now regarded as one of the best Sci-Fi Horror films ever made. But do Nikki and Cody agree with that sentiment? Listen to their review to find out!

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Today, we are celebrating Cody's Birth Month by reviewing his Top 5 Favorite Movies of All Time, and we're starting it off with A Clockwork Orange, directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Alex is a troubled youth living in a dystopian future. Alex goes around with his fellow Droogs (friends) committing various crimes. During one of their outings, Alex accidentally kills a woman, and his Droogs betray him. Alex is sent to a prison, where he learns of a new and controversial method to reform criminals. Alex signs up and is subjected to a torture method that forces him against his will to behave like a good citizen.

A Clockwork Orange is considered to be one of Kubrick's most controversial films, having been banned in several countries over the years. But does the film have a deeper meaning behind the controversy? Listen to Nikki and Cody's review to find out.

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This week, Nikki and Cody are reviewing Candyman, directed by Bernard Rose.

Helen Lyle is working on her thesis on urban legends when she comes across the myth of Candyman, the son of a slave from the 1800s who was murdered over falling in love with a wealthy man. After Helen's findings at Cabrini Green come up with nothing, she stumbles across the real Candyman. Candyman has fallen in love with Helen, and is now using his powers to bring the two of them together, while also ruining Helen's life by framing her for a series of murders.

Candyman was released in 1992, and was a commercial and critical success. Even after over 30 years since its release, the film manages to stay relevant in modern times. But what do Nikki and Cody have to say? Listen to their review to find out.

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This week, Nikki and Cody are ranking every Child's Play film. Child's Play is a long standing horror franchise, spanning from 1988 to 2019. Infamous for introducing Chucky the killer doll, the franchise has had a ton of love over the last 40 years. But do these films stand the test of time? Listen to Nikki and Cody's rankings to find out.

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Today, Nikki, Cody, and special guest Jade are reviewing Five Nights At Freddy's, directed by Emma Tammi.

Mike is struggling to keep a job down to help support himself and his little sister Abby. While job recruiting, Mike is offered a job at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Mike's job is to keep an eye on the place and make sure that no one breaks into the place. But, as Mike spends the week at his new job, he learns the animatronic mascots of the pizzeria come to life at night. Mike now has to unravel the mystery behind the animatronics, while also solving the mystery of his kidnapped little brother.

Five Nights At Freddy's opened to a very successful box office, but was heavily panned by critics. But what does Nikki, Cody, and Jade have to think of it? Listen to their review to find out.

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This week, Nikki, Cody, and special guest host Jade are finishing off Found Footage Month with their review of Creep, directed by Patrick Brice.

Aaron is a videographer who has been hired for a job by a man named Josef. Josef is dying of a brain tumor, and wants to leave behind a tape for his unborn child as a memento. Over the course of their day of filming, Aaron slowly comes to realize that Josef isn’t the man he says he is, and that the reasonings behind hiring Aaron have sinister reasons.

Creep premiered at the South by Southwest film festival in 2014, and gained a wider release on Netflix in 2015. The film received critical praise at the time, and went on to spawn a sequel and a Shudder Original Series, but does the film hold up over a decade later? Listen to Nikki, Cody, and Jade to find out!

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Today, Nikki and Cody continue Found Footage Month with their review of Chronicle, directed by Josh Trank.

Andrew is a high school kid living an awful life. His mother is sick with cancer, his father is a drunk and abusive, and his fellow classmates constantly bully him. The only friend Andrew has in life is his cousin Matt, who convinces Andrew to go to a party. At that party, Andrew, Matt, and popular kid Steve find a hole in the middle of the woods that has a giant, glowing crystal-like object. After touching the object, all three of them gain telekinetic powers. As the trio expand their abilities to use these powers, Andrew slowly becomes more isolated and dangerous.

Chronicle debuted in theaters in 2012, and became a huge hit at the box office. With its success, it launched Josh Trank’s career, leading him to direct the Fantastic Four remake in 2015. While it was well received at the time, does the movie hold up 14 years later? Listen to Nikki and Cody’s review to find out!

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Today, Nikki and Cody are continuing Found Footage Month with their review of Lake Mungo, directed by Joel Anderson.

The Palmer Family have been struck by a terrible tragedy; Alice Palmer has drowned at the age of 16. As the family grieves Alice’s death, strange things start to happen around the Palmer house. Alice’s brother Matt starts to record these events, and captures Alice lingering in the background of these recordings. As the events of the film unfolds, we start to learn more about who Alice was as a person, and things surrounding her life and death aren’t what they seem.

Lake Mungo debuted in 2008 in Australia, but didn’t make its way to the U.S. until 2010. The movie flew under the radar for years, before having a resurgence around 2020. The movie has since gained a cult following, and is considered one of the scariest movies ever made, but is that actually the case? Listen to Nikki and Cody’s review to find out.

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This week, Nikki and Cody are kicking off Found Footage month with their review of Cloverfield, directed by Matt Reeves.

Rob has found himself a new job in Japan, and his brother Jason decides to throw him a goodbye party. During the party, a massive explosion happens that causes them to leave the building. They soon come to realize that Manhattan is being attacked by a monster. While evacuating the city, Rob gets a call from his ex-girlfriend Beth that she is injured and unable to escape from her apartment. Rob decides to face the dangers going on in his city to find and rescue Beth, while Rob’s friends Lilly, Hud, and Marlene go with him.

Cloverfield premiered in 2008, and was a massive success at the box office, kicking off Matt Reece’s career in Hollywood. The movie was supposed to be J.J. Abram’s way of creating an iconic movie monster in the same way Godzilla is to Japan, but did he succeed in doing so. Listen to Nikki and Cody’s review to find out.

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Today, Nikki and Cody conclude Stephen King Month with their review of Misery, directed by the late Rob Reiner.

Writer Paul Sheldon gets into a car wreck while driving home in a snowstorm. Unfortunate for him, he is saved by Annie Wilkes, who is a former nurse and Paul’s Number 1 Fan. As Paul is recovering from his injuries, he slowly discovers that Annie is unhinged, and tortures Paul while under her care. Annie forces Paul to write a new book just for her; a continuation of the Misery book series that Paul is famous for. As Paul is writing this book, he starts to plan on how he can escape from Annie’s care.

Premiering in 1990, Misery was a big success at the time, and secured an Oscar win for lead actress Kathy Bates. But does the movie hold up 36 years later? Listen to Nikki and Cody’s review to find out.