Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) | Marvel seems to be finding its groove again, and Spidey is leading the charge. Now, about that X-Men movie...#jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 7.7/10. After spending so much time surrounded by horror, I can finally take a breather and enjoy something a little more lighthearted. Well, lighthearted by Marvel standards, anyway. With $2.5 billion at the box office, Spider-Man: Brand New Day certainly hasn't had trouble finding an audience. Being a huge Marvel fan, I knew there would be plenty here for me to enjoy, along with a few more pieces falling into place for the bigger MCU picture.

Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man (Tom Holland) in a world that no longer remembers him, Peter Parker is dealing with the rather unfortunate side effect of having everyone he loves move on without him. That emotional pressure sparks a change in Peter that he may not have the power to control, resulting in a bit of a spider problem. LOL. Unfortunately, that transformation might also be the only thing capable of stopping a shocking new threat to the city and those he cares about, involving a powerful villain nobody can even see.

We begin with Spidey trying to explain to himself, or at least rehearse, what he would say to his former love MJ (Zendaya) about who he really is and why nobody remembers him. Apparently, some of these conversations require standing on top of ridiculously tall buildings. What is it with me and movies involving insane heights lately? Yesterday it was Fall 2, and now Spider-Man is giving me another reason to avoid looking down!

We get a montage of a day in the life of our friendly neighbourhood superhero, accompanied by TV on the Radio's Wolf Like Me. Crime rates in New York are at an all-time low, and it doesn't take long before we're swinging through skyscrapers, chasing bad guys and enjoying the sort of spectacular action you'd expect from a $225 million budget. Along the way, there's also an encounter with The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). I've done remarkably well avoiding spoilers, so some of these appearances were genuine surprises.

And then I got Jean Grey (Sadie Sink). Since the X-Men have always been my favorite comic book, seeing Jean pop up is particularly exciting. It feels like we're one step closer to getting the whole gang into the MCU. Don't mind me, just sitting here waiting for a completely fresh, from-the-ground-up X-Men movie. Bring it on!

There are some excellent web-slinging fight sequences, impressive visual effects and plenty of sentimental relationship material to balance out the action. Holland is very good once again, and director Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously delivered the excellent Shang-Chi, brings some particularly effective hand-to-hand combat sequences. The stunt work deserves plenty of credit, too. With Jackie Chan's world-renowned stunt team involved as action directors and choreographers, it's hardly surprising that the physical action looks this good.

My biggest complaint is that some of the action sequences seem to end just when they're getting really good. I wouldn't have minded a little more time watching Spidey do his thing. Conversely, the overall runtime could have used a trim. At 145 minutes, it feels a little too long, and I reckon an even two hours would have done the trick. I also appreciated the more singular focus on Spider-Man rather than immediately throwing him into another team-up adventure.

I wouldn't call it the greatest Spider-Man movie ever made, but it's another excellent MCU entry and a welcome sign that Marvel is getting back on track. Think more Far from Home than No Way Home. Not quite the spectacular high point of the franchise, but there's plenty to enjoy, a few surprises for the comic book fans, and enough to keep me looking forward to what's coming next. A solid web-slinging good time!

Spider-Man Brand New Day (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/spider-man-brand-new-day-2026/

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) | Just such a great flick beyond superhero standards. #jackmeatsflix #Oscars2022

My quick rating - 8.6/10. I couldn't wait for this one, and it is nominated for Best Visual Effects at this year's #Oscars2022. And let's face it, Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man #2) is also nominated for Best Actor (tick, tick...BOOM!), so I can lump this in for the Oscar season. And I am so glad I did. I did NOT expect the brilliance I received from this movie.

The movie functions on so many levels while still being coherent. Does it push our anticipated agenda of Phase 4? Absolutely, yet still does so without losing focus of being a Spidey flick. And the recent "nostalgia" trend that everyone is enamored with? They pull off bringing back all of our Spider-Man characters from the previous versions and give a plausible explanation for their existence. And in doing so, we also get some classic villains along for the ride.

So we do get to see Tobey Maguire having to deal with Willem Dafoe's Goblin again, among many other past treats. We get Benedict Cumberbatch (also nominated for Best Actor for The Power of the Dog) as Doc Strange to make this all happen and lead us into the new while injecting the old. Just so nicely crafted from top to bottom.

Did I mention visual effects? Oh, yes, you can see why the nomination is there. The scenes absolutely jump out at you with scenes of constant fluidity and motion, pleading for your eyeballs' attention. IMAX viewers must've been in for a real treat since I almost feel cheated watching it in 1080p.

Back to the story, it was quite nice how they still were able to squeeze in some lessons of morality along with the importance of friendship as well. The scenes with all the Spider-Men seemed genuine and really added a nice touch to the whole presentation. This movie is one of the few that the MCU has presented that I can say fairly confidently that you do not need to be a superhero fan to actually enjoy, since there are so many good things going on throughout that anyone will be entertained.

And I believe that is what all of this is for. The humor is there, the action comes at you in droves when it needs to, and everything looks as good as it can be. But onto what the fans have been waiting for since day one, the scene when the whole band of web slingers is back together is one of those goosebumps moments you don't get often. Do not miss this one.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

https://jackmeat.com/spider-man-no-way-home-2021/

Fall 2: Deadpoint (2026) | Apparently, ticking off your dead sister's bucket list means ignoring common sense and climbing things that should come with a death certificate. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 5.4/10. Mother Nature 1, two dumb guys 0. That's how Fall 2: Deadpoint kicks things off, with a man making his way across an old wooden bridge bolted to the side of a mountain, while another bloke behind him helpfully encourages him along with a gun. Unfortunately for both of them, Mother Nature has other plans, and gravity decides to get involved. I'm sure we'll be seeing that bridge again later.

Cut to the fallout from the first Fall movie, which I thoroughly enjoyed back in 2022. As expected, the story of two women stranded atop a ridiculously tall radio tower attracted plenty of attention. Now we meet Shiloh's sister Jax (Harriet Slater), who is packing away her deceased sister's belongings with her friend Luce (Arsema Thomas). Naturally, this leads to the brilliant idea of ticking off some of Shiloh's bucket list, which apparently consists of things that would make most sensible people reconsider their life choices.

Off they head to Bangkok, Thailand, for some gorgeous scenery and an adventure involving Mount Kwan. The premise is simple enough. Two climbers become trapped thousands of feet above the ground, with vertigo-inducing heights, sheer exposure and increasingly ridiculous odds standing between them and survival.

The problem? The whole setup is pretty damn stupid. They fly halfway around the world without apparently doing much research into the route or the climb they're about to attempt. After watching the pair make their way towards the infamous plank walk, which we already caught a glimpse of in the opening, I'm thinking there isn't enough money in the world to get me up there. The directors, Michael and Peter Spierig, certainly know how to make the most of it, constantly showing those wooden planks bouncing around like they're auditioning for a trampoline competition. If you've seen the first movie, you already know this isn't going to end with everyone enjoying a nice cup of tea.

Unfortunately, while the tension is there, the characters don't quite deliver. The filmmakers attempt to manufacture some drama between the two friends while they're stranded on the cliffside, but it never really clicked for me. The original felt considerably more authentic, from the performances to the setting. A radio tower also made for a much more convincing nightmare than a tourist attraction, no matter how many times this movie reminds us that their little excursion is supposedly illegal.

And just when you think these girls couldn't possibly make any more questionable decisions, they find new ways to surprise you. Without spoiling anything, let's just say Shiloh would have known all along, and Jax's apparent failure to acknowledge that raises a few questions.

There's also a little sequel bait thrown in for good measure, which isn't particularly surprising.

Fall 2: Deadpoint is definitely a step down from its predecessor, lacking some of the authenticity and character-driven tension that made the original work so well. Still, the scenery is spectacular, CGI or not, and the heights are suitably terrifying, and there's enough ridiculous survival drama to keep things entertaining.

Not as good as the first, but a solid popcorn flick that passes the time. Just maybe do some research before attempting your next bucket-list adventure. And use your brains before pissing off the bad guys.

Fall 2: Deadpoint (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/fall-2-deadpoint-2026/

Rubber Nose Massacre (2026) | Just clearing the last #Shocktober straggler off. It's bloody awful, but I'll admit it got a couple of chuckles from me. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 2.7/10. It was either this or Zombiesluts. Runtime is a thing, and at 79 minutes, Rubber Nose Massacre fits nicely into my schedule. Sometimes movie night is less about finding a hidden gem and more about finding something that won't eat up the entire evening. Unfortunately, this one might have been better left in the bargain bin.

Things kick off with some upbeat music and a woman being chased by a clown through what looks like some sort of maze. Naturally, this ends with a practical hammer to the head, complete with splatter. Lovely! Except this isn't quite the massacre we think it is. It's actually three friends watching Scary Clowns Go Wild. However, the guys try convincing her that they're watching a snuff film series. I guess that's perfectly normal Friday night entertainment.

It doesn't take long before the killer clowns come looking for our three amigos, and that's when things get properly ridiculous. Enter two Florida men, Diesel (Charles Harris) and Everett (Samuel Williams), a couple of vigilantes hunting down a psychopathic, serial-killing clown. They also seem to have an unlimited supply of beer-drinking jokes, which is probably just as well because there's not a whole lot else going on.

The effects are something else. And by something else, I mean spectacularly awful. There's a particular level of low-budget filmmaking where you start wondering whether the production team knows how bad things look or whether they're deliberately going for laughs. The RPG firing like a machine gun certainly had me scratching my head. Then there's the crawling scene in the garage. If that wasn't intended to be funny, somebody needs to confiscate the camera.

The acting doesn't exactly help matters either. Diesel and Everett's conversations are so awkward that I genuinely couldn't tell whether they were following a script or just making things up as they went along. Putrid performances, questionable dialogue and effects that look like they were assembled during someone's lunch break. It's quite the combination.

Yet, strangely enough, I did get a few chuckles out of it. Not necessarily because the jokes landed, but because some of the filmmaking decisions are so insanely questionable that laughing is about the only reasonable response. Thankfully, nobody involved seems particularly interested in pretending they're making a cinematic masterpiece.

That's probably the biggest positive here. Rubber Nose Massacre doesn't take itself seriously, and neither should you. The bad news? Pretty much everything else. At least it kept its runtime down, and that's something.

It just barely escapes becoming a #turkey, while also managing to be my final #Shocktober flick for 2026. Hardly a grand finale, but I've certainly seen worse ways to spend 79 minutes. Yes, Amityville Backrooms, I haven't forgotten about you.

Rubber Nose Massacre (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/rubber-nose-massacre-2026/

Trick or Treat (1986) | Forty years later, this heavy metal horror flick still rocks! Who doesn't love a headbanger coming back from the dead? #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 6.5/10. Forty years ago, I went to see a Halloween flick that was taking on school bullies, Tipper Gore's PMRC, and the apparent dangers of heavy metal music. Ah, the good old days, when parents thought playing a record backwards would turn their kids into Satanists. Thankfully, Trick or Treat was here to combine heavy metal and horror into one rockin' little Halloween package. And while Fastway, the band responsible for the soundtrack, leaned more towards hard rock than heavy metal, they still delivered some great tunes for a fun #Shocktober viewing. Having never reviewed this one before, what better excuse than its 40th anniversary and a 4K viewing? Besides, I clearly remember the cameos from a couple of musical idols of mine growing up.

We kick things off with a panoramic tour of somebody's bedroom while Stand Up by Fastway plays. Naturally, the walls are covered in posters of Judas Priest, Twisted Sister, Anthrax, and other metal favorites. We're introduced to Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price), a metalhead teenager whose school life consists mostly of being bullied and humiliated, including in front of the girl he has a crush on, Leslie (Lisa Orgolini). His hero is heavy metal superstar Sammi Curr (Tony Fields), so when Curr dies in a hotel fire, Eddie is devastated. That is, until he receives the only copy of the rocker's unreleased album. A little backwards playback later, and Sammi is back from the dead. Because even death isn't enough to stop a rock star from getting one more encore!

Gene Simmons shows up as Nuke, a local DJ who gifts Eddie, nicknamed Ragman, the mysterious album. For younger viewers, that big, round object isn't some enormous CD. It's vinyl! And yes, playing records backwards to uncover secret messages was actually a thing. It's called backmasking, and you can read more about the hidden messages artists occasionally slipped into their music. Then there's Ozzy Osbourne, playing a reverend on a television talk show, criticizing heavy metal. The irony is absolutely delicious. Watching the Prince of Darkness preach against the evils of metal is comedy gold!

The revenge against Eddie's bullies starts relatively harmlessly, but this is a horror movie, so naturally things get increasingly nasty. It's a fairly soft R rating, meaning you aren't getting an endless parade of blood and guts. The effects are pretty much what you'd expect from a movie made before CGI took over, although the makeup work is surprisingly good. Interestingly, Kevin Yagher, who worked on the makeup and effects, also plays the guitarist on stage when Curr interrupts the Halloween dance. One scene involving a woman in a car has always struck me as rather bizarre and out of place, though. It feels like it wandered in from another movie.

Director Charles Martin Smith keeps things moving nicely, with some great shots and a particularly entertaining finale. Curr has unfinished business beyond helping Eddie settle a few schoolyard scores. He also wants revenge on the high school that once refused to let him perform there. When he finally gets his chance, the performance of Trick or Treat is a fantastic musical moment, although the students probably weren't expecting quite such an electrifying Halloween school dance.

At a time when seemingly every other horror release was another slasher, it was refreshing to get a supernatural horror with a rock 'n' roll twist. Trick or Treat was never particularly scary, nor does it need to be. This is a fun blast from the 80s, when metal ruled MTV and governments were apparently terrified of what teenagers might hear on their record players. It's entertaining, has a terrific soundtrack, some memorable cameos, and plenty of nostalgic charm. Perhaps a little rough around the edges, but that's part of the fun. Once underrated, it has deservedly found its audience as a cult favorite. Crank up the volume and enjoy the #Shocktober fun.

Trick or Treat (1986)

https://jackmeat.com/trick-or-treat-1986/

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell (1995) | I went in expecting a Japanese Evil Dead knockoff and got exactly that, along with some goofy #Shocktober moments I wasn't expecting. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 6.3/10. I know I typically say something like I remember hearing about a movie or reading something about it back when I was working at WCV. Not this time! I can honestly say I have never heard of Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell before. And when your cover claims to be the "Japanese Evil Dead," you know it is immediately hitting my watchlist. So I grabbed my glasses and popped on this #Shocktober flick.

After a surprise phone call interrupts his daily workout, beefy bodybuilder Naoto (Shinichi Fukazawa) agrees to meet his photojournalist ex-girlfriend Mika ((Asako Nosaka)), who needs help researching haunted houses. Accompanied by a professional psychic, they visit an abandoned house once owned by Naoto's father. Unfortunately, there's a dark secret lurking inside, and the trio soon find themselves trapped and tormented by a relentless ghost with a 30-year grudge. Apparently, some people really need to learn when to let things go.

The opening logo immediately screams VHS rental days, which is a good sign. We kick things off with a woman stabbing a man for marrying someone else. This quickly turns into a double-stabby affair, and let's just say he wins that particular battle, burying her in the floor. Unfortunately, she refuses to stay buried because, in her mind, he belongs to her. Nothing like a little relationship drama to get the evening started.

Thirty years later, Mika is investigating supposedly haunted locations and dismisses some photographs as "photoshopped images, actually." Wow, they were already blaming Photoshop back then! Also directing, Shinichi Fukazawa does a decent job building atmosphere with ominous background music, sudden jolting sounds and the occasional everyday object that apparently deserves its own horror movie close-up.

The psychic Mizuguchi (Masaaki Kai) eventually decides to investigate alone, despite already having a clock dropped on his head during their first visit. Not exactly the safest working environment. His encounter with the undead woman doesn't go particularly well either, and swallowing a necklace turns out to be this movie's rather unusual version of possession.

Once Mika and Naoto enter looking for him, things really get going. The doors lock, the warnings arrive a little too late, and we're treated to plenty of blood, creative practical effects, and even some stop-motion animation. The budget is obviously tiny, but Fukazawa makes surprisingly good use of camera tricks, time-lapse and clever editing to stretch every dollar.

And then Naoto loads a shotgun, gets his close-up and delivers a very familiar "Groovy." Okay, question answered! The Evil Dead inspiration is definitely not subtle. Between the ridiculous slow-motion bodybuilder shirt-busting moment, fighting disembodied body parts, and using barbells as weapons, there are some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments here. I never thought I'd see gym equipment put to this kind of use.

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell is rough around the edges, undeniably low-budget and occasionally ridiculous, but that's also where much of its draw comes from. It's a blood-splattered love letter to practical effects horror that offers more than enough creativity and silliness to make it fun. For fans of horror films who like to uncover hidden gems, this is a must-see film. Just don't expect your average workout movie!

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell (1995)

https://jackmeat.com/bloody-muscle-body-builder-in-hell-1995/

The Cycle (2026) | The Cycle takes its time getting creepy, but the mystery and old-school practical effects make this Shudder shocker worth the wait. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 6.7/10. Going into this #Shocktober flick, all I knew was that I spotted Jeffrey Donovan from Burn Notice on The Cycle poster. About three seconds in, I also discovered that Shudder was involved. So, naturally, I prepared myself for some unpleasant business. And by unpleasant, I mean the sort of autopsy footage that makes you reconsider your lunch choices.

We begin with Dr. Megan Garland (Deborah Ann Woll) examining photographs of a decomposed body before traveling back to February 2025, where police chief Ian Marks (Donovan) is investigating a particularly nasty crime scene. Megan, a forensic anthropologist at the Crichton Institute of Science, soon learns that her missing father, Peter Stump, has been found dead near a house where a woman and her young daughter were murdered. She initially wants nothing to do with the investigation, which is understandable when your family reunions apparently involve body bags.

However, the mystery surrounding her father's death proves too intriguing to ignore. His remains show evidence of prolonged physical trauma but surprisingly little decomposition, suggesting he spent months sealed away somewhere before being dumped. Meanwhile, the other victims have injuries resembling animal attacks, and further incidents involving the investigating officers make it difficult to dismiss everything as the work of some overly aggressive wildlife.

As Megan digs deeper, connections emerge between her father's disappearance in 1991 and a horrific attack on Lou Bishop (Carl W. Crudup) that happened on the same date. An emergency phone recording adds another unsettling piece to the puzzle, while conflicting forensic evidence makes an ordinary explanation seem highly unlikely. I'll leave it there because this is one of those films best enjoyed without having half the mystery explained to you beforehand.

Director Jordan Downey and cinematographer Kevin Stewart make excellent use of Astoria, Oregon, USA, keeping everything dark, foggy, and thoroughly miserable. Whether that's the weather or the local residents' reaction to the murder rate is anyone's guess. Either way, the atmosphere is terrific, with some genuinely creepy shots that make the surroundings feel as threatening as anything lurking in the shadows.

The real star, though, is the practical effects by Patrick Magee. They're reminiscent of the glorious 1981 effects work in The Howling and An American Werewolf in London. I'm sure Rob Bottin and Rick Baker would approve. Highly detailed prosthetic corpses, convincing decay, real maggots, and gruesome mutilation effects make the autopsy scenes a wonderfully disgusting showcase. Best of all, the effects appear to rely on practical craftsmanship rather than obvious CGI. Thank goodness someone still understands that sometimes the best computer-generated effect is no computer-generated effect at all.

The story takes a little while to get moving, but that slow burn pays off. Resist spoilers, and you'll have fun piecing together what's happening within this deeply troubled family, rather than simply waiting for the next dismemberment. The mystery is well written, the effects are fantastic, and the ending wraps things up nicely.

The Cycle earns its place alongside excellent Shudder offerings like Late Night with the Devil and When Evil Lurks. It may take its time getting under your skin, but once it does, you'll be glad you stuck around. Just maybe don't schedule a medical examination that day.

The Cycle (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/the-cycle-2026/