Media Notes: Roundup for September 2025

 

  

 

Welcome to my somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during September 2025.

Movies and films (links to IMDB.com for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available).

Getting a bit of a head start on horror watching as we head into October and Halloween:  

• The Jester (2023. Horror. Made for TV film).  Plot description: "A malevolent being known as The Jester terrorizes the inhabitants of a small town on Halloween night, including two estranged sisters who must come together to find a way to defeat this evil entity." This was a bit better than I expected. It is not great, but it is decent enough. Starts out looking like a typical slasher kind of movie, but as we get to the final act, we see this is more a reflection on truth, resentment, and forgiveness. A small detail I liked was the Jester's look. It was simple, but it was effective. A guy dressed in orange suit, cane, top hat with a Jester mask. It is Halloween, so blends right in. What worked was he was mostly silent, so a bit like a mime. It added a bit to the terror. Some suspense, a bit of horror, and a little humor here or there. Movie does not seem much, but it still manages to get you to keep watching. For a horror movie, it is very light. Still I liked it, so willing to give it 3 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 9/6.
• Burial Ground (1981. Horror. Italian film. Also known as The Nights of Terror. Original title: Le notti del terrore). Plot description: "An archaeology professor discovers an ancient crypt containing living dead corpses. The zombies go on a rampage and attack a group of people whom the professor had invited to celebrate his discovery." The initial catch is the professor becomes the first victim of the zombies, so when the guests arrive, they have no idea he is gone. They think he may have just left for the day or some errand. The guests all go around doing their own thing here and there, and from there, matter of time til the zombies get them. The acting at times does leave a bit to be desired. The zombie special effects are OK, not great but not awful. They can vary in quality; some zombies look better than others. There are some small gruesome parts when zombies manage attack then consume one of their victims. The one character who is kind of creepy to be honest is the one son who is inopportune and a bit obnoxious.  As for the music, varies from semi-decent suspense kind of music to some weird electronic sound that does not quite belong in this kind of film. One thing I did not expect was the slow zombies throwing stakes and using farm implements like a scythe. And did I mention they can climb walls. Not like Spider-Man, but they can hold on to ledges and such and climb a wall. So they are sort of slow and lumbering but not too dumb. This could be a cheesy kind of zombie horror movie with the guests trapped in the house, but it is just so damn slow. The scares are there, but in between the plot just drags. It's not the worst I've seen, but it is not that good. Add to it we get one or two unintentional laughs, and there you have it. A few drinks, and it might be watchable for Halloween, but sober you will feel it drag. It could have been good, but between the so-so acting, and the slow pace you just can't wait for it to end. Speaking of the end, last ten minutes or so, we all knew what was going to happen. It was somewhat OK, so 2.5 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 9/13.
• Fatal Games (1984. Horror. Slasher). Plot description: "Athletes at a sports academy are getting systematically killed by a mysterious javelin thrower."  To be honest, I am not sure how this got on my "to watch" list; I am guessing I may have seen a mention on social media. Anyhow, watching it now. This is certainly an 80s film, including the sports montage to open the film and the soundtrack including the upbeat pop music and synth tunes. The movie is fairly plain. We see the students practicing for a national competition, hoping to make it to the Olympics down the road. Soon one by one they start dying as a mysterious javelin thrower starts to kill them. The killer is pretty good at hiding the bodies, at least initially, to the point the coaches just think the kids disappeared or are pulling a prank. Even when parents start calling the cops, there is no evidence where the dead kids are hidden. So there is some suspense, but the pace is a bit slow, and we get a bit more athlete drama than we may want. After a while, to be honest, they academy people sort of forget there are at least three dead athletes as the others keep on training, almost like nothing happened. It's not until about 25 minutes remaining, out of an hour and 27 minutes or so, where a couple of the athletes wonder, "gee, could they be dead?" The kills are no big deal, relatively basic with a javelin. Gore is very minimal. To be honest, the one part where Frank, a gymnast, breaks a leg in a dismount is more gruesome than the actual kills. On the other hand, if you like young nubile women naked, there is quite a bit of female nudity in the first part of the film: showers, sauna, etc. One thing the film does relatively well is keep the identity of the killer secret until the very end. Well, at least until they reveal the one twist about the killer, which seems a bit of a stretch but this is a slasher film (not revealing to avoid spoilers). There were one or two details that you may seriously question. I mean, this is a dumb slasher so to speak, but even for this genre those small details, like a certain newspaper, just catch your eye. Overall, not a terribly great film, but it is not bad either. Just average, so 2.5 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 9/19.  
• Granted part of the reason the coaching staff keeps things quiet is that they are experimenting with steroids with the athletes. This is 1984, and Americans are worried about competition from East Germans and Russians. They do it, so Americans feel they need to also do it.
•  The Goetia Diaries (2022. Horror. Occult. Supernatural). Plot description: "Vlogger, Richard Deakin, investigates black magick and the summoning of King Solomon's 72 demons in his current series, The Goetia Diaries."  This one I do remember someone mentioning it on social media, and while they were lukewarm about it, to put it charitably, made me curious, so here we are. As I understand coming it, it is one of those "found footage" films, so I am keeping the expectations low; I am not a fan of the "found footage" genre. The movie pretty much starts with his last vlog entry, then we see his fiancee, who is presenting his vlog entries for viewers after Richard disappeared. The story then works forward vlog entry by vlog entry. Along the way, he interviews occultists, gets a Tarot reading, and other activities leading to working with a demonologist. This despite warnings from his occultist friend Zimmer to not pursue the investigation nor work with Reznick the demonologist and summon the demons of the Goetia. Along the way, we do see Richard transforming as the rituals and investigation take him along a darker path than he bargained for. Overall, the movie is pretty slow, no real tension, and the ending not really surprising. Not much actual acting; actors just seem to go through motions. The concept could have had potential, but it is just not there. This is one you can safely skip. One thing it does have is it tries to be very atmospheric, but that is not enough to recommend it. 1 out of 5 stars, and barely. Via TubiTv. Watched 9/19. 
• The Driller Killer (1979. Horror. Slasher). Plot description: "An artist slowly goes insane while struggling to pay his bills, work on his paintings, and care for his two female roommates, which leads him taking to the streets of New York after dark and randomly killing derelicts with a power drill." As if that was not enough,  by the way, a bunch of musicians move into the same building, and keep playing music at all hours, which bothers the artist too. The movie is violent, which is why it was controversial back in its day. Today much of it would seem tame compared to some modern horror films, say the Saw franchise for example. Still, an issue with the film is that it has quite a bit of filler. Idea is to show how the artist slowly loses his mind from all going on around him, and we see that. But there is also a lot of filler that slows things down. At times, the film does drag. Film, rather than horror, is a bit more psychological drama and a look at the 70s and the New York City scene. It does have some surreal moments, but it is not terribly substantial. The music can be catchy at times, but not enough to elevate the film. The acting is not that great either. The ending, well, it just ends. This is early Ferrara, and it shows. I understand he gets better over time,  though Ms. 45, his next movie, was not that great for me (see link to my review below). At this time, I am not seeing why this film let alone the director enjoy a cult status. 1 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 9/20.
• Film is also listed in the Grindhouse Cinema Database.  
• Abel Ferrara directs and also stars this time. He also directed Ms. 45, which I have seen and reviewed. 
• In curious details, the Porto-Pak product that appears on a TV ad is basically the precursor of small portable rechargeable batteries like ones you use on small power tools. It just caught my eye.  It turns out the artist gets one so he can carry his corded drill (this was before Black and Decker cordless) around and keep it running.
•  A Knight's War (2025. Dark fantasy. Horror. Action). Plot description: "A fearless knight braves a deadly realm to save the Chosen One's soul. Facing witches, demons, and brutal foes, he discovers her return could ignite chaos and doom humanity."  I kept my expectations low on this one, but to be honest, it was better than I thought. This is more dark fantasy than horror per se, and that is fine. Story is decent. Not spectacular, but decent. The acting works well enough. It's a knight's quest movie with some small twists towards the end, and they work. In addition, the special effects and  some of the costumes are great. Looking at the witches you can't help but be a bit fascinated even as they can be horrifying. Also, I found interesting the talisman of the 100 deaths or so as its effect may remind some of stories like All You Need is Kill or the movie based on it Edge of Tomorrow. I liked it, even if it had some slow moments here or there, it does keep your attention. It is very much a middle of the road film. This may be the best I watched this month, so willing to give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 9/26. 

 

Other non-horror films watched this month: 

• 9/11 (2017. Disaster. Action. Thriller). Plot description: "Five people find themselves trapped in an elevator during the September 11 attacks. They soon work together, never giving up hope, to try to escape before the unthinkable happens." One of the various films that came out after the event. I barely recall seeing this one, so this is a rewatch for review, plus at the time I am watching it we got the "Patriot Day" obligatory holiday (thanks to George Bush the second), so what the heck, I will watch at least one film about it. Keeping my expectations low on this one. On surface, has a semi-decent cast including Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, and Luis Guzman, who always puts in good work. I can see why this movie got low ratings. It mostly takes place in the elevator, with glimpses of what is happening outside as the nation realizes they are under a terrorist attack. Outside of the drama inside the elevator, nothing much happens. The actors mostly perform to their type, especially Sheen who can do the jerk with a good heart and Guzman the blue collar Latino worker. Overall, the film is kind of meh. It is watchable, but it is a film you likely will soon forget. It just does not feel memorable. In the end it's barely OK, so 1.5 out of 5 stars. Watched via Tubi on 9/13. 
• Film is based on the play "Elevator" by Patrick James Carson. 

 

Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes:

• Iron Chef (1993-1999). I felt a need to do some comfort series watching, so I've been rewatching the Japanese show via TubiTv. As the month ends, I am almost done with Season 3. Last time I commented on this was when I finished the series back in 2023. This is a series I find relaxing, and I enjoy rewatching it now and then.