DRAWMA KINGG Movie Reviews

Tag: writing

  • DRAWMA KINGG SIDEQUEST #4 [Not A Movie Review] – “NIGHTFIRE”

    Just who is this Katie Nightfire? Born in the American South, Kathryn Nightfire lived a good life growing up with her relatively normal parents. While in college a few states away, she worked part-time as a barista at the Possibly Good Coffee House. Vendetta, the owner of the coffee shop, offered Katie a full-time manager position when she finished college. Years later, Ms. Nightfire mysteriously raised enough money to purchase the Possibly Good business completely from Vendetta. Katie became increasingly successful due to the sales of her unique-tasting coffee.

    Men and women would ask Katie out on dates constantly, only to get rejected every single time. No one had ever really interested her enough. That is, until she met William Aris. She liked that William’s manners reflected genuine consideration of others. He also made no attempt to flirt with her in any way, which was pleasantly unusual. The frustrations over that fact would surface later. Unknown to Katie, William did not even consider for one second that he was good enough for her. She would make little jokes to him when he bought cups of coffee, and once in a while, even managed to get him to have a conversation with her.

    In retrospect, Katie wishes she would have told William about her feelings sooner. It finally came out in the open on the day William Aris became Interlock. William was asking people to do ridiculous things to see if he really had persuasive superpowers or if it was his imagination. He asked Katie if she would tell him what she honestly thinks of him. With everyone in the coffee shop expecting her to say something like “You are a pleasant customer”, an unreserved Katie admitted she had a crush on him and was waiting for him to ask her out on a date. 

    Anything but William. Katie keeps telling herself to direct her thoughts elsewhere as she is traveling in the desert on the most magnificent custom built motorcycle that observers have typically ever seen. Katie would save or donate any extra money the Possibly Good takes in. In many respects, she was not the type to care about possessions. The motorcycle was the one thing she let herself spend some serious money on. Well that, and first editions of her favorite books. These luxury items cost a tiny fraction of the earnings from Possibly Good Coffee.

    Time for a cold drink, Katie thinks to herself. There was a convenience store a few miles away. Pulling up to Jasper’s Which Way Outpost brings back an old memory. Still Jasper himself inside.

    Katie: Jasper, glad to see you’re still here.

    Jasper: Do I know you?

    Katie: No, I just stopped here once many years ago. I’m sure you see lots of customers.

    Jasper: Not with a ride like that outside.

    Katie: Oh yeah, I get relentless comments on that. I’m used to it.

    Jasper was about to say something, but was interrupted by several loud people who rapidly approached the outpost. When they came into view, it was obvious that they were fixated on the bright blue motorcycle.

    Jasper: Vile criminal group. Rare to see them out this way. Call themselves Desert Metal. Don’t engage.

    Katie: Not an option. I’ll be stranded without my Blue Tornado.

    [Katie walks out the door as Jasper watches in horror.]

    Katie: I don’t mind you all admiring my bike, but could you please get off of it?

    First Unknown Member of Desert Metal: You’ve misunderstood this situation. We’ve already decided it’s ours.

    Katie: That’s funny because I have the keys, and you wouldn’t even know how to ride it.

    First Unknown Member of Desert Metal: Well then we will just have to take them from you.

    All five people on the ground were probably in need of serious medical attention. Katie jumps on the Blue Tornado and speeds off. Two cars chase after. They must have been watching the fistfight from a small distance. 

    The cars run her off road, but Katie is fast. They unfortunately know the desert way better and maneuver flawlessly. A few extremely risky turns later, she loses the vehicle that had two more Metal members in it. All that’s left to deal with is Mr. Too Much Hair Product, her mental nickname for the lone driver with brass knuckles on his hands. Eventually, the vehicles collide, sending Katie over the handlebars and through the air until she hit the ground. Mr. Too Much Hair Product was surprised that his car got it even worse, both vehicles clearly damaged beyond repair. Extremely sore, but nothing broken, Katie arises.

    [The Leader of Desert Metal stands still in front of Katie.]

    Mr. Product: The way you made us look weak. I couldn’t let you live for that.

    Katie: Are you all talk, or are you ready to fight?

    After about two minutes of going back-and-forth, Katie realizes she is just toying with him like a sparring match against a weaker opponent. She decides it’s time to finish the altercation and hits him so hard he doesn’t get back up.

    Katie was a fighter. The patrons of the Possibly Good were unaware of the reputation Katie had in her hometown. From a young age, she has studied with various self-defense, martial arts, and other alternative fight instructors. A disciplined consciousness, she chooses not to showcase these abilities unless it is to save someone or protect herself. The first and only time she ever entered a fighting competition, she embarrassed her opponent so badly that she never wanted to do it again. For her, it was not about demonstration. It was about a sense of self. Occasionally, a coworker would catch a glimpse of Katie’s exceptional skills if a rowdy obnoxious person had to be thrown out of the coffee shop.

    Katie lay against a rock, wondering how she can survive this far out in the desert. She is thirsty, hungry, and in pain from the crash (not really much from the six people she had to fight). While believing it could be the end, she loses consciousness.

    Eyes open. A desert jeep pulls up, apparently out of nowhere. The driver (with a stereotypical noir-style detective outfit) stands halfway out of the doorway.

    Ban: “My name is Ban Smith. Get in! Interlock needs you! The world needs you!”

    [Driving off – Katie in the passenger seat]

    Katie: Did William send you? How did he possibly know where to find me? How do you know Interlock?

    Ban: I’ve never met him. I don’t even exist in this universe. You’re imagining me based on a story you recently read. You’d better take the wheel.

  • DRAWMA KINGG SIDEQUEST #3 [Not A Movie Review] – “INVISIBLE SUNLIGHT”

    Invisible Sunlight is a band name Luke has wanted to use since his freshman year of high school. He is now 18 years old, sitting with his three bandmates in a basement where rehearsals take place. After a long final debate on the topic, the four of them agreed that Invisible Sunlight was the best name they had at the time!

    Brenda, Jessii, Kimberly, and Luke were booking their first tour as a band. Until now, they did not have a name for the group. Two shows were already booked with made-up names Jessii gave the concert promoters on the spot over the phone. All four members were serious about having a career in a touring band that writes original music. As recent high school graduates, they truly believed in themselves and were undeniably optimistic. The point of the night’s meeting was to settle on an official band name. It was pre-agreed the best name of the evening would be chosen no matter exactly how good or bad it was. 

    Our four powerful friends have been working summer jobs and saving every possible dollar. They were selling possessions they did not need anymore — baseball cards, video game consoles, you name it! Their lives were all in on the upcoming September tour, as well as the new record they were finishing. Seven songs (of the many they had written) were being recorded at one of the most professional recording studios in their region.

    Surprisingly, Invisible Sunlight were respected in their local community as word got around about the tour. You might say the town even had a bit of a hype for them. The band members were shocked because they had not actually done anything yet. None of them have ever been on tour and the first record wasn’t even finished yet. “That’s a little extra pressure.” Luke thought. “If this isn’t successful, the town will think we are failures.”

    “We gotta play our record first! It’s good luck for the tour!” Said Kimberly. Luke had suggested it was tacky to play their own record as they began their drive, but Kimberly won them all over after she argued luck was a factor. Everyone was happy with the quality of the final recordings for What Can You See In The Darkness?, Invisible Sunlight’s seven-song debut album. At least, the whole town was jamming to it with no one mentioning that they felt it was badly produced or anything like that.

    Halfway to the destination, Jessii informs everyone that they are out of gas. “You weren’t paying attention to the fuel tank, Jessii?” They ask.

    Jessii: Y’see, I understand that cars need gasoline to run. It’s just that I didn’t realize it took CONTINUOUS GAS! Like, you have to keep putting it in! If I had only known this was the type of vehicle that required CONTINUOUS GAS!

    Kimberly [Biting her tongue]: OK, we are all generally surprised you didn’t know that already, but just so you know now – all motor vehicles require regular refueling. Luke, come with me. I have the location of the nearest gas station. You two stay here.

    [Kimberly and Luke are now walking on their way.]

    Kimberly: Luke, Jessii is your best friend. Does he always get you into situations like that?

    Luke: Ha ha oh yes, now that you mention it. But Jessii is a kind friend and an amazing bass player. He will also listen to you attentively if you have to explain some ordinary things sometimes.

    [Approaching the fuel station, they see a strip of several businesses that make it look like a small little town.]

    The fuel station clerk tells them that he could sell them two gas canisters that he thought he had in a back room, but he would have to wait till the store was less busy to spend the time searching for them. They agreed to come back in one hour for two filled canisters. Painfully hungry, they walk across the street to the only restaurant, Pam Pam’s Diner.

    Kimberly: We’ve got an hour anyway. Let’s sit and eat. We can order two meals to go for Brenda and Jessie.

    Luke: Might as well. I just feel a bit guilty eating here comfortably while they are at the vehicle.

    Kimberly: Don’t think about it that way. They are going to be thrilled when we come back with food for them.

    Luke: I suppose you’re right.

    [A waitress approaches.]

    Waitress: You both look exhausted. Is everything OK? What do you need?

    Luke: Just food for us and two meals to go for our other friends. We have to wait an hour for gas across the street. Our vehicle is stranded a mile away.

    Waitress: You poor things! We’ll take good care of you. My name’s Mary. Let’s get some warm food in you.

    Mary seems like an oasis in this dreary town, making everyone in the diner smile and laugh.

    Luke: You notice anything strange about this town?

    Kimberly: Yeah, but I can’t figure out just how.

    Luke: Exactly!

    [Mary returns with Pam, one of the two co-owners of the diner.]

    Pam: Heard you were having continuous car trouble.

    Kimberly [Locking eyes with Luke]: Did we use that word?

    Pam: Not sure what you mean. Mary has volunteered to drive you back to your car after you eat. We take special care of people here.

    [Mary walks away briefly and returns with their meals.]

    Luke: It looks delicious!

    Kimberly: Agreed. Do you remember ordering?

    Still 30 minutes until the fuel clerk told them to return, Kimberly and Luke are able to pace themselves and have a relaxing meal together. The food on their plates (that they could not specifically remember afterwards) seemed to be precisely what their taste buds wanted in that moment.

    One second before either of them would have felt any boredom, Mary pulls up in her SUV with two to-go meals and the fuel canisters already packed in the back seat. Pam refuses to let them pay as they exit to Mary’s SUV.

    Right before they pull up to the stranded vehicle, Mary says: “If you ever want to PARTICIPATE IN CRIME, come see me.”  They get out of Mary’s SUV and watch her disappear hastily.

    Luke: Was she serious, or was that just a joke?

    Kimberly: No idea!

    [Kimberly approaches Jessii and Brenda with their meals, while Luke starts fueling up.]

    Jessii: When did I tell you what I wanted?

    Brenda: Yeah, I don’t remember that either.

    Luke: I’ll drive next shift straight to the venue. We might be late after all that!

    Once they crossed the towns border, the rest of the drive was smooth. Jessii and Brenda were both resting peacefully from eating what looked to be their favorite foods. They pull under a sign that horrifies both Kimberly and Luke in the front of the vehicle. The third band listed on the venue sign is “The Somethingorothers”.

    [The concert promoter meets them as they exit the vehicle.]

    Promoter: The Somethingorothers? You’re late. You’re on first. Take your gear straight to the stage.

    Kimberly: Jessii, did you tell the promoter that our name is The Somethingorothers?

    Jessii: Yeah, I said all one word for Somethingorothers.

    Brenda: Wow, Jessii that was the best you could do?

    Jessii: Don’t blame me! That’s why we had to finally settle on a name that one night. It’s only two shows before we started telling promoters our name was Invisible Sunlight.

    Brenda: They’re going to call us The Somethingorothers at the next show too?

    Jessii: Nah, I think that one was the Sumtin’ Sumtin’s. 

    Although upset, they all start laughing at the situation. There was no other psychological way forward. They moved the gear on stage efficiently, leaving time for a 10 minute sound check. Right before they start the first song, Luke says “We are not actually called The Somethingorothers. We are Invisible Sunlight!”

    What transpired was possibly awesome, but there was no real way to gauge it. Not even from the narrator’s point of view. The audience had 28 people in it, including staff and the two other bands. Most of the people who actually came for the show were just waiting for the headliner, Fortune Maximus. Kimberly (keyboardist) and Luke (guitarist) traded off singing lead vocals every other song for about 35 minutes. To all four of the band members, it felt like time sped up, and they couldn’t believe their time on stage was already over. Brenda kept the tracks at their normal tempos though. She was always a reliable tank on the drums in that way.

    Brenda, Kimberly, and Jessii go to sit at the merchandise table, while Luke is stopped by an audience member. She discloses that her name is Julia, and says she thought Invisible Sunlight were “otherworldly”.

    Julia: I have never seen a full group all play so passionately before!

    Luke: Oh ha. I hadn’t thought of it like that. You must be right though. We all love what we’re doing.

    Julia: Would you like to get some fresh air with me?

    Luke: Oh yeah, sure.

    [The two step outside.]

    [The camera pans to Brenda, Kimberly, and Jessii at the merchandise table.]

    Brenda: Would you have thought Luke would be the first of us that someone would try to flirt with on this tour?

    Kimberly and Jessii: NO!

    Jessii: Do you think the audience liked us tonight?

    Kimberly: I couldn’t tell, but I think so.

    Brenda: I couldn’t see much from where my drum kit was set up. I felt amazing on stage though!

    Kimberly: Yeah me too!

    Jessii: I as well!

    The trio sells a few vinyl records and T-shirts, finishes watching the other bands, and then packs up the merchandise for the road. The promoter stops by and hands Kimberly $32 for their share of the night’s earnings.

    [They leave through the front door and immediately see Luke and Julia talking outside.]

    Brenda: Hey Luke, we’re packing up for the road. We sold a few albums!

    Julia: Oh, can I still buy the vinyl version?

    Brenda: Sure, want a T-shirt or some stickers?

    Julia: Yes, please! All of that. [Julia hands Brenda a wad of cash] No change, please.

    [The other three pack up while Luke says his goodbyes to the mysterious woman.]

    Luke enters the vehicle, exhibiting signs of bliss and despair simultaneously. They question him about this Julia person and how he disappeared for most of the night. He reveals that his brain kept trying to tell him Julia was his future wife.

    Luke: I know this sounds like a fantasy, but it felt like my brain could see an inevitable future. This is nuts, right? Y’all know I’ve never been prone to this kind of thinking.

    He started to feel embarrassed about what he said. Kimberly noticed he really did have some kind of traumatic or life-altering experience in some way, so she decided to change the subject and try to cheer him up.

    Kimberly: Your guitar playing rocked tonight! Someone that bought the album said so too!

    Luke: Wow, really?! That’s awesome!

    Brenda: Well what do you expect? C’mon we’re Invisible Sunlight! On to the next gig!

    Jessi: Actually, for the next gig we’re The Sumtin’ Sumtin’s. 

    Luke, Kimberly, and Brenda: Jessii!

  • THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2 2025 Movie Review – Could this be the greatest movie of all time?

    The Strangers: Chapter 2 be a movie. Are you curious if it is one of the best movies of all the movies? Something tells me you really thought that was a possibility when you saw the preview, and you came here to learn THE CHROOTH! Confession: At no time ever have I seen The Strangers: Chapter 1. Did that deter me from going to the theater to judge this movie harshly? Absolutely not! Think about the potential life experience! Like any Marvel, DC, or Image series, Drawma Kingg Sidequest would hit differently if you started at issue #2, 5 ,11, or 4003. Just go for it! What could possibly be better than a unique life experience?

    Yeah, I didn’t much care for The Strangers: Chapter 2. Asking Dis Drawma Kingg why this artwork was worth an act of creation would yield virtually no result. Please do not think there were zero strengths of the film though. It was basically a hide and seek/survival movie. In those respects, Strange Chap 2 was a strongly executed film. There were one too many conveniently lined up events though. Cringeworthy coincidences aside, this bac 2 bak angle did build tension and convey a constant sense of survival for the audience.

    OK, sumtin’ else…

    Ever notice how life be difficult? Like, for everyone! Whether you’re wealthy or not, whether you’re smart or you’re Dis Drawma Kingg with arguably the lowest IQ in bipedal human history — life throws a lot at you. But why? Why must we all deal with stressful aspects of life? Just who is creating this stress stuff? I would like to give them a stern talking to and see if that helps humanity.

    As stress is a mystery that I doubt scientists know a single thing about, I would like the reader to know that I feel for you. That is — in how life can be one stressful thing after another just like the movie I was trying not to talk about. Freudian slip? More like I tried to go on a non sequitur only to realize “life be difficult” was pretty much the whole plot of the movie. Oh well, sometimes you try to be random only to find you are derivative. Ever notice that feeling?

    Final Thoughts: 6/10 Crowns. The Strangers: Chapter 2 gets this many points for the lead, Madelaine Petsch, and the immersive survival experience. Nothing else is likely to remain in my memory as noteworthy. Rebelliously, I have 0 regrets watching 2 without seeing 1 or 3! No lie: I once read a number 51 of a comic book series before reading number 50. I was never the same!

  • HIM 2025 Movie Review – Is it ain’t half bad?

    “Sports”! Yes, this was the first word uttered in the sports horror film, Him. Dis Drawma Kingg can’t recall ever seeing a movie of this subgenre before. For this review (and for the rest of my life), I will be referring to it only as SPORROR! Accepting some problematic flaws, Him was an interesting movie.

    Sporror can create various assumptions in the brain. Imagine going outside to play one of them sports things and there is NO BALL, not even a non-circular version. Terror, robbery, disappointment, and negligence become ALL CONSUMING thoughts. You begin to doubt yourself. Did I somehow cause this catastrophe? Oh wait, is that the ball over there in the bushes? Maybe it’s a demonic entity in disguise. No, just the ball.

    We’ve all had frightening experiences involving standard yard objects. That’s what makes sporror so effective to the human subconscious. Athletic injuries are the thematic seed that forms Him’s plot. I have never played on a sports team in my life, yet I could still relate to an extent. As a young Drawma Prinnce, I sustained a substantial skull injury while playing with a “cup and ball on a string” style device. My parents forced me to continue performing with the cup and ball in order to obtain a multimillion-dollar contract. None of the ladies at the bingo hall made such an offer, and detrimental effects to my health persisted for life. Upon ascending to the throne, I vowed to be a better monarch than my parents chose to be!

    Would you like to hear some serious thoughts on the movie? I mean “more serious” obviously. That yard ball stuff was vitally important. Him’s greatest strength was in the visuals. The creepy rooms in the training facility (where most of the events take place) were absolute top-notch examples of what can be achieved in cinema. I cannot champion that part of the film enough. To my great amusement, comedian Jim Jefferies shows up and demonstrates respectable acting abilities. On the problematic end, the antagonist’s motivations projected as complete nonsense (to me at least). They didn’t really make sense and not in an intriguing mysterious way, more so in a “this script needs to be reworked” kind of way. Lastly, the main character endures too much bizarre behavior, waiting an absurd amount of time to legitimately question his situation. Personally, I would have ran away as soon as they gave me the first random unexplained injection.

    Is it ain’t half bad? Yeah, it ain’t half bad.

    Final Thoughts: 7/10 Crowns. Visually, it deserves 10/10 Crowns. A few script updates could have turned Him into one of the year’s top movies. The penultimate scene where the two main characters fight was unsatisfying, and I probably would have hated the movie if it ended right there. Luckily, things took a turn with a crazy final scene that made for a cool ending! I would highly recommend this film to anyone that appreciates beautiful scenic atmospheres. Now please wish me luck at my next hospital visit for my childhood cup and ball sports injury. Oh the sporror, the SPORROR!