Chapter 36
THE SPRINKLER Chapter Thirty-Six
8.1.2026
Editor – Mykal - Content – Technical - Layout
Research & Editor – Mike - Content - Layout
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Chapter 36
A Monthly Film-First Dispatch
Psycho Studios (Phoenix)
Film Image of the Month
Tobe Hooper’s horror masterpiece Texas Chainsaw Massacre is in our top 15 greatest horror films of all time! Shot on a low budget with no name actors in the brutal Texas summer it is iconic on so many levels it would take a book to capture them. The story, cinematography, raw nature of the cast and violence rock! And the sound of the chainsaw! Leatherface is one of those titular horror icons that transcends time and horrible remakes! Keep reminding yourself it’s only a movie!
EDITOR’S NOTE
Our format change has been in place for several months. I have received some very positive feedback. We will continue to tweak this newsletter as we move through the rest of the year.
Contents:
Film: New release review, and our Psycho Scale.
From the Vault: Films from the 1930s through the 1980s. Simply a watch suggestion.
VHS Corner: One film suggested, do you own a VCR?
Music: This is about music that is directly linked to a film or films. One soundtrack suggested.
Spotlight: Sometimes we honor those film & music greats from days gone by.
**We use the Psycho Scale when reviewing movies with a score, it is 0-Psycho (10) and these scores are real and true.
FILM
New Release
Evil Dead Burn – 2026 Rated R – runtime 1h 51m
By the Numbers:
Budget - $20 million – Box Office $63 million
Evil Dead Burn is a 2026 American supernatural horror film directed and co-written by Sébastien Vaniček and produced by Rob Tapert and Evil Dead creator Sam Raimi. Serving as a sequel to Evil Dead Rise (2023), the film follows a grieving young widow who retreats to her in-laws' secluded home after the death of her husband. What begins as a family gathering quickly devolves into a family reunion from hell as one by one, they succumb to the Deadites.
Now for the review:
Putrid.
I knew this thing was in trouble for me within the first 15–20 minutes.
The film immediately throws strange ideas at the audience that never seem to matter. What's with all the water? Why are Deadites suddenly running around in broad daylight? None of it feels earned.
The acting is weak across the board. The characters don't behave like real human beings, and the family dynamic never works. Every conversation feels forced, every emotional beat feels manufactured, and the dialogue is painfully artificial.
Then there's the bizarre logic. A violent car crash happens for seemingly no reason. A funeral scene lands with all the emotion of a grocery list. A guy transporting a body to the crematorium is blasting rap music through headphones like he's running errands instead of delivering a corpse. Moments later, Dad hears pounding coming from the coffin and somehow the movie still can't build any suspense.
The pacing is awkward, constantly stopping itself with pointless flashbacks and scenes that kill any momentum. One flashback involving the wife's abusive husband feels randomly inserted and adds almost nothing to the story.
When the horror finally arrives, it's mostly just gore for gore's sake. Yes, it's graphic. Yes, it's bloody. But graphic violence isn't a substitute for tension or storytelling.
The film completely falls apart once the Deadites take over. Dad murders his son's girlfriend. She returns as a demon. Everyone just stands there watching. The possessed girlfriend gets tossed into the cellar like yesterday's trash. Dad kills the family dog. Demon Dad starts making out with the still-human mom. The movie expects these moments to be disturbing, but they're mostly laughable.
The injuries don't make any sense either. Characters are shoved through walls, thrown onto knives and forks, beaten half to death and then simply walk it off. The rules of the film change whenever the script needs them to.
Even small moments become unintentionally funny. Grandma spends half the movie lying helplessly on the floor, and Mom's response is, Are you okay? That's the level of writing we're dealing with.
The music never elevates anything. It's simply there. The story is weak. The dialogue is weaker. Even the strange Silent Hill ash falling from the sky can't save this mess.
The most frustrating part?
This movie is making a fortune anyway.
One of the weakest entries in the Evil Dead franchise. Loud, gory, and relentlessly dumb.
Final Verdict: Putrid.
Then again, at least it wasn't Scream 7.
Not my kind of horror film.
Psycho Scale: 1.5 out of 10.
Stick with the originals
New Release
The Odyssey – 2026 Rated R – runtime 2h 43m
By the Numbers:
Budget - $250 million – Box Office $640 million
The Odyssey (2026)
I'll start by saying this:
I'm a huge Christopher Nolan fan.
I've loved most of his films. Memento. The Prestige. The Dark Knight. Tenet. Interstellar, to name a few. The guy has earned the benefit of the doubt from me.
I've also never been much of a fan of period pieces, especially anything set before 1950. But I figured if anyone could make me forget that bias, it would be Nolan.
I was wrong.
The Odyssey is a 2026 epic action fantasy film written and directed by Christopher Nolan and produced alongside his wife, Emma Thomas. Based on Homer's ancient Greek epic poem, it stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Charlize Theron and an impressive supporting cast. The story follows Odysseus, King of Ithaca, as he struggles to make his way home following the Trojan War while encountering monsters, witches, mythical creatures and the gods themselves.
Now for my review:
Who gives a shit?
I know that sounds harsh, but that was honestly my reaction for almost three hours.
The dialogue felt flat. The characters never pulled me in. I had absolutely no emotional investment in anyone on screen. The human condition was flaccid.
Thirty-three minutes in we finally see the Cyclops. It was cool, but.
Again:
Who gives a shit?
Yes, the production values are incredible. The sets are massive. The costumes are beautiful. The cinematography is exactly what you'd expect from Christopher Nolan.
But none of that matters if I don't care about the people wandering around inside those beautiful sets.
The movie just keeps going. And going.
An hour in they're running from giant soldiers. This was an odd series of events and the fighting did not hold my interest.
Then they meet a witch who turns men into pigs. This was an interesting scene and the visuals were cool. But.
Then it's off to Hades.
Then another flashback.
And another. And another.
I have never been a fan of constantly jumping backwards in a story, and The Odyssey reminds me why. Just when the film starts moving, Nolan slams on the brakes to revisit something we've already seen or already understood.
About halfway through I looked at the clock on the wall. Van Halen whispering in my ear: I think the clock is slow!
Ninety minutes left.
That realization hurt more than anything happening on screen.
Matt Damon never completely disappears into the role for me. Every now and then that familiar Boston cadence creeps into his performance. Tom Holland feels strangely lifeless, almost like he's wandering through someone else's movie. The supporting cast is talented, but they're trapped inside a story that left me completely indifferent.
If you're passionate about Greek mythology, ancient epics, and Homer's original work, you'll probably have a much better time than I did.
Me?
Give me Terrifier over this every single time.
At least that movie knows exactly what it wants to be.
The Odyssey is long. Drawn out. Repetitive. Boring. Self-important. I admired the craftsmanship far more than I enjoyed the movie. The music was less than, but I’m not sure what it should have been. That very well may be a me thing.
Ironically, watching The Odyssey became an odyssey, really.
One final thought:
The film is already making a fortune. Audiences clearly love it, critics are largely praising it, and I completely understand why. Nolan is one of the premier filmmakers working today, and this is exactly the kind of ambitious studio spectacle people flock to. People are still into big studio productions and huge budgets to support those films, to mix in with the popularity of small budget films that are of interest.
It just wasn't for me.
Not even close.
Christopher Nolan's filmmaking talent is undeniable.
Unfortunately, even Christopher Nolan couldn't make me care about The Odyssey.
Final Verdict: An odyssey to sit through. A painful one.
Totally not my kind of film. That’s my tenet.
Psycho Scale: 5 out of 10.
FROM THE VAULT (1930s–1980s)
The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II 1981 - 1987 Rated R – runtime 1h 20m and 1h 25m
Sam Raimi’s incredible horror films The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II are timeless. They spawned an amazing universe that continues 45 years later. Evil Dead Burn can’t hold a candle to his originals. Evil Dead II, is less of a sequel and more of a continuance of the first film, only released six years later. Bruce Campbell steals every scene he is in, as do the special effects! Let’s not forget that dead skin colored Delta 88! Dead by Dawn!
VHS CORNER (Available only on videotape)
The Refrigerator 1991 Rated R – runtime 1h 26m
This film is another one of the worse movies I’ve seen and I have seen in excess of 2K films. It had the three R’s! The acting, dialogue, story & script make it a tough watch. I should get an award for watching all 86 minutes of it! Things could be worse; I could be watching Weapons! Psycho Scale – 1 (Still a must watch for insane 90’s horror fans)
MUSIC (That collides with film)
Body Double 1984 – Frankie Goes to Hollywood, RELAX
This month’s soundtrack recommendation is 1984’s Body Double by Brian DePalma. It’s really just one song. A unique take on the music video craze that was taking over the 1980’s.
Brian DePalma’s classic thriller based on a few of Hitchcock’s finest is a unique 80’s film. DePalma incorporates the major hit by Frankie Goes to Hollywood RELAX into the fabric of the movie. He utilizes the group itself along with Frankie in a transitional scene that is crucial to the plot. Craig Wasson and Melanie Griffith star and crush this sexy pseudo porn scene! Go to it!
Psycho Studio’s Spotlight
Sam Neill
In Memoriam
Sam Neill was and always will be one of our favorite actors! We are sad that we have had several of these memorials as of late. He has an incredible filmography, the three that standout for me are; The Final Conflict, Possession and Dead Calm. His acting was always top notch as he brought the human condition to the forefront regardless of character and film. From all accounts he was more importantly a great man, husband and father. We move forward, and toast to Mr. Neill.
Psycho Studio’s Random Review!
The Butcher 2006 - Rated R - 1h 30m
The Butcher is close to unwatchable. Psycho Scale: 1.5/10 (and that’s generous). Nearly everything misses the mark: the story, acting, dialogue, cinematography, and direction. It’s a poor rip off of far better horror films. A Lionsgate release? Surprisingly, yes. Interesting kill? Even the strawberry milk looked like it was made with spoiled milk. The best part of the entire film? The guitar riff that plays over the end credits. This one
was truly butchered.
CLOSING THOUGHT
We refrain from speaking to politics, religion and the strife across the globe. Film has been an incredible connection and enthusiastic distraction, hobby and life pursuit. 2026 is Psycho Studio’s year, and we look forward to sharing thoughts, experiences and the like. We will start sharing some interesting details about this journey in chapter 37 of The Sprinkler. We wish everyone a safe and happy summer.
Mykal and I shared this credo with one another a couple years ago; it was poignant then & surely is today!
Be cool to one another
Please subscribe to our newsletter; back issues available with some great content!
We have thoroughly enjoyed writing this newsletter each month for three years! We will continue with our unique voice in a sea of sameness and will do so through 2026!
Mykal and I wish everyone a positive June! Be safe and stay psycho! We would love to hear from our audience. Comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome!
Email us at - psychostudios66@gmail.com
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Mike & Mykal - Psycho Studios Phoenix – 8.1.2026
Thank you, Psychos! Chapter 36