"Alias" and "Lost" writer-producer Drew Goodard turned cinematic heads back in 2012 with his meta-horror directorial debut, "The Cabin in the Woods." After the success of that film, which turned horror movie clichés in over their heads, his cinematic career consisted of mostly writing successful pop-entertainment screenplays such as 'The Martian,' '10 Cloverfield Land,' and 'World War Z.' Not too shabby for a self-proclaimed 43-year-old movie geek, mostly known, up until then, as JJ Abrams' secondhand man on television. Now, six years later, Goodard returns with an ambitious 140-minute film infused with Tarantino-esque influences, the tongue-in-cheek titled "Bad Times at the El Royale." Although Goodard has been known for never adhering to formula in the past, this latest endeavor from the filmmaker is, however, steeped in more conventional influences, even if his intentions are quite the contrary.