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The Day After Tomorrow 2004 ★★★
Say what you will, but nobody does adrenalin fueled brain on zero popcorn fun quite like Emmerich. And main characteritis helps you survive all of that without a scratch. Personal Shopper 2016 ★★★ Personal shopper was an interesting thriller. Kristen Stewart plays a student who works as a personal shopper for a society figure. Spending your whole days in fancy shops, trying on expensive clothing, living in Paris, hopping back and forth between Paris and London,... I think there are a few people I can sign up for that. However, there is of course more to it than that. She also tries to get in touch with her deceased twin brother and at the same time she gets texts from some stranger who appears to be either toying with her and/or stalking her. As a thriller, it was enjoyable, but the story did not really know where to go. With the result being that both the murder subplot and the brother plot could have been fleshed out more. But we get some interesting sequences while she is trying to get into contact with her brother and the shot where she finds the body is well construed. Also, Kristen Stewart does a solid job here as the lead girl, going back and forth between bewilderment, curiosity, terror and being appaled. For people who like their mysteries a bit different. |
The House on Pine Street 2015 ★★
A pretty unmemorable haunted house flick. A few decent effects and ditto jump scares (barely) earn it its second star. Skin & Bone 2022 ★★★½ An entertaining short with ghosties and the growing tension between a farmer and the drifter she employs. The director had the mood down, the actors are solid, and not to spoil anything, but the ending does add a new dimension to the term the GOAT. Also, extra half star for Amanda Seyfried's singing voice. Death Metal 2016 ★★★ More cartoony than scary by far. But some good carnage and some fun gore and all in all enjoyable. if you're in good for a laugh. Ps: Michael Dalmon (with his look in this short) could make for a good Charles Manson. |
Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street 2019 ★★★★
For the second time in little more than a week, I've ventured into the universe surrounding ANOES. Only this time in a completely different way. Because... while part of it, if not a large part, is about the series and Freddy Krueger, it's certainly not the main focal point. That would be the life and journey of Mark Patton, the man portraying Jesse Walsh, aka the first male scream queen. We follow him thoughout his life and times, with (more than) a few aspects making it unbelievable. From how comfortable he was with his sexuality early on (not an easy feat in less supportive times) to him finding his way to the stage as an actor. Culminating in a beautiful Cher-story. The movie that made him, also broke him. But not as much as the scriptwriters did and the impact of the AIDS epidemic was even worse. As someone who was a child during the Reagan-era and who hit puberty around the time that condoms became a common thing, I was (kind of) aware of the epidemic, but at the end of the day, it was far away. Something to be careful for, end of story, no more than that. And you kind of knew that a lot of people died and certainly a lot of gay people, you just did not give it that much thought, since you were too busy with your own life, discovering girls, music, movies and what not. In a way, this movie was an eyeopener, a lot more than a movie like Philadelphia was. Philadelphia raised awareness about gays, this raises awareness about AIDS. Mark telling about Tom, his disease and his passing really hits home how big the stigma and the self loathing must have been to have certain thoughts. Not to mention how small things could have had an immense impact. We see the hell that Mark went through as a person (chances are the line about not seeing a person for a year will make your eyes misty), and you immediately had an image of all the nameless gay actors who fell between the cracks in the system of that era. He tells about his personal life, how he pulled himself off the grid and how he built a new life. Only to find out about the impact he had and then start a new life, touring the convention circuit and being a champ at it. and you immediately see why he says that. It was touching to see how many people drew courage from his portrayal of Jesse and how it inspired them to lead their lives and and all of them help shift the needle of aceeptance. I loved the analogy with the Crispin Glover dance and you know what? The universe is richer with both of them doing their own thing than with one copying the other. One of the two highlights of the documentary is the reunion with the original cast. You can still mistake Kim Myers for Meryl Streep and over the years, Robert Rusler has only become more handsome. And while he does not say much in this movie, you can tell that Robert Englund is a kind, warm soul, supportive and accepting. The reunion is warm and you can see that these people respect each other. With a telling conversation between Rusler and director Jack Sholder. The other is the confrontation with writer David Chaskin. With Mark Patton wanting him to admit that he knew what he was doing more than he let on or wanted to admit at the time and see the impact of that an of some of the stuff he said. Knowing his experience and how he still feels the consequences (“You wrote it, btu I'm the one getting called f****t a hundred times a day”), you can perfectly imagine Mark being bitter and vinctive about that. And while, yes, some of that is there, I was also struck by the perspective he still had and his willingness to reconcile. Making this kind of story more likely to awaken pepople than some of the more extreme woke people on Elon's thingamajig (x or whatever the fuck he calls it a month from now). A touching and moving story to go out your way for in order to see it. And part of me hopes that it also somehow gave Wes a bit of happiness and pride in the many ways his creation has meant so much to so many people. |
Nightmare Radio: The Night Stalker 2023 ★★½
An anthology of a handfull of mostly forgettable stories surrounded by a radio DJ being stalked by an obsessive fan. Play misty for me meets MeToo. Most of the stories were pretty forgettable, but the last two has some solid gore and special effects. Candy may be no Adrienne Barbeau when it comes to radio voices, but the two actors do a good job here and it does have some good tension and imagery with a good scare in the studio. With perhaps a bit of an underwhelming (and a tad predictable) ending. Two and a half stars nonetheless. House of the Dead 2003 ★ Gruß gott, Herr Uwe Boll! :-) |
Beau Is Afraid 2023 ★★★★
This certainly was a very trippy experience. We encounter Beau Wasserman, a man living in... well... he could be in group therapy with Carrie White and she would ask “Are YOU okay?”. Beau is the kind of mousy voiced character that always somehow manages to get himself in (deeper) trouble. Or at least deeper than before. Either in spite of his good intentions or without even having to do anything at all. Like that accident after which he is out cold or in coma and then somehow ends up with a psychotic version of mister Feeny (with a little bit of Annie Wilkes thrown in for good measure). And from there, it keeps getting weirder and weirder. Just the people in that house alone. There's a couple with Misery-levels of warmth and pleasantness that only have you wonder about what lurks beneath the surface. Also because the director is Ari Aster, the (uncrowned) king of unheimlichkeit. Jeeves – an army veteran with PTSD out the wazoo – can snap and go on a killing spree at pretty much any given moment. And the daughter... well... first, she hates Beau, then she makes him smoke what I hope is weed before she takes her life in an unexplicable way and the only thing you need to know that everybody somehow ends up thinking that it's all his fault. He then ends up with a bohemian theater community and then it gets really weird, with fashbacks and flashforwards, with Beau reuniting with his childhood crush, having sex with her and then somehow ending up killing her in the process (again, through no fault of his own). And, as contradictory as this may sound... the more I was confused, the more I was fascinated. I wanted to know what came next, create some order in the chaos and you know what? I just wanted everything to end well for the poor bastard. This movie is not for everyone. It might make you uncomfortable to the point where you want it to end of turn it off. But that level of discomfort is what it had in mind as a goal. So you know what you are getting into when you watch an Ari Aster flick. Also, when the end seemingly comes out of nowhere, I could not help but think “that's it? I want to know more”. If any of this has swayed your confidence in the slightest, then you might to give this one a skip. But if you are touched by it, it will be profoundly. Bayi Ajaib 2023 ★★★½ Amateur sales pitch: this movie opens with a pregnant woman being raped by what can only be described as Father Christmas in pyjamas. Just the right amount of what the hell to get you as a viewer intrigued. The general is nothing special. Life in exchange for wealth and prosperity and all the trouble that come with that. Add a conventional twist ending and you are done. What comes in between can best be described as an Indonesian knock off of The Omen with some good effects (with the possessed child looking like a better version of Threefinger) and decently worked out dread. Not to mention the father, whose moustache and sometimes jovial and sometimes ruthless demeanor kind of reminded me of Daniel Day Lewis' character in Gangs of NewYork. For fans of religious or non-English spoken horror. Deathly 2015 ★★★ An entertaining short with a nice jump scare and a well worked out revenge theme. I'm glad the makers got Alan Ruck to star in this one. Not just because it's nice to be able to recognize people in the cast. Also because he looks innocent and sympathetic enough to give him the benefit of the doubt, longer than one perhaps should. That said, the last shot seems a bit redundant. Perhaps better to end on the family photo. |
THREE TO TANGO (1999). Absolutely dreadful "comedy" involving a married Business Tycoon who, to ensure some work being done for him, hires a client (whom He believes is gay) to spy on his girlfriend to make sure She is not hit on by other boyfriends. Of course, the Spy (who is not gay) and the girlfriend fall in love.
This plays very much like a FRIENDS episode, lots of forced antics to provoke laughs, all sorts of cutesy moments and a quite disparaging attitudes towards gay people. Neve Campbell talks as though She has ingested helium and Matt Perry is basically playing the same doofus He played on that lamentable (albeit quite popular and long running::confused::) series. 1/2 |
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"Safe Zone: The Making Of Safe Zone" is actually a feature length comedy mockumentary on a failed zombie film. It has a good realistic outlook on what it is actually like trying to make a feature length film, especially on a low budget, which is a lot different from how a lot of people think it is. It also has plenty of interviews and behind the scenes footage. It even has a lot of scenes from the failed movie that are actually cool and intense looking. The zombies are also cool and intense looking themselves. There is also a bizarre eye opening scene where a meth good ties and up and screws a female zombie, only to get shot in the heart for it. There is also a scene with Lumpy Trunks the clown turning into a zombie while performing at a kid's birthday party, eats everybody at it, then to get wasted by John the zombie hunter, only John also has to blow his own brains out afterward due to getting bit while in his process, followed by a funny behind the scenes shot with the actor who plays John then getting up to say, "Okay." The director gets onto a trip into thinking he is making a Sundance ready zombie film, only to have everybody else clearly see the project is falling apart more and more as it goes along. He even has his main actors quitting left and right with his replacement actors not even doing that good, if even showing at all. He then needs to get back into a warehouse he was shooting at, but its owner was charging too much to use it anymore. It eventually twists to a sad but touching ending to where you can feel sorry for he guy, with a lot of emotion clearly being there. This one has a similar plot and humor to "Diary Of The Dead," "The Dead Hate The Living," "Not Another B Movie," "Cut Throat," "American Zombie Film," and the like. ::cool::
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Natty Knocks, 2023. 5/10
Director: Dwight H. Little https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...3-still-10.jpg All Jacked Up and Full of Worms, 2022. 7/10 Director: Alex Phillips https://i0.wp.com/moviesandmania.com...40%2C248&ssl=1 |
REVIVAL 69: THE CONCERT THAT ROCKED THE WORLD (2022). Very good doc on a festival held in Toronto in September 1969 that focused mainly on the old rock and rollers from the 50's, including Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddly, Little Richard and Gene Vincent. When tickets sales were poor, the young promotors did almost herculean things to ensure it went on, adding The Doors (alas no footage), John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band (John, Yoko, Klaus Voorman, Alan White and Eric Clapton), Chicago and the Alice Cooper group while they were still a "cult" band. This is also the show where the infamous Chicken incident took place.
Lots of interviews with the promotors, security, the artists still living, fans who attended (including Geddy Lee of Rush) and some good performances from the artists-Chuck Berry and Chicago stand out and it's a hoot seeing Gene Vincent being backed by Alice Cooper Group while they are in their spangly clothes and he's in black jacket etc.. Their show after Gene was somewhat chaotic and really not musical, although Kim Fowley rightly declared them "The Group of The Future"; in a couple of years, their standing and fortunes did improve. Good time capsule and just astonishing so many people seemed to be flying by the seat of their pants to make this event happen. **** |
The Breach 5/10
An interesting cosmic horror story written by Nick Cutter (Haven't read the book) butchered by awful directing. It's kinda similar to "From Beyond". No One Will Save You 8/10 A movie about alien home invasion, made by Brian Duffield, writer of "Love and Monsters", "Underwater" and "The Babysitter". And it's very clear why he's decided to direct this movie himself, because he's damn good at it. The movie is well shot and the story is really entertaining with a great pacing that won't let the main character catch a break from beginning to end. I just wish he'd directed the movie above. Keep an eye on that director in the future, folks. |
Cocaine Shark is a comedy horror film that is meant to be stupid and campy looking but funny and entertaining, and it is funny and entertaining enough to keep interest through its hour and ten minute run. It is a follow up idea to the recent cult hit, "Cocaine Bear." The shark-related costumes are obviously fake, but that is part of the humor as it parodies the bad horror movies. It is about an undercover narcotics police officer who poses as an applicant to be a new muscle for a dangerous kingpin who is distributing a new drug made from shark teeth, and has muscles wiping out competitors and police officers who have attempted to bust him. The drug lord's main female assistant seems to fall for the undercover officer and introduces him to their new drug, while the drug lord eventually feels his new muscle filled his purpose and now needs to be disposed of. They escape to an island far from shore, pursued by the drug lord and his muscles, but they are also pursued by a giant shark that is strung out by the cocaine that was accidentally dropped in the ocean. Despite this not being good, it is still entertaining with funny, witty, and entertaining dialogue and well developed characters. Despite the story is not original, it still has its share of twists and turns to keep interest. This is not recommended for those looking for a major motion picture, but for those looking for a light parody.
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Bayi Ajaib 2023 ★★★½
Amateur sales pitch: this movie opens with a pregnant woman being raped by what can only be described as Father Christmas in pyjamas. Just the right amount of what the hell to get you as a viewer intrigued. The general story is nothing special. Life in exchange for wealth and prosperity and all the trouble that come with that. Add a conventional twist ending and you are done. What comes in between can best be described as an Indonesian knock off of The Omen with some good effects (with the possessed child looking like a better version of Threefinger) and decently worked out dread. Not to mention the father, whose moustache and sometimes jovial and sometimes ruthless demeanor kind of reminded me of Daniel Day Lewis' character in Gangs of NewYork. For fans of religious or non-English spoken horror. Deathly 2015 ★★★ An entertaining short with a nice jump scare and a well worked out revenge theme. I'm glad the makers got Alan Ruck to star in this one. Not just because it's nice to be able to recognize people in the cast. Also because he looks innocent and sympathetic enough to give him the benefit of the doubt, longer than one perhaps should. That said, the last shot seems a bit redundant. Perhaps better to end on the family photo. |
Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest 1995 ★★
Before anything: Credit where credit is due: it has some decent imagery in one or two scenes. But "luckily", that's outweighed by a solid helping of silliness. And there's more than enough of it to, at the same time, keep it enjoyable and entertaining and yet far away from genuinely scarely. The highlight being the suitably goofy finale with He who walks behind the rows and Eli attacking his "brother" with the Kamehame-meh. For a night when you are nicely baked and looking for something to chuckle at. Talk to Me 2022 ★★★★ In the past 20 years, Aussie horror has in my opinion built up a olsid reputation, what with titles like Wolf Creek, The Tunnel, The Babadook, Lake Mungo,...Now we can add Talk to me to that list. The opening immediately has you covered. A guy wonders into a party (Aussie kids sure party a lot) in order to find his brother who seems in some sort of trouble. And it... all... goes... wrong... big time. Before you can say “what the hell”, we are left with two wounded bodies and a crowd dispersing in total panic. Solid opening. Cut to our main protagonists. And credit where credit is due, they are well written. Mia and Jade and the others are not part of the cheap snark fests that plagued the 2000s, making for believable friends who just happen to get into all sorts of shenanigans. As young people do. But behind their tough and cool exterior, even the kids who provide the party trick have some good in them. What is said trick? Trying to keep this as spoiler free as possible, it's a type of handshake and a quote that leads into a combination of some sort drug trip and an epileptic episode. A person who never moved beyond mellow trippy weed can not really see the fun in that (though he can see the solid jump scares and the amazing effects), but apparently, it seems to be the greatest thing ever since they all want a go at it. With one of them even French kissing a pitbull like dog in the process. And for the record that's the comic relief part. Then, of course, it goes wrong at a point where a character does that typical horror movie stupid shit. Resulting in the main character Mia being shunned by both her best friend and Jade's Mother, played by Miranda Otto – who apparently played Tom Cruise's ex-wife in that awful War of the worlds remake #TheMoreYouKnow. She then tries to find a solution and right the wrong she caused. First alone and then with the help of her friends. That's where the movie really picks up in the scariness. Because throughout all of this, you start wondering who the spirits are really after and wether or not they are playing the long game with one of the characters (and probably winning in the end). Trying to avoid spoilers, so not getting into details, but I am pretty sure that I can pinpoint the moment where Quentin Tarantino gave this movie four stars. Solid horror efforts. For people who prefer solid scary cinema over a happy ending. |
The Interpreter 2005 ★★★
A solid thriller based on a good idea. Though not as solid as I remember it being. Sean Penn has the gruff cop down, even though it makes his line about forgettable faces a bit funny. And Nicole Kidman is solid as the titular interpreter, with the many meaningfull whistful gazes and more to her than meets the eye. Still interesting for thriller fans, mind you. Pearl 2022 ★★★ Pearl may not entirely live up to the hype, but it was overall entertaining. You can sense the obsession and the nobody will stop me sense lurking underneath the surface. Resulting in good kills. Pearl is ruthless, no doubt about that. Still an okay watch, though. And Mia Goth has the psycho gaze down pretty good. |
Don’t Knock Twice 2016 ★★½
Turns out that, according to my stats, this was the third movie with Lucy Boynton I had seen this year. Blimey, could have fooled me, lemme tell ya that. Apparently, she had smaller parts in both Barbie and The pale blue eye. Don't knock twice sees her starring as a girl whose life gets taken over by a ghost that haunts her and her estranged mother. Of course it starts off with her and friend doing something. Hey, that's why it's horror and chances are people do more stupid stuff in real life than in horror movies. Now, your feel on this movie will probably hinge on your stance on jumpscares. If you don't like them, this is probably a skip. I personally see not that much of a problem with them as they are well done. And this movie does them well. Thus achieving the goal they are out for. The few kills in this movie are also well done as well as the reveals and the red herring. The best friend gets offed in a way reminiscent of Unfriended and Host, while one of the other kills is highly related to the red herring. The movie is not perfect. It lags a bit in the middle and, like with other ghostie movies (like Unfriended for one), it tacks on a final jumpscare that looks more like a studio note than like a genuinely necessary scene. For ghostie lovers. Ps: Ghostie lovers pizza (with mozarella with holes poked out for eyes), how great would that be for Halloween? Anthropophagus II 2023 ★ Generic Wrong Turn sequel level torture porn with snarky and annoying characters (though perhaps with better special effects). Should have seen this one at Bifff. The only fun is trying to pinpoint the moments where the Bifff crowd would crack a joke. The Chair 2022 ★★½ An award winning short about a cursed chair that ruins the lives of its owners. One or two good scares and the shot of the old man appearing out of nowhere works. But all in all more weird than scary. OnlyFans 2 2023 ★ A bland short with clichés on new media and proof that Public Enemy was right about 911 being a joke in that town. |
Holy Spider 2022 ★★★★
I remember missing out on this one when it briefly hit theaters last year. Kind of a bummer since I remember the trailer looking pretty good. So when a local streaming platform offered it for cheaper rent, I was of course chuffed to bits with this opportunity. The film itself is a pretty stylish serial killer flick about a killer singling out prostitutes with a drug problem, set in Iran in the early 2000s. Though, to be fair, the only time stamp we get is a news report on 9/11 playing in the background while one of the girls is... let's say “hard at work”. Contrary to most serial killer movies, it's no whodunnit with a lot of red herrings and such. In fact, we know fairly early who is responsible for these killings. A simple construction worker who claims to “clean” the streets in his conversations with a journalist (in the process reminding the viewer of the zodiac killer). The movie claims to be based on true events, so wether or not any potential similarities with some of his “colleagues” (Zodiac, Gacy,...) were the work of the actual killer or the makers of this movie or just coincidence remains unclear at the moment of writing. More disturbing than the killer himself however, is the mood surrounding the killings. For one thing, I doubt wether Ted Bundy had a mob screaming in front of the prison for him to be released. Not to mention the politicking in what Mitt Romney once referred to as quiet rooms, with people actually trying to pull a “get out of jail free card” with, among others, a “whipping” scene executed with a simply hallucinating glee. Also, the ease with which even his family glosses past this. Claiming that they were only sluts who deserved to die, resulting in a pretty disturbing final scene. Also disturbing is the way the country of Iran approached women at the time. Shown only in small scenes like when the reporter checks into a hotel room. Or when a local police officer makes advances at her later on. Only succeeding in underlining the courage this woman needs to put herself in these dangerous situations. Props to Zar Amir Ebrahimi for pulling this performance off as well as she did. The idea of saying something along the lines of “it's nice to see this possible in that country” may sound a bit backhanded here, but there is no backhandedness to it, as the situation contains an element of truth. These slick big (budget) productions are usually still somewhat (perceived as) the exclusive property of Hollywood and perhaps England with the Pinewood studios. In countries like Belgium, Bulgaria, the Netherlands or in this case, Iran... it's simply not as easy or even more difficult to assemble the financial means to make this type of production possible. So compliments to Ali Abbasi for making it look the way he did. Especially when its subject matter is likely to cause controversy and with one shot of a blowjob that's risqué even by European standards. Sure, it's only for a few seconds, but still. If something already makes Europeans go yaips, then I can imagine that Iranian censors will not take to kindly to that either. For who is this? Good question. Judging on the box office returns, it's not for everyone. But I would suggest that both fans of serial killer flicks and fans of art house movies in general will find something that appeals to them. Heck, even the somewhat more openminded general moviegoer could well be pleasantly surprised by this one. Four stars. No doubt. Swept Under 2022 ★★½ An okay short about a cursed rug. Guess it did not tie the room together. The rug with the faces made for a nice shot as well as the American flag. Nice bit of satire. |
Ignore It 2021 ★★★
An enjoyable short by Sam Levinson who also brought us The changing room. Nice eerie atmos with the looming danger at the dinner table. But there must be better ways to keep your kids from asking if they may be excused. |
The Haunted Mansion (2023) on Disney+
Not bad. Better than the piece of crap Eddie Murphy made. |
Body Snatchers 1993 ★★★
Kicked off my first October Challenge with a flick that has been sitting on my watchlist for a good while now. To be honest, I have some mixed feelings here. It's a bit of a lackluster remake with none of the paranoia of the previous versions. We also throw in some romance subplot for our bland leads and a whistful monologue, because... teenagers? Heck, even R Lee Ermey comes off less energetic than he usually does and the predictibility of some reveals makes the movie lose steam as well. That said, as a stand alone movie, it's not so bad. There are some intense sequences. Forest Whitaker and Meg Tilly make the best from what they have to work with and Abel Ferrara does deserve credit for his good direction, showing off his potential. Some scenes totally benefit from that; if there is any tension in them (like the scene that the best friend has turned), it's because of the directing. And also, if you see what they are up against, it's easy to see a just above average flick as tepid and boring. But this one deserves better. For fans of Forest Whitaker (which should be anybody who has seen Ghost dog and Last king of Scotland). New Nightmare 1994 ★★★★ Wes Craven finishes the original ANOES series with a meta take on it. Thus, in a way, (unknowingly) softening people up for what later would become Scream. As most of you know, in this installment, Freddy is stalking the cast and crew from the original series in their very real lives. Which leads to Craven finding good ways to blur the line between fiction and reality. Like the moments where Heather Langenkamp reads the “script” Wes has been writing or the tie in where her movie husband has the same job as her real life husband. The kills have also toned down from the cartooniness of the later installments. Both in the case of Chase and Julie, the makers have swapped special effects for intensity and relatable fears like falling asleep behind the wheel. Not to mention the final sequences where Freddy can go all out in his dreamland. Intense stuff with great special effects. A worthy ending to a classic series. And while you are at it, head on over to Youtube to check out Dylan's New Nightmare, Womp Stomp unofficial “sequel” with Miko Hughes reprising his role here. Good stuff too. Four stars. Piranha 1995 ★★★ A pretty faithfull made for tv remake of the Joe Dante classic. With little budget and former love intrests, with the guy playing Tommy Ross and the girlfriend from Chrsitine as the leads. And Mila Kunis in her debut role. *spoiler alert* If I recall correctly, the original had no suicide, though. Also, between this and Seven, every scene that sees Leland Orser getting laid somehow ends poorly. What's up with that? |
Piranha 1995 ★★★
A pretty faithfull made for tv remake of the Joe Dante classic. With little budget and former love intrests, with the guy playing Tommy Ross and the girlfriend from Chrsitine as the leads. And Mila Kunis in her debut role. *spoiler alert* If I recall correctly, the original had no suicide, though. Also, between this and Seven, every scene that sees Leland Orser getting laid somehow ends poorly. What's up with that? Garden Tool Massacre 1997 ★★½ A zero budget British slasher about a psychotic serial killer escaping from a mental institution to go a killing spree with some of the titular garden tools. Because of the budget, some of the images look to be straight from a student video. The acting and delivery are often times pretty questionable, with some of the highlights being one of the most lackluster make out scenes I've seen in a long time (ya dead f**k) and a "dancing style" that has Teddy and Jimbo spinning in their graves. Nonetheless, I could not help but feel a certain fondness for this movie. Not in the least because it was clearly made by people who genuinely love the genre. Given the circumstances, the kills were still okay and they stuck in some nice nods to both the opening scene from Halloween and the pizza boy from Slumber Party Massacre. Also, half star for the English kid in the Ajax-shirt. Urban Legend 1998 ★★★ Pendleton U, where a serial killer stalks the campus, using urban legends as his leitmotif. Not to be harsh, but in my opinion, that's what you get for taking on the Well Manicured Man and appointing him as your dean. Mind you, he is far from the only recognizable face in this movie. We have blonde frat boy Joshua Jackson (*sigh* Sir... the auditions for the Eminem video are at the end of the hall, thank you very much), Brad Dourif as the gas station operator, Professor Robert Englund (very tasty performance), Goth Danielle Harris, Jared Leto in one of his early roles,... Together, they make for a decent nineties slasher. A solid opening with a well executed red hering and nice kills make up for the movie's qualities. Together with the okay character writing, it makes up for the predictable killer reveal and motive. All in all an enjoyable watch and Tara Reid as the campus' Doctor Ruth made for a nice touch. For fans of Scream and I know what you did last summer. Idle Hands 1999 ★½ A horror comedy about stoners that's neither funny nor scary. The scalping of Dexter Holland was the closest thing to a joke. |
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The way I see it, (almost) every generation has a group for whom the Body Snatchers can serve as a metaphor. "Whatever ism is getting out of control" |
BULLY (2001)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The director and some of the cast of 1995's KIDS (basically a group of aimless, promiscuous substance abusing Skater boys going about their daily business, with np decent parenting in sight) return in BULLY, which could almost be a continuation of their lives a few years later. One boy, quickly going nowhere (played by Brad Renfro) has a "friend" who is physically/mentally abusive to him (and indeed, a true asshole although of all the characters in the film, his is the only future that seems promising). The boys meet a couple of girls and after sex, Brad's "girlfriend" decides it would be better for him if his friend was killed. It's almost comical how badly arranged the murder is and how the group almost immediately folds. Lots of nudity and bad behavior and based on a true event. Certainly not a cheery little flick, but not bad either. *** |
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I could see a version exploring the destructive power of dogma not resisted. The current cancel culture certainly echoes the Red Scare and blacklisting of the 50s, only on a wider scale. I thought Don't Look Up does a great job with that, in that I think it takes aim at the destructive dogma attitude and process rather than specifically "naming names" that would otherwise make it miss the forest for the trees. I think the film does lose focus in wacky ways and should have been edited down, especially the ending, but overall, I thought it was pretty strong. What did you think of it? (if you saw it)_ |
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Fitting for didvided times somehow, that at least two possible groups would come up. |
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One of the interesting things about this film is the division in opinions and the negative reviews. Personally, I found it entertaining. It's perhaps not a genuine masterpiece (like Dr Strangelove), but for me, it worked as a a satire. When it comes to the criticism, there is nuance to be added. For example, take the lack of subtlety: When things are too subtle, they can go over peoples' heads. It reminded me of Doug Walker's sketch where he represented The Matrix as a dumbed down, yet more successfull version of Dark City. Plus, it also fits a time where even country leaders don't seem capable of subtlety (or not as much as they used to be). You could say that it's a bit all over the place. Then again, that sort of storytelling somehow fits the "interesting times" we are currently living in with a lot going on. Wether it's covid, climate, anti-vaxxers, polarisation,... We are so divided that we cannot even agree on what facts are or wether facts are even worth taking seriously. Which is what DiCaprio pointed out in his enraged monologue, an updated version of Howard Beale in Network. On some level, we are pretty much involved in one way or the other (or one of the previous topics) and so we are all the butt of the joke at one point. The people paid to review the film are represented by Tyler Perry, of all people (surprisingly well as the superficial TV host). Or the moments when the makers poke fun at on line comments being completely beside the point, stupid and/or petty. Or take the politicians. Having read op-ed pieces in my neck of the woods on the farce of politics, where people don't even listen to each other, I can sort of relate to Jennifer Lawrence's line on how they're "not smart enough to be this evil". Or how they are too obsessed with polls and elections to excute a genuine policy. I'm not sure where they wanted to go with Isherwell. Is he supposed to be a charicature of Bezos and Zuckerberg? Or is he supposed to be some sort of cult leader? Or how some brands look like half cults? On that note, I thought the legal disclaimer on the info line's add was a nice touch. It represents the kind of cynicism that some companies are capable of these days. In a way, I liked how the main characters were flawed, with Kate losing her shit when confronted with the backlash and the unwillingness. Or Randall as a scientist so obsessed with his work that he becomes socially awkward/handicapped and does not know how to handle attention from other women. There was something sweet to the ending and how they all gathered for dinner. Though I understand how you would need a big spoon of suspension of disbelief to skip past the quick forgiveness of the infedilty. So was it them and a case of a story not well told? Or is it us and have we become too jaded? Have not quite worked that out yet. |
Ginger Snaps 2000 ★★★★
Around the time of her first period, a girl gets attacked by a werewolf or werewolf like creature, after which she starts changing, slowly turning into one. Would it to be too easy to describe this one as Goth Carrie? Let me know what you think in the comments. I really enjoyed this one, a lot more than I did Idle Hands. For one thing, it's a very good body horror because the horror in the movie works as a metaphor for the real life fears and physical changes of the main characters. Making for an entertaining flick in the process and thus relatable for a large part of the audience. And who knows? It might even make some of the boys/men a tad more empathetic towards women on their period. It also explores the complex nature of the relationship between B and Ginger, with the dynamic shifting throughout the film. With B going from following Ginger to being baffled and/or shocked at her sexual liberation to her standing up to Ginger at the end. Making for the logical ending with the confrontation between the two sisters. And making for an (un)intended pun in the title (Ginger snaps, get it?). Then the corn syrup bit – which HAD to have been a nod to Scream – was funnier. Credit to the two leads. While most of the other characters leaned towards generic small town, both Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle had their respective characters and their arcs down. Katharine Isabelle went on to have a storied horror career with roles in Freddy vs Jason and American Mary. Making it a pity that Emily Perkins did not get more roles after this one. Maybe it has something to do with her personal choices as well. No idea on that one and I will not speculate either. Four stars. Overlooked gem that needs more love. The Devil’s Backbone 2001 ★★★★½ I loved this one. It works on several levels. First of all, there is the threat of war which, if we are honest, is sadly always around and currently looms over us as well, yet again. On the nose symbolised by the bomb in the yard of the orphanage. Filled with children who have lost their parents in a war they had nothing to do with. In another way, this tone of this story is quite reminiscent of fairy tales. Or at least it is to me. With “he who sighs” as the victim and the purpetrator who gets his cumuppance at the end when his greed becomes his undoing. This is all revaled in a cleverly built up story about comraderie with some scary moments like when Carlos is first chased by “he who sighs”. With a few powerful images to boot and a touching death scene. Great film. If you have not seen it: check it out. |
May 2002 ★★★★★
Talk about an underrated gem. I don't know what's more disturbing about this one. The way the characters speak in the first act. Is this real or is May living out a Arthur Fleck-like delusion? The opening shot has you set up for a gorefest while, in fact, it turns into a very sad story about a lonely soul desperately trying to connect with someone who loves her for who she is. It's not until the end of the second or the start of the third act that May really goes off the rails. More specifically when the punk guy with the Everlong-hairdo is killed. The fact that you see May descend into madness, until and beyond the point of “okay, yeah, she's a psycho”... but part of you still feels sorry for her. That part still wants to give her a hug. Which, I think, is best shown is best shown in the final scene. She wants a friend so badly that she's willing to even mutilate herself in order to get one. Angela Bettis delivers a career making performance here, making May look both like a super sweet, well meaning girl while at the same time harboring a vulcano under the surface, ready to explode. I'm sure part of the credit also goes to Lucky Mckee for directing his actors so well. Even Anna Faris adds an extra layer to the type of ditsy character she so often played. Last but not least, the fact that there are (more than) a few of us who can relate to May and her desperation in ways we cannot explain or put under words. Five star classic. The saddest horror since Carrie. House of 1000 Corpses 2003 ★★ Rob Zombie has neat visual ideas and I respect his vision. His style will just not be mine. Dumplings 2004 ★★½ This is a slow burn. We take a long time setting up why Mrs. Li looked out the shady lady who provided her with the titular dumplings. And how they provide her with eternal youth. As an idea, it's pretty captivating. It just did not do all that much for me. It's not that it was bad, or that the the actors were bad. It just did not captivate me as much as I thought it would. Maybe it's a case of the book being better than the movie. Maybe I will look at it differently on a future rewatch. We'll see. |
Cursed 2005 ★★★½
In 2005, the much missed Wes Craven gave us Cursed. A werewolf movie written by Kevin Williamson with a pretty well filled cast with either big names (Christina Ricci, Joshua Jackson) or people who would go on to do big projects (Jesse Eisenberg and that guy with the moustache from Parks and Rec). And Chachi. What's a chachi? Fuck if I know. Since it's written by the mind behind Scream, you know that you get a well written story. As a viewer, you understand Ellie's struggles – not in the least with the office bitch played by Judy Greer – and her brother is the type of annoying pipsqueak written to fit Jesse Eisenberg like a glove. On the other hand, the subplot with the bullying and the outing is a bit forced now. Bo: I'm gay. Jimmy: I'm not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. (Jerry and George off screen: No, of course not!) With Wes Craven, you get a director at the helm who knows how to work with actors. So he brings out the best in Ricci, Eisenberg and the others. Even Pacey looks good in a part somewhat different than what people know him for. The only problem is the special effects. Especially the transformation scenes. Pretty sure Wes was not too happy with that either, since the CGI made it look atrocious. But that's probably where some studio exec steps in and explains how better CGI has not been invented yet and how practical effects are “too expensive”. And it looks good to him, so shut the fuck up. Luckily, the fight scenes were better. Shame there were not more of those. Since in a movie universe with all these versusses, I kind of want to see this werewolf fight the one from The Howling. Talk about hell in a cell. Glen Jacobs would take one look at that and he'd be like: ah hell naw. Overall a fun watch and a fun ride. For werewolf fans and a fun addition to your Craven collection. Them 2006 ★★★½ For some reason, I remember this (partly) being a found footage. Turns out this was just filmed in the traditional style. This is a good solid home invasion horror about a couple being terrorized by a gangof neighboring kids. For the fairly short runtime, it does manage in setting the characters well enough for the viewer to sympathize with the main characters. Also good idea never to show the gang all too clearly. The few times you hear them talk... I don't know, prepubescent kids and voices just are not all that scary. Even though I am sure that kids that age are capable of this type of viciousness. The final shot of Clem still holds very well. For fans of films like Eden Lake. P2 2007 ★★ Interesting way to create a confined space for the main characters. The resulting movie, however, keeps giving the impression that they could have done more with this idea. Wes Bentley (aka Camera Guy frm American Beauty) is just no scary villain and the lead was not all that convincing. Red Eye did a lot better with a similar premise. |
The Ruins 2008 ★★★½
Jeff: Four Americans on vacation don't just disappear. Womp womp. Sometimes they just do, Jeff. Netflix does us a solid. How about that? The Ruins starts off with four friends enjoying the typical tourist zombie stuff: beach, booze, bed, repeat. Until the most cultured one of the group (do a shot for every time the script mentions he's going to be a doctor) gets an opportunity to actually see stuff and drags the rest into a hairbrained scheme that turns out to be their undoing. The scene with the masked road. Every fiber of your being screams out this is a really bad idea. But they... ah, fuck it. The characters were a nice change of pace compared to earlier 2000s horror. With well written characters who were at least convincing as friends. Maybe they went a tad out of their way to make Jeff so gosh darn likable, but that's nitpicking. They were written well enough for me as a viewer to want to see them survive and the most sympathetic one gets it in a horrific way. Well done, mister Smith. Good job. I also like the switch they pull on us with the locals and the plants. Shooting a kid, shooting their friend... yaips, these people don't mess around. But the genuine evil waiting for them is much worse. Crawling up on you if you stay immobil for too long, being able to mimic sounds, getting into your body through open wounds,... Which actually makes for a nice open ending. Will she save herself or infect the rest of the world and cause even more havoc? For fans of Netflix horror. There is some good stuff on there. You just have to find/stumble across it. The Loved Ones 2009 ★★★★ I have seen this one pass by on a few of the many many Youtube-lists (Top 10 horror movies so and so, umpteen horror who this and that... 8, 9, 10, 11, ball park numbers really). Now that I finally got around to watching it, I can only say that it delivered on its premise and cult reputation. The loved ones is a solid Aussie horror on a girl named Lola. She is alone, the boys will not ask her to go the dance with them, and if the boys don't come themselves, well... guess we'll just have to bring them in then. After we set up our main characters, it gets messed up real damn quick, with a scary kidnapping and an almost dead moment. From that moment, we go on to a progressively worse piece of torture porn, revealing throughout what has really been going on, with a full circle moment to round it off. Only made worse by the (forcedly) cosy atmos between the father and the daughter. The Tanners meet the Sawyer family from Texas Chainsaw. With a hint of incest thrown in for that extra bit of discomfort. What can I say? I was into it. Sympathizing with the main character, rooting for him to escape. And the end delivers two punch the air moments when the main bad gets run over. Well recommended for fans of (Aussie) horror. Good stuff. |
Saint 2010 ★★★★
A horror comedy centered to one of the most confusing holidays when you are not from these parts. Wether it's the Zwarte Piet issue or the fact that a lot of non Dutch cannot tell Saint Nicholas apart from Santa Claus. Or the fact that a nation whose inhabitants are notorious for their thriftiness have two occasions in less than a month where they go all out on lavish presents. This is set during the start of the 2008 bank crisis, but as a voice on the radio puts it: people spent more than ever on presents. Being a Dutch movie, we get some of that standard Dutch cheekiness with a scene of students giving each other presents in class (Teacher: Gee, that's the sixth dildo this year. That beats the previous record of five.) and one of the girls takes the opportunity to break up with our lead boy. So what about the bad stuff? Turns out the holy man from Spain was in fact, a murderer and a thief and now a ghost who goes on a killing spree every time there's a full moon on his day. That's when we get to the carnage and believe you me, there's a good chunk of it. Making this a sort of goresoaked Gremlins. And a spectacular scene of the police chasing a man riding a horse over the rooftops. For practical reasons, all filmed in CGI now. So sadly, no repeat of the infamous canal chase scene in Amsterdamned. It's all in good fun and Dick Maas proves he still has the craft that made his work stand out in the eighties with De Lift and the aformentioned Amsterdamned. Sure, the ending is a bit of your typical climax, with a post adventure scene and a bit of sequel bait to cap it off. But it was well done and deserves an attentive audience. If you enjoyed Maas' previous work, you will certainly enjoy this one. Grave Encounters 2011 ★★★ As a found footage, it did not really stand out all that much. Don't get me wrong. The opening scenes had the whole style down of this particular type of “spectacular” reality show. Mythbusters is the first show that comes to mind, but I am fairly certain that there is other more supernatural related programming that they managed to mimic very well. And then there are the special effects. Seeing them in a found footage is already pretty rare as such and having them as well executed as they are here definetily adds to the film. So the film has its merits and the third star is deserved. But I have seen this formula better executed in other flicks. Decent, but run of the mill and vice versa. And I can certainly see why people would love this one. For people who just discovered FF and are starting to dig. Would You Rather 2012 ★★★ Would you rather is a horror about choices that's easily linked to similar flicks like Saw, The Belko Experiment or even Hounded or The Purge (Pretty sure The Purge: Anarchy had a similar storyline). I liked it. Sure, it has the tropes of the genre: the self sacrifice, the mad host, the butler who is just as good at poaching eggs as he is at kicking ass, the arrogant, self-entitled son (let's call him Don junior),... but it keeps a solid pace, so I never got bored with it. Even though, it was obvious early on who it would come down to. I also kind of expected the half dead tough guy to make a comeback, but they did not go for that low hanging fruit. The characters are no Shakespeare, that's true. Then again, normal, levelheaded people do not get themselves into the sort of situation where they have to rely on this type of maniac. So there are only two ways you can go with these characters: either make them the type of sleazebags John Heard does so well, or the sad orphan type character that's supposed to break your heart like with Brittany Snow's character. The acting? Meh. I thought it was okay for what it was. John Heard and Sasha Grey got characters that suited them and Jeffrey Combs was delightfully hammy as Lambrick. His rejoicing in the suffering made him an excellent villain. One more thing I would like to mention is the ending. I don't say this very often, but this one was needlessly cruel. I get the all for naught-feel it was supposed to get across. I just doubt wether or not this was really needed. If the writers had gone with Amy as their main characters, it might have worked as a cumuppance. But now? Torture! Huh! Good god, y'all. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. For fans of torture porn and Hunger Games-like survival stuff. |
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It's really hard for me to drum up much interest in seeing ghosty visuals and jump scares with the found footage and the institution settings cause it's just so, so old to me. But I know any genre or topic can be done really well. For me there would have to be a really good story and rich characters, and it's rare to find that in horror films like this. Blair Witch did it, but it's very rare. As far as photo realistic found footage, Chronicle (2012) was eye popping, and good film in general. Ever see that? The V/H/S 1 & 2 have some crafty photo realistic found footage shorts. Plus, each short is short, so if you don't like one, you don't have to wait long. Most are pretty nasty, but usually more of a ghost story, or just kind of explores a concept or technique. Would You Rather After watching it a while, I decided I would rather not. ::big grin:: It is what is : torture porn. Decent production value. They could have gone more the Saw route, or any route, but they really just put lipstick on a faux plot. |
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I like found footage, though, even if only for the few times they hit the nail on the head. My personal faves are Rec, The Poughkeepsie Tapes and VHS 2. |
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THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS (1991). Sort of a parable of "The Haves" VS "The Have-Nots", a Young boy makes an effort to help his family and not lose their home by going to his Landlords residence. To say it's very strange there would be an understatement...think of a total Funhouse set up.
This had a decent premise, but was just a little too weird for Me and found it more amusing than anything else. ** |
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Speaking of Funhouse... what did you think of Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse? |
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