mullen1979 Reviews

The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)

Well.. I liked it

[8/10 · 18 May 2024]

I went into this movie expecting a remake and that's exactly what I got.

Is it as good or "Well made" as the original, no, but remakes rarely are.

But it's a worthy remake for today's audiences and I was enjoying the suspenseful ride. It was also surprisingly fast paced. And the cinematography was impressively creepy.

I look forward to what this entire new trilogy is set out to create.

At times, this movie was quite menacing, I was biting my nails.

I think people are being way too hard on this movie. It's not nearly as bad as people are saying. But we all are entitled to our opinion.

Imagine its the 2000s and we're experiencing a remake era. That's what this felt like. And for me, that's not a bad thing.

Side Effects (I) (2013)

Reminds me of the film Wild Things

[8/10 · 17 August 2023]

The movie pulls you in, doesn't let go.

Just when you think you know where it's going, it quickly pulls the rug out from under you.

Exquisite cast and superbly acted.

I don't want to spoil the movie so I can't specifically say why it reminds me of "Wild Things".

"Side Effects" tells the story of a tragic incident that occurs due to, you guessed it, side effects of a new medication Emily is tried on.

As a result, Emily is placed in a psychiatric ward under the care of her doctor Jon banks.

When Jon comes under fire after testing a new drug on a patient leading to its tragic side effects, the film bends you backwards into a story of suspicion, betrayal, deception and murder.

Fantastic story telling. Highly recommend.

Natty Knocks (2023)

If you're going into this expecting a danielle harris flick, don't waste your time

[3/10 · 6 August 2023]

I went into this expecting to see a movie reuniting director Dwight Little and Danielle Harris of HALLOWEEN 4 and did not get that at all.

I know people worked on this project so I don't want to sound too harsh in my review. But it might sound harsh, so read at your own discretion if you were part of the making of this movie.

The story is all over the place, so much so that it's hard to even explain. It's alot more complex than the synopsis tells.

A killer obsessed with a b horror actress of the 70s who was killed because she was a witch? Teenagers caught in the middle of the mayhem and all taking place on Halloween.

The focus of the fall season and the holiday itself is barely represented in the movie. And any parts that are halloween and fall focused are more forced than genuine.

The acting is hard to judge because the dialogue is so atrocious. It's not like the actors had much to work with.

Danielle Harris has about 10 minutes or less of screen time. Robert Englund the same.

The movie is promoted as starring the 2 aforementioned stars but is seriously misleading.

I'm surprised that Dwight Little touched this. He's done some truly great work.

There are some nice vibrant color pallets used but that's really the only positive I have. That and danielle looks great as usual.

But the movie has a runtime that feels longer than it is.

It felt like a student project.

Anyway, I paid $17 to watch and support this on YouTube. It wasn't worth it but at least fulfilled my curiosity.

I'm so disappointed. Seeing the names Danielle Harris and Dwight Little together again was exciting as HALLOWEEN 4 is my favorite slasher movie of all time.

What is it going to take to get Danielle back into a decent movie released in theatres in a role with a good amount of meat on its bone?

Her talent continues to be wasted on abysmal material that she is so far above. Her last remarkable performance was Rob Zombies HALLOWEEN II.

She deserves better.

Thumbs down from this guy.

Conjuring the Devil (2020)

Ummmm, I kind of like it

[10/10 · 28 July 2023]

I'm just about an hour in of this runtime of 1 hour and 54 minutes.

I've had so many laughs at how so bad it's good this movie is.

It's like an awkward social situation you can't look away from. A train wreck that you can't take your eyes away from.

I'm entertained. Not for the intended purposes but still entertained. Immensely entertained.

Do not be mistaken, this is not part of the conjuring movies. I'm sure anyone can figure that out by looking at the artwork though.

How did this cost $250K? I call bs 😂

God bless the makers. I'm not trying to disrespect your work. You've achieved in entertaining me.

Thank you for this gift.

10/10.

Horizon Line (2020)

Damn, tough crowd

[7/10 · 14 May 2023]

On their way to a wedding, a couple takes up on a friend's offer to fly them to their destination. When the pilot has a heart attack and dies while operating the plane, it's up to the couple to find any means necessary to survive with many obstacles standing in their way.

This was quite an enjoyable and intense hour and a half. Not one minute was I bored.

It certainly pushes the suspension of disbelief but it's a movie, it's make believe. Take it at that.

There's heart, and a whole lot of action.

I don't get why this is rated so low.

Allison Williams is a fantastic actress and she continues to prove this.

If you like a simple story and an adrenaline rush of tension throughout, I can't see how this will disappoint.

I give it a 7 out of 10.

Scream VI (2023)

Flawed perfectly

[9/10 · 16 March 2023]

Sam and Tara have moved to NYC to move on from the Woodsboro killings from last year, along with Chad and Mindy.

Little do they expect, a new killer is dawning the Ghostface mantra behind his/Her killings once again, and everything leads back to Sam.

As the killer leaves real life easter eggs tracing back to the murders from 1996 until now, Sam, Tara and everyone else knows Ghostface has indeed come back and everybody is once again suspect.

With Sam now headlined in the media as the orchestrator of last years killings, she is now both the prime suspect and prime target of this last killing spree.

Gale Weathers has written a book based on last year's events, opposed to what she promised in SCREAM 5. This creates a drift leading to a bond between Gale and the Carpenter sisters.

Kirby Reed, wonderfully played by Hayden Penettiere who returns for the first time since part 4, now plays an FBI agent hot on the trail of the latest grisly killing spree.

As the story comes full circle, Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega shine as the movies leading stars.

The movie definitely takes a daring approach at stepping just slightly outside of the regular formula. And it works.

The movie is slick with lots and lots of chase scenes and no doubt they will have viewers on the edge of their seat.

The ending pays off just as well as any previous SCREAM movie.

There are moments where the viewer has to suspend their disbelief.

Upon another viewing, it's easy to create reasons as to how some moments played out.

If you love this franchise, chances are you will love this movie.

Flinch (1994 Video)

"Mannequin" meets Jack The Ripper

[10/10 · 14 December 2022]

I have absolute nostalgic bias going for this, but this is one hell off a fun movie with (from what I perceived) great chemistry between the leads. It's simple, suspenseful and often hilarious.

The story revolves around 2 live mannequins that work in a fashion store. One is doing it for her potential acting career while the other is doing it to make ends meet as he studies for his bar exam. At first they detest each other but quickly find a mutual attraction and potential romance in each other, when it gets stalled as they both witness a murder in the streets of New York while posing as mannequins at night. They go to the police but they're not taken seriously. They take matters into their own hands and a game of cat and mouse ensues that lead the protagonists to the killer in a fun little showdown.

One of Gina Gershons' earlier roles.

Halloween Ends (2022)

Polished trilogy but missing something

[7/10 · 23 October 2022]

I'm a huge halloween fan.

I grew up in the 80s watching them and I've been blessed to have Michael Myers (HALLOWEEN) movies to look forward to for the past 5 years since the official announcement in 2017. I'm very grateful.

Although this new trilogy is very polished to fit today's audiences, there's definitely elements missing and that's spook/scare factor.

I rate this new trilogy very generously because of how much a fan I am of the franchise.

I definitely enjoyed ENDS the most on an asthetic level.

But having all three of these films come full circle as it has, it's been more of a story of Laurie strode than Michael Myers. And I get it and I love her ending.

But this latest film brought me to tears by the films' conclusion.

It's bittersweet.

It's heart warming but wrenching at the same time.

It makes them less likely to be replayed as they are so triggering and emotional and I prefer my horror/slasher movies to scare me with subtle (if necessary at all) social commentary.

But as a trilogy connected to the 1978 original, it is all in all, well done. There's been some writing and charactor issues along the way.

I think the writing in ENDS is by far the best with a much more subtle approach to its social commentary.

But these latest films just don't hold a candle to the days where these movies had one motive only, and that was to scare the audience.

When I find myself crying, I feel like I'm at the wrong movie.

Have a good life Laurie. ❤

Copycat (1995)

The ultimate serial killer thriller

[10/10 · 11 November 2021]

They just don't make em like they used to.

We all say that as we get older, but a movie like this really makes that comment seem pretty valid.

Helen Hudson, a criminal phsychologist, a muse to serial killers, has become a victim of her own fears and is now a traumatized woman housebound due to her agoraphobia and active PTSD.

As Helen becomes involved in an active homicide investigation, she provides 2 lieutenants clues as to the inconsistency of these cases developing and coming to realize they are dealing with a copycat serial killer. Most importantly, a man copy catting the most famous serial killers of the past 20 years.

A lot of suspense and a lot of empathy for the film's protagonist. Excellent charactor development and tough balls to the walls tension accompanied with a fantastic music score.

COPYCAT is in alignment with the likes of "The silence of the lambs" as far as serial killer thrillers are concerned.

Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter give amazing performances.

If you're looking for a good edge of your seat suspense thriller, check this out.

Halloween Kills (2021)

A brutal masterpiece of a deranged serial killer

[7/10 · 16 October 2021]

Leaving him trapped to burn in the bottom of her house, Laurie and her family soon discover their plan failed. Michael Myers is once again set loose upon the town of Haddonfield and leaves a trail of brutal violence along his way back to his childhood home.

The madness of the night amplifies when vengeful town folk form together to hunt Myers down after news has broke out of his murder spree earlier that evening.

The film has many amazing qualities that far outweigh the negative. I'm speaking particularly of the recreated flashback sequences to halloween night 1978. I felt like I was watching long lost footage of an alternate ending to the original film. It was delicious.

The music score was scary and added strong elements of tension. I believe the music was far more effective this time around than the previous entry's.

The actor portraying the shape is outstanding in his movements and the actor who portrayed the 1978 shape was just as impressive.

The kills were very creative however my one biggest disappointment was in how graphic and disturbing they were portrayed. Violence of such a depiction makes me very uncomfortable, but thats just me. I really felt bad for the victims in this entry.

The movie has elements of heart that Miss Judy Greer brings. We get a deeper exploration into her character and she really brings alot to the table this time around.

The acting was very good and executed very passionately by some of it's cast. Even with the often atrocious dialogue they have to work with.

If you're looking for a spooky night at the movies for this time of year, I definitely recommend checking this out.

But be warned. It is an extremely brutal and cruel piece of cinema.

Point of Seduction: Body Chemistry III (1994 Video)

My definitive guilty pleasure

[10/10 · 2 October 2021]

I love everything about this movie. From the over the top sex sequences to the over the top lightening flashes (you know it from other jim wynorski pictures). He is one of my favorite horror thriller directors from the direct to video sub genre. Morgan Fairchild is hilarious. Unintentionally but it still works. They're all unintentionally hilarious. If BASIC INSTINCT was a piece of wood. Anyway, it all makes for something that I appreciate. I have watched this movie countless times and enjoy it every time. Nostalgic too.

Witchboard 2 (1993)

One of my all time favorites

[10/10 · 3 September 2021]

This isn't a perfectly executed story and is rather hokey but you can look past that for it's entertaining cheese factor.

Paige Benedict starts a new life in a loft as she pursues her artistic passions. She stumbles upon a ouija board that communicates with her the spirit of Susan Sydney, the previous tenant of where she now resides. Claiming she was murdered, Susan draws Paige further in to the mystery of her death.

I have played this movie countless times and still do to this day.

Your favorite character is definitely going to be the 60s struck hippie Elaine Louden. 😂

Halloween (1978)

A slasher movie with little to no plot holes

[10/10 · 30 July 2021]

While Black Christmas from 1974 deserves credit as one of the influential slasher Flicks, 1978s Halloween is the Alpha Omega of Boogeyman slasher flicks.

On a $300,000 budget, John Carpenter and Debra Hill effectively and efficiently unravel a very simple story.

Having murdered his 17 year old sister Judith Myers on Halloween night in 1963 at the age of 6, Michael Myers escapes from Smiths Grove Illinois to return to the small town of Haddonfield to repeat his grisly crime 15 years later.

Setting his sights on a group of teenagers that are to babysit that nice, Michael meets his match in 17 year old Laurie Strode who is more than just your average babysitter equipped with knitting supplies.

Jamie Lee Curtis effectively stepped into this role that she was to step into four more times following this film's release. She will once again be stepping into the shoes of Laurie Strode for the series' upcoming sequels Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. This will make Laurie Strode the most played out character buy a single actress in any franchise.

What makes Halloween so special is it's simple storytelling and character-driven atmosphere. It is also one of the most perfect slasher films ever made in that just when you are to question one plot leading to another there is literally no hole to dig through. Everything seamlessly ties in to one another.

The makers successfully create a fall setting while the film was shot in California in the spring of 1978.

The movie is the epitome example of what one can do with very little and yet create so much.

It is also the staple of what set forward the slasher film formula that was to be cloned and flat-out copied by one movie after another making it the most influential slasher flick of all time. It still holds up magnificently well to this day. This film without question deserves a perfect rating.

10+/10

Trick or treat!

Leprechaun Returns (2018)

Takes a me right back to the time of the first movie

[10/10 · 14 June 2021]

This movie is a huge guilty pleasure.

The only LEPRECHAUN entry I ever really cared for was the first.

RETURNS manages, through creative and effective use of color, to bring me right back to the first film.

It's got a very charming cast.

The leprechaun himself is very effective even though he isn't played by the original actor.

Ozzy back was a real treat.

All in all, without taking such a movie too seriously, I would say it's one great sequel and a real treat to fans of the first.

Oh and the gore and kills are quite awesome too.

No Place to Hide (1992)

An adorable young angsty drew barrymore

[10/10 · 10 May 2021]

My mom and I rented this at a video and variety store near our apartment back in the summer of 1994. It has a very nostalgic part of my heart, so my views are biased.

But there's no doubt drew barrymore will make you smile, even laugh a couple times. Her and kris kristofferson share a great chemistry here.

The Prodigy (2019)

Just when I started thinking "I wish it would just go there"

[10/10 · 4 May 2021]

And it did. Boy, did it ever.

Give it time. Warm up to the characters.

Embrace the concept of suspension of disbelief.

Enjoy it.

It's really scary.

Georgie from IT is proves more terrifying than pennywise himself.

Jesus, what did I just watch?

Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

This is actually a really good movie

[10/10 · 15 March 2021]

I mean, I like it. Sharon Stone flawlessly continues her character from where we left off in the first movie. It has it's share of bad dialogue and is a bit long but I found myself very intrigued with the story line and the twist. The movie, like it's femme fatale, likes to mess with your head. And it successfully does so. I give this a 10 to help bump the rating up a bit as I think its highly underrated.

The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)

Taking the innocence of the song choices and raping them with brutality

[10/10 · 3 December 2020]

This is an extremely entertaining sequel. It's fun and slightly disturbing. But not overkill in the disturbing department. The music choices added to the scenes of distress and violence are truly horrific. It represents the taking of the innocence of the children of that night. The songs are so pure and images of the movie will burn in her your head as you listen to those songs in the future. Inventive psychological intensity created there. The cast is great and the quality of the film has throwbacks that remind me of late 80's horror. I get small hints of HALLOWEEN 4isms with the atmosphere of fog and sense of dread created. Not to mention some of the action sequences. I'm looking at the truck scene. I recommend this highly. It's probably the best slasher movie of the past 10 years in my opinion. Unlike the original, this, although bleak just doesn't feel AS bleak . ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cursed (2005)

Terrific R rated fun

[10/10 · 13 October 2020]

Depending on which version you've seen, the resulting films are both very different. Personally, the PG-13 version is a watered down mess. I live in canada and I dont know why, but my viewing experience at the cinema contained what was later released (at least here in canada) on the unsencored dvd release. I got to experience this movie first hand how it was meant to be seen. At least in my opinion. It was advertised as PG-13 before I went to see it and I was stunned at how graphic the kills were. That was until I realised a different version existed. So I bought a bootleg copy on Ebay of the US release of PG-13 and what a disaster. It's no wonder this movie has such varrying degrees of viewer satisfaction. Christina Ricci is addictive as a young motherly sister balancing her career and life as a guardian. When her and her brother witness a vicious attack of a young Hollywood citizen, they become infected in the middle of the attack. What follows is literally a remake of the SCREAM formula that works extremely well, but may hinder its success as it was reviving a product of a different time too soon. The special effects are quite impressive. There are moments of tension that have you wondering who the culprit is. Again, much like SCREAM. It works well as a social commentary in certain aspects (I.e homophobia in society and the many truths of it). If you're watching the version with guts, gore and a whole lot of blood ( I.e blood spurting out of a neck much like a scene in Wes Craven's original A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET) , you're watching a more cohesive and satisfying film than the PG-13 version offers. A fantastic campy werewolf romp. I've enjoyed this movie on many viewings. The "uncensored" version that is. What I believe was meant to be released as an R rated film to begin with.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

The best HALLOWEEN sequel

[10/10 · 29 August 2020]

From its eerie opening to its shocking ending, this is the best of the best of the HALLOWEEN sequels. It's been 10 years since his first massacre and Michael Myers is being transferred to another institution thr night before Halloween. Until he breaks free leaving a trail of bodies on his way back to haddonfield. When Dr. Loomis meets with Myers in an explosive reunion, he immediately makes his way back to haddonfield to warn the town people, including Michael's 8 year old niece Jaime Lloyd. This movie is packed with nods to the original 1978 classic. There is a sense of dread and doom throughout this picture accompanied with an amazing score and the series' most intense action sequences. The cast is phenomenal and the film relies heavily on mood and atmosphere to tell its story and leaves your jaw on the floor at the films' conclusion. Evil is hereditary.

Halloween (2007)

This is a scary movie

[7/10 · 29 August 2020]

This is a Rob Zombie film and is definitely not for the squeamish or easily disturbed. It definitely steps out of the more pure and innocent story telling vibe of the 1978 original and I believe that's a primary reason it gets a lot of hate. But again, it is a Rob Zombie movie and one should expect nothing less of an exhausting blood soaked, covering the eyes nightmare of a horror movie experience. Whereas in the original HALLOWEEN, Michael Myers is portrayed as a force of evil with little explanation, the 2007 entry brings about a reinvented story of Michael Myers with a lot of back story and explaining his decent into madness. A viewer must remember, the 1978 original and the 2007 remake are completely different movies. 2007 is simply ones own reimagining of a legendary tale. Zombie takes the storyline of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode that was established in both 1978's HALLOWEEN and 1981's HALLOWEEN II and combines them both into one cohesive story. There are many throwbacks (love notes if you will) to John carpenter's original. It's a gritty movie in contrast to 1978's squeaky clean presentation. It's raw, unapologetic, disturbing and very scary.

Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

I love this HALLOWEEN movie

[6/10 · 28 August 2020]

Is it scary? No! It holds nowhere near the tension that accompanies the installments that came before it and I think it enters unprecedented camp/cheese territory. It has some pretty bad dialogue and the acting isn't the best. It's not a HALLOWEEN movie I take on a serious level at all and to be honest I think it's quite ridiculous. But damn, its entertaining and I absolutely love this entry. I feel warm and cozy when I watch this movie, especially in the fall. The blue lighting is constant throughout this movie. Not since HALLOWEEN 4 have I seen that, and done so beautifully. It certainly doesn't carry with it, the dread that came with 4 but its visually stunning. The music score is one of my favorites out of the series. There is a cool crisp feel of the autumn captured here. Busta Rhymes shines in his ridiculousness, so ridiculous for a HALLOWEEN movie, it's almost charming. I could go on about what makes this a bad movie or a bad entry in the franchise, but I cant hide that there is so much to enjoy on an equal level and although it breaks no new ground, my life wouldnt be the same without this movie and I'm so happy it exists. 10 out of a ridiculous 10.

Halloween II (2009)

Scout Taylor Compton gives an academy award worthy performance

[7/10 · 26 August 2020]

This film is a fascinating decent into madness from the perspective of Laurie Strode. We are brought into her traumatized world, played by Scout Taylor Compton. Compton gives a remarkable performance of a trauma victim dealing poorly with the recent traumatic events that are now plaguing her. She absolutely nails every scene and if this genre was ever worthy of oscar attention, her performance is one for the contending. This film works as a fantastic follow up to Rob Zombies previous entry. It is much higher on the artistic scale and works as an often brilliant and always dark installation of madness.

The Simpsons: Some Enchanted Evening (1990) Season 1, Episode 13

My favorite Simpsons episode ever

[10/10 · 3 February 2020]

I remember a rainy day in 1998 when I was home from school... My mom was on the sofa and I sat in the chair to do my homework and this episode was playing... I remember just enjoying it's "cozy" factor and exciting story line so much that I set the VCR to record it at the next time slot it was scheduled to air... The story has Marge fed up with homer and his insensitive ways only for him to hear about it on her call in to a radio talk show... He comes home and sweeps her off her feet with plans for an evening out only to leave Bart , Lisa and Maggie with a psychotic babysitter who is considered to be "armed and dangerous"... The shenanigans are cute and light hearted... The story is exciting as a young and more impressionable viewer... The setting is classic and offers a cozy watch on a rainy day... I have watched this episode and played it for background noise multiple times throughout the years and still turn to it for the same comfort...

Halloween (I) (2018)

Back to the roots

[7/10 · 17 July 2019]

On Halloween night in 1978, Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack at the hands of escaped mental patient Michael Myers. It is now the year 2018. It has been 40 years since that night, to the day. Michael Myers has been incarcerated for his crimes and has been locked up in Smith's grove sanitarium for the past 4 decades. It's the night before Halloween and he is being transferred to another facility. Or so that's the plan. Laurie Strode has been mentally disturbed and her relationship with her family suffers as a result of her trauma. She has been sleeping with one eye open since that fateful night in 1978 and has been living her life as a paranoid survivalist. Her daughter resents her. Only her granddaughter does she seek any comfort and understanding. When Laurie hears of the news that Michael has escaped and his path to haddonfield has left a trail of new victims, she immediately seeks out her family to take refuge in the basement of her home. But she is unable to reach her granddaughter, who has now caught the eyes of her age old nemesis. This movie works as a great follow up to the 1978 original in terms of characterization and cinematography. But truly lacks tension and a terrifying villain. The film relies heavily on the iconography of the image of Michael Myers and of Laurie Strode herself. And as a huge fan of the franchise, that alone is a huge delight. There's a few moments in this film where it lacked authenticity and there are others where the opportunity to really "take it there" were missed. Overall, the film is a major treat to someone like myself.