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Reviews
Wish Upon (2017)
This movie is right up there with Final Destination 1
I was skeptical about this movie in a HUGE way... so much so I waited till it was playing at the discount theater to see it. I can tell you, I was wrong.
Wish upon is about this girl who loses her mom when she is very young. I won't tell you how that would spoil it! Anyway, forward approximately 14 years ish. She is now in high school, yep...the scariest place on Earth. Her father is a upcycler going from dumpster to dumpster to find things to sell at the swap meet. While out looking for items to sell he finds an oriental box in the the garbage and decides to give it to his daughter. Since his daughter is taking foreign language she can read enough of the characters to see that it is a wish box. She's a skeptic and wishes for her enemy.....well you'll see.
My thoughts. I loved this movie. I am a huge huge fan of the final destination movies. It feels very similar although the box is much much creepier. The overall acting and twists in the story caused by the box are incredible. The writing in this movie also sets up the scares very well for the audience. Some of them you can't see coming, but they're there.
I truly enjoy that this movie does not follow the rules of horror movies set out by Scream :) Sex drugs and rock and roll are not a part of why...or how these people die.
I have not seen a movie like this in quite some time, nor done as well as this movie was written and directed.
Everything, from the initial idea...right down to the nitty gritty of perfecting a scene was done to perfection. Being a true horror buff, I truly appreciated this movie.
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
spoilers
Annabelle Creation is the second movie in the Annabelle saga. However, truly it is a prequel of sorts. The story starts out with a family who loses their daughter in a car accident. The man who loses his daughter is the man who also created the "Annabelle" doll. Surprise surprise her name is Annabelle. Cut frame to a group of girls on a bus from an orphanage going to live in the same house with a nun from the convent to guide and protect the little tykes. So, of course Annabelle picks her poison and chooses a little girl made lame by polio. The story goes on and I'm not telling you anything else except there's a lot of jump scares, terrified running, screaming, and general horror mayhem that goes on in all horror films.
Jump to the ending where the director thinks "oh yeah I have to connect this to the first story." so you get a short scene where they move twelve years ahead.
My thoughts. While I liked the movie there was too much action around the girls and the connection to the other film seemed flimsy at best. Why not tell the story about the girls and spend the last twenty minutes connecting it instead of the five minute scene. It would have been good to bring the story full circle and would have made it meatier for the whole Annabelle loving crowd (as I am one of them).
I am hoping the writing will be better as the series progresses IF the series progresses. I give this one a 6 at best for the story line and individual acting performances however I'm taking four stars for the flimsy ending.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
A classic in its own right
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them... It's not Harry Potter, however it is a classic in its own right. I loved the creature creations for this movie including of course those greedy goblins which I was so very happy to see in this film as well. Eddie Redmayne did such a wonderful job as Newt Scamander and his cast of creatures was breathtaking. They were all created differently and beautifully in their own right. His deep connection and understanding of the creatures was so well done by Redmayne who seemed to be a little Autistic with his lack of eye contact most of the time while talking, which if it was done on purpose, I love it. It gives the character even more depth and beauty. The other wizards were amazing, I think my favorite was Queenie Goldstein she was so endearing and such a wonderfully played character. She had a lot of heart and that endeared her to the audience even more. It was cool to see the differences between the American and British Ministries of Magic and the difference in terminologies between the two countries. All in all this movie gets 5 enthusiastic stars from me. The continuity was incredible and I highly recommend it.
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
An incredible true story that had me on the edge of my seat
Hacksaw Ridge is an amazing movie. Sarah and I went to see it this afternoon and it was really true to life. I became wrapped in the story line right from the beginning and the fact that this is a true story had me amazed at the happenings. They were very careful about making everything look authentic right down to the buttons on the uniforms. This is the story of a true hero, and I don't want to spoil it for you. Let me say that Desmond Doss is probably one of the most unsung brave heroes I've ever read about the things he did during the war are incredible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Doss
This man with strong faith was braver than anyone can imagine. You must see this movie it was excellent!
Suicide Squad (2016)
Great Bad Guy Film
OK folks, I don't see what everyone is complaining about I thought Suicide Squad was excellent. The beginning of the movie with most of the backstories was played out very well and was written well. It was awesome getting to know the key players that we'd be falling in love with if it's possible to fall in love with bad guys which since I did it is! I especially love Harley she was a source of humor throughout the movie but don't let her out of your sight just yet she's in trouble ten times over but she handles herself with ladylike grace and some punk Kick butt in the middle. I liked Will Smith's interpretation of Deadshot, you knew why he was taking part in this suicide mission and he really turned out to be the leader we expected him to be. As for Jared Leto's Joker, I don't know why he was complaining or saying that he was fooled into making this movie. He was the complete package makeup and all lipstick fetish notwithstanding. While he had a small part in the film there are no small parts, his "death" was what gave Harley her turn into a good guy, not that she wasn't always., She seemed to play as the heart of the suicide squad. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje did a hell of a job as killer croc I loved the Cajun accent he had going on and really did the character a lot of justice. This whole film was an excellent and fun ride and I'd highly recommend it five stars! I love the bad guys and it made me so happy to see these bad guys kicking butt and possibly taking names.
Goosebumps (2015)
Goosebumps is a Classic
So we just finished watching Jack Black and the crew in the movie Goosebumps. Need I say this movie is a clear classic in my eyes done in awesome Goosebumps style! My kids love reading the books and I loved reading them too they were done so very awesomely in this well written romp with funny characters and crazy beasts! I had the opportunity to meet the cast of this amazing film and I must say they did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. I know that they were nervous about how this movie would be received but I knew it was going to be wicked awesome from the get go. I had the opportunity to go to the panel and see many many clips of this movie and all of them were better than the last one they showed. Every story has 3 parts, the beginning, the middle, and the twist. The twists and turns in this movie do not disappoint! I even had the chance to meet the master himself Mr. RL Stine.he was so incredibly friendly and so supportive of my writing. I was so touched when he wished me luck. There was room left open for another one and I hope hope hope they make it. The CGI in this film is incredible, with all of those characters you needed it so the brilliant folks at the studio did a stellar job at bringing these characters to life on the big screen. This is above and beyond a 5 star review!
The D Train (2015)
Jack, while I love you baby....not the best film
This was a review of my high school life quite honestly. It's a little Woody Allen mixed with Jack Black...The movie is awful, however you feel yourself compelled to watch this movie to its finale to see what happens. However I found myself disgusted with the characters and their behavior as well as the terrible dialogue. This film lacked any form of humor and found itself dragging.The plot line was pretty boring but really touched upon the true meaning of high school reunions and wanting to show you how cool you are and holding onto the world as you wanted it to be. So all I can say is....it's a very bad high school reunion movie.
Where Hope Grows (2014)
Incredible film with a fabulously talented cast
I really wish there were a love button for this film. I just watched the incredible film Where Hope Grows. In summary it's this: Where Hope Grows is a story of finding redemption through faith, hope and love Kris Polaha plays "produce" a young grocery worker with Down's syndrome who befriends an alcoholic, struggling, single father. Kris plays this role incredibly well. He is truly what makes this film wonderful. He's very easy to love with a quiet strength that has an undertone through the whole film. Never underestimate him. He is truly a talented actor. The film as a whole made my heart swim with emotion, from laughter to tears, to anger at the situations posed both to the father as well as to "Produce" I highly recommend this film. It's just a wonderful movie to sit down with your family to
The Gallows (2015)
Spoiler - The Gallows Not For the Faint Of Heart
My daughter and I went to see the movie The Gallows today. I had seen the previews and thought it looked really interesting since I have a soft spot for movies that are filmed Guerrilla Style much like the Paranormal Activity movies. The movie started with the backstory as to who and why the school was being haunted. In 1993 a boy named Charlie was tragically killed while performing the part of August in a play entitled "The Gallows." The trap door opened on the set piece and he was accidentally killed by hanging. This one event set the tone for the entire movie. Jump ahead 20 years to 2013 and another group of students is recreating the play. You meet Ryan who is a snarky jock involved in the stage crew of the new production of the Gallows. He's filming his best friend Reese who is playing August in the revival beside a girl named Pfeifer who he has a crush on. Then there's Ryan's girlfriend Cassidy who is your ultimate blonde teenage scream queen. (What respectable horror movie doesn't have one of these?) Throughout the movie you are taken on a roller coaster ride of twists and turns that keep you guessing right until the climactic ending which left me thinking, this is really F***ed up! It was quiet a storyline to say the least! I can't say much about the twists other than you are going to really enjoy trying to figure out who's going to die and why! They left the ending open for a 2nd part to the movie but they will have to treat it carefully to live up to the first one. This movie had gotten terrible reviews, but quite honestly I'm seriously considering adding it to my home movie collection. You should definitely go see The Gallows. While it has a no name cast, they do a great job acting and don't overplay the roles. It's definitely a must see!
Twixt (2011)
Exquisitely disturbing
To say the movie Twixt is sick is true. To say the movie is genius is even more so. This movie twisted around a sick man's plot to protect orphan children from the vampires that live across the lake from his small town sounds like a plot that would be hard to follow. This movie is a mixture of darkness and light, black and white and color, beauty and darkness. Coppola uses black and white filmography to show the past and the dream world that is entered by Hall Baltimore played by Val Kilmer. Baltimore himself is a drunken author using drunken and drug induced comas to write his stories. It was more than he bargained for when he went to the little town and met V a ghost played by the beautiful Elle Fanning. All in all this film was disturbingly amazing. It really pulls you into the murder mystery of V's death and the lives of the residents of the town both in the present and in the past. I loved this movie. It is a dark and exquisitely beautiful work of art.
12 Years a Slave (2013)
A beautiful Story that really makes you think
I have to say I was skeptical about this movie when we first decided to go see it.But, I am obsessed with slavery and the Civil War. I've read Uncle Tom's Cabin, yet I am not old enough to have been part of the civil rights movement. I understand why this movie got so many Oscar nominations. It's excellent from beginning to end and so true to history. This movie made you think. My heart broke many times in this movie at the treatment of the slaves. It was heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. They lived in torment yet they bore it together. There is so much heart in this movie, both by slave owner and slave. I don't want to give much of this movie away because there is so much that the viewer needs to see. I would recommend this movie to anyone. I truly enjoyed it and I give it 5++++ stars. I will in the near future be reading the book by Solomon Northrup, if it is anything like the movie (and I know books are always better) I will enjoy it.
The Human Race (2013)
The rules are simple
This is an odd movie, very much a grow on you movie. The rules are simple Race Or Die, if you leave the path, you die, The house school and jail are safe (really?) if you are lapped you die. There is only one winner. The movie itself touched on social issues, racism, right and wrong, killers, prey, weakness and strength. The movie was poorly acted but really made you think. It used a guerrilla style of film making which is becoming quite popular these days. There were no huge names in this movie and I can understand why, the movie is bad. However, I also liked it. I liked the moral issues involved in this movie. This is a movie I can say I've seen once, but I won't be watching it again. However if you like this style of movie a thriller with a questionable simple plot and holy cannoli moments you should see it.
Vamperifica (2012)
Darkly Humorous and Well done
I really enjoyed this movie, it was so darkly humorous. Just when it was getting a little too dark, they threw in a humorous moment. I loved all of the characters and they were SO interesting and different! I was getting ready to go out and I was like "What did I miss?" My daughter was laughing at me and saying MOOOMMMM but she was doing the same thing! The man character reminds me of your characteristically basic gay character, beat down with his besties he is NOT doing well! All of the sudden when he meets the vampire girl with the bleached eyes (I loved how well she was done!) He's like DUDE I'm the vampire king! Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and he has a basically, big temper fit. Killing those who wronged him cruelly and might I say elegantly. I love the premise of this movie and the flashbacks were not hard to follow at all! Just a great movie that I really enjoyed!
Man of Steel (2013)
Spoilers, It gets maybe a 2 1/2
We just came home from seeing Superman, I have to say I was very unimpressed with this movie. I will say that Henry Cavill as Clark Kent was a great choice as the humble hero. He is very likable and accessible (although I thought he looked great with hair on his face) He had big shoes to fill and he did it in spades. Amy Adams was fabulous and had just the right amount of snark and P&V for Lois Lane, she did an amazing job and was probably my favorite character in the whole movie. She was an amazing Lois and complemented Cavill very well. Now for the bad part, the storyline had a lot of plot holes, not little ones either but gaping Grand Canyon sized holes. With recycled technology akin to Independence Day and War of the Worlds it had many of the same style of scenes as in those movies. Great Caesar's Ghost! Perry White you did not use this very important tag line! Shame on you! The person who made this movie has obviously never read or watched the original Superman movie. It was so out of the land of superman and made me feel dirty for watching it. Call me a Superman purist and I would proudly agree. I give it 2 1/2 stars. Henry Cavill and Amy Adams however get 5 stars for their awesome work as Superman and Lois Lane.
Sushi Girl (2012)
Spoilers about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5
Imagine you are a beautiful girl working in a sushi restaurant. Imagine you are laying on a table covered with sushi while gangsters around you are beating a man to death in slow intervals looking for the diamonds they lost in a heist. Now imagine you can't say a word. You would have the movie sushi girl. It is a great movie but NOT for the faint of heart. If you don't like violence or blood this is not the movie for you. I however loved it because I'm a gangster movie fan! Mark Hamill did a great job producing this movie however his acting was less than stellar but boy can that guy do evil genius! Out of 5 stars I give it a 3 because of the sweet twist at the end.