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The Lion King (2019)
Beautiful and Poignant Film
The Lion King is my favorite Disney film, and this movie made me realize why all over again! It beautiful, poignant and a poetic exploration of the meaning of life. I am actually astonished by all the 1 star reviews for this movie! So here's my two-cents as someone who absolutely loves The Lion King.
Several people are writing that it has no emotional depth.
The original Lion King is a veritable emotional roller coaster from start to finish, and this film is no different. For me, the realism gave it more emotional depth. I wanted to curl into a ball and wail when Mufasa died. There are so many other instances in the movie when I found myself unable to hold back tears. (One other scene of particular note is when Mufasa tells Simba 'I live inside you.') In fact, I cried for a good hour after the movie was over. I was so emotional wrought from not just the heartbreak but the power of this film. It made me appreciate how well-written and profound The Lion King really is!
Some have said they didn't feel an emotional connection because the characters didn't have facial expressions. This is a ridiculous statement. This is a realistic adaption, and the reality is animals do not express facially like humans do. Had they done so in this movie, it would have taken away the realism. The emotions of each character came across beautifully. You can clearly see the father-son bond of Mufasa and Simba on display, and it makes it all the more painful when Simba witnesses his father's death.
Some of the negative reviews have also complained that it was a shot-for-shot live action remake of the original with nothing new. For those who are saying that, I think you've missed the point of Disney's live action movies. They are meant to be exactly like the original but realistic. I would be incredibly upset if Disney changed anything about the story.
Another gripe I've noticed with the 1 star reviews is they're upset Disney is doing live action versions of their animated cartoons instead of making original content. True Disney fans aren't complaining about this. I, as well as most fans of the originals, enjoy watching these realistic renditions of the movies we grew up with and love. If you have a problem with 'unoriginal Disney content' and these movies being shot-for-shot live actions remakes, then why are you even bothering to watch them at all? Or are you not watching them and just giving 1 star reviews to make some sort of statement? Either way, it's ridiculous.
The only real negative I can say about this film is Beyonce voicing Nala. Beyonce's voice acting did not capture the character of Nala in any meaningful way. That's really my only complaint. Otherwise, this is beautiful, well told and visually stunning movie. And I must say, I am so thrilled that all these years later James Earl Jones is still the voice of Mufasa. 25 years later, and The Lion King still has me by the heartstrings! If you're a fan of The Lion King, watch this movie.
Butterfly Kisses (2018)
Not Your Average Found Footage Horror
This isn't so much a horror movie as an exploration of filmmaking.
Butterfly Kisses explores the depths a filmmaker will go to manipulate what the audience sees and interprets. This movie also explores how the filmmaker's ambition can disrupt his/her own perspective of reality and the consequences of that. This film is layered with three filmmakers all working towards the same goal, yet plotting out their own demise along the way.
Truth or Dare (2018)
SyFy Movie Ripoff
I've read through several reviews praising this film and even a few that call 'Truth or Dare' original. I'm under the impression that these people must not have seen the made for tv SyFy movie of the same title that came out in 2017. This movie is a blatant ripoff of that movie and, quite frankly, wasn't as entertaining as its predecessor. Same plot, even some of the same death scenes, which made this movie pretty far from being original. While this movie was entertaining and a decent watch to horror fans, I gave it a low rating because it stole it's entire premise from another movie. BTW: If you did like this movie, give the SyFy 'Truth or Dare' a watch. You won't be disappointed.
Mother! (2017)
Pretentious nonsense masquerading as art
This movie tries to justify itself through the use of artful imagery and Biblical symbolism, but can't seem to mask its overall misogyny. While misogyny has been a theme in many a horror film, I've never seen it used so blatantly than in this film and all while trying to mask it with a thick layer of pretentious allegorical Creationism. This isn't something I would typically speak out on, but this movie hit a nerve. How Him patronizes and demeans Her throughout; how the guests devalue Her within her own home; how Her debases herself in enough to be treated in this manner by all those around her. It all speaks of male chauvinism.
Even beyond that point, I've seen so many people defend this movie and it's because of the allegorical nature of it. Just because a film is overwrought with Biblical symbolism doesn't make it 'meaningful' or even a 'good' movie.
Underneath all the symbolism and all the misogyny this, simply put, was a bad movie. It was slow, boring. There was never any tension created to amount to anything suspenseful or exciting. And the plot didn't stick. Yes, the allegory. The whole point was the allegory as the director so diligently drilled into our heads throughout. But an allegory without good storytelling is just nonsense.
And this movie is purely pretentious nonsense.
The Ballerina (2017)
We need more movies like this
The Ballerina is a directorial debut from newcomer Steve Pullen. Pullen also stars in, co-produced and wrote the screenplay to this film. For a debut done on a low budget, The Ballerina blew me away! I can't wait to see more from Pullen and see how he progresses in the future.
With the horror genre being oversaturated with gore for the sake of gore, lackluster to no plots, and little suspense, The Ballerina breathed new life with its revival of southern gothic horror. It's atmospheric, it's moody, it's melancholy. The tensions between reality and the supernatural are palpable and eventually blend into a delusional realism. But beyond that, is tragedy brought to life. The last 30 minutes is an emotional experience for the viewer. As the story progresses, the viewer begins to realize the actuality of the situation as the layers are exposed piece by piece.
It's tragic. It's heartbreaking. But there, there's relief at the end.
This is ultimately a story of regret, forgiveness and redemption.
And one done so in an artful and meaningful way.
Villmark 2 (2015)
Wasted Potential
This Norwegian haunted asylum flick was a take on the 2001 US movie Session 9. Unfortunately for Villmark 2, they failed horribly in that respect. Their attempt at a psychological horror fell flat. The plot was paper thin and never came together because it was never fully realized.
What I did love about this movie was the setting. The isolation of the woods, the creepiness of the building, the atmosphere created by amazing visuals.
I'm just not sure why the director didn't go another way with the movie. At the beginning, there was so much focus on the contaminated water supply, and I thought it would go the way of the crew contracting a disease from said water. (Think Cabin Fever only in an asylum). That would have been an amazing plot! A plot that actually made sense. But it veered off track at about the halfway mark and decided on a 'experiments gone wrong' angle. That is an angle that is incredibly cliche and so played out in so many other asylum/hospital horror movies. It just felt like lazy writing. And that was so disappointing when the movie had so much potential.
Ascent to Hell (2014)
Not Great, but Decent
This movie was clearly based on the Triangle Shirt Factory fire of 1911, in which 146 people died. I think it's an interesting concept to intertwine this real life event into a horror movie. This movie did an okay job of portraying a ghost story, though the CGI was lacking. The building was also sufficiently creepy. What it lacked, though, was an in depth look into the history of the building and the fire. That would have upped the appeal and the horror of the movie a great deal.
I'll also have to say that the ending just didn't work. Actually, there were a few endings (when you watch, you'll know what I mean) which seemed odd, as though the director didn't know which would to use and which one to cut, so he decided to use both. But the ending (not involving any of the characters) clearly had an agenda attached to it and took away from the movie in spades.
The 13th Friday (2017)
Nope
When I saw Uncork'd Entertainment was the distributor of this movie, I should have had the good sense to turn it off at that point.
I love horror movies. I love bad B-list horror movies. This movie, however, isn't one of those 'it's so bad it's good.' This movie is just awful-start to finish.
The acting is absolutely atrocious, some of the worse I've seen if I'm being honest. The plot of the movie made no sense, the ghost story at the beginning of the movie was convoluted. But the worst part of this movie has to be the godawful editing. It jumps from one scene to the next randomly and without explanation, making it impossible to keep up or image what the director's vision was.
The Invited (2010)
Wrongly Labeled Horror/Thriller
This film is labeled as a horror/thriller, and the audience could be easily fooled into thinking it is because of the Ouija board concept. Alas, The Invited is little more than a romantic love story between husband/wife wrapping itself around a convoluted horror plot. Along with the muddied plot and love aspect is an overwhelming use of religious subtext. This movie literally makes mention about how important faith is throughout and degrades the aesthetics characters as being the ruin of mankind.
So, just to get this straight, horror fans ARE NOT INTO romance or having a religious agenda shoved down their throat. That's why we watch horror-strictly to avoid said things.
As for the ending, it made absolutely no sense. It was a sad attempt at a twist. It didn't work. This is not a psychological thriller. Why did you bother?
Stickman (2017)
Painful To Watch
I'm typically a fan of SyFy made-for-TV movies. Stickman, however, was terrifying for all the wrong reasons. The atmosphere was creepy and the creature was well done, so this could have been a great creature-feature. But, alas, this movie suffers from extremely poor writing.
Just a few of the inconsistencies/nonsensical aspects of this movie: 1. If the poem is what summons the Stickman, why on earth was Emma carrying it around with her everywhere she went? Seriously?! If she knew if summoned an evil entity, shouldn't she have enough sense to destroy the piece of paper with the poem on it? I guess not. 2. Obviously, death scenes are the best part of horror movies....Unless you're talking about this movie. When the two women running the boarding house (the only adults conveniently) are killed Emma's first night at said boarding house...Well, it was very anticlimactic indeed. And then the 5 other girls boarding in said house don't bother calling the police even though they know Emma was locked in a psych ward for 7 years for killing her mom and sister. I just face-palmed at that entire scene. 3. Thinking the movie would turn around and get better, I kept watching. No such luck. Emma and two of the other girls drives back to Woodbury for 'answers' and, conveniently, there has been an escapee from the psych ward so they easily get in. I watch a lot of horror, so I understand defying belief, but common on! And, just to point out another wrinkle in the writing, why did she have to go back to Woodbury for answers when, earlier in the movie, she said she could trap the Stickman by drawing his picture? Why not just, I don't know, try drawing his picture? That seems a lot easier. But what do I know?
And...that's where the movie ended for me. I just couldn't finish it. Believe me, this is a very rare thing for me to turn off a horror movie prematurely.
Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017)
Big Let Down
What the audience expected: Origin story of the Creeper.
What the audience received: Several characters verbalizing 'We know what you are' Said characters never revealing what the Creeper was.
Highlight of the movie: The Creeper's truck
After watching so long for this addition to the Jeepers Creepers franchise, it was a big disappointment that the origin story was never revealed. As stated above, several characters made acknowledgments that they knew the Creeper's origin (and came to find out in a very interesting way, which I won't spoil for anyone). I'm waiting throughout the whole movie thinking, okay, they're going to reveal it...NOW! But no. That point in the movie never came. No origin reveal even though the whole movie was based on...Guess what? We now know what the Creeper is so maybe we can beat him! Such a big let down!
Bethany (2017)
Worth A Watch
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. There were some legitimately unsettling scenes that unfolded throughout the course of the movie (particularly the fingernail scene and the sewing on of the mask). As the movie progresses, we see more glimpses of the abusive nature of Claire's mother. This psychological plot point was handled well. The pacing of the movie was good, and the ending was satisfying. The story of Bethany/Mallory unfolded nicely as well. The main actress, Stefanie Estes, did a great job. Some of the flaws of the movie: Honestly, I just didn't enjoy the acting of Zack Ward. His performance felt one dimensional and unrealistic, and I wish they had gotten someone else to play that role as Aaron was such a central character. There were also a few things that seemed out of place/disjointed. One of my smaller grievances is the fact that nobody seemed the smell the decaying body that was trapped within the house. I can forgive this a bit because it a horror and we are to suspend some disbelief. My biggest grievance would be the death of the psychiatrist. It just didn't fit, and I don't like how it was handled. Very unsatisfying.
Like I said, overall I did enjoy the movie as a whole. It's definitely worth a watch if your a fan of psychological horror/haunted house horror fare.
Deep Dark (2015)
Pointless and Lackluster
I'm blown away by the glowing reviews given by some of the viewers of this film. (People who are part of the production team perhaps?) This movie has no redeemable qualities. The characters are incredibly one dimensional and unlikable. I believe this movie is making an attempt at being a horror comedy, however, it just ends up being extremely awkward for the viewer. No humorous moments. No scary moments. No thrilling moments. Just scene after scene of: When will we get to the point? SPOILER: It never comes. There is no explanation for why the wall talks, where it gets the items for the mobiles, what the finished mobiles even look like, why the wall bleeds, why the artist's uncle send him there... I could go on and on with the unanswered and pointless questions that arise in this movie. My suggestion: Save yourself some time and skip this movie.
Visions (2015)
Overall A Decent Film
I was pleasantly surprised by this film due to its unique take on hauntings. I found it very interesting that an event in the future could haunt someone in the present (and even those in the past). I had never seen that done before in any other film, so I was quite impressed with this new spin the director/writers put on a would-be conventional ghost story. That being said, I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. For an event to be so traumatic it transcends time and space, and thus haunts all the residents who lived there-even the original owners-I did expect a much more gruesome ending then what we received. Several people were killed and, understandably, that is traumatic in its own right but it didn't seem explosive enough considering all the build up that came before it. Had the baby been extracted and and/or Evie and David had died, that would have made much more sense with the overall story line, especially considering the psychic from many years prior to the event saw their faces rather than the faces of the people who actually died. So, I was let down a bit by the ending but overall this is a decent film.
Loving Annabelle (2006)
Poor Attempt At Romance and Emotional Depth
'Loving Annabelle' attempts to create substance and emotional depth, but falls far short of doing so. My first complaint would be the actress who plays Simone (Diane Gaidry). Her performance in this movie was wooden and sub par. Maybe for this reason, there seemed to be little to no chemistry between Simone and Annabelle, which made their romance seemed forced. I would have liked a bit more depth with the characters. We did see Simone's background and this made the audience sympathize with her, but it still didn't make her a likable character. There were subtle hints about Annabelle's life and past love, but none of it was delved into. Since she pursued Simone so intently, I would have liked to know more about her past relationships to gain more understanding of why she became so obsessed with her teacher. And then comes the biggest problem with this film: They tried to make a teacher/relationship something to be romanticized. Annabelle did play the predator role in this movie by stalking Simone and playing upon Simone's weakness and vulnerability. I'm not sure if this was done in order to make the relationship seem more acceptable, but it was just troubling to see that boundary being crossed between teacher and student.
Feardotcom (2002)
Could have been great, but missed the mark
I've watched this movie three times, and I really want to like it but I just can't. There's nothing redeemable in this movie, despite having the potential to be a great cinematic experience. My biggest pet peeve with this movie would be the focus of the supernatural element. Had they just worked the killer angle, this movie could have potentially been another 'Se7en' however, the writers/director felt it necessary to add the paranormal element. It was extremely misplaced in this movie, adding nothing to the plot line aside from confusion. The movie falls flat for a variety of other reasons as well: (a) The acting in this movie was horrible, particularly that of Natascha McElhone. (b) Alistair had the capacity to be an amazing and memorable character.but Stephen Rea didn't bring the passion and sadism to the role that this character desperately needed to standout. I'm not sure if it was Rea's acting skills (as he has done well in other roles) or if was poor writing. I tend to go with the latter. (c) The supernatural element just didn't work. I can't really put my finger on why. All I can say is it seemed superfluous and nonsensical. Additionally, incorporating any aspect of horror should create fear. There was nothing scary in this movie. It simply felt like the writers/director couldn't decide rather to do a thriller or a horror movie. They did a little bit of both, and it didn't work. (d) If they wanted to go with an internet-based entity, I feel like the theme would have worked better now as opposed to 2002 because of the relevancy in social media and social interactions in present day compared to the early 2000's. (e) This is a small gripe, but why is the website: www.feardotcom.com? Really?! It is a small detail, but the small details are so important to the overall story. There are various other flaws within this movie, but those are the ones that standout the most. Basically, I don't recommend this movie. I would love to see it be remade into the movie it was meant to be. I can see it having potential. But, alas, I'm sure that will never happen, so we are left with this atrocity.