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Reviews
Flipping for Christmas (2023)
Missing half the plot beats
Before Christmas, Abigail agrees to help her sister with what she believes will be an easy flip of an inherited home. Things get tricky when Bo has a different idea.
You see enough of these and it's easy to pick out the good ones. They tend to have just enough of the hallmark/lifetime holiday tropes while maintaining stable plots, dialogue, and being above average acted. This is not one of those. It's as if the characters defining character features became their only features. The only refreshing part was the male lead was portrayed as more of a jerk than the female lead, which is honestly the way most of these movies go. If you took every key plot point of a typical one of these holiday movies, you'd find that Flipping for Christmas skips about every other beat. The male lead literally goes from outright rude with no established reasons why all the way to completely flirty paint play. Even the McGuffin here of the house being left to the grandson AND his contractor is never really fleshed out. Like, the number one question is why would he leave this house to BOTH his grandson and the contractor and the movie barely touches on it. Really, the plot should be about the upset grandson having the estate gift from his grandfather split and how the grandson needs to find the spirit of Christmas.
A Creature Was Stirring (2023)
Doesn't lay enough breadcrumbs
A nurse taking care of her daughter's mysterious affliction struggles to hide her secrets when uninvited strangers take shelter in her house during a lethal blizzard.
The movie isn't bad, but it's right in that middling place where I don't feel like I wasted my time watching it, but I'll probably not watch it again. I'm always here for a horror movie set at the holidays, thought it doesn't play a major role. The story really laid out too many strings and then couldn't tie them all together well enough in the end. I fault it for this, but only so much, as too often movies lay out way too much and remove the tension of the unknown. The movie starts laying that subtle groundwork of a creature feature, but it gets a bit all over the place and the 'twist' ending lacks the necessary setup to feel it's full impact. It needed a sprinkle more here and there to better setup the mothers insanity. In the end, I was left with too many questions and not in a good way. The particular effects were a pleasant inclusion, but they can't save the overall experience.
The Puppetman (2023)
Worth the watch, but lacks key elements
The biggest issue you can have with an all powerful entity is that they are all powerful. There are no limits to the villain's abilities, no protections, no balance. The acting isn't terrible, though some of the kids are flat. The script is just a bit loose overall. The protagonist is too much of a passive participant all the way through.
The paralysis demon is not a bad concept. It can illicit the right feelings in an audience. We've all had those waking dreams or woken up while briefly not being able to move. If done right, it can be a frightful viewing experience. This only gets halfway there, unfortunately.
Halloween Party (2019)
If you like the genre it's worth a watch, but there's nothing new here
If you like the genre it's worth a watch, but there's nothing new here. Amy Groening plays her role well and commits, which keeps things entertaining for the most part. Considering the title, it's pretty funny the movie doesn't actually culminate in a Halloweeen party. Additional, the ending is ripped right out of The Ring, which was a bit sad to me. There was essentially too much meat left on the bone in the plot and so rushed through some elements (discovering more about the kids, the party, fighting back, etc.) than they should have. I'm not disappointed I watched it, but it will probably not earn a rewatch.
Mistletoe Magic (2019)
Celebrates all the wrong things
This movie really does celebrate all the wrong things. The male lead wasn't worth anything until he lost 50 pounds, gave up comic books, and started playing water polo. That's the only way he could be attractive to anyone according to this movie. The female lead finds the male lead more attractive every time she finds out something materialistic about him. It's not when she finds out he has a chain of charity thrift stores that she wants to jump him, but when she learns he used to be a lawyer. They also have her flirt to get what she wants (mistletoe) with the bouncer, making things even more superficial. You can add on that the bartender finally was willing to give up the mistletoe only after he learned that the female lead was the famous meteorologist he liked to watch (and, apparently creepily stalks in meteorologist message boards). Oh, we haven't even talked about the female leads neighbor friend that is made to be over the top quarky with the intention of that somehow making her unattractive. She's really the one that should have gotten together with the male lead...the female lead displays no redeeming qualities through most of the movie.
A Christmas Detour (2015)
Was he bathing face down?
Well, this probably fits the most generic Hallmark/lifetime Christmas movie group and sadly it doesn't offer anything that stands out from any other. There are definitely some winners in this genre, but you can pass on this one. There's little chemistry between the leads and the unhappy couple is the more compelling of the two. A favorite moment was definitely when the male lead opens his door, conveyed he had been taking a bath, but the only thing wet was his face. I'm really impressed that in 6 months she'd never be able to meet his parents...the stories not even compelling with the future husband.
As Above, So Below (2014)
An actual complete story
Wow - when you watch so many of the ridiculous number of horror movies released each year, you definitely miss a few. With As Above, So Below, I missed a good one, unfortunately. The story never really falls flat. It has a complete 1st, 2nd, and 3rd act for once. Surprising how many of these types of movies fall flat on their 3rd act. Some say it's found footage. It's really just shaky cam since the characters with the footage survive and so the footage isn't 'found'. A distinction that matters? Not really. I would recommend the movie to anyone that likes 'trapped' horror. Once you watch it, there is a solid trivia entry that covers all the different levels traversed by the characters. The movie definitely has you wanting to rewatch it at some point to pick out details you missed the first time through. It's very well executed, without ever seeming third rate in it's production. Give this one a watch if you are into this genre.
The Vigil (2019)
80% Good, but Missing One or Two Elements
There's a lot to like here. The movies does a great job of providing and maintaining suspense through act 1 and 2. Sadly, act 3 seems to fall on it's face a bit trying to get to a resolution. There's elements that seemed like they were cut or decided to be expanded that seemed to be an important tie-in to the end. The creepy basement with the husband and wife video - why was this not the method with which the lead learned to resolve the issue. It was there, the husband even indicating that he was recording info so that the 'next person' may not end with the same fate. Yet, it wasn't truly used to provide information the main character needed. Having the main character be forced back downstairs to seek needed information would have provided more suspense and a turning point. In the end, the resolution seemed to just sort of plop out there and lost it's suspense because it was really fast. It's really too bad, because up to then, everything was very methodical and had you on that edge you seek with this type of movie. It's still worth a watch, but it could have been much better.
Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
An Underrated Gem of writing and Acting
Both Josh Hartnett and writer Jason Smilovic deserve credit for bringing this story to life, with a great assit from Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley. I'd love to see Smilovic return to this form, because it has such a strong Kevin Smith and Tarantino tilt, while being unique enough to provide more than another attempt at copying someone else success. It's sharply written and if not a sequel, a continuation at least in style would be great!
Naughty & Nice (2014)
Blond guy really dodged a bullet
Man, who did the score for this movie because half of it sounded like there was xylophone quota. In the end, it was watchable from a production and mostly acting standpoint, but as a love story, it's really bad.
A Castle for Christmas (2021)
To be expected, no real surprising, but no mistakes
In these types of movies, there's often too many of the common movie plot devices that can just make them drag on. I was quite happy that that didn't happen here. It was entertaining, the 3rd act "break-up" was a little forced, but fit the characters well enough and didn't go on forever, while the cast of supporting characters were colorful and fun.
Just one thing...the last minute check-in couple at the inn. My wife and I can't be the only ones that assumed this was tied to some nefarious last minute plot related to the castle that was going to drive our protagonists together, can we? They look sinister as can be and they were forced into a scene that once we finished the movie, served no purpose related to the plot. Our only other thought is there was intended to be an issue with where Brook Shields would stay because all the rooms had been taken at the inn and she'd have to go back to the castle and all of those scenes were cut, but they left this one scene in for....run time? No idea, but it was really weird. The scene ended up serving no purpose to the movie that we could figure out. Now, we're busy writing fan fiction about the throw-away couple and their devious plots to take over the entire village :).
Christmas Catch (2018)
In this specific category of of movie, it's a keeper, but why the hair...😘
These Hallmark/lifetime-esque Christmas movies are a dime a dozen, but there's only a few that really entertain. The lead actress has great comedic skill and the over the top captain with the cheesy Christmas exclamations is amazing. I'll definitely be watching this one again.
Child's Play 3 (1991)
The 'no one believes me' Plot Device has Finally Worn Thin
The change of setting is a good choice and upping Andy's age helps move things along, but putting Andy at a military school just meant we got to experience the 'no one believes the protagonist even though they are telling the truth' plot device in a different environment. It generally has a good psychological effect on the audience, but after the first two go arounds, it's wearing thin in this third installment. Otherwise, the movie handles it's normal Chucky jump scares well enough, if not in an original way. If you are a fan of the series, it's worth the watch, but don't expect anything new.
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
As Bad as Everyone Says
There is no denying, the movie is as bad as everyone claims. After the multiple rewrites and desire to rehash the first movie, it isn't surprising it was bad. What really surprised me was, beyond Linda Blair, how bad the acting was from the next two leads. It was almost comical.
Infinity Chamber (2016)
Worth a Watch
The movie does enough well to make it worth watching, while not necessarily excelling across the board. I enjoyed the protagonist and Howard was a highlight throughout. I am very glad I didn't the IMDB description before watching and went into blind instead.
A Christmas Movie Christmas (2019)
Some Reviewers Seem to be Missing the Point
**Spoilers likely ahead**
I deducted two stars because some secondary characters didn't seem to get any development except a start A and an end at B. It seemed more like the type of thing that go cut for time. As an example, the mean boss that becomes the town's mean old man gets a end of the movie moment where his Christmas spirit returns, but we never every had an idea why he was so grumpy. Even a couple lines about his dead wife (making that up) and estranged daughter (also making that up) would have helped. Anyway, that's really all I found to complain about the movie...oh, the movie snow is not great, but better than some I've seen. At least they have a small mix of real snow and store fluff. Not worth star deduction or anything.
As for where the other 8 stars come in, I really think some reviewers have missed the point. I've seen comments on how campy or corny the movie. That is entirely the point of the film. It does a very good job of hitting all the camp moments of your typically Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie and does so in an even more exaggerated way to poke fun at them. I'd say this is one of the funnier made-for-TV holiday movies we've watched. It also benefited from some very nice chemistry between the two sisters - their disparate personalities remain refreshing because they actually seem to connect and interact well together still. I will say, the movie jumps off the rails a bit at the very end, but it doesn't really matter. By that point, your story is well and good. I might have preferred the guys instead for new meets and not somehow transported from the Christmas town, but heck, it's not much more of a magic stretch than the girls experience.
I would highly recommend this movie if you are into watching Hallmark/Lifetime-esque holiday movies for what they are and can recognize the tropes common in them. It will make your viewing much more enjoyable.
Broil (2020)
Worth a watch, but some will get lost
This movie is better than it's average ratings. I find the plot structure to be generally well done in light of the jumps that take place and the episodic sections of the movie. I can see how some people might find it harder to follow, but I think that would be in the case in many movies that are written this way and there are others out there. I think the acting could be flat at times, but was generally up to par for the production value. Some plot points could have been fleshed out a little bit more to help the audience and I wonder if the movie was cut down just a little bit too much for time. Overall, I would recommend giving this a watch if you are interesting in non-action supernatural-based movies.
Inheritance (2020)
Worth a Watch, but Predictable Plot
They movie is well done, the acting is just fine, and the ambiance does add some layer of suspense, just not a enough. The main issue is you know where the plot is going, you just don't know how it is going to reveal itself. I actually feel the third act fell a little flat in that regard and it was a bit rushed. I wish they would have bumped it up to the end of the second act and then drawn out a bit of cat and mouse for all of third. Oh well, I'd still recommend anyone watch it if you are into this type of movie.
The VelociPastor (2018)
Just, Yes
The closer thing to a successor there eis for Kung Pow Enter the Fist. That says it all.