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J_Birdy90
Spooky genre is my favorite.
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Reviews
Hellraiser (2022)
Hellraiser Rejuvenated
I have been on stand by for over two decades for a decent Hellraiser film. And it looks like that time is now! This film was definitely a breath of fresh air in the Hellraiser franchise. Was it perfect? Not by any means. But did it have an excellent cast and plenty of chain gore? You betcha! Female pinhead had such sights to show us. I enjoyed the detail they put into the story behind the puzzle boxes. It gave them more meaning, and opened up a slew of new material for future adaptations. I may be biased, because they brought back my favorite Cenobite, but I thought this movie kicked ass. I'm also biased as a recovering addict, because I thought Riley was a total badass.
Halloween Ends (2022)
Shocking Twist to Carry on The Shape
I was pleasantly surprised while at the same time perplexed. Samples of the plot did not seem to fit the bigger narrative for many fans; just like we saw in Halloween Kills. It is not a direction that was foreseen by many fans of the franchise, but it was exactly what we needed. It may take Michael Myers enthusiasts a while to accept this, in my opinion. He was pushing 70 in the film, and a vessel for evil can only go so far. Therefore, Michael was not the focal point. Did we still get a formidable story with plenty of deaths and gore? Yes. Were parts a bit interpretive and unnecessary? I could also partly agree to this, yes. In the END we were promised a Laurie Strode/ Michael Myers showdown, and we were not deprived. However, to me, it should have been the meat & potatoes of this new trilogy of films. One final major climax. But it emanated more of a soft subplot. The conclusion of our Final Girl should have had a larger climb. It started with Laurie and it ended with Laurie. Michael was just along for the ride. 🔪
Orphan: First Kill (2022)
Orphan: First Kill. A Successful Prequel.
I was intrigued by the idea of a prequel due to the aging lead. She gave an excellent performance in the first film. However, she is no longer a child, but a grown woman. It has been thirteen years since Isabelle Fuhrman took on the roll of the orphan Esther. The crew behind the film did an excellent job helping her portray this character for us once more. Seeing Esther's face for the first time in the psychiatric facility sent chills down my spine. A feeling i get when I look at Michael's mask in the Halloween movies. There is nothing but evil lurking behind those eyes. Pure evil. The story was an excellent choice, but it did involve some major plot holes. Even so, most of us love the Harry Potter films, and they have the worst plot holes of any franchise around. William did an magnificent job blending the end of the tale in with the original film. It almost makes you forget about the mistakes by filling you with some 2009 nostalgia. Time to watch the original again!
Glorious (2022)
Ambiguous & Bad Dialogue
Now, for this one, I was really despondent as the movie came to a close. Everyone and they mama was talking about how good of a film this was. The mother trucker had a 5/5 skull rating on Shudder! I went in with high hopes and desire. The casting and acting were top-notch. J. K. Simmons' voice acting was superb! In addition, it was excellent watching Ryan Kwanten in a lead role since True Blood's conclusion. However, Rebekah lost me on parts of the script, which included both main actors (J. K. & Ryan); meaning I wasn't floored by it in a fair amount of scenes. Excellent and original story, yet it fell short for me. I didn't care for some segments of the dialogue between the two, and the (what I would argue) ambiguous ending. I feel they should have kept Ghat more of a mystery; a "divine enigma" if you will. Furthermore, I would have enjoyed more of the backstory (narrative) of Wes and his significant other.
Firestarter (2022)
Dreadful Setup Leading to Failure
I was warned (by many) of the poor caliber of this film. Even it's IMDb rating wasn't enough to spurn my interests. Regretful. I'm a fan of the original film adaptation of the Stephen King novel. However, it was staggering at how poor Keith's directional vision was received when I viewed it. All I can really say is the acting was very unsatisfactory, and the emotions in some of the scenes were way out of place. I was honestly confounded by it. Give it a view and you'll see what I mean. I only made it 30 minutes into the movie and had to turn it off. The combination of the acting, dialogue, and the jumbled emotions all lead me to hit the home button on my Roku tv remote.
El espinazo del diablo (2001)
Foreign Supernatural Falling Short
I was pretty disappointed with this film. I was expecting a lot with it being Guillermo del Toro and having an IMDb score above 7. It did not deliver on a lot of artifacts I love about horror genre. The story wasn't very captivating. The medium of the film, overall, did not leave much to be desired. By that I mean the score was only okay, the setting was dull, and the characters had no spark. The biggest disappointment for me was the deaths in the film. I found them to be boring and lackluster. This was partially due to the shoddy practical effects throughout the film. Still a decent film and worth the watch.
The Amityville Horror (1979)
Disappointing But Entertaining
I was especially upset with this film, because it did not live up to its potential. The book was so chilling. There were so many elements from the novel that they did not include in the movie. The stench, the entity continuously pestering the children, the footprints in the snow, the insanely loud marching band, etc. Instead they added things that never took place. The Priest wasn't driven mute, George didn't try attacking his family or dog, there was no babysitter locked in a closet. I thought all of that was silly when there was plenty of REAL horror to include from the REAL story. Frustrating.
Before Midnight (2013)
Ethan's Hawke's Performance Too Good
The second Ethan's character spoke in the first film I knew I could not identify in his disposition. I had almost switched it off, but it had been just captivating enough to where I needed to see it through. I then had to watch the sequel, because I was invested. Their roles & relationship were so complex it was as if I was viewing a marvelous display of fireworks over the alluring skyline of a wicked train wreck. This story unquestionably needed a third film. I was prepared for an emotional roller coaster as I selected the film for viewing. What I did not account for was Ethan's progression as an actor, and his ability to bring it to this character. He magnified Jesse's charm while also amplifying his toxic masculinity. This is the first film I have ever given a negative rating to for the actors acting too well. The way Ethan was able to dominate every conversation and argument was astounding. After the hotel scene I felt like I needed a shower just to wash off the heaviness of the gas lighting that took place. Along with this, they took a strong independent feminist that was Julie, and made her submit to his masculinity and compromise all of her beliefs for the sake of love and family.
I give this film a 3/10 because it took these characters with so much potential, and made them into the things they hate. I understand this is the point of the trilogy, but I can't help myself in giving the rating. It was heartbreaking. Julie deserved so much better in this storyline. I will play this trilogy for my girls when they become older and become interested in boys. It will stand as a reminder of everything to avoid when entering a relationship. It is not something I will be watching again.
Watcher (2022)
Great Contemporary Mystery Horror
I thought this was all around astounding film! The medium was built around eliciting sizable suspense throughout. Suspense around the misgivings Julia, the protagonist, had about her new neighbor after a move from New York to Bucharest. This neighbor is quite unnerving, and Julie rightly becomes apprehensive and paranoid. She looks to her husband for validation of her feelings, but his hyper-rational thinking causes a wedge between the two. The mystery and the "edge of your seat" jump scares make this the perfect film for contemporary horror fans! Another great Whodunit film. I loved every second of it. (8.5/10)
Melancholie der Engel (2009)
First Film I Have Ever Rated A 1
I've seen a plethora of strange movies lately, which means I've seen a surplus of strange intros to movies, but this takes the cake. It starts with two creepy men who convince two beautiful women to come to their underground layer; then on to a spine-chilling house in the middle of the night. At this point I'm believing these two to be vampires, compelling these women. Spoiler, they're not, it is just that bizarre of a film. It does not get any more sensible as the film continues, it gets worse; a lot worse. You construct new questions for the film about every 15 seconds, but never get an answer. As I kept watching I realized this entire thing is just meaningless depravity and nihilism. What a ghastly horrendous excuse for a film. Yes, it had disturbing artifacts, but my Lord in heaven, how do you expect someone to sit through that and enjoy themselves? Usually I rate dreadful films a 2 or higher, established by some base effort or willingness to succeed, yet this is the worst film I have ever had to observe; it will get a 1. This will now be the standard film to which I compare all movies I do not enjoy.
Srpski film (2010)
Disturbing In A Whole New Light
I would have rated this 10/10 just based off it's originality and shock factor. However, I was so deeply disturbed by the things I witnessed, that I could never bring myself to watch this movie again. That plays a big factor in my ratings, my ability to watch it again and again. This is something someone should only witness once, or ever. If you have a weak stomach or tender heart, do not watch. It deals heavily in pedophilia, necrophilia, rape, suicide, murder and strong sexual content mixed in with the former. It makes Cannibal Holocaust and Last House On The Left look like Disney films.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Fan of Black Mirror. Not this movie.
The movie never went anywhere. The plot is not there. You don't get to make you're own choices, it forces you to go back and make a certain choice. The only good thing about this movie was Will Poulter's character and performance.