Pixtalgia

IMDb member since September 2016
    Lifetime Total
    10+
    IMDb Member
    8 years

Reviews

Don't Sleep
(2017)

Disappointing watch, typical of an Included with Amazon Prime Horror Movie.
The plot is described as "After moving into a cottage together, two young lovers confront the horrors of a forgotten childhood." which initially creates some form of interest but fails to deliver. The movie follows Zach Bradford and partner Shawn Edmon moving back to Zach'a neighbourhood, where he suffered trauma from nightmares where there was an evil version of himself.

My biggest gripe with this film is, ultimately I just wasn't very entertained. It's not by any means the worst movies I have ever seen but it is very forgettable, not providing anything of note and within these movies I believe there needs to be that 'Oh my god!' moment, of which is seriously lacked.

The movies also used overused glitch style effects which does the opposite of complimenting the world the movie is trying to build here, which maybe down to budget which is, I suppose forgivable but not very complimentary for the movie.

The Make-Up/SFX was also rather disappointing, I'm not one to shame people for their work however I just had thoughts of "they've just brought someone who hasn't finished Make-Up School to do this." Acceptable for a Halloween Party but not something I expect in a movie, honestly.

While I have given this movie a lot of negative feedback it was "okay", below average without a doubt but if you just want to watch a free movie when you have prime.. it is still a movie I suppose, just don't expect to remember much about it.

Blood
(2022)

A Good Film That Would Have Been Made Great
This was a surprisingly good watch from my expectation from searching through Prime. The movie ticks a lot of key boxes of trying to tell its own story of a recently single mother trying to make a better life and protect her children.

The movie handles the subject of a mother's love perfectly, displaying the lengths people would go to protect their child as well as displaying other real world emotions pretty well.

The biggest problem with this movie is the amount of world building and plot left absent which leaves a lot of questions and a lot of, "would this really be how this person would act?". Admittedly this gives a much larger personal experience perspective between the Mother, Son and Daughter which lends itself heavily to the movies themes, however, this doesn't stop me thinking about how some plot points, timelines and character interactions don't make sense in a real world setting.

Shallow Hal
(2001)

SHALLOW HAL WANTS A GAL
I have a strange relationship with Shallow Hal.

While it is pretty misogynistic on what should or should be beautiful by casting women in the two categories of 1. Beautiful and 2. "Not Beautiful", to put their intentions politely the movie still holds some kind of charm and is TRYING to convey the message of BEAUTY IS FROM WITHIN.

The message of the movie is positive but you can't help but think the jabs, mostly at the expense of someone's weight/size trivialises what the movie is actually about.

Shallow Hal is defiantly in the camp of movies that would never make the light of day in 2024 but to look at the film contextually in the time it was released I would still consider it to be quite average. I would suggest to anyone who hasn't watched the movie before to try watch with the perspective of the humour being directed at how shallow Hal and his friend Mauricio are rather than at the expense of other people in the movie, though saying that admittedly that's a stretch in conception.

Jaws 2
(1978)

Trouble returns to the beach's of Amity
Jaws returns to the sandy beach of Amity!

The movie is a direct sequel to the original with another Shark ready to feast on the innocent.

The movie is inherently scary, mostly due to the fear of the ocean and the unknown. This movie keeps a grounded reality while picking in to this fear.

Unlike the original, the story is a lot less dramatic due to familiarity yet does a good job in giving the same thrills. But maybe it's a little too familiar. Watching this film makes you wonder how much they can really do with the same plot on the same beach and while I enjoyed the film I couldn't say this one give me anything new than from the original.

Basket Case 2
(1990)

Buckle your Wicker Baskets and enjoy the ride!
After watching Basket Case (1) Uncut I decided to marathon the trilogy in one night and boy, am I glad I did!

Basket Case 2 was released years later from the cult favourite original and it's easy to see the quality increase from the start. The film starts with a perfect remind to the audience of what happened in the previous movie. A lot of B-Movies do this terribly and either rely too much on previous footage or create an unnatural translation that takes you away from the movie you're currently watching. 'Silent Night, Deadly Night 2' especially comes to mind. Though Basket Case 2 does this quite tastefully as well as adding other flashbacks and audio overlays throughout the film without over doing it.

In my previous review of Basket Case (1) I avoided saying what was in the basket, but by this point if you know about the movie at all, you already know about brother Belial (also nicknamed as the monster in the first 2 movies). This movie gives a lot more screen time and character building to Belial from the original. I had already mentioned about the surprising layers within the first movie of the story of Belial and this movie takes that in to overdrive. The movie touches on Belial being a living person that hd suffered tragedy instead of being just a monster, which made me think if there was more subtext to the movie than what meets the eye. As well as the character progression the SFX of the monster had vastly improved giving Belial a more defined look and a larger body making him look even more creepy and harrowing from the first movie.

As you may be able to tell, I am impressed with this movie and if people didn't want to watch the full franchise I would actually suggest they ignore the other 2 movies and just watch this one. It's an incredible stand-alone and gives the majority of context from the first movie. So buckle your wicker baskets up and enjoy the ride!

Basket Case
(1982)

There's trouble afoot at Hotel Broslin!
Basket Case is a wild ride following Duane Bradley (Kevin VanHentenryck) and the mysterious contents of his Basket.

My movie was made on a slim budget with the intentions to go "let's make the stupidest movie ever", "The silliest thing we could possibly think of" in true B-movie spirit.

The movies acting is nothing short of campy having a unique cast of characters, most of them living in the Hotel Broslin. As wel as being campy, the acting isn't very good which left me wondering if this was an artistic choice or just simply - bad acting.

*SPOILER* The story itself is pretty exciting. We discover there's a monster (Belial) inside the basket which we later find out is the former conjoined-brother of the main character Duane. Duane and his brother are looking to kill the doctors that separated the two with the monster killing others along the way. There is however layers to this story as belial is jealous of Duane having love interests, which ultimately ends in tragedy.

Silent Hill: Revelation
(2012)

Silent Hill, Bored Viewer
I went in to Silent Hill (2) Revelation without seeing the original, which admittedly was a bad decision. Though from understanding some of the lore from the video games I thought I would enjoy this movie. SPOILER - I didn't.

Ignoring my self inflected poor decision I was excited to see what Silent Hill her to offer and unfortunately it wasn't anything to write home about. The movies dialogue it's stale and lifeless, at moments I wondered if this was intentional to imitate a video game but I think I was giving the movie far too much credit. Everyone seems lifeless and mundane and I don't mean in a good eerie way.

The movie doesn't explain anything and expects the watcher to just go with it for the most part. Again this maybe because I hadn't seen the first movie but as a story teller, you should have the skills to create dialogue that naturally tells the watcher what is happening without making it seem forced in.

While I can complain about the dialogue, the acting was no better. One of the first scenes with main character actress Adelaide Clemente and the father actor Sean Bean comes off as being, dare I say it - incest? When you're trying to convey a father-daughter-relationship it shouldn't come off as awkward as it does. The theme continues with Heather's (Adelaide Clemente) interactions with character Vincent (Kit Harrington) showing awkward chemistry.

Genuinely, I'm disappointed. I wouldn't suggest this movie to anyone for pleasant viewing or for the too-bad-it's-good factory because it really isn't. Landing it in category early 2010s era movies that seemed like a pushed out cash grab with no soul.

The Shining
(1980)

Textbook tension and suspense. Enjoy.
Honestly, one of the best in the genre.

While not a short movie by any means, The Shining is constantly building tension and world building around the Torrance family and the Hotel they're secluded in.

The movie is filmed beautifully whether it's capturing moments of shock and using camera effects to convey emotion or when they're filming otherworldly scenes that would not be captured in reality.

The movie builds layers taking the audience on a journey of interpretation of what they're watching. Something that truthfully I have yet to fully interpret myself.

All in all, I think this movie is a masterpiece and a must watch for everyone whether you're a fan of Horror & Thrillers or not. If you're not a fan of long form media, this probably isn't for you and that's probably the only thing bad I could say about this movie.

The Evil Dead
(1981)

Campiness and Horrifying
A cult classic amongst Horror fans for many reasons! Evil Dead is a near perfect mix of campiness and disturbing horror. While some of the make up seems cheap and dated, I actually think there are scenes where the make up still stands up pretty well baring in mind the budget. The story seems organic and no one seems to disappear like in other movies to then reappear which is a massive positive to me as it is maintaining the world of which is being presented to me as a viewer.

Where this movie lacks is the music and the foley used for the sound effects. It is. It rare that the audio is either distracting or irrelevant to the scene which takes you out of them moment, though admittedly adds to the campiness.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
(2003)

Nostalgically Average
This movie is truly a "blokey - lads" film through and through being a Marvel Avengers in an alternate fantasy Victorian age.

While I hold nostalgia for this movie myself, I can't help figuratively rolling my eyes at the dialogue - especially between Dorian Grey and Tom Sawyer. Whether it's the dialogue itself or the delivery of the lines I can't help but cringe anytime they're on screen.

While the movie holds fairly negative to average reviews I must admit, brining together the worlds of famous character from yesteryear is quite a novel idea which carries the movie, as well as the action of course. It would be interesting to see what this movie could have been, if there were more actors of the level of Sean Connery and more time to introduce the character to breathe. I could defiantly imagine a successful Amazon or Netflix series of the same premise.

Five Nights at Freddy's
(2023)

Bad dialogue and disappointment.
What a disappointment. Sometimes you go in to a movie expecting it to be average, but let me tell you my expectations of it even making average were shattered.

The movie has moments of great looking cinematography though kept blurring the background which reminded me of someone who had found the Portrait setting on the iPhone for the first time with a focus setting which looked terrible.

The worst part of all is the dialogue from the characters. Vanessa was the worst culprit for this, saying things that wouldn't be very characteristic for any normal person let alone someone who's a police officer.

I always get disheartened by movies like this that have an idea that could produce a great movie, yet don't take the care to make a good movie. Understandably the movie was put at a 15+ bbfc instead of reaching for that 18+ rating which handcuffs the possibilities to reach a further audience - in this case the young Video Game audience though I must admit, 18+ wouldn't even make this a good movie.

Poltergeist III
(1988)

Not Terrible for a Pt.3
Poltergeist III follows the story of Carol Ann and continues in quality from the first 2 movies, which in my opinion is high! However, where this movie differs from the others is that it takes place in a high-rise building compared to the typical haunted house we're now all but use to expecting.

The movie continues its themes of nightmarish visuals not too dissimilar to what you'd expect from a Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Early in the film, you see a lot of use of mirrors where things appear in the mirror that aren't viewed by the characters in the real world, without looking in the reflection which gives the audience a greater feeling of this other universe.

The scene where Donna appeared out of Tangina's corpse is probably one of the craziest moments I have seen in a movie. Period. The conviction portrayed by Lara Flynn Boyle in that scene is striking in a true surprising moment. Something that a lot of horrors struggle to achieve, relying on cheap stereotypes which impressed me even more.

However, Where I hold criticism for the movie is Carol Ann moving in with her Uncle and Aunty which seems pretty random and disjointed. The ending of the movie is also pretty lacklustre having Tangina sacrifice herself in Carol Ann's place.

This movie is the last performance of Heather O'Rourke (Carol Ann) as she tragically died before the release of this film. This has given a bitter taste in many peoples mouths however I'm glad to see that this movie was released and not just canceled as I think it finishes off the trilogy as an enjoyable last movie in the franchise.

Hellraiser: Hellworld
(2005)

Far Depature of what I expect from Hellraiser
A far departure from the original 2 Hellraiser movies, Hellworld tried to be its own movie using the iconic Pinhead and appearances from the other Cenobites.

Unfortunately, this is where any positive comments come to an end. The movie dials back from its gruesome body horror and relies more on the mystery of the House in which the party takes place "Hellworld". The movie left me confused with what it was trying to achieve, though the more I think about it he more I realise I am putting too much thought in to what this film actually is.

Not the worst movie I have ever seen but I have come out from watching the movie, unfulfilled.

Candyman: Day of the Dead
(1999)

Lifeless cash grab
Candyman 3 suffers the same way many horror movies later in the 00s would with a lack of suspense and painting by numbers of the franchises tropes.

The film seems rushed, without taking time for the dust to settle leaving no weight on the watcher to feel emotion for the characters. Candyman himself, felt like he lost all nuance of his character losing the social commentary attached to the character from the original movie. While I can appreciate franchises have to evolve I felt the loss of this social commentary wasn't replaced with anything of depth or meaning other than saying his name 5 times in a mirror to consequences.

The CGI bees are ATROCIOUS yet in hindsight of the time can be forgivable though some of the transitional edits, especially the murder scenes, though also a product of the time I can't quite see in such a forgiving light.

Im a big sucker for subtitles and while watching this on Amazon Prime Video the majority of the Spanish language was simply subtitled Speaking Spanish which took away from what could of been an interesting angle using Latino heritage within the story but actually just seems an insensitive tag on which wasn't given any thought. While different versions may hold the translated subtitles I can only Judge from my experience. In any case I think the Latin culture could have been more incorporated especially using the famous Día de Muertos, the Day of the Dead.

*SPOILER* One scene I did enjoy, is where Candyman murders the police officer while in the car as Caroline McKeever watches from the backseat. While only on screen for a short time it is a great slasher murder.

Halloween Ends
(2022)

Confusingly Undesirable End to an Already Confusing Franchise
The Halloween Franchise has a slew of bad press due to confusing story lines, remakes and the new universe of the recent movies. Unfortunately this movie is well worth its negative press.

Halloween Ends takes place after the events of Halloween Kills where Micheal Myers has seemingly disappeared after murdering Karen Nelson, daughter of Laurie Strode.

The movie seeming contains multiple plot holes and rushed storylines which's prevents the movie breathing and having a more organic feel. This becomes truly obvious in the Characters of Laurie Strode and Allyson which feel as though their character development were left on the cutting room floor.

But my biggest gripe of this movie is the focal point of Cory Campbell. Without giving away any spoilers, Cory gives no lasting impact to the franchise of Halloween which makes him inconsequential in a movie based around the events of himself. You can tell where they wanted to go in this movie but due to poor decisions, the direction is lost.

The Movie does however deliver on a few of the death scenes, the first death in particular is pretty impactful and changes the energy in the cinema. It's a shame that wasn't continued throughout the movie.

If you haven't seen the last two movies and don't want the illusion of the Halloween franchise ruined for you, I suggest only watch Halloween 1978 and Halloween 2018.

Halloween Kills
(2021)

Halloween Kills by name Halloween Kills by nature
The title says it all, which quite frankly is genius from a marketing stand point "Halloween Kills" does exactly what it says on the tin.

The movie takes a more direct approach on the killing with a more laid back approach from the story telling in Halloween 2018. The movie, while I would say is just better than average has the overall feeling of being a Segway between Halloween 2018 to the inevitable sequel that we have come to expect. Leaving the unfortunate feeling of being a filler movie with no real direction.

If you're a fan of B-Movie slashers and films with high production I can see you enjoying this film. However for more traditional story telling movie goers, I wouldn't be expecting a psychological master piece.

Worth the watch.

Keep expectations low.

Clown
(2014)

Horror-Bly Average
Clown is a movie with an interesting concept with poor execution. Expect to see the worst of horror tropes, but let's be honest, that comes as no surprise from a Horror made within the 2010s.

If you're wanting a casual movie to stick in the background, I wouldn't discourage it but if you're wanting to sink your teeth in to a movie with good story telling and emotion? This isn't the film for you!

Candyman
(2021)

Good Movie, Poor Story Telling
Being a huge fan of both Candyman and Candyman 2, I was left disappointed with what i conceived to be a half hearted approach.

The film holds its original values of POC suffering throughout the years and social commentary of POC suffering in current day. Where I find the film is let down, is by both the lack of anticipation, creation and mystery behind the kill-scenes as well as having the main values of the movie being lost and leaving moments that could have built the story more left as a throw away scene in the movie.

On the positive side, the movie was filmed beautifully and the acting was great. Great film to watch, not much watchability.

The Fix
(2018)

Great for easy watching
My headline pretty much sums it up. I'm a fan of both Jimmy Carr and Katherine Ryan with D. L. Hughley being a new to me.

The concept of the show is discussion other social topics, amongst comedians in the industry with a comical conclusion at the end of the show. Episodes achieve varying results depending on which guest stars are on the show, leaving some funnier than others.

If you're wanting something easy to watch that's not to be taken too seriously - while talking about serious social topics then this is the cure for them days where you've worked an long shift at work and want to zone of of the worlds problems.. by hearing a spin on the worlds problems!

David Cross: Making America Great Again
(2016)

Just didn't entertain.
Quite honestly, I didn't feel entertained.

I like David Cross but this just didn't do anything for me. A bunch of political and nazi jokes with no real punchline just isn't a good time for me and as great as his beard looks in this, doesn't make up for the lack of humour.

Sorry David, just wasn't for me!

Skate and Destroy
(1999)

Go Skate, Destroy This Game.
Being a fan of Tony Hawk's Skateboarding Titles, I had great optimism for Thrashers Magazine's Skate and Destroy. To be greatly disappointed.

The games physics are the opposite to what a game like this should be, it's awkward to move, limited "Tricks" and brings no satisfaction in playing. You may think I am being harsh, however there was not one point in this game where it explained to me what to do or how to do it, leaving you in a boring environment making you consider why you spent money on this game within the first few minutes of playing.

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