Reviews_of_the_Dead Reviews (1,395)

The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time (2022)

Great List of Horror Films

[8/10 · 18 April 2024]

This was a show that went to Shudder and I believe showed on AMC in October of 2022. At least, that is my understanding. What we're getting here is an updated version of what was shown on Bravo back when I was in college. There are updated movies from that one, which was called The 100 Scariest Movie Moments from 2004. This one also features different voices from critics, historians, actors and filmmakers.

There is a lot to go through so I won't. We have 101 movies covered here. The ranking of them is subjective in my opinion. I will say though, the top ten is spot on for what they're looking at. I did see someone else review this and say that there are cheats here. The talking heads will talk about the movie instead of a scene or sequence. I agree and, it is what is it. There are a couple movies that I also think were left off and ones that were included that I don't necessarily agree with. No major issue there though either.

What is impressive is the list of people that were included. We have legends like Greg Nicotero, Joe Dante, Tom Savini, Tony Todd, Keith David, Mick Garris and Tom Holland. There are also current filmmakers/actors like Alexandra Essoe, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Fede Alvarez, Edgar Wright, Brea Grant, Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel and David Dastmalchain. We also get people who know what they're talking about like Tananarive Due, Heidi Honeycutt, Rebekah McKendry, Nathaniel Thompson, Todd Kushigemachi, Amanda Reyes and Lea Anderson. Again, this isn't everyone as there are a lot of people here who are interviewed.

Something that I put a feather in my cap about is that I've seen every movie referenced here. There are television shows that are on my list to check out that are the only blind spots. That feels good as a horror fanatic to know exactly what they're referring to for most every selection. This is hard to recommend if you're new to the genre. This gives you a great list of movies to check out, but it does contain spoilers as well, so keep that in mind. I'd highly recommend it if you're looking out eliminate blind spots before diving deeper.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

Don Juan DeMarco (1994)

Interesting Blend of the Surreal and Realism, with a Comedic Twist

[7/10 · 18 April 2024]

This is an interesting film to say the least. I feel like I've seen the poster or knew that it existed. Jaime and I decided to watch this as part of JwaC Presents: Depp Dive: A Depper Look at Johnny's Feature Filmography. What intrigued me was that before seeing this I saw it featured Marlon Brando, Faye Dunaway, Rachel Ticotin and Talisa Soto.

Now Johnny Depp is our titular character, Don Juan DeMarco. He is the self-proclaimed 'the world's greatest lover'. This is of course, based on the story by Lord Byron. Juan lost his great love. He makes love to a woman he meets in a hotel restaurant and then climbs on top of a billboard, waiting for his rival to duel to the death. Dr. Jack Mickler (Brando) is called in to help.

Jack is close to retirement. During a staff meeting with his boss, Dr. Paul Showalter (Bob Dishy), he pushes him to help Juan. Instead, this patient is assigned to Dr. Bill Dunsmore (Stephen Singer). He gets upset when he learns about the lie that Jack told Juan to get him down. He demands that since Jack played into the delusion, he fixes it before he leaves.

This is part of Jack's plan. He sits down with Juan and allows him to tell his tale. This includes talk about him mother, Doña Inez (Ticotin) who is now a nun. There is Doña Julia (Soto), who leads Juan leaving his small village in Mexico and to his greatest love, Doña Querida (Patricia Mauceri). The more Jack talks to Juan, the more he starts to believe he could be telling the truth and learning a thing or two who help his marriage to the love of his life, Marilyn (Dunaway).

Now I've already said that I didn't know what to expect here. Having now seen this, we have an odd movie. This is surreal. As Juan tells his story, we see it playing out. We can tell that there are delusions here. It also made me think of where the truth is with what the stories he tells and how much of that is from the novel that his character is from. I've never read it, but having seen this now makes me intrigued.

This also creates an interesting predicament with Jack and his colleagues. They all want him to start Juan on medication. I think that using meds is a good thing, but I also hate that is where we go first. There are issues in the United States with overmedicating and not trying to solve the root problem. This goes to capitalism, but I'll digress there. There are things that Juan is able to back up though which makes Jack wonder where the truth ends and the delusion begins. He also takes advice from this patient which helps him with his marriage. Jaime and I did have an issue at the end though. It seems there could be a detriment to Juan's mental state.

What makes this work though is the acting. I'll be honest, it was hard to understand Depp at times due to the accent he talks with here. He also talks low, for good reason. He can seduce all these women working at the hospital. He even softens Tom Lister Jr. Who had a fun cameo. I like Brando and Dunaway as this married couple. It is cute. Pailhas, Ticotin, Soto, Jo Champa and Mauceri were all good as women who shaped Juan into the man he becomes. Dishy and his team were solid as well. We also have cameos by Carmen Argenziano and even Selena as a singer. The acting brings the characters to life.

Where I'll end out is filmmaking. There is an interesting combination here of realism and the surreal. I dug that though. In the hospital, which is the former. It is when Juan can tell his story, we go into the surreal. I like though that the deeper we get; they start to bleed over and blend. That's a good touch. The tone of this film is also interesting. It is comedy and absurd at times. There is also romance and drama here. I don't know if it fully works for what it is set out to do, but I didn't hate my time here.

I'd recommend it if you're a Depp have and want to see another one of his quirky roles.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

Exhuma (2024)

Good Blend of Rituals, Religions and Sins of the Past

[8/10 · 18 April 2024]

This was a movie that's poster was displayed at the Gateway Film Center and they were showing the trailer on the televisions above the ticket center. While I was waiting, I looked this up to learn that it is a 2024 film and in the horror genre. It went on a list of movies to check out. Decided to make it a Featured Review since I tend to enjoy films from South Korea.

Synopsis: the process of excavating an ominous grave unleashes dreadful consequences buried underneath.

We have multiple moving parts. There is a duo that are shaman in Hwarim (Kim Go-eun) and Bong Gil (Lee Do-hyung). We see them doing a cleansing to start out. It then takes over to a geomancer, Kim Sang Deok (Choi Min-sik). He works with Ko Young Geun (Yoo Hae-jin). What is important to note here is that they work with rich families to find the best plot to get their loved one to the afterlife. Kim is the best at what he does, but he makes a comment later that it is also a scam.

There is then a rich family that needs help. Part of them live in the United States. One of which is a president of a company, Kim (Hong Seo-jun). He has a newborn son and there is something wrong, but the doctors cannot figure out why. This leads him to seek out the aid of the shaman. What they learn is that they have an ancestor they believe is coming after the baby. This ancestor is buried on a plot of land that is overlooking the border of South and North Korea. Kim and Ko are called in with the former thinking it is odd.

The family doesn't want to reveal too many details. It turns out that this ancestor in question was a Japanese sympathizer. He was working with someone from this rival nation during World War II and a monk at a nearby temple was the reason this plot was selected. It seems the monk was also a geomancer. Dark secrets need to be revealed before it is too late. There could also be a darker, more evil spirit at work here.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. I should reveal here that I wrote this review days after seeing this. I will play my hand a bit in saying that I want to watch this again before doing my end of year list. This one has vibes of The Wailing for me. I'll get into why and I'm not ready to say this is as good. There are just story elements and atmosphere.

I do compare this to that other movie because we are in a modern world while still using pagan beliefs. There are elements of Christianity as well so we're seeing how these differ. This family that is plagued in the beginning has moved to the United States. I get the idea that they're converted to Christianity, at least the younger members of the family. There is a grandmother who remembers this ancestor that is haunting them, back when he was alive. She still seems to cling to beliefs of the past. Not fully though, because she pushes back against Hwarim, Bong and Kim. I can't fault her. Looking at things logically, it doesn't make sense. When there is a child at risk, I would fall into beliefs that I don't currently hold for help if everything is failing around me. As a newer parent myself, I'd do whatever I needed to protect them. Just an idea I needed to explore here and I liked this aspect is part of the movie.

Getting back then to that original thought, we also have the shaman and geomancer needing to do pagan rituals to defeat this evil spirit. What I love here, that also goes back to The Wailing, we don't know if it will help. They are in over their head and try to do what they know has worked in the past. I love that. Going against something that is stronger than you helps build the atmosphere here. There is also the idea of other cultures coming into play against Korean. Japanese at the time the ancestor died were the enemy. This spirit still holds on to this idea. I love the look of it and I'll come back to that. We also have the US looming with the modern belief system as well.

Something I want to say here is that I'm not going to spoil this movie. I'd need to watch it again to do that as well. This doesn't have the deepest story. It is more about revealing hidden secrets with the main story and we get that as we go. Kim, Hwarim and Bong find clues and that leads to more evidence they need. I do like stories structured like this so that helps.

Shifting from this, I'll say that the acting helps here. I believe these characters are who they're supposed to be. Go-eun is attractive and I like her as this female shaman. She works well off Do-hyun. There is something interesting here where he is hospitalized so she needs to do what she can to save him. I also liked seeing Min-sik. He's an actor that in the limited roles I've seen of his, he has been great in all. I like Hae-jin as his sidekick. He doesn't seem to believe as much so he's worried about how it helps or hurts them financially. Other than that, the rest of the cast fitted what was needed. Special credit to the voice for the Japanese spirit. That was terrifying.

All that is left then is filmmaking. Where I'll start here is cinematography. I love how they capture the different locations we are at. It could be a small-time morgue in a village. There's the temple where a terrifying encounter goes down. We get a glimpse of a hospital room in the US. The best though is this remote gravesite where things go down. I love how they captured this so credit as well to the framing. Then to talk about the effects. These are limited, but what we got was good. There is blood that looks real. Other than that, I thought the soundtrack fit what was needed. I'll bring up again the sound design when it comes to the voice of the Japanese ghost, which was creepy. All this helps to build the atmosphere that was needed.

In conclusion, this is a movie that I'm not hearing about. I'm guessing that is due to its limited theatrical run. I'm hoping this gets a streaming service so I can rewatch this and the word spreads. I'm a fan of the premises here. This being pagan vs. Religion, traditional vs. Modern and having the elements of a haunting. It also being Korean helps here. I thought this was well-made from the cinematography, framing, the look of the spirits and the sound design. The acting also helps to bring the characters to life. This won't be for everyone, but if what I've said sounds good, I recommend giving this a watch.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

Tarzan (1999)

Fun Version of the Story for Children

[8/10 · 15 April 2024]

This is a Disney movie that I hadn't seen before. Part of the reason would have been that I was fully engrossed in watching films made for adults. I also wasn't watching children's cartoons. Jaime, my wife, is a fan plus she was hoping it would keep our daughter Mackenzie entertained on a Sunday.

Where we start is with a ship at sea on fire. There are two survivors who are a married couple. She has a baby with them. They create a shelter and go about surviving. That is until a jaguar kills them. I didn't expect this to go that dark.

The baby survives. He is found by Kala (voiced by Glenn Close). She fights off the big cat and brings the child back to their group, which is led by Kerchak (voiced by Lance Henriksen). He doesn't want the baby to be with them as he doesn't think they can protect it. Kala convinces him otherwise. The boy is then raised by gorillas, thinking he is one of them.

As an adult, he is voiced by Tony Goldwyn. He befriends Terk (voiced by Rose O'Donnell) and an elephant named Tantor (voiced by Wayne Knight). Everything changes when an expedition comes. It is led by Professor Porter (voiced by Nigel Hawthorne) and with him is his daughter, Jane (voiced by Minnie Driver). They have a hunter protecting them named Clayton (voiced by Brian Blessed). He has other plans.

Jane is saved from monkeys by Tarzan. He's intrigued by the people since he realizes that he isn't a gorilla. He wants to learn more about them as they want to learn about him as well as the gorillas he lives with. The creates even bigger issues with Kerchak.

Now I've already said that I wasn't expecting this to go as dark as it does. This is a fun, family cartoon movie at the forefront. What happens though with Tarzan's parents and how he fights the hunters, it went places. I've never read the source material and have only seen the version that came out after this with Alexander Skarsgård. I can appreciate the heart of the story being preserved and packaged for children.

I'd also say that I love the fact that we hear Tarzan, the gorillas and the other animals that talk speaking English. They're not though. When Tarzan meets Jane and that crew, he can only mimic them, not knowing what he is saying. That's a good choice to avoid subtitles for children. I can appreciate that. We also have a solid cast with the likes of Goldwyn, Driver, Close, Henriksen, Knight and O'Donnell. I thought they all fit the characters that they needed.

I'll also say that this is well-made. This is past the era of cartoons that I love when they were hand drawn. Something I noticed though is that the elephants seem to be using the template from the original The Jungle Book. That made me smile. This is done more with computers, which is fine. I can't fault them for using the technology available. This looks great, especially streaming in 4K. Other than that, the soundtrack is amazing by being done by Phil Collins. I also noticed that his daughter lends her voice as well which is great to see.

Not my favorite, but I didn't hate my time here. I can see why people love this version. Hopefully my daughter will appreciate it more when she gets older to make my wife happy. I also love the possible connections to later Disney movies, I'm a sucker there.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Fun, Popcorn Kaiju Movie that Keeps Getting Bigger

[7/10 · 15 April 2024]

This was a movie that I heard was coming out but wasn't overly excited for. I'm not sure why since these are fun. I look at them like comic book movies. My guess is that Godzilla Minus One blew me away that these pale in comparison now. Regardless, I saw this the opening Thursday at the Gateway Film Center. I had a list of movies to see for the weekend and this one worked best that day.

Synopsis: two ancient titans, Godzilla and Kong, clash in an epic battle as humans unravel their intertwined origins and connection to Skull Island's mysteries.

We start this off seeing King Kong as he now lives in the Hollow Earth area under the surface. He roams and hunts, killing other things for food. The giant gorilla is searching for others like him but hasn't found anything. At the end of this opening sequence, there's an earthquake that reveals there's something underneath. We also see a Monarch base nearby that is picking up something as well. It looks like an uncharted area that is subterranean.

Up above, Godzilla is still roaming the world and defeating titans that are getting out of their territory. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) is the head of Kong operations for Monarch. They're getting a signal that they cannot explain. She notices that her daughter, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), is drawing the signal. She tells Ilene that it feels like someone is calling out to her psychically. This signal causes her to reach out to Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry). He's a conspiracy theorist blogger and podcaster who is right about things. He thinks outside of the box so she needs his help.

Godzilla also seems to be affected by this signal. We see him attack a power plant in France, drawing its power. He then sets his sights on attacking Tiamat, another titan who absorbs solar energy. King Kong also comes up to the surface. He has an infected tooth so Monarch reaches out to Trapper (Dan Stevens) for help. He's a titan veterinarian. They replace the tooth with a metal one. This must be done fast before Godzilla comes after him for the invasion of his territory.

This signal needs to be figured out before it is too late. Ilene leads a team of Trapper, Mikael (Alex Ferns), Bernie and Jia to figure it out. They find that the Monarch base in Hollow Earth is destroyed. They discover a temple that looks to be made by humans. This also reveals a legend that involves King Kong, Godzilla and other titans. One of which is known as the Skar King and the other is Shiva. King Kong isn't strong enough to defeat this threat alone, he'll need help. Monarch must convince Godzilla and other titans to prevent the destruction of the planet as we know it.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that the best part of these movies for me, outside of the action and battle sequences, is the lore they continue to build on. They will take entities from religion and incorporate them into being titans. Here that includes Tiamat and Shiva. Or they'll take conspiracy theories like Hollow Earth and use that as well. This is also good here is that they borrow from earlier kaiju movies for story elements. I'm a fan there as well. I wanted to give this information to delve deeper into them.

Where I'll then go would be with the new titans here. I'd say that these are good to build on what the previous movie set up. We know coming in that Hollow Earth is a thing for this world. King Kong knows that his species had called this world home, but he can't find them. He's continuing that search. This leads him to go deeper into the subterranean area. That's where more legends are explored. Kong's race are defenders of humanity. Godzilla is the defender of Earth. What is interesting is that we learnt about Skar King, which was good. It also introduces Shiva, which I know is from Hinduism. This is more closely to the Final Fantasy games which is the god of ice. This deity here is supposed to be a rival of Godzilla or at least that's how they present this. There are more elements here of the tribe that lived on Skull Island. Also, Tiamat is a Mesopotamian goddess and appears in Final Fantasy games, normally as a villain.

I want to shift to this last idea here. This plays with the idea that Kong is looking for others like him. He has no place. The same can be said for Jia. She is struggling in school. Ilene is determined to make her feel welcome or find something that does. This does bring heart to the movie that I appreciated. The idea is explored even more as we discover other giant apes and Jia's missing tribe.

All that is left for the story is that I noticed there's less commentary here about the environment. I'm fine with that. They went a bit heavy with this idea in the last couple movies. This is focused more on Hollow Earth. This leans to saving the world from destruction as well. I'd also say that we're seeing that there's a vet to help titans, Trapper. Also, they're still dealing with the government wanting to take over the program. That's more of a passing idea. Something that stressed me out though was seeing the titans destroy things like the Colosseum or the great pyramids of Giza. I've seen the former and know how breathtaking it is, so there's that realist part of me that got tense.

Let's then go over to what this is all about, filmmaking. What I mean here is the CGI and effects. These movies are working with high budgets so the effects are on point. I'll be honest, they look great, especially on the big screen. These movies are made for it. They're CGI-fest like the comic book movies. I still have fun with the fight sequences. They do wild things there. I love seeing Godzilla wreck other monsters and buildings. Cinematography is good with how they frame things and bring places that don't exist to life. That was good. The soundtrack also didn't seem to feature the iconic Godzilla theme which is an issue for me. Other than that, the rest of the music worked and the sound design to bring these creatures to life.

All that is left then is acting. Hall is fine here. She's a good actress, but her performance isn't a focus. I like her as this scientist wanting to help Kong and in turn, the world. Henry adds comedy. He's also smart about things that people don't believe in. I liked the addition of Stevens. He's a surfer guy who is just having a good time. He's also smart in his field. Hottle was solid in her role. She is featured prominently again and that worked for what they did there. Ferns, Fala Chen and the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed. Again, the kaijus are the focus here. No one is bad though, which is all I ask.

In conclusion, this is a fun popcorn movie. I include these in horror since I just lump in kaiju film. This isn't traditional horror outside of that. What I'll say is that I love building more on the mythology of these monsters. Seeing them do battle is the draw. Incorporating more titans is great. This is well made. They have a big budget so the CGI looks good. The framing and cinematography to capture all this is good. Won't be for everyone, but if you want something to shut off your brain and roll with, this is for you.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

Friends Forever (2023)

Solid Set Up for a Horror Short, Worth a Viewing

[7/10 · 15 April 2024]

This is a short that I got the chance to see thanks to actor Timothy J. Cox. He appears in the cold open here. Since I like to support independent horror cinema, I agreed to check out this short for review. Other than that, I came into this one blind.

Synopsis: on a fall day in October 1987, a group of college friends find an abandoned house and throw a party they'll never forget.

Now our cold open is from 1957. There is a family of farmers. The father is portrayed by Cox. His wife is Julie Carney. They have two children, Kevin Rife and Christy Carson. Tragedy strikes when the father goes to pick an ear of corn and it is rotten. He brings it in to show mother. She goes upstairs, puts on white gloves and kills her family. She places them around the table and puts on music.

We then shift to the present which is 1987. That's where we meet Cassandra (Ashlee Lawhorn), Erica (Colleen O'Morrow), Ryan (Mark Murtha) and Lisa (Paige Hoover). They come to this house, which still oddly has items from the past set up. Erica didn't go away to college so now that everyone is home, she wants to throw the party from the synopsis. Something doesn't feel right here to Cass, but they all agree. What should be a great time is a nightmare.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. What I've given is probably half of this short. I thought it was set up nicely. We get the cold open, then we meet our group in 87 and then it's the party. I'll give credit here; we got enough extras that it feels real. I've seen movies with bigger budgets that try to do this, but it doesn't work so I wanted to credit that.

Now for shorts, I tend to judge them if they tell a complete story or if I think they need to be fleshed out into more. I think that for this one, we're getting the former. We know that tragedy struck in the 1950s. It isn't explained why the mother snaps and kills her family. Since the corn is rotting, my guess was that she was afraid that they would starve due to a bad harvest. My other thought was the toxin that comes from rotting corn made her go crazy. The only issue there is prolonged exposure if memory serves.

Seeing what we got in that opening, I wasn't sure then if this was going to be a haunted house film. There are elements of that. What I like though is that it shifts into another subgenre that I don't want to spoil. There is a good reason for the motives with a certain character. Also, the past is influencing it as well. I do have to say there was a questionable decision that I needed just a bit more for. In my opinion, this short needed a couple plot aspects that would be a minute or two and it tells a complete story. It isn't ruined without them though.

What also helps here is the acting. I like Lawhorn as this lead who knows something is wrong but can't figure out what it is. The house for the party is uncomfortable. It is also during the party she notices something. I like O'Morrow and where her character ends up. She has interesting growth that I didn't expect. Murtha and Hoover were good as the two to round out the group. I like Carney, Cox, Rife and Carson feel like this family from the past. Then other than that, the attendees of the party were distinct and worked for what was needed.

All that is left then is filmmaking. I thought that the cinematography was good here. The past is in black and white, with the present in color. I thought that was a good touch. I also thought how things were framed were good. No issues there. I also liked the fact that they went practical with all the effects that they could. If there was any CGI there, I didn't notice it so credit to them. Other than that, the soundtrack and design were good. I did like this old victrola playing music as it gives an eerie vibe that helps build the atmosphere.

In conclusion, this is a solid short film. I think that this tells a compete story, which can be hard to do for a short film. I do think that it is missing a couple story elements that would help. They're not necessarily needed though. I thought that the actors fit the characters that are needed. Special credit to Lawhorn and O'Morrow. I thought that this was well-made from the cinematography to the effects and the old-time song used. I'd recommend this short if you want to see a haunting of sorts, just used in a different way. Just keep in mind, this isn't working with a large budget, but to be honest, it didn't need it either.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

Everwinter Night (2023)

Solid Ideas with Cult and Ritual, Overly Long with Tonal Issues

[6/10 · 12 April 2024]

This was a movie that I got to see thanks to Alex DiVencenzo from Simply Legendary Publicity who sent over a screener. When I glanced at this to see that it was horror, that was enough for me to check out. This one took a bit of research as it look like this has two showings in 2023, so I will consider it a Traverse through the Threes. This is getting a wide release though for 2024 eligibility from everything else that I've seen.

Synopsis: lifelong best friends, Maddy (McKenna Parsons) and V (Victoria Mirrer), set out for a relaxing vacation. When their old college clique hijack their plans, V finds herself at a remote ski lodge where a group of mysterious wealthy men throw a celebration a century in the making.

We start this off back in 1994 in New Hampshire. A couple is trying to find their way to a friend's house. They're lost though. This causes them to stop off at a lodge to use the bathroom and ask for directions. Running the front desk is Harold (Johnny Halloran). He tries to get them to leave, but instead they discover something that is going on upstairs.

This then shifts to the present. V is sitting at a table in a diner waiting for Maddy. She finally joins and seems distracted. The reason is that she already had plans with Fiona (Nicolette Sweeney) and Becca (Alana Phillips). This upsets V who makes faces at her friend but doesn't speak up. They're supposed to be going to a spa for a relaxing trip. Instead, these two met Tony (Eddie Nason) and Ford (Jay Voishnis) at the bar. They invited them to a lodge that they're partying at for the weekend. Everything is paid for so the duo along with Maddy think they should try it out.

Things then get weird from here. At first it just seems that way due to the group being rich and flaunting it. Maddy is intrigued by Erik (Chris Goodwin) who is in charge. V does meet Jack (Jamie Dufault) who is the bartender. His dad is also Harold. There are others here like Charlie (Sean T. Ward) and his wife, Cailyn (Sarah Nicklin). There's also Priscilla (Francesca Shipsey), Larson (Anthnoy Gaudette) and others. V doesn't fit in and wants to leave. The rest of them are having a good time. By not being enamored, V starts to notice odd things that are happening and dark secrets. This trip will change everyone's lives forever.

That is where I'm going to leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this has a good build up and setting. We have this isolated lodge. It is in the New England area during the winter so it would be difficult to leave without a vehicle. It is also cold. We don't feel that unless the characters head outside. That is still looming though when they do. There is also the idea here that the group that is hosting the party is rich and powerful, which is scary when you aren't part of that group. What works well here is that we have Becca and Fiona pushing it. They see free food, drinks and guys that they can hit on. Maddy gets sucked in with her attraction toward Erik. It is only V who is taking a step back and seeing where the horror builds. She is our representation of what is happening.

Where I want to go from there is that this is a slow burn. I'd say that it is a bit too slow for my liking. What is interesting there though is I get sucked into what the characters are doing. I'll be honest though. This could be trimmed down to an hour and a half. If it is, it works better. This falls too much into using comedic elements with Fiona, Tony, Becca and the guys she is flirting with. There's also this recurring guy who hits on V. The better light heartened moments come from Maddy and V when they sit down to talk. Also, the women interacting with Erik and Jack as well. I think that we just need a bit more horror and a little less banter for this to build the necessary atmosphere.

Now when this gets to horror, I'm there. We have this group of rich guys who are a cult. From the opening sequence, we know that they're doing a ritual here. What that is takes time to be revealed. This is strategic as well to give information as we go to fill in back-story. There were little things that get said that I picked up that these guys might be living longer than normal lives. Also, there is this odd scene where Fiona pours her heart out and what Tony does is shocking. This also gets explained. I wanted to give credit here as this aspect kept my interest to piece this together.

Where I want to take this then is the acting. I thought that Mirrer was good as our lead. What I like about her is that she is reserved. She makes comments about Maddy and Jack, which to be honest, made me like her more. The older I get, the more like her I am. She's also cute. Parsons is good as her friend who is trying to have fun while also not upset her friend. They've grown apart in life while still clinging on to being friends. I like Nicklin, Shipsey, Sweeney and Phillips as the other women at this lodge. Goodwin is good as the leader of the cult. I thought the other members were solid. I don't know all their names but watching them all bring different things to their characters. I also liked Dufault. Him and V play well off each other. The acting here is good across the board. My only issue is that at times it seems like they decide to go too comedic which turns messes with the tone and it feels odd. Not sure it fits where this ultimately goes.

All that is left then is filmmaking. I thought that the cinematography was good. They capture the feeling that this is in an isolated location. The cold helps to build the atmosphere there. This does have a bit of a cheaper look, but that's probably just being low budget and shot digital. No glaring issue there. I thought that the effects we got were subdued. That's fine since this is more about the concept and atmosphere. We got a bit of CGI, but that wasn't an issue for me. Other than that, I thought the soundtrack worked for what was needed.

In conclusion, this is a movie that I should love. It has concepts that that work for me like a cult doing a ritual. There is a good back-story that gets revealed as this goes on. You could even consider this to have an element of cosmic horror. The isolated setting with it being winter was good. The acting for the most part was as well. There are times that it goes more on the comedic side. This is made well enough. The cinematography leading the way there. The biggest issue is that this runs too long and is too slow to fully capture the feeling that it needs. Still, I'd recommend it if you like the aspects that were positive here.

My Rating: 6 out of 10.

Blackmail (1929)

Strong Early Hitchcock Film

[8/10 · 11 April 2024]

This was a movie that I sought out due to wanting to watch the filmography of Alfred Hitchcock. I picked up the DVD a while ago and watched it years back. It had been quite a bit of time and didn't necessarily remember much. I've now given it a rewatch due to being asked to join my friends from high school, Robert and Will, on their podcast Cinema 100.

What we get here is that we're following a couple of Detective Frank Webber (John Longden) and Alice White (Anny Ondra). Frank just made a bust but, in the process, Alice had to wait for him. She is annoyed by that. They head off to a restaurant to have dinner and we get to an interesting scene where Alice has a note to meet someone here. She annoys Frank and now doesn't want to go to a movie with him. This causes him to storm out.

Frank is hurt when she sees Alice leave with an artist, played by Cyril Ritchard. He lives close to where she does. He entices her up to his apartment to see what he's been working on. He even charms her to try on a ballet dancer costume. When she goes to leave, he comes on too strong. To protect herself, she kills him with a knife.

This traumatizes her to the point where she walks all night. Things get more complicated when Frank is assigned to the case and finds her glove there. There is also Tracy (Donald Calthrop) who happens to know that Alice was in the room at the time of the murder. He uses this to his advantage to extort money from the couple as they decide what to do.

Now this movie has historical significance as the first 'talkie' from the United Kingdom. It started out as a silent film, which at the time the great Hitchcock was making. From what I read, he filmed parts silent and then decided to pivot also doing sound. I'm guessing the opening bust scene was done silent only. It's cool that the distinction here for the first talkie from the UK would go to this legendary filmmaker. There's another cool fact that involves Ritchard. He was in the final silent film from the UK, Piccadilly, and then in the first talkie.

Then to get what we have on the screen, I thought this was a solid police procedural film. We have Alice who gets herself in a predicament. She is to blame for going up to this apartment, but the true blame goes on the artist for attacking her. She killed him in self-defense. She cleans up evidence before leaving, not wanting to get into trouble. It is from there that we see this weighing on her conscience as to what to do. She is struggling this night to deal with it. She doesn't even go home at first, she walks all night. I thought that Ondra's performance was good. Another fun fact, she was dubbed over due to her Eastern European accent by Joan Berry.

I think then I'll discuss Frank and Tracy. The former has an ethical decision. He knows that Alice was in this room with the artist. He is hiding evidence and using his position to protect her. That's unethical. We also have Tracy who has evidence and uses it to extort the couple. This is where I do see where Frank comes from since extortion is illegal. Alice has a good defense for what happened. I do think she should turn herself in and let the system work. How things play out here is problematic for me, especially with Tracy.

The acting though was good. I like Ondra and Barry to bring Alice to life. Longden has a good look as this detective. He fits that role. Sara Allgood and Charles Paton work as Alice's parents. They come into play with Tracy which builds tension. Calthrop is good as this villainous character, as was Ritchard. I also thought the performances by the police were good. There is clever writing there with things that are said that I appreciate.

All that's left then is filmmaking. Now this isn't top tier Hitchcock, but you can see his talents here. The tension builds from the point of the murder on, which is great. The scene with Alice, her parents, Frank and Tracy is great. The acting helps it as well. I thought that Hitchcock did good things with the cinematography and framing. He just had an eye for all that. There aren't special effects here outside of movie magic to make things work for backgrounds. The sound effects for different things also adds realism to this. I'd recommend this if you are into cinema of this era or like me, were out to see Hitchcock's filmography.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Deranged (1974)

Uncomfortable Exploitation Film with Basis in Reality

[7/10 · 11 April 2024]

This was a film that I discovered when looking through the Internet Movie Database for movie connections. What made me seek this out is that this is a more realistic take on Ed Gein. Since The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is borrowing things that he did as well, these are variations on the same source. I've now given this a rewatch as part of my Foray through the Fours.

Synopsis: a deranged rural farmer becomes a grave robber and murderer after the death of his possessive mother, whose corpse he keeps, among others as his companions in a decaying farmhouse.

This film begins with a columnist named Tom Sims (Leslie Carlson) introducing himself. He served as a reporter for the case and narrates the events that we're going to see. This is following Ezra Cobb (Roberts Blossom). We learned that he was an odd guy to begin with. His father died when he was young, so it is just him and his mother, she is played by Cosette Lee.

We start with Ma not doing well. They live on a farm and Ezra does everything he can to take care of her. It jumps in the night that she passes away. Before she does, she tells him what he needs to know. Primarily women are bad and that he needs to stay away from them. Ezra tries to feed her, thinking that will help, but she ends up dying.

That is just the start. We then get a weird scene at her funeral where Ezra is sitting alone. A couple tries to console him. His response to them is that she's just fine. He doesn't seem to realize that she isn't coming back.

Ezra carries on like this at home. He writes her letters like she is on vacation to deal with his loneliness. He also keeps her room the way she had it. Ezra even hears her voice to come get her. That's when he goes to the cemetery and digs her up. She has been dead for over a year and has begun to decay. Ezra sees it as her being happy that he's come to get her.

He puts her in his truck and during his drive home, is pulled over by the sheriff, played by Robert McHeady. Ezra was speeding and the sheriff asks what that the horrific smell is in the truck. Ezra tells him that if must be a dead hog that he butchered. He's allowed to go and gets his mother's corpse home.

Ezra sells of his farmland and gets hired as a handyperson with a local family. Harlon Kootz (Robert Warner) is the dad and they went to school together. His wife Jenny (Marcia Diamond) and they have two boys as well. Ezra learns what he can about embalming and taxidermy to keep his mother from decaying. He uses whatever he can to repair her, until he realizes the best thing is human flesh. He didn't know about the obituaries in the newspaper until Harlon brings it up. It makes graverobbing easier.

This is just the start of what he does. We then see him seeing out a woman his mother said he could trust, Maureen Selby (Marian Waldman). Things that Ma said stick with him though. He is also falls in love with a bartender Mary (Micki Moore) as well as Brad Kootz's girlfriend of Sally (Pat Orr). Ezra seems like a nice enough guy to everyone around him until they peak behind the facade.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that according to trivia, this was the closer look at the true events of Gein until a movie came out in 2000. This also has a warning in the beginning that names and events have been altered to protect people, because at the time this was made, the real Gein was still alive which was wild to learn.

Now that I've got that set up, it wasn't shocking to learn that this movie struggled with its rating and to find places to show it. I've seen things that are worse than this, but the realism that is has makes it uncomfortable. That is aided by the fact that Blossom does a great job at playing this awkward character. It is also interesting that Robert Bloch was inspired to write the novel version of Psycho off Gein. In that version, he is overweight and gross, which from my understanding, the real Gein is closer to what we get here. Ezra is stunted by his education and things his mother drilled in while raising him. His father passing away early on in his life didn't help either. I just wanted to give credit to Blossom for his performance.

Something else that is wild to me is how this feels like a combination of Psycho and the Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The former would have been out for 13 years when this was being made. This movie also came out ahead of TCM. The coincidence is wild how they both have a dinner scene that is creepy. I don't think the classic borrowed from this, but it is possible. Incorporating in the elements of Norma Bates and what she did to her son is something that is here as well. My guess is that was taken from Gein's true life.

Now I do know that Gein wasn't a serial killer. If anything, he may have killed one or two people. He was primarily a graverobber. I do like that this follows close to the truth. There were things changed to make this more exciting, which you should expect. There is a sadness about Ezra that adds a layer. It goes away though once he gets a taste for killing though. That horrible feeling grows. I should pull in the effects here. This Tom Savini's first official film. What he does in making the bodies look real was great. That also adds another layer to this.

This is more of a character study of Ezra and that should be enough there. Let me get to the other performers. Lee works in her limited role as Ma. She becomes more of a specter that haunts Ezra. Her words keep coming back. Carlson is fine as this narrator. They do interesting things with editing and framing with him that I liked. Warner works as Harlon who's known Ezra for a while. Him along with the sheriff, McHeady, could stop Ezra, but they don't believe the evidence or things he says. I did like that as it raises tension. Diamond, Waldman, Moore, Orr, Smegal and the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed.

All that is left then is filmmaking. I've already said the effects were good. I've briefly said that I like what they do with cinematography, framing and editing. This was shot better than it had any business to be. It captures this small town feel and the isolation of what Ezra lives. It feels like Wisconsin. Other than that, the soundtrack fit what was needed without standing out. Credit to the sound design though to give us the voices that are haunting Ezra.

In conclusion, this is an intriguing, fictional look at Ed Gein. This is a character study of Ezra. I thought that Blossom and his performance was great. He can convey the awkwardness. The deeper that he descends into madness, we get a better look at how deranged he is. His supporting cast was good to enable him and push him to where he ends up. This is made well, with the cinematography, framing and the effects leading the way there. This is an uncomfortable movie. I want to make sure that it is known. If you like exploitation cinema, I'd give this one a watch for sure.

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

They Shall Not Grow Old (II) (2018)

Great That This Documentary was Compiled

[8/10 · 11 April 2024]

This was a documentary that I heard about and wanted to see, but I forgot about it as well. It wasn't until settling in, as well as looking at what this was about, since I didn't recognize the title, that I saw this was directed by Peter Jackson. I even read that he didn't take a fee as he wanted to celebrate his grandfather who served. That got my excitement back up to see this as a documentary about World War I.

What we're seeing here is footage that was shot during WWI and held at a museum in the United Kingdom. It sounds like there was hours and hours of footage that Jackson and his team sifted through to set this up. What I like is that they're taking audio recordings as well as video taken to paint the picture. It starts at the beginning of the war for the UK and then we see different things during and then of course, the ending and soldiers returning home. Getting firsthand accounts like this was an interesting look at what these men went through. There is patriotic feelings to join, how being at war affected them and how they weren't necessarily returning heroes in the end.

There's another added dimension here that the footage during the war is colorized. It looks good and almost like that was how it was intended. I get the feeling that there was also computer-generated things being done here. Voice actors were also hired and lip reading was done. The footage was shot before we could synchronize the two, so that was done in the present. It was unnerving at times, not going to lie. This was well-done though and brings it to life.

Hearing the stories of these men as they served, how war affected them and the lasting effects was interesting. It gives me an appreciation for what they went through to stop 'evil'. There's another layer where the soldiers who are fighting aren't always entirely sure why. This was on both sides from the information provided. I'm glad that I saw this as we get a unique perspective about a war that isn't discussed as much. I appreciate Jackson for putting the work in as well.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Dagr (2024)

Druids, Rituals and Found Footage

[7/10 · 11 April 2024]

This was a movie that I got the chance to see thanks to Kimi from Studio Dome. Along with Shirly, they sent over the screener. The Horror Collective got this and I've enjoyed what I've seen from them. I didn't read the blurb, just making sure this was horror and seeing that it was a 2024 release for my Foray through the Fours helps as well. I was able to come into this one blind.

Synopsis: fame seeking YouTubers find themselves in a paranormal nightmare when the advert team they are stealing from awakens a murderous occultist from the past.

We start this with Louise (Riz Moritz) and Thea (Ellie Duckles) who are the YouTubers. The best way I can describe them is that they're like 'Robin Hood'. They steal from the rich to sell items and donate the money to charity. Their YouTube moniker is creative, being a play on Thelma and Louise. Something of note, they must hide their faces to avoid prosecution so they use 'Bit Emojis' to convey their expressions.

This then shifts over to a team of Tori (Tori Butler-Hart), Gray (Graham Butler) and Hattie (Hattie Chapman). They're at a remote house setting up for a film shoot. This is going to be done in black and white. The on-screen talent is Matt (Matt Barber) and Emma (Emma King). The first issue they run into is that the internet is down, when they were assured that it works perfect. They also must deal with Matt and Emma while filming, both have issues with each other. It doesn't help that the catering team isn't there to help alleviate issues as people are hungry and thirsty.

That is where Louise and Thea come in. They've accepted the job, but they're late. The plan is to rob them as the synopsis says. The duo sets up cameras to film it for their next episode. There is an issue though. When they show up, there doesn't seem to be anyone there. They look at footage that was previously shot to fill us and themselves in. We've gotten history about this place as they traveled there. There's a dark history and that force is still here.

I think that is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is saying that this is filmed in the style of 'found footage'. We have Louise and Thea both with their phones filming content. We also have Tori and her crew using a digital camera of sorts. Something interesting was that while watching the credits, this whole thing was filmed on iPhones. Not the first time that I've seen that done, but I will say it is still amazing to me.

With that set up, we know from the beginning that this is edited together by professionals. They were able to obtain footage from the police, which that information is given in the beginning. We then met Louise and Thea. They are your typical YouTubers. I'm guessing they'd fall into Gen-Z. What I like about them is that they're against the rich. They don't look like they've had many struggles in their life, but instead of working a normal job, they have their channel. Stealing from the rich to give to charity is a gray area, but I respect it as well. They're smart enough to edit their footage to prevent getting in trouble. It feels like Moritz and Duckles are old friends so that adds realism as well. What I like is that they get under each other's skin which feels normal. Credit to both.

Then the other group is Tori, Gray and Hattie. We see them arrive at the shooting location. Tori gets frustrated since they were supposed to send the first set of footage to someone to approve the location. It doesn't go through so that is a setback. This is just a series of them. Matt and Emma are a bit high maintenance which causes issues. I will say though, everyone's acting here feels natural for what they needed to make this work as well.

The last bit would be the supernatural. I like the little things that we get to help fill in the backstory. Louise and Thea stop off to get directions in a village. It is near the house they're going to. It is there they learn about a cult in the area. Louise even buys one of their masks, which is on the poster I saw for this movie. That is creepy. We get images and scenes where footage that's been shot messes up and shows us different things. There are hooded figures in it and maybe even a sacrifice. Inside of the house, a television turns on to show Professor Ash Blake (Luca Thompson). He came to this house to do research. It is through him that we learn about a druid group in the area. Their leader was Lord Somerton and he thought if he did certain rituals, it would give him eternal life. This is an info dump, but I thought it worked for what we needed to drive this along. We also don't necessarily focus on him. While the TV is playing the footage, our characters are checking the room. It would put this into folk horror, which I'm a sucker for.

Where I'll end this out then is filmmaking. I do like found footage films. My issue is one that others have; would these people continue to film? A good thing here is that Tori's crew were filming for the purpose to send to the investors and doing b-roll. When Thea and Louise show up, they set up cameras for their episode. This duo I could see carrying a camera around since they seem to film everything they do. There are also characters who flee into the darkness so they need their device for light. Now I liked the editing. Tori's crew already started filming so I like that we fill in what we've missed by having the duo come in and watch it on an iPad. This leads to them getting caught up and trapped with the other group. Then for effects, these are limited for the most part since we don't see a lot. The blood we do get looks good. I like the druid look. My issue is the digital messing up of the footage. This gets on my nerves and it's used a lot here. There is something done here with a druid appearing and disappearing in shots, that's creepy to me. Other than that, since this is edited footage, it makes sense there's a soundtrack. The design also works with creepy chanting and crow's cawing. That adds atmosphere.

In conclusion, I thought this was a solid found footage horror films. It isn't necessarily doing anything new. What I'll credit this for though building a good atmosphere. The acting felt real enough. This is made well. I can believe why people are filming. I thought there were good things with editing, sound design and effects. My only issue there is the digital messing up of footage. That got on my nerves. This won't be for everyone, but I thought this was a tight little film that was creepy. Things here and there could have made this better, but not a bad watch by stretch.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

Poor Things (2023)

Gorgeous Looking, Sociall Relevant, Arthouse Film

[9/10 · 8 April 2024]

This was a movie that intrigued me when I heard it was coming out. It has an interesting director in Yorgos Lanthimos. I've seen his film, The Killing of a Sacred Deer. It is an odd one, but for whatever reason, with how good the performances are, it worked for me. I've heard about his other film, The Lobster, but haven't seen that one yet. This was getting buzz for the Oscars. I've also heard how good Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo were, who are both actors that I've a fan of. Jaime and I wanted to see this in the theater, but with the two- and half-hour runtime, it was hard to make work. We ended up streaming this on Hulu.

For this one, we are following Bella Baxter (Emma Stone). We see her jump off a bridge to start this off. What we will then learn is that this killed her. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), who is a renowned surgery, did an experiment with her and brought her back to life. She is child-like though so he is going about teaching her things to be part of society. He enlists the aid of another doctor, Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef). He's entranced by her and falls in love, wanting to marry her. Godwin and Bella agree, but this needs to be done legally. That is when Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo). He convinces Bella to run away with him and experience the world. This changes everyone who meets her life forever.

That should do well in recapping the gist of this story. What I didn't realize until the end, this is based on a novel by Alasdair Grey. I knew ahead of seeing this that this was a Frankenstein-style story so I figured it was from Mary Shelley's novel. That isn't the case though. It is that type of tale, but it is also from a different source material. I am intrigued to now check out this other story to see what was used and what that story is about.

Where I'll shift is that I love how this is presented, so credit there to Lanthimos and the editor. I picked up on parts of things from Stone's performance. She starts out child-like. Having a daughter, who at the time of writing this is a year and half, I was seeing similarities. As Bella moves through different things she experiences, there is a change there. Her speech becomes more sophisticated. The ideas that she relays are as well. Even how she walks become more natural and less stiff. I thought this was amazing. This also made me think of Shelly's novel, as the monster there goes through similar changes. Credit even more here to Stone.

There is also an intriguing idea explored here about women being property. Bella is to be married off to Max without fully understanding. Duncan shares ideas with her and wants her to run away. Godwin is fine with this. Bella has freewill. It is also not a coincidence that she calls him God as a nickname. Duncan is a seducer. What I love is that when Bella experiences things without him, he becomes upset. He isn't used to being played. She is 'pleasure seeking' and his feelings aren't taken into consideration. He is getting a taste of his own medicine as they say. I like that her meeting Martha von Kurtzroc (Hanna Schygulla), Harry Astley (Jerrod Carmichael), Swiney (Kathryn Hunter), Toinette (Suzy Bemba) and Alfie Blessington (Christopher Abbott) all guide her to the person she is in the end.

I should just go ahead and say the rest of the acting is also great. Bella is played expertly by Stone, but how Dafoe, Youssef, Ruffalo, Carmichael, Hunter, Bemba and Abbott all influence her to where she ends up. This is also beautifully made. This is surreal and arthouse, you should know that ahead of time. It also feels like the past with things people say, but there are futuristic things as well. That creates its own world and it is great. There are strategic things done with color like starting black and white. Then going vibrant and as Bella learns, the colors subdue until they become normal. This coincides with her development and it blew me away. The CGI we get work. Since this isn't a normal world that we are in, I can work with it to bring things to life. Other than that, the soundtrack fit what was needed.

I'm glad that I can finally say that I've seen this one. It makes sense that it was getting the award consideration that it was. This is a beautifully made movie with excellent acting. What I will say is that Jaime enjoyed this one, but it isn't something that she's used to. If you don't like arthouse films, then avoid this. If you can work with something that isn't fully normal, I'd highly recommend this one for sure. I thought it was great with the story and concepts that it is presenting. It is making a statement for sure.

My Rating: 9 out of 10.

The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2 (2023)

Solid Follow Up, Exploring Another Variation on Werewolf Lore

[7/10 · 8 April 2024]

This is a documentary that I got the chance to see via Justin Cook. When I saw that this is was a new one from Seth Breedlove, I was on board as I've seen a good number of his. I enjoy how he constructs them and by doing it on cryptids or mythical creatures like we get here, I'm there for that.

Synopsis: across the four corners region of the southwest Untied States, there's said to exist an ancient, supernatural evil. An evil that preys on the fear of its victims to gain a greater power. Now, witnesses lift the veil of the most terrifying encounters with modern-day werewolves ever heard. Witness stories that seem to tie legends of upright canids with those of hellhounds, poltergeists and even the mythical Skinwalker.

Now what I'll say is that the synopsis is good to set the stage here. What we're getting is a few different people who have had encounters with something that they cannot fully explain. Our first interviewee, Steve, talks about how there are shaman or traditional healers in the area that know how to create the Native American version of the werewolf which is the Skinwalker. This is more of a shapeshifter though since it can become other people or animals. I'll be honest, this makes it even more terrifying.

What works here is that we have people being interviewed going into what they know about legends of Skinwalkers. There are a couple of people here that talk about an old woman and how she would disappear with a giant dog seemingly to take her place. There are others that saw a giant brown wolf. Another person caught things on their security camera that looked like a translucent dog that runs across the screen but wasn't fully captured. I can't explain what they saw. I do know that at night, fear and our eyes can play tricks on us. There could be a logical explanation, but I don't know what that would be without research.

It doesn't help that New Mexico has a high rate of missing people. Part of that could be the surrounding deserts to the cities. A good fragment of this state is uninhabited. It could be as simple as someone heading out into the wilderness and getting lost. There could be kidnappings or maybe a monster. 75% of roads here aren't paved. There is also the first atomic bomb being assessed here and large deposits of uranium. This could factor in as well. The legends also date back to people living in this area for around 2000 years as well. Getting back to what I was saying, New Mexico ranks 10th highest for missing people. Gallup and Albuquerque ranking as top ten cities as well for missing or murdered Indigenous Persons cases. 10% of the population falls into this ethnic background, which makes it that much more striking.

What I'll say is that I like how this constructed. Breedlove just lets the people being interviewed tell their story. He doesn't probe or question anything. This is set up for you to hear what they have to say and make your own judgements. I appreciate that. I also like that we'll see the interviewees unless they want to hide their identity. Breedlove has CGI creatures to act out what they're saying and I think that's a good move. It makes it more interesting to see what the people are telling us play out, even though footage wasn't shot of it. This has a good runtime. It doesn't linger too long and moves along at a good pace. We are getting more history than other ones from Small Town Monsters, Breedlove's company, and I do appreciate that since I don't necessarily fully understand this creature. I like to see how similar it is different from the lore that I know. I'd recommend giving this a go if the subject is interesting or you like documentaries like this from our director.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

Solid Concept, Great Lead Performance and Creepy Output

[9/10 · 8 April 2024]

This was one that I was excited for with horror releases for the year. Seeing that this featured David Dastmalchian, who is an actor doing more in the horror genre lately, that was a perk. Then hearing the buzz for this from film festivals was another. This is a movie that I got to see during the opening weekend at the theater.

Synopsis: a live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation's living rooms.

Now this is presented like a late-night talk show called Night Owls. The host is Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian). He is competing with the likes of Johnny Carson, which adds realism to this world. Jack is successful and his show does well, but it is never the best. It keeps coming up short. The backstory is also filled with his personal life. His wife and muse is Madeleine (Georgina Haig). Jack takes a blow when she passes away from lung cancer. There is another darkness to him that he's a member of a secret organization like the Free Masons.

The fateful episode we are shown aired at the beginning of sweeps week. It happened on Halloween. There is a theme with that. It starts with Christou (Fayssal Bazzi) who is a psychic. They're following it with Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss) who is a renowned debunker of the supernatural. The last guests are June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) and Lilly D'Abo (Ingrid Torelli). The latter was a member of a Satanic cult. She was the sole survivor of a house burning down during a ritual. She is only a teenager. June is there to help here. The movie does well in filling in Lilly's backstory in the fashion of a documentary.

The original recording of this episode was thought to be lost. It has been found and restored, along with other footage of backstage events. This also adds to the realism making it a variation on the found footage shooting style with that. Things start to get weird when Christou makes a strong connection that messes with the electronics of the studio. It also makes him ill. Carmichael goes about proving him wrong. That is when Jack blindsides June to allow Lilly to bring out the demon that possesses her. This will make for an episode of Night Owls that no one will ever forget.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this does an excellent job in its set up. I did hear Duncan from the Podcast Under the Stairs' non-spoiler review of this ahead of watching it so I knew things coming in. I love that this sets up the character of Jack. There are things about his personal life that we learn, like the organization he's a member of and what happened with his wife. Also, the set up to his show is good. Using things like Johnny Carson, his show and real events in the world bring realism to what is fantastical here. There are also vibes of Ghostwatch from the premise we are using and things that happen as well.

Where I'll then delve deeper is that this doesn't have the deepest story. It doesn't need it either. This is more of a character study of Jack, Carmichael and June/Lilly. Those around them are pushing things to where they end up, but it is centered around this group. Now I've given aspects of Jack's history already. His show is on the verge of being canceled. That causes him to push the envelope. This has good writing throughout with things that get said or introduced coming into play later. That is something I'll always appreciate. Dastmalchian also has the right amount of charisma to fit this role.

Let's then go over to the skeptic, Carmichael. I wasn't expecting them to have a character like this but it is also perfect. This makes sense since there is a character like this in Ghostwatch as well. He points out flaws in what Christou does to set the stage. We then learn about Carmichael and what's done in the past as well. He then watches the presentation with June and Lilly, doing a demonstration of his own. It makes you think that what they do is staged, until a way they prove him wrong doesn't work like he thought. Bliss has enough of being arrogant and angry that it works as well.

Lastly, let's go over to this duo of June and Lilly. The former is a doctor of parapsychology or something along these lines. She is the guardian of Lilly since her family perished in that tragic fire. June also has a connection to Jack. She doesn't want to do a demonstration, but she is ambushed into it. It seems like she can't refuse. This starts a chain of events that go off the rails. I thought she was good balancing as this scientist who does care for Lilly. The better performance though is Torelli. She seems so sweet and innocent, but that changes on a dime to being creepy. She got under my skin in the best way possible. Things that go down there to also go back to Ghostwatch while still doing its own things as well.

Where I need to go next then is filmmaking. I thought that the editing was good here for splicing the footage that was shown on air during the commercials going backstage. What is interesting there is that off air stuff is black and white. That helps to differentiate. Also setting the stage with the documentary information was also good. Having this be a 'found footage' film or at least a variation is as well. That makes it feel more real to me. That's not always easy to do when you have an actor like Dastmalchian starring. The effects for the most part are good. I did have slight issues with CGI. Since this is set in the 1970s, it feels like a throwback there. Not enough to ruin it. Other than that, I thought what they did with the sound design and the music was good.

I'll just finish out here with others from the cast to bring up. Bazzi helps set the stage with the supernatural. I liked seeing him struggle with this psychic act, showing that he is a fraud. Then something supernatural seems to happen involving him. There's Rhys Auteri who is the co-host with Jack. What is intriguing here is he's religious so the deeper we get into things; it upsets him and he tries to stop it. Josh Quong Tart is good as Leo Fiske, who is the producer that makes this show work. Other than that, Haig, Steve Mouzakis, Gaby Seow and the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed. I also didn't realize until writing my review, Michael Ironside is the narrator which is great.

In conclusion, this one had hype surrounding it and I thought it lived up to it. The best part here is the acting. Dastmalchian leads the way with Bliss, Torelli and Gordon rounding out the important characters. The rest of the cast push them to where they end up. I thought that this was unnerving. There's an added element that this is a variation on found footage. This is well-made from the cinematography to the editing. My only issue is minor things with CGI. I'd recommend giving this a watch. I'm excited to revisit to see where this falls with my end of year list.

My Rating: 9 out of 10.

Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Great Cast Set in a Troubled Era

[8/10 · 7 April 2024]

This was a movie that I saw years ago, but I'll be honest, I didn't remember a lot. There were pieces, like this starring Orlando Bloom. It was around that era when he was doing period piece movies like this with Troy, Pirates of the Caribbean and you can even lump in The Lord of the Rings. I believe my sister saw this because of him. Other than that, I remembered that the king was played by Edward Norton. I also knew that this was showing the crusades.

I'll preface here that I saw the director's cut this time. This runs over three hours long. There is a brief intro by director Ridley Scott who lets you know that this is how he envisioned the movie. It starts in a small village where Balian (Bloom) is being held by the local lord. His wife killed herself and he's given up on life. Things change when Godfrey de Ibelin (Liam Neeson) shows up. Balian is his illegitimate son so he's come to make it right. He wants him to succeed as lord. Balian refuses, just wanting to work as his smith. That is until he kills his brother, who is a priest played by Michael Sheen.

This leads to issues that results in members of the group Godfrey being killed, including himself. Balian is taken to Jerusalem where he gets a crash course. Things aren't good and those that are Christian are corrupt. That is what this movie presents. King Baldwin (Norton) has leprosy. His days are numbered. His sister, Princess Sibylla (Eva Green) is married to Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas). He is a Templar and along with Reynald de Chatillon, breaks the king's truce with Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), the leader of the Muslim forces.

What I'll say here is that Scott does a great job at showing the last time that Christians held Jerusalem during the crusades. I'm not entirely sure what his religious stance is, but it seems that he's critical. There is corruption throughout. Balian vows to be a perfect knight and be free from making decisions that help him. This includes not marrying Sibylla. That would have saved people. We see though that in the end, he does the right thing and it works out. That doesn't mean he wins though.

There's also an all-star cast here. I've already given the names of Bloom, Neeson, Norton, Green, Sheen and Csokas. They're all great. I've left out David Thewlis, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Brendan Gleeson and Jeremy Irons. Everyone of them are great at bringing their characters to life. I also think that the action sequences are great. I'm a big fan of seeing war when it is fought like this. I'll give credit there to the cinematography, framing, editing and effects there. There's CGI, but I also feel like it went practical where it could.

This won't be for everyone. It runs 144 minutes when you watch the theatrical so keep in mind that the version I just watched is even longer. I'll be honest though; it didn't feel like it. This is an interesting time in the history of the world. Jerusalem is a holy place to at least three of the major religions. It is wild to see people who have this faith fighting each other over it. The story presented here is uplifting and this is well-made. If you like movies like this, I'd recommend it for sure. Even more so if you're a Scott fan.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Doctor Jekyll (2023)

Different Take on a Classic Tale

[7/10 · 5 April 2024]

This was a movie that I got the chance to see thanks to Keir Waller from Strike Media who sent over a screener. What caught my interest was that this is a Hammer film. They're a studio that I sought out after watching the original Universal classic films. This is them doing a modern take on a classic story now that they're back making features. I had heard about this film being made so that helped as well.

Synopsis: a modern re-imaging of the infamous story about Dr. Jekyll (Eddie Izzard).

We start this with Rob (Scott Chambers) lying down on a couch, turning on the television. What I like here is that we fill in the back-story about Dr. Nina Jekyll through newspaper headlines as it gives the credits. She is the head of a pharmaceutical company who has made important advancements for drugs and it's been lucrative. She has suffered an injury though that made her a recluse.

This then introduces our lead more. Rob is a former convict. This gets revealed shortly, but I wanted to go ahead and give this information here. He has a job interview set up thanks to his brother, Ewan (Morgan Watkins), who he lives with. We will also learn that Rob has a daughter, who is in foster care and has cancer. Her name is Ariana. Rob needs a job if he wants a chance to see her.

Rob goes to the address he was given and meets with Dr. Jekyll's assistant, Sandra (Lindsay Duncan). She isn't a fan of Rob and the more that she learns about him, she is upset that he wasn't vetted more. Nina is intrigued though. She offers the job on a trial basis. The job is to tend to Nina's needs, like preparing meals, giving medications and whatever is needed. Rob does things that upset Sandra and she's ready to fire him. Nina defends Rob and seems to forget things that she asks.

Things then take a turn when Rob goes to the store to pick up things. It is here that his ex and the mother of their child, Maeve (Robyn Cara), approaches. She knows where he is working. She wants him to let her and her crew in to rob Nina. He can't do that though. He's put in a bad position when she threatens to reveal information about him, making it impossible to see his daughter.

There are also things that Nina asks of Rob. It makes it more difficult for him since Sandra is ready to fire him. That is just the start. Darker things are asked that could put Rob back in prison, but if he does them, Nina is willing to share her fortune to help him. She also has a miracle drug that she claims can cure Ari.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that I thought it was an interesting move to use the transgender actor, Izzard, for the titular character as well as the alter ego. For me, I don't have any issues here. This also isn't the first time this idea has been used. Hammer made Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde in 1971. I also remember Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde from 1995 where the doctor changes into a woman. We get something different from what I've seen here though having Izzard playing both Jekyll and Hyde as women characters.

Now that I have that out of the way, where I want to shift then would be the character of Rob. I felt for him the more we learn. Originally, I thought that he was just a slacker who needed a job. Seeing how appreciative he is toward his brother for getting him the interview made me smile. We then learn there that he's an ex-con. He needs a job to show the courts and the government to get to see his child. They've never met. That made me tear up. I root for him from there. Then seeing what Maeve is pushing and trying to do drives tension. It culminates with Nina wanting to help him. That is when we realize that he isn't always sure who he's talking to there, Jekyll or Hyde. Chambers does good in this role, so credit to him.

Next up should be discussing Izzard and taking on these dual roles. What is interesting here is that she plays Hyde subtly to the point where I didn't necessarily know until later that is who she was. I should have though, knowing this source material. That makes it scarier to where it ends up. I'm not overly familiar with her standup specials, but I've seen her periodically in films. She is talented and that comedic timing works well here. Izzard seems like this brilliant doctor who has run into an issue, physically. The more we see, the more devious it becomes with what their end game is. I didn't fully appreciate this until the end once all the reveals are done.

Something else I should say is that this is a contained film. Once we get to the estate, Rob goes out a couple of times then we're at the resolution which isn't in this manor. It is mostly Nina and Rob interacting with Sandra, Maeve and Ewan influencing them. There is a back-story introduced with Jonathan Hyde and Isabella Inchbald as well. This is a much different take than others I've seen which I did end up appreciating. This setting has room both inside and out so that adds to it as well.

Now I've already started in with the acting, so let me finish there. I've already said that Izzard and Chambers are both good. I like Duncan and what her role does to the self-esteem of Rob. She stands as the outside world and how they view ex-criminals. Cara is there to potentially ruin Rob's life and pull him back into committing crimes. Not directly, but he would be suspected. Watkins is good as well in his smaller role. Credit to cameos here by Hyde, Simon Callow, Tony Jayawardena and Inchbald as well.

All that is left then is filmmaking. I've already said that I like the setting being isolated like it is. What is good there is that it isn't too far out of town either. The cinematography was good to capture where this is set and make it feel claustrophobic. They also have limited effects at times where they frame it to hide the seams. No issues there. I did have a problem with Jekyll and Hyde seeming too not be all that different. There are reveals there as this concludes that clears that up. The latter is more of a figurative monster than a literal one like films of the past or the source material. Other than that, I thought the soundtrack fit for what was needed.

In conclusion, this is a bit different from versions of this that I've seen in the past. I've seen quite a few. I like that Izzard is making both Jekyll and Hyde as women. She has a subtle performance that makes sense in the reveal and I appreciated that. Chambers also does well as this ex-con character and how that fits into the narrative. This is made well enough. No glaring issues there. The best parts are the isolated and contained setting as well as the cinematography. Not sure that I can recommend this to everyone. It is an unconventional take on the source material that I appreciated. If you like Izzard's acting or what to see a different take, then I'd recommend it to you.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

Dario Argento: Panico (2023)

Solid Overview of this Master of Horror

[8/10 · 4 April 2024]

This was a documentary that I saw hit Shudder earlier this year. I'm a huge Dario Argento fan so getting a documentary about his personal life as well as his career was something I knew I'd watch. I started this one at work when my day was slow and then finished at home. This moves fast, gives his personal life before becoming a filmmaker and then goes through personal things as each of his movies came out.

Now I knew parts of Argento's personal life. I tend to do research on people and things that I'm a fan of. I didn't know that he was married to Marisa Casale earlier in life. They divorced as he became more popular to the point where elements of Four Flies on Grey Velvet might be mirroring things there. I knew that he had two daughters that were actors, Asia Argento and Fiore Argento. I didn't realize there was a third. This factors into things that made Trauma odd for him and Asia.

It was also interesting to hear from Asia about what happened between the love of his life and her mother, Daria Nicolodi. It is a shame that she passed away before this was made as I would have loved to hear from her. Suspiria and Inferno stem from stories that Daria's mother told her. Dario wasn't big on giving her more credit for some reason and it strained their relationship. These are things fans of this horror maestro already knew, but we get a different perspective here.

Something that I like as well is that we see Dario getting interviewed. These were done for this documentary as he is older now. We also get interviews from his sister, Floriana, his ex-wife and fellow filmmakers he's worked with like Michele Soavi, Lamberto Bava, Franco Ferrini, Luigi Cozzi, Claudio Simonetti and Vittorio Cecchi Gori. There are also great filmmakers who he directly influenced like Guillermo del Toro, Gaspar Noé and Nicolas Winding Refn. I also didn't want to leave out that they talked to Cristina Marsillach who is the star of Opera.

I'd say that this is a well-made documentary. There is a great editing early where Dario is being driven to a remote hotel and they put in scenes from Deep Red and Suspiria. That made me smile. The only thing that I didn't necessarily like is that this has felt at different times like they're making a movie and not a documentary. This doesn't ruin it by any stretch. Asking Dario and all these people different things as well as framing what was going on in his life while making these movies was an interesting watch for any fans of this filmmaker. I'd recommend this for sure.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974)

Solid Atmospheric Foreign Zombie Film

[8/10 · 4 April 2024]

This was a film that I was turned on to thanks to the Podcast Under the Stairs' Summer Challenge Series. This came up as one of the 10 best films from 1974, so it went on my list to check out. I've now given this a second watch as part of my Foray through the Fours.

Synopsis: a cop chases two hippies suspected of a series of Manson family-like murders; unbeknownst to him, the real culprits are the living dead, brought to life with a thirst for human flesh by ultrasonic radiation being used for pest control.

We start this with a man from London who is heading up to sell an artifact to a local shop. He is George Meaning (Ray Lovelock). He takes his motorcycle when he meets a woman at a gas station, Edna Simmonds (Cristina Galbó). She accidentally backs into his motorcycle. It needs repairs that won't be finished until Monday. To make up for it, she offers him a ride. She doesn't know where she's going so she has him drive. I do have to point out, George is a jerk here. He has the right to be mad, but he tells Edna what they are going to do and she puts up no fight whatsoever.

They come to a crossroads and he decides to go his way, but she freaks out. She is going to see her sister and she must get there as soon as they can. They are at a brief impasse because what he needs to do is time sensitive too. He gives in and goes to drop her off. I also found this odd, but she is going to let this man she doesn't know borrow her car for the rest of the weekend. I guess it was a different time and country.

She isn't completely sure where to go so they stop off for directions. They end up finding this experiment going on where they are using sound vibrations and radiation instead of pesticides. This bothers George and he gets into it with the group conducting this experiment. Back at the car, Edna is attacked by a man who is soaking wet. Turns out he is a zombie. George and one of the men come back as she is fleeing, but they don't see anyone. There is a joke that she saw the ghost of a local tramp who drowned, Guthrie Wilson (Fernando Hilbeck).

That night her sister's husband is murdered by Guthrie. The inspector (Arthur Kennedy) believes it was his wife, Katie (Jeannine Mestre), that did it. He also thinks that George and Edna are in on it. No one believes Edna, until George has a run in with the zombies as well. Guthrie can turn others who have recently died into one of the living dead. It becomes a race to stop the zombies while the police are after George and Edna.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I'll start is that I enjoy the underlying theme of protecting the environment and how experiments can hurt the ecological balance of the Earth. That ends up being the way these dead come back. It is crazy this film came out in 1974 and we are still dealing with issues like this 50+ years later. I am a firm believer in science, but there must be testing to ensure things don't hurt the environment. I'll move on.

Another positive is that this doesn't waste time and gets into it. It's early on that Guthrie attacks. We get long stretches without attacks as they fill in story. This frustrated me the first time I saw this, but I didn't feel that this time. The zombies are good so that helps. These aren't traditional ones. I think this is a bit of trappings that we see in the Lucio Fulci's Gates of Hell trilogy in that the zombies don't follow their own rules. As there are more of them, they do, but I don't buy Guthrie not going after those early on when they appear. There are also issues where a car is traveling one place, but Guthrie seems to teleport there. This doesn't ruin the movie, but observations I have both times.

The setting of the film was something I needed to touch on as well. I thought it looked amazing with the hills and the isolated countryside. Plus, these are in smaller villages. That does allow people to not know, like the police, that there are zombies. Everyone also moves on after the attacks so they're seeing the aftermath. That was a good touch since this is the beginning of the attacks.

Let's discuss zombies. They do have super strength, which can be inconsistent. I did love that we get a Night of the Living Dead scene of the zombies eating people, just in color. It looked quite real as did the rest of the effects. They were practical which I loved and it showed in this film. The zombies also moved good so credit to them. I like how they were slow-moving. I do have to point out; they were almost running in one of the hospital scenes which is another inconsistency.

There isn't more to go into for the story so over to the acting. I thought it was solid. Galbó works as one our female lead. I didn't like that she got bossed around like she does for a good portion. I do think that was partially due to the times and how it was written. She also wrecked George's bike. She does show good fear though. Lovelock was solid as her counterpart even though he is a real jerk. I do like that he does embody that hero as the film progresses. His worrying about the environment is also a plus. Kennedy is also quite hard but adds to an interesting dynamic. He believes in what is real and what he can see. He thinks that Galbó and Lovelock are the criminals and will stop at nothing to get them. It doesn't ruin anything though. The performances fit what was needed by the supporting cast. There are odd characters that work.

All that is left then is filmmaking. Something that was great was the effects. I like that upon Martin's (José Lifante) death we hear that all his bones in his midsection were broken. We see that they do eat their victims so that was why everything. Credit the sound design for that as well. Finally, is the soundtrack, which didn't stand out to me. What is good though is the design. I do know that they used the radio at one point to listen about ecological problems due to chemicals and experiments. I thought that was an interesting way of introducing that angle as well as getting George's feelings in it. There's also this noise that is emitted by the machine that results in radiation.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this the first time around and it held up with a rewatch. I thought the ecological angle was interesting and something that is still relevant today. Having an isolated location is good. I'd say that this is also well-made, which helps. The zombies are the best part with their look and how they move, even though there are inconsistencies with their abilities. The effects and cinematography are good. The gore was as well. I also like the sound design. I'd recommend this one if you want a solid, foreign zombie film.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Easter Bloody Easter (2024)

Fun Easter Horror Film

[5/10 · 1 April 2024]

This is a movie that I got the chance to see via a screener thanks to Justin Cook. Now the title made me think of Christmas Bloody Christmas, so I wouldn't be shocked to learn they're playing off that. Seeing that this was an Easter horror movie and reading the press release, I decided to give this a watch. It also doesn't hurt that this is a 2024 horror film either.

Synopsis: a woman must protect her small town from the Jackalope and his army of devilish bunnies as they embark on a murder spree over the Easter weekend.

We are following Jeanie Cooper (Diane Foster). She's been struggling since her husband, Lance (D'Andre Noiré), left. There's more to what happened there, but he has just disappeared. To cope with this, she turns to drinking. Her friend Carol (Kelly Grant) is trying to get her out of her funk by having her come to church.

It is there that we meet Mary Lou (Allison Lobel). She's the head of the committee setting up the upcoming Easter celebration. She is insufferable as well. She is friends with Sally (Caitlin Oden) and Beatrice Bunny (Levi Austin Morris). Sally does the work without the credit. Getting everything ready is stressing out Mary Lou, who takes it out on her husband, Eugene (Miles Cooper).

Something I left out though, there is an opening scene where a couple of teens were going to have sex in a storage room in the church. They were attacked by a creature, killing them both. This area turns out to have a legend about the Jackalope (Jamie B. Cline) attacking people around Easter. No one believes it anymore and the supposed attacks all happened about 150 years ago. The only one who does is a conspiracy theorist named Sam (Zach Kanner). He tells the history that this entity is a shapeshifter, like a werewolf. To become cursed, you need to bite it. This entity can also control rabbits as well.

Jeanie gets called out by the sheriff, played by Richard Rivera, to the outskirts of town. Lance's truck was found with blood, fur and an Easter egg on the dashboard. She turns to Sam as she knows something nefarious has happened. There are other attacks around town. Carol and then Megan (Zuri Starks), who also believes, try to help Jeanie. First, they want to stop the Easter events, but the sheriff and Mayor Lou (Adam Slemon) ignore them. As the bodies mount though, there isn't much that they can do. They need to find out who Jackalope is and stop them before it is too late.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this is a fun movie that you're not supposed to take seriously. There are comedic elements used throughout. When the Jackalope controls rabbits, they're stuffed animals with glowing eyes. What I do like though is that there are serious aspects here as well. While watching this, it struck me that we're getting a combination of Jaws meeting Silver Bullet.

Let me then start delving more into what we're getting here. This takes place in a small town in Texas. That makes sense with how religious these people are, being in the bible belt. What I love there is that this is also poking fun at how they're violating their own religion. Mary Lou is lustful toward Lance. She is also prideful. The minister of the town is drinking. They also have murders happening and they won't postpone the events. This feels like Jaws where the town won't shut down the beaches, despite that leading to more attacks. It is putting people together here so the Jackalope can attack.

I did find it hilarious that this is what the monster is here. My first introduction to this animal was through my uncle who likes to see how far he can run with a joke. He has a rabbit with antlers mounted on his wall and he tried to get me to believe that it was real. I like the back-story that we learn where the original attacks were done by a person who made a deal with Satan to ensure that the Easter events happened. In turn, she was changed into this beast. They went practical with the look for the most part. I do like that the antlers are used in at least one attack. This shifts to Silver Bullet here where Megan has a rabbit's foot on a necklace. She claimed it was from a Jackalope. This gives Jeanie the idea that they're looking for someone missing a foot. We learn that when a limb is removed, this monster can regenerate it. It would take time to grow back though, making me think of how they figured out who the werewolf was in that other movie. This doesn't necessarily pay off like I would have hoped, but I still like it to progress story elements.

Then to finish my thoughts on the story, I thought that what they do there is fine. My problem will pull in filmmaking as this runs too long. I saw that this is running at 105 minutes. About 8 of those are credits, bringing this closer to an hour and half. I think this would be better to be about 80. There are a few scenes where a band or someone is singing that I don't know if we need. This hooks me with the opening kill and then I'm there for the mystery. The problem is that the climax takes too long to get it. I think just trimming it a bit would help it run tighter.

Let's then go through the rest of the filmmaking. The cinematography is fine here. They do well to hide things when it comes to practical effects, which works. I did find it funny that all the normal rabbits that are being controlled are stuff animals with glowing eyes. We get decent gore from attacks done by the Jackalope. I did like the practical approach to the monster. My only issues with the effects come from the use of blood spray with CGI. I'm not a fan there. Other than that, the soundtrack is fine. There is a live band that is playing a couple of songs that fit what was needed. We also get Foster singing late in the movie. She has a good voice.

All that is left then is acting. What works best here is characters being suspicious or creepy that made me think they could be this creature. It is a shapeshifter so that makes sense. Foster is good as our lead. She turns to drinking to cope with Lance leaving which in turn causes her to blackout and not remember things. That could make her the Jackalope. Grant is good as her friend. Lobel is great as this church going woman who doesn't fully follow the religion. I did like that she wrote this and it is intentional for the character. Starks is solid as this hunter of the creature. Noiré, Kanner, Cooper, Gavin K Lee, Slemon, Oden and the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed. Credit to Cline for being inside of the Jackalope costume.

In conclusion, I'm not necessarily the target audience. That's not to say that I didn't have a good time here. This does well in bringing the horror while blending it with comedy. I'm just not the biggest fan there since I think we get more of the latter. I did like the mythology that they introduced. It does well in sticking to that as well, especially where things end up. The acting was solid in bringing these characters to life. This is made well enough. I'm not going to harp there since this is working with a lower budget. Using stuffed rabbits was funny. The look of the Jackalope was good. It is on the cheap side but there's charm by doing it practically. Not one that I could recommend to everyone. You need to enjoy comedy/horror. This is one to watch with friends with drinks or if you're into this lower budget stuff.

My Rating: 5 out of 10.

Velma (2022)

Visually Stunning

[7/10 · 1 April 2024]

This is a short that I got the chance to see thanks to Scott Mostisko when he sent over a screener copy for review. Now I came into this one blind, knowing that it was a horror/thriller or at least along those lines. Since this was a short, I wanted to see what this had to offer without knowing much.

Synopsis: through the lens of a late 1960s visual feast, this takes us on a psychological journey with the title character that examines sexuality, shame and our societal views of both.

That synopsis sums this up well. We are following the titular character of Velma (Scarlet Moreno). From the opening shots, we see that she is sad. She then has dates with four different guys. Each time she is hoping it will be different and what she is looking for. Something happens though where it plays out the same. She is sad each morning.

Now I took the guess that she was killing these guys. I won't reveal if that is the case or not. Whatever is happening, it upsets her. She prepares these lavish meals and we see that she falls in love with whatever guy she has over. One she even believes to be the special, she just knows it. That is what Zach Tinker is credited with at the end. This grabbed my interest to see where it would go.

As a story guy there isn't much there to flesh. We also don't necessarily need it either. It is subtle in telling what it needs to. This is more about the visuals, which are stunning. This is paying homage to the 1960s with them and I agree with the synopsis calling this a feast. The spectrum of color from the food Velma has prepared to even her makeup and what she is wearing. I appreciated that for sure. The soundtrack going with this is great, including the one song that is recurring. How this is made is great with the cinematography there as well.

Now I can't say much about the acting. Moreno is great. She doesn't speak, but we get voice-over narration to fill in there. The guys outside of Tinker are shown out of focus which is interesting. They're the ones who are upsetting Velma, but by being shown fuzzy, they're all the same as she says. They all do the same thing which ruins her vision of them. I did find that to be creative. I realize as I'm doing this review, I went back to filmmaking.

There isn't much more to say here so in conclusion, this is a well-made short. The cinematography and the colors used are great. I'll even include the framing, limited effects that we get and the soundtrack there as well. Moreno's performance as Velma is good. Her voice fills in what we need along with the body language of what we're seeing with her. There isn't much to the story. What they give us works though. How I normally grade shorts as to whether they tell a complete story or could be fleshed out into more. I think that this does the former, but I'd be fine with the latter if this is decided to be expanded upon. This is one that I enjoyed my time with and recommend to those that want to see a visually stunning short.

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Immaculate (2024)

Solid Religious Horror Film

[8/10 · 1 April 2024]

This is a movie that when I saw a bit of the trailer at the Gateway Film Center, I knew that I was in. I'm a fan of religious based horror films. Seeing the title, I had a feeling that this was a play on how the Virgin Mary became pregnant with Jesus. I was curious where this would go and got to see this opening night at the theater. This was one I was excited about this year.

Synopsis: Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney), a woman of devout faith, is warmly welcomed to the picture-perfect Italian countryside where she is offered a new role at an illustrious convent. But it becomes clear to her that her new home harbors dark and horrifying secrets.

We start this off with a nun saying her prayers before bed. She has other plans though. She packed a bag, snuck into her Mother Superior's room and took a set of keys. She sneaks out of the convent, but passing through a gate, a searchlight comes on. Our nun makes it to the gate. She is chased by a group in masks. We see what happens though when they catch her.

This then shifts to Sister Cecilia coming to Italy. She is held up by two customs officials. It is here that we learn she is from America and came with no return ticket so this is a red flag. We will learn that her parish has closed and she was offered a spot here by Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte). Something to point out here, the customs officials make comments about her looks. They question her resolve to be a nun, but she is devout in her choice.

She is then taken to the convent. It is there she meets Mother Superior (Dora Romano) and Sister Isabelle (Giulia Heathfield Di Renzi). The latter dislikes her and makes it known. She is pushing for Cecilia to return to America. Our lead also meets Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli). She had a rough life before becoming a nun.

That night she takes her vows and she meets Father Tedeschi. He takes a liking to her and helps translates. It is from there we see Cecilia befriend Gwen and settle in. That is until she gets sick while bathing. She is examined by Dr. Gallo (Giampiero Judica) and questioned by Cardinal Franco Merola (Giorgio Colangeli). They grill her about fulfilling her vows and if they've had any visitors at the convent. The reason being that Cecilia is pregnant. They confirm that is a virgin and that this is a miracle. Things don't seem right and Gwen pushes this. The more that Cecilia learns, the more she thinks her friend could be right.

I think that is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that I'm a big fan of this subgenre as I've alluded to in my opening. There are good elements here. It feels like it is borrowing from Suspiria with aspects of the set up. That hit me while in the theater. Something else to point out in the opening, this explores elements of science vs. Religion that works for me as well.

Now that I've said that, let me delve deeper. I'll start with the Suspiria references. We have Sister Cecilia coming from America to Italy. Instead of going to a dance academy, she is joining this convent. We also have her befriending someone there who is suspicious of those in charge and investigating. Cecilia doesn't believe but discovers things for herself that make her believe what she was told originally. There are also secrets being held here as well. This is more surface level than pulling directly though, I did want to say that.

Where I'll then go would be the idea of science vs. Religion. We learn here that Cecilia almost died as a child in an accident with ice. She was clinically dead for seven minutes. She felt that there was a divine intervention to bring her back. Now personally, I'm an atheist. To me, this just seems like the paramedics did their job and had a bit of luck. Father Tedeschi was a biologist before becoming a priest. I'm glad that this got introduced because it plays in later. There is also the main thing here about Cecilia becoming pregnant despite being a virgin. It makes you wonder if this is a miracle or if there's something else at play. I like how it takes time for the reveal as this does have Rosemary's Baby vibes, minus the rape scene. Cecilia does become lightheaded and passes out her first night there.

This next bit is that under the surface is social commentary that I saw someone include in their review. We can view this with the debate about pro-life vs. Pro-choice. Cecilia didn't have a choice in getting pregnant. She is told by the convent that it is a miracle so she must carry the child. The more that she learns though, the more she wants to be rid of it. She isn't given a choice in this so you can argue that it is a rape, whether there is a logical answer or a divine one. Where this ends up is brutal and I'm shocked they went there to be honest.

That should be enough for the story so over to the acting. I thought that Sweeney turned in a good performance. I'm not overly familiar with her. I find her attractive and that seems to be part of why she works here. She also does a great job though of showing a range of emotions as she learns the truth of her condition. I appreciated that. Morte is good as this priest that we trust in the beginning. The more we learn, the more we question his motives. I like Porcaroli as Cecilia's friend. She starts making her question things which is good. Colangeli, Romano, Di Renzi and the rest of the nuns as well as patients at this convent are good for what was needed. There's a creepy factor there since this place is almost like the church's hospice. It is fitting that Cecilia becomes pregnant here.

All that is left then is filmmaking. First, I have to say that I love the setting. This isolated convent is good. Characters can't just leave so they're isolated and that adds tension. This is shot well. I thought the cinematography was good. How they frame things works. This does relay on jump-scares. I don't know if we need them as this isn't that type of movie. The effects we got though were good. We see things that made me cringe so credit there. The blood looks good. This also goes places I wasn't expecting. Lastly is the soundtrack. I thought it was good to fit the tone. It helps build the atmosphere. I would be remiss if I didn't give them credit for using Bruno Nicolai's theme for The Red Queen Dies Seven Times. When I heard that I couldn't place it, but it's a song I know quite well despite at the time of writing this not having seen that giallo.

In conclusion, I like what this movie was doing. I wasn't sure the route they would take. The setting is good by having this at an isolated convent like this. The concepts and ideas explored are good. I like that there's social commentary you can pull here, but that isn't in your face. Sweeney was good along with Morte. No issues there. This is also well-made from the cinematography to the effects and the soundtrack. This one shot up into my top five of the year for horror. I will be giving this a rewatch to see how I sit the second time around.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

He Who Gets Slapped (1924)

Bleak and Interesting Silent Film

[7/10 · 29 March 2024]

This was a film that I'd seen the poster for. I don't know if I realized it starred Lon Chaney until looking more into it. This popped up on my radar to see for 1924 when for a day, it was listed as horror on Letterboxd. It was no longer there the next day and still not. I decided though since I happen to see it there, I'd watch it to judge for myself. Having now watched this, I don't think it is horror, but I can see why it was loosely considered.

Paul Beaumont (Chaney) is a brilliant scientist. He's been taken in by Baron Regnard (Marc McDermott) to prove his theory about humanity. Paul is married to Marie (Ruth King). What he doesn't realize though is that the baron has taken a liking to her and they're having an affair. Paul proves his theory and the baron agrees to set up for him to prove this to a scientific counsel.

There's a problem here though. Baron Regnard presents these as his own. When Paul demands him tell the counsel the truth, he is laughed at. He's then slapped by the baron, making everyone laugh harder. To make matters worse, Marie reveals the affair and leaves Paul. He is then kicked out of the baron's house.

Paul then joins the circus as a clown. He goes by the name He Who Gets Slapped. His gimmick is that he says things and gets slapped by two clowns. This makes the crowd laugh. He is the headliner for this circus. Baron Regnard and Marie mock the act, but the baron does go see it in person. There is a Count Mancini (Tully Marshall) who gets his daughter, Consuelo (Norma Shearer), to join as a bareback horse rider. She works with Bezano (John Gilbert), who falls in love with her. As does the baron. Her father is 'selling her off' to him, which He Who Gets Slapped warns her about. He also sees his chance to get revenge on the baron.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduce the story. Where I'll start is that I can see why people would consider this to be a horror film. As I said, I don't, but this goes to dark places. The drama is set up by this baron stealing Paul's work and his wife. What is bleak there is that the story never gets resolved. Paul just sinks into depression and his outlet is to become He Who Gets Slapped and being laughed up is his way of coping. It is looking at trauma in the eye.

What we do get here though is a redemption story for Paul. He sees the same thing playing out for him with Bezano, Consuelo and Baron Regnard. He Who Gets Slapped pours his heart out to Consuelo and she laughs at him. That made me feel bad, but what is good here is that he predicts everything that will happen with the baron and her father. He Who Gets Slapped knows that she won't pick him over Bezano, but he does see a way to make her happy. It is here that goes dark again where He Who Gets Slapped releases a lion in the room with the baron and count. Wasn't expecting that.

Something I'll also give this credit for is acting. Chaney is great here. I've not seen a bad performance from him. King isn't giving much to work with as Marie, but what she's here for is to be a mirror for Consuelo. That would make Paul and Bezano connected. Paul and Marie were young and in love, but then she was enticed by wealth. Count Mancini has lost their money so his daughter must work and he's trying to sell her to Baron Regnard. The acting here is good across the board.

I'll finish this out with filmmaking. The copy I saw on Tubi also helps there as it was crisp. There are surreal shots that were interesting. We keep seeing He Who Gets Slapped spinning a globe. There is superimposing clowns along a rim and then it shifts to being a circus pit. That was interesting to see. The cinematography other than that is limited by technology, but still looks good. There isn't a lot in the way of effects. That's also the era. I'm also not sure if the soundtrack that I heard was originally synced up or not. There is a good touch with design though of having a laugh track when Paul or He Who Gets Slapped is being mocked. That raised tension for me and made me feel bad. This is one that I'd recommend to fans of Chaney or silent film era cinema. I enjoyed my time here for sure.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

Memories of Murder (2003)

Harrowing Murder Mystery/Police Procedural

[9/10 · 29 March 2024]

This was a movie that I learned about through podcasts. It went on a list to see, especially after seeing director and co-writer's, Bong Joon Ho, film of Parasite. That had such good filmmaking and writing that I was intrigued to see his other work. It didn't hurt that this earlier film is held in high regard. My local theater was showing this so that helped me to go check this out on the big screen in 4K.

What we're seeing takes place back in 1986. Detective Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho) shows up to a crime scene. It is in the middle of a field. There is a drain for rain and excess water. It has a cement structure. Inside of it is a woman who has been raped and murdered. There's also another victim. Park is doing what he can to gather evidence, but since this is a small village, there isn't much to go on. It doesn't help that both times, it was raining. Park collaborates with Detective Cho Yong-koo (Kim Roe-ha) and their methods are questionable.

Detective Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung) then shows up from Seoul. He butts heads with Park as how they do their job is different. It catches the attention of Sergeants Shin Dong-chul (Song Jae-ho) and Koo Hee-bong (Byun Hee-Bong). The stress as tension mounts as the killer doesn't leave evidence at the crime scenes, so they have little to go on. We see different leads and where it takes them. Ultimately, we see the growth of our two main detectives, the friction between them as they both try to solve these crimes before it is too late.

Now I'll be honest about something here, this movie stressed me out. I was in my seat squirming when in the world of the movie, it started to rain. That is when the killer strikes. This does well at setting up that our killer has victims, then he goes after women that get set up. That was a great move there. This is drawing inspiration from real murders that happened in Korea, but it also is inspired from a play called Come See Me and borrowing a bit from the graphic novel, From Hell. It is sad that this is drawing inspiration from real crimes. That also makes this heavier as well.

Where I want to go from there is that this is a police procedural film, just wanted to make sure that I set that up. What I like is that we see how Park and Cho manage their investigations. It isn't by the book and word has gotten around. This creates problems for Shin and Koo because it brings reporters around. When Seo shows up, he doesn't like the methods that they use. It could cause mistrials or just arresting the wrong person. What is great though is that as the stress mounts, Park and Seo shift positions. Park grows up as a detective where Seo sees that how he is doing things isn't working. I thought that was a great thing to use with this.

I don't know if that impact would be as powerful if the acting wasn't good. Kang-ho is a Ho regular. I think he's been in all three of his films that I've seen. Kang-ho does great as this detective who isn't great at his job. He thinks that he can figure things out by just staring at a suspect. I like that when Seo shows, he starts to see things that this detective from Seoul does and he shifts what he does. Sang-kyung is good there. What I like with his character is losing humanity as the stress mounts. Roe-ha was good as loose cannon detective. I like Jae-ho and Hee-bong as two different officers who are in charge during this investigation of the department. Ko Seo-hie was a lady officer who comes up with a lead. Ryu Tae-ho, Park No-shik and Park Hae-li are good as suspects. The acting is great across the board so that helps here for sure.

What also helps is that this is well-made. The cinematography here is beautiful to capture the vibrant colors of the fields. It then will shift to almost monochromatic when we're in the police station or other investigation things. The editing is also great to build tension. This was over two hours long but I was at the edge of my seat the deeper we got into the investigation. The effects were limited, but it also isn't that type of movie. This isn't one that I can recommend to everyone. This is from South Korea, so I watched it with subtitles on. If that's not an issue, this has heavy subject matter and not a happy ending. This is bleak and that made me love this even more with how stressed I got. This is a great film.

My Rating: 9 out of 10.

78/52 (2017)

Interesting Insight About How This Sequence Changed the World

[8/10 · 29 March 2024]

This was a documentary that I heard about when it was released. I was going to see it at the Gateway Film Center, but I couldn't make the schedule work. It went on a list of movies to check out. I believe around then this was covered on podcasts as well or at least brought up.

Now I knew this was a documentary that was looking at the shower scene from Psycho. I remember seeing this movie growing up. It is one that I come back to periodically. I've seen it in the theater a couple of times. I even own it on 4K. There are elements of that scene that are just part of the zeitgeist. That would be how this scene has influenced cinema just in general. The music going with it is known by people who have never even seen it. Alfred Hitchcock is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and it is things like this sequence that cement that.

What I didn't realize with this documentary is that interviews the body double for that scene, Marli Renfro. They also interview Hitchcock's granddaughter, Tere Carrubba, who gives insights that she has. There is archive interviews of Hitchcock himself and I believe the cinematographer might also be here to give details. I should also include here; the title is the number of shots and cuts it took to make it work.

Something I wasn't expecting is all the filmmakers, writers and professors that get interviewed to help break this sequence down as well as to talk about the impact it has on these filmmakers or just the industry in general. This includes Richard Stanley, Elijah Wood, Bret Easton Ellis, Leigh Whannell, Karyn Kusama, Peter Bogdanovich, Scott Spiegel, Daniel Noah, Mick Garris, Eli Roth and Marco Calavita. This is just naming a section of who appears. There's important individuals here who this had an impact on.

This is also well-made. I love that the footage they shot for this is in black and white, paying homage to Hitchcock and Psycho. The array of people that they have is great. This flies by. I was interested in hearing what each one had to say, how it influenced them and what they've seen from the impact. This won't be for everyone. Hearing how they crafted this sequence is interesting. I'd say this is for fans of the film who want to learn more. If you enjoy behind the scenes or just how films can influence the work as well, this also would be for you.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

Butchers Book Two: Raghorn (2024)

Solid Hixploitation Slasher Film

[8/10 · 29 March 2024]

This was a movie seeing the title, I wondered if it was a sequel. I learned after viewing that it is. The movie Butchers precedes it. This is just a sequel in name only though, so they don't need to be viewed together. I luckily got to see this for its World premiere as well.

Synopsis: when a group of kidnappers run into an accident on a back road. They find something even more terrifying lurking in the woods.

We start this off setting the tone. There is a young woman trying to escape through the woods. The problem is that there are two brothers who live here. There is a large one that is powerful named Crusher (Michael Swatton). The other is Clyde (Nick Biskupek) who is the brains of the operation. He's also might be more sadistic.

It then shifts over to a group in a car. Brian (Dave Coleman) is driving and he's ornery. With him is his girlfriend, Sarah (Hollie Kennedy), her cousin Josh (Sam Huntsman) and Ricky. They are taking a back road, hoping to avoid trouble. They stop off at a gas station where the local sheriff shows up. Brian doesn't trust this group and questions the cousins when they return. He thinks they tipped the sheriff off.

Their fortunes don't get any better when they crash into an elk down the road. This impales Brian and Ricky decides what to do. Things continue to get complicated when a driver shows up to help, but Josh tips him off. We see the reason for the tension is there is a kidnapped woman in the trunk. This group heads into the woods to get away and that's where the nightmare truly begins. Clyde takes them hostage and they go back to the cabin. Sarah does what she can to get away, but Clyde has much more sinister plans for them.

That is where I'm going to leave my recap and introduction to the characters. We don't have the deepest story here, but we also don't need it. It needs just enough to get our group into the woods. It is funny that during the Q and A after the movie, people have told co-writer/director Adrian Langley that this reminds people of Wrong Turn. I got that vibe. He did state that Deliverance and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as being influences. Both of those make sense. I also felt like we got a bit of Mother's Day, the original from 1980. This last one just with how brutal and depraved Clyde is. There are also two brothers doing what we're seeing as well.

All that should give you an idea of what we're getting here. This is an exploitation film with where things go. I dug that. Delving deeper, you could say that this is a hixploitation with who our killers are. This doesn't shy away from the fact that they're psychopaths. Crusher is the muscle and he's powerful. Clyde is still scarier to me with the lengths he will go. The Texas Chain Saw idea also goes deeper with why they're keeping characters alive.

I'd also say that we're getting shades of a slasher film as well. Now for me, we either need good characters or kills. If you get both, even better. The kills and effects are what make this movie. There is an extremely cringey scene with Josh. I didn't expect them to go where they did. Going with that, Crusher does what his name implies to a head. This isn't the most graphic though. Keep that in mind. They do cuts and show aftereffects. This is just as effective in my opinion. The blood and gore is on point. Credit to the cinematography as well to hide what you need to. Since I'm discussing filmmaking, I'll say that the soundtrack fit what was needed.

Then let me delve into the characters. They aren't necessarily fleshed out the best, but we also don't need them to be. The best performance is Biskupek. He is so creepy. I'm usually a fan of the villain so that probably plays into it. He is a menace for sure. Swatton has a good look for his character. He is a hulking presence which is what is needed. I thought that Huntsman worked as this 'good guy'. He is still part of the group that kidnapped the victim. He tries to do the right thing. The most manipulative is Kennedy. I liked that dynamic. The acting is solid across the board, giving credit to Coleman as well as the actor who played Ricky.

There isn't much more to go into except that I love the isolated location of this cabin. That makes it scarier especially since the villains know the woods better than the victims. In conclusion, this is a solid modern hixploitation film. I love how brutal it is. The filmmaking is strategic there to hide what wouldn't look good. I think that the acting is good as well, especially from Biskupek. This won't be for everyone. I thought though that this was a solid, modern slasher that goes brutal when it needs to. Just keep that in mind when deciding to see this or not.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.