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Tweet Reviews January, 2020 - December, 2020
December, 2020
Pt 4-It will stay in your mind and it’s something to see but it is very sad and heavy. It’s not something you’d want to see before bed and you’ll likely need to watch something happy afterward.
Pt 3-The war-torn country they came from? What her husband did to get to London? The choice his wife has to make? Or the ghosts haunting them? Or maybe all of the above.
Pt 2-I really didn’t agree with a major decision one of the characters made. Very frustrating. Matt Smith, from Doctor Who is in it and that was a treat. An interesting, slow burn. What is the horror here? The London government and how they treat asylum seekers?
His House (2020). Pt 1-A socially conscious horror movie about asylum seekers -- it's unique. I appreciate a horror movie around this topic, but I felt like it could have been scarier, less depressing, and more powerful.
Pt 3-Not the best movie but given the reviews, I was expecting a very terrible movie and this has redeeming qualities.
Pt 2-They solved it awfully quickly. Hated one of the characters who embodied toxic masculinity and is very cruel to women -- can’t say more than that. Hard to watch those flashbacks. Odd sexual overtones and music.
Escape: Puzzle of Fear (2020). Pt 1-Basic story but a decent film. No twists and turns, no intriguing characters save for the revenge plot here. The escape room aspect wasn’t all that thrilling or scary. We don’t really get to solve the mystery along with the characters.
Pt 4-Crazy final scene. I will say that the very last scene was a good way to end it. It is a terrible movie but fun to watch and comment on with friends.
Pt 3-It was distracting to say the least. The lead is a deeply psychotic, traumatized character who seems to be triggered by everything. The film featured too many men who were rapists and couldn’t take no for an answer about anything. Where are the decent guys here?
Pt 2-There's 40 mins of flashbacks that consist of scenes from the first movie, so much so that you don’t have to see the first movie before seeing this one. Very painfully cheesy, terrible acting. The main actor acts with his eyebrows, which moved all over the place.
Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2. Pt 1-An absolute mess with tons of plot holes; basically it's the first movie with a little extra. It’s as if they didn’t care and just made the movie with no forethought or logic.
Guest House (2019). Dir. David Thorpe. Creepy game. Yes, play a game suggested by some anonymous source. Sure, what could go wrong? Her boyfriend is a moron. Chilling game and ending.
Pt 3-A very thorough glimpse into B’s life. “Ken” is quite the dispassionate lover. Some really dark dreams. Tragic story, beautiful ending. Good music.
Pt 2-You really get a glimpse into the toxic relationships the lead has to put up with from friends and her boyfriend. An explosive conclusion that was perfect. Great message here to live your truth. Be who you are and not who everyone is telling you to be or love.
B. (2015). Pt 1-Directed and written by Kai Stanicke. Even with no words save for a few at the end, and using Barbie dolls, this was a very effective and affecting short.
Pt 4-On the whole, the movie was creepy but lacked the punch it needed. Scenes may linger in your mind but the movie on the whole is forgettable.
Pt 3-That’s one spooky hotel I don’t recommend checking into. The tension around the mystery of what’s happening falls flat because of the inconsistent tone throughout. The “villain monologue,” as I call it, could have been much better -- it was muddled.
Pt 2-It does have an intense fight scene & a good ending but getting there is the problem. The acting feels wooden except at the end. The characters are too vague to really get a handle on. Effective jump scares and I don’t say that lightly! One of them I still remember vividly.
Lingering/Hotel Lake (2020). Pt 1-A creepy but muddled movie that lingers longer than its running time. The movie keeps going from boring and filled with talk to suspenseful and creepy scenes, but sadly, not enough creepy scenes.
Pt 2-That’s a hell of a place to end the pilot! It’s a bit slow in some parts but this is a series instead of a film so we can delve into the characters. As a result, it’s slower in some parts.
The Haunting of Bly Manor. Pilot. Pt 1-Good characters, great opening theme. “O Willow Waly,” Is such a creepy song! An interesting retelling of The Turning of the Screw. I’m intrigued to see where this is headed. Good framing for the ghost story.
Lone Wolf (2019). Directed and written by January Jones. A great queer horror short. Goes to show you that there’s a place for everyone. Good concept, great ending. See it.
Pt 2-Great music. Of all the gas stations, they had to stop there. Fate is a cruel mistress.
You Don’t Know Me (2019). Pt 1-Directed by David Émond-Ferrat and Isabelle Giroux. A truly chilling story with a chilling ending. Wonderful acting. Such tense scenes! Very memorable. No monsters in this one save for people.
Drip (2019). Dir. by Jillian Cantwell. The end all be all of movies that truly capture white privilege. Chilling and unforgettable. Oh yeah and there’s also a murder. Great film – check it out.
Pt 2-I love the worldview here on death and seances and ghostly visits. It reimagined it all. Very clever!
Un Loft au Paradis/A Loft in Paradise (2017). Pt 1-Dir. By Alexandre Lança. So that’s what the afterlife looks like, huh? Love the color concept. Interesting. A very good character-focused short. Gets darker as it goes along. How far is he willing to go to keep a secret?
Pt 2-Predictable, sure, but it doesn’t take away the creepiness. Very unsettling. Really shook me. What a sad mindscape to be in. A very unique and interesting film that really gets to you but not a film everyone would enjoy. Made for a specific audience.
Rent-A-Pal (2020). Pt 1-Creepy but takes a while to get there. A very slow character-driven story about a downtrodden and tragic character as he plummets into psychosis. Tough to watch the ending, very tough. Gets very dark and chilling.
Pt 6-Her character could have been handled much better.
Pt 5-Her profession equals instant strength? A shorthand so they don’t have to develop her character? And then she feels guilty for leaving her family and it feels a bit like the movie is blaming her for what happened because of her distance from her family.
Pt 4-There were really creepy ideas here, great visuals and some chilling, memorable scenes but on the whole, the movie doesn’t hang together. I’m also confused about why the female lead is a veteran. Why make her a veteran if you’re not really going to use it?
Pt 3-It’s as if they figured they’d throw in every supernatural idea and just make it work but it doesn’t quite work. No story cohesion, no story structure.
Pt 2-Instead of character development, we get plot twist after plot twist with no depth or time to consider things. And let’s not even mention the torture. Hard to watch. Boiling water? Yikes! The final act with Emma was a bit ridiculous after the fight we just saw before.
The Unfamiliar (2020). Pt 1-I wanted to like this one. It sounded really interesting. And while this movie was creepy and unsettling and clever in some moments, it tried to do too much in a short running time without letting ideas, themes, and characters breathe.
Pt 5-Good villain monologue on bullying though a bit extreme but the message is lost in an otherwise terrible and bland film. Trigger warning: suicide, teacher student relationship.
Pt 4-Terribly handled gay relationship. Why the republican sign in the background at the bar? Was that needed? This movie wasn’t tense or scary at all. It fekl flat.
Pt 3-We spend a lot of time with a creepy misogynist who lures another teacher back to his car and gets her even drunker only to have sex with him. She regrets it after. She asks what she had done, and she’s engaged! Why did we need that? To prove that teachers are bad?
Pt 2-One person’s face was beet red, one person was orange and someone’s hair was blue black in one scene. The beet red person was like that for an entire scene that lasted a while. How did no one see that the color was that off?
Teacher Shortage (2020). Pt 1-Cheesy but in an endearing way in a terrible way. The deaths looked laughably fake. The dialogue was terrible as were the acting and the characters. There were some serious issues here with the sound and with the color.
Pt 3-There are better creepy movies out there. But if you’re looking to be depressed and disturbed and aren’t a parent, check it out.
Pt 2-Dead cat, dead kid. Gets really crazy toward the end and not in a good way! Guessed the whole movie in the very beginning. So much death. Somber and grim. If you’re a parent, you might not want to see this one. Light torture. Very slow. No real character development.
Don’t Listen. Pt 1-Gruesome and creepy. Why didn’t everyone just read the title and not listen? Get earplugs, people! The moral of this story is not to renovate haunted houses! The explanation of what’s really happening here is a tad laughable. Disturbing in some bits.
Pt 3-This film is all broad strokes, no subtleties, no nuances, no depth. The dialogue is awkward and filled with doublespeak which you have to decipher. I did like the creepy surreal dreams. The ending was emotional. It would have been nice to have that intensity throughout.
Pt 2-The relationship between the two girls is superficial. The film seemed to touch on lesbianism but not so much on vampires. Given the source material, I find that odd. Not horror, though you might go in thinking it would be.
Carmilla (2019). Pt 1-This is not a good version of the story. While it was a bit of an interesting take on Lara’s character, the film itself wasn’t what I thought I’d be getting. I wanted a translation of the story into a movie but that’s not what we have here.
Pt 3-Was that needed for a story about the supernatural? I did like the ending for her but not the final battle which was ridiculous. It was nice seeing “Gabriel” from SPN but this film left a lot to be desired.
Pt 2-The story structure is way off and a mess, like one of the main characters. This is a character-driven movie with unlikeable characters. Why is the female lead so downtrodden with a history of an abusive ex? Why make her that way?
Driven (2019). Pt 1-This movie tried too hard to be funny -- the dialogue just wasn’t funny enough. So they added a turd spoon. Wish I were kidding. It's exactly what it sounds like. Why was it needed and referenced so many times?!
Fresh Blood (2017). Directed and written by Richa Rudola. This one gave me some serious feels. Some a poignant vampire story. Strong sense of setting. We see the effects of hunger on a vampire. Trigger: forced prostitution. Great tragic ending. Very affecting
Last Bite (2020). Directed and written by Ashley Seering. An adorable horror short about a vampire ordering takeout during the pandemic. Memorable, cute and funny.
Queen of the Mold. Directed and written by Lizzy Bryce. Over the top possibly, but memorable, creepy and feminist. A feminist horror film about a woman reclaiming her power and I’m all for that. Great acting especially from the lead.
Pt 4-What is the truth here? Who is manipulating whom? Meta. Too much drama for my taste and not at all scary.
Pt 3-This is more of a character study on a dysfunctional relationship with broken people. Some humor, especially around a white shirt and coffee, but otherwise it’s rather bleak and unsettling. Fantastic acting but not the movie I thought I’d be watching.
Pt 2-With all the big issues brought up on the thoughts of feminism and the role of women, we never really get a definitive answer on what anyone really thinks or who they really are. Not a horror story though it was in a horror festival.
Black Bear (2020). Pt 1-A little bit of a mind fuck. Honestly, I feel like a more concrete ending would have been beneficial. What’s the point? What’s the takeaway here?
Fresh (2019). Directed and written by Tatiana Wisniewski. What a fresh take on zombies. Original and creepy. Loved it! I love the morality class and the question of morality here in the short. Who uses a razor to sharpen a pencil? Odd.
November, 2020
Attack of the Scarecrow (2020). Directed and written by Octavian Kaut. Good characters. Creepy corn maze. Suspenseful. Good ending. Good music. Shades of Goosebumps here.
Axe to the Face (2020) Dir. Andrew Moorehead. I guessed the twist early on, but it was still an enjoyable short. Great acting. Wonderful ending. Memorable. One of the writers of this film is the lead.
Pt 2-Shades of Misery. Bit of an odd ending.
Run (2020). A chilling, intense, unsettling thrill ride! One twist after the other. A very memorable movie and an experience to watch -- a movie that will keep you glued to the screen. Hitchcock eat your heart out. Fantastic acting. Something to see.
Pt 2-Even spirits want their privacy. A picture is worth a thousand words but is it worth your soul? I think we are on the same wavelength. If you’re game, please send me links to any of your future work. I’d be happy to review it. @Bourgonje
Woodland Cemetery. Pt 1-Directed & written by Niels Bourgonje. Good setting especially the cemetery. Good character development in the beginning. Some great camera angles. Creepy spirit. Great use of tension. What an ending! I’d love to know more about the villain. @Bourgonje
Pt 3-Depressing at times but an interesting exploration in a dark mind. I have a serious bee in my bonnet about ending. This one literally ends in the middle of a scene!
Pt 2-He met with such cruelty when understanding even in the light of what he did might have done better. A very intense movie not for the fain of heart. The second half isn’t as strong as the first half. Child sex abuse. Not much character development of anyone aside from Brian.
Killer Therapy (2019). Pt 1-Good acting. Shades of Mikey here. Brian is really creepy! An interesting evil kid movie. He’s definitely all kinds of messed up but his environment is terrible. Truly chilling. What a dark movie! Hard to watch some scenes.
A.J.E. (2019). Directed and written by Benjamin Germany and Jérémy Lafar. Starts off slow but gets really creepy. Good music. Terrifying questions. Wonderful acting from Mathilde Caudrelier. Chilling ending! I want to know more.
Pt 3-Depressing and very slow. Watching paint dry would be quicker. Trigger warning for rape and being pregnant with bats.
Pt 2-A suffering for the characters and the viewer. The characters aren’t fleshed out until the plot requires giving you some answers. We never really get a hold on the story or the characters.
Amulet (2020). Pt 1-Memorably creepy opening music. Wonderfully creepy music throughout but the movie itself leaves something to be desired. It will keep you entertained mainly because it’s a confusing mess, so you’ll be riveted trying to figure it out.
Pt 4-A constantly evolving film. Clever writing. Great ending. Great music. Memorable and something to see! Directors to watch for.
Pt 3-Loved the parody here, and yes, it is a parody not a pastiche. Enjoyed the meta discussion of parody vs pastiche from the filmmakers themselves to the audience at a film festival.
Pt 2-This takes Scream Queen to a whole other level. Screaming because there’s no battery on your phone or because the pen doesn’t work takes the cake. Eye roll. Get it together, girl.
Killer in Cursed Water (2020). Pt 1-Directed and written by Laurent Ardoint, Stéphane Duprat. A very odd but memorable movie.
Pt 4-Since we don’t really get any character development, save for the glimpses into their trauma, and their harassment of the old woman, it feels odd and makes us a bit disinterested in their fates. Depressing ending.
Pt 3-The mystery of what happened to the little girl is tied up quickly at the end.
Pt 2-Had so much potential but wasted it. Shows the problem of blind revenge without all the facts. Everything has consequences, kiddos. The world at the other end of the call wasn’t distinct enough, wasn’t really scary, more focused on trauma than scares.
The Call (2020). Pt 1-Tobin Bell and Lin Shaye in the same movie? Sounds good to me. So, of course, I wanted to check this one out. I love the retro feel. Great music, great colors and sets. Creepy revenge story. Solid premise but terrible execution.
The Drawing (2020). Dir. Dominic Grose. Creepy. When a drawing has a mind of its own. Good idea. It’s a bit long for the simple concept though. Loved the drawing done by Deidre Hume. Good use of sound here. Some good camera work as well. Good ending.
Downs of the Dead (2019). Dir. Evan Husby Grodal. Funny, exciting, campy and interesting Norwegian zombie short. Good characters. Great song.
Pt 2-Great characters. Funny, deep, affecting. Starts out funny and light and gets slowly creepier. Trigger warning: abusive relationship.
Evil Eye, the audiobook really got me. Pt 1-A story of resilience, trauma and the strength of women standing together. Horror from a woman’s POV. A pleasure to listen to. Mounting tension. Chilling. Definitely recommend. Told exclusively through phone calls and voicemails.
Pt 4-Very emotional, a bit more emotional in the film but not the best translation tonally from the audiobook. I would suggest you listen to the audiobook first.
Pt 3-I loved the relationship between mother and daughter here. A different kind of boogeyman. The strength of women sticking together.
Pt 2-I had to take breaks, literally and I wanted that same reaction, but the film just didn’t hit me the same. I blame, in part, the casting of the character Sandeep. I felt that was the wrong choice for such a pivotal character. Everyone else was fantastic.
Evil Eye (2020). Pt 1-This was a bit of a letdown. I really wanted to love it but sadly, while it did have its moments and was a tad creepy especially towards the end, it wasn’t as scary as it could be. When I heard the audiobook, it terrified me.
Pt 2-Something to check out. Definitely should have tried to burn it!
A Funny Way to Die (2020). Pt 1-Directed by Matt Mitchell. Written by Matt Mitchell and Vicki Sargent. Great beginning with what’s on the TV. That is one creepy clown doll. I wonder who gave it to her. A creepy lockdown short with a good ending.
Phantom (2020). Dir. Dmytro Golumbevskyi. Great setting and cinematography! Creepy thing following her. I love the symbolism here and that COVID is a monster. A great short. Good music.
Pt 5-I loved the character of Alexis and I wish we spent more time with her. Good final act if you can make it through.
Pt 4-Triggers: attempted rape, abuse. I did like the theme of women finding strength by embracing their inner monster. The monstrous feminine idea. A decent guy seems hard to find there.
Pt 3-I was very confused about the lead’s motivations in several scenes and her decision not to tell her “coworkers” about an important event. Everyone’s reactions are heightened for drama but are confusing logically.
Pt 2-The body horror angle should have been played up more but the drama between the women and their johns took the forefront. Ironic that this is character-focused because for the most part the lead is a mystery to us and to the characters in the movie.
Medusa: Queen of the Serpents (2020). Pt 1-Bleak. And that’s sad because an original take on Medusa sounds great. I wanted to like this one. A whole lot of talking and not enough action.
Pt 3-A cleverly written horror short with social commentary? Yes, please. Great ending. This is a director to watch for.
Pt 2-Those men harassing and kidnapping her were realistic. Who is really the victim? Clever script that was constantly changing. Great themes. Who are the monsters in the world? Men? Creatures? Both?
There Will Be Monsters (2020). Pt 1-Directed and written by Carlota Martinez-Pereda. That opening scene really got to me. I was nervous for her and about what was in the minds of those men. I actually had to fast forward it because rape is one of my triggers.
Little Willy (2020). Directed and written by Andrew Bowser. Good concept. Good execution of the story. Great characters. Really creepy ending! Loved seeing Adrienne Barbeau. Memorable!
Pt 4-I don’t see this one as a horror movie. A moody somber slow-burn thriller -- sure.
Pt 3-We’re in Rowan’s head a lot so it’s hard to see what’s really happening. Strong sense of setting. Ambiguous enough that there may be several interpretations. Bit depressing. Trigger for self-harm.
Pt 2-We hardly know anything about the characters, which is not to our benefit. Fleshing them out wouldn’t have taken away from the story or the ending. This felt very long and not much happens. Definitely plays with your mind though.
Bleed With Me (2020). Pt 1-I really love that title but the film itself left a lot to be desired. The two leads didn’t feel like best friends. There was no chemistry between the three of them. The acting was a bit wooden.
It Came from the 80’s! (2019). Written and directed by Levi Isaacs, Mike Kane, Aaron Ling and Geordey Sherrick. A short that’s really a collection of horror trailers that are lovingly super cheesy, bloody, retro and funny.
Pt 4-And overall the pacing and story structure could have been tighter. But I appreciate the message and the commentary.
Pt 3-And I know this was likely part of the commentary, but I would have liked a real female character, not a stereotype, not a robot or a victim or a burned-out cop. It lingers in some scenes for too long.
Pt 2- It takes a happy cop and brings him to a point of disillusionment, where he thinks he can only trust the rules. Great commentary. I would have preferred less talk about domestic violence.
Survival Skills (2020). Pt 1-A very inventive way to tell a story. Reality & fiction blur together. You really get a glimpse into the toxic environment in some police organizations.
The Rule of Three (2020). Directed and written by Elwood Quincy Walker. A great concept that weaves horror with mental illness quite effectively. Great ending. Very suspenseful. I’d love to know more about the ritual. Good sets. Great acting. She really became that character.
Pt 2-The story is told in three parts from three different POVs. That helps you navigate the story because each time you only get a part of the information.
The Returned (2020). Pt 1-A period folk horror story focused on how the native people were treated by the colonists. A slow-burn revenge film that’s very unique. Triggers: miscarriages. Good edits and music; great story structure.
Pt 2-Perfect tone and music. Good framing. Memorable. I’d love to know more about the woman Milagros went to and more about the world created here. Great use of tension and what an ending! I’d definitely be down for seeing a feature made from this idea.
Detrás De La Puerta/Behind the Door (2019). Pt 1-Directed and written by Andrés Borghi. What an effectively chilling short that might even give you nightmares. Didn’t for me, but it did scare me. Perfectly edited. Creepy voice. Great execution! Great colors.
Pt 2-You’re not sure if she’s telling the truth or not until the end. The final act goes from 0 to 60. Chilling ending. I’d love to know more about the group. An interesting movie carried perfectly by the actors.
Threshold (2020). Dir. Justin R. Long and Powell Robinson. Pt 1-Interesting story -- character driven. The lead actors have great chemistry together. It really felt like they were siblings and we were along for the ride. Realistic and fun with a dark edge to it.
Halloween is Canceled (2020). Dir. Andrew Kasch. Genius! Hilarious and perfect for the times we live in now. Definitely something to see. Happy I caught this at Phoenix Fear Con. Really loved this one!
Pt 3-Could have done so much with those two. The trailer doesn’t do this movie justice. If you’re keen on a madcap bloody adventure with amoral characters, give it a go.
Pt 2-This film goes to some really odd places. Bit of a mind fuck for your morals. Sad how some characters end up, but generally, it was a fun and cheesy ride. Dani and Remy really steal the show. Not the best final act -- sadder than I expected.
Danni and the Vampire (2020). Pt 1- Good colors & camera work. Odd, unique characters. Interesting story. I love how there are different factions with different approaches to supernatural beings. Interesting worldbuilding here. The vampire’s name is Remy. That’s my dog’s name. :D
Pt 3-It takes a while to get your bearings and orient yourself to the way the story is being told and what the story is. The dialogue could’ve been a bit sharper. The lead is a little too trusting.
Pt 2-Just as the character struggles, so do we the viewer in trying to distinguish reality from the dreamscape. Some very memorable scenes. To me, there are multiple explanations here but the most obvious one is a bit one-noted.
Daytime Nightmare (2021). Pt 1-A very surreal psychological horror flick with a chilling ending. In some parts, the surrealism works against the narrative and a more concrete explanation might have been better. I will say that the nightmares are very chilling.
Pt 3-Very slow and very long. I loved the therapist and Angel. The two actors made the movie for me but they weren’t enough to offset everything else. Odd costumes. Cheesy SFX. Not scary, more of a different Jekyll and Hyde story. A bit cruel and mean spirited in some respects.
Pt 2-I don’t particularly like that moral confusion. Gruesome, torturous deaths without any purpose at least then, lose intention. The revenge story was good, they should have referred to that throughout the story. More explanation earlier would have helped a lot.
Retribution (1987). Pt 1-I am a fan of cheesy horror flicks but not this one. We find out too late why this is happening and we’re constantly wondering if the gruesome deaths match what happened and how these people even contributed to the character’s death.
Dead Batt (2020). Dir Eli Balce. This short is the whole reason why you carry a backup phone recharger. Creepy idea though not a terribly creepy spirit. Suspenseful. An updated version of a chain letter ... sort of.
Special Needs (2020). Directed and written by Hannah Roark. A clever take on the babysitter trope and something else but no spoilers. Clearly everything isn’t as it seems but what a dark and interesting reveal. The heroine made all the wrong choices. How frustrating.
Pt 3-That was a bit difficult to watch even if it was all a lie. Very chilling final act. It would benefit from a more telling villain monologue. What happened to the cat? An interesting movie. Great ending.
Pt 2-Great cinematography! Things really start to unravel towards the end. Not too much to this movie, mainly just an exploration of witchcraft vs, skepticism, but it was an enjoyable watch overall. There’s some talk with a professor having sex with one of his students.
Burn, Witch, Burn (1961). Pt 1-A very spooky albeit not scary movie. If only her skeptical husband had just listened to her! In horror flicks (as in life?), what women say is too often discounted by husbands. Tsk. Tsk. Very tense and exciting scenes. Interesting setup.
Pt 3-Needed to watch something happy after this one.
Pt 2-Reference to rape twice and child abuse. Narrative of trauma. Too focused on trauma, saturated with it. The horror here is about living with trauma and a house connected to death. Depressing. Was expecting a scarier movie, less focused on trauma.
Sanzaru (2020). Pt 1-Odd start. Good music. Dead bird. Called it right away. Animals never do well in horror and this is a gothic horror story. The cuts between the family and someone speaking to Mr. Sanzaru are jarring -- never a smooth transition.
October, 2020
Pt 3-Triggers: abuse references, torture, a cat dies. Honestly, I could’ve done without the torture.
Pt 2-Strong sense of setting. If you learn anything from this film, it’s that if someone offers you mojo bags for protection, take it. You can never leave your past behind. An intense ending.
The Spell (2020). Pt 1-Goes from 0 to 60. This delivers in chills. Voodoo never seemed scarier than here. Some serious shades of Misery. Good characters and acting. Memorable villain. This film shook me -- very intense. Great set design and music.
Pt 2-How far would you go to give your loved one a good birthday? I can’t say anything else without spoilers. Don’t miss this one.
Make a Wish (2019). Dir. Dinh Thai. Pt 1-An enjoyable, intense, macabre little short! Definitely worth checking out. It’s in quite a few festivals. Clever story. Wonderful acting. Everyone really commits to their roles. One of the main characters is named Lexie. :D
Pt 2-I definitely want to know more – mainly why the beings came closer. I’d be down for a feature based on this short.
Special Day (2018). Dir. Teal Greyhavens. Pt 1-Written by Nikolai von Keller. Not the special day the characters intended – that’s for sure. Slow burn. Hats off to the creators for crafting an interesting creature. Chilling story and ending. Good music.
Pt 4-The drama between them was intense. Chilling ending regardless of what you think might have happened.
Pt 3-The drama between two sisters, the dark side of competition, and what one is willing to sacrifice for a career in music, along with a coming of age element is at the forefront of this story. Everything else takes a backseat. I can’t say I liked either of the sisters.
Pt 2-I don’t know if it really felt open ended. Your interpretation will color the entire movie. The creepier elements were too understated.
Nocturne (2020). Pt 1-Bring on horror flicks about the musical world but this wasn’t really a horror flick. It’s a supernatural thriller. Bummer. A bit surreal and a very slow movie. We really get into the character’s head. The director intended an open-ended ending.
Pt 3-Good ending. I’d like to see more adventures with these three.
Pt 2-Interesting twist. I really loved Emily! Great acting. It really felt like they were brothers. Good dark comedy tone throughout for a story about serial killers. I didn’t agree with one death here. Mark Patton from Nightmare on Elm Street 2 was a welcome addition.
1 Dead Dog (2020). Pt 1-There is in fact a dead dog, but he is dead at the start. We don’t see a dead dog on screen. Whew! This is a very character-driven movie, not much plot. It’s a weekend in the life of. Interesting characters, good dialogue. Overall an enjoyable film.
Pt 2-I expected a creepier ghost story, but that isn’t quite what this movie is. What a dark story & a dark memory. It’s more of a mediation of guilt, memory, jealousy. The ending is a bit too surreal for the plot and should have been more concrete in what the takeaway should be.
Reunion (2020). Pt 1-A difficult movie to watch. A very dysfunctional family, cheating, monstrous babies, abuse. It’s a very slow film focused on family dynamics. The horror is very understated. I was waiting to see the conclusion of all this. I had my suspicions.
Pt 2-Deals with toxic masculinity & the way the “heteronormative dating cycle” can strangle women. Great ending. Good characters. Very memorable. I’d love to see a feature of this -- where the coven goes after the men’s rights group. This is in a lot of festivals. Check it out.
Don’t Text Back (2020). Pt 1-Dir. & written by Kaye Adelaide & Mariel Sharp. You did a fantastic job, ladies. Hats off to you both. I really love this one. Just the right light comedic tone with some bite and horror to it.
Pt 2-Simple idea and great execution. But yikes! That’s not the date I’d want. Wish we could’ve heard what he said to the little girl as opposed to just seeing her reaction.
Your Date is Here (2017). Pt 1-Directed & written by Todd Spence and Zak White. I saw this short several years ago at a festival and I loved it. It was a pleasure to see it again. I love the retro game. I’d be down to playing it. Great music for the game. Good acting.
Pt 5-This documentary is a step in the right direction, and I hope there are more documentaries coming on horror. There’s a lot to explore here. Horror is an umbrella term and there’s a lot to unpack.
Pt 4-Just when someone was telling a good story, it cut to someone else and then in the middle of his story, it cut back to the first person. It would have been better to sit with one person for a few minutes instead of cutting every 30 seconds or so it felt.
Pt 3-I like the exploration of horror and what draws people to horror and how the people questioned in the film got into horror in their childhood. The editing was also a bit frustrating.
Pt 2-What about horror comedy directors? There were very few women from horror and unlike their male counterparts, they got less screen time to answer questions.
The Horror Crowd (2020). Pt 1-I’m very ready for a horror documentary. There were some great questions asked but I felt this documentary only scratched the surface. What about horror movies that serve as a social commentary? Where was Jordan Peele?
Pt 3-Good acting, great music. The pacing is a bit off. This one keeps you guessing who the killer is until the end. Fair warning: it ends rather abruptly and a bit open ended in terms of the fates of some people. We don't get complete closure.
Pt 2-Such a repressive religious environment here for these girls. I have to say that I wasn't expecting such darkness towards the end from this slow introspective film. Has some bite to it. Light torture and one hell of a crazy villain! Not scary or chilling really.
The Sinners/The Color Rose (2020). Pt 1-Feels like a darker more religiously themed Pretty Little Liars movie. If you liked the show, you might dig this. Same mean, pretty girls with secrets, amid bodies dropping, trying to find the killer.
The Intruder (El Profungo) (2020) is a unique arthouse horror flick. Check it out and see if you want to acquire the rights to it. My review is below if you’re interested. @netflix @hulu
@Netflix, @Hulu The Intruder (El Profungo) (2020) is a unique arthouse horror flick. Check it out and see if you want to acquire the rights to it. My review is below if you’re interested.
Pt 3-I wanted to know more. Great acting, cinematography, and use of sound here. Interesting character and profession though we could have used a bit more information about her. Chilling final act. It’s really something to see.
Pt 2-There’s a lot of creepy elements here: spooky dreams, dead people and beings stalking the character. The plot plays with dreams and reality, her voice has feedback to it. It’s a slow-burn but it’s worth the wait. I really loved the world-building around “the intruders.”
The Intruder/El Prófugo) (2020). Pt 1-I enjoyed this film, but it was made with a specific audience in mind. The horror is understated, downplayed & very subtle until the end, which is quite creepy albeit a bit literal. A very interesting (what I would call) arthouse horror flick.
Laura Hasn’t Slept (2020). The acting in this short was top-notch. You really felt for the main character, Laura, played by Caitlin Stasey and her dilemma. Lew Temple as Dr. Parsons was great as wel
Regret (2020). Worth seeing for the cinematography and the haunting music. Cinematography by Olivier Gossot.
Face Your Fears (2020). Dir. Neil Stevens. Very interesting concept! Creepy game and cards. I loved the look of those cards -- they would make a great gift. Good character. Great sets and music. What a gruesome ending!
Mr.ThisforThat (2020). Dir. by Thomas Mendolia. What a great idea & wonderful execution! Very creepy! Great voice for the creature. Great acting. Very high production values. Chilling ending! An enjoyable & unique story. A standout short from the Telluride Horror Show.
Pt 5-I loved the final act of her appearing at the book signing and I would love to know what happens next for her. This was a memorable experience and a movie I’d love to see again! I caught this one at Telluride Horror Show. Check it out.
Pt 4-I don’t agree with something, can’t reveal what exactly, no spoilers, but it mitigates her motivation and muddies the water in terms of a critique of hate. I get the message but I personally would have gone in a different direction.
Pt 3-Interesting that the hate is all from white males. Wonderful acting and direction. Great music, editing and cinematography. Good pacing. Something to see for sure. The only problem for me was the ending.
Pt 2-Finally, we’re commenting on this. Trolls beware! I loved how we really got inside Femke’s mind. I enjoyed the critique on “branding” yourself that her publishers were actively cultivating. Stick to what she knows for her column like divorce and kids? Yikes.
The Columnist (2019). Pt 1-I’m all for horror movies about Twitter hate and trolls. I had some trolls of my own a while back for one of my reviews, which people still comment on, so I was psyched about this movie and it resonated with me. I loved the criticism here.
Pt 3-A good attempt at a techno horror flick but it could have benefited from more scares.
Pt 2-Abusive relationship. Shades of Get Out and Inception. I honestly could have done without the “crunchy” monster. I guessed the twist early on and was waiting to see how this ended. The story structure could have been better and it was a tad long. Odd ending.
Black Box (2020). Pt 1-Good setup, unique characters at least in how they’re first presented. Creepy premise. Glad there is no black box out there in the real world. Love that kid! Interesting concept but I came for a horror movie and not a dark and depressing story.
Summon a Fiend (2018). This short is brilliant! All the pieces fit together perfectly. Wonderful directing, great acting, lovely music and strong production values. A director to watch -- a career in the making. Who knew a demon could have so much heart? @eleanor_cho
Pt 3-A very particular movie made for a particular audience that’s not me. Depressing and very twisted final act with who the villain is and why. No, just no. Stay and watch the credits if you do see this flick.
Pt 2-But the explanation of what’s happening here is depressing. I wanted to know more about the drug that can make you see dead people. Interesting worldbuilding. I was expecting a fun ride, and this isn’t quite that. Not a fan of the characters.
Dead (2020).Pt 1-Interesting mystery. A bit sad overall. The main character is a bit of a loser, so it was hard to get into it. An interesting story. While not comedic, it is in a light mood as opposed to somber & depressing given the fact that he’s communicating with dead peeps.
I stand by my review of Antikk directed by Morten Haslerud. I saw this one again in a shorts program at Nightstream. https://t.co/KhEHsewlKn
Pt 2-I’d definitely be interested in a feature film with this monster.
Abracitos (2020), directed by Tony Morales. Pt 1-Creepy from the beginning. A slowly evolving story. Great ending! Stay until after the credits for one last scene in this short. Creepy monster. This one actually scared me! Good horror movie music. @tonymorales88
Swipe (2019), directed by Niels Bourgonje. I’m really happy I saw this one. Realistic and absolutely chilling! Great acting. My worst nightmare come to life. A memorably creepy stalking short. The monster here is a human male. @Bourgonje @NightstreamFest
Pt 2-The scares are thin & creepy rather than outright scary. Aside from an interactive TV show moment, most of “scares” are generic & gimmicky. The explanation is depressing & sad. I had high hopes for this movie & was really looking forward to it. Man, was this a huge letdown!
32 Malasana Street (2020). Pt 1-Great opening scene. I was happy to get into a haunted apartment flick but I want my money back. I don’t recommend this movie. Filled with hatred and abuse with characters who are paper thin aside from their finances which we know a bunch about.
Pt 2-The whole story centers around whether one is born evil or made evil. Nature vs nurture. The acting is wonderful. A really powerful ending. Definitely something to see.
Souvenirs (2020). Pt 1-A dark character-focused story centered around murderabilia and serial killers. Honestly, you already had me there. Creepy phone calls with good dialogue, rich characters and an interesting storyline. Rat death, abusive relationship, rape referenced.
Pt 4-Overall the movie is creepy, humorous, over the top and cheesy but, you know, it works. The ending here with the social commentary on humanity was perfect. A very enjoyable watch!
Pt 3-A horror director scouting for locations finds his way into a horror reality. Tragic last story. I liked the performances in the club, some interesting songs there.
Pt 2-Interesting stories. I wasn’t a fan of how the 1st story ended but it was quite memorable. Dead pigeon and cat. Creepy stories! Very interesting characters. The second story was my favorite. Loved the idea of “blood crimes.” And what an ending!
The Monster Club (1981). Pt 1-Always a fan of Vincent Price’s work. Love the idea of a vampire taking a human to the Monster Club to inspire creativity in his horror stories. I’m open to monsters collaborating with me. :D A weregoo? Shadmocks? Oh the monster hierarchy!
I have passes and tickets to several festivals this month so keep it tuned to this channel for more tweets about up and coming films. This one’s a retro flick.
Pt 3-Good choreographed dance moves. I loved that both characters were horror writers trying to come up with material for their next book. Good dialogue overall. Loved the dynamics between the two characters. Was expecting a wilder, darker, crazier, bloody ending.
Pt 2-I wanted more depth in one character and higher stakes. The ending was tragic but in some ways anticlimactic. The ending was more of a whimper than a bang. Some creepy moments and that last story was great. They really brought it. Creepy song and story.
Scare Me (2020). Pt 1-Great characters and great idea . Kind of a grown up Are You Afraid of the Dark premise. However, the novelty of scary stories told with realistic sound effects wore off and it was a bit slow. The twist was obvious though not well explained.
Pt 5-Interesting idea of a demon attacking fractured families. This film would have benefited from a tighter story structure that builds tension more effectively.
Pt 4-The dysfunctional family dynamics were so over the top but I did like the theme here about family and sticking by them. The villain arrives on the scene a bit late and it takes a long time to figure out how to defeat him.
Pt 3-It’s clear what the villain represents and how to defeat him, but I wanted more depth in his character. Why was it focused on Amy? Wasn’t one character supposed to get his wish?
Pt 2-The dialogue goes from cheesy & heavy handed to OK. I did love the music. I was expecting more horror, but it’s all at the end. I enjoyed the Quiga scene. Overall, the villain isn’t well explained.
The Bloody Man (2020). Pt 1-I wanted to like this film. I love 80’s horror but this film has a terrible story structure that feels almost aimless. The story is filled with flashbacks and "after-school specials" scenes with heavy-handed teachable moments.
Pt 5-The final act is good, the ending is a slap in the face. I think this movie has a very particular audience in mind and it’s not me though it might be you.
Pt 4-In fact, the movie feels longer than its running time. Considering that Anna was the main character, I’m frustrated by her journey in the film. We never get to meet who she’s texting. I feel like that’s a missed thread. I kept waiting for a fun twist and it never came.
Pt 3-Most of the humor was placed on Anna’s coworkers but not on snappy one liners or witty repartee or pop culture references until the final act. The dialogue isn’t as funny as I expected. Michael playing with Anna’s “guest” went on for too long.
Pt 2-Her coworkers were oddballs, there were some good workplace commentary like Michael the walking sexual harassment suit. I honestly wanted more commentary.
Life’s a Bitch and Then One Kills You (2020). Pt 1-You’d think that a movie with this title would be a fun comedic romp and not a sort of funny, frustrating, mess. I came in wanting to like it, but I didn’t. I was honestly expecting a lot funnier.
Eject (2019). What a clever idea! Surreal and memorable. Tragic and intense ending. Good characters, great concept. Good visuals and music. Definitely worth checking out. It makes me wonder what I’d do and what’s in my drawers. @MileHighHorror
Pt 2-Gruesome bloody deaths and an enjoyable watch. Great pacing and cinematography. Good acting. All for the sharp criticism about corporate culture in general and retail culture in particular and the lies companies tell their customers.
Slaxx (2020.) Pt 1-I caught this as part of the Mile-High Horror Festival, and I recommend checking it out. I think it will appear on Shudder next year. A politically conscious horror flick about killer pants. Oh yeah they went there and you know what? It totally works.
Pt 2- #MileHighHorror @MortenHaslerud Amazing cinematography. Good ending and great music. What a memorable short! A director to watch for.
Antikk (2020) is the standout short of the Mile-Hile Horror Festival. #MileHighHorror @MortenHaslerud Pt 1-It may only be 14 minutes long but it's a complete chilling story with good characters and a very creepy antique. I’ll never look at a clawfoot tub the same way.
Pt 3-The problem is making it to the ending. No real scares, just jump scares and odd creepy visuals here and there but not enough to carry the entire film.
Pt 2-Atmospherically creepy for the whole movie & then the final act has some good dramatic moments but honestly it comes too late. Slow-burn not done right. The characters were paper thin. Good music and cinematography though. I did love the ending, really effectively chilling.
Lake of Death (2019). Pt 1-You’d think that with a title like that, there would be a whole lotta death. Not so much. Lake of Death? More like Rivulet of Death.
September, 2020
Pt 2-Creepy final act but the ending is a bit open ended. The story might have benefited from a more concrete ending at least with the family.
Ghostwatch (1992). Clever idea and story structure. This movie felt real. Great found footage paranormal investigation horror flick. Much better than Paranormal Activity. Good dialogue and characters. Not quite scary but entertaining.
Pt 6-There’s one scene in particular that nauseated me so much I nearly threw up. The ending was very gruesome and nauseating as well.
Pt 5-They never explain it or reference back to it. Using telemetry to “experience” sex. Eyeroll. Good ole sex magic. Love the woman taking charge but right after that she’s drilled by a puppet, not a euphemism. In bad taste.
Pt 4-A very slow start. Takes forever to set the scene. Terrible story structure, lots of plot holes and threads left unexplained. You have to connect the dots a lot. Convoluted story. Storytelling is a bit bare. Rape warning, brief scene. Not sure why that’s in there.
Pt 3-There’s a very intense battle with two puppets. A truly evil villain with a good “villain monologue” as I like to call it.
Pt 2-I liked some things & disliked a lot of other things. The beginning with the POV camera of the puppet running was great. Really creepy dream here. Yikes. Love the idea of thought transference.
Puppet Master (1989). Pt 1-Those were some creepy puppets that only the puppet master could love! Wonderful music in the opening credits. In fact, I loved the beginning. I wanted to know more about Andre Toulon. I really wanted that movie and not the movie I got.
Pt 3-What a chilling and sadistic story! Only gets creepier! The power of fear and public perception. Great themes. Very unsetting and cruel ending. The ending is a real gut-punch. I wasn’t prepared for it. I did like the very last scene.
Pt 2-Malik is a very mysterious character and that held my attention trying to figure him out. Good music. “I find it disgusting how easy it is for false stereotypes to shape public perception.” “People don’t think anymore, they follow.” Great dialogue! High concept.
Spiral. Pt 1-Good fake outs. Good dialogue. Interesting characters. Glad to see another LGBT+ horror flick. Creepy homophobic racist small town focused on “upholding family values.” Very timely film. Good slow-reveal storyline and creepy undertones. Definitely worth checking out.
Pt 4-Hypnosis never seemed creepier. Definitely something to see! Chilling conclusion. Tragic Story.
Pt 3-She wanted to be taken seriously in her profession. I liked the feminism here. That PI is such a jerk! Creepy story that only got creepier. Shades of Hitchcock again towards the end with the “Margaret” scenes.
Pt 2-Very exciting scenes with the police investigation and the neighbor coming up. That was worth the whole movie really. Shades of Hitchcock all over the film. I loved that the neighbor wanted to have a full life on her own and not be married or defined by that choice.
Sisters (1972). Pt 1-What dramatic music in the beginning! Not a fan of the opening scene. Margot Kidder having a French accent was a treat. Good psychological horror here. That’s some transformation. I loved the split screen.
Pt 5-The underlying theme of violence in movies and videos influencing young people to kill was a bit too heavy handed
Pt 4-To me, the overly dramatic ending didn’t fit with the tone of the rest of the movie. They could have taken the film in so many different directions. I’m not sold on that ending!
Pt 3- Memorable. Nice film homage to Psycho. Loved seeing those movie clips and seeing the world through his eyes! I loved “Marilyn,” and I would’ve liked to see more of her and really get to know her character.
Pt 2-He’s downtrodden, vilified, yelled at by people in power and loved ones alike -- stepped on. I feel for him. Takes a while to tell the story. A slow descent into madness as he hides behind villains of the screen. A very unique character and film. Rife for a remake for sure.
Fade to Black (1980). Pt 1-I really love the detailed sets, the movie references and the main character who deeply loves cinema. His aunt is insufferable and the world is so cruel to him. What a sad, misunderstood character who’s very socially awkward and a bit creepy.
Pt 4-Here showing and not telling would be better. I liked the investigation of the characters. I found the theme and the use of religion too heavy handed. It’s like they were dictating the takeaway to us. The ending was good, but I could have done without the narration.
Pt 3-By not showing us what happens and letting us just hear the sounds of the attacks and then see the carnage, it’s not as scary as it could have been. We don’t understand how it’s happening so since what happens seems unbelievable, it takes away the punch of the violence.
Pt 2-Everyone seems like a suspect. There's tough looking characters in one location making it seem creepy but while it did do that effectively for the most part, it had a few other missteps.
The Devil (2010). Pt 1-Good, simple idea but not the best execution. Also, the casting gives away the answer about who it is, right away. Nice opening shots. Wonderful cinematography. Good dramatic music. All for the psychological mind games here. Good red herrings.
Pt 3-A good story, great characters, good cinematography, exciting scenes. I like horror that has a punch, some heart, a morality play to it and not just jump scares. If you’re looking for a thoughtful horror flick, check this one out.
Pt 2-It’s a movie that will get people talking and one that will make you think. How far will a mother's love go? What price would you pay? Don’t make deals unless you’re sure you can pay the price. A bit slow, be patient with it. Unique visuals. Creepy but not scary.
El Pacto (2018). Pt 1-A very powerful and emotional horror film from Spain. More psychological than supernatural though the supernatural story frames it. This really explores the theme deeply and goes all the way down the track.
Pt 2-So much suffering and cruelty here. Hard to watch. Good twist though. Meaningful though the meaning isn’t as powerful as it could be.
The Tall Man. Pt 1-Abuse, implied rape, unwanted pregnancy, depressing movie. Good actors that were underutilized in the movie. Good use of narration to set the scene. What an intense battle. A very interesting concept and ending but I felt that it could have been handled better.
The Haunting Hour. I’m Not Martin. A truly chilling story that’s quite dark, way too dark for kids. The old “urban legend” about a mix-up in the hospital. You go in for one thing, end up with another. Terrible ending but an interesting watch all the same.
Pt 4-Starts with a bang, ends with a whimper. If you’re just looking to be creeped out, I suppose this film’s OK. It’ll deliver that. Just don’t expect more.
Pt 3-The “creatures” looked a bit like those in "It Follows." They tried to tack on a psychological component but what would have been more helpful is being able to understand the origins of the app and actually trying to fight it with valid defenses and an exciting battle.
Pt 2-The middle lags and the ending is terrible. Bit of a depressing film. Odd use of sexuality and sex here that doesn’t sit right with me. They tried to give this film more meaning than just another evil app movie with supernatural creatures.
You Die. Pt 1-Simple, direct title. I’m a sucker for evil app movies so I knew I had to check this one out. It’s effectively creepy, has a good concept and a great opening scene, with good sets and music. However, the story structure needs some work.
Pt 5- Sounds like a bad porno or erotica. If you’re looking for hot vampire drama try Vampire Diaries.
Pt 4-The symbolism here of a vampire standing in for sexual desire is cheesy. I had to suppress laughter because equating vampiric urges to a man trying to contain his sexual urges when he likes a girl is an odd way to portray a ruthless vampire.
Pt 3-I don’t like the world we see here though if we had seen more of it, there might have been some saving grace. There was a good story here, good characters but it’s ruined by focusing only on Diana’s relationship. There is more to life and womanhood than who you date.
Pt 2-The witches seem catty, ruthless & ready to follow the chain of command. They betray, back stab & uphold social conventions. The vampires are sexy, strong (especially the females) & some are sadistic, the demons honestly are the most fun and we only get a glimpse of them.
Discovery of Witches. Pt 1- I wanted to like this, but I didn’t. While I liked the actor in other roles, she didn’t bring anything to the table as Diana. The world was overly dark with a torture scene that just wouldn’t end.
The Haunting Hour. Dreamcatcher. Quite creepy. Towards the end the creepiness is lessened a bit when we get a good look at what’s dream-stalking them. Still effective. Shades of Freddy Kreuger. Good ending, karmic.
Pt 3-Felt sorry for the ghost but her vengeance needed to be quelled. Bit sad. This whole story would have been ten times more powerful if the mother had gone searching for the son and not the father.
Pt 2-Interesting mystery here but what a terrible title. Very emotional. The pacing is a little off. Dark worldbuilding. Exciting ending. Epidemic referenced. Burned children referenced. Good spooky story for a movie night with friends. Good ending.
Pay the Ghost (2015). Pt 1-A rather dark beginning. I love that this takes place during Halloween and features a creepy carnival. I’m all for creepy carnivals! Good sets and music. Great foreshadow. Creepy characters. Creepy story.
The Haunting Hour. Wrong Number. Karma’s out to get you. Shades of Drag Me to Hell. The only real way to deal with mean girls. Clever, spooky and a memorable story. What did we learn here? Don’t prank call people and don't be a mean girl!
Pt 3-Mothers have to kill their kids. Is it a comment on abortion? It was mentioned in the film. No explanation. Another do-it-yourself ending.
Pt 2- Too slow, too drawn out and not enough explanation of what happened and why everyone wasn’t affected. Sadistic, cruel, violent, intense, painful. Depressing. Don’t recommend. No explanation just sadism.
The Children (2009). Pt 1-Strange family dynamics and conversations from the get-go. Odd dialogue. A “nonversation”? “I’m so sad I could fart?” What? Shades of Children of the Corn and Village of the Damned. Slow burn. Creepy. Abortion reference. Unsettling.
Pt 2-Sometimes mothers just don’t love their children. Now that’s creepy! Wonderful acting. A very memorable episode.
The Haunting Hour. Pt 1-Really You. This was really creepy, but the chilling aspects come mostly in Pt 2. Having a life-size doll of yourself is spooky but the slow transformation that the daughter goes through is really chilling & so is the character development of her mother.
Pt 4-It was really slow and a test of strength to keep watching it. Gets darker and nauseated me as it got to the end. Terrible ending.
Pt 3-They did things, ignored things, that no rational person would do. The logic in this film defies description. After everything that happened, why were they still committed to this trip? Their stupidity frustrated me no end.
Pt 2-The execution could have been a lot better. I didn’t get a good sense of the characters but from what I did get, I really disliked them all. The dialogue needs some work -- a rape joke? Really? The characters were TSTL (too stupid to live).
The Houses October Built. Pt 1-Good idea for a horror movie to comment on extreme haunted houses. Really creepy beginning. You don't ever really know who the actors are in haunted houses, what they’re capable of doing or even if there were background checks. Yikes.
Pt 4-It really set the tone. Strong beginning, good ending but the middle is where it lost me. The movie feels longer than its running time.
Pt 3-That’s most likely a commentary on the police but it felt off for a crime flick. I wanted more scenes with Judd Nelson, more emphasis on his brand of crazy. Some good deaths here. Not a fan of the victim-blaming though. Great music, especially in the beginning.
Pt 2-Instead of being focused on the villain and really delving into his mind, we have too many scenes with wise-cracking cops who are way too blasé about the crimes and barely even bother to investigate.
Relentless (1989). Pt 1-I was all for seeing Judd Nelson as a villain, but this retro flick fell flat. He was a good villain, but the story structure was all off.
August, 2020
Pt 3-A domestic horror flick about losing your family little by little. How far will a mother’s love go? Not the best story but it does what it does well. It’s creepy and exciting and interesting to watch. Good ending. Good illustrations.
Pt 2-There’s a certain amount of horror in that idea but generally very, very tame. Good creepy dream. I have no idea what the black and white flashes have to do with the story. It gets scarier at the end. A family in jeopardy.
Midnight’s Child (1992). Pt 1-Pretty decent for a TV horror flick. Good acting all around. Happy to see an empowered woman in a high-ranking position with a stay-at-home dad. A busy career mom hired someone to help, an au-pair, only to get replaced.
Pt 3-I felt the ending was in an odd place, maybe OK for the characters but strange dramatically, given it’s horror.
Pt 2-Great acting from the two female leads in particular. They carry the movie and really own their roles. What a tense ending. I didn’t appreciate the idea that a woman needs to be tortured and kidnapped to love their unborn child. That felt very off to me.
Delivered (2020). Pt 1-Not a fan of using pregnancy to induce fear but I do understand that this was written with Mother’s Day in mind. I really loved the Wind but this one, I couldn’t get into. What a creepy and chilling story. Shades of Misery here. Sadistic and dark story.
Pt 3-The townsfolk lusting after a 15-year-old. Eww. Terrible explanation and ending, very badly explained.
Pt 2-This isn’t scary at all. I wasn’t a fan of the lead female character. She was shallow, attention seeking, and mean, and the side characters weren’t well enough developed to hold your attention or the film. I did love Kathy. I wanted to know more about her character.
Sweet Sixteen. Pt 1-Beyond slow -- boring to be honest. Watching paint drying would be more interesting. Way too focused on the townspeople being racist and violent towards Native Americans. I really question why that’s here at all. The murders were cheesy.
Pt 3-Lots of plot holes, but some good deaths. It wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great either. This movie would really benefit from a remake.
Pt 2-There’s one very resourceful and clever kid. So much of the world and the monsters were left unexplained and the ending was very confusing and made no sense. It was very abrupt; it felt like the writer had no idea what to do with the story.
Phantasm (1979). Pt 1-Good music. Sounds a lot like a John Carpenter score. Good framing, sets, and lighting. Good villain but the movie leaves a lot to be desired. A bit slow by today’s standards. I was getting “Goosebumps” vibes here.
Pt 2-Clever idea though to be fair, I guessed everything in the first few minutes. The episode is from the child’s POV so his fear is palpable. You’re right by his side up to the chilling ending. Memorable and one of my favorites.
R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour. Afraid of Clowns. Pt 1-This is a standout episode to me and one that hasn’t left me. Truly chilling even if you don’t find clowns scary, which I don’t. Wonderful acting, great cinematography.
Pt 2-The explanation comes too early and mitigates the scares for me. Shades of They (2002). While the “why” is explained it could have been touched on more. The ending was super depressing.
Lights Out (2016). Pt 1-Interesting characters and setup. Effectively creepy especially with the opening murder. Good creepy sets from the mannequin showroom to the bedroom lit by a neon tattoo sign. Sadly, it’s not as creepy when it’s explained.
Pt 4-The SFX are super cheesy and there are no real strong women here sadly, but it was still enjoyable. What a chilling ending! OMG. I totes wasn’t prepared for that.
Pt 3-What’s not to like? Well worth the watch just for that. Psychotic love theme. This movie might not be for everyone, but it was fine for me. Quality B horror. Good, creepy villain, clever “horrorscope” idea.
Pt 2-The scene where a woman runs into a play of Goethe’s “Faust” and the scene where someone is transported to a classic Christmas movie that has been altered to include zombies were inspired. Loved Lucifer’s bookstore and the Elvira and Freddy Krueger references as well.
976-Evil 2 (1992). Pt 1-Clichés and cheesiness abound, but this was a very enjoyable watch due to the creativity on display here and the creepy villain.
Pt 3-There are better stories out there of the tormented outsider gaining power to get revenge. A bit of a one-note story. Not a terrible movie by any means. Solid B -- just didn’t speak to me. Dead parrot. Terrible final battle & ending. The final scene, however, was good.
Pt 2-Spike was more likable in the sequel. Good deaths here for the most part. Could have done without the religious overtones, which make me think of “Carrie.” Not a fan of most of the characters or what happened to the main female lead.
976-Evil. Pt 1-I didn’t connect with this one as much as I did with the sequel. Great opening credits. Good use of colors, sets, and lighting. Dante’s restaurant -- love it. Good direction. I loved how Spike and his cousin sent messages to each other.
Pt 3-Great beginning. Good ending. Really good twist. Dialed up the crazy here. Definitely a movie I can watch multiple times.
Pt 2-A positive and negative view of obsession if such a thing is possible. I love that two characters are reading John Fowles’ Collector. The Collector (1965) based on the book is a great movie by the way. A dark story told well.
Crush (2013). Pt 1-OK, so maybe not horror but it’s not quite a thriller either. There’s a decent body count here. There’s a lot going on so you might have to watch it twice. Memorable characters, psychotic love and obsession. What’s not to like?
Pt 2-Cruel and sadistic ending that punches you in the gut. I want the time back that I spent watching this drivel.
The Gallows Act 2. Pt 1-So slow. It takes forever to tell the story and it’s honestly not a great story to tell anyway. More focused on the characters than the actual plot. But the ending needed more explaining. A few spooky scenes but not at all scary. Dead dog.
Pt 2-I’m happy to have another LGBTQ+ horror flick, I’d love to see more being made, but I feel like this is for a specific audience showing a specific subset of gay culture and might not be as relatable as one would like.
Midnight Kiss (2019). Pt 1-Tense scenes, gruesome deaths, good slasher but the explanation could have been much better, weak finale and motivation for the killer. I did guess who the killer was but not the why. Good acting but the characters were a bit shallow and selfish.
Pt 2-Tragic and a bit sadistic. A comment on delusion, the human brain and fears over a corrupt society.
The Current Occupant (2020). Pt 1-Very bleak and a bit of a thinker. Not scary, more cerebral. High concept. Unique and interesting story but not a very fun watch overall. Good characters. Shades of a Clockwork Orange and Black Mirror. Keeps you guessing till the very end.
July, 2020
Pt 3-It is a bit long and the story structure isn’t the best but it’s a unified vision and quite chilling. Everyone really owns their character. Strong storytelling
Pt 2-Great colors, opening scene, sets, costumes, good dialogue and an interesting story. “You are not a person that can be loved without destruction.” Yikes! I really loved the character of Julie.
My Valentine (2020). Pt 1-Horror through the prism of domestic violence with a truly psychotic villain. Serious shades of Harley Quinn and the Joker here. Really intense story and ending. Memorable. High body count for the story presented.
Pt 3-Takes a long time to set up the story. Got “I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes” here a bit. You’ll definitely be wary of Air BnB’s but it’s not like we’re going on vacays any time soon. I wouldn’t recommend renting it. Wait till it goes on Netflix if you wanna see it.
Pt 2-What looked good in the trailer, turned into a boring character study of people who are only half interesting. And then the film ends with no understanding of why the killer did it or even who he is. Without that info, the movie falls flat and feels pointless.
The Rental (2020). Pt 1-Interesting idea but way too focused on cheating and drama – as if that’s the only way to have character development. It takes much too long to get to stabbing.
Pt 2-They all made terrible choices. Good social commentary but I felt like it could have been deeper. Terrible music that clashed with the scenes. Sadistic & a bit depressing. Ominous but good ending. Could have been so much better. A pale imitation of a decent horror flick.
Red Letter Day (2019). Pt 1-“Will kindness and manners prevail, or will the true self-serving nature of humankind rear its ugly head?” Good idea but this movie fell flat for me. The dialogue was heavy handed and awkward. The characters were paper-thin and are TSTL.
Pt 3-Especially the couple in the van. The chase scenes went on for a long time and honestly, dragged the film a bit. Tragic story. Great ending, all things considered.
Pt 2-Good whodunit aspect but again, it’s a bit obvious. Callous sex crazy high schoolers. Sigh. They may have done something horrible in the past but since we don’t know anything about their characters now, I’m not sure they deserve what happens to them.
Prom Night (1980). Pt 1-Not quite the movie I thought I’d be watching. It was OK. There’s a lot thrown in here from pranks gone wrong to a great disco dance scene. I’m never a fan of two women being catty and vicious to each other over a man.
Pt 4-Two deaths in particular are way too gruesome and sadistic, needlessly so. Ending takes too long. The ending could've been a lot better.
Pt 3-The movie is too long for a story like this. Women are just pawns here, not fully-fledged characters. Wish Tony would just go after Paul and not use the women he loves to hurt him. Such a tired trope. Misogynistic. Hard to watch this one.
Pt 2-Sadistic & cruel undercurrents. Good cast. Tony is really creepy. Cheesy SFX. Loved William Morgan Sheppard in this but I definitely won't be watching this again. Bit too formulaic and sadistic for my tastes. No twists, no interesting subplots, just what it is at face value.
Sometimes They Come Back…Again. Pt 1-Good opening scene. Clunky flashbacks. Much more violent and gruesome than some of the other films based on Stephen King stories. I wasn’t prepared for just how gruesome things would get. Got nauseated several times. Gruesome pig death here.
Pt 3-I don’t know why the writer felt the need to explain away the supernatural by making astute psychological observations. Let the viewers take away what they want to. The movie should’ve let us come to our own conclusions. I will say the ending is chilling and stays with you!
Pt 2-A very emotional movie that’s a bit too focused on grief, child death and drama than horror for my taste. The horror is too underplayed. Creepy manipulative ghost preying on a child. A tragic story -- feels a bit like a Greek tragedy here.
Don’t Go to Sleep (1982). Pt 1-Oh, the in-laws of it all. Interesting beginning. Jarring opening credits. Good setup. Gets creepier little by little as it goes along. Bit slow. Great child actors.
Pt 2-Chilling ending that will stay with you. Definitely a bit of a thinker but I’m not afraid of using my brain when seeing a horror flick. Unusual movie. Something to see.
Relic (2020). Pt 1-An indie arthouse horror flick about generational dementia. Shades of Babadook. Creepy and haunting atmosphere. Mounting tension. I love the idea of the house being a conduit of the grandmother and her mental state. Bit tragic and heavy.
Pt 3-Terrible ending. It was too tame and not deep enough. Could have done a lot more with that idea. Perfect film for a remake.
Pt 2-Slow burn. Loved Woody Harrelson’s character. Her husband does a 180 into a man who is never there for her. Always what you want in a husband! Gets creepier as it goes along. For a smart woman, she can be really stupid. Bit cheesy towards the end.
Bay Cove (1987). Pt 1-Happy to see an accomplished woman. Interesting, rich characters at least at the beginning. Good premise. Another couple tired of the city moves into a new big house in the burbs. Stepford Wives vibes here as well as Let’s Scare Jessica to Death. Dog death.
Pt 3-I guessed the twist. What an interesting story and an interesting way to tell it. I really enjoyed this one.
Pt 2-Some very violent deaths and some nasty scenes, like the dog fight. Suspenseful as well. Unsettling and creepy atmosphere throughout. Constant use of shadow, mirrors and doppelgangers as worldbuilding and foreshadowing was inspired.
The Broken (2008). Pt 1-This one really got me! I was scared, so kudos to the filmmakers. Hardly any movies actually scare me. The last two I remember scaring me were Dead Silence and Insidious. Attention to detail here even in the ads in the subway.
Pt 3-Not a tight story structure but not too loose either. Good ending, interesting film, enjoyable watch. Not great but definitely a fine choice for a movie night with friends.
Pt 2-Anne is tough till the end in the final battle that has to be some of the worst fight choreography I ever saw. The coach here reminds me of the ballet instructor in Black Swan. Abuse of power is a consistent theme here. Creepy reveal with shades of Psycho.
Graduation Day (1981). Pt 1-This one stayed with me. Gotta love retro revenge slashers. It’s a whodunit but it’s obvious, if you think about it, who’s doing it. Anne and the rest of the women here have to deal with a lot of misogyny.
Pt 3-So much death. Interesting ideas and conception but not a great execution. Good chilling ending! A bit of a mediation on the effects of trauma.
Pt 2-Trigger warning for an abusive, soon-to-be-divorced husband who constantly pops up harassing the main character and for abuse in childhood. Good cast, good twists. Unified vision. Great isolated, haunting sets. Drags in the middle due to no real story structure.
The Caller (2011). Pt 1-This movie is a bit open-ended and can be interpreted in different ways but at the end of the day, it’s quite effective at getting under your skin and creeping you out. You’ll never look at a landline the same way.
Announcement Pt 2-I love both of these shows but Charmed has a special place in my heart so next weekend, tune in for some Charmed.
Announcement Pt 1- Hi, everyone. Lexie here. We have one more episode of Buffy left for me to review. I did a poll a while back to see what show you’d want me to review on the weekends and Charmed (1998) was tied with True Blood.
Pt 4-I was very nervous about where this was going. What a chilling twist and a haunting ending. A very memorable, intriguing, chilling movie that’s also quite painful at the same time.
Pt 3-Since the story is really told from Jack’s POV, it’s hard to distinguish what’s happening from what he’s imagining. Domestic violence. Descriptions of child sexual abuse. You slowly watch Jack self-destruct, which is interesting in a way, stale in another.
Pt 2-Very strange and dysfunctional characters. Takes a long time to set up the story. Odd that his female friend appears in the movie more than his fiancé. Dead children, plural here. And a dog death. Gets a hell of a lot darker and creepier as it goes along.
Jack Goes Home (2016). Pt 1-A very strong start with the main character looking straight into the camera and narrating with rather poetic language. Jack drew me into the story because he was a mysterious character but as the story went on, I became less invested in it.
Pt 3-There was one creepy scene in the pilot. More abuse than scares. Not worth sticking it out for minimal scares. Pass for me.
Pt 2- Loved the Grudge (2004) but not this series. I’m so tired of trauma and rape as character development. Get better writers! Making this into a series as opposed to a movie means you can delve into those topics more. Great. Then I’m out.
Ju-On: Origins. Pilot. Pt 1-I was all for a Ju-on series, but this is more of a brutal take than the movies and I don’t appreciate it. Trigger warning for child abuse, rape, bullying and murdering of children. If those things don’t bother you, watch it.
Pt 3-Ruined a good film. Terrible world-building and mythos. What a way to ruin a good premise.
Pt 2-Needed a simple story, should have been simpler. Took an odd turn in the middle when it derailed into a banal story with a terrible ending. Unraveled the tight story structure little by little. Sadistic, misogynistic ending.
Selfie Man (2018). Pt 1-Cheesy but effective. Really creepy opening credits. Good pacing and story structure up to the point where the main character really investigates and the Dark Web comes into play. Acting is decent good enough for the story.
Pt 4-Great characters, great love story that wasn’t explored enough. Gut-wrenching towards the end though things were heavily foreshadowed. A good, interesting story ruined by a terrible ending. Cruel and sadistic. So much death. Quite a depressing and heavy story.
Pt 3-Things move slowly and you have to be patient to find the answer to the mystery. Even then, you get the barest of explanations. Lazy worldbuilding, barely explained bigger picture. Good foley. Interesting theme of the strength of a mother’s love and the limits of it.
Pt 2-A very unique, interesting premise but it really lags in the middle & makes you desperate to find out what’s going on. The little boy is beyond creepy! The screaming is grating. A mounting sense of tension.
Vivarium. Pt 1-Suburbia never looked creepier, from that creepy kid to what’s on the TV, not to mention the salesman and his pitch for “Yonder.” Bit of a disturbing opening scene with birds. The two leads have a lot of chemistry.
Pt 4-Interesting exploration of femininity, gender roles, friendship, ambition, inspiration and marriage.
Pt 3- Odd place to end the film but I appreciated the ambiguous ending. It works for the film and leaves you with an intriguing question. Trying to be vague here so I don’t give anything away -- no spoilers.
Pt 2-An interesting film and Elizabeth Moss is fantastic as Shirley. She becomes the title character. A certain ominous atmosphere throughout. Rich dysfunctional characters. The opening scene is a bit off and a trigger warning for a ton of cheating.
Shirley (2020). A complex story that gives us a glimpse into the life of Shirley Jackson but it's more akin to a story Shirley writes. Throws you into the narrative. Something to see for fans of Shirley Jackson’s stories.
Pt 4-Creepy looking zombies, I’ll give them that. Interesting use of colors. Quite suspenseful. Interesting place to end the pilot.
Pt 3-Glad that there’s a strong woman who doesn’t stand for sexual harassment right away in the beginning but that’s offset by a woman who is tired of “being the good girl.” Because, god forbid, a woman could be seen as just woman without the dichotomy in place.
Pt 2-Sadly, while the idea is good, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. There is good diversity in the casting but some of them are killed off in the beginning. Tries to straddle the space between gruesome zombies and humor and it doesn’t do a great job. Muddled tone.
Reality Z. Pilot. Pt 1-Nope, not for me but maybe for you. All for a harsh critique of reality TV culture, add zombies into the mix and that’s a show. Ironic that the reality show before the zombie apocalypse is about sacrificing people to the Olympian gods.
June, 2020
Pt 3-One very intense scene. So much grief and sadness here. Good ending. Not a horror film but a decent thriller.
Pt 2-The film doesn’t hold back. Painful to watch her slow descent into potential madness as the world unravels around her. Trauma and grief lead to obsession. An interesting, affecting, and creepy movie. Some really suspenseful scenes.
Angel of Mine (2019). Pt 1- Good character development from the get-go. Creepy music. Interesting premise. Good edits and juxtapositions. Interesting sets. A good glimpse into a mother's traumatized mind.
Pt 3-Good use of color. Not much characterization but for a slasher with a lot of people on the kill list it’s hard to develop characters fully. Valentine though, was a good example of a rich character in a slasher.
Pt 2-Jamie Lee Curtis is in this one & she is a real fighter. Very intense fight scenes & ending. Suspenseful. Creepy mask. Good misdirect. While you know why the murderer is doing it, they do a good job on tricking you about who it is. In full disclosure, I guessed it early on.
Terror Train. Pt 1-A decent horror flick for a movie night. Good slasher that starts right away with a murder. That’s one nasty prank. Gotta love retro horror flicks with prank tropes; never prank crazy people or you'll end up in a horror movie. One wild and crazy party train!
Pt 3-Favors drama & angst over actual scares. Sigh! Feels much longer than its running time. The ending and the final battle were too drawn out. Terrible & predictable ending.
Pt 2-The opening scene is a bit cheesy. The dialogue goes from good to clunky & awkward, much like the inclusion of the backstory for the two main characters. So melodramatic toward the end. The music is at odds with the film. Way too much drama and angst for a horror film.
The Jack in the Box (2019). Pt 1-OK film but not great by any means. Creepy. Definitely not going to look at a jack-in-the-box the same way again.
Pt 4-Very chilling and creepy conclusion. Perfect ending. Ends on a strong note, pun intended. If you can stick through it, it’s worth it.
Pt 3-What that movie did for the art world, this one does for the music world. Crazy mythos. Clever keys to decrypt the score. Fair warning, you do hear children tortured and killed. It's relatively short but affecting.
Pt 2-Why does the lead hate human connection so much? Is it just to pare down the story? Does she have a personality disorder? Trauma in her past? Spooky but not quite scary. The story structure is way off. Very slow. A tamed down more atmospheric version of Velvet Buzzsaw.
Sonata. Pt 1-Good music which is important for a movie about music. Loved the POV camera in the beginning. Felt a little like a video game. Rutger Hauer is in this one -- so win-win, even if it's just a small part. The characters are off here.
Pt 3-The title is a bit odd and so is Norval. Unsettling beginning that reminded me of Creep. No story structure, not engaging in the least. Terrible ending! Meaningless. Give me my 1 hour and 34 mins back. Unless you’re a big fan of Elijah Wood, I’d give this one a miss.
Pt 2-The second half brought with it torture and many disgusting scenes. It was a bit offensive, all things considered, and basically derailed the entire film. Felt like a different movie and not a complete & unified vision of a story.
Come to Daddy. Pt 1-Not my kind of movie. Elijah Wood was very believable in his crazy role I will say that. Not a fan of the characters, any of them. I hated most of them, disliked the rest. Was so slow and boring in the first half. I guessed the main twist -- rather obvious.
Pt 4-Chilling ending. An all-around interesting film and what I would have wanted the Boy 1 movie to be. A reboot sequel.
Pt 3-Good exposition and investigation that doesn’t slow down the story. More supernatural than the first one. Bit of a crazy battle at the end. Glad Liza finds her strength to live again and go out; nothing helps you through trauma like a horror movie.
Pt 2-Such an insensitive husband, which actually is a frustrating trope of horror. Why did she marry him? Consistently scary nightmares. Creepy drawings as well. Dog death here. A bit slow. The pacing & story structure is a bit off.
The Boy 2. Pt 1-Good cinematography sets and music. Though towards the end, it’s a bit visually dark. Chilling home invasion. Deals with trauma but I question whether the trauma here was necessary; it feels like a plot point.
Pt 3-A John Carpenter-like score here. Even though they’re about different things, I got a Stranger Things vibe here. A rather light and interesting story.
Pt 2-Equal parts retro & cheesy. There’s a lot in the film, from toxic masculinity to bullying. The theme about a victimized gay high school student finding his strength was great. He learns to live his life & fight like hell instead of running. Annie was a great character too.
Dimension 404. Polybius. Pt 1-This one's got a lot going for it. It's narrated by Mark Hamill and Adrienne Barbeau is in it. Win-win! I loved the idea of an evil retro arcade game stealing souls. All for that idea. The evil being, well, honestly, I wish they hadn't shown it.
Pt 4-Really creepy imagery, mounting tensions, constantly ominous.
Pt 3-Constant theme: “nothing is given without something else being taken away.” Slow burn horror done well but a bit long at the end with the witch's explanation of her motivation & her thoughts about female strength & power.
Pt 2-I loved the themes of women finding their power in an oppressive and misogynistic environment fraught with ominous sexuality and silencing of female voices. Women finding their voice and power, one through love and the other from killing innocents.
Gretel & Hansel (2020). Pt 1-Interesting and chilling retelling right from the start. Great opening scene! Good use of narration. Great sets and colored lenses though some scenes are a bit dark.
Pt 4-It takes forever to tell the story and then when you finally get to the end, you’re both relieved and disappointed that this is what you spent almost 2 hours watching.
Pt 3-I think the point here was to talk about the lasting effects of trauma and how it leads to mental illness but that idea gets drowned by the rest of the story.
Pt 2-Heavy handed, constant references to religion, sin, and repenting. Not the movie you think you’d be watching based on the trailer. A real Debbie Downer.
The Lodge (2020). Pt 1-Give this one a wide berth. Depressing, dark, and so much death. Suicide warning. So slow that you could sleep through it. The sound is rather inconsistent, from blaring out to soft dialogue. Expect to change the volume frequently.
Pt 2-Great acting all around especially the child actors. Great sets, photography, good music, good characters. Fair amount of jump scares here. Builds to a crescendo. Pacing is a bit off but stick with it. Rape warning. Good, chilling ending.
The Turning. Pt 1-A wonderful, artfully done remake on The Turning of the Screw, directed by a woman, that kept to the original in spirit. Unsettling & creepy with an ominous atmosphere throughout. The characters and the mystery draw you in.
Pt 3-So many things happen and none of them work together. Depressing and terrible ending. Doesn’t explore any deeper themes and isn’t in the least bit scary. Child death.
Pt 2- What she was wearing? Some spooky scenes but this film fell flat. Nothing drew me into the characters. Snooze fest. The most boring, flat, and uninteresting version of The Turn of the Screw. Not a fan of the lesbian subtheme here, feels a bit like queer baiting.
In a Dark Place. Pt 1-Not a fan of the weak female lead or the world shown here where bosses touch their employees and can comment on their body? These characters would have benefited from the metoo movement. A bit visually dark. Failed to grab me. What's with the wardrobe here?
Pt 4- A ridiculous premise and a terrible ending. Good twist if you can make it that far.
Pt 3-Wish they would have focused more on urban legends. Domestic violence & suicide trigger warning. Boring, trite, slow. A rather banal horror flick that’s more of a thriller than a horror movie. No scary scenes here.
Pt 2-I will say that the class in the beginning was really interesting. I would have liked to take that class in college. An awful lot of talk about religion vs science. I thought this was supposed to be about an urban legend. Stay in your lane, movie!
The Curse of Buckout Road. Pt 1-A terrible attempt at horror. Not scary at all, especially at the beginning. Made me laugh and failed to hold my attention. Went for scares (unsuccessfully) rather than plot or character development.
Pt 2-What a good couple of twists here. An odd but somehow fitting ending, pretty dark. Great storytelling. A very complex and memorable story. It may not be a horror movie, but it's a good movie nonetheless --good themes of forgiveness, guilt, sacrifice and revenge.
Fantasy Island (2020). Pt 1-A very interesting and engrossing story that constantly changes. Unpredictable and rich. Some really good characters and interesting, in-depth character development. Ominous, intriguing but more suspenseful than scary. Don’t be fooled.
Pt 3-Everything just doesn’t come together well. Not scary in the least!
Pt 2-It takes the characters too long to figure out what’s happening when it’s quite obvious. Poltergeist vibe a bit towards the end. Child abuse lightly referenced. The idea of this movie is much better than the execution. Falls flat -- from the scares to the characters.
Our House. Pt 1-Great music! I had high hopes for this one but it’s so slow. Nothing much happens. They save all the action for the end. Some spookiness here & there, but this is supposed to be a horror flick.
Pt 2-So predictable. Terrible story with a terrible ending. So slow. Interminable. Not worth the time spent watching. A really twisted and depressing story. Spoiler here but necessary: killing an infant? The horror here is that this film got made.
Awaken the Shadowman. Pt 1-Mediocre attempt at horror, & that’s being kind. Mostly family drama with subpar acting & terrible dialogue. The mystery isn’t compelling enough. Not well developed. Doesn’t feel like a coherent story. I guessed the ending right from the very beginning.
Pt 2-Hardly any world building of the monster; focused more on the family melodrama. Predictable but good ending. Rather slow in some parts, really crescendos towards the end. Not bad, not great either.
Hollow Child. Pt 1-A good start but very odd and disjointed opening credits. Always nice to have an older sister who ditches you and lets you walk home in the spooky woods. Trigger warning: cutting. Sets up a good mystery. Haunting music/lullaby in some parts.
May, 2020
The Fog (1980). You’ll never look at fog the same way. Great music. Very exciting, suspenseful scenes. Adrienne Barbeau makes a great disc jockey! The SFX are a bit cheesy. A simple story with good characters especially Stevie. Definitely worth a watch.
Pt 2-The movie is rather visually dark. Terrible SFX. After an hour of watching it, I just had to stop. Not worth watching.
Parasomnia (2008). Pt 1-Disturbing but not creepy. A woman who spends her whole life sleeping, who can’t talk and seems childlike, has men all around her with designs for her. Even the “good guy” here is a bit creepy in his interactions with her. So slow.
Pt 3-Everyone really embodied their roles. Wes Craven & John Carpenter have cameos here. This reminds me of Tales from the Crypt.
Pt 2-One hell of a con. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. And the 3rd story is very melodramatic and intense. A good mix all around. I wasn’t a fan of the 3rd story. Domestic violence warning. An odd and gruesome way to end the anthology, but a great cast.
Body Bags (1993). Pt 1-Loved the 1st story. Exciting, memorable, with great characters. What a night for that gas station attendant! Good misdirect & twists. The 2nd story is more humorous. An ode to hair loss. Interesting analysis about a full head of hair for men. Very creepy.
Pt 2- I guessed the ending, but it leaves a tragic & depressing taste in your mouth. Not an enjoyable film. Wouldn’t recommend it.
Mary (2019). Pt 1-With the cast involved, I would have expected a better movie. This film was tough to get into: slow and subpar. The idea is better than the execution. Odd casting given the role. I don’t see Emily Mortimer as the daughter of a fisherman. Very dark & depressing.
Spirit Trap. Hell, no. Depressing as all get out. Terrible story, even worse execution. Yikes! The only thing it has going for it is Billie Piper. Not enough! Horrible characters. Domestic violence and assisted suicide warning.
Pt 2-Dialogue was terrible & the world building was even worse. There was even a misspelled newspaper headline! How can you misspell the word mystery?! Film feels much longer than it actually was. Terrible ending. Save me from bad horror.
The Music Box (2019). Pt 1-Save yourself from this low budget, cheesy, laughable horror. Shoddy work as you’ll see from this review. Everyone has an accent save for one person & all the accents are different! Lots of wooden acting here! The horror is all jump scares.
Pt 2-I guessed the twist here a while back in S1, but it’s still a good one. Much darker than S1 and a bit more depressing, more emotional, and also more exciting. The season takes a while to really pull you in so be patient with it. The last couple of episodes really bring it.
Castle Rock. S2. Pt 1-This one wasn’t as good as last season. The different storylines weren’t woven together seamlessly. They felt very disparate. Some storylines were more interesting than others. Slight spoiler but S1 and S2 are related.
Pt 3-I loved seeing Sissy Spacek & Bill Skarsgard play off each other. Episode 7 "The Queen," was my favorite from S1. Good characters. Great cast. Complex. Chilling ending!
Pt 2-A good blend of several Stephen King stories. Interesting themes of morality running throughout the season. A commentary on prisons, on creating your life story, reinventing yourself & Alzheimer's disease. Engrossing. Draws you in.
Castle Rock. S1. Pt 1- Castle Rock…a town cursed? A town begotten by an evil being? Or alternate universes? What an interesting world. I love complex stories, rich characters & a series I can sink my teeth into and I have all of them, right here in Castle Rock.
Pt 4-The whole story seems like a metaphor for mental illness. Attempted suicide. Depressing and heavy stuff. Interesting twists at the end but so what? They already lost me. I hung on this long because I’m a “completion” addict -- always go on to the end.
Pt 3-Now let’s talk about the positive messages in this film. Cue the sarcasm. Who needs a girlfriend when you can have a prostitute? Wow! And a joke about her pimp beating her?
Pt 2-Cheesy, odd & surreal -- not the best mix for a story. Too long for its own good. Explains the whole thing around halfway through the movie. What’s your incentive for seeing more? Good question. There isn’t one.
Hex (2019). Pt 1-Interesting characters, a rather unusual meeting for the two leads. The dialogue is both good & cheesy at the same time. Odd use of sexuality in the film. Cheeseball SFX & some of the camera angles. Confusing story. I’m constantly trying to get my bearings.
Pt 3-Some really gruesome murders. Some grotesque aspects like the ”baby” that I didn’t appreciate. S3 was better in my opinion, deeper and richer, and had something to say. A bit incestuous. Fair warning. The ending was terrible!
Pt 2-A monster that’s an emotional response system is an interesting idea. Sounds like a variant of the monster in the Babadook. Very character-driven. A unique story. Ends rather dramatically episode to episode. The real horror here is in the demonic creations. So disgusting.
Channel Zero. S4. Pt 1-As the series goes on, you see how incompatible these two characters really are. Two broken people. I have no idea why they stayed together. Dialogue goes from good to bad in a hot second. Too melodramatic for my taste. I wanted more horror, less drama.
Pt 5-The movie turns the viewer into a voyeur. An existential horror that once it starts, brings chaos to Lola’s life & it starts to unravel it. The conversation with customer service sounds like Kafka-esque bureaucracy. How much of your identity is online for someone to take?
Pt 4-All the men in here are horrible people with designs for “Lola.” No woman is really her friend save for her mother. It’s every cam girl for herself. One of her viewers tries to rape her. Even the male cops belittle her concerns & one even hits on her. Misogynists.
Pt 3-Explores themes of loss of identity & self, being hungry for fame & attention, having to live a double life because of the stigma of working as a cam girl, & the toxic nature of the industry. The comments go from kinky to kill yourself quite quickly.
Pt 2-Quite effectively creepy. Good mystery. A rather engrossing movie, all things considered until we get to the end. The suicide show & Lola hurting herself were difficult to watch. Went off the rails at the end. Lost all of its momentum. Do-it-yourself ending. How fun.
Cam. Pt 1-The lead actress really embodies her role. Takes the idea of an identity thief to a whole new level. Imagine someone stealing your life while wearing your face. Sounds like a nightmare.
Castle Rock. Pilot. This episode sets up a good mystery around who Bill Skarsgard’s character is and why he’s in the cage. Good cast. Interesting characters. I can already see the themes of morality at play here. I’m intrigued to see where they’ll go with this. Has my attention.
Pt 2-It might pick up along the way but so far this didn’t grab me. Nor does it scare me. I will say that the music in the opening credits is quite haunting. The dialogue in the very beginning is poetic and sets the tone well from the get-go.
The Haunting of Hill House. Pilot. Pt 1-Not a great intro episode. It sets the scene but doesn’t pull me in. I don’t learn all that much about the characters and while there may be some creepy scenes here, mainly jump scares, it’s all rather slow.
Pt 2-Quite a dark and complex story. Good ending in its ambiguity.
Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse. Pt 1-Engrossing, interesting, spooky version. Chilling opening credits and a great haunting song. A slowly evolving story that gets darker and darker. To quote Shakespeare, “You can smile and smile and still be a villain.”
Pt 3-The award for the most unsupportive husband goes to the husband in this movie. What a depressing ending. I’d skip it.
Pt 2-If they only would have explored that more and kept us guessing. Good premise, terrible execution. Shouldn’t have showed us the monster because I saw him differently from what was shown on screen. Poor character development.
Z (2020). Pt 1-Had the bones of a good movie but went off the rails in the last twenty-five minutes. I went from interested to bored rather quickly. The beginning was particularly interesting. Was his invisible friend real? Was it evil or was the little boy?
Pt 3-Good edits and SFX especially in the last episode. Chilling ending. Very memorable season. High concept. Think American Horror Story and less Hannibal. I'd recommend checking it out if you can stomach it.
Pt 2-Some really great themes here. If you can get past the gross & morbid scenes & the cannibalism, it’s worth checking out. Themes of madness, mental illness, cannibalism, destroying yourself, finding a place where you belong, & family along with some light social commentary.
Channel Zero. Butcher’s Block. S3. Pt 1-Very interesting complex story with exciting scenes and interesting characters. Draws you in and pulls you into the dark. I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
Pt 3-A messed up hedgehog of slow burn horror & twisted sexual fantasies. Nauseating headspace. A murderous pedophile, prostitutes getting revenge on men. What the hell is this? A sickening mess. Interesting ending but it definitely wasn’t worth watching.
Pt 2- The dog has to die? Really? Creepy little girl. Grotesque, nauseating ending for one character. Will never look at marbles the same way. Really feel like throwing up. The house reminds me a bit of The Shining. A house that “brings out the worst in people.” Yeesh!
Girl on the Third Floor. Pt 1-No! Hated it. The film that never ends. So boring. The creepy parts happen too late into the film. Too slow of a slow burn. When the scares do happen, you're so disenchanted & uninvested in the characters that you couldn’t care less what happens.
Pt 3-I’d love to have seen it with a director’s Q & A. I have a bunch of questions.
Pt 2-Not a film I’d rewatch but I’m happy I saw it. A bit of a downer. Didn’t explore the world and the characters enough for my taste. Left a lot of uncharted territory. Too retrained in some ways. Odd ending especially the very final scene.
Four Hands. Pt 1-A very moving story involving guilt, trauma, and revenge but it's terribly slow. Intriguing dynamics and characters for the most part. One character's choices, in particular, baffle me. A very unique film. The twist while predictable was interesting.
Pt 3-The final battle is eye-roll worthy. The very last scene was well done so it ended on a good note, if you can stick it out till the end, but it wasn’t enjoyable viewing. Suicide warning.
Pt 2-Some interesting concepts in terms of the ritual and spirits and sleep, but on the whole, there’s nothing new here and no emotional attachment to the characters. The film feels twice as long as the running time -- a rather heavy movie.
00. MHz. Pt 1-Terrible story structure: there is no character development but one character in particular has a new personality in every scene. The backstory involving ghosts, while never explained in the beginning, is confusingly trotted out in the last 35 minutes.
Pt 3-I’ll definitely be checking this one out. A review on the whole season coming soon.
Pt 2-Good concept and interesting names for this area. Quite telling I assume for the season. Waiting for the inevitable cannibalism. If I see those stairs, I’m running -- just saying. Very creepy villains here! Quite memorable and hey, Rutger Hauer is here!
Channel Zero. Butcher’s Block. Pilot. Pt 1-Interesting characters and conception of addiction. Great start makes you want to see more - it reels you in. Butchers Block, an urban section forgotten by society, “a socioeconomic dead zone,” “a sacrifice zone,” “a dead mine.”
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy. A must-see documentary for every fan of A Nightmare on Elm Street. It’s on Shudder. Definitely check it out. A wonderful behind the scenes look at Wes Craven and New Line Cinemas. Full of fun facts, great interviews and insider knowledge.
April, 2020
Pt 2- If you’re looking for a complex story, look elsewhere. The images were striking, but with no real structure or substance, all we have are the pictures. There is a good idea trapped within this film, but it didn’t get to be shown. Explicit themes of loss, grief & letting go.
The School (2018). Pt 1-A movie focused on its dark sets, heavily influenced by Silent Hill. Shades of Lord of Flies here. While the world is well-done visually, the dynamics, the characters themselves and the takeaway are all muddled. What is the director’s vision here?
Pt 2-What starts out as a tense & suspenseful film derails into a movie with no story structure, no characterization, no villain monologue, just torture for the sake of torture with no saving grace. Give this one a wide berth. I want my 1hr & 24 mins back. Not amusing in any way.
Amusement. Pt 1-Brought to you by the high school psychopath who tortured a rat for a school project. How fun. Cue the sarcasm. I hate torture for the fact of torture. Lowest common denominator of horror. When hacks run out of ideas. Terrible ending. I feel nauseous.
Pt 2-Tragic. Kids can be so cruel. Rape and child of rape mentioned. Held my attention for the most part. Lost me a little in the middle but the ending was terrible. Awfully convenient ending that wasn't well thought out and not satisfying. More frustrating if anything.
Masters of Horror 2x10. Pt 1-Shades of Pennywise. Ominous & creepy. Cheesy, sure, especially given how they die. I don’t want any ice cream right now, that’s for sure. Bit of a cliché for horror; bullies kill someone unwittingly through a prank, but who doesn't love revenge?
Check out my podcast on Spotify where I read some of my poems from "Into the Dark." More to follow.
Pt 2-I did love the music and the retro clothes. The opening credits were great. Good clips and music, very memorable. The pilot itself was not all that memorable or engrossing.
American Horror Story: 1984. Pilot. Pt 1-A gruesome start. I usually love slashers, they were my introduction to the genre, but this didn’t grab me. I wasn’t a fan of the characters.
Pt 2-Nothing new. Not very interesting. Doesn’t explore interesting themes. Not deep, just interminable. No saving grace. Everything falls flat. Dead deer here and you hear a dog dying.
We Are What We Are (2013). Pt 1-I’m sorry but no. Difficult to watch in some parts. I felt really nauseous & disgusted throughout most of the movie. Not a fun experience. I wasn’t scared, just grossed out, which is not why I see horror. Family secrets built on sadism and cruelty.
Pt 3-Creepy pervasive atmosphere. Very slow. More of a mood piece than a plot driven movie. A slow descent into madness. Sharp, loud screams beware. Chilling ending.
Pt 2-Like the jigsaw puzzle that the main character is putting together, her life is akin to putting together a puzzle without knowing what it’s supposed to look like. What is real and what isn’t? Reminds me of Repulsion. Discordant music with a distinct sound throughout.
Images (1972). Pt 1-A very unique film. An unsettling psychological horror flick that gets under your skin. People’s faces keep changing into other people.
Pt 3-A good film to analyze for a film class but not one to watch with friends unless you’re after a long conversation. The film dialogue is hard to understand and get used to.
Pt 2-Good performances but unclear what the takeaway is. There are many ways to interrupt this film, many themes here, but I wish we knew what the director intended us to see. A mess of images. There is a scene where a character beats a seagull to death. Yikes!
The Lighthouse. Pt 1-A modern film in black and white. A film about a descent into madness that’s anything but straightforward, which is the problem here. It’s surreal & confusing at best. Very slow, too slow. You could sleep through this film easily.
Pt 4-It’s hard to be hip and scary. For a horror movie, it’s light and not at all scary. The big battle at the end is anti-climactic. A part of this reminds me of a very scary Goosebumps episode with plants.
Pt 3-The narrator, while witty, talks all the time and think she’s better than everyone else -- quite annoying and honestly, framing the film around her is problematic. The music and the flashy edits made it clear that the creators were trying to be hip.
Pt 2-It tried to open a dialogue about sexual assault in fraternities and guilt by association, but Black Christmas did it much better. Much more powerful. Strangest band of rebels. Is Chloe worth it? She’s honestly a horrible friend.
Crawlers. Pt 1-It wasn’t absolutely rock bottom terrible, but it wasn’t good either. Way too derivative for my taste. The moviemakers heavily relied on Invasion of the Body Snatchers but didn’t make it their own. Assimilate did a better job of that.
Pt 2-Rape, pregnancy from rape, a mother killing her daughter, torturous deaths & sadism. Really shook me. Needed to see a comedy after this. Don’t believe the 74 % of goggle viewers who liked it. I have no idea how anyone could like this. Saw it with friends & we all hated it.
Housewife. Pt 1-Horrible film. Run now while you have the chance. A mess of a film blending in Cthulhu elements and surrealism. I was hung up on what I was seeing & couldn’t get past the images to see the bigger picture. Disturbing, nonsensical, brutal & sadistic for no reason.
Pt 3-Running criticism on tech giants & their inflated sense of self. Interesting blending of science & religion. A tad depressing given some of the themes here & some of the episodes. Trying to be vague. Overall, it was a memorable watch & very distinctive. Worth checking out.
Pt 2-Some episodes were very dark and more aligned with horror while others were bogged down with dialogue. That being said, there were some interesting philosophical questions posed here and insights into the nature of consciousness and free will. Amazing sets, colors and music.
Devs. Pt 1-Quite a lofty series but inconsistent episode to episode. The dialogue could range from heavy handed yet poignant to clunky and awkward. Some of the scientific theories were easy to grasp while others required a master’s or PHD level of scientific training.
Pt 2-An overall enjoyable watch. Remind me never to log on to LinkRabBit.
Deadcon. Pt 1-An interesting premise. I'm all for social media horror flicks. A decent horror flick. Good for a Netflix party. Kept my attention. Creepy but not scary -- strange at times. I wish they would have explained things more at the end -- bit of a do-it-yourself ending.
Pt 3-More sadistic than I thought it would be. The pacing is perfect. Very creepy. Brutal and crazy. Interesting ending but not a fan of the overall themes here. Glad I saw it. If you have Shudder, check it out.
Pt 2-Why is the main character friends with them? Her character & her personality are odd and this hinders my immersion into the group. Things get dark very fast. Literally out of the blue. One character takes a rather long time to die. Sadistic.
The Ranger. Pt 1-Didn’t feel connected to any of the characters though they were unique as was the story. Happy to see a horror flick written and directed by a woman. We really need more women in the genre. Glad to see a gay couple here. Retro feel. Love the Walkman.
Pt 3-Chilling & tragic end but fitting. Good for a Netflix watch party.
Pt 2-I will say that it lost a little of its magic seeing it as an adult, but it was still an enjoyable watch. Some very dark subjects from attempted rape to cutting. The ending gets very dark quickly. Suspenseful and good special effects especially during the final battle.
The Craft. Pt 1-A retro horror flick straight from my youth. Engrossing, creepy and memorable. Probably the inspiration for Charmed. Great cast. These mean girls trump all others. Who wouldn’t love a story about four girls trying to find their power in high school?
Pt 2-Clearly the writer knows nothing about mental illness but wanted to make a horror flick about it. Feels like a nightmare. No realism here. So focused on her breakdown that everything else falls by the way side. Don’t believe the three and a half stars on Amazon.
Anyone Home? Pt 1- One of those movies which after you see it, you wonder what you just saw. A bunch of scenes and images put together but no coherent story, no underlying themes and no character development. Complete waste of time.
Pt 3-Sometimes it’s better not to show the monster. I imagined it to be creepier in my head than it was here. Terrible ending. Eye roll worthy.
Pt 2-Those are some spooky woods. Nice cuts & transitions but it kept referring back to a certain moment in the film over & over again. We get it! Sadism towards the end, how fun.
The Ritual. Pt 1-Bare bones, no real character development, goes from 0 to 100 with no explanation. Throws a bunch of imagery and creepy scenes at us but it didn’t feel like a compete vision to me. Remind me to never go camping in Sweden. Creepy dreams.
Pt 2-Felicia Day is in it and it totes rips off SPN regarding Tulpas. Hmmm. Where are the original ideas? Some tense scenes especially at the end. Good ending.
POOKA LIVES! Pt 1-A humorous remake to Pooka. A social media influenced horror movie, which is more than welcome. Trolls and evil influencers, this one goes out to you! Interesting premise and characters. Enjoyable for a late viewing -- not a great or deep film but a good one.
Pt 3-The world-building goes on forever, slowing down the story. It ends on a rather odd and tenuous note. I’m left with the feeling of "so what."
Pt 2-But the film meanders too much with time jumps and needless dialogue. Good character development, yes, but some depressing themes like self-destruction. Very grotesque monsters, gruesome scenes, and one nauseating scene with intestines.
Annihilation. Pt 1-A unique film -- I’ll give it that -- with a definite nod to the Island of Dr. Moreau. But it’s not my cup of tea, not what I thought it would be. There's a good mystery: what is the Shimmer and what happens there & a distinctive look, good sets.
Pt 3- This read like a Greek tragedy to me. Slow-burn horror that picks up in the last 20 minutes and gets very dark. I was all for that ending. Unsettling but interesting. Layered and creepy. Full of symbolism. Good camera work. Worth a look-see.
Pt 2-The dialogue consisting of old English made it difficult to understand. I had the subtitles on. Animals as a general rule don’t fare well here especially the dog. Abrasive music. Tense atmosphere. A study in fear and hysteria focused on one family’s decent into madness.
The Witch. Pt 1-I waited to see this one and I’m glad I did. I saw this yesterday on a Netflix party. There was someone there who talked about the themes, the history, the time period and the dynamics at play in Puritan England. That really enhanced my enjoyment of the film.
Pt 2-I don’t agree completely with who’s left standing and who isn’t. What started out fun and interesting turned very dark and depressing. It was an interesting ride overall. Happy I saw it, but it left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.
Villains. Pt 1-A good idea, solid acting, great cast, memorable characters. A truly terrifying couple! Everyone brought it. Funny in some parts and very dark in others like role playing incest. I just wish the ending was better.
Pt 2-What does this company really do? This series seems to be a riddle, wrapped up in a mystery, inside an enigma. Not mindless entertainment. This one is a thinker. Philosophical sci-fi horror. Has potential - I’ll watch the rest of the series to see whether it lives up to it.
Devs. Pilot. Pt 1-An interesting premise, a creepy, ominous and dark vibe to be sure but generally I felt like I needed a PhD in Science to understand some of the dynamics here. A bit slow but the pilot created enough of a mystery for me to be intrigued.
Pt 3- The film really captured the dynamics at play in domestic violence. Clever use of invisibility as a fear tactic. Not a very enjoyable watch given the subject matter but overall, I’m happy I saw it even if it did leave me a little depressed after seeing it.
Pt 2-I was expecting a horror movie with intense scares that used domestic violence as a plot point, but this was a domestic violence movie that used horror as a plot device. I wanted more frightening, tense scenes and less power plays from a sadistic controlling ass.
The Invisible Man (2020). Pt 1-Not my cup of tea but it might be yours. A very unique & memorable retelling of the Invisible Man. Good ending & good acting all around.
Thank you to everyone on Twitter and elsewhere who wished me a Happy Birthday. I had as much fun as a "shut-in" can have. I hope all my followers are staying safe. Mwah!
March, 2020
Pt 2-Cheating and a hell of a lot of bugs. If either of these things are triggers for you, walk away now. Terrible ending! I want my time back! I love his other film, Under the Shadows. Watch that one instead.
Wounds. Pt 1-Interminable, slow, boring and I hated every character and could care less what happened to them. Ridiculous explanation. A few creepy scenes. Couldn’t wait to get to the end of this lackluster movie. Meaningless sadistic drivel posing as psychological horror.
Pt 2-It’s truly chilling how easy it is for Javier to wiggle his way into other people’s lives. His mental breakdown & his need to reclaim what he lost is both sad & creepy. Shades of Parasite. Memorable, dark, compelling & chilling. Definitely worth a watch!!
The Occupant (2020). Pt 1-Solid acting. Grounded, believable & in some ways, relatable. The movie is framed with ads, ads from the television to ads in the taxi. Constant reminders of what the main character, Javier lost, as well as reminders of the life he wants to live.
Pt 3-The characters were hollow. A good finale doesn’t make up for a boring, flat rest of the movie. Depressing ending. This was not how I wanted to spend my night. Can’t in good conscience recommend this one.
Pt 2-That being said, once the shift happened with around twenty minutes left of the film, things got interesting. I guessed what the shift was in the beginning. So no surprises for me here. An interesting villain but it didn’t go far enough. Didn’t explain enough.
Daniel Isn’t Real. Pt 1-A jumbled mess. Like the character, the story was aimless. Themes of mental illness. Cheating here, how fun! Not. Didn’t grab me & definitely didn’t hold my attention.
Pt 3- The ending is depressing, sadistic, & drags down the whole film. It was as painful for me to watch as for the character to endure. Give this one a miss.
Pt 2-Wish there was more world-building and Kira had some real friends, lived in the world more because her character isn't enough to carry the film. Neither was the neighbor. Muddled themes and message. Hollow characters.
Replace. Pt 1-A mess of a film. Good ideas but terrible execution. Tries to be too many things at once. The film comments on beauty & aging by using body horror & sci-fi. It goes off the rails at the end. Too artsy for such a simple story. Has Barbara Crampton in it. Yay!
Masters of Horror 2x02. An overly indulgent episode about a pedophilic & a misogynistic murderer. We see the world through his eyes, which is very disturbing & creepy. It was an enjoyable watch overall. Very memorable & clever though predictable. Worth a look-see.
Trivia: The music video for the song, “New Romance,” by Miles Fisher stars the cast of Final Destination 5. Like the movie, the music video shows the cast meeting a grisly end. There's a spoof of Saved by the Bell in this video.
Pt 4- Crazy last twenty minutes or so. If I hear, “Dust in the Wind,” by Kansas suddenly playing, I’m running away. That's my takeaway from this. The film ends with a clip of previous deaths in the series.
Pt 3-Just when you think you know how someone will die, something else kills them. Nice subtle foreshadowing that reminds us who’s next. Tony Todd’s character was creepy. I still think he’s Death personified; I've thought that throughout the series.
Pt 2- This is actually a prequel. Nice tie-in to the first film. Clever writing, gruesome, unique deaths, good comedic moments. That bridge collapse was very intense & realistic! Yikes. Very creepy & exciting. Even more elaborate deaths, & good fake outs.
Final Destination 5. Pt 1- In a sea of sequels, this is the one to watch. Nice opening credits. The characters weren’t fleshed-out, but you don’t watch this series for realistic characters. Possibly an odd choice with COVID-9 but I enjoyed the film.
Pt 2-Great setting. I love that apartment! Trigger warnings: from killing animals & drinking their blood in the zoo to having sex covered in blood in a slaughterhouse. Goes too far for two cents. Oh, the vampire politics! An interesting place to end the pilot.
Vampires (2020). Pilot. Pt 1-While the pilot introduces some interesting family dynamics: a secret vampire community, mysterious pills and interesting views on vampirism, it didn’t sell me. I’m not invested, but you might be. Great music! Talk about a dramatic beginning!
Pt 2-The robot was annoying but cute. Reminded me a bit of R2D2. The acting was rather flat here. Terrible ending! Wow! I wouldn’t really recommend this save for die-hard Wes Craven fans.
Deadly Friend (1986). Pt 1- A cheesy 80’s horror that’s low on scares and big on drama. Some nice gruesome deaths here and some creepy dreams but it was quite depressing. Not Wes Craven’s finest by any means. Tragic story. Trigger warning for domestic violence.
Pt 2-Terrible music choice save for the band & the jukebox. The husband and wife here didn’t have a ton of chemistry, but it still worked. The dialogue was realistic and the tension slowly mounted. If her husband had only listened to her and supported her, they’d be safe. Sigh!
Nightmare and Dreamscapes. You Know They Got a Hell of a Band. Pt 1-Another story I liked from the compilation by Stephen King. A good adaptation with a better ending. Worth a watch if you like the story. Restrained cheesiness and better special effects than usual in this series.
Pt 3-Was hard to get through the chauvinism, felt like I was choking on it. The men coddle, talk down to & underestimate her while she effectively wards off a truly psychotic killer better than her male counterparts. The ending leaves something to be desired.
Pt 2- This right here is why you never work late at the office. Leave when everyone else does. Because you don't want to be locked in with a psychopath. Not the best dialogue but if you're looking for suspense, it delivers.
Trapped (1989). Pt 1-Tense & exciting scenes with some memorable deaths but rather slow & save for the cat and mouse game, not much else happens. I really loved the character Renni, she brought a lot to her scenes. Interesting premise. Nice walkthrough of the building.
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Pt 3-The special effects are terrible! OMG! The setting is all off or at least not what I saw in my head. The structure is off too. I liked how the book framed the story with the cops. Honestly, this episode is not worth watching. Listen to the audiobook or read the story.
Pt 2-The atmosphere is all off. It's too light, too funny, too romantic. Not scary at all. The dialogue, the music, the terrible acting, the camera work, everything makes light of the horror. Instead of building a chilling atmosphere, they’re making jokes.
Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Ep 2. Pt 1-“Crouch End.” One of my favorites in the short story collection by Stephen King, read to perfection by Tim Curry. A very chilling read. Maybe it doesn’t lend itself to TV or they just did a terrible job. A laughable mess.
Cube 2. Stick with the first Cube. Some good deaths, nice new tricks, interesting traps & added dimensions to the cube but at the end of the day, it’s the same movie. The characters aren't as interesting here. The story is darker & the pacing is terrible.
Mortuary (1980). Good music & effectively creepy, chiefly due to a very psychotic character. Total creep fest especially at the end. Starts off rather slow with an odd story structure, not much to the story, but just go with it & enjoy the ride. Good for a late-night viewing.
Pt 4- They didn't throw in enough red herrings. The romance was handled terribly as well. It's as if the writers forgot how to write a slasher TV series. If we do get a S4, I hope we revisit Brandon James.
Pt 3-The theme of wearing masks, what's on the inside & hypocrisy was good but underutilized. They didn't dig deep enough. As far as motivations go, they could have done better. It didn't hang together. The "villain monologue," was better here though the ending was weak.
Pt 2-Contemporary, deals with white privilege, prejudice, racism, & misogyny, among other issues. I was expecting better though. This isn’t on the par with S1 and 2. The dialogue is terrible! The cat-and-mouse game with the killer wasn’t as good as before.
Scream. S3. Pt 1-I’m glad they’re tackling diversity in horror but most of the characters are caricatures & stereotypical which undercuts the idea of adding diversity in the first place. Barely any character development. It didn't draw me in. I didn't want a reboot.
Pt 5- They have done a series reboot! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. As a last remark, I loved Noah & Emma as characters. Emma was a fighter, a survivor & her own hero. And Noah was such a real & well written character. I'd totally be best friends with him.
Pt 4- Talk about a finale! The Halloween finale left a lot of threads unanswered & sadly since S3 is a reboot, we'll never know the answers. Frustrating, to say the least! What a cliffhanger. Such a twisty ending. Shades of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer in this episode.
Pt 3- Emotional & exciting especially towards the end. The stakes only get higher as they go along. More "twisty" than S2. It dealt what it means to be a survivor and how to move on with your life. The explanation could have been better, bit cliché & left something to be desired.
Pt 2- That being said, it was a very enjoyable watch. Totally binge-able. Gruesome deaths but they didn’t affect me as much as S1 maybe because I wasn't as invested in those characters. They really know how to keep you guessing who the killer is.
Scream. S2. Pt 1-Not as good as S1 but sequels rarely are. It starts with a time gap where the characters have dealt with their trauma offscreen. I would have wanted to see Emma in the Institute rather than have it referenced. Takes a while for the season to pull you in.
Pt 3- There are just too many loose threads and questions left unanswered. Not bad for a late-night 3 AM viewing, I suppose.
Pt 2-A killer who can see her as well is an even better wrinkle & so creepy. Sadistic undertones. Stays with the victims & their fear, drags out the murders. Tense scenes. Love me some intense cat-and-mouse games. Sadly, though, the sloppy writing ruins it a bit for me.
Fear (1990). Pt 1-Creepy & intense. Love Ally Sheedy’s character. I’d love to work as a psychic catching serial killers. The subjective camera work is well done. Seeing the killer through her eyes with a blurry, blue tint is a nice touch.
Pt 3- Trauma as character development? Hmm. I liked the American theatrical ending much better than the bleak & depressing unrated ending. I am really glad my friends aren’t fans of extreme sports & adrenaline junkies. No cave spelunking for me, thank you very much.
Pt 2-While the scares were done right & the claustrophobic world of the cave was captured to perfection, I could have done without the in-fighting, betrayals & drama between the women. Why not let the environment deliver the drama? And killing off a kid early on? Yikes!
The Descent. Pt 1-I'm not why so many people dig this. It was just OK, nowhere near a favorite. Descent scares. The cave and the monsters were effectively creepy and the tension escalated scene by scene. Some really gruesome & intense scenes.
Pt 2-Without giving too much away, an obvious trigger is the death of a baby. Yikes! In regard to the ending, I felt it could have been better & more explicit. It was a bit too understated to be as impactful as it was meant to be. And I'm not sure where they can go from here.
Ares. S1. Something to see. Very intense, brutal & disturbing at times. Creepy, stylish, slow burn, ominous & very dark. High concept horror about how the rich stay rich. A story of seduction into a world of power and privilege. Loved the purging concept of letting go of guilt.
Pt 2- The identity of the killer is quite obvious. Maybe the prank was there to make the audience question whether these kids deserved it? Interesting characters, nonetheless. Really creepy memorable ending, some good music, shots & edits but this wasn't my cup of tea.
The House on Sorority Row (1982). Pt 1-Left a bad taste in my mouth. Not a fan of demonizing childbirth or traumatizing an older woman with a cruel prank. So it was hard for me to get past that & enjoy the film. Tame on the horror, big on the suspense.
Pt 2- Good blend of light & dark. Some really chilling scenes here! Great ending to S1 though it was predictable. What a formidable enemy & great world-building. I'd love to live in the Locke House and have the Anywhere Key! I'd definitely be up for seeing S2.
Locke & Key. S1. Pt 1- Darker than you’d guess from first glance. Draws you in. Meanders a bit, rather melodramatic, some cruel threads here, some frustrating subplots & characters but for the most part an interesting, unique, exciting & chilling ride.
Pt 3-Too much is left unexplained and the ending is quite depressing. Reminds me of a Greek tragedy actually.
Pt 2-Some good parts here including the music, the shots, & the setting but that can't carry a film. Needed more story, more character development. The horror is too understated & barely anything happens. The conclusion comes out of left field.
The Night Child/The Cursed Medallion (1976) Pt 1-A study in atmospheric horror that never rises above its own atmosphere. It's a mood piece, an interesting one, but I expected more. Artsy, SLOW & haunting. Interesting premise & setup. Liked the preoccupation with demonic art.
February, 2020
Pt 2- Tons of atmosphere from creepy characters, to spooky music, to strange sounds in the basement to the sounds of a storm outside. Trapped in the house with a killer. Has all the rich elements of a good story but it really lets you down in the end. Do-it-yourself ending.
Out of Contention (1972). Pt 1-The suspense, the build-up, the mystery was much better than the answer. Terrible & abrupt ending but an enjoyable watch before that. Elizabeth Montgomery from Bewitched is in it. Love that show!
Pt 2-A jumbled mess that just keeps going. Yawn-worthy. Falls flat in every way. Shades of Get Out to some extent. The creepiness is too understated & ruined by the music, the terrible dialogue, the odd camera angels & the obvious edits. Terrible ending. Don’t waste your time.
Don’t Leave Home (2018). Pt 1-I saw this with friends and we all hated it. Gotta love titles that give things away though I honestly guessed the entire story from the get-go. A good idea never gets the treatment it deserves. Would have worked better as a short.
Pt 2-Nice little nod to Tom Savini. Calling all horror fans. Creepy undertones sprinkled through the episode. Emotional underpinnings that draw you into the characters. perfect ending. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the episodes.
Lock & Key. Pilot. Pt 1-This one really grabbed me. One hell of a pilot. Great characters, good dialogue, strong sense of setting and some really creepy scenes. Good mythos. Glad I'm not living in that house. I already didn't like mirrors.
Pt 2-Some good dialogue. “As I get closer to death, death gets closer to me.” Good ending, creepy scenes and one haunting melody. Definitely worth a watch.
She Waits (1972). Pt 1-All atmosphere, a haunting & good acting. Not a mystery about what's happening here but it was an enjoyable watch. A tad melodramatic and man does the music come on strong. We get it, this is a creepy scene.
Pt 2-Definitely worth a watch. Good dialogue, good characters, great ending. Some triggers here to keep in mind though: suicide, a mother killing her baby & molestation of minors.
The Devil’s Hand (2014). Pt 1-Weaves supernatural horror into a tale of blind faith to a religious authority who willfully abuses his power. Who knew Satanism could be seen as freedom from a repressive, chauvinist society? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Pt 3-Good mystery but the conclusion was weak. Not a great ending. An OK film, not Dario Argento's best, but not his worst either.
Pt 2-The lead might have been a good detective but a terrible boyfriend. Not idea how she puts up with him. Loved the video store and what an interesting apartment. Great sets. Hello sexual harassment in the workplace not to mention blackmail and attempted rape. Yeesh!
Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005). Pt 1-Yes, indeed I do. An homage to Hitchcock from the suspenseful scenes to the posters in the video store & the main character’s room. Shades of serval Hitchcock films mainly Rear Window. Odd music for a Dario Argento film.
Ares. Pilot. Nice opener. Gotta tell you, the main reason why I want to see more is because of this gruesome murder. I have to know why. The rest of the episode pales in comparison to that intense introduction. Good characters, stylish costumes & an interesting premise.
Pt 3-The train scene was creepier in the original but I did like the nod to Edgar Allan Poe via one of the ads on the train. It featured one of my favorite quotes by him. Revealing it is a bit of a spoiler, so I can't say what it is. But that was a welcome addition to the film.
Pt 2-Ominous undertones but this version didn't creep me out as much. Some new wrinkles and a few creepy scenes. Tried to jazz up the plot with too many extraneous characters & subplots. Not a very fun watch if you're partial to the 1990 version, as I am.
Jacob’s Ladder (2019). Pt 1-Stick to the original. While this is an interesting take on the story, it’s not as effective, emotional or chilling as the original. A pale imitation. A jumbled story structure. The twist was jarring & ruined what little momentum the story gained.
Symptoms (1974). Has the skeleton of a good story but a terrible execution. Ominous undertones with a very character driven story but we needed more examination of the psychosis. More character development, less atmosphere. Too subtle & understated for its own good.
Picture Mommy Dead (1966). More of a dark thriller than horror. Very slow, like watching paint dry but totally worth it for that chilling & memorable ending! Wow! Fair warning – “The Hearse Song” will stay with you, as it did with me: “The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out.”
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Pt 3-Disturbing to say the least. Intense ending. Pervasive sense of dread. Not a great movie by any means but it does deliver. You want a creepy kid, look no further.
Pt 2-This one stays with you. Was banned in the UK I believe. Mickey’s responsible for the deaths of a lot of people, a frog, a fish & a cat. Yikes! Slight spoiler, he watches the home video of him murdering his previous family while living with a new family. Gulp!
Mikey (1992). Pt 1-Forget all the other evil kid movies; this one trumps them all! A little child serial killer who is absolutely chilling! The sadism, cruel, methodical thinking and inability to love & form attachments are memorably creepy as are the deaths.
Pt 2-Interesting survey into madness, mental illness & trauma. Quite a dark story. Not the best ending or explanation but an enjoyable & memorable watch overall.
When Michael Calls (1972). Pt 1-Quite creepy for a TV movie. Creepy calls, one particular call is quite memorable. Gruesome deaths. A good spooky little thriller. Maybe not horror exactly but definitely an enjoyable watch. Good red herrings sprinkled throughout.
Pt 3-It’s all about the reveal which, to be honest, could’ve been better. Was expecting a better explanation. The ending is quite abrupt. Overall it was an OK watch & a Dario Argento fan may dig it but it’s definitely not his best.
Pt 2-Kept my attention in the beginning with those two murders but didn’t hold my attention all the way through. The middle lags, the investigation and analysis of the murders are too slow and take up too much time. Not enough happens in the story.
Sleepless (2001). Pt 1-Good idea, not the best execution. The deaths are gruesome & memorable. Very tense & suspenseful scenes, the death on the train in particular. I don’t think I’ll forget that murder for a while. Creepy nursery rhyme but all about killing animals.
Pt 5- I did like the theme of women banding together and seeking strength in their combined power against men who wish to usurp it. Women are never stronger than when they band together.
Pt 4-The last episode of the season is quite good but is that because of the story or the interesting way they told it, bending time? I do worry that they bit off more than they could chew for a possible season 4.
Pt 3-Shades of the monsters in Odysseus & the Wicker Man. Where are the original ideas? Not a fan of where the characters ended up (for the most part) on their dark path. The conversation between Lilith & Sabrina in Hell in the final episode of S3 was quite good.
Pt 2-Instead of delving into that & helping Nick, he became a cruel junkie, cheater and lover of S&M. What?! I did enjoy Sabrina finally getting a backbone & telling Nick what he needed to hear but too little, too late.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. S3. Pt 1-A sad, dark & sadistic season with very little light or humor. Not a fun watch. I didn’t like the treatment of Nick’s character, his trauma & his PTSD. His possession by Lucifer is very similar to Sam Winchester's story arc in SPN.
Pt 3- Triggers: drowned animal, drowned kid & suicide.
Pt 2-Felt real & grounded as much as a supernatural horror film can be. Quite suspenseful & unpredictable. Nowhere to run. The ghosts will find you wherever you go. Memorable scenes. The investigation of the house & the murders was quick & to the point. Great pacing.
The Grudge (2004). Pt 1-Definitely delivers in the scares department! Not a great or particularly deep horror flick but it does the job. Some really interesting camera work, good shots, good setting, nice edits, great music & a good cast. Creepy opening credits & hair motif.
Pt 2- A few good points here like the Power of the 5 & their abilities/powers like shapeshifting & pyrokinesis. Shannen Doherty, Julie Benz & Taraji P. Henson are in it. Cheesy ending that actually ends on a cliffhanger! Odd choice to say the least. I prefer the older version.
Satan’s School for Girls (2000). Pt 1-Took the pared down story from 1973 & fleshed it out to its detriment. Gone is the mounting tension. Starts off slow. There are too many characters, too many subplots, too much story here. Felt much longer than its running time.
Pt 3-Good investigation of the school. Quite enjoyable. Dead rats, a lot of them. Ah! The twist while obvious, still works. Not a fan of the ending. I expected a better resolution, a more complicated, less anticlimactic ending. We can't have everything. Fun up until the end.
Pt 2- Memorable opening scene, interesting classes, good dialogue, & good pacing. Even though the characters aren’t fleshed out, they’re still interesting. It’s all about the secret in the school. Everything in the movie serves to heighten the tension & builds to the ending.
Satan’s School for Girls (1973). Pt 1-Tame on the scares but it is a TV movie after all. That being said, it’s very good for a TV movie. Definitely worth a watch. Mounting tension & very exciting scenes. The kills are off camera.
Pt 5-A dog is euthanized because it bites a character. Yikes! The ending feels odd compared to the rest of the film. Rushed almost. Characters could have been handled better. OK but not great.
Pt 4-Some good dialogue here. “Rose Red hasn’t just woken up; it’s begun - the House and Garden version of Frankenstein’s monster.” "We say haunted, but what we really mean is that the house has gone...insane!"
Pt 3- A cursed haunted house that rebuilds? What once was a hallway is now a wall. Nice! Great rooms from the upside room to the perspective hallway to the mirror library. References torture. More spooky thriller than horror really. Cheesy SFX.
Pt 2-Too much happens off camera. People disappear & you never know what happened or how they died. Steven King makes a cameo appearance as the pizza delivery man. Ha! There's a kernel of a good idea here that's trapped in a terrible execution.
Rose Red. Pt 1- Needed a little more action and a lot less talk. Too much explanation & exposition. Expected more. Show don't tell. I remember being scared as a kid but of what? Nothing scary here. A miniseries that holds back & downplays the ghost & murders.
Pt 2-The stakes needed to be higher, the cat and mouse game more intense. Torture of children referenced & a dog death. Yikes! Ending is quite anti-climactic.
Mr. Frost. Pt 1-Not for me but some peeps may dig it especially fans of Jeff Goldblum. He's very chilling here but he can't hold the entire film. The story is all over the map. Too many subplots, not a dynamic enough script & the pacing is rather slow. Quite bleak.
Pt 2-Too much story, too many sublots that didn’t mesh well together. Terrible explanation. Assault referenced. A particularly heartbreaking scene with a chimp as he helplessly watches his master killed. Really got to me. Difficult to watch. Yikes!
Phenomena. Pt 1-A Dario Argento film with Jennifer Connelly? I should have loved it, usually dig Argento, but I didn't. Complete misfire. Long in the tooth. Desperate for the climax that took forever. Cheesy. Odd. Gruesome deaths, intense ending. Grotesque & nauseating scenes.
January, 2020
Pt 3- Good comment on the journalist frenzy involving the survivor/survivors. No spoilers here. If you can stomach it, the deaths are brutal, it’s worth a look see. Cheesy ending to be sure.
Pt 2-Good dialogue for the most part but not a fan of the simulated rape scene or the discussion around it. Adding erotica to horror is not needed in this way, even if it's here as a comment on the link between sex & violence & it's use in horror. I assume that's why it's here.
Stage Fright (1989). P1-Quite meta. A real murder inside a play about murder. Suspenseful. Good idea, good story. Great music & camera work. Giallo influenced. Nice use of color. Gruesome & intense deaths. Alice is both a fighter & TSTL
Pt 2- Nice creepy music. Rather memorable deaths. Two dogs do die here, and we hear one whimper. Fair warning. Megan’s character was definitely influenced, at least in style, by Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice, right? It’s all fun & games until the evil controls you. Terrible ending!
Mirror, Mirror (1990). Pt 1- A bit of everything: cheesy, compelling story, intense, bloody, gruesome, dark, artsy, funny & light all at once. Definitely worth a watch. Horror set against high school drama. An interesting mythology surrounding a cursed mirror.
Pt 3- Chucky is pathetic and demented here rather than chillingly evil. More sad then scary. Wrong take on the doll for sure. Not an enjoyable watch, kept looking at how much time I had left. Don’t waste your time on this one. Wish I could get my time back. Give it a wide berth!
Pt 2- Sadistic & cruel with gruesome deaths & several nauseating scenes. Blah! An attempted strangulation of a cat that’s hard to watch & then eventual death of said cat. Yikes. Sucks to be an animal in a horror movie.
Child’s Play (2019). Pt 1- Hell no! Hated this one. That being said, I did like the ad and the update to Chucky to make him able to wirelessly synch to devices. Much easier to kill people that way if you're a small doll.
Pt 2-Cheesy sound effects. Anya from Buffy is here but it's not worth seeing just for her. Not the least bit scary - I laughed while watching. The gimmick of staying in the light has been done much better in other films.
Darkness Falls. Pt 1-Wow, just no! Ruined what could have been a creepy memorable villain. Had a good concept, good origin story but did nothing with it. Ruined by a terrible execution, no world-building, terrible dialogue, paper-thin characters & painfully slow pacing.
Pt 3-Loved that Kristy Swanson’s character knew how to hotwire cars & fix them. Don’t worry, the dog makes it. The music is perfect as was the ending. If you like cheesy B horror, as I sometimes do, check this one out.
Pt 2-Kept my interest the whole way through although the scene in the cave, “the short cut,” was in bad taste. The view of hell is an odd one to say the least but interesting. Bringing out the old virgin trope. Good little comedic touches.
Highway to Hell (1992). Pt 1-Bring on the cheesiness! Holy hell, is this cheesy and don’t get me started on the SFX. There were a few missteps but overall, it was a fun ride. A wacky, funny, crazy, satirical ride to Hell & back. Really rooted for these characters.
Pt 3- I loved the scene in class when he knew all the answers. That’s a lot of dates to recall. This is a very interesting and full story. Definitely recommend it.
Pt 2- “The time has come to put away childish things & face up to who you are…Suspicions of destiny.” It’s an evil coming-of-age story. Loved the theme of an unsuspecting Damien fighting his true nature, his destiny.
Damien: Omen 2. Pt 1- My favorite of the Omen trilogy. I could watch this one a million times. We go from a black dog in the 1st movie to a crow here. One of the deaths is similar to Hitchcock’s “Birds.” Ouch! Memorable deaths. Good dialogue and music.
Pt 3- The scene with Harker & Lucy in the insane asylum was very creepy but her devotion to Dracula bordered on insanity, not devotion from love. Good final scene, a bit gruesome & open-ended to some degree but fitting.
Pt 2- I think the film wanted to create a sexier version & possibly one where Langella loves Lucy but they have hardly any scenes together so it's more like instalust than love. Is it love or mind control? Gary Oldman was far more seductive. Rather grim undertones here.
Dracula (1979). Pt 1-Cheesy, melodramatic to the max like a soap opera. The women here have no agency, they're just pawns. The pacing is off -- moves at a snail's pace. Roles of Mina & Lucy are switched. Wish Dracula's origins, thoughts, desires & personality came through here.
Pt 3-A crazy premise but a fun movie made for film noir fans from the lighting to the dialogue. Definitely worth a watch. The villain only gets creepier. Relentless, exciting chase at the end.
Pt 2-While you can see it as a slasher and the ending may well be one, with a psychotic killer chasing the final girl, it's more of a dark comedy & a film noir spoof, with a little murder and a lot of exciting scenes especially towards the end. Very enjoyable!
Tag the Assassination Game (1962). Pt 1-Written & directed by Nick Castle, who played Michael Myers/”the Shape” in John Carpenter’s Halloween. Linda Hamilton’s also in this. Talk about a win-win!
Pt 2-Love and Will make this season incredible. Had to binge it all. Couldn't stop watching. Not a fan of some of the sideplots like Hendy. Trigger warning: serial rapist of underage girls. The ending is perfect. Highly recommend this season
You. S2. Pt 1-If you didn’t like S1, you may like S2. Really brought its A game. Emotional, clever, insightful, disturbing & compelling to watch. We really delve into “Joe” now “Will’s” mind from his past to who he is at his core through his love with Love.
Pt 2-Calling all my psychotic love horror fans. Some men have game & some have to resort to zombies. Ominous start. The story slowly unfolds. Good edits, dissolves & music. Lots of spooky atmosphere. Definitely recommend.
White Zombie (1931). Pt 1-Possibly cheesy to modern audiences but definitely worth a watch for the real horror lover & Bela Lugosi fans. Woman doesn't have much agency but it was made in the 30's. Dramatic ending & an interesting story about obsession.
Pt 3-Don't expect more than creepiness & you'll enjoy it. The ending leaves a lot of questions like what happened to one main character & who the paperboy really is. Could have been better, definitely, but for late night scares, you could do a lot worse. Definitely worth a watch.
Pt 2-Packs a punch but takes a while to get there. Feels a bit like a Lifetime movie in the beginning. Stick with it. Not much character development & sadly they use abuse as character development. Sigh! Laziness. Not much to this movie aside from the scares which it does well.
Rosewood Lane. Pt 1-Don’t let the beginning fool you. There are some really chilling scenes here. The paperboy is memorable & haunting! Tackles abuse, domestic violence & trauma as well as a possibly supernatural stalker. Delivers on chills.
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Not as good as the first film in the series; just OK. Has a more sadistic undercurrent & takes too long to really get going. Liked that they all stuck together, even the waitress who wasn't really involved. Good reveal that's quite chilling.
Pt 3-Good dialogue, good pacing, good characters and a great cast. Buffy Summers in this one. The characters created their own urban legend. Whoops. Tense, exciting and ominous. A somewhat complex story for a horror flick that's rather memorable even on a rewatch.
Pt 2-While it might not be scary to me anymore, it was still chilling. There's a pervasive sense of hopelessness here. Nowhere to run, no way to get out. He will always find you. He's always one step ahead, or so it seemed. He's everywhere. A clever, almost supernatural evil.
I Know What You Did Last Summer. Pt 1-Quite a chilling little movie. I am partial to this one because this was literally the first horror flick I saw at the ripe old age of 11. :D I was terrified of men in black fishermen’s raincoats.
Pt 2-Torture, rape, cutting, ripping out babies, miscarriages. Ew! Definitely not for the faint of heart or the casual Thora Birch fan, though she was good. Dark & creepy atmosphere throughout. Very distinct visual style. Explanation is given away an hour into it in the dialogue.
Dark Corners. Pt 1-Muddled mess. Good idea but terrible execution. Superficial - a simple story not fleshed out enough. Left with so many questions. A creepy, dark, twisted movie. Not a very enjoyable watch. Felt like I was plummeted, not gently guided, down the rabbit hole.
Pt 3-Good characters and an intriguing story. The new exhibit is well-done. Spooky, macabre film. Strong sense of setting. Not scary per se but a very enjoyable watch. Can't go wrong with a Vincent Price movie. Definitely recommend watching it!
Pt 2- Cathy is such an odd & unique character and that giggle? Oh, man. Unmistakable. Love the lingo, good dialogue. Great pacing. Sue’s a fighter. Exciting chase scenes. Rich colors. After the killer chased you, why would you leave your bedroom window open? Really Sue!
House of Wax (1953). Pt 1-Starts rather banal & gets creepier. Opens with a tour of the House of Wax. Tense beginning. Draws you in. I connected with the villain. Has a great origin story. Tragic character, driven to madness & murder. His art, like his soul, only gets darker.
Pt 2- Too much story here! Just keeps going. No structure. Odd musical numbers that strangely fit. I felt disconnected from the story & characters. Talk about a cliffhanger! Interesting place to end it. A very unique film but not my cup of tea.
Good Manners. Pt 1-Not for me but might be for you. Not a fan of demonizing pregnancy, CGI monster babies & ripping apart mothers. Baby was grotesque & nauseating. Cruel underpinnings throughout. Depressing. Someone kills & eats a cat. Ew! Moves very slowly, too slowly really.
Pt 2-Creepy ceremony. Basic, no twists and turns, but an enjoyable retro watch. An old black and white horror flick. Great ending.
The Devil’s Hand (1961) Pt 1-Very creepy story! Quite memorable. I hope I never walk into that doll shop! Rather eloquent voiceovers. Nice dialogue. “A time for restlessness and madness. A time for death.” Good pacing. Keep you guessing how indoctrinated he really was.
Pt 6-My overall feeling can be understood by this quote from the series. Dracula is talking about a bad book, but it still applies. “It’s a commitment. It’s a contract between an author & a reader, & I have to be engaged at once. After all, one only has so much time.”
Pt 5-While on the whole I hated it, there were a few bright spots, mainly the character of Agnes who was strong, witty & brave. A great foil for Dracula. Some good dialogue between them. The castle was a creepy labyrinth, a never-ending maze. And Dracula had a lawyer. Ha!
Pt 4-The graveyard scene was morose & the end was the epitome of grotesque, sadistic and cruel and I could barely watch it. The final scene was anti-climactic and the worst ending to the series. I want the time back.
Pt 3- Dracula's a one-noted villain. Story was a mess. All over the place, no clear vision. Shades of iZombie in the idea that “you are what you eat.” So much suffering for the women in this series. Pervasive cruelty. Didn’t like Lucy’s character.
Pt 2- Vampire babies, killing kids, ripping off faces, grotesque transformations, hacking off arms, flies the eye, someone gets burned alive. Not for the faint of heart. A much darker retelling. Dracula is an absolute sadist, a true monster with no saving graces.
Dracula (2020). Pt 1-Avoid this like the plague. A few good points but mainly just a bleak, depressing, sadistic, disturbing, misogynistic hodgepodge that's a waste of time. Don't recommend. Steven Moffat may have written this but it sure doesn't feel like anything he's done.
Pt 2- Despite its supernatural origins, it feel real to me. How far will a mother’s love go? Whole lotta dead chickens. He’s one hell of a nemesis! Brutal, bleak, powerful, chilling and wonderfully acted. Memorable ending that really shook me.
Brightburn. Pt 1- Consistently ominous & creepy. Held my attention throughout. The child’s level of sadism, cruelty, detachment & psychosis are very chilling! Goes from 0 to 60 in seconds. A dark Superman story with shades of the Omen.
Pt 3- Underutilized some great actors there. Quite simply, I expected more. More genuine well-deserved scares, more depth, more characterization. Just more. To me, this one didn't deliver.
Pt 2-Jazzed up the story with juxtapositions, which can be quite jarring, of previous tenants, so we see snippets of their lives on top of each other, connected by the cursed house. Pervasive tone of sadness throughout. Murder, suicide, cutting fingers off fair warning. Yikes!
The Grudge (2019). Pt 1-This remake let me down. Creepy beginning, yes, but then the story slows down considerably to set the scene for a slew of jump scares, which to me are the lowest common denominator of scares.
Pt 2-More focused on Willard, the put-upon man who lacks ambition & is completely isolated from the world except for his rats. Based on the book, “Ratman’s Notebooks.” Very low body count. Nice final scene with his boss - I’ll give it that, quite memorable. Overall a ho-hum film.
Willard (1971). Pt 1-Wasn’t impressed with this one. Expected better. Not like the remake. This was slow & much more melodrama than horror. Felt like a soap opera. Oh, the rat deaths! One particular blood death. Yikes!
Pt 2- The child’s psychosis, obsession & ruthlessness are very chilling to witness. Gabrielle Boni is great in the role of Jody. She’s very adept at killing those around her who get in her way. Quite exciting toward the end until the final scene, which is rather anticlimactic.
Daddy’s Girl (1996). Pt 1- A TV horror film about an evil child. Rented this in the video store back in the day and remembered it as being very scary. The Bad Seed had nothing on Jody. Not really scary now though, more of a dark thriller but it has some chilling scenes.
Pt 4- Can’t come up with an original story? Shades of “Supernatural” the TV series with a character a lot like Lilith, salting doorways against demons, beings that count grains of salt like fairies on the show. Why so derivative?
Pt 3--Loved Judi & Sam, the rule of Sam & some of the dialogue. “You have the survival instincts of a giant panda bear.” “You’re a blue-collar badass that won’t quit and I’m a spoiled brat with a gun. They don’t stand a chance.” Ha!
Pt 2- Nope, not for me. Love women directing horror & I love novels by Grady Hendrix so I should have loved this but I hated it. Might be better as a novel. Has some good characters & good moments but overall it wasn’t an enjoyable watch. Don’t recommend.
Satanic Panic. Pt 1 of 4-Some spoilers & triggers. Hello rape. Attempted rape to save her? Sacrificial rape & pregnancy? Yikes! Disgusting storyline. Nauseating scenes. Don't eat while watching! A giant “killdo?” Really! Rabbit eaten alive. OK ending if you can get through it.
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