My thoughts on Old People (2022)

The elderly are sick of everyone's shit.

What would happen if something (a virus, something in the air a la The Happening) started affecting the elderly and turned them into murderous, super human beings? That is what is explored here in this German horror film. Honestly, I was not prepared for the gore and violence, but it was certainly effective in portraying the rage. It was definitely unsettling. The characters were understandably shocked. I mean no one really expects a bunch of old people to go on violent rampages. In all, a pretty decent Netflix offering. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat, and I might have screamed a couple of times too.

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My thoughts on Barbarian (2022)

You've probably seen the previews and you may already have a clear picture in your mind of how the movie is going to go. I'm not going to tell you one way or another. No spoilers shall come forth from my mouth. Let me just say...WOW! This movie has everything a fan would want in a horror movie. Set in the abandoned neighborhoods of Detroit, Michigan (part of the premise is that real estate is way cheap there), this quaint "Air BNB" house sticks out like a sore thumb. The creepiness of these abandoned houses really adds to the film's atmosphere. But I've digressed from my main point. Barbarian pretty much has it all. Suspense. A few jump scares. Yes, there is even some gore, and other gross elements. It really was scary, and it definitely will have people questioning their stays in Air BNB, Home Away, and other such places. Just keep in mind that you don't need to go in the basement of one of these rentals. I mean it. 

So yeah, this is one of the best horror films I've seen in a while. You should definitely add it to your scary movie schedule this season. 

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My thoughts on The Invitation (2022)

Saturday was National Cinema Day. Most theaters across the U.S. were offering $3 tickets for all movies. We saw The Invitation, a movie I was looking forward to seeing. I was not disappointed. Even better than I expected regarding the scare factor because the previews didn't really allude to it being really scary (in my opinion). There were some genuinely scary (and jumpy) moments. Ultimately though, the film is a twist on my favorite classic horror novel, Dracula. If you love the book like I do, you will enjoy the various references to the original. The only downside for me were the incessant conversations between Evie and Walt. Entirely too much talking. I will say that Evie and Walt had great chemistry, and I liked them both for their particular roles. I've been a fan of Nathalie Emmanuel (Evie) since her stint on Game of Thrones, and Thomas Doherty as Walt is a newcomer to me, but I did see he has been in quite a few shows/movies. I'd like to see more of him for sure. Those eyes! 

In all, I say see this movie if you like horror, Gothic tales, and Dracula. It's the perfect movie for the fall spooky season. 

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Movie Review - Saint Maud (2019)

The headline of an article on Daily Beast "Inside the Terrifying 'Saint Maud,' the First Great Horror Movie of 2021." Unfortunately, I have to disagree. "Saint Maud" is an A24 movie and anyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of their movies. The "Blackcoat's Daughter," "It Comes At Night," "The Killing of a Sacred Deer," "The Lighthouse," and three of my most favorite movies, "The Witch," "Hereditary" and "Midsommar." "Saint Maud" definitely fits the style of those movies in some ways (slow burn, creepy moments), but not enough to be called "Terrifying." I was not terrified. Yes, Maud's religious fervor could be construed as terrifying to those of us who do not identify as religious, but that, I believe, is stretching the context of what is scary. Religion has been used to good effect to terrify and disturb (see "The Witch"), but not so much in this movie. The performances are good. Jennifer Ehle as Maud's patient was excellent as always. Morfydd Clark does portray Maud with intensity, but it's not enough to truly be scary. Luckily, the movie is only around 84 minutes, but when the most terrifying part of the movie (more gross than terrifying) is at the very beginning, watching the rest is just a let down.

Review also posted on Jackmeats Flix.

Review - Hell House LLC: Director’s Cut DVD #WitchSeasonCM

I have a special treat for you today...on my birthday of all days! Why is it special? Well, I haven't done a horror movie review on this blog for a LONG time. I was sent this film for review by the director, Stephen Cognetti. Here is the synopsis and following that, some words from the director himself.

15 people died on the opening night of a Halloween haunted house attraction. A documentary crew revisits the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened.

"Hell House LLC was shot in May of 2014 while working full-time at another job. I was only able to edit a little each morning or a little at night. That lead to a year-long editing process until I had my locked version of the film.

My intent for Hell House LLC was to produce a slow burn of subtle, yet building scares. I have never been a fan of jump scares or music aided scares. My favorite type of scares in horror has always been the little things caught in the background that the protagonists are not immediately aware of. I worked to embody these sensibilities in Hell House LLC." ~Stephen Cognetti

My thoughts on the film
A "slow burn of subtle, yet building scares" is exactly what this film is, and it's what makes it so good. At first, the viewer might think, "Oh great...another found footage film." Personally, I tend to like those types of films. I'm a huge fan of The Blair Witch Project. This movie is similar to that in some ways, and in others, it's much more scary.

Of course, the hotel where the attraction is put on, the Abaddon Hotel, has a creepy back story. This is the point where any horror movie buff (I don't care who you are) is saying, "Why would you want to put on a haunted house attraction in a location with such a past?" We always say/think this, but there wouldn't be any horror movies if the people in them were really smart...or maybe just had some common sense. All the more fun for us.

This movie just works. There are isolated (subtle) creepy moments right from almost the beginning and these build to a killer crescendo. Anyone who has ever enjoyed going to haunted house attractions, something I've always loved doing, has probably wondered what would happen if the attraction turned deadly. Come on...you wouldn't be a horror buff if you didn't. Putting yourselves in the shoes of the protagonists is what makes the fear more palpable. Even if the horror is ultimately caused by a supernatural force, there is a part of us that still thinks "what if?"

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves horror movies. My fourteen year old son, and my sixty-seven year old mom, watched it with me and they thought it was great too. Perfect movie for this spooky, season of the witch time of year.

This film is a DVD-Only Release...

Here is some important information about the DVD:

1. Extended feature includes Director Commentary
2. Additional footage showing the chaos in the basement near the end. The original cut was scripted to be a much bigger payoff. We shot green screens for some VFX, but due to budget and other reasons, we had to use alternative shots. For the Director’s Cut, we brought on a visual effects expert to finish the VFX. 
3. Additional character development scenes. My original rough-cut ran almost 100 minutes and was screened in fall 2014 in New York City. While the film was received well and the scares were effective, the run-time bothered some of the producers. So, I spent the next few months trimming the film by eight minutes. We didn’t lose our best scares but we lost some character development that I was reluctant to part with. I added some of these scenes to the Director’s Cut.
4. DVD Release Date: October 1, 2017 – DVD only. Purchase at http://hellhousellc.com

 Check out the website and support the sequel: Hell House LLC 2: The Abaddon Hotel (Yes, there's going to be a sequel!) DVD sales will help fund the production costs for the Hell House LLC sequel!

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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children #Read-Along - Final discussion and thoughts on the film #MissPeregrines

First, let me apologize for the delay in posting this. I had thought to finish the book before seeing the film (I was at the final chapters), but it didn't quite work out that way. Also, my sons are on Fall break so I've been busy getting things done around here (that requires their brute strength. lol) and spending time with them.

So, what a magical book, right? I really enjoyed this final part of the book where we finally learn the truth of Jacob's gift...he can see the Hollows! Not sure I would want that gift though. Yuck.

This book is unique because of the photographs. I really liked that aspect because it gives us a point of reference to what some of the children looked like, and it added to the vintage Gothic feel of the book. I think the photographs also evoked a World War II feel.

I liked the incorporation of the Nazis at the end. Makes sense that they would be involved with the nefarious doings of the Wight. This aspect, to me, gives the book a slant of morality. The correlation between the pursuit and persecution of the peculiar children with the pursuit and persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazis...clever.

Which brings me to the film. There is no part of the above in the film. Not sure why. Maybe because of the current state of things with race relations, etc. in our country and the world. Actually, the movie really is quite different from the book. Tim Burton changed a lot and I found myself wondering if that was truly necessary. Don't get me wrong...the film is pretty good...but the book is better. Who didn't know I would say that? He even flip flopped characters, giving Emma Olive's power of floating and Olive had the power of fire from her hands. Why?

Again, the film was enjoyable enough and definitely worth seeing for the visual elements alone. Also, Asa Butterfield was great as Jacob and Ella Purnell was ethereal as Emma. Of course, Eva Green was fantastic, as she is in pretty much everything she's in.

Definitely see it if you enjoyed the book, keeping in mind that the book is (almost) always better.

Thanks to everyone who read along with me.

Horror Movie Reviews--Insidious 2 and The Lords of Salem

I am a huge fan of the first "Insidious" film so I was highly anticipating this movie. I was not disappointed. In fact, I felt that this sequel may have been even more scary than the first. I loved the way it went into more detail and told us a back story. And there was even more humor this time, mostly courtesy of Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson as Specs and Tucker. James Wan is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors having moved on from the gore of the "Saw" films to making intelligent horror films that focus more on the story and genuine creepiness that I find more scary than all out slash and gore. Examples are this film and the first "Insidious" and the brilliant "The Conjuring," which came out over the summer. Leigh Whannell should also be credited for his brilliant writing on this film and others. Needless to say, I'm pleased to tell you that "Insidious 3" has been announced!

About the film
The Lambert family learn their struggle with the supernatural is far from over when a long-buried secret plunges them back into a terrifying world of darkness. Director James Wan reteams with screenwriter Leigh Whannell for this horror sequel starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, and Ty Simpkins. ~from Fandango

There were two reasons that I rented "The Lords of Salem." One...huge fan of Rob Zombie. I loved him when he was in his band, White Zombie, and loved his solo music too. His films, especially "House of 1000 Corpses" and "The Devil's Rejects," have really pushed the envelope. I much prefer the former of these two, as the latter focused too much on torture rather than all out horror. His remakes of the "Halloween" films 1 and 2 were pretty good, albeit quite a bit more gory than the originals, if that's possible. So, with my being a fan, it was a given that I wanted to see this film. The other reason is that it's about witches and its back story has origins in the history of the Salem Witch Trials. Zombie takes liberties with the Salem history because in his story the witches are burned and the accused witches of Salem were not burned. They were hanged and one accused man was pressed to death. Also, Zombie's witches, or "Lords of Salem" weren't just accused, they were really evil witches. Another error, or maybe it was just an error in the spelling on the subtitles (yes, I have the subtitles on while I'm watching), was the misspelling of John Hawthorne's name. Anyone who knows the history of the Salem witch hysteria knows that a John Hathorne was one of the judges (who never repented his actions during the trials). Note the spelling of his name. He was a direct ancestor of author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, who added the 'w' to his last name because he did not want to be connected with the ill deeds of his ancestor. Anyway, I'm not going to say that this film was excellent, but there were some genuinely creepy moments and a startlingly freaky performance by Meg Foster (blast from the past) as the hideously haggish and evil, Margaret Morgan, the ring leader of the Salem witches, or "Lords of Salem." There were actually a bunch of blasts from the past which Zombie is known for showcasing in his films, including Dee Wallace (of E.T., Howling, Cujo fame), Bruce Davison, and Maria Chonchita Alonso. And, of course, Zombie's normal regulars...wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, Ken Foree, and Sid Haig. "The Lords of Salem" has its moments, one of them being some deliciously creepy music (listen to the music at the end of the trailer below) introduced in the film via a record album sent to the main character by a band called "The Lords." What a coincidence. I would say see this if you're a zombie fan, or if you just like weird, eclectic horror films.

An excellent review on rogerebert.com sums up my feelings about this film almost exactly. http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lords-of-salem-2013

Meg Foster as Margaret Morgan

About the film
Heidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record -- a "gift from the Lords." The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords back to take revenge on Salem, Massachusetts?



Film reviews for...

Book Review: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer {and a few words about the movie}

My thoughts:
I've been pretty much saying this to everyone, but it's true...it's the end of an era.  It's hard to believe that it has only been five or six years since I read the first Twilight book, but in that short span of years, my reading has shifted tremendously.  I have broadened my horizons with more classics and literary fiction and, in so doing, I recognize the difference between great writing and writing that is less than so.  Now I'm not saying that I don't like the Twilight books because I do.  The Twilight series and the films in accompaniment have always evoked a sense of poignancy in me, I think in response to what I have lost in my own relationship.  I once felt the way Edward and Bella feel and, sadly, it's not there anymore.  Being reminded of the loss of true love one once had is a very hard thing.  Anyway, didn't mean to get so personal, but I just wanted to explain the effect the story had upon me.  I still break down in tears when I hear the Carter Burwell song from the films, "Bella's Lullaby," and I cried at the end of this book and pretty much at different times throughout the movie (I really am a highly emotional person so please don't fault me).  Moving on, I don't think that Meyer is a terrible writer, there is room for improvement (although I did think The Host was a better written book than the Twilight series) and I do think she has the potential for improvement.  Bottom line, she tells a great story and creates some terrific characters.  And in a lot of ways, the films brought out the best in some of the characters she created.  Like Charlie, Bella's dad...love him.  And Benjamin in this book and the actor who portrayed him.  And Lee Pace as Garrett....and Alistair...what an intriguingly absent character.  I think Meyer should write about them.  Perhaps Garrett summed up the entire series with the following words that he spoke in front of the Volturi (in the book):

I have witnessed the bonds within this family--I say family and not coven.  These strange golden-eyed ones deny their very natures.  But in return have they found something worth even more, perhaps, than mere gratification of desire?  I've made a little study of them in my time here, and it seems to me that intrinsic to this intense family binding--that which makes them possible at all--is the peaceful character of this life of sacrifice.....

And so, the Twilight saga is not just about a love story between a human and a vampire.  It is a story about family and lasting bonds, whether it's the Cullens or the Quileute wolves.  I truly believe that is the message Meyer intended to share.

The film:
Yes, the movie had some cheesy parts, as they all did, but it was still great to watch.  Like I said above, some of the characters/actors are just so great.  Who can resist Michael Sheen as Aro with his campy yet menacing mannerisms.  The Romanians were priceless.  Benjamin portrayed by Rami Malek was wonderful and Lee Pace as Garrett...so great.  I was intrigued by Alistair who was portrayed by Joe Anderson, but I really like him as an actor so that could be why.  And last but not least, Billy Burke as Charlie.  They couldn't have matched a better actor with the character in the book.  One final note:  the end that is not the end like the book.  Don't worry...it's not a spoiler.  You will see...it really makes the movie.

Benjamin

Aro

Alistair

Garrett

Charlie and Bella

Farewell, Twilight saga...at least we will be able to revisit you from time to time when we find ourselves feeling nostalgic.

Movie Review--Sinister

I had high expectations for this movie, especially after seeing the previews and also finding out that it was from the creators of "Insidious" and the "Paranormal Activity" films.  It did not disappoint.  I can't remember being that scared in a horror film...not since I was a kid.  Of course, it's very atmospheric and dark, and when you add to the mix a great actor like Ethan Hawke, it makes it even better.  The story really is a great one with horrifying elements that make it much more creepy than a typical gore fest would.  The supernatural element and the history that surrounds the entity who is responsible for the terrible things that happen are what make it particularly scary.  At least when the killer is a flesh and blood person, we always have a hope while we're watching that he/she can be stopped, but in this case, all hope is lost.  That feeling gives a terrible feeling in the pit of the stomach.  Let me just say that I had so much acid churning in my stomach from the stress of it, I really could have used a pack of TUMS.  This film is what all horror movies should be.  Those of us who love the genre want to feel like this every time we see one.  Sadly, that is not always the case.  If you love horror films and genuinely love to be scared, you must see this movie! If you do see it, come back and tell me what you thought, or if you've already seen it, share your thoughts as well.

Other recent scary movies I've seen and how they stack up to Sinister:

The Possession
This one definitely had some creepy moments and it was a twist on the traditional depictions of possession, but it still did not have the wow factor that Sinister had.  Worth a watch, but maybe on DVD.

The Apparition
This one also had creepy moments, but it was was below the caliber of Sinister.  The idea of not being able to get away from what's haunting you is definitely unnerving, but it could have been a lot better.  Another "wait for the dvd" movie.

Qualifies for R.I.P. VII

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