I don't know how I've gone this long without writing a review of this movie. Horror movies in recent years have mostly disappointed me, but this one is creepy and interesting enough to rate it as one of the best of the last few years. A family torn apart by their son's strange affliction (a coma-like sleep that is actually astral projection) seeks help from some paranormal investigators, including Lin Shaye (who is great in these movies) and Leigh Whannell (who should be in more movies; I've liked him since Saw, even though he was kind of whiny in that). Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne play the parents of the boy who are freaked out and willing to do anything to help their son.
Why did I love this movie? This is the first movie in a very long time that actually creeped me out. Like, had to sleep with the lights on creeped out. The spirits in the other world (the one Patrick Wilson must venture into in order to save his son) are so creepy and smiley that I was glad I didn't watch it alone. With an interesting plot and some serious creep factor, this movie is definitely worth a rent. Although I did bust up laughing at the very end when, after all this scary stuff happens, the movie title bursts onto the screen in red letters with loud music like something out of a Vincent Price movie. Still, a great time to be had and I highly recommend this one. If you, too, are looking for an excuse to sleep with the lights on, go out and get this one.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Kristy
A college student (Haley Bennett) hanging out at school alone during Thanksgiving break is terrorized by masked strangers and Ashley Greene (who doesn't feel the need to cover her pretty face with a mask).
The main girl, Justine (no her name is not Kristy), wanders around the big, empty campus and chats with the security guard on duty (the only other person who will be around for the whole weekend), then goes to the local convenience store to grab junk food. There she runs in Ashley Greene, who acts weird and creeps Justine out, then chases her down the road for no apparent reason. I won't give away the killers' motivations or the reason this movie is called Kristy, because it doesn't really matter. This is a suspenseful, fun little movie that feels kind of like an adult version of Home Alone. In fact, toward the end I kept yelling, "Go all Home Alone on their ass!" And then she did.
All in all, I really enjoyed this one and my only problem with it was the last act of the main character; it was another one of those horror movie moments where the main character does something they wouldn't normally do, not really in self defense but because they've had it. But it doesn't ruin the fun of the movie and I would definitely recommend this if you're in the mood for some suspense and not too much gore.
The main girl, Justine (no her name is not Kristy), wanders around the big, empty campus and chats with the security guard on duty (the only other person who will be around for the whole weekend), then goes to the local convenience store to grab junk food. There she runs in Ashley Greene, who acts weird and creeps Justine out, then chases her down the road for no apparent reason. I won't give away the killers' motivations or the reason this movie is called Kristy, because it doesn't really matter. This is a suspenseful, fun little movie that feels kind of like an adult version of Home Alone. In fact, toward the end I kept yelling, "Go all Home Alone on their ass!" And then she did.
All in all, I really enjoyed this one and my only problem with it was the last act of the main character; it was another one of those horror movie moments where the main character does something they wouldn't normally do, not really in self defense but because they've had it. But it doesn't ruin the fun of the movie and I would definitely recommend this if you're in the mood for some suspense and not too much gore.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
It Follows
Full disclosure, I am scared to death of people not really being there or of people I know suddenly not being who they are. So if these concepts scare you, you'll enjoy this as much as I did.
So this college student is dating a cute boy who she decides to sleep with for the first time in the back of his car even after he has an odd freak out at a movie theater but hey, he's pretty. He then chloroforms her and ties her to a chair and explains what he has just passed on to her. From this scene on I was hooked. Seriously creepy. And every time It shows up I wanted to hide my eyes but I also didn't want to miss out on being actually scared. If you've seen a horror movie in the last few years you know this is hard to come by.
The movie seems to be set in the 80s (old cars, lack of cell phones and computers) and yet one character has what seems to be a Kindle in a compact case so I was confused by this. I think the retro look is supposed to be a nod to 80s horror films. Now, I've read a lot of reviews that compare this to Halloween and other 80s classics, but I didn't really see this. It does have a classic look but it just didn't scream Halloween at me. Way too much of a slow burn with more of an insidious fear that builds up, instead of the instant terror of a guy in a mask breaking into your room and slashing about.
The tenaciously creepy atmosphere is what kept me watching, even when I knew it was going to keep me awake. "It" shows up somewhat randomly, and a couple of times It confused me because it looked so much like a couple of the actors. Then I remembered that It has the ability to look like someone you love. There were also times where it wasn't clear if the person walking by or looking at the main characters was It or just some random person passing by.
The ending is not groundbreaking or all that exciting, but it doesn't take away from the rest of the film. Watch it for the creepy It that follows the main characters and the building tension. Again, I was really creeped out and thus I enjoyed this movie thoroughly. If you're looking for something suspenseful and a little different, check it out. Maybe not by yourself like I did... but then again, the person you're with might not be who you think they are anyway so you might be better off alone.
So this college student is dating a cute boy who she decides to sleep with for the first time in the back of his car even after he has an odd freak out at a movie theater but hey, he's pretty. He then chloroforms her and ties her to a chair and explains what he has just passed on to her. From this scene on I was hooked. Seriously creepy. And every time It shows up I wanted to hide my eyes but I also didn't want to miss out on being actually scared. If you've seen a horror movie in the last few years you know this is hard to come by.
The movie seems to be set in the 80s (old cars, lack of cell phones and computers) and yet one character has what seems to be a Kindle in a compact case so I was confused by this. I think the retro look is supposed to be a nod to 80s horror films. Now, I've read a lot of reviews that compare this to Halloween and other 80s classics, but I didn't really see this. It does have a classic look but it just didn't scream Halloween at me. Way too much of a slow burn with more of an insidious fear that builds up, instead of the instant terror of a guy in a mask breaking into your room and slashing about.
The tenaciously creepy atmosphere is what kept me watching, even when I knew it was going to keep me awake. "It" shows up somewhat randomly, and a couple of times It confused me because it looked so much like a couple of the actors. Then I remembered that It has the ability to look like someone you love. There were also times where it wasn't clear if the person walking by or looking at the main characters was It or just some random person passing by.
The ending is not groundbreaking or all that exciting, but it doesn't take away from the rest of the film. Watch it for the creepy It that follows the main characters and the building tension. Again, I was really creeped out and thus I enjoyed this movie thoroughly. If you're looking for something suspenseful and a little different, check it out. Maybe not by yourself like I did... but then again, the person you're with might not be who you think they are anyway so you might be better off alone.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
7500
To begin with, I waited two years to see this movie. I was so excited for a real, scary ghost movie set on a plane that featured actors I at least recognized (I'm easily amused). But then, six months went by, then a year, and now two years and no release date. I checked online every once in a while to see if there was a new release date, but still nothing. Finally, after all this anticipation, I was finally able to watch it. I am going to break my own no-spoiler rule and this review will contain a big SPOILER because I am still angry at the way this turned out after the long wait. You've been warned.
Several people are on a flight to Japan, all with the usual obligatory personal problems that movie characters need to have in order to make things interesting. The most shady-looking guy on the plane starts to feel ill, coughing up blood and convulsing, and Ryan Kwanten is a paramedic who jumps in to try to save the guy but is unsuccessful. The dead guy had a mysterious box with him and was very nervous about the flight or what was in the box or... well, it doesn't really matter.
The problem with this movie is that it had potential, with somewhat good actors, an interesting premise (you see a lot of movies set on planes, but they're usually straight action or terrorist plots, never creepy or supernatural) so I thought yes, this will be different, this will be good. There's even a creepy "death doll" that has nothing to do with anything. Why they didn't build on that and make it the focus of the film, I will never understand. But just when I was really enjoying it and there was a definite creepy vibe and some mysterious things happening, it hits you with the twist.
SPOILER
So at some point the oxygen masks come down and the plane almost crashes, but it pulls out and everything is fine. Oh but wait no it isn't. Because (wait for it, you're gonna be shocked) everyone on the plane is dead and has been for half the movie. Gasp! So the fog and the hands reaching out to grab people from the toilet, not to mention the dead guy who mysteriously started moving again, had nothing to do with anything. This is a cop-out ending of the worst kind. It isn't even hinted at, and there's no way you could have guessed it. The previews make it look like a ghost-on-a-plane movie, and I expected to be creeped out and enjoy a nice little ghost movie. But no. Either the writers wrote this movie and it was filmed before every other horror movie with this same ending in the last ten years (hence it getting shelved once they realized their mistake) or they just didn't watch those movies at all and thought they were being really clever. Either way, after the long wait it was more than a let down. It makes the rest of the movie a complete waste of time. If the characters have been dead the whole time, then everything that happened didn't happen at all. I don't understand why this ending is so popular.
I was really enjoying this one until the last five minutes, so I can't say I don't recommend it at all. If you're not as easily annoyed by lazy writing as I am you will probably enjoy this. I just wish Hollywood would go back to putting some effort into movies and not just recycling.
Several people are on a flight to Japan, all with the usual obligatory personal problems that movie characters need to have in order to make things interesting. The most shady-looking guy on the plane starts to feel ill, coughing up blood and convulsing, and Ryan Kwanten is a paramedic who jumps in to try to save the guy but is unsuccessful. The dead guy had a mysterious box with him and was very nervous about the flight or what was in the box or... well, it doesn't really matter.
The problem with this movie is that it had potential, with somewhat good actors, an interesting premise (you see a lot of movies set on planes, but they're usually straight action or terrorist plots, never creepy or supernatural) so I thought yes, this will be different, this will be good. There's even a creepy "death doll" that has nothing to do with anything. Why they didn't build on that and make it the focus of the film, I will never understand. But just when I was really enjoying it and there was a definite creepy vibe and some mysterious things happening, it hits you with the twist.
SPOILER
So at some point the oxygen masks come down and the plane almost crashes, but it pulls out and everything is fine. Oh but wait no it isn't. Because (wait for it, you're gonna be shocked) everyone on the plane is dead and has been for half the movie. Gasp! So the fog and the hands reaching out to grab people from the toilet, not to mention the dead guy who mysteriously started moving again, had nothing to do with anything. This is a cop-out ending of the worst kind. It isn't even hinted at, and there's no way you could have guessed it. The previews make it look like a ghost-on-a-plane movie, and I expected to be creeped out and enjoy a nice little ghost movie. But no. Either the writers wrote this movie and it was filmed before every other horror movie with this same ending in the last ten years (hence it getting shelved once they realized their mistake) or they just didn't watch those movies at all and thought they were being really clever. Either way, after the long wait it was more than a let down. It makes the rest of the movie a complete waste of time. If the characters have been dead the whole time, then everything that happened didn't happen at all. I don't understand why this ending is so popular.
I was really enjoying this one until the last five minutes, so I can't say I don't recommend it at all. If you're not as easily annoyed by lazy writing as I am you will probably enjoy this. I just wish Hollywood would go back to putting some effort into movies and not just recycling.
The Prowler
I've been on an 80s slasher movie kick lately, and this is one I had never heard of. I'm not sure the title is really the best they could have done, but maybe I missed something. I've been having a hard time finding enough movies like this, where people are killed off one by one and the most fun part if figuring out who the killer is, but I enjoyed this one in spite of my desperation.
A masked killer in an Army uniform is bumping people off (with a pitchfork, randomly enough) and there's some back story about a murder back in the 40s. Good, suspenseful kill scenes (the suspense is my favorite part of these movies) and a hint as to who the killer is kept me watching despite the bad acting (it's an 80s horror flick, enough said). I will say, the way I figured out who the killer is was based on a cliché near the beginning of the movie, but this was before that was a cliché so you can't really blame them. It's always fun to watch these old movies and get upset at all the clichés and then realize oh, no that hadn't been done yet 47 times at that point in time.
If you're into 80s slasher flicks, you'll enjoy this one. Not the best I've seen, but pretty good. It's a little bit gory, not too slow, and it kept my attention. I know, not a glowing review but a fine way to spend a night in.
A masked killer in an Army uniform is bumping people off (with a pitchfork, randomly enough) and there's some back story about a murder back in the 40s. Good, suspenseful kill scenes (the suspense is my favorite part of these movies) and a hint as to who the killer is kept me watching despite the bad acting (it's an 80s horror flick, enough said). I will say, the way I figured out who the killer is was based on a cliché near the beginning of the movie, but this was before that was a cliché so you can't really blame them. It's always fun to watch these old movies and get upset at all the clichés and then realize oh, no that hadn't been done yet 47 times at that point in time.
If you're into 80s slasher flicks, you'll enjoy this one. Not the best I've seen, but pretty good. It's a little bit gory, not too slow, and it kept my attention. I know, not a glowing review but a fine way to spend a night in.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Saw II
And here we go... The second movie is centered on a group of people who are locked in a house, and who we learn are inhaling a nerve gas that is slowly killing them. One of the people in the house is the teenage son of Detective Matthews, who receives a personal invitation from Jigsaw and soon meets up with him at his lair. Jigsaw won't tell him where his son is until they sit down and have a conversation. Of course, with Jigsaw it's mostly babbling about how one should appreciate their life and none of it amounts to much while they watch the people in the house try to figure out how to get out of the game.
And as usual in these types of movies, they all start turning on each other. When in a stressful life or death situation people always turn against each other and it becomes about surviving longer than everyone else, whether that's the name of the game or not. This is human nature, or maybe horror movie writers just assume it is. I will discuss this more when we get to Saw V, where another group of strangers are thrown together in one of Jigsaw's games.
For now, though, I will say that I enjoyed the second movie. It has suspense, mystery (how do these people know each other, and why has Jigsaw chosen them), and a sense of urgency since they're all slowly dying from the nerve gas. The acting is decent, and the puzzles are fun and a bit less gory than the ones to follow in the next movies.
As for continuity, this one brings back Amanda from the first movie (Jigsaw's victim who survived) and she is the one who tries to help the others through the maze in the house (or does she?).
I would like to know, however, how one builds an impenetrable fortress in a house that obviously has windows - I kept seeing light coming through and wondering why they didn't try to just break out. But like I always say, it wouldn't be a movie if the characters were smart enough to escape in five minutes. I recommend this one as a fairly enjoyable horror flick, even on its own if you've never seen another movie in the series.
And as usual in these types of movies, they all start turning on each other. When in a stressful life or death situation people always turn against each other and it becomes about surviving longer than everyone else, whether that's the name of the game or not. This is human nature, or maybe horror movie writers just assume it is. I will discuss this more when we get to Saw V, where another group of strangers are thrown together in one of Jigsaw's games.
For now, though, I will say that I enjoyed the second movie. It has suspense, mystery (how do these people know each other, and why has Jigsaw chosen them), and a sense of urgency since they're all slowly dying from the nerve gas. The acting is decent, and the puzzles are fun and a bit less gory than the ones to follow in the next movies.
As for continuity, this one brings back Amanda from the first movie (Jigsaw's victim who survived) and she is the one who tries to help the others through the maze in the house (or does she?).
I would like to know, however, how one builds an impenetrable fortress in a house that obviously has windows - I kept seeing light coming through and wondering why they didn't try to just break out. But like I always say, it wouldn't be a movie if the characters were smart enough to escape in five minutes. I recommend this one as a fairly enjoyable horror flick, even on its own if you've never seen another movie in the series.
Friday, November 28, 2014
Saw
I was recently given the Blu-ray of the complete Saw series, so I decided to watch them all and see if they seem as ridiculous if you watch from beginning to end and try to catch everything that happened.
The short answer is, no. It doesn't seem any less ridiculous that new accomplices are added in each movie and are explained through scenes from previous movies that are re-shot from a different angle to show that said accomplice was involved all along (I'll explain this as we go). But this is my review of the first movie, and we will go from there.
The original Saw movie was more of a thriller and less of a straight horror movie than the movies that came after, when the writers realized that people would show up more for the gore than for a good mystery. Anyway, in this one we see Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes, otherwise known as Sweet Wesley) and Adam (Leigh Whannell, who I learned after many viewings was the writer of the film) locked in a room and chained to pipes. There is a lot of the usual, this is your fault, you put me here, how do we get out of here bickering between the two until everything starts to develop and we see how Jigsaw is working for the first time. And then there's the twist in the last three minutes. But I don't believe in spoilers (ever since The Sixth Sense was ruined for me by a magazine article, I take care not to ruin movies for others) so I won't say much more.
This is a real crime thriller and mystery, an honest film about chasing a serial killer who has a unique signature. But we all know what happens after this one - or at least you will after you read my next reviews. But the point is, if you only watched this Saw movie, you would get a decent thriller with a twist ending and some OK acting (wish I could say the same for the rest of the movies).
In short, whether you like the rest of the Saw movies or not, this one is different from the rest and I do recommend it.
The short answer is, no. It doesn't seem any less ridiculous that new accomplices are added in each movie and are explained through scenes from previous movies that are re-shot from a different angle to show that said accomplice was involved all along (I'll explain this as we go). But this is my review of the first movie, and we will go from there.
The original Saw movie was more of a thriller and less of a straight horror movie than the movies that came after, when the writers realized that people would show up more for the gore than for a good mystery. Anyway, in this one we see Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes, otherwise known as Sweet Wesley) and Adam (Leigh Whannell, who I learned after many viewings was the writer of the film) locked in a room and chained to pipes. There is a lot of the usual, this is your fault, you put me here, how do we get out of here bickering between the two until everything starts to develop and we see how Jigsaw is working for the first time. And then there's the twist in the last three minutes. But I don't believe in spoilers (ever since The Sixth Sense was ruined for me by a magazine article, I take care not to ruin movies for others) so I won't say much more.
This is a real crime thriller and mystery, an honest film about chasing a serial killer who has a unique signature. But we all know what happens after this one - or at least you will after you read my next reviews. But the point is, if you only watched this Saw movie, you would get a decent thriller with a twist ending and some OK acting (wish I could say the same for the rest of the movies).
In short, whether you like the rest of the Saw movies or not, this one is different from the rest and I do recommend it.
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