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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
Big fun and goofy
Godzilla and Kong The New empire was definitely worth watching. The scenes are amazing, and the monster fights so much like the old Godzilla monster mash ups but looking even better.
True there isn't much human interaction except for a few scenes, but the characters, the human ones, were tolerable. You've got to remember this is a monster movie. People want to see monsters fighting, and you get those scenes in spades. The human storyline is secondary.
Overall, this is a big silly fun movie that checks all the boxes for monster mash ups. I enjoyed it for what it was, great entertainment to turn your mind off to and have fun.
La maschera del demonio (1960)
Atmospheric Terror
Finally got around to watching Mario Bava's Black Sunday from 1960. When taking into consideration when this film was made, this film is loaded with atmosphere and creepy scenes.
The horror is there, but not by using graphic violence. There are some unsettling scenes, and the movie is black and white, but I love how the director uses the black and white imagery to create tension and suspense. A couple scenes have objects abruptly appear in the foreground and background when characters are walking, which makes the viewer feel unsettled.
The acting is on point and even though the dialogue seems a little wooden, you have to take into consideration the year it was made and that it is an international movie. I love horror movies like this, and I recommend it. Don't know if younger viewers will understand this kind of horror, but older people who grew up with films from the 50s and 60s like this will enjoy it.
The Thing (1982)
A well made horror film
The Thing, in my opinion is one of the best horror films from the 80s. The gruesome special effects are very well done at a time before CGI ever existed, and the character actors are fantastic, especially Kurt Russell as MacReady.
The story is a remake of the original Thing From Another World back in 1951. That was also a very well made movie, but this film is the better story, which follows the story Who Goes There more closely. The suspense and tension is quite intense, with nobody knowing who is what. Many great scenes, especially a blood test that is up there with some of the most famous suspense scenes ever. John Carpenter is on point, as is Rob Bottin who created all the fantastic special effects. Highly recommended.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Not your typical 80s slasher
First time ever seeing Silent Night Deadly. It was another slasher from the 80s, using a guy dressed as Santa Claus as the killer. Not sure this was the first movie to make everybody's favorite Jolly man into a killer, but the writers and directors went for it. I tell you they had guts doing something like this.
I heard this movie, when released in 1984, had people protesting, which was understandable, and they pulled it from the theater soon after. But the 80s, known for video tape rentals, made this movie a sort of classic in a twisted kind of way. And I have to say it wasn't dreadful like some slashers back then, but not great either.
They give the killer a backstory, and things continue happening to him that would explain his psychotic break which comes later. He goes on a rampage, killing all those who do bad things, until he is finally shot dead after some very clever kills, including a young Linnea Quigley being impaled on deer antlers.
Robert Brian Wilson is Billy and plays the Santa killer, and his performance, though a little bit dry, wasn't bad. You actually feel some sympathy for what he's been through in his childhood when he saw both parents killed by another crazy killer in a Santa Claus suit. So many things happen to him as he grows up, and then the coupe de grace, when he is forced to where a Santa Claus suit for children in the toy store where he works when the original guy breaks his ankle. There was also clever use of lighting by the director to show when Billy's psychotic break starts.
The movie was not great, but some clever kills, a killer you have sympathy for, and nice touches by the director to show Billy's mindset, make it better than your usual hack and slash. I give it a C+
Cuando acecha la maldad (2023)
Gruesome movie but dumb actions by characters fail it
I watched When Evil Lurks because of all the good reviews. It is a well made film with decent acting with good production values but loses points because of the stupidity or ignorance of its characters.
The premise is simple. A character is possessed by a demon and getting too close to the possessed can cause the evil to spread like a virus if certain rules are not followed. There were seven rules which many of the characters seemed to know, but they failed to follow them. So the evil gets out and now they had to deal with it.
I liked the story and the plot. It was a different take for a horror film about demonic possession. Many of the scenes were well done, and the gore and violence struck home. This was not your typical horror movie. Expect the unexpected but even with that, you will still be shocked.
The actors were well in their roles, especially the children and the two brothers trying to stop the evil from spreading. But this movie suffers from the idiot plot syndrome where characters to dumb things which could've stopped things from happening.
I liked the idea of the plot. It was refreshing for a horror movie and a well made film. It was shocking, disturbing and horrific. I won't forget this one for a while. But alas, I just remember characters being idiots and not listening to those who know a thing or to about what is happening, and it just took me out of the movie. That's why I can't recommend this one.
Busanhaeng (2016)
Really Well Done South Korean Zombie Film
Train to Busan is an unforgettable horror film with a strong emotional core. It is fast paced an unrelenting with its tension and filled with horrifying moments, but it is a movie that never forgets about its characters and what they are feeling.
The story is simple. There is an outbreak at some chemical plant which shows them closing roads off in order to contain it, but like all zombie movies, they fail, as is seen in the beginning when a deer is struck by a truck an reanimates within minutes. The virus is very fast spreading, and overwhelms South Korea in no time.
Seok Woo, played by Gong Yoo, and his daughter Su An, played by Soo An, are on a train headed to Busan to see Su Ans mother for Su Ans birthday, but not before an infected girl gets on the train before it leaves the station. We all know where this is going, and it leads to an intense battle for survival between the living and the dead.
The events that follow are harrowing and tension filled as we get to me some of the other characters, which include a pregnant girl and her husband, played by Hung Yu Mi and Ma Dong Seok. Both are a stand out among others which include a baseball team of young men and a cheerleader. They all fight for their lives as they use their human spirit and will power to stay ahead of the outbreak by escaping towards the front of the train, closing all doors behind them as they do so. Of course not everyone makes it.
Though this movie is horror at its finest with great action sequences throughout and a kinetic pace, it is still a movie loaded with heart. You learn to care about all these people and their fates. The ending is one that truly pulls at the heart strings. Definitely recommended.
Black Christmas (1974)
An extremely well done slasher that spawned the many to come
I have never watched the full movie of Black Christmas, but when i finally did, I was impressed. I am talking about the original 1974 movie.
Black Christmas was the first of its kind. It gave us the first holiday slasher that used the point of view of the killer. John Carpenter would then use the same thing in Halloween four years later. In Black Christmas, just like Halloween, using the perspective from the killer adds a creepiness to the movie and adds to the dread.
The actors, mostly woman, were really good. Margot Kidder, soon to be Lois from Superman fame, also four years later, was a real stand out as Barb with her sassiness. Olivia Hussey was also very good.
The plot was simple. A maniac is on the loose and ends up in the attic of the sorority house where the girls are living. Most of the girls go home for the holidays, but a few stay behind, and the killer picks them off one by one, calling the sorority house phone after each death. I will say no more, so as not to spoil the movie for anyone who hasn't seen this. And once again, I am talking about the original 1974 film.
I would definitely recommend this movie, but some incompetence on the part of the police force takes a point away. The camera work is well done and the sound effects used were just as good.
This movie was entirely creepy with a few jump scares to add to it. I loved the way distraction was used so that our protagonists never realize the horrible things happening not far away from them.
Chucky: Jennifer's Body (2023)
Chucky series has gone off the rails but in a good way
When I first started watching season 3 I found the first two episodes confusing and littered with plot holes. Season 3 made up for that by explaining the how and why Chucky was able to get in the White House. It was pretty detailed, and we even learned of Tiffany's fate this episode. All of this was condensed into the best episode of the season, and probably one of the best of the entire series. I guess the doctor Chucky visited must've been some sort of evil doctor who helps out the criminally insane, based on the other patients sitting in the waiting room, who offered there own dark comic relief. This series started diabolically, and has now become one of more comic relief peppered with some gleeful kills. Madness.
The Flash (2023)
Not Bad
I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. Loved Michael Keaton's return as Batman. He actually was in a light mood with a bit of a sense of humor. Izra Miller was good in his role as The Flash, legal troubles aside, he played both dual roles of himself very well. I don't know about the girl who played Supergirl though, it just wasn't as strong. Maybe because it was little more than a cameo, and she didn't get to do much except tussle with some guards and Zod. The special effects weren't that great, but the story was well done, even though many people may have multi verse fatique. It was a lot of info to take in with cameos galore, but still fun. A solid 7. Above average in my book.
Terrifier (2016)
Disturbing and very violent horror film
Well that was a very strange movie indeed. Nice atmosphere and Art the clown is unbelievably terrifying as the title suggests. One of the goriest and most disgusting films I have seen in a long time. Too bad the other characters are so very stupid, but isn't that the way of most slasher films. If you like your gore unbelievably graphic, well this is definitely the movie for you, but don't expect great acting. This movie is what it is, and I believe a lot of people who are into gory movies will not be disappointed. The person who played Art the clown played a great part. He is up there with Freddy, Michael, and Jason, our three other favorite boogeymen. The special effects were also very impressive for a movie with a limited budget.
The Night House (2020)
Nice little twist on your basic haunting story
This movie was a nice surprise. Rebecca Hall gives a stunning performance as the grieving wife who has no reason to believe her husband would kill himself until she searches through his things and comes up with some surprising clues and searches for answers to why. The movie is loaded with atmosphere, and the scares quite well done. This movie was creepy from the start and doesn't let up. It kind of reminded me of and old movie called Carnival Of Souls but not quite the same. However there were some ideas that were never quite worked out completely involving the occult, but this was still a well made scare movie. The ending can be interpreted differently by many, it really depends on where your mind set is. Good movie. People should see it.
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
A good sequel to a well made first film
A Quiet Place 2 doesn't match the first films terror or stakes, but is was a well made sequel to the first film.
The film was well directed, and the acting well done by all, but with the first film, the slightest sound drew the creatures, whereas in this movie a lot of noises are made that don't bring the creatures on the attack as quickly. The stakes in the first film were much higher, so that makes this film not as tension filled as the first. We also see a lot more of the critters, which makes them less scary.
I enjoyed the movie anyway, and we get a scene at the beginning which explains how everything started in the first place. This worked well, but the main stars found out much too quickly how sound was what brought the things on the attack. They know almost instantly what draws them with little knowledge of how.
Overall it was a good experience, but not quite up to par with the first film.
Black Widow (2021)
Nice movie which gives Natasha the spotlight.
I liked this movie. It was loaded with action and reminded me a lot of The Winter Soldier, my favorite Marvel film. The chemistry between Scartlett Johansen and Florence Pugh was great.
The film moved slowly at first, but Black Widow never had a proper origin story in the Marvel movies, so taken the time to know her character, was necessary. It's too bad we won't get to see more of her character in follow up movies, but I do believe Florence Pugh as Yelena will be perfect as the new Black Widow. She was amazing in this movie.
The family dynamic between Yelena, Natasha, Alexi, and Melina was also very good. I did very much enjoy the twist towards the end which made use of technology used by Natasha in Winter Soldier. I would have loved to see more of these four team up, but alas it will never happen, and that is too bad.
Overall, a very good movie, which is a lead in for Marvel to bring more woman superhero's into this phase 4 of the Marvel Universe.
I tried to be spoiler free, but just to be safe for those who haven't seen all the marvel movies, I will add spoiler In case I said something that might be consider sort of spoilerish.
F9 (2021)
Absurd but fun
Well it seems that the characters from Fast and The Furious have become superheroes. It would not surprise me if they had a movie where the Fast characters take on The Avengers or The Justice Leaque. Regardless of the absurdness of these movies, it was definitely action paced and fun, even if a lot of what they do would be impossible in real life. Children do not try any of these stunts at home.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Not happy with this film. Very dissapointing.
I was pumped to see this movie since I enjoyed the first one quite a bit. It started well and I was intrigued for about and hour or so, but then the storyline line became muddled and the action never went very far. The effects were also quite disappointing as well. Gil Gadot was the only bright spot, but the two villains were quite weak. For as long as the movie was, it never really went far and became stagnant. I think the rating I've given is probably better than this movie deserves.
Die Mitte der Welt (2016)
Coming of age tale
Center of my world was a coming of age tale about a 17 year old boy name Phil who is gay. He comes home from a trip to find that a storm has destroyed much of his hometown. This storm is also a metaphor for the relationship between his sister and mother which is now much worse than when he left. The relationship is strained and he hangs out with best friend Kat who tells him about the new boy in school who he soon meets and falls for. The boy returns the affection and a passionate relationship begins. He also is friends with the lesbian neighbors who give him the keys to their shed so he has a place for his affair with new boy Nicholas. However things at home aren't going so well, and he ends up leaving and stays with the neighbors for awhile as his relationship with Nicholas becomes stronger. Soon the two of them and best friend Kat start hanging out, and then something happens that flips Phil's world upside down, and this is a point I find troublesome. This is where the movie could've shown different viewpoints of other characters. There are hints about what happens, but because we only have Phil's Pov we dont see how things ended up the way they did through others eyes, and its make certain characters seem shallow, when they didn't seem that way at all earlier in the story. Soon after this turn of events, Phil returns home to mend things with his family. It is here that he succeeds after much sadness and pain, and the story becomes about family dynamic and that is the main theme of the story. The story ends on with Phil heading off to America and knowing that his family is the center of his world. The story was strong, the scenes beautiful, and the acting passionate and good, especially from Lewis Hoffman and the woman who plays his Mom, but other viewpoints could've been used to better understand certain character's motivations and actions. I give it a 7.
Prophecy (1979)
Guilty pleasure.
The story involves pollution from a paper company that creates mutations in the forest. The main creature here is a giant bear monster that seems to change sizes throughout the movie where it appears as big as a house, and at other times not much bigger than a person. I liked the idea, and I am not a scientist that can explain the premise of what can or cannot cause mutation, but the story is about pollution in the environment, and with all the ecological disasters that have happened in my lifetime, I don't think its too far from the truth. The acting was so so, the special effects hokey, but the scenery pretty good. I give it a thumbs up just barely.
Shazam! (2019)
This was and enjoyable movie.
This movie was entertaining. I enjoyed the light hearted comedy and the jokes involved. The family dynamic between the foster family unit was surprisingly genuine. The ending could've used a little more work but it wasnt a terrible experience. The villian also could've been stronger. He was a little to one sided and didn't have much depth. Overall the film was a riot and the actors, other than said villian, were enjoyable. Recommended.