Went into this with high hopes.
A very underdeveloped story about a mining crew once again going to drill into the earth and poison everything for human gain. They stumble on creatures that live around the area that they are drilling (no delvelopement on their story either) and spend the next hour fighting them off with about 12 nonsense scenes that the director tries to cover up Kristen Stewart's inability to act by having her run around in her bra and underwear. Only to in the end have her kill the whole nation of creatures to save her two idiot friends. Once again a naive approach to how humans go in, poison everything, and then kill all the other life forms that retaliate for us invading their home in the first place.
Reviews
16 Reviews
The Danger of Positive Thinking
(2018 TV Movie)
No Words. One of the worst movies I have ever seen.
22 April 2020
I won't even tell you why. You will know if you watch for 3 minutes. The only way I will forgive Netflix for having this available is to tell me that they are doing an outreach to high school students that want to be film makers and are willing to show their films. If that is the case of this film, that this is a high school students film project, yes, I will forgive. But then wait, its probably disrespectful to say that about a high school film maker as they would probably have made a much better movie.
Krisha
(2015)
Speechless
12 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was so unexpected.
Right from the very first scene I knew it would be something pretty intense. For a big movie buff and someone that isn't afraid of intense, disturbing or depressing movies.. this rivaled some of the most effective films I have ever watched.
The sounds, the music, the tense family atmosphere during the Holiday season were just incredible. Before I knew it.. I was bursting into tears. One would have to understand that this film is about addition, mental illness and family dynamics. I have personal experiences that put me in perspective both the family and the addict herself. I have had a close family member, a parent, who was an addict that isolated and relapsed over and over so I know the pain and anguish the family, especially what the son went through. Even though I am not an addict, I have battled depression and do know what it is like to be so shaky in your own skin, be filled with shame and guilt and feel like you have let everyone down so you spiral into isolation.
Her speaking to her sister about how she thought she was doing good and making amends, but it was this environment that was just to strong for her to overcome.... The scene where her poor old mother is telling her to come back after her family removes her from the dining room..... The scenes with her son where his face is locked in angry stare and so tense with disappointment he can barely move...
The last 10 minutes I could barely keep my watering eyes focused. Trey Shults captured something here. Something so raw and astounding... Absolutely excellent. I have never gave a movie a 10, but I have never seen a movie reproduced such an in depth, almost perfect look at a persons inner demons.
Overboard
(2018)
Not sure which scares me more.....
29 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I don't usually roast movies. This movie however actually made me angry, so I have to write a review. I am going to begin with the fact that I wanted to give this a 2, but decided to give it a 3 because I know I am biased as the original Overboard holds a special place in my heart.
First off, this script was incredibly lazy. If you are going to do a remake and change or update the story, you should probably not randomly quote the original script word for word in some parts and not others.
The only person giving an acting performance was Eugenio and he must have caught on to that because his was far too over the top. Anna Farris appeared to be a second grade doppelganger of herself . She had some weird work to her face and her voice seemed to drop 3 octaves. She was painful to watch with her lethargic delivery.
Then you have the two main characters with no chemistry whatsoever. He was supposedly an rich playboy (Unconvincingly) and she a struggling single mom. She goes to clean his "yacht" and ends up in a confrontation to where she falls overboard and he throws out her expensive equipment after her. This scene was ridiculous and completely unbelievable.
He gets drunk one night falls overboard and gets amnesia. She and her friend decide she should pick him up and convince him he was her husband so she could use him for extra help around the house/extra income. Sorry. There is no way a sane mother of 3 young daughters would entertain a the idea of bringing a strange man into her home.
From there is just a plethora of moldy cheese scenes of him slowly becoming humble and falling in love with Anna and her daughters. Supposedly Anna is falling for him too, but you would never know because she bowed out of doing any acting in this movie.
You get to the climatic finish where he gets his memory back, leaves, but then they all realize they love each other so decide to stay together as a family. He then gives up his millions of dollars for the family. (NO WAY- by the way) He and Anna could barely make it through a loving gaze more or less actually sleeping together. Not a chance he would pick them over the money.
Every person involved with this movie should donate every dollar they received to charity as they didn't earn or deserve one penny.
Which brings me back to my original review title- I don't know which scares me more. The fact that there are that many people out there that really liked this disaster. Or that this is what Hollywood has become. The only thing I hope comes from this pathetic mess is that people get re-inspired to watch/rent/buy the original because it is far far superior.
First off, this script was incredibly lazy. If you are going to do a remake and change or update the story, you should probably not randomly quote the original script word for word in some parts and not others.
The only person giving an acting performance was Eugenio and he must have caught on to that because his was far too over the top. Anna Farris appeared to be a second grade doppelganger of herself . She had some weird work to her face and her voice seemed to drop 3 octaves. She was painful to watch with her lethargic delivery.
Then you have the two main characters with no chemistry whatsoever. He was supposedly an rich playboy (Unconvincingly) and she a struggling single mom. She goes to clean his "yacht" and ends up in a confrontation to where she falls overboard and he throws out her expensive equipment after her. This scene was ridiculous and completely unbelievable.
He gets drunk one night falls overboard and gets amnesia. She and her friend decide she should pick him up and convince him he was her husband so she could use him for extra help around the house/extra income. Sorry. There is no way a sane mother of 3 young daughters would entertain a the idea of bringing a strange man into her home.
From there is just a plethora of moldy cheese scenes of him slowly becoming humble and falling in love with Anna and her daughters. Supposedly Anna is falling for him too, but you would never know because she bowed out of doing any acting in this movie.
You get to the climatic finish where he gets his memory back, leaves, but then they all realize they love each other so decide to stay together as a family. He then gives up his millions of dollars for the family. (NO WAY- by the way) He and Anna could barely make it through a loving gaze more or less actually sleeping together. Not a chance he would pick them over the money.
Every person involved with this movie should donate every dollar they received to charity as they didn't earn or deserve one penny.
Which brings me back to my original review title- I don't know which scares me more. The fact that there are that many people out there that really liked this disaster. Or that this is what Hollywood has become. The only thing I hope comes from this pathetic mess is that people get re-inspired to watch/rent/buy the original because it is far far superior.
Dolls
(1986)
This Move is an absolute Horror/fantasy Masterpiece!
8 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This movie holds a very special place in my heart, because, well lets face it. Dolls can be creepy as hell. I had seen a handful of films try to evolve on this eerie muse prior to 1987, although not many took the cake like this film.
The cast, the music, the story... all perfect for this children's fairy tale turned nightmare. How it manages to cram such creepy tale effortlessly in 77 minutes is brilliant.
They stick to simple formula of isolation, multiple parties getting stuck in the middle of nowhere during violent storm and have to take refuge in this old Gothic Victorian mansion.
Casting is perfection. A family of three with a imaginative little girl in tow with her brilliantly wicked stepmother and equally abusive father. A gentle middle aged man with a naive and child-like heart with two broken punk-rocker hustlers girls he picked up hitchhiking. To tie everything together, the haunting and mysterious old couple that welcome the stranded souls into their home.
Soon takes off imagery of some of the most creepy looking dolls any toys residing in every nook and cranny. Trust me, you will never look at vintage or antique toys the same again. Slow, mysterious deaths and unmasking that there is something much darker going on then just some violent toys. An ending that leaves you satisfied and even smiling as the actors deliver such honesty and wholesome reactions to being in such a outrageous scenario.
I have seen this movie so many times from when I was just a tiny girl, teenager, and even as an adult and it impresses me every time.
The cast, the music, the story... all perfect for this children's fairy tale turned nightmare. How it manages to cram such creepy tale effortlessly in 77 minutes is brilliant.
They stick to simple formula of isolation, multiple parties getting stuck in the middle of nowhere during violent storm and have to take refuge in this old Gothic Victorian mansion.
Casting is perfection. A family of three with a imaginative little girl in tow with her brilliantly wicked stepmother and equally abusive father. A gentle middle aged man with a naive and child-like heart with two broken punk-rocker hustlers girls he picked up hitchhiking. To tie everything together, the haunting and mysterious old couple that welcome the stranded souls into their home.
Soon takes off imagery of some of the most creepy looking dolls any toys residing in every nook and cranny. Trust me, you will never look at vintage or antique toys the same again. Slow, mysterious deaths and unmasking that there is something much darker going on then just some violent toys. An ending that leaves you satisfied and even smiling as the actors deliver such honesty and wholesome reactions to being in such a outrageous scenario.
I have seen this movie so many times from when I was just a tiny girl, teenager, and even as an adult and it impresses me every time.
Ecstasy
(I) (2011)
Close.. but no cigar..
20 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I tried with this movie. The first time I watched it i felt like I was holding my breath right up unit the end for some kind of delivery that never arrived....
I tried watching it a second and a third time hoping that I would catch something or find any kind of hidden explanation. Didn't happen.
You basically have a one dimensional story that I imagine focuses mostly on a family of two teenage daughters. The eldest being extremely emotionally disturbed and unstable, the youngest naive and low esteem, and a door mat single mother. From there the story is chaos and we have scenes that make no sense.
Are the girls in college? Community college? Christian Orientated school? What are these weird dorms? Apartments? Yet one girl is some super DJ at a fancy club? Clearly the girls experiment with drugs regularly although one night at the club a "specific" pill batch goes around that is said to be unlike no other.... Meanwhile during the night.... You have the little underage sister getting raped by her older sister's friend's boyfriend in a bathroom at the crowded club. Skip a head an hour and the group of girls, minus the little sister are back at the dorm of the rapist boyfriend and his alter boy roommate?? The rapist and his girlfriend seclude themselves in a bedroom doing more and more of the "new pill" until the girlfriend starts loosing her mind and mutilating her "pudgy tummy" because she thinks she is fat. (Not a common side effect of Ecstasy by the way) This happening over the course of a few hours? Next we have the older sister fall off the deep end with countless emotional outbursts with continued use of the "new Pill". You have the younger sister think she is pregnant and go find her rapist to tell him, and somehow coax him to caring about her by offering stolen "new pills" from her sister. Again this over the course of a day or two after she is raped. After a few hours, the little sister and the rapist guy are both showing the bazaar confusing effects of this "new pill" by basically going into a deep depression and killing themselves. Skip to a side story the single mom is supplying the local priest with pills, not specified what kind, but maybe the "new pill"? Maybe not? The strange alter-boy roommate character is observing the priest put the pill into the communal wine???? This out of NOWHERE! (Laughing face if I could insert one).
By the end of this mess the supposed "new Pill" leaves the story with: Two dead characters, two emotionally and mentally broken characters, one reformed DJ character, and one confused alter boy.
The story feels motivated by a religious agenda almost as an anti-drug message that using will rustle your inner demons until you are either dead or insane. Who knows??
I tried watching it a second and a third time hoping that I would catch something or find any kind of hidden explanation. Didn't happen.
You basically have a one dimensional story that I imagine focuses mostly on a family of two teenage daughters. The eldest being extremely emotionally disturbed and unstable, the youngest naive and low esteem, and a door mat single mother. From there the story is chaos and we have scenes that make no sense.
Are the girls in college? Community college? Christian Orientated school? What are these weird dorms? Apartments? Yet one girl is some super DJ at a fancy club? Clearly the girls experiment with drugs regularly although one night at the club a "specific" pill batch goes around that is said to be unlike no other.... Meanwhile during the night.... You have the little underage sister getting raped by her older sister's friend's boyfriend in a bathroom at the crowded club. Skip a head an hour and the group of girls, minus the little sister are back at the dorm of the rapist boyfriend and his alter boy roommate?? The rapist and his girlfriend seclude themselves in a bedroom doing more and more of the "new pill" until the girlfriend starts loosing her mind and mutilating her "pudgy tummy" because she thinks she is fat. (Not a common side effect of Ecstasy by the way) This happening over the course of a few hours? Next we have the older sister fall off the deep end with countless emotional outbursts with continued use of the "new Pill". You have the younger sister think she is pregnant and go find her rapist to tell him, and somehow coax him to caring about her by offering stolen "new pills" from her sister. Again this over the course of a day or two after she is raped. After a few hours, the little sister and the rapist guy are both showing the bazaar confusing effects of this "new pill" by basically going into a deep depression and killing themselves. Skip to a side story the single mom is supplying the local priest with pills, not specified what kind, but maybe the "new pill"? Maybe not? The strange alter-boy roommate character is observing the priest put the pill into the communal wine???? This out of NOWHERE! (Laughing face if I could insert one).
By the end of this mess the supposed "new Pill" leaves the story with: Two dead characters, two emotionally and mentally broken characters, one reformed DJ character, and one confused alter boy.
The story feels motivated by a religious agenda almost as an anti-drug message that using will rustle your inner demons until you are either dead or insane. Who knows??
Blood Money
(IV) (2017)
What the Hell did I just watch?
24 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Lets Start off-
I love John Cusack. But this movie was painful to watch.
Three unlikable characters with no chemistry not worth naming, John Cusack as some weird nomad guy, and a bunch of stolen money all running around a state park. There is a bunch of nonsensical conversation, random outbursts of anger and violence, bizarre reactions, and unbelievable motivated scenes. Then only thing that keeps the viewers vaguely grounded is that they are fighting over money. The Ending leaves you with no spark or emotion, and you kind of just wish everyone died.
This is rare advice from me, but skip this one.
A Reason to Believe
(1995)
Very well done for a lower budget film
8 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I couldn't figure out when I stumbled on this if it was a lifetime movie, after school special, or straight to video, so I am calling it all of the above. No extreme nudity or graphic imagery, but still sexual content and language here and there.
Charlotte is a pretty and popular college student who finds herself mixed up in the fraternity scene by dating a handsome lad named Wesley. They portray the college scene flawlessly in my opinion. Carefree, sexually explicit, vulgar, and immature. Charlotte has a gentle niaveness to her character and seems to just want to have a successful relationship with a "semi controlling" Wesley and to have fun with her friends and frat boys. All around her are typical growing pains- couples dealing with cheating, binge drinking, drug use, causal sex.. To counter this view, we have a small side bar story of the feminist groups on campus trying to firm up the loose rules for the Fraternities and to provide safe havens for women who have been assaulted. Tension is high between the groups.
Charlotte, against Wesley's wishes, decides to go to a big party at the fraternity when he is away. Poetically, she drinks too much and finds herself being raped by Wesley's less than tolerable "drat" brother Jim. His slow taking advantage of her was spot on, as was her confused and shocked resistance. The next day scene of her running from the frat house was pretty heartbreaking.
Charlotte confused as to how to approach, starts off acting somewhat causal of the situation to her roommate until ultimately things hit the fan. Wesley returns, finds out and immediately dumps her regardless of her explanation of rape. Her friends turn on her and feel she over reacting. The frat rallies around Jim and ostracize Charlotte. She finds herself turning to the Women's group on campus who are locked and loaded and ready for a battle to get justice.
Wesley starts to see Jim's true colors after a particularly risky scene with Molly Combs,(brilliant as the sexually liberal fling) as well as finding out that another frat brother, Protto, may have seen a little more than he thought on the night of the rape.
Jim maintaining his disregard and complete innocence during this time, is starting to feel the pressure from the women's groups, the school, and even a few frat brothers. Charlotte and him ultimately go toe to toe at a campus hearing to which Jim cannot maintain his ugly character or ego, and ends up outing his guilty self.
Satisfying, yet still hard to swallow as these college sexual assaults are still going strong and without a good civil system. Still ends in one persons word against the other....
Charlotte is a pretty and popular college student who finds herself mixed up in the fraternity scene by dating a handsome lad named Wesley. They portray the college scene flawlessly in my opinion. Carefree, sexually explicit, vulgar, and immature. Charlotte has a gentle niaveness to her character and seems to just want to have a successful relationship with a "semi controlling" Wesley and to have fun with her friends and frat boys. All around her are typical growing pains- couples dealing with cheating, binge drinking, drug use, causal sex.. To counter this view, we have a small side bar story of the feminist groups on campus trying to firm up the loose rules for the Fraternities and to provide safe havens for women who have been assaulted. Tension is high between the groups.
Charlotte, against Wesley's wishes, decides to go to a big party at the fraternity when he is away. Poetically, she drinks too much and finds herself being raped by Wesley's less than tolerable "drat" brother Jim. His slow taking advantage of her was spot on, as was her confused and shocked resistance. The next day scene of her running from the frat house was pretty heartbreaking.
Charlotte confused as to how to approach, starts off acting somewhat causal of the situation to her roommate until ultimately things hit the fan. Wesley returns, finds out and immediately dumps her regardless of her explanation of rape. Her friends turn on her and feel she over reacting. The frat rallies around Jim and ostracize Charlotte. She finds herself turning to the Women's group on campus who are locked and loaded and ready for a battle to get justice.
Wesley starts to see Jim's true colors after a particularly risky scene with Molly Combs,(brilliant as the sexually liberal fling) as well as finding out that another frat brother, Protto, may have seen a little more than he thought on the night of the rape.
Jim maintaining his disregard and complete innocence during this time, is starting to feel the pressure from the women's groups, the school, and even a few frat brothers. Charlotte and him ultimately go toe to toe at a campus hearing to which Jim cannot maintain his ugly character or ego, and ends up outing his guilty self.
Satisfying, yet still hard to swallow as these college sexual assaults are still going strong and without a good civil system. Still ends in one persons word against the other....
Clinical
(2017)
A solid movie, not recommended if you get distracted easily.
7 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
People really went at this movie hard, but I really liked it. I would consider it a Thriller vs. Horror and also would say it would be a HBO quality "lifetime" movie. :)
Vanessa Shaw, Dr. Mathis, a psychiatrist dealing with past trauma from a young patient that attempted suicide in her office years back,is now slowly trying to get her life back. Unbeknownst to her, her trauma is just beginning.
Vanessa Shaw plays the groggy, medicated doctor role very well. She is in her own therapy with a colleague, newly dating a new man, rekindling her friendship with an old childhood friend, and living back at her deceased parents house. Vanessa plays her role very realistically in being very unwilling to talk or share anything personal in her life with her friends, boyfriend and even psychiatrist. This is keeping her very isolated and dependent on her medications and holding her back from her own trauma.
She hesitantly takes on a patient, Alex, that also deals with very heavy trauma leaving him nearly agoraphobic and physically disfigured. Kevin Rahm also plays this very well under prosthetic make up. You can feel his anxiety and resentment. They begin their therapy, and slowly move into a unethical exchange with him later wandering into her home drugged and incoherent, Her rushing to his house after he overdoses, and slow work through piecing together his trauma.
Dr. Mathis starts show signs of inflamed PTSD with sleep paralysis, flash backs of her past patient Nora, and high anxiety. She starting seeing waking hallucinations of Nora, which prompts her to go to the psych ward that Nora apparently was put in after the attempted suicide. You find out that Nora was released, and that Dr. Mathis's hallucinations may not be crazy after all. She also views a therapy tape that alludes Nora's trauma involves many years of incestuous molestation by her father in turn she claims she killed him.
Dr. Mathis then finds herself in another lucid dream being chased throughout her home by a deranged Nora, eventually killing Nora in self defense with a wine screw. Scenes shift and all the sudden Dr. Mathis is in the psych ward being accused, then proved through video that she did not kill Nora, but her boyfriend Miles, and is told that Nora killed herself several days earlier. She is committed to the ward until she eventually puts together that Alex is actually Nora's dad, and his face disfiguration was a result of Nora finally lashing out at her predator father.
Dr. Mathis finally escapes the ward and finds herself kidnapped by Alex who has the plans to "punish" her for "poisoning" Nora against him. During the last stand off, Dr. Mathis also realizes that her friend Clara and her Doctor were also casualties, and Miles was killed only after Dr. Mathis had been heavily drugged by Alex. The battle of the brains start, as Dr. Mathis is able to by time to cut herself loose, injury Alex enough to escape freely into her house and finish him off in a gruesome ending of her ripping off his "transplanted"face. You end the film with Dr. Mathis finding Alex sitting on her "psych" couch, dead, missing his face. Cut.
As many movies these days, the ending will not give you peace of mind, as many loose ends are still floating. No one will believe Dr. Mathis was drugged, or that Alex tried to attack her especially after all the witnesses are dead. Which leaves you thinking, even though she escaped this nightmare, its only a matter of time before she is thrown back in the ward and they throw away the key.
Not for all, but definitely entertaining.
Vanessa Shaw, Dr. Mathis, a psychiatrist dealing with past trauma from a young patient that attempted suicide in her office years back,is now slowly trying to get her life back. Unbeknownst to her, her trauma is just beginning.
Vanessa Shaw plays the groggy, medicated doctor role very well. She is in her own therapy with a colleague, newly dating a new man, rekindling her friendship with an old childhood friend, and living back at her deceased parents house. Vanessa plays her role very realistically in being very unwilling to talk or share anything personal in her life with her friends, boyfriend and even psychiatrist. This is keeping her very isolated and dependent on her medications and holding her back from her own trauma.
She hesitantly takes on a patient, Alex, that also deals with very heavy trauma leaving him nearly agoraphobic and physically disfigured. Kevin Rahm also plays this very well under prosthetic make up. You can feel his anxiety and resentment. They begin their therapy, and slowly move into a unethical exchange with him later wandering into her home drugged and incoherent, Her rushing to his house after he overdoses, and slow work through piecing together his trauma.
Dr. Mathis starts show signs of inflamed PTSD with sleep paralysis, flash backs of her past patient Nora, and high anxiety. She starting seeing waking hallucinations of Nora, which prompts her to go to the psych ward that Nora apparently was put in after the attempted suicide. You find out that Nora was released, and that Dr. Mathis's hallucinations may not be crazy after all. She also views a therapy tape that alludes Nora's trauma involves many years of incestuous molestation by her father in turn she claims she killed him.
Dr. Mathis then finds herself in another lucid dream being chased throughout her home by a deranged Nora, eventually killing Nora in self defense with a wine screw. Scenes shift and all the sudden Dr. Mathis is in the psych ward being accused, then proved through video that she did not kill Nora, but her boyfriend Miles, and is told that Nora killed herself several days earlier. She is committed to the ward until she eventually puts together that Alex is actually Nora's dad, and his face disfiguration was a result of Nora finally lashing out at her predator father.
Dr. Mathis finally escapes the ward and finds herself kidnapped by Alex who has the plans to "punish" her for "poisoning" Nora against him. During the last stand off, Dr. Mathis also realizes that her friend Clara and her Doctor were also casualties, and Miles was killed only after Dr. Mathis had been heavily drugged by Alex. The battle of the brains start, as Dr. Mathis is able to by time to cut herself loose, injury Alex enough to escape freely into her house and finish him off in a gruesome ending of her ripping off his "transplanted"face. You end the film with Dr. Mathis finding Alex sitting on her "psych" couch, dead, missing his face. Cut.
As many movies these days, the ending will not give you peace of mind, as many loose ends are still floating. No one will believe Dr. Mathis was drugged, or that Alex tried to attack her especially after all the witnesses are dead. Which leaves you thinking, even though she escaped this nightmare, its only a matter of time before she is thrown back in the ward and they throw away the key.
Not for all, but definitely entertaining.
Hounds of Love
(2016)
Please read if you are on the fence and are worried it will be to graphic..
1 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This genre of film is one of the hardest for me to watch, even with being a very avid horror movie fan. Mostly, because this type of horror is mostly torture, brutality and sadistic violence.
If you are someone that cannot handle the effects of being exposed to: Kidnapping, Domestic Abuse, Torture, Animal Abuse, and rape, I highly recommend skipping this film, because it will stay with you for a while and these images cannot be unseen.
Spoilers:
I did prepare myself for what I was in for, as my fellow movie buffs did highly recommend this film, as it was said to be extremely well done and with fantastic acting, regardless of the brutal subject matter.
The movie was eerie from the start and had my heart pumping hard, mostly because of the anticipation. The music, the slow movement, and the opening will have you locked in as you see the predators hunt their prey right out of the gates.
The film "monsters" are no more than what looks like a normal couple, and yet you can tell the macabre power that lies behind them. We witness only small aftermath of images and distant sounds of what they have already done with one of their victims, and this will already make your face go pale. The dynamic between the two is extremely tense and you can already see the mental decay in what would be the most horrific co-dependent relationship, (But sadly realistic) I have ever seen.
We then are introduced to the main victim who is a young teen girl struggling with new life changes with her parents divorce. She sneaks out late one night, is spotted by the sadistic couple, and just as easy as spreading butter on bread, they convince her to come back to their house to purchase weed. (It made an impact to me, because it shows how fricken easy it could be to let your guard down and find yourself, your daughter, or anyone in a similar situation.)
Is only a matter of moments that you see she is done for. They spike her drink and those last moments of physical ability, she slowly sees all the danger around her. This once presumably innocent couple turn into terror and you spiral down with her.( I will never feel the same about "Nights in white satin again"!) They overpower her, chain her to the bed, and the nightmare begins.
The primal screams that come from the victim Vicki send shivers down your spine and bring tears to your eyes as she tries to survive. The film focuses slightly more on the female part of the couple Evelyn and you almost start to feel desperately depressed for her, as she is extremely traumatized, a drunk, and has been being manipulated horrifically by her male counter part John since she was a teen herself. John is very two dimensional and that works pretty well for someone who is a sociopath.
The story continues with unnerving scenes of torture and rape, that luckily are not graphically shown, but still stop your heart with the small fragments of post scenes and wounds left on Vicki.
The film wraps up almost quickly it felt, as each scene is pure misery and desperation with no uplifting scenes what so ever. Finally the couple comes to a breaking point after John brutally kills Evelyn's dog(This was a rough one) and Evelyn finally is able to see Vicki as a human being when they hear Vicki's mother hysterically calling for Vicki outside, as her parents have been looking for her around the generally area. Evelyn finally snaps by murdering John, only moments before he strangles Vicki. Vicki escapes to her parents that have been so desperately looking for her, and the movie ends in a heart wrenching embrace between Vicki and her mother.
Excellent acting, a heart aching story, but well done.
If you are someone that cannot handle the effects of being exposed to: Kidnapping, Domestic Abuse, Torture, Animal Abuse, and rape, I highly recommend skipping this film, because it will stay with you for a while and these images cannot be unseen.
Spoilers:
I did prepare myself for what I was in for, as my fellow movie buffs did highly recommend this film, as it was said to be extremely well done and with fantastic acting, regardless of the brutal subject matter.
The movie was eerie from the start and had my heart pumping hard, mostly because of the anticipation. The music, the slow movement, and the opening will have you locked in as you see the predators hunt their prey right out of the gates.
The film "monsters" are no more than what looks like a normal couple, and yet you can tell the macabre power that lies behind them. We witness only small aftermath of images and distant sounds of what they have already done with one of their victims, and this will already make your face go pale. The dynamic between the two is extremely tense and you can already see the mental decay in what would be the most horrific co-dependent relationship, (But sadly realistic) I have ever seen.
We then are introduced to the main victim who is a young teen girl struggling with new life changes with her parents divorce. She sneaks out late one night, is spotted by the sadistic couple, and just as easy as spreading butter on bread, they convince her to come back to their house to purchase weed. (It made an impact to me, because it shows how fricken easy it could be to let your guard down and find yourself, your daughter, or anyone in a similar situation.)
Is only a matter of moments that you see she is done for. They spike her drink and those last moments of physical ability, she slowly sees all the danger around her. This once presumably innocent couple turn into terror and you spiral down with her.( I will never feel the same about "Nights in white satin again"!) They overpower her, chain her to the bed, and the nightmare begins.
The primal screams that come from the victim Vicki send shivers down your spine and bring tears to your eyes as she tries to survive. The film focuses slightly more on the female part of the couple Evelyn and you almost start to feel desperately depressed for her, as she is extremely traumatized, a drunk, and has been being manipulated horrifically by her male counter part John since she was a teen herself. John is very two dimensional and that works pretty well for someone who is a sociopath.
The story continues with unnerving scenes of torture and rape, that luckily are not graphically shown, but still stop your heart with the small fragments of post scenes and wounds left on Vicki.
The film wraps up almost quickly it felt, as each scene is pure misery and desperation with no uplifting scenes what so ever. Finally the couple comes to a breaking point after John brutally kills Evelyn's dog(This was a rough one) and Evelyn finally is able to see Vicki as a human being when they hear Vicki's mother hysterically calling for Vicki outside, as her parents have been looking for her around the generally area. Evelyn finally snaps by murdering John, only moments before he strangles Vicki. Vicki escapes to her parents that have been so desperately looking for her, and the movie ends in a heart wrenching embrace between Vicki and her mother.
Excellent acting, a heart aching story, but well done.
Bottom of the World
(2017)
Dive into your subconscious...
27 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This film having taking cues from Film makers such as David Lynch, Richard Kelly, and Adrian Lyne, still manages to hold its own unique eeriness and maintain attention from the viewer.
Spoilers:
This movie moves quite a bit, and is very tricky in that the most active character Alex is not even a real entity, but a complex manifestation of Scarlett's last living moments. The movie takes a classic approach to letting the story "unravel" to finally understand what actually is happening as the movie wraps up.
My take:
Scarlett is a young woman who when she was growing up tortured for several years and then eventually murdered her handicapped cousin by burying him alive in a open fire pit. She made up a cover story to family and police that a burglar had broken in, killed her cousin and proceeded to rape her. Her story was believed by all, and even assured her sympathy and support.
The movie we see, is in her subconscious during her suicide by pills and alcohol. Even though she has overdosed, she is not brain dead and therefore piecing through a land of guilt, confusion and retribution.
Alex is only a piece of her mind, and actually a part of Scarlett. Alex represents her confusion, her guilt, her comfort and finally her penance and self realization.
Right at the beginning when they get to the Ranch, you see Scarlett immediately jumps right in to the thick of it by asking Alex what the most horrible thing he has even done. She proceeds to tell the detailed horrific story of her cousin, (leaving out the murder at this time) and then quickly pretend it was just a joke. This being the first moments of her being honest with herself of what happened, and yet not being fully ready to deal with it. Not long after,you see her start to break down with fear and sadness as she is starting to let in the truth of her guilt and horrible actions. With these feelings fear and confusion almost innocent, she finds comfort and is drawn to her father, represented by the Preacher who first appears on their hotel TV.
The entity of Scarlett disappears, and then the part of her that is Alex now has to piece apart the confusion, and along the way is faced with her biggest fears, her fate, her dark side, which is the hooded man that "buries" people alive. (this is no coincidence)
The merging of all the cloudy pieces comes when Alex finally goes to her house to understand more of whats going on. We find that the image of Alex, may have been just a neighbor she saw in her waking life that she had a small attraction or obsessiveness with, but no real relationship. She acknowledges that he is in her closet, and demands for him to just take what he is there for. Hence, rape her. She is expecting to be punished, by having all of her own lies and actions come back and really happen to her, thus her lying about a man murdering the cousin and raping her. He reluctantly denies her, and then accuses him of raping her yet again, when her father enters the room.
Then Alex takes Scarlett to her old house where she had murdered her cousin, and where she had lied to cover it up. All of her guilty truths are told, and Alex punishes her but burying her in the dirt. This is way she felt she deserved to be punished, and therefore can die in peace. They then show her true body in the conscious world die in a bed after the overdose.
A well done film that you may need to watch twice to see all of the hidden potential. Great acting on all parts, and a great story.
Spoilers:
This movie moves quite a bit, and is very tricky in that the most active character Alex is not even a real entity, but a complex manifestation of Scarlett's last living moments. The movie takes a classic approach to letting the story "unravel" to finally understand what actually is happening as the movie wraps up.
My take:
Scarlett is a young woman who when she was growing up tortured for several years and then eventually murdered her handicapped cousin by burying him alive in a open fire pit. She made up a cover story to family and police that a burglar had broken in, killed her cousin and proceeded to rape her. Her story was believed by all, and even assured her sympathy and support.
The movie we see, is in her subconscious during her suicide by pills and alcohol. Even though she has overdosed, she is not brain dead and therefore piecing through a land of guilt, confusion and retribution.
Alex is only a piece of her mind, and actually a part of Scarlett. Alex represents her confusion, her guilt, her comfort and finally her penance and self realization.
Right at the beginning when they get to the Ranch, you see Scarlett immediately jumps right in to the thick of it by asking Alex what the most horrible thing he has even done. She proceeds to tell the detailed horrific story of her cousin, (leaving out the murder at this time) and then quickly pretend it was just a joke. This being the first moments of her being honest with herself of what happened, and yet not being fully ready to deal with it. Not long after,you see her start to break down with fear and sadness as she is starting to let in the truth of her guilt and horrible actions. With these feelings fear and confusion almost innocent, she finds comfort and is drawn to her father, represented by the Preacher who first appears on their hotel TV.
The entity of Scarlett disappears, and then the part of her that is Alex now has to piece apart the confusion, and along the way is faced with her biggest fears, her fate, her dark side, which is the hooded man that "buries" people alive. (this is no coincidence)
The merging of all the cloudy pieces comes when Alex finally goes to her house to understand more of whats going on. We find that the image of Alex, may have been just a neighbor she saw in her waking life that she had a small attraction or obsessiveness with, but no real relationship. She acknowledges that he is in her closet, and demands for him to just take what he is there for. Hence, rape her. She is expecting to be punished, by having all of her own lies and actions come back and really happen to her, thus her lying about a man murdering the cousin and raping her. He reluctantly denies her, and then accuses him of raping her yet again, when her father enters the room.
Then Alex takes Scarlett to her old house where she had murdered her cousin, and where she had lied to cover it up. All of her guilty truths are told, and Alex punishes her but burying her in the dirt. This is way she felt she deserved to be punished, and therefore can die in peace. They then show her true body in the conscious world die in a bed after the overdose.
A well done film that you may need to watch twice to see all of the hidden potential. Great acting on all parts, and a great story.
Bachelorette
(2012)
Definitely better the third or fourth time watching....
12 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
To begin at first viewing the characters are very unlikable. Kristen Dunst is just hateable from the beginning as the controlling, bitter and miserable ring leader of the group. But in her defense, she is supposed to be. Isla Fisher as the dumb-as-rocks, annoying, and one dimensional token idiot friend. Rebel Wilson as the awkward, timid and almost irrelevant Bride. The only character that seemed to be semi-likable and relatable is Lizzy Caplan. The promiscuous, low self esteem comic relief friend.
Men characters are just as one dimensional and hateable. James Marsden and Adam Scott are just douchey and forgettable.
You follow the three girls: Kristen, Isla, and Lizzy around New York city after they have pretty much completely ruined the rehearsal dinner and bachelorette party (which was technically only 5 minutes) with cruel comments and erratic intoxication which results in destroying the brides dress.
They zoom around the city trying to find ways to "fix" the dress, not really because they feel bad, but because they don't want to be responsible. You almost catch the feeling like they aren't the brides friends at all? Just being bridesmaids out of obligation?
There is more drug use, sex and dark secrets that emerge to help you understand why the girls are such heartless disasters. Only in the end to get the dress as "wearable" (still awful), get to the wedding on time and still pretty much remain cold and unphased. All and all after watching a third or fourth time, you start to get over the fact that the characters have no souls and just be entertained by the "dark comedy" elements. 5 out 10!
Men characters are just as one dimensional and hateable. James Marsden and Adam Scott are just douchey and forgettable.
You follow the three girls: Kristen, Isla, and Lizzy around New York city after they have pretty much completely ruined the rehearsal dinner and bachelorette party (which was technically only 5 minutes) with cruel comments and erratic intoxication which results in destroying the brides dress.
They zoom around the city trying to find ways to "fix" the dress, not really because they feel bad, but because they don't want to be responsible. You almost catch the feeling like they aren't the brides friends at all? Just being bridesmaids out of obligation?
There is more drug use, sex and dark secrets that emerge to help you understand why the girls are such heartless disasters. Only in the end to get the dress as "wearable" (still awful), get to the wedding on time and still pretty much remain cold and unphased. All and all after watching a third or fourth time, you start to get over the fact that the characters have no souls and just be entertained by the "dark comedy" elements. 5 out 10!
The Neon Demon
(2016)
David Lynch Meets David Bowie Meets Andy Warhol
28 September 2016
Wow. So I wasn't sure how I was going to approach this movie as far as factual and professional, or casual and raw. Causal and Raw it is. "Are you food, Or are you Sex?"- Ruby. The line that seems to incorporate the whole movie. This movie had some massive power. My rule of thumb is that if you can hook me right away and keep me interested in the first 10-15 minutes, half the battle is won. This movie comes out guns a blazing. Music, lighting, artistic visuals, and of course, the mood. Tension is built so subtly, and yet so effectively immediately. The interactions between all characters is awkward, tense, haunting and almost alien. From the uncomfortable silence, the awkward stares, and the bizarre conversations it just keeps you staring trying to decide if you are loving it or completely puzzled.
Slowly you follow a awkward but hauntingly beautiful aspiring model Jesse through her introduction to LA. From there it is a slow tense ride of photo shoots, ego transformation, lust, paranoia to finally plunging into a black hole of necrophilia, cannibalism, witchcraft and suicide to which you find you are no longer safe because there are no limits to where you are going.
Don't expect a clear clean ending, as this will leave you coming down from an acid trip through the eyes of Andy Warhol. This movie delivers a Black Swan experience, along with touches of David Lynch, So hold on and loose control over the need for story resolution, because it will NOT Happen.
Slowly you follow a awkward but hauntingly beautiful aspiring model Jesse through her introduction to LA. From there it is a slow tense ride of photo shoots, ego transformation, lust, paranoia to finally plunging into a black hole of necrophilia, cannibalism, witchcraft and suicide to which you find you are no longer safe because there are no limits to where you are going.
Don't expect a clear clean ending, as this will leave you coming down from an acid trip through the eyes of Andy Warhol. This movie delivers a Black Swan experience, along with touches of David Lynch, So hold on and loose control over the need for story resolution, because it will NOT Happen.
Valet Girls
(1986)
An Acquired Taste!
29 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Raunchy, cheesy and definitely offensive on many levels. This by far is an acquired taste for those who know and love the D squad of 80s movies! I am not ashamed to say this is one of my favorite movies of all time. Can I give you good reason? NOPE. But it fulfills the whole package of grungy 80s charm. You have the traditional 80s girls vs. boys rivalry, the aspiring singer,the above the waist nudity and sex, and of course the climactic scheme that ends the movie and puts the "bad" guys in their place. Ironically can be portrayed in a cloudy way,as the empowerment of women. Simplistically you have three young women aspiring to achieve their dreams, yet have to endure this by climbing their way through an over the top version of a perverted male owned Hollywood. Yet through crafty Shenanigans and actually using their talents of music, acting and intellect, they rise to the top without really going to far to degrade themselves. If you are able to not take everything too seriously or with massive criticism, check it out and have fun with it.
Still Alice
(2014)
Touching and hauntingly real
26 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
For anyone that has ever had a loved one, known someone or even read about the devastating invasion of Alzheimer's disease, this movie is universally beautiful.
Julianne Moore is haunting, gentle and so mesmerizing as Alice, the main character plagued with early onset Alzheimer's. She is a mother of three successful and loving children, a wife to a supportive and genuine husband, a scholar and college professor, and a women who you can feel just from her smile loves life and everything it offers.
Watching her initial concerns with her little laps in memory takes your breath away. We can all relate to the panics we get when faced with what could be a small or large medical concern. It is quickly confirmed she has this disease and her life is about to change drastically.
Coming to terms with her disease and telling her husband for the first time, was one of the most powerful points in the movie. She breaks down her strong intellectual being and cries to her husband in a heart wrenching moment so touching.
Watching her mind and body slowly begin to betray her, was painful yet incredibly inspiring. She was gentle and determined to live life and going on making everyday the best she could through every terrifying moment, or any moment of inspiration. The movie was so comforting as painful as the subject as, only because we see a family full of love and support. It was so beautiful to see how loved this women was by all that knew her, and easy to see by the grace she held.
Even when her disease had reached a crucial point in its evolution, Alice decides to speak publicly about her disease, a moment delivered so powerfully and shakes the core to realize how precious life is and how much we learn even through such a overwhelming experience such as this.
When Alice comments on how she would have rather had cancer than Alzheimer's was another core shaking moment as we feel the depths of a disease that affects the mind. With Cancer, or other crippling diseases as devastating as they can be, when you are without the accompaniment of your mind, that is truly a terrifying realization.
Alec Baldwin incorporated a perfect character of a man filled with fear, yet was flawlessly guided by the love of his wife to be strong, solid and compassionate. The scene at the yogurt shop nearing the highest progression of her diseases was so loving and yet peaceful.
A beautiful, thoughtful, and haunting insight to the experience this disease brings to not only the person going through it first hand, but to all people who encounter it in any form.
Julianne Moore is haunting, gentle and so mesmerizing as Alice, the main character plagued with early onset Alzheimer's. She is a mother of three successful and loving children, a wife to a supportive and genuine husband, a scholar and college professor, and a women who you can feel just from her smile loves life and everything it offers.
Watching her initial concerns with her little laps in memory takes your breath away. We can all relate to the panics we get when faced with what could be a small or large medical concern. It is quickly confirmed she has this disease and her life is about to change drastically.
Coming to terms with her disease and telling her husband for the first time, was one of the most powerful points in the movie. She breaks down her strong intellectual being and cries to her husband in a heart wrenching moment so touching.
Watching her mind and body slowly begin to betray her, was painful yet incredibly inspiring. She was gentle and determined to live life and going on making everyday the best she could through every terrifying moment, or any moment of inspiration. The movie was so comforting as painful as the subject as, only because we see a family full of love and support. It was so beautiful to see how loved this women was by all that knew her, and easy to see by the grace she held.
Even when her disease had reached a crucial point in its evolution, Alice decides to speak publicly about her disease, a moment delivered so powerfully and shakes the core to realize how precious life is and how much we learn even through such a overwhelming experience such as this.
When Alice comments on how she would have rather had cancer than Alzheimer's was another core shaking moment as we feel the depths of a disease that affects the mind. With Cancer, or other crippling diseases as devastating as they can be, when you are without the accompaniment of your mind, that is truly a terrifying realization.
Alec Baldwin incorporated a perfect character of a man filled with fear, yet was flawlessly guided by the love of his wife to be strong, solid and compassionate. The scene at the yogurt shop nearing the highest progression of her diseases was so loving and yet peaceful.
A beautiful, thoughtful, and haunting insight to the experience this disease brings to not only the person going through it first hand, but to all people who encounter it in any form.
Leviathan
(1989)
Good Idea... Questionable Creature
23 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
May contain Spoilers!
Leviathan is a movie based on underwater mining crew that is stationed in the depths of the ocean looking for silver and other valuable metals. The crew is small, yet diverse with both men and women along with an "unqualified" geologist as their foreman, Beck (Peter Weller) and an on site medical/scientific doctor (Richard Crenna) who also has a "questionable" ethical history.
The crew has been in this claustrophobic environment with each other for several weeks and is close to hitting the end of their mission, as well as their pay day should they hit the quota of mining that has been set for them. The cast does a great job at creating a bonding atmosphere as well as tension, showing small insights to each of the 8 characters lives and personalities.
The setting is moderately believable as the characters transition to their underwater suits and go back and forth from the ocean floor back to the ship its self. Two crew members discover the "Leviathan" which is destroyed ship not far off from their mining site. One of the crew members discovers a chest and brings it back to the ship.
It is discovered the chest contains a video ship log, crew medical records, and a bottle of vodka. The eerie atmosphere builds as the doctor reads aloud that all crew members were documented as deceased. Beck confiscates the vodka from the crew,(As anyone would do)although sixpack secretly discovers a small flask and hides it away locking eyes with Bowman who later both enjoy the flask.
The story keeps a good pace and keeps the audience engaged and informed when finding out the crew from the Leviathan were under some sort of distress. Sixpack and Bowman both begin showing signs of an illness and the doctor starts to correlate the disaster of the Leviathan has now found its way onto their ship. Sixpack dies from the unknown illness that began to deform his body, and Bowman kills herself in fear of suffering the same fate. The cast effectively creates a underlying panic and tragic helplessness as they are now even unable to leave at the arranged time due to a supposed Hurricane above the area.
It is soon discovered by the Doc that the diagnostic testing done on sixpack shows to be a possible genetic mutation brought on by tainted (bio-experimental) vodka. The same vodka that was originally used to do secret testing on the crew of the Leviathan ending in their demise. The testing apparently was geared to create a perfect genetic aquatic man.
The crew moves to throw the bodies of sixpack and Bowman to the sea to eliminate a chance of contamination when the dead body begin to come to life and lash out at the crew. They manage to toss the mutated and fussed bodies to the sea not before a small "piece" is severed in the door and left on the ship.
The remaining part of the movie leaves the slow build of tension and moves into grizzly action when the severed piece of Sixpack and Bowman takes a violent life of its own and kills and fusses itself to the crew one by one creating semi-scary creature that resembles some sort of human slash toothy fish. (Not bad for 1989). Leaving only Beck, Willie and Jones fighting for their lives and making their way to use the sea suites and pressure from the tanks to bring them the several miles to the ocean surface. Unfortunately not believable that this level of pressure would not have crushed their bodies.
The three survivors make the claustrophobic journey to the surface only to be terrorized by the creature who also made it to the surface. And there is a shark for a minute or two.(Maybe not necessary). Jones sacrifices himself to save Beck and Willie, who are being rescued by a near by helicopter. This is unfortunate as Jones is a way more likable character then the other two. Beck manages to blow the creature up by placing a flare in its mouth. (One would only think this would create multiple genetic creatures? But hey its just a movie.) Beck and Willie meet with the sinister direction of the mining mission (Meg Foster) who lied about the Hurricane in efforts to contain them at the bottom of the ocean indefinitely. Beck manages to give her a nice friendly punch in the face before him and Willie walk into the sunset.
Leviathan is a movie based on underwater mining crew that is stationed in the depths of the ocean looking for silver and other valuable metals. The crew is small, yet diverse with both men and women along with an "unqualified" geologist as their foreman, Beck (Peter Weller) and an on site medical/scientific doctor (Richard Crenna) who also has a "questionable" ethical history.
The crew has been in this claustrophobic environment with each other for several weeks and is close to hitting the end of their mission, as well as their pay day should they hit the quota of mining that has been set for them. The cast does a great job at creating a bonding atmosphere as well as tension, showing small insights to each of the 8 characters lives and personalities.
The setting is moderately believable as the characters transition to their underwater suits and go back and forth from the ocean floor back to the ship its self. Two crew members discover the "Leviathan" which is destroyed ship not far off from their mining site. One of the crew members discovers a chest and brings it back to the ship.
It is discovered the chest contains a video ship log, crew medical records, and a bottle of vodka. The eerie atmosphere builds as the doctor reads aloud that all crew members were documented as deceased. Beck confiscates the vodka from the crew,(As anyone would do)although sixpack secretly discovers a small flask and hides it away locking eyes with Bowman who later both enjoy the flask.
The story keeps a good pace and keeps the audience engaged and informed when finding out the crew from the Leviathan were under some sort of distress. Sixpack and Bowman both begin showing signs of an illness and the doctor starts to correlate the disaster of the Leviathan has now found its way onto their ship. Sixpack dies from the unknown illness that began to deform his body, and Bowman kills herself in fear of suffering the same fate. The cast effectively creates a underlying panic and tragic helplessness as they are now even unable to leave at the arranged time due to a supposed Hurricane above the area.
It is soon discovered by the Doc that the diagnostic testing done on sixpack shows to be a possible genetic mutation brought on by tainted (bio-experimental) vodka. The same vodka that was originally used to do secret testing on the crew of the Leviathan ending in their demise. The testing apparently was geared to create a perfect genetic aquatic man.
The crew moves to throw the bodies of sixpack and Bowman to the sea to eliminate a chance of contamination when the dead body begin to come to life and lash out at the crew. They manage to toss the mutated and fussed bodies to the sea not before a small "piece" is severed in the door and left on the ship.
The remaining part of the movie leaves the slow build of tension and moves into grizzly action when the severed piece of Sixpack and Bowman takes a violent life of its own and kills and fusses itself to the crew one by one creating semi-scary creature that resembles some sort of human slash toothy fish. (Not bad for 1989). Leaving only Beck, Willie and Jones fighting for their lives and making their way to use the sea suites and pressure from the tanks to bring them the several miles to the ocean surface. Unfortunately not believable that this level of pressure would not have crushed their bodies.
The three survivors make the claustrophobic journey to the surface only to be terrorized by the creature who also made it to the surface. And there is a shark for a minute or two.(Maybe not necessary). Jones sacrifices himself to save Beck and Willie, who are being rescued by a near by helicopter. This is unfortunate as Jones is a way more likable character then the other two. Beck manages to blow the creature up by placing a flare in its mouth. (One would only think this would create multiple genetic creatures? But hey its just a movie.) Beck and Willie meet with the sinister direction of the mining mission (Meg Foster) who lied about the Hurricane in efforts to contain them at the bottom of the ocean indefinitely. Beck manages to give her a nice friendly punch in the face before him and Willie walk into the sunset.
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