Change Your Image
lizhalexander
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
No One Will Save You (2023)
Very Good Sci-Fi Thriller!
I haven't read any other reviews, and wanted to give mine before I do. This was thoroughly enjoyable, and I'm glad I sat down and watched it!
Not sure if this is a spoiler, but there is almost no dialogue in the whole thing, but it doesn't take anything away from the film. It's tense, it's sometimes amusing, and just all around very well done!
Some might say that the special effects are "special" in a bad way, but for what it is, I think they were great! The creature design was incredible and creative, and I haven't seen anything like this I've enjoyed this much in a very long time!
I will say, the ending is a little messed up...and I won't say how. It isn't a bad ending, just one that makes you tilt your head or raise an eyebrow and go "really?" Just something to be aware of.
All in all, if you're looking for a fun sci-fi thriller romp, then this will be your cup of tea!
Skinamarink (2022)
Very Slow, But Very Creepy!
It's been a few days, maybe a week, since I watched this, and I have to say...this is one that's stayed with me! Most flashier or more in-your-face horror doesn't stay with me, but subtle, creepy things like this absolutely do!
I like the theories about it regarding how the little boy is likely in a coma. This would explain why he and his sister are "trapped" in the house, and the windows and doors disappear. It would explain a lot of other things, too. However, I'm not sure it's a story of parental abuse; it's entirely possible the poor kid just lost his footing and fell down the stairs. But, on that note, I don't know what the bone-crunching sounds of his mom while she's moaning in pain would amount to. (Clearly, there's been or was planning to be some kind of divorce. Whether that happened or not is ambiguous at best.)
This is another slow psychological movie, and I think it perfectly captures the confusion a child feels or might feel about some kind of very dramatic and adult situation. It's how they would make sense of it.
That being said, I do wish some answers were given. Who was the person with the fuzzy face at the end? Could it have been a nurse? A guardian angel? Dead mom? LIVING mom, as the kid is coming out of the coma? It's hard to say.
Were the Face and the Voice the same thing? Or were those two different things? Why does the toy "house" have windows and doors, but the real one does not? Could the kids be ghosts? Or is the little boy in a coma?
Anyroad, this gets right to the deepest fears of Being Left Alone and Not Knowing What Is Happening. Even as adults, I think this is a deep-seeded fear, and in some ways, little kids can handle it better than most adults because they're used to not understanding how things work, and making up their own reasons (real or imagined) as to what is happening and why.
It makes one think.
And if you're like me, it will stay with you, for a while.
Run Rabbit Run (2023)
Slow but Good Psychological Thriller
If you don't like slow-moving psychological thrillers, then this isn't for you. But if you have patience, and like a slow build, then this is excellent!
I just finished reading some other reviews here, and they helped to put some puzzle pieces in place, i. E., the Mom is having a psychological break because of several different kinds of life changes that would be difficult even for a normal and emotionally and mentally stable person to handle: Her daughter turned 7, and was attacked at her own birthday party by her 3-year-old brother-in-law; her father, whom she and her child loved dearly has recently passed away; her mother turns out to have been living in an assisted care facility for a while without her knowledge, and also now has dementia. All of that by itself would be hard enough, but layer on the guilt from killing your own sister when she was the same age as your daughter, and....yeah.
That being said: A fence could have possibly prevented ALL this! I mean, I know it's a fantastic view, but this seems like it would have been an easily preventable problem on Grandma and Grandpa's end. Oh well.
Regardless, I think it's clear by the end that a lot of what we've been seeing are hallucinations by the mom; clearly she didn't just take the pictures down, but actually smashed them to the ground in a fit of guilty rage. She chased after her own kid with some kind of heavy metal doohickey, and probably killed or at least attacked her with it. Heck, we aren't even sure if Mia WAS 'pretending' to be Alice; that could also have been mom's hallucination. In fact, was she even ever really at the nursing home in the end? Who knows..
As to the ghostly presence of Alice we see on occasion, I'm guessing that wasn't an actual ghost as much as the "ghost" of Mom's guilt for having murdered her sister, and then having NEVER come clean about it, and burying it so deep in her psyche (whether intentional or not), that it caused her to hate her own mother. (I tend towards the idea that, with her mother's grief over Alice being disappeared, that Mom just wasn't able to handle it.)
As for the rabbit, I don't know. Ah, could it be a dark relation between the dead sister Alice and "Alice in Wonderland"? I'm willing to buy that. Lol There are several references to Mom and Mia either being in or looking into places rabbits would go - rabbit holes, an empty pipe on the playground, etc. This would give credence to the theory that mom was hallucinating a LOT of Mia at the end of the movie.
Now, about the ending: Was the 'ghost' taking Mia to plunge off the cliff? Did Mom murder Mia's father? I think, as some have suggested, that Mia was already dead at that point; if she wasn't, mom could have run out of the house to save her, but instead beats on the window like she can't leave. Second question: Why kill Mia's father? Was it because he was a witness to something, and she was trying to do the same thing then that she did with her sister - kill and try to get away with it, in some crazy way? And how did he die?
There's a lot of questions kind of left open to interpretation in the end, which I'm not a HUGE fan of, but considering what the director was going for - a horror/thriller essentially from the perspective of a delusional, hallucinating, guilt-ridden bad guy - it works out well! So I only take one star off for that. :)
Musical score: I liked it! I don't know why others hated it (unless this is just not their genre of movie) but I thought it fit well and was well-done.
Acting: Absolutely excellent! Everyone drew me into the story, and I loved mom's twitches every now and again when she was trying to figure out what was happening.
All in all a solid psychological thriller, but you do have to let it build itself.
(Oh! There was one confusion: Not sure what the deal was with the opening scene, and mom dreaming she was on an 'island' in the middle of a ....lake? River? Some kind of thing. Perhaps it's an allusion to having pushed her sister off the cliff into the water? I don't know. Maybe just a red herring.)
Vivarium (2019)
liz.h.alexander@gmail.com
As with most movies like this that introduces an intriguing "monster" and hints at a more interesting under-plot, I wish there had been more details about what things were and what they meant.
I get the point the director and writers were making, and honestly, this is one of the better done ones about the idea that I've seen! But I find the ending very dissatisfying, and crave more understanding of the world and the creatures surrounding the world.
The more I think about it, the more I wonder if this couple accepted things a little too easily. Yeah, there was *some* tension, but things were just.....odd. I don't know. I don't know many parents that will put up with their child (whether their own or someone else's) just screaming nonsensically until they get what they want. There's spanking or time-outs or SOMETHING. Not just "Oh, okay, here's your cereal." There's usually SOME attempt at discipline, even if the child was a "surprise".
I don't know. I thought it was going to be revealed that they were in one of the tiny model homes in the office still (which is why the ground was weird), but it didn't go that direction, so I dunno.
Okay story, good acting, very slow-paced. Could have used more explanation.
The Old Dark House (1932)
Pretty Good Old-Fashioned Romp!
This is what one would call a "B" movie, even for the time, but that's definitely not a deal-breaker! Excellent for casual watching, with funny moments, spooky and thrilling moments, and potatoes.
So many potatoes!
I suspect that a good bit of the eventual original Addams Family inspiration came from films like this, what with spooky old houses (hey, the title of the movie!), to very nervous and weird relatives, to mute "butlers".
It's unfortunate that we didn't learn *precisely* what happened to Rachel, or if Saul was just making that up for Reasons. (What reasons I don't know, since he went straight into Crazy Pyromaniac Murderer right after that..). Still, I would have liked to hear the old man's story, and find out why Morgan (?) was mute and covered in scars. Seems like there was a whole storyline there that didn't get touched! Oh well.
Definitely makes me thankful for things like cars with windows and heating and air conditioning, automatic engines, basic electricity, etc.
Good acting, fun characters, nice old-time feel! I think they call this "Pre-Code" now, whatever that means. Definitely something I would watch again, if only so the characters can keep me company in the background!
Moon of the Wolf (1972)
Nice "Movie of the Week" Feature!
I watched this on Youtube yesterday, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised! For the time, the acting and all were pretty good, and could easily have been much, much worse.
I liked the story, the setting, and the old-school Louisiana accents. Unfortunately, due in part to the age of it, and the struggling live captions youtube has to offer, I sometimes had a hard time understanding what was being said. I think if this were cleaned up, and proper subtitles given (which may be available on the Amazon version one has to pay for, but I don't know), then it would be much easier to follow.
It didn't break new ground storywise, or even werewolf-wise, but it was decent for the budget and kept me entertained! I genuinely didn't know who the Werewolf was until the big reveal, so I appreciated that.
I may hunt down the book this is based on, and see if it is on par with the movie or better. Anyways, I enjoyed it. :)
Something in the Dirt (2022)
Tempted to 10/10
I rarely give a 10 out of 10 review but I'm very tempted with this! Just finished watching it on Hulu, and honestly, I thought it was brilliant. I thought it made its point very well, and while I didn't get a clear explanation for the phenomenon, I don't think that was the point of the movie. The point wasn't that there was some weird mysterious alien event.... The point was that these two people, who are not scientists or mathematicians or anything like that, have found themselves in the middle of something fantastic that they can't have a hope of understanding.
Was it truly something that was happening? Was it all in their heads? Was it all a manipulation by the guy in the glasses? Would the other guy have lived if he had moved out when he had initially wanted to? Was he actually murdered by the guy in the glasses?
We don't know the answers to any of this. The movie makes it clear that the guy with the glasses was a liar for a lot of it, which draws into question everything he said. The thing is, did he believe his own lies? A lot of people with this kind of mentality will make things happen, and then convince themselves completely that they didn't make them happen, that it was a totally different thing that happened, that they didn't have any control over. So in that way, I thought it was a very interesting look psychologically into these two characters.
From the ending of the movie, there is a question of how exactly the other guys body was found. Did glasses actually just received random ashes? Or did he find his body on the beach, and have him cremated? Did he actually look for the dude's family? We will never know, and while I would like to know, I understand why the movie didn't make any of it clear.
I see that this movie has a lot of negative reviews, but I don't know why. Much like them, usually I like clarity and definition, but I think this was done very well to call into question people with crazy conspiracy theories. I think that was the point, and I really enjoyed it for that.
Il boia scarlatto (1965)
Definitely A Movie That Exists
If you like cheesy, Hammer Horror-esque 1960s horror, you might like this. Definitely weird and off-putting, for the torture scenes alone, but given how bad the acting and effects are, there's very little here that I would define as "disturbing" as far as the torture goes.
Watched the English Rifftrax version. Makes it much more bearable, though I think I've seen the regular, non-riffed version before.
I really don't know what else to say about it, but I still have some characters I have to do. I can see some modern indie director remaking this and making it WAY over the top, but I wouldn't go see it; torture movies aren't my thing.
The Resort (2021)
3 For Makeup, None for the rest.
Almost half the movie are the characters doing typical tropical island things - hiking, complaining, drinking, swimming, etc. When they FINALLY get to the haunted hotel, it still takes its time getting to the point.
This I will say: It's nice to see a movie rely more on makeup and prosthetic effects than CGI, but there's still some CGI in this. I get the feeling this could have been cut down to about 45 minutes, and nothing would have been lost.
As always, I come away from movies like this with a certain sense of dissatisfaction, all for the typical reasons: 1. The ending was awful (She was still on the island THE WHOLE TIME!!!11); 2. You don't find out that much about the spook or why she's doing what she's doing besides a few throwaway lines; 3. The characters are so bland and tasteless that there is just *no* connecting to them, and thus I didn't feel *any* agency about their situation.
Perhaps I'm getting old, but still, for all the dead time in this movie, I feel like they could have come up with some better characters than:
1. Alcoholic sort-of fallen Christian who decided to live a life of debauchery after finding out sleep paralysis is a thing. (Because one CAN'T be religious and believe in sleep paralysis over demons sitting on your chest.)
2. Generic Hot Guy who has the personality of cardboard, except that he likes the MC.
3. Insta-girl, who's only goal in life seems to be her Instagram account, but is otherwise just kind of there.
4. Final Girl, who is SO final girl that it's obnoxious.
I dunno. It could have been a lot better. Even the ghost, if I stop to think about it, wasn't that interesting. Very generic "Spooky ghost girl!" kind of thing. Definitely the most interesting character in the whole entourage, which is why I wish they'd gone into more detail about her.
They explained why she haunts the island (sort of), but not why she had half a face. Because....animals started eating her after she died? It doesn't make a lot of sense.
I dunno. Just weird.
I always wonder what the families of these kinds of characters think when their loved ones just...vanish. Especially parents that are paying for their college tuition. Just weird.
The acting, for what it was, was fine. I think if they were all given better material and had better direction, they would have shined through. But as it was, they were given crap, and they went with crap. Really a shame. :/
The Eyes of My Mother (2016)
Partial Viewing, But Not For Me
So, I got to the part where the little girl feeds dead mouse meat to the guy in the barn, and that's as far as I got. Gore and torture aren't my thing, and even though it didn't really expressly show anything happening, the idea of it was disturbing enough for me to turn it off.
That being said, from what I saw, I can say this is a very well done movie. A slow, methodical movie, clearly, but very well done. The cinematography is excellent, the acting seemed to be excellent from what I saw, and the story very creepy and weird.
I read about the plot on Wikipedia, and it definitely seems like it's a character study in deep-seeded loneliness, and what can happen to a person if they aren't forced to socialize outside their comfort zones at ALL.
I find it interesting that the dad didn't kill the psychopath who killed his wife, but just chained him up instead. I don't know what the plan was there. Very disturbed that Charlie just...let this little girl take his sight and vocal chords. From what I saw, it looked like he had quite a range of motion with his arms and such, and I feel like that's significant somehow, but not sure how. Perhaps he feels that he deserves this punishment for what he did, not just to this household, but to others as well..?
Someone mentioned in another review about how no one went looking for these people. The sad truth is, people disappear every day. Whether by choice or by force. Sometimes they are found. Sometimes not. I'm not sure anyone was looking for Charlie, or at least, he wasn't well enough known yet to have a mass manhunt put out for him like some other serial killers (and how long did those people get away with terrible things before they were caught?)
Just very disturbing but interesting ideas here. I may watch more later, but I don't know; might be a bit too dark and disturbing for me.
Jennifer's Body (2009)
Not The Best, Not The Worst. Very 'Meh'.
So, I finally got around to watching this for the first time yesterday. I got it on a VUDU several months ago, but every time I came across it, I just didn't want to see it. (I have to be in the right mood for teen screams, especially schlocky big-budget ones.) I now know why my brain was so 'meh' about this.
For the record, I watched the "unrated" version, though tbh I have no idea what was so "unrated" about it. The lez kiss, I guess? I have no idea. "Ooh, then two girls like totally make out man!" Ok, calm down, horn dogs. Goodness.
Aside from that, the gore, etc. Wasn't anything particularly special. I'm not a huge fan of gore, but when I see "unrated", I'm expecting at LEAST an 80s-Cronenberg level of gore. There wasn't even really that. She eats some of a dude's stomach, which is *kind* of grody, I guess...? I dunno; it didn't affect me much either way.
The Good: Amanda Seyfried was absolutely excellent! Her performance pulled me in, and I really enjoyed watching her battle the evil her 'best' bad friend had become. Excellent performance, and I wouldn't mind seeing her in more suspense or horror stuff.
The Bad: Just about everything else. Unless you just don't watch horror movies that much, this is going to leave you a little dissatisfied. Whether you're a story and suspense buff like me, or you're more of a sex and gore fan, I don't think you're going to be happy. I could be wrong, though.
There was so much of this that was *almost* good, but fell into the same pitfalls that poorly-researched and done horror always does: vague 'witchcraft' books somehow detail a 'satanic' ritual involving the ritual killing of a 'virgin', for one thing. Spoiler alert: No books written about how to be a witch in the past 100 years, as far as I know, advocates actually killing people, as far as I know. I don't think they even require killing animals, but I haven't read every single book out there; however, I *do* know that pagans, witches, Wiccans, etc. Tend to have a great deal of respect and love for nature and animals, and are even vegans, so this whole "we have to kill a virgin" thing is straight out of the Satanic Panic of the 80s. -_-;;;; Moving along...
Alternative musical representation. I'm Goth, and only became one when I was well into adulthood, so I could be wrong about this, but most darkly-inclined teens aren't going to cause a huge scene at a friend's funeral. Or ANYONE'S funeral. Whether you're emo or goth or whatever, you're not going to embarrass yourself or the family of the deceased by doing....whatever it was those kids were doing. It would take some real douchebags of an unrealistic level to do that. Perhaps they would come back a few days later, and have their own personal service with just their own circle of friends, but they wouldn't do all that at the funeral.
On the other hand, it was nice to see some representation of the darkly alternative. Perhaps not the most accurate, but I've also seen far worse. *shrug* what can you do?
Story strangeness. There were a few spots in this movie where setting or story or both were just strange, and didn't make a lot of sense, and had no follow-up. One was the very beginning where we first meet Needy, and she makes a big deal out of being a "Kicker". She kicks a nurse for....being nice and asking her questions politely...? I mean, I get that she's inherited some 'demonic' qualities, but that's a bridge too far, IMO. But I've also never worked in a facility for the criminally insane, so I could be wrong. Regardless, the kicking NEVER COMES UP AGAIN. It was set up as if it would be a major plot point, and I thought it meant she might be a Buffy-type, but nope; just a random factoid for some reason.
The Hole. Just weird. You're telling me legit, university-trained scientists couldn't figure out a hole emptied out into a sewer ditch somewhere in town, but Needy comes across it randomly? No, son; that makes no sense. It seems like the kind of thing locals would CLAIM no one knows the destination of, but that scientists as far back as the 1950s would likely have figured out. Very weird inclusion.
Next is when the emo kid, wanting to meet Jennifer for some sexy times, rolls into a ruined, completely darkened neighborhood.... AFTER at least two kids from his school have been brutally murdered.
Now, I know he's a horny teenage boy, but I like to think that even horny teenage boys aren't quite THAT stupid. If the ENTIRE neighborhood is dark, and looks like no one lives there, AND two people you know have gotten murdered recently, perhaps DON'T get our of your car and pursue whatever hotness you think you're going to get? Maybe? Just a thought.
Possible final note: Megan Fox.
I'm going to be honest; I never recognize Ms. Fox right off the bat, hardly ever. There is just something about her look back then that's super-generic Hot Girl (TM), and something particularly bland about her acting, where unless I know her name is on the venue, I just don't know it's her. She's the most blah Hot Girl (TM) I've ever seen. It's a very weird thing to watch. In everything I see her in, even in this, she is just sort of....also there. She doesn't bring anything interesting, different, or dynamic to the roles she plays. She's there, I feel, to be skinny, wear skimpy clothes, and possibly be vaguely - well, "sexually aggressive". Especially in this.
I get that that's what the character called for, but I feel a more dynamic actress would have brought SOMETHING else to the table. She seems bored through the whole thing. She may know her lines, but that's all she does; she repeats them as if she doesn't know or care where she is, and that bugs me.
She isn't fun as a villain. She isn't enduring as a leading lady. At least, then she wasn't. She just....exists. Maybe she was on drugs back then or something, I don't know. But she's very, very boring to watch.
Lance Henriksen. He was in the end of the movie giving Needy a ride for about ten seconds. That's just a waste of a good Lance Henriksen if you ask me. I got the vague impression that he was supposed to be a reference to one of his other roles, but I have no idea what. Honestly can't remember.
Also, where are all the dads in this movie? I get that some kids don't have dads, and there's a lot of working single moms out there, but I only remember one kid even HAVING a dad, and his only role was to comfort his wife at the funeral. It was bizarre. And the other guys in this were...meh. Horny teen boys, and that's about it.
Speaking of, where are Jennifer's folks? We see her at her house, and maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't remember her parents or guardians ever being mentioned or on screen. Did she kill them? Did they ever exist? What's going on here? At least other characters in the movie clearly had moms and siblings...but not Jennifer. For....some reason.
And what, exactly, is the mythos that's being followed here? Why would her not being a virgin turn her into a succubus? I feel like this was low-key slut-shaming. "Don't have sex, teen girls, or you'll get murdered by an indie band and become a succubus!"
I don't know. As always, I like it more when a movie is clear on its mythos than this generic "oh, here's some vague spooky things movies have been relying on for decades that have long since been proven to be highly inaccurate, but we're including anyways" thing. I halfway expected them to pull out a Ouija board at some point, it's so bad.
I really wanted this movie to subvert my already low expectations. It did not. It was, unfortunately, *exactly* what I expected: Schlock. Just.... Schlock. Not even fun schlock I could be amused by the badness of. Just regular schlock.
I saw that this movie had a couple of awards and nominations, but after seeing that they were low-level ones and at least two were awarded to Fox for "Worst Actress" and one for "Best T&A" (which I disagree with; she's not exactly a curvy gal. No hate, but....what?), it made more sense.
I guess I can, begrudgingly, see how this has become a cult favorite. It's not my thing, but I get it. What's truly mystifying is that there's no sequel, as far as I'm aware.
I dunno; I seem to have written a lot on a movie I didn't like very much. :/ But, there you go.
The Inhabitant (2022)
A Solid Psychological Horror with Artsy Camera Work
Just finished watching this on Hulu a few moments ago.
My first impressions, especially without reading other reviews: This is a really good, solid psychological horror. It's definitely slow in places, but the payoff is well worth it IMHO. While it may not break any conventions as far as the story itself goes, the characters were great, and the camera work was, at least, an interesting and cool departure from the normal.
That being said, this *does* get melodramatic in parts. The scene where the Main Character's best friend has a deep breakdown after having a normal conversation with her on the phone was a bit much. Huge, secret lesbian crush or not, it just seemed to come out of nowhere, complete with razor blade cutting. Very weird, but not having been a teen lesbian myself, maybe this will strike a cord with someone, I don't know.
Perhaps others who saw this movie saw the twist way before I did, but I also wasn't *looking* for a twist. It was neat, but nothing that hadn't been done before.
That being said, there were a few things that I doubt are true to reality. First, if a family knew it was descended from Lizzie Borden, I doubt they would have to look up information online about the Lizzie Borden house, especially given how big it is. I would also expect the descendants to be the ones running it, but what do I know? Maybe there are too many descendants by now, I haven't a clue. It would be one thing if they never knew....but they made it clear from the beginning that MC's fam DID know.
BTW, the security at the mental hospital must be abysmal for the MC's aunt to have kept getting out over and over again. I mean, just truly bad.
At the very end, when MC's little brother sees Lizzie herself in the back of the car, I was okay with it. Usually, I hate that kind of thing - demon/ghost/monster/etc. Isn't REALLY gone! But, since we're dealing with things like mental illness and possession inherited from family, and there was no real attempt to exorcise the demon or mental illness or whatever it was for EVERYONE, it makes logical sense that she/it/etc. Would move on to the next available member. What was doubly interesting was that, all through the movie, it's implied that this thing only manifests in the *female* members of the family. At the end of the movie, it makes it clear that it isn't, that that's a false assumption by the family members.
As for why the 'crazy' aunt was going to their house to begin with: I can only assume that it was to low-key stalk her sister who was the actual culprit of so much horror. As for why she reacted the way she did towards MC earlier in the movie, I assume it's either the illness, or the fact that she was locked up with other mentally ill people (which can make a sane person crazy), or both.
Or maybe she was lonely, I don't know. What's *really* mystifying is how she got to the house so fast, when it takes so long to drive there. That's the weirdest part. Oh well. Maybe by the time she got there, it was like 2 in the morning, who knows.
Anyroad, I really liked this. My only complaint is that the camera work got a little *too* artsy at times, so that it was somewhat difficult to tell what was going on. That, and right at the beginning of the trailer, it gives away a huge spoiler, which I wish these trailer companies would stop doing; it's very, very irritating for a suspenseful movie.
This IS a slow movie, though, so if you are more of an action and thriller and blood and gore fan, you're going to HATE this. If you like spooky slow-build psychological flicks, then this is right up your alley!
The Galaxy Invader (1985)
Rifftrax Special
I watched this on Amazon Prime with Rifftrax. How folks watch it straight, I don't know.
Terrible movie, but the Rifftrax guys made it better. Way better than this movie deserved, which was to be dragged out into the deepest, darkest hole and buried forever.
This movie is less about the alien, and more about a very dysfunctional family due to the dad being just The Worst. But as the Rifftrax guys say, "If three people can't take him down, it might be time to hit the gym." For real. Holy crap.
The end was a weird combination of satisfying and definitely not satisfying. Enter at your own risk, though I suggest the version I watched; great for when you're up late at night with insomnia.
Vampyr (1932)
One of My Top Five Favs
I love this movie so much! I've watched it more times than I can count. It helps greatly to help me relax, especially at night when I can't sleep. It is such a different and unique take on the vampire genre, especially considering what the genre turned in to. No sexiness, no romance, no fangs, not even a blood spurt, but lots of atmosphere and mystery and interesting takes.
Very, very good movie, if you like atmospheric, older foreign films. If none of that appeals, you won't like this. But that's my jam, so I really love this!
I have only ever seen the German version with English subtitles. I was unaware that there was an English dubbed one until I read some of the other reviews. That seems strange to me that I've never heard of it. Ah well; I much prefer the German one anyway.
A Banquet (2021)
Artsy fartsy ending
I am really tired of these artsy fartsy movies that end up not explaining anything about what was actually going on. Maybe there are some subtleties that I'm just missing out on, I don't know. And I'm glad that we live in a society where people can express whatever it is they need to express and whatever way they need to express it... But this is frustrating for me as a horror movie lover.
What was actually wrong with the girl? What was she suffering from in the end? Just the result of malnutrition? Or was she really the servant of a higher power? Did the world actually end? Or did the mom just have a heart attack and die from grief?
Was all this the result of the girl seeing her dad die in such a terrible and dramatic way at the beginning of the movie? Or was there something else going on? Did the stuff the girl was taking at the party having effect on her mentality and that's why she went crazy? What was Mom hospitalized for when she was younger? Did she have the same condition? Hallucinations? What was it the girl was seeing? Was it real or fake?
I have too many questions about what was actually going on, and while the acting and everything was supreme, it was another one of those stories that just doesn't really go anywhere even after all that drama.
Secondly, kind of tired of deep, nowhere going dramas in my horror. Horror. Was the point of all that? Was this another case of a hard director trying to work out his or her own weird issues through cinema? Sure is an expensive way to do therapy!
I'm going to have to look this up and see what the deal is. Maybe they were going for an Oscar or something, I don't know.
No One Gets Out Alive (2021)
Excellent Slow Burn!
I know slow burns aren't everyone's thing, but this one was well worth it to me!
I only have two or three complaints, which is why this is 8/10 instead of 10/10:
- A bit *too* slow. On one hand, I loved how the beginning and even middle examined the hardships an illegal immigrant coming to the states would experience. But, for a horror movie, I felt it dragged on for a tad too long. Very interesting, but not what I was in it for.
- Lack of explanation. So, this is almost always a thing with me: the director or writer or whoever comes up with an AMAZING creature, but offers very few clear details on it. Perhaps they want us to use our own imaginations, or they think tiny hints will set our thoughts ablaze, but I'd prefer a straight-up explanation, personally. From a initial search, I've found that the creature is *mostly* inspired by a particular Meso-American deity, but could also include aspects of others. That's fine and dandy, but I'd LOVE something a bit more clear.
- A tiny irritation. I know the idea of the MC's 'friend' who stole her money is supposed to be cut and dried, but I would have liked a wee bit more resolution to that whole thing, especially since the 'friend' didn't ASK her for the money. It seems like if she was just befriending her for a little cash, she would have always been asking for it....not just hanging out with her until the MC randomly decided to give it to her.
Anyroad, those are my complaints about it. Basically, I could have done with a LOT more resolution. That being said, the creature was phenomenal, the story amazing (for the most part), and the acting superb!
I would have *loved* an ending where MC decided that only MEN were allowed in the building now, but that would, perhaps, have been a bit too on the nose and slightly too woke. I'm glad it ended the way it did.
Into the Dark: Blood Moon (2021)
Very Dull Dark Drama
If you are hoping for a cool werewolf movie with lots of action and special effects, this is NOT what you're looking for.
If you're looking for an ambling melodrama about a single mom and her werewolf kid that goes ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE then you have found your pot of gold!
This isn't horror. This is the diary of a single mother-on-the-run (sort of) who struggles with how to handle her werewolf son. The kid is a typical kid, wants to go to regular school, etc., and for a moment, the movie at least gives you *some* hope that the kid will get his wish...
....and then, he ends up killing all the people in the police station. Because reasons.
This was just a frustrating movie, on several levels. At the end, NOTHING is better for either mom OR the kid, they are STILL on the run, and we learn that the kid fully transformed looks like.....a regular wolf.
Yep. Just your average, run-of-the-mill white wolf that someone put strawberry jam on to make him look 'vicious'.
The only hint of special effects or transformation we get is that his eyes grow yellow sometimes (very rarely, maybe twice..?), and in one scene, his ears get a little longer. But these effects look like cheesy 90s TV special effects, and nothing like what I'm sure both Hulu AND Blumhouse could afford! (Seriously, I've seen better from both. This was dumb. Real dumb.)
I wish it hadn't been billed as either fantasy or horror, because it's neither; it's drama with some werewolf bits thrown in randomly. It's very weird.
What's more, for all the ambling around where NOTHING happens (mom gets a job, has a very small, uneventful run-in with the local sheriff, etc.), NOTHING of the background is explained! If she was a big-shot lawyer before, why couldn't she afford a super-secret, *permanent* compound to raise her wolfy family? How did Dad handle HIS transformation? How did he get out of HIS cage? WHY was he a werewolf in the first place? Was it an inherited thing, a curse thing, or did he get bit by a werewolf? Where are all the other werewolves in this world? If HE was one, surely there are others? Why isn't there some kind of werewolf support group? What did mom mean by "the law failed me"? How does falling in love in the middle of nowhere equate "I'm going to quit the law business, and just kill cows for hubby and child now! SCREW THE LAW!1" None of it makes any sense whatsoever.
Plus, SHE HAS SOMEONE ON HER SIDE AT THE END! Surely they could come up with SOME kind of story about what happened, so the kid could stay there..?
And how are folks buying entire houses without anything to do with escrow or bids or....nope! Just going to BUY AN ENTIRE HOUSE WITHOUT ANY KIND OF CREDIT! Even though she CONSTANTLY STRUGGLES WITH MONEY ISSUES!
I don't know. The whole thing is ridiculous. I didn't realize until it was almost over how bored I was with the whole thing, but I kept hoping for SOMETHING interesting to happen.
It. Never. Did.
I guess if you're a mom, maybe this would hit home more. I don't know. But for me, I found the whole thing incredibly annoying.
I will say this: For the most part, the acting was good. The kid actor could have been better. He seemed to have a hard time getting into the role, but he was believable as a regular kid. I *do* wish the characters had been, y'know, CHARACTERS, but they were more like charicatures: Creepy Small Town Sheriff. Older Helpful Hardware Guy. Caring But Unintentionally Too Friendly Bartender Boss. Tough As Balls Single Mom. Hot but Dead Dad. Sweet and Innocent Kid. Etc. None of them had much depth.
I dunno. The idea of a child werewolf and mom-on-the-run is a great premise, but it could have been done SO MUCH BETTER! That's all.
Behind You (2020)
Pretty good for what it was.
This was pretty good, if you're just scrolling around looking for something to watch. Not anything to purchase, and probably not a lot of rewatchability.
For low-end horror, it was good! Acting was decent, set was garishly 1970s (seriously, that yellow wallpaper was far scarier than anything else in the movie!), special effects were...fine. Costumes? Eh, normal clothes for modern-day, so what can you do.
Honestly, I could see this movie happening anywhere in the past 40 or 50 years. There's nothing especially modern in it, except for a couple of very short scenes involving cell phones. But other than that, all hairstyles and attitudes were pretty classic ones.
I don't know how scary it was; I think that depends on the individual, and what spooks you. It doesn't immediately spook me, but who knows? Maybe later when looking in a mirror, I'll get a little paranoid.
Personally, I thought the ending was a good wrap-up. I hate it when movies don't have one. This one did. It gave a satisfying ending if this is the only one that's ever made, but also one I can see leading into a sequel if they decide on it.
I liked that the elder teen girl wasn't pissed at the world. I feel like these family-based horror movies always go for that, and it gets old. Not all teen girls are punk/emo/goth girls pissed at the world at having to move. She just cares about her sister, and wants to make the best of things. It's refreshing!
The aunt at the beginning, though...she's a piece of work! But, as the movie goes on, you realize WHY she is the way she is, and she becomes a more sympathetic character. She's not being mean to be mean; she has her reasons. (Also possibly she's just not a kid person, but the movie makes it pretty clear it's not really that.)
If there ends up being a sequel (or, hopefully, a prequel to explain where the demon came from in the first place!) to this, I'll probably watch it, if only for the house!
Anyways, very simple plot, but pretty good characters and character development. Amazing house! Not that scary (but don't show it to kids).
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
Overly-Ansty Napoleon Dynamite
This movie COULD have been great! It COULD have....but instead, it was just tragically, incredibly depressing. This makes "Shawshank Redemption" look like a goofy comedy!
If you have depression, don't watch this, because it's truly awful.
The acting was fine. Sets, costumes, all that jazz....fine. But the story? No thank you please!
The hubs and I tried watching it together, but could only get about half an hour in. I decided to watch the whole thing by myself to see if it would get better.....and it does NOT! Almost every single character was the absolute WORST! Even the main character isn't exactly a great and upstanding person, but given she's in 7th grade, it's forgivable (to a point). This is the most tragic thing I've seen without involving actual physical/sexual abuse....and even that skirts the line a little.
As someone who *was* awkward in junior high, I found this very unrelateable; NO ONE is on this girl's side. Including her parents. Her father might as well not even exist for all the good he does, and her mother.....ooooooh, her mother!
This woman has got to be one of the worst possible mothers in all history. She doesn't even notice when her first daughter goes missing after the second daughter is found! SHE LITERALLY DOES NOT CARE. And this is AFTER she tore down the girl's clubhouse for ONE PARTY IN THE BACKYARD, because it was "ugly". Seriously, just the Worst without actually being physically abusive.
Her brother is overly obsessed with resumes and college, even for a high schooler. A little nerdy, but he doesn't really bug her.
The verbal and light (?) physical abuse she endures from the random boy at school is just plain weird. He's weird. Just....a weird character.
There is no hope at the end of this very dark tunnel. She doesn't find confidence or self-love for herself, and no love or acceptance from ANYONE (literally, it ends with the whole school calling her names during an assembly. The only person that she could have considered a friend, she alienates because she learns what "special people" actually means, I guess..? I really don't know what happened with that.
You would think that at least the faculty or teachers at her school would be concerned, but no; the one teacher we get to know even a little is the rudest, meanest snake of a teacher - again, without actual physical abuse - and I honestly do NOT understand how she keeps her job! The rest of the faculty might as well not exist, as far as this girl is concerned. The only redeeming thing is that, at the end, the headmaster/principle/whoever shushes the crowd when they start chanting. But he seems to do it out of his own annoyance, and not really out of protection for the girl.
Anyroad, I *really* hated this movie. Usually I like "fish out of water" and "super-awkward junior high/high school kid" movies or shows. Napoleon Dynamite? Great! The anime Watamote? Superb! But this....this was terrible. If they had leaned more into the comedy of these situations, and further from the uber-serious, it would have been better. But they went too far in the "My Girl" direction of very depressing....but even that one had a sweet end! This....this does not.
In the end, it felt exactly like what I said it did the first time I tried to watch it: It felt like I was reading the main character's very angsty diary, and that hopefully things weren't nearly as bad as they seem at the time.
All this girl wants is love and acceptance. Why no one will give it to her is a mystery.
One star for the acting, and one star for creativity, but that's it. Seriously, avoid if you watch movies as an escape. (I've seen B and C horror flicks I'd watch MULTIPLE TIMES before I ever gave this another glance! Trailer is VERY deceptive!)
Black Death (2010)
Excellent Acting For A Grim Movie
This popped up on my Hulu feed, so I decided to give it a go. Very, VERY grim! This movie puts the "Dark" back into "Dark Ages".
If you don't like images of medieval torture, grime, and Black Death, then this probably isn't the movie for you.
Generally, I thought it was a good movie! But I wouldn't recommend watching it if you struggle with depression; there are NO light moments in this movie, and the ending is just as dark as the rest. (This is the only reason I take off two stars.)
Usually, in this kind of flick, one side is the torturing "bad guys" (usually the Crusaders/'Christians'), and the other is the peace-loving, hippie-esque pagans...but not so with this one. BOTH sides are full of hatred, guile, and bloodlust. Apparently. That being said, the pagan side is almost worse because:
- They literally claim that they are 'better' because they don't have hatred....and then proceed to literally crucify folks and tear their limbs off;
- The woman is a complete charlatan, by her own admission.
I think I would have preferred a more supernatural explanation for the pagan part; at least that would be interesting! And honestly, it's kind of what I expected. At least something more than "a woman pretends to have healing powers, but doesn't really, and is basically a con artist".
That being said, the setting and acting and costumes were great! Not sure why folks would say the acting isn't good; not sure exactly what they're expecting for acting..? But it drew me in very well, which is the entire point of acting!
I thought maybe it would turn out that the poultice she gave the young monk would end up having some kind of hallucinogen or be cocaine or something, but nope; just forest herbs, I suppose.
I do wonder why they didn't go for the supernatural ending, though. It seems like it would have been a natural fit.
Come True (2020)
Excellent, Slow-Burn Dark Sci-Fi
This is honestly the best horror I've seen in a while, and is right up my ally of good acting, excellent camera work, great story, great characters, and absolutely AMAZING visuals! The lighting and music are incredible as well, giving off a dreamy, "This is what we think the 80s may have been like" vibe. Even the girl's hairstyle and color remind me of that time!
This isn't a grip-your-chair, thrill-a-minute ride; this is a slow-burn, psychological, very dream-like horror. If that's not your thing, then you won't like this movie. (I assume that's why some gave it a one-star review and claimed it was "boring"..? I was definitely NOT bored!)
Many have mentioned the ending, which I will talk about after the jump. If you don't want to read about the end, feel free to stop now.
.
.
.
.
\ /
The End Discussion.
I usually hate these kind of "It was all a dream" endings. I feel that they are usually a cop-out. However, in this, I feel it gives an opportunity to view the movie through a different lens than what I initially thought: This is what someone in a coma possibly 'dreams'. To them, they are awake experiencing something weird, but they are actually totally removed from the world.
I *am* a little disappointed that the creatures never came into their own; we never really find out what happened to the dudes in the sleep study. Did they get got by the Shadows? Why were both men seeing the SAME creature in the SAME place in the room? When the shadows 'get' a person, what do they do with them? That last one is my greatest question...but perhaps is also the underlying source of all good spooky horror stories.
In the trailer, this movie was compared to Inception, but I feel it's much closer to both Jacob's Ladder and the Silent Hill games (most especially Silent Hill 2).
Also, I'm at a loss as to what the vampire thing was about at the end. I know that's what she saw in his dream, but....it turned out she was one...? But not really because she's in a coma...?
I would also love to have known exactly why she didn't want to be home. There's no real confirmation there. I can only assume it's because the mom is abusive in some way? But then again, if it's a dream, is this more of a memory, or simply something her mind made up?
Moving on, I have also had dreams where I'm tired and trying to find a place to sleep, but in general, I can't remember dreaming about shadow people in quite this way. Maybe I have, maybe I haven't, but if I have, I don't remember it.
Despite my questions at the end, I still really enjoyed this, and now want to find the story it's based on and read that! I think the visuals for the deep dream sequence were especially well-done and creepy, and I always appreciate that!
The Gallows Act II (2019)
Disappointing Ending
Whenever there is a clean-cut, cute, awesome guy in these things, you know he will end up being:
- Killed.
- The Killer (or one of)
It's never NOT either of those two. It's getting tiresome.
As an internet challenge, this seems like the stupidest idea. Videotaping yourself and your friends purposefully murdering someone for a "challenge"? Yep, good luck avoiding the police morons. -_-;;;
I didn't understand much about the girl's plight. She wanted to be an actress, but her family disapproved because...........why? But were fine with her sister being a fashion designer, which is at least as much work and chance of "making it"...? It didn't make a lot of sense.
They also didn't explain why she was moving in with her sister. To go to the drama high school? Was that all? What about the visions she kept having that had nothing to do with the folks doing "the challenge"? Are we to assume Charlie was just messing with her?
...Charlie. Dude. Give it a rest. You're creating more ghosts who will come after you in the nether realm. Sheesh.
I've honestly never understood this in horror. "The ghost wants revenge by MURDERING the people he doesn't like!" So.........he'll have to deal with them in the spirit realm instead..? How is this a solution? Most living murderers do so to get RID of someone they DON'T want to deal with....not keep them around!
Anyroad, it was pretty good for what it was, but I would have liked it better if it turned out the girl's family was protecting her from her own schizophrenia or some such. THAT would make sense why they wouldn't want her in drama. THAT would tie things up neatly, explain the visions....and not be nearly as stupid as a "challenge".
I get it; it's a commentary on the stupidity of meme culture, yadda yadda...but how hamfisted can you get? Sheesh. Terrible. Just terrible.
The acting was pretty good, though, and up until the end, I enjoyed the story! I just wish it could have been a bit more dynamic, and leaned into the family issues a bit more instead of being just "Hey spooky stuff! OOoooOOOoOoOOoOoo!"
Just so tired of that.
We Need to Do Something (2021)
Great Horror! But Bad Ending.
I get why this ended like it did. I get it. It's schlocky, and it made me laugh mirthlessly, but I get it.
I liked that Abusive, Alcoholic Dad was murdered at the end. If the movie had just been about that, about being trapped with a psycho-abusive alcoholic, that would have been enough! But this movie presents so many other things that *could* have been what was going on.
COULD have been. In the end, you don't know, though I like the idea that it was the resurrected pet-turned-demon-dog. "I'M A GOOD BOY!" was the best part of the movie!
That being said, I feel like this movie suffers a lot from Cloverfield syndrome, where directors and writers think it's terribly clever to NOT show what EXACTLY is going on outside the walls. To NOT show the monster (though - surprise surprise - the idea is that the real monsters are inside us all - but that has gotten SO old and SO boring.)
I. Want. To. See. The. Monster. I want to know if the teen lesbian witches summoned something...or if it just existed on its own...or if the teen girl was suffering from some kind of delusions.
Why did she think something happened to her lover? Why didn't Mom tell her "Honey, spells aren't real" or something else to comfort her? Why did Mom leave daughter and come back covered in blood? What came through the wall at last? Who's tongue was that? How was a weak girl able to pull the tongue out of what I assume is a demon dog, but not get the door open?
Too many questions, and I don't like having so many questions in the end.
HOWEVER! For what they were going for, this was excellent! I don't know why folks think the acting was bad; it was excellent, and I was definitely drawn in to their characters. The only one that seemed a tad over-the-top was Dad. I mean, verbally-abusive alcoholic father? Sure. But just a smidge over the top, and completely unlikeable. But, maybe that's what they were going for.
I doubt I'll watch this again, but it was good for a first viewing. Not spooky, but interesting.
The Gallows (2015)
Surprisingly Good!
From the cover art, I didn't expect this to be as good as it was! I'm glad I gave it a go after it popped up on HBO Max. One of the better found footage movies that I've seen. And I'm not a fan of found footage. The acting is very good, and even though the story is a little predictable, it still held me on the edge of my seat. Seat. I have to admit I wasn't expecting it to go where it did at the end and that's all I'll say about that.
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Very good, spooky surprise!
I liked this movie, a lot! It was spooky, creepy, and scary without the usual gore-and-sex-fest that one usually sees in these movies. Even when the teenagers are alone together in her room, it's all very innocent and sweet (They only kiss, very chaste, and then he leaves, AND DOESN'T PUSH FOR SEX! It's very sweet and cute.)
I haven't seen the 2014 movie, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but on its own it was pretty great! I definitely wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was.
The retro inserts after the film was shot are awesome, though I do admit I was confused by the cigarette burns every 20 minutes until I read up on it here. An odd choice, but I can roll with it.
I like how the movie rolls with everyone's real-world spooky tales and superstitions about Ouija boards like "We totally burned it, but then it showed up again IN OUR HOUSE!" That was great!
I feel like, if it didn't have to be a prequel to another movie, the ending may have been different, because it seemed to be going in a much different direction than it ended up going. The ending wasn't BAD, but it definitely could have been better if the makers hadn't felt it HAD to be a prequel to the other one.
Great acting, great story, great effects (for those like me who prefer spook over gore), great movie! Now I need to watch the 2014 one so I can connect all the dots!