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Reviews
The Wind (2018)
A well acted, well directed slog.
Unlike a lot of horror movies this one looked good. The cinematography and direction was really well executed I liked the setting and the actors all gave good performances. So what went wrong?
The pacing. Oh man, oh god, the pacing. I like long movies. I like long slow burn horror movies. I even like long old black and white movies that rely solely on the narrative to keep you interested. But this movie has so much filler that when something of importance does happen you don't even notice. Nothing really happens for the first hour and after that so much happens off screen or is implied that it's just boring.
Really this movie's just another case of a lazily written script that good directing and acting couldn't quite save.
Berkshire County (2014)
It's.............fine
In no way is this a good movie. It's unoriginal, it looks cheap and it's pretty bland. But, it's also not a terrible movie.
Is it yet another cheap and unoriginal home invasion movie? Yes. Is it at least a decent one of those? Also yes.
This movie isn't long and is reasonably well paced making it not boring. It hits all the notes you expect and doesn't do a terrible job at it. The villains are menacing, there is some genuine tension and you can easily find worse acting. If you're just looking for a competent mindless movie it's fine and what more should you want from a cheap slasher called Tormented?
To be perfectly honest I can't tell why it's got such a low score. No, it isn't good, that isn't my argument, but you could do a lot worse.
The Windmill Massacre (2016)
I think this is a great film for aspiring film students to look at......but not because it's good.
I was really enjoying this film for the first half hour. The acting was good, the characters were all interesting and well introduced, the dialogue was believable, and I genuinely wanted things to work out. However, the film just crashes and dies from there.
Now don't get me wrong, there are good moments that happen after the first half hour or so. There were really cool and creative kills throughout the movie, the character backstories that get unveiled later are well written, delivered, make sense, and are interesting.
And that's the real shame. There were a lot of really good ideas, effort, well written scenes, passion, and good acting in this movie. But the longer it runs the more it loses sight of what it is and just unravels.
Some other reviewers have pointed this one out, and that's that the movie very early on shows its villains face. That's problematic because the characters try and find the killer within them while you as the viewer already know who it is, draining a lot of the tension.
However, while I agree that that is a problem with the movie, I don't think it's the biggest one, and man there are many. Even though, most of them have to do with the movie trying to overreach.
For starters, there's a twist put on one of the characters at the end that really doesn't work and Oh. More on that ending. It tries to be thought provoking and deep but ends up just not being what you want to see and ultimately just comes off as just sloppy.
Another thing the movie does is use the supernatural. A gamble that, while it actually lead to a number of really great kills and character reveals, ended up really hurting the movie. That's because the aforementioned ending and character twist have to do with it. If the movie had just been a movie about people stranded in the middle of nowhere, dying off one by one and they have to figure out if it's one of them or someone/thing else entirely, that could've been great. Or, there's a point in the movie where a character reads something that makes some of the characters realize there's something off/supernatural about the situation they're in. And if they'd just not added any more "deep" or supernatural ideas onto of that, I would have enjoyed it still.
But as it stands, I don't like this movie. I want to like it but I just can't. I love the first half hour, I love the kills, and the acting and delivery of many lines is really good. But the movie just falls apart the longer it runs and that's why I have to give it a measly 6/10.
That's also the reason I think it's a good movie to study for film students. It does so many things so right and yet, look at what it has on IMDb. Look at what I gave it.
Castlevania (2017)
This IS NOT anti-Christian propaganda. That said, it's a well done, dark, action show
First off, while reading a number of reviews I was really disappointed by numerous people preaching that this show is just anti-Christian propaganda. I read these reviews after watching all four episodes and couldn't disagree more.
The church in the medieval era was not the same organization it is now. Nowadays the church does a lot of good. Then, It was terrible. The show also never states that god doesn't exist or that Satan holds dominion over god in any way. In fact holy water burns demons and Dracula(not Satan) is the villain. And when he's accused of being the devil, he tells people that he isn't, but he can summon demons. So........it's not anti-Christian. It merely portrays the medieval church in a negative way, and honestly, to portray the church then in any other way would be incorrect.
And with that out of the way, let's start off with what I liked. First off, Dracula is a great villain. He's great because as bad as what he does is, you can't, due to an integral first episode, not sympathize with him. He has every right to be furious, confused, and loathe the human race. Also, the main character is really good too. He's not an overly heroic figure, and isn't a saint. However, in just four episodes his character really progresses and it's cool to watch.
Also the townspeople really act correctly for their situation. They're terrified, finger pointing, and mislead. The townspeople and their actions really add another layer of depth, character description, and pain to many of the shows main characters.
And lastly, the action. It's amazing. It's bloody, gritty, and grotesque. Everything action from a series like this should be, and it's not overused.
All in all, I loved this show and can't wait to see more. Yes, not everyone will like it. No, it's not for kids. But it's a damn good show, and if you like action, give it a try. I'm almost certain you'll enjoy it.
Blood Redd (2017)
not good but it isn't as bad as you'd expect
OK, so let's get this out of the way first. This movie is extremely low budget. It looks bad. Very bad. The villain is acted absurdly over the top, and a lot of the movies good ideas are hampered by the filmmakers having to work around amazingly low budget restraints. And some things just look fake.
That said, if you're a fan of both horror and werewolf movies who doesn't mind a cheap look, there is some enjoyment to be had with this. In fact, I didn't hate the movie and kind of wanted to give it a higher rating than I did.
The movie, despite its many glaring flaws, if you can get by them, has a lot of good ideas and really has a well thought out story. It's a unique and interesting take on werewolves that I really haven't seen before. And I honestly think that if someone were to look at this movie and borrow some ideas from it, the end product could be great.
In the end though, this movie isn't good. The acting for the most part is passable, it does have a good story, and there are a lot of good ideas in here. But there are just so many glaring flaws that hit you hard right off the bat and never go away that I really can't give it any higher than a 4/10.
Honeymoon (2014)
A pretty good but not for everyone movie
This movie is not for everyone. It's got a 73% on rotten tomatoes and a 57% here, and I completely understand why. Some people will love this movie and others will hate it. It's just one of those movies.
There's a lot to like about honeymoon. It's very well directed and very well acted, which is extremely important because there's really only two characters. It also maintains a really good level of mystery for almost the entirety of its run time.
However, as many reviewers here have pointed out, this movie's slow. And, it's a slow burn. It's a slow moving psychological movie, and some people like that and others don't.
I guess the closest thing I can compare it to is The Witch and if you like movies that are slow paced, well acted, psychological, and claustrophobic thrillers like The Witch, then you'll like this. If you don't, then don't watch it.
However, there is one glaring flaw that even this movies most die hard of fans must acknowledge. It's ending. This movie is a slow burn, and those movies work a lot better with a satisfying ending. Honeymoons ending really isn't that. It's confusing, and a lot of things in this movie are, but they are in the right way. A slightly confusing ending that doesn't quite clear everything up isn't the right kind of confusing. It's not because, well, it's the ending. If you're confused too bad, and that is this movies big flaw. It doesn't have a good payoff. If it had, I'd have loved it. But it doesn't. And as it stands it's an enjoyable movie if you're into movies like it, but if you're not... It's well made, well acted and well executed, but I just can't guarantee you'll enjoy it.