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Reviews
Hermana muerte (2023)
Nuns Get Crazy!
What a strange movie. The first part hand laid some back story as to why Sister Narcisa (hint, hint) arrives at this convent/school. Since this is a prequel to Veronica (which was an excellent horror movie) there is already some knowledge by the viewer as long as the prior movie had been seen. But what comes in the last half of the movie is so confusing. Little girls crying, hanging themselves, nuns running around in flashback to what happened in the Second World War, nun getting raped and subsequently pregnant, nun hanging herself but still talking (!) drowning girl in bathtub, nun with her head in a bathtub filled with blood, and nuns getting knocked off by falling objects and everything just described is in question as to whether it is real or imagined. Couldn't wait for it to end but at least you leave with a vague notion as to why Sister Narcisa lost her sight.
The Strays (2023)
Comedy and Tragedy
Such a bad movie. When they're playing Scrabble in the flooded downstairs my mind was screaming STOP ALREADY. I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED WAY SOONER AND READ THE PLOT ON WIKI. Earlier in the movie I had some hope when Neve kept scratching her head under her wigs. I was hoping Carl and Dione were alien emissaries who planted bugs on Neve and that her head was going to sprout into a Mother Alien that was there to infect white privileged people, or something like that. Granted the film was metaphorical in that sense, but the story line was more unbelievable than if the aliens had arrived. But in the end everybody got what they deserved!
Monsters (2010)
I Tried
I wanted to like this movie and I tried very hard to do so but from start to finish the movie was DARK, DARK, DARK. More than half the time all I could see was flashlights, spotlights, people's hair or head, it was so frustrating. I could't make out man or woman or tree or creature. I'm ok with the tease of seeing the actual monster but again, the dark screens left very little frame of reference to see what the hell was going on. The acting of the two leads was pretty good, the plot believable, and I especially liked the Mexican guy demanding exorbitant sums of money for ferry or land crossings. I absolutely could see that as actually happening. I'm not shaming Mexicans, rather it was his character that was making a fortune on the backs of those who have no other options but to deal with him that had me nodding my head.
Mad God (2021)
Phantasmagorical Journe
Given that there is a nondescript plot that reveals itself with each passing frame, I did not so much try to understand this movie; rather I just watched and marveled at the skill and apparent madness of the film's progenitor. I immediately knew this man was an absolute genius, and as most geniuses he has trouble attempting to add a coherent story line in giving over to spectacular, disturbing and maniacal set pieces. Gruesome, fascinating, incomprehensible, I literally could not take my eyes off this film. The author does not even attempt to ensure coherence but rather tosses his characters and sets like multi colored Easter eggs being thrown against a wall. On the other hand, there are obvious themes throughout of the excessive permanence of death in most cases by the most hideous means possible. With only a brief nod to the 2009 Shane Acker under appreciated "9" this film sets its own standards by extending the most gruesome scenes imaginable which serves the magnificent stop-animation as the only vehicle where this film could be made. With little to no musical score but with sound effects that brilliantly match to the action on set, this film is not for everyone, but for me it was a ghastly, macabre and unsettling experience that made me eagerly anticipating what would come next, only to wished that I had stopped watching sooner.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Nearly Perfect
What a masterful piece of filmmaking! No Way Home shines brightly in the world of the MCU, and manages to add enough genuine sorrowful ethos to balance out the triumphant joys. This movie is a true journey to things of the heart, and dares to ask (and answer) the question of why must good triumphing over evil leave such detritus in its wake? I have taken off two stars because 1:) the movie was just a scene or two too long and 2) the role played by the immensely talented J. K. Simmons should have been dropped from the movie altogether. But don't let any of this keep you home, the movie is a rollicking runaway train with terrific acting all around, with specific kudos to Marisa Tomei and Tom Holland. You can almost feel Holland's acting chops growing by the minute, and Tomei made the role of May hers forever. I left the theatre with the distressing question of what's next and how could they top this, hardly believing that they can possibly go any further, but I had the same question with nearly every movie in the Avengers Infinity saga only to be completely gobsmacked each and every time. Bring it on MCU! We'll be waiting!
Possum (2018)
Just Awful
Quite possibly the worst movie I've seen in the past ten years or so. It might have been the director's intent but the protagonist was so thoroughly un-peasant and unlikeable that after an hour I couldn't stand the sight of him. I actually preferred the filthy uncle. I suppose this was intended to be an artsy type movie but I just didn't get it and to me it was absolutely atrocious- bad acting, incoherent script, misplaced metaphors everywhere. I gave it an extra star because of the last ten minutes only but by that time I was nodding off from sheer boredom.
Cannibal Troll (2021)
Scream Fest
No, not a scream fest by the audience but by the astonishingly horrible women 'acting' in this movie where SCREAMING takes up at least half of this flick. I'll wager that after this wrapped everyone in this film except the troll spent a lot of money with an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor to nurse their vocal cords back to health. Idiotic plot and completely predictable. By halfway through I was fast forwarding to get to the 'good parts' but there were none. Skip it.
Deep Impact (1998)
All Time Favorite
This is on my top ten list and will be for a long time. As the story unfolds you get the feeling that you are watching it as it is happening. The plot is very believable and it truly makes you wonder how the world would react in a doomsday scenario. One of the absolute best things going for this movie is the musical score. It overlays the movie perfectly, and the Director knew when to pull back in certain scenes and have no music at all. It reminds me of the music in The Shawshank Redemption. Anyway, give this one a chance and watch it. You'll be glad you did!
Krampus: Origins (2018)
SKIP IT!
So bad I couldn't get through it. I tried to hang in there but it just kept going lower and lower.
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
More Hits Than Misses
I enjoyed the movie but have some issues with the continuity of the first half hour. The story jumps from day one to day 341 (not exactly sure of # of days). Waiting for the many months that this was released I was very much hoping to see the progression of the initial attacks (as alluded to by the ships in the sky at the baseball game) up until where the first movie ended. Where is the mayhem in the big cities? How did the aliens take over the earth? What about the military response? We're their pockets of civilization that were untouched? Spending a half hour on these events would have added to the movie tremendously. Given all that, it was still a helluva good movie and I enjoyed jumping back on this thrill ride. Millicent Simmons should be called 'Magnificent' Simmons, I feel she carried the movie. There were some good action sequences showing the aliens but there was virtually no further inroads to their strengths and weaknesses, except for the no swimming part. Surely there were some alien brains behind the building and piloting of the ships, and was there possibly a massive Master Alien at the helm. And the most begging question of all: why were they here? That didn't matter that much for the first movie, but would have loved to see a little more creativity on their mission.
Dark Skies (2013)
Decent Film/unfolds like a handkerchief
I really liked this movie. Granted you have to shed all your pretensions and expectations since the story line is basic and nothing you haven't seen before. However, the acting is very good as you watch a family crumble due to events they cannot really understand. There was a level of tension that played out all through the film and the Greys are truly terrifying. Forget the baby-Greys that spill out of Spielberg's mothership in Close Encounters; these are malevolent beings intent upon kidnapping humans and making them their own. I did actually feel fit the parents as they stumble down the unknown path to the reality of their situation. Very atmospheric, a few well-designed jump scares and a minimum of dialog pushes the film along without the assistance of the dreaded Greys.
I Care a Lot (2020)
Utterly Unbelievable
Preposterous from the first minute to The End. I just wish Marla would have gotten shot in the first 5 minutes to save me from watching this indescribably horrible movie.
The Golem (2018)
Close but no cigar....
Engrossing but borderline too drawn out; the story developed well and held my interest. I do wish the actual Golem was actually a scary monster of some kind since the build-up to the character was pretty good. The Golem represented in the very beginning of the movie (the big clay monster) would have been much better to use in the bloodiest scenes, but then you would lose the storyline of Hanna reconciling herself to her dead son. All in all not bad but had the potential to be much greater.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
Very Enjoyable
I was very entertained by this movie. The visuals were stunning and served the plot well. Yes it was a typical humans vs. creatures thing but I'm a sucker for great special effects movies and in that respect it was superb. Might be a bit frightening for real little ones but the kids will enjoy it. It's nice to see the inevitable good triumphs over evil I think that is something that is missing from a lot of movies these days. I hope that's not the end of this franchise.
Die Präsenz (2014)
Forgettable
Ludicrous pretty much from start to finish. The best part of watching this movie was my friend and I doing Mystery Science Theatre to it. Totally not plausible, unconvincing, no plot or storyline to explain anything, and an oh so predictable ending. Next.