jared-25331 Reviews

Pearl (2022)

Mia Goth has arrived!

[10/10 · 7 June 2024]

The fact that this movie came out the same year as X (2022) is just phenomenal. After watching this movie, it's just as good as X (2022).

Positives for Pearl (2022): The central performance of Mia Goth as the title character of Pearl was absolutely phenomenal and it's up there with Toni Collette's performance in Hereditary (2018) and it's just as infuriating that she wasn't even nominated for an Oscar for her performance. Ti West's filmmaking and influences from older movies was absolutely perfect from start to finish. Also, this movie was my introduction to David Corenswet who will be playing Superman in Superman: Legacy (2025). And finally, the kills in this movie are fantastic.

Overall, Pearl (2022) was another home run for Ti West and it has some excited for when I eventually watch MaXXXine later on this year.

M3GAN (2022)

What a fun goofy horror movie!

[10/10 · 7 June 2024]

When this movie was first being promoted, I just Universal basically giving the finger to MGM and their 2019 remake of Child's Play. After watching the movie, I had some goofy fun with the movie.

Positives for M3GAN (2023): The title character of the movie was so much fun to watch on screen. The characters were pretty good for the most part. I had a lot of fun with the movie throughout the runtime.

Negatives for M3GAN (2023): This movie was obviously shot to be an R-Rated Movie because there are several scenes where there's going to be some gory kills. Also, the character of Katie was annoying at points.

Overall, M3GAN (2023) is a fun horror movie that I enjoyed and I highly recommend that you watch the unrated version of this movie just for some of the gory scenes.

X (II) (2022)

An instant classic in the horror genre!

[10/10 · 7 June 2024]

This was the first movie in Ti West's Filmography that I watched and it's the movie that made me instantly a fan of Ti West. X (2022) is one of the greatest horror movies of the 21st Century.

Positives of X (2022): Ti West did a phenomenal job at making this movie feel like movie from the 70s and it also feels like you're watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The performances from the cast was amazing and the characters are very well written. Also, this is the movie that helped catapult Jenna Ortega to a full blown Scream Queen. Mia Goth was phenomenal as both the character of Maxine and the villain of Pearl. The kills were both gory and very artistic. I also appreciated how Ti West included some fourth wall tapping dialogues in the movie.

Overall, X (2022) is hands down Ti West's best film to date as well as one of the best movies from A24. GO OUT WATCH IT AND BUY IT!!!!!

In a Valley of Violence (2016)

Another banger from Ti West!

[10/10 · 7 June 2024]

In a Valley of Violence (2016) is a western movie that is directed by Ti West. This movie is the final stop on my first-time watch tour of Ti West movies and this movie was awesome.

Positives for In a Valley of Violence (2016): The movie is well shot as all of Ti West's past movies, I mean seriously this guy just knows how to film his movies. The performances from the cast were also phenomenal from Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransone, Karen Gillan and even John Travolta. Ti West also manages to bring out a sense of fun to this movie which was very welcoming to this genre of movies.

Overall, In a Valley of Violence (2016) is a fun Western movie from the mind of Ti West and I can't help but admire him for his natural abilities to film movies.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

The Bad Boys never die!

[10/10 · 7 June 2024]

I love the three previous Bad Boys, they're all 10/10 for me and Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) continues that tends for me. This is easily the 2nd best entry in the franchise just behind Bad Boys for Life (2020).

Positives for Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024): Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are once again on fire with their phenomenal chemistry. The action in the movie is once again well shot and choreographed, as much as I do enjoy the action in the first two movies directed by Michael Bay, especially Bad Boys 2 (2003), these two directors out do Bay in every way possible. The humor is done very well. I also love the story and how they make Mike and Marcus the target of the police. The villain of the movie, played Eric Dane, is one of the most easy to hate villains that I've seen in any movies and that's entirely due to the fact that I primarily know Eric Dane as Cal Jacobs from Euphoria and I despise that character so much to the point when this villain finally is defeated emllby Mike and Marcus, I was rejoiced with so much happiness.

Overall, Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) is yet another banger in this franchise that never misses and if you love these movies then you'll definitely love this one.

Am I OK? (2022)

Ms. Johnson, you're going to be OK!

[9/10 · 7 June 2024]

After the abysmal and cynical disaster that was Madame Web (2024), Dakota Johnson stars in a new romantic dramedy Am I OK? (2024) on HBO Max and her career is going to be okay.

Positives for Am I OK? (2024): The story was engaging throughout the runtime. This is a story that I've seen in a lot of other movies before, but it's a story that works. The performances were good, these aren't necessarily oscar worthy, but they work for what they're going for. And finally, I liked the ending where they play Jack Perry's old entrance music.

Negatives for Am I OK? (2024): Like I said in my positives, this is a story that has been done many times before. The story plays out exactly how you would expect it to play in a movie like this.

Overall, Am I OK? (2024) is a great way to start off the month of June for me and it's a great way to wash out the horrible taste of Madame Web (2024) from my mouth. I recommend you go watch it on HBO Max, just to ensure that Dakota Johnson's career is going to be fine.

Velma (2023– )

What are these Hollywood Executives smoking?

[1/10 · 7 June 2024]

Well I finally watched Velma and it was just as eye rollingly awful as I expected it to be. This is one of those projects that I'm asking myself what is it that these Hollywood Executives are smoking when they give this project the okay to go pass the pre-preduction stage, this is up there with projects like Jeepers Creepers: Reborn (2022), Netflix's Resident Evil (2022), Netflix's Cleopatra (2023) and Madame Web (2024).

Positives for Velma (2023-): There is points in the show where the animation is really good. And finally, the episodes are all under 30 minutes long, so I didn't suffer through a lot.

Negatives for Velma (2023-): The "characters" are literally just caricatures, they all have one characteristic about them and nothing else. The dialogue is some of the worst that I've ever seen in a form of media, forget about that infamous line of dialogue from Velma cause that's the least of its problems. Mindy Kaling's Velma is probably the most unlikable and insufferably annoying "character" you can have as the main protagonist of your movie or TV show. Every single storyline is some of the most cynical and abysmal eye rolling stuff that I've watched in the 26 years of my life.

There's nothing else I can say, but Velma (2023-) sucks and it's a show that needs to be seen to be believed.

The Sacrament (2013)

A decent enough found footage movie

[7/10 · 6 June 2024]

After directing segments for both V/H/S (2012 and The ABCs of Death (2012), Ti West returns to directing a feature length film and it comes in the form of the found footage movie, The Sacrament (2012). Also, the movie's plot was inspired by the real-life events of the Jonestown Massacre of 1978.

Positives for The Sacrament (2013): The way how Ti West tackles the story of this movie within the found footage genre was interesting. I feel like whenever Ti West tackles somethibg within his movies, he does it so well. And finally, the massacre of the people in this religious commune was really disturbing and terrifying.

Negatives for The Sacrament (2013): I don't necessarily think that this movie's story should've been a found footage movie, because there are times when the gimmick does feel a little odd.

Overall, Ti West once again does a great job with yet another one of his movies.

The ABCs of Death (2012)

An decent yet interesting concept!

[7/10 · 5 June 2024]

The ABCs of Death (2012) is one of the most ambitious horror movie concepts that I've seen in a long time. There's a lot to enjoy about, but there's also a lot of dislike.

Positives for The ABCs of Death (2012): The fact that this concept exists is amazing. I like the idea of making a horror anthology film based on the Alphabet list. There's a lot of interesting ways to take this concept.

Negatives for The ABCs of Death (2012): A lot of the shirt films are forgettable. Also, there were several points during the film where I lost interest and my attention to the short films to the point where I forget which letter I was supposed to focus on.

Overall, The ABCs of Death (2012) is one of the most unique concepts that I've watched in a long time. I'm genuinely impressed that this concept exists, but at the same time I don't think that they executed the concept to it's fullest potential.

V/H/S (2012)

One of the best found footage films of all time!

[10/10 · 4 June 2024]

V/H/S (2012) was fascinating to me for many reasons. First, it's a found footage anthology series. Second, each of the segments were very interesting and engaging in their own ways. And finally, four of the six segments were directed by some big names in the horror genres including Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West and Radio Silence. I enjoyed all six segments with my favorite being 10/31/98 directed by Radio Silence. It's also amazing that all four big name directors that I mentioned have gone on directed bigger and better projects in the future. Overall, V/H/S (2012) is one of the best found footage and anthology films that I've watched and I highly recommend to anyone who's avdan of both subgenres.

The Innkeepers (2011)

You did it again, Mr. West.

[10/10 · 3 June 2024]

The Innkeeper (2011) is easily Ti West's Best Film that isn't named X or Pearl. Once again, Ti West approachs this movie with some old school tactics and he succeeds. At first, I was getting a little impatient with this, but as the movie goes along, I became more invested in the journey and how he was building up these characters is done so masterfully to the point, when the supernatural stuff was happening, you care about the main characters and want to see they get out of thesw situations. Also, Sara Paxton gives a fantastic performance as the main character and I'm shocked to see that she hasn't been in more movies nowadays because she's amazing. Overall, The Innkeepers (2011) is a classic throwback to old school ghost stories from the past and this is definitely a movie that will require some patience to get through because the payoff was worth it for me.

Cabin Fever (2002)

Oh boy, here we go with Eli Roth!

[6/10 · 2 June 2024]

Cabin Fever (2002) is the beginning of Eli Roth's career as a writer and director and it's an interesting start in many ways both good and bad.

Positives for Cabin Fever (2002): The idea of this flesh eating disease is interesting. There are some nice references to other Horror Movies. There's a Texas Chainsaw Massacre reference with the camera under Cerina Vincent's butt. There's also an Evil Dead reference with the Dog P. O. V. Shot. There's some d decent gore and partial effects in the movie. And finally, Rider Strong is the only character that I cared about in the entire movie.

Negatives for Cabin Fever (2002): This movie marks the beginning of the Eli Rothisms. His writing is the big problem. The other teen characters are unlikable. The humor is odd and awkward. You have Eli Roth's cameo in the movie where he talks about his dog and says, "Dr. Mambo, the professor of being a dog", and I'm like what. Then, there the boy at the store where he yells pancakes and does karate moves for no reason. And finally, there's the store owner with the rifle who at the beginning of the movie who we think is racist towards black people at first, but then at the end of the movie, he sells the rifle to black people and it's so strange with how Roth executes it.

Overall, Cabin Fever (2002) is a bizarre movie in more ways than one and it's an interesting start to Eli Roth's filmography.

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009)

Ti West disowns this movie and I totally understand why!

[1/10 · 2 June 2024]

After hearing about Ti West disowning the movie due to studio inference, I knew this was going to be bad and I was right. In the opening scene, they literally kill off Rider Strong and from that moment on, the movie gets worse. There's too much gross out humor that is very tasteless. The dialogue is painfully annoying to listen to during the runtime. The teen characters are the stereotypical morons that you don't care about. I'm not going to pretend that Cabin Fever (2002) was a masterpiece, but at least Eli Roth made that movie we with passion, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009) is a soulless studio cash grab.

The House of the Devil (2009)

The movie that launched Ti West's Career!

[8/10 · 1 June 2024]

The House of the Devil (2009) is the movie that introduced me to Ti West, however I had never watched it until now. Now that I've seen it, I understand completely why Ti West became such a big name in the Horror Genre.

Positives for The House of the Devil (2009): For the 3rd time in a row, Ti West has made a movie that is a classic throwback to a genre of movies from the past and the genre that he's tackling are Religious Horror Movies from the 80s. Once again, the movie is shot well and that's the thing that I appreciate about Ti West as a filmmaker, he just knows how to film a movie. And finally, the climax of the movie was great.

Negatives for The House of the Devil (2009): It take a while for the plot of the movie to kick in. Also, there's a long stretch in the movie where the main character of Samantha is just walking around this house and that got a little bit boring for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed The House of the Devil (2009). I appreciate how Ti West is able to take a simple plot to a genre of movies from the past and execute it very well.

Trigger Man (2007)

Another mediocre moviby Ti West

[5/10 · 31 May 2024]

For the second time in a round, I was underwhelmed by a Ti West Movie. Now, there are things that I liked, but there's a lot that I didn't like.

Positives for Trigger Man (2007): The movie is well shot for the most part. Much like The Roost (2005), I appreciate that Ti West gave this movie a grindhouse feeling.

Negatives for Trigger Man (2007): I didn't really care about the characters in this movie much like in The Roost (2005). There's a long stretch of the movie where I was kinda boring up until the ending. The ending was underwhelming because I was hoping for something more brutal, but then again the movie had a small budget and I'll give Ti West some credit for doing his best.

Overall, Trigger Man (2007) is a movie that I appreciate more than I enjoyed.

The Roost (2005)

The beginning of Ti West's Filmography!

[5/10 · 30 May 2024]

In anticipation of MaXXXine (2024) coming out in July, I decided to watch Ti West's Filmography. That road begins with this movie and it was certainly interesting. There's a lot to admire about, but there's a lot to dislike about Ti West's Directorial Debut.

Positives for The Roost (2005): I appreciated that Ti West shot this movie with a grindhouse feeling. It feels like an old class horror movie from the 70s. The gore, for the most part, looks good. And finally, I really liked the black and white segment that opens and closes the movie.

Negatives for The Roost (2005): The characters are pretty bland, I didn't really care about any of them. There are certain scenes in the movie where they decide to cut away from something happening and I really annoyed me. There's also a little too much shaky cam whenever the characters are being attacked by these "Zombies", that got old very quickly.

Overall, The Roost (2005) is very mediocre for Ti West's first movie, but at the same time, it's pretty like a lot of other Feature Film Directorial Debuts where the filmmaker haven't found their style on how they want to shoot their movies.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

One of the Greatest Horror B-Movies of All Time!

[10/10 · 29 May 2024]

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) is an absolute blast from start to finish. Now, this movie is not meant to be taken seriously. This movie is absolutely bananas and whacky. The Killer Klowns themselves are iconic for how enjoyably funny and cruel they are to their victims. The ways they capture people are hilarious campy from trapping them inside of Cotton Candy, balloons and even shadow hand puppets. They kill their victims with party horns, popcorn and cream pies. Hell, they literally use a balloon dog to track down their prey. Even more insane, they can died by just having their red noses destroyed. Basically what I'm trying to say is you need to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) NOW!!!!!

Set It Up (2018)

What a fun romantic comedy!

[10/10 · 28 May 2024]

Set It Up (2018) is one of the movie that helped usher in a renaissance for Romantic Comedy Movies. This movie has everything that you could literally want in these types of movies. Glen Powell and Zoey Deutsch have perfect chemistry with each other and I was enjoying every minute of them on screen together. This is also one of the few Netflix Rom-Coms that I would definitely say is a genuinely good movie. It has its moments that are a bit over the top, but they're funny at the same time. Overall, Set It Up (2018) is a perfect romantic comedy and I'm honestly surprised that I didn't watch this movie earlier because I really enjoyed it.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Mad Max still riding strong!

[10/10 · 27 May 2024]

This was one of my most anticipated movies of 2024 cause I love the Mad Max Franchise especially Fury Road (2015) and this is yet another strong entry into the Mad Max Franchise and while it's not on the level of greatness of Fury Road, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) is a lovely ride from start to finish.

The action sequences and stunt work is once again phenomenal which is something you can always expect from the mind of George Miller. The movie's story is by far the most epic in terms of an emotional and personal standpoint. Anya Taylor-Joy is of course spectacular as Furiosa, which is something to expect from one of the best actresses in the business today and while she's not as great as Charlize Theron, her version of Furiosa is able to stand on her own. Chris Hemsworth as Dr. Dementus was hands down the standout performance of the entire movie, he is so crazy and charismatic as this character to the point where even if he is doing horrible things to other characters, you can't help yourself but still love him because he's so captivating as a character.

Overall, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) is yet another phenomenal Blockbuster into the summer of 2024 and I can't wait to see what the rest of this summer has in store for us.

Open Range (2003)

That was just phenomenal!

[10/10 · 26 May 2024]

This was the final film to be directed by Kevin Costner until we get his Horizon: An American Saga Quadrilogy and it was epic. I've said before and I'll say it again I always appreciate it when filmmakers actually film their movies at real locations because it just makes the movie viewing experience better. The performance from the cast is top-notch from Kevin Costner to Robert DuVall to a young Diego Luna. Also, the runtime is the shortest of Costner's three movies and that was very refreshing, especially from someone who stand through combine 7-Hours in two days with Dances with Wolves (1990) & The Postman (1997). Overall, Open Range (2003) is an instant classic of the Western Genre and it has me more excited to see Kevin Costner's Horizon: An American Saga Quadrilogy. GO OUT AND BUY IT!!!!!

The Postman (1997)

Not as bad as people make it out to be.

[7/10 · 25 May 2024]

Prior to watching this movie, I had heard nothing but terrible things about this movie. I've seen reviews online from a lot of people and all they could is how much they hate this movie, so in the interest of fairness I went into this movie with an open mind and see if this movie is the disaster that they make it out to be or if they're just over exaggerating it. I watched it yesterday and it was a lot better than I was expecting, but it still has its problems.

Positives for The Postman (1997): I can appreciate the fact that this movie was film at real locations because it gives the movie a sense of realism. I'm allowed going to appreciate filmmakers actually filming at real locations, because nowadays movies and TV's shows tend to be filmed on sound stages. Also, the action sequences are very well shot, there is some usage of practical explosions and the stunt work is done very well. Finally, the performances from the cast are good to great, there isn't anyone here who's just phoning it in.

Negatives for The Postman (1997): The movie's premise is a little too silly to try and make it an epic, so I want to give Kevin Costner some for trying his best to do it, but at the same time he kinda failed. Also, the movie takes this premise way too seriously because the idea of this postman is something that on paper should be a fun little adventure. Finally, the movie was too long for this type of premise.

Overall, The Postman (1997) is a lot better than what I was expecting, but at the same time I understand why a lot of people don't like this movie. So, I would highly suggest that you just stream it.

Atlas (2024)

Another Generic Netflix Action Blockbuster!

[1/10 · 24 May 2024]

For the past couple of years, Netflix has been released a lot of Action Blockbusters onto their streaming service. There have been some great ones like the two Extraction Movies with Chris Hemsworth, but there's also been a number of them that have been bombing critically with critics and audiences. It's gotten to the point where no one cares or even talks about them and Atlas (2024) is yet another prime example of that trend. With all that being said, it's time to talk about the movie.

Positives for Atlas (2024): If you enjoy these Netflix Action Blockbusters, then you'll definitely enjoy this one. That's it for the positives.

Negatives for Atlas (2024): First of all, the plot of this movie is one we've seen done a billion times before and done better in other movies. Also, you have Jennifer Lopez as the main protagonist of the movie and all I have to say is Why? I don't have anything against J-Lo, but she just doesn't fit this role, you could literally replace her with any other actor or actress and you would still have the same movie. The storyline between her character and this A. I. is as boring and generic as you would expect. Also, the movie completely wastes Sterling K. Brown, Simu Liu and Mark Strong. There's a lot more I could talk about, but it's the same old stuff in other Netflix Action Blockbusters.

Overall, this is a movie that everyone will forget about and they'll be moving on with their lives. Netflix, could you please put some more effort into your Action Blockbusters I would greatly appreciate it.

Dances with Wolves (1990)

One of the most epic Western Movies in Cinematic History!

[10/10 · 24 May 2024]

In anticipation of Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 1 & 2 (2024), I decided to watch the three movies directed by Kevin Costner and I'm starting off with Dances with Wolves (1990). I watched the 4-hour extended version of this movie and it was epic.

Dances with Wolves (1990) is truly a epic story in every way possible. The acting from everyone is top-notch. There are a lot of people who've I never seen in any movie and I was impressed with how well each character was flesh-out in the story. Granted, the story is one that I've seen before in James Cameron's Avatar Movies even though this movie come out years bmafter this movie. I will say that this movie didn't need to be 4-hours long, but I will give Mr. Costner credit for releasing the extended version just to show everything that he wanted to use to see. Overall, Dances with Wolves (1990) is one of the greatest movies of all time and I totally understand why some people are copying it's story because it is that damn good.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)

It's literally the same movie from 2008.

[1/10 · 23 May 2024]

When I first heard about this movie, I was actually little happy to see another Strangers Movie. Also, the movie was going to be directed by Renny Harlin, who I have a very complicated relationship with. While I like the first Strangers (2008) a lot even if I don't see it as an instant classiclike others. Prey at Night (2018), on the other hand, is an instant classic for me. So, I watch Chapter 1 and I was massively disappointed by this movie. I'll will be giving out minor spoilers for my negatives of this movie.

Positives for The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024): The movie is well shot for the most part. The Stranger Characters are still cool antagonists and intimidating for this franchise. Finally, the lead performances from both Ryan Bown and Madelaine Petsch were decent enough. 2024 is shaping up to be a good year for a lot of the former Riverdale actors with Camilla Mendes in Upgraded, Cole Sprouse in Lisa Frankenstein, Madelaine Petsch in this movie and the jury is out for both K. J. Apa and Lili Reinhart.

Negatives for The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024): The screenplay of The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024) is literally the same plot of the first movie from 2008. The only differences in this movie is the setting and the couple in this movie are happy. Everything else in this movie is exactly the same as the 2008 film. The town folks in this forest are way too hostile towards the main characters to the point where it feels like they're friends with Scarecrow, Dollface and Pin-Up Girl. The main couple in this movie are some of the most infuriating characters I've ever seen in a horror movie to the point where I find them even more infuriating than Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler in the original film. There are several times where they have the chance to kill one of the Strangers, but they don't actually kill them.

Overall, The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024) is a horrible start to this Strangers Trilogy and I hope that Chapters 2 and 3 are better than this first chapter, because this movie was awful.

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

What a cinematic masterpiece!

[10/10 · 23 May 2024]

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) is one of the greatest movies in cinematic history. Everything about this movie is simple perfect. The motion-capture in this movie is best that it's ever been in these modern Planet of the Apes Movies. The performances are all top-notch, especially Andy Serkis as Caesar. I'm still upset that Andy Serkis wasn't given any sort of recognition by the Academy for his performance in Rise, Dawn or War. Caesar is hands down the greatest movie character in the 2010s as well as one of the greatest movie characters in cinematic history. There is a small storyline involving a gorilla named Luca and a little girl that was both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. The character of Bad Ape played Steve Zahn is another huge highlight of the movie, he's one of the very few comedic relief characters that actually inserts humor at the right time when it's necessary to cut the tension of the story. Overall, there's nothing else I can say that others haven't said about this movie, but all I will say is if you haven't seen War for the Planet of the Apes, then you're doing something wrong with your life.