shelleyhackstar Reviews

The Midnight Hour (1985 TV Movie)

Before Hocus Pocus there was The Midnight Hour

[10/10 · 1 November 2020]

Fun made for TV comedy horror. Good fun, great soundtrack and some familiar faces. Shari Belafonte-Harper, LeVar Burton, and the show stealing, effervescent, Jonna Lee. Phil and Sandy must save Pitchford Cove from the curse of Lucinda and her undead horde, that mostly resemble the cast of Michael Jackson's Thriller! A Halloween favourite! "Pppoooccccooorrrrnnnnn"

Return to Sender (I) (2015)

A mess of a movie

[2/10 · 19 October 2020]

Reading the blurb I thought I was in for a revenge, or overcoming a trauma kind of movie. Nope! This is an utter mess of a film. Couldn't get my head round the behaviour. And what a waste of Camryn Manheim. Avoid. Not one redeeming feature.

The Darkness (2016)

Wwwhhhhaaaattttt?

[1/10 · 23 November 2019]

What a waste of time. I wrote like a wee Spanish movie like The Body, or The Last Days... This was utter crap, pointless and was all over the place. Avoid.

Wounds (2019)

A movie about cockroaches

[1/10 · 11 November 2019]

The trailer for this made it look great. The storyline stalled quite early on. I say storyline, pppffftttt. You've seen it all before. With a better cast, a complete story, but not as many cockroaches. Utterly pointless. Zzzzzzzzzz

Forbidden World (1982)

A Film About Screaming

[5/10 · 18 October 2019]

This film is a rip off of most of your 80s classics. Like Alien, The Thing and any kind of space buddy movie. Lots gelatin/vaseline monster parts. But mostly Tracy screaming. And get on everyone's last nerve. Fun waste of time. Wear earplugs or pray.

Judy (II) (2019)

Surrender Dorothy

[10/10 · 11 October 2019]

As a lifelong Judy Garland fan, for me, Renée had some big Ruby slippers to fill. She did so and more. All Judy's mannerisms, quirks and style were on full display. A wonderful portrayal and va wonderful film. A must see!

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Amazingly fast paced remake

[10/10 · 30 September 2019]

These are not the zombies of old. Not the lumbering grey/green Romero take on consumerism. These mothers run faster than Bolt. Truly terrifying. A group of survivors barricade themselves into the local mall and await rescue that will never come. Some nice little dropped lines.... Like at the beginning... 'guy came in with a bite from bar fight' The opening sequence was deserving of the entry free alone. Fast paced, and bittersweet. One of the best zombie movies you will ever see. *Burt Reynolds*

Silent Hill (2006)

Sssiiillleeennnttt Hhhiiiilllllll

[9/10 · 30 September 2019]

Having never played the game this is based on I didn't know quite what to expect. This is one of the best horrors I have ever seen. Lots of scary monsters and horrific scenes. Great cast. Everything about this movie is A+ The nurses are truly horrifying.

Ready or Not (I) (2019)

A new level of family game night

[8/10 · 30 September 2019]

Cracking little comedy horror. Great cast. Gore galore and a final girl. Do not miss this! Some real laugh out loud moments.

Hell House LLC (2015)

Sleep sweet

[9/10 · 30 September 2019]

I'm not a fan of found footage movies as they usually end up making me feel sick with all the camera jerking. This movie was a pleasant surprise. Genuinely creepy it kept me interested and engaged. Not so much jump scares, just the nerve shredding kind with subtle little surprises. If you are scared of clowns then prepare to call your therapist. A great little found footage horror which will stay with you and haunt your dreams.

T.J. Hooker (1982–1986)

80s tastic cop show

[8/10 · 28 September 2019]

TJ Hooker was one of my favourite cop shows.

Watching it now it is very dated. I'm surprised LA had ANY crime in the 80s. Hooker knew/worked with/arrested/had a hunch about every single crime. He also NEVER followed the rules or orders. It still puzzles me that Hooker could run faster than Romano who was 20 years younger. The show was formulaic with a crime of the week. The thing that made TJ Hooker great was the co-stars. I absolutely adored the relationship between Romano and Stacy. Always trying to outdo each other. Just brilliant. Jim Corrigan was a welcome addition. After Stacy made it out from behind the desk the show seemed to flow better. The show had some notable guest stars.. Leonard Nimoy, Richard Hatch, Heather Thomas and of course, Sharon Stone.

TJ Hooker was not gritty or even dramatic. Just a formulaic 80s cop show from Spelling/Goldberg.

Well worth a look for sheer nostalgia.

Hansel & Gretel (2013 Video)

Deliciously bad

[5/10 · 31 August 2019]

The Asylum and its cheap gore retells Hansel & Gretel. This movie is only worth watching to see the brilliant Dee Wallace hamming it up as Lillith (great naming and homage) Dee looks like she is having ALL the fun!

Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves (2015)

True story

[10/10 · 30 August 2019]

This is possibly the best film in the known Universe. About Helen Keller. And wolves. Has to be seen to be believed.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

Great little horror

[8/10 · 30 August 2019]

Nice little movie, great cast. Some nice creeps. Loved the look. Well worth a watch!

Aladdin (2019)

Delightful live action

[9/10 · 18 June 2019]

I loved Aladdin. I'm a huge fan of the original cartoon so this had a lot to live up to. Colourful and fun, great cast, Will Smith was magical. A must see for everyone.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2022)

Until DC make Wonder Woman show, this is what comic heroes are all about

[10/10 · 10 June 2019]

Of all the DC intertwined heroes the Legends stand out! Caity Lotz (Sara Lance) is an amazing front woman leading her band of merry misfits through time to save us all from TV boredom. Lots of little in jokes and great to see John Constantine show up to help them out. Great cast, funny, and action packed. Who doesn't love the Legends? Unlike Arrow and The Flash (that seem to have lost their way, bogged down in multiple universes/timeliness) the Legends have their tongues firmly in cheek!

Fire City: End of Days (2015)

Quirky

[7/10 · 10 June 2019]

I really enjoyed this little film. Little bit different from all the other horrors around. Worth a watch.

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

London Calling

[7/10 · 10 June 2019]

After the first movie I was excited to see how they were going to handle one of the most documented poltergeist cases. They really took liberties with this one. Ed and Lorraine had to check out the Enfield haunting. The movie added lots of stuff that just didn't happen. The cast, outfits and setting were all bang on and true to the period. The film, in itself, I felt was overly long. I loved all the subliminal stuff. (VALAK) The real voice recording of Bill is truly terrifying. Patrick and Vera have amazing chemistry. Worth a watch.

The Conjuring (2013)

Wanna play hide n clap?

[10/10 · 10 June 2019]

The Conjuring - didn't know the case that this film revolves around even though I know a bit about the Warren's. The casting is stellar, the story is great, the music is nerve jangling. It sets the tone for the whole movie. It makes you feel uneasy from the get go. Lots of jump scares and a cameo from the real Lorraine Warren. If you love horror movies you MUST check this out.