pausebreak Reviews

Love and Monsters (2020)

Thank you for an awesome experience!

[8/10 · 24 January 2021]

Haven't reviewed a movie in a long time (from what I remember), but I am here to thank the people behind this for a wonderful time my family and I had. I kept putting off watching this movie since we already missed it last Halloween and I wasn't in a hurry to check out a mildly interesting title. But I'm glad we finally watched it last weekend and all throughout we just kept saying "this seems like a good movie." And it is! Only somewhat negative comment would be the appearance of creatures that are a bit out of place, but considering the premise (and the ride that this movie is!), it's easy to forgive.

Highly enjoyable family movie. My youngest kid even said he liked the characters for not being stupid (as far as "horror" movies go). It's really refreshing, and the lesson in the end isn't something you've heard a thousand times. (Maybe less than a hundred at most!) ;) I can't compare this with any other film, but at least for the flavor, I'd put this up there with the MIB movies and maybe Ghostbusters. Great film!

For Love or Money (2019)

Ok movie, but--

[6/10 · 11 December 2019]

Was this written by an 8 year old?! Atheist comedies are a dime a dozen these days, but most still exert effort to justify their take on the subject. Whether you call that education or simple expression, it's there. Even entertaining at times. But this one just wants to be an atheist movie with all the wit of a grade schooler. Lazy writing that just ruins the fun.

Eerie (2018)

H-Y-P-E

[5/10 · 28 July 2019]

The good: Effective lead actress. Watchable 3rd act.

The bad: The 3rd act paid for all the sins of the 1st and 2nd, and that's the most one can say. Movie's a snooze fest, which isn't necessarily bad because slow burn horrors are usually the better ones; but a snooze fest of cliches? You'd lose count of all the movies this one is trying so hard to be. Quite a handful of nightmare scenes, Freddy Krueger would be offended. Japanese horror? We've got you covered. James Wan? Sure thing. A very important school staff meeting to discuss a student's death? Sure, do it in a chapel lit only with candles; because, you know, a school office of some sort is just too unhorror-ish. What else can we put in it? Oh, yeah, make it 1995. There...Eerie. ;)

The Echo (I) (2008)

Go ahead, it's worth it!

[7/10 · 10 November 2009]

I find it ridiculous that this movie didn't get a good release while the likes of Boogeyman, They, The Unborn, and countless other Asian film remakes did! This movie is worth your time, to say the least.

I won't really say it's slow paced as things started the moment the lead character got in the apartment. But it definitely is boring if your concept of a horror movie is limited to gore and run-for-your-life scenes after every 5 minutes of dialogue. This is more of an "alone at night horror movie" than an "invite friends over and have popcorn" type. The enjoyment lies in the appreciation of story, texture, and creepy atmosphere of the film, which the director served in good proportions.

I liked how Yam Laranas outdid himself in the remake. The story is tighter, and the American lead actors were better than their Filipino counterparts...though I can't say the same for the supporting characters.

In closing, let me just debunk a review here which commented on the other users' comments instead of commenting on the movie (and I'm committing the same crime now), but The Echo is at the very least a decent ghost movie...to call it "half-decent" is already being silly. The film is No Exorcist, but to discredit it just to balance out the opinion of those who thought it was good is self-deception.

The movie is not without its imperfections, but it won't make you cry for your 90 minutes. Many contemporary horror movies did worse.

Pray for Morning (2006)

Stare at a blank wall instead

[3/10 · 13 August 2008]

I never thought I'd feel so robbed of time.

I rarely see really bad movies... because no matter how bad a movie is, I always try to overlook the flaws and focus on the merits instead, then it becomes a not so bad movie. And I do that to convince my wife that I didn't waste her time making her watch the movies that I like her to watch with me.

But on this one, I failed.

Actually, it was my wife who tried to help herself enjoy the film, while most I could do was delay my judgment and not ruin it for her. Throughout the movie all that I could think of was hitting the eject button. In the end, the only thing positive with the experience was that we both enjoyed hating the film.

We hated it that when a character, inside a haunted building, sees a kid with blood trickling down his forehead, extends his arm to the kid and says "It's okay!" instead of running like hell. I know, people in horror movies are supposed to do stupid things, that's the way it is, but this one is just way too dumb!

We hated it that the characters get teleported during climactic scenes, but never beyond it. They didn't even have problems searching for the clues in every nook and cranny of the hotel.

We hated it that there was so much detective work done you'd think they're with Scoobie Doo. Seriously.

We hated the clichés of stumbling on the floor while running, rivals fighting over a girl at a really bad time, and a teen couple leaving all the others to have sex while inside a ghost-inhabited hotel. Clichés are forgivable, but clichés that are badly used and looked just plastered on the script is a crime.

The monster in this movie, or the element that's supposed to make this scary, is lame, funny at best. The title, while interesting, turned out to be irrelevant to the story. The actors' acting, while not in a drama, can make you cry. Save for the camera, it's really easy to mistake this for a high school project.

To each his own, but Pray For Morning for us turned out to be Pray For The Ending.

3 out of 10. Is it that bad? Yes. But I'm not giving it the lowest because there were still some elements that could've been worse.

Dead Silence (2007)

Ummm... nah

[4/10 · 18 July 2007]

Four stars for disappointing me.

I actually watched it only because of the assurance from IMDb. (I wonder what happened?) The "you scream, you die" is a good element, so is the dolls factor, but it just didn't deliver. And to think that it had anything to do with SAW at all.

I was expecting it to be more than IT or Child's Play or even Saw (Jigsaw). But it turned out to be just another movie about talking dummies with moving eyes and turning heads. The only consolation was the cinematography, which wasn't even that incredible.

It's hard to say how bad it is, maybe it's just--as the other user said--half baked! A good premise, and good doll designs I should say, but that's about it.

Mickey's PhilharMagic (2003)

Stop reading, go see it!

[10/10 · 8 March 2006]

It's not a movie, but an experience!

Not the usual eye candy I thought it would be. Too many things are happening at once, your senses almost couldn't handle it. A product of cutting-edge technology (we were torn between just sitting back to enjoy the show and putting our 3D glasses on and off to decipher the magic), the music is great (it's a concert!), the Disney characters are in it (and you get to BE part of their world), it's funny, it's magical, it's exciting--I know this is beginning to sound like an advertisement--but it really is that awesome! Beats Christmas in bringing out the kid in you!

This attraction alone already makes going to Disney all worth it. ;)

The Ticking Man (2004)

The Phone Booth

[4/10 · 1 November 2004]

"The Phone Booth" of 2001, only more stupid mistakes... the worst of which is saved for last. (I'm hoping it's just me who missed out something, but if I understood the ending correctly, then this isn't a bad film at all--THIS IS A FINE COMEDY!) The premise would've been a lot better than "The Phone Booth," and could've been saved, if only the film didn't morph into a BOMB right after the first quarter.

I stayed through the end, though, just to see what this flick is actually trying to be.

Warning: Several scenes may be too gross for some. And I mean TOO GROSS.