hearons Reviews

Night of Terror (1933)

A must for Lugosi completists

[5/10 · 30 December 2023]

I'm a huge Béla Lugosi fan, so that's why I looked up this obscure movie in the first place. If you're checking off Lugosi's filmography (available here on IMdB), don't skip over this movie. (In fact, don't skip over any movie or TV episode of his except for "Glen or Glenda," in my humble opinion.) Having seen it many times (I own it), I can vouch for the entertainment it offers - provided that you can forgive the racial stereotype of the era.

It's a B movie, so approach it with lowered expectations. (Hence my 5/10 rating.) That said, it's amusing (an accidental comedy at times - but in a so-bad-it's-good kind of way) and worth watching at least once, Lugosi fan or not, if you like vintage horror.

Loon Lake (2019)

Creepy, spooky and mysterious -- all in a good way!

[8/10 · 20 February 2021]

The acting, directing, cinematography, score and screenplay have been carefully crafted in this well-above-average indie horror flick. It reminded me of many other horror movies I love ("The Ring," "The Possession of Michael King," etc.), but still stood out strongly as its own story. I was very impressed by the acting, character development and dialogue in particular. I'm glad I heard about this one!

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Anachronistic soundtrack spoils an otherwise great movie

[7/10 · 12 April 2020]

The use of modern music (rap, EDM, etc.) that sounds nothing like the Roaring '20s is jarring. It rips you from the story, and it's hard to get back into it afterward. In some scenes, it's like watching a parody because the mismatch is flat-out laughable. Using era music for an era piece would've added a lot of character to the movie. And this movie, which I otherwise loved, deserved better.

Don't get me wrong; I do like those songs, and I get why the soundtrack was a hit. They just shouldn't have crashed a movie that's set in the 1920s. The distraction they caused did nothing but damage -- lots of it.

The Grudge (2019)

Drama, not horror

[2/10 · 12 April 2020]

This movie is more depressing than scary, focusing more on sad personal stories than on anything frightful. It has a dozen jump-scares, but it's so morose and heavy-hearted that even those aren't that effective because of the dominant dreary vibe.