Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Spiral (From the Book of Saw)

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In case you haven’t seen the intro from my entry dated 1/26/19 (it’s in my archives whenever you want to read it), I’m no longer going to review every single movie I see.  I’m going to review one, with the occasional bonus, and just give ratings for the rest from now on (unless I decide to pick it up again in the future).  You can always ask me why I gave the ratings for the films without reviews though (via comments or the e-mail addresses under the ‘About Me’ section).
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Spiral (From the Book of Saw)                                   EH/OK
When I first heard they were making yet another Saw movie starring Chris Rock, I was like, “You’ve got to be f#$&ing kidding me!”  Part 7 was supposed to be The Final Chapter, even though I never believe that shit with franchises, and the last entry, Jigsaw, was one Saw too many; the first 7 are actually watchable (you can read my review for Jigsaw here---https://vampireclown82.blogspot.com/2017/11/mooby-reviews-11917.html).  Curiosity, as well as OCD, always gets the better of me though and I always end up watching any sequels, remakes, spinoffs, what have you (therefore, I shouldn’t even complain about them anymore if I just end up promoting them).  Instead of simply being called Saw 9, this just claims to be “From the Book of Saw.”  In other words, a spinoff.  Some of those involved with this feature claim it’s not like the other Saw films, but they certainly could’ve fooled me.  Other than cops being the only victims of a Jigsaw copycat’s traps this time (of course you’ll learn the reason for it), this was most definitely like any other Saw film, only completely uninspired and not as suspenseful (Chris Rock wasn’t even the problem; he did fine actually).  The deaths may have been gory, but the traps weren’t that elaborate as ones past, save for maybe one involving glass bottles.  I’m not sure even seven movies needed to be made in the first place, and (as I mentioned) I thought the last entry was one Saw too many, but this entry, claiming to be separate from the rest, is two too many.  I don’t think they should make any more, but if they do (which I certainly have no control over), I hope they do a better job next time.  Darren Lynn Bousman helmed it too, he also being behind Saw 2-4 among other genre titles, so I don’t understand how it all went wrong…7/26/2021

Bonus review:

Blood Red Sky                                                             OK/G
(haiku review)
New hijack/vamp film.
It has bite…literally.
It’s a bit long though.  7/23/2021

*Available on Netflix; In German (mostly) and English with subtitles*

Other movies I've seen and their ratings (see above):

Locked In (2021)  >>>B

Summer of 8  >>>EH

Summer ’03  >>>OK

The Unholy  >>>B

---Sean O.
7/28/2021

Friday, July 23, 2021

Initiation

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In case you haven’t seen the intro from my entry dated 1/26/19 (it’s in my archives whenever you want to read it), I’m no longer going to review every single movie I see.  I’m going to review one, with the occasional bonus, and just give ratings for the rest from now on (unless I decide to pick it up again in the future).  You can always ask me why I gave the ratings for the films without reviews though (via comments or the e-mail addresses under the ‘About Me’ section).
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Initiation                                                                      OK
You would think this new slasher film is a typical college movie initially; you know…parties, hazing, unconscious girls, past accusations.  It does take a bit for the slasher aspect to take effect and there are large bouts of slasher-less activity.  During the time it is a slasher movie, you know exactly who is going to get it, just a matter of how and when; you know…typical slasher stuff.  I don’t know what else you’d expect in terms of plot for a slasher movie.  In true slasher fashion, you do actually get to know the majority of characters, however deplorable they may be, and the majority of kills are decent enough to label them somewhat worthy---you actually get to see them happen as opposed to just seeing the killer’s dirty work afterwards (meaning, yes, it is violent at times).  I personally don’t care for the big reveal in these films, I actually have to like it beforehand, but the person behind the mask is no big surprise (you should be able to figure out their motive given the victims).  I didn’t feel completely satisfied when it was over, even though there were no loose ends (although I could see a sequel happening) and it was 90 minutes (give or take).  Slasher fans may want to check this out, and there’s no harm in doing so, but don’t expect anything special that you would want to watch more than once.  7/21/2021

Bonus review:

Lisey’s Story (Season One)                                         OK/G
(haiku review)
New King-based series.
Read the book back in ’06.
This show?  Just okay.  7/19/2021

*8 episodes; available on Apple+*

Other movies I've seen and their ratings (see above):

In Fabric  >>>OK

Rock Dog 2  >>>OK

Scooby-Doo!  Abracadabra-Doo  >>>OK

Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King  >>>EH

Summer Camp (1979)  >>>EH/OK

---Sean O.
7/23/2021

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Fear Street Trilogy (1994, 1978, 1666)

R.L. Stine is one of my all-time favorite authors.  Not only do I love his Goosebumps series, but Fear Street has always been a favorite too (both since they became popular in the Nineties).  I’m almost 40 and I still read books from both series to this day.  I couldn’t wait for this Netflix trilogy bearing the name of the series set in the fictional town of Shadyside ever since hearing of it.  Apparently it’s not based on any books in particular, just the “book series” by R.L. Stine, much like Castle Rock is simply based on the works of Stephen King and nothing specific.  That’s fine, although I do wish they would adapt the actual books, preferably as a TV series (and not just because some stories wouldn’t sustain themselves as films), and I’m sure many (like me) that grew up with the book series would agree.  I mean, they adapted Goosebumps and even The Haunting Hour, which was only based on two short story collections!  Whereas those two series were horror geared towards the younger set, Fear Street was horror for teens, and there will always be teenagers in the world (as long as babies are born) and they (the horror fans) need entertainment.  For now though, I can settle for some in-name only films (one being released each Friday this year from July 2 to July 16), all directed by Leigh Janiak, who gave us the otherworldly Honeymoon, which I was a fan of, so I think these three features (taking place in 1994, 1978, and 1666) are in capable hands…

Fear Street Part One:  1994                                       G
What a gnarly beginning to a film set in the Nineties---someone stabbed in a shopping mall by someone wearing a skull mask, said someone working at B. Dalton!  In true slasher fashion, particularly that decade and the decade before that, it is rated-R, there being violence too (one of particular note involves machinery in a supermarket).  Yes, it may be a slasher film, but there’s more to it than just that, hence the three different timelines (I was really only reminded of two slasher movies in particular---Scream in the beginning, and Intruder in the supermarket).  It’s a supernatural-slasher-teen movie that definitely has style and probably could’ve been its own film without bearing the Fear Street name.  Some parts in the middle weren’t as strong as the beginning and end, but I still think it’s a worthy teen horror movie whether you’re a fan of the R.L. Stine property or not, now or ever.  I look forward to Part Two, given it takes place at camp in the Seventies…7/2/2021

Fear Street Part Two:  1978                                       OK
Camp movies can be fun; the horror ones (the Sleepaway Camps, the Friday the 13ths, The Burning, Madman, etc.) as well as the non-horror ones (Meatballs, Ernest Goes to Camp, and, sure, Heavyweights, etc.).  The horror ones just give you the best of both worlds.  As much as I was looking forward to this entire trilogy based on R.L. Stine’s books, this one excited me the most because it took place at camp during the Seventies.  Again, it’s not based directly off any of the books, but the camp in this film, Camp Nightwing, is the same name of the camp in Lights Out, and I only knew that because I read about it (I may be a nerd, but not that much where I remember things that specific).  I should’ve loved this movie being that it took place at camp, took place in the Seventies (best decade for film behind the Eighties, in my opinion), and the killer used an axe to off people (I do love when sharp weapons are used in these films).  I hate to say that I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would.  I didn’t hate it, no (although I actually think I might be a bit more lenient than I should with my rating), but it wasn’t as fun as any of those aforementioned camp films.  Yes, there may have been violence, but the majority of kills weren’t that noteworthy, save for maybe two, but even they weren’t enough to make me like the movie better; plus, we barely even got to know most of the victims, unlike many of those aforementioned films (I probably shouldn’t care about that in a slasher film, but it sure was discernible).  The killer is a camper (seen in the first movie) possessed by a witch we learned of in the first movie that we’ll likely get to know even more of in the next movie, which takes place in 1666.  Historical films can be hit and miss, especially when part of a franchise, and 1666 is the entry I least looked forward to, but perhaps it will violate my expectations positively, whereas I looked forward to this one the most and was disappointed.  I can deal with 2 out of 3 being good…7/9/2021

Fear Street Part Three:  1666                                     OK/G
I don’t think I should declare it a spoiler since it was in the Netflix synopsis, but this only takes place in 1666 during half the time; the other half continues the 1994 segment.  I think it should’ve taken place predominantly in 1666 since that’s what it’s called, but perhaps it was a wise decision to avoid overstaying its welcome (given historical horror isn’t always my favorite subgenre).  It wasn’t a bad film during the time it did take place in 1666, dealing with witchcraft accusations and satanic dealings; films like The Witch and The Village came to mind (there is no big reveal like the latter film, no, this actually took place in 1666, the setting just reminded me of it).  I will say it is the first time I recall seeing LGBT characters in a film set during the 17th century, a time when it was still very much considered an abomination (not much different than parts of the world now; hell, it still wasn’t acceptable in 1994 in most of the world), tying in perfectly with everyone believing one “evil” is the root of all that negatively befalls this community.  The entire story is all tied up by both the end of 1666 and 1994, so no one should feel like they were cheated (now that all three films are available I would suggest just binge-watching them).  This film, both 1666 and 1994 I guess, even though I should base it solely on 1666, was better than 1978, but I personally liked 1994 the best (the first film alone, not including this portion).  7/19/2021

In conclusion:  As of this writing on Rotten Tomatoes, 1994 has a rating of 84% out of 91 critics, 1978 has 89% out of 82, and 1666 has 93% out of 58.  All positive percentages, which is a plus, but I disagree (if you haven’t read anything above) since 1994 got the lowest rating and I thought it was the best one.  In all fairness, 1994 does have the most critics posted so far, so perhaps the other ratings will change as more reviews are posted?  I don’t know…like always, film criticism is entirely subjective and I’ll stick with my opinions (you can agree or disagree).  This trilogy was my most anticipated feature(s) of this year, 1978 being the one I looked forward to the most and liked the least, go figure.  As a standalone trilogy, it wasn’t bad overall, simply only bearing the Fear Street name with some Easter eggs thrown in.  Director Leigh Janiak has stated she plans on expanding the universe, which is fine and I’d totally watch anything related released, but I think they should start actually adapting the books themselves.  I think many others would agree…

---Sean O.
7/20/2021

Friday, July 16, 2021

A Classic Horror Story/The Night

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In case you haven’t seen the intro from my entry dated 1/26/19 (it’s in my archives whenever you want to read it), I’m no longer going to review every single movie I see.  I’m going to review one, with the occasional bonus, and just give ratings for the rest from now on (unless I decide to pick it up again in the future).  You can always ask me why I gave the ratings for the films without reviews though (via comments or the e-mail addresses under the ‘About Me’ section).
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A Classic Horror Story                                               OK/G
I’ve been looking forward to this Netflix film upon hearing it was a throwback and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was mentioned in comparison.  Sure, many movies try to be The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and many modern movies try to be throwbacks, but I’m always interested and perhaps one might actually be a modern “classic” in the making.  Now, “classic” is most certainly a subjective (albeit collective) term and for this movie to title itself A “Classic” Horror Story is a bit pretentious, no?  It is in regards to a comment made by one of the characters though and you’ll realize its more significant meaning by the end.  You’ll definitely be reminded of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre initially, as it follows a group of people traveling in an RV in Italy (yes, it is an Italian movie, and while some parts may be in English, it is mostly subtitled, F.Y.I.) that end up stranded in the middle of the woods after an accident the night before.  There is a single house in the middle of these woods with no one home at first, but there are plenty of signifiers (pictures, ritualistic items, dead animals, etc.) that would tell you straight up in movie world and the real world to get the hell out of dodge!  Now, back to that “classic” film referenced more than once above…they all want to be The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but don’t realize there is only one Texas Chainsaw Massacre---it was directed by Tobe Hooper and came out in 1974.  This ends up being just as much The Wicker Man and films of that ilk (I was even reminded of Midsommar at one time, a film not nearly old enough to be labeled a classic yet), but a twist about ¾ of the way reveals it to be another type of movie.  The twist kind of ruined what came before, but simultaneously didn’t (if that makes sense), because, on one hand, it lead to a completely different outcome one would expect from the type of movie it already was, and, on the other hand, it did make it a completely different movie.  I would say it was disappointing, and it kind of was (it wasn’t a fresh twist either), but it also made many of what came before feel a little less clichéd and predictable (which some of it certainly was) in the grand scheme of things.  This film wasn’t bad, no, and I’d even tell horror fans to check it out at least once, but just don’t keep your expectations too high (I wish I would stop doing that).  7/14/2021

The Night                                                                    OK/G
A Middle Eastern couple leave a friend’s house and decide to crash at a hotel for the night on the way home.  I believe this took place in America, but there was no indication of any location (I knew not it was filmed in Los Angeles until it was over, but that doesn’t mean it took place there, although research informed me the hotel in the film is a real one located in L.A., so maybe).  It is predominantly subtitled, in Farsi (Persian), so the character’s ethnicity is really only about representation since American horror films rarely feature Middle Easterns as main characters (the director is Middle Eastern as well).  Anyway, it starts off as a bit of a slow burn, but once the ball gets rolling, it rolls, sometimes even a bit chillingly.  You might occasionally be reminded of other “hotel horror films,” i.e. The Shining, 1408, The Innkeepers; at least I was.  A revelation towards the end is as clichéd as they come and the ending may be a bit ambiguous for some, if not most, but it was better than an ending I thought it was going to contain, one that would’ve negated the entire film and been just another cliché.  Not perfect, but still a supernatural horror film set at a hotel (which is really just a location that could’ve been substituted) worth checking out, likely instigating varying discussions/analyses.  7/16/2021

Other movies I've seen and their ratings (see above):

The 8th Night  >>>B
   (Netflix; In Korean with subtitles)

The Nest (2021; dir. James Suttles)  >>>B/EH

Separation  >>>EH/OK

---Sean O.
7/16/2021

Friday, July 9, 2021

Home Before Dark (Season One)

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In case you haven’t seen the intro from my entry dated 1/26/19 (it’s in my archives whenever you want to read it), I’m no longer going to review every single movie I see.  I’m going to review one, with the occasional bonus, and just give ratings for the rest from now on (unless I decide to pick it up again in the future).  You can always ask me why I gave the ratings for the films without reviews though (via comments or the e-mail addresses under the ‘About Me’ section).
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Home Before Dark (Season One)                               G
I took a chance on this Apple+ series involving a 9-year-old journalist named Hilde (based on a real person) that moves with her family from New York to a small town in Washington state.  There, she begins an investigation involving a recent murder of a local woman, in addition to a case involving a kidnapping 30-years ago (the victim being her dad’s friend).  I couldn’t believe how addicting this mystery/drama was, it being 10 episodes ranging from 41-to-57-minutes, enough to make me want to keep going without feeling forced (always a plus); the characterizations are solid.  The story isn’t quite over at the end of this season, although the majority of your questions will be answered, but I’m actually glad it’s continuing (another plus) because I grew quite fond of this small Pacific Northwest town and all its inhabitants.  Season 2 is currently airing weekly, which sucks because I’m going to catch up before new episodes are released (this season apparently all aired at once!), but I’m going to keep watching until it becomes less addicting (which I hope doesn’t happen).  7/7/2021

Bonus review:

Meander                                                                      G
This French film which might take place in America based on an early scene can probably be summed up as a combination of Cube and Saw (yes, since it’s a French film, there are subtitles for roughly 90% of the dialogue).  A Frenchwoman ends up in a labyrinthine sort of interconnected tunnels laced with booby traps (Jigsaw almost may even be given a run for his money) among other things after being picked up by a stranger.  This movie was undeniably suspenseful, might vicariously make some claustrophobic, and is actually violent when it wants to be.  The ending will likely be open-ended for many, but I liked my conclusion (which I believe to actually be the right one, but you never know) in regards to everything that came before.  I was quite surprised at how I generally enjoyed this film I basically only rented from Redbox since I had a promo code and saw it was a new horror release.  7/5/2021

Other movies I've seen and their ratings (see above):

Deadly Promises  >>>EH

Get Gone  >>>EH

Hell Trip  >>>OK

The Lodge (2008)  >>>EH

Scooby-Doo!  Stage Fright  >>>OK/G

---Sean O.
7/9/2021

Monday, July 5, 2021

Werewolves Within

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In case you haven’t seen the intro from my entry dated 1/26/19 (it’s in my archives whenever you want to read it), I’m no longer going to review every single movie I see.  I’m going to review one, with the occasional bonus, and just give ratings for the rest from now on (unless I decide to pick it up again in the future).  You can always ask me why I gave the ratings for the films without reviews though (via comments or the e-mail addresses under the ‘About Me’ section).
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Werewolves Within                                                      OK/G
The new werewolf film directed by Josh Ruben, who also starred in and directed Scare Me, a film I wasn’t too fond of---the concept may have been fine, but I don’t see why it couldn’t have been an audio tale if we just watched the characters tell stories without any of it being shown to us.  This film is based on a videogame (?) and is being described as a werewolf whodunit horror-comedy.  In it, a group of people in a small town band together at a local inn during a snowstorm after several attacks have occurred.  It’s pretty obvious right away who the ‘who’ is in the whodunit part (their rationale is somewhat clever though), and it’s definitely more of a comedy than horror film, some of the comedy being a bit too tongue-in-cheek for me.  I think it’s ultimately more of an ensemble film, with a body count, and the werewolf isn’t seen until the end, looking kind of like Teen Wolf (yes, the Michael J. Fox film), making me better appreciate the scenes where the werewolf is just implied.  At least it actually is a werewolf film though, because, for a bit, I thought it was going to go the same route as The Wolf of Snow Hollow and not technically be a lycanthrope feature (that Jim Cummings film isn’t bad though and you can read my review for it here---https://vampireclown82.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-wolf-of-snow-hollow.html).  This review sure made it seem like I disliked this movie, which isn’t true, it did work as an ensemble film and there may have been a bit of fun to it, but it was still disappointing because good (or even great) werewolf movies are rare and I was really anticipating this would be one of them (I recently posted an entry for one of my other blogs containing a list of my favorite werewolf films and books here---https://tenbestlists82.blogspot.com/2021/06/ten-best-werewolf-moviesbooks.html).  Sure, it may be better with another viewing and after I read other opinions on it, even though I shouldn’t go by other opinions despite changing my thoughts in the past, but, as of now, I can’t say this is one of my favorite werewolf flicks.  7/3/2021

Bonus review:

Charlotte                                                                     EH
Charlotte:  The Return                                                EH
Thinking this was an evil doll movie (with a sequel) that somehow bypassed my radar, I decided to check it out.  Charlotte does contain a doll, yes (or two), but it’s really an anthology film presented as stories on a TV the doll forces a tied-up babysitter (which we don’t see happen) to watch.  Now, I’m not sure if the doll’s name is actually Charlotte, or if she even has a name, but I do remember the name mentioned in the first segment containing no doll (well, voodoo dolls).  And I would be willing to turn a blind eye to the bit of false advertising since I do love anthology films as well, if it was actually a good one.  It is a low-budget feature, as you probably guessed, mainly due to the fact it’s unknown (I only recognized one face throughout the entire film that won’t be recognizable to all), but low-budget certainly never means unworthy.  There are 8 tales in this 80-something-minute film and only two truly stood out for me---one involving girl scouts, the other involving a movie theater---but even they weren’t so spectacular to recommend the film; even one tale involving another doll felt completely empty and a bit anticlimactic.  Even though I wasn’t crazy about Charlotte, I saw that the sequel, Charlotte:  The Return, was also free (both on Tubi, y’all!) and wasn’t that long (even less than 80-minutes), so I figured, why not?  The first segment was actually kind of dark and made me hopeful for the rest of them, but, unfortunately, that was the only one that stood out for me this time.  I can’t even tell you exactly how many vignettes there are, but does it really matter if I’m not recommending it?  Again, there was only one recognizable face throughout the entire picture, and likely only recognizable to an esoteric audience.  Neither one were the worst films I’ve seen, but I say that about lots of movies, so don’t take that as any amount of praise, not even an iota, because they both still sucked (perhaps why they should’ve bypassed my radar), as anthology films and evil doll movies (more of the former but advertised as the latter).  6/28/2021

Other movies I've seen and their ratings (see above):

Blind Trust  >>>EH

Enforcement  >>>OK
   (In Danish with subtitles)

It!  The Terror from Beyond Space  >>>EH

The Monster That Challenged the World  >>>EH/OK

Paradise Cove   >>>OK

Road Head  >>>EH

Scooby-Doo!  Legend of the Phantosaur  >>>EH/OK

Scooby-Doo!  Where’s My Mummy?  >>>OK

The Winter Lake  >>>EH

Wish Upon a Star  >>>OK

---Sean O.
7/5/2021