Friday, November 5, 2021

Welcome to the Blumhouse (Part 2)

Blumhouse Productions, the company named after Jason Blum and known mostly for producing horror movies such as Insidious, The Purge, and Paranormal Activity (you can see their entire list if you Google them), recently released 4 movies (another 4 are coming) exclusively to Amazon in a series entitled ‘Welcome to the Blumhouse.’  I got around to watching all 4 and here are their reviews in the order I watched them…

I copied and pasted that intro from my review of the first four films released last year since the same pretty much applies here (you can check out my review of the first four films here--- https://vampireclown82.blogspot.com/2020/11/welcome-to-blumhouse-part-one.html).  Obviously I knew there were going to be four movies released this year, as you can see in parenthesis above, so I’m guessing this year would be Welcome to the Blumhouse, Part 2?  Somewhere on the internet stated it was season 2 of the series, but these are all individual movies not TV episodes.  Whatever, these four films are 2021 releases of Welcome to the Blumhouse

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Bingo Hell                                                                   EH
A poor community consisting primarily of old folks receives a lavish new bingo hall.  You’ll recognize the man in charge of this new establishment, Richard Brake, from a few Rob Zombie-helmed pictures among others, he having a face more recognizable than his name.  Some of these “down on their luck” peeps do win large amounts of money, but in standard “it’s too good to be true” fashion, their winnings come with a “price.”  This film is largely uninspired.  11/1/2021

Black as Night                                                             EH/OK
The title is obviously a play on words.  It involves vampires in New Orleans mainly in a poor community still affected by Hurricane Katrina.  It really adds nothing new to bloodsucker cinema---they still die by sunlight, they still die from garlic, they still die with stakes driven through them (obviously a mortal would die that way too though); well, some don’t necessarily die by sunlight and it is explained why, but that’s not even barely enough to make this feel original.  Yes, I know, it’s very hard to be innovative these days and likely from here on out, but I can forgive derivative entertainment if it’s actually entertaining.  I didn’t have too much fun with this and I’m fascinated with New Orleans and love vampires.  The two protagonists were fine though and I’d probably appreciate them more in a better movie.  11/1/2021

Madres                                                                        EH
A Mexican couple in America move from L.A. to a house in the countryside.  The pregnant wife doesn’t know Spanish, so only parts are subtitled.  Beginning as what could’ve been an atmospheric thriller gradually becomes a film with cheap jump scares, leading to a weak conclusion for which there was no intriguing mystery to begin with.  A rather serious issue is brought to light that should be discussed, but this wasn’t the best movie it was brought to light in.  11/2/2021

The Manor                                                                  OK
Old folks in a home with “one foot in the grave” seeing a shape at night?  Those claiming to see the shape eventually passing?  No, that’s not sinister at all.  Clearly something is amiss at the titular location and one woman, played by Barbara Hershey, recently admitted to this facility aims to get to the bottom of it.  The big reveal is a bit clichéd, but it somewhat works in this film and there’s a slight mystery leading up to it.  You do eventually get to see what the shape looks like and it’s not too disappointing albeit not exactly awe-inspiring.  Surely, for some, to be a thought-provoking take on themes of age and aging.  11/2/2021

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In conclusion:  This is what I said at the end of my review for the last four movies in the series---[…4 more movies in this series are planned to be released within a year, and, all I can say is, I hope they’re more on the horror side, or, at the very least, better than this bunch overall].  Well, I can say that these four films were more horror.  As for being better?  Not necessarily.  Again, I only found one of the four to be decent, that being The Manor, and even that I wouldn’t exactly rave about.  I can see it being a film that might get better with age though (pun intended).  Ironically, that was the only movie this round directed by a name I actually recognize---Axelle Carolyn, who has directed episodes of American Horror Story, Creepshow, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and a segment of Tales of Halloween.  Actually, I knew of Bingo Hell’s Gigi Saul Guerrero and that’s only because she’s been a guest on Eli Roth’s History of Horror before.  As of now, I see no plans for a third bunch of films, but judging by these last two sets, I can’t say I really care because I haven’t exactly been the biggest fan so far…11/2/2021

---Sean O.
11/5/2021

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