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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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In a Violent Nature OK
Slasher flick, directed by Chris Nash (ABCs of Death 2 segment), wherein we follow the killer instead of
the victims. We don’t see the POV á la
young Michael Myers in the beginning of Halloween,
but simply follow him (Johnny) more than we do any of the potential
victims. We do follow other characters
at times, yes, but not as much. Why
didn’t we follow him every inch of the way if that was the intention though? [Why did we witness one kill from afar?]. Would it have worked effectively though, I
wonder, in a roughly 94-minute feature, given the characters (a.k.a potential
victims) are part of what makes these often plotless, mindless movies
appealing? This isn’t like Maniac or Sleepaway Camp 2 and 3 either
where the killer we follow actually has a personality; this killer is the
silent type akin to Jason Voorhees. [I’d
be curious to see how much different, although likely indistinguishable, this
would be if executed typically]. The
kills too, of course, play a very important factor in these movies, and the
majority of kills here are pretty brutal; one, specifically, I can’t say I’ve
ever seen done before (and I’ve seen my fair share of slasher movies), one that
would likely give Victor Crowley a run for his money. Part of me did admire this, but another part
of me expected better. [In true slasher
fashion, a sequel was already mentioned two months after its theatrical
release]. 9/13/2024
The Watchers OK
I read the novel by A.M. Shine a couple months ago before
this adaptation was released theatrically (I don’t know why I feel the need to
do that, but I prefer reading an adapted novel before seeing the adaptation,
not vice versa). The novel was decent,
not great, at least not enough to want to see this adaptation right away,
directed and written for the screen by one of M. Night Shyamalan’s daughters,
Ishana (M. Night was also one of the producers). It’s possibly a little too faithful to the
source material, therefore I think you should only choose one medium, your
choice obviously based on whether you prefer reading or watching (the book did
feel like you spent more time with the characters, but that’s often the case). In it, four people become trapped in these
woods in West Ireland wherein they must stay inside a house at night (dubbed
The Coop) to avoid being attacked by the titular creatures; they’re free to
roam outside during the day. The film
does look good (as if Ishana wouldn’t have the means), but, even if I hadn’t
read the book, it is still a rather typical scenario in which a group of people
are stuck in a predicament, they need to learn to survive, and they may or may
not escape (just a matter of how and when).
There is a twist too (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh?),
and, whether you read the book or not (like I said, this adaptation is very
faithful), it shouldn’t be too surprising even if you didn’t see it
coming. This may not have been a
masterpiece, but it wasn’t terrible, it was okay (as my rating indicates),
pretty much how I felt about the novel; it does seem like an instance where I,
more often, preferred the written word over the visuals (some of the creature
effects being a prime example). Ishana has
potential though; if anything, her directorial debut was definitely better than
daddy’s last effort (you can read my review for it in here---https://vampireclown82.blogspot.com/2024/08/trap.html). 9/17/2024
Bonus review:
Handling the Undead EH
I did read the book of the same name by John Ajvide
Lindqvist, once dubbed “Sweden’s Stephen King,” in which this Norwegian film is
based (yes, that means subtitles). I
read it over ten years ago though and don’t really remember much, so I went
into this blind which is how I should (even though I do feel the need to read
the book before seeing certain adaptations).
In this, the dead inexplicably return to life (seemingly after a power
outage), and the focus is on three separate families. They don’t appear hostile as other zombies
tend to be, at least not at first (PETA would certainly be up in arms over one
scene); they’re simply just (ahem) dead, in more than one way. It is a horror-drama, emphasis on the drama; the
appearance of a few zombies is the sole aspect labeling it as horror. The film is very slow, but I had a feeling it
might’ve eventually lead somewhere,
and not just because I read the book. I
didn’t take much from this film other than what I assume to be that “sometimes
dead is better,” like the quote used in Pet
Sematary (a much better film involving the undead, and I do hope you know I
mean the original only). I do remember
not liking the book as much as the author’s previous novel, Let the Right
One In (which was adapted into one of my favorite vampire movies), but I
don’t remember being as disappointed as I was with this underdeveloped film
(perhaps a re-read is in order). 9/18/2024
Other movies and TV show(s) I’ve seen and their ratings (see above):
Boy Kills World >>>EH/OK
The Perfect Couple >>>EH
(Netflix; 6
episodes)
We Are Zombies >>>OK
Wonka >>>OK
---Sean O.9/19/2024
