Category Archives: Horror

1972 Films, Horror

Bluebeard-1972

August 23, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Bluebeard-1972

Director Edward Dymtryk

Starring Richard Burton, Raquel Welch, Joey Heatherton

Scott’s Review #1,293

Reviewed August 23, 2022

Grade: A-

My expectations of Bluebeard (1972) were of a late-night foray into the world of weird horror. The story is loosely based on a French folktale about a nobleman with a curious wife, forbidden to enter a mysterious room.

I was anticipating an entertaining experience, but nothing more.

To lower expectations, the critics’ reviews of the film were quite harsh, ridiculing and ripping upper-class actor Richard Burton to shreds, calling this film the decline and fall of his career.

Instead, I was treated to luscious art direction created on a small budget and a fascinating, macabre story about a man nicknamed ‘Bluebeard’ (Burton) who kills each of his six former wives while revealing his dirty deeds to wife number seven, Anne (Joey Heatherton), whom he plans to kill.

We learn that Austrian aristocrat Baron von Sepper (Richard Burton) would rather kill his wives than divorce them. It’s the 1930s, and he is a decorated war hero with a few secrets. A lady’s man he meets the most beautiful women, but quickly grows bored with them.

He hides their remains in a secret refrigerated room, and Anne stumbles upon their corpses. Now, she must escape his clutches to avoid becoming his next victim.

Burton is famous for being the husband of Elizabeth Taylor, for appearing in superior films like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) and The Robe (1953), and for being a much sought-after Hollywood star during the 1950s and 1960s.

By the time Bluebeard was made, he was a raging alcoholic and needed the film work. However, intentionally or not, he is a fabulous addition to the film, whether he was sober during shooting or not. He perhaps doesn’t even recall making it.

The most fun with Bluebeard is the anticipation. Once I realized the film was working backward and detailing each of Bluebeard’s six former wives’ murders, I was hooked! Each murder is better than the last, and poor Raquel Welch as Magdalena is locked in a tomb alive.

In the comical form, the actress plays a slutty nun.

One particular scene had me tickled pink. Bluebeard’s third or fourth wife, a gorgeous blonde who is a chatty ‘motor mouth’ and eager to dive into bed with her new husband, is decapitated via guillotine when she thinks she will finally become intimate with him.

It’s a fabulous sequence that I had to watch twice.

The decapitation scene is nearly rivaled by a titillating girl-on-girl scene between Nathalie Delon and Sybil Danning, who plays a prostitute hired to teach Bluebeard’s wife how to enjoy the pleasures of touch and eroticism.

They quickly get naked and kiss.

Instead of being aroused as any straight man would, Bluebeard takes a pair of shears to them, impaling them to death one on top of the other. We then realize he is quite inadequate in the sexual department.

It should go without saying that folks looking for a PG affair need to look elsewhere. There are enough breasts bared to make the prudish blush mightily. The lesbian scene might leave them running for the hills.

No, Bluebeard is an adult venture for those desiring a healthy serving of female flesh with their bloodletting. The male actors are spared any nudity- that’s the way cinema was back then.

Heatherton does surprisingly well paired with Burton, and their chemistry works. She is not a top-quality actress, but she is appealing, and we root for her to escape the madman.

The art direction is tremendous and reminiscent of the attention to detail and craft that Hammer Horror films achieved around that same period. The velvet-red walls of Bluebeard’s massive estate ooze with royalty and sophistication. Each table, chair, and set piece is perfectly placed.

Of course, Bluebeard is pure camp and over-the-top shenanigans, but it’s a hoot all the way, never dragging or taking itself too seriously.

I was pleasantly surprised by Bluebeard (1972) and consider it a must-see for Burton fans seeking later works sans Elizabeth Taylor. It’s not high art, but it’s sure delicious Saturday-night fun.

1997 Films, Comedy, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Paris, Werewolf

An American Werewolf in Paris-1997

August 12, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

An American Werewolf in Paris-1997

Director Anthony Waller

Starring Thomas Everett Scott, Julie Delpy

Scott’s Review #1,289

Reviewed August 12, 2022

Grade: C+

While fun, An American Werewolf in London (1981) is not in my top 10 best horror films ever.

Werewolf flicks were never my go-to films in the genre, and while I appreciate the incorporated humor, the product is entertaining but not much more.

I’ve gained more appreciation for that film than for the follow-up, the haphazard and goofy An American Werewolf in Paris (1997).

The only elements it gets right are culturally satisfying locale shots of Paris, France, and an underappreciated starring role by charismatic actor Thomas Everett Scott.

An American Werewolf in Paris is a completely watered-down version of An American Werewolf in London, but with little to no connection to it. Considering the sister European cities, it’s a missed opportunity and quite a shame that cross-connection wasn’t utilized.

Three handsome young American male tourists traverse Europe for some fun and, naturally, to meet females. The main focal point is Andy (Everett Scott), who is virginal and serious.

The group arrives in Paris and witnesses an attempted suicide by Parisian Serafine Pigot (Julie Delpy). Andy can amazingly save her from jumping off the Eiffel Tower by diving after her and catching her in the nick of time.

He is injured and transported to the hospital, but eventually locates Serafine.

While on a date at a nightclub with her, Andy is suddenly attacked and bitten by a werewolf. The next day, he discovers that Serafine is also a lycanthrope and that he is beginning his transformation into one of the beasts.

The overall tone of An American Werewolf in Paris is silly and amateurish. The situations work poorly, like when Andy and Serafine are having coffee at a Paris cafe, and he pretends a condom he is chewing is bubble gum.

Later, he stumbles upon ditzy American Amy Finch (Julie Bowen), and they have a graveyard adventure that leaves her un-dead and vowing revenge on Andy.

Anyone expecting authenticity, like the full nudity of the human/werewolf during the transformation, will be severely disappointed by the deliberate lack of skin; the actress, Delpy, bares her breasts.

Otherwise, it’s bare chests only for the males, which is unfair to viewers expecting the running-through-the-forest-naked sequences as in An American Werewolf in London.

It’s a stretch that both Andy and Serafine catapult from the Eiffel Tower and, later, the Statue of Liberty, with barely more than a scratch and very little peril to enjoy.

The wacky plot involves bad-guy Claude (Pierre Cosso), his henchmen, and a drug that induces transformation.

They hold a Fourth of July party to attract American tourists to slaughter, and Serafine’s stepfather is revealed to have created a drug with the opposite intention that led Serafine to kill her mother accidentally.

It’s all weak and uninspired, making an overcomplicated storyline increasingly contrived as the film progresses.

The makeup during the transformation sequences is lacking, especially compared with the superior special effects of An American Werewolf in London.

The CGI used looks fake. And, how could you not compare the two films?

Despite all of the negatives, An American Werewolf in Paris has a moderate presence of fun, but only when Everett Scott appears. He, as Andy, is such a likable guy, wearing his heart on his sleeve, that we root for him to ride off into the sunset with Serafine.

Everett Scott and Delpy don’t have the greatest chemistry, but this can be forgiven because the film is really about the werewolves.

There are no characters to root for besides Andy, and every Parisian character is written as inflexible or as any number of French stereotypes. The only relevant Parisian references are the locales, though most are built sets to replicate the real places.

There is little need ever to see An American Werewolf in Paris (1997) again, since it pales in comparison to the superior An American Werewolf in London (1981).

2022 Films, Horror, Slasher

Scream-2022

August 2, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Scream-2022

Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Starring Melissa Barrera, Neve Campbell, Jack Quaid

Scott’s Review #1,284

Reviewed August 2, 2022

Grade: B+

Scream, the 2022 version, was billed as a ‘relaunch’ of the film series when it was released in the crappy month of January. However, is that so important in a COVID-19 age when hardly anyone goes to movie theaters?

The film is essentially ‘Scream 5′ because it maintains continuity from the last installment, released in 2011, and harkens back to the 1996 premiere of the original Scream.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the film.

Scream ultimately follows a formula, but a formula that works exceptionally well and will please fans of the series. My expectations were superseded, and wonderful is the inclusion of series stalwarts in roles that are much more than glorified cameos.

On the flip side, the finale is underwhelming, and the killers’ (isn’t there always two??) motivations are lame, but I found that to be unimportant because the real fun is the whodunit aspect.

Scream is very faithful to that.

Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, California, a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.

The frightening release date and the first installment in the series not to be directed by Wes Craven is enough to make any Scream fan bite their nails in worry about how the end product will turn out.

In addition, there are two screenwriters and two directors, which is rarely a good sign for creativity.

But all’s well that ends, as writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, and directors Matt Bettinelli-Olipin and Tyler Gillett do many things right.

I mentioned the formula before, and they wisely use an anniversary as a starting point. Vicious murders commence in poor Woodsboro at just the right time for mayhem to erupt all over again.

For those who have forgotten the titillating and flawless opening sequence of Scream circa 1996, when poor Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) is forced to play a guessing game with an unknown phone caller to avoid death, it is reintroduced with gusto.

The film immediately begins with a nod to that history.

When teenager Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) answers her landline, the audience whoops with joy at the anticipation of what’s to come. She will endure a game of horror film trivia with Ghostface before he (or she) leaps into the kitchen to cut her to bits.

Pleasurably, a new gang of fresh-faced Woodsboro teenagers is then introduced to be plucked off one by one. But could one or two of them be the killers?

A treat for all fans is the inclusion of Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, and Skeet Ulrich in their original roles, with one having a significant connection to a new character.

This only reinforces the franchise’s lifeline.

The clever writing was considered unique at the time of its release for featuring characters aware of real-world horror films, which openly discussed the clichés that the film attempted to subvert.

In Scream (2022) this is heightened by a discussion of ‘source material’ and ‘requel’ which feels like a horror film progression.

If you’re thinking that Scream 2022 is a carbon copy of Scream 1996, it is, to some extent, but with some modern updates. And it works like a charm, feeling like a good visit with an old friend and watching their offspring sprout into young adults.

Scream (2022) takes a lesson from what the recent Halloween film reboot did. A reprisal franchise, once aged and tired, breathes new life into the series by using its history and legacy characters.

How clever that the characters in Scream even acknowledge this in the story!

I anxiously await the next Scream film, rumored to be released in 2023, for more fun.

1982 Films, Horror, Supernatural Horror, Thriller

Cat People-1982

July 10, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Cat People-1982

Director Paul Schrader

Starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell

Scott’s Review #1,275

Reviewed July 10, 2022

Grade: B+

Cat People (1982) is a mysterious, psychological journey into the strange universe of humans possessing cat-like qualities, sometimes with a tendency towards vicious limb extraction and other mauling techniques.

It’s an absurd premise, though admittedly clever, with an identity all its own.

Feeling slightly dated, mostly because of the early-1980s synthesizer-like score, film style, and the casting of some actors at the top of their game, Cat People is nonetheless enjoyable and sexual.

We especially recommend a late Friday or Saturday night viewing, with as little light as possible for the best ambiance.

Since our rented DVD copy was ravaged by poor visual quality and hard-to-hear sound, I’m thinking a buying the film.

The 1982 version of Cat People is directed by Paul Schrader, who is best known for writing or co-writing Scorsese’s greats Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980).

The director also has his own share of films, including ones as recent as 2021.

His production is a remake of one made some forty years earlier, which I have not seen.

The mood of Cat People is overwhelmingly sensual and violent, a horror-thriller tale. The action immediately gets off to a sexually perverse start when, during presumably prehistoric days, a wild black panther impregnates a young girl offered to him via sacrifice.

The message is clear that this results in a weird human/cat hybrid coming into existence.

In the present, Irena Gallier (Nastassia Kinski) harbors a dark family secret she despises. She reconnects with her estranged brother, Paul (Malcolm McDowell), who shape-shifts into a savage beast.

He lives in the southern city of New Orleans and has spent time in a mental hospital.

Irena visits the local zoo and finds herself attracted to handsome zoologist Oliver Yates (John Heard), even as her brother makes his incestuous advances toward her.

Inevitably, the family curse rears its ugly head when Paul rips the arm off one of the zoo workers played by a young Ed Begley Jr.

I really like how Schrader uses New Orleans as the central setting. Though it has nothing to do with the story, the French-influenced city is nice to look at, and the restaurant scenes feature Creole-style and other southern/European sophisticated little gems.

Ruby Dee is cast as a wacky housekeeper named Female, rippling with New Orleans flair, and who is aware of the terrible family secret.

Nastassja Kinski is perfectly cast as the provocative and sultry main character, and she effortlessly leads the charge. Others like Heard and Annette O’Toole, w-list stars in the early 1980s, provide a time capsule of Hollywood relevance.

Unfortunately, this also makes Cat People feel like it’s from another time, and the 1980s film style is painfully obvious.

The growling and vicious cats feel both scary and fake during close-ups, but imagine the trickery of using real-life leopards? The filmmakers did the best they could, and that’s obvious.

Some sequences are quite grisly, and when they aren’t, there are best-remembered scenes of peril and intrigue. O’Toole’s character of Alice (another zoologist) takes a late-night dip in a swimming pool and is harassed by a menacing Irena.

Earlier, a great scene occurs when a prostitute named Ruthie visits her client in a dingy motel room, only to realize that her john is a mean leopard.

We assume she will be ripped to shreds, but this dubious honor is saved for another slutty character whom Paul picks up at a funeral.

An attempted triangle among Irena, Oliver, and Alice goes nowhere, and it’s bewildering that anyone even tried.

The power couple is Irena and Oliver, whose smoldering love scenes are sensual and skin-heavy, and who profess almost-immediate love for each other.

With enough explicit sex and gratuitous violence to keep many viewers titillated, Cat People (1982) has positives and negatives. When it was released, I bet it was a potboiler of juicy, relevant intrigue, but the film hasn’t held up quite as well as some others.

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Original Score, Best Original Song-“Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”

2009 Films, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, Slasher

Frayed-2009

June 24, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Frayed-2009

Director Rob Portmann, Norbert Caoili

Starring Aaron Blakely, Alena Dashiell, Tony Doupe

Scott’s Review #1,270

Reviewed June 24, 2022

Grade: A

As I began to watch Frayed (2009), the last thing I expected was to be as riveted as I was. I was enthralled, glued to my seat, frightened, and left completely floored by what I had experienced.

In the best of ways possible.

Things didn’t bode well at first since the previews on our rented DVD screamed low-budget and cheesy with substandard acting and ridiculously cheap production.

I expected a by-the-numbers, cliche-riddled Halloween (1978) style rip-off. Some thirty years after that film was made, it didn’t exactly scream relevant.

Maybe somebody’s experimental film school project?

I’ll add that with an astounding five credited screenwriters (rarely a good sign), the outcome could have easily been a muddled mess.

Expectations were shot through the ceiling, only increasing with pleasure as the film went along.

There are a couple of slow pockets here and there, but the last fifteen minutes or so spiral Frayed out of control into a fantastic new dimension in twists and turns.

Just when I thought I had things figured out and was satisfied with the surprise twist that wasn’t too hard to figure out, there appeared another twist, and yet another, and finally another twist!

I felt like I had done a series of somersaults and was left breathless by the film, and I was left to ponder, consider, and reconstruct the storyline.

Sheriff Pat Baker (Tony Doupe) has led a life of tragedy. When his young son Kurt brutally murders his mother at sister Sara’s (Alena Dashiell) fifth birthday party, the boy is left catatonic in a mental asylum.

Thirteen years later, Kurt escapes during a transfer and wanders the nearby woods dressed as a masked clown, chasing a security guard and stalking Sara and her friends.

Baker and the team must capture the escapee before he wreaks more havoc.

But since the killer is his son, is Pat too invested?

In ways, Frayed is a classic slasher film and a throwback to the 1980s. Sara and her best friend sneak out of the house to meet their boyfriends for beer and sex in the middle of the woods amid a campfire.

Sara and her father and stepmother live in a small, remote town. What better setting for a crazed killer on the loose with bloodletting on his mind?

These are standard setups for dire events.

But Sara, played well by Alena Dashiell, isn’t your typical ‘final girl. She drinks a bit and has sex on her mind while remaining strong and careful.

The opening scene is a doozy.

In a flashback, Kurt’s mother enters his bedroom and scolds him for teasing the birthday girl. She forgets she has a camcorder on and is quickly bashed to death with a baseball bat.

The camera viewpoint is from the floor, so all we see is the mother’s head repeatedly beaten. It’s gory and sickening and led to the film being banned in more than one country.

Director Rob Portmann, who co-wrote the film, will not appeal to the faint of heart with this scene, though the gore is kept to a minimum throughout the rest.

There is so much more to this film than gore.

In retrospect, aspects of Frayed are like a puzzle. Why is the security guard the focus as much as Sara? Why does Pat’s new wife look like his dead wife? Why is a team softball photo constantly shown?

Frayed might warrant a second or third viewing to see how well it holds up.

Surprisingly, the acting is quite good by most of the cast, and it was made on a small budget. Professionalism is laid out, especially by Blakely and Doupe, and all the players give compelling performances and are given rich character development.

It’s a shame that Frayed did not garner more notice because the film is fiendish, terrific, and satisfying. Given it’s 2022 it was made in 2007 and released in 2009, its time may have passed.

Frayed (2009) will please fans who love good old-fashioned slasher flicks and who love a good twist or three or four.

Borrowing from previous films but with an identity as fine as The Sixth Sense (1999), it’s to be remembered in the best of ways.

2021 Films, Horror

Antlers-2021

May 13, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Antlers-2021

Director Scott Cooper

Starring Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons

Scott’s Review #1,255

Reviewed May 13, 2022

Grade: B+

Antlers (2021) is a film co-produced by Guillermo del Toro, who is famous for dark, humanistic treasures like Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water (2017).

His name attached to the project conjures images of supernatural and otherworldly creations, along with some murky elements. While the film does contain his influence, if looked at carefully, it’s in a tepid way, and I wouldn’t call it a del Toro-type film.

But it’s not as if he directed it either; he only helped fund it. Scott Cooper, known for films like Crazy Heart (2009) and Black Mass (2015), which are both very good, does a fantastic job of incorporating horror elements and impressive cinematography to create a bleak and grey atmosphere that is perfect for horror.

The plot is the weak point in an otherwise exceptional offering. The story has a standard setup and unsatisfying ending, except for an attempt to set the stage for a potential sequel.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Antler’s release date was postponed twice and flew under the radar, as many films did in the early 2020s.

Plus, star Jesse Plemons received an Oscar nomination for The Power of the Dog (2021) by the time the film hit the screens, so it’s doubtful he’d make a return appearance.

I’m not sure the film is good enough to warrant a follow-up, but I did thoroughly enjoy the perfect trimmings and quality acting, even though the story didn’t completely satisfy me.

The film is based on the short story The Quiet Boy by Nick Antosca.

The action is set in a rural, isolated Oregon town where a middle-school teacher (Keri Russell) and her sheriff brother (Plemons) become entangled with her taciturn student Lucas (Jeremy T. Thomas), whose dark family secrets lead to terrifying encounters with a legendary ancestral creature known for creating debauchery.

The dazzling cinematography by Florian Hoffmeister perfectly encapsulates the setting of the Pacific Northwest, making it appear grim and constantly cloudy. The foreboding presence is only enhanced by incorporating a dark mine as the main set, where the dire events unfold.

Russell does a fine job carrying the film, and Cooper and the team provide a character-driven approach to the story. Julia has returned to her hometown after the suicide of her father, who we quickly learn was abusing her as a little girl.

She bonds with Lucas, who is also abused, and this portion of the story works well. We get the bond, and they connect well. He’s got a different set of daddy issues, though, since his wolf-like papa salivates at the sight of him and is diseased from an incident in the mine.

But the Julia/Lucas relationship ultimately has very little to do with a wild creature running around killing a student and a principal. A quick scene involving a local townsperson explaining an ancient curse is uninspired, even if Graham Greene plays him from Dances With Wolves fame (1990).

I was more invested in the Julia and Paul raising Lucas angle and what comes next over the silly folklore curse that we’ve seen countless times in films.

The texture of Antlers easily earns it a solid B+ rating because it’s spooky and scary in some sequences. When Julia and Principal Ellen (Amy Madigan) separately approach the run-down Weaver house, the camera follows the characters, making the audience feel like they are the ones entering the house.

We know bad things will soon happen, and that makes it fun.

Because of the excellent camera work and use of lighting, I’d never want to set foot in Cispus Falls.

As an aside for every film writer out there, it’s time to discard the anti-LBGTQ slurs once and for all. Aren’t we beyond this? Can’t we write one character calling another a ‘loser’ and leave it at that?

The visceral style of Antlers (2021) is more than enough reason to recommend it. A straight-ahead supernatural horror film with a grim veneer is the reason to see it.

The ho-hum story is somewhat secondary.

1962 Films, British, British Horror, Horror

The Phantom of the Opera-1962

May 12, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Phantom of the Opera-1962

Director Terence Fisher

Starring Herbert Lom, Michael Gough, Heather Sears

Scott’s Review #1,254

Reviewed May 12, 2022

Grade: B+

It’s not the best-known film adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s famous 1910 French novel, but it is the most horrific.

Hammer Horror Productions’s acquisition of this is a significant win since the story is ideally suited for the horror genre.

I’ve not yet seen the 1925 silent film version of The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney, which I hear is terrific, so I cannot compare that to this.

The possibilities for a macabre telling are endless. Terence Fisher, a familiar director in Hammer films, is back at the helm to mix the dreariness of a musty London theater with the creepy face mask of its lonely and wounded inhabitant.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating in this review: The horror films achieved astounding achievements by making lemonade out of lemons budget-wise. The limited funds necessitated creativity, seen in every series frame, especially the colorful sets and costumes.

The Phantom of the Opera (1962) is no different and even better than some others in the brilliant mix of mood and sympathy for its primary victim, specifically the luminous and disfigured ‘phantom’ played by Herbert Lom.

Dastardly Composer Lord Ambrose D’Arcy, wonderfully played by Michael Gough, and his bullied backer, Harry Hunter (Edward De Souza), struggle to find a replacement for the female lead in their new opera after she quits and flees town in the wake of a gruesome theater murder.

When a new prospect, the virginal Christine Charles (Heather Sears), disappears after the advances of Ambrose, Harry cautiously investigates, unaware that there is a lonely figure inhabiting the theater.

Meanwhile, a mysterious masked man (Lom) who is eerily familiar with the opera holds Christine captive and offers to groom her to play the part.

He is a mix of crazy and passionate, and his plight is sympathetic when what he’s been through is finally explained.

The atmosphere sets The Phantom of the Opera apart from similar films of the 1960s, even Hammer films.

This is never more evident than in an early scene when the camera follows the characters on the misty streets of London. The darkness and shadows become prominent as they walk through the streets and dark alleys.

Five years into his association with the production company, Fisher has hit his stride. A limited budget might reduce another director to a fretting basket case, but the result and ease he parlays to The Phantom of the Opera is quite beautiful.

Many scenes are set in the theater, adding a foreboding element to the events. Dusty yet brimming with musicianship and artistry, it’s fun to watch the characters sneak around and scheme within the confines of this structure.

Therefore, the mood and trimmings are exquisite without actually being so.

The music sequences are impressive without going on for too long. Although the locale is switched from Paris to London for obvious reasons, the foremost being that the actors are British, this doesn’t hamper the overall experience.

The best and most gruesome scene occurs when a poor chap swings across the theater stage in a neck rope, dead as a doornail. The creaking sound of the rope as the man swings back and forth is chilling and dubious.

Lom is my favorite actor in the film. His character’s backstory is impressive and humanistic. Who can’t relate to being cheated out of work that is rightfully theirs?

Gough, also familiar to Hammer Horror fans, is tremendous as the treacherous main villain.

Sears is okay, but perhaps not the greatest actress or best choice for the role. She’s rather bland and unmemorable.

The Phantom of the Opera (1962) falters when its ending is too sudden, and many Hammer films suffer the same fate.

This film is not for those expecting a grandiose Andrew Lloyd Webber-style musical, but for fans of down-and-dirty horror, it’s just what the doctor ordered.

2009 Films, Horror, Werewolf

War Wolves-2009

May 7, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

War Wolves-2009

Director Michael Worth

Starring Michael Worth, John Saxon

Scott’s Review #1,252

Reviewed May 7, 2022

Grade: C-

Technically, a horror-television film that aired on the Syfy network, War Wolves (2009) is an abysmal experience in both filmmaking and plot.

Bad dialogue and juvenile special effects are just the tip of the iceberg in what could easily be a hard-hitting review.

But, strangely enough, even with bad films, pleasure is to be found and sometimes more than is rightly earned.

My final rating of ‘C-‘ is my gift to the film that currently rates an anemic 8% audience favorability rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The only saving grace is the inclusion of veterans Adrienne Barbeau (Escape from New York-1981) and John Saxon (Black Christmas-1974) into the mix, though Barbeau’s character is completely throwaway.

Saxon is the co-lead, and what a treat to see the seasoned actor do his best with weak material.

The action begins on the battlefields of the Middle East, presumably Afghanistan, where veteran Jake Gabriel (Michael Worth) is cursed with lycanthropy during a gunfight. He is aware of this and struggles to suppress his inner werewolf once he quickly returns to the United States.

His military comrade and girlfriend, Erika (Natasha Alam), and other female former soldiers begin to grow fangs and develop a fancy for the taste of blood.

Jake resists, but members of his “pack” attempt to hunt him down and convert him to the more thrilling life their changes are introducing them to.

Saxon plays a commander named Tony who is sent to the States to apprehend Jake before he can infect others and is joined by Frank Bergman (Tim Thomerson), his best friend and polar opposite.

Barbeau plays a woman named Gail who talks incessantly about her deceased husband.

Hopefully, Saxon, Barbeau, and Thomerson were thrown what little monetary breadcrumbs existed in the budget for this film. They play their parts earnestly while providing much-needed professionalism.

Poor Barbeau even throws in a southern accent to her northern California-hailing character in an attempt to make her more interesting.

I’ll say one thing. The above-average acting by the veterans makes up for the tepid and wooden acting by the rest of the cast. But casting gorgeous female ‘actresses’ as military personnel has a market too.

Unsurprisingly, the plot doesn’t add up, and it’s never explained why Jake is infected in the first place or what anyone’s motivations are besides the obvious infecting and destroying the infecters.

The pale attempts at below-the-surface humanistic connections either go nowhere or result in the reaction of ‘who gives a shit, let’s see more blood’!

Worth mentioning is that star Michael Worth also directs the film.

A better title than War Wolves would have been desirable. Although a humorous take on the word ‘werewolves’, it doesn’t roll off the tongue very well and conjures images more aligned with parody versus seriousness.

Unfortunately, Worth doesn’t play the film for laughs, and it’s meant to be taken seriously, at least on paper.

Tony and Frank have experienced this mission before, and it causes Tony to be estranged from his family, a weak attempt at creating humanistic drama that never goes anywhere other than one conversation with an unseen family member from a pay phone.

I daresay the film is a load of fun, providing some unintended laughs, especially in the final act.

When the female pack appeared with cute, tiny brown noses, with matching pointy ears, and uttered demonic dialogue to appear threatening, I roared with laughter.

War Wolves (2009) is a film focused on the werewolf genre that is merely a blip on the radar and is probably forgotten already.

It’s not my favorite horror sub-genre of all time, but I’d still list The Wolf Man (1941) and An American Werewolf in London (1981) as the best entries.

But, for the 12:30 a.m.-to 2 am timeslot on a boozy Saturday night, War Wolves is an appropriate fit.

Really bad movies can be fun too.

2000 Films, Camp, Horror, Horror-Camp, Satanic, Supernatural Horror

The Convent-2000

April 16, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Convent-2000

Director Mike Mendez

Starring Adrienne Barbeau

Scott’s Review #1,246

Reviewed April 16, 2022

Grade: C+

I debated whether to give Adrienne Barbeau top-billing recognition for The Convent (2000).

After all, she doesn’t even appear, save for a quick silhouette scene that probably wasn’t even the actress, until the final third of the film.

Since I am a fan of Barbeau’s work, mainly the television series Maude, and films like The Fog (1980) and Escape From New York (1981), I decided to throw caution to the wind and cement her star status.

The film itself is not very good and could use all the help it can get. It’s campy beyond belief, amateurish, hokey, and poorly acted, with enough ridiculous one-liners to make me wonder whether director Mike Mendez was purposely trying to make a bad film.

But before I get all curmudgeonly and smack this film in the face with an ‘F’ rating, I’d like to justify my more-than-generous ‘C+’ rating.

If The Convent had tried to take itself seriously and produced shit like this, I would have gone for the jugular in my review, but it knows it’s a silly film and instead embraces this fact wholeheartedly.

Still, I kept wondering whether the film was some nod to the slasher film genre that took over the world from the late 1970s until the late 1980s, or if it feebly tried to merge the slasher and zombie genres to produce something fresh.

If made in, say, 1985, The Convent would have fit snugly amongst the heaps of other similarly themed films patterned after superior feasts like Halloween (1978) and Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

The film opens impressively enough when a young woman named Christine walks into a convent and goes batshit crazy, shooting every nun she sees and burning the place to the ground.

I grinned because Christine looked exactly like Uma Thurman’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 masterpiece, Pulp Fiction, with bright red lipstick and dark shades. Even her outfit looks the same.

Unfortunately, that’s where any parallels end. From this point, the plot is basic and uninspired.

A coed named Clorissa (Joanna Canton) joins her best friend Mo (Megahn Perry) and a group of college students on a dare to venture into the aforementioned convent (now rebuilt) and tangle with nun and priest spirits rumored to be inhabiting the structure.

After Mo is left alone and the rest of the bunch dine at Denny’s, the plot goes from standard to wacky as the returning students are bitten and become possessed by Satanists who want to beckon Satan back to earth.

There is an attempt to sacrifice a virgin among the group to help with this.

Conveniently, Christine (now older) lives down the street after spending a thirty-year stint in the loony bin. The badass woman comes barreling to the rescue with her motorcycle and an arsenal of machine guns to kick Satan’s ass.

The fun begins when Barbeau finally appears. With her dangling cigarette and macho talk, the actress is in her comfort zone. The dialogue between her and the other characters is so bad that, once again, I wondered whether this was the intent. I truly hope it was.

The robotic heads twitching and the green-eyed students now glowing align perfectly with the gimmicky art direction and juvenile special effects. I’ve seen better on a 3 pm daytime soap opera.

Rapper Coolio easily plays the most irritating character in a ridiculous role as a loud policeman. This attempt at comedy fell completely flat, and I was more entertained by the gay satanist who cleverly decides that if he and another virgin boy have sex, they will be spared.

Once the credits rolled, I was happy not to have to endure any more of the one-hour and twenty-minute experience.

After my five-minute reflection, I decided to interpret the film as a comical satire rather than anything more.

The Convent (2000) isn’t distinct enough to earn the ‘it’s so bad it’s good’ award because it lacks any identity.

However, for a midnight movie that is so goofy and over-the-top that there is plenty to mock, the film is a fun time.

And, it’s always a joy to see Barbeau in anything she is willing to appear in.

1975 Films, 70's Horror, Adventure, Animals, Horror, Summer, Thriller

Jaws-1975

March 28, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Jaws-1975

Director Steven Spielberg

Starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw

Scott’s Review #1,240

Reviewed March 28, 2022

Grade: A

The directorial breakthrough by the iconic Steven Spielberg is Jaws (1975).

The film is such a legendary and familiar project that even stating the name to pretty much any human being immediately conjures images of a man-eating great white shark and the unforgettable ‘duh-duh, duh-duh’ musical score.

It’s the film that famously made people afraid to go into the water, just as Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece, Psycho, made people afraid to take a shower.

Whenever I’m near the ocean, I think of this film.

Jaws is a hybrid horror/thriller/adventure/action film, whereas the subsequent sequels were all straight-ahead horror films that cast more teenagers, and some were better than others.

Spielberg teaches a valuable lesson: much can come from very little, and a small budget can create greatness. What he accomplishes with Jaws is admirable, to say the least.

In Jaws, the story is more about three men trying to destroy a killer shark and their relationship with it. The scary aspect, always terrific in horror, is that we do not know what the shark’s motivation is.

Why does it kill?

It’s a brilliant film that holds up well decades later, even if the shark feels less authentic over time. But you must always keep the time a film was made in mind.

When one summer day, a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches.

He clashes with the mayor, Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who overrules him, fearing the loss of tourist revenue will hurt the town during the summer season.

Dismissed as a mere boating accident, the great white shark then kills a young boy in full view of a beach crowd, resulting in panic and mayhem. It’s as if the shark is determined to be taken seriously.

Oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) offer to help Brody capture the killer shark, and the trio engages in an epic battle with the beast.

Jaws is a film you can watch multiple times and still enjoy. Setting aside the horror elements, the film delivers adventure and heart-pounding thrills every minute once the men dare to try to foil the shark.

The fun, as in any film of this kind, is not knowing when or where danger will strike, only that it inevitably will come.

Scheider excels in his household name-making role as the determined police chief. He cares deeply about the townspeople and is therefore a likable hero.

During frequent scenes, he gazes out to the water, a troubled look on his face, pained and feeling responsible for the deaths.

The audience empathizes with him.

Lorraine Gary, who would later play a lead role in poorly received films, is terrific as the supportive yet challenging wife, Ellen. She is the yin to his yang, and it comes across on-screen.

The best scenes of the film are the very first one, when the girl is eaten by the shark, and the later one, when Brody yells at everyone on a crowded beach to flee the water. Munching on the first victim, this is the scene where the dreaded music makes its debut.

From this point, the audience knows that hearing this music means the shark is nearby.

In the other scene, the panic is breathtaking and palpable, and the audience feels sympathy for Brody. He obediently takes the blame for the chaos and the deaths and makes it personal when his son is victimized.

The scene sets the tone for the scramble and mayhem.

Jaws (1975) has it all: adventure, thrills, horror, action, a hero, and blood. The technical aspects are astounding, with underwater sequences and effects that still hold up.

It arguably created what became known as the summer blockbuster.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture, Best Film Editing (won), Best Original Dramatic Score (won), Best Sound (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture-Drama, Best Director-Steven Spielberg, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score (won)

1990 Films, Horror, Horror Anthologies

Two Evil Eyes-1990

March 26, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Two Evil Eyes-1990

Director George Romero, Dario Argento

Starring Adrienne Barbeau, Harvey Keitel

Scott’s Review #1,239

Reviewed March 26, 2022

Grade: B+

Two legendary masters of horror, American director George Romero, famous for zombie films, and Italian director Dario Argento, famous for stylistic horror, team up to create a thrilling double-bill horror feast.

For fans of the genre, the idea is titillating, to say the least, and the follow-through is a robust success.

There is a gnawing television-film feel to each film that is eventually overshadowed by the reminder that grand directors are at the helm.

Cleverly, they base their films on the works of the poet Edgar Allan Poe, famous for macabre, peculiar poems and short stories.

‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’ (1990) and ‘The Black Cat’ (1990) are the featured tales.

Having seen many Argento and Romero works, with Suspiria (1977) and Dawn of the Dead (1978) as my respective favorites, the fun is seeing how each film contains familiar aspects of the other, with a sprinkling of the 1960 Hitchcock masterpiece, Psycho, thrown in for good measure.

Fun fact- Psycho star Martin Balsam appears in ‘The Black Cat’ story.

In the first feature, ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’, Adrienne Barbeau plays an ex-flight attendant named Jessica who plots with her lover, Dr. Robert Hoffman (Ramy Zada), for her elderly husband’s money.

While liquidating large amounts of cash, her husband’s lawyer grows suspicious and warns her that there will be consequences should her husband die in the next three weeks.

Naturally, he does, and events grow weird and terrifying.

In the second film, ‘The Black Cat, Harvey Keitel plays an unlikable man named Rod Usher who works as a crime scene photographer. He suffers the consequences when he viciously kills his girlfriend’s cat.

In his attempts to rid himself of both his girlfriend and the cat, they continue to reappear, much to his chagrin. With two detectives on his tail, the finale is both grim and satisfying.

If forced to choose, I am more partial to ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar,’ mostly because of the casting of Barbeau, whom I am a big fan of.

It’s also the winner of the two when it comes to the unexpected conclusion.

Barbeau carries the film, even in its short run, and imbues a character who could easily be dismissed as a gold-digging bitch with likability. Jessica feels some sensitivity and truly wants no harm done to her husband; she only desires some money.

After all, in her mind, she deserves the payoff for having married an older man.

Romero’s influence is apparent, but not as much as Argento’s is in ‘The Black Cat’. A gruesome scene at the conclusion, when a character’s decomposing body lumbers forward, immediately brought me back to the zombie delights of ‘Dawn of the Dead.

The music in the opening credits reminds me of Argento films in general. A mysterious, high-pitched synthesizer sound peppers the experience with highly effective, horrific beats.

I did not enjoy the prevalent cat torture scenes in ‘The Black Cat,’ and they are tough to sit through. I was somewhat encouraged by the knowledge that the dead cat does, in the end, exact revenge on its torturer.

I chuckled at the numerous references to ‘Psycho,’ mostly when Balsam’s character, Mr. Pym, appears. When the man climbs a flight of stairs, it’s a similar scene in ‘Psycho’ with a deadlier result.

Another scene of draining shower water immediately conjures up the legendary shower scene in ‘Psycho’.

Casting heavyweights like Barbeau, Keitel, Balsam, Tom Atkins, John Amos, and Kim Hunter lends credibility to a project that could easily have been dismissed as a throwaway horror double feature.

The experience is much better than that, as the compelling nature and minute-by-minute thrills will keep the audience invested and longing to know what happens next.

‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’ (1990) and ‘The Black Cat’ (1990) effectively pair two of the best horror directors in dedication to the best horror poet.

Perhaps a longer duration for each film might have allowed time for more character exploration, but the results are just fine.

2009 Films, Comedy, Horror, Horror-Comedy, International, International Horror, Norwegian, Satire, Winter, World War II, Zombie

Dead Snow-2009

March 12, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Dead Snow-2009

Director Tommy Wirkola

Starring Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen

Scott’s Review #1,237

Reviewed March 12, 2022

Grade: B

First off, the cover art (pictured above) of the 2009 Norwegian horror-comedy film Dead Snow is simply incredible.

The creepy Nazi head embedded in the snow with a background chainsaw is perfect marketing and genuinely artistic.

It automatically makes the tired zombie horror genre feel fresh and alive with endless possibilities.

The film itself is a decent watch, and tongue-in-cheek sensibilities are necessary to appreciate the movie.

There is a hint of art film qualities peppered throughout, and it’s not a run-of-the-mill mainstream horror film either, but a sense of humor and embracing the ridiculousness is required.

In other words, one must be a fan of the genre to watch Dead Snow. Otherwise, it will not win people over with a great storyline or character enrichment.

It’s a slice-and-dice ’em affair, and after a slow build, it goes into overdrive with the kills and thrills.

The familiar setup of a group of young people, this time intelligent medical students, heading off for a long weekend of booze and sex in a remote location gets Dead Snow off to an intriguing start.

A lonely cabin in the middle of the snowy mountains of Norway is the primary setting for the Arctic Easter bloodbath.

The eight of them plan to ski and relax during the time away. After one of their group disappears while on a solo cross-country hike, a mysterious resident (Bjørn Sundquist) provides the remaining visitors with a backstory.

In the last days of World War II, a battalion of Nazi soldiers disappeared into the nearby woods after the residents turned on them, and their zombified corpses remain on the prowl in the area looking for fresh meat.

Of course, the students hoot and snicker at the stranger’s proclamations, but the audience knows full well the Nazi soldiers will emerge eventually.

After all, in the very first scene, one of the students who never shows up to join the others is killed by an unidentifiable figure in the dark woods.

If nothing else, Dead Snow is prime-grade entertainment. I eagerly awaited who from the group would be butchered first and how it might happen.

As all fans of the slasher horror genre know, those who party or have sex are not long for this world, and Dead Snow is no different.

What is different from a straight-ahead release is the dark humor that encompasses the film. When one student who is deathly afraid of blood must remove his arm with a chainsaw after being bitten, he does so with deep seriousness and precision.

The macabre scene nearly rivals some others, like when a male member of the group is seduced for sex by a female member of the group while sitting on the toilet in the cold outhouse.

Enough splatters of blood exist to forget how silly the Nazi soldiers look. But the makeup and creative team do a superior job of making the zombies look horrific too. In particular, their leader, Colonel Herzog, is a combination of sexy and hideous.

The international quality and the Norwegian language require subtitles, but that is no problem for me. This brings sophistication and intelligence that I appreciate, raising the film above the mediocrity that it may have suffered from had it been an American release.

The foreign lands add mystique.

Dead Snow, at one hour and thirty minutes, is short enough not to wear out its welcome, which it starts to do in the final fifteen minutes or so.

A chase scene across the snowy mountains and motivation for some ancient gold coins are explained as the final character makes it to safety in an until then missing car.

Or do they?

Providing some fun without taking itself too seriously, Dead Snow (2009) contains no message nor any marquee stars.

Making Nazis the evil ones is no stretch, so there is immediately enough rooting value to forgive some of the students for their idiotic decisions.

It’s a bloody fun time but not much more.

2007 Films, Halloween, Horror, Slasher

Halloween-2007

February 27, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Halloween-2007

Director Rob Zombie

Starring Malcolm McDowell, Scout Taylor-Compton

Scott’s Review #1,234

Reviewed February 27, 2022

Grade: B

I’ve seen director/musician/entertainer Rob Zombie tear down the house as the headlining second stage act at the metal festival Ozzfest in the 2000s.

He’s a striking individual with ferocious energy and a creative persona.

He’s also quite brave to undertake such an undertaking as remaking the legendary slasher film Halloween from 1978.

The results of his 2007 effort, titled Halloween, are a mixed effort, but props to him for having the guts to try.

As with other horror films he has directed and his music, there is brutality and rawness mixed with nastiness and a grim outlook. He wisely focuses on the character of Michael Myers, but fills in too much backstory for my liking.

Part of the appeal of the crazed killer is his mysteriousness.

Both Daeg Faerch and Tyler Mane play Michael.

The story is a bit of a remake.

The new aspect focuses on events that begin on Halloween when ten-year-old Michael inexplicably butchers a school bully, his sister, her boyfriend, and his abusive stepfather.

He is sent to a mental hospital for the next fifteen years, becoming despondent and fixated on making papier-mache masks.

The second part is more familiar territory.

Nearly two decades later, he breaks out, intent on returning to the town of Haddonfield, Illinois. He arrives in his hometown on Halloween to hunt down his younger sister, Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton).

The only thing standing between Michael and a night of bloody carnage is psychologist Dr. Samuel Loomis (Malcolm McDowell).

I stress the near-impossible task Zombie faced in remaking, or even reviving, a film as iconic as John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece. Without even pen to paper, there would immediately be those who would mock and trivialize any attempt.

Zombie both wrote and directed the film.

He immediately provides a reason for Michael’s dirty deeds. Close with his mother, played by Zombie’s real-life wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, who does a fantastic job, Deborah is a struggling stripper married to an abusive man.

So Michael’s earlier butchery can be somewhat understood by audiences.

My preference is how Michael’s parents were portrayed in the original in their one brief scene. They appear to be an upstanding middle-class couple with a nice house and family. This makes Michael’s psychotic rampage all the more vague and confusing.

A fabulous scene at the mental hospital showcases an ominous moment. It’s Halloween Eve, and Doctor Loomis visits the despondent Michael in the outdoor yard.

The audience knows he will escape, but not when or how things will erupt and who will be slashed; we know the bloodletting will soon commence.

The rest of the film is standard fare and a letdown compared to the ambitious first half, though there is far more violence and gore than one could imagine. The film feels haunting and brutal, with Zombie’s uncompromising approach kicking the killings up ten notches.

It’s like the original Halloween on steroids.

The casting highlights start and stop with the exceptional Malcolm McDowell as the tortured Loomis. The famous actor, forever known as Alex in A Clockwork Orange (1971), carries the film with his expression-filled, crystal blue eyes and tremendous acting ability.

Another winning choice is Brad Dourif as Sheriff Lee Brackett. Classic film fans will remember the actor as a person with a mental health condition in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in 1975, for which he was Oscar-nominated.

Scout Taylor-Compton does a decent job as Laurie Strode, but can anyone compare to Jamie Lee Curtis? I snicker at the thought. The rest of the actors portraying the teen friends are okay, but not memorable.

Followed by Halloween II in 2009, Halloween (2007) received enough attention at the time to give fans a flurry of excitement, but with the later recreation and reprisal by Jamie Lee Curtis and others from the original, the Zombie offerings won’t be remembered well.

It’s dirty, bloody, and raw but never terrifying.

Zombie adds story points, some that work and some that don’t, but I give the man much respect for dusting off a film as brilliant as Halloween (1978).

1998 Films, 90's Horror, Horror, Science Fiction

The Faculty-1998

February 5, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Faculty-1998

**Updated Review- Original Review in 2017**

Director Robert Rodriguez

Starring Josh Hartnett, Jordanna Brewster, Clea Duvall

Scott’s Review #1,227

Reviewed February 5, 2022

Grade: B

The Faculty (1998) was released during the late 1990s horror film renaissance.

Wisely, it cast film veterans who enhanced its merit, along with young rising stars who were bankable at the box office.

The film was only a moderate success but has become a cult classic over the years.

With a teacher/student dynamic that incorporates all the standard clichés that go with it, it mixes classic horror with a direct ode to Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It is enjoyable, though hardly worthy of regular viewings.

Instead, it can be part of a 1990s nostalgia night or taken out as an opening act for the comparison film Scream (1996), a similar vehicle also released by Dimension Films. The sunny yet somber high school setting is nearly identical in both films.

The Faculty is a sheer delight for teenage audiences or even twenty-somethings who can relate to the idea of their teachers being otherworldly or some such alien beings.

Stars Josh Hartnett, who had just jumped into the horror circle with Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later (1998), along with attractive, similarly aged Jordanna Brewster and Elijah Wood, lead the pack.

Piper Laurie, Robert Patrick, and Bebe Neuwirth appear in supporting roles as part of the faculty.

The setting is midwestern Ohio, where the students at Harrington High find Principal Drake (Neuwirth) and her gang of teachers a bit odd. Wacky under the best of circumstances, suddenly they become controlled by a parasite and attempt to infect the students one by one.

Cheerleader Delilah (Jordana Brewster), football player Stan (Shawn Hatosy), drug dealer Zeke (Hartnett), and new girl Marybeth (Laura Harris) team up with other classmates to fight back against the invaders.

But is one of the students the ringleader and in control of the faculty?

The horror standardizing one by one is intelligently mixed up in The Faculty. Rather than a maniac brandishing a hatchet and chopping the students to bits, they are instead infected by more subtle means.

The fun is finding out who will become an alien next and enjoying the staff’s weird behavior.

And who hasn’t imagined one of their teachers writhing around in a sports car, coquettishly toying with the hunky high school football players?

Yes, there are some plot holes to contend with and some stale attempts to pair the teens romantically. Predictably, the standard jock, cheerleader, nerd, and outcast stereotypes abound, as well as perceptions of what a school nurse, math teacher, and drama teacher look and sound like.

For good measure, one of the faculty (Salma Hayek) is ‘hot’.

There is much fun in the film and perhaps some truth, and that’s what director Robert Rodriguez showcases throughout. He doesn’t take himself or his characters too seriously, as inside jokes and role interplay in high school make for a playful, light experience.

Rodriguez is the best friend and frequent collaborator of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, but The Faculty holds no Tarantino influence whatsoever.

My favorite line may be when Casey says to snooty Delilah Profitt, “You’re pretty cool when you’re not being a bitch”.

The film isn’t really about students versus teachers or the faculty getting their comeuppance. The target audience is the teen crowd, and they will have a marvelous time experiencing The Faculty.

Times may change, but the same teenage angst is shared across generations. The film is a good outlet for that.

Any fan of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, either the 1950s version or the 1970s remake, will notice some familiar territory.

The pods become fish, and the explanation of taking over planet Earth because another planet is dying is intentionally (hopefully!) silly with a science-fiction edge.

The film ends happily ever after, which is satisfying for the level of seriousness one must take while watching.

Borrowing heavily from other horror films near and dear to it, The Faculty (1998) carves out enough originality in the science fiction genre to warrant some props.

It’s not a measured success, but it evenly distributes pacing and entertainment.

And the big stars add a nice touch.

2011 Films, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Science Fiction

The Cabin in the Woods-2011

January 17, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Cabin in the Woods-2011

Director Drew Goddard

Starring Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth

Scott’s Review #1,221

Reviewed January 17, 2022

Grade: A-

The Cabin in the Woods (2011) is a very clever film with tremendous writing and acting.

It takes a standard horror film premise and spins it into something new and inventive. I wouldn’t dare spoil the twist reveal at the end of the film, but suffice it to say it’s a doozy.

It’s not your typical or expected slasher film.

Drew Goddard (he wrote Cloverfield-2008) wrote the screenplay with Joss Whedon for his directorial debut. Besides horror, it incorporates dark comedy and science fiction, making it cross-genre entertainment.

When five college friends (Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams) arrive at a remote forest cabin for relaxation and quiet, odd horrors await them.

A group of backwoods zombies wreaks havoc on the group, and they are systematically killed one by one in a gruesome fashion.

From an unknown location, two scientists (Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford) manipulate events, but even more sinister machinations are happening elsewhere.

On the surface, the story is pretty basic, and Goddard and Company delightfully parody standard horror elements. Most who see The Cabin in the Woods will be fans of the horror genre.

Anytime five college kids head for a weekend alone in a secluded cabin, it’s a recipe for disaster.

I immediately compared the film to Friday the 13th (1980) meets The Evil Dead (1981).

The group even has nicknames that coincide with traditional horror/slasher film character trademarks: ‘The Virgin’, ‘The Athlete’, ‘The Whore’, ‘The Fool’, and ‘The Scholar’.

This is a pure treat for fans.

Goddard, or the scientists manipulating the action, gleefully fills the students with intoxicants, making their libidos flare and their curiosities piqued.

A mysterious diary and other weird objects are found by the group in the cabin basement.

Ordinarily smart, the students can’t think rationally or reason properly. Naturally, they can’t escape the remote area either.

The scientists cackle and make bets on which zombie will appear next.

The audience enjoys this immensely because what horror film viewer doesn’t predict who gets killed, when, how, and who will be the last one standing?

The Cabin in the Woods is incredibly enjoyable.

In a joyous moment, two of the group have animalistic sex outside, and one is decapitated.

Then things get strange.

The audience knows about the scientists, but wait, there’s more! When a mysterious ‘director’ calls the scientists and tells them Marty (Hemsworth) hasn’t been killed and is trying to rescue Dana (Connolly), something has gone wrong.

The logic behind the big reveal is implausible, but it’s shocking nonetheless. It’s scary because it’s unexpected, and that’s why the film is so creative and successful.

The Cabin in the Woods (2011) turns the traditional horror formula upside down and is a pure delight for genre fans. Instead of mocking it, it embraces the methods and offers intelligence and humor I truly appreciate.

1961 Films, British, British Horror, Horror

The Curse of the Werewolf-1961

January 15, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Curse of the Werewolf-1961

Director Terence Fisher

Starring Oliver Reed, Clifford Evans

Scott’s Review #1,219

Reviewed January 15, 2022

Grade: B

Oliver Reed, who was later famous for films like Oliver! (1968) and Women in Love (1969) made his first starring role in the low-budget Hammer Horror film The Curse of the Werewolf (1961). He carries the latter third of the film simply because his character doesn’t appear until then.

The film is divided into parts and is only slightly over one hour and thirty minutes long. The finale is the best chapter, and the others, while good, move too slowly, considering the brief running time.

This is the first werewolf film to be colorized and was heavily censored upon release.

Hammer Horror’s regular director, Terence Fisher, is at the helm, so the viewer feels soothed and secure. We know the quality will persevere, and I adored the setting of Spain, which has gothic steeples and a flavorful culture.

The Curse of the Werewolf is above average but not one of the best in the Hammer series.

Reed plays Leon Corledo, a man with brutal and macabre origins. He is adopted and raised in the home of a kind and respectable Don Alfredo Corledo (Clifford Evans). When he leaves Don Alfredo to find work, Leon discovers that he has increasingly violent urges.

Although Leon’s love for the beautiful Cristina (Catherine Feller) somewhat calms these fits, he regularly transforms into a werewolf and terrorizes the Spanish countryside.

Before the central part of the story, Leon’s mother is imprisoned and raped by a homeless beggar gone mad. Unfortunately, she gives birth on Christmas when the werewolf curse is started. She soon dies, and little Leon is taken in by Don and his motherly housekeeper, Teresa.

The middle sequence explains how Leon, as a little boy, escapes out his bedroom window to kill animals, thinking it’s all just a dream. Don and others try to hide Leon’s secret.

The curse doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Why does the Christmas holiday make an unwanted newborn “unlucky” and a vicious werewolf? Why is Leon the only werewolf around? Indeed, others are born on Christmas day.

Reed is the main draw as the handsome Leon, and he makes a lovely mate for Cristina, though too few scenes of them exist. It’s not explained why they fall in love other than that both are beautiful and that Cristina’s current intended mate is boorish.

But, then again, The Curse of the Werewolf is not a love story, so we accept some details with a grain of salt.

Any fan of Hammer horror films wants blood and mayhem, and there is a good smattering of each. The dastardly Marquis Siniestro who humiliates the beggar and nearly rapes the servant girl (Leon’s mother) gets it in the back from her with a jagged mirror and the death is bloody and satisfying.

Later, a slutty girl with designs on Leon is ravaged to death by him after he turns into a werewolf on a night with a full moon.

The finale is bittersweet and almost tender when Don must make a horrible decision to kill his son with a silver bullet made with a crucifix to prevent the tortured Leon from killing anymore and suffering a life of misery and regret.

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) is not as satisfying as the Hammer horror films featuring Dracula or containing Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing.

Nobody will ever usurp Lon Chainey Jr.’s frightening portrayal of the wolfman decades earlier, but it’s fun to see Reed take center stage in the film.

There’s also enough to keep Hammer fans entertained.

1960 Films, British, British Horror, Gothic, Horror, Supernatural Horror

The Brides of Dracula-1960

January 9, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Brides of Dracula-1960

Director Terence Fisher

Starring Peter Cushing, Yvonne Monlaur

Scott’s Review #1,218

Reviewed January 9, 2022

Grade: B+

It’s always impressive to me what Hammer Film Productions do with such a limited budget, mainly from a set and art direction perspective. With small funds, they can create gloomy yet beautiful set structures that are highly creative and appear lavish.

To the savvy viewer, this tidbit can make each film a treasure trove of enjoyment if only to look beyond the central activity and notice the style.

The Brides of Dracula (1960) is no exception.

The film is a sequel to the 1958 film Dracula (also known as Horror of Dracula), though the character of Count Dracula does not appear and is instead mentioned only twice. Fans of these films know that Christopher Lee portrays Dracula. Instead, the vicious vampire at the film’s center is Baron Meinster, a disciple of Dracula, played by David Peel.

The villain even bites his mother, played by Martita Hunt, making her undead and terrifying to the residents of a Spanish village.

Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) is the hero and must drive a stake through the heart of the vampire baron before he deviously makes innocent Marianne (Yvonne Monlaur) his bride.

Cushing is a familiar figure in Hammer horror film lore. He leads the charge as the film’s hero. I love the character because he is heroic and unflinching, always calm, cool, and collected in the face of sheer horror.

The sets are gothic and brilliant, especially the gloomy castle owned by the Baroness and her son. When she invites Marianne to spend the night, a threatening servant named Greta treats her to a stylish room and a ravishing dinner.

The exteriors are as good as the interiors and portray the village within Transylvania as cozy and homespun. Outside, the prominent inn run by the locals is inviting as much as it feels forbidden and haunted.

When Marianne is abandoned in the village by her terrified coach driver, we know that secrets or living creatures are waiting to be unearthed.

These atmospheric additions will compel audiences to tune in and enjoy the horrific moments.

Speaking of horror, The Brides of Dracula feels enough like camp and not scary, and comic elements exist throughout. No better example of this is the bumbling and boozy Doctor Tobler, played by character actor Miles Malleson.

While many moments are over the top, especially when a vampire character bares their fangs in the best hammy way, the film never feels foolish or amateurish.

A considerable misstep is naming the film The Brides of Dracula when no Dracula is ever found. I incorrectly assumed the Baron was Dracula until after the final credits rolled. This is a sneaky way to capitalize on the name recognition of Dracula.

There are too many fun moments in the film to harbor much resentment. Of the brides, my favorite is Gina, played by Andree Melly, who looks the most frightening.

The Brides of Dracula (1960) is an entertaining and pleasing chapter in the Hammer horror catalog. The expected elements include a crucifix and a healthy dose of holy water.

2021 Films, Horror, Slasher

Candyman-2021

January 8, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Candyman-2021

Director Nia DaCosta

Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris

Scott’s Review #1,217

Reviewed January 8, 2022

Grade: B

Not being such a fan of the original Candyman horror film from 1992 though admittedly not remembering it too well either I had mixed feelings when I heard that a reboot was in the works.

I’ve learned that while most remakes, especially in the horror genre, are not masterpieces, there is some joy in seeing them resurface.

I was delighted when I realized that Jordan Peele, the magnificent modern director of gems like Get Out (2017) and Us (2019), had co-written the screenplay.

Peele tends to create intelligent and well-written black characters, a representation that is still underrepresented in film today.

I admire the creativity and visual aspects that the new Candyman (2021) offers, and the characters, primarily black, are to be respected and emulated because they are the heroes of the film.

The social message is another win, and Peele is not the only player deserving of credit: newcomer director Nia DaCosta treats the viewer to more than the story. An artsy and sophisticated downtown Chicago art gallery, along with a swanky apartment, are the main settings.

With all these credos, Candyman is not a complete win and is sometimes overcomplicated. The supernatural elements, paired with a socially relevant angle, are implausible, and I yearned for a more direct and accountable approach rather than fantastical storytelling.

The film has a specific left-wing message, which I champion but that others may not.

For as long as residents can remember, the urban housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green neighborhood have been terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand. He can easily be summoned by simply repeating his name five times into a mirror.

As a child, Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who was a resident of the towers, met a man assumed to be the killer, who was then unnecessarily killed by police.

Decades later, the Cabrini towers are long gone, and Anthony is a struggling visual artist. He and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified and inhabited by affluent millennials.

Anthony has a chance encounter with a former Cabrini-Green resident named Billy Burke (Colman Domingo). Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his paintings, unknowingly unleashing a supernatural beast and risking his own sanity.

The sophisticated visual style, especially the wonderful drawings featured at the start and end of Candyman, is impressive. They provide a heavy and realistic portrayal of African American culture and the generations of unfairness and mistreatment they have suffered.

This relates to the film’s point and is nuanced in explaining why the supernatural force with the hook rises in the first place and exacts vengeance on those who conjure it.

The final sequence cements this detail as a slaughter erupts between Anthony, Brianna, and the police. The police are portrayed as unkind and corrupt, but I get the point of the film. Oftentimes, the police are no friends of poor black people.

Despite the social element, Candyman doesn’t feel preachy.

The lead actors are attractive and appealing, and even the original Candyman, actor Tony Todd, makes a brief appearance. Other characters from the original also make appearances.

The kill scenes, a must for a horror film, are delightful, especially a sequence in which a troupe of gossipy schoolgirls meets their maker in a bloody girl’s bathroom scene. Besides being fun, the scene features a camera visual through a makeup compactor that is highly effective.

It’s just that when the credits rolled, I didn’t feel enough satisfaction from what I had just seen. I was more perplexed by how the legend intersected (or did he become?) relevant to present times and to Anthony specifically.

Candyman (2021) delivers an entertaining and relevant themed resurfacing of a thirty-year-old film that I’m glad I watched. It sometimes delivers, but an otherworldly spirit sometimes overshadows the realistic and important racial message.

2021 Films, Horror

The Forever Purge-2021

December 18, 2021 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Forever Purge-2021

Director Everardo Valerio Gout

Starring Tenoch Huerta, Josh Lucas, Ana de la Reguera

Scott’s Review #1,209

Reviewed December 18, 2021

Grade: B+

To date, I’ve seen two of the four installments of The Purge film franchise.

The first one, The Purge (2013), was an edgy, creative concept that brought fresh energy to the horror genre. The sequel, The Purge: Anarchy (2014), was a decent follow-up but nothing to write home about either.

I skipped the next two: The Purge: Election Year (2016) and The First Purge (2018).

My expectations were low for the latest effort, The Forever Purge (2021). I’ve seen way too many ‘part five’ of various horror films to be tricked into thinking anything different will be offered to me.

I was pleasantly surprised.

While the film doesn’t rewrite the rulebooks and sticks to a familiar formula for this type of film, a timely political plot surrounding immigration emerges, mirroring the deadly ‘Trump era’ that the United States is still in the midst of, ever since the 2016 presidential election.

After the film ended, I first chuckled, but then felt sad at the message that perhaps at some point, citizens of the United States will flee to Mexico instead of the other way around.

It’s a somber message worth taking seriously.

In the first scene, we see Adela (Ana de la Reguera) and her husband, Juan (Tenoch Huerta), crossing the border from Mexico to live in Texas, where Juan is working as a ranch hand for the wealthy Tucker family. We presume they are illegal immigrants.

Juan impresses the Tucker patriarch, Caleb (Will Patton), but that fuels the jealous anger of Caleb’s son, Dylan (Josh Lucas). The residents of the small town prepare for the annual Purge, where all crime, including murder, is legal for one night only.

On the morning after The Purge, a masked gang of killers attacks the Tucker family including Dylan’s pregnant wife (Cassidy Freeman), and his sister (Leven Rambin), forcing both families to band together and fight back as the country spirals into chaos and the United States begins to crumble around them.

The insurrectionist movement continues committing crimes and murders nationwide after the Purge’s ending. The gang and their supporters spread throughout the United States as a Civil War eventually erupts, causing many residents of Texas to flee to neighboring Mexico.

Unusual for a horror film, the premise and screenplay are well-written. The social message is a unique one, solidifying the importance of the action being taken. Rather than feeling superfluous, I instead imagined that the events could occur in the real-life current United States.

It was an unsettling feeling that made me focus on the film even more than I would have otherwise.

I love that James DeMonaco (director of the first three and writer of all five) is so heavily involved with the franchise. This consistency brings continuity and a good flow to the series. A sixth film is already in the works.

Too often in horror films, a new regime emerges and changes everything we knew from the preceding films.

The progressive slant of DeMonaco and director Everardo Gout won me over, and I champion that the Mexican characters are the heroes of the film. Not to be forgotten, the caucasian Tucker family is written as sympathizing with and supporting their Mexican friends, becoming strong allies.

Where The Forever Purge lags a bit is with the traditionally standard action sequences. Numerous occurrences of shootouts between the Tuckers and Mexican family (they are never given a last name) and the radical movement become tired and standard after a while.

I sometimes felt like I was watching an episode of The Walking Dead.

The insurrectionists are portrayed as your basic dumb rednecks with primitive ideals and racist viewpoints, but you never hear the current government’s side of the story. It is explained that the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) have regained control of the U.S. government; however, the explanations provided are limited.

It is supposed to be 2048, but this point feels silly since it is present times as far as hairstyles, clothing, and automobiles go.

I credit the thoughtful and forward-thinking approach that DeMonaco provides to The Forever Purge (2021). The political commentary is a huge win in an otherwise entertaining yet standard dystopian action horror film.

The film may be dated in ten or twenty years, but in 2021, the message is pretty damned frightening.

2012 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, Horror-Comedy

Dark Shadows-2012

December 3, 2021 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Dark Shadows-2012

Director Tim Burton

Starring Johnny Depp

Scott’s Review #1,203

Reviewed December 3, 2021

Grade: C+

Sometimes a great idea doesn’t pan out. On paper, relaunching the unique, gothic 1960s daytime television series Dark Shadows as a big-screen tribute with even bigger stars sounds wonderful.

The endless possibilities and the inevitable nods to history are head-spinning.

Sadly, the film version of Dark Shadows (2012) directed by Tim Burton is miscategorized and misunderstood by all involved.

It’s billed as a dark comedy rather than horror or even fantasy and comes across as more of a mockery than a real nod to the series.

It’s completely over-the-top and misses the wonder and spookiness that made the long-ago black-and-white show a daily adventure.

I don’t claim to have seen the entire series, but I have watched much of the first season and understand the appeal.

Fans will be disheartened by Burton’s botched attempts to recreate a great idea.

Depp, a frequent guest star in Burton’s film work, plays the iconic Barnabas Collins, an eighteenth-century vampire who awakens in the twentieth century, though he’s not as bad as he was when he feebly stepped into the Willy Wonka role in 2005.

Yikes.

The only saving grace is the creative and magical visual effects and set design, which provide enough imagination and macabre fascination to at least partly save this otherwise messy experience.

The plot gives a brief explanation of the history.

In eighteenth-century Maine, Barnabas Collins (Depp) presides over the town of Collinsport. A rich and powerful playboy, Barnabas breaks the heart of a witch named Angelique (Eva Green), who deviously makes him pay.

Angelique turns Barnabas into a vampire and buries him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas escapes his tomb when builders erect a McDonald’s and finds the 1970s Collinsport a very different place. His once-grand estate has fallen into ruin, and the dysfunctional remnants of his family have fared no better.

His resurrection creates complications and drama for the entire family.

Burton knocks it out of the park with the visuals.

The gothic mansion, in particular, is right up his alley, and he embraces the possibilities with gusto. Every creak or wind sound heard within the mansion aligns with the dark, dreary purples and browns.

Frequent candles set the mood, and exploring the vast number of rooms was something to look forward to.

Since the rest of the film sucked, I had nothing better to do than fully embrace the art and set design.

Heavyweights like Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, and Depp do their best but oddly overact in nearly every scene. Their direction must have been skewed toward comedy instead of adding any meat or emotional relevance to the characters.

The original series created something strangely dramatic and compelling on a shoestring budget. It had a delicious, haunting, gripping quality that made you anticipate the next episode and wonder who might fall victim to the vampire.

The film veers into a vastly different territory.

Burton and Depp’s Barnabas struts around, emitting one-liners for intended giggles. The other characters seem dressed for Halloween and are dumb and morose.

I got the feeling it was a retread of a situation comedy like The Addams Family rather than a horror soap to be taken seriously.

The sexual references and the occasional bloody vampire effects are okay but seem peppered in to justify the dark comedy.

Even an uninspired cameo by shock rocker Alice Cooper is perceived as a weak attempt to add something frightening or dangerous.

Unsurprisingly, Dark Shadows (2012) performed poorly at the box office and was derided by true fans of the series and almost every other film critic.

This sent Barnabas and his family slinking back into their coffins, possibly for good.

What a shame.

1972 Films, British, British Horror, Horror, Horror Anthologies

Tales from the Crypt-1972

November 25, 2021 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Tales from the Crypt-1972

Director Freddie Francis

Starring Joan Collins, Ian Hendry, Robin Phillips

Scott’s Review #1,200

Reviewed November 25, 2021

Grade: A-

Tales from the Crypt (1972) is a delicious British anthology based on stories from the EC Comics series. Each of the five chapters is eerie storytelling that offers horror fans glimpses into the minds of depraved, devilish characters with sinister motives.

The sheer joy is witnessing their comeuppance.

This film is the predecessor to Vault of Horror (1973) and can be watched as a companion piece.

Below is a summary, review, and rating of each vignette.

Intro

Five strangers are suddenly compelled to join a tourist group to visit the old catacombs.

Separated from the main group, the strangers find themselves in a room with the mysterious Crypt Keeper (Ralph Richardson), who details how each of them may die.

…And All Through The House- A

Joanne Clayton (Joan Collins) brutally kills her husband Richard (Martin Boddey) on Christmas Eve to get her hands on their insurance money.

She prepares to hide his body but hears a radio announcement of a homicidal maniac (Oliver MacGreevy) on the loose.

She sees the killer (who is dressed in a Santa Claus costume) outside her house, but cannot call the police without exposing her crime.

Her daughter is upstairs in her bedroom, unaware.

This is my favorite chapter, and it’s nonstop action. Collins is terrific as the greedy Englishwoman put in peril. The audience will cheer for her to get her just desserts, especially after she callously disregards a lovely Christmas gift her husband bought for her.

Reflection of Death- B+

Carl Maitland (Ian Hendry) abandons his family to be with his secretary, Susan Blake (Angela Grant). After they drive off together, they are involved in a car accident. He wakes up, having been thrown clear of the burned car. He tries to hitchhike home, but everyone he meets screams with horror when they see him.

This vignette is slightly confusing in terms of the events’ timeline, but compelling as we wait to see what Carl’s face looks like and what has happened to Susan and his wife.

Poetic Justice- A

James Elliott (Robin Phillips) lives with his father Edward (David Markham) across from the home of elderly dustman Arthur Edward Grimsdyke (Peter Cushing), who owns several dogs and entertains children in his house.

James hates Arthur’s ramshackle lawn and embarks on a scheme to rid the neighborhood of the older man.

I love seeing Cushing play against type as a kindly grandfatherly character, and this chapter is the ultimate revenge fantasy, and quite satisfying to see what happens to James.

It’s also a perfect watch for Valentine’s Day, since the holiday is in play.

Wish You Were Here- A-

Businessman Ralph Jason (Richard Greene) is on the verge of financial collapse. His wife Enid (Barbara Murray) notices the inscription on a Chinese statue the couple owns.

They are granted three wishes. Enid decides to wish for a fortune and, surprisingly, the wish comes true, but with dire results.

This one wonderfully cascades a chain of events that leaves the characters in peril. The theme is once again about greed, specifically surrounding insurance money. The fast-paced nature is appealing, and the ancient Chinese wishes leave one character in eternal suffering.

Blind Alleys- A-

Major William Rogers (Nigel Patrick) becomes the new director of a home for blind people and exploits his position to live in luxury with his dog, Shane. At the same time, his drastic cuts to food and heating worsen the residents’ living conditions.

Led by George Carter (Patrick Magee), the residents revolt after a fellow resident dies of hypothermia. Rogers and Shane are locked in the basement, where Rogers must navigate through a maze of razor blades and a now ravenous wild dog who will hungrily eat his owner.

Though far-fetched, Blind Alleys is delicious fun and contains my most hated character. This is all the more satisfying as he ‘gets it’ in the end!

Finale

After completing the final tale, the Crypt Keeper reveals that he was not warning them of what would happen, but telling them what has already happened: they have all “died without repentance.

The conclusion does nothing more than put a satisfying cap on the viewer as each character once again pays for their shenanigans.

2021 Films, Horror, Thriller

Old-2021

November 13, 2021 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Old-2021

Director M. Night Shyamalan

Starring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps

Scott’s Review #1,195

Reviewed November 13, 2021

Grade: B

I am always rather intrigued by any M. Night Shyamalan projects that come down the pike, whether it be a television or film offering. He has a knack for creating twist endings with a supernatural component.

Sometimes, like with The Sixth Sense (1999) and The Village (2004), he knocks it out of the park. Others are more average.

Old (2021) contains a novel and tantalizing premise that sometimes delivers and sometimes lags. It’s a worthy effort that picks up speed in the final fifteen minutes or so with a predictable conclusion I guessed about midway through, but it’s still really cool to see.

The film might have been better as a short film or a shorter episode – think The Twilight Zone.

Nothing in Old is too shocking or scary, and nothing that will make the hair on your neck stand up, but it’s entertaining and provides a message worthy of dissection.

The visionary filmmaker unveils a chilling, mysterious premise that oozes with possibility.

A seemingly happy suburban family decides to treat themselves to a tropical holiday in paradise. Prisca (Vicky Krieps), the wife, stumbles upon the exciting vacation offer online and decides to go for it. This alone should have been a red flag. Her husband, Guy (Gael García Bernal), agrees, and their children, Trent and Maddox, are overjoyed.

What the children don’t realize is that Guy and Prisca plan to divorce after the vacation ends.

The family is lavished with hospitality, food, and drinks and whisked away to a secluded beach where they relax for a few hours with other members of the resort, including a surgeon and his wife, an epileptic psychologist and her husband, and various others.

They realize that something is causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives to a single day.

They panic and try to leave the island, sometimes turning on each other in the process.

M. Night Shyamalan himself has a small role as a resort employee who drives the group to the beach and monitors them.

Filmed primarily on the beaches of the Dominican Republic, the cinematography is outstanding and quite scenic. The film doesn’t specify where the action is supposed to take place, so I guessed it was Hawaii.

The lavish mountains, roaring waves, and exquisite underwater coral sequences give the film a beautiful and calming vibe, despite the drama unfolding.

I also drew comparisons to the popular television series Lost, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2010. A group of stranded individuals faces complex and startling situations as they desperately try to flee an island.

When one character drowns and another falls to their death from a cliff while trying to leave, I was reminded that maybe the island is a force in itself.

As the title suggests, the characters begin to age rapidly. The makeup effects aren’t as significant as one might hope, and some characters inexplicably age more than others, making the whole idea feel a bit silly.

Some of the characters are written better than others, and there are some stereotypes to overlook, like the schizophrenic doctor who goes mad. His trophy wife is blonde, toned, and obsessed with remaining young. As a positive, the wife of another couple is a doctor and the husband a nurse. Many would expect the opposite.

To that end, I never felt very connected to any of the characters, and most are written as a means to an end. Their backstories are explored, but lack any depth.

The twist at the end, totally expected in a Shyamalan film, lends itself to a discussion that can be had after the movie ends. A question of medicine and playing god is the primary focus, and one character with a small role at the beginning of the film is pivotal in the final events.

Not one of his best but certainly worthy of a watch, M. Night Shyamalan continues to tickle my fancy for crafting good, twisty thrillers.

Old (2021) doesn’t come close to rivaling his classics but provides good entertainment and perhaps a bit more.

2021 Films, Halloween, Horror, Slasher

Halloween Kills-2021

October 31, 2021 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Halloween Kills-2021

Director David Gordon Green

Starring Jamie Lee Curtis

Scott’s Review #1,190

Reviewed October 31, 2021

Grade: B+

The second installment in a planned trilogy of the iconic Halloween franchise, which began in 1978, Halloween Kills (2021) is a frightfully effective “middle sibling”.

Bridging the gap between Halloween (2018) and the highly anticipated Halloween Ends (2022), the film has enough gory kills and bloodletting to satisfy any horror fan.

The plot is furthered, and the groundwork is laid for the next installment.

The nods to history, with several actors reprising their characters from the original film, are an enormous treat for fans and a true pleasure to see.

The historical writing is excellent, and it effectively weaves these characters into the story alongside newer ones. Jamie Lee Curtis, of course, stars as the terrorized Laurie Strode.

Picking up where Halloween-2018 left off on Halloween night (naturally), a wounded Laurie (Curtis) is whisked away to Haddonfield Hospital to recover while confident that she has finally killed her nemesis, Michael Myers, by burning him to death.

She is joined by her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) since the trio left the masked maniac caged and burning in Laurie’s basement. Or so they thought.

Spoiler alert: Michael is far from dead.

Continuing his ritual bloodbath held on Halloween night, Michael roams the quiet streets of Haddonfield. At the same time, the fed-up townspeople rise against their unstoppable monster and form a vigilante mob led by Tommy Doyle (Hall).

They continue to chant “Evil dies tonight” in anticipation of Michael’s demise.

Kyle Richards (Lindsey Wallace), Nancy Stephens (Nurse Marion Chambers), and Charles Cyphers (Sheriff Brackett) return to the action with prominent supporting roles.

Their additions are a significant win for me, and presumably, for any fan of the franchise. It’s like welcoming old friends back into your life with open arms after a long absence.

The fact that they provide a historical background is the icing on the cake. Brackett’s daughter, Annie, one of the first of Michael’s victims, is celebrated and shown via flashbacks.

The film also mentions Marion’s close friendship with Michael’s doctor, Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence). He appears in computer-animated flashbacks to 1978.

Director/writer David Gordon Green, along with co-writers Scott Teems and Danny McBride, frequently revisits the events of 1978 in an uncompromising, relevant way, reminding longtime fans of the story’s history and teaching newcomers how the dots connect.

It’s a brilliant decision.

The diversity offered in Halloween Kills is a breath of fresh air and progressive.

An interracial couple, a same-sex couple, and a black couple are added with respect, dignity, and without stereotypes. They are everyone’s neighbors and an accurate representation of the community.

As residents of the cursed Myers house, Big John and Little John are portrayed as tough and intelligent, avoiding the comic relief that often shadows gay characters.

A few death scenes are extended to show the victim’s pain and suffering instead of the usual quick and easy slice ’em and dice ’em style. This will make the squeamish a bit nervous, but that’s half the fun of horror films, right?

The typical throat-slashing and eye-gouging are included, but many of the minor characters are likable, witty, and clever, and not written as complete morons.

In contrast to the original Halloween, the residents of Haddonfield now seem more blue-collar and red necks than upper-middle-class. I chuckled when Laurie yelled “sheep” at the venomous residents chasing a man assumed to be Myers (he wasn’t).

I surmised the filmmakers might have been sticking it to the dolts who blindly follow political leaders in a cultish way, without thinking.

Before anyone thinks that Halloween Kills (2021) is a work of art, it isn’t. There is enough silly dialogue to make anyone snicker, but that’s what slasher films are all about. They are meant to be fun, and this Halloween installment doesn’t disappoint.

The film is sheer entertainment done well and makes me anticipate the next and “final” Halloween chapter. But as long as the movie remains a hit at the box office, the killings will go on and on and on and on.

2021 Films, Horror, International, International Horror

Lamb-2021

October 17, 2021 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Lamb-2021

Director Valdimar Johannsson

Starring Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snaer Guonason

Scott’s Review #1,187

Reviewed October 17, 2021

Grade: A-

Director Valdimar Jóhannsson’s feature-length film directorial debut is a mixed recipe of eeriness and gorgeous cinematography sprinkled with horror and dread.

The film is shot entirely in remote Iceland, giving it a texture that is ominous and haunting.

The creation, as described by Lamb (2021), is highly effective in evoking mood and dread, as the feeling that something awful will happen at any moment is unrelenting throughout most of the film.

During numerous sequences, I expected something to leap out from behind a door or suddenly peer through a window, but the film contains no gimmicks.

It doesn’t need them. The low-key musical score is terrific.

After an extremely slow build, the shit finally hits the fan, making the payoff well worth the wait.

On their remote farm, María (Rapace) and Ingvar (Guonason) share a peaceful and idyllic life raising sheep. They are deeply in love but miss having a child. After one of their sheep gives birth to a human/sheep hybrid, they are filled with love and decide to raise it as their own, naming her Ada.

The arrival of Ingvar’s troubled brother Pétur (Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson) upends their calm family dynamic.

Providing an additional hurdle is the arrival of their “daughters'” sheep mother, who remains outside their house, crying for her newborn. She is determined not to let María and Ingvar steal her baby. Does María go too far in a fit of rage?

Jóhannsson, who also co-wrote the screenplay, fills the film with mystery. The first scene depicts a herd of horses terrified by an approaching force that arrives at María and Ingvar’s barn. Later, featured animals, such as a sheep, a cat, and a dog, seem spooked and alert.

What is this force, and what’s in store for the characters?

On the surface, a sheep/human hybrid runs the risk of feeling ridiculous, especially as Ada ages and is clad in bright sweaters and jackets. She cannot speak, but she can comprehend and is capable of feeling and experiencing emotions. She is quite human-like and filled with love.

As an audience member, I took to her and therefore rooted for her happiness.

I adore the characters of María and Ingvar. Preparing meals together, sipping wine, and playing cards, they take turns with the farmwork and make a superb romantic ideal. It’s never known if they once had a child who died or whether Ada is the first sheep/human hybrid they’ve ever seen.

They don’t seem completely surprised at the birth.

When they visit a grave marked with the name Ada, we wonder who the deceased is.

I shuddered upon the arrival of Pétur. A heap of trouble he mooches off of our happy couple and despises Ada, almost shooting her with a shotgun. Thankfully, he has enough sense not to hurt her, but the ever-present shotgun inevitably comes into play later on.

Rapace, Guonason, and Haroldsson provide exceptional acting, which goes a long way to ground a story that could easily be deemed as silly or superfluous.

Cinematographer Eli Arenson deserves major props for capturing gorgeous location shots in Iceland. Having visited this lush geographical paradise, I immediately appreciated what I was being offered and was taken aback by the sprawling farmlands and statuesque mountains.

Those who are squeamish about seeing an animal give birth may want to close their eyes during one scene, which undoubtedly is a real birth of a lamb. I found it beautiful.

The final fifteen minutes of Lamb are violent and daring. Mixed with an obvious nightmare is a sweetness and sincerity that dripped from the screen. The folktale presentation creates a fairytale comparison, and the fate of one character is shrouded in uncertainty.

For those wondering who or what Ada’s father is, Daddy does finally make an appearance.

Lots of questions abound after the credits roll, so might there be a sequel offered by Jóhannsson? Let’s hope so.

Lamb (2021) seamlessly blends the everyday reality of farm work and the daily life of an attractive couple with a horrific folklore story. I might have preferred a slightly faster pace, but by no means did I ever feel robbed of a proper payoff.

2000 Films, Horror, Supernatural Horror

Final Destination-2000

October 16, 2021 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Final Destination-2000

Director James Wong

Starring Devon Sawa, Ali Larter

Scott’s Review #1,186

Reviewed October 16, 2021

Grade: B

Following the commercial success of Wes Craven’s Scream in the mid-1990s, the horror genre was once again a hot ticket item.

New Line Cinema capitalized on this financial goldmine by creating the popular Final Destination franchise in 2000.

Five films were created in total.

The Final Destination films all have the same premise. A small group of people escapes impending death after one individual sees a sudden premonition and warns the others about the mass-casualty accident that is about to happen.

Their luck is unfortunately short-lived.

After avoiding their foretold deaths, the survivors are systematically killed off one by one in bizarre accidents caused by an unseen force creating complicated chains of cause and effect.

There is no way they can cheat death, and the bastard will have his way with them.

The upside is that the deaths are highly creative and oodles of fun for the bloodthirsty horror viewer to feast upon. Instead of a knife-wielding maniac, the protagonist is an evil force, which at the time was a neat little add-on that made the film unique.

The victims are mainly teenagers or twenty-something characters, who are the target audience for these and most other horror films.

In Final Destination (2000), high school student Alex Browning (Sawa) is about to embark on a fabulous senior class trip to Paris. A group of his schoolmates joins him.

Just before takeoff, as the group settles in for their eight-hour journey from New York to Charles de Gaulle Airport, Alex has a premonition and sees the plane explode moments after it leaves the ground.

Alex becomes unruly and insists that everyone get off the plane, and seven people, including Alex, are forced to disembark. All watch as the plane explodes in an enormous fireball, killing everyone on board.

He and the other survivors have briefly cheated death, but will not be able to avoid their fate for very long. One by one, these lucky survivors fall victim to the Grim Reaper.

I have seen each one of the Final Destination films and enjoyed them all. Typically, the first film is the best, but I argue that part 2 is the best, but that is irrelevant to this review.

The premise is extremely clever and instantly absorbing. Instead of the dated “final girl,” one assumes that Alex will be the last survivor, and that may or may not be true, as a twisted game of figuring out which order the seven survivors will be killed is based on their seating arrangements on the flight that nearly drives Alex mad.

It’s the perfect engagement for the viewer.

As a clue, director James Wong, who co-wrote the screenplay, creates stock characters like the dumb jock, Carter Horton, with the muscle car, played exceptionally well by Kerr Smith, and the douchey Billy Hitchcock (Seann Williams Scott).

There is a teacher and FBI agents thrown in for good measure, so it becomes obvious who is going to be killed off.

The fun is watching them get killed. Delicious deaths like being run over by a bus, embedded by flying knives, and a good old-fashioned decapitation by flying shrapnel are to be enjoyed.

The final sequence, ironically set in Paris, is exceptional as three survivors are left, and they feel safe. They are not safe at all, as one of them suddenly realizes, resulting in a clever final kill, followed by sudden end credits.

This is narrowly usurped by the brilliant plane crash premonition scenes as Alex teeters between reality and premonition.

The plane explosion is highly effective and is shown from inside the fuselage. The visual effects, which used a miniature Boeing 747, are wonderful to watch with heart-racing detail and excitement.

At times during Final Destination, the action lags, and Ali Larter, who plays Clear Rivers, is not the greatest actress. Her silly battle with electric sparks while sitting in a car is not the film’s finest sequence.

Final Destination (2000) is a fun popcorn film with some admirable, unexpected turns. It stays true to the horror formula while offering some unique additions that feel fresh.

It’s a roller coaster ride meant to be enjoyed and not overanalyzed. The innovation suitably balances the fun.

Welcome to my blog!1,555 reviews posted so far! I'm Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My site features hundreds of film reviews I have written since I launched the site in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading my latest reviews or searching for your own favorites to see if we agree. Please see my Recent Posts section, and don't forget to utilize the tags and category links.