Tag Archives: Horror

2022 Films, Horror, Jessie T. Usher, Kal Penn, Kyle Gallner, Parker Finn, Rob Morgan, Sosie Bacon

Smile-2022

February 8, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Smile-2022

Director Parker Finn

Starring Sosie Bacon, Jessie Usher

Scott’s Review #1,342

Reviewed February 8, 2023

Grade: B+

I was prepared to award Smile (2022), a new supernatural horror film, with an exceptional ‘A-‘ grade until it dissipated during the final act and became too confusing.

The story collapsed mightily, leaving too much ambiguity and a messy plot that turned chaotic, so my initial reaction was one of dissatisfaction.

But then I remembered that I watched some of it with my hand closed to cover my eyes, and my jaw dropped open during other parts.

Smile is one of the scariest horror films I’ve seen in quite a while, with striking visuals and a handful of terrifying scenes. I’ll probably never see someone smirk again without thinking of this film.

Matters get off to a thumping start when Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) witnesses a bizarre, traumatic incident involving one of her patients. The troubled patient claims to see a haunted smile and suddenly kills herself in the presence of Rose.

Shaken, Rose starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain as she turns to white wine to calm her nerves. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

But what does the link to her past have to do with the present?

That’s where Smile does a deep dive south, but I’m willing to forgive Rose’s trip to her abandoned childhood home, where her mother, who has a mental illness, offered herself while a guilt-ridden Rose did nothing to help.

There’s also Rose’s bitchy, self-centered sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser), to contend with.

The implausible storyline can be forgiven by the knowledge that Smile is director Parker Finn’s first feature film! Greats like Hitchcock and Tarantino didn’t knock it out of the park with their first releases either, but the brilliance was noticeably there.

The opening sequence, for example, is one of the best I’ve seen in horror this decade. I didn’t anticipate something so gruesome and palpable to occur right away. Rose’s patient is immediately terrified of Rose, which is a clear indication that something is seriously wrong.

The next best scene happens at Rose’s nephew’s birthday party. On an otherwise lovely afternoon, the boy’s living room is filled with brightly packaged presents from friends and family gathered nearby. He eagerly picks up his Aunt Rose’s specially wrapped gift.

What is wrapped inside is too gruesome to describe, but suffice it to say the party is ruined, the nephew traumatized, and all the party guests in agreement that Rose should be immediately sent to the loony bin.

It’s other aspects that give Smile a significant victory. Any character who dons that sinister smile (see poster art above), whether real or imagined, haunts me in my dreams.

Those who scare easily need not see this film.

An interracial aspect (the Caucasian Rose’s boyfriend is black, and Holly’s husband is Indian) scores major points from a diversity perspective, and more minor characters provide a robust helping of cultural richness as well.

Sosie Bacon, daughter of Kevin Bacon and Kira Sedgwick, may be headed for Hollywood fame of her own as she easily carries the film. She emits a combination of calm, vulnerability, and intelligence, which makes the character relatable.

The film received positive reviews from critics but was criticized for patterning itself too closely after its counterparts, The Ring (2002) and It Follows (2014), but since those films were excellent, I didn’t mind a bit.

I don’t think we necessarily need a sequel to Smile (2022), but I’m anxious to see what Parker Finn comes up with next. He’s got the jumps and the cinematography down, and hopefully, he stays in the horror genre.

2022 Films, David Corenswet, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, Mia Goth, Slasher, Ti West

Pearl-2022

February 2, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Pearl-2022

Director Ti West

Starring Mia Goth, David Corenswet

Scott’s Review #1,339

Reviewed February 2, 2023

Grade: A-

The follow-up to the superb horror film X (2022) is even better. Ti West directs and co-writes Pearl (2022) with star Mia Goth, who is quickly becoming a household name, especially in horror circles.

The duo creates a macabre and intelligent piece that pays homage to legendary films like The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Mary Poppins (1964) in the most wicked of ways. The film resembles a musical from the golden age of cinema, but it is haunting instead.

A24 is the place to be predominantly in the horror genre, as creativity is embraced and massaged rather than picked apart and recreated by too many cooks in the kitchen.

West and Goth appear to have complete creative control, and it shows in the finished product.

In the second chapter of X, we are introduced to the character Pearl as a young woman living on a farm in rural Texas. Fans recall that Pearl is the old lady in X, but we knew nothing of her backstory until now.

Pearl feels trapped on her family farm. Bored and isolated, she needs more out of life than milking cows, caregiving for her sickly father (Matthew Sunderland), or disagreeing with her rigid mother, Ruth (Tandi Wright).

She lusts for the glamorous life starring in Hollywood pictures, much to her mother’s chagrin. When a church-sponsored audition for dancers needed for a traveling troupe occurs, Pearl sees this as her way out of dodge and anticipates winning the contest. She is joined by her affluent sister-in-law Mitsy (Emma Jenkins-Burro).

The time is 1918, and Pearl’s fiancé is off fighting World War I.

It’s tough to take my eyes off Goth, quickly becoming a modern scream queen turned upside down. She’s not the victim, she’s the villain. With her wide-eyed stare and luscious red lips, she bears a striking resemblance to Dorothy Gale from Kansas.

Her descent into madness is slow yet always bubbling beneath the surface. We quickly get glimpses of her psychosis when she stares down her mother during a disagreement, showing that Pearl doesn’t merely get into a tizzy; she goes full-throttle psycho.

And anyone who has seen X knows that the old lady has some issues.

Initially, there is hope for Pearl, and we take pleasure in her company. She catches the eye of a handsome projectionist played by David Corenswet. Mutually smitten, he makes her forget her fiancé, and they bond over films and aspirations.

But once he visits Pearl’s farm and finds a maggot-covered stuffed pig and hears noises in her house, his interest wanes. Not to be so easily dismissed, Pearl’s actual mental state is revealed.

West and Goth turn the horror genre upside down when the best and most brutal killings occur during the daytime. Standard horror films often take place at night, so this invention raises the stakes when the cinematography and lighting are as bright.

This adds to the horrific nature of the gruesome bloodletting. Pearl calmly follows her prey down the sunny driveway, holding a pitchfork, intent on killing.

She repeatedly exclaims that nothing will keep her on the farm, but we know that she will.

Returning to the Wizard of Oz comparisons, several references can be found. For starters, Goth resembles Judy Garland, mainly around the eyes. Her outfits, most notably her dresses and hair bow, pay tribute to Dorothy. Her bicycle looks like Miss Gulch’s ride.

Goth also resembles American actress Shelley Duvall, whose most notable role is that of the suffering Wendy Torrance in The Shining (1980). Both actors have a mesmerizing stare as if to say ‘I can go cuckoo at any moment now’.

Too few modern films can be watched and re-watched, but my hunch is that my first viewing of Pearl (2022) will not be my last.

A third film is in the works.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Lead Performance-Mia Goth, Best Cinematography

2023 Films, Allison Williams, Amie Donald, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Comedy, Gerard Johnstone, Horror, Horror-Camp, Horror-Comedy, James Wan, Jenna Davis, Science Fiction, Slasher

M3GAN-2023

January 31, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

M3GAN-2023

Director Gerard Johnstone

Starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw

Scott’s Review #1,338

Reviewed January 31, 2023

Grade: B+

M3GAN (2023) is the sleeper hit of the year, quickly becoming a ‘water-cooler’ topic (remember that phrase?) after getting stagnant cinema lovers back into theaters in droves.

Released in the traditionally dismal month of January when studios usually ‘dump’ film releases with little or no bang for their buck M3GAN is already set to spawn a sequel. The possibilities for a different story to correlate with the original are endless.

The poster (see above) and the movie trailer are instantly grabbing. We see a doll-like/robotic little girl with long flowing blonde hair and mesmerizing, sparkling eyes that are cat-like and creepy.

Almost life-like, it doesn’t take a genius to conjure images of the Chucky doll from the Child’s Play franchise (1988-2019). Seemingly lovable but turning sinister, the concepts are more or less the same.

When robotics engineer Gemma (Allison Williams) takes in her orphaned niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), she creates the perfect companion for her, a lifelike doll named M3GAN, who serves as a friend, confidante, and sensible role model.

Cady and M3GAN immediately bond and become inseparable pals.

M3GAN can listen, watch, and learn from other people and objects as they relate to Cady, using advanced Artificial Intelligence to store their idiosyncrasies.

As expected, things soon go awry when M3GAN uses her superior intelligence to destroy anyone whom she perceives as a threat to Cady.

I’m not one to suggest a film tone down the blood and gore in a horror film but in the case of M3GAN, it works to the film’s advantage as proven by tremendous box-office receipts.

Far from kid-friendly, one of the main characters is eight to ten years old which might encourage parents, especially parents who are horror fans, to take their youngsters to see the film. At first, Cady and M3GAN invoke an idealized pre-teen female relationship, and a bully intent on harming Cady gets his comeuppance.

Most of the other characters who suffer dire fates are unlikeable. A boorish neighbor, a vicious dog, Gemma’s obnoxious boss, and his conniving assistant all get their due one way or another at the hands of M3GAN.

She’s not exactly a ‘hero’ but the fun is watching hated characters suffer at her hands. The setup is perfected as each character reveals their obnoxiousness to the rabid audience thirsting for a slashed throat or two.

My point is that parents and kids alike can enjoy this film and simultaneously share a startle and a giggle.

The campy nature of the film is another win since the humor evens out the horror elements. There are enough funny lines, mostly delivered by the supporting players, to evoke laugh-out-loud moments.

The grand finale is inevitably predictable but enjoyable because it’s what the audience can’t wait for. M3GAN, once prim and proper in her little girl dress, shrieks and spits curses at her former friends as her now disfigured face and ravaged hair make her look disheveled and monstrous.

M3GAN’s true colors are revealed and the audience will hoot and holler with delight.

Unlike many films, M3GAN goes right for the jugular in the first scene with a deadly car accident and keeps the fast pace for the entire one hour and forty-two minute running time.

Williams, well-known for starring in Jordan Peele’s 2017 masterpiece Get Out scores another win in the central role. She capably plays a loving yet inexperienced surrogate parent and carries the film, along with M3GAN of course.

Incorporated is a relevant knock on mass consumption of technology gadgets and a robot replacing good parenting. This is more evidence that parents should see M3GAN.

I can’t wait to see what the writers next have in store for the little terror when the sequel drops.

2022 Films, Bill Skarsgård, Georgina Campbell, Horror, Justin Long, Zach Cregger

Barbarian-2022

January 19, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Barbarian-2022

Director Zach Cregger

Starring Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long

Scott’s Review #1,335

Reviewed January 19, 2023

Grade: B+

Although there are some exceptions, it can be challenging to distinguish many modern horror films from one another. Maybe it’s age catching up to me, but many of them run together or lack a novel subject that makes them memorable past a couple of days.

Supernatural beings seem to be a standard flavor, so it’s pretty refreshing to watch a movie like Barbarian (2022), which offers an original storyline with a straight-ahead premise.

You might say the events could happen in ‘real life’ with some suspension of disbelief to endure.

The twists and turns make Barbarian an edge-of-your-seat experience with some genuinely scary moments. It’s a nice feeling when I can’t predict the ending or am surprised in some way by a horror film’s outcome.

There are major plot points and numerous questions to ponder, but this is forgivable because the film takes the viewer on a fun and unexpected journey.

Horror genre fans alike should enjoy this spooky entry, and I know I’ll never go to Detroit, Michigan, without thinking of this film.

Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell) travels to Detroit for a job interview, having booked an Airbnb in a residential area. But when she arrives late at night in a driving rainstorm, she discovers that the house is inhabited by a strange man named Keith (Bill Skarsgard), who insists he is also renting the home.

Suspicious, but unable to reach her contacts or find another place to stay, she decides to spend the evening sharing a bottle of wine with the stranger.

They retire to bed (separately), but when she wakes to find her bedroom door ajar, she discovers that there’s more to fear than Keith.

A lot more.

I wondered what I would do if faced with the same circumstance. Would I sit in my car all night, sleep-deprived, and attend an important job interview? Or, enjoy an inviting glass of wine, the company of a handsome stranger, and the comfort of a warm bed?

The first section of the film deals with this before spinning into another direction, which is what makes the film so pleasurable.

As an unearthed portion of the house is uncovered, Tess is continually faced with more questions, typically involving whether to flee from the home or stay and save others.

The introduction of AJ (Justin Long), a Los Angeles actor who owns the house, almost makes the audience forget about Keith or the initial storyline, especially when other dubious characters like a rapist and a deformed woman named ‘Mother’ make their appearance midway through.

The dark, foreboding passageways to nowhere, familiar territory in horror, are given fresh life by the use of flashlights and tape measures, making the viewer unsure of who or what could be around the corner.

I love how the current rundown neighborhood, now avoided by the police and forgotten by everyone else, is seen back in the 1980s with well-manicured lawns and freshly painted houses.

This backstory connects to current events, which made me feel invested.

There’s even a shred of sympathy given to the main villain.

Where things falter is when I try to add up the logic of the situation. Nobody eats in this film, as the plausibility of finding food before starvation is nil.

Also, when history is revealed, the many living things residing below the house are nowhere to be found. Where are they, or what happened to them?

Finally, Tess, while an intelligent woman, makes more than one bungled decision that lands her in continuous trouble.

Surprisingly, director Zach Cregger is new to filmmaking and had an idea that spiraled into Barbarian (2022). If he gets his story points straightened out, he could have a bright future in the world of cinema.

2022 Films, Daniel Kaluuya, Donna Mills, Horror, Jordan Peele, Keke Palmer, Oz Perkins, Steven Yeun

Nope-2022

January 15, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Nope-2022

Director Jordan Peele

Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer

Scott’s Review #1,334

Reviewed January 15, 2023

Grade: B

I excitedly anticipated the latest offering from one of my favorite modern directors, Jordan Peele. Always conjuring some message, intrigue, or social issue, his projects are laden with meaning rather than a one-dimensional portrayal of a crazed killer or a one-note story.

Get Out (2017) and Us (2019) were riveting efforts that could be watched over and over again for deeper meaning, and the same was expected of Nope (2022).

Peele’s brilliant yet short-lived The Twilight Zone series further cemented his appeal.

While there are moments of mystery, intrigue, and horror, and the stories are good individually, they don’t come together cohesively at the end of the film. Nothing was clear or specific, nor was it fulfilled.

Nope is not a dud and deserves respect for the originality of the premise as well as the sprinkling of nods to past horror films like The Shining (1980) and others.

Hollywood animal wrangler OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast Southern California ranch. After a falling object kills their father, they become obsessed as they plot to capture the mystery on camera.

Their next-door neighbor, Jupe (Steven Yuen), a former child star turned family theme park ringmaster, has his own story to tell.

Through flashbacks, we learn of a deadly incident with a chimpanzee who went berserk on the set of a television series in which Jupe starred.

The 1998 events involving Jupe and the chimpanzee are the best parts. This is surprising since they are not part of the main action. Peele does wonders with chapter title cards to separate the film and haunting camera angles focusing on Jupe’s point of view.

The chimp slaughters nearly everyone on set except for Jupe and tenderly reaches out to him before being shot and killed by the police.

OJ and Emerald’s story also has juice. The foreboding, unidentified flying object that circles and appears at varying times provides a sense of mystique and wonder. What could it be, and why does it hover only over their land?

Peele wrote, directed, and produced the venture, so presumably, he had complete creative control over the entire film.

He even convinced the appealing Daniel Kaluuya, who starred in Get Out and just won an Academy Award for Judas and the Black Messiah in 2021, to return.

There are no significant issues with the technical special effects, the cinematography, the cast, or the two separate stories.

My beef is with the myriad of questions I was left with when the end credits began to roll, and I thought, ‘Why has Jordan Peele disappointed me for the very first time?’

Here are just a few of them.

Why is the unidentified flying object afraid of horses? Why does it viciously attack anyone who looks it in the eye? What does the vicious chimpanzee attack have to do with anything? How does Jupe’s story connect with OJ and Emerald’s? Why is the character named OJ; what is the connection to OJ Simpson?

Knowing Peele, I could venture a guess at the UFO’s anger at being looked at as having a connection to the celebrity or a society of voyeurs, but the others are perplexing to me.

I was both compelled and fascinated by the events throughout the film, but I wish the payoff had been more substantial; it never came.

Peele creates sophisticated films, and Nope is no exception, offering sophistication and a deeper meaning. I wasn’t personally able to put the pieces together like I was for Get Out or Us.

I may not have the energy to rewatch the two-hour and fifteen-minute spectacle to see if I can get more out of it a second time, but I probably should.

I will watch whatever Peele creates next with anticipation and excitement because there is always something to ponder and be entertained by. However, at first review, Nope (2022) seems inferior to his other projects, and more was expected.

2022 Films, Amandla Stenberg, Chase Sui Wonders, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Halina Reijn, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Maria Bakalova, Myha'la, Pete Davidson, Slasher

Bodies Bodies Bodies-2022

December 11, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Bodies Bodies Bodies-2022

Director Halina Reijn

Starring Amandla Sternberg, Maria Bakalova

Scott’s Review #1,321

Reviewed December 11, 2022

Grade: B

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) is an admirable attempt at merging straight-ahead slasher whodunit with a good dose of dark comedy and camp. It doesn’t always hit the mark, but it provides entertainment and is thought-provoking.

The film is never dull and will keep the viewer guessing. There is plenty of diversity with a twist at the end, which I’m still not sure is satisfying or not.

While watching the film, I wasn’t always sure if the dialogue was intended to be played for laughs (it’s sometimes terrible). I’m still uncertain whether the debut director, Halina Reijn, was poking fun at 1980s-style slasher flicks or paying homage to them.

The inclusion of Saturday Night Live alumnus Pete Davidson provides a bit of humor. He pushes the film toward comedy territory, though his character is more of an asshole than comic relief. It’s other characters who deliver the funny lines.

Having not heard of the film before, the premise was intriguing and made me watch it during a long international flight. I needed to spend about ninety minutes.

When a group of wealthy twenty-somethings plans a dubious hurricane party at a remote family mansion, they drink and use drugs. A party game goes awry.

I knew right away that an incident would occur, one that would see them knocked off unceremoniously, one by one.

A hefty dose of cattiness between both the male and female characters will make the viewer smirk with pleasure. The backstabbing and fake friends angle is as delicious as the offing of several characters.

I love that Sophie (Amandla Sternberg) and Bee (Maria Bakalova), the central characters, are a lesbian couple. Bee is from Eastern Europe, while Sophie is of mixed race and affluent, and Bee is working class.

There are many differences to explore, which can lead to an insecure relationship.

It’s suggested that they are a new couple, early in their relationship, and one of the other girls, Jordan (Myha’la Herrold), has previously had a relationship with Sophie. On top of all that, Sophie is a recovering drug addict.

I’m not sure the myriad of drama elements is all that necessary, but it does reinforce the complexities of the characters. At the end of the day, what the audience wants to see is violence and dripping blood, and I felt a bit cheated in that department.

Don’t get me wrong, people do die, but nobody is shown squealing or running for their life. Because they are playing a game, aptly titled ‘bodies bodies bodies’, the victims pretend to die but then wind up dead.

Besides Bree and Sophie, the other characters are unlikable. I slowly realized that’s the fun of Bodies Bodies Bodies. Since the characters are whiny, rich, and spoiled rotten, we want them to get their just desserts.

My main criticism of Bodies Bodies Bodies is that its intention is not always clear, which can be confusing. Is it a message movie, a slasher flick, or an argument over a spoiled and clueless generation?

As the credits rolled, I wasn’t even sure who the killer was or why. Turns out, my immediate hunch was correct, but I second-guessed myself.

In hindsight, I like the ultimate twist, but there are so many aspects to Bodies Bodies Bodies. Generation Z hatred, societal clashes, love triangles, and a potential serial killer all rolled into one. That’s a bit much for a ninety-minute affair.

Comparisons to April Fool’s Day (1986) and Scream (1996) come to mind. And, Agatha Christie’s novels, in which a group of characters flocks to a remote locale for a good whodunit, also occur.

As I absorb Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) more and more, I realize that Reijn brings a fresh perspective to a sorely oversaturated genre, and that’s a good thing.

The film could have been fleshed out more.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Director-Halina Reijn, Best First Screenplay

2020 Films, Adventure, Alfonso Cuarón, Anne Hathaway, Brian Henson, Children, Chris Rock, Comedy, Fantasy, Guillermo del Toro, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Jahzir Bruno, Kristin Chenoweth, Octavia Spencer, Robert Zemeckis, Stanley Tucci

The Witches-2020

November 16, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Witches-2020

Director Robert Zemeckis

Starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer

Scott’s Review #1,314

Reviewed November 16, 2022

Grade: B

A remake of the 1990 film starring Anjelica Huston, The Witches (2020) sometimes delivers the goods and occasionally derails off the tracks into campy, over-the-top, wackadoo.

Mostly, on the part of the star Anne Hathaway, who plays an evil and powerful witch.

But, regardless of what this adult thinks, it will please, surprise, and fascinate youngsters who see it. There’s a comforting and vital message of friendship and family roots ingrained in the story, which is a nice touch.

In 1968, seven-year-old orphan Charlie Hansen (Jahzir Bruno) travels from Chicago to Alabama to live with his grandmother, Agatha (Octavia Spencer), after his parents are killed in a car accident.

After a dastardly witch approaches him in a grocery store, they flee to a seaside resort to avoid the child-hating witches. Agatha has a troubled past with the witches who long ago turned her best friend into a chicken.

When the two arrive at their hotel, they find a coven with villainous plans. They are accompanied by a mouse named Daisy and an English boy named Bruno (Codie-Lei Eastick).

I much prefer the first half of The Witches to the last.

The wonderful and caring relationship between Agatha and Charlie is a beautiful dynamic. When she envelops him with love and southern cooking in her cozy home, understanding the trauma he has endured, it is heartwarming and genuine.

Spencer is terrific in any role she plays, of course, but her calm and stoic demeanor when paired against the witches is lovely. She is prepared for trouble and sneaks to a back room where she keeps crystals and other anti-witch weaponry.

But the relationship with the little boy is darling and top-notch. I wish they would have just stayed at home and nurtured their relationship with Daisy and Bruno.

The weakest section of the film involves the witches themselves. As they flock to the hotel for a convention to plot the destruction of children everywhere, they appear more silly than scary, especially when they remove their wigs and reveal bald, scabby heads.

Director Robert Zemeckis must have given Hathaway free rein to ham it up because she certainly does just that.

I’m a fan of hers, so it’s not a personal knock, but she teeters toward ridiculous pretty quickly. I understand the need to make a children’s film villain colorful, memorable, and loud, but there is no restraint, which causes the character to feel more silly than terrifying.

On the plus side, Hathaway must have had a ball letting loose and leaving all constraints on the sidelines.

Inevitably, the kids are changed into cute mice and must convince their loved ones that they are themselves while figuring out how to change back to human children.

Not much has changed from the 1990 version, except for a few tweaks here and there, and the story remains the same. However, I prefer the original by a hair.

Huston beats Hathaway in a comparison.

Some inconsistencies emerge, such as how Agatha can afford to stay in a grand hotel. She knows someone connected to the hotel, but the who’s and why’s aren’t clear.

It’s never explained what happened to Agatha’s friend who wound up as a chicken, and I wanted more from Stanley Tucci than an uninteresting hotel manager role with little to do.

However, the action sequences are adventurous and energetic, and it’s fun cheering as the Grand High Witch (Hathaway) is transformed into a rat.

I wanted more of the homespun love between Agatha and Charlie, as well as the simple Southern town that felt so lovely and welcoming. Still, The Witches (2020) provides family-friendly entertainment that many can enjoy.

1988 Films, Danielle Harris, Horror, Michael Meyers, Michael Pataki, Mike Lookinland, Slasher

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers-1988

October 27, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers-1988

Director Dwight H. Little

Starring Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris

Scott’s Review #1,312

Reviewed October 27, 2022

Grade: B

Give me a good slasher flick any day and I’m a pretty happy guy.

Especially if it’s one from the Halloween franchise (my favorite series other than Friday the 13th, naturally), and viewed around the demonic holiday is the perfect flavor.

There is so much atmosphere to embrace with pumpkins, masks, and trick-or-treaters nestled seemingly safe in a small town ripe for the picking by a knife-wielding maniac.

By 1988 though, the slasher genre had severely waned and felt quite redundant with watered-down sequels and copycat patterns resulting in a stale crop of films.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers (1988) is an okay film and a worthy entry to the franchise. It is most notable for fixing what many fans thought was a terrible mistake.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) omitted maniacal Michael Meyers entirely which made many fans seeth with rage, so Part 4 corrects this miss by adding his name to the title card.

John Carpenter and Debra Hill, the main contributors to the original Halloween (1978) were not involved so executive producer Moustapha Akkad went for a conventional and safe route, creating a standard slice em and dice em affair.

The allegedly comatose Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur) is being transferred from one hospital to another, but he wakes up when the ambulance crew chatter about his surviving niece, Jamie (Danielle Harris).

Out for fresh blood, he slaughters his attendants and sets out to find his one living relative who is being cared for by a kind and resourceful foster sister named Rachel (Ellie Cornell).

Meanwhile, the ever-cautious Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) remains on the killer’s path intent to destroy the monster once and for all.

The overall tone of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers is by the numbers providing an offering that would only satisfy fans of the franchise and not dare ruffle any feathers or acquire new fanatics.

Even the premise of Meyers escaping a hospital and targeting a family member is identical to the original film and its sequel. The familiar Haddonfield Hospital and Smith’s Grove Sanitarium return like good friends not seen for years.

There are no points given for originality but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, Haloween III tried to reinvent the wheel and was largely derided for its efforts.

I liked the film and I like Part 4 for different reasons.

Meyers is front and center with his pointy butcher knife and hulking frame, and that’s pleasing and comforting. The mask is a bit paler and his height shorter but it’s the same Michael we all know and love.

Missing is Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, presumed to have died, but the return of Pleasence is a major win as he takes center stage and has more screen time than he has ever had as Loomis. Scarred and looking older and more withered, his determination is even stronger to best Meyers.

In a neat little twist, Michael looks to pass his killing baton to his niece as she attempts to butcher her stepmom, similar to what Michael did to his sister many years earlier.

Borrowing heavily from its predecessors, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers (1988) is satisfying but not revolutionary. There are enough nods to history combined with a new batch of teenagers to mutilate to forge ground and continue the legacy.

2022 Films, Brittany Snow, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, Jenna Ortega, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, Mia Goth, Owen Campbell, Slasher, Ti West

X-2022

October 20, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

X-2022

Director Ti West

Starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega

Scott’s Review #1,310

Reviewed October 20, 2022

Grade: B+

Film company A24 has become synonymous with releasing quality independent films, mainly within the horror genre. The newbie distributor, only born in 2012, has hit it out of the park on numerous occasions.

Cutting-edge and downright bizarre projects, such as Ex Machina (2014), Hereditary (2018), and Midsommar (2019), immediately spring to mind.

I’ll see anything that this company releases.

A group of young, aspiring actors set out to make an adult film named The Farmer’s Daughters in rural Texas. They rent a cabin from an unwitting elderly, reclusive couple. When the old folks catch on to what the actors are doing, all hell breaks loose as an unlikely killer begins a murder spree.

At the risk of spoiling the fun X was shot on location in New Zealand which doubles as Texas, USA.

Ah, the magic of movie-making.

The film will immediately draw comparisons to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) in its setting alone. Isn’t remote and barren farmland so effective in horror? There is something so creepy and foreboding about the stillness, animals, and miles and miles of emptiness.

Instead of a slaughterhouse or rotting meat, X uses a deadly alligator, which comes into play during the final act.

To further highlight the similarities between The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the setting is the late 1970s, which is reflected in the characters’ dress and mannerisms. Even one long shot of the elderly couple’s house entryway is almost identical to the one used in that film, and surprise, surprise, the cast drives up in a van.

However, X is more than just a modern film patterned after a cult classic. There is proper tension and a stark 1970s, dirty grindhouse look with gritty camerawork and a grainy texture.

I felt immersed in the atmosphere and the time capsule, rather than watching people dress in current clothing in a retro style.

Very few viewers of X will likely be prudes, but there is a fair amount of nudity and sexual behavior- I mean a lot!

Since a porn film is being made, this is unsurprising, but rest assured, there is a hefty helping of tits, asses, and full-frontal nudity.

Perhaps as a response to the typically voyeuristic female-only nudity in most older slasher films, there is plenty of male nudity to balance the scales.

Another improvement to slasher films is the incorporation of character development and diversity. In lesser films, supporting nymphomaniacs like Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and Jackson (Scott Mescudi), who is black, would have been written as one-dimensional, but not in X.

Bobby-Lynne and Jackson love sex, but they also have dreams and aspirations, and are kind people, each separately trying to help the elderly couple.

Unsurprisingly, the elderly couple, especially the wife, takes center stage as the plot moves along. Suffice it to say, Pearl (the old lady) longs to be young and sexual again like she was in her prime.

She stalks Maxine (Mia Goth), touches her, and finally sneaks into bed with her, hoping to recapture her lost youth.

Things don’t exactly go well.

Goth portrays both Maxine and Pearl.

Motivations of Pearl may be a stretch, but there is a creepy fascination that works well throughout X, and the film never drags. It’s not every day that a ninety-year-old woman in a blood-soaked house dress wanders about a farm bludgeoning folks to death.

For a raw, independent, and fun foray back to the early days of the slasher genre before it became overly conventional, X is a winner.

A24 has another success on its hands since X (2022) will be followed by both a prequel and a sequel.

2022 Films, Andi Matichak, David Gordon Green, Horror, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Carpenter, Judy Greer, Kyle Richards, Michael Meyers, Nick Castle, Rohan Campbell, Slasher, Will Patton

Halloween Ends-2022

October 19, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Halloween Ends-2022

Director David Gordon Green

Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Rohan Campbell

Scott’s Review #1,309

Reviewed October 19, 2022

Grade: B+

As a bit of a rewind for newer fans of the series or altogether non-fans, Halloween Ends (2022) is a slasher film that is the sequel to Halloween Kills (2021), and the thirteenth installment in the legendary Halloween franchise.

It is reported to be the final film in the trilogy of sequels that commenced with the 2018 film, Halloween, which directly follows the 1978 film and disregards all other entries.

It’s as if nothing more happened after knife-wielding Michael Meyers toppled from a suburban terrace and escaped one Halloween night long ago.

Time will tell if this is indeed the final farewell, but the film wraps things up nicely, and it feels like a satisfying ending.

Halloween Ends is unconventional and murky in parts that intrigued me more than confused me. But rest assured, there is enough mayhem and creative kills to satisfy bloodthirsty audiences- it just takes some patience to get there.

I’m not sure all diehard fans will be satisfied with the film.

There are some twists and turns to maneuver through and some perplexities with a couple of leading characters, but I’m careful not to give too much away.

Over forty years since being terrorized while babysitting one Halloween night, Laurie Strode is writing her memoir as she tries to put the trauma of her past behind her. Since she still resides in the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, this will not be easy when the sudden death of a young boy sets off terrifying events.

The opening sequence is compelling despite not even involving Laurie, Michael, or Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak)!

The introduction of male babysitter Corey (Rohan Campbell) breathes fresh life into the complex family tree within the small town, and an event causes the young man to become Haddonfield’s new pariah.

Corey is a nice addition as he dates Allyson and becomes involved in the family drama with Michael Meyers, becoming a significant connection.

I’m keeping this vague so I don’t spoil the fun. Still, the romance between Corey and Allyson is particularly evident during a scene where they spend the night together outside a local radio station.

Reminiscences of Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan’s characters in David Lynch’s masterpiece Blue Velvet (1986) are set amid a hauntingly cerebral musical score that lends the film an arthouse look and feel. The young romance is shrouded by oncoming chaos, but they cannot stay away from each other.

A fun fact and a nod to the strong film history of the franchise is that John Carpenter, director of the original Halloween, and his son, Corey, provide the music in Halloween Ends.

Some of Corey’s and Allyson’s sequences feel poetic and dreamy, which is the opposite of what a ‘normal’ Halloween film feels like.

Not to be outdone by poetic filmmaking, the director David Gordon Green makes sure any bullies, sluts, or sexual creatures get their due by being fittingly hacked to bits or suffering crushed skulls to pay for their sins.

One even gets ensnared in barbed wire and then unceremoniously run over.

My favorite kills include a comical tongue removal that ends up making an album skip, and a stabbing and impaling onto a door, an apparent reference to Bob’s death in the original.

Inevitably, the film belongs to Laurie and Michael, and their showdown is no surprise. I was salivating for this final blood feast from the get-go, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Laurie’s kitchen is conveniently stocked with a set of sharp, shiny knives, which allows for a healthy dose of crimson-red blood soaking.

I could have used more nods to history. Besides the carbon copy killing of Bob, an old photo, and quick clips of scenes from the original, there isn’t a whole lot.

Bringing the original actors and characters to the fold in Halloween Kills worked well, but all little Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards) gets to do is serve drinks at the local bar and listen to other characters’ problems.

My money is that we haven’t seen the last of Michael Meyers, but Halloween Ends (2022) will satisfy those looking for the expected Halloween trimmings with a dash of creative filmmaking.

Other than a couple of missed opportunities, it remains true to its audience.

1978 Films, Horror, Keith Gordon, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Roy Scheider, Thriller

Jaws 2-1978

October 13, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Jaws 2-1978

Director Jeannot Szwarc

Starring Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary

Scott’s Review #1,307

Reviewed October 13, 2022

Grade: A-

Because of the enormous critical and commercial success of Jaws in 1975, a sequel was created. Important to keep in mind is that in the mid-1970s it was not yet common to produce sequels especially if the director, Steven Spielberg, had no interest in participating.

Jaws 2 (1978) was an enormous box-office success but the reviews were only mixed.

I adore the film which mixes thrills with the horror genre and wisely sets up the kills like a slasher film.

The teenagers are savagely attacked and killed by the Great White shark, one by one style, using a lurking and effective musical score.

The film’s tagline, “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…” has become one of the most famous in film history and has been parodied and homaged several times.

I’d like to assume it led to a healthy almost now mandatory helping of subsequent sequels of other successful films.

Unfortunately, Jaws 2 also spawned a couple more sequels of its own which were piss-poor and laughable but we won’t get into that here.

Fun fact is that the film was nearly as troubled as Jaws was. The first director for the film, John D. Hancock, was deemed incompetent and was replaced by Jeannot Szwarc.

Star Roy Scheider, who only reprised his role to end a contractual issue with Universal, was also unhappy during production and had several heated exchanges with Szwarc.

Maybe that should have been a sign not to make any more Jaws films.

Years after the shark attacks that left Amity Island reeling, Sheriff Martin Brody (Scheider) finds new trouble lurking in the waters and must rise to the occasion.

To add conflict, Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) wants to end the beach town’s poor reputation. But the sudden disappearance of a pair of divers suggests that something is up. When Sheriff Brody voices his warnings about holding an exciting sailing competition, everyone thinks he is suffering the effects of post-traumatic stress.

That is until a shark fin is spotted in the water sending the town into panic mode.

There’s no logical plot reason to make Jaws 2 but somehow I’m okay with that. The film entertains with enough frights and jumps to satisfy and the formulaic approach works well.

Besides the enthralling final sequence when Brody must rescue his sons Mike and Sean (Mark Gruner and Marc Gilpin), the opening sequence involving scuba divers and a female water skier is quite enticing and the best part of the film.

The musical score by John Williams who fortunately returned to the fold is fabulous and enhances any peril the characters face. The slick and clever approach gives the audience a clue that danger lurks nearby but we don’t know when or where the shark will strike.

I mentioned slasher films earlier and this formula is used in Jaws 2. As the teens set sail for the competition it is good fun to wonder who will get killed and who will live to see another sunny beach day.

Despite Scheider not wanting to do the film, you’d never know it by his terrific acting. He doesn’t phone in his performance and provides macho swagger and muscle. He’s everyone’s favorite dad who only wants to save and protect.

Jaws 2 (1978) attempts to scare and entertain and it succeeds. There is little character development but it’s not the type of film that needs deep texture.

The reason to watch is to see folks who intend to enjoy the water get attacked and ripped to shreds.

2022 Films, Ethan Hawke, Horror, James Ransone, Jeremy Davies, Madeleine McGraw, Mason Thames, Scott Derrickson

The Black Phone-2022

September 7, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Black Phone-2022

Director Scott Derrickson

Starring Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke

Scott’s Review #1,296

Reviewed September 7, 2022

Grade: B+

The Black Phone (2022) is a compelling horror offering that delivers some effective frights and jumps. It merges classic horror with a supernatural element that walks the line very well, never straying too far into either territory.

It doesn’t redefine the genre, but nor does it feel stale or like a tired retread of other modern films. This is because of merging other genres into the action.

Some question marks surface, but the movie is an above-average effort by director Scott Derrickson, who is surprisingly most known for the superhero vehicle Doctor Strange (2016).

The 1978 cloudy suburban blue-collar United States setting works remarkably well, and Ethan Hawke is delicious as the evil ‘Grabber’, a demented masked man who snatches neighborhood boys and hides them in a dank basement.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the brilliant inclusion of the Pink Floyd song ‘On the Run’ during the final sequence.

Wonderful is how snippets of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) peek in now and then, without ever feeling like a carbon copy or even a source material.

The Black Phone feels quite like a coming-of-age story, as it revolves around a conflicted teenage boy and his numerous insecurities, from bullying to blossoming romance.

Finney, played by newcomer Mason Thames, is a shy but clever thirteen-year-old boy. He and his younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), live with their alcoholic father and take turns looking after him.

Neighborhood boys bully Finney, but also has a protector in his friend Robin, until Robin goes missing.

Eventually, Finney is abducted and finds himself trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When an old disconnected black phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims.

The Black Phone was adapted from a 2004 short story of the same name and has a similar feel. Events flow quickly, and the film doesn’t drag, though I was ready for it to end when it did.

Since the film was a commercial success, rumors of a sequel or prequel are swirling. I vote for a prequel because there is a lot left to tell regarding the Grabber. The character’s backstory is barely touched, leaving many questions unanswered.

He only kidnaps and kills teenage boys, the suggestion being that the Grabber is gay. At one point, he announces that he wants to look at Finney. The suggestion is uneven, though, because it’s never revealed if he rapes the boys before killing them or what his motive even is.

The Grabber has a brother, who plays a key role in the story, but their relationship is not explored in detail. What about parents, kids, or jobs?

In a nutshell, I wanted to know more about the killer, and I was left unsatisfied.

Speaking of the Grabber, here’s where the Silence of the Lambs comparison comes into play. The villains are similar since both are presumably gay and disguise themselves in one way or another, either by creating a ‘women’s suit’ or donning a creepy mask.

Both lure their victims into a grimy van and keep them tucked away underground before killing them.

But Buffalo Bill beats the Grabber by a landslide. The line ‘it rubs the lotion on its skin- it does this whenever it is told’ will forever give me a chills.

I’ve droned on long enough about the Grabber, but only because he is a fabulous villain and I am intrigued beyond measure at the possibilities.

The editing and continuity are a win, especially in the final twenty minutes. The rescue/escape scenes are powerful and emotional without being hokey or overly predictable.

The psychic dreams are pretty good, and McGraw is a superb child actor, but those sequences didn’t enamor me as much as the scenes with Finney and the Grabber or the voices on the telephone.

I’ll bet casting Ethan Hawke against type in The Black Phone (2022) supercharged audiences into seeing the film. The independent film style and edge-of-your-seat pacing ultimately make the film a winner, even if I was left with tons of questions.

2022 Films, Art, David Cronenberg, Horror, Kristen Stewart, Léa Seydoux, Science Fiction, Scott Speedman, Viggo Mortensen

Crimes of the Future-2022

September 2, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Crimes of the Future-2022

Director David Cronenberg

Starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux

Scott’s Review #1,295

Reviewed September 2, 2022

Grade: B

Being somewhat familiar with the work of director David Cronenberg and the macabre and unsettling elements he incorporates into his films, I had a fair idea of what type of experience I was in for.

There was anticipation as I slipped the Blu-ray of Crimes of the Future (2022) into the player.

He’s responsible for such peculiar pleasures as Eastern Promises (2007), an annual Christmas time watch for my husband and me, and A History of Violence (2005) a gangster-flavored effort.

Cronenberg frequently teeters between psychological horror and science fiction, though he has dabbled in other genres.

Stalwart actor Viggo Mortensen once again graces the screen in one of Cronenberg’s films and leads the charge as the main protagonist in Crimes of the Future.

Visually, the film is astounding with creepy shapes and visceral red images floating about, mainly in the opening credits. It’s riddled with a subdued and mellow mood, taking its time to get going and allowing for somber tones and textures.

It’s a challenging and weird watch, but somehow slowly lures the viewer into its confusing web.

Be warned, though, that the story is inexplicable and impossible to figure out. I even read a post-film synopsis and was still unclear how the puzzle pieces are supposed to come together. But maybe they aren’t.

Crimes of the Future is the type of film that is recommended to be digested and left to ruminate in one’s inner being. The translation is not to overthink the events but rather to enjoy what is being served.

Sometime soon, the human species will have adapted to a new synthetic environment, causing bodies to undergo new transformations and mutations. With his partner, Caprice (Léa Seydoux), Saul Tenser (Mortensen), a celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances.

In simpler terms, his body is cut open for all to see.

An odd character named Timlin (Kristen Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks their movements. A mysterious group exists with a mission to use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase of human evolution.

The summary is tough to write and even more challenging to explain so that I won’t waste space on it. I’ll leave it to say that the above is the best that can be presented, and that only a fascinating story element is present in the events.

Something about science fiction and the future typically evokes mystique and wonder.

I could watch Mortensen in pretty much any film, which is the main reason to see Crimes of the Future. The actor is so keen on choosing just the right roles for himself, and each is so different from the last.

Comparing his recent films, such as Captain Fantastic (2016), Green Book (2018), and Crimes of the Future, reveals that the actor continues to challenge himself by exploring the depth of each character, rather than capitalizing on name recognition to secure a hefty paycheck, like other similarly aged Hollywood actors.

I won’t name names, but Liam Neeson could take a note or two from Mortensen.

Seydoux, a French actress, pairs well with Mortensen. She possesses a sophisticated European vibe that translates well within this distant future. She is sexy, and because of the subject matter, this is crucial to the film’s visual style.

I’m not quite sure what to make of Kristen Stewart as the nutty and nerdy Timlin, but it’s a shocking follow-up to a fabulous portrayal of Princess Diana. As she speaks rapidly with timidity, it’s a particular role, but it’s nice to see Stewart continue to go with edgy roles.

Because it’s Cronenberg, Crimes of the Future (2022) is cerebral and provocative with a fleshy and grim style. I’d expect nothing less from the director, but would have preferred a more cohesive package.

Ultimately, I couldn’t fully grasp the film, which makes it difficult for me to recommend it thoroughly.

2021 Films, Andy Bean, Annabelle Wallis, George Young, Horror, James Wan, Maddie Hasson, Mckenna Grace, Patricia Velásquez

Malignant-2021

August 30, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Malignant-2021

Director James Wan

Starring Annabelle Wallis, George Young

Scott’s Review #1,294

Reviewed August 30, 2022

Grade: B

James Wan is a fantastic director responsible for co-creating the Saw (2003-2017) and Insidious (2010-2018) franchises.

Anyone familiar with those films will likely enjoy Malignant (2021), as it borrows from them and incorporates elements reminiscent of those films.

In particular, it taps into supernatural elements of Insidious and the mood and score from Saw. Malignant even copies the gruff and robotic phone caller’s voice that was Jigsaw’s trademark and used in Saw.

It’s not as threatening, but it brings back those memories.

The result of Malignant is mixed, with a mostly positive outcome. It’s not one bit scary like Insidious was, but not gratuitously gory like the Saw films, though it has its moments of butchery.

Though utterly ridiculous, the conclusion of Malignant contains a terrific twist and a weird supernatural CGI contortionist choreography extravaganza that somehow reminded me of The Matrix (1999).

The storyline twist must have been influenced by Sisters (1973), an early effort by director Brian DePalma. It may seem silly, but somehow it’s my favorite part of the film.

Wan reaches into his magical bag of tricks and pulls out some wins. He also demands suspension of disbelief, which is okay in supernatural horror films, but many points of the story do not add up.

Malignant begins in 1993 when Dr. Florence Weaver (Jacqueline MacKenzie) and her colleagues treat a violent, disturbed patient named Gabriel at Simion Research Hospital. Gabriel can control electricity and broadcast his thoughts via speakers. He kills several staff members, but Weaver survives and deems him untreatable.

Years later, Madison Lake (Annabelle Wallis) becomes paralyzed by fear from shocking visions. She slowly realizes that when a murder victim dies, she is in the room with them, witnessing their gruesome death.

Gabriel is on the loose and intent on killing Dr. Weaver and her colleagues for calling him cancer, and Madison is somehow involved. She and her sister, Sydney (Maddie Hasson), must work alongside the police to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Malignant does well with the mood and tone of the filming. It has a dark grey quality plentiful in modern horror films, and fans of Insidious and Saw will enjoy this familiar style of filmmaking. It’s set in Seattle, which is a wise choice, though all we get are some aerial views of the city, specifically the Space Needle.

Because Wan directs it, it’s professional and contains the horror elements to be expected. There’s even a giant window fan that I swear I’ve seen in a Saw film. Wan knows what he is doing, and the name recognition alone was enough to get me to see the movie.

It’s not an ‘A’, but it does what a modern horror film is supposed to do, and that’s to entertain. Malignant is not groundbreaking, but it sounds good.

The plot holes are not worth dissecting beyond asking why there are no other patients in a large city hospital —a device that has existed since at least Halloween II in 1981 —but that’s just the beginning.

Malignant annoyed me when it decided to add some humor.

A sidekick character, Detective Regina Moss (Michole Briana White), bears an uncanny resemblance to the funny lady Wanda Sykes. Unfortunately, her one-liners feel thrown in for kicks, and a blossoming romance between Sydney and Detective Kokoa (George Young) goes nowhere.

During these scenes, I felt like I was watching Chicago Med or Chicago Fire or any one of those other generic network television shows.

Fortunately, the scenes were brief, and Wan returned to the point of the film- blood, killing, and chaos.

Lead actress Wallis is a fine casting choice. Pretty but relatable, she carries the film as the victim, especially as more of her backstory is revealed.

Films like Malignant (2021) require putting the brakes on any deep analysis and merely going along for the ride. It’s entertaining and that’s good enough for me. With Wan at the helm, I anticipated a particular type of horror film and was ultimately satisfied with what I was served.

1972 Films, Agostina Belli, Edward Dmytryk, Horror, Joey Heatherton, Karin Schubert, Marilù Tolo, Nathalie Delon, Raquel Welch, Richard Burton, Sybil Danning, Virna Lisi

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, Tom Everett Scott

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 film in the genre, and appreciating the incorporated humor, the product is entertaining but not much more.

I’ve gained more appreciation for that film when compared to 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 jump from the Eifel 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 bubblegum.

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 with the decided lack of skin-only 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 An American Werewolf in London had.

It’s a stretch that both Andy and Serafine catapult from both the Eifel 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 transforming-inducing drug. 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 accidentally kill her mother.

It’s all weak and uninspired causing an overcomplicated storyline to become more and more contrived as the film moves along.

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 other 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 to ever see An American Werewolf in Paris (1997) again since it pales tremendously to the superior An American Werewolf in London (1981).

2022 Films, Adam Brody, Alicia Silverstone, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Drew Barrymore, Hayden Panettiere, Henry Winkler, Horror, Jack Quaid, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jenna Ortega, Kyle Gallner, Mason Gooding, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Matthew Lillard, Melissa Barrera, Mikey Madison, Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Slasher, Tyler Gillett

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, Ed Begley Jr., Horror, John Heard, Malcolm McDowell, Nastassja Kinski, Paul Schrader, Ray Wise, Ruby Dee, Thriller

Cat People-1982

July 10, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Cat People-1982

Director Paul Schrader

Starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard

Scott’s Review #1,275

Reviewed July 10, 2022

Grade: B+

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

It’s an absurd premise though admittedly clever with an identity all its own. Feeling slightly dated mostly due to the early 1980s synthesizer-like musical score, film style, and the casting of some actors at the top of their game, Cat People is nonetheless enjoyable and sexual.

Especially recommended is 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, a thought is to simply buy the film.

The 1982 version of Cat People is directed by Paul Schrader who is best known for writing or co-writing Scorcese greats Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980). The director also has his share of his films 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 an overwhelmingly sensual and violent horror and 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 being coming into existence.

In present times, Irena Gallier (Nastassia Kinski) harbors a dark family secret that 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 like tremendously how Schrader incorporates New Orleans as the central setting. Having nothing really to do with the story the French-influenced city is nice to look at as 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 who were A-list stars in the early 1980s provide a time capsule of Hollywood relevancy.

Unfortunately, this also makes Cat People feel like 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 this is also 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 who Paul picks up at a funeral.

An attempted triangle between Irena, Oliver, and Alice goes nowhere and bewildering is why the decision was made to even try. The power couple is Irena and Oliver as their smoldering love scenes are sensual and skin heavy professing 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 pot boil of juicy and relevant intrigue, but the film hasn’t held up quite as well as some others.

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 sub-standard 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 summer saults and was breath taken by the film and 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 left 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 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, Amy Madigan, Graham Greene, Guillermo del Toro, Horror, Jesse Plemons, Keri Russell, Rory Cochrane, Scott Cooper

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, Edward de Souza, Hammer Horror, Heather Sears, Herbert Lom, Horror, Patrick Troughton, Terence Fisher

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, Adrienne Barbeau, Horror, John Saxon, Michael Worth

War Wolves-2009

May 7, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

War Wolves-2009

Director Michael Worth

Starring John Saxon, Adrienne Barbeau, Tim Thomerson

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’!

Worthy of mention 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 1230am-to 2 am timeslot on a boozy Saturday night, War Wolves is an appropriate fit.

Really bad movies can be fun too.

2000 Films, Adrienne Barbeau, Camp, Horror, Horror-Camp

The Convent-2000

April 16, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Convent-2000

Director Mike Mendez

Starring Adrienne Barbeau, Joanna Canton, Megahn Perry

Scott’s Review #1,246

Reviewed April 16, 2022

Grade: C+

I debated whether or not to reward Adrienne Barbeau with 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 terrible and needs all the help it can get. It’s campy beyond belief, amateurish, hokey, and acted poorly, suffering from enough ridiculous one-liners for me to 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 if the film was some sort of 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 this genre with the zombie genre and produce something fresh.

If made in say 1985, The Convent would have fit snugly amongst the heaps of other similar themed films that were 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 looks 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 any 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 uttered by her and the rest of the characters is so bad that once again I wondered whether this was the intent. I truly hope it was.

The robotic head twitching and glowing green eyes by the now possessed students align perfectly with the gimmicky art direction and juvenile special effects. I’ve seen better on a 3 pm daytime afternoon soap opera.

The most irritating character is easily played by rapper Coolio 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. Upon my five-minute reflection, I decided to interpret the film as a comical satire over anything more.

The Convent (2000) isn’t distinct enough to get the ‘it’s so bad it’s good’ award because it lacks any sort of 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, Action, Adventure, Horror, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, Steven Spielberg, 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. When I have to be near the ocean, I always 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 better than others.

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

With Jaws, the story is more about the attempts of three men to destroy a killer shark and their relationship with the shark itself. 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, despite the shark feeling less authentic over time. But the time a film is made must always be kept 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 comes into conflict with the mayor, Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will negatively affect the town during its 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 that can be viewed multiple times and provides sheer pleasure each time. Forgetting the horror elements, the film provides adventure and heart-pounding thrills per minute once the men dare to try and 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 caused is breathtaking and palpable, and sympathy is felt 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 remain viable.

It arguably created what has come to be known as the summer blockbuster.

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

1990 Films, Adrienne Barbeau, Dario Argento, George A. Romero, Harvey Keitel, Horror, Kim Hunter, Martin Balsam, Sally Kirkland, Tom Atkins

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 of the films that is eventually usurped 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 writing poems and short stories of the macabre and peculiar. ‘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) being my respective favorites, the fun is seeing how each film contains familiar aspects of each 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 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 unlikeable 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’ and this is mostly to do with the casting of Barbeau of whom I am a big fan. It’s also the winner of the two as far as the unexpected conclusion goes.

Barbeau carries the film, short at only an hour or so, and infuses likeability into a character who could easily be dismissed as a gold-digging bitch. 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 old 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 horrific beats that are highly effective.

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

I chuckled at the numerous references to ‘Psycho’ mostly when Balsam’s character of 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 provide 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 thrills by the minute 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 team two of the best horror directors out there 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.

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