Horror Movies

[Shanemansj13]

Ready Or Not (2019)


This is one of the more refreshing & original horror comedies that I have seen in some time. The title itself was a fun play on words as it was fluid to the game itself, but also in the context of marriage. I'll admit that the premise was sort of silly, but the exaggerative & satirical themes it played with were awesome. Especially the anxieties of marrying into an unfamiliar family, which in this case was a play on a worst case scenario, as well as the epic "tear down" to both the institution of marriage and the rich. With the combination of superb writing & directing, this movie has quite the WOW factor to it and will easily become a cult classic of sorts.

The progression of this film was action-packed. It delves into ridiculous absurdity without ever feeling that way because you're too busy enjoying the ride. The ending was batshit crazy but it was hilarious & very satisfying. About my only knocks with it, and I really had to search my brainwaves here, are that the scares are soft (it's comedy man, of course its soft) & the imagery feels familiar (what doesn't anymore?).

It was easy to love this cast. The overall presentation of the family had a certain lowbrow Adams Family feel to it with southern drawl which was absolutely hilarious. Samara Weaving (whom I keep forgetting is not Margot Robbie) was sensational in her role and established herself as scream queen status. With her charisma & wit, she is the glue that holds this entire ridiculous movie together. But the entire supporting cast was stellar. The fiancé was surprisingly good as well. The comedic relief from everyone involved was definitely a highlight, each presenting a different yet equally amusing style. The tradition-fueled vendetta-seeking dad, the evil aunt, the fat idiot cousin married to the coke-addict, the odd butler, and even the "fuck it lets get drunk & do this" aptitude of the mother & brother.

The gore element had a wide variety, but was VERY rewarding. Lots of fun & epic deaths to watch. Everything from the "whoopsy" deaths, to the hilarious climactic finish, and even incorporates some dramatic deaths to push plot agendas... It was a violently dark, wild & bloody-hilarious ride.

One of the amazing things about this film is how low the budget is, despite the film's lavish & ostentatiously rich house setting and sizable cast. Don't know how they pulled it off, but the film-makers had to be cutting their teeth to fit this into budget.

This movie has easily found its way into my private collection & will be viewed ritualistically. It easily rivals Shaun of the Dead in my supreme horror comedy tier. I don't typically like giving out 10/10 scores because you leave yourself vulnerable to skeptics, but f*ck it, this movie was just too much fun & I had too difficult of a time nitpicking anything wrong with it. If you haven't watched it yet, then get on it.

Wicked, charismatic & fun, and loaded with satirical horror... 10/10

I really enjoyed this one...the ending wasn't what I was expecting. Great movie

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

New trailer for The Lodge (2019)

 

[Taddy Mason]

Countdown (2019)


The plot concept for this movie was hard to digest. The demonology aspect was cool, but making sense of a demon collecting souls through an app took a leap of faith. I guess demons dabble in computer programming nowadays. Some backstory would have been helpful to bridge that hole.

The progression & flow of this movie was somewhat clunky although it built tension well enough to remain entertaining. The deaths from the app alone weren't fluid. From the start you are led to believe you simply die when your time is up. But then we start to see different sides to the story where the gypsy demon starts haunting & attacking its victims. Why & how it did this only seemed to differ for the protagonists, which was convenient for both the plot & the scare tactics. The final act was about the only clever piece of writing from the movie. IMO the film went out on a high note largely because of it, but also due to a satisfying final resolution. Obviously you know what you're in for before you watch it, and the only surprise it holds is in the climax.

Acting was solid, although I wasn't a big fan of the side characters. I'm typically not a big fan of the use of supporting keystone characters. Characters that are solely responsible for the continuance of a plot for the protagonists. This movie had multiple of those. The phone store hacker and the demonologist priest. If you remove either of those characters then the movie ends prematurely. I guess the hacker didn't necessarily extend the plot since the countdowns reverted, but it gave the appearance of borrowed time.

Overall despite solid lead performances, good cgi, well executed jump-scares and entertaining thrills, the film is weighed down by poor execution of plot points and a concept that just doesn't make sense. It's popcorn entertainment.

Demons gone mobile... 6.5/10

I figure if god can work in mysterious ways, then why not the devil? I will say, Tom Segura (the phone store guy) did improve his acting from his debut in instant family. watched this a few weeks ago, certainly no strong feelings one way or the other on it.

did watch one called Alone (2020) last night. no one else need bother, it was trash.

 

[Win TWINS!!!]

Siren (2016)


Remember that crazy bat girl from V/H/S? Well, here's that character's creature-feature film based on that short film. David Bruckner (original writer) agreed to sell the rights to it. This movie even got Hannah Fierman (original actress) to tag along. Never heard of the director Greg Bishop. After loving the original short I had some lofty expectations for this movie, sadly it didn't meet them. A combination of the absence of both the gut-wrenching gore & 1st person filming from the original really lost the 'edge' for this movie. And the plot was severely lacking. Made it a very flat experience. Aside from the intro-scene, there was zero scare-factor and very little suspense. It was such a shame that the sense of danger from such a phenomenal creature was non-existent. For whatever reason they concentrated too much on the bachelor party like they wanted us to care about them, but you don't end up caring at all. Average acting & very little character building doesn't give us much hope for any of their survival. They should have relegated those characters to fodder and let the creature take center stage. Decent cinematics, but the lackluster plot killed it for me. Not to mention a plethora of plot-holes that didn't make sense. Really a pity considering how great the creature was. Wouldn't recommend it.

Director really squandered this one... 4/10

You're dead wrong about this! It was great!





It had full frontal, so I can't be wrong....

 

[UVA_Guy81]

I saw previews for The Turning the other night when I went to see 1917. That movie looks like every other generic horror movie that's been put out over the past 15-20 years so I'll be skipping it. Also, how can anyone be legit scared of that kid from Stranger Things?

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I saw previews for The Turning the other night when I went to see 1917. That movie looks like every other generic horror movie that's been put out over the past 15-20 years so I'll be skipping it. Also, how can anyone be legit scared of that kid from Stranger Things?

Side note... 1917 was a crazy experience!

Agreed on the Turning. Not sure there is much allure to it. Will catch a pirate rip online whenever a good version surfaces.

 

[Taddy Mason]

Side note... 1917 was a crazy experience!

Agreed on the Turning. Not sure there is much allure to it. Will catch a pirate rip online whenever a good version surfaces.

after being shut out before finally getting his first, think deakins is going to be getting his second oscar for cinematography. visually this was my favorite part

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

after being shut out before finally getting his first, think deakins is going to be getting his second oscar for cinematography. visually this was my favorite part

Yea that was nuts! That & the following river scene with all the crazy camera angles was crazy!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Overlord (2018)


This film was crazy. After watching the trailer I was expecting some sort of grindhouse film, and it didn't disappoint. The horror elements aren't as prevalent as the sci-fi & action elements, but I still enjoyed it. I do have an affinity for war movies so this was an easy draw for me. It starts off like something right out of Saving Private Ryan, then veers into Frankenstein's Army territory, and finishes with some sort of Outpost & Dead Snow mashup. It's nuts.

Again, this is a grindhouse type film so take it for what it is and you will be entertained. If you're looking for historical accuracy & realism then this film isn't going to float your boat. This film is intentionally over the top... Inordinate amounts of gore, ridiculous plot, mutant soldiers, Nazis, guns, explosions, etc. It's full on mayhem and it never lets up. It does provide some fantastic cgi/fx. This film must have had an immense budget to accomplish it. The opening airdrop scene alone must have taken a lot of hours of computer work to accomplish. Another surprising element that this movie delivers on is in the drama department. For a film loaded with ill-formed characters you wouldn't expect them to be able to draw sympathy or emotion from the audience, but they did a few times.

The bunker scenes are the obvious highlight. Very reminiscent of Frankenstein's Army (2013). The secret Nazi lab with all the crazy experimenting was unsettling, and very well done. As you would suspect, this action-packed film has an intense progression. It takes you through a lot of different scenarios in quickly paced sequencing which was a little difficult to digest at times, but in true grindhouse fashion it focuses on shock value to pull its punches.

This movie is a homerun for the grindhouse junkies. I do enjoy these types of films for the entertainment value every now & then. If you were a fan of Frankenstein's Army and wanted more of a action-packed war element, then this film is right up your alley.

Eccentric, action-packed grindhouse film... 7.5/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

The Shed (2019)


Very disappointed with this one. The trailer & premise were absurd so I should have been a little more prepared but I was expecting a surprise and some sort of comedy. It didn't deliver on either.

The plot was confused, absurdly contrived & littered with plot holes. My wife & I called the ending from the beginning. Not about predictability, but rather one of those "why didn't they just do that at the beginning and game over?". I mean, c'mon dude... It made the point of showing how vulnerable the Vamp was to sunlight and yet the protagonist only once decided to use it against him in stupid fashion. Drilling holes? Really? The sequence of events during the climax were more laughable than passable. There was nothing about this movie that was convincing or made your hair stand on end. Everything about this film came off as jokey & defied all logic. It tried really hard to insert some social & moral subtext but honestly it didn't carry any weight at all. It was almost as if the writers were confused as to whether they should be more concerned with how the traumatized people act when facing danger rather than just telling a compelling vampire feature.

The resulting progression was ill-paced and illogical. Had a very hard time understanding some of the decision making in this film. Lot of flip-flopping motives to fit the grand scheme of things. And the slow-to-deliver payoffs during the suspenseful moments really hurt the overall delivery. Every intense moment just dragged on & on to the point where I lost the enthrallment by the time the scare moment happened. Not to mention it relied heavily on jump scares with very little payoff.

Casting was terrible apart from the 2 friends. The protagonist was a complete idiot of a character, but the actor was decent. His friend, aptly named Dommer (akin to Jeffrey Dahmer), was also decent. Had to look him up because he looked just like Cillian Murphy, but no relation. Everyone else was close to or just downright awful and overshadowed the aforementioned. The sheriff was particularly bad... At first I thought there was some sort of comedic element at play with her character, but no... No she's really just that awful at acting the part.

Overall this film suffers from just about everything. Bad plot & script, meager suspense, absurd logic, contrivity, terrible acting, etc. The only part it delivers on is with the gore, and maybe a reminder of how savage vampires can be. But that wasn't enough to save this movie. Hard pass.

A confused melodramatic vampire feature with terrible... everything... 4/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

The Axiom (2018)


This indie film presents an interesting premise. It uses the real fact that a lot of people go missing out in the woods and weaves it into a stylish folklore/urban legend. It presents the entire film in the form of a mystery tale and unravels the truth behind semi-complex series of character arcs. It uses some cleverness in a way that it layers the story & naturally reveals aspects to it that explain some of the more questionable parts that may have seemed odd at first. It's surprising how many blockbuster films, let alone indies, fail to do this. Didn't feel like the rednecks & that whole storyline was necessary. But the dead girls did sport some creepy visuals, not all but most. A few times it wasn't very convincing.

The makeup effects were sort of strange. The gore is decent and well executed, but some of the other stuff feels like it was crafted with the intention of shooting it in a more stylized manner (like what you see with the movie posters & trailer image above). Like it was supposed to be shot through a filtered lens to give off a dreamlike state. Instead, filmed as it were, the result is sometimes less than impressive and failed to impact the movie like it should have. I get the feeling that production had to cut the post-production costs and that intended editing got thrown out the window. It definitely had the creative factor in the design though.

The acting was passable. The script seemed better than the acting, but that is a norm for indie movies. Couldn't get past the fake tan on the older brother (Martin) lol. The actresses didn't bring much to the table apart from their looks. But don't get your hopes up for much more than a quick impromptu sex scene that displays some side-boob.

With a bigger budget this film could have been better Not a bad film by any means, but it definitely has that indie/B-movie look & feel to it. It has a certain level of indie quality with some decent originality out of a somewhat tired "campers in the woods" subgenre. The acting & budget hold it back.

BM: 2.5/10 (gratuitous short-shorts shots & partial nudity sex scene)

Acting & budget hold back this otherwise creative endeavor... 5.5/10

 

[UVA_Guy81]

These are more cheesy horror movies but has anyone ever seen Velicopastor or Killer Sofa? The first one I saw was on Amazon Prime and was thinking about seeing how bad it was.

 

[Taddy Mason]

These are more cheesy horror movies but has anyone ever seen Velicopastor or Killer Sofa? The first one I saw was on Amazon Prime and was thinking about seeing how bad it was.

i actually just watched velocipastor yesterday. the opening scene was promising to me (he walks out of a church to see his parents die, but it just shows where they were previously with fx: car on fire in their place with the sounds to match up), but i quickly lost interest after that first minute...

also, while i didn't watch killer sofa, i did view Death Bed: The Bed that Eats. What can i say other than it was a horror movie from the 70s....

i'd recommend finding something better.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Coherence (2013)


The idea behind this is promising: troubled couples escaping their problems by encountering themselves - other version of themselves. It's a play on the horror of reality itself being disrupted by something unimaginable or inexplicable. The scientific aspects enlisted were passable to enable the story (comet that opens up parallel dimensions), but it wasn't necessarily the focus as it was mainly just used to create tension & direct the plot sequencing. This film is more of a slow burning psychological sci-fi for the intellectual. The emotional spine of this is rooted in psychological & relationship problems: broken marriages, broken hearts, broken selves. My problem with this film was that this psychological subtext isn't really something that can be improvised as it felt like it was in this film. From that standpoint it did not enthrall me as it could have, or give me that emotional connection, especially in regards to following the main girl into her psychological path. With a more structured script this could have been achieved. I don't know how long it took the director/writer to finish the script, but I read somewhere that he finished filming in 5 days. My guess is he took the script off a cocktail napkin, to which I can applaud him for making something this uniquely simple & competent on a shoestring budget. Great execution from a plot standpoint. An important part of this storytelling is that many scenes implored you to grasp & think. Especially in regards to the character arcs which are slowly unveiled via dialogue. Gradually you learn that each character nurses some form of jealousy, regret & spite, which plays into their "encounters" later on.

The progression was slow-building as it had to lay lots of groundwork dialogue for each character to get their balls rolling. But once it morphs into a horror story then things get tense all the way to the climax, or climaxes rather. Basically each character gets their encounter to play out, however brief they may be, plotting against their alternates & scheming to escape to greener pastures through the "open doors". The overall mood during these tense scenes is creepy & surreal. The final scenes hammer home the emotional & psychological subtexts for each character, which essentially boils everything back down to everyone's predisposition of regret.

Camera work was a tad atrocious at times, a la Blair Witch style of filming chaos. I think the director wanted to give this a more close-up feel and gave him more ease to improvise as most of all the dialogue felt ad lib. But the thing that usually hurts these cheap productions is bad sound, whereas it was just fine with this film. He did make good use of low lighting. The cast was surprisingly good, even if some of the character behavior was a bit baffling.

Overall its an inventive & competent film that is worth the watch. It has its flaws, but considering the low budget it should be praised & glorified as to what indie filmmakers should strive to achieve. I'd love to see what James Ward Byrkit could achieve with a bigger budget.

Competent & slow-burning psychological indie with incidental sci-fi... 7/10

 

[Sparhawk]

Finally got around to watching Midsommar on Amazon Prime.

I really liked the concept, especially midway through the film when you realize things may not be as they appear.
After that, it was like, oh, ok, that's where they're going with this.... and I thought it ended flat.

I'm sure there is a ton of symbolism in the movie and multiple interpretations, but on the whole, I thought it was just ok. Felt like there was a lot more potential here from a horror standpoint, but it felt like they kind of took it in a different direction than what I was expecting, which again, is ok.

Also, @FaCe-LeE-uS and any others that post movies on here, would you mind telling us in your reviews if the movie is available to watch on TV/Cable/Netflix/Amazon/Theaters/etc?

Thanks.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Finally got around to watching Midsommar on Amazon Prime.

I really liked the concept, especially midway through the film when you realize things may not be as they appear.
After that, it was like, oh, ok, that's where they're going with this.... and I thought it ended flat.

I'm sure there is a ton of symbolism in the movie and multiple interpretations, but on the whole, I thought it was just ok. Felt like there was a lot more potential here from a horror standpoint, but it felt like they kind of took it in a different direction than what I was expecting, which again, is ok.

Also, @FaCe-LeE-uS and any others that post movies on here, would you mind telling us in your reviews if the movie is available to watch on TV/Cable/Netflix/Amazon/Theaters/etc?

Thanks.

Google is your friend! Just google the movie and it will tell you what platforms it is available on for streaming. For example, my last movie review:

 

[Sparhawk]

Google is your friend! Just google the movie and it will tell you what platforms it is available on for streaming. For example, my last movie review:

You know, some of us are just lazy and proud to admit it!!!!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[Taddy Mason]

Google is your friend! Just google the movie and it will tell you what platforms it is available on for streaming. For example, my last movie review:

but that's not quite accurate. i watched it on Prime this past weekend.

JustWatch

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

but that's not quite accurate. i watched it on Prime this past weekend.

JustWatch

It lists Prime as the 3rd option. Or are you sayin it is free & didn't cost anything?