Tag: #horror

Jeepers Creepers II

My score: 7/10. After the first film about this bat-like killer took audiences by storm, in stands to reason a second would be made. This one starts out just before the time the creature will be awakened to eat for a specified period of time. On the farm where it takes place, there are no holds barred in terms of movie craziness.

Jeepers Creepers II (2003)
R | 1h 44min | Horror | 29 August 2003 (USA)

Set a few days after the original, a championship basketball team’s bus is attacked by The Creeper, the winged, flesh-eating terror, on the last day of his 23-day feeding frenzy.
Director: Victor Salva
Writers: Victor Salva (characters), Victor Salva
Stars: Jonathan Breck, Ray Wise, Nicki Aycox

Steps are being taken by the old man to get ready for the creature’s return. His two sons are getting in fights but they know the severity of what could happen if the creature appears. In fact, they house the creatures remains in their barn and change people to come through and see this urban legend for real. This film is based on the farm this time. There are some appearances of Justin Long’s character either in dreams or ghost form. This is great horror. While not as good as the first in my opinion, it is still highly worth watching. 7/10

Get Out (2017)

Get Out

“A young African-American man visits his Caucasian girlfriend’s mysterious family estate.” -IMDB

Cast

Daniel Kaluuya Chris Washington
Allison Williams Rose Armitage
Bradley Whitford Dean Armitage
Catherine Keener Missy Armitage

Directed by

Jordan Peele

Written by

Jordan Peele

Other Info

Horror, Mystery
R
Fri 24 Feb 2017 UTC
103min
IMDB Rating: 8.3

Jordan Peele has directed a film here that simply shines. It will be an instant classic and there are no questions left unanswered. It tells it’s message like it is. Veiled racism is all around us, Peele alludes to that and warns us what is really under the surface. He does this humanitarian task in the guise of a horror movie that is, along with its message, extremely well delivered.

The writing supplies a superb cast with the vehicle it needs to reach the audience. Daniel Kaluuya plays Chris Washington, a 26 year old black man dating a white woman and finding his way in the world. He does an excellent job and, I am told, can tear up on cue. Allison Williams plays Rose Armitage, his white girlfriend. I only point out their ethnicity because it is central to the plot and message of Peele’s film. Catherine Keener is Missy Armitage, a controlling and spooky psychiatrist who also wields the power of hypnosis. LilRel Howery should be mentioned as well for his hysterical comic relief in the character Rod Williams. There are more than a handful of other great performances in this film. It’s put together very well that way. Again it’s the script and directing that make this all work and both were done by Jordan Peele.

Chris is falling in love with his girlfriend and she thinks it’s time he met her parents. Once there for the weekend, her mother tries to hypnotize him to stop smoking. All during the visit, there appear to be almost comatose black individuals scattered throughout the home. They appear to be servants. This is a mystery until the near-end of the film. Concepts of veiled racism are depicted and it starts to seem like something very odd is going on. The final act explains everything and it’s a twist Jordan Peele delivers well. This is a truly formidable debut.

FINAL THOUGHTS
In the theater most people were hollering but I didn’t mind. It was like a melodrama from the old west that way. I have never seen an audience so involved. Quite a few of the voices I assume were black. This film illustrates what racism can do, even a subtle version of it. It can be seen as a microcosm of the human condition but there is a lot here about black vs. white culture. In one scene, we see Rose with “trophy” photos on her wall. I thought that was a great hidden message of the film. There are many, go see it and figure them out! It doesn’t take much thought and that I enjoyed!

5/5

Still/Born

Having a baby must be the most serious mind bending experience a person can face. I’m thankful the women are delegated to do it, I don’t think I could pull it off. But being the husband through the ordeal can also be a challenge. You have your love’s raging hormones to deal with and that’s not always a walk in the park. Could they make a horror movie about it? How about depression? You don’t have to answer that because they indeed have already made one.

Still/Born (2017)
R | 1h 27min | Horror, Thriller | 9 February 2018 (USA)

Mary, a new mother, gives birth to twins, but only one of them is alive. While taking care of her living child, Adam, she suspects that something, a supernatural entity, has chosen him and …
Director: Brandon Christensen
Writers: Brandon Christensen, Colin Minihan
Stars: Christie Burke, Jesse Moss, Rebecca Olson

Brandon Christensen is the director and co-writer here. I do not recognize any of his short films. He has directed a miniseries called “Black Ice.” As writer I would have liked a little more in the explanation department. Still, as a jump scare film, it works ok as is. As a psychological drama it would have been nice to get more explanation as to what is going on.

Probably the most scary films like this are the ones where a video tape shows something different than what the main character is suffering through. It’s so easy to point the finger when you have the proof. At the same time, in films like this we are ingratiated to side with the main character because we see what she sees. She is not crazy but rather only trying to protect her family. This psychology of back and forth and the question of who to believe goes on throughout this film.

The acting is so so. The best performance is from the mother of course, Mary.

You may enjoy this film if you:

Are a woman who experienced scares through your pregnancy or who believes your child could be possessed by a demon. Also if you can imagine your husband cheating on you with a neighbor. OR if you like the creepiness of psychological scares mixed with jump.

I am on the fence with this one. Not enough explanation to make it seem worth my while but creepy jump scares enough to make it entertaining. I give it a 7/10.

Annihilation

Something other-worldly has landed and this is nothing like us. We don’t know what it wants or if it wants anything. We can’t see it but we see its impact on the area around it. This is a film that reminded me of “Alien” 1 in its sci-fi purity. It also surprised me with some chilling horror aspects.

Annihilation (2018)
R | 1h 55min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy | 23 February 2018 (USA)

“A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don’t apply.” –IMDB
Director: Alex Garland
Writers: Alex Garland (written for the screen by), Jeff VanderMeer (based on the novel by)
Stars: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson

Director Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”) Pulls out all the stops with this his second directorial project. I don’t want to let him sound “new” though, take a look at his writing credits: “Dredd” (screenplay), “Never Let Me Go” (screenplay), “28 Days Later…” (written by). In my opinion, “Annihilation” is his largest undertaking to date. He wrote the adaptation from a novel and directed this film.

Now for the cast: Natalie Portman pays Lena, the soldier turned biologist who ventures out on a mission to examine a strange new region changed by unknown forces. She is not only following her scientific curiosity but she wants to find out what happened to her late husband Kane, played by Oscar Isaac, in a place called “The Shimmer.” Benedict Wong plays a hazmat suited govt. professional who keeps a storyline running throughout the film through questions. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the all-too-creepy leader of this expedition, Dr. Ventress. She speaks in barely above a whisper most the film. Gina Rodriguez is the third woman on the mission. She is known for playing Jane on the tv series “Jane the Virgin.” Also in this is Tessa Thompson who you will recall was in “Thor: Ragnorok.”

What it’s not:

A long pointless sci-fi posing as a mystery. I want to celebrate this fact because it seems lately we’ve been fed pseudo si-fi that never delivers.

What it is:

An engaging well-written story that holds your attention through elements of drama, mystery, horror, and sci-fi. It’s also an incredibly cast and well-directed film that keeps you guessing and never leaves you hanging. While keeping some questions open-ended there is much room for discussion but the main spine of the story is explained and concluded well. I find this to be more and more rare in sci-fi mystery these days. Is it any coincidence the director of this film is its seasoned writer and a great one at that?

I won’t hide the fact that this is a long film at 2 hours. There were a couple of times I wondered how much time had passed (and I tend to do this when things are not chugging along). Still, in those moments you get to absorb the most incredible visuals and CGI. In between that the adventure moves swiftly.

My final word and rating:

This is a great adventure film I highly recommend. It is rated R for horror and gore elements so it’s not for the squeamish. I am a horror fan however so for me and my recommendation, I give this film a 9/10. I am officially a big fan of director/writer Alex Garland and looking forward to his next project.

Frankenweenie (2012)

Frankenweenie
“Young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.” -IMDB

Cast

Winona Ryder Elsa Van Helsing (voice)
Catherine O’Hara Mrs. Frankenstein/Weird Girl/Gym Teacher (voice)
Martin Short Mr. Frankenstein/Mr. Burgemeister/Nassor (voice)
Martin Landau Mr. Rzykruski (voice)

Directed by

Tim Burton

Written by

Leonard Ripps, Tim Burton

Other Info

Animation, Comedy, Family, Horror, Sci-Fi
PG
Fri 05 Oct 2012 UTC
87min
IMDB Rating: 7.0

You’d think death and grieving were topics best left for grown up movies like Ordinary People et. al., but these topics work surprisingly well in Tim Burton’s animated movie Frankenweenie. It is a highly enjoyable ride for families to the “other side” and back again. As Victor’s science teacher tells him, science experiments must have “heart” as well and brain. A boy’s love for his dog becomes a circular journey of learning to let go. Where does the merry-go-round end? I wont tell you that here but know it is a wildly fun, inspiring ride for viewers of all ages.

As one would expect in a Disney/Burton film, there is an all star cast of voices. Catherine O’Hara, known for her role as the mom in Home Alone plays three characters: Mrs. Frankenstien, Weird Girl, and Gym Teacher. Her voice was the most striking at first for me. When I first heard her doing a character I thought, “Wait a minute I KNOW that voice!” Then you start thinking about where it’s from. Martin Short also does a noteworthy job at the voices of Mr. Frankenstein, Mr. Burgemeister, and Nassor. Incidentally, Mr. Burgemeister is an homage to the Rankin Bass character from Santa Claus in Comin’ to Town and is a delight to watch. He is included likely because this movie was made in “stop action” format with “puppets” as they are called in the credits the same way Santa Claus is Coming to Town was. It is also the same format Burton utilized for The Nightmare Before Christmas. In a time when digital computers seem to be the format for all animation, it is exciting to see this style used to tell a story effectively on screen. There are many other household names in the movie playing a lot of entertaining characters.

Victor is a grade school boy who has a great dog named Sparky. We see them at play and get to know Sparky’s extra-large personality and warmth as a dog in the early part of the movie. This is shown well through his relationship with Victor but also through his relationship “through the fence” with a poodle and other kids. Sparky is clearly an exceptional and loving dog. I wanted to take him home myself.

As you probably have already gleaned from the trailers, Sparky dies and Victor just won’t “let him go” so-to-speak. This is where Victor tries bringing Sparky back to life in his attic just like the Frankenstein movies. By the way, Victor’s last name is also Frankenstein in Frankenweenie. The nods are not subtle in this movie but that’s ok because everything works to make a wonderful and fun family film about death and loss. It also becomes a wild ride reminiscent of Godzilla and Gremlins. Without spoiling all the fun in between, we learn that bringing things back from the dead can have monstrous consequences. There is a somewhat puzzling (for me) ending but ultimately it all works out to be one of the best family films (for all ages) I have seen an a long time. I think I can safely call it an instant classic.

Alchemist Cookbook

http://player.blubrry.com?media_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.blubrry.com%2Fthedamienrileypodcast%2Fcontent.blubrry.com%2Fthedamienrileypodcast%2Falchemist_cookbook.mp3
Taking ancient riddles and recipes for the dark arts seriously. I saw it recently in “A Dark Song” now we have it again in “Alchemist Cookbook.” This one is quite a thrill and certainly a recommended watch. Listen to my short review and see what you think about this mysterious yet simplified horror film.

The Alchemist Cookbook (2016)
1h 22min | Drama, Horror | 7 October 2016 (USA)

Suffering from delusions of fortune, a young hermit hides out in the forest hoping to crack an ancient mystery, but pays a price for his mania.
Director: Joel Potrykus
Writer: Joel Potrykus
Stars: Ty Hickson, Amari Cheatom, Fiji