Tag: #horror

A slow rolling horror that builds to a crescendo. Also, we get to learn about the French Vet training system. It’s a lot like the most intense hazing colleges of the US. And then there’s the eating of flesh thing, yeah that’s there too.

Raw (2016)
Grave (original title)
R | 1h 39min | Drama, Horror | 15 March 2017 (France)

When a young vegetarian undergoes a carnivorous hazing ritual at vet school, an unbidden taste for meat begins to grow in her.
Director: Julia Ducournau
Writers: Julia Ducournau (dialogue), Julia Ducournau (screenplay)
Stars: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella

I’ve held off watching this for months because of the subtitles. When I finally got some time to sit with it and not multi-task I have to say I enjoyed it as a horror film and had a very good time watching.

Everything is bare-bones here. It almost watches like an old 70’s film. There is a building where she goes to school and there are dorms. The film goes nowhere else. The story as it unfurls is odd and a bit hard to imagine as true, but this is horror right? The film opens with a long open road and a figure running in front of an oncoming car. Soon after the collision, the pedestrian saunters up clearly in pain and goes to the car window. Then the story begins of the female protagonist going to vet school. She goes through hazing, which her older sister approves to be done to her. There is a scene of being splashed in animal blood and another of eating raw rabbit organs. As a result she develops a taste for flesh, I’m afraid I missed how or why this happens. There are events, a twist, and a morose conclusion.

It’s an ok way to spend a runtime. It’s not as good as I had hoped and the subtitles certainly are not deep or enriching in any way. Still, it’s shocking and fun with latex and blood which most of us horror fans get the fun in. It’s also interesting seeing a coming of age experience in another country. For fans of the horror genre I recommend it!

7/10

Watch this online on Amazon Video for $5.99

I hope all movies don’t follow the trend of using their genre hashtag as title, but here it is unique and pretty cool! Based on the content, it does fit. The woods are always a good place to start a horror movie. You wouldn’t think to find a rich girl’s fancy home there but in this case we do. What follows is a bloody film showing some of the worst girl bullying and maybe the most violent bonkers from Timothy Hutton we’ve yet seen.

#Horror (2015)
Not Rated | 1h 41min | Drama, Horror, Mystery | 20 November 2015 (USA)

Six preadolescent girls face a night of terror when the compulsive addiction of an online social media game turns a moment of cyber bullying into a night of insanity.
Director: Tara Subkoff
Writer: Tara Subkoff
Stars: Sadie Seelert, Haley Murphy, Bridget McGarry

Director and writer Tara Subkoff gets kudos from me, even though this film is a bit predictable and not very credible. She’s been in some great movies like, The Cell, As Good as it Gets, and a host of others. This was her first try at directing and it takes a lot of chances which is commendable. Whether she learns from them for her next film will be the real test.

Lead actress, Sadie Seelert hasn’t gone to the trouble to put her info into IMDB, which annoys me a little. She does have one other film under her belt called Callie Wants a Solo. I’ve never heard of it. Young actress Haley Murphy has neglected her bio the same way but we do know she has done Silent House (2011), My Best Day (2012) and #Horror (2015). All the actresses are very pretty and they memorize their lines. Unfortunately, much of the film reminds me of a forced skit in drama class. Usually with horror though, one can get away with forced acting.

The film is basically the girls bullying each other on social media while alone in their parents’ house. People start mysteriously being killed and … yes there is an ending that reveals all. I enjoyed it in as much as it gave me a talking point with my 12 year old daughter. Even when the acting seemed fake, she did assure me girl her age engage in that.

Timothy Hutton plays one of the main character’s dad. He pushes the other girls, squeezes their arms and yells at them. His purpose is just but I did not find this character believable. If he was, I don’t think I’d ever let my daughters out of the house with their friends. Dad’s don’t just threaten their daughters’ friends like that. Still, the film was not horrible, I did enjoy watching it. It brought up a lot of good discussion points. Alot of us older folks (40 and upward) may have forgotten what peer pressure and bullying looks like. This is a modern reminder.

6/10

Ways to watch now:

As of publishing this, it was streaming on Netflix.

Also, #Horror is Streaming on Amazon Video for $2.99

Whether you believe the found footage or not, it has become a formidable sub-genre of horror that directors are doing more and more with. You don’t have to believe what’s going on here, but it’s a lot more fun if you get sucked in like I did.

The Houses October Built (2014)
Not Rated | 1h 31min | Horror, Thriller | 10 October 2014 (USA)

Five friends are stalked by a group of mysterious and disturbed individuals while on a road trip looking for the ultimate haunted house attraction.
Director: Bobby Roe
Writers: Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe | 4 more credits
Stars: Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe

Young people in search of a thrill is usually a recipe for a good time or disaster. Haunted houses, employed by local thrill agencies like carnivals and individuals compete for the scariest locale and company. Apparently, according to this film, it goes on all over the United States just like roller coasters at thrill parks. We also learn they are mixed in their dedication to scares.

The found footage takes the viewer place to place. We learn from the carnies themselves what this job is all about. After all, this film watches a bit like a documentary on haunted house thrill events. Of course, these houses aren’t really haunted are they? It’s a mammoth undertaking trying to make a film like this scary and I will tell you it is quite scary nonetheless. The comic relief of the young people making the “house hops” helps a bit, but the makeup and just plain creepy stuff going on make it just as scary if not scarier than any effective modern horror movie.

Along their trek, they are stalked by truly scary people and there is no scarcity of jump scares. For fans of the found footage genre along with horror fans, I’d recommend it. It is just a bit slow at times, but that may be the nature of the sub-genre. Because it lacks a universal appeal as well, it loses something for me. Now streaming on Netflix (July, 2017)

7/10

//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=rileycentral-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00OCECH38&asins=B00OCECH38&linkId=82a30f9c49b9aa9bc65493d1e83afcce&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff

Some horror movies are great for a sleep over when you’re in high school but aren’t very deep for discussion. This is one such film. It has creepiness and some jump scares (not too many) and it works on that level. As a serious horror movie however, it doesn’t make my grade. It’s just ok.

The Devil’s Candy (2015)
Not Rated | 1h 19min | Horror | 17 March 2017 (USA)

A struggling painter is possessed by satanic forces after he and his young family move into their dream home in rural Texas, in this creepy haunted-house tale.
Director: Sean Byrne
Writer: Sean Byrne
Stars: Ethan Embry, Shiri Appleby, Pruitt Taylor Vince

This film is directed by Sean Byrne. He is from Tasmania. He has a strong background making films such as The Loved Ones, a horror movie involving power drills. film shorts and commercials and has received much acclaim for creating this film. Still, it isn’t a massive scale film most young directors hope for. He does show much promise though in this film so I await what he does next with enthusiasm.

Ethan Embry, Shiri Appleby, Pruitt Taylor Vince are the top three actors in the film and they are a stronger feature than the story in my opinion. Embry is known from films like Sweet Home Alabama. He has that all American boy look but in this film, he is a hessian metalhead, trying to be a good guy but failing. Appleby landed a huge role in the reality series Unreal. She is well cast in this film because her eyes always look scared, stressed, and sad. Pruitt Taylor is from Mississipi Burning. He looks psycho, in this film he is psycho, or possessed or both.

The basic story line here is the possession of a painter who lived in a home. A couple moves in and he comes back seeking the will of the devil who lives in the house. It’s an ok horror movie. IT has some thrills and it;s nice to see these actors’ faces. Because I would not see it again, I’m grading it down to a 6/10 which isn’t failing.

6/10

The Witch (2016)

 

Cast

Anya Taylor-Joy as Thomasin
Ralph Ineson as William
Kate Dickie as Katherine
Harvey Scrimshaw as Caleb

Directed by

Robert Eggers

Written by

Robert Eggers

Horror
Rated R for disturbing violent content and graphic nudity
1h 32min

I saw this film not knowing what to expect. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rating in the 80% range so I was naturally curious since I rarely see horror films doing so well. The audience was not favoring it quite as much so that made me wonder what was going on here. Sometimes that means it’s a “movie makers” movie and not one the average American is going to “get.” I was right about that I think. This film has received a Sundance “best director” award and all sorts of other laurels on its poster. Usually those mean foreign film but in this case they are festival awards. This movie is taking the critics by storm. I think the audience will get on the bus sooner or later. Please understand, this film is not the easiest to understand but it still combines several powerful themes to make a hard hitting horror film and I love it!

It displays the cruelty of religion in the same way the Crucible and the Scarlet Letter. It takes it all the way into the psyche of a Puritan family and causes them all to question whether each other are witches. Mind blowing. It’s not a horror movie per se but it uses elements of diverse themes to create an original movie. Don’t watch this movie hoping it to make sense but rather dwell among the family and observe the sickness that religion can become. The ending may perplex some or it may be an awakening. I think the director wants us to draw conclusions but not in a concrete way. Why does the heroine walk naked into the trees? What caused this transformation? Did she make the choice or was it destiny made for her by her family? Is the family innocent? This dark tale raises more questions than answers. Though much is never explained, it’s the experience of these unexplained things that is the essence of the ride. We may not want to get off but the director pulls off our seat belts at the credits and says GO NOW! Then, we have to think about it. I’ve been doing so for 2 days straight and it’s lovely.

Ruby Sparks is amazing and just one of my 10 favorite films I reviewed in 2012. My top ten list is here.

2012 was an awesome year for movies. From a magical typewriter that created a sexy girl to an orphaned chimp, there was much in the theaters of 2012 to make one feel and think. It was also the year I made my blog a prominent platform for movie reviews. Of course I didn’t review everything I saw, but mostly I did. Below is the list of my top ten movie reviews of 2012, linked to the reviews themselves.

• Rise of the Guardians 11/24/12 Rise of the Guardians is a CGI animated film for children based on a book by William Joyce. It is built around the invaluable moral of believing in yourself.
• Ruby Sparks 11/18/12 Ruby Sparks is a romantic comedy written by Zoe Kazan. Ruby is a fictional character thought up in the movie by a successful writer in his early twenties played by Paul Dano. Much to his surprise, one day Ruby comes to life and takes on the role of his real life girlfriend. After that a roller coaster of emotions and love lessons ensues.
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower 11/11/12 Emma Watson and Ezra Miller steal the show in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Miller often reminded me of a Jack Nicholson for a new generation. This book-turned-film pleases at every turn.
• Argo 10/29/12 The film Argo is the story of how a CIA team rescued hostages from Iran. It is based on true events. In this film, the horrors of 1979 Iran contrast with the humor of making a fake movie making it both serious and comic.
• Here Comes the Boom 10/13/12 There is now another “root for the underdog” fighting film to add to the movie archives. It’s also another try at a “feel good education” film.
• Frankenweenie 10/09/12 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.
• Moonrise Kingdom 07/13/12 Moonrise Kingdom is a refuge amidst so many predictable and non-inventive movies out now. It tells a creative story line of lovers who thrive despite their antagonistic surroundings.
• Prometheus 06/12/12 Prometheus takes us back to the time before Ridley Scott’s Alien. It fills in a few gaps for us as fans of the franchise and opens all sorts of curious new doors. It stars a relative newcomer who really packs a punch in her role. The actress who plays the tough and sexy Elizabeth Shaw, Noomi Rapace, is well known for playing Lisbeth Salandeteen The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series (Swedish version).
• Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Documentary Review) 06/02/12 Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a documentary directed by Werner Herzog in 2010. Many recognize Herzog as a gifted filmmaker who has made many documentary genre and other style films since the late 1960’s. The Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave in the Ardèche department of southern France is a cave that contains some of the earliest known cave paintings.
• Chimpanzee 04/27/12 Chimpanzee is a documentary film released by Disney. It was directed by renowned BBC nature film creators Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield. Only true specialists in this genre could have created such a sad yet inspiring and touching movie. This film features Oscar, a helplessly cute chimpanzee who has all sorts of adventures as an infant and small child chimp.

If you were looking for great movies from 2012, I hope my post has helped you out. I welcome and appreciate your comments here on my blog.