Rate the Last Movie You Saw

[dannyboy121070]

Just got back from seeing TERRIFIER 3. I am amazed that a film like this can be seen in a theater in this day and age.....it took me back to my early teen years in The Bronx, when it seemed like there was an unrated gorefest playing in our local dive theater almost every few weeks. RE-ANIMATOR, EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN, DAY OF THE DEAD, etc. This was a real throwback. Mercifully, it was shorter than the last one, but at the expense of the story flow. By the finale, you could tell that a lot of connective tissue had been snipped out to shorten the run time. I can't say that I enjoyed this film....it's more of an endurance test than anything else. The gore is almost unlimited, and mean as hell, but that stuff doesn't really bother me. I would probably refrain from telling Horror-haters that I saw this film, as this is the type of movie that would make people assume you were crazy for paying to see, lol.
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[dannyboy121070]

MAXXXINE hit Max yesterday, so that was last night's film. (Mild spoilers to follow.)
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I've found the trilogy to be OK so far....X was fun, but overrated, PEARL was great...this one was a slam dunk until the end, with a revelation that was always in the back of my mind, but seemed to be too ridiculous to really consider. And that was the way they chose to go...? Ugh. Not bad enough to ruin the film, but ludicrous enough to taint all that has gone before. Fun performances all around, some really gnarly gore, and I loved the 80s aesthetic Not too shabby, but someone should have vetoed that end reveal..

[dannyboy121070]

Halloween Movie #4:

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Speak No Evil (2022): While I've heard very good things about the remake starring James McAvoy, I'm a sucker for viewing the original film first, especially if it's foriegn. Akin to Funny Games in the way that it plays with the way politeness is exploited as weakness, this bleak thriller follows a family as they find themselves increasingly unnerved on a weekend visit to some new friends they met on a recent vacation. Speaking any further about the plot gives away too much, but this will not be a film for everyone what it reveals itself to be is almost nihilistic. All that being said, while this isn't a film I'd necessarily revisit often, it is well made and I did enjoy it, though there is something in its build up and pay off that holds it back from being an absolute must see. Like I said, if bleak horror is your jam, then you might want to give this one a shot. Grade: B

I saw this when it first hit Shudder a while back, and, while I thought it was well done, I just found it incredibly stupid that these people would basically stay in a really weird, potentially dangerous situation, just to be polite. I mean, at one point, they left, and came back for a stuffed animal...? Buy the kid a new one.

[Sock Monkey]

Halloween Movie #4:

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Speak No Evil (2022): While I've heard very good things about the remake starring James McAvoy, I'm a sucker for viewing the original film first, especially if it's foriegn. Akin to Funny Games in the way that it plays with the way politeness is exploited as weakness, this bleak thriller follows a family as they find themselves increasingly unnerved on a weekend visit to some new friends they met on a recent vacation. Speaking any further about the plot gives away too much, but this will not be a film for everyone what it reveals itself to be is almost nihilistic. All that being said, while this isn't a film I'd necessarily revisit often, it is well made and I did enjoy it, though there is something in its build up and pay off that holds it back from being an absolute must see. Like I said, if bleak horror is your jam, then you might want to give this one a shot. Grade: B

[Sock Monkey]

Halloween Horror Movie #3:


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Caveat (2020): There was quite a buzz around this movie when it first came out and I can see what draws people in about the film. The movie centers itself around a man who recently has had an accident that impairs some of his memory and he to get some money he agrees to watch over a young woman with some mental health issues in a rundown house on an isolated island. Upon arriving, though, he finds that he has to be strapped into a harness that chains him to an anchor in the basement and limits his movement in the house, assumedly in an attempt to foster a sense of safety for the young woman. Twists and turns and possible supernatural occurences abound and should have been my cup of tea, but unfortunately, a lack of clarity in some twists and some leaps in logic that just went a little too far pulled me out of the movie. The director did a great job building up atmosphere and tension, but the script needed a little reworking to pull off what they were hoping. And, finally, yes, that bunny is freaking creepy.
Grade: C-

[Sock Monkey]

I feel the same way about THE SACRAMENT. I found it interesting, but also slightly off-putting in the switch back and forth. It isn't West's strongest film, but still very interesting. Maybe I need to give it a rewatch at some point.

JENNIFER'S BODY, on the other hand, has been getting a pretty big repraisal lately and I think rightly so. It got lumped into a whole lot of Megan Fox/Diablo Cody backlash when it came out and the initial reviews don't really do it justice. Yes, the dialogue is hyper-stylized and, no, it isn't really scary, but it has have a lot more on its mind then what you'd think. I rewatched it a couple years back and really enjoyed it.

[dannyboy121070]

Last night was a TCM double feature: THE BODY SNATCHER and MARK OF THE VAMPIRE.
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I've seen both before, but I was still blown away by Karloff's performance in THE BODY SNATCHER. A kindly old cab driver to a child, and a menacing murderer to the Doctor who uses his after-hours services. Phenomenal ending, as well.
MARK.....I watched it again because it was a short enough film to squeeze in as a double-header, but the Scooby-Doo aspect was, and remains upon this repeat viewing, ridiculous, as well as a cheap out.

[dannyboy121070]

Last night's film was JENNIFER'S BODY on Peacock. This was just a spur-of-the-moment decision...I saw it there on Peacock the other night, and felt in the mood for some possession, despite avoiding the film like the plague for the past 15 years. I think I made a bad pre-judgment originally. Much better than I expected, with some good performances, as well as quick appearances by a baby Chris Pratt and J.K. Simmons with hair and a hook hand. I had a good time. I used to plan out what I would watch, but now I just kind of drift from night to night and see what I'm in the mood for. It seems to be working out so far....
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[dannyboy121070]

Last night was Ti West's THE SACRAMENT om Peacock. Basically a sad retelling of the Jonestown mass suicide. Not what I would call enjoyable, but compelling nonetheless. I did wish that West would have made up his mind about whether or not this was a found footage film or not....Found footage, then it becomes more of a traditional film, then found footage....pick a style! And something about the basic plot of the film itself made zero sense, but I'll keep it to myself for fear of spoilers.
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[Sock Monkey]

I watched ODDITY on Shudder last night. MAN, this really hit the sweet spot for me. I loved it! Like CADDO LAKE, probably best if you go in knowing nothing, like I did. Highly recommended!

Good to hear! It's slotted into my Halloween viewing for this year, but a little bit closer to Halloween itself. Typing this up right now, I'm realizing just how far behind I am on posting my movie reviews for this year. I always start out with the best intentions and then life gets in the way! Hoping to get caught up this week. Unfortunately, not today, though. I have an essay that's calling my name.

[dannyboy121070]

I watched ODDITY on Shudder last night. MAN, this really hit the sweet spot for me. I loved it! Like CADDO LAKE, probably best if you go in knowing nothing, like I did. Highly recommended!
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[dannyboy121070]

The first two TERRIFIER films are fun, but the second was sooooo long. Way longer than a slasher film should ever be. Going to see the third this weekend, hopefully.

[sholloman81]

Watched the Terrifier.

Hack, slash, and not much going on. There where some creepy scenes, interesting things, but overall not much to be excited about.

Have never seen any of the Terrifier films and have always wondered if they were just one big gore fest. I'm sure that I may watch one at some point, but I'm not in a hurry.

[Ben Staad]

Watched the Terrifier.

Hack, slash, and not much going on. There where some creepy scenes, interesting things, but overall not much to be excited about.

[dannyboy121070]

I went on a bit of a Mike Mignola bender over the past two nights. First I bought the new Hellboy film, HELLBOY: THE CROOKED MAN.
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I had low expectations...the film is obviously low-budget, and went straight to home viewing, skipping theaters. But it cost twenty bucks, cheaper than it would have been to see it in a theater, I'm a HUGE Mike Mignola fan, and Amazon sent me a six dollar digital film voucher, so the stars aligned.

Annnnd.....It was WAY better than I could have hoped.

The smaller scale and budget suited the story perfectly. The source material is one of my favorite Hellboy stories, basically an Appalachian folk-horror tale, and the adaptation is fairly faithful. The effects, aside from a jinky-looking giant CGI spider in the opening scene, are well done, and the actors all acquit themselves well. I'm sure this will be a one-and-done, but I wouldn't mind seeing more from the same team. Your mileage may vary, but I really enjoyed it, and I can see myself watching it again.

That put me in the mood for DRAWING MONSTERS, a documentary about Mike Mignola's career and the creation and rise of Hellboy. Really well made, and I loved it.
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