Reviews

In 2004 Zack Snyder sort of did the unthinkable. He remade George Romero's classic, 1978's "Dawn of the Dead". He also had the audacity to implement fast zombies into his version. But, he pulled it off. Not only was it good, it was darn good. Now 17 years later he returns to the zombie genre but does he deliver another classic? I don't think we were expecting it to be..but does it come close? Sadly, no. I'm sure by now we all know that Snyder's films deliver on the flash. This one doesn't disappoint. It looks great, especially with the Vegas backdrop. But behind all the well crafted shots and colorful scenery is a film that's way too long and is filled with characters making some of the most dumbest decisions you'd think aren't humanly possible. Of course some bad choices help the plot move forward in order to raise stakes and such but here it's painfully obvious those things are about to occur. Nevertheless the film still manages to be entertaining and amusing at times. The evolved zombie dynamic is interesting even for someone like me who prefers their undead slow and dumb. But without a doubt the film could've benefited from a shorter run time which therefore would excuse most of its shortcomings.

From the people who brought you "Goodnight, Mommy" (2014), which I loved, comes "The Lodge", a film I was really looking forward to so early on in this calendar year. A slow burn for sure but does the build up pay off? I'm not quite sure...The true standout for this film is its atmosphere. The icy cold seclusion really immerses you and adds so much to the tension, especially for the first half of the film. Unfortunately I think the script leaves a lot to be desired for in its mid to final act and that's where things kind of fell apart for me. Some questions were left unanswered, the main character progressively lost her intrigue and the films "twist" came as expected but made no effort to arrive with some sort of presence. I still managed to take some enjoyment from this film and appreciated what it tried to do but my hopes of it being the first great horror film of the year were sadly misplaced.

Dave Franco tackles his directorial debut with this horror/thriller "The Rental". Kudos to him already for choosing a horror film as his first, automatic points in my book. The premise revolves around 2 couples who rent a vacation home for the weekend together and things don't go quite the way they had hoped, standard right? Well to be honest the whole film is pretty straightforward, it's a story and setup we've seen before and for the most part, things play out as you'd expect. But what elevates things here to another tier is it's cast and Franco's choice of visuals. The performances really do make a big difference here in pulling you in while Franco treats a familiar subject with a fresh and eager approach. Tension is built nicely throughout the movie while Alison Brie shines with moments of light hearted-ness and brings the dramatic chops as well. There's some kills also, for those of you who were wondering.

Some might not care for the same ol' same old in a shinier package and I understand that. I for one appreciate the effort as long as it's delivered well, cared for and you're given quality which is what I believe we have here. I hope we see more from Dave Franco in this department.

"Come True" tells the story of a teen runaway that takes part in a sleep study that begins to blur the lines between dreams, nightmares and reality. Now I saw this film a couple of weeks ago and didn't want to rush to write a review, I wanted to let it sit for a bit. It's a film you'll either dismiss right away after the ending or walk away with questions that'll linger until you reach your own understanding of what took place. First off, the dream/nightmare sequences drew me in right away. The visuals represented are dark, haunting and oddly hypnotizing. The soundtrack/score is fantastic as well. The dream segments have touches of something out of "Silent Hill" while the score is probably reminiscent to something close to "It Follows". Now the story, especially the ending might divide people. It's a slow burn for sure with a finale that'll leave you with either a grin or frown. For me, it's a must watch and a favorite so far this year.

In this film, a nurse on her first day has to work the overnight shift in a hospital that to conserve power during a crisis, shuts the power off throughout the night. But of-course when the lights are out, things get more interesting. Atmosphere is key here and the film does an incredible job of establishing one that's dark and increasingly more eerie as the film progresses. Some scenes take full advantage of that dynamic to generate some really creepy moments. It's a slow burn that concludes with a satisfying ending that delivers a message. Also, not to be forgotten is the performance by Rose Victoria Williams , she's does a great job.

Finally got to see my most anticipated film of the year and I'm happy to tell you it's everything I wished for and more. Flanagan has done an amazing job adapting the book from Stephen King and giving lovers of the Kubrick film adaptation of "The Shining" (1980) a cinematic sequel. Now i read the book and while I enjoyed it for the most part, I found parts of it underwhelming. I feel in this film adaptation, Flanagan takes elements from the novel and manages to make them more darker and serious which in turn really helped address some issues I had with the book. He does make some serious changes though and while I embraced them I'm not sure how others who read the book will feel about them. "The Shining" (1980) to me and I'm sure a lot of you, is a masterpiece in filmmaking. I for one prefer it over the novel and with this film, it most certainly feels like a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's version and a love letter to that film. The last 30 mins or so are absolutely amazing and kudos to Flanagan for pulling it off. Ewan McGregor does a great job as an adult Danny Torrance and Rebecca Ferguson captivates as Rose the Hat. The film sets a great tone with some stunning visuals and the score completely grabs you. How much you enjoy this film really depends on what you want out of it. There's practically no gore here and no cheap jump scares. What you'll get though is expert filmmaking from someone who you can tell really loves the source material he's pulling it all in from. Everything struck a balance for me that I was tremendously pleased with, top horror film of the year.

This is episode is absolutely insane and in all possible ways, purely genius! I'm loving this show but this episode is really something else.

It's been a while since I've been so excited to see a film. This movie has been highly anticipated since its trailer debut and the closer it got to its release date, the more worried I was it wouldn't meet the expectations. I can gladly say after seeing it today, expectations were met with a little extra maybe to boot. First off, in all my years of movie going, this was the first time I actually saw people walking out the theater. Not because they weren't enjoying it, but because they clearly felt it was a bit too overwhelming, especially towards the end. I could hear one woman behind say as she walked out "i can't anymore, this is too much." The films finale is something to behold. It's a definite slow burn of a film, at times a little dull, but it all leads to something quite unsettling and explosive in its own intense way. The acting is all around special with Toni Collette giving a powerhouse performance. There's no jump scares here, no creepy ghost kids or phantom ladies with black smokey eye sockets. It's a dramatic film with levels of uneasiness being elevated as the film progresses. It also doesn't require too much analysis either, it's pretty straight forward but not simply drawn out for you also, if that makes sense. Easily one of the best films I've seen this year.

Probably the biggest appeal of this movie is its 80's themed aesthetic. But finally getting to watch this I was hoping it wasn't just another film cashing in on that nostalgia because we all know that's certainly the thing to do these days. Thankfully the movie genuinely portrays that era and gives you a fun and engaging experience as well. First off if you're going into this film expecting a traditional horror, you'll be disappointed. It's much more of a mystery, suspense with bits of horror tackled in towards the end. Think of films like "Disturbia" (2007) mixed with of-course some of "The Goonies" (1985). Here we have a group of young kids who suspect that their neighbor who is also a policeman, is a serial killer. Simple setup and something that's not entirely new but the film handles it very nicely in ways that makes it all feel incredibly fresh. All the youngsters are a joy to watch and the exchanges between them are natural and at times downright hilarious. The mystery unfolds like you'd expect but it also takes a few different directions that may surprise you. I was really looking forward to this one and I'm glad it didn't disappoint. It's a fun film that while it does pay homage to films of that era, it does so in such a way that it could've indeed been released in the 80's and we're just now getting around to seeing it. One of the year's best.

I'm always a bit hesitant to watch found footage films with the haunted house/asylum narrative. They all usually follow the exact same formula with almost the exact same scares. Honestly this one is no different. But of course I watched it because there was no doubt I wasn't going to. And even though it's similar to films like "Grave Encounters (2011) and such, it builds an impressive amount of tension and makes what you'll expect seem fresh. The setup is basic, a production crew goes to a supposed haunted asylum for their reality show to capture ghosts live and break into a room (402) that's locked and so far impenetrable. The first 35 mins are pretty introductory but does a good job of making you feel good with the crew. Once they arrive at the asylum, things unfold naturally at a steady pace with the last 20 mins or so being quite hair raising. Seriously, there were a few instances where things got spooky, for real. This isn't a movie that does anything new or reinvents the "Haunted Asylum" film, but what this South Korean film does do is let you know just because you might know what's going to happen, you shouldn't be comfortable still in the manner that things play out. This one might be in my top 10 for the year.

Finally got to watch this much anticipated film that admittedly, the closer I got to seeing it, the more worrisome I became, hoping it wouldn't be a complete letdown. But for the most part, it delivered and was overall very entertaining. Most are calling this a "Love it or Hate it" kind of film. That may be true but I believe there's elements present here that can satisfy a lot of people. There's no denying that "Mandy" is a revenge film, plain and simple. And in executing that factor it succeeds. The kills are fun, violent and bloody. Nic Cage is over the top but not goofy. This is certainly the most enjoyable performance I've seen him give in quite a bit. The films has its flaws though. The first half is rather slow with some scenes and shots that drag on for far too long. And since all the kills leading up to the finale were so satisfying, it was a shame and kind of a buzz kill that the last one was rather silly and underwhelming, even considering the film's tone. But all in all it's a solid revenge flick with a blood soaked, axe wielding Nicolas Cage that's undeniably a visual treat.

Some bad films can cross over into that "so bad it's good" realm. Where you can clearly see it's not a good film but if you can laugh at it a bit, you'd be able to find some kind of enjoyment out of it. This little movie doesn't do that. Sure you find amusement in it but it doesn't warrant the overall viewing experience.

I'm surprised films like this still get made quite honestly. The acting was atrocious and the film's premise which was silly to begin with is painfully executed. The faces they make are absolutely ridiculous. Literally something that can be done with your phone and some sort of filter. You're supposed to find that scary when you yourself can produce the same effect in a matter of minutes, absurd.

Not sure wether this was supposed to be a quick, one shot doc or planned as a series but I really do hope something more materializes out of this. Great story on how the teaser trailer for the 1978 film "Magic" terribly scarred a young kid. It also goes into Ventriloquism, dolls and such and it's effects on people while showing some clips from film and tv involving Ventriloquism. Really, really enjoyed it.

The film itself is ok. It's a bit slow but picks up towards the end. Overall it's rather bland really.

But what I wanted to point out is that this is not a fresh idea. It's been done as a BBC mini series a few years back called "In the Flesh" and a film quite similar as well called "The Returned". And this iteration or spin is the less of the three.

Judging this film solely on its entertainment value and in comparison to other films in the MCU and you'll see it's barely serviceable. Black Panther himself was a complete bore. Almost nothing the guy did got a reaction out of me. I was looking forward to Michael B Jordan's performance and I was so disappointed. It was totally one note and uninspired.

The CGI was terrible as well. Watching Black Panther jump around reminded me of Harry Potter in the first film playing Quidditch. And the technology displayed was way too overdone. They could've downplayed it a little.

This will go right along with Iron Man 3 for the weakest films so far in the Marvel Collective.

During the era of Sega Cd, games like this one were practically the norm. "Night Trap", "Sewer Shark" and "Who Killed Johnny Rock?" to name a few all had the same visual concept. "Dracula Unleashed" was one of the best though in my opinion but not really that well known.

Yea the acting is a bit cheesy but always charming and at times quite creepy. Gameplay is really just a matter of having the right items in hand when arriving to certain locations at certain times, therefore triggering specific scenes that advance the story.

I always really enjoyed this one and still have it to this day. I visit it every so often and if you have the chance, give it a go.

Full of jump scares, the kind you'd see on gimmicky YouTube videos. And as someone else mentioned, for a film that's around 1hr / 40 mins, it felt much longer than that.

Parts of it reminded me of the 2001 remake of "13 Ghosts" as well. Anywho, not a complete waste, decent enough to watch when there's nothing else to see.

Just got back from watching "A Quiet Place" and I really wished I would've saw this at home, on VOD or something because that's where I feel most content watching generic "creature feature" type films. I was really rooting for this film. I like John Krasinski and I was excited to see him star and direct a horror film. From the trailer I knew although the premise was gimmicky, if done correctly it could've ended up being a unique film. Unfortunately what ruined it for me was that through its simplistic setup , it opened up too many plot holes. It's completely illogical and really hard to ignore all its flaws. The CGI'd monsters are uninspired and the resolve at the end is quite silly. There's some thrilling moments here, most of them you probably glimpsed in the trailer. I guess if you're able to overlook a lot of things in this film then you could find some enjoyment in it. But for me I couldn't get past how nonsensical it was.