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Garage Sale Mysteries: Guilty Until Proven Innocent (2016)
Fun Hallmark Mystery
I found this on Tubi, I had no idea that this is a series.
I enjoy mysteries and thrillers and this was a fun one. It was easy to see who had 'dunnit', but it was a fun journey getting there.
The characters are likeable and the actors do their thing well.
It is not meant to be anything heavy, just a lighthearted mystery to enjoy on a rainy afternoon.
The story is not particularly deep or difficult to follow. An antique store owner finds a body in the cellar of a barn. Her friend is arrested, and you can guess the rest.
This is an entertaining watch if you want some lighter fare. Not real violence and gore, just an interesting story and a nice little mystery to solve.
The House That Would Not Die (1970)
A Classic Haunted House Movie
The House That Would Not Die is a wonderful old 70s supernatural horror movie that still holds up today. Along side movies like A Name For Evil, Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark and Let's Scare Jessica To Death just to name a few, this movie stars the always wonderful Barbara Stanwyck.
Two women, a niece and her aunt movie into an old house only to find that it's haunted. From the start, the movie builds a sense of unease as a seance stirs up old ghosts.
The film is beautifully done and even if the acting goes a little over the top at time, it's part of its seventies charm.
This is a classic horror movie that can still be enjoyed by those that love a good supernatural story.
The Child (1977)
Low Budget 70s Horror Flick
I love these old low Budget Horror movies, they can be great, they can be awful but they are never dull. The Child, also know as Hide And Go Kill is the kind of movie that came and went. It was the kind of movie that was usually shown at small theatres, drive Ins and late night TV. I think it got a second life when it came out on video and later DVD,
The movie itself isn't great, the acting is off and you can tell that the actors voices were dubbed in post production, but it does set up the story well and it uses weird sounding music and sounds that gives it a real sense of eerieness,
There are some very tense and frightening scenes especially in the earlier parts of the movie. The rather surreal look does help build a sense of unease and tension.
It's easy to see that this was done on a limited budget, but the look of the zombies are pretty effective.
While the acting is at times, not great, it does have its moments.
If you like 70s horror movies, this might be one for you.
The Haunted Palace (1963)
From Poe To Lovecraft
Roger Corman and Vincent Price did some wonderful films together. Corman took a break from his Poe movies to film a Lovecraft story.
This is one of his better film in my opinion anyway.
Price's performance as Charles Dexter Ward and his ancestor Joseph Curwen is excellent. His understated performance as Curwen is menacing and really sells the fact that he is an evil creature bent on revenge against the townspeople that had burned him to death over a hundred and ten years prior.
The movie is moody, with a real eeriness that makes this a memorable horror film. The scenes with the deformed townspeople is a creepy one and it was the one scene that I remembered from when I had watched this as a child.
Lon Chaney Jr is good in his role and is Debra Paget. Frank Maxwell as Priam Willet / Dr. Marinus Willet is also very good as well, but this is clearly Vincent Price's movie.
It was nice to see the references to Lovercraft's story with the Poe references thrown in as well. This is a classic horror movie that is solid on story and atmosphere.
Mil gritos tiene la noche (1982)
Classic 80s Slasher Movie
Pieces is one of those movies that gain a cult following after time. Famous for Linda Day George screaming bastard and for it's gory kills, this is a pretty good movies for what it is.
It's a low budget movie with a pretty interesting premise. A mother catches her young son doing a jigsaw puzzle. The puzzle picture is that of a naked woman, mother flips out and slaps her son. The son then kills her with an axe and hides in the closet when the police turn up.
Years later young university students, female of course start to be butchered and the police are on the case.
Enter a tennis player who goes undercover and a male student , not to mention a creepy groundskeeper and we have a Spanish slasher giallo.
The film is a lot of 80s fun, the acting is a little uneven but the cast do give their all. The kills are gory and well executed (no pun intended) and the action scenes are great.
The ending was what I remember the most, it seemed to random, but I liked it. This is a movie that lovers of early slashers would really enjoy.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Late Night Hell
Whenever I see a movie that is supposed to be as scary as the Exorcist, I roll my eyes. They are usually disappointing and pale copycats of the classic movie. Well now I have finally seen a movie that comes damn close to being just as scary.
The movie starts off strong with a documentary style opening. There are several unsettling photos of masked people in The Grove hinting that it is a cult.
Then it cuts to the 1970's TV show. Now I grew up watching the Don Lane Show, particularly the episodes with Doris Stokes and Uri Gellar which were the inspiration for Late Night With The Devil.
David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy is wonderful, he really sold his character as the variety show host who is gradually sinking. Rhys Auteri as Gus McConnell and Ian Bliss as Carmichael Haig added some real tension. But it was Laura Gordon as June Ross-Mitchell and Ingrid Torelli as Lilly that really shone as the parapsychologist and the young survivor of a cult.
Fayssal Bazzi as Christou was fun as the fake psychic and Josh Quong Tart as Leo Fiske, the producer was great. The appearance Delroy's deceased wife, Georgina Haig as Madeleine Piper was as creepy as hell.
This is an excellent horror movie that builds tension beautifully. The sense of unease throughout the film, the unsettling scenes. This is an absolute treat of a film. It has enough scares without constantly relying on jump scares. Even though it does end on a rather ambiguous note, this is a movie that most lovers of horror movies with really enjoy.
Summoning Sylvia (2023)
Clever Horror Comedy
I have to admit that while I am not a huge fan of horror comedy, this was brilliant. It was as funny as The Selling and the Cornetto trilogy.
A group of very gay friends to together in a haunted house for a bachelor party, throw in the brother of the groom, who is not in attendance who is very straight, a seance that summons a couple of ghosts and you have the making of a hilarious horror comedy.
Travis Cole, Frankie Grande Troy Iwata Noah J Ricketts are all great in their roles but it is the fish out of water, Nicholas Logan as the quiet and uncomfortable future in law that really shines.
Veanne Cox brings an austere creepiness and Camden Garcia brings a sweetness in the role of her son.
Michael Urie, Sean Grandillo and Nick Martinez are great even if their roles were somewhat smaller.
This is a witty movie filled with clever and fun banter even in the face of a terrifying haunting.
The directors, Wesley Taylor and Alex Wyse did a great job with balancing the humour with some pretty tense moments that were scattered throughout.
The ending was a real treat and was really heartwarming.
Whether you love horror, comedy or LGBTQIA movies, this is a real treat.
Stopmotion (2023)
Moody Horror
I love stop motion films, Blood Tea And Red String, Alice, The Adventures Of Tom Thumb just to name a few.
Stopmotion is a moody and at times rather depressing film, but a very good one.
A mother asks her daughter to help her complete a stop motion movie as her hands are nearly useless due to her arthritis. Her daughter ends up taking the film on after her mother is hospitalised
after a stroke. Her boyfriend is supportive but is concerned that she is burning herself out with long hours trying to finish her mother's film.
She decides to rent a studio apartment to work on the movie and hears a young girl humming and singing. The young girl convinces her to make another more unsettling movie.
This is where the movie becomes very dark and at times, twisted. There's some very unsettling imagery and there is an almost hallucinogenic quality to the film.
The acting is top notch and the cast are all perfect, especially the creepy young girl. The special effects are what makes this movie so memorable as well.
I don't know if this is a movie for everyone, I have a feeling it will be a love it or hate movie. One thing it won't be though, is forgettable.
Death Doll (1989)
Creepy Obscure 80's Horror
I saw this years ago and pretty much forgot about it. It popped up on YouTube and I decided to watch it.
What brought back my memories of this movie was the creepy fortune teller doll in the glass booth. I remember it freaking me out when I was younger. It is nice to say, that seeing it again was still unsettling to my much older self.
I am pretty sure that this is a made for television movie, well it has all the tropes of being one anyway, but that does not take away the genuinely creepy feel of the film.
Although the acting can be a little wooden at times, the cast are generally pretty good. The music also help ramp up the tension without being too intrusive.
A young pregnant widow is being stalked by someone who leaves dolls to terrorise her. After her roommate is murdered she realizes that she is in grave danger. All alone she turns to her brother's ex wife and her husband's brother.
The opening scene where she and her husband find the fortune teller mannequin is every eerie and had my attention form the start. The movie moves along at a pretty good pace, it never really lags and there are some scary scenes.
All up, this is a forgotten gem that does deserve to be seen.
Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
A Fun Follow Up To The First Two Movies
I love the first two film, especially Bogus Journey, which is my favourite. I put off watching this movie because I considered the story told and finished. I decided to watch Face The Music because I felt like watching something lighter.
I have to admit, I did not have great hopes but I was pleasantly surprised. The cast was likeable and I liked the face that it spent more time with Bill and Ted than their daughters. I think the scenes where the girls are travelling around collecting famous musicians was fun but no overdone.
Bill and Ted still have their goofy charm which is a credit to Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves acting. The music is great and all up this is a fun way to end the movie series.
Was it brilliant, not really, but it was fun and a treat for the fans.
Too Scared to Scream (1984)
An 80's Crime Thriller Gem
It was nice seeing a young Ian McShane playing such a creepy but tragic character. The movie, a slasher American Giallo style slasher takes place in a high rise apartment building where the various tenants are being killed off in violent and bloody ways.
The cop, a typical macho man who seems to have nothing but contempt for 'wimmin' because they are all so weak with their wimmnly feelings, is investigating the murders with the help of his girlfriend who is also a detective.
He is convinced that a doorman is responsible for the murders. After all, he is quiet, quotes Shakespeare and cares for his invalid mother, so he must be guilty, right?
Wrong, but to the movies credit, I did not see the ending coming and that was a pleasant surprise. This is one of the better slasher movies despite all the 80s tropes, and there are a lot of them, but that is part of its charm.
All up, this is a good slasher with a strong crime/mystery streak through it. The acting and music helps build the tension and there are some good kills.
This is one worth watching if you like the movies of this decade.
The Accursed (2022)
Good Until The End
It was a treat seeing Meg Foster and Mena Suvari and the rest of the cast were all very good. The movie started strongly enough with a very creepy painting in a sinister looking cabin, a scary looking Meg Foster. What's not to love?
I had high hopes for this movie. A good cast, a genuinely creepy feel. When I watch a movie, I respond to atmosphere and dialogue rather than action, blood and violence. I enjoy a good story that builds the narrative rather than torture porn. But that is my personal
preferences.
It looked like that was what I was going to get, also a can-do secondary protagonist who was actually useful. But sadly the ending kind of spoiled it. It was a shame, as coming up to the ending I was rolling my eyes thinking, oh great, downer ending, evil wins, out heroine is going to be possessed, then that was turned around. Good ending, but the last scene, seriously, what was that?
I think this was a case of not quitting while you are ahead. I still enjoyed it, but it is probably not something I will watch again any time soon.
La morte ha sorriso all'assassino (1973)
Stylish Giallo
I love these kinds of movies. I was lucky to grow up with them as a kid. I remember seeing Death Smiles On A Murderer on some late night channel and now it is on Tubi so I got to re-watch it again.
Now I like Klaus Kinsky as an actor, yes I know he was a abhorrent human being, probably due to a serious mental illness, but his acting is always sublime.
Joe D'Amato is on the top of his game here and rest of the cast are great. The music and photography are perfect and helps set an eerie atmosphere.
The film is gorgeous, it is really beautiful to look at despite all the gore. While the story is a bit convoluted, it does tie up in the end. I had to watch it a couple of times before I got the whole thing, but that's me.
It is a great addition to anyone who love old horror movies and Giallo.
Werewolves Within (2021)
Fun Mystery Thriller
There have been a few good werewolf movies lately and this is a good one even though there a not of actual werewolves in it.
The small town of Beaverfield is under attack from a werewolf and the town goes crazy. This is a fun and entertaining movie with plenty of humour and gore.
The odd residents are the best part of the movie. The only sane man is the new ranger who arrives right as the crazy starts to ramp up.
After discovering that the generators have all been sabotaged in the middle of a severe snow storm. The townspeople all gather together for safety only to have their grievances made worse by a businessman who is in town wanting to buy up land for a pipeline.
This is not a horror movie, more of a comedy with horror elements.
The ending really worked for me and I can honestly say that I did not see it coming. Kudos to the cast, they were all excellent and kept the energy up. This is not a classic werewolf film, but it is a fun one.
Truth (2015)
Interesting Film
I remember the whole Bush military service scandal when it first took off but living in Australia I really was not interested at the time, so I admit to not really knowing all the finer details.
The movie does go into detail into everything that led up to the disastrous reveal of the National Guard papers. I do remember the whole superscript question and later Dan Rather being forced out.
This is an excellent look at how power can be wielded as a weapon to silence people. Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford are both wonderful in their roles and it is always a joy to see Stacy Keach.
This is an engaging movie that really shows how pressure can be brought to bear but also how important it is to verify all the facts. All the actors are great and the story keeps you engaged the whole time. Like Scoop, this is one of the better movies to watch if this is the kind of subject matter that interests you.
Pulse (1988)
Entertaining Scifi Horror From The 80s
I found this movie on Youtube of all places. I did not remember this one straight away has I had not seen it for years. It was about a quarter way through when it hit me that I had seen this on late night television years ago.
Some kind of alien crashes to Earth and manages to meld with the electrical grid taking over the appliances and causing chaos and death.
This is one of the better sacrifice horrors of its day. Paul Golding directed the film. Cliff De Young is excellent as the put upon father trying to have a nice visit with his young son David played by Joey Lawrence. Roxanne Hart is likeable as Ellen, the step mother and Matthew Lawrence makes an appearance as the young neighbour Stevie.
Charles Tyner is suitably creepy as the old man who seems to know what is happening. He would probably have his own podcast if this was set in the 2020s.
The special effects were great and the movie really managed to ramp up the scares. This is a real treat for people who love both science fiction and horror.
Lurkers (1987)
Interesting If Flawed 80s Horror
I remember this movie from years ago. I saw it and then kind of forget about it. Now re-watching again, I remembered all the craziness. The weird scenes and creepy characters.
I have to be honest here, I enjoyed it more for all its 80s craziness, but The Sentinel did it better.
There were some very creepy scenes, the one with the little girl was very effective, What did get in the movie's way, was lack of a coherent story. There were scenes that seemed to almost belong in a different film. Okay to be fair, it did all come together at the end, but it was still distracting.
This is definitely an 80s gem, but more for its weirdness that anything else. Still it is worth watching just to day you have experienced it.
Ground Zero (1987)
Excellent Aussie Thriller
I am old enough to remember the Royal Commission into the nuclear testing on Australian soil. The British government with the Australian government conducted test that devastated the local Aboriginal population. The cover up was extensive and the British governments indifference to the suffering caused was callous.
This is a great movie that deals with the horrifying events that took place when the tests were done, Colin Friels gives a great performance along with Donald Pleasence.
This is a taunt thriller and made all the important due to the history of the tests that killed possibly thousands of indigenous people and the soldiers that were there.
This is a great 80s film that deserves to be watched.
The Lesson (2023)
Intriguing Mystery.
Richard E Grant is always a joy to watch. I loved him in The Cold Light Of Day and Warlock just to name a few.
Here he plays a writer whose family a dealing with the suicide of their older son.
A young aspiring writer is hired to help their younger son gain an entrance to Oxford. There he slowly covers unsavory truths and secrets that roil just beneath the surface.
This is a slow burn of a movie that is an interesting watch if you have the patience. It is ultimately rewarding and is worth the time.
The story is a cerebral one and needs the viewers full attention. It is all in the small things, the body language, the expression that convey so much, This is a solid mystery drama that does tell a good story.
The Cold Light of Day (1996)
A Riveting Thriller
I love Richard E Grant and here he gives one of his best performances. Playing the role of a troubled police investigator, he is after a serial killer who prays on children.
After being forced out of the police, he purchases a run down petrol station and he befriends a young mother and her daughter.
The story is a brooding one with plenty of atmosphere and and a somber mood. This is a riveting story that really does have some twists and turns.
This is not a movie filled with car chases and shootouts and mindless action scenes, but a relentless hunting of a vicious and sick predator.
This is one movie I highly recommend.
The Screaming Silent (2020)
Blair Witch Down Under
I don't understand why there are so many low reviews for this movie. It is actually pretty good. Okay, it is a little slow to get started and way too much time is spent with the director Kurt played by Andrew Lindqvist chasing a young actress, Shae played by Bella MacDiarmid to get her to star in his film.
Once it gets going though, it is really good. The Tasmanian scenery is gorgeous and it is the perfect place to film a horror movie. The music and sound effects really help to add to the bleak and disturbing atmosphere as well.
The other cast members, Ross Magnat, Gary Brun, Whitney Boyd, and Derek Pascoe were great and played their roles as the other members of the cast and crew to the indie movie that Kurt was determined to make.
The only real problem is that is it very derivative of The Blair Witch Project and other similar found footage movies. Even the fight scenes and members being lured away by distant screams, I half expected them to start screaming Josh.
But despite all that, I found myself enjoying the movie and really wanting to see how it all turned out. The story was an interesting one involving murders and long dead ancestors and even though the ending was not quite what I expected but it was still good, The acting was solid and there were some very creepy moments that made me jump. Any movie that can do that is okay in my book.
Obviously this is not a movie for everyone, but I thought it was better than a lot of the cheaply made found footage movies that are being churned out these days,
Almost Dead (1994)
Fun If Forgettable Thriller
I love these Lifetime thrillers, they are a guilty pleasure of mine. Add Shannen Doherty and I am there.
This was a paint-by-the-numbers thriller that involves a dead mother who is seemingly haunting her daughter. Throw in a surly cop, Costas Mandylor and a creepy barkeeper, John Diehl and you have a good movie. Not great, but good.
The plot chugged a long nicely but there were few scares and even though I did not see the twist at the end, it was clear that there was no ghost. Well until the very end scene anyway.
This is not a particularly memorable film, but it is a good way to spend a hour or so if you want something that's not too taxing on the brain.
Imaginary (2024)
The Stuff Of Legends Did It Better.
I really wanted to like this movie. Creepy imaginary friend, a spooky atmosphere. It should have worked, but somehow it just...didn't.
The story itself was good and the actors were fine in their roles. But it just took such a long time to get to the meat of the story,
There were some really good scenes especially at the end, although the special effects started to look a bit wonky in my opinion anyway. The biggest problem was the bear should have been a lot creepier. Dead Silence managed to really up the scare factor with the puppets and a terrifying monster in the form of Mary Shaw, Chauncy Bear looked too cute to be really scary, It only started getting interesting when he showed his true form.
It was nice to see Betty Buckley but that was about it. To be honest, the comic book series The Stuff Of Legends Did the scary imaginary friend gone bad so much better,
Tower of Evil (1972)
Nifty British Horror Movie.
I remember watching this as a kid years ago, the creepy island setting and the sudden flashing lights were what really stuck in my memory.
After watching it again as a much older adult, I found myself enjoying the story as well as the visuals.
Set on an isolated island with a lighthouse, some young tourists are brutally murdered, leaving only one young woman who is a fit of terror, stabs an innocent seaman to death.
She is hospitalised and undergoing therapy to help her come out of her extreme state of shock.
Meanwhile a new group of arrive t the island looking for ancient Phoenician treasure and uncover a mystery about the former occupants.
The cast are competent enough in their roles and the setting is suitably gloomy. The histrionics are thankfully kept to a minimum, only coming out when the circumstances really call for it.
The special effects are not bad for the day the movie was made, and it being British, would not have had a massive budget.
This in probably one of the earliest slashers and a pretty good one.
I would recommend this for people who enjoy the older horror movies.
Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism (2023)
Hard To Watch But Brilliant
Being Australian, I have a special love for our horror and thriller movies. There are so many and they never seem to get enough love.
This movie is a little hard to categorise, it's a horror movie, but so much more. The acting is superb, the tone, the mood, it could not have been done better.
What makes this film so very disturbing and hard to watch, it it is so grounded in realism. No one running around shooting guns, no over the top chases. It is so full of tension and foreboding and yet so quiet.
You can feel the emotions of all the actors, the husband and his doomed wife. The church goers so immersed in their own righteousness , the self proclaimed pastor oozing in his rectitude. This all conspires to kill a young woman suffering from mental illness and grief over the death of her baby.
This is hard movie to watch, but it was truly a rewarding one. To quote Lemony Snickett, there is no happy ending, not here and not now. But it is still an amazing film and worth seeing.