serina25801's Reviews

Where the Scary Things Are (2022)

3/10

12 December 2022

By a technical standpoint, the movie's not bad. It has some good camera work, the sound mixing was on point, the acting - for the most part - wasn't bad.

When the movie started, all of the characters were deplorable. As it continued, the characters only got worse. With the exception of the Snack character, all you want is to see the other characters killed. I only kept watching just to see everyone else get killed off. The worst characters were Bran (from the get-go, you want him dead), Ayla (no redeeming factors) and Scribble (just a general horrible person).

Hell, the monster (Crockamoley) was sympathetic. You wanted to see it off the entire cast - you just waited for it.

I felt like this film had potential. If it focused on the Jeni character being bullied due to her anxiety and how Snack was someone to befriend her while trying to distance himself from his "friends," it could have worked. Honestly, this film fails because its focus is on the wrong people.

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Uncharted (2022)

5/10

Not great, but not bad

19 February 2022

Uncharted was...all right.

It would've been better if they would have either made up a unique storyline or just adapted one of the games directly. Instead, we got a hodgepodge of every Uncharted game shoved into one film. It opens with 3, then 4, then goes to 2, then 1, then back to 4 - like JUST PICK ONE. I still recommend it, but mainly to people who haven't played the games.

There were characters that were clearly based off of in-game characters. Like Braddock was obviously supposed to be Nadine, Moncada was Rafe - but this is an "origin story," so it wasn't Rafe and Nadine. Despite so many changes being made that they could have made them Rafe and Nadine and nothing would have changed.

Tom Holland was okay as a young Nate, but a little too wide-eyed innocent. I could not buy Mark Wahlberg as Sully. He was so one-note throughout the entire film, except one scene at the end. That was a major miscast. Sully can be selfish, but he cares about people close to him. Given who Sully knew in the film, he should not have been treating Nate like he did.

Again, it's a game to film adaptation. If you don't play the games, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

I still feel that National Treasure with Nicholas Cage is a better Uncharted film than Uncharted 2022.

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Old (2021)

9/10

Better Than Expected

7 October 2021

It's an M. Night Shyamalan film, so going in, you expect a twist or something hokey. But it's nothing like that. There is no twist, it's just a solid story.

The acting was actually amazing, sans one guy who just took in all the tropes from Shyamalan's bad flicks. But he gets axed off fairly early, and he doesn't have that many lines otherwise, so it's not that distracting.

The premise of the film is great and it was executed perfectly. I didn't even realize I got attached to the characters until I found myself crying near the end.

I recommend this film, not just to those who have grown used to Shyamalan's algorithm, but to those who haven't. It is a solid film and everything makes sense in the end.

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Fear Street: Part One - 1994 (2021)

7/10

Not What I Expected

5 July 2021

I honestly didn't know what I expected going in. I've read most of the Fear Street books, so I was definitely expecting something violent. The entire film is just like a 80s/90s slasher, except with better acting and effects.

All of the characters were pretty likeable, though they weren't at first. You do grow to like them and want to see them all make it out. But if you know how slashers work, not all of them are coming out alive. One of the deaths legit had me upset because I really liked the character and their death seemed to most brutal.

I can say I've never cried over a character death in a slasher film until this one. Take that for what it's worth.

I really enjoyed this flick and look forward to parts 2 and 3.

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Hereditary (2018)

2/10

Ever left a film feeling angry?

18 April 2021

My friend and I went to see this on theaters. We're both big horror movies junkies and if you ever go through my reviews, you'll see they're my thing. I was so excited to go see this film based off of the trailer. It was the first time in years where a horror film truly looked like it would be disturbing and eerie and it had my full interest.

Then I watched it.

The first third was AMAZING. Best part of the film. It was disturbing, it made you feel intrigued, yet uncomfortable - it was looking like this film would be the best horror film of a generation.

Then the second act started. It wasn't bad. Had you going about a family falling apart and a mother unable to cope, trying to find ways to. A son who was guilt-ridden and understandably losing it. A dad trying to hold a family together as best he could.

Then the final act happened and destroyed everything the film had going. It turned an amazing film into a standard possession/haunting flick. I was PISSED. The ending was so generic, so aggravating, that we left the theater angry.

I've rewatched the movie since, thinking a couple years after seeing it, maybe my view would change. But no. Like the first time, the ending just makes me mad.

This film could have been the greatest psychological thriller/horror of its time. How a mother drowning in grief can't cope and her psyche breaks down. A son who can't come to terms with what happened. A father watching his family fall apart. If the movie had ended showing that it was a manifestation of the mother's depression and psychosis, it would have been PHENOMENAL.

Instead, we're left with a generic ending that even then 90s would call clichéd.

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Estranged (I) (2015)

7/10

Let's Get Depressed!

2 October 2020

I've never seen a movie get me to the point where I was just staring at my television screen numb for over an hour after the credits rolled.

I've watched a lot of horror and a lot of thrillers - to the point that if you go through my reviews, it's kinda my genre. I'm always up for something new or something that can catch my interest and hold it the entire time. This film definitely kept it...but I'm wondering if that's a good thing.

It starts our generic enough - woman in an accident with amnesia, goes to see her family and something's not quite right. It's a fairly familiar premise. Where this film differs is any sense of hope you have for the main character is just completely gone by the time the ending is coming up. So much so that even after the final scene, you just sit there feeling like it wasn't enough. People should have been punished more to get that sense of catharsis for our lead. Instead, it leaves you feeling blank and numb for having watched it.

I'm giving this film 7/10 because it is something that many thrillers attempt, but fail at. Most films of this caliber just want to shock to shock. Where the characters are all deplorable, including the main ones, there's violence and torture just to make you squirm. This movie doesn't do that. You want our lead to succeed. You like her. You like her partner. You want there to be retribution. But after what our lead is put through, it doesn't feel like any payback would ever be enough.

If you want to feel depressed and hopeless for a few hours after seeing a movie, watch this.

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The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)

6/10

Lesson: Don't put profiles in your movie if you can't profile

19 September 2020

This movie had potential. Keyword: "HAD". Any potential it carried, it squandered on its horrible understanding of behavioral analysis and opted for cheap gimmicks to shock the audience. If you have any type of law enforcement background, just avoid this film. It'll just upset you at how inaccurate it is when it tries to come off as a documentary.

Is the film bad? Not necessarily. The acting's on-par and the effects are nice. It's a good film to put on in the background while you're doing something else, which is more than I can say for a lot of flicks. Where this movie fails is its attempt to be taken seriously.

Anyone with any type of training is going to know that the majority of the methodology is ridiculous. A serial killer doesn't go around targeting adults and children - even if they're after victims of opportunity. They have a type, may once or twice go against it due to an outside interruption, but that's it. And those that they do go after because it was either kill them or be caught, those are their most disorganized.

It's apparent the filmmakers just wanted to put something together to make people uncomfortable. And if you have no experience in anything criminal-related, it might get to you. But even the torture that was described was pretty standard for even things you'd watch on regular television (Law & Order, Criminal Minds, NCIS, etc.).

I give it 6/10 because it didn't bore me to tears, it just had me going "that's not how that works" way too often.

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Butterfly Kisses (2018)

9/10

A Cliched Premise with Great Execution

18 September 2020

Let me start out by saying this movie far exceeded my expectations. Watching the preview, it's a cliched plot we've seen countless times: someone stumbles upon some found footage/old diary/pictures and becomes desperate to find out what happened or if what they found is even real. We've seen it done great in movies like The Ring, The Blair Witch, Sinister, etc. We've also seen it done horribly like The Bye Bye Man, Rings and Slender Man.

What really helps this movie is the lore. The "Peeping Tom" story is as creepy as it is clever, and utilizing the camera like they do in this film helped every bit. You can actually go back yourself in the film and see him in the background, which makes it way more disturbing. Because this thing hides in plain sight, and as someone who has that paranoia about being watched or followed, it fed right into my personal discomfort.

Even the ending, which I won't spoil, had a good build-up and one that didn't completely ruin the film. Too often, we see great movies fail right at the end and this one didn't. It kept its momentum and delivered. I recommend this film if you're searching for something creepy, not scary.

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Asylum of Fear (2018)

5/10

Not that good, but not that bad

30 June 2020

Let me start off by pointing out the good in this movie. The five main leads are the best point in the film. They work well off of each other and they do throw their all into their acting, even with the movie's cliched premise. Even the guy at the end (won't spoil who) threw his all into his performance. I genuinely became attached to these characters and was upset when things happened to them. Which is WAY more than most standard horror flicks.

The production value is also really nice, even though some of the effects can be lackluster (at one point, a guy's head is bashed in, but you can clearly tell it's just a mannequin).

Now for the bad, and there's quite a bit. Any actors that aren't our leads. The guy who plays Dr. Pender is horrible. He's supposed to play this scary psychotic, but it comes off so phoned in anytime he's on screen. Whenever there was a flashback scene, it just sucked me out of the film entirely, and I wanted to return to the present with the investigation. The deaths scenes during the flashbacks were hilarious. One person gets stabbed in the stomach with a scalpel and immediately dies. So many of the deaths were caused by injuries that wouldn't kill someone - literally flesh wounds. It's cheesy, it's great.

Also, the kid actors. I hate knocking child actors because they are children, but any time they have a speaking role, you'll find yourself asking if they ever bothered with a second take.

Again, the premise is cliched, but what do you expect for an asylum haunting flick?

Overall, I did enjoy this film for what it was. It wasn't that good, but it wasn't that bad. Half of it truly had my interest, while the other half kept losing it. If you're looking for something mindless, yet entertaining, I recommend it.

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Area 51 (2015)

8/10

Not a scary film, but I don't think it's supposed to be

29 May 2020

I believe this movie has been mis-labeled. It is by no means a "horror" film. It is, however, better classified as a "sci-fi thriller".

I enjoy the found-footage genre, for the most part. When it's done correctly, which this film is. Everything that's filmed makes sense given the context. Quite a few times, my adrenaline was up while watching and I was genuinely concerned about the main characters.

That's one of the things I liked about this film was the character development. Unlike a lot of thrillers, where the characters are hackneyed and cliched, these characters were actually written like people and you can genuinely understand where they're all coming from.

So I do recommend this movie, just not as a horror flick.

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Don't Watch This (2018)

5/10

It's okay if you like body horror

22 August 2019

Is the little mini-series good? It depends. Does it deserve a load of one-star reviews? Not at all.

I watched the first season and, while I didn't care for it, it wasn't bad by any means. The acting was spot-on, the effects were really good, the story lines, while short, were solid in what they promised.

Every episode relied on body horror - blood, gore, mutilations, etc. And there is a niche for that. It's not mine (I prefer possession and haunting horror flicks), but there is an audience. Body horror is a particular audience. And I think that if the series was advertised for what it was, it would have garnered better reviews.

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The Prodigy (2019)

3/10

Mediocre movie with rehashed plots - no surprises

4 June 2019

I remember wanting to see this movie in theaters when it was released, but didn't have the time. After watching it? I'm glad I saved the money.

I love horror films - even the bad, tacky and cheesy films. But even the bad ones I enjoy, they still try new things. "The Prodigy" does absolutely nothing new with the premise.

A serial killer's soul takes over a child. Already, a premise we've heard before.

The beginning of the film shows the family happy and enjoying life, already setting up how "horribly wrong" everything will go.

Family has a pet you know something will happen to? Check. The mother knows her son needs help? Check. The child manipulates the psychologist? Check. The mother and father argue after the kid threatens the father? Check. The mother tries getting the child a different form of help? Check. The father wants to have their son committed for obvious reasons? Check. The child tries to kill the husband? Check.

I swear that there's a checklist out there where mediocre horror directors just go down saying, "We need to do all of these cliches. Like...all of them." Even the ending is stereotypical of bad movies. I won't spoil it, but if you think of every bad horror film and how they end, you'll know. There's never a resolution. It's droll.

The only thing I will say about the movie is the child actor was good, and it's hard to find good child actors. Though the lines he had to say to the old man made me wonder if the screenwriter is on a list of some type..

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How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

10/10

Beautiful Finale to a Beautiful Trilogy

28 February 2019

With How to Train Your Dragon being Dreamworks' first trilogy, you wouldn't expect much. The company is amazing at movies that are self-contained, yet, seeing a great story bleed into two sequels, the stakes were high.

The second film gave us a great villain who relied on shear strength. This film gives up a great villain who relies on manipulation. One of the little things I loved is how they didn't make this new villain a viking. They wanted to make them new, something our heroes hadn't encountered. What better than someone who is NOT a viking and handles strategies differently?

This was the first villain in the trilogy to give me anxiety any time they were on screen. You hate them, you get mad at them, but you also understand their motivations, but still want to see our heroes succeed in taking this creepoid down.

The ending will enthrall you. I cried, I laughed - it's the best ending you could hope for something like this. Many times during the film, I kept comparing it to Lord of the Rings. And it's very similar in its overall epicness. However, that's not a bad thing - clearly. This is one of those rare films that will stand the test of time. Just like LOTR, people will watch it decades from now and still be amazed and get pulled into the fantasy.

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Nostalgia Critic: Les Misérables: Musical Review (2013)

Season 6, Episode 29

10/10

Best Crossover Review To-Date

8 October 2018

The way this review opens, you expect it to be momentous.

The main reviewers are Nostalgia Critic, Paw and Oancitizen, with Brentalfloss playing a very important role. As with other major reviews, certain characters take on the characters from the movies. Paw takes on the role of Marius, while his now-wife Elisa Hansen takes the role of Cosette. Brentalfloss takes on the character of Javert with the singing voice to match that of Russel Crowe's in the actual film.

While they review the movie, they breakaway into skits that are parodying parts of the film "Les Miserables." Personal favourites are when Oancitizen dismisses Linkara and Linkara breaks into a parody of "I Dreamed a Dream", and when Rachel and Malcolm interrupt the review with their comedic rendition of "Master of the House."

There are a LOT of musical numbers in this review and each one is entertaining enough to not only hold your interest, but to the point you'll wind up singing the parodies instead of the actual songs. I can't tell you how many times I sing their rendition of "One Day More." In it are all the reviewers, Todd in the Shadows, Linkara, Brentalfloss, Rachel, Malcolm, Nostalgia Critic, Oancitizen, Paw - EVERYONE. The thing is that they make the comment that the song shouldn't overshadow the final song, but that's what this one does. It's much better and much more powerful than the final song, which is a parody of the epilogue.

Anyone who enjoys watching reviews of their favourite movies will adore this. It's one of the few reviews I keep coming back to just because of how entertaining it is. Chances are still high we'll never get another review like it.

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The Christmas Tree (1991 TV Movie)

4/10

It's bad, but that's kinda what makes it good.

1 October 2018

Is this movie good? Not by ANY means! It's horrible - poorly animated, poorly acted - but holy horse hooves if it's not entertaining.

My partner and I play this every Christmas while we set up our Christmas tree and make fun of how bad it is every year. That being said, it's kind of charming in that aspect. I look at this film as a comedy. If you go in with that mindset, you'll laugh your butt off.

If you go in expecting a Christmas classic, you'll be horribly disappointed. But if you go in expecting a bad animated film, you'll be delighted. It's hilarious and something to enjoy as a nice background film.

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Ravenswood (2017)

1/10

Best Part Was the Ending Theme

18 August 2017

After reading the description on Redbox, this film seemed to be right up my alley for a cheesy, asylum horror flick. I was really looking forward to watching this movie, but I should have known by the opening scene that this film was going to be a jumpy mess that made no sense.

After the opening scene, it introduces the main characters and all of them have the personality of a wet paper bag. Actually, that's unfair. A wet paper bag is still useful after it dries. The only character I found myself liking was Zach, played by Jock Campbell. He seemed to be the only person to bring any type of life to the character he was given. The acting is stiff at best for everyone else, though it does occasionally pick up here and there.

Now for the story: Wait. What story? No spoilers, but the main female, Sofia (Madeline Marie Dona) kept going on about this whole "wait for sex," "six months," "you know why," thing. But that's just it. It NEVER explains the time frame. It gives some backstory to her why she doesn't want it, but what was with the whole "six months" thing? Like...I kept waiting for that to come into play and it never did. And all of her friends keep saying how she's so "strong" and all this nonsense, but we never see it. You can't just keep saying what a character is. You have to show it.

That's the point of film. SHOW, don't TELL.

At no point throughout the movie is she ever shown doing anything noteworthy. She never tries fighting off the spirit, she never stands up for herself, she never does anything. Honestly, I found her and the boyfriend character to be the least interesting in the entire film and she was a main focus. If you're the main focus, you have to be interesting - entertaining. Just...something.

Most of these characters could be replaced with balloons with faces painted on them and you'd get the same amount of energy.

Look, I love cheesy horror flicks. Those dealing with mental institutions and possessions are usually my go-to movies for some fun and entertainment. This should have been a perfect movie for that and it wasn't. It honestly annoys me that I wasted the $1.69 to rent this thing.

The ending theme was pretty good, though.

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Shadowhunters: The Mortal Cup (2016)

Season 1, Episode 1

9/10

Good Adaptation - Kept the Characters On Point

13 January 2016

So I finally got to watch Shadowhunters.

And okay: it doesn't follow the book (so far) that closely, but I can understand the changes necessary for a television show adaptation. Unlike a book, where we get sucked in by (typically) the writing style and character introductions first, a TV show is towards a different audience. So they need to give the general public more of what to expect later on - to be like, "Hey! It's worth watching if you stay with us!" type of thing.

That being said, I did thoroughly enjoy it. Anytime there is a book-to-movie/show or game-to-movie adaptation, I walk in with an opened mind - knowing that things are gonna change, but as long as they keep the main characters the same with similar plot points, I'm perfectly content (hence why I LOVE the first Silent Hill film, though it wasn't that close to the game). And I thought it was well done in the show.

Simon's reactions were hysterical and, if I do have one complaint, it's that he is WAY too good looking. However, that aside, his character hasn't really changed. I liked how Magnus and Valentine were given little snippets of their personalities and situations, as well. Even though we all know they weren't mentioned until much later in the book (again, they gotta hook the general audience). I liked how Iz made that comment to Alec, hinting on his crush - I thought that was cute and in-character for her.

My only complaint on Alec was that, for him, killing a demon in the book was a huge deal because he'd never really done it before and in this, he was slashing away with Jace and Izzy. I feel like that was a change that was unneeded because his shy demeanor (which is still there) was much more prevalent in the book.

I did like Clary's character - especially considering I could not STAND her until the third book. So that's a good note. I like her more down-to-earth character in this show and I hope it stays that way.

All that being said, I think it's a good adaptation and I look forward to seeing it every week.

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The Time Machine (I Found at a Yardsale) (2011)

1/10

LOL. This is a movie?

15 December 2013

This is a parody of bad movies, not a movie itself.

I refuse to believe this is an actual film (or supposed to be one). All I did was laugh the entire time. And can we PLEASE talk about that "dinosaur"? OMG. I haven't laughed that hard is YEARS.

I saw Phelous' review on the film and, after dying of laughter, decided to try to watch the movie itself. And it was even funnier. It's so bad! Like...there is NO WAY these people thought this was a good idea or thought they could even act. The only half-decent actor in the entire film is drowned out with background noise.

Plus, you think this film has a plot? HA! They ditch the "plot" and, if you somehow make it to the ending, you'll just be like, "LOL. What?" I mean this movie is beyond bad. That's what makes it so funny.

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Prisoners (2013)

10/10

One of the best films of the year

22 October 2013

Warning: Spoilers

I won't lie: I'm a huge fan of Jake Gyllenhaal and have been for a number of years. I've never seen a movie of his I didn't like. And, while I do like Hugh Jackman (and I do think he's a great actor), he's never been one of my favourites.

That being said, I did enjoy Prisonersa lot. The movie was gritty, intense and emotionally involved. Jake has definitely found his niche with the law-enforcement-themed films. Prisoners is about child abductions and the effects it has on the families involved and those who take on the case. It is a realistic approach on that matter (much like Jake's other film, End of Watch).

You have two families ((Dovers' (father played by Hugh Jackman) and the Birches (father played by Terrance Howard))) getting together for Thanksgiving, when things take a turn for the worse when their youngest children get abducted. Then you have the investigator (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) who isn't really a rookie for investigations, but a rookie when it comes to dealing with child abduction cases. And it takes its toll on him.

He gets emotionally invested, which is something they (investigators) try their hardest not to do.

(SPOILERS START)

Then you have Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) who ends up abducting the person they think is responsible, Alex Jones (Paul Dano). He ends up torturing him, trying to get information from him, despite Alex being mentally handicapped. Franklin Birch (Terrance Howard) steps in and, while he thinks it's morally wrong, is so desperate to find his daughter, he goes along with it. He does fight between what is right and wrong and even tells his wife (Viola Davis) about it, but she's on Keller's side.

Meanwhile, Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) is losing it to the case. He's having breakdowns and is desperate to find the girls.

(SPOILERS END)

Honestly, I think this is some of the best performances by these actors. I never saw Terrance as a serious actor before this, but after this film, my opinion is changing. Hugh Jackman's always been able to do serious roles and he really is great in this - probably one of his best performances.

Jake, however, while I do feel this is another amazing and in intense performance, nothing will ever top End of Watch for me. This is a runner-up, though. His performance is flawless and he does show the reality these types of cases has on investigators.

(SPOILERS START)

One thing I did joke about with my mum afterwards, though, was that End of Watch ended with Zavala (Michael Pena) dying and Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) being forced to live with his best friend and partner being dead. This felt somewhat like a continuation on that. Like Taylor decided to quit the LAPD, move to a smaller department, but keep going and train up to be an investigator, despite being without his partner. So things got to him easier.

(SPOILERS END)

This film is insanely amazing. It's real, it's dark, it's gritty and it's one you have to be emotionally prepared to handle. Even if you're not, still see it. It's a great movie with intense scenes and it's the most realistic performances from Hugh and Terrance that I'd never thought I'd see.

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Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

8/10

A Little Too Much Action, Not Enough Development

25 October 2012

Warning: Spoilers

Silent Hill: Revelation is a fangirl's haven. They even referenced TRAVIS! I freaked the hell out!!

Granted, they changed quite a bit from the game and there were some things that were kinda "what?" with their changes.

(Full review and spoilers)

In the game, Harry is killed in their apartment when Heather gets back from her Nightmare at the mall. What drives her to Silent Hill is finding out WHY her father was killed and who she is. Vincent - you don't even really meet him until a third through the game, though I get why they introduced him like they did for the film. Then you have Douglas, who wasn't supposed to die that soon and actually helps Heather.

He didn't help her in the slightest, so his character was just kinda there. And Claudia was the one that was supposed to actually off him after telling him what Heather was going to be used for. I was looking SO FORWARD to that!!

Some pros were that the movie starts out similarly to the game, with her dreaming that she's at the Lakeside Amusement Park. What got confusing, though, was that Nightmare!Silent Hill was so prevalent and there wasn't a lot of the typical Silent Hill (more on this later).

I will say that, this time, Pyramid Head made sense. He didn't make sense at all in the first one, considering he's in the second game (unrelated to the first and third games) and is the manifestation of James' inner turmoil. They switched his meaning around to have him in this film, but it worked and you can tell that it was really something for the fans - to have Pyramid Head portrayed as he was. As a fan, I DIDN'T MIND AND I LOVED THE TAKE.

There was a lot of action, which, while it's nice, it took away from the character development and the real dark feel of Silent Hill. The whole love of Silent Hill is being completely alone, trying to solve puzzles and figure out everything on your own, occasionally running into another person, but eventually just going your own way. That's what draws the fans to the series and why the first film was pretty damn good.

Look, I've been a Silent Hill fan since the first game was released in the 90s and I even own the Silent Hill Play Novel - I taught myself to read Japanese all so I could play that game. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but then again. Like I said, there was a lot to put into one film from one of the best games in the series. It was an interesting take! And while I may not go to see it in theatres again, I will definitely be getting it when it comes out on DVD.

Oh! They also had about five different rearrangements of "Never Forget Me, Never Forgive Me," each sounding wickedly awesome and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn was singing the ending theme. That just *made* it for me. I love that they use Akira Yamaoka's music in it. The music really does give the feel of Silent Hill.

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Sinister (I) (2012)

9/10

First movie to scare me in years

24 October 2012

I'm a horror movie junkie. I stopped be scared of them when the ridiculousness of them was blatantly on screen. However, this movie actually terrified me, something which hasn't happened since "The Ring."

What's funny is that, while I was watching it, the movie didn't scare me. In fact, my friend and I were laughing about it in the parking lot afterwords. But it slowly started set in around midnight. It's a disturbing film, which you don't even realize until the credits have rolled and you're at home.

Plus, I *love* the music in it. It sounds very inspired by Akira Yamaoka's work (who did the music for the Silent Hill games). It's that dark, disturbing and sinister-type music that are really more sounds than actual music, but enough to make your heart jump. Horror movie fans, you'll love this film.

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Paranormal Incident (2011)

2/10

One of the Worst Films

15 September 2012

Warning: Spoilers

Let me start off by saying that when I first started watching it, I was expecting something along the lines of "Grave Encounters." Boy, was I surely mistaken.

I should have known from the beginning that this was going to be a horrible film when they were using cutaway scenes of one of the guys cheating on his girlfriend. Just a useless sex scene for a chance to show some boob. No reason for it whatsoever. On top of that, these people rarely shake their cameras and just film everything, constantly, with some really poor dialog. At least in other films that do hand-held cameras, it's because they're using the light on them when it's pitch black - it's justified. Not this film, oh no.

Plus, there is absolutely no character depth. You don't get to learn anything about their back-stories, except when one dude's getting killed, you find out that his mother is apparently dead. No mention of that earlier in the film or anything.

Then we have the even more annoying cutaway scenes to John in the hospital. Let me just say that the guy who plays John and the woman who plays the "investigator" have to be two of the worst actors in in the history of ever. The scenes were cheesy, stupid and pointless. The ending to the film made absolutely no sense. Dealt with some "Secret Special FBI" nonsense that, I guess, is supposed to play into peoples' conspiracy paranoia.

If you want a good "paranormal" first-person film, watch "Grave Encounters" or stick to the "Paranormal Activity" franchise. Those are tastefully done and the aforementioned is probably one of the best ghost-films I've seen in over a decade.

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Chronicle (2012)

10/10

Tastefully Done and Amazing!!

4 February 2012

I'm normally not a big fan of the first-person films; I found Blair Witch to be boring and Cloverfield to be nauseating (it wouldn't stop moving). A few, however, have kept me from stopping to watch them. Independent films, like Grave Encounters, and box office hits like Paranomal Activity 1 & 2.

This is one of those that sets the bar! The film opens with the main character, Andrew, reflected in the mirror on his door with his new video camera. Right off the bat, it's on a tripod to keep it from moving and, while the film does have it in the characters' hands, for the most part, Andrew uses his telekinesis to suspend it in the air to keep it still. It starts off a little slow, but it sets the tone for the rest of the film. Once they discover the hole and acquire the abilities, however, the movie picks up and becomes fun.

To be honest, I spent half of the film with this stupid smile stuck to my face, because that is EXACTLY what someone would do if they suddenly acquired powers. They would experiment and have fun, be stupid and joke around with people. Play pranks, etc. You do feel bad for Andrew, though. By the end of the film, you wanna keep saying that they all deserved it and anyone would snap after being through what he had gone through (nothing that the previews haven't shown, by the way).

The end of the movie speeds up and is done with multiple cameras: from people having their own hand-helds filming, security cameras in buildings and police cars, it gets a little hectic. A few times I was wishing that one of the cameras would just stay still long enough, but it was still brilliantly done. I won't put any spoilers.

The point is that if you want to see this film, the movie WAY passes the trailers! If you've been having doubts, see it! It's AMAZING! One of the best first-person films I've seen!

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Gothika (2003)

10/10

Not for the Scare, for the Fun

28 December 2011

A lot of people take this film too seriously. I, for one, loved this movie. I'm a horror movie junkie and, after watching so many, they don't scare me; so I don't watch these movies to be scared. I watch them for the entertainment value.

That's why this movie gets such a great review.

I delivers that psychological aspect that many horror films don't - it doesn't rely on blood and gore and gives off a very dark and sadistic feel. Especially with the cool tones used in the editing.

Originally, I watched this movie because Halle Berry was in it and she usually doesn't do horror; her acting was flawless and she portrayed the part so well. Yes, a lot of it was expected, so there wasn't much a surprise value; but most of your horror movies work that way (American horror, anyway).

This film had me interested from the get-go, though. I love the human brain and analyzing it, so watching doctors do what they're trained to do (even in a film aspect) was quite a step-up from the usual status quo. The ending is still one of my favourite scenes - no spoilers, though. But the end gives off such a feel that you can't help but just feel something sinister lurking (a Silent Hill feel, if you would - and I mean the games). Ending it with Behind Blue Eyes by Limp Bizkit just...made it.

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