Tag: #horror

This is an exciting adventure film for all ages. It combines amazing visuals with a story about the quest of the Avatar. Though some may find the cartoon imitation more suited to teens and under, it has something for everyone: swashbuckling martial arts, a hero, creatures, a villain, and fireballs aplenty.

The Last Airbender (2013)

Cast

Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone

Directed by

M.Night Shyamalan

Written by

M.Night Shyamalan

Other Info

Action, Adventure, Family
Rated PG
1h 43min

As I did for my last review, I watched a movie tonight in preparation for the podcast I’m doing with a new movie reviewing friend Darren Lucas. We’re set to discuss the movies of M. Night Shyalaman, this was another one I hadn’t seen yet.

It’s a story about a teen who has incredible “airbending” powers enabling him to defeat opponents almost effortlessly. I knew the basis of the character because my son watched this anime style cartoon when he was in elementary school.

It started out exciting. In some ways, I think M. Night tried too hard to make it look like the cartoon, it is live action. Nonetheless, it has a hateable villain that we are meant to somewhat have empathy for since he was burned by his father. It also has a pretty supporting actress. Her presence and acting reminded me of Hilary Swank in her old school Power Ranger character of the 1990’s.

There are some other great characters that do a good job supporting the Last Airbender in his struggle. Of course, there is almost credits-to-credits martial arts in a pseudo form. Throwing of fireballs is common.

I enjoyed the film, it was definitely an adventure. Another effect that some will find noteworthy is the cgi animal the Avatar rides. There are several creatures and they are done far more well than the creature in my last review of “After Earth.” M. Night definitely pulled together the right resources to make these effects work

My word to the wise: This is an amazing Action, Adventure, Family film. I usually don’t watch movies like this: anime, Naruto, the Avatar, etc. but I did love Speed Racer back in my younger breakfast-cereal-in-front-of-the-tv days. Still, I was glued to this one. What does it say about the work of M. Night Shyalaman? He can apply himself to multiple genres and create an entertaining film. After all, he has written screenplays for movies from the family film “Stuart Little” to the horror/suspense film “Devil.” For many other genres he has both written and directed the films. We see the child in him in “The Last Airbender.” It certainly brought out that childlike wonder in me. I recommend this one. It did lose a star with me because I would have liked to have seen it adapted more to the dramatic screen, relying less on trying to make it look like the carton.

The games played in these films are played again, some in a new way, in Jigsaw. In general, the film is made the same way we’ve seen it before. The games are simpler and the twist is familiar, the look is only slightly different, more “grainy.” Having said that, I still had fun watching it.

Jigsaw (2017)
R | 1h 32min | Crime, Horror, Mystery | 27 October 2017 (USA)

Bodies are turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely gruesome demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one suspect: John Kramer, the man known as Jigsaw, who has been dead for ten years.
Directors: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Writers: Pete Goldfinger, Josh Stolberg
Stars: Matt Passmore, Tobin Bell, Callum Keith Rennie

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The Saw movies are about appreciating life and those who commit terrible acts often don’t. That’s where the gruesome “tests” come in. From Saw I to the latest incarnation, they consist of the same formula. Each includes a twist. This one also has a twist and it plays with time to create a quite unexpected effect. The most memorable test for me was when wires grabbed a man’s leg. I enjoyed that, it was something unique. That’s a very general reference that I don’t see as a spoiler.

Despite being exciting as the others were, this film failed me on a couple of levels. The original Saw was my favorite and it cost only 1 million to make. This one cost 10 million and it looks far poorer than the original. It may be time to retire the series based on this contrived twist and the complacency of the tests. They’re starting to all look the same. It was a great concept to begin with but I fear it may have overstayed its welcome. There is really nothing original in Jigsaw. Can I just say as well, it looked like a CSI tv show not a big screen Saw sequel. It is fun though and I hope fans go to see it. Maybe then we can all agree without argument to each hammer her/his own nail into the coffin of this franchise, finally.

6/10

This will make you never want to go camping again. A horror tale of a happy couple minding their own business and being attacked by hoodlum teens.

Eden Lake (2008)
R | 1h 31min | Horror, Thriller | 12 September 2008 (UK)

Director: James Watkins
Writer: James Watkins
Stars: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Tara Ellis

We have a lot of gore and violence here. I recall more than one scene I probably would want my teenage kids to see. Writer/Director James Watkins really bloodies the blade in this suspenseful thriller.

A couple seeks to have a calm and romantic getaway at a camp spot. That is threstened by hoodlum kids who try proactively to ruin their time.

It’s the age-old debate of “kids will be kids.” Is Fassenbender’s character an asshole for trying to get them to leave him alone and shut up? That’s up for a discussion until a given point I think. After that point, all bets are off and it turns to an all out kill or be killed war for turf. These are not innocent kids.

Some of these scenes will forever remain in my visual memory. It is a highly violent and graphic film. Not for the weak of heart or those seeking a sing-song film with a la la ending. I won’t give it away but suffice it to say this film is brutal. I felt it was too much at times although the film is still entertaining. I would have liked to have seen how the gang came to obey the leader to the death. Tat was never really fleshed out (no pun intended).

6/10

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This is a fun handheld camera horror film. It’s a horror and actually a vampire themed one at that. The title and posters misled me. I thought it was a body horror/gore film. While there are elements of that, the vampire concept emerges soon and envelops the film throughout. It is a different way of looking at vampirism for sure.

There are times in this films when it resembles a game screen. It’s a low budget film and the directors make the most of the location they are shooting in. I applaud the stuf they found to film. The bedrooms look like set pieces from architectural digest. They’ve performed quite a feat here and it works well.

This was a nice hour and a half story in the cornfields with a chauvanist and murderous father and his highly impressionable teenage son. It has the signature Americana and horror of Stephen King in the way we are more or less used to.

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The film starts with a beleaguered looking father/farmer sitting at an antique century desk writing a “letter of confession.” That’s a great intro because we know right away something bad probably went down. We don’t know how bad or minor it was and you get that as the film progresses. Thomas Jane plays the farmer and I think he did an excellent job in this role. I joked with my wife a couple times about how he looked so much like Tom Hardy. That’s a compliment because he’s a great actor. He brings a lot of presence to the role and it’s enjoyable to watch as he descends into his own brand of madness.

His son is in love. The farmer uses this get him to do the unimaginable. The mother is played by an amazing actress, Molly Parker from Deadwood and The Road with Viggo Mortenson. Her part in this is well played even though it is indeed tragic.

I almost fully recommend this film. Netflix does it again! My only criticism would be they save the horror until the very end. I would have like to have seen it woven more throughout. It could have served a dual purpose in explaining to us the plot more as well.

8.5/10

This film came out earlier than I was expecting. I saw Mark Duplass’ tweet on my phone and rushed on home to see it.

I really enjoyed it. You can hear my visceral reaction on my podcast The DRP. For here, I’ll just say that Duplass did it again. The foreboding sense of creepiness in the original is carried on in this one. There is a woman in this one, a video “artist” who has a Youtube show where she answers want ads. Anyone see the connection?

Duplass is chilled out a lot more in this one which makes it even more scary. He offers the woman a videographer job to film his “documentary” as he discusses his life as a serial killer. This really raises the tension. You’ll have to see what happens as I am not here to spoil it for you. We see “peach fuzz” again which is highly cool in my opinion. That was one of the elements of the first one that really shocked.

This film could have just sucked but it doesn’t. It makes the most of “found footage” as a genre and Duplass’ character is highly creepy, more than ever while maintaining the similar horror vibe of the original. I can’t think of how to make it better for what it aims to be.

10/10

The cover image connotes horror and discontent. I asked myself, “was it through her eyes or her mother’s.” And then of course, there was the more literal interpretation and someone’s eyes are involved here. The latter haunted me so I went and watched the movie.

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Cast

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Directed by

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Other Info

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This isn’t a bad movie but it won’t appeal to all horror fans. Beyond that circle, it really won’t appeal. It’s the story of a young girl who’s grown up on a creepy farm, the movie is in black and white and the images are very creepy. She is secluded from friends and family apart from her elderly mother and father. It’s never addressed why they are such old parents. There are many possibilities there.

There is a tragedy that occurs and then many aspects of oddities play out. The film is very slow going and tries to give insight as to how people can be nurtured to be killers. Still, the nature/nurture question weaves throughout. A couple of the characters who did bad things appeared to me to be mentally challenged. I saw that as a major flaw in the script. People who murder must do so of their own sane conviction to deserve revenge. There were sometimes rhyme and reason to this and other times not. It’s easier to get into revenge movies when the antagonists “have it coming.” This film tried more to show how depraved a mind can become when bereft of attention and love. As the little girl grows up, we become psychologists, invited to draw conclusions about the girl. I prefer to be shown or told what the characters are. They left way too many questions unanswered for the revenge parts to resonate with me. I can’t recommend this film. The black and white creepy cinematography is pretty cool but other than that, I think they missed the boat with this one.

Troubled teen Milo is training himself to be a better predator. He also has a fixation on Vampire lore. A young lady is about to come into his world who just might take it all to the next level. It’s a film about desperate people in lifeless situations. How do these kids deal with it? Through fantasy and other means.

Not Rated | 1h 37min | Drama, Horror | 21 April 2017 (UK)

When troubled teen Milo, who has a fascination with vampire lore, meets the equally alienated Sophie, the two form a bond that begins to blur Milo’s fantasy into reality.
Director: Michael O’Shea
Writer: Michael O’Shea
Stars: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine, Jelly Bean

We’ve had a trend of superheroes in the real world type films. Now we have one in the vampire theme. Milo tries to be a vampire in secret. It’s his way of coping with a very bad family situation being raised by his dope addict brother. His therapist at school can’t see what he’s up to though she does ask him about harming animals. We watch him sink deeper and deeper into his fantasy. When Sophie enters his life, a bad situation becomes worse and Milo slips out of control into his delusion.

The director is Michael O’Shea and he does an amazing job with dark lighting and sound. This film is very entrancing because of his talents. I’ll be looking for more from him in the future. All horror films need to see this film, it’s very good in my opinion. If you can handle the vampire and blood content, it’s also a good drama. There is much here to be analyzed over coffee and I love that about this film.

My rating: 7/10 Something took her husband away but what? It took him to a place we think, but where? These are some of the hypotheticals the viewer is asked to contemplate in this film. Are they answered? I’d say yes. Will many make it through to the end I say some brave and patient ones will.

R | 1h 27min | Drama, Horror, Mystery | 11 April 2013 (Argentina)

A woman and her sister begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances, including that of her own husband.
Director: Mike Flanagan
Writer: Mike Flanagan
Stars: Catherine Parker, Courtney Bell, Dave Levine

Written and directed by “Hush” director Mike Flanagan, this film does a lot on a low budget, $70,000 to be exact. Oculus, Before I Wake, and Gerald’s Game are just three other amazing works he has created for us. This was an early endeavor in 2011. He has skills in making creepy films, I have seen that tested and it’s true. Because it is low budget, this one takes place in limited settings with real life ones like a suburb neighborhood tunnel. Still, he uses all these pieces to weave a creepiness that ends in a satisfying conclusion. The husband has been lost for 7 years. This is the story of what happened to him.

The acting is ok. The two sisters have a good chemistry together. The tunnel works for scares and Flanagan already had some chops at this point with everyday settings to scare you 100% as much as any CGI. It’s a bit of a slough but it takes you somewhere pensive and scary which is definitely a positive aspect in my book when I see a horror film.

7/10