The Sacrament

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 1 May 2014

     Netflix on 31 Aug 2016

Writer and Director: Ti West (Known for V/H/S, The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers)
Running Time: 99 Minutes

Staring:  Kentucker Audley, Amy Seimetz, AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg and Gene Jones

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.1 of 10

MY RATING: 2

STORYLINE

Journalist Patrick (Kentucker Audley) works at the VICE, a company dedicated to cover bizarre news. When his sister Caroline (Amy Seimetz) joins a community, she travels abroad with her new family. Out of the blue, Caroline invites her brother to visit her in an undefined country and Patrick travels by helicopter with his friends Jake (Joe Swanberg)and Sam (AJ Bowen) that work with him at VICE. They find weird that the men that have come to guide them to the Eden Parish have guns. On the arrival to the camp, Patrick, Sam and Jake find a community of happy people that worship Father. (Gene Jones) They interview Father but soon they realize that people are not as happy as they seem to be. Further, they find that they are trapped in the Parish Eden and they want to leave the place with the newcomers. But the Father does not have intention to let them go.

MY REVIEW

I am a student of history and specifically interested in the history of crime and criminals. This leads to me the heart of my review. This is nothing more than reimagining an actual horrific event. About 10 minutes in, I was well aware that this was going to be a Jonestown facsimile. I feel like this was deliberately retold in THIS specific way to introduce the altered storyline to a younger audience.  This is truly ineffective as a horror thriller.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Nothing really redeeming about this movie. Not even any eye-candy for me to lust after!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• This story was frightening enough on it's own. For me, I just found the story too obvious. I could see the twists before they even were shown on the screen. I think it's because I know the story of Jonestown.
• Shaky-cam SUCKS!!

On a more personal note..... Got up this morning and noticed that baby Rocket J. has gotten soon big. He was drinking water next to Jinxie and he just didn't look like the little 7 month old baby that he used to be yesterday! Then, I got ready and went to have a spot of lunch with my bestie, Missy at the Hair of the Dog Eatery. I had an amazing buffalo chicken sandwich and she had chicken and waffles with candied bacon. I don't think either of us will be hungry for dinner. THEN, got a little something for my hair.. PINK HIGHLIGHTS!! So fun!! And finally, I finished this piece yesterday! I am getting better at face coloration and shapes. Hopefully, I can keep it up! I've been 

enjoying the distraction!!

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Pontypool

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 6 Sept 2008
     Netflix 27 August 2016

Director: Bruce McDonald
Writer: Tony Burgess
Running Time: 93 Minutes

Staring:  Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly and Hrant Alianak

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? Yes, but NOT THAT much!!

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.7 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

A psychological thriller in which a deadly virus infects a small Ontario town.

MY REVIEW

This movie will appeal to a specific set of movie watchers. Myself being one of those people who appreciated the efforts of the direction and writing of this movie. 

     Is it a masterpiece? No. 

     Will it win an academy award? No. 

     Was it worth a watch? Yes.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This is an intelligent horror movie. It's reminiscent of early Cronenberg where the watcher is treated to a set of experiences and is treated like a person who knows what's going on. I love it when I am not patronized.
• Originality! A new and interesting twist on Zombie infection/infestation. The way the virus spreads in this movie is definitely inventive. 
• The Scene. It's set in one location and you as the watcher are basically experiencing the event with the characters. The actors are brilliantly cast. Stephen McHattie is a bright star. His take on the radio DJ is quite interesting. He's irreverent and perfection at best! His voice seems to be a sedative that both calms and uneases.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I would have preferred a little more blood and gore. That's not a true negative but it would have made me happier!! 

On a more personal note..... Baby Dexter had a check up this morning. He seems to be doing so much better. He had a case of Pancreatitis as well as his swelling from the Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex (Rat Ulcer) on his lip. He's a trooper!!We were also told that he is a little chunky for his size. He's Half Munchkin and should weigh no more than 8 pounds. He's almost 10.4. He needs to go on a little bit of a diet! We dropped him off and went to get some breakfast at Denny's. Then I finished up a little piece I was working on..

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Don't Breathe

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 26 August 2016

Director: Fede Alvarez (Love this guy!!)
Writer: Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues
Running Time: 88 Minutes

Staring:  Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette and Daniel Zovatto

Rating? R (AND and It really needed that R!)

SPOILERS? NO, Because you should see this!

REVIEWS

IMDB: 8.1 of 10

MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE

A group of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they will get away with this perfect heist. They're very wrong.

MY REVIEW

Fede Alvarez, the director of Evil Dead (2013), a movie that I truly loved, was one of the main reasons that I really wanted to see this movie. Ever since, I've been on the watch for another from hum. This was a non-stop joyride for me with all of the trappings of what makes a successful horror thriller with a few hiccups. I will do my best not to give anything away!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Cinematography was brilliant! I definitely felt cues here from Hitchcock. Definitely a story told through visual cues as dialogue would have muddied the water. At times, I got lost in the visuals as they were very mesmerizing. The lighting of the sets, camerawork, makes it crazy perfect! There were moments when the camera would pan over through a scene and it was beautiful.
• No cheap thrills here. This was well thought out and had just enough foreshadowing to make the watcher really feel involved in the story.
• Sympathetic Monsters. This was done in a way that gave an unrelenting story to the watcher. Each item was dropped into out lap just like a puzzle piece that combined to form the complete character, a person who was not only endearing in some ways, but evil as well.
• Stephen Lang!! What a performance! He was the star of this movie for me.
• I was happy to see that Fede Alvarez used Jane Levy again after Evil Dead. I think she was pretty awesome!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The Plot Twist! Not going to give it away, but this was way less than what I was hoping for. PLUS, once the twist was initiated, they beat it like a dead horse!! Enough already, we get it!! Bad guys!!
• A little too much cat and mouse. Reminiscent of The Strangers.
• The ending was WAY too predictable!

On a more personal note..... Today was pretty damn brilliant! I got ready this morning to go out for the afternoon with my best girl Missy and had to document the awesome hair and make-up day!! Had fun with her for a while at the beach and headed home. I drew a little something and then drove out to the mall for a bit. Had a wonderful memory pop up on the way as I was listening to my iPhone on the radio. One Less Reason.. I'm Not (Happy For You) brings out some pretty fond memories for me! Almost a tear jerker...

"I wished on a star and it landed on you"

Carl Panzram: The Spirit of Hatred and Vengeance

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 2011
     Netflix 21 August 2016

Director: John Borowski
Running Time: 81 Minutes

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? Nope

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.4 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

This documentary examines the live of serial killer and rapist Carl Panzram who lived from 1891 to 1930. It examines how his life hardened him into a psychotic murderer. It also examines how a prison guard named Henry Lesser forged a friendship with him and encouraged him to write an autobiography.

MY REVIEW

I absolutely love Crime Documentaries, and with the amount that I watch on Netflix, the recommendations it gives to me occasionally are pretty awesome. So when this one was suggested, I was happy to watch. It's intriguing and disturbing all at the same time. Definitely unique to say the least and one of the least known serial killers of the 20th century. I had;t heard of this guy until this movie! This is insane that had it not been for the prison guard, Henry Lesser, sneaking him paper and pencils, this story may have never been told. Lost forever!!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• I think that John Borowski did a pretty awesome job with this documentary.  I loved his with on the H.H. Holmes Documentary. I think he did well fleshing out the story with such disparate and hard to prove information. Carl Panzram's writings were bog on stories and low on the details that could prove too much. Borowski did a lot of digging to find what he did. Great job!! This guy was a sadistic rapist from his youth in reform school. 
• This story is disturbingly relevant. It's a good study on man's inhumanity to man. The hunan race is failing to see what could happen if people like this are not taken into consideration early on. I don't know what we could have done to prevent this, but still should have been on the radar.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• i get the face that they were trying to tell a story, but the dramatic, or, OVER-dramatic reenactments were at times laughable. They were pretty amusing though!!

On a more personal note..... Super good day today!! Started out this morning and took a few selfies on Snapchat!! I LOVE THOSE THINGS!! Then, off to the mall with my BFF Missy!! We had some lovely Coconut Caramel Macchiato's and then to the Limited, Old Navy and Bath and Body Works!! A tiny lunch, then back to my house and made steaks on the grill! 

             Love, Michelle

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The Babadook

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 28 November 2014
     Netflix on 21 August 2016

Writer and Director:Jennifer Kent
Running Time: 93 Minutes

Staring:  Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.8 of 10

MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE

Amelia, who lost her husband in a car crash on the way to give birth to Samuel, their only child, struggles to cope with her fate as a single mom. Samuel's constant fear of monsters and violent reaction to overcome the fear doesn't help her cause either, which makes her friends become distant. When things can not get any worse, they read a strange book in their house about the 'Babadook' monster that hides in the dark areas of their house. Even Amelia seems to feel the effect of Babadook and desperately tries in vain to destroy the book. The nightmarish experiences the two encounter form the rest of the story.

MY REVIEW

This is a very atypical horror movie and that is what I think sets it apart from others in the genre. When it first started, I was pretty sure it was going to be some sort of parable to not let children listen to scary stories before bed, boy, was I wrong. The scares are not spoon-fed to the watcher. You have to be attentive to musical and verbal cues that lead you through the power of suggestion into an uneasy feeling.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Acting: Amelia, played by Essie Davis, was fantastic. Subtle and brilliant. You may remember her from The Matrix, or as Lady Crane in Game of Thrones.
• Writing: This screenplay was written beautifully. Tense and suspenseful, yet still giving the watcher enough time to digest all that is happening.
• Direction: Australian director and writer Jennifer Kent did something amazing with a simple story that is matched by the cinematography of Radek Ladczuk. Parts of the movie were skis to a musical score to me. I loved the use of music to bring the weather deeper into the story. I can imagine laying in the dark listening to the score over and over.
• The scares were more cerebral. Definitely NOT a jump-scare type of movie. Which I liked very much!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The ending!! I think they really could have done JUST a little more with that. It seemed a little abrupt without a clear resolution to the story. Odd and unique, yes. Predictable, no.
• I JUST CANNOT STAND that kid! I'm not a kid-friendly person as it is, and generally, I can handle a kid or two in a movie, but this was just grated on my last nerve the whole time. I hope that was how the little guy was directed to act.
• This was definitely more dramatic and psychological that horror. That is not a downfall for this movie, but its misclassified. I thought there would be more horror. 

On a more personal note..... 

So, this morning, Dexter was sitting on the kitty condo kinda oddly. I had to stop and take a picture just to document! He's such a handsome little guy!! Then I looked over at Jinxie and he was sitting on the other kitty tree by the London photo and he was just too cute for words!  Of course, then I say baby Rocket.. I do love these littles!! I had a pretty fantastic hair day today so another selfie!! And ended the day with a cuddle on the couch from Rocket while we watched one of my favorite scares, Evil Dead, yes, the original!!

Lights Out

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 22 July 2016

Director: David F. Sandberg
Writer: Eric Heisserer and David F. Sandberg
Running Time: 81 Minutes

Staring:  Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia and Maria Bello

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NOPE

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.8 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

When Rebecca left home, she thought she left her childhood fears behind. Growing up, she was never really sure of what was and wasn't real when the lights went out...and now her little brother, Martin, is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that had once tested her sanity and threatened her safety. A frightening entity with a mysterious attachment to their mother, Sophie, has reemerged. But this time, as Rebecca gets closer to unlocking the truth, there is no denying that all their lives are in danger...once the lights go out.

MY REVIEW

I generally dislike modern horror, or the things that directors attempt to pass off as horror these days. I did not leave the theater laughing with this one. I was pleasantly surprised. I will do everything in my power to NOT give away any spoilers. It's very difficult to scare me and this one actually had me in goosebumps at least three times. The MAIN reason that I wanted to PAY actual money and see this in the theater were the short films created by director David F. Sandberg (LA Times article)

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The premise was interesting and original. It was definitely a new take on the typical ghost story and I really appreciated it.
• The cinematography and the films take on the bad guy. Amazing.
• It plays on MY childhood fear of the dark. I for one used to take out the trash in two leaps past sundown!!
• I am not typically a fan of kids in horror movies, but Gabriel Bateman was excellent. He played the part with real acting skills that are not known to child actors. Bravo kid. Bravo.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I understand that certain things are done in order to further the plot quickly, but there was a certain part where some data was found WAY too quickly and it just seemed to silly.
• The writing could have been a little better. Not that it was horrible, just underwhelming.

On a more personal note... I had a pretty freaking fantastic day today! I started off with a pretty awesome hair day. It's not every day that I get it to lay JUST right, and today was the day!! Yay massive amounts of hair product!  It's finally growing long again after cutting it in February. So, needed to take a little selfie to acknowledge the moment!!  I also finished another drawing this afternoon. I've been in a little bit of a Dia de Los Muertos kick ever since I started researching Sugar Skulls for my quarter sleeve tattoo that I am starting in a few months. AND Finally, here is a pic of my legs at the theater tonight about to see THIS movie! We were the only ones in the theater!!

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