The Invisible Man

MY RATING: 6

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  28 February 2020

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Writer and Director: Leigh Whannell
Running Time:  2 Hours and 4 Minutes

Staring: Elisabeth Moss and Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES-ish

STORYLINE

When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspect his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia wrks to prove that she is being hunted by someone no-one can see.

MY REVIEW

Let's just state the obvious- - I KNOW I was expecting a modern day Hollow Man scenario based on the trailers and while it was close, it was not what I thought it was going to be. It was okay, not great and definitely fell flat in some areas, but it was a solid 6. Read below (YES, SPOILERS) to find out why I gave it that rating.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The tension in the first two acts was intense. I love when movies give you something to be afraid of and NOT show you what that might be. Your thoughts run way and your imagination seems to run wild. What you CAN'T see is scary.
• The viewer is placed in the shoes of Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) as she struggles with the aftermath of domestic violence, trust issues and a mental breakdown in the making.
• Dark themes. While abuse is no laughing matter and should to be made light of, this movie did give the abuser some of his own medicine but it takes us a little while to get there.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The third act leaves a lot to be desired with some obvious plot holes, camera angle oddities and an almost never-ending movie. What we think is the end is not the end and then that happens again. While it was interesting, there's such a thing as too many endings.
• Why do they not have a Canary or Ring Camera in the house on the first night weird stuff happens. Seriously, Bust Buy or Amazon can get that shit to you in 1 day. I have so many cameras in the house I catch every dumb thing my cat does!
• Better writing please...

On a more personal note..... 

I did a thing on the way home from work last night and got about 6" cut on the length of my hair I'm okay. It grows back pretty quickly! Also, had some work done on my sleeve this week. Clay went in and made some highlights on the sugar skill and the microphone. One of these days, I'll get back up in front of people and sing. I do miss that sometimes! Last but not least, my little house panther Isabella hanging out at the base of Darth Vader in the living room.

Doctor Sleep

MY RATING: 8

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  8 November 2018

Genre: Drama, Horror, Fantasy
Director: Mike Flanagan
Writer: Mike Flanagan and Stephen King
Running Time:  2 hours and 32  Minutes

Staring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson and Kyliegh Curran

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

Years following the events of "The Shining," a now adult Dan Torrance must protect a young girl with similar powers from a cult known as The True Knot who prey on children with powers to remain quasi-immortal.

MY REVIEW

Let's be honest with each other. I have said it before that Stephen King novels are painstakingly difficult to translate to film. I firmly believe that director and co-writer Mike Flanagan did a pretty damn good job. There was some little bits lost from book to movie, but it was an enjoyable ride. I loved The Shining (Read my review here).

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• WRITING- Mike Flanagan and Stephen King did justice to not only the original Shining but to the continuation in Doctor Sleep. This was not an homage. This was a completion of the story of Danny Torrance that was necessary. We got to see what the happenings at the Overlook did to this little boy as an adult.  Stephen King gave us what we needed, closure. We knew that Jack Torrance died at the Overlook, but we got to close the loop on Wendy and Dick and the others. 
• CINEMATOGRAPHY- I feel like I should really write a love letter to Michael Fimognari. Exquisite job sir. His use of natural lighting and having a more character driven idea to the scenes puts you into the space with them. Yes, the set is still visible and featured, but the eye stays where he wants you to look~
• SET DESIGN-So much care went into the design and creation of the set pieces. Little things that I really didn't notice until the second and third viewing. Things bought into the movie from the King Universe such as The Dark Tower, It and the little nods to the 1980 Shining. I tip my cap to you sirs!
• SCORE/SOUNDTRACK- What I loved about this movie was the music. I read later that it was heavily influenced by David Lynch's Eraserhead track.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Nothing that I can pin point that I didn't like, but It's not a perfect 10!

What ELSE do I need to say? SPOILERS AHEAD!

• Danny Lloyd who played the original Danny Torrance had a cameo in the movie as a spectator in the baseball game scene.
• Director Mike Flanagan had to use set design notes from the estate of Stanley Kubrick to rebuild some of the sets for the Overlook Hotel.
• In the hospice scene where Azzie the cat jumps on the desk in front of Dan, he's reading the same Jan 1978 issue of Playgirl that Jack Torrance was reading at the interview scene in the Overlook from the original film.

On a more personal note..... 

Selfie in the new company shirt... Me at the movies.. Dexter Morgan and his adorable toes!

Zombieland: Double Tap

MY RATING: 6

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 18 Oct 2019

Genre: Action, Comed, Horror
Director: Ruben Fleischer-
Writer: Dave Callaham and Rhett Reese
Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes

Staring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.

MY REVIEW

It's kinda good that it took 10 years to make a follow up to the original Zombieland. It really gave the writers quite a bit of time to play with to craft a good story with our 4 anti-heoroes. I think they could have used the time more wisely. 6 was generous.

It felt to me that the characters hadn't grown at all. Typically, after 10 years, people would have changed. None of our main four have developed any new or compelling personal traits. They are the exact same, so the movie was basically a rehash of the first movie with new monsters.

There were definitely some issues with the movie, but it was a fun ride! Read my likes and dislikes below...

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This was exactly what you expect. If you expected a lot of the same.. that's what you'll get, whatever that means to you.
• What a soundtrack!  Much like the first Zombieland, the soundtrack is full-on amazing! Metallica, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and a little Kenny Loggins. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• It's a sequel, that is not the problem. They maybe regurgitated the same jokes a bit too much.  If you're a Family Guy watcher, you know those scenes when the joke goes on just about one minute too long.. yeah, it's a little too much of that.
• NO, absolutely NO character evolution in 10 years.

The Basement

MY RATING: 5

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  14 Sept 2018

Genre: Horror
Writers/Directors: Brian M. Conley and Nathan Ives
Running Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes

Staring: Jackson Davis, Cayleb Long and Mischa Barton

Rating? TV-MA

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

A seemingly innocent man is abducted by a notorious Los Angeles serial killer who forces his victims to role-play with him so that he can enact his capture, torture and murder fantasies.  

MY REVIEW

This was a suggestion for me from Netflix. The premise sounded interesting and it had a 4.6 on IMDb. It could be that I was a bit distracted while watching by the cutest little half-munchkin kitten Dexter Morgan but I actually thought this was just okay, nothing less, nothing more. It has flaws but its interesting. Should you see it on Netflilx? Well... I wouldn't say that you should, but if you do, please don't do it beccause I suggested. Let's review, shall we?

What I DID LIKE about this movie:


SPOILERS AHEAD!

• Acting was actually pretty good for a sub-B level movie.  Mischa Barton is not the greatest actress in the world, but i thought she did good with what she had. She was a lifeless, almost like she was playing the role like she thought Kristen Stewart would play her.
• Torture porn adjacent. It was ALMOST a good torture movie, if they would have shown a little more of the gore.. and who loves gore? That's right, THIS GIRL!
• Jackson Davis does a pretty amazing job as the Gemini Killer. Multiple personalities aside, it was a cool twist. I mean, again, the name of the guy alone told us what to expect but

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• WRITING. The story was unique albeit overdone. The "Gemini" killer is kidnapping and torturing people in the San Fernando Valley, CA. Right there, right off the bat was the plot all summed up in the name of the killer. Gemini (Jackson Davis). Obviously a twin. Famous musician (Cayleb Long) is kidnapped and his wife (Mischa Barton) and her friend are at the house waiting.. it becomes painfully obvious that the wife is the twin and she knows that her hubby is f-ing the friend and she's gotten her brother, the Gemini killer to off her cheating man. This was not subtext at all. Handed to the viewer on a silver platter. So much predictability that it was actually a bit boring.
• English Accent- Come ON! Invent in some acting classes or get a real Englishman!

There's just not that much more to say. It was not good and not bad. 

IT- Chapter Two

MY RATING: 5

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 6 Sept 2019

Genre: Horror
Director:Andy Muschietti
Writer:Gary Dauberman and Stephen King
Running Time: 2 Hours and 49 Minutes

Staring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO and YES 
(It's clearly marked where the spoilers begin)

STORYLINE

Twenty-seven years later their first encounter with the terrifying Pennywise, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back.

MY REVIEW

I want to start with the obvious. Stephen King. I LOVE Stephen King. His novel “The Tommyknockers” was one of the first books I read followed by Christine. He's an amazing writer but this brings me to the inevitable. Stephen King movie adaptations that stick to the bones of the story are difficult and end up going off the rails because I think his words are more suited to paper than the screen. 

Click HERE to read my review for IT Chapter 1.

IT Chapter 2, joins the list of King novels that were better off left in the pages of a book. The read was terrifying and lives in a world of internal psychological fantasy while the screen adaptation fell flat for me. I mean, I didn't hate it, but it wasn't a completely enjoyable 3 hours. Yep, three hours. UGH! 

This part of the review is Spoiler Free, so enjoy but if you want to remain so, STOP when I say so.

Director Andy Muschietti used a bit too much narrative and tried to fit way too much story into the already long film. Some of the pieces should have been left on the cutting room floor. Let’s not even talk about the few continuity issues.

Was it scary? Nope. It was light on Pennywise and heavy on the Losers, not entirely a bad thing, but Pennywise is IT!  I was in love with  Bill Skarsgård's performance in the first movie. I hate to say it but I think they showed all of the good Pennywise scenes in the trailers. Speaking of the Losers - - Richie Tozier, played by Bill Hader was solidly my favorite. I’ve read a few reviews that extol his performance as the highlight of the movie. While he was good, his part was pretty much a mash up of one-liners that he delivered with perfect comedic timing. He also had a few emotional scenes that proved his humor could be tempered with emotion. He was my favorite Loser.

James McAvoy delivered a great performance as Bill Denbrough. I liked that McAvoy played Bill with a bit more edge than you would've thought from the character that we were shown in Chapter 1. His story line though, I think could have been better. 

The rest of the Losers Club was good, but no one really stood out with a great story however all provided a decent performance. James Ransome as Eddie Kaspbrack. Isaiah Mustafa as Mike Hanlon. (Isaiah was the fun Old Spice commercial guy.)  Jay Ryan as Ben Hanscom,  Andy Bean as Stan Uris and finally, Jessica Chastain as Beverly Marsh.

Thanks Morbidly Beautiful for the Pics

Did I love this movie? No. Was it passable? Yes.  I mean, you should see this movie if you are a horror fan and liked the first one. It’s not the worst wrap up to a story, BUT, don't spring for the fancy theater, get one of the discount ones, matinee if you can find one.

The next section contains SPOILERS- STOP!!!

I warned you. So, it’s your own fault if you keep reading this and spoil the movie! Let’s start with the story. Again, Stephen King novels are notoriously difficult to translate into film. So, Mike Hanlon in a drug induced haze, discovers the way to kill Pennywise is to perform this Ritual of Chud. What he doesn't share with the Losers, who he’s convinced to help him perform the ritual, is that the one time the ritual was performed it was an abject failure.  This ritual sent the Losers on a movie long journey to find their talismans. Although the personal journey’s they take give the view insight into their stories and reintroduce Pennywise in various forms, the tasks and items they brought were summarily discarded. Seemed a waste.

The movie did however; bring in the Native American history that was prevalent in the book. It almost brought in the whole Wendigo part. There was a little hint of a picture in Mike’s montage. 

I am still shaking my head at the whole love triangle between Bill, Mike and Bev that seems a little overdone. Didn't really need to go that far to show the audience that Bev had no idea that Ben was the original author of the love note. Your hair is winter Fire. January Embers. My Heart burns there too.  Worst near haiku known to man.

The Eddie/Richie gay subtext was there in a way that I think even Stephen King didn't intend to show in the book. It was less than obvious on the first read, but it showed up on the second and third. It was a nice add-on for me to see this aspect played so well by Bill Hader and James Ransone. My heart broke a little for Richie as he held the recently deceased Eddie in the sewers and kissed his cheek. 

The opening scenes with the locals gay-bashing and beating the couple was unnecessary. Small town small-minded dicks are everywhere. I thought Pennywise only killed kids. Did he need to kill the random adult?

Fear paralyzes Pennywise and he is “diminished” by the Losers standing making fun of him. Felt reminiscent of the scenes in Nightmare when Nancy turned her back on Freddy. It was hard to take the idea at face value for which fears exist only in their subconscious.

CGI was overdone. IT was less of a spider and more of a crab? That was just weird.

I absolutely LOVED the last voiceover..  

“People want to believe they are what they choose to remember. The good stuff. The moments. Places. The people we all hold onto. But sometimes, sometimes we are what we wish we could forget.”

Ready or Not

MY RATING: 6  - quite nearly a 7

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: Released 21 August 2019

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Writer: Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy
Running Time: 1 Hour and 35 Minutes

Staring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody and Andie MacDowell

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

We follow young bride Grace (Samara Weaving) as she joins her new husband  Alex's (Mark O'Brien) rich, eccentric family in a time-honored wedding day tradition that turns into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their lives. 

MY REVIEW

I saw the trailer a month or so ago and was not exactly dying to see it, but it sounded interesting. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are really only known for V/H/S and one of the writers, Ryan Murphy, was responsible for one of my long-time faves, Wrong Turn from 2003. The idea was interesting. It reminded me of a gory and somewhat satanic version of the movie Clue at times. We'll get into the reasons below, but this is a fun movie. It was by far, not the greatest or even Oscar-worthy, but it was fun. It had flaws, like REALLY bad acting in most cases, but it was fun and there were some authentic ideas and some great laughable lines. Let's dive in, shall we!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The bright star of this movie was Margot Robbie, oh, that wasn't her? For a few minutes, it sure did look a lot like her! No, seriously, Samara Weaving was pretty good. She was in a little Netflix find The Babysitter- also a solid performance. She stole the scene from whoever she was paired with and that was unfortunate for them.
•  Adam Brody has quite possibly the best line of the whole movie when he is talking to Grace (Samara Weaving) about what his family thinks of his brothers new bride.. "Don't take it personally, they're just trying to figure out if you're a gold digging whore. You know, like my wife."
• It's dark. Pretty god-damned dark with the murder and all, but it was genuinely a pretty solid take on the weird shit that people do for fame and fortune.
• Aunt Helene. (Nicky Guadagni) Oh, she was awkward and weird but she was glorious!
• This might be a little too much of my weird psychoanalytic  bullshit but here goes and I'm trying not to spoil anything. During the movie we start with Grace in her white wedding dress and all of the others in the movie are wearing dark clothes. This COULD be a symbol of good vs. evil or light vs. dark. But as she plays the game and finds her footing and fights back, her white dress becomes more and more dirty.. and by the end, she's covered in dirt and blood. Fitting? Interesting?
• The song. "Hide and Seek" is the creepiest thing I've ever heard in my life! Nothing else in the soundtrack really stood out.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• It was hard to have even the slightest bit of empathy for ANY of the characters really. There was little to no development to explain they "why" or make you care if they lived or died. The only one who even began to be a real person was the brother of the groom Adam Brody.
• If you look at the climax of the movie, the last 30 minutes of the movie felt really rushed. The first two acts were like foreplay, peeling back layer after layer in a good balance of exposition and action. Then, in a rush to "get it over with" the story takes a direct path that failed to really satisfy the buildup that I was given. Left me wanting more. I actually had to pause and let myself take in the fact that THAT was really then end. 

On a more personal note..... 

This week was pretty fun. I had a great dinner with a visiting co-worker from Las Vegas and realized that the sun was my best friend when  I wanted to show off the bright red/purple highlights in my hair and I drank some delicious mimosas with friends!

Childs Play

MY RATING: 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 21 June 2019

Genre: Horror
Director: Lars Klevberg
Writer:Tyler Burton Smith
Running Time: 

Staring:Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman

RatingR

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

A mother gives her 13year old son a toy doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature. 

MY REVIEW

Oh, holy hell, this was bad. I need a new word for how ridiculously bad this movie was. All I can think of is the scene in Kung Pow! Enter the Fist where Chosen One decides that killing is bad AND wrong and it needs a new word- BADONG! Yes, there are spoilers in my review, but it's for YOUR benefit! This movie did not know what it wanted to be when it grows up, some serious identity issues. I get that the writer/directors were trying to update the story with the removal of the supernatural and addition of the AI gone wrong concept, but they tried too hard. Charles Lee Ray IS Chucky. It needed that little piece for me to be CHILD's PLAY. It was just overkill. So many glaring missteps and missed opportunities that I could never let myself actually enjoy the movie. It's weird over-reach into a world where Alexa/Apple/Uber are all wrapped into one service that is all powerful is off-putting. I get how people are all crazy about how these things are intrusive but this was over the top. I'm still not getting rid of my Alexa.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• My favorite kill was the Shane (David Lewis), when his head was run over by a roter tiller. I'll talk about what was WRONG with that scene below.
• Some of the one-liners were funny.
• Detective Mike (Brian Tyree Henry) was the star for me. His acting was natural and did not feel forced.
• Aubrey Plaza was braless for most of the movie. (.)(.)
• Mark Hammil as the voice of Chucky

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:---This is gonna take a while...

• Opening scene brings us to the factory in Vietnam where the Buddi Dolls are being made. Let's just call this one right here. EVERYONE knows that factories have been using the assembly line with interchangeable parts since Ransom Olds in 1901. (No, it wasn't the anti-semitic asshole Henry Ford). The factory was dark and there was no assembly line, just a  bunch of single work stations that were at various stages of doll completion. The tech guy who is putting in the "chip" is getting fired and was told to finish his work and leave forever. Like that would really happen! Anyway, he resets all fo the "parameters" that keep the doll from being evil. Okay, so I have a HUGE issue with this as a concept. You mean to tell me that the simple act of him turning off the barriers is what makes this doll evil? Would that even make it through R&D? I am rolling my eyes right now!! THEN, not only does he finish the doll, but HE is the one who packs the doll and puts it on the truck? Then they make a huge point of showing the viewer that the one box that has the evil Buddi doll has a dent in the top. Why do they pack the truck with the dolls only shrink wrapped around the middle and not in a separate container? That's not how this works! @#)*&!!!!!
• Now, let's talk about the fact that they tried to get all inclusive by giving the kid a hearing aid, only one. I immediately thought that they were going to use it as some sort of evil prop, but the only thing they did was have the Chucky doll hack in and talk to Andy through the thing, LAME!
• At what point does the kid realize that there is something massively wrong with this doll and take out the battery/disconnect it from the internet... I mean the thing strangles the poor cat and grabs random knives... I can't believe for a second that a 13 year old boy would just go, yeah, whatev's, this doll is cool as it is.. I won't call anyone. Ugh oh, my doll just killed y mom's boyfriend and left his face in my room. STILL NOT calling the cops!
• Speaking of killing the mom's boyfriend. So, he decides to take down the outdoor Christmas lights at his house on a very tall ladder with no stabilizers in the middle of the night. Yeah, that makes COMPLETE sense! BUT then, not only is he taking them down but he's wrapping them around his torso and of course he falls. At least he had a good death!
• WHO designed that doll? It was not a cute little doll that it should have been. I give them credit for NOT using any CG effects on the doll. Valiant effort to use real tech to get the doll to move right on the screen. It still felt wrong to me.
• The cliches were too abundant. Hearing aid loner kid with a single mom and her overbearing boyfriend who's secretly married and they live next to the funny black detective and his mom. I can't. This was insane. 

Perfection

MY RATING: 8

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 24 May 2019

Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Director: Richard Shepard
Writer: Eric C. Charmelo and Richard Shepard
Running Time: 90 Minutes

Staring: Allison Williams, Logan Browning and Alaina Huffman

Rating? TV-MA

SPOILERS? NO 

STORYLINE

When troubled musical prodigy Charlotte (Allison Williams) seeks out Elizabeth (Logan Browning), the new star pupil of her former school the encounter sends both musicians down a sinister path with shocking consequences.

MY REVIEW

Brilliantly Dark! I may have passed this one right by if had not been for the comments online about this movie actually making people feel physically ill when watching. I have two words for the people who had that reaction.. F&*$ing Really? Yeah, it was a wee bit on the disturbing side and maybe I've seen so many horror movies that this TV-MA made for Netflix show was just one in the list. It was good. I loved the unique story as well as the interesting way that the story was told. Not going to give too much about that or it will RUIN the movie.

I think the best way to describe this movie is the idea that when you pul on a three of a sweater, the whole thing will soon unravel. This movie is the epitome of that statement. The threads just keep pulling and it keeps getting better and better. Yes, there were some things that I was not a fan of, but for the most part, this was a solid 8.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Writing- This is a unique story. Yes, there are nods to other movies like this (Black Swan), but this is new. Unique.  Eric C. Charmelo didn't have much movie died in his writing portfolio (some episodes of Supernatural) and  Richard Shepard, who was also the direct also has a very short list of writing credits, but both have a lot of production history. I think that helped them to craft a well written story that did its job by getting us from point A to B in a very interesting and unexpected way.  
• The story at its core is about perfection and the sacrifices that one gives up in their personal lives to attain such feats. While the actual story stays on target to the theme, the expanded concept was really bland. (see below)
• Filming/Editing. I felt like the nod to Darron Aronofsky with the rewind sequences were brilliant.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Special effects were not really that great. I mean the vomit looked like they really just opened a can of Mountain Dew and thickened it to make it look more realistic. The green color was a bit too over the top.
• The end was just more of a surreal mess. You'll see what I mean. Was not what I expected.
• The story, while it was good was a little over the top. I had a hard time with the suspension of reality. It felt like they were telling me that this was a real situation but the ridiculousness of the scenarios that ensue are not believable in any way.

On a more personal note..... 

I did a thing this week. I started work on the remainder of my half sleeve with the best artist on the East Coast, Clay Thames. We have a few more sessions before I will show you guys!! It's going to look amazing!! It was also Dexter Morgan's 4th Birthday this week. He's such a good little baby!

Brightburn

MY RATING: 3 of 10

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 24 May 2019

Genre: Horror and Sci-Fi
Director: David Yarovesky
Writer:Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn
Running Time: 1 Hour and 31 Minutes

Staring: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman and  Jackson A. Dunn

Rating? R

SPOILERS? A few little ones, but not enough to ruin it for anyone

STORYLINE

What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister.

MY REVIEW

The first thing I note is that David Yarovesky directed Guardians of the Galaxy (my Review), which I gave an 8, so my low hopes were raised a bit to low/medium. Add in that brothers Brian and Mark Gunn were the writers. Ah, Brian Gunn has a soft spot in my heart for being one of the writers of my favorite Mtv Boy Band parody from 2000, 2Ge+her.  and now my hopes were at a solid medium.

My expectations were pretty accurate. We'll get into the why's in a minute, but this movie was a mediocre mess that lacked a complete and compressive thought. I give them some credit for a handful of things that I will discuss below. I beg of you to the non-existent lord, do not pay money to go see this movie. Wait for it to come out of Netflix or HBO. Maybe if someone gives you a free movie pass, then you should.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• A lot of what I liked about this movie was really subtext. It's the old question of nature vs. nurture. Without going into tooo much detail, the idea that this person could be raised by good and kind people, his nature took over. There was no fighting it for him. It was "In his DNA" to be who he was... a sinister force of nature. No matter what his parents, Tori played by Elizabeth Banks and Kyle played by David Denman, did or provided, he was not the kid they had hoped for. Specifically, Elizabeth Banks and her refusal to accept the things that are unfolding right before her eyes. It's the strong concept of a mothers love is unconditional. Maybe a little far in this movie, but it's a stong plot line.

• Great gore scenes. Guess who loves a good gore fest? That's right. THIS GIRL! I won't go into too much detail, just in the case that you decide to go see the movie. I love the some of the effects that they did to give us some pretty gruesome death scenes. I mean, that's what horror is about and THAT is one of the reasons that I gave up a few points on my review. I leave you with two words-- MELTED FACE!!

• Guest appearance by Michael Rooker, or as he is forever known to me, Merle from the Walking Dead.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I just don't like it when the writers of a movie think you're too dumb to make the conjectures and put the stories together unless they spoon feed it to you in the exposition. THIS. The writing wasn't bad, per se. But there were too many plot holes and pieces that just didn't work in reality. I get that they couldn't use the idea of Superman or the Kents in general, but the story is pretty much Bizarro Superman in an alternate world where he wasn't raised by the Kents. I have to say it, and SPOILER ALERT, but after a few deaths the sheriff comes a'knockin at the Breyer's door and Tori Breyer tells him to go away and HE DOES!? No law enforcement person who I know would just give up like that. That's just one of the many pieces that made me shake my head.

• The first thing I did when I got out of the theater was check my watch. I was CERTAIN that I was in there for more than it seemed. NOPE. That movie was only an 91 minutes long but it seemed like an eternity. It felt like the action sequences were too brief and the exposition was too long. 

• You had a good idea but ruined it with stock scare tactics that were too worn out for me to even jump when I was obviously supposed to.

• All I felt at the end was the obvious sequel in the making to a sub-par movie.

• I Just don't get the upside down laced up sweater as a mask. I don't get it. It's weird.

What QUESTIONS do I now have?

• Possible subtext? Was this a movie about the horror of puberty? Maybe?

BONUS!!As a big fan of The Office, I was happy to see David Denman who played Pam's first finance, Roy Anderson and Matt Jones who was the formidable Zeke, Dwight's cousin. 

On a personal note:

Rare sighting of my husband on the way to the movies. I conned him into a quick picture before we went in.. Dexter Morgan being as cute as he can be.. 3D Printed Jamie Lanisters golden Hand.

Us

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.4 of 10

MY RATING: 9

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 22 March 2019

Genre: Horror, Thriller
Director/ Writer: Jordan Peele
Running Time: 1 Hour and 56 Minutes

Staring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

In order to get away from their busy lives, the Wilson family takes a vacation to Santa Cruz, CA with the plan of spending time with their friends, the Tylers. On a day at the beach, their young son Jason wanders off, causing mother Adelaide to become protective over her family. That night, four mysterious people arrive at the Wilson's, which just so happens to be Adelaide's childhood home. The family is shocked to find out that the intruders look like them, only with grotesque appearances.

MY REVIEW

What a movie. I am a HUGE fan of the horror genre and I must admit that Jordan Peele is a horror visionary. There was more to this movie that your average slasher horror flick. The story is original, which is a huge plus when the plot of most movies these days is heavily recycled or even a retelling.

Jordan Peele got high marks from me for his 2017 hit Get Out, link to my review. This one makes you think and that to me, is the true epic thing for a movie to do. I want to leave and question my own reality and boy did I have a lot to ponder. I sat quietly for a while after to let it all sink in and THERE was a lot to think about. There is a low level undertone on social commentary and the real deeper meaning that IS the monster in all of us. Good and bad are tenuous. We are what we are and the idea that someone is all good or all bad is laughable at best.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• I can't say enough about Lupita Nyong'o. She IS the star of this film. Her performance is more than terrifying. Any actor who can not only take on a dual role but make the viewer believe that they are watching a second person is amazing.
• Soundtrack was a masterpiece!  I Got 5 On It.. was singing along in the theater. Brings back old times. Love this song and yes, it's about drugs! Ha ha!o
• Whoever decided on the red jumpsuit, tan driving gloves and the oversized shears, you sir, are a genius!
• The little injections of comedy were sublime!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The voices. It was scary and unnerving, but it kinda threw me off.
• What was with the rabbits?

What Other stuff can I say that's not really a review?

• The movie also stars Cali and Noelle Sheldon, the twins who played Emma Gellar-Green, the daughter of Ross and Rachel on Friends. 
• The film has a scheme set in 1987. Several key scenes are shot at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, the same as the film The Lost Boys. There is a reference in the movie where young Adelaide's mother says "You know, they're shooting a movie over there by the carousel."

On a more personal note..... 

Had some time at the salon this week. I had the best of intentions to get a cut and color and failed on both fronts.I got a trim and no change of color. BUT, why mess with perfection!! Then there's my little guy Dexter Morgan. He's pretty handsome! He gets confused with string and wants to play with it, but doesn't know what to do!! Then, my 4 gentlemen decided to lay on the couch with me! 

Dead Awake

RATINGS

IMDB: 4.6

MY RATING: 2

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 12 May 2017
     Netflix 22 Nov 2018

Genre: Horror, Thriller
Director: Phillip Guzman
Writer: Jeffrey Reddick
Running Time:  1 Hour and 39 minutes

Staring: Jocelin Donahue, Jesse Bradford and Jesse Borrego

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? YES-ish

STORYLINE

A young woman must save herself and her friends from an ancient evil that stalks its victims through the real life phenemenon of sleep paralysis.

MY REVIEW

In my defense, I was bored and Netflix is full of movies that I have not seen. This movie was pretty horrible. So, if you take the premise of The Ring and toss in a little real life sleep disorders, shake in sprinkling of cliche and voila, you get this movie. I basically had to pause a few times and back up a few seconds to just check to see if I heard what I thought I heard. I gave it a 2 because fit did make me laugh. That is NOT what a scary movie is supposed to do, but whatevs!

At one point, Kate (Jocelin Donahue) and her deceased sisters boyfriend Evan (Jesse Bradford) as talking the the "Expert" on sleep paralysis demons, Dr. Hassan Davies (Jesse Borrego) and they ask him about "Did you try the online message boards?" to which he replied, "I didn't think of that!"

So, no real direction other than down for this movie. There was a complete lack of likability for any of the characters. The acting was amazingly horrible. This should have been released on YouTube.

The Babysitter

RATINGS

IMDB: 6.3

MY RATING: 6

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 13 October 2017
     Netflix 22 Nov 2018 

Genre: Comedy and Horror
Director: McG
Writer: Brian Duffield
Running Time: 12 Hour and 25 Minutes

Staring: Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving and Robbie Amell

Rating? TV-MA

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

The events of one evening take an unexpected turn fo rate worse for a young boy trying to spy on his babysitter.

MY REVIEW

It wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen and it was also not an award winner. If you set appropriate expectations and acknowledge the fact that this is a Netflix created, TV-MA rated, B level star filled comedy/horror romp, you will not be disappointed. 6 because I could not bring myself to go any higher. Think Tucker and Dale but not as good.

So, we have Cole, played by Judah Lewis, is WAY too old for a babysitter, but he is neurotic, scared and constantly being bullied. What do his parents do? Of course, hire a hot high school babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving). Of course, the story starts with Cole staying up late to see what Bee and her friends drafter he goes to bed and boy does he discover a whopper!! She and her friends have just killed someone and are in the process of doing some sort of satanic ritual. Her friends include cheerleader Allison ( Bella Thorne ) handsome guy Max (Robbie Amell), nerdy and crazy Sonya (Hana Mae Lee) and John the Jock (Andrew Bachelor). Let the crazy ensue!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Writing and editing was pretty good. Started out with some really great and creating shots and ideas, but... (see What I did not like)
• Pacing is really well done. Not a lot of down time to get bored and plenty of two-punch combinations of comedy and horror.
• It's raunchy enough to be funny.
• Cinematography was well done. I loved some of the shots and they really did a good job of alluding to some of the off screen stuff!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Continued from above-- but.... It really began to fall apart when the typical cliches breathe their fiery breath into every bit! Predictable as F&%K!
• I KNOW!! It's a Netflix TV-MA rated HORROR movie. WHY did I think I would get the level of horror and gore that I really want? I don't know either. I must get my brain to comprehend this. This was lacking in a major way for me. They did a decent job with the death scenes but it should have been so, so, SO much more!
• No where near enough to scare anyone. The jump scares were more like yawn scares!
• Words flashing across the screen were ridiculous!

On a more personal note..... 

The kids were enjoying a little catnip on the floor in the afternoon. Oliver does love the nip! Late that night, we had our own little Thanksgiving for the kids! Left to right: Isabella, Jinx,Oliver, Dexter and Rocket.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane

RATINGS

IMDB: 5.6

MY RATING: 3

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 6 September 2013

   Netflix 19 November 2018
Genre: Horror
Director: Jonathan Levine
Writer: Jacob Forman
Running Time: 90 minutes

Staring: Amber Heard, Anson Mount and Whitney Able

Rating? R

SPOILERS?YES

STORYLINE

A group of high-schoolers invite Mandy Lane, an innocent, desirable girl, to a weekend party on a secluded ranch. While the festivities rage on, the number of revealers begin to drop mysteriously.

MY REVIEW

I did not love Many Lane, which is fine, because I am not a boy! Was it an absolute piece of shit? No.  The trailer looked interesting and the plot seemed vague enough to give it a shot. Let's dig in, shall we?

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The Twist at the end- Was the only thing that I really liked. I was not expecting it and I was rather pleased to have an ending that I couldn't see a mile away. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Direction and Casting- The characters are very one dimensional and the only thing that really gives them any depth is their sex. That's it. Boys and girls. Not even the main characters have well developed backgrounds or richness for the viewer to pick a side. At one point, I was just hoping the "killer" would just get it over with and blow up the whole ranch! Even the title character Mandy Lane, played by Amber Heard, was nothing special. She was pretty, that's it. Why was she worthy of the title? 
• Writing/Editing- Yeah, this makes sense. Mandy is not friends with any of these people who ultimately invite her to a weekend party getaway at one of the boys family ranches AND SHE FREAKING GOES!?!? We clearly see that the objective is for one of the boys, and it seems that it's nebulous as to which one seeing as they are all on the list, one of them want to sleep with Mandy Lane, who is the "Mount Kilimanjaro" of high school girls. I would have liked to see some realistic ideas such as maybe she protested going, so one of her friends came along to make her feel better.
• The Killers- SPOILER- So, in the end we realize that Mandy is the killer, well one of them. Quick recap- Mandy and her BF Boy Emmet were at a party the year before and at one point, Emmet convinces one of the jocky-rich-douchy kids to jump off of the roof to show his love for Mandy and he dies. Flash forward to now, Mandy is at this ranch and the killings start. We find out that Emmet is there and he's the main killer. I kept going back in my mind after the end trying to figure out why they were killing? THere's no obvious motivation. Just didn't get over the line for me.

It's a passable movie, but not great!

On a more personal note..... 

Had a pretty good day if I do say so myself. I was feeling pretty good about my hair and make-up before work, so selfie time! The kittens had a good dinner. (Jinx, Princess Isabella, Rocket J., Dexter Morgan and Lord Oliver). Finally, ended my night watching THIS MOVIE and doing a little art.