Mitch & Nic's 9th Annual Horror/Halloween Film Bonanza (2022)!!!
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- DirectorJohn LoganStarsKevin BaconTheo GermaineAnna ChlumskyA group of teenagers at an LGBTQ+ conversion camp endures unsettling psychological techniques while being stalked by a mysterious masked killer.9-16-22
The premise is intriguing on paper and had potential, but the film comes out as half baked: it is neither scary or intelligent enough to be considered a "social horror thriller" (a la Get Out) with some sort of savvy commentary on the dangers of queer conversion therapy. This film should have leaned into full campiness/self awareness--I mean the Pink music break out sing-song (absolutely loved this random and super silly/cringey moment), the laughable camp counselor seductions, the dual, awkward sex scenes--this film clearly had the workings for something funnier and livelier here. But instead it tries to play it "straight" (not an intentional pun), which makes it all feel tonally off. This could have been a really clever queer horror film, but the whole thing feels muted and underdeveloped, there isn't any real visual flair, excitement, or thrills. This needed more bite, more fun, more flamboyant thrills, or at least something more to say that we don't already know about the trauma and real-life horror that is conversion therapy. - DirectorSteve MinerStarsDana KimmellTracie SavageRichard BrookerJason Voorhees stalks a group of friends who have just arrived to spend the weekend at a cabin near Crystal Lake.9-16-22
In 3D again and it still works (its a real depth-perception mind fuck here), absolutely the only true way to view this ridiculous third installment in which Jason gets his iconic mask!
Spear-shot to the eye and the way Jason lumbers off is the best kill scene here. Also, didn't ever realize there was a subtextual Jason-rapes-the-final-girl in her flashback reenactment here. - DirectorTim BurtonStarsAlec BaldwinGeena DavisMichael KeatonThe spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.9-18-22
Classic. - DirectorFrank MarshallStarsJeff DanielsJulian SandsJohn GoodmanA new species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to a small California town in a coffin and starts to breed, leaving a trail of deaths that puzzle and terrify the young doctor newly arrived in town with his family.9-18-22
It seems almost like an annual thing with this one now. Spiders still suck: that egg sack squirming at the end, total yuck! Plus, love Jeff Daniels' big ol' farmhouse--minus the spider invasion. - DirectorKaryn KusamaStarsMegan FoxAmanda SeyfriedAdam BrodyA newly-possessed high-school cheerleader turns into a succubus who specializes in killing her male classmates. Can her best friend put an end to the horror?9-24-22
What's frustrating about Jennifer's Body is that it almost fulfills its campy nature. Diablo Cody's kitsch teen-speak which once worked so well for her previous film, Juno (also winning her an Oscar), fails to feel as smart and snappy here, and yet, the dialogue is so often ridiculous and delivered so poorly that it feels intentional, so self awarely bad that it's comical. Is this a satire than? More-so than the more seriously taken They/Them, which didn't land tonally on either side of the horror-comedy spectrum. JB does land more comically and is a lot more fun, but it also should have gone farther and nastier; this thing could have been a blast! The film gets lost in trying to be multiple things: a teen comedy/satire, a horror/creature feature, a demon film, body horror, a film about friendship and sexuality, and maybe has something to say about the teenage female body(?). It doesn't work as any one of those things, but teeters hard into some of these troupes that almost kinda works. I can see how this has had an afterlife as a cult film, but I doubt it'll be the kind of classic other--better--high school themed horror-comedy's are (The Faculty comes to mind).
If nothing else, JB does deliver some hilarious moments (mostly in the dialogue and pretty bad acting) and has a weird kind of bisexual undertow that could make this recommendable--especially in the right state-of-mind. But take the recommendation very cautiously, JB is not a good movie, and it's not remotely scary in any way, but you may just find the off-kiltered tone kind of fun. - DirectorRichard AttenboroughStarsAnthony HopkinsAnn-MargretBurgess MeredithA ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.09-24-22
Magic has been on the docket for a couple years now and should have been watched in the "evil doll's" theme we did a couple years ago. Before Annabelle, before Chucky, there was Flatts...the ventriloquist’s puppet that inspired those R.L. Stein Goosebumps books about a similar "dummy." Can't believe Richard Attenborough directed this! The movie is a little slow, and I cannot say it's really a "horror" film, more a psychological thriller with an occasionally eerie dummy. Anthony Hopkins loses himself in Flatts, his magic trick that he takes to far, and forms an alternate identity around the inanimate puppet. The shots of the dummy up close are freaky, those big eyes and rosy cheeks, and the way his mouth sits there a little loose. Some great scenes here, especially in watching Anthony Hopkins descend into madness--you can clearly see why he got casted as Hannibal Lecter years after this, he gives off some of the same slightly-deranged, uneasy energy. It's a terrific performance, and worth seeking out the film for.
There are only two kills here, but they probably elevate this to "horror" status vs. a drama with some thriller elements. Add in the eerie close-up and side-by-side shots of the dummy with Hopkins and I guess its enough to make it a little spooky. In all, the film is okay. And although it just never comes alive for me--I wanted it to pop off a little more--Hopkins does prove why he's one of the best at playing psychologically disturbed; an early peak into his Lecter persona. - DirectorYann GonzalezStarsVanessa ParadisNicolas MauryKate MoranParis, summer 1979. Anne is a producer of cheap gay porn. When Lois, her editor and companion, leaves her, she attempts to get her back by making a more ambitious film with the flamboyant Archibald.09-27-22
Watched this on my own.
Gay porn, and a slasher film in the vein of old Italian giallo? It didn't take much to get me engaged here. The film is pure style, an arthouse thriller through and through. While the film has something to say about voyeurism and exploitation--while itself being an exploitation film--it's more or less a mood piece: gauzy and hypnotic; a little garish. The film feels like a dream, or a slow roiling nightmare. I enjoyed how the pornography begins to imitate the real life murder mystery unfolding in the pornographers world. I also liked that the filmmakers and actors all feel like a close-knit little family, dysfunctional to be sure, but whose family (biological or chosen) isn't!?
There are a couple of good kills here--one in particular will likely make the best kills list at the end of this season. That kill is one of the most transgressive I've seen in some time. It involves a dildo that doubles as a switch blade knife, being thrusted into and through a guys mouth and throat. What makes it unnerving isn't so much the expected delivery of death (though that is wild unto itself) but the masked killers wild eyes and the way he contorts his mouth in a deranged way during the act. Also love the death out in the woods during an abrupt rainstorm, the way the rain comes pouring down through the trees is majestical against the lurid stabbing a character takes. The images in Knife + Heart sometimes feels like poetry, which makes the subject matter as artful as it is a little trashy. This to me is essentially the definition of the giallo subgenre of horror, and I feel the giallo influences in tone and design here (it's also set in the 1970's, like much of the classic giallo genre). The ending with the killer was a little bit of a disappointment, and there isn't much follow through with the characters "story," but in all, this is an intriguing film that's not really scary, but also just gnarly enough to qualify it as a genuine slasher, one that's also always visually and sonically fascinating (M83 does the synth heavy core). A perfect example of this is the end credits sequence, which is the most striking segment in the whole film, oddly enough. It's definitely not a film I have easily forgotten about. - 1988–19991h 30mTV-147.9 (714)TV EpisodeDirectorKevin MurphyStarsBill CorbettPatrick BrantsegMichael J. NelsonA smarmy professor and his dimwitted students camp out in an Arkansas swamp to search for Bigfoot in "Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues (1983)." Pearl makes up her own urban legend, Tom takes up whittling, and Crow tends to his fires.10-01-22
Special inclusion here because Boggy Creek II is technically considered a "horror" film and falls somewhere in the monster category, even though its utter garbage as an actual watchable film. Luckily Mystery Science Theater 3000 gives it much needed life with mostly consistent jokes and banter that made me laugh out loud on occasion. - DirectorAnne FletcherStarsBette MidlerSarah Jessica ParkerKathy NajimyTwo young women accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world.10-01-22
What can I say? It's a disappointment when compared to the beloved original--which critically was not loved upon its release. HP 2 has better reviews which is wild because I think the ratings should be switched with the first film. There is something warm and fuzzy about the first film, this one feels cheaper and a little more deflated in excitement. The sisters still have it though, and they deliver on their characters from the original in a consistent and mostly fun way...plus they sing a little more here. There are plenty of little gags that are OKAY, and the duel witch narrative is also OKAY. Some effects and imagery looks cheap and I would have liked a little more spook--even though the first one was never actually "spooky" either. I don't know, I didn't love it, but I enjoyed some parts.
Note: The young actresses playing Winnie and her sisters embody the girls terrifically. - DirectorJim MallonStarsTrace BeaulieuJoel HodgsonJim MallonAlien eggs hatch on Earth after a meteor crash which spells trouble for a vacationing family, a singer on tour with his entourage, and a pair of poachers in "Extra Terrestrial Visitors (1983)." Joel and the Bots write their own song.10-01-22
Another Mystery Science 3000 inclusion because its "spooky"...I guess. This alien/first encounter mindfuck is so inconsistent, wacky, and terribly made that I would have laughed even without the mockery coming from the Corvo and co. Funnier than Boggy Creek II. - DirectorRebekah McKendryStarsRyan KwantenJ.K. SimmonsSylvia Grace CrimAfter a breakup, Wes ends up at a remote rest stop. He finds himself locked inside the bathroom with a mysterious figure speaking from an adjacent stall. Soon Wes realizes he is involved in a situation more terrible than he could imagine.10-04-22
Full of potential and actually really intriguing, this single location, HP Lovecraft inspired thriller makes good use out of the glory-hole premise. There is plenty of humor and dark pathos here, and the film keeps things tightly controlled. The bloody ending is trippy and, well, "glorious." Surprised that JK Simmons committed to voice an icky bathroom stall monster from outer space, but it works. I was a little miffed on why the alien really needed to do all this fuckery? I mean, he just seems bored and decided to fuck with this guy--whose actually a psychopath? The reveal that our "victim" is actually a bad guy himself, was a solid twist. Not actually scary, but terrifying in its notion and the way the film plays with the unknown: just imagining whats on the other side of that stall. While you can see the limited budget with the minor effects added here, it's still an admirable genre funhouse that delivers an unexpected amount of thought. Still, I wish it were creepier, and the aliens reveal is kinda cheap looking--and not in a CGI way, which is good--but it's not wholly satisfying. If those two things were a little stronger, this exercise in genre would be an 8 or even 9. - DirectorMichael GiacchinoStarsGael García BernalLaura DonnellyHarriet Sansom HarrisFollows a lycanthrope superhero who fights evil using the abilities given to him by a curse brought on by his bloodline.10-7-22
An almost great experiment from the MCU, this "Special" is one of the best looking and exciting things to come out of the Marvel world all year. Leaning into old Hollywood monster cinema for it's design and feel, acclaimed film composer Michael Giacchino makes his first feature here and shows real promise as a film director. He nails the tone and imagery, and his own score is perfectly matched for the material. I loved the set up, and Harriet Sansom Harris is deliciously dynamite as the widow of a renowned monster hunter. If there is one big gripe, its the actual werewolf, whose underwhelming appearance knocks this thing down a little. I get they are trying to keep his face more human as to relate and identify with the character (he's an MCU hero!) but I wish they could have found a better way to make it look more monstery, like give him a longer snout at least--something other than the generic wolfman they went with. If this excursion doesn't quite nail the werewolf stuff, it certainly succeeds in mood and pushing the MCU to its bloodiest onscreen action yet. I think the MCU could go farther and should keep experimenting like this, it's perfect for the season and spooky but not "scary." It's a great deal of fun that looks and sounds magnificent, I especially love the opening titles and mini-history monster book and voice over to set the tone, and the lush reveal of color at the end--playing against Judy Garlands, "Over the Rainbow," is delectable.
Note: I love that tall Bowie looking huntress, I want to resurrect her and give her her own badass show or series of films. - DirectorHalina ReijnStarsAmandla StenbergMaria BakalovaMyha'laWhen a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly.10-7-22
A pretty good Gen Z Clue. The cast is terrific, and the dialogue is clever and believable, and the characters are certainly a little unlikable by design. Director, Halina Reijn smartly shoots and edits with a script that slyly comments on the nature of post-millennial communication and self importance.
This is really about girls and the bonds young female friends form and than eventually tear apart. They slowly unravel at each other once the men in the film are dispatched, but the thing is, it's all by accident and misconception. That adds a layer of wit to the proceedings here as there is a strong possibility that no one is at fault, or the "killer." That the ending confirms this is all a big misunderstanding wraps the film up in a big joke. No one needed to die here (outside Pete Davidson whose idiocy leads to his accidental self demise), but the suspicion and accusations deteriorates the core girl group, and that's the films juicy core: no ones a murderer, but they're all kinda the murderer. What a fun little film that skewers the new youth and slasher genre tropes, add in an excellent cast of young people (and Lee Pace in a not actually so young guest role) and this film is highly watchable--that is if you can get on the films wavelength of dark comedy. I love how contemporary the film feels while operating in classic whodunit/slasher parameters, lit mostly with iPhone flashlights and glow sticks.
Note: Girl getting knocked over a banister in the stairwell and crashing through a chandelier is a pretty good kill--intentional or not--and its mostly done through the sound of the scene, not the actual seeing it happen, that makes it so effective. - DirectorStephen CognettiStarsGore AbramsAlice BahlkeDanny BelliniFive years after an unexplained malfunction causes the death of 15 tour-goers and staff on the opening night of a Halloween haunted house tour, a documentary crew travels back to the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened.10-08-22
It's got a great setup: a haunted house crew is setting up a "fake" haunted house for Halloween in an actual haunted house (or, rather, haunted hotel). The characters are not completely unbelievable, and they're not all annoying (there is the one requisite douchey-sleaze-bag-guy though). Shit gets spooky, of course, and it's actually the creepiest stuff to happen in a film this year so far. Evil clown dummies come to life, and everyone blames each other for way too long...it's evil spirits and GET THE FUCK OUT ALREADY! But they need to turn a profit, so they stay until their inevitable demise.
It's a great found footage premise that almost works had the ending paid off. It looses some tension towards the end, and the creepy doesn't hold up through the third act. The reveal of some occult is interesting, but it's been done better plenty of times before, which makes this version of that trope a little unimaginative and lacking anything really memorable. It wasn't as scary as the setup made it out to be. Hot Tony should have stayed out in that field!
Spooky to be sure, but a little clumsy in the end, loosing some well mounted cred. - DirectorDavid CharbonierJustin PowellStarsLonnie ChavisEzra DeweyKristin BauerAfter Bobby and his best friend Kevin are kidnapped and taken to a strange house in the middle of nowhere, Bobby manages to escape. But then he hears Kevin's screams for help and realizes he can't leave his friend behind.10-08-22
There's no masked killer here, just good ol' child sex traffickers! What's more terrifying than that, really? The boogeymen here are more real than most horror/thrillers, and a midway reveal (IT'S PAM FROM TRUE BLOOD!?) adds an unexpected disturbing quality to this film. The thrills here come with an undercurrent of dread and the way its co-directors sustain the tension is what makes this a winning thriller. The film cuts out any subterfuge, secondary characters, and doesn't waste time building to its tense action. Using economic use of space (the third trapped-in-a-single-house-location movie in a row--and of the three this may be the best one) and editing, and using sparse actual dialogue, The Boy Behind the Door is a prime example of how to strip your movie concept down to the essentials in order to enhance the premises potency and thrills.
I was worried this wouldn't be "horror" so much as a general thriller, but there is a legit segment that's straight up Stanley Kubrick's, The Shinning. There is also some of the most cringe worthy "pain" moments--not so much gore, but hard to watch body-agony (you'll know what I'm talking about when it happens) which solidifies this as more horror than not. I wasn't expecting as much gnarly bite here. It's a stripped back children-escape-from-their-captors experience with more suspense than any other new feature this year, so far. - StarsDavid SoulJames MasonLance KerwinA novelist and a young horror fan attempt to save a small New England town which has been invaded by vampires.10-09-22 NEW
A super long TV movie split into a two part "series event" on CBS back in 1979, Salem's Lot is an interesting artifact that actually holds up pretty well for all its TV limitations of the time period. This was only Stephen King's second novel! And while it's not his best material, it's got the requisite spooky vampire elements. Love the glowing yellow/gold eyes and swirling boy on a wire outside the window in the mist... a real, "come play with us Danny," vibe (not to mention the boy is literally called Danny in this, too). This is more Nosferatu than sexy vampires or suave Dracula. Barlow looks terrific, just how I like my monster vampires! It does take an awful long time to get to anything remotely vampiric, and the slow-boiling pacing isn't helped by some cheap TV tricks that are intended to cut to a commercial break. There is also no blood in this thing, I get it's 1979 and made-for-TV, but it's vampires! It needs a little more blood.
This is the better version of the Salem's Lot adaptations, so far, I suppose--we'll see what the 2023 theatrical film adaptation does. But I'm intrigued now to seek it out as a way to compare what that film can do that this couldn't (kinda like the IT theatrical remake), plus, I hope they keep the general look of Barlow and don't make him more "human" looking. Overall, this is way too lengthy and slow for what it is narratively and thematically, but there are some good vampire shenanigans here and I dig the vibe and it's well crafted on the whole. Tobe Hooper really doesn't get enough credit as a horror auteur master of his time.
Note: Love when Barlow materializes from under a black robe and then smacks two characters heads together in a kitchen, knocking them out; truly iconic. - DirectorDavid BrucknerStarsOdessa A'zionJamie ClaytonAdam FaisonA young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites.10-11-22
Sleek, dark, and creepy: Hellraiser (2022) is a much better made film than the original cult classic. It's characters are better, it's production values are better, it's direction is better, it's script a little bit better. Almost everything is elevated here quality wise, the only thing that stands about even with the original, is the actual Cenobites and special effects. The original film has some of the wildest and most uncanny creature and gore effects that it makes it difficult to fully say this is a superior Cenobite film--rather, it is a sharp, well designed counterpart to the originals sleazy and unnerving Cenobite debut.
I like the protagonist more than I thought I would, I was slightly invested in her and her brothers plight for happiness and resolve. The small microcosm of characters filling out Riley's world (including a hot boyfriend and a gay brothers boyfriend--yeah for some representation!) are all digestible secondaries; something rare in slasher-esque films and even rarer, it would seem, in the Hellraiser franchise. Now, I cannot say much about the Hellraiser franchise, but I can say that it seems like a safe bet to agree that this is possibly the best film since the original. I think it's safe to say.
The Cenobite's are still freaky, and there is a nice buildup to their reveals. There is also some well-staged scenes of tension as the Cenobite realm begins to intrude into the realm of human Earthbound mortals. Chatterer is still a favorite, and actually meets his own demise here. Other new Cenobites are also well designed and staged. Jamie Clayton as The Priest is pretty awesome: a cold, calm, horror-bitch that gives all the other Pinheads a run for their money, yes, including Doug Bradley's original.
Holding the film back is its length (2 hours seems a little long for this sort of thing, even if they pad and try to justify with story, this could have been more economical). Also, seeing as Hellraiser has always been a little trashy, and a little BDSM, it could have had a little more kink. But my quibbles mostly end there, the film was way better than I planned on it being, and the Cenobite makeups and gore were solid--this has one of the best kills of the season after roommate Nora gets a slice from the inter-dimensional puzzle-box from hell! Overall a sharp, gory return of Pinhead and co.'s dark world of disturbing puzzle-delights. - DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie Lee CurtisJudy GreerAndi MatichakSurviving victims of Michael Myers form a vigilante mob and vow to end his reign of terror.10-14-22
A second viewing doesn't really make this film any better, but I did go in already knowing what the expect, making the impact of some of the films choices less frustrating.
Michael gets some pretty solid kills here, and the film is ultimately more brutal than its immediate predecessor. A stabbing in the throat with a fluorescent light bulb, a knife through the eye, a firemen brigade takedown (still ridiculous), and a stab in an armpit and subsequent eye socket squishing, are memorable kills. Allyson's bf also gets it pretty bad in the end. Halloween Kills, in this regard, lives up to its title. But the pivot away from the Strodes to the town of Haddonfield still feels misguided. I get that it sort of makes sense as a middle act film to widen the scope and show more of an impact on the community at large in the wake of the horrors of Halloween night. The idea is intriguing in theory, but not so much in practice. The townspeople of Haddonfield are poorly sketched caricatures and difficult to root for. Tommy Doyles return is especially disappointing--I didn't care at all when he died. The "Evil dies tonight" chant is now pretty hilarious when thinking of this new Halloween franchise, it hovers over this film like a blight. The mob mentally narrative has some fascinating of the moment political undertones. But that also feels poorly advised and misplaced in a film that is otherwise a mutated revision of Halloween II. It will make this a product of its time more-so than past entries. The swing (though it's mostly a miss) is more obvious when you watch the next film in succession (Halloween Ends, just released and watched, and, as of this writing, still unable to fully process). In hindsight with Halloween Ends out now, Kills at least feels like a true blue Michael Meyers film. If nothing else, the film still has the "Kills." - DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie Lee CurtisAndi MatichakJames Jude CourtneyThe saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode comes to a spine-chilling climax in the final installment of this trilogy.10-14-22
This was so jarring and hard to process after watching because I couldn't tell if this was a minor masterpiece or a truly terrible experiment. This is how we're going to "end" the Halloween franchise (or at least this trilogy, and certainly the last time we'll see Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode)? There will certainly be revolt, and more than Kills, will likely be one of the most divisive entries in the 13 (40+) year cannon (yes, including Halloween III--the only one I've yet to see).
The opening is tremendous and shocking--nothing to do with Laurie or Michael! How brazen to keep Michael out of the limelight in this, his bout with the iconic final girl! Instead we have newcomer Corey, a babysitter turned killer, who--and here comes the controversy--attempts to become the new Michael Meyers, collabing with Michael on kills, and stealing his moniker mask and kill spree nature. Is Corey taking the Michael Meyers mantel? Luckily no, but for a majority of the film, it appears like he is. That makes this a pretty bad Michael Meyers film--he's barely in it! And because of this setup and reconfiguration, makes it a pretty bad slasher film, too. The film is everything but a slasher proper: a film about healing, about the scars of trauma on a community, a love story about outsiders/outcast, and a horror film last. It is very much Corey's movie (not something you want out of Laurie Strode's last outing). Luckily Laurie gets a much better part here than in Kills, the big change in time (4 years later from Halloween 2018 and Kills) allows for the narrative to pivot her character in a fascinating and unexpected way. Does it fully work, no. Do I hate it, no! It makes for a consistently intriguing watch, mostly to see how it plays out.
Allyson also gets a shift in character, throwing herself at Corey and trying to figure out her post-trauma life, seeking to escape the cage of Haddonfield. And why don't any of the characters leave this cursed town! Laurie, after all these years and trauma's, stays and buys a house in town!!! The film is filled with inexplicable choices, and bigger narrative swings than Kills. The result is a film that tries to connect its message of how evil begets evil, and evil evolves, and evil "spreads." Haddonfield is "infected" by the horrors of Michael Meyers, and because of this, the film pulls further away from the psycho killer, makes it less about him and rather about the "idea" of him as a virus that's tainted Haddonfield society. Bold, and unique, and I have to give David Gordon Green for not only committing to it thematically, but honestly even attempting it in the first place. Ends feels subversive in a way, like a director cashing in all his chips to present something "new." Unfortunately, it's not what most audiences want. And while I'm opposed to making films for audiences vs. films with good and compelling stories or films as an experience (and this first watch was quite an experience of feels and reactions)--this one had a simple job: just be a good Michael Meyers and Laurie Strode showdown.
The fact that Gordon Green and a cadre of script writers (still can't believe Danny McBride writes this trilogy) got away with changing formula so late in the game, totally playing with expectations, is fascinating. The studio let them do it, Producers gave them near cart blanche I feel--and John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis had input here. That is what makes it so wild, it feels like everyone was on board with this detour of a finale. I think what sells it is the actual time spent with the characters, and the fact that it commits to its own logic and new direction--attempting to look forward rather than backwards (as this franchise always seems to be looking backwards). It doesn't all make sense, but it does try to connect its threads by the final act, and the inevitable finale smackdown between horror legends.
That final smackdown is cathartic, taking place all in Laurie's kitchen--a callback with the knitting needle is a nice touch. But so much of nearly 2 hour runtime is spent feeling like a different movie, a film almost nearly outside of a typical Halloween film, outside of even a typical slasher film. The battle at the end almost feels a little to late when it arrives. That is not to say that the film is devoid of slasher kill scenes. But Michael Meyers really only gets a couple kills here, and they were all with the help of Corey. Corey as Michael does land two really good kills regardless of whose behind the mask: one with a blowtorch, and another with a pair of scissors, a tongue, and a record player (you'll know the scene).
This Halloween isn't bloodless, it just readjusts our understanding of what a Halloween film is...can a Halloween film exist without much Michael Meyers in it? Only once did that happen, and it was the one-off Halloween III, which focused on an entirely different narrative and horror threat. Obviously it didn't work, and the franchise has been Michael's ever since. In truth, I'm not opposed to spinning Halloween off into an annual anthology outing. But Michael will be back, someone will reboot this, probably before the decades out. If they do, they should move far away from Haddonfield, maybe sleepy west coastal town, and avoid they same origins and characters. It's time for the franchise to evolve, and I think Michael is bigger than one mythos. Reinvent him elsewhere, with a brand new cast of characters and backstories--new final girl/boy. Halloween Ends feels like it's trying to push the franchise into a future without Michael Meyers, and they make sure to know that he is dead forever. At least for now, Halloween does end. Evil does die tonight.
Halloween Ends is a pretty wild ride in and around what a Halloween film is and challenges what we think it should be as viewers expecting a clear-cut slasher finale. A large part of me is still wishing this film was more of what I wanted it to be, a tight, gnarly slasher-fest building up to a final confrontation between Michael and Laurie. The film is almost exactly the opposite of a tight slasher-fest, though I did get the brutal final confrontation. But that the film challenged my expectations and even attempted to do something different in the end--focusing on character and trying to thread a theme--actually makes this last film one of the franchises most unique entries. As a lover of cinema, I appreciated the experience of what the film was doing; as a horror-slasher lover, I thought it was disappointing. I split the difference and rated the film the same as Kills, although I think it may have a slight edge. This was a totally unexpected ending to Gordon Greens trilogy, and I never would have expected it to wind up where it does here after watching the 2018 reboot/legacy-sequel. It marks a fascinating--but not great--new series of films to the long running franchise. The first of these three is obviously the best of the lot by a far. But at least the three films as a whole weren't boring. And there's nothing worse than a boring finale. - DirectorSteven KostanskiStarsNita-Josée HannaOwen MyreMatthew NinaberAfter unearthing a gem that controls an evil monster looking to destroy the Universe, a young girl and her brother use it to make him do their bidding.10-15-22
So wild!!! A joyous, hard to describe genre-fuck and loving send-up to creature feature/Super Sentai! It's as if Power Rangers, John Carpenter's The Thing, and Beetlejuice all met, screwed, and had a mutant baby. Nic and I audibly laughed out loud several times, and the thing is, it's all intentional--the film knows what it is and owns it so hard! PG: Psycho Goreman is a great creation, his gory takedowns are delectable fodder for those looking for horror gore, and the cheap, low-budget creature makeups and world-building mythos, add a giddy, twisted love letter to the Japanese Sentai sub-genre. The merger of horror/gore to comedy/spoof to creature-feature/Sentai keeps one constantly off centered during this watch. The film never takes itself seriously, but it also delivers the cheap thrills of all three genres (or more) in a clever package that defies categorization. I guess this is a sci-fi horror comedy? I don't know, whatever you want to call it, PG is delightfully wacky and out there in all the best ways possible. I wish more films committed to wild and strange concoctions with true reverence and verve as this. Love the intergalactic senate like roundtable scenes, the bloody TV, and whenever PG's whole body opens to eat a full-grown being whole, my mouth dropped open when these FX took place (this is mostly where I got The Thing comparison, too). So bloody, but in a hilarious, outrageous way. Almost a 9, but something holds me back, idk.
Note: The little boss-bitch girl whose running the show here is all-in and feels like she's just doing her thing without a script holding her back! Truly unbridled and fitting in a film that allows for such nonconformist methods of doing things. - DirectorLevan GabriadzeStarsHeather SossamanMatthew BohrerCourtney HalversonA group of online chatroom friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend.10-15-22
Clever concept that was basically the foundation for Host (from 2020) to soar even higher. This Facebook/Skype/IM horror-show is exhausting, annoying (the characters are all terrible people), and unscary. The movie was way too long to have this not-very-scary of an ending. It's almost excruciating listening to this group of "friends" deteriorate and crumble in on itself once a dead girls account comes back to life to seek unholy revenge. I guess that's the point, and why they all die. But god they couldn't die quick enough in this film. The tension and and actual suspense are all off here, unlike Host which is so tight and smoothly deployed throughout that I was on the edge of my seat. Here, it feels too drawn out, and lacks real scares/jumps, and any real spookiness. Plus I hate all the characters!
I will say that the film does have a sharp bite about the true-life horrors of online culture, social media, and cyberbullying. But its so difficult to sit through a film of people bitching at each other over the internet for an hour and a half. Clever on paper, but pretty dreadful and unscary in execution; Host this is not. - DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLim Soo-jungYum Jung-ahKim Kap-suAfter being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.10-20-22
Confusing but creepy, I've wanted to see this for a long time now, now finally seeing it, 'Two Sisters isn't quite the asian horror gem I was hoping for, but it does offer some solid mood. This is a classy ghost story, well constructed and tightly wound. It's scariest moment is an utterly eerie asain-ghost-girl-with-long-hair-covering-her-face motif that holds up to Ju-On or Ringu, and the like. A hand reaches out of the hovering ghost girls crotch, creeping out from under its skirt! Another totally startling moment is when a visiting aunt starts having a seizure during an awkward dinner scene, and she sees a dead girl under the kitchen sink. It's played with utter dread and unease, and most of the film maintains a sense of unease that never lets you feel safe or comfortable, but always off-balanced.
Besides all these positives, I found the films big reveals complicated because there are several narrative shifts that pile onto each other without much time to digest what has just happened. This is primarily because I'm reading the film in subtitles and not great at reading fast enough, so I got lost quickly as the twists started unraveling. Most of this would be a gimmick now, but the film pulls off the surprises well enough given the time and cultural perspective (if you've kept up with twists, that is). In all, it's mostly my fault for not understanding everything I was seeing, its a film that could benefit a second watch--though I doubt I will. This is likely an 8 out of 10, it's very well made and mostly creepy in a bone-chilling supernatural way...But I ultimately got lost in what was happening and this singular viewing ended up being less than what I wanted, especially after the eeky, well mounted atmosphere of the first and second acts. - DirectorSteve MinerStarsJamie Lee CurtisJosh HartnettAdam ArkinLaurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time, as the life of her own son hangs in the balance.10-22-22
The Screamification of the Halloween franchise make this one of the more fun and frothy entries in the entire franchise. This is also Jamie Lee Curtis' third best outing as Laurie Strode (playing another version of her traumatic adult self). I don't understand why the Michael masks aren't consistent and why in gods-green-earth they had to CGI the mask at one point. The seams of the fraught production, with reshoots and all, hamper the films further potential and significantly reduces Michael's scariness--stick with a fucking mask!
The movie, in hindsight, could gone farther and a little harder, and it also could have benefitted from the kind of tonal and atmospheric economics the original is so well known for. And what's with the unnecessary orchestral score from John Ottoman? No thanks! Not in my Halloween film! One reason this doesn't land as strong as Gordon Greens 2018 legacy-sequel is primarily because it mostly forgets what made the series so elementally frightening in the first place--it's all about tone. Instead of having the original Halloween atmosphere, it trades it in for more of Screams atmosphere and vibes, a true product of its time.
It's really nice to see the series get out of Haddonfield! Despite the lack of scares, there are some reliably good slasher moments: Michael swinging and slashing through a closed gate at an uncomfortably close range to some trapped teens (Michelle Williams and Josh Hartnett!) is a favorite bit of suspense and close-call fun in this franchise as a whole. The showdown with Michael is less physical than 'Ends, which was way more brutalistic in its finale, but its a lot of fun watching them chase after one another, slashing and dashing to the end. Laurie's final blow moment will always be the actual "end" of this alternate timeline (fuck Resurrection!) in which Michael and Laurie are siblings. It ends at its peak, on a sour, but satisfying resolve...there's no way Michael is coming back from that! Oh wait...
Note: I really wish the teenagers weren't so one dimensional here. I noticed this more than ever before, and it bothered me this go around, so I counted this against the film--another reason the rating went from an 8 to a 7. Opinions can evolve and change with time, so we'll see with another revisit in a couple years. - DirectorTi WestStarsMia GothJenna OrtegaBrittany SnowIn 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the crew find themselves fighting for their lives.10-26-22
A rewatch for me this year and better the second time around. Basically The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in vibe and tone, down to the back road Texas locale, 1970's setting, and a van that looks almost like the one from that film. Oh, and there's the crazy killing old locals. But X, while much of an homage to that film, is also an odd narrative about two maligned and controversial genres of filmmaking: horror and pornography. Horror, circa 1980, was occasionally banned or labeled NC-17. Much like porn, horror had an era dubbed the "video nasties." X pays tribute to the video nasties with a skewed perspective on desire and voyeurism. There's an unexpected amount of old people nudity makeup that makes this kind of icky and bizarre and funny. There's also an alligator bit that is obviously set up for a kill. It's a film with familiar beats but an added self-knowing direction.
Ti West has a clever eye and uses some unique visual elements like giving us flashes of scenes in triplets before playing the scene out proper, which keeps moments offbeat and engaging. Another scene uses split screen in a clever and unusual way, flipping the images and merging the two screens. The music is also great and dreamy at times with ominous underpinnings. The guy getting stab in the eye balls through the barn door (like an idiot that's never seen a Jason movie) is a fascinating kill because of how West cuts to another scene then returns to the eye gouge in bloody fashion. Pearl (a prequel, which is out now) is the old lady, which is also Mia Goth the final girl here, means Goth plays triple duty this year for the same film "universe"--a mini-verse if you will with Goth as the unlikely star. She's clearly deranged, dancing in the blood red lens of her victims van lights after she's stabbed his neck an awful bunch of times.
I cannot say I loved the film, some of the kills could have been more innovative, and there really isn't any good jump scares. Jena Ortega does get a shocking blast of a death...but I wished for less shotgun kills. Still, X delivers enough blood/gore and death to please slasher fans, I just don't think they'll love it like the classics--I'm sure many will wish there was a more traditional slasher/killer in a mask or something. I did initially, too. But the old people twist makes for an intriguing and off-balanced spin on the old material tropes. The films strong direction and solid performances--Goth being a gem--makes this better than your average slasher/thriller run-of-the-mill material. The final scene and line of the movie is also perfect! The vintage style grungy title card "X" over a bright red screen is a perfect wink wink nudge that lands the punchline of the films merging of two distinct "nasty" genres. What's more reviled per the very obvious flashes of a fire-and-brim-stone TV preacher: violent horror, or pornographic sex!? Either way, those cops are in for a surprise. It's the best elevated grindhouse throwback I've seen in some time. - DirectorZach CreggerStarsGeorgina CampbellBill SkarsgårdJustin LongA woman staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she has rented is not what it seems.10-28-22
What a wild ride this film is. I knew going in it wasn't going to be as straight forward as the set up of two people being booked for the same Airbnb suggested. The middle act turn is one of the best I've seen in any film a few years. I imagine this film isn't as great as the first viewing, part of what makes it so successful is how it keeps its audience guessing, that most of its thrill is not knowing what's around the corner means second and third viewings will likely have a diminished return. But this first viewing--knowing as little as possible--is what going to the movies is all about, and it's a reminder that smart horror films can be the most exciting kind of entertainment in the biz. I won't go into details just to keep the films secrets, well, secrets, because seeing this movie with no knowledge of where it's going to go, is the best way to see this.
This film reminds me of how Halloween Ends tries to be subvert expectations and make something "different," and where that film fails to accomplish its ambitious "turn," Barbarian succeeds because we have no prior expectations or information of this story/characters. That makes Barbarian free to be whatever it wants, and while that means the film could go off the rails or become less suspenseful, the film maintains its intrigue and tension even when it's not doing the scary bits. The films huge shift midway through is almost a whole other film. Justin Long takes over the film and seemingly dives into a #MeToo narrative, but it is never not interesting, and you'll be wondering how it all circles back to the Airbnb horror. It all comes together in a way that makes sense even when your questioning the logic of the characters (people will always make bad decisions in horror films--like going down into a dungeon unto a dungeon in your Airbnb rentals basement!). It's not overly intelligent or preachy, or trying too hard to have a "statement" or social commentary. But there is something interesting here when thinking of "who" the Barbarian really is (it's not who/what you think it is!), and there is something here about toxic men and the insecurities of women in these situations versus men. But this isn't quite Parasite or Get Out, its commentaries are sly and just under the surface, and the film is creepier than both of those films mentioned above as it embraces its horror elements more full bodied. This thing is so smartly crafted: layered together like a Russian nesting doll. It's just so confidently assembled and acted that it's hard to nit-pick anything...it wrong foots you several times, shifting and snaking to its wild conclusion where--gasp--I actually thought the final girl was doomed!
As far as kills and gore go, there are only really three, but they are solid and effective: one getting their head smashed in to a bloody pulp in spectacular fashion, and will likely be shortlisted for best kills of the year! Barbarian is the best new horror film I've seen since His House and Host (2020 kinda rocked for horror films given the pandemic and lack of overall new films being released). But what it does better than both of those films even, is it subverts everything you think you know going in. The fact that a horror film could be one step ahead of the audience throughout makes this a kind of brilliant masterwork of narrative crafting. It took until Halloween weekend to reach a great horror film this year, but Barbarian will be remembered for years to come if only--if nothing else--as one of the best initial viewing experiences of any film in the last couple years. More films need to deliver the "experience" the way this film does, point blank it's essentially what the movie going should be about.