graemefishwick Reviews

Michael vs Jason: Evil Emerges (2019)

Very, very well done...

[8/10 · 15 April 2019]

This Australian fan made short tells the story of a group of soldiers who have captured Michael Myers and are under orders to take him into the woods and kill him.

In these woods lays a dormant Jason Voorhees who is awakened by him 'mommy' via the usual way of a ghostly voice telling him to wake up (bit like in Freddy vs Jason).

Once Michael breaks free (as per usual) he follows the last soldier into said woods to kill him but Jason gets to him first.

This pisses Michael off and all hell breaks loose.

This is an extremely well made fan film with a budget of around $5000. Yes the acting in some places is average and the actions of some people are questionable but what makes up for these minor quibbles is the sheer brutality of this 29 minute short.

The two actors playing Michael (John Pedder) and Jason (Joshua Pedder) do an outstanding job.

The effects are well above average and the music and directing are very, very well done.

Ever wanted to see Jason headbutt Michael? You will in this.

The sheer violence that is portrayed by both of our masked villains is outstanding. There's fists, feet, heads and machetes and knives flying all over the place.

If you're a fan of either of the unstoppable killers then this is for you.

Personally I much prefer the Friday the 13th movies and have never been a big fan of the Halloween franchise (I've seen them all and I do enjoy them but they don't warrant repeated viewing like the Friday movies do, IMO).

If you have a spare half an hour then you could do a lot worse than this short.

It promises a sequel and I for one can't wait.

Well worth a view.

8/10

Serenity (I) (2019)

On the fence.

[5/10 · 23 February 2019]

Telling the story of a fisherman (Matthew McConaughey) who lives alone on the the Island of Plymouth trying to catch an elusive Tuna (BIG Tuna) who is then visited by his ex wife (Anne Hathaway) who asks him to take her new, abusive husband (Jason Clarke) out on his boat, get him drunk and throw him overboard and she will give him $10 million.

It's a solid premise and the mystery begins to unfold quite nicely and I did catch myself thinking 'What the hell is going on?'

The problem that I have with it is that the twist is revealed at about the hour or so mark. The movie runs for 106 minutes.

We're left knowing what the twist is with about 46 minutes of the movie to go. That's when the movie, for me anyway, fell apart.

The movie would've been so much better had the twist happened towards the end of the movie.

The twist in itself was very well done and I did not see it coming and certainly haven't seen this in a movie before.

All in all I was intrigued with the movie up until the twist, although it was a great twist I was left disappointed with the rest of the movie knowing what the twist was. The movie simply had no where else to go once it was revealed.

It is worth a watch but just be prepared.

5/10 for me. If the twist happened at the end then it would have been a solid 8/10.

Overlord (2018)

Sorely lacked something for me

[6/10 · 5 February 2019]

OVERLORD

Telling the story of a group of American soldiers during D-Day who must destroy a tower full of communications in order for their troops to land to defeat ze Germans but instead of baddies they find something ever more baddiness...(I know, it's not a word)

Where do I start? Did I enjoy this interesting little action/horror flick?

Yes and no to be honest.

The first 40 minutes or so are standard war tropes (stranded behind enemy lines, close calls with the enemy blah blah blah)

Then we get to the interesting part. Ze Germans are experimenting on their own and captured soldiers and the general public and turning them into.....something.

I absolutely loved the final 30 minutes which was full of practical and CGI FX (think The Thing on a body morph level).

I only wish the rest of the movie was as good. I seemed to be waiting ages for something to happen along those lines.

While there is horror to this before the actual horror part I just wished there was more to it.

The opening scene was very well done.

It's not a bad movie by any means but it sorely lacked something for me.

6/10

Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008 TV Movie)

Amazing and Visual

[9/10 · 23 January 2019]

If you get the chance of the two versions (Sean Pertwee or Alec Baldwin) then I'd recommend the Sean Pertwee version. His voice is so 'dreamlike' and soothing which is ideal for a journey to the edge of the universe.

The visuals are top notch and the actual journey is a must for anyone who wants to learn about our solar system and beyond.

I've seen this documentary on numerous occasions and it never gets old.

It just goes to show how our tiny little planet called Earth is a minuscule grain of sand on a very, very, very large beach.

Highly recommended.

The Vanishing (II) (2018)

Disappointing

[2/10 · 5 January 2019]

This is my first review but I felt I needed to vent once I'd watched this.

When I first read about The Vanishing/Keepers I was intrigued. I have studied the original mystery surrounding the Eilean Mor so was naturally excited to watch a movie with a possible explanation of the disappearance of the three lighthouse keepers.

Was my curiosity aroused again?

NOPE.

Nothing in this movie, apart from the names of the keepers and the remote location, resembled the 'facts' surrounding the mystery.

Where were the lighthouse logs detailing the extreme weather? The initial mystery was supposed to take place in December, the setting in this movie does not look like winter to me. There are so many things that have been left out.

I know that this is (possibly) artistic license but if you're going to do a movie about the unsolved mystery of The Flannan Isles then at least do your research otherwise change the names and do not base it on a real event.

The setting and acting were superb which has saved it from a 1 star review and there's a solid bit of violence about half way through but other than that you have nothing.

Initially I was excited at the prospect of seeing what the film makers made of this mystery but ultimately I was left angry and wholly disappointed.