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The Black Waters of Echo's Pond (2009)
Was there a point to the story?...
Stumbling upon another horror movie that I had never heard about, and finding the movie's cover to be interesting, and given my life-long love of the horror genre, of course I needed no persuasion to sit down and watch "The Black Waters of Echo's Pond". Sure, I had no idea what I was in for here, so director Gabriel Bologna had every opportunity to bedazzle and entertain me.
The storyline in the movie was not one that was particularly entertaining. Sure it was watchable for what it was, but I didn't find it to be an outstanding horror experience. The narrative was too slow paced and there weren't really any thrills or scares in the storyline. Sure, maybe if you're right off of the boat and never seen a horror movie before, then "The Black Waters of Echo's Pond" might be scary. But for a seasoned horror veteran, this was a mere walk in the park. Writers Michael Berenson, Gabriel Bologna and Sean Clark delivered nothing out of the ordinary here.
It felt as if the writers were writing independently on the script from a base idea, but none of the three knew what the other two were writing. And that made for a somewhat befuddled and jumpy movie experience. The narrative was a bit all over the place, but failing to be all there at the same time.
The movie actually had some familiar faces and talents on the cast list, such as Danielle Harris, James Duval, Robert Patrick, Electra Stone, Elise Avellan and Richard Tyson. The acting performances in the movie were fair.
If you enjoy horror movies, then "The Black Waters of Echo's Pond" is not a movie that I would recommend you to rush out and track down a copy of. It just simply wasn't really worth sitting through 89 minutes of what director Gabriel Bologna brought to the screen. Sure, I managed to endure the movie and sit through it to the bitter end, but believe me I am never return to watch it a second time.
My rating of director Gabriel Bologna's 2009 movie "The Black Waters of Echo's Pond" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
The storyline in the movie was not one that was particularly entertaining. Sure it was watchable for what it was, but I didn't find it to be an outstanding horror experience. The narrative was too slow paced and there weren't really any thrills or scares in the storyline. Sure, maybe if you're right off of the boat and never seen a horror movie before, then "The Black Waters of Echo's Pond" might be scary. But for a seasoned horror veteran, this was a mere walk in the park. Writers Michael Berenson, Gabriel Bologna and Sean Clark delivered nothing out of the ordinary here.
It felt as if the writers were writing independently on the script from a base idea, but none of the three knew what the other two were writing. And that made for a somewhat befuddled and jumpy movie experience. The narrative was a bit all over the place, but failing to be all there at the same time.
The movie actually had some familiar faces and talents on the cast list, such as Danielle Harris, James Duval, Robert Patrick, Electra Stone, Elise Avellan and Richard Tyson. The acting performances in the movie were fair.
If you enjoy horror movies, then "The Black Waters of Echo's Pond" is not a movie that I would recommend you to rush out and track down a copy of. It just simply wasn't really worth sitting through 89 minutes of what director Gabriel Bologna brought to the screen. Sure, I managed to endure the movie and sit through it to the bitter end, but believe me I am never return to watch it a second time.
My rating of director Gabriel Bologna's 2009 movie "The Black Waters of Echo's Pond" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
The Abigail Mysteries (2023)
Generic, predictable, slow paced, and sort of preachy...
Of course I was not familiar with the 2023 crime mystery "The Abigail Mysteries", as the crime mystery genre with female investigators never really was something that I was particularly interested in. But I opted to give the movie a fair chance, since I had the opportunity to watch it.
While the movie was watchable, it was not really a movie that tickled me in the right places. Now, I am not saying that it was a bad movie, it just didn't really cater to what I consider to be proper entertainment. But I am sure that if you enjoy female investigator crime mysteries, then you would find a lot more enjoyment in the movie than I did.
Writer Ansley Gordon put together a fair enough script, albeit a rather generic and predictable one. However, I wasn't aware that there would be such an overshadowing Christian theme interwoven into the narrative, and had I known that I would not have glanced in the movie's direction a second time. Yeah, the movie was a bit preachy at times, which definitely didn't appeal to me, nor did the whole Christianity aspect of the storyline for that matter.
I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, and despite the fact that the narrative was a swing and a miss in terms of entertaining me properly, then I will say that the acting performances were fair.
"The Abigail Mysteries" is a light-hearted crime mystery. There is no action, no thrills, no excitement, nor anything that would otherwise get your pulse up and heart pumping. So yeah, director Brittany Goodwin delivered a dud of a movie.
This is definitely not a movie that I will return to watch a second time, nor is it something that I would seek out future movies to watch, if they opt to make sequels.
My rating of "The Abigail Mysteries" lands on a most generous three out of ten stars.
While the movie was watchable, it was not really a movie that tickled me in the right places. Now, I am not saying that it was a bad movie, it just didn't really cater to what I consider to be proper entertainment. But I am sure that if you enjoy female investigator crime mysteries, then you would find a lot more enjoyment in the movie than I did.
Writer Ansley Gordon put together a fair enough script, albeit a rather generic and predictable one. However, I wasn't aware that there would be such an overshadowing Christian theme interwoven into the narrative, and had I known that I would not have glanced in the movie's direction a second time. Yeah, the movie was a bit preachy at times, which definitely didn't appeal to me, nor did the whole Christianity aspect of the storyline for that matter.
I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, and despite the fact that the narrative was a swing and a miss in terms of entertaining me properly, then I will say that the acting performances were fair.
"The Abigail Mysteries" is a light-hearted crime mystery. There is no action, no thrills, no excitement, nor anything that would otherwise get your pulse up and heart pumping. So yeah, director Brittany Goodwin delivered a dud of a movie.
This is definitely not a movie that I will return to watch a second time, nor is it something that I would seek out future movies to watch, if they opt to make sequels.
My rating of "The Abigail Mysteries" lands on a most generous three out of ten stars.
Haunted Universities 3 (2024)
Watchable, but ultimately a forgettable anthology...
I was not aware that I was sitting down to watch a horror anthology, as I opted to sit down and watch "Haunted Universities 3". I happened to stumble upon the movie by sheer luck, and given my love of all things horror and the Asian cinema at large, of course I had to sit down and watch the movie.
Given my love of Asian horror, then I have indeed watched the 2009 "Haunted Universities" and absolutely loathed it, and also the 2022 sequel "Haunted Universities 2nd Semester", which was a below mediocre experience. So I didn't really harbor much of any grand expectations to the third installment in the franchise.
While the storyline in the first segment, which is titled "Procession", certainly was a stereotypical one, even for a Thai horror story, then there was just something about it that worked. I found this story to be interesting and nicely directed. It captures the essence of the Thai horror cinema quite nicely, as it is a mixture of traditional Thai culture and a modern take on the horror genre. The effects in "Procession" are good, and they definitely add something to the overall enjoyment of the storytelling. Despite the fact of me not being familiar with the cast ensemble in the first storyline, I will say that the acting performances were good.
"The Caretaker" is the second segment in the anthology, and I have to say that the storyline here utterly fell short of entertaining me. It was a swing and a miss, and the narrative was rather slow paced, and without much of anything interesting happening or an interesting character gallery, it just was not easy to get swept away by this story. Sure, the acting performances in this segment were good, but without a properly interesting storyline, it just was an uphill battle for the actors and actresses.
The third segment is titled "The Invisible Shrine", and it was at least a notch up from "The Caretaker", but it just never reached "Procession" in terms of entertainment value and storytelling. Sure, this third segment was watchable, but it just wasn't outstanding. Again, as in the previous two segments, the acting performances are good, no doubt about that.
The anthology is labeled as a horror comedy, and that is what I thought I was getting into. But "Haunted Universities 3" has no comedy elements to it. It is a horror anthology, pure and simple.
Watchable, for sure, but I found that "Haunted Universities 3" was a very mundane and forgettable Thai horror anthology. And it is definitely not one that will grace my screen a second time.
My rating of "Haunted Universities 3" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Given my love of Asian horror, then I have indeed watched the 2009 "Haunted Universities" and absolutely loathed it, and also the 2022 sequel "Haunted Universities 2nd Semester", which was a below mediocre experience. So I didn't really harbor much of any grand expectations to the third installment in the franchise.
While the storyline in the first segment, which is titled "Procession", certainly was a stereotypical one, even for a Thai horror story, then there was just something about it that worked. I found this story to be interesting and nicely directed. It captures the essence of the Thai horror cinema quite nicely, as it is a mixture of traditional Thai culture and a modern take on the horror genre. The effects in "Procession" are good, and they definitely add something to the overall enjoyment of the storytelling. Despite the fact of me not being familiar with the cast ensemble in the first storyline, I will say that the acting performances were good.
"The Caretaker" is the second segment in the anthology, and I have to say that the storyline here utterly fell short of entertaining me. It was a swing and a miss, and the narrative was rather slow paced, and without much of anything interesting happening or an interesting character gallery, it just was not easy to get swept away by this story. Sure, the acting performances in this segment were good, but without a properly interesting storyline, it just was an uphill battle for the actors and actresses.
The third segment is titled "The Invisible Shrine", and it was at least a notch up from "The Caretaker", but it just never reached "Procession" in terms of entertainment value and storytelling. Sure, this third segment was watchable, but it just wasn't outstanding. Again, as in the previous two segments, the acting performances are good, no doubt about that.
The anthology is labeled as a horror comedy, and that is what I thought I was getting into. But "Haunted Universities 3" has no comedy elements to it. It is a horror anthology, pure and simple.
Watchable, for sure, but I found that "Haunted Universities 3" was a very mundane and forgettable Thai horror anthology. And it is definitely not one that will grace my screen a second time.
My rating of "Haunted Universities 3" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Black Daruma (2023)
What a waste of time...
While I had never heard about this 2023 horror movie titled "Black Daruma", as I happened to stumble upon it by random chance here in 2024, then of course I would sit down and watch it, given my life-long fascination and love of the horror genre.
The concept idea for the storyline definitely was interesting, and I will say that writers Fionn Watts and Toby Watts, both of whom also directed the movie, had some interesting ideas on the drawing board and brought to the storyline. However, despite all the good intentions and ideas, it just sort of caved in on itself, because nothing overly interesting happened in the narrative, as it dragged on and on in a rather slow pace.
As for the character gallery, well the character Ryan very quickly grew annoying and frustrating to look at and listen to. This was on no account because of actor Richard Galloway, not at all, no it was simply the way that writers Fionn Watts and Toby Watts had fleshed out the character for the movie.
Despite of having a rather small cast ensemble, I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list. And truth be told, that is actually something I do enjoy, watching new and unfamiliar talents on the screen. The acting performances in the movie were definitely fair.
Something that didn't sit well with me in the movie was the way that it was shot. Yeah, those hand-held, shaky camera things just doesn't really work for me. And that is what 90% of this movie consisted of, hand-held and shaky camera angles. And I have to say, that at least for me, these unbearable hand-held and shaky camera angles took away so much from the movie, and made it rather difficult to properly enjoy the movie.
While "Black Daruma" is listed as a horror movie, I have to say that there wasn't an ounce of anything scary in the movie, unless you consider ridiculous camera work and an annoying leading character as scary, well then you're in luck.
What a swing and a miss of a movie. Trust me, you don't want to waste your time, money or effort on this dumpster fire. Some of us suffered through the 75 minutes, so you don't have to; you're quite welcome.
My rating of directors Fionn Watts and Toby Watts's 2023 movie "Black Daruma" lands on a one out of ten stars.
The concept idea for the storyline definitely was interesting, and I will say that writers Fionn Watts and Toby Watts, both of whom also directed the movie, had some interesting ideas on the drawing board and brought to the storyline. However, despite all the good intentions and ideas, it just sort of caved in on itself, because nothing overly interesting happened in the narrative, as it dragged on and on in a rather slow pace.
As for the character gallery, well the character Ryan very quickly grew annoying and frustrating to look at and listen to. This was on no account because of actor Richard Galloway, not at all, no it was simply the way that writers Fionn Watts and Toby Watts had fleshed out the character for the movie.
Despite of having a rather small cast ensemble, I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list. And truth be told, that is actually something I do enjoy, watching new and unfamiliar talents on the screen. The acting performances in the movie were definitely fair.
Something that didn't sit well with me in the movie was the way that it was shot. Yeah, those hand-held, shaky camera things just doesn't really work for me. And that is what 90% of this movie consisted of, hand-held and shaky camera angles. And I have to say, that at least for me, these unbearable hand-held and shaky camera angles took away so much from the movie, and made it rather difficult to properly enjoy the movie.
While "Black Daruma" is listed as a horror movie, I have to say that there wasn't an ounce of anything scary in the movie, unless you consider ridiculous camera work and an annoying leading character as scary, well then you're in luck.
What a swing and a miss of a movie. Trust me, you don't want to waste your time, money or effort on this dumpster fire. Some of us suffered through the 75 minutes, so you don't have to; you're quite welcome.
My rating of directors Fionn Watts and Toby Watts's 2023 movie "Black Daruma" lands on a one out of ten stars.
One Eight Seven (1997)
Hard hitting drama...
I have watched "187" (aka "One Eight Seven") once before, but have to admit that the movie has entirely slipped from my memory. I only remember the movie's title and the fact that it was Samuel L. Jackson that had the leading role. And thus, as I had the opportunity to revisit the movie here in 2024, of course I opted to do so.
Writer Scott Yagemann put together a rather compelling and entertaining script and storyline. Sure, it was a bit far out there, but it proved to be rather enjoyable and made for good entertainment. So thumbs up to Scott Yagemann for that accomplishment.
While I am by no means familiar with the US school system, it just seems that the school and classes portrayed in this movie are very caricatured. I mean, do people actually speak like that and behave like what some of the people did in this movie? It just felt way too over-dramatized and stereotypical. But then again, given my lack of familiarity with the school system in the US, I could be wrong, of course.
The movie does have a good cast ensemble, with some talented actors and actresses on the list, such as Samuel L. Jackson, John Heard, Clifton Collins Jr. And Tony Plana to mention the ones that I was familiar with. Needless to say that the acting performances in the movie were good, and that applied to the entire cast ensemble.
"187" certainly is a movie that is worth sitting down and spending nearly two hours on watching. It is a movie that definitely hits hard and does leave the audience with something to ponder upon.
My rating of director Kevin Reynolds's 1997 movie "187" lands on a seven out of ten stars.
Writer Scott Yagemann put together a rather compelling and entertaining script and storyline. Sure, it was a bit far out there, but it proved to be rather enjoyable and made for good entertainment. So thumbs up to Scott Yagemann for that accomplishment.
While I am by no means familiar with the US school system, it just seems that the school and classes portrayed in this movie are very caricatured. I mean, do people actually speak like that and behave like what some of the people did in this movie? It just felt way too over-dramatized and stereotypical. But then again, given my lack of familiarity with the school system in the US, I could be wrong, of course.
The movie does have a good cast ensemble, with some talented actors and actresses on the list, such as Samuel L. Jackson, John Heard, Clifton Collins Jr. And Tony Plana to mention the ones that I was familiar with. Needless to say that the acting performances in the movie were good, and that applied to the entire cast ensemble.
"187" certainly is a movie that is worth sitting down and spending nearly two hours on watching. It is a movie that definitely hits hard and does leave the audience with something to ponder upon.
My rating of director Kevin Reynolds's 1997 movie "187" lands on a seven out of ten stars.
Despiser (2003)
Ambitious low budget project...
Needless to say that I had indeed never heard about this 2003 fantasy horror movie titled "Despiser" prior to stumbling upon it by random chance here in 2024. Of course I opted to give the movie a fair chance, given my fascination with the horror genre. Though I can't claim that I was harboring any grand expectations to the movie, given its rather questionable cover.
The storyline in the movie was actually fair enough. I mean, it wasn't amazing or anything, but writer Philip J. Cook, who also directed the movie, actually had some interesting enough ideas for the script. And there was a fair sense of Lovecraftian touch to the movie, which definitely appealed to me.
Of course I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. Though I will say that the acting performances weren't as bad as the rest of the movie, so that at least counted for something.
The effects in the movie are pretty atrocious. They look fake and painstakingly not realistic in any way. And that adds a sort of cringeworthy element to the movie. Even for a movie made in 2003, the effects were despisable, see what I did here? The CGI in the movie looked like something that was discarded back in the 1990s for being too shabby.
The budget in the movie was apparently non-existing, because they didn't even have a budget to have real cars in the movie. Yeah, they opted to go with some questionable CGI rendered cars in the movie. It looked so awful, but at least it was a source of laughter. I have to say that I was really impressed with the cars in the movie, never before have I seen such poorly rendered vehicles, and I grew up playing games on the Commodore 64.
If you have a craving for ultra low budget movies with big ambitions and also an interest in Lovecraftian-themed movies, then perhaps you might find some odd enjoyment in "Despiser".
"Despiser" might be a low budget and amateurish movie, but it was definitely made with spirit and ambition.
My rating of writer and director Philip J. Cook's 2003 movie "Despiser" lands on a four out of ten stars.
The storyline in the movie was actually fair enough. I mean, it wasn't amazing or anything, but writer Philip J. Cook, who also directed the movie, actually had some interesting enough ideas for the script. And there was a fair sense of Lovecraftian touch to the movie, which definitely appealed to me.
Of course I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. Though I will say that the acting performances weren't as bad as the rest of the movie, so that at least counted for something.
The effects in the movie are pretty atrocious. They look fake and painstakingly not realistic in any way. And that adds a sort of cringeworthy element to the movie. Even for a movie made in 2003, the effects were despisable, see what I did here? The CGI in the movie looked like something that was discarded back in the 1990s for being too shabby.
The budget in the movie was apparently non-existing, because they didn't even have a budget to have real cars in the movie. Yeah, they opted to go with some questionable CGI rendered cars in the movie. It looked so awful, but at least it was a source of laughter. I have to say that I was really impressed with the cars in the movie, never before have I seen such poorly rendered vehicles, and I grew up playing games on the Commodore 64.
If you have a craving for ultra low budget movies with big ambitions and also an interest in Lovecraftian-themed movies, then perhaps you might find some odd enjoyment in "Despiser".
"Despiser" might be a low budget and amateurish movie, but it was definitely made with spirit and ambition.
My rating of writer and director Philip J. Cook's 2003 movie "Despiser" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Shark Warning (2024)
Watchable, but generic...
I had been looking forwarding to getting to watch this 2024 shark movie titled "Shark Warning" ever since seeing the poster for it some time last year I guess it was.
So was the wait worth it? Well, no, not really. Now, don't get me wrong here, because "Shark Warning" is not a bad movie. It was, however, a rather generic and stereotypical shark movie. Writer Ryan Ebert opted to play it safe and incorporate every trope included in the how-to-write-a-shark-movie handbook, and thus it was a rather formulaic movie, for better or worse. Sure, I was still entertained, as it was a shark movie, after all, but it just wasn't an outstanding movie experience.
The acting in the movie were good. The only face on the screen that I was familiar with was actor David Chokachi.
Visually then "Shark Warning" was okay. It wasn't jaw-droppingly impressive special effects, but they were suitable for a shark movie, no doubt about that.
Watchable, fore sure, especially if you enjoy shark movies. And it wasn't in the lower end of the scale of shark movies.
My rating of director Jimmy Gadd's 2024 movie "Shark Warning" lands on a five out of ten stars.
So was the wait worth it? Well, no, not really. Now, don't get me wrong here, because "Shark Warning" is not a bad movie. It was, however, a rather generic and stereotypical shark movie. Writer Ryan Ebert opted to play it safe and incorporate every trope included in the how-to-write-a-shark-movie handbook, and thus it was a rather formulaic movie, for better or worse. Sure, I was still entertained, as it was a shark movie, after all, but it just wasn't an outstanding movie experience.
The acting in the movie were good. The only face on the screen that I was familiar with was actor David Chokachi.
Visually then "Shark Warning" was okay. It wasn't jaw-droppingly impressive special effects, but they were suitable for a shark movie, no doubt about that.
Watchable, fore sure, especially if you enjoy shark movies. And it wasn't in the lower end of the scale of shark movies.
My rating of director Jimmy Gadd's 2024 movie "Shark Warning" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Apocalypse Z: El principio del fin (2024)
A good take on a zombie outbreak...
Given my love and fascination with all things zombie, of course there was no doubt about me sitting down to watch the 2024 movie "Apocalypse Z: El Principio Del Fin" (aka "Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End"). While I don't keep up with upcoming movies and such, I virtually didn't know that this movie was on the way. So as I happened to stumble upon it by random chance here in 2024, of course I had to watch what director Carles Torrens brought to the zombie genre.
And color me somewhat impressed. I have to say that I was genuinely entertained throughout the course of the 112 minutes that the movie ran for. I was especially impressed with the way that the storyline was constructed. Writers Ángel Agudo and Manel Loureiro definitely put together an enjoyable and entertaining script and storyline for the movie. Something that I was particularly impressed with was the thorough way that they dealt with the source of the outbreak, as the movie takes place in the midst of the outbreak, and whereas most other zombie movies just glance over the source of the outbreak, then writers Ángel Agudo and Manel Loureiro actually weaved a plausible cause into the storyline, and that definitely resonated very well with me, as that is usually something missing from zombie movies and series, even popular ones such as "The Walking Dead" or "Night of the Living Dead".
If you enjoyed the 2002 movie "28 Days Later", then chances are very high that you will also enjoy "Apocalypse Z: El Principio Del Fin".
Given my extremely limited exposure to the Spanish cinema, then of course I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. But that is actually something I enjoy when I watch a movie, as it is always interesting to discover new talents and not be tainted by previous performances in other movies. And the actors and actresses in this movie put on good performances.
The character gallery in the movie was good and well-detailed. And it was easy to connect and bond with the characters on the screen, as they were layered characters with personalities and traits. A testament to the accomplishment of the writers, for sure.
Normally I haven't been overly keen on running zombies, but movies such as "28 Days Later" and the 2004 remake "Dawn of the Dead" helped made me change my perspective on such, as it does make sense, if you will, that the recently deceased and reanimated dead would be agile, as their muscles haven't atrophied and withered yet. And "Apocalypse Z: El Principio Del Fin" does have running zombies as well, and it was actually enjoyable. And I will say that the zombie effects and make-up were good. Sure, the movie doesn't go overboard in gore and showing grotesque decay and bodily dismemberment, but again it makes sense that the zombies are intact and not showing signs of advanced decay, as the story does take place early on in the outbreak.
"Apocalypse Z: El Principio Del Fin" is a movie that is most certainly well-worth sitting down and watching, especially if you enjoy zombie movies, and want a movie that deliver more than just carnage and showing impressive zombie effects.
My rating of director Carles Torrens's 2024 movie "Apocalypse Z: El Principio Del Fin" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.
And color me somewhat impressed. I have to say that I was genuinely entertained throughout the course of the 112 minutes that the movie ran for. I was especially impressed with the way that the storyline was constructed. Writers Ángel Agudo and Manel Loureiro definitely put together an enjoyable and entertaining script and storyline for the movie. Something that I was particularly impressed with was the thorough way that they dealt with the source of the outbreak, as the movie takes place in the midst of the outbreak, and whereas most other zombie movies just glance over the source of the outbreak, then writers Ángel Agudo and Manel Loureiro actually weaved a plausible cause into the storyline, and that definitely resonated very well with me, as that is usually something missing from zombie movies and series, even popular ones such as "The Walking Dead" or "Night of the Living Dead".
If you enjoyed the 2002 movie "28 Days Later", then chances are very high that you will also enjoy "Apocalypse Z: El Principio Del Fin".
Given my extremely limited exposure to the Spanish cinema, then of course I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. But that is actually something I enjoy when I watch a movie, as it is always interesting to discover new talents and not be tainted by previous performances in other movies. And the actors and actresses in this movie put on good performances.
The character gallery in the movie was good and well-detailed. And it was easy to connect and bond with the characters on the screen, as they were layered characters with personalities and traits. A testament to the accomplishment of the writers, for sure.
Normally I haven't been overly keen on running zombies, but movies such as "28 Days Later" and the 2004 remake "Dawn of the Dead" helped made me change my perspective on such, as it does make sense, if you will, that the recently deceased and reanimated dead would be agile, as their muscles haven't atrophied and withered yet. And "Apocalypse Z: El Principio Del Fin" does have running zombies as well, and it was actually enjoyable. And I will say that the zombie effects and make-up were good. Sure, the movie doesn't go overboard in gore and showing grotesque decay and bodily dismemberment, but again it makes sense that the zombies are intact and not showing signs of advanced decay, as the story does take place early on in the outbreak.
"Apocalypse Z: El Principio Del Fin" is a movie that is most certainly well-worth sitting down and watching, especially if you enjoy zombie movies, and want a movie that deliver more than just carnage and showing impressive zombie effects.
My rating of director Carles Torrens's 2024 movie "Apocalypse Z: El Principio Del Fin" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.
Discarnate (2018)
Watchable, but generic horror movie...
The fact that I had never heard about the 2018 horror movie "Discarnate" hardly mattered in my choice to sit down and watch the movie. It being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, much less actually heard about, was sufficient enough to make me sit down and give the movie a fair chance.
Writers Mario Miscione and Marcella Ochoa put together a fair enough script, but I have to admit that for a horror movie then it just wasn't particularly outstanding. Sure, it was a watchable and enjoyable enough movie, but it just failed to stand out among so many other horror movies.
There were a couple of familiar faces on the cast list, such as Thomas Kretschmann, Nadine Velazquez and Josh Stewart. I will say that the acting performances in the movie were definitely good.
The effects in "Discarnate" were good, and that definitely added something to the overall enjoyment of the movie.
Watchable, sure, but ultimately it was a generic and forgettable horror experience. The movie's cover, however, was far more interesting than what the movie turned out to be.
My rating of director Mario Sorrenti's 2018 horror movie "Discarnate" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.
Writers Mario Miscione and Marcella Ochoa put together a fair enough script, but I have to admit that for a horror movie then it just wasn't particularly outstanding. Sure, it was a watchable and enjoyable enough movie, but it just failed to stand out among so many other horror movies.
There were a couple of familiar faces on the cast list, such as Thomas Kretschmann, Nadine Velazquez and Josh Stewart. I will say that the acting performances in the movie were definitely good.
The effects in "Discarnate" were good, and that definitely added something to the overall enjoyment of the movie.
Watchable, sure, but ultimately it was a generic and forgettable horror experience. The movie's cover, however, was far more interesting than what the movie turned out to be.
My rating of director Mario Sorrenti's 2018 horror movie "Discarnate" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.
The Substance (2024)
This was definitely something else...
I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the 2024 movie "The Substance" today, and I did so without knowing what I was in for. All I knew about the movie was that it had Demi Moore on the cast list, and the fact that the poster/cover had a very bold statement written on it helped spur my interest in the movie.
The writer and director was definitely on to something here with the script and storyline, throwing some not-so-subtle punches at the beauty trends of the world today, in a world full of Botox, fillers, facelifts, etc. And it was a rather entertaining and enjoyable storyline at that, so I was genuinely entertained throughout the majority of the movie.
And when I say majority of the movie, then the last part of the movie is what I didn't enjoy. From the part where the 'other self' injected itself with the activator to make a better and improved version of its already better and improved self, then the whole movie just fell to pieces. It became too much, and it was so much over-the-top that the movie just became a farce. It was a shame, because up to that point then "The Substance" had been a genuinely wholesome and entertaining movie. If writer and director had just left out that part of the movie and ended it with both the original Elizabeth and the improved version Sue die together, it would have been a more wholesome and complete movie.
Of the entire cast ensemble in the movie, I was only familiar with Demi Moore and Dennis Quaid. And oh boy, what a performance from Demi Moore, I was impressed twice over with her performance and I had never expected to see her in a movie such as this. But Dennis Quaid definitely also deserves credit for his performance, though it was a lesser part in the movie, but he nailed it. The acting performances in the movie were good, no doubt about that.
The special effects in the movie were impressive. It has been quite some time since I've seen a body horror movie of this type, where they had such impressive practical effects and alterations made to the cast ensemble. It looked amazing, and it felt rather realistic. And for a movie such as "The Substance", then having such impressive special effects helped to make the movie all the more effective.
A word of advice though, as there is a fair share of nudity throughout the course of the 141 minutes that the movie runs for.
"The Substance" definitely leaves an aware and thinking audience with issues of beauty, self-improvement and beauty trends to ponder upon, and that is a testimony to the writing skill of writer and director.
This movie is definitely a movie I would recommend you to sit down and watch, especially if you enjoy horror movies and in particular if you enjoy body horror subgenre. I was genuinely entertained throughout the course of the movie, aside from the last 15 minutes or so.
My rating of "The Substance" lands on a seven out of ten stars.
The writer and director was definitely on to something here with the script and storyline, throwing some not-so-subtle punches at the beauty trends of the world today, in a world full of Botox, fillers, facelifts, etc. And it was a rather entertaining and enjoyable storyline at that, so I was genuinely entertained throughout the majority of the movie.
And when I say majority of the movie, then the last part of the movie is what I didn't enjoy. From the part where the 'other self' injected itself with the activator to make a better and improved version of its already better and improved self, then the whole movie just fell to pieces. It became too much, and it was so much over-the-top that the movie just became a farce. It was a shame, because up to that point then "The Substance" had been a genuinely wholesome and entertaining movie. If writer and director had just left out that part of the movie and ended it with both the original Elizabeth and the improved version Sue die together, it would have been a more wholesome and complete movie.
Of the entire cast ensemble in the movie, I was only familiar with Demi Moore and Dennis Quaid. And oh boy, what a performance from Demi Moore, I was impressed twice over with her performance and I had never expected to see her in a movie such as this. But Dennis Quaid definitely also deserves credit for his performance, though it was a lesser part in the movie, but he nailed it. The acting performances in the movie were good, no doubt about that.
The special effects in the movie were impressive. It has been quite some time since I've seen a body horror movie of this type, where they had such impressive practical effects and alterations made to the cast ensemble. It looked amazing, and it felt rather realistic. And for a movie such as "The Substance", then having such impressive special effects helped to make the movie all the more effective.
A word of advice though, as there is a fair share of nudity throughout the course of the 141 minutes that the movie runs for.
"The Substance" definitely leaves an aware and thinking audience with issues of beauty, self-improvement and beauty trends to ponder upon, and that is a testimony to the writing skill of writer and director.
This movie is definitely a movie I would recommend you to sit down and watch, especially if you enjoy horror movies and in particular if you enjoy body horror subgenre. I was genuinely entertained throughout the course of the movie, aside from the last 15 minutes or so.
My rating of "The Substance" lands on a seven out of ten stars.
Terreur cannibale (1980)
Terrible, just terrible...
And this is the result of when you decide to make a cannibal movie in your own backyard. But I am getting ahead of myself here...
Of course I was not familiar with the 1980 French cannibal movie "Terreur Cannibale" (aka "Cannibal Terror") prior to stumbling upon it by random chance here in 2024. And given the fact that it is a horror movie, more specifically a cannibal movie, that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to give the movie a chance. However, I wasn't exactly harboring the biggest of expectations to the movie, given its age and premise.
I will say that the movie definitely starts out all chipper and cheerful, with that wonderful music, and thus setting what I assume is a false sense of calm, security and complacency within the viewers. But knowing that it is a cannibal-themed movie, of course we know that things are about to change at some point.
The storyline in the movie, as concocted by writers Jesús Franco, Julio Pérez Tabernero and H. L. Rostaine, fell short of entertaining me. It was not a particularly entertaining storyline, and the character gallery was flat and one-dimensional. Truth be told, I didn't care one bit about the characters, and the mediocre acting performances didn't exactly help to cement the characters as memorable.
Needless to say that I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. And while that is usually something I do enjoy when I watch a movie, I just didn't enjoy it in "Terreur Cannibale" as the performances were amateurish, wooden, rigid and devoid of emotion and commitment.
Sure, there were some gory scenes in the movie, but it was hardly sufficient to make up for the rest of movie, which was a terrible disappointment. But visually, then you're not in for anything grand here, should you opt to sit down and watch this movie. And as for the tribal native cannibals, well they didn't even look to be natives, they felt like random extras the film crew had hired off of the street, as they were a ragged band of mixed races, and the white guy with the muttonchops was the icing of the cake, as it was as far from being a jungle native as you could get.
Of course, the cannibal movies of the 1970s and 1980s weren't exactly cinematic masterpieces, but "Terreur Cannibale" was definitely in the lower end of the scale.
I would not recommend that you should waste 93 minutes of your life on watching this movie. Some of us did, so you don't have you; you're quite welcome.
My rating of directors Alain Deruelle, Olivier Mathot and Julio Pérez Tabernero's 1980 movie "Terreur Cannibale" lands on a generous two out of ten stars.
Of course I was not familiar with the 1980 French cannibal movie "Terreur Cannibale" (aka "Cannibal Terror") prior to stumbling upon it by random chance here in 2024. And given the fact that it is a horror movie, more specifically a cannibal movie, that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to give the movie a chance. However, I wasn't exactly harboring the biggest of expectations to the movie, given its age and premise.
I will say that the movie definitely starts out all chipper and cheerful, with that wonderful music, and thus setting what I assume is a false sense of calm, security and complacency within the viewers. But knowing that it is a cannibal-themed movie, of course we know that things are about to change at some point.
The storyline in the movie, as concocted by writers Jesús Franco, Julio Pérez Tabernero and H. L. Rostaine, fell short of entertaining me. It was not a particularly entertaining storyline, and the character gallery was flat and one-dimensional. Truth be told, I didn't care one bit about the characters, and the mediocre acting performances didn't exactly help to cement the characters as memorable.
Needless to say that I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. And while that is usually something I do enjoy when I watch a movie, I just didn't enjoy it in "Terreur Cannibale" as the performances were amateurish, wooden, rigid and devoid of emotion and commitment.
Sure, there were some gory scenes in the movie, but it was hardly sufficient to make up for the rest of movie, which was a terrible disappointment. But visually, then you're not in for anything grand here, should you opt to sit down and watch this movie. And as for the tribal native cannibals, well they didn't even look to be natives, they felt like random extras the film crew had hired off of the street, as they were a ragged band of mixed races, and the white guy with the muttonchops was the icing of the cake, as it was as far from being a jungle native as you could get.
Of course, the cannibal movies of the 1970s and 1980s weren't exactly cinematic masterpieces, but "Terreur Cannibale" was definitely in the lower end of the scale.
I would not recommend that you should waste 93 minutes of your life on watching this movie. Some of us did, so you don't have you; you're quite welcome.
My rating of directors Alain Deruelle, Olivier Mathot and Julio Pérez Tabernero's 1980 movie "Terreur Cannibale" lands on a generous two out of ten stars.
Amityville: Where the Echo Lives (2024)
Ugh, just another laughable movie with the word "Amityville" in its title...
Of course I had never heard about this 2024 horror movie titled "Amityville: Where the Echo Lives" prior to sitting down and watching it. And truth be told, I harbored zero expectations to director Carlos Ayala, as the majority of movies with the word 'Amityville' in the title is pure rubbish.
And true to formula, then "Amityville: Where the Echo Lives" was a lousy horror experience. The narrative in the movie moves forward with absolutely no momentum. In fact, it is slow paced that it feels as if it was actually going in reverse. And whatever script that had been churned out for director Carlos Ayala to bring to the screen hed zero interesting contents. There was nothing scary to be seen anywhere in the movie, well, not unless you consider a monotonous narrative and shallow script as scary.
Of course I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in this low budget attempt of a horror movie. And while I usually do enjoy watching unfamiliar talents and faces on the screen, it just wasn't the cast with this movie, because the script was ridiculous and the acting performances were wooden, rigid and devoid of emotions.
Do yourself a favor and give "Amityville: Where the Echo Lives" a wide berth. It just simply isn't worth squandering 89 minutes on watching. Some of us suffered through this dung heap, so you don't have to; you're quite welcome.
My rating of director Carlos Ayala's 2024 horror movie "Amityville: Where the Echo Lives" lands on a generous two out of ten stars. I would have rated it a mere one star, but at least the production value of the movie was good enough to drag it up to a meager two out of ten stars.
And true to formula, then "Amityville: Where the Echo Lives" was a lousy horror experience. The narrative in the movie moves forward with absolutely no momentum. In fact, it is slow paced that it feels as if it was actually going in reverse. And whatever script that had been churned out for director Carlos Ayala to bring to the screen hed zero interesting contents. There was nothing scary to be seen anywhere in the movie, well, not unless you consider a monotonous narrative and shallow script as scary.
Of course I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in this low budget attempt of a horror movie. And while I usually do enjoy watching unfamiliar talents and faces on the screen, it just wasn't the cast with this movie, because the script was ridiculous and the acting performances were wooden, rigid and devoid of emotions.
Do yourself a favor and give "Amityville: Where the Echo Lives" a wide berth. It just simply isn't worth squandering 89 minutes on watching. Some of us suffered through this dung heap, so you don't have to; you're quite welcome.
My rating of director Carlos Ayala's 2024 horror movie "Amityville: Where the Echo Lives" lands on a generous two out of ten stars. I would have rated it a mere one star, but at least the production value of the movie was good enough to drag it up to a meager two out of ten stars.
Haunt Season (2024)
Watchable, but nothing outstanding...
Stumbling upon the 2024 horror movie "Haunt Season" by random chance, of course I opted to watch the movie as I enjoy all things horror. Sure, I had never heard about this movie, but it being a horror movie was essentially all that was necessary for me to want to give it a fair chance.
Now, the storyline in "Haunt Season" was pretty straightforward, if not rather simplistic. Writer and director Jake Jarvi put together a fair enough script, which is suitable for a single viewing if you enjoy horror slashers. The movie is centered around a haunt attraction, wherein someone is literally killing people.
I was not familiar with a single actress or actor on the cast list, and that is actually something I rather enjoy when I watch a movie. And while I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble, I will still say that the acting performances in the movie were good.
The effects in "Haunt Season" were actually not bad. And there were sufficient enough mayhem and bloodshed to keep a seasoned gorehound veteran such as myself content.
The sets were good, and they definitely put a lot of effort into constructing the sets and working out something atmospheric for the movie.
While "Haunt Season" is not going to be a horror classic, it is a movie that is fun enough to check out and watch if you enjoy horror movies. It is, however, not a movie that warrants more than just a single viewing, as writer and director Jake Jarvi didn't really bring anything innovative or outstanding to the horror genre. But if you enjoy horror movies, I would say definitely check out this 2024 movie.
My rating of writer and director Jake Jarvi's 2024 movie "Haunt Season" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Now, the storyline in "Haunt Season" was pretty straightforward, if not rather simplistic. Writer and director Jake Jarvi put together a fair enough script, which is suitable for a single viewing if you enjoy horror slashers. The movie is centered around a haunt attraction, wherein someone is literally killing people.
I was not familiar with a single actress or actor on the cast list, and that is actually something I rather enjoy when I watch a movie. And while I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble, I will still say that the acting performances in the movie were good.
The effects in "Haunt Season" were actually not bad. And there were sufficient enough mayhem and bloodshed to keep a seasoned gorehound veteran such as myself content.
The sets were good, and they definitely put a lot of effort into constructing the sets and working out something atmospheric for the movie.
While "Haunt Season" is not going to be a horror classic, it is a movie that is fun enough to check out and watch if you enjoy horror movies. It is, however, not a movie that warrants more than just a single viewing, as writer and director Jake Jarvi didn't really bring anything innovative or outstanding to the horror genre. But if you enjoy horror movies, I would say definitely check out this 2024 movie.
My rating of writer and director Jake Jarvi's 2024 movie "Haunt Season" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Flood (2007)
Watchable, but incomplete...
I have watched the 2007 natural disaster movie "Flood" once before, but must wholeheartedly admit that I can't remember the movie, not even if my life depended on it. And thus, I opted to revisit the movie against here in 2024 and refresh my memory of it.
The storyline in the movie is pretty straightforward, albeit somewhat generic actually for a natural disaster movie. But that doesn't mean that the movie wasn't entertaining or enjoyable, because it was. Writers Justin Bodle, Matthew Cope and Nick Morley put together a fair enough script and storyline for a natural disaster movie such as "Flood". Sure, I haven't read the novel from Richard Doyle, so I don't know how true the writers were to the source material.
The movie ended rather abruptly, leaving the audience with a lot of questions and a sense of unfulfilled storytelling. I assume that there was supposed to be a sequel to this 2007 movie, but I have no idea if it was ever made.
The movie does have some familiar talents and faces on the screen, with the likes of Robert Carlyle, Joanne Whalley, David Suchet, Jessalyn Gilsig, Nigel Planer, David Hayman and Tom Hardy.
Watchable, sure, but "Flood" failed to distinguish itself in a vast collection of similar natural disaster movies. And truth be told, there are far better natural disaster movies available.
My rating of director Tony Mitchell's 2007 movie lands on a five out of ten stars.
The storyline in the movie is pretty straightforward, albeit somewhat generic actually for a natural disaster movie. But that doesn't mean that the movie wasn't entertaining or enjoyable, because it was. Writers Justin Bodle, Matthew Cope and Nick Morley put together a fair enough script and storyline for a natural disaster movie such as "Flood". Sure, I haven't read the novel from Richard Doyle, so I don't know how true the writers were to the source material.
The movie ended rather abruptly, leaving the audience with a lot of questions and a sense of unfulfilled storytelling. I assume that there was supposed to be a sequel to this 2007 movie, but I have no idea if it was ever made.
The movie does have some familiar talents and faces on the screen, with the likes of Robert Carlyle, Joanne Whalley, David Suchet, Jessalyn Gilsig, Nigel Planer, David Hayman and Tom Hardy.
Watchable, sure, but "Flood" failed to distinguish itself in a vast collection of similar natural disaster movies. And truth be told, there are far better natural disaster movies available.
My rating of director Tony Mitchell's 2007 movie lands on a five out of ten stars.
Ghost Game (2024)
Boring home invasion movie...
With the 2024 movie "Ghost Game" being a horror movie that I hadn't ever heard about, much less actually seen, then of course I opted to sit down and watch the movie and give it a fair chance. I am a huge horror fan after all, and thus I do tend to gobble up all things horror that I come across. Truth be told, however, I didn't really harbor much of any grand expectations to the movie from writer Adam Cesare and director Jill Gevargizian, as it just seemed to permeate a low budget feel.
I will say that the storyline certainly have some interesting potential to it, and writer Adam Cesare was definitely on to something here. However, the movie was just held back some a mundanely paced narrative, that never really allowed the storyline to get off to a running start. And that meant that the movie didn't really have much of any ups and downs along the way, and certainly no thrills or scares, which made it a rather bland movie to sit through.
While I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in "Ghost Game", I will say that the acting performances were fair despite the fact that the script was restricting the movie in overall. I do enjoy watching unfamiliar talents on the screen.
The movie has a great atmosphere, and by that I mean dark, gloomy and brooding. And it is something that definitely adds to the overall enjoyment of the movie. Just a shame that the contents of the script and storyline didn't amass to something extraordinary or memorable. And the music and score in the movie certainly was suitable for the movie, and did add to the atmosphere of the movie.
Ultimately a rather forgettable movie, and not one that I would recommend you to waste your time, money or effort on. Some of us sat through this, so you don't have to; you're quite welcome.
My rating of director Jill Gevargizian's 2024 horror movie "Ghost Game" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
I will say that the storyline certainly have some interesting potential to it, and writer Adam Cesare was definitely on to something here. However, the movie was just held back some a mundanely paced narrative, that never really allowed the storyline to get off to a running start. And that meant that the movie didn't really have much of any ups and downs along the way, and certainly no thrills or scares, which made it a rather bland movie to sit through.
While I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in "Ghost Game", I will say that the acting performances were fair despite the fact that the script was restricting the movie in overall. I do enjoy watching unfamiliar talents on the screen.
The movie has a great atmosphere, and by that I mean dark, gloomy and brooding. And it is something that definitely adds to the overall enjoyment of the movie. Just a shame that the contents of the script and storyline didn't amass to something extraordinary or memorable. And the music and score in the movie certainly was suitable for the movie, and did add to the atmosphere of the movie.
Ultimately a rather forgettable movie, and not one that I would recommend you to waste your time, money or effort on. Some of us sat through this, so you don't have to; you're quite welcome.
My rating of director Jill Gevargizian's 2024 horror movie "Ghost Game" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
Cellar Door (2024)
It was lacking punch and thrills...
I had not heard about this 2024 thriller titled "Cellar Door" prior to sitting down to watch it, so I didn't know what I was in for. But that is how it is with the vast majority of the movies I watch, as I don't watch trailers, nor keep up with upcoming movies. If I stumble upon a movie that I haven't already seen, such as the case with "Cellar Door", I sit down to watch it.
Writers Sam Scott and Lori Evans Taylor put together a rather generic and stereotypical script and storyline here. Sure, it was a watchable enough movie, but there wasn't much of any great thrills to be had throughout the course of the movie. And that sort of made sitting through "Cellar Door" a somewhat bland and mundane viewing experience.
Of the entire cast ensemble, I was only familiar with Scott Speedman and Laurence Fishburne. It should be noted, though, that the acting performances in the movie were good.
I suppose that if you are a diehard thriller fan, then you might be getting a bigger kick out of watching "Cellar Door" than I did. Something I was finding to be missing from the movie was that I was never pushed to the edge of my seat out of sheer thrill and excitement. It was a rather mundane movie, to be honest.
This is not a movie that will find its way back to my screen a second time.
My rating of director Vaughn Stein's 2024 thriller "Cellar Door" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Writers Sam Scott and Lori Evans Taylor put together a rather generic and stereotypical script and storyline here. Sure, it was a watchable enough movie, but there wasn't much of any great thrills to be had throughout the course of the movie. And that sort of made sitting through "Cellar Door" a somewhat bland and mundane viewing experience.
Of the entire cast ensemble, I was only familiar with Scott Speedman and Laurence Fishburne. It should be noted, though, that the acting performances in the movie were good.
I suppose that if you are a diehard thriller fan, then you might be getting a bigger kick out of watching "Cellar Door" than I did. Something I was finding to be missing from the movie was that I was never pushed to the edge of my seat out of sheer thrill and excitement. It was a rather mundane movie, to be honest.
This is not a movie that will find its way back to my screen a second time.
My rating of director Vaughn Stein's 2024 thriller "Cellar Door" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Red Dragon (2002)
Almost as good as the first movie...
I have watched the 2002 movie "Red Dragon" once before, but I have to admit that I have entirely forgotten about the story in the movie. But I revisited it here in 2024, as I was sitting through all the Hannibal Lecter movies. So it would be nice to get the movie refreshed in memory.
Writers Thomas Harris and Ted Tally put together a script and storyline that almost matched the script and storyline in the original 1991 "The Silence of the Lambs" movie, which was quite a nice surprise, because it made "Red Dragon" a really enjoyable psychological crime thriller. It is a well-written narrative that takes the audience along on an intricate mystery of a cat and mouse chase. I will say that the writers managed to keep the audience in the dark sufficiently well, but at the time managed to plant bits and pieces of clues throughout the narrative.
Of course it was quite a blast to have Anthony Hopkins return to reprise the role of the cannibalistic mass murderer Hannibal Lecter. This 2002 movie also have Anthony Heald, and Frankie Faison returning to reprise their characters from the original 1991 first movie in the franchise, which was also a nice touch. In addition, the movie has the likes of Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman on the cast list, so there are some rather talented actors and actresses on the cast list. Needless to say that the acting performances in the movie are good.
If you enjoy crime thrillers with a heavy layer of psychological elements to it, then you most definitely have to sit down and watch "Red Dragon", especially if you enjoyed the previous movies in the franchise.
I have to say that I am glad that I revisited director Brett Ratner's 2002 movie "Red Dragon" here in 2024, because it is definitely a very enjoyable movie.
My rating of "Red Dragon" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.
Writers Thomas Harris and Ted Tally put together a script and storyline that almost matched the script and storyline in the original 1991 "The Silence of the Lambs" movie, which was quite a nice surprise, because it made "Red Dragon" a really enjoyable psychological crime thriller. It is a well-written narrative that takes the audience along on an intricate mystery of a cat and mouse chase. I will say that the writers managed to keep the audience in the dark sufficiently well, but at the time managed to plant bits and pieces of clues throughout the narrative.
Of course it was quite a blast to have Anthony Hopkins return to reprise the role of the cannibalistic mass murderer Hannibal Lecter. This 2002 movie also have Anthony Heald, and Frankie Faison returning to reprise their characters from the original 1991 first movie in the franchise, which was also a nice touch. In addition, the movie has the likes of Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman on the cast list, so there are some rather talented actors and actresses on the cast list. Needless to say that the acting performances in the movie are good.
If you enjoy crime thrillers with a heavy layer of psychological elements to it, then you most definitely have to sit down and watch "Red Dragon", especially if you enjoyed the previous movies in the franchise.
I have to say that I am glad that I revisited director Brett Ratner's 2002 movie "Red Dragon" here in 2024, because it is definitely a very enjoyable movie.
My rating of "Red Dragon" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Top not psychological crime thriller...
Of course this was not my first time to watch the 1991 crime thriller "The Silence of the Lambs". But since I was revisiting the franchise here in 2024, of course I would also return to watch "The Silence of the Lambs" again.
Writers Thomas Harris and Ted Tally put together a thrilling and exciting script and storyline, one that most certainly proves entertaining and enjoyable. It is a well-written storyline that submerges the audience into a very detailed storyline with equally detailed characters. I have to say that the character gallery in this movie is very, very memorable. The narrative in the movie is well-paced and you are entertained from the very start to end of the movie.
This movie is so very well carried by Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. I especially have to point out Anthony Hopkins in this movie, because his performance as the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter is just phenomenal and so very memorable. The movie also have the likes of Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Tracey Walter, Anthony Heald, Frankie Faison and Charles Napier on the cast list, so there are some familiar talents on the screen. Needless to say that the acting performances in the movie are good.
"The Silence of the Lambs" is a psychological crime thriller that is a must watch. It is a classic movie in its own rights. If you haven't already seen this movie, you most certainly should, if you get the chance.
It is a movie that can be watched more than once, as it does have quite an entertaining storyline.
My rating of director Jonathan Demme's 1991 movie "The Silence of the Lambs" lands on an eight out of ten stars.
Writers Thomas Harris and Ted Tally put together a thrilling and exciting script and storyline, one that most certainly proves entertaining and enjoyable. It is a well-written storyline that submerges the audience into a very detailed storyline with equally detailed characters. I have to say that the character gallery in this movie is very, very memorable. The narrative in the movie is well-paced and you are entertained from the very start to end of the movie.
This movie is so very well carried by Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. I especially have to point out Anthony Hopkins in this movie, because his performance as the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter is just phenomenal and so very memorable. The movie also have the likes of Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Tracey Walter, Anthony Heald, Frankie Faison and Charles Napier on the cast list, so there are some familiar talents on the screen. Needless to say that the acting performances in the movie are good.
"The Silence of the Lambs" is a psychological crime thriller that is a must watch. It is a classic movie in its own rights. If you haven't already seen this movie, you most certainly should, if you get the chance.
It is a movie that can be watched more than once, as it does have quite an entertaining storyline.
My rating of director Jonathan Demme's 1991 movie "The Silence of the Lambs" lands on an eight out of ten stars.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
Still a good movie...
Of course I have seen the 2003 movie "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" a couple of times before, and thus needed no persuasion to sit down and revisit it here in 2024, especially since it has been many years since last time I saw it.
While I haven't read the comic book, which upon the movie is based, then I have no idea how true writers Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill and James Robinson were to the source material. Regardless, the storyline in the movie proved to be entertaining and enjoyable. And since the movie is one that you can watch again and again, the writers definitely conjured up something good for director Stephen Norrington to bring to the screen.
The cast ensemble in the movie is quite good. And course it is, with the likes of Sean Connery, Stuart Townsend, Jason Flemyng, Richard Roxburgh, Peta Wilson and Shane West on the cast list. Needless to say that the acting performances in the movie were good.
The effects in the movie are good, and still hold their ground even today. Well, aside from the over-sized guy who drank an excessive amount of Jekyll's potion and turned into a burgundy towering mammoth of muscles and anger; he looked ridiculous, he did back in 2003 and still do today. I always laugh when I see him on the screen.
If you haven't seen "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" before, then it is definitely a movie that I will recommend you to sit down and watch, as it is quite entertaining.
My rating of director Stephen Norrington's 2003 movie "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" lands on a seven out of ten stars.
While I haven't read the comic book, which upon the movie is based, then I have no idea how true writers Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill and James Robinson were to the source material. Regardless, the storyline in the movie proved to be entertaining and enjoyable. And since the movie is one that you can watch again and again, the writers definitely conjured up something good for director Stephen Norrington to bring to the screen.
The cast ensemble in the movie is quite good. And course it is, with the likes of Sean Connery, Stuart Townsend, Jason Flemyng, Richard Roxburgh, Peta Wilson and Shane West on the cast list. Needless to say that the acting performances in the movie were good.
The effects in the movie are good, and still hold their ground even today. Well, aside from the over-sized guy who drank an excessive amount of Jekyll's potion and turned into a burgundy towering mammoth of muscles and anger; he looked ridiculous, he did back in 2003 and still do today. I always laugh when I see him on the screen.
If you haven't seen "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" before, then it is definitely a movie that I will recommend you to sit down and watch, as it is quite entertaining.
My rating of director Stephen Norrington's 2003 movie "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" lands on a seven out of ten stars.
The Exorcist: Believer (2023)
Good, but not perfect...
I am familiar with "The Exorcist" franchise, of course I am as a horror aficionado, and thus of course I would also sit down to watch the 2023 movie "The Exorcist: Believer" movie, needing no persuasion to do so.
Writers Peter Sattler, David Gordon Green, Scott Teems and Danny McBride put together an enjoyable script and storyline, that wasn't just riding along on the success of the 1973 original "The Exorcist" movie, but managing to incorporate elements from the original movie into a new and original storyline. That was definitely something I found to be enjoyable.
However, I will say that I felt the ending of the movie was rather abrupt and felt rushed. I was certainly left with an overwhelming sense of having been cheated out of something.
The only face on the screen that I was familiar with was Linda Blair, yeah the girl from the original "The Exorcist" movie, but she was hardly even in the movie. Well, I also recognized Ellen Burstyn. And of course it was a nice touch to have both Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn in the movie, as they were main characters from the 1973 movie. Truth be told, I do enjoy watching unfamiliar talents on the screen when watching movies, and I will say that the acting performances in this 2023 movie were good.
Visually, then the effects in the movie are good, and there are some scenes that might be a bit disturbing to some viewers. However, I find that such brutality and visceral scenes adds to the overall enjoyment of the movie and the effectiveness and impact of the narrative. So thumbs up to the special effects crew for that accomplishment.
My rating of director David Gordon Green's 2023 movie "The Exorcist: Believer" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Writers Peter Sattler, David Gordon Green, Scott Teems and Danny McBride put together an enjoyable script and storyline, that wasn't just riding along on the success of the 1973 original "The Exorcist" movie, but managing to incorporate elements from the original movie into a new and original storyline. That was definitely something I found to be enjoyable.
However, I will say that I felt the ending of the movie was rather abrupt and felt rushed. I was certainly left with an overwhelming sense of having been cheated out of something.
The only face on the screen that I was familiar with was Linda Blair, yeah the girl from the original "The Exorcist" movie, but she was hardly even in the movie. Well, I also recognized Ellen Burstyn. And of course it was a nice touch to have both Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn in the movie, as they were main characters from the 1973 movie. Truth be told, I do enjoy watching unfamiliar talents on the screen when watching movies, and I will say that the acting performances in this 2023 movie were good.
Visually, then the effects in the movie are good, and there are some scenes that might be a bit disturbing to some viewers. However, I find that such brutality and visceral scenes adds to the overall enjoyment of the movie and the effectiveness and impact of the narrative. So thumbs up to the special effects crew for that accomplishment.
My rating of director David Gordon Green's 2023 movie "The Exorcist: Believer" lands on a five out of ten stars.
The Beast in the Cellar (1971)
The boredom in the cellar...
Needless to say that I had never heard about this 1971 horror movie titled "The Beast in the Cellar", since it was made 4 years prior to me being born. And it wasn't exactly a movie that popped up anywhere, despite of me watching horror movies from very early on in my life. So as I happened to stumble upon the movie by random chance here in 2024, of course I opted to give it a fair chance, given my love of all things horror.
Writer and director James Kelley delivered a script and storyline that proved sluggish, slow paced and generally disinteresting. And I found it quite a struggle to sit through the movie, as my interest in the narrative was quick waning not even 30 minutes into the ordeal. As the movie progressed, I can't claim that writer and director James Kelley managed to lure me further in with the material that was the script and storyline.
Of course I was not familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list, aside from Vernon Dobtcheff. And having unfamiliar talents and faces on the screen is actually something I do enjoy when I watch a movie. And while the narrative failed to properly entertain me, I will say that the acting performances in the movie were fair.
"The Beast in the Cellar" was by no means an impressive movie visually. It wasn't a movie that was crammed with an abundance of special effects.
This movie was hardly worth the 88 minutes that it ran for. And it is most definitely not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.
My rating of writer and director James Kelley's 1971 movie "The Beast in the Cellar" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Writer and director James Kelley delivered a script and storyline that proved sluggish, slow paced and generally disinteresting. And I found it quite a struggle to sit through the movie, as my interest in the narrative was quick waning not even 30 minutes into the ordeal. As the movie progressed, I can't claim that writer and director James Kelley managed to lure me further in with the material that was the script and storyline.
Of course I was not familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list, aside from Vernon Dobtcheff. And having unfamiliar talents and faces on the screen is actually something I do enjoy when I watch a movie. And while the narrative failed to properly entertain me, I will say that the acting performances in the movie were fair.
"The Beast in the Cellar" was by no means an impressive movie visually. It wasn't a movie that was crammed with an abundance of special effects.
This movie was hardly worth the 88 minutes that it ran for. And it is most definitely not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.
My rating of writer and director James Kelley's 1971 movie "The Beast in the Cellar" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Iron Warrior (1987)
Watchable, but generic...
Of course I had never heard about the 1987 fantasy movie "Iron Warrior" prior to stumbling upon it by random luck here in 2024. And given my love of the fantasy genre, of course I had to check out the movie. Sure, I wasn't harboring much of any grand expectations, but the movie still deserved a fair chance.
Writers Steven Luotto and Alfonso Brescia put together a fair enough script. Sure, it was rather generic and followed every standard fantasy trop of the 1980s, but that doesn't mean that it was a bad movie. "Iron Warrior" was indeed watchable, no doubt about it, but you're not in for a grand cinematic moment in cinematic history here. However, I was just lacking some key ingredient to the narrative that would suck me in and leave me wanting for more.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, and that is actually something I do enjoy when I sit down to watch a movie. The acting performances in "Iron Warrior" were fair enough, though nothing outstanding.
Visually then the movie was an archetypical late 1980s fantasy movie, for better or worse.
If you enjoy low-key fantasy movies such as "The Beast Master" or "Death Stalker", or the generic 1980s fantasy movies, then you might actually find some enjoyment in "Iron Warrior". Personally I would say that there are far better fantasy movie from the 1980s available.
Watchable, sure, but hardly a memorable or outstanding foray into the fantasy genre.
My rating of directors Alfonso Brescia and Ovidio G. Assonitis's 1987 movie "Iron Warrior" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Writers Steven Luotto and Alfonso Brescia put together a fair enough script. Sure, it was rather generic and followed every standard fantasy trop of the 1980s, but that doesn't mean that it was a bad movie. "Iron Warrior" was indeed watchable, no doubt about it, but you're not in for a grand cinematic moment in cinematic history here. However, I was just lacking some key ingredient to the narrative that would suck me in and leave me wanting for more.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, and that is actually something I do enjoy when I sit down to watch a movie. The acting performances in "Iron Warrior" were fair enough, though nothing outstanding.
Visually then the movie was an archetypical late 1980s fantasy movie, for better or worse.
If you enjoy low-key fantasy movies such as "The Beast Master" or "Death Stalker", or the generic 1980s fantasy movies, then you might actually find some enjoyment in "Iron Warrior". Personally I would say that there are far better fantasy movie from the 1980s available.
Watchable, sure, but hardly a memorable or outstanding foray into the fantasy genre.
My rating of directors Alfonso Brescia and Ovidio G. Assonitis's 1987 movie "Iron Warrior" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
Quite good...
While I did know that the movie existed, I just never got around to watching it before now in 2024. I always wrote it off as some goofy take on "Jack and the Beanstalk" tale. But I had the opportunity to actually watch it here in 2024, and since I had not already seen it, of course I opted to give it a chance.
And turns out that I had actually been missing out on something rather enjoyable. Yeah, turns out that, while this was indeed a take on the "Jack and the Beanstalk" tale, it was so much more at the same time. If you enjoy fantasy tales, then this movie actually proved quite interesting and entertaining. And I have to admit that I was rather surprised with how enjoyable the movie was. So thumbs up to writers Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Studney and David Dobkin.
Something else that surprised me in the movie was the cast ensemble. They really had an impressive assembly of talents on the cast list. With the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, Eleanor Tomlinson, Eddie Marsan, Ewen Bremner and Ian McShane, then you are in very capable hands. Needless to say that the acting performances in "Jack the Giant Slayer" was good.
Visually, I will say that I liked the effects. Sure, they are a bit antiquated already, but still passable. I do like the design of the giants, though I could have wished that they were a bit more life-like, as it was painstakingly obvious that they were CGI rendered. But the effects are still good today.
I had been missing out on an enjoyable movie, and if you haven't already seen "Jack the Giant Slayer", then it is a movie that I warmly recommend.
My rating of director Bryan Singer's 2013 movie "Jack the Giant Slayer" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.
And turns out that I had actually been missing out on something rather enjoyable. Yeah, turns out that, while this was indeed a take on the "Jack and the Beanstalk" tale, it was so much more at the same time. If you enjoy fantasy tales, then this movie actually proved quite interesting and entertaining. And I have to admit that I was rather surprised with how enjoyable the movie was. So thumbs up to writers Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Studney and David Dobkin.
Something else that surprised me in the movie was the cast ensemble. They really had an impressive assembly of talents on the cast list. With the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, Eleanor Tomlinson, Eddie Marsan, Ewen Bremner and Ian McShane, then you are in very capable hands. Needless to say that the acting performances in "Jack the Giant Slayer" was good.
Visually, I will say that I liked the effects. Sure, they are a bit antiquated already, but still passable. I do like the design of the giants, though I could have wished that they were a bit more life-like, as it was painstakingly obvious that they were CGI rendered. But the effects are still good today.
I had been missing out on an enjoyable movie, and if you haven't already seen "Jack the Giant Slayer", then it is a movie that I warmly recommend.
My rating of director Bryan Singer's 2013 movie "Jack the Giant Slayer" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.
Grave Encounters (2011)
Boring encounters...
I have watched the 2012 movie "Grave Encounters 2", but weren't overly impressed with it, so I was in no particular rush to track down the 2011 movie "Grave Encounters". But I had the opportunity to watch it here in 2024, and opted to do so, though I had very little expectations to the movie.
Writers The Vicious Brothers, Stuart Ortiz and Colin Minihan put together a rather generic, formulaic and predictable script and storyline. But with this being a 'found footage' movie, of course you're not in for any grand cinematic experience.
Needless to say that I wasn't familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list. And yeah, they are exactly that; actors and actresses. This whole 'found footage' genre is just a massive hoax and essentially a waste of time. Usually I enjoy watching unfamiliar talents on the screen, but that was not the case in "Grave Encounters", as everything was befuddled by it being a 'found footage' movie.
One of the biggest issues I have with "Grave Encounters" is the fact that it is a 'found footage' type of movie, or 'stinking garbage heap' as I call that genre. I have no interest in this type of hoax movie, and the constantly swerving camera gets annoying really, really fast. If you've seen one 'found footage' movie, you've essentially seen them all, as they are insanely formulaic and generic.
This was a pretty terrible movie, and it is definitely not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time. Truth be told, my attention span on the movie waned progressively as the movie dragged on and on, to the point where I would be multitasking between the movie and computer.
My rating of directors Colin Minihan, Stuart Ortiz and The Vicious Brothers's 2011 movie "Grave Encounters" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Writers The Vicious Brothers, Stuart Ortiz and Colin Minihan put together a rather generic, formulaic and predictable script and storyline. But with this being a 'found footage' movie, of course you're not in for any grand cinematic experience.
Needless to say that I wasn't familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list. And yeah, they are exactly that; actors and actresses. This whole 'found footage' genre is just a massive hoax and essentially a waste of time. Usually I enjoy watching unfamiliar talents on the screen, but that was not the case in "Grave Encounters", as everything was befuddled by it being a 'found footage' movie.
One of the biggest issues I have with "Grave Encounters" is the fact that it is a 'found footage' type of movie, or 'stinking garbage heap' as I call that genre. I have no interest in this type of hoax movie, and the constantly swerving camera gets annoying really, really fast. If you've seen one 'found footage' movie, you've essentially seen them all, as they are insanely formulaic and generic.
This was a pretty terrible movie, and it is definitely not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time. Truth be told, my attention span on the movie waned progressively as the movie dragged on and on, to the point where I would be multitasking between the movie and computer.
My rating of directors Colin Minihan, Stuart Ortiz and The Vicious Brothers's 2011 movie "Grave Encounters" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Female Werewolf (2015)
Insanely boring...
I was lured into picking up this movie because of the cover, which I have to admit definitely was an interesting one. And with this being a werewolf movie that I had neither seen nor heard about, of course I opted to check out what writer and director Chris Alexander had to offer with this 2015 movie.
Turns out that there was nothing to offer. Talk about a swing and a miss of a movie. There was no interesting storyline to get immersed in, and you just sit there watching random scenes and feeling your soul slowly leaving your corporeal form as the numbing sensations of boredom take over.
Of course I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. But I can't claim that I was impressed with the performances I witnessed. It was mediocre and amateurish at best. So yeah, you're not in for an evening of Shakespearian theater here. And since there was no dialogue, well that just made it all the more terrible to sit through.
The movie didn't even have an interesting character gallery to make up for the lack of dialogue and action.
"Female Werewolf" is a low budget movie in every sense of those words. I would not recommend that you waste your time, money or effort on watching this dumpster fire of a movie. Some of us suffered through this garbage, so you don't have to; you're very welcome.
Writer and director Chris Alexander was a bit over-ambitious here with this movie, setting out to achieve something artsy, but it didn't really play out all that well. And I have to say that my interest in the movie was quickly waning as there was no dialogue, no coherent storyline, no good acting performances and sluggish scenes accompanied by various music scores. There were some lesbian love scenes, if you enjoy that kind of rubbish in your movies, personally I don't care much for such as it offers nothing wholesome to the movie at large.
This is definitely not something that will ever grace my screen a second time. This is definitely one of the most boring and pointless movies I have seen in a long, long time.
The best thing about "Female Werewolf" was the movie's cover.
My rating of writer and director Chris Alexander's 2015 movie lands on a one out of ten stars.
Turns out that there was nothing to offer. Talk about a swing and a miss of a movie. There was no interesting storyline to get immersed in, and you just sit there watching random scenes and feeling your soul slowly leaving your corporeal form as the numbing sensations of boredom take over.
Of course I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. But I can't claim that I was impressed with the performances I witnessed. It was mediocre and amateurish at best. So yeah, you're not in for an evening of Shakespearian theater here. And since there was no dialogue, well that just made it all the more terrible to sit through.
The movie didn't even have an interesting character gallery to make up for the lack of dialogue and action.
"Female Werewolf" is a low budget movie in every sense of those words. I would not recommend that you waste your time, money or effort on watching this dumpster fire of a movie. Some of us suffered through this garbage, so you don't have to; you're very welcome.
Writer and director Chris Alexander was a bit over-ambitious here with this movie, setting out to achieve something artsy, but it didn't really play out all that well. And I have to say that my interest in the movie was quickly waning as there was no dialogue, no coherent storyline, no good acting performances and sluggish scenes accompanied by various music scores. There were some lesbian love scenes, if you enjoy that kind of rubbish in your movies, personally I don't care much for such as it offers nothing wholesome to the movie at large.
This is definitely not something that will ever grace my screen a second time. This is definitely one of the most boring and pointless movies I have seen in a long, long time.
The best thing about "Female Werewolf" was the movie's cover.
My rating of writer and director Chris Alexander's 2015 movie lands on a one out of ten stars.