See You After Class: Student Body (2022)

    Hello everyone, Matthew here with a new review. As you know, one of the things that I really tend to enjoy are checking out some of the horror indie films. I mean that's pretty much where things started when I was able to review Weird Fiction (go check it out on Tubi). So whenever a new indie emerges, I always look forward to checking them out. They tend to break the norm from typical horror movies. I mean a very solid example would be to look at Benny Loves You. That film is so off the wall with a very solid original premise. 

    When I first heard of Student Body, it was just the poster. Specifically the poster above as it grabbed my attention. I immediately could have checked out the trailer. But it feels like trailers tend to spoil films a lot of the time. And if they don't spoil anything, there's a chance that they will misrepresent what the film is actually about. So, I just went into the film completely blind. 

    The synopsis for the film is as follows: High school student Jane Shipley seeks to mend her splintering relationship with childhood best friend Merritt, and fit in with her rebellious peers. When Jane's math teacher oversteps his bounds, an apathetic high school administration forces Jane and Merritt to take matters into their own hands, driving their relationship into further turmoil and inciting deadly consequences.

    When I first started the film, I wasn't sure what it was going for. It felt like a slice of life school film. Just kids going about their daily life. Montse Hernandez delivers a pretty interesting performance as Jane. She's our in for the story and view everything through her perspective for the most part. This is a film that has a really small cast as well. Besides Hernandez, the kids are played by Cheyenne Haynes, Anthony Keyvan, Harley Quinn Smith, and Austin Zajur. Each of them do a decent job with what they are given. The standouts for me were Smith and Zajur. Both of them made their characters believable and pretty likeable. 

    As the film went on, it felt like it was giving us time to know the characters. It was allowing time for the story to breathe. I know that there are some that may see it as potential filler. But with a small film like this, its understandable. Part of the appeal of this film was that it felt a little bit like a throwback to an 80s horror film. When we are finally given our slasher, Anvil Al, it doesn't feel like it was too long. The use of the school mascot being the slasher was pretty genius. However, the film does tip its hat very early on as to the identity. They do try to plant a red herring here and there. But it's pretty straightforward. 

    The kills in this film weren't really over the top. It all felt very in line with the tone of the film. The use of a sledge hammer was pretty interesting. It's something that I don't think we see too often really. 

    Overall, this wasn't a bad film. It felt very much in tone with something you would see from Hulu/Blumhouse's Into The Dark. A missing episode, if you will. That's definitely something I appreciated. However, it did feel like something that may be a rainy day film. It could have been fleshed out a little more if there was time. Sadly, it almost feels a bit too compacted. 

Rating: 3 out of 5. 

Student Body can be found on iTunes, VUDU, Google Play, and the Microsoft Store. 

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The Elm Street Retrospective: Nightmare On Elm Street Part 4 - The Dream Master

    Welcome back to The Elm Street Retrospective. Much like Freddy after Dream Warriors, Springwood has gone eerily quiet. It's a time of peace as the boiler has finally run cold. The children can rest easy once again, right? After the massive success of Dream Warriors, it only made sense for New Line to deliver another film. This was the point where New Line saw exactly what they had - a massive cash cow.

    For me, I don't know how to feel about Dream Master. I grew up watching the hell out of it. Every chance I got, I would rent it from the local video store. I miss video stores. There are tons of fond memories I have of going and perusing the shelves. They would have a deal where you could rent 10 movies for 10 days for $1. I would always find a way of finding some films that I had never seen before or since. And almost an essential piece of that random movie marathon would be Dream Master. This was the installment that just clicked for me. 

    It also brought us a more interesting take on Freddy as the humor was ramped up to 11. Renny Harlin knew what he was doing with this installment. New Line were very keen on letting him make this distinctly his idea of an Elm Street movie as well. This is an Elm Street that is a blockbuster popcorn film. It's meant to be a fun ride. It definitely doesn't take itself too seriously as well. This is the wisecracker that we've all come to associate with Freddy Krueger. Robert Englund delivers an outstanding performance. 

    With this viewing, Dream Master felt a little different. I mean yeah, it's the summer blockbuster of the Elm Street series. That's something that is extremely unique with this series. Each installment is different from the previous installment. Yeah, there's a thing or two that may cross over into the next installment. But the tones of each of them are vastly different. The installments after this one definitely are not of the blockbuster variety. So the Dream Master stands alone. 

    Alright, first thing I want to say is that with this installment - it kind of puts the character of Nancy in a bad spot. I mean at the end of Dream Warriors, she sacrificed herself so that Joey, Kristen, and Kincaid could survive. But with the revival via dog piss of Kincaid's Jason, Freddy is brought back. This definitely made that sacrifice feel a bit hollow, especially as those three characters are quickly tossed aside. Now, it was a bit of a bold move of handling it that way. I understand that Patricia Arquette didn't want to return and that there was some disputes behind the scenes that led to that. For those that enjoyed those characters, it feels a bit like a slap in the face. On the other hand, it feels like a play on the horror trope of the survivors of the previous film to die in the beginning of the next. 

    Something I really enjoy about Dream Master is how it expands on the lore. It quickly establishes that there's more going on in the dream world than just Freddy. It begins to slowly suggest that what we've seen is only a small fraction of what's actually going on. Especially as it establishes that there's two gatekeepers and that Freddy's one of them. It is a bit of an intriguing concept. Basically something that could have just been developed a bit further if they had chosen to do so. I mean yeah, technically they did with the Dream Demons later on. But that could have been so much more. Maybe it's time to revisit that in a reboot. 

    Outside of Kristen, Joey, and Kincaid, all of the newcomers are great. Lisa Wilcox is great as Alice. Her performance is incredibly layered and does feel a bit like a throwback to Nancy. Each and every one of them are a bit sterotypical besides Alice. But they are believable and do well with what they were given. I do wish that some of them would have survived besides Dan. Was it necessary for Shelia? I honestly don't think it was. Imagine if they had let her live, she'd be serving the same purpose that Yvonne ultimately did. 

    The kills are a bit more fantastical in this installment. Poor Rick, if only he hadn't fallen asleep in the bathroom. That was a small detail that I hadn't really grasped till this time. One of the bigger highlights being the roach hotel segment. I mean look at the effects that were used. Pretty incredible. The makeup for Freddy continued to change as well and now we have more of a pepperoni pizza look to him. Interesting thing is how this seemed to become his more iconic look. 

    It's no surprise that this installment was a success as well. It's pretty easy to see why. This is a fun ride that you can turn your brain off to. There are some that may say it is a small retread. But the way I look at is it's the 'blockbuster' take on the original concept. It is the installment that I tend to return to the most as well. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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The Elm Street Retrospective: Nightmare On Elm Street Part 3 - Dream Warriors

 

    Hello everyone. How's everyone's week going? Things going okay here. Little chaotic but nothing too far from the course for this time of the year. Seems like every year round this time is chaotic. Last time we talked about Freddy's Revenge, a film that one could consider to be a cult classic now. It gave a bit of a more sinister take on Freddy Krueger. And of course, it was a big hit.      

    After that point, it was a bit of a no brainer that we wouldn't be seeing the last of Freddy. I mean it was New Line Cinema's cash cow. Plus the audiences were still turning up for it. So if it's going to make money, why not keep the ball rolling with it? That was kind of the general consensus with the movie studios and their views on the horror genre at that time. At that point, we had gotten six Fridays at that point? When it released in 1987, Freddy was the only one of the top three horror icons to have a film in the theater. Jason Lives had been released in '86 and then Michael wouldn't return till '88. 

    It was also at this point that New Line was trying to distance itself at the time from Freddy's Revenge. In my opinion, that was something that was extremely unfortunate. Since Nancy was able to return in Dream Warriors, it would have been a fitting place for Mark Patton's Jesse to return as well. Instead, they chose to attempt to sweep the film under the rug due to the fan reaction at the time. In order to try and expand the world of Elm Street, New Line tapped Wes Craven to return. They had been hoping that he'd return to write and direct the film. Wes signed on to co-write the film alongside Bruce Wagner. What New Line Cinema received was something a bit darker and horror-centric than what we initially received in the final product. 

    I mean in the very beginning of this script, we see a baby Freddy emerging from a pregnant woman. Hmm...I wonder if it's something that would ever be featured later on in the series. Nah, probably not. But something that Craven and Wagner were on to was the idea of showing more of an effect Freddy has on the children of the world as it featured multiple missing children posters. Again, it was something that kind of makes sense in the long run of the franchise now as it seems like New Line picked some aspects out for other installments. One of the biggest things I noticed is that Nancy was front and center at the heart of the story. It definitely felt more of a continuation of the original film. It's really an intriguing read that if you wish to seek it out, you can find it available on the internet. 

    When New Line's offer to direct was rejected, they moved on from Craven and Wagner. They brought in Frank Darabont and Chuck Russell to deliver a film. The pair worked on the script while Russell would ultimately be the director of the piece. When New Line was delivered the final version, I'm assuming they were happy with what they received. While Craven and Wagner were a different take on the material, this new version was a bit lighter. It was something that played up the 'dream' aspects of Elm Street while also bringing a bit more humor to it. It's something that felt more like an event or a horror blockbuster film, if you will. It was an entertaining fun ride. 

    This was one of my most watched installments while I was growing up. I enjoyed the film a lot. It's one that I can always turn on and be entertained. It brought a lighter, humorous tone to the film series. I think one of the largest reasons that the film works so much is its cast. Everybody is fantastic. Englund again kills it as Krueger. This is the time where we begin to get the Freddy we are more used with his one liners. He's still savage but with more of a smile on his face. Heather Langenkamp returns as Nancy. It's always great seeing her back. Honestly, I could go on further listing off the cast because it's pretty stacked. I mean Laurence Fishburne and Patricia Arquette. That was the beauty of 80s horror - seeing actors and actresses that'd become big in their early roles. 

    Everything was a bit more inventive with the way that Freddy was portrayed and what he was doing in the dreams. That was a bit of a step up from the previous two films. But as the more out-there it got, the creepier Freddy gets. I mean come on, he lifts a girl and smashes her into a tv because she wants to be an actress. Or OD-ing someone that's recovering from use of drugs. That's all pretty savage. Oh, then there's the Freddy-worm. We'll call it that. It's a worm. Nothing suggestive or in subtext there whatsoever. 

    Over the years, my opinion of the film has changed a little bit. I still enjoy it a lot, mind you. I just find myself wondering what it would have been like if we would have gotten that initial Craven and Wagner script. Honestly, it'd be interesting if they were to do a Dream Warriors reboot - let's get the horror version of it. Give us something new and different with Freddy. That's something that I really just find myself saying a lot. Let's do something new. The Elm Street remake could have been very solid. It was setting itself up to be different and establishing an idea of 'What if Freddy was innocent? What if the parents had murdered an innocent man for something their children had said?'. But then they didn't double down on things and instead chickened out. This version feels a little like the studio was playing it a bit safe. And Nancy doesn't feel entirely as integral to the film as in the original draft. They did expand the lore of the world though with the introduction of Amanda Krueger and him being the son of 1,000 Maniacs. At this point, I tend to gravitate more towards the next installment if I want a fun Elm Street movie. 

Rating: 3.75 out of 5. 

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LAMB (2021)

 

    Lamb. This was a film that I honestly had no idea or any expectations going into. I mean sure, I had a general idea of what the film was about. But honestly it's one of those films that even if you see the trailer for, it'll never prepare you for it. It's a film that I think one does have to see. It's a film that can show just how incredible the power of film can be. And I remember that first trailer, it was absolutely off the wall. It showcased that Lamb was a film about two people caring for a sheep with some unusual characteristics. That's the basic gist of what I got from it. When I had showed my partner, Mandy, the trailer. They were completely in on the film. They were ready to see it from the minute the trailer ended.

    However, we stayed away from any more trailers. We had seen the initial poster for it as well. But we were prepared to go into this film almost absolutely blind. This was one of those instances where I am absolutely glad that we did. It just caused us to go on a pretty powerful journey. I know that it was released on digital back in December, however it took a little longer for us to be able to see it. Was the wait worth it? Absolutely. 

    I could go on to summarizing the film. However, no. Lamb is a film that you'll either be intrigued just by hearing it described as "Two people taking care of a Lamb with unusual characteristics.", or you'll just shrug it off. It's not an easy film. Like I mentioned before, it's really not a film but an experience. Something I will say is that I'm absolutely astounded by what they were able to do with the film. I thought that the trailer was going to give away a lot of the film like they are known to do. I wasn't prepared to find out that was completely wrong. There is one very large piece of the puzzle that the trailer managed to keep hidden. And that was amazing. 

    I applaud this film for the character of Ada. This is our unusual lamb. I wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen. I just knew that for the first half hour to forty minutes, I was astounded. They had drawn me in and I found myself caring for the character. She is so perfect. She is so adorable. She is a character that you can't help but find yourself loving. 

    Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snaer Guonason, and Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson all deliver outstanding performances. In the first portion of the film, be prepared for a lot of quietness. There honestly isn't a lot of dialogue in the film to begin with. It honestly unnerved me a bit. Usually I am used to people just talking and lots of dialogues in films, however not in this instance. It adds a weird layer of eerieness while also a fairy-tale like approach. 

    Lamb is something that I never saw coming. It's a film that managed to shock me while also remind me of what film can be. Part of it felt not too far off the path of Pan's Labrynth. Another wonderfully tragic fairy tale film. It's something that I never thought I'd keep thinking about a few days after watching it. It's one that just continues to fascinate me as I try to think on some aspects of the film. It's a story of hope and loss. And before I knew it, the film had reached its ending. And what an ending of a film. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5. 

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The Elm Street Retrospective: A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2 - Freddy's Revenge (1985)

 

       Welcome back to The Elm Street Retrospective. Last time, we took a look at the original 1984 classic. It was a solid story that's become a classic for a reason. It unleashed Fred Krueger upon the world. And honestly, it was never the same again. So with the ending of that film still showing that Krueger is still haunting dreams, it made sense that there would be a sequel. 

    And a sequel there would be. Just for some people at the time not the one that they were expecting. A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge was quickly put together and released in 1985. Honestly, that's a pretty quick turnaround. It's something that we have seen with the Friday the 13th franchise as well as something between Scream and Scream 2. 

    Originally, there was just one small issue at first. Well, I guess you could say one or two really. Wes Craven would not be returning for the sequel. He was very adamant that he just wished it to be a one and done. He told his story and was ready to move on. Especially as there was some misgivings between him and Bob Shaye concerning the original ending for '84 - it had to have a sequel hook. For the first week of production, Robert Englund wasn't even signed on to reprise the role that he made. How could this be? Well, it's safe to say that the studio had no idea what it had just yet. It was only the first sequel. So they didn't have an idea yet on what an Elm Street film should be. Thankfully, everyone quickly realized that Englund was quintessential to what Krueger would be and he was brought back. The downside though is that there was at least one instance of what I'd like to call Impostor Krueger still in the film. 

    When the film was released, it was a big success. However over the years, it felt like there were people that couldn't help but bash the film. They couldn't handle the story that was provided. It wasn't their Freddy. It wasn't their Elm Street. To them, I want to say screw you. The story of Freddy's Revenge is pretty bold. It literally took what worked in the first film and then turn it a little on its head. And those people just couldn't handle it. Why on earth would Freddy try to prey upon Jesse, the boy that was the next child that lived in the Elm Street home? If you think about the type of character that Freddy is, it makes perfect sense. There is no favoring one over the other. Freddy preys upon everyone for his own sick demented pleasure. He turns whatever dream or fantasies they may have and flips them upon themselves. So it makes perfect sense that he would prey upon Jesse. 

    I guess I put the cart before the horse a little bit. The synopsis for the film is as follows: A teenage boy is haunted in his dreams by deceased child murderer Freddy Krueger, who is out to possess him in order to continue his reign of terror in the real world. This whole concept of Freddy using Jesse as a way of enacting his desires in the real world - it's brilliant. Mark Patton kills it in this film. And no that's not a pun. He literally gives this film his all. He was an up-and-comer and delivered a performance that is incredible. Unfortunately at the time, he was shunned and picked on for it. It's a damn shame. But over the years, his performance continues to deliver everything and prove all those that were ill-speaking of him just how wrong they were. This film literally hinges on his performance. 

    Now don't get me wrong, the rest of the cast doesn't deliver bad performances. Far from it, everyone brings a solid performance. Englund upped the ante with this take on Freddy. It was a bit more sinister and darker. When comparing performance from Nightmare 1 with 2, I would say that in 2 he's a bit more ruthless. Robert Rusler and Kim Myers are both fantastic as well. I just don't know if the film would work if it had been anyone else besides Patton. Clu Galager is always a delight when see him in a film. And it's definitely no different here in his role as Jesse's Dad. Marshall Bell is the infamous Coach Schneider. Now, this is another performance that could have been very campy. But it's interesting as we begin to see the other side of Schneider. It's a performance with a few different layers to it. 

    The one thing that I don't know if it worked that well is the 'rules' for Freddy, especially in regards to the pool party. Did Freddy appear because Jesse fell sleep and he possessed him? Was that really Freddy? How did he get the disappear and appear abilities? There's a lot of different questions that could be asked regarding that scene alone. But again, it wasn't really established what Freddy's abilities were or how they worked. This second installment does do a good job of giving us more Freddy though. 

    There was also the talk for the longest time of 'subtext' with this installment. Honestly, I appreciate the film for all that it does. Cause it does do a lot. And it's something incredible to see that Freddy's Revenge is finally getting the appreciation it deserves. 

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Escape Room (2019)

 

    Hello everyone, I hope that you had a good weekend. I've returned with a review for a little film called Escape Room. Escape Room was released in 2019. It was written by Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik while directed by Adam Robitel. 

    Okay, I will admit when I first heard that Sony was releasing a movie called Escape Room. I was a little confused. I wasn't sure what they were trying to do. Then I saw that the film was going to be rated PG-13. From the previews, it gave me a very distinct SAW feel. Okay, Sony. I guess your trying to make a PG-13 SAW movie. With each new trailer that dropped, I just found myself feeling whelmed. I mean it looked okay. But just not something I was interested in going to see at the theater. But then again at that time, I didn't really go out to the theater very often. 

    So I waited till it was available to stream. Was it what I was expecting? Honestly, no. It was something that I wasn't expecting. Escape Room is not Sony's attempt at a PG-13 SAW ripoff. It is it's own thing completely. It was a film that caught me off guard completely. The synopsis for the film is as follows: Six adventurous strangers travel to a mysterious building to experience the escape room -- a game where players compete to solve a series of puzzles to win $10,000. What starts out as seemingly innocent fun soon turns into a living nightmare as the four men and two women discover each room is an elaborate trap that's part of a sadistic game of life or death.

    Honestly that synopsis doesn't exactly scream this is not a generic rip off of SAW. But trust me, it's not. What caught me off guard was that there were quite a few good characters in this film. Ben, Zoey, Amanda, Danny, Mike, and Jason. Ben is a guy that works at a local grocery store that's trying his best to get enough money to move out of his Mom's house. Zoey is a physics student. Amanda is an Iraq War veteran. Danny is an escape room enthusiast. Mike is your average truck driver. And Jason is a wealthy day trader. They've all been invited to participate in an escape room. What's the worst that could happen? 

    Well, it very much could go horribly wrong when they first realize what the stakes are. It seems like it'll be a 'typical' escape room, but quickly the game is unleashed. It was at this point that it became clear that this was not a SAW rip-off. The 'game' was being orchestrated by a company called Minos. Throughout the film, we begin to learn more about each of the puzzles and how they relate to each of the characters. The way everything unfolds is very smart. It allowed us to experience each of the different puzzles in an intimate way as it related to a certain character. It never once felt like it was overstepping its boundaries as well. 

    Before I knew it, the film had reached its ending. I was completely shocked. I hadn't expected the film to play out the way that it did. But I appreciated it for that. When I revisited it again, the film still was something that intrigued me. Especially with the world building that it does, by the end I was ready for more. I was ready for a sequel. I wanted more time with our characters because they were interesting. Plus, there was some pretty good chemistry between two of them as well. 

    Now, I know I didn't dive too much into specifics for this film. Mostly because I really think it's one that many have overlooked. It's a film that is a fun thrill ride. And it's especially awesome that it's not trying to reach too far outside of that. Most films these days are trying to build three-four movies from just one. Or at the very least, be the next big franchise. However, Escape Room feels like a film that was just proud of what it was. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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The Elm Street Retrospective: A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

 

    Hello and Welcome back to The Elm Street Retrospective. In our last installment, we took a look at what I would consider to be The Prequel of the Elm Street franchise with two episodes ("No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Sister's Keeper") from Freddy's Nightmares. Both of those episodes work together beautifully to craft a unique lead in to the the original Nightmare. 

    Wes Craven. What is the first movie that comes to minds when someone mentions Wes Craven? Partially it all depends on when they had their first experience with one of his films. Some people will say Scream. But I wouldn't be surprised if a lot more go on to mention the original Nightmare On Elm Street.

    A Nightmare On Elm Street was written and directed by Wes Craven. It saw its release in 1984 by New Line Cinema. At the time, New Line Cinema was a bit down on their luck with the film business. However with Freddy at their side, they became the House that Freddy Built. Well, least till a certain franchise (Lord of the Rings) pushed them even further. Yeah, New Line would go back to their horror roots with the release of IT, The Conjuring franchise, and Malignant to name a few.  But it just isn't the same anymore. No one makes movies like the Elm Street or Friday the 13ths. And honestly that's a bit of a shame because these movies are solid comfort movies. I know I watched the Elm Street series a lot when I received them on DVD. They were there for me when I was dealing with the fact that my parents were getting a divorce. So I consider them to comfort movies and are among one of my favorite, if not my favorite, franchise. 

    Okay, okay. Sorry if that came across as a bit of a rant. At this point in his career, Wes Craven had made a few films -  The Last House On The Left, Hills Have Eyes,  Deadly Blessing, and Swamp Thing. Some of them were successful and some could be seen as missing the mark. Now, I may have seen one or two of these before. You can be sure that I'll be going back and maybe exploring more of his films. Wes had started seeing articles appearing in the "Los Angeles Times" regarding people dying in their sleep. Over the course of three years, Wes had seen enough that it had him asking what exactly was going on. What was happening to these people? Is there something after them? Wes then took it upon himself and crafted the story. 

    However it appeared that Hollywood wasn't ready for Elm Street as studios passed on Wes's script. Eventually Bob Shaye and New Line Cinema would find their way to Wes and give him a chance. It would be a little more time for the funds to be ready to film the movie. But it appeared as if things were lining up. At one point, they apparently had issues behind the scenes with the payroll and there were a day or two where everyone was unsure if they were going to get paid. Everything seemed to pay off when the film was released as Elm Street would become a success and save New Line Cinema from bankruptcy. 

    There is a reason that A Nightmare On Elm Street has gone on to become such a cult classic. It is a fantastic film that is filled with so many great performances from all of the performers. Yeah, one of the standouts is Robert Englund as Fred Krueger. He is just cold and calculated. He takes a sick glee to pursuing his prey. Robert Englund is Fred Krueger as he developed such a fantastic set of mannerisms and physicality that is so unique to the character. He's wonderfully balanced with Heather Langenkamp's Nancy. She is a solid foil to our Springwood Slasher. One of the interesting things is that if someone's watching the film for the first time - they may not know we are supposed to be following Nancy till after Tina's death. I hope that's something that isn't spoiled for newcomers to the franchise. All of the kids in this film feel real. They feel like kids. Especially kids that you would see in a high school at that time. It kind of is a solid time capsule of the 80s. 

    If I wanted to be super critical of Elm Street '84, I would say that one of the things that I find about the film is that it's a tad bit off in its pacing. The film moves very quickly to progress to focusing on Nancy. However after that, it feels a bit like it lags. I mean I get that the whole purpose of the Dream Clinic scene - to pull the hat out of Nancy's dream. But it feels a bit like padding. Something I do know is that there were deleted scenes. There were extra bits and bobs regarding the violence. I mean a lot of us have seen Never Sleep Again and know that Tina's death was initially a bit more graphic and that there were bits of seeing Freddy in Tina's POV. One of the things that I miss is a scene between Nancy and her Mom. It's not long after Tina's death and around the time that her mother reveal Freddy's glove. But it's an interesting concept where we are introduced to the idea that Nancy had an older sister. That each of her friends had an older sibling that was taken in the initial spree from Fred that resulted in his arrest. This is something that would line up with the Freddy's Nightmares story. I guess I get that then the question would beg: Why hadn't Nancy remembered them? It could have happened while Nancy and her friends were a little younger. 

    The effects are also another key aspect of the film. It just is a fresh reminder of how interesting practical effects can be. I know Fred's elongated arms can look a bit off if you linger on it too long. But it effectively plays up the dream aspect. One of my favorite effects is Fred emerging from the wall while Nancy sleeps in the bed. It is so beautiful. And it's such a simple effect. We've seen it redone in Elm Street '10 and they definitely failed to the understand the assignment. 

    A Nightmare On Elm Street is a film that I find to work really well. It's bold in the fact that it pushed the genre to a new limit. It brilliantly established that nothing can save you, not even your dreams. And it definitely wasn't playing things safe. There's a reason it has lasted these many years and continues to find a new generation. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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Streaming Originals: Vicious Fun (2020)

 

    Welcome back to Streaming Originals. Last time, we checked out Jeremiah Kipp's Slapface. It was an interesting film that had really struck a chord. It was a film that still left a lasting impression and has me asking questions. And I understand that it may not exactly be a film for everyone. I would definitely say that it worked a lot better than Antlers, which was also a solid flick. Today's film may be one that may appeal a lot better.

    Vicious Fun was written by James Villeneuve and directed by Cody Calahan. It was released in 2020 and eventually found its way to being a Shudder Original. It stars Evan Marsh, Amber Goldfarb, and Ari Millen. The synopsis for the film is as follows: Joel, a caustic 1980s film critic for a national horror magazine, finds himself unwittingly trapped in a self-help group for serial killers. With no other choice, Joel attempts to blend in or risk becoming the next victim.

    First thing I wanted to say is that I get the film is supposed to be a 'period' piece set in the 80s. But for the most part, it felt far from being set during that time. Everything seemed to be screaming 'modern-day'. But that's honestly a very small nitpick. It does have some elements of the 80s: the music and lighting at times. Well especially in the bar, it's very much screaming 80s. 

    Other than that, the film was a lot of fun. The whole idea of having a self-help group for killers is really entertaining. It allows one to come up with so many different fun ideas for a killer. I mean the variety wasn't lacking whatsoever in the film. And everyone brought a certain charm to their killers. The killers consisted of Bob, Carrie, Fritz, Mike, and Hideo. Honestly the big standout amongst the killers is Bob. He just has so much charm to his personality that it's kind of hard not to like him. He also manages to blend in with disguises extremely well. Fritz is a bit of a wild card. He felt very much in the vein of Joker from the comics and that's evident in his clown persona. Hideo is exactly what you'd expect: a samurai. I would say that Mike is this universe's take on Jason. He wields a machete and is massive. But instead of a hockey mask, he's sporting a welder's mask. 

    I honestly think one of the greatest aspects of the film is the character of Joel. In the beginning, we see him as someone that is entirely uncertain of himself. He's kind of just wading through life it feels like. He is absolutely not sure what he wants and lets others push him around. But over the course of the film, we see him come into his own a little bit. He's forced to finally figure out what he wants with the help of Carrie. It results in some fantastic chemistry between Carrie and Joel. And by the end, he's ready to help her. 

    When I had first watched the film, I honestly found the character of Joel to be very grating. He seemed like just a parody of what horror fans are. His mannerisms in the beginning were very awkward. I get that sometimes we can be socially awkward especially when we like someone. But it just was a bit too much. It took a second watching to begin to appreciate it more. It allows the chance to see Joel evolve and grow as a character over the course of the film. I honestly didn't think I'd be looking at the film in another light and realizing that it's a character piece. 

    The kills and gore in this film are exactly what you would expect. They all wonderfully play on what the 80s slashers were doing. Each one of the killers get a moment to shine. And Bob does do a mean impression of the pencil trick from Dark Knight. 

    This was a really fun film. It didn't take itself seriously. It is clearly a love letter to the genre. I know that by the end of the movie it sets itself up for a sequel. I'm sure it'd be a lot of fun to be able to explore this world again. If you're looking for a fun flick, give this a shot. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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Hail to the King: Celebrating The 30th Anniversary of Army of Darkness

 

    All right, listen up. Who forgot to mention that it was the 30th anniversary of Army of Darkness? I had planned on talking about the film already. But now it seems even more appropriate to do so considering that. Well, I guess I should start from the beginning. If you haven't seen my thoughts on the other two Evil Dead installments, you can do so here and here.

    It was around the summer of 2000. Hey, I finally remembered when I received the first Evil Dead on VHS for Christmas. Talk about selective memory. My Dad and I had caught the first Evil Dead on Sci-Fi channel one afternoon. We enjoyed watching it even though I had it on VHS. It was interesting seeing a more bare bones version of the film considering back in this time Sci-Fi edited their films for content. It seems like nowadays they are able to get away with showing a lot more. It was just one of those fantastic days of leaving the TV on Sci-Fi for their movie marathons. At that point, we hadn't known anything about Army of Darkness and hadn't bothered checking the guide to see what was next. Imagine our surprise when the Universal Logo began and we saw Bruce Campbell on the screen again. 

    By that time, we had seen Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. So we were well versed with Bruce Campbell's acting. Heck, I was first to point him out in Evil Dead. So when we saw that he was in this film, we both were ready to check it out. The opening was a bit confusing though as at that time we hadn't seen Evil Dead 2 nor did we know that it existed. So it just felt like something had happened that we hadn't seen on screen at the end of the first Evil Dead. Funny enough that later that October I'd come across a VHS of Evil Dead 2 and help change that. 

    I remember on that first watch I wasn't sure what Army of Darkness was trying to do. It was a dramatic shift in tone from the first Evil Dead to this. But that didn't stop us from missing anything. Thinking back on it now, it honestly gave a very grindhouse feel to the film. I loved it though. There was so much slapstick in the film that you couldn't help but appreciate it. Bruce Campbell's performance as Ash is absolutely fantastic. He's a pompous ass that pretends to be so sure of himself amongst the 'primitive screwheads'. Yet when the times get tough, his first instinct is still to run. 

    Army of Darkness was a complete riot. It instantly became a favorite of mine. I appreciated the hell out of the effects that were done by KnB in it. A lot of them still hold up so extremely well too. They aren't afraid of stepping over the edge into slapstick. That was something that felt so fresh and unique when compared to other films. It was just allowing itself to be downright fun. Ash gets the hell beat out of him by skeleton hands in a graveyard? Hell yeah. He has to fight a bunch of mini hims? That ended up becoming one of my favorite segments. Just when I thought that Ash couldn't be more of a goof, he goes and misspeaks the words that wise man told him to remember. "Klatu Verata Nik--. Definitely an N-word." It's pure gold and at that time was my favorite installment. 

    Then in 2003, I remember hearing that Army of Darkness would be released on DVD. I had seen the previous DVDs on the shelves of the Theatrical cut and then the Director's Cut. But for the life of me, I couldn't push myself to picking them up. I waited. Then I finally picked up The Boomstick Edition, it was something that was a pretty fantastic release. I mean it had commentary and some behind the scenes. It was exactly what I had hoped it would be. A extremely nice upgrade from the VHS. It sat on my DVD shelf alongside the Book of the Dead Editions of Evil Dead 1 and 2, which those surprisingly held up very nicely over the years. 

    I still hadn't fully understood what was up with the film. It felt like there were still some things missing from the film. Everything I had seen on that Sci-Fi channel airing wasn't in either of these two versions of the film. I still found myself loving the film even more. It still was something fun to throw on and find something new. Eventually, I began to understand exactly what was going on. There had been a third cut of Army of Darkness that was never released at that point - the TV cut. I had seen an unofficial fanedit that attempted to provide the three different cuts on one DVD. It was a solid job and interesting to watch. But the quality still wasn't the greatest. 

    Then Shout! Factory released what many consider to be the definitive way of watching Army of Darkness - their Collector's Edition. Now, this was a set that seems to be pretty outstanding. It provides all three different versions of the film - so that you can watch whatever version you'd like. It had fantastic special features for the film as well. And many consider the transfer on that to be outstanding. Unfortunately for me and my collection, it's a set that is still managing to elude me. I haven't been able to find it. I'm hoping some day I'll be able to add it to the collection. Till then, I have the Primitive Screwhead 'Cashgrab' Edition that was released by Universal Pictures. 

    Over the years, I still find myself returning to Army of Darkness. I know that when it's time to introduce my son to the Evil Dead franchise, it'll be with Army of Darkness.  It's a film that is just so damn enjoyable and in my opinion, a perfect film. It knows exactly what it is. It never falters or questions itself. It's a tribute to Ray Harryhausen with its fantastic final battle between Ash, The Primitives, Henry the Red and Evil Ash and his Army of the Dead. It's a tribute to the Three Stooges with its many hilarious gags. And its about a man finally coming into his own to save others. Honestly a pretty solid lead-in to Ash Vs. Evil Dead. 

Rating: 5 out of 5. 

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The Elm Street Retrospective: The Prequel

    Hello everyone, Matthew here. We've been to Crystal Lake for the New Line Era, Haddonfield, Woodsboro, and to the outskirts of Texas so far. But I am happy to say that its time. Take a walk with me as we visit the streets of Springwood. Rumor has it, it's a town that nightmares are made of. It's time to visit Elm Street. 

    When people hear A Nightmare On Elm Street, they immediately begin thinking of the 1984 classic from Wes Craven. It's a fantastic film that set a new bar for the genre as well as one that helped build New Line Cinema. But for the Springwood Slasher, that's not where his story begins. I mean technically yes, it is. Nancy's Mom is able to share with her daughter the story of why Freddy was coming after them. But we never see it. 

    When New Line Cinema was riding the Elm Street train in the late 80s, they decided on bringing Freddy to the TV screen. It then shifted into something of an anthology series where each episode could serve as a standalone story and we would get some glimpses of Robert Englund as Freddy. His presence would serve the series like the Cryptkeeper was for Tales From The Crypt. The pilot for the series was then decided that it'd be the perfect time to tell the backstory that Nancy's Mom had mentioned in the film. 

    "No More, Mr. Nice Guy" is an interesting approach to telling a Freddy origin story. It was directed by Tobe Hooper. Yes, that Tobe Hooper of Texas Chain Saw Massacre fame. The story for the episode is fairly simple. It follows Timothy Blocker, a cop that was responsible for arresting Fred Krueger. In an interesting approach and the only time in franchise history, we witness the trial of Fred Krueger as the case is dismissed by the judge. The reasoning for it was because Fred wasn't read his rights. 

    Now if people were thinking that there would be more connective tissue in this episode between the series and the film, sorry to disappoint. We don't see Nancy's parents at any point. Honestly, I am okay with that. It doesn't really need to feature them. We know that they were there - so it doesn't need to bring attention to that. In fact, if they had featured them I feel like it would distract audience from the story. And we'd be wondering why we were following Blocker. 

    Blocker is a father of two teenage girls. He's a cop. Basically, he's serving as our stand in for John Saxon. That's pretty okay to me. He's not a very bland character. When Freddy is released, he tells Blocker that he'll be seeing his daughters soon. Of course, that's a very upsetting thing for Blocker. Immediately, Blocker ensures his family will be protected. But we all know that won't last. This story is a fairly simple one where the first half moves very quickly. Partially, I felt like it was a little too fast and would have appreciated a little more time for things to breathe. But I get it, it's a tv show. 

    There's a moment where I was taken out for a moment. Freddy returns to his 'lair' which is a rundown factory. It's meant to evoke the boiler room that we come to associate with the character so much. That is appreciated. But then, Freddy has an ice cream truck. I was like what? Why does he have that? He's never been mentioned having that. It just felt a little over the top. There's a distinct tone of over the topness that I feel was meant as a way of balancing things out. Cause I mean it is a bit dark themes with just Freddy's backstory in general. Something that I felt was missing from the episode was the Elm Street theme. It was something that just stood out a bit. I've seen this story in a fanedit originally that incorporated that theme back into it. But now, I had a chance to see it in its original form thanks to ScreamBox. 

    And then the story shifts gears when Freddy visits Blocker's family. In a pretty unique way, they are able to tell what Freddy does without showing it. This causes the mob of parents to form. They go to his 'lair' ready to confront him. Blocker goes to attempt to stop them as he believes Fred needs to be brought to justice. However, we all know at this point where the story is going to go. I mean how else could it go? Freddy is burned and set forth on Springwood. It all happens without the use of the Dream Demons. That's something I greatly appreciate. The whole concept of Dream Demons will be something that we'll talk about when we get to Freddy's Dead. After this, the episode shifts into a more traditional Elm Street feel. At this point, we get to see more of Freddy haunting Blocker. It all culminates in a fantastic ending that made me squirm. (For those that don't know, I underwent dental surgery back in July of last year. That event is what brought me back to working on this blog as a way of keeping my sanity. So anything dentist related makes me squirm.) 

    "My Sister's Keeper" picks up about 3 months after the ending of "No More, Mr. Nice Guy". It focuses on Blocker's daughters, Lisa and Merit.  In fair Elm Street fashion, their Mother isn't really a huge factor in the show. Lisa and Merit are our main characters with one or two friends. The friends aren't super memorable. They are there to serve a purpose. However, this episode is just oozing with the classic Elm Street feel. An interesting concept that is played with is the idea of twins switching to see what the other's life is like. It allows Lisa and Merit to understand each other very well. Freddy is a bit more comedic - at one point, he plays the electric guitar. But he's never too far over the top as he was in a future film. 

   Now typically, I would have went on to the second episode. I don't usually watch episodes out of order for a TV series. However, it was brought to my attention (thanks to John Squires from Bloody-Disgusting) that there was a sequel episode - My Sister's Keeper. Immediately, I had to watch them back to back. There is a shift in tone when comparing the two episodes is incredibly interesting. But they go so well together to form essentially a solid prequel to the films. It was the missing piece.

    Overall, I would highly recommend all of Freddy's Nightmares. It's a fantastic series that I am happy to see over on ScreamBox. It's a piece of Elm Street lore that was missing for so long. I had only seen the preview for it on The Dream Master VHS growing up. Now how can we get a physical release for the series so it can sit on my shelf alongside the franchise blu rays?

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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The Films of Mike Flanagan: Absentia (2011)

    Hello everyone, I am back with my continuing look into the films of Mike Flanagan. I know I missed the rest of February so Flanagan February has now transformed into The Films of Mike Flanagan. I'm sorry that it took a little longer to return to this series. However for those that haven't seen it yet, you can check out my thoughts on Oculus. 

    In that review, I had mentioned that Flanagan had a film that predated Oculus called Absentia. At that time, I hadn't had the chance to check it out yet. Well, I am happy to say that I was able to sit down with the film. The synopsis for the film is as follows: "A woman and her sister begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances, including that of her own husband.".

    By now, I've seen a lot of Mike Flanagan's films. His films are very unique. There's a common theme amongst them: family trauma, regret, and accepting one's past. Absentia is honestly where it all began. This was a film that I didn't know what to expect. I knew that it was one of the first films of his. When viewing a director's first films, it's interesting because you can see them finding their footing. With Absentia, I don't know if it took long for Flanagan to find his footing and voice. Because it comes across very strong and clear. 

    Now, Absentia is a film that won't be for everybody. It is a bit of a slow burn. But honestly, that's one of the reasons why I appreciated it so much. We aren't just thrown into things. We are given so much time to get to know the characters. We are allowed to know Callie, Tricia, and even Detective Mallory. It's something of a rarity these days. Absentia is a film that is made up of two stories ultimately. On one end, we are witnessing Callie working on reconnecting with her sister, Tricia, and helping her come to terms with the loss of her husband. On the other end, it is not necessarily a creature film but one that has 'something' hiding in the shadows. It's extremely unique concept. 

    The characters are all fantastic. Katie Parker, Courtney Bell, and Dave Levine all deliver amazing performances. Seeing the journey that Tricia goes on is incredible as she does accept the loss and prepares for what comes next. Just as she may find happiness, something re-emerges into Tricia's life. This part of the story was heartbreaking to me. There was a glimpse of hope. But then, everything changes. At that point is when the film shifts gears with the introduction of the 'entity'. That's the best word that I could use to describe it. It's something that stays to the shadows. It allows the audience to fill in the blanks. So one person may perceive it one way and another may see it another. It's something that will start fixating on someone if they offer something. And holy hell.

    When the film arrived at its endpoint, I was shocked. It ends on such a strong note. It left me with a sense of loss and tragedy. It just hit in a way that I was not expecting. If you're looking to see where Flanagan first started, give this a look. It's one that I highly recommend. It showcases the promise that he had with his storytelling. It can be found over on Tubi. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Ghostbusters Afterlife (2021)

    

    For many people, people immediately know the answer to Who you gonna call? When the first Ghostbusters was released in 1984, it was a hit. It was able to do so much for a lot of people. It was able to balance the humor with the absolute strange and weird in a very unique way. For some people, it was their first time seeing Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Dan Aykroyd. It was a film that many found themselves being able to enjoy with their families. You'd think it wouldn't be that difficult to get a sequel, then.

    In the meantime between the first and second film, the studio was able to have Real Ghostbusters that lasted for 7 seasons. It was a cartoon that brought a more kid friendly approach to Ghostbusters. I mean take a look at Slimer. In the first film, he was a bit of a dick that all he did was slime the Ghostbusters. In the cartoon, he's become something of a sidekick to them. However it was the only way people could get more Ghostbusters stories for a while. 

    Unfortunately when Ghostbusters II was released, it was a film that was a little unsure of itself. There were behind the scenes difficulties with Murray apparently. I guess one of the biggest reasons why it took so long to get II has to do with Murray. Apparently, Murray didn't get along with Ernie Hudson. So the result was that the core group felt a bit fractured in the film as it was rare to see Hudson and Murray in the same scene. Some people really enjoyed the fact that we got II. Others felt like something was missing as a bit of the more adult humor was missing. It was like they were trying to pull back on things so that even kids could enjoy it more this time. And it resulted in something that felt like it was retreading some ground that the first had done. I mean how many times can we have the Ghostbusters be shut down before they are asked to help save everyone? 

    After that, we would receive another cartoon in Extreme Ghostbusters. It was an attempt to renew interest in this growing franchise. I remember waking up before school and catching part of an episode on WB!. It was also around this time that I had finally found Ghostbusters as well. They were shown on many channels so many times. Chances are during the 90s, if you pulled up Comedy Central - you'd find Ghostbusters on it. 

   I would definitely say that I was more of a casual Ghostbusters fan. I had seen it many times whenever it was played on TV. I had thought about buying it on DVD, but just never done it. I had even tried the Video Game that was serving as the 'official' Ghostbusters III. It's just Ghostbusters has been something that has been there but not something I was fully into. And then there was the 2016 film. Many people have gone on to say that they hate 2016 film with a passion. For me, I love it. It does pay tribute to the franchise in a very unique way. Plus it gave some pretty fantastic visuals - the whole sequence at the end when they are fighting the different ghosts is especially cool. Plus Chris Hemsworth doing comedy is always a plus. I do have that one on blu ray. 

    Now comes Ghostbusters Afterlife. This is a film that I've seen a lot of people cheering for the film and a lot not liking it. I definitely respect Afterlife. It was put together by Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman - who directed the original film. It definitely is interesting as it goes 'The Force Awakens' route with this requel. 

    I got to watch it last night with my son, Bruce. He has seen the 2016 Ghostbusters and enjoyed it a lot. Ghostbusters Afterlife is a solid film about family as we spend time with Egon Spengler's daughter and grand-children. They have inherited Egon's farm in Summerville. For the most part, the film does some interesting things as we are able to spend time with Phoebe and Trevor, the grandkids. Honestly, they received a lot of screen time. More than I thought that Paul Rudd would get but he's more in the role of Tully from the original. Not even their mom gets a lot of time. The film's pace was very quick. There were a few ghosts that were new. Muncher was kind of an interesting character that felt like a modern Slimer - though he was set up as a plot point. Oh, we also get the Mini-Pufts. Those were pretty fun. 

    The big bad of the film settles on Gozer. I honestly wasn't upset about that. It felt only natural if they were going for 'The Force Awakens' approach to bring back Gozer. The way that they portrayed Egon wasn't that out of character. It made sense that if Egon knew something was coming, he'd do his best to try and solve it. The only problem was that he did it by himself. I guess he was just fed up with the other Ghostbusters not believing him or he wanted to save them. Makes sense to me as his whole mission is a bit of a suicide mission. 

    I found myself smiling multiple times throughout the film. The film worked really well. Bruce also loved the film. Is it perfect? No, but it is a nice re-introduction to Ghostbusters. It'll be interesting to see where they go next. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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BlazinBlue's Book Review: Vamp (2022)

 

    Welcome back to BlazinBlue's Book Review. Last time, I spoke about the Beach Horror anthologies Slice of Paradise and Beach Bodies from DarkLit Press. Previously I had reviewed the Wishmaster novelization audio book from Encyclopocalypse Publications. It was a fantastic novelization. I've had quite a few novelizations over the years. It's something that I guess I can say I collect. I have the three Raimi Spider-Man novelizations as well as The Punisher. My partner came home from a antiquing trip with a first edition from 1974 of Night of the Living Dead. After that, I've been trying to complete a collection of Romero novels. So as a novelization collector, it's refreshing to see a company take the time to revisit films and give them an adaptation they never received. 

    I had the chance to check out their latest novelization, Vamp. It's based off the screenplay of Vamp from 1986. For me, I have honestly never heard of the movie. So I wasn't sure if I should try to track it down before reading the book. I'm glad that I went into it blind. The story follows Keith and AJ, two fraternity pledges that are trying to bribe their way into a fraternity so they can get out of the dorms. AJ guarantees that their key to success is to make a kick-ass party by getting them drinks and a stripper. This takes them on a journey over to the wrong side of town where they encounter a club like no other. It's one for the ages as it's workers are creatures of the night. This makes it a night that Keith will never forget as he's forced to survive until dawn. 

    This was a very interesting read. It's filled with some very colorful characters outside of Keith and AJ. I honestly wasn't sure where the story was going to go. It just felt like Keith was put through the wringer and had to do his best. If I had to make a comparison I would say that this felt like Fright Night mixed with Judgement Night. Never once did I feel like the pacing of the story was a problem. Knowing that the film was released in '86, it gave me the feeling that it was a bit ahead of its time. As the whole club idea with vampires became successful with Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn. 

    If you're interested in checking out an interesting vampire story, give this a shot. I definitely would recommend it. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. It can be found over on Amazon or from their website. 

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Check out other Novels and Audio Books from Encyclopocalypse.