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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A Trip Back in Time: Timecrimes (2007)

 

    Hello everyone, I've returned from a trip into the Tubi-Zone. I had seen some recommendations for the movie, Timescrimes, over the last couple days. With all of these seemingly coming out of the blue, I decided that maybe I should check out it out. I hadn't checked out what the film was about. The only thing that I knew was that it had involved time travel of some sort. And honestly, what did I just watch? 

    Timecrimes is a Spanish film that follows A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences. With that synopsis, it really still doesn't fully explain what the film is about. This is the first time that I've seen a Science Fiction concept such as time travel play such a vital role to the plot. I honestly was completely surprised at the directions the story would go. At first, I thought that maybe this would be more of a horror film. However, I don't really see it as one. It leans too hard into the science fiction realm than anything else. 

    It is an interesting concept though. One that while presenting such a 'linear' approach, it actually is more layered than that. The more I uncovered, the more things began to take a turn. It's something that I'm not sure if fully dug or not. I appreciate what they were trying to do though. It has such a 'science base' that it made me trying to figure out what exactly the different ways it could go were. It's like Groundhog Day on crack. 

    The cast in this film all do a commendable job. They really had a hard job of making the film enjoyable. With how many different twists happen in the film, they had to make things very grounded. And I say that for the most part, they were able to deliver. Karra Elejalde has the hardest job in the film. He plays Hector. But with all of the time travelling, you get to see many facets to this character. 

    I don't know if there's any more I can say about Timecrimes. It's a film that needs to be seen to fully understand. And even if you make it that far, you'll spend some time thinking more on it. I know I tried a lot to figure out the ins and outs of what was going on. Eventually, I just gave up on that as it was a bit of a lost cause. Would I watch it again? I honestly don't know if I'd see myself revisiting it. It is worth the initial watch though. 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5. 

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Come Stay At The Yankee Pedlar Inn: The Innkeepers (2012)

 

    Hello everyone. Ti West is a director that I'm not exactly one hundred percent sure of. I haven't really seen much of his work. I think part of it is because he's a director that has gone a bit under the radar. It feels like he hasn't been able to get some good luck just yet. Hopefully that'll change next month when his new film, X, is released. That's a film that I'm a bit interested in seeing because I feel like it's going to be absolutely off the wall. I watched the first trailer for it and it looked fantastic. 

    When I sat down to look through West's films, I first came across House of the Devil. House of the Devil is very much a throwback to 70s horror. I remember when I first seen it I didn't like it. I hadn't seen many 70s horror films at the time. So I had a hard time understanding exactly what they were going for with the film. Now, I dig the film a bit. And then I came across Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever. I had to let out a big sigh. I won't dive into my thoughts on that one just yet but stay tuned. Maybe we'll get a Cabin Fever retrospective. 

    All of this then brought me to The Innkeepers. I remember seeing the film when it first came out. Then I realized that it was hitting its ten year anniversary - what the hell? Where did the time go? It's absolutely mindboggling at how quickly time went by. 

    Now when I first watched this film, I was completely unaware that The Yankee Pedlar Inn was an actual hotel. I thought it was something that had just been made for the film. Through taking some time to research it, holy crap. Now there will be some that believe in ghosts and some that will roll their eyes at the whole possibility. After moving into our current house, I'm tending to gravitate more towards believing. Lots of weird things happen round here for sure. Knowing that the hotel is real, it adds a whole new layer to the film. It grounds the film and story being told in such a fantastic way. Hell, I'd rank this up higher than the original Conjuring. 

    For those that haven't heard of The Innkeepers, the synopsis is as follows: "After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees -Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) – are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England’s most haunted hotels. As the Inn’s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of minimum wage “ghost hunters” begin to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the hotel’s long unexplained history." 

    One of the large reasons that the film works so incredibly well for me is its cast. This film really rests on Pat Healy and Sara Paxton's performances as we spend almost the entire film with them. There's definitely a solid friendship that can be seen between the two of them. And with Luke, there is the fact that maybe he wishes for more than just friends. There are a few others here and there who all deliver great performances as well. But ultimately, this is Luke and Claire's story. Another reason it works so well is because this is a solid old fashioned ghost story. Revisiting this now, it still feels like a breath of fresh air. It takes its time to build up an atmosphere before delivering the spooks. It doesn't just go all willy nilly with jump scares in your face for the sake of it like other films have done. When there are spooks, there's a reason for them. I found myself just a little unnerved by the creeping atmosphere and whenever the shots begin to linger. It's all handled so very well. 

    I feel like when this film was released it wasn't as talked about as it should have been. It feels very much like an underrated film. If you've come across it over the years and decided eh, it may not be for me. Do yourself a favor and give it a shot. You'll get one of the, in my opinion, best ghost stories in years. It still has left me in chills and looking over my shoulder every now and again in my house. I cannot recommend this enough as I found it very effective. 

Rating: 5 out of 5. 

It can be found over on The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Peacock to stream.

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Retail is Killer: Black Friday (2021)

    

 

    Hello everyone, Matthew back once again. I hope everyone's having good week so far. Sorry for the mishap with our schedule this week. Winter weather causes havoc around here for us. And yesterday resulted in a snow day. 

    When I had first experienced 'Black Friday', I went by myself. It was 8am that Friday morning. I had celebrated Thanksgiving by myself as my family had all gotten sick. So we hadn't really gotten together for the holiday. That was such a surreal experience unto itself. I figured if I go early, it wouldn't be that bad. However, I was not prepared for what was to come. People. Lots of people. Everywhere. No personal space. It was an absolute nightmare. The saving grace of that first time as I went to Wal-Mart and Target was that I was by myself. It allowed me to navigate through the crowd with a bit of ease. But I always felt like there was something so eerily unnerving about Black Friday. And that brings us to today's film. 

    Today's film is Black Friday. It was released in 2021. The film was written by Andy Greskoviak and directed by Casey Tebo. The synopsis is as follows: A group of toy store employees must protect each other from a horde of parasite infected shoppers. 

    Now when you look at the synopsis, it comes across as a very small story. And it's true, this is a small film. However, sometimes those turn out to be the most fun and have a lot of charm. When filmmakers don't have a lot to work with, it's fantastic seeing the way that they are able to come up with things to help the film. This is a film that could easily turn out to be something that just doesn't work. If at any point, there was something that just didn't work - it could change one's experience with the film.

    For me, I absolutely applaud Black Friday. It's a film that I had heard a few things here and there of negative reviews. However, I try my hardest to make sure that when I go in to a film - I go in with an open mind. I did the same thing here as well. This film was something that felt like a throwback to 80s Horror. I remember growing up and coming across all of the different Holidays that received a horror movie. And it's finally time that Black Friday joins those ranks as this corporate holiday has become such a big thing for us. 

   When the film first started, I wasn't sure where they were going to go with things. We got to see a few of the employees at the local All-Mart getting set up for the Black Friday extravaganza. Honestly at this point, the only thing I had known about this film was that it had Devon Sawa and Bruce Campbell in it. That's what had sold me on it. Imagine my surprise when one of the employees encounters a 'creature' of some sort. Throughout the course of the film, we discover that it's a parasite that manages to infect humans. I don't think I'd consider that to be a spoiler. Anyways, this allowed the film to take on a much different approach then I initially thought it was going to. It actually made the film feel like a sister to James Gunn's Slither meets Clerks or Employee of the Month (really forgot about that Dane Cook masterpiece). I sense a double or triple feature at some point down the road. 

    The cast for this film was fantastic. It is very much an ensemble piece. Devon Sawa leads the film as Ken Bates. Ken is our everyman. He's a bit of a punching bag over the course of the film. But a bit in the vein of a well-known S-Mart employee, it feels like. He's forced to drop his kids off with their mother so that he can work on Black Friday. On his way to the All-Mart, Ken picks up his co-worker, Chris (Ryan Lee). After arriving for their shift and preparing for the onslaught of customers, we are introduced to the rest of the All-Mart workers: Marnie (Ivana Baquero), Brian (Stephen Peck), Archie (Michael Jai White), Ruth (Ellen Colton), Emmett (Louie Kurtzman), Anita (Celeste Olivia), and Bircher (Stanley Bruno). They are all led by their wonderful manager, Jonathan Wexler (Bruce Campbell). 

    And after that, we are off to the races with the film. All of the cast does a wonderful job in this film. Bruce Campbell continues to deliver some fun performances. I'm so used to him playing a likeable character that seeing him playing the jerk manager that we've all had at some point if you worked retail is very interesting. He relishes in being able to ham it up a bit. Devon Sawa delivers a pretty fantastic performance. He feels very much in the vein of an 'Ash' type character. The one that doesn't want to accept things and make a run for it till he has to stay and fight. I found it to be a very layered performance from him. Michael Jai White. What else can I say about Michael Jai White? He's a badass. 

    The creatures in this film were a nice change of pace. Initially, I had remembered someone using the word 'zombie' to describe one set of creatures. Nah, they ain't zombies. It's more akin to Slither as taken over by a parasite. However, the initial appearance of the parasite was incredibly creepy. It culminates in something that I could consider to be an homage to the Blob. It's pretty fantastic. It reminds me "Where the hell is our new Blob film?". Why can't we get something like that? The effects in the film are all good. They are a bit more low-key and appear practical. And that's a breath of fresh air. Again, we don't get to see many practical effects as if they are used, they quickly receive a gloss of CG. 

    Black Friday is a fun film. It knows exactly what type of film it wanted to be. It has a fantastic charm to it. I enjoyed it a lot and it'll be fun to return to it every once in a while. Probably on Black Friday from this year on. A nice new tradition. If you haven't checked out the film, I'd say give it a shot. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5. 

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The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)

 

    Hello everyone, I hope that you are having a good week. I have returned today with a review that I've been working on for at least a week now. It's one that I had to spend some time thinking exactly what I wanted to say about it. 

    Last week, I had the chance to watch The Poughkeepsie Tapes over on Tubi. It's a film that I had heard a lot about. I mean the film had a bit of a reputation back in 2007. The film was set for release then and even had the trailers in the theater. But then, the movie was pulled. There were times over the years that the film would be released for a brief period of time. But ultimately, it would be pulled back into the abyss of Movie Limbo. It would be 10 years before the film would see release, but not by its studio. Shout Factory would release the film in 2017. 10 years. 10 years, The Poughkeepsie Tapes laid in Movie Limbo. People would talk about The Poughkeepsie Tapes and try to figure out why it was shelved. However, MGM would never say anything as to why it was keeping the film from audiences. 

    For me, it's safe to say that my expectations were pretty damn high. I mean a film that took years to be released, it makes one want to seek it out to figure out why. It just builds this mindset in your mind of what it'll be. I know I definitely thought about the film from time to time. There have been other films that have taken awhile to be released that I ended up seeking out as well - All The Boys Love Mandy Lane being a great example. Or take another example that's a little more closer to what The Poughkeepsie Tapes were trying to emulate - Cannibal Holocaust. That was a film that was pitched as actually happening and audiences believed it. Yeah, there were certain elements that they couldn't fake back when the film was made. But it was to the point where the director had to go before the Senate to say that it was just a film. 

    That may be potentially giving The Poughkeepsie Tapes a bit too much credit. But I hope that at least illustrates the point that I'm trying to make. A film that is able to build such an atmosphere and tone that many may believe is real. That's something that I believe The Poughkeepsie Tapes was trying for. And honestly, that may be a reason why MGM shelved the film - not believing that audiences were ready for such a take on a film. And back in 2007, it may have been the case. 

    In 2022, The Poughkeepsie Tapes is a film. It's something that many may find creepy and unsettling. It centers on a series of tapes that were discovered by the FBI. These tapes chronicle a serial killer's work. Each of these tapes do happen to be a bit more unsettling than the last. All of this is provided in a mockumentary format of a true crime show. Honestly, this format does feel very close to what we see now on these kinds of shows. It adds another layer of creepiness to it. 

    After so many years of wondering about The Poughkeepsie Tapes, I don't know how I feel about it. At first, I found myself disappointed by the film. It wasn't what I had expected. I didn't find myself creeped out by  the film in the slightest. It just lacked a punch for me. But I mean how could it? I had spent time building it up in my head. I had the same result with The Exorcist. If the film had been released in 2007, it would have hit its mark for me. 

    But I cannot say that I don't respect it. It is very bold. It doesn't pull its punches. It honestly never second guesses itself. It knows exactly what kind of film it's trying to be. It's also something that will lay in the History of Film like Cannibal Holocaust. But probably not for the way that the filmmakers intended. It'll be because of the long time it spent in Movie Limbo. 

    If you are a fan of True Crime stories, there's a high chance you may be intrigued by it. Unfortunately for me, it just didn't hit the mark. However, you may get something out of it that I didn't. That's the beauty of film. It's all up to the viewer and the experience that they go on with a film. 

The Poughkeepsie Tapes can be found on Tubi.

Rating: 3 out of 5. 

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Don't Throw Him Out: Benny Loves You (2020)

   

 

    Hello everyone, Matthew here. After taking some time with the Texas Chainsaw franchise, I had the pleasure of getting a visit from a stuffed bear. Yeah, that's right. I had the pleasure of finally catching Benny Loves You. 

    Benny Loves You is a horror film that was released in 2019. It was written, directed, and even stars Karl Holt as Jack. The whole concept for this film is one that really intrigued me. What happens to your stuffed animals when you outgrow them and move on from them? It's such a fresh idea that I honestly never had thought of before. In a genre where we see a lot of similar concepts over time, it's just refreshing to see original films. This isn't just a spin on a familiar concept. This is a balls to the wall whole new ballgame. Honestly, this film wouldn't feel out of place as an entry to the Tiny Terrors series that we had last year. 

    The film's opening sequence is such a standout for me. It doesn't take no guff. It doesn't hold your hand. It cleverly and brilliantly illustrates exactly what this film will be about. If you don't like it, then go heck off kind of attitude. We see a child. This child is not just any kind of child. It's a child that some of us wouldn't be afraid to say that we have seen them in our day to day lives. This child is a little shit. And I can't say that it's all because today is their birthday cause it's not. No, this child is most definitely channeling the 'I'm a shit all the time' energy. You know what I'm talking about here. The quintessential shit. They bully their mother into getting their presents early because they had seen their poor parent wrapping them earlier that day. Cut to bedtime and the child is asleep with their new toys. The poor bear that was the child's former favorite toy has now been designated to the box in the closet. And he's sick of it. He comes to life and through this awesome sequence terrorizes the child. The child continues to scream every so often for their parent that they had been a shit to. The mother just can't take it anymore and in such a surprising fashion - gives the child a strong solid backhand. It was in this moment that I was just utterly surprised as to where this film was going to go. After that, the mother places the bear in bed with the little girl. And well, I'll let you see the film to figure out where the sequence went from there.

    This opening was so good. It had all the right amount of energy to it. On one hand, the tension that just continues to build as I put myself in the parent's shoes was so strong. I felt for the parent as I'm sure we all have been through those kind of days. The days where whatever we do is never good enough for our children. They have to do whatever they want, whenever they want - just to get their way. Actually, I wish I could say that I felt for the child. I don't want to say unfortunately, but I just couldn't find myself to feel bad for the child. They were a total shit. But it all builds together beautifully in such a strong sequence. 

    After that, we are introduced to Jack. Jack works as a toy designer. He wishes to be successful with his work. However, he has the most rotten and down on his out luck I have ever seen. This is like Alexander and the No Good, Horrible, Rotten Day ever luck here. He can't find a break at work. You'd think that maybe he'd have success at home. Nope. Jack still lives at home with his parents. Now, I'm not going to knock anyone that is at home with their parents. Not my place to say. But if someone were to be acting like Jack, I'd smack them. He is afraid of change. He is afraid of taking those next steps. He is afraid of success, I feel like. He'd rather stay at home where it's safe. I mean he hasn't changed his room at all and has all of his childhood things out and about. And he's 34 years old...35..34. Well, his luck changes one day when he has the worst birthday of his life. 

    This is the day that changed his life forever as his path had finally changed. It forces him to take life into his own hands. Forces him to grow the hell up. It forces him to take chances and make mistakes. And boy, there are quite a few mistakes that are made. But for the most part, it seems like he just has that rotten, most terrible, horrible luck. But truth is sometimes we have to go through long times of that shit to get to the other side and learn from life. So in order to make things right for himself, he puts his stuffed bear Benny down into the basement. And that sets the film into motion.

    Benny Loves You is a film that I wasn't sure I was going to like as much as I do. I have seen other movies where I was all excited about from the trailer or the poster even and then been disappointed. However, I am happy to say that this wasn't the case. I love this film. It's completely original and fresh. It was a lot of fun. I honestly had no idea where the story was going to go next. But seeing the interaction between Benny and Jack is pretty fantastic onto itself. Then we have Claire Cartwright as Dawn. She delivers an incredible performance as well. It's quite easy to see the relationship build between Dawn and Jack. All of the cast in this film work together so wonderfully. 

     I'm sure I could go on about Benny Loves You, but at this point it's pretty clear where I stand on it. I definitely recommend it. There was two moments in the film where I was very shocked where it went. In other movies, I probably would have shut it off. However in this film, it's clearly over the top. Go do yourself a favor and check it out. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Everyone Has A Secret To Die For: There's Someone Inside Your House (2021)

    Hello everyone, Matthew here. I was sitting and thinking about what I could review next. For the first time, I didn't have a lot of films lined up to cover next. Yeah, I knew that I wanted to talk about the Scream series (Part 1 and Part 2  retrospectives are up). And I have a few book reviews coming in the coming weeks. But again, it felt like I was back to where I was when I first started the blog. It's a pretty freeing feeling in a sense. Probably because there are just so many movies available to talk about. I could choose just about any of them. But something was telling me the direction to go. With the celebration of the Scream franchise and the new movie coming out next week, I thought it'd be nice to check out some slashers that maybe you haven't seen yet.

    With this past summer, Netflix was pretty high on celebrating the slasher genre. I mean they were super keen on marketing the summer as the Summer of Fear with the release of the Fear Street Trilogy. For me, that series hit on a very high note. Okay, Netflix I was in on what you were selling. It seemed that they were releasing 'Netflix Original' horror movies a lot more frequently. And yeah, they have more coming to the service. But the question is 'Are they good?' or has this become the new direct-to-video or would it be direct-to-streaming now? 

    The first film that I decided to give a shot is There's Someone Inside Your House. This was a film that honestly I didn't know much about. I remember seeing a bit of Twitter ads for it when it getting released. But then after that, it felt like everything had gone silent. Now, typically that would feel like the signs of a bad movie or a movie that just missed its audience. I kept it in my mind though. I knew that I wanted to cover it and just had to go through the backlog to get to it. Now, it felt like the perfect time to check it out. 

    There's Someone Inside Your House is based off a book by Stephanie Perkins. I haven't read the novel. So I can't say how 'faithful' this adaptation is to it. It was directed by Patrick Brice and written by Henry Gayden. The sypnosis, according to Netflix, is as follows

Makani Young has moved from Hawaii to quiet, small-town Nebraska to live with her grandmother and finish high school, but as the countdown to graduation begins, her classmates are stalked by a killer intent on exposing their darkest secrets to the entire town, terrorizing victims while wearing a life-like mask of their own face. With a mysterious past of her own, Makani and her friends must discover the killer's identity before they become victims themselves.

Now to start off, I want to say that this film has a banger of an opening. It is tense and filled with a bit of atmosphere. I wasn't surprised with how the opening played out. Partly it does feel a bit like an homage to Scream. 

 After the opening, the film begins introducing its characters with Makani Young (Sydney Park), Zach Sandford (Dale Whibley), Alex (Ashja Cooper), Darby (Jesse LaTourette), and Rodrigo (Diego Josef). Everyone's paying their respects. Not many are taking it seriously at all. I had a bit of a time trying to track all of the characters because there are a lot. 

That's probably my biggest problem with the film. Character. Yeah, we get a lot of characters. But it feels like we don't necessarily get a lot of time with many of them. We see mostly bits and snippets. And for the most part, it felt like there was a lot of usage of weed. Now, I'm not someone that's against it. But it just felt like these teenagers were lighting up quite a bit more frequently. I understand that it could be their way of coping with everything going on around them. But come on, why couldn't we spend more time getting to know characters? 

The more time I spend thinking about this film. The more I am starting to realize that this is meant to be a fun popcorn flick. It's brief. It doesn't overstay its welcome. It just kind of leaves you wanting to see more. 

Now, it's a horror film. It does have some gore. It is pretty typical on what you can expect. The killer has a weapon: a knife or sword. It's pretty par for the course. Though, I will say that the second kill in this film was pretty bold. It is probably the most memorable of the film. 

Overall, There's Inside Your House is one that I wish there was more of. I wish there was more character development. For the most part, it just all feels a bit brief and flies by. If you are looking for a fun popcorn horror film, give this one a watch.

Rating: 3 out of 5. 

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The Night House (2021)

     Hello everyone. Welcome back for my final review of 2021. I originally was planning to finish my coverage on Black Christmas '74. However after some recent things going on, I have decided that it'll be better to finish that next month. Trust me, the wait will be worth it as it ties into something else that I have going on. So just bare with me. 

    Yesterday, I had mentioned having a double feature with Werewolves Within. The second film of that double feature was The Night House starring Rebecca Hall. I started watching it and became entranced with the story it was telling. Part of it reminded me of a film that would have come out in the late 90s/early 00s. By far, that's not a bad thing at all. When it was round those times, I would go and stay the weekend with my Grandma. We would spend a lot of time watching so many different movies. It was wonderful. Typically, we wouldn't even bother watching a trailer or knowing anything about it. If the title alone hooked us, well then we would watch it. The same thing happened here. I never once watched any of the trailers for the film or read what it was about. I went in completely blind. And boy, I was not disappointed. 

    The Night House follows the character of Beth, played wonderfully by Rebecca Hall. Be prepared for a lot of Rebecca Hall as she carries this film so much. She is recovering from a loss in her life, her husband. Slowly, she begins witnessing things and uncovering truths that she was unaware of. It is honestly a beautiful story. It's one full of absolute heartbreak. It is a slow burn. From the first minute, I was absolutely hooked. I watched the film broken into chunks. There is a serious tense atmosphere to this film at times - it would leave me with goosebumps on my arms. But there are times where its very dreamlike. It's really a masterpiece. The further down the rabbit hole we descend, the more the tension ramps up. This was an experience that I have never had before. And honestly, I'm not sure I will ever have again. And that's okay. The film had me relating a lot to the character of Beth. I fully placed myself in their shoes. What would I do if this event had happened to me? It just left me thinking about it so much. 

    The cast in this film is astonishing. We have Rebecca Hall, who is the MVP of it. She's so relatable. Sarah Goldberg plays Claire, who at first I was unsure of. I wasn't sold on their friendship. It felt a little hollow at first. But as the story progresses, you begin to see that friendship. And by the end, she proves to be a rock for Beth. Vondie Curtis-Hall plays Mel, Beth's next door neighbor. He's the quiet reserved old man. There's a genuine care for Beth that comes across in his scenes. He honestly also manages to steal those scenes a little bit as well. And then there's Evan Jonigkeit as Owen. What a powerhouse of a performance. I honestly mean that for everyone. This is such a small character piece of a film that if someone wasn't bringing it, it'd bring it down. But that's not the case. 

    This was a film that just oozes in its tension. I was on edge as I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. This is not a blood to the wall, horror film. But a small, intricate thriller. And it works absolutely so well. It's also one that has left me thinking about it. It's there lingering in the back. Just when I thought I had shaken it, something brings it back to the forefront. That's is honestly a testament to the power of this film working so damn well. Now, I understand that there are going to be people where this won't hit. And that's okay because that's the beauty of film. It's all subjective. 

    Overall, I loved The Night House. It's one that I am so happy that I went in completely blind. It drew me in and never let go. It'll be one that I will return to from time to time. I highly recommend it if you haven't checked it out yet. 

Rating: 5 out of 5. 

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Welcome to Raccoon City: Resident Evil (2021)

     Hello everyone, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Currently still have a late Christmas gift for everyone with a review of the original Black Christmas. So stay tunedI w for that.

    Resident Evil. It's a title that is such a massive name in both games and movies. It carries a very distinct image when comes to one's mind. Either you think of the fantastic game series or you immediately have flashes of the Paul W. S. Anderson film series. For me, my interaction with the franchise overall is a bit interesting. I remember hearing about the game series here and there after my family had bought a PS1. It was something that was a bit terrified of. For some reason, my mind kept hyping up the games so much. It probably was due to the fact that one of the first games we bought for the system was Alien Trilogy. I was super creeped out and terrified of that game because of the first person perspective and the face huggers that would leap at you and then just appear over the entire screen. Nowadays, I just see it as a Doom clone. 

    Later on, the first Resident Evil movie was getting ready to come out in theaters. I was excited about it. Mostly because I had seen how everyone put the game series in such a high standing. I managed to come across the S. D. Perry Resident Evil novels. If you haven't checked those out, I highly recommend them. They were and still are some of my favorite novels. I was hoping that the first movie would capture some of what made that first novel, The Umbrella Conspiracy, so memorable to me. I had started playing Resident Evil 3 as that was the only one my local video store, Family Video, had. Again, huge scaredy cat when it came to games at that time. So it wasn't a long run. 

    When I had finally had the chance of seeing the film when it was released on DVD, I was a bit caught off guard. Where were the characters that I had known? Why did Paul W. S. Anderson, who claims to be such a fan of the series, care to tell a more original story? Well to an extent, I guess. Why was it so important to have basically carbon copy cutouts of the stereotypes that we were somewhat familiar with? I eventually overcame this and appreciated the film for being a fun popcorn flick. It just wasn't what I was hoping for. I just kept wondering what it would have been like if they would have been more close to the games. But it kept me interested in the franchise. 

    This brings me to Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. This is a very interesting film to me. By now, it's well known that the story is a bit of a mashup of Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil 2. Also by now, let it be known that I am well acquainted with the story of Resident Evil 2 Remake. When I had first heard it was going to be a mashup, I was a little confused as to why but pretty pumped. I am happy to say that Johannes Roberts did a good job of creating this mashup. The film is a huge rollercoaster. From minute one, immediately we are thrown into the Raccoon City Orphanage where we see young Claire and Chris Redfield. They are under the care of Doctor Birkin. If he had a first name, I don't recall hearing it in the film. This opening sequence is one that was a bit tense and creepy as we are also introduced to Lisa Trevor. I don't know much about this character, but what we are shown in the film. It's pretty interesting and had me wanting to see more of the character. 

    Now, there are flashbacks in the film involving the young Claire. There's not many like one or two that I recall. My question is why? Why wasn't this all connected to the opening sequence? It presents no information that we are not already present to. It honestly feels like it was part of that sequence originally and just moved to different parts to keep it flowing. It's honestly just a small nitpick I guess. 

    Now for the most part, I have heard people complain about the way characters are portrayed. They have said that Leon is presented as a bumbling idiot. Honestly, I don't see him as a bumbling idiot completely. He just feels like someone that is recovering from being a little down on his luck and is a rookie on the police force. It's a bit of a solid introduction to Leon as hopefully we will see him come into his own in another film. Wesker is another aspect that have seen some complaints about. Honestly, he feels like a mashup of Wesker with Barry Burton. It's changes like these that feel different but not bad. I mean we have seen far far worse changes with the Resident Evil lore in the Paul W. S. Anderson side of things. 

    Now, the cast is a bit stacked. We have Kaya Scodelario as Claire, Hannah John-Kamen as Jill, Robbie Amell as Chris, Tom Hopper as Wesker, Avian Jogia as Leon, Donal Logue as Irons, and Neal McDonough as Birkin. Everyone seems to be enjoying the work they did in this film. It doesn't feel like nobody was phoning in their performances. Each performance had something interesting going on with them. The only downside I will say is that the film feels like it throws everything into gear rather quickly. So, we don't necessarily have as much time to get to know the characters a little better. 

    There's action in the movie. Though honestly, not as much as I had hoped for. The trailers made it seem like it was going for a huge bombastic action feel. That is not present here. This is a film where it's a bit closer to John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13. But what is presented here is done well. Well, outside of the final fight that this and the 2002 film had. That part literally had me scratching my head in a small sense of deja vu. 

    This film didn't strike me as gorey. I know that there is some violence in the movie. But nothing too far or heavy on the gore-tastic spectrum. Honestly, there was a point or two where it felt like they had to lean farther on the gore-tastic spectrum for the rating they were shooting for. If those moments weren't there, it wouldn't have felt out of place being a hard PG-13. 

    Now when you think of Resident Evil, you know there are zombies and creatures. This film didn't really disappoint. For the most part, we have our 'zombies'. They are our basic enemy type in the film. Honestly, they did a really decent job of adapting the looks from the games to the movie. We also have our returning creatures - the Pupper, the Licker, and the Tyrant. Each of these creatures are given a sequence that showcases them in a pretty cool way. The favorite easily being the sequence with the Licker. It left me sitting there with my mouth hanging open. It's just such a badass thing that I didn't see coming. The Tyrant was featured in Resident Evil: Extinction. However, I vastly prefer it in this film. It feels a little more grounded in the beginning stage. It feels vastly more practical. It doesn't feel like overbloated CG. The second stage of it can't be said the same for. But that's okay because it's still a bit interesting to see. And then there's Lisa Trevor. I mentioned her earlier and I still don't now much about her. 

    And then there's Umbrella. Umbrella is typically the big bad of the Resident Evil franchise. In this film, they do have a presence. In the background art of the Orphanage, their symbol pops up everywhere. They have mottos with "An Umbrella is a shelter from rain." and "Umbrella is your family now." on the walls as well. This honestly was pretty interesting seeing this presence. Outside of that type of stuff, it's pretty bare. They mention that Umbrella has set up shop elsewhere and it definitely feels like it. It helped make the film more interesting for me, especially as we see the effect that Umbrella had on Raccoon City. 

    Overall, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City delivered on everything I had hoped it could be. If I could go back and tell my younger self to just be patient and wait for a more solid Resident Evil adaptation, I would. This is definitely the film I had hoped the 2002 film would be. I am hoping that this will find its audience. Its definitely worth taking the time to spend with it. And it's honestly, my favorite video game adaptation so far. Hopefully we will get another installment that furthers the world that's being established. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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Witness the Beginning and End - Fear Street:1666

This July has been special. One that will be for the books. Leigh Janiak and Netflix have delivered a story that is so great and massive that it couldn’t be told with just one film. No, Netflix understood the audience they would have and already built in audience to let Leigh Janiak craft a sprawling epic filmed in Lord of the Rings style – all in the course of a few months. And it has paid off in spades.

With the ending of 1978, I was not sure where the story was going to go next. Yes, we were going to see the origin of the curse and Sarah Fier. But beyond that, it was wide open to what the story would be. That has been one of the strongest points of Fear Street, the cliffhanger endings.

We open after the recap in 1666 with a look at Sarah Fier and life in Union as she went about her business. It was interesting seeing all of the returning cast in a different yet familiar role as they now were portraying the Union townsfolk. And if this is their ancestors, it adds even more layers to the tragic events that had proceeded in the previous films.

The story is very ominious and tense. As a viewer, we already know how Sarah’s story plays out. It’s a story of a witch and a witch hunt. But they beautifully take all of our expectations and twists it in a massively unexpected way.

Then as the screen crashes to black, we are treated to one of the biggest surprises in this film. A new title card flashes and introduces the next segment of the film – Fear Street 1994 Part 2. I figured that we would see the present time return, but the way it is handled is beautifully.

I understand that many people could spoil what’s going on in the film. But this should not be spoiled. It’s such a large event that should be experienced. As such, I will not go any further into details.

With this trilogy of films, Janiak and Netflix have crafted a beautiful story. A story that is unrelenting and inclusive. The characters in these films would easily be side characters in other films. But here, they are treated with so much respect. And it shows how far we have come since the days of 90s horror.

This film alone could have crumpled under everything that came before it. But it doesn’t. It takes everything that we have seen and asks you to reconsider your thoughts on it. To look at things through a different perspective. Then it builds on the strengths of each piece of the story. And what’s left is a satisfying conclusion.

The Fear Street trilogy will be remembered fondly. They brought new things to the horror genre. Especially the way that films are made. It wouldn’t surprise me if Netflix sees the success and continues to venture further onto FEAR Street. While one story closes, there are many more that can be told. And I for one hope that we see this expanded into an anthology series.

Rating: 5 out of 5. This film lands the hat trick for this fantastic series. Highly recommended.

*Thanks to Netflix and Daily Dead for screener*

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Fier Strikes Again - Fear Street:1978

If 1994 was everything in that bizarre mashup, 1978 is still very much Blair Witch but now its met Friday the 13th/Sleepaway Camp meets Goosebumps. (The reason why say Blair Witch-ish is because of the through line with our resident witch, Sarah Fier.) This film is once again brilliantly handled by Leigh Janiak. They make no mistake with showcasing that this is the second part in our story. This way of presenting the story feels very new. Yeah, this isn’t the first time that we have been presented with a trilogy. But, with this format that Netflix presents, it’s a happy medium between film and television. And quickly, we are thrown back into the present day story of Deena and Josh’s journey and meeting C. Berman.

After our characters meet Berman, we are introduced to our new cast at Camp Nightwing in 1978. Sadie Sink and Emily Rudd are our Berman sisters. Both actresses do a fantastic job in this film with their performances. It led to the point where I personally wanted to see both of them make it to the end of the story, but as 1994 had previously stated – only one would make it to the end. For me, part of the big point was seeing which sister it was going to be and caring about both of them. Brandon Spink and Ted Sutherland also did a great job with presenting a new side to the characters that we know to be Mayor Goode and Sheriff Goode. That is definitely one of the stronger points of this film is seeing the Goode family history being explored a bit more. And something that I’m sure that we will be seeing with the upcoming Fear Street: 1666. McCabe Slye delivers an outstanding performance tho. One that literally had me wanting to see more of Tommy Slater. His performance had a very tragic aura to it as we see exactly how Sarah Fier works her ways.

Once again, Fear Streets delivers in the music department. It presents a greatest hits of the era. And one that had me smiling once again. But as great as it is hearing ‘Carry On My Wayward Son’, the film’s orchestral score is where its at. It channels that ‘Friday the 13th’ feel in such a good way that I, for one, have been missing.

The continuity of this film and this series so far has been outstanding. Everything plays out like a beautiful puzzle as I pieced together things that were presented in 1994 and seeing how they played out in 1978. Or seeing one character in 1994 and how they connect to the overall story as we are reintroduced to her in 1978. I am hoping that we will see more of this in 1666. And I am almost certain that we will. The lore of Sarah Fier and Fear Streets is brought to another level in this film as well. Things that were introduced in 1994 are expanded or twisted into something that I never could have seen coming. And there was also a small ‘Stranger Things’ vibe to this installment. Especially because of one particular thing that happens.

While talking with my partner after the film had ended, a big highlight for us was the way the horror was presented. It was presented very tastefully. There have been other films that will show anything and everything that happens to a character. But here, its very refreshing as we are brought back to the filmmaking ways of old where glimpses are shown or the aftermath of events would be shown offscreen. This is a brilliant way that helps differentiate this series from many in this modern era of horror.

As the film came to a close, I was literally on the floor once again. The film just took everything that I thought was going to happen and turned it on its head. Ultimately leaving me wanting to know what was going to happen next. My partner also looked at me and was like ‘So we’re gonna be able to watch it tomorrow right?’. I sadly had to break the news that it was going to be a few days before could see the conclusion to the story. And that is a great testament to what this series has been doing so far. Delivering everything that could wish for and then leaving wanting more.

At the end of the day, I hope that when these films finish this particular story. They are able to do more with Fear Street. Tell more stories and turn it into an anthology series. There is a lot that can be done with this. And it’ll be fantastic to see what they deliver next.

RATING: 5 out of 5. It continues to blow away the expectations in such a fantastic way.

Fear Street Part One: 1994 and Fear Street Part Two: 1978 now available to stream on Netflix.

*Screener was provided by Netflix with the help of DailyDead’s Fear Street Contest.

FEAR STREET | A Film Trilogy Event Credit: Netflix

Sypnosis:

Shadyside, 1978. School’s out for summer and the activities at Camp Nightwing are about to begin. But when another Shadysider is possessed with the urge to kill, the fun in the sun becomes a gruesome fight for survival.

Fear Street 1978 starring Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd and Ryan Simpkins. Directed by Leigh Janiak. Screenplay by Zak Olkewicz and Leigh Janiak. Story by Phil Graziadel.

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This Land is Their Land: Wrong Turn (2021)

Late last year, I remember that we had received word that another Wrong Turn movie was gearing up to be made. With six films already, many wondered where the story could go. Especially if there were going to still be deformed cannibals. However, we weren’t expecting the direction the film would go.

Abandoning everything that had come before and starting fresh, Alan B. McElroy returns to the franchise he started to write a new tale with Mike P. Nelson directing. And what a story this film tells. It’s one that I kept wondering where things were going to go next. Everything was always two steps ahead of me – it seemed. Just like The Foundation that is featured.

‘Friends hiking the Appalachian Trail are confronted by ‘The Foundation’, a community of people who have lived in the mountains for hundreds of years.’

How does this film compare to the original? In many ways, these films are so different. They take the basic concept of what a Wrong Turn movie is and go onto different ends of the spectrum. This feels like the next evolution of what we should be looking for in this franchise. And while I love the original, the performances of the cast (Everybody) and strength of this story help make this my favorite entry in the franchise.

Am I going to go into detail regarding the story? No, I will not be diving into story details. This is a film where it’s okay to not have spoilers. To just go on this strong journey with the characters and experience things as they happen. It’s pure cinema. And trust me, there are many layers in this journey. 

The way the story is structured is different. It starts and introduces our cast of characters. Charlotte Vega as Jen and Adain Bradley as Darius being the two standouts of this first group. Not saying that everybody else is bad, just these two are our focal points and heart in Storyline A. Then the film proceeds to flash forward to Storyline B as we meet Jen’s father played by Matthew Modine. The film then proceeds to interweave these storylines and progress in ways that I never saw coming.

The gore in this film is vastly different than the original as well. Actually it’s vastly different than anything I’ve seen before. It’s brutal at times. It’s unforgiving. It’s grounded in a good sense of realism. There is a darkness to it. It’s not something to be celebrated. It’s something to be feared. This is something that I appreciated so much. It treated the gore in a way that I haven’t seen before.

The music in this was very low key. It was subtle. It never over presented itself. It helped add to the tension in the film, especially as we learn more about The Foundation. It worked beautifully.

Overall, I highly recommend Wrong Turn ’21. Go into it with an open mind. Let yourself go on the journey with these characters. And you may find yourself enjoying it a lot. If go into it expecting the typical Wrong Turn film, you will be disappointed.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5. Such a unique and refreshing new take with this franchise. I hope that we are able to see more.

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