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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Streaming Originals: Slapface (2022)

 

    Welcome Back Everyone to Streaming Originals! I know it's been a while since I covered anything that was streaming exclusively. Unless we count the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre? But I don't. Anyways, this is the series where I dive into different films that are exclusively streaming to one of the many streaming services available. The last one that I covered was Hellblazers over on Tubi. 

    Today, I had the pleasure of checking out Slapface from Jeremiah Kipp. It's streaming exclusively on Shudder. The synopsis for the film is as follows: "A boy deals with the loss of his mother by creating a dangerous relationship with a monster rumored to live in the woods."

    Slapface is an incredibly interesting film with a few different layers to it. On one side, it's a deep look of a family struggling to hold itself together. On another, it's a story about a boy trying to find himself and figure out who he is. Another layer finds the boy dealing with a monster. The more that I try to unpack the film, the more layers I begin to uncover. And then I hear Shrek saying "Onions have layers.".

    August Maturo leads this film as Lucas, a teenage boy that is dealing with the loss of his mother. He lives with his older brother, Tom, played by Mike Manning. The interesting thing is that both of these characters were faced to grow up way too fast. Lucas is completely unsure of what to do and how to handle himself as he's found himself bullied by three girls - one of whom has a crush on Lucas. Tom isn't very helpful as he is on the same path that his father was before him - drunk. At the beginning of the film, he's trying to fix things and make it right for his younger brother. But through the course of the film, you just see the alcoholism bubbling itself to the surface as his way of escaping from life. If only his life hadn't take that turn with the car accident, where could that have left him? Would he have followed in his father's footsteps? This was something that I found myself thinking a lot about. And honestly, that's pretty fantastic to see supporting characters in a film being so layered. As for Maturo, it's interesting seeing where he goes on this journey. Part of it reminds me of Let The Right One In. And there's another character, Anna, that dates Tom. She tries to actually get to know both brothers. She genuinely cares for both of them. But she's like this brief glimpse of light and hope for the characters before the darkness fully consumes everything. 

    Then there is the creature. Well, it's honestly interesting to try and figure out if it's a creature or if it's a witch. There's a local legend involving a Witch. Lucas accidentally summons it one day as he walks into a 'house' on a dare. Whatever you may like to call this 'entity', it is incredibly original. It harkens a little bit to the Tooth Fairy from Darkness Falls in movement briefly. It's something that I found extremely unnerving. 

    There is a lot more that I could say about Slapface. It just has so many layers to it. I thought I had it figured out exactly where the story would go. But nope, it kept proving me wrong. It is a dark tale. By the time, the ending had arrived - I wouldn't have been surprised if one aspect I guessed would turn out to be right. There's a lot of different ways that someone could interpret the film as well. This is a film that I feel like could be compared to Antlers in its handling of certain elements. And I would say that it succeeded more than Antlers did. It left me with an ending where I was speechless. It's a bold story and one that I would recommend checking out. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5. 

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Enjoy The Show: The Last Matinee (2021)

 

    

    Welcome back everyone, I hope everyone's been having a good week so far. Who loves the movie theater? I know I personally love them. I have very fond memories of when I was younger getting to go see various movies over the years with my family - Batman Returns, Jurassic Park, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Halloween H20, and the Lords of the Rings Trilogy to name a few. I don't know what it is about it, but it's a very comforting place for me. And nowadays, it feels even more of a comfort cause it's a place to just go and get away from the world for a movie. 

    Something I will admit is that I have seen a few films take place in a theater. But the theaters never felt terrifying or filled with dread. That however has changed now with my recent viewing of The Last Matinee. Now a theater in a movie fills my mind with something looming round the next corner - a nice fear of the unknown. And before you ask, yes The Last Matinee is now available to view on Shudder.

    The Last Matinee is a Spanish-language Uruguayan horror film directed by Maximiliano Contenti, who also wrote the screenplay with Manuel Facal. It received a release back in 2021. It, like Malignant, is also a love letter to the Giallos. Honestly, it's interesting comparing the two films because they feel like opposite ends of the modern day Giallo. 

    It's a soaking wet day with rain pouring down and one of the best things to do is to go seek refuge in a great old cinema. Unbeknownst to some of our characters, this will be a trip to the movies that they will never forget. For a murderer is on the loose in Montevideo and the theater is his next stop. 

    In a nut shell, that's the basic set up for The Last Matinee. It's a relatively simple story. If I gave you the sypnosis of just 'killer is loose in a movie theater murdering the audience after locking them within', it would be safe to say that's the rough plot of Midnight Movie. 

    Ana (Luciana Grasso) arrives to the theater to bring home her father, who works the projection booth. Sadly, she learns that he has to work the projection booth for the next film showing as someone didn't show up. She takes it upon herself to work his shift as he taught her to operate the projection booth. Ana's father is someone that appears to love his job, even if it may be killing him to work 10 hour shifts. After that, we are introduced to our usual suspects - couple on an extremely awkward date, old man, a young child that snuck in after being turned away at first, and the group of teenagers. There's also the really creepy guy, Mauricio that's working alongside Ana. While all these characters could be very shallow and one note, this film goes out of its way a little bit to add some depth to them. 

    After that, we are introduced to our killer - man in coat. The film does an extremely good job of making sure that the killer is an enigma. We aren't given a name. We aren't given a tragic backstory of some kind. He is there for one reason and one reason alone - to kill. Well, there is a bit late reveal that was extremely disturbing, in my opinion. It made me cringe and squirm. So our killer kills in this film. This is a film that is not afraid of showing it. It showcases quite a few different murders in full close up shot. Truly a love letter to Giallo. Plus, there's one of the kills that was just cool looking. For those that are wondering if the film is bloody, yeah it shows quite a bit. That's honestly part of the film that makes up for the film's small pacing issues. 

    By the end of this viewing, I was surprised with how it played out. No, not by what happens and who makes it to the end. That was a lot of things that I was pretty sure was going to happen. There's a moment where I could have seen gone in an entirely different direction. Honestly if it was announced that there would be a sequel, I wouldn't be surprised. In a way, it does set up one. But for the most part, The Last Matinee makes for a beautiful stand alone. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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Streaming Originals: Anything for Jackson (2020)

    

  Hello everyone, Welcome back to Streaming Originals. Last time, I took a look at another Netflix original, The Platform. As of right now, I have covered four Netflix Originals. Roughly, Netflix has had a 75% success rate for me so far. However with today's current climate of Streaming Services, we know that Netflix is not the only one available. Today, I am pleased to shed some light into the darkness of Shudder Originals. 

    So far, I have watched a few different Shudder Originals. I watched The Call with Tobin Bell and that was a miss for me. It felt like it was rather long and padded. I have also watched The Mortuary Collection which was a fantastic anthology film. It was a big breath of fresh air. Case in point that leaves Shudder with a chance for it to hit or miss. Another really solid original is Ruin Me from a few years ago. 

    A film I had heard about in the past is Anything for Jackson. It was one that kept popping back up and I had it placed in my backlog to cover it at some point. I had no idea that it would be the first Shudder Original that I'd be coming out swinging with. What brought it back to my attention was Patton Oswalt. Over on Twitter, he posted and was super excited that a podcast he listens to was covering the film. I could tell in this short little tweet that he genuinely loved Anything for Jackson. It was that genuine attitude that sold me on checking out the film.  

    The film starts out as a pretty normal morning for a husband and wife, Henry and Audrey Walsh. The house that they live in is huge, which is a good thing as this is the main setting for the film. The husband and wife are quickly discussing how he will look like a 'rapper' because of the hem of his pants being too high on one side. Pretty normal family stuff. That quickly changes as the story opens up with the arrival of Shannon. Well, arrival is a very light way of putting it. Okay, okay. They kidnap her because she's pregnant. Their main goal is to try and perform a ritual that will allow their dead grandchild, Jackson, to be reborn in Shannon's fetus. How are they able to do this? Well, it turns out the Walshes have a secret - they are Satanists. 

    While some may say that a lot of what I have said so far could be a spoiler, I have to say that it's not. It's really only the tip of the iceberg. There is literally so much going on with this film that you could watch it a few times and still uncover something new. Plus the sypnosis for the film kind of gives all that away. 

    I wasn't sure what to expect going into the film. I knew roughly what it would be covering. But the film literally goes to show just how far someone would go to get a loved one back. It's such a strong powerful message. With Henry, he would literally give up everything and everyone so that Audrey could get her wish. And Audrey would go to the literal depths of hell to try and get her grandchild back. Honestly, Henry's side of things is a pretty strong love representation of his love for Audrey. 

    Then there is Shannon, our unfortunate prisoner. This is someone that came to Henry as his patient and learned that she's pregnant. At first, it seemed like a very big end of the world realization for her. However with the use of the flashbacks, it beautifully illustrates just how much one's life can change for their child. Shannon could have easily been a thrown away character in some other film, however not here. 

    I would definitely say that for each of the characters in this film - there is a strong characterization to them. No one's really a shallow cookie cutter version of themselves. Even with the other members of the Satanists, we see a distinct character. It's pretty fantastic. And all of the actors and actresses bring their all to this film. The four big standouts being Julian Richings (Henry), Shelia McCarthy (Audrey), Konstantina Mantelos (Shannon), and Josh Cruddas (Ian). All of their performances are incredible and multi-layered. And definitely huge tip of the hat to Josh Cruddas, even if he does remind me of a YouTuber that goes by the name Brandon Farris. 

    Moving onto the horror elements of the movie, oh boy. There are some pretty heavy elements. I mean we kind of get it all. We get body horror, ghosts, and hints of possession to just say a few. Every single element works extremely well together. There were quite a few moments where the hairs on the back of my neck would stand up. The biggest one involving teeth, as someone that underwent dental surgery it caused me to cringe. 

    Honestly, the only element of Anything for Jackson that I don't know if it worked for me was the ending. It's presented in a very let the audience make up their mind on it. It's a bit of a bold move. But safe to say, it's not a happy ending. It's a bit of a bleak ending and that's okay. If there were some things that would have been tightened up a little bit, perhaps it would have worked better for me. With a second watch, it could very well work better. Time will tell.

    Overall though, I was very impressed with Anything for Jackson. It is a powerhouse of a film while also being small and intimate. It definitely doesn't hold many things back. But the beauty of it is seeing the interactions between the characters. I wasn't disappointed with taking the time to watch it either unlike The Call. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5. 

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31 on 31 for Halloween Day 31: The Mortuary Collection

Hello everyone, welcome to our culmination of 31 on 31 for Halloween. We have went on a journey this spooky season. This was a huge accomplishment as I had started this countdown back on August 20th. It's crazy how fast the time decided to go by. We have been through 31 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to get here. 

Who has enjoyed this? If you have, let me know on Twitter, Facebook, or comment on here. 

And just because it's the end of the countdown doesn't mean anything. BlazinBlue's Horror Review is still going to be here and continue going strong. Because spooky season is not just a specific time of year, it's a way of life and a year long celebration. So stay tuned as there is still great content coming. Coming up we have a look at some Thanksgiving time horror, the debut of I Watched It With My Partner series, a retrospective on the Paranormal Activity series, and others. We are only hitting our stride. 

Today, I spent some time thinking about what the final film could be. I have seen a lot of others checking out 2008's Trick 'r Treat. While it is a fantastic film and one of my family's favorites (our son still hasn't seen it yet), it's one that gets a lot of love. Why not shed light on a more recent film released by Shudder? Join me as I dive into The Mortuary Collection from Ryan Spindell. 

The Mortuary Collection is an interesting film as it is a celebration of anthology films in a way like Trick 'r Treat.  It's pretty cool seeing all of the anthology films that have popped up over the years. Some have been successful and others have been not as successful. 

Desperate for work, a young drifter applies for a job at the local mortuary on the outskirts of town. There, she meets Montgomery Dark, an eccentric mortician with more than few skeletons in his closet. Montgomery chronicles the strange history of the town through a series of twisted tales. Each of these stories more terrifying than the last. 

Clancy Brown plays the mysterious Montgomery Dark. It's always a pleasure getting to see Brown in a film. I mean, there's a reason that he's such a fantastic actor. He definitely brings his A-game to this performance. It is a bit in the vein of the Crypt KeeperIt c, but there's actually bit of heart and depth to it. Caitlin Custer (formerly Fisher) plays the role of the young drifter, Sam. There's not much known about Sam. She's there looking for employment. The chemistry between Brown and her is very engaging. They play off each other very very well. Actually all of the actors and actresses deliver some solid performances with what they are given. 

With the five stories in this film, there is definitely a variety to them. Each one feels a bit like a breath of fresh air while retaining some of the feel of Creepshow. The wraparound story, The Mortician and the Drifter, is one that was highly engaging. Yeah, it's basically Montgomery Dark interviewing Sam and setting up the stories. But with Brown, it's very interesting. The first story, The Pickpocket, is interesting. It does feel a little safe as it is a smaller entry when compared to the others. It is also very simple. It chronicles a night of a young lady, a pickpocket, getting more than she bargained for when she steps to the little lady's room. It wouldn't felt out of place in an old EC Comic. The second story, Unprotected, is a whole other element entirely. It utilizes the era of the 60s very well. It focuses on a young gentlemen of the fraternity variety learning a hard lesson about one night stands. At first, it's a bit light hearted. But as it progresses, it is more terrifying as its very clear what is going to occur. The third story, Till Death, is a whole nother nightmare. It truly goes to show how far one's commitment to another can go. This was truly horrifying and haunting. It's definitely one of the standouts. The last story, The Babysitter Murders, was something else. I was engaged through the entirety of it. It does play on the typical horror tropes but twists them in such a unique fresh way that I never saw coming. There's a good reason why this ultimately is the reason the film was created around. Especially considering this was filmed first as a short. 

All of these stories are highly original. It makes for an incredible rollercoaster of a film. It all leads to an ending that I didn't see coming. I am hoping that as word gets out about it, that it will result in a sequel. This is definitely an anthology series that could use another installment. It does prove that the anthology is resurging and that's 100% okay. 

If you haven't checked out The Mortuary Collection yet, check it out on Shudder or purchase it from Amazon. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. (Unfortunately two of the stories held the film back.) 

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Superhost

Social Influencers. That's a whole nother topic that horror films are beginning to cover. 

First, we had the movie Spree starring Joe Keery. That film was something onto itself. And it definitely will be covered here. 

Then Ryan Murphy gave us a look at it with the Christmas episode of American Horror Stories "Bro House". That story could have been stronger but it gave us a look at how easy it could be to hate social Influencers if they are complete douchebags. By the end, we were rooting for them to get their come uppance.  

Now, we have Superhost. It was written and directed by Brandon Christiensen. It stars Sara Canning, Osric Chau and Gracie Gillam. If you are interested in this film, it can be found to stream on Shudder. And prepare yourself as the 61 Days of Halloween has begun.

First of all, Superhost is not a long movie. It is one that has a short running length of an hour twenty-two. That's definitely not a knock against the film. It allows the story to move at a brisk pace.

Superhost is about travel vloggers Teddy and Claire. They have been noticing a trend of their follower count dwindling. So they pivot to creating viral content around their most recent "superhost," Rebecca, who wants more from the duo than a great review.

Now, this is a small film. Small cast. Pure indie fuel. And it's definitely part of it that makes it good. Osric Chau and Sarah Canning are great as Teddy and Claire. Teddy's whole world is Claire. It seems like he's only doing this because she wants to keep doing it. Claire however is a good example of a vlogger gone awry. She is focused on the numbers game more than the content they are producing. It's definitely a shame cause if they had been on the same page, well things could be better. As a critic, I can definitely find myself getting lost a little bit in the numbers game from time to time. But then I take that step back and remember what was working - when it was enjoyable doing it. The thing that kept me intrigued was seeing Chau and Canning playing off each other.

Grace Gillam. She is a force in this film. At first, Rebecca is very sweet and likeable. Well, she comes across as too likeable. She's the image of the good person doing things out of the goodness of her heart. There's also a bit naiveness that comes across. But when it takes a turn (heads up: this is a slow burn), does it take a turn. It doesn't take Malignant level turn. But it's still a pretty big turn as we just see a much darker side to Rebecca. She's a bit of a force of nature with such rage. It's super intimidating and makes me glad that she's a movie character. But there's the thing - this is such a solid slasher character. I'm personally hoping that we will see more with her. Because there is more that could be done with her. 

Now, there's also a small cameo in this flick. It's our lovable Barbara Crampton. She continues to deliver great performances. In the small time we have with her, she is really good. Honestly, her part feels like it's pure Karen fuel. 

Superhost will be one that some people may like or not. It won't be as divisive as Malignant was. But it's still a solid entry to the genre. It's also a bit or breath of fresh air as we haven't been over saturated with content about social Influencers. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Superhost can be found on Shudder. 

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31 on 31 for Halloween Day 10: Ruin Me

Ruin Me was brought to my attention as being a Shudder Exclusive. It is a film that made me think while also being very enjoyable.

It centers around “Alexandra reluctantly tags along for Slasher Sleepout, an extreme event that is part camping trip, part haunted house, and part escape room. But when the fun turns deadly, Alex has to play the game if she wants to make it out alive.”

The characters in the film are all enjoyable. There may have been one or two that were rough around the edges, but ultimately good. Though it was hard for me to necessarily find one character that gravitated towards more. Everyone gets even coverage. Ultimately it is Alex’s journey.

I found myself enjoying the fact that we are thrown into events through Alex’s perspective. As the film moves along it’s pace, we even begin to question things as Alex does.

While some may be saddened that it is not a complete gorefest, this is a different kind of horror. This is more psychological. And that is one of its greatest strengths.

I don’t wish to spoil the film for those wishing to see it. But I strongly suggest giving it a shot, as it did not disappoint.

The ending was a solid ending and ends on a very strong point.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Ruin Me is available from Shudder. 

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