BOOK REVIEW: PUPPET MASTER COMPLETE by Nat Brehmer (McFarland Books)

Welcome back everyone, I hope that everyone's doing okay. Last year, we had our Tiny Terrors series. It was something that was pretty special to me. It was a chance to not cover just one franchise, but three in total. It was a pretty ambitious thing at the time. I hadn't been writing very long, but it provided a bit of a drive that I needed. It gave a focus and structure in a new way that I had never done before. 

But one of the franchises that we had covered was Puppet Master. Puppet Master is a franchise that is a bit close to me. There are plenty of memories that I have from watching this franchise with my Dad and being among the first ones that I was able to watch. So there's a small bit of nostalgia to it like a warm blanket. Plus, I remember going to a Suncoast that was in the Mall with my Dad and Grandma. I happened upon a 12" figure of Blade that was being released. It was the bloody variant. I hadn't seen anything so cool at the time. And it later became a gift from my Grandma for my birthday. Later on, I'd end up getting the Freddy Krueger doll and the Ghostface that was released. So when I get my movie room/office completed, they will be sitting there proudly displayed. 

This brings me to when Crystal Lake Memories was released. It was one of the first big franchise Retrospective books that I remember seeing. Since then we've had the Taking Shape (Halloween, Phantasm Exhumed, making of Tremors and other books, it became clear that these were pretty successful. For me, I was hoping that we would see other franchises covered. One of my big wishes is that we will see a Texas Chainsaw Massacre book. However, I am happy to say that we received a book on the Puppet Master franchise. 

Puppet Master Complete was written by Nat Brehmer, a horror journalist. He's written for Bloody-Disgusting, Dread Central, Wicked Horror, and Diabolique magazine. It was published by McFarland Books. To begin with, I'd like to thank McFarland Books for sending a copy to review. 

My younger self was absolutely thrilled when I discovered Puppet Master Complete. This was a very in-depth franchise. It went to places that I never even considered. I mean, there is a section dedicated to the action figures as well as the Action Lab comics. It made me so happy to read through it all. 

One of the best aspects is that this is a fan's recollection. Brehmer is a fellow fan of the series. He knows exactly what he's talking about. It's also extremely clear how much love and passion went into this book. 

Brehmer is able to deliver such a clear look at the series than any one commentary could do on its own. We are able to hear a lot of the different stories that have happened behind the scenes. This was something that I absolutely loved. Getting even an inside glimpse at what the Puppet Wars could have been. I absolutely had forgotten about Puppet Wars over the years. It's a clear concept that would have been fantastic to have received, however it wasn't in the cards. But we get to see the ideas that would later find themselves added in to later entries. 

I could go on and on about this book. It delivers a essential must have look. It does it so well. At this point, if you are a fan of Puppet Master - you need to have this in your collection. 

Rating: 10/10 (An Essential Must Have)

You can find Puppet Master Complete from McFarland Books. It can also be found on Amazon. 

Follow Nat Brehmer on Twitter.

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Black Room (2017)

I miss video stores. I miss being able to go and rent a movie. Yeah, we have VUDU and Redbox. But none of that really hits like that used to. Being able to go to a Blockbuster or Family Video was something to do on the weekend. For someone that loves movies, those were some of the best times had growing up. 

It felt like direct to videos were something that wasn't exactly just a dime a dozen. It felt like there was some thought put into them before it became 'let's slap the film on the shelves and that's that.'. Nowadays, they are so common that it's hard to figure out the good from the bad. 

Well, The Black Room sounds Iike it could be a forgettable throwaway. At least on an initial glance. A married couple move into their dream home, however, it soon becomes a living nightmare after discovering that the basement is inhabitated by an evil and lustful spirit that conspires to destory the world.

When I first got wind of the film, it made it sound like it was going to be something else. However, this film was an experience. It was something that I honestly never expected nor saw coming. The Black Box honestly felt like it was from Charles Band and Full Moon. It is the type of experience you would have expected out of 90s Full Moon. It may not have been what the film was supposed to be. However, I applaud it for it. 

This is a film that just gave me so many memories of those 90s direct to video horror films you'd see at your local video store. Does it take itself seriously? Honestly, I would say no. It does make it so damn fun. Everyone seems to know what kind of film they were making. 

For the cast, there's a few that I recognized. We have Lin Shaye, Natasha Henstridge, Lukas Hassel, and James Duval. 

Now, Lin Shaye is someone that is extremely well known nowadays from the Insidious movies. However, she's always been part of the genre. Don't believe me? Go check out Nightmare on Elm Street. It seems she loves acting in the genre. And it's pretty much always a pleasure. 

Natasha Henstridge is definitely someone we should know. Species. If you've never seen it, go check it out. She does an incredible job in it. Plus it had some interesting effects with a side of Giger-ness. 

Lukas Hassel was someone I hadn't really seen before. But looking at his credits, he was in the short Slapface. Yeah, the short that led to the film you can find on Shudder. He was also in Art of the Dead. Stay tuned for that one as it is in the Dollar Tree backlog. However, he does a fantastic job in this film. 

And then there's James Duval. This is someone that just has such a recognizable face. When he first appeared, I was like oh shit? It's the dude from Independence Day. My partner looked at me and I explained that he was Randy Quaid's son in it. It was fantastic seeing him again. He was an interesting addition but just wished for more. 

I won't go any deeper into the plot. It's something that I will not spoil. But if you are looking for something in that shlocky 90s horror vein, well you are in for something. The effects were pretty solid though.

Rating: 8 out of 10. (It was a fun throwback.)

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Umma (2022)

Hello everyone, welcome back to BlazinBlue's Review. Its been awhile since our last review. I hope everyone's been doing well. It's been a bit busy and such with farm life.

 I was hoping that I would be able to make these reviews a little more structured. However, that's not in the plans just yet. So bear with me for the formatting as this is done by phone. 

Now earlier this year, Umma was released. It was a film starring Sandra Oh, Fivel Stewart, and Dermot Mulroney and directed by Iris K. Shim. It was one that I don't exactly remembering hearing a lot about. I didn't see any of the trailers. So I honestly had no idea what to expect going in. And then I heard it was quickly released to Netflix. 

The synopsis is as follows: Amanda and her daughter live a quiet life on an American farm, but when the remains of her estranged mother arrive from Korea, Amanda becomes haunted by the fear of turning into her own mother.

Reading that synopsis, I wasn't sure what to expect. I kept an open mind as it sounded like a ghost story. By this point, there have been a lot of ghost films. What could this one do that was different from all the rest? 

Umma is a very eerie Korean ghost story. It has some moments that were a bit creepy. It did establish some fantastic use of what I can imagine as Korean imagery. At one point, we see a nine tail fox. That was pretty unique and different.

Sandra Oh does a pretty solid job as Amanda. This is a character that has a pretty big arc. The opening of the film gives a small glimpse into what trauma she has experienced. But beyond that short moment, it feels a bit light. 

Fivel Stewart does a good job as Chris, Amanda's daughter. The dynamic between Chris and Amanda is a great one. We get to see how much they care for one another. They have a beekeeping business that is becoming successful. However, we are also given small glimpses of Chris wanting to go out into the world to find herself. 

The parallels between what I can imagine young Amanda as and what Chris is going through would be similar. It's an aspect that I wish we were given more time with. The more I keep thinking about the film, the more I realize is that's hampered by its short run time. It's an extremely brisk 1 hour and 23 minutes. It moves very quickly. So much that by the time it was over, I was wishing there was more. 

Dermot Mulroney plays Danny, a store owner that has been helping Amanda and Chris. He's an extremely likeable character. I kept hoping that Amanda and him would end up together in the end. Honestly, it probably would happen. What's the downside though? I don't feel like the film utilizes him enough.  

Umma has good characters. It gives us a decent set up. But the run time hampers it all and makes it feel a bit shallow. There are a few jump scares. And thankfully those aren't played to the 'loud noise must accompany it' trope. I feel like if there had been more depth, the film could be more effective. 

Rating: 6 out of 10. (It's okay for a watch, but probably won't revisit it.)

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Check out the blog here.

Thoughts On Netflix's Resident Evil

Hello everyone, welcome back to BlazinBlue's Review. I know it's been a bit of a while since been around. A much needed vacation was needed. Though I honestly ended up doing farm work and continued work on our house. 

Resident Evil. Usually when I hear that title, I'm immediately transported to Raccoon City and hearing Nemesis calling out "S.T.A.R.S." I love the games. I played the hell out of RESIDENT EVIL 2make. Resident Evil 7 was an interesting turn. And I managed to even enjoy RE3make, even though that may have an issue here and there. 

By now, we have had 7 films focusing on this franchise. A few were solid, some were okay, and then there's a couple more that are guilty pleasures. The last one, Welcome to Raccoon City, was definitely one that I enjoyed a lot. I'm hoping that it'll see a sequel as it didn't get quite the turn out due to pandemic. 

We have also had some animated films. Each one has found itself connected to the games timeline. There was also Infinite Darkness, which I have heard that it's not necessarily a fan favorite. 

Netflix announced that they were going to do a live action Resident Evil series. At first, I'll admit I was a bit skeptical. Why? The story has been told a few different times. What could it do different? 

Well, it turns out there's a lot of different things left to approach the material. With this incarnation, its treating the games a bit as canon. But we are also introduced to the Wesker Twins, Jade and Billie. Yes, I said Wesker. Their father is Albert Wesker, played by the awesome Lance Reddick. One of the things I really love about this series is that the story is weaved between two timelines - 2022 and then 2036. So we are able to see a post apocalyptic version of the world. It's honestly has a bit of Mad Max flair in one sequence. 

I honestly was a bit worried. I mean it easily could have felt like something on the CW. Thankfully, it does not fall into that. As of right now, I am two episodes into the season. It has an interesting original story that also shows some familiar RE staples: Dog and giant creatures for example. 

If you are looking for something interesting and entertaining, give this a shot. It's not what we typically think of when we see anything Resident Evil related. It is able to spin things into something new. And that's pretty damn cool. It's a step in the right direction. I am hoping that it does well enough for a Season 2. 

Update: After seeing through Episode 5, I am thrilled to say that this is a step on the right direction. I know there's a bit of negative feedback going around. However, I feel like it's definitely not as bad as they are making it out to be. It has continued to do some awesome things. The way it weaves the stories and Lore of the games in a unique way. It's a solid sequel to the games. And the Easter eggs are so fantastic. 

Episode 4 has a big highlight for me with one sequence. When you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about. 

Episode 5 is definitely Resident Evil through and through. It's just not featured in a Mansion. 

Rating: Recommended. 

Resident Evil is available on Netflix.

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

X (2022)

Ti West's is a director that I can say has a unique approach to his films. His whole filmmaking style is akin to the 70s Era. He had made a few of my favorite horror films (House of the Devil and The Innkeepers). And it was interesting seeing him make an appearance in You're Next. 

Hard to imagine that it's been a while since we had a Ti West film. But when news about his latest film dropped, I was all in. I honestly had no idea what to expect from the film. Of course, I'm talking about X that was released this past March. 

When someone asks you to describe X, what would you tell them? For me, I would definitely say that this is a film that doesn't necessarily hold back. It knows exactly what its going for and is extremely unapologetic about it. It is a bit of a slow burn. But by this point, I would say that it's an aspect that Ti West excels in for his films. 

So if you are someone that doesn't appreciate the slow burn, go check out something else. This isn't for you. 

The story of X follows an adult film production that are trying to break out. They want to hit it big. They want to be loved by many. And most importantly for them, they want the big money. But this is challenged when they encounter an old couple. It's a fairly simple story. One that I definitely would applaud. It's a story that just felt a bit fresh. There are some aspects that harken to other films - very much a Texas Chainsaw vibe being in the forefront.

One of the things that I can say is that all the characters are memorable. Each and every one of them. At first, I was a bit ready to see certain members of the production crew meet their ends. However, West gives us time with them. And before I knew it, I was hoping they'd be okay. 

I think with all of the Legacy Sequels we have been seeing, it lessens the impact of horror. It does seem like everybody is trying to capitalize on Legacy Sequels. However with X, it did prove that people are hungry for original content. And every one is answering the call with so much love for the film. 

The gore in this film does take some time to get to. But when it does, it is extremely worth it. There were a few scenes where there was an uneasiness to everything unfolding. And when that was occurring, I found myself cringing and looking forward to the moment to end. For that, I would say that it is effective. 

Overall, X was an interesting watch. It felt like another lost movie of the 70s as House of the Devil was. It's been interesting seeing the positive response to it. I think it shows that original horror is beginning to make a return. I would definitely recommend it..just don't go full in expecting 100% Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And I look forward to seeing the prequel, Pearl.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

*Full Credit to @creepyduckart for the alternate poster for X. Go check out their Twitter and website for more amazing artwork.*

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Remembering Friday the 13th: The Game

,

Welcome back. On our celebrating Friday the 13th and with Evil Dead: The Game releasing today as well, I thought it could be nice to take a look back at Friday the 13th: The Game.

Growing up, I was interested in seeing more horror games. I mean we had Resident Evil and Silent Hill. But there wasn't many slasher games. It felt odd and like an empty niche that just wasn't been hit. Yeah, we had the Friday the 13th and Elm Street on NES. But those didn't reflect either of those franchises. 

Then I remember hearing about Until Dawn. It was an interactive horror movie. There could be a variety of different endings. It intrigued me. I then played it. It's a fun game. I enjoyed the story they were going for, even if it did fall off at the end. But it left me wanting more. I wanted something more slasher-y...

Fast forward and I begin hearing about Dead by Daylight. A game where get to play as either a killer or a survivor. It felt interesting. The killers they made for it were all interesting and could easily headline their own film. But it just still wasn't it. Even after the licensed killers like Freddy, Michael, Ghost Face, and Leatherface being included. It's fun seeing them in there. But besides Leatherface and Ghost Face, it didn't feel customizable. It felt safe. 

Then it all changed when GUN and Illfonic announced Friday the 13th, I always wanted to play as Jason in DbD. It felt like it was going to be something different, something more aligned with the franchise. It wasn't just an easy cash grab that was a Dead by Daylight clone in a Friday theme. 

I remember when I finally was able to get the game. I am pretty sure I got it when it was around $40. So close to the beginning of it's life, it didn't disappoint. It left me with a smile on my face. One of the best experiences I had with it was playing as a Counselor, the guy playing Jason was running round the map and singing a theme song for his Jason. We could all hear it. It was absolutely fantastic and fun. So completely off the wall to imagine Jason running round doing his thing with a song. 

Then something I began to notice in those early days were that online players weren't as much fun after awhile. People were trolling or just being rude. After switching systems, the community felt different on PS4 than Xbox One. It wasn't as much fun. More formulaic. 

Safe to say, none of that was Illfonic or GUN's fault. They had crafted a game that I loved. It celebrated the franchise in such a way that Dead by Daylight cannot touch. The work that was put on to give fans more options was fantastic. Yeah, it's cool playing as counselor. However, I always had the most fun while playing as Jason. So when towards the end, the option for bots and challenges were given. I was on board. Hell, even the virtual cabin is a fun experience. It's so cool. It gave glimpses of what was in the pipeline. Jason X? Yes, would have loved that. I personally always rooted for seeing Ghost Jason from WOMP STOMP's Never Hike series added. But then the lawsuit happened, the game was backburnered and then dropped. 

Of course, I didn't leave the game. I kept it close. After moving and being switched to satellite internet, Dead by Daylight isn't an option. Instead, I rock the bots mode on F13th or the challenges. It's still fun seeing the different ways things can go. 

Occasionally, there's the small glitch of the bots jumping in and out of windows. I tend to grab them and help them through the window. I had a session yesterday where the counselors finally got a car and trying to escape. I smashed it and stopped them. But for the first time, they were doing things I hadn't expected. Same with calling the cops. It's interesting getting this experience that can only get in bot mode.

But the love have for the game and the films, it keeps me coming back. I just unlocked Part 2 Jason, good ol' Baghead. It's cool seeing him running around. Saw a couple unique kills that made me wince. Pickaxe to the face. Or a counselor being stuck at a pump and Jason using the handle on them. It's interesting having the chance to explore the stuff GUN and Illfonic put together with the context kills. It brings the films to life in an amazing way.

And if what I've seen from Evil Dead so far  is anything like that, I'll be happy. It'll be a worthy successor to a game that was lost ahead of its time. I don't think we'd have Evil Dead The Game without the success of F13th The Game. Till next time.

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Who's Laughing Now: A Look At EVIL DEAD: The Musical

Alright you primitive screw heads, listen up. It's Friday the 13th. But not only that, it seems like the deadites have claimed it as their day. Poor Jason. But on a better note, it means it's Evil Dead: The Game day. So happy Evil Dead Day!

As of right now, I haven't been able to get the game. It's okay, I get to spend my Friday the 13th at Camp Crystal Lake with F13th: The Game. But I thought I'd celebrate by talking about another piece of the Evil Dead franchise. 

No, this isn't going to be a look at Ash Vs. Evil Dead. That will come later. Nah, we going to look at The Musical.

Evil Dead became a musical back in 2003. If you had told me about it, I would been like what? How could Evil Dead work as a musical? There's no way that it could. 

Safe to say, it works. It works really well. I have seen some other musicals in the past. One of the highlights would be Dracula: the Musical. It was something that completely caught me off guard. I was expecting something very light n musically. Nope, Dracula wasn't that. It had a solid rocking soundtrack. It was a good point on what it could be. But how the hell does this tie in to Evil Dead?

Well, thanks to a friend of the blog. I was able to see a video of a 2018 performance. Honestly, that easily shows how well it works as a Musical. Here we are in 2022, it's still going. There are still theaters around that are putting on the show. It's so great to see it still going so strong. 

To start off, this wasn't my first time seeing the Musical. I had the pleasure of seeing a 2006 performance of it. Back then, I thought it was okay. It was a bit rough. The music however is amazing. It's so damn catchy. So catchy that I'll still find myself humming certain ones while doing some things around the house. 

This 2018 production shows how far its come. It was incredible. The music was still there. Everything was working like gang busters. For those interested, it does blend the story of Evil Dead 1 and 2 into a pretty seamless story. It works so well. The actors and actresses that are in it fit extremely well. While watching, it's so easy to see how much love and passion does go into it. This isn't just some quick money maker. No, this is something for the fans. 

One of the best things is the actor playing Ash. I mean it makes absolute sense that they'd have to find somebody to deliver as it all hinges on them in a way. In this specific video, the actor leads the show so extremely well. It left me wanting to see more. And I'll always have more as I'll continue to listen to the soundtrack.

It's incredible how far Evil Dead has come. It's movies, comics, tv show, and a musical. Absolutely incredible. It brilliantly shows the staying power of this franchise that's been handled properly. And I'm excited to see where it continues to go. 

If you have a chance of seeing Evil Dead: The Musical, go do it. Don't sit on it. I'm sure it's an incredible experience to see in person. It's always my hope that one day I'll get the chance. But living in Michigan, it's kinda hard to do. Till next time.

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Elm Street Retrospective: Wes Craven's New Nightmare

It's been awhile since we visited the town of Springwood. I honestly thought I had finished all of my Retrospective on the Elm Street films. However, that appeared to be wrong. So let's rectify that, shall we? 

*For those interested, I have covered Freddy vs. Jason and Elm Street 2010. Feel free to check them out.*

After the failure of Freddy's Dead, it seemed like the Elm Street franchise had been put to rest. New Line had finally found a way to put Freddy to rest. They were ready to move on. However, something interesting happened. The fans weren't ready to say goodbye. They still were hoping for more. 

To make this even more special, the 10 year anniversary of the original was right around the corner. Everything was coming together in just the right way. Members of the original cast were returning. And Wes Craven was happy to revisit his creation one more time. 

What a better way to go out than to have the one that created it to wrap it up? By this point, Wes had done so many different kind of films. He was so ready to make sure that this would be different than the more comedic entries. It was a return to its roots. It was a return in such a special way. It threw everything that fans were expecting out the window. Instead, Wes was trying such a different approach with the meta elements of New Nightmare. It was a prototype in a way to what he'd later go on to do with Scream. 

I have seen some people say that New Nightmare isn't great. For me, this was an entry I'd place on the more meaningful side of the franchise. Whenever I wasn't feeling the greatest and was home sick, I'd either put on Indiana Jones or New Nightmare. Sometimes I'd switch it up and watch the original Nightmare. So in a way, it became a comfort movie for me. When the news of Wes's passing happened, this was the first film of his I watched. 

New Nightmare was so unique. It blended the meta and film elements together in such a refreshing way. It allowed us to find a way to fear Freddy once again. Well, the entity that portrayed Freddy in the film. For some, I could see that as a cop out. However, this added a new feel of menace to the character. Especially considering that this was now the 'thing that the first caveman was afraid of' that Wes had talked about in the past. So immediately it set this into a more mythological approach in a way. This is immediately evident at the end of the film with the Lair. 

One thing that I will say is that I feel the 'Reel Freddy' design is a bit cheesy. Long trenchcoat probably is a large reason why. Why was this needed? I get that some may say it evokes the Witch from Hansel and Gretel. But partially, it feels dumb.  The new glove that he uses is cool though. It's a definite upgrade over the original. 

This film was a love letter to the original and the franchise. It was Wes way of saying thanks as well. All of the parallels between the original and this work together really well. 

Another high point for me was the cast. Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon's performances are super solid. Miko Hughes as Dylan was also great. This here was a character that felt close to my age. He was able to do so much. And the fact that the film does hang on whether or not it works is interesting. Robert Englund also steals the show with his performance. It's familiar yet eerily not. The thing that I wish we had more of was Robert Englund as Robert Englund. It feels like he was just dropped too early and was a missing plot hole. 

There is a bit of cheese, in my opinion, with the use of Hansel and Gretel. It just felt a bit convenient. It helped wrap the film up in a nice bow. But ultimately, New Nightmare was a very welcome addition to the franchise. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Fresh (2022)

When I first began hearing about Fresh, it was with that initial trailer. It immediately stood out amongst all the other horror trailers that had been seeing at the time. It was just something unique, something off the cuff. It was an injection of something fresh into the genre. 

When it had ended, I immediately thought it felt a little familiar to Netflix's hit show, You. In fact, I thought that was pretty much exactly how it would play out. I mean Sebastian Stan comes across very Joe-like in the glimpses we received in the trailer. He was very kind and nailed the nice guy portrayal. 

However, I am so glad that I went into the film expecting one experience. It allowed Fresh to come out of left field and blind side with an incredible twist I never saw coming. My partner watched this with me. They had heard about the film on one of their podcasts that they listen to. So their experience was interesting because they got to see my reaction to everything. 

This is a very small film. It's not big and over the top. Well, it is but it isn't. When you watch the film, you'll understand what I mean about that. For the most part, this is a film that wouldn't feel out of place in Blumhouse's Into The Dark. 

The performances in the film are incredible. Every one of the actors and actresses bring something to the table. It results in a film that feels so unpredictable. One could say that it represents a descent into madness or maybe one character's perspective. 

I wasn't exactly sure what it would be like when I went into it. I knew that Iiked Netflix's You and this could be a little like that. However, this is a film that is so much more than that. It manages to carve itself a little niche that can stand out. As of right now, it is absolutely safe to say that Fresh is among my Top 10 of 2022 so far. And honestly, I hope we can get a sequel set in the world that is established as there could be some different ways to take it.

If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out. It's available to catch on Hulu. 

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Session 9 (2001)

This past weekend was date night with my partner. We went out to eat at our favorite little diner (it's been open since the 1930s) and went antiquing (I scored an Alien #4 from Marvel). We closed out our night by booting up Shudder. We were a bit torn at what to watch since there is so much on there. However, I remember that I kept hearing about Session 9.

Besides the typical hearing that it was great and something should check out, I didn't know anything about the movie. This made it an interesting experiment as just diving in blind. Honestly, if you are thinking about checking it out - go do it. Stop reading and just go check it out. It'll result in a super interesting experience. 

The synopsis for Session 9 is as follows: 

A tale of terror when a group of asbestos removal workers start work in an abandoned insane asylum. The complex of buildings looms up out of the woods like a dormant beast. Grand, imposing ... abandoned, deteriorating. The residents of Danvers, Massachusetts steer well clear of the place. But Danvers State Mental Hospital, closed down for 15 years, is about to receive five new visitors...

Now, this was the best synopsis for the film. The one that's available on IMDB sucks. It sadly reveals a little more information about the film than what one should know. The best way to experience it is by going in blind. I think now that I know what happens, I may revisit it again. But again, go in blind if you can. 

That said, Session 9 was released in 2001. It was a really small release. From what I could gather, it didn't break any huge ground back then. It could be consider a failure. However over the years, it has managed to find its audience. To the point that now, Session 9 could be considered a cult classic. 

This film was an experience. Going into it, I was thinking that it'd be a little along the lines of Grave Encounters but with an asbestos crew. However, this film was not that. I was honestly not prepared in the very least for what this film is. I didn't see much of where the story was going to go or what was going on. The film does go out of its way a bit to let you experience it through Gordon's perspective mostly. Yeah, we get time with all the asbestos crew. But it just feels like times where we see through Gordon's perspective specifically. 

This whole crew is interesting. I will give it that much. However, they are all assholes. Well, maybe not Gordon's nephew. But pretty much everyone else is an asshole. There is ulterior motives for each and every one of them. I was very much surprised to see Dave Caruso in the film. However, he has a moment that is just legendary. The way he performs the scene is just fantastic. 

Overall, Session 9 was a bit creepy. It did have a good atmosphere to it. The ending was something that I didn't see coming. Upon second watch, I did realize there is a bit of foreshadowing with it. I just wish I liked it more than I did.  It felt a little lacking in scares as well as any answers for what was happening and why.  It is for a good one time watch though.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Session 9 can be found streaming on Shudder.

Follow BlazinBlue's Review on Facebook, Twitter,  and Instagram.