The Conjuringverse: The Nun - 9/13/22

    Hello everyone, I hope everyone's having a fantastic week so far. We have reached the month where we are going to be focusing on two franchises. In celebration of Spooky Season, I wanted to revisit The Conjuring films. I realized that I had covered La Llorona and Devil Made Me Do It, but I hadn't talked about any of the other entries. So why not talk about them now? It seemed very appropriate as we had just received word not too long ago about another entry - The Nun 2. I'm still waiting for that Crooked Man movie that we were teased when Conjuring 2 was being released. It also felt appropriate when I started thinking about the old Universal Monster movies. If anything, The Conjuring Films felt very in the vein of what a present day Universal Monster movie would be. I mean I'd also throw Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween into that as well. 

    

    The other side of films that we are going to talk about is the Hellraiser films. I know that there's quite a few of them. I questioned whether or not to cover just the first four and the upcoming remake from Hulu. But I said to hell with it, might as well bust that bitch of a puzzle box wide open. And the best way of covering all these films, well by alternating of course. 

    

    Moving back to the Conjuring side of things, I wanted to take a different approach. I mean I have watched the films as they were being released. Each film felt very much like an event film. But I know they were trying to craft a bit of a larger story. So, I thought why not watch them in Chronological Order this time around. And the first stop is in Romania in 1952. 

    

    The Nun is an interesting first place to start. It honestly sets the world up relatively well. It's a bit of a smaller story. But the way the film opens with glimpses of the Warrens, it's like leaving small little bread crumbs and has the audience wondering who they are. So for a newcomer to the franchise, this may not be a bad way to do so. 

    The synopsis is as follows When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together, they uncover the order's unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.

    One of the big highlights of The Nun for me is its atmosphere. Its a bit dark and dreary. The way that the camera will linger on the shadows is haunting with its darkness. You always feel the presence of the haunting evil. At first, we are not given a name to this evil. But as the story unfolds we discover the name of Valak. It's all oozing the Universal Monsters feel. Honestly, this is one of my favorite entries because of it. 

    While we do see a bit of Valak, its story isn't fully expressed in this entry. There are some hints as to what happened. The Duke of St. Corta had summoned the Demon and the Church stopped. Then it had made the convent as a way of holding the evil at bay. It's a pretty bold big task that the Sisters of the Abbey have to do. Not having to question why, just following with their faith. Definitely something that I could never do. Mainly, Valak is there for brief appearances. I applaud them for handling it that way. It could have been extremely easy to just showcase Valak and have it in your face a whole lot more than they do. 

    The characters is another thing I really enjoy about the film. Sister Irene is a bit doe-eyed, but is not afraid of questioning things. This is something that is illustrated as she's teaching a lesson to a class at the beginning of the film with her talk about the dinosaurs and penguins. Her questioning things is a huge strength for her. She's also not afraid of seeking out the answers she needs. Father Burke is what I'd compare to the Father from The Exorcist. He's seen some things and has been round the block. This isn't his first rodeo. But when someone needs a job done, he doesn't hesitate. However, he seems to be on a path of rediscovering his faith and questioning whether he made the right call on a previous case. Through the course of his story, he's able to put those to rest. And then there's Frenchie, who has a bit of a heart of gold. That's honestly one of his best characteristics as he could have let Burke and Irene meet a bad fate. He wants to be able to help people and ultimately gives everything to do so when the time is right. He's also a good viewpoint for the audience as he says when situations are terrible. He understands exactly that it's a mistake to be there and wants to get out of there as fast as possible. 

    While I mentioned before that this just oozes Universal Monsters feeling to it, one of the fun easter eggs I noticed was Valak's shadow. It feels like a wonderful homage to Bram Stoker's Dracula as it starts as a shadow and creeps around with Irene following it before it emerges behind her. It's a bit of a scare that worked so wonderfully this time around. Another easter egg is the buggy's plate reading 

6-VA-01LAK. It just showcases how much Valak's presence is felt in the film as well as calling back to moments in The Conjuring 2 (I know we haven't gotten there yet, but bear with me). 

    The scares in the film weren't all jump scares. Don't get me wrong, there's a fair share of those. But moments where I was expecting there to be a jumpscare, surprisingly jumpscare free. And a big highlight of that is when Burke, Irene, and Frenchie investigate the ice house - Sister Victoria. I think it's Sister Victoria. Frenchie had left her lying down, yet she was sitting upright. When Burke reaches for her, I found myself squirming in my seat a little bit. I was prepared for the jump scare. With the right sound system, it does accentuate the scares in the film. This watch through I had the opportunity to watch it with a small 16" ONN Soundbar. It's small yet managed to pack a hell of a punch. The one instance of the scare not working for me was Burke's run in with Daniel. It was creepy and very atmospheric, but punctuated with the gurge of the snake from Daniel. If it wasn't for that small moment, the rest of it would have worked so well for me. 

    There were times where I found myself questioning what was going on. The sisters that Irene and Burke had seen - were they all ghosts? Was The Abbess a ghost? Or was it Valak messing with them? How much can Valak influence things? What is Valak's abilities? One way I could read it was that Irene saw all the sisters because of her ability to see. She mentions early on that she had visions growing up. This could be a form of clarevoyance that we see later on in the films. Honestly, the more that I think about it. The more that makes sense as I don't recall Burke interacting with any of the other sisters besides Abbess. 

    With this being the first film in our watch, it's nice seeing the small connecting moments of the Warrens discussion. It establishes them in a pretty unique way, almost in a Marvel-like way. But it also wraps up Frenchie's story and illustrates that sometimes not everything gets a happy ending. But that's a story for another day. 

With our next installment, we travel to 1955 where a husband and wife open their house to a nun and her six orphans. Yeah, that's right. We get to talk about Annabelle: Creation. Till next time. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5. 

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Bonus Review: DASHCAM (2021)

Hello everyone and welcome back, I love when movies have the same titles. It's then a random game of chance sometimes when you are trying to find them. Which one are you going to find? If you don't put a lot of thought into it, the one your not looking for. 

This is exactly what happened to me when I was looking for Dashcam (2022). I started the film and the title came on and said Dashcam. Cool. Then I sat and watched the story begin to unfold. Huh, not much mention of pandemic exactly. Oh well, it probably not a big deal. But then I stopped for a minute and remembered that Rob Savage directed Dashcam (2022). I looked at the credits again and this was directed by Christian Nilsson. It also featured Larry Fessenden. 

It turns out that there was a film called Dashcam that was released in 2021. 

Now at this point, I could have said okay and turned it off. However, this was an extremely interesting rabbit hole I was finding myself in. The synopsis for Dashcam (2021) is as follows: A psychological thriller following Jake, a reclusive news editor, who is inadvertently sent secret dashcam video evidence that points to a possible conspiracy and cover-up involving high-ranking government officials.

Just like Jake found himself in this journey, I found myself deep into this rabbit hole as well. I had already became hooked into the story. I liked the characters. Each and every cast member delivers a solid performance. I loved the way the film is told. It's very much in the found footage feel that Host had inspired. So, I continued as Jake continued. This is an experience that I honestly can say I've never had with a film before. It allowed me to connect in a whole new way. 

The story is great. It has a lot of political overtones with side of government conspiracy. So it just turns the amount of tension through the roof. As the film continued, I found myself becoming more unnerved with everything as well. Whenever there was a creak or a sound outside the door, I found myself holding my own breath. It's just such an effective film. 

With one small mistake, I found something that I would not change for the world. It allowed me to see this film in such a unique way. And it probably helped a lot. 

Would I recommend checking this out? If you are searching for a good thriller, I would definitely. It's just something won't return to for multiple viewings probably. But do go in completely blind. 

Rating: 3.25 out of 5. (Solid memorable experience.).

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Films To Die For: The Hamiltons (2006) - 9/12/22

 

    Hello everyone. Thank you if you've been checking back to look at the reviews. If you have and think others would like, please help spread the word. I love being able to share my thoughts on films. Fingers crossed that maybe down the road at some point, this can become something sustainable. 

    Today, let's take a trip back to 2006. It was a much simpler time. Horror was undergoing a change. We had seen quite a few remakes alongside Saw and Hostel leading the new wave. When I think back to the mid-2000s, I also remember the indie horrors that were beginning to find their footing. We hadn't seen a lot of indie horrors breaking ground. But it feels like the After Dark: 8 Films To Die For were able to help push indie horror a little bit. 

    For those that don't remember, the 8 Films To Die For was a festival of sorts. They chose low budget horror films to highlight and unleash them upon the world. Some of these worked really well. Some of them were a bit eh. And then there's probably some that were just downright bad. This was something that was never forgotten. And when I found a box set of that initial lineup at a nearby pawn shop, I snatched it up. I had seen maybe one or two of them before. But now, it feels like a good time to look back at them with this series. 

    Every once in a while, we will focus on one of the 8 Films To Die For. If this manages to do well, maybe there'll be a Season 2 with the next lineup. 

    One of the films that caught my interest when I watched my first film in this series, The Gravedancers, was The Hamiltons. It seemed like it was a step outside the norm. That was one of the things I greatly appreciate about each film, they all are their own unique story. And The Hamiltons stood out. 

    The story of Hamiltons is as follows: Four siblings, who harbor some dark secrets, try to fend for themselves after the mysterious death of their parents.

    While it's a simple story, the thing that managed to work so well for me is that it's about family. Each of the characters work so well together to be a believable family unit. Francis (Cory Knauf) is our main look into the family. He doesn't fit in at school or at home. Truly, an odd man out amongst his family. One of the interesting things is seeing him try to figure out who he is. David (Samuel Child) is the head of the family - big brother. He's doing his best to take care of his family. He tries to craft a picture perfect image of what the family is. Sometimes I wonder if it was for his own sanity, or maybe he doesn't have any. Darlene (Mackenzie Firgens) tries to play things a bit looser than David. She understands what the family is and embraces it. Then, we have Wendell (Joseph McKelheer) - an absolute loose cannon. One minute he could be your friend, the next want to put you in the ground. 

    At first, I didn't know where the story was going to go. I knew that there was something going on with the family. But I absolutely did not expect it to lead to -------- SPOILERS: vampires. It definitely leads to a very unique take on vampire mythos. These aren't your typical movie monsters. They don't hide from the sunlight, but thrive in it. It helps it stand out amongst other vampire films. Especially as it treats it more of a genetic deficiency or abnormality. 

    And one of the things I will applaud is the cast. This is a group of actors and actresses that are able to do extremely well with the material. I wish there had been more time with David. For the most part, we spend the most time with Francis, Darlene and Wendell. I honestly wonder what it could have been if they had been given a larger budget. I understand that there is a sequel, The Thompsons. Safe to say, I'll be checking that one out too. So stay tuned. 

    Overall, the 8 Films To Die For was a fantastic experiment. It did push the boundaries and establish a solid marketing plan for Direct to Video films. The Hamiltons is one that I found to be very unique amongst the first lineup. It has a very strong voice and identity. It knows exactly what it's trying to be while successfully establishing a mythos. It's one that I can definitely see myself return to as well. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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The Tax Collector - 9/8/22

 

Welcome back, here we are with our third new review. I hope that everyone’s been enjoying things so far. If you’ve been tuning in, you may have noticed that I’m adding a bit more variety to what’s being covered. Our main focus will be horror, but if I only covered one thing it may be a little boring right? That is one of the reasons why I decided to start having more variety during the small break that I had. 

Typically for Father’s Day, my family gets me a t-shirt and a movie. My first Father’s Day is one that I’ll never forget. I received a Batman shirt with the movie Zoombies. (As of right now, I’m not entirely sure if I covered Zoombies here on the blog yet. If I haven’t, maybe I will - if enough people ask for it. So if you want to see me cover Zoombies, let me know on Twitter or Leave a Comment Below.) This year’s gifts were a Funko Pennywise Popper and a movie - The Tax Collector. My son’s reasoning was that the cover looked like a horror movie. So it’d be scary. And Dad likes scary movies. 

The other day, I had the pleasure of finally sitting down to watch it. The Tax Collector is a simple story - A "tax collector" working for a local crime lord finds his family's safety compromised when the rival of his boss shows up in L.A. and upends the business. It stars Bobby Soto, Cinthyia Carmona and Shia LaBeouf. There is even an appearance from George Lopez. 

At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the film. I knew that at some point Bobby Soto’s family would be in danger. So going in, my brain was like ‘Okay, this will be like The Punisher.’. However, I wasn’t prepared for the film to have so much heart to it. It spends a good amount of time showing Bobby Sato’s family life. It allows us to feel for them. And then when things hit the fan, they sure do hit the fan. In one moment, the bullets began flying and caught me off guard. I honestly wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. 

There is a good amount of action in the film. It just takes a little bit to get there. I did find myself questioning whether or not to turn it off. But that was because I was a little impatient. I was expecting guns to the wall action from the very beginning. And honestly going in with that mindset, it does the film a disservice. But it does deliver when it gets there.

All the actors and actresses do a solid job in the film. Yes, even Shia LaBeouf. I haven’t seen anything with Shia LaBeouf since Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon. I like him as an actor. I like him in the Transformers movies. However, he does have some range. It is just unfortunate that some of his decisions have affected his acting. Bobby Soto was someone that I hadn’t seen before. After seeing his performance in this, I am 100% on board with seeing other things with him in it. And then there’s George Lopez. Honestly, I couldn’t put it past me that it was George Lopez. He tries to be a little harder edged. But my brain was like “Ha, George Lopez.”. 

The thing that absolutely hit me the most was when the credits started rolling. This was a David Ayer film. As soon as I knew that, everything clicked. Yeah, there’s a good chunk of action. But it takes its time and has some heart. And that’s because it’s a David Ayer film. So if David Ayer isn’t your thing, then this won’t be for you. However, if you do like David Ayer, give this a shot. Or go in with an open mind. It’s an interesting film that left me thinking bout some of the things that happened as well as wanting to know where it could go next. Though, chances of this getting a sequel is a bit slim. The nice thing is if you pay attention to other Ayer films, you’ll notice some smaller characters. 

Overall, The Tax Collector was a bit of a surprise. I am so grateful that it was a Father’s Day gift. It makes me smile knowing that my son has an idea of what kind of films I’ll enjoy. It’s definitely better than Zoombies. And it may be one that I’ll return to at some point. 

Rating: 3.25 out of 5. 

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American Zombieland (2020) - 9/7/22

 

    Welcome back to BlazinBlue’s Review. Yesterday, we had the pleasure of talking about Ghoulies and Ghoulies II in a fantastic double feature. Today, I’m here with a look at another film. While I have had a few entries in the It Came From The Dollar Tree, I believe that I’ve found a film that would fit right at home there. One that doubles down on its American-ness. One that isn’t afraid to be bold and completely over the top. One that doubles down on the use of fart jokes. If you’ve looked through your local Dollar Tree shelves, you may have found it. I’m here to talk about American Zombieland. 

Now, American Zombieland is a film that most won’t like. It has a very unique approach to what it’s trying to do. It completely gives all it has with its clear guerilla style filmmaking approach. It never takes itself seriously one bit. Oh, did I mention that there is literally no budget to this film? And then there is the absolute icing on the cake. American Zombieland wasn’t the original title for the film. No, no. They were going to be absolutely in your face with what type of film it is with its original title. And that was Fat Ass Zombies. If I had to guess why they changed the name? They were probably trying to pull an Asylum and capitalize on the use of ‘Zombieland’. I mean it makes sense when you consider it had only been a few years since we had seen the release of Zombieland 2. Surely, people would forget right? 

The cast for American Zombieland is a complete group of unknowns. Each one delivers an okay performance. For me, I’m someone that tries not to outright hate on movies. I can usually manage to find something interesting about each film that I watch. With this film, it has a few memorable members of its cast. If I had to label what kind of characters are featured in the film, I could have a lot of fun. Just imagine a movie that features a Tiger King wannabe, an aspiring filmmaker that can’t make a film to save their life, a teacher that pines after the filmmaker, two identical twins (who look nothing alike), and a clear theatrical performer. Those are basically the types you’d find. 

The story for the film is extremely simple. A Hostess type company makes Freedom Cakes (Ding Dongs), which leads people to acquire a hunger that turns them into zombies. Then the filmmaker and his ragtag group of survivors take it upon themselves to film a movie in the ZombIe Apocalypse. They even go as far as to utilize ‘real zombies’ as zombies in the film. No zombies were harmed in the filming of this movie. Honestly, it did feel a bit like it was trying to harness similar energy as Shaun of the Dead. It definitely doesn’t stand up to that level that Shaun had managed to capture. 

There are zombies in the movie. However, they look like actors with white makeup caked on them. Definitely illustrates just how low budget this film had to work with. There were one or two of the zombies that were memorable. Just probably not in the way that one would hope. 

What does all of this lead to? Well, it leads to a film that is extremely over the top. It honestly felt like something of a fever dream. Many times I was left just wondering what was going on in the film. It wouldn’t have felt out of place as an Asylum movie, except with an incredibly lower budget. You know how sometimes you have a cold and take some medicine then decide to watch a movie? How there may be parts where the film just blows by in an instant and then you don’t know how it went from Part A to Part C? Well, that’s definitely the type of experience that you get with American Zombieland. And if that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t be disappointed. Is it something that I’ll come back to? No.

Rating: 1.75 Tiger Kings out of 5 Tiger Kings.

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Ghoulies (1985) / Ghoulies II (1987) - 9/6/22

Hello everyone, Matthew here with some more reviews. I mentioned before that I was going to discuss some of the films that I had the opportunity to watch while I was bedridden with COVID. Well, I figured why the hell not kick things off with doing just that. There weren't a lot of them. But there were one or two. 

It absolutely boggles my mind to think that there are people out there that will never have the opportunity of going to their local video store. It’s also incredibly saddening. I have countless memories of going into our local video store on a Friday Night after school. The sensation of perusing the shelves as the waves and waves of VHS covers flowing oer you. It was calming to do. The VHS covers alone were always amazing. Yes, even Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning. The DVD and Blu Ray covers nowadays cannot even hold a candle to those VHS covers. I will give them some credit that they try at times. Shout! Factory/Scream Factory is fantastic with giving you those original covers if you’d like the option. 

Some of those VHS covers that I remember so vividly are Ghoulies, Ghoulies II, The Gate 2, Ice Cream Man and Dr. Giggles to name a few. Each of them just having those striking visuals. It just immediately was able to capture your attention and imagination. The next thing you know, you’d find yourself just wondering what the film was about. Then if you managed to pass on them, they would still stay in your memory til your next trip. Almost challenging you to take a chance and check them out. 

Imagine my surprise when I was reading Nat Brehmer’s Puppet Master Complete and hearing about Charles Band’s Empire Pictures days. For those that don’t know, Charles Band is responsible for Full Moon and in those last days for Empire - he also was behind Ghoulies and Ghoulies II. His whole motto was to craft a marketing plan that would be so enthralling that it’d grab your attention and not let go. With Ghoulies that was definitely the case as the cover illustrated the forementioned Ghoulie popping up out of a toilet. In one image, it was able to sell you on exactly the type of film you were in for. 

One day, I found myself choosing 10 movies to pick up for the weekend. Out of the corner of my eye, that cover was drawing my attention. I whisked it up along with the sequel and eight other films. At that time, my mother was with me and didn’t really care what rented. There’s a lot more to that story but won’t get into it here. The next morning, I found myself unsure of what exactlly I had watched. Ghoulies and Ghouies II had creatures in them. I was certain of that. It was one of the reasons why I had enjoyed it so much. But other than that, the first film was all but a blur. The second film I knew was more focused around a carnival. But one thing I do know is that I had watched those two films more than any of the others I had rented that weekend. 

In the years since, I kept remembering Ghoulies and Ghoulies II. It was just one of those fond memories of when times were a bit easier and was able to have movie marathons on the weekends. There’s honestly nothing else like it. Some may even say it’s like a warm comforting blanket. 

So when I became bed ridden with COVID, I thought one day that I’d take a look into what was available on TUBI. Tubi is a wonderful free streaming app that has so much variety to its offerings. You can watch Batman ‘66 with Adam West one minute and the next find yourself taking a stroll in Springwood with Freddy’s Nightmares. I know a lot of people have been praising Tubi and saying that it’s one of the best streamers available and I’d happily agree. Shudder and Tubi are two of the best streamers for Horror. ScreamBox is getting there now. But I found myself browsing the horror selection and found Ghoulies and Ghoulies II. Immediately, I was hit with those warm nostalgic feelings and hit play. 

The first Ghoulies honestly didn’t hold up for me. It felt like such a mish mash of several different elements striving to come together to tell a story. It’s a story about a man discovering himself and aspects of himself that he never knew of. It’s a story involving small creatures terrorizing a group of people at a party. It’s a story involving a reincarnated Wizard or Warlock(?). Is that the best way to describe the zombified weirdo that comes up from the ground? The feeling that the film evoked felt so familiar with something I had watched this past year. I just couldn’t manage to place a finger on it. Then when the credits rolled, I felt like I was slapped in the face. Spookies. 

For those that remember, I covered Spookies last year for the 31 for 31 Halloween I did. It was just such a bizarre film that was made up of various different elements. Whether or not that managed to succeed in a good film, that’s up to the viewer to decide. I know it has managed to find an audience in the years since its release. And honestly, I’d recommend a Ghoulies/Spookies double feature. 

It’s not to say that Ghoulies is bad. It’s obvious that it was made with a certain plan in mind. Low budget guerilla filmmaking. It’s something that we honestly don’t see much of nowadays and that’s a shame. Hopefully one day, we will be able to see that type of filmmaking make a return. It just feels like it’s unsure of itself. Does it double down on the creatures or does it double down on the magic? Does it double down on trying to establish the characters or does it double down on the fact that these are cookie cutter characters? Does the film have stakes? These were all questions I found myself asking. 

For the most part, I would say that the creatures are the most memorable aspect in this first film. They each have their own unique design. I know I’ve found myself loving the Cat Ghoulie to the point where I’ve been looking at the Replicas that have been made by Trick Or Treat Studios. They are evil demonic entities. They do whatever they want and however they want as long as it serves their master’s wishes. 

Other than that, the first film’s story just didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. I found myself a little confused as the story progressed to the point where I rewatched part of the film to figure out exactly what was going on. There is some gore in the film and some frightening images. However by the end of the film, I was hoping that there’d be more stakes. It felt like things just were undone and characters were all saved for a happy ending. Why? Why couldn’t there be consequences for character’s actions? It did give a good Haunted House feeling to the film though. I will give it that. However with Ghoulies, I don’t know if I’ll return to it again.

After the first film finished, I took a deep breath and hit play on the second installment. Yes, I did see that Ghoulies III and Ghoulies IV are also available on TUBI. No, I haven’t watched them yet and unsure if I’ll get to them. Maybe on another bedridden day, I’ll decide to. 

Ghoulies II immediately was a whole new bag of tricks. It immediately tossed aside the surviving cast of the first film. Instead, we find a priest running to a warehouse with a bag full of Ghoulies. His whole goal is to attempt to boil them in acid before they can inflict any harm to anyone else. Noble goal. However, it doesn’t last long for him and he’s knocked into the acid by a flying Ghouie. Yes, we have more Ghoulies in this film. Except the big different this time around, they don’t have a master to serve. So the kid gloves are off for them. They are able to inflict any harm on anyone they wish. 

The Ghoulies find themselves into the back of a truck of Royal Dano’s Carnival Magician and his nephew. They arrive at a travelling carnival. And then things are off to the races. The Ghoulies manage to blend in to Royal Dano’s attraction schtick - House of Horrors. Royal Dano is honestly the one actor that I managed to remember the most besides Phil Fondacaro. Everyone else delivers an okay performance to make the most out of the film. 

It was honestly so refreshing to see the Ghoulies able to enact mayhem and have it have consequences. Characters die in this film and by the end, don’t return. There’s not necessarily a happy ending. There’s no undo button. Things happen and the blood flies. I would say the interesting solution to the Ghoulie problem: How does one kill a Ghoulie? By summoning an even bigger Ghoulie. That was pretty interesting. Yeah, it’s a man in a monster suit. But ya know what? Who cares. It’s fun. It definitely makes the film very memorable and dare I say it - surpasses the first film. 

Overall, Ghoulies II was a lot of fun. It’s in on the joke. It knows that it’s B-Movie over the top goodness. It knows exactly what people want to see going into it and delivers. It doesn’t overstay its welcome with a plump runtime - no we get a lean mean 1 hour 20 minute machine. And it’s effective. 

Ghoulies Rating: 2.5 Cat Ghoulies out of 5. 

Ghoulies II Rating: 3.75 Cat Ghoulies out of 5. 

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We're Back!

 

    Hello everyone, How's everyone been? I can say that it's been an interesting few months here. When I decided to take a break it was cause things were beginning to become a little overwhelming. I was doing my best to try and stay focused on so many things at once. Being there for my family, being a good husband, taking care of a small farm with all the animals it comes with (3 goats, 50 chickens, 3 dogs, and 5 cats). It was all very overwhelming. I was also dealing with getting used to my dentures. It was good that got them, but it was a little difficult getting used to them. Believe me when they say it takes awhile, they aren't kidding. 

    Things were getting back on track. Everything was looking on the up and up. Then we all ended up getting COVID. That honestly knocked the wind out of me. Having had it twice now, the first time I was so lucky to get the small symptoms. This time, it was just absolutely bad. Thankfully, we all managed to make it out safely. During my time with COVID, I was able to watch some movies from TUBI. Yes, I'll be doing some reviews for them as well. So stay tuned for that. 

    For those that haven't heard the great news yet, I was able to get a Chromebook finally. So now I am able to handle things in a more professional manner. No longer will I have to be typing up reviews on my phone. It was nice having that available to me. However, it is something that I am glad to now have the Chromebook. On the plus side, it means that I'll also be able to use my phone for more things like reading books. Woo! 

    Today, we also received news that Hellraiser is going to be released on Hulu on October 7th. As of right now, there was a 15 second trailer to help whet the appetites and get people to start talking. I haven't checked it out yet. I honestly don't know if I will. I think I'll let myself go in blind for watching Hellraiser. I've seen the original series and enjoyed it a lot. One of the things that been handling is all these ideas that I have. All the movies I would like to review or all the books I'd like to read. I'm not exactly a fast reader - so bear with me on book reviews. I've been trying my best to figure out the plans for content. I have a notebook that has things planned out for August, September, and October. However as with the nature of things, I tend to change things up as I'm trying to find my rhythm. 

    At this point, I'm pretty positive and confident that I'll be able to hit my stride and rhythm. With having the Chromebook, it's definitely a game changer. Earlier I had tweeted asking what would be good for September. I am happy to announce what the schedule will be for September and October. 

September

Hellraiser/Conjuringverse 

Orphan

Orphan: First Kill

Ghoulies

Ghoulies II

October

Hulu's Hellraiser

Halloween Ends

Stephen King-tober

    Thank you everyone for all the warm welcomes back. I am thrilled to be back. And super excited to see what the future holds for BlazinBlue's Review. 

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Whoever Wins, We Lose: AVP - Alien Vs. Predator

Hello everyone, hope everyone's doing well. Also if you haven't had a chance yet, go check out Prey on Hulu in the Comanche dub. I loved the film, but the Comanche is a whole new level of immersion in the story they are telling. And it should not be missed. 

So far, we have covered the Predator films - a ranking will be coming after I cover the Alien films. I consider all the films to be connected. So stay tuned as we will get to the Alien films down the road. But why not take a peek at the two films connecting Alien and Predator?

I am talking about 2004's AVP: Alien Vs. Predator and 2007's Aliens Vs. PREDATOR: Requiem. 

Now, crossover films are something that have been featured in films before. The Universal Monsters did it with Frankenstein vs. Wolfman and Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein. New Line Cinema did it with the long awaited Freddy Vs. Jason to success. So, it made sense that 20th Century Fox would do so with Alien and Predator. Especially as this had been featured in comics and games for awhile by this point. 

When I first heard about the film, I was excited. I hadn't had the pleasure of seeing either a Predator or Alien film in theater yet. So this would be my first time seeing them on the big screen. I remember the summer of 2004 very fondly as we had just switched our cable services and I had discovered TechTV, later becoming G4. That summer it seemed like every other commercial break was for Alien Vs. Predator. I could not help but be excited for it. 

I had heard that Paul W. S. Anderson was directing the film. By this point, I was already a fan of the first Resident Evil film. So I wanted to see what he would do with the film. Then word had gotten out that Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff's ADI would be responsible for the Predator and Alien effects. Again, 16 year old me was excited. 

I even had tracked down the novelization and read it. It's still super solid even with its differences from the film. 5 Predators instead of the 3 we received. Like the Spider-Man novelization,  there were at least three readthroughs up to the release of the film.

On the opening day, my Dad and I went to see the film. It made absolute sense as we already watched the first two Predator films a lot while I was growing up. So it meant a lot getting to see it. 

When I walked out the theater, I was pretty happy with it. Yeah, I understood that it was missing something.  The rating was PG13 after all. So, the action in the film did feel like it lacked an impact when it came to the humans. However, there was Alien and Predator blood flying everywhere. And that made me pretty happy. The cast all delivered pretty solid performances. Each and every one of them was very believable. When I compare it to Freddy Vs. Jason, I feel like AVP was a better film. 

For the most part, Paul W. S. Anderson did have a solid idea of the Alien films. On the Predator side of things, it felt like it could have used a little bit more work. 

AVP is a film that I would consider a comfort film. It's fun to throw on and have for background noise. It delivers a simple story. The action is pretty solid, could have been better. But when the Queen is let loose, it's pretty damn cool. Grid was an interesting idea to give us an Alien that was antagonist. And if I am going to watch any version, I'll be throwing the Unrated on. The Unrated Cut feels safely at home between both franchises. It also definitely leans heavily on the Alien elements.

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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GET TO THE CHOPPAH: THE PREDATOR (2018)

After 2010s Predators wasn't as successful as the studio was hoping for, 20th Century Fox decided to put the franchise to bed for a bit. This was the second time that an installment featuring a Predator had failed, previous one being Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem. Thus, the franchise went into hibernation. 

However after some time, I believe 20th Century Fox had been seeing what other studios were doing. I mean it makes absolute sense as a lot of the 2010s felt like what I'd call the 'MCU' effect. Marvel had been widely successful with their movies. Every studios seemed to be trying their best to attempt to replicate it. I mean X-Men was back in full swing with the First Class films, Spider-Man would be reinvigorated with Amazing, Warner Bros. were attempting the DCEU, Dracula Untold and The Mummy would be swing and misses for the Dark Universe. Every one was trying to throw something to see what sticks. And not surprisingly, 20th Century Fox thought that maybe Predator would be a fit for a Cinematic Universe. Least, that's what I keep telling myself. 

Enter the next attempt at reinvigorating the franchise with The Predator. The studio had decided to bring in Shane Black to direct and co-write alongside Fred Dekker. Black is well known and was even featured in that original film. Dekker also is remembered for Monster Squad, Night of the Creeps, and House. It sounds like it'd be a good fit, right? I thought so too. 

So, production went underway. Things were leaking...set photos and such. Mentions of multiple Predators in the film. Then came news that the whole third act of the film was scrapped and would need reshoots. What exactly was wrong with that initial third act? I honestly don't know. But I do know is that we had seen Predators in Military Fatigues with rifles in set photos. But in the finished film, nope. They are no longer there. However, they would appear immortalized in NECAs line of The Predator figures. I have to find them. Oh yeah, they were also featured in the Predator Evolution special feature on the Blu Ray. 

What did these reshoots result in? First and foremost, studio interference. It was to the point where I don't think Black or Dekker are proud of the finished product. It wasn't necessarily what they had originally planned for. No, instead the finished product feels like it's a superhero film. Like it was their attempt to Marvel-ize the Predator franchise with more humor. That is definitely something I noticed was the larger frequency of jokes in the film. The action results in bigger spectacle. However, it loses itself in the use of CG.

One thing I will admit is that I love the Looneys. These guys work really well together. They bounce off of one another and it's a bit fun. Looking at it under the superhero perspective, huh? It sounds like a crazier version of the Howling Commandos from The First Avenger. Oh, that also explains McKenna. He's basically this film's version of Steve Rogers but at the end turns into Iron Predator. 

The idea of the Upgraded Predator is a bit bigger. But not out there as we had seen previously with the Super Predators of Predators. Honestly, it feels like it's the Predator version of Dutch. He's just bout as big and beefy as you might imagine a Schwarzen-Pred to be. Hell, it sucks we couldn't have gotten Schwarzenegger's Dutch to return to help. 

But while have a bigger enemy, it kinda nerfs the Fugitive Predator. It basically treats Fugitive as nothing more than a sidenote. And that's very disappointing, even more so after the removal of the Commando Predators. Fugitive is kinda cool in his opening and after he awakes. But then the fight with the Upgrade happens. And it's something that is over in a few seconds. Why? Why couldn't we have Fugitive stand a bit taller? Why couldn't he have held his own a little better? Oh, to make the Upgrade seem more impressive? Hell no. That's not supposed to happen like that. 

And then there's the Predator Dogs. Don't get me started on those. Predators did it better. Here, it falls extremely flat.

Who the hell is THE PREDATOR in The Predator? Well, it certainly isn't Upgrade or Fugitive. If you look at the evidence, it turns out it's McKenna. Seriously? 

I watched The Predator with my son. He's only seen the original '87. He enjoyed this a lot cause of the action. Is this what the studio was planning for? Honestly don't think so. It feels like a failed attempt at Marvel-izing something that didn't need it for a last minute attempt to help the studio. After that, pretty sure they were bought out by Disney.  

Rating: 

2.5 out of 5. (When viewed as a Predator fan)

3 out of 5(When viewed through superhero perspective)

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IF IT BLEEDS: PREY (2022)

Hello everyone, I hope you've had a good week. Here at BlazinBlue's Review, it's been a solid week. We have talked about a variety of movies and books. There's been some focus on the Predator films. And honestly, it's for good reason. If you didn't know yet, there is a new Predator film releasing on HULU today - PREY. 

I have had the chance to check it out. I have also spent some time gathering my thoughts on it. I have seen a huge amount of praise for the film. It's hard to not get excited when hearing all these great things. In the past, I will say that I've let that influence my thoughts. But I've somehow managed to let myself go in blind. 

PREY is an interesting experience. By now, you know that I love the Predator franchise. It's one that means a lot to me as it was one of my first action franchises I was able to watch with my Dad. And now, been able to share that love and introduce it to my son. At this point, you'll have seen three installments of GET TO THE CHOPPAH, my Predator Retrospective. I chose to hold off on the last installment because I wanted to do it after seeing Prey. 

When I first heard of Prey, it was just called Skulls. I knew that it was being made by Dan Trachtenberg, director of 10 Cloverfield Lane. It was mentioned that it would focus on a Comanche tribe's first interaction with something not from this world. With that very broad mention, I was interested. It had managed to just get my attention enough. And then there were small rumblings.

These small rumblings led it to be announced that it was a Predator prequel. I was excited and interested to see what that could entail. All we had seen of the Predator, so far, had been present day. But part of me was a little disappointed. There is a huge part of me that would have absolutely loved if it had more hush hush about the Predator connection. I would have been so down of not finding that out till was already watching the movie. Hell, that's part of the reason I applaud Split so much. It was kept so quiet about it being connected to Unbreakable. But again, it was just the studio not fully going all in.

For those interested in synopsis, here it is:

Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, “Prey” is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

Like I said earlier, Prey is an experience. It is something that turns a page on the Predator franchise. Total game changer. It's also so fascinating that it is the 1st film in history to be dubbed in Comanche. That is so cool to see. 

When I watched it the first viewing, I watched the English version. I wanted to see how the film would play out. Would it feel out of place seeing members of the Comanche Tribe speaking English? Honestly, I don't feel like it was. There may be some people that will say it was. Does it add an entirely new layer to the film to watch it in the Comanche dub? Hell to the yes. It transforms it into a whole new feeling. And I applaud everyone for making the film this way. 

The cast in this film is fantastic. Amber Midthunder absolutely runs this film. Her performance as Naru is so damn good. The way she's able to portray the journey that she goes on the film is great. She's trying to be a hunter - something she knows she can do when everyone else says she can't. Everyone else doesn't believe in her. Honestly, I'd say her brother Taabe, performed by Dakota Beavers, does believe in her. He's also trying to do his best to protect and look out for Naru. Cause there's definitely a way that most of the tribesmen believe things should go. And that all comes to a head at one specific point in the film. Dane DiLiegro is great as the Predator. This is a creature that is similar in certain aspects to what has come before. Yet at the same time, there is a whole new primal feel to it and it's fantastic. 

The way that the film plays out doesn't feel out of place in this franchise. They are able to weave Naru's journey with the Predator's. Both are doing their best to try and prove themselves. And that's a pretty cool parallel. The action in the film is pretty strong. There were quite a few moments where I felt a lot of anxiety. There's a character in the film where I was like protect at all cost. The way the action sequences occurred in the film felt like something out of a comic. A kinetic energy that just propelled things into high gear. 

Yes, there are some small callbacks. However, they are recontextualized really well. I applaud the way they addressed hiding ones heat signature. That was really damn cool. There was also an egg surrounding the flintlock. If you are a fan of this franchise, you will know it well. It didn't feel shoehorned in. Though, I was a little sad that there wasn't more with it.

Overall, I loved Prey. Dan Trachtenberg and everyone involved were able to brilliantly reintroduce the Predator to a modern audience. Its a whole new chapter with limitless potential now. Honestly, if this is considered to be a reboot. That's fine with me as it handled things beautifully. This is a film that allows time to breathe, experience things with the characters, and end on a strong note.  I hope that we will be seeing other films in this franchise taking note.

Rating: 5 out of 5. (Strong New Beginning)

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