I am way behind on movie reviews but I assure you, I have been avidly watching them and seeking more and more to bring you great reviews. Amazon Prime has provided many interesting titles - some good, some just plain horrible. Think I might do movie Mondays where each Monday where feature a new review. Books are getting read slowly as well but obviously not as fast as movies. Let's get to the reason you're here, shall we? Movie Info:Release Date: October 23, 2018 Director: Mikey McGregor Writer: Mikey McGregor (screenplay) Studio: High Octane Pictures Major Cast: Eric Roberts, Jesse James, Clayton Snyder Genre: Horror, Thriller, Supernatural Rating: NR Running Time: 78 mins Synopsis: An adventurous group of friends dare to break into the abandoned orphanage and quickly find themselves trapped and fighting against unnatural forces. Review:The story follows a group of college students who call themselves the "Urban Explorers." At the behest of one of their group, they visit an abandoned orphanage said to have an ominous and mysterious past. They venture to said orphanage and proceed to explore it, locating a journal written by a priest dedicated to keeping the monster inside contained. It soon becomes clear the small group gets more than they bargained for when a mysterious girl with a dark secret asks them to play a game.
To begin, I enjoyed this movie. It did not commit some of the more annoying carnal sins of many of the horror movies of today. The introduction to who the characters were and what their intentions were happened quickly and then moved right into the story itself. It provided a powerful hook by introducing the antagonist first and then moving forwards in time. This is a powerful tool in the horror genre, whether you are a writer or director because it provides a promise of tension all throughout the movie. While Hide in the Light did not provide the filters I've come to enjoy in horror movies, it used tone and mood in near perfect harmony. The setting, a full night of demonic horror, primarily remained in darker shadows with just a hint of light to keep the tension of the movie constant. This is not something used in such a masterful manner and can often come off as more of a cheesy feeling than provide actual tension. In many cases it appears over-used but this movie utilized it in a way it didn't feel over-used. The characters themselves were the typical "Scooby Doo let's go check out the haunted place" group with a small twist. It became obvious in the beginning of the movie, the main character (the sister of one of the group) had a problem with her brother marrying without telling her. This, to me, came off as a fatal flaw. It became annoying since she constantly complained about him not telling her everything. None of the other characters were identifiable either which exhibited a poor example of writing. The antagonist acted and appeared more identifiable than any of the other characters. This being said, I loved the faceless terror. Though the demon obviously possessed the girl, it remained faceless, only showing an occasional claw or glowing eye. I almost wanted to know more about the antagonist herself. From what I gathered she came off as another Emily Rose character but she did indeed pull off a sense of terror on her own. If you've followed me for any length of time, you know my affinity for world-building. This is another thing Hide in the Light suffered with. All we knew about this orphanage was how a priest had everyone leave while he stayed behind to keep the demon contained. It made absolutely no sense to me as to why it remained contained long after the priest's death or why it never bothered the security guard wandering the area. The beauty of something cursed or haunted is the building or structure takes on the malevolence of the monster or ghost living inside. I wanted to know more about the building and its history. This could've easily been added in the many scenes where the characters realized they weren't escaping the demon and arguing with each other. I loved the ending. Having one of the characters realizing they were all going to die really added to the overall tone of hopelessness. She adds an entry to the priest's journal outlining how anyone who dared venture to the orphanage could hope to survive. In conclusion, I enjoyed this movie. I thought it took a popular trope and made it something familiar yet unique in its own right. I recommend it to anyone who likes the idea of the "faceless terror" and is a fan of the Exorcist or Emily Rose. Have a movie you want reviewed? Let me know! I am always on the lookout for new horror and thriller movies to review. For book reviews, go here. Want to know more about me and my non-book or movie related passions? I run a blog devoted to my passions of sustainability, conservation, gardening and general druid and Wiccan facts on The Oaken King. You can also find me on: Twitter // Instagram (Personal) // Instagram (Reviews) // Goodreads
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Amazon has been a wonderful source for finding horror and thriller movies to review. If you missed the announcement, I will now be reviewing them on Imdb.com as well. I find it is incredibly relaxing and is another way to show the love I have of writing and blogging. Also, in case you missed another bit of news, I now have a blog on Wordpress dedicated to my love of Gardening, Sustainability, conservation, baking and much more. I invite you to follow The Oaken King. If you haven't already, why not subscribe so you never miss a post! Without further ado, let's get to the review. Movie Info:Release Date: Jul 21, 2009 Director: Martin Barnewitz Writer: Todd Farmer Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Major Cast: Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), Heather Stephens, Claire Holt, Darcy Flowers, Richard Riehle Genre: Horror, Supernatural Rating: R Running Time: 94 minutes Synopsis: In this prequel to the Pang Brothers' terrifying English-language debut, the eerie backstory of farmer John Rollins plays out in all its bone-chilling glory. Doing what he believes must be done in order to save his family and livelihood, John places an odd scarecrow among his crops and promptly reaps the benefits. The thing is, his luck probably won't last for long. Produced by the celebrated Ghosthouse Pictures (30 Days of Night, Drag Me To Hell) and penned by Todd Farmer (the screenwriter behind the 2009 remake of My Bloody Valentine), this is one hayride best not taken alone. Review:The story follows John Rollins (Norman Reedus) who has a farm with a corn field growing in the back yard. It is clear when the movie first opens that the family has fallen on hard times. They are in debt, having trouble paying a loan, and cannot seem to get their fields to provide a harvest strong enough to be profitable due to a variety of problems. While looking through his barn, Rollins finds an old - albeit ominous - scarecrow. Rollins' son warns his father not to put it in the fields. However, out of desperation, Rollins avoids the boy's warning and mounts the scarecrow in the fields anyway. It is soon learned, in mounting this eerie figure, Rollins finds himself in good fortune but it comes at a great price. The cast of characters appeared very flat to me and a bit oblivious. At the beginning of the film, the wife seemed supportive and indicated she stood by her husband no matter what hardship may come their way. The children didn't even appear to have a purpose and popped in and out, which, as an author, indicated to me that they were characters capable of being omitted in their entirety. This showed a small amount of weak writing since all characters need to remain pertinent to the script. The characters themselves, excluding Rollins, remained oblivious to blaring obvious signs something was wrong. In modern horror, what makes it powerful is when the characters themselves become aware something is wrong and remain consistent unless signs are not as transparent. In this movie, one could not ignore these signs, yet the wife blames her husband and breaks the promise of "support" despite what he tried to tell her. As I said, this would not be a problem if the supernatural signs weren't so easily noticed. If the wife truly knew her husband, she would know he wouldn't have murdered the lover she clearly pushed away. The son would stand with his father and try to tell his mother about the scarecrow since he was the one who noticed the trouble in the first place. Many little things like this broke believability and created a massive inconsistency. Many horror movies I've reviewed utilized different filters, such as in Dawn of the Dead and Dark Was the Night, to really bring out the mood of the movie. Messengers 2: The Scarecrow did not do this. This lack of lens filters does not crucify the tone since the mood of the family and the condition of hopeless and helplessness was there. However, adding something, even the smallest of filters might have helped unify the different components and might've made it more appealing to the eye. For this movie, as with My Bloody Valentine, I found myself not truly immersed in the environment due to this lack. Even Stephen King's It and Pet Sematary (2019) utilized this most basic of cinematography to unify the tone. Now, I enjoy the scarecrow as a figure of horror. I believe it is often under-used since the figure itself is bathed in a plethora of dark folklore. But, this movie, I feel under-used this rather powerful symbol in the aspect of horror. While I enjoyed the design of the scarecrow itself, the fear of it appeared to lack in many of the movie's aspects. The use of dreams and visions during the later part of the film really amped up the tension but I would have liked to see and feel this all throughout the movie. The ending of the movie ruined it in its entirety for me. I enjoy the "faceless terror" and "cursed object" themes very much so bringing the scarecrow to life shattered these things for me. The ending scene itself was ridiculous. That kid on the tractor showed a level of cheesiness typical of B-type horror unnecessary for this feature. Rollins burned the creature and it remained unharmed, yet being run over by a tractor and pulled apart managed to stop it for the time being? Doubt it. All in all, this movie disappointed me. Norman Reedus is someone I expected more of since he has done so well with Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead. I do not recommend this movie unless you like typical cheesy horror or are a fan of scarecrows in general. Have a movie you want reviewed? Let me know! I am always on the lookout for new horror and thriller movies to review. For book reviews, go here.
I viewed Dark Was the Night once on Netflix yet could not remember it so I watched it again, falling in love with it to the point I'd love to write a book adaptation. It is a fantastic movie but I recommend anyone who watches it to take it at its value. Without further ado, let's get to the review. Release Date: Jul 24, 2015 Director: Jack Heller Major Cast: Kevin Durand, Steve Agee, Lukas Haas, Nick Damici, Sabina Gadecki Genre: Horror, Thriller Synopsis: A long slumbering evil is awoken in the trees, outside the remote town of Maiden Woods. Isolated and threatened it sets its sites on the townspeople, as Sheriff Paul Shields attempts to overcome the demons of his past, so that he may protect those that he loves. Review: As I mentioned above, I have had the pleasure of watching Dark Was the Night not once but twice. It is a supernatural horror filled with an overwhelming amount of tension set in the small town of Maiden Woods. Sheriff Paul Shields (Kevin Durand) has suffered an extreme loss - one he punishes himself for on a daily basis while trying to balance the demanding job of a town under siege. Aided by his young deputy (Lukas Haas), the two are the only thing that stands between the small town and a hungry beast. What begins as supposed prank by the local kids soon darkens when Sheriff Shields must accept he is dealing with something not of this world. I personally found this movie a truly beautiful experience. It is full of tension immediately following the gruesome murder of a team of loggers. A powerful example of a story hook if there ever was one. The cast of characters breathed life into the very real pain any parent who has lost a child suffers. Sheriff Shields gives us a sense of feeling haunted yet teeters on the edge losing control of his sanity which he copes with by drowning himself with work. He is down on himself, a character embodying darkness before the creature is even introduced. His deputy Donny (Lukas Haas) serves as a character of light, the opposite of the sheriff, almost a saving grace. This is further supported when we learn of Donny's own brush with death after being shot in the busy New York streets. Cool filters are added to give a blue hue to the film which enriches the movie with the perfect tonal setting. The season in which the production was shot is in the winter. All of these factors add to the overall tone, setting the perfect stage prior to the grisly murders. This movie has one of the most beautiful soundtracks - a perfect balance of tension, horror and downtrodden - tracks. It is one I often listen to when writing my own horror novels and one I recommend to horror authors looking for a good mix of tonal beats. One of the best things about this movie was how the creature remained faceless, something I wish the screenwriter, Tyler Hisel, would have kept unknown. Revealing the creature took away the horrifying setting the movie worked hard to create. It's something I wish more horror and supernatural thriller writers would do - keep the faceless malice. I find it makes the movie more powerful (at least to me). With the strong character flaws, gorgeous cinematography, great music and a creature guaranteed to leave viewers looking over their shoulder at night, Dark Was the Night is a horror film I'd recommend to lovers of creature features. This being said, I'd urge anyone watching the movie to leave their minds open and see the film for what it is - a look into the human condition. Have a movie you want reviewed? Let me know! I am always on the lookout for new horror and thriller movies to review. For book reviews, go here.
Catching up with movie reviews! This is one of my most recent titles I watched with my husband. It's almost a nightly ritual with us to go through Amazon, Netflix and the TV to find new horror and thriller movies. I'll try to update these weekly. Genre: Horror Rating: NR (not recommended for kids under 16 for graphic images and language) Release date: March 16, 2018 Studio: Unreal Media Synopsis (via Rotten Tomatoes): Jennifer Conrad is a small-town girl starting over in the big city. Fleeing an abusive relationship, all she wants is a chance to begin again. But it is hard to start over when something is eating you while you sleep...one painful bite at a time. My Review:"Apartment 212" tells the story of a young woman who is running from an abusive husband to start a new life. After a tragic event, Jennifer comes into the possession of a unique ornate box with an interesting creature sitting on the lid. Shortly after, Jennifer starts noticing pieces of her flesh begins to disappear. She learns she is literally being eaten alive by a malevolent creature. I have mixed feelings about this movie. It moved incredibly slow and while it did introduce the faceless menace through the form of the bites, it became repetitive to the point I was saying "Enough already." The world was very shallow as were the characters despite the movie being a character driven plot. This being said, I did like the inciting incident. It happened very suddenly and shifted the feeling of the story drastically. Something else I liked about this, aside from the adorable little creature design, was the way the main character was able to act on her own. The story didn't rely on a small group of people to keep the terror moving. Penelope Mitchell did a wonderful job with her character acting. I also really liked how the main character didn't rely on a male counter-part to stand against the creature. It seems to be a thing nowadays in horror movies where a woman needs help from an alpha male. As a matter of fact, the popular trope was replaced by a character named Terry whom I happened to be a very big fan of. He was very sweet and supportive, respectful and appreciative of Jennifer. There also wasn't any unneeded T&A (tits and ass) or dirty sex in lieu of a monster eating the girl alive. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of a heated scene to break the tension but not when it's obvious the couple is imminent danger. In the end, this movie was entertaining. The creature, though creepy as hell, was something I found adorable. I really wanted the pewter figure for my own room. It reminded me of a fae. If anything, watch it for the final showdown between Jennifer and the Jedak, it's worth it. Oh and let the credits role. Seriously, do it. Have a movie you want to recommend? Any feedback or comments? Let me know! I'm always looking for new movies and books to review! You can either email me at [email protected].
I regret this blog growing as many moths as it has. I'm constantly watching horror films of all kinds, almost nightly, so you should start seeing regular reviews on this micro-blog. Today's entry explores the supernatural thriller, "Cold Moon," a tale of revenge. Genre: Supernatural Thriller Rating: Not Rated (I recommend no one under the age of 16) Release Date: October 6, 2017 Studio: Uncork'd Entertainment Summary: In a sleepy southern town, the Larkin family suffers a terrible tragedy. Now the Larkin's are about to endure another: Traffic lights blink an eerie warning, a ghostly visage prowls in the streets, and graves erupt from the local cemetery in an implacable march of terror . . . And beneath the murky surface of the river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form to seek a terrible vengeance. My Review:"Cold Moon" is based on the Southern Gothic novel, A Cold Moon Over Babylon by Michael McDowell. It tells the story of a young woman who is raped and murdered, dumped into a frozen creek and left. Later her killer is haunted by her ghost. When her murderer kills the family of the young woman, he is haunted and later killed by the vengeful spirits. This movie gave me chills. I loved it in many ways. It ignited a love for the Southern Gothic genre and lead me into wanting to write some titles of my own. To start, one of my absolute favorite actors is in it (Josh Stewart). This man does horror so well in many different roles. I've seen him in the grieving husband role and, as in "Cold Moon," the bloody serial killer role. He is able to give life to his character by using expression, body language and vocal tone in such amazing ways. The filters used in this movie really added to the growing tension and suspense. I loved the setting and how the ominous creek was given a sense of character of its own. If you can't tell, one of my favorite things in novels and movies is when the author or screenwriter is able to bring inanimate objects to life. While I enjoyed this movie, there are many things that made it hard to watch. For one, as with the novella, it dragged on where I would've wanted to see more of the ghost. Many horror movies have this problem, where they seem to wait until the last bit of the movie to really bring out the tension and the suspense. Strangely enough, this is something I also enjoy in horror. I also found many of the supernatural parts of the movie to be cheesy. Why they added the snake (while apparent in the novella) to the movie is beyond me. It didn't offer any true symbolism and seemed to be more of a gross out factor if anything. All in all, I would recommend this movie to lovers of supernatural horror because it really is a gorgeous story, even if it is a basic revenge story. It's a beautiful movie with some well-known actors and some beautiful CG. Have a movie you want to recommend? Any feedback or comments? Let me know! I'm always looking for new movies and books to review!
My Review:This movie terrified the ever-loving tar out of me. It's been so long since I've jumped or screamed from a scene in a movie. I enjoyed everything about it and go against Rotten Tomatoes rating of it.
The movie follows the story of a group of college students who move into a house for the semester and find a mysterious piece of furniture with the words "Don't think it, don't say it" scratched into the bottom of the drawer. One of them actually does it and therefore releases the supernatural "Bye Bye Man." Now, this movie is not something to go scream and binge watch though it was trending on Netflix for at least two weeks. I still recommend it to those of you who love a good B-rated horror to watch with the room completely dark. It did fall short in many things, including shallow character development, plot holes you could drive a truck through and falling into the trap of showing the face of the Bye Bye Man when his presence alone could terrify the viewer. However, I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for a fun date night watch. With the completion of Beneath London's Fog, I have taken a step back to recharge and reconnect with non-book related things. In doing so, I have decided to include movie reviews since I am constantly watching Netflix's ever growing horror/thriller section. This time, I would like to feature Bird Box - a film based on the popular novel by Josh Malerman. Title: Bird Box Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Supernatural Rating: PG-13 (guesstimate) Brief synopsis: Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety. Review:
Let me begin by saying I am an avid Sandra Bullock fan. She never disappoints when it comes to acting and Bird Box is no exception. I cried so hard in so many scenes (which is incredibly rare). Bird Box follows the story of Malorie, a pregnant woman who obviously has no desire to connect with the child she carries. Following a check-up with a gynecologist, Malorie loses her sister in a violent case of suicide after her sister sees what is known in the horror genre as the "faceless foe." Malorie then finds herself in a house with numerous other survivors, one of which is a woman named Olivia, who is pregnant as well (this will become significant as the movie progresses). After losing her lover, Malorie is forced to take a journey down-river to a place known as the Refuge. Now, I loved this movie. For much more than the fact that Sandra Bullock was in it. As a horror author, "faceless foes" capture my intrigue more than monsters and demons. It leaves a sense of terror unlike a described foe. This movie did the most beautiful job utilizing this concept. The main character was one I could identify with as a mother of two: one boy, and one girl who suffers detachment issues at times. I loved this flaw because it is not something one often sees in movies but is a very real condition. In the end, Malorie connected with her children and showed the motherly side of herself she long denied. One thing I found hard to swallow was the shallowness of the world. However, I believe the author probably narrowed it down to put the focus on the human condition. It was obvious to me Bird Box was character-driven. As an appreciator of worlds and the journey rather than the destination or action, I found it lacking. The characters tried to be relatable but it fell short aside from Bullock. Again, it might have been the intention to disallow connection due to the violent deaths and short amount of time each got. All throughout the movie, I kept seeing a connection to M. Night Shymalan's The Happening, only with demons instead of the trees. That too, is something that bothered me. It was almost the exact same story, only with a different foe and a different set of characters. Despite all of this, Bird Box does indeed live up to the hype. I am in stitches to read the novel, which I finally bought from Amazon. I encourage anyone who has not seen this movie to devote a couple of hours to doing so. It is worth the watch. The ending is beyond beautiful and very powerful. I have begun reviewing movies as well to pass the time since I watch so many on Netflix. If you're looking for your next horror, thriller, suspense, etc binge, this is a good place to find it. I don't devote as much time to this blog as the book review blog but I still like to do it. Please be patient as I move everything from Wix to Weebly.
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