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Showing posts from February, 2015

Zodiac: Signs of the Apocalypse (2014)

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Last night, I spent relaxing (and finishing some physics homework) and had no motivation to hit the blog. By now, everyone has probably heard about the passing of Sci-Fi icon Leonard Nimoy. For me, he not only etched his way into my mind as Spock, it was his work on In Search Of that sparked my interest into the unexplained. He will definitely be missed. #LLAP   - Now to the blog, next up is the 2014 made for television disaster flick Zodiac: Signs of the Apocalypse. Plot/ When a mysterious planet crosses the sun global catastrophes are unleashed. A rogue scientist is the key to deciphering the symbols and humanity's only chance at survival. Yes, I knew exactly what I was in for when I started watching this one: a predictable, CGI filled, made for television disaster flick, and that is exactly what I got. I did find the subject matter interesting; the theory of Nibiru or Planet X causing major disasters has been growing for decades. Ironically, it is popping

The Glass House (2001)

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Sometimes, I take pleasure in the fact that the daughters enjoy scary movies. Unfortunately, as they get older, I do have to pay more attention to what type of flick I select, with content and rating overriding the scare factor. One such movie we enjoyed over the weekend was a solid family friendly entry: 2001s The Glass House. Plot/ An orphaned teenager is taken in by a Malibu couple but discovers they are not the caring friends they seemed to be. I went into this with almost no expectations and only put on because the daughters wanted to watch something. Fortunately, what I found was better than I could have expected. While it is not a perfect film and is rather predictable, the atmosphere and characters do actually set it apart from many of the other PG-13 entries that sit in the genre. The story was interesting and believable, the performances solid, and the scripting created a realism that was easily imagined. Yes, there were some plot holes and it did have

Motivational Growth (2013)

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It has been a good period for horror comedies. Between Horns and Tusk, the past few months have been a blessing for the genre. Now comes another entry that definitely should give that genre a boost, the 2013 indie entry Motivational Growth. Plot/ Ian Folivor, a depressed and reclusive 30-something, finds himself taking advice from a growth in his bathroom after a failed suicide attempt. The Mold, a smooth talking fungus who was born of the filth collecting in a corner of Ian's neglected bathroom, works to win Ian's trust by helping him clean himself up and remodel his lifestyle. This was almost an afterthought when I picked it up the other day, but I am ecstatic that I did. This is a bizarre horror comedy that is something so much better than I could have originally imagined. The scripting is dark and funny, the performances solid, the animation and soundtrack work really well, and the atmosphere is above the line. Then there is The Mold (Jeffrey Combs),

V/H/S: Viral (2014)

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Last night I was locked into science class and my weekly assignment. When in that zone, I struggle to get motivated to do any type of writing or reviewing. That was a shame because I still have some stuff from the weekend to catch up on. The next one up from that backlog is the 2014 sequel V/H/S: Viral. Plot/ Follows fame-obsessed teens that unwittingly become stars of the next Internet sensation. As a fan of the first two installments of the V/H/S series, I was decently excited to pick this one up when it came out. Unfortunately, that excitement quickly deteriorated once I started watching it. Unlike the first two entries, this one has no coherent moments and is a rather large mess. In fact, I would say that the only redeeming quality is the initial segment about Dante the Great. While not perfect, it did make some sense and was interesting. Other than that, the film felt beyond low budget with poor scripting, uneven editing, poor special e

Stalking the Stalker - Flash Fiction

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This was a piece that I did from a visual prompt. The picture reminded me of something that I would have seen in The Twilight Zone or Night Gallery. Any or all feedback is much appreciated. I am not a paranoid person, but something is not right with what is happening to me. At first, I thought it was my imagination, there is no way this car is following me. After all, a car cannot have a mind of its own; it must have a driver. Yet, there was something weird about that car. Everywhere I turned, the sleek black sedan was there. It stared at me, it watched me, and it would not leave me alone. I am not sure when this began. Honestly, I have tried but cannot specifically remember the first time we crossed paths. While I could be wrong, as I usually do not pay attention to parking lots, I believe it was Sunday sitting outside my favorite antique store. That day began as any other. I ventured inside to see if I could find something new for my cabinet of curiosities. Between the bones,

Open Windows (2014)

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Every once in a while I need to kick back and watch something that is different than my normal selections. Last night I decided to throw one of those into my weekend rotation. While I love straight horror, sometimes a little Crime/Thriller action is needed. Next up for review is the 2014 thriller Open Windows. Plot/ A jilted fan soon finds himself pulled into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse after he accepts the opportunity to spy on his favorite actress via his laptop. This movie is perplexing to review. While there were some interesting moments early on, but the final act was a twist that was not truly needed. Couple that with some decent performances, an intriguing storyline, and this was something that was different and thought provoking. Yes, there were some head scratching moments, pacing issues, and some scripting moments (not to mention the ending) that hurt the overall feel. In the end, this was decently entertaining and a movie that will definitely fall

The Last House on Cemetery Lane (2015)

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The weather has been insane today. Snow, sleet, now rain, with a forecast to change back to snow and ice, at least, I was able to make it to lunch with dad to celebrate our birthdays. It was an awesome time, and it was my treat, so he enjoyed it even more. Now that I am home, it has been a slow afternoon, but I did catch a low budget supernatural entry (based on a true story?)  that will make my next review: the 2015 flick, The Last House on Cemetery Lane. Plot/ A screenwriter staying in an old manor house in West Wales discovers that it's haunted by malevolent spirits. Every once in a while I stumble upon a low budget entry that is better than I expected it to be when I picked it up. I realize that with this type of movie, there are often flaws that are inherent to them, and I expect them and will not totally discard a movie just because of them. In this case, while some of those were present, it did a good job at overcoming the damage. The acting is decent

John Wick (2014)

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This has been a long and cold few days here in Pennsylvania and I definitely had a fun time with it being my birthday week. With that, I decided to take a few days off and kick back and relax., although, now I do have a small backlog to add to the page in the coming days. Next up for review is the 2014 action flick John Wick. Plot/ An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. Every once in a while, I need some mindless action and this one definitely hit the spot. Yes, there were a ton of clichéd moments, uneven performances, it is very unbelievable, and the characters were flat, but that was not what this movie was about. This one was about over-the-top action scenes, a crazy amount of blood and violence, and an incredibly powerful message about loss and revenge; something that many people in society should be able to easily relate to. In the end, this one is an entertaining action flick that definitely brought t

Arkham Sanitarium: Soul Eater (2014)

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WOW, yesterday was a crazy weather day complete with whiteout conditions, blowing snow, and temperatures dropping to sub-zero chills. Of course, all of that was easy to overlook while watching the West Virginia University High School honors band and my talented daughter Genesis. Once I got back, it was time to find something to watch, and after some thought I decided on 2014s Arkham Sanitarium: Soul Easter. Plot/ Arkham Sanitarium was vacant for years after a sex and death cult was arrested for committing heinous acts on patients. Today paranormal investigators are trapped and battling malevolent forces as they grapple with the very creatures created by H.P. Lovecraft. As I have said, the found footage genre is definitely saturated. However, every once in a while something different pops up and adds something to the mix. While Arkham Sanitarium is not a great flick, it does have some original moments, and is a lot better than one would expect from the low budget