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Showing posts from December, 2015

Krampus: The Reckoning (2015)

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I cannot believe that tomorrow will be New Years Eve. Looking back, I sucked at keeping up with the blog this year as I battled school, work, and the daughters’ softball schedule. Maybe next year, I will do a better job. Since we are still in the holiday season, I decided to watch another seasonal horror flick, the 2015 no-budget entry, Krampus: The Reckoning. Plot/ Zoe is a strange little girl, with a not so imaginary friend the Krampus who is the dark companion of kindly old St. Nicholas. The Krampus has been unleashed upon a small town and the legendary demon will seek out all the naughty people to punish them at Christmas time. No one is safe as the Krampus hunts them down, tortures them, and then drags their helpless souls to the depths of hell. Knowing this was a low budget flick, I went into it expecting the majority of flaws that are usually abound in this arena, and of course, they were there. Even with that, I have to admit that I actually enjoyed the pl

The Atticus Institute (2015)

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While I was writing up my new theory on who, Supreme Leader Snoke is in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I needed something to help soothe my mind. To help me through this process, I decided to watch something different, the 2015 mockumentary, The Atticus Institute. Plot/ In the fall of 1976, a small psychology lab in Pennsylvania became the unwitting home to the only government-confirmed case of possession. The U.S. military assumed control of the lab under orders of national security and, soon after, implemented measures aimed at arming the entity. The details of the inexplicable events that occurred are being made public after remaining classified for nearly forty years. Found footage and mockumentary styled films are always hit and miss, and that is again the case with this one. While I loved the setting, the idea, and some of the cinematography and plot elements used, it did not come off as well as it started out. This had potential, especially with the governme

Could Supreme Leader Snoke actually be Luke Skywalker???

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( Poster by Kode Logic ) While I am not one that usually speculates on movies I watch, especially about characters or plot lines, I have become obsessed by an idea that came to mind after watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Being a huge fan of the franchise, especially the different storylines and the way they interconnect, this theory came to mind, as soon as I first saw one of the characters, and his actions. Before I move any further, there may be some spoilers, although that is in no way my intentions. So, if you have not seen this one yet, move along, there is nothing to see here. Who is Supreme Leader Snoke? Yes, there are theories out there that he is Darth Plagueis (who survived the attack from young Darth Sidious), Emperor Palpatine (who survived in Return of the Jedi), and some other crazy thoughts and theories. While my idea may not be as crazy as say Jar Jar Binks, I also believe that it could be an interesting twist that could make for an amazing run of

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

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Having watched the behind the scenes for the upcoming X-Files miniseries, I was already in a retro mood. When Jillian asked if she could watch The Silence of the Lambs, my night was made complete. So, for tonight’s review, I will touch on that classic, although, it needs no review. Plot/ A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. Since Jillian wanted to watch this classic, I felt it was time to finally kick back and absorb all that this classic has to offer. Having watched it dozens of times since first seeing it in the theatre when it came out, it is one of my favorites, and a movie that never grows old. In fact, it may be one of the best horror/thrillers to ever grace the screen, definitely deserving all of the accolades it received when it was first released. The scripting was outstanding, the cinematography, direction, and vision of the film were spo

Nightbreed (1990)

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After suffering through a miserable low budget flick last night, I wanted something different tonight that could help make-up for yesterdays wasted time. After some debate with myself, I decided to venture into the mind of one of my favorites, Clive Barker, and his 1990 cult classic Nightbreed. Plot/ A troubled young man is drawn to a mythical place called Midian where a variety of monsters are hiding from humanity. I know this may sound off, especially being a huge fan of Clive Barker, But I had not ventured into the world of Nightbreed until tonight. What I found was something more than I could have imagined. Like some of Barker’s other worlds, this one was fascinating, with outstanding make-up and effects, beautiful sets and design, some solid performances (especially David Cronenberg), and a tremendously dark and heavy atmospheric tone. Yes, some of the characterizations were uneven and there were many non-linear aspects that the passive viewer may find over

Spirit Stalkers (2012)

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With the Christmas holiday behind us, it was time to move forward and get back to the blog. Needing something horror related, I decided to find something with a low budget indie feel, that movie, and my next review, is the 2012 entry Spirit Stalkers. Plot/ The Spirit Stalkers reality show, once a big hit, faces cancellation without a ratings boost, which leads the investigative team to Gloria Talman, whose house is rampant with unexplained ghostly activity. I am all for low budget horror, and was hoping that this one would be as good as some of the tags I saw on Twitter. Unfortunately, there was nothing scary or riveting inside this one and it came off as a bad behind the scenes of a ghost hunting reality show with some blood scattered throughout. Sure, the performances were not bad, the cinematic qualities were better than a lot of low budget films, and the ideologies portrayed with the paranormal investigations seemed realistic. However, there was not much else

A Christmas Horror Story (2015)

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There is nothing like kicking back and having a scary movie night, especially when I do not have to get up for work in the morning. With that being said, it is also an awesome treat when I can find something holiday related, and that was the case tonight, as I decided on the 2015 Christmas themed anthology, A Christmas Horror Story. Plot/ Interwoven stories that take place on Christmas Eve, as told by one festive radio host: A family brings home more than a Christmas tree, a student documentary becomes a living nightmare, a Christmas spirit terrorizes, Santa slays evil. There is nothing better than horror movies centered in and on the Christmas holiday. Personally, I love watching some good horror this time of year, especially because I have some time off work and time to spend diving into some projects. This one is much better than I expected with just enough blood and gut splattered in with the four stories to make it fun. Plus, it has William Shatner playing

Exeter (2015)

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After taking a few days off from the blog finishing up my final papers for my college class and recovering from the late night trip to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I decided it was time to jump back into the blog with something a touch darker. After searching for something, I decided on the 2015 exorcism themed flick Exeter. Plot/ A group of teenagers accidentally release an evil spirit that starts to possess them one by one. Let me start by saying that this one is nothing that has not crossed your screen before, especially if like me, you are a horror fanatic. Exeter AKA The Asylum AKA Backmask, is definitely riddled with clichéd moments and will feel very familiar, but it does have some interesting moments with an outstanding soundscape and some decent effects and the storyline, while riddled with clichéd moments, at least attempted to put a different spin on them. Unfortunately, the mixture of horror and comedy did not quite come off as well as some other

Infini (2015)

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While I try to keep my excitement tempered as I prepare to check out Star Wars: The Force Awakens tomorrow, I was definitely in a Sci-Fi mood as I worked on some paperwork for school. To help quench my mood, I decided to check out the 2015 entry Infini, a darker flick from that genre. Plot/ An elite 'search and rescue' team transport onto an off-world mining-facility to rescue Whit Carmichael, the lone survivor of a biological outbreak. As I sat down to watch this one, I really had no expectations. What I found was something much better than I would have expected featuring a tremendously atmospheric and claustrophobic Sci-Fi flick that I wish I had watched earlier. This one has a lot to like, with outstanding sets, solid production values, enjoyable characters with decent performances, and a nice blend of special effects. Yes, the scripting was a touch wordy in spots and there were a few head scratching moments, but those were minor in comparison to the

The Magic Sword (1962)

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I was searching for something different after the indie time travel flick 41 last night, and different is definitely what I found. Wanting something with a crusades type feel, I stumbled upon the 1962 low budget entry The Magic Sword, and that is what I decided on for my next review. Plot/ The son of a sorceress, armed with weapons, armor and six magically summoned knights, embarks on a quest to save a princess from a vengeful wizard. I wanted something Medieval and that is what I got with this one. While by today’s standards, this B-movie would suffer greatly. However, if viewing it inside the prism of the era of filmmaking, one would find this an fascinating journey into fantasy with some interesting effects, vivid imagery, and a solid cast that took on the low budget entry and made it likely better than it should have been. Yes, the scripting and dialog are laughable at best, some of the plot is insane, and some of the performances were uneven, but those add s

41 (2012)

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Having taken my final quiz in my class, I decided that I wanted to watch something with a medieval feel. While searching for something in that genre, I stumbled on a time travel flick that I had never heard of. While this film did not take me back to the era that I had hoped for, it was one of the better indie flicks that I have seen in some time. That movie, and my next review, is the 2012 low budget entry 41. Plot/ A young man discovers a hole in the floor of a local motel that leads to yesterday. When I stumbled upon this one, I had no idea what to anticipate. What I found was definitely different than what I would have expected, as this one did not play out like any of the typical time travel movies that I have come across. Personally, I love the subject, and believe that we today are living inside some type of time ripple, because that is the only thing that can explain the strange occurrences that are plaguing society. This is an excellent film, that featu

The Visitant (2014)

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After watching the Steelers beat the Bengals and keep their playoff hopes alive, and then finishing my freelance article assignment with a piece on Hollow Earth theory, I decided to kick back and watch something mindless. After some searching, I settled on the 2014 thriller, The Visitant. Plot/ Samantha plays the role of a Fortune Teller, but she is a thorough skeptic about the paranormal and all things supernatural. One night alone in her house, she learns that there are dark forces that do not care whether she believes or not. I am all for independent cinema, and I love when I stumble upon interesting movies within that realm. Unfortunately, this one was nothing that I had hoped for reading the description. The acting is uneven, pacing is off, the background music is overdone and excessively loud throughout, and the scripting is rather unoriginal and riddled with clichéd moments. Yes, there are a couple of creepy moments sprinkled inside and the cinematography

Frankenstein vs. The Mummy (2015)

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This has been a long day. While the Nightmares first tournament at Thiel was a mixed bag and at times frustrating, the girls definitely got better as the day progressed and put up an outstanding battle with in the knockout round. With five hours of driving, and five hours of softball behind me, I needed a mindless break. After some searching, I settled on the 2015 monster flick, Frankenstein vs. The Mummy. Plot/ The mummy of a cursed pharaoh and a reanimated corpse terrorize a medical university. Only an Egyptologist and a college professor, the deranged Dr. Frankenstein, may be able to stop the creatures before it is too late. I honestly did not expect much from this one, and that is exactly what I got. Unfortunately, my selection for mindless horror was not a tight 90 minutes, and it was definitely longer than it should have been. Yes, there were some decent effects that were better than CGI and the quick mention of ancient alien theory was nice, but that was a

The Frame (2014)

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After spending some time playing umpire tonight at Nightmares practice, I was in the mood to just chill when I got home. To get my mind right, and possibly make some progress on my Diablo inspired contest entry, I decided on something a little more surrealistic for my next review with the 2014 entry, The Frame. Plot/ Two strangers find their lives colliding in an impossible way. Alex is a methodical cargo thief working for a dangerous cartel. Sam is a determined paramedic trying to save the world while running from her past. I had no idea what to expect when I found this one tonight, and what I found was actually a lot better and more surreal than I could have imagined when first turning it on. Yes, it did not have great pacing and was slower than I would have expected from the description, however, it is definitely an original storyline that transcends multiple genres. The cinematography is amazing, the storyline is solid, and the dreamlike atmosphere is tremendo