Meteor (1979)

I was searching for something to watch earlier today and stumbled onto one of the classic disaster flicks that I grew up with. This was ironic, because just yesterday I mentioned this genre to someone on X. Because the conversation was still fresh in my mind, I decided to sit back and enjoy 1979s Meteor. 

Plot: The U.S. must join forces with the U.S.S.R. in order to destroy a gigantic asteroid heading straight for Earth.

Ahh, the 70s were such a good decade for fear mongering and disaster films. While this one isn’t one of the better entries, it is an interesting throwback to that era and genre. The ensemble cast is deep and they put on solid performances. While some of the storyline seems a bit out of touch, having grown up in that time, I felt at home with the Cold War aspects that were a constant throughout the film. The effects are dated, the soundtrack doesn’t blend, and some of the overall feel was uneven and cheesy, but that is what made those All-Star disaster films so much fun. The story lacks tremendous depth but it is interesting, casting is spot on, and there are moments of suspense that do hold up. In the end, this one didn’t age well because much of the underlying atmosphere was tied to the Soviet Union and the Cold War. If you grew up during that time frame like I did, then this one will be appreciated. It is far from perfect and nowhere near the best disaster movie from the era, but it is a fun trip back to when the world and attitudes were totally different. 

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

As I attempted to get some stuff done on my computer, I was looking for something to watch. That’s when I broke down and picked this one. While I am not a huge horror/comedy person, I decided to change it up and went with 2019s The Dead Don’t Die.

Plot: The focus is on the sleepy small town of Centerville where the dead become undead.

Dark zombie comedy is hard to pull off and this is a great example of that. While the cast is outstanding, the movie never takes full advantage of the talent at hand. Sadly, the comedic elements fall flat and that brings the entire film down. There are some attempts at actual horror, but those seem misguided and added simply for effect. This one sits somewhere between comedy and horror and never really brings the two together. Yes, the performances are solid and it wasn’t a complete drag, but it definitely did nothing to etch its name in stone next to some great movies in the genre.  In the end, I can see why this one didn’t pop up on my RADAR when it came out, it’s slow and lacks definition. Stay away unless you have nothing else to watch. 

Devilreaux (2023)

As I was making my way through the day trying to decide on what I was going to do, I did kick back and watch a movie to help pass the time. Unfortunately, my selection could have been better. 2023s low budget entry Devilreaux.

Plot: A series of murders in the 1800s will be avenged by forbidden voodoo, woken up accidentally by a group of teenagers.

I often ignore rating stars on streaming services when selecting movies and sometimes that is to my detriment. In this case, this was three stars on Amazon, but I went ahead anyway. My rating will be less than that three. This one didn’t do anything for me. The storyline was outlandish and too stereotypical, the performances flat and contrived and the effects were laughable at best. This is a bad movie and has almost no entertaining qualities. In the end, I am glad this only cost me roughly 90 minutes of my time. If I had paid for it, I would have been a lot more disappointed. You should definitely pass on this one, there are many more options out there.

The Current Occupant (2020)

After some time working on some articles for Titans Wire and diving into the drones plaguing the East Coast, I decided to put something on before transitioning into some possible true crime. My selection was from the Into the Dark series on Hulu: 2020s The Current Occupant.

Plot: Trapped in a mysterious psychiatric ward, a man with no memory comes to believe that he's the President of the United States and the subject of a diabolical political conspiracy. As the asylum's soul-crushing forces bear down on him, he fights to preserve his sanity and escape so that he can return to power.

From the Into the Dark series, this entry is not bad and had some good moments, but that wasn’t enough. The acting was solid and there were some pretty good technical elements. The initial premise seems interesting and is rather original, but the execution lacked the same originality and felt like it was put together specifically to pay homage to a few classics. If that was the intention, it did a decent job. However, as a standalone, this one was a bit too far-fetched and at times was too laughable. In the end, this one wasn’t terrible and comes off as a modern trip into the Twilight Zone. Would I watch it again? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. 

Cuckoo (2024)

After dealing with some late news in the world of the Tennessee Titans that I had to cover for Titans Wire, I decided to kick back and find something to watch. In scanning my streaming services, I settled on a movie I debated about going to see in the theater after its release, the 2024 entry Cuckoo. 

Plot: A 17-year-old girl is forced to move with her family to a resort where things are not what they seem.

This movie is perplexing. While there are some very solid aspects in it, including solid performances, heavy atmosphere, great cinematography and interesting story, other aspects fall flat. The characters are dull and unrelatable and there are pacing issues throughout. Couple that with some strange style elements and it becomes a giant conundrum. I did enjoy it and it isn’t terrible, but it didn’t match the hype that surrounded it. In the end, I am glad that I waited until it was streaming to watch it. If I had made a trip to the theater, I would likely have been disappointed. If you want to check it out, now's your chance. Although, I know there are much better choices out there. 

Alien Code (2018)

I was on X earlier today talking to some people about the recent drone flap and one of them brought up this film. I hadn’t watched it in a while and honestly, was surprised I hadn’t reviewed it. This is the 2018 Sci-Fi thriller with some time travel thrown in, Alien Code. 

Plot: After deciphering a message found in a satellite, brilliant cryptographer Alex Jacobs finds himself being stalked by government agents and otherworldly beings.

I remember watching this one a while back and was impressed. Watching it again today, I saw the same thing, a minimalistic Sci-Fi flick that is better than one would expect. This movie has great pace, editing, an interesting storyline and a great script that created some tremendous characters. And the performances brought it to life perfectly. Yes, there were a few head scratching moments, but those are easily overlooked in this gem. Not to mention, the Men in Black parts are amazing. In the end, if you are looking for a solid Sci-Fi flick, give this one a shot. It is well worth watching.

The Devil Conspiracy (2022)

When I settled in after getting my NFL work finished this afternoon, I wasn’t sure what I was going to watch. I had debated going with some holiday horror, but I have watch a couple of those this week. Instead, I decided to take a more religious approach with the 2022 entry The Devil Conspiracy. 

Plot: A cult steals the Shroud of Turin for wicked purposes.

Going into this one, I had the mindset that it was going to be a low budget trainwreck. Boy, was I surprised. Yes, this movie is far from perfect, but there were parts that were pretty good and entertaining. The acting isn’t bad, the storyline does have some originality, there is blood, and the theme is interesting. Sure, there were a few weird moments that didn’t feel like it meshed and some of it was truly unbelievable, but those moments did not take it off-track. In the end, this was a lot better than I thought and worth watching at least once. Especially on multiple streaming services. 

Carry On (2024)

Continuing a mini-trend I started the other day, I decided I wanted to stay with a holiday theme. In searching, I saw that this one was just released by Netflix and is a Netflix original. While I’m usually not a fan, I did decide to give it a go. That is the 2024 release, Carry On. 

Plot: A mysterious traveler blackmails a young TSA agent into letting a dangerous package slip through security and onto a Christmas Day flight.

I don’t watch or review many action thrillers, to me, the genre fell flat at the end of the 1990s and has never really recovered. This one caught my eye, so I gave it a spin and wasn’t disappointed. This movie would have fit in during that era, when the action and thriller elements outweighed the believability. The performances are solid, including Jason Bateman as a villain. The atmosphere, tension, and effects work. While the storyline and actions are nowhere near plausible, they at least make it entertaining. In the end, this is a fun movie and although it is a touch predictable, it is easy to just sit back and enjoy a mindless action flick. Check this one out, for a Netflix original, it’s worth it.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)

To kick off the holiday season, I ventured out to the NARO Cinema for a treat and as always they delivered. My evening adventure took me to the 2010 cult holiday classic Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. 

Plot: In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 meters deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up. This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus.

I have no idea why I waited so long to watch this one. While it may not be a true horror movie with blood and gore, it is an interesting tale that is extremely entertaining. Yes, the subtitles and cross-language dialog may turn some people off, but it is unique and is quite a journey. The atmosphere is solid and the performances are good. Most of all, the interwoven folklore elements are tremendous and even the comedic elements work. Sure, a couple jump scare attempts fall flat and the premise is a bit off, but overall this one is worth watching. In the end, this movie is a must for the Christmas season and a movie that should be seen. 

Black Christmas (2006)

This has been a strange day, but that is somewhat normal around here. Between dealing with some business stuff around here and a couple football articles, I found myself scrolling on X and tik tok reading some of the latest in the crazy UAP/Drone flap reports. While doing that, I decided to put on some holiday horror before heading out tonight to watch a classic. Today’s selection was the 2006 remake of Black Christmas. 

Plot: On Christmas Eve, an escaped maniac returns to his childhood home, which is now a sorority house, and begins to murder the sorority sisters one by one.

I remember watching this in the theater when it came out and was rather disappointed. I was a fan of the original and felt like this one took too many liberties in trying to create something that wasn’t. Watching it today, I still have some of those same feelings, but I was surprised to see how well it held up and I can view it in a bit of a different light. This is a 90s slasher about a decade too late. The characters are flat, the storyline is all over, and there are some head scratching moments. However, some of the visuals are rather good and there is more to like than I originally remembered. In the end, it’s far from perfect, but if you view it as just a holiday slasher it is fun. The original is much better, but that is usually the way it is.

Leave the World Behind (2023) - Part 5 - Psyop

 

I have been slowly diving into the situation taking place in New Jersey with the UAP/ Drone flap that is taking place. Between interesting videos on social media, a familiarity of the area from being stationed up there, and the inept answers being disseminated by the different three letter agencies, it is intriguing. 

But, through what I was reading, there was something that was weighing on me and I couldn’t place it, until I did. Looking at some of my notes from past investigations, it dawned on me that the timing of all this was familiar. Then I realized it was the anniversary of Leave the World Behind, and all of the symbolism and predictive programming it gave us. This flap fits right into that movie, yet adding another strange layer to the story.  

Plot: A family vacation on Long Island is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a blackout. As the threat grows, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.

On Wednesday, New Jersey Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick called for ‘limited state of emergency’ over mysterious drone sightings that are plaguing New Jersey for the past 6 weeks. I totally get that request, especially as the three letter agencies keep saying, “we have no idea who is doing this, but there is no threat to national security.” I’m sorry, both of those statements cannot be true. If you are clueless on the origin, how do you know the intention? You can’t, unless you are lying about something. 

To me, a military veteran and a researcher, the fact that our own federal government seems remarkably unconcerned to find out the origin of this incursion is very telling. To me, it screams black project or psyop. This is where Leave the World Behind comes into play. 

If you remember, President Obama produced and co-wrote that movie and one of the main themes was the government launching a series of psyops against the American people, which  would ultimately lead to civil war. 

There is a great divide inside the United States right now because of the amount of gaslighting and misinformation being pushed on both sides of the aisle. Mainstream media is dead and one has to sift through volumes of information to get to truths. Too many people blindly believe what they hear and accept things on face value. They are blind to the fact that our elected officials are being controlled by the corporate lobbyists and career government officials that believe they are above our elected officials.  

Between playing both sides on the international front, driving up debt by handing out money like it is water to foreign nations, and fear of major change on the horizon as threats about releasing certain documents near, it would not be a surprise that someone in the so-called Deep State would launch a psyop to save their grasp on power. 

I don’t believe in coincidence and there are too many coincidences found in Leave the World Behind. Hell, it was supposed to be fiction, but like Orwell’s 1984, it is becoming more like a predictive model for society. 

Dark Breed (1996)

After finishing my physical therapy this morning, I just wanted to relax and recover. Having someone attempt to stretch scar tissue really isn’t a fun experience. To assist in this endeavor, I went to Tubi to find something Sci-Fi related and decided on 1996s Dark Breed. 

Plot: Six astronauts are infected by an alien organism.

More of a cheesy action flick than horror movie , Dark Breed, offers a ton of explosions and is a low budget conglomeration of multiple Sci-Fi stories wrapped in one package. The acting is ok and there is a ton of stunt work that makes it fun, but lost in all the explosions and craziness is not much of a coherent story and it lacks teeth to be anything more than an outlandish action film. In the end, this is not really a Sci-Fi film. Yes, there are alien/infection overtones, but those are lost in the execution. I do not recommend this one for Sci-Fi fans at all. 

Where's Rose (2021)

After watching Aurora in concert last night, I needed something to quiet my mind. After some searching I settled on this one that I thought was going to deal with possession or something darker. What I found was a snoozer in this 2021 thriller Where’s Rose. 

Plot: When a little girl is found after going missing, only her older brother recognizes the evil force that has returned in her place.

OK, I will admit it right off the bat that this one is rough. The acting is uneven, the storyline adequate, the characters are unlikeable and the visuals are nothing special. I understand that this is a lower budgeted film, but honestly it lacks the attempt at creativity to let me give it a pass. The ending attempts to save it, but too much damage was done early on to allow that to happen. In the end, there was no real horror in this one and it was quite blah. I wouldn’t recommend it unless there were no other options. Even then, there is Tik Tok.