Saw VI (2009)

After being disappointed by both Annabelle and Clowntergeist, I decided that it was time to finish what I started last week and write my last review from the Saw franchise. With that plan in place, here is the review of Saw VI from 2009.

Plot/ Agent Strahm is dead, and FBI agent Erickson draws nearer to Hoffman. Meanwhile, a pair of insurance executives finds themselves in another game set by Jigsaw.

I remember originally watching and now after watching it again, how much better this installment was than Saw V. This movie definitely channeled some of the power of the initial installments and created a movie that brought everything back to where it should have been. This one did make some needed changes to the formula and those were for the better. The performances were solid, the pacing felt perfect, the storyline featured a nice mixture of flashbacks and modern musings, and as usual, the traps were awesome. Yes, there were some uneven moments and the ending did not have quite the effect that the twist endings usually had, but those flaws are minor in comparison to some of the other flaws in the series. In the end, this entry was one of the better installments in the series and a film that must be seen by horror fans and those of the Saw franchise.

The Eclipse (2009)

After watching a few classics, it was time to return to this era and find something different. After some searching on my different streaming services, I decided on the 2009 supernatural thriller The Eclipse.

Plot/ In a seaside Irish town, a widower sparks with a visiting horror novelist while he also begins to believe he is seeing ghosts.

As I was searching Shudder last night, this one seemed like a nice change of pace and I was right. This supernatural themed film does a great job at building atmosphere and drawing the viewer in. Yes, it may be a slow build, but it is there. The scripting is awesome, the performances solid, and the amount of emotion brought forth is really well done. Unfortunately, there are some clichéd moments and the ending feels a touch abrupt, but those are but minor elements that do nothing to bring down the film. In the end, this one is much better than I ever would have thought. If you like emotional supernatural movies, this one is for you. Check it out!

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (2009)

Over the weekend, I took a few days away from the blog to focus on homework and writing the short film script that had kicked my butt over the week. Now, with a new week starting and my homework behind me, I decided to jump back in with the 2009 SyFy Channel entry Battlestar Galactica: The Plan.

Plot/ When the initial Cylon attack against the Twelve Colonies fails to achieve complete extermination of human life as planned, twin Number Ones (Cavils) embedded on Galactica and Caprica must improvise to destroy the human survivors.

After holding out for some time because I am a huge fan of the original series, I decided to venture into some of the newer Battlestar Galactica mythos with this entry. While I do understand that I may have to come back to this one after watching the series (and miniseries), I at least found this entry interesting with some outstanding performances and striking visuals. I will admit that I found some of the film disjointed and uneven. Of course, this could be from not watching any of the modern adaptations. In the end, this one is not my favorite entry, and does nothing to erase my memories of the classic Battlestar Galactica from my youth.

Crowley (2009)

With yesterday being my birthday, I decided to take a break from the computer after dinner. Yes, I did watch some more of Ash vs. Evil Dead and some homework, but other than that there was no writing or creative moments. Tonight was different, as I decided to find something a little darker than my recent entries. My selection for the evening was the 2009 entry Crowley (AKA Chemical Wedding).

Plot/ In 1947, noted Neo-Pagan Aleister Crowley dies. In Cambridge, 43 years later, with the help of a computer, Crowley's spirit takes over the body of Haddo, a mild-mannered, stuttering don. Over four days, as Crowley prepares for an occult extravaganza, bodies pile up, Crowley's elect engage in rites of passage, and Lia, a red-headed campus reporter, sniffs out a story that puts her in grave danger. Mathers, a scientist recently arrived from Cal Tech, may hold the key to her destiny.

It is funny, as Crowley (the man and his works) has come up in many conversations over the past week, so it was awesome to sit back and enjoy a movie with him and his works at the core. Yes, this movie will not be for everyone, and I am sure there will be many that are offended by some of the material, but that is to be expected will the subject matter. Personally, I enjoyed it tremendously, especially the mixture of Satanism and sadism sprinkled inside. As a low budget entry, there was a lot to like with an interesting storyline, some intriguing theories, and some decent performances. Yes, there were some confusing moments, the pace started in a slow manner, and some of the scripting was uneven, but again, for a low budget entry, it was not bad. In the end, this may not be for everyone, but if you sometimes enjoy a trip into the dark arts or some surrealistic worlds, give it a shot. You could do much worse.

Veronika Decides to Die (2009)

As many readers know, I so not usually venture into the world of straight dramas. While I have nothing against them, there is just something more in my wheelhouse that I discover. Sometimes, I do decide to venture down that path if I see something interesting. That was the case the other day, when I came across the 2009 drama Veronika Decides to Die.

Plot/ After a frantic suicide attempt, Veronika awakens inside a mysterious mental asylum. Under the supervision of an unorthodox psychiatrist who specializes in controversial treatment, Veronika learns that she has only weeks to live.

Yes, this is not my usual type of film, but what can I say, I am a fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar, and this one caught my eye with an interesting description. While I have never read the source material, after watching this and seeing the layered characters and storyline, I would like to assume that it is a decent adaption. Everything works in this one, as the performances are solid, the storyline simple yet interesting, and the characterizations and cinematography are both awesome. Yes, there are a few issues with audio, but those are really a non-issue. In the end, this is a outstanding and entertaining drama that has a very smart and focused message. If you enjoy compelling drama, give this one a shot.

Something Wicked (2014)

Every once in a while I wander through the video store hoping to find something that I had not heard of. That was the case with the next flick up for review here at The Ringmaster’s Realm. The one is the oft-delayed horror/thriller Something Wicked from 2009/2014.

Plot/ As a young couple embarks upon their wedding plans, gruesome secrets from their past collide with sinister forces of the present to ensure these newlyweds do not live happily-ever-after.

When I saw this at the video store and realized that it was Brittany Murphy’s last movie, I had to grab it. Unfortunately, it was unfitting swan song for her and her talents. While there are some interesting moments that make you thing, there is really nothing else to make it stand out. The characters are unlikeable, the performances uneven, and most importantly the storyline was extremely disjointed and seemed splintered into multiple sections. In the end, this one does have a few entertaining moments, but not enough to make it worth watching. If you have nothing else available, give it a shot, it not, stay away.

Dread (2009)

I decided to watch Krampus, but could not get into it at all and actually fell asleep after about 20 minutes. Stay away! To make up for that once I woke up, I decided to watch something a touch different and ventured into the After Dark Horrorfest for the 2009 entry Dread.

Plot/ Three college students set out to document what other people dread most.

I am a huge Clive Barker fan and have no idea how I missed this adaptation of his short story. On top of that, it was part of the After Dark Horrorfest, crazy. This movie was definitely one of the better films I have seen from that series, with an original storyline, solid technical attributes, and a clear vision into darkness. The performances are decent; the pacing works, and it truly out does its budget.  Yes, there are some uneven parts, but those do nothing to truly drag this one down. In the end, this is one of the better psychological horror flicks I have seen in some time, and a flick that should be seen. If you have not watched it, give it a shot!

The Black Waters of Echo's Pond (2009)

With the crazy snow storm raging today, I had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to watch today. While part of me wanted to see some zombies, I figured that they would not be a good follow-up to Lizzy Borden. After some time, I decided to check out, the 2009 entry, The Black Waters of Echo's Pond. 

Plot/ Nine friends take a holiday at a Victorian home on a private island and uncover a game that when played brings out the worst in each of them. Jealously, greed, hatred, lust, all of the things they keep buried deep inside themselves rise to the surface and come to a boil. 

While I have seen this one on the shelves many times, I had stayed away as I had a bad feeling about it. Now that I have seen it, my instincts were spot on. Yes, there was some decent atmosphere, the effects were OK, and the cinematography worked within the confines of what was an interesting storyline. Unfortunately, the positive moments do not outweigh the flaws. The acting is flat, the scripting is cliche and predictable, and the  characterization creates some miserable characters. In the end, this low budget entry never reaches its full potential and leaves a lot to be desired with a retread storyline that I swear I have seen before (only better). If you have no other choices, give it a shot, but be warned, there is nothing memorable in it.

Surviving Evil (2009)

There are times where I make impulse selections knowing I am likely headed for a snoozer. This was one of those times, as I knew there was no way that this movie could match the initial thoughts. What was this selection? It was the 2009 creature feature Surviving Evil. 

Plot/  A TV documentary crew arrive on a remote island in the Philippines to film a survival special. Their back-to-the-wild adventure proves to be more terrifying than they ever could have imagined.

I had a feeling when I saw this one that I would be in for a long night, and I was right. Despite some solid acting, and a lot of potential with the storyline and creatures, this one falls flat in so many ways.  The biggest let down is the script, as there is way too much going on with the unlikable characters to make it interesting. Honestly, had they stayed with more focus on the creatures and less about the drama, it may have been a better flick. In the end, this could have been a solid creature feature, but does not reach its potential. Stay away unless you are a diehard low budget creature feature fan. 

Solomon Kane (2009)

After attending the Uniontown Halloween Parade on Wednesday, it was time to find something to watch. For me, there is always something that I have not seen, or something that caught my eye and that was again the case. After an episode of Battlestar Galactica, it was time for a movie. My selection was the 2009 fantasy Solomon Kane.

Plot/ A ruthless mercenary renounces violence after learning his soul is bound for hell. When a young girl is kidnapped and her family slain by a sorcerer's murderous cult, he is forced to fight and seek his redemption slaying evil.

There is always something awesome about a flick that takes you to another time and place and this is a great example of that. Dark, atmospheric, bloody, this storyline is perfect for what this film is, a journey into redemption in the middle ages. The characterization works, as the overall feel of the film allows them to grow along the way. While some may feel that the movie has some odd or slow pacing, it could also be argued that it is perfect way to attain the feel or mood. Yes, some of it is unbelievable, and some head scratching moments appear, but those are expected from a rather low budget entry. In the end, this is one of the better dark fantasies out there and one that is worth watching. If you love history and a peek into another time, this is a great way to experience it. 

Friday the 13th (2009)

What a miserable evening I had as my laptop crashed and scrambled to get the desktop unit back into working order. Fortunately, I still have one to fall back on until I can get a new laptop. Luckily, while that was taking place, I was able to flip between the Pirates game and the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th. 

Plot/ A group of young adults discover a boarded up Camp Crystal Lake, where they soon encounter Jason Voorhees and his deadly intentions. 

As I have said many times, the Hollywood trend of remaking / rebooting classic horror flicks drives me insane. Where is the creativity? With this flick, I am torn. Yes, it is nowhere near the original classic Friday the 13th, but it is also much better than some of the crap that littered the end of the franchises original run (Jason Takes Manhattan). With every reboot, some of the changes are a bit too much, and that is the case with this one. Jason is excessively athletic in this one, and may diverge from his character a bit too much. The acting is typical, the grainy cinematography takes away for the gore and there is something lacking from the original classics in the series. In the end, it is not terrible, but it is not anywhere near the 1980 classic. Sure, you can select worse flicks from the franchise, but this one would be hard-pressed to rise past the middle of the pack.

Horsemen (2009)

With the last movie that I watched being Sharknado, I decided I had to find something a touch more serious to watch. This was a bit of a challenge, as I spent most of my Friday night at the best high school football game I have seen in Fayette County in a long time. On top of that, my daughters’ band rocked halftime! After knocking out my Steelers 101 piece and relaxing, I decided upon the 2009 mystery Horsemen.

Plot/ Aidan Breslin is a bitter detective emotionally distanced from his two young sons following the untimely death of his devoted wife. While investigating a series of murders of rare violence, he discovers a terrifying link between a chain of murders and the Biblical prophecies concerning the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death.

When I saw this, the premise sounded interesting and for the most part, it was somewhat interesting. However, while there were some interesting moments, it was predictable and rather cliché. The storyline never developed as much as it could and the characterization lacked depth, something that could have added a lot to the flick. The editing was disjointed and much of acting felt stale. There were some visuals that were good, and the Book of Revelations sub-text is always enjoyable, but there was really nothing in here that made it standout. In the end, it is not the worse flick in the genre, but it is really not worth watching.  

Pandemic (2009)

After taking a couple days off for skating with the four daughters (although, not a fan of blades) and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason opener, it was time to get back to the blog. At this point, I have a couple movies to be caught up on. The first one I watched while working on my deer antler dream catcher for the Westmoreland County Fair is the 2009 outbreak flick, Pandemic.

Plot/ a virus that strikes a New Mexico county and the local veterinarian who is caught in the middle. With a very quick response time to the infected county after a call was made to the Center Of Disease Control, the presence of the U.S. military has the locals thinking conspiracy theory. The vet must pair up with an eccentric rancher who has ideas of his own of what the government is up to, so they can expose the threat and save humanity.

Definitely, this flick seemed to promote one idea and deliver another. Sure, I did not expect an all-out zombie fest, or even anything zombie related, but I did expect a little bit of action to go along with the storyline. Unfortunately, nothing ever develops in a manner to make it interesting. Yes, there may be some underlining reality about the military interaction, but that was even lost in the slow, deliberate pacing that made this dialogue (albeit poor) driven drama uninteresting. There were some decent parts, but even those are hard to remember as the entire movie was a bit of a turn-off. In the end, there are a lot of better outbreak movies, and ones that will at least offer a glimpse of believable tension. Stay away!