Magellan (2017)

Our weather has been miserable here in Virginia Beach and it hasn't really shown any signs of letting up. Fortunately, that means I have had time to sort some stuff in the toy shop and watch some movies. The ne t one up here at The Ringmaster's Realm is the 2017 Sci-Fi /Mystery Magellan.

Plot: After NASA picks up a trio of mysterious signals from within our own solar system, astronaut Roger Nelson is dispatched on a multi-year solo mission aboard the Magellan spacecraft to investigate the sources.

This one was a pretty good low-budget film and one that had a interesting (while unbelieve or unrealistic) concept. Having such a low budget definitely limited many of the possible settings and such, but it did not impact the cinematography or overabll feel. Yes, there were some plot holes,  an uneven storyline, a lack of realism within the structure of the mission, and an strange anticlimactic ending,  but again coming from a lower budgeted production, one should expect those. In the end, this one will not appeal to anyone looking for a blockbuster fueled epic, but for those who have some time and enjoy a slower paced scientifically driven film (especially if you can get past the budget constraints), you might enjoy this one. 

Justice League (2017)

Now that I have been caught up in building The Ringmaster’s Realm online vintage toy store and preparing for our first toy show, I have found myself spending more time in the super hero universes than horror or even sci-fi in recent weeks. While this is a nice change, it has shown me that not all super hero’s (or their movies) are created equal. That was definitely the case with this entry Justice League from 2017.

Plot/ Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his new-found ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.

I must admit that this has been my least favorite super hero movie out of all the ones I have watched. There was really nothing in this film that inspired any type of positive reaction. This one lacked emotion on many levels and it didn’t appear that there was much thought put into the overall feel of the film. The soundtrack is bland, the scripting predictable and rather generic, it lacked character development, and the atmosphere felt out of place throughout.  Yes, some of the performances were decent, the fight scenes had a couple of bright spots and it was a nice flashback to my youth when I watched Saturday morning cartoons, but other than that, the movie felt extremely forced and underdeveloped. In the end, I am not quite sure why this one came off so poorly, maybe it was the disjointed editing or uneven plot. All I know is that this one did nothing at all for me and made me dread thinking about any other installment in this franchise. I could never recommend this one to any super hero fan, it is just too depressing.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

I know, I got rolling with the blog and then drifted off. I didn’t mean to, but I was in the middle of finishing up a contract for some radio-drama’s and needed to focus on those. While I was working though, I was able to watch a few flicks. One of those was the 2017 sci-fi entry Blade Runner 2049.

Plot/ A young blade runner's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.

As a fan of the original Blade Runner, I decided to stay away from this one for a while. Unfortunately, I discovered that was a huge mistake and should have embraced this film from the start. Even as a long movie, this one pulled me in and made me want to watch and see what happened throughout the layered story line. At the same time, I could see why there were some complaints, as it was not quite the action film the trailer popularized, and some could find it a bit slow. For me, the outstanding cinematography provided the perfect vehicle for the story, allowing both the light and dark of this world to come to life seamlessly, the performances were solid, and the cast did a great job at bringing everything together in a way that would appeal to fans of the original and those who never experienced the 1982 classic. Yes, the run time and lack of action may turn some people off, but those are only small issues and are easily overlooked. In the end, any sci-fi fan should not only enjoy this film, they should demand that same quality at of all films in the genre. This is one of the best sci-fi films to come out in some time and it is a movie that must be seen. If you haven’t watched it yet, you are really missing out.

Mindhunter - Season One (2017)

After finishing my binge of Salem, I was drawn in by the idea of creating a true crime series off a nonfiction best seller. What I found was amazing, as the Netflix Original series Mindhunter is truly captivating.

Plot/ In the late 1970s, two FBI agents expand criminal science by delving into the psychology of murder and getting uneasily close to all-too-real monsters.

Having read Mindhunter when it came out, I was fascinated by the subject matter. When I found the show on Netflix, I had no idea what to expect, but what I found was better than I would have imagined. With a heavy atmosphere and dark storyline, the show comes across in much the same manner as the true crime serial killer entry Zodiac (a must see by the way). While the series does differ from many crime dramas, with little to no actual crime scene visits, the information and power of the dialog truly bring this true crime series to life. The series features solid characters that are perfectly captured by the outstanding cast and their performances, dark and detailed cinematography, and an amazing storyline. Yes, the pacing at times can feel uneven and there is little mystery involved in the overall plot, but those elements are easily overlooked. In the end, it appears that Netflix has hit another home run with this true crime drama. Mindhunter is a tremendous achievement and a show that demonstrates the power of storytelling in a truly educational psychological drama.

Clowntergeist (2017)

Last night when I picked up Annabelle, I also wanted some type of low budget horror. After walking through Family Video with Jo, she picked out the 2017 entry Clowntergeist.

Plot/ Emma, a college student with a crippling fear of clowns, must come face to face with her worst fear when an evil spirit in the body of a clown is summoned terrorizing the town she calls home.

As I have said on here many times, I am all for low-budget to no-budget horror and can usually look past the inherent flaws and find the potential that will exist inside a film. That was not quite the case with this one, as the production values and sound are actually the primary positives in this one. Unfortunately, the storyline is riddled with predictable and clichéd moments, the performances were beyond uneven, the clown was laughable at best, and nothing within the film makes works. In fact, it felt as if the writer used a cookie cutter to cut out and splice together parts from popular movies to make this one. Hell, even the title makes little sense after watching the film. In the end, if you are searching for a thought out low budget flick trying to capitalize on the IT popularity, then this one is for you. If you want something that is entertaining and will offer more than clichéd jump scares, fund something else. I am sure that there are plenty of options out there.

Annabelle: Creation (2017)

With the weekend winding down and the days of NaNoWriMo piling up, it is hard to find time to watch and review movies that will not in any way influence my Man of the Cloth project. After some searching earlier at Family Video, I decided on the 2017 entry Annabelle: Creation.

Plot/ 12 years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, where they soon become the target of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.

This is one movie where I am so happy to have waited until it came to DVD to watch and luckily, for me, we have a Family Video so I didn’t have to even pay full price. This one was a tough watch, as the amount of jump scares and clichéd moments worked to fracture what came across as something extremely disjointed, to begin with. The doll was creepy, and that may be the only real positive that came across from this movie. The storyline was uneven, the actions in the performances were laughable (although Anthony LaPaglia was not bad), and the cinematography, pacing and the overall feel was extremely predictable and nonsensical. It is really that bad. In the end, this movie is one that I believe we could have done without. There is really nothing new inside and it clearly came across as a money grab and rushed production.

Jigsaw (2017)

The weather outside today is absolutely miserable and I have until tomorrow for my trip to Haunted Hills Estates. While I could have sat and watched some type of horror flick, instead, I decided to head out to the theater to see the next entry in the Saw franchise, 2017s Jigsaw.

Plot/ Bodies are turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely gruesome demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one suspect: John Kramer, the man known as Jigsaw, who has been dead for ten years.

I was fun being back in the theater for one of my favorite franchises. For me, it has been too long, with the last time being for the Halloween re-release of the original a few years ago. While this one did not quite reach the level of the originals, there were many facets that left me again wanting more. The pacing was perfect, with the layered storyline continually moving forward instead of wavering during the non-action sequences, the storyline was interesting and tied into the series in a perfect way, the characters again were diverse and amazing, and the way the layers of the storyline worked together to create a subtle mystery was again refreshing. In fact, for me, those layered aspects of the story have always been one of the strong points of the series and often go unnoticed or are underappreciated by those that are watching the series. While all of those aspects worked, the performances were a touch uneven with the delivery of some of the well-placed humor in the script falling short, the graphic elements that made many entries of the original series were lacking by comparison, and the overall tension seemed a bit flat (which again falls on the uneven performances). In the end, while this one does not rise to the original Saw or Saw 3, it does do a great job at bringing the storyline back to life and hopefully, allow for more entries in this series. Is it perfect? No, but it was much better than many of the recent horror flicks I have seen over the past few years and a great way to bring some blood back to the Halloween season. Plus, it wasn’t PG-13, a fact alone that should make horror fans happy.

Lore (2017)

I know that I have been in a retro mood lately, but I decided to change things up as we creep closer to Halloween. With that in mind, I decided to marathon the Amazon Prime series Lore.

Plot/ This anthology series brings to life Aaron Mahnke's "Lore" podcast and uncovers the real-life events that spawned our darkest nightmares. Blending dramatic scenes, animation, archive, and narration, Lore reveals how our horror legends - such as vampires, werewolves, and body snatchers - are rooted in truth.

This was a series that I was actually looking forward to seeing. As a huge fan of folklore and the supernatural, this seemed right up my alley. Now that I have watched all six episodes, I can tell that this will be one of those series that falls into the love/hate category and there will be little middle ground. For me, I thoroughly enjoyed the series and found it both entertaining and informative. Yes, it was not perfect, but the positives definitely outweighed the negatives. The subject matter was awesome and there were some interesting elements sprinkled in, the combination of narration and reenactments provided a nice blend of storytelling techniques, and the production values were solid. Yes, the pacing felt uneven, the performances seemed a bit flat and subdued, and there were times, where the episodes jumped in odd ways, but those elements did not deter my viewing experience. I felt that the best episodes were They Made a Tonic and Black Stockings, while my least favorite was Passing Notes, which seemed to drag on a bit and try to pack way too much information into the allotted time. In the end, I found this series a worthwhile watch. Sure, it has some flaws during the transition from podcast to show, but that is to be expected. It is definitely a series that has potential and they should be able to build upon and fix the flaws as they move forward.

Cult of Chucky (2017)

After spending last night in Morgantown at the WVU symphonic band concert watching my beautiful and talented daughter perform, I decided that tonight I wanted to watch something that could help continue the build-up to Halloween. At first, I debated my selection until I found one I have been looking forward to,  2017s Cult of Chucky.

Plot/ Chucky returns to terrorize his human victim, Nica. Meanwhile, the killer doll has some scores to settle with his old enemies, with the help of his former wife.

It has been some time since I ventured into the world of Chucky and while I am usually entertained by the series, a viewer really has no idea what to expect with a sequel (especially the 7th installment). In this case, Chucky was definitely back to his old self (complete with Brad Dourif perfectly bringing his voice to life), the series was intricately tied together, the effects are outstanding again proving that practical effects are much better in horror than CGI, there are some good moments with the blood and gore, and the performances were solid. Yes, the plot felt a little underdeveloped and there were some pacing issues that seemed obvious when watching it the first time. Both of those are somewhat expected when one considers that the budget was smaller than many other films of its stature. In the end, this film is a worthy addition to the Child’s Play franchise and a movie that was quite entertaining. Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but it is a decent flick and one that definitely should make fans want to see more installments in the future.

Lycan (2017)

After low-budget sci-fi flick, I decided to find myself a low budget creature feature and I found it at Family Video. Wanting something a touch different than my typical selections, I decided on the 2017 supernatural/werewolf flick Lycan (AKA Talbot County).

Plot/ When six college kids in a sleepy Southern town are assigned a group project to rediscover a moment in history when one of the students sets in motion a horrific fate when he proposes they head into the Georgia backwoods to tackle the legend of Emily Burt, the Talbot County werewolf.

When I saw this synopsis on the box at Family Video, I decided to roll with this low-budget werewolf flick not knowing what t expect. What I found in this indie flick was not perfect (honestly, nowhere close), but it did have some decent elements that stuck inside my mind. The performances are uneven but decent, the cinematography was not bad, and the overall feel of the movie did remind me of my teenage years. Of course, this combination of story forms definitely took its toll, with the mixture of the werewolf, slasher, students in the woods coming across clichéd and predictable. Couple that with the complete lack of depth in the characterizations, weird casting choices, and the lack of consistency with the supernatural elements and you have a movie that is somewhat uneven throughout. In the end, unless you are dead set on a new werewolf flick, I would stay away from this one. Sure, it is not the worst movie in the genre (especially considering the budget), but there are many werewolf movies to choose from and most would make a much better selection. Be warned.

Charlotte (2017)

I debated this evening whether I was going to finish September off with a review or not. Spending all day at the softball field in barely 60-degree weather took more out of me than I expected. After some thought, I decided on the 2017 flick Charlotte.

Plot/ A teenage girl is babysitting at a new house when she is accosted by a vicious doll. In bondage, she is forced to watch terrifying stories on the television magically controlled by the unfriendly toy, each story graver than the next.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this one out the other day on one of my streaming services, but what I can say is that this is nowhere near, what I thought it would be. This horror (Actually closer to comedy) anthology is nothing close that a killer doll movie and honestly that is what I figured it would be. While that was a nice surprise, my overall joy did not last long as many of the elements were average at best and really felt incoherent throughout. Yes, there were some entertaining moments and there was some blood, but that only seemed to fill in the disjointed feel. The pacing was off; the head-scratching moments were plentiful, and the performances were uneven (although that was somewhat expected). In the end, there is really nothing much that I can about this one and there is no way I can recommend it to anyone. Stay away.

Cabin 28 (2017)

Having suffered through a snoozer on Monday night, I had hoped that one of the new releases at Family Video would have helped put that out of my mind. After walking through, I finally settled on the 2017 true crime thriller Cabin 28.

Plot/ Based on one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history, this film follows a family who is terrorized at an isolated cabin by mysterious assailants.

I love movies based on true stories and I did like this story when I watched it in The Strangers, but in this one, there was something missing. While I do realize that this was made with a low budget, there were definitely some issues that should have been avoided regardless of the budget. Sure, the storyline is interesting and really disturbing considering the nature of the true crime story, but even with that, this one doesn’t build upon that in any way. The performances were uneven, the scripting has some mixed dialog and the decisions put on display make little to no sense, the soundtrack did not help set the mood or help build tension in any way, the costuming was more laughable than disturbing, and the worst part was that the film did a terrible job capturing the 1980s feel that should have been connected to it. Having grown up in the 1980s, there wasn’t even a piece of nostalgic gold for me to grasp. In the end, although I made it through the movie and found the source material intriguing, I cannot really remember any part of this film that stood out. Watch The Strangers or find the documentary, those would both be better options.

The Mummy (2017)

I definitely needed something different today to watch. After spending so much time in Salem, and then following that up last night with Sleepy Hollow, I decided that I wanted something with a modern flair. After some debate, I decided on the 2017 entry The Mummy.

Plot/ An ancient Egyptian princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.

I had heard so many mixed things about this movie since its release and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Honestly, I am quite sorry I made the trip to rent it at Family Video. Set as the first film the Universal Studios Dark Universe, this was a huge miss and really offers little hope for what type of travesties await us with the other entries. While the casting was impressive, there was no substance behind the performances and everything (even the fight scenes) felt flat. Sure, this film was able to distance itself from the majority of the last Mummy trilogy (I did like the first one), it did not do enough and ended up taking the overall storyline in a direction that was not as entertaining and/or as memorable as it could have been. Yes, the visuals work, and the cast is what it is (although Tom Cruise again proves he is nothing more than a name at this stage), but those are the only real positives that I can pull from the time I spent watching it. The effects were average, the characters are all unlikable and do not leave any type of lasting impression, the action sequences are a mess, and again, the best scenes are in the trailer. In the end, this is a bad movie and one that should not even share a name with the classic Universal Studios take on The Mummy. If you haven’t wasted your money yet, don’t it is not worth it at all.

Unacknowledged (2017)

After taking the night off to watch a competitive softball game last night, I decided that I wanted to watch something different. It has been some time since I ventured into a documentary and this one seemed perfect for my mood. This documentary is the 2017 entry Unacknowledged.

Plot/ Unacknowledged focuses on the historic files of the Disclosure Project and how UFO secrecy has been ruthlessly enforced, and why. The best evidence for extraterrestrial contact, dating back decades, is presented with direct top-secret witness testimony, documents and UFO footage, 80% of which has never been revealed anywhere else.

If you have read my works on here that deal with the UFO phenomena, you already know that I feel that the government has been lying to the populace for decades about the alien presence that exists here on Earth right now. This documentary does a great job at presenting a combination of evidence and witnesses, as well as outlining the level of secrecy that is maintained on the subject. For me, that area resonated and can be tied directly to the news if you truly pay attention. The government knows more than they will ever say, because they allow billions of dollars to disappear every year right in front of us, and they never touch on it. No matter what party affiliation you are, think back to the news about the missing State Department money that was brought up during the election and then look back at the other times you heard this. Black Ops (including the study of aliens/UFOs) eats that money.

This documentary is well made with a nice mixture of pictorial and video evidence and interviews, the theories presented connecting it to our atomic, or nuclear testing facilities are interesting, the material is set in a logical manner that creates a compelling and coherent storyline, and the depth and variety of the witness creates an argument that can be used against the many skeptics that have digested all of the Kool-Aid. Yes, there are some issues with the editing that make some of the material hard to make out and some of the witnesses are hard to research on your own, but those issues are minor. In the end, this is a great documentary that helps expose the elites, mainstream media, and government officials that continue to run Psychological Warfare Initiatives against the people and spread lies on the subject. Much like the deceptions of 9-11, other government-backed operations, and the disinformation that is all around us, the alien/UFO phenomenon has become another piece of history that has been developed to divide the country. Stand up and say enough already and become a champion for disclosure. Unacknowledged is an entertaining documentary and a movie for both believers and skeptics. Watch this one, it needs to be seen.