XX (2017)

As I sit here on the holiday weekend hoping for the rain to leave, it was nice to take a break from movies as I have spent time in Twin Peaks and American Gods this week. After two days of investigations and research posts, I decided to get back to a movie with the 2017 anthology XX.

Plot/ XX is a new horror anthology with a gender twist - all segments will be helmed by female directors and will star female leads. The directors have been given free creative rein within budget and time constraints, but all of the segments themselves will involve the horror genre.

Having spent the past couple of days working on a few different pieces of material for the blog, it was nice t get back into some horror. When I saw this anthology at Family Video, I thought the idea of watching a modern anthology would be perfect. While this one did have some positives, I don’t feel that it totally reached its potential. The animation used as the bridge between installments was amazing, the stories had some interesting moments, and the overall feel was entertaining. Of course, the four different segments will have different fans, my favorite was the fourth, Her Only Living Son (although The Box was pretty good), but they all have different attributes that could appeal to a viewer (The Birthday Party and Don’t Fall are just okay). Unfortunately, there are a lot of clichés sprinkled in, the strict run-time limits the depth of the stories, there is no flow or connecting elements to the shorts, and the atmosphere never reaches a tense level. Overall, leaving this a somewhat flawed anthology. In the end, this is not the worst movie out there, but that is not saying to run out and grab it. If you are a fan of indie horror or anthologies, you can do much worse.

Left Behind: Vanished (2016)

I have to say that this weather is quite cold and when it is like this, I hate to do anything. Although, it is a great time to watch some movies and stay warm. After another trip to Family Video, I decided on something different, 2016s Left Behind: Vanished.

Plot/ When a billion people around the globe suddenly vanish and chaos engulfs the nation a small group tries to figure out what has happened and how they fit into this dangerous new world.

I have to admit that I enjoyed reading the Left Behind series when it first came out. That being said, I thought that the initial theatrical attempts left something to be desired, as they did not capture the atmosphere in the same manner as the books. When I saw this, I was unsure what to expect and hoped that maybe some of the problems from the first entries may have been addressed. While some of the elements in the movie was definitely up graded, there were still some issues. Overall, the performances were solid, the storyline was woven into the original timeline in a believable and entertaining manner, and the sight of Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia was a nice twist. Unfortunately, the story becomes a bit disjointed and it feels forced at some points. In the end, this entry in the series was a refreshing take on a subject matter that can be polarizing considering the religious overtones and the cultural climate of society today. If you enjoy this type of story, give it a shot. 

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

I was searching for something to watch tonight after I decided that I was not in the mood to write. Since I did not head to Family Video, I was forced to find something on hand. After some thought, I went to a classic: Roman Polanski’s 1968 classic Rosemary’s Baby.

Plot/ A young couple move into a new apartment, only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and occurrences. When the wife becomes mysteriously pregnant, paranoia over the safety of her unborn child begins controlling her life.

I have not seen the mini-series, and part of me does not want to because there is no way anyone could come close to duplicating the mastery of Polanski’s original classic. After all these years, Rosemary’s Baby stands as one of the greatest psychological thrillers ever made. In many ways, this is the perfect horror movie, with the perfect cast, a matching soundtrack, dark and brooding atmosphere, amazing cinematography, and a storyline that builds tension in all the right moments. The true genius of this film is Polanski, who constructs this masterpiece as only he can, by creating subtle unnerving tension throughout the entirety of the movie. It is truly amazing. In the end, if you have not watched this masterpiece, you are missing one of the best movies ever made. More than a horror flick, this classic is a must see; check it out!!!

Devil's Due (2014)

Now that I have finished my homework for the week, it is time to write up another review for the blog. This has been a great weekend and I have a ton of movies to write up, but need to find some time to get there. Next up on the list is the 2014 found-footage flick Devil's Due.

Plot/ After a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but, as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.

While I was excited about this movie from seeing their marketing campaign, I knew that there was likely nothing new with it. What I did not expect was to see a found footage reboot of the classic Rosemary’s Baby. Yes, there were a couple of decent performances, and some of the thoughts were interesting, but it is nowhere near enough to make this memorable. The flick lacks atmosphere, pacing, and excitement. On top of that, the characters are unbelievable, the story is riddled with cliché, and there are truly no scares at all. In the end, there is very little here to draw you in and it does nothing to hold your attention. Honestly, stay away…

Way of the Wicked (2014)

After watching The Facility, I decided to venture into a completely different direction for my next review. I decided to dive back into the religious realm, and potentially find some type of Antichrist themed movie. What did I find at Family Video? I found the 2014 Christian Slater flick Way of the Wicked.

Plot/ After a series of inexplicable murders sweeps a small, isolated community, Father Henry goes to a local police detective with a theory on why the murders are occurring.

I know I should temper my expectations when a movie catches my eye at the video store. Unfortunately, I did not do that again, and in turn grabbed another watchable flick. Way of the Wicked is that, watchable, as it follows a played out storyline with nothing inspiring. The acting is decent, the scripting uneven and the pace and storyline predictable. Yes, the setting worked well, but that was about it. In the end, this one offered nothing new and failed to develop any type of believable atmosphere throughout. Hell, even the slight twist at the end was somewhat predictable. Stay away; there are much better flicks out there.

12/12/12 (2012)

 

 

As the United States and the world mourn the loss of innocent victims at the tragic school shooting in Connecticut, one cannot help to realize that there are so many things more important those political ramblings. While we all may not agree on policy and ideals, there comes a time where all of that must be put aside to serve a greater good and that is where we are at today. For me, I needed to get my mind off of the event, and while it may seem strange to dive into a horror flick, that type of flick is so unbelievable that it almost hides reality. My selection for the evening was the 2012 entry 12/12/12.

 

 

Plot/ When baby Sebastian is born on 12/12/12 everyone around him starts to die. Soon, his mother realizes that her son is the spawn of Hell.

 

 

Knowing this was from The Asylum, I knew what to expect, and trust me, this one met the entire criterion to be a flick from that company. Now, this is not always a bad thing, at least there is some entertainment value in most of their flicks. Yes, there is a ton of flaws. The acting is uneven; the dialogue so-so, the plot is disjointed and extremely unbelievable. The worst part was the effects. While it was nice to see something other than CGI, the low-budget deformed baby doll with teeth just made it bad from the start. Sure, nothing in this movie was serious, but, I have made more realistic creations in the attic. There were some good technical aspects and cinematography, and some boobs, but that did nothing to truly save it. In the end, the movie is far from the worst of the genre and does have a touch of entertainment value. Would I watch it again? No, but I may watch the follow-up that is on the horizon. If you like flicks from The Asylum, check it out, if you do not, stay away!

 

11/11/11 (2011)

Wow, what a few days we had travelling to end 2011. We went from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, then to Virginia and now back home to prepare for my first day at work tomorrow at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics. To help get my mind right, I decided to hit Netflix and check out something different, 11/11/11.

Plot/ Jack and Melissa are frightened by their son's bizarre and violent behavior; they soon learn that he is the gateway to the Apocalypse, and it will happen on his birthday, 11/11/11.

I like movies that make sense, and have at least some semblance of a plot, and this one did not have any of that. It is a shame, because the first few moments were actually interesting, but from there it went straight down hill. There was little to no character development, the plot jumped from hole to hole, the effects were troublesome and the ending was just there (was there an ending?).  Even for me, a person that likes more horror than I hate, could not get myself into this one… STAY AWAY!

Some of My Music for the Rapture Playlist

Here are some random videos of  my favorite artists and the music that is preparing me for the upcoming Rapture. If Judgement Day is really on Saturday, I am going to go out in style.

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

As I sat here last night thinking of what to watch, part of me was still caught up with the rumors of the rapture (on tap for Saturday 21 May 2011) making their way into the national news. With that in mind, I decided to venture into a world that talks about the potential end of mankind, John Carpenter’s Lovecraftian In the Mouth of Madness  from 1994.

Plot/ An insurance investigator begins discovering that the impact a horror writer's books have on his fans is more than inspirational.

Revisiting this film after a few years may have been one of the better decisions I have made in some time. I have to admit that this is much better than I had remembered and was very impressed by what I found. This movie really has it all, wit, intelligence and scary moments and some great effects. This amazing tribute to horror writers (the Stephen King and Nigel Kneale references throughout) and something definitely inspired by the horror master H.P. Lovecraft, has a very haunting and heavy feel throughout. The script, soundtrack and acting are solid, but it is Carpenter’s direction that creates a bizarre world that lies somewhere between sane and insane. This movie is a perfect flick for the dark of night, especially in this week prior to the upcoming rapture. Enjoy!

May 21st = Judgement Day - Not in My Zombie World!

As many know, I have a skewed view of the world. I believe in conspiracies, I am paranoid, I know a UFO crashed at Roswell and Bigfoot, Ghosts and the Jersey Devil do exist. However, after reading some of the prophets that are quoting scripture and proclaiming May 21st, 2011 as Judgement Day,  I believe that World Zombie Day may be more like it (at least in this Freakshow).  In this passage,  this ideal is described perfectly.

"on May 21^st that God will raise up all the dead that have ever died from their graves. Earthquakes will ravage the whole world as the earth will no longer conceal its dead (Isaiah 26:21). People who died as saved individuals will experience the resurrection of their bodies and immediately leave this world to forever be with the Lord. Those who died unsaved will be raised up as well, but only to have their lifeless bodies scattered about the face of all the earth. Death will be everywhere. "

Dead will be everywhere (Note: I need to charge my video camera). Now, I do have some strange beliefs, but I find it hard to believe that the world will come to an end so far ahead of the Mayan's prediction. Hell, even Nostradamus did not predict 2011... With that in mind, I may have to kick off a Zombie Week here on the Ring Master's Realm or possibly dress-up like Paul Revere and start running through the streets saying, "The Rapture is Coming, The Rapture is Coming."

The Church (1989)

After my meeting about the New Jersey Zombie Walk, it was time to venture back into the world of horror. Tonight I decided on the 1989 Satanic / Demonic Italian horror entry The Church (La Chiesa).

 

Plot / A church is built during medieval times on top of a pile of dead bodies that were considered possessed. Hundreds of years later a young librarian unleashes the evil within, by removing a rock in the catacombs. Series of events occur meanwhile, everybody just does not seem to be the same. Father Gus is the only one not possessed, he must save the city from becoming a pandemonium, he must find the ancient secret of the church so it can crumble to pieces.

To me, this is a great little Gothic horror film! Based on a screenplay by horror maestro Dario Argento, director Michele Soavi created a film with a tremendously creepy atmosphere aided by a awesome soundtrack. While visually striking and packing a nice mix of violence and gore, the story seems a bit incoherent at times. It almost seems like the surreal aspects actually made the story a bit more confusing than it had to be. Still this remains an awesome flick that is a must-see for fans of Italian horror or goat-masked demons spreading their seed on an altar!

Servants of Twilight (1991)

After spending most of the past couple of days dealing with a family medical issue, it was nice to get back to something interesting; diving into a late-night movie on FearNet. My evening selection was the 1991 adaption of Dean Kootz's Servants of Twilight, a book I read more than a few yars ago and a subject that always makes me smile.

Plot/ Based on the novel by Dean R. Koontz, this action packed thriller features Bruce Greenwood as a private detective hired to protect a little boy from a fanatical religious cult that believe he is the antichrist fortold in the book of Revelations.

Having read the book years ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. Yes, it does vary from the original literary workm but it does work and is a pretty good thriller (although, I may be biased because I love movie that deal with the antichrist). In all, I would have loved to have seen the movie done with a larger budget, the material is definitely better than the cash spent (which is usually the case with movies based on Koontz's work). That being said, there are some great moments that are tense and draw you in. The script, acting and cinematography are solid and the movie comes off decently for an adaptation. It makes a great addition to any horror collection and is a especially worth watching for free on FearNet.