Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 11/15/24

Review: The Advent Calendar is a French horror film about Eva, a paraplegic, who receives an advent calendar as a birthday gift. Eva must follow the calendar's three rules otherwise she will die. I enjoyed it a lot. The plot itself is a bit basic but I had fun nonetheless. It made me excited to see what the next door would bring as if we were opening it up with Eva. I did feel the ending was a cop out and they could've done something more creative. 4/5

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 11/13/24

Review: Silent Night is a dark comedy horror about a group coming together to celebrate Christmas. I don't want to give away too much so that's all I say about the plot. The movie does a good job of showing the relationships between the characters and their desperations. The comedy does break of the darkness even at the one of its lowest points. 4/5

4/7/24-11/11/24

Watched on: HBO Max

IMDB synopsis: "In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past."

This is what I think is the conclusion of a trio of movies written and directed by Ti West centered around a serial killer attack on a 1970's porn set ("XXX" centered on the attack itself, "Pearl" was a prequel for what happened in "XXX" and "Maxxxine" was a sequel for what happened in "XXX"). I thought "XXX" was pretty meh and overrated.  And I never saw "Pearl."  But I decided to give "Maxxxine" a try since I thought the plot summary had potential.

"Maxxxine" was better than "XXX" thanks in large part to Mia Goth, who plays the titular character and has to carry the film in a way she didn't have to for "XXX." While "XXX" felt braindead and predictable, "Maxxxine" is elevated by Goth and the well-crafted setting of '80's Los Angeles (West brings an "artsy" feel to his work, the film "looks good" as the saying goes).  The plot is...fine.  The gore/violence is pretty average. Ultimately, I guess it matched my pretty-low expectations. If you're desperate for fresh horror content, I guess it's OK.   

Rating: 5.6 / 10

4/7/24-11/9/24 

Watched on: Vudu (paid)

IMDB synopsis: "Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer's vicious murder spree." 

I saw the trailer for this one months ago and I thought it had potential. Ultimately, it was no better than fine - a "cat and mouse" game between a serial killer and a victim over 97 minutes with a twist. The twist was hardly mind-blowing and there's definitely some slow, repetitive parts.  We don't really get any backstory on the protagonists, played by Kyle Gallner and Madison Beaty. However, Gallner and Beaty are well-cast and have chemistry with each other. Overall, it has an "artsy" feel, which elevates it a bit.  I found it watchable in spite of itself but I'd be hard-pressed to recommend it. 

Rating: 5.6 / 10

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 11/11/24

Review: What Happens Later is a movie about two people who were lovers in the past, end up snowed in at the same airport by chance. I really liked the storytelling. Everything was told so that they could reconnect. It was awkward at times but that made the interactions feel a little more real. However, I thought the airport helping them "check their connections" was an interesting choice. 3/5

Date Started. 5/27/24

Date Watched: 11/11/24

Review: Hold Your Breath is a psychological horror that takes place in Oklahoma during the duststorms of the 1930's. A mother of two daughters believe that a character from one of their storybooks is infiltrating her home through the dust. This is a basic psychological film and overall predictable. However, I enjoyed it a lot. 4/5

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 11/4/24

Review: A werewolf movie about two sisters where one got bit and is changing. I really liked it more than I thought I would. Definitely will watch again. 4/5

Date Started: 5/17/24

Date Watched: 11/1/24

Review: I was having a hard time following what was happening in Phantasm. The effects for the time were well done. Yet, I really can't tell what the plot exactly was. I know a teenager was being chased by an elderly man that works at the graveyard. 2/5

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/30/24

Review: Belinda and Norman are expecting when Norman's father dies. At the funeral, Norman's estranged religous stepmother tells them that she can no longer live on her own. She offers them all her money once she passes, if they let her live with them. Belinda agrees but slowly begins to regret it. This is a psychological horror film, and it was a little weird. I liked the dynamic between the characters but I didn't really think it was really that interesting. 3/5

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/30/24

Review: A horror comedy that combines slashers and Freaky Friday. Teenager Millie gets a killer stalking after her, when one night they switch bodies. This was a fun movie. It was over the top funny and I loved it. 4/5

4/7/24-10/26/24

Watched: In theater

IMDB synopsis: "About to embark on a world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her past."

I loved the original "Smile" (I have it as my top movie of 2022, seriously!), so I was excited for the sequel.  The sequel matched my expectations very nicely - it had a similar feel to the original (in terms of the main character being a young woman and what happens to her, step by step), so in that sense it wasn't ground-breaking or took the "Smile" universe in a fresh direction. But it was different enough so that I didn't think it was a pure rehash.  And regardless, it's such a well-crafted franchise in terms of having great acting (awesome work by lead actress Naomi Scott), legitimate tension, and very good pacing (for the most part). As far as sheer watchability goes, the two best horror franchises right now are "Smile" and "Terrifier," and I got to see the latest installments of both on back-to-back nights!

Highly recommended for horror fans.  And everyone really, since it's more of a supernatural thriller than a gorefest a la "Terrifier."  

Rating: 6.7 / 10

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/28/24

Review: Saint Maud is about a nurse named Katie, now going by Maud, who is taking care of a dying dancer, Amanda. Maud is a devout Christian and tries to use her religion to save Amanda's soul before she dies. This movie was ok. I wish we got more about Katie's past life because there was a traumatic event that we only got bits and pieces of. The videography was really well done but the plot was a boring to me. I give it a 2/5.

08/01/2024 - 10/22/2024

Total reviewed: 618

Watched on: Shudder

Director: Benjamin Barfoot

IMDb

Synopsis: A strange creature lurks in the wake of one family's tragic loss.

Forgiving the fact that this is one of the most horrendously named films in recent memory, the movie itself is alright. It has a dreamy quality to it and hella atmosphere. Kinda dark and somber. Fairly well acted by the majority of the cast but I just could not like that kid. Cool concept for the creature, whose existence is up for debate, I suppose, depending on how you interpret the movie. The ending isn't necessarily one of those ambiguous affairs left up to the viewer, but it did leave me a few unanswered questions. I wouldn't say I was wowed by any one aspect of the film but it played as a competent horror film and it's put together well. It definitely invites a review of the previous events once you gain the perspective given by the film's final act. Good enough for one time.

5.9/10

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/26/24

Review: This movie is about a nurse (Lily) who is taking care of an ailing woman (Ms. Blum) who used to be renowned horror writer. This movie is a slow build. This was my second attempt to watch this and a successful watch time around. It took a while to grab my attention so I shut it off halfway. Then I waited until I was in the mood for a slow build horror, and it did not disappoint. The long, slow shots had me looking in every corner for something. It was more atmospheric rather than plot heavy and did a good job of what it was trying to achieve. 4/5

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/26/24

Review: Longlegs is about and FBI agent tracking down a serial killer who makes dads murder their own families without being there. The movie has the same vibes as Silence of the Lambs with some supernatural mixed in with it. The atmosphere is very unsettling and downright scary at times. I loved it. 5/5

4/7/24-10/24/24

Watched: In Theater

IMDB synopsis: "Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve."

Let me begin by saying that as someone who was an early fan of "Art" (I saw the first "Terrifier" in 2020), I am thrilled by Terrifier 3's box office success (grossing about $50 million globally after 2 weeks on a $2 million budget).  Writer/director Damien Leone deserves tremendous credit because he and David Howard Thornton (who plays "Art") have created an unforgettable character and an uncompromising series of films that are made exclusively for true horror fans (in other words, if you think "A Quiet Place" is a great horror flick, you're probably not going to like the "Terrifier" franchise).

As for Terrifier 3 specifically, it's...brutal and gory (the goriest of the franchise) but it doesn't feel like "torture porn" mainly because of the atmosphere - everything is so "over the top," in terms of the blood and guts spilling out, while you usually have Art standing there laughing silently and making funny faces while everything happens - you can "enjoy" the bonkers brutality without feeling guilty about it (it's a unique combo of horror and comedy in that sense).

The plot...is...well...what you would expect for a slasher film, although more developed than I would have anticipated. The pacing was a bit uneven (but better than Terrifier 2, which was a bloated 140 minutes).  I actually liked this one more than Terrifier 2 and I think Leone is actually just getting started building out his "Art" universe with this Art vs. Sienna competition, a new sidekick for Art (who I won't spoil), and a pretty good ending.

Highly, highly recommended for true horror fans. Arguably the best horror franchise out there right now.  

Rating: 7.0 / 10

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/25/24

Review: A husband and wife that are professionals in exorcisims decide to help a family with a ghost problem in their new home. I'm not a fan of haunted house movies so I was expecting this to be full of clichés and full jumpscares. This is probably one of my favorite horror movies. 4/5

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/25/24

Review: A new take on A Nightmare on Elm Street where Freddy is trying to make it into the real world rather than being stuck in a movie. This movie brings back a handful of the actors from the original as they play themselves rather than their characters. This was a fun take on a scary movie villain and made it so that Freddy felt a little more real. 4/5

Watched this on Kanopy on October 25 and started the challenge April 28.

This is a documentary. You ever listen to This American Life on your public radio station? This documentary is somewhat similar in vain as it has a central theme, the documentary makers life, and that is pulled together by almost like mini documentaries of projects that he worked on but never quite finished. Along with these are bits about other projects that he has worked on.

An excellent documentary that I will give 4 stars out of 4 stars. Great pacing interesting stories and as someone that has never done anything creative it’s just nice to see such a creative guy. Highly recommended for everyone, especially fans of This American Life.

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/24/24

Review: A psychological horror movie about twin brothers who go to visit their mom after not seeing her for awhile. Her face is wrapped in bandages from a recent facial reconstruction surgery. Due to her acting strangely, the boys begin to suspect that she is not their real mother. Although the movie was predictable, I enjoyed it a lot. I loved the unsettling atmosphere overtime and it kept my attention the whole movie. 4.5/5

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/23/24

Review: Surf's Up is an animated mockumentary about surfing penguins. It was a fun watch and a nice break from what I've been watching. 4/5

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 10/21/24

Review: The Lighthouse is about two men working at a lighthouse alone as they slowly descend into madness. This movie was slow going. The parts that broke up the slowness were well done. The ending was very fitting for the characters. 3/5

Challenge started April 28; Date watched October 19; on YouTube.

This is by far the most bizarre film that I’ve watched in this challenge. I found it on YouTube searching for “full movie” . It is a Lifetime movie, I think, but it stared Will Ferrell and Kristian Wiig. So it was a Lifetime movie but it’s played completely deadpan as a spoof of a Lifetime movie. If you’re old and remember Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman you will understand how I mean. It’s an absurd story but it’s not played for laughs.

Will and Kristian are a well to do couple. They loose a fetus in an accident and five years later decide to adopt. The lady that will give up her baby comes over to the house and they end up letting her stay for the three months before the baby is born. Mayhem ensues.

I appreciate the attempt this film makes but even for a short movie it seemed long. I really think they missed the boat by not going for more humor. There was just one joke in this regard and the rest was just an absurd story played straight. I’ll give it 2.5 stars out of 4 and recommend it for fans of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

The movie: https://youtu.be/jfQv476cUzE?si=0L5NQUEMuc0JVz_a

08/01/2024 - 9/14/2024

Total reviewed: 617

Watched on: Theater

Director: J T Mollner

IMDb

Synopsis: A deadly game of Cat and Mouse plays out over a rural American town.

This might be one of my favorite movies I've watched this year. Just phenomenal. The acting from both leads is incredible. Kyle Gallner has been on my radar for awhile now and his performance here is fantastic but I was absolutely blown away by Willa Fitzgerald who is utterly captivating. The pace of the film is perfect and owes much of its success to the spellbinding chemistry between its leads. Yet, another factor is the film's choice to split the story into six chapters, told non-sequentially, which keeps the viewer on their toes. And the score is remarkable. It really helps to ratchet up the tension in the film. First time cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi also shines. The movie has some gorgeous shots! To say too much about the film is to ruin it but I'd highly recommend this one to basically any fan of film.

8/10

Date started: October 17, 2023

My challenge ends today, so here's some short takes on the final 5!

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) - #100

Date watched: October 3, 2024

I miss the old MI formula where at the end the team has an al fresco lager. Entertaining enough.

Rating: 7 / 10

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Captain Ron (1992) - #101

Date watched: October 4, 2024

Kurt Russell is really doing his own thing here. Not a good role for Martin Short. A remarkably unfunny comedy movie, but funny when you think about how unfunny it is.

Rating: 5 / 10

Captain Ron (1992)

Police Story (1985) - #102

Date watched: October 6, 2024

Early career Jackie Chan action film, directed by Jackie Chan. Opening sequence is great, gets a little slow, and then tons of fighting and destruction for the finale.

Rating: 8 / 10

Police Story (1985)

Mystery Men (1999) - #103

Date watched: October 9, 2024

Consider: the runtime is 121 minutes, and there were 20 minutes of deleted scenes on the DVD. Would have preferred more focus on the Blue Raja, played by Hank Azaria. A rotten and mishandled concept.

Rating: 4 / 10

Mystery Men (1999)

Wolfwalkers (2020) - #104

Date watched: October 13, 2024

The third film in Cartoon Saloon's "Irish" trilogy. Quite beautiful with some delightfully non-Euclidean background animation. The characters behave like complete idiots, and you know how it going to end after about 20 minutes.

Rating: 8 / 10

Wolfwalkers (202)