Change Your Image
EtherealMind
Reviews
Grave Encounters (2011)
Definitely worth a watch
This film ticked all the boxes in terms of how a scary movie should be made. I thought the film captured the atmosphere of the Psychiatric hospital extremely well and there were certainly moments that made you nervous and anxious. The film starts off quite slow (which I like) and builds suspense brilliantly without the use of over the top music like many horror movies do these days. I felt this film was at its scariest when nothing obviously scary was shown. The camera shots down the long, dark corridors did it for me - the not knowing of what was in the shadows was sufficient in delivering the terror - but some may disagree. The film lost some of its scary-ness when it began to throw the scares in your face. E.g. the hands coming out of the ceiling, or the girl who turns around with the demonic looking face. These scenes, while scary for most people, were not required for the film to be scary; its atmosphere did that already I feel. There's nothing particularly ground breaking or original about this film but it does have an extremely nerve-wracking atmosphere that will make you anxious as you watch.
7/10
Inception (2010)
Can someone explain to me the "intelligence" of this movie?
A part of me feels I shouldn't be writing this review. I switched this movie off after 1hr 10 minutes. I couldn't take it any longer. I was bored to tears. OK, the whole idea of being able to implant ideas in people's dreams is just so....bleh! I can't convey with words how problematic and ridiculous this idea is. Now don't get me wrong, this idea COULD have worked if it was executed better. Why wasn't there a CLEAR distinction between the real world and the dream world?!? Half of the time I was sat there utterly confused as to what was going on. Were the characters in the real world? Were they dreaming? (I got to the point where I actually didn't care where they were).
It seemed as if there was no attempt made to make any of the characters interesting. Character development was non existent - we're just literally thrown into the film with no explanation as to who the characters are.
This movie is a classic example of something trying to be too clever for its own good. The execution was just poor.
2/10.
Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)
FINALLY a decent Hellrasier movie.
In my honest opinion, I think the Hellrasier franchise is extremely overrated in the horror genre. I didn't like Hellraiser 1 at all. I thought it was poorly acted and directed. Hellrasier 2 was an OK movie but certainly not a classic at all. Hellrasier 3 was just awful and ridiculous. So I decided to watch 'Bloodline' last night expecting to see another poor Hellrasier movie. I was completely surprised. It was actually a good movie! Unlike the other Hellrasier movies, 'Bloodline' focuses more on important story elements but it certainly doesn't shy away from the nasty death scenes which have become synonymous with Hellrasier. People will either hate the direction this film takes or will enjoy it. I personally enjoy it and think it's superior to the other Hellrasier films. That probably sounds stupid as Hellraiser 1 & 2 are often touted as "horror classics" - I've never understood why they get so much praise as classics, whatever...
'Bloodline' has both story and gore - the perfect combination for a horror flick in my opinion. People who found Hellrasier 1,2 and 3 lame might just find 'Bloodline' a decent horror movie. Watch it.
Mysterious Skin (2004)
Frighteningly real.
As much as I enjoyed this movie and couldn't stop watching as the story unfolded, I wouldn't put myself through this again. It leaves me feeling extremely weird and uncomfortable. I guess that's indicative of a truly great movie though. Movies that can invoke a powerful emotional response in the viewer must be doing something right - and this film certainly does that. I must say this movie is very, very disturbing and shocking. What makes this movie so powerful and real is the fact these stories actually happen in our world and are experienced by people everyday. It's horrifying, in every sense of the word. I won't watch this film again, but I'll certainly never forget it that's for sure.
Outlaw (2007)
A Decent Movie.... kinda.
Overall I think this movie is...pretty good. It's not particularly ground breaking or original but for people who enjoyed the Football Factory and the Business this film will be quite entertaining. People have complained that the free-hand camera work is poor. I disagree. For the most part, this camera technique works well and gives the film a gritty, urban feel. I do think Nick Love went a little over the top with it though. It certainly wasn't necessary to use the free-hand camera so excessively and would've been more suited to the fight/action scenes only. There are moments when the free-hand camera movement can be quite off putting. Nick Love should've used this technique sparingly I believe.
This film isn't a masterpiece or a genius piece of film making, let's get that clear. There are some problems I have with it. Firstly, having Gene (Danny Dyer's character)as being close friends with the Security Guard is nothing more than a lame attempt to tie in the characters so that eventually their paths would all cross. We have Bryant meeting the Security Guard and the Security Guard just so happens to be friends with the protagonist of the story whom we are introduced to in the very beginning of the film. That just doesn't work for me. Nick Love should've though this through more. It becomes glaringly obvious to the viewer that Gene and Bryrant's path will cross soon -- and for very, very unconvincing reasons as well.
Another thing I don't like about the character development in this film is the fact the Security Guard just takes it upon himself to go around telling people he knows someone who can "help them" with their troubles. (That someone is Bryant, the soldier who he's only recently met). But why on earth does he do this? He's barely met the bloke (Bryant) and he's off telling Cedric (the guy whose wife was attacked)that he knows someone who can help him get revenge. He does the same thing with Gene when they are talking in the security room together. Why does the Security Guard assume that Bryant will willingly help these characters? I just don't get it. The Security Guard even refers to Bryant as a "mate of his" Why does he assume he's "mates" with him? When these characters first meet they hardly exchange any dialogue together. Bryant seems to only respond to be polite to the Security Guard. He doesn't show any signs at all that he considers the security guard a "mate" at all. I don't think Nick Love thought through this development properly. And why does Bryrant's character suddenly change from being this troubled, reserved character who want to keep himself to himself to someone who's being the arbiter of justice for people he's never met? I don't understand this at all.
There are also some useless, unnecessary characters in this film as well. The guy who got attacked by three people and is left with scars on his face was a pointless character in my opinion. He could've easily been omitted from the film without it greatly affecting the story at all. Another useless character was Gene's work buddy who decides to tag along with the newly founded crew (For what reason, I have no idea). Again, this character could've been omitted without the overall story being affected (or altered).
I could write more about some of the problems I have with this film but I think I'll leave it there. If you watch this film for what it is and forget some of the problematic story developments then you'll enjoy this movie. The story itself is pretty straight forward and there's plenty of action/fighting for the viewer to enjoy. This film isn't a masterpiece...but it's not absolutely terrible either.
6/10
Black Christmas (1974)
A highly underrated movie!
It's hard to believe this movie was made in 1974 - In my opinion it is way ahead of its time. I'm perplexed as to why this movie isn't talked about more in the horror genre. For its time I think it's extremely innovative and definitely would've been a massive inspiration for John Carpenter when he made Halloween four years later. The beginning of the 1978 Halloween is definitely influenced by the beginning to this movie where we have a POV shot of the mysterious killer making his way into the house. This movie can be somewhat slow in parts but if you stick with it you'll find it enjoyable. The tension throughout this movie is incredible. There are some scenes where the camera is just fixed on the attic door and strange noises can be heard coming from there. Very creepy. I'd strongly recommend this movie to people who enjoy the Halloween movies or films that keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
Why do people rate the Hellrasier movies so highly?
I've never understood why these Hellrasier movies get so much accolades in the horror genre. Hellrasier is often called a "horror classic". I've never understood why. Putting Hellrasier in the same category as the Exorcist or Halloween is just laughable in my opinion.
This third instalment has plenty of gore and gruesome death scenes but suffers from the same problems I've always had with the other Hellrasier movies - the acting is just terrible, the dialogue is inane and the direction is amateurish and extremely dull. There is literally no attempt made to make any of the scenes suspenseful and intelligent. Everything is just thrown in your face and made obvious. Aside from the gore, Hellrasier has nothing going for it. I wish there was something positive I could say about it but I really can't. The only positive I can draw from this is it has some interesting death scenes. That's it.
The Cenobites in the other Hellrasier movies were actually pretty cool, in this movie though, the Cenobites just look ridiculous and silly. (You'll see what I mean when you watch it). There's also too many Cenobites on screen at once - Why couldn't the director just stick with the original four Cenobites we were already familiar with? Was it really necessary to have 5-6 Cenobites on screen at once?
"Pinhead" was also extremely annoying in this film; with his pretentious one liners and obvious attempts to try and come across as evil and spooky. (Cackling like a maniac etc..).
If you want to watch a movie with people getting killed brutally for no apparent reason, then you'll probably enjoy this film. But if you're looking for an intelligent, well directed horror movie I'd strongly recommend you watch something else. This film isn't for you.
Hellraiser (1987)
Extremely disappointed.
I watched this movie last night for the first time expecting to see a film that was intelligent, suspenseful and genuinely interesting. My expectations were shattered the moment I realized how poor the acting was. The characters were lifeless, bland and just uninteresting. I just couldn't believe it - a film with such a promising reputation as a "horror classic" turned out to be a massive disappointment.
The gore, while good for the most part, felt as if it was trying too much to save the film. The Cebonies were an interesting concept, I just wish they had more screen time and were developed more. If this movie was centered specifically around the Cebonies I might have enjoyed this film a LOT more. Instead, we have some guy with no skin needing his ex- lover to kill people for him so he can become fully human again. For me, this just doesn't work. The actress who played Julia was very poor I think and perhaps one of the biggest problems I had with the movie overall. I just didn't feel captivated by her acting at all - It was just wooden, contrived and artificial.
If you're looking for an "easy on the brain" horror movie with plenty of gore then watch this. If you're looking for an intelligent, well directed horror movie that will get you thinking watch The Exorcist. I wouldn't say Hellrasier is a terrible movie, I just find it horribly overrated/over hyped. It most certainly does not deserve the title "horror classic" by any means.
The Exorcist (1973)
One of the greatest movies ever made
No other horror film in cinema history will ever be this captivating and unnerving. The Exorcist will always be remembered as the scariest film ever made - even in a hundred years from now. For its time it was ground breaking and even today it's still recognized as the scariest film ever. The plot(s), the script, the characters, the effects, the music, the tension - everything about it was perfect. This film doesn't make you "jump" like traditionally horror movies do, this film genuinely affects you psychologically. There are certain scenes that I still cannot get out of my head to this day. No other horror film affects you in the way the Exorcist does. If you want to be genuinely terrified, watch this movie!