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Reviews
The Guest (2014)
I avoided watching this movie for a while
I thought it would be ludicrous...I was right.
First off, I don't buy Dan Stevens in this role. Beside that, he is bent on killing everyone. Why? You'll never know.
He is welcomed into the house as a guest with no questions asked, merely on his claim that he knew the family's son who died. No one does any background on him.
The son is bullied viciously at school. "David" (The Guest) takes him to a bar where he beats the snot out of the bullies.
One of the bullies attacks the son later in class, calling him a crude name. The son retaliates by breaking a yardstick over the bully's face. The son(???) winds up in trouble. Not to worry David accompanies the mom and gets the expulsion reduced to detention.
The outcome is even more ridiculous. Poor Lance Reddick is wasted here. Maika Monroe is a horrible actress, just annoying.
Just too dumb.
Sorry I wasted my time...
The Pope's Exorcist (2023)
Something Old and Something Older
There were things I liked about this movie. Russell Crowe tooling about on his Vespa-like vehicle, toolbox of exorcism paraphernalia strapped to the side, on his way to fight demons. Crowe's character is based on an actual exorcist who died in 2016. Wonder what he would have thought of this
Crowe appears before The Anti-Exorcisms-Without-Permission-Board where a snot-nosed cardinal (bishop?) tries to take him down. Not happening! Crowe's character even leaves before the meeting is over! The audacity! We have never seen this before...well, maybe a few times
The little boy who winds up being possessed by Asmodeus is very good.
This movie borrows a lot from previous exorcism movies:
Furniture flying through the air
People flying through the air
Writing on the boy's stomach...but wait! It's not the cold raised letters of The Exorcist! The letter are red. Completely different
Lots and lots of growling
It's okay...just okay.
It (2017)
Not too bad
Great acting by all of the child actors.
Bill Skarsgard is incredible. Great choice by him not to try to recreate Tim Curry's Pennywise - those clown shoes will never be filled by anyone else.
Felt a real camaraderie among the members of the Losers Club. It seemed to grow naturally as the movie went on. Anyone who's ever been bullied can appreciate their struggle and how it added to their friendship.
I liked the fact that all the characters were layered. No cardboard cutouts. It made them much more interesting. Even most of the "bad" guys had backstories
Homage to Siskal and Ebert:
Two of my thumbs up. :)
Deadstream (2022)
Stumbled Upon This Gem
We were looking a scary movie and found this one on Shudder.
Shawn Ruddy has been missing but his recorded livestream is discovered and becomes the found footage basis for this film.
The Shawn is an obnoxious, live-streamer, totally self-centered with no regard for who he leaves in his selfish wake. He fancies himself an influencer, although no one else does.
He is trying desperately to rebrand himself and decides to do so by spending the night in a haunted house, locking himself in. Things go terribly wrong when he manages to incur the wrath of a demon in residence.
He is pursued by vicious, vengeful spirits all the while continuing to livestream.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Just wonderful!
We just saw this today and loved it. So many talented voice actors: Salma Hayek, John Mulaney, Florence Pugh to name a few and, of course, Puss In Boots himself, Antonio Banderas.
In the beginning, Puss was the ultimate hero, not caring for himself or anyone else. Over time, he changes.
John Mulaney is the uber-villain, Big Jack Horner. Florence Pugh voices Goldilocks who is part of a small band of thieves including Mama, Papa and Baby Bear. Salma Hayek reprises her role as Kitty Softpaws. Perrito is a heartwarming little dog.
The journey they embark on is an amazing one. Not only meeting Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the evil Big Jack Horner but also a cricket who functions as a conscience and sounds like Jimmy Stewart.
The animation is wonderful, similar to The Bad Guys.
Most enjoyable!
Spirited (2022)
Not perfect but pretty darn good!
I read so many reviews tearing this down but we just watched it and really liked it. Neither Will Ferrell nor Ryan Reynolds are the world's greatest singers but they both do a decent job.
The dancing was fun to watch.
We found the songs to be well done, not intrusive.
Interesting take on the Scrooge story.
If you let go of any pre-conceived ideas of what the story should be and just roll with it, you'll have a good time.
Loved the chemistry between Olivia Spencer and Will Ferrell.
Some nice transitions from present to past and back again.
Presenting the ghosts in an office setting with specific systems to handle their clients was also creative.
Silent Night (2021)
Dark comedy? No, just dark
Nothing funny here at all. Great cast. Matthew Goode. Kiera Knightly. Lucy Punch. Trudy Styler. Roman Griffin Davis (so wonderful in Jojo Rabbit.) Lily Rose Depp (looking so much like her dad)
Great acting but definitely no comedy
A gathering of family and friends at the country estate of Matthew Goode and Kiera Knightly. Spending their last night on earth awaiting an environmental event which will kill them all. There is a pill people can take to ease their passing.
Lily Rose Depp chooses not to take the pill since she is pregnant. (Dear God, what else?)
I feel bad for people who stumble upon this thinking it's a comedy.
The Watcher (2022)
Couldn't Get Through Episode 1
I read so much good stuff about this show. Started watching and could hardly believe my eyes. Great cast stuffed into some bizarre story. I love Mia Farrow but not as a tree hugging, shrill voiced whack job. Margo Martindale, another fine actor, plays a neighbor who manages to make clipping argula an oddly threatening experience. An elderly neighbor shows up in the dumbwaiter.
If it's supposed to be funny, it's not. It's just weird and unpleasant.
I read about the actual incident. For one thing, the family never moved into the house.
Of course, I only watched 20 minutes. Maybe the show really took off after that.
I wouldn't bet on it though.
The Woman King (2022)
Powerful Women
Viola Davis gives an incredibly powerful performance as Nanisca, leader of a contingent of fierce women warriors, the Agojie. The performances and the story are riveting. The 2 hours and 15 minute runtime is filled with action, drama and some of the best fight choreography I've seen in a while.
John Boyega (Finn of the Star Wars franchise) comports himself with a kingly demeanor. Thuso a beau plays Nawi, a young woman who has had a hard life but is prepared to join the warrior band. The women cast as the other Agojie warriors bring the story to life, showing the grueling training as well as the strong bonds among that form among them.
Definitely a must see!
Nope (2022)
Must watch twice!
I really didn't like this movie the first time I saw it. Watching again made all the difference.
It still feels a bit long. But I was mesmerized by this movie. So much excitement!
The stars are great especially Brandon Perea. Nice to see Michael Wincott again.
I'm glad I watched the movie twice. Things definitely fell in to place.
So good! So much fun too.
1000-lb Sisters (2020)
What was I thinking of?
I thought at first this would be a show about women struggling with difficult, hundred pounds of weight loss as they try to get the surgery that will help them
Instead, it devolves into a show displaying morbidly obese women, very much like a side show display. The show has a car wreck quality that makes it hard to turn away but to what end? Not sure what, if any lessons are to be learned.
The women are put on display airing all their dirty laundry.
Can't even call it a guilty pleasure.
Old (2021)
Loved this movie!
So different. Nice twist.
I'm not sure why people didn't like it. Maybe because it didn't move quickly or have explosions.
I loved the complexity of the characters as well as the story.
If you like a slow burn creepy movie, this is the one to see.
Malignant (2021)
Surprisingly fun
Liked this much more than I thought I would.
Interesting idea with genuinely creepy scenes.
Some great kills. Plenty of gore for those who are into it.
Physical (2021)
Not for me
Didn't make it through the first episode. I love Rose Byrne but this show is weighed down by her negative self talk. It's wickedly mean and seems to go on endlessly. Hard pass.
Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021)
Surprisingly, Stabler is still annoying
I was so glad when Stabler left SVU. I was so tired of his over the top cop thuggery. Now, we get to enjoy(?) it all over again in this ridiculous show. We are treated(?) to more Olivia - not sure why. Dylan McDermott is reduced to a cartoon character gangster.
No nuance.
Avoid avoid avoid.
Station 19 (2018)
Too Shonda-y
Less than halfway through the first episode, I gave up.
Mushy, predictable
Like other Shonda vehicles, more emphasis on sex, relationships
Less on firefighting
No comparison to the amazing, gritty Chicago Fire
The Conjuring (2013)
What movie was I watching?
I like James Wan. I liked all the Insidious movies. The one, not so much
The Conjuring is, to use an old word, claptrap. The files of the money grubbing Warrens were used as "proof" where none exists.
Based on a series of dubious events that happened to the Perron family and no one else. The Perrons have even stated that the illustrious Warrens made things worse. The movie vilifies the "evil" spirit of Bathsheba Sherman who was never proven to be a witch. Full of trite haunted house happenings: noises, knocks, jump scares and all manner of Trite haunted house scares.
Did not work for me at all
The Twilight Zone: Not All Men (2019)
Not all episodes...
I really like Jordan Peele and I've liked most of the episodes, even ones others have really disliked. Had to draw the line on this one. It seemed stupid. A meteor shower! Men felled by anger and fury, pounding on each other, chasing women with evil intent. I know there was a point, I was too bored to find out what it was. Turned it offer. Others should feel free to do the same
The Beach House (2019)
Director's First (and hopefully only film)
Ugh! I wanted to like this movie. The air of menace built up and was then smothered in tedious conversation. There's some unexplained goop. I like Jake Weber but I'm not sure who he was trying to be here. There is gore but it takes almost an hour to get to it. It's such a mess. Thank goodness for the fast forward optio; but even that didn't help. W@tch "The Bay" instead
Lavalantula (2015)
So awful it's worth it
80's icon Steve Guttenberg lights up the screen in this epic film. Heading up a cast of unknowns, he bravely battles volcanic arachnids to save his family. I loved this movie for what it is. It harkens back to the great B-movie horror films of the fifties when we were treated to giant scorpions, giant ants and giant grasshoppers. All this movie lacks is commentary from MST3K
The Twilight Zone: 8 (2020)
Kind of like The Thing but Underwater
This episode was so much fun! A group of scientists slowly eliminated one by one
An awesome octopus
Joel McHale
BLOOD, GORE, and DNA
Far-fetched, silly and most enjoyable
It's The Twilight Zone - just go with it!