courtneypedersen Reviews

28 Days Haunted (2022– )

It Deserves Negative Stars

[1/10 · 5 November 2022]

I've always been of the mind that Ed and Lorraine Warren were charlatans, but when I saw Netflix was doing a series to test a theory of theirs, I was intrigued. I thought the investigators would be going in to scientifically prove or disprove this theory. I was very, very wrong.

When they first introduced Jereme, I almost shut off the show. He was so full of himself when he declared he was a fireman by day and demonologist by night (cue the eye roll). The show is clearly scripted, evident by the stilted speech of the "investigators". The psychic mediums were a joke. At one point in the first episode, you hear the psychic proclaim that someone was murdered in the building. But you can't see her face when she's speaking and her voice had a different tone to it, almost like it was a voice over done in post production. They were also afraid of the the ghosts and the evidence they were getting. If they deal with dead people on a daily basis, shouldn't they be able to handle a haunted place without freaking out? One of them even remarks that she's not sure she'll make it the whole 28 days.

And each team proclaimed there was an "evil presence" in the locations with no evidence! At one point, a team is in a "hidden tunnel" and one of the men freaks out and says there was a shadow at the opening. His teammate pans to the doorway and you do see a shadow...but it was that of the cameraman that was sitting in the room where the tunnel opens up at. So, it begs the question, did the man really see a ghostly shadow or was he stupid enough to think the shadow of the cameraman was a ghost?

Suffice to say, I got through an episode and half before shutting off the show. If you're looking for a show that is truly investigating a haunting, this show isn't for you. If you want to laugh at dramatic "investigators" scaring the crap out of themselves, then watch this show and be prepared to laugh.

Rosaline (2022)

Great Take on a Classic

[9/10 · 5 November 2022]

While some people may hate this movie because it's not like the classic Shakespeare play, Romeo & Juliet, I personally loved it. Part of the reason I loved it is because I remember feeling bad for Rosaline when I read Romeo & Juliet. One minute Romeo was in love with her, the next he loved Juliet. Rosaline really did get the raw end of the deal. It wasn't her fault she fell in love with a fickle man-child. And honestly, who hasn't been a Rosaline at some point in their life?

One really poignant moment for me in this movie was when Dario pointedly said, "he cheated on you". You could see Rosaline hesitate as this sunk in and I've never thought of it that way but it's basically what happened. I, for one, am glad the writer(s) had the sense to point it out.

Some reviews complained about how Romeo was portrayed as a fool or an idiot. I mean really, he's supposed to be a teenage boy, what teenage boy isn't an idiot at some point? This movie did a great job of exploring the fact that teenagers aren't the most rational creatures on the planet. They fall head over heels quickly and just as quickly realize it may not work. I loved that end scene between Romeo & Juliet on the boat. As I got older, I understood their relationship probably wouldn't last because all Romeo had was pretty words and grand gestures and sooner or later, that wouldn't be enough.

This movie highlights the idea that a passionate love isn't always a lasting one and to truly fall in love with someone, you have to get to know them. If you're a big fan of the play Romeo & Juliet and don't want to see you favorite characters "sullied", I would skip this movie. However, if you're like me and identified with Rosaline in some way or felt bad for her, I recommend this movie so you can see her get her happy ending.

Clusterf**k: Woodstock '99 (2022)

Interesting Limited Series

[8/10 · 18 August 2022]

I was interested in watching Trainwreck because I'd heard of Woodstock '99 having issues but I didn't know to what extent. While some of the interviews actually added to the documentary, such as the Korn lead singer and Amanda Lewis, there were others that seemed like they were just there to point fingers, such as the organizers of the event. A lot of blame was being passed back and forth but it really seemed like there were a bunch of little things that led to the big "finale".

What I liked about the documentary was how in-depth they went with each day of the festival. I liked that they showed numerous sides of the event including those of the performers and attendees. They really could have made this series into 6 or 7 episodes because I was interested in what happened after the festival ended. They could've answered questions like, was anyone held accountable for what happened? Were there any investigations into the festival and the rioting done on the last day?

My biggest problem with this documentary is how they just glossed over the rapes of some of the women. They barely spent any time explaining how many women came forth with stories or what happened to them and the men who raped them. It was almost as if they just wanted to sweep that particular issue under the rug. I really believe there was more to that but they didn't want to address it.

In the end, it was a very good documentary, well put together and researched. I definitely recommend it but people should be aware there is A LOT of nudity, both male and female. Men are showed full frontal often while women's breasts are frequently shown. I understand why the nudity was included but it's still a lot.

Morbius (2022)

Choppy Editing

[6/10 · 26 May 2022]

I enjoyed Morbius despite its very obvious editing flaws. First of all, I agree with the widespread opinion regarding the mid-credit scenes. They're very definitely confusing and felt like they were added because that's the "thing to do". They didn't really add anything and didn't leave me excited for the possibility of an upcoming movie.

Second of all, what was the point of the very first scene? The movie opens to Morbius going to a bat cave, cutting his hand and letting the bats (I assume because you can't truly see) drink his blood. I thought we would revisit this scene at some later point in the movie, I figured it would contribute to his transformation but it didn't. It had no effect on the movie whatsoever.

That right there was this movie's whole issue. Scenes that had no effect on the story were added while the majority of the movie had holes in the storytelling. It was almost like they took out scenes that they didn't think were important but they had a major role in the flow of the story. This movie is barely an hour and 45 minutes long but they could have easily added an additional 30 or 45 minutes to help with the flow of the story and Morbius' origin.

Instead, we're left with a choppy film that feels very much thrown together at the last minute. With all the delays this movie had, you would think they would've taken the extra time to perfect it but it's obvious that wasn't done. On the plus side, IF the Morbius character gets a sequel they have nowhere to go but up. But, for the love of good movies, find a different director or editor or something! Someone who actually knows how to tell a good, smooth story.

One more thing. Being a Whovian, I absolutely enjoyed Matt Smith as Milo. He was my favorite part of this whole movie and I loved seeing his quirkiness play into his role as a villain.

The Batman (2022)

Pleasantly Surprised

[8/10 · 23 May 2022]

I didn't have high hopes for this movie when they said Robert Pattinson was going be the Batman. I still see him as the whiny, sparkly vampire Edward Cullen and I didn't have any sort of faith that he could pull off this character. I will admit, I was wrong...to a point. His fighting was fluid and agile, he moved faster than I expected. He didn't try to make his voice too gravelly, which I appreciated. But as soon as he pulled off the Batman suit and became Bruce Wayne, my opinion of his performance dropped. Bruce Wayne has always been portrayed as a playboy billionaire, charming and flirtatious. This makes sense if he's trying to hide the fact he's a brooding, masked vigilante. Robert Pattinson's version of Batman is broody 24/7. Unfortunately, he doesn't come off as sexy when he broods. He's more...pitiful. And his physique is nowhere close to that of his predecessors. Not to much his hair. I'm not sure what they were going for with his hair but it looked greasy and stringy and was always in his face. I seriously wanted to shave his head because his hair drove me crazy.

Now, I really must say my 8 stars is more for Zoe Kravitz and Colin Farrell. Zoe stole every scene she was in. I really liked the noir feel of her character and how she could kick some butt but also be vulnerable. She and Robert Pattinson had amazing chemistry and I'm not sure I would've enjoyed this movie as much if they had someone else play Selina Kyle.

I knew Colin Farrell was playing the Penguin but even though I knew that, I could not see or hear Colin Farrell anywhere in that character. They did an incredible job of transforming him into the Penguin, and again, this was another actor/character that stole scenes. He was entertaining and made me laugh but you could also sense an underlying danger about him. I can't wait to see what they do with his character.

Even though this movie is 4 minutes shy of being 3 hours long, it really doesn't feel like it. There are no unnecessary scenes, everything has a reason and the pace is quick enough to keep your attention but not so quick that you lose elements of the story. I highly recommend this movie for anyone who, like me, has been watching Batman movies/shows for most of their lives.

A Haunting on Brockway Street (2019)

Playing Hide And Seek With a Dead Kid?

[2/10 · 18 April 2022]

The beginning of this "documentary" wasn't too bad. But then about halfway through, activity suddenly ramps up with no explanation as to why. Oh and the "psychic medium" they brought in that was scared by everything? How is she good at her job if she's afraid of every little bump and creak?

And why was the crew so focused on Victor? Why didn't they do more research into the history of the house and it's previous owners? Stupid question, they didn't do research so they could fake the evidence.

This "documentary" was very clearly scripted and poorly acted. And I'm sorry, but what kind of idiot do you have to be to try to play hide and seek with a dead person??? And this Shippy moron was actually yanking back shower curtains like he was going to suddenly see a dead child hiding there. I'm pretty sure Shippy wouldn't know a real ghost even if it bit him.

You might enjoy this if you go into it thinking it's a "mockumentary" or a found footage horror movie because this sure isn't a true investigation and there's no proof that the house is haunted other than things that can easily be faked.

The Ghost Town Terror: Let Us Have Her (2022) Season 1, Episode 5

Tim Wood is a Horrible Person

[1/10 · 9 April 2022]

This episode confirmed my suspicion that Tim has been pushing the idea of a demon onto this family. As soon as Karen said the sketch that was done resembled her ex that had killed himself and she wanted her kids to see it to see what they thought, all of a sudden Tim was saying "no, we can't show them this picture. We have to put it away because it causes negative thoughts". When it reality, he was losing control of the situation and if Karen thought it was her ex and not a demon, then he couldn't control what she thought and how she reacted.

To have Sarah stand up to Tim and tell him she agreed with Karen that the kids needed to see the sketch, proved another suspicion that Tim has been trying to create and cultivate the fear. Because if he held on to that picture and refused to let them see it, that would put them on edge. And when he didn't get his way, what did he do? Stormed out of the building like a child and swore up and down that Karen is possessed and the demon is taking charge. He even went so far as to call Karen "it".

Honestly, Tim should be ashamed of himself and anyone who goes to him for "help" should rethink that decision and then run away from him as fast as they can.

The Ghost Town Terror (2022– )

Don't Bother, It's Fake

[1/10 · 9 April 2022]

I thought this show had a really good idea behind it but the execution is missing. You can tell the two main "investigators" are acting by the way they talk. And I'm sorry, but just because an entity tells you it's a "demon" does not mean it's a demon! Do you know how many ghosts mess with people by portraying themselves as a demon or the devil??? A lot! And these idiots believe them!

Shows like this are dangerous because they're telling already scared people that their home is infested with demons with no proof other than a muddled EVP that sounds like someone might be saying they're a demon. Instead of trying to help people, these "investigators" are trying to drum up more business.

Also, they make very tenuous connections. For instance, in the third episode they say Theresa Harrington was a sex worker because she lived on the same street as a known brothel in Butte. And then they change the location from "same street" to "same block" with no proof this is true. And their reasoning for saying she's a sex worker? "There'd be no reason for anyone who was not a sex worker to live on the same block". Seriously??? That would be like saying people who live on the same street as a drug dealer are also drug dealers because their neighbor is a drug dealer.

Don't waste your time with these fools. Not unless you want a good laugh. And don't believe the 10 star ratings, most of those are fake accounts because the only rating those users have are for this show.

Scream (I) (2022)

Requel? Call It What It Is...A Remake

[4/10 · 24 March 2022]

If you're like me, when you heard the term "requel" you probably thought: "what the heck is that?" One of the female characters in the movie would lead you to believe it's a whole new type of movie. It's not a sequel, it's not a remake...it's a requel. It's a load of crap is what it is.

When you take a movie and redo the exact same elements, (right down to injuries in the climatic fight, quotes pulled straight from the original (and passed off as original thoughts) and the boyfriend is the killer (yep, that's right)) that is a remake. You can all it whatever you want, but if it quacks like a remake and walks like a remake, it's a remake. This should've been titled Scream: The Remake (Because We Are Officially Out of Ideas and Want to Rip Off Our More Creative Predecessors).

That's not to say there weren't some original ideas to the movie, like one of the main female characters turns out to be Billy Loomis' daughter. But the writers must not have been able to contain themselves the whole movie because they revealed this within the first 30 minutes or so. It could've been an amazing twist or a huge reveal for the end and it's given to audience at the beginning with nothing much done with it. It was kind of deflating when they just gave the answer. There really was no buildup, no chance to question why this girl is seeing Billy Loomis when he is very much dead. Maybe the writers figured the millennials wouldn't be able to wait an hour and a half for the reveal. Maybe they knew the attention span of millennials is incredibly short and that's why they spoon fed that tidbit of information. Unfortunately, this whole movie seems to be geared towards millennials which would make sense of why it lacks creativity, originality and even decent scares.

If you're a millennial, you'll probably love this movie. If you're a fan of the original and grew up watching it, give this "requel" a hard pass.

Turning Red (2022)

Not The Best, Not The Worst

[6/10 · 12 March 2022]

I'll just start off by saying I didn't think Turning Red was as good as Encanto, Luca or Raya and The Last Dragon. It wasn't bad but it also wasn't the best that Pixar has produced.

The premise was very promising but there were a few cringe-worthy moments like when Ming is talking about Mei getting her menstrual cycle and then showing up at school with pads for Mei. Mei could be a bit of a brat and her mother was a bit judgmental but those are realistic character traits.

I would like to say that I like the inclusion of different cultures and ethnicities into Pixar and Disney movies. It's refreshing to see and it opens doors for different stories and tales. If that's "too woke" for people, then maybe you should just stop watching TV shows and movies. Better yet, stop viewing the world through your overly political lens and just enjoy things.

I recommend this movie for a lazy day when you can't find anything else to watch.

Archive 81 (2022)

A Lot Happened but Nothing Happened

[2/10 · 15 February 2022]

I really wanted to like this series. I'm a fan of horror, science fiction and thrillers so I thought this was probably going to be a hit for me. Unfortunately, I was very wrong. The episodes are convoluted, you're never sure if you're watching something that actually happened or if it's a dream. Sometimes I thought everything that happened was in the lead character's, Dan, mind and then I thought maybe Melody was a ghost haunting Dan and this would end up similar to The Haunting of Hill House.

The writers tried too hard to find twists and turns and the storyline was stretched over eight episodes when four probably would've been enough. To add to this slow pace was the poor acting by Dina Shihabi. There were too many scenes where she tried too hard and overshot the emotions needed. Her overacting made her character seem erratic and melodramatic and a smidge unlikeable. On the flip side of that, Mamoudou Athie was too reserved. There were too many scenes that I felt like he was just reading his lines. There was inflection, no emotion and I started to wonder why he and Dina were put in the lead roles when it truly seems like they don't have any talent.

I'm five episodes in and the tangled mess of this series keeps getting worse. There seems to be no attempt being made at untangling the various plots and I feel as though I'm in the mind of a mentally ill person and have just wasted five hours of my life for nothing. Hopefully I'm wrong and I will get some closure on some of these issues but if the other reviews are correct, that's unlikely.

I suggest this show only for those who like to be confused, who like not knowing what's going on or what's going to happen and who want to waste a day on a show that provides no true storyline or likeable characters that make an impact.

Eternals (2021)

So-So Marvel

[5/10 · 30 January 2022]

I'll be honest, I didn't have high expectations for this movie. I usually enjoy Marvel movies and own just about all of them (except for Black Widow which I will never watch because of Scarlett Johansson) but there was something about Eternals that I just didn't enjoy.

I liked the premise very much but a lot of the main characters were forgettable. The way the past was sprinkled throughout the present felt disjointed or jarring at times. I was actually very much surprised at Angelina Jolie's portrayal of Thena. I'm not a big fan of hers to begin with so I didn't have high hopes but I felt she did an incredible job with the character. Salma Hayek is also one I wouldn't term to be a favorite of mine but again, I was pleasantly surprised by her as Ajak. I also thoroughly enjoyed Brian Tyree Henry (but he rarely disappoints), Kumail Nanjiani and Don Lee.

While I know Gemma Chan and Richard Madden were supposed to be the main focus, I don't think they have the charisma or star power to lead a Marvel franchise. I really wish more of the "supporting" characters had, had more screen time (including Kit Harrington). If they had spent more time on the other Eternals besides Ikaris and Sersi, I would've enjoyed it more.

Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer (2021)

Not What It Was Promoted As

[4/10 · 25 January 2022]

I decided to watch this because I've become fascinated with the serial killers that were active in the 70s and 80s. I enjoyed the documentary series about the Night Stalker on Netflix and thought this would be similar...it was not.

The information about the murders and how they finally caught the serial killer would've only filled one episode (if they were lucky). The majority of this limited series was actually about the sex business in Times Square in the 70s and 80s. There were a lot of explicit photos and videos that had absolutely nothing to do with the murders. Sure, some of the victims were sex workers and sure, the serial killer did find some of his victims in Times Square. However, the connection they gave between the murders and the sex businesses in Times Square was extremely tenuous at best and non-existent at worst.

Honestly, this should've been two different series: one about the history of the sex business in Times Square and one about the serial killer and his victims. It was very disappointing to find the information of the serial killer was randomly peppered into this story about pornography in NYC.

If you're looking for a good true crime series about a serial killer, this isn't it.

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021)

Just Watch The Trailer

[2/10 · 30 October 2021]

I'm going to save you some time, just watch the trailer for this movie because all of the scary stuff that happened in the movie was in the trailer. The main characters go to this Amish farm with the intention of getting to know the girl's relatives (what's sad is I can't remember the girl's name, that's how memorable she was) but just ended up taking advantage of their privacy and hospitality. The Amish family gave them no reason to doubt or suspect them, they just started snooping around the farm. To add to it, the main female character was rude to Jacob when he told her about what happened with Sarah. The main female character and her male friends gave the audience no reason to like them or wish they would survive. By the middle of the movie, I was saying they deserved whatever they got.

There were so many elements that could've worked and been scary but there was no development to the story. Scary moments were peppered in randomly and didn't add to or have anything to do with what was going on. For example, the main female character (still can't remember her name) gets attacked in the middle of the night but the men don't wake up and there's blood on the ceiling but no one seems to notice and it's not explained why that was done.

I suggest you skip this movie and just rewatch the originals.

Portals to Hell: Haunted Hill House (2020) Season 2, Episode 6

"Ghosts" Were Taken From Horror Movies

[3/10 · 6 October 2021]

Has no one else noticed that the ghosts the owner described were from horror movies??

I find it a little more than coincidental that the demon in this house is named Toby which just happens to be the demon from Paranormal Activity.

Also, Joshua sounds like he was patterned after Wrong Turn. I found this episode hard to believe because I couldn't ignore the similarities between the owner's story and the two horror movies.

Come on people! If you're going to lie about what kind of ghosts you have in your home, at least try to be more creative and don't steal straight from horror movies!

Portals to Hell (2019–2022)

Fairly Enjoyable

[7/10 · 3 October 2021]

I was very reluctant to watch this show because of the name, "Portals to Hell". It kind of gives the impression that this show is about them trying to prove there is a doorway to hell in these locations which isn't actually an accurate assessment of what they're doing. They're going in with the intention of investigating these places like any other "ghost hunting" show.

What I like about this show is that they let you see and kind of get to know the behind-the-scenes crew. They actually show if one of the crew has an encounter while at a location which helps to add validation to a haunting. I also like that Jack Osbourne seems to have a skeptical nature which is nice in comparison to some other shows where every noise and every sight is a "demon".

I don't like that they had Cindy Kaza on as a "psychic medium". I've seen her in other things and I don't believe she's a psychic or a medium. When she joined them at Bobby Mackey's, the information she gave them was stuff that has been well documented in other ghost hunting shows, specifically Ghost Adventures, and the haunted tour guide that took Jack around at the beginning of the episode mentioned the one and only documented death was a man who got in a fight and basically dropped dead from a blow to his head. Cindy could have EASILY researched that. And I'm sorry but "automatic writing" sounds like a bunch of BS and it didn't escape my notice that you didn't really get to see what she was writing.

Suffice to say, that Portals to Hell isn't really a unique concept because just about every type of ghost hunting show that could be done, has been done. But if you're like me and like to watch these shows to see what kind of evidence people get, then give this a shot.

Demon House (2019)

Not As Completely Terrible As I Was Expecting

[4/10 · 20 September 2021]

I'm not a fan of Zak Bagans or Ghost Adventures. I sincerely believe Zak is a narcissistic, pompous d*uchebag. But I was bored and figured I could entertain myself with his stupidity. Because I went in with no expectations, this wasn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be.

There was virtually no evidence of the haunting and what "evidence" there was, could have easily been faked (such as the shot of his camera facing the hallway that catches the shadow "coming out of the wall"). Not to mention, him blaming the house on tragedies that befell many of the people who visited or were connected to the house is just ridiculous. Furthermore, him tearing the house down at the end doesn't mean that the haunting will end just because there's no structure. Sometimes it's the land that's haunted.

The four stars I gave this wasn't for Zak or the believability of this so called demon house. No, I gave four stars for the research that was done on the house and the situation. It seemed like it was truly vetted. Was the information skewed to fit a narrative? Probably. But I appreciated the effort that was put into it as indicated by the citations in the closing end credits.

If you want an excuse to laugh (which I did a few times during this "documentary"), then watch this and laugh at the absurdity. But if you're looking for true documentation of the paranormal, pass on this and find something better.

Malignant (I) (2021)

Worth a Watch

[6/10 · 13 September 2021]

Malignant is one of those movies that doesn't truly get good until about 30 minutes from the end. There were some scenes that I didn't think were truly needed and there were some situations that felt forced. There was also no buildup to the story whatsoever. It felt like we were thrown in blind with no information at all about what was going on.

Truth be told, I was bored for half of the film and I wouldn't really term it a horror movie either. If you're looking for a James Wan horror movie similar to Insidious or The Conjuring, this ain't it. But if you want an action/thriller with some gore and very little need to use your brain, then give this shot.

Freaky (2020)

Much Better Than Expected

[8/10 · 10 August 2021]

I'm not a big fan of Kathryn Newton. To me, she is just another bottle blonde actress with mediocre talent in a long line of bottle blonde actresses with mediocre talent. So imagine how surprised I was to find how convincing she was not only as a meek teenager but also as a male serial killer trapped in a teen girl's body. She actually gave me the creeps a few times with her portrayal of the serial killer. And of course, Vince Vaughn did not disappoint with the comedy aspect of his role and was thoroughly creepy himself as the serial killer.

I think what helped me the most with enjoying this movie was not having high expectations. This isn't supposed to be a cerebral experience. This movie is all about fun and not taking itself too seriously. It's not your typical horror movie in that it's intention is to scare the audience. There are times where it seems as though it's a spoof of horror movies (such as the scene where Vince Vaughn is trying to walk around while wearing an Aaron Rodgers mask and asks "how do killers do this?") but that's not a bad thing. It was a unique take on a story told dozens of times (Freaky Friday) and was thoroughly entertaining.

If you like the Happy Death Day movies, you are sure to enjoy this. And if you're a fan of horror movies, you will probably enjoy it. Just make sure you're not watching it with the hope of being scared or having to figure out a puzzle because this is not that kind of movie. This a "purely for entertainment" kind of movie and it definitely didn't disappoint with that.

The Wind (II) (2018)

Could Have Been Better

[5/10 · 3 August 2021]

I decided to watch this movie after being captivated by Ashley Zukerman in the Fear Street trilogy. As with Fear Street, he did not disappoint for his portrayal of Isaac but he was about the only thing that I truly enjoyed about this movie.

So much was left unexplained. Was Lizzy really being tormented by an entity? Or was she slowly losing her mind? How much of what happened actually occurred and how much was just in her head? Did she actually know Emma's baby was Isaac's and killed her and blamed it on a demon? Or did Emma kill herself?

The different timelines didn't really help either. There was no way to really distinguish if it was the present or past until you were a few minutes into the scene and then you're left feeling discombobulated. This was one of those movies that had scenes that didn't really add to the story and if they had taken those out and replaced them with something that made more sense or explained more of the events, it would have been a much better movie.

In my opinion, 5 stars for the movie but that's mostly for Ashley Zukerman's performance. I would give 10 stars for his performance but I don't want the whole movie to get the credit.

The Punisher (2017–2019)

Bernthal Does Not Disappoint

[9/10 · 1 August 2021]

I admit, I jumped on The Punisher bandwagon too late since it was canceled after 2 seasons but I'm so glad I gave it a shot.

Let me just say I have loved Jon Bernthal in everything I've seen him do and The Punisher is no exception. Bernthal is enthralling as Frank Castle, whether he is screaming at someone, beating the crap out of someone or showing his surprising emotional range. His portrayal of the anti-hero is (in my opinion) more believable than Thomas Jane's in the 2004 film of the same name. I think this is helped along because of the platform (series on Netflix) where they have more leeway for character development and to show the extremes this character will go to. It was also available at a time when The Avengers were still very popular and this added a nice balance to their "apple pie, goody-goody" image.

If you like something a little grittier than the typical superhero movies or if you're looking for a great action series or even if you're like me and just really enjoy watching Jon Bernthal, I highly recommend this series.

Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 (2021)

Amazing Conclusion

[10/10 · 18 July 2021]

I just finished watching the conclusion of the Fear Street trilogy and I can honestly say the third was the best! It's rare to find a trilogy that gets better with each movie and Fear Street is definitely in that category for me. About halfway through, a surprise twist happened and I actually had to pause the movie to wrap my head around the implications.

I really enjoyed the 1666 part of the movie and when it went back to 1994, I was a little disappointed but also understood they had done everything they could with 1666. They did a phenomenal job of tying all of the elements back together and I really enjoyed how they used the same actors in the 1666 part that they used in 1994 and 1978.

There were some reviews that said the accents in 1666 were horrible but I didn't pay them any attention because I was more focused on the story. There were also some reviews that say this movie was nothing but a vehicle for lesbian drama and man-hating rhetoric but I don't feel that way. The lesbian aspect of it makes more sense to me after watching the third part and I don't see how the movies were man-hating when females and males were equally good and bad. However, some people will find any reason to hate on something and that's their choice.

If you like horror movies and want to see a truly unique horror trilogy, I highly recommend Fear Street.

Moxie (I) (2021)

Could Have Been Handled Better

[2/10 · 15 July 2021]

First off, let me say that I am a woman and I wanted to like this movie, I really did but it was hard to when the message was clearly "if you don't stand up and shout with us, then you are part of the problem." Why is it the younger generation feels the need to complain about everything??? This movie portrays them as if they are the only ones that have furthered women. How ironic that they choose to ignore the women who came before them. Women who paved the way and helped give them rights that they exploit today such as Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Margaret Sanger, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm or any woman involved with Suffragette.

The girls of today are more focused on tearing down men and less on lifting up women and that's not my definition of feminism. How can we expect to succeed if we're trying to make all men evil instead of helping our fellow woman? Why should schools have to revamp their entire curriculum to suit the needs of these children? Shouldn't the curriculum be expanded so there can be open discussions about the changes seen over the decades? Shouldn't they be pushing for additions of more relevant authors? No, instead the younger generation wants to erase history to make it fit their agenda. They are no better than the people they attack.

I'm severely disappointed in this movie. This could have been a wonderful movie with an important message about women and girls joining forces to make positive changes and instead I saw girls lashing out much the same way their male counterparts did without much accomplished. Badly done indeed.

Fear Street: Part Two - 1978 (2021)

So Much Better Than Part One

[9/10 · 14 July 2021]

While this one did contain gratuitous sex scenes, I felt like this second part outdid the first in so many ways. Not only did it have a twist at the end that I didn't see coming but the pace stayed consistent and there wasn't a big chunk of the movie that I felt was unnecessary (which happened with the first one).

I also really enjoyed how they tied the two parts together. It was a fresh take on a horror trilogy and it was nice to see an original thought and concept considering our society has become lazy and we just regurgitate what's already been done so we don't have to come up with new ideas.

By the end of part two, I was glad I decided to watch the trilogy and I'm counting down the days till part three premieres.

Fear Street: Part One - 1994 (2021)

Not Bad But Not Great

[7/10 · 14 July 2021]

I'm a big horror fan and I used to read RL Stine when I was younger so when I saw Netflix was doing a trilogy for his Fear Street books, I was intrigued. I didn't have any expectations because I don't remember much about the Fear Street books but I was pleasantly surprised. There were some predictable moments but for the most part, it was a unique film that did have me on the edge of my seat for quite a bit of it.

The opening sequence was definitely intense but it started to lose me about 20 minutes in. The fighting between Shadyside and Sunnyvale and Sam and Deena felt out of place. I feel like there could have been a better way to get to the car crash which led to finding Sarah Fier. The whole sequence of the bus continuing driving while the emergency exit door is open and blaring the alarm is highly unlikely.

However, once you get past that and about 20 more minutes of teen angst and drama (which really wasn't needed), the movie got back to the horror elements and finished strong. By the credits I was looking forward to the second part. I definitely recommend these movies for horror fans.