Looking Back at the Films of 2022 Part 5 - Terrifier 2

 

Alright it's another edition of Looking Back, and sadly the end of Halloween reviews until next year. Oh well, no point in sulking, let's get to it.

Why Didn't I See Terrifier 2?

It's real simple, I had no idea this movie even existed. I only discovered it from word of mouth.

What is Terrifier 2?

Terrifier 2 is a horror movie and the sequel to 2016's Terrifier. It was produced by Dark Age Cinema and Fuzz on the Lens Productions and distributed by Bloody Disgusting. Terrifier 2 was written and directed by Damien Leone.

The story is sadistic murder Art the Clown has come back to life after the events of the last movie. While he continues to enjoy his murderous rampage, Art also has a goal of stopping a young woman who could possibly kill him for good.

My Thoughts

The Good: I've got nothing.

The Bad: Nothing here too.

The Okay: Overall, there's a lot of mix bags with Terrifier 2. One of those being the acting. While some people are pretty good, such as David Howard Thronton and Lauren LaVera, others are either okay, or just plain bad. Then there's the special effects. Yes, there was quite a lot of really good effects work, but then there were times when you plainly see that it's just a dummy or fake limb. Granted, I can't really be too harsh on that aspect. The movie was made with only $250,000. So it seems only natural that somethings will seem a bit off. Then there's the common complaint of the pacing. From my point of view, the pacing wasn't too bad. It felt really good...until the final moments of the big showdown. You can tell the writer/director was really milking it, and not in a good way. Then there's the last aspect, that being the story itself. The movie does have a fun slasher vibe to it. However, I believe there wasn't much of balance. The character work is better decent, but it almost felt like there were times when the movie was more focused on the next big kill then character development. I know this isn't a character driven drama, but sometimes what makes a great horror flick isn't the blood and guts. It also didn't help that the story had some unanswered questions. Like how did the kids' dad know about Art? I get Damien Leone wanted to leave somethings for the upcoming sequel, but it still felt like some questions could've been answered.

Final Verdict: Okay.

Not the best way I wanted to end this Halloween season of reviews, but that's going to do it. Come back on Thursday, Nov 2nd, for my review of season 1 of Invincible. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Five Nights at Freddy's Review

 

Five Nights at Freddy's is a supernatural horror movie based on the franchise of the same name. It's produced by Blumhouse Productions, Scott Cawthon Productions, and Striker Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. Five Nights at Freddy's is written by Scott Cawthon, Emma Tammi, and Seth Cuddeback and directed by Emma Tammi.

The story is Mike Schmidt is a down on his luck security guard looking for work. His prayers have been answered when he's given a job to work at the once successful family entertainment center, Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. It seems like a normal job, but after midnight, Mike soon learns that the animatronic mascots not only move on their own, but terrorize anybody who's still in the building.

Initial Reaction

Now at first, I was gonna skip this movie and not even bother reviewing it. Mainly cause I've never been a Five Nights at Freddy's fan. But then I took a step back and realized something, I've reviewed not one, but two movies that were basically inspired by Five Nights at Freddy's. So I might at as well make this circle full, and review the actual Five Nights at Freddy's movie.

Cons

I've got nothing, just scroll down.

Middle Ground

One mix bag with the movie is the pacing. Sometimes it's pretty good, but there are some parts were things go much slower than they needed to be. Then there's the scare factor. Now, there are a few genuinely creepy moments, and there is a body count, but sometimes the movie's just more entertaining than scary. Unlike some people I wasn't too disappointed about the lack of blood and guts. Guess 1) the movie's rated PG-13, so there was only gonna be some much they could get away with. 2) the games themselves weren't rated M, but 12+. Also, from the footage I would go to see after watching this, and reading from people who are far more knowledgeable about the games then me, while there'll be blood, the games primarily focused on atmosphere and living things up to your imagination. Now, sometimes the latter does happen, as for the former...not so much. So I think if the movie had a better, creepier atmosphere, then maybe things would've been better received. Which now brings me to the story. The biggest praise I'll give is the movie does develop the characters, I actually did grow to care for these people. Really the only complaint I have is when we were nearing the end, it did kinda feel like they were rushing to wrap things up.

Pros

The truly great thing about the flick is the look. The design team, cinematographer, etc. clearly worked really hard to make it look like the game's locations and animatronics look they jumped out of the game and onto the big screen.

Five Nights at Freddy's isn't perfect, but it did turn out far better than what I thought would. I say if you're a fan of this franchise, then maybe you'll get a kick out of this.

My final rating is, Okay.

That's all for now. Come back on Monday, Oct 30th, for part five of Looking Back at the Films of 2022. For that, I'll be reviewing Terrifier 2. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Underrated Films - The Midnight Meat Train

 

The Midnight Meat Train is a horror movie based on Clive Barker's 1984 short story of the same name. It was produced by Lakeshore Entertainment, Lionsgate, Midnight Picture Show, and GreeneStreet Films and distributed by Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment. The Midnight Meat Train was written by Jeff Buhler and directed by Ryuhei Kitamura.

The story is Leon is a photographer who wants to capture the darker shots of the city, and after not getting a break because a gallery owner feels as though he doesn't take enough risks, Leon heads to the subway system. He soon learns of a supposed butcher who's been killing passengers for quite sometime. Leon soon discovers more than what he bargained for.

Why It's Underrated

While the movie got quite a bit of attention, as the years when on it just faded away and would later go underneath people's radar, mine included. I didn't know the movie existed until I saw a commercial for it on SyFy, and I didn't bother watching it. Mistake on my part.

My Thoughts

The first thing I want to get out of the away are the special effects. When I read reviews for this, I was expecting to be taken out of the experience because so many people complained about the CGI. Now yes, there were scenes where it's clearly CGI, but there not as frequent as those reviews made them out to be. Most of the time the effects are well crafted and very much practical. Which makes me wonder what version of the movie did these people see?

One bit of praise goes to Ryuhei Kitamura's directing. I'll admit, I never heard of this guy until I saw this movie, and I gotta say, his style of directing is really good. Nice visuals, even if those visuals are disturbing. But when adapting a Clive Barker story, you need somebody who can make images truly scary, instead of something bland, and Kitamura did just that.

Since this is a horror movie, how does the violence hold up? Well...it's very gruesome. The kills hold nothing back, when someone's head is gonna get messed up, you can count on blood just going everywhere. But what makes it truly special is what a lot of the great horror flicks do, and that's not have an over reliance on it. Yeah despite what some of the marketing was saying, even though the gore is there and plays a part, it's not played as yet another typical slasher movie.

Which now brings me to the performances. Our main stars, those being Bradley Cooper and Vinnie Jones, both do a tremendous job. What really made their acting great was what they could say just with facial expressions alone, especially in Vinnie's case considering his character (The Butcher) doesn't say anything until the final act.

The last thing I'll write about is the story. While you do get focus on The Butcher, there's actually more to the story than that. If anything, the story mainly focuses on morbid curiosity and how that leads down a dangerous road. If our main character didn't wind up having a dark obsession and need to want to find out more about The Butcher, things might not have turned out so horribly by the end. It honestly was the best part of the movie for me. However, there is a minor flaw. There's a big twist in the story that got a mixed reactions at best, and I can understand why. While the movie does state there's more to The Butcher than meets the eye, the movie didn't dive too deep about that. I think if more breadcrumbs were spread, just enough not to make people feel like the movie was treating them like morons, but enough to make people want to rewatch and search for more clues, then maybe the twist would've been better received.

While The Midnight Meat Train isn't flawless, it was still an enjoyable movie to watch. I think if you get the chance, you should give this one a watch. Especially since this is the Halloween season.

My final rating is, Good.

That's all for now. Come back on Saturday, Oct 28th, for my review of, Five Nights at Freddy's. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) vs. Night of the Living Dead (1990)

 

That's right, I'm back with another one of these. This time, it's all about zombies, more specifically the ones from both versions of Night of the Living Dead. Let's get to it.

Contender #1 - Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Director - George A. Romero

Writer(s) - George A. Romero & John Russo

Release Date - Oct 4, 1968

Production - Image Ten

Distribution - Continental Distributing

Budget - $114,000 - $125,000

Gross - $30,000,000 (estimated)

Contender #2 - Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Director - Tom Savini

Writer(s) - George A. Romero

Release Date - Oct 19, 1990

Production - 21st Century Film Corporation & Menahem Golan Productions

Distribution - Columbia Pictures

Budget - $4,200,000

Gross - $5,800,000

Story

The story for both involves siblings Johnny and Barbara going to a graveyard to pay respects to long dead family member. What was suppose to be a simple trip turns into an escalating nightmare when the dead themselves rise up and start eating the living.

Round #1 - Visuals

Honestly, I couldn't really decided on who did the directing better. Mainly because George and Tom had two very different ways of going about their movies, but both ways didn't feel wrong.

With George A. Romero there's a very subtle approach. No over the top gore and such. Whether this is because this was his vision or because of budget restrictions, really doesn't matter, because the movie still looks good despite a limited budget and the technology at the time. A YouTuber by the name of Doctor Wolfula put it best by saying, because of the gritty low budget nature, the movie almost looks like a documentary.

With Savini, other than an obviously bigger budget, there's also the fact that his remake is much more graphic (although not that much) and there was definitely a different atmosphere when compared to George's movie. Overall, Savini was more stylized and grittier.

So which movie wins this round? Well, I guess it really comes down to a matter of taste. If you want something that feels realistic, there's Romero. If you want something darker, there's Savini. If you like black and white movies, Romero. If you prefer color, Savini. And so on and so forth.

Round #2 - Monster

Honestly, there's really no point in debating on this. Both movies essentially have the same exact zombies. Romero's aren't smarter, Savini's aren't stronger, they're both the same. The only thing different about the zombies is the way they look. So, no winner here.

Round #3 - Scares

Now this was another tricky one. Because both movies are pretty scary. Both the original and the remake featuring great scenes of zombies breaking through windows, devouring people, and all the other typical zombie stuff.

And both movies showcase the other terrifying thing, where it's not just the walking dead people should fear, but our human characters falling apart. Being untrustworthy of each other, betraying each other, or generally not making the right decisions.

Round #4 - Story

Okay, the last round, and once again we have something tricky. Especially since both movies were written by the same guy.

With Romero, he not only told a survival story where everything went wrong, while the story also has bits of reflections of where the 60's was during a social and cultural change...or at least that's what a bunch of analysts and/or scholars say. Whether that's true or not really depends on what Romero said before his death.

Then there's Savini's film, now there really isn't anything (or at least when I did research) to analyze. The movie does come off as more of a survival horror flick, BUT, that shouldn't be frowned upon. Because while there isn't some big message underneath, that still doesn't change the fact that this is a good movie. Especially since the survival horror aspect were done very well, and there's also the fact that some of the changes are done in a way where the movie's quality is brought up, instead of brought down.

Winner - Tie.

Sorry if this whole thing felt like one big cop out, especially with the end result. That wasn't my intention. The truth is, both movies are just really good. The '68 film is a bona-fide classic, while the '90 film is how you properly do a remake.

Alright guys, That's all for today. Come back on Thursday, Oct 26th, for my Underrated Films review of, The Midnight Meat Train. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match Review

 

Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match is a direct-to-video adult animated marital arts film, which is based on the Mortal Kombat franchise. While being a prequel, it also serves as the fourth installment of the Legends series. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and NetherRealm Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match is written by Ed Boon and directed by Ethan Spaulding.

The story is action movie superstar Johnny Cage is living the life he's wanted and is enjoying it all. Then one day he finds out about a secret sinister society and their evil plot. Now, Johnny Cage must become just like the action heroes he portrays and put a stop to them.

Initial Reaction

While the Legends series hasn't been flawless, I can't say I haven't been entertained. So naturally I was excited for the next installment, I was even more pumped when I found out it would be all about Johnny Cage. Yes, Johnny is one of my top favorite characters from Mortal Kombat.

Cons

I've got nothing, just move on.

Middle Ground

I only had one mix feeling with this and that was the 80's setting. Now don't get me wrong, it is actually a really good setting. The movie is pretty much a tribute to that decade from the music, the fashion, the colors, and so on. I didn't even grow up in the 80's and I absolutely loved what the movie was doing, where the slight issue comes in is with the continuity. If the movie takes place in the 80's, then does that mean that the first Legends film [Scorpion's Revenge] also takes place in the same decade, or is this some sort of new timeline? I don't know, cause it's never explained. Maybe if you don't care about things like continuity and just want an entertaining story, then you're more than likely to really enjoy this one.

Pros

Let's get this one out of the way quickly, the action continues to be bloody fun. We continue to see violent and creative ways characters get brutalized. Now for the other good thing about Cage Match is Joel McHale's performance. The guy just nails the character of Johnny Cage perfectly, and I'd like to think he's having a fun time playing this character. Then there's the humor, while it sometimes it doesn't work, a good portion made me laugh. I especially liked a lot of Johnny's narrations. Some people had a problem with that, but come on, this is Johnny Cage we're talking about. If the guy gets the chance to run his mouth, he's gonna take it. Especially if he's still a story, about himself. The last thing I'll write about to wrap up this review is the art style. While I did like the style from the previous movies, it's always a good idea to change from a certain art style. It keeps things fresh.

While you might have some issues with the movie, overall, Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match is a fun watch.

My final rating is, Good.

Okay that just about wraps things up. Come back on Monday, Oct 23rd, for when I debate which Night of the Living Dead movie is better. The 1968 classic or the 1990 remake? Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Classic Film Night - Poltergeist

 

Poltergeist is a supernatural horror movie that was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, SLM Production Group, Mist Entertainment, and Amblin Entertainment and distributed by MGM/UA Entertainment Co. Poltergeist was written by Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais, and Mark Victor and directed by Tobe Hooper.

The story is, The Freelings are your average California family just living their lives. Then out of nowhere, strange things start happening around the house. Glass shatters, silverware is bended, and objects are moved around. The Freelings soon learn, they have ghosts in their house, and they're only getting more and more aggressive.

My Thoughts

Now, even though this is a very good movie, we do gotta admit that some, not all, but some special effects haven't aged very well. Which depending on the type of person you are, may or may not take you out of the experience.

With that out of the way, let's get into the great things about Poltergeist, with one of those being the scares themselves. The movie has two different kind of horror moments. Those being more subtle and more in your face, and both are done perfectly. The subtle moments are things like the theories regarding the ghosts. Such as where they go, what's their dimension like compared to ours, and what kind of powers they have. But of course we got the scenes that made top list, like the skeletons in the pool or the face peeling off scene.

Then we have the performances. The cast was very good in this, Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams had chemistry in this. They truly did seem like a couple who have a long history and never got tried of loving each other. And of course we have the late Heather O'Rourke as Carol Anne. Despite how young she was during this, she nailed her role. She was perfect at being the cute daughter, and then be just a little unnerving the next.

The last thing I'll praise is how the film had a perfect balance between Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg. Despite these two having very different filmmaking styles, thankfully Poltergeist didn't wind up being a Frankenstein-style movie, where it's clear as day two people were making one movie. On Spielberg's side, we have that stellar production, and on Hooper's side, while the movie isn't as violent as he's iconic Texas Chainsaw Massacre, his finger prints are still over this, such as that previously mentioned face peeling scene.

Folks, if you want to watch a classic horror movie for this Halloween season or really any Halloween season, definitely watch Poltergeist.

My final rating is, Great.

Okay, that's all for now. Come back on Thursday, Oct 19th, for my review of, Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

A Look Back at Doom Patrol - Season 3

 

With the fourth season airing the soon with the very last episodes, it's time to look back at season three of Doom Patrol.

Doom Patrol is a streaming TV series, developed by Jeremy Carver for HBO Max. It's produced by Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions, Jeremy Carver Productions, and DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution. This season consists of ten episodes.

The story is while the Candlemaker was defeated, the team suffered a great loss. They were once planning to move on with their lives and go their separate ways. But these plans had to change when a time traveler arrives, and sets them on a new path.

• Negatives

The only thing that really dragged this season down was the villains, the Sisterhood of Data. I'm not gonna mince words, they sucked. They were weird, and yes this is a weird show, but they weird in a bad way. They were just noise if anything. And if they weren't that, then they were just boring. So boring it almost felt like whenever they appeared, everything just slowed down.

• Mix

Now this season only had a decent story to it. First let me compliment the good aspects, those being the stories with Cliff and Jane. Cliff has a great story where he truly wants to be a good grandfather to his grandson, but sadly he's dealing with issues of addiction and a possible illness. Meanwhile Jane is essentially having a power struggle story arc with the Underground. Then we have the other stories, Larry's story really wasn't as fleshed out as it should've been, it almost felt like the writers didn't know what to do with him. Then there's Cyborg's story. Maybe it's not my memory working right, but I swear he still has the same daddy issues/"oh no, I have these machine parts, this sucks" story yet again. Then Rita's story sadly just feel apart. It's bad enough it got lumped in with the Sisterhood, but then it seems like she gonna have a good revenge story, then it's ruined by her letting the person she was pursuing join the team. Which means the villain got a redemption arc. People, word of advice, if you're gonna do this kind of story, MAKE. IT. A. PROCESS! Not, villain for a majority, one apology later, redemption.

I'll keep this part brief after such a long spiel, basically the effects continue to be either decent on some parts, and bad on others.

• Positives

There were two saving graces, and those were the performances and humor. While the writing this time wasn't as good, our cast still managed to do a great job. And the humor also helped with those previously mentioned bad or decent parts.

While I didn't hate this season there was still a lot to be desired. Until I see how season four turns out, season three is at the bottom of my rankings list.

My final rating is, Okay.

All done here folks. Come back on Thursday, Oct 12th, for my Classic Film Night review of, Poltergeist. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines Review

 

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is a horror movie that serves as a prequel to the 2019 film. It was produced by Paramount Players and Di Bonaventura Pictures and distributed by Paramount+. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is written by Lindsey Anderson Beer and Jeff Buhler and directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer.

The story is in 1969 a young man named Jud Crandull had plans to move out of his hometown and go off to do bigger things. This plan changes when him and his friends discover horrifying secrets. Now, they must put a stop to a sinister force, or suffer its wrath.

Initial Reaction

The reason for wanting to see was because I thought the 2019 was decent enough. So I figured for curiosity sake I'd give this one a watched.

Cons

The only true problem I had, was there was a lot of forgettable characters. Other than Jud, Timmy, Manny, Jud's dad, and Timmy's dad, I forgot just about every other character. It didn't help that we'll see them one moment, disappear the next, and then reappear later.

Middle Ground

There are three things in this movie, that were okay, but really needed more polishing. One of those were the scares. While there were a few legitimate creepy moments, there were times when things just weren't scary. Then there's Lindsey Anderson Beer's directing. While it's clear she knows how to handle the camera, there just wasn't enough of a style to really make the movie pop. I think there was one, maybe two shots that looked cool, but other than those, the movie just looks pretty plain. Then there's the biggest mix bag, that being the story. Now the story of Jud's first encounter with the Pet Sematary, doesn't sound too bad. I think there's a lot that can be done with that premise. And while the filmmakers did somethings right, other times...no. For every interesting thing that happens, there's something generic that follows. Like we'll have a backstory or other bits of information about the Pet Semtary that actually catches your attention, then we'll cut to your standard horror flick.

Pros

I guess the biggest compliment I give the movie is, despite the semi-weak script the cast did a pretty decent job.

While I didn't hate Pet Sematary: Bloodlines like a lot of other people do, this isn't really a movie you should immediately watch. You can easily skip this, and wait some other time to watch it.

My final rating is, Okay.

That's all for now. And even though the Halloween season has yet to begin, on Monday, Oct 9th, I'll be taking a detour from horror, to review season three of Doom Patrol. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

The Thing from Another World vs. The Thing

 

You're eyes don't deceive you folks. I truly am doing something a bit different this Halloween season. Sure, I'll still be reviewing movies. But I thought this little thing would be a nice way to spice things up.

Contender #1 - The Thing from Another World

Director - Christian Nyby

Writer(s) - Charles Lederer

Release Date - Apr 27th, 1951

Production - Winchester Pictures Corporation

Distribution - RKO Radio Pictures

Budget - $1,600,000 (estimated)

Gross - $1,950,000 (U.S. rental)

Contender #2 - The Thing

Director - John Carpenter

Writer(s) - Bill Lancaster

Release Date - Jun 25th, 1982

Production - The Turman-Foster Company

Distribution - Universal Pictures

Budget - $15,000,000

Gross - $19,600,000 (North America)

Story

Both stories are based on John W. Campbell's novel Who Goes There? and both plots involve a large group going to an arctic base where they discover a very unusual object, and then bring it back to base. They soon realize that this isn't just an object, but an alien creature, and they have to a find a way to survive.

Round #1 - Visuals

First let me just state something, when I mean visuals, I don't mean special effects, I mean which movie had the better look/style to it. With that out of the way, let's get to it.

First up is the 1951 movie. While the movie itself is fairly well made, the directing leaves lot to be desired. Most of the shots are static shots, which means everything, including the characters, are all just grouped together. And the things we don't have to be told to us, via the characters saying stuff out loud.

With the 1982 movie on the other hand, there's more of a flair. More playing with the camera. Because of this, the shots in the movie don't come off as bland as the previous movie. I remember far more scenes with Carpenter's film than I do with Lederer's film.

Round #2 - Monster

John Carpenter's monster wins, hands down. I mean he's what the monster from the '51 movie looks like.

Now yes, I'm fully aware it was the 1950's and there was only so much they could do. But it still feels like they could've been more creative. Anything would've been far better than something that looks like Frankenstein but with a bald head, claw hands, and a jumpsuit.

With the John Carpenter film, The Thing monster is not only creative, but you never know what kind of twisted form it's going to take, which can leave you with tons of suspense, and might even make you morbidly curious, that's if you're watching it for the first time, as suppose to repeated viewings like me and every other fan.

Round #3 - Scares

Let's kick this section off with the '51 movie. In all honesty, I wasn't really scared. Sure I was still entertained and there are a lot of movies during this era, where its scare factor still holds up. But not with The Thing from Another World, sure it's got a good build up, but it does come off as your standard alien invader flick.

So where does that leave the '82 flick? What made this movie scary, wasn't just the monster or the violence, although that did help. It was the other two factors, one was the paranoia. The fear of not knowing when something or someone is going to attack, or not knowing who you can trust. The other factor is how claustrophobic the movie is. It's bad enough that the characters don't who's infected, but there also trapped in their arctic outpost with no way to call for help, thus being completely isolated.

Round #4 - Story

While both movies essentially told the same story, they both took different paths. With The Thing from Another World, the story was still told but they made a lot of changes, some more weirder than others. Like for instance, The Thing isn't just some alien, it's a super plant....like I said odd choices. And I like I said previously, while there is some entertainment here, the movie still came off as a standard alien invades story, nothing really separating it from others.

Which now brings me to The Thing. Screenwriter Bill Lancaster did write a more faithful adaption of the original story, but both him and Carpenter fleshed things out more. More specifically, the paranoia aspect and how desperate our characters are. So with that, we get a much more memorable experience.

Winner - The Thing

So I hoped you enjoyed, because I do plan to make another. Before that though, I'd liked if you came back on Saturday, Oct 7th, for my review of Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.