Initial Thought: After seeing the first two Dude Bro Party Massacre films I knew I had to see this. It's about damn time too since I have been waiting for the whole of my 25 years of life for it. Aw who am I kidding this is not actually a sequel to anything it's a spoof of 80s splatter films. It looks completely ridiculous and that's how it should be. That's what really caught my interest for this one. It's going to be low budget and ridiculous on purpose. It kind of reminds me of the Toxic Avenger films in that regard. It's also from the creators of 5 Second Films.
Characters/Acting: Of course we have the stars from the popular Youtube series. There are even quite a few here from the popular Video Game High School series. We also have some pretty well known faces scattered about with Patton Oswalt, Nina Hartley, Larry King, and John Francis Daley. I think nearly everyone in this has been in at least one thing I've seen. The characters are all quite silly. I think that the actors really performed well at being over the top. I liked that the killer wasn't the typical male this time around. Samzy was probably my favorite character of all here.
Story: In the wake of two back-to-back mass murders on Chico's frat row, loner Brent Chirino must infiltrate the ranks of a popular fraternity to investigate his twin brother's murder at the hands of the serial killer known as "Motherface." The story sounds legit even with it being a spoof film. It starts off with an intentionally awful announcing about the film. It's extremely cheesy and jam packed with low budget effects. Yet somehow it just really entertains you this way. The gory deaths are actually somewhat creative. There were some however that were just a bit too silly. It's funny how some of the deaths aren't even by the killer's hands. Several moments of this throughout that I just couldn't help being amused by. There are some pretty effed up moments here. The ending didn't do much for me like the rest of the movie. There are two scenes during the credits that are somewhat amusing.
Directing/Writing: This is written and directed by the people who do the 5 Second Films series. All the writers/directors have roles throughout the film. There are three directors here all of whom write part of the script as well. Then with them there are seven other writers. I have never seen so many people credited for something that wasn't an anthology. Then again I'm sure it's because they are all part of the Youtube team.
Final Thought: This was completely off the wall ridiculous. I think they really captured the essence of horrible 80s films and turned it into something so hilariously enjoyable. It's off the wall and a bit gross throughout. It may not be for everyone though. If you have a strong stomach and don't mind some pretty out there jokes you may like this.
Dude Bro Party Massacre III review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 8 July 2015 04:10 (A review of Dude Bro Party Massacre III)0 comments, Reply to this entry
Maps to the Stars review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 7 July 2015 06:17 (A review of Maps to the Stars)Initial Thought: I was curious about this one. I haven't seen too many Cronenberg films, but I know to always expect a crazy storyline. It has a plethora of big names in it which caught my attention. So I don't expect anything less than entertaining. I do expect to possibly be confused.
Characters/Acting: The cast here is quite well chosen. Mia Wasikowska just fits within Cronenberg's storytelling. Robert Pattinson returns for another film after Cosmopolis. We get big names with Julianne Moore and John Cusack. Both of whom I like although I wouldn't say they are my favorites. I also noticed a few Degrassi stars in here which I always like to see. It was weird however to see them playing such adult roles. The character Benjie reminds me of Justin Bieber in his ways of being an asshole. Everyone here is extremely damaged and probably the most dysfunctional group of people I've ever seen on film. The performances were great given the talent working here. Evan Bird was the only one I felt iffy about. There were moments that you could see how amateur he was. I did notice in some scenes he did show off some good talent though. There is one thing I would have liked added to this film. I was hoping to see more actors playing themselves in cameos or small parts.
Story: A tour into the heart of a Hollywood family chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts. I think they capture the essence of Hollywood for sure while making it much more brutal. The stories for a lot of these characters are some of the darkest things I've seen on screen. One thing I don't like here is the supposedly old black and white films that look nothing like old black and white films. That is always aggravating to me. The Artist was a film that really pulled it off, but that is one of the only ones. The last about thirty minutes or so everything goes batshit crazy. The ending was not what I was expecting at all.
Directing/Writing: Honestly everything I have seen from David Cronenberg gets the same rating. I haven't come across much yet that I would consider amazing or a favorite. So far the best I have seen was eXistenZ. I thought it was the most fun and unique. That being said I have the rest rated at seven. He is a unique director that's for sure though. Bruce Wagner wrote one of my favorite sequels of the Nightmare on Elm Street series Dream Warriors. With that in mind I expect this to be a pretty fun watch. It was well delivered. I wouldn't say it was fun given the content it deals with. However, it was entertaining. It's a very well written story that's for sure.
Final Thought: Well that was pretty uncomfortable. It's definitely disturbing. I'm sure there are pretty messed up stories in Hollywood. Do they get this messed up? I think occasionally there are some pretty horrid stories that happen. As for this I enjoyed it, but it definitely warps your mind. It's hard to recommend to everyone, but it might cater to the Cronenberg fans.
Characters/Acting: The cast here is quite well chosen. Mia Wasikowska just fits within Cronenberg's storytelling. Robert Pattinson returns for another film after Cosmopolis. We get big names with Julianne Moore and John Cusack. Both of whom I like although I wouldn't say they are my favorites. I also noticed a few Degrassi stars in here which I always like to see. It was weird however to see them playing such adult roles. The character Benjie reminds me of Justin Bieber in his ways of being an asshole. Everyone here is extremely damaged and probably the most dysfunctional group of people I've ever seen on film. The performances were great given the talent working here. Evan Bird was the only one I felt iffy about. There were moments that you could see how amateur he was. I did notice in some scenes he did show off some good talent though. There is one thing I would have liked added to this film. I was hoping to see more actors playing themselves in cameos or small parts.
Story: A tour into the heart of a Hollywood family chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts. I think they capture the essence of Hollywood for sure while making it much more brutal. The stories for a lot of these characters are some of the darkest things I've seen on screen. One thing I don't like here is the supposedly old black and white films that look nothing like old black and white films. That is always aggravating to me. The Artist was a film that really pulled it off, but that is one of the only ones. The last about thirty minutes or so everything goes batshit crazy. The ending was not what I was expecting at all.
Directing/Writing: Honestly everything I have seen from David Cronenberg gets the same rating. I haven't come across much yet that I would consider amazing or a favorite. So far the best I have seen was eXistenZ. I thought it was the most fun and unique. That being said I have the rest rated at seven. He is a unique director that's for sure though. Bruce Wagner wrote one of my favorite sequels of the Nightmare on Elm Street series Dream Warriors. With that in mind I expect this to be a pretty fun watch. It was well delivered. I wouldn't say it was fun given the content it deals with. However, it was entertaining. It's a very well written story that's for sure.
Final Thought: Well that was pretty uncomfortable. It's definitely disturbing. I'm sure there are pretty messed up stories in Hollywood. Do they get this messed up? I think occasionally there are some pretty horrid stories that happen. As for this I enjoyed it, but it definitely warps your mind. It's hard to recommend to everyone, but it might cater to the Cronenberg fans.
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Election (1999) review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 6 July 2015 05:49 (A review of Election (1999))Initial Thought: I have been fairly curious about this one lately. I have seen it on a few lists even. I do adore some Reese Witherspoon. That's pretty much the main reason I'm going to go ahead and check this out now.
Characters/Acting: Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon in one movie! I've always liked both of them. So to see them together here is pretty neat. I guess it should have been obvious that Matthew Broderick plays the teacher, but before watching this I thought he was a student against Reese's character. Reese Witherspoon plays sociopathic so well. It also kind of makes her even more adorable here. Chris Klein is a goofball and usually I don't care for him too much. I did like his character her though. Matthew Broderick gives a pretty good performance as expected. All the characters here are quite eccentric.
Story: A high school teacher's personal life becomes complicated as he works with students during the school elections. I find it hilarious how some of the scenes pause on some really goofy faces. It's obviously intentional and it works. This is a dark comedy so at times you life and sort of feel uncomfortable for doing so. I liked all the fourth wall breaking stuff. That always amuses me for some reason. The ending was amusing.
Directing/Writing: I wasn't aware this was based off of a novel. I guess it makes sense though. Tom Perrotta also wrote the book Little Children is based off of. I've never watched it, but I have heard of it. Alexander Payne takes on the role of director and co-writer here. As a director I haven't seen his work until this. As a writer I have seen I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry as well as Jurassic Park III (both of which I enjoyed). Jim Taylor seems to work with him often as the same credits apply for him as a writer too.
Final Thought: I thought it was a fun little movie dealing with school politics. It has one of my now favorite Reese Witherspoon performances so far. It was worth a one time look. Beyond that though I probably wouldn't watch it again.
Characters/Acting: Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon in one movie! I've always liked both of them. So to see them together here is pretty neat. I guess it should have been obvious that Matthew Broderick plays the teacher, but before watching this I thought he was a student against Reese's character. Reese Witherspoon plays sociopathic so well. It also kind of makes her even more adorable here. Chris Klein is a goofball and usually I don't care for him too much. I did like his character her though. Matthew Broderick gives a pretty good performance as expected. All the characters here are quite eccentric.
Story: A high school teacher's personal life becomes complicated as he works with students during the school elections. I find it hilarious how some of the scenes pause on some really goofy faces. It's obviously intentional and it works. This is a dark comedy so at times you life and sort of feel uncomfortable for doing so. I liked all the fourth wall breaking stuff. That always amuses me for some reason. The ending was amusing.
Directing/Writing: I wasn't aware this was based off of a novel. I guess it makes sense though. Tom Perrotta also wrote the book Little Children is based off of. I've never watched it, but I have heard of it. Alexander Payne takes on the role of director and co-writer here. As a director I haven't seen his work until this. As a writer I have seen I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry as well as Jurassic Park III (both of which I enjoyed). Jim Taylor seems to work with him often as the same credits apply for him as a writer too.
Final Thought: I thought it was a fun little movie dealing with school politics. It has one of my now favorite Reese Witherspoon performances so far. It was worth a one time look. Beyond that though I probably wouldn't watch it again.
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Spy review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2015 06:36 (A review of Spy)Initial Thought: While watching the trailer I had several thoughts. The first was that the action looked pretty good. Then I was disappointed how comedic everything went given how badass it had looked. Then I saw Melissa McCarthy and I was a bit bummed out. She is a decent actress some of the time, but her taste in film is not that good. Then I saw that Jason Statham was in it. I was shocked that he would choose to be in a film like this. It looked a little funny, but not really enough to pull me in. I also thought the title here was really lazy. Anyways then we had a showing at my theater and several people said they actually enjoyed it. So I figured why not finally see why this is such a big deal.
Characters/Acting: The cast here is pretty extensive with people I don't know, action stars, comedians, and others. Some of the more impressive choices here are Jude Law, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Morena Baccarin, and 50 Cent. Everyone here is quite funny even people with pretty small roles. This is probably my favorite Melissa McCarthy role to date. She was pretty hilarious here with moments of pure badass. Jason Statham is actually quite hilarious with how ridiculously badass his character is. Rose Byrne plays a pretty good villain to my surprise. Jude Law is awesome like usual. I just couldn't find a character here that sucked.
Story: An unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency's most dangerous missions must go deep undercover when her partner is compromised. This plot just didn't appeal to me when I saw the trailer. I thought it was pretty bogus. Then again there are many bogus ideas that turn out to be quite fun. The theme song intro was actually kind of neat. It's starts off fairly serious and then it switches it's routine on you. The action is pretty fun. There is actually a good amount of blood during such scenes. I was surprised by how brutal it got at some points. There are a lot of twists and turns that catch you off guard. That ending was too perfect. There is a little blooper after the credits that is pretty funny.
Directing/Writing: Paul Feig takes on the role of writer and director for this feature. My first run in with him was Bridesmaids. I really despised that unfunny garbage. It really is way overrated. However, I absolutely loved The Heat. I really hope this one surprises me and ends up on The Heat level of the spectrum. We kind of get a look here of how a Bond film would look as a comedy.
Final Thought: Well way to go Paul Feig. You made a movie with a trailer I despised turn out to be a hilarious rollercoaster of a film. It's got brutal violence and laugh out moments throughout. It was smothered in completely gross out humor except maybe one time. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I wouldn't mind a sequel either. I definitely recommend checking this one out if you haven't already.
Characters/Acting: The cast here is pretty extensive with people I don't know, action stars, comedians, and others. Some of the more impressive choices here are Jude Law, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Morena Baccarin, and 50 Cent. Everyone here is quite funny even people with pretty small roles. This is probably my favorite Melissa McCarthy role to date. She was pretty hilarious here with moments of pure badass. Jason Statham is actually quite hilarious with how ridiculously badass his character is. Rose Byrne plays a pretty good villain to my surprise. Jude Law is awesome like usual. I just couldn't find a character here that sucked.
Story: An unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency's most dangerous missions must go deep undercover when her partner is compromised. This plot just didn't appeal to me when I saw the trailer. I thought it was pretty bogus. Then again there are many bogus ideas that turn out to be quite fun. The theme song intro was actually kind of neat. It's starts off fairly serious and then it switches it's routine on you. The action is pretty fun. There is actually a good amount of blood during such scenes. I was surprised by how brutal it got at some points. There are a lot of twists and turns that catch you off guard. That ending was too perfect. There is a little blooper after the credits that is pretty funny.
Directing/Writing: Paul Feig takes on the role of writer and director for this feature. My first run in with him was Bridesmaids. I really despised that unfunny garbage. It really is way overrated. However, I absolutely loved The Heat. I really hope this one surprises me and ends up on The Heat level of the spectrum. We kind of get a look here of how a Bond film would look as a comedy.
Final Thought: Well way to go Paul Feig. You made a movie with a trailer I despised turn out to be a hilarious rollercoaster of a film. It's got brutal violence and laugh out moments throughout. It was smothered in completely gross out humor except maybe one time. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I wouldn't mind a sequel either. I definitely recommend checking this one out if you haven't already.
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Time Lapse review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 5 July 2015 11:09 (A review of Time Lapse)Initial Thought: Honestly I had no idea about this movie until today. I read that it was pretty good though. The cast has a few pretty good names to it. So I figure why not check it out.
Characters/Acting: It has some experienced younger stars with Danielle Panabaker and Matt O'Leary. It also has seasoned actor John Rhys-Davies. I expect the acting to be pretty good. George Finn's look kind of reminds me of Cillian Murphy in a way. The acting is actually quite good from everyone. It was kind of funny to see Amin Joseph as a security guard after seeing him as a gangster in Dope. I really enjoyed all the characters here.
Story: Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures 24hrs into the future and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop. That plot alone is crazy enough to grab your attention. You just have to see what the hell is going on. This is definitely a truly original concept. Engagement parties have changed a lot for the generations. It takes a little bit for things to kick it, but things do begin to escalate. When they do that's when the fun really starts to happen. There are some really great scenes here. When action happens it catches you off guard which I liked. I thought the ending was the absolute best part. It made me enjoy this one even more.
Directing/Writing: Bradley King who directs and co-writes this is new to scene. He only has one other credit to his name that I have never heard of. BP Cooper is also new with no other credits. These guys definitely need to do more movies. They are original. They know how to build the tension and keep you entertained with a pretty even paced film.
Final Thought: Holy crap this was a good find. It's absolutely thrilling. It's a slow but powerful ride. On one end it makes you want a time camera on the other you want to stay the hell away. Anyways this was a lot of fun. It's a hidden gem that everyone needs to check out at least once.
Characters/Acting: It has some experienced younger stars with Danielle Panabaker and Matt O'Leary. It also has seasoned actor John Rhys-Davies. I expect the acting to be pretty good. George Finn's look kind of reminds me of Cillian Murphy in a way. The acting is actually quite good from everyone. It was kind of funny to see Amin Joseph as a security guard after seeing him as a gangster in Dope. I really enjoyed all the characters here.
Story: Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures 24hrs into the future and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop. That plot alone is crazy enough to grab your attention. You just have to see what the hell is going on. This is definitely a truly original concept. Engagement parties have changed a lot for the generations. It takes a little bit for things to kick it, but things do begin to escalate. When they do that's when the fun really starts to happen. There are some really great scenes here. When action happens it catches you off guard which I liked. I thought the ending was the absolute best part. It made me enjoy this one even more.
Directing/Writing: Bradley King who directs and co-writes this is new to scene. He only has one other credit to his name that I have never heard of. BP Cooper is also new with no other credits. These guys definitely need to do more movies. They are original. They know how to build the tension and keep you entertained with a pretty even paced film.
Final Thought: Holy crap this was a good find. It's absolutely thrilling. It's a slow but powerful ride. On one end it makes you want a time camera on the other you want to stay the hell away. Anyways this was a lot of fun. It's a hidden gem that everyone needs to check out at least once.
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Fun Size Horror: Volume One review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 4 July 2015 05:25 (A review of Fun Size Horror: Volume One)Initial Thought: A new horror anthology to check out. These are relatively short little films of about six minutes each. I'm sure there are bound to be a few good ones as well as some bad apples.
When They Say You're Alone by Grant Olin
This one has a pretty creepy atmosphere. It had that Rosemary's Baby feel to it. It's a little hard to say much else about this given how little happens. It does have an interesting ending though.
7/10
Knock, Knock by Anthony Lund
This one kind of plays on childhood fears. It's simple and straight to the point. I thought it was a cute short. Not much else to say.
6/10
Happy Birthday by Erin Stegeman
Well this one was different and pretty original. It was also pretty effed up if you ask me. The acting here is quite good and is the first of the shorts to actually have dialogue. I really wasn't expecting that ending. It makes you curious about what the hell is going on. Gore
8/10
Entity by Michael May
That was an unusual one. The characters were pretty stupid here, but hey you wouldn't have a movie any other way. I think the acting was average. It was itself pretty basic.
5/10
Bad Eggs by Max Isaacson
I have no idea what the hell I just watched. It definitely wasn't something I've ever seen before. I won't even tell you why. It's something you have to see for yourself to believe. Definitely the silliest and weirdest idea I've seen that's for damn sure. As for good not so much.
2/10
The Screaming by Dick Grunert
Well that escalated quickly. That girl was pretty hot though. It was fairly creepy, but all the screaming was a bit much haha. Anyways it was an interesting little short.
6/10
Persephone by Lisa J Dooley & Co-Written by Craig Lee Thomas
This short kind of reminds me of Buried meets the Strangers. It also has a feeling of The Purge to it. Even with a sense of familiarity it's it has it's own originality too. The acting was pretty good and the co-writer even plays a part. No way it can't end like that! I need more than that. Oh man that is a great way to pull attention though.
9/10
Voice by Mali Elfman
I liked the mysterious vibe this one had going for it. The budget for it wasn't all that great though. The acting wasn't that much better. The main girl was pretty dumb. It wasn't the worst thing I've seen here.
4/10
Somebody's Watching You by Ben Rekhi & Co-written by Sneha Koorse and Louise Harper
This seems to be the first short to have been originally made for this anthology. I like the premise here. Elimination shows are always my particular favorites. Put in a horror element and you pulled me further in. There's a nice little twist here for such a short film. That was insane. The ending was perfect. The acting was not the best, but that didn't bother me this time around.
9/10
Trust by Jerry Pyle
Well that sure escalated quickly. It was pretty intense as you never really knew what was about to happen. This wasn't really horror though. It felt more like a thriller. It's a silly one. I thought it was fun though.
8/10
The Lover by Anisa Qureshi & Written by Nat Dinga
So this one actually started slow for a short. I was kind of wondering when something would happen. When it did it only got more intensely unsettling. That was crazy with a nice good twist at the end. It was really well done.
9/10
The Creepy Fucking Kid In Aparment B by Eric Pereira
Well at first I'm like he really isn't all that creepy. He just seems to be a bit weird with some kind of medical condition. Then we get the reveal. So something he says makes total sense. Anyways the ending was great.
8/10
A Dog and His Boy by Zeke Pinheiro
This one had an interesting concept. The execution was awkward though and didn't work for me. It even had a scene that pretty much resembled psycho. The girl was pretty hot. One of the first movies to ever make me hate a dog though. I did think the ending was a nice touch. Probably the best part about the whole thing to be honest.
3/10
Quad by Ali Presley Paras & Written by Nick Bragg
We don't usually get the perspectives of everyone at one time in horror movies. Especially during the scenes of separation. It was kind of refreshing to see the style they did it with here. We see four different perspectives here which given the name makes sense. That was crazy and even a tad bit goofy. I would like to see more stuff like this one.
8/10
Let Me Go by Glen Murakami
This one was trying to be different and dramatic. It had an artsy old timey feel to it. It wasn't my particular taste though. The ending didn't seem to fit with the rest of the short.
1/10
Mother by Zeke Pinheiro
I hope this isn't as awful as his last short was. It was definitely unique that's for sure. It was disturbing and kind of funny too. I did not expect at all what the twist was going to be. I would love to see what happens if this were a feature length film.
8/10
Evil Voices Lie by Grant Olin & Co-written by Tom Ptasinski
The acting in this one is about the only thing that's good. Everything is boring or just doesn't make much sense. I was pretty disappointed in this segment. I was too confused with this one.
1/10
Paramnesia by Michael May & Co-written by Rachel Noll
The writer and director both cast themselves in the roles for this short. This one was a bit confusing. The acting was decent though. I did think it had a nice little twist. I would like to know the why though. It should be made it a longer film. It was fairly entertaining though.
6/10
Bitter by Ned Ehrbar
Okay this one is more fantasy than horror. Either way I though it was pretty fun and kind of hilarious. I liked how every spell rhymed with each other. It's quite an enjoyable segment if you want humor thrown into the mix.
8/10
Mr. Hendrix by Zeke Pinheiro
The third and final entry from Zeke Pinheiro. His first one wasn't all that good, but his second was great. How will this one much up to them? This one was pretty good. The acting was good. It was uber creepy for a fair amount of the time. The ending was effed up.
8/10
The Collection by Josh C. Waller
The acting here was quite good given the talent involved. It's got a creepy vibe to it. You never know what's going to happen. You still don't even know what's happening until the very end. It was quite different than I was expecting.
6/10
Final Thought: I admire that the directors of some of the shorts act in other directors shorts. Even some of the writers who didn't direct played parts. Some of these may not have been very much, but others were pretty fun to watch. It wasn't the best anthology I've seen, but it's far from the worst. If you like these sort of movies you may enjoy this.
When They Say You're Alone by Grant Olin
This one has a pretty creepy atmosphere. It had that Rosemary's Baby feel to it. It's a little hard to say much else about this given how little happens. It does have an interesting ending though.
7/10
Knock, Knock by Anthony Lund
This one kind of plays on childhood fears. It's simple and straight to the point. I thought it was a cute short. Not much else to say.
6/10
Happy Birthday by Erin Stegeman
Well this one was different and pretty original. It was also pretty effed up if you ask me. The acting here is quite good and is the first of the shorts to actually have dialogue. I really wasn't expecting that ending. It makes you curious about what the hell is going on. Gore
8/10
Entity by Michael May
That was an unusual one. The characters were pretty stupid here, but hey you wouldn't have a movie any other way. I think the acting was average. It was itself pretty basic.
5/10
Bad Eggs by Max Isaacson
I have no idea what the hell I just watched. It definitely wasn't something I've ever seen before. I won't even tell you why. It's something you have to see for yourself to believe. Definitely the silliest and weirdest idea I've seen that's for damn sure. As for good not so much.
2/10
The Screaming by Dick Grunert
Well that escalated quickly. That girl was pretty hot though. It was fairly creepy, but all the screaming was a bit much haha. Anyways it was an interesting little short.
6/10
Persephone by Lisa J Dooley & Co-Written by Craig Lee Thomas
This short kind of reminds me of Buried meets the Strangers. It also has a feeling of The Purge to it. Even with a sense of familiarity it's it has it's own originality too. The acting was pretty good and the co-writer even plays a part. No way it can't end like that! I need more than that. Oh man that is a great way to pull attention though.
9/10
Voice by Mali Elfman
I liked the mysterious vibe this one had going for it. The budget for it wasn't all that great though. The acting wasn't that much better. The main girl was pretty dumb. It wasn't the worst thing I've seen here.
4/10
Somebody's Watching You by Ben Rekhi & Co-written by Sneha Koorse and Louise Harper
This seems to be the first short to have been originally made for this anthology. I like the premise here. Elimination shows are always my particular favorites. Put in a horror element and you pulled me further in. There's a nice little twist here for such a short film. That was insane. The ending was perfect. The acting was not the best, but that didn't bother me this time around.
9/10
Trust by Jerry Pyle
Well that sure escalated quickly. It was pretty intense as you never really knew what was about to happen. This wasn't really horror though. It felt more like a thriller. It's a silly one. I thought it was fun though.
8/10
The Lover by Anisa Qureshi & Written by Nat Dinga
So this one actually started slow for a short. I was kind of wondering when something would happen. When it did it only got more intensely unsettling. That was crazy with a nice good twist at the end. It was really well done.
9/10
The Creepy Fucking Kid In Aparment B by Eric Pereira
Well at first I'm like he really isn't all that creepy. He just seems to be a bit weird with some kind of medical condition. Then we get the reveal. So something he says makes total sense. Anyways the ending was great.
8/10
A Dog and His Boy by Zeke Pinheiro
This one had an interesting concept. The execution was awkward though and didn't work for me. It even had a scene that pretty much resembled psycho. The girl was pretty hot. One of the first movies to ever make me hate a dog though. I did think the ending was a nice touch. Probably the best part about the whole thing to be honest.
3/10
Quad by Ali Presley Paras & Written by Nick Bragg
We don't usually get the perspectives of everyone at one time in horror movies. Especially during the scenes of separation. It was kind of refreshing to see the style they did it with here. We see four different perspectives here which given the name makes sense. That was crazy and even a tad bit goofy. I would like to see more stuff like this one.
8/10
Let Me Go by Glen Murakami
This one was trying to be different and dramatic. It had an artsy old timey feel to it. It wasn't my particular taste though. The ending didn't seem to fit with the rest of the short.
1/10
Mother by Zeke Pinheiro
I hope this isn't as awful as his last short was. It was definitely unique that's for sure. It was disturbing and kind of funny too. I did not expect at all what the twist was going to be. I would love to see what happens if this were a feature length film.
8/10
Evil Voices Lie by Grant Olin & Co-written by Tom Ptasinski
The acting in this one is about the only thing that's good. Everything is boring or just doesn't make much sense. I was pretty disappointed in this segment. I was too confused with this one.
1/10
Paramnesia by Michael May & Co-written by Rachel Noll
The writer and director both cast themselves in the roles for this short. This one was a bit confusing. The acting was decent though. I did think it had a nice little twist. I would like to know the why though. It should be made it a longer film. It was fairly entertaining though.
6/10
Bitter by Ned Ehrbar
Okay this one is more fantasy than horror. Either way I though it was pretty fun and kind of hilarious. I liked how every spell rhymed with each other. It's quite an enjoyable segment if you want humor thrown into the mix.
8/10
Mr. Hendrix by Zeke Pinheiro
The third and final entry from Zeke Pinheiro. His first one wasn't all that good, but his second was great. How will this one much up to them? This one was pretty good. The acting was good. It was uber creepy for a fair amount of the time. The ending was effed up.
8/10
The Collection by Josh C. Waller
The acting here was quite good given the talent involved. It's got a creepy vibe to it. You never know what's going to happen. You still don't even know what's happening until the very end. It was quite different than I was expecting.
6/10
Final Thought: I admire that the directors of some of the shorts act in other directors shorts. Even some of the writers who didn't direct played parts. Some of these may not have been very much, but others were pretty fun to watch. It wasn't the best anthology I've seen, but it's far from the worst. If you like these sort of movies you may enjoy this.
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Terminator Genisys review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 4 July 2015 03:02 (A review of Terminator Genisys)Initial Thought: I decided to do a back to back sequel feature. Interesting note is Bryce Dallas Howard was in Terminator Salvation and some of the actors here have worked with writers from Jurassic World. I have to say that I didn't realize this until after watching these movies. Another thing that connects these two films is Stan Winston's animatronics versus being replaced by CGI. Anyways I've enjoyed the Terminator series. The second of course being my favorite whereas part three was the worst. I think the best thing about it was Kristanna Loken's butt to be honest haha. The only gripe I had with this one before watching was the name seemed a bit silly. Other than that I was definitely interested in seeing the continuation of the Terminator.
Characters/Acting: It's quite awesome to see Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as one of his most iconic roles. The only other cast member I was excited for was Emilia Clarke. These two were the major reasons to check this one out for me. After watching it though I can tell you some others really stood out as well. Emilia Clarke was fantastic as our heroine Sarah Connor. She pulled off the badass vibe as well as showing the softer side. I can't forget she had the sexiness too. Arnold Schwarzenegger made his role remind us of good ole Judgement Day. His performance really mirrors that one and despite being older proves he isn't "obsolete yet". Jai Courtney kind of gives me that Sam Worthington vibe. I like the both of them though. Anyways he was pretty good and enjoyable to watch as usual. J.K. Simmons is awesome as usual as the ridiculed detective. His reactions to everything are funny. Jason Clarke was great as John Connor. He looked badass like he should. When he became the main villain I was stunned. That was quite a different take on the character than I was expecting. Matt Smith didn't really do much here. He was pretty much just there. Possibly to pull in more viewers. However, I did like that he was a personified version of Skynet. It kind of reminded me of he Red Queen from Resident Evil. Byung-hun Lee really pulled off the Robert Patrick look in my opinion. He is always a badass in his movies. He continued to do so here. I was hoping to see more of a few of these characters.
Story: After finding himself in a new time-line, Kyle Reese teams up with John Connor's mother Sarah and an aging terminator to try and stop the one thing that the future fears, "Judgment Day". I like that several of the previous films and even the television show are somewhat referenced here. I liked the re-imagining of certain scenes since they couldn't legally add old footage here. The action is pretty badass and intense. I liked the new terminator design. Just when I think they've created all kinds of designs they one up themselves. The stuff with the detective was pretty fun and unexpected. I can honestly say I didn't really see that twist coming as I stayed away from any media for this after the first trailer anyways. It was pretty well done and different. The ending was pretty good. There is a scene after the credits that doesn't really matter too much. It just kind of instigates a sequel.
Directing/Writing: Alan Taylor hasn't done too many movies with only Thor: The Dark World that comes to mind. He has however done numerous spots for Lost and Game of Thrones. Laeta Kalogridis is the writer that brought some good work to the film industry including Night Watch, Alexander, and Shutter Island. Her co-writer Patrick Lussier is also known for directing. He has made Drive Angry, Dracula 2000, and My Blood Valentine. Only the latter was any good in my opinion. Here they work together for a really fun and exciting journey.
Final Thought: Two excellent sequels in one day! It surpasses most of the films and goes along with part two for me. I think this paid good homage to the series while making it it's own. It's a little confusing at first with all the timeline mixes, but it's actually quite fun after that. It has some really great action sequences. The one-liners are great. The whole concept is enjoyable. It's a new sequel that works and will still send the shivers down your spine. Ignore the negative critics reviews. If you like the series I recommend checking this one out.
Characters/Acting: It's quite awesome to see Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as one of his most iconic roles. The only other cast member I was excited for was Emilia Clarke. These two were the major reasons to check this one out for me. After watching it though I can tell you some others really stood out as well. Emilia Clarke was fantastic as our heroine Sarah Connor. She pulled off the badass vibe as well as showing the softer side. I can't forget she had the sexiness too. Arnold Schwarzenegger made his role remind us of good ole Judgement Day. His performance really mirrors that one and despite being older proves he isn't "obsolete yet". Jai Courtney kind of gives me that Sam Worthington vibe. I like the both of them though. Anyways he was pretty good and enjoyable to watch as usual. J.K. Simmons is awesome as usual as the ridiculed detective. His reactions to everything are funny. Jason Clarke was great as John Connor. He looked badass like he should. When he became the main villain I was stunned. That was quite a different take on the character than I was expecting. Matt Smith didn't really do much here. He was pretty much just there. Possibly to pull in more viewers. However, I did like that he was a personified version of Skynet. It kind of reminded me of he Red Queen from Resident Evil. Byung-hun Lee really pulled off the Robert Patrick look in my opinion. He is always a badass in his movies. He continued to do so here. I was hoping to see more of a few of these characters.
Story: After finding himself in a new time-line, Kyle Reese teams up with John Connor's mother Sarah and an aging terminator to try and stop the one thing that the future fears, "Judgment Day". I like that several of the previous films and even the television show are somewhat referenced here. I liked the re-imagining of certain scenes since they couldn't legally add old footage here. The action is pretty badass and intense. I liked the new terminator design. Just when I think they've created all kinds of designs they one up themselves. The stuff with the detective was pretty fun and unexpected. I can honestly say I didn't really see that twist coming as I stayed away from any media for this after the first trailer anyways. It was pretty well done and different. The ending was pretty good. There is a scene after the credits that doesn't really matter too much. It just kind of instigates a sequel.
Directing/Writing: Alan Taylor hasn't done too many movies with only Thor: The Dark World that comes to mind. He has however done numerous spots for Lost and Game of Thrones. Laeta Kalogridis is the writer that brought some good work to the film industry including Night Watch, Alexander, and Shutter Island. Her co-writer Patrick Lussier is also known for directing. He has made Drive Angry, Dracula 2000, and My Blood Valentine. Only the latter was any good in my opinion. Here they work together for a really fun and exciting journey.
Final Thought: Two excellent sequels in one day! It surpasses most of the films and goes along with part two for me. I think this paid good homage to the series while making it it's own. It's a little confusing at first with all the timeline mixes, but it's actually quite fun after that. It has some really great action sequences. The one-liners are great. The whole concept is enjoyable. It's a new sequel that works and will still send the shivers down your spine. Ignore the negative critics reviews. If you like the series I recommend checking this one out.
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Jurassic World review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 4 July 2015 12:56 (A review of Jurassic World)Initial Thought: It's been a long time coming! I have been a die hard fan of Jurassic Park for as long as I can remember. I've read the books, played the games, and watched all the films. I actually loved the movie sequels including the constantly bashed part three. When I first heard this was finally coming out I was so excited. This was high on my anticipation list. So I decided to go ahead and check it out without really having much money to spare. I just knew I had to see it in theaters.
Characters/Acting: This has such an excellent cast. I've been liking Chris Pratt ever since he was on Everwood! I bet most of his fans now either never heard of that show. Anyways I really admire him for rising up the ranks of side character. He has finally been put into the leading man position a few times recently. It's fully deserved. Here he keeps it up with another fun performance. He makes you laugh and also knows when to be a badass. Bryce Dallas Howard is such a beautiful person with some pretty good acting chops. Unfortunately for the most part I really didn't care about her character until she got over herself. She started off fairly stuck up, but at least she didn't stay that way. Irrfan Khan didn't do much here. I couldn't tell whether I should like him or not to be honest. Vincent D'Onofrio is always interesting to see. He didn't disappoint me here. Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson characters seem like they were meant to be like Lex and Tim from part one. They seem to have fairly similar situations happen to them. It would have been nice to get more invested in these two whereas we got to know Lex and Tim quite well. It can't be just me when I see this, but whenever I see Jake Johnson I keep thinking of Oscar Isaac. They seem so similar and they even sound alike. The only difference is their acting skill with Oscar Isaac being the superior. Jake Johnson is still funny as usual though. I really enjoyed seeing them bring back BD Wong from part one. I always enjoy seeing old faces return whether as cameos, small parts, or of course main characters. I'm not really into Lauren Lapkus. I don't even understand how she always gets interest by other characters. She just looks odd to me. Like I can't tell if she is oddly pretty or just not at all. The little celebrity cameo from Jimmy Fallon was pretty funny. The director has a cameo won't tell you what. Anyways I think half the characters were quite likable while the other half was a bit bitchy. As usual the best characters though are the raptors. They are the true stars and scene stealers of the series.
Story: The gates are open again. Well in this story they have been for awhile. They have been open so long that the attractions are starting to feel like Sea World and any typical zoo. So the scientists decide to splice up a new species to bring back the fire and enjoyment. Of course that's a huge mistake on their part. Sure they play God already by bringing back dinosaurs, but it can never go well making your own creatures. There are quite a few references to the first films which I thought was pretty awesome. The dino fights are pretty badass. I love of course whenever someone got eaten. What's a dinosaur movie without people getting eaten? One character got a bit of an overkill that I couldn't help but laugh at. It did have a few moments that were unnecessary albeit quite brief. I thought the twist was cool and pretty fun. The ending was pretty badass. I have to say that I wasn't expecting all that to happen.
Directing/Writing: Holy smokes this took four people to write including the director! Why is that many people necessary? Anyways this is one of those times it actually worked out. I like that they wrote in some of Michael Crichton's ideas that didn't make it into the other films. Rick Jaffa has done the most recent Planet of the Apes movies. So this guy is already quite an impressive writer in my opinion. He also has a few future films I'm excited for including the Avatar sequels and In the Heart of the Sea. The same goes for Amanda Silver. Derek Connolly worked as the writer on Colin Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed film. Their first film was a really fun Indie. These two haven't disappointed me yet. As once again these guys prove they have the skills to entertain as well. With all this wonderful talent I'm surprised this isn't rated higher.
Final Thought: I really enjoyed this one. It had a good amount of dino chaos. The dinosaurs themselves were fun as usual. I do wish of course that there were more practical effects and interactions with dinosaurs. I still think they were designed quite well though. It would like to see a sequel for sure. I'm curious as to how or what could happen. It is better than the previous two films, but it of course doesn't surpass the original. If you haven't seen this one yet make sure you do.
Characters/Acting: This has such an excellent cast. I've been liking Chris Pratt ever since he was on Everwood! I bet most of his fans now either never heard of that show. Anyways I really admire him for rising up the ranks of side character. He has finally been put into the leading man position a few times recently. It's fully deserved. Here he keeps it up with another fun performance. He makes you laugh and also knows when to be a badass. Bryce Dallas Howard is such a beautiful person with some pretty good acting chops. Unfortunately for the most part I really didn't care about her character until she got over herself. She started off fairly stuck up, but at least she didn't stay that way. Irrfan Khan didn't do much here. I couldn't tell whether I should like him or not to be honest. Vincent D'Onofrio is always interesting to see. He didn't disappoint me here. Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson characters seem like they were meant to be like Lex and Tim from part one. They seem to have fairly similar situations happen to them. It would have been nice to get more invested in these two whereas we got to know Lex and Tim quite well. It can't be just me when I see this, but whenever I see Jake Johnson I keep thinking of Oscar Isaac. They seem so similar and they even sound alike. The only difference is their acting skill with Oscar Isaac being the superior. Jake Johnson is still funny as usual though. I really enjoyed seeing them bring back BD Wong from part one. I always enjoy seeing old faces return whether as cameos, small parts, or of course main characters. I'm not really into Lauren Lapkus. I don't even understand how she always gets interest by other characters. She just looks odd to me. Like I can't tell if she is oddly pretty or just not at all. The little celebrity cameo from Jimmy Fallon was pretty funny. The director has a cameo won't tell you what. Anyways I think half the characters were quite likable while the other half was a bit bitchy. As usual the best characters though are the raptors. They are the true stars and scene stealers of the series.
Story: The gates are open again. Well in this story they have been for awhile. They have been open so long that the attractions are starting to feel like Sea World and any typical zoo. So the scientists decide to splice up a new species to bring back the fire and enjoyment. Of course that's a huge mistake on their part. Sure they play God already by bringing back dinosaurs, but it can never go well making your own creatures. There are quite a few references to the first films which I thought was pretty awesome. The dino fights are pretty badass. I love of course whenever someone got eaten. What's a dinosaur movie without people getting eaten? One character got a bit of an overkill that I couldn't help but laugh at. It did have a few moments that were unnecessary albeit quite brief. I thought the twist was cool and pretty fun. The ending was pretty badass. I have to say that I wasn't expecting all that to happen.
Directing/Writing: Holy smokes this took four people to write including the director! Why is that many people necessary? Anyways this is one of those times it actually worked out. I like that they wrote in some of Michael Crichton's ideas that didn't make it into the other films. Rick Jaffa has done the most recent Planet of the Apes movies. So this guy is already quite an impressive writer in my opinion. He also has a few future films I'm excited for including the Avatar sequels and In the Heart of the Sea. The same goes for Amanda Silver. Derek Connolly worked as the writer on Colin Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed film. Their first film was a really fun Indie. These two haven't disappointed me yet. As once again these guys prove they have the skills to entertain as well. With all this wonderful talent I'm surprised this isn't rated higher.
Final Thought: I really enjoyed this one. It had a good amount of dino chaos. The dinosaurs themselves were fun as usual. I do wish of course that there were more practical effects and interactions with dinosaurs. I still think they were designed quite well though. It would like to see a sequel for sure. I'm curious as to how or what could happen. It is better than the previous two films, but it of course doesn't surpass the original. If you haven't seen this one yet make sure you do.
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Stung review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 3 July 2015 02:36 (A review of Stung)Initial Thought: I actually didn't really know anything about this movie. I did see that a website had some info on it, but I only really noticed the poster. Anyways I decided to check it out.
Characters/Acting: The cast isn't big, but it does have a few pretty familiar faces. We have horror legend Lance Henriksen here as well as personal favorite Clifton Collins Jr. It's definitely a different kind of role for the latter. I thought there were some interesting characters here. I think the acting was pretty good and the actors knew that they were supposed to be B level characters.
Story: An fancy garden party turns into upper class prey when a colony of killer wasps mutates into seven foot tall predators. Sounds like a crazy 80s B movie. Those can either be really fun or be pathetic. Let's hope for fun. The beginning was pretty cool and not something I expected to want to see. It doesn't take long for shit to hit the fan here. Wasps freak me out a lot more than bees so yeah this is definitely terrifying. There is a Wilhelm scream that I'm sure will cause a chuckle. It does have some CGI, but for the bigger creatures it actually has some practical effects. There was plenty of gross out gore here. The ending was pretty cool.
Directing/Writing: This is the only work from director Benni Diez and writer Adam Aresty. Let's see what they have to offer the film industry. These guys need to bring us more of this. They know how to pay homage to the creature features of old while bringing us something new. I will definitely be looking forward to future projects of theirs.
Final Thought: This was quite original, funny, gory, and just all around fun. I'm looking forward to a sequel. If you like B grade creature features you will love this. It has just the right amount of cheese and carnage. I really recommend giving it a shot.
Characters/Acting: The cast isn't big, but it does have a few pretty familiar faces. We have horror legend Lance Henriksen here as well as personal favorite Clifton Collins Jr. It's definitely a different kind of role for the latter. I thought there were some interesting characters here. I think the acting was pretty good and the actors knew that they were supposed to be B level characters.
Story: An fancy garden party turns into upper class prey when a colony of killer wasps mutates into seven foot tall predators. Sounds like a crazy 80s B movie. Those can either be really fun or be pathetic. Let's hope for fun. The beginning was pretty cool and not something I expected to want to see. It doesn't take long for shit to hit the fan here. Wasps freak me out a lot more than bees so yeah this is definitely terrifying. There is a Wilhelm scream that I'm sure will cause a chuckle. It does have some CGI, but for the bigger creatures it actually has some practical effects. There was plenty of gross out gore here. The ending was pretty cool.
Directing/Writing: This is the only work from director Benni Diez and writer Adam Aresty. Let's see what they have to offer the film industry. These guys need to bring us more of this. They know how to pay homage to the creature features of old while bringing us something new. I will definitely be looking forward to future projects of theirs.
Final Thought: This was quite original, funny, gory, and just all around fun. I'm looking forward to a sequel. If you like B grade creature features you will love this. It has just the right amount of cheese and carnage. I really recommend giving it a shot.
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Zombie Massacre 2: Reich of the Dead review
Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 3 July 2015 10:03 (A review of Zombie Massacre 2: Reich of the Dead)Initial Thought: I just finished the previous film so I could check this one out. It seems to be better received on IMDB. That's a somewhat good sign. It does seem to be yet another ripoff of a few different zombie films this time around. Unfortunately it still has Uwe Boll producing it.
Characters/Acting: I'm not familiar with anyone in this one. It does have the guy that played from the beginning of the previous film as a new character though. Also both of the directors have small roles in this part. I honestly cared nothing at all for the characters here.
Story: Set in the WWII it tells the story of a handful of American soldiers fighting against a horde of zombies created by the Nazis using the prisoners of the camps. It sounds quite a bit like the Outpost films particularly the third one. It also could be compared with the Dead Snow films due to Nazi zombies. This has a pretty slow burn to it. We don't even get any zombies until a little over thirty minutes in. This is already a pretty short movie. The zombies aren't as ridiculous looking as they were in the previous film. It tries to be a bit more gloomy and gritty than it's predecessor. In that regard it does pass. On the other hand it really fails at being even remotely interesting. It barely even has gore. You must be kidding me with that ending! It made absolutely no sense!
Directing/Writing: Luca Boni and Marco Ristori return to direct and write their sequel. I wasn't too impressed with my first run in with these guys, but I am giving them another chance. Hopefully it isn't as influenced by Uwe Boll as the first one was. Well it doesn't seem like he influenced this one. In fact it was way too boring and not enough of the cheese to consider itself even close to his productions. They made it really boring by making it all gloomy and taking all the cheese out.
Final Thought: That was really boring! I guess they wanted to prove their dramatic capabilities. Well they ended up failing hard. This was even more atrocious than the first one. They couldn't keep my attention whatsoever. This series should be avoided by any means.
Characters/Acting: I'm not familiar with anyone in this one. It does have the guy that played from the beginning of the previous film as a new character though. Also both of the directors have small roles in this part. I honestly cared nothing at all for the characters here.
Story: Set in the WWII it tells the story of a handful of American soldiers fighting against a horde of zombies created by the Nazis using the prisoners of the camps. It sounds quite a bit like the Outpost films particularly the third one. It also could be compared with the Dead Snow films due to Nazi zombies. This has a pretty slow burn to it. We don't even get any zombies until a little over thirty minutes in. This is already a pretty short movie. The zombies aren't as ridiculous looking as they were in the previous film. It tries to be a bit more gloomy and gritty than it's predecessor. In that regard it does pass. On the other hand it really fails at being even remotely interesting. It barely even has gore. You must be kidding me with that ending! It made absolutely no sense!
Directing/Writing: Luca Boni and Marco Ristori return to direct and write their sequel. I wasn't too impressed with my first run in with these guys, but I am giving them another chance. Hopefully it isn't as influenced by Uwe Boll as the first one was. Well it doesn't seem like he influenced this one. In fact it was way too boring and not enough of the cheese to consider itself even close to his productions. They made it really boring by making it all gloomy and taking all the cheese out.
Final Thought: That was really boring! I guess they wanted to prove their dramatic capabilities. Well they ended up failing hard. This was even more atrocious than the first one. They couldn't keep my attention whatsoever. This series should be avoided by any means.
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