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Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988) in Movies

Oct 27, 2019

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988)

1988 | Comedy, Horror, Mystery

6.4

(7 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Horror movie hostess Elvira dreams of hosting a show in Vegas. When she receives saying that her Great Aunt had died she thinks her dreams have come true. Once she arrives at Fallwell, Massachusetts for the reading of the will she finds that things won’t be as easy as she had hoped. As the town turns against her and family secrets are uncovered Elvira needs to find a way to stop her great Uncles plan.
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark brings a backstory to Cassandra Pearson's character Elvira, gothic late night horror hostess. The film starts during one of Elvira’s shows when she receives a telegram telling her to go the reading of a will for a dead relative and, in the events that follow she finds out that she really is a witch.
Elvira is odd in the fact that it is almost in the style of an 80’s teen movie but it isn’t quite one. There are a few teens in the cast but the film does focus on Elvira and other people in the town.
Elvira, Mistress of the dark is rated 15 and is a comedy with a couple of scenes of peril and one jump scare. A lot of the humour focuses on Elvira’s rather ample bosom but in a quite tasteful way, it’s not a ‘Sex comedy’.

Kudos

Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Freaky (2021) in Movies

Jul 3, 2021

Freaky (2021)

2021 | Comedy, Horror

7.8

(14 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton have fun with their alter egos (0 more)

Not funny enough to be a comedy. Not scary enough to be horror. (0 more)

No, not like the Disney version

Some B-movies really pack a much bigger punch than you would expect. "Nobody" is a perfect recent example. But movie karma needs to be balanced with something. Ladies and gentlemen - "Freaky"!

Positives:
- If you are into your "teen slasher" movies, then this is more of the same and features some innovative ways to dispatch the victims. One is certainly no way to treat a fine wine!
- Vince Vaughn has fun mincing around as his alter-ego and Kathryn Newton (soon to be in the next "Ant-Man" movie) is personable enough as the cutie-cum-serial-killer.
- It's always good to see Ferris-actor Alan Ruck on the big screen. Here, he actually plays two parts in the film. (This joke (C) One Mann's Movies.)

Negatives:
- It's flagged as "comedy/horror" but failed to meet my personal 6-laugh test. It's just not funny enough to pass muster unless, that is, you view crude dialogue as "funny". And the dialogue does get ickily crude at some points. For example, when evil-Millie ends up alone with three jocks, there's a line of misogynist dialogue (that I won't repeat) but which sets the level.
- As a Blumhouse production, the horror is ultra-gory which will put off many viewers lacking a strong stomach. But because of the associated black comedy, the horror isn't remotely tense or scary. This might be why the film only got a UK-15 certificate. But my personal view is that, with the violence and the offensive dialogue, the BBFC under called this one, and it should have been an 18.
- There's a lot of schmaltz layered on regarding the relationship between Millie and her mum (Katie Finneran, channelling a Laura Dern look). A store cubicle exchange between Finneran and Vaughn is particularly stomach-churning.
- The movie leaves logic at the door many times. A formulaic post-finale ending assumes a superhero ability to shrug off bullets.

Summary Thoughts on "Freaky": The 'body-swap idea has gone through dozens of movie versions, with Disney's "Freaky Friday" the most well known: it's actually had two outings, once in 1976 with a young Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris and again in 2003 with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie-Lee Curtis. (The latter is a firm Mann-family favourite).

This new version tries a serial-killer twist on the story, which is a good idea. But the movie fails to execute well on the concept. The director is Christopher Landon who did the "Happy Death Day" movies. This is in a similar vein. So teens who enjoyed those flicks might get a fun Saturday night out with this. But, for me, this fell between the stools of comedy and horror and is instantly forgettable.

(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on the web here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/07/03/freaky-no-its-not-remotely-like-the-disney-version/. One Mann's Movies is also on Facebook and Tiktok (@onemannsmovies). Thanks.)

Kudos

Jackjack (877 KP) rated Practical Magic (1998) in Movies

Mar 16, 2020 (Updated Mar 16, 2020)

Practical Magic (1998)

1998 | Action, Comedy, Drama

8.0

(23 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Amazing!

Couldn't be more engrossed every time I watch this film!! I grew up watching this with my sister's and it's the right amount of comedy witchy romantic horror.

Story about two girls that loose there father to a curse and there mother from heart break, they move in with there aunts who are witches like them they grow up learning spells and then part ways one goes off to explore the world one stays home, they both fall in love one has two witchy girls and the other..........turns out she loved a psychopath working together the two sisters 'get rid of him' with the police investigating them and the ex boyfriend coming back to haunt them this witchy comedy soon turns to a darker setting and it's a race in time to get rid once again.

Incredible film if you have not watched the two brilliant actresses sandra bullock and Nicole Kidman together in this film, you need to!