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Scream 4 (2011)
Scream 4 (2011)
2011 | Horror, Mystery
Horror films have been in a steady decline for the past few years with countless remakes and sequels to some of the most loved horror franchises. After an 8 year hiatus, Wes Craven resurrects the seemingly dead Scream series with some fantastic results. Scream 4 does for horror what the original did way back in 1996; it carves out a new direction for what has been a lifeless genre.

Scre4m sees Neve Campbell return as Sidney Prescott alongside the much loved Courtney Cox and David Arquette as Gale Riley (previously Weathers) and Dewey Riley respectively. This time, the story focuses on Sidney Prescott returning to her hometown of Woodsboro promoting a book about her life. Of course, this is Scream; so it’s not all plain sailing and her arrival beckons the return of ‘Ghostface’ and his (or her) grisly murders.

The first Scream was well-known for poking fun at the genre and the latest instalment is no exception. It wraps a sublime mix of comedy and self-awareness with the sharp horror which made the first trilogy such a hit. The success in this film is that it never takes itself too seriously, and neither do the cast who look like they’re having a bloody good time. 8 years on and they don’t look like they’re too long in the tooth for this kind of madness, which is an unusual thing. By far the standout performance is from Courtney Cox who slips seamlessly back into the role of Gale and shows the audience why she was the perfect choice for her part.

However, it isn’t all about the veteran stars, some new talent joins the ranks and what better place to start than in a film which has the opportunity of revitalising a tarnished and battered genre. Nico Torterella joins the franchise as Trevor Sheldon, playing a similar part to that of Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis in the original. Torterella, with his limited characterisation does very well and steps into the shoes of the creepy ex-boyfriend role exceptionally. But who is he the ex-boyfriend of I hear you cry? Well, Emma Roberts comes to the series for the first time as Jill Roberts, Sidney Prescott’s cousin. Emma plays the part well and in fact provides some of the standout lines throughout the entire film.

Anna Paquin also gets a short cameo in the introduction of the film; much like Drew Barrymore did in the first.

Scream 4 is much like the first with its comedic timing and as such is one of the better instalments in the series, stopping short of being the best. It has been directed very well but is slightly too long and the constant guessing game of who is to blame for the murders can wear thin if you’re not in the mood for Cluedo. The fantastic characters, portrayed brilliantly by their real-life counterparts and the excellent story really are the highlights of a film which has succeeded in what it set out to achieve. Here, 8 years on from Scream 3 and 15 years; yes 15 years on from the original, Scream 4 revitalises the horror genre and is in every respect, brilliant.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/04/30/scream-4-2011/
  
Sightseers (2012)
Sightseers (2012)
2012 | Comedy, Horror
8
5.8 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Extremely offbeat study in British eccentricity works better as a very black comedy than a horror movie, but the level of gore suggests it really wants to be the latter; animal lovers may want to look away at some points, too. New-minted couple embark on caravan tour/erotic odyssey around northern England and manage to find time for a little light serial killing, too.


Attention to detail and atmosphere mean that this is a consistently funny film, with great performances from the two leads - it's really much more about their relationship than the campaign of bloody slaughter which ends up becoming a significant element of their holiday. This is excruciatingly well-observed and in some ways rather more disturbing than watching various characters get their heads smashed in. Micro-budget nature of the film is never in doubt, but also never really a problem. The ending is a bit arbitrary and abrupt, but not to the point where it's a major flaw in the film. By anyone's standards but Ben Wheatley's, this would be a fairly extraordinary little film, but for this director the extraordinary is actually fairly ordinary.
  
Eat Locals (2017)
Eat Locals (2017)
2017 | Comedy, Horror
5
5.8 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Strong cast (0 more)
Doesn't live up to its billing (0 more)
One of those can't decide good or bad movies
Every now and then a movie comes along that you don't really know what to say or think about it... This is one of those films, a strong cast that wouldn't have been out of place in an early Guy Ritchie film, fills you with promise, but it feels very rushed in its storytelling, not really giving you time to work out who the characters are and what the significance of their meeting in a remote farmhouse is and to that point why and how the "Vampire hunting elite squad" knows where this meeting is yet not how many there are, other than they have one target they are after...
Don't get me wrong I did enjoy it, I'm just not quite sure why! if you like comedy horror Cockneys vs Zombies does it better, but the sight of Victor Meldrew's wife (Annette Crosbie) going from knitting in the kitchen to wielding an automatic weapon does leave you somewhat satisfied...

I think this is one that people would really need to make up their own mind on.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Re-Animator (1985) in Movies

Oct 31, 2020 (Updated Oct 31, 2020)  
Re-Animator (1985)
Re-Animator (1985)
1985 | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Schlocky horror picture show. Mad-scientist-in-training Herbert West is partially successful in raising the dead (which is to say he's successful in resurrecting various body parts, not always connected tin the original manner). One of the better-known H. P. Lovecraft adaptations, though the short story in question is hardly Lovecraft's best work (and the writer would probably have hated this movie too).

Not actually that scary, but contains jaw-dropping quantities of gore, all the more startling because the film is clearly being pitched as a knockabout black comedy as well as an exploitation movie. Starts off relatively restrained, but by the climax I was regularly thinking 'I can't believe they got away with that'. Nicely pitched performance from Jeffrey Combs, interesting turns from people who end up having to play either deranged zombies or severed heads in trays. (Slightly distracting soundtrack, mainly because it brazenly rips off the score from Psycho.) Any film which features a main character wrestling with a hostile lower intestine has got something to offer the world; movies like this are the reason we have the term 'splatstick'.
  
Leprechaun: Origins (2014)
Leprechaun: Origins (2014)
2014 | Horror
Let's not beat around the bush, Leprechaun: Origins is absolute piss, and let me tell you why.

- It's kind of a reboot, so gone is the wise cracking, annoying but kind of lovable Lep of old, and is replaced by a snarling feral beast who looks like what I can only describe as one of Gollum's testicles. This decision automatically saps any fun out of proceedings.
- The turn away from horror-comedy results in a by the numbers, boring teen slasher. None of the characters are remotely likable.
- The Leprechaun looks so shit, that most of its scenes are presented in a rip-off Predator POV manner that is just fucking terrible. The shots of the creature itself are mostly blurred to disguise it's shitness.
- The camerawork is all over the place. Having the camera on a constant slight tilt does not make a movie artistic, and there is shaky cam spaffing out from all directions.

If it was called anything else, it would still be shit, but the fact that it's a Leprechaun film makes it so much worse. Kill it with fire.
  
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Dean (6927 KP) rated Hawaii Five-0 in TV

Jun 29, 2019  
Hawaii Five-0
Hawaii Five-0
2010 | Action, Crime, Thriller
9
6.7 (42 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Cool locations (2 more)
Cast chemistry
Plenty of action
Great long running TV series
I've watched this show since the beginning, just finishing the 9th series at present. I really enjoy it. The beautiful locations of Hawaii, including the Hilton Hotel which helps sponsor the show, is a great setting. There is always plenty of action, car chases, shootouts and fights. The cast chemistry and the good stories make the show though. The cast are well known, especially those from Hawaii based Lost. Always with some comedy elements as well. Individual episodes are generally of a high standard but the story running through the series are very good. It's a shame a lot of the cast quit over equal pay for series 8 onwards. The new cast members are doing OK. I love the Halloween themed episodes each year, often like a mini horror film! I didn't see the original series but it also pays tribute with some episodes which is a nice touch. It even has an occasional cross over with NCIS: LA. Overall 9 series long and going strong. Check it out if you haven't been watching.