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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Freaky (2021) in Movies
Jul 3, 2021
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.)
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.)
Jackjack (877 KP) rated Practical Magic (1998) in Movies
Mar 16, 2020 (Updated Mar 16, 2020)
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!
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!
David Koechner recommended Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) in Movies (curated)
Kevin Phillipson (10017 KP) rated The Hunt (2020) in Movies
May 21, 2020
Betty gilpin (2 more)
Hillary swank
Gore
Finally seen this movie two months late was meant to have seen about the time when the lockdown started and no more visits to my local Cineworld was it worth the wait yes this movie is seriously crazy horror comedy thriller at the start u get to meet these characters who u think are in for the long haul then they are gone. for me the star of the movie is Betty gilpin seen her in few other movies but this is her best role yet her fight at the end with hilary swank major badass fight anyway I'm glad I finally seen the movie
Darren (1599 KP) rated Killer Sofa (2019) in Movies
Sep 16, 2019
Characters – Francesca is a dancer that has had problems in the past with the men in her life, most have become stalkers, with her needing to put restraining orders on them, she is left a recliner from one, as the police look into her past to see if she has a connection to the murder of one of them. Maxi is the best friend of Francesca, she supports her on a daily basis and will stand with her in her fight against the sofa. Inspector Gravy is leading the investigation into the crimes which sees him spending time with Francesca learning about her past. Rabbi Jack is Maxi’s grandfather that gets an uneasy vision from the sofa and starts trying to figure out how he could stop the evil behind it.
Performances – The lead in the film is Piimio Mei and she does well in the leading role, as the one being haunted by the soda, seeing her friends taken from around her. The rest of the cast are strong with what they are doing, they do know this does have elements of cheesy horror, which does work for the film.
Story – The story here follows the unusual event surrounding a sofa that starts killing people at the woman that finds herself the main target of the evil needing to stop it before their friends get taken. This is a film that knows exactly what it wants to be, a wildly over the top story that isn’t afraid to go into the full cheesy area, which will get the story over to the level it needs to. For a horror it is a film that follows the traditions when it comes to picking off the victims one at a time, with an element of the story behind the having a supernatural feel.
Horror – The horror side of the film does pick up like most serial killer style slashers, with one victim being alone getting picked off by the killer, in this case, the sofa, which does it look creepy throughout.
Settings – The film uses the apartment settings to show how the sofa can move around without looking completely out of place, using the environment to help with its kills.
Special Effects – The effects are mixed with the fact they make the sofa look terrifying being a huge plus, it is the CGI moments that look like the weakest part of the film.
Scene of the Movie – The sofa look.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The CGI moments.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror comedy that understands completely what it wants to be, it will get laughable kills from a sofa that uses its how frame as a weapon.
Overall: Funny horror comedy.
Performances – The lead in the film is Piimio Mei and she does well in the leading role, as the one being haunted by the soda, seeing her friends taken from around her. The rest of the cast are strong with what they are doing, they do know this does have elements of cheesy horror, which does work for the film.
Story – The story here follows the unusual event surrounding a sofa that starts killing people at the woman that finds herself the main target of the evil needing to stop it before their friends get taken. This is a film that knows exactly what it wants to be, a wildly over the top story that isn’t afraid to go into the full cheesy area, which will get the story over to the level it needs to. For a horror it is a film that follows the traditions when it comes to picking off the victims one at a time, with an element of the story behind the having a supernatural feel.
Horror – The horror side of the film does pick up like most serial killer style slashers, with one victim being alone getting picked off by the killer, in this case, the sofa, which does it look creepy throughout.
Settings – The film uses the apartment settings to show how the sofa can move around without looking completely out of place, using the environment to help with its kills.
Special Effects – The effects are mixed with the fact they make the sofa look terrifying being a huge plus, it is the CGI moments that look like the weakest part of the film.
Scene of the Movie – The sofa look.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The CGI moments.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror comedy that understands completely what it wants to be, it will get laughable kills from a sofa that uses its how frame as a weapon.
Overall: Funny horror comedy.
Isiah Zane Hodge (13 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies
Jun 28, 2019
The best horror sequel ever?
How could anything truly top the great Halloween? Though the franchise has been riddled with cheese and just insane plot holes. This sequel of the original 1978 horror classic maybe one of the best horror sequels of all time let alone probably the best Halloween sequel ever? The film has a freaky atmosphere that seems to be directly copied from the original. Is that a bad thing? No not necessarily. The original sequels to the Halloween franchise have little to no atmosphere. Feels like more of the focus is promantly towards the "not so" mysterious Micheal Myers and less about setting the scene up for a good erie feeling. Which isn't to say that its easy to do. Much of a sequels scares come from the shocking and overrated "jump scare" aspect. Once you're shown the big bad on camera, it's hard to gain that same fear and mystery back. However in the 2019 film, it ramps it to 11. Maybe it's because we haven't seen Myers on the big screen for quite some time? There is something about seeing an older Myers that is so freaky to me. The cat and mouse plot twist is a wonderful change that makes this film a 9/10 for me. As a horror buff, I was so excited for this film so much that I didn't watch anything else for 2 months. I loved the film that much. Definitely a great watch.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Yoga Hosers (2016) in Movies
Jan 31, 2018
Not too much to laugh aboot
When I sit down to watch a comedy/horror film, i usually laugh a little at some of the jokes. But being Canadian... I found this movie offensive as hell......
Not really. I found it subpar and slightly stupid.
Kevin Smith is and always will be one of my favorite writer/directors. His earlier films, Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy are right up there with some of my favorite flicks. Amd his attempt at horror, Red State, was a really good try at entering a genre that he doesn't have much business being in.
Don't even get me started on Tusk... What the fuck?!?!
This is kind of a sequel to the aforementioned walrus horror flick. A few characters from Tusk are in it. Including the Colleens, the pair of Zed Convenience store employees, who are now thrust into the main character roles.
The only light in this dark tunnel is Justin Long who plays Yoga Guru, Yogi Bayer... His portrayalof him is pretty awesome... right down to arguing on the phone with a lawyer from Warner Brothers about violating copyright infringement for his name... it's pretty sweet.
Johnny Depp returns to the sequel as Guy Lapointe French Canadian manhunter... and he is horrid...
Didn't think it was possible for that to happen.
So watch at your own risk.
Not really. I found it subpar and slightly stupid.
Kevin Smith is and always will be one of my favorite writer/directors. His earlier films, Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy are right up there with some of my favorite flicks. Amd his attempt at horror, Red State, was a really good try at entering a genre that he doesn't have much business being in.
Don't even get me started on Tusk... What the fuck?!?!
This is kind of a sequel to the aforementioned walrus horror flick. A few characters from Tusk are in it. Including the Colleens, the pair of Zed Convenience store employees, who are now thrust into the main character roles.
The only light in this dark tunnel is Justin Long who plays Yoga Guru, Yogi Bayer... His portrayalof him is pretty awesome... right down to arguing on the phone with a lawyer from Warner Brothers about violating copyright infringement for his name... it's pretty sweet.
Johnny Depp returns to the sequel as Guy Lapointe French Canadian manhunter... and he is horrid...
Didn't think it was possible for that to happen.
So watch at your own risk.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Satanic Panic (2019) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
Satanic Panic is a horror-comedy that depicts the world's rich elite as Satan worshiping cultists who would love nothing more than to bring about the end of days. Relatable then!
The "eat the rich" concept is a tried and tested method of giving a movie some hateful antagonists, and Satanic Panic does it well, as a working class pizza delivery girl stumbles upon said cult, and quickly finds herself fighting for her life as the cultists seek to use her virginity as a method to bring about Baphomet and blah blah blah, you've surely heard this one before.
My main gripe with this movie is precisely that - it offers nothing new to the table. That, and the fact that it's low budget prevents us from seeing any demonic creatures, which is a shame.
Honestly though, apart from these negatives, Satanic Panic is actually a lot of fun. It's got a good sense of humour, a likeable heroine in Hayley Griffith, some pretty nasty practical gore effects here and there, and a somewhat cheap but charming aesthetic.
The cast also includes Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O' Connell, and a few horror mainstays such as Jordan Ladd, Ruby Modine and Jeff Daniel Phillips.
You could do a lot worse, and Satanic Panic does just about enough to scramble above the depths of horror shittiness.
The "eat the rich" concept is a tried and tested method of giving a movie some hateful antagonists, and Satanic Panic does it well, as a working class pizza delivery girl stumbles upon said cult, and quickly finds herself fighting for her life as the cultists seek to use her virginity as a method to bring about Baphomet and blah blah blah, you've surely heard this one before.
My main gripe with this movie is precisely that - it offers nothing new to the table. That, and the fact that it's low budget prevents us from seeing any demonic creatures, which is a shame.
Honestly though, apart from these negatives, Satanic Panic is actually a lot of fun. It's got a good sense of humour, a likeable heroine in Hayley Griffith, some pretty nasty practical gore effects here and there, and a somewhat cheap but charming aesthetic.
The cast also includes Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O' Connell, and a few horror mainstays such as Jordan Ladd, Ruby Modine and Jeff Daniel Phillips.
You could do a lot worse, and Satanic Panic does just about enough to scramble above the depths of horror shittiness.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Porno (2019) in Movies
Nov 27, 2020
Porno is unfortunately a swing and a miss. It has a great cast, but they're trapped in a by the numbers horror comedy that never commits hard enough to either genre to be convincing as either.
Set in the early 90s, Porno revolves around a group of Christian movie theatre workers who unwittingly stumble into a seperate, sealed off abandoned movie theatre underneath they one they work in. They find a mysterious movie reel in the depths and watch it, unleashing a Succubus intent on doing a bunch of evil things. I think. The motive isn't made particularly clear.
It's horror element doesn't work as it's too shy to show the gore one would expect from a film like this, but it still takes things too seriously to fully bring the laughs.
It's still humourous though. The cast are all likable, and the script manages to be funny on occasion, in what is essentially a silly semi-horror. Much like it's flirtation with genres, it also touches on some more serious issues, such as homosexuality and it's acceptance by religion, but once again, never quite goes all the way if you will.
Porno isn't awful by any means, but it feels like a wasted opportunity, a fun idea that isn't quite executed well enough to be a film worth returning to.
Set in the early 90s, Porno revolves around a group of Christian movie theatre workers who unwittingly stumble into a seperate, sealed off abandoned movie theatre underneath they one they work in. They find a mysterious movie reel in the depths and watch it, unleashing a Succubus intent on doing a bunch of evil things. I think. The motive isn't made particularly clear.
It's horror element doesn't work as it's too shy to show the gore one would expect from a film like this, but it still takes things too seriously to fully bring the laughs.
It's still humourous though. The cast are all likable, and the script manages to be funny on occasion, in what is essentially a silly semi-horror. Much like it's flirtation with genres, it also touches on some more serious issues, such as homosexuality and it's acceptance by religion, but once again, never quite goes all the way if you will.
Porno isn't awful by any means, but it feels like a wasted opportunity, a fun idea that isn't quite executed well enough to be a film worth returning to.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Babysitter (2017) in Movies
Dec 5, 2019 (Updated Jan 22, 2020)
On the surface, The Babysitter looks like a by the numbers comedy horror, but thanks in no small part to Samara Weaving, it's actually a bit more than that.
Samara Weaving plays Bee, the titular babysitter, who watches over (a not so convincing)12 year old Cole (Judah Lewis) when his parents head off on vacation.
After Cole has gone to bed, he secretly stays up to see what Bee gets up to after hours, and things take a bloody turn when it become apparent that Bee and her friends are part of a Satan worshipping murder cult.
It's a simple and silly premise, but it works pretty well in this instance.
The opening 20 minutes is all out silly comedy. The chemistry between the two leads is clearly strong and a huge highlight. It's obvious that the two of them were having a blast filming this.
When the Satan worshipping murder cult part comes into play, the gore comes thick and fast (there are some genuinely nasty moments), but it continues to be funny.
The Babysitter made me laugh quite a bit, with some ridiculous dialogue and self awareness, especially from Robbie Amell.
Director McG makes a lot of Scott Pilgrim-esque style choices, but never goes too overboard, making sure they land for the most part.
The rest of the characters are portrayed as cliché annoying millennial types, obviously written as characters that we want to die, but the joke wears thin pretty quickly, especially in the case of Bella Thorne's character.
The movie is also guilty of the often seen try-hard pop culture discussion sequences, which are a little cringey, but these kind of complaints are minimal.
With an 85 minute runtime, The Babysitter is a swift and fun horror comedy romp that has a decent lead. A solid 7/10.
Samara Weaving plays Bee, the titular babysitter, who watches over (a not so convincing)12 year old Cole (Judah Lewis) when his parents head off on vacation.
After Cole has gone to bed, he secretly stays up to see what Bee gets up to after hours, and things take a bloody turn when it become apparent that Bee and her friends are part of a Satan worshipping murder cult.
It's a simple and silly premise, but it works pretty well in this instance.
The opening 20 minutes is all out silly comedy. The chemistry between the two leads is clearly strong and a huge highlight. It's obvious that the two of them were having a blast filming this.
When the Satan worshipping murder cult part comes into play, the gore comes thick and fast (there are some genuinely nasty moments), but it continues to be funny.
The Babysitter made me laugh quite a bit, with some ridiculous dialogue and self awareness, especially from Robbie Amell.
Director McG makes a lot of Scott Pilgrim-esque style choices, but never goes too overboard, making sure they land for the most part.
The rest of the characters are portrayed as cliché annoying millennial types, obviously written as characters that we want to die, but the joke wears thin pretty quickly, especially in the case of Bella Thorne's character.
The movie is also guilty of the often seen try-hard pop culture discussion sequences, which are a little cringey, but these kind of complaints are minimal.
With an 85 minute runtime, The Babysitter is a swift and fun horror comedy romp that has a decent lead. A solid 7/10.
