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Visitor Q (2001)
Visitor Q (2001)
2001 | Comedy, Drama, Horror
Visitor Q is Takashi Miike's take on reality television. If you've never seen a Takashi Miike film, then prepare yourself to be shocked and to see things you've never seen in a movie before. Visitor Q focuses around the Yamazaki family. Kiyoshi, the father, used to be a television broadcaster and is trying to come up with ideas for a new reality television show. Keiko, the mother, is verbally and physically abused by her son. She and Kiyoshi pretty much allow it to happen, but her only rule is that her son doesn't mess up her face. Takuya, the son, is picked on by bullies even while he's at home. A visitor shows up at the house after hitting Kiyoshi over the head with a rock...twice. Their lives get even more screwed up as he shows up and it's all caught on camera.

If you watch this movie, you might as well know what you're getting yourself into. This movie not only contains "strong aberrant sexual and violent content, language and drug use" as stated by the MPAA when giving the movie an R rating, but it also contains incest, necrophilia, and just things that people will find disturbing in general. Like a woman lactating from her nipples and having it squirt all over the place. I'm just trying to give you fair warning just in case you're thinking about watching a movie that you won't be able to finish. It's not for everybody and just know that you're in for a wild ride.

That's not to say that the movie isn't enjoyable though. Even though it deals with a lot of disturbing material, there's some comedy in there. The fact that the visitor(he never really says what his name is) bashes people over the head with a rock just because he can is kind of hilarious. To tell the truth, it kept me watching because this family was so messed up. And the way Kiyoshi lost his broadcasting job will be remembered...forever.

Takashi Miike is known quite well in the horror community for pushing the envelope in movies like Ichi the Killer and Imprint, so horror fans know that if they know they're watching a movie done by Miike that they're going to see some material they won't see anywhere else. Casual movie fans may not be interested in shock value or movies that are this disturbing. Visitor Q not only pushes the envelope, it pays for postage and insurance as well.

The bottom line is that if you want to be grossed out or have a bunch of wtf moments, rent Visitor Q or any Takashi Miike film for that matter.
  
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Hocus Pocus (1993)
1993 | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Three Crazy Witches Who Can Sing!
Wow! I'm actually surprised that I enjoyed this movie as much as I did! When I first heard about this movie, I was a bit intrigued about what this movie was all about. So, when I finally watched this movie, I was completely hooked! I liked the fact that the movie tackled the subject of sibling relationships and how important it is to care about your siblings, no matter how annoying they can be. This was best shown between the Sanderson Sisters, Thackery and his little sister Emily and Max and his little sister Dani. The Sanderson Sisters are like the negative side of the sibling relationship as Winifred abuses her younger sisters Mary and Sarah and wouldn't think of protecting them. Thackery and Emily are on the more positive side of the sibling relationship as Thackery truly cares about his sister Emily, although he failed to save her. And then we have Max and Dani who are in the middle as they argue with each other a lot, but they would do anything to protect each other. I also loved the way that the movie had a nice balance between horror and comedy as I laughed out loud during the Sanderson Sisters' crazy antics and yet, I was a bit scared for the children being threatened with death throughout this film. Especially during the scene where Emily, a little girl , ends up dying at the beginning of the movie. I especially loved the actors' performances in this film, with the Sanderson Sisters being the best part of the film. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy did a fantastic job at portraying the Sanderson Sisters as they were so hilarious and entertaining to watch! I also enjoyed Thora Birch's performance as Dani as she made Dani quite snarky yet energetic at the same time.

The only issues that I had with this film was that I felt that the protagonists were a bit too flat and I wished that they had explained the backstories of some of the characters. Even though Max and Allison were interesting characters, they weren't as entertaining as the Sanderson Sisters and the only protagonists that were pretty entertaining were Dani and Binx the Cat. Also, I would like to know how the Sanderson Sisters became witches in the first place (although it was implied that the Devil gave them their powers).

Overall, "Hocus Pocus" is a fantastic film that both children and adults will enjoy! It balances horror and humor very well and it has some of the best performances from Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy!
  
Child's Play (2019)
Child's Play (2019)
2019 | Horror
Thoughts on Child’s Play

Characters – Andy is a young teenager that has just moved to a new city with his mother, he hasn’t made any friends, turning to his phone to keep him busy, he does have a hearing aid, but it is never clear how bad his hearing is, he gets a Buddi doll that will keep him company as he starts to become friends with the doll. Once he learns of the evil inside the doll, he does all he can to make sure his loved ones are safe, as he starts to make friends away from the doll, he never seems to go to school though. Karen is the single mother that is working double shifts to keep Andy happy, she starts dating a new man, which doesn’t please Andy and does all she can to put Andy first when things start getting out of hand. Chucky is the Buddi doll that has been unleashed from his safety restrictions, he is constantly learning from watching people, which brings out his violent side, which will see him going on a killing spree targeting anyone that hurts or tries to replace him as a friend to Andy. Detective Norris visits the apartment building where his mother lives for dinner once a week, he does notice Andy around the apartment building making sure he is safe.
Performances – Aubrey Plaza as the single mother is strong in her role, she does bring added character to a character that could have come off plain. Gabriel Bateman is great too because he shows us the isolation that he is going through during the film. Mark Hamill does voice the character of Chucky well giving us an entertaining character that get plenty of laughs. Brian Tyree Henry does bring comedy to his role, which is usually a more uptight figure in the film.
Story – The story here follows a boy that given a Buddi doll which soon starts to go on a killing rampage after learning from the technology around him. I do have conflicting feelings about this story, on one side I am disappointed we have scrapped the serial killer trying to get his soul into another body, which I feel is the main part of the franchise. On the positive side we do get to dive into the world where people are letting themselves are being controlled by technology, connecting everything to one source where an error could break everything. seeing Chucky learn is interesting to see too because we see how he processing each clip, line and environmental side of the world. it does borrow from a lot of different films from the past which can be picked up on. This des come off very fun, only it could have been its own new doll instead of just using Chucky showing the lack of originality coming out of the Hollywood.
Horror – The horror in the film is mostly slasher material, we see Chucky getting kills with plenty of blood splatter, with some original kills along the way.
Settings – The film keeps the settings looking very similar with the apartment building showing how hard up the family is, the department store does bring us a great showdown location too.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are strong with the Chucky doll being both creepy and moving in a robotic motion which seems nature.

Scene of the Movie – Chucky has a present for Andy.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – No Serial Killer side.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror that does get laughs and blood splatter, it does frustrate though by having to use the Chucky doll for what is a completely original idea.

Overall: Blood Splattering fun.
  
Renfield (2023)
Renfield (2023)
2023 | Comedy, Horror
7
6.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Cage feels Caged-In
Sometime you are in the mood for a drama, sometimes an action flick, other times a romantic comedy.

And then there are times you just want to watch Nicholas Cage camping it up on-screen as Dracula.

If that is the mood you are in, boy do I have a movie for you.

Based (very loosely) on the character created by Bram Stoker (and the classic 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi), RENFIELD tells the tale of an over-the-top Dracula in modern times as seen through his “familiar”, Renfield.

Nicholas Hoult (Beast in the latest series of X-Men films) plays Renfield as a put-upon assistant to Dracula - kind of a comedy/horror version of the relationship of Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA - and it works (for the most part). Hoult is a winning (enough) and sympathetic presence on screen and you find yourself rooting for him in the end.

The surprising thing to me in this film is the sub-plot of Renfield finding love with a Police Office portrayed by (of all people) Awkwafina. This comedienne/actress has really grown on the BankofMarquis as a solid and dependable presence on screen and she doesn’t disappoint here. And that’s a good thing for the Renfield/Rebecca the Cop relationship ends up taking center stage during the 2nd act of this film (moving Nic Cage’s Dracula off-screen for a long stretch of time) and it works for Hoult and Awkwafina play off each other very well.

As for Cage, his Dracula is off-center, wacky, frenetic and out-of-this world. A true fish-out-of-water. But…if I’m being honest…his performance feels reigned in and it didn’t go far enough out-of-the-box and didn’t get nearly crazy enough for my tastes.

When something like that happens, one needs to look no further than the Director and Chris McKay (THE LEGO MOVIE, THE TOMORROW WAR) has a track record (at least for the BankofMarquis) of pulling his punches - and he pulls many, many punches in this film. But, he also DOESN’T pull punches at times (like in the scene where one guy gets his arms ripped off and then these arms are used as nunchucks on a bevy of bad guys). He doesn’t really know how far or how outlandish he should go. So he filters in a comedic amount of blood and gore - and then reigns Cage in. It’s an odd choice.

If you decide to watch Renfield, you already know what to expect - and for the most part you get it - except in the one spot that you really need it.

Letter Grade: B

7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
2004 | Comedy, Horror
Good Fun
With the help of a close friend, Shaun (Simon Pegg) sets out to his rescue his mum during a zombie apocalypse and hole up at their favorite pub The Winchester.

Acting: 10
Pegg delivers a strong performance in his role as Shaun. You can’t decide whether Shaun is just a plain loser or if he’s just oblivious to the people around them and their feelings, particularly his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield). Pegg has a way of keeping you guessing from one scene to the next. Just when you think you can figure his character out, he evolves just a little bit, enough to remain interesting. The entirety of the cast breathes life into this comedy horror film.

Beginning: 3

Characters: 10

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The film is shot in a very unique way that helps to drive the narrative. It has the feel of a horror movie, but you’re never really frightened. It’s just as gory and in-your-face as any zombie movie I’ve seen, but sometimes those same scenes will have you cracking up. It was very cool how they capture the graduation of the first twenty-four hours. It started with a couple of one-off strange incidents. Before long, the streets were swarming and things were out of control. Very well-done.

Conflict: 10
Zombie films/shows should never be about the zombies, but about survival and the reality of the human spirit. You wanna find out who you really are? Get thrown into the middle of an apocalypse. Shaun of the Dead takes the nature of the human spirit and fleshes it out over the course of the film. Some people see tragedy and they run from it while others, like Shaun, take the bull by the horns and go right at it. The conflict succeeds in the group not just taking on the zombies but handling their internal squabbles as well.

Genre: 6

Memorability: 7
There were a number of funny, memorable events that stick out. I won’t ruin them, but my personal favorite was the car scene where seven survivors had to squeeze into a little sedan. The hilarity that ensues as they move from Point A to B is pretty awesome. There is also a touching moment within that same scene that adds emotional power to the movie. There are a number of scenes like this here, scenes that can make you laugh and make you feel at the same time.

Pace: 10

Plot: 10

Resolution: 7

Overall: 83
Shaun of the Dead is one of those movies where you fall in love with it more and more the more times you revisit it. I wasn’t a fan my first viewing, but noticed a lot of things the second time around that made sense and added to the overall strength of the movie in a subtle way. Good watch.
  
Ghostbusters (1984)
Ghostbusters (1984)
1984 | Comedy, Sci-Fi
Great comedic writing from Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd (4 more)
Imaginative ghost designs
Great chemistry between the stars
That iconic theme song from Ray Parker Jr.
Mostly everything is explained through science
Some special effects haven't aged all that well (2 more)
Some younger viewers may be frightened by some imagery- parental discretion is advised
Some sexual references.
Ghostbusters is a comedy horror film from 1984 directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis who also star in the film. The film follows three ex-university professors as they go into business to catch ghosts. This was Ghost Hunters before it was cool. One of their first clients, Dana Barrett played by Sigourney Weaver, hires Dr. Peter Venkman, played by Bill Murray, to investigate a haunting in her apartment. The chemistry between Murray and Weaver here is great. Murray is clearly a womanizer and wants nothing more than to go out with Weaver. Weaver plays hard to get of course. The monster designs are very imaginative for the time, some of them being a little bit creepy. When the movie uses practical effects, it looks really good. But when it instead goes for other special effects, it really breaks the illusion that these monsters are real. You can really see it with the demon dogs if you know what to look for. There is one scene in which Dana Barrett is possessed by the demon known as Zuul where she tries to seduce Peter Venkman, but it never goes anywhere. There's another scene where a demon hand comes out of a lounge chair that Dana is sitting in. And it literally cops a feel. No joke. Go watch that scene. It really looks like Dana is getting molested there. I don't know why that is in there but there it is. Be warned. Some scenes may frighten younger children. Parents be advised. But nonetheless, Ghostbusters is still a classic to watch during Halloween. Cause I ain't afraid of no ghost.
  
Parasite (2019)
Parasite (2019)
2019 | Drama
Truly unique filmmaking!
OK I'm going to do something a little different this time since this film is not playing in the UK until January I thought I read somewhere.

-Is it good? Yes
-Is it really good? Yes
-Is it great? Yes
-Is it one of the best movies of 2019? Can't ask me that since I don't go to the cinema often.
-Is it remarkable?...Yes
-Is it phenomenal? .................Yes
-Is it maybe a tad overrated? Yes if maybe only by its IMDb rating. It currently holds an IMDb rating as of this review date of 8.5 which is quite remarkable for any film. Not saying IMDb rating is everything, but when 8.5 is equal to films like Back to the Future, Terminator 2 and Psycho, I'll stick by a tad overrated at this point. I'm sure the rating will settle back down a bit once more people have seen, but pretty impressive as of now.
-Will it receive a lot of Academy Award nominations for 2019? Right now I will predict 7 including Foreign Film (obviously), some technicals, screenplay, director and Best Picture.
-Will it win Best Picture? Early Andy prediction probably not, but would have a shot at screenplay (other than Tarantino) or maybe director (or maybe Scorsese), but very early at this point to predict since I have not seen other films yet.
-Is it what you thought it would be? Not sure since I purposely tried to avoid knowing much going in. I had heard it was a good version of Us, or what people thought Us should be, so I was thinking horror and it isn't that at all. More comedy suspense thriller but hard to categorize.

Please let me know what you think once you see for yourself. Maybe I'll write about it again in a few months with more detail. Or shoot me a message if you wish to discuss further.

  
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Erika (17788 KP) Nov 25, 2019

So I should probably move this up on my list of must-see movies?

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Andy K (10821 KP) Nov 25, 2019

I would. I liked it.

Parasite (2019)
Parasite (2019)
2019 | Drama
Heavy Is The Head
Parasite is so utterly complex, brilliant and captivating that it brings an entire new meaning to the word perfection. A true revolution in film making with such tightly woven narative, twisted depictions of real life struggles and important intricate messages Parasite is practically bursting at the seems with metaphores, hidden meanings, symbolism and comparisons but whats so great about it is that its never feels forced, in your face or patronising once. Theres certainly a hell of a lot more there if you want to delve deeper thats for sure (just trying to decipher it all now for this review is hurting my head) but theres also plenty there for those that dont want that depth too. This is Korean cinema at its absolute finest mixing so many diffrent genres together flawlessly to create butter smooth tension, spine chilling horror, mind bending philosophy, harsh history, political accuracy, eye watering comedy, touching drama and stomach churning raw emotion. A tale of rich and poor at its core but also a film about entitlement, happiness, human nature, selfishness and ambition Parasite teaches us so cleverly/effectively to have new found appreciation for what we have no matter how little that may be and also to stand together/respect one another and apreciate those close to us before its to late. Being likened to a Tarantino film by many and while I can see the similarities I honestly found Parasite to be genuinely a way smarter, better structured/layered more thrilling and an all round tighter/more interesting movie compared to his work if im honest. I urge anyone that loves and takes cinema seriously to see this without hesitation its unpredictability/intricacy are a true experience to behold (just like the sensation you get when you slip on ice but regain your balance just before you fall) it will leave you cold, breathless, excited and entranced.
  
Get Out (2017)
Get Out (2017)
2017 | Horror, Thriller
Psychologcally Disburing
Jordan Peele goes from comedy to horror, as his directorial debut, he does a excellent/fantasic/phenomenal job. Going from one genre to anethor is hard, but Jordan Peele did the impossible, and he successed, all expectations. This film is psycologically twisted, horrorfyng, suspenseful and thrilling till the very end.

So this movie does have a theme, This disturbing film ... is really about how white America has mastered its relationship with black America. Within all of the interracial tension is the white American’s strange envy of the grim determination, melancholy humor, and creative strength of the black race. ... But Peele’s irony is that white America will continue to do what it does despite these truths, and, sadly, so must black America remain hypnotized.

The film also depicts the lack of attention on missing black Americans compared to missing white females. Slate's Damon Young stated the film's premise was "depressingly plausible ... Although black people only comprise 13 percent of America's population, they are 34 percent of America's missing, a reality that exists as the result of a mélange of racial and socioeconomic factors rendering black lives demonstratively less valuable than the lives [of] our white counterparts.

Peele does a excellent of this theme, of the world that we live in today and his views on it.

The Plot: Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy and Dean. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.

This film is a must watch, if you havent seen it, than go and see it. Its psycologically twisted, horrorfying, thrilling, suspenseful and overall excellent.
  
Jennifer's Body (2009)
Jennifer's Body (2009)
2009 | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
7
6.4 (17 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The best way to describe Jennifer's Body is that it's pretty middle of the road. Nothing spectacular, but still pretty entertaining, and a would-be standard demonic posession horror-comedy if it wasn't for some good turns from the cast.

The plot revolves around popular high school teen Jennifer (Megan Fox) becoming possessed after a satanic ritual goes awry. Her best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) is caught in the crossfire as she tries to find a way to stop Jennifer's murderous Succubus ways.
The movie misses a trick in its titular character. Megan Fox is good at the whole evil schtick, but Jennifer is possessed for about 95% of the runtime, and for that entire duration, she's an absolute douche. We don't see enough of Jennifer beforehand to feel much sympathy towards her. A flashback sequence dealing with how she ended up possessed starts to lean in that direction, but it's an opportunity that's not explored enough. It feels like there's a message in here about the pressures put on women in today's culture to always look the part. An important message indeed, but it's gets lost somewhat in this oversight.
Amanda Seyfried is the real lead here, and her character is wholly sympathetic, and a huge bonus for the overall film. The relationship between her and her boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons) is believable and often humourous, and together, they add so much to this movie.
It's also worth mentioning that Adam Brody and J.K. Simmons are both great, and definitely provide the best comedic moments.

The scares are spread pretty thin, but there are a few creepy moments here and there, and some decent gore for good measure. A lot of it seemed practical as well which is always a plus. The little CGI on display is a bit dodgy, but a minor gripe.

Overall then, Jennifer's Body is an imperfect, but solidly entertaining splatter film that tries to capture the struggles of being a teenager, and kind of succeeds, and is certainly worth a watch.