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Natalie (23 KP) rated Until Dawn in Video Games
Nov 13, 2017
Choice-driven narrative (2 more)
Suspenseful
Graphics
Very slow-paced (2 more)
Confusing 'inventory'
Linear despite decision-making
What I like about this game is that you essentially get to play out your own horror movie. The choices you make will effect who lives and who dies. Along the way, the narrative is suspenseful (though often too filled with dialogue) and has a decent amount of action as the game develops. The slow-pace is incredibly frustrating and one can imagine the game play would be cut in half if the characters could walk at a decent pace and the cut scenes be reduced by 20%. Though 'choice-driven', the narrative is very linear and you are led through the game - no free-roam. On top of this, it's hard to understand the items you collect along the way. Nonetheless, it's still fun and unusual. Great to play with friends as you all get involved and it's like watching a personal movie develop for your enjoyment. Difficult to re-play because the linear narrative makes it hard to go through everything so slowly again.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Astronaut's Wife (1999) in Movies
Feb 26, 2018
Turgid obstetric-horror SF movie from the days before Johnny Depp rode his Keith Richards impersonation to global superstardom. Depp goes off into space, comes back (maybe) possessed by aliens; on his return Theron is unsettled by his odd behaviour, especially when it turns out she has been impregnated by this guy.
Basically Quatermass meets Rosemary's Baby, only not as good as that sounds. Not very much happens for long periods of time, apart from regular close-ups of Theron's toes; vague atmosphere of stately menace doesn't make up for the lack of real scares, thrills, or ideas. Charlize Theron, at the age of 24, carries the movie as well as can be expected in the circumstances, Depp is all over the place. In the end the plot turns out to be a cigarette paper's width away from being total gibberish; the DVD has two alternate endings, neither of which is much cop. Gynaecologists with an interest in foot fetishism will probably love it - everyone else, not so much.
Basically Quatermass meets Rosemary's Baby, only not as good as that sounds. Not very much happens for long periods of time, apart from regular close-ups of Theron's toes; vague atmosphere of stately menace doesn't make up for the lack of real scares, thrills, or ideas. Charlize Theron, at the age of 24, carries the movie as well as can be expected in the circumstances, Depp is all over the place. In the end the plot turns out to be a cigarette paper's width away from being total gibberish; the DVD has two alternate endings, neither of which is much cop. Gynaecologists with an interest in foot fetishism will probably love it - everyone else, not so much.
Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Dans ma peau (2002) in Movies
Jun 27, 2018
"Dans ma peau" is a film that got me into French cinema (along with Martyrs, but this is a different breed of film). It's both horrific and real. An allegory about the pressure of life, specifically as a woman, protagonist Esther injures her leg at a party and develops a fixation on the wound. She begins to mutilate the wound further, using the pain as a distraction from office politics and a hard decision in her romantic life.
Brief interlude: if you struggle with self harm, do yourself a favor and either avoid this film, or watch when you're in a good frame of mind.
This movie is filmed in an innocuous way. That is to say, it doesn't FEEL like a horror movie. In fact, it's hard to even call it that, despite the horrific content. There are scenes which stretch on to the point where the audience is horribly uncomfortable. But they're also REAL. How many times have you felt inadequate or embarrassed and wished you could disappear? That's what this film embodies.
Brief interlude: if you struggle with self harm, do yourself a favor and either avoid this film, or watch when you're in a good frame of mind.
This movie is filmed in an innocuous way. That is to say, it doesn't FEEL like a horror movie. In fact, it's hard to even call it that, despite the horrific content. There are scenes which stretch on to the point where the audience is horribly uncomfortable. But they're also REAL. How many times have you felt inadequate or embarrassed and wished you could disappear? That's what this film embodies.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Jigsaw (2017) in Movies
Sep 3, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
A sad, desperate attempt to wring one last film (we hope) out of what was once a great movie premise. I admit I didn't quite see the twist coming, but knew there would be one, and found that aspect reasonably clever.
But overall this film was full of plot-holes, the acting was atrocious, the ending made no sense and the games have lost the character of those in the original films.
A number of things just kept annoying me and took me right out of the film (one minute Logan is apologising to his daughter and her babysitter for another late night, the next he is heading to the pub?!, Logan takes the bullet out of Edgar's body - but Edgar had been in a coma for days, why was the bullet not taken out of his body while he was in hospital?!, along with the usual horror movie illogical actions trope).
This film added nothing to the Saw series, if anything it urinates over its corpse, and added nothing to my life.
But overall this film was full of plot-holes, the acting was atrocious, the ending made no sense and the games have lost the character of those in the original films.
A number of things just kept annoying me and took me right out of the film (one minute Logan is apologising to his daughter and her babysitter for another late night, the next he is heading to the pub?!, Logan takes the bullet out of Edgar's body - but Edgar had been in a coma for days, why was the bullet not taken out of his body while he was in hospital?!, along with the usual horror movie illogical actions trope).
This film added nothing to the Saw series, if anything it urinates over its corpse, and added nothing to my life.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Captive Wild Woman (1943) in Movies
Jan 16, 2019
More than usually dingbat Universal horror movie. A mad scientist (Carradine) has become the world's top expert on hormones and uses this to turn a gorilla into a beautiful woman (Acquanetta). She gets a job helping the local lion tamer, and falls in love with him even though he's happily engaged to a nice sensible girl. You can probably guess most of the rest.
Not exactly The Exorcist, but still sort of undemanding fun for the most part - you can enjoy yourself by having a good groan at the ridiculous genre tropes or playing spot the stock footage. On the other hand, sensitive modern viewers may have genuine issues with the depiction of animal mistreatment (it looks very likely that animals were indeed harmed in the making of this movie).
In the end, it takes a long time to get going and never quite gets to the interesting places you're hoping for, but it's such a silly and slight piece of work that this isn't a surprise. Passes the time amusingly.
Not exactly The Exorcist, but still sort of undemanding fun for the most part - you can enjoy yourself by having a good groan at the ridiculous genre tropes or playing spot the stock footage. On the other hand, sensitive modern viewers may have genuine issues with the depiction of animal mistreatment (it looks very likely that animals were indeed harmed in the making of this movie).
In the end, it takes a long time to get going and never quite gets to the interesting places you're hoping for, but it's such a silly and slight piece of work that this isn't a surprise. Passes the time amusingly.
Awix (3310 KP) rated I Walked with a Zombie (1943) in Movies
Jan 8, 2020 (Updated Jan 8, 2020)
One of the granddaddies of the modern zombie movie is almost unrecognisable as such: no blood to speak of and the plot is derived from a novel by Charlotte Bronte. Nice young nurse goes off to morbid, doomy Caribbean island to care for the creepy wife of her employer (can't speak, has no will of her own following strange 'fever'); finds herself falling for her boss (though God knows why, he's so disagreeable). Perhaps the local voodoo spirits can help cure the afflicted woman?
A zombie movie in the traditional sense, and all the creepier for it. The plot is rather melodramatic, and the gentility of the film is quite amusing to the modern eye (male worshippers at a voodoo ritual all turn up in suits and ties), but it scores hugely for atmosphere, though, and there are some genuinely eerie sequences. Usual studied ambiguity and lack of overt 'horror' you often get in Lewton movies, but this just adds to the sense that this is a classy piece of work.
A zombie movie in the traditional sense, and all the creepier for it. The plot is rather melodramatic, and the gentility of the film is quite amusing to the modern eye (male worshippers at a voodoo ritual all turn up in suits and ties), but it scores hugely for atmosphere, though, and there are some genuinely eerie sequences. Usual studied ambiguity and lack of overt 'horror' you often get in Lewton movies, but this just adds to the sense that this is a classy piece of work.
KyleQ (267 KP) rated The Signal (2007) in Movies
Jul 21, 2020
A complete blast!
A mysterious signal is emitted through electronics when you hear it, a voice convinces you that you need to kill everyone else.
Mya (Anessa Ramsey) is traveling across the city to escape from her crazy boyfriend Lewis (AJ Bowen), while Ben (Justin Welborn) seeks Anessa too.
The Signal (2007) is done in three parts, the first part introduces the characters and the plot and throws them into a world of violence. It's brutal, crazy, and disturbing. The movie starts out like a good horror movie.
The second part shifts the tone entirely. It becomes a hilarious dark comedy. The cast is perfect in their dry witty delivery. I loved it!
The third part concludes the plot, returning the tone to a serious one again.
Overall, the acting was solid, the action was well done. The horrifying moments were disturbing, the comedic moments were hilarious. I minus one star for the big tonal shifts, which may turn away some viewers. But I still loved it. Highly recommended.
Mya (Anessa Ramsey) is traveling across the city to escape from her crazy boyfriend Lewis (AJ Bowen), while Ben (Justin Welborn) seeks Anessa too.
The Signal (2007) is done in three parts, the first part introduces the characters and the plot and throws them into a world of violence. It's brutal, crazy, and disturbing. The movie starts out like a good horror movie.
The second part shifts the tone entirely. It becomes a hilarious dark comedy. The cast is perfect in their dry witty delivery. I loved it!
The third part concludes the plot, returning the tone to a serious one again.
Overall, the acting was solid, the action was well done. The horrifying moments were disturbing, the comedic moments were hilarious. I minus one star for the big tonal shifts, which may turn away some viewers. But I still loved it. Highly recommended.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Unholy (2021) in Movies
Apr 26, 2021 (Updated Jul 4, 2021)
First movie in the theater for well over a year and it's unironically, no joke one of the worst looking ones I've seen in all my years. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's "The Walking Dead" money must be getting pretty thin - at least 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 was actually rather fun and goofy and all that. Such an appealing premise with tons of smart ideas about weaving a horror film out of the commercialization of religion - among many other things - gets thrown to the wayside in favor of yet another asinine, careless cash-grab with the worst 2008 flash game jumpscares of all time. Though newcomer Cricket Brown is terrific in the only performance of the whole film which can't be described as a sleepwalk. I audibly remarked "Oh my good God" at how appalling this below-Disney Channel Original Movie CGI is, it's a wonder how this didn't even end up comically bad. And it's boring! Depressing to see that this is the type of shit Cary Elwes shows up in now. The real miracle is that I actually got through it.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated My Son, the Vampire (1952) in Movies
Oct 21, 2020
Mother Riley Meets Bela Lugosi
My Son, the Vampire as known as Mother Riley Meets The Vampire as known as Vampire Over London is a good movie.
The plot: Irish washerwoman Old Mother Riley (Arthur Lucan) foils a would-be vampire (Bela Lugosi) and his misguided robot.
This was the final film of the Old Mother Riley film series, and did not feature Lucan's ex-wife and business partner Kitty McShane, whom he had divorced in 1951.
In 1963, a recut American version called My Son, the Vampire was released, featuring an introductory segment with a song by American comedian Allan Sherman.
On the suggestion of producer Richard Gordon, Bela Lugosi had travelled to the UK to appear in a stage play of Dracula, which failed. He needed money to return to the US. Gordon persuaded fellow producer George Minter to use Lugosi in a movie in London.
Lugosi was paid $5,000 for his role. The plot was taken from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Its a funny horror comedy.
The plot: Irish washerwoman Old Mother Riley (Arthur Lucan) foils a would-be vampire (Bela Lugosi) and his misguided robot.
This was the final film of the Old Mother Riley film series, and did not feature Lucan's ex-wife and business partner Kitty McShane, whom he had divorced in 1951.
In 1963, a recut American version called My Son, the Vampire was released, featuring an introductory segment with a song by American comedian Allan Sherman.
On the suggestion of producer Richard Gordon, Bela Lugosi had travelled to the UK to appear in a stage play of Dracula, which failed. He needed money to return to the US. Gordon persuaded fellow producer George Minter to use Lugosi in a movie in London.
Lugosi was paid $5,000 for his role. The plot was taken from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Its a funny horror comedy.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Rabid (1979) in Movies
Sep 4, 2020 (Updated Sep 4, 2020)
Thirst For Human Blood
David Cronenberg is becoming on of my all time favorite horror directors. First Shivers and now Rabid. Whats next oh yea The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, The Fly and Dead Ringers. Its a horrorfying disturing film.
The plot: Surgery leaves a Montreal motorcyclist with a bloodsucking appendage in her armpit. Soon she has an insatiable thirst for human blood.
Marilyn Chambers does a excellent job in this film.
Cronenberg stated that he wanted to cast Sissy Spacek in the film lead, but the studio vetoed his choice because of her accent. Spacek's film Carrie was released during this film's production and proved to be a massive hit (and a movie poster for Carrie appears in Rabid when the main character walks by a movie theater).
Cronenberg stated that Chambers put in a lot of hard work on the film and that he was impressed with her. Cronenberg further states he had not seen Chambers' most well-known film, Behind the Green Door, prior to casting her.
Its a disurbing film, but a excellent film.
The plot: Surgery leaves a Montreal motorcyclist with a bloodsucking appendage in her armpit. Soon she has an insatiable thirst for human blood.
Marilyn Chambers does a excellent job in this film.
Cronenberg stated that he wanted to cast Sissy Spacek in the film lead, but the studio vetoed his choice because of her accent. Spacek's film Carrie was released during this film's production and proved to be a massive hit (and a movie poster for Carrie appears in Rabid when the main character walks by a movie theater).
Cronenberg stated that Chambers put in a lot of hard work on the film and that he was impressed with her. Cronenberg further states he had not seen Chambers' most well-known film, Behind the Green Door, prior to casting her.
Its a disurbing film, but a excellent film.