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If I Stay (2014)
If I Stay (2014)
2014 | Drama
The film's "live or die" premise is dumb, dangerous, and downright offensive. (4 more)
A totally lousy and illogical love story that lacks any heart.
The dialogue is almost as bad as Adam's 8-year-old-grade-level music lyrics.
It's far too frustrating and bland to be emotionally effective. The only pity I felt was for myself for having to sit through it for two hours.
If I Stay is unforgivable and reprehensible garbage. It should be avoided like the plague.
Had I not seen this film with a friend, it would have been the first movie I’ve ever walked out of. I haven’t hated a movie this much all year. If I Stay disappoints and offends on nearly every conceivable level.
Imagine yourself in a situation where your whole life is turned upside-down in an instant, and nothing will ever be the same again. That’s the troubling position young Mia Hall is faced with in If I Stay, after her and her family are involved in a terrible car accident. Mia wakes up from the crash, only to discover that she’s having some sort of transcendental experience, where she sees her own lifeless body being treated by paramedics. In her ghost-like form, no one is able to see or hear her, leaving her helpless as she watches her tragedy unfold. The devastating crash put her into a comatose state, and as she teeters on the verge of life and death, she’s informed by her nurse that whether or not she lives is entirely predicated on her will to survive. Based on the young adult novel by Gayle Forman, If I Stay asks us if life is still worth living even when all hope appears to be lost. Whether it’s really even worth it to endure life’s cruel hardship and heartache, and to muster the courage to face another day.

Well, if you answered that question with a resounding “yes!”, then like me, you’ll probably find this movie to be pretty darn stupid. Actually, regardless of your opinion on the matter, I think it would be hard for anyone to escape the fact that this movie is pretty darn stupid. However, as much as I find the central question of the movie to be absurd and even offensive, it didn’t detract from my interest in seeing the film. So let’s not make the assumption that I disliked this movie from the get-go, because that’s really just not true. Even though I may disagree with it, I can certainly sympathize with the idea of a teenager who is experiencing a life-shattering trauma and is afraid to continue living on afterward. However, I would personally argue that she hasn’t actually experienced any of that at all. She’s living in an extra dimensional safe-zone. Her horror can’t be real unless she makes it real by returning to life to face it. To look at it another way, couldn’t we say that if she chose death instead, that she never would have experienced the tragedy at all since she was stuck in a coma, and that she would be dead without ever knowing the fate of her family? That’s what I think, though I’ll admit it’s rather complicated as it draws upon unanswerable questions. To be frank, it’s a bogus scenario for a bogus movie that isn’t even worthy of that much thought, and clearly wasn’t ever given that much thought.

Before I digress on this topic, I’d like to look into a few of its implications, because I think it’s sending a terrible and dangerous message to its viewers, particularly the teenagers it’s targeted to. Basically, I believe the film is implying that death is a perfectly okay alternative to facing an undesirable change. I find that very idea to be immoral, irresponsible, and horribly atrocious. “Sorry your dad died, Timmy. If you can’t bear to live another day and want to end it all right here, well that’s okay with us. We understand and we won’t judge!” Are you kidding me? What kind of a message are they trying to send here? “Bad day? Just give up! Things are great here in Heaven! Join us today!” Is that really what they’re trying to tell us? How is anyone possibly okay with this? The film is essentially preaching that killing yourself is a perfectly acceptable option when life gets hard, and I have a really big problem with that. Whether we want to think about it or not, suicide is always an option we have in life, but that doesn’t mean that we should encourage it or try to pretend that it’s ever a favorable opportunity. Mia doesn’t even know what life will be like if she wakes up because she hasn’t lived it yet. Her fears are fully based off of negative assumptions. Yeah, maybe things will be really hard if she comes out of her coma. Maybe she’ll wish she was dead. Or maybe she’ll go through some difficult times, but then maybe things will get better and she’ll pick up the pieces and end up living a wonderful and happy life. Had she actually endured this new life and struggled with thoughts about suicide, I think it would have made for a far more compelling narrative, rather than all of this hypothetic nonsense. Either way, good or bad, life goes on. It’s up to us to adapt to it. Where there is hope, there is always possibility. With all that said, I would still contend that If I Stay’s premise is only the tip of the iceberg of its problems. This supposed tear-jerked failed to stir up any sympathy or sadness from me, and there are a few major reasons why.

First of all, it completely fails as a love story. The film is almost entirely devoid of romance, and has no believable connection between Mia and her boyfriend, Adam. Rather than being a Prince Charming type, Adam’s mostly just a jerk that she shouldn’t be wasting her time with in the first place. Yet the movie tries to make you believe that it’s love, and that this is what all normal relationships are like. It’s a complete crock. Movies like this give girls a false understanding of what love should be, and I find that to be an unforgivable offense. Adam’s the local hot shot rocker who falls for Mia, the talented young cello player who aspires to go to the renowned music school Julliard in New York. Adam manages to win her heart and the two of them start dating. Unfortunately though, their relationship can be pretty unpleasant to watch. Adam’s living the life of a local rock star and is blindly dragging Mia along for the ride, introducing the sweet, young girl to a world of parties, sex, and alcohol. Adam’s utterly oblivious to her disinterest in such a lifestyle and he rarely shows any concern for her feelings anyway. Yet she’s so foolishly committed to him that she follows this path of corruption, all for a guy who only thinks about himself. I thought this was supposed to be a love story, but it’s severely lacking in the love department. Just because Adam occasionally does something nice, we’re supposed to think he’s a good guy and forgive him for the majority of the time when he’s a lousy boyfriend and a loser? Of course, how romantic! Their whole relationship is lifeless and immensely frustrating. If living with him was my alternative to death, believe me, I’d choose death without hesitation.

Had I not seen this film with a friend, it would have been the first movie I’ve ever walked out of. I haven’t hated a movie this much all year. Even with my friend there, I still thought about leaving, then had a good laugh about the film’s title being so perfectly appropriate, as I contemplated to myself whether or not I should go. As much as I wanted to leave, I stuck it out all the way to the end. Then the entire audience ended up laughing at the ending, which goes to show I was far from the only one that thought this movie was a complete joke and waste of time. I had more than a few laughs at the film’s expense, from its dumb and derivative dialogue, to the way Chloe Grace Moretz slightly crosses her eyes whenever she’s upset. While I think I still remained open-minded about the film despite my issues with the story, I really don’t think the film itself was any good, nor does it appear to serve any purpose. Seriously, what’s the point of this movie? To give people hope that you can overcome obstacles in life? To justify suicide? I don’t know. Halfway through the movie, I was so disengaged from it that I was imagining how fun it would be to do cartwheels in the theater. That must be the lesson that I learned from all this. Well, that and to steer clear of crummy musicians, I suppose. While I’ve heard a lot of praise about the film’s soundtrack, I thought Adam’s band was quite horrendous. They do have a moment of redemption when they cover a Smashing Pumpkins song, which may have been the only good moment in this otherwise pitiful movie. I also found the lyrics of that song to be unusually appropriate to my misery when they said, “I’ll rip my eyes out, before I get out.” It’s almost funny that this might have been the only moment of the movie I could actually relate to: the thought of ripping my eyes out before being able to leave.


If I Stay is a movie that disappoints and offends on nearly every conceivable level. The saddest thing about this film is that garbage like this actually exists. Its pro-death agenda is just plain horrible and ill-conceived. It also troubles me greatly to think that teenage girls might watch this film and think that Mia and Adam’s tumultuous relationship is a desirable model of love. Lastly, I’d like to note that the If I Stay novel does have a follow-up book titled Where She Went. Wherever she goes, I sure hope it’s not back to theaters. If I have to sit through another If I Stay movie, I might just give up on life myself.

(This review was originally posted at 5mmg.com on 9.5.14.)
  
Jaws (1975)
Jaws (1975)
1975 | Thriller
The movie which heralded the summer blockbuster has never looked so good. At 44, this is a well but gently paced slow-burn thriller, with a mix of easy on eye thrills and gritty human discourse. Robert Shaw may well have made this his film, but he was far from alone. Almost all the lead cast were more than worthy, and it was Spielberg’s young direction along with John William’s iconic score which propelled this from just another thriller into a timeless tale.

Though in many ways it looks dated, it doesn’t feel it. It has a very general sense of a seaside resort, without the gratuitous Baywatch glamour, nor the dinge of the horror genre. The people and locations feel very real and even though the shark itself is a bit of a let down, it is not a total loss and has taken nothing away from the film.

But for my money, the defining moment is the ‘Indianapolis’ anecdote as told be Shaw. The entire scene is played and shot so well and its placement within the film is perfect. This was a real story about an almost fantastical threat, but like he would go onto do later with Jurassic Park, taking you out of every day life without taking you into space is what Spielberg does best.

This is a must see and always will be. This is one of the best films of the 70’s and beyond…
  
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Strangers: Prey at Night (2018) in Movies

Dec 26, 2018 (Updated Aug 19, 2020)  
Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)
Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)
2018 | Horror
An unnecessary sequel
Yet again this is another sequel that was entirely unneeded and unnecessary. Whilst the original wasn’t brilliant or a classic, it was at least very creepy and bleak, and the ending was quite interesting and what i found the scariest thing of all about the entire film.

Sadly this sequel fails because it mostly ruins the ending of the first film. It’s initially more of the same but set in a trailer park, with characters who make some very dodgy decisions that wind up getting them hurt/killed. It’s quite bloody and gory at least, and still kind of creepy, and it has a killer soundtrack. The two kids do fairly well, and as with Hard Times at the El Royale, Lewis Pullman really shines and he makes this worth sticking with. The ending however is a little lacklustre and is just your typical horror movie ending. It wasn’t unusual or creepy and bleak like the original, and this is such a shame. Had they improved the ending, I may have rated this a little higher.


Edit 19th Aug 2020:
Having just rewatched the original, I has to return and rate this higher. Not only does it have the killer soundtrack it has some great performances and is a lot more entertaining than the original. There's still a lot of stupidity in this, but it's definitely the better of the 2 films.
  
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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) Jan 1, 2019

Well, now I'm going to have to check out the soundtrack.


I adore Bill Pullman and if his son is anything like him, he's full of great potential and I look forward to seeing his acting skills.

The ending from the first movie really stuck with me. And by stuck with me, I mean terrorized me. How disappointing that this one doesn't stand up to the first. I would have been surprised if it had.

Thanks so much for your review!

The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
1982 | Horror
The title probably says it all here, but here goes. The female high school basketball team decides to have a party complete with pizza and talking about boys. After quite the lengthy group shower they decide on the guest list and arrange for the fun times to begin. No one likes the new girl so she is not invited.

Even before the party begins the audience is alerted to the escape of a mental patient who is now on the loose wreaking bloody havoc in the neighborhood. Soon he shows up at the school and starts taking care of his own business using a very large drill with an extended drill bit.

After the party begins, he slowly starts to pick off the attendees as they manage to find themselves alone with the killer or in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The thing I found the most odd was the reveal of the killer almost right away. In most slasher/horror films of this type, the killer is almost always shown in shadows, from behind or partially revealed under the end of the movie where the unmasking happens. Not in this film. He is shown pretty much at the onset and chases the girls around almost the entire film with his lengthy power tool.

Passable action and suspense along with enough good kills to keep me interested for 75 minutes.

  
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Leigh J (71 KP) rated Warlock (1989) in Movies

Nov 12, 2019 (Updated Nov 12, 2019)  
Warlock (1989)
Warlock (1989)
1989 | Action, Horror, Mystery
8
5.6 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Unexpectedly Good!
Contains spoilers, click to show
1691: a Warlock is captured and imprisoned by a Witch Hunter called Giles. On the night of his execution, a storm happens in which he mysteriously disappears, leaving no trace behind.
It transpires that the Warlock has been transported forward to 1988, and he lands in an Apartment with 2 roommates, one of which he murders. The Warlock then uses his power to get in touch with a Demon; who instructs him that there is a Grand Grimoire that has been split into 3 books. To become a true Son of Satan, he has to find the 3 books and put them back together to make the Grimoire. However, little does the Warlock know... Giles the Witch Hunter has been transported to the '80s with him, and is determined to take the Warlock down, with the help of a young Woman who was the 2nd roommate (who's rapidly aging thanks to a spell the Warlock put on her). Will they be able to find the Warlock before time runs out?
Warlock has really surprised me! I thought it looked like it was going to be really bad, and one of those Movies that I wish I'd never seen, and don't get me wrong there are moments that are unintentionally comedic and cheesy but I found myself strangely enjoying it, and actually thinking it's a very decent Movie that I'd watch again! Forgiveably cringeworthy, Horror fans should definitely give this one a go!
  
3 From Hell (2019)
3 From Hell (2019)
2019 | Horror
I just wasted nearly 2 hours of my life.
Already having issues with Rob Zombie films after he single-handedly tried to kill the Halloween franchise, I went into this one already predisposed to not have a good time watching. But, trying to partake due to my wife's love affair with this movie series, I was open-minded and objective. And then I wasted nearly two hours of my life I'll never get back.
Make no mistake, I get the series. I get the ideas behind Zombie's pet project series. A little comedy, a little horror, a little action flick, and a little bit satire. The violence, language, and nudity is gratuitous throughout, and I am one who can enjoy some violence, language, and nudity.
But this is all nonsensical BS passed off as a film. The film has more plot holes than bullet holes in random people. The characters are caricatures, hollow vessels that carry no weight or consequences. I didn't care who died by whose hand or what happened to anyone. There was blood, gore, boobs, language, and blunts. Time passed.
I don't know. Maybe that's the point. Maybe Zombie should do another film in this series. Or maybe some other pet project that tickles his fancy. Just as long as he leaves Michael Myers and every other quality iconic character alone. Please, Rob, for the love of all that is sacred in film.
  
Willy's Wonderland (2021)
Willy's Wonderland (2021)
2021 | Horror, Thriller
7
6.7 (13 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I can safely say that I got exactly what I expected from Willy's Wonderland, a schlocky as hell B-Movie horror that manifests Nicolas Cage going toe-to-toe with a host of murderous animatronic mascots, set to a music score of synth heavy electronica/children's party jingles. Is it silly and dumb? Yes. Does it have annoying and unlikable teenage human characters who are there just to die horribly? Also yes. Is it entertaining as fuck? Most definitely.

Cage's silent protagonist feels like the role that his career has been leading up to all these years. He has his very own corner of the zeitgeist at this point, and is just running with it, happily poking fun at himself whilst managing to be undeniably badass, whether it be the Mad Max-esque opening, tearing the robots to shreds with his bare hands, or him furiously dancing whilst playing pinball. Whenever he's on screen, he steals all the focus, without uttering a word. It's so ridiculous and enjoyable, that it renders the half-baked plot a moot point.
The animatronics themselves look pretty decent for the most part, and there's some solid gore here and there. It's the kind of gore that will make you burst out laughing, but in a good way.

Willy's Wonderland is far from a perfect experience, but it is what it is, and never tries to be anything more, and therefore succeeds in what it's trying to achieve.
  
Beetlejuice (1988)
Beetlejuice (1988)
1988 | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Micheal Keaton (1 more)
Tim Burton
Say His Name
Beetlejuice- is a halloween classic. Its also a tim burton classic. The cast is really good, the fantasy gothic horror element is really good. Its also a dark film, and its PG and it does have some not PG moments. Its a excellent movie.

The plot: After Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house. When the unbearable Deetzes (Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones) and teen daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) buy the home, the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. Their efforts attract Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a rambunctious spirit whose "help" quickly becomes dangerous for the Maitlands and innocent Lydia.

Burton cast Ryder upon seeing her in Lucas. O'Hara quickly signed on, while Burton claimed it took a lot of time to convince other cast members to sign, as "they didn't know what to think of the weird script.

Warner Bros. disliked the title Beetlejuice and wanted to call the film House Ghosts. As a joke, Burton suggested the name Scared Sheetless and was horrified when the studio actually considered using it.

Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian is in development hell and now its shelved. So the likely chance of it coming out is unlikely, but who knows.

Like i said before Beetlejuice is a excellent Halloween Classic.