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Darren (1599 KP) rated Crawl (2019) in Movies
Aug 23, 2019
Verdict: Intense Creature Feature
Story: Crawl starts when college swimming student Haley (Scodelario) who after a family disagreement with her father Dave (Pepper) hasn’t spoken to him in a while gets a call from her sister Beth (Clark) to make sure their father is out of Florida after a hurricane has taken a turn to put him in the path of the destruction.
Haley arrives back home, bringing back the memories with father and his training to make her an elite swimming, only to find him injured in the crawlspace, where he has been a victim of an alligator attack, the two find themselves trapped against the alligators, with the flood water rising and time running out, can they make it out, that is the question.
Thoughts on Crawl
Characters – This is a film that only really has two characters in, we have Haley who is a college student on a scholarship for her swimming, she has been training her whole life and is starting to question her place in the sport going forward, she reluctantly goes to make sure her father has gotten out of Florida before the hurricane hits and here she must put aside their differences to face off against the alligators that are looking to feed. Her swimming skills do come in crucial when it comes to staying ahead of the gators, but she does fall into the stupid decisions being made. Dave is the father that has buried himself in work after his wife left him, he had spent most of Haley’s childhood coaching her to be the best in swimming, with them both getting success, he has however become injured due to the attack and helps his daughter to escape, so they can rebuild their relationship. Where the two have been going through a strained relationship, it does show how the working together process isn’t working well to start with and as they rebuild their relationship, we see just how well they can work together.
Performances – Kaya Scodelario in the leading role is strong for the most part, we get to see how she manages to look like she isn’t completely in a comfortable place with her future and that she will never give up the fight. Barry Pepper, despite spending most of the film injured, does bring us a strong performance too which shows us that both the main stars of the film do carry the load well.
Story – The story here follows a father and daughter that find themselves trapped in a crawlspace where they are being stalked by alligators, making walking out difficult, while also being in the path of a hurricane which will see them below water sooner rather than later. When we break down this story, we do have a creature feature film that does see man versus nature, with it being both natural disaster and a living predator. This is a battle to survive which does feel intense, even if the trailer does give away most of the film’s story, which is highly disappointing to see. This story does keep the pace up and does have the side of the story which sees the family needing to put aside their issues to make it out.
Action/Horror – The action comes from the alligator attacks, they are intense and show just how deadly they can be, this is a horror that wouldn’t be terrifying to live through, this all shows just how deadly of a predator alligator can be.
Settings – The film is set in one location, the house where Haley grew up, starting with a large part inside the crawlspace under the house, it is contained, and you can understand why the gators would be in there too.
Special Effects – The effects when it comes to injuries are brutal to watch, with one scene involving a leg being placed back together standing out, the alligators look terrifying too through the film.
Scene of the Movie – Boat wave.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Does nobody in Florida know how deadly Alligators are?
Final Thoughts – This is a fun and intense creature feature that doesn’t hide away from the blood and will keep you on the edge of the seat.
Overall: Creature feature fun.
Story: Crawl starts when college swimming student Haley (Scodelario) who after a family disagreement with her father Dave (Pepper) hasn’t spoken to him in a while gets a call from her sister Beth (Clark) to make sure their father is out of Florida after a hurricane has taken a turn to put him in the path of the destruction.
Haley arrives back home, bringing back the memories with father and his training to make her an elite swimming, only to find him injured in the crawlspace, where he has been a victim of an alligator attack, the two find themselves trapped against the alligators, with the flood water rising and time running out, can they make it out, that is the question.
Thoughts on Crawl
Characters – This is a film that only really has two characters in, we have Haley who is a college student on a scholarship for her swimming, she has been training her whole life and is starting to question her place in the sport going forward, she reluctantly goes to make sure her father has gotten out of Florida before the hurricane hits and here she must put aside their differences to face off against the alligators that are looking to feed. Her swimming skills do come in crucial when it comes to staying ahead of the gators, but she does fall into the stupid decisions being made. Dave is the father that has buried himself in work after his wife left him, he had spent most of Haley’s childhood coaching her to be the best in swimming, with them both getting success, he has however become injured due to the attack and helps his daughter to escape, so they can rebuild their relationship. Where the two have been going through a strained relationship, it does show how the working together process isn’t working well to start with and as they rebuild their relationship, we see just how well they can work together.
Performances – Kaya Scodelario in the leading role is strong for the most part, we get to see how she manages to look like she isn’t completely in a comfortable place with her future and that she will never give up the fight. Barry Pepper, despite spending most of the film injured, does bring us a strong performance too which shows us that both the main stars of the film do carry the load well.
Story – The story here follows a father and daughter that find themselves trapped in a crawlspace where they are being stalked by alligators, making walking out difficult, while also being in the path of a hurricane which will see them below water sooner rather than later. When we break down this story, we do have a creature feature film that does see man versus nature, with it being both natural disaster and a living predator. This is a battle to survive which does feel intense, even if the trailer does give away most of the film’s story, which is highly disappointing to see. This story does keep the pace up and does have the side of the story which sees the family needing to put aside their issues to make it out.
Action/Horror – The action comes from the alligator attacks, they are intense and show just how deadly they can be, this is a horror that wouldn’t be terrifying to live through, this all shows just how deadly of a predator alligator can be.
Settings – The film is set in one location, the house where Haley grew up, starting with a large part inside the crawlspace under the house, it is contained, and you can understand why the gators would be in there too.
Special Effects – The effects when it comes to injuries are brutal to watch, with one scene involving a leg being placed back together standing out, the alligators look terrifying too through the film.
Scene of the Movie – Boat wave.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Does nobody in Florida know how deadly Alligators are?
Final Thoughts – This is a fun and intense creature feature that doesn’t hide away from the blood and will keep you on the edge of the seat.
Overall: Creature feature fun.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Humanoids from the Deep (1980) in Movies
Oct 13, 2020
I'm completely aware that Humanoids from the Deep (originally titled Monster) is trashy as hell, but dammit I'm just a sucker for this kind of film.
It has a lot of issues - it's pacing is off for a start. A lot of the narrative focuses on a new fishing cannery in the seaside community of Noyo, a plot point that of course turns out to be completely irrelevant. It has some absurdly choppy editing - it has scenes that take place at the same time, in the same location, from different character perspectives, that inexplicably take place at different times of day. The big final scene has a sudden shot of an earlier part of the movie for no apparent reason other than saving money and time.
The same scene also has horrendously obvious looped sound editing. It's incredibly messy.
And yet, its still way more entertaining than it deserves to be. The mutant fish monster things look ridiculous of course, but it's the kind of hammy and gratuitous man-in-a-rubber-suit creature horror you just don't see these days.
There's plenty of gore and the usual Roger Corman endorsed nudity that sold these kind of films.
It has a respectable cast as well, including Doug McClure, Vic Morrow, Ann Turkel and Anthony Pena. It's a far cry from the copious amounts of teenagers usually associated with the genre during this era, and lends the film a sense of class amongst all the silliness.
Humanoids from the Deep is a film not to be taken seriously. That way, it's a pretty good time despite it's many flaws, and is an entertaining enough creature feature.
It has a lot of issues - it's pacing is off for a start. A lot of the narrative focuses on a new fishing cannery in the seaside community of Noyo, a plot point that of course turns out to be completely irrelevant. It has some absurdly choppy editing - it has scenes that take place at the same time, in the same location, from different character perspectives, that inexplicably take place at different times of day. The big final scene has a sudden shot of an earlier part of the movie for no apparent reason other than saving money and time.
The same scene also has horrendously obvious looped sound editing. It's incredibly messy.
And yet, its still way more entertaining than it deserves to be. The mutant fish monster things look ridiculous of course, but it's the kind of hammy and gratuitous man-in-a-rubber-suit creature horror you just don't see these days.
There's plenty of gore and the usual Roger Corman endorsed nudity that sold these kind of films.
It has a respectable cast as well, including Doug McClure, Vic Morrow, Ann Turkel and Anthony Pena. It's a far cry from the copious amounts of teenagers usually associated with the genre during this era, and lends the film a sense of class amongst all the silliness.
Humanoids from the Deep is a film not to be taken seriously. That way, it's a pretty good time despite it's many flaws, and is an entertaining enough creature feature.
Nick Friesen (96 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 1 in TV
Jul 12, 2017
David Harbour (4 more)
All of the kids
That theme music
The pitch-perfect retro atmosphere
Barb!
Nostalgia Perfected
Stranger Things is everything I wanted J.J. Abrams' Super 8 to be, and more. The atmosphere of the show is pitch-perfect and well established from the very first episode. The creeping tension builds until it touches the viewer's core and finally "resolves" in a full-on creature feature of a final episode. Like any good mystery/thriller TV show, it saves plenty of mysteries for future seasons. Here's to hoping the Duffer brothers don't bungle it up like Hemlock Grove after the interesting mysteries in its first season. Stranger Things is a much better show, however, and the Duffer brothers seem to have a much better idea of where this story is going. The child actors are all fantastic, and of the few notable adults/teens, David Harbour is my favorite. I cannot wait for season two in October (the kids have Ghostbusters Halloween costumes!).
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Crawl (2019) in Movies
Jul 30, 2019
Crawl is the tale of a father and Daughter who find themselves trapped in a rapidly flooding cellar/crawl space during a hurricane in Florida, their escape is hindered by an increasing number of man eating alligators. There’s not much else to add, plot wise. Crawl is mainly a two and a half cast driven film (two humans and one yappy dog) as Haley and Dave attempt to escape the cellar and get to safety. We do see other characters but usually from a distance and only for short periods of time.
Crawl is a classic creature feature and really works, the small cast helps portray the looming danger and the combination of the alligators and rising flood waters make the threat very believable and the yappy dog is used to enhance the tension as you find yourself waiting for it to be eaten.
And that’s it, Crawl has a simple premise, a simple story and is an hour and half of tension, jump scares, people being eaten and, oh yes one yappy dog.
Crawl is a classic creature feature and really works, the small cast helps portray the looming danger and the combination of the alligators and rising flood waters make the threat very believable and the yappy dog is used to enhance the tension as you find yourself waiting for it to be eaten.
And that’s it, Crawl has a simple premise, a simple story and is an hour and half of tension, jump scares, people being eaten and, oh yes one yappy dog.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated Jurassic Florida in Books
Jun 20, 2018
Chomp'n'stomp!
Did you know you needed to read about man-eating gigantic iguanas? I have to admit, I hadn’t really thought of them when I thought of creature features. However, when a fellow reviewer turned me on to Jurassic, Florida, and I saw the cover, I knew I had to read it. The fact that it was just under 125 pages? Pure bonus.
As I’ve come to expect, Hunter Shea delivers the chomp’n’stomp in epic fashion. Almost all of the residents of this tiny little town are going to die. You know that just from the cover. The only question is are they going to die via chomp…or stomp? Or people being idiots. Because people being idiots always kills a few people in these types of books and movies. This is a book to read only if you want to turn your brain off and indulge in ridiculousness. A low-budget creature feature on silent, as it were.
Now, there was some stuff that seemed to be added in here either for convenience or to up the silliness factor. I’m really not sure which one. Primarily the 18 year old mayor. That one was a bit of a head-scratcher.
My biggest gripe (only real one) about Jurassic, Florida is the ending. The ending felt rushed and anti-climactic. I kind of wonder if he was just tired of writing it and decided to end it as quickly as possible.
Overall, while it isn’t my favorite Hunter Shea book, I think Jurassic, Florida is just the type of silly read we all need to indulge in on occasion.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
As I’ve come to expect, Hunter Shea delivers the chomp’n’stomp in epic fashion. Almost all of the residents of this tiny little town are going to die. You know that just from the cover. The only question is are they going to die via chomp…or stomp? Or people being idiots. Because people being idiots always kills a few people in these types of books and movies. This is a book to read only if you want to turn your brain off and indulge in ridiculousness. A low-budget creature feature on silent, as it were.
Now, there was some stuff that seemed to be added in here either for convenience or to up the silliness factor. I’m really not sure which one. Primarily the 18 year old mayor. That one was a bit of a head-scratcher.
My biggest gripe (only real one) about Jurassic, Florida is the ending. The ending felt rushed and anti-climactic. I kind of wonder if he was just tired of writing it and decided to end it as quickly as possible.
Overall, while it isn’t my favorite Hunter Shea book, I think Jurassic, Florida is just the type of silly read we all need to indulge in on occasion.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Netherwell Horror in Books
May 12, 2021
62 of 250
Kindle
The Netherwell Horror
By Lee Mountford
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
After receiving a worrying message from her estranged brother, Beth Davis sets out to find and help him, ending up in the strange, coastal town of Netherwell Bay.
There, she begins to witness terrifying and unexplainable things, and reports of ritualistic murders have the town panicked.
A sinister cult soon makes its presence known, and the dark history of Netherwell Bay is unveiled. Beth then finds herself in a race against time to stop a doorway to Hell from opening… permanently.
The Netherwell Horror is a Lovecraftian mystery that quickly descends into madness, sickening violence, and chaos. Fans of Silent Hill will love this nightmarish tale, but those of a squeamish disposition need not apply…
This was a perfect joining of cult and creature feature horror! Very Lovecraftian feel about the monsters too! Descriptions were full on gruesome and brilliantly done! I’m impressed with the ending too there was no saving the day and it all being perfect. Definitely for lovers of Lovecraft and well written horrors.
Kindle
The Netherwell Horror
By Lee Mountford
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
After receiving a worrying message from her estranged brother, Beth Davis sets out to find and help him, ending up in the strange, coastal town of Netherwell Bay.
There, she begins to witness terrifying and unexplainable things, and reports of ritualistic murders have the town panicked.
A sinister cult soon makes its presence known, and the dark history of Netherwell Bay is unveiled. Beth then finds herself in a race against time to stop a doorway to Hell from opening… permanently.
The Netherwell Horror is a Lovecraftian mystery that quickly descends into madness, sickening violence, and chaos. Fans of Silent Hill will love this nightmarish tale, but those of a squeamish disposition need not apply…
This was a perfect joining of cult and creature feature horror! Very Lovecraftian feel about the monsters too! Descriptions were full on gruesome and brilliantly done! I’m impressed with the ending too there was no saving the day and it all being perfect. Definitely for lovers of Lovecraft and well written horrors.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Watchers in Books
Nov 5, 2023
165 of 235
Kindle
The watchers
A.M. Shine
⭐️⭐️⭐️
You can't see them. But they can see you.
This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams.
Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time.
Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers, and why are they keeping the humans imprisoned, keen to watch their every move?
It was a decent read. A really creepy creature feature. It is quite similar to a lot of these sorts of books that I’ve read and nothing really stood out as different really but still an enjoyable read.
Kindle
The watchers
A.M. Shine
⭐️⭐️⭐️
You can't see them. But they can see you.
This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams.
Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time.
Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers, and why are they keeping the humans imprisoned, keen to watch their every move?
It was a decent read. A really creepy creature feature. It is quite similar to a lot of these sorts of books that I’ve read and nothing really stood out as different really but still an enjoyable read.
Josh Burns (166 KP) rated The Inpatient in Video Games
Jun 21, 2019
A few decent scares (1 more)
Multiple endings
Too slow paced (1 more)
Short
Learn what happened at the asylum before Until Dawn
The Inpatient takes place 60 years Before Until Dawn. Like Until Dawn, it is mostly narrative and choice based with multiple endings. The Inpatient puts you in the middle of the the downfall of the asylum and hotel from the 1st game. It's short, averaging 2 hours per playthrough and slower paced than the original. It combines Creature Feature, Isolationism, and Body Horror genres. Unlike the 1st game you only play as one character (who yiu can choose gender and skin tone for). It also uses a feature allowing you to speak your answers in conversation into the VR's built in mic rather than clicking on the different answers. I will not spoil this because it has a very nice twist in the story, but you are a patient with amnesia and suffering from terrifying nightmares (that you play through). Shit hits the fan and you go from there. As you explore the asylum you can piece together memories by finding things that trigger those memories, showing you bits of who you were before losing your memory. It plays with paranoia as well, you have no idea if you can trust the staff or not. As a standalone, I can't recommend it because of length and it mainly just builds onto the story of the 1st. If you have played Until Dawn and liked it, than this is worth it. The other big downside is you walk sooooo sllooowww. It's playable with the DS4 controller or Move Controllers.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018) in Movies
Dec 9, 2020
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot is a fantasticly B-Movie style title, hiding a genuinely touching and quite beautiful character drama.
The film focuses on the life of Calvin Barr, an old man portrayed by Sam Elliott. He's a guy who's lonely, seen some shit in his time, and feeling his age until one day, he's approached by the government to hunt and kill the legendary Bigfoot, and put a stop to a potential world ending plague. Calvin is a bit of a legendary creature himself, having served in WWII, and is said to have killed Hitler himself before it was covered up, and his immunity to this killer plague makes him the perfect candidate.
This quirky other wordly narrative is quite a jarring contrast to the otherwise grounded drama that makes up the rest of the plot. Flashbacks tell of Calvin's life before the war, and how he met the woman he wanted to marry. It's essentially a love story, that veers into bonkers territory at the flick of a switch.
Somehow though, it all works really well. The screenplay is top notch and gives us some engaging characters with a great cast. Sam Elliott has the grizzled old man role down to a tee by now. Aidan Turner plays the younger Calvin, and the relationship between him and Caitlin Fitzgerald's character is believable and touching. Larry Miller also stars as Calvin's brother and the two of them also have decent chemistry.
This movie is overflowing with gorgeous shots. The last third especially is a visual feast, and it's all complimented by a wonderful score, courtesy of Joe Kraemer.
If you're looking for a schlocky bad-good film suggested by the title then you're in the wrong place. This is a charming and quirky character drama with sprinkles of a creature feature, and I can fully see why some might not get on with it, but for me, it just works.
The film focuses on the life of Calvin Barr, an old man portrayed by Sam Elliott. He's a guy who's lonely, seen some shit in his time, and feeling his age until one day, he's approached by the government to hunt and kill the legendary Bigfoot, and put a stop to a potential world ending plague. Calvin is a bit of a legendary creature himself, having served in WWII, and is said to have killed Hitler himself before it was covered up, and his immunity to this killer plague makes him the perfect candidate.
This quirky other wordly narrative is quite a jarring contrast to the otherwise grounded drama that makes up the rest of the plot. Flashbacks tell of Calvin's life before the war, and how he met the woman he wanted to marry. It's essentially a love story, that veers into bonkers territory at the flick of a switch.
Somehow though, it all works really well. The screenplay is top notch and gives us some engaging characters with a great cast. Sam Elliott has the grizzled old man role down to a tee by now. Aidan Turner plays the younger Calvin, and the relationship between him and Caitlin Fitzgerald's character is believable and touching. Larry Miller also stars as Calvin's brother and the two of them also have decent chemistry.
This movie is overflowing with gorgeous shots. The last third especially is a visual feast, and it's all complimented by a wonderful score, courtesy of Joe Kraemer.
If you're looking for a schlocky bad-good film suggested by the title then you're in the wrong place. This is a charming and quirky character drama with sprinkles of a creature feature, and I can fully see why some might not get on with it, but for me, it just works.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Mist (2007) in Movies
Jan 6, 2018
The creatures (2 more)
The feud
The ending
When walking into The Mist, I was hopeful and skeptical at the same time.
I knew director Frank Darabont could product a great film as he did with The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Even being comfortable with Stephen King material was a plus. However, I just thought another lame creature feature with no real development or point and just a lot of senseless gore.
I could not have been more wrong.
The visual effects, creatures and scares in this film are definitely A+ for sure, but what makes the film work without a doubt is the fantastic screenplay.
When people start dying, it doesn't really matter unless you care about them first as people and get invested in their circumstance and fate. Once the townspeople are trapped by the mist in the grocery store, some of their true personalities start to emerge as the tension builds.
Much has been written about the ending whether plausible, not necessary, too much of a coincidence or just right. In the day of carbon copy, nonoriginal storytelling, I would definitely reward a film that takes risks vs. one that doesn't.
The risks in this film pay off big time.
I knew director Frank Darabont could product a great film as he did with The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Even being comfortable with Stephen King material was a plus. However, I just thought another lame creature feature with no real development or point and just a lot of senseless gore.
I could not have been more wrong.
The visual effects, creatures and scares in this film are definitely A+ for sure, but what makes the film work without a doubt is the fantastic screenplay.
When people start dying, it doesn't really matter unless you care about them first as people and get invested in their circumstance and fate. Once the townspeople are trapped by the mist in the grocery store, some of their true personalities start to emerge as the tension builds.
Much has been written about the ending whether plausible, not necessary, too much of a coincidence or just right. In the day of carbon copy, nonoriginal storytelling, I would definitely reward a film that takes risks vs. one that doesn't.
The risks in this film pay off big time.