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Hellraiser (1987)
Hellraiser (1987)
1987 | Horror
All these years later, and Hellraiser is still a treat. I've always had respect for Clive Barker's directorial debut. It came out in a decade where the genre had become more schlocky and less serious with each passing year, and dared to go for the jugular with its straight shooting, no nonsense brand of horror.
It has an engaging plot, focusing primarily on a forbidden love between Julia, and her husband's brother Frank. When Frank is quite literally torn apart after messing with an ancient puzzle box, it quickly becomes apparent that he can return to the land of the living through blood sacrifice, resulting in Julia luring unsuspecting victims to their doom in order to be with Frank once again. It's a twisted love story, effectively making Hellraiser a romance-horror, centering around a toxic relationship. The cast performances are varied for sure, but of course Clare Higgins is a stand out. Her portrayal of Julia is sympathetic as she is quite clearly besotted with and somewhat scared of Frank, whilst also managing to be a confident and calculating villain.
Then there is the iconic Pinhead, one of several cenobites that are summoned when the puzzle box is completed, and a horror antagonist that stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. His presence here is effective in the way that it's seldom. When he does appear, Doug Bradley delivers every line with terrifying conviction, with some hugely memorable dialogue.
The practical effects on display are fantastic as well. Frank's ressurection scene in particular is striking, and one of the finest examples of practical horror effects out there. The cenobites themselves boast some memorable designs, and looks suitably unsettling. It also has a haunting and beautiful music score, courtesy of Christopher Young, that really ties everything together nicely.

Hellraiser is an all timer. A film that deserves its place in the horror hall of fame without question.
  
Power Rangers (2017)
Power Rangers (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
This isn’t a movie for little kids. It IS PG-13 for a reason. The opening scene is enough that I would never want my young child to see it. But if I had a teenager it would be fun to watch and see their reaction to watching that scene with their parent.

The acting was actually pretty good, though the angst with the girls was a bit much, the guys were fantastic. And they upgraded all of the special effects, and one of the things that I appreciated the most was the fact that the outfits actually ended up looking gender neutral. Mostly because they made the guys look like they were wearing bras. I mean, look at this! From straight on they could both be female. They even reference at the end of the movie how no one can tell that the girls are girls.

Overall, as someone who grew up with this series, they did a great job!

(And thank you for the cameo!)
  
Graduation Day  (1981)
Graduation Day (1981)
1981 | Horror, Mystery
Original idea (0 more)
Horrible acting (2 more)
Terrible ending
Shitty special effects
Stay in School kids, so you don't end up in a shitty movie like this
Midvale High, 1981.
Point form version. Track star wins the race. Track star drops dead
Sister comes for funeral
Students drop dead
The coach is a suspect
More students drop dead
Coach gets killed by real killer
Real killer digs up and poses dead girl in grad gown
Real killer gets bumped out a window with girl corpse on top of him
THIS MOVIE STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN!!!! Only reason it got two bombs is Vanna White was in it. And the always reliable Linnea Quigley makes an appearance...
Horrible script, even more horrible acting and a shitty ending made this movie the worst thing I've ever seen... Next to the Brittany Spears movie, Crossroads... And the Spice Girls flick... Which both stunk up the place... But this movie, from a genre I love, ranks down there amongst the shittiest of the shitty.
  
The Mummy (2017)
The Mummy (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure
Visual effects (2 more)
Action sequences
Better than I actually expected
Is it a horror, or comedy or action.... still don't know (0 more)
Can you have a "dark universe" in a 15/pg13 movie?
After reading plenty of reviews for the 1st movie in universals dark universe I went into my viewing expecting a car crash. I think because I went in with pretty darn low expectations it actually surprised me. The plot although although shallow kept me entertained. There is a wash of high calibre talent that has been contracted to bring this universe alive and I enjoyed Annabelle Wallis and Jake Johnson more than I did cruise . Russel crow was great imo as Jekyll and Hyde. What disappointed me most is, if this is a snapshot of how they are going to handle the rest of the universe then we're in for a very shallow light hearted take on what should be a true "dark universe" filled with legendary creatures of horror. Only time will tell.
  
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
2016 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Great villian (5 more)
Exciting
Well directed
Crew chemistry
SFX
Soundtrack
A thrillride all the way through
I have no idea why this movie opened to mixed reviews, as it is actually my favourite of the three reboot Star Trek Movies. All of the characters are great, the chemistry that is seen between the cast members due to the circumstances of the plot is fun and well written, the movie is exciting and very well directed by Justin Lin. The stakes are high and the villain is complex and a truly frightening threat. The special effects are beautiful, the tone and the soundtrack are refreshing and the script is well written. I came out of this one having enjoyed it way more than I thought I would going in. Also, it is full of Easter eggs and call backs for long time Trekkies, while also being easily accessible to anyone that isn’t familiar with the franchise.
  
The Mummy (2017)
The Mummy (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure
A sound action adventure and not as bad as all that. (3 more)
Good intro
Action sequences and effects.
Egyptian Princess of Darkness babe.
Unoriginal (0 more)
Or.... Dark Universe the beginning.
It was on so I watched it, as you do. I remember being gripped and impressed by the first 20 mins, it's a good start and does its job well. The rest of the film is totally watchable. I've seen that it gets some stick but the story line is solid, it's funny in parts with a good amount of action. The cast is more that decent. I fancied the Princess Ahmanet but, that just a personal positive for me and to be fair she does a great job. Tom Cruise does his job well as does Annabelle Wallis. Of course there's a big set up for more of the same. Not too much to complain about other than I've seen similar before. Don't be put off by the overly negative and easily influenced.
  
Priestdaddy
Priestdaddy
Patricia Lockwood | 2017 | Biography, Essays
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The eccentric and quirky life of a Catholic family
This is an intriguing memoir about the author's experiences of living in an unconventional, but highly religious family, with a Catholic gun-toting priest for a father. It is highly sarcastic, and hilarious at times, reading about Patricia Lockwood's family antics. When I first began this autobiography, I honestly believed it was set in the 1960s as her father disallows the sisters to go to college, instead spending money on guitars, and describing the effects of living next to a radioactive plant. But lo and behold, Lockwood is writing about only a decade ago.

She leads an eccentric lifestyle, following in her family's footsteps, writing poetry and travelling across the US after a marrying a man off the internet. But it also reveals her doubts about their customs and practices, and how she questions the function of the church - especially with claims of molestation. An interesting and enjoyable read.
  
Europa Report (2013)
Europa Report (2013)
2013 | Mystery, Sci-Fi
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Storyline (3 more)
Realistic Ending
Excellent Cast
Unique Presentation
A Refreshing Look at Humans in Space
I found this to be a refreshing look at a 'humans in space' movie. It was interesting, intriguing and presented in a unique way. The film itself is told through the cameras on board as well as the crews cameras and helmet cameras, this gives it an 'outsider looking in' feel, as you watch the crew and what they go through to prove there is life in our solar system. The visual effects are not too flashy and rely more on the story and the emotions the characters display. This is what makes the movie for me. The emotions of the characters seem so real, heartfelt, the ending was realistic and allowed you to connect the final dots of the story. For sci-fi fans who have not seen this movie I would recommend you do, it's excellent. Would definitely watch again.
  
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Fred (860 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies

May 3, 2018 (Updated Jul 12, 2018)  
Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther (2018)
2018 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
The actors. The effects. The Korea scene. (0 more)
Not enough Black Panther. Not enough humor. Boring. (0 more)
I found myself many times during the movie wondering if there was ever going to be anything superhero-like in this superhero movie. I understand this is an origin story, but at some point, it needs to move along. It just dragged on too long. Could have been an hour long. There was also too much with the fighting that wasn't Panther. The girls were kicking more ass than Black Panther himself. It was ridiculous. Negatives aside, the acting was really good by everyone, with a great performance by Andy Serkis, of course. The Korea chase scene was fantastic. It's too bad there weren't more scenes like it. The battle scene at the end was very predictable. Bottom line is I did like it. I thought the story was well enough, but should have moved along at a better pace.