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The Baylock Residence (2019)
The Baylock Residence (2019)
2019 |
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Patricia Woodhouse left this house years ago, she is drawn back during the war after her sister’s death, she wants to start a new life here, because the war has taken nearly everything else from her, but the past she spent so long trying to forget has come back to haunt her, as she looks for the truth of her sister’s death. Annabel is the help around the house, she stays after Patricia requests for her to stay and help her with the transition, she does help fill in about the past, including what happened to Susanna. Susanna is the sister that has passed away, we are left to wonder what caused her death.

Performances – Kelly Goudie in the leading role isn’t the strongest leading lady, when it comes to the reaction or horror scenes, we don’t get anything bad, it’s the everyday moments which come off flatter than they should do. Sarah Wynne Kordas is the only other main cast member that does everything needed without getting the best scenes.

Story – The story here follows a woman that returns to her home after years away to deal with a family loss, only to learn that the house has a bigger secret that hasn’t been unlock just yet. This is story that plays into the idea that your past can hold answers no matter how hard you look to forget it, it does also play into the ideas that a family can have secrets which will only disturb. The pace of the story isn’t the most convincing, with large amounts of the film being stuff happening behind characters most notable Patricia, we also end up teasing an idea to what is happening, only it just gets forgotten which would have added extra dimension to an abuse victim. The war time theme doesn’t help because the same story could easily happen at any other era too.

Horror – The horror in this film comes from how Patricia is struggling with the visions that she is having, not being able to balance reality with supernatural.

Settings – The film is set within the one house, which doesn’t look time accurate from the outside, it does show how the family home can be reunited from tragedy.

Special Effects – The film does use effects sparely, when they are used they do add an element to horror in the film.


Scene of the Movie – The secret room.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The non-horror moment conversations feel out of place.

Final Thoughts – This is a horror thriller that does have moments of strong tension, only it doesn’t keep this up for long enough to make us what to learn the truth.

Overall: Slow Burning Horror.
  
The Confines (2015)
The Confines (2015)
2015 |
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Streak is a disturbed young woman, she must prove she can keep a job to get her child back which leads her to the night watchwoman role. She doesn’t have experience in this role which leads her to explore and using her gift to learn the truth about the building. Cooper is the experienced night watchman, he needs this job and with his disability, it seems like a comfortable gig for him, this night turns into a nightmare as he must deal with Streak never being sure if she is unstable herself or there is something going on in the building. To round out our small cast we have a homeless man and the guy that hires Streak, neither do much else in the film.

Performances – Louisa Krause in the leading role is solid enough, though we never truly believe her fear through the night and her lack of ability to make us feel like we could be seeing her on edge over just horrors doesn’t convince. Jason Patric is solid to, though he never gets the time required to do anything with his character. The rest of the cast barely get any screen time which is why they suffer from low scores.

Story – The story much like many horror film keeps everything very simple, this is all we needed it to do too. On the first night of a job as a night watchwoman our leading lady must battle her own inner demons when strange things start happening within the apartment building she is working in. well this sounds like it should be an enjoyable enough watch for a horror fan, the ending only left me scratching my head which is disappointing, even though it could have made sense or not.

Horror/Mystery – The horror side of the film mostly down to what isn’t there as we balance between stuff int eh corner over anything else. The mystery comes from what could be making the noises in the building and what is involved with the history of the events here.

Settings – The film takes place completely in the building, this does keep the events confined to one location, we have the darker rooms, the forbidden rooms which only draw the horror ideas we could get.

Special Effects – The effects are solid enough though most of it is the in the corners blink and you miss it moments.


Scene of the Movie – The first visit.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The ending.

Final Thoughts – This isn’t the best horror, it has potential of greatness, though it just doesn’t click things together like it should do.

 

Overall: Horror that will just become forgettable.
  
One Cut of the Dead (Kamera o Tomeru na!) (2017)
One Cut of the Dead (Kamera o Tomeru na!) (2017)
2017 | Comedy, Horror
Characters – Director Higurashi is the man trying to make this movie work, he is getting tired of his performers not showing enough fear, he pushes them to the limits with real zombies, which soon give him his perfect picture. Chinatsu is the star of the movie being made, she struggles to show the fear to start with, until she finds herself in a real zombie film. Nao is the production assistant that teaches the actors about the rumours about the area and joins in the fight against the real zombies. Ko is the lead actor in the film being made, he is meant to be the reluctant hero when the zombie attack.

Performances – This is a movie that has performances that do give the actors a lot to do, with a lot of different angles to be seen, everything is wonderful from the cast, that truly makes sense by the end of the film.

Story – The story here follows the production of the low budget zombie movie until things take a turn, from fiction to reality. This is a story that is a breath of fresh air, because it goes in a direction you won’t see coming and does seem like something we needed for the zombie genre of film. The story does however start by feeling like something we have seen before, until we go in the different direction. We do get some wall breaking moments which adds everything to this story, which will make it one of the most original and smart ideas you will ever see.

Comedy/Horror – The comedy in the film comes from most of the second half of the film, which will be constant laughs, the horror in the film does seem like a routine zombie movie, until things change, it doesn’t get as scary as it could, but then it doesn’t need to be.

Settings – The film uses the settings perfectly to add to the film, we get to see so much from the abandoned warehouse setting, which only grows in the later parts of the film.

Special Effects – The effects in the film are everything you need for a low budget production, it is used to create and add extra comedy to the film too.


Scene of the Movie – The third act.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – There really isn’t one.

Final Thoughts – This is one of the most original and ingenious by turning everything you think you know, leaving you laughing with pure enjoyment of the events of the film.

Overall: Ingenious Zombie Movie.

One Cut for the Dead will get a one-night event in the US on the 17th September.
  
Hellmington (2018)
Hellmington (2018)
2018 |
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Samantha Woodhouse is a detective from a big city, she returns home with her father being on his deathbed, to help plan for the next stage, she decides to stick around after learning about missing person that hasn’t ever been solved, where she must face her own connection of her past, while trying to understand what actually happened to the missing girl. Rupert is the Uncle to Samantha, he is the local sheriff that bought her back, only to wish for her to leave the case alone. Professor Freeborn is one of the locals experts that is helping Samantha understand the truth around what might be happening. We do meet a host of potential suspects, or residents that do have a chapter to say when it comes to unlocking the truth.

Performances – This movie revolves around the performance Nicola Correia-Damude gives, she is involved in every scene and you can understand the mindset of her character as she both learns truths and faces pasts through the film. Michael Ironside might well be the biggest name in the film and does everything we need him to do. The rest of the cast is strong through the film too.

Story – The story follows a detective that returns home for her father’s funeral, only to find herself investigating a missing persons case, one that does mean she must face her own past to learn the truth. This is an interesting story because it does show us how your past can come back to haunt you and investigating a bigger case can only make you see the people in your life in a different light. We do follow just one character which will show us how they are learning about the case, just as we are, which is nice too be left in the dark about certain parts instead of being given all answers. We do get pushed down different ideas of what is happening which does keep us guessing and will leave shocked by the truth.

Horror – The film does use horror elements which involve how the Samantha is experience strange events while trying to uncover the truth.

Settings – The film is set in one locations which is the hometown of the Samantha which is filled with memories, some she liked, others she doesn’t want to.

Special Effects – The effects in the film are strong when needed, we don’t use them too often which isn’t needed.


Scene of the Movie – The first visit of the stranger.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Slightly rushed finished.

Final Thoughts – This is an interesting horror that deals with the investigation into a missing person, it has a wonderful leading lady performance and does keep you guessing.

Overall: Strong horror investigation.
  
Nightworld (2017)
Nightworld (2017)
2017 | Horror, Thriller
5
5.8 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Brett Anderson is a grief stricken for police officer, he retired from the force after his wife’s death, he takes a job as a security guard in an apartment in Bulgaria which leads him to get caught up in a mystery about the apartment which brings him past back to haunt him. Jacob is a former guard that lost his eye sight, he knows the mystery about the apartment and helps guide Brett through the strange events. Martin is the apartment manager and needs to find a new guard to watch over any problems in the apartment when he is away. Zara is the waitress at the local café that offer a romantic angle for Brett, while filling in the blanks about the history of the apartment.

Performances – Jason London is solid enough in the leading role, most of what he does is ask questions which is how the audience must learn what is going on. Robert Englund as the elderly figure that is trying to help works well because he is the biggest draw for the film. Gianna Capaldi and Lorina Kamburova are both fine they never get out of first gear for their performances though.

Story – The story here follows a man that needs to rebuild his life, get given a job as a security guard for an apartment building that has secrets he can’t even imagine. The pace of the story is slow, because we have a lot of building up with little to no hints to what the big conclusion will be, the final third of the film lets everything go, making the early parts of the story more interesting, the time loss angle does feel tagged in for no reason and by the end you still won’t completely understand what just happened. The reveals in the film are big, though they could be considered overkill for what could have be a much more subtle story.

Horror – The horror comes from the nightmares Brett suffers before the big reveal in the final act which shows us just what has been going on.

Settings – The whole film is set in one building, it shows how the layers can hold secrets and the mystery about the building is key t the story being told.

Special Effects – The effects in the film are used well when needed, we don’t go over the top with them and the best one are used for the final act.


Scene of the Movie – Behind the door.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Starts too slow for the ending.

Final Thoughts – This is a slow burning horror thriller, it does reward us with a manic ending which is worth the wait for, only it does take too long to get there with little hints to help us understand the ending.

 

Overall: Slow though rewarding.
  
Killer Sofa (2019)
Killer Sofa (2019)
2019 |
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Francesca is a dancer that has had problems in the past with the men in her life, most have become stalkers, with her needing to put restraining orders on them, she is left a recliner from one, as the police look into her past to see if she has a connection to the murder of one of them. Maxi is the best friend of Francesca, she supports her on a daily basis and will stand with her in her fight against the sofa. Inspector Gravy is leading the investigation into the crimes which sees him spending time with Francesca learning about her past. Rabbi Jack is Maxi’s grandfather that gets an uneasy vision from the sofa and starts trying to figure out how he could stop the evil behind it.

Performances – The lead in the film is Piimio Mei and she does well in the leading role, as the one being haunted by the soda, seeing her friends taken from around her. The rest of the cast are strong with what they are doing, they do know this does have elements of cheesy horror, which does work for the film.

Story – The story here follows the unusual event surrounding a sofa that starts killing people at the woman that finds herself the main target of the evil needing to stop it before their friends get taken. This is a film that knows exactly what it wants to be, a wildly over the top story that isn’t afraid to go into the full cheesy area, which will get the story over to the level it needs to. For a horror it is a film that follows the traditions when it comes to picking off the victims one at a time, with an element of the story behind the having a supernatural feel.

Horror – The horror side of the film does pick up like most serial killer style slashers, with one victim being alone getting picked off by the killer, in this case, the sofa, which does it look creepy throughout.

Settings – The film uses the apartment settings to show how the sofa can move around without looking completely out of place, using the environment to help with its kills.

Special Effects – The effects are mixed with the fact they make the sofa look terrifying being a huge plus, it is the CGI moments that look like the weakest part of the film.


Scene of the Movie – The sofa look.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The CGI moments.

Final Thoughts – This is a horror comedy that understands completely what it wants to be, it will get laughable kills from a sofa that uses its how frame as a weapon.

Overall: Funny horror comedy.
  
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
1992 | Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance
5
5.8 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Nick Halloway is a fast-talking businessman that has been getting away with slacking through his job for years now, after another session on the drinks, he looks to skive off, only to get caught in the middle of an experiment which turns him invisible, Nick must figure out who he can trust to help him after the CIA look to hunt him down to use him for their own benefit. He isn’t the most interesting character, he doesn’t come off as funny as it seems he should be either. Alice is the new woman that comes into Nick’s life, she is the one he turns to for help as she is prepared to listen to his story over most other people. David Jenkins is the man hunting down Nick, he is a CIA agent that will do whatever it takes to add to the security of the country, seeing Nick as the next generation of secret agent.

Performances – Chevy Chase does feel slightly mis-cast in this role, he doesn’t seem to handle the comedy on the level it is meant to be coming from his character. Daryl Hannah does all she needs to as the love interest, she doesn’t need to do much either. Sam Neill is highlight of the performances with just how he handles the evil agent.

Story – The story follows a man that gets turn invisible in a mysterious event, seeing him being chased down by the government while he tries to figure out how to get out of his situation. This is an interesting spin on the invisible man story, it does try to make the story a comedy which is where the story falls short, because it is an unlikable character that gets turn invisible rather than somebody whose experiment going wrong. Nick doesn’t just anything to help himself, which disappoints, it does feel kind of cheesy and by the end you will feel like not everything is answered.

Comedy/Sci-Fi – The comedy misses more often than hitting, it just doesn’t seem smooth. The sci-fi elements don’t get bought to the front with incident happening and that being it.

Settings – The film is set in San Francisco which does always make for a solid back drop for any movie.

Special Effects – The effects in the film do feel great for the time with certain moments, the make-up shot is the highlight because of camera angle.


Scene of the Movie – Let’s try make up.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The comedy.

Final Thoughts – This is a comedy that does miss a lot of the jokes and ends up feeling flatter than it should have been.

 

Overall: Disappointing comedy.
  
In the Tall Grass (2019)
In the Tall Grass (2019)
2019 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Characters – Becky is the pregnant lady travelling across country to start a life with her baby, her maternal instincts take over when she hears a young boy calling for help in the grass, which sees her get trapped, she experiences different pregnancy problems while trying to find her way out. Cal is the protect brother, who couldn’t win a fight to save his life, he wants his sister to date somebody with a future and an education. Ross is the father of Tobin who has gone too far into the grass before, he knows what is happening making him a real threat to the rest. Tobin is the little boy that is calling out for help, he desperate cries for help lead to the events of the film as Becky and Cal go in search for the answer.

Performances – When it comes to the performances this is a hard one to hate or enjoy anybody in the film, nobody is bad, Laysla De Oliveira and Avery Whitted as the brother sister don’t have the best chemistry. Patrick Wilson does go full crazy for parts of the film and it is the best part to watch.

Story – The story here follows a group of people that lost in tall grass which seems to have a mind of itself which will see them needing to figure out how to make it out alive. This is a story that does do a lot of confusing things because we do try to capture the magic of ‘Triangle’ only for it to be way to confusing for the most part because we are going over and over through different points of view which just doesn’t give us enough to work with because a lot happens in pitch black too which doesn’t make it clear just what was happening. This is a story you could break down and figure out what happened, but it isn’t a causal watch when figuring out the loops.

Horror – The horror in the film is meant to come from the unknown in the grass and just what happens within the grass.

Settings – The film wants to use the tall grass for the settings, I guess this is an American thing for it to be scary.

Special Effects – The effects used in the film are mostly shock for gore, which are fine, but just don’t shock the way they want too.


Scene of the Movie – Ross finds a way in.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Too many attempts to create a reset.

Final Thoughts – This is a horror that just doesn’t get to any horror levels, if you have seen ‘Triangle’ you will have seen a much more interesting and better version of this story.

Overall: Just not Triangle.