The first hour or so of this was intriguing. Normally I guess these types of mysteries but I was kept guessing. But the twist after the first hour was so over the top that it kind of ruined everything up to that point. The pros of this movie is that it did have a little bit of suspense and good acting of course by Winona and Dermot. The pacing was good and it was never boring. I also think the flashbacks and gradual unveiling of the twist was well done. I just think if they could have just had a better twist that was a little bit more plausible it would have bumped up at least a few stars. It was definitely a letdown. Some of the characters' actions were also unbelievable. When this happens it really just ruins the film for me. This is one of those movies that had promise but was a letdown towards the end.
Reviews
26 Reviews
Very entertaining and funny
14 April 2024
So I'm not sure why the reviews are not as good. I thought this movie was very entertaining, had funny parts that I actually laughed from, great production values and an interesting premise. I agree that it probably dragged on a little bit too long but nonetheless it kept my attention. I liked the photography and the scenery. It's definitely dark humor and some people might not get that. There were laugh out loud funny parts as well as action. It really was much better than I expected and not nearly as bad as people are making it out to be. Everyone has and is entitled to their opinion. Mine is that it is a fun escape for a few hours. It's harmless fun.
True Detective
(2014– )
Speak for yourself.
18 February 2024
I get so tired of listening to people criticize others who like a certain season over another season. I haven't seen season 1 through 3 so I can't comment and won't comment. However I really enjoyed season 4 and think it is excellent. You have your opinion and I have my opinion. That doesn't make your opinion any more valid than mine. Jodie Foster is phenomenal even though her character as well as the other lead are highly flawed. Are they likable? No! But why do you have to relate or like a character for it to work with the story? I love the photography and backdrop to the story. It has a supernatural element and is kind of creepy. It is a slow burn and I'm interested to see how it concludes. It kept my attention even though it wasn't super action-packed. But it was intriguing and kept my attention. So for all these naysayers go ahead and like seasons one and two. As for me I may see those as well but I judge each season on its own merit. I'm giving it a nine to offset all of the ones that people are giving season 4.
Shetland
(2013– )
Ashley Jensen is a welcomed addition!
4 February 2024
I love all the sexism that I am reading with people actually saying in 2024 that two female leads can't carry the show. I strongly disagree. How ridiculous! Ashley Jensen stands on her own two feet compared to the previous male character. I liked him too but I find Ashley to be a great replacement and addition to the series. People just don't like change but to call her a blonde bimbo is just pathetic. There is nothing bimbo about her character whatsoever. She might have flaws but that's what makes character development. Hopefully we will get to know more about her if the series is picked up. All in all I thought the season was great and is on the same caliber as previous seasons. For those who are comparing it to the male lead it's really quite futile, and really unnecessary. It's like comparing apples to oranges.
A moody atmospheric vampire the flick
15 January 2024
So I really loved the atmosphere and the production aspects of this film. It really drew you into the time period and was very eerie. I thought the acting was good and the direction was also good. I thought it had a fair amount of suspense though if I had to criticize the film I thought there was a bit too much in character development and not enough action, especially towards the middle. I found myself at times being distracted by other things and not focusing. This should not be the case in this type of film. Part of the problem also is it was a very dark film so especially when scenes were in the galley of the ship it was hard to see. Those were my two main complaints about the film. Again it was a bit slow and the lighting should have been brighter. However I do realize it's hard to create that eerie and scary effect with more lighting. I did like the creature and the effects were quite good. All in all it was a very solid vampire film of the era and I would recommend. I've seen better but this certainly is worth viewing.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
(2023– )
Very engaging series
17 December 2023
So I'm not an extreme die Hard of all things Godzilla. However I have seen several movies and do consider myself a very big fan. I have seen the last three films made and I had no idea they were even making a series as a continuation. So I decided to check it out and I'm really glad that I did. For a television series, the production values are excellent. Well I have read some complaints that they don't show the monsters enough, but that really has not bothered me as much because it still is an engaging and action-packed adventure. I love the different locations, the characters are interesting, and there is just the right amount of suspense. I am pleasantly surprised when they do show the monsters but I really am enjoying the series regardless of that aspect. I'm sure they will pick up the monsters as the series gets closer to the end. I enjoy seeing Kurt Russell and the other actors are great as well. I hope they make several seasons of this show. It is very well done!
The Conference
(2023)
A Solid Swedish Slasher Movie
16 October 2023
So I really enjoyed this Swedish slasher movie. I didn't know if I was go to like it at first because it started off a little bit on the slow side but I think they were just developing the characters. It takes place at a conference with a group of employees who are being stocked by someone who does not want the supermarket to be built. You don't really know who it is and it's really not that important I guess. The reason is pretty straightforward. It is humorous in parts and very quick paced once it gets going. It was unpredictable which is what I liked about it. There were definitely some gory scenes and it was very well directed. I would recommend.
Zombie Town
(2023)
A light-hearted teen film.
7 October 2023
This movie is not going to be for everyone. It is on the silly side and pretty much geared for children and early teens. It isn't that scary but it does have a few comedic moments. It is lighthearted and I was kind of looking for that type of movie. It was very reminiscent of the '80s and had cues from that era including the music. On that front it was a bit sentimental and had reminded me of some of the kid films from that time frame. It had a silly plot, mediocre acting but not bad set designs for a probably low budget film. It was good to see Dan Ackroyd and Chevy Chase and even a few of the actors from the kids in the hall. That made me think it is probably a Canadian film. So for me I liked it but if you were looking for a darker scarier film with a realistic plot you might skip this. It was entertaining to me and I was glad I spent an hour and a half watching it.
Only Murders in the Building
(2021– )
So happy this has taken off
4 October 2023
This is such a delightful show. It actually makes me feel good after having watched it. It is so good seeing Steve Martin and Martin Short together in a well-written, funny and always engaging show. Selena Gomez is great as well, not to mention all of the wonderful cameos and guest appearances by some pretty famous celebrities like Mel Brooks, Matthew Broderick, Sting, Amy Schumer, Nathan Lane, Paul Rudd and even Meryl Streep. There is a reason why these celebrities sign up for the show. It is all due to the writing. I like how they give back stories for the residents of the building. Some of the eccentric characters are very well developed and their behavior makes sense given their backstories. This is just a good old-fashioned type of show and I have found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. The dialogue is spot on and I hope to have many more seasons of this show. I didn't know if I would like it at first after watching the first episode, but I really got into it and now it is kind of addictive and I can't wait for the next season. It definitely is deserving of all of the Emmy nominations it has received. I hope it wins something for acting with the main characters. Oh and I really love the opening theme song as well.
No One Will Save You
(2023)
Edge of your seat thriller!
24 September 2023
I was blown away by how good this movie was. I saw the trailer and it looked good but sometimes the trailer can be the best part of the movie so I always go into a movie with that tempered expectation. I tell you I was on the edge of my seat for most of the movie. It just did not let up and was very tense but in a good way. I love being scared and this did not disappoint. I jumped probably a dozen times. And that doesn't happen often. The production values were excellent and it really should have been shown in the theaters. It was that good and certainly not a movie that I really expected from Hulu. The pacing was of course fast and did not let up. It had a good and interesting backstory that didn't reveal until towards the end which I appreciated. It kept you wondering. But the very best part of the movie in my opinion was the actress who was phenomenal. With very limited spoken words she conveyed everything the audience needed to know and was brilliant. I think she will go far and I'm predicting a future Academy award nomination for some role at least. We will just have to see. I highly recommend the film to anyone who likes a good alien abduction type movie. Excellent!
Blood & Gold
(2023)
A great entertaining flick
4 September 2023
What a fun, entertaining film. I didn't expect much going into this but I thought it was a perfect way to spend a few hours. It had great production values, very interesting premise, great sets and it was engaging and action-packed. I wish they would make more movies like this. It was just something about it that I really enjoyed. It did have some Quentin Tarantino vibes but stood on its own. The characters were interesting and while some were stereotypical I thought they did a good job regardless. All in all I would recommend if you are in the mood for an engaging and action filled movie. It's great entertainment.
Haunted Trail
(2021)
It really doesn't even deserve a 3
3 September 2023
Oh boy where do I start. I usually am very lenient with these type of movies. They usually are very cliche with bad acting and very predictable. I did not actually guess the ending but it was so ridiculous that it just was bad. The good part was the setting and to some extent the photography. It was kind of creepy and the acting could have been worse. However it could have been much much better with a decent script. All of the characters acted like fools running around and they made really bad decisions. Towards the end I thought to myself it wasn't a horrible movie but then the ending song happened and that was the clencher for me. It was the cheesiest song and ending. This is one of those movies I wanted to like but at the end of the day it was just bad. Even the title was stupid.
Haunted Mansion
(2023)
A fun, popcorn summer flick
7 August 2023
So this is just the kind of popcorn flick I was looking forward to. Sometimes I don't want to have to think when I go see a movie and this is an example of one that is just fun and entertaining. I see some reviews complaining about the lack of a plot but I thought the backstory was appropriate and I didn't expect anything more. The set designs and photography were fantastic and the special effects great. One of the reasons I think I prefer this to the other Eddie Murphy version was that this is a little bit more authentic to the theme park ride. It was very sentimental for me because I grew up with Disney since a little kid and I am now in my mid '50s. I thought there was adequate humor and it kept a great pace. Decent acting and a good length. I almost didn't see it at the theaters because of the middle to negative reviews but I'm glad I didn't pay attention to that. For me at least I was pleasantly surprised. It was a fun, summer action movie good for the whole family.
Thoroughly enjoyable comedy horror
29 July 2023
I didn't know what to expect but I was kind of in the mood for a horror movie when I came across this. I saw the trailer and it looked interesting so I thought I'd give it a go. I always like movies involving Halloween. Though it definitely had horror elements and some creepy parts, for me hands down it was the cast, the acting, script and the comedy. There were several laugh out loud moments for me and I thought the writing was very well done. The male actor Tanner stole the movie imo. His delivery was spot on and the rest of the cast did very well too. It was a very well written script which made the comedy come out. The scene where the entity is coming for him and he first decides to grab the sandwich he just made previously was hysterical. His facial expressions and timing was just brilliant. For an indie film I was very impressed. Again I was not expecting anything and was very pleasantly surprised.
Fire Island
(2023)
The twist ruined it for me
5 July 2023
So maybe I have lower expectations but based on the other reviews I almost didn't watch the movie. However I decided to give it a go regardless. I will say I didn't think the acting was all that bad. I found myself wanting to watch it so I was somewhat engaged. The other reviewer is right that it didn't have a lot of action right away but once it got going the second half there were some creepy moments and a few scenes where I actually jumped. The photography is decent, but the music was very strange especially the last song. It was kind of cheesy but maybe that was deliberate. I think this movie had potential to be better than it was, primarily because of the ending and the reveal of the killer. It was pretty obvious and the reasoning was ludicrous. I think if they had come up with a better plot and motivation for the killer I would have upped the rating. So I have seen worse but I have seen much better as well.
Earthquake
(1974)
Great disaster movie!
2 July 2023
I give this an 8 out of 10 by disaster movie standards of that era. It has really good special effects coming out of that time period. I would say this is probably my favorite one compared to the Towering Inferno, Poseidon Adventure, and all the Airport movies. It had an all-star cast even though like they said Ava Gardner wasn't young enough to be Lorne Greene's daughter, but I suspended reality for that. It had a lot of great action scenes and drama building up to it. I remember seeing this as a child in the mid-70s and being blown away by it. I don't remember any of the other disaster movies hitting me quite like this one did. Perhaps because I lived in Southern California and it hit close to home. I just watched again after having not seen it for several years and although dated the special effects are surprisingly still good though all of this was before computers. All in all I think if you want a good solid disaster movie from the '70s this is worth taking a look at.
A Town Full of Ghosts
(2022)
Better than expected
24 June 2023
I actually seldom watch footage found movies as they give me a headache with shaky camera work. I also have low expectations for these type of indie films. However I will say that this exceeded my expectations. I was pleased that it was not even an hour and a half long and it kept my interest the entire time. The acting was halfway decent and the photography was pretty good as well. The setting was kind of creepy as another reviewer has said. I thought the maze scenes were effective. It was almost giving me some The Shining vibes. I wouldn't say it was particularly scary, but more a slow buildup to a pretty good ending. My rating is for a comparable film of this genre so keep that in mind. I don't compare these type of movies to Academy award-winning films. So the ratings to movies for me are according to genre and budget. All in all I think this was above average for a found footage type of movie. I was pleasantly surprised.
Consecration
(2023)
Very well done film
10 June 2023
I actually had very low expectations going into this but the trailer looked decent so I gave it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised! I always love religious horror movies and this did not disappoint. It was very well acted, atmospheric with great production values and it definitely had a twist that I did not see coming. For that alone I think it is worth seeing. It also had great scenery taking place in Scotland. I wouldn't say it is scary but definitely is on the creepy side. I recently saw a film that reminded me of this a little bit at least called Hell Hole. In fact there was a scene towards the end that reminded me of a scene in that movie. I enjoyed that one as well. I would recommend if you like these types of films.
Scream VI
(2023)
Better than expected!!
26 April 2023
Okay so is this really a 9 star movie? Probably not but I want to balance all of the low scores that are completely unwarranted. It's probably more a 7. I think people expect way too much from these movies and have super high expectations. I like a movie where I can't guess who the killer is and this was one of those movies. It was very unpredictable to me anyway. It had its fair share of scares and gore. I like that they are setting up the next generation who will soon become regulars. They still have some of the old timers which is great as well. I didn't know if taking it to New York would work but it actually did work. The subway scene in particular was very suspenseful. As long as they continue to make movies like this and keep up the quality I will continue to watch. This movie is every bit as good as the last one in my opinion. I still like the first and second films the best but again it's hard to replicate something that is iconic. However I think they are doing a very decent job considering it's been nearly 30 years since the original aired.
Murder Mystery 2
(2023)
It's what you would expect
14 April 2023
This is very similar to the first one in my opinion. I knew exactly what I was going to get and that is what was served. You don't expect a super intelligent, well written film with these type of movies. But what you do expect is mindless, light-hearted, fast paced entertainment with perhaps a few laughs and that you walk away from not feeling mentally or emotionally drained. This is the kind of movie this is, and it was what I was in the mood for. For people giving it such low marks I wonder what you were expecting? If you had seen the original and thought it would be so different that's on you. I thought it was just fine. Go see Tar if you want pretentious boredom.
The Traitors
(2023– )
Very addictive...pleasantly surprised
27 January 2023
So I binge watched the entire season in about 3 days. I didn't know if I would like it at first and I really didn't know many of the reality stars except a few from Bravo shows. However, I must say once I started it and got familiar with the rules of the game and how it worked it was very engaging and I could not stop watching. I think I watched four or five episodes in one sitting. I do agree with some of the other viewers that it would have been a little bit more intriguing had the traitors not actually been identified to the audience because it would have kept us guessing more. But on the other hand it was interesting hearing their reasoning and strategic moves for who they would pick off one by one. I definitely would watch another season and I hope it gets picked up. I wasn't bored at all and it was interesting seeing the different personalities and cliques that formed. Definitely worth a watch in my opinion.
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch
(2020– )
Very entertaining and I'm a believer
19 January 2023
Well I understand the use of theatrics but hello it's television! Scientists and engineers are not generally thought of as bowls of laughs, charismatic and people you want to binge watch. However the fact that I watched 6 episodes in one sitting tells me that I need to get a life...AND it was interesting if not engaging. That's not to say the security guard isn't annoying because he most definitely is. But Travis managed to break down complicated science jargon into things I actually understood and that I found fascinating. It's creepy, interesting and I am a believer in the strange occurrences taking place. And I disagree with others who claim nothing happens. Plenty happens but it is speculation as to what is the source. Hopefully they will eventually get there, but if not, I still consider it a very interesting, educational and engaging show.
Sick
(2022)
Finally a great slasher film!
17 January 2023
There are some movies you know 5 minutes going into it that it's going to be worth the while. This was such a movie. The beginning was suspenseful out of the gate and had me looking away. Great action, scary, decent acting and the kind of slasher that I would gladly see a sequel of. It had me jump several times and was just generally creepy. It actually had a similar feel to Scream which I love. It had also a sense of realism that this could actually happen that I appreciated. The characters actually did semi-intelligent things as opposed to just plain stupid decisions. It didn't insult the viewers intelligence. Finally I really liked the homage to the whole period of lock down COVID. There were a few parts that actually had me laughing because of how ridiculous and paranoid the first days of lockdown were for people. They need to make more slashers like this that are truly scary from beginning to end. Keep them coming!
Last of the Grads
(2021)
Beyond stupid...just horrid
17 January 2023
Okay so I am normally pretty lenient when it comes to low budget movies. I understand production values can be quite low. I will say this movie didn't look bad from a production standpoint. That is where the two stars lays. That's not saying much considering the acting was atrocious for the most part, the dialogue and cheesy music was perhaps the worst part of the movie. It was about 45 minutes too long and the dumb decisions made by most of the characters were just stupid. I find it amusing that 20 or so graduates are in a room trying to hide from one individual with a knife. You can't tell me that 20 students can't overcome one individual with a knife? Beyond stupid. Not to mention the horrible score of sappy piano music during chase scenes. It did not match at all. One example of terrible dialogue is when one of the characters is bleeding out and turns to her friend and says something to the effect this isn't the way the party was supposed to turn out. Duh! The list of stupid dialogue just goes on and on. I also want to mention that this is the lamest high school graduation party on the face of the planet. Do these things actually take place in a gym nasium with some old man faculty member standing by the DJ bopping his head? And then the 20 or so graduates at the party all sit down on the floor and watch an old black and white horror movie. Seriously? It was probably one of the dumbest movies I've seen and I've seen a lot of dumb movies. I shouldn't even give it two stars but I will give it for the production values. Hope that helps.
13 Fanboy
(2021)
Better than expected...a trip down memory lane
16 January 2023
Was this a fantastic movie? No it wasn't but it was nostalgic in a way and I liked seeing all of the original actors. I grew up in the '70s and '80s and watched all of the movies in the theater or drive-in even for some horror movies. Dee Wallace was great as usual. The acting overall wasnt that bad and for a low budget it could have been worse. I think what was lacking for me was the suspense but overall I was engaged for the duration. I applaud the efforts for them to put together this movie as I know it was a passionate project from the start and it took a lot of energy to put it together. Too bad they can't make a sequel and have other of the original actors in it. It keeps them employed and I think it is a great thing to do for the fans. I would probably see a sequel just to see how other original actors are holding up.
Tell Your Friends