SashaPolozova Reviews

The Shallows (2016)

Acting Saved It A Lot

[7/10 · 2 February 2023]

I really enjoyed this movie and I wasn't so sure that I would. It starts off with us getting introduced to Nancy played by Blake Lively. She is travelling to this secluded beach to surf after her mother passes away. She ends up being attacked by a shark and tries to survive by getting on this rock and being trapped in the middle of the ocean.

This movie had good suspense and amazing cinematography when it came to shooting the nature like the ocean and the beach however the special effects when it came to the shark and the dolphins weren't amazing. It really took away from the realism and broke the suspense when you see that the threat is fake. I know this is a movie and it's obviously not real but when you're watching Nancy struggle with her injured leg and the pain she endures throughout this whole ordeal, and you get entranced in Blake's performance to then see the fake shark, must I say more?

I also questioned the constant slow motion when it came to surfing in the first 30min. It got to a point where it was a little annoying to watch.

I loved that they had a seagull with Nancy on the rock as a little friend who was with her the entire time. He had an injured wing and it was just almost cute to see the seagull just there, almost like a support animal.

The makeup team did a great job with making Nancy's injured leg look like it wasn't receiving the blood flow from Nancy having to make a torniquet for it. I honestly thought she'll have to be an amputee if she didn't get help soon.

I had an issue with the ending. It seemed a little farfetched and doubtful that the shark would act the way it did and ultimately, it's determination to kill her was it's demise. Other than the strange decision on the sharks' death I liked the ending.

I also want to point out the fact that in most of the survival horror like this, the characters in trouble always call out for help but everyone seems to either be oblivious or they have an agenda to rob them etc. I just wish that they would make it a bit realistic or at least try something new? There will be a**holes who would take advantage and not help but every single time? Doubtful.

This was entertaining to watch and follow along to see what Nancy does next so I recommend. It's the better shark horror movie out there that's for sure.

Piranha 3D (2010)

This Was Entertaining

[6/10 · 2 February 2023]

For a movie that had budgeted this much money the special effects were pretty bad. In saying that they did a massive job with all the gore and injuries from the piranhas.

This movie was actually a decent effort and I was surprised that it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Acting was good, story was straight forward and did make some sort of sense when they explained why these piranhas were different. I actually researched into these fish to find out how accurate it was for them to feed so quickly and if they do in fact pull their food apart the way that is shown and I was genuinely surprised to learn that it was semi-accurate.

This is categorised as comedy horror but there were maybe 1 or 2 parts where it was actually funny. The ending was great as it was predictable but also gets you in the last second, that's one of the parts that I found to be funny. Ending also doesn't conclude the movie fully and leaves you wondering what'll they do now.

A good watch but only something you'll see once.

Jaws (1975)

Best Classic

[6/10 · 2 February 2023]

This is the movie that made people around the world afraid of the water. I didn't realise how long this movie was and was shocked that it stretched to 2hrs. There was a lot of long conversations and honestly some scenes were unnecessary and could've been cut altogether.

There were some good directorial choices made in terms of camera work and intensity of the scenes. At the beginning when the shark attacks the boy and there is a dramatic zoom to the main character. That just makes you feel the sense of panic and gives you goosebumps.

It was a nice movie to watch as an adult and I still remember how it made me feel as a child when I watched it. Not something you'll watch more than once or at least not until years and years later.

I wish it captured my full attention as it did at the start and at the end but in the middle it was almost boring at times, not always, but at times.

Good classic and will always be one of the good shark horror movies out there.

Jigsaw (I) (2017)

Worth The Watch

[9/10 · 18 January 2023]

You could call this the 8th installment of the Saw franchise. From the beginning I was intrigued and some of the people that were trapped weren't half bad (Mitch and Anna). What frustrates me most about these movies is that the people panic and don't do anything productive or smart in order to escape until it's too late. If only they'd listen closely and figure out the game, they'd all live.

I liked the two morgue doctors; the jigsaw obsessed Eleanor and Logan who has somewhat of a mysterious past. At the very start when they were looking at the first body, I was questioning how he died considering that this guy was decapitated but from what we see he turns his back to the saws so it seemed a bit confusing to me.

Ending explains why and I'm glad I stuck to my suspicions because I was right.

The way the traps are done is great, there is always a chance of survival only if you listen and pay attention to the word play. I liked that the ending for Anna and Ryan is grim. The villain reveal is great, very jigsaw style.

I do have to say that the whole thing would have been a lot of work just to get one cop where you want him but regardless it made for an entertaining movie.

It (I) (2017)

A Must Watch

[8/10 · 18 January 2023]

The character creating of Pennywise and casting of this movie was brilliant. Attention to detail and how the sets were designed was amazing. The directing and the quality of the film was a joy to watch. Acting was good and I think this was a good adaptation if comparing it to the book and the mini-series. Some of the dialogue between the kids was funny and accurate to how they'd interact and talk to each other today but sometimes I feel it was too exaggerated. It was also based on them growing up in the 80s so I doubt that it would've been that many f bombs dropped back then however I assume this was done in order to appeal to today's audience. Gore and violence were great. When I first watched this and saw Georgie's arm being chomped off by Pennywise, I was taken aback as I didn't expect it to be that graphic.

I had some issues with plot holes like an old lady at the start not being able to hear Georgie's screams as well as the losers helping Beth clean up the blood in the bathroom but if you were to follow that logic and that whole scenario did happen and was "real" then why didn't they need to help Bill clean his basement from all the water?

Overall this was a good start and finally a good clown movie even though you could argue that it's actually a monster movie.

Halloween II (2009)

Not Worth The Time, Watch Something Else

[2/10 · 5 January 2023]

Sequel to the Rob Zombie version of Halloween. This movie takes us right to where we left off, Laurie has a psychotic breakdown and is taken to the hospital. What Rob Zombie did, is make this as graphic as you can which is why it was rated 18+ but what he does well in terms of graphic gore he lacks in storytelling and dialogue. Some of the dialogue in both movies, is there as a crude factor. You can make a horror movie without having to write the provocative stuff in it's dialogue.

I liked that when the van that has Michael's "dead" body in it crashes, the realistic damage they've shown in that scene as well as reaction from one of the drivers is written well. The situation is portrayed right and I appriciated the realism behind it.

Like I said in the prior review of the first Rob Zombie Halloween; I didn't appreciate the background on Michael, I didn't want to know about how he came to be, what works in John Carpenter movies is that we have no idea about him and we only learn what we need to learn. Make Michael this incredibly scary character, sometimes holding cards close to your chest and not revealing everything is the best policy.

We are told it's a year later now and her friend Annie who survived lets Laurie live with her because her parents are now dead and she is going to therapy. I still don't understand how Annie ended up living? Michael doesn't leave survivors.

The constant visions of his mother were super annoying, I don't care about his and her relationship. I don't know why it's necessary to have so many scenes of her. Literally every scene with Michael in it there is his mother. They also made Dr. Loomis into this a**hole whose personality completely changes and he goes from worried about Laurie and trying to save her to this incredible prick who is just trying to sell his book he wrote on Michael Myers. They seriously butchered his character.

I did like the scene of him going into this lewd house (that only had 3 people in it but whatever) and him just going H. A. M on them. It was well done, gory and brutal.

Laurie was made so unlikable it hurts. I absolutely hate her character.

So, Annie survives in the first movie for no reason at all apart in order to appear in this one as a filler character who has no reason to be there but to die. He should've at least written her to be more than just another kill otherwise what is the actual point of letting her live the first time around.

Somehow Laurie and Michael are having the same visions of their mother and can hear when she speaks to them? It's all in their head but I don't understand why or how they are connected on such a level.

At the end Laurie manages to stab Michael multiple times and the final blow is to the head. She then walks out with the mask on but then takes it off in front of the police, no point if you ask me. She is later revealed to be in a mental facility seeing her mother like Michael did and having the same psychotic stare as him when he was admitted as a child which I guess means she's going to take on his psyche. Different ending for sure, alternative really, but I don't like how we got there so this movie gets a bad score.

Texas Chainsaw (2013)

Please Don't Make Anymore

[1/10 · 5 January 2023]

Well, this was an utter garbage of a movie.

This takes place right after the original movie. The story in the beginning is the sheriff arrives at the Sawyers place (the cannibalistic family) and tells them that they need to give up Leatherface to authorities because Sally escaped and now, they've come for him. They refused and so a bunch of towns folk came rushing in and decided to burn the house down with everyone in it. The sheriff obviously was against it but also didn't exactly try to do much in my humble opinion. Later, one of the towns people finds a woman with a child who managed to somehow survive and he saves the child but kills the mother. The child then becomes the main character of this movie. She is also basically Leatherface's cousin.

We follow her story of inheriting this mansion of a house from some relative related to the Sawyers and she decides to go there with her boyfriend and best friend and her "boyfriend" to celebrate, and that's where Leatherface lives. So you can imagine what happens next.

For a movie that claimed to be 3D the graphics and special effects were awful, ridiculously atrocious. You're telling me you had $20 million and you couldn't make a death by grinder machine look more realistic than bunch of bad CGI that looks like it's a movie from 1970s and not 2013.

Decisions made by the characters are obviously stupid beyond measure. I didn't like any of them, and didn't care if they died. The sheriff ends up letting Leatherface off the hook and letting him kill a bunch of people because...his whole family died and he's just taking his revenge. I'm sorry, what?

You're a sheriff? Why are you allowing this psycho killer go around and chainsaw people even if they massacred his family. The Sawyers weren't exactly saints, they would lure people in and kill them and then eat them. Not only that but he also was killing people that had nothing to do if anything that happened in the past. If you came across Leatherface, he will kill you.

I knew that this wasn't going to be good but at least other not so good Leatherface movies had some decent gore. This was an utter garbage.

Eden Lake (2008)

Tough To Watch

[9/10 · 5 January 2023]

It seems that the movie wasn't popular due to how brutal it was and not because it wasn't good. You could argue it's up there with I Spit On Your Grave and The Last House On The Left.

At the start there is a woman talking on the radio about the youth and how they are not putting school first and that they are pretty much causing havoc just to read about themselves in the papers and have a laugh about it. That's very true in today's climate especially.

Straight away you can relate to the main characters and their annoyance with the youths. The frustrating part here is that the town is pretty much in on the behavior of these youths and they let them do as they please.

This movie is tough to watch especially at the end when Jenny doesn't end up getting away. I liked it though because sometimes having a good ending just isn't realistic enough, sometimes you cannot win.

Clownado (2019)

Absolute Trash

[5 January 2023]

This was an absolute horror to watch. I don't know what I was expecting but maybe not this. There is better acting in adult movies than here unless they've hired people from that industry to act here, who knows.

If you like to see fake everything as well as jelly looking gore than this is for you. Although I strongly suggest you don't watch this.

Absolutely everything that was shown was bad. Even if you actually try to pay attention to the story it won't make any sense. Characters are not developed; you have no idea what is going on with them and the way they show some kills are just awful. Imagine one of the clowns grabs two people and rubs the heads together and they die. What a bunch of nonsense.

The Babadook (2014)

Very Good Psychological Thriller

[10/10 · 4 January 2023]

Didn't know what I'd get going into watching this one. Definitely didn't expect what I saw.

Thought this was just another scary monster in a closet thriller but it turned out to be that much more.

A mother and her son lost a special person in their lives; husband/father. Their relationship is toxic and unhealthy. Samuel is very troublesome and almost unstable child at the start and I hate him, siding with Amelia on her decisions in the movie as a viewer.

Then the babadook gets introduced and I slowly start taking Samuels side and think that Amelia is the unstable one.

It is so cleverly done that I had to dig deep to find out what the meaning was behind this movie. Acting was bloody brilliant!

If it wasn't for it, the movie would've never reached the potential it did.

I like that you can interpret this film in your own way and come to your own conclusion as to what this monster is.

I would highly recommend people watch this.

Clown (2019)

DO NOT WATCH.

[1/10 · 3 January 2023]

This movie starts off on a really bad note with bad acting and very confusing story. Better yet it still doesn't get explained in the end. Most of the characters, if not all, are extremely annoying especially Davie who was the cause of this whole shebang. The SFX in this movie are terrible especially the extremely fake fire.

I did like that there was one smart character and he managed to avoid the clown and then save his friends (mind you he went to save the friends that were bound instead of the ones that were currently getting burnt alive).

The clown villain is so underwhelming and not frightening at all. He was honestly quite incompetent in some parts. This was an alright movie in comparison to others on here however that's not the best praise.

Apparently the budget was around $1.5 million and it only made like $15 thousand so that's a hefty loss. I honestly can see why no one watched this.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Please Don't Make Another One

[2/10 · 3 January 2023]

I am going to begin this with saying that my expectation going into this movie was that it will stick to the facts of the original story. I understand that people who have no idea about the lore behind the characters and the games won't care about what was done here but I do.

I will start with a positive and that was literally the fact that they kept the gore and the fatalities in and they were correctly executed as well as the fights between Sub-Zero (Bi-Han) and Scorpion (Hanzo Hasashi) especially at the end.

Although I must add that the story behind them fighting isn't right. Sub-Zero was thought to have murdered Hanzo's family and clan but it was actually Quan Chi. Sub-Zero killed Hanzo first, unrelated to what the movie shows. Scorpion was resurrected by Quan Chi and took his revenge.

Now the issues I had with this movie. First it felt really rushed and the characters were kind of just thrown at us. They tried to explain a little as to who they were or at times not at all. Now why would you care about characters that are barely introduced to you and you know nothing about, and not only that but they are also quite unlikable at times.

Second, Johnny Cage is removed from the movie and the reason that decision was made is because they wanted to orientate the story around more Asian centered characters as well as Johnny is a big personality and wouldn't fit in in this movie but will make an appearance in the second one (that's quite a cocky assumption that people would want a second movie). Yet Kano was in this one and they made him to be quite a big personality (which he is) who wouldn't shut up. Kano is a brute but he still has some kind of weird charm to him but this guy was literally unbearable and wouldn't shut the hell up. I will also point out the fact that he is not Asian sooo explain that producers...?

Third, they changed the story. Kung Lao's soul gets taken by Shang Tsung but it's actually Shao Kahn who breaks his neck in the tournament.

Kano doesn't get his laser eye as some sort of "power" for tournament, Jax damages his face before Mortal Kombat even begins.

Sonya is meant to be in the tournament but she doesn't get to be a part of it until she kills Kano for it. Based on the original story she actually gets into the tournament because she is following Kano as he is a criminal and she is with Special Forces. He is also responsible for her partners death. Then she ends up fighting him in Mortal Kombat but I guess that wasn't interesting enough and was too much character development for the director because apparently having the two of them just carry on and swear at each other with no context is how we tell stories now.

Liu Kang doesn't defeat Goro in this one, Cole does. Who is Cole? Yeah, I honestly don't know or care who he is.

This is what the director said about introducing a new character for no reason at all; "so anyone who's not a Mortal Kombat scholar or doesn't have a PhD in Mortal Kombat like a lot of people do, they'll be able to enjoy it as well." I'm sorry but you don't have to know all about Mortal Kombat to enjoy it, just tell the story how it is for god's sake and stop adding characters that are not in the lore.

Cole's "ability" is also incredibly underwhelming as his arms and chest gets covered in the sort of armor that Jax's arms are made of in the future and he has a weird blade protruding under his right arm and under his left a... police monadnock???

Last but not least, Mileena who is meant to be this woman ninja (clone of her sister Kitana) but also a monster with terrible set of teeth on the outside of her mouth, she was done completely wrong.

Her mouth looked like it was meant to but no teeth? They could have totally had her ninja mask covering her mouth if they didn't want to deal with a lot of makeup and prosthetics and then have a big reveal but no. To add salt to injury they reveal the teeth on the inside, yes, they are monstrous but they are not accurate as she is meant to be half Tarkatan and they have their teeth on the OUTSIDE. She finally gets to be in a fight and after the reveal she gets blasted by Sonya and dies, the end. SERIOUSLY?? That's so rushed and lazy I honestly can't deal with this anymore.

It's an okay movie (still not that good) for people who have no idea about Mortal Kombat, but there is no justice in this for the lore and the games. It is so rushed, at times doesn't make sense and is really hard to follow.

Terrifier 2 (2022)

Looking Forward To A 3rd Movie

[9/10 · 3 January 2023]

I understand now why people thought that this movie was better than the first one. It has more story, more gore and violence, more character development and more run time.

We begin where we left off with Art killing the morgue doctor and then going to the laundromat to do his washing because his costume is all bloody and dirty. Makes sense if you ask me.

There he sees a weird demon looking girl, she seems to be somehow related to what Art is which I assume is a demonic entity. She is literally the creepiest thing of this movie.

We get introduced to Sienna and Jonathan (brother and sister) and their mother who honestly becomes worse and worse as the movie progresses. She is pretty b*tchy and very unlikable.

I must make a point of Jonathan's acting; it is so unbearably bad. The kid only has one reaction and expression for the entire movie so when he is trying to act next to Sienna the difference is like night and day.

We slowly find out that Sienna's dad was somehow aware of what Art did in the first movie and that it was the future he was seeing.

So for Halloween Sienna is making her own costume that's based off the character her dad created, she was also gifted a blade of a sort that has a major significance in the story. Apparently, Sienna is the only one who can stop Art, this doesn't get explained. I think it would've worked better if we took that entire plot out and just made Sienna be smart and resourceful that's why she manages to defeat Art, not because of some character she is destined to become.

We meet Sienna's two friends; Allie and Brooke. Brooke seems like a typical b*tch and Allie is nice enough but something about her just felt weird. Maybe it's just how soft spoken she is but she just seemed devoid of any personality.

My favorite scene is when Sienna is shopping and Art tries on a variety of wacky sunglasses behind her and it's just brilliant. The way that he mimes all the expressions is chefs' kiss.

This movie is largely known by the infamous bedroom scene where Art scalps and mutilates Annie. It is so graphic that apparently some people were sick or passed out in the cinema while watching. I guess it was intensely gruesome however I wouldn't justify passing out over it. It appears I'm having the same issue here that I had in the first movie. Apparently in this universe bones don't exist in human bodies because if they did, those scenes wouldn't occur.

Overall this wasn't bad but wasn't amazing. Definitely better than the first movie. The lore of the characters could've been explained better or differently and there are still issues with small things and the logic of some scenes. I liked Sienna as the main character, she was pretty badass and quite likable. She gives me the final girl vibes; the likes of Laurie from Halloween and Sidney from Scream.

I'm interested to see what they do next.

Terrifier (2016)

Has Great Potential

[6/10 · 3 January 2023]

I tend to take most movies very seriously but I need to remember that sometimes all the writers want is to produce something that isn't taking itself too serious and could just be pure dumb fun.

Which is exactly what this movie is. I appreciate the character Art the Clown and how he was written. I think that he is more humorous than some of the comedians in "comedy" movies nowadays. The face expressions that he makes without saying a word, and the physical acting that he does is so good. It helps that the actor who is playing Art used to be a mime in real life, so he can express the character's emotions and actions in such a way that is truly captivating.

I didn't think I would like the characters as much as I did. Tara is a decent protagonist even if we don't know that much about her. She tries to stand her ground against Art and even challenges him to fight her when most people would run. Warranted that doesn't work out in her favor and she dies shortly after her friend does.

Dawn is also not the annoying best friend that's usually the horror movie trope.

The dialogue seemed almost effortless; the acting (for some of the characters) seemed decent enough. The gore isn't the best but it is also not as bad as other movies I've seen. For a pretty small budget considering, I think they did well with this movie.

Scene I had a problem with is when Art captures Tara and makes her watch him saw through her friend Dawn. First of all, the saw he used was a hacksaw that seemed dull as hell. Second of all, he sawed through her like it was nothing. He has her upside-down and starts at the, let's just say, pelvis. I guess pelvic bone, spine, ribcage, or skull itself doesn't exist because that was way too easy. She also barely screams but when you'd think she'd pass out from the pain or die from blood loss, it looks like she is in shock and is still hanging there barely alive. Like I said, I don't think that they were going for complete realism and I get it but I'm still going to point it out as a problem.

At the end we get the sense that there is some supernatural force at play here because Art gets injured and blows his brains out before the police can capture him but then comes back to life.

Overall this is pure dumb fun. Art finds killing people and mutilating them hilarious. I actually found some parts of the movie funny just because of the way that Art acts.

If you're not squeamish over graphic violence and gore then you'd be fine watching this not that I would really recommend this movie. After Tara dies, it pretty much loses it's charm and becomes more of a chore to watch.

Halloween (2007)

REALLY Bad Writing

[4/10 · 3 January 2023]

This and the second movie (by Rob Zombie) are different versions of the original two movies (by John Carpenter). Rob Zombie tries to give it a modern take, more gore, give Michael more of an origin story and explain who he is.

The story of young Michael drags on for way too long, I honestly didn't like the fact that they are trying to psychoanalyze him and give him this unloved bullied kid backstory. You can tell that in some scenes Rob tried way too hard to make this as provocative and gory as possible. The dialogue is poorly written and honestly was cringe, almost offensive.

After we finally see 15 years later, almost half through the movie, we meet Laurie and I hate her. She is this extremely annoying, cringy teen who is an absolute embarrassment. Her friends were written poorly as well, it just felt like everything said and done was way over the top.

Michael's kills once he bares the mask were good, he was at all the right places and killed all the right people. When he kills Laurie's dad, it is unexpected and well done. I'll give credit where credit is due. He does leave Annie alive for some reason, which isn't explained.

There was a mistake in one of the scenes when Michael is pressing in this old man's eyes into his skull and the old man doesn't even scream. His then dead body is being dragged away and there is barely any blood. You don't need to be an expert to know that this would be painful as hell and there should be more than a tiny bit of blood.

There was also a scene of Michael smashing through glass ceiling to get to Laurie, which went on for far too long and was ultimately pointless.

This followed close to the original movie with some changes and its own take on characters and some of the story. Whoever wrote and approved the dialogue shouldn't have and the character changes were awful. The ending was okay, I liked that Laurie was the one to end up shooting Michael and "killing" him. The back story went on for far too long and if you introduced the child Michael as just a simple kid who became psychotic and showed serial killer tendencies then you need to explain how the hell, he's able to be almost supernatural. It works well within the original story because we don't know that much about him but not here.

Halloween II (1981)

Wish There Were More Action

[6/10 · 3 January 2023]

This movie picks up straight from where we left off even quickly showing us the last few moments of the previous movie. Laurie is being taken to the hospital to treat her injuries and we already see Michael roaming around alive even though at the end of the last movie he was shot 6 times and fell from a balcony.

Acting in this one seems to be better than the first movie which is good to see, easier to watch.

While Laurie is in hospital, Dr. Loomis who turned out to be Michael Myers psych doctor has begun looking for him again since after being shot he up and disappeared. Loomis seems to be a little unhinged thinking that someone with the same mask as Myers is him. He began trying to shoot him but while the person runs across the road to get away a cop car shows up out of nowhere and runs him straight into a van and sets him aflame. This person was clearly not Michael Myers as he tried to get away, he was shorter and clearly seemed to possibly be trick or treating. Basically, it gets confirmed that the person who was just killed was a drunk teen, well done police you just killed an innocent child.

I like the setting of the hospital, it is eerie and quiet and seems like the perfect setting for a horror movie. Hospital are places where you're supposed to feel safe, protected and cared for not where you get attacked and killed. I always liked hospitals and schools as settings for horror movies.

There is a scene I have a problem with. One of the nurses decided to get it on with one of the paramedics. They were in the hot tub when Michael turns the temperature up. The man goes to check it out and gets killed, then the nurse gets grabbed by Myers and her head shoved into the scalding hot bath water but you see Myers arm also get submerged. If it was that hot that it boiled her skin right off how come Michael didn't even flinch? His hand was fine afterwards as well.

The appearances of Michael were good in this movie; he comes seemingly out of nowhere and kills in different ways. His mask seems different as well, a bit more on the disturbing side.

It doesn't feel like he is trying too hard to get to Laurie. There is no sense of urgency or even the same willpower as there was in the first movie.

It is also never explained, at least yet, why Myers can withstand so many shots and injuries and not die.

The ending is a bit silly, Laurie shoots Michael in the face but you don't see any bullet holes and he's just bleeding unable to see. The only way I can explain that is if she shot him right into the holes of his mask which means his eyes but the chance of that happening and twice is next to none. Since Michael can't see now, he just swings wildly hoping to get either Laurie of Dr. Loomis which doesn't appear to be a great plan. You'd think after a certain number of swings he'd realize this isn't working out but no. In the end his doom comes when they open canisters of oxygen and ether and Dr. Loomis tells Laurie to get out and then lights the air up making the room explode. Michael is set on fire and we see him burn.

I remember this movie being better than what it is. It had great potential and the acting was better however there were flaws and the kills even though different to what he normally does were underwhelming. I wish that Laurie was able to fight Michael more than what she does so I'll have to score this one less than the first one.

Halloween (1978)

Probably The Best Movie Out Of All Of Them

[7/10 · 3 January 2023]

In the beginning of the movie, we see Michael in first person stabbing his sister Judith to death. The scene seems very old school and fake by today's standards. Judith doesn't really defend herself especially considering a child is stabbing her, and just kind of lets it happen and you don't see any stab wounds just lots of blood. What I did like is that Michael leaves the house and as soon as he does the parents pull up and question Michael. He just stands there, not saying a word, almost like he's not sure what just happened and his parents are just watching him puzzled as the camera zooms out. We don't need a back story on Michael, we just need to know that he is an evil child who stabbed his sister just because he wanted to and there is no feeling of remorse or anything in him.

I like how the character of Laurie was written. She is what you would call a typical heroine and that works well in this movie because you cheer for her to survive.

The dialogue between Laurie and her friends seems a bit unnatural sometimes, maybe acting too hard? Or even just bad acting? They don't pause enough between conversing as if they are rushing through their lines and sometimes their delivery is the same. Jamie-Lee Curtis does better than her costars though which is why she's made it further in the industry.

There is a scene when Laurie looks out of the bedroom window and sees Michael in her backyard. The shot there doesn't make sense. We see Laurie look out the window, the next shot is Michael staring up at her and then we are cut back to Laurie still looking in confusion, when it cuts back to Michael being gone, we see Laurie freak out. If she was looking out the window the whole time, why did she freak out when she realized he was gone? Her looking away would've made more sense.

This movie does well with suspense and building it up. Michael is always there, watching, looming, waiting for his next chance to strike. Unlike in the movies after (I'm looking at you Rob Zombie), where he just mindlessly goes berserk and kills anyone he encounters.

I forgot how much this movie aged, there are a few things that don't make sense either. Michael barely misses Laurie when he tried to stab her from behind, he should've been able to stab her with no issue being this close. It's not like he hasn't had any practice. Laurie also has a bleeding hand that should be her left and not right in my opinion, after all she broke the glass door with her left and opened it with her right. Her left hand should be injured.

Michael's face actually gets revealed when Laurie takes his mask off for a split moment at the end. I didn't mind that however I would've loved it still being a mystery as to what Michael looks like. The conclusion is very open ended which is a great way to end it if you're planning a sequel.

Oculus (2013)

Loved Every Minute Of It

[9/10 · 3 January 2023]

I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this movie so much. It is very story driven and you are required to pay attention as it skips from past to present a lot.

It's a psychological horror and it was really well done without adding too much. No jumpscares, no gore, no ridiculous hauntings.

I liked the characters of Tim and Kaylie (brother and sister), I thought that Kaylie was smart and very well prepared to face the mirror but some part of her plan backfired.

The story telling was unique and the way that they showed the mirror's influence was great, I couldn't tell what was real or not, same as the characters. Ending was quite bitter and left me feeling uneasy and disappointed but only because the evil wins. Even when I realised what was about to happen at the end before Tim did, I was still not ready for it.

Clown (2014)

The Better Clown Movie Out There

[2/10 · 3 January 2023]

The premise is easy enough to understand and it pretty much jumps right into the story without any slow development. There is a clown suit that gets attached to the main character Kent when he puts it on for his son's birthday party.

It's a fairly simple movie; Kent tries to find a way to get it off, starts acting out of ordinary and possessed. At least acting isn't horrible and the budget was decent so the cinematography is passable.

The story behind the costume is that it's a demon and he attaches himself to the host and slowly breaks their bodies down while taking over. He also eats kids and must have a certain number before he is satisfied.

There is a moment when Meg who is Kent's wife tries to help him and the demon tells her that if she brings him a child to kill and eat, she can have Kent back. Meg LITERALLY contemplates it and a child that knows her asks for a lift home thinking it's safe but it seems Meg has other intentions on her mind. How insane can you be to think that it's okay to give some demon someone else's child to get your husband back? Is that a fair trade of? Can you even call yourself a mother after something like that?

Quite frankly I was bored. This movie went on for far too long even though it started off really quickly. Kent is predictably killed by Meg since there was no way you could've saved him. I wouldn't bother watching this again.

Psycho (1960)

Cult Classic

[9/10 · 3 January 2023]

This film is cult classic and for a reason, Norman Bates is the classic killer. The beauty here (or should I say horror) is not the supernatural and the scares and the gore but the sheer human behavior of someone who is mentally unstable, which in reality is the scariest thing of all.

You get introduced to Marion from the start and assume that she is the main character who I guess survives since she's been in the movie for almost an hour but then you get the classic shower scene after which so many people were scared to close their eyes while showering. I must add that I was pretty envious of the water pressure from the shower head in that scene, wish that was the case everywhere today. The scene itself has aged, the lack of blood was questionable and the way Marion was dying was a bit too theatrical (not to mention the stabbing was very fake).

Anthony Perkins does an amazing job portraying Norman, he wouldn't be an easy character to play.

The ending is great, it explains and ties the story well together.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

My Favourite Horror Movie

[10/10 · 3 January 2023]

This is one of my favorite horror movies ever. It has the scare factor, the humor without trying to be funny, gore isn't even required to make you cringe at some events, decent characters, relatable reactions and most of all there is no crazy jumps cares in your face.

My favorite scene is when Kirk trips in the house and Leatherface comes into view in front of him and just smacks him on the head with a mullet. It just happens so smoothly without any scary music or crazy sound effects, so well done.

I liked that Sally ends up surviving, that was a nice touch although it was very much by chance and the ending was also a bit questionable.

Why did Nubbins just stay on the road looking at the truck that's about to hit him screaming instead of getting out of the way? Why did the truck driver instead of starting his truck decide to leave the vehicle and run around with Sally away from Leatherface? Why did the truck driver keep running while there was a car stopping to rescue Sally and she jumps in the back but the truck driver doesn't? Did he have a death wish?

There is a moment when you are not sure how you're meant to feel about Leatherface because he kind of acts all panicky due to all these people pretty much trespassing into his home and he's now killed them all. I liked him as a villain because he is so sheltered and abused that to him what he is doing is okay and seems like nothing more than say killing an animal.

There is also a scene where I just couldn't help but laugh when Drayton is telling Leatherface to leave the room while he talks to Sally and like a little sheltered child (even though he is a huge man) he is lingering behind.

There is also the scene of Leatherface chasing Sally and as far as chase scenes go; this was really good. She is running from him and her hair gets caught in the tree branches, while he as a big dude is trying to get through and starts cutting them by using his chainsaw. That was a good decision which seemed real enough when you think about it and also something that slows the main character down which is what you want to do to create suspense. Usually they trip the character or make them run slow on purpose like morons or hurt them but here even when on instinct Sally jumps out of the window so she doesn't get chainsawed and hurts herself, her adrenaline kicks in and she does her best to run away.

I don't know but small things like that just makes a movie for me, it is so well written and the characters are so well done I just love it.

The only thing that was really wrong with this is how much Sally would scream. She screamed so much that it became so annoying.

Saw III (2006)

Best Saw Movie Hands Down!

[9/10 · 3 January 2023]

This movie would've concluded the Saw as a trilogy quite nicely but they kept on making movies. I don't mind the later ones but the first three were definitely the best.

I didn't like Jeff as a character, he was clearly being tested yet he still wouldn't let go of his vengeance for his dead son, which was his ultimate undoing. On the other hand, Lynn was a great character. As soon as the dust settled (so to speak) she knew what she had to do in order to survive and managed to do so. She was playing it smart as well as doing her duty as a doctor. Unfortunately, Amanda decided to make a bad choice which also led to her own demise.

I was very disappointed to see Amanda like that, I thought she'd do a lot more in these series. Her motives are later somewhat explained which also makes me hate Detective Mark Hoffman (revealed to be helping Jigsaw with games same as Amanda, you could argue he is Jigsaw 2) even more. If I were her I wouldn't succumb to this blackmail and would of done what I wanted to. Truth is though, I still think she would've shot Lynn because she is more of a killer than we thought.

So basically she doesn't pass Jigsaw's test and becomes a murderer which means she is unworthy of carring on his legacy.

Jeff's reveal as Lynn's husband was something I already figured out while watching so you would think that he would try his best to forgive Jigsaw and let go of his vengeance and escape so he can take Lynn to the hospital. No, he ends up killing Kramer and setting off the shotgun collar device on Lynn that blows her head to mush.

This is the first Saw movie that introduced me to this franchise. I remember my mom bought a DVD with all these random movies on it and this was one of them. I remembered some clips from it and I wasn't allowed to watch it but I always had that intrigue as to what the movie was about. The scene I remembered so well was when Amanda was putting the device on Lynn's neck that would go off if Kramer was to die or if she was to run away more than 30ft.

I'd give this movie higher but Jeff really irritated me and I couldn't care less for him if I tried.

Saw II (2005)

I Don't Care That It's Stupid, Pure Fun

[9/10 · 3 January 2023]

I really enjoyed the fact that this was a challenge for a group of people to work together to get out. I liked that they made Amanda into this character who ultimately is meant to become John's (Jigsaw) successor. Jigsaw in this one is openly sitting there with the police and letting them in on his game, and even when you think that he is giving up he always has something up his sleeve.

Traps were cringe worthy but there was still not that many of them even though that needle pit was something else. I've got to give props to Addison for being the stupidest thing alive as she incerts both her arms into the trap which then slices her wrists.

The twists are brilliant, I realised it as soon as John decided to take Officer Eric to his son. Eric ends up infiltrating "the game" and finds the dead bodies but they all look pretty old.

This one ties in with the first movie quite nicely and it was a good watch.

Saw (2004)

A Good Start To The Franchise

[8/10 · 3 January 2023]

This is the first installment of these horror series. For a first movie it was pretty good. Had an interesting plot, the whole investigation process with the cops was decent. Same sort of structure is followed in the later movies.

There is a red herring making you think someone is responsible when they are actually just a pawn. I liked that there are two survivors in this one, even though this is the first movie it establishes the series really well.

You understand that the purpose is to survive and the tasks are not impossible which then in the later movies you start to recognise when they are and are able to piece the twist together before it is revealed to you. I like that these tools are given to you as a viewer in order to be able to figure things out.

My favorite part about these movies is that there is always a reveal and a twist in the end and it is always really good and fits together. Then it continues on to the next movie from where the last one left it.

As a first movie it is still pretty low on action as it is trying to tell the story and establish itself.

Escape Room (I) (2019)

Characters Were Annoying

[6/10 · 3 January 2023]

I actually watched the sequel first which made me want to watch this one due to having some issues with the second movie. I wanted to see if those would be resolved by watching the first.

It is a typical take on a group of people trying to survive and escape these puzzle rooms and try not to die. You could argue similar movies are Saw and Follow Me.

All characters seemed alright; I actually liked the different dynamic for all of them. Ben (who ends up surviving) was actually my least favorite which made the ending a little meh. Zoey gets kind of too attached to Amanda; I don't know why you'd be super devastated over some stranger you just met dying but okay.

The twist with Zoey actually surviving was a bit predictable since the movie pushes for her to be the center character but the way she does is a bit questionable. I liked that they took time to figure these puzzles out (mostly Zoey did) and that the first "solution" wasn't always the right one.

It's a decent watch but it's not something that you'd enjoy more than once.