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Mirrors (2008)
Great Horror!
Saw this film years ago on DVD after getting the second film on DVD at my local supermarket! It got me curious as to what the franchise was about when I saw Mirrors 2 on DVD & hence why I got & watched the first Mirrors film!
The film sees an Ex-Cop, Ben Carmen, & his family who are the target of an Evil Force that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home & killing anyone who comes in contact with them! Driven to unravel the mystery, Ben finds himself on a race against time to stop the Evil Force & uncover the dark & sinister revelation relating to the Mirrors at the gutted Mayflower Department store!
I found the film to be pretty good! It's sort of like your typical 00's Horror, but of course, it's a remake which isn't bad, given I've never seen the original never mind heard of it until this film, but this film is good!
The characters are good & the actors who portray them & do a good job with their roles! The story is good as with the back story! There's not a huge body count to be had here sadly, but the deaths themselves are gory & brutal! So, you won't be disappointed there! There's some eye candy too!
The films runtime is not too bad, but could've been shorter! The film has a 1 hour & 42 minute runtime with not bad pacing! I did feel the film was more story over deaths which is a bit disappointing, but the story is good, even though I feel the film could've been shorter & more to the point if anything else!
Overall, it's a good film! Give it a watch! You might enjoy it! I thought it was pretty decent to be fair!
8/10.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Good Enough
So, we finally get a 4th installment of the Planet Of The Apes Reboot Franchise 7 years after the 3rd entry back in 2017. I can't say I recall the films all too well, but remember the 1st one just about.
Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he's been taught about the past & make choices that will define a future for apes & humans alike.
I found the film to be quite enjoyable, it was good & had good characters in it, even though at times you couldn't tell who was who. The story was good despite me not fully getting it until it broke in more. There was some humour in the film as well as some serious moments.
The actors do a good job with their roles, Kevin Durand as Proximus, Owen Teague as Noa, Peter Macon as Raka & Freya Allen as Nova/Mae who provided some good eye candy as well as the rest of the cast who also done good jobs with their roles.
The film has plenty of action in it despite it being a bit slow paced & dragging. The film is 2 hours & 16 minutes long (136 minutes), not bad, but could've been much, much shorter given the films story was more of a simple revenge story if anything else. The pacing could've used some work too.
The ending was good & satisfying & of course, sets up a new trilogy, hopefully we'll get a new Planet Of The Apes film soon to follow & not too long while we have the memory of this film fresh in our minds.
Overall, it's a good film if not a little long. Give it a watch if you haven't already & maybe give the first 3 films of the reboot franchise a watch too.
7/10.
Wrong Turn VI (2014)
Weak Entry
I remember I was looking forward to this one when I heard about it being made & was expecting much from it, sadly, that wasn't the case here. I watched it back in the day & didn't rate it too much & now, as of recently watching it again 10 years on, I still find it to be a weak entry.
An inheritance leads a young man & his friends to an abandoned Resort inhabited by two sketchy caretakers & a clan of mutant cannibals.
I found the film to be pretty weak in comparison to the previous 5 films. There's more story over deaths & even the deaths themselves aren't that great or up to scratch. Don't get me wrong, I do like a film with a plot, so long as it's good, not boring & doesn't dominate the film over the action.
This film sees the story take center stage here & the story itself is pretty bland & boring. Even the characters are pretty dull & uninteresting. The film does have some not bad deaths & some eye candy with the nude scenes, but it's sadly not enough to save this film & the ending was just poor.
The Hillbillies were used too sparingly here & it shows. The film has a runtime of 1 hour & 23 minutes (83 minutes), but the pacing would have you believe it's longer as little to nothing interesting or entertaining happens. I mean, I get what they were trying to do with the franchise, but they ballsed it up with this one.
Overall, this is where the franchise sort of crashes & burns. I say "sort of" because the 2021 remake that was release 7 years was even worse than this, but that's not saying much either. Even Wrong Turn's 3 & 4 are better than this & here was me considering them to be so-so, even though my opinion on them 2 films alone has changed somewhat. Give this a watch, but don't expect much.
4/10 & that's generous.
Rise of the Footsoldier (2007)
A Raw & Brutal Film!
Got around to watching this after getting it on DVD & must say I enjoy it!
The film follows the life of career criminal Carlton Leach! The film shows his rise to the position of one of the most feared Gangsters on the Streets of London spanning from the 70's to the 90's!
I found the film to be quite good! It's raw, brutal, violent, bloody, sweary & funny in a lot of places too! It's also gritty & realistic to life too! The actors do a good job with their roles & the film has a lot going on it! It can get a bit confusing & muddled, but you get the gist of what's happening!
The film has a runtime of 1 hour & 47 minutes (107 minutes) with great pacing! The film has a pretty good ending & makes you want more & of course, you now get 5 more films to watch now, so far from the few I've seen, they're good! There's also some eye candy too among the brutal bloody violence & fights!
Overall, it's a pretty good film! It's a raw & brutal presentation of London life in the Gangster Underworld! Give it a watch if you haven't already! It's good!
8/10.
Tarot (2024)
Final Destination Meets Truth Or Dare!
Saw Trailers of this & knew it would be good, though the Trailers themselves didn't reveal too much of what might happen in the film! I was surprised at how good it was as it started!
When a group of friends recklessly violates the sacred rule of Tarot readings, they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed Cards! 1 by 1, they come face to face with fate & end up in a race against death!
I found the film to be pretty good! It's got a good story, a unique one at that! Some good deaths with some gore in them too! Some scary & sinister visuals & a short runtime of 1 hour & 26 minutes (86 minutes) with some great pacing & humour added in for good measure!
The characters are good as with the actors who portray them! There's some eye candy & a good ending that ends in a more hopeful way, though I was expecting an ending in which the survivors were doomed! One of those endings that would set up a possible sequel!? Who knows!?
Overall, it's a great film & one of the best horrors of this year & the last couple of years which is a first & surprise, given a lot of horrors recently have sucked! This one was a breath of fresh air & oh look, surprise, surprise critics hated it! Haters gonna hate I guess...! Give this a watch! You'll enjoy it!
8/10.
The Jester (2023)
Nothing Special
So, I finally got around to watching this film, which to be fair, didn't look like it would be much cop, but hey I gave it a watch as it might've been good.
A malevolent being known as The Jester terrorises the inhabitants of a small town on Halloween night, including 2 estranged sisters who must come together to find a way to defeat this evil entity.
I found the film to be ok, but nothing really special. You've seen it all before with these clown type films & with this one especially, you can they drew inspiration from Art The Clown who is seen in the first All Hallow's Eve & the the latter 2 Terrifier Films & will be in the 3rd one coming out later this year.
But yeah, you can say this film was a discount version of the Clown which is Art. The deaths aren't too bad, but not that great if at all. There's not a lot of gore or even a decent body count to speak of. Most of the film is boring dragged out scenes of drama, drinking, awkwardness & just Clown Tricks which again, you've seen before.
The films runtime is short at 1 hour & 19 minutes (79 minutes), but the pacing is off somewhat & the film does take a bit of a while to get going after the opening which in itself, wasn't all that great. There's some eye candy, scary visuals & humour to be had, but not a lot or enough to save this film, sadly.
Overall, it's a film which is ok, but nothing really to brag or shout about. It's a cheaper version of Art The Clown in a sense of the word. Give it a watch, but don't expect too much from it.
5/10.
Children of the Corn (2020)
Actually Not Bad!
Have heard of the films including the original, all of which I've yet to see & went into this one blind! Given that I bought this at my local Supermarket, I was given the impression this was a sort of sequel & not a remake! Either way, I enjoyed enough to give it the score I did, even though I found myself not getting into the film at first! I found it to be actually not bad!
The film describes the events leading up to, & including, the massacre of the adults of a small town in Nebraska by their children, after the adults' irresponsibility ruins the crop & the children's future!
I found the film to be actually quite good! While yeah, it lacks in areas & feels a tad dry, it was a short & to the point horror flick! There's enough horror & scares to go around & the story is as good as it is expected to be!
The characters & the actors who portray them were good & with some eye candy to be had with the main lead, it was all good fun! The films visuals were good as with its runtime of 1 hour & 23 minutes (83 minutes) so it's short & has good pacing despite the slightly slow start!
Overall, it's a good a film! Not the greatest, but hey it's a great way to kill time I guess & it is a good watch if you can just switch off & enjoy it for what it is!
8/10.
Carrie (1976)
Decent Film!
Having only seen the 2013 remake of Carrie, I never got around to watching this one until now! Of course, because I'd seen the remake, I knew what to expect when watching this, though I haven't seen the 2013 remake in over 10 years, so it was sort of fresh to me when watching the original!
The film sees a shy, quiet & mousey type girl named Carrie who lives with her overly religious mum! Bullied by her peers at school & constantly being taunted & picked on, is bad enough! But, a prank by Kris & her boyfriend might just push Carrie over the edge leading to devastating consequences for the whole school!
I found the film to be pretty good! I did start to remember the remake more & more as the film progressed even though I did remember it anyway! But the little details, the dialogue etc, it started to come back to me!
For a film of the 1970's & of course, for an original, it was pretty good! Of course, I prefer the remake for generation purposes, but this one was a pretty good take! I usually find originals to be pretty tame, but this one was good!
The story is good in this one & has a sad but not bad ending! Much like the remake, but still albeit good as Carrie avenges those who made her life hell! The runtime is 1hr & 32mins long (92mins) & the pacing is pretty decent too! There's plenty of eye candy also!
Overall, it's a pretty decent film! Although I prefer the remake, this one is good & watchable!
7/10.
Thinner (1996)
Good Film!
Have heard about this film a few times, but never got around to watching until now!
The film sees a morbidly obese man hit a gypsy woman in a hit and run incident! It's then after being found not guilty, that he gets cursed with the word "thinner" & suddenly loses weight rapidly to the point where it is life threatening! Can he stop it before it's too late!?
I found the film to be pretty good! It's a fun little thriller with a good dose of horror laced in! The story is unique & flows well with the characters & the actors who do a good at portraying them!
The film is bloody & features some horror, but not too much as it's mostly thriller orientated, though I'd say it's a horror also given the theme! The films runtime is 1hr & 24mins (84mins) & has fast pacing to go with it!
There's some good eyecandy as well as some deaths here & the ending was pretty satisfying too! I can't find much to fault with this film, except that the part between the 2nd & 3rd act was a bit confusing, other than that, it was great!
Overall, this is a film you're sure to enjoy! Give it a watch!
7/10.
Point Break (1991)
Solid Action Flick!
Have heard about this flick a couple of times, but had yet to watch until now! It was a solid action flick!
The film sees Johnny Utah go after a gang of Bank Robbers who his partner, is convinced they are surfers & so, Johnny goes undercover to befriend them & the leader, Bodhi! He gets addicted to the lifestyle of surfing & partying as well as getting involved with Bodhi's ex! But as things start heating up, do things come to a Point Break!
I found the film to be good! Not amazing, but pretty good & a solid action film all the same! There's plenty of action, high octane stunts, gun fights, chases & ace acting to get you through the films 1hr & 54min (114mins) runtime which has good pacing & a unique storyline to go with it!
Keanu Reeves & Patrick Swayze do great as the leads in this action flick! The other actors like Gary Busey are good too & do well with their respective roles! The film has a not bad ending, but somewhat unusual, either way, it's not bad!
Overall, it's a great action flick that's pretty solid! Go watch it if you haven't already!
8/10.
The Last House on the Left (1972)
Not Bad, But Overrated!
So, having seen the 2009 remake years back & enjoying it thoroughly, I finally got around to watching this, the original & to be fair it was shocking, but not that shocking & pretty tame if anything compared to the 2009 remake which is miles better!
The film sees a young 17yro girl Mari & her friend get kidnapped by a ruthless gang who rape & brutally kill them! It is when the gang stay over at the parents of Mari's, that the parents extract revenge on the gang! This is soon after discovering what they did to their daughter & will stop at nothing to bring them to justice!
I found the film to be not bad, it's watchable & decent for what it is despite being dated! It's raw & brutal enough, but not quite to the calibre of the 2009 remake where it really kicks arse!
This film on the other hand I think is a case of "It was shocking then!" Because it was the early 70s when films on just started to get more & more violent & censorship was relaxed! Don't get me wrong, the film wasn't bad, it had some good stuff in there, but it wasn't great!
The characters were good & done well with their parts! There's some gore, violence & eye candy as well as some hard to watch scenes, though I'd say the 2009 remake takes it to a whole new level! The films runtime is short at 1hr & 18mins & the pacing is pretty good! Though the ending felt anti climatic!
Overall, not a bad film & given this is Wes Cravens directional debut, but it's not as great or as shocking as made out! It wasn't bad & had some good things going for it, but it's for me a film which isn't bad, but not amazing as such!
6/10.
Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman (2000)
*Facepalm*
So, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it does! And this sequel ironically enough looked like it might be good! How wrong was I!
The film directly follows on 3 years from the events of first film & sees Jack Frost come back from the dead & wreak more havoc over the Christmas period! How original... however, this time it's in the Carribean Islands!
I found the film to be really dumb & even dumb-er than the first film, which in itself, wasn't that great but at least stuck to what it was more than this film ever did! The films story is just all over the place albeit simple! Ironic right!? The characters are just dumb & hard to take seriously & the cheesy music, cheesy effects & editing just made this film even more unbearable!
You just couldn't take the film seriously, plain & simple! It was too comedy like which smothered any seriousness or horror worth salvaging! The film dragged on & on just for the hell of it & then it took 20 minutes before it got going! The films pacing was bad too as with its 1hr & 29min (89mins) runtime! There was some gore & eye candy, but it wasn't enough to save this film!
There was little horror & too much comedy, which made me question what film I was watching! I was more bored than excited! The film was just dumb & not needed! In fact, this film makes the first seem Oscar worthy! If that doesn't say something I don't know what does!
Overall, it's an abysmal sequel! It could've been far better & it would've been ok had it kept to the same balance as the first film & didn't drag on & on for a such a simple plot! Least the first film didn't out stay its welcome!
2/10 & that's generous!
Jack Frost (1997)
Dumb Horror, But Not Bad
So, I got around to watching this after seeing it a couple of times on this site being recommended to me. It looked like it might be good if not a bit dumb, so I went into it with an open mind.
The film sees a serial killer who after briefly escaping during a prison transfer, gets engulfed in a genetic chemical that gives him not only immunity, but the ability to turn into a monstrous mutant snowman that goes on a rampage in the town during the Christmas period attacking the towns folk. Can anyone stop him?
I found the film to be good if not dumb and stupid in a lot of areas. I get that the premise in itself is cheesy, but this went a tad too far. There could've been a bit more seriousness is what I mean.
The story isn't bad & the deaths are creative somewhat. There's some gore, nudity & eye candy. The film is short at 1hr 22mins (82mins) & has decent pacing. The ending wasn't bad to be fair. But I felt the comedy elements were a little too much & took away from the seriousness.
Overall, it's a good film, but a bit stupid & comical for its own good. Give it a watch, but don't expect much.
6/10.
Shredder (2001)
Pretty Decent!
So, I heard about this years ago & then forgot about it. Then I remember it & thought to give it a watch as it looked like it might be good. It was.
The film sees a group of young adults go off to the alps for the weekend! But, a snowboarder dressed in black is picking off other snowboarders off in gruesome fashion. Will anyone survive?
I found the film to be pretty good. It's not amazing, but it's pretty close to it. There's some creative & gruesome kills to be had, as well as some eye candy. The backdrop is nice & picture-esque.
The film has a good story with a good twist, despite it lacking in more depth & explanation. The films runtime is 1hr & 18mins (78mins) so it's short & to the point with great pacing. The film has a dark & sinister undertone, which is also great.
Overall, it's a good slasher that is pretty decent. It's not amazing, but it's pretty good all the same. Give it a watch if you haven't already.
8/10.
No One Lives (2012)
Ace & Gory Little Slasher!
So, having being recommened this by my dad who knows me to be a bit of a gorehound & never hearing about it until I was recommended it, I went into this one expecting it to be quite gruesome, he wasn't wrong & the film was good!
The film sees a wealthy couple who get kidnapped by some ruthless roadside gang who find the tables have turned on them as the wealthy couple aren't what they seem!
I found the film to be ace! While the story doesn't exactly have a lot going for it, it's simple & to the point which is ace! The gore & violence are insane & top notch! The deaths are something else & are creative & graphic!
Luke Evans plays a good lead here & does well with the role! The rest of the cast are pretty good too! The film is fast paced & short at 1 hour & 18 minutes (78 minutes) & has a satisfying ending along with some eye candy!
Overall, a great little slasher! Give it a watch if you're mad on gore like myself!
8/10.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Great Film!
So, myself not being a fan as such of the Star Wars Films, never mind a fan of Sci-Fi Films full stop, I recall seeing a re-release of this back in February 2012 & enjoyed it! I remember this one anyway as my brother & mate of mine are fans of the franchise & have talked much about them! I myself have seen bits of the original trilogy & have enjoyed them also! Well, today is the 4th May (May the 4th be with you!) & so I saw another release of this film for its 25th anniversary & still enjoyed it as much as I did back in 2012!
2 Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies & come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their original glory!
I found the film to be pretty good! The story is simple enough despite me not quite understanding certain elements or plot points, but me being a casual fan of the franchise should we say, that's to be expected! It wasn't too confusing as the film has a straight forward enough of a story & the action sequences & effects make up for it!
The runtime is 2 hours & 9 minutes long (129 minutes), a bit lengthy, but not bad, though I think the pacing itself was a bit off in places! The film could've been 20 minutes shorter I think to maintain a fast pace & more excitement! A tighter cut, so to speak!
The action is good as with the fights! The characters are pretty good & engaging! The end fight with Darth Maul AKA The Phantom Menace is 1 of the highlights for me, that & the race sequence which was well shot & edge of your seat like!
Overall, it's an underrated sequel in the franchise! Yeah, it could've been better in places, faster paced & short etc! But, it has a simple enough of a story, great characters, fights, effects & backdrops that are visually stunning!
8/10.
Wrong Turn 5 (2012)
Ace Entry!
So, we get the 5th installment of the Wrong Turn Franchise & what an entry it is too! Here, it's all out anarchy with the Hillbilly Inbreds!
A group of college students, on a trip to the Mountain Man Festival on Halloween in West Virginia, encounter a clan of cannibals!
I found the film to be ace! It's gory, bloody, full on & gritty as hell! It may lack a sort of story, but who cares!? It does exactly what it says on the box & delivers so well!
The gore & effects are full on here & the kills are actually quite creative & gruesome! The football field deaths & the power station one were ace & executed well! The Hillbilly inbreds were great as always & with Doug Bradley in tow, you know you're in for a gruesome & intense ride!
There's some eye candy to be had here too & a lot of sex! There's some humour, albeit dark, but ace all the same! The opening was funny & creative too,m I did like how the joggers hand interacted with the title of the film! Not to mention the part before that where she encounters 3 Finger who cuts off her middle finger as she does it to him! That was funny & creative!
As I said, the film does lack a sort of story & plot, but by this entry, you're really only here for the Hillbillies wreaking havoc & the gruesome, yet creative kills they have in store for the group of young uns! The Halloween Festival Theme was a good backdrop though, if not a tad wasted, we could've seen the Hillbillies really blend into the Festival & kill loads of party goers in a brutal massacre! A wasted & missed opportunity I'd say!
I will say I would've liked the ending to have been a bit more conclusive with the Hillbillies & their leader getting caught, I felt it was somewhat too easy for them to get away given the dumb decisions from some of the victims! Saying that. It wasn't too bad & the films runtime of 1 hour & 23 minutes (83 minutes) was good as with the pacing!
Overall, it's a great entry that's heavily underrated! Yes, it lacks a story & is somewhat a cliche by this point but what does it matter!? It's an entertaining little flick you'll be sure to enjoy!
9/10.
The Fall Guy (2024)
Overrated.
So, I got back from seeing this after seeing many previews for this & thinking the film looked the business.
The film sees a stuntman named Colt, who after injuring himself in a recent stunt for a film fins himself on a real stunt based mission to find an actor who's went missing for a recent film that is being directed by his ex gf. But there's more than meets the eye to the actors disappearance than first thought...
I found the film to be underwhelming & overrated. For starters, the plot is boring, weak & at best hammy. The film itself takes a good while to get going & even then it doesn't end. The pacing is way, way off here. One minute, the film is plodding along slowly, & then the next, it speeds up, then it slows back down again, meanders around, then speeds right back up again. Crazy.
The main issues with the film is the lacking of excitement, the meaty plot, the edge of your seat tension & not to mention an engaging story-line with characters we can care about. The characters were not bad, but only the lead was remotely likable to be honest.
The runtime is ridiculous. 1 hour & 59 minutes? For a weak & watery plot that might I add, takes a back seat for a good chunk in this film & that's no thanks to the lovey dovey scenes which might I also, also add, the 2 characters have zilch chemistry with. The film surely is over bloated & that's no thanks to the uneven pacing & half baked story which was probably thought up in about 5 seconds & had little to no care or special attention.
The action was good, the petrol scene on the marina & the end part where Aaron-Taylor Johnson's characters gets blown up were highlights I thought & there was some eye candy here to be had also. So, those where the only redeeming features of this flick. I felt the film fell into the "the trailer was better than the film" category in all honesty.
The ending was ok, but the twist was half-arsed & that one liner snipe about ToXiC mAsCuLiNiTy was out of order, good to see that male bashing drivel is alive & well in Hollywke. Good job... rolls eyes...
Overall, it's an overrated film with a half baked, half-arsed story that takes a back seat with the fallen flat rom-com crap that ironically enough, holds up the film, as if the pacing wasn't fast, slow, fast, slow enough. Oh, yeah, the disengaging story, the sluggish pace & the male bashing snipe in this 119 minute epic fail of a film, that even a bit of eye candy & great action couldn't even save.
4/10.
Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings (2011)
A Decent Prequel!
So, like with 3, this entry was just ok to me upon watching it. However, over the years, I've grown to like it more & more. Yeah, like 3, it has some cheap effects & a wishy washy story, but it's enjoyable enough.
A group of college students gets lost in a storm during their snowmobiling trip & takes shelter in an abandoned sanitarium which, unbeknownst to them, is home to deformed cannibals.
I found the film to be decent. It's not amazing, but it's decent. The prequel idea was a good approach I think as it gives a bit of backstory to the Hillbilly Inbreds. The first part of the film in the Asylum is set in 1982 & then fast forwards to 2003 (when the first Wrong Turn came out), so the whole film is a prequel, not just the first part.
The gore & violence were good, despite the effects looking a bit cheap here & there. The deaths themselves were good & creative enough & the blizzard snowy backdrop was a good choice too & made for beautiful scenery despite the sinister undertone.
There's some eye candy to be had & not a bad story despite it lacking a little & being a tad cliche in places. The runtime is good at 1 hour & 26 minutes (86 minutes) with decent pacing. The ending was pretty good & gave you one last bit of gore before the credits rolled.
Overall, it's a decent prequel. It's not amazing & has its faults like the 3rd film did. But, it's watchable & enjoyable if you liked the first 3 films.
7/10.
Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead (2009)
A Step Down From 2, But More Beefed Up Than 1
So, with Wrong Turn 2 raising the bar higher than the first, you'd expect the 3rd to be as good. Well, when I initially first seen this back in 2013 (I think), I was disappointed with it. Now, after watching a few more times, I've appreciated more than what I first did, although I still feel it falls short of the 2nd entry, but is better than the first.
When their transfer bus crashes in a West Virginia forest, a group of convicts & a corrections officer meet a rafter who is on the run from cannibalistic hillbillies who have murdered her friends. The convicts, corrections officer & rafter find themselves at the mercy of the hillbilly inbreds who will stop at nothing to get their prey.
I found the film to be good, it's not amazing good, but it's good all the same. It's a step down from Wrong Turn 2: Dead End as the effects & some of the deaths are that good, but only a few are like that as this film did, to be fair, have some good creative deaths despite the slightly crappy effects.
The story is interesting here, though there's not a lot to it, which is fine because we're here to see the hillbilly inbreds wreak mayhem. The story is different being the cast are mostly convicts, officers & some rafter victims.
The opening was good & featured some eye candy. There's plenty of gore, graphic scenes & violence to be had here. The hillbillies are well done too with the make up effects & portrayal, though there's not as many here in this entry. The ending was good, if not bitter sweet.
The films runtime is good at 1 hour & 25 minutes & there's some good pacing as well. The film is better than part 1, even though part 1 is good in itself, but this film improves & beefs up the body count & violence more here. Though compared to part 2, it doesn't quite cut it.
Overall, it's a so-so to good 3rd entry, don't expect too much, switch off & enjoy. This isn't a bad sequel.
7/10.
Abigail (2024)
A Mixed Bag
So, having only seen a few previews for this, I was sort of half & half as to whether this would be any good or not.
The film sees a group of criminals who kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure. With the promise of £7 Million each for babysitting the girl until her father pays up, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they're locked inside with no normal little girl. It is then the true horror of what is going on quickly unfolds into a deadly bloodbath of survival.
I found the film to be pretty good. But pretty weird & out there too. It's got an ok story line & a sort of unique concept. It's gory, very very, very gory! So, not for the faint hearted! It's not necessarily graphic as such in terms of guts & innards, but there is plenty of blood splashing gore which was a plus for me!
There's plenty of familiar actors here, so that's good & they do well with their respective roles. There's some scary visuals & horrific scenes too as well as some good scoring by Bryan Tyler. With some good eye candy & humour added in for good measure, the film is pretty watchable.
The films pacing is good until the end where it does get annoying slow & dragging like. The runtime isn't bad at 1 hour & 45 minutes (105 minutes), but could've had a good 10 - 15 minutes shaved off to make it faster paced.
I also found the excessive screaming & sound to be deafening too! I mean, we get it, she's a vampire, but does she have to scream that much!? & also, does it have to be so deafeningly loud!? As with the editing & pacing, that was also an issue that could've been fixed!
Try to make the sound not so punishing on your audiences ears next time ok!? Jeez! Anyway, aside from that the film was good & had an alright but annoying ending... another female soul survivor ending, of course that & she was bitten by a vampire so not quite the survival happy ending I guess.
Overall, it's a good film, but not amazing & could've used some work! I'd give it a watch, but it's pretty overrated for what it is if you ask me! It's a mixed bag of a film...
6/10.
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007)
Raw & Brutal!
Saw this years ago & recently have watched it & found it to still be good!
A group of Reality Show contestants find themselves fighting for their survival against a family of hideously deformed inbred cannibals who plan to ruthlessly butcher them all! Will any of them be left!?
I found the film to be raw & brutal! It's twice as gory & twice as brutal as the first one which is good by the way & great, but this film elevates it a bigger body count & more gory, graphic violence!
The films runtime is longer here at 1 hour & 30 minutes (90 minutes) & there's more to the story also! The film expands on the Hillbilly Inbred Family & expands on the first film! There's also some eye candy too!
The pacing is pretty good despite the film being a tad bit long for what it is, but that's not too bad as there's plenty of action going on as well as some Easter Eggs referencing other slasher Grinder House Horror Flicks of the 1970's & 80's!
Overall, it's a sequel that slightly edges out the 2003 original! While the original is good, there's more going on here in this flick & the Game Show approach combined with a higher body count, twice the gore & action & graphics & of course the eye candy, makes this a pretty ace sequel!
UK Release: 7th January 2008!
9/10.
Back to Black (2024)
Pretty Good Autobiography!
So, I went into this one knowing it would be decent as I like Amy Winehouse's music & was pretty sadden when I was a 16 year old, to hear the tragic loss of the singer back in 2011. It was sad as she was pretty talented & so young also at only 27 years of age.
The film follows the rise & fame of British Jazz singer, Amy Winehouse & her great, but also very troubled life leading up to her untimely demise.
I found the film to be pretty good! It's well made, well directed & flows nicely as an autobiography! It's also a pretty sad film too which shows what Amy's life was like before her tragic death at such a young age!
The story was pretty good & well illustrated! The actor playing Amy was good & very convincing as well as the other actors who also played their roles well! There's some humour, drama & sad moments too as well as some eye candy & great music with songs you'll have heard before!
The film doesn't feel long at all & has a decent runtime of 1 hour & 54 minutes which oddly enough doesn't seem long at all as it breezes past! The sort of raw, soap opera type feel of the film & story is pretty engaging & you just keep on watching & watching wanting to see & know more! I didn't particularly follow the singer when I was a teen, but remember her really well & liked her music!
Overall, it's a really good biopic! It's underrated & deserves better reviews! Give this a watch & ignore the critics!
8/10.
Open Water 3: Cage Dive (2017)
Pretty Good As Found Footage Films Go!
Seen this back in 2017 when it was released to DVD in the UK under the films proper title Cage Dive! I thought it was good but hadn't seen it in ages! I do recall seeing a trailer prior to its release & thought it looked the business! I recently watched it again at the weekend & still enjoyed it!
The film sees 3 friends filming an audition tape for an extreme reality-TV show find themselves stranded in shark-infested waters, turning their recording into a bloody diary of death! Do they have what it takes to survive the open water!? Especially when there's man eating shark lurking about!
I found the film to be pretty good! Yeah, it lacks a little, has a predictable ending (you sort of know that anyway with these types of films) but it's good & enjoyable! It's 1 hour & 9 minutes in length so it's pretty short & the pacing is pretty good!
The sharks are ace looking & realistic & there's plenty of good scenes despite the film having scenes that were annoying & questionable! As for the found footage format, it works well & the film being stylised as a mockumentary is good also!
Overall, it's one of the few found footage films which is good! A lot of them suck or are just rubbish! This one was a good exception! Give it a watch & enjoy!
7/10.
The Pink Panther (2006)
Criminally Underrated Film!
Remember seeing this in Cinemas back in 2006 when I was a kid & to be honest, I didn't know what to expect! I'd seen trailers for the film & thought it would be good, but was blown away by how ace it was after! So much so, I went to see it a few more times after & was counting down the days until the 17th July 2006 (Yes! I recall the date well!) for the DVD Re-lease & wore out several copies until the one I now have recently!
Bumbling Inspector Clouseau must solve the murder of a famous soccer coach &find out who stole the infamous Pink Panther diamond!
I found the film to be really good! It's funny, serious & well made! There's some great one-liners, funny scenes of slapstick humour & scenes which will have you rolling in your seat! There's some great scenes of eye candy too with Beyonce (Hottie!) & of course the triumph ending!
The film has a good story-line & twist at the end which while it wasn't entirely the focus because of Inspector Clouseau & his bumbling & hilarious antics, so it takes off the serious edge of the film while maintaining some level of seriousness with the humour! It's a good mix & balance!
The film has some great scenes which you won't be bored by! There's always something funny going on & it's fast paced with a great runtime of 1 hour & 24 minutes! My favourite Scene is the Airport Scene when Inspector Clouseau's bag gets switched at the Airport & gets caught with a bag of weapons & gets arrested for being unable to pronounce Hamburger & keeps saying Damburger! It's ace! The whole film is pretty funny, but that scene is one of my favourites!
Overall, it's an underrated film! It's gets too much hate! I've never seem the Peter Sellers version, so I can't compare, but Steve Martin does steal the show here & does a bang up job! You'll love this film if you sit back & enjoy it! Don't listen to the critics!
9/10.