Spook Out! Day 10 ~ Honeymoon (2014)

Hulu Says...
"Young newlyweds Paul and Bea travel to a remote lake cottage for their honeymoon, where the promise of private romance awaits them. Shortly after arriving, Paul finds Bea wandering and disoriented in the middle of the night. As she becomes more distant and her behavior increasingly peculiar, Paul begins to suspect something more sinister than sleepwalking took place in the woods."

I Say...
You can't say any more than that^ about the film without giving things away, so I won't.

Horror Type...
Supernatural, Thriller, Indie

Main Players...
Rose Leslie as Bea (Ginger Bride)
Harry Treadaway as Paul (Suspicious Groom)
Hanna Brown as Annie (The Gal Ain't Right)

I liked...

• the slow, steady burn of weird
• how close the newlyweds were
• the remote setting--major creep vibes come gratis with a cabin in the woods, as we all know
• the subtle ways in which the bride lets slip that all's not well with her (much to her chagrin)
• how even as he's getting more and more freaked out, the groom's main concern throughout is his bride's well-being and how he can help her overcome whatever's troubling her

The Meh...

• I can foresee some folks being put-off/growing restless with the slowness of this movie's burn (but it kept my attention and interest from start to stop)
• while the couple's still in the first flush of their honeymoon, their schmoopiness* could be a little annoying to some viewers (*that's totally a word)

Would I recommend it...?

Yes, but take note: though it reaches a horrifying conclusion, the bulk of the film is "merely" unsettling, which may not satisfy hardcore horror fans. OTOH, in the third act there's a gory sequence which may not be appreciated by lighter fans of horror.

Miscellany...

• You may recognize Rose Leslie from Game of Thrones, but I remember her from her (short) stint on Downton Abbey
• I first saw Harry Treadaway in the wonderfully creepy Penny Dreadful series

Ratings...

My Grade: B+
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer= 75%, Audience Score=44%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Honeymoon on Hulu (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

Honeymoon's IMDb Page

Honeymoon's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 10 of

Spook Out! Day 8 ~ Grabbers (2012)

Hulu Says...
"In this comic sci-fi thriller, the inhabitants of a small island discover they must get drunk in order to survive an invasion of bloodsucking aliens."

I Say...
^That executive summary is spot on, and if none of that appeals to you on any level, then I just don't think we can be friends.

Horror Type...
Comedic Horror, Monster Movie, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Indie

Main Players...
Richard Coyle as Garda Ciarán O'Shea (Lush)
Ruth Bradley as Garda Lisa Nolan (Teetotaller)
Russell Tovey as Dr Smith (Wiseass Marine Ecologist)

I liked...

• the island-off-the-Irish-coast setting--it's gorgeous, folks, and I've already gushed about how much I heart the sea
• straightforward, well-paced, creature-feature plot
• the bristley, bouncy chemistry between O'Shea and Nolan
• the monster(s)--good mix of CGI and practical effects, IMO, and the full-grown mac daddy of the creatures is genuinely freaky
• the quirky locals & how they band together when the chips (and tentacles) are down

The Meh...

• it's standard movie length (1 hour, 34 minutes) but I think it could've simmered just a little longer to give the romance between the two leads some room to breathe
• I'm really ticked at myself for not having any popcorn around when I watched this, it's the sort of flick that demands it (and a bigger screen than my laptop). But that's not the movie's fault 

Would I recommend it...?
Heck yeah, I'd recommend this Irish romp! If you liked Shaun of the Dead and/or Slither, I think there's a good chance you'll dig Grabbers. But be sure you've got popcorn! (And I reckon some Guinness wouldn't go amiss. You know. Just in case.)

Miscellany...

• Richard Coyle's a fine-looking fella whom I luuuuurved in the hilarious Britcom Coupling. (Oh, Geoffrey...)
• Russell Tovey co-starred in the original (British) version of Being Human (both Being Human and Coupling are eminently binge-worthy)

Ratings...

My Grade: A
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=72%, Audience Score=51%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Grabbers on Hulu (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

Grabbers' IMDb Page

Grabbers' Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

And just 'cause I heart it so danged much, here's just a wee bit of a teaser...

This concludes day 8 of