Spook Out! Day 31 ~ Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

Amazon Says...

"Through comic mayhem from the White House to the heartland, four slayers face off against new kinds of evolved zombies and new human survivors."

I Say...
And how!!!!!

Horror Type...
Zombies, Horror Comedy, Post-Apocalyptic

Main Players...
Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee (Gnarly Elvis Lover)

Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus (Puppy Dog Rule-Maker)

Emma Stone as Wichita (Bad-Note-Leaver)

Abigail Breslin as Little Rock (Restless Teen)

I liked...

***SO FRIGGING MUCH***

• the shoot-em-up opening credits, that really set the tone for the rest of the movie
• the laughs, the gags, the bits, the throwaways, the visual jokes--man, this mfr was even funnier than the first Z-land flick, but also,
• the zombie scares, which are played straight and, in some scenes, legit scary
• the new zombie classifications
• how relationships, both romantic and familial, are explored and developed
• the doppelgängers! (so to speak)
• the specTACular zombie battle in the third act, DANG!

The Meh...
The only "meh" for me is that I don't know if we're getting another movie in this franchise. PLEASE OH PLEASE LET THERE BE ANOTHER ONE!!!!!

Would I recommend it...?

HECK to the YEAH! Lah-lah-lah-LOVE THIS MOOOVEEEEEEE! For me, it's the perfect combination of action, romance, comedy, and horror, with exactly the right amount of violence and gore to give it some Halloween bite (pun intended!). Not sure if sensitives will mind the aforementioned violence and gore--IMO, it's not gratuitous (for the kind of movie this is) and while it has scary moments, they're not terrifying, just...pleasantly chilling. (That's a thing, right? Pleasantly chilling?) (Well, it is for me...)

Miscellany...

• I've gotta shout out Zoey Deutch (Madison), Rosario Dawson (Nevada), and Luke Wilson (Albuquerque) for their work here--bravi, y'all!
• Watch the end credits all the way through. Trust me on this.

Ratings...

My Grade: A

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=68%, Audience Score=88%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Zombieland: Double Tap on Amazon (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 31

(and indeed, the blogfest!)

of

Thanks to all who joined me

on this year's journey,

and please do come back next year...

IF YOU DARE

Spook Out! Day 30 ~ The Wretched (2020)

Hulu Says...

"A rebellious teenage boy embarks on a gutsy crusade to stop the terrifying evil he suspects has possessed his neighbor in this bone-chilling occult thriller."

I Say...
That's about right.

Horror Type...
Supernatural Horror, Creature Feature

Main Players...

John-Paul Howard as Ben Shaw (Troubled Teen)

Piper Curda as Mallory (Sassy Teen)

Zarah Mahler as Abbie (Neighbor From Hell)

I liked...

• how the scares start coming from the jump, and keep on coming
• the artfully articulated Wretch in all her gory glory
• how some character-types who are traditionally left unharmed in other horror movies enjoy no special protections here (which is to say, I didn't enjoy what happened to them, but I was impressed by how the directors dared to break through established conventions)
• that the dad of the piece eventually listened to his son, though Ben gave every indication of being a very unreliable narrator indeed
• the Sixth Sense-like twist in the third act. Nicely done, youse guys--I suppose I should've seen it coming, but I totally didn't...

The Meh...

• I'd have liked more intel/background on what, exactly, that Wretch-beastie is (she's referred to as a witch, but she strikes me as something different, something...more)
• It's got some '80s brat-pack movie tropes (a hot girl who's kind of a bitch, rich guys who're dicks to the protagonist, an embarrassing moment in a swimming pool, etc.) which contrast weirdly with the heavier themes of the film and detract from its intensity 

Would I recommend it...?

Yeah, it's got loads of great scares with gruesome effects for Halloween, takes some risks, and does some things I haven't seen horror movies dare to do, of late. It's not for the faint of heart. Trigger Warnings for: babies, kids, and animals in peril, lotsa violence, and did I mention the gore?

Miscellany...

The Wretched was released to VOD and drive-in theaters during the Covid 19 pandemic and has been "...the closest thing to a box office hit this summer." Bravo, y'all!

Ratings...

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=74%, Audience Score=45%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched The Wretched on Hulu (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 30 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE

Spook Out! Day 29 ~ Silver Bullet (1985)

IMDb Says...

"In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf."

I Say...
Yes. And he's not wrong!

Horror Type...
Werewolves

Main Players...

Corey Haim as Marty Coslaw (Sweet Lil Bro)

Megan Follows as Jane Coslaw (Brave Big Sis)

Gary Busey as Uncle Red (Best Uncle in the Friggin World)

I liked...

• the work done by Haim (RIP), Follows, and Busey--all three were fabulous, and also,
• the relationships: Janie and Marty (which echoes Uncle Red and their mom's relationship), and Uncle Red's relationship to the kids--their chemistry was especially excellent, and I found them really believable as a close family
• how Uncle Red encourages Marty to take risks and be as active and rascally as he can (the apple doesn't fall far from the uncle)
• the hints as to the werewolf's true identity (and then how the identity is revealed) (and then someone's immediate reaction to that revelation--that face=priceless!)
• the tense scene in the bar between a forming vigilante mob, the town's sheriff, and a grieving father
• the practical effects of the werewolf's change--sure, they're a little cheesy but comparable, IMO, to the big change scene in the iconic An American Werewolf in London (I liked the change scenes but, as some others have noted, the "finished werewolf"--as it were--resembles a bear more than he does a wolf, alas.)
• a crazy scene in which nearly the entire town wolfs out
• that Janie, and later Uncle Red, takes logical steps to either prove or disprove Marty's claims
• how this isn't really a horror comedy but does have some hilarious bits here and there

The Meh...

• Though the three leads are well written and acted, some of the victims are decidedly not
• How/why the werewolf attacks start isn't ever explained, which can work for something set in a big city, but not in a small town environment
• Y'all got only one silver bullet made to defeat a werewolf? C'mon! Dudes, go to a thrift shop, get some silverware, have your smelter work on those, and fill up those chambers in that revolver! (Do I have to think of everything, here? Sheesh!)
• The resolution of the main story problem is excellent, BUT the very ending voice-over bit is weirdly abrupt and anticlimactic...
• The soundtrack is le major suck.

Would I recommend it...?

You bet! Silver Bullet is one of my fave horror movies, and a perfect little Halloween treat. The nostalgia factor's strong for me here--this scared the stuffin out of me when I was a kid and, tbh, the jump scares still get to me decades later, no matter how many times I see it (the werewolf breaks into two houses to get to his prey, wtf?!). The scares, coupled with some bloody violence and gore, ain't for the very sensitive, though they're probably not rough enough for fans of hardcore horror. But they're enough to chill me! 😎

 

Miscellany...

This movie's based on the Stephen King novella Cycle of the Werewolf (which I look forward to reading!).

Ratings...

My Grade: A- (though I admit to having a love for Silver Bullet that boosts the score up from a B+)

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=45%, Audience Score=56%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Silver Bullet on Amazon (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 29 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE

Spook Out! Day 28 ~ Session 9 (2001)

IMDb Says...

"Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back."

I Say...
Not just "seems"...

Horror Type...
Psychological Horror, Thriller

Main Players...

Peter Mullan as Gordon Fleming (The Boss)

David Caruso as Phil (Second in Command)

Stephen Gevedon as Mike (Curious Cat)

I liked...

• the writing, acting, use of space, and lighting--excellent
• that, even though it's a bit of a slow burn, it's engrossing and well-paced, and kept me eager/anxious for the big reveal
• how it masterfully builds the dread, creepiness, and suspense factors
• the intricacies of, and tensions within, the men's relationships with one another
• that it's hard to know whom to trust/believe, and
• that it's hard to know what's real
• the nephew character, what a sweetie (I heart Oreos too, kid!)

The Meh...

• The motivating force behind...things is left somewhat ambiguous. I hate ambiguity, boo!
• Though the creep factor was high, the scare factor was not. A few jumps would've seasoned the movie nicely.

Would I recommend it...?

Yes, it's a clever little thriller for the Halloween season! Sensitives will enjoy that the violence is more implied than shown (mostly) and that there's not much gore, really.

Miscellany...

• Session 9 was filmed on location at the former Danvers Lunatic Asylum in Massachusetts.
• Peter Mullan (Gordon) also co-stars in this wonderful Britcom called Mum and plays just about the sweetest gruff guy you can imagine. The show's about loss, grief, picking up the pieces of your life, and finding love when you thought it impossible to love again. Oh, it's also about annoying relatives. It may not stream for free right now (I watched it on an Amazon channel to which I subscribe, BritBox) but can be rented or purchased outright--and it's so totally worth it! Highly recommend.

Ratings...

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=64%, Audience Score=63%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Session 9 on Netflix (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 28 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE

Spook Out! Day 27 ~ A Serial Killer's Guide to Life (2019)

IMDb Says...

"A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach."

I Say...
"Unhinged" or "Justifiably Put Out?" I can't quite decide...

Horror Type...
Serial Killers, Black Comedy

Main Players...

Katie Brayben as Lou Farnt (Doormat)

Poppy Roe as Val Stone (Stylish Killer)

Ben Lloyd-Hughes as Chuck Knoah (Smug Guru)

I liked...

• the contrasting color and wardrobe choices that revealed so much about Lou and Val's characters
• how masterfully Roe (the striking, forbiddingly fashionable Siouxsie Sioux of serial killers) and Brayben (the mousey, no presence wannabe self-help seeker) embody their roles
• the dark, dry British wit
• seeing the ironic rise of the meek, even if it was a bit murder-y
• the great pacing with no waste, just one hour and twenty minutes of fine storytelling
• that some of the ridiculous "self-help therapies" were good for a snort or two
• how some characters repeated their self-help courses (bc they clearly didn't help, bc they're bunkum)

The Meh...

• This one's spoilery, click/highlight the text between the double red colons to read :: One stop on the self-help tour was with a couple promoting self-realization through sound therapy. Lou and Val spent the night with them and learned that the wine they shared with the gurus had been doped with some sort of "herbal relaxer"--after which you see the screen go kind of fuzzy and the female of the pair dancing around with a dildo, the implication clearly that the couple intended to sexually violate their clients ::
• Something happens here that always gets up my nose: they've got non-Americans playing Americans but there's something off about the accent that utterly smashes one's suspension of disbelief. One of the most telling words is "anything." Someone with a "standard" US accent would pronounce it "EHN-ee-thing," whereas the "standard" British pronunciation treats the "y" differently: "EHN-uh-thing." One of the gurus falls into this error and it just took me right out of the movie, at a critical juncture. ("Standard" bc there're regional differences in both countries, obvs.)

Would I recommend it...?

Yes, but with managed expectations. It's not really a horror movie (Amazon's Showtime channel categorized it as such, which is how I came across it) and it's not really LOL comedy, more like a "I watched the entire thing with an amused smirk and snorted a bunch of times, but it was a little sick here and there" kinda flick. It's a worthy indie, for sure, and I am totally looking forward to more from these cats!

Miscellany...

• I feel there was a missed opportunity here, to have Val actually coach Lou on how to commit murder, asking her open-ended questions about how she felt she was growing through their spree, etc.. You know, play the "self-help for budding serial killers" thing straight, as it were.
• This film was financed via a Kickstarter campaign!

Ratings...

My Grade: A- as a tightly knit Black Comedy, score for horror N/A

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=92%, Audience Score=58%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched A Serial Killer's Guide to Life on Amazon (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

There doesn't seem to be Wikipedia page for the movie, so I'll link some articles about it here (Beware, Thar Be Spoilers!):

• How we made A Serial Killer’s Guide To Life
• MOVIE REVIEW: “A SERIAL KILLER’S GUIDE TO LIFE” IS WORTH FOLLOWING (from Rue Morgue)
• Movie Review – A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life (2019) (from flickeringmyth.com)

This concludes Day 27 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE

Spook Out! Day 26 ~ Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes Says...
"Artistic, sophisticated and centuries old, two vampire lovers...ponder their ultimate place in modern society."

I Say...
I mean, #same.

Horror Type...
Vampires, Horror Comedy, Dark Fantasy

Main Players...

Tilda Swinton as Eve (Not That Eve)

Tom Hiddleston as Adam (Not That Adam)

Mia Wasikowska as Ava (Enfant Terrible)

I liked...

• some of the deeply profound thoughts expressed by the vamps, like suicidal Adam's poignant, "I needed a reflection, to see if it would echo back before..." Here, "reflection" is not the kind one seeks from a mirror, and the "before" implies his anticipated demise. Gave me chills, bc don't we all, on some level, seek to have something of ourselves reflected back from the world, to know we've made our mark, to know we'll be remembered?
• Eve and Adam's relationship. They're so easy with one another, as folks who've known one another intimately for so long should be. They visibly cherish one another's company (the way they smoldered at one another when first reunited after a lengthy separation, W00F) and really appreciate the simple things they can do together, like play chess and dance in their living room. So lovely. 💜
• Adam's relationship with his blood "dealer"--some fun moments in their interactions
• how each vamp we meet has an innate, distinct skill
• Adam's/Hiddleston's dreamy voice (though his hair's a fright)
• the groovy soundtrack, which featured one of my faves:

The Meh...

• For a horror comedy, it was light on both horror and comedy.
• Plot? We don't need no stinking plot, bc...
• ...this film busies itself packing in allusion after allusion instead. That can be fun, but here I found it masturbatory and shallow (shallow, bc none of it advances the story, nor does it reveal character, as far as I could tell). I mean, I just don't reckon sophisticated vampires who've been married to one another for centuries need to name drop so much with one another. All the references come off, to me, like the droopy winks your soused uncle aims at you over the Thanksgiving turkey after he's told That Joke (yes, again).
• All the unanswered questions (why were Eve and Adam living apart, anyway? What's with the glove wearing? Why do all the vamps have such bad hair???)

Would I recommend it...?

It's a gorgeous mood piece with great music but as a horror movie, it's an anemic navel-gazer with no bite. (Puns fully intended.) Only at the very end, when Eve and Adam are desperate, do they frighten even a little bit. Those of sensitive dispositions are perfectly safe with this film. For a vampire love story with some actual scares, I'd recommend Let the Right One In or Let Me In. For a vampy love story with laughs, for my money you can't beat Love at First Bite.

Miscellany...

This is another Jim Jarmusch movie, the second one I've ever seen. The first, The Dead Don't Die, I reviewed earlier this month and I honestly can't understand how so many folks panned it but fawn all over Only Lovers Left Alive. Whatever, wank-boys'n'girls--up is down, day is night, vanilla is chocolate. You're all nuts. N.V.T.S. nuts.

Ratings...

My Grade: B as an art piece & vampire love story/C as a horror comedy

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=85%, Audience Score=75%

Details, Schmeetails...

You can watch Only Lovers Left Alive on Amazon (among other places offering Starz)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 26 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE

Spook Out! Day 25 ~ Nina Forever (2015)

IMDb Says...

"Suicidal Rob starts dating a colleague at the supermarket. But whenever they have sex, his dead girlfriend, Nina, pops up."

I Say...
And how!

Horror Type...
Supernatural Horror, Horror Comedy

Main Players...
Cian Barry as Rob (Grieving Boyfriend)

Abigail Hardingham as Holly (Definitely Not Vanilla)

Fiona O'Shaughnessy as Nina (Definitely Not an "Ex")

I liked...

• how this movie doesn't content itself with simply pushing the envelope, but shreds that mfr to bits
• the dark, dark humor
• how Nina, the titular revenant, is rendered here: she's corporeal but rotting, she can speak intelligently (and oh, so sarcastically) but has difficulty moving under her own steam, she leaves everything (and everyone) that comes into contact with her coated by blood and ooze, and her movements are often accompanied by squishy sounds (which 🤢 but also 😂)
• how Rob stays in touch with Nina's parents (though perhaps more than was healthy for any of them)
• how Holly completes her course and becomes a BAMF paramedic (much is made of how young she is by Nina and, later, Nina's parents, so I really appreciate that Holly is shown to be capable and brave in a professional capacity), and
• that this BAMF paramedic scene has therapeutic value for Holly, as well as for the person she helps in it

The Meh...

• The plot's a bit thin--the main action (when sex isn't happening), is Holly and Rob trying to figure out how to keep Nina from reappearing...and that's it. Perhaps that's enough but I wanted a little something more.
• Throughout all of the sexy-times, Holly's breasts are shown quite often, whereas not once are we shown Rob's wang--not when they're having sex (Holly's body's in the way), not when they're interrupted having sex (the sheet covers him), not when he enters a room while he's naked (the camera grazes over the tip of his pubic hair for a second but quickly rises up to his torso), and not when Holly's freaking bathing him, ffs! Meanwhile, the directors--male-gazey mfrs--waste no opportunity to show us Holly's tits (when she's undressing for sex, when she's having sex, when she's getting up after sex, when she's dressing after sex, ad nauseam). Look, I get it--nudity often accompanies sex, and bodies are beautiful to gaze upon, sure. SO FREAKING SHOW US ROB'S DICK, THEN!!!!! *Ahem*
• I'd like some clarity on that ending.

Would I recommend it...?

Um...Well...I liked the movie, got a lot of chuckles from it, and enjoyed the thinking material it provides regarding grief and how we manage the baggage we accrue from previous relationships. But it's not for everyone. You need a strong stomach to handle the fact that some of the sexy-sex is borderline necrophilia, kinda. Sorta. It's hard to classify. It's more gory than scary, although the ending horrifies in its own way. Trigger warning for: the aforementioned sorta-kinda-necrophilia, a suicide attempt (aftermath shown), and gore-galore.

Miscellany...

Nina Forever came to my attention years ago because of Fiona O'Shaughnessy, whom I'd seen in Brit series Striking Out and My Mother and Other Strangers. I loved her unique voice, which is a bit beefier, or guttural here (I guess that's the kind of thing one might expect of a reanimated corpse). It's been a while since I've seen these but, if memory serves, her roles on these shows were on the smaller side--but they're still great programs (and My Mother... is currently free for Prime members).

Ratings...

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=94%, Audience Score=54%

Details, Schmeetails...

Watch Nina Forever on Amazon (and/or Shudder)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 25 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE