Spook Out! Day 24 ~ New Year, New You (2018)

Hulu Says...
"A group of old friends gather for a girls’ night on New Years [sic] Eve. But as they begin to rehash old memories, many of the gripes they’ve been harboring manifest in murderous ways."

I Say...
^That's a somewhat misleading summary but I can't explain why without spoiling things. (Sorry.)

Horror Type...
Thriller

Main Players...
Suki Waterhouse as Alexis (Scarred 4 Life)
Carly Chaikin as Danielle (Guru from Hell)
Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Kayla (Voice of Reason)
Melissa Bergland as Chloe (Gurl So Jelly)

I liked...

• the way the movie messes with your head as to who, actually, is the villain of the piece
• how Carly Chaikin chewed all the scenes, even the ones in which she wasn't present; she perfectly captured the snidely self-congratulatory air of the most narcissistic of self-help personalities
• the use of beauty products as legit weapons
• how the movie didn't shy away from showing women's capacity for physical violence...

The Meh...

• ...even though I didn't find all of it believable (from one character, yes; from another, no)
• given what's revealed, I also don't believe the guru would choose to spend New Year's Eve at a girl's night with old friends (with whom she's not really stayed in close contact since school) when she could be partying with celebrities and Instagramming the shit out of it
• man alive, how the first half of the movie dragged! It's only 1 hour and 24 minutes but it felt like it took forever to get interesting (like, roughly the first 40 minutes were a snoozefest, 4realz). It's like they felt they had to pad the thing with girl-bonding bullshit like face masks (ALSO unbelievable bc the gals showed up to the little shindig all dressed up for NYE and, dang it, if you've spent a few hours getting dolled up for a party, you wanna make the most of your hard work, not show up at somebody's house and wash it all off, c'mon!!!!!)
• the self-help industry is full of bullies telling you how crap you and your life are but there are also realistic people actually trying to do something meaningful and helpful--but the self-helpers presented in this film are completely caricatured, which I found heavy-handed and lacking in both cleverness and subtlety

Would I recommend it...?

I mean...once the action picked up, I got more into it. But it took about 40ish minutes for that to happen, so...I dunno. It's an uneven effort that has some really interesting ideas which are well-executed, pardon the pun. But it requires some patience on the viewer's part, as well as a firm suspension of disbelief at times.

Miscellany...

New Year, New You is the fourth feature-length installment in Hulu's horror anthology Into the Dark. (They've released one movie a month with a theme central to that month's holiday, as observed in the US.) I'd read a few online articles ranking the different films and this one was considered among the best by several folks, which is why I chose it to review. Maybe I need to take a different approach to making my selections...

Ratings...

My Grade: C+
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=93%, Audience Score=Not Available

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched New Year, New You on Hulu

New Year, New You's IMDb Page

New Year, New You's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 24 of

Spook Out! Day 23 ~ The Invitation (2015)

Netflix Says...
"A man accepts an invitation to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife, an unsettling affair that reopens old wounds and creates new tensions."

I Say...
Look, just stay out of the Hollywood Hills. Bad juju there, man. Bad. Juju.

Horror Type...
Psychological, Thriller

Main Players...
Logan Marshall-Green as Will (Just-'Cause-He's-Paranoid-Don't-Mean-They-Ain't-Out-To-Get Him)
Tammy Blanchard as Eden (Dangerously Smiley Hostess)
Michiel Huisman as David (Creepily Insistent Host)

I liked...

• the focus on Will and how the film places the viewer right there with him in his grief, isolation, and worry
• the superbly-built atmosphere, which went from subdued sadness to disturbing to uneasy to dread-filled to WHAT THE FREAKIN' HECK?!?
• how the filmmakers trust the audience to pick up the hints they skillfully blend into the narrative, regarding backstory as well as what's fixing to go down
• the tension as the party vibe shifts from the alcohol-fueled banal to a sobering weirdness as people behave peculiarly and revelations are...uh...revealed
• the occasional moments of understated humor that let me catch a breath without taking me out of the story

The Meh...
Though it's a pretty successful slow-burn of a film, I reckon about ten minutes could be shaved off the 1 hour, 40 minutes runtime without doing any harm to the story.

Would I recommend it...?
100%, noting that most of the scary stuff is in the third act and not "horror-movie scary" until really the bitter end (and even then, not a jump-scare-type scary, but good old psychological horror).

Miscellany...

One of the most terrifying moments for me was flipping John Carroll Lynch's gently menacing delivery of, "You are out of line." Especially 'cause you get the feeling there's a LOT he could do to get you back in line and none of it's pleasant.

Ratings...

My Grade: A-
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=88%, Audience Score=70%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched The Invitation on Netflix (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

The Invitation's IMDb Page

The Invitation's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 23 of

Spook Out! Day 22 ~ Hush (2016)

Netflix Says...
"A deaf writer who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears in her window."

I Say...
^That's about the size of it.

Horror Type...
Slasher, Serial Killer, Thriller

Main Players...
Kate Siegel as Maddie Young (Fighter)
John Gallagher Jr. as The Man (Coward)
Michael Trucco as John Stanley (Smart Neighbor)

I liked...

• the way the story unfolded
• how Maddie strove to use every tool she could think of to survive
• the jerk villain who was a pleasure to hate

The Meh...

• why the heck would anyone opt to live in the woods ALONE??? I mean, c'mon!!!
• though it's a brisk 1 hour, 21 minutes, and the writers did manage to vary the routine a bit, there was still a lot of cat-and-mousery in a fixed setting that didn't quite manage to keep my attention 100% of the time
• I would've liked to've learned something of the killer's motivation

Would I recommend it...?

Yeah, it's definitely a good slasher flick! Caution to the faint of heart: the first time you see The Big Bad getting all stabby, it's not overly done but still somewhat sickening.

Miscellany...

You may remember the gal who plays Maddie as one of the siblings in Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House (which I've *just* learned is getting a second season, W00T!).

Ratings...

My Grade: B+
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=92%, Audience Score=73%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Hush on Netflix

Hush's IMDb Page

Hush's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 22 of

Spook Out! Day 21 ~ The Love Witch (2016)

Amazon Says...
"Elaine, a beautiful young witch, is determined to find a man to love her. In her gothic Victorian apartment she makes spells and potions, and then picks up men and seduces them. However, her spells work too well, leaving her with a string of hapless victims. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, her desperation to be loved will drive her to the brink of insanity and murder."

I Say...
Amazon, you went on too long^. (As did the movie.)

Horror Type...
Occult, comedy horror?

Main Players...
Samantha Robinson as Elaine Parks (Witchy Woman)
Gian Keys as Griff Meadows (Square-Jawed Copper)
Laura Waddell as Trish (Oblivious Decorator)

I liked...

• the technicolor splendor--the colors, design, lighting, and line-delivery are straight out of the late 60s (an era I heart) and it's all just enchanting (I'm reminded very much of the look, feel, and acting of the earliest seasons of The Brady Bunch)
• dudes, the star of the piece is gorgeous and even as a hetero gal, I was mesmerized by the love made to her face by the camera. I mean, dang...
• how wonderfully, perfectly campy it was, made campier by Elaine's single-minded pursuit of her goal
• the nudity in this was equal-opportunity--we've got wangs! (I'm just sayin', fair's fair.)

The Meh...

• Elaine's gorgeous but she's also kind of a dick. A narcissistic, irresponsible, empty shell of a dick
• is this a horror movie? Comedic, certainly. Bizarre, surreal. But horror? I'm not so sure
• but I am sure that this movie's just too long. Clocking in at two hours, it's a self-indulgent, masturbatory exercise which would have benefited greatly from judicious editing
• the hot cop's behavior at the very end doesn't make any sense to me
• the setting was also unclear; it looks like the 60s but then there are modern vehicles, anachronistic vocab, (Apparently A Big Spoiler, from a review I read) one character breaks out an old-school cellphone at one point...what's the point of it all? To say that despite technological advancements we're all stuck in a bygone era?
• this is touted as being a feminist film and I've no idea why. BC chicks can be just as selfish and murderous as men?

Would I recommend it...?

I mean...kinda? It's entertaining, though it runs too long. Mainly I'd just appreciate it if you watched it and came back to me with your take on why it's a feminist film bc I haz the dumz and I just don't get it. But I don't think hardcore horror fans would appreciate this as a horror film (though they may dig it for what it is...whatever it is...)

Miscellany...

I'd love to learn what brand and color lipstick Elaine's wearing through most of this. Also, I'd kill to be able to draw a wing as well as she does (or the makeup artist does, whatevs...).

Ratings...

My Grade: B-

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=95%, Audience Score=60%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched The Love Witch on Amazon (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

The Love Witch's IMDb Page

The Love Witch's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 21 of

Spook Out! Day 20 ~ Pet Sematary (2019)

Amazon Says...
"After the Creed family moves to rural Maine, they stumble upon an ancient burial ground with sinister powers. When tragedy strikes, a perilous chain of events unleashes an unfathomable evil."

I Say...
Grieving parent grasps at deadly straws and makes a bad situation far worse.

Horror Type...
Supernatural

Main Players...
Jason Clarke as Dr. Louis Creed (Grieving Dad)
John Lithgow as Jud Crandall (Kindly But Irresponsible Neighbor)
Jeté Laurence as Ellie Creed (Daddy's Girl)

I liked...

• the heckin'-ominous vibe--this film has atmosphere for days
• this iteration of Church the Cat (played by, among others, Leo and Tonic)--wonderful makeup and extensive training made for a truly spooky onscreen kitty!
• the BIG switcheroo from both book and original 1989 film adaptation--purists have balked but I think the change makes for a far more credible, realistic, and frightening killer (friggin' Stephen King liked it, so all you haterz can just go whine into your pillows about it) (I'm deliberately not specifying what this big change is--if you've seen the 1989 version and then see the 2019 one, you'll know exactly what I'm referencing)
• the well-paced, slow-burning script
• the excellent acting, by all (especially Lithgow's understated but still deeply affecting execution of the classic line, "Sometimes dead is better.")

The Meh...

• I really liked that the filmmakers opted to have a person of color play the iconic ghost of Victor Pascow but then they hardly used him in the story at all, which was disappointing.
• The guy who played Louis had a peculiar hint of an accent that piqued me enough to stop the movie and find out where he was from (Australia). That accent needs a bit of work, friend.

Would I recommend it...?

Yes, and I already look forward to watching it again on a cold winter's night, with some spiked hot chocolate by my side.

Miscellany...

Look, I know some folks were ticked when they heard about Pet Sematary being remade. I was one of them, until I learned that John Lithgow had been cast as Jud--I knew then that it would not only be good, but special. And not only is it a great film, but it's a vast improvement over the '89 version--the production, acting, makeup, effects, settings, and writing are all far superior. Especially the acting, and don't get me wrong, I love me some Dale Midkiff (rawr!) and liked his work in the orig version, but the first Ellie was pretty frickin' annoying, and what they had to do to make the first Gage a killer rendered him ridiculous (except for that great line, "Now I want to play with eeeeeYEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW..."). I love the campy, cheesy goodness of the first version and I'm sure I'll still watch it to the bitter end every time I catch it on TV. But I do think the 2019 version rocks the casbah harder than the first. 

Ratings...

My Grade: A
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=57%, Audience Score=34%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Pet Sematary on Amazon (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

Pet Sematary's IMDb Page

Pet Sematary's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 20 of

Spook Out! Day 19 ~Mayhem (2017)

Shudder Says...
"Derek Cho is having a really bad day. After being unjustly fired from his job, he discovers that the law firm’s building is under quarantine for a mysterious and dangerous virus. Chaos erupts throughout the office as the victims of the disease begin acting out their wildest impulses. Joining forces with a former client who has a grudge of her own, Derek savagely fights tooth and nail to get to the executives on the top floor and settle the score once and for all."

I Say...
Shudder needs to trim its summaries.

Horror Type...
I'm a little stumped here...the virus element is kind of Sci-Fi, I think? Other sites call this Comedy Horror but I'm not sure that's the best descriptor. I mean, definitely dark humor in this but sooooo much violence. I dunno...

Main Players...
Steven Yeun as Derek Cho (Seeker of Justice)
Samara Weaving as Melanie Cross (Not a Dave Matthews Fan)
Steven Brand as John Towers 'The Boss' (Coked-Up Douche)

I liked...

• the virus premise, although I find the thought of it occurring in reality terrifying
• the chemistry between Derek and Melanie
• the David and Goliath aspect of the little guy squaring off against the big guy with all the resources
• some of the dark humor
• the groovy electronic music in the soundtrack 

The Meh...

• there are some sexist things that crop up here and there, which put me off
• thin, one-note plot
• Dude, brah, it's so violent!

Would I recommend it...?

I dunno! It was entertaining but also disturbing (to me, bc so much violence!) I'm not sure I agree that this is a true horror movie, even horror comedy.

Miscellany...

I don't recall how this flick came to my attention but the only reason I watched it was 'cause Steven Yeun, of The Walking Dead fame, is in it (GLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Ratings...

My Grade: B
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=85%, Audience Score=62%

Details, Schmeetails...

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

Mayhem's IMDb Page

Mayhem's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 19 of

Spook Out! Day 18 ~ I Had a Bloody Good Time at House Harker (2016)

Amazon Says...
"It's been generations since the Harkers' great-great grandfather killed Count Dracula. Now the Harker brothers and their best friend Ned are a town joke - until a real vampire turns up."

I Say...
The bros may've benefitted from the vampire's arrival but the townsfolk sure didn't.

Horror Type...
Horror comedy, Vampires

Main Players...
Jacob Givens as Gerry (Artiste)
Noel Carroll as Charlie (Artiste's Bro)
Derek Haugen as Ned (Artiste's BFF)

I liked...

• Gerry's enthusiasm for his artistic project--and the bits at the start, showing how he envisions certain scenes, are nicely done
• Ned snarking at/about his rival for his dream gal's affection
• the good-natured rival's determined, and genuine, friendliness toward Ned
• that Ned's last name, Morris, is the last name of the second man responsible for putting an end to Dracula in the Bram Stoker tale (the other man, of course, being Jonathan Harker) (And don't come crying to me about spoilers, the book's been out for over 120 years, for fang's sake.)
• the hidden, steely depths of old man Walter
• when the jokes stuck the landing (surprised a few chuckles out of me, they did!)
• the vampire, who was actually kinda scary (that freaking voice, yo)
• the scene after the end credits
• the cheesy goodness of the two Right Said Fred tunes they somehow obtained for the movie, particularly this one:

The Meh...

• as this reviewer writes, the Amazon ratings led me to believe this film was of a higher caliber but it's B movie level at best
• with all due respect to the efforts and passion of the makers of I Had a Bloody Good Time at House Harker, it's an amateurish production
• the plot's pretty dang weak and the pacing could be better
• for all the actual LOL moments, there's a lot more goofiness which fails to elicit even a groan bc who can be bothered?
• the male gaze is pretty evident in parts (ugh)

Would I recommend it...?

Ehhhhhh...Well. If you're already an Amazon Prime member and you want to set your brain to autopilot while tossing back a few beers with friends in the mood for nonsense, sure. But if mostly sophomoric humor and lots of gushes of blood aren't your cuppa, go watch What We Do in the Shadows instead (either the film or the TV series--both are excellent vampire comedies).

Miscellany...

This Indie was supported by a Kickstarter campaign!

Ratings...

My Grade: C+
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=Not Available, Audience Score=77%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched I Had a Bloody Good Time at House Harker on Amazon

I Had a Bloody Good Time at House Harker's IMDb Page

I couldn't find a Wikipedia page for I Had a Bloody Good Time at House Harker

This concludes day 18 of