What an awesome movie. I loved everything about it. I think this movie truly captures Halloween. The streets are adorned with jack-o lanterns, hanging ghosts and ghouls,orange lights and other spooky decorations. The kids fill the streets with their chatter and laughter. All the while being overseen by the creepy, little character of Sam. There are 5 intertwined stories that come to a head at the end. The film's score was dark and fitting which I thought was among the best. The characters of the film were spot on. Dylan Baker (Steven) was so good. I think he is an underrated actor with great abilities. Both Brian Cox and Anna Paquin were great as well. Both characters were involved with some neat plot twists. There are werewolves,a serial killer, ghosts of dead children and a pumpkin-headed protector of Halloween. I think Michael Dougherty wrote and directed a perfect Halloween movie that should be a tradition. I know I watch it every Halloween night right along with the father of Halloween movies. John Carpenter's Halloween. They are two different movies, but they both capture and portray that wonderfully, frightful night!
Reviews
15 Reviews
The Place Beyond the Pines
(2012)
Excellent in every way.
14 February 2016
This film is a great study of characters and how lives intertwine. Giving a meaning to what a small world. This film is in 3 parts and Derek Cianfrance travels through them fluidly. It is a film of strife and struggles and shows the audience that people will do what needs to be done. No matter the circumstances. A bold movie with no lulls and some pretty good action. There are a couple of genres that this picture moves through. Making it an exciting and enjoyable feature to watch. Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper were great and Eva's character progressed beautifully. Mike Patton did the score which carried the film through it's long time line and added a certain atmosphere. All in all an excellent film with great acting, awesome story writing, a powerful score and interesting characters. I highly recommend this movie.
The Visit
(I) (2015)
It could of been much scarier.
13 February 2016
I will say this first. I am a huge M. Night fan. I love his views, his thoughts conveyed to film and his eerie camera work. I didn't enjoy The Last Air Bender or Lady in the Water and I feel this film may be closer to the ones I didn't enjoy. Rather than the ones I did enjoy. Although he kept it genuine, with his homage to Pennsylvania and his inclusion of water. I feel he may have traveled outside of his normality to ease the minds of the haters. It has been a while since his last film and I think that there is a reason for that. The film could of been much scarier. Since the plot twist was excellent and may be one of his best. Rivaling The Sixth Sense. I feel that comedy can have a place in thrillers and horror movies, but too much ruins the film in my opinion. This film had a little too much for my taste and the live action filming was OK. I really enjoyed the acting of all involved. The young actors should have a promising career. Even though in this film, they seemed a bit too smart for their age and therefor you knew you were watching actors. Overall. I was bit disappointed, especially waiting a while for his next film. I know that he did Wayward Pines which I found enjoyable, but his latest film could of been a bit more intriguing and less comedic.
Compliance
(2012)
Yes. It will make you mad!
6 February 2016
This is a great film. The simplicity and the wonderfully, stupid submission of the main characters is excellent. This film will surely press your buttons and you will be making comments to your television. It is said to be based on true events and with tons of stupid people out there, I believe it. Compliance is a testament to how blindly loyal some folks are to authority. That they will do anything. Including impeding their own morals and values based on a convincing, silver-tongued, smooth talker. You will feel embarrassed and uneasy while watching this movie and for that, the director gets an A+. He portrayed the vision correctly. Which made you feel what the young woman was going through. Like I said. This movie is simple and on a low budget, but the acting is great and complimentary. Ann Dowd played the store manager role superbly. She was believable and came across as a naive, do-gooder with an acceptance issue. Becky was played by Dreama Walker and as an up and coming actress, she did quite well. Compliance is a movie that I watched multiple times and would recommend to most. It's a film that touches on some gray areas and raises the blood pressure due to the total stupidity of some people's belief in all authority.
It Follows
(2014)
Super smooth and clean!
6 February 2016
What a good movie. I really liked the fresh, new storyline added to the thriller genre. The old adage of teen sex is spiced up with something that will kill you. It slowly creeps towards you, no matter where you are located and it can't be stopped! The maiden film for David Robert Mitchell has excellent camera work. It was smooth and crisp with great angles that made your eyes search for what is coming. The score was dark and it fit perfectly with the film. Some sequences would not work without it. As for the acting. The young cast did quite well. The director and writers made sure that the adults of the movie took a back seat. Leaving the teens to handle their own problems and confront this horrible force by themselves. This film is definitely creepy and it keeps your mind guessing on how it will end the entire time. Don't expect tons of action and there is little blood. This film is hugely based on suspense and it delves the minds of the young and shows an eerie response to their actions. I recommend a dark environment when watching.
Uncle John
(2015)
A good interpretation of what can really happen.
29 January 2016
Although this movie can be a bit slow and the two plots may seem to be polar opposites at first. They come together and the film becomes deeper. This picture demonstrates what could be going on at your neighbors house. I loved the quaintness, the true location shooting and how real the film seems due to the low budget. The main characters act fairly well, but there are some flaws in the supporting actors. John Ashton was great as Uncle John and portrayed the character's turmoil and quiet strengths very well. The nephew, played by Alex Moffat, was upbeat and witty and took the movie in a different direction with his quest for love. I think the film is a great movie for buffs or people flipping through the independent section of Netflix. Don't expect gore or moments of suspense. This movie is strictly about cause and effect.
50/50
(2011)
What a hidden gem!
24 December 2015
I think this film features Seth Rogen's (Kyle) best acting and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Adam) was as solid as ever. I really enjoy this movies tempo and atmosphere right from the very beginning. The characters are great with a self-centered but surprisingly caring best friend. A comfortable, but using girlfriend. An emotionally struggling mother held a distance. An extremely cute, nervous, up and coming psychologist and two older friends that share similar events. This movie never slows or dulls out. It shows the strength of people who struggle and how they cope and how the coping becomes easier with all of the right people in place. This movie has Adam discover other sides to people he has known and loved. It also shows us that love is not always where you look for it and how it sparks up under the worst of circumstances. An excellent movie that is entirely underrated!
Trainwreck
(2015)
Funny at moments, but not that great.
24 December 2015
This movie is OK at best. The acting is mediocre with Bill Hader and Brie Larson as the sister doing a good job. The father played by Colin Quinn was a great character. He was who he was and stayed true. I like that! The opening scene was great. It seemed that Amy Schumer was trying way too hard to flip the script (so to say) on men being players and having no couth. Instead of the man it was her who was loose and crass and didn't care about her random partners. I just can't stand forced, gender role reversal in platforms like films. It seems disingenuous and it's becoming trite. Amy also seems to force the acceptance of plus sized women down the viewer's throat. Just watch the cheerleader scenes. The ending of the film is extremely predictable and it's been done way too much. I thought LeBron James did alright with his maiden voyage into film. He seemed a bit stiff and mechanical, but overall, a good job. All in all. Trainwreck is a fine movie to see for free or at a minimum price. There are some very funny areas, but there are some doldrums that seem to override the good spots. The movie's length is a tad too long at just over two hours. With the movie dying in the middle and the ending over done. The funny parts don't bring it above the crest of mediocrity.
Spring Breakers
(2012)
What was that?
20 August 2013
This movie was scattered, unclear and boring right off the bat. Three girls that get a hair up their butt about stealing money to go to spring break instead of earning the money. Then bringing in their sheltered friend (Selena Gomez) to the chaos. In real life, these people wouldn't even be friends. They are too far apart. Then they head to Florida and play horrible music throughout. The Britney Spears reference through the movie is so teeny-bop it made me want to puke. James Franco was definitely having fun. He played the part surprisingly well. I liked him all the way. I also liked some of the imagery near the end. Although. The ending was so fake and jacked. The O.G.'s would of had the upper hand for sure, but they all kept running up front. No battle situation would be like that. Overall. This movie was crap and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone over the age of 15 years old. I don't understand how anyone could see this movie 4 times and call it one of the best movies ever! I mean REALLY??? This movie could of been better and if James Franco wasn't in this film I would of given it a negative numbered review.
Halloween
(1978)
#1
23 July 2013
This is my favorite movie. I love everything about it. What it's about and how it was made. This will be an iconic movie forever and with it's low budget makes Halloween a stroke of genius. The way the movie was filmed and the Carpenter-created score makes this movie very creepy. It isn't in your face about it either. This movie is subtle, and leaves it up to your imagination. There is not much gore, but tons of suspense. Even Michael Myers mask is plain and low-keyed, but it's awesome. The POV filming was great and innovating for that time. Black Christmas did it a few years before Halloween, but Halloween was a bigger hit. The storyline is great and plays into the plot perfectly. The not-knowing is the key element to this film. The time of year to express this film was excellent. This film wouldn't be the same if it were in the summer or any of the other holidays. Halloween was the perfect time for Michael to flip his switch as a child. I wish people would watch Halloween to see a great film that was made on an extremely low budget. A movie that pioneered so many aspects to the horror genre. Halloween was written and then put on the screen to show that when all the pieces fall into place a masterpiece is born!
The Flintstones
(1994)
No one but John Goodman could....
23 July 2013
I really enjoy John Goodman and have seen most of what he has done. Therefor, I wanted to see this film due to him being in it and because the Flintstones take me back. I think the film was o.k. The set design was great and nobody else could play Fred. Rick Moranis and Elizabeth Perkins were great for their parts too. Rosie O'Donnell shouldn't be in any movie. Ugh. The plot was transparent, but good acting and nostalgia kept me interested. I liked the animatronics in the film. They were very good for the time and Steven Spielberg is a master. The details in the backgrounds were very good. The Flintstones is a movie done well, but it is still a movie about the Flintstones and that's why it wont ever have a high rating. If John Goodman wasn't in this film, I probably wouldn't ever watch it, but that's just me. I would say watch the film, but don't spend money on it.
April Fool's Day
(1986)
Into the well with Styrofoam heads!
23 July 2013
This movie is really fun, right down to the ending song. This movie follows the 80's slasher flick tutorial. Eerie, sustained keys with long moments of wonder in a room full of shadows. The kill scenes were of typical violence with Styrofoam heads and corn syrup blood, but that's what makes these movies wonderful. The acting was fair and Amy Steel was great as the lead again (as in Friday the 13th 2). This film's location was good too. A mansion abutted to a bay surround in mountains. Giving a secluded feel, like no help is available. The film's characters weren't too annoying and cheesy jokes were abound. The plot was used and tired, but redeemed itself at the end. This movie is a classic among 80's horror fanatics and stands out to general movie lovers too. In the end. This movie is a typical 80's slasher with twists and turns as well as some pretty descent acting to boot.
Bloody Birthday
(1981)
For It's Time
21 July 2013
This movie sure does cross some boundaries for it's time. The concept of a group of murdering kids would be very chilling in the early 80's. Children are always thought of pure and innocent and to see them in adult situations tips the scales. It gives you an unknown "x" factor in life and makes you think. This movie is a true gem. It is a moving force in the evolution of 80's horror. This film is in typical quality of that time and with equally typical bad acting. Although avid watchers of 80's horror are not watching this genre for the acting and quality. We are watching for the abstract ideas,kill scenes and the aura the movie propels. This movie is definitely in the top category of the 80's horror dynasty. I recommend this film. It's a feel good movie of kids vs. adults through grainy sequencing and low back light. Enjoy.
Halloween
(2007)
An open minded, but disappointed Halloween fan.
3 July 2011
I am a huge Halloween fan. I love the simple feel to it. I was actually excited when I heard this was coming to theaters. I was at the first showing and couldn't wait. I thought Rob Zombie was going to do an excellent job and he was the man to do it. Boy was I wrong. In an interview with Zombie he said he would go to the roots of the movie and keep it simple. He did a little but barely.He kept the sequencing the same but thats about it. The atmosphere was great and the scores were cool. Those were my positive attributes. I think he goes too far into Michael's childhood. I think the time spent on his childhood should of been only a fraction of the time. I also didn't like the fact that Michael came from white trash. It's better that he came from an upstanding, modest family and not deviant trash. This is Halloween, not 1,000 corpses or Devil's Rejects. The size of Michael was ridiculous and the kill scenes didn't leave it up to your imagination. Now I know this is a remake and not the original, but come on. This is Halloween. Don't ruin the name for the newer generations to come. I would always want generations to come to remember Carpenter and what he gave us. Not Zombie and what he LEFT.
Halloween: Resurrection
(2002)
How could they!
3 July 2011
What an awful film. I love Halloween 1 and 2. Part 4 is pretty good and H20 was okay. As for this atrocity. I am ashamed to say I watched it. From beginning to end it was nothing like any Halloween that I have ever seen. Even that Rob Zombie crap was better. Michael's mask was goofy and didn't look right. He floated around and sometimes speed walked! What the f**k. We're not at the mall with grandma. After the years of this wonderful marvel of a movie. You would think they could get the facts straight. The time line doesn't make sense. Plus after all of what Michael has been through, do you really think Busta Rhymes, with his yo,yo,yo crap would have any effect on him. Come on people. Why even waste your time. I recommend any of them, but this one.
Tell Your Friends