Written by Scott EdwardsIn my day, there was a rite of passage I had to go through before being able to buy many of my own things and babysitting was it. Being able to earn some good money for watching over people’s kids was something that for the most part was fun. Being able to bond with the kids was just great and even the most-evil little ones came over to my side and would request me on those nights that they knew they wanted to have a good time. While I might not have been the best babysitter in my day, I did ensure that the kids had a good time and never burned the house down and at the end of the day, that is really what matters the most. Getting picked up by her best friend Cali, Ranae is off to work on her first babysitting job for a very strange couple. Being forced to be interviewed twice for the job, the couple has decided that she will be the best fit and tonight is the night that they will give her a go. Arriving at the house to hear that their baby, Miller, is already asleep, Ranae gets a little tour of the house and is looking forward to a carefree night with the young one. With the parents promising to be home before 1 A.M., it will slowly turn into a night that Ranae will never forget. Zoning out on the couch and listening to music, Ranae hears some sort of commotion upstairs and a baby crying, but once she makes it to Miller’s room, she sees something haunting in the crib with him. Waking up from her dream, Ranae checks on the baby monitor to see that the young one is fine and takes a walk around the big house. Getting a call from Cali to see how things are going, the two are forced to stop the conversation and for some reason Cali sends a very obscene picture over the web. Calling back to see what the picture was all about, Cali denies sending it, but that is only the first thing that is starting to get strange about this special anniversary night. Hearing that her friend is shaken about something, Cali heads over to the house with friends Grace and Jeremy to help keep Ranae grounded for the rest of her shift. Denying that she sent the photo that got her friend shaken in the first place, the group sits down to enjoy an old movie, but things are just starting to heat up in the house. Seeing something that she cannot explain in the woods outside of the house, Ranae then sees something distressing on the baby monitor. Rushing to make sure that Miller is alright, Grace falls victim to seeing something strange as well when a faceless apparition is staring at her and Jeremy making out. Needing to find out what is happening in the house, Ranae is able to find out that this is not the first child that her employer has had and with the help of her little brother many states away she learns that ghosts are not harmful, unless they are around on the day that they died widening the mystery of who or what is really haunting this special anniversary night. When this movie started, it took me back to my youth when I used to get babysitting jobs, although I don’t think I ever got interviewed, because I was pretty much referred by everyone that lived in the neighborhood. That being said however, I can see how this would be an important thing in this day and age, especially with all of the wackos out there. With the night starting off as normal, but with abnormal dreams, it was apparent that there was something very bad in the house that was looking to make everyone uncomfortable and that built up a ton of tension throughout. The characters were very entertaining, and I hope to see the actors in this flick make appearances in other films going forward, since this was the first outing for most of them. With a ghost being able to control technology, freaky snap pictures, a mystery, a few weapons and haunting visions of blood on their hands, this is a haunting reminder that if you get a babysitting job, you might not be the only one who needs to be interviewed. Stay Scared.
0 Comments
Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...While season four of Fear of the Walking Dead has done a fine job this year of digging into exactly what makes the characters on this show tick by exploring the pain that they carry in their hearts alongside their desire to hang onto a life that no longer exists, there’s been one surprising and uplifting theme that’s been with them throughout their entire journey this season, hope. Because despite the hardships they’ve faced this year, so many in the group keep looking toward a better tomorrow, and they’re trying to shed their pasts in order to be better people in order to keep the notion of hope alive. I make mention of that particular thematic concept today, because it would seem that it’s going to play a huge part when it comes to the story for the rest of the season, because last night’s episode of the series, ‘Blackjack’, not only reintroduced hope in a big way, but this tale also made it inherently clear that there’s going to be quite the struggle to maintain it in the coming days/weeks since our new villain wants to crush it beneath her boot heel and also because, some of the characters may be in fact losing hope, as is apparently the case with John Dorie and Victor Strand and perhaps their storyline is the best place to start when examining this episode since their back and forth struggle with hope was downright fascinating. As it turns out, these two men were caught in a flash flood during the storm and eventually found themselves on a tiny island created by the hurricane in question and well, it was inherently clear early on that both of these men saw their situation in far different light. Strand saw his newfound isolation as an opportunity to finally take inventory of a life that he saw as a downright failure since everyone and everything he ever cared about was gone now, while John saw their predicament as another challenge, one to be overcome in bold fashion so they could find the group and happiness once again and their actions, spoke volumes to where their minds were at. John for example, worked hard to find a way off of this makeshift island, going so far as to create rafts in order to traverse the watery void surrounding them and despite the setbacks that came his way, he simply did not give up. Eventually, he even enlisted Strand’s help in order to get his hands on a camper top that would finally give them the perfect mode of transportation to get them across the water and all of John’s actions came forth in the name of hope. He simply believed that there had to be something better waiting for both men and eventually, he was able to bring Strand around to his side of thinking, that is until disaster struck on their voyage to the other side, forcing them back to the island and one has to wonder now if John will be able to keep the faith since he seemed to be at his breaking point at the end of the episode. Yet, what made this episode so special, was how much plot the Writer’s Room packed into it and how an ebb and flow in regard to hope seemed to permeate every single facet of the story. Take for instance, Luciana’s story, since we also caught up with her in this tale and she seemed focused on making amends with Charlie and while she was unable to track the little girl down, she did manage to run into a stranger in need and with her heart set now on doing the right thing, she did everything in her power to grant the man’s final wish, to get him one last beer before he passed into the great beyond and she was able to accomplish her task and give the man in question hope for a better tomorrow for humanity as a whole and it also turns out, that the man she helped…is the same man who used to drive the truck that Morgan’s pals stole. Which also means that every single plot thread this year is starting to come together in the home stretch here, since Luciana found the beer in one of the care boxes that Morgan and his troupe left behind, and she eventually reunited with the group, but there’s big trouble on the horizon for them. Because our mystery woman has made it clear that helping people in any capacity makes you weak, and that apparently it’s best to just let people find their own path at the end of the world, regardless of whether they survive or not and to hammer home her point, she fired upon the truck, leaving all of us to wonder who lives and who dies in what turned out to be a downright brilliant episode. For starters, I’m quite impressed with how much stuff they packed into this single hour since we in essence had three concurrent storylines running in this particular tale and it cannot be easy to seamlessly blend that many plot lines together but the series handled it in style and really, what I’m impressed with the most here, is how the show continues to push toward a better tomorrow and our characters being the best people they can be and while some of them are stumbling, they eventually find their way and I’m hoping that a solution comes together for Strand and Dorie before their situation beats them down to the point of no return. But more importantly, we finally have a villain waiting in the wings by way of the mystery woman, and her push to do harm in this episode seems to be giving us a real good versus evil vibe going forward and when all is said and done. I really loved this episode. Because hope is infectious and this particular tale, and all the good things people were doing in this story has me hopeful for a quasi-happy ending for the first time ever when it comes to this storied franchise. As to whether or not we get that, only time will tell, but in the here and the now, it’s wonderful to see a horror story keep pushing for a brighter future and express the need to have good in our hearts and hope in the midst of a crisis and this incredible shift in storytelling and design is making this series, one of the most intelligent zombie stories out there right now. Until next time. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...So, I have to admit, that the last episode of Outcast stuck with me far longer than I expected it to and that’s only due to the fact that kidnapping Kyle and trying to make him a tool for the possessed, is quite the big deal. Because messing with a man like that could motivate him to become his enemy’s worst nightmare and relentlessly hunt down every last one of these monsters and well, the mini hiatus that this show went on for a week only made my curiosity as to what comes next, worse, so you know I was ready to roll when last night’s episode of the show, ‘Alone When It Comes,’ hit the airwaves because something told me in my gut, It was going to tell us exactly what would come about from Sidney’s bold decision. Which, it did, but I have to be honest in saying, the end result of this whole mess was not what I expected at first. Because as it turns out, Kyle wasn’t emboldened to fight, he was ready to run so that his wife and child would remain safe, and as he and his family prepared to evacuate Rome, his sister and closest friend took the time to take inventory when it comes to their recent experiences and work to find meaning in all of this. Which led Megan and John to the little camp outside of town wherein they were welcomed with open arms and for Megan, well this seemed like a fine place to start over after her own experiences with evil and she made plans to bring Holly to this camp as well so that maybe, just maybe she could properly let the last of her guilt go when it comes to what happened with Mark. Yet, while that storyline doesn’t exactly scream consequences for Sidney’s actions, not to worry, some of that came about by way of Sidney’s journey in this tale. Because in this story, we came to learn that Devil or no, this monster answers to a higher power when it comes to his kind, because there’s a council of evil that helps makes some decisions and it would seem they’re a touch displeased with his progress and the fact that Kyle escaped his clutches and Doctor Park isn’t helping Sid’s cause for that matter either since he’s pushing his own agenda and well, things only went from bad to worse in this episode for our favorite villain. Because he’s also incredibly ill since his host body is rejecting the evil within and while he was on the road, his illness helped cause an accident and a simple act of kindness from a stranger to get Sidney some help, ended with his capture at the hands of the very group Megan is planning to shack up with. Which brings us back to the true centerpiece of the night; Kyle’s decision to run. Because despite his best efforts to escape the clutches of the possessed, they kept running into him and his family while they were on the road, to the point where they more or less corralled the Barnes family and gently pushed them back toward town and that’s where Kyle finally decided to make a stand since he realized that no matter where they go, evil will be waiting for them, and with an assist from Junkyard Bob, Kyle was able to get his family to safety, and demonstrate to the gawking crowd of the possessed that he was going to fight them with every ounce of his being and for the first time in a long time, the evil in this town seemed genuinely afraid as they parted their ranks to let Kyle through. So, if anything, this particular tale toyed with us really, because messing with Kyle’s family did in fact, piss him off. It just took a little time for that fury to find its way to the surface and really, everything we discussed here, alongside Rose’s decision to become a one-woman demon wrecking crew made for one incredibly intense episode and well, I must admit that I am extremely excited when it comes to what this series has in store for us in the weeks to come. After all, Sidney being locked up is a huge deal and I have no doubt that Reverend Anderson has a little payback in mind for the demon that shamed him and most importantly, Kyle is ready to truly take the fight to evil at last, and there’s a fair chance he’s going to teach the darkness quite a lesson as we barrel toward the season two finale of this magnificent and harrowing show. Until next time. Written by Scott EdwardsA deal of a lifetime does not come along very often, pretty sure that’s why it has this name. When you start to see something that seems too good to be true, it often is, so it is important to take note of what it could be costing you in the long run. With real estate, this seems to be one of the things that people don’t take into account and are willing to put down big bucks without knowing the underbelly of the situation. While some folks could care less about what happened in the home’s past, it is very evident that if there was something bad that went down there, there may be something or someone still sticking around that does not want anyone in their former dwellings. Driving out on Steelmanville Road, Tom Riley is stoked to see the house he just picked up at the Sheriff’s Auction. Being able to check out the exterior of the house before deciding to make the purchase, Tom was drawn to something strange in the woods that he wants to check out once again. Making it out to the tree that has a pentagram hanging from it, the real estate investor sees that there is a little grave and digs it up. Getting back to the house to see what he has unearthed, Tom finds that he is a proud owner of a strange doll and does not know what to make of it. Waking up in the middle of the night and hearing someone or something playing the piano, Tom sees that his new doll is not where he left it. With the doll appearing all around the room, Tom believes that it is moving on its own, but is too tired to care at this point. Tossing the doll out on the porch for the night, he sees that it has moved once again and will get to the bottom of it. Fitting the doll up with a couple tracking devices and a camera, Tom will now be able to see what the doll is up to and finds out that it is trying to kill him. Taking a breather out front, Tom heads back into the house to see that the doll has moved to the attic, where there is something more terrifying awaiting him, but he will continue to fight for his house. Tom Riley now knows that something strange went on in the house’s past and wants to get to the bottom of it. Removing all of the religious artifacts from the walls, Tom brings in a Ouija Board and tries to talk to the spirits in the house. With whomever he is talking to not liking the new owner of the house, it confirms to Tom that he has been in the house before and while Tom is starting experience a little bit of Déjà vu, he still does not understand what he has done wrong. While not feeling comfortable continuing the session, Tom takes some time outside of the house, but that just opens the door for more strangeness to start happening outside of his watch. This is an interesting way to change the Bad Ben story, using the Mandela Effect and telling the story in a loop that may be never ending. If you have not heard about the Mandela Effect, it is something to check out before watching this movie to see how it ties in, since it makes it much more enjoyable. Watching as Tom is starting to have memories of the house each time he arrives is just a cool idea and a nice way to carry on the Bad Ben Franchise. While there are different stories being told throughout the movie, you still get the overall sense that there is something really wrong with the house and it all stays true to the original storyline. With a haunted dolls, plenty of technology, some familiar scenes, a creepy attic, a creepier basement and something that does not like Tom Riley in the house, it is just a new look at a series that has captured many people’s attention. Stay Scared. Written by Scott EdwardsIt can be difficult to deal with some of the curveballs that life throws in your direction. Not always being able to run away from them, you can most definitely dodge them for a short time by taking a vacation. Letting loose and having fun is one of the things that will help you get past any of these situations and while you might not be able to do it all of the time, a couple days will do a body good. It is always best to remember that we get multiple shots at making our life the best it can be, so always have your bat handy as it can be easier to hit the ball out of the park than expected. Visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras with his friends, Ben is just not feeling the events and wants to do something a little different. Hearing from some friends that visited last year, Ben decides that he would rather take a haunted tour than continuing to imbibe in all of the alcohol. Not wanting his buddy to go on alone, Marcus agrees to go along for the ride, but is really not about it from the get go. Arriving at the first tour guide’s building and finding out that the haunted tour is no longer offered, the two are pointed to another location and find out that they are more than welcome on a special kind of haunted tour that will change their lives forever. Getting on the small tour bus with vacationers Jim and Shannon Permatteo, Director Doug Shapiro and his actresses Misty and Jenna, along with local Marybeth, the boys get to see a side of New Orleans that few have ever seen before, at least at night. Arriving at the boat and boarding, the group hears a crazy man yelling out that the swamp is closed, but the tour guide Shawn dismisses the man as an inbred and the tour starts without a hitch. Trying to get through all of the notes he has about the area, Shawn continues to stumble and now the group is starting to see that he may not be the tour guide that they need. After calling out some of the ghosts of the swamp that make their appearances known in the darkness, Shawn takes his eyes off of the water and winds up getting the boat stuck. Not being able to dislodge the boat and seeing that it is starting to sink, the group is forced to get off quickly, but the swamp is full of deadly creatures as a crocodile takes a bite out of Jim’s leg. Knowing that they are in trouble, Marybeth is able to get the group’s attention by telling them what is really happening in the swamp and why they have not seen anyone else around. With Victor Crowley being to blame for all of the disappearances in the swamp over the past ten years, things get very real when the group comes face to face with the legendary Hatchet Face who only seems to want their blood. It has been ages since I have seen this movie and jumping back into it after all this time, I am glad that it still holds up. One of the things that I like most about this movie is the group dynamic on the screen and the constant bickering revolving around their own sheer stupidity when they are being chased by a crazed killer. Marybeth taking the lead since she understands what evil awaits them in the swamp was great, mainly because she knows more than the collective of everyone else. With a hatchet, a storm, a croc, a psycho killer, a belt sander, a shovel and lots of blood, this is just one of those slasher movies that you can watch anytime. While there may be some out there legends, it is important to remember that they have to be based on something and this is a good one to have in the back of your mind when visiting the swamps of Louisiana. Stay Scared. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...There really is no greater moment for a television show, than when it provides its audience with all kinds of answers to the burning questions said show has introduced, simply because it means the series in question is thanking its fanbase for sticking with it through and thick and thin and this is your reward and at long last, after weeks of speculation and wonder, Castle Rock finally did just that for all of its fans. Because this week’s episode of the show, ‘Henry Deaver’, answered a great many question for us and thanks to this tale, we now know The Kid’s true identity along with what exactly gives him his power and causes Castle Rock to be such an awful place to live, and my goodness, what a satisfying reveal this turned out to be. So perhaps the best way to kick off this recap is to get to the biggest reveal of all, The Kid’s true identity and as it turns out, he’s actually…Henry Deaver. Yes, you read that right, he’s Henry, but with a twist. Because Kid Deaver hails from an alternate universe where Matthew and Ruth were able to have a son and this alternate Ruth eventually escaped her husband’s insane religious clutches, allowing for this Henry to have a healthy and happy life where he pursued a career in science and the catalyst for his return to an alternate Castle Rock, is the death of his father and while he’s back home and checking out the property he inherited, he makes a startling discovery, in that, a young boy named Henry Deaver, our Henry in fact, is locked in a cage in his father’s basement. Which means that Henry Prime ventured to this world for the eleven days that he was missing, and this is what Kid Deaver meant when he said he saved Henry from that cage and while this more or less confirms the fact that Castle Rock (in any dimension) sits atop a Thinny, or a variant thereof, and answered a great many questions, there were more surprises in store for us in this tale. Because Henry Prime had apparently been in that cage for decades as well, and didn’t age a day, and he too had strange powers of influence, the kind that make bad things happen to people since he also influenced an ugly fire at Juniper Hill and after a little alone time between Kid Deaver and Molly and Henry Prime, Molly came to realize that this young man had to get back home and risked life and limb to get him there. But what truly fascinated me about this episode, is the fact that it implies that a great many people have crossed the threshold of the Thinny and being out of our their proper universe grants them all kind of privileges, like immortality and the ability to influence evil amongst men meaning that none of these travelers are the Devil, as Lacy and alternate Matthew believed, they’re just lost and scared and able to do some scary stuff and while we finally enjoyed some answers in this tale, it did pose more questions and the one that continues to burn in my mind…is what unseen force is talking to men in alternate universes and influencing them to believe that a proverbial Devil is coming and that they need to put ‘evil’ in a cage? I’m not sure we will ever quite find the answer to that particular one but it’s something that’s definitely worth pondering upon. In the end however, wow, what an episode. Because I really didn’t expect this kind of grand reveal. The show really had sold me on Kid Deaver being pure evil in his own right, not some misunderstood inter-dimensional traveler and honestly, I’m good with this twist to say the least. Only because it’s something we haven’t seen enough of when it comes to the Stephen King multiverse, at least, not outside of The Dark Tower storyline and it was quite cool to see Kid Deaver as a normal person, and see some of the more like-able characters in this tale come back one last time and it would seem at this point, that getting Kid Deaver back to his respective universe is going to be the focus of next week’s season finale and as difficult as it was to get Henry Prime home, I’m expecting this attempt to be nothing short of breathtaking. Until next time. Written by Scott EdwardsSo the time has come and you want to make your own horror movie to be viewed by all, and why the heck not? With Ridley Scott telling everyone that wants to make a movie that you have no excuses not to and Steven Soderbergh shooting an entire movie on an iPhone, it seems that we all currently have the technology at our fingertips. While I do not have much experience in making movies, I do watch a lot of them and would like to offer up some advice, at least for the future horror movie makers out there to keep their movies from turning out bad. So here are some things that I have noticed in the many movies that I have watched that turned a possibly good movie into one that most people will wind up avoiding due to bad reviews. Have a Script – This should be film making 101, but it seems to fall on deaf ears for some young film makers. The idea of improvising a movie may sound great, (Thanks Deadpool!), but your audience will notice when that something is off in the storyline, especially when nothing adds up when the movie ends. Along with this, make sure you have an ending already planned out and be careful with the twist endings, because the ending is really the most important part of the movie and will have people loving or hating your film. Play to Your Actors/Actresses Strengths – This is really something that young filmmakers do not see as an issue, but the audience can see it when it hits the screen. If you have someone that is not good at doing an accent, it is wise not to have them do one in the movie, because it is just painful for the viewer to watch. While you might be casting a group of friends, you should focus on what they are good at, like crying on cue or using their blood curtailing screaming skills. Note, if someone’s crying sounds like laughter to you, it will sound the same way to the audience, so you might want to avoid that. Keep the Background Music in the Background – This has become my biggest pet peeve in watching movies over the past year and for some reason it continues to get worse. I understand as a fan of film that background music is a great device to help tell the story and gives the audience a sense of tension when needed or reprieve when the frights are done, but some filmmakers and editors play the music so loud that you cannot hear the characters. There is really a simple fix for this if you do not have the mixing software to cut the volume of the background music, you just play it when your characters do not have any dialogue. I know that this seems too simple, but for some reason it continues to be a problem for many filmmakers. If you are in need of seeing how background music should be utilized, I would recommend watching a couple episodes of the original animated Scooby Doo, since the background music there is really an additional character in the story telling. Have at Least One Character the Audience can Identify With – I have seen this time and time again in horror movies, that there is not one like-able character and it is a shame. While you might have that hated character that the audience wants to have killed off, you need to have at least one that the audience likes, even if they will be killed off in the end. You can have more than one character that the audience likes as well, there is no rule saying that you can’t, but you need to have the story revolve around somebody that will keep the audience intrigued in the story and care when the characters are killed off. Have Something Happen Pertaining to the Story Early in the Film – I have said this before, but a movie has fifteen minutes to pull me in and it is something as simple as showing the killer or having something get moved by a ghost in a haunted house. Seems pretty simple overall, but some movies seems to avoid doing this for some reason and it really is a shame. If I am going to see a haunted house movie, I want to see some sort of haunted activity going on during the movie and not just before the end credits roll. If I am going to see a slasher movie, I need to see some sort of slasher style kill or flash to their basement showing them cleaning their tools or something like that. Pretty easy to see something like this in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre if you are in need of a reference. Practical Effects Will Always Trump CGI – While it seems easy to add in all kinds of CGI in post editing of a movie, in reality, the audience can tell the difference, especially when it comes to horror fans and blood. It is pretty easy to find a good movie blood recipe on the internet, but the basic is corn syrup, red food coloring, some cornstarch and some chocolate power. It is cheap and easy and for your horror movie, you may want just a little bit of it or gallons to toss all over your actors. You Don’t Have to Show All the Kills – While there might be budget restrictions, or no budget whatsoever to bring in fake heads to be smashed on the screen, you can always have off screen kills. Some of the most frightening kills in horror films are never seen by the audience and you can leave a little bit up to the imagination. Reference Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho if you have not seen the shower scene and watch what you assume is Marion Crane being chopped to bits by Norman Bates. With the kills being off screen, you would need to imply that there is something terrible happening and using some of the fake blood and squirting it in front of the camera or taking a bucket off it and splashing it against a wall helps to make the effect resonate with the audience. Make Sure the Characters can be Heard – This will be a problem if you are shooting a movie on your cell phone with no sound equipment, so it is important that you characters speak loudly and do not whisper. Seems to be pretty easy to comprehend, but it continues to be an issue for some filmmakers who have their characters whisper the further away from the camera they get. Either have the characters talk loud enough for everyone to hear or have a dubbing session, because if your audience cannot hear what your characters are saying, they will know very little about your story, much less care about what is going on. Be Consistent in Storytelling – Knowing the direction of your movie should be accomplished at the time of reading and writing the script, but some filmmakers have a difficult time of knowing where it is going. The prime example of this in horror films is a movie that starts off as a good slasher flick that turns into a comedy at the end. This leaves audiences scratching their heads, wondering if they just watched a comedy or a horror movie. If you are trying to make a comedy, make a comedy from the start and don’t try to change the narrative halfway through the film. If you are trying to make a thriller that will keep people on the edge of their seats, keep the thrills coming. Tell Your Story – If you are making a movie, then surely you have a story to tell, whether it is about the awfulness of Gluten or why Vegans have special powers. It is your story to tell and the most important part of the movie, so don’t let the message get lost when making it. Be Ready for Negative Reviews – Regardless how good a movie is, there are always people out there that are going to bash it. While I do not like bashing lower budget movies, it seems to be the in thing to do for many people that do not like one part of it, especially the fact that it is under financed. Take these reviews with a grain of salt when reading them, and while most of these people may just be bitchy, some of the negatives can be worked on for future films. Have Fun – You are making a movie and not everybody can say that. If you want to be in the movie making business to make a ton of cash, you are missing the point. When you enjoy what you do in making movies, it comes across on screen no matter the story you are trying to tell. It is about telling your story, your perspective, your spin, and it should be enjoyable and not a chore like some filmmakers try to make it out to be. Well, there you have my list of things that will hopefully help out some of the new up and comer filmmakers. While making a movie is not an easy thing, there is nothing wrong with giving it a go and I look forward to seeing many more in the upcoming year. I do have a soft spot for the horror movies and even the found footage ones have started to grow on me over the past couple of years, so keep them coming out and I will try my best to keep watching them as the horror genre seems to be getting a full head of steam and it is not a bad wagon to jump on. Written by Scott EdwardsThe mind is a very powerful tool and you need to keep feeding it to make sure it continues to work for you, rather than against you. Whether you are keeping it fed with either current events, or discovering new things from the past, it is important to remember that it can be your best friend if treated right. With all of the things that the mind can hold, your memories are something that cannot be replaced, so it is always good to make note of the ones you never want to forget. Even though it may seem like you will never forget the past, as you get older and continue to learn new things, these events start to get pushed out as they start to seem a little less important as time moves on. After a recent bombing attack on their town has displaced them, Adeline and her daughter Chloe are on their way to a new home. Arriving at the Manor House and meeting the owner Arthur Harper, Adeline is having some reservations about moving in, but those are put to rest as she does not have enough funds to try somewhere else. Getting the layout of the house from Arthur, she sees that there is one room that is off limits and is very concerned with the story behind it. Not wanting to give up too much information about the room, much less the house, Arthur welcomes the woman and her daughter into his home with the promise of a prosperous life. Not being fully sold on the house, Adeline hears something strange in the middle of the night and finds that Chloe is making a racket but cannot figure out the reason why. Trying to confront her daughter the next day, Adeline sets her eyes on a new doll that is not from her collection and asks Chloe what the story is, but the young girl is not willing to give up the story as the doll mysteriously vanishes from the table. Demanding to know what is going on and how Chloe was able to move the doll without her seeing, Adeline is starting to feel very uncomfortable in the house once again. Getting out of the house for an afternoon walk, the two investigate the surrounding forest, but when Adeline hears the cry of her daughter and is not able to find her, the woman is in for a trip that will change her life forever. Having the police come and check out the house and the surrounding area for the little girl, Adeline is concerned that they are giving up much too early, but once Arthur steps into the situation and tells the police not to waste their time, she knows that there is something strange going on. With the promise of asking around to try and find the little girl, Arthur leaves the door open to the secret room and while seeing visions of her little girl, Adeline finds herself looking at some old notes from a previous tenant. Being caught in the act, Adeline will not back down on what she is seeing and hearing around the house and gets the story of the old witch legend from around the area and seeing old text that implies that the witch took the previous woman’s daughter, it means the legend must be true. But little does Adeline know what is true and what is just a dream as a battle for her sanity becomes the primary focus, not only for the owner of the house, but those looking to make sure she is living in the right reality. A little bit different than I expected overall, as the story takes place over many years and may never end as the creepy doll is looking to collect on anyone’s soul that gets near it. I HATE CREEPY DOLLS! With that being said, I really liked this creepy doll and being able to see it move and do its deal was pretty cool, since most creepy doll movies don’t do that for some reason. The Adeline story is very depressing overall, as it becomes apparent that she is having a mental breakdown after her daughter has gone missing and nobody seems to be willing to help her. Then the meeting with the Witch in the house is something of nightmares as she is not ready to understand what is really happening around her. With a ghost witch, a very creepy doll, a house full of secrets, mysterious letters and a legend that nobody wants to talk about, it is not a bad little movie at all. I know that whenever I look to stay with a friend for an extended amount of time these days, I do investigate the house to make sure that there are no creepy dolls around now, and for very good reason. Stay Scared. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...The more time I’ve had to think about the second half of season four of Fear the Walking Dead, the more I’ve come to appreciate it. Because putting together a powerful character study in a zombiepocalypse cannot be an easy feat, but the Writer’s Room of this show is making it look as easy as possible since week in and week out, we’ve been treated to the inner workings of the characters on this show, and everything that makes them tick and it’s made for some powerful, powerful stories to say the least, but…there is an inherent danger that comes with making that a focus over anything else. Because eventually, people will start to speculate and wonder exactly where this season is headed and what the point of all of this is, which can in fact, remove the power and the gravity of what we are learning about the characters. But thankfully, the folks behind the scenes are clearly aware of this, since last night’s episode ended up being a bit of a hybrid if you will. For, ‘Weak’ not only provided us with another in depth character study, this time focusing on Al and June, it also started to bring the plot of season four together, and clearly, something sinister is brewing on the horizon for the group. But, before we dig too deep into that, let’s take a moment and talk about Al and June’s story in this tale, because it was downright fascinating. I say that, simply due to the fact that their journey in this particular tale, revealed precisely what this in depth look at our characters is trying to accomplish and truly, the series is sending a message to all of them in that…the time has come to let go of their past and anything that came with it, and move on to become new people in a new world. A task that is of course, easier said than done because hanging on to who we are is far easier than starting a new journey of discovery and for much of this tale we watched both of these women struggle mightily with letting go of said past. Because June had the opportunity to let the darkness she embraced before we met her in season four sink right back in, and the warrior portion of her, the one that didn’t value human life in the slightest almost escaped once again. But she tried her damndest to do the right thing for a change and saved a life instead of taking one and in doing so, found satisfaction and relief in doing good for a change. Al however, had a harder time letting go of yesterday since losing her van in this tale, meant losing everything about herself and she made some foolish decisions as well before finally coming to realize that she was holding onto her memories too tightly and she too found a way to move forward. Yet, what was truly fascinating about this journey in general, were the subtle layers that came with their struggle. Because it would have been incredibly easy to simply state to the audience that hanging onto days gone by is a bad thing, but the story found a way to complicate the notion, by pointing out that there is indeed an upside to hanging on to some parts of our past, when they in fact bring us safety and make us stronger, which was personified in the story by Althea’s van. After all, it does both of those things, and it’s been an important part of Al’s life for quite some time now, and well, losing that in the manner they did is a bad thing indeed. Which brings us to the advancement of the story, since for the first time since the storm, we spent time with characters outside of the ones that are the focus of the story since Morgan was present in this tale and eventually Al and June came to see him, giving us the first real hint that the group is going to reunite at some point. But while it was nice to see the series get some of the band back together, this mini-reunion was grossly overshadowed by the strange woman we met at the end of last week’s episode. Because this individual clearly has malice in their heart, since she was willing to fool June’s new friend Quinn in order to kill him and use him as her new zombie travel buddy and to make matters worse, she has Al’s van and all the armaments that come with it… But, all of that aside, I am glad that the series is finally making it clear what it’s trying to accomplish growth wise for the characters and this one forced me to reflect upon the past few episodes in order to see that Alicia’s moment with Charlie in the storm was about her letting go of her fear and her pain in order to move forward in this tough life and Morgan’s journey last week was about him letting go of his respective fears as well so he can finally become the leader and great man that Rick Grimes believes him to be and it’s just refreshing to find positive character growth in a story about the end of the world and I’m quite curious to see what growth awaits John Dorie, Strand and Luciana in the weeks to come. Oddly enough though, I am equally curious about the silent trouble they are facing, because our mystery woman is truly obsessed with this group, and I’m dying to know why. Did someone in the group wrong her and not know it? Does she belong to something bigger and this is merely the prelude to more Vulture-esque trouble for everyone? Or is she just lost in this world and wiling to cause harm in order to feel as though she fits in with the chaos? Time will tell of course, but in the here and the now, what a wonderful and thoughtful episode, one so good that I need to take a moment and tip my cap to first time Director Colman Domingo, who plays Strand on the series, because it’s rare to see a new director properly blend together this kind of depth on screen, but Colman made it happened like a seasoned pro and I really hope he gets to sit in the big chair for future episodes because this episode was another incredible entry in this stunning season and with a new mystery in front of us, I’ll be counting down the minutes to learn more about our mystery woman and her plans…until next time… Written by John Edward BetancourtFor the most part, making a film is a pretty straight forward and formulaic process. A writer writes the script, collaborates with a director once a producer selects them and after the casting process, the film is put together and eventually released for all of us to enjoy. Granted the process is a touch more complex than that, but what matters most is that there is a process to bring forth a refined story. It's a design that has at times, saddened movie fans, because it has often given way to drier stories and films that feel by the numbers. But there are still films out there that manage to buck that 'formulaic' trend, in present day and in the past and one such film from the 1980's threw formula to the wind when it came to this slasher dominant decade by giving us one hell of a wild adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's work in...Re-Animator. This is a motion picture that introduces us to Doctor Herbert West, a man that is working tirelessly to find a way to cheat death and well...it turns out that Herbert finds a way to resurrect the dead through a special reanimation agent and let's leave the plot at that because this is a film that I don't want to spoil in any form or fashion simply because Re-Animator is a unique film to say the least, one that truly turns the genre inside out, for lack of a better phrase, and one that includes a quirky style of storytelling that makes it a cult classic that in no way resembles a traditional horror film. Yes, there's a solid, well thought out plot, but once we get past that, this film simply feels like an outright free for all idea wise. Director Stuart Gordon clearly decided to experiment with the gore, giving us zombies unlike any other and a third act that defies the darkest parts of your imagination when it comes to the splatter and our villain and speaking of the bad guy...well let's just say that he goes to horrific depths that the audience never quite sees coming, taking part in a moment so unique and taboo that one rarely sees such an act in mainstream film. If anything, this is the kind of moment that is often reserved to niche films and horror sub genres, yet all of it works because it's another component in Stuart's endgame, to make a unique and intriguing horror film that grabs hold of your attention and never once lets go. However, if you're not in an 'experimental' mood when it comes to storytelling, don't worry, there's plenty here to appease the everyday horror fan. There's scares and tense and creepy moments abound and if you're hoping for a gory fix, there's plenty of blood and guts as well. But when all is said and done, this film is outright genius. The fact that Stuart Gordon was willing to throw caution to the wind paid off in spades because in many ways, this film is a personification of Lovecraft's gentle madness and at times plays out like a bad dream, making this film a wonderful experience, one that has easily withstood the test of time, and one that you need to see if you haven't yet, regardless of whether or not you're a fan of Lovecraft simply because of the fact that this film is one of a kind. |
Archives
May 2024
|