Quiet Place 2 Review
“Fantasy Island” Review
“The House With A Clock In Its Walls” Review
“Unfriended” Review
Universal Is bringing horror to the screen with the sequel to to the original Unfriended movie that follows a group of teens who are haunted by a mysterious being online. This time it is the owner of the laptop in which one of the teens happens to discover while online. The thing is the person is determined to get the laptop back by any means possible.
The film delves into the horror of the web by using the same techniques as the original, that is using various social media outlets including Facebook, messenger, and Skype to name a few. The film is shot almost entirely through the eyes of the computer with very little to see outside of the computer monitor which is not easy to do, but the director excelled in captivating the audience and making them jump at the right time.
Also like the original, Unfriended: Dark Web stars a cast of relative unknowns but all of which do an exceptional job of taking the web and showing just how dark and twisted it could be. Particularly the actor that played Matias (Colin Woodell) could be considered a breakout star in this film as he fully captured what its like not only to communicate with the girl he loves via the internet, but also do it while learning to sign. There were little explanation for the signs he was doing but the audience was still able to understand through other ways and see the sense of urgency when the hacker got hold of his files and threatened his friends and girl friend online.
Overall Unfriended: Dark Web is a film for a true fan of the horror genre, however it is also one for those fascinated with the world wide web as it shows the worst that could happen when one trusts without knowing who they are really talking to.
The Universal film came out in theaters July 20, 2018 and is currently playing in a theater near you. See it to know just what to look out for on the Dark Web.
“First Purge” REVIEW
It’s time to go back to the beginning and see just how the yearly ritual got started in the Universal Film that is becoming a anthem for its Halloween Horror Nights.
The First Purge stars nearly a predominant African American cast as it shows typical stereotypes for the race as well as anger that the government seeks to control through its purging ritual. Using relative unknown actors is a challenge but for the film sake of it, it showcases the fact that anyone can “purge” so to speak and it doesn’t take big name actors to drive people to see this film. That aside, let’s talk about a few break out stars including Rotimi Paul who played Skelter, the individual who all throughout the story followed as one understands the anger and frustration that he feels as the President first announces the experiment. Over all Paul has a way of using his nonverbal acting skills to portray his feelings emotionally leading up to the “12 hour purging” and although I’m not a huge fan of killing for the sake of killing, I must say his acting captivated my attention and made me want to watch to see just how he was going to retaliate.
The other break out star was the subtle romance of Isaiah (Joivan Wade) with his girlfriend Nya (Lex Scott Davis) which ultimately helped drive the need for survival as everyone else is trying to just kill mercilessly. The dynamic of the characters made the audience grab on to someone for fear that the next moment would be their last as the couple tried desperately to get to the safe haven of the church. In the end, only time would tell if they made it or not.
Overall, at an hour 38 minute run time and with a “R” rating, The First Purge is not a movie for all but for those select few who have a urge to see a good old fashioned blood bath, then perhaps, this is the movie for you. It allows everyone to “witness the birth of an American Tradition” and fully understand just where the annual “purging” came from.
The First Purge came out in theaters July 4 and is currently playing in a theater near you. See it and get ready for the “purging” happening at Universal Studios this year.
“Flatliners” Reboot
Based on the 90’s film, Flatliners features five medical students who are determined to prove the after life despite the consequences, however there’s a catch because each one has secrets that no one knows about and these secrets begin to haunt them after each one flat line. Now it’s a question of how to stop these illusions before the illusion threatens their safety and career.
Flatliners stars newcomers, Ellen Page as Courtney, the student with the idea of studying the afterlife as well as Diego Luna as Ray, Nina Dobrev as Marlo, James Norton as Jamie and Kiersey Clemons as Sophia. At just 1 hour 50 minutes, Flatliners will have you sitting on the edge of your seat as Courtney and her team of medical students seek to get rid of the illusions and fight the fear within. With a special cameo from one of the original cast of the 90’s film, Keifer Sutherland. It’s an adventure that audience will be drawn instantly to for the suspense.
Flatliners came out in theaters September 29 and brought in 6.7 million in revenue for its first week at the box office. See it in a theater near you.
“Split” Breaks Records
M. Night Shyamalan‘s latest suspense thriller is taking the box office by storm with a record 40 million opening weekend making it the fifth largest January opening to date.
Universal Pictures Split follows the story of the multi personalities of Kevin Wendell Crumb in a struggle to survive amidst himself. Otherwise known has Dissociative Identity Disorder, Crumb played by James McAvoy finds himself wrestling with his own identities which ultimately leads him to kidnapping three young girls and holding them hostage for what is to be his newest identity which has yet to be unleashed, called ‘the monster’.
Overall, the movie will have audiences sitting on the edge of their seats trying to figure out just which personality will come out next as the three girls race to find an escape through one of the many identities of Mr. Crumb. McAvoy’s portrayal of each identity is seamless as you truly see the real struggle of someone with this rare disorder.
Additionally, Shyamalan holds true to his own distinct style by using hidden easter eggs to further give dept to his story, including his always subtle cameo as well as his use of the color yellow to stimulate the current hysterical and personality change that our character goes through.
Split also stars Anya Taylor Joy as Casey, Haley Lu Richardson as Claire, Jessica Sula as Marcia and Betty Buckley as Dr. Karen Fletcher who tries to cure Crumb though the personalities ultimately get in the way.
Split came out in theaters, January 20, 2017 and is currently playing in a theater near you.
“Ghostbusters” All Female Reboot
After nearly two decades, the ghost hunting is in the hands of 4 witty wise cracking ladies, whose ultimate goal is to be taken seriously in a new age of haunting ghosts.
The reboot stars, Melissa McCartney as Abby Yates and Kristin Wiig as Erin Gilbert the team who is ultimately the first and most enthusiastic in the world of the paranormal. They begin with a book, and eventually branch out into the world of chasing down and catching ghosts in order to prove that ghosts do exist. Together with a nuclear engineer (Kate Mckinnon) and a subway worker (Leslie Jones), the four woman must band together to stop the paranormal from reeking havoc on the living.
Overall, the all new Ghostbusters will have audiences laughing and ultimately cheering on these unlikely woman who are now chasing down ghosts to ultimately prove their existence. With cameos from nearly all the orginal cast including Bill Murray as the serious political doubter, Dan Aykroyd as the taxi cab driver, and Ernie Hudson as Jones’ uncle, who lends out one of his cars which ultimately gets wreaked by the paranormal, as well as short cameos from Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver, these moments add to the enjoyment and nastalgia of the original 1984 film.
At 1 hour and 56 minutes, Ghostbusters presents a modern day audience with a truly unique story line while adding a few slight references to the original. The film came out on Friday July 15 in theaters worldwide and according to its Friday estimate, brought in just over 17 million, nearly passing the Comedy Animated Film, Secret Life of Pets, which topped the box office last week. It’ll be close to see which one makes it for number one this week.
Both the orignal as well as this reboot was the creative vision of Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who passed away nearly two years before the reboot was released. The 2016 film was a tribute to him.
See it now in a theater near you. A unique story with an iconic twist for a modern day audience.
Horror With a Twist of Mystery
A new genre of horror is keeping people awake at night. Under the direction of Guillermo del Toro, associated with Universal Pictures, Crimson Peak is the story of a young woman named Edith Cushing, who finds comfort in ghosts after her mother, who passed away violently when she was only ten, comes back to visit her and give her a warning to”Beware the Crimson Peak.”
Fast forward 14 years later, still with the warning in the back of her head, now Edith is torn between the grief of of father’s murder and a new love of a charming man, named Thomas Sharpe. She finds herself being whisked away to a nearly abandoned mansion, that is in disarray, but that’s just the beginning because there is a mystery in the house that she must solve in order to save her own life so she will be able to leave. The film also stars Jessica Chastain, who plays Thomas’ sister, who also adds to the mysterious love triangle that that Edith is trapped in.
Crimson Peak with a running time of two hours is a film for a mature audience as it does have a few gut wrenching moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat with anticipation and fright. Though the ghosts are necessarily what you have to be afraid of, there is something more demented in the Crimson Peak.
The movie opened October 16 in theaters everywhere and the first weekend came in 4th at the box office bring in just under 13 million domestic, behind the other horror suspense adventure, Goosebumps, which topped the leaderboard at 23.5 million.