Film Review : " Together"

Much like "The Human Centipede,"; the premise of this movie is more horrifying than what happens on screen. Horror is often a dark mirror reflection of what is going on in society, so it's clear that the rise in body horror has to do with questions of identity. In this movie sense of identity in relationships. This creates a relatable and very grounding premise that does not offer a great deal of "don't go in the basement" moments. In some ways, it's like "the Substance" and in others, John Carpenter's take on "the Thing". Mainly practical effects help this movie, which stars Allison Brie.  

There is also a Lovecraftian theme to the story. A curse of a cult whose chapel sinks under the earth to create monsters. This helps them avoid several tropes, but it could have been something Stuart Gordon might have made, and that is a good thing. The antagonist is passive aggressive until they become known. Though there is no clear resolution with this character or really anyone, leaving you to think this might be a trans-allied film. But it is more complex than that. It's the horrors of this undead relationship that set the tone for something as skin-crawling as the morphing bodies shifting on screen.

In my mind I kept waiting for something more gruesome, and I think the restraint they should which was not shown by the ned of 'The Substance," makes it a more entertaining film, though not as visually stunning as that movie. They do not shy from the special effects, but they go easy on the gore, making the tension of violence work for them. I really enjoyed this movie and recommend it to horror fans that are looking for something different. 

Film Review -"28 Years Later"

Danny Boyle made the third film of this series with a different eye than he had approached the previous movies. I can appreciate this, though the post-apocalyptic settlement feels very much like something we have seen already in "The Walking Dead.". But how many ways can you spin the long-term effects of a zombie outbreak without getting to some of the same tropes?  The stylistic changes and the use of color are the biggest changes here, and make the movie visually stimulating, though some of the cut scenes feel like they are window dressing and not serving the story. 

You also get lots of people making stupid mistakes, which I think a world of caution would be the rule in a more realistic situation. But such is the way of horror movies. The rage virus works the same, though the zombies seem a little smarter in this one, as well as the use of a large apex alpha zombie that is a presence that helps define this movie. It does stand apart from the other films rather than just being a sequel. The protagonist is a young boy trying to save his mother, which adds a more emotional element, as he learns the hard lesson that this kind of life would bring. 

The wheel is not being re-invented here as the first movie is obviously going to be the most original, but I think I like this better than the second film, though it did drag some at the end, and the ridiculous ending with the Scandinavian acrobatic ninja was silly..It felt like it turned into "Kung Fu Hustle" all of a sudden. It was an odd choice. If you are a fan of zombie movies, you are not going to need me to sell you on this. I do not normally like zombie movies can name ten that are my favorites of this sub-genre, not sure if this one makes the list, but it is well made and entertaining. 

Film Review- "Weapons"

This film, brought to you by Zach Creggar, who made the 2022 film "Barbarian," goes with a different shade of creepy for this one, that is still dark enough to kick off the Halloween season. The promotion of the film kept things vague, you know, kids go missing.  Bigger-name actors flourish in this film to create an interesting character study that is woven together in a fashion not unlike something  M Night Shyamalan might do, but it was not saved for the twist at the end. 

The occult nature of the antagonist is very effective, with the villain falling somewhere between "Longlegs" and "Heredity" in scope of creepiness. The title in some ways fakes you out.  The violence is well-paced, and don't go in the basement moments while plentiful are done in a manner that makes sense. The characters, even when supernatural flavors surface, are all very real-feeling. There is frame framework to magic which I can appreciate rather than just a magic can do anything plot hole. 

The writing is the real star, the characters are a well-balanced mix of straights rather than 2-d stereotypes. None of the casting or personality of said characters seems forced; everything flows naturally. When shit hits the fan and gets chaotic, well, suspension of disbelief has already been established enough for it to not be a jarring left turn. So far it's one of the year's best horror movies, perhaps not the scariest but one of the most engaging stories to escape into. 

Film Review : "Sinners"

Anyone who thinks this is an original movie has an odd view of what constitutes originality. Recycled must fit into this warped definition. I have heard this called a remake of 'From Dusk Till Dawn," and unless this means vampires really only show up for the second half of this movie, I disagree. Though this is not the "Odyssey," this movie was certainly influenced by "O Brother, Where Art Thou" by Fr, and certainly influenced by "From Dusk Till Dawn," But the vampires were not coming from within the building. I am not sure I would call this movie a horror movie. It was not scary. In fact, the preacher's kid was the only likeable character in the movie, so not sure how they intended you to become invested in any one. 

The message that all black music came from the blues was heavy-handed in the surreal sequence where, all of a sudden, girls were twerking; they could have been more subtle and still gotten the point across. It needed a great deal of editing as the story dragged on the front end. I think Louisiana would have made more sense, but it is what it is. It was well made for what it was, but then the bar is pretty low when it comes to Hollywood; it certainly did not look like it was a Tyler Perry movie, so someone was doing something right along the way. 

The violence and action scenes needed a great deal of work. The script could have used a major overhaul. I am sure you could go into this movie and think, well, it's just going to be fun, if you knew absolutely nothing about the basics or storytelling. People get dumber every day, the Fast and Furious movies are an example of this even though they keep putting butts in seat. As PT Barnum said there is a sucker born every minute. It is high-brow Blaxplotation, less sexy than Foxy Brown, but looks better than Blacula. It will sell lots of popcorn to stupid people. 

Film Review - "The Monkey"

2025 seems to be the year we are finally flushing horror tropes down the toilet and getting more original movies than remakes. A low-key Stephen King short story adaptation does the trick. Not that this movie does not have some common ground with the Final Destination franchise. It is just done with more flair. The concept of this is easy to pick up on, even more the trailer, a cursed toy monkey brings death with the crash of its drum. Director Oz Perkins, who has also brought us other smart horror films such as  " Gretel and Hansel" along with last year's "Longlegs," their a blend of fresh cinematography that complements the storytelling to give this movie its charm. 

There is a "Wonder Years" gone wrong feel to the first half of the film. Then things flash forward to the protagonist dealing with life as a traumatized father, who is not going to win "Dad of the Year" by a long shot and is obsessed with keeping his son as far away as possible from the cursed monkey, even if that means emotionally pushing his son away. It is in this raw, gritty look at what life might be like with a cursed money toy that the real bleakness settles in with its emotional heaviness, which is another level of human dread. 

The end product of this finds the deaths as the lighthearted entertainment that gives a reprieve from the real horrors of dealing with family. This is an interesting twist. The gore is over the top and almost cartoonish, but it captures a grimly surreal look at the fragile thing that is life, and when life is as ugly as it gets in this movie, then death is a welcome relief. Here is where the twist on the horror genre takes place, as any Stephen King adaptation could fit neatly into a box, but this is done better than most. 

Film Review- "Poor Things"

This movie flew under my radar despite all the awards it won. I liked Yorgos Lanthimos' previous films, "The Lobster" and "Killing the Sacred Deer," which were darker, more tense films. Even looking at some of the reviews of this film, I think they are missing a key point, that I was immediately clued in on...this is a remake of "Bride of Frankenstein".Much in the same way, "The Shape of Water" is a remake of  "The Creature From the Black Lagoon". 

Yes, I know there is a book this is based upon. Still, that book is also another telling of "Bride of Frankenstein"  Mary Shelley, never delved into the Bride aspect, aside from the fact that the Monster demanded Victor Frankenstein make him a mate, a project he started on, but became repulsed by the idea and aborted the project, thus escalating the Monster's malice against him. 

Though the film portrayals of this rarely use this part of the story, unless they dedicate an entire movie to it. This more whimsical take on the story does add its own detail, such as Emma Stone's character trying to kill herself while pregnant, and the unborn baby's brain is transplanted into her, rather than just being bodies cobbled together to create new life. Willem Dafoe's character is the Monster, whose creator, whom he refers to as his father, picked up the art of reanimation, as the entire estate is filled with experiments that add to the atmosphere of the film. 

In the movie itself, you can feel the ambiance of a Terry Gilliam movie. Emma Stone's acting is great. The wardrobe department took inspiration from Poppy, as every outfit Stone wore made her look more like her. The only flaw of this movie is a common mistake when Hollywood tries too hard to push something like girl power, as the movie's message becomes, the best way for a woman to make her way in the world is to become a whore, as she can not possibly have any other qualities aside from using sex as their stock and trade. This is the lesson Emma Stone's character becomes empowered by, with her big moment being not someone's property. Thus, she turns the tables. However, this is a minor annoyance; the bulk of the movie was a feast for the eyes, and well acted to you are largely distracted by this. 

Film Review : "the Gorge"

 Technically this is not a horror movie, though the premise feels like something from a Brian Lumley novel. By the end, it feels more like something from a video game that mixes "Silent Hill" with "Call of Duty". The acting is really what sells it. Because this is an Apple Plus film, they have severely limited the impact, as it is better than most things I have seen in theaters recently. For Scott Derrickson whose main movies have been horror aside from Doctor Stange, he is branching out and showing how much more he is capable of as a director. 

What sells the movie is Anya Taylor Joy, as Miles Teller does his best Jeremy Renner impersonation. I guess Joy is the Black Widow to that, as this could have easily been a Hawkeye / Black Widow movie for Marvel. Miles is however good enough to develop chemistry with Joy. Not that how this develops is really a huge surprise, though how this all goes down displays enough creative sparks to keep the movie fun. I think less would be more even it comes to the monsters. When you learn their origins it has been foreshadowed enough for it to all click, but the strength of this movie is how the visuals unfold when they dive into the gorge, there are many scenes where it looks like the cover of a death metal album, which of course appeals to me. 

There was more of a sense of adventure than dread, as the movie turned. The protagonists were always capable and never afraid of their powerlessness even when confronted by un-natural creatures, which sets the tone for an action movie not a horror movie, This might be seen as darker sci-fi as well since science plays heavily into what unfolds, at the end of the day it's story telling with a hear to it that these actors tapped into and suspended your disbelief to invest into these characters , as the world that was so well built;t for them lent itself to further suspending your disbelief which at the end of the day is what movies are supposed to be about.