Tag: Horror

SMILE – Review

Caitlin Stasey in a Paramount Pictures Presents, in Association with Paramount Players, A Temple Hill Production “SMILE.” Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

October is the perfect month for scary movies, and horror fans can get their fix with SMILE, a creepy tale in the style of haunting “contagion” horror flicks like THE RING. While the horror film SMILE might make scary-movie audiences happy, seeing this particularly sinister smile is not a happy thing for the unfortunate characters in this new horror genre offering.

This horror film is getting some buzz among horror fans, and SMILE deserves credit for a being fresh scare and not just another horror-movie sequel (how many HALLOWEENs are there, anyway?). But to be clear, this near-October release is basic entertainment, not a high-concept chiller like HEREDITARY but SMILE does offer some good jolts although it breaks no new horror ground.

Now, full disclosure, this reviewer is not a fan of the modern horror genre, preferring psychological thrillers and more classic monster movies, so serious horror fans may have a different take on this one. That said, SMILE did offer some scares, with jumps and some blood, but without more the gruesome “torture porn” scenes of some horror. Further, it deserves extra credit for offering something different from the endless sequels. SMILE should please those who like a good popcorn-tossing jump for most of its nearly 2-hour running time, although its failure to pick up the pace and tension in the second half makes the film feel longer than it actually is.

There are no big names in this scare-fest, apart from Kal Penn who appears briefly as the main character’s boss. Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) is a dedicated psychiatrist who works long hours in a mental health hospital that takes in patients in crisis, instead of running a cushier private clinical practice with more regular hours. The film opens with a unsettling scene that gives us insight on the good doctor’s dedication, as she awakes from the nightmare sparked by her childhood memory of finding her drug-addicted mother, who died from an overdose. We see Dr. Colter in a therapy session with a frequent patient, Carl (an excellent Jack Sochet), who obsessively repeats that everyone will die. Carl is a “regular” at the hospital, considered harmless, as his morbid litany just part of his periodic manic phase.

But a new patient Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey) comes in who presents something different. When the therapist enters the room, the patient is cowering in a corner, terrified. She had witnessed a gruesome suicide a few days earlier, and the assumption is that she is reacting to that trauma. But the frightened patient is a young woman, a graduate student, who insists she is rational, but that she is being harassed and attacked with a being that takes the shape of people around her, revealing that it is the creature by smiling the creepiest of smiles. The patient becomes angry and hysterical when the doctor makes the reasonable assumption that what the patient is seeing is a hallucination. The young woman vehemently insists that what she is seeing is real and a danger that threatens not just her, but everyone. Then she screams as she sees the presence. The doctor turns, seeing nothing there, but when she turns back to the young woman, she is smiling, a remarkably creepy smile, and then a gruesome suicide takes place.

While there is little realistic in this hospital scene, it sets the pattern for the what unfolds, with the “infection” of the thing that was haunting the young woman now “transferred” to the therapist. After her rough day, the doctor goes home to her modern house in the country, where she is greeted by her purring cat. When her live-in fiance Trevor (Jessie T. Usher) comes home, she is somehow startled and drops the glass of wine she has poured herself. It is not the only broken glass in this scary movie.

Jump-inducing scares like that happen throughout this movie, and writer/director Parker Finn has a little extra fun throwing in little scares with camera shots and weird angles, including some clever ones, plus a nerve -jangling musical soundtrack.. The little scares sent waves of nervous laughter through the audience at the preview screening, although there is little direct comic relief here. There are some bloody scare scenes but it has more psychological jumps, as neither we or the character can be sure what is seen is real.

Another thing the film gets right is rejecting the usual Victorian haunted house or cabin in the woods settings, going instead for an isolated and run-down low-cost mid-century ranch house for some spooking doings, which is both refreshing and more believable.

Despite the disturbing things she is experiencing, Rose is determined to figure out what is really happening to her. Most of the people around her have to same reaction to her seeing things that most people would – they believe she is delusional. But like in a classic 1940s film noir, she does find one ally who believes her and she is able to uncover some facts about the smiling “entity.”

Sosie Bacon, who is in nearly every scene, does a nice job as the distressed doctor, alternatively vulnerable and confused or masterful and determined to find a solution. Kal Penn isn’t called on to much more than look alarmed but other actors get more of a chance to show off their stuff. Caitlin Stasey, in her brief scene, gets things rolling with a big splash as the troubled patient haunted by the smile. Gillian Zinzer is a scene-stealer as Rose’s neurotic sister, adding a touch of comic relief along with Nick Arapoglou as her sister’s equally hysterical husband. Young Matthew Lamb is touching as their young son.

Jessie T. Usher underplays as Rose’s emotionally cool fiance and Robin Weigert has a more pointed presence as Rose’s ex-therapist. Kyle Gallner plays a cop who is also Rose’s ex, with a mix of romantic longing and detective efficiency. Jack Sochet shines as death-obsessed patient Carl, and Rob Morgan makes a memorable impact as a prison inmate with some insight into what is happening to Rose.

SMILE is a moderately entertaining scary movie that might satisfy the itch for horror fans. While it stays within the lines of the genre, it has the bonus of not being a recycled story or another sequel.

SMILE opens Friday, Sept, 29, in theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

PEARL – Review

So, it’s looking like 2022’s box office final returns will be dominated by a film that’s already nabbed a spot in the all-time “top ten” earners, that’s TOP GUN: MAVERICK of course. Ah, but will the year be mainly known for one big sequel? No, perhaps not since a prequel did very very well, the last Gru/Minions outing while another did, hmm…not so well (LIGHTYEAR). But we’re about to get another prequel that’s not animated and it’s from a flick that was released just six months ago. And since its focus is on a character from the earlier film, it could also be considered a “spin-off”. Oh, that March film was titled simply X. And I have not seen it. So this puts one of my staunchest movie beliefs to the test: you shouldn’t have to see the original to enjoy (or not) a follow-up. Naturally, I hold the same belief for novels, plays, and even old TV shows (never saw a single “ep” of “Downton Abbey”, but liked the first feature film). So I’ve got “fresh eyes’ to gaze upon the gleaming gem that )maybe) is PEARL.


The A24 logo fades into an idyllic Texas farm, bathed in, some might say, oversaturated colors, way back in 1918 (maybe the pseudo-Technicolor evokes nostalgia). Oh, but the gloom in the house offsets the rosy hues. Eighteen-year-old Pearl (Mia Goth) has dreams of worldwide fame and fortune, but for now, she has to deal with her “uber-stern” German-born mother Ruth (Tandi Wright) and tend to her near-comatose mute quadriplegic papa (Mathew Sunderland). She also has to tend to the animals in the barn that she’s named after movie actresses (the lamb is Mary, natch’). And there’s another animal she “provides” for, a ravenous alligator named Theda, who glides through the nearby pond in the woods. Luckily Pearl has one human friend that occasionally visits, her upbeat blonde sister-in-law Misty (Emma Jenkins-Purro). Yes, sister-in-law. Pearl’s married to her brother Howard who’s serving his country in the last months of WWI, while back home everyone’s in a panic, or pandemic, over the Spanish Flu outbreak. Yet somehow Ruth allows Pearl to bicycle into the nearby town to pick up medicine for papa. Of course, Pearl has to take in the newest “flicker” at the movie palace where she can dream of being one of the chorus girls on the screen. It’s there that she encounters the theatre projectionist (David Corenswet), whose matinee-idol smoldering looks inspire more fantasies. Soon, Misty tells Pearl of the auditions at a local church for a dance troupe that will tour the country. But when word of it reaches Ruth she forbids Pearl from trying out and promises to keep her locked in her bedroom. Oh, she doesn’t realize that nothing’s going to stand in the way of Pearl’s quest for stardom. Nothing and no one, so Pearl will take whatever steps, even….

Well, you can probably guess, even if you were in the dark like me. And that’s just one facet of the “go for broke” performance in the title role by Goth (what an apropos last name for someone doing horror flicks). In nearly every scene, her animated face nearly leaps off the screen (no 3D needed), so you can imagine that Pearl would be a silent screen siren. Her upbeat smile adds to the comic interludes while her tears elicit sympathy for the put-upon heroine. But then the light goes out of those eyes and Pearl switches into a relentless being of chaos and sends chills down our spines. Her energy is almost matched by Wright, who seems to spew Old World venom (much of her dialogue is in German) as she unleashes her anger over “the bug” and the hatred towards her birthplace on her daughter. Counter-balancing that intensity is the “laid-back” laconic delivery of Corenswet who tries to trap Pearl in a web of his lusty charms. His cool, yet creepy demeanor doesn’t result in the “love em’ and leave em'” scenario that may have worked in other tiny burgs. Jenkins-Purro is the light to Goth’s darkness, a kind soul who only wishes to offer a helping hand and is dragged into the mire instead. It seems there’s no room in this world for her warm glow. And several scenes work due to the restrained work of Sunderland who gives weight to the adage that “the eyes have it”. His widened moist glare says more than any histrionics.

Word is that director Ti West concocted the screenplay via Zoom with Goth during the making of the first flick, X. This enabled them to go right from the previous one to this in a matter of days, which is pretty unique. And I’m thinking that the “behind the scenes” story might make for a more compelling film. Despite my admiration for Goth’s emoting, the rest of the flick just seems “all over the place” in tone and style. It starts as “high camp” with Golden Age Movie titles superimposed over the candy color farm and enhanced by the overly-lush orchestral score by Tyler Bates and Tim Williams. Then there are the tragic dramatic elements of soul-draining family life as Ruth squelches the joy from Pearl’s spirit. It’s then a sharp turn into an erotic thriller as Pearl watches a real silent “stag film” while the projectionist looms over her to savor her reactions. This all builds up to a third act packed to the gills with patricide, “gross-out” imagery (that pig), and mean-spirited cruelty in lingering close-ups, proclaiming once more, that in the “edgy” modern horror flicks, evil must triumph and the good are punished for their compassion. And to nitpick a bit, what 1918 theatre had a synchronized record for their feature.?And why do the audition judges dress in old wild west costumes? To sum it up, Goth’s great didn’t need to see the original (if it’s streaming on a rainy day…maybe I’ll catch up), wildly uneven, though it’s got more style than most of these thrillers. It’s not unflawed, but there are a few sparkles found in PEARL

1 and a 1/2 Out of 4

PEARL is playing in theatres everywhere

MEN – Review

(L-R) Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear in MEN. Courtesy of A24.

A woman alone in a secluded old house, who is being terrorized, is a standard of horror films but director/writer Alex Garland crafts a far different, mind-bending film from that familiar premise. In MEN, toxic masculinity and patriarchy play a major part in the horror.

Alex Garland, whose credits include the scripts for 28 DAYS LATER and SUNSHINE, is a visionary filmmaker who has previously used science fiction to delve into philosophy and a dark side of technology in EX MACHINA, a film that touched on the classic theme of the male creator controlling a female creation, with references to Frankenstein, Pygmalion and the mechanical doll of The Tales of Hoffman. Now Garland turns to the horror genre and, likewise, MEN is no ordinary horror film, although it plays with many of the familiar tropes and types of the genre. On one level, it is a feverish nightmare, an unforgettable, queasy experience, but on another it is a symbolic-laden exploration of patriarchy and toxic masculinity, along with references to ancient folk symbols and myths surrounding lust, sex, fertility and birth.

The film opens with a shocking sight, of a man falling past a window. The falling man is James (Paapa Essiedu), the husband Harper (Jessie Buckley) was in the process of divorcing despite his emotionally-manipulative threats of suicide, although we don’t know if what we see is an accident or a suicide. Seeking a place to heal and grieve, Harper rents a manor house near a tiny village in the quiet English countryside, to be alone and process what has happened.

The stately old house is beautiful and the landscape around it is lush, green and idyllic, the perfect spot. Strolling up to the front door, Harper plucks an apple from a tree in the front yard. The biblical reference is not subtle and as she takes a bite from it, we feel a momentary disquieting shift. She enters the old mansion and begins to explore, and normalcy seems to return with the arrival of the genial owner of the house, Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear), a slightly awkward but likable country aristocratic type. As Geoffrey shows her around the house, he asks slightly intrusive questions about her personal life, questions she deflects while implying she is divorced rather an widowed. When the owner spots the partly-eaten apple on the kitchen counter, his ever-present smile fades, followed by the words “forbidden fruit,” but he quickly adds that he is joking, as the smile returns. We feel he isn’t and, in fact, disturbing things quickly follow.

Harper decides to take a walk in the intensely green woods around the mansion, which leads her to an abandoned old railroad tunnel, where she lingers, playing with echos. That is until she spots a strange man, naked and scratched, at the other end, who then follows her back to the house. Although the police take him away, the incident starts a chain of disturbing events, as the film ratchets up the tension.

What unfolds is a surreal, head-spinning horror film experience steeped in myth and archetypes of masculinity while exploring aspects of the connections between men and women. Garland keeps the tension high throughout, as events become increasingly disturbing and nightmarish, heavily laden with symbolism, much of it drawn from folk traditions, particularly the ancient Green Man and mysterious sexual female image Sheela-na-gig.

The acting is superb, particularly Kinnear, as is the film’s masterful use of framing, the wildly lush sets and locations, and gorgeous photography, all suffusing a film of unrelenting tension. Some scenes, particularly the mind-bending climax, are disturbing to watch and graphic. although not in the usual horror film way.

After the encounter in the woods, Harper faces a series of increasingly unsettling encounters with men in the village, who demonstrate an array of sexist, patriarchal and toxic masculinity behaviors. They all share a version of the same face, including a malevolent 9-year-old boy. While the manor owner is merely awkward, others are more offensive, with a police officer who dismisses Harper’s fears, or even sinister, like the threatening boy and a vicar who seems at first to offer sympathy but quickly shifts to sexist critique.

The men in the village are all played by Rory Kinnear, with the aid of various prosthetics, wigs and false teeth and plenty of nudity. It is a brave, impressive multiple role performance by the lauded British actor, who crafts distinctly different characters for each role and endured some daunting physical challenges for them. Kinnear is famous in Britain for his stage work and as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company but he may be most familiar to movie audiences from his role in the Bond movies as Bill Tanner or supporting roles on TV shows like “Penny Dreadful” and many others.

Jessie Buckley, whose career is soaring, especially after her Oscar nomination for THE LOST DAUGHTER, is on screen nearly throughout the whole film. The film is a real acting tour-de-force by both Buckley and Kinnear, but while Buckley is excellent, this film may be a star-making turn for the gifted but lesser-known Rory Kinnear.

Although Harper is alone in this rural house, she frequently chats with her supportive friend Riley (Gayle Rankins) who sometimes offers to join her. Periodically, we see flashbacks to Harper’s troubled relationship with her late husband James, in a nice performance by Essiedu. Both sequences add to our understanding of Harper and the trauma she suffered, but her character is explored in less depth than might be expected.

Of course, as the title indicates, this film is about the men who surround and menace her, men who are symbolic, facets and archetypes rather than real individuals, representing aspects of masculinity and patriarchy. The film offers up both presentations of toxic masculinity and male privilege that have current day and recent historic reference, and ancient symbols of nature, sex, fertility and birth. But what exactly writer/director Garland is saying with all that is unclear, leaving it all to the interpretation of the viewer. The film is disturbing yet haunting, and puzzling, while it is also a polished, terrifying horror film.

MEN opens in theaters on Friday, May 20.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

THOSE WHO WALK AWAY – Review

Scarlett Sperduto and Booboo Stewart in THOSE WHO WALK AWAY. Courtesy of VMI Releasing

As low-budget horror flicks go, THOSE WHO WALK AWAY, begins intriguingly as it establishes the two lead personae via their awkward chatting during the first meeting, resulting from their on-line dating connection. Booboo Stewart plays Max, a shy lad tentatively re-entering the social scene after a long preoccupation with caring for his mother during a severe illness. Scarlett Sperduto’s character Avery is relatively cool, though carrying her own set of baggage, as the two verbally circle each other like wary boxers at the start of a match.

As they wander through their small town, gradually opening up to this new potential partner beside them, it soon becomes apparent that Avery will be the Alpha if they become a couple. She persuades him to join her in exploring a reputedly haunted house. Odd choice for a first date but it’s one way to skip past the usual facades people bring to such encounters. So far, so good. We’re getting to like them as they are warming to each other, thanks to believable dialog and spot-on body language.

Once they enter the creepy dwelling, events turn ugly for the characters and the audience. The place houses a hideous creature with a homicidal agenda. We’re supposed to be scared by what happens, but mostly I found myself disoriented.

Apparently working on a low budget called for camera and lighting gimmicks that cost little and achieved less. Even worse, they didn’t invest what they saved on the filming in further writing efforts to make the script more coherent. I can’t be more specific without spoilers but I’d have remained more emotionally engaged with better understanding of how this all came about, including more of the backstory and abilities of the evil entity driving the whole thing. Three credited writers, including director Robert Rippberger, needed more time together. Or a fresh fourth set of eyes before they started shooting.

Whatever energy the latter half might have contained was dampened by a combination of pointlessly weird cuts and angles within the house, and excessively lingering shots of nothing in particular happening. The two leads were well cast. Stewart is presumably popular with younger viewers, since he was featured in the TWILIGHT series. I have no idea what his career aspirations may be but choosing the name of Yogi Bear’s sidekick over his birth name (Nils) and limitless alternatives seems to indicate a lack of ambition. “The name’s Bond; Booboo Bond” would only work on “Saturday Night Live.” Sperduto could clearly carry her weight in better films, and most certainly will.

Bottom line, Stewart and Sperduto are worth getting to know. She impresses me as a younger version of an Aubrey Plaza. I’m mildly curious about what Rippberger, whose directing career has been mainly shorts and documentaries, may yet accomplish with better scripts and bigger budgets. This effort is a reasonable choice for a mildly gory horror flick when you’re in that mood. But nothing here is particularly unique or memorable.

THOSE WHO WALK AWAY is available streaming starting on Friday, Feb. 11, on Apple TV, Amazon, Hoopla, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and Microsoft, and in theaters in selected cities.

RATING: 1 out of 4 stars

THE LONG NIGHT – Review

Scout Taylor-Compton and Nolan Gerard Funk in THE LONG NIGHT. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

In director Rich Ragsdale’s THE LONG NIGHT, Scout Taylor-Compton stars as a woman engaged to a rich city lad (Nolan Gerard Funk) and on the threshold of a much larger life than she could have imagined growing up in a Deep South orphanage. She’s long been trying to learn who her birth parents were, and as the film opens she gets her first solid lead, requiring the couple to drive to the investigator’s isolated house in the boonies. What could possibly go wrong?

Upon arrival, their host is missing but he’d left the key for them with permission to settle in. A few things start to feel a bit hinky, including the intrusion of a couple of large snakes. But once the sun sets, the real mayhem starts to kick in. They are soon surrounded by silent folks wearing black robes and cattle and deer skulls, denoting some kind of cult. At least one seems to have supernatural powers, including the ability to block all means of communication and escape.

Most of the early going proceeds slowly, creating an eerie atmosphere that bodes ill for our young protagonists. Reliable character actor Jeff Fahey shows up to add another level to the mystery. Without divulging who does what to whom in which gory manner, I’ll just say that the couple scrambles frantically for survival for about an hour before anyone starts to learn what’s behind all of this. If taken seriously, orphans will think long and hard before searching for their roots. Horror fans already know to be wary of nights in dwellings in woods far from other humans, but none were around to give these two a heads-up.

Genre fans should be satisfied with the visceral component of maimings and killings. Some may find the prolonged escalation phase allows too much time to think about inconsistencies and other plot flaws along the way to “the reveal.” Taylor-Compton does well as the prototypical endangered heroine of such tales, doing most of the heavy lifting. Her fans should be pleased with how she handles this gig. Funk is convincing as a spoiled yutz who does manage to overcome his snobbery enough to actually love his partner. The few other cast members with speaking parts adhere to the tropes for their roles. The net result is a so-so bloody horror flick that’s OK if you’re in the mood for one, but won’t stand out from those you’ve seen before.

THE LONG NIGHT opens Friday, Feb. 4, in theaters in select cities and digitally on Apple, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, and Xbox.

RATING: 1 out of 4 stars

SCREAM (2022) – Review

So, for the last four weekends, one film has dominated, really ruled the box office. I’m talking about the latest installment of a near twenty-year-old franchise. So, what could possibly challenge this “rock-solid” tentpole and knock the “webhead’ off his perch? Perhaps the “de-throner” will be the latest installment of a franchise that’s over twenty-five-years-old. Oh, and it’s far less “family-friendly”, so maybe it’s not for the same audience. So, leave the kiddos home, when this masked knife-wielding maniac starts stalking the teens once again. “Ghostface” returns, hoping to make movie audiences (and studio coffers) SCREAM.


Alright, who’s “dying’ to revisit Woodsboro? Well your wish is granted with this flick’s opening sequence, which harkens back to a familiar night in 1996. Phone “tech” is a lot different now (texts, video chat, etc.), but it finishes with a brutal attack on young Tara (Jenna Ortega). Several miles away a frantic call sends her sister “Sam” (Melissa Barrera) sharing a ride home with boyfriend/co-worker Richie (Jack Quaid). When they arrive, a mini-reunion begins with Tara’s over-protective BFF Amber (Mikey Madison), twins Mindy (Jasmine Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) who’s never far from his “bae” Liv (Sonia Ammar), and Wes (Dylan Minnette), the son of Sheriff Hicks (Marley Shelton). She and Sam clash immediately, so the still-stunned big sister decides to consult with the “vets”. But the bitter reclusive former lawman Dewey Riley (David Arquette) is at first hesitant, but he sends a message to ex Gale (Courtney Cox), now a network tv news “morning anchor” in the Big Apple. The chain begins when she in turn calls Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell), now a busy big city mom. So will the trio reunite in their old “stomping grounds” before Ghostface slices and dices the “new kids”? And what about the “ghost of movies past’ who pops up to haunt Sam?

Oh, but she’s also haunted by memories as Barrera makes Sam a more complex screen “scream queen”, a young woman who wants to escape her hometown. But she’s pulled back by that burg’s history forcing her into action. Barrera has us investing in the heroine who’s not sure of herself. Plus Ortega as Tara truly tests that sisterly bond, resenting Sam but still needing her nurturing nature, Ortega turns Tara from “fodder’ into a fiesty spitfire, almost matched by Madison’s snarky, acid-spewing Amber. Quaid is quite entertaining as the beau who feels out of place, wanting to be there for Sam, but fearful of being “fresh meat’ for the deadly village. Ably filling the role of pop culture savant is the engaging Brown who seems more than a bit giddy to be part of the “re-qual”. But the movie’s “heavy lifting” is done by the tired but still standing original trio. Arquette’s Dewey has a world-weary affability, knowing of the threats but ready to put a stop to the “legacy”. As with previous incarnations, Cox’s Gale seems to be using the tragedies as a “self-promotion” until her inner-defender is awakened. It’s Campbell as Sydney that sounds that alarm, making her one of the genre’s greatest survivors, always thinking ahead and never backing down. Perhaps she can be spun off for a horror/road trip series, bashing creeps all over the globe.

The producers faced a big challenge as the series original scribe, Kevin Williamson, stepped down and the director of the previous entries, Wes Craven, sadly passed away in 2015. Stepping up are the directing team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet (READY OR NOT) who recreate the pacing and action dynamic of the first entry. Though it feels familiar they’re able to give each scene an air of dread and doom. Ultimately they’re tripped up by the sneering script from James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick that feels the need to drag down the midsection in a “meta mess”, skewering online trolls, while poking holes in the “fake Stab” movie series, which echoes the previous entries of this one, while also name-dropping other horror franchises. It all becomes tiresome very quickly giving the last act a “not as clever as they think they are” vibe. This leads to a final sequence denouncement that’s just plain silly and sophomoric (that’s the force, or farce, behind the body count). And though most thriller fans don’t find it a problem, the aggressive, extreme violence just seems to be a celebration of vicious cruelty. But I did like Tara’s admiration for “art-house horror” and Campbell is always a welcome movie presence. The fervent fanbase of the franchise will no doubt revel in this, but if I had to endure another “inside joke”, I was afraid that I’d clear out the theatre with a loud SCREAM.

2 Out of 4

SCREAM opens in theatres everywhere on Thursday evening, January 13, 2022

ANTLERS (2021) – Review

Jeremy T. Thomas, and Keri Russell in the film ANTLERS. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

Before you begin to fill the candy bowls and light up the jack o’lantern, how about taking a terror trek to the “haunted” multiplex for a very modern take on the traditional “creature feature”? Yes, there’s a growling drooling mythical monster at the center of the story, though the town and its past are pretty scary without this “beastie”. Perhaps this is a result of the unique behind-the-scenes pairing of a producer known for his fantasy fright flicks and a director who’d helmed several films that deal with all-too-human horrors. Together this “mad move-scientist” duo have stitched together a shambling nightmare thing that threatens to impale several villagers on its razor-sharp ANTLERS.


This said nightmare actually begins during another overcast day, just outside a remote dying town in Oregon. Its life’s blood, the mining operation, has long-shuttered its doors. But, there’s a glimmer of hope as the news spreads of a re-opening. This sends two locals, who were using it as a meth lab, scrambling to get their stuff out of the mine entrance. Though Frank Weaver (Scott Haze) and his pal are hurriedly filling up cardboard boxes, a growling noise coming from the cave entrance commands their attention. And when their screams join the noise, Frank’s seven-year-old son Aiden (Sawyer Jones) strolls into the darkness. Several weeks later, new teacher and returning resident Julia Meadows (Keri Russell) struggles to hold the interest of her elementary school class as she talks about myths and fables. One student, sullen, quiet Lucas Weaver (Jeremy T. Thomas) grabs her interest. She’s especially unnerved when he reads from his assignment. It’s a tale about a family of sick ravenous bears. The accompanying drawings, filled with red-ink gore, sound off the alarms in Julia’s head. She mentions this to her brother Paul (Jesse Plemons), who’s the town sheriff, in the family home they share (he’s now the owner as Julia’s looking for her own place). He warns her not to get involved. Meanwhile, Lucas returns to his ramshackle house, locking his bedroom door as hideous shrieks and screams, along with violent pounding, fill the darkness. Julia forges ahead with her sleuthing as the remains of someone, torn apart by seemingly human teeth, is found in the woods. Could this have been caused by whatever’s in the Weaver home? And could the Meadows siblings be next on its menu?


Though perhaps best known for her TV work (“Felicity”), Russell expertly handles the many “layers” of the story’s main facilitator. Her Julia sets the story “in motion”, though she’s more than a “scholarly savior”. This heroine is battling her past demons as much as the menacing monster. Through Russell’s eyes, you can see Julia waver as she almosts opts for ‘self-medication” while trying to drown the ghosts that tormented her in every room of the home she somehow survived. Many of those spirits swirl about her brother Paul, played with stoic subtlety by Plemons. He loves his big sister, though he suppresses a “tinge’ of resentment over her escape from the Hell that their father created for them. He’s dealing with “it’ by putting his head down and doing his job, even as it consists mainly of evicting his neighbors. But perhaps the most “haunted” character might be young Lucas, brought to heartbreaking life by Thomas. Much as with old cartoon icons, a dark cloud seems to always hover over him as he deals with a merciless bully in between doing his disturbing red-drenched art. Yet, Thomas gives him stubborn dignity and even optimism as he is convinced that he can somehow repair his broken family. The story also benefits from several screen vets in supporting roles. Rory Cochrane is the loyal deputy, Amy Madigan is a stern but sympathetic school principal, and Graham Greene is the former town lawman who “fills in the blanks” on the source of the town’s scourge while trying to hide his belief that nothing can stop what’s been “put into motion” by ancient vengeful forces.


There’s a ‘gloom” that covers nearly every frame in this vision of small-town life helmed by director Scott Cooper and produced by (amongst others) Guillermo del Toro. The main street is filled with boarded-up storefronts, while the sidewalk is filled with an endless line of residents awaiting treatment at the overwhelmed drug rehab facilities (almost as big a line as the liquor store). This is a dying community, one that can be “snuffed out” with little notice by the media or the nation. The screenplay co-written by Cooper along with Henry Chaisson and Antosca (based on his original short story) balances that slow march to oblivion with the childhood fears of the outdoors (something is watching you in those woods…and waiting). And at the story’s heart is the power of often long-forgotten myth which can curse those too weak to fight back. Luckily the human drama is as powerful as the supernatural showdowns with sequences that should satisfy the “horror crowd”. And without “spoiling” the finale, it isn’t cut and dry as the effects of the beast will still menace , even if only in dreams. ANTLERS delivers on the scares, but its setting and characters (given life by a superb cast) will linger long after the lights go up.

3 Out of 4

ANTLERS is now playing in select theatres

THE MANOR – Review

Barbara Hershey in THE MANOR, one of the “Welcome to the Blumhouse” four-film series. Courtesy of Amazon Studios.

There have been plenty of suspense and horror flicks set in the sequestered confines of nursing homes and mental hospitals for a very good reason. When any of the residents start sensing something amiss, they’re least likely to be believed by those who might help them. When the menace comes from those in charge, the diminished capacity of their victim pools provides excellent cover for their nefarious deeds. Vincent Price comes to mind as one who thrived in the genre. Many others did so before and after his turns at chilling our bones.

In THE MANOR, Barbara Hershey plays a spry granny of 70, who realizes her Parkinson’s is starting to cause a decline she doesn’t want her family, especially her devoted grandson (Nicholas Alexander), to endure with her. She chooses a nursing home that looks good at first but soon starts seeming otherwise. That’s essential for there to be a movie in the first place. Otherwise, all you’d get is a PSA for eldercare. The sense of peril begins with rules cutting off contact with the outside world (gasp! No cell phones!), and even requiring a security code and escort to walk through the woods and garden within the remote, gated property. Several residents act fearful in various ways but it’s hard to tell how grounded or demented they may be. The film perpetuates a classic trope of dreading the attentions of the home’s black cat, which reputedly senses who’s about to die, and hops onto their lap or bed to function as a fatal spoiler alert. Draw your own conclusion about whether the cat feels glee or compassion in those moments.

Hershey finds a trio of relatively alert pals to start feeling somewhat more at home. But a variety of eerie sounds and visions during the nights could mean something wicked her way comes. Inexplicable, unverifiable events cause her to doubt her own sanity. If the menace exists, could it be from a supernatural entity? Is something malicious going on that’s of human origin, as telegraphed by a couple of Nurse Ratched types among the staff? Or could it be both? As the saying goes, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not really out to get you. Similarly, demons and villainous caregivers just might share roles in the same movie.

I’m not sure how much writer/director Axelle Carolyn’s script was more compelling than average, or the extent to which my own age made Hershey’s situation seem more relevant than the slew of analogs watched by my younger selves. After all, I’m almost four years older than her character, and several months older than the actress. What’s certain is that as director, Carolyn dangles many possibilities in an efficient package, maintaining the suspense all the way to an excellent climax. As a star, Hershey’s still got the chops to carry the ball through some challenging territory, putting this one comfortably within the plus side of the quality ledger. And she’s aging more gracefully than your faithful correspondent.

THE MANOR is available to stream on Amazon Prime starting Oct. 8.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

A QUIET PLACE PART II – Review

So, we know that these new vaccines can work wonders, but could they also be a cure for “Sequelitis Interruptus”. Yeah, I made that up, but it should be a real thing that would certainly apply to this week’s big movie release. Way back in April of 2018 (ah, the before times), John Krasinski was the star, director, and co-writer of a weird hybrid flick (part family drama. part horror, part SF action) that become an unexpected box office smash. So naturally, a sequel was in order, and after some resistance, John K was back at the helm, with a release date of March 2020. I had already RSVP’d to the press sneak peek when everything literally shutdown, in those first few weeks of the pandemic. Would it be regulated to the streaming services? “No way!”, said John K, who insisted that we’d all get to see it together when things were safe. Well he, and Paramount, have kept their promise. It’s not the start of the month, but it’s still May, so we can say that the Summer movie season has officially begun, with a Disney prequel/origin story and a long (14 months) awaited follow-up that’s imaginatively titled A QUIET PLACE PART II…shhhh.

But as it begins, we’re taken back to “day one”, long before the events of that previous film. Perhaps this is really a prequel as Lee Abbott (Krasinski) brings some last-minute supplies (those kids need their orange slices) to a little league game in their quiet. almost designed by Norman Rockwell, upper New York state village. But with son Marcus (Noah Jupe) at bat, the crowd is distracted by a fire and black smoke trail piercing the perfect fluffy mid-afternoon clouds. Everyone scampers home with Lee and his wife Evelyn (Emily Blount) loading the kids into their respective vehicles. Suddenly all Hell breaks loose as those spindly, fast-moving creatures destroy the main street and its residents. Jumpcut to moments after the ending of the previous flick as Evelyn readies her shotgun while daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) gathers up the hearing aid/boombox combo that produces feedback that’s almost lethal to the audio-sensitive alien monsters. As fire consumes their last home/sanctuary, the Abbotts, including Marcus and his baby brother, are on the move again. After lots of very slow, soft walking, they come across what seems to be a shuttered factory/foundry. Ah, but the trail is booby-trapped, causing Marcus to suffer a grave injury. But before the monsters arrive, they’re ushered into a concrete bunker (perhaps the long-cooled furnace) by Emmett (Cillian Murphy) one of the last survivors from their hometown. .He wants them to move on, but Evelyn pleads with him to allow Marcus to rest and heal. While working with the radio, they’re stunned to find a clear signal playing the same 60s pop tune nonstop. Regan uses a map to pinpoint its source, and, despite her mother’s objections, heads out on her own to find the station. Emmett reluctantly agrees to bring her back, while Evelyn makes the dangerous trek to find medical supplies for her boys. But as everyone splits up, how long before someone makes a noise that will attract the near-unstoppable killing creatures?

Blunt effortlessly slips back into the role of Evelyn, one of the silver screen’s greatest “mama grizzlies”. She is fierce with a capital “F”, her intense gaze broadcasts her devotion. Very tough, yet so tender as she takes time to comfort her still traumatized offspring. Jupe as marcus yearns to prove himself, but his injury frustrates him and sidelines him from fighter to (he thinks )burden or victim. But the Abbott that’s really straining to spread her wings is Simmonds as the fiesty Regan, butting heads with Mom as most teeens do, though she believes herself to be the only hope for the family (and perhaps humanity). And after losing her adored papa, she tries to push back on her terror in order to be his avenger. Murphy proves to be a terrific addition to the saga, as we can see his struggle to hang on to his humanity, despite his own catastrophic losses. Though he rescues the Abbotts, they somehow free him from a future of selfishness. Though not seen till the story’s final act, Djimon Hounsou makes a strong impression as another traveler offering a hand and good advice. Flipping things around, it’s great to see Krasinski back as the patriarch Lee if only for the brief prologue, giving us a glimpse of the pre-disaster dad, and reminding us of the loss that will also haunt his family.

But this time out, Krasinski is mostly behind the camera, directing from his own script, building on the characters and situations created by writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. He creates enormous tension when the Abbotts venture out, be it the dead of night or a sun-drenched morning. The slightest murmur and the demon hordes are mere inches away. Much of the film’s power hinges on the sound team, who more than match their impressive work from the original (last year’s Oscar-worthy work on THE SOUND OF METAL comes very close). And somehow the spider-like alien beasties are more impressive, as we get to view them a tad more closely, their flared faces seeming more of a mix of blooming flower and angry reptile, so big kudos to those CGI creature creators. But this sequel mainly works due to John K’s vision. He’s avoided the pitfalls of most non-franchise follow-ups, not rehashing the “best of the first”, but expanding on the family dynamic and opening up this savage new world that they try to navigate. And much like many post-apocalypse thrillers (especially TV’s “The Walking Dead”), the Abbotts learn that the other humans are just as monstrous as the alien invaders. But there are the added emotions involved, as the adults must deal with their children embracing adulthood, and knowing when to step aside. This may not quite be the cinema “home run” from 2018, but Krasinski and crew have delivered a solid triple. A tightly muffled hurray for A QUIET PLACE PART II, it’s more horror and heart. Well worth the wait.

3 Out of 4

A QUIET PLACE II opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, May 28, 2021.

ARMY OF THE DEAD – Review

With Memorial Day weekend looming, what better time to kick back and enjoy and a noisy action blockbuster. That’s the way movie fans marked the beginning of the Summer season, well, in those before times. Sure this week’s new blockbuster began running on several screens last weekend, but the main focus of its marketing right now is about its “dropping” on a major streaming service (several would say “the streaming service”). It, however, “changes up” the usual formula for thrillers, aside from its distribution, since it’s another “high-concept hybrid”. You see this is a modern-day action heist flick, complete with the all “big plan’ and assembling the team. Y’know like the main variations, reboots, and sequels to OCEAN’S ELEVEN. So what’s the twist? Well, the big “window of opportunity” for the “grab” is opened due to a big disaster, though not a natural one like the big storm in 1008’s HARD RAIN. Nope, this is another one of those pesky zombie outbreaks. Yes, it’s extra tough to make that “big score” when you’ve got to contend with an ARMY OF THE DEAD.

The story does begin with the start of said “outbreak” when two newlyweds begin their honeymoon on the road to Vegas. The very distracted driver collides with a heavily armored military transport, dislodging its deadly cargo” a ravenous cannibalistic super-powered murder machine. Naturally his bite turns the surviving escort soldiers into killers who are quickly drawn to that “bright-light city”. Via an opening title montage, we see the town become overrun by the undead mobs, which also overwhelm the military. It’s soon determined that “Lost Wages” is a loss that needs to be isolated by a containment fence-like wall made of boxcars dropped by helicopters. A tent city is also set up outside the city by the World Health Organization to quarantine and monitor the evacuating citizens. As the TV news reports of plans to obliterate the infected city with a tactical nuclear strike (on July 4th, natch’), the grill man at a dusty diner, Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) is stunned to get a visit from casino kingpin Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada). His insurance has already re-reimbursed him for the 200 million stuck in the big vault beneath his showcase hotel/spa, but he now wants a team to secretly sneak into the city and grab the vault’s contents prior to it getting “nuked”. Since Scott’s a decorated vet and former Vegas resident, he’s offered 50 million to assemble a team (and split that dough any way he wants). He reluctantly agrees and puts together his crew of old cohorts. First is super-mechanic Maria (Ana de la Reguera), “muscle” Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick), and ace chopper pilot Peters (Tig Notaro). Then some “newbies’ are recruited: safecracker ‘savant” Dieter (Matthias Schweighofer) and social media zombie-killing star “Guz” (Raul Castillo) and his “right-hand” Chambers (Samantha Win). Everyone is startled when they’re joined at the last minute by Tanaka’s security chief Marin (Garret Dillahunt). Is he there to keep them on track, or does he have his own agenda? Scott decides the best way to enter Vegas is through the detention camp which entails an uneasy reunion with estranged daughter and WHO worker Kate (Ella Purnell). She enlists a “Coyote”, who has been sneaking folks into town, Lilly (Nora Arnezeder), who also brings in an abusive military guard Burt (Theo Rossi). Oh, and much to Scott’s ire, Kate insists on coming so she can keep an eye out for a mother who made the trek recently. As the clock ticks down to the nuclear blast, can this motley crew make the grab and fly out, while avoiding a horde of rampaging hungry hordes? If they stick to the plan, everything will work out, right?

In his best post-Drax leading role, Bautista proves to be a compelling screen presence casting a commanding silhouette, but still showing a bit more of his human side. Scott is able to shake off the “biters’ as though they were ragdolls, but he can’t shake off the guilt of his failure during the attack on his family. His MCU role may present more of his wry comic timing, but we’re getting a bit more of his heartfelt dramatic side, especially as he finally opens up to his daughter close to the big finale. Purnell, as that sibling kate, is a strong sparring partner for him, never backing down, though the role often seems abrasive and headstrong. Scott’s other partner, perhaps his BFF, is the warm, but no-nonsense de la Reguera who can now add action lead to her growing resume. Hardwick also is an impressive physical presence but is best as a big brother/straight-man to the tightly-wound, eccentric Schweighofer as the endearing, often dense Dieter. Notaro projects just the right amount of “fly-boy swagger” as the sweetly sarcastic Parker. And Rossi, Amezeder, and Dillahunt add an air of mystery as characters who may be a great back-up, though often have secretive motivations.

After a seventeen-year hiatus, in which he became the controversial guiding force in the Warner/DC franchises (“wrecking ball” springs to mind, IMO), Zack Snyder returns to the land of the “non-living” with this epic tale (clocking in at nearly 150 minutes (brevity alludes him). And as in DAWN, these ghouls are almost Olympic sprinters (a trait George Romero chided in his LAND OF THE DEAD), while several new twists are added (they all tend to get into Spider-Man-style poses since I’m guessing that most are played by “Cirque du Soleil” vets). An almost-social hierarchy (maybe a class system) is established. “Alphas”, those bitten by “Zombie Zero” AKA “Zeus”, seem a bit smarter and lord over the majority known as “shamblers”. And there’s a huge development that I won’t spoil, but I’m guessing it will figure into the sequel (or prequel). Still, for all the “rules” set up, Snyder gleefully bends them so that the monsters can slowly advance the plot. And it is a slow build-up into the mayhem that finally begins (we learn that the dead “hibernate”). Snyder, who co-wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold, does get the sun-drenched Hell vibe of Vegas correct (as does the current HBOMax series “Hacks”), but certain “out-of-nowhere character confessions are poorly planned. Much of the big action set-pieces quickly devolve into “first-person shooter’ video game homages, slowed down to a crawl (Z love his ultra “slo-mo”) and backed up by campy choices of pop tunes and Vegas standards. And after, what is it, 30 seasons of TV’s “The Walking Dead” (which has two spin-offs now), many of the creeping around/zombie ambushes feel awfully familiar. And I think I mentioned the two-and-a-half-hour runtime. Even a bit of Snyder’s superhero flicks, Zuess sports a cape and a bullet-proof cowl, creeps in, but he doesn’t add enough to now trite Canibal creep tropes. Action and gore fans will get their fill, but for many ARMY OF THE DEAD is a ponderous platoon march through “glitter gulch”. Cash me out.

2 Out of 4

ARMY OF THE DEAD is now playing in select theatres and begins streaming exclusively on Netflix beginning Friday, May 21, 2021.