Tag Archives: Horror

HALLOWEEN ENDS – Review

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Michael Myers (aka The Shape) in Halloween Ends, co-written, produced and directed by David Gordon Green.

Wow, that time of year snuck up on us once more, much like the creeper of this looooong-time horror franchise. Yes, Fall is fully here and that big holiday is mere weeks away. And this is the (unlucky) thirteenth entry in the series that began 44 years ago (feels like we just marked its big 4-0). As though we’ve not been bombarded with horror flicks the last few weeks, from THE INVITATION to current box office champ SMILE. Ah, but this is different since it’s being treated as a major release from a big-time studio, and it stars the original’s “break-out” actress, who has had a career way beyond that early label of “scream queen”, though many genre stars proceeded her. But this was a true “game-changer” back in 1978. But will its implied “conclusion’ tingle the spines of twenty-first-century moviegoers? More importantly, will they accept the idea that HALLOWEEN ENDS?


Oddly, this ending begins with a flashback to 2019. It is that holiday setting, and another teenage babysitter Corey (Rohan Campbell), a fella’ this time, endures a deadly prank that will impact his life. Cut (natch’) to today. Well, here’s where it gets a bit confusing as it is four years since the events of KILLS which was released a year ago (wonky movie timelines). That original sitter, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), seems to be on the road to a healed psyche. She’s not training in a wooded “bunker’ any longer, instead, she resides in a nice cozy house (the old family “house of horrors” was torn down) with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), who has begun a career as a nurse. And much of Laurie’s time is taken up with her writing as she types away at an inspirational memoir. Things are pretty quiet since it has been a few years since “you-know-who” stalked Haddonfield, Illinois. But there’s lots of drama left there as Laurie befriends Corey when some local hooligans gang up on him, which leads him to a “bloody cute” (literally) meeting with Allyson. They even hit a pre-holiday party at a local bar. But then he takes off his scarecrow mask and the “haters” break them up, which leads to him taking a tumble off an overpass. When he wakes up Corey hears grumbling from someone in a drainage tunnel. This empties into an underground level that is now the lair of a very weak “shape”, or “boogeyman” Michael Myers. Yet somehow he spares Corey when their eyes meet and they seem to share a twisted spiritual connection. Soon this unlikely duo is erasing names from Corey’s “s*#t list” as his romance with Allyson heats up. But Laurie sees a change in his eyes and fears that the “evil” may have a new host. Can she save her family from the new threat and a very old enemy?

Aside from “the Shape” the main reason for this “new trilogy” is the white-hot stat power generated by the formidable Ms. Curtis. And for her many fans, well to put it bluntly, she brings it, all of her skills and strength, to what she insists is her final waltz with Laurie. The last entry was a bit of a letdown as her character was mostly confined to a hospital room (much as in that second flick from 1981), happily here she’s in the “thick of it”, action-wise. But she’s more than the grim avenger of four years ago. We see her sweet side as Curtis lets a shy smile emerge while flirting with the charming Will Patton, who’s back as Hawkins. Plus there’s the maternal dealing with Allyson, pared with lots of conflict and remorse (Laurie’s not going to blow this second chance at parenting). Matichak captivates as the “final Strode sibling”, though too often she’s regulated to being the “good gal” defending the “bad boy” she adores because nobody else “understands”. Until it devolves into a cliched angsty star-crossed romance, she has a nice initial rapport with Campbell’s Corey who deftly turns from dweebish teen to haunted twenty-something as he slowly succumbs to the darkness of the small-town taunts and torments. Ultimately the script calls for him to emote via sneers and snarls when away from Alyson and as he falls fully under the spell of the Shape.

The best thing say of this “finale” is that it does indeed feel like one, and it’s miles above last year’s dreary. overwrought “message-y” misfire (none of this “the town is the real evil” hoohah). It’s odd since most of the same creative team made this one, led by director and co-writer (it took a quartet) David Gordon Green. He keeps the third act moving briskly, from one gore-fueled set piece to another, which should satisfy the fans who may grow restless waiting for their masked “hero” to do his “business” after the Corey subplot and the more “mellow” Laurie. Actually, this one’s main problem might be a script that’s too ambitious as it tries to meld a thrill ride with bits of family drama and an unlikely mentoring saga. Plus the final “throw-down” is marred by the off-kilter actions of a major player. Well, at least the “hit list” is made up of some really awful folks (though maybe not deserving of such extreme reprimands). Another plus is the always sinister musical themes that have been given a tweak or two by the master, John Carpenter, and his audio crew. And as I said, it feels like a final farewell, but only the box office can guarantee that HALLOWEEN ENDS.

2 Out of 4

HALLOWEEN ENDS is now playing in select theatres and streams exclusively for 60 days on Peacock beginning on 10/15/2022

HELLRAISER (2022) – Review

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Jamie Clayton as Pinhead in Spyglass Media Group’s HELLRAISER, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of Spyglass Media Group. © 2022 Spyglass Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

So, we’re now officially a week into October. Ready for a spooky flick? Well most hardcore “horror hounds’ are game any time of the year, but this month is…special. And what better way to get “in the mood” than revisiting some iconic and shocking characters in a big reboot, though their creator calls this a “re-imagining” (um, okay). Oh, and we’re not reaching back to the Universal icons of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. They skip a few decades to get into the scream kings (and queens) of the 70s and 80s. It just feels like all of them have gotten a nice new coat of gore. Hey, even Michael Meyers will be back in a week for his final rampage (heard that before). And much like Chucky, these horrors spring from a toy, a puzzle box specifically. As we learned 35 years ago, and over ten flicks, when you solve this puzzle you don’t get a prize because it’s a real HELLRAISER.

This “new take” begins on the streets of Serbia as a woman named Menacker (Haim Abbas) does an exchange in a dingy alley, handing over a briefcase full of cash for a nondescript box, which its former owner warns her not to open. Cut to the impressive mansion of a pleasure-seeking reclusive billionaire named Voight. There’s a party in progress, clothes optional. Menacker meets a handsome young man at the bar and invites him to a private audience with Voight, in his secret gallery. Inside a case, he spots a detailed puzzle box, the Lament Configuration. Voight appears (Goran Visnej) and instructs his guest to solve the puzzle. When he does a spring-triggered needle pops out and punctures his hand. The box seems to suck up his blood which initiates a portal to another dimension that shoots out long chains with sharp hooks that dig into his flesh before hoisting him up. From there the story shifts to a grungy bedroom as Riley (Odessa A’zion) and her new beau Trevor (Drew Starkey) enjoy each other’s company. As they leave the sprawling apartment they’re confronted by her straight-laced brother Matt (Brandon Flynn) He’s angry that she’s dating somebody she met while in rehab and thinks she’s using again. Oh, and she’s behind in her share of the rent. Back at Trevor’s place, he suggests a way to make some quick cash. He makes delivers to a warehouse owner by some “rich dude”. They could use the security code and take something in his safe. And they go through with it, acquiring, yup that deadly puzzle box. Later, when it whisks away Matt, Riley is on a mission to find out the secrets of the box and rescue her sibling. But will she along with Trevor and their friends become victims to the box and the other-worldly demons known as Cenobites?

In an interesting spin on your typical horror heroine. or scream queen, A’zion as Riley is a woman who seemingly has her hands, and mind, full battling her own inner demons, let alone some true terrors from another dimension. And she’s up to the challenge even as the script has her screeching in her opening act like a spoiled petulant pre-teen. But her missing bro forces her into detective mode and A’zion is a formidable force as she slowly uncovers the truth about the “box”. Starkey has a low-key seedy charm as the tempting “bad boy” of many fantasies. But he’s a piker compared to Voight who is given a sinister grinning snarl by Visnej, whose leading man looks mask his perverse machinations. And making a mark (in more ways than one) is Jamie Clayton as The Priest (often referred to as “pinhead” which irks its creator), her passive aggressive delivery, much like one of those home AI devices, clashes with the sadistic punishments it unleashes.

So, has director David Bruckner (THE NIGHT HOUSE) delivered a terror trek that surpassed the 1987 original? Well, there are a few new interesting spins (the attire of the Cenobites particularly), but there is little of the campy fun of that trippy late 80s flick that surprised us. And the new script from Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski, and David S. Goyer (yup, it took a trio) doesn’t deliver new shocks, but rather tepid variations on familiar scary set pieces inspired by the Clive Barker classic. It’s amusing that Voight’s mansion itself is also a puzzle box, but its contrivances just feel…contrived, though the art direction is done well. This is something like the tenth film in this series, but it just might be time to put that nasty puzzle box in storage until someone can twist and turn it until it becomes a truly horrific HELLRAISER.


1.5 Out of 4

HELLRAISER is now streaming exclusively on Hulu

DEADSTREAM – Review

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Joseph Winter as Shawn Ruddy in DEADSTREAM. Photo Credit: Shudder.

DEADSTREAM is a little comedy horror flick that looks as if it were made on the cheap (which it probably was) but which turns its limited budget into an asset. Joseph Winter wrote and directed with wife, Vanessa Winter, and stars as an internet celeb named Shawn Ruddy who’s made a living by putting himself in danger. In each episode, he faces one of his fears for fun and profit. Apparently, that kept food on the table until he went too far in one adventure and lost his sponsors in disgrace. For his comeback after a six-month exile, he chooses to live-stream his night alone in a reputedly haunted house. That makes up the entire movie.

On the plus side, Winter makes this more visually interesting than most of the hand-held camera productions flooding screens ever since THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, by using multiple cameras. He’s got a POV on his head, plus a selfie stick so we can alternate between what he sees and his reactions. He’s also planted cameras around the house’s reported hot spots (alleged previous deaths and spectral sightings) which he and we can follow on his tablet. We can also read his audience’s comments as they scroll, and even watch some of them talking to him.

As expected, spooky and gory things occur. A couple of people turn up who may, or may not, prove helpful. Winter’s character scares easily, and overreacts to the slightest sound and movement. A lot. Your enjoyment of the film will turn on whether he holds your empathy, or just becomes annoying. There’s nothing subtle or low-key in Winter’s performance. He’s wired electronically and emotionally throughout, which befits his character in the situation, but might prove as exhausting to follow as it was for him to film.

Be prepared for more blood, guts and jump starts than giggles as the protagonist’s long night of terror unfolds. It’s not rated by the MPAA as of this writing, but serves up enough frights and icky sights for an R. In his acting hat, Winters shoulders a big burden, since he’s almost always in frame, and delivers most of the lines in the spouses’ script. There are elements of humor and some social satire in the feedback from his fans’ and detractors’ reactions to what they’re witnessing in real time. The F/X part of the budget was spent wisely, providing plenty of scary and yucky bits of bang for the buck.

It ain’t great cinema but that was certainly not the goal. Enjoy this piece of escapism on its own terms. The Winters are early in their careers, and seem clever and resourceful enough to attract investors and keep their production wheels turning.

DEADSTREAM is available for streaming on Shudder starting Thursday, Oct. 6.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

SMILE – Review

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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

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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

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(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

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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

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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

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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

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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