Director Scott Derrickson bring to screen what is really one of the more riveting thrillers of 2022. While “The Black Phone” almost always runs the risk of getting lost in its obvious influences of Stephen King and Amblin, “The Black Phone” ends up being a truly engaging and often scary hostage thriller. This one thinks somewhat outside the box bringing us not only in to the hot seat of the character that’s been kidnapped, but it also gives us a look at the echoes that emanate with every victim that villain “The Grabber” has ever victimized and murdered.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
End Of The Line (2007)
I’m frankly shocked that I’ve never seen or even heard of Maurice Devereaux’s “End of the Line” until this year. I typically have my ears perked to new horror titles, and “End of the Line” slipped right by me. I don’t know if I’d call it a masterpiece, but it sure is a damn good siege and survival horror movie in the tradition of “Assault on Precinct 13” and or “The Void.” It’s bleak, it’s dark, it’s gory and it has a climax that will likely keep the audience debating for days.
Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3 (2022)
In 2020’s “Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 2,” heroine Addison spent a lot of her arc trying to figure out if she was perhaps the “Great Alpha” werewolf. When that was a bust, we were left on a cliffhanger as Addison was left pondering on her origins. And we were given a clue—from outer space. The idea of Addison perhaps being an alien makes a ton of sense considering the character guidelines the movies follow, and with the final movie in Disney’s “Z-O-M-B-I-E-S,” Disney works fast to seal up any and all lingering questions about Addison and Zed.
Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 2 (2020)
The follow up to the surprise 2018 hit musical is a superior movie in every way possible. Although there didn’t seem to be much that they could do with a follow up, “Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 2” does a darn good job in amplifying what was so great about the first one; the writers are great at adding on to the whole mythos of the town of Seabrook offering even more characters, more potential for more monsters, and give cheerleader Addison her own arc. While in the original she sought to fit in with the zombies, now she’s looking for her own group, unsure of where she really belongs after her experiences with Zed and Zombietown.
Z-O-M-B-I-E-S (2018)
It’s an allegory for class divide. That’s basically all “Z-O-M-B-I-E-S” is. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good movie, but once you can get past the clumsy symbolism of the way the zombies are supposed to be the more impoverished individuals, while the humans are meant to be the upper echelon, “Z-O-M-B-I-E-S” is actually kind of a fun horror comedy musical. You wouldn’t think that they could really pull off a zombie horror comedy for kids, but Disney and director Paul Hoen do a pretty darn good job of it. Even if 2013’s “Bunks” is better.
Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie (2005)
After being introduced to ruin the 100 Acre Wood in 2005’s “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie,” Disney brings Heffalump back to ruin my favorite holiday, Halloween. Normally Winnie the Pooh is very good about ringing in Halloween, but “Heffalump Halloween Movie” is a pretty dull adventure, sadly. The whole attempt to curb the entire narrative toward the bland goofy elephant, and away from Winnie the Pooh is uninteresting.
Archaon: The Halloween Summoning (2020)
I’m all for more horror movies that are set on or around Halloween, but there should be more behind it. Despite the inclusion of Celtic folklore and Halloween mythology, Paul Ernest’s horror thriller is a bust. There’s a good concept behind “Archaon: The Halloween Summoning.” It’s just that the movie itself does absolutely nothing with it. It’s a horror movie that basks in its glacial pacing and paper thin, unlikable characters.