Tag Archives: Drama

Teen Witch (1989)

Posted on by

teenwitch

“Teen Witch” is one of the last relics of the eighties that isn’t just a fantasy for teen girls based around the joy of superficiality and empty popularity, but something of a cheesy comedy that absolutely embraces its idiocy time and time again. The unapologetic cheesiness and truly awful values of “Teen Witch” is often so bad, and yet so damn charming to endure. You almost have to admire it for building up to an anti-climax that boasts about how great it is to have the guy of your dreams, even if he’s as deep as a Koi pond. Dorian Walker’s film also dares to embrace the hip hop genre with a trio of young white men from the suburbs. Thank goodness for Larry Weir.

Continue reading →

The Revenant (2015)

Posted on by

The-Revenant

With “The Revenant,” Alejandro González Iñárritu pulls off a wonderful vision with amazing cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, posing the wilderness of South Dakota as something of an omnipresent force that works against every single character from the moment we step on to the snow covered woodlands. “The Revenant” works around a simple tale of revenge and enduring the elements all to convey the sheer unforgiving world that protagonist Hugh Glass has to venture across simply to avenge his own son. The weather and terrain holds no prisoners and garners zero bias, enduring the war of man and being covered in the blood of the violated while offering as much punishment as it’s dealt. Director Iñárritu’s “The Revenant” is a grueling epic that views what lengths main character Hugh Glass is willing to go through to ensure justice is served.

Continue reading →

The House Where Evil Dwells / Ghost Warrior: Double Feature [Blu-ray]

Posted on by

91rtgqZqCpL._SL1500_

Scream Factory offers movie fans a double feature on Blu-Ray with the theme of Asian culture driving the plots for both films. For folks that love Asian films, these two films offer up a helping of Asian genre entertainment with slight twists to them. The first feature is 1982’s “The House Where Evil Dwells,” a supernatural thriller that is basically “Amityville Horror” with a Japanese twist. It’s also just as goofy as the former ghost film. The Fletchers have migrated from the US to Japan in hopes of taking a long needed vacation. Writer Ted is intent on finishing his novel and is anxious to relax. The trio along with Ted’s friend Alex ends up at a small house in the woods of Kyoto where they’re told by Alex’s friend that the house’s rent is cheap due to suspected ghosts.

Continue reading →

The Martian (2015)

Posted on by

martian

It’s been quite a while since director Ridley Scott brought a film so rich and entertaining to the big screen and it’s a thrill to see Scott bring audiences what is one of the more riveting tales of a castaway trying to survive in the wilderness. Adapted from the novel, Scott delivers a truly compelling drama about lone astronaut Mark Watney left stranded on Mars, who spends his time trying to survive and build his own ecosystem in a harsh alien world incapable of supporting life. What’s most exceptional about “The Martian,” is that it tells the tale of a very motivated hero who spends all of his time trying to solve his problems and very little of it moping around and fearing death.

Continue reading →

Creed (2015)

Posted on by

creed-2015

Sylvester Stallone paid proper tribute and respect to his character Rocky Balboa with the final chapter in his saga “Rocky Balboa.” The character deserved the poetic finale after the clunker that was “Rocky V.” Ryan Coogler’s “Creed” is an utter accomplishment that works as a part of Rocky Balboa’s tale, and as the beginning of a new underdog saga. What initially seemed like a lame cash in, is a brilliant twist on the underdog tale with Stallone turning his sights Balboa’s rival and friend Apollo Creed. What was viewed as a sad death in a camp classic in “Rocky IV” carries over in to “Creed,” where Apollo’s death has had a serious significant effect.

Continue reading →

A Sister’s Nightmare (2013)

Posted on by

sisters-nightmare

What almost ruins the experience of “A Sister’s Nightmare” is its pacing. The pacing and tension are glacial to the point where I wondered if writer Shelley Gillen had any idea where it was going. Thankfully sticking with it leads in to a very interesting pay off in the finale where events unfold in to a welcome twist climax. I pretty much anticipated what would occur, but in the end I appreciated that the writers opted for a twist rather than simply turning “A Sister’s Nightmare” in to a typical protective parent thriller we’ve seen a thousand times. I’m not saying “A Sister’s Nightmare” is top notch thrills and chills, but it definitely builds up to a neat bang that compensates for the general mediocrity of its storytelling.

Continue reading →

Sinister 2 (2015)

Posted on by

Sinister2

Someone should really tell the creators of Slender Man that Focus Features went ahead and ripped off their character, except their version sports rockin’ long black hair. Here we are with the direct follow-up to “Sinister” and the mystery of who or what Bughuul still isn’t interesting, nor is the actual character of Bughuul. His motives are still a mystery, his quest for luring children still unknown, and there’s not a lot of explanation to what purpose the children serve for him. Are they his willing minions? Are they individual manifestations of his persona through the souls of the children he’s consumed? Are they possessed by him? Or are they his eternal slaves? The writers don’t seem to know just yet.

Continue reading →