It feels a lot like the studios behind “The Pope’s Exorcist” is intent, or at least trying, to build a new horror hero in the vein of the Warrens a la “The Conjuring.” While normally I would never root for a film to fail, I hope we don’t get any sequels because I can’t picture Gabriele Amorth being a dynamic or even compelling horror protagonist. Even with his first film, Gabriele Amorth is explored as a massively skeptical priest pulled in to an extraordinary and genuine exorcism. There really isn’t much beyond what we learn about Gabriele Emorth or “The Pope’s Exorcist” for that matter.
Tag Archives: Horror
Cocaine Bear (2023): Maximum Rampage Edition [Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital]
I don’t think anyone could predict that one of the weirdest drug crime stories would turn in to a bona fide cult horror comedy– and then directed by Elizabeth Banks, of all people. Suffice it to say, though, “Cocaine Bear” despite being one of the many movie memes of the year, it does live up to being a wildly funny, and gory nature run amok movie. Banks’ comedic sensibilities are perfect for what is such an unabashedly silly horror comedy. “Cocaine Bear” is a movie that you either love or hate. It’s a movie you’ll accept in to your heart, or just outright reject with extreme prejudice. Oddly enough I haven’t seen too much middle ground when it applies to reacting to the movie and its success.
My Top Five Movie Radio DJ’s
With “John Wick: Chapter 4” further dominating the box office and garnering much acclaim, it’s managed to stir a lot of ballyhoo from fans. In particular its use of great movie references that it utilizes to advance the narrative is a huge highly. In the climax as John Wick is on the run, a radio DJ (Marie Pierra Kakoma) pops up to inform everyone over the air waves on where he is, this leads to a big turn of events in Wick’s fight for survival. The obvious “The Warriors” nod is a brilliant callback, and one that inspired me to recollect some of my favorite movie Radio DJ’s.
Summoning Sylvia (2023)
It’s really sucky that Wesley Taylor and Alex Wyse’s horror comedy “Summoning Sylvia” is one of the genre gems that audiences seem to be sleeping on. I say that because “Summoning Sylvia” is everything you can want in a horror comedy. Not only does it adhere to the classic supernatural movie tropes, but it also subverts them by unfolding a very heartfelt narrative with richly developed characters. While a film like this could have served the fully LGBTQ cast as stereotypes, directors and writers Wesley Taylor and Alex Wyse introduce these characters one by one and then smash our pre-conceived notions.
Brightwood (2022)
The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. While “Brightwood” is in essence a horror movie, deep down it’s a movie about a toxic relationship. The couple we meet in Dane Elcar’s horror film are stuck in an endless circle of pain, abuse, and infidelity. By coincidence one fateful day, they find themselves stuck in an endless time loop near a pond. The setting for “Brightwood” comes off as very unassuming, but director Elcar manages to really inject a sense of terror within this scenic pond. The moment both characters realize that they’re probably stuck in this endless circle, it pits them against one another.
STRAIN 100 (2020)
If you like your apocalyptic fiction compiled a lot of the same old tropes you’ve seen a thousand times, then “Strain 100” might be up your alley. It’s “The Walking Dead” with a convenient dash of “The Last Of Us” thrown in, and none of the real social commentary or rich character focus. For all intents and purposes, “Strain 100” has some good ideas and fun moments of zombie carnage, but it’s bogged down by so many editing and writing problems from the outset. The zombies are pretty much the best aspect of the movie, truth be told.
Kalley’s Last Review (2020)
Man, Julia Bailey Johnson’s short horror film “Kalley’s Last Review” is gruesome. I mean it’s not just gruesome, but it’s also a sharp edged commentary on influencer culture and review channels on youtube. It’s kind of like watching someone just gradually descend in to madness, and while you really want to stop them, you can only just sit and watch them slide further.