#horrorreviews

[spoofshorrormoviehideout]

Scream (The 1996 Original)

Hello, my name’s Spoof and I’m a horror movie critic. 

Definitely not a profession by any means (as I’m a minor), but I’ve seen tons and know lots about horror movies, so I’ll make little things about the ones I’ve seen. 

And what better horror movie to start with critiquing? Scream. The original, 1980’s Scream. With Drew Barrymore as Casey Becker, Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis, and Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher

So, Scream is, in my humble opinion, quite a good movie. 

I really enjoy the use of Dutch angles and the META storytelling that they added in the movie. The characters are well thought out, have personalities and really aren’t just like, clones of each other. 

The idea of Scream’s storyline isn’t the most unique, but the way it was created and filmed is what makes this movie so iconic. Including Ghostface, of course! 

Scream is your typical slasher film with your female main character with a dead mother and a traumatized backstory. Murders happen in the small town of [insert unique town name here], and so on so forth. 

The Ghostface outfit is something I just HAVE to talk about. The way it was set up, the contortions of the mask itself, it’s all just quite a great outfit. Ghostface’s mask is something I think really pulls together the whole killer vibes. The mask is inhuman looking, it’s twisted and contorted in a way that feels… off. Which is why it’s so popular, the outfit and mask themselves are iconic, but because of how it feels to see it. 

Originally, the Ghostface outfit was with white cape and a white hood.. But they decided that was a little too similar to a different group of murderers. 

And I really love that. 

Something I also quite enjoy about Scream has got to be the Red Herrings. They’re not for everyone, but I’ve always been a fan of multiple suspects and the surprise of who it was in the end. 

So with the big reveal of the killer in the end, someone (or someones…) who had been suspects that were brought up and told to “not be the killer(s)”, that’s something I like. 

I hadn’t guessed it was them though. Well, with Billy I did. Didn’t guess Stu though…Still, I thought it was a fun plot twist. 

So while Scream might not have been everyone’s thing, it still is one I enjoyed. 

I’d give it a…7.5/10 rating.

See you next time, ghouls, ghosts, and goblins! 

-Spoof, out

[catcavecinema]

Ouija: Origins Of Evil (2016)

Before diving into this prequel to a disastrously terrible original, I want to talk for a minute about Mike Flanagan. Despite seeing and enjoying a number of his films (I even put Hush on my best of list for the year), I still don’t feel confident enough in him as a director to trust a film on his name alone. It took me a while to figure out why but I think I finally pinned it down: Flanagan seems to exclusively take on projects that horror fans expect to be terrible. Now again, I have enjoyed pretty much all the films of his I have seen. But I went into all of them expecting utter garbage. Oculus is a far from perfect film, but I expected nothing from it and was then surprised when I got some good horror sequences. I feel confident saying Hush is a great film, but I stumbled on it as a straight to Netflix horror outing I watched on a wing and a prayer. 

In other words, Flanagan has never made a film that I went into expecting greatness that was delivered. Instead, I have always expected garbage and ended up being pleasantly surprised. Now this isn’t exactly his fault or a direct criticism of his output. One assumes he takes the projects he is given and hasn’t managed to get his own passion projects made as of yet. But it does leave me hesitant to fully back him as a great director until he gives us something truly special as opposed to a competent outing that comes across as great due to how low our expectations were set. 

That is certainly true of this film as my expectations could not have been lower for this film. The original Ouija film was utter garbage and the idea that we were getting a prequel to add depth to a mythology I could give a fuck about sounded like a money grab if ever there was one. Then I started hearing people claim that it was actually pretty good. I couldn’t really believe it, but enough people (both friends and critics) told me it was worth the watch and finally I caved it and sat down to check it out. 

They were right. This film is totally fun. Now it isn’t breaking any molds or anything. The influence of James Wan and the new wave of popcorn horror is all over this film. I don’t even need to provide you a synopsis because you already know exactly what this movie is gonna be. Two kids and a mom in a house, kids starts channeling something through a Ouija board, seems OK at first and then it goes wrong (revealing a history to the house no one knew about). Needless to say, Ouija: Origins Of Evil plays it pretty safe and relies on tried and true horror tropes to structure its plot and execution, though there are a few impressive flourishes to keep it interesting (the bungee sequence in the climax in particular got an appreciative nod out of me). 

But you know what, it works. And let’s be honest, relying on tropes in no way guarantees a good film (see the first film for proof of that fact). But Flanagan knows how to use those tropes effectively and with a sense of fun in the scares. Because yeah, creepy little kids saying creepy shit to people while the music drops out straight to camera is well worn territory. There were times watching this that I could almost see him showing this child actor the “you’re gonna die up there” Exorcist scene and instructing her to be like that but more happy about it. But I didn’t care that I could see the influences because that kid nailed the scene and it was equal parts metal and creepy.  

So all credit where credit is due, but don’t go in expecting anything special here. This film has a lot of flaws as well. The plot is obvious, the effects often rely on bad CGI and the PG13 rating gives it a sanitized feel that suits profit margins more than artistic choices. But none of those issues ever truly sink this film. In the end, Flanagan likely deserves the credit for that because everything about this movie implies it is going to be bad. But out of the mire, he has again managed to pull something enjoyable. While grinding out fun genre outing for studios may never put Flanagan on the level of a Carpenter or a Craven, it is also not a bad way to make a living and a service I appreciate as a fan. 

And who knows, a spotlight like that might cause him to wilt and go the way of M. Night Shyamalan and maybe Flanagan doesn’t want anything to do with that kind of pressure. In some ways it is selfish of me to demand a working director who has never really done me wrong to put himself in the crosshairs and potentially ruin his career by taking a big swing and a miss on a groundbreaking horror film that jaded and cynical nerds like me will then shit all over and say “I knew he couldn’t hack it.” The practical part of me recognizes that and respects it. But the fan in me thinks that it is possible that someone who can spin straw into gold (or at least highly convincing plated silver) might well be able to give us something really special if given the opportunity. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy his ability to make films that somehow defy all the odds and capitalize on my utter lack of expectations. 

3.5 out of 5 cats.

[emmettloverde-blog]

Filmmaker and Glass House Reviews guy Emmett Loverde shares his thoughts about the the new horror freakout "Evil Dead Burn" currently in theaters.

[horrorlandthings]

The Exorcist: Believer (2023) Review. " It needed more and Green was clearly out of his depths. A poor sequel to one of the most loved horror films of our time." https://horl.uk/3PK2BNs 2023 Believer s

[kkandlunareaper]

COCAINE BEAR (2023) • 7/10: Cocaine bear was a pleasant surprise for a horror comedy. There were some great casting choices with familiar faces such as Ray Liotta (RIP), Kerry Russell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Margo Martindale. When you see the trailer, it raises the question, “how much mileage can you get out of horror/comedy elements in a bear doing cocaine?” Thankfully, this movie delivers in its outrageous scenarios and several sub-plots seamlessly converging. Each side story was as good as the next and everyone’s story got told in a well thought out story line. The gore was classic cheesy 80’s horror in timing and style while the special effects were up to date realistic. Another big concern with beast-horror is CGI and how to insert your creature into the real world. It’s not always a perfect transition throughout, but it doesn’t take you out of the campy fun of the film. The kills and carnage is surprisingly innovative considering the limitations of bear claws. It does try to sprinkle in a few jump scares and suspense scenes that are pretty much useless with the huge comedic overtone. It’s definitely a bit of a grey area genre-wise for those reasons. But if you go in with no expectations in that regard and just enjoy the ride, it’s a very enthralling experience. We give it a seven out of ten on a horror skill, but make no mistake that we would definitely love to own a copy of this and watch again with friends. Elizabeth Banks did a killer job. 🐻🪂🚑 • #afrightfuleve #kkreaper #lunareaper #horrornews #horrorreviews #cocainebear (at Cinemark Hazlet 12) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpGQyXdph17/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[luxshine]

Get ready for the next More Chainsaws needed, where we will talk about a great classic that thrilled us all #nightofthecreeps #speedpaint #trailer

New trailer! In two weeks, we're revving up our chainsaws to talk about the original zombie leeches from outer space,

[kkandlunareaper]

SMILE (2022) • 7.5/10: Smile’s advertising budget really should have went towards the film itself. On its own, it’s a decent horror film. It has a great score that feels like it surrounds you in an unsettling way, and there is plenty of disturbing imagery between the kills and the hallucinations. It also does well in disorienting you with how nothing is ever how it appears. You feel the sense of dread that our leading role, Rose, feels when she tries to explain something that no one else can see to no avail. Unfortunately, one of the best scenes in the film is used as the grabber in the trailer, which lessens the impact. The rest of the effects are mostly CGI, and that’s where this film suffers most. There were too many effects scenes for them to have phone that in, and it really hurts the serious tone of the plot. As quickly as you’re sucked in, you’re pulled back out by how cheesy the hallucination sequences look. The best effect ends up being a two second flash of an autopsy photo. On top of that, the concept it runs with is very much the plot of It Follows in allot of ways, just with trauma instead of sex, and doesn’t do anything to separate itself from that. An origin of this possessive entity could at least given it some depth. And the final scene was a poorly copied page out of IT Chapter 2. It was a fun watch with all the jump scares and bizarreness, but a far cry from original and engrossing. 🔪🐈😁 • #smile #smilemovie #horror #horrornews #horrorreviews #afrightfuleve #kkreaper #lunareaper (at Cinemark Hazlet 12) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjQUJ3ALPKU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kkandlunareaper]

BODIES, BODIES, BODIES (2022) • 3.5/10: Bodies, Bodies, Bodies was certainly… something. A24 is usually on top of their game when it comes to irreverent and complex films, but this one feels like a steep drop off from Hereditary and Midsommar. Horror has never shied away from the classic tropes of teens doing drugs and having sex when and where they shouldn’t be, however Bodies quickly becomes oversaturated in it, like Project X with a little slice of murder. It’s as if they attempted to embody everything they possibly could about Gen Z culture and jam packed it into an hour and a half through the lens of a grumpy disconnected old man in their 60s. It would be a kind of comical commentary on the way the younger generation struggles in social settings in the digital age, if there was any pacing to that comedic relief at all. The entire film feels like one big joke with no real punch line, except that you paid to see it. We will give credit to the casts’ ability to act their role and do it well. They were written to be insufferable, and they play it amazingly. If the film didn’t devolve into such uncomfortable, cringey commentary with these very one-dimensional and ultimately forgettable character types, the cast could have easily carried this film to a much better Frightful Eve rating. If Pete Davidson’s character was allowed any more screen time than what was given, that might have actually been a point of walking out. That also speaks to the overall negative outlook and stereotypes it casts over Gen Z. The movie tries too hard to take the jab at young people that you could easily get from a click-bait Facebook article (with better writing) that would be equally as dull and fairly overdone. As far as the films ending, all we can say is they totally got us. It was the face-palming, eye-rolling cherry on top that left us laughing in anger. Well played. 📱🍾👩🏾‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏼 • #bodiesbodiesbodies #horror #horrornews #horrorreviews #moviereviews #afrightfuleve (at Cinemark Hazlet 12) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChRFv6usTF6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=