Tagmovie review 2019
14 stories
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From the director of The Witch, Robert Eggers, comes The Lighthouse, a dark psychological thriller that follows two lighthouse keepers living on a remote island in New England in the 1890s. Filmed in black and white, the story plays out against crashing waves and a stark landscape. Eggers choice of black and white magnifies the film’s intensity by making you feel out of place and adds a layer of bleakness to the movie. We watch as Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson work and live as they go on a slow descent into madness which feels so very real. Pattinson has not received much respect as an actor since his role as a sparkly douche of a vampire in the Twilight franchise, but he complete redeems himself is The Lighthouse proving he has real talent. His portrayal of Thomas, a man who begins to question his reality after living with Defoe’s unstable Thomas Wake, is absolutely incredible. This is coming from
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From director Nick Powell comes Primal starring Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Famke Janssen “How to Get Away with Murder”), and Kevin Durand (“The Strain”). The film tells the story of an animal trafficker (Cage) who boards a ship that is also carrying an ex-military assassin (Durand) taken into custody, a few soldiers and a doctor (Janssen), along with ship’s crew and the trafficker’s cargo which includes a rare white jaguar. As the journey begins, the assassin breaks free unleashes the Jaguar and begins killing people off one by one. Everyone knows who Nicolas Cage is and his reputation for his films being hit or miss. In the case of Primal, it’s a big miss. Cage’s dialogue and acting is so forced that it’s almost painful. The only thing worse is the spray-on-beard he’s wearing. There are zero redeeming qualities about his character Frank Walsh. He’s a dick who traffics animals, but we’re expected to cheer for him or identify with him
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Netflix continues to turn out horror films that impress. One of the latest is director Ciarán Foy’s Eli, a tale about a young boy suffering from an extreme autoimmune disorder that makes him allergic to the world, but not all is what it seems. As his parents take him for a treatment meant to cure him, all hell breaks loose as ghosts begin to haunt him. This film is cleaver and will have you guessing the entire time as you sit on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you know what’s going on, a giant twist throws everything out the window. With a unique story, which is rare these days, Eli is entertaining and spooky as hell. I’ll be honest, one reason I found Eli so interesting is that I identify with Eli because the young boy, played by Charlie Shotwell, is plagued by an autoimmune disorder. You see I have one too (Systemic Mastocytosis Syndrome). While
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Living in the South, I’ve seen a gator or two and am fully aware of exactly how dangerous they are. I also love creature features so when I saw the trailer for the gator infested action/disaster flick Crawl, I knew I had to see it. Now I have. First let me say, I’m a fan of director Alexandre Aja’s work. He’s a fantastic director. Horns, Mirrors, The Hills Have Eyes, High Tension, all are great films. Needless to say, I had high expectations for Crawl before I even pressed play. The movie begins with college student Haley (Kaya Scodelario) at swim practice when she receives a call from her sister who is concerned about their father (Barry Pepper) not answering his phone as a Catagory 5 hurricane nears landfall in Florida. When Haley arrives at their old house she finds her father injured in the crawl space that’s flooding, but he’s not alone, there’s a big gator looking for a
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsShudderTrailers
Writer-director William McGregor’s period thriller, Gwen is a mix of subgenres set in the hills of Wales during the industrial revolution. A poor family struggles to keep their farm going under as their livestock is mysteriously butchered, a shadowy figure lurks outside in the darkness, and a group of men threatens the family in a push to get them to sell their farm, all while the mother is struck with sickness. Eleanor Worthington-Cox plays the eldest daughter and the star of the film. Her character is left to take care of her little sister, her mother, and the farm as her mother falls ill. Cox’s performance is incredible. Her character goes through so many troubles and she never fails to portray every scene, every emotion beautifully. I imagine it wasn’t an easy role, and for such a young actress, which leaves me highly impressed by Cox. The cinematography and scenery were absolutely fantastic. The way the land and the light
Continue reading →
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Olive (Amanda Crew) has had a rough week, she’s been fired and she’s gone through a breakup. When her friends urge her to get out of the city she books a beautiful old house for the weekend not knowing that the home’s owner (Robert Patrick) is a killer and he’s just added her to his bucket list. Robert Patrick stars as Harvey, a regular joe, who has gotten to a point in his life where he’s checking off his bucket list. He’s traveled the world, he’s had a great love, raised a family, and now there’s just one thing left to do that he has never done, kill someone. Writer-director Richard Bates Jr. takes us on a strange trip in Tone-Deaf. Crew’s Olive is the embodiment of all things Millenial, which happens to be the one thing Harvey hates more than anything. In fact, in my opinion, the whole film is about the tension felt between Millenials and Baby Boomers.
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesNewsReviews
“Walking Dead” star Pollyanna McIntosh makes her directorial debut with Darlin’, the sequel to Lucky McKee’s 2011 horror The Woman, which McIntosh also starred in. Before we delve into my review of Darlin’ let me give you a quick rundown of The Woman. In the film, a successful misogynistic country lawyer captures a feral woman in an attempt to “civilize” the member of a violent, cannibalistic clan roaming the coast by breaking her will. But somethings just can’t be broken. Darlin’ picks up years later after the woman has raised the child she took. Darlin’, now a young woman wanders into a hospital. Unable to speak and wild, she meets a nurse (Cooper Andrews) who is able to somewhat communicate through kindness. She is seen as a curiosity and sent to a girls home run by the church where she becomes the project of a nun and Bishop who hope to use her as a way to save the facility
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviews
I unboxed a swag pack from Jordan Peele’s most recent film, US. Included in the box was the Blu-ray, which I’ve been eagerly awaiting to see for months. I popped the movie in and sat back with my fingers crossed that the movie would live up to the hype. Let’s face it, Peele sat the bar high right from the get-go with Get Out. In the first seconds of the film a black screen appears with a spiel about tunnels running under the entire U.S. this is important. You might not think so at first, seeing that the synopsis only talks about a mother returning to her childhood home with her family for a holiday, but it is, so is the bible verse (Jeremiah 11:11) which we see repeatedly throughout the movie. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
I hate getting my hopes up when it comes to movies, I’m often let down. Luckily, that isn’t the case with Slaughterhouse Rulez. I’ve been excited about director Crispin Mills’ horror comedy since the moment I first saw the trailer. Finally, I watched it and I’m happy to report that it’s the best horror comedy I’ve seen in years. The twisted humor in this movie will keep you laughing until you’re splitting at the seems. And the action will keep you on the edge of your seat. When it comes to gore, by god this movie is oozing with it. Star Simon Pegg delivers a fine performance as an awkward heartbroken teacher, reminiscent of his character in the classic Shaun of the Dead. Speaking of Shaun of the Dead, Pegg’s co-star Nick Frost joins him and plays the part of a former student turned activist protesting the nearby fracking site. As always, his rough around the edges charm doesn’t disappoint.
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviews
Today I sat down to watch Climax, a film from Argentinian director Gaspar Noé who was also behind the films Enter the Void and I Stand Alone. The film opens to a young woman covered in blood, running across the snow. I came to learn later on in the film that the woman was fleeing from a dance school where a party had gone terribly wrong. At the party, someone has spiked the punch with a heavy dose of LSD and the dancers go from happy to a drug-filled orgy that causes utter chaos and murder. The way the film was shot and presented is a Suspira-like vision in neon colors. Between the colors, chaos, and strange angles, the film will leave your head spinning. If Noé was aiming to make you feel like you are drugged, he accomplished it. When the credits rolled I felt like I had just stepped off of a tilt-a-whirl. By god, the cast was
Continue reading →
More from movie review 2019
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
From the director of The Witch, Robert Eggers, comes The Lighthouse, a dark psychological thriller that follows two lighthouse keepers living on a remote island in New England in the 1890s. Filmed in black and white, the story plays out against crashing waves and a stark landscape. Eggers choice of black and white magnifies the film’s intensity by making you feel out of place and adds a layer of bleakness to the movie. We watch as Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson work and live as they go on a slow descent into madness which feels so very real. Pattinson has not received much respect as an actor since his role as a sparkly douche of a vampire in the Twilight franchise, but he complete redeems himself is The Lighthouse proving he has real talent. His portrayal of Thomas, a man who begins to question his reality after living with Defoe’s unstable Thomas Wake, is absolutely incredible. This is coming from
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
From director Nick Powell comes Primal starring Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Famke Janssen “How to Get Away with Murder”), and Kevin Durand (“The Strain”). The film tells the story of an animal trafficker (Cage) who boards a ship that is also carrying an ex-military assassin (Durand) taken into custody, a few soldiers and a doctor (Janssen), along with ship’s crew and the trafficker’s cargo which includes a rare white jaguar. As the journey begins, the assassin breaks free unleashes the Jaguar and begins killing people off one by one. Everyone knows who Nicolas Cage is and his reputation for his films being hit or miss. In the case of Primal, it’s a big miss. Cage’s dialogue and acting is so forced that it’s almost painful. The only thing worse is the spray-on-beard he’s wearing. There are zero redeeming qualities about his character Frank Walsh. He’s a dick who traffics animals, but we’re expected to cheer for him or identify with him
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Netflix continues to turn out horror films that impress. One of the latest is director Ciarán Foy’s Eli, a tale about a young boy suffering from an extreme autoimmune disorder that makes him allergic to the world, but not all is what it seems. As his parents take him for a treatment meant to cure him, all hell breaks loose as ghosts begin to haunt him. This film is cleaver and will have you guessing the entire time as you sit on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you know what’s going on, a giant twist throws everything out the window. With a unique story, which is rare these days, Eli is entertaining and spooky as hell. I’ll be honest, one reason I found Eli so interesting is that I identify with Eli because the young boy, played by Charlie Shotwell, is plagued by an autoimmune disorder. You see I have one too (Systemic Mastocytosis Syndrome). While
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Living in the South, I’ve seen a gator or two and am fully aware of exactly how dangerous they are. I also love creature features so when I saw the trailer for the gator infested action/disaster flick Crawl, I knew I had to see it. Now I have. First let me say, I’m a fan of director Alexandre Aja’s work. He’s a fantastic director. Horns, Mirrors, The Hills Have Eyes, High Tension, all are great films. Needless to say, I had high expectations for Crawl before I even pressed play. The movie begins with college student Haley (Kaya Scodelario) at swim practice when she receives a call from her sister who is concerned about their father (Barry Pepper) not answering his phone as a Catagory 5 hurricane nears landfall in Florida. When Haley arrives at their old house she finds her father injured in the crawl space that’s flooding, but he’s not alone, there’s a big gator looking for a
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsShudderTrailers
Writer-director William McGregor’s period thriller, Gwen is a mix of subgenres set in the hills of Wales during the industrial revolution. A poor family struggles to keep their farm going under as their livestock is mysteriously butchered, a shadowy figure lurks outside in the darkness, and a group of men threatens the family in a push to get them to sell their farm, all while the mother is struck with sickness. Eleanor Worthington-Cox plays the eldest daughter and the star of the film. Her character is left to take care of her little sister, her mother, and the farm as her mother falls ill. Cox’s performance is incredible. Her character goes through so many troubles and she never fails to portray every scene, every emotion beautifully. I imagine it wasn’t an easy role, and for such a young actress, which leaves me highly impressed by Cox. The cinematography and scenery were absolutely fantastic. The way the land and the light
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Olive (Amanda Crew) has had a rough week, she’s been fired and she’s gone through a breakup. When her friends urge her to get out of the city she books a beautiful old house for the weekend not knowing that the home’s owner (Robert Patrick) is a killer and he’s just added her to his bucket list. Robert Patrick stars as Harvey, a regular joe, who has gotten to a point in his life where he’s checking off his bucket list. He’s traveled the world, he’s had a great love, raised a family, and now there’s just one thing left to do that he has never done, kill someone. Writer-director Richard Bates Jr. takes us on a strange trip in Tone-Deaf. Crew’s Olive is the embodiment of all things Millenial, which happens to be the one thing Harvey hates more than anything. In fact, in my opinion, the whole film is about the tension felt between Millenials and Baby Boomers.
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesNewsReviews
“Walking Dead” star Pollyanna McIntosh makes her directorial debut with Darlin’, the sequel to Lucky McKee’s 2011 horror The Woman, which McIntosh also starred in. Before we delve into my review of Darlin’ let me give you a quick rundown of The Woman. In the film, a successful misogynistic country lawyer captures a feral woman in an attempt to “civilize” the member of a violent, cannibalistic clan roaming the coast by breaking her will. But somethings just can’t be broken. Darlin’ picks up years later after the woman has raised the child she took. Darlin’, now a young woman wanders into a hospital. Unable to speak and wild, she meets a nurse (Cooper Andrews) who is able to somewhat communicate through kindness. She is seen as a curiosity and sent to a girls home run by the church where she becomes the project of a nun and Bishop who hope to use her as a way to save the facility
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviews
I unboxed a swag pack from Jordan Peele’s most recent film, US. Included in the box was the Blu-ray, which I’ve been eagerly awaiting to see for months. I popped the movie in and sat back with my fingers crossed that the movie would live up to the hype. Let’s face it, Peele sat the bar high right from the get-go with Get Out. In the first seconds of the film a black screen appears with a spiel about tunnels running under the entire U.S. this is important. You might not think so at first, seeing that the synopsis only talks about a mother returning to her childhood home with her family for a holiday, but it is, so is the bible verse (Jeremiah 11:11) which we see repeatedly throughout the movie. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
I hate getting my hopes up when it comes to movies, I’m often let down. Luckily, that isn’t the case with Slaughterhouse Rulez. I’ve been excited about director Crispin Mills’ horror comedy since the moment I first saw the trailer. Finally, I watched it and I’m happy to report that it’s the best horror comedy I’ve seen in years. The twisted humor in this movie will keep you laughing until you’re splitting at the seems. And the action will keep you on the edge of your seat. When it comes to gore, by god this movie is oozing with it. Star Simon Pegg delivers a fine performance as an awkward heartbroken teacher, reminiscent of his character in the classic Shaun of the Dead. Speaking of Shaun of the Dead, Pegg’s co-star Nick Frost joins him and plays the part of a former student turned activist protesting the nearby fracking site. As always, his rough around the edges charm doesn’t disappoint.
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviews
Today I sat down to watch Climax, a film from Argentinian director Gaspar Noé who was also behind the films Enter the Void and I Stand Alone. The film opens to a young woman covered in blood, running across the snow. I came to learn later on in the film that the woman was fleeing from a dance school where a party had gone terribly wrong. At the party, someone has spiked the punch with a heavy dose of LSD and the dancers go from happy to a drug-filled orgy that causes utter chaos and murder. The way the film was shot and presented is a Suspira-like vision in neon colors. Between the colors, chaos, and strange angles, the film will leave your head spinning. If Noé was aiming to make you feel like you are drugged, he accomplished it. When the credits rolled I felt like I had just stepped off of a tilt-a-whirl. By god, the cast was
Continue reading →
