30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 22: The Phantom Creeps (1939)

The task at hand for today's 30 Day Movie Challenge is one that I usually reserve for Sundays when I do Sundays At The Classics as that is usually to watch films made before 1969. The task for today however was to watch a film that was made before 1960 and easy enough I found the 1939 action/horror film The Phantom Creeps which was directed by Ford Beebe (Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe) and Saul A. Goodkind (Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery). The film stars the late and great horror legend Bela Lugosi (Svengali/White Zombie) as famed scientist Dr. Alex Zorka, a man that has been doing experiments that the US government has no idea about the could be dangerous if placed into the wrong hands. After he figures out that they know, Zorka will try everything including faking his own death to try and get away with his most prized experiments, but can the government stop him before it's too late. The film also stars Robert Kent (King Of The Royal Mounted) as Captain Bob West, Dorothy Arnold (Secrets Of A Nurse) as Jean Drew, Edwin Stanley (The Man Who Came To Dinner) as Dr. Fred Mallory, Regis Toomey (His Girl Friday) as Jim Daly, Jack C. Smith (Hittin' The Trail) as Monk, Ed Wolff (The Phantom of the Opera) as The Robot, Dora Clement (The Philco Television Playhouse) as Ann Zorka, and Edward Van Sloan (Dracula) as Jarvis.

There was honestly so much potential with this film that it started going downhill the deeper the film went. I mean the story just started to get too dumb and they made the government look really stupid with how many times an item was stolen and then retrieved only to be stolen again and then only to be retrieved again. It was almost like they kept running out of stuff to write about so they were like hey just have this guy steal it only to be returned. There were things that I did like about the film and one of them was definitely Bela Lugosi for one who was superb as usual and the other thing was the robot that they created which has ended up on the stage of Rob Zombie when he performs live and in some of his music videos. The robot even moves on stage exactly the same way he does in the film which I always thought was really cool. I definitely thought that there should have been more of him, but I understands why they chose to save him at times. The final sequence is kind of funny because they show archived footage of the burning Zeppelin and they show that  it was Zorka's fault for that happening as he plans to show the world his wraith. Again, I thought it was a film that had a lot of great ideas that just were not executed to it's full potential, but it's still a fun movie to watch which is why I am going to give it an B- for a final grade.

30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 13- Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

For today's film, I had originally planned to watch the first ever Mexican werewolf film La Loba (She Wolf), but all of the versions I could find did not have English subtitles and I do not speak Spanish. So, I had to scramble for a replacement film for the 30 day movie challenge which the task was to watch a foreign film. So we packed our passports and we decided to travel to Japan through the Shudder app and we are checking out 1989's cyberpunk horror classic Tetsuo: The Iron Man which was written, directed, edited, art direction, and produced by Shinya Tsukamoto (Hiruko the Goblin). The film stars  Tomorô Taguchi (Iden & Tity) as a business man who accidentally kills The Metal Fetishist (played by Shinya Tsukamoto) with his car, but drives away in fear. The Metal Fetishist will however get his revenge on the business man as he begins to torture him by turning him slowly into a grotesque hybrid of flesh and rusty metal mixed together.This super bizarre film also stars Kei Fujiwara (The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo) as woman, Nobu Kanaoka (Tetsuo II: Body Hammer) as Woman in glasses, Naomasa Musaka (Shiro demo Kuro demo Nai Sekai de Panda wa Warau) as Doctor, and Renji Ishibashi (When My Mom Died, I Wanted to Eat Her Ashes) as Tramp. 

They mentioned that the film was weirder than Cronenberg who does body horror and weirder than David Lynch who has had some weird ass films I still don't understand like experimental body horror film Eraserhead. This film definitely reminds me a lot like Eraserhead and makes me think the director was obsessed with that film with all the weird mutations and the special effects that went into it. It took me a little while to figure out that someone was torturing the man by turning him into metal, I thought he was mutating into this metal being, but then it all made sense. At first, I was looking at the film like it was social commentary on Japanese life at the time which was work hard without playing hard almost like they work so much they are basically machines. You could still look at it that way, but when you see the accident scene play out a little more than you get the gist of the film and where they are heading. I am definitely sure this is a film that I probably wouldn't watch more than once, but I can definitely appreciate all the work that true auteur Shinya Tsukamoto put into the film because he obviously created a cult classic that is still revered today. The only thing that bothered me at time were the erratic camera shots that were just frantic and all over the place in the beginning of the film. Other than that, I loved the acting in the film so they'll get bonus points for that. So, I am going to go ahead and give this film an B for a final grade. You can check it out right now on Shudder. 

The Witches Of Eastwick (1987)

It's Friday and hopefully everyone is ready for the long weekend because it's Memorial Day weekend. So for today, I decided to breakout the VCR (Videocassette Recorder) for old times sake and I decided to check out one of my recent acquisitions in the 1987 film The Witches Of Eastwick which was directed by George Miller (Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior) and based on the novel by John Updike. The film stars Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) as Jane Spofford, Cher (Mask) as Alexandra Medford, and Michelle Pfeiffer (Murder On The Orient Express) as Sukie Ridgemont, three friends who are either widowed or their husbands left them and they are feeling pretty lonely especially with the prospects in the small New England town they live in. One night, they wish for the perfect man (or at least what their version is), but what they get might be more than they bargained for when a mysterious man shows up the next day. The film also stars Jack Nicholson (The Little Shop Of Horrors) as Daryl Van Horn, Richard Jenkins (Fun With Dick and Jane) as Clyde Alden, Veronica Cartwright (Flight Of The Navigator) as Felicia Alden, Carel Struycken (The Addams Family) as Fidel, Helen Lloyd Breed (Mickey Blue Eyes) as Mrs. Biddle, and Keith Jochim (A Pleasure Doing Business) as Walter Neff.

I have a couple of things that I want to say about this film and I am going to start this paragraph with them. The first thing is that before this film, the only other film that I ever found Michelle Pfeiffer attractive in was Batman Returns when she played the Catwoman. I take back all assumptions because she was an absolute fox in this film and one of the best things about the movie besides Cher who was proving once again that she had acting chops. The second thing is that in Jack Nicholson do we trust because if Jack can't do it then no one can! Jack Nicholson once again proved in this film why he is one of the G.O.A.T.'s of Hollywood with his hellraising performance as the devilish Daryl Van Horn. He had some amazing dialogue in the film and he absolutely nailed it with his sinister wit and charm. Seeing Jack Nicholson perform in this film is the reason I never became an actor because I couldn't pull off that performance. The part of the film when he becomes beats like just brought chills to my spine and gave me goosebumps because it reminded me of how great he was in The Shining and it makes me want to see the film Wolf just to see how he does in that film. Some of the stuff in the film was a little zany, but it worked with the subject matter at hand. The cinematography in the film was excellent and not enough credit goes to Richard Jenkins and Veronica Cartwright who put on one hell of a performance as well. This was a very fun film to watch which is why I am giving the movie an A- for a final grade.

30 Day Film Challenge: The Way It Should Be Done

So the month of June is almost upon us and I wanted to do something different for that whole entire month and so I came up with a better version of the 30 Day Film Challenge. I said a better version because isn't the whole point of a challenge to challenge yourself? I mean it's easy to watch a film that you have already seen, but the real challenge is in films you have not seen. I took the time to think the list through and this is what I came up with. If you want to join in on the fun then feel free to because the more the merrier, but I will be starting this challenge on June 1ST. Check out the list below:

30 Day Film Challenge
1. A film starring your favorite actor
2. A film starring your favorite actress
3. Watch an Action film
4. Watch a Horror film
5. Watch a high rated Rotten Tomatoes film
6. Watch the lowest scored Rotten Tomatoes film
7. Watch an animated film
8. Watch a film with a number in the title
9. Watch a film from the year you were born
10.  Watch a film from your favorite director
11. Watch a film adapted from a book
12. Watch a film adapted from a play
13. Watch a foreign film
14. Watch a chick flick
15. Watch a comedy
16. Watch a film that is based on a true story
17. Watch a film that won the Oscar for Best Picture (any year)
18. Watch a Disney Channel Original film
19. Watch a film that has a color in its title
20. Watch a musical
21. Watch a movie from the 80’s or 90’s
22. Watch a film that came out before 1960
23. Watch a sci-fi film
24. Watch a Netflix Original Film
25. Watch a Lifetime/or Hallmark original film
26.  Watch any film that was nominated for Best Independent Film at the Saturn Awards
27. Watch one of the top 10 films on IMDB’s Top Rated Movies List
28. Watch one of the films that was nominated for Best picture in the year you are doing this challenge
29. Repeat any previous option (your choice)
30. Watch the worst picture winner (if not available then watch any of the nominees) for the Razzies

Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made (2018)

One of the coolest things about Salem Horror Fest is the fact that this festival actually introduces you to some of the coolest content in the world. One of my biggest regrets about Salem Horror Fest 2019 is that I didn't get to see a film whose poster instantly caught my attention in Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made, but thanks to Amazon Prime I viewed the film for today. The film is considered to be cursed and that weird things have happened to those who have watched it from weird fires to unexplained deaths. For the first time, they found a copy and are showing it to those who dare. The film follows a young boy who just lost his dog and was told that he was not in heaven. So the boy and his sister go off to the woods to the spot where it was believed that they devil fell through on his way to hell (Antrum) to try and save the dogs soul before it's too late. The film stars Nicole Tompkins (American Horror Story) as Oralee, Rowan Smyth (NCIS: New Orleans) as Nathan, Dan Istrate (Dinner with the Alchemist) as Cassius, Circus-Szalewski (Bunker of Blood: Chapter 8: Butcher's Bake Off: Hell's Kitchen) as Hanzie, Shu Sakimoto (The Silk Road) as Haruki, Pierluca Arancio (The Imperialists Are Still Alive!) as Demon Amon, and the film was written and directed by David Amito (Beautiful World...) and Michael Laicini (Beware Pickpocket).

One thing is for sure and that is I love how far they went to make you believe that this was a real film and that there are consequences to watching the film. It reminds me of the days of the Cannibal films where people were questioning whether those were real films or not especially when they said it was documentary footage that was found. One thing I will say about the film is that it goes from being normal to weird and it just keeps getting a lot weirder as the film progresses to the point that some scenes are uncomfortable to watch like the scene where they stick a person inside the stomach of Baphomet while they heat it up. It's a lot like the ancient Greek torture device known as the Brazen Bull because when you scream inside of it, it sounds like the bull is making his sounds. Then there is just all the weird scenes that they throw in like the random shot of the demon who is just staring at you for what seems like an eternity or the fact that they made it look like it was shot on old 35 mm film which added to the film if you ask me. One thing I will say is that I saw the ending coming a mile away and while they don't show the result, you can assume that I was right all along. If you're a fan of horror then I think this is one film that you should check out because now it has me paranoid. With that being said, I am giving the film an A- for a final grade.

Voice From The Stone (2017)

I was looking for a film to watch today and I realized I haven't seen enough Horror films yet and I have this amazing app I haven't used a lot called Shudder. If you are a horror fan and you do not have this app then you are truly missing out on the amazing library they have which leads me to the film I chose for today which is 2017's Voice From The Stone which was directed by Eric D. Howell (From Heaven to Hell). The film is based off of the novel La Voce Della Pietra which was written by Silvio Raffo and it stars Emilia Clarke (Solo: A Star Wars Story) as Verena, a nurse who goes from house to house and she helps children that are in need of help. She decides to take a job looking after a boy who has fallen silent after the passing of his mother, but soon haunting things begin to happen at the manor. The film also stars Marton Csokas (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) as Klaus, Caterina Murino (French Fried Vacation 3: Friends Forever) as Malvina, Remo Girone (Ford V Ferrari) as Alessio,  Lisa Gastoni (Come Play With Me) as Lilia, Edward Dring (In The Coat's Pocket) as Jakob, Duccio Camerini (Bruno Is Waiting On The Car) as Doctor, and Kate Linder (The Young and The Restless) as La Vecchia.

I am going to be perfectly honest in saying that I had no idea what the "horror" part of the story was because I understood the plot. She is trying to convince the boy that everything is in his head and that he needs to speak because his mother would be disappointed in him if he didn't. Then it all starts to make sense towards the end of the film when she starts hearing the mother as well and she ends up finding out some haunting truths about some of the people she talks to. I don't think it's a possession story by any means, but more of a ghostly brainwashing if you ask me because all of a sudden she wants to stay and she can't live without them and what the mother says to the boy in the beginning comes true after all. You'll have to watch the film to get what I am saying because it's really not that scary at all. The fact that Emilia gets naked in the film is not that big of a deal because she spent most of Game Of Thrones naked to begin with. The acting was fantastic from Csokas and Clarke while the overall tone was that grayish haunting look for a while mixed with some bright colors. The cinematography was pretty good with all of the great shots of the manor and other scary angles. That was one scene actually that scared the crap out of me was the scene at the top of the watchtower. There was definitely some suspense there, but not enough to help this film. That is why I am giving it an B-/C+ (somewhere in there) for a final grade.

Howling II: ...Your Sister Is A Werewolf (1985)

Ever since the pandemic happened, nobody has been able to go tot he theaters to see a film and that has been a major rag among other things. Dreadphile Cinema Club is this really cool group based out of Providence was a group that was affected by the whole pandemic, but starting today and every Thursday they've decided to screen a film on Twitch to try and help temporarily cure the blues of not being able to go and this week they showed Howling II:...Your Sister Is A Werewolf. The film was released in 1985 and it was directed by Philippe Mora (Mad Dog Morgan). The film stars Reb Brown (Captain America II) as Ben White, who has just discovered that his sister Karen (from the first film) is a werewolf and he decides that he is going to help an investigator (Christopher Lee) track down the werewolves responsible. The film also stars Annie McEnroe (Beetlejuice) as Jenny, Marsha A. Hunt (Welcome To The Club) as Mariana, Sybil Danning (Amazon Women On The Moon) as Stirba, Judd Omen (Pee Wee's Big Adventure) as Vlad, Ferdy Mayne (The Fearless Vampire Killers) as Erle, Jirí Krytinár (Bathory: Countess Of Blood) as Vasile, Patrick Field (Killing Me Softly) as Deacon, and Jan Kraus (3 Seasons In Hell) as Tondo.

First off, I would like to take the time to thank Dreadphile Cinema Club  for doing this and while it may not replace the feeling of being in a theater, but it definitely helps. One of the elements that the film has working for it is the soundtrack which was written and recorded by Steve Parsons and his band at the time Babel. They scored the entire film and it was honestly a great soundtrack and the theme song is fantastic as we get to see them perform it in the film. The other element that it has working for it is the great and late Christopher Lee who I was surprised to see that he took this role after being a legend as Dracula in the Hammer films. Nonetheless, he was absolutely superb in the film as Stefan Crosscoe who turns out has a secret of his own in the film. The Howling was such an amazing film for what it was, but for the sequel they sort of gave it the TCM II treatment and put it through the 80's machine. One thing was definitely for sure and that was that some of the special effects were cheesy as hell, but that's part of the fun with these films. I also thought that the werewolves in the first film were definitely a lot better than this one as some of them clearly looked like they were wearing werewolf Halloween masks. One of the other cheesy scenes was right when Sybil was introduced, I thought all were going to see is them act like cats trying to make love with each other for most of the film almost like they didn't have anything great written so they were like give us more weird werewolf sex. The film is definitely fun to watch as soon as you accept the fact that it was the 1980's. I am going to give the film an C+ for a final grade.

It Comes At Night (2017)

I was thinking to myself the other day that I hadn't done a lot of horror films this year and believe me there are plenty that I still need to watch. The film that I chose for today I had been meaning to see, but I was quite ready yet, but no better time than now to see It Comes At Night which is the perfect film for the times we are living in. The film centers around the idea that a virus has destroyed the way of life in the world and everyone is forced to live frontier like lives. You live the type of life where you have to protect your family and your land from others. That is what Paul (Joel Edgerton) has had to do for his family since his father in law passed away. That theory is put to the test when they stumble upon a family looking for help and shelter, but what happens when one of them may be sick? The film also stars Carmen Ejogo (What's The Worst That Could Happen?) as Sarah, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Monsters And Men) as Travis, Christopher Abbott (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) as Will, Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road) as Kim, Griffin Robert Faulkner as Andrew, David Pendleton (The Edge Of Night) as Bud, and the film was written and directed by Trey Edward Shults (Waves).

Think about how ahead of this time this film is as well as many other films like it. You have to look at the times we are living in right now and imagine if Covid-19 destroyed life as we know it forcing us to be absolutely afraid to go outside without gas masks (does this sound familiar?). The only problem is that we have been doing it for so long that we tend to forget what it was like to be human and we have no idea how this is being spread (does this sound familiar again?). So, we stop being loving neighbors and we are on high alert all the time that you may drop your guard and then bam you are infected. Was it from the people you brought in to your house or did you have it and not know that you did? This film is the loss of humanity and what a pandemic like the ones they are suffering in the film does to the human soul. It's absolutely scary to think about, but are we far off from it right now? Abbott and Edgerton are absolutely amazing in the film in the acting department and as counterparts in the film. You can't help, but watch these two dominate the screen, but young Kelvin Harrison Jr. deserves some credit as well even though he's kind of creepy in the film. Thew film may leave you frustrated because of how it ends, but I actually thought it was poetic in a way. The one thing they most feared soon becomes them. The cinematography is great and the story is pretty solid so that is why I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.

Svengali (1931)

It's Sunday which can only mean one thing and that is that it's time for another Sunday At The Classics where we view films that were made before the 1970's. The old days were a different time and cinema changed going into the 1970's and there is a whole cavalcade of films to see especially when they star legendary names like today's film does. The film that I am talking about is 1931's Romantic Horror classic Svengali which was directed by Archie Mayo (The Adventures Of Marco Polo) and it's based off of the novel by George L. Du Maurier. The film stars the legendary John Barrymore (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) as the title character and broke down composer Svengali. You see Svengali is the butt of most people's jokes in France since he is a broke composer barely affording to live. All of that will change for Svengali though when he meets the beautiful and charismatic Trilby O'Farrell (Marian Marsh) who has the voice of an angel, but unfortunately Svengali has to use hypnotism to control her. Unfortunately for Svengali, he can't get through to her heart even through hypnotism. The film also stars Bramwell Fletcher (The Mummy) as Billie, Donald Crisp (How Green Was My Valley) as The Laird, Luis Alberni (The Count Of Monte Cristo) as Gecko, Lumsden Hare (The Three Musketeers) as Monsieur Taffy, and Carmel Myers (Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ) as Madame Honori.

One thing is for certain and that is I want to know how they made John Barrymore's eyes go all white the way they did back in 1931? That was one of the coolest scenes in the film and one of the creepiest moments where you were sitting there like can his eyes change back already as it made you uncomfortable. I posted the pic next to this paragraph with Barrymore looking like a cross between Rob Zombie in the Living Dead Girl video and Bela Lugosi in Dracula. They were unfortunately only able to pull this off once in the film because the other time looked like it was straight out of Dracula with the lights going dim on the face except for the eyes. The film isn't very scary, but it what it really is about is a man who is so desperate for love and fame that he will go to any length to get versus the one who just naturally wants it to happen. So, the rest of the film is a wild goose chase as Svengali's powers begin to work against him because he can't buy love with his secret powers. The acting in the film for the most part was pretty good all around, but John Barrymore was the true star of the film as he just oozed of machismo in this film and he was charismatic as well. The only close to touching him in this film was of course Marian Marsh and her performance as the lovable Trilby. I definitely suggest checking this one out for all you cinephiles out there. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.

Villains (2019)

What has always fascinated me is how many horror films are out there that go undiscovered by millions of people and sometimes it just due to lack of promotion. I always try to do my best in discovering those films and while I was strolling through the HULU library, I found a film that featured the star of IT Chapters 1 & 2 alongside the star of the breakout 2014 film It Follows together in a film aptly called Villains which was written and directed by Dan Berk (Don't Kill It) and Robert Olsen (Long Nights Short Mornings). The film stars Bill Skarsgård (IT Chapter 2) as Mickey and Maika Monroe (It Follows/Honey Boy) as Jules, a couple of amateur criminals who run into a little trouble after a successful convenient store hold up. The couple forgets to put gas in their car and so after it runs out of gas they are forced to break into a home to try and steal a car, but there's a second big problem. They break into the home of a weird sadistic couple and they discover their deep dark secret which they'll do anything to keep a secret. The film also stars Jeffrey Donovan (Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2) as George, Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) as Gloria, Blake Baumgartner (City On A Hill) as Sweetiepie, and Danny Johnson (Daredevil) as Officer Wells.

This is one of those films that starts off where you believe that Mickey and Jules are the villains in the film because they've robbed the store and now they are breaking into this house, but as soon as you meet the inhabitants of the home then you know who the real villains are. One thing is definitely for sure and that is that Skarsgård and Monroe made a great on screen duo that made the film more enjoyable and believable as you rooted for them in every crazy scenario that came up. At one point, I was like something has to give because they are almost getting away, but then a monkey wrench is thrown in. This is one of those films where it could be hard to pick just one MVP because everybody did their job, but the standout to me was the brilliant Jeffery Donovan who took control of the screen every opportunity that was thrown his way and he prevailed. The choice of having Donovan and Sedgwick was another home run choice as they fed off of each other through out the whole film and she was even amazing as well. This is one of those films that has the happy ending, but it kind of comes with a cost, but the weirdest thing is that Blake has one line in the whole entire film and it comes at the least dramatic moment in the film (in my opinion) and there is no fight put up when the line is said and no questions asked later. It has a small cast and it works to their benefit as there is all killer and no filler in this film. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade, check it out right now on HULU.

Mayhem (2017)

There are so many different ways to watch films these days from your television, DVD's, Redbox, Netflix, Disney Plus, and so many more. If you are a fan of horror then one app you will definitely want to check out is Shudder which is a reasonably priced app. The film I chose for today is featured on the app and it stars one of my personal favorites in Samara Weaving (The Babysitter) and it called Mayhem which was directed by Joe Lynch (Chillerama). The film stars Steven Yeun (I Origins) as Derek Cho, a rising star in a huge law firm that is about to find out that he was just framed for something he didn't commit and he is about to be fired. Before he can get the boot, the building is put on lock down due to a virus that causes it's victims to act out their wildest urges and with the help of Melanie Cross (Weaving), he'll get the revenge he craves because of the virus no one is held accountable for their actions. The film also stars Steven Brand (The Scorpion King) as The Boss, Caroline Chikezie (Supernatural) as The Siren, Dallas Roberts (Dallas Buyers Club) as The Reaper, Mark Frost (Faust) as Ewan, Claire Dellamar (Dick Pic) as Meg, and André Eriksen (Vikings) as The Bull.

This was an excellent film from beginning to end and I say that because there was non stop bloody action and mayhem (pun intended). I loved the concept of the film where because Derek found that legal loophole, you can do whatever you want and not be held accountable as long as you are infected. Remember, they are acting on pure impulses because of what the virus does to you. It kind of has the feel of 28 Days Later without them being zombies and at the work place like Fight Club. I thought some of the acting was a little over the top, but it actually worked for this situation because this is a satire of ruthless no good coke snorting lawyers and the crap they get away with. We are supposed to be rooting for Derek and hope that he catches up to his jerk boss before the quarantine time is up and they succeed in accomplishing that. The acting from Steven Yeun and Samara Weaver was fantastic and Samara is growing to be one of my favorites as she carried The Babysitter, Ready Or Not, and definitely helped with this one. Yeun does an amazing job as the films main character and protagonist as I said before you root for him to make it to the end. If you love the right kind of insanity to go with your comedy and horror then this is definitely the film to watch and you can do so on Shudder. Remember, the film has lots of action, great comedy, some nudity, and some bad ass scenes which is why I am going to go ahead and give the film an A- for a final grade. 

White Zombie (1932)

It's another Sunday at the Classics and for this week I wanted to check out a classic film starring the one and only Bela Lugosi (Dracula). One of the first metal bands to name their group after a horror film was Black Sabbath and the trend would continue into the 1980's with the birth of White Zombie who were fronted by rocker/director Rob Zombie (House Of 1000 Corpses), but unlike Sabbath I had never seen the film for which Zombie named his band after until today. The film White Zombie was released in 1932 a year after Lugosi had starred as Dracula, but in this one Lugosi stars as witch doctor 'Murder' Legendre. A young couple is about to arrive in Haiti to get married at the home of the wealthy Charles Beaumont (Robert Frazer), but little do they know that Beaumont has other plans in store for them and it involves the witch doctor who has interior motives himself. The film also stars  Madge Bellamy (Black Paradise) as Madeline Short Parker, John Harron (Below The Line) as Neil Parker, Joseph Cawthorn (The Taming Of The Shrew) as Dr. Bruner, Brandon Hurst (The Man Who Laughs) as Silver, George Burr Macannan (Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon) as Von Gelder - Zombie, Frederick Peters (Miracles Of The Jungle) as Chauvin - Zombie, and the film was directed by Victor Halperin (The Unknown Lover).

One thing you have to remember about a film like this is that it was made in 1932 and all of the special effects are practical. What I mean by practical is that they are going to have a horrible looking vulture fly around when you can definitely see the string attached to him at the time and I can appreciate the effort that went into it. The only thing I could really appreciate were the zombies and not because they looked like flesh eating dead people, but in 1932 zombies in the west indies were newly dead people who were brought back to be mindless drones. That was always the belief and it was shown in films like In The Mouth Of Madness which owes a debt to this film. One of the true highlights of the film was obviously Bela Lugosi who at times was masterful especially when he was going through his diabolical spiel as he turned you into a zombie. I definitely loved his death scene as you can so tell that it was a dummy that hits the water on the way down, but again that's due to special effects being what they were in 1932. One of the things that bothered me about the film were the transition scenes that featured every basic transition that you can get with Windows Movie Maker or iMovie, but again I forgive it for the fact that it came out in 1932, but one thing I can't forgive is that man in blackface. Dan Crimmins plays a random witch doctor who is wearing make up and the worst part about is that they had plenty of African Americans with roles in the film itself. It's a head scratcher, but there are things to like about the film as much as there are things to hate about it. That is why I am giving it an C+ for a final grade.

Upgrade (2018)

What if you were told that there was a way for people that are paralyzed whether it be from the waist or neck down that there was something they could do to regain motion? I am thinking that a lot of people would certainly jump at the opportunity to do so because I probably would. That is the very question we face in today's film Upgrade which is a Sci-Fi, Action, and horror film that was written and directed by Leigh Whannell (Insidious: Chapter 3). The film stars Logan Marshall-Green (Spider-Man: Homecoming) as Grey Trace, a mechanic who also happens to be a technophobe, but unfortunately his life will be turned upside down when his wife is murdered and he is left as a quadriplegic. One day, he is offered the chance to walk again by planting a computer chip in his spine and after he accepts it, he goes on a mission to track down the men that wronged him. The film also stars Melanie Vallejo (Power Rangers: Mystic Force) as Asha Trace, Harrison Gilbertson (Need For Speed) as Eron Keen, Benedict Hardie (The Light Between Oceans) as Fisk, Betty Gabriel (The Purge: Election Year) as Det. Cortez, Simon Maiden (The Great Raid) as Stem, Richard Cawthorne (Wolf Creek) as Serk, and Christopher Kirby (Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge Of The Sith) as Tolan.

Ultimately this is another lesson in why technology will be the death of us because nothing worth wild comes without the fine print or the bottom line if you may. I am definitely so happy that I chose to check out this film because when it originally came out, I didn't have time to see it, but this was thinking a little outside the box called Hollywood and running with something original. It's a breath of fresh air in a world polluted with remakes and reboots and good for Leigh Whannell because that whole Saw crew have turned out to be amazing writers. I was glued to my seat the whole entire time because the action is bad ass and the story is just so well written. I though the hunt for the men who did it and the sequences that followed owed a little bit to the film The Crow as he is back to right the wrongs, but there is just this little twist at the end of the film. My screenwriter professor once told me that if you were going to take an idea that was already done, you had to do something different to it to make it original whether it be weapons upgrades or into the future like Leigh did for this film. I loved the cinematography with all the cool fight scenes, but the tone deserves some notice. It has a very brooding look and feel to the film in an almost futuristic feel like Blade Runner and so many more. Some may find my final grade a little shocking, but this was worth the watch and then some so that is why I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade. 

Raising Cain (1992)

Director Brian De Palma is one of the recognizable names of the last forty or so years hitting us with classics like Carlito's Way, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables, Carrie, but who could forget Scarface as one of his finest. In 1992, De Palma would have another work of his hit the big screen when he released psychological horror classic Raising Cain which starred John Lithgow (The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension) as Carter Nix, a seemingly normal child psychologist who is raising his daughter with his lovely and attractive wife Jenny (Lolita Davidovich). Jenny begins to notice that Cater is taking too much of an interest in how their daughter is rai sed. What Jenny doesn't realize is that Carter is harboring a dark secret inside him from his past that is causing him to kidnap children, but why is he doing it? The film also stars Steven Bauer (Scarface) as Jack, Frances Sternhagen (Sex And The City) as Dr. Waldheim, Gregg Henry (Guardians Of The Galaxy) as Lt. Terri, Tom Bower (Out Of The Furnace) as Sgt. Cally, Mel Harris (Wanted: Dead Or Alive) as Sarah, Teri Austin (Knots Landing) as Karen, Gabrielle Carteris (Batman: The Brave And The Bold) as Nan, and Barton Heyman (Let's Scare Jessica To Death) as Mack.

So, I can definitely see where M. Night Shyamalan got his inspiration for the film Split as Carter is someone who deals with multiple personalities like a female figure, a child, a bad boy, and even his father and each one is created to protect and hide the real him. I'm not saying that he ripped him off, but you can see what might have inspired him at some point. He could also read some books about much like Brian De Palma had to as well, but I want to get down to business. What the hell was wrong with the police officers in this film? A doctor comes in claiming she knows Carter Nix because she worked with his dad and tells the cops that she can basically get to the bottom of it as she has some time and a room. They accommodate her only to leave her alone in the room with her with no other supervision. Are you kidding me? No cop would ever go with it let alone leave him in there with no restraints. John Lithgow who I am so used to seeing in comedies was actually brilliant in the film especially when he did the different personalities. I liked the idea of the events that happened in the film, I thought some of them were actually pretty clever, but it could have been written a little better. I don't know how to describe it, but the film has a very 90's feel to it as far as it's look and I kind of miss that kind of cinematography. The film pays homage to several films that De Palma obviously loved like Psycho and the car scene which I thought was great and there's many more. I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.

Gretel & Hansel (2020)

It's Friday which can only mean one thing and that is that it's new movie Friday and we have an interesting one for you. There has been this trend in Hollywood that started as far back as 2015 with Robert Eggers The Witch that takes an old story and tries to make this slow burn, tense, uncomfortable, creepfest films that the atmosphere itself is supposed to scare you. We've seen it done as well with Hereditary, The Lighthouse, and even Midsommar. Hollywood always follows trends and now we have another Brothers Grimm fairy tale that we are going to tackle and creep the hell out of you with in Gretel & Hansel. Sophia Lillis (IT & It: Chapter 2) stars as Gretel, a young girl who is having trouble finding work to help provide for her family. After her mother went nuts, she deems no longer safe and she travels with Hansel (Samuel Leakey) through a dark forest and they stumble upon a house where some sort of weird evil dwells. The film also stars Alice Krige (Star Trek: First Contact) as Holda, Charles Babalola (The Legend Of Tarzan) as The Hunter, Beatrix Perkins (I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House) as Clicky, Jessica De Gouw (The Mystery of a Hansom Cab ) as Young Holda, and the film was directed by Oz Perkins (The Blackcoat's Daughter).

Really cool fact that I didn't know is that Oz Perkins is the son of the world famous Anthony Perkins a.k.a. Norman Bates. The Blackcoat's Daughter is one of my favorite films from this director because it had the creepiness to it and it delivered. Now as far as this film is concerned, they certainly nailed down that slow burn, creepiness factor that I spoke about and amped it up a little with some of the imagery, but the question is was it any good? I have to say that I loved the story, the overall tone of the film, but I just didn't think it was scary enough for me. I think the saving grace of the film for me was definitely Alice Krige who just knocks her performance out of the park. She is so creepy as the old woman that you can't help but watch how amazing she did in front of the camera. She was so believable that she was creeping me out, but it definitely could have been scarier in my opinion. What the film ultimately did do is that even though it was a fairy tale gone dark, it did a ton to promote how powerful women really are. Holda kept telling Gretel throughout the whole entire film that she was basically stronger than men because men are weak in the sense that women hold the true power over them with sexuality, maturity, etc. I definitely believe that it's a film that is worth checking out which is why I am going to give the film an B- for a final grade.

The Voices (2014)

Screenwriters and directors have been crossing over genres for years with RomComs (Romance Comedy), Action & Comedy, and one genre that I think is the hardest to pull off in Horror Comedies. You are taking one genre that is dark in nature and you are mixing it with one that is generally light in nature and trying to make it work. That is what writer Michael R. Perry (Into The Badlands) and director Marjane Satrapi (Radioactive) did with today's film The Voices which stars Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) as Jerry. Jerry is a very likable guy who just about gets along with everyone at work, but there is just one problem with Jerry. You see Jerry has a little bit of a problem in that he hears voices like he thinks that his cat Mr. Whiskers and his dog Bosco talk to him. One night Jerry makes the mistake of killing one of his co-workers and in a panic he chops her up and he keeps her head in his fridge. Will Jerry make things right or will he kill again? The film also stars Gemma Arterton (Clash Of The Titans) as Fiona, Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) as Lisa, Ella Smith (Ray & Liz) as Alison,  Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) as Dr. Warren, and Valerie Koch (The Calling Game) as Jerry's Mother.

Spoiler Alert: This paragraph may contain some spoilers so reader beware! One of the things I liked about this film was all about production choices because they made the whole film. There are moments in the film where they give you the glimpses of reality like showing you Jerry and the fact that he makes all of the voices himself, but most importantly it's the contrast in the apartment. When Jerry is in the apartment by himself, it looks all nice, clean, and organized while the heads look absolutely fresh. When someone else enters the apartment, it looks like the house of horrors with all of the filthy Tupperware and chopped body parts. He is so far down the rabbit hole of his own delusions that he can't tell what is real and he is able to mask it with his mind. While it may not seem like a big deal to you, but it matters a lot in showing you how fragile his psyche really is and how can't come back from it. Other than that, they do a really good job layering in the elements of horror with the comedy and Ryan Reynolds is just absolutely amazing in the film whether it's as Jerry or all of the characters he covers for the film. Anna Kendrick is also a very nice surprise for the film as the naive Lisa who has no idea that Jerry is bat shit crazy. Stick around for the credits as they sing a song with Jesus! If you get a chance to run over to the VUDU app, it's showing for free as we speak. I really liked the film and loved Reynolds so I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.

Overlord (2018)

The first time I saw the trailer to today's film, I knew it was a film that I wanted to see, but I never had the chance to until now. In a lot of Adolf Hitler's speeches, you always heard this thing about a thousand year reich and you wondered what in the hell was he talking about and how would he even achieve that? Well, what if we took that statement and we expanded on it for a film and that is today's film's Overlord which was directed by Julius Avery (Son Of A Gun) and the film is about a group of soldiers that are tasked with having to blow up a radio tower in a small French town so that the US can begin storming the beaches in Normandy. The only problem is that when they get there it proves to be challenging and they discover just what kind of sinister plans the Nazis have to accomplish this 1000 year goal. The film stars Jovan Adepo (Fences) as Boyce, Wyatt Russell (22 Jump Street) as Ford, Mathilde Ollivier (The Misfortunes of François Jane) as Chloe, Pilou Asbæk (Game Of Thrones) as Wafner, John Magaro (The Big Short) as Tibbet, Iain De Caestecker (Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D) as Chase, Dominic Applewhite (The King's Speech) as Rosenfeld, and Bokeem Woodbine (Spider-Man: Homecoming) as Rensin.

If you are looking for Saving Private Ryan, Flags Of Our Fathers, or any other World War 2 movie like that then turn away because this is more in the style of Inglorious Basterds than that. This is just supposed to be a fun monster movie that happens to take place during the second World War and it would have played at a Grindhouse. I thought the film was a lot of fun and you see this transformation in Jovan Adepo's character where he is this grunt that is not respected by his peers because he's afraid and his head is just not in the game. Over the course of the film, that begins to change as he is just put through the ringer and he begins to get hardened by the war or at least in the situation they are in. There is one thing that I did like about the film and that is they have no idea what these re-animated corpses are. They are not calling them zombies because that term hasn't been thrown around a lot and Boyce can't seem to explain what he has seen. As far as they know, this serum is masking them into super soldiers that just kill everything they see in sight. The special effects are great in my opinion and it's no surprise as they have J.J. Abrams as a producer and that gunfire that we see in the opening sequence is terrifying. The makeup special effects were also amazing and I loved what they did with Wafner towards the end because they make him the true super villain of the film. If you want something fun to watch that is also bad ass at times then check out Overlord. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.