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Flash Movie Review: The Visit
Walking into a room where the strangers are related to you by blood means nothing to a young child. It even sounds icky. I remember as a young kid meeting a relative who was 2 generations removed from me. She was quite short and frail looking with dull white hair tied up into a bun on top of her head. Taking my cues from the adults going up to her, when it was my turn to be introduced to her I carefully wrapped my arms around her when she came over to hug me. It was the only time I ever saw this person but I still have that memory. When one is a child, it can be a scary experience meeting some stranger who you were told is your relative. Before I had ever heard the word dementia I remember going to a nursing home to visit a relative. As I walked into the place the bright fluorescent lights sounded as if they were humming as the smell of bleach hit me like a moist fog. There was a woman sitting on the side dressed in a housecoat and torn sweater. She greeted us with a loud “howdy” and continued to say it over and over. I already was on edge and felt uncomfortable as we walked into a large dining hall. There were some people who were dressed up as if they were attending a fancy social function while others sat motionless while nurses tried to slide spoonfuls of nondescript food into their mouths. As a kid, visiting older relatives sometimes took on a scary aspect. BECCA and Tyler, played by Olivia DeJonge (The Sisterhood of NIght) and Ed Oxenbould (Paper Planes; Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) were going to visit their grandparents for the first time. They hoped to document their time spent there and find answers to why their mother stopped talking to her parents years ago. This comedic horror film from writer and director M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, The Village) was a vast improvement from his recent movies. I particularly enjoyed the filming of this story, where certain things were just slightly out of focus while characters were being filmed off center. With Deanna Dunagan (Dimension, Running Scared) and Peter McRobbie (Lincoln, 16 Blocks) as Nana and Pop Pop, I thought the cast did an exceptional job with their characters. They added believability to the premise of the story. On the down side, I found some scenes lacked intensity. This may have been due to the mix of comedy with horror; in my mind they sort of cancel each other out. In addition I felt several stereotypical actions for shock value were just thrown into the mix. This was a step in the right direction for M. Night Shyamalan. My visits to relatives were not as scary as this one.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Sinister 2
As every day fades away less and less people will be around that remember what it was like to watch family movies. It is not so dissimilar to the photographs we took with Kodachrome film. Those color pictures slowly leaked out their hues that diffused into thin air, leaving sepia ghosts on the paper until they turned into light silhouettes. Now with videos being made by such things as smart phones and computer tablets, most people have to huddle around the videographer’s outstretched hand like puppies coming to nurse at their mother. I am willing to bet they do not know what it is like to get settled into a family room with all your relatives around you. On the far side there stood a 3-legged white screen with an 8mm film projector pointing at it from the opposite side of the room. As someone turns off the light, the film operator starts up the projector; you hear the rapid tat, tat, tat sound repeating itself as the reels of film spin around. It does not matter if the lighting is poor or the images are a bit out of focus because half the fun is hearing the running commentary from all the relatives seated around the room. There was nothing like seeing younger versions of everyone either dancing, mugging or eating on that white screen. I can still remember sitting on the floor with my cousins as we watched our aunts and uncles celebrating at some event, dressed in what we thought were some goofy looking clothing. One of the best parts of looking at these old movies was seeing deceased relatives who you had only heard about and now can see them “live” so to speak. I cannot say the same thing for the family in this horror movie. AFTER moving into a rural home where a murder had taken place, the Collins family had something else that scared them. The first thing I have to tell you is I could not figure out if I was watching a prequel or sequel. Having sat through the first one, I had same faint memories that I was trying to plug in to what I was seeing in this picture. Starring Shannyn Sossamon (A Knight’s Tale, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) as Courtney Collins and Lea Coco (J. Edgar, Dorian Blues) as Clint Collins, I wished the writers would have done more with their story. The reason being the rest of the movie was boring with nothing scary about it. With my confusion and the lack of suspense, I have to say this was a real waste of time in my opinion. The script was so bare bones, that it felt like it was still in workshop when the studio decided they wanted to jump on it and bring it to the big screen. All I can say is I was grateful there were no extra scenes after the credits.
1 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Vatican Tapes
I suppose it depends on one’s definition of evil whether they see evil taking place around them on a regular basis. Just yesterday I read an article in the newspaper about someone putting 12 kittens in a duffel bag and leaving them out on the street in 85 degree heat. Maybe you would not consider this an evil act, but I do. The person who did this could easily have brought the kittens to a shelter. Luckily all the kittens, except for being dehydrated, were okay and are being listed on animal welfare’s adoption list. When I hear news about a hit and run driver the first thing I think about is whether the driver was drunk. If not (though it still is not an excuse) then I do not understand how a person who knows they hit someone can continue driving without stopping to check on the damage they caused to that person. I would say the driver was an evil individual. Since I refer to myself as a defensive pessimist, my first inclination is to focus on the negative aspects of a situation; so someone could call me Mr. Doom and Gloom. But I do not know if that is an accurate description of me. I see evil things all around me, but I do not let them dictate my actions. Hopefully I do not devote my energy to such things; instead I remove myself from people who act out in evil ways. Granted that is something that is not easy to do as you will see in this horror film. SOMETHING was happening to the people around Angela Holmes, played by Olivia Dudley (Transcendence, Chernobyl Diaries). Father Lozano and Vicar Imani, played by Michael Pena (Ant-Man, American Hustle) and Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Guardians of the Galaxy), were one of the first to recognize what was happening to Angela. This thriller followed a standard formula for a horror story. I was actually surprised to see Michael and Djimon in this movie because the film really was a “B” maybe “C” type of movie. I could see the actors trying to do something with the low level script but there really was nothing they could do that would have made this picture exciting. Now there were a couple of scenes that had potential, especially because of the way Olivia played her character. She was able to show a different side of herself simply with a subtle change in her facial expressions; it provided a slightly eerie take on the scenes. However due to this type of good vs evil story being done many times before, there was not enough done here to make this film entertaining. Though I consider this movie as being not very good, I think it would be evil if the movie studio decided to make a sequel.
1 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Vanishing on 7th Street
Maybe this practice still takes place somewhere in the world, but I know I have not seen it anywhere for many years. It used to be Saturday afternoon was the time a movie theater would change its movie rotation and show a special matinee film for one showing only. The movies that played were family friendly, multiple genres and at times lower production values. There was a small movie theater (if you want to even call it that) near my house when I was a kid; it sat in the middle of the block with small shops flanking it on both sides. If they did not have their small free standing marquee sign in front of the theater, most people would not even know it was there. All the theater seats inside were tired looking with missing threads and very little bounce to the cushions. I was there most Saturdays, waiting in line with the other families. The only way I can describe how it felt to sit and watch a movie there is to tell you it was like being on an amusement park ride. If the picture was dramatic it had to be over dramatic; the hero was always captured at some point but would escape to the cheers of the audience around me. It was such a communal event for all of us and we saw so many new places around the world and even universe. I have such warm memories about that theater and the movies it showed. This horror mystery film would have been shown at that theater’s Saturday afternoon matinee, I am certain of it. WITH no explanation one day the citizens of Detroit vanished into thin air. Luke, played by Hayden Christensen (Star Wars franchise, Jumper), was not affected however; but he noticed something was different about the dark. What I liked about this horror thriller was the fact there was no violence or bloodshed used to make the story scary. Instead the script tried to keep a sense of urgency in the forefront, letting the cast express their fear through their bodies. John Leguizamo (Moulin Rouge, Chef) as Paul and Thandie Newton (For Colored Girls, Good Deeds) as Rosemary did a good job making this happen. I do not think it was the studio’s intentions but this picture was the type of film I would call a “B” movie. It looked like a bare bones production with few props and sets. The story was like a primer as if it would be used to teach a class called horror film 101. The script was loose, letting the viewer come to their own conclusion about the action in the scenes. You may consider this more of a disposable movie that you watch once when you have nothing else to do. I enjoyed the easiness to this picture, feeling like I was a little kid at a Saturday matinee.
2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Gallows
Legend had it that one of the students who had worked on the auditorium’s fire curtain still haunted the theater. The story I heard was when the fire curtain was installed the students from the school’s art department were allowed to decorate the drab black colored curtain. As they were working on it something went wrong and the curtain came crashing down and crushed a boy to death. Ever since that time there had been unexplained things that took place around the theater, like lights turning on by themselves or hanging counterweights swinging back and forth in the still air. Every freshman in the school knew about this story by the time they first walked into the school building if not before. I have no idea how some of these stories started. During my time at the school, I never heard about odd events taking place. In fact, the only story that went around one year was about a teacher who had a prosthetic arm. She would always wear long sleeved blouses or jackets along with a white glove covering up the hand portion. Mean spirited students or one who may have failed her class, I am guessing, started telling a story about how her arm was attacked by a couple of birds who had flown through the open window of her classroom. The story evolved into the birds being a flock of woodpeckers who zeroed in on her wooden arm, trying to make a nesting place in it as she wildly swung her fake arm around her head. I am sure every school has a story; just look at this one. TWENTY years after a tragic accident took place during a staged performance; the theater department thought it was time to re-stage that fateful production. Not all ideas are good; maybe some things should be left alone. This horror suspense thriller used the found footage format as the story followed actors and friends Reese, Pfeifer, Ryan and Cassidy; played by relative newcomers Reese Mishler and Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos (As Night Comes) and Cassidy Gifford (Adventures of Serial Buddies, God’s Not Dead). Not only was this a low budget production but it was somewhat of a lame idea for a story. I say this because I cannot imagine any school agreeing to relaunch a play that had such a tragic event take place during it. The script was filled with every horror film cliche, besides not being at all sophisticated since it was so predictable. On the plus side there were no gory or bloody scenes, the writers tried using suspense as the main vehicle to drive this picture. Too bad it failed for I could tell you stories about my high school experiences that were a lot scarier than this movie.
1 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Bound to Vengeance
I am afraid it is just like riding a bike; once you have mastered it you will never forget how to do it. Born from the hot sparks of anger and hurt, it can easily dominate all of your other emotions. No matter how expansive your mind may be, it will infiltrate and seize control of the areas that house logic and common sense. For reasons out of my control, I learned at an early age how to harness its energy and retaliate against my perceived enemies. There is that quote that goes,”Revenge is a dish best served cold,” which must explain why in my adult life I am so sensitive to cold temperatures. In middle school there was this kid who would pick on me whenever I was in his eyesight; from knocking my books out of my hand to punching me in the back, there was a variety of things he did to me. Once he was done I would plot these elaborate plans to get back at him. I am embarrassed to say this now but many of my plans involved drowning or fires because I wanted him to suffer before he would expire in my mind. You see I never acted on them, all but one stayed in my imagination. The only one I actually did, after a full week of daily abuse, was when I found thumbtacks in a similar color as the seats in our classroom; need I saw more? They say time heals old wounds and I found out in my adult life it was true. Believing in karma has helped me steer my energy to more positive behaviors, but I enjoyed saying hello to my old friend revenge in this horror thriller. HAVING been kidnapped and chained to the floor of a basement Eve, played by Tina Ivlev (The Devil’s in the Details, Death Clique-TV movie), spent her time plotting revenge against her kidnapper Phil, played by Richard Tyson (Kindergarten Cop, Black Hawk Down). I am guessing most people’s initial reaction to this movie will be similar to mine, regarding why Eve did not contact the police. Once I let go of that thought, I have to tell you I did not mind watching this film even with its bloody scenes. The character of Eve was strong enough to maintain my interest in the story. I really liked her tough stance because it was a switch from similar films of this nature. This was a low budget picture with a simple story that did not pretend to be anything else but a movie about revenge. It was so much better for me to just watch my old friend instead of acting out with it. Several scenes contained violence and blood in them.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Insidious: Chapter 3
On the very fringe of the neighborhood there sat an old sagging house. Painted a long time ago in dark colors, it now looked like it was freckled and wrinkled. All the kids who lived around the area had heard an old witch lived in the house. When I would have to walk by the place I always did so at a faster pace. There were some kids who had a defiant streak in them. They would run a stick along the rungs of the long metal front gate, letting the staccato clanking noise talk for them. I had heard some kids late at night would throw stones at the front door then take off running before the witch would storm out to scream at them. As far as I could remember she was the only occupant of the house, though there were rumors that some unsuspecting children who lingered too long by the property were never found again. As time went by and I began high school, all the stories and rumors I had heard about the owner of the haunted house went to sleep in my mind. Years later I found myself at a party and struck up a conversation with a another guest who was familiar with my old neighborhood. As we were talking she mentioned her grandmother used to live near where I grew up. You know what I am going to say; it turned out her grandmother was the witch who lived in that old house that us kids were afraid to go near. I really wished I knew how the story about her grandmother being a witch had started in my old neighborhood. HOPING to make contact with her deceased mother; a young Quinn Brenner, played by Stefanie Scott (No Strings Attached, A.N.T. Farm-TV), paid a visit to psychic Elise Rainier, played by Lin Shaye (Take Me Home, There’s Something About Mary). Elise had to explain why she no longer gave readings and warned Quinn what could happen if one tried to contact the dead on their own. This third installment’s story in the horror film franchise was a prequel, before the Lambert family’s time. With Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding, About Schmidt) as Sean Brenner, this film festival winner did not have the same impact like the 1st one did for me. Lin was the strongest character out of the cast; it was understandable since she was reprising her role. Except for a couple of good fright scenes, I did not find this movie particularly scary. There were scenes that had stereotypical horror tricks like a sudden sound or quick appearance. The directing was okay, but I found the script somewhat generic with its plot. I was more afraid of that old woman from my childhood than this film.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Poltergeist
The day before I went to see this movie, I was at a dinner party where I heard an incredible story. A friend, who lives in the house she grew up in, said her house has ghosts. The people around her did not know how to react to such a statement, so the majority of them replied by saying, “Really” with a question mark at the end. With her sister confirming there were ghosts, she told us about the wristwatch she lost 4 months ago. She had placed it on her dresser before she went to take a shower. When she returned, the watch was gone. She looked all around the dresser, even in the drawers, as she retraced her steps positive she had left the watch on the dresser. A week went by and still no watch so she went out and bought a new one. None of us knew how to respond; so we simply nodded our heads, letting her continue with her story. Months passed as she went about her business, opening and closing the drawers of her dresser on a daily basis. One day as she was getting ready to go out with her boyfriend, she opened one of the dresser’s drawers and sitting in the bottom of it was her original watch. That in itself would have been freaky enough but along with the watch was an old folded up piece of paper. When she unfolded the paper she saw it was a shopping list that her deceased sister had written years ago because the first item listed was cigarettes. Everyone listening to her story was speechless. FORCED to downsize their expenses Eric and Amy Bowen, played by Sam Rockwell (The Way Way Back, Moon) and Rosemarie DeWitt (The Odd Life of Timothy Green, The Watch), took a deal on a smaller house. The real estate agent failed to mention the house was built on top of an old cemetery. This remake of the 1982 horror thriller was odd to me. The writers kept some of the original ideas in tact, but other iconic parts were discarded. Unfortunately they were not replaced with something that was more intense or memorable. The cast was okay even if I thought Sam was an odd choice. I admire his work, but having him in this film gave it a slightly comic bent. Another example was the character Carrigan Burke, played by Jared Harris (Lincoln, Natural Born Killers). He too was okay but his character did not have the impact like the original character he replaced. Now there were some scenes where I enjoyed the special effects; but here again, they just did not have the same level of intensity. So if you have not seen the original movie you may be okay with this modern version. I would have rather attended another dinner party with shared paranormal stories.
1 3/4 stars
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