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Flash Movie Review: Smile 2
I WAS ON THE EXERCISE BIKE, oblivious to what I was doing. All I could think about were those cookies I baked last night. I know, I see the irony with those two statements. There was something about the way the cookies looked that triggered my panic mode. In my brain, the cookies did not look right. The fact is I had never made this recipe before so how would I know what they were supposed to look like? It did not matter; I am a visual and texture eater. If something has a texture I do not like, I will not eat it. The same with looks; if it does not look right, whatever “look right” is supposed to be in my mind, I will not touch it, even if it has chocolate in it. So here I am working out on the bike, fretting whether I can serve the cookies to the company we were expecting. My entire ride was consumed by all the possibilities I had to find my happy place and serve the cookies to guests; should I make another dessert as a backup, buy one at the bakery to save myself time; just stick with the pie I had made and serve nothing else. I settled on the most logical response which is always the last thing I think about after driving myself crazy. I would have a couple of cookies for breakfast. If I liked them then I would serve them and if not, I had already decided I would bake something else. Gratefully, the cookies were good. IT IS HARD BEING ME; I WISH I would not work myself up into a frenzy when something triggers me, like in this case the look of the cookies. It is similar to something else that has been bothering me for a few weeks. I do not know if I dreamt about this conversation or if I really had it with someone about snorkeling. We are planning a trip that involves an excursion to a reef where we can snorkel to experience the beauty close up. I am already concerned about the water temperature; will it be too cold for me, and will I have to stay back in the boat. I am also concerned with sharks and jellyfish; what type of precautions will the excursion provide to protect us from an attack. My anxiety is slowly growing. Now I thought I met someone recently who told me not to worry, that we would be given wetsuits, and the temperature would be warm for the time we were going. She also said we would be handed a rope to hold on to, so that we can always be attached in some way to the boat. I found comfort with this information, but for the past week I cannot think of who told me this recent news. Going over the past few weeks of our social calendar and I cannot figure out if it was a real conversation or a dream. There are times like this where I think I am starting to lose my mind; however, nothing like what was happening to the main character in this mystery horror thriller. WITH THE RESTART OF HER TOUR, a musical pop star’s stress is causing her to question some of the things she is seeing. They seem so real, but are they? With Naomi Scott (Charlie’s Angels, Power Rangers) as Skye Riley, Rosemarie DeWitt (Out of My Mind, Rachel Getting Married) as Elizabeth Riley, Lukas Gage (Assassination Nation, Road House) as Lewis Fregoli, Miles Gutierrez-Riley (I Wish You All the Best, On the Come Up) as Joshua, and Peter Jacobson (House-TV, Fear the Walking Dead-TV) as Morris; this sequel was better than the original film. I was not expecting much; however, the story quickly grabbed me and kept me on the edge of my seat a good portion of the time. I thought Naomi and Rosemarie were excellent and enjoyed their chemistry. The script had some holes in it but with the good direction and cast, things kept moving past scenes that seemed stuck on repeat. What I most enjoyed about this movie was the fact it was more of a psychological horror story instead of just dumping gory scenes on the viewers. Now do not get me wrong, there still were some bloody, graphic scenes where I had to divert my eyes to a different part of the movie screen so as not to see the bloody action head on. And though there were no post credit scenes, I have a feeling we have not seen the last from this budding franchise.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hold Your Breath
IF I AM NOT READING A BOOK or listening to music, I always have the television turned on, even if I have no plans to watch it. I use a TV as background noise because I am uncomfortable being in silence. There is a reason for it. There was a television show that debuted when I was a small child of six or seven years of age. I probably was too young to watch it, because I always dreamt of a horrible nightmare when I went to sleep after having watched the show. Every episode started out with the television screen going black and a single white dot would appear in the center. A voice would come on and tell us not to adjust our television sets, there was nothing wrong with them. I believe the next thing the announcer said was they were taking control of our sets and that is when that white dot turned into a wavy line, getting smaller and bigger at times. I can remember snippets of the different episodes, but each week there was always a “monster” or alien being since the show leaned more towards science fiction as opposed to something like The Twilight Zone. I would be terrified of the monsters; some with extra powers or wanting to do experiments on humans. Even if I closed my eyes during a scene, I still would wake up in the middle of the night from a bad dream. THAT SHOW WAS THE START OF me not liking silence. As I grew older and no longer needed a babysitter, I could not handle being in a quiet space. Any little sounds coming from the house or outside would cause me to jump. One time there was some noise I heard coming from the back porch. I quickly turned off all the lights and hid in the kitchen pantry. Not because I was hungry, but because from there I could sneak peeks at the back door, to see if a human shadow loomed up. I would stand in there for 15-20 minutes before I thought it was safe to come out. Through the years, past my college graduation and moving out into my own apartment, I was the same when it came to hearing noises. Imagine living in a big courtyard apartment building; there were always various noises sounding off; my television and music player were my constant companions. It is as if my mind is always ready to take a pessimistic view when it comes to hearing an uncommon sound that I cannot explain. I do not know if it is a good or dreadful thing, that I understood what the main character was going through in this dramatic, horror thriller. WITH HER HUSBAND AWAY FOR WORK, a wife had to take care of the house and their children during the Oklahoma dust storms that ravaged the state. The fact that there might be something else bad outside made raising their kids all the harder. With Sarah Paulson (Run, American Horror Story-TV) as Margaret Bellum, Amiah Miller (The Water Man, War for the Planet of the Apes) as Rose Bellum, relative newcomer (Alona Jane Robbins as Ollie Bellum, Annaleigh Ashford (American Reject, B Positive-TV) as Esther Smith, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear-TV, No Hard Feelings) as Wallace Grady; this movie was beautifully filmed. I enjoyed the atmospheric scenes mixed in with the starkness; they helped with creating the bleakness of the environment. Sarah and Amiah were especially strong with their characters; Sarah was especially riveting. However, my interest periodically faded at times because the script created this series of repetitive scenarios that did not build up the tension or move the story forward. There needed to be more tension that would have led to a stronger ending. Even if I did not like hearing unfamiliar sounds when I am alone, after seeing this picture, I am amazed at the people who survived these storms back in the 1930s in Oklahoma.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
IT WAS A CHANCE ENCOUNTER THAT released long forgotten memories from forty plus years ago. I was walking through a crowded hotel lobby. Trying to make my way amongst the mass of people, I said “excuse me” to a woman I was trying to get around to reach the staircase. She turned and looked at me; we both became motionless as we intently stared at each other. It immediately clicked in my brain, like a spotlight that found its mark on stage, and I uttered her name after all these years. She in turn did the same thing, saying my name, at the exact time. We both asked what the other was doing here, and it turned out we were attending the same event. I could not believe it. Unfortunately, with assigned seating, we only had small chunks of time to communicate with each other. It felt so good to see her and to feel her warmth again because I had been the one who disappeared. I never wanted to stop being friends with her, but the circle of friends around us was becoming too toxic for me; so, I had to remove myself from the situation. Before the end of the evening, we made plans to meet for lunch a week later. I WAS NOT SURE WHAT TO do as I was walking into the restaurant. Should I hug her or not, should I be animated and wave my hands; I did not know how I would be received. As it turned out as soon as we saw each other we walked up and hugged. Funny, we never did it in school, but I guess being older versions of ourselves made it the thing to do. Once we were seated, we each peppered the other with questions about their current life situation. Memories were flooding my brain; sharing prom together, sitting in her parents’ kitchen while her mother served us cake, using a cuss word to describe someone talking on the television that was playing in the background, hanging out in the park with a group of friends. While talking she used the same phrase as she did back forty years ago. Her no nonsense style of not caring what people thought of her was still as prevalent as it was back then. The only way I could describe my feelings was to say I felt like I had come back home. There was an easy comfort being with her. Whatever differences we had did not require any energy now; I was happy to see her. Some of these things I have been talking about could easily describe what I was feeling while watching this comedic horror fantasy. EMBARRASSED AND DISMISSIVE OF HER GHOST believing mother, a daughter unwittingly causes something to happen that could change her opinion about her family. With Michael Keaton (The Protégé, The Founder) as Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder (Destination Wedding, Mermaids) as Lydia Deetz, Catherine O’Hara (A Mighty Wind, Schitt’s Creek-TV) as Delia Deetz, Jenna Ortega (Scream franchise, The Fallout) as Astrid Deetz, and Justin Theroux (The Girl on the Train, False Positive) as Rory; this sequel transported me right back to the time when I saw the original movie. The cast, both new and veterans, were all in to create a madcap, zany fun film. Granted, since having seen the original the level of impact was less and the script for this picture was more convoluted. As with the first one, the music soundtrack was perfect for this story. I think the viewer would still be entertained with this movie even if they had not seen the first one; though I believe it would be of help. Overall, I was entertained throughout and felt no one could do this character justice except Michael Keaton.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Alien: Romulus
THE THREE OF US MET AT a restaurant housed in an historical building, dating back 1 ½ centuries ago. The structure was huge, originally built to house and store train locomotives. My friend and I were going to meet a childhood friend of his who I had only met a couple of times; they had a much longer history together than I did with my friend. Once we were seated at a table, we marveled at the original brick and limestone making up the walls. Huge wooden rafters crisscrossed above our heads, like a multi highway interchange, supporting the roof. I took a couple of photos while seated, using the wide angle setting to capture the vastness of the cavernous dining room. We caught up with each other on our current state of being while the waitstaff politely checked in wondering if we needed anything to start before ordering our meals. Each of us ordered a drink and decided to order our food choices as well because we were hungry. While we waited for the food to come, my friend and his friend began reminiscing about their childhood homes that were next to each other, wondering what they must look like now. Their conversation quickly became filled with memories they shared; I simply listened and enjoyed hearing about some of their antics. ONE OF THEIR STORIES WAS ABOUT the time they ran away with a shopping cart from a store and took turns riding it as the other one pushed. They went to a short side street in their neighborhood that was on a decline. Using the cart like a sled, without the capability of steering, each of them would sit in the cart and ride it down the street until it either tipped over or crashed into the curb. Their story triggered a memory of mine; a time where my friends and I took the lids off garbage cans and used them as saucer sleds down a hill we had in our neighborhood. We did not have to own sleds, the garbage can lids worked just as well, at least the metal ones. I shared my memories with them and as the day progressed, they mentioned several other stories that triggered my memories as well. Though I did not grow up with them, I could easily understand how they felt reliving their times together because I had had similar experiences with my friends. While watching this science fiction, horror thriller, I once again found myself reminiscing about my time years ago sitting in a theater and being petrified. A SMALL GROUP OF SPACE COLONISTS see an abandoned space station as a way out. However, once aboard they make a terrifying discovery that could have far-reaching consequences. With Cailee Spaeny (Civil War, Priscilla) as Rain, David Jonsson (Industry-TV, Deep State-TV) as Andy, Archie Renaux (Morbius, The Greatest Beer Run Ever) as Tyler, Isabela Merced (Instant Family, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Kay and Spike Fearn (Aftersun, Sweetheart) as Bjorn; this latest installment of the long running movie franchise had slick production values, which created scenes filled with dread and tension. The music and sound editing were perfect accompaniment as well. while the cast also worked well together. As for the script, there were references to the original film; however, I do not feel one needed to have seen it to understand what was going on in this one. The story took a long time to kick into gear, where I was teetering onto boredom, but things finally picked up in a big way. With thrills and fright, I found myself tapping into my memories of watching the 1979 film. I felt more connected to the past characters than the ones in this picture. However, the visual and audio stimuli kept me engaged along with my memories.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Quiet Place: Day One
NOTHING WAS GOING TO STOP ME from getting to the restaurant, which I had first heard about from a movie. I was on vacation, traveling to a state I had never been to before. Since I was staying close to the border, I looked up to see how far the restaurant was from where I was staying. It was a two-to-two-and-a-half-hour drive. I mapped it out and discovered the trip would be part highway driving and part country roads. All I hoped for was pretty scenery. I had tickets for a couple of tours and events for my stay, so I had to figure out which day I could carve out enough time to drive to and back from the restaurant. The only day that would work was the day I had tickets for a play at night. I was confident I could leave early enough to get there for lunch then drive back and have enough time to freshen up, grab a light dinner, and attend the play. Thursday was going to be the day and I could not wait to try the restaurant’s famous pizza, or at least famous in the movie. Just the idea of being at the place and walking around the area where the movie was filmed gave me a thrill. THURSDAY MORNING, I AWOKE TO DARK cloudy skies. I was not happy about it, but I did not care what the weather was going to be, I was determined to cross state lines and have myself a couple of slices of pizza. With a full tank of gas, my camera, phone charger and a couple of bottles of water, I headed out onto the highway. No sooner had I passed the next entrance ramp to the highway, than there was a sudden flash of lightning followed by a low, rumbling roll of thunder, sounding like it had been drawn out from a subwoofer. The sky ahead was darker than the one I was seeing out of my rearview mirror. It was none to long before I drove right into a wall of beating rain. I could barely see, and my wipers were at the highest speed. Up ahead, I could make out an overpass; so, I made my way to it and pulled over to the side and put on my hazard lights. I could not believe my luck; could not it have waited to rain until I was at least at the restaurant. It was twenty minutes before the rain lightened up slightly, so that I could head back out onto the highway. I had to reduce my speed, but I was determined to make it to the restaurant. A little over an hour later, with the rain reduced to drizzle, I saw up ahead a group of brake lights glowering at me. Now what? As I got closer, I saw an emergency vehicle and realized there was an accident. From a three-lane highway, the emergency personnel had closed all the lanes and were directing cars in single file to drive onto the shoulder around the accident. I stopped looking at the time on the dashboard; though, once I made it through, I started hearing the minutes ticking off in my brain as I tried to surpass the speed limit to make up time. The remainder of the trip was stressful as I knew I would have to rush my plans. But do you know what, it was worth it when I was seated at a booth enjoying my steaming hot pizza. You will understand this feeling if you choose to watch this captivating movie. FINDING HERSELF IN NEW YORK CITY, a terminally ill woman is determined to have pizza from her favorite restaurant. It does not matter if the city is under attack, she wants to get her pizza. With Lupita Nyong’o (The 355, Black Panther franchise) as Samira, Joseph Quinn (Overlord, Make Up) as Eric, Alex Wolff (Pig, The Line) as Reuben, Djimon Hounsou (Grand Turismo, In America) as Henri and Eliane Umuhire (Omen, Trees of Peace) as Zena; this prequel to the science fiction horror franchise has absolutely nothing to apologize for. It was terrific and could easily stand on its own. What I enjoyed about this film was that the focus was on the characters. And having Lupita and Joseph chosen for their roles, they brilliantly brought their characters to life. The other character I must mention is the cat; I could not get over how perfect the cat was in its scenes. I sat on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, during multiple scenes throughout the picture. The script was well done as was the directing. I do not believe one needs to see the previous films to understand what was taking place in this film and for those who have, I suggest not spending the time comparing them to this newest one. This film was more drama driven and for a science fiction horror flick, I appreciated the differences.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Lisa Frankenstein
A GOOD PORTION OF THE INDIVIDUALS I dated; I did not like it at first. I cannot explain it. Upon either meeting or getting introduced to them, I got a negative reaction to them. One person I met at a house party. They were slightly tipsy while they tried telling these crazy stories about various members of their family. At the end of the evening, they did not have a ride home and the host asked if I would please get them home safely. I was hesitant because I did not want them to get sick in my car and I also felt we had nothing in common, so the ride home would be uncomfortable with us either sitting in silence or me listening to their family drama. As it turned out, they must have sobered up quick or had been putting on an act for most of the evening because we had a friendly conversation. There was more to them than I imagined; they came from a troubled home, learning to use humor to mask their pain. For a first-time conversation, it was not your usual small talk kind about the weather or sports teams. We each talked about growing up with a colorful extended family, and by the time I pulled up in front of their place, we made plans to see one another again. It turned out to be a fun and caring relationship. ANOTHER RELATIONSHIP I HAD STARTED WITH us meeting at a charity event. We were guests in a large ballroom of a downtown hotel, both looking over the items on display for the silent auction. They were standing next to me and made a satirical comment about one of the items; I chuckled and agreed with them. From there we continued making our way together, commenting and joking about the assorted items and guessing what they would go for during the auction. Throughout the evening, we always managed to be near one another. At the close of the evening, we exchanged phone numbers and wished each other well. The following week I got a call and was invited to a party they were hosting. After having a pleasant evening with them at the charity event, their party was something completely different. I found them to be obnoxious as they relished pushing people’s buttons. Granted some of the things coming out of their mouth were quite funny, but the difference I was seeing was drastically different from our last meeting. I was turned off by it. However, after the party they were persistent in their reaching out to me. I discovered who they were when guests were around was so different from when they were by themselves; I could not get over it. As a few weeks went by, they were able to change my opinion and I found myself becoming attracted to them. My relationship with them was like being on a roller coaster and that is why I could understand the main character in this comedy, horror romance. A TEENAGER STRUGGLING TO FIT INTO a new school, meets someone who might understand her, except for the fact he is dead. With Kathryn Newton (Freaky, Ben is Back) as Lisa, Liza Soberano (Everyday I Love You, Forevermore-TV) as Taffy, Jenna Davis (Stay at Home, Treehouse Detectives-TV) as Lori, Trina LaFargue (Five Feet Apart, My Perfect Wedding) as Tricia and Paola Andino (Sno Babies, Every Witch Way-TV) as Misty; I enjoyed the idea for this story. It had a retro vibe to it, like films from the 1980s. Kathryn did an excellent job with her character, and I enjoyed the rest of the cast as well. The beginning started out slow for me and it took awhile before I felt the story starting to come together. There was a small layer of sharp humor that I felt could have been expanded on and the directing needed to be stronger. I did appreciate the way female empowerment, loss and love were managed; but I felt the script could have been so much stronger, delivering a complete knockout of a story. I took a chance on this film and though I did not love it, I found it okay.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Watchers
SHE WAS TRYING TO CONVINCE ME that I would not even taste the vegetable, but I was not convinced. In the past, I have mentioned I am a texture and visual eater. Certain food textures, like aspic, can make me gag. Something like sauerkraut is a double whammy; I do not like the texture or how it looks, let alone the taste. I was seated at my friend’s dinner party when she came out with this casserole dish and proceeded to tell me about the ingredients, I would not notice in the side dish. I did not want to come across as being rude, since they made a point of announcing this in front of all the seated guests around the dining room table. When the serving plate was passed to me, I took the tiniest of helpings; no reason to let food go to waste when I was sure there were others who might enjoy it. Once all the food was placed on the table and the hosts were seated, we began to eat. When I finally took a bite of the vegetable casserole on my plate, I immediately did not like the taste of it. I could taste the disliked ingredient, but that was secondary to the all-around bad taste I was experiencing. There was such an odd blend of tastes; I could not figure out if it was due to the spices or the ingredients, because there were so many textures going on. The bottom line: it was nasty. I LOVED MY FRIEND, AND DO not get me wrong; I was appreciative of her dinner invitation. Having known her and her family for years, I understood her cooking was not something I cared for. It made sense to me because I thought her mother was an awful cook and baker. It was not a surprise for the mother to serve a cake for dessert that was rubbery with no flavor. One holiday, she came out with a turkey that was undercooked; it got to the point where I had to be extra cautious on what foods I would eat at their house. So, my friend not being a good cook was not a shock to me. It was never a big deal; I am aware that some people think some foods taste good, while others do not. With this in mind, I always know what to expect and from time to time I will eat something of hers that will surprise me because it was not too bad. It may not have been great, but it was easily edible. I had a similar mindset when I decided to see this film because I have not been a fan of the director’s father for a long time. GETTING STUCK IN A FOREST, A young artist finds herself trapped alongside three mysterious strangers in a structure that looks like a glass enclosed cage. There was a reason for it. With Dakota Fanning (The Secret Life of Bees, Man on Fire) as Mina, Georgina Campbell (Barbarian, Suspicion-TV) as Ciara, Olwen Fouere (The Northman, The Survivalist) as Madeline, relative newcomer Oliver Finnegan as Daniel and Alistair Brammer (Les Miserables, A Call to Spy) as John; this fantasy, horror mystery written and directed by Ishana Shyamalan had a wonderful look and soundtrack to the film’s story. The cast was good, and things started out interestingly enough, but after a while I felt the script fell into a rut, leaving me bored. It seemed as if this picture could have been her father’s film, where interesting vignettes were shown and then they either did not go anywhere relevant to the story or made no sense. As the story was closing in on the end, I felt nothing was working in this picture which left me disappointed and confused. There may be promise for this director/writer, but based on this first outing, things are not looking up. I may wind up with the same mindset going to see her future films; not expecting much but knowing I will somehow make it through to the end of the movie.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Night Swim
BEFORE I HAD ANY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT proper dieting, I tried a variety of ways to lose weight. During my elementary school years, I went on a daily lunch of clear chicken broth with a few oyster crackers. I lost a few pounds but did not give as much thought to my food intake for breakfast and dinner. Another diet I tried was eliminating bread, no more sandwiches or toast in the morning. All that happened was me being hungry and eating more ice cream instead. Because gym classes always caused me anxiety, I never thought about doing some type of exercise, except for a short period where I found a book that went through the exercise routines of the Canadian Mounties. I could not tell you where I got this book, but I tried doing the various exercises three times a week. It lasted for almost two months, but then again, the results were not dramatic, and I was looking for some serious weight loss. By the time I got to high school, my doctor put me on a pill to try and lose weight. I never knew what it was but some years later I found out the pills had a legal form of “speed.” My freshman year I remained skinny; however, when my days at school turned to the dark side during sophomore year, I put all the weight I had lost back on and then some. IT WAS NOT UNTIL YEARS LATER, when I went to an aerobics class with a friend, that I finally understood the way I needed to lose weight. Due to the dramatic weight loss, I achieved, I was always being asked for weight loss advice from members of my classes. I shared my simple philosophy: one must burn off more calories than they take in. The things I saw through my years of teaching went from dramatic to scary. There was a woman at one club who had gotten so skinny that her hair started to fall out and she stopped menstruating. Another member at one of the other clubs got into weight training, but never incorporated any form of aerobics. They simply got bigger and bigger, which meant their weight was increasing as well. There have been so many stories I have heard about the things people do to feel better about themselves. One person did liposuction, but it left her misshapen and half of her stomach remained numb from the procedure. I tried my best to guide members if they asked me, but only by telling them what I did to lose weight. One of the main characters had the right idea about working out in their pool to feel better, but things did not end up the way he had hoped in this horror thriller. THEIR NEW HOUSE HAD EVERYTHING THE family wanted; but had something else that they did not want. With Wyatt Russell (Overlord, Everybody Wants Some!!) as Ray Waller, Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin, Bad Samaritan) as Eve Waller, Amelie Hoeferle (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as Izzy Waller, Gavin Warren (The Man in the White Van, A Hard Problem) as Elliot Waller and Jodi Long (The Tale, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Lucy Summers; this film missed an opportunity to create a scary thriller. Instead, all it offered was a poor excuse for a horror movie. Though the actors tried their best, the script was dull and unimaginative. I felt the scenes were clips from other horror films except with poorer special effects. There were a few scenes that sparked hope inside of me, but sadly the script did not veer off its mundane, average story. It would be best if one passed up on this mess of a picture.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The First Omen
ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUESTIONS TO ask someone who I know is in a relationship, is how they met. I have enjoyed all the stories I have heard throughout the years from couples, whether the meeting was random or calculated. In one of my previous reviews, I wrote about the circumstances that led me to a wonderful relationship. We had met while waiting in line for a scary amusement park attraction. There is nothing like experiencing heart palpitations to jump start a relationship, lol. I have a relative who fell in love with a student in her fifth-grade elementary classroom. She had diaries filled with her conversations with the boy, her quest to sit next to him during assemblies and school bus rides, even following him after school. All her efforts paid off because they did become a couple and when they reached adulthood they married. It is funny, I know two other couples who also only dated each other while growing up. One must admire their conviction and determination, knowing that person is the right one and sticking with it. There few are the minority, because most of the stories I have heard involved chance or just being in the right place at the right time. ONE OF THE MORE UNUSUAL STORIES I heard about involved towing a car. A friend of mine parked in a parking lot next to a bar, to run in and simply use the place’s bathroom. When she came out, her car was gone. It took her a minute to comprehend what exactly happened, but then she ran back into the bar to tell the bartender, who was cleaning his station before the evening’s rush of customers. He explained the lot was not theirs and a warning sign was posted on the side of their building, listing a towing company that was dreaded by everyone in the city. She was visibly upset. The bartender asked another bartender to take over and he offered to drive her to the towing company, assuring her that her car would be there. They had to drive only four miles, but it felt like it was hours to her before they reached the towing company. He dropped her off and waited until she walked into the front office. After filling out paperwork and paying a hefty fine she got her car back. She was so grateful and appreciative for what the bartender did, that she drove back to the bar, parking in a legal spot, and told the bartender she wanted to take him out for lunch that weekend to thank him. She had no other motive. However, after they met and ate lunch, they agreed to go out again and as they say, the rest was history. I enjoy hearing about these prologues to couples’ relationships. That is part of the reason I enjoyed this prequel to a story I first heard about over forty years ago. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE CHURCH IN Rome to begin her religious vows, a young American woman notices and experiences unusual behaviors taking place around her. There seems to be a darkness descending onto the church. With Nell Tiger Free (Wonderwell, Servant-TV) as Margaret, Ralph Ineson (The Green Knight, The Creator) as Father Brennan, Sonia Braga (Shotgun Wedding, Kiss of the Spider Woman) as Sister Silva, Tawfeek Barhom (Cairo Conspiracy, Worlds Apart) as Father Gabriel and Maria Caballero (Olvido, The Girl in the Mirror-TV) as Luz; this film surprised me because it was written in a logical pattern that made sense to me. I may not have remembered much about the original movie The Omen, but this story line was written in a straightforward way. I will say the pacing is slow, so some viewers, especially those who are not familiar with the story, may feel bored at times. Decent performances by the cast helped move the story along. There was more suspense in this film than horror, which I for one appreciated; though, there still were a few scenes with blood in it. The last thing I will say about this movie is I did not know I would be glad to find out the story in The Omen got its start.
2 ½ stars
moviejoltz 