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Flash Movie Review: Nosferatu
THERE IS A FINE LINE THAT separates love and obsessiveness/possessiveness. I have experienced both. Over a summer some time ago, I was dating someone who on our first date made a point to tell me they were not into relationship drama. It worked for me because I felt the same way. If one cannot sit down and have an adult conversation, expressing one’s feelings, then I know the relationship will be doomed. On our first date, I found out they had a PhD, the youngest in their class to do so, taught at a prestigious university in the city, their favorite countries for vacation, and the author of two books. Not that I had an issue hearing about all the accomplishments, but I wanted to hear more about their background, thoughts about the world, and their dreams. I know this may be a lot to ask someone on a first date, but listing accomplishments without asking me any questions is something I consider as a red flag for me to file away as we decide on a second date. And so that you know, I have always agreed on a second date unless there was a significant issue with the person where I was not feeling comfortable around them. FAST FORWARD, AND WE HAD BEEN dating for a few months. Within that amount of time, I unexpectedly found myself talking to their mother, when a cellphone was pushed into my hand, and I was told to say hi. Our talks veered towards me, being told what we were going to be doing for the holidays and other special occasions in their life; nothing was asked about what I did for the holidays or what special events did I have coming up like birthday or graduation parties. Granted, I have always been deliberately slow on introducing my friends into our relationship, preferring to wait and make sure the two of us have built a solid and healthy foundation before including friends and family into the mix. But this pattern of me always having to be available for their functions and them not for mine was becoming a problem for me. Add another development where I would get multiple texts asking where I was if I did not pick up their phone call right away. I was no longer an equal participant in this relationship, and it was time to end it. As you might imagine, it did not go well when I sat down and tried talking to them. Whatever I said would get twisted for them to talk about themselves and what they needed from me, so that I could not leave them. I did not waver and eventually said my goodbyes. For the next two to three weeks, I was still getting texts from them; I finally had to block them. You will understand now, why my heart went out to one of the main characters in this fantasy, horror mystery. THE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL AND PHYSICAL episodes a recent bride was experiencing took on a more intense and darker nature when a new resident moved into the area. With Lily-Rose Depp (Wolf, Silent Night) as Ellen Hunter, Nicholas Hoult (Juror #2, The Order) as Thomas Hunter, Bill Skarsgard (The Crow, The Devil All the Time) as Count Orlok, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy, Kraven the Hunter) as Friedrich Harding, and William Dafoe (Kinds of Kindness, Poor Things) as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz; this gothic supernatural tale was stunning to watch. The sets, costumes, and makeup were perfect, which added more intensity into the scenes. The acting was wonderful; I never recognized Bill Skarsgard. As for the script, if you are looking to be scared out of your seat, I do not think it will necessarily happen with this movie. The story is filled more with uncomfortable ickiness and dread than your typical action vampire stories. I felt the beginning part was slow, but methodical. Once I became accustomed to the pacing, in a way it felt like it was contributing to the buildup of suspense. The best way to view this film is to forget your memories of past vampire films and walk in with an open mind. There were scenes of blood and violence.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
IT WAS EVIDENT EVERY HOUSE ON the block had life inside of it, except for the house on the corner. Where each owner kept up the maintenance of their home, thie one on the corner looked abandoned. It was the only house that was painted in a dark brown color, from the wood siding to the shutters to the gutters. No other house had such a dark color scheme; instead, mostly white and light-colored paints were used for them. This dark house had tall bushes that nearly covered up the fencing that outlined the property. There were a couple of old trees in the front yard that towered over the house, letting their tired branches droop down to obscure the view of the place for any passerby. From my time living on the block I had never seen anyone walking in or out of that house. I don’t recall any child even stopping there for Halloween; I never did. With a tall, wrought iron gate guarding the sidewalk leading up to the front steps; I always assumed that gate was placed there to keep people out. However, from the rumors I had heard in the neighborhood; the gate may have been placed there to keep one or more of the residents from escaping. By the time I moved away I never found out what was the truth. AS A KID THERE WERE A VARIETY of rumors that would get passed throughout the school. Because I did not know better, I had no idea which rumors were based on a kernel of truth and which ones were total fabrications. There was one student, a bully, who used to pick on other kids. As far as I knew, no one would stand up to him because we had heard his Dad was either the chief of police or someone just as important on the police force. There was another student who everyone knew was mean to animals. If he was not focusing a magnifying glass in the sunlight onto an insect to burn it alive, he was tying up the hind legs of someone’s pet just to see the animal struggle. The rumor I had heard was his parents were extremely strict with him, to the point they would beat him with a belt or electrical cord. Back then all I could do was assume the rumors were true; now, I would have done something to try and help those poor animals. There is always a reason why rumors get started by someone, I feel. This horror thriller will show you what can happen when there is a rumor going around the neighborhood. CHECKING OUT A HOUSE THAT PEOPLE said was haunted may not have been the best place for a group of teenagers to show an out-of-towner. When you are already fearful what more could scare you? This mystery story starred Zoe Margaret Colletti (Annie, Wildlife) as Stella Nicholis, Michael Garza (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1; Wayward Pines-TV) as Ramon Morales, Gabriel Rush (Moonrise Kingdom, No Letting Go) as Auggie Hilderbrandt, Dean Norris (Total Recall, Breaking Bad-TV) as Roy Nicholis and Gil Bellows (3 Days in Havana, The Shawshank Redemption) as Chief Turner. I was not aware this film was based on a book series for teenagers; however, I thought some of the imagery in this film was well done. There were moments of dread and creepiness. The teenage characters were stereotypes that the actors handled admirably. For those of you who are squeamish; the scary parts had more imagination than other horror films that depend on blood and violence. The horror in this picture was more creative without the use of blood. After watching this movie, I think I am going to start to pay closer attention to rumors.
2 3/4 stars
moviejoltz 