pascalstorrer Reviews

Road House (2024)

Nice surprise, and I say this as a huge fan of the 1989 "Road House"!

[8/10 · 23 March 2024]

Movie surprise of the week! ROAD HOUSE - Amazon Prime. I'm so happy with this new take which is not a remake, but based on and inspired by the 1989 low budget film "Road House".

I'm positively surprised, and I say this as a huge fan of the 1989 cult classic. The new movie is lovely done. They did a tremendous job. Awesome soundtrack, stunning camera work and great acting. Only the story could have been a bit more profound with deeper implications and more depth.

The film has this nostalgic feeling. At the same time, some parts were filmed like it was a game. You may think you see scenes of the upcoming new GTA game 😄 The movie is also proof that blues rock can still be great soundtrack and used for modern movies.

And tbh, nothing can go wrong with Jake Gyllenhaal, one of my favorite actors out there 😁💪 I love all of his movies (Nightcrawler, Ambulance, Nocturnal Animals, Prisoners, and so forth) and he didn't disappoint here. But the whole cast was great.

It's a Wonderful Knife (2023)

Quite okay, annoying in some parts

[5/10 · 18 December 2023]

This movie is quite okay. However, and unfortunately, annoying and forced in some parts. Okay, but not as good as other current 80s/90s inspired horror movies (such as "Totally Killer" or "Thanksgiving"). Some scenes were pretty cool filmed though and overall the film is well edited.

The plot is interesting and the cast is well chosen. However, they missed the chance to make this movie a big hit and great addition to the latest films of the same genre.

Also, a bit more nailbiting and thrilling moments would have been great. Often, the murders happen a bit too fast. But as mentioned above, some of them were pretty cool filmed and presented in an artistic way.

Halloween Ends (2022)

Would have been great as a standalone Halloween movie!

[7/10 · 15 October 2022]

I disagree with those who rate this movie 1/10. Come on guys! Sure, I understand your point. Yes, some parts of the story seem strange. Yes, it's a weird turn after the first two movies of the trilogy. And yes, the end hurts. BUT: From my point of view, this movie would have been a great one if it were a standalone Halloween movie! Probably the best addition to the franchise since H20. And that's why I'm not a huge fan of trilogies and of remaking/retelling everything. Seems like an unpopular opinion here, but I had fun watching this movie. A lot of my friends as well as my girlfriend were also positively surprised about Halloween Ends. The film is relatively progressive and I love the fact that it is not a slasher party from beginning to end. Also, the great intro including the blue title (yes, blue instead of orange) already gives you a little hint that this movie might be different. I also really dig some of the "weird" ideas. They just went a bit too far. Halloween 4, 5 and especially 6 also contained new ideas. I grew up with Halloween 4, 5, 6 and I like all of them. I even prefer them over Halloween 2 (while the first one from 1978 remains unbeatable). As an open-minded person, I'm open for new ideas and twists within a movie franchise. But tastes are different and I truly believe that those who dislike Halloween 4, 5, 6 (and maybe also 8, The Resurrection), will most likely dislike Halloween Ends as well.

+ film score and soundtrack + the first two thirds of the movie are great + the movie is relatively progressive + Laurie Strode is more vulnerable (less Rambo) + some nice throwbacks, easter eggs and references (Corey standing by the hedge for example) + scenes and camera settings that remind on earlier Halloween movies + strong 80s vibes & aesthetics

• the change/twist in this trilogy is too much
• lack of depth
• the end hurts
• the original theme soundtrack rarely appears
• the small town feeling which a lot of the fans including me like so much was a bit missing here

All in all a good Halloween movie. As part of the trilogy, I'd rate it 6/10, but I handle and view this one as a standalone movie. And as a standalone movie, Halloween Ends deserves a 7/10.

Again, I totally understand and respect other views and other opinions. Some wrote great reviews with good points. I just disagree with a 1/10 rate. This is too low. My gf and I discussed this movie for about an hour and we both came to the conclusion that this is a pretty good addition to the franchise. We can't change the fact that we were positively surprised (maybe because we heard about the decent reviews before we went to the cinema). We go for a 7/10 rate and we can wholeheartedly stand behind that.