tayboboogy-1 Reviews

Scream VI (2023)

An Improvement Over Scream (22)

[6/10 · 10 March 2023]

When I first heard about a 6th Scream without Neve Campbell, I was devastated. It couldn't possibly work. And while she was sorely missed and her absence was noticeable, they managed to do a good job, improving over the last installment, which I just couldn't get in to.

In Scream 5, I just did not connect with the newbies, now the "Core Four." This time, I found myself appreciating them more. Their connection is stronger and development *slightly* is better.

This entry into my absolute favorite franchise ever since I was 10 years old has plenty of red herrings and a lot of gore that leaves little to the imagination. Callbacks to the past are done well and much appreciated. The silliness that has sometimes watered down intense moments in this franchise is now contained and used sparingly. And ,thankfully, the writers have toned down the meta talk.

This movie is a great nod to Scream 2, one of the best horror sequels ever made.

One particular scene had me sweating on the edge of my seat, near tears- I won't spoil it as it's the highlight of the film! Whew.

The killlers, were mostly a surprise and a better motive than in Scream 5. There's a reason it is a good old fashioned classic. One gripe I have- the writers always talk about the stakes, yet none of the returning characters died. Where are the stakes? One of the twins needs to go. But, please, continue to spare our OG's. Taking Dewey was hard enough!

So freaking great to have Courteney and Hayden back. Hopefully a 7th movie will bring them back, ALONG WITH NEVE FOR A FANTASTIC finale!

I would say this one was better than 4 and 5, but still doesn't reach the level of the original trilogy!

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

Cute, fun, but lacking heart...

[5/10 · 1 October 2022]

I still remember seeing Hocus Pocus at the theater when I was 6. It was pure magic from beginning to end.

After a 29 year wait for a sequel, I'm a little bummed.

Hocus Pocus 2 was fun, cute, and slightly funny at times. But it just doesn't have the heart and depth that made the original so special. Bette, Kathy, Sarah, and Doug did a great job of jumping back into character.

The director and writer seriously messed up by not involving the kids from the first film. A continuation of their story would have taken the film to the next level.

The new characters were good enough, but severely underdeveloped. I just didn't care.

No more sequels please.

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (2022– )

Back to Fraggle Rock

[7/10 · 24 January 2022]

I grew up watching Fraggle Rock- it gave my childhood that spark of magic!

When I heard about the new series, I nearly cried tears of joy.

The return of Karen Prell (Red) and David Goelz (Boober and Traveling Matt) is greatly appreciated! The Doozers are still clever, hardworking creatures. The Gorgs are as goofy and bumbling as ever! The new Doc is cool- I honestly wouldn't want to see a Gerard Parkes imitation as it would only be disrespectful to him. I would like to see a bit more from her scenes with our beloved Sprocket- who my sister had once convinced me was a real dog. The music is just as wonderful as I remember with some classics from the original thrown in!

My biggest complaint, however, is the physical and personality change in Mokey. It's distracting, irritating and totally unnecessary.

Overall, this team has done a great job in capturing the magic of Jim Henson's vision while implementing modern capabilities.

Scream (I) (2022)

A Good Place to End the Franchise

[5/10 · 14 January 2022]

The Scream franchise is my absolute favorite. I have many wonderful memories tied to these films. I knew this fifth entry would be a sort of love letter to us fans. There were many surprising moments I hadn't expected. It dove into the past with great ease and it played beautifully. I was thrilled to hear Red Right Hand once again! And I enjoyed the twisted connection of the new characters to past characters. However, there are a number of things that didn't work well. The killers, at least one of them, were underwhelming and the motive paper thin. The pacing of the movie was too fast and could have benefited emotionally from taking a breather once in a while, allowing some organic connections between characters. They beat the meta talk to death. In an attempt to shift the narrative to a new generation, the original trio are severely underutilized. Let's be honest THEY are the franchise. Without them, it's just a watered-down ripoff moneygrab. I certainly don't want to see a Scream without them. I'd place it between 3 and 4, while 1 and 2 are the best.

Halloween Kills (2021)

It took 3 people to write this?

[3/10 · 17 October 2021]

So they'll just let anyone make a movie nowadays?

I wasn't a huge fan of Halloween 2018, but I went into this with an open mind.

Holy smokes was it BORING, slow, and tedious. Laurie Strode has become completely obnoxious and obsolete to the storyline (why would they discount the sibling plot? It added a complexity that was far more interesting). Tommy Doyle's (Anthony Michael Hall- why??) vigilante justice mission was cringeworthy.

The only time I felt tension was when Lindsay Wallace (Kyle Richards) faced Michael. Too many characters just stood there and let Michael kill them...so stupid. How many times did we have to hear "Evil dies tonight!"??

This was a huge disservice to fans of a once great franchise.

The only nightmares this gave me was fearing how they'll ruin Halloween Ends...

The Conners (2018–2025)

No Longer Entertaining

[2/10 · 7 October 2021]

I grew up watching Roseanne. I loved the stories and characters. I watched the spinoff with an open mind. But it has drastically failed to uphold the legacy. First off, these characters are shells of their former selves. They're no longer "blue collar " everyday relatable people, but rather kind of gross.

DJ is rarely seen and when he is it's only for one scene with a single line. The show revoles far too much around Darlene and what a pathetic disaster of a human being she is. She's whiny, selfish, and insecure. Becky is...I don't even know what to say there. John Goodman does his best with what he's given, which isn't much. The only saving grace is Jackie- who hasn't evolved much either.

But the biggest problem here is the acting- or lack there of. Somewhere along the past 20 years, these actors, save for Laurie Metcalf, have lost their acting chops. It's all forced and choppy- completely unfunny (this IS a sitcom, right?). They force politics into every single episode without giving viewers a moment to breathe. We watch scripted television to escape the headlines, not have them crammed down our throats.

Just end it already.

Crawl (I) (2019)

What a Surprise!

[9/10 · 19 July 2019]

"Crawl" is one of those movies that sneaks up on you! What a thrill ride! I knew it would be an entertaining little popcorn flick, but quickly found myself on the edge of my seat, kicking my feet up (because don't you know that's how they get you) and my heart pounding.

I don't get scared too easily, especially with movies. But this one did it for me. Highly reccomend this one!!

Child's Play (2019)

Was this a parody?

[1/10 · 27 June 2019]

I don't know where to begin with this. I am a huge fan of the Chucky series and went into this with an open mind. But they took away everything about Chucky that made him fun and creepy!

He lacked any sort of personality. No longer is Chucky witty and biting. His "wit"is merely repeating curse words he hears the children saying. He is not the angry, psychotic killer doll we have all come to enjoy.

Trying to get the audience to sympathize with the killer is terrible. No one wants that! It isn't scary!

The technology aspect of the film fell flat for me. Maybe I'm just too old school, but technology gone wrong isn't as scary as Hollywood wants it to be. Psychotic dolls possessed by a serial killer's spirit is much creepier and more entertaining.

The entire film fell flat for me. The performances were dull and just going through the motions. The design of the doll was just disappointingly awful. I couldn't wait for it to be over.

Overall, Child's Play came nowhere near my expectations.

Pet Sematary (2019)

Disappointing...

[4/10 · 6 April 2019]

The original 1989 Pet Sematary terrified me back in the day. I was hopeful this new taken on the Stephen King novel would be good, but it fell entirely too flat. 1.) No one will ever match the eerieness of Fred Gwynn in the original. Lithgow does his best with what he is given. However, the friendship between Jud and Louis is mostly disregarded here. There is next to no character development. 2.) The tension between Louis and Rachel is lacking. 3.) The scariest part of the original for me was Zelda. Here, she is just plain LAME. Not scary at all. 4.) The atmosphere is superficial and it doesn't give a real sense of terror and agony that this family should be going through. 5.) The ending was just awful. Too rushed and in no way did it pack the same punch as the original. Spoiled twist or not. It was bad. 6.) Pascow- I don't know why they even bothered including him. I have to give them props, however, for finding an actress to play Ellie who wasn't totally grating on the ears and soul. She was the bright spot in this movie. Overall, it just didn't deliver what it promised.