movieman89-2 Reviews

It (I) (2017)

10- 12 years worth the wait

[10/10 · 9 September 2017]

I still remember this day reading the book when I was 15 or 16. I simply could not put the book down. I felt and still feel that way with all of King's novels, I'm a huge fan. After finishing IT, I was desperate to watch the original film. When I watched it, I was very disappointed. For me, it didn't live up to the book whatsoever. Now, at the age of 27, I re watched parts of the original and it still has the same effect on me. I felt the acting was awful and the screenplay was poorly written and cheesy. IT is not a cheesy story.

Last year, I heard that it was being remade into a two part feature film. Usually when I hear about a new remake to a classic my instant reaction is "What? Why? Its awesome, it doesn't need remaking". But with this remake, I thought "Oh good, I hope this one is an improvement". With IT being remade in two parts, I loved the idea because I felt that it would give writers a chance to keep as close to the book as possible. I've been keeping up to date with the news about it and the hype and to be honest I joined in the hype, I was so excited for it. I went to see it last night, and let me just say to begin with,if there was an opportunity to stand up and cheer at the end credits,I would of done that.

I was instantly hooked to the film as soon as it started, the beginning scene is near enough identical to the book. The rest of the story kept extremely close to the book but there were a lot of new additions to it. The new additions were superb. When I was watching it I thought "Ah that didn't happen like in the book, but wow this new part is awesome!!"

For the scares, they were simply spine tingling. Every single scare was meaningful, none of them felt obnoxious, repetitive or unnecessary. Even the added CGI felt right and actually looked stunning.

The characters kept very strong like they did in the book. You felt for every single one of them. Like King does, he makes you love the ones you're supposed to love and despise the ones you were supposed to hate. It had a huge Stand by Me feel which was fantastic. The actors of The Loosers Club were absolutely amazing. Especially Jaeden Lieberher and Sophia Lillis. I really hope they will keep their acting careers going.

Now for Bill Skarsgård as the evil, twisted Pennywise the Dancing Clown. He was astonishing. Every time he came on screen, I felt a shiver. He was exactly as I imagined the book. There was no cheesiness to him, there was just simply dread and terror. And for Nicholas Hamilton as the insane bully Henry Bowers, he was fantastic. He acted so well as an insane wild animal. He cohorts Belch and Chris were also great. I'm also so happy the character Patrick Hockstetter was put into the film, even though his screen time was quite short it was still good that he was put in.

Like the book, the screenplay was written beautifully with perfect pace for the story and a lot of very funny lines included to lighten the mood at appropriate times. The only little complaint I would add is that I thought the character Mike Hanlon deserved a little bit more screen time but it didn't ruin the film for me.

The cinematography, lighting and set design were stunning. The attention to detail in every part of the frame was excellent. And of course a big round of applause to Andy Muschietti for brilliant directing.

This film has become one of my favourite Stephen King adaptations. I've waited for 10 or 12 years for a decent adaptation of IT and it was worth the wait. Absolutely incredible!! I'm so exited for the next chapter and I heard that Muschietti is directing it which is an amazing step forward.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)

Awful..just awful

[1/10 · 20 July 2016]

Ghostbusters was a huge obsession of mine as a child. I collected the toys, had the two films recorded from TV, and then bought them both on VHS and now have them on Blu Ray. Now at the age of 26, I still feel the same about them as I did then.

Seeing the trailers for this one, I was not in the least bit impressed (probably like everyone else). But I thought I should go and see it to actually gain an opinion and say that I've seen it. Let me just say first off....I could not wait for the end credits to role.

It had a solid story, yes but it had so many plot holes including rehashes and references from the first film. With no dark element involved like in the first two. Some of the ghosts, I have to say, looked pretty decent but they didn't have the scare factor. They just felt too playful and colourful. For the main villain, there was no investment whatsoever. When he showed up, he didn't have a threatening tone. I felt he overacted and was too cartoonish.

For the cast, it was well acted and it looked like they had a blast in the production of the film, but it was ruined by the atrocious writing. With the originals, there was scientific talk backed up with dialogue that all audiences can understand. With this, the scientific dialogue was dragged out and just felt that it was unnecessary.

I really do like Paul Feig as a director and I really enjoyed his other films. However, due to the writing, the direction was terrible. There were just times where I wanted to shout at the screen "No-one would do or say that". For example, during a scene involving a heavy metal concert, there was a demonic ghost, causing mayhem. What did everyone do? Stand there doing nothing. Also when one of the ghostbusters is being dragged off by the demon, people were taking selfies on their phones with it. Who would do that? and why didn't anyone run for the hills?

For the comedy element, everything just felt forced and painfully awkward. Whereas in the originals, the comedy moments were off the cuff and downright hilarious, Well done to Mr Akroyd and Mr Ramis. However, the only funny moments were when the original cast made cameo appearances and insulted the new ghostbusters, either saying their fake or as Mr Akroyd put it "I ain't afraid of no ghost" (cheesy I know, but I laughed at that) That all just felt to me that they were saying "Nah, we're the real ghostbusters"

So overall, this film was just awful. I never had a problem that it was an all female team. It was just everything else failed miserably. I literally left the cinema with gritted teeth.

I would highly recommend not to this film at the cinema. Watch it on Netflix by all means. But I would just stick with the originals. You'll also be avoiding the abysmal new theme song by Fall out Boy and Missy Elliott. It was always Ray Parker Jr's song.

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Wow!! Literally one of the best horror sequels I've seen!!

[9/10 · 15 June 2016]

Since I'm a huge fan of the first film, reading about it in Empire and seeing the trailers, I felt the need to see it. I saw it at my local cinema last night and my first word for it is "Wow!!"

The story was powerful with plenty of investment in the characters. It literally kept me hooked through out start to finish. The structure worked brilliantly for the scares and dramatic moments. There was plenty of focus on both. (Spoiler alert) I did notice that Wan has used an idea or two from Insidious, with Lorraine entering the void to communicate with the dead in her visions. But yet, it still works

At some points, it literally made my spine shiver. The scares were very effective. Although (a spoiler coming, be warned) the image of The Crooked Man, I thought, looked a bit silly. But it doesn't ruin the film.

The acting was fantastic, especially from Madison Wolfe who played Janet. I really hope her career progresses. And of course, the acting was brilliant from everyone else.

Now for the cinematography and lighting, they were just amazing. They were an added bonus on making the film work even more. My favourite angle in particular was in the scene involving Ed, talking to the spirit of Bill Wilkins. The camera does not leave them and it focuses on Ed with the spirit in the background, which is blurred, with very little detail. I'de have to say, that was one of the best camera techniques I've seen on film.

So overall, the film was absolutely incredible. James Wan, Carey and Chad Hayes, I give the devil/rock on horns to you guys.

Horror fans, you're in for an incredible treat.

Friend Request (2016)

Some great ideas but ruined by lazy, incoherent writing.

[4/10 · 29 April 2016]

Having seen the trailer of this, it did remind me in a lot of ways of Unfriended (which I loved and highly recommend). But curiosity got the better of me and since it was horror on the big screen, I felt the need to go and see it. Well, my curiosity was then satisfied by finding out that it was a large disappointment.

The story was there and had some very decent ideas. But the whole thing just felt incredibly rushed and incoherent. There were so many times where things were explained but never finished. I know things that are unexplained in the horror genre is usually a great thing. But don't start explaining something and never finish it.

The depth of the characters was minuscule and I ended up just not caring for any of them. Although, the only character I cared for only tiny bit was Laura, the main character, who's development was basically in a nut shell. Some very good acting performances I must say. Especially by Alycia-Debnam-Carey who played Laura and Liesl Ahlers who played Marina.

Alycia-Debnam Carey is a really good actress and I really wish she would star in something decent. I'm sorry to say I'm not a fan of Fear The Walking Dead.

The only acting performance I wasn't fan of was by William Mosley. He just basically acted like the biggest wimp with no backbone which got very irritating. Again, this was all ruined by the terrible writing.

Of course, jump scares is main priority in horror these days. They were effective but just left me sighing with boredom because of the lack of caring for the characters. And of course clichés were added which we've all seen before. By the end of it, it became very predictable.

Now for the cinematography and editing, there were same great camera and editing techniques in there. There were also some really nice visuals of very dark animation also. These were mostly used on Marina's Facebook profile (spoiler sorry). However, these all became a complete waste of potential because, yet again, the awful writing.

So overall, this film was a good potential completely wasted. It felt as if the writers saw Unfriended and thought a similar idea had to be created immediately.

Don't bother with this, I would highly recommend Unfriended, that's actually very clever, well written and well acted.

The Forest (I) (2016)

Us horror fans need more films like this

[9/10 · 2 March 2016]

After seeing the trailer at the cinema instantly caught me. After waiting for a couple of weeks, I finally caught a showing last night and I have to say, the wait was worth it.

The story is subtle, captivating and atmospheric. I was literally hooked through out the whole film. At times, it really messes with the mind and I kept asking in my head "Is this real or not real"

They're may be one or two plot holes but it doesn't ruin the rest of the film.

The acting is really good. Especially from Natalie Dormer who was excellent. All the other cast were really good also.

Another great thing about the film is the pace and the depths of the characters. You get plenty of time and investment of them to make us, audiences really care about them.

The cinematography was fantastic. There were shots where the main character was in focus in the foreground and there was something in the background that wasn't in focus to decrease detail, which I loved.

Overall, it was a thought provoking, powerful and intriguing horror film. Probably one of the best modern horror film I've seen. I think the industry really need to make more Psychological Horror films and I haven't seen a modern one in a while.

4.9 out of 10, I think is an outrageous rating. It deserves so much more credit and I highly recommend it. Horror fans will definitely be pleased.

Unfriended (2014)

Despite some flaws, a very intelligent movie

[7/10 · 13 May 2015]

From seeing the trailers and reading what this film is about, I was quite sketchy with the idea to begin with because usually, Skype quality isn't that great. Also, for the film using just the computer screen I didn't think, at first, would be as effective. Curiosity got the hold of me and I went to see it last night. Well, let me just say, I was rather impressed.

The story was captivating, realistic and very clever with very simple, but good character development. I've never heard of any of the cast members but I do hope they carry on with their careers because they were brilliant.

However, the characters are all alone in their homes with no explanations of where the parents are. Except one parent is out drinking with another. Although this didn't distract me through out the film.

As more of the characters secrets are revealed, you do start to loose faith in the characters and start routing for the ghost of Laura Barnes. You start to look forward of what's she's going to do next.

For the quality of the film, the Skype quality was very good. Even with some realistic glitches which doesn't get irritating.it still kept me hooked to the screen.

The scare scenes are really well delivered. It is based more on suspense than jump scares. The ghost is never seen which is perfect. It leaves the viewer to use their imaginations (which doesn't happen in a lot of horror movies these days, which is such a shame, being a massive horror fan). I will say no more about this to avoid spoilers.

However there are times, where the characters take their laptops with them whilst walking around their houses. I suppose sometimes that would happen, but not when you're in trouble. This only happens a couple of times and it was enough to be bothered by it.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I would want to see it again. I noticed (and I've read a lot of viewers have noticed this too) that the film is very informative on the dangers of social networking. And even a few scenes it actually had me thinking "what if something like this could actually happen? Not with an angered spirit but with a clever computer hacker".

I actually do think that this film would be educational, especially for young teenagers on learning to be careful on what you post on line or even record on your own phone.

So horror fans, I really recommend this movie. I can tell the Skype format will be used more in future movies but this is a good start to the new formula.

Sleepaway Camp (1983)

The idea was there but..........

[3/10 · 13 May 2015]

Hearing and seeing the positive reviews on this, I felt I had to see it. And I'm sorry to say, I was very disappointed.

The story was effective and simple with some nice character development but the acting was laughable, that it at the end, it was hard to care. Also the writing was pretty pore. As the victims die off one by one, only one police call took place and everyone else didn't seem concerned as the killings continued. No sense of realism there.

What also ruined this film was the direction. During a scene where the camp's cook is horribly burned by boiling water and lies on the floor, screaming in agonising pain. One of the caretaker's finds him and then the camera cuts to the cook screaming and then to the caretaker, in shock. This lasts way too long, which was ridiculous

There were also scenes involving flashbacks of Angela, in a setting where everywhere is black and where she's sitting or standing, there are vibrant colours aiming on her and nowhere else. It seemed like the director was trying to be artistic, but failing.

For the cinematography, there were some really nice shots, especially from the killer's point of view, which always works for me.

And now the ending, which I wont explain too much because of spoilers. This really frustrated me because when you find out who the killer is, it just cuts to the credits. With no chase scenes or even a fight between the killer and the main character. Another directional error, is that the killer just stands there, looking like a gormless idiot, breathing like an animal. May I ask, what is that about?

When the film was rolling the credits, I just sat on the couch in frustration and disappointment. There was a good idea there but it was portrayed terribly.

If you guys want to see it, by all means do so. You might enjoy it and see it in a positive way. Everyone has a different opinion at the end of the day.

Pompeii (I) (2014)

Awesome epic. Does what it says on the package

[8/10 · 4 May 2014]

I first heard about this in my latest issue of Empire magazine and then watched the trailer at the movies. Immediately I was captivated and my girlfriend felt the same and I new I had to see this. My girlfriend and I went to see it last night and my first word was "wow".

The plot really worked and kept me hooked through out the whole film. Predictable? Of course, but it doesn't matter. There are a lot of similarities to Gladiator (and maybe to Titanic) but the mix between the two I actually thought they mixed brilliantly. The slow stages of the signs of the volcano being active worked beautifully. Instead of the whole volcano erupting all at once, it starts off with fountains boiling, one speck of land collapsing, constant small earthquakes etc. This all happened in the space of a day or two and you knew it was going to happen because of the original story, but it was still gave out the tension.

Of course there were clichés but who cares, they were great fun.

The character development was great and they were very believable. The acting also helped this a lot. Kiefer Sutherland was of course brilliant and his English accent was very convincing. The rest of the cast did brilliantly, it's great to see Emily Browning again from Sucker Punch. I hope to see her in more movies.

The cinematography and special effects were outstanding. I was literally blown away on how fantastic everything looked in every shot and how superb the framing of them were.

So overall, the film is entertaining, emotional and jaw dropping. I'm a huge fan of disaster films and this is one of the best I've seen. Well, really, its disaster and epic, what more can you asked for.

I have read most of the reviews on here and a lot of them were very low. I completely understand that disaster films aren't for everyone. Yeah they're not perfect but they are so much fun. Then again, no film is perfect.

So, disaster fans, i fully recommend you go and see this. Trust me, it'll be worth your money.

Thanatomorphose (2012)

Possibly the bleakest and most stomach churning horror film I have ever watched

[7/10 · 10 January 2014]

How I first heard about this movie was on Facebook, from one of the many horror movie pages I like since I'm a huge horror fan. They advertised it and what caught me first of all was the cover. It reminds me so much of Death Metal album cover (which I'm also a fan of). But at the same time it shocked me in a way and I felt I had to find out more about it.

I then read the plot and I have to say it captivated me because I've never heard of something like this in a horror film before. So I then bought it on DVD from Amazon. I have just finished watching it and I have to say it was possibly one of the most effective films I have ever watched.

The story really works and the character development was very simple but good. One thing I would like to know is the character's names. I'm not sure why they weren't named

The acting was really good especially from Kayden Rose.

The cinematography was great. Slightly out of focus at times but not enough to annoy.

One of the best things I thought was the lighting.It really showed the bleakness of the scenes brilliantly and added a lot of subtly when showing Kaydon's character at her worst through her decay. It felt like the director was saying "you don't need to see the disgusting image all the time, but I would like you to imagine it" which made it just as effective.

The makeup was absolutely outstanding. I cannot believe how realistic it looks. Devil horns go up to the makeup artists.

So overall it was a good movie but I don't think I could watch it for a while. It was very uncomfortable to watch at times. The most disturbing scene was the end. I'm not going to spoil it anymore.

So horror fans, if you want to see it please do. But I warn not to eat before and during the film. Also it doesn't show a spec of happiness throughout, which is why I thought it was very bleak.

Mr Eric Falardeau, for your first major film, you did a great job. I hope to see you make more films in the future. You rock dude.

Carrie (2013)

Actually one of the best remakes I have ever seen. Please mind the spoilers

[9/10 · 8 December 2013]

Usually I'm very hit and miss with horror remakes nowadays. Especially after the abysmal Evil Dead remake. I then heard that Carrie was going to be remade and thought "Oh for goodness sake. It doesn't need remaking. I love the original" Then I heard that Chole Moretz was taking the role for Carrie. This I really was unsure about because Carrie is a very wimpy character and Moretz I didn't think at first can pull that off. Really like the actress don't get me wrong. Then the trailer came and I was really shocked of how it good it looked. So I thought what the hey, I'll support King (my hero) and go and see this. Well let me first say my negative thoughts, I take them all back.

The story kept the same and still worked brilliantly. It has a lot of dialogue from the original but its not word for word or shot for shot, like the remake of The Omen which was exactly the same as the original. The story has scenes from the book that weren't in the original movie, which was awesome to see. Also there are the original scenes from the original but has a lot of new added scenes for the story, which worked and were brilliantly effective.

Please mind the spoilers as I said before. Examples I can name are the beginning scene with Margaret White giving birth to Carrie and nearly killing her which was very nerve wracking to watch, more scenes of Carrie practising her ability. One of the best was the stand off of Carrie and Hargensen before Hargensen dies I felt Carrie's absolute hatred and Haregensen's determination to kill Carrie in this scene. Where-as in the original, Hargensen's death happened very suddenly without any standoff. I won't name any others so I won't ruin it more than I already have done. The prom scene was absolutely amazing. It's not as slow moving as the original. It is very sudden and still very shocking.

The added CGI actually worked very well. It was very subtle and not over the top. To be honest, you can go mad with it because of Carrie's ability.

The acting was very good. Portia Doubleday pulled off the role of the vile Chris Hargensen brilliantly well. Gabriella Wilde did very well as the guilty character Sue Snell. Now for Billy Nolan, Hargensen's boyfriend, I actually felt threatened by his character. Unlike the original (not insulting Travolta, who did brilliantly) his character in the original was just an idiotic, wannabe tough guy. This one was actually tough and threatening. Now relating to what I said about Moretz not having what it takes to play Carrie, well how wrong I was. She was fantastic. Her character was so much stronger than Sissy Spacek's. Instead of pulling the wimpy character, she pulls off the outcast "weird kid" character. There was even a few points where she really stood up towards her mother, which was brilliant. It literally had me saying "my god, she's butch". So the rock on devil horns go up to Moretz. Again, not insulting Spacek's performance from the original, which was awesome. Julianne Moore's performance as the religious psychopathic mother Margaret White was superb. I actually would say that was her best role. Both Moretz and Moore stole the show. The chemistry between them was great.

The connection to the characters was very strong. Especially Carrie's. From Sue Snell, there was a strong act of guilt from her which really worked for the story. The only thing that I would say was a bit weak with the character connections was the gym teacher Ms Desjardin. In the original, there was a stronger bond between her and Carrie, where-as in this, it was very little. Also I didn't think Judy Greer's acting was as good. She didn't pull off the toughness of the character as well as the original. But it's not enough to ruin the whole film.

So overall, the film was brilliant. Is it better or worse than the original. To be honest I love them both the same, there were a few points that were better in the original and there were points that are better in the remake.

So King and horror fans, your in for a treat. Because as a King fan myself, very very impressed I would recommend watching the original first because then you'll know where it first began. I really hope Mr King will like this movie.

The Conjuring (2013)

Wann is one of our saviours of modern horror

[8/10 · 20 August 2013]

I saw the trailer and read things about this and saw that it was done by James Wann, who I'm a large fan of and it was instantly on my watch list. I then went to see it and I have to say one word first of all...awesome!!.

The plot was original and extremely effective. Yeah of course we seen family moves to new house and something goes wrong etc, but with the added bonus of the demonic witch, which again is very original and unique because I've never seen, in movies, a spirit who's a witch. It worked brilliantly. I also noticed the references of The Amityville Horror with the bad smells and the cold air which fit in really well with the story. You can tell Wann's a fan. I did notice that this wasn't a run of the mill jump scare movie. Yes it did have the odd jump moments but there were moments of when you're expected to jump and nothing happened which I love. Don't expect scare scenes all the time cause this is a slow burner, which I love and I reckon us horror fans, we need more of.

The acting was great and character development worked very well. Again it's a slow burner so we get a lot of time to know everyone.

Cinematography and camera-work were brilliant. Wann used very effective angles. Especially a scene involving one of the daughters looking under her bed, the camera completely flips over which I've never seen before.

The scare scenes are very subtle by not showing any detail which I always love. There were times where you do see the witch but only for a split second. Why don't they use this effect in horror anymore. I wouldn't say its as scary as everyone says it is but there are times where it really gave me the creeps.

Overall a great movie. James Wann has once again brought back original horror. But using a modern style. Horror fans this is one for you. Highly recommended. I actually cannot wait for the second chapter of Insidious. It actually looks like that it can work. Well its James Wann, what do we expect

:D

Les Misérables (2012)

Absolutely incredible. The film of the year

[10/10 · 30 April 2013]

I first heard they were making this by my aunt. I remember that my younger brother and I stayed with her. Her and her partner took us out to London and took us to Greenwich University where her partner worked. They took us down cause this was being filmed there for a few scenes just outside in the courtyard. We even saw a few takes being done and what an amazing experience it was seeing this happen. My hopes of the future is to be in the movie business. This has been for my whole life.

Months later I saw the trailer and there it captured me immediately. My family and I saw it a few days after its release. Our minds were all just blown away from how brilliant it was.

The story was captivating and compelling. I never actually read the book, seen the stage show or any of the other movie adaptations. So this was all brand new to me.

The acting was astonishing and the character development was fantastic. I love the fact that they actually sang on set, not added in post production. Everyone of the cast's singing voices were amazing. There was not one voice that I didn't like. Hugh Jackman was the star of the show, my family and I are so disappointing that he didn't win the best actor award in at The Academy Awards. He deserved it. But I am so happy that Anne Hathaway won the Supporting Actress award. Her acting was brilliant and when she sang, my mouth gaped open and had goosebumps all over me. Even Russel Crow surprised me of how well he sang as well. My family and I now own the soundtrack of the movie and have the Blu Ray copy pre ordered.

The cinematography was fantastic. Tom Hooper has an eye for extremely creative shots. The direction and choreography was stunning.

Honestly I can't point out anything bad about this movie. It was absolutely superb. I highly recommend you see this you won't be disappointed. Definitely recommend you families out there to watch it all together. You're in for an emotional and compelling experience.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

Did I just watch Jaws The Revenge? but with a serial killer instead of a shark?

[4/10 · 13 January 2013]

After watching the first movie, I wasn't a fan. Years later I brought the DVD out of my attic because I was thinking I might give it another watch because my opinion would change. After watching it again, it did. I really appreciated it more and really enjoyed it.

I looked at comments of this up on here and they didn't look convincing. One of my friends bought me the Blu ray of this for Christmas and I thought 'see what I think, this could be good' Just watched it last night, oh dear, is all I can say.

To be honest, it was nice to see Jennifer Love Hewitt again. But I thought she died in the first film? Oh no wait, it was a dream. So I thought 'OK fair enough' The character connections were OK but I felt more for Jennifer Love Hewitt. The acting was OK I suppose but nothing Oscar worthy.

The story was very weak and very predictable. The main character's friend wins a competition to the Bahamas so she invites Jennifer Hewitt along with two other friends. So now you immediately know, the killer is at large and is going to follow them there. Now this familiar. Where did I see this before? Oh yeah, Jaws The Revenge. You clearly know the writers have watched that before hand and thought it would work for this. Well trust me, it doesn't. When they enter the island, it happens to be stormy season and they are the only ones left on the entire island. Are you joking? was this idea stolen from The Shining? (which is my all time favorite film in the world).

The filming was fine and the cinematography was fine, I'll be honest.

Now the twist is the main downfall of this film. You find that the killer has an accomplice. Who is it? its one of the main character's friend's, who just happens to be his son. Wow that also sounds like Scream. The killer then takes off his hat ans speaks for the first time. To be honest, he should of stayed muted because his acting was laughable. This was the time I put my hand on face in disbelief.

The end, its all happily ever after, or is it? Yes folks an opening for another sequel.

Please do not bother with this movie, its atrocious. But if your looking for a good time with friends and feel like taking the mick out of a film, watch this. I Know What You Did Last Summer fans, if you watched the first one and not this one, please stick to the first one. Don't bother wasting your money, time and effort.

The Impossible (2012)

The most intense drama/disaster film I've ever seen on the big screen

[8/10 · 13 January 2013]

I remember hearing about the tsunami on the radio on Boxing Day and being shocked about it. Then seeing footage of it on the news, seeing all the terrible damage it caused on people's lives.

Before this was released, I read about it in Empire that they were going to make a film about it. My first thoughts were that it was going to hard hitting film. I then saw trailers and felt I had to see it. I went to see it a few days after its official release. What a brilliant film it was.

Character development was slightly shaky to begin with because the disaster happened very quickly. But then the rest of the development happens through out their survival. Through out I felt a strong connection with them as the film went on. Even the scenes where the family meet up a 2 or 3 days after the wave hit, I felt a lump down my throat (spoilers excuse me). Near the end when Naimo Watts had to go through surgery, I nearly wanted to shout out 'For gods sake, don't kill her off'

The acting from all the cast was fantastic. But the actor that really caught me was Tom Holland, who was sensational. Why he's not nominated for an award, I don't know. I really liked how the director gathered extras who were real survivors from the real tsunami. I felt that they really put a lot of care into this film. Except, I found that the real family this film is based on are Spaniards, not English. I would like to find out why they changed this.

The filming and the cinematography was spectacular. This director has done a brilliant job.

Another part that caught me was the sound. Now that doesn't happen very often with me with film. When they wave hit, I actually thought I was in the wave with them. Usually, in disaster films, when the action happens, I think 'oh wow that looks amazing'. But since this tragedy actually happened, I thought 'Oh my god'. The sound editing was fantastic. Even through the scenes where characters are walking through the damages, it was deathly silent but you can hear someone, far away in the distance, screaming for help, which was really emotional.

Through out most of the film, there is not an inch of cheesiness at all. Only except, at the end, where the main characters get on a plane first class and is going to have first class health care. But this I didn't think lasted too long because the father brings out the piece of paper with names of people that were asked to find by survivors. The same for the eldest son. Also the mother having her name, tattooed on her arm so that the hospital could find her when one of her family members wanted to find her. These are all remaining scars and this made the ending very realistic.

Audience at the beginning were very loud and irritating. Someone told them to be quiet. Through the film, there was complete silence, which I rarely hear in cinemas these days.

I really recommend this film, please go and see it. This should nominated for more awards. I do hope Naimo Watts wins for best actress in a leading role. This will remain the most intense drama/disaster film I ever seen on the big screen.

Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)

Paranormal Activity 4 = The downfall of the franchise

[1/10 · 10 November 2012]

I'm a very big fan of the Paranormal films and horror films in general. To be honest I thought the third movie ended the story very well. I then heard they were making the fourth and my thoughts were about where this one can go and what could they possibly do with it. I then saw trailers of the movie and I didn't feel so sure. I then saw comments on how bad this movie was and that made me feel more concerned. But I thought what they hay I might as well give it a go. To all the people that gave this a bad review, I agree with you all.

Let me start with the story. The whole plot just felt like it was thought up randomly, just an excuse to make a sequel. We had the typical evil and weird child (hmm never seen that before. Oh yeah I have, The Omen and The Exorcist which are ultimate classics)and many other films that used this idea. The half way through, the plot thickens with the that the youngest son is adopted and is Hunter, not the weird next door neighbour. OK, who is the weird kid next door then? This was never answered. Not even at the end of the movie. There was even a scene of when the main girl was trapped in her garage with the car engine bursting out carbon monoxide. She was trapped there for a while. When she got out, she was absolutely fine. Now surely you could survive it but would you be horribly ill from it?

The character connections was terrible. I felt that I didn't even know them and my feelings just went beyond past caring.

The tension, we've seen it all before now. It didn't make me nervous or even make me jump like the others. At the end, it just got boring and predictable.

The cinematography was not bad. But there was a new technique on using a particular night vision on the characters laptop, which looked dreadful. I couldn't see anything clearly through that. It felt like I had an eyesight problem. OK, using a webcam on the laptop was OK at first but through out it I wanted to ask why are you leaving it on all the time? even through out parts when nothing was happening? Why not use a normal camera like the other films? Hey what do I know?

They even used a little bit more CGI this time. Why? Its better when there'e no use at all. It leaves it to the imagination which can make it scary.

Overall, this film was just plain bad. Paranormal fans, you're about to experience the downfall of the franchise. I'd have to say the best things about this movie is that there's a scene where the kids are rocking out to Rob Zombie's music (which I'm a fan of) and also the main character's best friend wore Metallica t shirts (another band I love) Please do not waste your money. I even heard that they are planning on making the 5th for next year's October. What a surprise. I'm not even looking forward to it. Enough is enough now seriously.

[REC] 3: Genesis (2012)

May I ask what happened?

[1/10 · 18 October 2012]

I'm a huge fan of the first two movies, they were unique and superb. When I heard they were making this, I was really exited and really wanted to see it. I recently saw it and what an utter disappointment.

It had a promising start because it was still hand-held format, which is good because of the first two movies. I then found it had new characters all together, so I thought 'OK, lets give it a chance'. Then the format changed into actual film quality. This is when it went down hill.

The story went to an awful path. The first two films are purely about survival and keeps you on the edge of your seat. But this time, its a ridiculously cheesy love story with demons in it. Even at the end, when the two main characters die, the last shot is that they hold each other's hands. At the end I was shaking my head with disbelief.

The script was terrible and the acting was awful. I actually lost connection with the characters and didn't care what happened to them. I actually wish Angela Vidal returned (which I knew wouldn't happen anyway)

And another thing, they added CGI, which didn't work what so ever. There was a shot where they show what's actually in the infected. By this time I buried my face in my hands. The first and second film didn't have CGI, why did they add it in this?

OK, the cinematography was OK but I would prefer that with a good story behind it.

I just want to ask, what happened? honestly. Please don't see this REC fans. You will feel insulted just like I did. Stick with 1 and 2 ,which are awesome. I'm actually not looking forward to the 4th.

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)

One word, terrible

[18 October 2012]

Before seeing this, I read comments of how disgusting it is and saw trailers that were very deceiving. I then finally watched and what a waste of my time it was.

The story is very clichéd with the teenagers going on holiday and something goes wrong. We've seen that many times. It's predictable and when you see the girls connected as the centipede, the story just doesn't go anywhere. Yes it was gross to look at, at first but then as the film went on, my brain was thinking 'is this it?, is this all that's going to happen?' The pace was just too slow and when the action happened, I was being past caring. At the end, I was just waiting till the film was finished.

The acting was laughable and atrocious, where these people came from, who knows. I felt no connection with the characters and just didn't care what happened with them. Another cliché is that the mad scientist is German, wow haven't seen that before.

OK, it is well filmed I have to say but I would be more enthusiastic about it if it was actually a good film.

The director Tom Six just thought of shock value and that's it. I even gave the DVD away to someone else, which I wouldn't usually do.

I have things about the second film and it sounds just as bad and I'm not even going to bother seeing it. I did hear it was banned and Tom Six was outraged and had a huge rant saying 'Its only a f...ing film!'. Well I'm sorry but he's lost my support if he's going to act like that. I didn't even support him through the first film anyway. If he wants to be a good film-maker, he better improve on it and get his act together.

I would recommend you not to see this. You will be wasting your time. Please don't give into the hype. If you want a film to mess with your head, I'd recommend you watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original) or The Shining ( my all time favourite film). Seriously, its an awful film.

Sinister (I) (2012)

Wow! This actually scared me!

[8/10 · 13 October 2012]

I first of all did see trailers and they looked very convincing. So I went to see it with a couple of friends last night. Let me just say, you're in for something awesome. I came out really excited and actually terrified.

The story is original and very clever. Yes, we have the stereotype family move into a new home and things go wrong, but hey that's not really a bad thing. As the story goes on, you get more and more hooked to it. You find out something new each time. The tension is built beautifully. It has a very slow and uncomfortable pace. People may think it could be boring, but trust me, it isn't at all. Its not full of in your face jumps all the time, like many horror films today. The jumps happen and they stay with you to make your flesh crawl. As the twists come up, its even better. All questions are answered in a great way. The story also focuses on how obsessive the main character gets. You get a feeling that he is changing each time, which is another great thing.

The acting was very good. Everybody did a great job. Ethan Hawke especially.

There isn't much CGI in this film (yippee!) but when it is used, its used appropriately and subtly.

What also really worked was the soundtrack. Its not stereotypically high pitched or, you know, you're usual music you use. The composer uses tunes and base notes to make it very uncomfortable in a strange way. I even shuffled in my seat a couple of times and it generally scared me. This really works for the film. Well done Christopher Young, you did great.

I'm a huge horror fan and it can take a lot to actually scare me. But this one actually scared me, which I was not expecting for these days standards.

Horror fans, I really recommend this for you. Please go and see it. You're money will be well spent.

The Possession (I) (2012)

Finally, another rare decent modern horror film

[8/10 · 8 September 2012]

I first watched the trailer at the movies and it captivated me and thought 'love to see it'. I went to see it last night with two friends of mine and came out very impressed.

Yes, the idea of exorcism has been used countless times since The Exorcist (which I love), but it has a different take on it with involving Judaism instead of Christianity and Roman Catholic. This I thought worked very well.

The acting was brilliant, even for the unknown actors and actresses. I hope they star in more movies. The young girl who played Emily was superb. She really did her homework on how to act innocent and then possessed. Especially when she was possessed, she actually made me shiver.

The story really worked. OK there are a few recycled ideas with divorced parents, staying at their dad's place etc. But hey it still worked, it didn't bother me.

There isn't actually a lot of CGI, which is perfect. Why don't they make films like that any more? It added more realism to it. When the CGI did show, it wasn't over the top or pitch perfect. Another great thing is, is that it doesn't focus just on jump scares. The tension is beautifully set out. the situations get worse and worse through out the film. There are times where you know something is wrong and it gives out the sense of unease. I loved the box, especially when the demon sings that hymn,which makes the sense of unease grow stronger. I also loved the idea of seeing the spirit through the MRI scan, which is new.

The filming was excellent. There were shots in the film that I had to say out loud 'That looks awesome'. I never heard of the director but I hope he works on more films, he's got a great eye. The lighting was fantastic, it really worked for the tensional scenes. it doesn't give much detail on Emily when she's possessed, you only see a glimpse. This works for the imagination.

One thing I would say against it is, is that I would like to know about how the old woman had the box. I wish they explained that more.

Horror fans, this is for you. I recommend you see it. You won't be wasting your money. Its a great, modern horror film, which unfortunately you don't see much anymore. I really hope there'll be more in the future.

The Last House on the Left (1972)

I can understand why people didn't like it at the time

[6/10 · 7 September 2012]

Before I saw this, a few years ago, I watched the remake. It was pretty good but the main rape scene really put me off, I really didn't like it because it was too much in your face with no subtle effect and they made it last forever. Horror is my passion, I absolutely love it. I can deal with gore and violence but not rape. Time went by and I watched the original The Hills Have Eyes and I loved it. I then thought I wander what this is like. I did hear from friends that its not that bad for today's standards, so I plucked up the courage and watched it. I have to say I did enjoy it.

The characters were connective and believable. I wish that I had a chance to get to know Mari a little bit more so I can feel more for her. The villains were really effective and you do feel a sense of unease when you see them. A part I really liked about this film is when after the things the villains have done to the girls, there are shots of the villains just keeping quite with facial expressions that say 'What have we just done?!'This gives the sense that they have a bit of remorse, which you don't see in movies anymore. I really liked the way it give us the audience a bit of surprised feeling, thinking they are human after all.

The acting is good enough. It is slightly dated but that doesn't bother me. I also really like the picture quality of the film which, I think gives a raw effect. The atmosphere of the film is great, its bleak and suspenseful.

Now the scenes of what the villains do to the girls, yes they are horrible and made me uncomfortable watching them. But what they do is that you see them begin to do something and then it focuses on a character watching it happen in shock or discussed or it even cuts to another scene in general. I love the way thats done because it leaves it to your imagination and you knowing whats going to happen. Well done Wes. We don't need to see it in full detail. The main rape scene was still disturbing and the worst bit in the film, but they didn't drag it on for too long. I can understand why it was banned and why people were shocked by it.

The scenes where the villains are staying at the parents house and find out what happened to their daughter were the best parts of the movie. It kept me on the edge of my seat thinking 'this going to get nasty'. The other great thing is that it didn't focus too much on gore. Which horror films are overloaded with these days. Again it doesn't bother me, but for me, it needs to be used for appropriately.

The only thing I really didn't like about the film is the choice of soundtrack. At the end it did get rather annoying. For example, a chase scene, they use banjo happy chirpy music. How does that fit may I ask? The filming and cinematography really worked and that's one of the reasons how this is effective.

Overall, it was very good, except the soundtrack. When watching it try not to get too bothered and try to focus on what's going on. I also warn you that this is not for the faint hearted. If you think you're going to get offended by watching this, please don't. Wes Craven fans (which I have become a bigger fan of, loved Nightmare On Elm Street, Serpent And The Rainbow, Scream etc.) I recommend you this so you can see what style of filming he uses and where he began his career.

Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

Chernobyl Diaries meets The Hills Have Eyes

[6/10 · 29 July 2012]

The first thing that attracted to this was Oren Peli, who I'm huge fan of. The trailers looked very promising, so I thought I should give it a go. I saw rating on here and my older brother and I didn't think that was a good sign but we went anyway.

To start with, the story's good, but we've seen it before. The unique part of it is that it's set in Cripyat. The chromatography was superb, especially through out the scare scenes. But it would be nice to show more of the deserted town than the characters.

The acting was good enough, but not Oscar worthy. The downside is the Norwegians didn't research the accent enough and sounded Australian. Now the characters, I think needed more development so we care more for them.

What I liked most of this film is the atmosphere, which was very tensional and creepy. This did slightly creep me out and kept me hooked. The other part I love about this is that the film didn't concentrate on gore and mindless violence. It just focused on tension.

The lighting was fantastic because the villains, you just see the outlines and shadows, not full detail. I really wish they would do more of this in future horror films.

Of course, the trailers didn't want to show too much. I did think that the villains would have been ghosts. When us audience found out what's chasing the characters, I have to admit I was slightly disappointed because it reminded me a lot of The Hills Have Eyes (which I really enjoyed). I did find that in that after the real incident , that woman did give birth to deformed babies so that did slightly change mind about the film being like The Hills Have Eyes.

Now the main downside is the ending, which was thrown in on the spot with no explanation which I thought was dreadful. I won't ruin too much but you'll see what I mean when you see it.

So, overall, it was a pretty good film but with a bad ending. As I say, we've seen this all before. Oren Peli did well through out the first and second half. It is a pretty good one to watch with friends but you are going to be outraged at the end of the film.

Piranha 3DD (2012)

Such a laugh

[5/10 · 13 June 2012]

The first movie is a big guilty pleasure. Yes it is bad, but then again, its a great laugh. I first saw the trailer of this and laughed out loud and said 'I've got to see that'. I went to see this with my brother and some friends. What a laugh it was.

The story is simple and easy to follow. The characters, some you like and some you hate. The acting, again, some average and some very bad. The CGI is basically the same as the first movie. The boob factor is actually not shown as much as the first because the trailer shows that there is a lot.

The moments in this film where Ving Rhames returns (which I though died in the first one, but anyway)and he has shot guns for legs. Also, David Hassalhoff, pretty much insulting himself for Baywatch. These moments were hilarious. I laughed that much I nearly fell off my chair.

If you actually take this seriously, it actually makes the first movie look good.

If you're thinking of watching a movie with a bunch of mates and want to have a laugh, give this a go. But if you're looking for a serious watch, don't go to it

Prometheus (I) (2012)

Over hyped and disappointing

[5/10 · 13 June 2012]

When I first heard that this was a prequel to the Alien saga (which I'm a big fan of), I did think at first 'OK, enough is enough with Alien, should of technically stopped at 3'. But then I found that was Ridley Scott doing it and that was step up for me. I saw many trailers. Still unsure about seeing it. Then I thought 'what the hey, I'll go and see it' Invited a few friends with me to see it last night. I came out the screen after very unsatisfied.

The acting performances were great. Fassbender was very good. Noomi Rapace was really good and did a very convincing British accent, may have slipped a couple of times but that doesn't matter.

Now the story, it ran in the same format as the first Alien film, OK, we've seen that format before, but lets just let it go and keep watching. It was nice to see new creatures other than the original ones. But let me ask, we know the 'engineers' created these creatures, but where is the explanation of the original ones? We also found that the engineers created humans, very unsure.

Now the scene where Repace's character gives herself surgery in the surgery booth because there is a creature in her stomach, it was shocking but I thought it was ridiculous, how can you still be alive after giving yourself surgery without anaesthetic? I don't know.

The ending of the film really frustrated me. In the first Alien film, we find that the engineer is in the ship, on his chair on the telescope, dead with ripped open rib cage. In this, after the ship crashes, he comes after Repace in her ship. There is a big continuity mistake between this and Alien. I'm sorry Ridley, but if you're trying to make a prequel, you've got it wrong.

The CGI was probably the best thing about the movie. You can tell that Scott had a lot of fun with it.

I'm sorry for all the spoilers and sounding rather grouchy. Overall, very disappointing. A prequel gone extremely wrong. Very over hyped, maybe it's because it has connection to Alien and It's Ridley, directing it. You might enjoy this if you haven't seen the quadrilogy but if you have, you can point the mistakes in this. It's good for entrainment, thats for sure. I did see that Ridley is planning a sequel. Well he better do better than this.

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

Started off not bad and then...

[8/10 · 13 May 2012]

When I first heard about this and read the plot, I immediately thought about The Evil Dead (which I'm a huge fan of). So I said no about seeing this. Then I saw the very good reviews and heard friends of mine, saying it was good. I then watched the trailers and decided to give it go. When a friend and I left the movies, I said 'what was that?'

The first half was the story is about friends staying at a cabin in the the woods and bad things happen. Yes, that has been done before (going back to The Evil Dead). But there was the plot about the company, which is new. This gave me some hope about the film being good.

Then the second half came in, where you find out about all the information , twists and turns. This when it get's totally ridiculous. You find that this sought of thing is happening all over the world, involving horrific creatures, ghosts, demons etc. May I ask where did all these creatures come from? OK they may be man made, but I didn't hear any of the characters say that. I have to say, it was entertaining watching all the bad guys get killed by the creatures.

Now the climax, this is where stupidity hit the peak. It is all for a ritual on feeding gods blood that are underground. If this doesn't happen, the world will be destroyed. You find that gods are bigger than Godzilla. What is going on with this. The writer of the film did an amazing job for The Avengers, but please don't let him do horror again. I reckon the child inside him went overboard and said while writing the script 'lets add this and lets add that'

The acting was good enough but not really Oscar worthy. It was good to see Chris Hemsworth do something else.

Seriously, I wouldn't bother with this at all. I would rather rent it on DVD.

Silent House (2011)

Finally, another rare, good, decent modern horror film

[7/10 · 13 May 2012]

I saw the trailers of this movie. With a huge horror fan like me, I had to give this a go.

The story was exciting, intriguing and frightening. It kept me hooked though out the whole movie. It focused on suspense and the characters. Not on gore, half naked girls and hateful characters, which we see too often in horror these days. It even made me nervous at points

The characters were very connective. The acting was very impressive. Especially the main actress, who I've never seen before. I reckon she pulled the part off very well. I really hope she stars in other good horror films

The filming and cinamatograpghy was absolutely stunning. How they shot without cuts is beyond me. I think I did read that were some in a few parts, but they were subtle, I didn't even notice. Which makes the editing amazing as well.

The end climax completely blew me away. Yes, it has been done before, but I never noticed any clues or anything. I was not expecting it. I won't tell anymore about it. Don't want to spoil anymore.

I left the cinema, blown away and excited. Finally, us horror fans get a modern decent horror flick. We need more films like this.

I really recommend this to you horror fans. Definitely one to watch with a group of mates. You're in for a good one.

The ending completely blew me away