Louis_Bacon Reviews

Toys of Terror (2020)

Is everyone HIGH?! This movie is AWESOME

[7 May 2021]

Creepy killer toys, Christmas horror, great acting, especially for a low budget effort and the same goes for the directing. It's written by Dana Gould, a passionate horror fan and an experienced writer. The dialogue may seem clunky in some parts and the storyline is (obviously) predictable, but it's still way more original than most Hollywood movies.

The stop-motion effects for the toys are GREAT, they're fascinating and creepy to watch. Very reminescent of the 80's, especially of the Full Moon movies like Puppet Master or Demonic Toys. The whole decor is also reminescent of old creepy "search and find" books of the 90's that I loved so much. Clearly nobody wants a doll with a taxidermized raccoon head, but it just works on the visual level and adds to the creepy campy fun.

It seems nobody knows how to enjoy good campy horror anymore. Shame on everyone who didn't like this movie. Clearly, you don't know how to have fun.

Don't Leave Home (2018)

A slow burner that doesn't deserve all the hate

[2 November 2018]

While movies like Hereditary and It Follows get praise for being slow eerie movies, this movie takes it to an international level by creating a creepy story around an Irish urban legend, which is terrifyingly realistic.

The Celtic setting of the movie creates an unbelievably uncomfortable atmosphere which transcends in the incredible soundtrack. The directing is over average, but I do agree it's nothing less than cheesy at some points. But the clever 70's style of certain shots does the job of bringing us back into this eerie world.

The acting is also very good, especially for an indie. It's hard to know who you can trust and it's great to see a main actress that doesn't sound or look like the dumb little damsel in distress.

Overall, it's a movie that comes very close to being a classic, maybe only taken back from the fact that it lacks true novelty and, without being predictable, doesn't bring anything new to the table. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves slow burners with a spiritual background that doesn't try too hard to be its own thing and just lets things flow, making for a realistic, downright creepy story.

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Racists are ruining the IMDb rating. Great movie.

[9 August 2018]

Do NOT believe the current rating if it's anything under 7.5.

Movie is great, amazing performances by John David Washington and Adam Driver. Directing is reminiscent of blacksploitation movies of the 70's, which is finally getting its rightful hommage. Script is has hilarious has the premise of the real story is, though the darker tones are never shadowed by the comedy.

The harder part to watch is the final scene which, after spending a whole movie showing us a man trying to take down racism, presents us with current events in the U.S., proving us that we haven't made any progress as a society.

It's scary, funny, poignant and a must-see, one of the best movies of the year.

Searching (III) (2018)

Trying to be so unpredictable, it ends up making no sense and is nothing short than tacky.

[25 July 2018]

If you want 90 minutes of a guy highlighting stuff for the audience like we're morons who can't spot the only thing on the screen, YOU'RE IN FOR A NON-STOP THRILL RIDE.

Now, if you're not that impressionable, you'll soon notice how there's close to no content in this movie. Dead-ends that take up a third of the movie, twists that make no sense whatsoever if you listen carefully and of course, the whole point of the movie is that it's all on various computer or phone screens. The thing is, unlike Unfriended which is in real time, this movie is set over a couple of days... which end up showing the character sleeping in front of his open webcam? Or a police officer answering a FaceTime call from a civilian at 2 in the morning? This is just the tip of the iceberg on how very little sense this movie makes by trying to tell a convoluted story with limited fields of imagery.

Cho's performance is nothing more (or less) than average, but I can't say the same for the rest of D-list actors in the cast. Everyone seems to be delivering their lowest effort possible, or maybe just don't have the talent to play even the simplest of all roles. You don't care about any of the characters already and that kind of performance doesn't help. I honestly couldn't care less if the daughter was alive or dead, because it really didn't change anything.

And as I said in my very first paragraph, the director seems to take his audience for idiots by making sure the character highlights every important clue to try and make some sense of his "twists". I'm not exaggerating when I say the main character does that AT LEAST 30 times over the course of the movie. And if it isn't a highlight, it's the a straight-up ZOOM IN on the detail that needs to be seen, according to the director. An immersive experience would make the whole screen visible and let the viewer find his own clues. This feels like the director taking us by the hand to explain his stupid story.

In the end, this movie fails on every single level and doesn't deserve all the praise it's getting (I guess for the fact that it's all on screens, but other movies have done WAY better). Save some money and skip this one, as for the twist isn't even worth the watch. It's barely a twist at all actually, as I said, since it makes no sense if you pay enough attention and don't get distracted by the constant highlighting.

One of the worst movies of the year.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

Intolerable, miserable and downright brain-damaging

[20 July 2018]

Choreography is extremely lame (sometimes it's just some "waving" and that's for like 3 of the songs), especially during the Waterloo segment, where they all look like a high school theater musical gone wrong. Songs are just re-hashed from the original, with nothing different to make it watchable. Actors are flat-out incompetent, especially the younger ones and Cher (give her the Razzie already). Script is... well, there isn't one. It adds NOTHING new to the original story. We still have no idea who the father is and no new information that could make this go forward in any kind of way. Streep is in this as a freakin' GHOST for the very last musical number.

There is NO reason for this to suck as much as it did. I expected average, at the very least boring. But this is an insult to ANYONE, even fans of the original will be pissed by how this brings NOTHING new and barely makes any sense.

Avoid this movie. Re-watch the original, but please do not give this movie any credit for doing anything.

Needlestick (2017)

Independent? Very. Bad? Not even close.

[26 April 2017]

While it may not have enough humor to be considered horror comedy, this is the type of movie that doesn't take itself seriously. Probably due to the low budget and inexperienced cast and crew, the whole thing looks like a YouTube video. A rather good YouTube video though.

It's not a slasher, it's barely horror. It's way more of a thriller, with some good character development that is never too complicated or too simple. It's done just right, there's some original dialogue and subplots (the romance aspect surely was interesting and more realistic than in most movies).

If this movie had been made in the 70's or 80's, it probably would've achieved the cult status by now. I don't think it has what it needs to be a classic, but it's definitely worth a check if you have an open mind.

Big Bad (2016)

One of the best independent horror comedies of all time

[12 September 2016]

This may be sold as an homage to the 80's, but believe me, that's not what it is. It's just a really good horror spoof.

Honestly, if you're expecting a movie that LOOKS like an 80's movie, go somewhere else. But it sure as heck sounds like one. Great clever comedy with witty performances from everyone. Twists galore and funny stereotypes. Actual teenagers playing teenagers. Useless high school drama, but hilariously played.

The big credits go to every actor in this movie who are giving funny and realistic performances that you'd expect from that type of spoof. Turning every trope against itself. Props for also using great practical effects on the monster. An actual MONSTER, not a over-explained cliché.

Lastly, the soundtrack is absolutely amazing. For an independent production, instrumentals are fun, quirky and nostalgic of a time where scary could rhyme with funny, even in terms of music.

If you can keep your standards low towards the visuals (even though there are some nice shots), you'll definitely be having a bloody good time. Like a Goosebumps episode gone good or an 80's family horror movie.

She Wolf Rising (2016)

There's just no way this is real

[28 February 2016]

After love-hating movies like Birdemic and The Room, I've been running after so-bad-it's-good like good cheese. Most of the time, it's boring, or just bad. This one is beyond every synonym of the word "bad". Of all the movies, I've seen in my life, it has got to be one of the worst ever. And that's even considering the budget. B- movies can still be good with talent behind and in front of the camera. There is absolutely none in this. I've seen kids with an 8MM camera do better. I've seen porn with better cinematography. There are DAY FOR NIGHT SHOTS. IN 2016. DAY FOR NIGHT. Double focus imagery is also a common thing, which hasn't been common since, what, the 70's? You know, back when we all agreed it was a shitty technique. There is just no way this was really made. I must've been watching someone's bad running gag or something. I must've stumbled upon a terrible Brooklyn play. This is like a parody of a porno movie within a much better movie... except it's not and we actually have to sit through 90 minutes of the worst movie of 2016 and easily the worst movie of the decade.

The Ouija Experiment 2: Theatre of Death (2014)

Birdemic bad

[27 February 2015]

I've seen the first one. I wasn't expecting much. Ouija Experiment is pretty much the worst found footage ever made, but even that needs SOME skills.

This movie is just as bad as Birdemic. Sound editing is choppy and disgusting, acting is ridiculous, directing is EXACTLY like Birdemic. This makes The Room look like a masterpiece. Don't even get me started on the "special effects"... I've done better when I was 14 and shooting a zombie flick with my MiniDV camera with my friends back in 2005.

The story is just as laughable. I've seen episodes of GhostHunters with more believable content than this movie. I was mad, angered that an art that I respect so much was being DESTROYED right in front of my eyes.

Kickassia (2010 Video)

TGWTG.com fans will be pleased

[17 November 2010]

It seems the last two reviewers weren't fans of the Nostalgia Critic to begin with. Kickassia is the second-anniversary collaboration of all the members of ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com. A site which has its own sense of humour, its own community. And if you're not part of that community, this movie may seem unfunny, out-of-place and bad. But really, to fans of TGWTG.com, it's incredible! It's the perfect collaboration! Everyone keep there inside jokes, most of the jokes are very funny and the acting is good for the most part. Of course, it's not going to be that Oscar-worthy nominee or the so-bad-it's-good kind of movie either, it's just people having fun filming a long funny video for their fans and nobody else. Reviewing this as a movie would be like reviewing each of Shane Dawson's videos like they were shorts! The Internet as whole other kind of humour that people should get use to. It's not immature or stupid, it's just different. And a lot of people seem to have a problem with difference these days.

Die Now or Live Forever (2009)

It's a shame the only visibility it had was on YouTube!

[9 October 2010]

This short movie is Oscar material! Dominic Fera is known on YouTube for his humorous absurd videos. Taking a shot at something a little bit more serious was a pretty good challenge. He takes the vampire genre to a whole new level, almost reinventing it. Even if it's more professional then most of his videos, it does not lack Fera's great sense of humor. The jokes are incredibly funny, even though most of them are present only in the second act.

The directing is superb, almost flawless. Of course, it is an amateur short, so it's not technically top-notch, but still better than average. Fera is certainly one of the young directors with the most potential.

Also, the acting is perfect. Fera plays Drake, a modern younger version of Dracula, astonishingly well! To the point where you don't see the kid who makes videos on YouTube anymore, but a scary, witty vampire with incredible one-liners.

The ending will blow you away, the directing will surprise you and the actors will enchant you. Die Now Or Live Forever is a must-see and should have been nominated for "Best Short Film".