May 1, 2024

Monthly Media Recap - April 2024

Grab a drink and some snacks because we've got a bit longer than average post this month!



Series

Fallout (2024, Amazon Prime)
Fallout is a bit of a blind area in my gaming experience. I've only briefly dabbled with some of the games and have never been able to get into them. That didn't impact my enjoyment of the show one bit though! From what little I do know about the games, it seems like they captured that world wonderfully. Also, not recommended for the squeamish.

Movies

 
 
If Tim Burton and John Hughes made a movie in the 80s, this would be that weird offspring. It's quirky and fun with some dark humor. Cole Sprouse is great as the resurrected man despite having almost no dialog. And I can't say enough about Kathryn Newton, she is well on her way to Scream Queen status.

Rating: 8/10



I couldn't find an English dub of the trailer but just trust me on this one. It's a perfect fantasy/adventure/martial arts/horror movie for a party night. It's wild and goofy but somehow still very entertaining. Just watch the trailer and you'll see what I mean.

Rating: 6/10
 



There was so much potential for this and they made a tame Goosebumps knock off for a grade school audience. The thing that got the most reaction out of me is the fact that the Spirit store is obviously setup in an old Toys R Us.

Rating: 4/10

What Jennifer Did (2024, Netflix)
Maybe I watch too much true crime, maybe it's right there in the title, but from the get-go there was little question in my mind as to who the bad guy would turn out to be here. The real story is in why Jennifer did what she done did do.



I saw this and it's sequel (Part V) and thought it would be a fun weekend watch. While I really enjoyed the effort of a retro 70s slasher, ultimately too many of the characters annoyed me in one way or another that kept me from enjoying the movie. If you put Jason and Michael Myers in a blender and poured it into a less grungy Rob Zombie sieve, this is what you'd end up with. I have yet to go back to watch the sequel but I did learn The Third Saturday in October is a sports thing.

Rating: 4/10



The new hotness all the horror kids are talking about! Dastmalchian is fantastic in this and I can't think of anything I've seen him in where he is anything less. The found footage angle is a little weird where it has 'behind the scene's stuff and it falls into that trope of "why the @^%$# is someone still filming and not helping or running away?" Mrs Dex even got sucked in by it and she's not a big horror fan, even less so when possession is involved. I'm a proud of her for sticking this out. Anyway, the movie is rock solid for me except for the last 15 minutes or so where it goes into a Lynchian fever dream. For the record, I am not a fan of David Lynch.

Rating: 8/10

Salem Horror Fest 2024

The seventh annual Salem Horror Fest is currently in progress. It's two weekends of horror programming mostly comprised of independent films and, hey, Linnea Quigley is back again this year! I truly love the festival, not only because it's two weekends of horror, but because it exposes me to a lot of things that would normally not hit my radar.

These being smaller films on the festival circuit, I don't have links for where you can watch/buy them but you can always make a note to track them down. We're starting off with this year's Official Jury Selection from a panel of 50 screeners.

 
It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This (2023)
When a filmmaker couple buy an abandoned duplex to shoot their next indie horror film in, they are delighted to find random strangers are drawn to the building, gathering outside to stare at it in a zombie-like trance. What begins as an effort to document the cult quickly escalates into an increasingly ecstatic quest to see just how scary their real-life horror movie can get.
 
The creators of this one said they never plan on releasing it online or for home viewing so good luck seeing it! I will say I'm glad I got to see it in a screening environment with an audience, it definitely would have felt different watching at home by myself. It's got a few creepy parts, a couple of intense parts and an ending that will answer zero of your questions about what the hell is going on and I'm ok with that.

Rating: 7/10



Livescreamers (2023)
Having been a video gamer most of my life, this one is right up my pixelated alley. If you're a long time game fan, you'll catch lots of references to all sorts of games. This is sort of like a crazy Jumanji twist where the players are trapped in the real world and forced to play the game to survive. The game gets in their heads and tries to turn them against each other. The director said it took her about a year to do all the in game footage and she did it all by herself!

Rating: 8/10



Burned at the Stake aka The Coming (1981)
In 1692 a young girl in Salem, Massachusetts, accuses several residents of being witches, and they are burned at the stake. In 1980 a young woman who is a descendant of the accuser finds herself having recurring nightmares about the incident and comes to believe she is being terrorized by the ghost of the father of the women who were burned as witches.
 
This was a 'mystery screening' presented by Cinematic Void so I had no idea what I was walking into. This made-for-TV movie was shot mostly, if not entirely, in Salem and doesn't do the town's history any favors. The summary doesn't even mention the time traveling puritan or the modern day witch's psychic dog! I tried to explain the plot to Mrs Dex and it's no easy task. The full movie is available on YouTube if you want to experience its weirdness. The Cinematic Void experience was a lot of fun as they cut old commercials (some local) into the screening. Who remembers this one?

Rating: 4/10

Young Blondes, Stalked and Murdered (2024)
A struggling actress starts to believe a serial killer is after her.
 
The best thing about this is that it's only 65 minutes long. The director made a choice to have the titular murders be a point of character conversation but they're something we barely see. I can't think of any movie I've seen in the past few years that challenged my patience this much. Had I not been sitting across the aisle from some of the people that worked on it, I probably would have walked out. I kept hoping something was going to happen. This may be for some people, but I'm definitely not one of them.

Rating: 2/10

This Month
New: 10 Rewatch: 0
 
Year to Date
New: 39  Rewatch: 1

2 comments:

  1. I thought Spirit could have been a fun ride, but it was a ride for 6 year old kids. It was okay at best but not my cup of tea. I did see Late Night with the Devil and really had a fun time with it. You know pretty much where it is going but I still wanted to see it. I thought the end was odd as well but by then, I didn't care. Well worth a watch. Not much else on your list was even on my radar, as always. Thanks for the post! It is always fun to get a list of things to watch.

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