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
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.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and dropping by!
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