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aob_brctor87
I'm just a hardcore film geek who want's to learn how to write better.
I only rate movies that I enjoyed to various degrees. I don't rate lower than 5 stars.
essentially I just love film and figured I'd give a go at this whole "critic" thing down.
I hope something one day will be here of interest to others enough to read ; )
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Ratings
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Reviews
At the Devil's Door (2014)
A nearly speechless and ever increasingly intense subtle horror
Watching this was sort of like a practice in meditation. The film does have dialogue but it doesn't carry the slow burn nature of this film.
This sort of simpleness in story telling adds to a horror genre that's been done a million times. Generally "Something the devil is born" territory.
Unlike the satanic masterpiece Rosemary's Baby, where the constant dialogue is indeed full of clues and smoke screens, here we have the total inverse.
You have to watch the characters expressions and intentions as they simply lay out a much larger and complex story that is held back in an excellent degree.
I only gave this 10 stars because of its IMDB impossible audience lol it's by no means perfect but a very interesting slow burn horror/thriller with nearly zero violence or blood (perhaps the most impressive feat)
The Devils In The Details : )
Lodge 49 (2018)
Too good for TV (very mild spoilers)
That's obviously not true, there are lots of incredible series out there stretching decades. This one (for now) only made it to 2 seasons with, um...a quite epic climax I hope is not the end....
Anyway I think of this show as sort of The Big Lebowski in reverse.
One reason is its set, and filmed in a similar way where characters are full of misinformation and confusion and just diverse as hell. One could say it has the same "wackyness" vibe too it
Then Dud, the main character looks and acts a lot like Jeff Bridges "The Dude"
However he want's to be apart of something since he has essentially lost everything. He strives for meaning not in a meaningless world but a world of overbearing meaning.
He chases riddles and shadows until they actually do become reality. The show is hilarious watching him "Fail Upwards"
My favorite character is Liz who plays Dud's twin sister. They go back and forth in hilarious banter and often tragic dialogue, but always seem to come back to each other through all the chaos that surrounds them.
While those are essentially the main characters I can't leave out the OUT STANDING job every small and large character contributes. Especially the women in this show.
Connie is absoluteness in her hilarious responses to her husband and her lover while sometimes blind folded.
I think a lot of her story actually was cut from the show..but anyway
They (minus perhaps Janet) are generally 500 steps ahead of any of the men who relentlessly question them for meaning when there is none.
The plot is as thick as possible and filled to the brim with hilarious situations and seemingly meaningless details (that come full circle later) symbolism-alchemy- and what it nails most
Duality
This show is "The Duality" a few examples
(mild spoilers)
A man sent to save the lodge from going under somehow succeeds through insane odds only to run to an empty room and exclaim his victory. To no one.
Connie's lover Ernie is one of the wisest characters in the show but when faced with her AND her husband in the same room turns into a child who cant possibly fathom how simple and straight forward the words she speaks really are...
Or are they? This show doesn't preach but shows it's characters inherent weaknesses and power flip flop so fast it asks US how we feel and challenges OUR own duality with no answers..
or in other words: It's constantly subverting the viewers expectations of what "usually" happens in other series.
All Circles Vanish : )
El hoyo (2019)
I love this "Obviously" ; )
Wow this is a weird one! And I mean that with the upmost respect. My eyes were glued to the screen the entire time. It really makes you think and brilliantly shifts seamlessly between moments of terror, humor, absurdity and even beauty!
It is sort of similar to the film Cube (which is also great) but jacked up to 1000 and counting.
The societal overtones (and undertones) are some of the wildest "Make You Thinks" I've ever seen! Involving perhaps the treatment of the lower class by the upper class.
It seems to point out us and our perception of the "administration" could be fundamentally flawed.
It also has some religious themes going on towards the halfway point that surprised me quite a bit, I admit I don't understand much of it but that's ok...that's how you know its the good stuff : )
I turned my brain off for the last 30 minutes or so as it became a so delightfully surreal (even Lynch might bat an eye at this one) roller coaster mixture of brutality and beauty....
As dark and weird as this may be, I found a sort of hopefulness when the credits rolled.
This Review Is Dedicated To Mindy : )
Srpski film (2010)
The greatest buddy film of all time!
Everyone else has covered how you should never admit to watching this film, or dare I say......enjoy it?
So I'll skip the social shaming and moral outrage at a piece of Art from the country of Serbia that you should never, ever watch.
I'd like to present a new angle: This is a buddy film!
In a similar style to The Big Lebowski.
Our Hero Milo in a similar fashion to Jeff Lebowski, is mostly intent with his loving family as The Dude is with Bowling and smoking pot. He's an ex porn star who is lured into doing "something" porn related.
He takes about 5 minutes to throw his entire life away when encountered by an ex "coworker" who introduces him to THE most enthusiastic human on the face of the earth!
Milo meets "The Director" and the buddy film is born!
Their mission? To create the most vile snuff film imaginable where everyone including themselves and the production all die extremely gruesome deaths.
And an Unorthodox birth scene.....
Milo is mostly pumped full of meth and animal sex pills to know whats going on as he murders everything in sight while making love to thugs skulls
(and...other things...)
The director cheers and claps and whoots and hollers until Milo bashes his brains out (as he's still squealing with ecstasy) murders his family and then dies.
I guess there isn't that much in common with the Big Lebowski. But hey, ya gotta have a starting point!
Thank you for reading this horrible review.
There are actually some important life lessons here.
Milo perhaps needs to learn some self control
And the Director NAILS ENTHUSIASM.....Just about some pretty unfortunate things....
Evil Dead (2013)
"Fan Fiction" that works (some spoilers)
This isn't really a remake. It's another story in the same universe as the originals.
This version follows another unfortunate group of youngsters.
Except they aren't there for "fun" no, quite the opposite. Their friend Mia (and in one case, sister) wishes to detox from heroin. Setting a fairly unique sequence of events where Mia is (horrifically) raped by a group of trees (MUCH more disturbing than the original) and possessed.
Yet her behavior, before the possession spreads, could indeed be explained and therefore dismissed as heroin withdrawals. My favorite little addition.
No one has fun in this movie. And while I may be reaching for addiction metaphors don't worry: It's still an utter blood bath and hell of an intense and gruesome horror film.
Once it starts it doesn't stop until the sky literally opens up for an epic "Blood Downpour"
Only reason this isn't a 10 is besides Jane Levy (Who I adore so much) and one other character the acting is terrible.
Luckily it doesn't matter
Final Note: I love the original Evil Dead as much as this one now for different reasons but they do have one thing in common the others do not: The are both deadly serious- no comedy here.
Creepshow: A Creepshow Animated Special: Survivor Type/Twittering from the Circus of the Dead (2020)
Short and Sweet. Great for what it is.
This is great for what it is. 2 short stories by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill.
The first one is about a man stranded on an island. The story is about how he got there, and him reminiscing about his entire life as he literally eats himself to death. I enjoyed this segment and found the final shot to he haunting as hell.
The second one is hilarious. It's told via a teenage girl tweeting the entire time as her family attends "The Circus of The Dead" and takes a hilariously long time to realize that: they are actually zombies and people are actually being murdered.
I found the first one pretty disturbing with graphics you'd find perhaps in a Neil Gaiman graphic novel.
The second one is hilarious. I doubt either are meant to be taken as "total serious" and its just a nicely made short for fans of anything "Creepshow"
Which I happen to be.
I was pleased.
Cuando acecha la maldad (2023)
I found this oddly, and darkly hilarious
Parts of this movie feel like a three stooges episode. With a lot of blood and gore and apocalyptic setting, but still.
Allow me to explain one of many terrible decisions that are made.
Two brothers and a very, very stupid man decide to take a demon possessed bag of pus away from his family and out into the middle of nowhere.
The logic being; If we take this thing far away it can't hurt anyone! Or...us at least..
They make it "far enough" only to realize the demon fell off their truck 100 miles back. Which then becomes "far enough".
Eventually through strings of error/anger/and despair,
far enough becomes the entire world.
And I find that hilarious. The movie is disgusting at times and seems to be written by the devil himself (the ending in particular) and its a very very intense and gruesome horror film. Yet it seems lighthearted. It's truly puzzling (in a good way) how I feel about this.
The demons in this are similar in ways to zombies in those films. The difference is it's MUCH more complicated then shooting them in the head (Which here just releases more demons) to kill them..if they are even able to be killed...
TLDR: this is a fresh take on the apocalyptic genre to say the least. If I had to describe it in one word?
Unique.
Disclosure: I used subtitles as I don't speak Spanish so that probably effected my experience and also...
I don't understand a lot of what was going on.
But I loved it and recommend to horror fans and DAAAAARK comedy fans : )
Watcher (2022)
Maika Monroe is just marvelous in this tense, slow burn.
This was a lot better than I was expecting. As these types of films are not really my thing. However this one takes the "Stalker" genre into a different direction.
A very slow and very tense one with a satisfying conclusion.
I watched this solely because Maika Monroe stars in it. I've loved her in "It Follows" and "The Guest" but she carries almost this entire film on her "paranoid/is she crazy" shoulders.
She's also stunningly beautiful.
Anyway the film follows her as she moves to Romania with her boyfriend, but doesn't speak the language.
This creates a ton of tension and dread not just for her but for the viewer as well (also no subtitles).
We feel just as confused as she does (unless you speak Romanian) at a few group gatherings with her boyfriend and his friends chatting up storms she doesn't understand...yet...
This movie could have gone a million different directions and I wasn't sure what was "actually" happening until the explosive ending.
I don't want to spoil anything else. It would be criminal. I'll close with this is more of a thriller than a horror film but does have some gruesome horror elements/gore in it.
If you have Shudder it's currently on there.
The Woman (2011)
Undderatted, Grueling Terror.
The woman, I believe, is a sequel of sorts. It takes place after the events of an entire novel. So "How" The Woman arrived upon a seemingly normal (anything but) family and captivity, I haven't a clue.
I'm glad as well. This movie wastes no time on a backstory about some "evil woman". Instead it focuses on the family.
The father is a deranged lunatic with a mask of sanity slipping fast. He finds the woman, lusts after her, then proceeds to kidnap her and lock her up. "for her protection".
The wife is battered, she turns a blind eye to her husbands abuse however she is so abused herself it's very grey (as is her outcome)
The son is just like the father. A twisted little monster. They both take turns at torturing/raping the woman.
The Daughter (the one I rooted for) is pregnant and terrified. Especially because the father may be HER father.
Yeah, this movie is pretty freaking dark.
From the themes to the hard-to-watch torture scenes.
This film builds tension and dread from start to finish until it explodes in, a very satisfying, blood bath. A face is devoured off. A body is torn to shreds. Justice is served
by the Woman who was never a monster but a prisoner of a sadistic father and son.
From the same director as May which I think is still his masterpiece. However this is something entirely different. It builds slow but doesn't hold back and goes places that make you turn your head and squirm in disbelief.
This is a "Horror" film defined. I'm leaving out the worst actually. Enjoy!
Donnie Darko (2001)
A time travel film like none other (Theatrical minor spoilers))
I recently watched the theatrical version of this wonderful film again. I used to insist the directors cut was "the" version but now I love them both.
The original, entire story was never entirely put onto screen however the directors cut does explain a bit more. It also changes some pretty extreme things I wont spoil here.
Essentially it makes more sense. But this one is more fun to watch. It leaves out exactly "how" Donnie Darko is able to travel back in time and leaves it up to the viewer to decide how (I think he simply used the book).
I love a film that trusts it's audiences imagination to prevail. This film gets endlessly trippy and fascinating to ponder.
I've loved this since I was a teenager and now I love it even more. A story that grows every time you watch it--yet something still feels out of reach when the credits slam down.
The Dark and the Wicked (2020)
Act 1 and 2 are gold. where is the 3rd?
This could be chalked up to perception. Or perhaps It's because I've seen too many isolation horror films recently that I am burned out and needed "something" anything to "happen" after 2 near perfect acts.
This film is rooted in terror. Terror drives this film all the way into a blank wall. And then it's over.
Zero climax.
Characters required I don't really care about
the acting is great from the 2 leads who carry the film. The eyes in the demon things are creepy. Really this is great just doesn't have an ending and that is somewhat underwhelming. Perhaps a sequel is in store anyway i recommend but...
Terrifier (2016)
A little dissapointed. A little impressed. The other Two Are Better.
I watched this last night, just me and my cat. I was more impressed than he was (snoozing) and more frightened. But also disappointed.
I've now seen all of the Terrifier films in this order:
part 2. The original short by mistake watching All Hallows Eve. And then this one.
Terrifier 2 is the current king imo. It has what this doesn't. A consistently sweet and caring protagonist.
Actually this DOES have one ...just not for very long. I was rooting hard for her. I respect the boldness in the decision that was made.
But after that I was just kind of ready for this to be over and join my cat in the blissful unconscious.
It becomes nothing but impressive gore and chaos. Which is fun but just generic as heck.
I loved the twist even though I saw it coming.
And that opening scene was pure nightmare fuel and nothing (not even the saw) that came after topped that first, diabolical kill scene.
TLDR: This is better than "OK" but pales in comparison to It's sequel and the Tremendous original short. It has some delightful blood and gore in it's own style but it isn't very scary.
The other two scared me nearly to death.
I am VERY excited to see 3 this year, set on Christmas Eve! Hallelujah Jesus : )
L'autre monde (2010)
Pretty, pretty....pretty good!
I found myself doing a Larry David impression when the credits rolled. I liked it but have no plans of watching it again. I don't feel there is anything to gain upon a second viewing.
I can't stand video game movies (where someone gets stuck inside one) but this one is different. The VR game isn't even the focus of the story nor is anyone stuck in it.
Rather it's a tool used for abuse and power.
Power over lives that is. Pushing folks to suicide (which has happened in real life) by talking them into it and such.
This movie has a similar plot to Blue Velvet. It has a naive young man who ditches his loving girlfriend to pursue a dangerous woman, with an even more dangerous boyfriend who abuses her.
It never reaches that films level. Instead it plays it safe, and I don't like safe.
But I do like a good story which this is. Just not a "great" one.
Terrifier (2011)
A tremendous horror/terror short
Possibly the best short I've seen. Certainly the most terrifying. Damien Leone has done two unlikely things.
1. He has created a menacing-terrifying clown that puts all other killer clowns to shame.
2. Created a modern day slasher Icon with Art. The 3rd feature length Terrifier is coming out later this year. Can't wait to see how far he takes Art.
Anyway this short film is about a young woman who, on Halloween night, witnesses a heinous murder. She is then chased relentlessly by Art The Clown. Art is much more supernatural in his debut than part 2 (I've yet to see 1) making it literally impossible to escape him.
There isn't really a plot. But its a hyper blood bath of epic proportions that genuinely mortifies to the core of human suffering.
I'd also add this film more into the "Terror" section of horror films. It's relentless. It doesn't hold back.
Also features an actress I really wanted to escape.
The final image is forever burned into my psyche.
And for that, my nightmares are grateful : )
I give this a 10/10 for being shamelessly what it is and holding no punches. And actually scaring the bejesus out of me!
A Dark Song (2016)
Dark and Beautiful. An Occult Film Like None Other. (minor spoilers)
This wonderful Irish drama/horror film begins like many others. A grieving woman wishes to speak to her child who was murdered. She turns to the dark arts to due so.
She hires a very questionable occultist to perform an even more questionable ritual. Though the true purpose of the ritual is slowly revealed, and altered, brilliantly through revelations that fall upon our two heroes (for 99% of the film there are only 2 actors).
One of the major questions I had (and I imagine others as well) was whether the ritual was even "real" at all or the results of an elaborate hoax designed by a deranged lunatic to con a grieving woman.
Both leads make extremely bad decisions, monstrous even. However the script and incredible acting lends both of them incredible depth.
Neither are one dimensional, and are easy to root for as well as to feel repulsion towards.
The ending I imagine is a make it or break it for some folks. For me it was a make it. To be totally honest I was weeping with joy at this films incredible message about forgiveness.
Sidenote: I suspect the director has at some point smoked dmt : )
Mandrake (2022)
Creepy Atmospheric Horror at it's best (minor spoilers)
I don't care if movies make total sense or have some intricate plot to unwind. It has a plot and makes sense until the end, where I do wish thing's were wrapped up a bit more. My only complaint.
Anyway...
This movie has THE creepiest evil witch I've ever seen.
She isn't one dimensional at all. She's Evil, and that's her primary characteristic, sure. But we also see her tender caring side for her "philosophy" and her companion.
It's easy to even feel empathy for her, despite her heinous actions.
Loved the lead and found myself begging for her to survive when, in the second act, the story goes straight to hell (in a good way) and the terror explodes after master craftsman tension building.
Also found it hilarious and highly original to have a Probation officer who must look after a witch.
I loved this movie. That's all.
Allegoria (2022)
Hilarious and Terrifying
The opening sequence is pure nightmare fuel followed by colorful credits and jarring sounds that instantly hooked me into watching this short-strange film.
I enjoyed it for what it was, a freaky fun ride through loosely connected characters who, for no explanation, manifest their biggest fears into literal monsters.
I'll spoil one scene that falls more into the satirical/hilarious aspect. A beautiful woman and a man who believes himself to be ugly, are having a conversation.
The man is convinced she's disgusted by him, despite her constant flirting and proclaiming the opposite...that he is indeed attractive.
He finally builds up the courage to try and kiss her, only to be rejected as she rudely gets up and leaves. Then In pure black comedy fashion she comes back.....to murder him.
His fear is Rejection
That's honestly my least favorite section, but still enjoyable.
The ending had me laughing myself to death when the "Allegoria" is explained (sort of..not really..who cares) between the two women in the apartment, which is without doubt my favorite section.
TLDR: This is sort of like an anthology, with misses and hits, and experimental storytelling involving extremely terrifying sequences (1st) humor (3rd) and both (Last)
Side note: The director is Rob Zombies younger brother.
The City of the Dead (1960)
Fun and Freaky (some spoilers)
Visually this film does everything right, from the opening scene of an angry mob demanding a "Witch" be burned to the closing shots of crosses and lighting.
The frantic, busy shots during the opening reminded me of something that Romero would make, while the more drawn out scenes felt more like Hitchcock.
In fact, there is a very similar aspect to this film regarding the "halfway" point and total shift in the story and Psycho, which came out the same year.
Some freaky scenes involving ritualistic murder (though the film is not graphic, it is disturbing)
and satanism I found surprising (in a good way) for its time, freakier than Rosemary's Baby even.
All the actors are stellar, especially the always menacing Christopher Lee, though he is barely in it, when he is, he makes his impact.
Beautiful black and white that does not hold back on the fog machines! I can't stress how well this film is shot, especially for it's time.
My only complaint is that the ending was just plain dumb and out of nowhere (unless I missed something) but its definitely worth watching.
The Amusement Park (1975)
Very interesting!!
From what I'm reading, this was made in 1973 for a church/society about elder abuse to then be shelved by that same group (after they watched it) for only.........
45 years!!?
If the above is true, then we (Romero/cinema/horror fans) are lucky to be seeing this movie at all.
It's only about 45 minutes- I'd call it a short...about the scariest thing of all...growing old!
I didn't personally find this film to be all that frightening (minus a few scenes) but surreal, metaphorical and weird with touches of heartbreak.
It's hard to review, but I'll try to explain one particular disaster our poor hero falls into. Bumper cars!!
No really, there is an accident. The police show up and immediately discredit one of the drivers who is very old. Our hero saw the whole thing and tries to step in.
Only to be mocked and called a "blind man reporting" for not wearing his glasses.
The whole movie seems to be about society, and how we treat, neglect, and totally misunderstand not just the elder but anyone who's "different" (which is everyone)
anyway that's all I got. Its great, weird, and short....and again only took 45 years to make it to our streaming services!
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
The first two acts are incredible...(very minor spoilers)
This starts out great! It has top notch performances from Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch (Haven't seen him in anything in a while) who play father/son coroners who have dealt with a recent tragedy (of course) and are about to call it a night, until a mysterious and beautiful Jane Doe arrives. And spoiler alert...they don't go home.
There is an opening scene I'm purposely leaving out. It would be a crime to spoil that does involve other people, but minus that were dealing with only 3 (living) people/actors for 99% of the film.
The film quickly falls into an extreme isolation horror story.
While they may be stuck in a morgue, they may as well be in the spaceship from "Alien" (Which this film reminds me of a bit only in atmosphere)
What it does right: Its extremely original in concept
what it does wrong: it ends in an extremely generic and predictable fashion.
One of the themes is sacrifice. Self and of others. However the most important self sacrifice scene that as it stands, is truly heartbreaking and beautiful...only to be followed by a scene that instantly voids said sacrifice.
I recommend it for sure...just don't get excited after the reveal of what is going on (incredible) to how/why its going on (horrible)
Dellamorte dellamore (1994)
If Re-Animator and American Psycho had a child...(some spoilers)
...It would be this extremely weird and utterly hilarious dark comedy. It isn't scary, but you may die laughing depending on your sense of humor.
I plan to read "Dellamorte dellamore" one day. Perhaps it will shed some light on the film.
Because to be honest after about 30 minutes or so this film gets so surreal that it's pointless to rack the mind trying to figure out what's happening. Instead I recommend just enjoying the pitch black comedy madness.
It starts out with a "Re-Animator" (which deserves its own separate review) sort of vibe. A lonely man and his mostly mute assistant overlook a cemetery where the dead come back to life.
"Returners" he calls them. But after he makes a certain "Mistake" the film dives into the mentioned American Psycho style and isn't really a zombie film after that. Or rather they aren't the main focus.
Most of the gore comes via (graphic) gunshots from the lead antihero as he mercilessly blasts his revolver into living humans (A vision of the grim reaper tells him to do so).
However, even if he is seen murdering people, he is never accused but instead warned "There is a murderer on the lose!" it's as if he doesn't exist at all.
I find that element really interesting and not sure how to describe it except to compare it to American Psycho. He is BEGGING to be punished but no one does or ever will. They don't notice anything he does.
Lastly of course this film has it's own thing going on...it's just I'm not sure how to describe that "thing"
Perhaps the book will shed some light, maybe not. Doesn't matter either way.
If nothing else this film does what films are meant to do most. It entertains.
Only reason it isn't a 10 is a few scenes dragged and were just plain dumb. But that's nothing compared to what it has to offer to fans of dark humor and nihilistic insanity.
The ending still makes me lol every time I think about it. But I wont spoil it.
Cheers!
Ginger Snaps (2000)
A quirky, bloody horror/tragedy (no major spoilers)
Upon a recent viewing I have come to appreciate (and even remember) this film in a new light.
1st its VERY different from a typical werewolf film. The "rules" don't apply. If its even technically a werewolf or another type of unknown shapeshifter.
The heart of the story are two sisters who do literally everything together and are essentially the same person until one of them is attacked and infected.
The central theme becomes what the younger sister is going to do about her (slightly) older sister. Save her? Kill her? Join her? Detach herself from her and live her own life entirely without her?
I won't say what choice she makes. But the ending, i admit, made me cry this time around.
Don't get me wrong. It's still a gorefest-freakshow horror comedy blast like none other even without the tragedy and deeper themes of growing up and detaching from loved ones who, literally and metaphorically, become monsters.
An incredibly underrated and amazing film, that will make you laugh, possibly cry, but probably not really be scared (I don't find it scary at all actually)
Videodrome (1983)
I finally understand the plot to this incredible film
(Spoilers obviously)
Much greater writers here, and elsewhere have already covered the prophetic theme a million times, and they are all valid interpretations.
I saw this movie 20+ years ago and many times in between but never understood the actual plot of the move. I think I get it and shall try to summarize it best I can. Lol.
Max runs a channel that specializes in sex and violence. This draws the attention of government type/shadow agencies. "Its more..political" as one character states.
His "friend" who pirates videos is actually an undercover agent sent to help set the stage for releasing a media-brainwashing/ mind destroying terrorist attack in the form of media.
Their philosophy is stated by the "Optical" guy towards the end, as essentially population control. Using Max's smut channel to test out their new weapon on an audience they view as deserving of death due to their obsession with smut/violence.
To then be tested on a much bigger, global stage (we never see but is haunting to think about) as a super weapon for the "coming days" and such rhetoric.
Videodrome causes hallucinations, these are used to robotize him into an assassin. Which works, he kills two people "for" Videodrome.
However when he gets to the last target (people who know about the conspiracy) she uses videodrome TO flip the tables on her enemies by reprogramming max to kill them instead.
"Death to videodrome! Long Live the New FLESH!"
Max screams into the microphone (this part always makes me crack up so much) after blasting mr optical away into a abscess/cancer sandwich. Extremely gory and weird.
Then he goes and kills his old flesh. Whether he actually does anything after that is left open for interpretation and thrilling to consider what exactly the "new flesh" world is like,
I'm sure I'm missing some stuff, just wanted to try and help folks understand the films plot a little better as it greatly increased my viewing experience.
Which places this film in my top 3-cant-decide films next to Maps and Dead Ringers.
I recommend 100%
a science fiction/horror classic that's as weird as it can possibly be. However it does make sense. Finally. Lol.
All Hallows' Eve (2013)
two "non" acts + the original Terrifier plus a wraparoundd
This movie is basically the original Terrifier (which is just a diabolically tremendous short) with two pretty terrible stories beforehand.
The first one, the 9th circle features some pretty gnarly-low budget but effective imagery. But that's it.
The second may as well be an Ed Wood short minus the humor. Just god awful.
Then the reason this movie exists: to propel Art the Clown into an icon
(which they have succeeded with the balls to the wall blood fest that is Terrifier 2 and 3 coming this year)
The only reason I'd recommend watching this and not just the original Terrifier short is the wrap around story. I won't spoil that---but the ending outside of the shorts reminds us were watching a film by Damien Leone who's seemed to corner the "breaking every rule torture rampage" market atm.
Lastly, I found both actors who played Art to be utterly terrifying but it was interesting seeing minor aesthetic differences.
Cruella (2021)
Weaponized Fashion!
By far my favorite theme of the film, and I can't recall it ever being done before like this: the "Fashion Battles" between the old tyrant and the new anarchist on the edge of becoming a tyrant herself.
Emma Stone's (who's been perfect ever since bird man) Cruella uses it to humiliate and ultimately destroy her arch nemesis. There's so much radical fashion on display I bother describing any of it. You have to see it.
I will say between the extremely thin line of good and evil Cruella is skating, I for a moment thought she had actually made a suite out of a real dalmatian (instead of just wanting this to be believed)
I really thought she did it.
Besides Emma Stone and Emma Thompson as the divinely selfish and evil The Baroness the side cast is all stellar and hilarious. Her sidekicks add a level of humanity and empathy that perhaps the two leads of this film lack.
Mark Strong deserves a note as always, even if he's playing a familiar role, he plays it well.
Also, the animals!! The REAL MVP's! I won't say more-they are too adorable.
I don't know what this film has to do with the Disney Animated Film other than they both have dalmatians and an evil old woman. But I haven't seen it in a while.
However the ending suggests it could be a prequel
of the Original, making it a very sad/dark ending indeed.
As always, its up to the viewer.