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Behind Her Eyes (2021)
Well, yes and no...
This is a compelling tale and, once it finally gets its claws into you, will keep you watching and guessing, trying to get ahead of the characters and the story. The viewer will constantly wonder what the real truth is. But, you must wait to the very, very end to understand all the mysterious behavior.
Unless, of course, you are familiar with 'The Mephisto Waltz' with a young Alan Alda.
I admit to being hooked and hoping for a last-act finale' with the impact of 'The Sixth Sense' or 'The Crying Game,' especially after reading ---and hearing--- all the reviews about the staggering shock the viewer won't see coming.
I'll just chalk that boast up to the realization that few folks have seen ---or remember--- 'The Mephisto Waltz.'
Satanic (2016)
Did we all see the same movie?
After watching this on Netflix tonight I looked it up here at IMDb to learn more about it. What I learned is that apparently I am about the only soul who liked it. I was not expecting much, but it 'grew' on me. Now, I will agree with others who point out the characters are --- mostly--- not at all likable. Seth is particularly unpleasant; who would put up with a friend like him? There is a very effective 'callback' at the end of the film to a minor event at the beginning and the filmmakers have done a nice job of whipping up a nightmare as the picture races to its end. I did not find the climax at all confusing... if you remember what a character said earlier about Hell. Perhaps this motion picture is not for everyone. But, that just means those of us who like it will enjoy it all the more. By all means, see for yourself and make your own call.
Plasterhead (2006)
Get an atlas!
The main characters had so many opportunities to just walk away and avoid the Plasterhead boogie man in this film. And, yet, they didn't. Of course, if they had, there would be no film. But, screenwriters have to do better than this. They need to inject a reason that the innocent cannot escape.
I had high hopes for this effort, but it was extremely disappointing.
Now, about that atlas: We're told that the disfigured villain was an over-the-road trucker on his way from Maine to Florida when he stopped in this town for a beer.
But, the movie is set in West Virginia! How lost was the trucker?
Reference is made to "Highway 95." Well, Interstate 95 would be the logical, direct route from Maine to Florida... but it doesn't come remotely close to West Virginia.
Mistakes like this just shouldn't happen. It takes astute viewers out of the movie entirely.
You'd be wise to stay out of this motion picture, too.
The Skeleton Key (2005)
Effective Suspenseful Chiller
Splattering entrails and gore may be horrific, but they do not make for a good horror film. Mystery, intrigue and suspense do. I came to "Skeleton Key" with high hopes, but only moderate expectations since I am so often disappointed by what modern horror films offer. The new "House of Wax" is a perfect example of a perfectly awful film, more laughable than scream-producing. Also, I'm often let down at the end where the filmmakers cannot hold on to the movie they've created and offer a climax that is a let-down. And so I was pleasantly surprised when "Skeleton Key" offered up a suspenseful tale that built up at a steady pace to a very satisfying conclusion. Clues were in evidence, but only one was overplayed. Where's the spoiler, you might ask. Here it is: This would be a fine co-feature to the excellent "The Wicker Man."
House of Wax (2005)
It should have been called "The Louisiana Paraffin Massacre"
Some folks at Warner Bros actually referred to this as a remake! I suppose, in fact, it is, but it's not a remake of 1953's "House of Wax" or its predecessor, 1939's "Mystery of the Wax Museum". I was concerned that the producers would do to this what they had previously done to "House on Haunted Hill" and "13 Ghosts". They have substituted largely unsympathetic characters, improbable situations and plot, and random, gruesome shock effects for mystery, suspense and fear. If you like the genre of "teens who lose their way in an out of the way locale and get killed one by one", then this will be your cup of tea. If you've seen any film with Texas or Chainsaw in its title, or the much superior "Wrong Turn," or the myriad Freddy/Jason/Michael films, you've seen this before... many times before. Spoiler Alert: Paris Hilton's character comes to a violent end... and the audience in the theater cheered her demise! Perhaps that's a wise showcasing of taste. Wiser, still, would be to watch either of 2005's "House of Wax" earlier incarnations.