Don’t Breathe 2 (2021)

Don’t Breathe 2 (2021)

Country: USA

Director:  Rodo Sayagues

Main Stars:  Stephen Lang, Madelyn Grace, Brendan Sexton III, Adam Young, Rocci Boy Williams, Christian Zagua, Fiona O’Shaughnessy, Bobby Schofield, Stephanie Arcila

Storyline:  An old man and a little girl are attacked by a home invasion.

Review (Spoils):   A group of men break into the old blind man’s house trying to kidnap a young girl. This leads yet again to the blind man doing some nasty things to intruders. Yet again an escape film in which who is the predator and who is the prey.

Bring out the blood and gore on this one! We have a hammer to the head again, gas explosion, nasty glue of the mouth and nostrils, screwdriver through the cheek, shot gun shots, pitchfork through the foot, garden fork through the throat, nasty shovel across the face, long winded back story, operating table, another hammer to the head (man this series love the hammer),  more gun shots, machete slashes,  a few intense scenes with the kid (man she gets into situations), hand chop, dog attack, pretty bloody eye poke and lots of stabbings.

Rating:  Why can they just leave fun great films alone? Why do they feel they need to expand storylines or turn everything into a series. Unlike the first film, this was a not fun, but this one started off pretty alright but the character storyline to connect the dots to the first film seemed weak and a quick “come on” from me.  Not a bad film but just not sure if it needed to be done. Still entertaining and too be honest as bloody as the first one so it is worth checking it out if you come across it.

6/10 Beers!

Yacker

The Rental (2020)

The Rental (2020)

Country: USA

Director:  Dave Franco

Main Stars:  Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, Sheila Vand, Jeremy Allen White, Anthony Molinari, Toby Huss

Storyline:  Young group rent a seaside getaway and get more than they bargained for.

Review (Spoils):    Two young couples (brothers/work connection) rent a place as a get away for the weekend. Right from the start we are building conflict and character development as the youngest brother is in a new relationship with the elder brother work partner.  As bad decisions, alcohol and drugs get involved they learn that people are a piece of shit.  As the conflict and secrets rise after just one night (wow what a great group of people) the drama leads to murder.

We have hammer to head, gloved murders, unsolved mysteries, car crash, murders off camera, family drama, work drama, missing dog and oh a hot tub. Lots of the horror is missing but the drama makes up for it. 

Rating:  We have 1 person out of the four that is not a fuck up. And yes, it’s the one person without drama and secrets. Sure, there is a few wows that was a dumb move or no way someone would go that far but it was enough to keep me entertained. Was it brilliant? Nope it’s the typical people are dumb horror film with an ending that just leads to nothing is explained but we may do another film later on.  Nothing overly stands out, but I was entertained and now intrigued if this becomes a series.

6/10 Beers!

Yacker

Mandy (2018)

Mandy (2018)

Country: USA

Director:  Panos Cosmatos

Main Stars:  Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Casper Kelly, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy, Olwn Fouere, Richard Brake, Bill Duke, Line Pillet, Alexis Julemonth, Hayley Saywell,

Storyline:  A strange LSD cult attacks a man and his wife at their log cabin.

Review (Spoils):    Red and Mandy (Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough) live the good life away from most people up in the woods and under the stars. Very simple life and in love. When a crazed cult lead by a leader named Jeremiah and his family come across Mandy, they of course go to try to recruit her. When all fails and things turn for the worse for the couple Red shows his Cage personality for revenge and off, we go!

We have blood, Hellraiser like bikers, a crazy looney LSD tripping cult family that reminds me of something from the Sawyers. Of course, Cage being nutty Cage, which is always fun, trippy visuals, burnings, spear into the mouth, arrows, porn, a penis shot, cocaine, axe to the head, chainsaw duel, blood sprays and some over the top head crushing. The build up leads to the gore.

Rating:  Take the strange Manson family, mix it up with Hellraiser and a nice touch of drugs and Nicolas Cage, this is what you get.  A trippy drug infused Cage film with some blood. Some very fun over the top scenes like the typical Cage mind snap, chainsaw battle and the final scene leaves this to be a classic Cage horror type film. Was I overly impressed not overly but its classic Cage and the visuals of the film are very entertaining.  Worth checking out….

6/10 Beers!

Yacker

Leprechaun Origins (2014)

Leprechaun Origins (2014)

Country: USA

Director:  Zach Lipovsky

Main Stars:  Dylan Postl, Stephanie Bennett, Andrew Dunbar, Melissa Roxburgh, Garry Chalk, Brendan Fletcher, Teach Grant

Storyline:  Back to Ireland to learn the origin of the leprechaun.

Review (Spoils):    Starts off with landscape that looks more like Canada than Ireland two young couples head off to the island as one of the young girls is a history buff. They pay someone to drop them off in field near the stone and they walk to the tavern to learn of the stone of the gods. Let me tell you a story type sandbox storyline.

Old man talks the young people to head out to a cabin to stay so they can see the stones of the gods near an old fallen in mine. With some terrible accents and a random shot at wild boars the young people still decide to stay. Noises in the night as the boys are total douches and ignoring the babes here comes the little beast at night.

We have a very bad accent from the old man son, douche boyfriends, sweet babe (Stephanie Bennett), gold, camera dragging pulls, roars, an earring rip, nice leg tear, gun shots, tongue stud rip, bloody claws scratches, monster leprechaun which has visual able zero connection, an insane axe to the head scene (worth the film right there), hay prong through the chest, spine pull, shitty Teach Grant acting,   machete head chop,

Rating:  Garry Chalk was awesome enjoy the acting and character and of course the nice 2min bedroom shot of Stephanie Bennett was enjoyable. The storyline itself was not bad but the roaring sounds and the idiots’ boys was a little too much where you can have a wish they would go first. Be warned also this has no comedy and no classic Warwick Davis in this budget.  Not even sure if this film is related to the classic series. I personally was not expecting much from this as the classic series is a hit and miss. But this basically has zero connection is a fun monster film. It can drag in parts, but the gore is out there, and it was something a little fun and different. I was surprised and enjoyed the ride “Fuck you Lucky Charms!” Classic!

6/10 Beers!

Yacker

Saw IV (2007)

Saw IV (2007)

Country: USA

Director:  Darren Lynn Bousman

Main Stars:  Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Louise Ferreira, Costas Mandylor, Betty Russell, Lyriq Bent, Athena Karkanis

Storyline:  Continuing where the 3^rd film stops the jigsaw murders keep continuing as he lies with brain cancer.

Review (Spoils):   John Kramer aka Jigsaw is dying with his brain cancer and lying in a bed, but the murders seem to keep going and the FBI are drilling Jill. The traps are set, and the games have started bloody gore and all. We follow the pace of a cop within the puzzle of traps and setups.

More Chains, sewed eyes and mouths, wood hooks, neck, and leg stabs, hanging bodies with exposed rib cages, hair pull that is pretty damn nasty, a eyes gouge which was well deserved, pregnant Jill backstory, a cool steel pin body trap, pin through the head, jigsaw doll bomb, head traps, back neck trap, ice block hanging, gun shots, nasty body of Jigsaw.

Rating:  This is one is a bloody mess but at the same time the storyline is starting to become what’s next.  Sure, the series is a classic and some of puzzle traps are pretty cool but after four films you do have to wonder who have time to build all these traps and machines within the fast timeline and better yet work them. The backstory with Jill and Jigsaw works it explains a lot of the whys so it’s not all repeative and dull much where the series does start to head down.

6/10 Beers!

Yacker

Halloween Kills (2021)

Halloween Kills (2021)

Country: USA

Director:  David Gordon Green

Main Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Nick Castle, Kyle Richards, Nancy Stephens, Dylan Arnold

Storyline:  Movie takes off from the last one as Michael Myers walks out of the fire and continues to kill

Review (Spoils):  Right off the start we have the continuation of the series from the last film Halloween. Laurie and her family get shipped to the hospital as Michael walks through the fire to continue to kill. It just happens that a large group of past individuals from the first few films are drinking at a tavern and here the news. Nothing makes sense so hell why not all get together and see if they can take Myers down.  Makes sense, right? Wrong it doesn’t.

Outside of the craziness of the characters that written into this one from past series this makes almost zero sense why they thought they could just take Michael down together. But I do have to say this one is one bloody fun mess (almost as messy as the storyline). We have a nice nod to Halloween III with the Shamrock masks, lots of stabbings, stabs in the eye, killing past characters off, lots of car windows blown out, lock downs, town mobs that think they can take down Myers, Tommy speeches, nasty body splash, fun head stair smash, a unmasked Myers, slit throats, lots of blood sprays and Laurie sitting on a hospital bed.

Rating:  Going to be honest love that series is still ongoing and not doing the whole Zombie versions anymore. But this one felt like it was trying to the ultimate nod and it’s kind of was but at the same time it felt silly and jammed of just Tommy being a nutbar thinking he could do something that Laurie never could. “Evil Dies Tonight “chants and the whole town just pretty much placing themselves on a blood alter. Really a nod could have been better written with some of these characters in for an actual purpose that made sense.  Beers to the blood though.

6/10 Beers! Yacker

The Omega Man (1971)

The Omega Man (1971)

Country: USA

Director:  Boris Sagal

Main Stars: Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbem Rosalind Cash, Paul Koslo, Eric Laneuville, Brian Tochi

Storyline:  A lone man survives the worlds pandemic and much face the deformed survivors.

Review (Spoils):  Much like the classic of I Am Legend, or the classic film of Vincent Price, The Last Man on Earth this time we haveCharlton Heston battling not apes but albino vampire like undead that became when the massive pandemic overtook the world. Being a scientist, he survived as he had the final formula right before it got destroyed.  While changing outfits and loving life alone much like a Dawn of the Dead type feel he comes across another adult human woman who has more style than Jackie Brown …man!

This film is a trip on its own and a classic! We have tons of nods to classic films and novels. Did it age well hell fuck no but it was fun! The vibe is cooler than anything that has grown out of the 70s sleaze of groove and it’s a trip man. We have a cult like tribe that hates light that survived a new pandemic disease, and they want to destroy the one human that could save them all. As we come across a foxy lady who just happens to have children that could bring back a new dawn of the human species this movie spins. Lots of breasts, groovy slang, pale vampires, great white eyes, screams, end of the world scenes, red blood like the classic 70s European films, symbolism and just a fun dan film. Yes, this a classic but falls under the black exploitation of horror of the 70s…. but still a classic on its own.

Rating:  This film was whacked on a drug level of groove but held the classic feel that you knew it came from. Omega Man is a classic cult title and the roots come from its own classic novel tale. Spin that in a 70s creep albino cult of the undead and here you have it. You add Charlton Heston and Rosalind Cash can it go wrong?

6/10 Beers!

Yacker

Brahms: The Boy II (2020)

Brahms: The Boy II (2020)

Country: USA

Director:  William Brent Bell

Main Stars:  Katie Holmes, Owain Yeoman, Christopher Convery, Ralph Ineson, Anjali Jay. Oliver Rice, Natalie Moon

Storyline:  A young family move out to the country after being attacked during a house invasion to help their son. The son finds a lost doll in the woods and become friends.

Review (Spoils):  After a nasty and violent house invasion both mother Liza (Katie Holmes) and son Jude (Christopher Convery) need therapy and part of the help is move away out in to the countryside.Not long after moving while exploring the nearby forest trails Jude comes across a broken, dirty doll. Of course, he gets to keep it as he starts to communicate the doll which is something he has not done with anyone since his traumatic experience. His parents believe this doll is a breakthrough but what they do not is the doll is actual Brahms who is actual a haunted spirit of evil.

Much like the first of the series most of the film is made up digging deeper in the past of the haunted doll while the boy befriends it and becomes slowly obsessed by it and follows its orders. Brahms does his normal haunting things such as moving his eyes and flipping shit around while the parents trying to figure it out while blaming each other one what is happening.

We have the doll, troubled minds, parents arguing and blaming, a house invasion, cleaning the doll with a q-tip (who the hell does this?), carrying the doll, moving the doll, blaming the doll, nasty impalement with a croquette stake, ceramic masks of Brahms, a crazy does not make sense scene of possession and oh a dead dog (warning). The blood is lacking in this, and the jumps are pretty much the same as the last film minus the stake scene.

Rating:  This film could have been Katie Holmes and the Brahms as that is pretty much 80% of the film. Sure, there is some character development and of course parent conflict and blame but the just of the film is Katie taking care of her son and trying to figure if it’s the doll or is she nuts.  The film is not as it does carry on the story of the series of the doll but at the same time its not that overly entertaining besides the creepy doll and Katie Holmes. I personally still cannot get over the long scene of her cleaning the doll to the point of a using a q-tip so her son can keep it. Who are these parents?

6/10 Beers!

Yacker

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972)

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972)

Country: UK

Director:  Curtis Harrington

Main Stars:  Shelley Winters, Mark Lester, Sir Ralph Richardson, Chloe Franks, Lionel Jeffries, Rosalie Crutchley, Judy Cornwell, Michael Gothard

Storyline:  A grieving mother kidnaps the perfect replacement.

Review (Spoils):  Auntie Roo’s (Shelley Winters) daughter went missing many years ago and since she has been celebrating Christmas for the little orphanage down the way. What many do not know is that Roo’s daughter did not disappear, and she has a tiny, cracked mind. As she has been crazy in grief for years, we learn that there is staff that have playing and gaining on Roo’s cracked mind. As a young bright eyed little girl from the orphanage steals Roo’s heart her mind even becomes more driven over the edge. What gets in her way of the perfect life again is the older brother of the little girl.

The film is jammed with craziness from staff ripping off the cracked mind of Roo, dead children, children doing silly things to escape, lots of swinging cleavers, teddy bears, the bright eyes of Chloe Franks and oh a nice burning scene. Hansel and Gretel meet What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Rating:  This film came out after the great What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? era of films. A little different than the many that tried to copy that as it is lightly based around Hansel and Gretel.  Going to be honest I dug this film, and it was a fun ride of excitement even outside of the many annoying stupid moves the children did upon the escape. Sure, there was some serious plot gaps, but Shelley Winters again stole the show as the cracked mind woman of the grieving past. The film has a great touch of the crazy staff which was super entraining and of course Roo herself loosing her mind. Even the dead child was a nice touch which leaves the audience wondering who is madder of them all? Another fun and entertaining horror film of the 70s.

6/10 Beers!

Yacker

Random Acts of Violence (2019)

Random Acts of Violence (2019)

Country: Canada

Director:  Jay Baruchel

Main Stars:  Jesse Williams, Jordana Bewster, Niamh Wilson, Jay Baruchel

Storyline:  Someone is reacting out a comic book series of the Slasherman.

Review (Spoils):  Todd (Jesse Williams) is a successful comic book writer who took a killer from the past and made a comic series out of it. The killer known as Slasherman kills in gruesome ways and has no real planned targets but just rage. As the comic is announced that it will be ending Todd and his girlfriend (Jordana Bewster), and his colleagues decide to hit on a road trip to do some final publicity and get the brain flowing on ideas. As they are traveling, they are coming across hate for the Slasherman idea, kills in graphic ways and also like a stalking. Could the Slasherman be back?

The film has a lot of gun shots, off scene killings, entrails, knife across the throat, a killer in a welding mask, knife to the head, confusing flashbacks sequences, a nasty 3-way body torso of death, beheading and such.  Blood and gore is not lacking in this film.

Rating:  Was not sure what to expect of this film but it was entertaining enough. The acting was actually not bad for a lower budget and gore was not that over the top CGI crap. Jordana Bewster was great to look at on the screen and the poor character you actual felt for her in the end but why did she have no idea what kind of comics her boyfriend did I do not know. Anyways the film did have its flaws, but Jesse Williams did very well play the lead character and he does a lot of the acting with his eyes which was great.  The killer was good but a lot more could have been explain but than again maybe that was the point.

6/10 Beers!

Yacker