It’s Arnold Schwarzenegger’s seminal role...Conan the Barbarian. Based on Robert E. Howard’s fantasy series, Conan and his band of thieves are hired to free a king’s daughter from the clutches of an evil sorcerer. While Schwarzenegger doesn’t do much “acting” per se, he has a tremendous screen presence that carries the film. Additionally, Basil Poledouris provides a majestic score that does an excellent job at giving the film an epic feel. However, there are some pacing issues that cause the film to drag at times, and the storytelling is a rather weak. Still, Conan the Barbarian is a classic ‘80s action film that delivers a thrilling adventure.
The Lamberts do battle in the Further once again in Insidious: The Red Door. When Dalton Lambert goes off to college to study art, it reawakens forgotten memories and he begins astral projecting into the Further; meanwhile his father learns more about his family history and begins having ghostly encounters. Unfortunately the incursions into the Further are rather pedestrian compared to the previous films, and they don’t seem to be abiding by the same rules as before. And the storytelling is weak; with underdeveloped characters and plot threats that go nowhere. Insidious: The Red Door is a disappointing, meandering film with no real scares or suspense.
The terror continues in A Quiet Place Part II. Following the attack on their farm, the Abbott family escape to a friend’s compound in an abandoned factory where they intercept a radio signal from a group of survivors; leading Regan to attempt to find them to let them know about a new weapon that can be used against the aliens. The cast delivers strong performances once again, and the writers do a good job at creating suspense and tension. However, expanding the story raises some continuity issues and creates a few potential plot holes. Yet while it has some weaknesses, A Quiet Place Part II is a frightening film full of thrills.
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski star in the horror thriller A Quiet Place. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, a family attempts to live in complete silence to avoid viscous, deadly creatures that are attracted to noise. Both Blunt and Krasinski give really strong performances and do an excellent job at expressing their thoughts and feelings through their facial and body movements. Additionally, Krasinski’s directing style does an impressive job at setting an atmospheric and foreboding tone. And the mystery of what the creatures are and the setup of the post-apocalyptic world are especially well-done. A frightening horror film, A Quiet Place is incredibly intense and full of suspense.
Jigsaw is out for revenge in Saw X. When John Kramer goes to Mexico for a promising experimental treatment for his terminal cancer, he gets conned by a scam artist and her crew, and decides to teach them a lesson. The film returns to the more grounded and gritty tone of the early films with the kinds of traps that he sets up. And the gore is scaled back as well (which also helps with the tone). Additionally, the writer do a good job at setting up Kramer as a victim and the scam artists as morally repugnant, and deserving of punishment. However, while Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith return to series, there’s no real effort to de-age them to place the film in the proper continuity within the series. Saw X isn’t without its flaws, but it’s remarkably engaging and full of tension and suspense.
More scares and mayhem await in Scream VI as the new cast carries on the legacy. After moving to New York to look after her sister while she attends collage, Samantha Carpenter once again finds herself and her friends being chased by a Ghostface killer. Most of the cast from the last film return, and are joined by Dermot Mulroney, Samara Weaving, and Hayden Panettiere (reprising her character from Scream 4). In a lot of ways the film’s a retread of Scream 2, but it also does a number of interesting new things; such as its innovative opening kill and carrying out attacks in public. And the kill scenes are incredibly intense and can be quite brutal (more so than in the previous films). One of the better entries in the series, Scream VI delivers some frightening thrills.
Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub star in the horror-comedy Werewolves Within. Based on a video game, an isolated mountain town starts tearing itself apart when their generators are sabotaged and man is mauled to death by an animal, leading to suspicions of a werewolf. The writers do a good job at creating quirky characters and set up a fairly intriguing murder mystery. However, the resolution is disappointing and the characters get a little too wacky when everything blows up and people start turning on each other. Still, overall Werewolves Within is entertaining and delivers some good laughs.
Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage star in the mediocre horror-comedy Renfield, a pseudo-sequel to the original 1931 Dracula. After decades of being Dracula’s familiar, Renfield finds the strength to break free of his co-dependency to Dracula and begins to use his vampire powers for good. The plot doesn’t make a lot of sense and the tone is all over the place. Also, the gore is really excessive; comedically so at times. And actually, a lot of the jokes work; but they feel out of place with Dracula slaughtering people and drug lords making power plays. Yet for all its faults, Renfield is entertaining and presents an interesting new vision of this classic monster.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a terrifying horror film based on Bran Stoker’s Dracula. The story follows the cargo ship Demeter as it sails from Bulgaria to London, and its crew discovers that there’s a creature aboard that’s is killed them off one by one. The writers do a good job at creating interesting characters and at building suspense and tension as the murders are discovered and the hunt for the creature rackets up. Additionally, the production values are especially well-done; the sets, the costumes, the music, the special effects. And the creature design for Dracula pays a nice homage to Nosferatu. However, the Dracula character is underserviced; only appearing in a few scenes. Yet despite its weaknesses, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a chilling film full of mystery and intrigue.
From director David Gordon Green comes the legacy sequel The Exorcist: Believer. When two teenage girls go missing in the woods they’re found three days later with no memory of what happened and begin exhibiting extreme behaviors, and after their families exhausting all their medical options they turn to exorcist specialist Chris MacNeil. The characters are underdeveloped and the plot is rather confusing; especially with the two possessions and little to no explanation as to how it happened. And in an ill-conceived PC move the film tries to divorce itself from the series’ ties to Catholicism and attempts an all faiths exorcism that’s about people and belief. The Exorcist: Believer is clearly trying to emulate the original, but the changes it makes don’t work.
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is a documentary that covers the history of the Nightmare on Elm Street series. It’s a very thorough and in-depth telling of the franchise from Wes Craven’s initial concept to the final film. There are interviews with numerous actors, writers, and directors of the series who share some very interesting experiences that they had with the films and how they affect their lives. And it’s narrated by Heather Langenkamp; star of the original Nightmare on Elm Street. However, the filmmakers could be a little more discerning; as a lot of needless material that’s not really important is included. Yet even so, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is fascinating and insightful, and does an exemplary job at covering one of the landmark horror series in cinema.
Evil Dead Rise is a gratuitously violent and grotesque horror film. When a brother and sister discover the Book of the Dead in a vault beneath their apartment building, they accidentally unleash demonic spirits that begin killing everyone. There’s no continuity with the other Evil Dead films, and the plot is threadbare. Also, the nihilistic tone is really oppressive and the kills are so dark and gruesome as to take away any entertainment value. The worst entry in the franchise, Evil Dead Rise is an ugly gory mess.
Sam Raimi’s cult horror classic Evil Dead is modernized in this remade that excesses in gore and violence. After suffering a drug overdose Mia invites her friends to her family’s cabin to help her detox, but things go horribly wrong when they accidentally release an ancient evil. The writing is fairly good and does an impressive job at creating an original story that also pays homage to the Raimi film. However, the blood and gore are overdone, to the point that it distracts from the story and takes the audience out of the film. Though Evil Dead is competently made, it doesn’t offer any new perspective on the material or break any new ground in the horror genre.
“Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.” The Evil Dead trilogy comes to an epic conclusion in Army of Darkness, a classic horror comedy from writer/director Sam Raimi. After being sent back in time to the Middle Ages, Ash must do battle with a Deadite army in order to secure the Necronomicon and return home. Bruce Campbell is outstanding, and does a great job playing multiple characters and delivering the slapstick. And Raimi goes all out with the comedic tone; which makes for a really fun adventure. Some of the effects are a little cheesy and cartoonish, but they also give the film a unique look. Arguably the best of the Evil Dead trilogy, Army of Darkness is full of laughs and thrills.
“Groovy!” Sam Raimi crafts another cult classic in Evil Dead II, an outrageous horror comedy. The story follows Ash Williams as he takes his girlfriend out for a romantic getaway at an abandoned cabin in the woods, but he ends up releasing an ancient demon and must battle for his life. Bruce Campbell delivers an amazing performance, and turns Ash into the iconic character that he’s become. Raimi’s directing is also improved, and does a really good job at balancing the horror and the comedy. However, the stop-motion animation is poorly done and doesn’t hold up very well. Yet while it has some flaws, Evil Dead II surpasses the original and delivers a more intense and terrifying experience.
Sam Raimi’s cult horror film The Evil Dead is gruesome and terrifying. When a group of friends vacation to a remote cabin in the woods they end up awakening a demon. Bruce Campbell leads the cast as Ash in his career defining role. However, the acting is pretty awful and the directing is amateurish. Yet the gratuitous gore and violence end up working to create a frightening and atmospheric film. While it has its weaknesses, The Evil Dead is a classic that ushered in a new brand of horror.
From John Carpenter comes the satiric spy thriller Memoirs of an Invisible Man. When a lab accident turns Nick Halloway invisible, the CIA attempts to capture him in order to learn the secret of his invisibility and force him to work for them. Starring Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill, and Michael McKean, the film as a pretty good cast; Chase especially does an impressive job with the dry, sardonic humor. But the film doesn’t just do invisibility gags, it also shows the depression, isolation, and restrictiveness that would come with being truly unseen. And the invisibility effects are remarkably well-done. However, the CIA characters are one-dimensional stereotypes and the chases get a little repetitive. Yet while it has its problems, Memoirs of an Invisible Man is entertaining and a bit of fun.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man in this uproarious screwball comedy. When prize fighter Tommy Nelson is framed for the murder of his manager, he turns to detectives Bud and Lou to help him and uses his uncle’s invisibility serum to hide from the cops. Abbott and Costello are in top form, delivering some great comedic skits. And the story is pretty good too, and actually ties into the original Invisible Man (unlike some of the actual sequels). However, the invisibility effects are rather cheap looking; especially the final gag (which doesn’t make any sense). Yet while it has a few problems, Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man is incredibly entertaining and full of laughs.
The Invisible Man’s Revenge reboots the series and attempts to return to the tone of H.G. Wells’ original novel. After breaking out of an asylum, Richard Griffin tracks down his old business partners demanding his share of their last business venture; but when they cut him out and try to drive him out of town Griffin turns to a mad scientist who makes him invisible so that he can get his revenge. Jon Hall and John Carradine return to the series (playing different characters then before) and give fairly strong performances. However, there’s no real character to root for; as the Herricks are trying to screw Griffin out of his rightful share of their business and Griffin is killing innocent people. Yet the film succeeds at recapturing the sense of danger and terror that the original Invisible Man had. It has its problems, but The Invisible Man’s Revenge delivers some terrifying thrills.
Universal joins the American war effort with the propaganda film Invisible Agent. When America enters World War II following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Frank Griffin Jr. volunteers for a top secret spy mission, using his grandfather’s invisibility serum, to retrieve a list of German and Japanese spies operating in the U.S. Starring Ilona Massey, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and Peter Lorre, the film has a strong cast that delivers some pretty good performance. And, once again effects artist John P. Fulton attempts some new invisibility tricks (to varying degrees of success). Unfortunately some of the broad comedy from the last film carries over; resulting is some tonal problems, as the silly invisibility gags clash with the spy drama. Yet while it has a few problems, Invisible Agent is an entertaining spy film that’s full of thrills.
Universal takes the Invisible franchise into a new direction with the goofball comedy The Invisible Woman. Unconnected to the previous films, a fashion model answers an ad for volunteers for an invisibility experiment and uses her invisibility to get revenge on her boss and foil a gangster’s plot to steal the invisibility machine. Featuring Virginia Bruce, John Barrymore, and Margaret Hamilton, the cast isn’t too bad. However, they don’t have a very good script to work with; as it’s all over the place with romance, office hijinks, a mad scientist, and gangsters. And the Invisible Woman is just too madcap a character; taking nothing seriously and causing chaos everywhere she goes. A poorly made film, The Invisible Woman is a mess.
The Invisible Man Returns as Vincent Price in this sequel to the Universal classic. On death row for a murder that he didn’t commit, Sir Geoffrey Radcliffe turns to his friend Dr. Frank Griffin for his brother’s invisibility formula to help him escape and find the real killer. Co-starring Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Cecil Kellaway, and Nan Grey, the cast is pretty good. However, the murder mystery story isn’t really in tune with the last film. Also, some of the strings are showing (literally) in the invisibility effects, though they do pull off some ambitious new tricks. It’s entertaining and delivers a few thrills, but The Invisible Man Returns ends up being a rather mediocre film.
From director James Whale comes the classic Universal Monster film The Invisible Man. Based on the H.G. Wells novel, the story follows a scientist who rents a room in small English village and works to find a cure to his invisibility; but he’s soon driven mad and unleashes a reign of terror. Claude Rains gives a strong performance that really sells the madness of the character, and the practical and special effect do a good job at creating the invisibility and hold-up pretty well. And Whale impressively builds tension and suspense as the police hunt down the Invisible Man. Full of thrills, The Invisible Man is a frightening horror film and a worthy entry into Universal’s pantheon of monsters.
From the demented mind of Stephen King comes the rather abysmal horror film Sleepwalkers. The story follows a pair of shapeshifting creatures who move to a small town in order to consume a virginal sacrifice. Starring Mädchen Amick, Alice Krige, and Ron Perlman, the cast isn’t too bad. However, director Mick Garris does a shit job at making the creatures frightening and at creating tension. In fact, the film feels more like a horror-comedy with the jokiness of the attacks and the creatures being afraid of cats. And the incestuous relationship between the mother and son creatures is just gross. Cheesy B-movie shlock, Sleepwalkers is one of the worst films in the King catalog.
From Blumhouse comes the frightening and provocative horror film M3gan. The story follows a toy designer who tests out her latest AI doll on her niece, but before long the doll takes its directive to protect the niece too far and become homicidal. Leads Allison Williams and Violet McGraw both give strong performances, and the writing is quiet good; with some interesting commentary on parenting and dependence on technology. Additionally, the effects used to bring the M3gan “doll” to life are quite impressive, making her terrifyingly real. However, the plot is fairly predictable, following the usually tropes of a killer doll film. Still, despite a few weaknesses, M3gan delivers some chilling scares.
The carnage continues in The Wrath of Becky. When her friend is killed and her dog stolen by a group of insurrectionists on their way to a rally, Becky tracks them down and exacts bloody revenge. Lulu Wilson and Seann William Scott lead the cast and deliver solid performances. However, the plot is rather thin and formulaic. And the villains couldn’t be more of a redneck, backwoods militia stereotype. Still, there are some creative and fun kill scenes, and the black comedy works fairly well; delivering a couple of good laughs at the outrageous violence and gore. For a low-budget, grindhouse type horror film, The Wrath of Becky is pretty entertaining.
Lulu Wilson and Kevin James star in Becky, an ultraviolent indie horror film. When a group of escaped prisoners take her father and his fiancée hostage at their lake house, Becky attempts to rescue them…and get revenge. Both Wilson and James give strong performances, but the writing’s a little weak. However the kill scenes are entertaining and the dark comedy works fairly well. It’s kind of slow at times and could use a little more character development, but Becky is a solid home invasion thriller.
The Foo Fighters star as themselves in the dark horror comedy Studio 666. When the Foo Fighters rent a mansion with a storied history to record a new album, lead singer Dave Grohl gets possessed by an evil spirit and begins killing the other band members. The acting, as one would suspect, is terrible, and the plot (what little there is) is formulaic tripe. And, the over-the-top violence and gore comes off more as exploitative than comedic. There are a couple of entertaining kills and some funny moments, but overall Studio 666 is a poorly made film that doesn’t work.
From director Jason Reitman comes Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the sequel that fans have been waiting for. After moving to their late grandfather’s farmhouse, Phoebe and her brother discover that he was one of the Ghostbusters who saved New York City back in the ‘80s and that he had been trying to stop the return of Gozer; who’s attempting to rise from an underground temple. Starring Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, and Mckenna Grace, the film has a pretty solid cast; Grace is especially good, and carries a lot of the emotional weight. However, the writing’s a little weak; recycling the Gozer plot from the original film and creating a convoluted backstory for the family. Still, it does a nice job at working with and expanding the Ghostbusters mythos and at honoring the property. And, a lot of the jokes work rather well and the action is fun and exciting. While it may be a little too fan-servicey in parts, overall Ghostbusters: Afterlife is an entertaining film.
Gods of Egypt never really had a chance. The acting is awful, even seasoned actors Gerard Butler and Geoffrey Rush ham it up with incredibly cheesy performances, and the story is painfully predictable and formulaic. But the worst part is the atrociously bad CGI; which looks like something out of a video game. Some of the action scenes are entertaining, but Gods of Egypt is a total trainwreck.
