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VFW (2019)
2020s VFW
2020s VFW
From the great minds at IMDB, let's start off with our synopsis:
A group of war veterans must defend their local VFW post and an innocent teen against a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of punk mutants.
Getting a wide VOD release on Valentines Day 2020, we finally get to check out the latest from Joe Begos: VFW. VFW stars Stephen Lang, Fred Williamson, Martin Kove, David Patrick Kelly, William Sadler, and Dora Madison (just to name a few).
Our main set? The local VFW, where local friends and vets gather in fellowship, booze and to celebrate Fred's birthday. The story takes places in what feels like the same universe as classics of my youth such as Escape from NY, Class of Nuke Em High, Class of 1999, and all of those other dystopian films which I adored growing up. Things are falling apart, police is nowhere to be seen, and drug addiction is rampant.
At the same time that Fred and friends are enjoying drinks at their post, across the street at a theater taken over by drug dealers and addicts, a young woman named Lizard steals the stash and makes a run for it; not for use, but as a retaliation against our main antagonists Boz and Gutter.
Lizard's escape takes her right to the VFW, and that's where we will wrap up our synopsis.
On to my thoughts.
Bliss was in my top five last year, and one film I just couldn't get out of my head all year. Because of that, I had high hopes from our next Begos entry.
And this did not disappoint.
Most movies early in the year either fall flat, or get forgotten by the time list-making is done. 2020 started off shaky with The Grudge, but that was not a sign of things to come. With VFW, I am now 3 for 5 for the year. I loved this!
Great score and cinematography, along with all the gore gags you need for an enjoyable time. Performances are all great from a really amazing cast. The pacing is perfect. Usually I look at my watch and think "ah man, are we almost done? because the pacing isn't spot on. With this, I looked at my watch after a while, and was surprised it wasn't done, and was excited it wasn't done! I didn't want this one to end, but it doesn't overstay its welcome.
Rewatchability is no doubt there, and this is a purchase for sure. As soon as the physical release is available, it'll be in my collection next to the others fromJoe Begos.
Literally couldn't get the smile off of my face. Dumb smile the whole time after watching this.
My rating: 9/10, and this could go up. This is just my kind of movie!
Gretel & Hansel (2020)
Review: 2020s Gretel and Hansel
2020s Gretel and Hansel
Gretel and Hansel is our latest entry from Osgood Perkins, son of the legendary Anthony and director of my favorite movie of the last decade: The Blackcoat's Daughter. Our limited cast features Sophia Lillis as Gretel, Sammy Leakey as Hansel, and both Alice Krige and Jess are Gouw as Holda.
And now, to our friends at IMDB for our synopsis:
A long time ago in a distant fairy tale countryside, a young girl leads her little brother into a dark wood in desperate search of food and work, only to stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil.
A "nexus" of terrifying evil you say, IMDB? I do love your wordsmithery.
Our story begins with a tale of a young family, and sickly daughter, and the choice they make to save their daughter. Skip some years ahead, and we meet a young Gretel and Hansel of Grimm fame. With things not looking good at home, they head out to try and find a new life. After some hardship, mushroom trips and dark shapes in the night, they come across a home filled with food and a seemingly caring owner. Are things what they think? Is something darker lurking?
My opinion: this was exactly what I wanted it to be.
While based on the classic Grimm tale, Perkins takes things in a different direction, which I appreciated. I would have been totally ok with it sticking with the original story, but I really enjoyed that it did its own thing. It is still, largely, the dark fairy tale that so many of us are familiar with, but they made it their own.
The score was incredible, and almost every shot in the film is perfectly done. The cinematography on whole was fantastic, which I expected. The opening tale of this poor cursed young family was so good...
I try not to expect much with movies, and this was a tough one. As mentioned earlier, The Blackcoat's Daughter is my favorite horror film of the 2010s, so my expectations were through the roof. I'm usually good about keeping a lid of that, and I didn't feel disappointed.
There are some things I could nitpick, but I try not to do that much as I don't feel it's fair. Just because things don't go exactly as I would like is a silly way to judge the film. We all have things we would change about everything, so it's better to judge on what is there as opposed to what isn't.
Gretel and Hansel is a lean and well-paced 87 minutes, and I would have gladly taken another 20 minutes or so to stay in the world that is being built in that strange little cottage. So yeah, that would have been great. But I still loved it even without that.
I hope that people get out to see this one. While I'm guessing it will be an incredibly-limited run, it would great to see this film be financially successful as I would love to see more movies in this style. There is so much great content from classic fairy tales that could be re-imagined, and you can sign me up for it all.
So, to me, Oz is three for three. I'm at atmosphere guy, and he just knows how to create it. Im a fan of his, so that could be part of why I enjoyed it as much as I did. And I'm ok with that.
I'm looking forward to a second watch when this drops, because then I'll take a more analytical approach. But from just my first enjoyment watch, it nailed it.
Rating: 8.5/10
Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
2019s Rambo: Last Blood
Keeping this review short and sweet, because I think we all know who John Rambo is, and my non-horror reviews are shorter. So, here we go with Rambo: Last Blood.
What a fun way to finish the franchise. It was over the top, ridiculous, gory as hell, and super fun. The story was lacking in a few ways, but you know what? I don't care. I had fun! There was great fun gore! Better on-screen kills than most horror movies this year, so thanks for that!
I was laughing out-loud in the theater, which made some people start laughing around me. So that was fun. I love when I can just enjoy a movie, and not care about a good and deep story, and watch bad dudes get killed in a really brutal way. But Sly did good, and Yvette Monreal was a new actress for me, and she did a great job as well.
I am curious of what the future of the franchise could be though due to the footage during the credits. Could we be heading the direction of Creed? I certainly hope so!
So, to the naysayers, or those that can't lighten up: shoo. Don't take things so seriously. Yeah, the first Rambo movie is grittier and really a good story, but look at the other ones. They were just fun. And I had fun, and don't care what anyone else things.
7/10
Yeo-gok-seong (2018)
Review: The Wrath
Review: The Wrath
The Wrath is a Korean Shudder release about a young woman who is to be a bride in a aristocratic home, and things take a wrong turn. There is evil present. The young lord, Myung-Kyu, decides to bed the woman on her wedding night in a trap for the spirit, but things don't go as planned. We also see a mysterious burn on the young woman's shoulder, which we'll learn more about through the movie.
As expected, The Wrath looks fantastic. Korea has been killing it with film the last 15 years. Really well shot and scored, with some good atmosphere built in to it. It also switches around to a more twitching and fast moving camera at times, and leaves you feeling like "well that's very Evil Dead-ish."
Some of the story got confusing at times, but all in all, this is a slick movie that is well made and fun. I really enjoyed it and will probably give it a second watch sometime soon. Korea: you just keep being you.
7/10
Level 16 (2018)
2019s Level 16
2019s Level 16
2019s Level 16 stars a bunch of people I wasn't familiar with other than Sara Canning from the Vampire Diaries. It's not a bad thing. It's actually a nice change to see some new faces in genre films.
The story mainly revolves around Vivian, a young woman who is in some facility with other young women. It's clear they're being groomed for something, but it's not revealed for quite a bit in.
So, this kinda felt like a long episode of maybe Doctor Who, maybe Black Mirror, but didn't feel much like a film. The cinematography and scoring left a little to be desired with me. I think pacing was a bit of an issue as well.
When the twist happens later on, I liked it, but it just took too long to get there. At 1hr 44min, it's a long film, and for the interesting thing to happen around 1hr 30min in, it took some patience to get there.
So, this one was just average for me. I don't think anyone needs to drop everything to watch it, but I'll always tell people they should support and watch all that they can. People work really hard on these films, so it's good to support them. Unless they're Uwe Boll, of course. But this is much better than one of his films.
Streaming on Showtime now.
5/10
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
2019s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
2019s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the great Quentin Tarantino's 9th film, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton, a fading Hollywood actor, Brad Pitt as his stuntman Cliff, Margot Robie as Sharon Tate, and a bunch more people since it's a Tarantino pic. It takes place in 1969 and we follow the struggles of Dalton and his career, and his neighbor Sharon Tate, and the possibility of events that occurred in August of that year.
There is a lot to unpack in this film, and I'll be honest, it's late and I don't want to right now. Could this be telling a story of how Tarantino's own career is starting to wind down (intentionally, as he wants to quit at 10 films)? Who cares.
I loved this damn movie. This is right up there with the best of his and could be my favorite, well, maybe not because I could never cheat on Resevoir Dogs...
But man. What a great film. It's long, but didn't feel long, so that says something about it. Great performances, well shot and scored, some hilarious lines and a bonkers final act.
I loved it. A fine addition to his masterful career. Can't wait to see what's next.
10/10
Crawl (2019)
2019s Crawl
2019s Crawl
2019's Crawl stars Kaya Scodelario as Haley, a college swimmer who during a hurricane warning heads to her family home to make sure her father, played by Barry Pepper, is ok during the storm. When she arrives, she finds him injured and things go from there. As usual, this is a spoiler free review as much as possible.
Ok, on to my thoughts.
I've long enjoyed Kaya Scodelario. Skins, the amazing e4 show, introduced me to her as Effy, and I've always loved that show and her character. I have so many memories, both good and bad associated with that show. I was surprised to hear her with an American accent. She did a great job in this movie, and I thought her performance was believable and I empathized with her struggle.
Barry Pepper has always given me a bit of a Alex Winter vibe, but is a good actor, and this was no exception. As a dad, I can't imagine the feeling of seeing your child in this much danger. I guess I can imagine, but hope never to experience it.
This was honestly the best tension I've felt watching a film this year. Great jump scares, tense moments, good action, and reinforcement of why I usually try and stay as far away from Florida as possible.
Good direction and cinematography as expected from Alex Aja.
Overall, this was a really fun ride with some great performances, great tension, and some nice gore. This will be a purchase by me when it comes on Blu. Fun one to watch with the family too.
8.25/10
I Trapped the Devil (2019)
2019s I Trapped the Devil
2019s I Trapped the Devil
2019s I Trapped the Devil, directed by Josh Lobo in his debut, is about Matt and Karen who unexpectedly show up at Matt's brothers house for Christmas. They enter to see that the house is in disarray, and a brother who believes that he (and c'mon, it's in the title) has trapped the Devil.
This is another solid entry into the "man, 2019, you're really close" category. We've seen quite a few films come close to being really good, and this is one of them. The poster art is great, excellent score, fairly well filmed and acted, but just lacked some of the oompf that would have put it over the top.
I'll be staying well away from spoilers here, but there was some missed opportunity with tension here. Don't get me wrong, there is tension and paranoia, but I would have liked to see it go farther.
Additionally, the ending could have been much more effective if what happened would have been more intense and visceral. A la Blackcoats Daughter when Rose gets killed.
So, this was close and good effort by all involved. With some more money, more time, more tension, this would have gone from good to great. But solid effort by a first time director, and I look forward to seeing what he does next.
I'm still rating it above average, but it just didn't blow me away.
6.5/10.
Soul to Keep (2018)
2019s Soul to Keep
2019s Soul to Keep
Slight spoilers to follow here. I know I don't normally do that, but I'm not too worried about it on this one.
Soul to Keep is about a group on young friend who head to up remote family home to party it up, and then you know that familiar story: young people partying, hooking up, demons, possessions, throwing up, etc ensues.
Ok, so here are my thoughts on it:
Positive: the score was actually really well done. It's a lower budget film, but they did put some energy and effort into the score. Sound design, not so much, but score. That's actually an area of opportunity though for me as well. The female protagonist is deaf and other than one scene, I think they could have used her disability for some good sound design gimmicks.
They really did try to make the filming look good and desaturated some of the shots, which I appreciated. Just like the video look in the 80s, a lot of low budget films look too shiny and clean due to cameras these days, so putting some effort into the look and feel goes a long way.
And those are really my only notes. The acting isn't great, sound design isn't great, so it's really nothing to write home about. I really do think that with some more money that this team could put together something nice. So, keep it up. But this just didn't work for me overall. I checked out pretty heavily towards the end.
4.5/10
Lords of Chaos (2018)
2019s Lords of Chaos
2019s Lords of Chaos
Lords of Chaos stars Rory Culkin as the late Euronymous, founder of the black metal band Mayhem. This is somewhat based on actual events, so it fits in a weird kind of true crime/horror niche. I don't think I need to worry about spoilers here as this info has been around since the early 90s, but I'll still stay away from them.
As a film fan: I loved it. Well made. Brutal. Good music.
As a metal fan: eh. It clearly takes some liberties on the events that happened, which is unfortunate since most of the guys are still around and events are public record, but it is a movie and they sometimes sensationalize things to make them better for the film. I was a metal fan and musician back then, and still am, but I'm able to separate those feelings and judge the movie strictly on the movie.
Really much better than I expected it to be. I waited until it was streaming on Hulu to watch, but would have gladly paid to see it. I'll probably watch it again, and rewatchability says something for it.
8/10
Book of Monsters (2018)
2019s Book of Monsters
2019s Book of Monsters
Book of Monsters stars Lyndsey Craine as Sophie, Who on her 18th birthday, has a party that goes awry. Is it spoilery if I say there are monsters? Or maybe even a Book of Monsters?
Monsters, fun kills, silly practical effects make this an enjoyable watch.
Ok, here is what I jotted down:
What kind of weirdo keeps an open pocket knife in their back pocket?
Has a fun BBC/E4 vibe to it, and I love a lot of Brit tv and movies.
Funny kills and monsters. Who doesn't love killer gnomes in a Evil Dead-ish scene?
I liked the music. A mix of silly overly-dramatic music and synth.
Fun practical effect mixed with the kind of bad CGI that is funny and not just bad.
Bad sound design throughout.
It has a montage, complete with 80s style Jean Claude Van Damme music.
Loved the music in the end credits how it was self aware and funny.
The post credit scene teases what could be a fun TV show similar to the cancelled Crazyhead.
All in all, if you're looking for a fun and entertaining watch that you can toss on and not take too seriously: this is a good choice.
Have fun.
6.5/10
Head Count (2018)
Review: 2019s Head Count
2019s Head Count
Head Count is about a young man named Evan who goes to visit his brother Peyton out near the desert. They head for a hike and encounter another group of young people, and Evan decides to go hang out with them for a few days. They start telling scary stories, and the scary story Evan tells comes to fruition.
As with many other movies I've seen this year, we seem to be stuck in the realm of perfectly average. For a lower budget film, it is made pretty well. Performances are decent and I did enjoy the concept.
This one just didn't deliver enough for me. Some missed opportunities and the monster design at the end was pretty bad.
All in all, I'm still rating this one right in the middle. It's not a bad movie, just not a very good one. I'd love to see this director make some more though as I think there is some promise there.
4.75/10
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
Review: 2019s The Dead Don't Die
2019s The Dead Don't Die
2019s The Dead Don't Die stars Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and about 30 other great actors. My description: if Jim Jarmusch made a zombie movie, this would be it.
Wait. That's exactly what it is.
Bill Murray stars as the town police chief Cliff and Adam Driver as one of his officers, Ronnie. Peppered in are other great actors we know from everywhere. Zombies. Dialogue. Political commentary. Awkwardness. Everything we would expect from this director.
And I had fun with it. I really can't stand politics in my movies, but I had some fun with this one. I managed to tune it out, maybe because I expected it to be that way.
Some really funny moments, and great lack of emotion and awkward moments from all in the cast. Very self aware and meta approach to the subject matter.
I loved the theme music, and love when the theme music ties in with the title or theme of the movie. Maybe I'm a sucker for cheesy stuff like that, but sometimes I miss when movies used to do that all of the time.
This movie isn't for everyone, that's for sure. You need to appreciate Jim Jarmusch I think to like this one. And I did. Not topping my charts but I had fun.
6.5/10
The Head Hunter (2018)
Review: 2019s The Head Hunter
2019s The Head Hunter
The Head Hunter stars Christopher Rygh as, well, The Head Hunter. It takes place medieval times, and our main character is a creature hunter who collects the heads and pins them on his walls. At the beginning, and seen in several clips throughout, we learn that he had a daughter who has died. The father seeks to kill the demon or whatever has killed his daughter, and that's enough of an overview.
Man, I loved this. This thing was shot for an estimated $30,000, and ends up looking just as good and telling a more engaging story than many with much larger budgets. I'm not gonna lie, I was maybe most excited initially for a 72 minute runtime, but I just wanted more. I wanted to know more about these characters.
There was a part that while I knew what was coming, it still gave me the willies for a second. Thanks for that!
I would love to see more on this one, or maybe it should just be what it is, and that's a slick little movie. I recommend this one for sure. It may be lighter on the horror, but the director and actors did such a fantastic job for the amount of money they had...
7.75/10
The Perfection (2018)
Review: The Perfection
2019s The Perfection
The Perfection stars Allison Williams and Logan Browning, of Get Out and Dear White People, as cellists Charlotte and Lizzie, who were both trained under the tutelage of Steven Williams (Wings of course) as Anton, who runs a famous music academy. Charlotte was a musical protege, but left the academy at a young age to care for her mother. After her mother passes, she works to reconnect with her former life. And then things go bonkers from there.
For being a Netflix release (helmed by Miramax), this is extremely well-done. Well shot, scored and acted by all. A few good creep-out moments were thrown in the right places, and ends on a bonkers note, which made me really enjoy this.
There was a time-rewinding gimmick to help explain things at a few points in the film, which I didn't care for much, but that's my only complaint.
I would recommend this one, and I have a feeling it'll be divisive. But these days, which horror movies aren't? Especially within the horror community.
Act of Valor (2012)
Loved it!
Saw Act of Valor last night, and I really enjoyed it! Sometimes when film studios try for "realism," they really miss the mark; not the case with this one. The guns sounded like they were supposed to, they held their weapons like they are supposed to and they actually reloaded their magazines.
The action was excellent, story was good and showed a human side to what it's like serving in the military. Considering a lot of people in the film weren't actors, they did a good job.
Loved it, and this movie could serve as a recruiting film for how awesome the Navy is. It not only shows the tough side of military life, but it shows the amazing things that you can do in the service as well; cool technology, training and actually making a difference in the country.
Hooyah!
Ink (2009)
Amazing film
INK is truly an amazing film, and really lived up to the hype. I worked with Double Edge Films in the past on several products, so when I heard about INK, I was very excited to see it. After hearing an incredible amount of hype on it, I was worried that I would be disappointed when I finally saw the film.
When I did see the film, I was blown away. Visually it looks amazing, has a great concept, and really found a way to dig in to me and involve me while watching. I can't believe this film hasn't been picked up by Hollywood yet. It's great to see how much they have done without the backing of a big studio though, and everyone I know that has seen the movie has the same reaction. A big kudos to Jamin and all the folks with Double Edge for keeping things in the Denver area as well, as it's a great city to make a movie in.