Reviews by Movie Maniac

I cannot believe how utterly stupid, incompetent, badly written/directed, and shamelessly lame this piece of crap was. Utter disappointment. Cannibal Holocaust remains the untouched masterpiece of cannibal cinema. This movie on the other hand is complete inane garbage with its incredulous characters, ridiculous dialogue, and a complete lack of commitment to the sub-genre that just results watered down imitation of the greats. Also, one of the WORST endings to a horror movie EVER.

The only "scary" thing in this movie was how, besides the five core characters, there hardly ever seemed to be anyone around. I know extras cost money but, man, this was one barren flick. In a post Exorcist world you can't have an exorcism movie with cheap scares and no atmosphere. A year later Conjuring came out and showed them how to do it right. Had high hopes for a Jewish exorcism but even that was meh. Ah well, at least Matisyahu had a gig.

"Room" is the story of a captive woman doing her best to maintain her child's innocence and give him a sense of normalcy in spite of the dire circumstances they are in. The titular room and other items and things are subject to personification because of the child's mother's attempts to create an illusory world in a hopeless situation. As a result simple things to the casual viewer take on an added weight and meaning as the film progresses. This alone would make for a riveting subject matter but this film is far more ambitious in it's undertaking.

Indeed, an hour into the proceedings the film resolves the superficial side of this dilemma, after a heartbreaking peak into the lives of the two leads (an excellent Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay), only to show us the true psychological fallout that a situation like this would leave in its wake. This is not a true crime drama but an incisive view into the experience of the victims, during and after a crisis. Relief is but an illusion even as their figurative shackles are broken and the weight of a reality that the child had been spared bears down on him while simultaneously hobbling his mother who now feels out of place in a world that moved on without her.

The long reach and strong hold of a life-changing experience is gut-wrenchingly portrayed and not a single character's reactions are sugar-coated. Frustration and empathy often cross paths in the viewer's mind as you make this journey with them but the real stroke of genius is that the filmmaker chose to show all this through the eyes of the child. We are made privy to only the things he sees and hears and left to field the responses and reactions as he does. The results are heartrending at times and downright frightening at others as you experience the aftereffects of the way he was raised and see the only anchor he's known, his mother, succumb to them as well.

Characters drive this moving story and the formidable cast does an amazing job of communicating the desperation, the love, the disgust, and all other emotions that crop up along the way as they seek to move on from a terrible situation into something akin to the status quo.

"Room" is riveting and it never flinches. It can break your heart or mend it; bring you to your knees or inspire from one moment to the next. It is an emotional roller coaster, for sure, but one wholly worth your time. It achieves in a clear cut depiction of real world horror what no fantastical flight of fancy could ever aspire to do. "Room" is an important film but, more than that, it is a brilliant one. Highly recommended.

About a third into "A Dark Song" I knew that I was watching something, that short of a sudden change in quality, would be an immediate favorite. Upon completion, I found that the film transcended even this assertion. I can honestly say "A Dark Song" is absolutely one of the best horror films I've ever seen.

The film follows Sophia, a grieving mother who spares no expense or physical/spiritual comfort to find what she seeks. Driven by this need she employs the talents of a seemingly undependable adept of magick named Joseph Solomon. Together they undergo a grueling ritual of invocation that brings both of them closer to their respective desires. Desires which may not be as clear as initially perceived.

Herein lies the driving force of the majority of the film and one of its biggest strengths. Bowing to no Hollywood convention, the film instead chooses to stir up a fair amount of anticipation for the results of the ritual while simultaneously fostering an atmosphere of paranoid suspicion between our two protagonists. Sophia's true intentions become more and more dubious with each passing moment and Solomon's intense dedication to his craft and crass nature begin to make the viewer wonder if he's a manipulative charlatan.

The film expertly mounts the interpersonal tensions and never quite let's you get a firm grasp on what either party is thinking, making your reactions to them vacillate from empathy to distrust at a drop of the hat. The characters are depicted with such naked emotional humanity that the filmmaker's risked their likability. To counter this, the viewer is kept enraptured by the curious nature of their undertaking.

This is yet another strength of the film. "A Dark Song" by far has the most accurate onscreen depiction of the rigors of ritual that I've seen committed to film thus far. People familiar with these matters will have a ball with the informed approach to the subject. For the average viewer, the film really communicates how the search for knowledge can be so hypnotic and alluring and why the occult has always been a pursuit of men throughout the ages and to film's leads. We just want to know what will come at the end of their journey, no matter our reactions to their personal attributes.

The slow boil of psychological horror meets the metaphysical is fascinatingly engaging and more so as the character's interactions evolve and their motivations become increasingly clear. With this clarity the stakes dramatically rise and the latter portion of the film that we've been anticipating must truly deliver or risk wasting such fertile foundations.

Does it deliver? Thankfully, it does without ever crossing over to the standard scare 'em ups that most would indulge in at this point. Showing restraint to maintain it's credibility, the film still manages to paint a clear and terrifying vision of the worlds beyond ours before offering one helluva satisfying conclusion to the story and Sophia's character arch.

Despite its metaphysical conceits, "A Dark Song" is about the personal damnation that our unwholesome obsessions and emotions can drive us to. Psychological horror walks on the same plain as the supernatural in this film and it does so with finesse. Beautiful cinematography, an ominous score, and fantastic acting only sweeten the pot. Highly recommended.

I didn't go in expecting much of "Morgan" as its core plot has been used and reused in countless other films but I must admit that I came out the other end thoroughly satisfied with the results. Make no mistake, the film is very much a case of the aforementioned refurbished concept (it even cribs from other sources openly i.e. Blade Runner, Frankenstein, etc.) but it approaches its subject matter in a well thought out and paced manner that allows you to invest in the characters emotionally before carting you off into familiar territory.

Morgan is a genetic wonder, a hybrid of human and synthetic, under assessment after a violent outburst that questions her viability as an investment. The exact nature of the reason for creation is kept from the viewer (though somewhat easily decipherable if you're familiar with films of its type) and we are only allowed to view her through the eyes of her creators and her assessor. It is this that makes Morgan engaging as the rift between the two is palpably tense. Her creators have grown to love their creation and the assessor is there to destroy it.

"Morgan" shows restraint where other films of it's nature usually devolve into blatant action. While some story beats prove predictable I grew enchanted with it's reversal of the Frankenstein framework. Where Frankenstein poses questions of the moral and ethical implications of creating life and the ravages on the soul that ensue for abandoning the responsibility of that life, Morgan turns the dilemma on its head. Here the creators love their creation, befriend it, and enable it. "Morgan" thus ultimately asks where do we draw the line between responsibility and emotion? When is it justifiable and logical to end life? And how much do our emotions cloud our assessment of someone's true nature?

These profound quandaries set "Morgan" apart from its peers in this subgenre as much as do the well crafted characters and relationships in the film while never losing its edge as a "science gone mad" thriller. While not necessarily surprising at any point, it is shockingly satisfying. Sometimes familiarity doesn't breed contempt.

So glad they did the anime/manga justice and didn't just turn this into a mindless effects and action movie (though there is plenty of both). The philosophical quandaries remain and the stunning aesthetics serve to recreate the world around the Major. I loved the more in depth elaboration into the characters and events.

It was a downright pleasure seeing scenes so familiar to me come to literal life before me, and I actually greatly enjoyed the changes made. I just wish they would of marketed it the right way so it could have found it's audience. Even then, it would be a small one on account of the ludicrous and unfounded "white-washing" controversy. But, hey, I'm just glad I got to see this movie happen at all.

Another fantastic recent King adaptation. We're officially on a roll here. Top notch work from Mike Flanagan adapting such a complex concept to the screen in a manner that was both fiercely loyal and just the right amount of innovative. Very happy with this.

Tragically horrendous followup to one of the best send ups of the spy genre in the last few years. Loaded with dumbed down humor, dull dialogue that lacks all the wit and charm of the first, an abominably bad villain, horrible pacing, and a bevy of excess plot lines that were ultimately pointless and terribly dull. This is not even to mentioned the wasted opportunities of indulging in the new characters by focusing on extraneous plot points and silly "side quests".

The actors do the best with what they have but it is not enough to save the film from falling into dire repetition or, worse, complete irrelevance. To top it all off the film is overly long given what it offers up. Failure defined. Shame.

A grossly mediocre and uninspired entry into the series, maybe on par with part seven only with far less impact in the now traditional revelation sequence and none of the visual acumen of it or it's predecessors. Even the score reeks of tired retread. That being said, it's not offensively bad and definitely not as horrid as part five. Ultimately, a forgettable, sub-par continuation that could have been done without.

Continuing the refreshing and incredibly effective turn the series took in Curse of Chucky, Cult is another example of a sequel that surpasses it's originating film while still striving to tie loose ends and address all former plots in a fun and innovative fashion. Fiona Dourif as Nica has proven to be a blessing to the series and a newly minted horror icon in her own right. Doing her daddy proud.

If, however, you prefer your Chucky to be the relentless slasher of old then stick to the first three. The series has gone places that have garnered it new fans but also repelled some of the original admirers. I, for one, find more substance in these latter entries than I ever did before.