John’s Horror Corner: Beyond Dream’s Door (1989), a lame 80s horror movie that deserves to remain forgotten.
MY CALL: Overall this was really boring despite some worthy lower budget gore efforts. I was never more than momentarily amused by any scene in this entire movie. This is a hard pass, folks. MORE MOVIES LIKE Beyond Dream’s Door: Another incoherent movie about dream research, Nightwish (1990) comes to mind.
Troubled by his nightmares, Ben seeks help from his psychology professor. But when Ben’s dreams come to haunt his professor in the daytime, they realize they’re both in over their heads.
Ben’s dreams include his non-existent kid brother, the death of his skinless decapitated parents, but mostly revolve around a monstrous creature with huge gangly claws which masquerades as a naked woman.
Even if very low budget, the visual of his grotesquely flayed and mutilated professor punches above the weight of this movie. His brains are squeezed from his ruptured head as I giggled with glee. Enjoy it, for it’s the only ‘good’ scene in this movie. Sure there are some noteworthy gory efforts. But for the most part, everything in this film falls flat.
With repeated use of sewers and red balloons, this was definitely influenced by Stephen King’s 1986 book “It.” Though it brings it no justice with the displaced homage. Nor does it do anything but disappoint with its depiction of zombies… ooof, that’s a lame scene. Why was that zombie scene even in this movie!?!?!
Having now seen two of the three films in my Home-Grown Horrors volume 1 pack from Vinegar Syndrome, I can confidently place this movie well below Winterbeast (1992). Sure, Beyond is much better acted and slightly less incoherently written. But the monster effects are too few and far between, the plot is poorly explored, and the main monster gets dumber as the movie progresses. Truth be told, I was never more than momentarily amused by any scene in this entire movie. This is a hard pass, folks.
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John’s Horror Corner: Mirrors 2 (2010), a watchable sequel with enjoyable death scenes.
MY CALL: Unfortunately, this is one of those sequels that takes all its plays from the playbook of part 1, but simply uses a different (and cheaper) cast of characters in highly similar situations. But what the movie lacks in most respects, it makes up for with decent quality death scenes. I’d definitely give this a low priority recommendation if you liked part 1. I’m glad I saw it, but once was enough. MORE MOVIES LIKE Mirrors 2: For more evil mirror movies try Mirrors (2008), Oculus (2014), Into the Mirror (2003) or Mirror Mirror (1990). But I’d skip Mirror (2014).
Still recovering from a terrible accident, Max (Nick Stahl; Disturbing Behavior, Dead Awake, Hunter Hunter) is recruited by his father to be a night security guard for the all-new renovated Mayflower, the very same cursed shopping mall of Mirrors (2008). As soon as his first shift begins, we are jump-scared by visions of a ghostly woman he sees in the mirror.
Following boldly in the footsteps of part 1’s director Alexandre Aja (Mirrors, Piranha 3D, The Hills Have Eyes, Crawl) who remade and one-upped the South Korean Into the Mirror (2003) with brutal pizzazz, Víctor García (The Damned, Hellraiser: Revelations, Return to the House on Haunted Hill) steps to the helm for this quickly released sequel.
Unfortunately, this is one of those sequels that takes all its plays from the playbook of part 1, but simply uses a different (and cheaper) cast of characters in highly similar situations. Moreover, this sequel plays on premonitions of presumably ‘preventable’ deaths in the manner of Final Destination (2000) and sequels.
Just like Mirrors (2008), we open with a night security guard (Evan Jones; The Book of Eli, Wishcraft) at the Mayflower Department Store who finds his reflection is quite malevolent and dies to the actions of his cast image. The methodology is a tad weak, but the death scene remains mean and gory.
The story lacks the development, tact or execution of its predecessor. Really, this feels like a completely standalone horror movie that just happens to take place in the same cursed store as before. Except now… the rules of the store and its haunting are completely different; basically unrelated in any way except for the involvement of angry spirits in mirrors killing people via possessed reflections. Oooooh boy, and the story involves rape, which is always charming, right? So there’s your trigger warning.
What the movie lacks in most respects, it makes up for with decent quality death scenes. Christy Carlson Romano’s shower scene death features extensive nudity, a lot of blood and some redeemingly shocking gore when her head is brutally guillotined by a broken pane of glass. No death could live up to Amy Smart’s (Mirrors) jaw-ripping demise in part 1, but this shower death scene remains incredibly satisfying for this gorehound. Likewise, Jon Michael Davis’ death is just plain mean and brutal complete with Achilles tendon gashes and disembowelment. So while this is clearly ranked below its predecessor, I still enjoyed watching it.
This movie had exactly the kind of cheap ending that, in my opinion, no one wants. But the bad people got what they had coming in the form of horribly murderous ghostly revenge, and that’s somewhat satisfying on its own. And the death scenes (though not numerous) were a disgusting joy. I’d definitely give this a low priority recommendation if you liked part 1. I’m glad I saw it, but once was enough.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 56: The Decapitator, Spin Kicks, and Jumping Sharks
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Jay and Mark are joined by Aaron “Spin Kick” Neuwirth (@AaronsPS4 on Twitter) to discuss the eighth chapter on the Deep Blue Sea 3 Blu-ray. In this episode, they discuss spin kicks, jumping sharks, and unexpected low blows. Enjoy!
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John’s Horror Corner: Séance (2021), a catty ‘Mean Girls’ high school horror splicing the haunting and slasher genres.
MY CALL: Familiar yet not terribly predictable, this haunter-slasher is probably best suited for a younger audience seeking a less intense horror selection.
Disclaimer: A screener was provided by a PR/Media group/company. However, I was not paid or compensated to write this nor were there any conditions to my receiving the screener other than my solicited review and the timing of its posting.
Short Summary from IMDB: “Camille, a young woman who arrives at the Fairfield Academy following one of the student’s untimely and violent death.”
Where can WATCH NOW? RLJE Films will release SÉANCE On Demand, Digital, DVD and Blu-ray on August 3rd. To watch on Amazon just CLICK HERE.
SOLICITED REVIEWS: On occasion I accept requests for solicited reviews. But make no mistake, I have a day job, limited time and I’m not a professional. My favoritism to accept solicitations leans towards those who offer a physical screener, but that favoritism does not de facto earn a favorable review—but a “fair” review. Examples of my solicited reviews include Belzebuth (2017; US release 2020), Scare Package (2019), Iron Sky: The Coming Race (2019), The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019), The Unseen (2017; aka Amourosis), The Belko Experiment (2016) and The Barn (2016).
After the tragic death of an Edelvine Academy student, the prestigious girls’ prep school quickly produces an opening for Camille (Suki Waterhouse; The Bad Batch, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) to replace her. Upon her arrival, the territorial Mean Girls vibe is most unhospitable with instant violent bullying. Without necessarily packing an overly strong young adult feeling, the character writing isn’t as mature as I’d prefer. The tone is somewhere in the neighborhood of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) or The Craft: Legacy (2020).
From the time of Camille’s arrival, she seems to be the only student experiencing a haunting in the old schoolhouse. Flickering lights, nightmares and visions of figures in dark corners cast an atmosphere of mild menace. But when the girls perform a séance to contact their recently deceased classmate, they are more successful than they anticipated and their classmates begin to disappear… or meet a stabby demise. Did they summon an evil spirit? Who or what is killing the students of Edelvine Academy?
Camille’s classmates include, but are not limited to Bethany (Madisen Beaty; The Clovehitch Killer), Helina (Ella-Rae Smith; Into the Badlands), Alice (Inanna Sarkis) and Yvonne (Stephanie Sy; The Grudge).
The deaths are largely rather toothless, making this rather unpleasing for well-seasoned horror hounds but perhaps well-suited for beginners to the genre (or those who prefer their horror and death scenes less direly intense). This really isn’t very creepy, scary or shocking at all, and it isn’t gory or brutal—at least, not until the very last two deaths which felt like they were from a different and better movie entirely. I was generally quite unmoved until those final death scenes.
This is not my favorite work of writer and director Simon Barrett (V/H/S 2 segment “Tape 49”, Blair Witch, You’re Next). This movie isn’t bad… but it’s definitely not for me. I don’t even feel I’m the right person to say if it’s good, regardless of the perceived target audience. That said, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t very predictable considering how ‘familiar’ it felt in the beginning.
So take my review with a heaping handful of chunky grains of salt, for I am a graybeard horror fan reared on gory 80s classics. So, yes, I mean it when I say that I found not a moment of this movie shocking, scary or unnerving. But if I had sat through a few thousand horror movies less, I could see how it might please a greener, younger audience.
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Jungle Cruise – Review – Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson Keep The Big Budget Film Afloat
Quick Thoughts – Grade – B- – Jungle Cruise is a big budget Disney oddity that plays like The Pirates of the Caribbean, met The Mummy, and they teamed up with National Treasure, The African Queen, and The Rundown to form a supergroup. Normally comparing a movie to others feels a bit reductive, but one can’t help drawing comparisons. In the end, it’s worth watching because of Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows, The Commuter, Non-Stop), and starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall and Jesse Plemons, this $200 million budgeted adaptation of the popular Disney ride is a sight to behold. The producers clearly want to capitalize on the past success of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, so they’re back with another tale about treasure, supernatural shenanigans, and boats. You can’t help but be impressed by the immense scale of the film, as it’s loaded with 1000+VFX shots, massive sets, and an A-list cast who are totally committed, and very engaging. The screenplay by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa and Michael Green (John Norville and Josh Goldstein received story credits) is welcomely bonkers, as it offers up healthy doses of sass, twists, and enough plot to send the film pinballing all over various jungles, caves, and rivers. .
Jungle Cruise focuses on the hunt to find the Tree of Life, which is located deep in an unnamed jungle (hence the cruise), and possesses healing powers that can benefit all of mankind (or be used by evil Germans). Hunting for the Tree of Life are British scientist Dr. Lily “Pants” Houghton (Blunt), and her brother MacGregor (Whitehall), who hire steamboat captain Frank “Skipper” Wolff, to take them up the river in hopes of finding the mythical tree. Making their already treacherous journey more difficult, is the fact that they’re being followed by Prince Joachim (Plemons), a German maniac, who Lily stole a valuable artifact from, which oddly enough results in Joachim murdering a bunch of English scientists (the movie is quite violent). From there, it’s a race against time as the two groups battle whitewater rapids, piranhas, and angry “undead” conquistadors who also want to find the Tree of Life.
Jungle Cruise works because of Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson. The two know exactly what movie they are in, and seem to have a blast trading bad puns, verbal barbs, engaging in action scenes, and wearing pants. The incredible amount of sass between them does get a tad stale, but you get the feeling that the two are equals, and because they are wildly stubborn, they won’t give up the fight. If you are a fan of Jesse Plemons, the film is worth watching because he puts on a wild German accent, and has no problem unloading thousands of bullets (that come from his submarine) in public spaces as he hunts down his rivals. His villainous character is super cheeky, but he also murders a bunch of people, which creates a weird dynamic in the PG-13 film, as bodies fall all over the place in bloodless moments of violence.
In the end, Jungle Cruise is worth watching because of how unique it all is. There are recurring gags involving face punches, then, there are bonkers supernatural plotlines, CGI cats, and Paul Giamatti using a wild Italian(?) accent that comes and goes (that’s part of the joke). Also, there is a moment involving copious sexual innuendo that feels out of place in the Diseny movie, but, since it’s so random, the oddness is welcome. The movie is nowhere as good as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Blake Pearl, or National Treasure, but there is enough there to make it worthwhile. Also, anything with Blunt and Johnson being charming isn’t all bad.
Final thoughts – Jungle Cruise is a pleasant journey, and if you enjoy Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, you should check it out.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 378: Only the Strong, Dance Fighting, and Inspirational Teachers
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
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Mark and Erik discuss the 1993 cult classic Only the Strong. Directed by Sheldon Lettich, and starring Mark Dacascos, Stacey Travis, and Paco Christian Prieto, the movie focuses on a gang war that breaks out after a former green beret starts teaching capoeira to at-risk high school students. In this episode, they also talk about dance fighting, spin kicks, and the excellence of Mark Dacascos. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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Quick Thoughts: – Grade – A – Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Summer of Soul is an excellent documentary loaded with epic musical performances and valuable history It’s easy to see why it won the Grand Jury Prize, and the Audience Award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
Between The Sparks Brothers and Summer of Soul, 2021 has been a strong year for music documentaries that inform the populace about either bands or music festivals that have gone under the radar (or almost disappearing from memory) for decades. Watching the uncovered live music that had been sitting in a basement for nearly 50 years is thrilling as Thompson shows us performances by Stevie Wonder, The 5th Dimension, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, and Gladys Knight. The Harlem Cultural Festival (AKA Black Woodstock) drew more than 300,000 people over six free concerts, and happened at an important moment as racial tensions and the Civil Rights Movement were in full effect throughout the country, and the promoters were hoping that the festival would prevent rioting and arrests during the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
In between the performances, Thompson loads the documentary with musicians, writers, and celebrities who discuss the timeframe, changing racial climate and how the Black Panthers were hired to do security, as distrust in the NYPD (and their lack of help) forced promoters to bring in alternate security to keep attendees from rushing the various musical acts. It’s wild to think the festival took place during the first moon landing, and it’s enlightening to see the concertgoers showing a lack of concern about the epic undertaking that cost billions. One of the highlights of the documentary is producer Musa Jackson. He attended the festival when he was four years old, and watching him watch the uncovered footage is an emotional experience.
The 40 hours of concert footage was shot by director Hal Tulchin, who filmed all six of the shows, and couldn’t sell the footage afterwards, so the concert footage sat in a basement for decades. When Thompson became aware of the footage from producer Robert Fyvolent, he said “What would have happened if this was allowed a seat at the table? How much of a difference would that have made in my life? That was the moment that extinguished any doubt I had that I could do this.” It’s sad to think that the concert footage didn’t reach a wide audience after it happened, but, hopefully now, a lot of people will watch it and want to learn more about the artists and their history.
Final Thoughts – Watch Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) on Hulu.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 55: Blowy-Uppy Machines, Fighting in Flip-Flops, and Medieval Shark Knights
You can listen to Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Tunein, Podcast Addict, Amazon, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. Also, make sure to like our Facebook page!
Please make sure to rate, review, share, and subscribe!
Jay and Mark are joined by Lisa Leaheey (@LisaPas220 on Twitter) to discuss the seventh chapter on the Deep Blue Sea 3 Blu-ray. In this episode, they discuss fancy aquatic explosion machines, fighting in flip-flops, and medieval shark knights. Enjoy!
Please make sure to rate, review and subscribe to the DBS podcast.
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Quick Thoughts – Grade – B- – Snake Eyes is a fun ride that is massively let down by its action scenes that are choppily edited, shakily filmed, and in no way showcase the talents of Iko Uwais, Peter Mensah, Henry Golding, Andrew Koji, and Karuka Abe. Hopefully, the film will be a success (in spite of its flaws), and propels the excellent cast to bigger and better things.
Directed by Robert Schwentke (RED, R.I.P.D.) and written by Anna Waterhouse (Rebecca, Race), Joe Shrapnel (Rebecca, Race), Evan Spiliotopoulos (Beauty and the Beast, The Huntsman: Winter War), Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins tells the story of how Snake Eyes, the fan favorite G.I. Joe character became a world-renowned hero. In terms of acting, costumes, and production design, the movie is a success as Henry Golding proves himself to be a capable action hero, and his costumes and surrounding locations all look great. However, the action scenes are wildly bad, as they are edited into oblivion, and don’t give the actors any room to shine. The ideas behind fight coordinator Kenji Tanigaki (Enter the Fat Dragon, Monster Hunt 2, Flash Point) brawls are sound, but any semblance of coherence is lost as it looks like Schwentke wanted the action scenes to look like a Bourne movie chugged Red Bull, then watched Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and chugged more Red Bull. the over-edited fights are baffling when you have special talents like Iko Uwais (The Raid, Triple Threat, The Night Comes for Us), Peter Mensah (Spartacus) and Andrew Koji (Warrior), and you never let a shot linger for more than one-fifth of a second. Why not set up a wide-shot, get all the coverage, and let audiences see what the actors trained months to do.
Action aside, Snake Eyes is a lot of fun as it tells the story of how Snake Eyes (Henry Golding) goes from being an angry orphan to becoming a super soldier. After his father is killed by some gangsters, Snake Eyes becomes a pit fighter who is hired by the Yakuza to assist in sneaking automatic weapons into Japan. However, after he fails to pass his initiation by refusing to kill a guy named Tommy (Andrew Koji), the two escape to Japan where Snake Eyes learns that Tommy is part of the Clan Arashikage, a powerful family who protect Japan from evildoers who threaten violence. From there, nothing else will be spoiled, just know that Cobra gets involved, there is a cup fight, Samara Weaving has a bathroom fight, and we get to meet some beautiful ancient creatures.
Most importantly, Henry Golding, Andrew Koji, Iko Uwais, Karuka Abe all shine. They are legit actors who must’ve trained hard for this film. All of their fights (when we can see them) showcase their skills, and it would be nice to see a sequel that showcases their physical talents more.
Final thoughts: Go watch it, and support the excellent actors.
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Joe Bell – Review – Solid Performances From Mark Wahlberg and Reid Miller Elevate the Drama
Quick thoughts: – Grade – C+ – Based on a true story, Joe Bell features standout performances from Mark Wahlberg and Reid Miller.
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, and written by the Oscar winning duo of Larry McMurtry (I love his book All My Friends Are Going To Be Strangers) and Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain), the extremely intimate Joe Bell tells the story of a man attempting a cross country walking trip with the goal of raising awareness about bullying. The fly on the wall cinematography by frequent Mark Wahlberg collaborator Jacques Jouffret (Bloodshot, The Purge, Mile 22) brings back memories of Friday Night Lights (movie and TV show), and if you haven’t seen the show or movie, just know that the documentary style is refreshingly intimate and shows just how committed Mark Wahlberg was when he signed onto the project. The non-linear storytelling and certain narrative chocies will most certainly turn some people off, but, if it speaks to people who need to hear the message, this film will be a success.
Joe Bell tells the story of Joe Bell (Wahlberg), a man who attempts a cross country walk to speak out against bullying after his son’s suicide. His son Jaden (Reid Miller), came out when he was a sophomore in high school, and was subjected to intense bullying, and not enough support at home, this led to him attempting suicide and later dying at an Oregon hospital. The tragedy received widespread coverage, and inspired Joe to walk across the country in order to raise awareness about bullying.
It’s clear why Jake Gyllenhaal and Cary Joji Fukunaga wanted to produce the film, because it is an interesting story filled with heartbreak and twists. However, the narrative flies all over the place and does not give us many glimpses into the personal lives of the characters. It’s never quite clear who Joe Bell really is, and despite Wahlberg’s strong work, he comes across as a surly dude who has a lot of demons that he needs to let go of. In recent interviews, Wahlberg explained that Joe was abused as a child, and in his mind, not beating his kids made him a good parent. This explains a lot about his character, because he constantly steamrolls his family, gives bad advice, and never really listens. However, since he isn’t violent, he is being a better parent than his father (family scars always run deep). If the narrative would’ve allowed us more time to get into his head, it would’ve been stronger. That being said, there are some strong moments between Wahlberg, Miller and Connie Britton (who plays Joe’s wife Lola), who are at their best when they have time to let their characters breathe, and exist in quiet moments that showcase how committed they are to the movie.
Final Thoughts: Joe Bell is worth a watch because of the strong performances from Wahlberg and Miller.
Movies, Films & Flix 