Boogeyman: There Was Something In Your Wardrobe After All

4 /5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Tim, Barry Watson, is forced to return to his childhood home after the death of his mum. Whilst there Tim becomes once again wrapped up in fighting the unseen supernatural force that terrorised him as a child.

I think this film does a lot with very little. Without showing us the titular Boogeyman much the film creates an environment of fear, showing us that this entity is a threat and is not something to be taken lightly. It uses the simplest of scares to do this but it uses them so effectively that it works and leads to some great moments that are chilling.

When the film does show us the Boogeyman it does so sparingly as to still keep some of the myth around the character alive. The glimpses we do see highlight a well done monster with a distinctive design that is frightening. I think the film strikes the perfectly balance between not showing us the creature and showing us too much.

The main thing that I think holds this film back is the little girl twist. Throughout the film there is a little girl who acts as a guide of sorts to Tim informing him of the Boogeyman and his history. However, later in the film it is revealed that she is in fact dead and was one of the Boogeyman’s victims, this twist doesn’t work as it is blindingly obvious from the get-go that this was the case.

Overall, a strong horror film with an obvious twist.

Pros.

The scares

The atmosphere

Watson

The mythology

Cons.

The twist

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, the ability for you to pick what I review next and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Halloween Kills: So What’s The Point Now?

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Michael Myers, James Jude Courtney/ Nick Castle, in once again at large and the town of Haddonfield must really together to bring him down.

I am deeply mixed on this film. First thing I want to get out of the way is that this film is not the over the top gorefest you have been lead to believe by some critics, yes there are some gnarly scenes but it is nothing more than you would expect from a slasher movie.

Before we get into it I just want to put a big old SPOILER WARNING here, be warned that everything following on from this will have spoilers come back after you’ve watched it or keep reading if you don’t care.

So…… The entire Halloween franchise just doesn’t matter now. Michael Myers can never be defeated as he represents humanity’s divide nature, so what’s the point? The film would have been better served to say he is supernatural, but no, it just gives us this preachy trying too hard piece of dialogue instead. Honestly, this film makes me worried for the next one as I don’t think it will be the finale that we have been promised and instead just keep pumping out these ideas of oh Michael can’t die until we love each other more.

In keeping with that another narrative thing I didn’t like here was the mass hysteria or mob justice scene which sees the residents of Haddonfield become so wrapped up in their own fear that they force an innocent and mostly likely mentally handicapted man to kill himself through fear of if he doesn’t he will be ripped apart by the mob. I understand the incredibly on the nose point this film was trying to make, asking the old adage of ‘who is the real monster’ but it rings hollow: mainly because they move on from it incredibly quickly and the ringleader faces very little comeuppance for his role in it.

Despite these screenplay thematic issues there are still some good moments here. I enjoyed seeing Myers do what he does best and just go around slashing, there was some gory fun to be had there. I also thought Jamie Lee Curtis had a lot of fun whenever she was on screen she really sold her performance, though I feel like for her this is vey much a middle film as she doesn’t actually do very much.

Overall, was it worth the wait probably not. We need more good old slasher vibes and less complex meditations on society.

Pros.
Still some old school slasher charm

Carpenter’s score

Curtis

Cons.

The mob justice scene

Having Michael be a metaphor

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Beverly Hills Cop: In Need Of Sneaking In Somewhere? Bring A Floral Bouquet

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A maverick cop from Detroit, played by Eddie Murphy, heads to Beverly Hills to avenge his friend who was recently killed.

I can see how this was popular and how it inspired a larger franchise. Murphy is at his most charming and likeable here, with enough jokes and heart to keep you engaged throughout. Not all the jokes landed, though enough did that you stayed entertained. Moreover, as far as ‘cops who don’t play by the rules go’ Murphy’s Foley is one of the nicer ones, this makes rooting for him far easier especially now in the era of us questioning the power of the police.

My issues with this film come from the fact that it did nothing new. It felt like just another buddy cop film, if you take out Eddie Murphy the film becomes so generic that it would simply fade to the background of the genre. Throughout the film I was hoping for something to shock me but it didn’t, the film played out exactly as I thought it would.

Overall, it is a fun buddy cop film because of Murphy without him this film is incredibly generic.

Pros.

Murphy

The heart

A few good laughs

Cons.

The supporting cast is largely underused

The film is predictable

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Manor: Forget Teens Old People Are The New Stars Of Horror

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

After suffering a fall Judith, Barbra Hershey, checks into an assisted living facility. However, once there she notices that the residents are dying at an unusually high rate.

I have stayed well clear of the Welcome To Blumhouse films, as they are mostly pretty poor, however I decided to dip my toe into them with this film and it was okay.

There are some interesting ideas here and it is nice to see a horror film fronted by older people rather than the usual collection of teenage cliches. However, nothing in this film feels fresh. A lot of the reveals and twists feel like they have been done to death and are incredibly obvious, there is no mystery to the film as you can guess what is going to happen fairly easily from the beginning.

The only thing that did surprise me was the ending. I thought for sure Judith would have destroyed the evil tree monster in the film’s final scenes, but no she instead decided to become evil. This feels like a cheap subversion in that it makes little sense for the character to do this as we have been led to believe that she is a good person who would not succumb to such behaviour. Though I do applaud the film for doing it as it actually shocked me.

Overall, a very by the numbers horror film but the final shock was enough to push it above average.

Pros.

Having the guts to go for that ending

It is very watchable

Hershey does a good job

Cons.

It is predictable

It is not at all scary

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Block Island Sound: Aliens Or Just A Deeply Pretentious Writer?

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Something is going wrong in the ocean that is leading to fishermen losing their minds and attacking those around them.

I thought this film had some interesting ideas but that ultimately its slow pace and pretentious ending brought it plummeting back down to Earth. I liked the polysemic reading of what the threat was, it was never entirely clear and for the most part was left up to your interpretation. Even the ending that did to a degree say what was going on we are still never clearly shown anything so the answers still remain mysterious.

The threat and tension of the film come when the characters have black outs and act in strange and often violent ways. I thought that this was a concept that the film played with well and developed to an interesting degree. Though maybe there is a degree of othering happening with regards to how this film is presenting mental health. If read as there are no aliens or whatever is going on and the characters are simply suffering from a mental illness then the way the film presents it becomes quite insulting.

Furthermore, the biggest issue this film suffers with is pacing. As we approached the hour mark I was done with it, I had had my fun and was ready to move on with my evening, I thought the film was about to end, then it kept going. Honestly the pacing in this film has you turning off after about the first hour as it builds and builds and builds to what looks like an ending but no its just a midway point, then then rest of the film is dragged on.

Finally, the ending in which it seems the whole film is some sort of eco message is beyond pretentious but that is low hanging fruit so I won’t go after that.

Overall, a mixed bag but not one that can keep you invested for the runtime.

Pros.

An interesting concept

Good tension

The mystery

Cons.

The ending

The pacing

The mental health connotations

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Attack Of The Hollywood Cliches: Saying What We Are Thinking

4.5 /5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A gathering of famous faces and critics get together to rip apart some of the silliest but most pervasive cliches in Hollywood.

I thought this was one of the most spot on and funniest pieces of content I have watched in a long time. You can feel Charlie Brooker’s hand silently influencing events as the show progresses despite his entire lack of involvement, and that is the biggest compliment I could give this film.

Anyone can watch this and understand what they are talking about, but for anyone who has ever studied film this takes on a whole new dimension and almost feels like it is speaking to you. The thoughts and notions all these critics and famous people are having are in-line with our own and you feel like saying ‘thank you’, as someone has finally said it.

I think the strongest element with this is of course Rob Lowe. As anyone who has frequented my reviews will know I do like Rob Lowe quite a bit, he is always good in pretty much any role: this film proves that more than any other as Lowe has the time of his life as host and brings everything together with such fantastic timing and showmanship that quite frankly you are in awe.

Overall, a very funny stand up to film.

Pros.

Lowe

It points out things that you have always thought

It insightful

It feel Brooker esque

Cons.

Not for everyone

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Injustice: Superman, From Boy Scout To Fascist

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Adapting Year One of the Injustice comic run this film imagines a world where the Joker, voiced by Kevin Pollak, gets the last laugh on the heroes by killing Lois Lane, voiced by Laura Bailey, and turning Superman, voiced by Justin Hartley, into a murderous tyrant.

Having read most of the Injustice run I can say that this film gets a lot right. It keeps things simple for the most part, as the comic itself goes into all sorts of crazy directions, which I find works in the film’s favour as you get a neat narrative that is easy to follow whilst also keeping in most of the memorable moments from the comic run.

I enjoyed seeing the Injustice world realised on screen and seeing these groups of heroes facing off against each other, it is a fun game of cat and mouse that is constantly adapting and switching positions. My one complaint in this regard is that the ending of the film wraps things up neatly and doesn’t leave a whole lot open for a sequel, which is a shame as this film could be the start of a few films.

I am glad to see the brutality and gore from The Killing Joke has carried over into this, as the tale really can’t be done justice in a bloodless and child friendly way. This is a dark story for an older audience.

I have two issues with this film that have kept it from achieving full marks, firstly I don’t like the Green Arrow, voiced by Reid Scott, Harley Quinn, voiced by Gillian Jacobs, scenes and secondly it bugged me that this film left out Aquaman, voiced by Phil LaMarr. I understand why they kept in the Green Arrow Harley scenes as the two get a lot of time together in the early days of the comic run but their scenes together really add nothing to the narrative and only feel like they have been included to kill time. Moreover, missing out Aquaman seems like a huge oversight as he is important in the comic run and also leads a country so could have been a good ally to have on side.

Overall, another strong animation from DC.

Pros.

It simplifies the story

The ending

The thrill of heroes fighting

The big moments carry over

Cons.

Leaving out Aquaman

Green Arrow and Harley

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Borley Rectory: Animation Makes Everything Creepier

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

An animated documentary telling the history of ‘the most haunted house in Britain’.

I found this to be quite the frightening watch, the fact it was animated rather than the standard live action documentary really helped to give it a leg up over the competition. In that vein the film offers a number of striking visuals through this medium that stick with you after watching, my favourite and the one I found to be the creepiest would be the ghost man sitting on the little girls bed and turning to look into the camera.

Moreover, I found this to be a good documentary both in the sense that it was entertaining, the learning was fun, but also because it helped me to better understand the haunted geography and landscape of my own country a bit better. Before this I had a base understanding of why Borley Rectory was supposed to be haunted, now I know enough to confidently converse on the subject- as I am doing now.

My one issue with this film would be that it jumped around in time a lot. Now quite a lot of documentaries jump around with time but normally they do it in a linear way as in this happened then this then this, however this film doesn’t abide by that rule and jumps backwards as well as forwards which quickly becomes confusing. This is certainly not the sort of film you can ‘half’ watch as you will soon be lost with it.

Overall, a good creepy documentary.

Pros.

It is scary

The animation gives it an edge

A few good scares

It is interesting

Cons.

It can be confusing

It ends rather abruptly

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Haunting: Nothing Is Scarier Than Poor CGI

1.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A group of insomniacs gather at an old mansion for what they think is a sleep survey, whilst in fact it is a study on fear.

Nighties era CGI really was terrible wasn’t it? Whenever there is a scene featuring a ghost in this film, because of the choice of CGI, it is more funny than scary- it is unintentionally hilarious. This film should have gone with practical effects for its horror as many older films did and some still do today, because the alternative is this and this is downright Scorpion King levels of bad.

The acting is at best spotty at worst weak. There are some personal favourites of mine in this film with Liam Neeson and Owen Wilson both being present however they are given nothing to do and are mostly wasted. Wilson particularly has poor dialogue. The screenplay for this film reads as someone who has never written one before using a screen writing for dummies book to try and get through it, whilst remaining untalented.

The worst thing I found with this film was the pacing, there was big gaps of time without anything really happening only to be punctuated with a terribly written cliched bit of dialogue. It was hard to get through.

Overall, an unscary film with laughably bad CGI.

Pros.

A few interesting ideas

Owen Wilson is still as charming as ever

Cons.

The actors are wasted

The CGI

It is not scary

Pacing issues

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

V/H/S 94: Maybe These Tapes Were Better Returned

1/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Another batch of V/H/S tapes are found.

I was a fan of the first two V/H/S films but honestly they have really lost there way. This film reminded me a lot of some of the worst aspects of Ti West’s films, though he was not involved, schlocky and over the line for the sake of being over the line. Many of the segments in this anthology are honestly unpleasant to watch, and that is saying something considering I am a big fan of the genre and not much bothers me anymore. It almost seems like they are going out of there way to one up each other on who can be the most depressing and needlessly excessive.

On top of that none of the segments are even particularly good. The best of a bad bunch would be ‘Storm Drain’ by Chloe Okuno, as this was the only one I found myself enjoying: moreover I liked the concept of ‘Rat-Man’. I would say the weakest is ‘The Empty Wake’ by Simon Barrett, a regular contributor, as it is simply dull.

In terms of pacing this film is also troublesome. Some of the segments feel double their length and are honestly hard to get through whilst others feel rushed and not done justice, it is a strange mix but wrong on both fronts.

Overall, maybe don’t give this a sequel.

Pros.

The Storm Drain was interesting

Cons.

Edgy for the sake of it

Hard to watch

Depressing

Pacing issues galore

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer