American Horror Story NYC: Smoke Signals

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The aids epidemic looms large, and the killer picks up steam.

I really do find it interesting how this season of AHS is handling aids and the aids epidemic of the eighties, clearly a lot of horror is being drawn from that real world tragedy but the show is trying to put its own spin on it as well. I thought fully going into conspiracy theory territory and saying that aids was developed as a biological weapon for use in the cold war was certainly very out there, but I like that the show went into this larger than life frame with it.

Moreover, I like that we are seeing more and more of the killer and the net seems to be closing in. I think both sides of this season are working well together to create strong scares and unsettling themes.

My one issue with this episode, though I think it is actually more aptly for the season as a whole, is the fact that there are far too many characters at times. Each of these are given their own mini stories and quite often it can be hard to remember who is who and what they have to do with the wider narrative of the season.

Overall, another strong episode.

Pros.

The new origins of aids

Seeing more of the killer

The tension and scares

The ending

Cons.

A few too many characters

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

Hocus Pocus 2: This Time With More Alexas

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Sanderson Sisters return again.

I found this film to be mostly charming, I liked the updated humour and thought that the Sisters interacting with modern technology was a lot of fun. The film definitely benefits a lot from making the Sisters front and centre for this new instalment as it gives them a lot of time to shine. This is doubly good as the new lead of the film Becca, played by Whitney Peak, is incredibly dull and forgettable and the originals are needed to step in and save the film from her.

I think the stand out stars of this film were Sarah Jessica Parker’s Sarah, Sam Richardson’s Gilbert and Doug Jones’ Billy. Sarah Jessica Parker brings such a warmth and child like sense of wonder to her role that really helps to separate her character from the other Sanderson Sisters and makes it hard to root against her. Richardson is always very easy to warm to and that is no less true here, he has great chemistry with Jones and the two should get their own spin-off. The return of Billy could have felt in many ways just a nostalgia grab, but Doug Jones really does add a sense of agency to Billy and gives him an arc that adds weight to his return which really does work well.

My main issue with the film is the ending wherein the Sisters are basically redeemed and then killed off, seemingly setting the stage for Becca and her pals to become the new witches going forward. Now this sucks on multiple levels, firstly they shouldn’t have been redeemed the enjoyable thing about these characters was in how cartoonishly evil they were at times, secondly the seeming replacement characters are dull and have no soul or personality, and finally these films are about the Sanderson Sisters so to get rid of them from the franchise would be hugely folly.

Overall, still a good time but the ending spoils it to an extent.

Pros.

The humour

Jessica Parker, Richardson and Jones

It does justify its existence

Cons.

The ending

The new trio of leads are just awful

American Horror Story NYC: Thank You For Your Service

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Gino, played by, Joe Mantello is abducted by the killer and Dr. Wells, played by Billie Lourd, further explores the origins of her mystery virus.

I am still quite enjoying this season of AHS I think that the mystery is interesting and that both strands of it are coming together nicely. I am keen to keep watching as I want to know where it is all heading.

Moreover, I liked that this season is really hitting on how hard life was for LGBTQ+ people in this time and place and showing how the cops not only don’t want to know but actively at times hate them. I think the scenes wherein Adam, played by Charlie Carver, was detained by the police simply for speaking out about his experience and held without merit were both infuriating and also moving.

Where this season is losing me is like all Ryan Murphy series the fact that many scenes just boil down to softcore porn. Now, I don’t mind this when these scene service the plot in some way, but more often than not it just feels stuffed in to both pad for runtime as well as to titillate Murphy and Co.

Overall, the second episode continues to further the mystery in interesting ways, but the constant forced sex scenes are holding it back.

Pros.

The mystery

The performances of Lourd, Tovey and Mantello

A degree of unpredictability in what might happen next

The ending of the episode

Cons.

The needless sex scenes

Pacing issues

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Barbarian: Stay Out Of Basements, Learn A Lesson

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A rental house with a mysterious woman, played by Matthew Patrick Davis, living underneath it turns into a life or death struggle for several of its occupants.

I thought this was quite a smart art house horror film. Clearly there was more to it than a lot of the generic genre fare that comes out in the multiplexes these days, in many ways it reminded me of the films of Jordan Peele, smart horror wherein the themes and broader societal comments become almost more important than the horror itself.

However, I also did think this film had a number of good scary scenes, particularly the death of Bill Skarsgard’s character, as well as the flashbacks with Richard Brake. I think this film can be quite scary when it wants to be and the monster of The Mother is easily a new one for genre diehards to latch onto. I enjoyed that they never fully explained how the Mother was the way she was, because whilst they do say she is the product of copious inbreeding, that doesn’t explain her ability to withstand so much violence done to her by the main characters and then just carry on again in the next scene, there has to be more to it.

The one thing I didn’t much care for was the mid movie twist wherein after the seeming death of our two main characters we then meet AJ, played by Justin Long, an actor turned predator. During our time with him the film goes to great lengths to talk about career ending allegations and guilt, but I feel like all of this has been done better and said in a more timely manner. Not to say that this is no longer and important conversation, it is, but it has really missed the fever pitch when these sort of debates were happening all the time. In addition the way the film handles these topics and conversations lacks any kind of grace or nuance and sometimes feels a little in bad taste.

Overall, a good film for the most part with a few baffling choices made that drag it down somewhat.

Pros.

The monster

The mystery

The ending

Cons.

The MeToo stuff

It doesn’t fully make the most of its premise

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Prey For The Devil: Watch Out For Old Men With Long Tongues

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A nun, played by Jacqueline Byers, sets out to become an exorcist.

Before I get into all the ways this film was lazy trash I just want to give it one thing and that is the fact that it does have a number of good effect scenes where we get quite creepy and disturbing things coming from the possessed little girl, played by Posy Taylor.

Okay, let’s crack on with all the ways in which this film highlights the very worst of the sub-genre. The worst sin of this film is its script which is paper thin, ridiculous to a laughable extent and so incredibly predictable that you might as well stay home and guess how this film will turn out, not only will you be right and save money, but you will also have to give up a lot less of your time. Around about the time the little girl turned out to be the main characters daughter, a moved which is sign posted almost from the get-go, is when I mentally checked out of this film.

There were also a number of moments wherein this film was supposed to be scary but that it actually went the other way and was funny. This can be best seen during the early part of the film where an old man attacks our lead and has a tongue that just flies about the room and then he starts dancing with her, this to me was in no way scary and was in fact actually hilarious is this film supposed to be a horror comedy?

One last thing to note is that the girl power message of this film of breaking the system and that women can do anything men can do feels like it belongs in the nineties, it is horribly trite and overdone and feels almost like the film is overcompensating for something else, but I will let you decide what that is.

Overall, an incredibly weak possession film, but shockingly not the worst I have seen.

Pros

Colin Salmon

It is watchable

Cons.

The script

It is laughable at times when it is trying to be scary

The girl power stuff is incredibly ham-fisted and awfully handled

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Slayers: A Torturous Existence Surrounded In Mediocrity

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A group of influencers hunt vampires.

Originally I was quite on board with this film, I liked Thomas Jane’s character and I thought the comedy/commentary was pretty on point, and then it has to go and ruin it all by just becoming another generic vampire film.

I think the worst thing about this film for me is that it boils down to the same old same old, some vampires and slayers attack one another until one comes out on top, there is nothing fresh about that. Moreover, a lot of the characters other than Jane’s are deeply unlikeable and irritating: though maybe that is on purpose. For the most part any film about influencers is best avoided.

The horror is not really there at all, the atmosphere is more jokey than anything else and yes they do have a little bit of gore but really that is nothing too shocking, it’s all fairly tame.

Overall, yet another generic vampire film.

Pros.

Jane

The comedy/commentary

It is short

Cons.

The characters are unlikeable

You have seen it before

It is deeply generic

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Terrifier 2: More Isn’t Always Better

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Art, played by David Howard Thornton, is back at it again.

I have been looking forward to this for a long time, and my expectations were both met and not met at the same time.

I liked that the gory carnage of the first film continued on and if anything this film was even more ambitious taking things to a whole new extreme. However, therein lies an issue I have with this film, if anything the violence goes way beyond what the first film had and does cross into a place of being gratuitous and nasty. I think the gross out spectacle of this film is put before everything else and as the film gets carried away with its larger budget it never stops to think about how far is too far.

In terms of story we get more of a classic slasher narrative here than we did in the first film, we are introduced to new final girl Sienna, played by Lauren LaVera, and she and Art do battle. I liked LaVera’s performance and saw quite a lot of a young Jamie Lee in her, I think that if she sticks around within the genre she can easily become a new and beloved scream queen in time. I would say however, that the plot of this film falls apart in the last twenty minutes where things just happen and nothing really makes sense. The film is badly paced and does go on for too long, as you reach the end of the film where the narrative starts to eat itself you are quite ready for it to just be over.

Overall, more doesn’t mean better.

Pros.

LaVera

Art is still a great villain

I liked that this film deepens the lore

Cons.

The violence borders on the tasteless at time

The third act falls apart and then sets fire to the whole film

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Pearl: Who Asked For More?

2/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

An origin story for everyone’s favourite old lady serial killer.

Honestly I have never been a fan of the films of Ti West often they struggle to appeal to me in anyway, some such as House Of The Devil and The Sacrament have shown promise but by and large I just think he is pretty talentless. X this film’s sequel which was released first only really had a buzz because of its goofy premise a slasher vs a group of porn stars, in actuality and in a technical sense the film is actually quite bland and quite a clear copy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at times.

The more art house elements of the first one really struck me as delusions of grandeur, West has always dwelt in the shock value area of horror being gross out rather than cerebral, and though some horror filmmakers can crack both, David Cronenberg he is not. The arty elements of X didn’t work because they just seemed jarring and out of place and here they make a little more sense but you just don’t really care.

I think Mia Goth deserves praise for trying to make this character interesting despite West doing everything he can in a scripting phase to make sure she is just your typical psycho who cracks because their dreams are shattered, how fresh, Joker did this exact same thing much better a good few years ago now. I think at its core that is the issue with these films, it is nothing new and the lofty sense of self that it carries around is unearned.

Overall, Fine nothing new or interesting, but not awful either.

Pros.

Goth

It is watchable

A few nice gory images

Cons.

It thinks it is way deeper and cleverer than it actually

It borrows a lot from better films

It is badly paced

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

American Horror Story NYC: Something Is Coming

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A killer is terrorising the New York Gay community in the early Eighties.

Admittedly I went into this first episode with rock bottom expectations as last years Double Feature was so bad that I didn’t even finish it, and looking at it through that lens I think this first episode did a lot to inspire confidence and maybe even, if I dare to dream, to have AHS back on course.

I like the mystery being set up with the quest of who or what is big daddy, I am guessing now he will be more than your typical killer, if it does turn out later on that he is just a really muscular dude in bondage gear then I’ll get a little disappointed. Additionally the storyline with Billy Lourd’s character about what is going on on Fire Island is also shaping up to be an interesting mystery.

I think the performance’s so far have been quite good Zachary Quinton is back and is bring a real depraved charisma to his sleezy art dealer/ photographer character, and also Russell Tovey is also a very welcome new addition to the cast.

Overall, though the usual AHS issues are there, in spades, I am hopeful for this series.

Pros.

Quinton and Tovey

Interesting new mysteries

Back to basics feel

Big Daddy seems to be a good villain thus far

Cons.

It is badly paced

Much like with all of Ryan Murphy’s projects it is basically soft core porn

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Final Destination: Don’t Fear The Reaper

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A group of teens are saved from a grizzly death after one of their number has a vison that forewarns of the events to come, however, once safe death comes to claim each of them in a new design.

I grew up with this series, and though they are a little repetitive, it is the same gimmick every time, they are still some of my favourite horror films. I think this is in part due to the fact they never show death, yes I know some people view Tony Todd’s character as being a physical embodiment but I don’t, and that they keep things mysterious. I think doing this leads to a really creepy atmosphere through not just this film but all of them.

I also think that this first film is boosted in many ways by strong performances from Devon Sawa, it is criminal that he never came back for any of the other films in the series in a major way, Ali Larter and the always incredibly Tony Todd. Todd not only shines here but becomes a favourite of mine throughout the series.

The deaths here are not as inventive or as silly and goofy as some in later entries, but that isn’t a bad thing wholly, I liked the deaths here they felt quite real and grounded, though maybe not the teachers,

Overall, a very strong horror film that I would argue is a classic.

Pros.

The atmosphere

The scares

Todd, Larter and Sawa

The deaths

The ending

Cons.

A little repetitive

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer