Gremlins 2: Gizmo Is Back For Blood, First Blood.

‘Gremlins 2: The New Batch’ is a horror-comedy film and, follow up to the 1984 Gremlins film. The story continues the journey of Gizmo, (Howie Mandel), who this time gets wet and, multiplies inside a skyscraper in New York City; can you guess who works in the same skyscraper?

That’s right it’s Billy, (Zach Galligan), the main character from the first film, he is now working in a soul-crushing job at the Clamp Centre, dreaming of being able to draw the things he wants to. Gizmo is captured and, brought to the Clamp centre following the death of his owner Mr Wing, (Keye Luke), meeting back up with Billy in the process.

‘The New Batch’ seems to believe strongly in the concept of more is better, the wackiness of the original film is turned up to 100, with the evil gremlins this time around getting superpowers, as they’re effectively the result of genetic experimentation. These superpowers include the ability to talk and, for one very memorable character wings. The effects of the flight sequence are horrific and, really stand out when compared to today however, it really helps to add to the campy charm of the film.

The campy charm is another thing that this sequel greatly plays up, there are multiple meta jokes and, jabs at other films which serve this purpose. ‘The New Batch’ almost plays like a charming B movie in many ways, this is one of the things I really like about the sequel. Tony Randall as the Brain Gremlin is inspired, he is constantly hilarious and, every moment he is on the screen is a treat; the best lines of the film are all his.

To go back to this idea of meta-commentary this time around Gizmo has seen Rambo and, he uses these skills once again to save Billy; also seeing Gizmo in a little red headband is something I never knew I needed. Gizmo is just as charming and, endearing this time around and, there are real moments of peril for Gizmo wherein you’re genuinely scared for him.

My only real criticism for this film is that in terms of filmmaking and, narrative things aren’t as tight this time around, they feel messy to an extent: as though the creatives and director Joe Dante were just throwing ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks; which to an extent they were as this film had far less time in production than the previous film.

Overall, despite being a little rushed this is still more of the same fantastic gremlins action. This is a gloriously campy, B movie esque, horror-comedy and is definitely worth the watch. It will make you smile and, it will solidify Gizmo as one of cinemas all-time best, and most adorable icons.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Gremlins: Gizmo The Christmas Icon

‘Gremlins’ is a horror comedy film, written by Chris Columbus and, directed by Joe Dante, two legends of the 1980’s film industry. The plot follows Billy, (Zach Gilligan), a young man who gets a Christmas present of his father, a little furry creature called Gizmo. Gizmo is a gremlin a mystical creature that comes with a very specific set of rules, don’t expose it to sunlight, don’t get it wet and, finally and most importantly don’t feed it after midnight. Obviously, all these rules are broken throughout the course of the film, leading to the creation of new gremlins, who unlike Gizmo aren’t cute and cuddly, rather menacing and evil.

Many people have a soft spot in their hearts for ‘Gremlins’ and, many view it as a Christmas classic. This down to, in no small part, Gizmo himself, not only is he memorable but, he is also cute and, endearing and, whenever there is a moment where things look bad for him you almost say out loud, “No not Gizmo”, or maybe that’s just me. What the puppetry team accomplished with him is outstanding and, the choice to give him a voice, (Howie Mandel), is inspired, as it really helps to sell the emotion of the character.

Steven Spielberg’s fingerprints are all over this film and, it shows; it perfectly toes the line between goofy Christmas film and actually good horror. The horror elements are surprisingly strong with the design of the evil gremlins being really quite scary and, unpleasant. Also, there is a lot of fantastic gore in the film, mainly during a scene when Billy’s mum, (Frances Lee McCain), kills three of the evil gremlins, putting one in the microwave and, one in a blender. At the time it came out this level of gore in what was extensively a children’s film, was shocking. This combined with the release of Spielberg’s Temple of Doom lead to the creation of the R rating in America.

‘Gremlins’ is dripping in 80’s goodness it does feel very of that era however, that is not to say that it doesn’t age well; ‘ Gremlins’ is just as perfect now as it was then. The relationship between Billy and Gizmo is a thing of beauty and, the scene in the final act where Gizmo drives a little toy car to save Billy is the most heartwarming, life-affirming thing you might see all year. This film is guaranteed to make you smile.

One last thing to mention is that the final shot of this film, the original owner of Gizmo walking away with him, is one of the most beautifully shot and, most iconic shots not just in horror films but, in cinema in general.

‘Gremlins’ is one of those films that everyone should see at least once, I can promise you it is worthy of your time, and that it will make you smile.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

3 From Hell: Third Times The Charm.

3 From Hell, is a horror film directed by Rob Zombie; serving as the 3rd instalment in the Firefly Saga, carrying on from the Devils Rejects and House of 1000 Corpses.
The film takes place several years after the ending of Devils Rejects, with Otis, (Bill Moseley), Baby, (Sheri Moon Zombie) and Captain Spaulding, (Sid Haig), on death row. The Firefly family has become something in the wider pop culture of Zombie’s universe, and are revered by some as folk heroes; or, at least wrongly convicted. The meat of the film takes place when Otis is broken out of prison by his half brother the Midnight Wolfman, (Richard Brake), and the two try and find a way to break Baby out so the three of them can carry on their murder spree.

Before we get into this review, I want to say that I feel like people judge Zombies films without even seeing them when people hear it’s a Rob Zombie film, they needlessly prejudge it; most of the time deciding they’re not going to like it. I for one believe that yes Zombies’ filmography is an acquired taste but, if you can get past that you soon realise that there is no other film quite like a Rob Zombie film. Much like his horror contemporary Eli Roth it is impossible to not be aware that you’re watching one of his films.

I believe every gory, blood-soaked moment of 3 From Hell proves this in spades, there is something so pulpy and, grungy about Zombies films; insanity is not only full embraced but, celebrated. These characters evil and, monstrous as they’re, become almost anti-heroes at times and, you find yourself rooting for them; or at least I did.

It was nice to see all of the characters back on screen, and each had a memorable scene or, line; such as during the final showdown when Baby hunts down gunmen with a bow and arrow. There is a part of me that hopes that Zombie decides to leave these characters here and not try to carry on this series as I feel they’re left in a nice, ambiguous place, with the audience left to question what comes next.

The new characters are also a lot of fun with Jeff Daniel Phillips’ Warden being a fun moustache-twirling villain for the film’s first act. Phillips is both zany and insane while also being memorable; this is probably his best turn in a Zombie film to date.

Overall if you like Zombies’ films and, you like the Firefly saga, then you will like this. It is a nice final chapter for the series and, sends the killers off into the unknown at the end; leaving it all down to your imagination. I hope this ends the series as I don’t see where it can go from here, but this is Zombie’s finest film to date so if he has more like this I’m game.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Satanic Panic: The Devil, Demons and Devilishly Good Pizza

Satanic Panic is a horror comedy film, following Sam Craft, (Hayley Griffith), a pizza girl, who makes a call to the wrong house and quickly finds herself the target of a satanic cult- due to her being a virgin.

Satanic Panic has vibes of pulpy grind-house horror, think Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses, which is a delight to see as those sort of films are few and far between these days. Couple that with the fact that the film features a lot of horror references and homages to many horror classics, and you get a film that is going to scream, “Watch Me”, to any genre hardcore.

However, if you’re looking for a scare, you might want to look elsewhere as Satanic Panic is definitely more of a comedy than a horror; the last 15 minutes asides. Said final 15 minutes which features demons battling it out is not only cool but, also the film’s scariest section.

The comedy of the film mostly lands, making me smile multiple times as I was watching it. Although, somewhat surprisingly, where the film most shines is in its attempts to be dramatic. This comes when we hear Sam’s backstory and learn she is a cancer survivor, and that she abandoned her friend/ lover on the cancer ward. This scene is surprisingly powerful, far more so than I was expecting from a horror comedy film; the emotional weight of this scene hits you hard and fast taking you by surprise and knocking you off your feet.

The mythology of the film and how it approaches demons and devil worship is also novel and fresh; especially towards the ends when it focuses on the hierarchy of Hell. As a result the film almost demands a sequel so we can see more of this world and these characters.

The characters are also fantastic, Hayley Griffith plays Sam perfectly encapsulating her spirit and, to an extent her innocence. She makes for a solid lead and, one who is easy to root for. Likewise, Rebbeca Romijn’s Danica Ross is superbly evil, relishing every moment she is on screen; either with a fantastic quip or, a memorable scene. Romijn proves here why she is one of the best actresses working today. Though the breakout star of the film and, the one for me who gave by far the best performance is Ruby Modine. Modine plays Judy Ross, Danica’s daughter who is left for dead and, saved by Sam. Judy is capable but, also incredibly damaged and, the friendship she forms with Sam is incredibly endearing; watching her fight the forces of night is something I never knew I needed until now.

If you’re looking for a film that is going to scare you or, creep you out this isn’t it. However, if you’re a diehard fan of the horror genre and, like films that pack heart, laughs and, about 10 minutes of scares then this is for you! One of the most smile-inducing films I’ve seen all year.

4/5
Reviewed by Luke

The Gallows Act II: The Franchise Slips the Noose.

The Gallows Act II is a Blumhouse Horror film and a sequel to the 2015 film The Gallows. The plot follows Charlie the hangman as he goes after new targets, who have been silly enough to read from his cursed screenplay. The story of this series is that of a teenager called Charlie, who died during a production of The Gallows many years ago, and now has come back as an angry spirit, corrupting people who read the stage play that killed him and demanding a willing sacrifice.

Like many Blumhouse films’ this follows the usual formula, a group of generic and self-absorbed teens, are hunted down one by one and killed by an angry spirit or, demon. Though Act II follows this formula in some respects, it also manages to better it in many others.

To get one thing very clear before we begin the review in earnest, The 2015 Gallows film is utterly terrible; it is probably one of the worst Blumhouse horror films, so Act II didn’t have a high bar to reach to be better than it’s predecessor, but it is.

Where the first film had characters that were generic and deeply, deeply unlikable, characters that you wanted Charlie to catch. Act II has an incredibly likeable protagonist and, she is the best thing about the film. Ema Horvath’s Ana Rue is extremely likable; being almost impossible not to root for. There is something about Horvath’s performance which is just so positive and wholesome it makes it stand out. The fact that her character is a vlogger is central to the narrative, and though it could have been handled terribly, it is actually done well; even adding to the scares in some scenes. Yes the rest of the characters are as generic and one-note as you would expect, but the lead is definitely a step up from the first film

Whatsmore, Act II also benefits from exploring the mythology and the play itself deeper. It sets out the rules about what Charlie can and can’t do, which greatly improves the film; adding far more consistency. In terms of the scares, Act II takes more than a little inspiration from Sinister, which is a great film to take cues from, one, not two obviously. Meaning that this film does, unlike the first film actually, have some great moments and a superb sense of tension.

Act II surprised me, I was expecting trash and, instead got this interesting fresh take on the series, very much like with the Ouija franchise. This is a nice little morsel of horror goodness to tide you over until more meatier releases are upon us. The Gallows Act II is a colossal improvement over the first boasting a compelling and likeable lead and a great fleshed out mythology that makes you want to know more. Plus the end reveal nicely carries over elements from the first film in a very interesting and satisfying way.

Far, Far better than I was expecting it to be, is it a must-watch? No. But horror fans will find something to love about this surprising sequel.

3.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

In the Tall Grass: Getting Lost in the Weeds

In the Tall Grass is a supernatural horror film based on the work of Stephen King and his son Joe Hill. The plot follows a brother and sister who get lost in a field of tall grass and go missing. Then the boyfriend of the sister shows up to try and find out what is going on.

If the plot sounds uninspired, that’s because it is, it takes elements from a lot of other science fiction and, horror films and blends them into something that didn’t need to be made. King’s work is currently in demand, with all of his novels and novellas getting the big-screen treatment. However, as the saying goes, “they were too busy thinking about it they could they never thought about if they should”. This film proves that and then some.

In the Tall Grass seems like something that could work well as a 20-minute short film, but there isn’t enough material to stretch it to feature-length. As such we get long drawn out sequences of the characters in the tall grass just roaming around, not doing much of anything, these are supposed to be tense, but they feel like padding.

When watching the film, you can’t help but compare it to other films that have similar concepts, but that have used them in much better ways. An example of this is the idea of time loops, which is a third act twist. In the Tall Grass uses this Science Fiction staple in the laziest possible way, with everything from Groundhog Day to Happy Death Day using it better.

Most tragically of all is while watching this film I kept being reminded of King’s infinitely better film The Children of the Corn; which I would say plays heavy influence here. The issue with this is you can’t help but, think how much better that film is than this; it is not a favourable comparison.

What’s more, the acting is abysmal being so bad that I can’t remember a single character name or, motivation. They’re incredibly one-note and generic being little more than dull, fleshy characters who run around aimlessly and scream at things to remind us they’re scary. How this film managed to sign Patrick Wilson, of The Conjuring fame, onboard is anyone’s guess; this film is a blemish on his otherwise pretty stellar filmography.

Finally and perhaps worst of all, the film isn’t scary. When you watch a Stephen King film, you expect a certain standard of creepiness and scares; King has written some of the most chilling novels of the 20th and 21st century, but that doesn’t show here. The real terror of In the Tall Grass is just how boring, dull and repetitive it is; that is enough to keep anyone up for weeks.

Further proving the low standards Netflix has when it comes to green-lighting projects, In the Tall Grass is a bargain bin horror/ thriller, along the same lines as Sharknado or, other trash; though In the Tall Grass is somehow worse than these films. Another Netflix film to avoid.

1/5
Reviewed by Luke

Doctor Sleep: The Sequel King and Kubrick Wanted!

Doctor Sleep is a supernatural horror film, based on the Stephen King book of the same name. Doctor Sleep follows on from the events of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film the Shining and follows an adult Danny Torrence, (Ewan McGregor), who has been scared and broken after the events at the Overlook Hotel; the ghosts still haunt Danny, both literally and figuratively, and he has all but, stopped using his ‘Shine’.

The Plot follows Danny as he tries to come to terms with what happened to him and move past it, it does to a degree until follower Shiner Abra Stone, (Kyleigh Curran), bursts into his life. Abra is the target of a group of beings who feed off the souls of shiners, with her powers drawing them ever closer.

First thing first I loved his film, and I will get to that, but I want to talk about the one negative that bothered me about the film. Said negative is the de-aged characters, through the film, there are several flashbacks to the events of The Shining, but the original cast don’t reprise their roles. This change in actors did distract me and take me out of those scenes; with them being more than a bit jarring.

That said everything else about the film is a triumph, Doctor Sleep manages to be a sequel not only to the Stanley Kubrick film but also to Stephen King’s The Shining. Both of these version of the story are very different, with some people liking one more than the other. However, Doctor Sleep manages to do both versions justice and be a worthy follow up.

Furthermore, it’s nice to see how the events of The Shining affected Danny, and see how he has lived with his abilities since then. McGregor does a great job showing us this, as we can see just how damaged he is, but he is still sympathetic and believable as the hero. It’s nice to see him take on a mentorship role to Abra, just like Dick Holloran to him.

Carrying on from that one of the best things that Doctor Sleep does is build the world of The Shining, it highlights what the shine is and what it can do, and how different people have a variety of shine based abilities and use them for varying odds and ends. Danny’s shine was always the most interesting part of the original narrative and, I’m glad to see it explored in more detail here.

Finally, the best part of the film is Rebecca Ferguson’s villain, Rose. Rose is the leader of True Knot, the evil group hunting down Abra. Ferguson plays this evil manic pixie girl to perfection, easily being one of the best and most memorable antagonists of 2019. She is a scene stealer.

Overall, Doctor Sleep is a worthy follow up to one of the all-time horror greats, which is no mean feat. The narrative fits perfectly into the ending of The Shining and makes it feel like required viewing, which if you like horror films, Ewan McGregor, or Rebecca Ferguson it is.

4.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Countdown: Counting Down the Minutes Till I Die

Countdown is a film about an app that predicts when you’re going to die; it knows this because when the countdown reaches zero, an unseen force kills you. Does that sound lazy to you? Does it sound like the writers were just sat around a table trying to come up with an idea for a jump scare film that hasn’t been done a hundred times before, and one turns to the other and goes, “what about a demon app”? Because most likely, that is what it was like.

I am going to say right from the off that I didn’t like this film, it was lazy and dull and just felt like a cheap, rushed production so that they could get it out in time for Halloween. The idea is inherently dumb; the more you sit and think about it, the more you realise that the unfathomable amount of plot holes are actually hurting you.

The characters are, if you can even call them that, your generic group of teens, all the stereotypes are present here, they don’t even bother to develop them or, give them personality because that would be too much effort. The same can be said of the Countdown Demon, who is not special or, unique in any way it is just bland.

I thought that Truth or, Dare was the worst horror film I had ever seen, and I’ve seen some stinkers, but now this is the new number one. The thing I actively hate the most about this film is just how aggressively average it is, and how it seems to be proud of that fact.

I have been souring on jump scares for a while now, they’re often overused and, have become ineffective in most cases, because they’re so obvious. Countdown shows this perfectly; there is nothing scary about this film; it doesn’t have an atmosphere; it doesn’t have psychological horror; it just has tired played out jump scares.

We as a horror community deserve better than this, and this is the lowest common denominator trash, no time, effort or, energy was put into making this, all it does right is make other lousy horror films look good. I really do believe this film was just excreted out to take advantage of the Halloween window. This film makes me lose faith in horror, and where it’s going, it really does.

Please don’t see this film. It doesn’t deserve to make money. Studios should know that crap like this isn’t going to be successful, they should understand that if they want their horror films to make money, they have to try. This is a spit in the face of all good horror movies. While watching this film, I was counting down the minutes until the end.

0/5
Reviewed By Luke

Little Monsters: Neil Diamond 27 years later and better than ever!

Little Monsters is a Zombie romantic comedy, in a similar vein to something like Life After Beth. The plot of the film revolves around Dave, (Alexander England), who after being dumped by his girlfriend moves in with his sister and her son Felix, (Diesel La Torraca). One day when Dave takes Felix to school, he meets Miss Caroline, (Lupita Nyong’o). He becomes wholly smitten, after this, he agrees to chaperone his nephew’s school trip, to impress Miss Caroline; then zombies show up, and everything gets crazy.

Before I get into my thoughts on the film, I just want to say that I genuinely believe that the Zombie genre is dead, tapped, devoid of creativity. The same story lines and character types are recycled over and over; there is nothing new to say. They should be retired, even if only for a few years, and allowed to rest in peace.

To that extent, Little Monsters is nothing new, the idea of a Zombie Romantic Comedy has been done before, Life After Beth, Warm Bodies even Zombieland has elements of romance in it, so this plot element doesn’t make this film unique. Indeed it is quirky, and by having the child cast be quite involved at times, there is a novelty to it. However, this is just a new coat of paint on a tired, used concept, and there is no getting away from that fact.

The charm of the film comes from Alexander and Nyong’o’s performances. Both are instantly likeable and maintain this throughout, their romance is well done and feels earned, including a very touching rendition of ‘Sweet Caroline’, which may be one of my favourite in film songs of the year. The two actors have chemistry as well and make for a believable couple.

Josh Gad is also in this film he plays a children’s entertainer called Teddy McGiggle/ Nathan Schneider, whereas typically Gad is annoying and brings you out of the film with his over the top performance it works well here. Gad’s character is a depressed alcoholic who hates kids and views having sex with their mums as a way to get back at his child audience. So you can see that the character is going to be the over the top sort. Gad plays him to perfection savouring every second he gets to be on screen; he is most certainly a scene-stealer in this.

My major issue with this film aside from the distinct lack of originality is that the zombies don’t show up until a good 20 minutes into the film; maybe more. Based on the trailers I had seen before viewing this, I thought that Zombies would be a massive part of the film from the beginning, but that isn’t true. The first half an hour shows us how bad Dave’s life is, it drags out his breakup and the fact that he doesn’t try or, care about anything. I understand the film is doing this to show his character transformation later, but it just feels like bad writing; at best padding at worst tediously drawn out.

Overall, the first half-hour is missable, but once the zombies and Josh Gad’s character turn up, the film comes back to life. Little Monsters has very little in it that you haven’t seen before, probably done better, but it has some entertaining performances and an excellent performance of ‘Sweet Caroline’.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Shining: Kubrick’s Horror Classic

With the release of Doctor Sleep soon upon us, I thought I would rewatch and review the film that started it all the Shining. The Kubrick version, not the straight to TV version that King prefers.

The Shining is a psychological horror film released in 1980, based on the Stephen King book of the same name. The plot follows Jack Torrance, (Jack Nicholson), as he becomes the caretaker of the infamous Overlook Hotel, moving his family to the hotel for its off-season. The hotel is of course not what it appears to be, and soon all sorts of horrific happenings begin, with Jack and his son Danny at the centre of it.

The Shining is directed by one of the all-time great Film Auteurs Stanley Kubrick, and his fingerprints are all over this film, both stylistically and thematically. Kubrick’s direction help to tie together the human threat with the supernatural elements, creating a delightfully ambiguous narrative.

The horror of this film comes more from a sense of building mystery rather than, the much more prevalent these days, jump scares. I think this adds to the fear-inducing nature of the film, as nothing is presented out-rightly to you, so you have to use your imagination to piece together the blanks and figure out the truth; this allows the film to be far scarier than one that just shows you the monster.

What’s more the performances from the entire cast are electric, Jack Nicholson is wonderfully deranged from the off, but sinks further and further into madness as the film progress. That may perhaps be the one criticism I have of this film, Nicholson’s performance was manic from the beginning, rather than starting out standardly and then getting increasingly more menacing. This makes his endgame performance when he has fully devolved look less impressive.

Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrance is also amazing, being both sympathetic and creepy simultaneously, from the start of the film Danny’s conversations with his little finger are distressing, more so when he starts to lose time. To the credit of Lloyd, he manages to do all of this while still being likeable and a character you want to see survive. To be a child-star and be able to do both of these things is something that deserves praise.

Shelly Duvall, who plays Wendy Torrance, Jack’s Wife and Danny’s Mother is best of all. As she perfectly captures the fear being in a situation like that would create in her performance. We see this real sense of desperation on her behalf to try and save Danny in the film act of the film. As well as to try and help and later stop her husband. Kubrick’s actions towards Duvall have been well documented elsewhere as such I won’t go into them here today. Instead, I try and look past them when I watch the film.

My final point is that this film deviates from the book in several significant ways, such as questioning whether the supernatural elements of the story are real. Contrastingly, in the source material, they most certainly were. This adds a new layer to book readers who may think they know where the narrative is heading. In the same breath, it might annoy them. It’s just something worth noting.

Overall the Shining is still a chilling horror classic and one that still holds up almost 40 years later. A must watch for all fans of horror, and I hope Doctor Sleep can live up to the standards set by this film.

5/5
Reviewed by Luke