Final Destination 2 (2003)

Final Destination 2 (2003)

Director: David R. Ellis

Cast: A.J. Cook, Ali Larter, Michael Landes, David Paetkau, James Kirk, Lynda Boyd, Keegan Connor Tracy, Jonathan Cherry, Terrence T.C. Carson, Justina Machado, Tony Todd

Kimberly has a premonition of an accident killing multiple people including her and her friends. She blocks the cars behind her on the ramp and as a police trooper arrives, the accident happens. Death is stalking this group of survivors. – IMDB

Taking place on the one year anniversary of the first film’s Flight 180 incident, the sequel takes somewhat of a follow-up approach as Death tries to close its loose ends when Kimberly (A.J. Cook) stops the traffic and creates another batch of strangers that avoided the accident, foiling Death’s plans except the plan was more linked to the Flight 180 incident than they could imagine. The survivor from the first film Clear (Ali Larter) also becomes a key character here as she comes out of voluntary admission to a mental institution to help this group face up to Death and prepare what they can do to survive.

While Final Destination doesn’t have to link to its first film and its villain Death can basically transform any sort of scenario where Death’s plan is foiled and take action, the second film does choose to draw its link especially with its first film having survivors. In some ways, it is a good move as it gives the film further basis to build foundation even if some of the foundation is a little rocky. What we learn from the second film is that Death basically makes the calls as what we thought was “Death’s plan” from the first film can basically be reversed in this film and so continues the exploration of why that is happening. Whether the logic behind it works or not, it doesn’t seem particularly important as the film’s more entertaining elements, at least for myself, has always been how the kills are executed and the teases along the way. It is what creates some of the tension. The sequel achieves that in a bigger scale since it moves from the bathroom and kitchen to bigger and more public settings with more sudden dramatic effects and chain reactions especially in its final last 30 minutes.

The cast in Final Destination 2 also is packed with more familiar faces watching it right now with Criminal Minds A.J. Cook (although I knew about her from an older and probably less popular show Higher Ground) being in the lead role alongside Ali Larter reprising her role as Clear from the first film. Ali Larter’s Clear returns in a better role than the first film in both her acting and how the character was written however, A.J. Cook does a great job at Kimberly and is more natural in her progression in terms of emotional progression with everything she faces throughout the film. Tony Todd still returns as the mortician that seems to know a lot about Death’s plan and in this film continues to give more cryptic guidance to the survivors and still delivering a fantastic presence. Another familiar face is Keegan Connor Tracy who was in indie horror Z and Once Upon A Time as Mother Superior as businesswoman Kat who adds a little attitude to the cast of characters. Final Destination 2 brings together a group of strangers who know nothing about each other and that adds to the surprise elements that can be what causes certain issues to happen.

Overall, Final Destination 2 is a fun sequel. While the tone isn’t quite as serious as the first one, this sequel’s pacing feels much swifter almost pairing up with the fact that Death has to make up for lost time because of the fluke in Flight 180 a year ago as well as this both leaving behind a group of survivors that should have been his victims in the first place. While some of the logic doesn’t always seem to work, the general frame of the story is still believable especially since being that Death is out to get anyone in what looks like freak accidents isn’t exactly the most believable situation in the first place but on a personal level, I’m Chinese, so I do believe a little in all this except its a different entity but the concept is the same. Final Destination films is entertaining in a great part to using Death as an invisible threat which means the best moments are really watching the pieces fall together in the execution of a kill and a lot of time adding that surprise element like a magician trying to get its audience to look one way and then actually it happens somewhere else. In that sense, the sequel actually does a better job than its predecessor.

Final Destination (2000)

Final Destination (2000)

Director (and co-writer): James Wong

Cast: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Kristen Cloke, Daniel Roebuck, Roger Guenveur Smith, Chad Donella, Seann William Scott, Tony Todd, Amanda Detmer

Alex Browning is among a group of high school students on a trip to Europe. He suddenly has a premonition their airplane will crash, he screams to warn the others but is thrown off of the plane, and the plane crashes after they get off. – IMDB

Chinese people have a saying “閻王叫你三更死，誰敢留人到五更/If King Yan (aka god of death) wants you to die at midnight, who dares to keep you until dawn?” A saying that is suitable for Final Destination since its about a bunch of high school students that cheat death and now death is coming to get them one by one. With a hint, they end up figuring out the pattern of Death’s plan to try to avoid each other’s demise. How far could they cheat death and to what extents will it take to claim their lives to set the order right?

Final Destination is a surprisingly fun film. For a movie that has some predictable death moments at the beginning, the execution of the death scenes work effectively for the most part. The execution of Death’s plan for each demise is able to create enough slow-moving pieces as things fall into place one by one with many possibilities of what could happen but taking its time to show all its cards. Its what makes supernatural horror effective since death has no face and it isn’t like the typical killer, so the audience can never truly anticipate when it will show up which leaves room for surprises.

The film has a cast of unexpected groupings. While most horrors like to get a group of friends, this group is mostly not friends in school but simply classmates from French class that ends up forced to come together to try to stay alive. When Alex (Devon Sawa) gets taken off the plane after waking up hysterical from a nightmare that the plane crashed, some of his classmates also get thrown out along with one of the teachers taking them on the field trip including a young Ali Larter as the loner girl Clear who follows Alex off the plane out of instinct which I know more from her role as Claire Redfield in the Resident Evil films. The relationship between these two takes a very sudden leap in the film which doesn’t seem to really matter too much in the big picture. There’s really not much to say about the acting as a whole since they do well in their respective characters that they need to portray for the roles in this group. It is notable that Tony Todd (aka Candyman) makes a cryptic cameo appearance to give them hints about Death’s plan which is a small role but the most memorable in the whole film.

There’s not a whole lot to say about Final Destination. Its an enjoyable horror film for sure. I’m not sure how horrifying it actually is but it does have its tense moments and hits those horror thriller notes pretty well. Death is a well-executed invisible villain that can basically manipulate everything to make a killing happen in both the simplest and most complicated way. In the simple way, it has that one predictable kill moment but in its complicated executions, its where the tension builds the most. What Final Destination does is build up the foundation for this film series by letting the audience understand the basics of what we need to know about Death and the consequences of escaping Death’s plan. With the 6th film confirmed, there’s still a long road to head down, we will see how strong this foundation will hold out in terms of logic because already he ending of this film is a bit of a headscratcher but maybe the second film will explain it further.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

Director: Danny Cannon

Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Brandy Norwood, Mekhi Phifer, Matthew Settle, Bill Cobbs, Muse Watson, Jeffrey Combs, Jennifer Esposito, John Hawkes

The murderous fisherman with a hook is back to once again stalk the two surviving teens, Julie and Ray, who had left him for dead, as well as cause even more murder and mayhem, this time at a posh island resort. – IMDB

Released a year after the first film I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer takes place suitably a year after the events of the first film when Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is still having nightmares of the hook-wielding killer Ben Willis who they left for dead after a car accident and decides to pursue them in the first film where her and her boyfriend Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.) survive. The sequel takes place away from the first location when her and her college friends win a trip for four to a resort in Bahamas to realize that they arrive the last day before hurricane season so there are no tourists left except the basic staff. While Julie’s fight with Ray over their July the 4th plans leaves them separated countries apart when Ray realizes that Ben Willis is back to finish what he started and decides to find his way over to save Julie.

I Know What You Did Last Summer was pretty much good where they left off. Story-wise, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer takes it to a new location but other than that, the whole idea is pretty bland and predictable. It doesn’t take long to figure out the twist and how people are taken out is also fairly expected. That doesn’t leave a lot of surprises to work with. The new location and the hurricane season adds to the isolated and stranded situation plus the staff’s attitude towards Americans also add an extra layer of challenges but none of it truly helps to make it feel more exciting to watch. However, the location itself does add to the Ben Willis story. The story does take a parallel of watching

Aside from Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Muse Watson, the cast adds in Brandy, Mekhi Phifer and Matthew Settle as her college friends and also the trip companions. Brandy and Mekhi Phifer plays the best friend Karla and her boyfriend Tyrell who brings a lot of the comedic girlfriend and boyfriend banter. A fun fact that Mekhi Phifer ends up playing the boyfriend in Brandy & Monica’s The Boy Is Mine music video later that year. Matthew Settle, which I know from much later in Gossip Girl as Dan’s father Rufus, plays Will who has a crush on Julie and as a last minute addition to the trip. Julie and Ray are still one dimensional main leads. The sequel splits them up throughout the majority of the film except for the beginning and the big finale when the face-off with Ben Willis comes into play. In reality, the supporting cast from the hotel staff actually ends up being more dynamic than the main characters. Particularly, my biggest surprise was seeing Jack Black pop up as Titus showing up a full head of dreads.

I don’t actually think I Know What You Did Last Summer needed a sequel but then I feel that way about many film franchises but this did well enough that there is one more film after this. This sequel is lacking in many elements and perhaps falls short the most in its surprise element since the twist is predictable very early before the reveal. If there was anything that really did work here is still the actual slasher element which adds some decent kills and a little surprise for some off-screen kills when they are found. Hook-wielding killer is a great concept as a slasher and Ben Willis probably was more effective in the first before he was revealed however in some ways, the killer elements do still work here. I guess that’s all you can ask for when talking about a slasher: a competent slasher killer.

No One Will Save You (2023)

No One Will Save You (2023)

Director (and writer): Brian Duffield

Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Elizabeth Kaluev, Zack Duhame, Lauren L. Murray, Geraldine Singer, Dane Rhodes

An exiled anxiety-ridden homebody must battle an alien who’s found its way into her home. – IMDB

No One Will Save You is a science fiction horror that is a unique film that has very minimal dialogue of five words throughout the entire film but is also a home invasion turned into alien invasion that takes a turn into a fairly thoughtful and unique ending. The film centers around one character and in her flashbacks and actions, we learn about this character Brynn played by Kaitlyn Dever.

Using one character in any sort of film is a risky move because everything relies on that one person. Much like A Ghost Story was able to create an effective scene portraying grief with Rooney Mara eating pie for 10 minutes, No One Will Save You crafts a character that doesn’t say anything throughout the film but uses her own exclamations and frequent inhalation and exhalation to outline why she is that way. Even in the most dire situations, she still works on her breathing to calm herself down. At the same time, her character has a great sense of survival and her quietness works with the alien home invasion to build up the tension in the each scene. While I’ve only seen Kaitlyn Dever in a handful of her previous roles with Short Term 12 and Booksmart standing out the most where she is very memorable, its the first time I’ve seen in a horror female lead. Its important to give her proper praise since it takes a lot to deliver a great job at a role with minimal dialogue and reliant heavily on emotions and expressions and she does a fantastic job.

Director and writer Brian Duffield also executes the film very well. He uses the primary location of this isolated childhood home down to its minute detail. Kaitlyn Dever’s Brynn ends up moving throughout her entire house. While the film introduces a lot of the different areas at the beginning to set up Brynn’s character and solidifying the lonely and exiled role she has without exactly giving the actual reveal of the reason at the end, there is a strong feeling of the anxiety she feels and the hope to be accepted that runs deep in her emotions. This execution helps to bring together the home invasion as the character and the setting becomes one where we learn about the alien but also where her turf becomes her strongest advantage as well.

The creative element of the film which almost makes it almost a perfect package for a video game is the detail in creating the alien invasion. The alien invasion wasn’t in one shot but rather, it comes in many forms from small to large, each one being introduced in a shocking entrance. The alien interactions at the beginning moving within the house stealthily is definitely one of the more intense moments. The initial alien interaction being the more tense since the alien isn’t revealed right away but takes its time to have its reveal. While the reveal is fairly early, which sometimes can be troubling, the fact that there are many other forms helps to keep things fresh. Once Brynn’s survival moves out of the house, while there is a certain fear of her being captured and there are some unsettling moments, there is contrast in her character that help with the overall development.

As with any minimal narrative creative outlet, it also throws the interpretation to its audience. Perhaps its one of the hurdles to appreciate this film in its more ambiguous elements and using its little pieces to understand the final ending and determining whether its unique approach to this endgame is logical or not. For myself, its an ending that makes complete sense and well thought out. There’s a lot to love about No One Will Save You and its a breath of fresh air in the horror film landscape that I haven’t seen in a while especially after breaking away from the film festival indie films.

Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)

Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)

Director (and co-writer): Brent Maddock

Cast: Michael Gross, Shawn Christian, Susan Chuang, Charlotte Stewart, Ariana Richards, Tony Genaro, Barry Livingston, John Pappas, Bobby Jacoby

The now famous Burt Gummer returns to his hometown of Perfection, Nevada for the first time in years, but the deadliest Graboid evolution yet forces him to save the town he swore to protect. – IMDB

Tremors 3 marks the beginning of the character Burt Gummer as a main focal character of the Tremors franchise. There is no doubt that firearms and explosives is going to be a big part of the series and it starts in this one as this sequel takes him back to Perfection a few years after the previous Mexico incident and eleven years after the initial graboid incident at Perfection. While he had left a lot of precautions for the few surviving residents and some new faces, his lack of supervision in his pursuit for graboids and the embrace his fame has seen the town fall out of preparation as they have gotten used to the tranquility again. The graboids make a return as Burt returns to Perfection as well where the town has fully embraced their graboid popularity to attract tourists from Chang’s Market being run by his granddaughter Jodi(Susan Chuang) to the new business owner Desert Jack (Shawn Christian), running a mock-attack graboid tour until his contraptions lure the return of the first graboid attack with his partner being taken. As they fight the graboid and shriekers, they soon realize that it can further evolve to a much “stronger” version and births the Ass-Blaster with its combusting farts and wings, which is every bit as silly as it sounds.

Creature design becomes an unavoidable discussion in this film mostly because they now have figured out the full cycle of graboids and the film now in its second sequel means there are more effects especially with its flying specimen and as silly as it sounds, does stay true to its Precambrian assessment from the previous film where the evolutions all looks a little like dinosaurs. If you create a monster called Ass-Blaster where it gears up like a locomotive (that’s what the subtitles described it, I didn’t make it up) before the combustive farts lifts them off the ground, its really hard to take this seriously. What does deserve a mention is that this is the first film where CGI was involved in creating a graboid.

To be fair, it does still have Burt Gummer and now, the new Perfection now sees a new face Desert Jack who just seems to be trying to make money in the wrong place but ends up being the focus of the side romance bit which always shows up in these films as he and Jodi start to hit it up through this attack. Jodi is very much like her grandfather to know how to grab onto any money-making opportunities and in the current landscape it is how to bank on the Graboid touristry. The highlight of the Perfection location is Burt’s upgraded house on the hill which has been further enforced against Graboids and his preparedness both pays homage to the first film but also has a funny twist in the finale.

This leads to the many familiar faces from the first film who have now grown up or gotten older. Melvin (Bobby Jacoby/Robert Jayne) returns to try to buy Burt’s land but gets refused and finds himself back in the Graboid crosshairs. Mindy (Ariana Richards) is back in Perfection and ends up caught again hiding away together. With a handful of other people from the first film, seeing as Perfection didn’t have a huge population to begin with), the film slowly picks them off as they work together but unfortunately a creature feature does involve certain casualties.

Tremors 3 might be a silly little sequel but it does bring some over the top action and some ridiculous bits and also acts as a reunion for the original as it brings back a good part of the crew and returns to Perfection. As a creature feature, it does achieve its purpose by giving the audience a further evolution of the graboid and completing the cycle. Its not a great film but its a good time nonetheless.

Tremors 2: Aftershock (1996)

Tremors 2: Aftershock (1996)

Director (and co-writer): S.S. Wilson

Cast: Fred Ward, Chris Gartin, Helen Shaver, Michael Gross, Marcelo Tubert, Marco Hernandez

Earl Bassett, now a washed-up ex-celebrity, is hired by a Mexican oil company to eradicate a Graboid epidemic that’s killing more people each day. However, the humans aren’t the only one with a new battle plan. – IMDB

The sequel of 1990’s Tremors takes place years after the event at Perfection and the film itself addresses what’s happened in between as well as why Kevin Bacon’s character, Val doesn’t return for this film. However, Tremors still has two faces from its first film which is pretty fun with Earl coming back to the action and this time asking for help from Burt when he realizes that he needs more help than what the Mexican oil company can offer. While I can’t say that Tremors needed a sequel (let alone six of them at this point, who knows if there will be more), it makes the effort to give a bit of a origin point as well as a further look at its evolution cycle of the Graboids (which makes me feel like I’m talking about Digimon).

Tremors 2: Aftershock changes its location completely. This time, its set in Mexico and not only execs who aren’t a lot of help but also a scientist who is trying to learn more about these species. At the same time, there is a younger character Grady who is kind of a fanboy who convinces Earl to join in who is excited about being part of the operation as his helper. They end up crafting a method that works to lure and eliminate the Graboids easily but of course, the evolution of the Graboids have now moved to the surface as they soon learn that they have now morphed into Shriekers, a mini dinosaur looking creature which fits with their description of the era that the scientist pinpoints. The creature design is a little odd, mostly because now they have to change their methods and the Shriekers who now aren’t using sounds but rather heat sensors. To be fair, the evolution of the Graboids is a tad silly but it does make a little sense as it adapts to its surroundings as a species as a means of survival.

Tremors 2 sets of tone of what to expect for the future of the series (although as I write this, I’m just finished watching up to 4) as it takes Tremors into sillier territory. It still has some seriousness of the situation and adds a similar structure to the first film as this one looks at Earl’s fight for this investment to work so that he can make his next clever investment while also finding the woman that he wants to impress. Most of these films usually have a female interest to add a little chemistry but is never truly the focus. Of course, it can’t be especially since Burt Gummer character is always over the top and in action mode and steals the show with his firearms and constant preparation for the worst that seemingly does backfire. Its not bad to be silly though since creature features with a little campy fun adds to the fun in my opinion.

To be fair, there’s not a whole lot to write about the sequel. The location set in Mexico adds a freshness to the film and the new team-up is fun. There is a relatively logical evolution of the Graboids and an effort to write more backstory for it. Despite its low budget, a lot of things are done on point to deliver an entertaining creature feature and for a direct to video sequel (with limited theatrical screening), it is well above the usual quality expected.

Creepy Crawly (2022)

Creepy Crawly (2022)

Directors (and writers): Chalit Krileadmongkon & Pakphum Wongjinda

Cast: Mike Angelo, Chanya McClory, Benjamin Joseph Varney, David Asavanon, Kulteera Yordchang, Paramej Noiam, Aticha Pongsilpipat, Wanpiya Omsinnopphakul

Creepy Crawly is a 2022 Thai horror creature feature set during the early pandemic months in Bangkok located in primarily one setting, a quarantine hotel where a handful of people including brother, sister and father and a social media influencer siblings, who have been sent for a 14 day quarantine to find that the hotel is starting to have a lot of disappearances and mysterious deaths inspired by the story of Battambang told during the reign of King Rama V.

Originally titled The One Hundred representing the creature featured in this film, Creepy Crawly is a fairly generic flow of events for Asian films, mixing a blend of melodrama with its cast of characters with the actual horror happening at the location. While I’m not an expert on Thai films, in fact this might be my first one, the drama shown here revolves around its two groups of quarantined guests. The family of three surrounding a family grievance where the son is angry at his father for some decisions in the past while the social influencer siblings face a hidden disease and their profession being a constant threat to the owner of the hotel. Surprisingly, for a hotel which takes in quarantined guests, the guests roam around an incredible amount and spend very little time actually in their own rooms. The film does make the effort to show the flawed operations along with the lack of staff, a problem that many business owners probably faced during this time including the sneaky and selfish business owner, almost like a human villain to add to the actual threat. For those familiar with Asian films, the melodrama is expected however, the flashbacks to the family of three does feel more than needed for the purpose of this film especially since the length is only 92 minutes.

The creature is a unique one. Creepy Crawly already gives it away that it is an crawling insect and suitably named for its centipede creature which is also not a secret since most posters will have it (except for the one I have chosen for this post to keep a little mystery). The creature’s reveal is executed fairly well, if only they managed to keep it off the promotional material, as the directors take the time to reveal it bit by bit with what it can do and seeing only the result of encountering it at the start before revealing its form and its possessive and parasitic nature as well as its shapeshifting abilities and educating its viewers on its legend of Tabongplum. The creature is a spinetingling one especially for those with fears of crawly insects. While the big creature doesn’t make its big reveal until well past the halfway point, it still has more than enough run of the mill centipedes to gross out its audience. Albeit some lacking CGI moments which makes it feel less convincing, the excess amount of centipedes are one of the standout elements of the film.

As mentioned before, this is my first Thai film outing, however, what drew me to the film is the film’s male lead Mike Angelo, an actor that I’ve seen in a few Chinese dramas as well as the second season of Call Me By Fire. Watching him outside of romantic dramas and in a horror setting, his character of Leo, a martial artist and old brother to another character Lena and his mute father, his story revolves mostly in flashbacks which explains his uncontrollable anger. To be fair, his character is written fairly thin which is understandable if the film didn’t take such a long time trying to connect this story which makes the set up all towards one rather predictable scene. With how limited his character was, he delivered a decent role. Opposite of him is the quarantine member next to him, a social influencer Fame (Chanya McClory) with a mysterious disease that remains hidden and becomes another key element of reveal. Outside of these two one-dimensional main characters, the other character that is portrayed the best is probably the hotel manager Mr. Wit, played by David Asavanond who does a great job at being the shady villainous character who surprisingly has quite a few creature features in his filmography.

Overall, Creepy Crawly has its flaws but as a creature feature, it achieves a lot of what it needs to with a unique and well-designed creature packed with its own “legend” (I did some research on Tabongplum and can’t find anything online so I’m going to guess its fictional). The one setting is used sufficiently and some of the deaths are fairly unique. The horror element is not so much scary as it is gross with all its abundance of centipedes. However, it achieves what I expect from creature features, which is a fun and entertaining venture into this world where its threat coincidentally also mirrors the pandemic that the world was facing at that time making it all the more reasonable for its surfacing when it did.

Creepy Crawly is available on digital, Blu-ray and DVD. You can find more info HERE.

*Screener provided by Well Go USA*

Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)

Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)

Director (and co-writer): Rhys Frake-Waterfield

Cast: Nikolai Leon, Maria Taylor, Natasha Rose Mills, Amber Doig-Thorne, Danielle Ronald, Natasha Tosini, Paula Coiz, May Kelly, Danielle Scott, Craig David Dowsett, Chris Cordell

After Christopher Robin abandons them for college, Pooh and Piglet embark on a bloody rampage as they search for a new source of food.- IMDB

Winnie The Pooh entered public domain last year and it seemed like it was the green light to take this property and give it a nice horror twist, because of course, why wouldn’t we need everything to have a terrifying counterpart. Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey uses the foundation of the original story to craft into a story about growing up. Think about it like Toy Story 3 but when the toys decide that they’ve been neglected and left to die and then decide to turn evil and never trust humans ever again, basically that is the simple way of putting this story.

The premise itself makes sense and it definitely can be weaved into a story like that understandably because the opposite of love is hate. Now that the believability of this story is good enough, does the film actually create the slasher horror fear that it needs. Before we proceed (since my reviews have been few and far between and incredibly light on horror lately) for those that haven’t followed here or just dropped by, I’m not someone who actually is scared by slasher films for the most part, usually its more a sense of tension more than anything else. Keep that in mind as you proceed.

Running on a budget of $100K, Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey is a British indie slasher film. In execution, the film delivers a few good elements. For one, the animated part of the story that kicks off the film to use A.A. Milne’s style of illustration and the alternate events that lead to this is pretty neat. The narration of the storytelling and the animated art is a nice touch for the film especially purposeful to start the film and helps thread some of the parts together. The cinematography with its environment and the lighting also does add a decently composed atmosphere for the dark retelling of Winnie The Pooh. Even the physical concept of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, who are the only two of the Hundred Acre Woods gang that pops up in this film is good. The mask for Winnie the Pooh is much more effective than a more generic pig mask for Piglet but does enforce the half animal half human tale that they are trying to spin. On a slasher horror element, there are some decent and unique kills for the cast of young female leads.

Unfortunately, the good elements of the film do end there. What makes things confusing here is really the question of how serious we should be taking this film. On one hand, a dark retelling of Winnie the Pooh does feel like its meant to be taken seriously but whether its the lackluster acting skills of the cast or the lackluster dialogue in its script, its all rather laughable. If the intention of the film was to be taken seriously, that might feel insulting but I’m not trying to be mean because I genuinely enjoyed this film because I had a really great laugh throughout the whole film. On one hand, it felt incredibly silly whenever anyone said anything or the choices they made but on the other hand, it also had some fun kills. What did take a little hit, probably due to its low budget, was the practical effects which also went along with the silly vibe. The best example being a kill where the eyeball popped out. If the film was trying to take itself seriously, probably it would execute films a little bit more with a Mike Flanagan flair of embracing the hidden/unknown but Rhys Frake-Waterfield took the path of showing the audience the aftermath of the kill probably to add to the gruesome and gory slasher element. I can understand why its done but not completely why some of it was necessary.

Overall, I went into Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey with very low expectations and it honestly wasn’t quite as bad as I expected it to be. There are some solid concepts, plot points and visuals. While I had a good time with the film once I embraced it in a different light, its not a film I’d consider to be a good slasher. There were some fun kills and I really wanted to like it but the film delivered me a lot of predictable moments as well. With all that said, I still can’t help wondering where they will go with the sequel.

Double Feature: Falling For Christmas (2022) & Last Christmas (2019)

Falling For Christmas (2022)

Director: Janeen Damian

Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet, George Young, Jack Wagner, Olivia Perez, Alejandra Flores, Sean Dillingham

In the days leading up to Christmas, a young and newly engaged heiress experiences a skiing accident. After being diagnosed with amnesia, she finds herself in the care of the handsome lodge owner and his daughter. – IMDB

I’m guessing the selling point of Falling For Christmas is Lindsay Lohan and the script does have at least one little bit (maybe I missed others) that does pay homage to the Christmas segment of Mean Girls. However to say that this Hallmark film is different than others wouldm’t quite apply here. In fact, the plot itself other than the obvious amnesia bit was very reminiscent to previous Netflix Christmas films like Christmas Inheritance (review). All the plot points are about as generic as it can get for films such as this.

With films like this, the biggest thing is always the cast and the chemistry. There’s no doubt that the Christmas and winter element will be in full abundance and that does not disappoint here at any level. From family warmth to Christmas activities, this film offers it all up really well. Looking at the cast though, there are elements that work mostly in the family scene at the ski lodge with the daughter and mother and the whole fighting for the lodge’s survival.

The chemistry between the two leads played by Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet doesn’t quite work that well. Chord Overstreet is actually pretty decent in his role but somehow, Lindsay Lohan feels a little wooden for the most part. The scenes at times have their silly charm but for the most part, its mostly as the amnesiac her is learning how to do all these chores and making a mess when its most comedic.

There’s honestly not a whole lot to say about Falling For Christmas. Its a very generic Hallmark-ish romantic comedy for the holidays. Sure, the holidays part fits the bill and there’s certain elements that are fun but its nothing too special or memorable. In fact, some of it does fall into cringe, predictable and boring category and I’m the person that actually doesn’t mind a lot of sappy rom-coms.

Last Christmas (2019)

Director: Paul Feig

Cast: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Madison Ingoldsby, Boris Isakovic, Lucy Miller, Maxim Baldry, Michelle Yeoh, Lydia Leonard

Kate is a young woman subscribed to bad decisions. Working as an elf in a year round Christmas store is not good for the wannabe singer. However, she meets Tom there. Her life takes a new turn. For Kate, it seems too good to be true. – IMDB

Last Christmas isn’t your normal Hallmark fluffy and sappy holiday film. In fact, it kind of takes on a bit of the literal interpretation of the lyrics of the song “Last Christmas”. It does have a feel-good but bittersweet sort of feeling to it by the end. The film is almost like a late coming of age much in the line of films like Young Adult.

Last Christmas has a rather stacked cast with Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh being in the same film following their mother-son relationship in Crazy Rich Asians (review) and Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones. Never was there a day that I’d expect to see Michelle Yeoh in a holiday film but here she is and truly embracing it playing as the owner of the year-round Christmas store and gave herself the name Santa. There’s one bit where she talks about her nicknames that is incredibly entertaining, most of them feeling very unfathomable for this elegant lady. The shining point of this film does lie in its cast which delivers up some pretty good performances from the self-centered Kate to the wise and handsome Tom to the guidance of Santa (the person in the movie, not Santa Claus). Right down to the cast at the homeless shelter that truly does bring a lot of shine to the film as a whole.

There are some predictable elements in the film and nothing here feels like it hasn’t been done before. The ending reveal while still has its surprising element still feels like its been used before, however the dynamic between Tom and Kate is what makes that reveal feel acceptable and even a little heartbreaking if anything. Christmas movies don’t have to be all happy and joyous and while this one still maintains a little bit of those elements and even adds some nice short musical elements to it, it still works well enough in terms of the chemistry between the characters and the flow of the events. Some of it does feel a little unnecessary like the whole comedic and bizarre romance for Michelle Yeoh’s character and the constant discussion of sauerkraut.

Overall, Last Christmas might not a completely unique film but as a Christmas movie, it still works relatively well. While the subject does get a little heavy and it isn’t all completely happy happy joy joy and the Christmas element does feel like its just set during the time of year more than being in the center driving force, it still is rather meaningful as it looks into homelessness, family and making amends for the rebellious choices and finding a balance. As I think more about it, there definitely is a certain charm to it.

Double Feature: The Night House (2020) & Prey (2022)

The Night House (2020)

Director: David Bruckner

Cast: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Evan Jonigkeit, Stacy Martin

A widow begins to uncover her recently deceased husband’s disturbing secrets. – IMDB

*Originally posted for Friday Film Club*

After the unexpected suicide of her husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit), Beth (Rebecca Hall) tries to cope with the loss in the best way she can until odd supernatural events start happening in the lakeside house that he built for her. As she digs deeper, she realizes that her husband has some dark secrets and they are now coming back to haunt her. The Night House is a psychological horror that dives into the themes of grief and afterlife.

The Night House is a film that plays with its setting quite a bit. It is pretty much a one setting film which uses the house and the surrounding areas of the lakeside house. The house itself feels like it has a life of its own especially before the reveal. It becomes a central piece to where the secrets lie in its nooks and crannies literally and figurativel. In fact, some of its most effective scares comes from the uneasiness from the environment and the space that it resides. While the film feels rather generic at the start, the film quickly shows off its more creative side with how it executes the horror element. Much like the cinematography which is quite impressive to bring out the unsettling experience.

The small cast of characters also make The Night House very intriguing as it revolves around a wife discovering these dark secrets of her husband. Rebecca Hall plays the role of Beth who becomes a grieving widow who tries to keep it together. There is a wonderful subtlety to character as the emotions brew in her but she doesn’t always show it on the exterior. She delivers a grounded performance that slowly starts going more put of the control as she starts experiencing what feels like her husband reaching out to her. While her husband Owen played by Evan Jonigkeit appears only in her memory as she starts piecing together before his suicide, Owen also has his own layers that slowly gets revealed.

The Night House is an indie horror gem. The film delivers a creepy and unsettling story and revolves it around the more basic horror design ever but playing it to its max with its surroundings. It creates this well-earned jumpscare moment and earns the later anticipation of what could be lurking in the house itself while playing with what is reality and not.

Prey (2022)

Direcctor (and co-writer): Dan Trachtenberg

Cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Stefany Mathias, Bennett Taylor, Mike Paterson

Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth. – IMDB

The latest addition to the Predator series, Prey goes back in time to the 1800s to Native Americans tribe when they end up crossing paths with a Predator on the hunt. Being back many years from the first movie, this film is very focused on the hunting elements and the concept between prey and predator. The film features a young female lead who is doubted by her tribe that she is capable however on her initiation, she ends up tracking the Predator. With her dog in tow and her nifty crafting skills along with great tracking skills, she’s a female lead that isn’t a damsel in distress. She does get shocked by this unknown alien creature that she encounters but still uses her wit to try to overcome both the fear and protect her tribe.

Looking at the execution of the film as a whole, the breakdown runs best in a three part breakdown. The first part is a setup where it gives an idea of the strong female lead Naru and the tribe that she resides in (along with how she is viewed in the tribe) while also giving a look on the other side of the spectrum with the Predator as he lands on Earth for his hunt. As the land changes from many skinned and disemboweled ones as well, its quite disgusting to watch overall and does feel at times like it is a bit much and repetitive to get the point across.

However, the film does pick up in the second act as things start to change as the threat of the Predator becomes more apparent. The hunting group meets their own danger and barely escapes when Naru steps up and goes for her initiation of sorts to try to capture whatever beast is endangering the land with her tracking skills. It shows both her competency but also her inexperience as she does show moments of fear. She isn’t a perfect warrior but on in the making. The final act is the best of the film as it builds to the final showdown with a little twist and all decides whether she can come back with her prey.

While Predator series in general is more of an action horror film, Prey takes a rather unique coming of age angle mixed in the plot for a girl who in those days were doubted for her abilities in the tribe and fights for her acceptance as a hunter so she can do more. Overall, the film has a slow setup but once it gets going, the film does take a nice turn of events. Not to mention the cast does a great especially for Amber Midthunder as Naru. Prey might not exactly be the Predator film that a lot of people were hoping for since it does go back in time and it has some pacing flaws, however they did create a really good kick-ass female lead that held up the film.