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BEWARE THE MOON REVIEWS

1922

10/29/2017

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I am keeping up with new films, normally I don't see a 'new' film until at least a few months or so after it came out, but no, 1922 only came out a week or so ago and I have watched it.  Woohoo for Megan!  'A simple yet proud farmer in the year 1922 conspires to murder his wife for financial gain, convincing his teenage son to participate.'

I watched 1922, a few days ago, it's Sunday now, and I think I watched it Friday, and I am still not sure how I feel about it.  I say that only because I liked the story and the idea of it, but it was very slow and liked to build you up.  I feel like I have mentioned a film being slow so often recently that it seems like I hate them - I don't, I like characters to be built up, I like to get to know them, and the story, but sometimes I just feel they go on for too long.  1922 bounced in and out of being slow and being exciting...
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It starts off showing the family, which is all fine and good, well, it's not, this family is messed up, the mum wants to sell the land, the dad wants to keep it and they want a divorce, the stuff that would end up on Jeremy Kyle nowadays.  Wilfred, the dad, thinks there is only one way out of this, to murder her, which personally, I think is a little bit too much effort and I am pretty sure is the most difficult way out, but hey, he goes with it.  He even talks the son into it too, they both think it is a fairly good idea...IT IS NOT.  And, it does hit the fan, s-h-i-t hits the fan. 
1922 seems to speed up a bit once she dies, well, it at least gets creepier, and that makes it a bit more interesting.  I had heard that this film was damn creepy and got right under your skin, but I was not seeing this until at least the wife died - there are so many rats though, so many,  SO CUTES.
Rats are everywhere in this, everywhere, and it is good, it does very much create very creepy scenes, and I like rats!  Rats are everywhere, in every wall, in dead bodies, down holes, everywhere, and I found myself thinking just how well trained these little rats were!

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I wouldn't say this film got under my skin though, it had creepy moments, but it was very slow, and I did find myself losing track.  Another thing, another reason why I feel I lost track, was Thomas Janes' accent.  I have nothing against his acting, at all, but I just could not understand what he said for most of the time, it wasn't just him, some of the others spoke gently and in a low tone, and in a very southern drawl.  Especially him, I had a real trouble understanding what was going on because for some of it, I just didn't know what the people were saying, and I tend to be quite good at accents too!  This is me saying I just found their accents hard, not that they are bad actors, just putting it out there!

Overall, 1922 is an alright film, it has some good moments, some creepy moments and images but it is very slow and I just felt like the whole story didn't really go anywhere.  They kill the wife, and that's it really, that's all you get.
I have to give them credit for the ending though, it is pretty heartbreaking, I won't say why, but it definitely isn't a happy one or how Wilfred planned for it to be, and it is sad.  But yeah, it's not like IT where I would happily watch it again soon, 1922 might need a bit more time until I rewatch it...
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The Taking Of Deborah Logan

10/26/2017

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Know when you hear about a film for years, and it pops up occasionally and on instagram and such and you think that you need to see that film, The Taking of Deborah Logan is one of those films. 'An elderly woman battling Alzheimer's disease agrees to let a film crew document her condition, but what they discover is something far more sinister going on.'  This film had always popped up as one of those films you had probably never heard of, but had to see, I had heard of it slightly, like I knew of it, and that was about it.  I had also seen images from the film, but that was it.  Images that really intrigued me as they did look kind of creepy...

The Taking of Deborah Logan is really not an original concept, the whole Alzheimer's idea is, off the top of my head I can't think of any films that use that as the main concept, but the whole going to investigate for a project thing isn't at all.  It literally is the same as any other film that goes around the idea of people investigating.  Two people go to see Deborah and her daughter, filming it all as they go, that starts out fine and fun, and then takes a turn for the worst - this is not a new thing, but it's not bad.  To be fair, having an all original concept for a film is pretty much near impossible nowadays, so I am not really going to mark this film down for that, even though I have mentioned it...
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Moving on from me being super confusing and mentioning things that I said I wouldn't mark the film down on, which I won't, The Taking of Deborah Logan is an alright film.  It kept me watching most of it, a few times I did find myself doing other things or just messing about with my cat, some parts got slow, like really slow.  But they did pick themselves up, you had a few slow moments and a few watching people through bushes, and then Deborah got weird and you were thrown back into the action.  One of those movies, lots of creeping around in the dark, and then BAM, something happens, then back to lots of creeping around.
To be fair, there are a fair few slightly creepy moments, creepy because old people can be kind of creepy - like Deborah goes missing and some point, and the CCTV camera parts are pretty weird.  Like putting yourself in the movie and thinking how you would react - I for one would get an exorcist on my old person.

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I have to be honest, I did want to see this movie for mainly one scene, if you know anything about me, I like films that are 'disturbing' and push you, and I saw an image from this film that really interested me, Deborah eating someones head.  Oh yes!  She eats someones head - I was into that.  But actually that scene is over so damn quickly, you almost miss it, so all that wait, it was good, but so damn quick.
The Taking of Deborah Logan is an alright film, it's not bad but I wouldn't watch it again in a rush - an interesting concept but yeah, I won't say to friends, "You should really see this film!". Sorryyyyyyyyyy.

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IT

10/24/2017

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I FINALLY SAW IT.  FINALLY.  And I was not disappointed, at all, I didn't have really high hopes for it as I really hated the original, and it was a lot better than the original, loads better.  'A group of bullied kids band together when a shapeshifting demon, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.' 

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It opens up with the death of Georgie, which, as expected, is very dark and lacking most noise apart from the normal few bits of speech and sound to keep the tension.  It is done pretty well, and this is only the start of the movie - let me just warn you of that... Skip ahead a few minutes and Georgie is face to face with Pennywise in the infamous drain, this is the first time you see Pennywise, well, in the film anyway, obviously everyone had seen him in the trailers... But this was the first proper time, and I was in love, I felt they had done such a good job making him super creepy and the make up and hair and that smile! It's great, especially that smile.  I really thought they did a good job on how he looked and also making it so you could still look at him and see the original Pennywise too.

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 I liked how Pennywise looked, and him as a whole was great, the voice was on point too, but, but, I did find there was a lot of CGI in this film, and you could kind of tell.  I only really had two bad things to say about this film, and that was one, the amount of obvious CGI in it.  He soon bites Georgie's arm off, which is damn creepy as his face distorts into some sharp toothed killer, but it is very clearly CGI.  Creepy, but CGI.  IT has some very creepy shots and moments during this film, such as dead spirits, burnt to a crisp, unknown monsters with the biggest mouths and teeth you have ever seen, and then, of course, Pennywise, but it is all CGI, and most of it you can clearly see is CGI'd.
CGI is not a bad thing at all, it creates things that us normal beings could only imagine, but I do prefer a mixture, and by mixture I mean CGI and something actually being there, like in Jurassic Park.  The dinosaurs were actually made and were there on screen, but CGI helped bring them to life.  I think IT could have mixed it up a bit, I think it might have made it all a bit scarier as it would have made it look more realistic, but hey, it was still all very very creepy.  More so when they all go into the pipes.. that is when it gets scary...

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The other bad thing about this film, as I mentioned two things I didn't like, was that it was kind of slow and felt a bit long in places.  Mainly from the beginning to about just after the middle, when the gang start going into the pipes, I was so into it, but the build up, a few times, I lost it.  I know it is meant to build up the characters and the story, and I am sure it did, it is just a long film.  That wasn't a surprise though, being how big the book is and how long the original is, I was expecting it to be long - some parts just felt long.  IT saved itself though as it did pull back and really end it well, like it was a kicker - I'M READY FOR CHAPTER TWO.

Overall, I really did enjoy IT - I feel like I have said the word it a lot in this review, I thought it was done well, it was creepy, Pennywise was insane, just less CGI and maybe slightly shorter and I would have been in love.
Saying that though, I will be watching it again soon, I want to and I might get the parents to watch it too - I can also definitely say it is better than the original... I still love Tim Curry's Pennywise though..
As said before, WHERE IS CHAPTER TWO, I WANT IT?!?
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Wrong Turn 6

10/23/2017

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Right, so a while back I watched Wrong Turn 5, which actually wasn't too shabby, I thought I would carry it on and watch Wrong Turn 6, and part of me wishes I hadn't...  "An inheritance leads a young man and his friends to an abandoned resort inhabited by two sketchy caretakers and a clan of mutant cannibals."

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I always feel bad for movies like Wrong Turn, the simple slasher type horrors, where you get all the cliches and it's all very predictable.  No one seems to think much of them, and everyone seems to poo poo them and push them aside.  I think this is wrong, they really are not that terrible, okay, they won't win any awards or anything, but I think they will still be around in years to come, and they are fun to watch.  Maybe not this one though...
This one was not good, and I feel some of it was to do with the story.  It had everything you would want from a Wrong Turn, sex, boobs, gore, lots and lots of gore and over the top blood, all of that was in it.  Yet, this one isn't that fun, it's just a bit boring...

I was a bit bored during Wrong Turn 6, I feel it tried to have a clever storyline, about kind of inheriting into the trouble of the cannibals and such, as the house seems to come with them all.  Like some people buy a house and it comes with the furniture, this guy was given this house and it came with cannibals, good for him!  I think the idea of it is quite fun, and I do like these films, but this one is just not entertaining, and, to be honest, I don't actually know why...
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Most films you know why you couldn't get into it, this film, I do not know, I have never not enjoyed a Wrong Turn before, but this one, nahhhh, just did not like it.  Maybe it was the characters, maybe it was the story, it definitely was not the gore and death, those were the things that made it watchable - but yeah, I sharn't be watching this one again in a hurry, I'll watch one of the many other ones instead.
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Gerald's Game

10/20/2017

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I did it!  The long awaited and talked about adaption of Stephen King's Gerald's Game, I finally did it.  Not too long after it came out, but I wasn't one of the first ones to see it, let's just say that.  The main thing is though, I have seen it all, and I wasn't disappointed.  "While trying to spice up their marriage in their remote lake house, Jessie must fight to survive when her husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her handcuffed to their bed frame.".

If you Google this film, most of you may have already, most people seem to have, you will read loads about how it is good but some say it's slow and a little weird, which I do agree with.  It starts off good, and you see the couple and you meet them, and they start to, try, and get down and dirty but it all goes badly wrong.  Even worse than getting down and dirty and your parents walking in, even worse than that!  Good old hubby, (who I must admit, is played by Bruce Greenwood, looks insane, like he is over 50 and he looks insane, it's great!), dies, literally handcuffs her, they argue and he has a sort of heart attack and just dies.  She is left handcuffed in proper police handcuffs, he makes a note to say that is what they are so she cannot get out, and that is when it gets a bit slow...
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Bet you were not expecting me to say he dies and then it gets slow right?  Well I thought it did anyway, I mean, she is handcuffed to the bed, she can't go anywhere, it sounds like it might get a bit slow, and I thought it did.  It also gets a little bit weird, there is a lot of talking to images of her dead husband and herself and discussing things with people that actually are not there. 
She also has that whole 'imagine what you want to happen in life and it will happen' down to a T.  Know the whole, 'if you picture yourself getting that new job, doing really well at the interview, sitting at your new desk, going to the pub and having a laugh with the people there, having an affair with the CEO and taking over the company', (okay, maybe not the last one in that exact way..), but th the whole if you picture it all, you can do it.  That is exactly what happens to Jessie, and it is clever.  The film obviously doesn't let you in on the secret that what you are seeing is all in her head, so you get all excited that things are looking up, before being dropped straight back down, along with Jessie.  This technique also helps blur the lines throughout the rest of the film what is actually happening and what is not, which I thought tied in very well with the twist at the end...

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The ending, I loved, like loved, I did not see the twist coming.  Well, I think it's a twist, unless I missed something during the film...  I don't want to say what the 'twist' is, but all I will say is that it is all about the man who appears at night, if that helps.  If I say the twist, I will always worry that people will read too far and accidentally see it, and I don't give spoilers away!  So, I will just say the ending is great, so so great, the film as a whole is also great, bit slow in places but overall, I would watch it again.  It's entertaining and the mysterious man mentioned earlier is creepy as hell - and just so so clever in the end.

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Oh! And obviously, I have to mention one scene...'THAT' scene.  If you have seen it, you know which scene it is... And I did not pass out, or have to look away, I actually watched it twice, I rewound it and made sure I was fully paying attention to what was happening, and I loved it.  I am not going to say what happens as I feel it is much more fun if you don't know what is happening, but it is so so fun, I loved every second of that gorier mess. Thank you Gerald's Game.

What I can't thank you for though, is that horrible dad and Jessie Eclipse scene... I felt dirty, but hey, that means you've done well, getting people to feel through film, bravo!!!

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The Banshee Chapter

10/17/2017

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This film let me down, like a massive balloon, big time.  In the films defence though, all I really knew about it was from Google images, (I like seeing scary images, and the images from this film are pretty damn spooky), and it also popped up on a few of those Halloween lists about underrated films you should see.  I was right with the images, the film does have some creepy images and faces throughout, but I definitely would not say it was right on those lists...

The Banshee Chapter does start out quite well, it uses footage of the characters but also mixes it with old footage from news articles all about the subject in the film, the subject in the film, that I actually couldn't really tell you, apart from that it was some form of government experiment.  But it keeps you intrigued, especially when Anne then starts telling you the story of how some of her friends wen missing and she is going to look for them.  The normal thing really, but hey, it's intriguing.  But that is where the good times pretty much stop...
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The Banshee Chapter is a film that is filmed in one of the weirdest ways I have ever seen, for almost half of it, I thought there was a character filming it.  Nope, literally there was one main character and then a normal camera that was just as shaking and as bad as if it was found footage.  It was also filmed in an old way, compared to when it came out, it was released in 2013, yet it looks like it was filmed in the early 2000s.  It is the weirdest thing ever.  The fact that the camera work is so shoddy I thought it was made to look like found footage and that it was being filmed by another person, that jsut baffles me.  I am not quite sure on why they didn't just make some of it found footage, after all, normally there are at least two people making a documentary like this, it was a bit funny with just one.  And not funny as in "haha" funny...

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Another thing I didn't like about this film, it had a fair bit of potential and built itself up tension wise quite well.  I say quite, because it was very good at setting the scene, if the scene called for it to be dark that is, and if a torch had to be used, but it kept you hanging for way too long.  Waaaaaaaaaay too long, with the climax scare, being like a wet fish.  And by that, I mean it built it up, and built it up, and built it up, so the character is just walking around for what felt like 20 minutes, until something finally jumps out.  But by the time that something has jumped out, you've guessed that it's coming and pretty much lost the will to live.   You can see what they were trying but damn, too long. Way too long.
If you're not a fan of people just walking around in the dark with a torch, bit like an episode of Most Haunted with Derek Acorah with a lot of shouting and jumping at the pitch black, than you should not watch this film, I got bored as this film is literally a whole hour or so of Anne walking in the dark, with a torch, shouting at the darkness.  Fun.

So, as you may have gathered, I did not like this film.  I liked it until I watched it, I liked it when I first Googled it and saw the really creepy faces people had in it, but seeing the actual film, did not do it for me.  It had potental, and some good effects, but the rest was filmed and made out like it was created just after the 90s and not in a good way.  So, as they say on Dragons Den, I'm out.
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Wrong Turn 5

10/14/2017

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So I am a fan of the Wrong Turns, like such a fan - yes, they are bad, but they are fun and harmless and you pretty much know what you're going to get with these.  Sex, death, gore, blood and cannibals, what else would you want?! 'A small mining town hosts the Mountain Man Festival on Halloween. The wild night of costumes, drinking and partying turns into a bloodbath when an inbred family of hillbilly cannibals target several college students for dinner.' 

Wrong Turn 5 really does not have much of a story line, as the others don't either really, but it is so much fun, the film does  not let you down.  It opens up with a full on sex scene, who doesn't want that?!  A full on sex scene with friends playing a cruel prank, obviously.  It is also set around Halloween, so it's amazing for this time of year and if you love a slutty witch or so, you will be in luck.  There are a fair few of those, a fair few!
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Even though everyone knocks these films, and this one included, and my dad was not impressed by the small part he saw..,they never let me down on gore.  Never ever ever.  That is one thing I know I will like about each Wrong Turn, if nothing else, the gore will be great.   And the fifth one is no let down, people are sliced in half, blown up and one is even killed by their unexpecting friend while sitting in a car with a sharp object.  I did especially like the car one, what good killers, setting it up so the traumatised friend does the killing and so the killers don't have to get their hands dirty.  Brilliant, lazy but smart killers, more smart than lazy though to be fair.  The deaths are also fairly original, they build it up and you find yourself getting ready, and excited and brace yourself because you know it's going to get messy and someone is going to die.  All good fun!

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Wrong Turn 5 is actually not too bad a film, no matter what you read about it - it's great fun, and the story is not too bad either.  It is set in different places, such a prison, it has a wide load of different characters, such as the talented icon Doug Bradley, and as I have mentioned before, the gore is double great.  If you watch this, you might not shout about it from the roof, but you definitely will not feel like you have wasted an hour or so, or I hope you wouldn't.  I liked it!

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Evidence

10/1/2017

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I recorded this film, even though I had never heard of it - yet the cast was pretty well known, because I did really like the story.  'A detective hunts down a killer using video footage shot by the victims of a massacre at an abandoned gas station.'  But damn, without giving any spoilers away for the rest of this review, I ended up winding through most it it....

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Evidence is one of those films that sounds better than it is.  I am not a massive fan of the whole found footage thing as most seem to follow the same story or such, but this seemed to be a bit more  original compared to the rest.  And it was different to a lot of found footage films, at a crash, no one one knows what has happened, so they turn to video cameras found there, and try and piece it together from those.  This is a great idea I thought, and especially as there were different video cameras, so meaning seeing the shots and such from different angles but only ever knowing as much as the confused police know.  To me, this is a great idea, and you didn't get stuck watching just one set or load of people, you could go between the police and the people who died - I was into this!  Until I actually started watching the film...

Yes, so all of my excitement in the above paragraph was before the film had even started or as it had just started - I did say I was into the story!  The film was okay, like it was nothing special, I say that because I really did not like the found footage parts.  It was all quite predictable and I hated the characters in the footage, they were just the most annoying people, and so damn cliche.  Every single woman in those scenes didn't seem to be able to look after themselves without screaming like a baby.  Which some would say is the realistic way of reacting to people dying around you or being chased by a killer - BUT STILL - it was so damn annoying!  You don't need them screaming every few minutes, at least if they are screaming through the whole thing, make it realistic and make them have a sore throat...  The police in the film were fine though - their scenes were less annoying and fine..
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I would sum this film up by saying this few words...I wound through to the end.  I just got bored of it but still wanted to know who did it.  The ending was actually good, it didn't make the film any better but it was a good ending! Shame about the rest really...
I won't say the ending as I don't want to ruin the best part of the film, just FYI.

Evidence really isn't that good, the ending was the best.. end of.

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    Meg

    Watching horror films since like 2003, when I could stand dead bodies.. 

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  • Home
  • The face behind the mask
  • Beware the Moon Reviews
  • Landis Tops
  • Puts You Off...
  • The Gory Bits and Bobs
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  • Campfire Podcast Stories
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