WEEKEND WARNING: LIGHTS OUT

LIGHTS OUT
Warner Bros.
2016 Color
81 Mins.
Horror/Thriller
Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Billy Burke and Maria Bello star.
Written and Directed by David F.Sandberg
Rated PG-13 for language, violence and gore.

Tell me you've seen that horrific Lights out short, if not rush and watch it now before even continuing this review and than come back. I remember my reaction after initially seeing it for the first time. It was the stuff nightmares were made of but I never thought it would work as a feature length. I wasn't impressed at first with the generic trailer but as time went on. Some truly surprising and stellar reviews came out as well as some more intriguing trailers and I began to get a little more excited at the potential. Still despite the positive buzz I had an inkling that the stretched out version was just not gonna be very good.  Well I'm happy to say I was very wrong. Lights out is a solid, nightmare inducing genre entry. At first, the concept of the whole stay in the light thing may seem a tad bit too familiar (Darkness Falls, They, Darkness, etc.) but Writer/Director Sandberg, The man responsible for the brilliant short makes the proceedings feel fresh and terrifying. The setup is simple a sort of ghost/ demon who resides in darkness targets a family and begins wiping them out one at a time so it may survive. As the film moves along you discover that the spirit was a childhood friend of the mother's unwilling to let go and intent on destroying anything that would separate her from her friend. She ferociously attacks and taunts her targets in increasingly aggressive and horrific ways.

 Upon starting I found the film a little on the corny side with it's seemingly forced cheesetastic dialogue, but as things moved along it really began to open up and all those early scenes worked to enhance the film's overall presence. When shit gets real, the scares are very innovative and aplenty with a gorgeous use of light and shadows and some truly innovative ways on how the people are attacked and how they manage to escape. The story is a bit more fleshed out but I won't tell you anymore because I don't wanna spoil anything. What sets this film apart from other less successful concept efforts is that it approaches the material in a simplistic way, fear of the dark and exploits it. It also helps that the film is filled with impressive performances from Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Maria Bello and most impressively Teresa Palmer, a career high here and none of the characters are one dimensional.

 In fact they are all given a bit of heft so you care about them and what's going on. What could have been another generic throwaway genre flick instead has manifested itself as a truly unique horror effort. The film is of course very entertaining but what I found most effective is how like the recent film "the Babbadook" it works on multiple levels. I feel that it's quite obvious that the movie is about mental illness and the effects of it on the individual as well as their families and friends. Notice how the apparition only appears when the mother is at her worst, going through depression and such. That really gives the material some solid cinematic heft that separates it from the rest. The film is well rounded, taut, intense and well paced at a tight but perfectly fitted 81 mins. It never overstays it's welcome or ponders on trivial things too long. That being said there are some slight bits I had issue with, I found the background story of the film's villain to be a little on the silly side and the final reveal of the creature is a bit expected. Still Lights Out is the year's best horror flick and will find a long life span in the genre ruining kids childhoods and giving adults something to think about before turning those lights out. ****.25/5


Box Office prediction: With a phenomenal 80% positive out of 76 reviews the film should have some impact this weekend. However summer tends to be an overcrowded marketplace. Still I have faith that the film will benefit highly from solid word of mouth, much as The Shallows did  and stick around for a bit. And with only a mere 5 million dollar budget the film will be a solid win regardless.


$17 Million weekend $51 total


Check out the terrifying short below!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adap4rzlM2I

HORRORESQUE: INDEPENDENCE DAY-RESURGENCE

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE

Fox 2016 color 120 Mins. Sci/Fi-Action/Thriller

Liam Hemsowrth, Maika Monroe, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Sela Ward, William Finchtner, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Charlotte Gainsburg and Brent Spiner star.

Written by Nicholas Wright and James A. Woods

Directed by Rolland Emerich

Rated PG-13 for language, violence and adult themes.

Having recently endured the original Independence Day I found myself asking who in the hell wanted to see a sequel. Now 20 years later in an age where we continue to frown upon originality and cash in on unnecessary sequels, reboots and remakes. Here comes "Resurgence" a film that shouldn't work by any means but with the progress in special effects and the long uneven career of Emmerich works surprisingly well. Now I know there's a ton of bad buzz surrounding this thing and truth be told I really did go in with low expectations. But I really did enjoy the hell out of it. The film picks up 20 years after the original with pretty much all of the main returning cast members except for big Will. It focuses on Jeff Goldblum as well as the daughter of the president and the son of Will Smith's character and a few new recruits. In a surprisingly necessary spin the aliens have returned due to a distress call sent out so many years ago. And with advanced technology gained from the first invasion we have to defend our planet once again. Everything makes more sense this time around. The action is aplenty and quite spectacular. The cast may lack the pizzazz of Smith but many forget he wasn't the only one to make things work. Bill Pullman is once again impressive as the now Ex President, Jeff Goldblum and Judd Hirsch are equally as fun as Father and Son Levinson. And as for the new cast members sexy Liam Hemsworth is cocky and likable as Jake Morrisson, Jessie T. Usher is decent as Dylan Hiller and Sela Ward is solid as the president. Brent Spiner also returns as Dr. Brackish Okun waking out of a twenty year coma and in a true sign of the times to his husband. 

And this sequel really does show how much the world has changed since the original was released. Back than it was a surprise that an African american was the main character and could carry such a blockbuster. Now in 2016 this film is flooded with a much appreciated group of diverse characters not defined by their ethnic backgrounds or sexuality or orientation but by who they are. Male and female roles seem almost interchangeable and a big deal isn't made out of any of them. It's an inspired move by Emmerich. Brave and trailblazing in my humble opinion. As for the film there were so many things I really loved about it. I loved how An African tribe had engaged with the E.T's in guerrilla warfare for ten years after the events of the original discovering new more practical ways to destroy them or how the young men and women protecting our planet are orphans of the original attack. There's a lot of good ideas floating around here including one in which a friendly alien species wants to join with humans along with refugees from other civilizations that have been destroyed by our invaders. All in all it's a really fun blockbuster. Surprisingly well executed with a fare but not over abundance of cheese unlike the original. The film lacks a main character and most of the leads are given equal amounts of screen time because there is so much happening. Which both works in the film's favor and against it being that none of the characters are really developed enough to carry the film and that way we can get the best bits out of all of them. It all leads to one hell of a climactic battle with a queen Alien that plays out like the finale of Aliens on steroids. In the end it was really a sequel not many wanted but with that being said they have put together a film that feels surprisingly necessary and is a clear reflection of how far we've come in the cinematic sense as well as the movie's story line. ****.25/5

NEW BLOOD: GHOSTBUSTERS

GHOSTBUSTERS
SONY
2016 Color
116 Mins.
Horror/Comedy
Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Ed Begley Jr. and Zach Woods star.
Written by Paul Feig and Kate Dippold
Directed by Paul Feig
Rated PG-13 for language, violence and adult themes.

I was not really a fan of the Ghostbusters movies growing up. I liked them but preferred harder stuff like Evil Dead 2 and Dead Alive when it came to horror comedies. But after having recently revisited the original I don't now why. It's such a great movie that I now count amongst my favorites. I haven't been sure about the remake of Ghostbusters since the first trailer hit. It sounded like a good idea to revisit the concept with an all female cast and to be honest there were better cast members in the running like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone than who is in the final film. But when that first trailer hit the film just looked alright. And by no means did it deserve the feverish, sexist backlash it got. But as the film got closer to release and better trailers hit with a wave of positive buzz I began to look forward to see what they did with the material. Well I am happy to say that the final product is a very good one just not a great one which I'm sure at least partly has to due with the film trying to please everyone and never really finding it's own identity. Like the original the film centers on a group of characters researching the paranormal who come up against a ghostly invasion of sorts. But unlike that film it never seems to be grounded in any type of reality. What made that film work so well was how genuine the people in it felt. Here there are pretty much the same amount of misses as there are hits. Yes the special effects are spectacular especially in some of the best IMAX 3D  I've ever seen but the film lacks a bit of substance and heart. Now it seems like I am bashing this film and in truth I really am not. It's a very entertaining spectacle and has lots of hilarious moments and some truly inspired twists especially in the film's spectacular finale. But it just spends too much time trying to be what it's not and never finding out how great it could really be. As for the four ladies Wigg And McCarthy lead the troupe but could have used a bit more heft. Leslle Jones of course steals most of her scenes although her character hardly has any development and Kate McKinnon is mostly annoying and weird and she tries way to hard but does manage a moment or two.Truth be told Hemsworth end up being the real charmer here in a goofy performance as the ridiculously hot receptionist. In the end the film pales in comparison to the excellent original which it doesn't hold a candle to but it does manage to carve a big enough piece of it's own thing to be a truly entertaining summer hopefully blockbuster that will inspire better sequels that approach their subject matter in the less is more department. ***.5/5

NEW BLOOD: THE FUNHOUSE MASSACRE

THE FUNHOUSE MASSACRE
Petri/Scream/Shout 2015 color 90 Mins. Horror/Comedy Robert Englund, Clint Howard, Matt Angel, Courtney Gains, Mars Crain, Candice De Visser, Ben Begley, Michael Eric Reid, Leigh Parker Sebastian Siegel and Jere Burns star. 
Written by Ben Begley Directed by Andy Palmer.
Rated R for language, violence, gore, sexuality, nudity and drug use.

I've seen some mixed reception on this one from horror fans. And after seeing it, I can't understand why. Funhouse Massacre is a nasty little fright flick. It never tries to be anything more than what it is. It's sort of an homage to great slashers of yesteryear but more than that it's a welcome return to form for fun horror. Nowadays most genre films just take themselves way too seriously. The setup is simple a group of sadistic psychopaths are broken out of a mental ward and set up shop at a local scare attraction on Halloween highlighting their infamous crimes. Before you know it their killing spree begins in some innovative and delightfully gruesome ways from a trip to the dentist to taxidermy, a psychadelic funhouse walk and a nasty little day in school amongst others. 

. "Funhouse" feels like a lot of other movies from Texas Chainsaw to House of a 1000 Corpses to Night of the Demons to Scream and truth be told it does seem to borrow liberally from them and many others. But it is it's own thing altogether. My one complaint would be that they didn't really seem to develop any of the villains. They do have personalty and presence but lack the execution to be iconic. Not the same can be said for the victims which share a good amount of screen time individually and together and mostly play everything up for laughs. 

The movie is cleverly directed by Andy Palmer whom I hope will continue in the genre with more fun flicks and the screenplay by Ben Begley who also is Sheriff Doyle in the film is inspired  it's filled with lots of fun horror tropes and a few interesting spins on genre cliches. The gore is aplenty and looks good but never feels too realistic. The film smartly stays in the fun category amping up the entertainment value. It's packed with laughs, scares and lots of gory delights it may not have made the impact it deserved in it's initial release but will no doubt find a cult following. I myself am adding it to my ever growing rooster of annual Halloween horror flicks. Horror alum Robert Englund, Clint Howard and Courtney Gains show up for cameos and some standout members of the cast are the sexy and hilarious Matt Angel as Morgan, the gorgeous and funny Ben Begley as Sheriff Doyle and  the talented Renee Dorian as Laurie. And as for the villains who roam the funhouse walls Candice De Visser is fun as Dollface in her best Baby Firefly impression, Mars Crain is one hell of an intimidating presence as Rocco and the hunky Sebastian Siegel hams it up as the killer dentist Dr. Suave. 

Now if any of these things sound fun to you. You will enjoy the hell out of this film. However if you find yourself more a fan of serious horror steer clear because this attraction is not up your cinematic alley. It's a fun infectious horror romp that's worth the price of admission! ****.5/5

NEW BLOOD: PURGE ELECTION YEAR

PURGE: ELECTION YEAR

Universal 103 Mins. Horror/Action/Thriller Frank Grillo, Mykleti Williamson, Jospeh Julian Sorea, Betty Gabriel, Terry Serpico, Kyle Secor, Edwin Hodge and Elizabeth Mitchell star.

Written and Directed by James DeMonaco
Rated R for graphic violence, gore and strong language.

With each film creator James DeMonaco seems to be upping his ante in every way. From taking the simplistic setting of the original and approaching from an angle of the more privileged to making his way to the city during the purge and exploring it from the angle of the lower class and now this time we join Leo once again played the sexy, terrific Frank Grillo as he protects a presidential candidate on the infamous night who wants to stop the Purge all together. As we the audience have moved forward through each film the politics continue to infuriate us. And the film's take is a sort of vigilante execution as those who are deserving are punished in appropriate ways. Yes this time around there's more politics and they are more relevant than ever. But don't be mistakened the franchises trademark carnage is still present and in abundance more than ever.

The film's approach to characters who feel more stereotypical in fashion expand even more so in this one touching on the different types of personalities found in such a situation and how they would respond to it. From the desensitized youth, to blue collar business men protecting their storefronts, the overly wealthy indulging in their carnal desires and to the people fighting to make a real change. The film introduces a barrage of new memorable characters such as Joe Dixon a store owner who receives an insurance increase the day of the purge, His Assistant a new citizen working towards his dreams named Marcos , a former gangster reformed and trying to live the right way named Laney Rucker whose not afraid to get her hands dirty and a Senator fighting for the presidential nomination after her family was brutally murdered during the nightmarish night some years ago. The entry keeps the thrills coming aplenty and is filled with shocking, poignant visuals of the violent America. Most impressive is the film's conviction while keeping things flowing in a sometimes cheesy but always entertaining way. With this entry I do believe DeMonaco is further improving his approach notching down the intensity and over all power of the message he's relaying. That being said there's still no sobtly in these films and the approach seems ham fisted at times. But in the end, he has created a horrific universe indeed that symbolically is a reflection of our own. He urges viewers to take a side and fight along with the characters for real justice whether it be protecting your loved ones by any bloody means necessary to voting. I myself am really looking forward to the expected continuation of the franchise as the film's finale leaves it open for a really intriguing and terrifying journey ahead. ****.25/5

NEW BLOOD: THE NEON DEMON

THE NEON DEMON

Amazon 2016 Color 117 Mins.Horror/Thriller

Elle Fanning, Desmond Harrington, Keanu Reeves, Jena Malone, Christina Hendricks, Bella Heathcoat, Abbey Lee and Karl Glusman star.

Written and Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn

Rated R for Graphic Violence, Gore, Sexuality, language and Nudity.

I have so many thoughts about Neon Demon. It's the type of film that inspires conversations and analyzation. One that will surely do shitty business in it's initial release but over the years will gain a cult audience and become a midnight movie. It would be easy to dismiss it as a flashy failed attempt at Lynchesque cinema. But most of us cinephiles will find an experience rich in symbolism and doused in such a seductive, alluring visual intensity that it will plague our thoughts long after. The film centers on a young woman named Jesse played by Elle Fanning whose come to L.A. to be a model. She's a natural beauty that almost immediately finds success. While doing her first photo shoot with her disturbing but protective wannabe boyfriend Dean she meets a strange, aggressive makeup artist played by the ridiculously creepy Jena Malone. And after that she's taken to a strange party where she comes in contact with two other models. Gigi a young woman obsessed with perfecting herself through surgery and Sarah an insanely jealous young woman in constant fear of becoming irrelevant. We are also introduced to a slew of seemingly questionable characters like Desmond Harrington as a strange but successful photographer, Keanu Reeves as a threatening slime ball landlord, Christina Hendricks as an emotionless model agent and  a few others. The film transforms half way through changing from a pulpy melodrama to a vicious hallucinogenic nightmare. After those final gorgeous credits roll it will be automatic for most to assume that Refn's approach was primarily visual and lacked any real depth. But if you look a little closer it's hard to miss the fact that his approach mirrors the characters and their lives in the film. Sure the people seem to have very little personality and not a lot of depth but their motivations are simplistic. In that it seems as though the characters resemble symbols instead of actual people. Now after having read online about the film and collected my own thoughts. I found it interesting that the people throughout the film began to resemble sins to me. Jesse is innocent at first but eventually gives into pride. Jena Malone's character is lust because of her appetite and obsession with Jesse, Gigi is gluttony because she can't stop stuffing herself with enhanced features, Dean is envy because of his relationship with Jesse and Sarah played by Abbey Lee seems to resemble wrath .Now all of the characters embody most of these sins but their simplistic motivations felt ultimately singular to me in their individual representation. It's also extremely interesting that the film's title seems to mirror a sort of possession among the female characters. The neon representing the flash and seduction of the business and the demon representing what they become when obsessed with the singular notion of outward beauty and the world that worships it. I also felt like the film was symbolic in it's representations of animals and the predator/prey relationship. Jesse represents an exotic animal. Her character is seen in the presence of cougars and leopards where as Jena Malone and the other girls are seen in the presence of wolves. I think it's interesting that Jesse is a little bit of a loner whose fine with making it on her own but the others feel like a pack, hunting in a group led by Malone and only striking when their all together. And i feel it's also important to point out how when the film begins it seems that the men in Jesse's life are the most threatening the opening scene shows Dean in a creepy obsessive mode as he photographs her. Also the introduction of Harrington as the aggressive photographer who asks for a closed set and Reeves in everything he does. But as the film moves forward and the women around her get jealous and spiteful you begin to realize how much more threatening and terrifying they are. Because of their simplistic ambitions it's hard to know what lengths they will go to, to achieve their goal and by the end that becomes all the more obvious. I mean honestly if you want to approach the film from a more supernatural angle it feels as if though Jesse may be the dark presence shrouded in innocence that makes them all the worst versions of themselves. 

 Now Honestly I could definitely be reaching and most of my thoughts on the material could be coincidental. Regardless Neon demon is that kind of film. One that pulls you in, makes you feel a bunch of different shit and ultimately leaves you fucked up. Refn is in his top game here I wasn't a big fan of Drive and didn't see Only God Forgives but appreciated Drive's overly stylish execution. His masterful approach to the material seems to be taken from Lynch, Argento and Cronenberg but is all his own. " Neon" is a stylish nightmare flooded with immersive visuals and drenched in lush mood altering colors. The score is remarkably entrancing from Cliff Martinez and Natasha Baier deserves an oscar for her remarkable eye. The performances are mostly impressive with a solid turn from Fanning in the lead. She makes Jesse likable and innocent and easy to root for even after her dark transformation. Jena Malone is also impressive as Ruby giving her a predatory but protective air leaving you feeling confused and scared and Keanu Reeves does some of his best work in years in a short but unlikable and effective turn and most impressive is Abbey Lee as Sara. we see her run through a gauntlet of relatable emotions before they come to an unexpected, ugly head. In the end the film will be something different for everyone. It will undoubtedly divide audiences as it's done with the critics. But it's hard to deny the striking visual power and subtle nightmarish prowess the film possesses. And for me at least that is something very, very special. ****.5/5