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stevenhorr
Reviews
Night Swim (2024)
Terrible Writing
This movie began with some promise, but gradually dipped deeper and deeper into goofy dialogue, goofy effects, and overall goofiness. I like the odd campy, goofy horror movie, but only when the writer and director know how to do it! This movie made me laugh out loud for all the wrong reasons. The poor mom is so anxious and serious, the dad is possessed by muddy water from the drain, a bald obese thing lives at the bottom of the pool (along with the ghosts of a bunch of drowned people), people are possessed by muddy water, and seem to stay that way for many years, until brackish water starts coming out of their eyes and noses...
"Don't look back," dad says to his family before he swims into a fiery portal opening up in the pool, because IT (the evil water? Entity? Portal?) needs to take someone's life, and he readily trusts that IT will leave his family alone if he just swims on in there and dies.
It's a movie about a haunted pool. I suspected that it would be middling. But it wasn't. It was bad.
Forest of Death (2023)
Fun in Unexpected Ways
Joe rents a cabin to some young adults: an established couple and two tag-alongs that are obviously a "potential" couple. Joe's redneck son is found walking around out in the forest in the middle of the night, just feet away from a skin-walker, because his family has had livestock go missing. He lives half an hour away by car. Also, it is later revealed that a previous guest had been killed renting this same cabin in the past, but this is the first time it is being rented, according to its owner. A character brushes off the fact that his friend was in two places at once, even after Joe's son explains to him about the skin-walker! He still wants to stay and smoke blunts and drink beer non-stop, even though there is a "Winnebago" in the woods (that line got a hearty laugh out of me).
One cannot come into this with the same expectations one has for a reputedly scary movie, or even a horror comedy. Perhaps view it as a low-budget movie that your buddy from art school made. That's kind of what it felt like. I laughed a lot. Therefore, I had quite a bit of fun watching it. But surely not in ways intended.
Night's End (2022)
Fun Horror Flick
I honestly don't understand all of the low ratings. This was a fun little horror flick! The acting was great, the story was different, tye soundtrack was decent and somewhat nostalgic, and the ending was... well, unexpected. I love horror movies, and this one was a lot of fun to watch.
Sure, it is a bit campy at times. Sure, it goes a little over the top. And I wouldn't say it is "unintentionally funny", as another reviewer suggested. It is funny in the way many horror movies are, and I don't think this movie takes itself as seriously as it may seem at first. If you like horror movies and want a fun watch, give this one a shot.
Nefarious (2023)
Didn't Meet Expectations
I see a lot of 9 and 10 star reviews on here, and I am suspicious that these are primarily coming from religious people. I see the opposite, as well... 1 star reviews from atheists.
But as a movie itself, people's beliefs aside, I didn't find it to be very good. The actor representing the killer did a very good job. But aside from hos performance, I thought the movie was flat, boring, predictable, and yes, a little heavy-handedly religious. I usually love religiously themed horror, but this seemed less about horror and entertainment, and more about getting people back into the churches. Does the movie have an agenda? I suspect so. But even if it doesn't, it just isn't a great movie. It's mediocre as a horror, it's mediocre as a thriller, and it's mediocre as a religious movie.
Saint Maud (2019)
Brilliantly Unsettling
I went into Saint Maud having learned nothing about the film. I needed a half hour to process this movie on an emotional and intellectual level after viewing. This film speaks to the madness that sometimes accompanies religious thought, the fine line between being a visionary and a lunatic, and the importance of having psychological and spiritual guidance when undertaking any kind of "religious" calling or deeply psychological inner exploring. It also speaks to the importance for us to check in on the more eccentric, lonely, and mentally vulnerable in our communities.
Haunted (2018)
Great Show
Season Three is absolutely fantastic. People giving this a 1/10 should not be reviewing anything. Did this stuff really happen? Who cares?! It's entertainment, and excellent entertainment at that. If you enjoy these kinds of shows, this is probably the best one I have seen. The special effects are mostly excellent. And the interviews add gravity and a sense of reality to the stories. 9/10. Great show!
Sator (2019)
Slow Horror Art
I love slow and atmospheric horrors but this one fell a little below expectations. I was very impressed by the overall mood and many of the ambient scenes. Beautiful to look at. Effectively creepy. But the characters were so slow and self-reflective that I didn't find them believable. And I rarely understood what was going on or why. Maybe a second viewing will reveal some of its secrets.
The Banishing (2020)
Slow, Atmospheric, Fairly Effective
If you like a slow, historical ghost story, you'll like this one. The plot is fairly predictable and many of the old haunted house tropes are here. But the score is great, the acting well done, the atmosphere effectively eerie, and it offers up a few creepy scares.
The Sinner (2017)
Season 3 is Heavy
And yes, rather unbelievable. Plenty of weak spots in the plot but I found Season 3 to reach rather effectively into the existential dread that sensitive and deep thinking people experience regularly. Great acting. I wanted to give Season 3 a good review because I thought it was very good and had a painful and dark conclusion worthy of more than the paltry 5.7 ending the last episode has garnered so far. All seasons recommended.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
One of my faves
In 1977, I watched A New Hope as a five year old. The Star Wars mythos had me in its grip from the beginning. Now with my 9 year old son we are watching all of the movies in the release order. We just finished watching The Force Awakens. I see all of these negative reviews for the latest movies so I had to add a positive one. It seems like knocking the new Star Wars movies has become trendy like hating Nickelback (although I DO hate Nickelback)!
Unlike the first 3 episodes (4th to 6th releases), these provide the comic relief of the originals, even more so. The characters aren't terribly believable, but they at least HAVE character, something the characters in episodes 1,2, and 3 often tended to lack. This movie is a lot of fun, although the plot isn't terribly believable. They are fantasy movies, for crying out loud. If you want realism, watch something else.
Ren is a superb villain because he is conflicted, unstable, and immature. Rey is dynamite. This movie had more than enough throwback nostalgia to appeal to lovers of the original movies, but enough fresh material, not to mention set, ship, and creature design, to avoid redundancy. This was the most visually attractive Star Wars I've seen, although we have two more to watch. And the classic score is there, at least elements of it!
If you want A New Hope all over again, you might be disappointed. If you want something completely original, you may feel unfulfilled by this entry. If you want something realistic with fully believable characters and coincidences, you'll likely be disappointed. If you love the things that I love about the franchise - amazing design, thrilling battles, a scifi fantasy escape from humdrum reality, and a magical mythology based on good versus evil - you'll love this movie.
Ghostland (2018)
Psych Horror Masterpiece
Brilliant, disturbing, creepy, uncomfortable horror gem. Superb acting and soundtrack. Extremely effective movie. It ruined my day and made my day at the same time!
NOS4A2 (2019)
Great Acting and Plot
I did not read the book. I enjoyed this series very much. The actress who played Vic McQueen was excellent. The pacing is good. The story is fun, twisted, and dark, with lots of relationship drama. Good series!
Marianne (2019)
Unique Gripping Horror Series
The first episode was as frightening as I have seen from any horror show. I felt that the creepiness of that episode was hard to beat, but there were enough chills and thrills throughout the series to satisfy horror buffs. Some of the dialogue between characters was occasionally a bit comical in what I felt to be unfitting for the tone of the show, but in the end, the quirky friendship scenes proved to be integral to the story. The cinematography was outstanding. The score was brilliant, if occasionally a bit too hip or arty for my tastes. The acting was excellent. The pacing was decent except for a few lulls here and there. The storyline was quite original and a lot of fun, if you enjoy a good horror story, that is. All in all, this is a great and worthwhile dramatic horror series to binge over a couple cool fall evenings.
Terrifier (2016)
Art is the New Boogeyman
This movie is twisted, creepy, over the top, cringey, gory, and at times funny. When I was a kid, watching Halloween or Friday the 13th gave me a similar thrill as Terrifier does now. Art the Clown is bigger than life and badder than the devil. Good fun for horror buffs and a real low budget gem of a slasher film.
Black Summer (2019)
Fun and Intense
This a fun, fast, and very intense show. This is not The Walking Dead, while of course it has some similarities to it (such as ZOMBIES)! This series feels more realistic, the dangers feel more immediate and the moral decision making more urgent.
The Boys (2019)
Brilliant, dark, addictive
Ok, maybe I am gushing a bit with a 10 out of 10 rating. But this show is absolutely brilliant, dark, addictive, and totally fresh. It has been a long time since I last binge watched a show like an addict, since Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Killing, Madmen, etc. It is genius on all levels: character development, acting, tension, intrigue, suspense, originality, and yes, occasionally filthy, black, and brilliant laugh out loud comedy. This is a great study of good, evil, and the human condition... and more specifically, the corporate American human condition. I have been loving every minute of it. Highly recommended.
Slasher (2016)
Great show for genre fans
If the name says anything, it should tell you whether or not this show is for you. It's over the top gory and at times silly but without sacrificing good acting, gripping story lines, and cinematography. Not brilliant, but a lot of fun. Highly recommended.
Chambers (2019)
The person who said that "the people who gave this good reviews are high" must be drunk!
I feel like the person who wrote that the people who gave this show good reviews are high should maybe put down the bottle of wine for awhile. This show was by no means perfect. But it was good! It reminded me a little of Rosemary's Baby or Hereditary. The acting was great. The twists were well-crafted. And it is dark without being distasteful. If you like good, slow, psychological horror and suspense, with some supernatural elements, I must recommend Chambers.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
Original and Effective
For me, this style of story telling fits perfectly with the Ted Bundy story. I would recommend watching the Netflix documentary series first, as I did, to understand the severity of the crimes Bundy committed and to have background information regarding his court case fresh in your memory. This new movie account is from an interesting, more subtle, and valuable perspective, that of the lovers of Bundy. Efron does an amazing job of playing Bundy. He is more attractive and charming than Bundy was in real life, but this works to emphasize the charm, intelligence, and charisma that Bundy regularly employed to manipulate people. The acting is superb. It is a tremendous performance piece. Well worth the watch. This is recommended viewing, especially if you are interested in psychopaths and the lengths they will go to deceive, manipulate, and have godlike control over others.