A Quiet Place Part II

After 2 tries (I walked out of a crowded theater yesterday) I have finally returned to the movies. Know your comfort level. I started where I left off. The last film I saw before lockdown was Portrait of a Lady on Fire at Mystic Luxury Theater. Today, 15 months later, I saw A Quiet Place Part II at Mystic Luxury Theater. There were a handful of people spread out around the theater, the film was great and I enjoyed a beverage and popcorn to make the experience complete. The staff seemed so happy to see people (tip your servers) and it just felt good. The film? A solid scary story. The less you know going in, the better. I got my share of jump-scares, monsters and rescues. It was a cool movie afternoon.

Spontaneous

The crazy events in Spontaneous seem to be a metaphor for what is going on inside the teen mind during pandemic. Ideas of uncertainty and death can weigh heavy on the mind. This is an unusual story with a lot of drama to struggle for survival and a little humor. Interesting film. 

The Rental

 As modern horror films go, The Rental is a good addition to the genre. Two couples rent a house for a weekend getaway and soon fall into issues of voyeurism and infidelity. The plausibility brings the scares, especially in the last half hour. Creepy rental that I liked.

The Ward

 In The Ward a young woman is institutionalized. In time, she experiences terrors. Are the experiences real, or are they supernatural. A decent thriller.

Relic

Generations are haunted in the film Relic. Is it a specter? Is it the house? Is it reality? Getting to the bottom of strange goings on is a good horror ride. Sometimes reality is more frightening than the supernatural.

Unhinged

In Unhinged overblown road rage goes down a violent road. With little motivation, a man wreaks bloody havoc. Anxiety plus. This was a very disturbing rental

Let's Scare Jessica to Death

A creepy thriller with a 70s vibe, Let's Scare Jessica to Death keeps you guessing what's real, what's not? The production design is cool. For some reason I was obsessed with the glass doorknobs. Good rental.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a great sci-fi, mystery horror film. What's in those pods? Well shot and oh that score. Great rental

The Spiral Staircase (1946)

Halloween season is the perfect time to watch The Spiral Staircase. Trapped in a house with a serial killer, a young woman is in peril. This is a perfectly crafted thriller. Great rental for this scary season.

Bug

The wild thriller Bug is a crazy ride through delusion, paranoia and conspiracy. Agnes: "I am the super Mother bug!" Cool film.

The People Under the Stairs

If you like something creepy with a touch of social justice check out The People Under the Stairs. Wes Craven takes us to a house and a hidden world that becomes an unexpected adventure to make things right. Well done.

Exeter

A supernatural horror film, Exeter, was made in RI at an alleged haunted site. Teenagers awaken the supernatural to a creepy effect. There are plenty of jump scares. This is a decent scary movie.

Ready or Not

I wasn't sure what to expect going into the film Ready or Not. I got a wild horror-thriller with great performances and a warped sense of family. Violent and dark with a bizarre ending. If you like horror this is a good rental.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Verdon

 Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Verdon is a crazy horror mockumentary with a classic cameo. Every trope is explored. Decent rental.

The Birds

I re-watched The Birds and was impressed with how this film holds up. The story is rather strange, but the quirky factors give a very disturbing situation a touch of charm. The production value is excellent. This film is dramatically shot. There is suspense and drama galore.I liked this film when I first saw it decades ago and I'm even more impressed with it now.

Black Christmas (2019)

When Black Christmas came out in theaters I did not have time to get to the theater. Sadly it didn't play long enough for me to catch it on a big screen. The benefit here, is that by renting, I could watch the film a few times...and I did. This stalker / slasher horror story is well told. The intricacies of the story were all made clear. I liked the performances and the way it was shot. Lindsey as a snow angel a pretty cool visual. This was a good rental for me.

The Invisible Man (2020)

A new take on domestic abuse is explored in The Invisible Man. I liked the use of technology in unraveling the mystery. The struggle for survival provides some great fight scenes. This is a solid thriller with some strong performances. I really liked this film.

Crawl

In the midst of a category 5 hurricane, in the movie Crawl, a young girl tries to find her father. As the water rises, it becomes apparent that the real threat are giant alligators. This story is so cheesy and far fetched, but interestingly works on a certain level. This is an OK monster / disaster movie.

Black Christmas (1974)

Waiting for the latest interpretation of Black Christmas, I decided to watch the original from 1974. This college girl stalker film is a horror classic set during the Christmas holiday break at a small college. Very well done for one of the earliest of the slasher film genre. The most impressive part of this film to me was the point of view. The performances from some very young actresses who would go on the big careers are excellent. This film is worth a look.

Dead Silence

The movie Dead Silence starts out as a creepy murder mystery, then becomes a ghost story. This is a very appropriate rental for this time of year. Good film.