Tag: Horror

REVIEW: After strong start, ‘Maxxxine’ loses moxie in third act

After a trip to the past in “Pearl,” the “X” series has gone back to the present, which for the franchise’s characters, is the 1980s.

“MaXXXine” is set in 1985, with its titular character trying to make it in Hollywood after the events of the film “X,” which took place in 1979. With the stage name Maxine Minx, the protagonist (Mia Goth) is an adult film star who gets a chance at the studio system via a role in a horror flick.

It’s a dangerous time for women in Los Angeles, though, as the Night Stalker murders have recently been taking place. It only gets more dangerous for Maxine, when a mysterious person with knowledge of 79 begins stalking her, leaving dead bodies in their wake.

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REVIEW: Vampiric flick ‘Abigail’ is just average

Spring is apparently the new spooky season because this vampire flick is the latest in a string of horror releases over the last few weeks.

The most recent in the genre to hit theaters stars Melissa Barrera as Joey, one of six criminals looking to pull off a kidnapping for ransom. The job is to abduct a young ballet dancer, Abigail (Alisha Weir), who’s the daughter of a wealthy and powerful, but mysterious figure.

Others on the team include former detective Frank (Dan Stevens), a hacker in Sammy (Kathryn Newton), a getaway driver named Dean (Angus Cloud), weapons expert Rickles (Will Catlett) and a mob enforcer with Peter (Kevin Durand). However, what they don’t know is that they’ve kidnapped a vampire.

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REVIEW: ‘The First Omen’ is fine, but not phenomenal

There are a few directions a classic horror film can go to build a franchise. One is a series of sequels, another is a remake, and a third option is a prequel. “The Omen” has already done the first two, so a prequel it is.

“The First Omen” is set in 1971, five years before the events of the original 1976 film. The movie centers on Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free), an American woman who arrives in Italy to take her vows and become a nun. While she’s initially eager about the opportunity, she slowly becomes wary.

She starts to see suspicious and disturbing things taking place at the religious orphanage and church she lives at, and it becomes more frequent. Her fears are only heightened when she receives a dire warning from the priest Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson).

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REVIEW: ‘Late Night With Devil’ is a solid spin on found footage horror

If this movie was real, I feel like the host would definitely be invited on Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell in the 90s to talk about his experience.

The film centers on Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian), the host of a late-night talk show. His series has its fans and is mostly well received, but always comes in second to the classic king of late-night, Johnny Carson. Stuck with declining ratings and a personal tragedy, Delroy is looking for a turnaround.

He decides he needs to do something big for the Halloween special of his show. The solution is inviting a teenage girl on his show who could possibly be possessed by a demon, among other guests. From there, what begins as a fun night of evening television turns into something terrifying.

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REVIEW: Despite issues, ‘Immaculate’ has good horror intensity

Sometimes, it’s better to just stay in Detroit.

The protagonist of “Immaculate” is Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney), a young woman from Michigan who finds herself in Italy. A nun, Cecilia has journeyed to Europe after receiving an invitation to join a remote convent where sisters are given end-of-life care. It’s difficult work, but driven by religious duty, she embraces it.

Her routine of devoted service is interrupted, though, when she becomes pregnant, despite being a virgin. She is then treated by the convent as if she is the next Virgin Mary. Already uneasy over the attention, the situation turns more dire as Cecilia notices dark and nefarious activity by convent leaders.

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REVIEW: ‘Imaginary’ has insufficient scares

Blumhouse Productions, the gift that keeps on giving. Sometimes you get something fun like “M3gan,” other times you get “Imaginary.”

The latest film from the horror-centric studio centers on Jessica (DeWanda Wise), an accomplished children’s book author. The film picks up with her and her husband (Tom Payne), as well as her step-children Alice (Pyper Braun) and Taylor (Taegen Burns) moving into her childhood home.

Taylor isn’t a fan at all of her stepmom but Alice seems to be OK and starts adjusting to the new house thanks to a teddy bear she finds in the basement. However, it soon becomes clear that the bear is attached to a dark spirit related to Jessica’s own past.

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REVIEW: Don’t bother with a dip, ‘Night Swim’ is a skip

A film from Blumhouse Productions kicked off both 2023 and 2024. The difference is that “M3gan” was a much better experience than “Night Swim.”

The new horror stars Kerry Condon and Wyatt Russell as Eve and Ray Waller, who begin the movie in the market for a new house. Their search for a new home comes after Ray had to retire from Major League Baseball due to an illness.

The home they end up buying appears to be a great fit, as the pool in the backyard will be helpful for Ray’s physical therapy. Things at the new home start off well enough, with the family of four enjoying the luxury of having a pool. However, creepy things begin happening and paranormal sights are seen.

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REVIEW: Slasher fans will be thankful for Thanksgiving’

The Macy’s parade, turkey, football, and this year, a slasher movie.

In this new seasonal horror flick, inspired by a fake trailer made for the 2007 “Grindhouse” films, a killer is on the loose in a small Massachusetts town. The slayings get underway a year after a deadly riot broke out at the local super market during a massive Black Friday deal.

In the present, whoever is doing the killings appears to be going after those who were responsible for the riot. That puts a target on the back of Jessica (Nell Verlaque), a high schooler and daughter of the store owner, who was there that night with her friends.

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REVIEW: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ squanders fun concept

It’s a tale as old as time, or at least as old as the early 90s. A concept works quite well as a video game, but doesn’t quite translate well to film.

The latest example is “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” a horror game franchise with a lot of popularity that has been made into a movie. The film stars Josh Hutcherson as Mike, who has to spend his nights at Freddy’s, a defunct brand similar to Chuck E Cheese, known for its animatronic mascots.

His stay there is out of desperation, as the security guard role at the dilapidated family restaurant is the only job he can get, and he needs it to continue being a guardian to his sister Abby (Piper Rubio). As Mike soon learns, working at the property can be rather creepy, as it has a dark history that lives on through the seemingly shut down animatronic animals.

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Adventures in B-Movie Horror 2023: ‘Intruder’ and ‘Death Mask’

The weather outside is frightful here in Minnesota, and unfortunately, it’s not because of Halloween.

No, instead this state has provided us here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes with some wintry snow and ice on this spooky day. However, it is still Oct. 31, meaning it’s still Halloween, and it’s time for another Adventure in B-Movies, snow be damned.

This year I checked out a pair of low budget scary pictures. A slasher from the 80s and a paranormal horror from the 90s. Continue reading “Adventures in B-Movie Horror 2023: ‘Intruder’ and ‘Death Mask’”