Horror Movie Talk

This week we watched The Wicker Man (1973) which can be found streaming on Netflix, and it lives up to the hype. On this episode, we are joined by Ben Warrington with his recommendations for movies to stream during quarantine, and we also read comments and questions from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Synopsis The Wicker Man is about a wicker man. No, it’s actually about a scottish constable, Sargeant Neil Howie, played by Edward Woodward who is called to investigate the disappearance of a little girl off of the secretive and secluded Island SummerIsle. The main thing that you need to know about Sargeant Howie is that he is tired of your shit. The main thing you need to know about SummerIsle is that this Island Fucks. The Wicker Man Poster As Sergeant Howie investigates the disappearance of Rowan Morrison, it becomes quickly apparent that the islanders are not to be trusted. They have shifty eyes from the outset, and even worse, they are Pagans! The devout Christian Sergeant Howie is ill equipped to face the strange rituals and attitudes found to be taught and practiced on the island. These blasphemous rituals include singing and dancing around the maypole and … premarital sex! Blasphemers! As the mystery of the missing girl gets unraveled, Howie learns about the agrarian origins of the island and its reliance on the old gods to provide a plentiful harvest. Sometimes the old gods demand sacrifice. Just sayin. https://youtu.be/a-tDnavDCwI Review The Wicker Man focuses on the true horror, feeling uncomfortable around weird people. This movie is a classic for a reason, it is very discombobulating, and you experience the confusion that Sargeant Howie does. Anyone with a conservative christian upbringing might not have as extreme reaction to the Paganism as Howie, but the feeling of discomfort about sex and blasphemy is probably familiar. The darkness at the root of this island is felt throughout, but isn’t overt. Mostly it’s a feeling of being toyed with and mocked. The island is like a bunch of Mean Girls. The enduring legacy of the film is it’s conclusion and I don’t want to spoil it for those that haven’t seen it. All I can say is it made me feel lots of emotions, almost like a religious experience Score 10/10 The Wicker Man (1973) Add the Blu ray to your collection or stream it right now Buy/Rent on Amazon Spoilers Expand for Spoilers I pretty much knew the plot of the Wicker Man from the Radiohead music video for Burn The Witch, and also heard that the ending of Midsommar was very similar, but I was genuinely effected by the ending of The Wicker Man. https://youtu.be/yI2oS2hoL0k This music video is based on The Wicker Man. There are spoilers. The pacing of the film really lulls you into a false sense of security. You know pretty much from the get go that these islanders are acting suspicious, but the immediate conclusion is that they are covering for someone in the village that commited the murder. However, as we see the islanders, especially the landlords daughter Willow, continue to fuck with him, it seems like there might be a larger conspiracy. Along the way, there is enough clues revealed, that it feels like the secret is that Rowan is alive and going to be sacrificed. I’d let her fuck with me… The conclusion arrives, and it is revealed that Sargent Howie was the target all along. They had specifically researched him and identified him as the ideal sacrifice to the gods for a plentiful harvest. He was: An Adult Male A Virgin He comes with the power of a king in that he is a police officer He is a Christian He is a fool When it is revealed that the method of sacrifice is to have Howie burned alive in a wicker man, it is genuinely terrifying. The camera stays with Howie as he sees the fire licking up at him in his final moments. It was deeply affecting. Imagine this is the last thing you see before you die. Final Recommendations If you want to delve into the classics, I would definitely add this to the list. If you watched Midsommar and want more of that. Videos Mentioned in This Episode https://youtu.be/4m2WutlqBk0 Wayne, were you ever attracted to Christopher Lee in drag? https://youtu.be/SHcsubkm0tg New intro song be like…

We watched The Platform on Netflix with a bunch of HMT fans over the Chrome Netflix Party extension and boy, I love this movie! While I am certain that lots of purists will debate whether this is horror or not, I assure you, it’s worth the watch and will definitely find some way to make your skin crawl. The timing of this release makes me wonder if Netflix has a bunch of totally apropos titles just waiting in the wings to be released whenever they are most relevant.  @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. The Platform Synopsis The Platform is about a prison called the pit where there are three kinds of people; the ones above, the ones below, and the ones who fall. This is a twisted place where every cell contains two people and is stacked on top of a seemingly endless column of other cells.  https://youtu.be/6gVAIx7OeyI Every day there is a massive banquet comprised of everyone in the prison’s favorite dish. This banquet contains enough calories for everyone in the pit to survive. The catch is the banquet is placed on a platform that stops at every cell for a short time, and it starts at the top and works its way down. Some prisoners are there by choice, some are there because of a crime, but there seems to be a promise that is made to all of them upon entry into the pit – if you do your time and make it out, you will be granted increased social standing.  Our protagonist is a man called Goreng (Ivan Massagué), who spends time with several of the inmates of the pit. As he learns the ropes, he also seems to take issue with the inherent societal problems that it represents: greed and desperation. The Platform REVIEW The Platform is a Spanish film by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, and it’s one of the most unique ideas that I’ve seen put to the screen since Cube.  Watch Cube on Amazon The spiritual predecessor to The Platform Click Here to Watch The minimal but rigid design of the pit echos in the sci-fi dystopian walls of the film itself. You know the sick and twisted world that lay in the basement of Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs? That terrifying and perverse reality that we like to forget exists in the real world? That feeling is magnified in The Platform and made the subject of the entire movie.  MMM, tastes like class oppression! To make it even more hard-hitting, The Platform is clearly a commentary on humans and society today. While it’s hard to draw many direct analogies with the real world, the standout one seems to be human nature and the greed inherent therein. The Platform is not without hope, but it is chock-full of extreme violence, imagery, and ideas that make this a real stomach turner.   This movie stays with me, and I wouldn’t mind watching it again. It doesn’t hold your hand, and there is clearly a lot of theorizing that one can do to try and determine the symbology and lessons within.  Score for The Platform 9/10 Spoilers The Platform does a lot of things right. It maintains mystery, drama, tension, and is clearly meant to stand for something. Anything that you might be interested in, this movie probably touches on it. On top of all of that, it doesn’t hold your hand, leaving you free to interpret it’s message or take it at face value. ECHO, ECho, echo In favor of spoiling the movie point by point, I will instead share with you a few basic premises of this movie that I find the most relevant and exciting. The Rules of The Pit The prison known as “the pit” is a mostly lawless place with a few given rules. They are as follows: Some prisoners have opted in, others are being punished, but upon serving your time in the pit, you will be granted elevated social status. Everyone is allowed to bring one item with them to the pit. The platform contains everyone within the prison’s favorite meal made to perfect standards. The platform arrives on each level containing a live person once a day for some short amount of time. Each set of prisoners spend one month on the level that they are randomly assigned. If you lose your cellmate, you will be given another upon placement next month. At the end of a month, all prisoners are put to sleep by gas and placed, randomly on a new level. Anything goes within the pit. There is no law or order that can be broken. If you try to hold on to food for later, the temperature of your cell will be raised or lowered until your death. The Meaning of The Platform I really enjoy movies that clearly have a purpose or message, and that purpose or message is left somewhat obscured. I won’t tell you what it means because I don’t know for sure. I will tell you what it could mean. Hell Allegory There is an obvious allusion to the pit being hell because there are 333 cells within it, which means there are 666 prisoners. Besides, it’s just about as hellish as you can imagine, especially on the lower levels, which seems like a nod to Dante’s Inferno. At the very least it’s some sort of purgatory, where people do their time and wait for judgement. At the worst it means torture and death. Even living can mean hellish conditions like someone keeping you alive to feast on you gradually to make sure your flesh doesn’t spoil as quickly. Socio-Economic Allegory Goreng decides to bring a book with him to the pit, but not just any book. He brings Don Quixote, a book whose main character is a proponent of equal rights. This is interesting because everyone’s rights within the pit are equal, but that doesn’t mean everyone will be happy about it. Equal rights and equal outcomes are different beasts, and here equal outcomes are not law. It’s clear that The Platform is meant to be a commentary on capitalism. Capitalism is an interesting beast because it allows you to succeed or fail, but guarantees nothing. Capitalism doesn’t play favorites, so many end up losing. Final Recommendation If you are a fan of psychological horror or Cube, you will enjoy this movie as long as you have a strong stomach. It’s not gore-porn, but there are disturbing concepts throughout. I had a blast watching this, and the dubbing didn’t bother me one bit.

Magnus, one of our longest listeners has consistently asked us to review The Bye Bye Man. So this is his fault. Because of social distancing measures and out of an abundance of caution, Me and David recorded our thoughts on The Bye Bye Man separately. Stay safe out there. Artwork by @dgoebel00 on instagram. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/ZGdOnCiQRpQ The Bye Bye Man Synopsis The Bye Bye Man is about a Bye Bye Man. A reverse three’s company of two guys and a girl move into a house together and one of them discovers a dresser with disturbing scribbling on the inside that repeats the phrase “Don’t think it, don’t say it.” When he rips out the drawer liner, underneath is written the words “The Bye Bye Man”. Turns out he thinks it and says it. WACKY HIJINKS ENSUE. Bryce’s Review This movie is bad. We knew it would be bad going in, but ugh, it was rough anyway. The major flaw in this movie is that the writers were so enamoured with the concept of “Don’t think it, Don’t say it” that they forgot to include an actual plot in the movie. The film is actually based on a really badass sounding urban legend. The original story had a much more complex mythology for the Bye Bye Man: He was an albino born in New Orleans in 1912 who ran away as a child and became a derelict who lived in a train yard. After going blind he began murdering people and cutting out their eyes and tongues, which he sewed together and brought to life using voodoo. The resultant creature became the Bye Bye Man’s literal seeing-eye dog, helping him hunt his prey. Several elements from the story- notably the dog and the motif of trains– were retained for the movie, though their purpose is left undefined. So much so, that if you only watch the Bye Bye Man, your only knowledge of him will be that: He exists, and He’s bad. Bryce’s Score for The Bye Bye Man 2/10 Watch The Bye Bye Man The Bye Bye Man is streaming on Netflix, but is also available to rent or buy on Amazon. The Bye Bye Man Add the Blu ray to your collection or stream it right now Buy/Rent on Amazon

The Bye Bye Man. What can be said about this extremely average film? Maybe you shouldn’t see it or think about it, but in all honesty, if you have some family that likes bad slashers, you should probably see this film on Netflix right now. https://youtu.be/ZGdOnCiQRpQ The Bye Bye Man is an average slasher that features a bad guy who is an amalgam of The Candyman and Freddy Kruger. This isn’t one of our normal reviews as Bryce and I have been forced to record two separate podcasts due to the quarantine. Check out Bryce’s episode here. Score for The Bye Bye Man 5/10 The Bye Bye Man Add the Blu ray to your collection or stream it right now Buy/Rent on Amazon

We watched The Taking of Deborah Logan on Shudder because right now, this virus is threatening all of our old people. I have to say, while my initial first watch impressions of this movie were much better, this is still a solid horror movie about the compelling topic of old people gone crazy. Sorry for the artwork. Dustin Goebel, our normal artist has had a lot of instability with this whole virus thing, so he had to take a break this week. This picture is courtesy of an art staffing agency, a man named Ben B. drew this….thanks Ben.. https://youtu.be/DnZNojsjlQM Help Your Local Theater Through the Shutdown! Cinema 21 in Portland, OR needs your help. They offer a bevvy of wonderful snacks and beers for you to enjoy while seeing reasonably priced entertainment. In the time of the virus, it’s important that we help our community stay together, so please, consider buying a gift card from Cinema 21 in one of the links below. $10 Gift Card $25 Gift Card $50 Gift Card $100 Gift Card The Taking of Deborah Logan Synopsis This is a 2014 film by director Adam Robitel who brought us Insidious: The Last Key and Escape Room. A film crew shows up to Deborah Logan’s (Jill Larson) house where she and her daughter, Sarah Logan (Anne Ramsay) still live. The setting is very East Coast rural, and there is only Harris (Ryan Cutrona), the groundskeeper who hangs around to help Sarah and Deborah. Watch The Taking of Deborah Logan Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch The film crew is there to document Deborah’s descent into Alzheimers. The agreement is that the crew gets to make Deborah the focus of their documentary, and they will pay handsomely for that privilege. Sarah realizes that they need the money if Deborah is going to continue living and maintaining this home, but Deborah is private and would rather the crew not be there. As the days progress, disturbing signs of Deborah’s mental health quickly arise and give way to questions about whether this is the signs of a degenerative aging disease, or whether it’s something else. There are lots of signs of cult activity surrounding Deborah and her life of secrets as the town’s original telephone switchboard operator, but how much of it is nonsense, and how much is real. In the end, Sarah and the film crew end up with more Deborah than they bargained for. The Taking of Deborah Logan Review The Taking of Deborah Logan is a bit of an odd duckling on my second viewing. On my first viewing, I was so struck by the pacing and shocking nature of the visuals that I overlooked some of the film’s more problematic issues.  Don’t get me wrong, this film can almost stand on it’s disturbing scenes and tension built cleverly around a very real issue that many people have to face. But the wires begin to show a bit on a second viewing when you aren’t dazzled by the initial shocks in The Taking of Deborah Logan. I feel like a lot of the camera work for the documentary is extraneous, but not in a good way. Paranormal Activity 2 is a shining example of extraneous footage that works to build tension, but Deborah had a hodgepodge of silly angles and shaky cam footage that didn’t work in favor of the movie. That said, I really love this movie! The imagery, the cult aspect, the old person who can’t be controlled – It’s great. The execution of the whole thing is pretty darn good too. The pacing is really what makes this movie a must-see because it’s so fast that there is never a chance to get bored.  Did I mention the impressive and shocking imagery? Score 8/10 Spoilers This film is about Deborah’s descent into a weird kind of cult possession. It starts out looking like Deb just has some severe form of Alzheimer’s, but ends up looking like she is a snake possessed by Desjardin’s ghost. So… pretty typical. Deborah Logan before snake cult photo Deborah Logan after snake cult photo In seriousness, the real spoilers here are that Deborah was the town switchboard operator for a long time. This required her to keep a lot of secrets for a lot of people or risk losing their business. One of the secrets that she was required to keep was of a dying man named Henry Desjardins, who, in an effort to gain immortality began sacrificing virgins on the date of their first menses. Again, pretty typical stuff. Desjardins got 4 of the 5 virgins he needed to complete his pentagram shaped ode to the serpent cult before he bit the big one. But it was Deborah who made sure that Desjardins didn’t accomplish his goal. She stopped him the only way she knew how; the old fashioned killing him method. His 4 out of 5 virgins did get him a pretty potent ghost form that allowed him to possess and severely mess up Deb in her later years. Deborah Logan says, “Get off my lawn” In the end, Desjardins was driven from Deborah when they burned his remains, freeing her from his serpent ghost grasp. The imagery at the end of this movie is some of the best and most shocking I’ve ever seen. It has stuck with me for years, and I love it for this. Final Recommendation See this film if you enjoy found footage. See The Taking of Deborah Logan if you enjoy hard horror.

Wrong Turn is a blast from the past, but was it a blast to watch it? Eh. It is what it is. It’s a guilty pleasure horror movie that features psychotic inbred mountain men. If that sounds like your bag, give it a watch. Regardless, listen to our review, because we probably had more fun reviewing it than watching it. Artwork by @dgoebel00 on instagram. Follow him and check out his website. Wrong Turn Poster Wrong Turn Synopsis The synopsis is simple. A group of random people in their early twenties are attacked by inbred homicidal mountain men. Some of them have paint by numbers backstories and archetypes, really their purpose and motivation is to be fodder for a slasher. Everyone that you think will die dies, and everyone that you think will survive survives. Review Wrong Turn came out in 2003 and I genuinely forgot how long ago that was. Nokia phones, bare midriffs on women, and pooka shells on men. It was a simpler time. And this is a simple movie to match it. This is a good old fashioned, dumb slasher. The only unique twist on the generic formula is that the antagonists are a family of inbred homicidal hicks. Oh wait, that’s not unique, that’s a rip off of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Whatever, who cares, the people that want to watch slashers just want to see people getting chased and cut up. In that respect, this movie excels, because that’s basically all that happens. People get chased and cut up. Rinse and repeat. Score for Wrong Turn 5/10 Wrong Turn Add the Blu ray to your collection or stream it right now Buy/Rent on Amazon Spoilers Expand for spoilers There really isn’t much to spoil. This is a highly predictable slasher, and everyone that you expect to die, dies. What next? If you are in the mood for another slasher, you can’t do better than Sleepaway Camp.

We rented The Exorcism of Emily Rose on Amazon, and while Bryce couldn’t seem to stay awake, I was reminded of one of my favorite possession movies ever made. This was a Patreon pick of the month, and they voted on it, so we reviewed it. Synopsis of The Exorcism of Emily Rose The Exorcism of Emily Rose is directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister) and is the story of a court case where The People are prosecuting Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) for the negligent homicide of Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter). Good news for Father Moore, Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) is on the case. https://youtu.be/cmLfRVVRbmg As we are walked through the trial, we get glimpses into the hellish end of days that made up Emily’s life. She was a deeply devout catholic girl in a deeply devout catholic family, and that never seems to be a good combination in possession movies.  Watch The Exorcism of Emily Rose Watch on Amazon Click to Watch The defender of The People is Ethan Thomas (Campbell Scott), and he makes the claims that Emily was epileptic and psychotic, which could have been treated medically.  Erin has to come to terms with her own lack of faith to depict this priest in the light of his intentions and the reality that the possession was real, and the exorcism was vital to save Emily from the devil. Review of The Exorcism of Emily Rose The Exorcism of Emily Rose is an interesting and well-executed movie that really floored me the first time I watched it several years after it’s 2005 release. I’ve seen it a handful of times since then, and it continues to be compelling to watch. The visuals in this movie work best on the first go-around, so it didn’t have the same disturbing impact on me this time as it did my first viewing. I appreciate the new twist on an old classic – being told from the perspective of the homicide case made it much less of a movie about possession and much more of a movie about faith and religion. The Defense attorney had her own brushes with the demonic during her trial, which gave the movie stakes in the present. This movie respects the audience and shows a lot of restraint in favor of fewer terrifying moments. The result is that these very disturbing scenes have a heavier impact. I’m a sucker for a well-made possession movie, and this is exactly that. Score 8/10 Spoilers for The Exorcism of Emily Rose This starts with a great ambiance shot of a dreary farm-house in a mist-covered field. A medical examiner shows up to find Emily deceased, surrounded by her family, and in horrific condition. He can’t conclusively say that the cause of death is natural, which makes a great allusion, not only to murder but to the possibility of satanic possession. How’s eating bug for ambiance? The Religion/Science Dichotomy The Exorcism of Emily Rose asks the interesting question of, “What is possession, real or explained away with mental health diagnoses?” I love the way this movie tackles that question. First, from the side of the Prosecution (science), then from the side of the Defense (religion). Many times we will see Emily acting possessed, and horrible things will happen to her that appear to be because of the supernatural. For example, she will be out in the field in the throws of possession, and stigmata will appear on her hands. When viewed from the side of the Defense telling the account, it will appear as it the mark on her hands show up without any outside influence. When viewed from the side of the Prosecution, it shows that Emily grabs tightly onto a barbwire fence, producing the wounds in the palm of each hand. Ouch! I enjoy the way this movie walks the line between religion and science – never tainting the audience with a “true” fact one way or the other. The Exorcism We only get to see bits and pieces of the actual exorcism of Emily, but what we do see is harrowing. The actual (real-life) exorcism of Emily Rose (a girl named Anneliese Michel) included 67 exorcism attempts. One of the best parts of the movie is when we learn that Emily has not one, but six demons residing in her. I really can’t explain this and do it justice, so check out this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvTVqWhssoM The Verdict As the trial draws to a close, we get to see the closing arguments made by both sides. The Prosecution makes the case that this poor girl died a horrible wasting death while in the care of Father Moore. The Defense makes a great closing statement. If you scroll up to the top of this page and listen to our podcast episode, you will hear her whole closing statement at timestamp 1:02:54. Final Recommendation If you are in the mood for a possession movie, this is one of the best. It’s an interesting movie told from a unique perspective and it has aged quite well. The only other possession movie we have reviewed as of the release of this review is The Devil’s Doorway, and Emily Rose is a much better choice.

The Invisible Man is the first horror movie of the year worth… seeing. Writer/director Leigh Whannel reframes the H.G. Wells source material in a thrilling and fresh adaptation. After two months of truly mediocre horror releases, The Invisible Man is a gasp of fresh air. Artwork by @dgoebel00 on instagram. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/Pso0Aj_cTh0 The Invisible Man can be…SEEN in theaters now. Film Synopsis The Invisible Man follows Cecilia, played by Elizabeth Moss, as she fearfully escapes her manipulative and violently abusive boyfriend Adrian, played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen. Soon after she leaves him, he commits suicide and leaves her a considerable amount of money in his will. Her deceased ex was one of the world’s foremost experts on optics and was very wealthy. Cecilia is still mentally scarred by their abusive ex, that she finds it hard to believe that he is actually dead. This seemingly unreasonable paranoia gets confirmed to her as she is haunted and by an unseen tormentor. This Invisible Man ramps up the terror and violence to the point that everyone around Cecilia assumes that she is having a mental break. Even her closest friends and family don’t believe her, leaving her hopeless as she tries to defend herself. She struggles to prove that her ex is still alive and continuing his abuse while he actively tries to frame her for murder. Review of The Invisible Man I’ll tell you what. This movie is a breath of fresh air after a stagnant two months of new releases in the horror category. It’s is written and directed by Leigh Whannell who you might know as the writer/director of Upgrade, or as an actor in The Bye Bye Man. He shows himself to be very competent at writing and directing with this film. Want to Watch The Invisible Man? Click here to watch on Amazon Click to Watch The skill of Whannel is shown in the opening of The Invisible Man, which follows the motto of “show don’t tell”. So much is communicated about Cecilia and Adrian’s relationship just from her actions and facial expressions in the first 5 minutes of the film. The film also shows a lot of well tuned restraint by not focusing on the sci-fi elements like most other Invisible Man movies do.  It’s themes explore the topic of abuse in a really interesting and thought- provoking way. Abusive partners are often “invisible” to the world since that side of the abusers personality isn’t often shown to others. The historical abuse of Cecilia in this film feels real and tangible, even though it’s never shown in flashbacks. It’s communicated through the aftereffects and trauma that Cecilia displays. This is a great example of a thriller that leans into the horror aspects of that label. There are genuinely surprising moments and many times that I jumped out of my seat. This is a very very good movie, and you should definitely see it. Score for The Invisible Man (2020) 9/10 Spoilers Expand for spoilers section Adrian The Adrian character is pretty “invisible” to the audience throughout the whole movie. This isn’t just because he is physically invisible, but also because his motives are murky, and we are only given second-third hand information about him from the other characters. We briefly get a glimpse of him when he attacks Cecilia in the car as she leaves, but we don’t get a good look at him until the very end of the movie. It’s very effective. Once we do see him, the charmed veneer is completely undercut by what we have witnessed throughout the movie, allowing the audience to experience the distrust that Cecilia experiences first hand. Cecilia’s disbelief Cecilia when she is informed of Adrian’s death, it is is obvious that she is very suspicious. She is used to being ghostlit and manipulated. Only until she sees the will and the urn with “Adrian’s ashes” does her countenance change to relief. Once she starts experiencing unexplained sounds and occurrences, it seems like she immediately recognizes the presence, even without seeing Adrian. Empty Shots A lot of shots of this movie were of empty space, ala Paranormal activity. It was actually very effective. The premise of the movie tells us that something could be there at all times, and the audience is always looking for movement to betray Adrian’s presence. James Lanier The one stand out presence in this film was definitely Aldis Hodge playing James Lanier, the cop who is housing Cecilia. He made us question our sexuality. The Best Scene in The Invisible Man The best scene by far is when Cecilia invites her sister to dinner to reconciliate, after Adrian sends a cruel email from her account. The scene feels like it is setting itself up as a turning point for Cecilia getting her only family member back on her side. All of a sudden, a knife floats in the air, and then swiftly slits the sister’s throat. It is an instantly iconic scene that is genuinely shocking. Adrian’s Brother The mystery of the film is the question of how Adrian is invisible and really why he is still tormenting Cecilia. Eventually these questions are answered, and Adrian’s lawyer brother Tom is in the middle of it. Tom is the lawyer that contacts Cecilia, and even though he is a little prickly, he confides that Adrian abused him all of his life, and that there was no love lost there. It turns out that Tom didn’t really hate his brother, or at the very least was in cahoots with him. Adrian’s motives were to get Cecilia back and to have a child with her. Tom ends up being the messenger for Adrian. The Invisibility was achieved with a suit equipped with thousands of cameras. Cecilia discovers that there are two of these suits and hides one. Towards the end of the film, Tom is actually the one in the suit, and ends up getting killed. Adrian is found tied up in his basement. This is an obvious ruse to frame Tom and get another chance at Cecilia. The ending Cecilia tries to get a confession out of Adrian, but he is too clever and knows what she is trying to do. Cecilia excuses herself for a moment, and in full view of the surveillance camera, Adrian seemingly picks up a knife and slits his own throat. In reality, Cecilia has put on the extra invisibility suit and murdered him. Cecilia then returns within view of the camera to “discover” Adrian bleeding out. https://youtu.be/qiBt_pXbXmQ

We saw Brahms: The Boy II in theaters and it was so bland and unfulfilling that I questioned whether or not I want to spend my free time reviewing movies of this caliber. As soon as I asked that question of myself, I realized that the answer is obviously –  yes. I need to watch these boring hunks of junk to make sure you don’t have to. @dgoebel00 on instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/ytxEldPKnyA Synopsis The Boy II is a stand-alone sequel to the somewhat more interesting movie, The Boyfrom 2016, which you can currently watch on Amazon for $3.99. It was directed by William Brent Bell, who has been directing horror movies like The Devil Inside, and the original The Boyfrom 2016. This is the story of a family of three, Liza (Katie Holmes), Sean (Owain Yeoman), and their son Jude (Christopher Convery) that escape to the countryside to heal after a burglary gone wrong at their house in London. Watch Brahms: The Boy II Pre-order on Amazon Click here to Watch Jude, the young son stops talking following the attack, and when the family shows up at the guest house on the Heelshire estate (where the original The Boy took place) he finds a doll buried in the woods.  The doll and Jude share a lot in common: not talking, staring blankly at whoever addresses them, generally being boring, and desiring to kill whole families. Through a notepad that Jude uses to communicate, we learn that the doll is named Brahms, and he has a bunch of rules for the family to follow.  You would be surprised how stringent these rules are, so they are broken often and the family is thrown into an uproar each time. Eventually, we find out that Brahms is more doll than this family bargained for. Review Brahms: The Boy II is a sincerely boring movie that does everything technically correct on paper. Casting, acting, pacing, direction – it’s all passable. The end result is boring as sin, though. At least movies like Fantasy Island are so zany that they are fun in an ironic way. Brahms: The Boy II bored me to tears and I don’t believe that you should ever watch it.  Score 3/10 Spoilers Click to Expand for Brahms: The Boy II Spoilers As I write this I am bored to tears at the prospect of having to relive the minutiae of The Boy II, but here it goes. Jude is Mute The burglary/attack on Liza and Jude really did a number on them, and Jude ends up going mute. Great, now we have to hear two nagging parents dote on their child throughout this already tedious script. Jude going mute is supposed to add to the spook factor of the whole thing by making us relate to the parent’s further challenge of reaching their troubled child. Instead, Jude having to write out his every response adds padding to an already slim movie. Jude not talking also helps to draw a closer parallel with him and Brahms, the doll. By the end of the movie, Jude is dressing, doing his hair, and wearing a mask that makes him look just like the doll Look exciting? Right, it’s not. The Brahms Doll MORE: Click Here for our blog about some of the most deadly horror movie dolls Brahms is truly one of the most uninspired and generic horror movie dolls that I’ve ever seen. He has no hook, nothing that makes him interesting at all. What are Brahms origins? There was once a boy on the Heelshire Estate that killed his family. His soul got into his doll. That’s it. The End Brahms: The Boy II ends in the least satisfying way it possibly could have – a history lesson. The groundskeeper tells the family about the backstory of the doll and gives us a bit of a montage of the destruction the boy doll caused. The dad smacks the doll’s head and a weird creepy face is revealed beneath his smooth veneer. Then the cliffhanger at the very end, once the danger is gone, is that Jude still enjoys wearing doll-like masks and might still kill his family. Neat. Final Reommendation for Brahms: The Boy II This isn’t the worst movie I’ve ever seen but in terms of something that’s worthy of your time, it ain’t. Don’t support this; we want less of this. Horror Movie News with Ben Warrington Spiral: From The Book of Saw – Darren Lynn Bousman takes the helm of the 9th installation of the Saw franchise. Written and starring Chris Rock, this movie has an expected release date of 15th May 2020 worldwide. Also starring Samuel L Jackson, so get ready Mother Buckets! Borderlands Movie – Hostel director Eli Roth is helming Gearbox’s long-in-the-works Borderlands movie. A film adaptation of the popular post-apocalyptic comedy shooter was first announced all the way back in 2015, with development being handled by movie studio Lionsgate. Orphan Prequel – William Brent Bell, the helmer of such horror films as The Boy, The Devil Inside and Wer, has come on board to direct Esther, the prequel to 2009 hit Orphan. A24’s Saint Maud– The debut film of writer/director Rose Glass, “Saint Maud” is the latest bold horror movie from A24, the studio that brought you Robert Eggers’ “The Witch,” and Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” and “Midsommar.” Opening March 27, 2020 in the U.S., the film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Watch the first trailer for the film below. Shudder March Additions- “The Room” premieres on March 12; in this film about the dark power of wishes one couple discovers having everything they want is a dangerous proposition. March 19th brings Fangoria’s “Satanic Panic” to the service. The Chelsea Stardust directed film blends horror and comedy for a different take on the final girl fighting to survive. “Daniel Isn’t Real” finally makes it way to Shudder on March 26th. Patrick Schwarzenegger and Miles Robbins star in the story of a man whose imaginary friend poses a threat to his sanity as well as his life. Make sure you use that promo code to watch some simply amazing horror! Trailers to look out for: Saint Maud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXs2-TY9qok Spiral: From the book of Saw https://youtu.be/FWiUQp0yM34 The Invisible Man https://youtu.be/WO_FJdiY9dA Bens Recommended Underground Film Recommendation  Feedback (2019) https://youtu.be/H1RWGk2csWo

We went and saw Blumhouse‘s Fantasy Island, and it was exactly as good as you would expect it to be. It’s a needless remake of the campy 70’s TV show of the same name. It’s entertaining, but nothing to write home about. One this episode of Horror Movie Talk we give our full review and breakdown of the film. https://youtu.be/a6O30nJ02PU Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island can be found in theaters now Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island Synopsis In this film adaptation of the campy 70’s TV show, five guests played by hot supple young actors and Jimmy O. Yang arrive at an exclusive and secretive island resort run by the mysterious Mr. Rourke, played by Michael Pena. Each guest gets to experience one and ONLY one fantasy until it plays out to “it’s natural conclusion.” And get this… [SPOILER WARNING] the natural conclusion…is spooky-scary. Review My assessment of this movie upon leaving the theater was “This is a 10/10 for a 5/10 movie,” and I stand by that. This is not a great movie, but it does meet the table stakes of being entertaining. The premise is interesting enough, the dialogue isn’t completely awful, and the acting is actually pretty good. The fantasies each have their own unique flavor, and end up intermingling in interesting ways. The “12 inch pianist” genie level twists are different levels of tacked-on. The most natural dark twist comes with the revenge fantasy from Lucy Hale’s hottie character Melanie. It makes sense that actually hurting other people that hurt you might not be as pleasurable as you would imagine. Other fantasy twists range from weird but interesting to completely eye-rolling-ly artificial in premise. The first 3/4s of the film go down a predictable and competent path to set up the premise, develop the characters, explain the fantasies, and show the dark side of each. The last fourth is a series of “surprises” and reveals that feel like the film version of a run-on sentence. Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island isn’t deep or earth shattering, but giving credit where credit is due, it is entertaining. Score for Fantasy Island 5/10 Spoilers for Fantasy Island Expand for spoilers The characters and their fantasies JD and Brax are the super bro brothers played by Ryan Hansen and Jimmy O. Yang. Their Fantasy is to “have it all,” which equates a huge party with thirsty hotties of both sexes.  Former mean girl victim and current THOT, Melanie is played by Lucy Hale. Her fantasy is to get revenge on her high school tormentor. Gwen, played by MAggie Q, wants a second chance at life by reliving a marriage proposal. Patrick, played by Austin Stowell, wants to play soldier and be a hero. The “natural conclusions” of the fantasies JD and Brax’s party gets crashed by the drug lord that wants his house, money, and coke back. Torturing people isn’t as fun as it sounds. Oops, she chose the wrong regret. The dead dad ends up not having a heroic reaction to his impending death, but ends up still being a hero. The actual ending As the film speeds towards it’s conclusion, all the fantasies seem to be intermingling and closely related to each other. Patrick’s soldier father is actually trying to rescue hostages that end up being JD and Brax. After Gwen realizes the implications of her fantasy and demands that she get to relive out her actual regret. She tries to save her upstairs neighbor who was killed by a fire started in her kitchen. It turns out that almost all of the Fantasy Island guests had some relation to the tragedy. JD and Brax were the fire victim’s room mates. Patrick was a cop on the scene that was too cowardly to go in and attempt to save anyone. Melanie was supposed to go on a date that night with the guy that got killed. The big reveal of the movie is that all the guests are actually living out Melanie’s fantasy of getting revenge for he boyfriends murder. There are actually a lot of twists and fakeouts in the last 10 minutes before it gets to that final reveal. In the end, good conquers evil, and Jimmy O. Yang gets to be Tattoo forever. Final Recommendation This is not a great movie, but there really isn’t much wrong with it either. It would make a good date movie. High schoolers that aren’t super jaded about horror movies will likely really enjoy it as well.