Now I've decided to do some movie reviews all this month of October. Trying to get in/watch a movie a day. And what better way than with a genre I love but have never really delved into, horror. Now as of now my biggest, and most favorite, horror movies, is the SAW franchise. Close second goes to Dawn/Day/Night of the Living Dead, Resident Evil, and 28 Days/Weeks Later. And some (or most) those movies will be watched reviewed this month I'd gather. But I'm going to start with two, more recent horror labeled films. One I watched about a month ago (Ahh that was a great night as I remember), and the party with me agreed that it was a very surprisingly good flick, in How To Be A Serial Killer. Also the one I watched just last week Red State. Without further adieu, here is movies #1/2.
---------------------------
Now HTBACK (I'm going to abbreviate cause it's a long ass title) is one of them there hybrid genre movies as it's part horror as well as comedy. It follows the life of a serial killer, Mike Wilson, and his apprentice Bart, as he teaches him the ropes on how to have a normal life whilst being a serial killer. Now there is breaks in the movie as well where we get a psychologist giving us insight on a serial killers, thoughts, actions, motives, etc. And we also get introduction, almost like a sales pitch, to each rule for in fact, being a serial killer. Obviously this humor isn't Will Ferrell, this is still a horror movie. But it's the little things in Mike and Bart's conversations, and the presentation of the rules to live by. The horror is kept to a minimum, you see kills, but the bloodier ones (i.e. with a lawnmower) and other kills are kept off screen. To where you only see the bloody aftermath. Let's your imagination take over with what happened. The acting is solid enough, the lead Mike, played by Dameon Clarke worked well as a closeted demented killer. Also Matthew Gray Gubler (who I recognized from Criminal Minds) plays the never getting anywhere in life apprentice that wants to learn. Overall, it's a good watch. There's some nice kills, I loved the background psychologist aspect, and the funny parts like the steps/conversations will get a smile/laugh out of you. Never fear, it's on Netflix instant. So if my review is has any appeal to you, go on and watch it.
---------------------------
Let me start by saying behind The Coen Brothers and Quentin Tarnatino, Kevin Smith is one of my favorite directors. Clerks, Clerks II, Mallrats, and Dogma are some of my top movies of all time. But this movie perplexes me. If you've seen my Twitter/Facebook posts you know my gripe. I couldn't find the horror or scariness of this movie. The story starts off with three friends who find a Craigslist-like post of a woman who wants to meet up and have sex. After some lies and a bit of a car accident, they get to the woman. She puts one beer in them, when she tells them to drink another and go in the room to strip down. They start to do as they're told and pass out. This where where the fun begins as they wake up in a cage, and tied up, in a radical church, with seemingly no way to escape. First off, I love the writing and monologues in this movie. The first classroom scene, the friends interacting, and the preachers sermon are grand and start the movie off on a fantastic note. It then turns into a escape and/or rescue mission film as people start getting shot and the FBI is called in. John Goodman comes in as well, and makes it instantly better. His humor, into seriousness over the course of the flick was nice. The only character I really connected to, and it show. The kills were nice, mostly gun shots. But a couple were to the head and outta nowhere. As I already said the acting was quite nice. My opinion is try it. If I ever buy it it'll be because it's ok as a thriller (not horror IMO), it's got good acting, and a great dialogue.
No comments:
Post a Comment