Scream VI

Posted on December 1, 2024 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: Do you have a count of the number of serial movies we have watched?

Vampire Bat: I even have a count of the number of Ghostface films we have watched.

Vampire Owl: The Ghostface is not that scary a face.

Vampire Bat: Not for us vampires, but they are for the humans.

Vampire Owl: The spoof movies have killed that fear effect.

Vampire Bat: Well, spoof movies also have the fear factor.

Vampire Owl: They are supposed to be funny, right?

Vampire Bat: Yet, there is something scary coming from within.

Vampire Owl: We do not get scared that easily.

Vampire Bat: Yet, we have enough to be scared about, including some mean humans.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is a Halloween night and things seem to go really smooth with some fine trick or treat times. Laura Crane (Samara Weaving), a film professor is murdered in the alley by one of her students wearing the Ghostface costume who feels that she has been blaming him too much for failing. But the same person after returning from the act of cruelty is brutally stabbed multiple times to his death by another person in the Ghostface costume who gets into his home. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), the two sisters who escaped the attack of the Ghostface killer have now moved into New York City with the latter attending Blackmore University where Laura also taught about slasher films from the last century. The other survivors Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) are also there. Quinn Bailey (Liana Liberato), Anika Kayoko (Devyn Nekoda) and Ethan Landry (Jack Champion) are the other three students who are close to them and they are more like one group.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), a survivor of the earlier murders is now an FBI agent, and gets herself assigned to the case. Wayne Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) is the original police officer assigned to case, and has no clue about what has been happening. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), the survivor who wrote books about the Ghostface-related murders is also there as reporter again. The situation seems to be more complicated than ever, as the killer is not just out to kill the two sisters, but also prove that they were always the real killers. Gale had also found an abandoned theatre, which was set up like a shrine for the killers wearing Ghostface masks. The survivors decide that it is time to finish the Ghostface forever, with Wayne and Kirby on their side. They set up traps for the murderer, but the person seems to be smarter than that, and there seems to be surely more than one killer wearing the costume. So, how will they find the killers with the Ghostface mask without being killed? How much of the mystery can they manage to solve before most of them get brutally stabbed by the person in black?

The defence of Scream VI :: As a sequel to a slasher franchise that goes a long way from the past’s nostalgia to the present, the movie maintains the standard which we were assured with the earlier films. The first scene is surely among the best, as even with some deviation, there is that murder at a time when were less expecting it to happen. Samara Weaving in the beginning becomes part of that talk which brings the early twist with blood and gore back to the track. There is no better sight than a Ghostface coming after another. You are reminded that Ghostface is forever, and there is no going back from this particular serial killer – we have others for sure, but this is one killer that rises above them all without any superpowers and by not truly coming back from the dead. The final scenes are really well, and we have some nice moments in a train too. The hunt feels very much dangerous, and we know that there is something more to be revealed here. This time, the villain is not just about the movies, as things well be more personal than ever. You will also be screaming for more, as we look forward to a sequel to take this forward even further.

The claws of flaw :: We are looking at another Scream movie here, and after so many films in the franchise, we expect the flick to be a lot better. The case of repetition does not make things better, even though there was the chance to move away from the common ideas – it could have focused on horror which takes a side-seat instead of coming to the front. There is a certain amount of weakness in the horror elements which goes back instead of bringing the terror. There are some movies which focused on slasher horror so well, placing that element over the others, like There is Someone Inside the House and the three movies of Fear Street. Even the reboot of Wrong Turn came back with the elements so well. We have always remembered this movie for slasher horror, but there are so many occasions when we see that this flick tries to go back to the past and feed on the nostalgia even at a time when there is none. The twist is not that much working, as one could successfully guess some part of it. The common slasher elements could have been brought in there to increase the impact.

The performers of the soul :: Melissa Barrera continues her good form as the scream queen here too, and maintains the legacy of the Scream franchise well. The final moments provide her with the opportunity to get close to that legacy and she manages that with ease. The action in the end has her as a possible action heroine at some point, like Kate had its female assassin in full strength. Jenna Ortega does well as the second most important character, the sister who finds trouble again and fights it well with the sibling. She would make no lesser scream queen either. Courteney Cox does the same thing again, as she has been doing for a very long time – while adding to the nostalgia, the feeling of repetitiveness feels a little too much. Hayden Panettiere has been a crush for a lot of us during the 2000s, and it is good to see her again, leaving us with some more of fine nostalgia to add here. Her work remains a highlight in this movie too. Samara Weaving could have had more screen space though, as she was the one who started this film so well. Another seemingly interesting scream queen is Liana Liberato, and the rest also nicely contributes to the slasher.

How it finishes :: I have never been far away from slashers, as they have been part of my journey with horror movies for a long time – I would be teaching them with a lot of happiness if it was part of the syllabus in a university. Here, it can be seen that the one franchise with which we have the nostalgia associated, has another movie to keep us interested in the serial killer whom everyone remembers and uses as a common model for Halloween celebrations regularly. Ghostface is to live forever through different killers, and the murderers of this movie also makes it count. Yet, we feel that this could have been better, and that the movie could have elevated the whole thing to another level through horror. There could have also been some music to add to that horror, and darkness could have also contributed better. It does misses out with the horror as it can be seen here, and we call for sequels of Sinister, Evil Dead, Insidious, Annabelle, The Nun or The Conjuring to serve for the same, as they have done with the first of their series.

Release date: 10^th March 2023
Running time: 122 minutes
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Mason Gooding, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Jenna Ortega, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, Samara Weaving, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Totally Killer

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: We never really have people being called total killers.

Vampire Bat: There is no real total killer as you cannot kill them all.

Vampire Owl: There is always some species getting wiped out in different worlds.

Vampire Bat: One species in one world is never really total.

Vampire Owl: I am talking about complete extinction here.

Vampire Bat: There will always be smarter species surviving.

Vampire Owl: I wonder if serial killers can represent a smarter species.

Vampire Bat: Some of the serial killers of cinema just never die.

Vampire Owl: These humans make supernatural out of the unnecessary.

Vampire Bat: Such creations of humans will cause the final fall.

[Gets a kulfi shake and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: In a small town named Vernon, three girls aged sixteen were killed in 1987, giving rise to the pseudonym Sweet Sixteen Killer as they were also stabbed sixteen times. Many years later, the rebellious teenager Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka) is going to a concert with her friend Amelia Creston (Kelcey Mawema) on a Halloween night. Her mother stays back at home during the night and finds herself facing someone dressed as Sweet Sixteen Killer. Even though many people had dressed in the same way for Halloween, this one seems different and ends up killing her. As Jamie remains depressed about the death, a local reporter named Chris Dubusage (Jonathan Potts) who was close to her mother tells her that there was a message about murdering her mother found in her locker room a long time ago. She is confused about it as her mother never really talked about something like that before. Soon, she is also stalked and chased by the killer, and ends up in side a time machine which Amelia was building, only to find her transported to the past, in 1987 when the three sixteen-year-old girls were going to be killed.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She decides that she will try to stop the killer from murdering the girls, which can end the spree early, and her mother would not get killed later. She finds her mother Pam Miller (Olivia Holt) is a bully at the institution, and so are her friends Tiffany Clark (Liana Liberato), Marisa Song (Stephi Chin-Salvo) and Heather Hernandez (Anna Diaz) who become the victims of the killer in future. Nobody seems to believe her, especially the police. She is able to somewhat convince Amelia’s mother Lauren Creston (Troy L Johnson) and Doug Summers (Nathaniel Appiah) whom everyone avoids as a nerd. She manages to get into the party which was hosted by Tiffany, but is not able to stop the murderer. Jamie uses this situation to take the friends away from the town, but they end up in the exact location where the next murder took place. Now, the question remains if they can stop these murders from taking place, and what all has already changed in the future due to her intervention is yet to be understood.

The defence of Totally Killer :: In a world where slasher movies are struggling and adding humour to horror is eternally difficult, we have a good attempt here. The beginning is really good, as we get the idea what we are to deal with. The journey to the past comes as a pleasant surprise when not expected, and the world detail of the past is interesting. We are provided with some interesting surprises in between, as both the past and the future has the alterations from what we had expected them to be. The movie talks about time travel, Mandela Effect and other things with ease, blending these elements into the horror slasher world nicely. The feeling of danger is always there with this movie, as we await the arrival of the serial killer every time. We are also left with hope to have a sequel to this one, as time travel itself is enough to make that reality which has created new sets of serial killers. This is going to remind us of other slashers, but in doing the same, the movie has managed well with the addition of humour to its strengths.

The claws of flaw :: There were so many chances that this particular movie do not take. It could have surely made the whole setup better, as the science fiction elements are also there to be used along with the idea of creating another serial killer to remember like Halloween and the other slashers which have continued to come with never-ending sequels. The movie also seems to show the 1980s to be not that good a time period to live in, which would be a surprise. The murderer should have also had more focus, and the deaths do not get that much of a detail as one would have wanted as a fan of the genre. There is predictability in between and the movie does not leave many memorable moments. It could have had a better power of mystery and a killer who should haunt rather than come up in the usual circumstances. A serial killer like this should be like a supernatural being, even if not that much invisible – a murderer lurking in the shadows is not available with this one. The ending seems to be more forced than a genuine attempt at making the situation different in the new timeline.

The performers of the soul :: Kiernan Shipka has a fine run as the scream queen, even though the character comes up with an irritating side at times. We would love to see her in more horror movies, contributing naturally. At the same time, Olivia Holt blends into the 1980s very well, and she is no less scream queen. Julie Bowen who plays the adult version of the same character has a pretty good run here too. Troy L Johnson in the past also gets our attention. Among the friends’ characters, it is Liana Liberato who grabs our attention the most even if she is there for the least minutes among them. We can see her performing in more horror movies, and that would be part of the things we hope. Stephi Chin-Salvo and Anna Diaz blends in as the victims quite well too. Ella Choi comes in and contributes to the whole thing in an interesting way. Zach Gibson and Nathaniel Appiah gets in there with a nerdy touch. Jonathan Potts’ character leaves an impact as the man chasing mysteries. Charlie Gillespie and Lochlyn Munro adds on as same characters’ different versions.

How it finishes :: The movie maintains its funny side as well as the horror in the form of combination of genres. It reminds us that slasher movies are not done, and there can be more, often with a touch of humour. With horror genre losing its strongholds, this movie comes up as some surprise fun, even though not that much effective in its use of resources. It leaves a few elements without explanations as the journey away from science fiction elements feels too far away. But you know that you are this far into the century that the old-style slashers are not so easy to find. Some of the creators of slashers of our times struggle to understand what the main elements that the genre should possess. Considering the same, this movie has done a fine job. Yet, we are left with the question if the old classic slasher can be brought back to life – even the Evil Dead has been weakened in Evil Dead Rise and it is to be seen how far can the genre go.

Release date: 6th October 2023 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 106 minutes
Directed by: Nahnatchka Khan
Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Charlie Gillespie, Lochlyn Munro, Troy L. Johnson, Liana Liberato, Kelcey Mawema, Stephi Chin Salvo, Anna Diaz, Ella Choi, Jeremy Monn-Djasgnar, Nathaniel Appiah, Jonathan Potts, Randall Park, Julie Bowen

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Beach House

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: This is certainly not the right time to go to a beach.

Vampire Bat: We, vampires have always preferred the hills.

Vampire Owl: That is a tradition left for us by Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Bat: Even the Corona Virus has struggled to make it all the way to the hills under his control.

Vampire Owl: Historically, vampires have only caught bacteria, not virus.

Vampire Bat: That won’t be a statement approving our immunity.

Vampire Owl: There is nothing in a vampire that attracts a virus.

Vampire Bat: Doctor Frankenstein has said otherwise though.

Vampire Owl: All mad scientists try to prove it the other way around.

Vampire Bat: Mr Frankenstein is still a successful scientist in our realm.

[Gets a strawberry cake and three cups of black tea].

What is the movie about? :: Emily (Liana Liberato) and Randall (Noah Le Gros) arrives at the beach house which belonged to latter’s father, and as it is not the time when the tourists make a visit, they feel that it could be found empty, just like many other buildings in the area which is supposed to be a travel destination at a certain period of time. After getting into the beach house, and spending some time together, Emily is surprised to see someone else in the house. Jane (Maryann Nagel) and Mitchell (Jake Weber) identifies themselves as friends of Randall’s father, and according to them, latter knew his father from the university. A confused Emily who is upset about almost being caught be strangers without her pants, offers that they can move out somewhere, but the elderly couple asks them to stay with them, as they have known Randall whom they addressed as Randy from those times when he was a little kid. They offer them that the youngsters could stay there in their room as much as they wanted to.

So, what happens with the events here? :: The four get along really well, and Emily comes up with her plans to study astro-biology and become a scientist, while Randall is not at all fond of studies, comes up with a packet of cannabis which they share. Emily does have doubts about what it could do to the elder couple, but Randall is sure that it is just a little, and will only help them. At the same time, there is also some heavy fog outside, and it seems rather out of this world. Jane goes out to see the same, while Mitchell follows her later. The next morning, the young couple wakes up, and Emily finds Jane in a strange state. They also find Mitchell, and he is also not in a good shape. Emily follows him, as he doesn’t come back after walking into the sea, and finds something strange catching her legs. At the same time, Randall who tries to gelp Jane finds that there is something seriousy wrong with her, and it is not something that they can understand. What is it that is haunting the area? Is it of this world or is it from another planet or dimension?

The defence of The Beach House :: This one is surely not your usual kind of movie, and it is only the name of the setting, as you look at it, without providing a chance to explore the place more – but horror does gets its significance here. The horror here is mostly based on the strange fog and the worms which get into people followed by movement inside them until a complete transformation occurs. The setting is really good, and there is terror being created by the atmosphere, even though one does wonder if it has been taken a little too lightly for this type of a movie – yet it does get to somewhat the expected level during the final stages. We get to know the terrifying situation even when that much is not shown, even though we know that there could have been more. It is Liana Liberato who lifts this movie higher, and I would say that the performances have all been pretty good, even though it is Liana who gets the chance to do much. Whether it is with the relationship or horror itself, she makes it work.

The claws of flaw :: The Beach House does have a struggle with some of its elements, and it could have used more of horror in a better way. This is not the kind of idea which we haven’t seem before, especially with the creepy little worm-like things. The scares of the fog or the mist are not that new, or used with the best possible effect. The movie does feel a little bit too long even with its short total run-time, as there is a little bit too much time spent talking, and all those talks become not too relevant for what is to follow later, a the film changes the mood almost completely. The beginning stages had already given us one kind of impression, but later stages mean something else. Creating a movie like this required more of a different kind of horror to be added to it. You see that there is a beach and the sea which are central to the tale, but the main characters don’t even jump into it or get close to thinking about at least wetting their feet, which is strange, even under these circumstances.

Performers of the soul :: Liana Liberato plays the protagonist in this movie, as she is the girl who wishes to be an astro-biologist here. It is not really the face that we have seen much, and I am sure I haven’t come across her movies before. She makes a fine scream queen, with very good job being done in between all the chaos and terror that is unleashed there. Horror, as a genre seems to suit her, and the other one which seems to be good enough to work out for her feels like romance. In the beginning, there is the case of a fading relationship, which is done with ease, and when horror comes, the same level is maintained. Noah Le Gros supports well, playing her lover. Jake Weber and Maryann Nagel plays the older couple, and their performance is also believable, but we are left without themselves before the half-time itself. But a movie like this doesn’t demand much of them, except for more from the girl who seems to go on towards the end, as people are not the ones who provide the much needed elements of horror.

How it finishes :: The Beach House makes another movie which goes divergent in pursuit of horror. It is to be noted that the movie does remind us of the short story The Colour Out of Space by HP Lovecraft as well as its fine adaptation in which Nicholas Cage stars. There is that same strange feeling that we have here, even though this one is not that colourful, and we understand that it has been made on a low budget. With Corona Virus said to be spreading by air too, we do feel that this kind of a terror is always possible too. After all, we are the ones who will be responsible for the end of this planet, speeding up the upcoming extinction event like never before, in the last few years. Therefore, we await the extinction event or just the human extinction in one way or the other. Before that, we do have movies like this one which seems to bring the end closer than ever, and that is also done in a way that it moves away from the usual stuff with ease.

Release date: 9th July 2019
Running time: 88 minutes
Directed by: Jeffrey A Brown
Starring: Liana Liberato, Noah Le Gros, Jake Weber, Maryann Nagel, Michael Brumfield, Matt Maisto, Steven Corkin, Veronica Fellman, Dan Zakarija