Change Your Image
micahbboswell27
Reviews
Smile 2 (2024)
It was fine
Smile 2-rinse and repeat with a slightly larger budget. It doesn't do anything exceptional to stand out but rather takes the same story further, like a true continuation. There were a couple of twists that I didn't expect, which is rare for me at this point: especially within the horror genre.
The acting was good, the film was atmospheric with the cinematography being creepy and on point. I honestly enjoyed the first film more, but this sequel didn't trail far behind. Overall, I found myself wishing there was a little more originality to set the second offering apart, but a lack of originality is often expected with horror sequels.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)
As a HB fanboy, I liked it
Not bad! It definitely has more of an "indie feel" to it, but it's true to the source material and is dark and atmospheric. The main two actors do a great job (Hellboy and Jo) and everything has a nice eerie, dark tone that pays tribute to the comic series. Not to mention that the cinematography is excellent.
Now to the bad stuff...I live in the southern United States and will NEVER understand why these casting directors have a propensity to hire non-southern...often even European actors to play southerners. They all sound like Yosemite Sam with a less convincing accent. Trying WAY too hard. If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch "All the Kings Men" remake with Jude Law. Just terrible.
Regardless, this was a solid, fun creature feature and it's definitely worth a watch.
I Zombie: The Chronicles of Pain (1998)
I zombie, a refreshing take
This film takes the zombie genre and adds a new, more human element that I haven't really seen before. Having the protagonist narrate his departure into madness is an interesting and refreshing take. That paired with the fact that it has that micro-budget, Full Moon Productions style look, and there nothing to not like.
My only complaint would be that the film was a bit slow at a few points. I understand that may have been what the director was going for, but it just made everything drag in the middle. Obviously, I'm glad it wasn't "action action action! Michael Bay! Explosions!" Like other films have been. Anyway, you can stream it for free online. Check it out!
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Meeeeh
Not terrible, but certainly not great. It's an interesting idea, but there's not a lot of character development which caused me to not really care about what happens to the main characters. Not to mention, Brigette Lundy-Paine is not a good actor. Her (their) claim to fame seems to only be riding on the coat tails of claiming to be LGTBQIA (to gain notoriety) while robotically quoting lines and being comically mediocre and forgettable; there are literally thousands of better actors who could-and should-be cast. Cinematography was cool and sound design was great. A24 used to mean that I was about to watch something exceptional but now it's coming to mean nothing of the sort. After Civil War and then this: not bad, but do better.
Tarot (2024)
Not terrible!
Keep in mind, this is a PG-13 one dimensional horror film about tarot cards. That being said, the director(s) did a fantastic job of making the atmosphere acceptably creepy while successfully towing that line without going TOO far for an R rating. My only honest gripe was that a couple of the actors weren't up to par compared to the others (Harriet Slater sounded like a dumb, valley girl the whole time and Wolfgang Novogratz was just miserably bad and should rethink his decision to be an actor in the first place).
That being said, see this film. Would it have been better if it were R rated and had gore/profanity/nudity/all the horror tropes? Maybe. But it wouldn't have reached nearly as wide an audience.
The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)
Nope. Just nope.
I love David Alan Grier and pretty much anything that has to do with magic/fantasy so I thought I'd give this a try. Big mistake. Aside from the fact that the film is obviously celebrating blatant racism masked as anti-racist satire, the story wasn't good, the acting was (overall) subpar and even the special effects left to be desired.
If you're looking for something good that will scratch this itch, rewatch the Harry Potter films. Take another turn with Lord of the Rings and then, of course, the Hobbit. Heck, even the Merlin show on BBC would be a solid choice. This film is part of the problem.
Night Swim (2024)
Wishing well being the bad guy? C'mon
First off, I had absolutely no preconceived notions going into this film. I saw the trailer and wasn't TOO impressed, but as a lover or horror decided to give it a viewing. Shame on me. Shame.
I honestly think this "film" suffers from bad writing and an overall terrible and/or under thought overall idea. The acting was good, the soundtrack was exactly what it was supposed to be and the cinematography was great. So why wasn't it good? The writing and the premise.
The story was convoluted and confusing, pinning a "wishing well" style swimming pool as the rogue with some VERY cliché tropes and predictable jump scares. The seasoned actors where clearly looking for a quick paycheck whilst the younger actors were looking to pad their resumes.
Avoid this if you can.
Blockbuster (2022)
Nope
I tried liking this show. Really, I did. But the writing is so bad. The characters are so 1 dimensional and there seems to be a random-strong effort to make young, rude, uneducated characters far more quippy and smart than the Gen Xers and beyond. It just doesn't work. First show in years that I've started and won't finish which is sad considering that I like the lead (and pretty much all of) actors. Shame-could've been great.
The lead actor is a company man who seems to constantly get walked all over by his peers and parents whilst constantly doing the right thing. The main female lead is the absolute definition of a predictable storyline of a woman who's unhappy in her marriage but will end up with something better. It's just not good. Because it's called "Blockbuster", there are SO MANY FORCED MOVIE PUNS which just seem to further dumb things down and make the show worse.
Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
Great to see Rambo back but...
Just seems to be a story of a young, dumb millennial who thinks she knows better than everyone else (despite their constant warnings) and gets herself killed. To top it off, John Rambo was telling her that she did "nothing wrong" while she's dying in the truck even though she did absolutely everything wrong. The action, kills, and acting were great in this movie but the rest of it infuriated me to my very core. Ignorance and narcissism shouldn't be so flagrantly dismissed and quickly discarded. Younger people should understand that they can maybe learn from the experiences of others; Smart phones, social media and bull crap aside.
This Thing of Ours (2002)
I mean, okay?
My love for Mobster/Gangster movies combined with some of the casting kept me involved but overall, this film is just okay. It's not bad enough to be "so bad it's good" but just mediocre enough to not be horrible. The cinematography had a very "B" feel to it, which I didn't hate. The dialogue, however, was very rough. Regardless, I thought it was decent.
Jason Rising: A Friday the 13th Fan Film (2021)
Great fan film
I loved this film. The cinematography, writing and acting were good and the overall tone of the film was true-to-form for the F13 camp (pun intended).
The Debt Collector (2018)
Great action flick
Found this film online and love it. As soon as the film ends I want more. If you love action films, check this out and it won't disappoint.
Tui shou (1991)
Excellent
Such a great film from a phenomenal director. An epic story of family drama with light humor; incredible. Early Ang Lee at his finest.
Knockout (2011)
Boxing film
It's like karate kid for boxing, with a slightly more shallow story. Steve Austin does an excellent job of carrying the film while Janet Kidder contributes with a professional fashion that's admirable. The rest of the cast skates by, with the time tested formula being enough to let them off the hook and carry the film. Anne Wheeler does a great job of bringing out the best in everyone and I, for one, Was glad to have seen It. Keep up the good work!
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Boom
I don't know what all the hate is about...I love this film. Is it an Oscar worthy cinematic gem? Not particularly in my opinion. Is it a fun movie which puts Jason wreaking havoc in the largest US city? Yep. The minds behind the F13 franchise worked hard to take it to the next level by moving the action from Crystal Lake to Manhattan and should be applauded for it. The only natural progression would be to move the action to space (JX) or to have Mr Voorhees face another horror icon (Freddy v Jason). You can skip Jason goes to Hell, but don't skip this one. It's a blast.
You're Next (2011)
Surprising!
I felt the same way a about "Hush"; didn't expect much but was left thinking about the film days after I'd watched it. A must view for any horror fan. Check it out; you won't regret it
Hush (2016)
Hidden Gem
Exceptional offering in a sea of mediocrity. The horror genre has been done to death; we know this. That being said, this film not only brings a solid performance in acting/writing/cinematography, it also offers an interesting twist to the slasher/stalker genre. Siegel brings an honest and believable performance as a deaf victim who's working hard to stay alive. I've recommended this film to several of my horror fan friends and they've all loved it.
Shadow Boxing (2016)
Surprising
From a non-educated film lover, this was a surprising film. Granted, I'm a boxer so I'm obviously going to be biased. Regardless, strong performances from the cast and decent writing. It's a boxing film that's not REALLY about boxing. Check it out; you won't regret it.
Girl Fight: A Muay Thai Story (2015)
Great documentary for martial artists/REAL documentary fans
So many "realty" films are staged now. This film seems REAL. Real struggles. Real conversations. REAL triumphs. Please watch this film with an open mind...it's excellent.