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Reviews
51 Nevada (2018)
Worth one watch - but not two
I'm marking this movie with five stars because, despite what some of the troll 'reviewers' wrote, it did have several good points. Even better, it made me want to watch the whole movie, see how it ended, and see what happened to the characters. Trust me when I say, this is a rarity!
Good points: The acting was (in my opinion) above par for a low budget alien movie like this. No one was wooden or unbelievable, and, as mentioned, they made me want to at least see what happened to the characters in the end. A plus.
Concept was also pretty good and the script, while unevenly paced, moved the alien concept along well. It took its time developing the characters, and when the action started, it started with a bang and moved fast and hard to the conclusion. Also plusses.
Downsides start with the photography. That shaky, hand-held camera work is irritating and distracting from the scenes - a lot. The ending charged through a concept barely mentioned in the rest of the movie. The use of deus ex machina rather than developing a more satisfying - and reasoned! - conclusion was a bit of sloppy scripting that detracted.
On the whole, I WAS glued to my set during the action, I was glad I took the time to watch the movie, but I won't be going back to see it again.
Masters of Horror: The Damned Thing (2006)
Excellent little horror featurette!
First off, this episode has nothing at all to do with frightening and quite good the Ambrose Bierce story except the title. That said, this short movie was excellent all in its own right. The acting - both that of the stars and of the secondary characters - contributed to the horror, the script - that of an unknown and unresistable force affecting the town - was well paced and full of action and suspense. The direction kept the story moving well to a bit of a frustrating and foreseeable conclusion - to me the only real drawback of the story was this inevitability.
On the whole, this was an excellent story and I recommend any horror fan to give it a try.
Rise of the Scarecrows: Hell on Earth (2021)
Kind of fun!
I will admit that i really liked this movie! While the secondary chareacters were a bit wooden - and humorously stupid (watch the old guy box the Big Bad!) the two main characters were likeable and amusing and i liked watching them (the party - hilarious!). The plot was fine - a decent enough setup. Production was fine, direction medium, makeup barely worth talking about. The 'gore' was ... well, not that well done (again more humorous than scary) but the movie was still a good choice for a lazy evening, and, as stated before, the main characters were a bit of a treat. Would recommend for fans of the genre.
Before the Dark (2017)
I didnt expect to like this movie...
...but it was actually interesting and kept my attention despite the -obviously- low budget. The concept was novel; however, it was very hard to follow what was happening for most of the movie. It came together in the end, so I will say there was a satisfying enough payoff.
The acting wasn't wooden but it wouldn't win any Oscars either. Good enough to make you wonder what happened next but that was about it.
Script was okay - advanced the film well enough, but the direction and settings was mediocre. Special effects were kept to a minimum. Definitely worth a watch but not necessarily a second one.
The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)
Unexpected treat!
This movie caught me quite by surprise. I was expecting a typical little space-ship/apocolypse flick. Instead I found a gritty, thoughtful look at a man-mde cataclysm from a personal level. We weren't sharing the crisis with the scientist-heroes; we were with the man on the street facing the end of the world.
Acting was terrific. Witty dialogue was the shining point of the movie. The ending was something to make you think and talk. All in all, I highly recommend this movie to any scifi buffs of the era as enjoyable and clever.
Water (2019)
Not good, not bad...
I am giving this movie a straight 5/10. It was good enough to keep me watching and wondering what happens next. That alone qualifies as a 5-star. The story was original enough, and I had no problems with the photography or direction. That said, the acting was this film's weak point. Lorenzo Lamas, as expected, was pretty good and I was glad to see that he was in a substantial role. "Big Brody" also did an adequate job with what he was given. The rest of the actors' roles were pretty flat and wooden; whoever played the little girl was horrendous.
My suggestion: if you are looking for a film to while away a lazy Saturday afternoon, give this one a try. If you are looking for Oscar winners, don't bother.
The Power (1968)
Subtle and effective
This movie was an old favorite and still holds up today. The fear begins bit at a time, the clues understated from the beginning until everything comes together. The acting was good, the ending satisfying. A really good example of the genre of 'hard' science fiction with horror and action thrown in. If you're looking for Star Wars, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a thinking man's movie (a la Andromeda Strain), this may be a treat for you as well.
Dead Souls (2012)
Neat little horror movie
A nice example of the genre. Good script with original twists, good acting. If you are looking for an original story on a typical haunted house base, this one is for you. The characters and action were developed well, and the ending was nicely satisfying. Don't expect Spielberg but do give it a try.
Der Fluch der grünen Augen (1964)
Thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Good story and characters, snappy dialogue, suspense. A few goofs that added nothing to the story, but on the whole, a solid good time for anyone who likes a good old-fashioned vampire movie. Recommended!
A Werewolf in England (2020)
Cute! Worth the chuckle
The movie was surprisingly amusing. I found myself smiling or even chuckling more than once. The characters were over the top for the humor, so don't expect a straight horror film, but the acting was adequate for the roles. Pretty good attack/fight scenes as well. On the whole, I was not sorry I watched it - which is what it is all about.
Return of the Scarecrow (2017)
Cute!
I was expecting a same-old same-old indie-style horror movie but found myself liking the Return of the Scarecrow! It was amusing all the way through. The acting was not stellar - but it did not have to be. The actors all carried the joke from prelim to action. All in all, I enjoyed this silly movie and was glad I gave it a chance.
Gehenna: Where Death Lives (2016)
Scary and enjoyable
Ignore the pretentious downvotes. This was a pretty good movie - far better than i expected. The acting and script quite decent, and the atmosphere sufficiently scary for me to have enjoyed the story. Warning - if you're looking for Oscar material, this isn't it. But if you're looking for a good old-fashioned horror movie that will give you a few claustrophobic chills, give this one a try.
The Curse (1987)
Worth watching? Yes.
I'm calling this movie based on favorite author HP Lovecraft's story 'The Colour Out of Space' a mixed bag of good and bad. The good: Excellent acting and a great cast; a good script based on the story; lots of action and character development.
The bad: indifferent makeup and rather poor special effects.
On the whole, I enjoyed this movie and recommend you give it a try as well.
The First (2014)
Slow but not bad
The movie was extremely slow for the most part - even boring in several areas. It did pick up in the last 30 minutes to an interesting pace. The acting and plotline were adequate; the ending satisfying enough. Worth watching once on a slow day but not twice.
The Magnificent Dead (2010)
Surprisingly effective
I didn't have many expectations when I started watching but was pleasantly surprised by how effective the movie was. Unusual plotline got my interest and decent action fulfilled the climax. Acting was, as expected, not star quality but it didn't send me screaming for the remote either.
All in all, I was glad I watched this movie and that is saying something these days.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Rating for sfx only
Oh.... my gosh. I did not expect a masterpiece but i also did not expect this movie to suck as bad as it did. Let us stick every Japanese monster into this movie and add some cute kids and..... no. Let us not go there. Unless special effects is your game, same your time and don't bother with this one. (and this is from someone who does not usually bother with negative reviews!)
30 Miles from Nowhere (2018)
i enjoyed it
Pay no attention to the low ratings. It delved into the relationships of old college friends through the years and had a clever if not entirely satisfying ending, the acting was actually quite good across the board if a little over the top in a few areas The script kept it together well, explaining the plot by the end. I enjoyed this movie and think most people will.
Field Freak (2016)
It made me smile
I'm not usually one for spoofs or parody and I don't expect the highest quality in this type movie, but to my surprise this one made me smile throughout most of it. I can't think of anything else I could require than to smile or chuckle for an hour and a half, so I recommend people give it a try with no expectations except a pleasant chuckle now and again.
Marrowbone (2017)
Excellent movie!
Wonderful acting, engaging characters, terrific climax and endings - just a really terrific movie.
Army of the Damned (2013)
I really enjoyed this one!
I don't understand the bad reviews on this movie except that there are people who live to give a "one star" on everything. this movie starts with a bang - a gruesome murder and the police killed - and keeps the tension on until the very last scene. The characters are not well developed - not unexpected in either this genre or the run time - but interesting enough to make us care what happens to the mains. the male lead carries the story well enough and the female lead (the reporter) to her credit, doesn't get in the way.
that said, the plot is a bit thin - Tony Todd's role provides some explanation worth immediately forgetting. but if you're just looking for an action based horror flick that will keep you occupied for about 90 minutes, this one will do nicely.
Static Shock (Fan Film) (2019)
Excellent effort at bringing the series to life
This was a thoroughly enjoyable little film based on an excellent animated series, Static Shock. The characters were decent, the acting surprisingly good, and the production well done, if lacking in special effects. The actual weakness was the script's attempt to fit so much into a short movie that the main point was well and truly lost-that of introducing the audience to the main character Static Shock. In fact, the star/protagonist was completely buried under the secondary characters. The script was treated as if it was part 1 of a series rather than a stand-alone movie which weakened the connection to the mains.
I hope there will be another 'episode' to this movie. it was very enjoyable and the longer -combined- running time will give them an opportunity to bring every aspect and character into their own.
Halloween Night (2020)
Pretty good
This was actually a pretty good - but not perfect - sequel to the original Halloween movies. The Good: production values, sound, camera work was quite decent. The Mediocre: the acting. If I were to be told they actors were carved out of wood and animated, I would believe it. Michael's flailing with a knife made me cringe a bit. Not to say the actors terrible - they weren't. But material for the Academy Award they were not. The Bad: there really wasn't anything. I found the movie on the whole enjoyable, scary, and a pretty good entry into the movie series. Watch it and enjoy the chills!
13 Score (2014)
Not bad.
I rather enjoyed this one. The acting, plot line, etc., are pretty much middle of the pack but I didn't rush to turn it off and even wanted to see what happened in the end. that's all i ask from a movie like this, so i'm giving it a thumbs up.
The Lost Missile (1958)
Honestly loved it!
I thought to half-watch, half-listen to this movie while I was busy. I became so drawn in that I ended up watching all of it from the edge of my seat! I was expecting the typical dry 1950's scifi movie but this was exciting, interesting, unique, and I was genuinely, surprisingly pleased with it. Recommend any fan of the genre to give it a try.
Sightings (2017)
Give it a try - I'm glad I did
I wasn't expecting too much when I started watching this movie, but it was surprisingly effective. I found myself drawn into the movie to see what happened next to the characters, which doesn't happen often. The characters were not the cliches upon which so many other movies rely, and keeping the action so tightly wound in one location and with one group gave it a personal feel. All in all, I'm glad I watched it and recommend other aficionados of the genre do so too.