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Set a couple of years after the events of the first film, a government contractor are using the tech developed for M3GAN to create the ultimate AI infiltration soldier - AMELIA. However, of course AMELIA ends up going rogue with plans to take over the world... and seemingly nobody can stop her/it. Our only hope is to resurrect M3GAN, upgrate her, and hope she is strong/intelligent enough to take AMELIA down. But can M3GAN be trusted?

I really liked the original M3GAN, despite it basically being a Child's Play clone it nevertheless delivered on the creep factor, thrills and violence. When I heard the second film was to be a bit more action focused, admittedly I was skeptical, but you know - Terminator 2 did that and it worked out great. So I really really wanted to like this... but unfortunately it fails to deliver. I wouldn't even mind, but the core concept is pretty interesting - 2 AIs battling each other for supremacy... neither of which can truly be trusted. The film has some decent action scenes, is quite often humourous and well, there's definitely a lesson or two to be learned here, so the subject matter is extremely relevant. Oh, and the actress who played AMELIA is awesome in the role.

However, for some reason M3GAN 2.0 just doesn't quite come together properly. It seems to be really pushing the attitude angle, desperately wanting to recapture the internet fame the first film somehow did, and everything else is secondary. All the harder edge stuff from the original has gone out the window, with notably toned down violence and practically zero gore. M3GAN was a horror film that wanted to put a modern spin on the creepy doll genre, whereas this follow up - surprised at the response to the original, wants to appeal to everyone. Its almost like a Marvel film in tone, watchable, sometimes funny, but feels a bit shallow.

By all accounts, M3GAN 2.0 bombed, barely breaking even so I doubt we'll get a third film - which is a shame as I do like the character and you could do a lot with it (I mean, how many Child's Play movies are there?). It's watchable and relatively entertaining, sure... but I was hoping for more. It may have taken the T2 approach to sequels, but T2 this most certainly is not...

Set in Pennsylania in 1968, Scary Stories to tell in the Dark follows a group of friends on halloween night who decide to sneak into the abandoned house of a supposed witch's family. Finding a story book that starts automonously writing stories about the group and their peers that come true in spectacularly more gruesome ways, the rapidly dwindling group must find a way to get to the bottom of the curse that controls the book and stop it.

Based on a collection of kids books, I have to say I thought this film was fairly enjoyable. Playing out sort of like a series of anthology stories that are all woven together into a bigger narrative, the monsters are creepy, the effects are well done and the mini nightmarish scenarios are just unsettling enough without being too grotesque for younger horror fans. And by younger horror fans I mean teens - obviously younger kids shouldn't be watching this...

The problem is, due to its nature and source material the movie ends up feeling a bit derivitive, a bit 'horror greatest hits', and the ending felt predictable and a bit of a let down. If it had just finished up with a stronger finale, maybe with a twist on things, it could have been excellent. As it is though, it's entertaining enough but just falls short of greatness...

Based on a short story called 'Casting the Runes', Night of the Demon (aka Curse of the Demon) follows professor John Holden, who arrives in London for a conference on parapsychology only to discover that his colleague has died in a freak accident. After discovering his colleage was investigating a devil worshipping cult and its leader, Dr Karswell, Holden takes a vested interest in Kerswell... believing him to be involved somehow in the death of his friend. What he discovers will push him to the very edge of his sanity...

Despite it's age, NotD still manages to deliver an enjoyable horror experience. I like how the protagonist is a stern professor who believes everything has a scientific explanation, and as more and more bonkers stuff happens he can't get his head around, he slowly allows himself to get pulled into this satanic nightmare. All the performances are pretty good (with Niall MacGinnis being particularly great as the creepy Dr Karswell), and despite the special effects varying in quality (the panther attack during the break in scene looked comically fake) they still nevertheless mostly deliver.

Apparently there were numerous creative differences between the producers and the director, the latter not actually wanting to show the titular demon itself and therefore leaving audience interpretation somewhat open. I can't help but wonder what the film would have been like had this played out, especially watching it now with demon effects that... well let's just say have aged. Being ambiguous may have helped the film stand out a bit more over time.

Still, as far as classic British horror films go it's hard to fault Night of the Demon. If the fact that it's almost 70 years old (and in many ways looks like it) doesn't put you off, then give it a go!