Riley on Film: Recent Episodes
Damien Riley
I'm a lifelong fan of the bucket hats. I have an MA of English and I review these: Horror, Thriller, Mystery ... Welcome to my podcast, I am a college professor trying to tell you which movies work and which suck. I'm a 50-something, guitar playing, student of Buddhism. Better yet, listen. Hope you’ll stay a spell. Like what you hear? Subscribe! Raise a whiskey, or drink of the day, and pleased to meet you, I am your ASMR Ghost Host! Please subscribe!
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Vote for My Championed Film "Bride of Frakenstein!"
Vote Me Up At This Link:
https://largeassmovieblogs.com/2024/09/vote-for-the-october-motm-halloween-horror.htmlif I win, I get to host the umbrella episode on the Lambcast. it'll be fun because "Friend" goooood. Alone bad? nah. not if you enjoy your own company mosny as I do. Alone is all there really ever is anyway. Book a Zoom hour with me and I'll prove it to you. do forget to vote for my movie "Bride of Frankenstein. I'll try and not be cranky that day when I host, no promises babe.Here's the text to my review of this sexy horror film that I love!?!?Can I call this charming? A friend who is mentally disabled is cute in a way. We have the protagonist, the monster, We se the monster in this early incarnation desiring a friend. The mad scientist has grand plans. We get to see the monster develop language. We also ss he is sort of capable of making another human happy. I'm thinking of the blind man who gives him food and shelter to heal. In this epic blockbuster horror film, we see a human undead monster and he's still got the drives for companionship.It has the usual mob trying to kill the monster. Through this exciting segment of about 1/2 way we see him as a flawed, even brain damaged human. I couldn't help but feel sorrow for the monster. Bela Lugosi is a prefect actor for this human creature (or is it?). Some of my favorite scenes are the ones with the blind man. They are kindred spirits in that each wants a friend. I got the impression one would get watching a toddler find something shiny and becoming enraptured with it.Putting the monster through torture is what had me glued to the screen. I'm not into torture but I find myself relating with the yearning, longing, and even lusting after a woman or otherwise partner. They are such fine and wonderful creatures those partners. I also related with the block of communication that is present throughout. Did you know the Bible teaches the Tower of Babel was why God confused language for all humankind. It tried to be higher than God so God humbled them. The monster illustrates how horrible it would be to not be able to communicate.There are not many scenes of the actual author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. The film however does open with she and Lord Byron commenting on the lovely ghastly storm outside. We see clearly based on the title and the plot, she is to be made into a female monster, for the creature. I love the way they weaved the real life couple into this. Is raises the verisimilitude and leaves us actually wanting to see them together.Unfortunately we don't see much of the female. The latter portion of the film is where we see only her transformation but not much detail. She looks just plain freaky, I like that. I get from her character that she too is unable to communicate. She is quicker moving than the monster.In conclusion, this is to date one of my favorite classic series films. I really enjoy the writing, especially the writing of Byron and Shelley, The film is a delightful hodgepodge of suspenseful orchestra music and top shelf acting. The result is a mind ride to understand why we should never bring the dead back to life. This is an incredibly atmospheric class A horror film. I can give it no lower than a 10/10.
Building contraptions of eternity from what is relevant and known? hmmm. Not possible say I? it's all golden though, all human devices enrapture me. I live in adoration of the life of a hominid, human man and AND notably in this commentary, his hedonic sense of smell. The pale bulwark shows up at the end so I truly think CH4 is gonna take us out of the present, finally?!?! I love Christians. I used to live it so I know them well. left that all behind. Don't need no time machine forwards or backwards, but this candle gives off a beautiful life, the book I mean.
In this one, I take on chapter one of the original book. I did Call of The Wild this way, doing an episode here on each chapter and a culminating episode with guests where I reviewed the modern film. I figure I'll repeat that with this fucken awesome dime store novel. Wanna be on the final? Hit me up. I got stories of my beaches and horrors. Meet me and them, always for free at RileyOnFilm.com
Love and sexual content aplenty here! (I'm still single, Doh!)
Yours,
Damien S, Riley, American Humorist
--ABOUT--
Damien S. Riley is an American humorist, a creator of music, books, and a podcast on film & literature titled, “Riley on Film.” It’s available on Spotify but is also syndicated and available across most modern platforms.
Home preferred station is on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1gR6mRsTRgJxFJXnAhmeEK
But ALL places host it, I think! Let me know if you'd like it in your special squeeze box, I can slide it in anywhere. I'm a techie that way.
More than just a blog film critic, Damien creates online across 3 modalities. His online stuff all comes together at The Loft, his eclectic blog: RileyOnFilm.com
Pilot for book group!--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
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Explicit language an ill feelings toward the church as a whole.
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dog will hunt. I love this shit. https://rileyonfilm.com/the-audiobook-for-zen-y-la-fermata Any questions? Kiss my ass. ;) -DAME--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
S03E01 Ch 1 “That’s for You!” - what is this fascination for sharing everything? A Zen master needs not share so much. My next book is being written through podcasts! The first chapter of my next book. Working title is: “Zen and the Art of Delivering Uber.” Consider this a real honor!--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Great fake effects! A novel film for its time. 10/10--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
This is an AD reminding you my new album is now out there for FREE!! My imho masterpiece album ¡Zen y La Fermata! is now freely released on YouTube. If you enjoy, I hope you do. I made it to share with you specifically. -DAME 🎸♥️ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCdS4Og-vhHcycl5u9lsmgYyFbj15vVck&si=krmjsLz4MhKOT7MM--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Review of this terrifying oldie. Also comments on my 55th bday today. Speech speech! Ok you twisted my arm. ;)--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Welcome to Dame’s online diary. Pull up a chair sweet haired little one let me tell you about this horror movie. It’s like Where’s Waldo only it’s a paranormal family butcher you find :)--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Note: This film was likely meant for people on drugs. People not on drugs are advised to burn incense and prepare snacks in advance to produce an open minded drug effect.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
I liked it much more after a second watch! It’s a labor of love you can tell.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Nadia Hilker, Yes You May Have My Baby. Have Several of mine over a long slow period of sleeping in and sipping tea with orange peel. orange peel!!! . I'm your Stem Cell warrior honey. What a lovely young lady. Cheers Nadia.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
No birth no death.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Dare I eat a peach? A beaver? Can I talk about a sex movie here? I sure af can it's my rent lol. This is a very highly acclaimed Spanish spoken horror film. I went there!!! Don't judge me too harshly for some of the sex vocabulary. Hmmm I'm turned on now. Comment with me babe.
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Really good!! I’m interested now! https://youtu.be/g0C8_cIoDyU?si=ZPnT5jUzTIqQv0p1--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Undefinable. Maybe I'll get 3 listens this time. It's my therapy no worries. Please listen to his song. https://youtu.be/tKAA5UBrjSc?si=eCfXTXTB-DFtdKzW--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Sex thriller crime Italian soft p**en in a sense. I'm training myself on these. Not going well so far.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Just what title says.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Enter ye spirits with a desire to sleep ;( I accept you just as you are. This is a new season of Riley on Film. In this in review "What the Peeper Saw" in between a look at how I use Youtube. Sweet ASMR dreams. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Atmosoheric horror, my favorite kind. Trip on this. A bit slow but get stoned and you will trip balls. 🤣 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Um yep. Not amazing but lon Chaney and some nice figured ladies thst sluce people up--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Me liked.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Poor Things - Hail Yesss 9/10--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
A horror worth watching (the beginning is a bit tedious)--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Pt 1--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Werewolf--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Canned--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Meh but with breasteses.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
New angle--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Nice tits. Decent movie. Odd.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
10/10--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Well made, enjoyable sci fi--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Fun, thrilling, sexy--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
1960s circus acts with beautifully costumed women--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
A fun horror anthology! Akin to Twilight Zone. In color.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
I'm playing at:Hilltop Tavern and Inn9544 Kiowa RdAPPLE VALLEY, CA 92307760-247-7727I start strumming and crooning at 8pmNo cover charge, indoor seating,https://hilltoptavernandinn.com/eventbrite-event/damien-the-63-lipless-fish/--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Something highly original in the horror genre. Love it, not for everyone.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
I liked it! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Thriller I liked!!--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Maika Monroe--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
This film is now in my top ten because it doesn't care as it rages on. Yeah!--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
I love this leggy film!--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Yep--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
PsychologicalRomance 1968--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Old black and white gumshoe murder horror movie. Big rec from me. On Tubi.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Snap dragons are neat, so are moths.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Just a vent. Shake it off Damien. Let’s pick up from here and leave toxic people to their own destruction. Hint: Toxic person stay away. Thx--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Oh my gosh I love this movie! A typical monster movie posing as a live story. It reminds me of that midern film where the guy meets the hot brunette and it turns out she’s like an octopus under a curse. Makes me miss my ex wife. She was hot like that but also a monster sometimes. This lady is a mermaid. In part two I’ll get more into that. Watch it, it kicks arse, especially for that 60’s rebel without a cause atmosphere, or vibe.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors - I disliked it but tune in because I talk about Firestick & my wealth Follow me in 2024 please, you won’t regret it.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Yeah, this one you can miss. There are better ways to learn that the way of “The Lord” is not about burning young topless virgins, though that does appeal to many. I found it boring with terrible writing. What is the goal here?--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Yeah, I think they portray the errs of fundamentalism well.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
The Curse of the Werewolf - Something to really sink your teeth into--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Just what the title says. I loved it! Took a while to get into it though. At the end, cathartic.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
8/10 It’s a gem but there are a few rough spots. Could have made it better with a practical ending imho.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Wonderful turn of the century monster fun. Recommend for Christmas 2023.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
I’ve tried posting this 3 times. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Good with great bosoms.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
In the sixteenth century, Francis Barnard travels to Spain to clarify the strange circumstances of his sister's death after she had married the son of a cruel Spanish Inquisitor. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Atmospheric to the max. Love this film. Based on the oft studied and enjoyed American short story of the same name.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
A highly realistic fiction about two bipolar people who fall in love while manic in a psychiatric hospital. Starring Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby with a cameo by Kay Redfeld Jamison 10/10 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Pretty good! Good for women, good for horny men 👹Here’s another rendition I found on YouTube if you can’t get out to see it yourself. https://youtu.be/u41lGg5nggs?si=9Z1WdNrlldnkCEZR--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Cupcake Murder and Tokens. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Free horror oldie on Tubi with monsters and Peter Cushing.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
Ok, the creature is grief we got it. Still a fun horror ride!
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Horror podcast film review.
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This is my podcast film review of Force Majeure, an in comfortable film about relationships.
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Just another low budget horror on Prime but this one has a cool original angle
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My podcast review of “The Dare”
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My review of this amazing, inspiring film starring Will Smith as the coaching dad of tennis stars Venus and Serena.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-riley/message
My video review.tau.mp3DownloadThe post Tau is a new Horror Film on Netflix appeared first on Riley on Film.
Growing up I loved this show. It has all the charm of the Brady Bunch but with more mature topics. Listen to my praise of this show now on Tubi for free!
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This film is filmed really well. There’s not a lot of CGI but there’s some. This takes you on such a ride. It’s about a therapist who works in an emergency ward. People there keep killing themselves for no apparent reason. But you find out later there is a reason. They all poetically die “with a smile on her face.” Listen to my brief 5 minute recording about this film. I give it a 10/10.
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Ok I just saw Nanny. The name isn’t really guiding you to what it’s about. To me, Nanny didn’t sound interesting. Maybe a nanny in a home with children who kills people? That was a block for me. What it is we have an undocumented worker from South Africa. She’s trying to make money any way she can to bring her 7 year old son over to the States from South Africa. That’s her struggle in a nutshell. This is an amazing film.
It starts out very mysterious you don’t really know what’s going on with this nanny. I’ve tried to avoid spoilers in this episode. Currently as of recording this episode, it is streaming on Amazon Prime. It’s sad because she works long hours as a Nanny and she gets shorted her pay as well. Even though it’s sad, it does bring an awareness of what it’s like to work here in the States in an undocumented or work visa capacity. There are a lot of people who are “anti” undocumented workers and I find that unfortunate. People struggling like the nanny here should be observed and noted because millions have gone before and are struggling like her now. We can do better for these human beings.
The lavish luxurious home is over the top. The mother of the child was in “The Path” and many other modern films. You might recognize her. The husband is a sex addict who’s in denial. Both are extremely tense to watch. The mother is very OCD. It grates a bit on the nerves. I think as a rich woman contrasted against the poor nanny it paints a background of taking advantage of people. She gets shorted and she turns to him to pay her. It makes me wonder about nannies and why we need them? I could never afford one so I adjust my work to allow me to be with my kids as much as possible.
We see the pattern of her torturous work ending every week in her wiring money to her son. The cinematography is amazing. It seems like the camera is meant to be from the perspective of a child. Very effective. The little girl is odd.
Aisha begins to date. Her new boyfriend brings in his grandmother to the story. This has to do with a total gut punch ending. It is a twist ending which is a very modern convention.
This is a summary of my review. Listen to the full review on my podcast at rileyonfilm.com
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This movie is pure fun. I love movies that take place over the hours of one night. Creepy and fun.
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There are minor plot spoilers in the second part of the review. Guillermo del Toro has redone Pinocchio and it’s a ride my friend, A RIDE. I couldn’t help but compare every premise and concept with the Disney cartoon I loved so much as a child. The Toro version takes it to a darker place with a focus on grief. There is also a musical theme reminiscent of “Beauty and the Beast” and “Les Misérables.”
Specifically, it makes the death of Geppetto’s son a horrifying casualty of war. Mussolini’s control of Italy is portrayed probably just as it was: a merciless ego tantrum. So, in doing this he weaves something entirely new into the story. Reminiscent of “Pan’s Labyrinth” this film uses historical realism as a backdrop. Also in both movies we find a murderous, twisted dictator pulling the strings, pun intended. Also, the movie is set apart by the outstanding and effective voice actor talents of Gregory Mann as the pine boy.
We get to know the flesh and blood son of Geppetto here, who is not the focus of the Disney film. Carlo is a wide eyed child and his father loves him, it’s clearly evident in the song “My son.” In the interest of keeping the mystery and magic of the film, I’ll stop describing that song and that scene. I do recommend it. We do see some traits in this film that can be considered horror, and so it is labeled as such. But really it is dark theater set to music. A Tim Burton aspect is appropriate to note. Grief is not new to horror. The recent smash hit “Hereditary” focused on the grief of a family and how it leads them down the dark musty hall into a forbidden form of relief. In this film, the grief is from the loss of Carlo, the real flesh and bone son of Geppetto. When he dies, Geppetto grieves. When he grieves he sees the opportunity to make a puppet out of wood. I think this puppet is the host horrifying thing of the whole film. He’s an annoying brat. I found this trait if the film to be a little bit like “Frankenstein.” In like fashion, Pinnochio is made living by the passions of the old man and of course a supernatural figure. The new “boy” is just not right. I take this metaphor to mean we should grieve for the dead but not attempt to “keep them around.”
In this film, there is a hook or lesson that says to love people exactly as they are. Unike the Disney film, that premise leaves the puppet as a puppet and Geppetto having a “pine” boy.
The post Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio appeared first on Riley on Film.
Not half bad! It’s a moderate budget sci fi mystery horror. Well worth watching. Laura Fraser is so so beautiful. I want to go watch everything of hers.
The post Dark Encounter, 2019 – ★★★½ appeared first on Riley on Film.
Not as f d up as Mother--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/damien-riley/message
The Northman - Podcast Film Review - 8/10 rileyonfilm.com--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/damien-riley/message
Good not great 7/10
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Decent mystery. 7/10--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/damien-riley/message
Not as great as they’ve told you--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/damien-riley/message
Great animated musical with a dark aspect.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/damien-riley/message
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Let’s talk bandages my horror buddies!--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/damien-riley/message
Transcript will post soon
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A young girl gets sucked into an MMORPG. The question becomes, is she really changing into horrific forms? The title lured me in. When I heard it was about a teen in her room getting messed with by sone internet spirit I was kinda not into it. Tonight however it sounded creepy enough so I watched it and did a short review. I recommend! 7/10. Very creepy with no jump scares.
Machine generated transcript.
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Although the clown monster hit “It” of the same year may have ended up grossing more box office dollars, “Pet Sematary” is a much better horror movie written by Stephen King, in my opinion. The creepiness permeates and paves the way for a quaint yet terrifying tale of one family and a mystic pet cemetery just behind their house.
Full post and recording at:
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My podcast review of this visionary horror film.
Transcript auto generated
please listen carefully
this is my review of in fabric I'm so
glad I'm so glad I finally saw this
movie I've been wanting to see it for
several years I want to say this goes
back as far as 2014 I'm not sure and I
don't see the date in front of me but oh
2018 so it doesn't quite go that far
back
I think us old guys we reach a certain
age and we just think
we're not old
and some of us are more than others I
guess I like to think I'm young at heart
but anyway this was 2018 which was
really not that long ago but
the reason I thought of 2014 is what is
my ultimate Arbiter of where I am in the
universe when I saw Tusk that's right I
saw a desk 2014. but we're not talking
about tests we're talking about in
fabric
directed by Peter Strickland who
apparently has made a name for himself
this film is the different it's like
people have called it Lynch meets Dario
Argento yeah there are moments like that
it definitely is simplified which I like
a lot
for example I was just watching last
night in SoHo yesterday and a bunch of
friends were telling me that it was so
good my friend Charlie Ray was telling
me it was so good and it was pretty good
it was better than I
had prejudiced about it because I when I
saw them doing the dancing with the
finger dancing in the 60s and all that
the fingers on the eyes and stuff I was
like no thank you don't really want to
watch a whole movie of this and baby
driver was kind of like that so the
director kind of does that and I guess
for me that was kind of a hangout
everybody has Hang-Ups right you have
something you can't get Beyond
for some people it's an actor
for a lot of years I didn't really like
Jon Voight but I forced myself to watch
his movies and I just ignored that I
didn't really like him as a private
person
and I love him as an actor so it can
happen he just gotta look at yourself as
an artiste and an appreciate excuse my
language today I appreciate her I don't
mind my tongue there I am appreciator of
movies and I hope you are and I know
most people who listen to this are so I
would just say hey
couple things actually I figured
something else out too
if you
look at this movie
you're gonna find something quite
different than what you probably suspect
so do not be prejudiced toward this
movie do not be prejudiced toward any
movie
but especially those of you that don't
just hang on the latest greatest four
out of ten
film for high school kids drinking beer
which maybe some of you are like that I
have a few in that age range that listen
at least they used to hopefully they
still do hello out there
the point is there's a lot to be
prejudicent about with this movie and I
can't tell them today for some reason I
need to get myself a nice route here
but before I do that
please see this movie it's excellent
you're gonna find a lot of creepy things
going on that you're not really going to
understand you're going to see a lot of
things that
I think come from like sort of the Blade
Runner time when films were being made
at that time there's like a lot of that
kind of a feeling there's a kind of a
fee
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Yeah just that
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This film succeeded with me in presenting a background in front of which I can see a personal connection. It failed a little in preaching what the background would do for the close up characters, who we are invested in, maybe too much.
It's safe to say this guy's films are spoiled from their release. Even the title here carries a summary. Through peripheral unintentional spoils, I knew it was about people on a beach who either get old or discover people there who got old prematurely. Without spoilers, there's something undefinable on the island and the film does have to do with that process.
I'm a high achiever so I know people will vary in their reactions to growing old. I would have drawn conclusions for characters that hadn't been clearly lined out in the film. Why is the best ending _______? I like a more open ended film when it comes to It's a Wonderful Life conclusions. Maybe he doesn't want her back? As an example?
In conclusion, if you are introspective about life, this could be a good place to go. Don't look for moral truths but use your imagination to marinate the troubles and mixed blessings in your life. For introspective fans of M Night Shyamalan, I recommend "Old" to you.
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Helen McCrory fans like myself were likely shocked and excited that the lovely actress was to play a female Dr. Frankenstein.
We know this only from the title however since her name is not mentioned as such. Along with the change of gender, this “incarnation” of the mythic monster film is highly protean. The things I liked best about it were: 1) The persona of a mother to the being, 2) The hideous yet credible creature, and 3) the veer away from reanimation in place of creation at a cellular level, like cloning it would seem.
You could correctly say that there is a motherly-like connection between Frankenstein, the novel monster, and his scientific creator. For that reason, this aspect is not a stretch. Still, it’s developed so well the horror is palpable and relatable to any parent. Every parent can relate with the situation in which the Dr. attempts to bring her child back to life. This film is supposedly modern so it doesn’t have the ghoulish charm of the old ones. At the same time, this scenario of the doctor as a mother to the monster speaks new volumes we could talk about. I recommend it on that aspect alone but there are other great attributes of this film. The second thing to love about this film is the creature. It looks scary. There are shots where he’s moving where you can really believe the actor looks like that. If you’ve seen Tobe Hooper’s “Funhouse” film, you might compare the two creatures. What’s weird about it is it formed through cellular division and mutation as opposed to the Dr. digging up a corpse and reanimating it. In the tender shots with mom, the eyes are quite expressive. I have to admit I didn’t expect such a well formed creature in a BBC movie. I was wrong, it’s insanely cool looking. For the third thing, I want to share further about the angle of the film regarding cellular fusion and cloning.
Have you ever seen the “Dolly” lamb that was cloned? It’s creepy as all get up. The idea of a living thing that was born in a lab to me is terrifying. In the same breath I will say however it’s fascinating from a scientific perspective. It would have been cool to see the traditional path of these movies run its course but they made something new work. The more modern movies do that and as a result many have been made and have held the public’s full attention and praise. There is a sequence of images of amoebas and paramecium under the microscope. I loved that so much. The idea that life is relentless and will fight to live and even evolve.
In conclusion I highly recommend this film. It’s streaming now on Amazon Prime. I hope you’ll subscribe to my podcast and blog to get the latest monster movie I review in this series.
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Art mimics life and sometimes it’s so flawlessly done in film that it explains the news of the day. In this case. I’m referring to racism as portrayed in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Today we are hearing evidence of Republicans mistreating migrants. Governor Abbot had them bussed to Chicago in a defiant act against President Biden. I recall the scenes in Mockingbird where Mayella recounts for the court how she as supposedly raped by a crippled arm black man. I will say in the same paragraph however that I am not assaulting Republicanism as a group (though it is going that way dear friends. I’m astounded how low they have sunken under Trump’s dictatorship.
We find out quickly this rape could not have happened and it opens’ our eyes to the dehumanization of blacks in the 1930’s. You’d think we would have stopped this’s hurtful nonsense after all these years. Trump’s mug juts out at all of us reminding how we deserve more than another race. This is a lousy way to deal with “The Other” among us. He has grabby hands.
I think this film has replaced “A River Runs Through it” as my all time favorite. Every semester I teach entering Freshmen about respect for the “Other.” You see this perfectly embodied in the character played by Greg Peck, Atticus Finch. That’s the only comparison I will allude to regarding Republicans. If you are one, I hope you don’t get offended but rather heed the call to be better. I used to be a Republican, I shy away from that fact now.
The court scenes show a white man who has empathy for the Other in his awareness’ for the Other, who is a black man, his client, The film is charming because it paints a timely portrait of the South. The genius mind of Harper Lee has created a place on film where we all can go to address these issues. We’re all guilty of racial bias, I truly believe that. Some more than others can rise above. I can give this film no less than 10/10. Watch it, especially if you are a MAGA Republican. Let me know what you think in the comments.
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A relationship based film that goes off the rails. I did enjoy the film and gave it a 7/10. Have a listen to my podcast film review. Letterboxd describes it as:
A socially awkward woman with a fondness for arts and crafts, horses, and supernatural crime shows finds her increasingly lucid dreams trickling into her waking life.
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Can I call this charming? A friend who is mentally disabled is cute in a way. We have the protagonist, the monster, We se the monster in this early incarnation desiring a friend. The mad scientist has grand plans. We get to see the monster develop language. We also ss he is sort of capable of making another human happy. I'm thinking of the blind man who gives him food and shelter to heal. In this epic blockbuster horror film, we see a human undead monster and he's still got the drives for companionship.
It has the usual mob trying to kill the monster. Through this exciting segment of about 1/2 way we see him as a flawed, even brain damaged human. I couldn't help but feel sorrow for the monster. Bela Lugosi is a prefect actor for this human creature (or is it?). Some of my favorite scenes are the ones with the blind man. They are kindred spirits in that each wants a friend. I got the impression one would get watching a toddler find something shiny and becoming enraptured with it.Putting the monster through torture is what had me glued to the screen. I'm not into torture but I find myself relating with the yearning, longing, and even lusting after a woman or otherwise partner. They are such fine and wonderful creatures those partners. I also related with the block of communication that is present throughout. Did you know the Bible teaches the Tower of Babel was why God confused language for all humankind. It tried to be higher than God so God humbled them. The monster illustrates how horrible it would be to not be able to communicate.
There are not many scenes of the actual author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. The film however does open with she and Lord Byron commenting on the lovely ghastly storm outside. We see clearly based on the title and the plot, she is to be made into a female monster, for the creature. I love the way they weaved the real life couple into this. Is raises the verisimilitude and leaves us actually wanting to see them together.
Unfortunately we don't see much of the female. The latter portion of the film is where we see only her transformation but not much detail. She looks just plain freaky, I like that. I get from her character that she too is unable to communicate. She is quicker moving than the monster.
In conclusion, this is to date one of my favorite classic series films. I really enjoy the writing, especially the writing of Byron and Shelley, The film is a delightful hodgepodge of suspenseful orchestra music and top shelf acting. The result is a mind ride to understand why we should never bring the dead back to life. This is an incredibly atmospheric class A horror film. I can give it no lower than a 10/10. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/damien-riley/message
In addition to recording podcasted reviews of films, I also write and sing my own music.
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This is the latest song for my upcoming album called My Funeral
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New Version of song started today. Album is officially pushed back. Hope you like this sample
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Bunch of malarkey. Book is best. "Then the white coats were all gathered around the cot, and you couldn’t seethe kid anymore. Directly behind him, a chart hung down. It showed thequadrants of the human brain. Andy looked at this with great interest for awhile. Verrry in-der-rresting, as Arte Johnson said on Laugh-In.A bloody hand rose out of the huddle of white coats, like the hand of adrowning man. The ngers were streaked with gore and shreds of tissue hungfrom them. The hand smacked the chart, leaving a bloodstain in the shape of alarge comma. The chart rattled up on its roller with a smacking sound." Stephen King, Firestarter
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Laboratory minimal.
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This is a machine auto generated transcript. It has not been proofread.
Thanks for tuning in and listening to Riley on Film, I am Damien Riley your ghost host.
While you're here i hope you got your horror's worth find out more and subscribe (only not in that order) riley on film dot com now enjoy the show The Oblong Box from 1969: This is more than just a Vincent Price vintage horror although it is that and it has all the great stuff that he offers in those films. But more than that this film is very tawdry for 1969. i saw some nippleage i think i did yes i did a couple times. Uh the parties are like debauchery uh sexual debauchery and it's very gory as well. Now mind you the gore in 1969 is sort of like uh kindergarten paints poured all over someone with a head wound uh and not really believable by today's standards. But I think the folks that were in theaters back then in 1969 were open to that verisimilitude that was enough for them that allowed them to peer through the fourth wall and believe what was happening. Now i just want to say one well before i move on to the author edgar allan poe i want to say christopher lee is also in this so i don't know how many movies there are with vincent price and christopher lee in the same film with prominent roles but in this one they are extremely well cast and it is it is it's really like a mystery and toward the end you definitely didn't see it coming so i'm not going to talk about it but we have the master of all horror here edgar allen poe and people have mused that he himself must have murdered someone for the ability for him to have such insight into murderers i don't believe that's true but they've also said that he was bipolar and that i would believe being a sufferer of that myself he had a dark side that he couldn't escape now back then they didn't have lithium and they didn't have uh mood stabilizing drugs that people could take and be prescribed so it's possible he was undiagnosed bipolar as anyone was who was bipolar back then and as we all recall carrie fisher recently died i can't help but think that it was partially because of her bipolar because she turned away all her drugs eventually toward the end and she was getting electroshock therapy three times a week and i know for a fact that's not really good for your body that's how we kill people on the electric chair but it is a much smaller jolt and she swore by it and she liked it but you could just see her begin to really age and even in some of these star wars films that she was in uh where she was supposed to play an elder uh person princess or i guess mcqueen you can see that for her age she really shouldn't have looked that old so the reason i'm bringing that up is because you guys are all movie fans and we're talking about movies and so i just want you to to think about the fact that you know if edgar allan poe was untreated and somebody would rather have electroshock therapy than deal with that darkness and that mania i have a i have a feeling his was mostly on the depressive side not the manic side you come up with some pretty dark stuff and this is one of the darkest i hadn't even read this story called the oblong box and truly remarkable story there's so much to say about it and i would really prefer not to because as it washed over me i just enjoyed it so much and i want you to have the same experience but this is definitely one worth watching put away any expectation of cgi put away any expectation of modern filmmaking and you will see that this is quite a ride and truly enjoyable so i hope you like it and after you see it let me know what you thought on my blog i now have the comments open so feel free to go to rileyonfilm.com and leave me a comment now i will see you next time
thank you for listening to riley on film i'm your host damian reilly you can find out more and subscribe always for free at rileyfilm.com now have a great day
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This is another masterpiece by the master director Brian De Palma. BONKERS in every way. I dont want to give it away. Clearly de Palma influence the horror genre with this one, especially the mental disorder particulars.
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I'll give it creepy and the leading lady is cute.
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You might avoid this bit.
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The Fades is a pretty awesome horror miniseries. Streaming now on Prime and elsewhere
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A short one recommending "Lowlife," a Tarantino esque horror/Thriller. 7/10
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There is more bitchen here than I can write about. Have a listen. Dave is a figure of my early adulthood in Mission Viejo and we've been watching stuff together ever since.
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Early 90's splatter film.
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This is an indy film I defy anyone to disparage. Did it take a while to get going? Yes. Was it worth it in the house when the group starts freaking out, YES.
As usual I fail to identify with the blind allegiance to a sibling in a film. The "addict" is more grown up if you asked me. The preppie is a "shitehead" but that's just my hippie perspective. Watching this film makes me want to grab my friends and go to JOshua tree to do shrooms. That's what these dudes end up doing and as they say, shit goes down. Not all who wander are lost. Both brothers suck at acting but hey. hang in there it's worth it.
You have a rental at Joshua Tree, the mystic place of retreat and LSD. Those parts are beautifully filmed. I live in Apple Valley which is one of the only places in the world where they grow. IN fact they are endangered and protected. But I digress. The prep is there for his bro (yeah right). The hippie is there for his own spine and getting blazed.
Chicks show up as you would imagine. Drugs start coming out and everybody gets stoned and fried. Again, shit acting but hang in there.
In the climax, we see something so cool that I refuse to spoil. What makes it so scary to me is that I have been in charge of people a lot in my life. To just have one pop up and then disappear willy nilly would scare the fuck out of me. There isn't anything else redeeming about it. I gave it a hugely high score because the climax idea and writing is so good. It was as if the director said, don't worry about dialog or acting until the thing starts to happen. When it does, everybody spins around it religiously and that when the shit acting improves and the film becomes one of my favorites. What did you think of "Head Count?"
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That's right, a horror movie involving Magic Mushrooms! Do tune in and hear my praise of this thing. You gotta see it man.
Damien
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Please listen to this! It's updated from my prior review which is now wrong.
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I was surprised how much I liked this film where two strangers wake up in a bed surgically joined at the abdomen.
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Closed for Storm is a 2020 documentary film by YouTube creator Jake Williams of Bright Sun Films. It focuses on Six Flags New Orleans, a Louisiana amusement park that has been abandoned since it was flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
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Very creepy and cool. Horror fans will like this film where African Americans give us history instead of just the "get out" message. It's on Netflix.
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Hello travelers. I have been obsessed in the last week with shows about Ancient things (good keyword), King Tut and Egypt. I grew up on the stuff, my mother was a paleo docent with the library. Anyway, somewhat by chance I have rediscovered this archaeological stuff. It's well worth watching for any horror fan. It ignites similar neurons, a fascination wit the profane.
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My review
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A creature is all I needed to hear and I was all in. Hear what I thought of Antlers.
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Movie info page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5085522/
Juliette, a lone survivor of an apocalyptic era, fights to survive against hunger, thirst, a broken leg and strange, disturbing creatures that only come out at nighttime.
-imdb
This was shockingly good, even the embedded love story. 8/10.
Streams on Prime.
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Hey I actually enjoyed this thing Netflix has put out. The lead actor has a voice like Josh Groban.
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This Blumhouse decided to get out just in time
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horror folks, at its space/sci fi best.
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CC coming soon! Enjoy my thoughts on this indefatigable film.
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Hey listeners. This is the first head poke I've done out of the sand in several months. If you get that analogy, you know ostriches. Well, at least you know there is a stigma about them.
Tell me what you think! I hope to put up more episodes like I was doing 5 years ago.
Damien
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What I been watchin
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Starting a series of films that are “Atmospheric Horror.” Sound off in the comments, let’s make this a dialog.
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Hello listeners. As promised, here is the episode with my new cohost Hermione Flavia who is a beautiful person inside and out that enjoys AND ACTS in movies. She also has written on film for years and been a repeat guest on my podcast since 2017. I asked her to team up. She tells you more about herself in the episode. We are building a podcast, we hope you’ll come along with us! In this important landmark episode, we cover “Candyman” and “Howl.” Much more to come from my new podcast pal and I, why not subscribe to never miss a new feature? As Bowie sang, “Ch ch ch changes.” Enjoy your week and WE will be back for another episode. Currently we are in the process of picking a name. Any suggestions? Thank you. Enjoy.
Update: The name of the new podcast I am doing with Hermione has been invented “The GenX and the Millennial
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Hello Riley on Film listeners! I’m basking in the afterglow of a recording session with my author friend David Kopf. I Introduce him and his latest book “Tea in Crimea.” As you will hear he has some very intuitive points to make about these films: The VVitch, Mandy, Lighthouse, and Color Out of Space. I had a few editing issues so please pardon if the subject jumps. I think it only does it 2x. Let us know what you think in the comments. I hope you enjoy! Here is the link to David’s book. I highly recommend reading it. https://www.amazon.com/Tea-Crimea-David-Kopf/dp/1732380201
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ClownDoll (2019) – IMDbwww.imdb.com › title1h 33min | Drama, Thriller | 23 March 2020 (UK) After purchasing a doll, Lane’s life takes a turn for the worse when close friends and family begin vanishing.
(I am Lane’s sex slave in the film. Unfortunately the scenes were too hot for the internet so they were put in a vault).
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Bad week for movie watching and some other things. 🙁 The recording sounds all lossy. No idea why. Did everything the same. I hope you enjoy my sound effects (shhhhhh)
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Hey there, I’m changing wibw to “My Letterboxd” in a series. I just do plain talk reading down my activity feed. Feel free to follow me there, I am rileyonfilm (of course). kaboom. I mean to do right by my (our) contribution here. Namaste. I hope you enjoy.
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I have to give this one a 10! How can I not? The calculated storytelling with the air of the “Sabotage” video by the Beastie Boys. We aren’t looking at them, we are AMONG them. In fact, we are the accomplice to the killings. Fortunately all the kills are righteous. All men don’t suck right? Wait don’t answer that. There is the “tits and ass” theme everywhere so see it for that if not for the genius style of 70’s noir type horror. This one’s a perfect 10 in my book.
In this show I mention a video by Disturbed. Merry Christmas:
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Hello lovely free-thinking listeners and readers: I am against a new wave of horror films that take little into account except race. I want creepiness, above all else, in my horror. This film has some. I await the day when all colors are presented in movies without preference or prejudice. The goal is the scare! This one is not bad!
Let me establish here at the get go I am enamored of black culture. I am in no way prejudiced against anyone for the color of their skin or even their socio-economic condition. I teach college freshman English and I encourage all my students, whatever their skin color or ethnicity, to work and succeed in life through getting a college education. I just thought I’d give you a little background on me before anyone starts falsely accusing me of being racist. Ok enough of that fine print, let's do the review!
What’s in this 2020 film called “Black Box?” More importantly, is it worth a 2020 horror fan’s time? Blumhouse financed it but as fans know, their movies have been hit and miss in the past few years with a sample miss being “Happy Death Day II” and absolute hits being the “Creep” franchise and the inimitable “Hush.” So, with respect and eager anticipation, horror fans want to know, “What’s next in the box?” For me, this one stops just short of being great. It succeeds in looking like a “Get Out” (is there any latent horror value in mandating a mostly black cast? Please sound off in the comments) but it loses points in scares and writing. In some social ways, this was a hard review for me. I don’t want to offend people. Please don’t be offended. Sound off in the comments, I would love to hear your response to this film.
Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. is our first time director. “Black Box,” in a similar vein of “Total Recall,” concerns the erasure/redemption of memory, and one man’s sad loss of his. Glenn Kenny (NYT) says:
In “Black Box,” it’s bad enough for Nolan (Mamoudou Athie) that, half a year after losing his wife in an automobile accident that also put him into a temporary coma, he’s still suffering from amnesia. But what’s worse are his dreams, which are increasingly becoming nightmares.
The trouble is, we’ve see this before done far better: e.g. Vertigo, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Memento, The Tree of Life ...
Mamoudou Athie portrays Nolan, a mysterious dad with no past he can recollect and thus has a very strange relationship with his daughter. He forgets to pick her up from school numerous times and thus is threatened by her teacher that next time she will have to call social services. Enter clinical and controversial memory scientist Lillian (Phylicia Rashad) who claims she can bring back his memory through a sort of guided meditation which smacks of “Insidious,” and other familiar horror tropes. She’s a beloved actress but fails to get this plot off life support. It takes a long time for anything scary to happen and Rashad is … well she’s 72. It feels like they are trying to attract black viewers primarily instead of all colors of fans. I’ve wondered since the release of “Get Out” why they need that. I get reparations and equity etc. I love black culture butI’mnt sure Jordan Peele is a horror director to emulate. I know I’m in the minority on that. Feel differently? Let’s chat about it in the comments. I respect all views on horror. It’s not all black and white.
Progress is steadily made with the protagonist’s memory. These scenes are creepy, I liked them. If anything, these dreamlike memory sequences make it worth your time. The writing in between is often pathetic though. I feel more effort should have gone into developing believable characters, textbook black or not. The righteous anger over prejudice will likely produc...
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This interesting director's name is Jim Cummings ("Thunder Road"). He's a new director with a lot of energy. Unfortunately I hated his portrayal of the Sheriff. He's slight and seems to lash out uncontrollably for no reason. I attribute that to a writer/actor/director taking on too much. But that doesn't stop the cult praise. I see big scores for this film all over, even on Letterboxd which impresses me since so many of respectable amateur film critics (and pro too) live there. I think the first real werewolf movie I saw was "Silver Bullet" written by Stephen King. That movie will always rock in my memory. Gary Busey was the goofy uncle and the werewolf is one of the scariest anyone could have assembled in a film.
People in their teens and twenties might find it hard to believe that there were werewolf movies prior to “Twilight.” Probably the most outlandish of which is “An American Werewolf in London.”
If you’re a horror fan who hasn’t seen it yet, you should. Let me take a birdwalk here for a few words about Silver Bullet. It’s comedic irony in a horror film like no other film. “Silver Bullet” is another werewolf film that has been lost on a new generation. I was 10 in 1980 and watched whatever I could of Stephen king movies all through the decade. “Silver Bullet” is horror with an Americana feel to it. King created a solid story here that has stood the test of time for me. Watching it 30 years later, I still hid my eyes a few times, remember terrified sleepovers of my youth in front of the tv.
The plot is fairly simple but that works well for the film. A werewolf brings terror down on a smalltown American city. The protagonist is Marty, a paralyzed boy confined to a wheelchair. The other two main characters beside Marty are his sister and uncle. They don’t believe what he is telling them about the horror he sees. Along the way you get smalltown diners, 80’s decorated homes, picnics, and scary legends coming to life before your eyes. All people around my age must remember the motorcycle wheelchair. Yes, that was something to behold! Most all of King’s movies have somewhat of a sing song vibe to them, “The Shining” being an exception. I remember reading “The Stand” and “Firestarter” in high school and there were pages devoted to oldies tunes. King has a talent for making singsong wholesome images terrifying. Silver Bullet follows right along in that style of his.
A character worth noting is Marty’s uncle, played by the indefatigable Gary Busey. He is pure fun to watch on screen. When I see him in movies like this or “the Buddy Holly Story” I can’t help but wonder if the character was written just for him. He has an attitude in real life that shows through in most of his characters. When facing a werewolf, you definitely want Busey with you. In the interest of preventing spoilers I won’t go into too much plot detail. Suffice it to say, “Silver Bullet” is a well-crafted movie adapted from an amazing story by an established and world famous horror writer. It reminds me of the 80’s in its purity and innocence. Even though it is a bit singsong at times with its focus on an American town, it pulls no punches for being a frightening movie including clever effects. Every time I watch it I see something more. The werewolf movie genre may have evolved since the 80’s but we can always travel back and get a glimpse of what it was with “Silver Bullet.”
But this is no "Silver Bullet," to be fair, it doesn't try to be your typical werewolf film. It struggles to keep verisimilitude which is a necessary element for scares. I yelled at the TV "There is a wolf or what?" Let me just say I was disappointed with the films response. I think there is a cult favorite rising here for multiple reasons, all complimentary to Cummings. Still, the editing is piss poor, the choices for cuts and scene setups is horrendous. While I liked the sharp canines,
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Synopsis: "Archons" (2020) is the story of falling-from-grace rock group, Sled Dog, half a decade after the release of their hit single, Backfire. After a chance encounter with rock-legend and life-long idol, Emerson Gilmore, Eric is willing to take one more chance at success, the way Emerson Gilmore did it back in the 70s—out in the Canadian mountains with a guitar and a bag of psychedelic drugs. An FYI: the blood-shed has a great top ten post on drug horror flicks! I like them all! Check it out. In this post and podcast, I review 2 movies, one is my recommendation for your Halloween primary scare!
My written review of "Archons" is on horrornews.net
Review: If you’re a rock band seeking a veto writer’s block, don't stay out in the terrifying forest and take Indian drugs, stay home and do regular acid. We forget how scary Native Americans can be in horror stories, with all the trips they took on peyote etc. Someone took advantage of that in this film and it works well. The backdrop is a camping trip. The players are 3 beautiful women and a rock band seeking pharmaceutical inspiration for its next album. Both camping and rock music are familiar tropes for horror. Here they work together in a similar and fun way. I didn't think I would like this film as much as I did. it's not for everybody though. If you like movies where the cast are on a psychedelic trip, you’ll enjoy this horror. For a low budget film, it delivers the scares. I give a 10/10 to visuals and cinematography. It’s a hammock saying, come and sit awhile.
After the 3 bikini clad babes have a little dialog with the vacationing rocker, we are introduced to an endearing actress: Parmiss Sehat (April “May”). I recall her role on Keifer Sutherland’s “Designated Survivor.” Her eyes are entrancing and she plays a hopeless fan exceedingly well. The bronze blond rocker is played by Josh Collins. He’s been in “The 100,” “Supernatural,” and a few other roles. Needless to say, this is not a no-namer film. The fan follows the band on their canoeing drug trip and as you can probably imagine, the films descends quickly in chaos and horror. Oh and don't forget the supernatural aspects of the “Indian Drug.”
The guitarist (Rob Raco/”Supernatral”) acquires drugs before the trip and they are supposedly drugs the Indians’ use to do their religious ceremonies. Of course it’s a little too strong and they “see” things. Hallucination movies can be great. They are meant to emulate a drug trip so you will like it more if you've been on one. First, Priss’ character has something explode in her head. From there all manner of camping horror mayhem breaks loose. This isn’t acid, we find out, it’s something much more potent and other worldly. as the makeshift creatures appeared, I found myself wondering if they were really people disguised by the drug. it wasn’t too clear but I let myself believe it and really enjoyed the thrills! The best low budget creature I’ve seen was in “The Village” and thus I learned you don't need cgi for deep, dark creepy!
The creatures look like paper mache costumes but they still are jarring. I was reminded by the low budget things that this isn’t a blockbuster. At the same time, any horror fan who’s been on a trip with friends will recoil in delight at these humble drug horrors. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred. As is sometimes the case in druggie movies, the hallucination is revealed to be an actual person whom they don't mean to kill. I suspected that here but they left it open. Camping movies that get this sub genre very right are “Backcountry” and “The Blair Witch Project.
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Synopsis: An attractive young women enters the world of a serial killer by having sex with him and being strangled. She lives and her story intertwines with many other lonely characters in this self-professed horror film that revolves around sexual choking and homicide.
Review: Watching a horror movie that looks homemade is fine but the impact has to be there. It may be possible to understand why people asphyxiate themselves during sex: because it awakens endorphin glands before you pass out. I’m no expert but watching “Choke” (2020) I caught a glimpse of perhaps why, and I myself up to that point had never realized it before. As we follow truly lonely souls: a cop, a serial killer and a few other minor chokers. Imagine if you went on a date with a choker killer. When would you expect them to take their hands off your neck? Just like practicing partners of this deviancy, would it be when you passed out? Death and bliss are a fine line we find. This review appeared first at my real writing job ;) horrornews.net
Choke may be interesting to fans of this sexual choking fetish. I found myself on the other side and hoping to understand the appeal. That never happened. Jeanie (Sarah Brine) meets up with an older man on a train and has sex with him. This is quite fast but I welcomed the excitement in the plot since it took quite a while to do anything stimulating for a horror fan. Even when we see the choking, it looks canned and over coached. Obviously camera angles help but I began to wonder if I was watching an indoctrination film to choking during sex. Fortunately for me, I wasn’t aroused in the slightest. I honestly wonder who would like this movie. I didn’t see it as horror and it was a little too in-your-face to be a thriller/drama.
But Jeanie gets sucked in all the way. She becomes accustomed (addicted?) to this sex move. Perhaps she might tell us that once you’ve tried it, you can never go back. I know this is in a subculture out there but people please, be real, who wants to be choked during a pleasurable encounter? There is something like a lolita storyline here but above that is the practice, the hedonistic practice of choking during sex.
Hatanaka is a good director here. Unfortunately the subject matter is so difficult to draw near to or to push away. It isn’t clear what he wants to tell us so in my mind, he missed the whole point of a horror movie. For example, instead of causing my skin to crawl when the serial killer kills, he visited unbridled annoyance on me by having the choking partners fake evil laugh for 10 minutes. This isn’t why I watch horror movies. There were times it seemed the director was absent, maybe he choked on a cigarette on his break? Just wondering.
You will not find blood and gore here. Instead you’ll see a director’s case study of trial and error of portraying this deviancy onscreen. I am not a huge fan of pure blood and gore but I do enjoy creepy themes and atmosphere. This did not successfully develop either. Someone had told me the beginning looked like a high school level film term project. It does but they failed to mention it never really changes.
In conclusion, I’d say that due to an overemphasis of staged choking, this film fails for me. Anytime you name a film after something so chilling as choking, you must tastefully introduce it and then add it to the storyline in a way that yes repulses but keeps the viewer interested and more informed about it as the movie proceeds to its conclusion. I didn’t feel that here. It was a handful of unhappy people addicted to asphyxiation during sex.
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I know many of you horror fans out there like superhero films. Maybe this film was aimed at you because I don’t particularly like them and this was all but a lost mess on me. Listen to this episode in your podcast player of choice. The written version appeared first at HorrorNews.net
Tropes of superhero films appear a safe bet in this movie market. “Xmen” franchises always make hundreds of millions of dollars but films like it are beset with production costs that literally no one ever imagine. In that way, “Transference” is a bit refreshing in that it is a low budget film trying to achieve in the ranks of Amazon’s “The Boys.” Are you being assaulted hourly with ads like I am when I tune to Amazon Prime? But “Transference” is currently streaming on tubi not Amazon and the comparison of networks is a metaphor if not almost an allegory.Joshua (Jeremy Ninaber) is the tacit caretaker for his sister Emma (Melissa Joy Boerger) since their father died in a car accident. She has enormous metal psychic powers. At one point, her mind shows itself powerful enough to cause a horde of people to slit their wrists all at the same time. This sounds amazing I know but the way the parts like this are connected and misapplied, the film ends up being all over the place and extremely hard to follow. A friend of mine told me it was like doing brain surgery trying to understand the plot. Another said it had no plot. It does feel like 3-4 scripts were joined together hodgepodge. For that reason, I was turned off by this film.
You might compare Joshua to Wolverine in that he’s highly violent and powerful. What’s more, the knuckle fights don’t affect him physically at all. Picture Captain America in his street clothes attempting to take no prisoners in a street fight. Now imagine no humor to go along with that. Since I’m not much into street fighting either, it came up fairly empty for me. This film would have been better served by being a spoof. That wouldn’t require much of the cgi in superhero movies either.
The knuckle fights at night, while highly improbable and hard to accept as real, keep his sister in the hospital. By that I mean, brother earns the hospital fees through street fighting. You can see elements like this making a superhero film a bit hard to access. This isn’t horror. If the continual barrage of images and plot line made me uncomfortable, I would praise it as horror. Unfortunately, it makes the error of traveling down the road of superhero movies. It could have chosen to be a spoof, which would be better. I should also mention that the street fights are very poorly choreographed which can’t usually be blamed on a 200,000 dollar budget.
Can we look at one feature of this film I did/do like and am happy to share? As is conventional for my reviews, I have to give props to the multi-tasking director/writer/actor of this film: Matthew Ninaber. This was an ambitious task and I always want to recognize the directors who “do it all” to achieve their vision. The budget and plot issues aside, I can see how fans of the sub-genre will enjoy this film. If you agree or disagree with me about aspects of the film, I invite you to kindly start a discussion with me and others in the comments. I welcome all points of view and sometimes comments make me a better reviewer/podcaster.
A comic book masquerading in genre to be a horror is hard enough to pull off in the marketing. Even the film itself lacks the stuff of greatness. I will obviously reserve judgement for you comic book peripheral horror fans but as a straight up horror, you could miss this one.
As a parting thought, let me give you some recommendations of films th...
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Sputnik - A Podcast Film Review by Damien Riley - These are excepts from my longer review at Horror Movie News dot Net
Synopsis: The lone survivor of an enigmatic Russian spaceship incident hasn't returned back home alone-hiding inside his body is a dangerous creature.
Review: Most horror fans will agree, I can say based on my travels, that space and aliens are excellent themes for horror movies. Of course, Ridley Scott’s original “Alien” made the hair stand up on the back of the neck of a generation. I am proud to be included in that. Some more recent incarnations have failed in my view to do that but I pay props to that film, it set a gold standard for horror and gore in a mainstream sci fi film. “Sputnik” is an example of a film that comes close to that magic and mystique but in my opinion will not be adopted as such by the horror community because of the subtitles.
In conclusion, I have avoided spoilers mostly for this one because I really want you to see it. Let me put it this way, I had 3 screeners across my desk this week and this was the best (2020) film of the three by a country mile, or a light year? If you can trust me to not dread the subtitles, I think you’ll have a great time with this film. In my house the conversation went like this (so I get it) “Honey watch this it has subtitles though!” then my wife replies “Fuck that no way, I have to multi-task.” So there you go. MY favorite person dislikes subs. I hope you are more opening minded because this “Alien-like” sci fi foreign film is worth its weight in horror. While not perfect, I will grade it accordingly with a very high, as compared to mine lately, score from me: 8/10. This was a refreshing surprise at the beginning of Fall!
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The opening scene shows us a Victorian home and zooms ever so gradually in on a wood carved antique front door. There is a truly insidious sound effect, sinister in its low bass rumble. We enter the house in a series of stills as the rumbling continues. Awesome impact.
This is an effective way to create atmosphere in a horror movie. Also an effective part of the intro is the typeset or overlay of the credits. I’m seeing this a lot in the last decade. On a macro level, most people have seen Tarantino’s movie set in California Western times. It has those sort of overlays. It creates verisimilitude in this film and I was taken back to the days when things were simpler and scares were possible from atmosphere without jump scares. Has anyone else out there relished the spooky feelings they’ve had over a horror movie?I hope that’s what you come here to Riley on Film for because I am forsaking all others for a good long while. Atmospheric Horror is the name of my horror reviewing game! This film is knee deep in that category. In this review I plan to take you through the parts that create the most atmosphere. I hope you enjoy.
We see our presumed heroine in the kitchen first cooking. Her looks are pleasant. She’s wearing a white ruffly dress that doesn’t reveal much. She turn her head though and seems quite attractive as a brunette, farm beauty type of woman. The actress’ name is Anna Ishida. She has very little listed in IMDB. It appears she is all by herself wandering aimlessly around. I don’t mean this is a sexist way but it would be nice if all she is going to do is walk around that we might see her figure. Movies are appealing to the visual right? Just saying, sorry if that offends anyone. Nonetheless, I am convinced she is quite beautiful in my imagination as well as onscreen.
Dressing up in the mirror sort of shows she has large breasts. LOL. Sorry again. This part is a bit dull. I’m not sure what the point of this drawn out scene is. Would be a first for me though. People like my wife and otters get pots way before me, probably because I have a low patience threshold. The kitchen table is highly visual and pleasing. It has that country kitchen look to it and it adds to the suspension of disbelief that this was made in 2012 and not 1812.
A voice begins to speak to her, Emily. She talks to Emily like a parent or doctor. She even sings Emily a bedtime song before asking her to repeat the phrase “I am a Ghost” over and over. At this point the voice is attempting to remind Emily she is a ghost. The voice is a medium hired by the owners of the house to rid the ghost (Emily) from the house. It’s a bit of a “Groundhog Day” scenario. When Emily leaves the room she loses all memory of what the medium is trying to do with her. It repeats.
I find it highly clever what the director is doing here. H.P. Mendoza has given us a ghost film from the perspective of the ghost. Instead of waiting to be suddenly spooked, the story gives us an extended creepy feeling without the need for jumps or gore. While it wasn’t exactly the mood I was hoping for, meaning it was too timid, in a mild way it created atmospheric horror.It was thick with it though. I think this director is quite good for that.
My conclusion is this film is a 5/10 Boring but it will score higher for fans of this actress and director. I Was immediately interested in the lead but I didn’t get to see her figure much. It was powerful when she repeated “I am a ghost.” Wish I could recommend it more highly. It does deliver a certain degree of atmospheric horror but loses the mystique as it progresses.
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This is a gore lover's delight. For everyone else, well not so delightful. Listen to my 10 min review of this splatter gore fest called "Little Necro Red."
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A geeky vlogger who supposedly is well known fakes haunted happenings on his show for more likes and pays the price for it.
https://youtu.be/F7Ps3sdY-Uk
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My guest is Kira Comerford ( @kirac_98 on Twitter ) of the up and coming site "Cinematique." Watch for it! We were co-hosts and friends for a couple years on a podcast called "Talking Stars" along with Darren Lucas. Kira credits me as a factor of her interest in horror. I love having positive influence on young ladies ;) These are two horror films we picked because they are similar in theme and genre. Both take place onscreen in a social platform: one is Zoom, the other Skype. I hope you enjoy the hour long discussion! Please feel free to interact with us! She is on Twitter. You can also interact in the comments here. We will respond.
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I have my movie podcasting friend Vern on this episode. You can reach him and find links to all his work atTwitter at @cinema_recall
These are two great movies with Mermaids in them. There is some nudity in them, but I got over the trauma quickly so I could enjoy it (LOL). What did you think?
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Luz and House on Haunted Hill are the films. My guest is Hermione Flavia and we chose a film each to review. It was great once again to have her on the show. She was a guest on my old podcast Talking Stars as well as this podcast. You can follow her on Instagram. Hope you enjoy the show.
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My special guest today was MovieRob! Enjoy our hour long conversation. I challenged him, not a horror fan, to watch and discuss these two amazing horror films (well that's my opinion anyway.) Twas a lively chat! He will be back very soon. He can be followed at two places (and Twitter of course) MovieRob (Check to enter his monthly challenges!), The Lamb, and he is @Realmovierob on Twitter.
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Review: This film is on Amazon Prime Video currently, at time of writing this. I’m happy to review this film that really made an attempt at being a blockbuster. Brenton Thwaites (“The Giver,” “Gods of Egypt”) is just the younger fame aboard. We even have Billy Zane in the cast! Who can forget him in Titanic and so many other amazing stories like Daredevil. The guy has gotten around! He still looks like one scary dude too I might add. In this oddly told tale of ghosts in WWII however, he’s sort of the voice of reason that explains all the supernatural phenomena going on. Other stars in the film include: Theo Rossi, Kyle Gallner, Skylar Astin, and Alan Ritchson. I enjoyed this film, especially the odd ending but it’s still a B movie by my estimation. Despite the director’s efforts and the “cast of thousands” it makes only a small splash in a genre that’s seen this before. Let me flesh it out for you.
Read the rest of this review on HorrorNews.net where I am a regular contributor.
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I saw this film this morning on Prime and am already eager to share my podcast review with you! See what I think about this incredibly well-crafted mermaid horror movie made for under 200K.
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Psychedelic drugs have featured in many rock and roll films as well as some horror. Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” is replete with drug intended images and music. Many many more seek to do the same. While a mixed bag as far as quality, these films are beloved to college students and the career aged folks in love with the music. But that raises an important question: can a drug induced experience be enjoyed by many people?
Read my full written review of "Hager" as well as my other horror reviews at HorrorNews.net where I am a longtime contributor.
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This all star cast can't really make it amazing, but it's entertaining nonetheless.
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Explicit content and language! Synopsis: Sensing evil, a haunted house tour guide seeks a medium's help only to be warned that she is facing a vengeful power beyond her control.
Review: In the places it succeeds as a horror film, “Sisters of the Plague” effectively uses creepy music, cinematography, and forest settings to create a sense of foreboding. I’ve related to you many times before that it’s this sort of thing that I prefer to the so-called “Grief Horrors” coming out with such frequency. This film uses its sense of creepy cinematography to ratchet up the tension and fear. Furthermore, the setting in an outskirts town makes for a damn creepy experience. Unfortunately the experience falls flat when too much attention is given to the girl’s sick, desperately-coughing father. Her lesbian roommate wants to be rid of him once and for all. It reminded me of Poe’s “Tell Tale Heart” the way they discuss the annoyance of the old man here.
Read this and all my written reviews at HorrorNews.net where I am a regular contributor.
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Please make a mental note in your memory that , despite my low rating of this film, I love and respect independent filmmaking. They can be amazing. One example is “The Alchemist Cookbook.” In that film a guy tries to summon supernatural assistance and it messes him up big time. But there are no spooky connotations to the souls of duped cult members coming from the grave. I hope the next film I watch and review will be much better than this one. Why is this called horror? Read my full written review at Horror News dot Net where I am a long term writing contributor on horror films.
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“American Fright Fest” never gives up on itself. We have the director to thank for this I suppose. Whether it should have given up on the cutting room floor is an individual choice each horror fan has to make. It is indeed scary at times, which is surprising for its PG rating. Dylan Walsh of “Nip and Tuck” Fame is looking slightly old and certainly less adept with his lines. He’s Spencer Crowe, a fallen from grace horror director who is trying to make a comeback. To color it up a bit, he rents out an old insane asylum and laces cameras in various locations. (Read my full written review of this and and all my horror movie reviews at: Horror News dot Net )
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“The Dawn” (2020) is a drama, horror, thriller film now available to watch on Prime Video. It stars Devanny Pinn in the lead role, known for Crossbreed (2019) and Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery (2017). She has no nude scenes that I know of, please inform me is you know any (asking for a friend). Stacy Dash also plays a small role (Clueless). It was directed by a man named Brandon Slagle who is just starting out in his career but has apparently received “record rentals” (a few social media posts I read) as an indy director on Red Box. I am sad to say, this will not be breaking any rental awards anywhere. I don’t think even Stacy Dash’s fame could help this plot and production.
While the creepy moments (or attempts) are present, this film doesn’t present its intent until the last 4 minutes. At that point, it disjointedly claims to be a prequel to the “Amytiville Horror.” Every Horror fan knows the bar is high if it were to be that prequel. Perhaps that’s why the director didn’t reveal it was meant to be that until the end. The production and plot sink it. An example of things going right is “Exorcist.” We know why and how the young girl gets possessed and it gives us permission to be scared, repulsed, disgusted, etc. Remember that lovely pea soup sputtering out? “The Dawn” doesn’t even try to work the possession in. There is a brief encounter with her great grandfather who is Native American but even that scene gives us little to go on as this mystery of possession ensues.
Read the rest of my written review at HorrorNews.net.
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Not half bad! It’s a moderate budget sci fi mystery horror. Well worth watching. Laura Fraser is so so beautiful. I want to go watch everything of hers.
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An incredible rendering of humanity through a WWI backdrop. I really loved this one. Listen to this current episode of my podcast for more of my thoughts on this impeccable film. Go see it and take someone.
Show transcript:
Speaker 1: (00:01)Welcome to Riley on film. I'm your host, Damien Riley. You can find out more and subscribe for free always@rileyonfilm.com now on with the show,
Speaker 2: (00:22)please listen carefully today I saw a 1917 and what a film it is. I have to say, it looks kind of funny here on the screen of internet movie database because you have two years right next to each other in 1917 and 2019 I didn't know that this film came out 2019 I figured it came out 2020 but apparently it came out right. Oh look at this. It came out the 10th of January, 2020 but they're still listing it as a 2019 so I wonder what will happen there for Oscars. Definitely this thing is up for Oscars, especially the lead role, I believe his name is. Well, you know what, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I need to go down and check out what his name is, but I know he was in the horror film marrow bone. That's what it was called. It had it all the brothers and sisters and it was kind of creepy, pretty good movie.
Speaker 2: (01:28)I didn't think it was that great, but he uh, he was in that and he was okay and he's just got these eyes that you remember well he does a much better job in this. Uh, I could of been the script, could've been the story, but boy, he just stands out in this and I definitely think he's going to be up for best actor. So let me look down here and make sure I got his name right. Just like I'm let you all know. It looks like George Mackay. I got a tiny picture in front of me. I just blew it up. Definitely. This is George Mackay and George Mackay's man and a lot of stuff. He's a face. Many of you will recognize from captain fantastic Peter pan pride, how I live now and others including marrow bone.
Speaker 2: (02:17)This film is rated R. it definitely has some bloody scenes. Nothing too gory. But this is definitely a film that is not for everybody. I wouldn't call it an out and out war film, but let's just say it's on the battlefield. Uh, people are killed. People kill all the rules of war. And we all know as we have heard that war is hell. Now, president Trump likes to pretend that if you've got enough money, you can buy enough war machines and nobody can topple you. Well, unfortunately for us, he may find that that's not true in this film. We learned that war is hell and there's no place it. But we also learned that there are small victories even in a hell like war. And we have George McKay taking us on that journey. This is an Epic drama. As I said, it is war based, but it is an Epic drama. It has an 8.7 out of 10. I call that a nine with 16,962 votes. And it only came out, I guess what's that yesterday? I think today's the 11th as I'm recording this. Yep. So it came out yesterday and there's already 16,000 basically 17,000 votes.
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A low rated horror rates high in my book! Listen to my audio review of "The Turning." NEW, you can now watch my reviews simulcast on Youtube!
https://youtu.be/GxhD3X5VT6I
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Stay Out Stay Alive, Sweetheart, Harpoon, Burying the Ex, and Borgman. I got behind on my weekly podcasts so here’s my reviews of 5 films in one show. I see these titles as odd so there’s your title!
Horror Oddities of Late
by RileyOnFilm | created - 4 hours ago | updated - 3 seconds ago | Public
I got behind so here’s my reviews of 5 films in one podcast. I see these titles as odd so there’s your title!Refine See titles to watch instantly, titles you haven't rated, etcSort by: List Order Popularity Alphabetical IMDb Rating Your Rating Number of Votes Release Date Runtime Date Added View: 5 titles
- Borgman (2013)
Not Rated | 113 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery 6.8 8 66 Metascore
A vagrant enters the lives of an arrogant upper-class family, turning their lives into a psychological nightmare in the process.
Director: Alex van Warmerdam | Stars: Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Alex van Warmerdam
Votes: 15,099 | Gross: $0.06M
Watch Free on IMDb TV
- Burying the Ex (2014)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Horror, Romance 5.4 7 37 Metascore
A guy's regrets over moving in with his girlfriend are compounded when she dies and comes back as a zombie.
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Anton Yelchin, Ashley Greene, Alexandra Daddario, Oliver Cooper
Votes: 9,382
- Sweetheart (I) (2019)
PG-13 | 82 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller 5.6 6
Jenn has washed ashore a small tropical island and it doesn't take her long to realize she's completely alone. She must spend her days not only surviving the elements, but must also fend off the malevolent force that comes out each night.
Director: J.D.
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I joke with the people who know and love me by calling this film my namesake. After all, it is right? (My first name being Damien) Rewatching this classic horror film was amazing. I saw so many subtle influences on later films through the decades. Chill with me as I dissect the film. Oh and you get a bonus: the audio from the original trailer. Thanks for listening.
The Omen (1976) R | 1h 51min | Horror | 25 June 1976 (USA) Mysterious deaths surround an American ambassador. Could the child that he is raising actually be the Antichrist? The Devil's own son? Director: Richard Donner Writer: David Seltzer Stars: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stephens
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Although the clown monster hit “It” of the same year may have ended up grossing more box office dollars, "Pet Sematary" is a much better horror movie written by Stephen King, in my opinion. The creepiness permeates and paves the way for a quaint yet terrifying tale of one family and a mystic pet cemetery just behind their house.
I have observed modern horror includes both remakes of past hits as well as re imaginings. These span from “Friday the 13th” to “The Fly” and beyond. Here we have a remake with a slight re imagining element. Pet Sematary revitalizes the beloved 80’s film by Stephen King and respectively repackages it into a film that is more artful, more creepy, and more thought provoking than the original. This isn’t just a jump-scare film either, though it has some of that. It is a horror film through and through creepiness and dark, misty atmosphere included.
Quaint may not be the best adjective for this tale in that it has elements of horror and gore interspersed with a simple story about a quaint family in an all-American home. I think it’s important to note however that getting a story across should have simple pillars. I think the clown film “It” gets way into the complicated zone and for me this detracts from the power of the story. This film indeed has a quaint, or simple, story that is tastefully told using horror elements that accentuate instead of blot it out.
Another benefit of this simplicity is that entry level horror fans can have better access to it. Walking into a haunted house, the riff raff gets sorted out pretty quickly. By that I mean: they do not continue. If it’s a more mild form of scare, they may come through and enjoy the whole attraction. That happened with my youngest daughter, age 11. She’s not into horror yet but she really wanted to see this movie. She ended up loving it. She’s still not claiming to be a horror fan but I would say this film has that “entry level horror” quality to it.
The trailer is not “entry level” sounding, let’s listen to it now ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK0LNzU2TQI
At the get go I want to address the direction “team.” Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer. This film plays like a film that people cared for over a long time. There are no accidents. It all works perfectly too. These directors are behind “Starry Eyes.” This goes to show you they had a value for graphic horror in this film. “Starry Eyes” is one of those films where you relate because it looks like it could be happening in your own home or apartment. In fact, as the body count rises, you start thinking about how you will need to hide the evidence. These two can make the film personal and bring the creepiness home to the horror fan. Since “Pet Sematary” takes place with a family in a home and builds its horror moments between family members, Kolsch was a perfect choice. You feel that creepy atmosphere and personal discomfort. I think I’ve discovered a new favorite director team. You can bet I’ll be watching everything they do. I also applaud the producers here for supporting these two on this project. I can only dream of what they COULD have done with “It.” As it is, I am not a huge fan.
A shout out must go to Matt Greenburg for crafting the screenplay. He did Reign of Fire which I really enjoyed. He has some other films under his belt he’s done that are quite impressive: “Seventh Son” and “Halloween H20.” Clearly this project required a talented writer. I loved some of the carefully made changes. They are actually more nods to the original film rather than just detail changes. Here at the beginning, let’s take a look at this cast and see how it stacks up to horror. Jason Clark plays the father/husband in this. He does a pretty good job overall.
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Everything goes just perfectly in this film until the end portion. I would like to ask the director why he made the choices he did. But, then again, he is a director and they get to make those decisions. I've added this film to my excellent slashers list, it truly kicks ass despite the ending. (I review a couple other films in this podcast as well)
High Tension (2003)
Haute tension (original title)
R | 1h 31min | Horror | 10 June 2005 (USA)
High Tension Poster
Trailer 1:45 | Trailer3 VIDEOS | 62 IMAGES
Watch Now
From $2.99 (SD) on Prime Video
ON DISC
Best friends Marie and Alexia decide to spend a quiet weekend at Alexia's parents' secluded farmhouse. But on the night of their arrival, the girls' idyllic getaway turns into an endless night of horror.
Director: Alexandre Aja
Writers: Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur
Stars: Cécile de France, Maïwenn, Philippe Nahon
Home invasions are torture. That's why we love them.? We have this here alongside a sweet little story of two girlfriends. Rather, it's about two GIRLS who are friends right? The killings are among the most brutal I've seen. The film builds suspense well, introduces the killer, and goes berserk up to about halfway through. When the girls are ushered to a gas station, the film becomes something else, and I mean that literally! I had fun watching the film despite the twist ending that probably wasn't even needed. In fact it doesn't even have anything to do with the title. If you don't know the film and you like slashers, see it!
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Vivarium
film walkthrough and summary
A young couple with such promise! That’s what Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots represent. The search for a house is not clearly stated, in fact it looks like they are just killing time on a Sunday, going out and looking at them. Gemma and Tom don’t know the terror that awaits them when they drive out to the identical suburban homes with the salesperson “Martin” (exceptionally creepy dude that resembles an actor on a Progressive Insurance commercial). In fact, he seems like a robot. At this point, they are shown house #9 and left alone inside the blank home. Gemma and Tom try to drive home but every street looks exactly the same and leads them back to the mystic model #9.
The Director is Lorcan Finnegan (Without Name). Since this is his second film, I don’t have a “type” to compare it to. I do recall “Without Name” being slow and odd and maybe allegorical? That would be very similar to what’s going on in “Vivarium.” I took the title to suggest “A look at life.” Co-writer is Garret Shanley who also co-wrote “Without Name.” The Stars are: Jesse Eisenberg, Imogen Poots, Danielle Ryan, and Molly McCann. I was so impressed with Imogen Poots in this. Her acting talent and onscreen presence belies her youth. (She plays a young Valerie in “V for Vendetta.”)
After feeling crushed and claustrophobic, Tom decides to set #9 on fire. Gemma is shocked he has done this but goes along with it since it seems there is literally no way out. The houses stretch out into infinity. The look of the houses resembles what I used to see in 90’s flight simulator games you could download for free. The graphics are simple. During the fire, they decide to follow the very artificial looking sun. It eventually leads them right back to #9 and they become almost surrendered to the house. They find a box with food and necessities in front of the house. They fall asleep in what looks like a death, but it’s not. They find a box with a newborn baby in it that says “Raise the child and be released.” Could this be a statement about Generation X or Y? Perhaps as we are forced into working to pay off a tract home we are fed the lie that if we have children, we will somehow escape the malaise. Could this be our middle class suburban existence being poked fun at? I’ll admit the film gives very few concrete clues and instead leaves much open to interpretation, which normally I like. Maybe it would have helped me if there were more clues as to what the writers meant. Incidentally, the director is also a co-writer of the story.
Months pass and the infant grows to the size of a seven year old boy. He imitates his parents’ voices which to me seemed like the “bait and switch” realization that raising the kid was just a way to pass on traits. The couple is still young but they start to seem like depressed older parents who cannot escape. They seem resigned to the fact that they may never escape. Tom tries to be violent with the “son” and refuses to call him a “boy.” The mother continually says to the boy when he calls her “Mom,” “I am not your mother!” in a very hateful way. Notwithstanding, she seems much kinder than Tow toward the child, even though the child appears to be killing both slowly. Tom finds out the astro turf grass has a strange clay material under it. He is driven to dig down into the yard and discover what is there. The digging each day becomes like a job for him. He gets up, eats breakfast and then starts his occupation of digging. It seems to give him purpose. Could this be the yard work etc we do in Suburbia? No one cares, why are we (esp as dad’s) so obsessed with the look of our lawn and garden?
Once the boy disappears and returns with a book. It has strange and threatening images of 2 adults and a child in witch-like spells. She demands he tell her who gave her the book. He says he’s not supposed to tell.
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The House That Jack Built - Note: This is my full walkthrough & film summary of this graphic horror movie. Not for everyone. If you are into horror, have a listen :) I recorded this back in 2018 when I was exploring a "Full Walkthrough" approach to movies on the podcast.
My rough notes (Only included for bots and meta functionality): The director and buildup 2 levels: the incidents of a serial killer / the walk to hell, escorted by the verge It’s weird because we are in jack’s head but not supposed to relate with him, and yet we may. Ocd etc are relatable things Mr. Verge (Demon) and Jack 1st incident - Uma Thurman’s character is a bit demanding/annoying. She insults him by saying he looks like a serial killer. She gives him tips in jest on how to transport and bury bodies. She’s demanding about having him drive her back. She pushes and pushes, apparently as a joke, about how he is a serial killer. He is being very cruel with her, sarcastic. She STILL gets in a car with him. Then she says she takes it all back, saying he’s way too much of a wimp to be a serial killer. He kills her. As an engineer, Jack sees the act of killing as an engineered art. We see the pencils straight as a sign of his OCD. The walk-in freezer. He bought a retired restaurant freezer. Pizzas included. Put her body in there with the others. 2nd Incident - Door to door killing. Trying to get in. The wolf. The Kirby salesman. She agrees to let him in after much consternation. Once in, he says ridiculous things, almost playing with the situation, proving his ability to kill. Gets her to put a pillow under her head. Pretends to cry apologizing, gives her tea w poison. She still doesn’t die. Gets knife out, counts up the ribs, pierces her heart. Takes a photo of her with a little antique camera. Drags the body out - so much work to this art. Cleans up with bleach it looks like. He is haunted by the idea he left blood at the scene so he goes back to clean again. The OCD coming out. Even with an alarm on full blast, he recalls one place there might be blood and goes back yet again! Sees a police car, pulls the dead body out of the van. Cops come up to his van. Gives the cop another smooth story. This guy is good. Starts demanding the room be inspected. He is so sure of himself. Ties the body to the van. The drive causes her face to be ground down. Grisly sight. “I went to great lengths to fake normal empathy in order to confound the masses. The scythes are beautiful, peaceful. Cutting off the duckling’s foot is grisly, sad, repulsive. The strangling scenes are awful but in truth, probably as bad as this film gets for gore. This film raises the question: what is hell to jack? Preferred the dark negative light “demonic.” Jack had no family. 3rd incident The family shooting. 4th incident “I had a romance” He says he had stronger feelings for Riley Keough's character than a psychopath is supposed to have. Jack meets Jacqueline (Riley Keough), a woman that he calls "Simple," as he believes her to be stupid. Jack confesses he has killed sixty people at this point and is the serial killer "Mr. Sophistication," but Jacqueline does not believe him and thinks he's lying. She tries to get away and tell a cop, but he dismisses her as a drunk. Eventually, Jacqueline fails to escape and Jack cuts off her breasts with a knife and murders her. He pins one of the breasts to the Cop's car and fashions the other one into a wallet. 5th Incident[edit] Jack has detained six people and tied them to a makeshift post, lining their heads up in a row with the intention of killing them all with one bullet, but he realizes that the bullet he bought from Al (Jeremy Davies) is not a full metal jacket bullet. Al refuses to sell the bullets and instead Jack has to go to the trailer of a man known as S.P. (David Bailie). Knowing that the cops are looking for Jack, S.P.
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Hear my thoughts about and analysis of this haunting and creepy award-winning horror movie. I believe much of "Hereditary" owes to this as influence. Only, this film does it way better with less. I'd love to start a dialog with some people here on this film.
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I love the novels of Jack London where there's sure to be snow, whiskey, white fanged husky dogs and other Alaskan treasures. Nature "bites" in this film where we have a couple trying to fight back their demons in this harsh place. Is it a romance? Well, lets examine that too.
Enter Hemingway, Melville, London … you will like what’s being served at this table. We’ve heard of nature being our indifferent enemy but what to do when that enemy is our own nature. We have not yet begun that process in film and literature, but it’s here in this film … along with a few others through the years.
Two Lovers and a Bear (2016)
R | 1h 36min | Drama, Romance | 16 December 2016 (USA)
Set in a small town near the North Pole where roads lead to nowhere, the story follows Roman (DeHaan) and Lucy (Maslany), two burning souls who come together to make a leap for life and inner peace.
Director: Kim Nguyen
Writer: Kim Nguyen
Stars: Dane DeHaan, Tatiana Maslany, Gordon Pinsent
I almost always love the film when the director also wrote the film. In this case it is Kim Nguyen doing both artistic roles. My hat goes off to him, and I assume he wears a hat also because like me, he is shaved bald. (Gotta love the brother!). I don’t know much about him other than he is known for this and two other films and he is a Canadian: War Witch (2012), Two Lovers and a Bear (2016) and The Marsh (2002). I would put stock in him because this film is something quite different than we are used to seeing. Human v Nature/Human v Self. It’s a gritty psychological drama and God forbid IMDB plot keywords would let us toil in ignorance of these features:
“Plot Keywords: sex on table | sex scene | topless female nudity | female nudity”
Yes, Orphan Black star, Tatiana Maslany, bares her breasts. That’s the easy part of nature no one is too worried about.
All these facts plus the plot basically is two lovers at the North Pole in a barely functioning town. Why they are there is not explicitly mentioned, at least not as much as the breasts are displayed. There is something about an abusive father in her past and he … likes the drink and he likes the hard drink. Sometimes you gotta just go “right now.” Other times maybe your demons are better dealt with by a heater. This couple is fraught with demons and they decide it’s time to go into the snow, into the storm but not without the help of a very helpful? bear. Dane DeHaan seems to like him. BTW DeHaan is there and does a good job as such. Not much more is needed from the, I wonder if he even likes the White Stripes.
This is no family movie. It’s also not a sweet romance, unless you think of Moby Dick as romantic. Having said that, there is a lot to think about romance here, maybe how “not” to support a lover with baggage. For a gritty tale of love? turmoil and t*** on a table, I do recommend.
9/10
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A creepy, atmospheric, dark horror film, my favorite kind. Incredible cinematography and acting. To be primal: Cosmina Stratan is hot. If you enjoyed this film, come walk through it again with me, it will be fun though possibly bloody >:)
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IMDB gives this as the storyline: Norval's life has been, to put it lightly, difficult. Currently living home with his mother, the troubled young man is coming off alcohol-related struggles. So when he receives an unexpected letter from his estranged father requesting a visit, Norval catches a bus up to his dad's secluded and scenic waterfront home. Maybe reconnecting with his father will give Norval the emotional fulfillment he's been lacking. Before long, though, he notices something off about his dad, an uneasy feeling triggered by inappropriate comments and a possible over-dependence on booze. Norval quickly realizes that his hope of father/son bonding is doomed. Instead of a family reunion, he finds himself in a waking nightmare.
source
Elijah Wood alone is a major reason to watch this film. He wins for worst haircut and neck tattoo in an ensemble but we all like watching him, so if you haven't seen it yet, give it a watch. If you have seen it, you may agree or disagree with my take. Please leave a comment explaining what you liked or disliked about my review. I have multiple places you can reach me: rileyonfilm.com, Riley on Film my Facebook Page, or Riley on Film on Twitter. To divide up my many thoughts on this film, I offer this: This film works as a horror because of its 1) director, 2) star quality, and 3) well-placed hardcore violence that is borderline comical (because it's so graphic).
First, the director Ant Timpson. As a horror fan you will recognize the movies he's made: "Turbo Kid" and "Housebound" to name just 2. I think the big actors in this probably took the role because of this avant garde director. He knocked the ball out of the park with this one. There is usually a comedic element to his films but they are intense and often scary (I don't know how scary I would rate Turbo Kid but it's graphic). So now that you know the director is established and talented, let's look at the stars in this film.
Who can think of Elijah Wood as any character other than Frodo Baggins? I sure can't. He plunges earthward though in this film, showing he has the chops to do much more. I hope we see him in more horror. In 2012 he starred in "Maniac" which holds its own with fans as a solid slasher horror. Let's hope he keeps on the horror tip. But he's not the only star quality in this film.
Stephen McHattie is becoming known for a lot of Typecast roles. This is for good reason because I plays the scary old emaciated man role well! He is the DJ in the indie horror modern classic "Pontypool." He's great in that and delivers a class act performance as what I will call "the original dad" in "Come to Daddy (Gordon). His gravelly voice and visage make the scenes come alive with suspense and horror. All that is prior to "the fork scene" where a Thai actor is emasculated with the rustic utensil. This is one of the most violent kill scenes I've encountered in recent years. I suppose a worse one is done with a straight razor down Brian Cranston's character's arm in "Drive." But I digress. But that brings me to the third viable element in this film: the well-placed violence.
In addition to the soon-to-be-famous fork killing, there is a partial decapitation that should have audiences squirming. IMDB labels this a comedy as well as a horror but I think that would only apply to the black comedy label. These are brutal kills. They'd fit in the context of the story though.
In conclusion, I hope you see and agree with me these three attributes make the film a must see for horror fans. I gave it a 6/10. Where it lost points were in the long spaces between kills and other milestones of the plot which were lagging a bit. It could have had more exposition of the characters of it could have just been shorter.
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IMDB is being harsh to this film giving it a 4/10. I really liked it! I gave it a 6/10. I thought the house was creepy, the story was just so so but it worked for me, keeping me repelled and attracted in equal measure.
You can listen to my full podcast review at RileyOnFilm.com and watch my review on Youtube
Below is an unedited word for word transcript of an audio recording. It is included just for meta purposes. There are no corrections or punctuation additions.
Okay, this film is called the girl on the third floor and I really liked this movie it didn't do very well with the critics on Internet Movie Database it's sitting on a 4 out of 10 but I really liked it and I think they're being a little bit too classic story is you have Don Koch who was played by C Punk who is somebody I wasn't familiar with but apparently he's an MMA award-winning medal winning fighter I don't really follow that sport so I don't know him but as I was watching it I could tell that he was probably established in something else before he became an actor because his body was covered with tattoos but he's trying to renovate a rundown mansion with a sordid history for his growing family only to learn that the house has other directors is Travis Stevens and he's known mostly as a producer he was the producer of Buster's mal Hart which I haven't seen but it appears to be a horror movie so I think I need to see that especially since I like this film that Travis Stephens directed but Travis Stephens is mostly a producer let me read some of these credits maybe you've heard of them mohawk that was an awesome horror movie Busters mal Hart I just mentioned 68 kill xxxx 24 by 36 a movie about movie posters that sounds fine we are still here that's a horror movie starry eyes I really like that horror movie as well so he's done a lot of stuff cheap thrills was an amazing kind of horror suspense gore big ass spider the Thompsons the aggression scale what fun we were having zombie diaries - so he's done let's look at a few of the cast I've already mentioned CM Punk let me just leap read his little blip because I think he's quite interesting how he came from MMA to actually be in a horror movie Philip Jack Brooks better known by the ring name CM Punk is an American mixed martial artist comic book writer and former professional wrestler he's best known for his time in WWE where he's recognized as the sixth longest reigning WWE Champion of all time Punk began his professional wrestling career on the American independent circuit and it goes on and on it lists a lot of accolades he did a good job and I enjoy take a look at the plot first a deeply flawed ex lawyer named Don Koch seeking a new start in life purchases a rundown old house in the suburbs of Chicago with the intent of fixing it up to provide himself and his pregnant wife Liz a new life away from the city he moves into the home ahead of her along with his dog Cooper determined to begin renovating without professional help he learns through his neighbors that the house has a sordid past and begins experimenting supernatural events within the home and it is kind of creepy because there's this one very attractive actress who keeps coming up to talk to him while he's working on things seemingly flirting with him but you don't really get that for a while but when she starts full-on just asking to sleep with him he can't resist so this is actually a major flaw in this character because he keeps communicating back with his wife who is pregnant about nine months pregnant and he's insisting upon doing the work there all by himself so you think he's kind of the man with all the tattoos and everything which is when I knew he probably wasn't just a regular actor but maybe a crossover person somebody like Henry Rollins because actors don't generally tattoo their whole body well sure enough I was correct and it's a sea Punk who we've talked about who was a WWE ne...
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This film entrances the viewer through colors and filters but falls short of the original’s impact. I did find the film enjoyable, just in a different way. Jacob Singer (Michael Ealy) is a medical officer in the Afghanistan war. For those who recall 911, these wars followed in response to terrorism. It is a war even millennials can probably recall. But that is the only updated theme from the original. This new film is its own animal, that’s for sure. Many reviewers have noted it wanders far off from the original but that doesn’t mean it was bad to wander. He seems responsible and strong which are clearly needed in this hell of a place. Events transpire that send him home but he can’t shake the fact that he saw his dying (or dead) brother before leaving the war for home. It’s evident how much horror is in war but it seems something more intense is afoot, Jacob’s mental health or a drug it’s not quite clear.
(Read the rest of this review at Horror News Net along with my other published horror reviews)
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Here we have Lucio Fulci set at full gore mode. Have you seen this film? Horror fans will probably love it, I did!! I give you my "intro" and short review of the film in audio or video.
https://youtu.be/VVs3UDeSV6M
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Here's what I've been watching! Also available now on Youtube
https://youtu.be/7SiS51l2rTI
Transcript:
0:00:01.370,0:00:07.830
welcome to Riley on film
I'm your host Amy and Riley you can find
0:00:07.830,0:00:14.639
out more and subscribe for free
always at Riley on film calm now
0:00:14.639,0:00:26.550
on with the show so it goes on and on
and after a while about halfway through
0:00:26.550,0:00:33.290
it does start to get rather interesting
and that's when you start to see
0:00:33.290,0:00:39.660
evidence of the Invisible Man
and it is very enjoyable at that point
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I truly enjoyed this film along my quest to see the best splatter comedies. This one is so ridiculous in all the right ways. I think I got scared a few times?
https://youtu.be/HoTiU3L3PYo
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This is the second installment in my new genre Splatter-Horror-Comedy. Mostly from the 80's these films are sure to please the bachelor party type among you. Could that BE you? Nipples to guts, these films have all the banal delights.
https://youtu.be/OhT6pw0ymLE
So pull up a chair or a sofa and have a listen to me talk about "Class of Nuke 'Em High." Make sure to subscribe to my feed here or my Youtube channel. This is indeed some fun raunchy stuff! You know you want it. (Don't pay attention to my unbalanced laundry load you hear for a small while in the background!)
Robert Prichard in Class Of Nuke 'Em High (1986)
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Synopsis: A reality tv team of ghost hunters clash with an ancient malevolent spirit that gives the team a run for their money.
Review: Hell Girl is a new film that stands on the merits of characters like "Ghosthunters" on a reality show. It has a story within a story that may be hard for some to follow but is accessible if you have the patience and desire. For me, the film was a lot of false starts. Nonetheless, the humor shone through and ghost hunting young adults helped make it a bearable experience. The ancient ghost presence never really scared me but I respected the film as a paranormal reality show behind the scenes.
Read my full written review at: http://horrornews.net
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With the new year slashing through to 2020, I thought it fitting (and fun) to record a podcast sharing with the world my top 10 horror movies of the past decade. Scroll down for the list created on iMDB. Check out (only by listening) what gets #1! I hope you enjoy listening to the podcast!
Top 10 Horror Films of the 2010's
by RileyOnFilm | created - 21 hours ago | updated - 21 hours ago | Public
2010-2020 My Top ten horror picks.Refine See titles to watch instantly, titles you haven't rated, etcSort by: List Order Popularity Alphabetical IMDb Rating Your Rating Number of Votes Release Date Runtime Date Added View: 10 titles
- Tusk (2014)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Horror 5.3 10 55 Metascore
A brash and arrogant podcaster gets more than he bargained for when he travels to Canada to interview a mysterious recluse... who has a rather disturbing fondness for walruses.
Director: Kevin Smith | Stars: Justin Long, Michael Parks, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez
Votes: 42,704 | Gross: $1.82M
Watch on Prime Videorent/buy from $0.99
- You're Next (2011)
R | 95 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller 6.5 10 66 Metascore
When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of the victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.
Director: Adam Wingard | Stars: Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Nicholas Tucci
Votes: 82,330 | Gross: $18.47M
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As far as teen comedies go, it's great. I also have to praise it because Joe Dante, the director of Gremlins, made it. Hear my other thoughts on this horror/comedy film.
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An offbeat B-movie with a smokin' hot babe, a somewhat recognizable star and the devil himself. This is the first film I got to watch for my new writing gig at HorrorNews.net Ok now I will just say it: Katheryn Winnick, if we ever meet around town, would you consider signing my ____ in Sharpie? You are a goddess.
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In this episode, I'm going to walk you through Braid, well sort of a semi walk through, not as thorough as some of the other ones I've done, but if you do not like spoilers, then you might not want to tune into this one because there's gonna be plenty of them.
First, a quick synopsis to wanted women decide to Rob their wealthy, psychotic friend who lives in the fantasy world they created as children to take the money they have to take part in a deadly perverse game of make-believe. I almost don't feel qualified to talk about this film because a, it's about young women who had childhood make believe that continued until adults and two, it's just very disturbing and not usually the kind of film that I would probably do a walkthrough of. However, it's recent, it's out there. It's on prime, and so I'm going to go ahead and do this one, recommend it to you. (Transcription of audio below may have errors, it is done automatically from the audio file)
01:31 Ironically, during the feel good Christmas season, I'm handling brewers in this and we have seen her in the Handmaid's tale. He's the one that loses her eye and her character is named Janine Lindo. He's extremely disturbing. He's a very beautiful young woman. But in that role it's kind of hard to tell cause she's got an eye poked out. There's usually something bad to happen into her all the time. But the Handmaid's tale would be a whole nother show. So I don't want to get too on to that. She's also in cam, she plays Alice and Lola and I recommended that in the past. I said, good, good movie. It's on Netflix. So that's another fail. I believe I did a show on that. If I have it in the archives. See what happened is I moved my show to a different server and it just took forever to do each show.
02:28 So not every show got moved over. But as I mentioned them, and as I see that I've done them, I'll put them up. So I'll try and put the cam show image in Waterhouse's in this. She reminds me a lot of, she sort of reminds me of sort of like younger Jessica chasse, Dane or smaller Jessica Chasteen. I think she's got a lot of work ahead of her and movies and she certainly shows a lot of potential and she's one of the masterminds of this crazy plot. He's also been in nocturnal. We may see a lot more from her. She does a great job in this and you have Sarah. Hey, one of the other girls, she's in flesh and bone black Swan. I'm dying up here. Room one Oh four he did a great job in this and she herself is the actual master mind of this group.
03:17 Then we have Scott Cohen took me about four minutes to try and remember what I had seen him from and then thanks to my wife and daughters, I have a keen recollection of Gilmore girls. That's right. He is the English teacher. Beau of ms Laura lie. They date and they have issues and they have conflict and if you've seen yo more girls, you know exactly what I'm talking about. That's the guy he looks like he's aged a little bit. I think they tried to make him look older because these girls are supposed to be older as well, so they made him look really older. What happens with him is quite interesting. The whole movie is interesting. So without any further ado, let's go ahead and get into braid and what it's all about.
04:13 How'd you know? I'm very fond of horror, so I'm always doing searches of whore and this was a search of a more recent horror. I came up with a few that I hadn't seen but aren't gee honest. I think I've kind of wiped it out. I need to see the light house. If you've seen the light house, send me a little message on that or make a comment or reply on Twitter. Just what do you think of lighthouse? Because it got such great reviews. However, friends of mine that I respect a lot are saying and not good sucked,
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This got so much praise. I did enjoy it but in that it was a comedy. It had some great gore! As a serious horror it doesn't work for me but that's ok, that's not what it's trying to be. Anyway, have a listen to what I think on this episode of my podcast. 6/10
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New Podcast Film Review! I talk about the Godzilla film "Plus" mini reviews of Gremlins 2, Fire in the Sky, The Girl in the Spiderweb, Infliction, The Car, Bubba Ho-Tep, Eden Log, & Testament.
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These are two oddities that I really like! Listen to me tell you why!
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