Mini-review: Housebound (2014)

Housebound
Directed by Gerard Johnstone

Bizarre, hilarious, and even creepy at times, this New Zealand mystery/horror/comedy is one of the better films I've seen from 2014, and certainly one of the more unique. This movie has a very dark and jarring sense of humor, making jokes out of some of the strangest things, while also maintaining suspense and throwing in just enough plot twists to keep it all interesting. By the time it was over, I wanted to watch it all over again. Pure entertainment for audiences with a dark sense of humor and interest in films that aren't exactly ordinary. As a directorial debut, this is one of the best in recent memory.

Mini-review: Banshee Chapter (2013)

Banshee Chapter
Directed by Blair Erickson

I went into this movie not expecting much and walked away surprisingly satisfied. There are too many jump-scares, but quite a few of them are alarmingly effective and I found myself getting goosebumps quite frequently throughout this movie. The way the scares are built up make them all the more creepy, giving enough time to anticipate, as opposed to just hurling an onslaught of loud noises and spooky images at you. Ted Levine (aka Buffalo Bill from The Silence Of The Lambs) gives a fun supporting performance, adding quite a few laughs in one of the best roles of his career.. All-in-all, I liked the way this movie alternated between found-footage and traditional film-making, and though some parts of it might not be the best as it falls victim to horror cliches, I can't say I didn't enjoy it quite a bit.

Mini-review: Monsturd (2003)

Monsturd
Directed by Rick Popko & Dan West

Not nearly as filled with poo jokes as you might expect (then again, it was pretty much full of them...), but one of the more clever B-movie parody-type movies I've seen recently. I can't say this movie was exactly the most tasteful thing I've ever seen. I mean, the movie is about a giant killer turd, after all. But it was actually quite funny, and I would definitely watch it again. I am beginning to feel like there might be something wrong with me. But whatever. This was a fun movie, and people who like things like Peter Rottentail, The Gingerdead Man, and Thankskilling (NOT THE SEQUELS!!!) should enjoy this. If you aren't the kind of person who can watch trashy crap like this, please don't waste your time. This is by no means a *good* movie, it's just fun for people with the right sense of humor to match its poopiness.

Review: Thankskilling 3 (2012)

Thankskilling 3
Directed by Jordan Downey

Ladies and gentlemen, I have found a new least-favorite movie of all-time.

Mini-review: Island Of Lost Souls (1932)

Island Of Lost Souls
Directed by Erle C. Kenton

Though '30s horror movies are almost automatically not scary in any way, I can still enjoy them for other reasons. They can be unique, inventive, atmospheric, or many other things. This particular movie is none of the above. I didn't care about almost anything that was going on the entire way through. Laughton and Lugosi both can do far better, the story wasn't all that interesting, and though some of the makeup is cool, that's not enough to get me to care about a movie -- I'm not that crazy.