I Trapped the Devil

"I Trapped the Devil" (2019, Josh Lobo, IFC Midnight, Scream Factory) is an indie suspense horror about a man who believes he has the devil trapped in his basement.

Steve (Scott Poythress) is a paranoid man living alone. When his brother, Matt (AJ Bowen) and sister-in-law Karen (Susan Burke), unexpectedly show up to spend Christmas with him, he announces that he has captured the devil and imprisoned him in his basement. His brother and sister-in-law become increasingly concerned by Steve's erratic behaviour and the fact that they can hear someone trapped in the eerily lit darkroom/basement.

A very slow burning film where very little happens until the finale. The pacing was too slow for me and I found the plot did not have enough to it to fill the full run time. The characters seemed to behave somewhat illogically, which could be explained for the main character, Steve, where we are supposed to be on the fence about his sanity, but all of the characters were distractedly odd.

It does enjoy some moments of dread and an overall grim feeling with some cheerfully poignant Christmas lights, but overall I found the film a bit tedious.

[Image: IFC Midnight, et al]

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Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid

"Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" (2004, Dwight H. Little, Columbia TriStar) is the disconnected sequel to Anaconda.

A group of scientific researchers journey to Borneo, Indonesia to hunt for the rare Blood Orchid which they believe has important medical properties which could extend human lives. They pay a guide to take them up river in their search, despite severe weather and flood warnings. And snakes. Lots of man eating snakes.

An adventure horror sequel which plays out pretty much as you expect it to. B-movie script, B-movie action, CGI that looks a bit clunky, some back stabbing, an obvious twist and the star of the show; Captain Bill's monkey friend.

A good bit of fun of notably lesser quality than the original film, and with more numerous, but less menacing, snakes.

[Image: Columbia Tri-Star]

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In the Tall Grass

"In the Tall Grass" (2019, Vincenzo Natali, Copperheart Entertainment, Netflix) is based on Stephen King and Joe Hill's novella of the same name.

The pregnant Becky (Laysla De Oliveira) and her brother, Cal (Avery Whitted), hear a child's call for help coming from a large field of very tall grass while stopped at the side of the road. Concerned for the child, they enter the grass and get lost themselves and separated. During their time in the grass they meet young Tobin (Will Buie Jr.), his father, Ross (Patrick Wilson) and mother, Natalie (Rachel Wilson). It becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems in the grass and eventually Travis (Harrison Gilbertson), Becky's ex, will come in search of the pair. A twisty tale with time loops, ancient magic, mystery, madness and murder.

The story itself is pretty interesting and the time looping elements flesh out the overall plot. Will Buie Jr.in particular gives a great performance as the various versions of Tobin. There's also a fair amount of gore, which I hadn't anticipated.

However, the film suffers from a drudging pace, and although the grass is certainly menacing, I found it a long 90 minutes.

[Image: Netflix]

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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" (2019, André Øvredal, Lionsgate, Entertainment One, CBS Films, Sean Daniel Company) is a film based on the series of short stories by Austin Schwartz.

A horror anthology aimed at teens (think "Creepshow" meets "Goosebumps"), the film is surprisingly jumpy and really well put together. We follow Stella (Zoe Margaret Colletti), Auggie (Gabriel Rush), Chuck (Austin Zajur) and Ramon (Michael Garza) who find the book of scary stories by Sarah Bellows, the town's local horror legend, on Halloween night. The stories not only have a horrible way of becoming reality, however, the group discover new stories are still being written from beyond the grave and people they know, including themselves, are the unlucky protagonists... Can they put a stop to Sarah before it's too late?

Although very heavy on CGI which may not age very well in the long run, the film has a neat wraparound story and enjoys a seasonal Halloween theme which could make it a fun addition to annual viewing.

The stories are well adapted for screen from the original tales and even those of us too old to enjoy the childhood nostalgia of the stories themselves, the film still captures the feel of the tales and makes an entertaining 120 minutes.

Our protagonists and even antagonist bully, Tommy (Austin Abrams), feel well rounded and give a good performance in their roles. The late 60s setting of the film seems somewhat incidental, but not the the film's overall detriment. In the main, the adult characters are kept to the periphery and leave the main work to the kids.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good the scares were. The film doesn't seem to shy away from being quite dark and it's certainly a film young me would have loved. For the adult viewer it will feel relatively trope-laden but it's a perfect film for younger horror-hounds in the making who want to see something scary but aren't quite ready for some of the more adult targeted films. It's a good gateway film and could have the staying power for longevity in the future.

[Image: Lionsgate, et al]

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3 From Hell

"3 From Hell" (2019, Rob Zombie, Lionsgate, Saban Films, Spookshow International Films) is the second sequel to Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses" (2003) and follows the 2005 sequel "The Devil's Rejects".

Following on from the events of Rejects, we learn that our three antagonists, Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) and Otis Firefly (Bill Moseley) have survived the police shootout and are now being tried for their crimes. But Otis manages a breakout, with the help of his half-brother, Foxy (Richard Brake), and attempts to spring Baby so that they can continue their murderous ways...

I am quite fond of "House of 1000 Corpses". "The Devil's Rejects" took the characters in a slightly different direction, tried to make them more real and had a different style, and although I prefer the first film, it seemed like a fitting end to the villainous Firefly family. Especially that surprisingly elegant final scene. The concept of a third film seemed therefore a little odd, especially considering that it would undo the finality of its predecessor. Although  I went in as open minded as I could be, I'm afraid for me this film did not hit the mark.

The overall feel of the film is similar in tone to Rejects with a grimy 70's aesthetic. The scenes with Baby in prison are interesting and lean heavily into the exploitation grindhouse film feel which I liked. However, the scenes felt overly long and in jumping from style to style the film feels a little rudderless with the expected hostage situation playing out like they're already bored. The banter between our murderous maniacs feels a bit tiresome and less fluid than it did in the previous films.

Baby's high-pitched maniacal flower-child act feels more wearing this time around without having so many other familiar characters for her to bounce off of. There's a few scenes where it's hinted at something sadder and more poignant but overall she feels more two dimensional than she could have been. Otis is still giving his speeches, showing no mercy and seems mostly unchanged, and for the short scene with Sid Haig we get a good level of nostalgia for Spaulding and it's easily one of the best scenes in the film.

Foxy can't help but feel tacked on as a character, and I wonder why they couldn't just rename the film. It's not Brake's doing and he does give a few needed elements of humour to punctuate between Baby's mania and Otis' self-righteousness, but the character can't help but feel a little jarring and out of the loop.

Overall, I found the film to be a little boring and felt it lunged from one scene to another in a disjointed manner. It relies a little too much on nostalgia but didn't, at least for me, feel like it was aimed at fans of the original two films and was a less fitting ending than the Firefly's deserved. A strange ride, but unlikely to be one I'd go on again.

[Image: Lionsgate]

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Hell Fest

"Hell Fest" (2018, Gregory Plotkin, Tucker Tooley Entertainment, Valhalla Motion Pictures, CBS Films, Lionsgate) is a slasher film set at a Halloween theme park.

A group of teen friends visit the Hell Fest themepark together, enjoying their VIP passes. However, they soon notice that they are being followed by The Other, a masked man. Is it just another of the park's entertainment or have they attracted the attention of a serial killer?

While the film is serviceable, it is largely trope-ridden. The scares don't always successfully land and you don't get to know any of the characters well enough to make them much more than slasher fodder. The killer himself is also fairly forgettable and lacks any interesting quirks or characteristics that would let him in with any chance of joining the slasher villains' rogue gallery. It is nice, however, to see a film not just falling into the 'the park staff are in on it' story.

The festival itself looks fun and is a great scene for this type of story. The set design and range of horror themes threaded through the theme park are really well done and make the film worth seeing for that element alone.

All in all, it's not very original but is worth checking out if you're a slasher fan looking for something new to watch.

[Image: Tucker Tooley Entertainment, et al]

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Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

"Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers" (1988, Dwight H. Little, Trancas International) is the fourth instalment in the Halloween franchise and a direct sequel to Halloween 2.

Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur, Tom Morga & Erik Preston) wakes from a coma and discovers that his sister Laurie has been reported dead, but had a daughter called Jamie (Danielle Harris) who is living in Haddonfield with a foster family. He makes a murderous bee-line towards Haddonfield to find her, whilst being tailed by Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence).

The film is a pretty by-the-book slasher movie and pales, of course, in comparison to the original. Donald Pleasence, as ever, manages to deliver a dedicated performance, and Danielle Harris gives a strong performance as the young Jamie, however overall Michael is just slashing over familiar ground and it lacks the tension of its predecessors. Despite that, it remains an entertaining film and is still worth visiting for some old fashioned slasher movie nonsense.

[Image: Trancas International]

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Office Uprising

"Office Uprising" (2018, Lin Oeding, Mind the Gap Productions, Rumble Riot Pictures) is a horror comedy set in the large office building.

Desmond (Brenton Thwaites) works at a weapon manufacturing company called Ammotech. He mostly likes getting stoned in the stationary cupboard, and this turns out to be a good decision because he manages to avoid trying out the company's new weaponised energy drink that they distribute to their employees. When the drink turns the majority of people in the building into raging psychopathic zombies intent on killing everyone in sight, Desmond, his crush Samantha (Jane Levy) and best pal, Mourad (Karad Soni), attempt to escape with their lives.

A cheesy, entertaining piece of slapstick horror which doesn't really ask its audience to think too hard. It doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table, but the gore is good, the action is entertaining, the comedy is well timed and overall the film delivers exactly what you'd expect from the synopsis.

[Image: Mind the Gap Productions et al]

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Final Destination 5

"Final Destination 5" (2011, Steven Quale, New Line Cinema, Practical Pictures, Zide/Perry Productions) is the fifth entry in the Final Destination franchise.

Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto) experiences a detailed vision while setting off with his colleagues on a bus trip. The vision shows the North Bay Bridge suddenly collapsing while they are on it, killing everyone except for his ex-girlfriend, Molly (Emma Bell). Sam manages to convince a few people to leave with him and they get to witness the bridge collapse from a safe distance. But, like always, death has designs on their lives and will stop at almost nothing to claim his due.

Much like its predecessors, the film's main point of interest is the complex Rube Goldberg Machine-esque deaths of each of the characters. The characters are rounded enough to make their deaths worth watching, but they remain mainly cannon fodder for death. Some of the effects suffer from feeling a little too computer generated, but there are certainly enough gruesome ideas to make you squirm. A short scene from the legendary Tony Todd is also always appreciated.

The action is entertaining enough to keep viewers engaged. It is one of the stronger entries in the franchise overall and feels fairly satisfying in where it decides to go throughout the plot.

[Image: New Line Cinema, et al]

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I Married a Witch

"I Married a Witch" (1942, René Clair, Paramount Pictures) is a black and white comedy romance based on the unfinished novel titled "The Passionate Witch" by Thorne Smith which was later completed by Norman H. Matson .

The witch, Jennifer (Veronica Lake), curses the Wooley family in Puritan times after she and her father Daniel (Cecil Kellaway) are denounced as witches and sentenced to death by Jonathan Wooley (Fredrich March). The Wooley curse is to never find happiness in love, and this haunts the descendants of the Wooley clan up until 'present' day.

When Jennifer and Daniel's spirits are released by accident on the eve of Wallace Wooley's (also Fredric March) wedding to spoiled, gold digging bride, Estelle (Susan Hayward), Jennifer sees an opportunity to further punish the Wooley clan and attempts to woo Wallace and ruin not only his unhappy wedding, but also his run for Governor. But spells can be tricky things, and often go awry...

Veronica Lake is stunning, but the best thing about her is her comedic timing. Jennifer is a marvellous character and we enjoy every devious minute that she's on screen. The film enjoys great pacing, fantastic effects, considering the time of production, and a delightful and well portrayed story.

If you're looking for some lighthearted Halloween entertainment, this could definitely be for you.

[Image: Paramount Pictures]

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Child's Play (2019)

"Child's Play" (2019, Lars Klevberg, Orion Pictures, KatzSmith Productions, BRON Creative) is a reboot of the original film with a different take on the story and character.

A disgruntled employee at the toy factory manufacturing the Buddi high-tech smart doll does a bit of reprogramming to remove the learning limiters and safety nets on the chip of the doll he's working on. The doll winds up in Chicago where single mum Karen (Aubrey Plaza) brings him home for her son, Andy (Gabriel Bateman), as a birthday present. As Karen and Andy have recently moved in, Andy is looking to meet kids his own age, and despite thinking the doll (Mark Hamill), who christens itself Chucky, is childish, he and it bond and eventually he meets some other kids in the building.

The doll learns from the world around it, however, but without the safety software in place Chucky begins to display some disturbing behaviour including murdering the family cat after it scratches Andy, and coming at the kids with a knife after seeing a serial killer movie on TV. Unfortunately, no one believes Andy's warnings and Chucky steps up his game dramatically before the adults begin to take note.

I'm a big fan of the original franchise, specifically the original film and, of course, "Bride..." and "Seed of Chucky" which are extremely good fun. Its difficult to separate this film from that franchise, but if you're able to the film itself is a fun ride, if not exactly flawless.

I felt Hamill's voice was underutilised and could have definitely been used more. The doll is pretty sympathetic, too. It's not evil, it's just doing what it's programmed to do from what it's been exposed to. Sure it does some vile stuff, but unlike the Charles Lee Ray we know from old, this Chucky is more of a chaotic character than a bad guy. The likelihood of a factory programming individual dolls is also pretty... sketchy. But I guess it has to glitch somehow.

The plot is more "Small Soldiers" than Chucky, but as a standalone film it was entertaining. The tone is a little odd; it doesn't seem to know what audience it's aiming for. The gore is pretty good and the acting is strong. The kids specifically give a great performance, and overall, I think if it had been its own thing, and not a reboot of a well-loved series, it would have likely been better received.

[Image: Orion Pictures]

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