Movie Review - Children Of The Corn: Runaway

Children Of The Corn:  Runaway

2018

 The Cast

I've purposefully kept away from this franchise as I wasn't too keen on the original sequels, as they just reeked of profit making.  However, I found this to be a decent follow up on the original.  Though, after reading the reviews on IMDb, I find I may be the minority.  I also have to admit to having a sense of dread when I saw it was directed by Gulager and written by Soisson,  This is because I've recently put myself through the trial of watching the Hellraiser films again.  Though the first four are superior and are a vague continuation... the rest is just money making fodder... and Gulager acts in the latest, "Judgement"... and Soisson wrote "Hellworld".  Luckily my panic was unfounded. 

This is the story of Ruth (Millar) and her son, Aaron (Scott) who are trying to survive in an unfriendly and troubled rural America.  Years before, Ruth had been a member of the cult worshipping "He Who Walks Behind The Rows".  Then when she found herself pregnant she took drastic measures to save not only herself but her unborn son; so she burned the corn and the children living within it.  From then on, she kept to small towns and villages, sleeping in her truck and trying to make enough money to stay alive.  Though free from the horrors of the cult she is nonetheless scarred by them and her actions.  Suffering from a form of schizophrenia she suffers from visions of the murderous children.  These can be brought on at any time by a sight or a sound, especially the sound of locusts.  Then one day she turns up in the small town of Luther and ingratiates her way into a job working for a local mechanic, Carl (Andrews III).  Though there's something wrong in Luther...  There's a little girl skipping through the village leaving a deadly bloody trail behind her.

What I liked about this film was the slowness of the story.  A lot of the reviews on IMDb claim this film to be boring.  Though, I think that the Director Gulager uses this inactivity to build the atmosphere of the town.  This is a place where very little happens and where there's very little to do.  In this township, this has created a kind of quiet loathsomeness.  The customers in the diner like to whine and moan; most eat and sit by themselves.    Even the scenes at the school you notice that the kids don't run about or play happily.  This type of atmosphere can create hatred and bigotry, so it's not too much of a stretch to believe that the only coloured guy in town is despised and disliked.  Then when his true nature shines through you can understand a little about why he's unpopular.  This actually added a deeper underlying story that made the film for me.

The other nice thing is the dream sequences.  This adds a jaggedness and a slight confusion into the normality of things.  Knowing a little about schizophrenia, this is about as close as you're likely to get to some of the visions a sufferer may have, depending on their "phobia".  To be in the real world one second and then something triggers your mind to throw in a false vision the next... I wouldn't want this to happen to me.

These are handled superbly by Gulager.  I really did love the diner massacre, even this is done in ultra slow motion... it's nearly still photography, though not quite.  For a vicious and violent scene, it's beautifully constructed and shot.  Much respect to the Director and the Special Effects guys and gals.  There are also grainy shots of barren wastelands and barbed wire.  I initially hated these as they appeared pointless.  However, by the third one, I realised they were actually helping me to feel bleakness of the mood, as well as the bleakness enshrouding the village.

Then there's the acting which is well above par for a horror movie these days.  It was nice to have a cast who portrayed their characters well.  There are no minor roles in this film.  And I have to give credit to both the Director and the actress Sara Moore for making Pretty Girl a really eerie character... even though she's the most smiley and happiest person on screen.  Very nice transposition.  This, in turn, makes the second climax, which happens while the end credits play even more creepy.

I would recommend this to all horror lovers, especially those with a penchant for quiet and slow boiled horror.  If you like action-packed films then stay away...

I give this Spooky Stroll Behind The Rows a Schizophrenic Delusion of 7 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - Hell's Kitty

Hell's Kitty

2018

The Cast

After watching the dreadful Hellraiser films (the sequels after the original four movies), this little B-Movie Horror Comedy was a real breath of fresh air... and much needed.

This story centres around one cat (Angel) and her all-encompassing love for her owner, Nick (Tana)...  Her affection knows no bounds so pitty any woman foolish enough to get close to him;  Cat scratches and severed arterial veins go hand in hand in the Tana house.  Then one night, Nick is awoken by loud metal music.  Stumbling through his apartment half asleep in search of the commotion he comes across a mirror with a pentagram drawn in blood and his kitty eating her treats... also in the shape of a pentagram...  Nick begins to question himself... Is Angel possessed?

This is a very witty comedy filled with well written comedic dialogue and situations.  However, the best thing by far is the homage to '80's horror films.  Nearly every actor in the film has been in a horror flick or two.  I particularly liked seeing Isaiah (Franklin) and Mordicia (Gains) once again.  For comedy writers, this is how you use the word "Pussy" in dialogue, in a humorous situation, and get the audience to laugh.  I even liked the fact that there was corn, for them to run through, in the apartment too - brilliant.  Was it also coincidence that I watched this film on the same night as the next chapter in the  Children of the Corn flicks... or could it be I'm following him behind the rows...

So this is definitely a film for '80's horror fans.  You should feel right at home, as I did (with a big stupid grin on my face), when Michael Berryman makes an appearance as Detective Pluto (yeah, Pluto).

However, it wasn't just the nod to the oldies but Tana is also quite a good director.  He used colours and lighting perfectly as well as throwing in some interesting camera angles to create mood and tension.  I was so into the film that I didn't notice he changed to black and white for the shower scene.  Once I did I knew what was coming... can you screech, "Ree, Ree, Ree,"  I have to give respect to Tana at this point because, until this moment he'd only used know actors for the comedy and to create a sense of nostalgia, now he was going to use the most iconic scene in movie history for a laugh... but he doesn't.  Sure there's comedy in the outcome of the scene but it actually adds relative elements to the story; it wasn't to get a cheap laugh.

As for the acting, it's hit and miss.  This could be down to the direction, though I think it's more down to honed skills.  The "Stella" cast is pretty much perfect whereas it's the newbies who seem a little off.  Though I do have to give a round of applause to Adam Rucho, who plays Adam, as there are some very good dramatic sections in his portrayal making his character realistic and believable.  And even though Lisa Young, comes across as a little hammy I have to say this lady really can stare... scary.

The thing which lets the film down the most is the special effects, especially the "Cat-Fights" which just look silly... especially the fight between Angel and the Killer Klown (...From Outer Space); but hey that film was silly so, what-the-hey!  That said, when Rosemary Carrie (Midkiff) gets dragged to hell they don't look too bad.

All in all, this isn't a brilliant movie but it is funny, interesting, and a great tribute to a lot of the films of my youth and for that alone, I'd recommend all horror fans to check it out.  I hope that Tana will keep on making movies and writing as this is what the horror genre needs at the moment.  I can see from this film that he'd probably make a horror flick worth watching or a horror story worth reading.

I give this Possessed Pussy (had to do it) a Killer Love Scratch of 7 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - Hellraiser: Judgement

Hellraiser:  Judgement

2018

The Cast

Oh, My God!  They just keep getting worse... and worse...

Can we please have a decent story writer and director give the fans a decent story, one that will do Barker's vision credit(?)  

This story has so many flaws it verges on the ridiculous.  Evidently, the humans have grown out of wooden puzzle boxes so the L'Merchant  Configuration is no longer a viable gateway to hell.  But as The Auditor  (Tunnicliffe) says to Pinhead (Taylor), "At least, we still have the house..."  Hey!  Who would have thunk it(?)  The Cenobites own property and real estate...  No matter how preposterous that sounds it actually gets worse...  How do they lure their intended victims through the door(?)  They drop them a line via good ol' pen and paper.  I wonder if it's the chatterer that runs down the stationers... I hear he loves to meet people and is a terrible gossip; gift of the gab he's got...  Why, couldn't they think of a new and imaginative way to contact their victims?  At the very least, Tunnicliffe (the writer) could have the message sent on a piece of human skin and tattooed in blood.

Then when the victim gets inside, the audience is treated to a bit of unnecessary vileness.  After The Auditor takes down the quarry's life story, via a typewriter which uses the captives blood as print (finally a bit of imagination) we are introduced to The Assessor (Gulager).  He eats the transcripts then regurgitates the remains down a tube, which sprays over three naked women, The Jury.  This then leads to the subject being handed to The Surgeon, no matter what the verdict, who proceeds to do a hack and slash job.  Then once again, the naked women get splattered... this time with blood.  This gives a new perspective on hell's judging process; however there's no rhyme or reason to it, so it just feels like fill in.  Even though it's quite nasty to view, it's also quite boring.  Tunnicliffe (The Director) doesn't have the skill to create an atmosphere of horror or tension, which helps to make the scene even more tedious.

One decent thing about this film and story is the Thriller story woven throughout.  Two detectives, literally brothers in arms, Sean (Carney) and David Carter (Wayne), along with Detective Christine Egerton (Harris), are chasing a gruesome serial killer terrorising the city.   However, the inevitable twist is so obvious it weakens this "stronger" section of the film.

The best part of this whole mess is the acting.  Even Tunnicliffe isn't too bad.  I think it was a little too much to create a new Cenobite (loosely termed, as he's not really a Cenobite) who has more screen time than Pinhead himself and then give the part to yourself.  As for Pinhead, Taylor still doesn't have the presence of Bradley, but he is much better than the last instalment.  I will give this to Taylor though... he has sitting down-pat.  That's right, we get to see Pinhead relaxing... twice...  How Scary!

There's even an appearance by Heather Langenkamp as The Landlady.  Though, if you blink you'll miss her for she's on screen for about the same amount of time it takes you to read this paragraph.

Do yourself a favour and miss this mess of a film.  There are a lot better horror flicks out there... A Lot!  If you need your Pinhead fix then, as usual, I recommend cracking open the original flicks.

I give this An Audited Vomit Induced Regurgitation of 3.5 out of 10.

The Trailer