horrormoviegrl Reviews

Annabelle (I) (2014)

Annabelle: The Indecisive Demon

[6/10 · 10 October 2014]

I had been anxiously awaiting this movie for nearly three months. Being a James Wan junkie, I could barely sit on my hands until Annabelle hit theaters... I mean, come on! Demonic Doll tries to slaughter beautiful young family? Where could it go wrong? And yet, somehow it managed to go wrong in every possible way I hadn't thought, and even created a few more ways to go wrong along the way.

If I could describe the movie -- It would be 'Indecisive demon terrorizes family for sacrifice only to turn out to be perfectly comfortable accepting just about anybody.' The movie's core 'meat and potatoes' nearly had to take a backseat to the unnecessarily extended amount of footage allotted to absolutely nothing. Literally. Nothing. Family washing dishes. Family changing baby. Family goes shopping. Husband and Wife talking about how much they love each other.

Don't get me wrong, the most effective horror movies invite the audience into a sense of normality before striking hard and heavy -- But the scares in Annabelle could have happened regardless of those scenes, or at least with less than half of the ones that there were.

You should leave a horror movie feeling the resonating chills still tickling your neck. Annabelle just left me frustrated and more focused on my leftover popcorn then what I had just watched.

All that being said, there were some clever scenes that were pleasing cinematographically, and were really the only reasons I didn't rate it even lower. The chase up the staircase mid-movie, for instance, or the basement storage room/elevator scene, I had thought was 'Japanese horror movie' good.

Ultimately, what scared me the most about the movie was that it had amazing potential, and wasted the vast majority of it.

And that pi**es me off.

Would You Rather (2012)

Offers nothing new to an overdone theme, but does it well.

[6/10 · 21 August 2014]

And as confusing as that may sound, I stand by it firmly.

Would You Rather's main plot lines have been done time and time again... Helpless protagonist struggles with own morals after being thrust into a lose-lose situation.

Been there. Seen that.

But that being said, Would You Rather is an extremely well made movie in the realm of cinematography, character development, and pacing. No cheap thrills or gore-for-the-sake-of-gore here -- which in itself is always refreshing when it comes to modern horror movies.

There were a few unique twists and turns, but not enough to call it a strikingly original feature.

I would still recommend this as a watch, if only on a day you can't find anything decidedly better and really need to get your horror fix. Not entirely unsatisfying, but not as effective as it would have been if only a bit of originality were at play.

Banshee Chapter (2013)

Sinister, Effective, and Check-your-locks Scary!

[9/10 · 17 August 2014]

I ended up stumbling upon this little gem while idly surfing through trailers on YouTube, and completely regret even the slightest initial feeling of hesitation I had.

This movie knocked my socks off, and had me checking the locks long after the film had ended.

The Banshee Chapter takes a creative, sinister look at the infamous MK-Ultra tests of America's past, and even takes a jab at giving a rather insidious explanation for the mysterious numbers stations that have long since plagued the shortwave radio stations of the rural countryside.

Perhaps it's effortless combination of reality and horror is what makes it supremely effective at delivering scares.

The movie is far from flawless, and one can't help but feel as though it was rushed a bit in the juiciest parts there should have been the most agonizing slowness... But for all of the bumps in the road it may have, it delivers on slowly picking away at your comfort until you've got a dead-grip on the blankets.

Ted Levine, who we all know from his amazing role as Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs, provides for both enhancing the dark modality of the film, and offering the occasional bit of comic relief that seems so necessary to keep your sanity during this wild ride.

Katia Winters also proves herself as a competent heroine who demands not the slightest bit of sympathy or sensitivity as she shamelessly digs herself deeper and deeper into a mess you can't help but feel she won't escape from. Her performance is a welcome reprieve from the gasping, trite pretty face we are so used to in leading ladies nowadays.

Blair Erickson -- I eagerly await your next venture in the horror genre. Even a movie half as good as Banshee Chapter would still be a worthy watch.

-- Horror Movie Girl

13 Sins (2014)

The Anatomy of Turing Man into Monster

[8/10 · 17 August 2014]

At first glance, 13 Sins may seem briefly based off of the mass-market horror flick 'The Box', which was in turn something of a knockoff of an old Twilight Zone episode... But once you get looped in to this wild ride, there is no confusing it with anything else.

Admitted even within the movie itself, 13 Sins is all about pushing man to his limits, and seeing how even the most timid, good of us can be twisted into a monster through the use of fear, greed, and trauma.

Though there are many questions left unanswered within the film itself, you are not left unsatisfied unless you think about it too much. And just as well, drawing your own conclusions is just as exciting an endeavour.

While immersed in the movie, nothing matters more than watching every agonizing second of main character Elliot struggling through his rapidly decaying life. Not only does he have to worry about complying with 'the Golden Toad', but managing the consequences of complying with those orders, as well as the inherent consequences in not complying as his pregnant fiancée struggles to pay the household bills on her own.

13 Sins will not disappoint, and leave you asking questions long after credits roll...

Can a man be turned into a monster by circumstance?

-- Horror Movie Girl