Lasting impressions

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The Evil Within (2017)


So Andrew Getty, heir of Getty oil decides to make a horror film back around 2002. Spends a fortune in production and works on this film off and on for about 13 years until his death in 2015. The end result is a film titled The Evil Within which only just this year saw its release (on Amazon). I will say that he had some creative ideas, albeit several of them poorly executed. The poor execution is mostly through the writing. The dialogue is painfully bad, to the point that it alone severely hinders the film. Not only is the story poorly told, but many scenes are generally poorly constructed. Even if you didn't know the story behind its production, you can still clearly see the struggle it involved. It's obvious Getty did have a passion for the genre and its certain aesthetic. However, he should've taken the time and maybe start with a few short films to familiarize himself with the storytelling aspect of film making before diving into a feature. If he had more experience I could see this being up there with some of the classics. I did like the fact that he went with Animatronics, even though it's an expensive choice, it really worked for him from a visual standpoint. So, in the end it needed a lot of work, but the potential was definitely there.



The Devil's Candy (2015)


A bit over the top? Yes. Sometimes a little silly? Sure. Intense as all hell? Hell yeah! A soundtrack that's pure awesomeness? You bet! It all pretty much sums up The Devil's Candy and what a great thrill ride it was. First off, let me say, I'm glad to see Embry back and in full force, he was pretty great in this. Speaking of making a comeback, I'm even more glad to see Vince. He's a great actor, very underrated. So seeing him here was a pleasant treat. The only gripe I have really is with the conclusion. It was pretty banal compared to all that buildup. Also, I would've liked the film to be a little longer, go into more depth. But overall, I dug the hell out of this movie. So, instead of going into it any further I'll just tell you to see for yourself.



Looks awesome. Will check it out soon.
Let me know what you think.

P.S. I just read what I posted. "Pleasant treat"? "Go into more depth"? This movie excited me so much that I forgot how to English.



Ok, I watched The Devil's Candy.

I thought it was really effective: disturbing, paced well, acted well, atmospheric. Metal McConaughey’s family had great chemistry too. So, I think it was super well made, I just didn’t think it was terribly interesting or entertaining. I would’ve liked it to venture into the cult/mythology more, but I’m sure the one Metallica song drained most of the budget, so I can’t complain.

I liked it though, and would also rec it to any horror fan.



Ok, I watched The Devil's Candy.

I thought it was really effective: disturbing, paced well, acted well, atmospheric. Metal McConaughey’s family had great chemistry too. So, I think it was super well made, I just didn’t think it was terribly interesting or entertaining. I would’ve liked it to venture into the cult/mythology more, but I’m sure the one Metallica song drained most of the budget, so I can’t complain.

I liked it though, and would also rec it to any horror fan.
Haha, man, what a soundtrack. To be honest I kind of figured it wouldn't entirely appeal to you, but you did end up liking it a bit more than I thought you would. I agree that it needed to be more in-depth, I would've also liked to know more about the mythology. The family dynamic was amazing, they were all great. I was never once annoyed by the daughter and that's a feat all its own. That ending wasn't the best, though. Talk about abrupt. But I had a blast with it, so it's a winner in my book.



Almost Holy (2015)


A documentary about Gennadiy Mokhnenko, a Ukrainian pastor who has dedicated his life to helping drug addicted youths. This is a very heart-wrenching documentary that makes sure to bring every gritty, disgusting and disturbing detail of Ukraine's drug epidemic to the forefront with no apologies. This approach is a highly commendable one. As for the man himself, I'll just say I've come across a lot of let downs when it comes to individuals who seem to be good people, only to turn out to be scum in disguise. So, there will always be a certain amount of skepticism when it comes to a subject matter such as this. However, Gennadiy seems to be the real deal. Though he tends to be unorthodox in his approach, to the point where I questioned his ethics (hence the film's title), I then realized this is coming from a westernized perspective. After seeing the hell he's surrounded by on a daily basis, his method is both understandable and often times necessary. There has been a lot of criticism, one being from the diocese stating he's only doing this for publicity. Even if that's the case he's done more good for humanity than they ever have. So I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.



Jackrabbit (2015)


Simon and Max live in a world taking place years after a nuclear event they call "The Reset" occurred. One is a hacker, the other a computer technician. Both not aware the other exists until a mutual friend commits suicide leaving behind some disturbing clues. Let's get into the negative aspect first. Basically, the sound is bad. At times I found myself struggling to hear what was being said and it was especially bad when music was involved. There were also scenes that didn't really need to be in the film. They weren't awful, but they were noticeably fillers. But in my opinion, the good outweighed the bad. Speaking of the good, I've seen this movie being panned for not being exciting enough or more specifically "nothing happens". I disagree. There was such great worldbuilding in this movie and I, in fact, would've loved to have delved deeper into it because it was so interesting. From The Reset, to the struggle of living in the aftermath, the people, it was all very fascinating. Could the movie have used some polishing? Yeah, it really could have. But to be honest, I don't think it deserves the hate it gets.



The Void (2016)


In the Mouth of Madness meets The Thing and together dine with Hellraiser. Oh, what a feast. The body horror aspect of this movie is nothing short of phenomenal. The special effects show what Horror can be made of and I love it for that. The story cuts to the chase, there's not a lot of buildup and for the most part it works. I say mostly, because even though I liked that we get some subtle character background as the movie progresses (instead of having it randomly spoon fed to us), there are times I did want to slow down a bit and explore something further. It's not a huge deal, just would've been nice. This was probably the shortest hour and a half I've dealt with in movie viewing in a while, I really wanted to see so much more. I wouldn't even be against more movies taking place in this universe, considering there's a lot to work with. That aside, I would've rated the movie higher if it weren't for 1) Wong's character. I hated her so much and it's not even because she was written to be slightly annoying, but rather because Wong's just not a very good actor. 2) The very final scene and how awfully cheesy it was. But it's a Lovecraftian film that handles the lore well and I appreciate it. There just aren't enough quality Lovecraft inspired films out there, so I'll take these flaws any day, over many other films and their disastrous attempts.



The Void (2016)
In the Mouth of Madness meets The Thing and together dine with Hellraiser.
Sold.

Cousin Jules (1972)


Recently saw this. LOVED it.
I don't know how Monno feels about it, but this thread is supposed to be specifically for MonnoM's recent reviews (this whole sub-forum is made up of individual's threads). To post your own, there's always the MovieTab II or the rate the last movie you saw thread.

... I'm trying so hard not to be a smartass.
__________________




I don't know how Monno feels about it, but this thread is supposed to be specifically for MonnoM's recent reviews (this whole sub-forum is made up of individual's threads). To post your own, there's always the MovieTab II or the rate the last movie you saw thread.
I'm confused. Are you saying that nobody else should post in the thread other than the OP?



Watch it asap and get back to me. Consider it an urgent matter.


I don't know how Monno feels about it, but this thread is supposed to be specifically for MonnoM's recent reviews (this whole sub-forum is made up of individual's threads). To post your own, there's always the MovieTab II or the rate the last movie you saw thread.

... I'm trying so hard not to be a smartass.
I think Stirchley meant to quote me. Do not unleash the smartass! Not here. Not today.



You can't win an argument just by being right!
I'm confused. Are you saying that nobody else should post in the thread other than the OP?
I made this mistake when I was a newb as well. This is Monnom's list to give ratings, impressions etc. You can comment and discuss on the movies the OP mentions, but if you want to rate your own movies or have general talk about movies there are lots of other options. I hope that makes sense.

MonnoM I;m sure I saw Void recently but cant for the life of me remember it.



I'm confused. Are you saying that nobody else should post in the thread other than the OP?
He thought you were rating the movie in this thread. It's just a misunderstanding.



MonnoM I;m sure I saw Void recently but cant for the life of me remember it.
Not sure if I should take it as you hating it that much, or if you just need more B-12 in your diet. I'm going with the latter because the former would hurt too much.



You can't win an argument just by being right!
Not sure if I should take it as you hating it that much, or if you just need more B-12 in your diet. I'm going with the latter because the former would hurt too much.
I think maybe I only saw the trailer. Please be kind about my goldfish brain. I really need to keep my own list so I can keep track. I read the synopsis and I'm baffled now. If you liked it I'm bound to be thinking of the wrong movie.



I think maybe I only saw the trailer. Please be kind about my goldfish brain. I really need to keep my own list so I can keep track. I read the synopsis and I'm baffled now. If you liked it I'm bound to be thinking of the wrong movie.
It's okay, I shouldn't be talking about anyone else's memory issues because I have the memory of a brain damaged goldfish. You should make a thread, I'd read it.



Watch it asap and get back to me. Consider it an urgent matter.
I watched it. I loved the minimalistic beginning. Once everything started getting way more supernatural I thought the movie was going to lose me, but I ended up just liking it more the crazier it got. I must say that while the overall plot was cool, the writing was full of groan-inducing cliches. Still really good though. Thanks!