LAKE MUNGO

October 26, 2015 by moviemanster

“A supernatural drama about grief.” Thanks, IMDB, for the lenghty, well-written synopsis. Although I joke, this one sentence pretty much says it all about Lake Mungo. It really isn’t a horror movie; more of a faux-doc presented like a special you would see on TV after 60 Minutes. That poster suggests there is at least one scene where someone is running for their life, getting attacked by a shark, or at least whipping their hair back whilst skinny dipping. Disappointingly so, there is nothing resembling that amount of emotion or action in this film whatsoever.

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INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3

October 26, 2015 by moviemanster

When the first sequel to Insidious was announced I rolled my eyes. To my surprise it turned out to be a worthy addition to the story. When Insidious: Chapter 3 was announced I rolled my eyes even harder. I knew for a fact there was nowhere they could take this story that would result in something positive. My senses didn’t fail me.

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DEAD RISING: WATCHTOWER

October 25, 2015 by moviemanster

Dead Rising: Watchtower is a straight-to-streaming service (because that’s a thing now) zombie film based on Capcom’s Dead Rising video game series. The original game is the first of its kind, a trailblazer for the open world horror genre. It takes place in an infested shopping mall akin to Dawn of the Dead. Dead Rising 2 introduced a weapons mechanic to combine and create unique tools of slaughter, something Watchtower touches on. The guy on the poster up there is holding the signature weapon the main character from Dead Rising 3 uses, but unfortunately it doesn’t last long in the movie.

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BRIDE OF CHUCKY

October 24, 2015 by moviemanster

Bride of Chucky. Speaking the title out loud should be enough to steer you away from watching. Fair enough, you’d rather not risk it, it would probably be a waste of time. Luckily, there is a man (well, part-man) who braves films like this so you don’t have to. His duty is clear—he must wade through the cesspools of shit, searching for a diamond in the rough. When that gem is found he celebrates! Tonight, however, there will be no such festivity.

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MAMA

October 23, 2015 by moviemanster

Mama is a 2013 film starring Jessica Chastain, directed by Andy Muschietti and presented by Guillermo del Toro. It is based on Muschietti’s 2008 short of the same name. It is about two little girls who are abandoned in the woods for an extended period of time by their coward of a father. They are eventually discovered alive and brought back into civilization to live with their uncle. But how did they survive on their own for so long? And who are they talking to when they think you aren’t watching? The answer is Mama.

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THE FINAL DESTINATION

October 21, 2015 by moviemanster

The Final Destination is woven in a web of lies. Despite having almost an identical title as the original (a la Fast & Furious), it is not a remake, it is actually the fourth film in the series. Death did not save the best for 3D, as the poster claims, considering the three previous films were each better in every way. 3D might actually be the worst aspect of this pile of trash. Lastly, I would be hard pressed to even call this a movie, rather than a poorly strung together string of limply supported shock pieces.

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28 DAYS LATER

October 20, 2015 by moviemanster

♆♆♆

Danny Boyle’s (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting) 2002 British zombie horror 28 Days Later is a benchmark in the history of the genre. I remember seeing this for the first time over a decade ago. Even at a young age I noticed how it stood out from the other schlock and set the base standard for what modern zombie-themed productions (like The Walking Dead) are today. It is what I would call Boyle’s most important and impressive film to date. It was released at a pivotal point in The Manster’s life, that’s for sure. Many would consider this, along with the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, to be what made The Manster who he is today!

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THE LAZARUS EFFECT

October 19, 2015 by moviemanster

The Lazarus Effect sticks to using predominantly one small room as its home for horror. It focuses in on a tight-knit group of scientists who are researching and performing controlled experiments involving the resuscitation of freshly deceased lifeforms. The process is comprised of injecting a specially designed serum directly into the brain of the subject with a robotic arm equipped with a large needle. The group manages to bring an animal back to life but when a wrench is thrown into the gears and their progress is obstructed they end up rushing through another experiment. This leaves a scientist mortally wounded and the survivors with moral quandaries: should they bring them back and if they do, will they ever be the same?

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CRIMSON PEAK

October 18, 2015 by moviemanster

Crimson Peak markets itself as a dark, brooding horror story set in a creepy old house haunted by ghosts. To my surprise, it turned out to be nothing but a romance story with little to justify itself as horror. Sure, grotesque ghosts float through the halls of Allerdale Hall, but they are only afterthoughts in this film mainly concerned with soap opera twists and pulling on heartstrings.

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A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS

October 17, 2015 by moviemanster

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is about the return of a familiar villain with a routine grudge. Six years after the events of the first Nightmare dream-dwelling demon Freddy Krueger targets a group of kids in a mental health institute. They figure out that they are all being haunted by the same monster and band together to exterminate the evil. Oh, and before I forget, introducing Patricia Arquette and featuring “Larry” Fishburne. Yes, that Larry Fishburne.

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