September 2, 2023 “Lyla” (*1/2 out of four) was a disposable horror psychodrama about a troubled husband (Clark Moore) who takes his wife Lyla (Jolene Andersen) and family on a vacation but soon begins to uncover various dark psychological/family/personal secrets of the family that threaten his and everybody’s sanity. Hate to keep sounding like a broken record but this is yet another movie that liberally rips off “The Shining”, right down to a few key film shots, but film unfortunately has not of it’s mesmeric power or grandeur. Decent performances help but not enough. Continue reading →
September 2, 2023 “Night Of The Caregiver” (** out of four) was a derivative shock-thriller about a caretaker (Natalie Denise Sperl- who looks like a facelifted Sandra Bullock) who is hired to care for an elderly woman (Eileen Dietz) but soon finds that paranormal activity is occurring in her home which places them both in grave danger. Professionally made and acted but comprised of so many familiar parts from other movies (“The Shining” yet again in particular) that it’s only worth watching for younger fans who haven’t seen any of the movies that it rips off. Director Joe Cornet has a small role as a cop and Eric Roberts shows up in yet another easy paycheck cameo appearance. Continue reading →
September 1, 2023 “Weredeer” (* out of four) was a positively dreadful horror thriller about a man (Blair Hoyle) and his girlfriend (Anna Broadway) who travel to a cabin to vacation with his family; when she is suddenly bitten by a deer, strange occurrences begin happening and she suddenly turns into a ravenous flesh-eating werewolf killer. Grueling attempt at low-rent horror is loaded with terrible dialogue and even worse acting. Film was actually shot about 20 minutes from where “Deliverance” was filmed but the film this actually rips off the most is “The Howling.” Continue reading →
September 1, 2023 “The Amityville Curse” (** out of four) was a tepid horror melodrama about a group of friends (Brendan Fehr, Vanessa Smythe, Ennis Esmer, and others) who buy the notorious Amityville house intending to flip it for a profit but soon discover an unholy paranormal evil within the house that intends on destroying them all. Umpteenth movie to use the “Amityville” name is far from the worst but nowhere near its best and is mostly a run-of-the-mill haunted house movie. A few minor jolts and some decent acting help to keep it watchable but it’s about time we let this house and horror series rust in peace. Continue reading →
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