donaldricco Reviews

Prey for the Devil (2022)

a female exorcist?!?! Let me in.

[8/10 · 7 August 2023]

My first thought after viewing this was that it was a tightly produced film and had almost no lag in the story. A nice change from the 2 to 3-hour movies I've seen lately that seem to be long for lengths sake! It also is a good-looking film, both the settings and the wardrobes and props! Lots of jump-scares too, so be warned!

Jacqueline Byers is wonderful as Sister Ann, and she has an amazingly expressive face, which is shown off even more because of the habit she wears! Posy Taylor is great as Natalie, and maybe even rivals Linda Blair! And Colin Salmon is terrific as Father Quinn.

And, that was one heck of an ending!

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

might be better than the first!

[7/10 · 6 August 2023]

Meg 2: The Trench very well might be better than the first! I think the key, and I truly believe this of any sequel is the return of characters from the previous film, especially using the same actors!

I believe 4 characters return in this one, and Pippin the dog (though I'm not certain that it is indeed the same dog...)!

The beginning of the film, with the food chain sequence is excellent, as is the opening sequence with Jonas as a "green James Bond"! Lots of action mixed with a bit more humor, and of course, quite a lot of megladons! Definitely worth seeing on its opening weekend!

On the negative side, it definitely is too long and could have used a bit of story editing. Also, some of the humor gets a little bit too silly. But all-in-all, well worth watching in the theater!

Jeepers Creepers: Reborn (2022)

better than the last one!

[5/10 · 6 August 2023]

Sure, the acting is terrible. Sure the CGI seems like a young person did it on their iPad device. Sure, the Creeper seems to have lost some of the speed and toughness from previous films. Sure, the horn on his truck seems to have lost a ton of volume. Sure, that voice over about 'the baby' sounded like someone performing it through an empty paper towel roll. Sure, that white raven is creepy as hell...

But it is still better than the previous one... by a long, long shot! You got the throwback beginning, which seems like a recreation of a similar scene in the original. And some kind of cos-play horror thing with a voodoo shop to boot! AND, the Creeper has a feeding club! All better pieces than the previous!

Sisu (2022)

Killin' Nazis!

[8/10 · 6 August 2023]

First, and foremost, Jorma Tommila is absolutely, perfectly cast in the role of Aatami - the "Immortal"! The way he looks, the way he moves, just everything about him is AMAZING! (I'd say the way he talks too, but he doesn't say a word until the very, very, very end!) He is a welcome addition to the world of action stars!

I love the six girls too! When they walk side by side, armed to the teeth, toward one of the Nazis, it just rocked! And later, when they roll up to the check point in the Nazi tank - DANG!!!

They shot at his dog. They killed his horse. They stole his gold.

Now, they gonna die! Finnish style!

Now, let's talk prequel! I want to see what the Immortal did to the Russians!

All Hallows' Eve (2013)

The old movie within a movie gag.

[5/10 · 4 August 2023]

A babysitter finds a VHS tape in a boy's bag of trick-or-treat candy. Weird. And then they watch it. Weirder. The video features three sinister stories, one of which is performed by a psychotic clown. And we get to watch the babysitter watch the videotape. Weirdest.

This is the first appearance of Art the Clown, who gained fame from the movie "Terrifier". He's not really in the movie per se. He has one scene in the first story, appears only as a painting in the second, and is the main bad guy in the third. So it's a little over 1/3 of the movie for the creepy black and white clown. It's definitely not as good as "Terrifier", but it has it's moments. Except the second story, that is one that can be skipped entirely, in my opinion.

The Anthrax Attacks (2022)

the USPS is still doing this...

[7/10 · 25 July 2023]

Very interesting. As a current USPS letter carrier, I really understood the frustration of the employees interviewed for this documentary. I went through a similar experience at my office during the COVID-19 pandemic. (not AS scary as anthrax, but the bureaucratic foot dragging that left employees unnecessarily exposed) I felt so sad for my brothers and sisters that suffered during this awful time, and I wish they had their actual day in court!

The film did lag for me toward the end, when the FBI zeroed in on the perpetrator. And I was not at all surprised that it ended in controversy, with what appeared to be a bit of a government cover up. The U. S. Government, and the USPS, should be held much more accountable for their roles in this horrible event in our country's history!

Ip Man (2008)

Impressive Donnie Yen!

[8/10 · 24 July 2023]

I recently watched "John Wick 4" and was so impressed by Donnie Yen, that I wanted to see something else he was in! And boy did I pick a good one! And based on a true story no less! Mr. Yen did nothing to disappoint the high opinion I had of him from JW4!

A really good-looking movie, with wonderful cinematography and costuming! The story of a martial arts expert who lives in China, Pre-World War II, when the Japanese invade.

And the martial arts scenes!!! The choreography is amazing! Even though this movie seems to be a self-contained story, I'm inclined to believe that I may watch part two! Go Mr. Yen!

Lou (I) (2022)

What Girl Scout troop training did they get?

[7/10 · 22 July 2023]

Allison Janney in the lead role, is awesome! Totally hard core and bad ass! And when she switches to an 'elderly lady' looking for her dog, she totally sells that too! She really made the character of Lou real as heck! And she made the movie totally watchable! Her dead panned humor, and biting one-liners were right on for the tone and strength of her character.

The other actors are very much overshadowed by Janney's performance (especially the guy that played the sheriff!). And the dog's performance as well! And the gorgeous settings and scenery!

But, I do think they put a bit too much Toto in it!

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Loving husband!

[7/10 · 20 July 2023]

Mr. Wick, Cain, and Mr. Nobody (though Mr. Nobody's character did not have to be in this, to be brutally honest). Quite the trio!

Caine is expertly played by Donnie Yen, who I'd like to see more of! I also liked the Harbinger and Mia!

I'd say, for a fourth movie in a series, this one was done pretty dang well! At least a half hour could be trimmed from it with no determent to the story, but it is pretty much exactly what the fourth movie in this series should be!

And, I was exposed to a song I liked that I'd never heard of before - "Les amants du dimanche" by Lucienne Delyle! Thanks Mr. Wick!

The Ritual Killer (2023)

Why did Morgan Freeman do this film? And why is Cole Hauser still dazed and confused?

[4/10 · 19 July 2023]

Morgan Freeman as my class lecturer? YES please!!!

Morgan Freeman in a movie this poorly written and filmed? NO THANKS! How on earth did they get him to do this picture? I hope you got a LOT of money! And when he's in it (for the handful of minutes that he is!) it is cringeworthy to see Cole Hauser opposite of him! Hauser is so very, very bad in this. Like he ham-fisted his way through it. Yes, it's poorly written and has lots of unnecessary scenes, fadeaway shots, and flashbacks, but the man literally zombie-walks his way through every bad line. He seems very much , dazed and confused.

But probably the worst thing about this movie, apart from sullying Freeman's legacy, is the chase scene in Rome at about the 10-minute mark. I take it that there was no stunt coordinator or an actual film director in Italy for that scene. Randoku literally just pushed his pursuers aside with absolutely no effort. Like gently brushing a spider's web to the side. Ridiculous.

The Visit (I) (2015)

Put down the camera!!!

[7/10 · 2 July 2023]

A surprisingly strong film from director M. Night Shyamalan, who has disappointed me so often in the past! And his trademark 'twist' was actually a good one! Strong performances from the actors playing the grandparents and from Olivia DeJonge! It really is a creepy film! Also, I vote for it as having the worst decision-making mom in a film, and the absolutely worst police response time in the world! (that second nomination is probably a lock, since there is absolutely no way on earth it could possibly take that long - ever!) On a positive note, I will also nominate it for quite possibly the funniest rap during end credits and most hilarious last few lines of said rap!

On a side note about movies using handheld cameras, I really think that most of us would put down the cameras in moments of violence and when our lives are being threatened. Why would we try to use only one hand to protect ourselves or defend ourselves? I don't know who a film like this can work around that fact, but many times during this movie I was thinking, "Drop that camera and fight with both hands!" or "Drop that camera and run!!!"

Knock at the Cabin (2023)

Knock, knock

[7/10 · 5 June 2023]

Much better than I expected, considering how bad this director's films have been of late! I think it's due to the fact that it follows along pretty closely with the book, which I really enjoyed reading! Of course it been M. Night, he does change the ending, and the movie ending is not nearly as good as the book's was.

Dave Bautista was really good, and maybe perfectly cast! He really seemed to have the right balance of menace and gentleness that the character needed. I was pretty impressed with his performance!

Again, considering who directed it, this is a pretty good flick! Maybe he can turn his career around?

Violent Night (2022)

You better me good for goodness sake!

[8/10 · 25 May 2023]

I gotta say, I really liked this! Lots of shout outs to movies like "Home Alone", "Die Hard", and even the recent "Fatman"! And Santa's cheesy one-liners as he beats down the bad guys is perfect action movie dialogue! David Harbour is perfect as Santa, and rocks every scene he is in! And Beverly D'Angelo is awesome as the matriarch of a rather unlikeable family. My favorite scene in this movie is when Santa takes out a dozen or so bad guys in a barn to the lovely holiday tune "Christmas Time" by Bryan Adams! Absolutely perfect!

P.s. - there is also an interesting bit of an origin story for Santa that I've never heard of before. I liked it!

Pearl (2022)

Mia Goth rules this film!

[8/10 · 8 April 2023]

I am giving this four stars almost entirely for Mia Goth's amazing performance! Her character's decent into madness is startling to watch! And the long speech she gives at the dinner table to her sister-in-law is phenomenal! As is her 'freeze frame' at the end of the film and into the credits! She is just impossible not to be completely freaked out by while she's on screen, and she's on screen a lot! Whole jeebus is she creepy! When she freaks out after the dance try out... Wow! Trying to get the pig and the final dinner scene out of my mind as I type this. And now I can finally say that I've seen a woman have intercourse with a scarecrow! Bonus!

The Menu (2022)

I've seen better menus at Waffle House.

[4/10 · 24 February 2023]

Hong Chau, who plays Elsa, is awesome in this movie!

Everything else, except maybe the cool looking food, and the occasionally witty graphics, is trite. No one, on any side of the story, would act this way. No one. Is this some allegory for the super educated to ponder over and debate? Or is it all fraught with some deep philosophical meaning that I'm too dull to understand? Maybe it's supposed to be symbolic of the decline of something or other in society? Honestly, if this was supposed to have some deep meaning, it didn't.

Dumb motivations of Chef, terrible inactions of the diners, and bizarre exception made of the one at the end. I've seen better menus at Waffle House.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

only 15 minutes to go...

[9/10 · 21 February 2023]

This may very well be the best war movie I have ever seen!

From the scene near the beginning of the uniforms being recycled until the cease fire a 11 o'clock, I was riveted! Beautiful cinematography, excellent acting, and fantastic costuming! I also liked the juxtaposition of the men negotiating the armistice against the men down in the trenches, the men who are just a file and boots. Another scene that really struck me was the soldiers scarfing down food and drink right in the middle of an attack. Powerful. And when the soldier(s) have to gather up the dog tags of the dead. Each snap resonated deeply for me.

And only 15 minutes to go.

Terrifier (2016)

move over Pennywise

[6/10 · 20 February 2023]

Overall, this is a typical horror movie, with the victims making ridiculously bad decisions and fairly poor acting. This one might be even worse than normal because the settings are so confusing and inconsistent that it seems to be filmed anywhere and anywhere. Just look at the 'coroner's office' to see what I mean.

What does set this apart is the clown. It is, in fact, terrifying! The actor's eyes, mouth and facial expressions are the stuff of nightmares! And the way he wiggles his fingers is just plain old frightening. Right when he appears on the screen, the hairs on the back and arms shoot straight up. Yeah, the movie is a cheap horror flick, but clown is the perfect villain. If I saw it in a commercial for children's serial, I'd run screaming down the street... and I don't run.

You People (2023)

Stick with the podcast

[5/10 · 20 February 2023]

Overall, this isn't a very funny movie. It starts out like it is, with the opening podcast scene, but quickly it devolves into two sets of parents that don't like the idea of who their respective children have decided to marry. The Jewish mother is completely tone deaf, disrespectful and ignorant to her prospective Black daughter-in-law's, well everything, and the black father just doesn't like his prospective Jewish son-in-law. And then the ending is just one of those "guess what I learned about myself" type movie endings that make everything that we learned about everyone in the previous two hours just go away, and now everything's okay and yeah, let's support the marriage. And on a technical level, what was up with those disruptive swipes between scenes? All chopped up and grainy - and long! Did someone's kid get in the editing room and start messing around with an app that created these things? Heck, the old Homer Simpson star swipes would have looked more professional!

Halloween Ends (2022)

the title of this movie better be a promise!

[4/10 · 20 February 2023]

I guess this is the soap opera version of Halloween - Oh Corey!!!

After a crazy turn in the first two movies of this reboot, Laurie takes a 180 and her character is baking pies and writing a book about her experiences. And, like this movie and the one before it, the books sucks. Then her granddaughter falls immediately in love with a guy who then finds a different kind of love in a sewer tunnel.

All I can say is that the title of this movie better be a promise, and if it isn't, we moviegoers should be able to hold everyone who made these three movies accountable for their actions. Especially the "writers".

Glass Onion (2022)

Clue Part II

[5/10 · 19 February 2023]

Honestly, with all of the slap-stick humor and joking around, this felt more like a sequel to the movie "Clue" than a follow-up to "Knives Out". And only Daniel Craig is around from that movie. In this one, there isn't even an on-screen crime until the one-hour mark, and that was that. Edward Norton was just annoying, though spot-on as Elon Musk, and the rest of the cast was fairly benign. It honestly felt like Tim Curry was going to pop out at any moment, even the end! A few cute cameos, and a fair amount of good music were the reasons I give it more than one star. If this is the direction of this franchise, count me out.

Smile (V) (2022)

I can't smile without you!

[7/10 · 22 January 2023]

Last summer, I saw that someone promoting this movie was smiling creepily at an Oakland A's home game, which happens to be my favorite team. I was intrigued. And that smile, well, like the picture above, it's super creepy all on its own. Felt like a winning idea for a scary picture!

I did very much enjoy this film! The jump-scares got me several times! And I liked the way the character of Rose fell apart, both mentally and in physically. They did a great job with the makeup, and I think Sosie Bacon played it perfectly! I actually wanted to rank this higher, but I had one overwhelming thought bounce around my head as the plot unfolded. The basic idea of what was happening to the doctor, and 19 some odd people before, is the same basic idea that occurs in the movie "Fallen" with Denzel Washington. So much so, that I actually started wondering if this was some type of remake of that movie! I guess it isn't, but still... So, if you haven't seen "Fallen", I think you will enjoy this movie a great deal! And if you have seen "Fallen", it's still a pretty good movie!

P.s. - Of course, I saw a commercial for Smile Direct Club right after I turned off the movie!

Sound of Metal (2019)

Nearly a perfect ending!

[9/10 · 7 December 2022]

I watched this based on a recommendation, and I'm so glad that I did! A terrific movie about hearing loss, recovery, relationships, and life in general! I was really drawn into it! The noise distortions made such a powerful impact on me, and really brought me into the main character's world! It also hit home a bit, as my own hearing has deteriorated over the years, but nothing like poor Rueben. It's scary to think that it could happen like that. And I loved, loved, loved the character of Joe (played wonderfully by Paul Raci) ! I wish I had a person like him in my life!

Awesome ending! Nearly perfect!

Sinister (I) (2012)

ahh, 8mm home films...

[6/10 · 16 October 2022]

Great opening and good ending! (probably one of the freakiest opening shots that I have seen!) And lots of creepiness in-between, especially with the attic and the 8mm film! But I think there was too much tension and build up in between. And once the filmmakers kind of revealed a big piece of what was happening, I kind of wanted the movie to just get to the point and show me how the patterns and backstories applied to the family in the film. I just felt like there could have been a bit of editing done to make the stress of the film tighter. Maybe 20 minutes less? Just my opinion. There's a good final scare too!

X (II) (2022)

Perfect last line!

[8/10 · 6 October 2022]

I one hundred percent agree with the last line of this movie! Very good horror film! It starts out pretty basically, a group of 6 goes to a country farm to film a pornographic movie. But the elderly couple that own that farm have different plans. Very, very creepy duo, especially the wife. She totally freaked me out, especially in that bed scene! The film is gruesome at times, especially during the "Don't Fear the Reaper" scene! And I loved the way the "Landslide" scene is put together! I must have said, "Oh hell no!" about three times during this movie. I think this one is gonna sit with me for a while...

New Order (2020)

The 'haves' versus the 'have nots'.

[10/10 · 5 September 2022]

The beginning of this movie felt like a punch to the gut! And the juxtaposition in this movie! Riots in the streets, the working class and poor rising up! And opposite this? A wedding of two extremely attractive people at an obviously rich and powerful home. And when those two sides collide? Whamo!

The bride is caught in the middle of this insanity, and the 'new order' may not be what the rioters were hoping for. It's powerful, disturbing, and supremely timely. Rich versus poor, with the military in there as well.

And the imagery of that green paint stays with the viewer. A very powerful look at what may come to be.