Change Your Image
msdeborahadavis
Reviews
Impuratus (2022)
Wow, this one is a stinker above most stinkers
The costuming, premise and general coloration of the movie was good. That's it.
It's broken into unfollowable scattered bits, with some INCREDIBLY BAD BAD BAD acting. The detective's wife is the only one who plays her part well, and I suppose the little girl too, who is only on screen a total of less than a minute.
The makeup is staggeringly bad. The director must have been off in LSD land to have thought ANY of this had cohesiveness.
It was truly bad, and not in an amusing way.
Detective Clayton Douglas, a troubled cop, is summoned to an asylum to investigate a case. There, he meets a dying patient named Daniel Glassman, who, after what feels like years, FINALLY claims to have been possessed by a malevolent entity in the year 1862.
A nurse and nun, Sister Rose is fogging by his side with weak flailing warnings.
We go back in time, hopeful that the bad actors will become minor characters. Alas, the forces of darkness that are this script, directing and acting prevail. Everyone dies, including our hopes for any saving this film, but not before it's too late. "Impuratus" has already sucked up 3 wasted hours.
Men (2022)
Finally a realistic horror we've all lived, if female
Someone made a horror movie about the horror that isn't a movie that women live daily when dealing with...
MEN.
Slick poster - a menacing man has the word plastered across his eyes like a warning label
we've all witnessed such awkwardness, the dumb man whose so dumb he doesn't know how dumb his sexist comments are.
We've all been stalked
we've all been assaulted by a young "man becoming" for our breasts and butt and folds
we've all been and witnessed and had all of it.
That's why it works.
Even at the end, when her friend comes, blood everywhere, and she's pregnant too...
both women are, or definitely have been, afraid, but don't panic. They are simply women assessing and adapting, navigating the always-present threat of men. Just another day, really.
The Secret of Sinchanee (2021)
Not for The Snap Chat Minded
Written and directed by lead actor Steven Grayhm, an industrial tow truck driver suffering from insomnia returns to his childhood home after the untimely death of his father, to discover that a paranormal presence has been living in the house and haunting the sacred land it was built on. Also starring: Laila Lockhart Kraner, Rudy Reyes, Tamara Austin, Chris Neville, Margarita Reyes, Mark Oliver, Kathleen Kenny and Nate Boyer.
The Secret of Sinchanee opens with a subtle strength, building a classic supernatural and mysterious atmosphere, moving slowly but purposefully. It kicks off its edge of peril, bringing us down a path to reveal dark secrets and this new land's ancient truths.
The writer didn't give up on this narrative, but it seems bits of traditional blood ad gore were thrown in to please every one. Still, this is one worth putting down your phone for. In fact it's necessary. If you allow the storyline to carry and transport you to an uncolonized mindset, give patience to the spirit walk this movie requires, you'll be well rewarded.
The Andy Griffith Show: The Perfect Female (1961)
Ahead of the times
SPOILERS. SPOILERS. SPOILERS.
Thelma Lou has another cousin, (hey, it's the south) who she and Barney decide to set up with Andy.
She's beautiful, and when they are thrown together in the diner by Thelma Lou and Barney, Andy certainly is surprised. See Andy and Barney talk a lot about how women look. It's a bit of a running joke that people keep setting poor Andy up with any and all women they can find, and some of them are "dogs," some are "homely," some are "smart," or "nice," all fair and good reasons to reject that particular gal, of course. Hey, those were the times they lived in.
Now, I can't imagine who the staff writer was that thought things could occasionally be different, maybe it was Andy himself? But regardless, someone hit a tough nail about every year or so with something insightful. This is one of those episodes.
This "pretty set up gal" and Andy get along SO well, that Andy pleases Barney by telling him he's asked her for a date the next day. Barney is shocked though that Andy has invited her with him to shoot crows. He defends himself by saying that he had it already planned anyway and she said yes.
The truth is, she tried to say more than yes, she tried to tell Andy that she was a crack shot, but, as men of his day, (and some who inaccurately reviewed this episode) he wouldn't listen, but made it all about his skill and her as an accompaniment to his showing off, even though he misses a few times. Karen tries again to tell him, but Andy is very self absorbed. Still, she is smiling, and
after the date, while Thelma Lou is SHOCKED that Karen let Andy do all the shooting, Karen says she liked it, that he treated her not like a champion shooter, but a lady. (The only moaner of the episode)
As is usual, Barney messes it up. He expounds on Andy's praises of Karen's second visit to Karen. See, she likes little boys and bakes gooseberry pies (Andy's favorite) Barney tells Karen that she's "passed muster" and caught herself "quite a catch."
Karen asks Barney if this was some kind of test. Barney admits it was (though Andy wasn't testing her, just bumbling through his own mansplaining, chest popping 60's ways.) After Karen gets enlightened about her "place" in their male schemes, she gets angry and tries yet again to tell Andy something, but this time to tell him "NO!" But then realizes it's a skeet shoot competition and says yes.
Here is where the episode gets tough, as it's way too real. The crowd of men mumble and yell for Andy to not let them down when they see Karen step out as Andy's competitor in the skeet shoot. Sure enough, Karen's skill outmatches Andy's. He's just a "good ole boy" anywho... except here he stands up and shines like a white knight; he admits he was pompous and proud, talking over Karen again and again. He gets Karen to hear his realization and repentance, and the show ends with all four having a shooting fun fest and Barney doing his usual goofball antics. It's hilarious.
This show was often far above the lagging pack in realized women were full humans with personality and passion. It couldn't entirely break free of its time, but definitely pushed through occasionally with visionary bits.
One of my favorite episodes, and one where one imagines what went on behind the scenes and within the extras and writers.
Jug Face (2013)
Unique
This is very interesting and ery worth watching if you can bear the unfairness of life plays out in the lives of these people.
Great costuming. Excellent settings. Wildly crazy storyline, reminiscent of the banned X files episode.
There's some gore, but the point is the belief system that keeps this small bunch of folks joined. Below are complete spoilers, a summary of the whole movie.
A backwards community, living near a small town, worship a mystical pit filled with what looks like blood. They believe it keeps them healthy, while asking occasionally for one of them to be sacrificed.
A mentally slow potter, Dawai creates jugs of faces from clay, and when a jug portrays the face of a member of the community, that person must be sacrificed to the creature that lives in the pit.
The lead actress, Ada's brother Jessaby, has sex with her. Later, she finds her own face on Dawai's latest jug. She hides the jug and keeps it a secret.
Ada is arranged to be "joined" to a boy from another family, Bodey. Later, Ada discovers she is pregnant. While she is with Bodey's sister, Eileen, Ada has a vision of Eileen's death, and the creature later kills Eileen.
Worried that they have angered the pit, the others grill Dawai, who claims to be ignorant of whether there's a missing jug, as he creates them while under a trance.
They demand Dawai search for any missing jugs. Ada meets with Dawai, and she suggests that he create a new one from memory.
Ada's mother, Loriss, inspects her to see if she is a virgin, and Ada claims to have broken her "player with herself," and caused it.
Loriss punishes Ada, who later informs Jessaby that she is pregnant.
The following day, the others gather around the pit as Dawai presents his latest jug with the face of Bodey, who is then sacrificed.
Ada visits her sickly grandfather and sees a vision of an emaciated boy, who explains that her grandfather hid his wife's jug face the same as she did, and the community poisoned her grandfather as punishment.
Jessaby tells Sustin, his father, that he is sick, so they go to the pit to heal him. Ada has a vision of Jessaby getting killed; the vision comes true.
Dawai apparently has failed again in interpreting the pit's desires, he is severely punished by the community and tied beside the pit to be taken. Ada breaks Dawai free, and they run off. However, the two are caught, taken back and punished by the community, who assume that it is Dawai with whom Ada had a relationship. Ada is whipped, miscarries her child, and then reveals to her parents that it was her brother's baby.
Ada has a vision of her father's death, and the pit kills him. She reveals to everyone that she was the missing jug face and that all the deaths are her fault. Her mother ties her up beside Dawai next to the pit.
The "Shunned Boy" and Ada's grandfather appear and free her from her ropes, but she will not leave because she knows Dawai will be killed.
Dawai begs her to go and confesses he loves her. They fall asleep side by side with Dawai saying, "it isn't fair is it."
The next morning, Ada's mother finds her free of her ropes but kneeling beside the Pit.
Ada apologizes and is sacrificed.
The film ends as Dawai lights a candle next to his jug face of Ada.
Red River Road (2020)
Do NOT hesitate to watch this
It is well written, well acted, with perfect timing and suspense, and the twist at the end, with the final look on that final face shot? AMAZING! Perfect.
I will be watching this again too, and recommending it to everyone.
How can this POSSIBLY be a "family project;" the excellence is too much,
better than Hollywood.
Very impressive! !
There was not one slouch in this film, not even that sweet dog.
...... This is oscar worthy.
I'm going to be looking it up to see if it won anything anywhere, because it SHOULD.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
That woman's intuition is strong with this one!
BRAVA BRAVO EVERYONE.
Mandy (2018)
This Flickadoodle will melt your noodle!
Where the heck did they live!? There's not one normal soul that dwells there. That's clear.
Seriously though, what's with Panos Cosmatos, Aaron Stewart, and Casper Kelly (Who apparently calls themself Cheddar Goblin) the writers? Are THEY actually the ones who drank the bad overdose and wrote this whacked out head numbing flickadoodle?
Very strange; very strange indeed.
Cage apparently swooped down to the depths after his breakup, and dabbled in some dark arse weirdness.
When he dies, (I hope a VERY VERY long time from now) no one will say he didn't do everything.
One of his best was the quirky, "Raising Arizona." One of his sexiest was "Moonstruck." As Cher said, "those eyes like a gypsy..." Who can resist a handsome angsty sad boy who cleans up good?
This one was over the top... or better to say, under the bottom. If you've never done acid and you want to know what a bad trip is like, watch this one.
Personal Shopper (2016)
Superb Wander, Worth an Intentional Watching
Fair warning: some hints at spoilers below.
I love that this movie defies categorization. It's a mystery, a search for her dead brother's soul... as well as exploring her own...
Part light horror ghost, part chunky murder thriller, part angst and trudge of life, with a pale pail of "aHA!" at the end
Kristen Steward is her usual pointed, delicate edged angstist fawn, navigating her way in a brambled sidewalk of thorns she can't identify. Of course she's magnificent.
Others move in and out of the plot like fencing swords, a stab here, a slice there, until, driven to the tip of the blade, she crashes wholly into her own mirror, tiptoed on a thin rope, toed on one end by the truth, the other end by what she already doesn't know... or does she?
Hereditary (2018)
Cold sweat and fibrillation producing movie!
The most heart palpitating film I've seen in decades. Casting is perfection, as each character fits and then works exactly right with the others, the script.
This was an impressive piece of work. Terrifying, psychologically tormenting,
but... at the last
the ending failed.
Seriously, in the last 5 minutes it sprung out of the box like a broken toy: perfect, perfect, perfect, and then worthless...
EXCEPT, your body is still clammy from cold sweat of fear, and your heart is still thumping with a madness you didn't think was possible.
Yet you're left wondering why the writer did all this to you to have such an absurd ending. Would I recommend it? 100%, because I haven't felt edge-of-my-seat terror like that for a lifetime.
Even with the disappointment of the ending, it's DEFINITELY worth the trip!
Love on the Air (2015)
Shocked
I'm not a Hallmark Movie watcher, but I was too busy to change the channel, and this came on. It didn't take long for it to grab my attention.
.
.
.
The storyline is clever, if not new; what is unique is their chemistry. I was quite surprised how much I enjoyed this movie.
.
.
There are some seriously sensuous scenes, but still 100% family friendly.
.
.
. Worth a watch! These two have charisma in this one!
.
.
Spoiler: it has a happy ending. But you already knew that. There's an ADORABLE dog, and a good sister brother relationship.
It's very frustrating that this site doesn't allow reviews that are under 500 characters.
.
.
.
How much more needs to be written, for goodness sakes!
.
Seriously though, don't be afraid to watch it if you're wondering if it's worth it.