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shardaerliss
Reviews
Lost After Dark (2015)
Fun, fresh and funny.
Genuinely haven't enjoyed a slasher this much since the original Scream. The first review here says it's uninspired. This is absolutely inspired. I don't know what it was inspired by, but it was inspired. This is a production where everyone was clearly enjoying themselves. Robert Patrick delivers his over the top "nam vet" lines with scenery chewing flare. The deaths are not overly gorey but unsettling & uncomfortable. It plays with the tropes enough to keep you off guard, and the characters are more than at first seem. The jock is protective and sweet. The bimbo is ruthless in the persuit of survival. This seemed like a film to put on as background noise, but I really enjoyed it. One to go on the purchase list.
Resident Evil (2022)
Fun zombie show with some Resi Easter eggs
I'm 6 episodes in, so I've seen much more than all those "I lasted 20 minutes" reviews. The first couple of episodes are weak compared to everything after, with a lot of plot holes & characters that feel very paint-by-numbers stereotypes. But I keep reminding myself that Resident Evil is poorly written and filled with one dimensional characters, so this was a step up.
The mystery is compelling, with suspense helped along by the switch between timelines. The actors and writers find their feet after a couple of episodes, instilling more depth into the characters as the show progresses. Baxter in particular (the Irish guy in the bad suit) just absolutely comes alive in episode 4.
There's some fun little nods to the games, like someone using the "master of unlocking" line, and an entire sequence of the girls having to solve puzzles involving pianos and paintings.
No, it's not classic Resi. But I've been playing Resi games since 1996, and Resi hasn't been classic since 4. It's fun, it's got some interesting ideas, nice Easter eggs, and Lance Reddick plays protective dad barely keeping the monster simmering beneath that veneer in control perfectly.
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
Almost as fun as the first.
Lots of characters from the original, lots of throw backs, big action sequences, rousing speeches, people making heroic sacrifices. It doesn't have so many punchy one liners, and Hemsworth and Usher were no replacement for Will Smith, but it was still a great ride. Wish I'd watched it sooner.
A Haunting on Dice Road: The Hell House (2016)
Interesting interviews and backstory, but the rest was staged.
The interviews are really interesting, and it's obvious something was happening (my theory is the heavy freight rail lines nearby... similar things happen in my home and it was very creepy until I figured it out), but the footage is almost if not all fake. At first there are just some creepy things like the radio coming on, a strange shape in the window, taps turning on. It's a bit spooky. Them came the mist. It was so clearly reversed video. Something straight out of a cheap horror film. From there the footage just became.kore and.lore obviously faked. Disappointing, especially as the real.people involved absolutely experienced the sounds and shaking, and believed. Bad form, man. Bad form.