Monday, January 28, 2019

Movie catchup

I'm up to 44 movies watched this year, almost all of them new to me. Woo! I'm finally doing this, and it feels great. I'll be starting my "classics I haven't seen in a long time" marathon this week, and my goal is to watch at least 10 films. Since I'm watching so much, obviously my write-ups are much shorter unless I really have something to say.

I'm highlighting The Guest, a total UNDERRATED GEM ALERT!

This was BAD. ASS. A thriller with a horror aesthetic, culminating in a school Halloween maze chase. (Why the hell didn't my school have a Halloween maze? I think I've figured out what I was missing all my life.) Yeah, this is a thriller about an escaped supersoldier that's also randomly a Halloween movie and kind of a slasher?? I mean, there's a final girl and a super slashery ending. I don't know exactly what this movie was but it was unique and tense and entertaining and I loved it.

The Mist ~ Another trip to my "classics I've never seen list" and yup, this was pretty epic. This felt exactly like a Stephen King story told by the Walking Dead guy. All the tropes are here but they're good tropes, darnit, including "people being as monstrous as the monsters." That one always rings true. That ending though, why don't you just punch me in the stomach, movie. The ending made me both love it and hate it, I don't know!

HTF DID CAROL LIVE?? I swear, the end of the world will just be Carol, cockroaches, and maybe Dewey from Scream, that guy survives everything.

Diabolique ~ Watched this for the first time tonight. Life is always full of wonderful new things.

Honeymoon ~ I'm thinking she really didn't want to have kids.

Thoroughbreds ~ I kinda wanted to stab that guy's smug face as soon as I saw it, so.

I love movies like this. I don't even know what genre to call it, it's just "good." This is the kind of movie that hinges almost entirely on its performances, and they're amazing. I wouldn't normally enjoy something that's just about people using each other - too real and depressing - but this was so quirky and watchable I didn't mind. It almost felt like a dark fairy tale more than the real world. Maybe it was the giant chess set. Is that a real thing?

Lights Out ~ This was silly at times with some corny dialogue, but I liked it anyway. Mostly. Super not a fan of the ending and its implications about mental illness, so you've been warned. Most of the way through it's a creepy little story that fans of the Conjuring and Insidious films should enjoy. I watched it alone late at night in the dark, because I make good life choices.

The ending didn't break it for me, but it didn't sit well with me either. I love horror, but it has an unfortunate history of portraying mental illness, and this is a good example. Or a bad one. Not everything can be The Babadook. I like this concept though, and they got some scares out of it.

Mama ~ I'm such a sucker for "but it can't be, that hospital closed down in 1878!" movies. Feral children, creepy doll, abandoned cabin in the woods, an otherwordly mystery, the Doctor Trying to Find Out the Truth, this movie has all the things. I don't care if it's cliche, I'll watch it and enjoy it every time. The ending went to a place I didn't expect, and it was sad and beautiful and left me with a sense of "you went there. Good on you, movie."

We Are Still Here ~ Okay, I really enjoyed this movie, but - if you have to sacrifice people to a hell pit house to save your town, why not just... move to a town that doesn't have a hell pit house?? I feel like that would be easier in the long run?

Whatever, this was cool as hell so I won't complain. Awesome effects, likeable characters and good performances. This isn't like, super gory, but when it is it's pretty great. It takes place in what looks like the late 70s or early 80s, so you really get those Amityville Horror vibes. I actually liked this a little better, mainly due to the effects and the brisker pacing. (This starts a little slow, but when it goes it goes.) I'm an obvious sucker for "devil house in an isolated setting" movies, as well as throwbacks, but this is truly one of the better ones I've seen.

1408 ~ I loved this movie, but I want to see all the different endings and decide which I like best. Apparently there are like 3 or 4? I saw the one on Shudder, which I believe is the director's cut and also the most stone cold bummer one, so yay. I didn't mind the bummer ending, but after all he went through in that damn room I was really rooting for him! I had to close my eyes during the window ledge scene. The hell room stuff I was fine with, but dangling out a 14th story window? Big fat nope.

In my goal to see all, or at least most of the King adaptations, I've watched this and The Mist for the first time this week. These two movies in particular really highlight for me why King is such a master, and why his stories are so endlessly filmable. Of course there are the classics like It, Carrie, and Christine, but even his lesser-known works make for these huge, epic-feeling movies. This has beautifully weird visuals, great performances by Cusack and Jackson, and somehow in the year 2019 I am not rolling my eyes at King's alcoholic writer trope but am fully engaged. I don't know how he does it.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Movie catchup

It's January 22, and I've watched 35 movies in 2019. Three are rewatches. I am killing it so far this year.

Assassination Nation ~ "Is it wrong that I'm enjoying this?"

Hacking! Secrets! Scandal! Politician shooting himself in the head over a hacked secrets scandal! Is this the best Neil Breen movie ever?? Just kidding, every Neil Breen movie is the best ever.

This was pretty good, too. The whole thing kinda felt like our last known photograph. And I swear I didn't intentionally watch three social media-centered movies this week (this, Ingrid Goes West, and Eighth Grade), but what a triple feature that would be.

Phantasm: Ravager ~ "It's complicated." Yup, that pretty much sums up the Phantasm franchise.

Okay so, this movie isn't very good. But I'm still kinda happy it exists. If you can get past the weak script and how some of it looks like a video game, it is cool to see these actors in these roles again. Especially Reggie, who is charismatic as always despite not having much to work with, and Angus Scrimm who was still awesome at about 90. He was the highlight of this movie, and how fitting that his final role was the Tall Man. He gives us a token "BOY!" Everyone is at least 50 but sure, fanservice. (Phanservice? *ducks*)

Umm I should probably talk about the actual movie... *crickets chirp* *an old newspaper flies by*... yeah, this was pretty disjointed. Some of it was at least interesting, I guess, but... was the dementia stuff real? Was the post-apocalyptic video game looking stuff real? Was the ending credits stuff real? Am I real? Was it all different dimensions? Hallucinations? Some of both? While the dreamlike feel of the older films is gone, the "I don't know what the hell is happening" feel remains. A horse is killed by a sphere at one point and I'm like OMG, this movie is gonna have a ZOMBIE HORSE! But no, it's never seen again. Rude.

Wasn't Jody evil in the last movie, for some reason? Wasn't he a sphere? Wasn't he dead? Is Reggie dead? Am I dead? Here we have Reggie still searching for Mike and Jody either in the desert, in a video game, in his own mind, or possibly all of the above, and you gotta admire the guy's determination. He seems to have forgotten Jody was both evil and dead but to be fair, Jody seems to have forgotten that too as he's quite alive and driving a Mad Max-ish gun car. Okay, phanservice, I get it. Neither Jody nor Mike One were ever great actors, but they're kinda family now, and it was cool seeing them here as we probably won't see them again. Reggie, however, is a pretty darn good character actor and I'd like to see him in more movies.

While this was more a sum of parts than a whole, and most of the parts weren't even that good, I'm choosing to see this as a tribute to Angus Scrimm. And also the Phantasm franchise itself, which was a fun ride overall.

Fyre ~ Schadenfreude: the Movie

Someone will definitely make a horror movie about this, and I will definitely watch it, so it better be good.

Emelie ~ Like if a Lifetime movie wasn't made for your grandmother and went to some weird places. The ending wasn't great but it's mostly compelling, with a subtly twisted lead performance.

Lost River ~ A bit thick on the artsiness, but I'm a sucker for urban decay and submerged dino parks, not gonna lie.

Peeping Tom ~ Could have been trimmed a bit, but a nice twisted vibe overall. This really took off when Mark started developing feelings for Helen and that became the main conflict. (Heh. "Developing.") I didn't think Mark would be sympathetic or emotionally involving at the start, but it ended up being quite sad. Well done.

This was probably a real sock knocker in 1960, and it's still effective today despite a few meandering scenes. Great performances too.

Fyre Fraud ~ It's more Schadenfreude: the Movie, this time with funny sound effects! Am I not entertained?

Do people really care what colour their credit card is? Like, I'm all about aesthetic but I don't need my credit card to match my shoes or some shit. It's all so fascinating and befuddling. Also, what is up with con men and Russian models?

I'd probably watch another one of these tbh.

Scream 2 ~ AAAAAAAH I love this movie! Damn I forgot how good this is; one of the best horror sequels. I might even like it more than the original. My 90s Skeet Ulrich crush has been replaced by my 90s Liev Schreiber crush (which has since been replaced by my 2010s Skeet Ulrich crush, thanks to Riverdale.) Gotta love the cast in these movies, it's like going through a 90s yearbook.

I think Sidney Prescott is my favourite final girl ever because she SHOOTS THE DAMN KILLER RIGHT IN THE DAMN FACE "just in case," instead of like, hitting them with a shovel and turning away all "it's over, he's dead," and NO HE'S NOT YOU IDIOT, KILL HIM SOME MORE! This is why I love Scream, even though I can't stand most 90s horror. (I like maybe, nine 90s horror films? And four of them were directed by Wes Craven.)

This thing is two hours long and it's so constantly entertaining and suspenseful it just flies by. I actually wanted more. Unfortunately, "more" means part three, which I remember not liking at all. Kinda curious to check out four though.

Friday, January 18, 2019

Favourite music of 2018

Okay, I was gonna redo my old post with all the cool new stuff I found afterwards and write about some albums, but nah. I'm just gonna put these Spotify playlists here. Everything in my original post still stands, there's just more good stuff now! The first list is all girly stuff, because that's what I've mostly been listening to. The second list is more inclusive, because dudes made good music too, and there are even a few mainstream pop songs I liked.

Favourite songs that didn't appear on my original list:

"Happy Unhappy" and "You Wouldn't Like Me" - The Beths (Quirky, jangly guitar music is still being made. We're gonna be ok.)
"Firework" - First Aid Kit
"Jeannie Becomes a Mom" - Caroline Rose
"Funeral" - Phoebe Bridgers
"Hell-On" - Neko Case

girly:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0NJW8y0kPzVp3K6W6zUlSP

everything:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/27G74gAnYbHYGNf94LF0go

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Movie catchup, part two

A couple non-horror movies this time! And more Phantasm, of course.

Ingrid Goes West

So even when I go for a change of pace, I still end up with something dark and disturbing. For some reason I thought this might be like, a lighter Romy and Michele type thing and ahahahahaha. Oh sweet, naive me of 11:30 last night.

This movie is great though. Like really, really great. And it does have some awkwardly funny moments, almost in the vein of Creep but not quite as psycho. (I know I compare everything to Creep. It's just that Creep might be the best movie ever made.) But yeah, once again we're presented with this unpredictable character, which makes for an unsettling and strangely enjoyable film. Characters like this don't follow standard movie tropes, so they're constantly fascinating to watch. I don't think I've seen Aubrey Plaza in anything before and oh my God, she was this character. Usually I get annoyed by obviously pretty people playing outcasts, but I saw no actress here, only Ingrid.

Ingrid is like meeting the darkest part of your psyche for coffee. She's obsessed with Elizabeth Olsen's Taylor, who's famous for posting photos on Instagram I guess? (I don't use Instagram, and this movie makes me proud of my choices.) Olsen's great here too. While there is social media satire, I feel it goes far deeper than that. These problems have always existed; they're called being human. Social media is just a catalyst. At least with social media there's a chance of a connection, but it's our own hubris that makes us "present" our lives as better than they are, diminishing the chance of a real connection. This film does a great job of showing that.

I liked Ingrid's character arc. Despite the awful thing that happened, she did have a breakthrough of sorts and there might be some hope for her. I thought Taylor might have some kind of arc too after Ingrid drops the truth bomb on her, but she chooses the fragile comfort of artifice. I guess that non-arc is an arc, really. It's an interesting contrast; the truly crazy vs the everyday insanity of lying to ourselves. This film really affected me and I could go on, but it's probably better just to watch it. One star for Ingrid, one star for Batman, and two stars for existential crises that might have unexpected answers. I love you all.

Eighth Grade

Oh man, even after all these... decades, 8th grade still burns.

That is definitely a compliment for this movie. This is the realest portrayal of young teens I've seen since Welcome to the Dollhouse, and this one won't make you hate people as much. So that's good. But nothing has changed except everyone has a phone now, so that's kind of sad.

I am going to watch a dumb horror movie now and turn down the realness for awhile.

Phantasm IV: Oblivion

"Some cops can be real assholes."

So I have no idea what happened, but I still kinda enjoyed it? Zombie cops! Boob spheres! Reggie throwing out one-liners like the badass hero he is! Inter-dimensional portals! Tuning forks! Hearse bombs! This movie has it all.

Except answers. I didn't expect a movie called Phantasm to be fully explained, nor would I want it to be. However, the whole focus of these movies is the Tall Man wants Mike, specifically, and they never explain why! You don't have to explain much else, but I would like to know what makes Mike so special. He doesn't have any powers (except that one time he turned into another actor), he's not especially badass or smart or mystical or anything, he's Average Dude in a Jean Jacket.

Okay, whatever. Because this is a Phantasm movie, an indeterminate amount of time seems to have passed again. Last we saw Mike he had a sphere in his head and was full of yellow goo, so I don't know what he's been up to. The Tall Man still calls him "boy." He is very much 35. Reggie's on the road, he wears lots of plaid, he rescues a woman also wearing plaid, and I get more Supernatural vibes. Cool, I'm always up for a plaid road trip. BOOB SPHERES. Okay, that character existed just for that. Worth it. Reggie travels through the Funeral Mountains on his way to Death Valley, like the world's most morbid game of Candyland. Subtle, movie. He puts on his ice cream man clothes to kick some ass. Reggie is very much awesome in this movie.

My biggest complaint is they had a cool concept of how to defeat the Tall Man that actually made sense, and then didn't use it, thus making all those scenes pointless! This didn't really have an ending either, it was a "to be continued" that never continued. Too bad, I would have loved an epic Reggie vs the Tall Man battle. Also, I did not understand Jody in this movie at all.

I know there's a part 5 that was made only a few years ago. I'm not super hopeful but I guess I'll watch it, I've come this far. I hope it's at least a decent tribute to Angus Scrimm. He was consistently awesome in these movies.

Satan's Slaves

Indonesian horror! Why not. This was a nice surprise! I'm a sucker for a well done ghost story, and this turned out to be even more. A mix of subtly menacing imagery and effective jump scares, with likeable characters and tension building throughout. This isn't a standard haunt movie; there are disturbing revelations about this family and some creeeepy undead stuff at the end that set this apart. I didn't get the very ending; apparently it was a callback to a 1981 Indonesian movie I haven't seen. Oh well. Really enjoyed this for the most part. If you liked Terrified, I'd check this out. Another cool foreign take on the Conjuring type movies.

That bell was creepy af.

Movie catchup, part one

Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead

This is a silly movie. It's not bad, but I didn't find it as creepy as the previous two. It starts out promising. Reggie shoots his mega-gun into a tree and 3 of the little hooded creeps fall out and splat on the ground like dead buzzards. It is both badass and hilarious. Because this is a Phantasm movie, there is then a weird passage of time, and then more stuff happens after that. Why did two years need to pass between the action? Despite being actual, linear sequels, time in these movies always feels disjointed.

So we're back to Mike One, which is fine I guess, though I honestly thought Mike Two was better. What Mike will we get in part 4?! Mike One is taken through a portal by the Tall Man. Big brother Jody is back, and he's a sphere now. That's right, deal with it. This movie has a friendly sphere, which is actually pretty cool and does pay off with an awesome decapitation scene. I don't get why he morphs from sphere to human and back again though. Like you're either a sphere or you're not dude, that's just SCIENCE.

Anyway, not-Dream Warriors chick is dead as shit, so we get two new characters to join Reggie on the road to nowhere. There's survivalist kid living in a big house full of creepy clown dolls, who has clearly just watched Home Alone for the 27th time. This kid is a cross between Kevin McAllister and Chuck Norris, and he's kind of awesome. They're joined by Rocky, an ex-military chick who fights with nunchucks and is definitely awesome. She's not just Hi I'll Be Your Generic Strong Female Character Who Can Fight, she's also charismatic and has a sense of humour. Unfortunately, neither of these characters return for part 4.

I'll be honest, I have no idea what's going on in these movies anymore. I still don't know why the Tall Man wants Mike so badly. Will part 4 explain that? I've never seen it, though I might as well have never seen this either for all I remembered about it. I do like how these films seem to exist in reality and unreality at the same time; they're a contained universe that feels like nothing else. I also liked how they track the Tall Man down to a town that boasts the "World's Largest Gothic Mortuary" or something. LOL. Dude has a brand. That was some kind of meta humour I dug.

All in all, this wasn't a necessary-feeling sequel, especially with how little was answered and how Home Alone Kid and Rocky were essentially just guest stars. Had its moments though. They don't really seem closer to defeating the Tall Man either. How do you even defeat someone who seems to exist in multiple dimensions? Guess we'll see how it plays out in part 4. How disappointed am I gonna be?

Digging Up the Marrow

I enjoyed the hell out of this, but it could have been even better. This is an amazing idea for a mockumentary-style found footage movie. Director Adam Green (who is exactly how I pictured him after watching Hatchet) is contacted by an eccentric older man who claims monsters are real, and he wants Green to help document them. The mix of people playing themselves and actors makes for a wonderful blur of reality and fantasy. There are fun cameos by Kane Hodder and Tom Holland. Green is amusing and not afraid to poke fun at himself, but the star here is Ray Wise. And his creatures.

The concept is pulled off well for the most part, but I wanted more! More creatures, more runtime, just more. I wanted a glimpse of Wise's son, a little more of his backstory. I wanted more with the ending; it felt too abrupt. But wanting more of a movie is a pretty small criticism, and I had so much fun with this for its short runtime. Deserved a better ending, but worth a watch.

Wildling

Like being slapped in the face with a wet symbolism noodle

Scream

The only movie that's allowed to have a cat scare <3 Lake Bodom

I really enjoyed this! This was a fun twisty ride that starts out like a basic camp slasher (which would have been fine with me), but turns out to be much more. A lot of stuff is packed into the short runtime, which results in the pacing feeling a bit off at times.

The main star here is the beautiful scenery and cinematography. This was another trip to Finland, and you better believe I'm gonna be seeking out more horror from this part of the world. There are shots in this movie that will stay with me for a long time, and it's one I'll likely revisit. I'm not gonna get into any of the story elements, just watch it. There's a good ambiguous ending that explains how ludicrous this film seemed at times - or does it??

Wednesday, January 09, 2019

Top 15 Favourite Horror Movies of 2018

Now that I've completed my watchlist, here are my favourite horror and horror-ish films of 2018. My fave non-horror of the year was Black Panther.


Now it's time to focus on my belated, overdue 2018 albums post and song playlist. I really crammed everything in at the end of the year and the beginning of this year. My only new year's resolution is try to keep up with music and movies as they come out this year. I'm tired.

Random horror movie catchup

Tucker and Dale Vs Evil

"What's wrong with you kids?"

So imagine a couple perfectly nice if a bit... rustic guys decide to buy Leatherface's old place for a vacation retreat, and assume the bone furniture is some neato arts and crafts project or something. Enter the typical carload of annoying college kids off to party in the woods or whatever. At least one of them is named Chad, obviously, but I think they might all be named Chad. Even the girls. The Chadettes. In most slashers they'd be the main characters, and we'd watch them get picked off one by one and not give a crap. They see our real main characters, Tucker and Dale, drive by in a pickup and assume they're creepy hillbillies. Part of what made this movie so funny was the genuine terror these kids had of these innocent guys, probably because they've seen too many horror movies.

This takes every trope and subverts it hilariously. You see the movie from both sides and it makes total sense. The kids are terrified of the chainsaw-wielding guy in overalls, and the chainsaw-wielding guy is just confused and covered in bees. And one of the girls, we'll call her not-Kaley Cuoco, turns out to be really nice and not a Chadette after all. Chad is played by the drug dealer from Ginger Snaps, and he has not aged at all in 10 years. Weird, I didn't even realize it was him.

This was made by Eli Craig, who also made Little Evil, a film I seemed to like more than the majority of... everybody. It wasn't as funny as Tucker and Dale, but this was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. Really bloody too. This could have been incredibly stupid, but it turned out to be one of the smartest takes on a horror subgenre I've seen.

Hatchet

This is a Friday the 13th movie in a swamp. They made a Friday the 13th movie in a swamp. What a great idea! More specifically, they made Friday the 13th: Part V in a swamp, which I'm not sure was the best choice.

So we have two college kids, Shaggy and Black Comic Relief Best Friend. Shaggy is wearing a Newbury Comics t-shirt, so I immediately knew the directer was from Massachusetts. Wicked good, go Sox, etc. Shaggy wants to go on a haunted swamp tour instead of partying at Mardi Gras, Comic Relief Best Friend is dumbfounded and I'm like, ghosts or drunk idiots, that's an easy choice. (So I'd be dead.) The rest of the tour is Mr. and Mrs. Middle America Fannypack, a couple of Girls Gone Wild and their "director," a somewhat amusing tour guide, and our obvious final girl. Crazy Ralph, I mean, "Jack Cracker," warns them not to go in the swamp, they're all doomed, etc.

There's a lot of good about this movie. It opens with two bloody kills, so you know what you're in for. I like a good gory slasher if that's not all there is to it, and that's exactly what you get here. The kills and effects are fantastic. The atmosphere of this film cannot be beat. You hear "horror movie set in a Louisiana swamp" and a certain image comes to mind that you want. They nailed it. It's a beautiful looking movie. Easily the best atmosphere I've seen in a slasher, and one of the best period. The lore of Victor Crowley, and the look of the character (played by Kane Hodder, of course) are perfect. I was drawn into his story, and it really got me involved in a movie that could have just been a mindless gorefest.

The problem I had was with the other characters. This is a comedic, self-aware film made by an obvious 80s horror fan, so the characters being stereotypes is intentional. But I kinda wish it hadn't gone that way. There were three characters I liked - final girl, Victor Crowley, and Tony Todd's awesome Reverend Zombie, who is unfortunately only on screen for a few minutes. That character absolutely landed for me. I love Tony Todd.

The tour guide gave me a few chuckles. He was a unique character ("Asian man from Detroit trying to do a N'awlins accent" is not exactly a trope), and almost weirdly likeable despite being a con man. Can't knock the hustle and all that. But most of the humour was so sophomoric it didn't land, and I wish the film had been darker to match the atmosphere and the lore. Obvious effort was put into the effects, shots, etc., and then you have STD jokes and a black guy up a tree, and it feels kind of cheapened.

Am I overthinking a movie called Hatchet? I watch a lot more "serious" horror where I'm thinking "oh, this is an allegory for that, cleverrrr," but this is an allegory for getting your face ripped off by a hatchet. It's fun for what it is. Victor Crowley is awesome. And I will probably watch the sequel because it has more Tony Todd.

Blue Sunshine

For some reason this caught my eye while browsing the "shelves" of Shudder. Must be the cool artwork. Usually "killer LSD mutants" would be a big fat nope from me, but this was surprisingly sober, straightforward, and decidedly not-weird. I mean, there are weird bald maniacs running around killing people, but the film itself is about as weird as a 70s police procedural. The forgotten remnants of the late 60s attack the unsuspecting disco 70s, and it's kinda fascinating. (This film is either very pro or very anti disco, and I can't decide which.) There's probably all kinds of subtext I'm missing here, but whatever.

I have a slight bias here, though I do think this is genuinely enjoyable. I'm obsessed with vintage signs, stores, etc., especially in the L.A. area, and the climax of this film takes place inside an L.A. mall. A discotheque in a mall, no less. Ohh yeah! (For my full ecstatic ravings on vintage mall movies, see my Phantom of the Mall review.) 1977 predates my personal nostalgia, but it registers close enough to my 80s childhood memories. Robinson's! May Co!

It occurs to me I take weird things from films. Maybe we all do. Anyway, if you've seen this around and were put off by it being a "druggie" movie, don't be. It's more like an offbeat late 70s suspense thriller. Nice looking too, it doesn't have that dark graininess of some 70s films. (It does have ugly 70s wallpaper, but that's par for the course.)

Also, the politician at the end very clearly says he's going to "make America good again" and this film just might have foretold our doom. That sent a shiver down my spine more than all the bald maniacs combined.

An American Werewolf in London

I think this is my new favourite werewolf movie. Why did I wait so long to watch this?

This is one of those 80s films. It's an intangible quality that's hard to put into words, except maybe "heart." This is how films become classics. Everything about it works effortlessly, despite the obvious amount of effort that was put in, especially the effects. Oh my Lord, the effects. I'm such a sucker for good practical effects and makeup and this has not only the best transformation scene I've seen, but another surprising effect near the end that had my skin crawling with delight. (Surprising for me anyway; I went into this knowing very little.)

I knew this would be scary, and I knew the effects were some of Rick Baker's best, but I didn't know how seamlessly the comedy and tragedy of the situation would be worked in. There's just something about 80s comedy, and this has a lot of those little deadpan moments. "A naked American man just stole my balloons." I love a ludicrous line told with a straight face. Our main character is a great example of the dual nature theme I look for in werewolf stories. You really get to know and like this character, and feel terrible when he turns into a monster. You feel his sense of being out of control like you're right there with him. He's so human.

Our love interest Nurse Alex is a lovely, understanding woman, but maybe a little too understanding? I would expect "I woke up naked at the zoo" to elicit a bit more response than a fond smile. Love, I guess? This movie is so fun. And then so sad! Some beautiful shots as well. I had a blast with this and will definitely revisit.

Tuesday, January 08, 2019

2018 movie catchup: the final chapter?

I Remember You

Spooky ghost mystery in an isolated setting? Oh yeah, this is my kind of movie! I would rate it a little higher if maybe ten minutes had been cut. It's a little long and slow at times, but I didn't even mind that much. I loved the settings and atmosphere, and this is the kind of movie I can just sit with.

That's the only complaint I have, because this movie ticks all my boxes. A mystery element, spooky abandoned buildings, subtle, pervasive creeps, beautiful shots and scenery, and a tragic, vengeful spirit. It's like they read my diary!! I am seriously starting to get more into foreign language horror. This is the second Nordic film I've watched recently (Rare Exports was the other). They're very different in tone and content, but I enjoyed them both immensely. It's such a unique setting and allows for some beautiful, immersive cinematography.

But the best part is, I did NOT see the "twist" coming. Yay! I love when movies surprise me. The ending wraps up the mystery in a satisfying way, and still leaves you feeling haunted.

What Keeps You Alive

Aw man, this could have been so much better. I loved elements of this film, including one total holyshit moment, and I was so on board until one dumb decision. When I'm silently screaming "NO!" at a character over and over in my mind, I'm probably not having a good time. This is a tense, well-shot thriller that deserved a better conclusion.

Halloween 2018

And finally putting a cap on 2018, here's the big one. I admit I wasn't super hyped for this. A reboot of a sequel? If that isn't peak 2018, I don't know what is. Or as I'll forever call it, Halloween II: The Curse of the Ugly Christmas Sweater.

I'm a big fan of the original Halloween II, so this really had to thrill me to justify its existence. Is that a Night of the Creeps reference? You bet it is. So first things first, maybe don't transfer deranged serial killers from one location to another anymore? That doesn't seem to work out too well. Maybe just keep 'em planted like homicidal hydrangeas. But, because movie, old Michael's on the road again with predictable results. For some reason they kept his mask lying around instead of burning it in the hottest flames of Hell, so sure, he's got that back. Just like old times!

On the positive side, this did have the feel of a Halloween film, something I never really got from H2O. I found this quite a bit better than that, so in that sense I'm glad it was made. This did feel like Laurie's last, deserved hurrah. I liked the homages like the babysitter scene, that felt so 80s slasher and it was fun. Jamie Lee is wonderful in this, going from understated to off the rails on a dime. Laurie is so tightly wound, and you feel it every second she's on screen. Great work. I also thought Andi Matichak, as Laurie's granddaughter, had a natural, down to earth likability that recalled Laurie in the original film. Michael is a scary, hulking shape; a void of humanity. Good. The score was on-point. So were the opening credits. Is it weird that seeing a damn font made me emotional? Whatever.

Unfortunately, there's a DUMB "twist" about 2/3 of the way in that isn't even really a twist, just a plot contrivance involving a new character we didn't know well enough to make it resonate. It did not feel like a natural story progression, more like "welp, gotta set up the third act somehow." Then the third act itself, with three generations of women kicking Michael's ass, made the movie worth watching. I really dug it, even the distracting Christmas sweater. (I'm sure she hated Halloween cause it ruined her childhood, and protested by wearing a festive sweater. I'm cool with that.) I just really wish they hadn't insulted my intelligence with that preceding scene, or it would have had even more weight.

With a remake or reboot, I always ask not only is it good, but did it feel necessary? This felt unnecessary to me most of the way through, despite being perfectly fine and well-made, then made me rethink that at the end. I think this is worth watching if you're a Halloween fan or slasher fan in general. Just don't expect it will blow you away, except maybe the ending.

More 2018 movie catchup

You Might Be the Killer

I guess browsing on Shudder is the new browsing the horror aisle at the video store. This is definitely a tape I would have rented. I love Alyson Hannigan, and holy crap, is this the first 2018 slasher I've watched? Did they make any others besides Halloween? More slashers in 2019, please.

This was a surprisingly good and bloody watch. I wasn't sure if it would be more comedy or what, but it's a solid slasher with good kills, interspersed with cute meta humour. Pretty much a perfect late night popcorn flick. Sam and Chuck are likeable and have great rapport despite not appearing on screen together. Some (?) of the characters have recognizable horror-reference names, like Freddy, Nancy, and Jamie (our final girl). I'm guessing Chuck is Chucky and Sam is Samhain maybe, but who the heck is Steve? Also I've never seen Maniac Cop so this movie shamed me. I'm sorry, movie.

That could be cheesy in a 2018 film - I mean, Night of the Creeps did that back in '86 - but it's not played with too broad of a wink. It's just fun, and definitely a recommendation for slasher fans. A guy gets his head split in half, what more do you want from your entertainment? There's one scene where I'm like okay, I know what a final girl is, you don't have to explain it, but it ends up having a great payoff. And yeah, I'm totally down for that alluded-to sequel.

Terrified

This was awesome! I loooove these kind of movies. I think fans of The Conjuring and Insidious will really dig this. It's that kind of story but with its own style. That dead kid, holy shit. That image won't be leaving me any time soon. I loved the little unique touches, like the "issue" not being focused on just one house, and the bloodthirsty kitchen cabinets.

This also has one of the most effective jump scares I've ever seen. A really good, earned one, not a cat jumping out going RAWR at you like no cat actually does. This is a seriously unnerving film that doesn't fuck around. And remember: naked horrors from the otherworld are always scariest horrors from the otherworld. I don't know why, that's just how it works.

Bird Box

Near the beginning this movie informs us "The President has declared a state of emergency and closed all borders," and I'm like, doesn't he do that every day?

Aaanyway, I did enjoy this, mostly for Sandra Bullock's performance. The issue I had was with the sequencing. When you already know which characters make it to a certain point, the buildup seems overlong and even kind of pointless in a 2 hour movie. I wasn't that interested in spending time with characters whose fates had already been sealed. Kinda like why I stopped watching Walking Dead. The parts with Sandra and the kids are suspenseful because you don't know what's going to happen. This is a good story with good performances, but I feel like it could have been told better.

NOTE - This was the third movie of an all-day binge, and I think I owe it a rewatch.

Unsane

I wouldn't consider this horror, but it is a good, tense thriller that never lost my attention. It has a very horrific concept - any sane person would likely act like a crazy person if they were wrongly committed. I mean, the only sane reaction is to protest, to fight to get out, no one's gonna be like "okay, I guess I live here now."

But is she sane?

There's one major element here I don't understand, so I'm getting into spoilers. I don't know if this is a plot hole or I just missed or misunderstood something. So Sawyer's stalker is working at the hospital. I thought for a while he must be her delusion (especially considering what happens near the beginning), because how would he have gotten a job there so fast? Like, right after she was committed? Then it turns out the man whose identity he assumed was murdered, but that just raises more questions. If the other man already worked at the hospital, the staff would know stalker David wasn't him. And if he just assumed his identity to get the job, again, how was he already starting work the next day? Wouldn't there be like, a wait for background checks and stuff?

David's plan required time to set in motion, and he had no way of knowing Sawyer would go to that hospital, or that she would be immediately committed. He had no time. So I don't know, is it a plot hole? Did I miss something? Am I a plot hole??

Getting past that, here's the good stuff. This film is most famously known for being shot on an iPhone, and the gimmick works. It gives an intimate and realistic look that perfectly suits the subject matter, and can even be quite pretty. This is an artistic achievement, and I wish a couple plot elements hadn't lost me because I'd like to rate it higher. Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, and Jay Pharoah give great performances. Soderbergh's direction is taut and purposeful, and the film is a wonderfully non-bloated 97 minutes.

All the stuff in the hospital works well, not counting what I mentioned before. This woman is stuck in two nightmares at once - she's been wrongly committed, and she's trapped with her stalker and no one believes her - and you feel her sense of desperation. Her confrontation with David is amazing. Once she escapes the hospital, the film unfortunately descends into silly 90s thriller territory, or even silly slasher territory. That kinda took me out of it. Then the last scene, six months later, does work, and gives the movie a final gut-punch. She's out, but she'll never be free of her stalker in her own mind. She isn't fully sane, and it's heartbreaking. While it goes into some silly and unbelievable territory, in the end this makes an effective statement on Believing Women, which I believe was its purpose.

Saturday, January 05, 2019

Let's talk about MANDY

Let's get the bad out of the way FAST. This movie is too long and slow-paced at the beginning. I get the need to build tension before the insane second half, but there was an easy 15 minutes of meandering that could have been cut, and I believe it still would have had the same impact.

That said, this is the most gorgeous film of the year, possibly one of the most beautiful I've seen. I'm stone cold sober and I'm seeing colours and I love it. Even so, I was kinda not having this movie for the first act. But then the big event happens and it's so sad and THEN that beautiful animated sequence followed by epic Cage Rage and okay, it took awhile but I'm sold.

CHEDDAR GOBLINS!

Then the straight-up Tarantino type revenge stuff starts and I am there for it. Cage is yelling about his favourite shirt and you feel him. He's lost everything else. You have to love a movie that has a rolling decapitated head on fire, that's just the LAW. Then he LIGHTS HIS CIGARETTE with the muthafucking head, and I am the happiest girl on earth. That alone bumped this up a quarter star. Well, that and the sweet animation.

There's a tiger because of course there's a fucking tiger, what do you think we're watching, Romper Room? Then he's like spelunking on an atv and I don't know where he's gonna end up! Narnia maybe? Cage keeps staring at the movie like it's insane, and he's also insane, and he's not wrong. A wild chainsaw appears! The Shudder subtitles just keep saying *squish.* Everything gets very red. I pretty much love this movie. Then you get one final Cage visage, to send you on your way to wherever you go after you watch this movie.

This is kind of a druggie film, which I usually don't like, and a cult film, which I usually love, and it all comes together in a big hot mess that just works. This would easily be four stars if not for the slow start. It won't be for everyone, but if you think it's for you, dive in.

Friday, January 04, 2019

My new favourite 2018 film!

I think this is my favourite one of these, partly because I loved the movie but mostly because I got to work Weezer into it.

Delirium

Big spooky house that might be haunted? Sign me up! Main character hanging a Weezer Blue Album poster on his wall? Automatic 10/10! Sooo yeah, this is actually my new favourite 2018 film, just beating out Hereditary. Yup. And unfortunately I'm gonna have to spoil the shit out of it to talk about it, so here we go.

So we're following Tom, the most affable psychopath since Norman Bates. He's so likeable that even though you know he did something Bad, since he's under house arrest, you're totally rooting for him. After being released from a mental institute and checked into his late parents' home by the world's most insensitive parole officer, he's free to frolic about the mansion to the tune of "Lump." I am already so connected to this character. He's wearing a Gin Blossoms t-sirt.

(Side note: Why would you have a conversational chair grouping in your bedroom? What are you gonna do in there, have a book club meeting and then go straight to bed? Rich people, man.)

It starts out quirky and fun. He orders Fruity Pebbles and meets a cool delivery chick. They seem to immediately sense they're kindred spirits and I want to hug them both. "I've always wanted a stalker," she quips after seeing a picture he drew of her, and that is so my kind of humour. Then he spurns the advances of the parole officer (!) who takes his meds away (!!) And that's when the fun quirkiness ends and this sucker starts spiralling straight down into hell. And it's amazing. There's a pool scene that reminds me of The Legacy, and that's always a good thing because that film kicks ass and everyone should see it.

So you think this is gonna be a little Housebound, and maybe a little The Haunting. Is it really haunted, the guy's mentally unstable, he lost his meds, what's real and what isn't? It just gets crazier and crazier towards the end and then you realize - none of it was real. It wasn't even a horror movie; it was the living conscience of a guilty man and his journey to redemption. Everything is a symbol of something from the past he's trying to work through. That might piss some people off, but I thought it was brilliant. I'm a little sad that Delivery Girl Lynn (and the Weezer poster) doesn't exist except as an allegory, but it was worth it. Lynn represents a victim Tom couldn't save, and the Blue Album represents when people listened to good music. And believe it or not, this crazy film has a happy ending.

I've complained about certain cliches in this realm, but I don't feel there was anything obvious or cliche about this film. Not until the very end did I realize the entire thing was in his mind. And they don't spell it out either, there's no waking up in the hospital scene or anything, assuming that's where he really is. You just know he's free.

Like Ghost Stories, this demands a rewatch to really pick up on everything, but I feel safe giving it 4 stars as it's one of the best cinematic rides I've taken. My only complaint about Ghost Stories was it shifted so dramatically, I got a bit of whiplash. Once Delirium gets going, it's pure momentum into crazytown. I can't praise this enough, and long live the Gin Blossoms. Your reign was short, but your jangly guitars will live forever in my heart.

Thursday, January 03, 2019

2018 horror release catchup, part 1

The Endless

I'd totally join a craft beer cult. I might have already.

So I try to go into films as blindly as possible, and I'm really glad I did here, but I also screwed up by not realizing this was a semi-sequel. So now I need to watch Resolution before I 100% judge this movie.

But what I saw, I really liked. This is not so much horror as supernatural/sci fi, kind of a less horrific Annihilation that's more just weird and interesting. This is definitely an Experience. There's also an interesting argument about free will, and what makes a life worth living. The two brothers have a good character arc. They had a crappy life, but now they've seen some shit and they have each other, they're gonna be okay. You might not wanna argue over who's driving when the apocalypse is chasing you though.

Ghost Stories

Umm what did I just watch? Did I take a drug and forget?

This was quite good actually, but I'm gonna hold off on a rating til I watch it again. It pretty much demands a rewatch. All I'll say is, if it seems like standard, well-worn fare, keep watching. It takes a pretty batshit turn, and you realize what's been happening and what certain things they've been weaving in mean. It's well done, very well-acted (especially Alex Lawther), and there's some cool creepy imagery that will stick with you. I feel like I should say more about this - because it's kind of a lot - but I'm still processing it and I don't want to spoil anything. Definitely check it out.

Pyewacket

I randomly added this to my 2018 list cause I love witchy movies, and I hadn't seen one in awhile. Honestly, I'm not getting what people see in this one. One of my least favourite plot contrivances is "summon a demon for no reason." I will always think you deserve what you get. Here's the big reason this girl summons a demon: her mother moved and she has to change schools. The stakes have never been lower!

Look, I get it's shitty being a teenager and it's hard to make friends, but this girl isn't Carrie. She's an attractive, normal-looking teen girl. The only weird thing about her is her interest in the occult. They don't show her being bullied or acting freaky, as if she couldn't make new friends, so I repeat: the stakes have never been lower.

Okay, there's a little more to it than that, but not much. The dad died and our main character's relationship with her mom is strained, to say the least. The mom is grieving hardcore and our MC (Leah I think?) is acting pretty selfish. I guess that's realistic for a teenager, but when the mom says she needs to move out of the house her husband died in and Leah balks at her, I'm totally on the mom's side.

So they move and it's very pretty and I'm not even sure why Leah has to change schools if she can just take the bus? I'm so confused. It's not like they moved out of state. I get this is a small thing to pick on but again, this is actually what propels the plot. Then any empathy I have for mom goes out the window when she and Leah have an argument and she says she wants to RIP HER DAUGHTER'S FACE OFF. Um, I try to avoid cliches, but that truly escalated quickly. So now I'm rooting for no one except the ending credits.

I still don't think this is adequate cause for demon summoning; it was an awful thing to say but it obviously wasn't literal. And like, if you can actually do spells that work, why not start with a "I need a car" spell? Why go straight to "I want to kill my mom?" Just seems like you'd try plan A before going straight to plan Z. But okay, she's super angry and she summons Pyewacket. Pyewacket is bad news, it's gonna fuck your shit up, and again, I don't care.

Usually I like a slow burn, but nothing happens in the first two acts of this movie. That's especially galling when you're not even sympathetic to the characters. But I stuck around, cause people seem to like this so maybe it has an amazing third act. It did, and it didn't? The problem is, as soon as they showed a certain thing, I knew where the movie was going. I don't know if it would be obvious to most people or if I've just seen too many horror movies. So it was a good ending, but I saw it coming. This might be amazing to someone who doesn't watch much horror, I don't know.

Being a mom sucks. Being a teenager sucks. Have cats. Oh and don't summon demons, kids. The end!

The Clovehitch Killer

"Monkey stuff." I don't know what that means, but I'm terrified.

I'm not used to scary Dylan McDermott. I like scary Dylan McDermott. This movie was unsettling on several levels, and I dug it. It could have been kinda cliche - the nice normal religious scout leader might be eeeeeeevil ooh - but the way it's presented I felt like I was watching something that actually happened. They tapped into a realness here, something you can easily imagine happening in any American small town. (And seriously, who has a favourite knot? They should have known it was a scout leader!)

It could happen anywhere, but I say America specifically because of its weird relationship with religion. The movie doesn't lay that on too thick, which is good. That would have ruined it. It gives you just enough to wonder, the next house you go into with the little tasteful crosses in every room, what happens when someone's alone in one of those rooms? The next time you see an all-American dad, is he thinking about tying someone up? You don't know! It's unnerving! Trust no one! AGGGH! Okay, maybe that's an overreaction, but I'd be wary of anyone who hides too much behind religion (or anything else). Like that curly-headed kid, yikes. There's a future serial killer. "I can't talk about anything, it's a sin!" There's something wrong there.

The ending wasn't... exactly satisfying, but I think that was the point. How do you have a satisfying ending to a movie like this? There's no easy conclusion. I think it was supposed to give you mixed feelings - a little happy for the family, but also a little icky. Movies often have cut and dried endings, but life doesn't. It's messy and complicated, and this felt more like that than a movie.

I really liked this. It'll make you think and it's pretty scary too, in a psychological way.

Marrowbone

Big old spooky house in an isolated setting with mysterious goings-on? Sold!

Okay it was pretty obvious what was going on, at least partly, but I still found this an enjoyable and engaging watch with good acting and gorgeous scenery. I just love this sort of setting. It was kinda like having a day out in the country while I'm stuck in the middle of winter. Maybe a bit long and slow in parts, but I didn't really mind.

SPOILERS


it was obvious the children were dead when the old "you can't leave the house" thing came up. I wasn't sure if they were ghosts or if it was what it actually was. I would rate this film half a star higher if it wasn't such a cliche, though it was about as well done as you could expect. There's actually a lot going on here; an escaped killer, a blackmailer, it's pretty intense. More of a thriller than a horror, and a pretty good one.

My favourite part was the skull rock. That was awesome. I want to live there.

Tuesday, January 01, 2019

Last movie of 2018!

Taking a break from my werewolf marathon, as I didn't want to watch the classic An American Werewolf in London for the first time tipsy on Gigglewater. (Yes, it was actually called Gigglewater, and I'm still here to tell the tale. Happy 2019!)

Anyway, I'm slowly rewatching the Phantasm series, and somehow Phantasm II seemed like a perfect New Year's Eve choice. It's fun, it's weird, and its viewing can only be enhanced by Gigglewater. I didn't watch these movies til the 90s, so I never really realized part 2 was nine years removed from the first. Cause it sure as hell doesn't feel like it. This is a true sequel, picking up right where the first one left off. To capture that same feel like nine years had never passed is an accomplishment in itself.

I love this movie, I think even more than the first. Why? First, it's a ROAD MOVIE. My years of undying Supernatural love have made me a fan of road horror, and this kinda feels like a long episode of the show at times (when it was good). There's even a car that's almost as iconic as Dean's Impala. It's just missing a kickin' classic rock soundtrack, though I've already stated my deep love for the Phantasm score so we're good.

Second, Reggie is very much the hero of this film, he's one of the most unlikely heroes to ever grace the screen, and I love him so much. Third, well, apparently there was controversy over recasting Mike with James LeGros and to that I give a resounding IDGAF because LeGros is great here! It's kinda like the Halloween III thing , yeah it's different, but is it any good? The answer is yes and yes. Change is okay sometimes.

So Mike and Reggie have lost their whole families at this point, and all they have is each other (and that sweet car). They have this great unspoken bond that works consistently throughout the film. I love these guys. Oh, and Mike also has not-Patricia Arquette, a girl who keeps appearing psychically in his dreams, and hmm, I wonder if Dream Warriors was viewed before making this film. I actually thought she was Arquette at first. And Reggie has Alchemy. Yes, Alchemy, a hitchhiker they pick up. Alchemy is the worst actor here. "I love your head" is not a sentence you expect to hear in any context, but this is the world's most awkward sex scene. We'll just pretend that didn't happen.

So they're following the trail of the Tall Man through all these decimated little towns and like, what does the Tall Man do, roll into each town and say "I'd like to buy your spookiest mortuary, please!" Dude's got a brand, and it makes for some great atmosphere. This film also utilizes the spheres more, something I wanted in the first one. Why would you make a coolass weapon like that and then only use it like, twice?

Not-Patricia isn't the most interesting character but I liked her shovel-to-the-crotch-and-slide-into-the-cremator move against one of the Tall Man's mortuary goons. Then we get Reggie and another goon in a CHAINSAW FIGHT (this movie is so rad) which ends with a chainsaw to the crotch. I guess this movie just hates crotches.

It ends with one of the most iconic Tall Man moments and if you're in a horror movie, don't ever say stuff like "it's over" or "it's just a dream" because no, no it's not. The Tall Man is a great study in minimalism. He doesn't do much but stand there looking menacing but damn, he does it well. Looking forward to part 3, which I remember exactly nothing about.

Werewolf? I don't know, you had him last!


The Howling

This one was way overdue for a rewatch, and begins my mini Wolf-a-Thon. I love werewolves, but for some reason they're really hard to portray properly. Not just the transformations, but the characterization. While this is more a straight werewolves-as-monsters terrorizing people than a character study, it's effective for what it is. I really like the conflicted/dual nature type stories, and that is touched on here, but you feel no empathy for these shapeshifters. Near the end they're just a destructive force of nature, stripped of humanity. This is essentially a creature feature for much of its runtime, and works well as one.

UNTIL that gut-punch of a final scene, when the humanity comes into play big time. Truly one of the best endings to a horror film I've ever seen. This is an enjoyable, suspenseful film with beautiful scenery and good performances, especially by the wonderful Dee Wallace. The transformations, while not the best ever, are certainly well-done. But that ending takes this from something good to something truly unique and great.

Such a shame this franchise went downhill so fast. This is the only one of the series even worth watching imo, unless you want an incredulous laugh, then watch part 7.

The Wolf Man (1941)

The fog, the music, the big old house, the spooky woods, the cemetery!!... can I live in this movie?

This was the first werewolf movie I ever saw as a kid, and this will always be my concept of werewolves. They managed to pack a lot into a very short runtime, as Lon Chaney Jr. transforms not only physically but mentally. It's such a good performance and you really feel for him. I dig the old effects and makeup too; it's honestly more effective than a lot of over the top stuff done later. This gets into the "dual nature" theme I like. He doesn't just devolve into a monster, he's still human. This is why werewolves are the most interesting monsters to me when done this way.

All the performances here are wonderful. And the atmosphere - holy fog-shrouded forest, is it amazing! These old Universal monster flicks are like a warm cup of tea and a hug. A big wolfy hug... well, you know. I don't know if I've seen any of the sequels? I will remedy that.

Thing I picked up watching this and The Howling back to back: the doctor in The Howling was named after the director of The Wolf-Man. That's rad. Also, you've gotta love a movie with a character named Twiddle.

Ginger Snaps

Despite the cover art representing the last, terrible gasp of 90s horror, this 2000 werewolf movie is actually good! So if a film sounds interesting, don't let a bad cover deter you. A female-centered werewolf movie, I was ALL for that. And I got pretty much what I wanted.

This isn't a really scary or atmospheric film. It takes place in the suburbs, the most atmosphere you're gonna get is the Halloween party in the greenhouse. (Yes, this totally counts as a Halloween movie!) That's not to say there are no scary or horrific moments, but the real emphasis here is the relationship between sisters Ginger and Brigitte. And it's so well-written and well-acted, the werewolf stuff isn't even the most compelling part. I loved the chemistry between these two actors. On the werewolf side, Ginger's gradual transformation was really well done. From her disgust at growing body hair and a tail (!) to her inevitable conclusion that (in her words) "I'm fucked," it felt believable.

This also works well as a horror comedy, as there are some nice moments of dry humour. But don't expect a light, comedic ending. This movie went for it, and I admire that. The effects aren't great, but it's a low-budget Canadian movie and I think they did well with what they had. There's an actor I thought must be related to Jeremy Sisto, but isn't. He was good, probably the best supporting character as a "plant expert" (drug dealer) trying to help Brigitte find a cure. This is a movie in which a drug dealer is sympathetic, and you don't question it. I dig how little fucks this gives about convention.

It's always refreshing seeing teen girls as leads, even (or especially!) monstrous ones, instead of just love interests. Ginger Snaps works as a girl power movie, a teen coming of age movie, and a werewolf movie. I wish I'd seen it when I was younger, like The Craft or Heathers, cause I think it would have had greater impact, but it's an enjoyable watch even as an adult.