The Unseen: A Better Invisible Man Movie [Review]

A sawmill worker with a mysterious condition that slowly turns him invisible must risk everything to find his missing daughter.

I'm sure after reading that sentence you are asking yourself "how is that better than the Invisible Man of 2020?" Well, first we all need to be on the same page and that page is that Leigh Whannell's film may have been an okay watch, it was  by no means an Invisible Man movie. It was a movie about a man with a suit that made him appear invisible, this fact is a huge distinction that needs to be made.

For a movie to even be considered an Invisible Man story the main character must be biologically invisible, meaning his skin, and all internals, are unable to be seen by the naked eye and are not aided by mechanical means or tech. The Unseen doesn't just use this rule as a foundation, but expands on the premise in more detail than any that has come before it.

The story follows Bob Langmore (Aden Young), who eight years earlier, abruptly left his wife Darlene (Camille Sullivan) and their daughter Eva (Julia Sarah Stone) behind, only to isolate himself in a small northern Canadian town where he works in a sawmill. Prior to this Bob was playing in the NHL and is know throughout the country because he delivered a brutal beating to an opponent in his final game.  Bob tanked his career and left his family because of his rare condition: he is becoming invisible in an irregular, random way that presents him in a ghoulish fashion. When his ex-wife Darlene reaches out to him, he returns to the city for one last chance to reconnect with his daughter, but when she goes missing, he will risk everything to find her, including exposing the secret that he is becoming invisible.

The film is written and directed by Geoff Redknap who has done special fx on everything since 1996 (Deadpool, FD5, Watchmen, Cabin In The Woods). This is Redknap's first feature film and he nails it to perfection. The dialogue, character development and overall plot are so smooth that you feel like your watching a master of horror at work; akin to Wes Craven.

On screen Aden Young does most of the heavy lifting and gives an unmatched performance, think Claude Rains in the original Invisible Man; yes, it is that good.

If you want to watch a true Invisible Man film and not a story about an obsessive weirdo running around in a golf ball dimpled suit then this film is the perfect match for you.

Rating: 9/10 Stars

 

Freaky: A Bright Spot In A Dark Year [Review]

 

2020 was most likely to go down as one of the blandest years in film history simply due to the lack of theatrical releases. But in an unlikely turn of events, Blumhouse and Vince Vaughn have swooped in and rescued the genre with the best release of the year; Freaky.

Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler spends her days trying to survive high school and the cruel actions of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the latest target of the Butcher, the town's infamous serial killer, her senior year becomes the least of her worries. When the Butcher's mystical dagger causes him and Millie to magically switch bodies, the frightened teen learns she has just 24 hours to get her identity back before she looks like a middle-aged maniac forever. 

first, and foremost, Christopher Landon deserves a huge round of applause. This mans has been on a roll for nearly fourteen years, knocking out hit after hit. His last two films, Happy Death Day/2U, were really good but left me wanting to see him lean into a hard R instead of PG-13. Well, Freaky shows that when he has free range, it is even better than you could imagine. From the dialogue and character development to the beautifully executed kills, Landon brought it in spades.

But great writing and directing can only take you so far. Enter: Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton.

The entire cast here is good, but, make no mistake, Vaughn and Newton steal the show. 

Vaughn and Newton deliver like Cage and Travolta delivered in Face/Off. These two are able to jump in and out of their respective roles seamlessly and so well that you'd believe they really swapped bodies. Vaughn knows how to get laughs and adding on the layer of him playing a seventeen year old high school girl is just icing on the cake. Newton is able to lean into her years of playing on Supernatural and really let that killer side shine. 

Everything about this film is enjoyable and down-right fun. It has been a tough year to find a good horror movie but Freaky just hit a grand-slam in the bottom of the ninth to save the genre for one more year. 

 

Rating: 8/10 Stars

 

 

Sonic The Hedgehog Is Surprisingly Fun and Enjoyable [Review]

In the small town of Green Hills, Montana, a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic  lives in hiding after being forced out off his home world due to his powers of super speed. After accidentally causing a blackout throughout the western seaboard, Sonic attracts the attention of Dr. Ivo Robotnik, an eccentric evil genius whom the government has hired to figure out the cause of the blackout. After discovering the existence of Sonic he must goon the run once again, but enlists the help of local police officer Tom Wachowski to aid him in avoiding capture.

Sonic The Hedgehog provides a decent amount of action and humor to draw in even the most casual of moviegoer. We watch as Sonic dashes around causing mischief and escaping danger through different environments like the big city or the quiet countryside, deriving enjoyment along the way.

Jim Carrey steals the show as Dr. Robotnik, period. This movie, probably, would not have worked with anyone else in the role. Jim has a talent and that talent is showcased when he gets roles like this.

Jeff Fowler, who makes his directorial debut, does a fine job juggling his storytelling duties with showing off some solid special effects along the way.

Comedian Ben Schwartz was a decent get to do the voice of sonic. If you remember the cartoon that aired then you know what I mean when I say he sounds like Sonic.

James Marsden as Tom Wachowski really filled out the movie. He is not relegated to playing the straight man role but also has his fair share of funny moments as well.

Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the rare moments where a video game turned movie actually works. If you enjoyed POKÉMON: Detective Pikachu then this one is right up your alley.


Rating 8/10 Stars 

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot: A Letter To Kevin Smith [Review]

Jay and Silent Bob reboot gave the characters of Jay and Silent Bob a send-off befitting of a king and it's only right considering how iconic the characters are. While this may not be the last we of them on screen, their own personal stories are perfectly wrapped up in a way that more than redeems Jay for all his shortcomings and highlights why Silent Bob is the best friend anyone could ever have.

Normally when I do a review I breakdown the cast, dialogue, cinematography and overall plot of the movie in great detail, but not this time. Like a PG-13 John Travolta I say Fuck That. This film, yea film not a movie, is the culmination of  seven films and 25 years worth of work. Of course the cast, dialogue, plot and cinematography are going to be great. Now it might not be great to you, but it is to me and many other Kevin Smith View Askew Universe fans and that, most importantly, is who this movie is made for. So instead of a normal review, I'm gonna write this...

Dear Kevin,

        Thank you. Thank you for making films that me and my friends were able to bond over. But not just films, but two characters that had a little piece of each of us inside of them. Not all those guys are here anymore and that's probably why as I get older these movies take me back to a time when things were just funny. When we would go to the mall and yell about small children being on escalators. When playing ball hockey (Dek) was the most important thing in our lives. Shit. Come to think of it Clerks might be the reason why I enjoy ball hockey as much as I do (we even played a game on my neighbor's garage roof). Anyway, Jay and Silent Bob were, in a way, us. And since not all of us are here it's nice to see that those two still are.

      It has been a pleasure to watch these guys for as long as I have, but this last outing really hit me in the gut. See no longer are we the guys who get stoned, go where the wind takes us, party all night guys; we're dads. And being a dad is, probably (like 99% sure), the funnest thing in the world. So, suffice it to say, the things that the characters of Jay and Holden were saying hit harder than a ton of bricks. That monologue Affleck does is outstanding and couldn't ring any truer. That bit alone is worth its weight in gold. Then to see Jay come full circle like that, well I think I got dirt in my eye at that exact same moment.

    Jay and Silent Bob was more than a great trip down memory lane. It was about growing up, taking responsibility and understanding that the past was fun, but what the future holds might even be better.

    P.S. Jersey Girl is a fantastic movie. Affleck, Carlin, Liv and Raquel Castro give outstanding performances. Never met anyone who watched it and didn't cry 10/10.  Please, just accept it is good.


                                                                                                   Thanks Again

That's it, that's my review of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, which wasn't a review at all.  But seriously if you have come this far in the View Askew Universe then you owe it to yourself to watch this film.


Rating: 9/10 Stars 




Rich Stile @TheDevilsEyes1

The Barn (2016) Is a B-Movie Masterpiece [Review]

It's Halloween 1989 and best friends Sam and Josh (Mitchell Musolino and Will Stout) are trying to enjoy their last "Devil's Night" before graduating high school. Trouble soon arises when the two pals and a group of friends (Lexi Dripps, Cortland Woodard, Nikki Darling and Nickolaus Joshua) take a detour on their way to a rock concert, finding an old abandoned barn and awakening the evil inside...The Boogeyman, Hallowed Jack and The Candycorn Scarecrow. Now it's up to Sam and Josh to find a way to protect their friends and defeat the creatures that lurk within The Barn.

Do you remember the 80s like, really, really remember them? Especially the second half of the decade when horror hit VHS and ever other movie starred Linnea Quigley? Well, maybe you remember the 90s and shows like USA Up All Night and MonsterVision. Either way you know what I'm referring to, it's that classic B-movie that might not have been the best movie but, god damn, you loved it because it had a special charm to it. Shows like MonsterVision and Up All Night made a killing airing these movies and if you told me that in 2016 some could capture (really capture it) that 80s charm I'd I've told you that was impossible. But The Barn does just that and more.

Funny enough The Barn features Linnea Quigley in what could only be described as the best 80's B-movie ever, that was not made in the 80's. The Barn has the crazy ability to mainline sweet horror nostalgia straight to the brain and make you feel like an 8yr old kid again.

The cast is awesome, the score is fantastic and the practical FX are perfect. It has cinematography that is better than most million dollar budget films and the "film grain" filter really does add to the overall final product.   

Please, do yourself a favor and watch this movie. Not for you now, but for that 8yr old kid inside who remembers what it was like to be scared by a B-movie. Who always stayed up late on the weekends to binge on edited for TV horror. Give'em that sweet treat of good old B-movie awesomeness.


Rating: 7/10 Stars

**Go watch The Barn now on Amazon Prime**

Doctor Sleep Is An Almost Perfect Sequel [Review]

If you weren't aware Doctor Sleep is a sequel to The Shining that shows us what became of Danny Torrance after the events at the Overlook Hotel. If you haven't seen The Shining then maybe go watch it and come back... I'll wait.

For those of you that have seen The Shining but have yet to see Doctor Sleep then stop reading and just go see it right now. I'll be blunt it is fantastic and there is no why you will walk out thinking it was as good as the first. Now run along and watch then come back so I can tell you about the one thing I think would have made it perfect... I'll wait for you also.

Okay, are we all caught up? Because from here on out I probably going to drop a few spoilers, so this is your last chance to stop. Oh, you don't wanna stop reading? Okay, suit yourself.

Danny Torrance is still irrevocably scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook Hotel and has caused him to become an alcoholic, like his father. Danny has fought to find some semblance of peace but that peace is shattered when he encounters Abra, a courageous teenager with her own powerful extrasensory gift, known as the shine. Instinctively recognizing that Dan shares her power, Abra has sought him out, desperate for his help against the merciless Rose the Hat and her followers, The True Knot, who feed off the shine of innocents in their quest for immortality. Forming an unlikely alliance, Dan and Abra engage in a brutal life-or-death battle with Rose. Abra's innocence and fearless embrace of her shine compel Dan to call upon his own powers as never before-at once facing his fears and reawakening the ghosts of the past.

There is a lot to unpack here and the synopsis above doesn't really do the story justice but hopefully you get the gist of it. See there are a lot of people with the shine and that shine is the reason things went so bad for Danny as a child. The Hotel wanted him as food because of his power, but out in the world there are also people who want his power and those people have figured out a way to prolong life by draining anyone with a hint of shine.

The cast here is one of the best I have seen in a long time and Ewan McGregor steps into the role of Danny seamlessly. After all his films he still continues to bring performances to the screen that are head and shoulders above anyone else.

Mike Flanagan has really grown into the role of great director. What could have been a basic career has flourished recently with his adaptations of Stephen King's work. The more he makes the better he gets and that is no easy feat.

For all intents and purposes this is a perfect film, well, if you don't let one little detail hinder your experience. This is that spoiler I was talking about..

At the end of the film Danny knows the only way to beat Rose The Hat is to lure her to the Overlook Hotel and before that can happen he needs to "wake up" the hotel and it is at this point that he makes his way to the hotel bar and he see his father for the first time in 40 years.

The scene is good and Henry Thomas does a decent Jack Torrance but it would have been a lot heavier had they brought in Jack Nicholson to reprise the role. There are two ways they could have played it and both wold have worked. The option to de-age him is easier now more than ever or you let him be and show a beat down aged Jack Torrance who never left the bar. But just the act of getting Jack back for this scene who have been huge. Now is it possible they reached out to Jack and he said no? Sure, but him not being there in that role does spoil the moment.

With regards to the situation it doesn't break the film, it is just one of those things that would have provided "Fan Service" and excluding that the film is a perfect follow-up to The Shining and, most likely, the best horror movie of the year.



Rating: 9/10 Stars 



Rich Stile  @TheDevilsEyes1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Sam Elliott Is Superlative In The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot [Review]

Calvin Barr (Sam Elliott), is an old man living his last days in his quiet hometown with his dog who is haunted by his memories of World War II where he undertook a mission to assassinate Adolf Hitler. He was successful in his mission, however the operation was classified and never revealed to the public. One day two men approach him identifying themselves as joint American and Canadian government agents. They explain that all life on Earth may be coming to an end as a strange virus has been killing people and animals around the world and the original source of the virus is Bigfoot itself. Knowing Barr is a highly trained tracker and survivalist, and one of the few people on Earth immune to the virus, the agents try to recruit him to go into the wilderness and kill the Bigfoot in hopes it will end the epidemic.

The premise may sound like a crazy B-movie but do not be fooled, this is a story of loss, struggle and regret while also touching on the idea of duty and what it means to truly have a gift that is both a gift and a curse. It's less about the assassination of Hitler or the hunting of the Bigfoot but what those actions leave in its wake.

The key to this film working so well lays solely with Sam Elliott. He plays the character of Calvin straight with no hint of how absurd his characters life experience is. Had he shifted a hair left or right then this becomes something tonally different, it would go from dramatic to tongue-in-cheek instantly. Thankfully Elliott committed to the latter and gave, what one could argue, is the best performance of his career.

But don't let the true focus of the movie cause you to tapout prematurely because even after the deep character study we are treated to the coolest scene ever filmed. Sam Elliott fighting Bigfoot in a no-holds-barred fight to the death.

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot has so much packed into it that anyone can walk away feeling more than entertained. Regardless of genre preference this is one film you don't want to skip on.


Rating: 8.5/10 Stars



Rich Stile @TheDevilsEyes1

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark [Review]

Scary Stories focuses on the Bellows family of Mill Valley who had a daughter named Sarah that they kept locked up in a basement room. Her only contact with the outside world was telling her scary stories through the walls of her room to curious local children who came snooping around the house. Many of those children mysteriously disappeared. Sarah eventually hanged herself, and the Bellows house was abandoned boarded up.

But on Halloween night Stella, Auggie, Chuck and new found friend Ramón visit the Bellows home and find the secret room where Sarah was kept, along with her book of stories, said to have been written in the blood of the children she purportedly killed. A curious Stella takes the book home, which awakens Sarah's vengeful spirit. Anyone who was in the Bellows house at the time is now a target—not just Stella, Ramón, Auggie, and Chuck, but also Tommy and Chuck's older sister, Ruth. One by one, new stories featuring each of them appear as if by magic in Sarah's book. Then the stories come to life in the real world.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is one of those rare films that is better than the source it is adapting. The short stories that where curated by Alvin Schwartz were decent but it was the imagery that accompanied them that sent your imagination running wild. And since each story was usually a page in length Del Toro along with Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton chose to expound more on the imagery than the story itself. These are not word for word adaptations and that why it works so well.

Ovredal's does a fantastic job of building the perfect Halloween atmosphere, one that hasn't been seen on film since 2009's Trick 'r Treat. Visually the film is a thing of beauty, from the practical FX to the small details found throughout you are fully immersed in a small Pennsylvania town on Halloween night in 1968.

If the images from Scary Stories are what stuck with you through life then this film will make you blush like a virgin on prom night.  Pulling those images and turning them into a fully realized three dimensional existence is purely a work of art. Add to the fact that it is framed in a narrative that ties everything together in a way that feels completely natural and you have yourself a genuine horror film that doesn't need an R rating to work.


Rating: 9/10 Stars



Rich Stile TheDevilsEyes1

  

Overlord Perfectly Blends Horror and Action [Review]

Overlord set out to tell a good horror story that has a ton of action set against the backdrop of World War II, so if you are looking for a historically accurate war movie just move along. Now for those of you who want to see the Third Reich create mutated super-soldiers that are unstoppable killing machines, then this is the movie for you.

With only hours until D-Day, a team of American paratroopers drop into Nazi-occupied France to carry out a mission that's crucial to the invasion's success. Tasked with destroying a radio transmitter atop a fortified church, the desperate soldiers join forces with a young French villager to penetrate the walls and take down the tower. But, in a mysterious Nazi lab beneath the church, the outnumbered G.I.s come face-to-face with enemies unlike any the world has ever seen.

The cast of Overlord is an excellent mixed bag of character actors who all deliver great performances but the duo of Wyatt Russell and Jovan Adepo shine the brightest. Their on screen chemistry is akin to Wyatt's father and Stallone's in Tango and Cash. These two play well off each other and, in turn, give the ending more depth. 

The effects and set pieces are worth their weight in gold. From the opening paratrooper jump sequence that is, probably, the best ever put on screen to the final shot of Wafner (Pilou Asbaek) in all his undead glory; this film has everything you could want from two different genres blended into awesomeness.   

Overlord is a fun film that feels like a really dark take on Captain American and the super-soldier serum. Instead of fighting for justice with new found power we get ravenous mutated Nazi's who will tear you apart and devour your innards. 


Rating: 8/10 Stars  



Rich Stile @TheDevilsEyes1

The Predator Only Managed To Kill The Franchise [Review]

The Predator series has taken many twists and turns throughout its history. Some good and some outright bizarre, with most believing Requiem is as bad as the series could get... Not true. The latest installment of the Predator series not only undermines the basis of the franchise but sees the creation of an intergalactic PETA (with humans being the ones who need the ethical treatment).

There is so much here that is bothersome and mind-blowing. How do two writers as talented as Shane Black and Fred Dekker churn out a script that makes AvP:Requiem look not so bad. Looking at their track record this should have been a walk in the park for the duo, but instead it will go down as their worst project collectively.

The premise of the movie complete kills the mythos of the Predator species. They are supposed to be a species that hunts all different creatures but respects what they hunt if it gains the upper hand in battle. Its not a sport for them but a test of ability and a way to gauge their species superiority as a whole. This entry implies that there is a faction of predators who think that humans need protected and should not be hunted at all. And this faction has been in contact with the government and planning to help them out with a weapon; The Anti-Predator.

The Predator looks okay for the first half of the movie but when they bring out Super-Predator it becomes a silly, overly CGI'd mess.

There is very little to like here. The acting is very lackluster with the exception of Holbrook, Brown and Busey who actually commit to their roles and play their parts perfectly.

The Predator is an entry into the series that was in no way needed. This entry should have been a follow-up to Predators and not a Predators for the Ethical Treatment of Assholes story.   


Rating: 5.5/10 Stars

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Sucks Donkey Balls [Review]

Okay, I get it, I should have know better but they dangled Jeff Goldblum out in front of me and like a stupid fish in a pay pond I bit again. I bit down hard only to find out that Goldblum has the smallest role ever and the entire movie was an exercise in how to trick idiots into spending their money, this feeling has to be similar to what the fish feel in a pay pond. The worst thing about it is that in two years they'll probably dangle Sam Neill out there and catch me again.... Damn do I feel like an idiot.

Whatever. This movie  has no redeeming value at all except for a Pachy that runs around ramming people in a small crowded area.

The CGI is so bloated and overdone that the one scene featuring a physical T-Rex failed to entertain because it became lost in the sea of nonsense.

When you make a movie called Jurassic World I expect dinosaurs to be featured heavily in the story and by that I mean real ones. Not these man made Indo breeds that have now been feature twice as the bad guy (animal). Dinosaurs are scary enough that you don't have to make up new ones.  

This is a movie you agree to make when you are getting a divorce and know that you have to cut some big checks in the coming months. Yea, Chris Pratt, it shows on screen when you do something for a paycheck. That goes for you too Ron Howard's daughter (I  honestly can't remember her name and I'm to lazy to switch tabs and google it).

I think it's safe to blame everyone who worked on this film as the downfall here. Poor acting, poor writing... No atrocious writing, inexcusable plot and an overall product that is half baked and tastes like a shitcicle.

Please save your money and do not see this travesty of a movie. I can't believe I'm saying this but go see Ocean's 8. Seriously, it's better than it has any right to be. Or see anything else that is not Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.... Maybe just save your money.

Also any half-assed journalist who gives this movie a good review is a shill and did so for a paycheck or they are even dumber than I am and thought a minute of Goldblum was worth the price of admission.

Rating: 3/10 Stars



Rich Stile @TheDevilsEyes1