MOVIE REVIEW: HELLRAISER

 

A young woman must confront the sadistic, supernatural forces behind an enigmatic puzzle box responsible for her brother's disappearance.

Director: David Bruckner

Cast: Odessa A'zion, Jamie Clayton, Brandon Flynn, Goran Višnjić, Drew Starkey, Adam Faison, Aoife Hinds, Selina Lo, Hiam Abbass

Release Date: September 28, 2022

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual content and brief graphic nudity.

Runtime: 2h 1m

Review:

David Bruckner's, who directed the underseen 2020 horror gem The Night House, attempt at resurrecting the Hellraiser franchise is competent it’s not quite the home run long suffering fans were hoping for.  Bruckner captures a lot of the mood and looks of the first two film's albeit in a glossier veneer.  He's clearly a fan of the series and he delivers plenty of horrific skin tearing gore and visions that nails this very specific aesthetic.  The new Cenobites designs are familiar enough to keep fans happy along with some interesting new variations for some variety.  Unfortunately, they decided to drop the S&M black patent leather in favor of white which doesn't do the costuming any favors, leaving some close ups looking more like molded latex than the flayed flesh they are supposed to be which kills some of the effect.  Jamie Clayton does a solid job taking over Doug Bradley’s iconic Pinhead by giving a distinct but familiar performance.  She nails the creepiness but doesn't quite nail the subtle but ever present menace behind Bradley's delivery.  The script doesn't give her much help by making the primary human characters, lead by Odessa A'zion, utterly uninteresting and downright stupid in large portions of the film.  Goran Višnjić's Roland Voight is far more interesting for a variety of reasons, but the film decides to only use the character in the opening and final acts which seems like a waste.  As is, this reboot of the Hellraiser franchise checks enough boxes to make it passable but doesn't do anything special enough to make it memorable.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: THE NIGHT HOUSE

 

Reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Beth (Rebecca Hall) is left alone in the lakeside home he built for her. She tries as best she can to keep together-but then the dreams come. Disturbing visions of a presence in the house call to her, beckoning with a ghostly allure. But the harsh light of day washes away any proof of a haunting. Against the advice of her friends, she begins digging into his belongings, yearning for answers.

Director: David Bruckner

Cast: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Evan Jonigkeit, Stacy Martin, Vondie Curtis-Hall

Rated R for some violence/disturbing images, and language including some sexual references

Release Date: August 20, 2021

Genres: Horror, Thriller

Runtime: 1h 48min

Review:

David Bruckner's The Night House is the best type of psychological horror because it works both as a straightforward horror film and on a deep more emotional level.  Bruckner's film is visually impressive and impactful throughout as he builds an unsettling atmospheric tension which only lets up with well time dark humor.  He sets the stage wonderfully to showcase the endless talents of Rebecca Hall.  Hall is a master of playing damaged women, see the criminally underseen 2016 film Christine, dealing with trauma.  This film gives her a perfect showcase to display her acting prowess.  She has an incredible ability to subtly move her emotions from mournful to a simmer rage without breaking a sweat.  The film's heady script is bendy but a serious approach on how we deal with the trauma of loss.  It's an adults horror film that doesn't rely on cheap scares instead it uses atmosphere and tension to great effect.  The plot isn't straightforward and it may leave some people scratching their head especially those expecting a paint by the numbers ghost story.  This is the type of film that will stay with you after you leave the theater much like the other great horror film of 2021 Saint Maude.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: V/H/S

ON DEMAND / IN THEATERS October 5th

V/H/S




A group of criminals scour a secluded country home for a mysterious videotape, and bear witness to scenes of unimaginable terror in this found-footage-style anthology horror film featuring segments from Glenn McQuaid (I Sell the Dead), Ti West (House of the Devil), Joe Swanberg (Silver Bullets), David Bruckner (The Signal), Adam Wingard (You're Next, and Radio Silence). It seemed like a simple job; all they needed to do was enter the home, find the videotape, and deliver it to their boss. But from the moment they arrived, a sinister tension descended. Gaining access to the house, the young thugs discover a rotting corpse amidst a collection of vintage television sets, and stockpiles of VHS tapes. Somewhere amidst the stacks is the tape they seek, but with each new video they watch, the dread continues to build. The sights that they witness are too horrible for words, but the greatest shock is yet to come. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Joe Swanberg, Ti West, David Bruckner, Adam Wingard, Glenn McQuaid

Cast: Joe Swanberg, Adam Wingard, Calvin Reeder, Lane Hughes

Release Date: Oct 05, 2012

Rated R for some Drug Use, Bloody Violence, Pervasive Language, Graphic Nudity and
Strong Sexuality

Runtime: 1 hr. 33 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

V/H/S is a horror anthology that hits far more than it misses. Using the found footage idea as its crux, the collection offers a handful of inventive and impressive horror shorts that are sure to surprise and entertain horror fans. The over reaching story arch is fairly blasé and ends abruptly before the final reel. It feels like the most undeveloped portion of the group, not a terrible flaw but noticeable. Video 1 works well as a more fantastical tale with the main actress providing a fair amount of creepiness. It’s funny but suffers a tad from horror film logic in some very obvious sections. Video 2 feels more like a terror type film, providing a more grounded scare than the first video. It makes solid use of its location, providing some nice vistas to enhance the authenticity. Video 3 feels more like an 80’s slasher film but with an inventive twist. Sadly this entry showcases the anthology’s worst acting, detracting from the overall quality of this particular portion. Video 4 starts off as a ghost story but turns into something far more inventive, making solid use of internet chat screens as a gateway to this portions scares. Video 5 is an impressive haunted house tome with a fun twist. It’s the best of the group and done with such gusto that you can’t help but get goose bump during its trilling climax. As a whole, V/H/S has to be applauded for its overall authenticity which is crucial to any film using the found footage idea. It works impressively well together only occasionally feeling mainly due to a weak overreaching story arch.

B+

[Trailer] V/H/S

Late to the party as usual, I just found out about this film and have to say it looks devilishly good. I’ve been a fan of found footage films since Blair Witch, even if they’ve become kind of passé now. I’ve also been a fan of compilation horror films, which seem to have fallen off the face of the cinematic Earth (save for the wonderful Trick R Treat from a few years back.)

This trailer has me excited to see more…..