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Showing posts with label Lin Shaye. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lin Shaye. Show all posts

Friday, August 21, 2026

MOVIE REVIEW: INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER

 






















Gemma is a young mother who discovers she can travel into the Further, a purgatorial realm of lost souls. When something evil comes after her, she realizes she can bring what lives there back to the real world. Once the demons realize her power, our world becomes their playground.

Director: Jacob Chase

Cast: Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Lin Shaye

Release Date: August 21, 2026

Genre: Horror, Mystery,Thriller

Rated PG-13 for strong violent content, bloody images, terror and some strong language.

Runtime: 1h 46m

Review:

Insidious: Out of the Further offers up an expansion of the franchise by opening up the world and bringing in more creepy monsters and delivers a consistent series of haunted house jump scares that’s predictable, occasionally goofy but still mildly entertaining.  Jacob Chase capably directs the film with an efficient hand, wasting little time getting into the film’s central plot and laying down the ground rules which should be familiar to fans of the franchise.  He set up a series of set pieces that rely heavily on old school tension and jump scares highlighted by a trek in the world’s strongest sofa pillow fort.  There are plenty of spooky and gross imagery thrown onscreen, definitely gives you a better appreciation for dental hygienist, to keep the action rolling along at a steady pace.  A large part of the plot feels fairly predictable with large swaths of the story reveals being telegraphed a mile away.  The central villain in this entry does offer up some interesting ideas by bringing in death cults and the afterlife that gives him a different angle although the script doesn’t explore it in a meaningful way.  There are plenty of unanswered questions about how him and his acolytes gained the kind of power they display throughout but it does make for a series of amusing moments such as Brandon Perea’s policeman questioning the aforementioned acolytes.  Amelia Eve, who looks like she could be Charlize Theron’s sister that nobody talks about, is perfectly capable in the central role even if her character is thinly written.  Eve and Island Austin, who plays her daughter Maya, have some solid onscreen energy with Austin bringing some real presence as a child actress which makes you wonder why the film didn’t spend a little more time with their relationship before things get supernaturally nutty.  They still manage to make their characters likable enough that you have enough vested interest in their survival to keep you engaged in the story.  Franchise stalwart, Lin Shaye, returns and is given a bit more to do here than previous entries while still serving as the connective tissue for the series.  The rest of the supporting players played by Brandon Perea and Maisie Richardson-Sellers are given the most basic character traits and a willingness to go along with whatever Amelia Eve’s Gemma layouts for them with little to no push back or questions.  Insidious: Out of the Further is a solid if forgettable entry in the series with enough slivers of Lucio Fulci's The Beyond scattered throughout to make it easier to overlook some of the more generic elements.

C+

Friday, July 7, 2023

MOVIE REVIEW: INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR

 






















Josh Lambert heads east to drop his son, Dalton, off at school. However, Dalton's college dream soon becomes a living nightmare when the repressed demons of his past suddenly return to haunt them both.

Director: Patrick Wilson

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins, Andrew Astor, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Hiam Abbass, Sinclair Daniel

Release Date: July 7, 2023

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violence, terror, frightening images, strong language and suggestive references

Runtime: 1h 47m

Insidious: The Red Door is a solid, if predictable, series closer for the long running horror series.  Patrick Wilson stars and directs the film with a confident steady, hand as he sets up a series of traditional scares where something is always lurking in the background.  Wilson's director debut leans on old school horror set ups by building tension before delivering a quick shock.  He proves more than capable of setting up these sequences even though you get a sense that he's using a rinse and repeat method that dulls the overall effect.   On screen, Ty Simpkins carries the lions share of the screen time with Wilson's character playing more of a supporting role in this entry along with Rose Byrne whose appearance is more of an extended cameo.  Simpkins, who grew up in the role, is solid throughout even if the trauma slant feels rather quaint by this point after a series of other horror films have covered the same territory.  Sinclair Daniel's turn as his roommates brings some fun to the proceedings even though her character's interest in helping him even if it puts her in harms way never really makes much sense.  Still, the pair are fun together especially a couple of sequences in a frat house.  The rest of the film does serve as wrap up for the overall story set up over the last four films.  As such, Insidious: The Red Door isn't the best entry point for newcomers since you'll need some knowledge of the previous films and mythology in order to understand why everything is happening. 

C+

Saturday, September 14, 2013

MOVIE REVIEW INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2



The Lambert family learn their struggle with the supernatural is far from over when a long-buried secret plunges them back into a terrifying world of darkness. Director James Wan reteams with screenwriter Leigh Whannell for this horror sequel starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, and Ty Simpkins. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: James Wan

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Jocelin Donahue.

Release Date: Sep 13, 2013

Rated R intense sequences of terror and violence, and thematic elements.

Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.

Genres: Horror

Review:

Insidious Chapter 2 continues an incredibly strong streak for director James Wan. The first Insidious was an exercise in mood and atmosphere which faltered in the last act. The sequel is incredibly similar, it’s first 2 acts are a relentless series of scares, perfectly set up to deliver jolt after jolt. In an impressive feat since he doesn’t break any new ground. Instead he just continues to perfect the process much like he did in this summer’s The Conjuring. Horror fans will find plenty of nice little nods to classic genre films like Suspiria and Poltergeist. The third act suffers a tad from some of the more outlandish elements at play. It’s not as extreme as it was in the first and Wan keeps the film on a more even keel this go around. Insidious Chapter 2 is helped by a rather smart, time bending script which will have you revisiting scenes from the original and viewing them in a new light. Additionally, it’s not as overly serious as The Conjuring. We get nice comedic breaks in the tension to give us a moment to breathe. The returning cast is strong. Rose Byrne shows us she can take her frantic level to eleven and Patrick Wilson reminds us he can be kind of creepy. The door is left wide open for another sequel but James Wan’s recent announcement that he’s leaving the horror genre kind of dulls any excitement.

B

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

[Trailer] Insidious: Chapter 2

I personally enjoyed Insidious, until that final act where the tone shifted wildly. The trailer was one of best horror movie trailer I’d ever seen and got me excited about a film I didn’t care about up till that point.

The sequel’s trailer isn’t quite as impressive but I’m still curious to see where the story goes considering the way the first one ended.








Sunday, April 3, 2011

MOVIE REVIEWS: INSIDIOUS

IN THEATERS

INSIDIOUS



Saw franchise veterans James Wan and Leigh Whannell team with Paranormal Activity writer/director Oren Peli to give the familiar haunted house story an exciting new twist with this tale of a family that moves into an old house and begins to suspect they are under siege from otherworldly forces when their young son inexplicably falls into a deep coma. As devoted parents Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) struggle in vain to uncover the root cause of their son's condition, the stress of the situation gradually begins to take its toll on their once-strong relationship. Later, when darkness falls and specters appear to reach out for them from the shadows, the frightened parents realize they're dealing with powers beyond human comprehension. Barbara Hershey and Lin Shaye co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: James Wan

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Angus Sampson

Release Date: Apr 01, 2011

Rated PG-13 for Violence, thematic material, terror, brief strong language and frightening images

Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.

Genres: Drama Horror

Review:

Insidious is a welcome throwback to 70’s horror. . Stylistic, matched with effective music, this film is high on tension, low on gore, it’s the type of film that’s intent on winding you up and then smacking you in the face. It’s a kind of an expected surprise from James Wan who directed the original Saw. Wan directs with an aggressive style, using interesting angles to keep you off kilter and intrigued throughout. He does a fine job of building suspense with only occasional hiccups into absurdity. This film works best when the terror is in the shadows and never fully revealed. Wan doesn’t maintain this but veers into Sam Raimi territory, especially in the final act. The cast is strong even if they are asked to do much in the script. Patrick Wilson primary function is to be dismissive throughout but is given a tad more to do in final reel. Rose Byrne, who was born with the “my cat was just run over” look, is frazzled within 10 minutes of the film. Lin Shayne and her band of ghost hunters bring a change of pace to the film when they show up. I fear Insidious may not be everybody’s cup of tea, mainly because people can be terribly dismissive of tension as opposed to outright in your face gore. That being said, if you enjoy a slow build up this Poltergeist light will be right up your alley.

B+


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