Charles W Jones

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) is a franchise reboot that tried. I wasn’t sure if I should watch it, but since I’d finished binging the original series, I decided that my life wouldn’t be complete if I ignored it. I’m actually glad that I didn’t. So forget everything you know about Umbrella Corp and Raccoon City, well, at least Raccoon City, because this is different even from the one in the Netflix series. This is like an old dying mining town feel with colorful residents and a lot of peeling paint. This starts gritty and ends that way, and I’m so happy. (I’ve been told it’s closer to the video games, but since I’ve never played them, I don’t have a point of reference, so I’ll have to trust who told me that.) The characters are more believable, as is the survival plot. There are not a bunch of crazy action tricks or over-the-top CGI. But guess what? It’s actually frightening, something that I longed for from the original franchise. Alice never wakes in the shower becaus...

I had no idea Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021) existed until the other day. I figured it was coming but hadn’t heard about it until I was scrolling through the neverending guide. It has some flashes of the first film at the beginning, then takes Zoey and Ben to New York City to play a new game with other unwilling participants. This installment wasn’t as hard-hitting as the first. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat while the contestants worked through the puzzles or shocked by anything that happened. The new players were OK. I liked seeing Indya Moore somewhere beside Pose, though her character wasn’t anything different from that. The effects were the same as the first. The one thing I didn’t feel from this film was the urgency. It was palpable in the 2019 installment, but this one was like whatever. Even the ending just made me shrug. I’m not sure if there will be another, though they left it open. If they do, they need to step it up. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions was O...

Jakob’s Wife (2021) isn’t what I expected, but had I watched the trailer first. I probably would’ve stayed away. Anne Fedder is Pastor Jakob Fedder’s wife and feels like her husband, or anyone else doesn’t take her seriously. While having a meeting with an old boyfriend from high school, Anne finds herself in peril from a dangerous entity. OK, I’m going to stop there. Because saying more would chase you away from this film ultimately….then again, maybe I should continue because I don’t want you to waste your time. If you’ve seen Once Bitten (1985), you don’t need to go through the whole thing again. The difference is it’s a middle-aged woman who was bitten. At least the gore was good because the acting wasn’t. “The Master,” played by Bonnie Aarons (The Nun (2018) and a bunch of other stuff I’ve never seen), is good too. The Nosferatu style of this vampire was a good touch, but not enough to make me really like what I saw. I gave Jakob’s Wife 2 out of 5 Stars. Jakob's Wi...

Student Body (2022) was so dull that I wondered why students must wear school uniforms but the teachers don’t. The first twenty minutes (yes, I tortured myself for the entire thing) were high school drama with a mean teacher and a jock that did five pull-ups to get the honor of being the school mascot. No stabby-stabby yet. With fifty-five minutes left and still nothing happening, I wonder why I give so much time to shit films. I mean, I do have the option of turning it off at any time. Then a group of friends broke into the school. I guess they are the main cast, but I kinda lost who was who by this point. I don’t understand why they’re there since they hate the place. The longest four minutes of my life pass, and I, again, wonder why I’m torturing myself.  Finally, with 44 minutes left, something happened, and it was bleh. They didn’t show the aftermath of the kid getting bludgeoned with a sledgehammer, and the blood was too thick. Thankfully, it picked up from there; well, kinda...

Revealer (2022) starts with a preacher waking in a room with a TV showing his televangelist show. Then something comes for him. To make this film feel right in the 1980s, the creators put some hair band music in the background as a young woman walks to a payphone. The main characters, Angie, a stripper, and Sally, a Jesus freak, denounces the strip club (Revealer). How the characters are portrayed nail the 80s vibe, though I expected the acting to be much worse, which was a relief that they were good. As the story progresses, everything that Sally preached outside the club comes true, and she quotes random Bible quotes during the movie. The two women are trapped inside peepshow booths and figure out how to get together to get into the tunnels below. The creepiness and strangeness of this film are incredible, as are the minimalistic effects. The one thing I wasn’t impressed with was Asmodeus, but for a low-budget movie, it was adequate. The ending left questions, and that’s OK. I don’t ...

So, Mad God (2022), have you seen it? I did, and it was one of my most anticipated films of 2022. The description on IMDb says A corroded diving bell descends amidst a ruined city, and the Assassin emerges from it to explore a labyrinth of bizarre landscapes inhabited by freakish denizens. And that happened twice, maybe three times if you count the ending. The visual aesthetic of this film was terrific. The strangeness was off the charts. The point was….I’m still trying to figure that out. There was a lot of symbolism in it, but it wasn’t put together in a way that made sense. Was there a message that I missed? Maybe, but I couldn’t take my eyes from the screen as the next travesty came into focus. The beauty of this film isn’t hindered by dialogue, allowing the eyes to take in the beauty. Each creature was a delight to my eyes, and the landscapes were troubling. Even the live-action sequences were dark and nightmarish. At one point, I imagined sitting in a theatre with my husband to ...

I thought Candyman (2021) was a remake and not the fourth in the series; that’s why it took me so long to see it and Jordan Peele’s involvement. I’m scolding myself for waiting because this film is fantastic. It starts by returning us Cabrini-Green in 1977 and the police looking for Sherman Fields because he’s accused of putting razor blades in candy that he hands out to children. When a kid screams in the laundry room, the police come and beat Fields to death, then we jump to the present and the rebuilt Cabrini-Green that is gentrified.  I loved the tie-in with Candyman (1992) and Anthony McCoy learning all he could about the supposed myth. The art installment he creates called “Say My Name” is very cool with a three-panel bathroom mirror hiding an array of pictures. Each time someone said Candyman five times in front of a mirror, he came, which was stupendous. The blood flow gave me chills. The camera angles were beautiful too. In the past, I’ve complained about social aspects be...

Firestarter (2022) is one of my least favorite Stephen King stories, including the book and movies. The 1984 original was lackluster, and Blumhouse made an almost identical copy. Blumhouse has a way of making something that is labeled horror into barely a thriller. At least there wasn’t anything to ruin with this story. If you haven’t seen either, I don’t recommend them if you want to have any scares. The story follows Charlie, who has psychic abilities inherited from her parents. They got their powers from a “clinical trial.” The company that gave them the drug wants Charlie so they can study her. The special effects were OK, but the whole thing was so dumb that I didn’t care. The only saving grace for this film was Zac Effron. He and Ryan Kiera Armstrong were also the best actors. The rest were just weird to watch, like they were forcing their roles, especially Gloria Reuben. Firestarter is a waste of celluloid, and I gave it 1 out of 5 Stars. Firestarter (2022) #Remake #Flop #Horror...

The Twin (2022) follows Rachel, Anthony, and their son Elliot as they move from New York to Finland to heal from losing Elliot’s twin in an auto accident. Rachel doesn’t seem thrilled about being there, but she says as long as her family is happy, so is she, which is understandable after losing a child. Anthony wants to move on with their life, though he doesn’t want to spend much time with Elliot. Elliot picks a room at the top of the house for his bedroom and requests a bed for Nathan to be set up too. Well, I can’t, in good conscience, say anymore, except that the strangeness and cult introduction is thrilling. The revelations in the ending scenes are shocking but not outlandish. The Twin was one of those movies that left me shaking my head, and for once, it wasn’t because I thought it was horrible. This is a good one, and I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. The Twin (2022) #Psychological #Horror Click To Tweet

Death Valley (2021) had a flow problem that confused me. It started with two men and a woman running through a tunnel to escape something chasing them. Only one man escaped, locking the other two inside to face the monster. Then suddenly we’re in a forest with a group of rescuers fighting for their life against a militia.  So much time was spent in the woods that I was really confused about what was happening until two survivors find the hatch to the underground research facility. Still, I didn’t understand the militia until much later in the film. There is a definite Alien (1979) influence in this film, which isn’t a bad thing. The monsters are nicely done and frightening. What they are is fascinating and amazing and how they came to be is even better. The twist surprised me, I wasn’t expecting it and that is when the militia made sense. Death Valley is a good SciFi Horror that should be watched at least once. I gave it 3.5 out of 5 Stars. Death Valley (2021) #SciFi #Horror Click ...

Don’t Breathe 2 (2021) picks up eight years after the first film that I’m surprised I didn’t write about because I enjoyed it a lot. It’s just as violent as the first with interesting additions to the story.  Phoenix finds out the truth about who she is and why her father wants her. Unfortunately, it’s not for the best. Of course, Norman goes to rescue her from them. His goal is to keep her safe and that’s what he does. Throughout the years, he’s trained her how to get away and defend herself. As I write this, I ponder the film and wonder what the point is besides Norman keeping Phoenix safe, and actually, that’s all there is. Does it need more? Does it need to have an elaborate plot? No, because the goals of the lead characters are met. Don’t Breathe 2 was as good as the first and I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. Don’t Breathe 2 (2021) #Review Click To Tweet

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) is one of those films I put off seeing because reboots are hit or miss, and the previous installment left a horrible taste in my mouth; I never finished watching that one. I was impressed with this one though. The opening was intense and far more frightening than the original two in just those few minutes. While the originals and this one were considered Comedy/Fantasy, the comedy in Afterlife was darker; I’m a little surprised Horror wasn’t included.  I tend to be critical of CGI in any movie because it just looks fake a lot of the time for me, but what they did here didn’t make me cringe for the wrong reasons. Even the effects for Zuul and Vinz Clortho didn’t bug me too much; I prefer the originals of course.  The story fits nicely too with what Egon would do and reflects some actual thought went into creating this film. The reunion at the end was sweet and (don’t laugh) a little emotional for me.  I loved Ghostbusters: Afterlife and gave ...

Don’t Kill Me (2021) is an Italian horror film that follows Mirta, who dies from a drug overdose. Soon she rises again, and her new life begins. What I say next has no bearing on the movie but needs to be discussed (I hope briefly). The voice actors are horrible, especially the male characters. They were like robots with no emotion. Now back to the movie. I enjoyed this film. It was weird and dark, and I felt empathy for Mirta when she came back to life. As the story progresses, she finds out more about the abilities and needs she acquired. She’s like a zombie, and electricity is her Kryptonite.  Don’t Kill Me is a badass twist to the zombie genre, and I recommend you see it if you haven’t already. I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. Don't Kill Me (2021) #Horror #Review Click To Tweet

The Privilege (2022) is a German horror film about wealthy teens. The intense opening kept me on the edge of my seat, and then it skipped forward several years with Finn in some sort of therapy.  There’s a lot of strangeness happening that kept me interested. The supernatural aspects were creepy, and I thoroughly enjoyed this film until I realized what I was seeing. It’s a remake of Get Out (2017), the difference being this involved putting demonic souls into the wealthy young people instead of old white souls. Sorry if I spoiled either movie. Since I wasn’t a fan of Get Out, I tried to block it from my mind as I continued with The Privilege. I’m glad it wasn’t an exact duplicate and made more sense because this is much better than the other. The Privilege kept me interested and I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. The Privilege (2022) #Horror #Review Click To Tweet

Lucky (2020) is a strange thriller about May, who has a masked stalker that breaks into her house every night to kill her. It’s along the lines of Groundhog’s Day. Even her husband is aware of the killer, telling her that the man is trying to kill her. That was very odd when it happened and how I was drawn into it. As the film progresses, it gets dull with her attempts to kill the stalker every night. Of course, there’s a deeper meaning to this film, which turned me off as I realized what it was. It did ruin the movie for me completely. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. There’s good drama, tension, and some tasteful gore leading up to the ending that reveals the whys of what is happening to May. Lucky was OK, and I gave it 3 out of 5 Stars. Lucky (2020) #Thriller Click To Tweet

The Night House is a strange tale about Beth, who recently lost her husband. It tries very hard to disclose what happens to us when we die but never does. The concept was good, adding paranormal themes along the way, though it did get muddled at times. Of course, there were parts of the film that I didn’t understand and didn’t even receive an answer for; the young women running from the woods and jumping off a cliff to get away from whatever chased them. Maybe, it would make sense if I watched it again, but I’m not going to do that. Some mysteries shall remain. The cinematography was excellent, with creepy angles and great lighting. The minimal effects gave a tingling ambiance that would’ve been lost had it been more. The Night House is an excellent example of blurred reality, showing how a woman coped with her husband’s suicide. I gave it 3.5 out of 5 Stars. The Night House (2021) #Parnormal #Thriller Click To Tweet

Choose or Die (2022), formerly known as CURS>R (which they should’ve kept), is a survival horror film similar to SAW and Escape Room (any of the movies with the same name). It follows Kayla, who finds a cassette game (Woah, flashbacks) in a box at her friend Hal’s place. The opening scene hooked me and gave me a glimpse of what to expect. I was not disappointed. The effects were excellent, and the 64bit renderings were a great touch to keep the whole found 80s game thing going. I wish some of the game segments were longer. My favorite was in the diner, which was ridiculously good. It seems they left it open for a sequel too, so we’ll see if that happens. I loved Choose or Die and gave it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Based on the title, you’d think that Aftermath (2021) was a post-apocalyptic film, but it’s not. It follows Natalie and Kevin, who are having marital problems because she cheated. So in hopes of rekindling their marriage, they buy a house where brutal murders were committed. (This sounds like a great thing to do.) Kevin cleaned the blood and gore up since that’s his job. Their dog, Cody, freaks out at the closet. Throughout the film, there are scenes of them at the couple’s counselor’s office, discussing their issues. The creepiness doesn’t wait to happen with subtle occurrences from the moment they move into the house. Of course, Kevin doesn’t directly experience them, which is a bone of contention during their sessions. As the suspense grows and more drastic things start to happen, I’m not convinced that the house is haunted at all. And I was right, but not everything could be explained, that’s when the twist hits. It was something I wasn’t expected. Aftermath had great suspense...

Antlers (2021) was on my 2020 watchlist, but due to the pandemic, its release was pushed like so many movies. Now that I’ve finally seen it, I’m not sure how I feel. I was excited to see it because it’s about the wendigo and Guillermo del Toro produced it. As a non-horror movie, it was riveting. The drama and the character’s backstories were very well put together and thought through. Lucas is twelve and an outsider, who has a secret that he’s doing a pretty good job of hiding. Julia has a horrific backstory that is teased in the film with some disturbing flashbacks, but nothing very chilling. As a horror movie, it was a little flat. There’s so much they could’ve done with the wendigo and didn’t. Though, what they did do was exceptional and frightening when it was present. In the opening scene, Frank and Kenny (Michael Eklund, played Bobo Del Rey in Wynonna Earp) are working in their meth lab in an abandoned mine when they hear a strange sound coming from the tunnel. While I enjoyed th...

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) stayed in my Netflix cue for a while before I finally watched because I was afraid it wouldn’t be good based on my experience with some of the dreadful sequels. Well, I shouldn’t have been scared. Since the original film from 1974 was one of the first exploitation survival films to hit the mainstream, it set the bar for everything that followed. This edition to the franchise took the formula and exceeded my expectations. I didn’t think that was possible. This starts with Melody, Dante, Lila, and Ruth traveling to abandoned Harlow, TX, to auction off the properties to create a town where they can feel safe. Nice utopian fantasy. On the way, they meet a man at a gas station and have a confrontation. When they arrive in Harlow, they discover that the town isn’t empty; a woman and her son live in the orphanage. Circumstances quickly change for them as a busload of potential buyers arrive. I thought it was awesome that they brought back Sally Hardesty and ...