Insidious- Chapter 3

Hello guys!
I apologise that it has been so long since my last update but I promise I won't ever be gone that long again. I've missed writing up my reviews and I am looking forward to getting back into my routine.
So, to start us off I am going to review the new 'Insidious' film.



Insidious- Chapter 3

Synopsis:

The story follows teenager Quinn Brenner who recently lost her mother, in an attempt to contact her on the other side she visits Elise (Lin Shaye) who warns her to stop. Quinn ignores her advice and calls out for her mother but opens the portal to some uninvited guests. When one demon in particular latches on to the young girl and starts a chain of horrifying events the only person who can bring her back from the darkness is Elise.


Review:

The first half of Insidious 3 provided me with much optimism, the opening scene with Quinn and Elise sets an ominous mood. The camera angles are rather intrusive, focusing entirely on their faces and giving the audience a sense of claustrophobia.
The insight into Quinn's life builds up her character and gives us some essential background information on her previous troubles and grief. The focus on her life means that it is much easier to connect and sympathise with her character.

Insidious 3 sticks to many conventions of the horror genre, there are many jump scares throughout; some of them are predictable and others catch you off guard but as the film progresses they become more and more frequent and less effective. The use of harsh string instruments in the non-diegetic music could be created to make the viewer feel uneasy and uncomfortable but again, it is used too many times throughout and loses the intensity.

I found that Lily having broken legs brought a whole new feel to the film, this makes her trapped and vulnerable. She is unable to escape and run away from the demon whenever it appears, making the viewer face it head on too.

The lighting and camera work are nothing out of the ordinary, there is use of candles and torches which are typical of this genre but I wasn't expecting anything more from a third instalment. Insidious 3 started off strong, I assumed it was going to be much better than anticipated and had it carried on the way it started then I'm not sure I would have many bad things to say about it but after the first half things took a turn for the worse. 

The excessive use of jump scares became a little bit of a joke, I was able to point out when every single one was about to happen and the character's lost all sense of being, there was a half-hearted attempt at creating sympathy for them at the end and make a touching scene but by this point I had already distanced myself from any goings on. 

Another problem with the film is the appearance of comical character's; the two ghost hunters aren't even particularly funny but they definitely bring down the whole tone of the film and take back any credibility of Insidious 3 being a great horror. 

The worst part of the film was the final showdown involving Elise, the dialogue is laughable and full of cliche's and the fight scene looked like something out of a wrestling ring. As far as horror films go it's not the worst I have seen and considering it is the third in line it's not as bad as I expected but definitely not something I would watch again. If you're a fan of the Insidious films then check this one out but don't expect too much from it. 

2.5/5 

Nightlight (2015)

Hello again, treating you all to a second review today! Checked out another found footage horror film called 'Nightlight' today, it had a few familiar faces and was much better than I had anticipated so here we go.


Nightlight (2015)

Summary: 

Five friends head out into the woods to play a series of games, one of them being a night time version of hide and seek, but this game doesn't end well for all of those involved when Ben (Mitch Hewer) goes missing. The group end up separated and soon realise the tales of these haunted woods were true and someone or something is after them and it won't stop until it gets revenge but revenge for what?


Review:

'Nightlight' has far too many similarities to that of 'The Blair Witch Project' and yet, it fails to execute itself as well. The characters are nothing special, in fact we don't really learn an awful lot about any of them besides Robin (Shelby Young) and even that is a shallow attempt at building a reason for their demise.
As far as low budget, found footage horrors go 'Nightlight' certainly isn't one of the worst I have ever seen, nor is it the best but it does provide cheap thrills and the usual shaky camera with minimal lighting. The film itself doesn't rely too much on gore and focuses on the threat off camera, by building up the anticipation of what lies off screen this provides a much better atmosphere in a film like this.

There are several moments throughout the film in which Scott Beck has gotten it oh so right and yet he manages to mess it up with the trembling hands of Robin who drops the camera every time things are about to get interesting. Whilst Robin walks through the darkness she realises her only source of light is to set off the flash on the camera, with each step she clicks the shutter button and the flash reveals her surroundings for a brief moment. This was one of my favourite parts of the movie, it does leave you with baited breath even though you know exactly what is coming.

'Nightlight' doesn't have a strong storyline and the dialogue consists of too many teen clichés but the audience do get an explanation from Robin as to why these things might be happening to them and who she thinks is behind the torment and then the film ends with a suicide video from their ex classmate. Nothing special or out the ordinary, just another predictable ending.

Not a complete shambles but definitely not worthy of another watch 'Nightlight' takes the handheld camera shots a little bit too seriously meaning half the time you have no idea what is going on.

2/5

Haunting of Cellblock 11

Haunting of Cellblock 11 (2014)

Synopsis:

A team of Paranormal Investigators spend the night in a haunted prison in a bid to up their ratings and keep up with their competitors. Somehow the team end up locked inside and with no escape they're forced to face their fears. 

Review:

I'm not one for brutally tearing a film apart because as an aspiring filmmaker I understand how difficult it can be, especially on a low budget but I can't deny the fact that 'Haunting of Cellblock 11' is a laughable attempt at a horror. The whole premise for the film sounds intriguing, set in a creepy abandoned prison, found footage, paranormal investigators... Yes, we've seen it before but I am a huge fan of this sub genre and wanted to give it a chance.

'Haunting of Cellblock 11' could have been a great film, it could have been a hidden gem amongst these kind of films but the ridiculous acting takes away any kind of credibility. There were times when I literally laughed out loud and that is definitely not a good sign. The script was appalling, dialogue was comical, the characters had no substance and overall it was just a farce. 

Of course there were some positive parts of the film, for example the back story of the prison and it's gruesome past is a great idea and the brief flashbacks and reconstructions were artistically pleasant but as far as good points go that is all I have.

'Haunting in Cellblock 11' is proof that film making isn't just about an interesting storyline, it needs a good script, great actors and  smart editing to build it up into something great. Definitely won't be watching this film again and if I were you I'd spare yourself from checking it out.

1/5

Clown (2014)

Hello guys! I do apologise for my lack of posts, I won't bore you with excuses. Instead I'll jump straight back to it and start off with my review of Clown, so give it a read and let me know what you think.

Clown (2014)

Summary:

When Kent (Andy Powers), a loving father finds a clown suit just in time for his son's birthday party he decides to try it out and soon discovers that he can't remove it. Kent realises this wasn't just an ordinary clown suit but one that has cast a terrifying curse on him.

Review: 

An interesting premise for a horror film nowadays as it's not very often we get many killer clowns featuring in them, so when I heard about 'Clown' I knew I would have to check it out. The film jumps straight into the action, with Kent trying on the suit almost immediately and then struggling to remove it. The slow burning process of the terrifying transformation is what makes 'Clown' stand out, the brutal visuals of children being eaten and maimed by Frowny the Clown (Eli Roth) creates an individuality to the film and the usual victims seen in horrors. 

Director Jon Watts has created a monstrous and deeply disturbing atmosphere by allowing the transformation to start off a little bit comedic but after a grisly scene in which Kent has a part of his nose ripped off in order to take off the nose, we soon realise that it's going to be much darker than first expected. 'Clown' could fall into the psychological thriller category as opposed to horror, yes there are gruesome scenes with blood and gore but for myself, personally I wasn't scared by it in the slightest and at times it just felt a little bit silly. 

The acting wasn't some of the best I have seen and it was very difficult to relate to any of the character's because Watts skips past any character development and back story and straight in to the horror but it was much better than I had anticipated. 

If you are afraid of clowns then maybe this film isn't for you, the final image of Frowny the Clown is not for the faint hearted and the visual effects are incredibly realistic. 

'Clown' is never going to go down in history as one of the best horrors around but as far as killer clown stories go it's not that bad. 

2.5/5

The Duff (2015)

'The DUFF' follows the story of high school student  Bianca (Mae Whitman) who is quite comfortable in her friendship group and her own skin, that is until Wesley (Robbie Amell), a popular and charming jock blurts out that she is The DUFF.
DUFF- Designated, Ugly, Fat Friend.

Wanting to impress her crush, Toby (Nick Eversman), Bianca makes a deal with Wesley- she helps him to pass science and he helps her to bag the boy of her dreams but along the way she discovers that in one way or another we are all somebody's DUFF and we can only be happy when we are happy with ourselves.



Review:

'The DUFF' is a charming and witty teen comedy, the script is outstanding and builds up a great on screen atmosphere between the characters.Witman reminds me of  Emma Stone, a little bit quirky and downright hilarious, it is obvious she is going to become a star in teen films after her wonderful performance. Witman and Amell appear so comfortable on screen and they have great chemistry, their moments together had me chuckling many times.
Of course 'The DUFF' is predictable and follows the usual plot summary of a high school outcast trying to change herself but realising she is perfect the way she is and eventually bags the boy of her dreams.

The slapstick humour, sarcastic snaps and over the top reactions are just a way of portraying to the audience that the film itself doesn't take things to seriously but underneath all of that we can sense that it is a genuine and sweet story about inner beauty. Although on what planet is Witman 'fat' or even slightly overweight? That was one issue I had with the film; if you aren't a size 6, 5 foot 11 girl then you're deemed as overweight and in this society today the term 'fat' and any representation of it should be used very lightly.


Overall 'The DUFF' was much better than I had expected, it's definitely something I would watch again just for the feel good factor and the laughs. Yes, it's predictable but deep down we all secretly enjoy a happy ending.

4/5

Top 5 Film Releases 2015

Good evening guys! Haven't had much chance to watch any films over these last couple of days so instead I thought I would update the blog with the top 5 films that I am looking forward to in 2015. The films are in no particular order.
If you agree or disagree with any then let me know and send me across your top 5!



1. Unfriended (April 2015) 

In this film we witness a teenager and her friends become the victims of an unknown online presence who is using the account of a young girl who committed suicide a year ago due to bullying. Who is the person behind the account and how far will they go to exact their revenge?



2. Ex Machina (April 2015)

Caleb Smith is a programmer for an internet-search giant, he wins a competition to go and spend a week at the company's private mountain estate with the brilliant but reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman. Caleb soon realises he has been chosen to take part in an experiment to test the capabilities of Bateman's latest creation, a wonderfully sculpted AI named Ava but her emotional intelligence and deceptiveness is much more sophisticated than than the two men could have ever imagined. 

3. Jurassic World (June 2015) 

It has been 22 years since the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nubar is now a fully functioning dinosaur theme park but after 10 years in operation the visitor numbers are starting to decline. In order to bring people back to Jurassic World the geneticists create a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur but when it escapes from it's enclosure the whole park is in danger. 



4. Sinister 2 (August 2015)

There hasn't been an official trailer released yet but seeing as the original 'Sinister' is in my top 10 favourite horror movies of all time I am hoping that the second lives up to it's predecessor. There's also a lack of detail on the plot thus far but it follows the story of a single mother who moves in to a new home with her twin sons only to realise that they are now in danger and new targets for the murderous demon that haunts the residents of this cursed house. 


5. The Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 2015)

When Tony Stark awakens a dormant peacekeeping programme, things begin to go wrong which forces him to turn to Thor, Captain America and the rest of the Avengers for help. The fate of the Earth hangs in the balance and the Avengers face their toughest challenge yet in the form of Ultron, a technological terror who is determined to destroy the human race. 



So there you have it. My top 5 films that are due for release this year. If you have any comments or different views then don't be afraid to leave a comment and let me know!

Snowtown (2011)

Evening guys! So after watching 'The Babadook' and '54 Days' earlier this year I decided to look in to Australian cinema in a bit more depth and one film that kept on cropping up was 'Snowtown'. Known for it's brutal and graphic storytelling I checked it out anyway and here is my review.

Synopsis: 

Snowtown is based on the brutal murders that took place in the Australian suburb during the 1990s. The story follows John Bunting who is a charming and charismatic man who becomes romantically involved with Jamie's mother. John takes up the role of a father figure to the boys and takes Jamie under his wing, a 16 year old boy who has been suffering from sexual abuse caused by his older brother Troy. Using fear and control over Jamie he makes him an accomplice to all of these horrific murders.


Review:

Snowtown is most definitely not an easy film to watch, there will be times when you want to look away but enduring the graphic and torturous scenes allows you to take a look at the psychological traits of Australia's most infamous serial killer.
Snowtown builds slow suspense, it gives the viewer the chance to watch the character's develop and understand their lifestyles and mindsets, this helps you to understand why Jamie was dragged in to such a mess and why Bunting found it easy to brain wash him.
The gritty, social-realism really works well in Snowtown and what makes the film even more terrifying is that it is based on actual events. The unknown actors, shaky cameras and unconventional shots give Snowtown a documentary feel which works well in it's favour. Justin Kurzel hasn't opted to glamourise the story and has done his best in creating a diegetic world that is truly representative of what actually took place.
My only qualm with 'Snowtown' is that it drags out for much longer than needed, there are certain parts throughout the film in which I lost interest but it never lasted long because another key moment would occur and have me hooked again. The film doesn't focus too much on the brutality and gore, (sometimes moving the camera away from the torture) and this was a great way to add tension, sometimes it's what we can't see that terrifies us the most.


Not easy to watch but an interesting look in to the psychological profile of John Bunting and Jamie Vlassakis.

4/5