OMM2024 - Night 5: Speak No Evil (2022)

It's catchup time! After a performance on Saturday and rehearsal Monday night, I've got to watch a couple movies to get back on track for this October Movie Marathon!

 

Night 5

Speak No Evil (2022)

8/10

A Danish family and a Dutch family meet while in Italy, the Dutch family invites the Danes to visit them at their house for a weekend.

 

This movie was uncomfortable, in a good way. Perhaps a little heavy handed in the music scoring- but they never let you have stable footing in this movie. You're always watching for the shoe to drop. The movie really takes it's time before letting you in on exactly what's happening- though you feel like something's amiss the whole time.

 

I only knew this was a movie where bad things would happen and that it was playing with the stereotypes of Danish and Dutch culture. Things like level of politeness, being a guest vs host, etc etc. And though I think I probably missed some more subtle things that were cultural based- this is still incredibly solid and comes across even if you're not familiar with these particular cultures.

 

Heads up for full frontal nudity (it's negative% sexy but it is there, and gets points for equal opportunity nudity).

SPOILERS BELOW THE POSTER!

SPOILERS START HERE

 

So this movie started off almost... goofy? The long drive in the dark with the loud scary music felt out of place, but then it got good. The characters felt stiff but real- like socially awkward people might be. the atmosphere was so tense I was actually yelling at the screen at some points because I KNEW something bad was going to happen. They had so many opportunities to leave! And they didn't!!

 

But let me tell you, I haven't seen a horror movie with such a bleak ending in awhile. I've seen movies where our protagonists don't get away and the bad guy is left to cause more problems, but this... this hit different. Maybe it's because it felt so... real. We don't get an explanation why, or even exactly how the Dutch couple gets away with everything. I mean, the kids getting being literally silenced is one thing, but they don't even hide the bodies? Or at least they didn't hide these ones. And they have an accomplice? We don't get to know the ins and outs of why they do what they do- but we get a drawn out, almost real time sequence of how the parents die. The stripping and walk down the hill... the stoning?? Ugh it made me shudder the whole time. Creepy and disturbing. Thank goodness I watched this alone- cause I was screaming at the movie at the end "Oh my God! No! Why? AHH!" And then we get that horrible last drive revealing that it's all going to happen again. *shudders* Big nope from me.

 

(As an aside, I think there might be a cultural touchstone with how the couple were laying at the end? The music and the ending painting over the credits makes me think I was supposed to relate that to something else, but I don't know). It was a good movie. That ending is going to stick with me for while, cause geeze... that's not okay.

OMM2024 - Night 4: The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

Every day is a new movie, and I've reached Night 4 of the October Movie Marathon!

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

9/10

Two people are found dead in their home along with the body of an unidentified woman. Her body is taken to the local father and son funeral home to be examined to discover what happened to this Jane Doe.

Very spooky! I love the build up and the subtle storytelling, there's a lot of show don't tell that I appreciate. And I think if I watched it again I'd pick up on a few more things. And boy that ending... I'm still thinking about it.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW POSTER

 

 

SPOILERS START HERE

I really really loved this movie! I love the premise of a strange corpse and trying to piece together what happened through clues from the body. And there's this eerie atmosphere throughout. I think my favorite part is everything that's left unsaid between our father-son duo. It felt like a very realistic portrayal of two men navigating difficult feelings about taking over the family business. I think that watching this you could focus on the father-son dynamic, the corpse's story, or the overall mystery. But honestly, tying those together is what really makes the story stand out to me.

I think the only reason this isn't getting a perfect score is because I wish the female characters had been more than just fridge material. Aside from our Jane Doe (who is more of an object, let's be honest, she literally doesn't move or speak through the whole thing) the only other women in the story are dead or end up dead and it feels like they're only there to service the main character's growth. It is a slight nitpick, because I think the story focusing on the men was intentional. The culture of masculinity and what is/isn't acceptable to display is very much a theme in this movie. So it makes sense there wouldn't be places for women to exist in the story. It's just a shame that the women we do get are fridged. A simple solution to this is to simply make more of the cops women. But then again, a very very small nitpick. Especially since our Jane Doe, even though she very much acts as an object, still feels like she has such an impact on the story.

I highly recommend this one. The tone is creepy, it draws you in and keeps you there the whole time. And though a bit gross (this is an autopsy after all) it's done very well. Very spooky, would watch again!

OMM2024 - Night 3: The Borderlands (2013)

 Night 3 of the #OctoberMovieMarathon and we've hit gold!

The Borderlands (2013)

9/10

 

A group of investigators from the Vatican have been sent to a small town church to verify or debunk a recent video showing a "miracle" during a christening. (This movie is also known as "The Final Prayer")

I may be a sucker for found footage films, but this one was very very good. The camera angles were consistent and useful. No angles that felt tacky, very little shaky cams, and it was a good choice to use both headcams on our characters and static cams in the rooms. The setting was great, the people all felt extremely real. I feel like if this was released a few years ago, it could have fooled some people into thinking it was real. I do want to see if I can go to the church featured in this one... or maybe not 😅

Dare I say, this is a good movie to watch if you want try something in the found footage genre. I'd watch this one again gladly! This one gets my recommendation!

POSSIBLE SPOILERS UNDER THE POSTER 

 

 

POSSIBLE SPOILERS HERE 

 

I really enjoy seeing movies from other countries, it's so cool to see the different cultures on display- especially in something like movies. Visual shorthand can be so specific and seeing how people/places/ideas are signified for a story is just so fascinating to me.

There were a few moments in the film that were very very quiet, and the captions on the version I watched sometimes included lines that I did not hear but the characters reacted to it. I think that's really my only big critique, and the reason it's not getting a perfect score. I also wish there was a little more haunting/spookiness before the climax, though I do feel like this movie is plenty creepy enough.

My goodness I was scanning the rooms every scene! I was so drawn into this one- especially the characters. It was refreshing to have the tech guy be the one who is excited about the miracle being real, and the church men being certain it's not real. I also enjoyed that of the 2 skeptic characters, one was sure it was faked but still seemed excited to investigate everything. I've always wondered why someone convinced it's all fake would spend hours in a dark house on a ghost hunt, spite can only take you so far before you start becoming an unpleasant person to be around. But Deacon (our skeptic) seems to be genuinely excited to see what's happening and reveal the truth- for better or for worse.

That's the other great thing about this movie, the characters! We don't get an in-depth character drama or anything, but their conflicts and hesitations seemed so solid. Even Mark (the jerk) seems like the boss who's just too stuck in protocol and not just a mean character to drive drama. The guys are all pretty simple characters, but they have just enough to them to make me feel like they are three-dimensional.

I don't want to spoil anything about this movie, cause the ending is good. Perhaps a bit... abrupt? But it left me just sitting on my couch watching the credits- frozen and trying to figure out what I just witnessed- in the best way possible. I also feel like if I watched it again, I'd pick up on some more foreshadowing and maybe even catch a few more things in the camera views.

Very glad to have been able to watch such a good film today. I think my movie list is a bit more hit and miss this year- but I'm glad that there's some good ones in there.

OMM2024 - Night 2: Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)

 Night 2! #OctoberMovieMarathon

Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)
8/10 7/10*
This movie really hits that silly spooky vibe to get you into the spirit of the season! Were it any other group it would be a 7- but the Muppets alone bump this up a whole number.

*EDIT 10/8: Sorry Muppets, but after a few more movies, I just can't give and 8/10 to a special that's under an hour. It was still great so you're keeping the 7- but when I see some other movies I want to rate at an 8- they're just a bit better than this...*

Gonzo gets an invite to a Halloween Challenge celebrating the 100th year anniversary of his favorite magician's disappearance at the mansion where he vanished. Pepe gets to come as Gonzo's plus one in the hopes of it being a party with lots of famous people.

This is a short one, not even an hour- but a lot of fun. Especially if you're a Muppets fan (like me) and I bet there were a lot of easter eggs for Haunted Mansion fans too. It was a tad too heavy on the "explainy jokes" especially at the beginning. A lot of "oh I get it", "what do you mean? oh it's this pun". But the cameos were all a lot of fun and I got to see a few background Muppets get some highlighted roles! (Really Old Tom and Dead Tom? I didn't know you'd come back!) Plus the music was very catchy. I didn't know I needed an Electric Mayhem cover of "Dancin' in the Moonlight" but I'm so glad I have it now.

The visuals are also great. There's a mix of practical effects and CGI and it's done very well- exactly what you'd expect of the Muppets. I especially liked the costuming changes for the climax- that sequence looked pretty scary!

Not quite a perfect score due to the explainy jokes mentioned before and because the plot seemed a little light. I could have used a little more background since I don't know the Haunted Mansion very well. Though I expect you wouldn't need any background if you did. But I really liked the conclusion and the interactions between everybody. Plus, I'm a sucker for Gonzo focused stories- I love that blue hook-nosed whatever!

My only question is why was Pepe chosen to be the side character instead of Rizzo? Typically it's Gonzo and Rizzo as a duo, though Pepe and Gonzo do have a fun dynamic.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and very much recommend it. This could be a yearly watch to get into the spooky season. And who doesn't want more Muppets in their life? Can't believe I missed this one for 3 years. Very happy I saw it

OMM2024 - Night 1: Shimmer (2021)

 It's Halloween #OctoberMovieMarathon 2024!

First up: Shimmer (2021)
4/10
Not starting strong this year, but maybe this is a nice way to ease into it?

Shimmer is a thriller where a Forensics Investigator, Thea Kait, is called to a crime scene where a man has been shattered into glasslike shards. As more people start to suffer the same fate, Thea must find out what is happening and how to stop it.

All in all, mediocre and a bit dull. I did get a couple laughs, but the execution did not to justice to the potential storyline. If you enjoy the first 2 scenes that's pretty much what the rest of the movie feels like, so you might enjoy the whole thing.

Sadly, the production value just isn't there. I think there could have been more of an effort to hide the lackluster effects (different angles, showing others' reactions to what's happening instead of the thing itself, etc) as that really took any fear away. Then again, perhaps they were going for more of a character driven drama instead of a mystery-thriller? If so, they should have told the actors, since the delivery felt more like a cop comedy. Which wasn't too bad at the start, but really took away from any emotional punch the climax could have had.

And I gotta ask, why is the kid there? He's not needed for the story at all and is supposed to be in "preschool" but clearly looks 10? Why?

POSSIBLE SPOILERS START HERE!

I'm not sure if the cops were supposed to seem incompetent or if the direction was confusing. The cops initially arrive to the wife of a man who was just glassified (my term, they just say he's dead). And she valiantly tried to deliver some cryptic foreshadowing- which is immediately (and I mean .5sec after her line was done) is dismissed by the cops as "clearly out of her f**ing mind". And everyone on the cop team is almost... annoyed? at this lady being distraught that her husband JUST died mysteriously. Very rude, you'd think she called them because she threw a hat in the trash and needed them to crawl in a dumpster to get it.

Plus, later on at the station, all the cops are very loose with any sort of procedure. Which is odd when we're introduced to our leading lady as the forensics scientist trying to puzzle out this strange death. Why aren't they wearing gloves? Why is one's mask just upside down? Why are they all so nonchalant when a coworker's body is brought in cause he was shot? "Aw... he was my secret santa last year " Are we a serious forensics team? Or are we just playing around with the alien/supernatural/whatever lights just for funsies?

I actually thought for awhile that the ending twist was going to be that the lights were aliens, or were controlling one/multiple of the cops via body snatching, or that one of our characters was controlling the lights themselves...

Instead, our twist is completely focused on interpersonal drama between these barely-there characters and the killer lights aren't even involved. Imagine building up the horror of zombies coming down on your family- and then the climax is all about how Igor wasn't moonlighting and cheating on the Doctor and the Mayor is actually embezzling funds.

The focus is all over the place. There's some fun ideas, but it goes either too fast (we immediately accept the glass shards as a body no issue), are ignored (why was that one guy saying the lights were "happy"? Was he being controlled or something? 4 people are dead dude, why are you so excited?), or it comes out of nowhere (surprise roofie time I guess?).

I did enjoy our lead actress, Nicole Galicia, she really did her best TV drama slightly-cold scientist despite the stilted dialogue and strange pacing. I also enjoyed the bartender, Gillian Visco, thanks for really going all in on your one scene! But they just weren't enough to hold my attention. Maybe I was just enjoying seeing a movie without any huge stars chewing the scenery.

I can't recommend this movie. It wasn't "so bad it's good", nor was it bad enough to induce a rage watch. I can see where the character drama could have been interesting, or the mystery could have been interesting, but neither made it across the finish line. I don't think they made it halfway. Oh well, they can't all be winners.

October Movie Marathon 2024

 

It's October! Time for my annual scary movie marathon! 1 movie a day for all of October. I've got about 20 movies on a list so far but I'm lacking classic horror. Most of my choices are from the past 20 years... anyone got any suggestions of some older movies?

 

I'm down for anything except for extreme gore/body horror.

 

And for this year I'm just looking for anything that's a horror/thriller/scary movie that I haven't seen. I'll be watching most of them by myself. We'll have to see if I actually make it all the way through- as the last week of October this year is the Sweet Adeline's Internationals competition! And I don't think my roomies will want to stay up late to watch scary movies every night... guess we'll see!

And after counting up, I've got about 51 movies that have been suggested... so I gotta whittle this list down!

OMM2019 - Bonus Movie: The Black Cat (1934)

 

Surprise! There's one more movie for the #OctoverMovieMarathon. Solely because Larry and I really wanted to see this at the Stanford Theater (Palo Alto, CA- check it out!) They had organ music at the start, it's a restored Hollywood "Film Palace" from 1925.

 

 

 

The Black Cat (1934)

4/5

 

Quite good. There's a lot of cinematic moments with good musical scoring. Karloff and Legosi were fantastic, but maybe because they were the only ones with actual characters to work with... one point knocked off for a few odd plot choices and for a lack of character development for almost everyone. Also, not enough Black Cat. Though it does answer the question: "Who would win in a fight? Frankenstein or Dracula?"