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Ladytalon
Reviews
The Horde (2016)
Backwoods Mayhem With A Twist!
If you like action/horror movies as much as I do, then you are going to want to see The Horde.
Ex-Navy SEAL John Crenshaw(Paul Logan),while trying to leave his soldier's past behind him and have a normal life with his girlfriend photography teacher Selina(Tiffany Brouwer),finds himself invited along on a camping/photography trip to Sapphire Lake with his girlfriend and her students. Once at the campsite, everything seems idyllic enough and it's only when the sun sets, that the horror begins. When that happens, John Crenshaw must fall back on the one thing he knows he can rely on completely; his own skills and training as a combat honed warrior.
I like THE HORDE because it has straightforward action. I am very particular about what I look for in an action or a horror movie. To be a good movie, it must have good action, car chases, fight sequences and a good reason to root for the hero of the story. There must be an intriguing element to it. THE HORDE has it all. I have a certain standard I hold all martial arts style action stars to. Paul Logan meets that standard in The Horde. He is not 'artsy', he creates a character that is a street fighter style action hero who brawls his way through the fight scenes with power.
Paul Logan also wrote this movie and he shows that he has done his homework on what the audience of this genre looks for in a horror movie, then he turns it on a dime with character and 'didn't see that coming' story twists that make THE HORDE a fresh, new take on things.
There are some weak spots and characters that seemed more 'throw-away' than they should have been, but all in all, it's a fun movie for a horror fan like me.
Under the Mistletoe (2006)
A Charming and gentle movie for the whole family
Aside from a few sentiments that bothered my slightly feminist nature this is a charming and gentle movie.
Both George Mendeluk and Michael Shanks describe Jamie Ray Newman as being very 'present' in her role of Susan Chandler and after seeing the movie I understand more clearly what they are saying. Susan Chandler just fills the screen with chemistry and energy.
The only problem I had with Susan Chandler is that she seems a bit too self absorbed. Even with thinking that Kevin Harrison has a wife at home, she constantly imposes on him to look after her son while she pursues her 'love life'. I mean I would think it was very strange for someone's wife to allow him to just go baby-sit my kid on a moment's notice.
After seeing this movie and even with knowing why Michael Shanks chose the role he did in it, part of me kinda wishes we could have seen what he would have done with the role of the ghostly father, Tom Chandler.
In my interview with George Mendeluk, he says that Michael Shanks has a wholesome quality about him that makes Kevin Harrison so believable. Boy is this ever true. You just can't help but want to take this man home with you. He is gentle, caring, intuitive, intelligent and dedicated to helping Jonathan deal with losing his dad. Yet there is an air of sadness about him that tugs at your heart. When he finally reveals the reason for that sadness, you just want to hug Kevin and never let him go.
It's easy to see why Michael Shanks was drawn to this role considering how devoted to his own family he is. If you haven't seen the movie yet, keep your eyes open for the bracelet he is wearing which is clearly visible in one particular scene. It is the one that his oldest daughter made for him and Michael Shanks told me it was part of what he was using to remind him of his own family life and using it to create part of Kevin Harrison's character.
Burkely Duffield is really amazing in this movie and George Mendeluk is right, he is the one who brings it all together. Under The Mistletoe fore goes the stereotypical 'wisecracking' preteen who is smarter than the adults. Instead, Jonathan Chandler is filled with a childlike faith and sense of wonder that so often children lose as the head towards their teens. Burkely Duffield makes Jonathan come across as sweet and sincere.
In many aspects, Under the Mistletoe is a 'by the numbers' storyline, yet it manages to rise about that and stand out because of the extraordinary cast of characters and the actors playing them, especially Michael Shanks and Burkely Duffield.
Jonathan Chandler is very worried about his mother and he finds a safe harbor in Kevin Harrison who, instead of treating him dismissively for claiming to be able to speak to his deceased father, opens his mind and heart to the troubled young boy to really listen to him. The movie treats both Jonathan and Susan's issues of grief over the loss of Tom Chandler with respect, not as comedic fodder.
The one thing I did come away with is that the movie to me is really more about Jonathan Chandler and Kevin Harrison's interactions, than it was about Susan and Kevin's. Susan Chandler in many ways seems almost secondary to this part of the story line as she blithely turns her son's emotional issues and problems over to a man she hardly knows, but immediately trusts to help him.
On the totally shallow side, Michael Shanks is absolutely stunning to look at in this movie. His close ups highlight his eyes and his smile. The camera angles and blocking for this movie are definitely used to his best advantage, as it is with all the actors involved. This movie was clearly made by someone who wanted it to be focused on the characters, not on the scenery around them.
Marla