jmbovan Reviews

Lovely Molly (2011)

Not much here but done well.

[6/10 · 30 September 2019]

Typical possession movie but without the gore. More psychological shift. Creepy done right by the lead actress Gretchen Lodge. Not spectacular, but a 6 for Gretchen.

The Witch in the Window (2018)

Family drama with a ghost

[8/10 · 28 September 2019]

This isn't a horror film, even with a jump scare or two. This is a drama of a fractured family and how today's society can separate people from each other. Healing happens via the supernatural. Poignant modern depiction of a father and son. (With a ghost)

Incident in a Ghostland (2018)

I don't get why this was made.

[2/10 · 26 September 2019]

Cliched story line. Muddled presentation. Unoriginal. Trying to be violent for violence sake? I've lost a hour and thirty minutes.

Dead Shack (2017)

Pointless.

[4/10 · 25 September 2019]

Neighbor has zombies. Annoying family (with guests) vacation next door. Largely what happens is that annoying characters make dumb choices and get involved with the neighbor zombie keeper. There is no reason the neighbor keeps the zombies (past the inital three that are her family--so why does she keep random others?!) isn't even addressed or how the zombies started. The rest of the characters are loud, rude, and awkward. And poorly acted. The one character who isn't all that is so meek and timid that he is just as annoying as the others (just on the opposite end of the dichtomy). Wouldnt have cared who survived. Production was good and gory, hence the 4.

Boar (II) (2017)

Decent creature feature

[6/10 · 24 September 2019]

Australian creature feature that surprisingly lives up to just that. Just enough humor in it, but it avoids overt camp. Acting is mediocre but passable. Nothing special but decent enough. If you like this type of film, this is a decent example of it.

Glass (2019)

Thought reflection on the superhero genre

[8/10 · 23 September 2019]

I wasn't certain what to expect when I watched Glass given how poorly it was received, the bad reviews, and the lesser box office return than Split. But, this wasn't like Split, nor was it Unbreakable. Philosophical thoughts swirl at the end making a sudden perspective shift of the prior movie just seen. Manipulation? Maybe. A twist? Possibly (especially from Shyamalan). What the final revelation elicited from me was a very personal awareness of the film. It seemed to pull the film out of the superhero stereotype and plant it firmly in a film of loss and growth. And, from that loss, the characters became people who lived in the real world. Love, grief, pride, etc. became evident. Shyamalan injected humanity to a film about super human powers, what we speak to each other outside of the Marval films (re: Black Widow and Hawkeye). Glass comes with the need for thought and not just viewing for the action (which isn't primary in this film). A second viewing is my next step to see if there is more to gleen from it or to see if the pieces still form the picture I believe is being presented.

Dead Birds (2004)

Spooky but that's about it.

[6/10 · 16 September 2019]

Good acting, and interesting concept. But this ends being just spooky. Didn't really go anywhere but in it's own circle. Time period isn't relevant as it is only about the mystical happens that took place before and are still present. Not bad for a late night watch.

The Heretics (2017)

Nothing new here but well done

[7/10 · 9 September 2019]

Minor twists that are shocking, but they are done well. Nothing new is explored in this film, but what they do they do well. If this is your type of movie, it is a pleasant time spent.

Southbound (2015)

Okay...they're in a loop...

[2/10 · 24 August 2019]

So random things happen on an unnamed highway. And other random crazy people exist. And everyone makes bad choices and gets punished. Then there's blood, or other gross bodily things. And it's connected because they're all on the same highway and did something bad. Hell. In Hell. My question is "Why?" Just boring to me.

1st Summoning (2018)

More of the same and just lame

[3/10 · 28 July 2019]

Found footage film. Dark secret satanists. Spooky. And how are characters written to be this lame. I mean let's through out an excuse that everyone of the people would know to be false, and it also doesn't make sense. But keep making these lame choices. It makes no sense.

Us (II) (2019)

What?!

[5/10 · 22 July 2019]

Wonderfully acted and beautifully shot. But the point of this film is what? The explanation of the Tethered is unfulfilling and absurd. The rationale doesnt make sense unless you just assume the world can be manipulated however you want it to be. And that makes for a film that can do whatever it wants without having to be logical and can come to whatever supposition of reality it wants to make. Hmm...seems like lazy writing to me. Overall just random hatred and violence for no real reason. Disappointing.

Beneath the Leaves (2019)

Just don't know why...

[3/10 · 9 June 2019]

I don't know why this was made. Poorly acted and bad script. Highlight is watching the cliches fly through the plot. Love Mira Sorvino. But this was just a mess.

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

Disappointing revulsion.

[3/10 · 18 January 2019]

First, the minimalist acting style that is becoming more common in certain types of independent film doesn't sit well with me. And in a Western that tends for gritty simple one tone expression, having this apparent minimalist expression just falls flat. Story line was flat with blunted characters just appear and then go as the story shifted. There was no character development simply caricatures of stereotypes of western roles. Adding the cannibalism to this film seemed to be a way for us to care about the flat caricatures that didn't pull for any empathy outside of "Oh no that would be inhuman!" Just a flat mess of an idea that seems to be "unique" because this is the first western film to merge with cannibalism (or if not the first the most graphic in its depiction?). As a fan of horror films, this was just unsettling without any horror, just the revulsion of inhumanity. As a lesser fan of westerns but decidedly a fan of epic and thoughtful ones, this was disappointing given what they could have tried to convey but seemed incapable of making a larger societal allegory that was hinted in small moments. Basically, the film conveyed "Old West was hard, and you have to be strong to survive because humans can be inhuman monsters". Disappointing. Revolting.