gravegauze Reviews

Barbarian (2022)

To the point and entertaining, but more so in a funny, not scary way

[7/10 · 9 July 2023]

Before watching the film I saw the trailer which shows all the rave reviews it's gotten and how scary it is. I'd say there was one decent jump scare, the others pretty much missed for me and honestly the whole concept of this decrepit, tall old scary lady trying to be a mom to these captive people was hilarious to me, not really very scary. For that reason the film was still entertaining. I found it odd that some of our protagonists are abruptly and suddenly killed, plus I would have expected more of the movie to be about them trying to escape the cellar, and it being difficult to do so but the opposite was the case for both. The film also ends right upon our main protagonist shooting the crazy creepy lady in the head. The film is straight to the point.

The Black Phone (2021)

A little too fantastical to be very scary

[6/10 · 2 July 2023]

This is obviously a supernatural film, and in my opinion it's a little too ridiculous for it to be very scary or even to take very seriously. When I originally heard about the film I thought the concept was just that a single ghost of one of the man's victims communicated with our protagonist to guide him out of his prison, but actually it is a series of ghosts of the child victims. They constantly call him, so if it was supposed to be eerie that dead kids are talking to him through the phone, that concept is repeated until it is worn out. To be fair, there's at least one scene where a dead gory kid appears and that was genuinely creepy.

Our protagonist's sister also has dreams which give her important details about the kidnapper and her brother's whereabouts. It is insane and improbable that the police are willing to search someone's home with guns drawn because some kid had a dream that it belongs to the kidnapper.

Overall, it's not a bad film and it is entertaining but the supernatural aspect is a little ridiculous for my taste.

Smile (V) (2022)

The perfect horror film

[10/10 · 2 July 2023]

It Follows fans will be absolutely pleased. The likeness between the two films is indisputable. This film is insanely spooky, both in the general creepiness aspect and its ability to setup the atmosphere for jump-scares and pull them off effortlessly. I had to mute the TV or look away from the screen at times, the buildup was too good/too intense. Besides scary scenes and creepy or horrifying characters, there are scenes that are genuinely shocking which will keep you thrilled. It is truly the perfect horror film in my estimation and I am super excited about the upcoming sequel! Can't say enough good about SMILE.

Madhouse (1981)

I wouldn't miss it.

[6/10 · 15 November 2022]

The opening is good and creepy. There's pretty good atmosphere throughout the film. I would say for the most part they pull off the evil sister + rottweiler combo pretty well. The kills in the film are decent as well. The biggest downside to this movie is that the effects are not the best. You'll see what I mean. They work for the most part, but the opening scene makes you wonder whether it's supposed to be a doll or a human she is hitting in the face.

One other complaint is that there are some (movie) deaths of animals on screen which not everyone might tolerate, even if it isn't real. Other than that, can't complain about much else. The acting was actually quite good. For the most part the film is well executed and makes a fine contribution to the roll of 80s slasher films. I do think this is one of the better ones, and would definitely recommend you see it if this is the kind of film you seek out.

What Lies Below (2020)

I tend to agree with the other reviews

[4/10 · 6 November 2022]

We all know the premise of the film before watching. More than 30 minutes in, one-third of the way into the film and nothing is sketchy about the guy mom is dating yet. Then suddenly it happens and it's really disturbing and the movie gets interesting.

And yes, they really just torch the film in the second half. It's just a little too far-fetched for the average audience member to still respect the movie for what it is. That is, who the guy mom is dating really turns out to be. Don't know why they would decide to end the film in such a way that nobody would be satisfied.

It really is a very cheesy film, it has some nice horror elements that make it interesting and maybe somewhat suspenseful but again they ruin it with the direction the film takes toward the end and the ending isn't even really an ending. I wouldn't say write it off completely but prepare to be disappointed.

Hell Fest (2018)

Insufferable until it isn't

[6/10 · 24 August 2022]

It starts out incredibly cliche, with these young adults demonstrating some very cringeworthy behavior, typical for how a film thinks young adults act, not how they actually act. This is worst in the beginning of the film, but gets a little better about halfway.

The kills are actually pretty decent, disturbing but not overly gory in my opinion. The killer makes it interesting of course. All in all, it is worth a watch if you can stomach the terrible stereotypical young adult/teen attitudes portrayed in the beginning.

The Anarchists (2022)

Entertaining to say the least

[6/10 · 21 July 2022]

First, because it is most important, I will note that nobody in this documentary besides the anti fascists protesting in the streets shown briefly are actual anarchists. Nothing about capitalism is anarchist at all.

I enjoy this documentary because their ideology is hilarious and falls apart easily, even as seen in the documentary. The documentary is good for laughing at dumb people who believe they're smart.

The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022)

I was not disappointed

[8/10 · 4 June 2022]

If you were expecting a lot of screen time for progressive talk radio host Sam Seder (left is best), you will likely be disappointed. Hugo makes a very brief appearance. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the film and having countless laughs. I wouldn't say there were any huge laughs, and the characters provide endless dialogue that will either hit or miss, but it was still enough to make it enjoyable and also enjoy the plot as well.

Also: be prepared for a healthy dose of cartoon singing and dancing.

Saturday Night Live: Zoë Kravitz/Rosalía (2022) Season 47, Episode 15

Decent

[5/10 · 13 March 2022]

Some of the sketches seemed to have no point or premise but the first, with Kate and Aidy as nerds, was actually enjoyable and funny. Weekend Update included a few decent jokes, too.

Host (II) (2020)

Shocking

[8/10 · 30 January 2022]

Starts out gimmicky and you don't expect much, but, the movie far exceeds expectations. It is incredibly disturbing and very terrifying. Very much recommend.

Dead Heat (1988)

Horribly cheesy but still worth the watch

[6/10 · 29 December 2020]

Joe Piscopo's 'comedic' one-liners are not just horribly cheesy, they are cringeworthy. However, the movie itself holds up well. Good effects, good, interesting concept and engaging and entertaining. It reminded me of Dead & Buried and They Live. The plot was worth the watch, not the humor.

The Woman in Red (1984)

Weak

[3/10 · 23 December 2020]

Quite disappointed. I do like other Gene Wilder films, such as See No Evil, Hear No Evil, but this flick is particularly dull. While there was potential, it was devoid of cleverness and unfortunately comedy too. Skip this one.

The Office (2005–2013)

Good, but boring at times.

[7/10 · 13 December 2020]

Definitely mostly clever comedy, but also often drags and can be boring. It can also become tiring that practically every interaction in the show has to be cringeworthy, which is not consistent with real life.

High Spirits (1988)

Great effects, great cast, weak comedy.

[5/10 · 12 December 2020]

I had high hopes for High Spirits, I was disappointed in the comedy factor. The movie is actually pieced together quite well with excellent effects for its time, fine acting and fine actors; honestly with the exception of one adult scene the movie would be completely suitable for kids.... maybe better suited.

The Funhouse (1981)

Great horror film

[7/10 · 1 November 2020]

Great film; entertaining throughout, excellent premise and story and certainly some enjoyable disturbing scenes sure to delight horror fans. Underrated movie.

Superstition (1982)

Very disappointing, skip it

[4/10 · 31 October 2020]

The film started out promising, good acting, good atmosphere. The effects are even notable. But, without giving too much away, the story quickly became absurd. Farfetched and foolish, and not worth the watch. They started out with some jump scares, which quickly became ineffective and then they seemed to stop trying altogether.

It's unfortunate, because it is otherwise actually quite well put together, in terms of effects and costume and makeup. And I can't complain about the acting. The story just lost me.

Scarecrows (1988)

An 80s gem

[7/10 · 17 October 2020]

Well executed production, excellent makeup and effects and some genuinely disturbing and creepy content sure to please horror fans. Absolutely worth the watch.

Witchboard (1986)

Mega cheese fest

[5/10 · 5 October 2020]

The first thing I noticed was some poor acting and bad lines. It is a mostly decent production and certainly watchable, but also a serious cheese fest, of course not uncommon for films from the decade. Cringed hard at the "psychic humor". The film also becomes a bit farfetched. I would still say it's worth a watch and is a decent production.

South Park: The Pandemic Special (2020) Season 24, Episode 1

Not very good

[3/10 · 1 October 2020]

It isn't hard to see the diminishing quality of South Park over the years, and it especially shows in this special. I won't spoil anything, but nothing about the episode was very clever or funny, and I've seen South Park when it's funny.

Polyester (1981)

Fairly funny

[5/10 · 1 April 2020]

Practically all the humor exists in the first half of the film. There are definitely a number of laughable moments, the acting is bad but that's also what made it funny. I just personally felt that the latter half of the film was mostly dull.

The Morning After (1986)

Not very good

[5/10 · 1 April 2020]

The film lies on the perfect thriller premise, very promising and with much potential. But the film itself is not very thrilling and instead focuses more on the relationship between Fonda and Bridges. Pretty disappointing but also not an awful film.

The Dream Team (1989)

Possibly Michael Keaton's funniest; laugh out loud hilarity throughout.

[9/10 · 16 March 2020]

For the entire duration of the film, I was laughing hysterically. All four members of the main cast (the psychotic patients) do a stellar job, but Michael Keaton shined especially and was the main source of my laughter. An obvious must-see for Keaton fans.

While the movie is hilarious, it also brings out other emotions. There are a couple of brief, sad moments when one of the men looks back on and revisits the life he left behind before he was locked up. Very touching, and only a great movie can bring out multiple emotions.

The main story becomes very far-fetched, almost like 9 to 5 (1980), but doesn't take away from your enjoyment at all. This is one of the very best comedies I've seen from the 1980s, and I can promise you this flick will not disappoint.

Just Mercy (2019)

Read the book: the movie does not do justice to how deeply awful the true story is.

[5/10 · 19 January 2020]

I came away disappointed by the film adaptation of Just Mercy. This is probably a given, but the film adaptation is very overly-dramatized, and not completely true to the story. While this is expected, I find it in this case to be in somewhat poor taste considering everything is a portrayal of real-life people and real-life events.

Having read the book, you would see that the racism that actually took place was seriously watered down for the film adaptation. The film also touches on things from the book briefly but not enough to give you the entire picture or depth of the situation. For example, the film also briefly follows Herb, who is being executed for murdering a girl. While the film touches on his PTSD and having been a veteran, and "making a bomb", the film doesn't explain, like the book did, that it was illegal for the state of Alabama to execute Herb because he had no intention of killing anyone (he made the bomb as part of a convoluted plan to "rescue" his old girlfriend and win her back, but instead the bomb killed her young daughter). The state of Alabama executed him anyway after Stevenson's last minute appeal because it was "too late".

In the movie, Herb also has "no family" and gives his flag to Stevenson. In real life, he was surrounded by family, including a new partner who refused to give him up when he had to be taken away to be executed (by the way, his execution in the film is just a simple "thud").

I also found Jamie Foxx's portrayal of Walter McMillian to be wildly inaccurate. In the movie, he blows up upon first meeting Stevenson, and comes off as someone who is nonchalant about life at Holman Correctional Facility and knows everything about the decorum there. He even refuses Stevenson's services at first. In real life, Walter was traumatized by the conditions at Holman and during his case was desperately seeking Stevenson's attention over that of his fellow inmates.

There are several critiques I have for the film, but I don't want to spoil the central story. I strongly recommend you read the book instead, because you will walk away from it with a much more thorough understanding of our criminal justice system and what's really going on in America.

StageFright (1987)

One of the very best 80s slashers.

[7/10 · 11 October 2019]

This film impressed me, though I had trouble with the acting abilities of a few of the actors on screen. The musical composure was excellent, the movie was genuinely suspenseful, the setting was unique. As far as slasher films go, the gore in this one is fantastic; one or two of the kills was pretty shocking and grizzly/genuinely creepy. The killer's over-sized owl mask was certainly used effectively. Overall, it was very well done. If you are a fan of the slasher genre, this is a must.

The Big Chill (1983)

I love 80s movies; not this one.

[4/10 · 22 August 2019]

A group of friends rejoice over the death of their old friend. The rest of the film depicts them staying together reflecting and having regular adult conversations. It's not particularly funny, because there's just not a lot of humor in the movie anyway, and nothing significant happens. It's all interactions. Waste of my time.