Visions (2015)

Summary :
After moving to a vineyard to start a new life with her husband, a pregnant woman begins to experience terrifying visions.

Genre : Horror
Country : USA

Cast :
Isla Fisher : Eveleigh Maddox
Anson Mount : David Maddox
Gillian Jacobs : Sadie

Director : Kevin Greutert

My Opinion  

Just imagine the following situation. A young couple, Eveleigh (Isla Fisher) and David (Anson Mouth), decides to move and run a rural vineyard (something they've always dreamed of). In this way they can escape from hectic life after a tragic car accident Eveleigh was involved in. Also this vineyard has a past, Eveleigh is pregnant and slowly she starts to have strange, disturbing visions. And as icing on the cake there's also this famous wine critic Helena (Joanna Cassidy) who's is caught red-handed by Eveleigh while standing in the bedroom in a sort of trance and cranking out some weird sounding spells. My first thought was that I'd see the umpteenth variant of "Rosemary's Baby". Immediately all relatives and bystanders were suspicious. Even her husband David could be part of a plot to start some kind of satanic rite, with his wife as a helpless victim. 

Believe me, I was so wrong about that. The final denouement was the complete opposite of what I expected. Maybe there is a glimmer of originality. The run-up to this denouement surely isn't quite original. The entire range of phenomena that occur in films with a possessed house are used here. So you can expect some appearing and disappearing objects, self-moving objects, exploding bottles and bloody handprints. Of course those paranormal events go up in smoke after Eveleigh frantically tells her story, after which everybody concluded that her hormone levels are playing tricks on her. David tries to convince her to take antidepressants back again. Isla Fisher has her hands full with looking around anxiously and hysterical screaming the whole movie. And of course again there's no one who believes her.

Obviously not a single actor or actress was familiar to me. Not difficult, I am a complete ignoramus when it comes to television series. The only one I knew was Isla "Now you see me" Fisher and Joanna Cassidy. The performances weren't so pitifully poor, but it wasn't impressive either. Actually, it was all a bit average and one-dimensional. Strange but true, the real estate agent was brilliant with his sarcastic tone and comments after browsing through the history of the vineyard, looking for dramatic incidents that could have happened in the past.

Don't let yourself be dazzled by the movie poster, because it looks spookier than the film itself. I wouldn't exactly describe "Visions" as horror. It's more a paranormal thriller that could be used as an episode of the "X-files". The scarce jump scares aren't very original and are just eerie because they've used those loud sound effects. For me "Visions" is just a mediocre movie. Not bad and not good. Another final product that builds on known elements. A dime a dozen so to speak.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

Exposed (2016)

Summary :
Detective Galban, finds his partner and close friend, Detective Cullen, murdered in an underground subway. On the hunt for the killer, Galban begins to suspect his partner may have been heavily involved in drug dealing and police corruption. As Galban investigates, people who knew Cullen, are conveniently found dead. The closer Galban gets his Lieutenant tries to persuade him to back off, fearing his findings may discredit Cullen and expose corruption within the Police Department. Galban's only remaining lead is Isabel, a young, devout, Latino girl, who resides with her in-laws. 

Genre : Crime/Drama
Country : USA

Cast :
Keanu Reeves : Detective Galban
Ana de Armas : Isabel de la Cruz
Cristopher McDonald : Lieutenant Galway

Director : Declan Dale

My Opinion  

“You know, he was very dirty.
And, unfortunately, his dirt caught up with him.
But at least his wife will get his full pension.
Now, the more you dig the more you risk screwing up that pension for his wife and kids.
And I don't think you want that on your conscience.”

"Exposed" isn't really a complicated movie. It just all seems quite arty and metaphysical. Throughout the film you ask yourself what in God's name is going on. What's the meaning of those appearances? How do the different storylines correlate? It started intriguing and mysterious at first, but gradually the whole film bogged down into a painfully slow psychological drama with not much to be seen. Several themes are intertwined with one another in an attempt to trick you and provide a surprising denouement. "Exposed" first looks like a typical crime film with the  murder of a police detective. Then the second story is introduced, starring a deeply religious woman who's staying in such high spheres that angelic apparitions become part of her daily life. But in the background other tragic events are simmering with abuse as a base. Ultimately it results in a psychological thriller where a confused human psyche could be the cause. Surprising? Yes. But at that time, it was a bit too much.

This movie won't make you really cheerful. Sadness is omnipresent. There's detective Galban (Keanu Reeves), who looks sad the whole movie. That isn't surprising. First he lost his wife and now his partner. And it seems that Galban's partner Joey surely wasn't a saint. On the contrary, totally corrupt. That's why Galban's investigation is being thwarted because one fears that the reputation of the department would be harmed. And also Joey's pension could well become compromised. Something Joey's wife Janine (Miro Sorvino) is entitled to. Next there's the Cuban girl Isabel (Ana de Armas), whose devout attitude is admirable on the one hand and on the other disturbing. The visions that she has, cause confusion. Are they the result of intensive religiosity? Or are they delusions which are the result of deep-rooted psychological injuries? As a kindergarten teacher she makes a connection with the lovely girl Elisa (Venus Ariel). This little girl also suffers from a not so ideal family situation. As you can see, it is all doom and gloom.

Reeves wasn't so bad in "47 Ronin". And he was stunning in "John Wick". This dark thriller lends itself well to a figure like Reeves. That sad look. The indifference and numbness. And then there's a sudden personality change, after which he beats up someone while his child is watching. Unfortunately this sad, hopeless expression on Reeves face started to irritate. The acting wasn't really awful, but it also wasn't something to brag about. Ana de Armas acted much better. But even her magnificent performance, couldn't save this film.

"Exposed" is a mess with a confusing story. And not just because of the content. The whole film is edited confusingly. It jumps from one subject to another. A movie which is overloaded with symbolism. And I guess the makers had a hard time to choose from several ideas. What remains is an incorrect balance between realism and surrealism. It tries to mix the profound subject of religion with crime, corruption and sexual abuse. A blatantly failed attempt resulting in a boring film with no precise objective as a final result. And those angels also looked terrible. As if they were strayed and foolish persons who just returned from carnival in Rio. 

My rating 3/10
Links : IMDB

Concussion (2015)

Summary :
A dramatic thriller based on the incredible true David vs. Goliath story of American immigrant Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in a pro player and fought for the truth to be known. Omalu's emotional quest puts him at dangerous odds with one of the most powerful institutions in the world.

Genre : Drama/Biography/Sport
Country : USA/UK/Australia

Cast :
Will Smith : Dr. bennet Omalu
Alec Baldwin : Dr. Julian Bailes
Gugu Mbatha-Raw : Prema Mutiso

Director : Peter Landesman

My Opinion  

"The NFL owns a day of the week.
The same day the Church used to own.
Now it's theirs.“

You can hardly say "Concussion" is a swirling, action-packed film. The movie tells (in a painfully slow pace) the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith), a Nigerian pathologist who discovers the existence of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). A brain trauma athletes of certain sports (mostly body contact sports) could get. Like top players of the NFL. This because they have to endure huge blows on their heads, countless times during their careers. In other words, their brains are slowly beaten to pulp. The end result is that these players inevitably change into aggressive, half-crazed hopeless cases, tormented by hallucinations, inner voices and a splitting headache (just to name a few symptoms). In most cases, their symptoms will be classified as an early stage of the Alzheimer's disease. After an autopsy on the deceased Mike Webster (David Morse), Dr. Omalu decides on his own to let Webster's brains being examined. This is how he discovered the true nature of Webster's strange behavior. And after examining brains of other former star players who committed suicide, it showed that they had the same symptom. Time for the NFL to take countermeasures. But not to protect future players for those injuries. 

We witness an outright clash between Dr. Omalu and the CEO's of the NFL, who consider this national sport in danger of disappearing when it appears to be unhealthy to bash your helmeted head against others all your life (I'm not a doctor, but I knew this wouldn't be healthy). Just as Dr. Omalu I don't know zip about American football. I also don't understand how come an entire nation is crazy about this particular sport. However, American football became an industry, with hundreds of thousands employed there and where a lot of money is made. Despite the generous donations from the NFL to different charities, it's obvious they want to protect their source of income, at all costs, against this Nigerian immigrant. And if it doesn't work with telephone threats and intimidations, they'll surely find a way to send him back to his homeland. Omalu versus the NFL. It sounds just like an exciting Super Bowl.

"Concussion" is a moving and emotional film. Actually, it's quite sad when you see how those huge, muscled guys end up as a heap of misery. And of course again an outsider who puts his finger on the problem. Needless to say this is some brilliant acting by Will Smith. One similar to that of "The Pursuit of Happyness". Overall, I think Smith is an excellent actor who in my eyes only twice made a mistake when it's about choosing a role. And for me that's "Wild Wild West" and "After Earth". In this movie he's once again excellent as the devout, sometimes naive but brilliant physician who has some bizarre rituals while performing an autopsy. This film was perfect to get an Oscar nomination. That explains the release date of course. Unfortunately, probably there were some American football fans among the jurors, making it being nipped in the bud. I'm also sure that Smith's popularity won't benefit from it.

Also, the supporting roles were superb. Especially the traumatized Webster, in an admirable way played by David Morse. A beautiful and shocking interpretation at the same time. And also an impressive usage of makeup. It seemed as if Webster's forehead hid a swollen tumor. Even Alec Baldwin as the remorseful Dr. Julian Bailes was convincing. And finally, there is the lovely Gugu Mbatha-Raw, a Kenyan girl who stayed over at Dr. Omalu's house. Of course her contribution serves to romanticize this serious subject. Before you know it, she walks around pregnant.

"Concussion" is on the one hand an indictment against the NFL bastion. But on the other hand this national sport is also being praised a bit and shows some legendary moments of NFL matches. Even Prema quotes the following: "You should see this, Bennett. It's in fact something beautiful". All in all it's clear that money is more important than using common sense. I just wonder if this film will cause something of a stir. Certainly when you see how much fuss there was about an innocent nipple slip during the Super Bowl. Frankly, I think this storm (if it shows up) will lie down quickly, and everything stays the same. I just had one major question : how will an ex-NFL player feel, after watching this movie!

My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB

The last Witch Hunter (2015)

Summary :
The modern world holds many secrets, but the most astounding secret of all is that witches still live amongst us; vicious supernatural creatures intent on unleashing the Black Death upon the world. Armies of witch hunters battled the unnatural enemy across the globe for centuries, including Kaulder, a valiant warrior who managed to slay the all-powerful Queen Witch, decimating her followers in the process. In the moments right before her death, the Queen curses Kaulder with her own immortality, forever separating him from his beloved wife and daughter in the afterlife.

Genre : Fantasy/Adventure
Country : USA/China/Canada

Cast :
Vin Diesel : Kaulder
Rose Leslie : Chloe
Elijah Wood : Dolan 37th

Director : Breck Eisner

My Opinion 

“Today we both die.

I curse you with life.
To never know peace.
To walk the Earth alone for eternity.
You will never die.”

Isn't it fun when some old-fashioned witch hunting is being used in a typical action-fantasy film. The last time I saw a duo at work who wanted to nip this venom in the bud, was in "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters". The latter was a mediocre film, with the proportionally balanced curves of Gemma Arterton raising more enthusiasm than the film itself. In "The Last Witch Hunter" such a person isn't included, but in return Vin Diesel was willing to appear. And that's a guarantee for bloated body parts. In this case the muscles of this walking wardrobe.

The film needs to warm up just like a real diesel. Once this is done, it switches into a higher gear. Although I think it shifted into high gear, because it threatens to derail once and a while. The intro shows a group of medieval bearded men, armed with grotesque, primitive weapons. One of them is Kaulder (Vin Diesel) who lost his family because of the plague. These warriors plan to eliminate the Witch Queen who summoned this curse. Kaulder succeeds. But before the Witch Queen dies, she curses Kaulder to an eternal life. Flash forward to today's society. We see Kaulder furiously (yep) driving a flashy sports car and living in an expensive penthouse where he enjoys his passion for beautiful women. In between he still tries to get rid of witches. 

 

What follows is a fairly fuzzy story about a conspiracy to bring the witch queen back to life. Kaulder tries to prevent this from happening with the cooperation of the not so evil witch Chloe (Rose Leslie). The witch hunter is also assisted by a person of a medieval organization called the Axe and Cross, an ancient brotherhood of priests. The assistant is a priest called Dolan (Michael Caine). When this counsel is apparently murdered, his successor jumps in to help (Elijah Wood). Yep, you can say it's a chaotic story.

My opinion about this average movie is short and concise. The best thing this film has to offer, are the sometimes dazzling special effects. And that's about it, because the rest is really too sad for words. Uninspired acting (except that of Rose Leslie who took care of some humor) with a dead boring, emotionless Vin Diesel and overly geeky Elijah Wood whose white turtleneck irritated me throughout the film. That night I had more nightmares about this horrible clothing than about those nasty looking witches. "The last Witch Hunter" isn't really exciting so to speak and sometimes it comes across as implausible. Diesel's jugglery with some ancient rune stones aboard an airliner, to control a storm, is such an example. Pretty laughable. All in all I rather see Vin appearing in a movie like "xXx", so he can flex his muscles again while producing that primitive growling of his. Apparently there's a sequel in the making. I'll probably let that one magically go past me.

My rating 3/10
Links : IMDB

400 Days (2015)

Summary :
"400 Days" centers on four astronauts sent on a simulated mission to a distant planet to test the psychological effects of deep space travel. Locked away for 400 days, the crew's mental state begins to deteriorate when they lose all communication with the outside world. Forced to exit the ship, they discover that this mission may not have been a simulation after all. 

Genre : SF
Country : USA

Cast :
Brandon Routh : Theo
Dane Cook : Dvorak
Caity Lotz : Emily
Ben Feldman : Bug

Director : Matt Osterman

My Opinion  

"400 Days" is a low-budget SF that uses a not so bad idea as a theme on the one hand. But on the other hand it disappoints when it comes to the implementation of it. A space center, with Theo (Brandon Routh), Dvorak (Dane Cook), Bug (Ben Feldman) and Emily (Caity "The Machine" Lotz) as future astronauts, wants to examine the psychological impact of a prolonged space travel. Astronauts are already subject to physical testing (as can be seen in the snapshots at the beginning of the film). But what about their mental state? Can they cope with such a long term isolation? That's why the four are locked up in an underground bunker. And (yes, you couldn't have guessed it) they are part of a simulation that'll take 400 days. And in advance they are being informed by the CEO of the research center that whoever leaves the simulation before the period of 400 days, can say goodbye to a career as astronaut. The only remaining position this person will get, is as gardener at the space center.

From the outset it's clear the budget was limited. The clinical white, high-tech cockpit doesn't look very professional. It looks more like a plastic toy I would give my children for Christmas. A bit kitschy even. The four sitting alongside one another in their space suit, swiping large touch screens and undergoing the not so exciting launch. They've been told their could unexpected incidents (just to make it more realistic). It's no surprise there's already a problem during the launch itself. Unfortunately this is also the only problem they'll encounter, besides the ensuing serious incident. It seems like something catastrophic happened at the surface and there's no communication anymore with the control centre. The question is of course whether this is part of the overall simulation or not.

As said before, the beginning of the film looks fairly amateurish and cheap. The plastic decor, the unknown actors (besides Caity Lotz) and the bland and ridiculous beginning. I thought it was quite suspicious that a person with a huge hangover after spending days in bars (because his fiancée ruined the wedding plans), still can participate in an (in my opinion expensive) experiment. If this was NASA, I'm sure that you won't even get the chance to get drunk anyway. And when you succeed in getting drunk, you can be sure that you can pack your bags. After the startup of the simulation and the meaningless launch is over, it's as if the participants have little to do. It looked like an episode of the reality show "Big Brother".

But ultimately this would-be SF full of claustrophobic and psychological situations gradually evolves into a pretty exciting story, in which one begins to ask questions of what's actually going on. And before you know it, the film shifts into a post-apocalyptic modus. As days go by, the mental state of mind of the four participants deteriorates. Especially after losing all communication, doubts rise. Is this all part of the simulation or is there actually something seriously wrong?

Despite this movie transcends the level of the film "Sharknado" (another Syfy product) and the acting isn't so terribly bad (especially Tom Cavanagh as the weirdo Zell was brilliant), the whole was messed up again by a senseless ending. Most questions you asked yourself during the film, aren't explained at all. Let alone the end would provide clarification. It was the cover that caught my attention, because it pretty much resembles that of "The Signal". Only the content was not as intriguing as that of the latter. And the illogical, absurd open end ruined the well-meant, slightly mysterious middle of this movie. What a shame.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

Intruders (2015)

Summary :
Anna suffers from agoraphobia so crippling that when a trio of criminals break into her house, she cannot bring herself to flee. But what the intruders don't realize is that agoraphobia is not her only psychosis. 

Genre : Horror/Thriller
Country : USA

Cast :
Beth Riesgraf : Anna
Rory Culkin : Dan Cooper
Martin Starr : Perry Cuttner

Director : Adam Schindler

Alternative title : Shut in

My Opinion 

“What the hell?
You're not supposed to be here.
Explain it to me.
Why aren’t you at your brother’s funeral?”

"Intruders" surprises and disappoints at the same time. Beth Riesgraf is astonishingly good as the tormented Anna. A woman with a dark past and who's suffering from a severe form of Agorafobia. After the death of her father, she's left behind with a considerable amount of money and her sick brother Conrad (Timothy T. McKinney), who dies early in the film. The only contact with the outside world that Anna has, is with the errand boy Dan Cooper (Rory Culkin), who announces the daily meals in a witty way. Her phobia is so strong that Anna isn't even able to go to the funeral of her own brother. And when three men show up at her house to search the alleged fortune, it's the beginning of a seemingly thrilling home invasion which however takes a sudden turn. After that the entertainment level drops steadily. Although it all seemed very promising in the beginning.

There are plenty of home-invasion movies. They can only distinguish themselves from the others by incorporating a brilliant and original twist in it. In recent years we have been delighted with creations such as "The Purge", "You're next" and "The Aggression Scale". But lets not forget about legendary films as "Cape Fear" and "Home Alone". Each time a unique approach was used in these film. And so they differ from the frequent used concept. "Intruders" tries and initially succeeds in it. But eventually it ends in a minor key.

The first part was promising. Riesgraf played a decent role. Persuasive, emotionally and shockingly sadistic eventually. Perfectly casted to play an unpredictable female character who changes into an attacker, after she gave the impression of being a helpless and doomed victim. The transition is sudden and surprising. The three male attackers didn't realize what hit them. The film chooses a completely different direction and the home-invasion theme turns into a sadistic torture film with a transforming house. Although it's not as bloody and unnerving as "Saw" for instance. But there are some moments you can feel the intense exciting thrills with a few gory scenes.

Unfortunately, there are a few weak elements in this movie. First those three idiots who are up to something big. Of course they are portrayed as the recurring archetypes. The leader who came up with this plan is J.P. Henson (Jack Kęsy) who does his best to keep everything under control. His brother Vance (Joshua "Last Shift" Mikel) is the softer type who wants to run away as soon as possible. And Perry (Martin Starr) is the least controllable member of the gang. The only thing he wants to do is hit Anna with a sledgehammer. They knew about the money, but didn't know that she had this mental illness? The moment they realize that Anna is not so innocent and that the house is a huge mousetrap looks plausible. There are even some scary moments. But the final conclusion, the whole explanation of the true nature and origin of Ana's motive, was a bit farfetched and disappointing. Most part of "Intruders" is undoubtedly excellent, but it would have been much better if only they were a bit more inventive about the denouement.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

Goosebumps (2015)

Summary :
Upset about moving from a big city to a small town, teenager Zach Cooper finds a silver lining when he meets the beautiful girl, Hannah, living right next door. But every silver lining has a cloud, and Zach's comes when he learns that Hannah has a mysterious dad who is revealed to be R. L. Stine, the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series. It turns out that there is a reason why Stine is so strange... he is a prisoner of his own imagination - the monsters that his books made famous are real, and Stine protects his readers by keeping them locked up in their books.

Genre : Adventure/Family
Country : USA/Australia

Cast :
Dylan Minnette : Zach
Odeya Rush : Hannah
Jack Black : R.L. Stine

Director : Rob Letterman

My Opinion 

“It's like stop trying to be Stephen King, man.
Let me tell you something about Steve King.
Steve King wishes he could write like me, and I've sold way more books than him,
but nobody ever talks about that!”

Lets organize a pleasant afternoon and watch a soft horror movie with the whole family. Why wouldn't we use the oeuvre of R.L. Stine? This writer wrote a whole series of books known as the famous Goosebumps. And to circumvent the obstacle of choosing a book, they just used all of them in the same film. What you get to see is a horde of horror figures, planning to destroy the human world. From small, annoying gnomes to a giant grasshopper. There are some less successful creations and there are also some highly amusing creations like Slappy, the Yeti and the werewolf with basketball shoes. The end result is a Jumanji-like kids-movie in which the main actors must do their utmost best to straighten out this crooked situation.

 

I wasn't really impressed though. Probably because I'm not part of the target group. The bland romantic part and the attempt to make it adventurous, obviously wasn't meant for me. It might be a bit too scary for the youngest among us (although it wasn't overly creepy). Pubers however might think it's a bit too soft. I appreciated the rare moments when the humor became tremendously sharp and shrewd, like the opening scene and the Stephen King remark for example. Even the humorous interactions of the scrawny little fellow Champ (Ryan Lee) who tries to fix everything along with Zach (Dylan Minnette) and Hannah (Odeya "The Giver" Rush), was acceptable. The only thing that started to get on my nerves after a while, was him using that effeminate scream for the umpteenth time.

"Goosebumps" guarantees an entertaining afternoon at the local cinema for young people. Even adults who accompany them, could have some fun with it. There are some memorable parts such as the werewolf fragment in the supermarket. Long time since I've seen such a perfectly choreographed scene where real actors and animated characters interact with each other. Blood-curdling exciting and flashy. Yep it gave me goosebumps. Unfortunately in the end it turned into a real mess. It was a bit too much of everything. A flood of Stine's literary creations. And Jack Black, who plays the grumpy hermit Stine, stuck to his routine of not being funny. It's probably me, but if you want me to be depressed, just let me watch "School of Rock". Success guaranteed.

"Goosbumps" won't be such a huge success as a fantasy and horror film. It seemed to me that the idea to cram Stine's creations into the same movie, wasn't exactly the most brilliant idea. The best is the enemy of the good. Fortunately, they didn't use this idea for the Harry Potter books. Perhaps the creators biggest intention was to promote reading a book again. Maybe they partially succeeded in that. Unfortunately this self-promotion also worked disadvantageous when you look at the special effects and the story structure. All in all it's a must see for ten year olds. Maybe I re-watch it with my son in five years. He can have his uninhibited opinion about my humble opinion!

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB