Review Phenomena a.k.a. Creepers (1985): A Dario Argento Classic!

genre: giallo, slasher, thriller, horror, mystery

Phenomena, a.k.a Creepers, is a film I have watched many times, but for some reason, I have never done a review for it. Not sure why. But I can honestly say that this is definitely one of the better works created by Dario Argento.

Even for Argento, this is a weird one since he combines the usual giallo stuff with supernatural elements. And thanks to good acting from Jennifer Connelly, it works.

Please watch/listen to our thoughts on this film.

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Review Ghost Train a.k.a. Goegiyeolcha (2024): Not scary, nor creepy!

genre: horror

Somebody on Facebook suggested this film, and when I watched the trailer, it did look promising! So we decided to check it out and were immensely disappointed!

Please watch/listen to our thoughts on this film. 

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Review / Rant 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026): Too much package!

genre: horror, apocalyptic, zombie

We didn't like 28 Years Later. We were hoping for a continuation of the story from the first two. But they went in a different direction. So what are our thoughts on this one? Sigh...It's slightly better. Like 1 percent. 

Please watch/listen to our thoughts on this film.

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- 28 Years Later

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Review Don't Come Home a.k.a. Ya Klap Ban (TV Series / 2024): Not what you expect!

genre: thriller, mystery, horror, science fiction, drama

A mother and her young daughter flee to their family's abandoned mansion but soon find themselves haunted by paranormal incidents that lead to the little girl's mysterious disappearance.

This might give the impression you are dealing with a pure horror show. But this is not the case. This drama is a blend of several genres. 

Please watch/listen to our thoughts on this mini series.

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Review Days Gone (PS4) played on PS5: Underrated!

genre: openworld, stealth, horror, action, adventure

It took me a couple of attempts to get into Days Gone. Not because it was bad. But mostly because I was very critical since early reviews were pretty negative. And let me tell you that those reviews are wrong. Very wrong!

At one point, I realised that Days Gone was all about the single-player experience, where even the side missions mattered. There are around 150 main missions. This approach is quite different from many other triple-A titles. But I got it. Even if you weren't invested before. The game forces you to be. And once you are. You are hooked. I sure was. 

Deacon St. John, also known as Deek, might be a heavily flawed character. He is one you can stand behind. His moral code is above approach. I liked playing him. Especially when he is dealing with freakers. They aren't zombies, but infected people who have been mutated. That being said, I personally viewed them as fast-moving zombies. 

As far as I know, this is the first action/adventure game where you have to deal with hordes. They are truly terrifying. Especially when you are low on resources and ammo. And that is truly exhilarating.

But the game teaches you to be careful. This is where stealth comes in. A mechanic I am very fond of. In this game, though, it's one you have to get used to since it will make your life a lot easier.

Does this mean this is the perfect game? Far from it. The way it's structured, you are forced to follow a certain pattern before you can progress. This means a lot of repetition is involved. But some elements can put things upside down. For example. I was in the middle of clearing an ambush camp and suddenly noticed a few freakers showing up who destroyed some of the goons on their path. I myself very wisely chose to hide until they left the scene. Turns out that there was a horde near the camp. And the freakers decided to take a stroll. To my advantage. But there was also an example where I wasn't prepared for them at all and had to fight for my life. And ended up dying. So there is a level of unpredictability going on that keeps things fresh.

Gameplay-wise, Days Gone is almost your typical open-world game where humans, freakers and animals are out to kill you. This brings me to navigating this world. Since you are a biker, your favourite form of transportation is your bike. Take care of your bike, it will take care of you. I personally liked riding my bike in this world. And like the horses in the Red Dead Redemption franchise, your bike is integral to the game. You can use it as a save point, which is very handy since the world is big. But you can also use it to store weapons and items.

Since this is a world where items and food are rare, it's advisable to use stealth whenever you can. It's basic but effective. And for someone who loves stealth, I loved taking out enemies as silently as possible. Later in the game, it becomes harder to remain stealthy. But you gain more weapons and skills as you progress, which gives you an edge at one point.

But the main attraction, the hordes, is what makes this game stand out. Defeating them is hard. You will find out real quickly once you encounter them. You aren't supposed to fight them early on. It is possible to take on some small hordes, although it will be taxing for your resources. Later on, you will get the tools you need to destroy them. And that is where the real fun comes in. In this video, I am dealing with the Chemult Station Horde. Yes, I could have done better. Which I did later on. Once I realised you could attract the freakers. Then again, crafting items takes up a lot of resources, so you do need to keep collecting and farming them before you do anything. If anything, this video demonstrates that you can deal with them as long as you keep your head cool.

One main complaint about the game that people have is that it's too long. Well, I do think that the game consists of a lot of padding. Then again, I have platinumed the game and still have a lot of hordes to defeat. So you can come back to the game and test your skills. But yes, in general, don't expect to be able to finish this game quickly.

Also, I need to mention a bug I encountered towards the finale. I fell through the map. Reloading the checkpoint didn't fix the issue. I had to restart the game and then go quite a few missions back in order to avoid the bug. In a game where you already have so many missions to complete, that did take a toll on my nerves.

Overall, this game deserved better, much better. It has far more to offer than the initial reviews let on. Yes, that probably was due to the fact that it takes a bit to get introduced to certain mechanics. To be fair, this is also the case with Red Dead Redemption II, but somehow, people are rarely negative about that game. In my opinion, this game is very much worth your time and attention. So do try it when you get the chance.

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Review Murderbot Season 1: Almost perfect!

genre: science fiction, comedy, drama

Murderbot is based on a book series called The Murderbot Diaries written by Martha Wells.

Don't you hate it when you are watching a show that takes forever to get to the point? Well, Murderbot has none of this. Every second counts. How did they manage to do this? By sticking to 30 minutes per episode.

Please watch/listen to our thoughts on the show.

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Review Tulsa King Season 3: Underwhelming and ocassion bad!

genre: crime, drama,

When Tulsa King was announced, I was a little hesitant. Because I had no idea what to expect. But then I watched it, and I loved it. Season 1 is awesome. The second one already showed signs of some issues, but I was still liking it. This third season still can be considered decent, as in, it doesn't feel like a waste of time. But at the same time, I was never wowed like I was with the first two seasons.

I like it when shows introduce characters who were once villains and then turn into anti-heroes. Tulsa King is full of them. But then you have people like Jeremiah Dunmire, played by Robert Patrick, who are so evil, you kind of know they are going to end up. And for me, most of the fun concerning this show was the surprise element. Sly and his crew are in a predicament. How are they going to get out of it? Then the general comes up with something brilliant, and you can't help but laugh. In this season, though, they didn't even try. 

I also like it when established characters show progression. Most characters have little arcs that seem logical and make sense. But then you have a character like Tyson, whom I really liked in the first season but I now find highly annoying. He is a very slow learner. Dwight keeps teaching him the same thing, but does Tsyon learn? It's almost like Dwight has given up and is just happy that Tyson doesn't screw up as much as he used to. Then there is Margaret, played by Dana Delany. She was stronger in previous seasons. Now she seems very in love with Dwight, which honestly seems out of character. First, she barely wanted to deal with him. And when she got closer, she was intrigued. But like smitten and almost second in command? Sorry, that is something I find a bit much.

Season 3 plays it too safe, and I think that was a mistake. The show was at its best when they were the underdogs, but somehow still managed to get out of nasty predicaments. There haven't been down in the slumps for a long time. 

Overall, the writing really needs to improve. We'll see in season 4, since I read it has already been renewed.

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Quick Review Heweliusz: Very Engaging Mini Series!

genre: drama, disaster, history

In 1993, the Polish ferry MS Jan Heweliusz capsized off the coast of Rügen in the Baltic Sea. Out of 65 passengers and crew, 56 died in the disaster, making it the largest peacetime maritime disaster in Polish history.

Please watch/listen to our thoughts on this mini series. 

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Review Ten: The Secret Mission: Indonesian girls with guns!

genre: action, adventure, girls with guns

Secret SIS service hires an extraordinary team of ten women to release the daughter of the USA ambassador, who is held hostage on a tropical island somewhere near Indonesia. Sounds like a cool premise, no? It kind of is, especially if you find out that these ten women are also models.

They must have gone out of their way to find real hot women because they sure are beautiful and well-endowed. But are they truly extraordinary? Well, supposedly each of the women is specialised in a particular skill or martial arts. Let's say that their choreography is decent. But are they truly experts? I doubt it. For the most part, the action is decent. Except in the finale. You would think that, especially in the finale, they would up the ante and give you more spectacle. Unfortunately, it's here where they go for quantity over quality. The fights are too drawn out and illogical. Normally, if a fight is hard-hitting and compelling, I don't mind it taking too long. But I guess, writer/director/producer Helfi C.H. Kardit thought differently.

Let me be frank, you shouldn't take this film seriously. But the film sure tries to be. And this leads to unnecessary exposition scenes and a villain (Paul) who has real anger issues. He is played by Hans de Kraker, who is Dutch. He is supposed to portray an American terrorist. But his Dutch accent comes through especially when he screams. I get that he tries to come across as sympathetic and noble, who is only doing this because his own country has betrayed him. Yet, due to all the shouting, he looks like a toddler whose cookies are taken away.

Honestly, the only reason I checked out this film was because of the hot girls. Is that superficial of me? Of course. But is that wrong? No. Because let's be real here. That was the intention of this film. And while I can be forgiving considering the overall viewing experience, I can't recommend it. A better director could have done more. In the blooper reel, it does look like the women were willing to put in the effort. If only they allowed them. 

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Review For Your Eyes Only (1981): Decent but not memorable!

genre: action, adventure, espionage

This is a title I have seen several times on television in my younger years. Back then, I was less critical than today. While there are some good moments in this one, I do think the decision to be more grounded was wrong.

I get it, after Moonraker, they needed a change. But at the cost of the spectacle? One of the main reasons to check out a Bond film is the outrageous action sequences that make you gasp for air and put a smile on your face. Yes, you know it's impossible, yet you can't help but feel how awesome they are. For Your Eyes Only lacks these moments. The action scenes are solid, but are they exciting? I am sure younger me thought so. Me, today, says no. I was surprised to be invested in the climbing scene. It does a good job of being tense and thrilling, but the climax that follows is too underwhelming. Actually, that is what I would like to classify this Bond experience as: underwhelming. 

A lot of fans are harsh on Bibi Dahl and how Bond interacted with her. I actually liked her. She obviously knows what she wants and doesn't waste time getting what she wants. So much so that even Bond, who normally has no problems sleeping with random women, refuses her advances. Although in this case, the age gap between Bond and Bibi was too big. It makes sense to me that he would show restraint. One of the elements of James Bond is the fact that most women are attracted to him. I don't understand why some are repulsed by the idea that this young girl/woman full of raging hormones is also attracted to him. She apparently is under strict supervision and has to train all the time. She barely gets to have fun, so naturally she seizes the moment. Lynn-Holly Johnson does a good job of portraying this most charmingly. 

Overall, For Your Eyes Only is decent; unfortunately, it's not that memorable!

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