Basically for us (me and Mrs. P.) this marathon started the 25th of October. And it will last until we get enough. We will try to watch as many as possible without interruption. But that has proven to be very challenging. My goal is to write the reviews as soon as possible. Initially to share brief thoughts yet with the intention to elaborate on them (if they deserve that kind of attention). Please note that this is a work in progress but will already be posted. I have done this to put a little pressure on myself to write the reviews faster.
The titles are:
- Rippy a.k.a. The Red (2024)
- Bagman (2024)
- Never Let Go (2024)
- The Wait a.k.a. La espera (2023)
- Phantasm (1979)
- Bride of Re-Animator (1990)
- Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead (1992)
- Alien Romulus (2024)
- Apartment 7A (2024)
Rippy a.k.a. The Red (2024)
Rippy a.k.a. The Red is about a zombie Kangaroo going rogue. With such a fun premise, you would expect lots of laughs and insanity. But for whatever reason, they went in full on serious mode and it just doesn't work. Don't get me wrong. I was very willing, except the film doesn't provide the tension and thrills to provide that. Apart from some gory deaths, the film absolutely takes away any fun that can be had. I found it completely boring and stupid. So if I were you, don't even bother with this one.
Bagman (2024)
Bagman is mostly an atmospheric horror that introduces a new monster called the bagman. He snatches kids, puts them in his bag and then devours them.
In this particular tale, one got away, and the bagman is definitely not happy about that. He almost forsakes to eat other children. Then again, even monsters need their vitamins, so we get to see him in action. The bagman for the most part is quiet and sneaky. One would expect that translated to many jump scares. I am happy to report this is not the case. This monster is more dangerous because of his supernatural abilities than the surprise factor. He is basically present all the time, but people aren't aware of this until it's late.
I liked this little horror tale. It's much better than given credit to, and I secretly hope this does become a franchise.
Halle Berry has found a niche for herself, starring in thrillers and mystery films that so far I have liked. Often she is also attached as a producer and to me seems to be the way to go. These aren't the big Hollywood productions with lots of expectations. On the contrary, these are the films most of us will casually watch and then wonder why we didn't do so before.
The Call and Kidnap comes to mind. Both on your edge of seat thrillers that provided more thrills and suspense than the bigger budget films. Compared to these, Never Let Go is fewer thrills and more suspense. And therefore a little slow. I was invested, but at one point I lost interest. It's because the film takes its sweet time to get to the point. Pretty early on, I already predicted how the story was going to play out. Without giving you a definitive answer to the mystery. One could argue whether an ending like this is clever. I personally, don't think so, since the film doesn't explain enough what the world is like. We see everything from their perspective, which is the point, but you aren't given any clues or hints where you yourself can deduce that you should question events. I mean, outside the perspectives from the characters. At the same time, the film neglects to show you a real consequence of not following the rules. They should have done this, so that it would have kept me occupied.
Overall, Never Let Go, is decent enough, but in my opinion fails to deliver on its promise. The good acting on the part of the kids and Halle Berry is what saves this film.
The Wait a.k.a. La espera (2023)
The Wait is about a certain village in the seventies when Franco was still ruling. It's safe to say that times were hard but for Eladio our main character, life becomes almost unbearable.
In essence, The Wait is folk horror but could also been seen as a psychological drama where slowly but surely Eladio is descending into madness. There is a twist at the end but makes no sense whatsoever. I mean, I had my suspicions. But the big question is why anyone would go to the trouble. There is no gain for the inflicting party. Unless this is a religious thing that went over my head. Surely, it couldn't be a tale of good versus evil, where The Devil remains the victor at all times? If this is the case, then The Wait is one of the most overrated crap there is. People make bad decisions all the time. Some of the consequences are punishment enough. But no, for some this doesn't go far enough. Some people want people to endlessly suffer. That is fine until you are the one who made the bad decision. And could we please let The Devil out of this. I am sure he is too busy to meddle with all the simpletons in this world.
Or should I just view this as a morality tale? Where they want you to think long and hard about any decision you make. Or perhaps they want to teach you that sometimes you should be happy with what you got. I still don't get why Eladio is the one being punished. It was the wife who forced him to do so. Of course, he is incredibly weak to not have a backbone. Still, one could argue he was just following orders.
The film is rich of atmosphere and some sense of dread. However, the film manages to bore you to death where your patience isn't rewarded. It can't be understated how slow this film is. Had there been any build-up to something cool then I would be the first to say the film is worth it. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Phantasm (1979)
Phantasm is a cult classic, although by now I do think it deserves to be more than that. Almost everything works in this flick. Especially, the atmospheric terror.
The Tall Man is an iconic horror villain in the same vein as Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees but easily more terrifying if you think about it. For one thing, he is capable of shapeshifting to trick his victims. Fortunately, we have Mike and Reggie to battle him and his minions. Although this mostly happens in the later parts of the franchise. The first one, is the origin story, and probably the best. Although, to be fair, I will have to watch the sequels again to make sure.
What really drew me in the story and what has always been part of my memories, is the soundtrack. It's one of the few in film history that does an extra dimension to the film. Combined that with some creative and top-notch special effects, it's easy to see, why this film is a favourite among many.
Overall, a must-watch!
Bride of Re-Animator (1990)
Of course, they would make a sequel to Re-Animator where both Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) and Dr. Dan Cain (Bruce Abott) return.
If it wasn't clear by now, Dr. Herbert has gone full mental with his experiments, which to a degree I understand. But most people can't really appreciate them, since they do have quite some impact on the world.
What really makes this film stand out is the tribute to Bride of Frankenstein, where the original perspective of this classic is honoured, but where at the same time they amped up the horror elements to the tenth degree. The overall result might be messy and chaotic, but it's incredible fun.
Even if I wanted to, I can't describe the mayhem you will be confronted with. It's bloody but beautiful.
Also check:
Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead (1992)
Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead has to be one of the goriest and filthiest zombie films in existence. I would argue, that it is the easiest, one of the best zombie films in existence.
Why? Well, Apparently, Peter Jackson pre Lord of the Rings was very dirty minded. Dead Alive is literally the end result of someone who came up with the most dirty and crazy zombie related events one could think of. And believe me, Jackson went where no man has gone before. The film is bloody, gory, funny but terrifying. One might overlook the terror created in this film because of the goofiness, but make no mistake, all the events are ones that should be taken seriously.
Jackson brilliantly translated terror into comedy, but without taking away the dread and horror. In my opinion, this is one of the best zombie, née, horror films in existence. A must-watch!
Alien: Romulus (2024)
This version of Alien was advertised as a return to the original, where horror was the most prominent. Instead, we get a film that has copied a lot of the previous films without actually focussing on the elements that matter.
Alien: Romulus certainly looks the part. But that is where the similarities stop. It's like an A.I. had consumed the original films in the franchise. And birthed the story we are presented. Events come close, but aren't nearly as scary or terrifying as they were in the original.
I completely dismissed this part until I decided to rewatch it since I had missed some essential details in my first viewing. To be fair, Alien: Romulus is not a complete failure. It does feel like a solid entry, without actually adding new stuff. The film and the audience will go through the motions, but there is no reward for the viewer. Correct me if I am wrong. Isn't that the whole point?
Apartment 7A (2024)
One should wonder why a prequel was necessary, but here it is. I am one of the fortunate or unfortunate ones, depending on how you view it, who hasn't seen Rosemary's Baby. I know about it and have an idea what the story is, but have never seen fully or properly. So I think this prequel is a good opportunity for me to get into it.
For the most part, Apartment 7A is decent. It's not as intense or suspenseful as I liked, but there is enough there to keep events compelling. The film definitely could have been shorter and tighter in pacing since it does feel drawn out with a questionable payoff. Why not, use the time to deepen certain characters or lore? I bet, that is what the viewers and fans of the original are craving for.
Overall, Apartment 7A is entertaining while it lasts!
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