Ed's Review Dot Com

Atomic Monster, Grey Matter Productions, New Line Cinema,

Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander John DiPersia, Rolando Boyce, Alicia Vela-Bailey, Maria Bello

Young Martin (Gabriel Bateman) lives alone with his Mom Sophie (Maria Bello) since his father was savagely killed. Sophie is a bit crazy, having spent a time in a mental institution, but Martin thinks something worse is happening at night when it’s dark, and he’s been falling asleep in class because he is unable to sleep at home. The school calls his half sister Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) to pick him up, and though she left her mother years ago, she comes back to help the family battle some real demons in one of the most horrific horror films of 2016.

This is a very terrifying piece of film making by David F. Sandberg who apparently made a short film version of this story in 2013. He expanded it to a hour and 21 minutes which must have taken a lot of effort. I would love to see the short film, as it sounds really good from what I’ve heard about it, but this feature version suffers from the lack of material. That is the weak point of this movie, and it shows a lack of depth in the story. We don’t get enough of the back story, nor is it clear what it’s all about. There are many ways this could have developed, but the intent was I’m sure to leave you guessing. The threat appears to be gone, but we don’t really know what quite happened to make this all possible. But setting that aside, it is a really terrifying movie, and one that will certainly scare the bejezus out of you. It’s done with real suspense and horror but has excellent sound effects and jump scares as well that are actually pretty well done. I am really glad I went to see this film, as it was really fun, even though it could have been better with a bit more material, perhaps. Still, it made me jump. At one point there is some strange noise going on in another room behind us, and the sounds that were coming out of the back left speakers made everyone in the theater turn around and look to see what the heck was going on back there. About the time we figured out it was part of the film. we turned back to the front and got slammed. It was one of the cleverest horror moments I’ve ever experienced. This was about a 2/3 full theater, and the crowd, including us, screamed a couple times which shows that it was really worth it. If you love horror, ignore the haters and watch this.

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Millennium Films, Gerard Butler Alan Siegel Entertainment, LHF Film,

Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Alon Aboutboul, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Jackie Earle Haley, Sean O’Bryan, Waleed Zuaiter

President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) is in London along with many other world leaders to attend the funeral of the British Prime Minister who mysteriously died. Suddenly a major terror attack breaks out killing many and destroying most of the cultural landmarks of London. The President has been captured and his only protection is a secret service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) who was with him when he was taken. Terrorists have taken the upper hand and the forces of good have to try to foil their attempt to bring chaos to the world.

I can imagine the thrill the folks had at the close of World War II watching great films about the bravery of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who defeated the Axis powers in this horrible war. These movies were built around the real events of the great battles of that war. Today, things are much different today. We chip away at the enemies day by day, but we don’t have the great victories to cheer like they did in the past. So today we get fictional accounts of grand events that have not really happened. We don’t have much to celebrate anymore, it seems, and our brave heroes are out there, but we are much more concerned about what’s happening with JayZ and Beyonce or Kim and Kanye, and the rest. This is a grand adventure, very graphic with lots of blood and gore, but with lots of excitement and suspense. The acting of the good and bad guys is very good, and the action is non-stop. It’s got a great soundtrack, and super explosions and special effects. This is a very good film, if you like adventure, and well worth checking out.

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42, Fire Axe Pictures, Kriti Productions,

Jeremy Sisto, Sarah Wayne Callies, Javier Botet, Logan Creran, Sofia Rosinsky

Maria (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Michael (Jeremy Sisto) live on the other side of the world with their daughter Lucy (Sofia Rosinsky) and Son Oliver (Logan Creran). When a horrible tragedy befalls them, Maria and Lucy survive, but Oliver has died. Not able to get past the loss of her son, Maria pulls away from the family and is struggling to survive. An elderly Hindu woman promises Maria that an ancient ritual can give her the opportunity to speak one last time to her son behind a locked door in an ancient shrine, but she must promise to not open the door, no matter what happens. But overcome by grief Maria opens the door and brings terror and destruction to her family in return.

This is one of the most unexpected surprises I have had in a long time. This is a first rate horror film with an honest to goodness really creepy plot. Set in India, this touches on some of the Hindu beliefs and practices which are probably pretty new to most of us, which gives this film a really good anchor to build on. The actors are very good, and though they are essentially TV actors, they have the chops to give this one all it needs! The little girl is also excellent, and one of the best kid actors I’ve seen in a long time. The story itself is unlike anything I’ve seen, and it’s nice to get a current horror film that is so exciting and new. I was very impressed with this film, and had to watch it several times I enjoyed it so much. If you want a good old fashioned believable horror story that will truly scare the bejeezus out of you without relying on loud noises and startles to simply make you jump, but to chill you to the bone, this is perhaps the best classic horror film I’ve seen in a long, long time. I highly recommend this movie for any horror fan, and this is a gem of a scary flick that appeared out of nowhere. This film can truly create nightmares.

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Columbia Pictures, Ombra Films, Weimaraner Republic Pictures,

Blake Lively, Oscar Jaenada

Nancy (Blake Lively) misses her mother who recently died from cancer. She is looking for some alone time, and she just quit medical school and fled to Mexico searching for a hidden “secret” beach that her mother loved. But things go wrong when she runs into a very angry and persistent shark who would like more than anything to have her for lunch!

This is a solo shot for Blake Lively who really throws herself at it will all her abilities. It’s a very hard role. Stranded at a remote beach with little hope of survival. This is a highly suspenseful film, with beautiful scenery and a very ornery shark. It’s a tough role to play, with lots of activity and a whole range of emotions. This is hardly classified as horror, yet it’s not a mystery, though it is very suspenseful. All in all it’s a roller-coaster ride of epic proportions. The packed audience was completely silent for long periods when there was little sound on the screen, and it was kind of eerie. Suddenly the shark would appear, and everyone was screaming again. All in all, this is a pretty good film. I really enjoyed the suspense and found a lot of times, I was holding my breath without knowing it I was so into the story. That is rare for me, and and an interesting experience. It’s not very often I get sucked into a film so completely, but this is an immersive movie, in more ways than one. I really liked it and I would like to recommend this one.

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Company Films, Emmett/Furla Films, Fortitude International,

Keanu Reeves, Ana de Armas, Christopher McDonald, Big Daddy Kane, Mira Sorvino,

Detective Galban (Keanu Reeves) is a detective, a widower with a young child he just can’t seem to care for. He finds his partner dead deep in the subway and immediately sets out to find out who killed him. But the more he learn, the more it looks like his partner was not a very good cop, and was involved in a lot of dirty stuff. But his partner’s wife, Janine Cullen (Mira Sorvino) wants answers, yet the force wants Galban to leave it alone, as if more is found out about his partner’s past, it could deprive the wife and child of his pension. But everyone close to the case turns up dead, and he is led to a young devout Latina girl, Ana (Isabel De La Cruz) seems to have witnessed a miracle, and finding out what she knows may solve the case, but it could make her end up dead too.

This is a very strange little cop drama, and Keanu Reeves really did a decent job in this dark and depressing role. He’s fighting demons and it shows on the surface. The relationship between him and his partners wife is also intense, as not only is she dealing with the sudden loss of her husband, but at the same time dealing with the fact that he might not have been a very nice guy. Well, to complete the hat trick, Ana has her own past demons that she has shut out but need to come forward. Her husband is in Iraq and she is living with her husband’s Mother and sisters who are not very understanding of her situation either. This really is a dark story, and a bit depressing, but aside from that, it is a pretty good story. The characters are familiar, but very well developed. The acting is good, and it’s a pretty suspenseful movie. It borders on the supernatural, which makes it a very interesting film. It is R rated, and some of it is pretty intense, so definitely for mature audiences, but if you like a little different twist on a dead partner revenge story, this really isn’t half bad.

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