Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

Rent Killer Klowns from Outer Space on Amazon Video
Written by: Charles Chiodo, Stephen Chiodo
Directed by: Stephen Chiodo
Starring: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson, Christopher Titus
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
Aliens who look like clowns come from outer space and terrorize a small town.

Verdict
This is very '80s horror, but it is light on gore which opens it up to a wider audience. It's a creative concept that uses clowns in the scariest ways possible. Is this Jaws for clowns?
It's not good, but it's not that bad. The fact that it is a cult classic makes it worth considering, provided you can stand a less than scary horror movie and creepy clowns.
It depends.

Review
A sequel was planned for 2012 at one point. While the director envisioned the franchise as a trilogy, in 2016 he stated he was considering developing a cable television series.

I'm honestly surprised this isn't older. I've heard of it, seen images, and I know it's a cult classic. The movie just seems like it should have been around longer due to the reach.

Are we watching teens, young adults, or middle aged adults? The situation makes them seem like teens, the local college is mentioned frequently, but they look much older. That issue is nothing compared to the coincidence that the aliens look like clowns, their ship is a circus tent, and all of their weapons are clown themed. It's highly unlikely. The coincidence defies logic, and all this movie had to do is show a circus postcard from the '50s in the ship. I just wanted to know why. While I realize it's just to take fear of clowns up a notch, a quick explanation would have gone a long way.

This opens with a 'comet' and an old man overacting. He somehow thought he could make money off the comet, and then decided to buy a ticket when he first a circus tent. Thankfully the teens that explore the 'comet' realize the circus tent should not be there, though they still explore it because this is a horror movie.

 

This movie is fun because it's so weird. The concept is creative even if the acting is rough. There's a lot of over-acting. It adds to the cheese factor, though the effects are notable. The klowns/clowns look good, scary but good.

The kids/adults go to the cops and aren't believed. We're introduced to the hard nosed cop you just know will get killed. This cop, Mooney, is a villain. He drinks on the job, ignores citizen complaints, and is ready to shoot who he thinks is a civilian. While it's a klown, Mooney didn't know that, and he later hits the clown in the head after he has handcuffed the clown. It's wild, but not good.

The ending throws a lot at you. I appreciate the characters wonder what's going on and why. They and we don't get an answer, but I like that the writers at least included some theories.
It seems the klowns are cocooning people in cotton candy to consume them. Debbie is encased in a balloon, and the movie never answers why. I assume it's for breeding. Two of the characters are willingly seduced by female clowns which seems rather odd. There's a klown-zilla and a happy ending, well the main characters live. Everyone else ostensibly dies.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 31, 2018

Hack-O-Lantern (1988) Senile Satanist tries to initiate his grandson on Halloween while devil masked goon slashes people with a pitchfork. Bad in that special 80s way. TIL: Studies show kids raised religious are happier, healthier adults. Of course, just which religion matters.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Tales of Halloween (2015) - “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” - L.M. Montgomery

And finally, for those of you who aren’t part of the Catholic Movie Geeks group on Facebook, I ended up giving an impromptu take on the new Netflix show, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Here it is for anyone who is interested.

The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter is considered by many the master of horror movies so, although I was not a fan of Christine, his adaptation of Stephen King's novel, I decided to check out The Thing, one of the most popular horror movies out there. 

The film follows a group of scientists and workers of a small research American base in Antarctica. After a group of seemingly mad Norwegians dies in the process of chasing and shooting a dog from a helicopter, the American team finds the Norwegian base only to discover that everyone is dead or missing. They also find the remains of a burned creature and decide to take it to their base and, too late, they realise the Thing is alive and dangerous as it can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans.

This story which is based on a 1938 science fiction novella by John W. Campbell Jr. isn't anything out of the ordinary and as such, it takes a predictable path as it essentially focuses on paranoia, which is beautifully constructed by the way, but it's not enough to fix the thin plotting and the slow pacing and because of those, it never really engaged me. At least, there isn't any pointless romantic subplot. 

The characters also are pretty bland, dull and uninteresting as they lack depth, emotions and development and therefore it's really hard to see them as human beings. They are not particularly likeable or believable, nor even Kurt Russell's, so you will never care for any of them, nor have a favourite, the one you hope will make it out alive. Also, there isn't much of a sense of tension between them and that's a bummer considering the story is supposed to rely on it to be effective. The performances, however, aren't as terrible as they usually are in these movies; actually, the actors do a pretty good job and make the characters feel a little bit more human. 

Universal Pictures

Visually though, it's a whole different story. The special effects are absolutely amazing --the gore looks incredibly real and it does not feel like watching a movie from the 1980s-- and they contribute to make the film scary. It's not the effects alone that get the job done. The haunting, at times unbearable atmosphere, the tension and suspense Carpenter delivers pretty evenly throughout the film, and the score by Ennio Morricone, they all play a huge role in scaring the audience. 

Nevertheless, The Thing is a pretty boring movie and Ridley Scott's Alien is much better. 

PODCAST 331: Halloween [Re-quil Edition]

This week the Horror Duo bring their classic Vs remake series to an end with the finale that is a perfect one for the Halloween holiday. The pair made a trip to the local cinema to take in the new Halloween sequel, titled Halloween... And for some reason the it has the same name as the original...? But it's okay - Cory has a theory about that.

CONTINUE READING

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 30, 2018

The Ice Pirates (1984) In a galaxy where water is currency, intergalactic goofballs try to locate a legendary planet of ice. Also, space herpes. TIL: Water of Life is an old term for the Holy Spirit, so maybe Ice Pirates is actually a metaphor for mankind's search for... Nah.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of The Silent Scream (1979) - "A scream is always just that - a noise and not music." - Carl Jung

And finally, I'm going to hell for Aleteia this week. Um, in the movies that is.  Join me as we take a look at five unique visions of the bad place cinema has provided us over the years.

The Others (2001)

There's a song by an Italian rapper which spoils the ending of some of the films with the most shocking twists. I love that song but it spoiled several films for me —The Sixth Sense, The Prestige, The Game (which I'm yet to see), and The Others. This is the reason I've been putting off this film, hoping that I would eventually forget about the twist. I realised that, unless I hit my head really hard, I will never forget it so I finally watched it. 

Set around the end of WWII, the film follows Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) and her two children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), who are both allergic to sunlight. They live alone in a mansion on a British isle as the husband and father (Christopher Eccleston) is yet to return from the war and the housekeepers have mysteriously vanished. Suddenly, three friendly caretakers, an old lady, Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), a mute young girl, Lydia (Elaine Cassidy), and a gardener, Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes), arrive, strange events occur and Grace begins to question her sanity.

It's a simple ghost story that manages to build up mystery and suspense and differentiates from most ghost stories because of the twist at the end. However, because of its simplicity, it's a story easy to figure out as it soon becomes obvious that the new housekeepers are ghosts and therefore Grace and her children are too, and it gets boring, almost excruciating to sit through the film waiting for the twist which, by the way, is brilliantly delivered and shocked me even though I knew it was coming. Also, what's up with the subplot about Grace's husband? Am I the only one who didn't get the reason for him appearing and disappearing like that? To me, he felt unnecessary as he has no impact whatsoever on the plot. 

Considering how slowly the plot develops, I was expecting the characters to have more depth. Unfortunately, with the only exception of Grace, I found them to be pretty one dimensional. I didn't feel much for them, I simply didn't care for them. 

The cast, however, does a wonderful job. Nicole Kidman gives a very strong performance as Grace Stewart, a religious, over-protective mother on the edge of sanity. Not only she nails the English accent, but she also conveys an incredible array of emotions and the hint of psychotic hysteria in her eyes is just unbelievable. Fionnula Flanagan is fantastic and creepy as hell as Mrs. Mills and Alakina Mann is terrific as Anne, the stubborn daughter who keeps seeking dead people.

Warner Sogefilms, Dimension Films, Mars Distribution, Lucky Red

While Alejandro Amenábar's script didn't fully convince me, his direction worked much better for me. He was able to deliver the same dark, eerie, haunting atmosphere from start to finish through the dark lighting, the brilliant cinematography and camera angles, the thrilling musical score, and the fantastic settings. In other words, The Others isn't the type of film that needs special effects or gore to give you the creeps, and thankfully it doesn't have either of those. 

Netflix NEWS 10.30.2018

Netflix NEWS

Updates on Netflix original content releasing this week and the announcements from last week. You can always read more about what's coming out this week and in the future on our Upcoming page.
Netflix Originals Releasing This Week

Fate/EXTRA Last Encore Season 2: Illustrias Geocentric Theory (October 30)

Netflix Distributed

Hakuno Kishinami finds himself in the midst of a Holy Grail war with no memories of how he got there. Through his confusion, he must fight to survive.

The Degenerates Season 1 (October 30)

Netflix Distributed Series

Featuring six raunchy stand-up sets from rising comics.
Watch the trailer

Gun City Season 1 (October 31)

Netflix Distributed Spanish Language Movie

Set in 1921 about a double agent infiltrating the mafia.

House of Cards Season 6 (November 2)

Netflix Original Series - 8 episodes - Final Season

Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright play political savages Frank and Claire Underwood. They have maneuvered Frank from Senator to President, and the next step is securing the party's nomination for president to stay in the White House.
On December 4th it was reported that season 6 will continue without Kevin Spacey. The episode count was cut from 13 to 8 episodes.
On January 31 it was reported that Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear would join the cast as siblings.
Read my Season 4 review - Watch it
Read my season 5 review - Watch it
Watch the Season 5 trailer
Read my season 5 review - Watch it 
Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear Join Cast 
Teaser video
Final Season Returns November 2
Teaser: Grave video
Season 6 teaser
Season 6 trailer

The Holiday Calendar (November 2)

Netflix Distributed Movie

A struggling but talented photographer inherits an antique holiday advent calendar, the contents of which seem to predict the future. Will this magical calendar lead her to love this holiday season?
Watch the trailer 

The Other Side of the Wind (November 2)

Netflix Original Movie

This film within a film was left unfinished n 1985 when Orson Welles died. Welles shot the film from 1970 to 76. Numerous attempts have failed to resurrect the movie, but now Netflix has committed to finishing Orson Welles's last movie.
In the movie, a non-conformist director staging a comeback dies shortly after his party. Clips of the directors latest movie are interspersed throughout. John Huston plays high-profile temperamental Hollywood director making a comeback, much like Welles was attempting. Huston, like Welles, battling with Hollywood executives to make a movie.
It was reported on November 8th that a post production team was hired, including an editor and sound mixer.
It will release in select theaters and on Netflix. 
Announcement
Inventory and Shipping Video
Watch the trailer 

They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (November 2)

Netflix Documentary

Releasing in conjunction with The Other Side of the Wind, Morgan Neville looks at Orson Welles' relationship with Hollywood in the last fifteen years of his life, especially concerning his comeback film The Other Side of the Wind. While that movie has a long history, the story behind it holds much intrigue.
Also releasing in select theaters.
Watch the trailer

Netflix Trailers
Hip-Hop Evolution Season 2 trailer - October 19
Bird Box trailer - December 21
Outlaw King trailer #2 -  November 9
John Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons trailer - November 5
The Last Kingdom Season 3 trailer - November 19
Diablero Season 1 trailer - December 21
Dogs Season 1 trailer - November 16
Don't Watch This trailer - Now Streaming

Netflix Previews & Videos

Tidelands Season 1 teaser - December 14
Super Drags Featurette
Haunted Now Streaming
The Haunting of Hill House - This Video is Truly Terrifying 
The Haunting of Hill House - Did You See It? 
The Haunting of Hill House - Can You Spot What's Hiding in the Closet?

New to Netflix US - November 
Nappily Ever After - What Had Happened Was: Netflix and Self Care 
Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh - Uber Driver Official Music video 
Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh - Phone Wallet Keys Official Music video 
Money Heist - Season 3 In Production 
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj - But First, Tan France
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj - Jokes from the Cutting Room Floor
F is for Family Season 3 - Date Announcement video - November 30
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Surviving Exam Hell
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Opening Credits
Riverdale - NZ vs US Slang with KJ and Cole 
Friends from College Season 2 Date Announcement -  January 11
The Hookup Plan Teaser - December 7
Elite - The Best Character: Omar 
Westside - Featurette: Meet the Cast 
Don't Watch This - Teaser: Antoni Psycho
The Kissing Booth - Fake Horror trailer

Netflix News & Announcements

Atypical Renewed for Season 3
Angela's Christmas - November 1
Follow This Part 3 - November 1
The Judgement Season 1 - November 1
Brainchild Season 1 - November 2
ReMastered Season 1 - E2 Tricky Dick and the Man in Black - November 2
Trolls: The Beat Goes On Season 4 - November 2
John Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons - November 5
Beat Bugs Season 3 - November 9
La Reina del Flow Season 1 - November 9
The Great British Baking Show Season 6 - November 9
Treehouse Detectives Season 2 - November 9
Oh My Ghost - November 13
May The Devil Take You - November 13
The Crew - November 15
Cam - November 16
Ponysitters Club Season 2 - November 16
Prince of Peoria - November 16
The Princess Switch - November 16
The Last Kingdom Season 3 - November 19
Kulipari Season 2: Dream Walker - November 20
Motown Magic Season 1 - November 20
Sabrina - November 20
Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia - November 20
The Tribe - November 21
Fugitiva Season 1 - November 23
Frontier Season 3 - November 23
Sick Note Season 1 & Season 2 - November 23
Bumping Mics with Jeff Ross & Dave Attel - November 27
Death by Magic Season 1 - November 30
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding - November 30
F is for Family Season 3 - November 30
Happy as Lazzaro - November 30
Spy Kids: Mission Critical Season 2 - November 30
The World Is Yours - November 30
Tiempo compartido - November 30
Bodyguard Sets Viewing Record in UK; Coming to Netflix October 24
Sextuplets - Molly Shannon, Glynn Turman, Michael Ian Black Join Cast
Five New German Series in 2019 
Daybreak Season 1 Casting Announcement 
Nowhere Man Season 1 Update 
Netflix Producing CG Animated Film Inspired by Wyclef Jean's Life 
Lost Girls Movie Casting Announcement 
American Vandal Canceled 
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Production Designer Interview 
Naked Director Series Announced  - 2019
Roma - Cuaron and Netflix Chasing the Oscar 
Marvel's Daredevil - Vincent D'Onofrio on Why Wilson Fisk is a Good Villain

Hype List
Black Mirror Season 5 (2019, projected)
The Witcher Season 1 (2020) 
Stranger Things Season 3 (2019, summer)
The Umbrella Academy Season 1 (2018)
Bojack Horseman Season 5 (September 14)
Disenchanted Season 1 Part 2 (2018)
Altered Carbon Season 2 (2019, projected)
Dark Season 2 (2018, projected) 
Ratched Season 1 (2019)
Mindhunter Season 2 (2018)

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 29, 2018

The Gate (1987) Kids uncover a portal to Hell in their backyard and unleash hordes of stop-motion monsters. It's Goosebumps meets The Evil Dead, but in a good way. TIL: Hell's attacks are usually a bit more subtle than dead men in the walls, but hey, I wouldn't put it past them.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Get Crazy (1983) - "The devil ain't got no music. All music is God's music." - Mavis Staples

Happy Anniversary! — 4 Years of A Film A Day

It was exactly four years ago that, after kinda thinking it through, I posted my first review with the goal of posting one every day for a whole year. It seemed like an impossible task to me, someone who gets bored with everything very quickly and easily, but, to my surprise, I reached that goal. And I was enjoying it so I kept doing it, even though at the time my audience was virtually non-existent —but how could I blame anyone? My reviews were terrible!

They have got so much better now —I'm so proud of myself—, I have met so many amazing bloggers, and I have many readers now, and apparently, they, I mean you, even like reading the stuff I write.

But I would be lying if I said it's been all peaches. In the past year, more than ever, I struggled to find the motivation to keep doing this and I often found myself on the verge of quitting. It's you and your comments and the thought that maybe you would miss my reviews that gave me the push to continue on this journey. So I wanted to tell you guys something, thank you so much for giving me the strength!

But enough with the cheesiness, it's time to talk about movies. Since this year I challenged myself to review a horror film for each day of October —I'm not the biggest fan of the genre as most horrors nowadays are a mixture of terrible writing, terrible acting and silly jump scares— here are some horror films I would have never seen if it wasn't for the blog. I'm, of course, mentioning only those I'm glad I watched.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night A very weird but unique and captivating Spaghetti western horror. If that doesn't make any sense to you, check it out.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Far from being the cheap 1980s horror I was expecting it to be, it was creepy and scary, it has a very interesting and original idea, and Freddy Krüger is arguably one of the most terrifying villains ever.

Child's Play A pretty lame and predictable film but it has such a creepy atmosphere, it kept me glued to the screen and on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Videodrome A very bizarre and absurd film with a not so solid plot, not so great dialogue and no character development. But it shows our unhealthy relationship with media and it's scary as hell.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Easily the most charming adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel, it is creepy, dark and mysterious.

Hush It doesn't have the strongest of scripts, but Mike Flanagan know exactly what to do with it and crafted one of the tensest and most gripping horrors I've seen.

A Quiet Place One of the few horrors I've seen that is about the family, not the monsters/aliens. The writing isn't the best, and it doesn't always make sense but the film is so tense and scary. I even cried at the end.

Dead of Night It's an anthology horror where some stories are more interesting and absorbing that others, but, overall, is a great, creepy film that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The Conjuring A paranormal horror that scared the shit out of me, an atheist who does not beleive in paranormal.

Special Mention

The Room Not a horror in the traditional sense, but how would you define a film that has atrocious writing, atrocious direction, atrocious acting, and atrocious *type here anything else you can think of* and yet you, after several views, end up loving? 

Chopping Mall (1986)

I stumbled upon Chopping Mall many times over the years but, since I already had my share of cheap 1980s horror movies for that year, I always passed it. This year I focused more on quality horrors and I picked this one to be the crappy one. 

The film takes place in a mall where a new security system has been presented which includes three high-tech robots programmed to disable and apprehend thieves. Four couples of teenagers, Rick (Russell Todd) and Linda (Karrie Emerson), Greg (Nick Segal) and Suzie (Barbara Crampton), Mike (John Terlesky) and Leslie (Suzee Slater), and Ferdy (Tony O'Dell) and Allison (Kelli Maroney), decide to have a late night party in one of the store. They are enjoying themselves, having sex, drinking and all, when a lightning storm strikes, the robots start malfunctioning and go on a killing spree. 

The plot of the film is just as stupid and predictable as it is in any other cheesy horror film. Not only this is annoying but it's also quite infuriating because so much could have been done with the idea but it ends up being the typical, clichéd and boring horror plot where something/someone goes on a killing spree targeting teenagers. 

Same goes for the characters, they couldn't be any more clichéd than this --there's the annoying kind of frat guy, the nerd, the promiscuous girl, the sweet girl. I have to say though, apart from the cocky frat guy who I hated with all of my heart, they are not those characters you can't wait to see die. It's not like you care for them either but you don't have that desire to see them dead as you usually have with these characters. And I guess the credits go to the cast. They don't give great performances or anything but they are kinda likeable.

Concorde Pictures

As for the horror, if you are looking for a scary film, Chopping Mall definitely isn't for you as the film is not scary and there isn't even a decent amount of gore. If you are looking for something so stupid that actually ends up being kind of funny, then it's definitely something you could waste your time with. The special effects are so silly they are laughable --the killer robots look like a retarded version of R2-D2. But I guess they are pretty well done considering the film's budget. At last, the electronic score is corny as hell.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 28, 2018

Ghoulies (1984) Doofus follows in dad's footsteps and summons imps to help him sire an heir. Maybe he should have just tried Viagra instead. TIL: Because they aid rather than restrict the conjugal act, ED drugs are considered morally licit. Black magic is still out however.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Dawn of the Dead (2014) - “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” - Mark Twain

The Black Cauldron (1985)

When you think of animated Disney films, horror or dark fantasy, or however you want to call the genre of this film, is not something that crosses your mind. So I was very surprised to find Disney's The Black Cauldron in a top 10 list of best animated horror movies and out of curiosity I decided to check it out. 

This film tells the story of a young man, Taran (voiced by Grant Bardsley), an assistant pig keeper who dreams of becoming a great warrior. When Hen Wen, the magical oracular pig he was supposed to protect, is kidnapped by the evil Horned King (voiced John Hurt) who needs the pig to discover the location fo the black cauldron which has the power to create an army of unstoppable soldiers, Taran joins forces with a pestering creature, Gurgi (voiced John Byner), the stubborn Princess Eilonwy (voiced by Susan Sheridan), and a minstrel, Fflewddur Fflam (voiced by Nigel Hawthorne), to find the cauldron before the Horned King does.

At first sight, it looks like The Black Cauldron does have a story that is deeper and more complex than your typical Disney story. If you look more carefully though, as you see it unfold, you'll notice that is far from being as complex and deep as it could have been. There's barely a plot as it is pretty much a succession of action sequences and most of the important events happen by chance. It is way darker than every other Disney film I've seen, it has more mature and serious themes --self sacrifice, pride, social equality, and ecology even-- but unfortunately, they are dealt with in such a shallow way. Also, the typical Disney happy ending not only ruined the film completely but it seemed forced as well. 

The characters don't get any better. They lack characterization and development, therefore they are bland, uninteresting and boring. Gurgi's only purpose is for us to have a character we care about but I doubt anyone will care if you don't even bother writing a decent character. It's a little different for the supporting characters. They still are bland but the supporting cast provide quite funny performances which makes you enjoy the film a little more. Also, Hen Wen is quite adorable. Probably because she's a pig and would have never had characterization or development anyways. 

Buena Vista Distribution 

As for the villain, the Horned King, he kinda looks like a cheap Scooby-Doo villain. However, the magnificent voice work by John Hurt makes the Horned King one of the most memorable and threatening Disney villains ever.

The animation, on the other hand, is beautiful. There are moments when the drawings are a bit more sketchy --I'm not sure it's a problem with the movie or with the copy I had, I'm going with the first though--, but overall is lovely and the computer effects are very good considering how old the film is and that this was the first time Disney used them. Another great thing about The Black Cauldron is that there isn't even a song. How great is that?!

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 27, 2018

Watchers (1988) Touching tale of a boy and his dog and the monster that wants to rip them both into tiny little pieces. Three sequels? One with Mark Hamill? Really? TIL: Animals are already by nature destined for the common good of humanity. No need to try and improve them.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Bananas (1971) - “This is the choice before us: either try to revolutionize the world and break under it or revolutionize ourselves and remake the world.” - Fulton J. Sheen

The Lure (2015)

While I was searching the most popular movie websites for horror movies to watch for the 31 Days of Horror challenge, whether I was looking for musicals or foreign language, there's a movie I stumbled upon multiple times, The Lure (Polish: Córki dancingu), a Polish fantasy, horror, romantic and musical film. In other words, a movie I could not pass. 

Set in Warsaw in the 1980s, the film follows two mermaid sisters, Silver (Marta Mazurek) and Golden (Michalina Olszańska), who are adopted by a family of musicians after assuring them they won't eat them and soon start performing at a nightclub as strippers and backup singers. While Silver falls in love with the bassist, Mietek (Jakub Gierszał), Golden cannot escape her bloodthirsty nature and kills people.

This is arguably a very unique and dark take on the famous tale by Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for me to make a compelling film as the plot is interesting but never engaging; if anything, it gets pretty boring. Also, there's a romantic subplot that feels a little forced and like it wasn't exploited as it should have been.

The characters are kinda messy too. Although the main ones have a nice development and make a very intersting group of characters, there are too many characters popping out of nowhere and soon disappearing --we know absolutely nothing about them and they don't even have a role in the story, so what's the point?

The cast, however, is evenly good. Marta Mazurek and Michalina Olszańska are both great in their roles of mermaid sisters, more innocent and kinda naive the first, very alluring the latter. And Kinga Preis provides a solid support as the nightclub singer who adopts the two sisters.

Kino Świat

The direction by first time director Agnieszka Smoczyńska is also pretty solid. Although the mix of genres --fantasy, horror, romance and musical-- doesn't work as good as it could have, she was able to establish an intriguing and mysterious atmosphere which make the horror part work very well. And she makes the musical part work as well --the lyrics to the songs are completely nonsensical (at least they are in the English subtitles. I don't know, maybe they make sense in Polish) and yet they are enjoyable and entertaining. Definitely one of those soundtracks you want to purchase after the movie.

At last but not least, The Lure is visually stunning --not only the cinematography is impressive, but the makeup and costumes are so good they make the two sisters look disturbingly real.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 26, 2018

Galaxy of Terror (1981) Space explorers travel to a planet that preys on their fears which, considering the worm rape scene, are oddly specific. Man, Corman's stuff got really weird in the 80s, didn't it? TIL: The more you trust in God, the less power fear has over you.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of The Church (1989) - “The Church is a perpetually defeated thing that always outlives her conquerors.” - Hilaire Belloc

Apostle (2018)

I'm not into period movies and the poster has enough, more like too many crosses for my liking, so when I saw Apostle pop up on Netflix, I passed it. After watching Aronofsky's Pi and realising it was not a horror (by the way, screw you IMDb for listing it as a horror and whoever it was that added it on a horror movies list), I remember Margaret from Cinematic Corner said we should watch it and, since I'm a great person, so did I. 

Set in 1905, the film follows Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens), a former missionary who travels to a remote Welsh island to rescue his sister, Jennifer (Elen Rhys), who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult demanding a ransom for her return. In order to find her, he pretends to be a follower of the cult leader, Prophet Malcolm Howe (Michael Sheen).

Plot-wise, Apostle is far from being rock solid or original. It indeed is reminiscent of The Wicker Man, and it eventually gets quite ridiculous and nonsensical, not to mention the many plot holes, inconsistencies or subplots that could and should have been left out. Also, it moves pretty damn slow. And yet it was interesting and compelling enough to keep me guessing and glued to the screen from start to finish, even when it was almost unbearable to watch.

The characters aren't that solid either. They aren't paper-thin but they come real close to that as they aren't well defined, have no development whatsoever and make some pretty idiotic choices. It's the same for everyone, even the main character, Thomas. And yet it's hard if not impossible to not get attached to him and care about his fate and that of other people on that island.

And the credits for that entirely goes to the cast. Dan Stevens does a wonderful job as Thomas with a performance that is somewhere in between Robert Pattinson's in The Rover and Nicolas Cage's in Mandy. He effortlessly carries the film and the things he's able to convey with his eyes only, it's freaking scary. Michael Sheen also gives a great performance as the cult leader which I guess is the reason I cared about him in the end despite the awful man he is.

Netflix

In addition to the great cast, Apostle also benefits from a solid direction. Gareth Evans has created a tense and atmospheric thriller that uses its slow pacing, the long shots, the walking and the watching from the characters to built suspense. The cinematography is stunning, and some camera angles are very interesting, but it's the gore that took my breath away. It's difficult to watch at times because of it but visually, it's stunning. The musical score is nothing short of great too.