From IMDB:
A retired FBI agent with psychological gifts is assigned to help track down “The Tooth Fairy”, a mysterious serial killer. Aiding him is imprisoned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter.
From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour complete Hannibal Lecter movie.
Same old, same old, but still fun if you like that sort of horror show. Somehow at least 7 known actors joined in the fray.
From Netflix:
A feared critic, an icy gallery owner and an ambitious assistant snap up a recently deceased artist’s stash of paintings — with dire consequences.
From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 52 minute horror of a film.
Perhaps the first horror is that an accomplished actor such as Jake Gyllenhaal allowed himself to appear in this schlock festival. Perhaps the second horror is that I allowed myself to watch the entire mess.
Imagine Gyllenhaal appearing as an effete, almost effeminate bisexual art critic. At first I did not recognize him. As a first guess maybe he needed the money. Or maybe he just wanted to add a horror film to his remarkable resumé.
If there is an underlying theme in the film, it is that the collective of art critics here are a rare species that speak an inscrutable art language consisting of meaningless gibberish while all the time they are really only interested in fooling their clients into spending vast sums of money.
Alas, their greed is their undoing!
If you can afford to waste two hours of your life, then have at it!
From IMDB:
An artist relocates to the Hudson Valley and begins to suspect that her marriage has a sinister darkness, one that rivals her new home’s history.
From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 1 minute horror film.
What! You waste your time on a horror film? Normally I would not except that since Grantchester I have not seen any sign of James Norton who played the priest sidekick to Robson Green’s detective. In this film James Norton plays George Claire alongside Amanda Seyfried who plays his wife Catherine Claire. Somehow a horror film seems a step down for Norton.
Less a real grewsome horror film, the story is the gradual unpeeling of the layers of deceit which comprise George Claire. Granted there are a few ghosts haunting their house which is infamous for its tragic history. And there is no harm in a hokey séance. In a way the entire film is somewhat hokey.
At least give Norton some acting credit. He can play a good man as in Grantchester. But he can portray really evil people as in this film as well as in Happy Valley with Sarah Lancashire.
In fact you would do well to watch Happy Valley instead of this horror of a film.
From Netflix:
A bright-eyed American au pair hopes to make a difference caring for two orphans in a grand English manor. Yet the feeling of dread is undeniable.
From Netflix you can stream 9 episodes of this one season “horror” story. Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.
Probably it is fair to call this series a “horror” story. But there are no cheap theatrical tricks or ugly monsters. Almost unfortunately the acting and production details are so good that I was willing to watch the complicated plot to the end. Little by little the underlying premise and explanation for the strange events are revealed. But this show is easily one of the strangest I have ever seen and is clearly not for everyone’s tastes. By way of warning you to avoid spending time here, do NOT expect a happy ending.
If, however, you are determined to watch a well-done “ghost” story, then hopefully you will enjoy it.
From IMDB:
A year after their son goes missing, a family moves to Crickley Hall. When supernatural events begin to take place, Eve feels the house is somehow connected to her lost son.
From Netflix you can stream this 1.5 hour complete film.
Horror films can sometimes be silly or exaggerated. At best there is always some “manifestation” that is a bit over the top. However, this particular horror film successfully glues the paranormal to the gradual uncovering of the abuses of a madman.
And guess who plays the madman! Immediately I recognized the face but it took a while to register that the sadist Augustus Cribben is played by no other than the actor that plays DI Jimmy Perez in “Shetland”, namely Douglas Henshall. Possibly I took so long to make the connection because the two characters are complete opposites.
Eve Cleigh, the mother, is played by Suranne Jones (detective Rachel Bailey of “Scott and Bailey”). Gabe Caleigh, the father, is played by Tom Ellis (who unfortunately plays the devil in “Lucifer”).
Because the scenes constantly shift between present and past, you have to equate the young character with the older counterpart. Moreover there are many characters. So pay close attention to the good guys and the bad guys.
Give this film a “merely acceptable.”
From IMDB:
A team of scientists aboard the International Space Station discover a rapidly evolving life form, that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth.
Netflix sent me a DVD for this film.
“Why” I asked “would Jake Gyllenhaal appear in a sci-fi film? He is so much better than that.” Just wait until you see this film, which is probably one of the tensest sci-fi films I have ever seen, in which Gyllenhaal makes true and convincing use of his talents.
WARNING: This film is very upsetting with lots of gore. Not that it is a gore-fest, it is just that the very troubling plot demands the gore. In a certain accurate sense, this film is a classy horror film. If you are subject to nightmares, DO NOT SEE THIS FILM!
SPOILER ALERT: Read no more of this review if you intend to watch the excitement. Movies that end with irony are all the rage now, and this film is no exception. Do not expect a happy ending. Do expect a complete Shakespearean tragedy.
YOU COULD BE SORRY!!!!
From IMDB:
When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back.
Holy Middle School Nerds!
If my neighbors had not recommended the eight episodes of Season One of this sci-fi creeper, I would not have entered the “Upside Down World”. Unfortunately, once inside this semi-adult fantasy it is obsessively difficult to escape. So instead I binged-watched all the horror, high school romance, middle school bullying, and hysterics this TV series (streamable from Netflix) had to offer. To tell you the truth, it was a lot of fun and possibly a waste of time.
Winona Ryder we all know. David Harbour has many roles to his name, including David Patrick from “State of Affairs” and Elliot Hirsch from “The Newsroom”. Most of the cast were very young and did quite well. Indeed it seems to me that the middle school gang of four nerds got their literally hysterical parts just right.
If the plot grabs you, you will never escape. Supposedly there is a Season Two.
From IMDB:
A soldier returns home from the Iraq war only to be haunted by visions of the dead.
Rob Lowe must have been desperate to play in this horror B-film. At least one of the sub-themes is anti-Arab prejudice resulting from the war in Iraq, which at the time of this review when Donald Trump is spewing out so much hate, is quite relevant. Except for that, however, all the gory monster appearances are not worth your time.
Oddly enough, the acting is good.
Skip this one.
From NetFlix:
Reclusive Londoner Jamie Morgan, who bears a prominent, heart-shaped birthmark on his face yet can’t seem to find love anywhere, makes a deal with a devil-like figure to get a girl — but there’s a deadly price to pay
Never did I ever think I would watch a horror film. However, in a moment of weakness (while doing something else mundane) I allowed myself to stream from Netflix this heartless horror flick. My first inclination was to stop almost immediately until I saw that the famous British actress Ruth Sheen was Jamie’s mother. Also the part of the devil (?) was played by Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark in “Game of Thrones“. Well, if those known actors can lower themselves to play in a horror flick, who am I to not watch and cringe along?
“Cringe” is possibly a fair choice of words because there is at least one nasty scene (i.e. ripping out someone’s heart – does that count as nasty?) for which you might brace yourself.
Oddly enough this sell-your-soul (better than working for Goldman Sachs?) plot features some good acting. Jim Sturgess (Adam in “Upside Down”) presents a very well played Jamie Morgan.
However, in the final analysis, there is a lot of silliness and gore. If you don’t have a lot of spare time on your hands (or don’t have a bank book to balance) be sure to skip this barely acceptable piece of trash.
Is this a guilty pleasure or what?
From NetFlix:
In this twisted thriller from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, five friends arrive at a secluded cabin with clear instructions for their anticipated mountain getaway. But when the rigid rules are broken, punishment is swift — and everyone will pay. Kristen Connolly, Jesse Williams, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Chris Hemsworth and Brian J. White star with Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford in this surprising spin on a classic horror setup.
At some point while watching this acceptable piece of horror trash you will probably wake up and say “This is really stupid”. But hold on … Granted that I do not watch many horror films, as in “seen one, seen all of them”, this almost-stinker is probably one of the most original horror flicks I have seen. Following the usual script of “a bunch of friends travel together to a secluded location when all of a sudden …” in fact ALL OF A SUDDEN the film takes an unexpected turn which caused me to say “Wait a minute: is this really a horror film or some sort of a satiric prank?” Lo and behold there stand Richard Jenkins (the father ghost in “Six Feet Under”) and Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman in “The West Wing”) in a different setting. You will spend the rest of the film trying to figure out what is happening. Along the way you get to see the usual assemblage of zombies, slashers, creepy monsters, nightmares come to life, etc. That part (the ghoul parade) is the ho-hum part. Rather the interesting part is the juxtaposition of two seemingly disparate story threads. In addition, the dialog is tongue-in-cheek and sometimes funny.
Sigourney Weaver must really need the money. Her walk-on towards the end of the story is ludicrous. In fact, the hypothesis of the entire film is ludicrous. Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford must also be desperate for acting work. Chris Hemsworth plays Chris Hemsworth.
Because I am retired, I can waste the time watching this silly but somehow intriguing farce. Can you afford to waste your time?