Reviews by Kyle Ellis

There was once a time where I wasn't crazy about horror but over-time I have grown to appreciate it. Halloween really is a true classic of its genre, it is genuinely scary, taut and is pretty much the only movie of the franchise in my opinion that is not only truly effective after all this time but also where everything works.

Halloween is very well made for starters, with atmospheric lighting and camera angles definite things to like. The score is resolutely haunting, the story is tightly paced and compelling, John Carpenter's direction is superb with some inspired, efficient techniques and while I have heard better the dialogue is good enough with some sharpness and nothing really that stands out as too cheesy or stilted.

The acting is very good, and the characters especially Michael Myers are iconic. Jamie Lee Curtis is more than just a pretty face, her acting seems very genuine and she gives her character welcome gravitas. Donald Pleasance is excellent too, while Michael Myers as a character is the personification of terror.

Halloween also works so well because of its atmosphere. It doesn't rely on excessive and cheap gore to make its point, or frenzied camera angles and the like. What it has is real suspense and genuine jolts especially in the last twenty minutes.

All in all, a true classic. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Such an amazing film that deserves the accolades and acclaimed hype it's garnered. One of the best foreign language films there is and one of the best films personally seen recently, after a long time of being on my to see list but taking a while to get round to it due to being so busy and going through a difficult phase.

Perhaps 'City of God' is not for everybody. It is not some audience members' idea of being entertaining, and is pretty unflinching, uncompromising and challenges the viewer. It does, with that being said, a superlative job bringing those qualities to life, and there are others, including myself, who judge films by what they set out to do rather than just wanting to be "entertained". There are many hugely entertaining films, while there are others that are clearly intended to be things other than entertainment and either are deep character studies, deliberate mood pieces and poignant dramas and shouldn't be denounced because of stereotypical views of what a film should be like.

'City of God' is very well made, with some stunning and hard-hitting images, even if the budget is not high or enormous. It's all audaciously shot and edited with a lot of gritty atmosphere and sense of tension. The music fits well and has some haunting moments without being intrusive, while Fernando Meirelles's direction, particularly in the visual style, is superb.

The story is not hard to follow, with lots of provoking thought, tension and emotion, while the action is positively explosive, frighteningly brutal and designed with a real meticulousness. In no way either does it glamorise crime and gives an unflinching view of gangland rivalry, provoking comparisons to Martin Scorsese and 'Goodfellas'.

Alexandre Rodrigues and Leandro Firmino da Hora are fabulous in their roles and carry the film and their compellingly real characters adeptly.

Overall, a masterwork. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Warning: Spoilers

Forrest Gump, I think is a beautiful film. Never too schmaltzy, but there are some genuine tearjerkers like Forrest at Jenny's grave. The cinematography is stunning, the costumes are lovely and the scenery is gorgeous. The music is also very calm and relaxing, perhaps adding to the tone of this film. The screenplay is well crafted, and the story is simple. But what made this movie was its simplicity; it never tries to be too complex and is consequently moving. The acting is just as impressive; whilst Tom Hanks's accent is a little awkward in places, my only real criticism of this movie, he gives a truly remarkable performance, though I do think Morgan Freeman deserved the Oscar more for Shawshank. Robin Wright gives possibly the best performance of her career, and Sally Field is very dignified as Forrest's mother. The scene stealer though is Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan, a very moving and insightful performance. Overall, an extremely good movie, I will admit I wasn't sure whether I would like it, but the simple answer is this, I do. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I saw this not only because of the brilliant story but also because of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, two of the best actors I know. And I was not disappointed at all, in fact although I do have respect for the 1931 film and like the 1992 film this 1958 Dracula is the best version. It has atmospheric lighting and cinematography and the costumes and sets are wonderful colourful. The score is also very haunting while never becoming too grandiose, the script is not stilted and flows well and the story apart from the odd slow moment draws you in and does a good job condensing the source material. It is beautifully directed by Terrence Fisher, and there is some very good, great even from some, acting. Jonathan, Mina and Lucy are believable and written in a convincing manner. But this Dracula will be remembered by me for two performances. One is Peter Cushing, who is the ideal Van Helsing, his interpretation is eccentric yet done with charm and grace too, no over-theatricality in sight. The other, and this is my personal favourite, is Christopher Lee as Dracula, who manages to not only be terrifying but also sensual, although I like Lugosi and Oldman a lot in the roles Lee for me of the Draculas is the only one to capture BOTH these qualities. All in all, in my opinion because of the production values, atmosphere, Cushing and especially Lee, this Dracula is the best one. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Greetings from Lithuania.

Now i wasn't a fan of previous games, although i liked them, and beat couple of first ones on PS. But this game got me on hook from the first amazing trailer i saw. Gritty, realistic with some wonderful cinematic trick's - i was waiting for it. And it didn't disappointed me to say at least. What a fantastic game this is. I have walked about 30% or so but i can honestly say - this is an amazing and exciting gaming experience. Lara was never more sexy and vulnerable and interesting before. Evereyting works in this game. From awesome graphics to wonderful game play, from hidden tombs to gory and brutal fights - it's just awesome. Play this game, this is probably the best game you'l play this year, and if you do, this is going to be one exceptional year in VG world.

Greetings from Lithuania.

Now i wasn't a fan of previous games, although i liked them, and beat couple of first ones on PS. But this game got me on hook from the first amazing trailer i saw. Gritty, realistic with some wonderful cinematic trick's - i was waiting for it. And it didn't disappointed me to say at least. What a fantastic game this is. I have walked about 30% or so but i can honestly say - this is an amazing and exciting gaming experience. Lara was never more sexy and vulnerable and interesting before. Evereyting works in this game. From awesome graphics to wonderful game play, from hidden tombs to gory and brutal fights - it's just awesome. Play this game, this is probably the best game you'l play this year, and if you do, this is going to be one exceptional year in VG world.

John Carpenter's 1978 'Halloween' is wholly deserving of its status as a horror classic, as a horror film it is one of the most iconic ones and very influential. To this day it is still one of the freakiest films personally seen and introduced the world to one of horror's most iconic villainous characters, and characters overall, in Michael Myers.

The numerous follow-ups are very hit and miss (leaning towards the miss), with none of them being anywhere near as good and the quality decline generally was pretty drastic. 'Halloween H20: 20 Years Later' was an exception, while the Rob Zombie films and 'Halloween: Resurrection' were abominations. Hearing that there was going to be another film, part of me was really excited as it did look very creepy and word of mouth was positive. There was a little nervousness though as well, due to not being impressed generally with most of the 'Halloween' follow ups. Watched it though as part of my seeing as many 2018 films as possible quest, which has been a worthwhile one mostly but also hit and miss.

Found myself breathing a big sigh of relief walking out of the cinema. While 'Halloween' (2018) is nowhere near as good as the 1978 classic, alongside 'Halloween H20: 20 Years Later' it is one of the best of the series since. There are flaws and it is not one of my favourites of the year, but there are a lot of strengths and there have been worse films this year. As far as 2018 horror films go, the year has been patchy for horror, it's one of the best ones on the most part.

Starting with 'Halloween's' (2018) problems, some of the humour is misplaced and out of kilter too much with the rest of the film and a few elements of the story could have been explored and gone further more.

The big twist also didn't seem fully realised although a brave one and the ending felt rushed and abrupt, also felt that there could have been more tension and less unintentionally silly camp. Have always been wary of open-ended endings and that they can be dangerous to do in case a planned sequel falls through.

However, there is an awful lot to like about 'Halloween' (2018). Along with 'Halloween H20: 20 Years Later' it is the best looking of the follow-ups, it is very eerily shot and is close in style to the autumnal look and visual iconography of the original, something that most of the follow-ups failed to do. Loved the haunting music score, here an asset rather than a drawback in how it adds a lot to the atmosphere and enhances it, coming close too in being a character of its own.

While flawed, the script is mostly smart with in-jokes and references that are effectively embedded and coming over as affectionate rather than random. There are humorous moments too. 'Halloween' (2018) succeeds in being fun and creepy, with the atmosphere being riddled with tension and suspense. The deaths are horrifyingly creative and the most shocking since 'Halloween H20', the gore not going overboard on the shock value or looking cheap, not distracting at all. The beginning is unsettlingly tense and Michael Myers has not been this freaky in a long time. Some moments have surprising heart and the scares made me jump and bite my nails. It was great for the film to return to the franchise's roots and treat the original with respect, while with enough new touches of its own. One of the better examples this year in attempts to cater to everybody.

Didn't find myself annoyed by the characters and there was personality to them to stop them from being bland. 'Halloween' (2018) is one of the best acted 'Halloween' films. Jamie Lee Curtis has still got it, none of what made her character great is lost or forgotten, and Nick Castle is supremely terrifying as Myers.

Concluding, didn't bowl me over but found myself enjoying it all the same. 7/10 Bethany Cox

The best and only real good thing about Scream is the creepy ghost town setting. Even with a very familiar concept, Scream could have been promising but was spoiled by terrible execution to the extent that important components were almost non-existent. The movie is very badly made from a visual standpoint, you can't enjoy the setting properly because the photography ranges between haphazard and indulgent the entire time and the movie is far too darkly lit that you cannot see what is going on properly or work out who's who and who's been killed. The music had its atmospheric moments, but that is a big emphasis on moments, much of it is pretty much one speed and mood which is ponderous and over-bearingly monotonous, doing nothing to enhance what's happening. The dialogue makes next to no sense and sounds very random and improvisatory, almost like an incomplete rough draft, while the execution of the story is most likely the worst thing about Scream, it starts bizarrely in an opening sequence so strange and almost irrelevant it makes the jaw drop. It's also completely predictable and moves at just one pace which is excruciatingly dull, it doesn't explain anything(the ending can't even be called an ending for reasons that have been covered in previous reviews who explain the movie's problems very well), there's no suspense, scares or fun whatsoever, and for a slasher the deaths and the gore are incredibly tame in a way that it doesn't feel like a horror in any way. The characters are underdeveloped ciphers and some of them, especially Lou, are irritating too(the most rootable is actually the unseen and never revealed killer), while the direction is barely competent and the acting is atrocious, the annoying Joe Allaine being the biggest offender, making the most bored-looking zombies imaginable seem more animated. Woody Strode is the least bad and has a decent introduction but that's not saying a lot, his character is far too weakly written for him to count as a saving grace. In conclusion, a real clunker, whether it's the worst slasher is debatable but it's down there. Not to be confused with the 1996 film of the same name which actually is a great film. 2/10 and that is only for the setting. Bethany Cox

"The Exorcist" made you feel respect and fear to the Devil. Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead II" makes fun of the Devil and demon possession. Although there are some really scary scenes, there are some really twisted funny situations that would leave you wondering "what the f*** just happened?!". The movie is funny for the wrong reasons. I eventually don't laugh about when a man is breaking himself dishes on the head. I don't think it's funny when a man is repeatedly beaten up by grotesque characters. I would never imagine a man getting eaten by a demon locked under a cellar and throwing gallons of blood! "Evil Dead II" makes it look hilarious in a wicked kind of way. For example, when Linda's head tells Ash that "she is being tormented, and suffering in hell; you can feel a little scared but the next scene has a corpse without a head holding a chainsaw. There's no time for logic here, just sit and enjoy!

It also has the ability to make you feel tense and I must say, scared. The combination of demon possessed people, EVIL sounds (I love the weird noise in the movie), wicked laughs and chanting ("dead by dawn!"), and intrepid camera angles are the perfect ingredients to make a sui generis Horror-Comedy movie. Watch out for the "A Farewell to Arms" joke, the whole situation with the evil hand, and the eye that gets in a woman's mouth!.

Sam Raimi went too far for the good reasons. He created an unbelievable and unforgettable work that has served as inspiration for many movies in recent years. The movie is easily one of the most visually stunning Horror movies of all time, for sure. Die hard fans of gore get an eye candy for an hour and a half. Raimi created a cult movie in all the sense of the world. "Groovy!". "Dead by Dawn" will never bore you because in every scene there's a feeling of uncertainty and that makes it even more interesting. There are no rules here.

The plot is as scary as you can imagine but it's held in such a way that it isn't taken very seriously. I mean, demon possession caused by the Necronomicon is something that happens in the real world. Not exactly with that book but it can happen via satanic books and rituals. Raimi takes it to a different level of humor mixed with gore.

Bruce Campbell deserves a special mention. He delivers a wicked, solid, and totally believable performance. Something you haven't seen before mainly because of the strange situations he goes through. His performance could be described as a "solo". Easily, one of the best performances of any actor in a Horror movie. Also, one of the characters that suffers the most in any movie! Ash is beaten up by demons, humans, objects, etc. Even possessed creatures make fun of him.

The gore here is great, glorious. You get decaps, mutilated bodies, a hand cut off, bleeding demons, etc. Blood spread all over the cabin is the common denominator. One of the goriest movies of all time.

Watch "Evil Dead II" to witness one of the most creative, brave, and goriest movies of all time. It delivers something for everyone. It has action, gore, spectacular camera angles, and some action! Check out Ash V.S. possessed Henrietta. * After it, phrases like "join us!", "swallow this!", and specially "groovy!" will be part of your daily vocabulary.

Recommended for every Horror fan in the world. This movie is an obligation to watch.

A few nights ago, a couple of friends and myself watched The Evil Dead again. It was like the 68th viewing for me ( I think...lost count somewhere around 50) but it still only means one thing to me: PARTY !! Many feeling can occur when watching this delicious masterpiece by Sam Raimi. You can either adore it, be frightened by it or be disgusted by it. But it always leaves a big impression on you and I can't imagine anyone would hate it.

And there is ONE feeling that everyone should have towards this movie...RESPECT ! Mostly respect regarding the achievement of Sam Raimi. This guy was 21 years old when he made this film and that's impressive to say the least. I'm around that age at the moment and I sure as hell haven't pulled it off yet...I strongly doubt I ever will, actually. No, when you're able to come up with such an original and dared idea for a horror film, you belong to the greatest minds in the film industry. Sam Raimi did it and his further career only confirmed his status of being a genius with every single movie he directed afterwards. Tons of respect towards Bruce Campbell as well. Sure his performance in this movie is far from great, but at the time, he did it because of his friendship with Sam Raimi. And because The Evil Dead became a big hit, his career was launched too and he certainly grew as an actor. Bruce Campbell is now in the favorite actor-list of many B-movie fans...And I'm one of them.

Then there's Tom Sullivan...responsible for the make-up. What a fine job he did. The Evil Dead gave a whole new meaning to the word "gore" and we have this man to thank for that. Most nowadays horror films still can't live up to the standard of Evil Dead...not even close.

The plot of this film is as simple as can be...but it works. Five friends drive to a small cabin in the woods to spend a small vacation. They find a tape recorder with a message...Out of curiosity, they play it and pure evil is rised in the woods. One by one, they become possessed and turn into horrible demons who try to kill those who're still alive...That's it !!! And that's all there is needed to create a fun and very original horror movie. The same story already came out in 1978 as a short film called "Within the Woods". It was meant to fund money for this film and it's great B-movie fun as well. If you're a big fan of The Evil Dead trilogy, it's certainly worth searching for.

Anno 2003, Sam Raimi has grown out to one of Hollywood's favorite directors. He became immortal in the eyes of the big budget audience with his movie Spiderman. The sequel of that one is in production while I write this. I'm sure it will be as decent as the first Spiderman was, but I'd still prefer to see Evil Dead 4 coming from the brain of Sam Raimi.

A fun trivia element to finish this review with : If you're watching the end credits of the Evil Dead, you'll see Joel Coen is credited as Assistent Editor. Coen now is a famous director as well and may be considered as the best director alive. Back in 1981, he and Sam Raimi were close friends and even shared a studio when they were in collage. Joel Coen made his debut in 1984 with Blood Simple. One of the best cult movies ever made...

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