Category Archives: Saturday is Horror Day

Saturday is Horror Day #201 – The Righteous

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Righteous

Frederic (Henry Czerny) and Ethel (Mimi Kuzyk) Mason have suffered a terrible loss in the death of their young daughter. A distraught Frederic questions why this has happened and goes to see his priest. Frederic also admits to certain difficulties in his marriage, although he loves his wife. The priest suggests perhaps he should return to the church – at one time, Frederic had been a priest. But Frederic dismisses that idea.

Later that night, while sitting alone in the dark, Frederic hears a noise outside. To his surprise, he discovers a young man lying on the ground, in pain and requesting help. Frederic is reluctant, but agrees to bring him first aid material. His concerned wife calls the police, but when Frederic returns to the young man, he finds him unconscious and carries him inside. By the time the police offer, Mary (Mayko Nguyen) arrives, Frederic claims – to his wife’s confusion – that the young man is a distant relative he hadn’t recognized at first and all is well.

Ethel is uneasy but Frederic assures her that all is well, although he doesn’t seem entirely sure himself. Rising in the middle of the night, he founds the young man, Aaron (Mark O’Brien) in the kitchen. Aaron asks for tea, so Frederic agrees, and they sit there together, talking of many things. Little does Frederic realize just how much his world is about to change.

This movie dates from 2021 and was shot in black-and-white, giving it an eerie almost gothic atmosphere. The excellent film score and direction adds to this, emphasizing the creepiness of the entire situation. The action is deliberately slow-paced and calculated to send shivers up and down your spine as you try to figure out what the heck is going on here. Twists and turns and revelations abound, along with in-depth discussion of life and religion, and the sins of the past. Definitely an interesting film. I’ll give it 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #200 – The Others

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Others

WWII has just ended, and Grace (Nicole Kidman) and her two children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley) are living in an isolated old family mansion in the Channel Islands. Grace’s husband Charles (Christopher Eccleston) is a soldier. Although he hasn’t returned from the war, Grace expects him to arrive any day now. She and the children love and miss him very much.

But an unexpected knock at her door turns out to be the servants she has sent for –  Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), Lydia (Elaine Cassidy) and Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes). From the beginning of their employment, Grace shows herself to be strict and expects nothing less than complete obedience from them, especially when it comes to following her rules. For example one cannot open a door to a room until the door they’ve just come through is closed and locked – no exceptions. Also they must be mindful to keep the curtains drawn whenever the children are around as they are extremely photosensitive and the sunlight can cause serious damage to them.

Perhaps because of the house’s isolation, Grace becomes convinced that it is haunted. It doesn’t help that Anne claims there are people there inside the house, and that she has been in contact with a little boy named Victor. Grace grows more and more sharp-tempered with her children and the servants, as her nerves reach a breaking point. The unexpected appearance of her husband temporarily calms her but even that doesn’t last. She knows she’s heard people in her house and she is prepared to fight them to protect her children!

I originally watched this movie a long time ago, but as I couldn’t remember it very well, decided to give it another watch. This movie has a lot of atmosphere. The direction and cinematography are both excellent, not to mention stellar performances from all involved. Nicole Kidman won an Oscar for her performance and Fionnula Flanagan won one for Best Supporting Actress. Also, this was before I even knew who Chris Eccleston was, so pre 9th Doctor.  I highly recommend watching this film. I give this film 4.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #199 – Sting

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Sting


Twelve-year-old Charlotte (Alyla Browne) feels as if the weight of the world is upon her shoulders. Her parents are divorced and her father is off in far-away Thailand, while her mother, Heather (Penelope Mitchell) has remarried a man named Ethan (Ryan Corr) and now they have a six-year-old son named Liam (Jett Berry). And Charlotte’s grandmother, Helga (Noni Hazlehurst) who lives with her sister Gunter (Robyn Nevin) in the same apartment building, but Helga has dementia and often doesn’t know the people who love her. Charlotte is very talented and creative, and she and Ethan are working together on a comic. But Charlotte feels ignored even in this venue. 

One day Charlotte finds a small spider. On impulse, she decides to keep it and raise it, but she neglects to mention anything of its existence in their apartment to either parent. From the beginning, this spider is acting strangely… and it is growing exponentially. Suddenly it’s not quite so small and cute, and it’s becoming a problem for all living things in this apartment building.

 

If you suffer from arachnophobia, this probably isn’t the film for you. There is only one spider, but it’s a doozy. The movie is pretty creepy and definitely keeps you watching to know what happens next. But it also has its humorous moments in the form of Frank the exterminator (Jermaine Fowler), who you might remember from Sorry to Bother You.

 

But although this is a story about a horrible spider that threatens to consume a family, it’s about Charlotte gaining a new understanding and appreciation for what makes a family, and finding her place in it. This is echoed in the story of another neighbor, Maria (Silvia Colloca) who has lost her family and would give anything to have them back. I believe it works on both levels, the acting and directing are decent, and it held my interest. Worth giving a watch, in my opinion. I’ll give this film 3.5 Stars. I was able to watch this movie on Hulu. 

Saturday is Horror Day #198 – In Her Skin

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

In Her Skin


Rachel Barber (Kate Bell) is young and pretty and very well-liked by everyone. Lovely and slender, her passion is dancing, and she takes classes at a local school. Her parents, Michael (Guy Pearce) and Elizabeth (Miranda Otto) adore her. But one day, Rachel does not get off the tram, where her father is waiting to pick her up, and life will never be the same for the Barbers.

 

 

Realizing immediately that something is not right, the family contacts the police, but they are dismissive of their concerns, and claim that it hasn’t been long enough to be considered missing. That she has probably run away. Rachel’s boyfriend Manni (Khan Chittenden) says he hasn’t seen her, and neither have her friends. Rachel is too dependable to simply have gone somewhere without letting someone know. But then Manni confesses that Rachel told him she was going to a job that night, one that paid a lot of money but was vey secretive, and that’s all he knows. The Barbers are naturally concerned what that might mean.

 

In Her Skin is based on a true story that took place in Australia in 1999. The stars in the cast are rounded out by Sam Neill, who plays the father of a girl who once babysat for the family, Caroline Reid Robertson, played by Ruth Bradley. The acting is top notch, not surprisingly with such a cast, and the concern for their daughter is palpable. Anyone who has children can relate to how hopeless they must have felt, wondering where their daughter was. As we discover the identity of the killer and watch her own descent into madness, it’s difficult to empathize with her, despite her difficult childhood and her feelings of inadequacy and self-loathing. At the end of the day, a young life was taken for no good reason. This is a story that will haunt you afterwards. The seeming indifference of the police is indeed maddening. I would have felt frustrated too.

 

I think this film is underrated and worth a watch. Just be aware that it is a difficult subject and does not have a happy ending. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #197 – Abigail

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Abigail

A group of criminals is hired for the purposes of kidnapping. They are not told beforehand who the target is, just that they are to kidnap her and hold her while ransom demands are made and met. They don’t know one another and are under strict instructions from the man who hired them, Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito) not to change the status quo in any way, including exchanging real names. To that end, he assigns them nicknames they are to use. Joey(Melissa Barrera), Frank(Dan Stevens), Rickles(William Catlett), Sammy(Kathryn Newton), Peter(Kevin Durand), and Dean(Angus Cloud) Clearly, someone likes the Rat Pack here.

Abigail is a ballerina, and is performing to an empty theater. Afterward, she is taken home, and the

kidnappers follow. Upon arrival at the place where the kidnapping is to occur, Sammy is dismayed to learn the target is a young girl, Abigail (Alisha Weir). But a job is a job, and she has a child of her own, so what can they do? They break into the house, acquire the target remove her to another location, where she is blindfolded and shackled to a bed. They decide that only one of them will interact with Abigail, thus lessening the chances she might recognize their voices later. Sammy volunteers for this, and makes sure she wears her mask whenever she checks on Abigail.

But strange things begin to happen, and the kidnappers find their numbers dwindling. Worse, they find themselves locked into this place with no way out. If that’s not bad enough, Abigail is no ordinary child…

First, let me say that if you happened to watch the trailer, as I did, there is no need to see the movie, you’ve seen it all. Seriously. I believe that had I not seen that first, I would have enjoyed the movie more. But the element of surprise was irretrievably lost, so I had a good idea what was coming. I even made some surmises regarding Sammy from the beginning, which proved to be true.  There was one unexpected event at the end, but I would have known that if I had read the entire cast list at IMDB.

That being said, there is nothing about this movie that stands out. Even the child ballerina who is more than that loses interest. The acting is just okay, although I do like Kevin Durand, also the surprise visitor at the end. But ultimately it’s not enough for me to say I enjoyed watching this. It misfires on some level. The info dump at the beginning was just too obvious and did come into play later. But I have to believe there was a better way to do this. So, if you’ve seen the trailer, stop there. You’ll be better entertained. If you still want to watch, proceed at your own risk. I’ll give this film 2 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #196 – Dark Night of the Scarecrow

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Dark Night of the Scarecrow

Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake) is a mentally changed man who wouldn’t hurt a soul. He lives with his mother, and his best friend is a young girl  named Marylee (Tonya Crowe), and they spend a lot of time together. Unfortunately, in their small Southern town, four men who are the local assholes, including the postal carrier Otis Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) like to make life miserable for Bubba. They torment him and have, on more than one occasion, beaten him, simply for existing.

When Marylee is attacked by a dog, the four men blame Bubba, even though it wasn’t his fault, and he

actually saved her. They chase him down and execute him, only to learn that the girl lived and he didn’t harm her. They hide their deed, and claim self-defense, and are declared blameless, to the chagrin of the prosecuting attorney. Bubba’s mother is very angry, and tells them that there will be justice of another kind.

And then suddenly these four men can’t stop seeing a mysterious scarecrow. And once he appears to one of the men, that man dies. What sort of curse is this? Has Bubba come back from the dead? Or was he even dead to begin with.

So maybe this film will never receive an Academy Award nomination (especially as it’s from 1981), but I find a certain satisfaction in watching ignorant assholes get what is coming to them. Charles Durning is particularly loathsome as the mailman who torments poor Bubba every chance he gets. He is also cringeworthy when he tries to convince young Marylee that Bubba’s death isn’t his fault. If this was done today, some might even say he’s a pedo, but I think he just can’t handle the truth. As a side note, Larry Drake, who plays Bubba, played Benny in the TV series, LA Law, a character who was also mentally challenged. In fact, Drake became known for playing that kind of character, and people were so convinced by his performance they thought he was handicapped himself.

I’ll give this film 3 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #195 – Son

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Son

Laura (Andi Matichak) has a troubled past, one she was able to escape from… barely. She still has nightmares about that time and those people. But the one good thing she took away with her is her son David (Luke David Blumm).  Several years have passed, and David is ill. The trouble is that none of the doctors can diagnose what is wrong with him. Worse, they seem to think something is wrong with Laura. Something mental.

Laura removes David from the hospital and flees with him. But violence seems to follow them. She  meets a detective who is working the case, Paul (Emile Hirsch), and it seems they may be forming a connection. But at the end of the day, David comes first, and Laura will do whatever she must to protect him…. anything at all.

This film does start slowly, I admit, but it does pick up eventually. I think it feels a bit disjointed at times and that perhaps it could have been told in a better way. The basic premise is solid and entertaining, and the end is unexpected. Luke David Blumm was great as the unfortunate son, outshining the adults around him. The two leads are so-so. It’s not a bad film, I just think it could have been better. I’ll give this film 3 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #194 – Starry Eyes

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Starry Eyes

Sarah (Alexandra Essoe) is an aspiring actress in a town that is full of aspiring actors. To get ahead, one has to stand out, but that is difficult to do. To make ends meet and pay her bills, Sarah works at a family restaurant called Taters, but she is hardly the ideal employee and has been warned multiple times about being on her phone or not coming to work. But she persist in this behavior because she has to follow her dream, right?

She finally gets a break… well, a psychotic break. After doing poorly at an audition, she loses her shit in the ladies room afterward, furiously punching and swearing and finally pulling out her hair in frustration. She is overheard by the casting director who brings her back and asks her to show them that performance. Sarah is startled by their request but agrees. Afterward, she is invited to meet with a producer! Sarah is thrilled. But when she meets with him, it is clear that he has certain “expectations” which she is unwilling to meet, and she makes a hasty exit.

Sarah has a small circle of friends, one of whom is making a film. He tells her he would love to cast her in his film. But she doesn’t think that is enough for her. Her life is falling apart, so she swallows her pride and calls the producer back and arranges another meeting…

This film examines how people perceive themselves and how they value or don’t value themselves, and what they are willing to do to achieve their dreams in the artificiality that is Hollywood. So many insincere people who only see your physical form with no regard for anything else. We follow Sarah through her journey. Frankly, I disliked her, and I think she is a bit unhinged in her extreme reactions to rejection. We also see what price she is willing to pay, and at the end we see even more. Not really a fan of the ending, but all in all, it was worth watching once. I’ll give this film 3.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #193 – Thir13en Ghosts

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Thir13en Ghosts

Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) has a wonderful life, with loving wife Jean (Kathryn Anderson), and their two kids, Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and Bobby (Alex Roberts). But Fate has other ideas, and an unexpected fire takes Jean’s life. Now Arthur’s own life is in chaos as he tries to provide for the kids and their nanny Maggie (Rah Digga). They are crammed together in a small apartment, have financial problems,  and nothing is going right… until Arthur receives a visit from a lawyer (Ben Moss) who brings him news of the demise of his Uncle Cyrus, a man he barely knows (F Murray Abraham), and tells him that Arthur has now inherited from him an actual house. Seems like divine providence, right?

Maybe not.

The lawyer offers to take them to the house, which lies a couple of hours away, in the middle of nowhere. The house turns out to be much more than they ever dreamed of. Plus it is very unique, being entirely made of glass. As Kathy says, “I hope the bathroom’s in the basement.”

On their arrival, they find an inspector for the electric company (Matthew Lillard) who insists on coming in with them and then asks for directions to the basement. What they don’t know is that he is not what he seems to be, his real name is Rafkin, and he was an associate of Uncle Cyrus. Not only that, he knows what Cyrus spent his life collecting, as he helped him do it. Namely, ghosts. And this house is simply an elaborate containment system for twelve ghosts. But more than that, they serve a very sinister purpose. Funny thing, the lawyer knows all this too. As if he is in on some secret. But what is contained can get out, you know? And a house might not necessarily be a good home.

This movie is a reboot of the original 1960 Thirteen Ghosts made by director William Castle. The first film was black and white and 3D, whereas the newer one is color. During the intervening years between the first and second film, computer graphics came a long way, resulting in more sophisticated special effects, which the movie utilizes well, the most astounding being the house itself.

I love Tony Shalhoub and he doesn’t disappoint as the almost bewildered widower who can’t seem to cope with the death of his beloved wife, but loves his children more than anything and will do whatever he can to protect them. F Murray Abraham as Uncle Cyrus is deliciously vile and evil, urbanity aside, and Matthew Lillard as the poor dupe with psychic abilities is wonderful. I’d say he shines in the role.

If you can, watch the special features that go with this film. My mind was blown when I saw the “reality” of the house, because I kept wondering where they built this house. Spoiler alert – they didn’t. All special effects and interior sets. I like that they chose to use their own story instead of simply remaking the original. Is it scary? Not really. Is it interesting?  I think it is. I’ve seen it multiple times, in fact. The ghosts themselves are quite unique, and each has a backstory you can watch in the special features. I found it very enjoyable and will no doubt watch it again some day. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #192 – Grace: The Possession, Sympathy for the Devil

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Grace: The Possession

Born to a mother who died afterwards, Grace (Alexia Fast) has been raised by her grandmother Helen (Lin Shaye). Eighteen years later, she is off to college and more than a little nervous, having little actual experience with people. Her new roommate is rather forward and outgoing, and introduces Grace to a few of her friends, but Grace finds herself quickly left behind. It doesn’t help when her grandmother calls to admonish her for not taking the Bible with her when she packed for college. Luckily, Grandma has corrected that oversight.

To be honest, I didn’t get any farther than this. The camerawork was driving me crazy, done from Grace’s POV, and Grace herself was a very uninteresting character. Not much to say other than I didn’t care for it and never watched far enough to see Lin Shaye, who was in the Conjuring series.  Oh well, can’t win them all. I recommend skipping this one.

Sympathy for the Devil

A man (Joel Kinnaman) is driving to the hospital to join his wife, who is in labor with their second child, the first having died in childbirth. He is naturally anxious about the pending birth and wants to be with his wife. But he is unexpectedly joined by a man with bright red hair (Nic Cage) who tells him to simply drive. And by the way, he has a gun….

I’ll be honest with you, there is only one reason to watch this film – if you are a fan of Nic Cage, as I am. His performance is high energy cray-cray at its finest. I was actually misled by the title, assuming Nic Cage was playing the devil in human form, but such was not the case. There are some tricks and twists to this film, which is mercifully short, but not of that compares to watching Nic at work. This all takes place in and around Las Vegas. I didn’t like the Driver, he was very weak and uninspiring, but I absolutely loved Nic. If you want to see this, see it for Nic. If you aren’t a fan, you might as well skip it.

I’m giving this film 3 Stars, purely because I love Nic Cage.

Sorry, not exactly winners this week. Better luck next time. Feel free to make suggestions for films you want to see reviewed.