Tag Archives: Julie Lynn Hayes

Book Review: One Piece: Shokugeki no Sanji

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One Piece: Shokugeki no Sanji   

Author: Yuto Tsukuda

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: March 12, 2024

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Action Adventure/232 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

When a famous gourmand, known as “the tongue that spans the seas”, arrives at the Baratie, she is instantly disdainful of all that she sees and questions how good the food can possibly be. She makes ridiculous assumptions concerning the head chef as well as Sanji and the others. Sanji offers to make a dish for her, but under one condition – if she is pleased by what he cooks, she must clean her plate. Game on!

The crew of the Go Merry run across a castaway adrift on the ocean and bring him aboard, although he is less than thrilled and feels they should have left him. Finding a wedding invitation, Sanji surmises that the man is a chef from a nearby island whose only daughter is getting married and he has gone in search of some special seafood he could make for the occasion, but after catching the Draconic Super-fillet salmon, he got caught in a squall. However the weather is the least of his concerns – once he has the beautiful fish, he is unable to properly filet it! Sanji offers to help, but will this task prove to be beyond even his amazing culinary skills?

In the kingdom of Alabasta, a feast is being held to honor the heroes who saved the kingdom! But with Luffy’s enormous appetite and the chef’s staff being temporarily short-handed, a problem is about to arise. Sanji wants to help, but he doesn’t want to intrude. So he introduces himself and says he wants to see how such a large kitchen works, and he is willing to do anything, such as peel potatoes. They quickly take advantage of his generosity!

Sanji finds himself a hostage of the inhabitants of Kamabakka Queendom – an island comprised of drag queens! They challenge him to earn the rights to the 99 recipes of attack cuisine. But this will be no easy task. Challenge accepted!

Sanji – who now goes by Sangoro – is looking for a powerful samurai to join his crew, so decides to use his culinary skills to attract candidates. But as he and Usopp brainstorm, he discovers a soba noodle vendor who seems to have the market cornered. Sanji is never one to resist a challenge, so he challenges them, but soon learns they do have a monopoly on the best buckwheat flour. Can Sanji work around such a problem?

This volume takes the character of Sanji from Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece and features him in his own set of stories taken from various points in the original manga. It’s not hard to see that these stories were done by the creators of Food Wars, as the style is unmistakable.  I love Sanji, so buying this was inevitable. They did a wonderful job with five interesting stories featuring Sanji, as well as a bonus story. If you love One Piece, particularly Sanji, as well as Food Wars, this book is for you.

Saturday is Horror Day #188 – Bunny Lake is Missing, Fright Night (2011)

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Bunny Lake is Missing

 


Moving can be a very busy  and confusing time, especially if you’re moving to another country. Ann Lake (Carol Lynley) has just moved to London with her daughter Bunny to live with her brother Steven (Keir Dullea). Steven has to work so he can’t deal with the movers, so Ann has to drop her child off at the school earlier than she had planned. She takes her to a particular room as instructed, but no one is there except for another child, who is a baby. Leaving Bunny there, Ann searches for the staff, and ends up in the kitchen where she encounters the cook (Lucie Mannheim). The cook has her own rant and barely listens to Ann, telling her to go on and go, she will watch the child for the few minutes until the others arrive. Ann reluctantly does so and oversees the move. She returns later, at lunchtime, to pick up her child – but Bunny is nowhere to be found and no one remembers seeing her.

 

Panic-stricken, Ann calls Steven and he hastens to her. They question everyone in the school, but the 


responses they receive are evasive and uncaring. Steven threatens to call the police and then does so. Superintendent Newhouse (Laurence Olivier) arrives with Police Sgt. Andrews (Clive Revill) and begin to take down the facts. Ann is beside herself with worry, but she seems to be the only one. Eventually, she begins to realize that the questions that are being asked are all leading toward a different question – does Bunny Lake actually exist, or is she a figment of Ann’s imagination?

 

I remember when this book came out, years ago, but I don’t think I ever got to read it (I would have 


been too young at that time and forgot about it). But something jogged my memory recently and I requested the movie from the library. This is a beautifully crafter psychological thriller. Ann is becoming increasingly frustrated that people think she doesn’t even have a daughter, and she is being dismissed as another hysterical woman. Keir Dullea’s performance as Steven led to him being offered a role in Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Otto Preminger directed Bunny Lake. And of course there is the amazing and unforgettable Laurence Olivier as the only person who seems to be interested in what Ann has to say.

 

 

 
As you watch this film, you begin to doubt whether Bunny exists at all, and maybe Ann is more than a little unhinged. The pacing is awesome, and I think that being in black and white sets a mood that color couldn’t do. I enjoyed this film greatly and highly recommend it. I’ll give it 4.5 Stars.
 
Fright Night (2011)
 

Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) has always been known as a nerd, but now that he has a girlfriend, Amy (Imogen Poots), he’d rather change his image. So it’s almost inevitable that he doesn’t want to listen to his ex-best friend, Ed (Christopher Mintz-Passe) when he warns Charley that his new next door neighbor, Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire. Whoever heard of a vampire named Jerry? He might be annoying, sure, but that’s because Charley’s mom Jane (Toni Collette) is flirting with him. But a vampire? The idea is ridiculous.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Until suddenly Ed disappears, and Charley sees things he can’t explain. So naturally he breaks into the 

alleged vampire’s house and realizes he is in over his head. Who can he call on that will know anything about vampires? Turns out, since he lives in Las Vegas, there is someone. None other than the great Peter Vincent himself (David Tennant). But getting the renowned performer to listen is another task. And he has to keep his mother from inviting Jerry into the house! What’s a guy to do?
 
 
 
 
 
This is a remake of the 1985 film, which I haven’t seen yet but probably should. So I can’t really compare them yet. But I found this one enjoyable. Colin Ferrell plays a rather intimidating vampire – I sure wouldn’t go up against him. I think everyone did a good job, it certainly held my interest. And David Tennant was awesome, not to mention rather hot as Peter Vincent, although not without some character flaws of his own. I enjoyed watching this, and I think it’s a fun movie, especially if you like vampires, as I do. I’ll give this film 3.5 Stars.
 
 

 

Book Review: Lord of Misrule: The Autobiography of Christopher Lee by Christopher Lee

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Lord of Misrule: The Autobiography of Christopher Lee       

Author: Christopher Lee

Publisher: Orion Publishing

American release date: October 1, 2003

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Autobiography/392 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Christopher Lee is probably best known for his role as Count Dracula in old Hammer films, alongside his good friend Peter Cushing. In more recent years, you might remember him as Saruman, the wizard who goes wrong in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings films, and Count Dooku in Star Wars. But did you know he is related to Italian nobility? And he was the model his step-cousin Ian Fleming based James Bond on?

There is so much more to this man than meets the eye. I have been a longtime fan since I first discovered Hammer films. I loved him as Saruman, and as Scaramonga in The Man With the Golden Gun, Count Rochefort in the Three Musketeers.  I recently watched him in the original Wicker Man (much better than the Nic Cage version) But did you know he sang opera? And he was crazy about playing golf?

His autobiography is a must-read for anyone who is a fan. He is a wonderful storyteller, and he has a delightful sense of humor. I’m amazed at the things he remembered throughout his life – I cannot remember most of my childhood, much less in such detail.  He met a lot of people and did a lot of extraordinary things. He had a very interesting life and I highly recommend reading his autobiography.

Saturday is Horror Day #187 – Stepfather II: Make Room for Daddy, Sharknado

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Stepfather II: Make Room for Daddy

After murdering one family and attempting to kill a second, Jerry Blake (Terry O’Quinn) is sent to an asylum for people with mental health issues. Of course he wants out, who wouldn’t? Luck is on his side when he is assigned to a new psychiatrist, Dr. Joseph Danvers (Henry Brown). Despite warnings from a longtime guard, Danvers – just call me Joe – trusts Jerry more than he should… and he pays the price for that trust.

Free once more, Jerry departs the Puget Sound area, relocating in Portland, Oregon. There he steals an identity of a dead man and masquerades as a psychiatrist, still dreaming of having the perfect family of his dreams. There he meets the divorced Carol Grayland (Meg Foster) who lives with her son Todd (Jonathan Brandis). Jerry holds group therapy sessions for the women in the neighborhood, including Carol and her best friend Matty (Caroline Williams), who works delivering mail and has a penchant for being nosy. Matty becomes suspicious when she sees that Carol is moving into a relationship with Jerry far too quickly, arguing that she doesn’t even know him. But love is blind, and Carol and Jerry quickly become engaged. It doesn’t hurt that Jerry has begun a relationship with Todd, who misses his father.

But Jerry is still as jealous as he ever was, and noticed the man who comes to see Carol (she lives across the street from him). Turns out it’s her ex and he wants a second chance. How dare he try to take Jerry’s family. Will history repeat itself?

This is the sequel to the first Stepfather, again featuring Terry O’Quinn, who plays an awesome psychopath. He has the strength of his convictions and will not let anybody get in the way of his endgoal – the perfect family. Even if he has to kill his current fiance/wife and find another. I am not a huge Meg Foster fan but she does okay in this, although I think she could have been a little more convincing. I disliked her nosy friend who got what she deserved by confronting a psycho. She should have thought that through a little bit better. And the ex was no loss either. If you liked the first, you need to watch the second. It’s enjoyable. I’ll give this film 3.5 Stars.

Sharknado

Unexpectedly freaky weather is headed to California in the form of a hurricane (which they never get).  But even worse, there are freak tornados as well, which have drawn up and carried hundreds of sharks, which is making life hell for the citizens of California!

Fin Shepard (Ian Ziering) owns a bar and is divorced from wife April (Tara Reid), who has a new 

boyfriend who lives in the house Fin once did, along with their two kids, Claudia (Aubrey Shea) and Matt (Charles Hittinger). Fin has an employee named Nova (Cassandra Scerbo) that he is close to as well as his Tasmanian friend Baz (Jaason Simmons) and a longtime customer George (John Heard). Fin is disturbed by the looming weather and worries for his family but no one is picking up. So he decides to head there to see if they are safe and ends up with passengers. However, the streets are far from safe, and the city is rapidly being flooded, panicking citizens attempting to flee. The sharks are feasting!

I’ve been curious about Sharknado for a while and finally decided to watch it. I knew it wasn’t going to be great moments in cinematic history, and it wasn’t. I suspected it wouldn’t always make sense, and it didn’t. But it was definitely entertaining if one doesn’t stop to consider logic. I kept wondering how a shark, thrown onto dry land, would continue to attack. Or how a shark would literally leap up after prey. Wouldn’t you think being sucked up into a whirling tornado and carried for a great distance would disorient you?  Just saying.

There is the drama between Fin and his ex. He’s jealous of April’s boytoy boyfriend and she’s jealous of Nova. The kids aren’t speaking to Dad and don’t want to evacuate the house after he arrives to save  him. Lord save us from California! But it’s fun to watch cause you never know what will happen. There is lots of blood and body parts and strangely impossible situations (I am skeptical that you can stop a tornado simply by blowing it up). But on the whole, I don’t feel cheated by the 87 minutes I spent watching this film. I’ll give it 2.5 Stars and I plan to watch more, so fair warning.

Book Review: Dracula by Bram Stoker

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Dracula       

Author: Bram Stoker

Publisher: Fingerprint! Publishing (Deluxe Edition)

American release date: March 1, 2022

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Vampire Horror /440 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Jonathan Harker, a newly qualified solicitor, is sent by his employer, Mr. Hawkins, to assist a foreign customer with the legal intricacies of his move to London. The customer in question, a Count Dracula, lives in faraway Transylvania. Harker keeps a detailed journal of his travels across Europe to meet with his client. When he is almost at his journey’s end, he finds the villagers of Bistritz friendly and welcoming… until they learn where he is going. They are reluctant to see him leave them, but they offer no valid reason as to why he shouldn’t go to the castle, so off he goes. The Count lives in a large, imposing castle that sits in splendid isolation on the top of a rocky cliff. But from the beginning, Harker senses something strange about the place and its odd owner. He sees no sign of anyone else there, not a single servant. And why is the Count always busy during the daylight hours? And why does he never see Dracula eat or drink? And then there are the dreams, of three lovely young women who seem to want him… Things take a turn for the worse when Dracula dictates three letters that Harker must write to his loved ones. Suddenly, he is not so sure he will return home safely…

Mina Murray is Harker’s fiancée. She works as an assistant schoolmistress. Her best friend is Lucy Westenra, a vivacious young woman who attracts any manner of male admirers. In fact, on one memorable day, she receives three proposals of marriage! What is a girl to do? One is from Arthur Holmwood, Lord Godalming. The second is from John Seward, who runs an insane asylum. The third would-be suitor is Quincy Morris, a Texan and friend of Seward and Holmwood.  Mina invites Lucy for a visit, and they happily renew their friendship as they discuss Lucy’s engagement to the suitor she has finally accepted.

Dr. Seward has a very interesting patient by the name of Renfield, whom he classifies as zoophagous, because he likes to eat living things, such as flies and spiders. Seward notices changes taking place in Renfield that he can’t explain, while Mina is concerned that she hasn’t heard from Jonathan for some time, and she worries for him. She receives a letter concerning him and hastens to be by his side.

A strange ship, the Demeter, runs aground just below the cliff where Lucy and Mina are wont to sit, but no one is at the helm and there is no sign of the crew. Lucy has begun to sleepwalk before Mina’s departure, and now she falls mysteriously ill, to the dismay of those who love her. A desperate Dr. Seward reaches out to a colleague in Amsterdam, a Doctor Abraham Van Helsing, who hurries to London to assist in diagnosing Lucy’s condition. He fears that what is wrong with Lucy is beyond the pale of most men’s experience and her friends will find it difficult to believe what is happening to her if he were to tell them. But he will need their help in order to save her.  Meanwhile, Mina is nursing Jonathan back to health at the convent where he was brought after his escape from the castle, and there they are married. She finds his journal and reads it, horrified at what it reveals. To make herself useful, and to facilitate future reading of her husband’s words, she transcribes the journal onto paper. On their return to London, she is devastated to learn what has happened to Lucy. Drawn together in their sorrow, she and the others realize something dreadful is about to descend on London – in fact, already has. They must band together to prevent Count Dracula’s dastardly plans from coming to fruition!

Dracula is the quintessential vampire novel, a true classic. It is the origin of most of the vampire stories that came after. There have been countless film adaptations, some better than others, including Nosferatu, which was actually a rip-off for which the filmmakers were sued for not obtaining permission from Stoker’s estate. Now long out of copyright, copycats abound. But this is the core story that began it all.

Dracula is told through journal entries, newspaper clippings, and phonograph entries by those most closely involved in the story, with the notable exception of Dracula himself. We get no glimpse into him, either as a person or a vampire, except through the words he speaks to others. I have to wonder if that is deliberate and, if so, why. We today are so familiar with this story that it’s hard to imagine what the reactions of Stoker’s contemporaries were on first reading the book. I first read the novel when I was about twelve and fell in love with it immediately.

Of all the movies I have seen, the one that comes closest to doing justice to the novel is Coppola’s version, but I do enjoy a good Hammer film. Nothing beats the novel, however. I highly recommend it if you want to know the truth. You won’t regret it.

Saturday is Horror Day #186 – The Invitation

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Invitation

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is…


Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) has recently lost her mother to cancer, and her father long before that. Although she is a strong woman, she misses what she no longer has, although she has a wonderful friend in Grace (Courtney Taylor). They do what they must to survive, even if their employer is less than stellar or humane.

Evie takes a DNA test, and to her surprise discovers that she has a number of relatives in England. Her 


cousin Oliver (Hugh Skinner) reaches out to her and wants to meet up with her when he is in New York. Grace is skeptical, but Evie is thrilled. Turns out he is very charming and handsome and loaded. He tells her of an upcoming family wedding and invites her to attend… on his dime. Reluctant at first, Evie agrees, and it’s off to England for her, Grace’s well-meaning advice ringing in her ears:

Oliver takes her to the estate where they will be staying for the wedding, owned by the charming Walt DeVille (Thomas Doherty). He is even more handsome and charming than Oliver – with the added bonus of not being a relative. The place is complete with servants, including butler Renfield (Sean Pertwee) who is something less than cordial due to an incident on her arrival, but he changes his tune when he learns who she is. The maids of honor are Victoria (Stephanie Corneliussen) and Lucy (Alana Boden). The former is a bit of a bee with an itch but the latter is rather sweet and friendly. Evie even gets her own maid, an older woman, Mrs. Swift (Carol Ann Crawford).

 

Renfield tells Evie she can go anywhere in the house except the library, which is locked due to renovations.  But, although everyone is welcoming to her and clearly happy she is there, Evie begins to experience strange events which make her question the wisdom of being there. And she has questions. Such as where are the bride and groom, as they are nowhere in evidence. And as she begins to understand what is going on, she may be in too far to do anything about it.

 

Without giving any spoilers, if you are familiar with a certain horror story, you may catch on early what is happening here. And I don’t consider that a bad thing. In fact it was fun to try to figure out what was going on.  All I will say is Whitby and Carfax. Whether you recognize those clues or not, it’s an interesting story about a young woman trying to connect with relatives, to be part of a family, who gets more than she bargained for. I am a huge fan of this particular horror fandom, so I enjoyed it. Evie is a pretty interesting and strong heroine, growing more so as the movie goes on. By the end of the film, I would say she is certainly badass. I wish they would make a sequel. I would surely watch it. There are other horror tropes to explore, such as werewolves. I mean, wolves are mentioned in the film, but not a werewolf in sight, more’s the pity.

I thought the cast did a great job, the evil people were sufficiently evil, especially Victoria and Renfield (I love Sean Pertwee, btw). I was never bored and really enjoyed watching this. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #185 – The Stepfather(1987)

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Stepfather(1987)

Jerry Blake (Terry O’Quinn) has only one desire in love – to have a loving family. And when things don’t work out for him, well, there’s always plan B.

Jerry leaves his old family (in bloody pieces) and heads to a new town, new life… and a new wife. Susan

(Shelley Hack) is a recent widow, still grieving the loss of her husband, along with her teenage daughter Stephanie (Jill Schoelen). When Jerry arrives, he sweeps her off her feet and they are married within a year. Stephanie is not very happy about this. She misses her father and she doesn’t trust Jerry, but she tries, for her mother’s sake. Jerry tries to. He brings her an adorable puppy. But he is still very controlling and demanding and, despite the puppy, Stephanie is not comfortable with him.

The murder of Jerry’s previous family went unsolved, and the trail has gone cold. But one man won’t give up. Jim Ogilvie (Stephen Shellen) is the brother of Jerry’s previous wife and he is determined to find his brother-in-law, convinced he is responsible. But where to look? As the pieces fall into place and Jerry’s new life begins to unravel once again, he begins to make a new life for himself, and seeks a new prospective wife. But first, he has to rid himself of the old family….

This film is loosely based on actual story – the John List murders. John List murdered his wife, children, and mother, left them in the house and fled, gaining a month’s head start on the authorities. He eluded capture for 18 years. Terry O’Quinn is chilling as the man who needs a family so badly that if they don’t get it right, he’ll just eliminate them and move on.  He is definitely the best part of this cast. The mother is a little needy, but maybe we should cut her some slack as she is a recent widow. The teenager is just trying to live her life and she is very well aware that Jerry is not her father, although he tries to be.

The brother looking for his sister was a little too much for me, in that he was over the top and irrational and often acted like a man man. That being said, Terry O’Quinn makes the movie and does it in a very creepy way. He is worth the price of admission all on his own. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Book Review: One Piece, Vol 17: Hiriluk’s Cherry Blossoms by Eiichiro Oda

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One Piece, Vol 17: Hiriluk’s Cherry Blossoms      

Author: Eiichiro Oda

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: March 4, 2008

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Action Adventure/216 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

King Wapol, the ne’er-do-well, pretend pirate has returned to Drum Island and intends to retake his throne, and especially his castle. He is very angry that Doctor Kureha has moved in behind his back. Not only that, there is a pirate flag, symbol of the late Doctor Hiriluk, flying there. That has got to change. Luckily, Luffy has no intention of allowing this idiot to besmirch the banner, and neither does the reindeer Tony Tony Chopper, who has some very amazing abilities of his own! Unfortunately, Wapol is not without his own secrets. Turns out, he ate some devil fruit too – the munch munch fruit – and he can eat anything!

Below, in the village, it turns out that Dalton is not dead, just injured, and Usopp offers to carry him up the mountain to the castle, to seek the doctor’s help. But to Usopp’s dismay, Zolo grabs Dalton and heads toward the mountain. Usopp has no choice but to follow, angrily, as he shouts, “I was about to get serious!” Luckily, before they get too far, another mode of transportation becomes available! Onward they go!

Nami decides that three days in bed is long enough, so she gets up, only to encounter King Wapol, who has entered the castle. She flees from him, and he is too fat to follow. But he has a very unique cure for that which involves eating himself. Suddenly, he’s a whole lot thinner than he was!

Once the situation on Drum Island is resolved, it’s time to head toward Alabasta, to save Princess Vivi’s kingdom!  Little are they aware that someone else is on their way, none other than the top member of Baroque Works, Sir Crocodile!

I think the biggest take-away from this volume of One Piece is the growth of and addition to the crew of Tony Tony Chopper. The reindeer man learns to open himself to others, particularly Luffy and his crew, and he comes to realize that there is a whole other world waiting to be explored, places where he can use his medical talents. And that he is worthy of having friends! I think he will make a fine addition to the story and look forward to seeing more of them. Another great volume of One Piece!

Saturday is Horror Day #183 – Megan is Missing

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Megan is Missing

Megan(Rachel Quinn) and Amy(Amber Perkins) are best friends. Megan’s other friends don’t understand what she sees in Amy, and they are very harsh toward her. They won’t want Megan to invite Amy to any of their parties, but Megan insists. Megan likes boys, where Amy is rather shy around them. Megan likes to chat with them online, and she has an ongoing chat with one she really likes, Josh (Dean Waite). They video chat, but she hasn’t seen his face, because his camera is broken. But he does send her a picture of himself and she thinks he is cute, so she agrees to meet up with him.

Megan is never seen again.

Two weeks later, Amy goes missing.

Megan is Missing is a cautionary tale that all young people should watch about the dangers of talking to strangers on the Internet. And how much of a bad idea it is to meet up with one in a not public place. This was hard to watch, because what happened was so brutal, and I couldn’t help but think of my own kids, who luckily are older and wiser than that. But Megan, like most teens, thought she was invincible and nothing could harm her. Both she and Amy ignored the biggest red flag of all – the broken camera. He even lied about how it happened, offering two different stories – another red flag. They should have done a reverse search on the photo he sent Megan to see if it came off the Internet somewhere. And Megan should never have agreed to meet him behind a store, where it was poorly lit and out of view of anyone else.

I thought the movie was well done, and the girls who played Megan and Amy did a good job. The true horror lies in the last twenty or so minutes, and I warn you, it’s hard to watch. But I’m sure there are other predators out there like this one, so it’s an important lesson to pass along. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #182 – The Deliverance

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Deliverance

Ebony (Andra Day) is having a hard time with life. Her husband is off in Iraq and she isn’t sure when or if he’s coming home. She is doing her best with her three kids, Andre(Anthony B. Jenkins), Nate(Caleb McLaughlin) and Shante (Demi Singleton), but that hasn’t been easy. Ebony has had substance issues and she always seems to be just one step ahead of CPS trying to take her kids away. On top of that, she has her mother Alberta (Glenn Close) who is suffering from cancer and goes for regular treatments. Alberta has the men chasing after her, despite her age, and she is both sassy and outspoken.

The family has moved three times in the last year, due to circumstances, and she is hoping this time they’ll be able to stay longer, put down roots, and provide greater stability for her kids. But strange things have begun to happen. Dre is talking to himself, although when pressed he says it’s his friend Tre – the boy who lives in a hole in the basement. All three kids are acting up in school in horrifying ways, although they’ve never been behavioral problems before, and Ebony is at her wits’ end trying to figure out what is wrong with them and is there some kind of evil presence in their home that is causing this?

My first problem with this film is that I could never muster up enough sympathy to care about the characters, not any of them. I didn’t feel any emotion through the film, just one level throughout. Maybe the pacing could have been better. Or maybe the script. I have to ask what the hell was up with Glenn Close? At first, I thought she was meant to be playing a black woman, but that wasn’t the case. And why she was a man magnet is beyond me. The plot seemed full of holes, including the one in the basement. And the explanation concerning Lucifer and the fallen angels that became demons and now one of them is in the children was totally simplistic and rushed. It felt like they didn’t have any better idea than some generic demon. Why that house? I know it’s based on a true story that took place in Hammond Indiana. I also know the family involved has been trying to milk what happened and that perhaps things were not quite the way they told it.

I was not scared and I was not impressed. I expected so much more based on what people were saying on Reddit. One person even suggested Glenn Close deserves an Oscar nod for her performance. I totally disagree.  On the whole, it was okay, worth one watch but I wouldn’t do it again.  I’ll give this film 3 Stars.