Change Your Image
frankblack-79961
Reviews
Dog Soldiers (2002)
Don't dismiss this one. One of the best werewolf film to date.
I remember finding this at Blockbuster, yes Blockbuster, and I almost passed it up because of the name. While I like creature features, werewolves in movies are typically a let down. This film actually made some good werewolf designs and practical effects. The story is easy enough to follow, although the finer points get lost in the thick accents of the actors. Subtitles helped for me. The action is great. The gunfire is pretty accurate to the different caliber rifles and pistols. If you like werewolf movies, you should definitely give this one a try. Still is fun to watch 20 years or so after it was released.
Blood-C (2011)
Super gory anime with god awful writing.
Another entry to the Blood universe anime titles. Although they are all stand alone series, this title, like the others, has a main protagonist named Saya. They are each different, but have some of the same impotent character traits. This Saya, who is a very powerful warrior, will constantly have you yelling at your tv. "Why are you just standing there!? Do something!" was what my tv heard the most during this series. If it wasn't for the crazy gory action scenes (almost all of which are during Sayas standing around and watching sessions), this anime would be long forgotten as an entry to the Blood series. Blood+ was pretty terrible in the same aspect, but had a lot longer story. Whatever idiot Japanese writers thought people would enjoy watching the main protagonist stand around and watch people who they are supposed to protect get killed over and over again? To only kick it into gear after everyone is dead?! Lol. Stupid.
Evil West (2022)
Horrid and unintuitive controls.
Where do I start with this game. It was a free monthly game from Sony so that right there should tell you it's not great. Cowboys and vampires ok. Looks decent and characters are somewhat interesting. Combat. Yeah the combat isn't bad until you get further into the game. Has an aim assist that works fine until you will never hit what you want. Without the aim assist, you still can't hit what you need to because the opportunities are so short that you need the aim assist to snap to the target quickly. Thing is, there are so many enemies that you will always snap to something you are not trying to shoot at. So either way, you can't hit what you need to. Dodge mechanics are awful. The button combos are just awkward and blend together so that you will be activating combos or actions you are not intending to. Could have been fun, but it just isn't. Do not spend money on this game.
Weird West (2022)
Well, it's a game. Sucks they couldn't code it correctly.
So this was a free game (thankfully) from PSN a month or two back. At first glance it seems like an original Fallout style game. Some parts are very reminiscent of Fallout 1 and 2. The problems arise quickly in this game. Poorly thought out controls, LOTS of random game crashing on PS4. Lots. Just awful. Very clunky combat. A regular occurrence of your weapon just not firing halfway through your clip. Just stops working until you switch weapons. Story is rather interesting, but it really doesn't matter if the game sucks in almost every other aspect. Will definitely be not purchasing anything from this game studio anytime in the future.
The Bay (2012)
A very decent found footage horror film.
This film is actually pretty good. Nature horror can be quite effective in ff films and this was done pretty well. Personally. This has aged pretty well too. The ocean has always been a very foreboding place for me and some of it's residents are downright creepy. The species in this film are particularly creepy to me, so maybe that's why I get a genuine sense of dread imagining going through something like this scenario. I really think the IMDB rating for this is not reflective of the film. Not saying it's perfect by ff standards, but it is one that I would recommend. You have many many many worse choices if you are looking for a ff horror film.
The Callisto Protocol (2022)
Gameplay mechanics are bad. Poor man's Dead Space
If you have played any of the Dead Space games, especially the original PS3 title, then you will be familiar with this game. It really is a stripped down version of Dead Space. There's a lot of decent storytelling that gets lost in the slow and mediocre gameplay mechanics. Dodging and blocking are simple yet clunky. The timing for most people is just hard to get down because it's so so slow. The upgrade system us tied to using specific machines that are placed in really poor areas, so you end of dropping a lot of what you can sell due to inventory of 6 and then 12 inventory slots. I mean, cmon folks. 12 slots for everything. It just seemed like a very unpolished game that needed a lot more tweaking to get some bugs worked out.
Carnivàle (2003)
If you are able to get a handle on this story, you will be devastated they canceled this show.
In reading discussions, blogs and what critics have written in the years since this show aired, I believe this was just too much story for average folks. You need to be ok with not understanding everything that goes on. You need to be comfortable with some ambiguous lore. This show was truly one of the great stories, but was cut down before it was able to expand and explain a lot of what the show gives in only 2 seasons. Incredibly rich story at a period in American history. The world on the brink of the nuclear age. I've watched and rewatched this show a few times. It never fails to impress with the acting and cinematic style. Truly a unique and wonderful show.
Nova: Arctic Sinkholes (2024)
Interesting phenomenon. Idiotic goals in holding back nature.
All these docs have agendas. They want us all to believe that we humans can stop nature from changing. Climate change is a natural cycle of the earth we live on. Yes, we can accelerate they processes and slow them down. To a point. The only way to make any kind or real difference in the outcome is if every single nation on the earth works together. This is NOT POSSIBLE. Science needs to accept the real fact that these processes are already in motion. There is not stopping or significantly slowing this process. Instead they are beating there heads against an impossible goal. We all need to accept these processes and not fear the future. Fear monger scientists and governments that want to take advantage of this fear to profit from new regulations that will only line there pockets. It will ultimately do nothing to curb these processes. Time to sit back a see what happens. They don't know and need to stop telling us they do. As a species we survived these changes before, and we will again.
Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands (2016)
It's just a really bad GOT ripoff. Not the Beowulf story.
So I came across this search Prime Video. Never heard of it and figured it wasn't going to be that good. Bullseye for me. Not the Beowulf story. Has characters from the story. That's about all though. It tries really hard to be a GOT type series, but just has horrible execution in acting and writing. The treachery and intrigue are not cleverly written at all. Some humorous moments, but that wasn't what I was hoping for. Everyone is actually pretty naive and fairly stupid in how they act situationally. But then again, my standards are a bit higher in the shows and films I consider to be worth my time. This wasn't one of them.
Cryptid (2022)
Idiots hunt a dangerous cryptid.
So yeah. If there's one thing i despise about hack writers and directors, it's when they have a genuinely interesting story and monster, but lack of intelligence prevents us from getting a decent film. I can go with the b level acting. I can go with a lower budget film. What I cannot abide is stupid writing. If as a novice hunter myself , I can see mistake after mistake after mistake of supposed seasoned hunters, then you really have to wonder what kind of person gets a job writing a film that deals with hunting. Nothing in a film is creepy or scary about an idiot getting him or herself eaten or put in intense situations. You spend more time yelling "WTF ARE YOU DOING!?" or shaking your head in frustration and disgust at what you are being presented with in a horror film. So. Idiot writer, idiot characters. What's worse is it sets up a sequel. God help us.
The Swarm (2023)
An interesting story ruined by poor pacing of the episodes.
It was an interesting premise. I really wasn't too bored by all the dialogue and character building. The real disappointment was when you realized that most of the show was wasted on this. It was paced for a two season series that was crammed into one. Season two comprised the last two episodes. So if you decide to watch this, just know the real heart of the story and decidedly the more interesting bit is shoved into the last 2 episodes. Had they paced the story better and trimmed the fluff, it could have been done in the single season. So overall I felt unfulfilled by the storytelling in this series.
The Black Demon (2023)
The acting kills the film.
So, the story is decent. They tried to make it more than just a shark attack film with some mythological aspects that were fairly interesting. They really needed to show what happened before the oil company family shows up. Seem like a budget constraint problem in that regard. Even with a small cast they could have pulled it off but for 2 of they actors. The husband and wife just killed the film for me. It's like they were trying to outdo each other in the emote department. They flip from one emotional extreme to another in mid sentence. So over the top that it just brought the whole film to it's knees. The rest of the cast's performances were fine. You can skip this one.
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
It is Evil Dead, but it isn't at the same time.
My take away from this was mixed. I can't put my finger on why exactly. You get all the gore and a lot of Evil Dead tropes for sure. It just didn't feel like an evil dead film in enough ways that it kind of bothers me. Having watched all the previous films starting back in the 90s (not the films, but that when I found the original and continued from there) there is something too clean maybe with this one. I felt it a bit in the last film, but not to the extent I did in this current film. I don't know. Not my best review at all. Just left this one feeling unsatisfied in total. Still a good horror movie though. Just not what I hoped it would be for the most part.
Solar Impact (2019)
Low intelligence young adults running from zombies. Yep.
Funny how ratings on Prime don't seem to reflect the ratings here. And Amazon owns both. Lol. So, when I see an film on Prime, at say a 4.5 rating, you think it might have something worth watching for at least part of the film. Then you start watching and realize that something is not right. You jump on IMBD, which is owned by Amazon and even links you to Prime when an applicable. But wait... 3. Something. Hmmm. Well sh$&. That's pretty low of Amazon. Yes, the ratings fluctuate, and I get that it's probably not going to be real time ratings. But c'mon Amazon, really? There are enough ratings that a few people voting on a not going to fluctuate it that many over say a month. This is not the first or thirty something time I have seen this either. Oh yeah, the film is pretty awful. Really stupid young adults running from a equally stupid "natural disaster" that causes people to become infected and cannibalistic. You were warned.
Carnival Row (2019)
Nice fantasy series. Ended rather abruptly.
Overall, it is a good series. Has definite flaws and suffered from extreme lengths of time between seasons. In my opinion it could have been a lot better had they not had to use the very overused bigotry theme for the majority of the plot drive. While I'm sure that issue would have been relevant in this world, it really is so overused at this time in tv that personally I'm getting bored with it always being used. The horror type elements were fantastic and I wish more of that was part of the story. With so many fantasy creatures they could have moved away from the political strife and more into paranormal. So many shows seem to have a formula that they need bigotry and a token gay couple added to everything. Just really getting worn out. Still, overall, was very decent fantasy series.
The Unfolding (2016)
Suffers more from budget than story. Not a bad film.
While you won't find anything unique with this film, it's actually fairly interesting. A low budget seems to cause the director to use loud jump scares to get you a bit more than is necessary. I felt they were just too loud against the normal audio. Found footage is a slippery slope when it comes to effects. They need to match the video to bring a realistic feel rather than just adding super loud noises to cause most people to uncontrollably jerk in reflex. I think that with a few tweaks this could have been an effective haunted house found footage film. You can definitely do worse. The low rating of 3.2 in totally undeserved in my opinion. I think this one is right down the middle, not bad, not great.
Unexplained: Caught on Camera (2019)
So funny. Some vids are actually done pretty well.
So, this is a great place to view some decently done fakes. There are a couple that might be genuine. They even have a skeptical analyst to make you think these are being critically assessed. Most are easy to spot how they were faked. Where I called it quits was in season 3, where they have the vids from this Hispanic guy named Frank at a hotel room. There is a part where he is in front of the mirror and a towel on the sink counter gets pulled off. Very obviously there is a string on the towel attached to his hand that is just outside of view. You can SEE IT! All these analysts that have been semi credible are excusing his giggles and saying how it's such a great example of paranormal caught on film. GAG. I know these are all junk shows, but some part of me always hopes to see something credible. Not on this crappy show folks. Keep looking.
Katla (2021)
Becomes quite ridiculous as characters behave unlike any sane people would.
This starts out well. The cinematography is quite amazing. When the first person is found people are acting fairly normally. But after the woman starts telling everyone who she is and people remember and make the police aware, it starts to go downhill fairly quickly. Then when other characters are introduced and more people are found, the characters reactions and behavior start to become rather ridiculous. No one tries to verify any claims of identity in the way of fingerprints or dna? Really? There are two versions of the same person and no one seems to be very confused or even comprehend something may be abnormal. Then when the dead child appears, the story gets stupid. I'm halfway through the first season and I probably won't finish. Just too dumb. Writing is awful.
Troll (2022)
Decent enough. Could have been better, could have been way worse.
While most of us still hold out hope another Troll Hunter film will manifest, this was not it. This is a Norwegian version of a Godzilla film. The dub is pretty awful and I recommend subtitles if available. Like most of these types of films, the characters (government and military leadership) make idiotic choices and end up using as much force as they can to try and solve the problem. As usual, there are civilians that are willing to use unconventional means to try and solve the problem. You have seen it all before, so enjoy it for what it is. Until we get another Troll Hunter film, this will have to do for now. On a side note I find it interesting that 99% of films with a woman president/prime minister/leader are always making things worse. LoL.
Smile (2022)
Decent premise ruined by writers choice of protagonist.
This would have been a much more interesting film if the protagonist wasn't a mentally ill pea brain. I just don't find the problems of stupid people much of a tension building story. Mainly I just roll my eyes and wish I wasn't wasting my time on yet another mediocre horror film. It's never surprising when a stupid person gets themselves deeper in there problems when every single decision they make just makes the problem worse. Sure, there would be a learning curve when a extraordinary event happens and it may take a few bad choices to understand what you shouldn't do in your current predicament. It becomes so boring when the characters just refuse to use any semblance of common sense. It's just lazy ass writing. Pure and simple lazy and uninspired.
Sanctuary (2008)
Decent show that suffers from a few annoying characters.
This show is very reminiscent of the sci-fi channel series when they actually made decent film programming. The green screen backgrounds were a standard for a lot of those to make them look much more lavish and bigger budget. It also has the over the top acting and characters that a lot of those shows suffered from. Quite a bit of character stupidity driven plot lines. The worst this show suffers from is the actor that plays Will. Episode after episode he is the most cringeworthy of all the terrible actors. The tough women characters are also a big downside to the acting. Tapping brings here normal professional level of acting.
3% (2016)
Decent story that quickly resolved into repetitive recycled blandness.
This is your standard dystopian future story. It is filled to brim with unlikeable characters and an atrocious English dub. There is almost nothing original or noteworthy in the writing or the storyline. While the first 2 seasons mostly kept my attention, the 3rd takes a steep dive into utter stupid recycling of the basic story of the first two seasons. Adding in the ever changing loyalties of the characters and constant betrayal between the main cast, it gets old and moldy very quickly. You can guess at almost every turn what is next in the story and the fact that there is absolutely no one to root for ended my viewing of this mediocre show. If you want something original and we'll written, you should look elsewhere.
The ABCs of Death (2012)
Just disgusting trash. Nothing redeemable here.
While the premise is a neat idea, the content is severely lacking in multiple ways. Started off ok. About halfway through it becomes idiotic and just grotesque. Child rape and miscarriages are really not my kind of horror. If you can enjoy that kind of subject matter then take your disgusting self and plant it on the couch enjoy this garbage. Without a doubt this has got to be a collection of some of the most mentally ill directors ever assembled in one place. This smut does nothing for the horror genre and those humans who felt they should put that crap on film should be committed. Some seriously sick directors making some seriously reprehensible content here. Did not finish the POS.
The Rain (2018)
It's becoming painful to watch the stupidity in characters these days.
Even foreign shows have become excruciatingly painful to watch anymore. The utter stupidity in modern society is becoming more and more prevalent in films and tv. This show from the first 15 minutes showcases how stupid young people are these days. No common sense or critical reasoning. It's also interesting that women seem to have the the most effect on plot as they are mostly the cause of so much of the problems and drama in these stories. The teen girl in this show from the start is just god awful stupid and ignorant. Yet another female lead character that causes unneeded catastrophic consequence due to ignorance and lack of basic intelligence. I probably won't make it through this show if this type of idiot driven plot direction continues.
Terrifier 2 (2022)
Wow. Just wow. That was something else.
Now, I have seen some if not most of the movies that are considered to be "the goriest". This one is for sure in the top 5. Absolutely brutal scenes of violence and gore. Sadistic as hell. The story needed some expansion, and with the 2hr 20min run time, they sure could have added some more to the plot. I have not seen the first film and not sure if I plan to do so. This is one of the few films I have seen that need to have a warning label as I'm sure the reports of people getting sick while watching are not exaggerated. Truly a ghastly, gory, and sadistic piece of film this is. Absolutely not for young viewers. If I were a parent, I would have to seriously consider if a teenager should be viewing this level of violence. Just wow.