A pseudo-science spectacle that will appeal to the
2012
crowd, like me, about the Earth having to move somewhere else as the sun's gonna bloat. Turn your brain off for maximum enjoyment as this Chinese film is all about 'in-your-face' entertainment on steroids. There is a story, ludicrous as it may be, and they did their best to include human drama about family and, yada, yada, yada, but it's so overwhelmed by the constant eye-candy and roller coaster pacing that it's hardly noticed. Easily 30 mins too long but still, if you like this type of film, hell, yeah!
The Wrath of Becky [2023]
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Becky's on a mission of revenge against some domestic terrorists. The difference in writing and direction from
the first film
is quite stark with some really bad decisions. Why would you go on a covert mission in a bright red jumpsuit instead of camouflage? Exceedingly long scenes of dialog that were neither interesting nor important, some of the gags and kills were over-the-top to the point of camp, fantasy scenes that never quite landed. I love the characters and it is fun but not much beyond what you'd expect from an average B movie. Final scene is killer.
Wingwomen [2023]
aka Voleuses
Thieves for hire are coerced into doing one last job before retiring. Although it does have some action and capers, it's not even close to how it's advertised. It's far more a buddy film between 3 girls, but that's ok... the girls are extremely likable, funny, cute and a joy to watch with a good deal of banter and a large dose of trust and love between them. Plus, they can certainly be bad-asses when necessary. I think the climax was overly dramatic and unnecessary considering the overall tone of the film but all in all, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Good entertainment!
The War of the Worlds [1953]
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A nostalgic favorite, this H.G. Wells story of Martians invading the earth was an absolute classic in its time and easily still the best adaptation of the story. It is certainly dated ...no denying that, with questionable science (they really didn't know any better), it's overly dramatic acting and, of course, the token hysterical female lead but this is pure popcorn matinee delight with spec fx that were state-of-the-art at the time and still hold up well enough to be effective and exciting today. Getting around to watching this again was like re-visiting a childhood friend.
When Evil Lurks [2023]
aka Cuando acecha la maldad
A possession virus, of sorts, is being passed around a group of people in a rural setting causing them to kill each other. First I'll say, it's worthy of the accolades as one the best horror films last year. The pacing is great and it's loaded with some gruesome, horrific imagery and lots of shocking moments. But I was never quite clear as to what was happening. It took awhile for me to catch on that "rotten" in the subtitles meant possessed and the rules just seemed arbitrary for the convenience of the story rather than a valid mythology. It was entertaining, though.
Welcome to Collinwood [2002]
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A few years before becoming an MCU powerhouse with their Avenger films, the Russo brothers made this comedy caper film involving a group of ill-equipped misfits attempted to pull off their 'Bellini'. Although there were a few sequences that seemed flat and dry and really could have been improved, the film does have several inspired and totally laugh-out-loud moments making these totally inept criminal's attempt, with all seriousness, to score big, incredibly fun to watch. Rockwell and Macy were gold and everyone else was a joy. Great entertainment.
Watcher [2022]
After moving to Bucharest, because of her husband's work, a woman begins to believe she's being stalked. Having an active serial killer in the city doesn't help with her fears, either. And that's the question... is she really being stalked or is being a foreigner in a strange country just making her overly paranoid. Both Maika Monroe (who I'll watch in anything) and the filmmakers do a superb job of never revealing the truth until the final act. It is an unnerving slow burn, perhaps too slow sometimes, but it had me totally hooked and guessing the entire time. Excellent!
Wish Upon [2017]
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Girl receives box that grants 7 wishes ...but with a price. I get excited about 'wish' movies as they're ripe for an explosion of imagination, which this film is completely devoid of. The 1st wish is understandably a throwaway but once our protagonist realizes it works, rather than giving further wishes some thought, she's constrained by the writers to be stupid, vain and naive and wish for trivial, silly things as a way to drive the story. Half way through, they tell you how it ends. The series of events is marginally entertaining but there's so much wasted potential here.
A Wounded Fawn [2022]
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A macabre look into the fractured psyche of a serial killer when he encounters problems on his date and must contend with his ghosts of murders past. Extremely imaginative and quite a visual treat. The acting all around is outstanding creating fully believable characters making it very easy to share in their psychotic travails ...especially when our killer is trying to convince us that it's not his fault he kills women. My biggest complaint was that everything is dragged out. It didn't harm my interest in the story any but it could have used some tightening up.
The Wailing [2016]
aka Gokseong
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A bumbling police Sergeant finds himself well out of his depth while investigating the mass murder of families by one of the family members. And now his daughter seems to be possessed. A tense, unique story that grabs your attention and doesn't let go, despite a prolonged first half. Keeping our protagonist as confused as the viewer over what is right, wrong, good, evil, are there demons, ghosts, witches, until the final moments elevates the tension to overwhelming levels. Acting is exceptional and Hwan-hee Kim, as the daughter, is magnificent. Nice!
Wrath of Man [2021]
Due to technical issues, use Letterboxd button for review.
Wrong Turn [2021]
A group goes hiking on the Appalachian Trail and they run into the local natives which have a notably odd lifestyle. Time is wasted for the film to firmly establish the racial and homosexual bigotry of the area, even though it plays no part in the story. Then we have the hunt. That was the good part with people behaving in an appropriately panicked situation. Once that was over, the film got ridiculous and the longer it went, the sillier it became as it wallowed in it's own stew of stupid decisions and goofy scenarios. Not even the shock ending gag could save it.
Warning Sign [1985]
A bio-weapon gets loose in a lab and turns people into rage monsters. Ridiculously contrived from the accident occurring, due to careless lab procedures, to bizarrely placed actions from characters and scenarios, to progress the story, to a mob of angry, ignorant hicks that threaten to let the germ loose, to the pristine and squeaky clean ending that wraps everything up in 2 minutes, this film is predictable from the start. Despite that, it's actually quite entertaining for an 80's thriller with familiar faces and a few choice moments of tension and dread. Not bad!
We Go On [2016]
A man, with an unrelenting fear of death, posts an ad stating that he'll pay $30k to anyone who can definitively prove an afterlife. Although tagged as a horror film, it is not ...in fact, there's hardly a scare in it. What it is is a psychological, 'be-careful-what-you-wish-for' exercise detailing the ramifications and the devastation that the answers to some questions can bring. Well written, well acted and, although slower than one may expect, it held my attention completely from start to finish. Good, thought provoking entertainment.
Wonder Woman [2017]
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Details the origins of Wonder Woman and how she puts an end to the Great War (WWI). Fun, exciting, with lots of spec fx and overall great entertainment. But it's lacking something. Gal Gadot is perfect for our titular character ...in fact, it's one of the few casting choices that DC has made that works quite well. But everyone else is just bland. There isn't a lot of humor or good lines or personalities that stand out. Overall, it's not bad but if they want to compete with the MCU, they have to make those non-action moments as much fun as the rest of it.
Wonder Woman 1984 [2020]
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It's 1984 and Wonder Woman's dealing with a man who wants ultimate power and a relic that grants wishes. Overall, it was certainly entertaining but really out-of-balance in some places; the opening action sequence, although quite fun, was unnecessary to the story except as a call back, the characters were blatant stereotypical caricatures at times, one action sequence had a slapstick vibe to it that didn't work well and several climatic scenes were dragged out too long losing their impact. The ending was WAY too peachy considering. Not bad, but flawed.
When the Wind Blows [1986]
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An animated film about a retired couple living in the English countryside when nuclear war breaks out. The couple is likable and easily relatable carrying on their non-stop conversation with the love and endearment you would expect of a pair who've known each other forever. That's also it's problem as the friendly chatter loses it charm long before the expected and depressing ending making this a sad and painful film to watch as their naivety, ignorance, and denial prevents them from fully understanding how fatal their situation is. Good film but hard to like.
The Whisperer in Darkness [2011]
A skeptical professor travels to a farm in Vermont to see if reports of crab-like creatures laying siege to a farm are true and runs into something extraordinary. Presented as a B&W, pseudo film noir, this film was really a joy to watch visually. The photography is fantastic, it has a really authentic fell to it and the acting and writing were top notch. That being said, it also got rather long-winded and melodramatic at times making me a bit antsy. The cryptic ending left me somewhat cold, as well. Still, quite a good viewing experience.
Wag the Dog [1997]
When a sitting U.S President is accused of sexual misconduct 2 weeks before the next presidential election, the spin doctors go to work. This is an extremely satirical look at spreading rumors, creating wars and heroes, and manipulating the American populace with ease. Irreverent, and funny as hell, the all-star cast plays their roles to perfection making this film a blast to see what they come up with next and their apparent ability to mitigate any disaster that befalls them. The only film I can think of that makes better use of dialog is
Network.
Brilliant!
Willow Creek [2013]
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A found footage film chronicling a couple heading into the Trinity National Forest to find Bigfoot. I'm shocked to discover that this was written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait. Timing is everything for a master stand up comic, so it's perplexing why his pacing is this film is so abysmally horrendous. 1st 40 minutes watching uninteresting people talk to other uninteresting people followed by a 17 min sequence of the couple terrified in their tent by scary sounds. Wrap it up with a completely unoriginal climax and there you have it. Never saw Bigfoot.
The Witch in the Window [2018]
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The film involves a house that has a ghost / witch / whatever you want to call it but the story is not a jump scare / terrorfest. It's really about a guy who's rebuilding the house in an attempt to rebuild his estranged family. As such, the film is honest, personal and heartfelt. The characters are likable, their actions, logical, and the story gets you hooked-in despite the slow pace. In fact, with a bit of adjustment, the story would work well without a supernatural element. But having it brings about a resolution that works far better than it should. Nice job!
We Are What We Are [2013]
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A reclusive family, lorded over by a fanatically religious father, must maintain the family tradition when the mother dies ...a tradition that's destroying them and has been responsible for the disappearance of hundreds. A very slow and unnerving character study, creating a sense that something horrible is going to happen any second, keeps you tense throughout. And, just as expected, the ending is sudden, shocking and terribly unsettling. Excellent performances by the two girls.
The Wave [2015]
aka Bolgen
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A Norwegian disaster film based on what might happen if Akneset, an unstable mountain pass, were to fracture off sending an 80 meter high wall of water down the fjord. Us Americans tend to make our disaster movies filled with excitement, thrills, and loaded with spec fx. This film tended to be far more realistic and human. We got to know the characters intimately and really cared about them. They also managed to make the attempts to save each other thrilling and realistic without being outrageous. Nicely done!
The Whole Nine Yards [2000]
A dentist, whose marriage and life is miserable, meets the new next-door neighbor, a professional mob hit-man in hiding. His life suddenly gets very exciting. This is one of those twisted dark comedies with a multitude of character, all with different agendas, and the chaos it creates is humorous and complex. Twisting from one moment to the next, the story is all over the place and yet it's still easy to follow while being thoroughly entertaining. I've seen better movies like this but this is a very good one.
Wrong Turn [2003]
A group of young people take the wrong turn in the hills of West Virginia and experience life with the locals. Similar to
The Hills Have Eyes,
this is simply another inbred mutant slasher movie. However, it's done very well ...as noted by several sequels. It gets started in a hurry and the victims are normal (including the one prone to hysteria). Their actions are logical and smart making for some very exciting scenarios where they're actually trying to save themselves. How refreshing! The mutants were entertaining, as well. Nicely done!
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End [2007]
A production company is developing a survival reality show in the same patch of woods occupied by our inbred, cannibalistic freaks ...and the contestants are quickly becoming fast food! I was really beginning to hate the characters, who were obnoxious and thoroughly unlikable, and almost turned it off. When things got serious, it began to improve but only slightly. It was extremely messy and gory and some of the gags worked pretty well but the ending was ho hum and sort of dragged out. Nothing really new or special here. Marginally entertaining,
Winchester [2018]
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Story based on the premise that Sarah Winchester continued to build her home because she was haunted by the spirits of those killed by Winchesters. The story was OK - a mass shooting and the 1906 earthquake was thrown into the mix for good measure - but it came off rather flat. It seemed to rely too much on jump scares as I don't think the filmmakers really knew how to create the necessary atmosphere a movie like this needs. As a result, it's just a ghost story ...and not a very scary one. The trailer's more terrifying.
Wolf Creek [2005]
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Three friends travel into the outback of Australia to visit the Wolf Creek meteor crater. What they find is their worst nightmare in the form of Mick Taylor. It takes about an hour for something remarkable to happen but the kids are likable and enjoyable to watch making what follows even more brutal. And when it does start happening, few screen psychos can match Mick's heartless cruelty or that mad cackle of his. Making the victims smarter would have jumped it from "Most Excellent" to "Super Awesome" but it's still pretty strong stuff.
A Wrinkle in Time [2018]
A girl, her little brother and a friend travel through the universe searching for her dad. First, let me say, this is NOT as bad as the ratings. There are plenty of better films with similar themes, especially from Disney, but this one was light-hearted, uplifting and quite visual. I think its main problem was the presentation seemed bland, unfinished, and sort of lifeless. Bad editing maybe? In fact, there's some great scenes in the trailer that aren't in the movie. The friend served absolutely no purpose beyond being along for the ride.
Wolf Creek 2 [2013]
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Not as intensely savage as
Wolf Creek
but still quite brutal with far more action and a much higher body count. Jarratt's performance as, Mick Taylor, one of the most savage, cold-blooded, psychopaths to ever grace the screen, just makes your skin crawl. Rule No.1: Never stop for anyone in the outback. In fact, never stop at all.
We Are Still Here [2015]
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A middle aged couple, who's recently lost a son, moves into a haunted house with the titular spirits making their presence known is a big way. I nearly gave up about halfway through this as it was presenting itself as a totally cliche haunted house story with mild scares and few ghostly events. But then things took off and, holy cow! ...it was like a blood-drenched roller coaster ride from hell!! Still not quite sure what to make of the ending but then ghosts don't really have to make sense, do they? I'll have to watch it again to figure it all out. Good gory fun, though!
Welcome to Mercy [2018]
A woman and her daughter returns to her childhood home where she hasn't been since she was a child and strange things start happening. This film is just plain awful. Direct from the filmmakers of 'dragging things out', this ultra slow dirge provides us with no thrills, no scares, a story that's nonsense, no likable characters and we get to find out that most of it is a delusion! The sound track was completely incongruous to the events ...we've got a woman in the throws of demonic possession while we hear music fit for a funeral with crying mourners. Come on!!
Wildling [2018]
A girl, who's been locked in an attic from a baby to a mid-teen, has to adjust to the new world. But, perhaps, she has a few tricks up her sleeve. Liv Tyler and Brad Dourif do an excellent job and everyone, in fact, is pretty darn genuine. However, I don't think they managed to elicit the amount of empathy that they were shooting for. As a result, the film is rather dull, lifeless and boring. Don't expect a lot of action, suspense or tension as there really isn't any ...just a story about a girl who's different and those that want to cause her harm. That's it.
The Witch [2015]
aka The VVitch (A New-England Folktale)
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A random pick turned out to be quite a surprise. In 1630's New England, a family has been exiled from a town due to religious differences. They try to make it in the wild next to a forest wherein lives a witch. The photography, settings, acting, dialogue, are all utterly authentic. The story, which may be slow for some, clearly depicts how a family is just as vulnerable to destruction by their own superstitions and religious beliefs as well as by a real witch. Superbly haunting!
The Wolverine [2013]
The story is really simple and not particularly interesting ...Logan is losing his powers to heal and must get them back. It deals far too much with Wolverine's personal issues and the action sequences - of which there were fewer in this one - although entertaining, felt as if they were being forced on you. It's good ...just not my favorite X-Men movie.
The Wasp Woman [1959]
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This was the original version of the remakes
The Wasp Woman [1995]
and
Rejuvenatrix.
As flaky as those re-makes were, they pretty much outdid this original version. Basically, a woman uses wasp royal jelly to become youthful again but it has the side-effect of changing her into a wasp when she's buzzed off. There are certain givens expected in a Roger Corman film and much can be forgiven as a result but this one is pretty cheesy even by Corman's standards. ...and those are bees, not wasps.
Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings [2011]
The origin of the inbred, cannibalistic freaks in the series, takes place in a sanatorium that they've apparently taken over without anyone noticing. Enter some really, really stupid young people who are forced into the building due to a storm they knew was coming but decided to get lost in it anyway. The acting was so bad, they couldn't even effectively portray the morons that the mega-amateur, immature writing forced upon them. This movie was just awful. I don't consider myself a writer but I know I could have written this one far better ...hell, anyone could've.
What's the Matter with Helen? [1971]
I remember this movie terrorized me back in the 70's. Apparently, I was an impressionable teen back then as it's pretty light fare by today's standards. If you can get through the first half of the film, which has far too much dancing and entertainment for this type of movie, what we have here is a great character study of a descent into madness and the tragic result. Excellent performances by Debbie Reynolds and Shelly Winters and that twisted piano riff at the end sticks in your head for quite a while afterwards.
The Wasp Woman [1995]
In an attempt to reverse aging, a cosmetic executive takes an experimental wasp hormone treatment with a few minor side effects. This is a made-for-TV remake of the
Roger Corman 1959 film
and it's just about what you would expect from a very low budget TV movie.
Rejuvenatrix
(which is basically the same story without having anything to do with wasps) had much better make up and spec fx. Come to think of it, all I ever saw in the lab were bees, not wasps. This one was pretty bad.
Werewolf Warrior [2004]
aka Kibakichi: Bakko-yokaiden
This ultra-low budget culturally traditional Japanese samurai movie features a samurai - who is also a werewolf - stumbling into a town where there is an issue between humans and yokai (beings who disguise themselves as human). The spec fx are pretty laughable and I'm not quite sure I understand what was going on as the film is quite surreal ...but stylish with a pretty messy bloodbath at the end ...and I was really diggin' the music. I would say I was pretty entertained.
The Wind [2018]
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Well photographed, visually authentic, psychological character study of loneliness and isolation. A couple, who lives in the middle of nowhere, gains a couple as neighbors who are completely out of their depth when it comes to farming and living off the country. This triggers a series of catastrophic events, told in story pieces through various flashbacks. Very slow burn requiring patience but the characters and story are compelling. Plus, it keeps you guessing ...is she under siege by demons? ...or is she just going mad? Well presented and not bad!
Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines [2012]
Our cannibal mutants, now staying with an equally insane relative, all decide to have some fun during a hillbilly festival. Although not nearly as ridiculous as
WT4,
this one isn't a whole lot better. I admired the
first one
for having genuine, intelligent victims. Unfortunately, they decided to make nearly every victim in this one die from their own stupidity. Some of the kills were creative but they quite often ruined it by taking the gore level way over-the-top just for gore's sake. Basically just cookie cutter characters in one contrived scene after another. Disappointing.
What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? [1969]
Once a woman discovers her husband left her nothing after his death, she resorts to hiring housekeepers, getting their savings (under the guise of investing them in stock), kills them and buries them in her garden. This delightful bit of fun has some super performances by Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon. Very nostalgic Old Biddy style suspense film that was popular around that time and definitely one of the better ones. The trailer is rather silly and obnoxious, though.
The Wicked Within [2015]
Demon possesses a woman and destroys her family. Three tips for movie makers - 1) In order to develop some sense of tension, peril, empathetic danger, you need to make sure the viewer cares about the characters of which, I couldn't care less about these. 2) Include something original. We've already seen this film hundreds of times ...and better. 3) If you're going to have a twist ending, you should make it far less ridiculous and conceal it better ...I saw it coming long before we got there. A grossly amateur effort bringing nothing new to the table and insulting the table.
Wraith [2017]
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An absurd haunted house story involving a friendly ghost, an evil spirit and a whole lot of thinly veiled anti-abortion propaganda. Absolutely nothing original here. The writing was pathetic and they have a girl who is clearly about 18 playing the part of an 8th grader. The most horrific thing about this movie is her acting trying to pull that off. What a waste of time.
The Watcher [2000]
A psyche damaged ex-FBI agent is reluctantly drawn into a case hunting down the same serial killer that damn near destroyed him. This was a very tense and entertaining game of cat and mouse with James Spader (cop) and Keanu Reeves (killer) turning in some excellent performances. The ending was somewhat cliche and a bit of a let down but overall, an exciting film much better than the ratings seem to indicate and well worth watching.
War for the Planet of the Apes [2017]
Caesar's tribe is captured by a rogue Colonel for his own psychotic plans. Question #1 ...where's the war? There's battle scenes in the beginning and the end (which covers 80% of the trailer). In between we have too much moralizing, philosophizing, extended scenes of dialogue, and way too much heart-string pulling. Throwing in a blatantly obvious Moses analogy sent it completely into sappyville. It's not a bad movie but it's probably the most non-action, action film of the year and it is most certainly NOT a war movie.
Wind River [2017]
A professional tracker and an FBI agent (who is sorely out of her depth) investigate the rape and murder of a girl in winter on an Indian reservation in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. More a character study than a crime drama, the story is a deeply personal and emotional look at the people, the culture, and one's own personal demons. Personally, I would have liked a bit more emphasis on the hunt but that's a personal preference, me thinks. There's an awesome shootout well worth watching. Overall, very well made film.
What Happened to Monday [2017]
aka 7 Sisters
In an over-populated future society, a set of identical septuplets must grow up learning to be one person by having each impersonate this persona on a daily basis to prevent having their family torn apart. I could see this more as a television series because so much happened in two hours that I felt a bit assaulted story-wise. But it was done extremely well, with a magnificent performance by Noomi Rapace, and the predictable, inevitable outcome even felt true and logical. Exciting, thought provoking entertainment.
Wind Walkers [2015]
Something about somebody bringing something back from Iraq that's killing these guys in the Florida Keys. That's about the best I can do as far as a mini-synopsis because nothing about this movie made any sense. There were some insidious moments that made it somewhat worthwhile but I didn't understand anyone's behavior or motivation and I could not discern any plot or even identify the danger. Even the score was nothing more than rock tunes which were totally inappropriate. What were they trying to do here?
The Witching [2016]
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A bunch of friends podcast from a place in the woods where a witch was executed 67 years ago and they tell ghost stories making this an anthology movie. The first couple stories were quite lame being no more than a vehicle for a few jump scares and they didn't end so much as just stop. The other stories were ok ...especially the one where God calls a talk show and another about an hour glass. There's nothing special here but when you consider that this is obviously an amateur effort for everyone involved, it's not that bad.
Westworld [1973]
Due to technical issues, use Letterboxd button for review.
The Windmill [2016]
aka The Windmill Massacre
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A bus breaks down during a tour of Holland and the passengers begin experiencing hallucinations and amputations. This is a pretty typical slasher movie that has a somewhat original premise. Beside the entertaining kills being gory and a little over-the-top, there's really nothing new here. The ending was a bit silly. Entertaining but I'm glad a didn't spend extra money on it.
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