A Knight's Tale, showing mercy.
From the channel of ChippyChopper.
"With one run to go, Sir Thomas Coville asks William to let him keep his honor intact by letting him withdraw rather than losing."
A Knight's Tale is one of my favorite movies. In this scene, Heath Ledger (later knighted as Sir William) allows Sir Coville to withdraw honorably from a joust. This is just one of many great scenes in this movie.
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| Emma Myers |
The image in this post was found on META. It is probably an AI-generated image. Myers dresses much more conservatively. She describes herself as an introvert.
William is Knighted | A Knight's Tale
From the channel of NOW PLAYING.
This is one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies. RIP, Heath Ledger.
No spoilers.
Hellraiser 1987 – We'll Tear Your Soul Apart
From the channel of Juan Fernando Ramirez.
Hellraiser revolves around a portal to "hell" that opens with the solving of a puzzle box called The Lament Configuration. I wrote about this in great detail last year when reviewing Hellraiser 2022.
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| Source: Wikipedia |
The original Hellraiser stars, primarily, Ashley Laurence and Clare Higgins. Doug Bradley, Grace Kirby, Nicholas Vince, and Simon Bamford are the principal antagonists of the film. Bradley portrays the now infamous "Pinhead." Clive Barker director Hellraiser; it is adapted from his novella, The Hellbound Heart. I am fortunate enough to own both the movie and Barker's writings.
"A woman discovers the newly resurrected, partially formed, body of her brother-in-law and lover. She starts killing for him to revitalize his body and escape the demonic beings that are pursuing him after he escaped their underworld." (IMDB)
"When Kirsty's father, Larry, and stepmother, Julia, move into Larry's childhood home, Kirsty and her boyfriend take a room nearby. Unfortunately for all involved, Larry's house is already occupied: before the family's arrival, Larry's disreputable brother, Frank, used a supernatural puzzle box to summon a gang of other-dimensional demon sadists. Now, Frank requires a series of blood sacrifices to escape the clutches of Pinhead and the cenobites." (IMDB; written by user mrosesteed)
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| Movie Region Codes |
Regional Codes
"Alternatively called country codes and zone locks, regional codes are restrictions that allow motion picture studios to control the home viewing of movies in different countries. They are useful for preventing certain countries from viewing movies before the appropriate release date for that region." Source: MS Bing
Movie Region Codes
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 (Region Code)
Region codes indicate that a DVD is released in a certain geographical area or region, and it's not viewable on a DVD player outside of that region. This was designed to stop people from buying American DVDs and watching them earlier in other countries or for older films where world distribution is handled by different companies.
0 - Region 0 is not an official setting; discs that bear the region 0 symbol either have no flag set or have regions 1-6 flags set.
1 - United States, Canada, Bermuda, U.S. territories.
2 - Europe (except Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus), Middle East, Egypt, Japan, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Greenland, French Overseas departments and territories.
3 - Southeast Asia, South Korea, Republic of China (Taiwan), Hong Kong, Macau.
4 - Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, South America, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea and much of Oceania.
5 - India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Africa (except Egypt, South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho), Central and South Asia, Mongolia, North Korea.
6 - People's Republic of China.
7 - Reserved for future use (found in use on protected screener copies of MPAA-related DVDs and "media copies" of pre-releases in Asia)
8 - International venues such as aircraft, cruise ships, etc.
ALL - Region ALL discs have all eight flags set, allowing the disc to be played in any locale on any player.
Blu-ray Disc Region Codes
Blu-ray Discs use a much simpler region-code system than DVDs with only three regions, labeled A, B, and C.
A - Includes most North, Central and South American countries and Southeast Asian countries including the Republic of China (Taiwan), Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea.
B - Includes most European and Middle Eastern countries, all of Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
C - Includes the remaining central and south Asian countries, as well as the People's Republic of China and Russia.
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| Nosferatu 2024 |
I love the original Nosferatu, so I had to check this one out. No spoilers.
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| Castle Freak 2020 - Credits Below |
"An Albanian castle with bloodthirsty creatures is inherited by a young blind woman." [IMDB]
I watched this movie on December 17, 2024. It takes a while to get interesting and I almost stopped watching. It draws heavily on H.P. Lovecraft's mythos, being loosely connected to the stories The Outsider and The Dunwich Horror. The Necronomicon also appears in the movie. One man, "The Professor," wears a Miskatonic University t-shirt. I have the same shirt!
The movie is the product of Fangoria and Full Moon. Barbara Crampton is one of the producers. It stars, primarily, Clair Catherine. She does a good job of portraying a blind character.
Image Credit: The picture was acquired on Wikipedia. The author or copyright owner: Tate Steinsiek, Fangoria. Fair Use.
Edit: There is a lot of nudity and a lot of gore.
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| Suitable Flesh - Credits Below Text |
Waite, in Asa's body, has relations with Beth. Suddenly, he possesses her body. The possession is brief, and Beth recovers. Asa, now trapped in Waite's body, suddenly appears and begs Dr. Derby for help. He is killed by Waite, who is inhabiting Asa's body. The house then burns to the ground, having been set on fire by a candle.
Dr. Derby recounts going to Dr. Upton for help. She attempts to explain what happened to her. The police later speak to Dr. Derby about the fire, and they note that Mr. Waite has been reported as a missing person. After they leave, Derby confesses to her husband that she and Asa had sex. Beth then leaves their home, thinking it is best for her to be alone. She returns to work.
Asa/Waite possesses Dr. Derby's body again, and she is left handcuffed in the basement of the Waite home. Derby (who is Waite in Beth's) then goes to her house. Beth, trapped in the basement, manages to find a cell phone and calls Dr. Upton for help.
Back at the Derby home, "Beth" seduces her husband, Edward Derby. Asa is still trapped in the basement. Upton arrives at the Waite home and finds Beth, who is in Asa's body. Asa reveals to Upton that she/he is Beth trapped in Asa's body.
The police are summoned to the Derby home after Asa calls and reports a "domestic disturbance." Nothing comes from the visit. Back at the Waite home, Asa attempts to explain what has happened to Dr. Upton (who still doesn't believe him).
The police arrive at the Derby home. Back at the Waite home, Asa attempts to explain to Dr. Upton that the elder Waite uses a magic formula to exchange bodies with people. Naturally, Upton doesn't believe him. After a brief discussion, Dr. Derby is released from Asa's body. Both go into convulsions as the exchange is made, Asa's transformation is witnessed by Upton, and Dr. Derby's occurs in the presence of the police.
Eventually, Asa and Derby come face to face again, and after some dialogue, Beth attempts to kill him. She explains to Dr. Upton that she wasn't trying to kill Asa, but whatever it was inside him. The scene changes to the inside of a padded room. Beth tells Dr. Upton that the "thing" is coming for her.
In the morgue, the pathologist begins his autopsy. Asa suddenly comes alive. He inhabits Beth's body. The body of Asa calls out for help. It crawls across the floor, saying "Let me out of this body." Upton believes Beth is insane.
The security guard summons Upton. She leaves the room, and two orderlies enter to watch Beth. She attempts to revive Asa/Beth but is apparently not successful. She returns to the padded room. She and Asa/Beth begin to fight.
Near the end of the movie, Dr. Upton kills Beth, who is in Asa's devastated body. Just then, Dr. Derby possesses Beth and kills the security guard. She aims the gun at Upton, but there are no more bullets. They begin to fight again. Beth ends up being overpowered. In the final shots, it is revealed that Asa/Beth now resides in Upton's body. Upton herself is imprisoned in the padded room.
Fair Use. Image Credit: http://www.impawards.com/2023/suitable_flesh.html
See Part One here.
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| Suitable Flesh - Credits Below Text |
Suitable Flesh is loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft's short story, The Thing On The Doorstep. One of the stars, Barbara Crampton, previously starred in other Lovecraft remakes, Re-Animator and From Beyond. It's not a bad movie, especially if you're familiar with the source material. If not, it's a confusing show to watch. Below are my thoughts on what took place in the movie.
Dr. Dani Upton (Barbara Crampton) and a pathologist (Graham Skipper) unzip a body bag. They seem to be in a hospital morgue. Dr. Upton remarks that it's difficult to imagine that the body was once human.
Upon leaving the morgue, Dr. Upton is addressed by a security guard. He asks if it's true that Dr. Derby is present. Upton replies in the affirmative, upon which the guard tells her to be careful.
The scene changes to an outside shot of the hospital. It's the Miskatonic Medical School in Arkham, Massachusetts. Dr. Upton is then shown taking two orderlies with her to see a patient, Dr. Elizabeth "Beth" Derby (Heather Graham). The patient is mumbling to herself, "Cut off the head, destroy the body."
Beth demands of Dr. Upton whether "the body was cremated." She is told that the autopsy will begin in a few minutes. Beth, upset at the news, declares, "he can still get me." She is restrained by the two orderlies but is then Upton orders her to be released. The orderlies are told to leave the room, then Beth and Upton (who are friends) begin to talk. We are then taken "to the beginning" of the tale, as told by Beth.
Beth, a successful psychiatrist, encounters Asa Waite, who says he has had an out-of-body experience. He tells Beth that he believes that his father caused it, and that he wants Asa's body. He then gets a phone call from his father. After several rings he answers it, and then falls to his knees, eyes rolling into his head. It appears that the caller is responsible for this. When he seems to be in control again, it seems obvious (at least to Lovecraft fans) that someone else is inhabiting Asa's body. Even his manner of speaking is different. He goes from a scared but polite Asa to a rude person who spouts curse words and uses some archaic language. Dr. Upton gives him a business card. For a brief moment, we see the name Pickman on it, perhaps as part of the address. (It was so quick that I didn't try to rewind it to have a look.)
Beth becomes fixated on Waite's case. She goes to his house, feeling compelled to do so. She says her mind was "drawn" to him. She rings the doorbell and knocks but gets no answer. She then discovers that the door is unlocked. She enters the house.
Beth finds Asa's father slumped over a desk, seemingly unresponsive. He suddenly responds to her, and jerks awake. He asks for a pick and says they're in his pocket. Beth gives him one. She then tells Mr. Waite that she is looking for Asa. He tells her that he "ran off" days ago.
Beth notices a strange book, opened, on Waite's desk. It looks like what one would imagine an illustrated book of magic to be. She asks about it and is told it is none of her business (in a very way). Waite finally dismisses the doctor by brandishing a knife in her direction. He then suffers a coughing fit. Beth attempts to help him, but he cuts her with the knife. She leaves. Waite lays the knife on the open book, and it draws in Beth's blood.
At home, Beth gets a frantic call from Asa. She goes to his home and discovers Mr. Waite on the floor. Asa appears with a knife, preparing to slay Mr. Waite. Beth convinces him to give her the knife.
Waite is apparently deceased. Asa tells Beth that Waite was not his father. It was something else inhabiting his body. Asa attempts to stab Waite, who suddenly sits up and begins to pronounce a formula in some sort of Lovecraftian language. Waite falls to the floor again, and Asa is once again possessed.
Fair Use. Image Credit: http://www.impawards.com/2023/suitable_flesh.html
See Part Two here.
.jpg "Survival Island Movie Poster") |
| Survival Island - Source: Wikipedia |
Survival Island is a surprisingly good movie, a firm 5 out of 10 from me. Survival Island is also called Demon Island and Piñata: Survival Island. It is a horror movie that was released in 2002. It stars Nicholas Brendon and Jaime Pressly. Pressly does an outstanding job with her character, Lisa, and Brendon also rises to the occasion as Kyle. I have watched this movie several times, maybe about four times.
Synopsis
The movie tells the tale of a group of college students who travel to an island to participate in something of a scavenger hunt, called a "Cinco de Mayo treasure hunt." Two of the group discover a pinata, which is cursed. The pinata was made many years ago when a tribal member funneled into it all the sins and wickedness of his people. Two students find the pinata and accidentally bring it to life. It kills one of the students and proceeds to roam the island, hunting the rest. The young folks are dispatched, one by one. Who will be left alive?
Attribution: The poster art can or could be obtained from First Look Home Entertainment., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9514095
"An impotent husband, driven by a fanatical desire to father children, forces his wife to undergo a dangerous experiment. The result: the birth of a multitude of monstrous THINGS." (IMDB)
I watched a poor copy of 1989's Things, which was directed by Andrew Jordan. It was written by Andrew Jordan and Barry J. Gillis. Gillis also stars in the film, along with pornographic actress Amber Lynn. In a nutshell, the movie follows two friends who arrive to visit a relative and end up encountering monsters. The monsters are the creation of a mad doctor, and they attack the friends.
To say that this movie is "low budget" is an understatement, and Things is one of the few films that I could not watch to completion. It starts out with full frontal nudity, and for a moment I thought it was going to be pornography (technically it isn't, but young children shouldn't be allowed to watch it). I watched maybe half of it before I gave up.
Things is not so bad that it's funny. It's just bad. Period. On a scale from 1 to 10, I give it a 1. On a scale from 0 to 10, I give it a 0.
Interestingly enough, but not surprising, the film is considered to be one of the worst of all time. That's how I became aware of it. I saw it on a list of "terrible" movies, so I gave it a shot. Lesson learned. You have been warned. There is nothing good about it, in my humble opinion. I didn't even bother to search for cover art. You can find it on IMDB. Wikipedia also has an article about this film.
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| Jeepers Creepers Reborn - Source At The End Of The Review |
"Forced to travel with her boyfriend, Laine begins to experience premonitions associated with the urban myth of The Creeper. She believes that something supernatural has been summoned - and that she is at the center of it all." (IMDB)
Jeepers Creepers: Reborn is a 2022 reboot of the Jeepers Creepers series. It was directed by Timo Vuorensola. The movie was written by Jake Seal and Sean-Michael Argo. In this movie, Jarreau Benjamin stars as The Creeper. The Creeper is the antagonist in all of the Jeepers Creepers movies.
Synopsis
An older couple drives down a country road. A truck, similar to but not identical with The Creeper's (hereafter TC) approaches from the rear. The truck and the couple's car pass one another. The couple then observes TC near a structure, throwing sheet-wrapped bodies down a pipe (same thing happens in Jeepers Creepers 1). TC returns to his truck and chases them. They flee, but then return to the pipe where TC was disposing of his victims.
The scene changes to a young couple who are driving. The man, Chase (Imran Adams), is watching a video about the older couple. The video ends by stating that they hadn't been seen since.
The couple is heading to a festival called Horror Hound, which is located in Louisiana. They begin to discuss cryptids. The girl, Laine (Sydney Craven) thinks it's all nonsense, but her boyfriend Chase believes in TC and all manners of conspiracy theories.
For some reason (as yet unknown) Laine gets sick and has to stop on the side of the road. While being sick, she leans upon a tree. The camera shows one of TC's signature shuriken weapons embedded in the tree, far above her head. They are in creeper territory.
Back at TC's hideout, our creeper crawls forth from the building and begins to assume his true form. A Corvette comes down the road and stops. A man, who is the friend of Laine, calls her and they talk for a few moments. He steps outside of his car to use the restroom and is killed by TC.
The couple sees a road sign for a "voodoo shop." They stop at the store. They ask for directions to the festival and are sold an old, antique map for $50.
After the couple leaves, the shop owner calls someone on the phone. She says, "We have a tree bearing fruit. He will be most pleased." Laine and Chase are going to be parents, but neither one of them knows for sure. Chase doesn't know, and Laine is unsure.
The couple arrives at a hotel, run down though appearing to be antique. They decide to cosplay. The girl changes into a costume of Harley Quinn, Freddy (from Nightmare on Elm Street), and Edward Scissorhands. The couple becomes amorous, and Laine uses a pregnancy test. Later, it is shown that it yielded a positive return.
There is a disturbance at the window. A bird has crashed into it. It has been established in previous movies that crows and vultures follow TC.
TC pulls a tarp off of his original truck. He collects weapons from the back. The scene shifts to the festival. Festival-goers are engaged in various kinds of activities. The festival is called "the Coachella of cosplay."
A man slips out of the festival and into the woods to smoke some marijuana. TC gets him. Our stars spend some time throwing creeper-style shurikens at targets. Laine is cut by one of the weapons and has an unexplained vision.
More mindless entertainment occurs at the festival. TC is afoot, but as of yet does nothing significant. A female announcer, Carrie (Ocean Navarro), announces something called the "creeper draw." The grand prize is being locked in an "escape room." Our couple wins the drawing. They have actually "won" a trip to TC's house. They and a film crew are driven to the location.
More mindless entertainment takes place at the festival. TC's truck cranks and begins to move. He rams power utilities, and the festival is plunged into darkness. All power is lost, except for a turntable. A DJ begins to play music as TC grabs more weapon from inside his truck.
TC arrives at Chase and Laine's location. TC attacks. TC grabs Laine and flies away.
Laine awakens. She is tied down. TC stabs her. It is revealed that at least three humans are assisting TC.
The group escapes to the attic and finds a body. TC appears. TC disorients the group with an inhuman shriek.
Laine struggles against ropes, calling for help. She then notices TC's knife lying beside her. She uses it to cut the ropes that bind her.
Carrie gets grabbed by TC. She runs away. TC turns on old music, played by an antique talking machine.
Laine crashes through the ceiling into the room where the group has gathered. They leave the room. The producer's leg is caught in a trap. He is freed but is injured.
TC slays Carrie and drags her off. The remainder of the group flees into another room and barricades the door. They have entered what looks like a spell-casting chamber. Laine has another, unclear vision.
TC disorients the group again with another shriek. The room they're in is determined to be a feeding chamber. "They're feeding it," says Laine.
Laine reveals to Chase that she is pregnant, and that is why TC wants her. She accepts his (previous) marriage proposal.
The group devises a plan to beat TC. TC kills one man. The other escapes in an attempt to lure TC. TC sees Laine and heads toward her. TC picks her up by the neck.
It is revealed that TC wants Laine's baby's "life force." She attacks TC with two shuriken weapons, blinding it in both eyes.
On the roof, Chase and another survivor remove a spiked weathervane. They use it as a harpoon against TC, achieving a headshot. TC collapses. An immense flock of birds appears; they seem to consume TC.
The police arrive. Laine is helped into the back of a police cruiser. As she takes a seat, her eyes turn black. It is shown that TC is still alive.
Attribution: Fair Use, Screen Media Films
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| Jeepers Creepers 3, 2017 - Source At The End Of The Review |
"Sheriff Dan Tashtego and a team of creeper hunters enlist the help of officer Davis Tubbs to help stop the monster's eating spree." (IMDB)
Jeepers Creepers 3 is an interquel, which means that it takes place between the events of Jeepers Creepers 1 and Jeepers Creepers 2. Jonathan Breck returns in the movie as The Creeper. See more information about The Creeper here.
Jeepers Creepers 3 was written and directed by Victor Salva. I'll rate this one as a 5 out of 10. It's an action movie, for sure, but by this time there isn't too much horror to be experienced.
Synopsis
A young man is pursued by and caught by The Creeper (hereafter TC). Another young man, Kenny (Jordan Salloum), witnesses this, and observes as a hand falls from the sky. He buries it on property owned by his family.
The police have discovered TC's truck, and they find that it is booby-trapped. Officers are injured by the traps. The police discover human remains inside of the truck. Sheriff Dan Tashtego (Stan Shaw) arrives, and he tells Sergeant Davis Tubbs (Brandon Smith) what he knows about TC. Curiously, "Sergeant Tubbs" wears the insignia of a major.
The sheriff and the sergeant learn that TC's truck has been taken to the impound. Frank (Michael Papajohn), the tow truck driver, is accompanied by Deputy Dana Lang (Joyce Giraud). They never make it to the impound. Frank is killed by TC, and Lang hesitates, not firing at TC.
Gaylen Brandon (Meg Foster) has a vision of her deceased son, Kenny. He warns her that TC is coming to her location because, "Part of it is buried," on her property. He tells her to leave the property, and if she won't do it for her own sake, she should do it "for the sake of Addison." Addison Brandon (actress and model Gabrielle Haugh) is Gaylen's granddaughter.
A posse is gathered to hunt TC. It consists primarily of civilians who have lost loved ones to TC. They have an automatic weapon mounted on a pickup truck. It is described as a "Vulcan." I haven't seen any advanced ammunition in a long time, but it looks to me like the bullets are for a .50 caliber machine gun.
Four dirt bike-riding friends find TC's truck in the woods. They recognize it as the vehicle from an old legend about a "guy" who drives around eating people. They open the back of the truck and discover bodies. They narrowly escape a booby trap. As they speed away, a harpoon-type trap activates, hitting one man, Kirk Mathers (Ryan Moore).
Addison, financially broke, visits a boy she likes, Buddy Hooks (Chester Rushing), in an attempt to get some hay for her beloved horse. She gets turned down by the boy's father. Buddy tells her to wait, but she speeds off. He drives to catch up with her, and he tells her he has hay.
Back at TC's truck, we find that the harpoon went through Kirk's lower leg. His friends attempt to pull it out. However, one friend abandons him when the harpoon (which is attached to a rope) begins to "reel him in."
TC arrives. The remaining two friends run toward their bikes. TC throws a spear at them. Both are impaled.
Addison and Buddy return to Addison's house with the hay. Buddy confesses his attraction to her. Just then they see Gaylen on a nearby hill, digging. She is searching for whatever remains of TC that might be buried on her property. Addison then leaves with Buddy.
Gaylen's deceased son, Kenny, appears to ask her what she is doing. She screams at him to go away, and he vanishes.
All of the dirt bike riders seem to have perished, save the one who fled. TC pursues, catches, and slays him.
Gaylen digs up something that has been buried. It's one of TC's clawed hands. The hand grabs her. She is pulled into the air and hangs, suspended.
Addison and Buddy arrive at a house to deliver some hay to a customer. They discover two very valuable horses running about, unattended.
Bud finds a man hiding beneath a vehicle. Other men are taking refuge beneath a trailer. The man under the vehicle tells Buddy to summon the sheriff, leave, and keep his eye on the sky.
TC arrives and the usual chaos ensues. TC approaches the vehicle that Buddy and Addison are in and begins to take in their scent. Their vehicle will not start. TC breaks the window glass and turns the vehicle onto its side. Addison is taken.
The police arrive to speak with Addison's grandmother, Gaylen. She knows why they are there. She asks if they brought something "that can kill it."
Gaylen shows them the claw. She explains how her deceased son found it, on the night before he died. He buried it on the hill at the farm.
TC's truck stops. It is revealed that two victims in the back are still alive. One is Addison. The other is Kirk. They discuss what to do, as Kirk knows that the truck has many traps in it. Almost immediately he sets off a trap, which instantly kills him.
Back at Addison's, the police examine the claw. The sheriff grasps it. He immediately collapses. The exact purpose for this is never satisfactorily explained.
Back at TC's truck, Addison attempts to open the door. TC then returns with the last dirt bike rider. He finds Kirk's body, slain by his trap. Addison plays dead.
The police officer is freed of the claw's grasp. A call comes in about a flipped truck. The posse moves out toward TC's position. Two officers, including the sheriff, come up behind TC's truck.
The Sergeant is described as a "sharpshooter." He begins firing at TC's truck. He hits it, but the truck's tires and windows seem to be bullet proof.
The truck with the Vulcan approaches. The sheriff orders it not to fire on TC's truck. The order is ignored, and both the driver and gunner of the Vulcan truck are killed by ricocheting bullets.
Strangely enough, TC's truck drops bombs that can disable or destroy a vehicle. The sheriff's vehicle crashes. The sergeant survives. At that moment, the sheriff's condition is not known.
TC's truck reappears. The sheriff is alive. Sgt. Davis arms himself with a pump action shotgun.
TC gets out of his truck. The officers "split up." Sgt. Davis opens fire with the shotgun, but TC blocks the shot with an axe. Davis is disarmed by a shuriken weapon, which also disables his weapon. TC approaches.
The sheriff prepares to fire the weapon on the Vulcan truck, which was not previously destroyed. TC charges at him. He opens fire on TC but is grabbed and slain.
Gaylen is confronted by TC. Her deceased son appears to warn her that she can do nothing. He also tells her that Addison has been taken. Buddy appears. Gaylen asks him about Addison's whereabouts.
Back at TC's truck, our creeper discovers that Addison is alive. He attacks her and is stabbed through the head with one of his own traps. Addison leaps from the truck, narrowly avoiding a trap.
A disoriented creeper begins hurling weapons at Addison. He misses, but charges toward her. He is then struck by a semi-truck. He slays the truck driver.
TC arrives at the hill on the farm where his claw was buried. A crude sign on the ground reads: WE KNOW WHAT YOU ARE. Angry, TC destroys the claw. Why this claw was so important to him is never explained, at least not to my satisfaction.
Addison is walking down a highway. A vehicle approaches and she hides. The driver turns out to be Buddy, who has been out looking for her.
The story shifts to tell of the events of Jeepers Creepers 2, when The Creeper finally ran out of time...for 23 years, anyway.
Attribution: Fair Use, Screen Media Films
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| Jeepers Creepers 2, 2003 - Source At The End Of The Review |
Jeepers Creepers 2 (hereafter JC2) is action from the beginning moments. A central theme of all the JC movies is the feeding cycle of the monster, who is known as The Creeper (hereafter TC). The monster is played by actor Jonathan Breck. TC gets to feed every 23rd year for 23 days. Another plot device is the incitement of terror in TC's victims. By frightening its prey and smelling of their fear, TC can detect what part of its victim that it wants to consume. You can learn more about The Creeper here.
I give this movie a solid 6 out of 10, primarily because there are so many characters that it is difficult to care about them. The movie was written and directed by Victor Salva.
Synopsis
Set a few days after the events of the original film, a championship basketball team's bus is attacked by The Creeper, the winged, flesh-eating terror, on the last day of his 23-day feeding frenzy.
The movie takes place on day 23. The time is four days after the church in movie #1 was burned. Billy Taggart (Shaun Fleming) lives on a farm with his father and older brother. While securing some scarecrows, TC takes Billy. A little later, while examining the area (in a cornfield), Billy's brother Jack "Jackie" Taggart Jr. (Luke Edwards) discovers a strange weapon and shows it to his father, Jack Taggart (Ray Wise).
A basketball team and some cheerleaders are traveling home on a bus. The bus has a flat tire. A strange shuriken-style weapon is found embedded in the tire. One cheerleader, Minxie Hayes (Nicki Aycox, R.I.P.) has a vision of Billy Taggart and Darry Jenner (Justin Long; from Jeepers Creepers 1). Both seem to be shouting a verbal warning of some danger. Shortly after that, another weapon flattens another tire on the bus, which is now sitting on the rim.
Jack Taggart builds a homemade harpoon-type weapon and mounts it on his pickup truck. He intends to hunt TC.
At the disabled bus, the killing begins in earnest. All of the adult staff is quickly dispatched, leaving only students. TC then appears at the back of the bus, sniffing for its next prey. Minxie continues to experience visions. One student begins to use the bus's CB radio to call for help.
Taggart, manning his harpoon weapon, begins to hunt TC. He finds evidence of some victims, and then hears the bus's SOS on the radio. He responds, telling the students that he is on the way, but it will take some time to get there.
TC enters the bus and chaos ensues. One student is decapitated. Several students leave the bus, heading toward a farm that they believe to be nearby. One student remains on the bus.
TC reappears. The students rush back to the bus. The remaining student is too scared to open the bus door. The students scatter, and TC starts picking them off with unique bladed weapons. Later, the student who remains on the bus does let one cheerleader back into the vehicle.
Taggart arrives with his truck and TC killer. He, along with his son, encounters Minxie. One student reappears at the bus. He is seized by TC. The harpoon truck arrives at the bus. Taggart sees TC.
Taggart fires his weapon at TC and hits it. TC eventually escapes. Taggart reloads and hits TC again but fails to kill it. The pickup and the weapon are damaged, but not destroyed.
Three kids find an abandoned truck - the occupant was one of TC's victims. They attempt to escape in the vehicle. They are pursued by TC. The truck is deliberately crashed by the driver. Two survive, and TC is badly injured.
As the creature attacks one of the two survivors, he is again struck by Taggart's harpoon. It's a headshot. Taggart then stabs the monster multiple times. It does not die, but rather cocoons itself or hibernates. Dawn has arrived. Minxie says, "Its time ran out." "Looks dead to me," says Taggart.
At the ending, a group of kids arrive at the Taggart farm, where TC is now on display. A posted sign reads, "5 dollars for a view, 10 dollars for a picture." The exhibition is hosted by Jack "Jackie" Taggart Jr. (an adult version of the character, played by Jon Powell). Suddenly, Taggart himself appears. He is asked by the kids if he is waiting on something. He replies, "Two or three days, give or take a day." It's almost 23 years later, and TC is due to wake up again.
Attribution: Fair Use, http://www.impawards.com/2003/jeepers_creepers_two.html
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| Jeepers Creepers 2001 - Source At The End Of The Review |
The Creeper
The antagonist of Jeepers Creepers is the creeper, an ancient monster that hunts and eats the body parts of human victims. The creeper disguises itself as a human male. It wears a long black trench coat and a brimmed hat. In this way, it attempts to conceal its true appearance, which is that of a demonic-looking creature with bat-like wings.
The 2001 movie introduces us to some information that remains consistent throughout the films. The creeper harvests human organs to replace its own. It does this by terrifying its victims. Once this is accomplished, the monster can smell their fear, and he can then tell whether the victim has some body part that he wants to consume. He then terminates the person and claims their body parts or organs for himself.
Another feature of the Jeepers Creepers movies is the vehicle that the monster drives. It is a 1941 Chevy COE (Cab Over Engine) truck that has been modified into a box truck with a cattle guard at the front. The truck has an ominous-sounding horn, and the monster uses it to store deceased victims until he can dispose of their remains. In later movies, the truck's box is shown to contain some of the monster's bladed weapons. It is also revealed that the vehicle is heavily booby-trapped.
A plot device common to all the movies is how the creeper feeds. It is established from the first movie that it mostly lives in a state of hibernation. It emerges every 23 years. It gets to hunt for 23 days. It then goes back into hibernation. In the 2001 movie, the creeper is played by Jonathan Breck.
Synopsis
I watched all four of the Jeepers Creepers movies during the week of August 27. I'll rate this one as a 7/10. The movie was written and directed by Victor Salva.
In the first movie, which in my opinion is the best entry of the franchise, we find two college students travelling home for spring break. One is Darry Jenner (Justin Long). The other is his sister, Trish Jenner (Gina Philips).
As they are traveling, they are approached by The Creeper's (hereafter TC) truck. It tailgates them and gives them a fright, but then it passes by. A short time later they see the truck parked by an abandoned church. TC is shown throwing humanoid-shaped bloody sheets into a large pipe. TC's truck again approaches from behind, and they are forced to run off the road.
Darry and Trish return to the location where TC was previously seen throwing bodies into the pipe. Darry falls into the pipe and discovers what he estimates to be thousands of bodies. He escapes from the abandoned church, and the two set out to find help. They arrive at a local diner.
The duo receives a phone call from a psychic (Jezelle Gay Hartman played by Patricia Belcher) who refers to herself as, "A crazy old lady." She believes that TC is hunting the pair, and either Darry or Trish will become its victim. She warns them of a song, "Jeepers Creepers," and believes that one of the pair will perish when the song is playing.
An aside: "Jeepers Creepers" was and is a popular jazz song from 1938.
At the diner, our stars call the police, but their story is unbelievable. While Darry is speaking with the police, TC breaks into the couple's car. Witnesses tell Trish and Darry that a man broke into their car and sniffed some of their laundry. He seemed to like it, the pair are told.
The police take Trish and Darry back to the old church. The church has been set on fire by TC, to destroy evidence. TC appears and slays the police. Trish and Darry flee, stopping at a home in the hopes that they can find a phone. TC appears and kills the homeowner. It reveals itself to Trish and Darry. Trish, driving, runs over TC multiple times, but fails to kill it. They then observe the thing's frightening bat-like wings.
The pair arrive at a police station, and they are met there by the psychic, Jezelle. She warns them about TC and gives information about the monster that will be of importance in all Jeepers Creepers movies. The creature is centuries old. It feeds on humans for 23 days, every 23rd spring. It consumes people and takes their body parts and organs in order to replenish itself. TC chooses its victims by smelling their fear. Finally, it has determined that either Trish or Darry has something it wants.
A wounded creeper arrives at the police station. It consumes prisoners to heal itself. The police cannot stop it.
Trish and Darry are in an interrogation room. TC arrives and sniffs them. It casts Trish aside and grabs Darry and flies away with him.
The next day, Trish's parents arrive to pick her up. Jezelle returns home. The scene changes to an abandoned factory. TC seems to have set up a new base of operations. The next shot shows Darry, deceased. The Creeper has taken his eyes. In the background, the song, "Jeepers Creepers," is playing.
Attribution: Fair Use, http://www.impawards.com/2001/jeepers_creepers.html
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| Hellraiser 2022 - Source: Hulu |
"A young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites." - IMDB
Possible Spoilers Hereafter
Hellraiser is a 2022 film directed by David Bruckner. As with all other Hellraiser films, it finds its origin in Clive Barker's horror novella, The Hellbound Heart (1986). Hellraiser (hereafter, "HR") is not connected to any other movies in the HR franchise, (though it is described as being the eleventh installment). It is instead a reboot that uses some of Barker's original characters (The "Cenobites") while adding a completely new cast and storyline.
I've watched most of the HR movies multiple times, and I've seen HR 2022 several times. Honestly, I think it's a good movie. It's nothing like the 1987 film but it's not supposed to be. It's not even like Clive Barker's original novella, but, again, it's not supposed to be. HR 2022 stands on its own in the horror genre. Some don't like it, and some do. I do.
LeMarchand, Lament Configuration, and Other Details
A common plot device in the HR movies is the LeMarchand box, a puzzle box created by Philip LeMarchand. LeMarchand is described, at various points, as either a mass murderer or a (mostly) kind gentleman toymaker.
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| Lament Configuration - Author's Collection |
"A LeMarchand's box is a mystical/mechanical device that acts as a door — or a key to a door — to another dimension or plane of existence." - Wikipedia
In the original HR movies, whoever solved the puzzle box summoned and was at the mercy of the Cenobites, entities who have been described as unable to recognize the difference between pleasure and torture. In the words of one Cenobite, they are "angels to some and demons to others."
In the new movie, solving a portion of the puzzle results in a small blade springing from within the box. It pierces the hand or other body part where it will draw blood. After this, the Cenobites come to claim the one whose blood was spilled. The box is used, at one point, to pierce the Chatterer Cenobite, after which he is pulled apart by The Priest's chains.
Philip LeMarchand, who created the puzzle box, also gave it one of its names: The LeMarchand Configuration. It also came to be called the Lament Configuration.
In HR (2022) the puzzle box has several "stages" and each stage's configuration progresses to a final point when the puzzle is completed. It is then possible for the possessor of the box to choose a "gift" from the Cenobites (or the Cenobite deity called Leviathan). Each gift has a specific name:
• The Lament (Life) Configuration
• Lore (Knowledge)
• Laudarant (Love)
• Liminal (Sensation)
• Lazarus (Resurrection)
• Leviathan (Power)
Characters (Cenobites) In Hellraiser 2022
Jamie Clayton, The Priest. Known throughout fandom as "Pinhead," Clayton is the leader of the Cenobites. She is the first female Priest in the series.
Jason Liles, The Chatterer. A fan favorite from the previous movies, he is one of only two characters that have previously appeared in the HR movies, the other being Pinhead.
Selena Lo, The Gasp.
Gorica Regodic, The Mother.
Yinka Olorunnife, The Weeper.
Zachary Hing, The Asphyx.
Vukasin Jovanovic, The Masque.
Characters (Main Cast, Humans) In Hellraiser 2022
Odessa A'zion as Riley, the main character. I was surprised to see such a young person in the show. I hadn't heard of her. I discovered that she had once dated Jaden Smith. She does a good job in the movie.
Adam Faison as Colin. The boyfriend of Matt, Riley's brother. Faison is openly gay. The film is very open to utilizing LGBQT+ characters.
Drew Starkey as Trevor, Riley's boyfriend.
Aoife Hinds as Nora, Matt and Colin's roommate.
Brandon Flynn as Matt. He is Riley's brother and Colin's boyfriend. The actor is another who is openly gay.
Goran Visnjic as Voight. A billionaire in pursuit of pleasure, he becomes the victim of the Cenobites and will do anything to restore himself to good health.
Hiam Abbass as Menaker, Voight's lawyer and representative. She is a Palestinian actress who falls victim to the Cenobites.
Credits For The Hellraiser Poster:
Hulu Poster Source:
http://www.impawards.com/2022/hellraiser.html
Wikipedia:
_underway,_circa_in_1944.jpg "USS Eldridge") |
| USS Eldridge - Source: U.S. Navy |
The USS Eldridge (DE-173) was commissioned in 1943 as a Cannon-class destroyer escort. The ship made nine trips as an escort. She was transferred in 1951 to Greece, where she served for many years. In Greece, the ship was known as the Leon (D54). The ship was sold as scrap in 1999. It had been decommissioned in 1992.
.jpg "Dracula Poster") |
| Dracula (1931) - Public Domain |
I always make sure to watch at least one spooky movie during October. On October 27 I picked Dracula (1931).
"Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night." [IMDB]
Dracula (1931) is the classic vampire movie, one of the first, and probably the most well known. Unlike others, it doesn't go into great detail on Renfield's madness, Dracula's wives (uncredited), or the downfall of Lucy Weston. It's just a good movie dealing with Count Dracula, his pursuit of Mina Seward, and the efforts of Professor Van Helsing (and John Harker) to stop him. The movie is a bit overacted in places, and it even has a bit of comedy in it.
"Maid: He's crazy! Martin: They're all crazy. They're all crazy except you and me. Sometimes I have me doubts about you. Maid: Yes."
Dracula was portrayed by the (now) famous Bela Lugosi. Harker was portrayed by David Manners. Mina was portrayed by Helen Chandler.
I also attempted to watch Berkely Square (1933) and Dracula's Daughter (1936). I was trying to watch a poor copy of Berkely Square and couldn't bear to watch it any longer. I couldn't get interested in Dracula's Daughter after watching the first 20 minutes. It was a slow moving film, and I lost interest in it. It was, however, a sequel to the 1931 film Dracula.
Image: By Illustrator unknown; Distributed by Universal Pictures. - Scan via Heritage Auctions. Cropped from the original image., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86980777
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| Stars From the Mummy (1999) - Source: Meta |
This picture really is a "blast from the past." Then and now, we see two stars of The Mummy (1999). The actresses are Rachel Hannah Weisz (as Evelyn Carnahan) and Patricia Velasquez (as Anck-su-namun). I still enjoy watching this movie.
"At an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hamunaptra, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion accidentally awakens a mummy who begins to wreak havoc as he searches for the reincarnation of his long-lost love." (IMDB)
Edit: The image source appears on the picture.
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| Event Horizon - Image Source: IMDB |
"A rescue crew is tasked with investigating the reappearance of the Event Horizon, a vessel that has been lost for seven years." (IMDB)
Event Horizon is one of my favorite "go to" movies, when I can't think of anything else to watch. It's both science fiction and horror. Some have described it as Lovecraftian in nature. I don't know about that: Everyone can make up their own minds about it.
