Imagine if that happened during the night. You never know what you see a shadow in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on.

LOL! Nah... I watch Supernatural. Whatever lurks in the dark would just get an iron crowbar to the face... because... iron repels spirits.

The more you know!

That GIF though!

Oh yes! I saw this last night. Very interesting.

In the past week I've been watching the Predator movies and planning on seeing the fourth one this weekend.

Predator.

A military unit led by Major Dutch Schaeffer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is send to the jungle in Guatemala to rescue a minister from his guerrillas captors. Once in deep jungle they realize they have been used and on their way back they find out something is hunting them.

This is a typical masculine testosteron movie from the 80's. It's all about muscle, jungles, guns, violence and blood. Maybe you can even see this as an early version of The Expendables.

Also one of those movies they simply don't make anymore. It's the perfect movie.

The actors are great: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Richard Chaves (Tough Boys/The Treasure of Manco), Shane Black (director of the latest), Bill Duke, Sonny Landham and Kevin Peter Hall.

Nearly the entire movie there is action or suspense the whole time. The scene where Poncho (Richard Chaves) tells Billy knows something gives me goosebumps everytime. You can just hear it his voice how scared he is.



Alan Silvestri's score is simply outstanding. It's raw, it's brutal and the use of bongos to give that jungle feel... Each time you hear them, each time you see the trees, you know it, you're being watched by an alien life form. The movie relies heavily on the score and especially in the last half hour. During the finale it's just Arnold vs. the Predator and there's hardly any dialogue. I think in the last half hour only ten lines are spoken.

The movie: 5 stars.
The actors: 5 stars.
The score: 5 stars.
The special effects: 5 stars.

A true classic.

Predator 2.

The year is 1997, ten years after the original film. The jungle of South America makes place for the concrete jungle of Los Angeles which is broiling from an intense heat wave and turned into a warzone between Jamaican and Colombia drug gangs. Seems like a good place to hunt for the Predator. Lt. Mike Harrigan and his team are in the middle of a gunfight when the Predator shows up and makes his first victims in both gangs. After finding a couple of clues and the death of his partner, Harrigan is becoming interested in whatever is hunting them but he's sabotaged by a special agent and his team, who have been conducting research on the alien life form. Peter Keyes tries to keep Harrigan out of the loop but eventually they work together in order to try and capture the Predator with a trap. But the Predator is not easily fooled and eventually Harrigan goes after the Predator himself on his own.

Though initially received rather negatively the movie developed a cult status just like his predecessor but I think due to the poor box office a sequel was out of the question for the next twenty years. Not counting the AvP films. It's a long time since I first the saw this movie but I think I always chose the first one over this one but it eventually grew on me and I appreciate as much as the first.

Nearly everything has changed with exception of the Predator. Actors now are Danny Glover, Gary Busey and Bill Paxton. Also keep an eye out on Kent McCord (Novis Reilly) as the police captain and Hakim's henchman from Eye of Osiris as a drugdealer and the guy that got beat up by Tobermann in The Spoilers. I think he also showed up in the first movie when the truck blew up.

Again special note to the score also done by Alan Silvestri. Those bongos, man. Even in deep city, jungle music works, maybe that's why they call it the concrete jungle.

The movie: 4,5 stars.
The score: 5 stars.

Predators.

This movie begins with the most spectacular opening scene in the franchise so far. A former soldier by the name of Royce is freefalling from the sky. He barely makes it on time to open his parachute before he hits the ground hard. Once on the ground he finds other people who also made a freefall. People of various backgrounds and etnicities but mostly criminals or military men. Not know how or why they're there they form a group and attempt to find the known world. They discover they were brought there and that they're not on planet earth but they're on a jungle planet that is being used by Predators to hunt them. Royce figures out there has to be a ship and finds out two Predator clans are in the middle of a bloody feud. He finds one classic Predator who is tied to a totem and saves him in the hope it would help him to get too a ship. A Superpredator goes after him and faces Royce in a massive fight. While Royce emerges victorious, he still needs to find a way off the planet while he watches new prey falling from the sky.

This movie is in any way possible one huge wink to the original. From the setting, to the score, to the finale. No better way to do it like they did in Predators. I really enjoyed this movie when it came out.

The score is almost identical to Silvestri's score though it has been done by John Debney instead, but nearly all themes that was used before has been reworked in this one. In all the movie gets 3,5 stars from. It's a solid and fun B-movie.

A new dog movie.

The Predator.

8 years after the last movie the Predator returns to the big screen and it leaves a mark for sure. Army Ranger Quinn McKenna is on a mission somewhere in Mexico when he has his first encounter with the massive alien. He gets his hands on a piece of technology that he mails home to his son. Unfortunately when he gets home, his son has used the technology as a Halloween costume. Hunted down by the Predator, they try to hide in a school, only to discover their problems might be bigger then expected. On the run from the Predator and trying to keep the army officials at bay the McKenna's are trying to survive, especially when they find out the Predator seems to set it's sight on Quinn's son who they think might be the next step in the evolution for their hybridization with human beings.

This fourth movie as with so many is of course panned by critics and fans left and right. Yet this movie was very far from bad. It had everything I wanted: blood, gore, violence, language, rude humor... I do have to say, I never heard of the lead actor and the ones I did know only had supporting roles: Jake Busey, Alfie Allen and Thomas Jane. I think if this one was made 15 years ago, Thomas Jane would've been in the lead. Maybe.

I would've used a little more infrared camera's and called Alan Silvestri to return for the score. This time Henry Jackman (X-Men First Class) took place as composer of the movie and just like Debney they reworked a lot of the themes which is nice of course but my composer of choice will always be Alan Silvestri.

Anyway the movie was not bad at all, not better or worse than the previous. In their stand alone movies, there has not been a bad Predator movie yet. 3,5 stars.

I wondered how it would be. Sure seems strange without Arnold!!

You never saw the sequels? The second one stars Danny Glover, the third one Adrien Brody and the fourth Boyd Holbrook.

Arnold was in talks for the movie with Shane Black but eventually declined becaused his role would merely be a cameo. Pity, it seems like Arnold really wanted to be um... back. Also Adrien Brody showed interest in returning to the franchise.

In the end for me it's all about the Predator. But the first movie was so much more then just an muscle bound action film. They were the stars of the 80's. While Stallone's career was going downhill, Bruce Willis was relatively unknown at the time but Arnold was always there and I think it's pretty important which actor will eventually face the Predator and emerge victorious. While I have no clue who I wanted to take the lead, I would've gone for a face instead of an unknown.

Maybe Glover and Brody are unlikely heroes. Especially after Glover has been saying in two Lethal Weapons he was "too old for that sh*t." Not so old this time, I reckon. But everything in the second movie was different from the start. Only the original Predator actor from the first movie returns: Kevin Peter Hall.

And Brody is not exactly what you call an action hero (maybe in King Kong) if you look at his career but he manages to hold up pretty good as the lead of the movie.

Give it a go. I really recommend all four movies.

Alien vs. Predator.

14 years after the hint of a possible showdown between the alien and the predator in the Predator's ship in Predator 2, Alien vs. Predator finally hit the big screen.

After a sattelite located a mysterious heat source in the Antartic, Charles Bishop Weyland gathers up a team of scientists and soldiers and sets out to investigate. When they arrive they find a huge pyramid build beneath the ice with influences of Azteck, Egyptian and Cambodjan cultures. During the expedition the team learns to pyramid was build by the Predators as a hunting ground for young predators who needs to prove themselves by hunting aliens. The Predators captured an Alien Queen and forces her to lay eggs. Suddenly the team finds themselves in the middle of a warzone and have to pick a side. Considering the Aliens as a bigger threat then the Predator, they join forces with one of the hunters in order to survive.

This was the first movie I saw with either creature in at the movies. But I don't remember if I liked it or not... Probably not because the film was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. A director with not exactly the best reputation. Some of his movies are not that bad but most of the time not great. This one is no different. It just doesn't do any justice to both creatures. Only the idea of having Predators hunt in a cold area despite a heat source inside is a major no-go in my opinion since Predators prefer tropical climates. The first and third movie was set in a jungle and the second one was set during a heat wave for a reason. That's pretty much the story: Predators hunting in a cold area against Aliens bred by an Alien Queen they captured which then was used by a trap to lure people to the pyramid. And this happens every 100 years. What I did like was the idea that Predators in fact designed the pyramids on planet Earth and in case they got overwhelmed by the Aliens in battle they would cause the disappearance of whole civilisations. I also like the approach of a group of people going to a dark place where something is waiting for them and where they get killed one by one. But it seems this is too hard for the director. His other movie Event Horizon wasn't great on that concept either. I would suggest Deep Rising instead.

Another major problem was the rating. Even though fans claimed the movie was set out to be rated R but was then toned-down to a PG-13, Paul W.S. Anderson claimed the final version that was released was the only one he had in mind. The movie was always supposed to be PG-13. You just don't do that when it's predecessors where hard R-rated movies. Yes, there is blood and slicing but one of the biggest problems a lot of people had with the movies was the quick editing so you don't see anything too disturbing. Weird for a guy who directed Resident Evil. Not to mention ruining Predator's greatest quote. This could've killed off two of the greatest franchise. I don't understand why directors go from R-rated movies to PG-13's.

Tough call, especially since James Cameron who initially was against the idea did seem to like the movie, but I'd say 2 stars.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem.

The ship that has taken the Predator that got killed by the Alien Queen in the previous movie has left earth. During the trip his chest burst open revealing a new threat since he got impregnated by an alien. A hybride is born called a PredAlien showing characteristics from both life forms. The PredAlien attacks the ship and it crashes back on earth in a forest. A distress call is send to the Predator's home planet which is received. A Predator travels to Earth to see what has happened and to make sure everything is untraceable. In the nearby town people start disappearing or are getting killed after being impregnated by the PredaAlien. With the town in chaos a couple of the locals like: the sheriff, a bunch of teens and a female soldier are trying to survive amidst a deadly war with two alien a species and the first of a new breed of alien.

Butchered by critics, I think this one is better then the previous one. No watered down PG-13 movie for sure. This is again a hard rated R with all bells and whistles. It may be considered as a terrible movie and that's fine. It may not be original or have a good script or be an intelligent movie, but I got what I wanted from both franchises in one movie, even more so then it's lame predecessor. I hear the biggest problem with this movie was the lighting. Many scenes are set in the dark including sewers and yes, you don't see the PredAlien very well but I think that is the only problem. This is just your Saturday night popcorn trash flick when you have nothing else to do.

Despite maybe poor box-offices, I actually do think this is a good movie and maybe some day they will clash again. Maybe if both franchises regain some more status. There has been 8 years between the third and fourth Predator. 15 years between Alien Ressurection and Prometheus (which was not a direct sequel, prequel, remake or reboot) and there was 20 years between Ressurection and Covenant. Maybe if they both get a couple of more stand alone films first and a build up to another possible clash this can be old school and pure fun.

The score was simply outstanding, almost as good Alan Silvestri's scores for the first two Predator movies. Done by Brian Tyler who at that time started to gain my trust delivered a huge bomb of a score. So many nods to the Predator movies, so many nods to the Alien movies and still so much of himself he was able to put in it. Definitely my choice for a Predator movie if Silvestri would be unavailable or something.

The movie: 3,5 stars.
The score: 4 stars.

Last night there was a Kill Bill marathon at the theatre. It's been 14-15 years since I saw it on the big screen. I can tell you, it's still very different on a big screen than a tv. But it sure is one hell of movie.

Uma Thurman plays the Bride whose wedding is crashed by the Deadly International Viper Assassination Squad. A team of mercenaries she once worked for. After lying in coma for four years she wakes up and sets out to take revenge on the ones who crashed her wedding and killed everyone in the chapel.

At an impressive 247 minutes the movie was cut into a two-parter, yet it is considered as one movie. In the late 2000's an uncut version was released limited called: Kill Bill: the whole bloody affaire, with lots of the black and white segments colorized.

Anyway both volumes gets 5 stars from me.

The Game.

Nicholas Van Orton is a wealthy banker, yet his life is rather dull. For his 48th birthday, his brother Conrad gives him a very special gift. It's a phone number of a company called Consumer Recreation Services (CRS). They provide "games" costume made for their clients. He decides to visit the company to see what it's all about and his game begins. Before he realizes he's consumed by the game and neck-deep in dangerous situations.

This was David Fincher's follow-up of Se7en and his third movie and stars Michael Douglas in a great role. The movie works really well as psychological thriller which it is. It is not extremely violent or bloody, it's more about the nooze being held tighter and tighter. But it's a great entertaining movie. 3,5 stars.

I just saw something modern that completely ripped off this movie... and now it's driving me crazy I can't think what it is! I saw it not more than a few months back, because I also just re-watched The Game because I was reminded of it so much....

Actually this looked like a David Cronenberg film instead of a David Fincher. Cronenberg usually also uses companies and a male lead who is slowly going nuts in his films.

Been to a Halloween marathon last night. Three movies were shown, see below.

Hell Fest.

A bunch of college kids are going to a Halloween-themed amusement park. A night full of drinks and haunted attractions. Only a killer is on the loose in the park, dressed as one of the park's staff members. While initially thinking it's all part of the night spectacle they slowly realize it might be for real.

Out of the three movies this was I thought the least interesting one. The concept of having a killer on the loose in an amusements park where horror and Halloween is the main theme is interesting. It's the perfect playground for a killer to get away with everything since everybody thinks it's part of the game. Yet the movie fell short on some things important to the genre and it took quite it's time as well. It's a little slow paced. I kinda like the actress who played Taylor. She was spunky. But in all this movie gets 2,5 stars.

Halloween 2018.

40 years have passed since Michael Myers commited the babysit-murders. Though Michael was locked away in a mental institution for all this time, Laurie Strode's life took a downward direction making both her daughter and granddaughter's life miserable. Convinced Michael would return one day, she has prepared by armed training. And of course so he does for another night of killing.

This movie is a clear nod to the original of 1978 and pretty much ignores all the other movies. The movie was fairly decent and was scored by John Carpenter himself. But the movie kinda lacks the constant threat the original has so much. Though everyone thinks this is the best Halloween since the original and maybe it is. 3 stars.

Overlord.

With the landing in Normandy only a few hours away, a unit of soldiers ends up behind enemy lines to destroy a radio in a church tower for the air support of the allies. Led by a tough-as-nails corporal, the soldiers arrive in a small French village thanks to a French woman who says strange things are happening.

That's all I'm going to say. I'm not going to spoil this one. I just dare you to watch it. But it's one of the best and more intense horrorfilms, I've seen in a while. Consider it as a mix of Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan and Dog Soldiers. 4 stars.

My sister and I saw Overwatch yesterday, actually. We both agreed it was a great movie! It wasn't as bad as we thought it was going to be either. I enjoyed it!

Overwatch or Overlord?


Just saw Bohemian Rhapsody yesterday, and enjoyed it even though it's not a perfect film. There was a large Live Aid Concert portion which made me think of Michael Des Barres, since I had just discovered his Live Aid performance (although he was on the American stage instead of England) a few weeks ago!

Oops, it was Overlord... my bad. I got the title mixed up with the game because my friends and I have been talking about it lately. lolz

Overlord. That's what I call about a 100 minutes of fun. I think a lot of people are expecting something what everbody thinks it is, but it's not.

Glad for the Overlord endorsements! I think I'll check it out

Yes, it's pretty good. My sister and I debated between Overlord and Bohemian Rhapsody. We still plan to see Bohemian Rhapsody at a later date, though I don't know when. Her schedule gets a little iffy at times. I did hear there was some over dramatization, but was overall very good.

I mean, who doesn't love Queen? lol

Not sure about Bohemian Rhapsody. The trailer looked really cool and this might be Rami Malek's big breakthrough but I don't know: Movies about music/bands... one of the few things in movies that is not my thing.

I went to see Kursk. About the submarine that went down after an explosion happened on board of the ship and the people there got trapped. It was pretty good, way better then K-19 The Widowmaker for example.

I've also seen most Halloween movies now. The reviews will follow later.

That's funny, music movies are like my number one favorite kind - Almost Famous! Blues Brothers!

I just saw Can you ever forgive me? last night. Very well acted by all, but a pretty depressing movie. Definitely not a fun heist.

I like musicals... sometimes. lol It's like romance movies... it greatly depends on the movie and who is in it.

For instance, I LOVE Moulin Rouge. But my favorite romance is the A&E version of Pride & Prejudice. It's more of a mini-series than a movie, but... details. XD

But music movies and musicals are different (I love Moulin Rouge which is sort of both since it turns pop music into a musical).

Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born, Almost Famous - movies heavily featuring music
Greatest Showman, Into the Woods, Les Miserables - Musicals

I happen to like both though *most of the time*


Wait you like Pride and Prejudice and you like zombie movies.... what did you think of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?? I liked it way more than I thought I would, lol...

LOL! Pride & Prejudice & Zombies was dumb as hell. XD My sister and I loved it. We also saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter written by the same guy. I believe he is involved with the It movies in some fashion.

I do like gothic horror movies though. I believe I picked it up from my mother, who loved to watch B-horror movie on SciFi channel.

Fiend Without a Face, Them! and the original The Blob were among her many favorites.

I remember as a teenager she shifted between these movies and Audie Murphy westerns. She loved Audie Murphy so much To Hell & Back was watched weekly.. some times multiple times weekly. lol

I think there's a difference between musicals and movies about bands. Then I'd rather have romantic movies over musicals where there is a song and dance every other scene and preferably the romantic drama's: Me Before You, The Fault In Our Stars, The Notebook... I can resonate with those movies better then with the cheesy romcom/chickflick where everything is bright and happy and fashionable. Everything what life is not. I rather prefer that someone dies and make the movie more tragic and a bit bitter, it just feels more real then those movies about people who try to adapt to life-changing situation they don't belong in in the first place.

Sounds dumb as hell too. Interesting. Lily James and this was after Cinderella. Sometimes I can also enjoy these dumb as hell movies. Some are fun to watch, others make me think: "What the hell where they thinking?" or "Why am I watching this?"

These are mostly Syfy or Asylum horror movies. But they are studios that deliberately make cheap-ass horror movies with cheesy effects. They don't care how bad it is, they just want to make the movies for the hell of it with all the cheap thrills and gore and bimbos.

He's one of the producers. I thought no way that he could've been the writer of It after writing movies that just sounds like abominations. On the other hand: the most wrong sounding-like movies can sometimes be very good.

Movies can be real weird on that. Abraham Lincolm as a Vampire Hunter? That just has to be bad but you never know when you're in for a surprise, while Universal's attempt for a shared universe of their monsters was simply doomed to fail from the start. Why would you even bother to try and make your monsters into modern-day action antiheroes? They're monsters, looking for love, getting rejected and going all evil and tragic afterwards. Van Helsing was at least a decent attempt despite it's failure, yet a guilty pleasure. Then again I can like the biggest trash and hate the biggest classics.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), Sleepy Hollow, The Raven. They're pretty rare actually but than again if it says "horror" I'm usually sold. Whether it's the most mainstream horrorfilm or the most obscure ones from the depths of movie hell.