jessemorrison99 Reviews

X (II) (2022)

Yes it's a formulaic slasher, but it pulls it off perfectly.

[8/10 · 22 January 2023]

The characters are all so honest and genuine, and with the slow build during the first half, we really get to know them. It makes you actually care about it when they die.

The idea of aging and being seen as ugly and disgusting is something that most people go through. I felt real sympathy for this old couple who just want to be young again.

The kills, while few in number, make up for it with intensely gruesome visuals.

Don't be fooled by all the 1 and 2 star ratings. While not a masterpiece by any means, X does the slasher genre a big service as an emotionally challenging experience, as well as having the obligatory T&A and squirm-worthy violence we all expect from a sleazy slasher.

Better Call Saul: Nippy (2022) Season 6, Episode 10

Entertaining, but tonally off

[7/10 · 27 July 2022]

I really want to love this episode, but a few things are keeping me from doing so completely.

The first of which is the tone of the episode. Thus far, every time we've seen Gene in the future scenes, there's been a very specific feeling of nostalgia, of longing for one's past. Not only that, but also sadness, regret, fear and tension. This episode almost feels like a comedy most of the time, and sticks out like a sore thumb, as if it doesn't fit in with that that morose black and white style we've come to love, even if it was only ten minutes per season.

Secondly, the recasting of the Jeff character was very unfortunate. The new actor looks somewhat similar, but doesn't act at all like the previous Jeff we had seen. He seems like a different character, in addition to being a different actor. It's beyond anyone's control, commitments are commitments, but it does ultimately affect my ability to enjoy the episode, even if just a little bit.

Lastly, it was a nice way to explain the whole "I'll fix it myself" thing Gene tells the vacuum guy, but did we really need an entire hour of our final four hours of the series dedicated only to that? I feel like it could've been done a little more quickly.

All that said, I haven't lost hope in the series, and am looking forward to next week's episode. This one still had me tense with anticipation, so it wasn't all bad, just not perfect.

Mad God (2021)

A museum of nightmares

[8/10 · 18 July 2022]

While not perfect, this film is a wild and magnificent journey through a surreal, bleak, and utterly disgusting post-apocalyptic landscape. Lovers of stop motion absolutely must move this to the top of their watch lists.

The animation, landscapes, character design and visual aesthetics are simply magnificent. Horrifying and depressing to be sure, but beautiful in their own way.

The weaknesses are few, but come in the form of human actors composited into a few scenes. There were certain scenes where they were filmed in a way that resembled stop motion very closely, but others where it was just ordinary video. Those were the weak parts, but they are few and brief.

Lastly, and this may just be a personal thing, but 10-15 minutes of a baby crying, while unsettling, is simply annoying. I eventually just had to mute the movie until it stopped.

All that said, this is absolutely worth watching. It is an incredible labour of love, dedication and masterful effort.

The Lighthouse (I) (2019)

A mesmerizing, nightmarish tale.

[9/10 · 27 October 2019]

I went into this movie not really knowing what to expect.

I was drawn to it because of its very authentically aged style and appearance. I wanted to see how well a modern film could accomplish the look and feel of a film from nearly a hundred years ago. It delivered tremendously well, with static camera shots, the entire thing being pillarboxed (fullscreen as opposed to widescreen), beautiful graininess, fog straight out of The Wolfman, incredible acting performances and a dark, secluded set that felt too real, like it was the result of traveling backwards through time. Never before have I seen a movie try for and accomplish this strange task so perfectly. It truly feels like a lost film from the 1930s that was just discovered in pristine condition and released in theaters.

The sound design is among the best I've experienced. The crashing waves, howling winds, the deafening drone of the lighthouse repeating over and over again, it all comes together to create the terrifyingly real soundscape of a dangerous and claustrophobic place. The soundtrack of horns and strings feels right at home in the 30s as well, compounding on the ever present dread that is as strong at the imposing beginning as it is at the wild finish.

Dafoe delivers unbelievable unbroken dialogue, barely having time for a breath, leaving you astounded at the writing, memorization and performance therein.

I would absolutely call this a horror movie, but only of the highest tier possible. It doesn't rely on crutches such as jump scares and an overabundance of shocking and gruesome moments. It expertly instills a sense of mysterious dread and unease that simply result in a very scary experience.

Never Hike Alone (2017)

A fan effort easily better than half of the films in the series.

[8/10 · 22 April 2019]

An interesting and very different take on the Jason mythos. A modern day hiker/youtuber treks alone into the Catskills Mountains with his hiking and camera gear. He stumbles upon an abandoned summer camp only to find that it is the infamous Camp Crystal Lake.

At under an hour, and freely available on YouTube, anyone who's a fan of the series should absolutely see this.

Below will be spoilers.

What it does right:

-The discovery and exploration of the camp is absolutely perfect. Eerie at the best of times, disturbing at the worst (without needing to be in your face about it). The discoveries of the various different crime scenes gave me shivers. -Jason's imposing nature is amplified through his footsteps. He thuds like a 400lb upstairs neighbor. That, paired with excellent camerawork (it's generally all very well shot, and Jason gets some great low angle shots) gives his presence an urgently scary feel. More thoughts on this below though. -The many callbacks and references to the series feel natural. This was obviously made by true fans of the movies. From the cheesy acting of the emergency responders, to the fake-out of Jason grabbing him at the end only for him to wake up in the ambulance, it's all so fresh yet familiar.

What it does wrong:

-Jason's thumping footsteps were kind of overboard at times. Even when taking ordinary steps, he makes a loud thud. Could've been a little quieter at those moments. -Jason's makeup was not great. I'll say that the brief moment when you see his face was awesome. Looked great, not exactly like the originals, but gruesome and undead-ish. However, his head, neck and ears were waaaay too smooth. Especially considering this is the modern day, Zombie Jason should've had flesh falling from his rotting bones. Probably something to do with makeup during production, but that was a huge missed opportunity to have a super decayed, disgusting beyond belief, decomposing zombie Jason.

Great fan film, if you love Friday the 13th, definitely see this.

Terrifier (2016)

Hilarious, Disgusting, Creepy, Entertaining

[7/10 · 9 September 2018]

Unlike probably all the negative reviewers here, I don't go into a movie about a grotesque, murderous mime with high expectations. I know it's going to be bad. That way, I can be surprised when it's actually good, and this one was!

Obviously it's built around cliches, the acting isn't top notch, the writing is nothing special, it's a horror movie. You're not watching Nolan here. The thing that makes this movie great is the mime/clown/whatever he is. It's no exaggeration that he's one of if not the most terrifying killer clowns in film history. He makes you laugh with his extreme creepiness.

The other reason to watch this (kind of messed up, but some people love it) is the gore. Practical special effects were used for all of the numerous shots of some truly messed up stuff. Easily some of the most vomit-inducing gore effects I've ever seen. The saw scene? Holy mother of god, there's a limit they surpassed that I've rarely seen before. I was cackling uncontrollably for most of the gore scenes in both disbelief of what I was seeing, and absolute disgust.

The cliches and some other sub-par qualities add some good fodder for a bit of riffing, one of my favourite things about watching horror movies.

Sure, comparing this to the greats will score it very low. But compare it to most of the horror schlock that gets pumped out every year and it's definitely better than many.

The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)

Ridiculously entertaining and thought provoking

[10/10 · 30 April 2017]

I'll start by saying that not every episode is gold. There are quite a few out there which are not so strong, or are very predictable (by today's standards). But when the episode is good, it's really good.

Highly recommended for any lovers of sci-fi, suspense and horror, especially from the early 60s. It definitely has that cheese factor that modern audiences like to notice, and sometimes even dislike. I personally love it, but it may not be for everyone.

If you're just diving in, there are plenty of great episodes to choose from. I think the following would be my top ten recommendations:

10. Kick the Can - An elderly man in a nursing home longs to relive his youth. - This is a feeling every adult is familiar with. Everyone has wanted to return to their youth to relive or change something. While very slow, this episode leaves me with an eerie feeling. I can't quite explain how it gets under my skin, but it does. 9/10

9. Long Live Walter Jameson - A man is discovered to be immortal. - An unsettling look at the possibility of immortality. Perhaps it is actually true. 9/10

8. What You Need - An old man supplies people with exactly what they need. - The idea of a suitcase that contains any object that can and will be of use in the very near future is fascinating. A charming story of a man genuinely trying to help those around him, and his opposite, who wants to take advantage of his gift. 9/10

7. The Prime Mover - A man possesses the gift of telekinesis, and uses it to cheat at gambling. - An hilarious idea for a story, one that we would all surely try if we had the same power. Very satisfying, and a realistic example of a fantastic power. 9/10

6. Five Characters In Search Of An Exit - Do you even need a vague description? The episode title says it all. It's a mysterious, hilarious, and downright strange scenario, outcome, and episode in general. 9/10

5. A Game Of Pool - A pool shark wishes to face off with the long dead champion, and gets his wish. - This episode is just a long conversation between two men while they play a game of pool. Wonderful and poignant dialogue and acting. 9/10

4. Eye of the Beholder - A woman lies in a hospital bed recovering from facial reconstruction surgery, hoping to finally look normal - This episode gets under my skin in a different way. It's very well shot, written, and directed. The ending is a must see. 10/10

3. Living Doll - A mean stepfather hears threats from his stepdaughter's new talking doll - Closer to the horror genre, this episode is genuinely creepy. Even today, I get chills every time I see this one. It genuinely shocked and surprised me when I first watched it. 10/10

2. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up - A group of travelers stranded in a cafe must figure out which one of them is an alien - A great assortment of characters, a lovably cheesy mystery, and a great ending, this episode is gold all the way through. 10/10

1. Nick of Time - A superstitious man believes a fortune telling machine is predicting his future - Young Bill Shatner! That's all you need. In a cafe, he finds a machine that answers a question for a penny. Every answer to every question seems to fit. It makes you wonder if the answers really could be random chance. 11/10

Interstellar (2014)

Just see it

[9/10 · 17 November 2014]

It's very rare to come across a filmmaker who, time and again, can surprise, enthrall, and amaze his audiences, but the Nolan brothers have done it again. This could be their best work.

Unfortunately, if you're reading this, you've probably visited the IMDb page and spoiled at least a little of the movie by seeing the cast list. That's too bad, but it probably doesn't matter much. Just go into this movie expecting it to be amazing, and mesmerizing.

Rarely a dull moment, constant questions you want to know the answers to, and some abstract concepts never seen in film before. Not giving anything away here (because it was in the trailer), but the scene where they enter the worm hole was absolutely brilliant. It also features the absolute best, most functional, fascinating and amazingly designed robot character from any film ever to exist. I'll leave it at that. Like with Inception, it'll probably require multiple viewings to fully grasp some of the concepts, but that's Nolan for you.

See this movie. Just see it. NOW!

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)

I don't see why everyone hates it so much.

[7/10 · 16 September 2014]

*Minor spoilers involving structure of the film, no plot points*

In short, it isn't nearly as bad as everyone is saying. Let me elaborate.

In case people don't know, the first Sin City from 2005 was based on the 1st, 3rd and 4th books in the 7 part series by Frank Miller. These follow the story lines of Marv, Dwight and Hartigan respectively. In addition to those, there are also a few shorts thrown in, either from the books or not. So, needless to say, Sin City and its sequel are both anthology films. If you want one single story that takes 2 hours, this may not be your thing.

Sin City 2 follows almost the exact same structure as the original, which I found nice. Sure they didn't do anything original with the structure, which was sort of playing it safe, but I liked it. It felt familiar and reminded me of the original which I loved very much. It begins with another short story, this time starring Marv. It rocks. It continues on with a new story not contained in any of the books. It stars Johnny, a gambler who "never loses". Mid way through, we cut to another story. This is the 2nd book, titled "A Dame to Kill For". If you've read this, you won't see anything new. Like with the first film, they essentially translated the story from page to screen, and it works for the most part. There was one detail I didn't like, but it doesn't last long. Then after that, we finish up the story with Johnny, and finally, we get to the revenge mission involving Nancy and her hunt for Senator Rourke. That's all I'll say about that.

Everyone is complaining about how the movie looks like a cutscene from a video game. They are sort of right, but not entirely. Even after waiting 2 weeks, I was unable to find a theatre in my city showing the film in 2d. It seems like this is happening more and more now. If you want to see an action movie in theatres, it's 3d whether you like it or not. Now, having not seen a 2d version to make a comparison, I can say that the 3d is most likely what makes it look so video game-y. I'm sure in 2d it'll look slightly better at least.

Update: I did see it in 1080p and in 2D, and it does look less like a video game cutscene. You can still tell that there's a lot of CGI, but it's done better than a lot of films.

Also, greenscreen sets have been used for over a decade now, I don't see why people are complaining so much. Everything is a CGI-fest these days, and this story, with a fantastic setting and extraordinary physics pulls it off nicely. You can tell, but it's far from awful.

Everyone is saying they loved the first one, but hated this one. I don't see how that's possible. They stuck very close to the original in most ways, such as cinematography, soundtrack, and directing, all of which were great (for a Sin City movie). Sure it isn't a masterpiece my any means, and it's not as good as the first, but it's super entertaining, very violent, and is sure to please anyone who enjoys the books or the first film. Forget all those jaded movie snobs saying it sucks. They're just focusing on all the negatives, and letting that cloud their vision of the awesome stuff.