Charles W Jones

At the Devil’s Door ( 2014 ) has been on my watch list for a while, and when I finally found it among the million channels I have from my TV services, I was excited to see it. Too bad, my expectations were set way too high. You’d think from the poster on its own that it was going to be creepy and scary; it’s a demonic possession movie after all. The opening sequence starts with an intense game of “find the button under cups” in a creepy trailer house. I loved the uneasy feelings and the freaky older woman who sat behind the man moving the cups. The smiley button with the X when Hannah makes her final pick felt like it was leading to something chilling. And the last step of her getting the $500 was strange, but not as bizarre as the man’s words, so ‘he’ knows who to take, added to the ambiance of a good thrill ride. Too, bad they jammed on the breaks. The acting even went downhill, especially by Catalina Sandino Moreno, who played Leigh. It was like she’d just learned the lines moments ...

My Little Sister (2016) stole from so many movies in this sub-genre that I wished I had a bingo card as I watched because I would’ve gotten a blackout. A group of friends goes camping in the woods while not heeding warnings to not pitch a tent there. Well, that’s how the description goes, but actually, one couple isn’t at the campsite. I enjoyed the sinister feeling and the torture/kill scenes were entertaining. The effects weren’t horrible either. The strangeness was nice too. What I liked the most was that all my questions were answered in the end. And that Last Girl tag I gave it in the title, well, you’ll just have to see it if you want. If you’re bored and there’s nothing else that you haven’t seen. My Little Sister was a collage of so many movies of this type, but it kept me interested. I gave it 3 out of 5 Stars.

I’d been wanting to see The 13th Friday (2017) since I heard about it a few years ago, and I finally found it on Tubi. I base a lot of what I want to see on the poster or the little burb, when I do watch trailers, I take them with a grain of salt because many times they show the best bits of the movie in that short teaser. I’m not sure if my desire to see this movie would’ve changed. The beginning is so disconnected that I had a hard time understanding who was who and how they fit into the story. I’m still not sure about one of the characters at the beginning from the lesbian breakup scene. Then there were flashes of a girl inside a house and teenagers outside having a party, daring each other to go inside. From there, I wasn’t sure what was happening or why. They did try to connect the dots, but it was a little too complicated for me at times. While the acting was low budget, almost feeling like a high school performance, the effects were not; except for the spinning lampshade and the...

Minutes to Midnight (2018) has an interesting cast, including William Baldwin, Richard Grieco, John Hennigan, and Bill Moseley. Then there’s the young adult cast who, of course, don’t heed the warnings to go home. Their involvement was for slaughter as expected. The whys of the film come rushing in quickly and everything was answered with a not-so-shocking twist. The jump scares were to my liking with a slasher as were the kills themselves. The masks for the killers reminded me of other masked antagonists that I’ve seen before, but at least they weren’t exact copies. Bill Moseley, being the reason this film made my watch list, played Gimple an artistic killer who only gets, at most, a cameo appearance, which was a little disappointing. But his twisted role left a larger impact on Minutes to Midnight than other bits (I wouldn’t expect anything less from him). Minutes to Midnight is a great film that you should watch if you haven’t already. I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. Minutes to Midnight...

American Fright Fest (2018) was one of those movies that I figured, I’d start watching and if it got dumb, I’d turn it off. I have to tell you it wasn’t one of those after all. It starts out with a bang and continues the momentum throughout. The gore level is exceptional and the effects are spot on with an eclectic array of kills. I wasn’t sure how the acting was gonna be based on the type of film, but after meeting the characters, I’m happy to report that it was just fine; daytime drama level, but that’s OK. Speaking of soaps, it has Robert Scott Wilson, who plays Ben on Days of Our Lives. And let’s not forget Pancho Moler; he’s always great to watch. American Fright Fest hit all the things I like about slasher films and had some unexpected stuff. I know some of you don’t like Tubi, but that’s where this film is (it might be somewhere else too but I didn’t check) and you really need to see it. I gave American Fright Fest 5 out of 5 Stars. American Fright Fest (2018) #Slasher #Delight ...

I Trapped the Devil (2018) isn’t what expected and that is a huge thing for me. There are so many films made recently that are just an attempt to remake something and put a new name on it. This one wasn’t like that. Matt and Karen go to visit his brother, Steve, over Christmas to learn that he has someone locked in the cellar. He says it’s the devil, but, of course, neither of his uninvited guests really believe him. The thing that got me the most about this film was the insanity level. I wanted to believe Steve so much but I thought he’d just lost a nut. He’s very manic, which is amazing. And his explanation didn’t sit right. I was glad that he proved me wrong and made me a believer. I Trapped the Devil is truly sinister with an unnerving ending. I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. I Trapped the Devil (2018) #Dark #Thriller Click To Tweet

Vivarium (2019) follows Tom and Gemma as they search for the perfect home, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots. The developer they visit is kooky and has them follow him to the subdivision several miles out of town. All the houses are the same, just like the song Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds, except they’re all green. As they think about if they want the house, the salesman disappears. Because of the maze-like setup of the development, they can’t figure out how to get out and somehow find their way back to the house. When the baby is delivered in a cardboard box, it gets interesting. I must give kudos to the young actor, Senan Jennings, who played The Boy. Wow. Just. Wow. This kid is fantastic. He was creepy and weird when needed. You must see this film to understand, so… Vivarium was entertaining and trippy and I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars.

In The Final Scream (2019), Kia Anderson is desperate to make her debut in the film world. While she can’t land a role, she doesn’t give up, turning to an online service her agent warned her not to use, getting a part she’s been dying for. This film has a prolonged start, well, almost to the end. However, the creators did throw in some fun scenes to break up the boredom. When the action finally started, I was impressed with the depravity that Scott Jeffrey filmed. From that point, I was glad that it wasn’t a run-of-the-mill survival film. The way the story was woven from the start was genius, making the final scenes more hard-hitting. The gore level was good, as was the creepiness. The Final Scream is a film that shouldn’t be overlooked, and I gave it 3.5 out of 5 Stars. The Final Scream (2019) #LastGirl #Horror Click To Tweet

Day 13 (2020) reminded me of Rear Window (1954) and Disturbia (2007), with the guy watching the creepy house across the street and seeing things in the windows. I almost turned it off, but I didn’t. While it does resemble the films above, it’s not a direct duplicate. Colton, the voyeur, does see things happening in the house across the street; he thinks the girl’s father is abusing her. He falls for her when he meets Heather and promises to help her. Well, as typical cat and mouse films go, this one was at least creepy and kept me guessing what was going to happen next. Then the ending sequences show that what Colton thought was happening wasn’t. The man who adopted Heather wasn’t exactly abusing her. Day 13 had a great twist ending that I didn’t see coming, and I gave it 3.5 out of 5 Stars. Day 13 (2020) #Unexpected #Thriller Click To Tweet

Temple ( 2017 ), like so many other horror movies I’ve seen in the last five years, is about going into the woods and getting attacked by a demonic presence, which is fine, I guess, but how many times does it need to be done? I could see it if Temple was a stellar example of the theme, but it wasn’t. The first 50 minutes were so boring (it’s only a 78-minute movie), that I almost forgot that it was a horror movie; and at one point, I almost gave up. Once the cast reaches the temple, it’s fine, but not enough for me to be wowed. As I said, I’ve seen so many iterations of the theme, you really need to knock my socks off. The effects and makeup when the good stuff finally happened weren’t great, and I’d hoped that with all the anticipation there would’ve been more. Here’s another example of me torturing myself so you don’t have to. Please don’t waste your time with Temple. At least it was only 78 minutes long, so I didn’t lose much of my life. I can’t justify g...

All About Evil (2010) has been on my watch list for a while, and I’ve never gotten around to watching it, and now that I have, I wish I could remember why I wanted to see it. Oddly, the cast is impressive. Too bad the acting is beyond any B-Movie Elvira hosted and not in a good way. Speaking of Elvira, I got a kick from how Linda, Steven’s mom, eyeballed Elvira’s poster when he told her he was into older women because Linda is Cassandra Peterson. The other good parts of the film were Vera and Veda. I wish they had the same dresses as the twins from The Shining (1980). The tongue-in-cheek use of horror greats was entertaining, though it did get a little old as the movie progressed. At least the free-flowing blood kept it from getting over-the-top (maybe, sarcasm, maybe not). All About Evil is so bad it’s good, and I don’t regret seeing it. I gave it 3.5 out of 5 Stars. All About Evil (2010) #RealHorror Click To Tweet

After seeing the Netflix series, I decided it was time to binge the films. Films based on video games can be hit or miss, but this franchise made it work, kinda. Having never played the game and never will, I wonder a little what it’s like. A friend told me it’s phenomenal.  The Netflix series felt like fan fiction, but that’s OK. I really enjoyed it, unlike the redundant films. Resident Evil (2002) is the beginning of it all. I’ve seen it several times, and I’m unsure why I’ve never talked about it before. Honestly, I still don’t know what’s going on. It’s all bizarre but awesome at the same time. The effects are good for 2002, and the action is higher than the horror. Alice has flashbacks that fill in the blanks to how the film started.  Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) kind of picks up where the last left off, but it shows the T-virus has spread outside. It’s a lot of chaos with the infected everywhere. And the introduction to tons of new cast members. It’s a little confusi...

If A Tree Falls (2010) isn’t much different from other survival horror films. It starts with a gory hook, then goes into a typical teen horror. Where would horror be without a gang of psychopaths attacking people in the woods? Or found footage? The creators tried to put a spin on something that’s been many times over, and for the most part, did a good job, but I got bored. I also missed the point of what was happening, if there was one. In the end, If A Tree Falls was OK and I gave it 3 out of 5 Stars. If A Tree Falls (2010) #Explotation #Survival #Horror Click To Tweet

Dementer (2019) is not what I thought it was going to be, but it’s been on the list for a while so I might have forgotten why I added it. It’s about Katie, who leaves a cult and gets a job taking care of special needs adults. The strangeness of this film kept me watching as I wanted to see what would happen next (that’s a very important key that some filmmakers forget). Katie has flashbacks to her days in the cult and the leader instructing her what to do. There are parts of the film that I would’ve scrapped because I hate it when they kill animals (even pretend). For a low-budget film, Dementer is good, and I gave it 3 out of 5 Stars. Dementer (2019) #lowbudget #horror Click To Tweet

Choose ( 2010 ) has an interesting premise that they could’ve done so much more with than they did. It begins with a family being abducted in their home (something that baffled me was how the intruder got inside), and the daughter must decide to either kill Mom or Dad. If she refuses to kill either, then the intruder will kill the entire family. As the movie progresses, Fionna, who’s dad is a cop, starts to piece things together. Unfortunately, it’s on the bland side at times, then there’s a pivot in the library where she’s trying to find some books, and Choose gets much better. Even the disfigurements are tame for the most part. For a change, the acting is on a higher level than I’ve seen in a while, but that’s not to say it’s perfect. Choose’s back story is suitable and added to the film’s strangeness that was more thriller than horror. At least all my questions were answered when the credits began to roll. I should mention that there is a fair amount of gore that is SAW-ish. I enjoy...

So this might sound strange, but I found The Farm (2018) kinda hot. I can’t give more details because I’m not sure why. The story is so overdone. I should’ve turned it off because it wasn’t anything new. And the acting, well, let’s just say, I’m glad most of the characters didn’t speak behind their animal farm masks. The suspense wasn’t really since I’ve seen it so many times before in other films of the same type. The gore and shock value wasn’t horrible, though it wasn’t enough to make The Farm spectacular. Nope nothing new here, and I won’t say more about it, except you can skip it or not. Maybe, you should see it to explain to me why I thought it was kind of hot.   I gave The Farm 2 out of 5 Stars.

Here Comes Hell (2018) is annoying with the black and white and the horrible filter used to make it feel like an old film. That aside, it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen, not the best either. A group of friends goes to a mansion that has seen better days because their friend from college, George, bought it. There is a class bias thing between Christine and Elizabeth; it’s because Christine is jealous that her ex brought Elizabeth as a date to the party. Then there’s a medium that shows up, and this is where it gets good, though I guess my standards are low because it wasn’t that great; it made me laugh at least. As I said initially, the film effects are annoying, but they got some classic camera angles, so I guess it makes it OK. Then the end came, and it was the Fall of the House of Usher, so yeah, while entertaining, not original. All in all, Here Comes Hell wasn’t horrible and I gave it 3 out of 5 Stars.

All Hallows Eve (2013) is an anthology film that starts with atrocious acting, which actually continues whenever the babysitter and the kids she’s watching are on screen. I take that back. None of the acting is great, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a great collection of content. The first sequence introduces Art the Clown. I saw him first in Terrifier (2016) before I knew the existence of this film. Art is a fantastic character designed to bring scares and dark humor, and he does delightfully. He also shows the truth about Clowns. The second story is the strangest in this pack, and I didn’t understand the why of it. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t good because it was and quite frightening. The alien, I think is what it was, stalks a woman in her new countryside home. The ending ties something unexpected in with the rest of the stories. The final segment returns Art as the focus, and it’s probably the best of three, though the first gives more of an insight of why. Being stalked by a Clown i...

The Redwood Massacre (2014) made me nervous when I started watching it, as so many horror films do in this millennia, and being on Amazon Prime; it was a total crapshoot. As the movie progressed, I knew I was in store for a bloodbath, and in a good way. There’s so much blood, almost to the point of being comical. The killer’s origin story was slightly different from the normal, but still similar to the great slasher stalker films that I tend to enjoy more because I don’t have to think. And several times, I found myself telling the characters not to do something. Apparently, it’s based on a “Horrifying True Story,” though I didn’t find anything of substance confirming the claim with a quick internet search. To be honest, I didn’t really care. Oh wait, wasn’t that what AHS 1984 was based on? The Redwood Massacre is one of those stereotypical slasher/splatterpunk films, but I loved it and gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. The Redwood Massacre did a great job bring the slasher genre back to life. ...

30 Miles From Nowhere (2018) is a film I found on Shudder, and the less than ten-word description intrigued me. So as I always do, I figured what the hell? I can always turn it off. Based on the title, limited description, and poster art, I assumed it would be a slasher film with middle-aged victims. (Yes, I could have Googled it, but who has time for that?) While I was disappointed that it wasn’t, I was happy with what I saw. The only actress I recognized was Carrie Preston, who surprisingly acted like her role on Good Wife. The group of college friends reunites to attend a funeral for their deceased friend and stay in an A-Frame cabin on the friend’s property. At this point, and one of the characters mentioned it, it reminded me of The Big Chill (1983). 30 Miles From Nowhere is filled with low-fi creepiness, which was done well. It also has some cheesiness as the anticipation builds. The thing that I liked best was that I had no idea what was going to happen next. I even thought of v...