The Reckoning (Review)

Director: Neil Marshall
Writers: Neil Marshall, Charlotte Kirk, Edward Evers-Swindell
Cast: Charlotte Kirk, Sean Pertwee, Steven Waddington, Joe Anderson, Suzanne Magowan, Ian Whyte
Year: 2020
Min: 110

1665 is "the year of the great plague", as the opening credits tell us. It is here that our story takes place. Grace Haverstock (Charlotte Kirk, who also co-wrote the script along with Edward Evers-Swindell and director Neil Marshall) has found that her husband has hung himself, after contracting the bubonic plague. When, the scummy landlord Squire Pendleton (Steven Waddington) comes to collect the rent, she pays him with her and her hubby's wedding rings. He tells her that are other ways to pay and tries to rape her. She rebukes him and fights back. Pissed off, he leaves and threatens that she will regret this.

The Squire, then, accuses Grace of witchcraft. She is taken and imprisoned, while he, himself, takes her little, baby girl away. An especially cruel witchfinder, John Moorcroft (Sean Pertwee), (who coincidently burned Grace's mom at the stake, when Grace was but a child) is in charge of her trial and torture. Accompanying him in his sadistic ways is his horribly scarred companion, Ursula (Suzanne Magowan). Meanwhile, Grace is haunted by dreams in which Satan (Ian Whyte), himself, wants and tempts her. But, regardless, she won't be broken by the witchfinder and give him the confession she wants. Instead, all she wishes to have her daughter safe and back with her. But first, she must first find a way to escape. 

The Reckoning is a British dramatic/ adventure/ horror film from genre master Neil (Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Game of Thrones) Marshall, who directed and co-wrote it. It is a movie in the vein of films like Witchfinder General and Mark of the Devil. Except, that it has that added action influence that Marshall is so good at. It played a couple of festivals last year and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 6, 2021. It makes it exclusive streaming debut on Shudder on May 13, 2021.

This movie really sucks you in, pretty much from the beginning, and even more so once the plot really unfolds. Thanks to Marshall's directing, this is a beautiful looking movie, with a somber start. The dark, grey and rainy parts play in sharp contrast to the bright and happy flashbacks of Grace and her husband, during the start of the film. The scene of his hanging is an early and strong, emotional hit. There is a heavy feeling for much of the film, particularly during the torture scenes. And, while, those aren't super explicit, they do rock you hard enough to elicit the intended reaction.  

With that being said, all the shit that you'll see our heroine go through, really makes the pay off in the climax worth it. And, boy, is it ever awesome! The action scenes from there are on in are thrilling, exciting, and bloody. Marshall also manages to add lot of suspense and white knuckle intensity to what is happening. My fists where clenched and my heart was in my throat, as I watched these scenes unfurl. All the while, cheering for Grace to succeed and make the bad guys pay. The movie also has a gorgeous score by Christopher (Creepshow the series) Drake, which comes off as powerful, tragic, and evocative. And, I fucking loved it! 

The movie only lost me a bit during its cheap dream scenes and unnecessary jump scares. These moments are when Satan keeps visiting and haunting Grace. He wants to screw and tempt her to turn to him. But, to me these parts serve only to slow the movie down and feel overdone. To be honest, though, this is the only complaint I have of this otherwise, very well done film. 

Within the movie, we do get a sex scene with some nudity. I mention this mostly, because moments like this are almost non-existent in film nowadays. Aside, from being easy on the eyes, it serves as a believable and tender proof of Grace and her husband's love. Here is hoping that this marks a return of sex in movies. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we get strong violence and gore. Among the mayhem is torture, immolation, whipping, bloody squibs, decapitation, and a superlative head crushing. 

The inherit sexism of the time plays an obviously major role in this movie's themes and plot. It is at the heart of the film and a major motivation for our heroine. That isn't the only statement this flick makes. This is evident from the movie's prologue, where a woman is pulled away from her family by officials. It reminded me about cases and events from recent times. It felt like an allusion to police brutality and of ICE separating families. So, that despite the flick's historical context, its message actually feels very contemporary. 

The acting is excellent from the whole cast. Steven Waddington's Squire is a detestable, scummy, asshole, who you will absolutely loathe. Also, worthy of your hate is Sean Pertwee's John Moorcroft. As the film's witchfinder, I wanted so badly for someone to kick the shit out of him. Both main antagonists, as such are very well portrayed by their respective actors. But, this is, ultimately Charlotte Kirk's movie. She is a breathtaking beauty, whose flawless acting is one of the year's most heart wrenching performances, as well as one of its best protagonists.

The Reckoning is a powerful and exciting dramatic horror movie with some rousing moments of action. The climax, in particular, will have you the edge of your seat. The acting is superlative, giving life to detestable villains and great heroes. Still, it is Kirk's Grace that truly shines. She is my favorite hero in a 2021 release, so far. Some graphic gore and well handled torture scenes help add to the flick's intensity. In all, it is the best witchfinder movie since Stuart Gordon take on Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. 

Read More

The Pretty Reckless Get into the Halloween Spirit

HAPPY (EARLY) HALLOWEEN FROM THE PRETTY RECKLESS

Check out the creepy and cool Halloween track "Broomsticks" and stay tuned for some very important updates from TPR after you've consumed your Halloween candy...

Watch it here.

ABOUT THE PRETTY RECKLESS: The Pretty Reckless formed in New York City during 2008, and the musicians and late producer Kato Khandwala initially made waves with their 2010 debut Light Me Up. After countless gigs, the band returned with Going To Hell in 2014. Not only did the record crash the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200, but it also ignited three #1 hits —the Platinum-certified "Heaven Knows" (the biggest rock song of 2014), "Fucked Up World," and "Follow Me Down"— a feat that had not been accomplished by a female-fronted group since The Pretenders in 1984. Meanwhile, their third offering, Who You Selling For, saw them return to #1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs Chart with "Take Me Down," which cemented them as "the first band to send its first four singles to #1 on the chart," according to Billboard. Praise followed from Vogue, Nylon, and more as the quartet lit up television shows such as Letterman and Conan. With over half-a-billion streams, they headlined countless sold out shows and toured with Guns N' Roses, Soundgarden, and ­many other heavy hitters. Their latest single "Death By Rock And Roll" is the fifth No. 1 single of The Pretty Reckless' career and has been heralded by Paper, Loudwire, CNN, Forbes, and more. The band also has the incredible and impressive distinction of being the first female-fronted band to have back-to-back No. 1 singles at the active rock format and the first female-fronted act to have five No. 1 singles on the Billboard chart.

TAYLOR MOMSEN ONLINE:

THE PRETTY RECKLESS ONLINE:

FEARLESS RECORDS ONLINE:

Read More

BLAIR WITCH (Review)

Title: Blair Witch
Director: Adam Wingard
Writer: Simon Barrett
Cast: James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Corbin Reid, Brandon Scott, Wes Robinson, Valorie Curry
Min: 89
Year: 2016

Some 20 years after the occurrences of the first Blair Witch movie, one of the disappeared three college kids, Heather's brother, James (James Allen McCune) is sent a video via the internet. It's the unclear image of a girl from the creepy, abandoned house in Burkittsville, Maryland. He thinks it is his sis, so he and some friends go off to find her. They, of course, decide that they should also make a docu of it, cause, well, why the fuck not. The dude, Lane (Wes Robinson), who uploaded the video and his friend Talia (Valorie Curry) join them on the sure to be fun filled search. They reach the site and set-up camp. That night, as is to be expected, weird shit begins to happen. And, of course, it gets progressively worse from there.

Just a few days I rewatched and reviewed Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. I praised it for despite its' flaws attempting something new and different. This movie I will mostly shit on for being the exact some lazy, fucking thing, that I am sick of seeing. It, of course, ignores the last film, but that's fine. In many ways, the second movie is sort of this franchise's A New Nightmare existing outside of continuity and in the real world. As such there is not problem here. However, this movie has a shit load of other problems. And, it's a shame cause its' director, Adam Wingard, is talented, as the bloody and fun You're Next so successfully proves. But, before I shit on this exorcise in mediocrity, let's look at the good points, first.

The acting is really good, far better than most sequels aim to have. All the cast members give strong performances. That being said the only characters I actually kinda liked were Talia and Lisa (Callie Hernandez), and the later, I only really cared for towards. It's not that the characters are dicks, it's just that most of them aren't particularly memorable. But, hey at least the acting is good! See, I'm keeping my words positive, or trying to at least!

Second the advancement in technology makes for a better looking film than the first one. Yes, the exact same fucking shakey cam happens, but it is better looking shakey cam! And, now you have drone shots, too! Woohoo! The climax is actually pretty suspenseful and got me into it. I was actually on the edge and had my eyes glued to the screen. There is a cool little twist, too. If only the rest of the film was like this, cause then the end comes and.... It's the same old shit.

And, that is a huge problem. Every beat is the same as the first movie. And, with so many found footage movies, both good and godawful, having come since the TBWP, this is simply horribly uninteresting to see here. The film drags along flat and boring for a good chunk of the story. A story that is fucking lazy and stupid.

Why did he take 20 years to look for Heather? There is a lame and lazy explanation, that of he was four at the time of her disappearance and now that he gets this video online feels the need to go look for her. But, let's call a spade a motherfucking spade. This is a shit excuse used to mask what is essentially an inferior remake, so that no one can say, "Hey stop with the shitty remakes!", since this is a "sequel".

I said the technology is better, but fuck do I ever hate shakey cam. Why must they move the camera so much? Honestly, if I was someone who got this crap and saw this shakey as fuck docu, I would never release it in the real world. I would tell the filmmakers that they suck and need to reconsider their careers of making documentary films.

Finally there is a horrible abundance of jump scares. All of which are made by the fucking crew, themselves, who are clearly fucking morons. Actually, remember how I said that the characters aren't dicks? I was wrong. Cause, only a dick would jump in to scare someone when already scary shit is happening. People, normal people, don't do fucking crap like this. So, stop with pointless, awful jump scares that are not connected to the real terror. Jason jumping out of the lake at the end of the first Friday the 13th is an example of a spectacular jump care. Some asshole kid popping in out of nowhere to "scare" someone, like in this movie, is fucking complete garbage.

Blair Witch is a safe, by-the-numbers, remake, disguised as a sequel. It is saved, slightly, by good acting and a good climax. We have all seen worse horror flicks, but honestly why pay for this crap? In a year filled with great horror movies, doing good at the box office, this middle of road flick is bombing. But, then when you realize that many sequels and remakes have tanked this summer, you see that this fits in well with those losers. In short, if you gotta see this one, wait for fucking cable or Netflix, don't waste your money.

2 out of 4

Read More

BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 (Review)

Title: Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Director: Joe Berlinger
Writer: Dick Beebe, Joe Berlinger
Cast: Tristine Skyler, Stephen Baker Turner, Erica Leerhsen, Kim Director, Lanny Flaherty, Jeffery Donovan
Min: 90
Year: 2000

Following the cultural phenomena of the original The Blair Witch Project, a crew of young people decide to take a tour of the movie location ran by Jeffery (Jeffery Donovan) in Burkittsville, Maryland. The next morning they wake up, after having passed out, and their papers and cameras are rip and trashed. They don't remember anything that happened. The tapes remained intact, though, hidden under rocks. But, what happened during their lost time, and what is up with the increasingly weird shit they are seeing? Are they haunted by their delusions or the witch, herself?

Released a year after the first film this is the much maligned sequel to one of the most successful indie movies of all time. Of course, a sequel was to be made, it's an unwritten rule in cinema, maybe more so in the horror world. But, this movie took fans for different all together ride, and that in their eyes, at least, partially hurt the movie. It is certainly flawed, but it doesn't deserve all the hate it gets.

One of the major saving graces is the fact that it had the balls to go against the grain. This could have easily been another found footage, shakey cam, kill some young folk in the woods affair. Instead, co-writer/ director Joe Berlinger went for a meta/ psychological horror flick. Berlinger who made the excellent Paradise Lost docus about kids wrongfully accused of murder for being metal, in particular Metallica, fans, could have given us a faux-docu style turd. Then he have just collected a pay check, and called it a day. Instead, he thought of outside the box.

Studio interference occurred though, and as is often the case, it hurt the movie. They made him shoot unneeded gore which really is out of place and does the movie no good. They also reordered and cut more crap in (IE the gore). A lot of the ambiguity that he was going for is totally lost. Shit, they even switched his music choices adding Marilyn Manson to the opening title scene. The director admits to loving Manson, but that is not what he is going for (if you wanna learn more listen to his excellent DVD's running commentary).

Still, the ideas presented are really smart. Perception vs. reality, media influence, mass delusions, etc. all play a role in the film's plot. It's fairly well paced, except when the random gore inserts are sliced in and make the movie feel uneven and wholly stick out. Still, it actually leads to a fairly well handled climax. The ending itself is not bad, but I can easily see where fans might be like, "That's it?!"

The acting is really good. The cast are mostly unknowns but deliver performances far beyond the usual cash grab sequel, shit. The characters, themselves, serve as archetypes of the audience that the original movie caught the interest and obsession of. Most of the said characters, other than Jeffery, who is admit ably a dick, are pretty likable. All this thought of characters, again goes against the horror sequel mentality.

My two favorite actors and characters come from two very lovely ladies. Kim Director as Kim (all the cast played characters which had the same first name as theirs) is the gorgeous, voluptuous, blue-eyed goth girl of our dreams. She has a little bit of a kick ass attitude and is believable and likable. Erica Leerhsen (who would go on to play a victim in the underwhelming The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake) is great as the Wiccan pissed at the way the first movie represented witches in the first. She also appears almost topless and has an amazing body. Worth mentioning is an all too brief kiss between both these goddesses.

I recall all the hate Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 got when it came it out. Yet, I recall it not being that bad. I hadn't watched it since it was in the movies, until last night. And, it really is not that bad. Most of the issues are studio related, like calling it Book of Shadows. I mean there is no fucking book in this movie, so what the fuck were they thinking?! But, it still remains a bold, interesting, well acted movie. It is not great, and won't please everyone, but I have noticed some nice write-ups and videos pop-up. Is perception changing? I don't know, maybe, those who liked it are finally becoming more vocal. Like me, for example. With Blair Witch, the third installment which will serve as a direct sequel to the classic, coming out this weekend, now is the perfect time to revisit this movie.

3 out of 4

Read More

All Cheerleaders Die

 

Title: All Cheerleaders Die
Writers/ Directors: Lucky McKee and Chris Siverston
Cast: Caitlin Stasey, Sianoa Smit-McPhee, Brooke Butler, Tom Williamson, Amanda Grace Cooper,
Reanin Johannink

Alexis (Felisha Cooper) dies in a cheerleader accident and her childhood friend, the beautiful Maddy (Caitlin Stasey), decides to join the squad. Especially, after having found out that Alexis' star football playing boyfriend Terry (Tom Williamson) has wasted no time and is now dating gorgeous cheerleader Tracey (Brooke Butler). She sets out to break them up. She tells Tracey of Terry's cheating ways with her and even seduces Tracey herself. They even have a lesbian tryst.

But, soon things turn deadly. Tracey confronts Terry, who proves that he is a sleazebag. He hits her. This enrages the other three girls (another cheerleader, her sister who is the team mascot, and Maddy, herself). They drive off angered, with Terry and his football team/ friends giving them chase. The car is forced off the road and crashes into a river. Maddy's ex-girlfriend, beautiful Wiccan/ goth babe Leena (Siaona Smit-McPhee) uses her magic to reanimate them. But, soon two problems reveal themselves: one- the two sisters have switched bodies by accident and two- the girls need blood to heal themselves and quench their thirst. They form a family, of sorts, and the next day they are back in school. This leads to the displeasure ofTerry and some of his crew. And, Terry soon reveals himself to be a truly evil bastard. 

All Cheerleaders Die is actually a remake of a video that McKee shot some years back. While, I never seen that film, this is an excellent film, that ranks as one of the most fun and sexy horror flicks of the year. While, the movie is filled with exploitative subject matter: hot babes, nudity, cheerleaders, lesbians, etc, these elements actually are well handled and add to the fun of the film. In lesser hands this movie would probably have been mostly stupid and insulting, as well as being just a simpleminded skin and gorefest providing nothing more.

But, thanks to  strong directing and a lively script that is not the case. As is with much of his work McKee, with added help this time around from co-writer/ co-director Siverston, is able to create strong female characters, that are much more than just pretty faces and hot bodies. He has a real understanding of women. In most films, the cheerleaders would have been written as bitchy or stupid or both. Here, they are all likeable and all believable. The story may not be ground breaking, but somehow it still manages to feel somewhat fresh. This is definitely due to it being handled in a manner that is always entertaining. And, while the movie is undeniably funny, it does not shy away from heavy subject matter like abusive relationships and rape. Kudos for being able to this so well.

It also helps that the whole cast is excellent. That the women happen to be breathtaking is just an added bonus. I was most in love with Stasey, who is my new horror crush. Butler and Smit-McPhee also took my breath away, as did Amanda Grace Cooper and Reanin Johannink, as the two sisters. Meanwhile, Williamson makes for a truly despicable villain, one whose death you will be cheering (pun not intended) on to happen.

The movie with it's use of gothy, sexy witch babe, lesbians, and, of course, cheerleaders, seems
tailor made for me. It's handling of these fetishistic themes coupled with the beautiful cast make for a very eye pleasing experience. There some great shots of the beautiful cast, and even nudity in the form of the stunning Johannik. Butler not only gives us some lesbian love, but she has one of the most memorable scenes walking across the street in just her undies. She has an ass to die for! 


It also has some nice gore, with stabbings, bitings, bludgeonings, and more. The make-up FX by Kevin Carter are really quite good. There is some CGI, but it's well done and used appropriately.  All of these postive factors comes together to add to a really suspenseful and edge of your seat climax. The ending is fun, too, and a little unexpected.

All Cheerleaders Die is a great example of how to do a horror-comedy. It'll make laugh and you will have a blast watching it. But, it also knows when to take the horror seriously. McKee is one of my favorite directors in the genre, as with films his best work, The Woman, May, and his episode of Masters of Horror: Sick Girl, he proves that he knows how to write some of the best female characters in the entire genre. It has everything that you could ask for in a horror film (lesbians, gore, babes, zombies, cheerleaders, sexy goth/ witch chick) in the confines of a smart and highly entertaining script. It all add up to a movie that I give my highest possible recommendation. It's streaming on NetFlix so see it now!

**** out of ****

Read More