Wolf man (2025)

Wolfman can be described by saying “ya it was whatever.” Wasn’t great, wasn’t terrible. It was produced by Blumhouse so if you have seen any of their movies you should be able to guess what you are in for. 

I will say that this wolfman had some nice shots, even if they were far and few in between. It had some cool perspective shots, showing how the wolfman saw the world. It had some nice transitions between seeing the world how we do, then seeing the distorted world of the werewolf. One other detail I liked is the daughter was named Ginger, which was a reference to ginger snaps, so that was neat. It is also a very different story than the original 1941 movie, so if you are looking for a direct remake you might be disappointed.

Moving on to some negatives of the movie, I was not a fan of the Wolfmans design. There is a point where we could’ve seen a much more intimidating and mature werewolf but it looked the same as a freshly turning one. It was quite a disappointment I have to say. Good werewolf designs can really make or break a movie and unfortunately this one was lackluster. I find with some designs it is either leaning heavy to the man side or heavy to the wolf side, this one was very heavy on the man side. It was enough that you could probably mistake him for a man that hasn’t shaved in 6 months. One other bit that really pulled me out was the lack of chemistry between the characters. They didn’t feel like a family and none of them were really built up to have any definitive traits. The character arcs they went through just didn’t feel significant. 

I feel this review has been a little underwhelming but I must say that is how the movie felt. It is nothing to write home about, and honestly pretty forgettable. I would say if you have some time and extra money then maybe check it out on a cheap day at your local theater. If not just wait for it to go onto a streaming service or to rent if you really want to see it. I would give it a 4/10. Wasn’t really bad, wasn’t good, it was just sorta there.

Krampus

Next up on our Christmas horror movies is 2015’s Krampus. This holiday horror tells a twisted tale of a dysfunctional family coming together for Christmas, only to end up facing the not so jolly Krampus. Max (played by Emjay Anthony) writes a letter to Santa wishing to make Christmas as it once was. His belief in Santa and in Christmas quickly diminishes and the letter makes it to a much darker force. The family is then terrorized by Krampus and his merry band of sinister entities. Being picked off one by one they start mending their family ties but it might be too late.

This movie is definitely a newer Christmas must watch. With its 10th anniversary coming up next year it still definitely holds up. I would describe this movie as if Christmas vacation mixed with Poltergeist, and it does it well. The mix of horror and comedy adds to the family dynamic of the characters. Their fear of not only the spirits but to each other has every character on edge from the beginning, it shows  that only the most drastic measures will bring this family together.

I would also like to add that Adam Scott, who plays Tom Engle, the father of the Engle family, played this role well. He is a level headed protective father and has some moments where he really shines. A spoiler here but his “death” scene was a highlight, as his actions and emotions make the movie a little more believable. He portrays the emotions of sadness and bravery of a man sacrificing himself, even if pointless, to give his family just a little more chance of survival. His performance stood out to me more due to Adam Scott being one of my favourite actors, but most of the performances were fun as well. They all portrayed their characters as expected. Some of the kids' roles and David Koechner’s character of Howerd were a little caricatured and flat. They didn’t have a lot of background besides being the overly political uncle and the rude cousins. This dynamic didn’t affect my viewing experience too much since I think most people have family members like this and can relate to the over the top nature of their characters.

All and all this is a solid family Christmas film. I would rank this movie a 7.5/10. It is enjoyable and fun to say the least. It doesn’t do anything revolutionary but sticks to a solid horror plot of a family getting attacked by evil entities but adds a Christmas filter on top. I would recommend checking out this movie if you haven’t already and want a fun movie to watch over the holidays.

Black Christmas

For the month of December I want to do a series of holiday themed movie reviews. What better way to start this off with Bob Clarks 1974 classic. This movie follows girls in a sorority house being harassed with mysterious phone calls. Soon one of the girls goes missing as the phone calls intensify. As more and more disappearances occur, Jessica (played by Olivia Hussey) with the help of local police must help with capturing the suspect.

Black Christmas is an excellent holiday horror mystery movie. I think the strongest part is the killer. He was never really shown in the movie and even in the end you are not told who it is. I believe that adds to the suspense and terror of it. The phone calls he makes to the girls are relatively disturbing as well. The reactions of the girls turn from classic responses to prank calls to genuine fear as the movie develops. The phone calls were an exceptional way to set up the killer. Even though the characters and the audience can't see him, we can hear his derangement and uneasiness in his voice. At the very beginning of the movie we are shown him entering the house where he remains for the remainder of the film. Being shown at the start sets up a strong stage for the rest of the movie, as every action taken, every conversation could be seen by the unseen killer. I was not a fan of most of the characters' personalities as they all seemed one dimensional. With that being said it did not draw away from the overall enjoyment of the movie. Secondly I felt the movie was a little slow at times. It would spend lots of time on some pretty insignificant and lackluster characters just for them to die. I get that is the point of slasher movies but their deaths didn't make me feel one way or another so that was the problem I had with it. Lastly I felt the kills were a little underdeveloped. They had set ups for some fun and creative kills but they would happen off screen which was a little disappointing.

I know I went on there with things I did not like about Black Christmas, but it is definitely worth checking out, especially if you are in a Christmas movie mood. It has a solid story which has stood the test of time, and is definitely a classic for a reason. It has elements that we don't see often in horror movies and made bold choices that make it stand out. I will give this one a 7/10. It will definitely be one to add to the seasonal watching list. 

Terrifier 3

To start off I have to admit I am a sucker for slasher movies, so this review is going to be super biased. So Terrifier 3 if you haven't heard is a stomach curdling gore fest, following a murderous demon clown on a Christmas killing spree. I don't want to spoil too much, but it is a direct continuation of the first two movies, with Lauren La Vera and Elliott Fullam reprising their roles as Sienna and Jonathan Shaw. David Howard Thorton continues his role of Art the Clown, and does an exceptional job as always. Props really have to go out to Director and writer Damien Leone for making this movie, as it is very much a love letter to slasher movies.

Just as the first two, this one really shines with its grotesque and over the top violence. Many of you who know me in my personal life know I have a dream of making a movie that breaks the record for most fake blood used, so seeing the crazy amount used in this movie was an inspiration. One of my favorite parts involved two college kids getting hacked up by a chainsaw in a shower. The first time I saw it I thought to myself “oh man I can't imagine this going on much longer or I might not feel too good.” Now on my fifth time seeing it in theaters I was anticipating that scene because like all the kills it was so stylized and had so much personality. I know that is a bit of a weird way to explain a horror movie kill, but you can tell the person who thought of it and made it really has a love for horror.

I think coming across horror movies that feel as though they are made for fans rather than the fans' money is extremely rare these days. With quick cash grabs and unnecessary sequels to franchised movies, the Terrifier films are an extremely refreshing slasher. Unfortunately this movie is not in theaters anymore but I highly recommend picking it up or renting it. For me this movie is an instant classic, I will never forget seeing it opening night, getting ID'd to get in and convincing my friends to see it with me. 

Terrifier 3 and the Terrifier series in general is a 10/10. These instant classics are the gold standard for slasher movies. They are bloody, campy and over the top. If you have not seen them already I recommend getting a group of friends and experiencing this series together.

Heretic

Heretic is an interesting and refreshing take on horror. First things first, the acting was great. Hugh Grant played an extremely convincing and terrifying antagonist. His performance was second only to Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher. I am familiar with Sophie Thatcher’s work on Yellowjackets, so I knew walking into this movie she was going to put on an amazing performance. What caught me by surprise was Chloe East’s work. Now up until this movie I was unfamiliar with her, I have never seen her in any movies or shows and was truly expecting her to be side lined by familiar co-stars. I am happy to say that the performance she put on was next level and I am excited to see her future on the silver screen.

Now for the movie itself. I will keep this as non spoiler as possible because I highly suggest seeing it in the theaters. Heretic invokes the questions people often ask themselves on religion, what is the right religion, how much one believes, and what I think is a very important question, how blindly will you follow your faith? I would not call this a religious movie but religion is so closely tied with horror and this movie uses it so well.

The bare bones plot of the Heretic is two Mormon girls are making house calls and visit Hugh Grants characters home. They are soon put into an intellectual chess match with the man and are captured in his house, forced to face him not only physically but mentally as they try to escape. I want to say as little as I can on the plot just because the twists are very good and I don’t want to give anything away.

At first I thought the beginning of the movie felt as though it was dragging on a little, but everything was really called back to and it added in building these characters up and how they all sort of believe the same things but go about it differently. In the first halfish of the movie is where I found the acting really shinned though, seeing the subtle panic slowly start to develop, and the realization that they are trapped. So much of it was in the facial expressions and slight actions the characters take. This movie has a great sense of detail. Not only does the slight details stand out but so do the large ones. The set was great, it wasn’t big by any means and everything felt condensed. It helps with the sense that this isn’t some great adventure but two girls alone facing their demons.

Overall I will give this movie a 7.5/10. Although I have so much good things to say I feel it doesn’t have a lot of rewatchability. It also has some parts I felt were unnecessary and could’ve been cut to make more screen time for Sophie and Chloe.

Finally take everything here with a grain of salt. I have no proffesional credentials to be reviewing movies. I just like them and love taliking about them. I highly encourage seeing this movie for yourselves and experiencing the horror that is Heretic on the big screen.

The Record

Here I will document the reasons I do what I do and the inspirations behind them. Most of my work takes heavy influence from horror movies and alternative music. In these records I will share reviews of movies and albums/songs that I like or have influenced any of my creations. Along side those I might share personal stories or experiences that shape the creations I make today.

I have dubbed this The Record. I will record what I am doing and plans for the future as well within these texts. This is simply away for you all to understand me a person rather then just a mask. I will hopefully do these once a week, probably around Fridays but that is up for change.

For now this will be the first post in The Record.