Kids vs. Aliens (2023)

Streaming Service: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: Kids vs. Aliens (2023)
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Length: 1h 15min
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: Yer Dead, Shut Up & Colour Pictures, Bloody Disgusting, Cinepocalypse Productions, Studio71, RLJE Films, Shudder
Director: Jason Eisener
Writer: Jason Eisener, John Davies
Actors: Dominic Mariche, Phoebe Rex, Calem MacDonald, Asher Grayson, Ben Tactor, Emma Vickers, Isaiah Fortune, Jonathan Torrens
 
Blurb from IMDb: An all-time rager of a teen house party turns to terror when aliens attack, forcing two warring siblings to band together to survive the night.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Kids vs. Aliens was almost everything I was hoping for. It was weird, gritty, and still somewhat endearing.
 
I’ll be the first to admit that it wouldn’t be for everyone. You need to have a love for these kinds of films. I, personally, have that love. I grew up with it. Most 80s kids did. For us, this kind of flick is almost nostalgic. Kids vs. Aliens lives up to what those older science fictions, and creature features, made me feel.
 
The campy acting and familiar teen stereotypes made me smile – right up until some ballsy choices were made. Most flicks would have gone in much more predictable directions. Taking that hard left with certain characters felt new. You have to respect that.
 

I was hoping for a bit more comedy – but that’s on me. It’s not marketed as any kind of comedy. That’s just my personal preference. I do also think that it would have been better if the aliens had been more of a surprise. If they weren’t in the title or the marketing, there could have been a bit more mystery around what was going on. You don’t actually get aliens until the middle of the film (except for a short scene in the beginning with unrelated characters). The movie was taken more seriously than played for laughs, so I think that hold-back would have upped the tension ten-fold.
 
The climax was still pretty badass.
 
I think Kids vs. Aliens is worth streaming. It will be available through Shudder on April 14.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
The premise of Kids vs. Aliens seemed to promise a ludicrous romp through alien invasion horror. I expected it to fall into the ‘so bad it’s good’ category.
 
The story painted a picture of protagonists you wanted to root for, and set up a foundation for events well before the aliens even entered the picture. It felt like the old-school “kids on bikes” sort of throwback adventures… but put into a blender with graphic horror content. Don’t forget the aliens. (I know I won’t.)
 
Let’s talk a little bit about the effects used in Kids vs. Aliens. Sure, the production had a bit of a low-budget feel, but I think they did a great job. The aliens were really creepy and clearly managed with practical effects. The setting was great to facilitate the story. Even the kids’ movie props were believable and fit what I would expect from the sort of scenario depicted in the movie. There was really only one creature on the alien team involved with the film that took me out of things a bit and had me saying “really??” out loud as I was watching. It generally worked anyway and didn’t entirely disrupt my enjoyment of the movie as a whole.
 
When we watched the trailer, we had discussed the trivia tidbit that Kids vs. Aliens was an expanded adaptation from the short segment “Slumber Party Alien Abduction” from V/H/S/2 (2013). The writing partnership of John Davies (Hobo with a Shotgun, V/H/S/2, The Luckiest Most Unlucky Man in the World) and Jason Eisner (Treevenge, The ABCs of Death: Y is for Youngbuck, Dark Side of the Ring), with Eisner at the directing helm, was also responsible for the short this film was based on.
 

I’m glad they re-visited that story. I didn’t really like any of the characters in the short. There wasn’t anyone to root for – except the poor dog. It’s no wonder the pooch got top billing for the segment. With Kids vs. Aliens, we got to see a reimagining of the story with a bit more character development and a peek into a more of the alien shenanigans. There’s even a bit of a twist that I should have seen coming and surprised me all the same. It wasn’t even given away by the trailers (and the scenes in the trailers gave away quite a bit).
 
The post-credits scene had me cheering.
 
I see that it’s getting a lot of divisive reviews due to the “coarse language”, and I think critics really just need to suck it up and realize that a film doesn’t have to watch its Ps and Qs to be fun. I think they should have taken a note from the tagline on the poster that says “F*ck Space” and watched with that understanding.
 
Was Kids vs. Aliens ground-breaking cinema expecting awards and accolades? No, not hardly. It was, however, a fun experience and I wouldn’t say no to watching it again with my 19-year-old once it releases.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 56%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 69%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score –6.0/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
 
P.S. After-credits scene.
 
Movie Trailer:

Ominous October - Werewolf by Night (2022)

Streaming Service: Disney+
Movie Name/Year: Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation: Werewolf by Night (2022)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Horror
Length: 52min
Rating: TV-14
Production/Distribution: Marvel Studios, Disney+
Director: Michael Giacchino
Writers: Heather Quinn, Peter Cameron, Gerry Conway, Michael G. Ploog, Roy Thomas, Jean Thomas
Actors: Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris, Leondardo Nam, Eugenie Bondurant, Kirk R. Thatcher, Al Hamacher
 
IMDb Blurb: Follows a lycanthrope superhero who fights evil using the abilities given to him by a curse brought on by his bloodline.

 
Cat’s Point of View:
When Disney and Marvel announced that they were releasing a Halloween Special this year, I was rather over the moon. (No pun intended…this time.) As I was growing up, you could count on most shows to have a bonafide “Halloween Special” air separately from their usual storylines. These days you don’t see that as often. Sure, productions will give a nod to the season with set dressing; but more often than not, it feels like an afterthought rather than the drive of the narrative.
 
Werewolf by Night was exciting to me from the get-go because it felt like the equivalent of Marvel Studios and Disney+ teaming up to give us a full-size candy bar in our trick-or-treat bucket, just as the Halloween season is really beginning to ramp up.
 
While not a standard-length movie, the 52-minute runtime of this lycanthropic lark was just the right length to give a satisfying story for this stand-alone special. It was packed solid with mystery, action, shenanigans, and enough horror elements to delight genre fans.

 
While Werewolf by Night has a TV-14 rating, parents should be cautious about letting younger kids partake in this particular monster flick. If the production had been made entirely in color, rather than the throwback black and white, it would have received a TV-MA rating for the bloody action. We’re talking dismembering and worse, here.
 
I loved the monochromatic choice, though. While it might have made some of the violence more palatable for a wider range of audiences, it was all about the ambiance for me. I could just envision this as one of those classic monster movies of yesteryear. There are even quite a few Easter eggs sprinkled throughout that pay homage to those very cinematic forbears.
 
While I love comics, I have to admit that I wasn’t really that familiar with the Marvel characters introduced in Werewolf by Night. Admittedly, I am now significantly more curious about Ted, Elsa, and Jack… but I didn’t need to have knowledge of their respective comic runs to really appreciate this special. That’s really the beauty of these MCU productions – there are so many characters available for them to pick from that you never know what corner of the comic verse they’re going to mine for material.

 
That being said, it reinforces the point that the monumental volume of stories out there, it affords the perfect opportunity for Marvel to cherry-pick the moments to spotlight for specials like this. I would absolutely watch the hell out of as many stand-alone specials as they want to throw at us. Let me just say yes please, in advance, for regular seasonal-specific one-offs, please. I digress…
 
I’m hoping that we’ll see these characters again somewhere else in the MCU moving forward. Just because they decided specifically not to provide a post-credits scene to keep this story self-contained doesn’t mean they couldn’t waltz into another franchise later as supporting characters.
 
There really wasn’t anything I found negative about Werewolf by Night. The cast was amazing; led by Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle, Old, Maya and the Three), Laura Donnelly (Outlander, Tolkien, The Nevers), and Harriet Sansom Harris (Phantom Thread, Atlantic Crossing, Licorice Pizza). The production quality was on par with any other MCU offering, as well.

 
It was an impressive directorial debut for Michael Giacchino (Monster Challenge, Star Trek: Short Treks). Though, that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. He’s been in the industry a while now, though as a musical composer. He got his start in the mid-90s working with video games before transitioning to cinema. Everyone has heard his work before in productions such as Doctor Strange (2016), Jurassic World (2015), and even TV shows such as Lost (2004-2010). Composing movie scores is a bit like directing in and of itself. Music is so intrinsically tied to the experience of film and people’s emotions. Creating something to evoke the right feeling at the appropriate story moment is a very similar process – at least in my opinion. I’m looking forward to seeing what his creative vision will bring us in the future for MCU projects or elsewhere.
 
Werewolf by Night was an awesome addition to our Ominous October and I would recommend it for classic horror fans looking for a fun, if brief, experience.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 91%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 93%
Metascore – 69%
Metacritic User Score – 6.9/10
IMDB Score – 7.4/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Glorious (2022)

Streaming Service: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: Glorious (2022)
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 1h 19min
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: AMP International, FallBack Plan Productions, Eyevox Entertainment, Citizen Skull Productions, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, Shudder
Director: Rebekah McKendry
Writer:  Joshua Hull, David Ian McKendry, Todd Rigney
Actors: Ryan Kwanten, J.K. Simmons
 
Blurb from IMDb: After a breakup, Wes ends up at a remote rest stop. He finds himself locked inside the bathroom with a mysterious figure speaking from an adjacent stall. Soon Wes realizes he is involved in a situation more terrible than he could imagine.

Selina’s Point of View:
About five minutes into Glorious I was rolling my eyes a bit. The set up felt typical and it bled into a scene that was drowning in cringe.
 
When the film really gets going, though, there’s no looking away. The cringe starts to make sense, and the typical feel of the beginning gives way to something much more mind-blowing. I’d even go so far as to say Glorious has the feel of something NEW.
 
It’s definitely got that Lovecraftian, not-meant-to-make-sense-of-it, aura. Still, there’s a novelty to it that draws it into another level. I think that aspect comes from the comedy infused in it.
 
Lovecraftian comedy does exist. It’s almost always got a thread of parody running through it, though. The last one I can remember watching was The Last Lovecraftian: Relic of Cthulhu (2009), which was fun – but silly. Seeing that mash-up of genres in a film that still takes the subject seriously is different.
 
With the amount of movies I watch per year, I cannot tell you how grateful I am when I see something that is not only original, but works.
 

Everything elevated Glorious for me. I’m a fan of Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, The Hurricane Heist, Expired), and J.K. Simmons (Being The Ricardos, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Night Sky) is a treasure. I’m not familiar with Rebekah McKendry’s (Psycho Granny, All the Creatures Were Stirring, Elevator Game) direction, but if Glorious is any indication of her talent, then I probably should know more.
 
It even had a decent script and interesting story. Joshua Hull (Chopping Block, Bethlehem, The Impersonators), David Ian McKendry (All the Creatures Were Stirring, Psycho Granny, Sins in the Suburbs), and Todd Rigney (Headless, Found) made a hell of a statement with their work here.
 
Glorious is a good example of what can be done with a simple idea when everyone puts the right kind of effort in. Even the editing was on point, keeping the result tight and just over an hour long. There was never really any time for dragging.
 
Glorious lived up to its title.
 
If you’re interested in seeing for yourself, and I think you should be, Glorious premieres on Shudder August 18th.

Cat’s Point of View:
It has been far too long since I’ve had a chance to see a movie that was straight-up Lovecraftian. That was one of several reasons I was excited we would get a chance to watch Glorious. I have to say, I was intrigued as to how the production would incorporate those elements into such a confined setting.
 
I certainly got my answers, and I was suitably horrified as a result.
 
Aside from the ode to H. P. Lovecraft’s work, I was initially drawn to Glorious by its cast. J. K. Simmons pops up in the most interesting places, and I think his voice was perfect for Ghat and Ryan Kwanten is often underrated. Though, I suppose that helps him get some of these diamonds in the rough roles that might seem crazy to others. Considering the majority of Glorious was focused on him, as the primary (and often only) actor actually visible on-screen, I believe this was an excellent opportunity to showcase his range.
 
In fact, I was so drawn in with the main character’s emotional rollercoaster that I nearly had whiplash when certain aspects of the story were unveiled.
 

When you consider that the primary setting for Glorious was a grungy and graffiti-adorned rest-stop bathroom in the middle of nowhere, I’d say the production value for what they were working with was fairly high. It seemed that they were able to accomplish a lot with practical effects, and CGI was kept to a minimum. Given the scenarios where it was employed, I’d say that it was appropriate and generally well rendered.
 
Glorious certainly fits in with the films that have preceded it in the Lovecraftian horror genre. It will certainly resonate with fans of the Cthulhu mythos. I do believe that the story was executed well enough that anyone unfamiliar with Lovecraft, or his creations, would still understand the film enough to enjoy it. I would note that this one would definitely not be for anyone squeamish or easily grossed out. I can’t underscore that enough.
 
I’m not sure that I would be quick to watch Glorious again – because gross – but I was satisfied with my dabbling into this madness and would absolutely recommend this movie to anyone that’s a Lovecraft fan.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 91%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – 71%
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score –None
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5
 
Trust-the-Dice’s Parental Advisory Rating: R
 
Movie Trailer:

Ominous October - Mass Hysteria (2019)

Streaming Service: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: Mass Hysteria (2020)
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Length: 66 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production/Distribution: First-Name Films, The Horror Collective
Director: Arielle Cimino, Jeff Ryan
Writer: Jonathan T. Coleman, Christopher O'Connell
Actors: Geena Santiago, Jeff Ryan, Scott Swayze, Alexandra Dietrich, Luke Deardorff, Destry Allyn Spielberg, Robert D. Murphy, Matt Perusse, Louis Cancelmi, Charlie Pollock, Daniel Alvarado, Michelle Veintimilla, Jessica Richmond, Molly Sidell, Kellie Moon, Hannah Wagner, Chloe Eaton
 
Blurb from IMDb: A group of Salem witch trial reenactors find themselves at the center of a modern day witch hunt.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I’m not often surprised by the movies we see. Sure, a twist might catch me off-guard, or I might like something more or less than expected – but this surprised me more in the way that Slaxx (2021) did than something like The Sixth Sense (1999). It altered my expectations in ways that most movies don’t.
 
It started out cute, in a home-brew kind of way. If I had to make any comparisons, I’d have said it felt like it was in the same category as something like The Gamers (2002). Low budget, kind of funny, nothing that would stand up to the big-name flicks, but watchable. Even enjoyable.
 
What started campy and mildly interesting, turned menacing in the last ten minutes (or so).
 
The twist really brought the creep factor. It would have been a decent movie either way, but I wouldn’t have labeled it much of a horror film until that script flipped at the end.
 

I was shocked.
 
I think what made it scarier than it probably set out to be, was that it made sense.
 
My knee-jerk reaction was that it didn’t, but after thinking about it for a few minutes, I bought it. I saw the logic in it. When horror has some of that logic, it just hits harder.
 
I think Mass Hysteria is really worth it. I’d recommend gathering some friends and getting some popcorn so you can have some real fun with it. It’s a great flick for a teenage Halloween sleep over. Maybe not the youngest teens, but 15 and above.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I am pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that I have a great appreciation for stories surrounding the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s. Mass Hysteria is set in the modern era pre-pandemic but it beautifully taps into the spirit of its title and the location of its setting for some entertaining satire.
 
One of the things I appreciated the most about Mass Hysteria was that it didn’t take itself too seriously. The movie leaned into the tropes surrounding tourists and their expectations for a macabre historic locations, such as Salem, and it was glorious.
 
It’s clear that there was a bit of a shoestring budget involved, but they got the most bang for their buck by letting the audience imagine most of the grisly violence occurring – rather than having to engineer the physical effects for it all to happen on screen. There’s something to be said about the mind’s ability to fill in the blanks with horror movies. What we imagine can be far scarier than anything an SFX department could put together.
 

So much of Mass Hysteria is over the top, but it works – right down to the customized license plate on a jacked-up truck featured in the later part of the film.
 
It even managed to throw me a little. I thought I had the plot all figured out in the beginning. I thought it was easily predictable – I was wrong.
 
If you’re looking for a serious flick to sate your thirst for horror this Ominous October, Mass Hysteria might not be for you. If you are, however, looking for an entertaining romp into the dangers of religious zeal paired with mob mentality and dumb tourists; the shenanigans that ensue here would be a fun addition to your Halloween viewing.
 
If you have access to Shudder, I encourage satire fans to check it out.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 5.2/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5
 
P.S. Short scene during the credits.
 
Movie Trailer:

Ominous October - Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)

Streaming Service: Disney+
Movie Name/Year: Muppet Haunted Mansion (2021)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
Length: 52 minutes
Rating: TV-PG
Production/Distribution: Disney Branded Television, Disney+, Soapbox Films, The Muppets Studio, Walt Disney Television
Director: Kirk R. Thatcher
Writers: Bill Barretta, Kirk R. Thatcher, Kelly Younger, Jim Lewis, Jim Henson, Walt Disney
Actors: Will Arnett, Taraji P. Henson, Darren Criss, Yvette Nicole Brown, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, Eric Jacobson, Matt Vogel, Peter Linz, David Rudman, Julianne Buescher, Alice Dinnean, Bruce Lanoil, Brian Henson, Nicolette Santino, Alex Villa, Alfonso Ribeiro, Ed Asner, Chrissy Metz, Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Danny Trejo, Sasheer Zamata, Skai Jackson, Geoff Keighley, Pat Sajak, Justina Machado, Craig Robinson, John Stamos, Kim Irvine, Quinn McPherson, Sarah Oh, Colleen Smith, Allan Trautman
 
Blurb from IMDb:  On Halloween night, Gonzo is challenged to spend one night in The Haunted Mansion.

 
Cat’s Point of View:
I have been a fan of The Muppets my entire life. Between Sesame Street (1969-) and the various Muppet shows, I developed a love for these felted and fuzzy characters very early on. 

The glow of nostalgia is like a warm hug whenever I watch my old favorites such as the Muppet Babies (1984-1991) cartoon or The Muppet Show (1976-1981). I have fond memories of seeing The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) in the theater. I remember sitting with my friends from daycare and getting excited as the curtains drew back from the screen. That is one thing I miss with the modern movie experience. I digress…
 
Needless to say, whenever there is a new Muppet production available, I am generally right on top of it. (Well, except Muppets Now (2020) but we’re not here to talk about that.)

 
When I saw that The Muppets were finally doing a Halloween special, I was practically beside myself with giddy anticipation. I didn’t really even care that it was halfway a shameless promotion for the Disney parks’ attraction. Muppets Haunted Mansion is named after (and based on) the Disney park staple, after all. The lovable puppets have put forth a slew of holiday specials in the past, but this is their very first spooky spectacular.
 
Horror comedy is my favorite flavor of the genre, so this special promised to make me one very happy camper. Of course, calling anything involving The Muppets a “horror” of any variety is really a stretch. I expected spooky-lite.

 

Muppets Haunted Mansion was also the first production I’ve seen since Kermit the Frog got a voice actor change-up putting Matt Vogel (The Muppets, Sesame Street, Alice Through the Looking Glass) at the helm of our favorite felt frog. I could hear the difference only ever so slightly – but it was close enough that I wasn’t put off. I was having too good of a time to mind – and Gonzo with his pal Pepe the Prawn were the stars of this extravaganza anyway.
 
I’ll be honest, I’ve never been to Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction, so I couldn’t tell you whether or not Muppets Haunted Mansion is faithful to the in-person experience. IMDb has some cute trivia tidbits connecting the live park experience to the cinematic treatment, however. My enjoyment was based on the film production itself as a stand-alone.

Let’s get into the meat of the matter.
 
Muppets Haunted Mansion was everything I hoped it would be.
 
Everything you could wish for with a Muppets special was included. There were celebrity cameos hidden as Easter Eggs, as well as a random celebrity appearance. All of the beloved characters you would expect to see included were present, for the most part. The jokes were on point, there was razzle-dazzle, and musical numbers highlighted the story. 

The Muppets did their own numbers, but Darren Criss (Glee, Wayward Guide, Yasuke) and Taraji P. Henson’s (Empire, Proud Mary, Ralph Breaks the Internet) performances were also a highlight. There wasn’t too much of any one element, so it felt well balanced. Of course, there was also the customary moral of the story, but it was worked in so that it didn’t feel like the lesson was being drilled into you.

 
I liked the mixture of special effects between apparitions and how they blended effects with the live Muppets – such as with the floating ghosts. The setting was cool and creepy – but not too much. Very small children might get a bit spooked here and there, but nothing was really all that scary. Of course, some of the Muppets have always been on the monstrous side. They fit right in here.
 
There were so many nods to the old-school Muppets’ style and flair that it made my heart happy, as well as provided for a lot of giggles. At the same time, the story was grounded in current times – such as with use of cell phones, etc. so that younger, or more current audiences would also feel connected. There was something for everyone packed into this not-quite-hour-long special. Our whole family gathered ‘round for this viewing and everyone enjoyed themselves. I dare say my teen even put her phone down for a bit to watch.
 
I honestly wouldn’t mind watching Muppets Haunted Mansion again and would recommend it in a heartbeat. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 86%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score - 65%
Metascore – 67%
Metacritic User Score –  7.7/10
IMDB Score – 6.7/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Ominous October - Knocking (2021)

Movie Name/Year: Knocking (2021) 
Genre: Thriller
Length: 78 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Läsk, Sveriges Television (SVT), Swedish Film Institute, Yellow Veil Pictures
Director: Frida Kempff
Writer: Emma Broström, Johan Theorin
Actors: Cecilia Milocco, Albin Grenholm, Ville Virtanen, Krister Kern, Alexander Salzberger, Charlotta Åkerblom
 
Blurb from IMDb: A woman leaves a psychiatric ward after a nervous breakdown, only to start hearing mysterious knocking sounds in her apartment.
 
Selina’s Point of View:
The answer to whether or not I liked Knocking is a bit complicated.
 
I first heard about this flick long before the emergence of the trailer and I was enamored with the plot. As someone who has serious issues with certain sounds, I know that something based around a sound one can’t control can get pretty harrowing. I was expecting a deep psychological thriller.
 
The psychological thriller part was on point, but it was also a social commentary and a VERY slow burn.
 
I’ve called movies slow burns before, but this one took that term to the extreme.
 
Knocking is relatively short for a full-length feature film, sitting at just over an hour long. Whenever you have a project that compact, you expect it’s impossible to be slow. In this case, the story seemed as thought it was still stretched to meet the runtime. Things didn’t start to get even mildly interesting until about 35 minutes in. Even then it was only mildly.
 
If I’m honest, I didn’t start to really enjoy it until about an hour in.
 

That’s a problem in a film this short.
 
Once things picked up, the social commentary was very in-your-face. I didn’t hate it, though. The message was an important one.
 
Following that, was a pretty decent ending.
 
A lot of the time, a good ending can save an otherwise boring film. In this case, I’m not so sure the good parts outweigh how long it took to get there.
 
I find that I didn’t hate Knocking. I definitely wouldn’t watch it again, though. I think it all depends on how tolerant you are of an exceptionally slow build up.
 
If you want to see for yourself, Yellow Veil Pictures will be releasing Knocking in theaters on October 8th, and on-demand October 19th.
 

Cat’s Point of View:

I find myself feeling rather ill at ease, following the credits for Knocking.  It’s a sensation of frustration, sadness, and uncomfortable empathy that continues to haunt me.
 
Knocking isn’t going to be for everyone. If you’re looking for gore and fast-paced thrills, this is not the place to find it. This movie, however, is a slow psychological burn. I have so many questions even after Knocking’s conclusion. I’m just going to have to squash my curiosity, though. This isn’t the sort of film that gets a sequel.
 
Cecilia Milocco (Involuntary, The Circle, Shop) is bloody brilliant in her role as Molly. Knocking is a production of little dialogue. Most of what is going on is focused on Molly and her own inner struggles. It’s just her and her environment the majority of the time. Milocco pretty much gives a master class on carrying such a scene. I’m buying every bit of what she’s sellng on screen.
 
While I understand the need for the pacing in Knocking, it is almost painfully slow for me. I had to have something to fidget with in each hand to keep from reaching for my phone. I can’t say that would be the same for everyone. My ADHD plays a significant part with that. My experience is a bit meta, the more I think about it. Here I am struggling with my own mental issue during a movie about a woman trying to get her life back together after a mental breakdown.
 

There is only one segment of Knocking that could be seen as a negative. It’s a short sequence that transcends the term ‘shaky-cam’ and goes right into disorienting. I get it, though. It’s likely there to highlight Molly’s feelings of bewilderment, fear, and frustration in the moment. It is very effective -- just not my cup of tea.
 
That being said, Knocking joins the modern cinema movement to shine a light on mental illness and both raise awareness and fight the social stigma that remains today. As a society, we’ve come a long way from locking mentally ill and neurodivergent people in secret rooms or shipping them off to sanitariums. We still have a bit further to go in understanding our fellow people that are simply wired differently. Knocking illustrates that bit of social commentary as well as the compounded situation of a woman fighting to be taken seriously as those around her plainly write her off as ‘hysterical.’
 
If you enjoy psychological twists and turns with a side of mystery, Knocking might just be the right ominous addition to your October viewing. 
 
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 82%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5
 
Trust-the-Dice’s Parental Advisory Rating: PG-13
 
Movie Trailer:

Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou (2021)

Movie Name/Year: Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou (2021)
Genre: Documentary
Length: 70 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Director: Seth Breedlove
Writer: Heather Moser, Seth Breedlove
Actors: Lyle Blackburn, Santino Vitale, Amy Davies, Grayden Nance, Adrienne Breedlove
 
Blurb: For centuries, stories have persisted throughout the southern swamps of something truly otherworldly: a terrifying, hirsute creature known by locals as the Rougarou. These legends predate the first immigrant settlers who made their way into the murky waters and dark forests of the south, yet the Rougarou has only recently made its way into pop culture via appearances in horror films, a regional festival and even a roller coaster ride.

 

Selina’s Point of View:
Any of our consistent readers know that I’m not a documentary person. I watch movies for entertainment value. If I want to learn about something, I prefer to pick up a book. So, why would I voluntarily choose a film like Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou?
 
My interest in all things werewolf simply outweighs my distaste for documentaries. Between that and Cat’s interest in a subject that affects her home state of Louisiana – watching this was always in the cards.
 
I’ve opted not to give it a number score, though Cat will be reviewing it normally. I’m going to operate on a pass/fail kind of mentality. A number score coming from me just wouldn’t be fair to the project. It would be like a vegetarian judging a piece of steak.
 
That said, let’s jump into it.
 
It wasn’t what I expected it to be.
 

From the promotional info, I thought the documentary would be laying out an argument on the existence of the Rougarou. Instead, it was almost an anthropological look at the importance, and cultural impact, of the stories that have been told. I have to say, that actually worked out better for me.
 
I’m from NYC – home of the eternal skeptic. It would have been a hard sell to get me to believe in any kind of Rougarou reality. The fact that the documentary didn’t even try to go that route, meant that I wound up much more engaged than I would have been.
 
Instead, there were interesting stories told about Louisiana and its people, the etymology of the Rougarou word, history of the legend, and some engaging visuals that went hand-in-hand with recreations. I also couldn’t ignore that the voice of the narrator reminded me of the Natural History Museum and some of its exhibits.
 
Would I choose to watch Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou again? No. It didn’t change my opinion of documentaries. Would I recommend it to people who DO like the genre? That I would.
 
If you’re interested in learning more about the Louisiana cryptid known as the Rougarou, you will be able to rent/purchase Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou on most streaming platforms Sept 14th.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
We’re stepping a little bit outside of our usual box with today’s review. We were given the opportunity to view a screener for an upcoming documentary focusing on a bit of lore from my home state of Louisiana. I realize that anyone familiar with our monthly trailer-viewing stream, which preps for our Top 20 Movies article, will likely be a bit surprised. We don’t generally cover documentaries unless they really grab our attention. Skinwalker: Howl of the Rougarou did just that.
 
Rougarou are creatures of folklore primarily in South Louisiana, where swamps, bayous, and marshland abound. They’re akin to werewolves but with a twist.
 
I have lived all but one year of my life within the state of Louisiana, yet I’d really only heard of the Rougarou in passing. This particular cryptid doesn’t make appearances up here in the northern part of the state where I am. You find tales and sightings far down at the other end of ‘the boot’. We’re talking rural areas, at the level of New Orleans or below.
 
All the same, I’m absolutely fascinated with this sort of thing and am down for learning more about it, so this documentary checks all the boxes.
 
Now to the nitty-gritty.
 
I’d have to say that this was a fairly solid offering for the documentary genre. I could have done without some of the shaky-cam swamp scenes used as transitions or the filters used to create an old-timey film reel visual. It didn’t really need those extra bells and whistles.
 

I consider a documentary a success if you learn something from it, or it calls attention to something that needs more awareness. Skinwalker: Howl of the Rougarou did both.
 
We’re offered some history on both the Cajun people’s arrival in southern Louisiana and also the Native American tribes of that area. I learned about some things that my school classes on Louisiana History didn’t cover. That’s always a bonus.
 
There are often unexplained sightings attributed to this elusive cryptid, as well. Skinwalker: Howl of the Rougarou gives us some tales of harrowing encounters with the beast via witness interviews. Of course, there’s a historian’s perspective provided also. I found listening to the tales fascinating. My maternal grandmother’s family comes from South Louisiana and some of the people interviewed had accents that reminded me of listening to my great aunt when she came to visit.
 
I appreciate that members of our Native American tribes and their stories were represented, as well.
 
One of the most important features of the Skinwalker: Howl of the Rougarou documentary is the attention it brings to the coastal land erosion in southern Louisiana. Every year, swaths of Louisiana simply erode away to be lost to the Gulf of Mexico. Saltwater intrusion creeps in and decimates freshwater ecosystems. As sea levels rise, this is something that will only worsen in the future.
 
All told, Skinwalker: Howl of the Rougarou is a nice slice of Louisiana folklore with a generous helping of environmental awareness.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – None
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – Pass
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5
 
Trust-the-Dice’s Parental Advisory Rating: PG-13
 
Movie Trailer:

Fantasia 2021: Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story (2020)

Movie Name/Year: Fantasia 2021: Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story (2020)
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Romance
Length: 73 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Language: Filipino and English
Production/Distribution: Rocketsheep Studio, Spring Films, Netflix
Director: Avid Liongoren
Writer: Manny Angeles, Avid Liongoren, Paulle Olivenza
Actors: Reba Buhr, Todd Haberkorn, Tara Sands, Mick Wingert, Angelica Panganiban, Robin Padilla, Sam Milby, Empoy Marquez, Arci Muñoz, Eugene Domingo, Yeng Constantino, Moira Dela Torre, Joyce Bernal, Claudia Enriquez, Julienne Mendoza
 
Blurb from IMDb: In this adult animation, perfume sales cat Nimfa is torn between her macho askal boyfriend and a charming, philandering business dog.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Trust the Dice is doing something a little different this month. Along with our regularly scheduled reviews (which will be posted by Cat), I will be covering the Fantasia 2021 festival. The review of Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story will be the first of many articles tied to the festival.
 
It was a hell of a strong start.
 
It’s hard to believe that this animated flick was funded almost completely by the creative team working on it. Every visual is absolutely gorgeous and the animation style is unique. I definitely think we need a whole lot more of this. I want to see a series, or more movies, in this style. It feels pure. Like you can almost see the artists hunched over their workspaces sketching and shading as the days go by.
 
Not just the obvious aspects are worth noting, though. In some scenes there are these nuanced movements by the characters that you can only really get in insanely-funded animation. The quick flick of a tail, the shudder of ears… any time something like that happened, it elevated the whole story.
 
The way the animals represented the characters also made a great deal of sense. The catty protagonist, the short-tempered bulldog, the snooty husky, the lecherous pig men, etc. Every animal fit. It reminded me of one of my favorite graphic novels, Maus (1980-1991) – by Art Spiegelman. Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story was much more light-hearted, of course, but the way they utilized creatures felt similar. It didn’t feel like a simple anthropomorphizing, but a full-on metaphor.
 

The story was cute. It had a basic love triangle at the heart. One that pitted the familiar choice of a simple life in love vs. a luxurious one. In most films that go this route, things tend to get predictable. The trope basically sees the main character realize that love is the only thing that matters and that money shouldn’t be what drives their decision making.
 
I’m not going to spoil it, but I will say that the ending does not take the road most traveled. It’s surprising, but doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s easy to see the subtle fore-shadowing on a second watch-through.
 
There was some cringe-based humor that is not quite up my alley, but I will admit that it still came off as charming. Most of the time, anyway. I don’t want to focus too much on that, though, because it’s a personal preference.
 
The creators of Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story made something special. It has better writing and directing than most of the big-budget films I’ve seen this year.
  

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5
 
P.S. There are silent epilogue scenes that play out during the credits.
 
Movie Trailer:

An Unquiet Grave (2021)

Streaming Services: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: An Unquiet Grave (2021)
Genre: Horror
Length: 72 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Unquiet Films, Shudder
Director: Terence Krey
Writer: Terence Krey, Christine Nyland
Actors: Christine Nyland, Jacob A. Ware
 
Blurb from IMDb: A year after the death of his wife, a man enlists her sister to help him bring her back.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
An Unquiet Grave was fine, but absolutely not for me.
 
This film covered grief. There are a lot of places to take a subject like that. Many well-loved horrors delve deep into grief: The Babadook (2014), Pet Semetary (1989/2019), and Midsommar (2019) are only the immediate 3 that pop into my mind. That’s without giving it more than a few seconds of thought.
 
Each of the films I mentioned have incredible staying power. They claw their nails into your mind and refuse to let go. Even if you didn’t like them on first watch-through (or at all), they still become movies that pop into your mind whenever grief comes into play.
 
I don’t see An Unquiet Grave being that. It wasn’t a bad film – but it was so slow that paying attention became impossible.
 
All the ‘big reveals’ were not big or reveals. They were obvious turns. In fact, there was no part of me that saw the story going any other way.
 

The settings were suitably creepy. The acting was good. Even the scripted tended to feel natural. For all intents and purposes, this should be an amazing flick.
 
I was just so bored that I can’t say that.
 
Right now, the majority of critics are loving it. It’s got great preliminary reviews. I predict that general audiences are not going to take to it as well.
 
It’s art. There’s not doubt about that. It’s just not what I’m looking for in a horror film. It didn’t capture my attention, and it didn’t scare me.
 
If you want to see for yourself, An Unquiet Grave will be available through Shudder on June 24.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I have one thing to say in the wake of the credits for An Unquiet Grave: oi.
 
Let me back up a little bit. I am always excited when we get a chance to watch a screener for Shudder. It’s really hit or miss whether or not we’ll enjoy the movies, but I always enjoy giving them a watch
 
There are some times, however, that you just have to question why a movie was even made. Today felt like one of those moments as I watched the narrative of An Unquiet Grave unfold. Within minutes, I had a general idea about what was going on. I predicted exactly how it was going to turn out before reaching the halfway point.
 

I was bored and nothing transpiring on-screen engrossed me well enough to allow me to suspend disbelief.
 
Let’s be clear, though – it wasn’t a dumpster fire. It was simply ‘meh.’ The acting was generally tolerable, at least. The story didn’t call for much more than low-fi practical effects so there wasn’t anything askew there for the most part, either. An Unquiet Grave was simply basic and predictable. 
 
There are so many better options on the Shudder streaming platform than An Unquiet Grave. I’d recommend seeking one of those rather than wasting an hour or so of your day.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 87%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.3/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 2/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5
 
Trust-the-Dice’s Parental Advisory Rating: R
 
Movie Trailer: