Prime Reel Estate

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 3D (IN 2D) IMDB: 4.8  Rotten Tomatoes: 19% Plot: A college girl inherits a house from her, up to this point unknown, grandmother. She goes to Texas or New Orleans they claim both destinations and I can never figure out which one they settle on with her boyfriend, her best friend and some other guy that may be is dating the best friend this is not clear. They pick up a hitch hiker along the way, they get to her house and the hitch hiker robs the place while the others are in town only to stumble across Leatherface who is hiding in the basement, this does not go well for our would be robber. Turns out the town officials knew about the chainsaw massacres and took justice into their own hands but as luck would have it Leatherface escaped now the mayor and several police officers want to finish the job and kill the girl as well because she knws too much.  My Thoughts: What an awful piece of shit this movie is. The gore is plentiful but subpar, the actin

Flash Gordon (1936) IMDB: 7.4  Plot: The planet Mongo is on a collision course with Earth so Flash Gordon, his girl pal Dale Arden and scientist Dr. Zarkov travel in a rocket to Mongo to try to change the planet's trajectory. On Mongo they run afoul of Ming the Merciless Emperor of the Universe and ruler of Mongo along with his daughter Princess Aura who plots to have Flash Gordon to herself. While on the planet they team with Prince Thun (leader of the Lion Men) and King Vultan of the Hawkmen. They battle Sharkmen, Octopuss monsters, dragons, gorillas and Mings guards, even turning invincible at one point to thwart Ming's plans to marry Dale. My thoughts: This is one is a little boring when viewed in its entirity, I would recommend tracking down an edited version. The acting is par for the course for a serial and the effects are actually how you would imagine them to be. The take away for me is that Flash has three superpowers, he is charming, handsome and straigh

You're Next IMDB: 6.5  Rotten Tomatoes: 74% Plot: A family get together at their spacious cabin in the woods is made horrific by a group of animal masked invaders who murder the family one by one in  a variety of ways. My Thoughts: This film was trumpeted by critics and audiences, including some friends whose taste I do not question as it tends to line up with mine, as the best horror film of the year and to that I can only say Meh. Overall it is a slightly above par film, the film looks good but doesn't stand out, the acting is for the most part fine, I don't find them particularly convincing or compelling with the exception of Barbara Crampton who plays the mother Aubrey to a heartbreaking perfection. I also want to point out director Ti West as "Artiste filmmaker" Tariq in a humorous role. The problem I have with this film is that it can't seem to decide what type of film it wants to be. At times it plays as a hip, funny post modern horror

Oculus IMDB: 6.5 Rotten Tomatoes: 74% Plot: After being released from a mental institution a young man and his sister return to their family home to find answers to the tragedy that happened there 10 years earlier that resulted in him being institutionalized. Written and directed by Mike Flanagan. Starring Brenton Thwaites, Garrett Russell, Annalise Basso, and Doctor Who's Karen Gillan. My Thoughts: All compliments to Mike Flanagan, this movie is well shot, beautifully directed and well written. The actors do a great job especially Brenton Thwaites and Karen Gillan who carry majority of the movie together in abandoned rooms. While not particularly scary it has some good thrills and some intense moments. This movie is smart and it is a joy to watch it come together as it weaves past and present into a layered story. Highly recommended.

Sacrament  Rotten Tomatoes; 62% IMDB: 6.2 Plot: A VICE reporter and his cameraman join a friend looking for his sister who has joined a cult called Eden Parish led by Father. Directed by Ti West and starring Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz, AJ Bowen and Gene Jones as Father. My Thoughts: Ever since House of the Devil I have been waiting for Ti West to make a movie I would love, I watched Sacrament hoping it would be the one, sadly I am still waiting but I feel he gets closer every time. From the start of the film you know something awful is in the pipeline and you are not sure what it will be, as the film moves along West builds the tension and dread expertly as the crew interviews the cult members and eventually sit down to interview the unassuming but charismatic Father. The biggest compliment I have for this film, and I have a few I'll get into later but the biggest one I have is for actor Gene Jones as Father. Jones is known as a character actor in small roles, the

Purple People Eater (1988) IMDB: 4.5 A long time ago in a department store far, far away a six year old me was browsing through the display of Halloween titles on video tape the store had set up, and there amongst the Jasons and Freddies was a movie based on a song starring TV's Doogie Howser, I walked out of that store without purchasing this film a mistake that has hung over my life for decades, a mistake that thanks to the glory that is youtube has now been rectified. Dear readers I give to you Purple People Eater starring Ned Beatty, Shelley Winters, Neil Patrick Harris, Dustin Diamonds, Thora Birch and Sheb Wooley. Billy Winters (Neil Patrick Harris) has been left at home with his older sister whom we never see again and his younger sister Molly (Thora Birch) in the care of their Grandpa (Ned Beatty). Grandpa enlists Billy's help repainting his apartment, planting flowers and laughing...laughing at everything no matter how funny it may or may not be in that bi