Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to the first update of 2024 that of course is my movie countdown for all the different genres I have seen in the theater in 2023. There were so many films that were released this year that brought me as well as my movie club friends so much entertainment! I saw movies in such theaters as Cinemark, Regal and Englewood, and really for me nothing beats the theater experience as no matter what some say, streaming new films just does not give you the full movie experience no matter how big your TV Screen in or how loud your sound system gets. And like every year for me the biggest film releases come from the Horror genre as spooky movies have been a big part of my entertainment life since I was a very young kid. To me nothing beats relaxing at one of the local cinemas to watch a good fright flick on the silver screen with family and friends, and this year was very heavy on Horror film releases. I will be breaking up this “Best Of” update by genre so that means Drama, Comedy, Action, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Superhero and of course Horror! So if you are ready, let’s grab some popcorn and a drink and find our seats as it’s time to talk movies! Also if you missed my Best Of 2022, update make sure to give it a read here.
So now that we have found our seats and have eaten a few pieces of popcorn, I think that we will start off by taking a look at the Drama films that I saw in the theater. Sadly I did not see a lot, but the ones I did see I enjoyed so let’s take a look and see what I think was #1!
# 4
June Allen is an 18 year old woman who lost her father and is taking her sadness out on her mother who is trying her best to bond with her daughter and live her life again, even dating again as Kevin Lin has entered the picture and the pair are heading off to Colombia for a romantic vacation. While her mother is away, June parties with her friends, and on the day she is set to pick them up from the airport, they are no where in sight. Now June must uncover this mystery as she follows the clues and uncovers Kevin’s dirty secret of being a conman and that her very own mother has a life changing secret. Can June find her missing mother or will time run out? And she will never be able to patch things up with her? Watch this sequel to “Searching” and find out for yourself. This Drama Thriller was a fun watch as the story unfolds and takes a few twists and turns that many viewers will not see coming. Storm Reid is fantastic as June, and the whole cast truly does a great job. The film did ok for Sony at the US box office bringing in $32,502,025.00 on a budget $7 million budget. This film walks the line between Drama and Horror as it really is a Thriller…but I think it fits better here with the Drama Thriller than the Horror Thriller.
# 3
The Von Erich family was at the top of the wrestling world in Texas, and brothers Kevin, David, Kerry and Mike are being pushed by their father Fritz into becoming the biggest names in the sport as well as capture the NWA World Heavyweight belt. But while they are riding high, the family seems to have a curse as Kevin watches as his brothers pass away, and he learns that family is very important and that his father the man he idolized just might not be the hero he thinks he is. This film is a loose bio-picture of the Von Erich family and showcases the stress of pro wrestling as well as how mental stress, substance abuse and poor parenting can lead down a dark path. The acting is well done with such names as Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany and Lily James and also had cameos from such wrestlers as MJF and Chavo Guerrero Jr. playing classic wrestlers. While the story in this film is not 100% accurate and brother Chris Von Erich is missing, it still is a nice tribute to the Von Erich Brothers. The film did well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $$18,221,133 (as of this posting) on a budget of $15.9 million. And for those who wonder, yes I grew up being a fan of the Von Erich family and Kerry was my favorite.
# 2
Adonis Creed has retired from boxing and is helping young boxers at the gym, but when Damian Anderson, a friend who ended up being arrested and locked up for a long time, comes back into his life things get guilt ridden. Damian was a good boxer who just wants his shot, and with the help of Adonis, he gets it and ends up winning the Heavyweight Title…in a kind of underhanded cheating way. Now the champion and with lots of built up aggression over the events of the past and being locked up for 18 years, Damian and Adonis’s friendship falls apart and this brooding bad blood sees Adonis come out of retirement in order to fight his childhood friend as a way to let go of guilt and to settle this issue once and for all. This third film in the Creed series is fantastic as the build to the fight between Creed and Anderson is very well done. As the film goes along you get more of the story of why there is some awkward tension between the two that leads to them at odds. And while Damian Anderson has done bad things in his life and even fights dirty to get the title, he also is not that bad of a guy just wanting his chance before time catches up with him. And that is the thing, the story is solid. The casting fantastic with names like Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu and Tony Bellew returning and Jonathan Majors and Mila Davis-Kent being added. The film was directed by Michael B. Jordan, who did a fantastic job, and he is also talking about a fourth film in the series already, and I for one am down. The film did good for MGM at the American box office bringing in $156,248,615.00 on a $75 million budget. While I would have loved to have seen a cameo from Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, this series is making its own path now to becoming an iconic sports drama franchise.
# 1
Retired detective Hercule Poirot has been invited by his crime novelist friend Ariadne to a Halloween party after which a psychic hold a séance to contact the dead daughter of the party’s host who had committed suicide. The catch is that the home is also said to be haunted by the spirits of deceased children. Poirot is there to try and expose the psychic as a fraud, but when people start dying and he himself starts seeing things, he must try and figure out if the killer is from our world or the other side! This third film in the modern Poirot series is fantastic like the other two, and this time this Mystery Drama film even adds in elements of Horror as it has that classic haunted house feel and has images of shadows, ghosts and murder all around. Kenneth Branagh is fantastic as Hercule Poirot and is the best actor to play the part in my opinion. Other cast members include Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Kelly Reilly, Kyle Allen, Emma Laird and Camille Cottin to name a few and all are great in their roles. The film did okay for 29th Century at the domestic box office bringing in $42,448,749.00 on a budget of $60 million. If you like Murder Mysteries with a dash of Horror, then make sure to check this one out as it hands down the best Drama film I have seen this year, and on a side note, this almost made it to the Horror list…but I settled on placing it in Drama.
While I did not get to see lots of Drama films in the theater in 2023, I would say that the ones I did get to watch were fantastic and all were well worth seeing alongside my friends on the big screen. But next we will be leaving Drama behind and replace it with laughter as next up are the Comedy films I saw on the big screen in 2023!
# 4
Kevin is a father who is working a house cleaning job, creating music beats, is a part time event thrower and needs to raise some money to send his young daughter to a school…but when his best friend Damon gets them fired from the cleaning job, the two decide to throw an epic party in the house of NBA star LeBron James in order to raise the money to send his the daughter to that selected school. The party is massive and Kevin’s childhood friend and crush Venus attends as do celebrities like Mya, Bill Bellamy, Snoop Dog, Kid Cudi, Juvenile, Lil Wayne, Walter Emanuel Jones among many others and the party is a massive hit! But when some of Damon’s enemies show up and steal LeBron’s championship ring, the two friends have to try and get it back and that includes dealing with the illuminati as well as trying to get out of trouble when LeBron James returns home early and wants these home intruders thrown in jail! Can Kevin get the money? Can he not go to jail? Will he win the heart of Venus? Watch this remake of the classic House Party film series and find out for yourself! This was a pretty funny film that brings some belly laughs as well as is packed with enough 90’s Rap and RNB nostalgia to please fans of the original series. Sadly the film did not do good for New Line Cinema at the US box office only bringing in $9,002,247.00 on a unknown budget. I found this film to be really entertaining and it was a great theatrical watch.
# 3
Lawyer Audrey Sullivan is Asian and was adopted by a white family and does not know who her birth mother and father are, but she gets sent to China with the promise of a major promotion if she can lock a deal with a Chinese business man. Along for the trip is her best friend Lolo Chen and her cousin Deadeye, who is an outcast who loves K-Pop music, and when in China Audrey meets up with her old collage roommate Kat who is now a big day time actress on a Chinese soap opera. When the business man insists that he gets to know Audrey’s birth mother after Lolo lies and says the two are close, the friends set out on a big adventure across China in order to find Audrey’s birth mom as well as become closer friends…but this of course is plagued with fighting, crazy people and shocking revelations. This is a pretty dang funny film that brings together four likable friends all with their own personalities that go on a trip that is filled with sleazy and silly fun. The film had me laughing in a few spots and it is well casted with such names as Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu all making up the leads. The film sadly did very poorly for Lionsgate at the domestic box office only bringing in $12,897,789.00 on a budget of around $32million. If you like raunchy comedies make sure to check this one out.
# 2
Barbie lives in Barbie World with all the other Barbies, Kens and Allen, and her life is perfect as all the Barbies have important jobs and the Kens just hang around the beach. But Barbie’s life turns upside down when she gets flat feet, gets cellulite and has thoughts of death! And after visiting Weird Barbie (a Barbie who was played with too rough) she learns that she must travel to the real world and find out why her owner is so sad and along with Ken she does just that. But once in the real world Barbie sees that it’s not perfect and is filled with lots of drama, sadness, crudeness and makes her second guess herself and the world she comes from…but when Ken in the real world learns about being macho, he heads back to Barbie World and corrupts it. Now Barbie must try to do all the right things like bring a mother and daughter back together, reset the Barbie World and find out who she really is. This is a charming fun comedy film that is based on the popular Mattel toy of the same name and truly was a big deal when released in theaters as it broke records and became a massive hit with most critics and fans and proves that if you make films based on toys right, people will come to the theater to watch them! Margot Robbie is great as Barbie and is likable and you find yourself wrapped up in her journey and Ryan Gosling was funny as Ken! Other actors in the film include Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Rhea Perlman and America Ferrera, to name a few. The film did amazing for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $635,928,220.00 on a budget of $145 million. Barbie was the biggest film of 2023 and was truly one of those event style films that brought family, friends and even strangers together.
# 1
The small town of Asteroid City is holding Asteroid Day to celebrate when one made contact with the land, and they also showcase bright youngsters who have made amazing inventions in science with the chance of winning prize money. There in this small town is a war photographer and his kids, an actress and her daughter, army soldiers, the smart kids & parents, school kids & their teacher, scientists, a band and a few of the local townies. But all their lives are changed when a u.f.o appears and an alien takes the asteroid away causing the government to quarantine the town and friendships and relationships are made as everyone wonders what the alien wanted. This is a funny Wes Anderson film that is a play within a movie that features an amazing all-star cast that includes names like Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Matt Dillon, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Live Schreiber, Hope Davis, Willem Dafoe, Steve Carell, Stephan Park, Jeff Goldblum among many others. The humor is what you expect from an Anderson film, and the characters are all likable as is the background set of the small desert town. The film did ok for Focus Features at the domestic box office bringing in $28,153,025.00 on a budget of $25 million. While the humor of this film will not be for everyone, if you enjoyed Wes Anderson’s other films then I am sure you’ll get a laugh out of this one.
While I don’t see many Comedies in the theater I will have to say that I truly enjoyed enjoyed all the ones that I did go to this year as they all brought be a few laughs. But next let’s talk about Action films. Strangely enough, I saw very little of this genre this year and that’s truly is shocking, but let’s not linger as it’s time to chat about and rank the ones I did see.
# 3
It’s New Years, and Captain Brodie Torrance has one last flight before being able to visit his daughter and sister for the holiday. While the crew is small as is the amount of passengers, they do have to escort felon Louis Gaspare who has charges of homicide. But this killer passenger is not the main threat of this plane ride as extreme weather makes them crash land on a island ruled by criminals who take the survivors hostage in order to try and get ransom money. Now Brodie and Louis must fight off these criminals alongside a mercenary group sent in by the airline in order to save the hostages and get off the island safe and sound…but this is as hard as it sounds as the criminals are not the eager to let their prisoners escape and a battle breaks out that will leave many dead and Brodie showing just how great of a pilot he really is. This is a really fun check your brain at the door, popcorn action film that delivers entertainment, as well as some really cool fighting moments with some interesting cast of characters. The film stars Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Evan Dane, Daniella Pineda and Tony Goldwyn to name a few. The film did all right for Lionsgate at the US box office bringing in $32,111,181.00 on a budget of $25 million. A really fun theater watch action flick that is getting a sequel in the future called “Ship” and I for one will see it when it hits theaters.
# 2
John Wick is being hunted down by The Table as his deeds and killings off some of their own has made him a marked man for death, and all John wants is to be left alone and out of The Table’s hold forever. But when Marquis Vincent de Gramont, a high member of the Table, has been assigned to kill John Wick, the snobby Marquis ends up putting a price on his head, brings down the safety Hotels used by The Table that have helped Wick and even brings in high profile hired killers Caine and Mr. Nobody to get this hit done. But John Wick has other plans as he sets up a duel with the Marquis where one man will die and the others wishes will be granted by The Table…but will John find his way to peace or will he find his way to the grave? Watch this amazing action film to find out for yourself. This film is pure action with lots of fights, chases and action from start to finish and also has great characters with John Wick being a true modern day “Man With No Name” style hero. Keanu Reeves is great as John Wick and this series is one of the best action films going in these modern times. Other names in the cast includes Bill Skarsgard, Ian McShane, Donnie Yen, Lance Reddick and Shamier Anderson to name a few. This film did really well for Lionsgate at the American box office bringing in $187,131,806.00 on a budget of $100 million. The John Wick films are fantastic and with rumors of spinoff films, I cannot wait to see how this universe grows.
# 1
It’s 1969 and Indiana Jones is retiring from teaching as his life has gone poorly after a tragic event involving his son as well as his relationship with Marion Ravenwood has crumbled. But Indiana is about to find another adventure when his goddaughter Helena Shaw comes to him with the need to find The Dial Of Destiny, an artifact that is tied with time travel and is what drove her father mad. So now Indiana starts a new adventure and learns that while his age might have slowed him down slightly, it cannot stop a true legend of archaeology as he finds the Dial while helping Helena with her issues as well as dodging a band of Nazi’s who are holding onto the past and want to use the Dial to change to outcome of World War II! And when the Dial is used, the time travel is not what they think and Indiana Jones learns that he means so much to so many people he has built a friendship with over his long legendary career. This was a great film and when at the packed theater to see, it I felt like a kid again watching Indiana Jones on the big screen. The adventure this time around is lots of fun as The Dial Of Destiny is something that could be very dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands and it of course brings back Nazis as the main villains. The film of course had lots of hate before it even was released as many have it out for Disney now and this one was caught up in the storm of anger. The film also not only brings back Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones but other returning faces include John Rhys-Davies as Sallah and Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood. Other actors in the cast are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook and Shaunette Renee Wilson to name a few. The film did not do so great for Disney at the domestic box office bringing in $174,480,468.00 on a massive over blown budget of $300 million, I hope Disney learned this year that they are putting way too much money into these films. This hands down was my favorite Action film on 2023 and is my third favorite film in the Indiana Jones film series! Don’t listen to the online “critics” and haters as much of what they reported was not even in this film ,and make up your own mind and give it a watch as you might just find yourself enjoying it.
You can never go wrong with watching a good old Action film on the big screen, and this year it was sequels to films that took the top spots as I found both John Wick 4 and Indiana Jones 5 to be highly entertaining films. I did skip a few action films this year like Expendables 4 as I had lots of stuff going on at work as well as had to get many Blood Scream Comics ready for release. But now that we have all the Action out of the way I think that it’s now time we take a look at Sci-Fi and Fantasy Films that I saw this past year at the local cinemas.
# 5
Edgin Darvis is a man whose wife was killed by wizards, and he turned to a life of stealing and this leads to him spending years in jail and his daughter being watched after by one of his former running mates in a life of crime. But once out of jail, he finds that his daughter is safe and that his former friend Forge Fitzwilliam is now a King of a kingdom and is working with an evil Witch to rule over the land and bring death to the city…now Edgin along with female warrior Holga Kilgore, untrained wizard Simon Aumar and shape shifter Doric must come together to save his daughter, bring down the corrupt king, take out the evil Red Wizard and become the unlikely family they have all been looking for. This is a fun fantasy film that is a true popcorn flick that was a great watch on the big screen! The characters make a great team, and it feels like a quest film that would have been perfectly at home during the 80’s when Barbarian and Warrior styles films were being released. The effects are well done, from undead warriors all the way to an obese dragon and such actors as Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant and Daisy Head make up the main cast. Also for those of you wondering the cast from the Dungeon And Dragons cartoon from the 80 do make an appearance. The film did ok for Paramount Pictures at the U.S. box office bringing in $93,277,026.00 on a budget of $150 million. If you like fun Fantasy Films that brings the fun nature of the role playing game it’s based on, make sure to give it a watch as its filled with action, adventure and some humor.
# 4
Japan is being attacked by giant Kaiju monsters and their special defense team the SSSP are doing what they can to destroy these threats, but soon they get help from an alien giant named Ultraman to defeat these terrors! But with Ultraman’s appearance comes new threats as aliens are coming to Earth now with the ideas of either ruling it or destroying it, and he must use all his powers and his newly found respect for mankind in order to protect them as well as be the hero the Earth needs during these unknown times. But can Ultraman survive the attacks of foe after foe and threat after threat or will mankind suffer a terrible fate at the hands of aliens from another dimension? Watch this reboot to the classic TV Series to find out. This is such a fun, silly, cheesy Sci-Fi action film that does a great job of capturing the mood and feel of the 1966 series as it was clear they were definitely playing in that universe. The effects are really fun as some look really good and other very cartoonish by design. And I also have to say that the film feels like several different episodes crammed together as you get tons of monsters and aliens that come and go, with some having no real reason to make their exit. The film was released in limited theaters via a Fathom Event and did ok for them at the American Box Office bringing in $601,490.00 on a budget of 900 million yen. Over all if you like fun films with giant monsters and are a Ultra Man fan like myself, then make sure to checkout this film. I got it when released on home media.
# 3
The planet eater Unicron has eaten the home world of The Maximals but needs a key to get to the next galaxy. Optimus Primal along with his fellow Maximals Airazor, Cheetor and Rhinox take the key to Earth and break the key into two and hide them so that Unicron will forever be stuck where he is at and can not destroy anymore planets. Now in 1994 one part of the key is activated and Unicron’s minions travel to Earth to find both parts of the keys to send the single into space and allow the massive planet eater to arrive to destroy Earth and everyone living on it. The Earth’s only hope is The Maximals, The Autobots lead by Optimus Prime and two earthlings who get caught up in this madness. This is a really fun Transformers film as Optimus Prime in this film learns that not all humans are bad and that The Maximals are still alive and living on Earth in hiding. And as always it’s great hearing Peter Cullen voice Prime, as it gives the film that true Transformers feel and other actors voices heard in this film include Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage and Pete Davidson. This is one of the better Transformers live action films and did well for Paramount at the domestic box office bringing in $157,066,393.00 on a budget of $200 million. Over all if you are a fan of Transformers or Beast Wars, make sure to give this one a watch.
# 2
Willy Wonka is a young man who is a brilliant inventor, magician and chocolate maker who has shown up in city with big dreams of selling his treats to the people to honor his late mother, but he soon finds that the city is corrupted by three candy makers, a police chief who is on the take as he is paid in candy to do their dirty work, a father who runs the church to hide the makers base of operations and even a sleazy motel owner who forces her guests to big contracts in order to trap them there and make them work for her laundry services. But Wonka has big dreams to bring his treats to the people and finds ways to out move and out smart them and with the help of his fellow trapped laundry workers Noodle, plumber Piper Benz, accountant Abacus Crunch, comedian Larry Chucklesworth, tell phone operator Lottie Bell, giraffe Abigail and the Oompa-Loompa named Lofty he does just that as Wonka Chocolate becomes a reality and along the way the candy maker changes the lives of those who helped him for the better. This is a prequel to the 1974 family musical classic “Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory” and for the most part is a fitting film into the legacy as Wonka is silly, there is catchy songs and lots of strange things all around. The film is well casted with Timothee Chalamet playing Will Wonka and other names like Rowan Atkinson, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Grant, Rakhee Thakrar, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas and Olivia Colman making up some of the leads. The humor in the film works on a family entertainment level. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the American box office bringing in $142,762,717 on a budget of $125 million (as of this posting). While its not as magical or special as the first film, it is a fun family musical that I think will find its audience once the internet outrage fades away.
# 1
Mario and Luigi are two brothers who open a plumbing business in Brooklyn, New York who soon find themselves in the sewers trying to stop a massive water main break, but are sucked into a pipe that takes them into a new world, that of The Mushroom Kingdom! While Mario meets Toad and Princess Peach, poor Luigi is taken prisoner by Bowser and his army of troopers as he has captured the power star and wants to force Peach into marrying him and ruling over the Mushroom Kingdom together…and if she says no, then he will use the star and destroy it all! Now Mario along with Princess Peach, silly mushroom man Toad and Donkey Kong must come together to stop Bowser from destroying the world, and The Mario Brothers must also show the world and most importantly their family that they are not screw-ups and are truly the plumbing heroes the world…no the galaxy needs. This is a really fun film that brings the classic Nintendo characters to the big screen once again as their first adventure was way back in 1993 and was live action with this one being animated. The animation in this film is top notch as are all the Easter Eggs that feature other Nintendo owned properties that include Punch-Out and Pro Wrestling to name a few. Plus it was very cool to see Donkey Kong on a XD Screen! Voice actors for this film include Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen and Seth Rogen to name a few. The film did fantastic for Universal at the American box office bringing in $574,934,330.00 on a budget of $100 million. If you enjoy the past, present and future of Super Mario Bros. make sure to give this one a watch as it’s a heck of a fun time.
In 2023 film studios truly delivered a very fun mix bag of films in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres and I will say that I found them all to be very fun in their own ways but really The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the best that those genres had to offer as I really do think it captured the fun nature of the Nintendo game series and it’s box office domestic and worldwide number proves I am not the only one who thought so. Well let’s next take a look at the Super Hero Genre that while did do well also took a beating this year as they seem to be wearing out their welcome at the box office for sure.
# 9
Jamie Reyes returns home after college to find that his family home is up for sale and that his family is poor, but after meeting Jenny Kord, a woman who is on the board of a very rich company, his life is forever changed when by accident he bonds with the Scarab and turns him into superhero the Blue Beetle! But becoming this hero also puts he and his family in danger when Victoria Kord wants the Scarab to help create bio suits to use in wars and sends her bodyguard OMAC to get it back for her. Can the Blue Beetle survive? Will he save his family? Will Victoria get her war machines up and running? Watch this DC Comics based superhero film and find out for yourself. While I did not hate Blue Beetle, the word “generic” just comes to mind as at this point many of these superhero films are just being made paint by numbers style and lack that creative impact that they used to over a decade ago. When seeing this film opening weekend many of the jokes fell flat with the movie goers and many after it was over I could hear say it was boring and just bland…and sadly I agree. The film has a good cast with such names as Xolo Mariduena, George Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Harvey Guillen, Susan Sarandon and Belissa Escobedo to name a few. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $72,488,072.00 on a budget of $125 million. While I am sure this film has its fans and I am glad that there is people who enjoy it…but this one was just way too cheesy and generic for me.
# 8
Aquaman is now not only the King of Atlantis but also a father now as he and Mera have had a son, but the oceans as well as the surface world is in trouble due to pollution that is causing global warming and worse Black Manta as returned and found the Black Trident and is possessed by a former ocean ruler who has frozen in ice by magic and wants to return to not only take over the oceans once more but also destroy Atlantis and go to war with the surface world! Now Aquaman must fight Black Manta and his followers from dooming the world as well as destroying the environment and must get the help of his brother Ocean Master to do so…but can the brothers get along for long enough to be the heroes or will their feud doom us all? This is another very paint by numbers bland superhero film filled with lots of action and epic fights but also the lame humor that James Gunn introduced to the world of superhero films and as always Jason Momoa over acts had hams it up on the screen making for many eye rolling moments. The film is over long and is kind of just very generic over all and once more has a bloated budget that makes you wonder when will Warner Brothers learn. The film also starts Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Nicole Kidman, Randall Park and Temuera Morrison. The film did poorly for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in (as of this posting) $84,670,000 on a $205 million budget. The DCU is getting just as played out as the MCU, and let’s hope that they both cut down on the amount released and make them feel more special for theater goers again.
# 7
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live in the sewer with their father Splinter but want to live among humans and enjoy a normal teenage life, but due to their appearance and a bad experience Splinter had with humans when the turtles were babies, they are forced to live in the shadows. That is until they meet unpopular teenager April O’Neil who they help get her stolen scooter back and they come up with a plane to stop Superfly, a mutated fly who has his own mutant crew that are Mondo Gecko, Bebop, Rocksteady, Leatherhead, Wingnut, Ray Fillet, Scumbug and Genghis Frog! But the will the TMNT stop Superfly once they find out they are sort of all cousins or will they be trapped and captured by TCRI, who is a group that want to create their own mutants? Will April O’Neil over come her nerves for reporting? Will Splinter ever trust humans again? Will Ray Fillet finally be able to sing? All these questions are answered and more in Mutant Mayhem! This is a pretty fun and silly animated film that will surly please viewers of all ages, but I will say that the creative team behind this do make some major changes to characters and their backstories so TMNT classic fans might get a little annoyed. The film is filled with lots of silly comedy as well as some great fights and has the voice acting talents of such actors as Jackie Chan, Maya Rudolph, Ice Cube, John Cena, Seth Rogen, Natasia Demetriou, Paul Rudd, Giancarlo Esposito, Rose Byrne and Post Malone. The film did well for Paramount at the domestic box office bringing in $118,613,586.00 on a budget of $70 million. While I am not so much into animated superhero films, this was an entertaining one and was worth seeing on the big screen.
# 6
The Flash is a member of the Justice League and has been helping Batman with events in Gothom all the while trying to prove that his father was not the one who killed his mother. But when Flash discovers he can run so fast that we can go back in time he comes up with an idea to save his mom, and does so even after being warned by Batman that this could change and destroy everything. Flash does this and ends saving his mom, but also warps the world as he meets a younger version of himself as well as meets a different version of Batman, saves Supergirl but leaves this universe without a way to defeat General Zod and his army as this world is without a Superman! After jumping time over and over to try to fix things the two Flashs are faced with the idea some things just cannot be fixed. Has The Flash doomed a world to be destroyed by Zod or will he find a way to try and set things back to what they are an that means loosing his mother again. This is one of those superhero films that had bad word of mouth mostly due to the behavior of the films star Ezra Miller outside of Hollywood, but while They are scum the film is not as bad as its made out to be. Lots of great cameos from DC Movies of the past and you have to love that Michael Keaton once more plays Batman! The film did poorly for Warner Brothers at the American box office bringing in $108,133,313.00 on a massive budget of $220 million. The film is not groundbreaking but was a fun watch on the big screen and fans of the Zach Snyder Superhero films should give this one a watch. Plus I have to say with this spoiler it was great seeing Christopher Reeve and George Reeves as Superman, Helen Slater as Supergirl and Adam West as Batman again for there brief cameos.
# 5
Gwen Stacy is called to join a group of Spider-Men who are trying to capture baddies that are crossing over into other universes, all thanks to what Miles Morales caused when he saved the world from the Kingpin and created a super villain called The Spot who is causing chaos in order to get the ultimate power and be looked at as a top super villain. When Miles meets back up with Gwen who broke the rules of visiting him, he follows her on her quest to bring down Spot and causes even more bad effects for the different universes even causing some to start to collapse on themselves! And when Miles hears of a big event that is going to be playing out in his universe that effects his father, he knows he can stop this event…but at what cost? This causes him to be tracked down by his fellow Spider-Men in over to try and right all these wrongs Miles has accidentally caused while on a mission himself to also bring an end to Spot. This is a pretty entertaining animated superhero film that explores the different versions of Spider-Man from the different universes and is allowing Miles to find love, have his first mega villain crises and also find out that everything ones does has an outcome that sometimes is not glamorous. The film also features Spider-Man 2099, Scarlet-Spider and even a small cameo from the 1960’s Spider-Man cartoon version. It’s a good film; I am just not into the animated superhero films as much, but I understand that many of you are and that’s cool. The film did well for Columbia Pictures at the American box office bringing in $381,311,319.00 on a budget of $100 million. Check this one out if you enjoyed the first film or just like animated Spider-Man films.
# 4
Dar-Benn is the ruler of the Kree, and she is on a mission to bring their home world back to its glory with the help of a bangle that allows her to open portals that can steal other planets’ resources, and she is targeting planets of people who are loved by Captain Marvel. But something else strange is happening as every time Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and Captain Monica Rambeau use their powers, they switch spots making for lots of chaos as they all try and be the heroes they need to be, and now must work together as a team in order to save the planets and defeat the crazed Dar-Benn for killing millions. They also get help from Nick Fury and must learn to work as a team, find that some heroes have flaws and must also learn how to forgive for past mistakes. Can our heroes The Marvels stop Dar-Benn or are planets doomed to be destroyed? Checkout this superhero film and find out. The Marvels is a mixed bag of humor, drama and action and is over all an ok watch that once more got hit with bad reviews from online “critics” for no reason at all. Is the film the best that the Superhero genre has to offer…no, but was it a fun popcorn movie? Yep. Some of the humor in this film falls flat and at times it suffers the same fate as Blue Beetle of being just kind of generic feeling as to me Dar-Benn might be one of the weakest villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Zawe Ashton, Samuel L. Jackson and Iman Vellani who is Ms. Marvel and truly steals the film away from the other two actresses, but to be honest everyone does a great job in their roles. The film did only ok for Disney at the domestic box office bringing in $84,493,947 on a bloated budget of $270 million, showing that Disney needs to reign in these budgets. Over all if you liked the first Captain Marvel film, enjoyed the Ms. Marvel TV Show or just really like these characters make sure to check it out.
# 3
Ant-Man along with Wasp, Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne and Cassie Long find themselves being sucked into a machine that Cassie created that allowed her to map some of the Quantum Realm and find themselves stuck inside it and worse being hunted down by Kang The Conqueror and his creation, the killing machine known as M.O.D.O.K as Kang wants to return to Earth after being banished in order to conqueror and destroy with his created army in the Realm. And Kang also hates Janet as when she was stuck in the Realm she caused him to not be able to escape by destroying his only way out the Multiversal Power Core. Now Ant-Man finds himself being used as a puppet when Kang forces him to get the Power Core in order to save his daughter’s life…Ant-Man is faced with a hard decision but when his daughter escapes, he and his family are joined by freedom fighters fight against Kang to stop him from time and dimension jumps as well as break his grip on the Quantum Realm. This was a fun Sci-Fi Superhero film that felt like not only did it have elements of typical Marvel Universe films but also a dash of Star Wars with a hint of Tron! I am not sure why this film got so much hate from critics and fans besides the fact it the cool trend to crap on these comics book films now, as I found it to be a fun popcorn film meant to be seen on the big screen! This film did good for Disney at the US box office bringing in $214,504,909.00 on a budget of $200 million. Well worth a watch if you have enjoyed the other two Ant-Man films and want to see Kang The Conqueror be as evil and cold as he should be.
# 2
Billy Batson is about to turn 18 and has a fear that he will be out of the foster system and lose his new family and home. Also, his siblings who all have super powers now seem to want to do things on their own besides doing it as a superhero team, and this is truly bumming him out. But when the three Daughters Of Atlas are able to get their hands on the magical staff, they break the hold on preventing darker magic used on Earth and use their powers to steal the powers back from Batson’s super hero powered family! Now he along with The Wizard (who gave him the powers) must figure out a way to get the staff back and stop these three sisters from destroying our planet as one of the sisters has an idea to turn Earth into their new realm and even brings back monsters and creatures from mythology that are rampaging our streets. And Shazam (Billy) must use all his powers and skills to truly stop the Sisters as well as save mankind from destruction. This was a really fun sequel that was filled with some great action as well as laughs and even brought mythical creatures into the plot, so that was a plus for me seeing minotaurs on the big screen. The film is well casted with Zachary Levi, Grace Caroline Currey, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, Djimon Hounsou and Rachel Zegler making up most of the main cast, and with cameos from Gal Gadoy, Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee this film is stacked with talent. The film did just bad for Warner Brothers at the American box office bringing in $57,638,006.00 on a budget of $125 million, and the film’s poor performance was thanks mostly to online critics, but don’t listen to them and make up your own mind as Shazam 2 was a fun big budget popcorn movie watch.
# 1
The Guardians Of The Galaxy come together when member Rocket Raccoon is dying and his creator The High Evolutionary has placed a self-destruct mechanism in him that will kill him if anyone tries to help him medically, and worse, he wants Rocket back in order to take his brain and use it to help build a new race of animal people. Starlord and the others will not allow their friend to die and set out on a quest to get the code to disarm the mechanism in order to save his life, but along the way they have to fight with High Evolutionary and his army of followers and creations including Adam Warlock. But will they be able to save Rocket? Will the other Guardians fall in battle? And what is their fate as a team after the events of this film? Watch this great third film in the hit series and find out for yourself. This film for now is the swan song for Guardians Of The Galaxy, and James Gunn did a great job of sending them off right, as this film truly shows the love and friendship the characters have for each other and does a great job of making this final all about Rocket and all the terrible things that happened to him. This is one I don’t want to say too much about as I think that its best just watched and seen for yourself, I will warn you there are many of sad moments in this film that have to do with animal cruelty. The film did well for Disney at the domestic box office bringing in $358,995,815.00 on a budget of $250 million making it a hit for the House Of Mouse. If you like the other films in the series of just the films of director James Gunn make sure to give this one a watch as it really was the best Superhero film of 2023.
Like many, I find myself getting a little burnt out by the Super Hero films that have been flooding the cinemas for over the past 10 years as many at this point are all about different dimensions, universes, timelines and so on…but I truly think The Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 is a great film and hands down the best Superhero film of the year. And I know many of you are upset that Spiderverse is not high on my list, and again I have to stress it’s a good movie, I am just not into the animated Superhero Films. Well next is what I consider the Top Draw to get me to the theater and that of course is Horror and ma,n did I see lots of films on the big screen, and I mean a lot! This is truly the genre of film that brings me to the theater every time and with seeing so many this year putting together this list was a little hard as I enjoyed so many of them…but with that, let’s get cozy in our seats and let’s talk Horror!
# 44
Young Kevin and Kaylee wake up to a dark house were strange noises and creepy voice are heard in the darkness, and visions of their mother and father appear as doors, windows, toys and even the toilet seem to disappear. The voice taunts them and tells them to do weird things like look under the bed, go to sleep and even self-harm. Lights go on and off and the youngsters only have flashlights and the glow of the TV that is playing old cartoons. But slowly Kevin finds himself alone in the house looking for help and wanting to find someone to help him out of this nightmarish home of darkness…is this all in the young boys head or are his parents the true monsters? Watch this Experimental Horror film and make up your own mind. This film is not for everyone as it is a very slow burn with lots of white noise and long shots of door frames and Legos mixed with some dialogue, loud noises and cartoons playing and is very much a artsy kind of film that tries to guide the viewer into seeing what they think is truly going on in it. I for one was not a fan as I found it to be kind of bland and not as deep as it was trying to appear to be, and I did not find it that scary and many of the shots linger for way to long and act as filler to pad out the runtime as I feel this would have been better as a short film. The film had a limited release in theaters and did well for IFC at the American box office bringing in $2,052,272.00 on a budget of $15,000.00. This is one that you might want to check out if you think doorframes and flooring are scary. I might try to watch again and see if I like it any better in the future.
# 43
Paul Sturges is a man who works for Nixon Oil who has been sent out to inspect an old oil rig on the Baja Coast to see if it needs to be shutdown, and for this trip he also brings his wife Ines, daughter Audrey and young son Tommy as after they plan to have a fun time in Mexico. But soon Paul and his family find that the oil rig is leaking and most of the crew are gone besides two workers and their pet dog…as you see, that area is now cursed by an Aztec God who protects the land and has set loose The Black Demon, a massive shark that kills anything in its path. With no way off the oil rig and Paul learning that his own employers have sent him there to die, Paul must figure out a way to get his family to safety as well as stop The Black Demon and please the Aztec God by making his wrongs right and making the ultimate sacrifice. This is a pretty fun giant shark film that has a cool setting being in Mexico that sadly just does not have enough of The Black Demon who at times seems like an after thought as the main focus is clearly the damage that mega corporations do to the environment as well as Paul one of the most unlikable “heroes” I have seen in a film for a very long time. The film does have some kills and blood, but it as well is few and far between in the film. The film is well casted with names like Josh Lucas, Fernanda Urrehola, Julio Cesar Ceddillo, Venus Ariel and Jorge A. Jimenez and the music score is well done. The film did ok I would guess for Variance Films at the domestic box office on a very limited releasing bring in a unknown amount on a unknown budget. The Black Demon is not for everyone as it is very much a Horror Film that does not pack a very big bite.
# 42
Jonas Taylor and his crew are searching the ocean not only to discover new species in the trench but are also busting eco terrorist who are polluting the waters, and he is still making time for his step daughter Meiying. But during a dive with his crew and daughter, something goes wrong as they discover a underwater base as well as a illegal metal mining operation that sets off explosions and causes Jonas and the others to have to walk on the ocean floor to enter the base to find shelter as in these waters are all types of man eating creatures and worse of all three Megalodons that are hungry for human flesh! But once Jonas figures a way for them to get back the surface world they must deal with this illegal operation, handle the traitors that work among them, save lives from the approaching Megalodons and a Giant Octopus that was also let loose when the explosion rocked the trench. Can Jonas and his crew beat the odds and save the day…you bet your ass they will…but how they do so I will not say and that means watch this Action based Horror film to find out for yourself. This is yet another letdown in the cinema when it came to giants sharks reeking havoc, as his is another film that at times it seems the sharks take a backseat to the action segments and in fact the whole film really does downplay the Horror aspects. And the action in this one is over the top and super cheesy b-move level stuff. Jason Statham, Cliff Curtis, Shuya Sophia Cai and Page Kennedy return from the first film with names like Jing Wu, Melissanthi Mahut, Skyler Samuels and Sergio Peris-Mencheta being new names to the cast. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $82,600,317.00 on a budget of $129million and did much better at the over seas theaters. While not as good as the original film, it still was a great popcorn movie to watch on the big screen if you like water based action films with just sadly a hint of Horror.
# 41
Edward is a man who is about to be executed in the electric chair for committing six murders, but his last psychiatrist committed suicide and now Dr. James Martin has been called in to give his evaluation if Edward is mentally fit to be executed. James soon finds that Edward is claiming that he is Nefarious, a demon that has taken over his body and caused him to do all the evil things, and worse Nefarious knows all of James secrets and things about his life that he shouldn’t. James now must figure out if Edward really does have a demon inside him, how this killer knows so much about his life and if he is going to sign the papers to end this prisoner’s life. The demon Nefarious soon alerts that he wants for Edward to die and that he wants James to release a book about the demons story to help spread the word of The Devil! In the end James makes his choice and must come to terms with his own faith as well as the fact that a demon has his him in his sights. This is a Christian-based Horror Film that mostly takes place in one setting in the prison and has the two main characters going back and fourth trying to get the one up on the other, and Sean Patrick Flanery is fantastic as Edward/Nefarious as he is able to slip between the two characters with a realistic approach. Other names in the cast include Jordan Belfi, Tom Ohmer and Daniel Martin Berkey being the main characters. The film’s frights come from the words of the demon and this was a slow burn and yet entertaining fright film. The film did well for Soli Deo Gloria Releasing at the American box office bringing in $5,433,685.00 on an unknown budget. The film does have a few preachy moments that tries to push is message, but if you look past it the film is ok and one I would watch again.
# 40
Karen starts her new job as an overnight janitor for a furniture factory. She is also a single mom to a sick little girl and her ex-husband was an abusive a-hole. But as her shift goes on five masked me break into the factory with the goal to kill Karen, they have her locked in, the doors chained and the phone lines cut and now she must fight for her life and survive this horrible night to see her daughter again. Who are these masked intruders? Are they robbers, and if not, who sent them? This is a pretty fun Indie Horror Film that is a cat and mouse game as most of the runtime is spent with Karen one step ahead or almost being caught by the masked attackers, and while the suspense is there it does tend to get a little draggy at times. Actress Natalie Terrazzino plays Karen and is fantastic in her role, and I hope to see her casted in more Horror Films soon. The film has some bloody moments and the end will leave you satisfied. The film had a very limited release and did ok for Welcome Villain bringing in a unknown amount on an unknown budget. This film was a blast to watch on the big screen and while it did drag in a few spots it is one I watched again when released on home media.
# 39
Rom takes his girlfriend Bianca to a place called Strawberry Lodge as he has just published his new book, her birthday was just recent, the pandemic had them cooped up and he wanted to propose to her but gets cold feet. All of their close friends have joined them at the lodge and meet the old lady who owns it that leaves them a bottle of wine before making her exit. The friends are all having a great time together, that is until after they drink the wine left for them, and Rom makes the mistake of talking about the legend of the house that includes witches, fear and suicide. Soon their getaway turns into a nightmare of fear as they start seeing things, hearing things and uncovering things that lead many of them to early graves all because of a coven of a evil witches that have a guardian that needs to feed on some souls. Can Rom and Bianca escape the Lodge with whats left of their friends or will they all be undone by their greatest fears. This was a spooky supernatural witch movie that was set during the pandemic times and plays up on peoples fear of the virus as well as how fear in general can lead to your fate. The movie was well cast, with Annie Ilonzeh, Jessica Allain, Tyler Abron and Ruby Modline all being great in their roles. The film did ok for Hidden Empire Film Group at the American box office bringing in $2,090,261.00 on an unknown budget. While not a groundbreaking film about the concept of neither fear nor a virus crisis, it is one that I enjoyed on the big screen and got on home media when released.
# 38
Nasser is a talented cello player who is trying to get his big break playing as part of a big symphony, and his luck he thinks is turning when he gets himself a new cello from a strange man at a pop-up music shop. The more Nasser plays his new cello, the more strange things happen to his family and friends as his new musical instrument is cursed and forces him to play a requiem that causes rage to those who hear it and with their ears bleeding they will attack and kill those around them. After some of his family and friends die, Nasser and his friends Alia and Omar try and find answers as the cello has taken over Nasser’s mind and life and he is having visions of a twisted conductor named Francesco as well as ghostly evil spirits of the creator of the cello who murdered his family and used their bones and blood to create it. But can Nasser stop playing the cello and the evil requiem that is driving the world mad or will Francesco claim another talent for his growing collection of talent to cause mayhem and death all around…watch and find out. This is a horror film that brings supernatural ghosts into the world of classical music and is about a cursed musical instrument as well as a song that will drive people mad when played. The film has some great moments that plays on tension as well as has some interesting ghosts but does suffer from being way to long as it runs 2hrs and should really only be 1hr 25min max as some spots in this movie drags and bogs down some of the chills. The film also has a pretty downbeat ending and is a modern cursed object kind of film, also its cool that it’s a Saudi Arabia release. The films stars Samer Ismail, Jeremy Irons, Tobin Bell, Elham Ali, Mila Al Zahrani and Souad Abdullah as the leads and all are great in their roles with Elham being the standout. The film had a very limited release in America and did $5,314 internationally on an unknown budget for Rozam Media. If you like music based horror, make sure to check this one out.
# 37
A small village is plagued with black magic as one of their temples has been closed down for many years as it is said to have a curse around it…but it is also said to hide treasure! Komari is a man who many think is dead, who is absorbed into black magic and has taken lives and has ruined many of those around him as well as his own, now wandering the country side on a mission to find the treasure and gain more power he is being hunted down by a police captain, his best friend as well as a rich man and his group that want to find the treasures themselves…in other words, there is lots of drama and evil vibes going around and Komari is at the center of it all. This is the sequel to the indie Bollywood Horror film Maa Oori Polimera and brings more twist and turns to that universe, and the end of this second film leaves you on a cliffhanger and the promise of a third film. The film is filled with lots of flashbacks as well as spooky black magic scares…but I will say that the subtitles on the print I saw at the theater were very bad and at times they would just disappear for long periods of time making it a little confusing at times. The film had a very limited release in America and did an unknown amount on an unknown budget. If you like Bollywood Horror like myself, make sure to check this one out.
# 36
Gabbie and her young son Travis move into an old mansion in New Orleans and soon find that it’s haunted by almost a thousand ghosts that are being ruled over by the Hatbox Ghost who needs to collect one more soul in order to bring his terror to the world. Gabbie calls for help from professionals as she learns that once you enter the mansion, a ghost will haunt you until you return! She calls on tour guide and creator of a ghost camera Ben, Harriet a psychic, Father Kent a priest and lastly Professor Davis who kind of forces his way into helping…but they soon find out that the Hatbox Ghost has many terrible tricks up his sleeve and will not stop until one of them dies! But this group is not ready to give up and teaming with some of the more friendly ghosts in the house, they find ways to bring down the Hatbox Ghost and stop his reign of terror on them all as even the other ghost fear him and others obey him not to get on his bad side. This is a very fun kid friendly haunted house film that is based on the popular Disney ride and is fantastically casted with names like LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Own Wilson, Danny DeVito, Tiffany Haddish and Chase W. Dillion making up the main cast with Jamie Lee Curtis, Winona Ryder, Hasan Minhaj having cameos and Jared Leto plays the Hatbox Ghost. The film is filled with lots of kid friendly scares, some good belly laughs, creepy ghosts and characters that go so well together. The film did poorly for Disney at the domestic box office brining in $67,653,287.00 on a budget of $157.8 million. If you like the ride or just silly spooky ghosts in a haunted house film, make sure to check this one out.
# 35
Renfield is still the familiar for Count Dracula after all these centuries, and he is starting to truly hate his life of eating bugs to gain powers in order to capture humans and bring them to Dracula to feed on. But in these modern times Renfield is picking his victims by attending help groups and bringing him those who are abusive. But things turn sour between the two when Renfield meets officer Rebecca Quincy and saves her from a crime family hit that has been placed on her, and this angers Dracula who now is on a mission to not only take over the world by using this crime family now as his army and helpers…but to also kill everyone that Renfield cares about. Can Renfield and Officer Quincy bring down the crime family and stop Dracula, or will they both suffer a fate worse than death at the hands of the vampire king? Watch this Horror Comedy for yourself and find out. Fist thing I have to say is that director Chris McKay must be taking goofy pills when he tried to claim that this film is a direct sequel to the 1931 Universal Monster classic Dracula that starred Bela Lugosi in the title role, and he even adds moments in Renfield to try and connect the two…and this movie is not even close to being a true sequel as everything about it does not fit the first ones moods and setting unless you think CGI Blood, Shaky Cam Fights Scenes, Character That Act Nothing Like They Did In The Original and Goofy Jokes blend well into your classic Universal Monster Universe. And McKay, we had an official sequel in 1936 with “Dracula’s Daughter,” an underrated classic fright flick. Plus zero explanation on how they both are back alive when we see them die in the original film. With all that said it is a fun watch if you remove the “sequel” aspect as it’s filled with over the top gore, lots of Matrix style fights and has a great cast with Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Jenna Kanell and even Caroline Williams in a cameo role. Plus the idea of Renfield eating a bug and getting superpowers is an interesting and silly concept that just works. The film did poorly for Universal at the U.S box office bringing in $17,152,625.00 on a budget of $65 million. While I do wish that this was more of a straight up Horror Film, if you are in the mood to watch a modern Horror Comedy with a classic Universal Monster give it a watch. I did buy it when it was released on home media.
# 34
Sadie and her younger sister Sawyer lost their mother in a car accident and their father Will, who is a psychiatrist, has not really dealt with the death well himself and has not fully been their for his daughters. And things get worse when a man shows up to their house and ends up killing himself in one of their closets, as the man has been accused of killing his own kids but he claims is was something else, something evil! Now Sadie must protect her sister Sawyer from the monster of the darkness they call The Boogeyman, make her father believe in the monster they see, accept the loss of her mother as well as find a way to kill this monster from your closet and under your bed. This spooky film is based on the short story from Stephen King and is well cast as both Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair steal the film as they come off as real life caring sisters. The Boogeyman is a cool and strange looking creature that delivers a few good jump scares and in a dark theater I could hear people jump several times. The film did well for 20th Century at the domestic box office bringing in $43,244,282.00 on a budget of $35 million. This is a good PG-13 fright flick that I hope someday will be released on physical media so that I can have it in my collection.
# 33
Karen and Lucy work for a ice cream shop and are rude to a Witch who curses Lucy to become a werewolf, and this causes the friends to head to an abandoned Girl Scouts Camp just in case if she turns into a beast at the full moon…but this gets way out of hand and turns crazy as the two friends discover that the curse is real and have run ins with zombies, cult members and even Bigfoot all in order to find themselves and save Lucy from howling at the moon and ripping her friend into pieces as well as break the witch’s curse. This is a silly Horror Comedy that blends together pretty well, and while some of the humor fell flat for me I still found it to be entertaining as the characters are silly and the use of practical effects gives it a nice touch to the classic days of Indie Horror. The film is well casted with such names as VyVy Nguyen, Brooke Markham, Hershel Sparber, Jimmy Bellinger and Erin Daniels all do a great job in their roles. The film had a limited release for Fathom Events and did ok at the domestic box office with unknown profits on an unknown budget. While not the funniest Horror Comedy I have ever seen, it was cool seeing on the big screen at the theater as the film’s editor’s dad was in the audience with us and is one I will get if released on Home Media.
# 32
The Traveler is a man found in a safe house chained to a dead man filled with over 20 immigrants that have all been shot in the head. Once at the police station The Traveler tells four stories to the investigating officers that are horrific and some humorous in nature, but warns them that he needs to be set free as a death demon is coming for him and will kill everyone in its path…and while he is immortal he has to stay ahead of this demon in order to prevent the return of dark times. But can The Travelers stories scare the officers into believing him or will the Death Demon come for them all…watch this Hispanic Horror Anthology Film and find out. This is a mix bagged as some of the segments are good, others are ok and some are boring, but all of them are well shot and acted and the use of practical effects for the monsters and demons is really cool. The switching from straight up Horror to Horror Comedy can be a little jarring at times as it gives it a little of a odd pacing. Very cool that this small independent film got a very limited showing at the theaters and over all was a pretty dang entertaining watch. The film on its limited release brought in $16,288 at the international box office for Iconic Events Releasing. This is one that I look forward to watching again to see if I missed anything hidden.
# 31
In a small town the corn crops are all dying off and leaving the towns people broke, and their only hope is to make a deal with the government to not grow corn any more. And the town’s kids are not happy about this as teenager Boleyn Williams wants to save the corn and soil to help the land as well as the town grow, while young Eden Edwards wants to protect it as she has made a friend with He Who Walks Behind, a creature who has watched after her and even filled her head with bad thoughts. And when the time comes Eden leads all the kids into an uprising as they kill all the adults for their sins against the corn and she introduces them to He Who Walks Behind with plans to lead the youth uprising around the country! The only ones who try and help the adults are Boleyn and her friends who see what Eden is doing is wrong, but can they stop her plans of death and pleasing her monstrous corn friend…or will they end up dead like all the adults who crossed her…watch this reboot to the Children Of The Corn series and find out for yourself. This was a fun “sequel” of sorts that was a very enjoyable watch on the big screen as I think the character Eden Edwards played by actress Kate Moyer is a sinister youngster who is driven by evil and ego. Plus you can never go wrong with a corn monster! The film has some great deaths and it has a good cast with Elena Kampouris, Callan Mulvey and Bruce Spence all having big rolls. The film had a very limited released and did ok for RLJE Films at the American box office bringing in $325,583.00 on a unknown budget. Harshly judged by “fans” and critics this is one that I enjoyed and got on home media when released.
# 30
Grace is an eye doctor who gets the sad news that her brother Michael, a priest, is dead and is believed to be involved in a murder suicide, but Grace don’t think so and travels to the Isle Of Skye to a convent where this took place and soon finds that the nuns are all very odd and The Mother Superior seems to be the one who claims her brother had a demon in him to commit these crimes. But when Father Romero arrives Grace’s life and her own views seem to be twisted as she learns that she herself might be the cause of all this as she grew up with visions, a abusive father and just might possible be a fallen angel and a religious relic. But is Grace good, evil or something in-between? Watch this creepy Religious based Horror Film and find out yourself. One of the several Religious Horror Films release in 2023 and this one was pretty entertaining as I enjoyed the twists and turns the plot took plus it was well casted with Jena Malone being fantastic as Grace and fellow actors Danny Huston, Eilidh Fisher, Thoren Ferguson and Janet Suzman all being fantastic in their roles. The film had a few creepy moments and they did a good job on not relying on jump scares to try and bring the frights. The film did ok for IFC bringing in $538,551.00 at the American box office on an unknown budget. A fun spooky watch at the theater that I enjoyed and one that I got when released on home media for the Horror Film Collection.
# 29
Emily is a collage student who loves animals and adopts a sloth she names Alpha as her sorority mascot and to become more popular among her sorority sisters as she is running for chapter president against the popular Brianna, but things go wrong when Alpha goes crazy and starts killing off all the ladies in the house on by one as she wants to prove that she is the true Queen of the sorority house. This is a very silly Horror Comedy that features a killer sloth that is like an un-killable slasher killer who murders college women in all types of silly ways and even uses a cellphone and drives a car in order to kill her targets! The film is well casted with names like Lisa Ambalavanar, Sydney Craven, Tiff Stevenson, Olivia Rouyre and Milica Vrzic being the standouts. The film is PG-13 and does have some bloody moments and outrageous kills. The film feels like a “Funny Or Die” skit that is stretched out to be a feature length film…but not saying that in a bad way as it is a fun time. The film had a very limited release and did ok for Iconic Events Releasing at the international box office bringing in $122,542on a unknown budget. It’s one I will get on physical media and will watch again.
# 28
Beau is a man that lives in a dangerous part of town who grew up very sheltered by his rich mother who raised him on her own and filled him with so much fear of falling in love, making decisions and even having sex, all making him think that he could die. And after a tragedy Beau must try and make it to his childhood home but along the way he finds many set back as he is hit by a car and has to spend time with a weird family who are almost keeping him prisoner, avoid a crazed army vet who is hunting him down, meets a weird traveling group that put on plays in the woods and even thinks back to the first girl he ever crushed on. But once he finally makes it home, he finds that his anxiety is worse as things about his life, past and even present come to light and Beau finds out the truth of why he has always been afraid to live his own life. And really this is just the best way I can describe this film without spoiling too many of the twists and reveals that are in its three hour runtime! The film has some very dark moments and even has its fair share of death and blood, but the true horror comes from the bad things Beau has to go through to get back home, and all the while he is trying to be mindful and scared to make the wrong choice to lead him there. The film is well cast with Joaquin Phoenix playing Beau and other actors include Parker Posey, Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Bill Hader, Richard Kind and Dennis Menochet to name a few. The film is a strange one and of very entertaining in its own way but sadly it did not do well at the U.S box office for A24 only bringing in $8,176,562.00 on a $35 million budget. This is a film that is not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and is one I got on home media when released.
# 27
A group of evil satanic cultist steal the Shroud of Turin with the purpose to clone the DNA of Jesus Christ to grow a new baby in order for Lucifer to take over its being as the ultimate disrespect to God and a way for him to bring Hell to Earth. The cult is lead by Liz, Dr. Laurent and Beast Of The Ground, all of whom will kill, torture and commit the ultimate crimes again mankind to serve their master’s coming. The only thing standing in their way is The Archangel Michael who has taken over the body of a slain priest and Laura, a kidnaped art student, who is being forced to carry the created child…this is a battle between good and evil and will Lucifer and his army be free from their hellish imprisonment or does God have a different plan in place…watch this Horror Action film and see for yourself. What a fun film that kind of reminds me of the Underworld series with a dash of I, Frankenstein just with a smaller budget and features Lucifer and his minions as the main villains. The film is pretty gory in spots as heads are cut off and faces are split in half with The Beast Of The Ground being a very cool and spooky character. The film did very poorly at the American box office for Third Day Productions bringing in only $765,218.00 on an unknown budget. I want to say that Juliet and I had a fun time watching this one and for some reason I kept thinking that if Fangoria Comics was still around that they would have done a comic book series about this. I bought when it was released on home media.
# 26
Winnie The Pooh, Piglet and the rest of the 100 Acre Wood gang end up turning feral after Christopher Robin grows older and leaves them behind. As Pooh and Piglet grow older, they become more wild and start killing and eating humans that wonder into or around their woods. And even kidnap and torture Christopher Robin when he returns to the woods with his wife that they slaughter in front of him. Time passes and Maria along with her friend’s head to a cabin in those woods to get away from the trauma of a peeping tom stalker who broke into her home, but soon they find themselves being hunted and killed by the unstoppable Pooh and violent Piglet who’s hatred for humans knows no bounds. When Maria finds and frees Christopher, can they survive this blood bath or will they find themselves in the belly of Pooh and be just another meal? Watch this creature feature slasher film and find out for yourself! Once Winnie The Pooh fell into the Public Domain director Rhys Frake-Waterfield jumped on turning the classic character into a horror film killer, and for the most part he pulled it off and made an entertaining film. I think that what makes this one work is that it takes an idea that should be very silly and treats it seriously. The film stars Maria Taylor, Nikolai Leon, Craig David Dowsett, Chris Cordell, Natasha Tosini and Amber Doig-Thorne who steals the film, oh and the creature effects are really cool and most of the gore effects work well. The film did ok for Fathom Events at the US box office on a limited release bringing in $1,750,639.00 on a budget of $100,000. A fun silly slasher that I picked up once released on home media for the Horror collection as it’s a fun one for sure.
# 25
Eric and Andrew with their adopted daughter Wen have rented a cabin in the woods of New Jersey to get away from the stresses of the city, but soon Leonard along with three others show up with crudely made weapons and take the family hostage and alert them that they have four chances to save all the lives on Earth, but the price to save everyone is that the family have to pick one of their own to die and every time they are asked to make the choice and say “no” thousands and thousands of people die in horrific events and disasters including one of the four captures dies by the hands of the others. Now Andrew and Eric must make the choice to believe if these four strangers are just an end of the world cult, if the end times are really upon us and if they should save the world and make the biggest sacrifice by ending one of their loved ones lives to do so. How does this Psychological Horror film end and is the world really ending and if so does this family save everyone…watch it and find out for yourself. This is a very creepy and well made film from director M. Night Shyamalan that is based on the novel “The Cabin At The End Of The World” by Paul G. Tremblay and is perfectly casted with such names as Dave Bautista, Kristen Cui, Ben Aldridge, Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn and Nikki Amuka-Bird making up the main cast. The film does a great job of playing with your mind and building up suspense and making you think what you would do if this horrific situation was asked of you. The film did well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $35,397,980.00 on a budget of $20 million. This is one I got on home media when released as it was one I wanted to watch again.
# 24
Meghna grew up without her mother and was raised by her father who before her 21st birthday hangs himself out of pain as in his diary he tells his daughter that his illness was caused by her mother who poisoned him and left them both in order to become rich with a new husband. And weirdly after her father’s death his heart is missing from his body and this causes Meghna want to find her mother to get revenge for his father’s death as well as her poor childhood. So she travels to see her mother and her new family and along with the sprit of her father and a half dead evil monk they set up everyone for revenge, but soon Meghna finds that her Mother, Sister and Step Father are good people who love her and that maybe her past was not fully true but it is to late to stop it as her younger sister is now possessed by an evil spirit and now Meghna must do everything she can to save her family from the evil she brought down on them. This is a spooky fun Bollywood Horror film that is a mix of the sub genres of Possession and Haunted House films that is mixed with songs and green screen backgrounds. The film has lots of strange characters with the oddest being the half rotting faced monk who is working along side the spirit of the father who self harmed himself to get revenge on his wife that left him. The film stars Avika Gor, Barkha Bisht, Rahul Dev and Avtar Gill and had a limited release in America. This is just one of many Horror Films released in 2023 that features possession, and if you like modern Bollywood Horror films you should check this one out, on a side note when seeing this in the theater Juliet and I were the only ones there and that’s a shame as it would have been cool to have seen it with a crowd. And for those wondering 1920 is a film series in India and this is the fifth film in the series.
# 23
Julia lost her husband in a terrible car wreck, and she is now a single mother who has to move her daughter Amy and son Henry to an old church in Spain that was left to them, but soon a demon posses Henry, and the Vatican takes notice and sends in Father Gabriele Amorth to investigate and perform an exorcist if necessary. Once there he finds that this old time church is a true place of evil and that Henry’s life and soul are truly in danger as the demon has his sites on the ultimate prize and that is to posses Gabriele and cause evil to spread in the church by spreading wild theories. But Father Gabriele along with Spanish Father Esquibel have strong faith and with the backing and blessing of The Pope himself go to war with this powerful demon to stop it’s evil quest as well as truly come face to face with their own sins, will good beat out evil…well if you now the story of the real Gabriele Amorth you know the answer. This was a truly enjoyable possession film that had some great creepy moments that was highlighted by the cursed church setting. Russell Crowe is fantastic as Father Gabriele and names like Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Laurel Marsden, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney and Franco Nero make up the main cast and are all great in their roles. The film also has some bloody moments as in one scene a woman explodes! The film did well for Sony at the American box office bringing in $20,002,746.00 on a budget of $18 million. Very enjoyable exorcist film that I got on home media when released and is one I hope sparks a franchises as this could be Sony’s Conjuring films if they play their cards right. And yes, this is one that I bought on home media when released.
# 22
James Foster is a writer whose first book was six years ago and after some bad reviews he has gotten writers block and is looking for inspiration to start his next, and his wife Em is trying her best to help him. But while at a resort, they meet Gabi and Alban a couple who are fans of James and who take the couple out for a fun time, but after James is driving drunk and kills a farmer his life is turned upside down as he is rich enough to escape punishment for his crime in this resort city, but he must watch a perfect clone of himself die for the crime…and this starts his life spiraling out of control as he gets mixed up with Gabi and Alban’s plus their friends who have all watched themselves die and are running wild on this resort island as they have the money to get out of paying for their horrific crimes. With his wife mad at him and his new friends mocking him and getting him in to very bad things what is James to do to survive this resort nightmare or will he give into the thrill of watching himself die over and over for the bad things he does. Watch this twisted Brandon Cronenberg Horror Mystery Film for yourself and find out. This film is very well casted with names like Alexander Skarsgard, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman and John Ralston to name a few all playing big roles and as always Mia Goth is beautiful and steals the film as she is just a fantastic actress. The film has some bloody moments and a thought provoking plot that will please indie Horror Fans. The film did pretty well for Neon at the US box office brining in $5,078,400.00 on an unknown budget. Worth a watch for sure and one I bought when released on home media.
# 21
When a drug delivery goes wrong and millions of dollars worth of cocaine is dropped out of a plane into the woods of Georgia, a drug dealer sends his son and right hand man to retrieve it, but also on their way to those woods is a local detective trying to bust the dealers, a mom looking for her daughter and her best friend that skipped school, three punk teenagers who like to rob hikers as well as a forest ranger along with an animal rights activist…but unknown to all of them is that a 500 pound black bear has eaten lots of the cocaine and is now super high and on a bloody rampage killing anyone in it’s way in its quest to find more drugs! Can the mother find the kids, will the drug dealers find what is left of his inventory or will Cocaine Bear slaughter them all searching for it’s next high? Watch this fun Horror Comedy loosely based on a true story to find out for yourself. What a fun bloody good time this was, as animal attack Horror has been slacking on the big screen and this one delivered as Cocaine Bear is a violent and sometimes silly creature who can not get enough of the drug and when it kills, it slaughters. The film is well casted with names like Keri Russell, Ray Liotta, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Brooklynn Prince, Christian Convery and Isiah Whitlock Jr. and many others all being perfect in their roles. The film did well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $64,388,510.00 on a budget of $35 million, showing that Universal has been doing Horror right for the past few years. This one is a must see for fans of Horror Comedy and is one I got on home media when released.
# 20
The demon Valak has returned and is killing religious workers at churches across Europe on its quest to find a relic, and this leads to a small French boarding school that hides the item it seeks. Meanwhile the church has sent out Sister Irene who is joined by Sister Debra as they travel around to the rash of bizzare deaths, and this leads them as well to the school. In the end it’s a showdown between good and evil, as Irene once more must face the terror of The Nun and try to send it back to Hell once and for all. The newest film in the Conjuring universe delivers some great jump scares as well as a new demon that joins Valak in scaring the heck out of the kids at the school, but it also has some truly head scratching moments mostly with characters that have no real reason as well as I was not to keen on how Valak was defeated this time around. The plot is good and will remind you of so many other demonic possession films you have watched in the past giving it that classic feel. The film is well acted and casted with such names as Taissa Farmiga, Storm Reid, Jonas Bioquet, Bonnie Aarons, Katelyn Rose Downey and Anna Popplewell making up the main cast with Farmiga, Aarons and Jonas all returning from the first film. The film did well for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $86,255,396.00 on a budget of around $40million. While this second film was not as good or creepy as the first film, it still was a bloody good watch on the big screen.
# 19
Josh Lambert is having bad memory issues as the past events of being in The Further and dealing with the lost souls within it have been blocked from his mind, and the same goes for Dalton, his now college-aged son. And all this stress and lack of memory has also taken a toll on Josh’s family as he is separated from his wife and only gets to spend little time with his kids. But when both Josh and Dalton start to slightly remember, the door to The Further is open and The Lipstick-Face Demon along with other lost souls are now looking to be freed and the demon has set his sites on possessing Dalton. And its up to Josh to remember his past and travel back into The Further in order to save his sons soul, close the Red Door for good as well as learn to let go of his own past and forgive. This fifth film in the Insidious series is a little of a slow burn that packs a few jump scares as well as brings back The Lipstick-Face Demon in one more attempt to ruin the Lambert family. The film’s characters mix really well as they come off as a dysfunctional family hiding secrets that are trying to work it all out. The film stars Patrick Wilson (who also directed), Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Sinclair Daniel and Joseph Bishara in the main roles and all do a great job. The film has some great scared mixed with family drama and even a dash of humor and makes for another great sequel in the Insidious franchise. The film did good for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $82,156,962.00 on a budget of $16 million. If you enjoy the Insidious films this fifth film is one you will want to see and is one I got on home media when released.
# 18
It’s the last day of camp for the kids and staff of Briarbrook as the fun days of summer are coming to an end Peter, the grandson of the camp’s owner and son of the camps head counselor throws a party with the staff, and they try to raise the dead as they prick their fingers and draw blood for Nurse Agatha, a nurse who was said to have been banned from the camp as she had cruel ways of “treating” and “curing” patients including blood letting and her own blend of medicines. It is said that she tripped and fell in the woods hitting her head on a rock and bleeding to death after she was chased away from camp. But what was a harmless campfire tale comes true as Nurse Agatha has returned and has gotten the kids under a spell and all those who pricked their fingers have been marked for brutal deaths, but soon Peter finds out there is way more to this legend and his family bloodline is connected to her dark past, can they survive camp or will the lake fill with the blood of these councilors…watch and find out. This is a horror film with a dash of comedy that pays tribute to the slasher films in the 80’s that took place in summer camps. The film is well casted with such names as Cara Buono, William Sadler, Spencer List, Clare Foley, Adam Weppler and Ehad Berisha make up most of the main cast and are great in their roles with Adam Weppler’s character Dylan being such a jerk that you have to laugh. The film has some pretty fun kills and the killer Nurse Agatha is spooky looking and if Fangoria still was making comics I would have loved to seen them do a comic series based on this film! The film had a limited release and did ok for Blue Finch Films at the US box office bringing in unknown profits on an unknown budget. A fun summer camp horror film that was worth a pick up on home media when released.
# 17
A group of old college friends get together for their reunion and to celebrate Juneteenth at a cabin in the woods, but what is supposed to be a fun time of talking, drinking and catching up soon turns into a nightmare after they find a board game called “The Blackening” and make the mistake of starting to play it as when they do a masked killer with a crossbow appears and their choices in the game are a matter of life or death! This game of survival will test their friendships as well as survival skills as the killer makes them play his twisted game and the wrong answers will equal an untimely death, can this group of friends survive? Check out this Horror Comedy and find out for yourself! This is a fun slasher film that is wrapped with humor and is very entertaining as I found all the friend characters to be likable and charming in their own ways. The film has its fair share of crossbow kills and even has a scene of splatter that is done with humor. The film starts names like Grace Byers, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Antoinette Robertson, X Mayo and Dewayne Perkins to name a few and all are great in their roles. The film did well for Lionsgate at the domestic box office bringing in $17,707,207.00 on a budget of only $5 million. Worth a watch for fans who like Horror Comedies and one I got on home media when released.
# 16
A small village in India is being plagued by killings of couples that are committing affairs and the deaths are framed to look like suicides, but the local SI knows that these deaths are not what they seem as they all take place after someone has written about the affairs on the city walls for everyone to see. And while the townspeople are gossiping and pointing fingers out of fear, a masked figure is stalking the woods and his motives is unknown and when the towns doctor sees the ghost of a woman shunned by the village who committed suicide in a well the mystery of who is doing the killing and their motives thickens as the SI must stop these killings masked as suicides and bring the killer or killers to justice. This is a really great Bollywood Horror Films that has lots of twists and turns and even has a few elements of Phantom Of The Opera and Saw thrown in to keep it spooky. As the plot unfolds more and more is explained and the view of the killers is shown more clearly and to be honest you find yourself cheering for them. The film also deals with some social issues really well like women’s rights, the power of those in charge and even dealing with lost love. The film is a blend of Thriller, Slasher and Supernatural and of course done in the style that India has for these types of Horror Films. The film is well casted with such names as Payal Rajput, Nandita Swetha, Divya Pillai, Ravindra Vijay and Priyadarshi Pulikonda making up the lead roles. The film had a limited showing in theaters and did well for Flyhigh at the box office. If you enjoy Bollywood Horror like I do make sure to check out Mangalavaaram as it’s a well made fright flick that starts off slow but builds to a great ending.
# 15
Marty is a man down on his luck as his stepfather thinks he is a loser, he works hard at a fast food burger restaurant and gets no respect and all he has in the world is his Battle Cats toy collection and the want to win a contest that will have his stay at the Satanic magicians Bartok The Great’s mansion to summon an ancient demon and be granted eternal life….and he wins as he is the virgin the ritual needs! Calling himself Onyx The Fortuitous, he meets the four other contest winners and finally has found the friends he has been looking for, but soon this fun time at the mansion turns sinister when he discovers their host Bartok and his female demon Farrah are going to kill them all to rise the demon and turn them all into mindless ghouls! Can Onyx be the true chosen one to save the day or will this burger flipper fumble and cause the end of the world as we know it…watch this silly Horror Comedy and find out for yourself. This was surprisingly good and while a little to long it offered some great laughs and characters that were likeable even if Onyx is one strange guy. The film uses practical effects to showcase ghouls and demons and they look good and remind me of stuff you would have seen in the 80’s. The film also bring actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton back together and other actors include Andrew Bowser, Terrence Carson, Rivkah Reyes, Melanie Chandra, Arden Myrin and Olivia Taylor Dudley as the demon Farrah who is just stunning in the film. The film was released limited by Fathom Events and did ok for them at the domestic box office bringing in $182,021.00 on an unknown budget. While the films scares are played more for laughs, this was a fun one that I will own once released on home media.
# 14
Sam and her family come from India to live in America and as she starts becoming a teenager, she starts want to fit in more with her fellow classmates and even drifts away from her childhood friend Tamira who is acting very strange caring around a jar creeping people out and looking like she has not slept for days, but when Sam out of frustration with his former friend’s oddness breaks the jar, she unknowingly unleashes a demon called a Pishach that is now on the loose and has taking Tamira and hidden her away in order to feed on her soul for seven days before finally ending her life, and now Sam must try to rescue her past friend as well as avoid this demon who has now set its twisted sites on her and is attacking those she seeks help from…will Sam be able to save her friend as well as her own life watch this fun demonic creature feature and find out for yourself. What a surprise this film was as it was such a great watch and felt like a Bollywood Horror film with an American touch that was only missing the musical numbers as it dealt with a demonic entity from Hindu lore. The Pishach is a cool and interesting creature, delivered some good scares and the film makes great use of its score music as well as the use of the fall season and rainstorms. The film is well casted with such names as Neeru Bajwa, Megan Suri, Mohana Krishnan, Betty Gabriel, Vik Sahay and Gage Marsh all being great in their roles. The film did pretty well for Neon at the domestic box office bringing in $4,675,092.00 on an unknown budget. This is one I enjoyed very much and bought once released on home media.
# 13
Angela and Katherine are friends who one day after school head into the woods to hold a ritual so that Angela can speak to her mother that passed away when she was born, but instead they invoke a demon who takes over their bodies and causes them to go missing for three days. Once the girls are found they remember nothing and once home the demon comes out to play causing them to harm themselves as well as others their parents come together along side friends, religious figures and even Chris MacNeil who’s daughter Regan was possessed…can they truly exorcise this demon and save the young girls or will their souls be damned to Hell…watch this sixth film in The Exorcist series and find out for yourself. This is another case of a film getting lots of hate for no reason and so many moviegoers listening to crap sites like Rotten Tomatoes and online “Reviewers” and not giving it a chance. The film is well acted and has some great creepy moments and has some great atmosphere as well. The films cast includes Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum as well as returning to the series Ellen Burtyn &Linda Blair! The film did just ok for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $65,537,395.00 on a budget of $30million. While I understand its not as great as the original film, it was a good sequel that in my opinion did the series justice.
# 12
All the churches are closed and people are being possessed and if they are killed by gunshot or not by what is called a cleaner, dark times will fall all around the people who are near and that includes possession and death of their loves ones…it will spread like a sickness. And when two brothers make the mistake of helping a neighboring farmer dispose of a young man who is swelled up with infection and is possessed and by doing so they have infected their town. As the sickness spreads and the children become demonic and adults turn into cannibalistic killers, the two brothers must do what they can to survive and try and save as many of their family and friends as they can, but can they stop the possession sickness or is the world doomed? Watch this creepy film and find out for yourself! This is another possession film released to theaters in 2023 and this one is made in Argentina and really brings a creepy atmosphere as well as a mood that is filled with dread as we watch people die all around and the end of society breaking down before our eyes. There are some pretty gruesome deaths as well as gross moments that can turn your stomach if you are grossed out by infections and puss. The film stars such actors as Ezequiel Rodriguez, Demian Salomon, Luis Ziembrowski and Silvia Sabater and all do great in their parts, but I will say the character Pedro makes many decisions in the film that will make you scream at the screen about how dumb he is! The film had a very small limited release but did do well for IFC Films at the domestic box office bringing in $546,626.00 on an unknown budget. This is one of the better possession films released this year and one I bought on home media when released.
# 11
The town of Plymouth, Massachusetts was shaken by a Black Friday sale on Thanksgiving that left many people dead as shoppers rioted and caused mass amounts of death and injures. A year later, Jessica and her friends who were at the riots (as she is the daughter of the store owner) find themselves as well as others at the store during this horrific time on the hit list of a mask wearing killer who is calling himself John Carver who has a score to settle with them all, and is using social media to taunt them all as he deals out death in bloody ways. And when John Carver captures Jessica as well as her family and friends will they become Thanksgiving dinner & entertainment or will she be able to survive and stop this mad man and find out his true motives? This is a fun Holiday slasher film that was created by Eli Roth who made a fake trailer for this film back in 2007 for the film Grindhouse and in 2023 finally made the film into a feature. The film has some great gory kills with good effects and I liked the masked killer John Carver even if I was not a fan of who he turns out to be in the end. The film also has a great cast with such names as Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Gabriel Davenport and Addison Rae making up some of the lead rolls. The film did well for TriStar Pictures at the domestic box office bringing in a total of $31,806,973 on a budget of $15million. This is a fun spooky film that I will watch from time to time on Thanksgiving and is one I will get once on DVD or Blu-Ray.
# 10
Mike is a young man who is raising his younger sister Abby after both of there parents passed away, and worse Mike is plagued with nightmares of the day his younger brother was kidnapped while the family was camping. Mike has a hard time keeping a job and ends up taking one being a nighttime security officer at a rundown pizza restaurant called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza that has been closed for decades after it was connected to a rash of missing kids. And soon he finds that the animatronics are alive and want to friend and then turn his young sister into one of them and just maybe this pizza place has a connection to his missing brother and when he meets Vanessa, the police officer that has the restaurant on her beat, they must find a way to stop Freddy Fazbear and his animatronic gang as well as the evil man that is controlling them in order to save young Abby’s life and soul. This PG-13 Horror Film is based on the super popular video game series and was a great watch on the big screen as many of the fellow moviegoers even came dressed up as characters from the games adding to the fun nature of the film. This fright flick is packed with some cool scares, cool animatronic monsters and even some truly depressing moments dealing with missing kids and homicides. The film stars such actors as Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson and Kat Conner Sterling make up the main cast and all do a great job in their roles. The film did great for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $137,275,620.00 on a budget of $20 million. It was a great watch on the big screen for the Halloween season and is one I bought on home media when it was released. I also have to say this is a perfect film to show younger Horror Fans as it has just the right amount of scares and atmosphere to frighten the younger viewers.
# 9
Winnie Carruthers lives in Angel Falls with her parents and brother and a masked serial killer is on the loose and killing one of Winnie’s friends at a Christmas Eve party and attempting to kill her as well as her brother, but she turns the table and is able to kill the killer who turns out to be the towns Mayor Henry Waters. A year passes and Winnie has not dealt well with the death of her friend as well as killing a man, and when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her with her friend, she wishes she was never born…and she gets her wish! Now in Angel Falls no one knows her and the killer has been on the loose the whole time as she never killed him and even now has killed her brother causing the whole town to live in fear, and now along with a young woman that the town named Weirdo she must bring down the Mayor again to stop the killings and just possibly return to have been born again. But soon Winnie finds that her being in this alternate Angel Falls might not just be to teach her a lesson but to also maybe make some major changes in another’s life. This is a fun Christmas slasher horror film that does a great job of making a more twisted version of the holiday classic “It’s A Wonderful Life” the killer when masked is really cool looking and the scares are even mixed with a good dash of humor that really works. The film is well casted and everyone does a fantastic job in their roles and actors in the cast include Jane Widdop, Jess McLeod, Justin Long, Katharine Isabelle, Joel McHale and Cassandra Naud to name a few. The film had a very limited release in theaters and did pretty good for RLJE Films at the domestic box office bringing in $811,818.00 on a unknown budget. This was a really fun Holiday Slasher Film and is one I would say you should checkout and is one I bought when released on Home Media.
# 8
John Kramer is dying from brain cancer and travels to Mexico in order to get treated by a doctor and her experimental treatment that is said to cure people up to 90% of the time, but when John pays them a ton of money, he soon finds out that he has been ripped off and is still dying in months from his cancer and this causes him to call on his assistants Amanda Young and Detective Hoffman to help him track down and capture the con artists and make them face his traps to try and help them change their ways or end their lives by their own hands. The 10th Saw film was truly a great trip in nostalgia as not only was it great seeing John, Hoffman and Amanda return but also all the bloody and gory traps that we all love from this series. This film also takes place in the early timeline of the series more important right after the second film. The film stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Costas Mandylor, Synnove Mecody Lund, Renata Vaca and Steven Brand. The film did well for Lions Gate at the domestic box office bringing in $53,607,898.00 on a budget of $13 million showing that this series still has some life in it. If you are a fan of Saw, make sure to check this one out if you have not, plus this is one I bought on home media when released.
# 7
Jessica Loren is a second-generation police officer who is fallowing in her fathers footsteps, as he was a hero who saved three woman from being killed by a demonic cult…but also snapped and killed some of his fellow officers before turning the gun on himself. And for her first night on duty she volunteered to spend it at the old station that this massacre took place in and will be there alone until morning. But she soon finds that she is not truly alone, as a homeless man appears who is rambling about his missing daughter, a beat up street walker who witnessed a cult member mass suicide and even a massive pig is in the station…and worse of all Jessica is getting phone calls from cult members who have re-kidnapped the three girls that were slated to be slaughtered and something evil is truly in this rundown police station, as the undead Cult Leader and is deceased followers are back and need to feed The Lower God souls! Will Jessica survive this last shift? Will she find out why her father committed this massacre? And are these Cultist real or just in her head? Watch this creepy reimagining/remake of the 2014 fright flick “The Last Shift” and find out for yourself. This is a very creepy film that is set in a rundown police station that uses jump scares and unsettling images and plots to make the view uneasy, and that is what makes it feel even different from the film is a remake of making it truly feel like its own story of a cult of demon worshipers. The films effects, score and acting are really good with names like Jessica Sula, Clarke Wolfe, Morgan Lennon, Kevin Wayne and Chaney Morrow all being fantastic in their roles. The film did ok for Welcome Villain in the U.S. on a limited release bringing in $221,738.00 on an unknown budget. If you enjoy your horror movies with demons and cults this one is for you, also bought when released on home media.
# 6
Captain Elliot and his crew have been hired to deliver cargo to England and even have to hire extra hands for the ship and that includes Clemens, a Black doctor who is a good hand and who also just wants to get home. But while at sea, things turn really bad for the crew when one of the cargo boxes they were hired to transport busts open and inside is dirt and a young woman who is barely alive and covered by bite marks and must survive by blood transfusions, their pet dog and all the live stock on board are killed with the same bite marks and worse something seems to be killing the crew one by one. When they find out that the vampire Dracula is on the ship those who are remaining must come up with a plan to survive as well as stop him from reaching England…but can they do so or will this truly be the last voyage for the ship the Demeter…watch this amazing Universal Monster movie and find out. This film proves that classic monsters can still be scary and that Dracula is truly a timeless character that can bring the terror to the big screen. The film is well casted with names like Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian and Javier Botet as Dracula. The film also uses practical effects in much of the film given Dracula and the gore that real feel, something lacking in many modern Horror Films. The film very poorly for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $13,637,189.00 on a budget of only $45 million. This is another film like Invisible Man (2018) that I hope proves to Universal that the classic monsters are still scary and we don’t need huge budget action of comedy films based around them. This is one I bought of course when released on home media and say that if you like classic Horror and have not seen this, you should.
# 5
Gemma is a single woman who works for a toy company creating robotic toys that innovate the market, but after an accident she becomes the caregiver for her niece Cady when her parents die. To deal with the lose Gemma introduces Cady to M3gan, a specialized robotic doll that links up and bonds with her and things are going great even though Cady is becoming too attached to her new robotic friend. But things soon turn deadly as M3gan will do what ever it takes to keep Cady from emotional or physical harm and that includes even killing! Can Gemma break this bond this robotic terror has with her niece and stop her killing rampage…or is Cady’s feature set with M3gan being her friend and support…watch this twisted fun film from the mind of James Wan to find out. This was such a fun and great way to kick off the first Horror Film in theater in 2023 as the film has some great creepy moments, is pretty bloody for a PG-13 film and M3GAN is a great new Horror character that I hope sparks many sequels to come. The film did really well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $95,043,350.00 on a budget of only $12 million. This is a great film and is one that I bought when released on home media and if you have not seen it and like killer doll films like Child’s Play and Dolly Dreariest make sure to check this one out.
# 4
Mia is a young woman who is going through lots of stress and sadness after her mother’s suicide two years ago and her strained relationship with her father. She has been staying with her friend Jade’s family that includes mother Sue and younger brother Riley, and one night the three youths go to a strange party hosted by Joss and Hayley as they have a strange severed hand statue that if you hold and say the words “Talk To Me” you see a dead spirit and if you say “I Let You In” the spirit will take over your body, and the party hosts would allow this for only 90 seconds and then remove the hand from your grasp and blow out a candle to break the connection. But things get really bad when Mia and Jade host a small gathering to mess with the hand and Riley stays under the possession for longer than 2 minutes when Mia thanks the spirit inside him was her mother, and this causes Riley to violently attack himself and be near death in the hospital! Mia is blamed for this horrific event as she kept the connection from being broken and now she becomes obsessed with the hand, wanting to save Riley who has a spirit stuck inside him as well as battle all the visions she is seeing of the lost souls that are trying to drag her down. Can Mia save her friends brother and herself or is all hope lost when she messed with things she should not have, watch this spooky A24 Horror Film and find out for your self! This is a delightfully creepy film that does a great job of building the mood, making you like the characters and delivering scares that are not just from loud noises or jump scares. The effects for the lost spirits is really great as is the “gore” effects and its really well casted with such names as Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes and Chris Alosio making up the main cast. The film did really well for A24 at the domestic box office brining in $48,299,436.00 on a budget of around $4.5 million, once more showing Horror is a hit on the big screen. This is one I got once released on home media.
# 3
The Carpenter sisters Sam and Tara along with their friends and siblings Mindy and Chad have moved away from Woodsboro and to New York to start a new life after being attacked by Ghostface a few years back, but things are not great as Sam is being accused of doing the killing and framing her Ex-Boyfriend by conspiracy theorists while Tara herself is just refusing to deal with it at all. But the Big Apple turns out to not be so safe as a new Ghostface killer is after the sisters and their friends, and this one is more brutal and mean with his kills, and coming along to help them survive is Gail Weathers as well as Kirby Reed (Scream 4) who is now working for the FBI and a cop whose daughter was killed by this slasher! Can the sisters and their allies survive New York? Who is the new Ghostface and why are they doing all this? Watch this sixth film in the Scream series and find out for yourself. This is a really great sequel that does a great job of bringing in all the cannon from the past films into this new storyline that has you always wondering what is next and who is going to die next! This film is well cast with returning names like Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Hayden Panettiere returns to the franchise as fan favorite Kirby Reed, with new names like Dermot Mulroney, Liana Liberato, Jack Champion, Josh Segarra and Devyn Nekoda being added into the mix. The film has some bloody kills and lots of chills and spills and makes me really look forward to Scream 7! The film did great for Paramount at the American box office bringing in $108,161,389.00 on a budget of $35 million. Scream 6 proves that sequels to old franchises still have lots of legs and are the way to go over reboots and remakes. It’s one I bought on home media when released.
# 2
Shikishima was a kamikaze pilot during World War II who ended up faking plan issues in order to not fulfill his mission, but while on an island for his plane to be inspected, he witnesses Godzilla arrive and kill most of the mechanics with only he and a man named Tachibana being the only survivors. Once home he learns that his parents have been killed and his life is in ruin as he his plagued with terrible nightmares. But his life starts to change when he meets Noriko, a young woman who is watching over Akkio, an orphaned baby, as they come and stay with him, he also builds up a friendship with his neighbor Sumiko as well as his coworkers Sosaku, Shiro and Yoji all who work together to destroy left behind mines in the waters from the war. Soon Shikishima and his friends must come together along with other former military workers and come up with a way to stop Godzilla once and for all as the giant monster is destroying Tokyo, but will Shikishima find his inner strength or will he allow his past fears and the war haunt him to an early grave? Watch this amazing film in the long running Godzilla series and find out yourself. Toho has done it again as this is a very entertaining film that brings Godzilla back to his Horror roots as well as tells a great human story of the trauma of war and its effects on those who survive it…and that’s the main thing here I found myself invested in Shikishima and his friends as they are all great characters who you root for. And when Godzilla appears, fans of Kaiju cinema will be happy as he stomps around and causes total destruction. The film is well casted with such actors as Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka and Kuranosuke Sasaki making up the main cast. The film did well for Toho at the American box office bringing in $45,671,401 on a budget of around $15million. If you love Godzilla films like I do, make sure to check this one out as it’s a great war drama as well as a giant monster on a rampage film. I bought it when released on home media.
# 1
Ellie is a newly single mother who lives in a high-rise apartment building who gets a visit from her sister Beth who works in the music industry and has just found out she is pregnant and wants to be around her sister, but after an earthquake, Dani, one of the kids, finds some old records and the book of the dead and foolishly takes them home and plays the record freeing the demons and causing his mom to become possessed and for the buildings power to be cut, the elevator to be messed up and for the stairs to collapse causing them to be trapped on their floor with a demon who wants to not only swallow their souls but also posses them adding to the demonic deadite army. Can Beth save not only herself but also the lives of her nephew, nieces and her unborn child or will they all be dead by dawn. Watch this fifth film in the Evil Dead series and find out for yourself. This is a bloody, gross and wicked good watch with likeable characters and a creepy setting that will remind you classic 80’s Horror fans of the film Demons 2…just with less monsters running around. And the film is also packed with some great kills and gruesome deaths from scalps being ripped off to shotgun blasted body parts, making it fit right in for those who like their gore in the Evil Dead films. The actresses Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland are fantastic as sisters Beth an Ellie and Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols and Nell Fisher are great in their parts of playing the kids. The film did good for New Line Cinema at the American box office bringing in $67,233,054.00 on a budget of $15 million. This was a fantastic sequel in the Evil Dead series and is one I will watch again and bought on home media when released.
This year was really hard for me to rate the Horror Films I saw in theater as so many of them were really great films, and I am not going to lie, I spent many sleepless nights going over this list and changing spots….plus Godzilla Minus One almost pushed Evil Dead Rise out of the # 1 spot and I am sure depending on the day for me would do so! I love that there was a big boom of Horror Films in the theater in 2023, and I hope that 2024 follows as they truly are my favorite genre of film to see in theater and watch in general. And I have to stress this is only my opinion of what was the best films of 2023 in theater and I am sure much of my rankings are different from yours, and I am sure some are the same but that is what is great about cinema, we all have our different likes and none of us are wrong for what our favorites are. Also please never base the movies you watch on their ratings on such sites as Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, Letterbox, Amazon or any other review or critic site that has a YouTube Channel or a blog as truly you should base it on your own opinion. Well 2024 is here, and the next update will be a sad one as we have reached the end of the Star Trek films featuring the original cast as we will be talking about Star Trek Generations and the DC Comics adaptation of the film! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local movie theaters. See you next update for one last space adventure with Captain Kirk!
