Scary Stories (from a Dark Allie)

I liked this movie more than I expected. Turns out I really like Zach Gilford in scary things! I also like Amanda Crew, and while I don’t think I’ve seen either Alisha Wainwright or Carlos Santos in much before, I liked them both here. And the kids…well, there was definitely something wrong with them, but not with their performances.

I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve mentioned and appreciated some understated opening credits, but that’s what immediately struck me about this movie. I liked the tense opening music and the old-school style font! I was also a little surprised to see Drew Barrymore’s name in the opening as an executive producer! So this movie got off to a good start.

I don’t think I like this movie as much as Midsommar, but I still like it quite a bit. So it’s maybe a low four stars for me. It definitely feels as long as it is, but there’s a LOT packed into those two hours.

So, this movie is not without its problems, but…I liked it a surprising amount. I thought Ashley Benson did a great job as Emma, who goes through most of this film unaware of what’s happening around her (while the audience is placed in a voyeuristic position). And the more you see of her just going about her normal days…honestly, the scarier the film gets.

So, Alien: Romulus is coming out in theaters next month, which means it’ll probably be another couple of months until I get around to watching it at home, but I am excited for it! So I’m (re)watching this in anticipation, and because it wasn’t yet released in 2016.

I really wanted to like this one. I’d never seen it before, but I love John Carpenter and I like a lot of cult-favorite films! But I didn’t really like this one.

So…I thought this would be a better movie than it was. As a thriller, it’s a two-star film. As a mystery and drama, maybe I could give it an extra star, but it’s not very thrilling, and as a “scary story” it’s barely two stars.

I swear when I first saw this movie I liked it much better. Maybe I was just feeling more generous. It was a little hard to get through this time…but I think the story is interesting enough that it earns three stars instead of two. It’s close, though.

I went into this not knowing anything about it except the short blurb, and not really knowing what to expect. And I liked it!

So…I’ve seen this movie now. It seems like a lot of people really like it. I…well, I watched the shit out of it.

I have never SO BADLY wanted a franchise to be good and done with forever as much as this one. Not because this was a bad movie, but because it was a good one. Please, let it end on a good note.

Ugh, honestly, has there been any franchise I like more than Insidious? I have not rated an Insidious movie less than 4 stars yet, and this one isn’t the one to change that. I guess we’ll see how tomorrow’s movie does, but for now, I just…clearly I love this series.

So I originally watched this last week, because it shows up on a bunch of lists for “best scary movies set on the 4th of July,” but…this movie is NOT set on the 4th of July. Who wears winter coats and hats in July in Philadelphia? No no, this film takes place on and around “Liberty Day”…but given the climax with the big parade with fireworks and Uncle Sam and ALLLLLLL the red, white, and blue throughout the movie, I can definitely see why it’s on a lot of lists. Even if they’re wrong.