Change Your Image
paul_haakonsen
I am a big fan of Asian cinema in particular, and I am quite fond of especially South Korean and Hong Kong movies.
My favorite genre is, and always have been, horror, with a preference to anything with zombies in it.
I believe that every movie should be given the chance of being seen - a belief that has lead me to watch many a questionable movies.
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
The Secret Gift of Christmas (2023)
Enjoyable Christmas sap...
Needless to say that I had, of course, never heard about this 2023 Christmas movie from director Christie Will Wolf before now in 2024 as part of sitting through an ungodly amount of sappy Christmas movies all through December. And this being a Hallmark movie, and having a particularly girly and pink cover/poster, I must admit that expectations weren't grand.
But since it was a movie that I was unfamiliar with, of course I opted to give writers Christie Will Wolf, Barbara Kymlicka and Lisa Alford the benefit of the doubt. After all, every now and again, one of these sappy Christmas movies actually prove to be genuinely entertaining.
The writers put together a fair script and storyline, which actually proved entertaining. And the movie was just the right amount of sappy without going overboard.
I was familiar only with leading actress Meghan Ory and leading actor Christopher Russell. In fact, I had actually just sat through another Christmas movie with Christopher Russell in the leading role prior to watching "The Secret Gift of Christmas". The acting performances in this movie were fair. I have to say that Meghan Ory really stood out in this movie with her performance, and she carried the movie quite well.
"The Secret Gift of Christmas" is a movie that definitely will sit well with fans of the sappy Christmas movie genre.
My rating of director Christie Will Wolf's 2023 movie "The Secret Gift of Christmas" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Christmas Bake-Off (2023)
The recipe was lacking that special Christmas ingredient...
I stumbled upon this 2023 Christmas movie by random chance and added it to the collection of sappy Christmas movies that I am sitting through this year. Of course I had never heard about the movie prior to watching it. Oddly enough, the version of the movie I found was titled "A Dash of Christmas", but it seems that the movie is actually titled "Christmas Bake-Off". Odd.
Regardless, I assumed that I was in for another generic and formulaic sappy Christmas movie, as it was based around some food stuff. And let's just be honest, the movie's cover is oozing with generic sappy Christmas sauce. Still, I opted to give the movie a fair chance, as maybe writers Bob Sáenz and Guy Yosub would surprise me with the storyline they conjured up for director Robin Dunne to bring to the screen.
I have to say that these Christmas movies where food is the core essence of the storyline just doesn't really work for me, as people cooking and baking doesn't really come off as being particularly Christmassy for me. Sure, the movie was watchable, but it was nothing outstanding.
The only performer on the cast list that I was familiar with was actor Christopher Russell, as he was in both "Land of the Dead" and the "Day of the Dead" TV series. The acting performances in the movie were fair.
This is by no means going to become a Christmas classic for me. In fact, I will never return to watch the movie a second time, as there wasn't hardly enough entertainment for the first time around.
My rating of director Robin Dunne's 2023 movie "Christmas Bake-Off" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Yes, Chef! Christmas (2023)
Not particularly great...
Another Christmas movie lined up to be watched. And of course I Had never heard about the movie prior to sitting down and watching it.
The storyline in the movie was not particularly Christmassy. It was a storyline about cooking, essentially, and that didn't really feel like something you would associate with a traditional Christmas movie. Sure, there was a love storyline as well, and some family drama, but it was overshadowed by the cooking part of the narrative, and it made it not a particularly enjoyable movie. And the family drama felt a bit cluttered and crammed into the narrative. So writer Carley Smale didn't really conjure up any grand Christmas magic here.
Of all the cast ensemble, I was only familiar with leading actress Tia Mowry. The acting performances in the movie were fair, despite the fact that the storyline fell short of entertaining me.
While I did manage to sit through all 88 minutes of the movie, I was only slightly entertained. But I am never returning to watch "Yes, Chef! Christmas" a second time, as it was a bit of a struggle to get through it the first time already.
If you enjoy sappy Christmas movies, then your time is better spent elsewhere, because there are far, far better Christmas movies out there in an abundance.
My rating of director Max McGuire's 2023 movie "Yes, Chef! Christmas" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Confessions of a Christmas Letter (2024)
Watchable, but nothing outstanding...
Of course I had never heard about this 2024 Christmas movie titled "Confessions of a Christmas Letter" prior to sitting down and watching it as part of a December Christmas movie marathon. But from the movie's cover alone, it looked like it was going to be an archetypical sappy Christmas movie. Yet, I still opted to give the movie a fair chance.
Writers Jennifer Smith and Kate Smith put together a fair enough script. It was watchable and entertaining enough, for sure, but it was hardly an outstanding foray into the sappy Christmas movie genre. But hey, if you enjoy the sappy Christmas movies, then you're in for a treat here.
The only cast member that I was familiar with was Garry Chalk. However, I will say that the acting performances in the movie were fair.
"Confessions of a Christmas Letter" is a movie that caters to the diehard fans of sappy Christmas movies. You're not in for any grand movie experience, if you sit down to watch the movie as a casual viewer.
My rating of director Heather Hawthorn Doyle's 2024 movie "Confessions of a Christmas Letter" lands on a bland four out of ten stars. There are far, far better sappy Christmas movies out there.
Deck the Walls (2024)
Sort of bland...
I sat down to watch the 2024 Hallmark Christmas movie "Deck the Walls" as part of my 2024 December Christmas Movie Marathon. Sure, I had never heard about this movie prior to watching it, but I figured with it being a Hallmark movie, then it couldn't be all bad. Sure, it might be super sappy, as Hallmark movies tend to be, but I still opted to give director Jake Van Wagoner's 2024 movie a fair chance.
Yeah, I didn't really have the biggest of expectations to the movie, so I suppose that the writer Tracy Andreen and Danny Pellegrino had every opportunity to bedazzle and entertain me.
However, I found the narrative in the movie to be rather mundane. It wasn't a particularly entertaining movie. Sure, it was watchable, but the movie was just lacking that particular Christmas spark that many of these sappy movies usually have. It was a pretty generic storyline, truth be told, and not a particularly great one at that.
Of the entire cast ensemble I was only familiar with Wes Brown and Adam Johnson. While the acting performances in the movie were fairly good in general, I have to say that I just didn't particularly like leading actress Ashley Greene, as she lacked charisma and on-screen sparkle to make it a believable sappy Christmas movie.
While I did make it through the entire 84 minutes that the movie ran for, I was only mildly entertained. I can honestly say that I am not returning to watch this movie a second time. And if you enjoy sappy Christmas movies, let me just say that there are indeed far better and more enjoyable movies out there.
My rating of "Deck the Walls" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Christmas at Plumhill Manor (2024)
Boring...
Yet another Christmas movie that I had never even heard about. But then again, Christmas movies is not exactly high on my list of interests. But every now and again do I go all in during December and bingewatch far too many Christmas movies. And 2024 turned out to be one such year. And thus, I came upon the 2024 movie "Christmas at Plumhill Manor" from director Brian Herzlinger.
Truth be told, from the movie's cover alone, I figured that I would be in for a rather generic sappy Christmas movie. But I still opted to watch the movie, and let writers
Daniel Levin, Megan Henry Herzlinger and Avery Henry-Bailey have the benefit of the doubt; perhaps they would surprise me with something grand here.
The storyline in the movie ultimately failed to entertain me. The contents of the storyline was just not interesting, nor were the characters particularly memorable or likable. So the movie fell short of entertaining me.
I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. Despite the fact that the storyline wasn't my cup of eggnog, then I will say that the acting performances were indeed fair.
Now, I am sure that there is an audience out there for this movie, especially those hardcore lovers of sappy Christmas movies. I just didn't enjoy the movie, and I will never return to watch it a second time.
My rating of director Brian Herzlinger's 2024 movie "Christmas at Plumhill Manor" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Christmas on Windmill Way (2023)
It was good...
As part of a Christmas movie marathon here in December, I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the 2023 movie "Christmas on Windmill Way". Sure, I had never heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it.
Did I harbor any grand expectations to the movie? No, not really, as it seemed to be a generic Christmas movie from the cover alone. But, of course, I opted to give the movie a fair chance.
Writer Billy Schofield put together a fair enough script. Sure, it held components of traditional generic sappy Christmas storytelling, but at the same time the storyline actually proved entertaining enough to be enjoyable. I actually did enjoy the narrative in the movie.
The only performer on the screen that I was familiar with was Chad Michael Murray, whom has been starring in other sappy Christmas movies as well. The chemistry between the two leading performers, that being Chad Michael Murray and Christa Taylor Brown, was good. The acting performances in the movie were fair.
Hardly a Christmas classic in the making, but I will say that "Christmas On Windmill Way" proved enjoyable and entertaining. And if you like Christmas movies, then you should check the movie out.
My rating of director Don McBrearty's 2023 movie lands on a six out of ten stars.
Christmas Eve (2015)
A swing and a miss...
Of course I had not heard about the 2015 movie "Christmas Eve" prior to sitting down to watch it here in 2024. But then again, I am not usually overly keen on sappy Christmas movies. But every now and again I do go all in December up until Christmas Eve and watch an abundance of these movies. And thus, I had the opportunity to sit down and watch "Christmas Eve", and so I did.
Truthfully, I wasn't really harboring the biggest of expectations to the movie. But perhaps writers Mitch Davis and Tyler McKellar would surprise me with the script that they churned out for the movie.
I have to say that I feel that "Christmas Eve" utterly and totally fell short of being a proper Christmas movie. I found no entertainment, enjoyment or interest in the narrative. I mean, people stuck in elevators and talking hardly constituted as being what I am looking for in Christmas movies. So this movie was a swing and a miss in terms of entertaining me.
The movie has some familiar faces on the cast list, such as Patrick Stewart, Jon Heder, Cheryl Hines, Steve John Shepherd, Taylor James and Gary Cole. Despite the fact that the storyline and script was falling short of entertaining me, then I will say that the acting performances were good.
This movie is definitely not a movie that I will return to watch a second time. Nor is it a movie that I would recommend people looking for Christmas movies to sit down and watch.
My rating of Mitch Davis's 2015 "Christmas Eve" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Three Wiser Men and a Boy (2024)
Actually a good movie...
I have to say that I wasn't exactly harboring the biggest of expectations to the 2024 Hallmark movie "Three Wiser Men and a Boy" when I sat down to watch it. Why? Well, I assumed that it would be a generic Hallmark Christmas movie. But since I had never heard about it, and this being the season, of course I opted to check out the movie and give it a fair chance.
Writers Paul Campbell, Kimberley Sustad and Russell Hainline put together a fair enough script and storyline. It was not your average over-the-top sugarcoated sappy Christmas dribble that you usually get from Hallmark. There is actually more substance to it than just that. Sure, there is some sappy Christmas elements in here, but "Three Wiser Men and a Boy" was more than just a an average and generic Christmas movie.
I was only familiar with two performers on the cast list, and that was Christopher Shyer and Margaret Colin. However, I will say that the three leading actors Andrew W. Walker, Paul Campbell and Tyler Hynes definitely carried the movie nicely. It should be noted that the acting performances in the movie were good.
"Three Wiser Men and a Boy" is not going to become a returning Christmas classic in my household, but it definitely was an entertaining enough movie. And if you enjoy Christmas movies, then you should check out what director Terry Ingram has to offer.
My rating of "Three Wiser Men and a Boy" lands on a six out of ten stars.
The Merry Gentlemen (2024)
Not really my cup of eggnog...
As part of a Christmas movie marathon, I sat down to watch the 2024 movie "The Merry Gentlemen". Sure, I had never heard about it, but I figured that director Peter Sullivan would deliver a traditional sappy romantic Christmas movie. I mean, just look at the movie's cover/poster.
Writers Jeffrey Schenck, Peter Sullivan and Marla Sokoloff put together a pretty straight forward script and storyline. However, I have to say that the music and dance theme that the storyline was centered around wasn't really catering to my likes. So some of the entertainment value of the movie's narrative failed to latch unto me.
The movie does have some familiar faces on the cast list, such as Britt Robertson, Chad Michael Murray, Maxwell Caulfield, Michael Gross and Beth Broderick. The acting performances in the movie were fair.
I am sure that there is an audience out there for a movie such as "The Merry Gentlemen", especially if you have a fondness of extraordinarily sappy Christmas movies that cater to a female audience. However, I can in all honesty say that this movie is not going to find a second round of playing on my screen.
My rating of director Peter Sullivan's 2024 movie "The Merry Gentlemen" lands on a four out of ten stars.
An Accidental Christmas (2007)
Meh...
Needless to say that I had of course never heard about this 2007 movie titled "An Accidental Christmas" prior to sitting down to watch it, as part of a December marathon of sappy Christmas movies.
I've sat through a lot of sappy Christmas movies some years ago, so I am well aware of the standard formula that the movie's run by. I will say that "An Accidental Christmas" didn't exactly follow that particular blueprint, so writers Jeffrey Schenck and Mark Sanderson weren't exactly going by a formulaic model here. That being said, then I will say that I found the storyline in the movie to be boring and bland. It was a movie without any ups and down, as the narrative just droned on straight ahead at a monotonous pace. It was as if the writers were borrowing a bit generously from "The Parent Trap" movie.
The movie does have some familiar faces on the cast list, such as Cynthia Gibb, Jason Connery, Stuart Pankin and James Hong. I found the acting performances in the movie to be adequate.
I am surprised to see that it is Fred Olen Ray who directed this movie, especially taking into consideration his track record of dubious movies in the past.
There are far better, and far sappier, Christmas movies out there. And "An Accidental Christmas" just didn't really prove all that entertaining. If you enjoy sappy Christmas movies, then this movie really isn't worth the effort, given the fact that there are so many Christmas movies readily available.
My rating of "An Accidental Christmas" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Bad Santa 2 (2016)
Better than the first movie...
Just as I had never watched the 2003 "Bad Santa" movie before now in 2024, then I also hadn't watched the 2016 sequel "Bad Santa 2" before now in 2024 as well.
I have to admit that I found the first movie to be mediocre, so I wasn't really harboring the biggest of expectations to this sequel. But of course, I could be in for a surprise.
Writers Johnny Rosenthal and Shauna Cross put together a script and storyline that proved far more entertaining and enjoyable than the first movie. So that was quite good. The storyline in "Bad Santa 2" feels more complete and well-rounded than the storyline in the first movie.
It was pretty good to see cast members from the first movie return to reprise their characters and roles in this sequel, with the likes of Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly and Octavia Spencer. The sequel brings in the talents of Kathy Bates, Mike Starr and Ryan Hansen as well. Of course the acting performances in the movie were good.
I found "Bad Santa 2" to be more funny and entertaining than its predecessor, and thus I am rating director Mark Waters's 2016 movie a six out of ten stars.
Bad Santa (2003)
Watchable...
For some reason I never got around to watching "Bad Santa" before now in 2024. Why? Well, because I never was much of a fan of Billy Bob Thornton, to be bluntly honest. But 2024 was the year to get to watch it.
Had I been missing out on something grand? No, not really. Sure, it was a watchable movie, but it wasn't as funny and entertaining as I had been told once, years ago. Writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa put together an okay script and storyline, but it just wasn't all that outstanding. Usually, Christmas movies are cheerful, jolly and uplifting, but the writers sort of reversed that here in "Bad Santa".
Something that worked well in favor of the movie was the cast ensemble. I will say that Billy Bob Thornton actually carried the movie quite well, as a drunk, miserable and mean con artist down on his luck. Aside from Billy Bob Thornton, the movie also had the likes of Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, John Ritter, Tony Cox, Lauren Tom and Cloris Leachman on the cast list. The acting performances in the movie were good.
Watchable for what it was, but "Bad Santa" is not going to become a reoccurring Christmas movie for me, as it just wasn't that funny or entertaining. Sure, I can check it off of my watch-list, now that I've sat through it, but I doubt that I will ever return to watch it a second time.
My rating of director Terry Zwigoff's 2003 movie "Bad Santa" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Killer God (2010)
Terrible movie...
I was not familiar with this 2010 horror movie from Stasch Radwanski Jr., prior to stumbling upon it by random chance here in 2024. And given my love of all things horror, of course I opted to check out the movie. I have to say that I was initially lured in by the movie's somewhat interesting cover.
However, I was a bit concerned about the 2.9 rating that the movie had managed to land here on IMDb when I sat down to watch it. But then again, the movie got the benefit of the doubt, and thus I had to check it out.
And the movie had landed such a low rating with good reason. The narrative in the movie was insanely boring and rather pointless. I was not the least bit entertained by what writer Stash J. Radwanski penned down for the script. It was a slow paced narrative, and without anything entertaining or interesting going on, then it was quite a struggle of wills to sit through. And I have to admit that I gave up 32 minutes into the 83 minute runtime. By then I was just simply bored beyond comprehension.
I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. And while that is usually something I do enjoy when watching a movie, it just didn't apply to "Killer God". Why? Simply because the actors and actresses had nothing wholesome to work with in terms of script, dialogue, characters, etc.
Should you happen to enjoy horror movies, then do yourself a favor and skip on this 2010 movie. It just simply isn't worth the effort.
My rating of director Stasch Radwanski Jr.'s 2010 "Killer God" movie lands on a two out of ten stars.
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)
Nothing outstanding...
While I was familiar with the title of the movie, I don't think I've actually ever seen the movie, at least not before now in 2024. I had the opportunity to watch the movie, and opted to do so. Though, I have to admit that I wasn't exactly harboring the biggest of expectations to the movie, as it was a Fred Olen Ray movie and, well, let's just face it, the movie's title is a bit corny.
Writers Fred Olen Ray and T. L. Lankford put together a fair enough script. It was watchable, but it wasn't exactly an outstanding movie experience. While being listed as a horror comedy, I have to say that you have to look long and hard to find the comedy.
I was only familiar with actor Gunnar Hansen and actress Linnea Quigley on the cast list. The acting performances in the move were fair.
Visually, then the movie was okay. It is not an outstanding movie in terms of special effects or anything. And even for a horror movie from the late 1980s, it was a bit on the tame side.
Watchable for what it was, the movie is not going to make a return trip to my screen for a second viewing. I just wasn't particularly impressed or entertained by what writers Fred Olen Ray and T. L. Lankford delivered in 1988.
My rating of "Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Exposure (2018)
Truly abysmal...
I had not heard about this 2018 horror movie titled "Exposure", from director Austin Snell, prior to stumbling upon it by sheer random chance here in 2024. And with it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I gave the movie a fair chance. And I have to say that the movie's cover was good enough to lure me into picking it up.
But from early on in the movie, it was painstakingly obvious that this was going to be dubious and questionable affair. There was just something about the movie that didn't resonate well with me. Perhaps it was the slow paced narrative, the way that the movie was filmed, or the subpar acting performances.
Despite of a relatively short runtime of only 77 minutes, I managed to suffer through a mind-boggling 30 minutes before giving up and tossing the towel in the ring. Writers
Jake Jackson and Austin Snell failed in every aspect to deliver something worthwhile or entertaining.
The movie has a very small cast ensemble, and it was all actors and actresses that I wasn't familiar with. Normally I do enjoy watching new and unfamiliar talents on the screen when I sit down to watch a movie, but that wasn't the case with "Exposure", because the acting performances were not great. But then again, the actors and actresses virtually had nothing wholesome to work with in terms of script, dialogue or characters.
If you enjoy horror movies, like I do, then do yourself a favor and give "Exposure" a wide berth. Some of us suffered through this ordeal in lesser or greater extend, so you don't have to; you're quite welcome. Sadly, the best part about this movie was its cover.
I failed to sit through the entire movie, because I was just bored to tears. And believe me, I am not returning to attempt to finish watching this dumpster fire of a movie.
My rating of director Austin Snell's 2018 movie "Exposure" lands on a one out of ten stars.
Dear Santa (2024)
Potential to be a lot more...
Stumbling upon the 2024 movie "Dear Santa" by random chance, of course I opted to give the movie a fair chance. I had never heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it.
Writers Ricky Blitt, Peter Farrelly and Dan Ewen put together a fairly entertaining script. The contents of the storyline definitely were original, and there were some good moments throughout the course of the 107 minutes that the movie ran for.
Of the entire cast ensemble in the movie, I was only familiar with actors Jack Black and Keegan-Michael Key. The acting performances in the movie were good.
It was actually my first time to see who Post Malone is. Sure, I knew of him by name, but I never have seen the joker before now as he showed up in this movie. And I can't say that I had been missing out on anything, except a dude with ridiculous face tattoos and equally ridiculous music. I can't claim that it was a big deal for me that the guy was in the movie, no Sir, not at all.
However, the movie was just lacking something to truly make it outstanding. If was as if the movie was missing some crucial ingredient, it just felt a bit underwhelming. As such, this is not going to be a returning Christmas classic for me. In fact, I doubt that I will ever return to watch it again for a second time.
My rating of director Bobby Farrelly's 2024 movie "Dear Santa" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Jingle All the Way (1996)
Quest for the toy...
Of course I've seen the 1996 movie "Jingle All the Way" before, as I grew up watching Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. And while this movie definitely deviated from the traditional movies that you'd see the Austrian actor in, then it was, and still is, actually a nice change of pace. It is a movie that certainly showcases that Arnold Schwarzenegger is more than just a generic action star.
Writer Randy Kornfield put together a rather enjoyable and entertaining script. It is a storyline that combines elements of comedy, family, action and holiday season all in one. And it works out nicely. It is a well-paced narrative, offering something for the entire family, and that makes "Jingle All the Way" a good movie.
"Jingle All the Way" has a pretty impressive cast ensemble, with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Robert Conrad, Jake Lloyd and Jim Belushi. Needless to say that the acting performances are good.
The costumes and props in the movie are nice.
If you haven't already seen "Jingle All the Way" before, then you definitely should do so, if you get the chance.
It is a movie that you can watch again and again, which sort of actually makes it a movie that you can add to your repertoire of holiday movies to sit through each December.
My rating of director Brian Levant's 1996 family holiday comedy "Jingle All the Way" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Jeff Dunham's Scrooged-Up Holiday Special (2024)
Nothing new here...
I had the opportunity to watch the 2024 comedy special "Jeff Dunham's Scrooged-Up Holiday Special", and opted to do so, though I have to admit that I wasn't exactly harboring the biggest of expectations, since the few couple of shows have been running on routine for Jeff Dunham.
"Jeff Dunham's Scrooged-Up Holiday Special" is a rather formulaic show. Yeah, there isn't much renewal to the shows, so once you've seen one, you've essentially seen them all. And that is sort of growing stale already. But hey, the good news is that if you are a diehard fan of Jeff Dunham, then you will definitely enjoy this 2024 holiday special.
There were a couple of funny moments here and there, but I wasn't really brought to much laughter throughout the course of the 59 minutes that the show ran for.
As always, it is Peanut that steals the show, and guess what? Also what happened in this comedy special.
Now that I've seen the show, I can tick it off of the watch-list, and I can honestly say that I am not returning to watch it a second time.
My rating of "Jeff Dunham's Scrooged-Up Holiday Special" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Boar (2017)
Definitely had potential...
I had not heard about this 2017 horror movie titled "Boar" prior to sitting down to watch it. I was initially intrigued by the movie's cover and its title, and since it was a horror movie that had eluded me, of course I opted to check it out.
Writers Kirsty Dallas and Chris Sun put together a fair enough script, although I have to say that it was ultimately somewhat generic. The writers didn't bring anything new to the horror genre. But it was watchable at least.
Now, I didn't know that Bill Moseley was in the movie, so when his name popped up on the screen during the intro sequence, I was rather thrilled. I have always enjoyed his work in movies, so it was quite a nice surprise to have him show up in this movie, just a shame that they didn't fully utilize his acting talents. I was only familiar with Bill Moseley of the entire cast ensemble in the movie. The acting performances in the movie were good.
What worked out in favor of "Boar", since it wasn't the most innovative of storylines that drove the movie, was the special effects. I liked the special effects in the movie, and it is always nice to see practical effects instead of CGI effect. So thumbs up for that accomplishment. And the movie actually has enough gore to keep it afloat.
If you are a newcomer to the horror genre, then I believe you will enjoy "Boar" a lot more than I did, as a seasoned horror veteran.
The ending of the movie felt rushed, abrupt and the movie just ended without a properly fulfilling ending.
Watchable for what it was, but this is hardly an outstanding horror movie experience. And I doubt that I will ever return to watch the movie a second time. If you enjoyed the 2008 movie "Pig Hunt" or the 2009 South Korean movie "Chawu", then you might get a kick out of watching "Boar". Personally, though, I found "Chawu" to be more enjoyable than "Boar", but of course that is a matter of personal preference.
My rating of director Chris Sun's 2017 movie "Boar" lands on a mediocre five out of ten stars.
Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood (2015)
Meh...
I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the 2015 comedy special "Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood" here in 2024, and opted to do so. However, I must admit that I didn't really harbor the biggest of expectations, as I have somewhat grown weary of the ventriloquism act. But still, there might be some good laughs to be had, so of course I checked it out.
The show was pretty generic. I mean, it is not like Jeff Dunham is reinventing himself in-between the released shows. So you pretty much know what you are getting when you sit down to watch something like this, for better or worse. Sure, if you're a big fan of his, then you're in for a treat. But if you, like me, have tired a bit of these shows, then it will be another run-of-the-mill-standard-formula show.
There were some okay jokes and punchlines here and there, but I wasn't really brought to any laughs, except for the time when he dropped Peanut and when Achmeds arms fell off. And those were unintentional, but those were the funniest moments in the show for me.
Watchable, sure, but this was a pretty generic Jeff Dunham delivery.
My rating of "Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood" lands on a five out of ten stars.
The Demon Disorder (2024)
Watchable, but ultimately a generic horror movie...
Despite the fact of never having heard about this 2024 horror movie from director Steven Boyle, of course I opted to watch it, as I happened to stumble upon it by random chance. Given my love of all things horror, of course I needed no persuasion to give this movie a fair chance.
The storyline in the movie was adequate, although it was not as if writers Steven Boyle and Toby Osborne revolutionized the horror genre with "The Demon Disorder". While the pacing of the narrative is fair, the movie was lacking scary contents. And it was a shame, because that is what I enjoy when watching horror movies.
The only face on the cast list that I was familiar with was actor John Noble. It should be noted, however, that the acting performances in the movie were fair.
Visually the movie was okay, though you're not in for any jaw-dropping special effects moments.
Watchable, for sure, but "The Demon Disorder" is ultimately a horror movie that came and left without leaving much of a lasting impression on me. Is it a horror movie that I would recommend horror fans to seek out and watch? Well, no, not really. The script in the movie is a tad too mundane and generic for that.
My rating of director Steven Boyle's 2024 horror movie "The Demon Disorder" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Dead Sea (2014)
Was there a point to this mess of a narrative...?
Right, well I have to admit that I was lured in by the movie's cover. I mean, a woman walking in chest-deep water and with unseen tentacles lurking beneath the surface of the water, well that seemed interesting to me.
But the movie was definitely nothing like I had expected it to be. And it most certainly was nothing like what the movie's cover indicated. Instead we are treated to a movie that jumps between different story arches, and none of them proved particularly interesting. I cannot honestly fathom what writer and director Brandon Slagle was trying to accomplish with this movie. The narrative was all over the place, and it was a confusing mess of a narrative, which made little sense.
The acting performances in the movie were fair, but nothing outstanding or memorable. And the only cast member I was familiar with was James Duval, and he was hardly in the movie at all.
If you enjoy thrillers, do yourself a massive favor and stay well clear of "Dead Sea". It quite simply isn't worth the time of day.
The effects in the movie were bland. They were passable, sure, but hardly anything worthwhile writing home about.
This movie was a huge swing and a miss. And it is without a doubt not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time, as it was quite a struggle to sit through it the first time. You know that when a movie is written, directed and starring the one and the same person, it is going to be a questionable affair, and "Dead Sea" was one such instance.
My rating of writer and director Brandon Slagle's 2014 movie "Dead Sea" lands on a generous two out of ten stars.
Renegade: A Tribute to a Galaxy far, far away (2021)
A fair enough fan-made "Star Wars" short film...
As part of sitting through a bunch of fan-made "Star Wars" short films on YouTube, I also happened to stumble upon the 2021 "Renegade: A Tribute to a Galaxy Far, Far Away" from director Sandro Schreiber.
Initially, I found the title of the film to be stupid, but still opted to give the film a fair chance. And I will say that writers Michel Gauthier and Sandro Schreiber put together a fair enough script and storyline. And the film proved to be enjoyable and entertaining. It wasn't among the best of fan-made films I've seen on YouTube, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a good fan-made film.
With "Renegade: A Tribute to a Galaxy Far, Far Away" being a fan-made film, of course I wasn't familiar with the actors and actresses on the cast list. It should be noted, though, that the acting performances were fair.
Visually, then "Renegade: A Tribute to a Galaxy Far, Far Away" was okay. The effects were good for a fan-made film. And the costumes were fair.
Watchable for what it was, for sure, but hardly an outstanding short film.
My rating of "Renegade: A Tribute to a Galaxy Far, Far Away" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Sands of Fate: A Star Wars Story (2023)
Enjoyable fan-made film...
Having just sat through the "Star Wars" fan-made short film "No Disintegrations" on YouTube, I stumbled upon another fan-made "Star Wars" short film titled "Sands of Fate: A Star Wars Story". And of course I opted to check it out, as I am a huge fan of all things "Star Wars". Yes, even the newest trilogy and the state of the franchise as it is today.
The storyline in "Sands of Fate: A Star Wars Story", as written by Ian Eskander and Timothy Martin, proved to be entertaining and enjoyable. It was a nicely written storyline, and I really liked the twist it added to the Boba Fett story arch in the events in "Return of the Jedi". That was definitely some nice thinking out of the box and adding a great spin to those events.
With "Sands of Fate: A Star Wars Story" being a fan-made film, of course I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble. But I will say that the acting performances were good.
Visually then this was actually quite good. They had good CGI effects in the film, which added to the overall enjoyment. And they definitely also had good costumes and props, which made "Sands of Fate: A Star Wars Story" look and feel like a proper "Star Wars" film. So thumbs up for that achievement.
"Sands of Fate: A Star Wars Story" is well-worth sitting down and spending 25 minutes on watching. I was genuinely entertained throughout the course of the 25 minutes that it ran for.
For a fan-made short film, this was actually quite good.
My rating of directors Timothy Martin and Patrick Lundberg's 2023 fan-made short film "Sands of Fate: A Star Wars Story" lands on a six out of ten stars.