Author: torstenvblog

Writer of the strange and everything; lover of horror, literature, comics, and the alien is my spirit animal

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - Wikipedia

In 1981, the Warrens, Ed and Lorraine, were exorcising a boy who was violently possessed. It was a powerful struggle, almost killing Ed in the process from a near fatal heart attack; the boy was saved with the help of his sister’s boyfriend Arnie who pleaded for the boy’s soul. The problem is, Arnie’s sacrifice may have had a darker outcome as he begins hallucinating and one day, he’s found on the side of the road, covered in blood. Arnie was indeed a killer but as Lorraine and Ed quickly begin to realize, this case is different: someone deliberately summoned this entity and it’s a race against the clock to stop them before a horrific curse is completed.

Conjuring 3 is definitely a mixed bag but without a doubt the weakest of the trilogy. The best thing this movie has is the chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine, they give it their all and they carry the hell out of this movie. I like a lot of ideas presented. I like that the main antagonist is human and I like how the story tries to feel more like a detective thriller than horror movie. As a thriller the movie is decent but this is lousy horror movie. If James Wan had directed it, I feel it could have been better. There were too many times I laughed my ass off when it was supposed to be serious, either because of a bad jump scare, lame visual, or a goofy line. The movie felt slow, despite the over the top effects and dumb moments. In the end, I hope this is the last Conjuring and the universe can close because the Conjuring universe is just killing itself with mediocrity and this movie is just meh. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Nos4A2

NOS4A2 - Wikipedia

I really enjoyed Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill, son of horror legend Stephen King, who I’m happy to say has crafted his own identity as a writer. Nos4A2 cemented as a Joe Hill fan.

Vic McQueen was a girl who had a interesting way of finding missing things and escaping her parents toxic, failing marriage. No matter where the lost things lay. A powerful creative, with the help of her favorite bike, she can summon a bridge a bridge called the “Shorter Way” that allows her to travel incredible distances instantly, but at a devastating cost. With the help of Maggie, a fellow creative, she learns a bit about her ability but is warned to fear the Wraith. Not all creatives are good and a black Roles Royce Wraith takes children with the help of the Gasmask Man and whisks them off to Christmasland, where the children will be forever happy without their souls, exchanged for sharp teeth and a devotion to the driver of the car: Charlie Manx, who wants to live forever to bring joy to the children and to end Vic, no matter how long he has to wait to do it. Can Vic save her family from a ageless villain and his ride?

I absolutely love this book. The characters are great and honestly, Charlie Manx maybe my favorite literary villain of all time- he kind of reminded me of Mary Poppins, Mister Rodgers, and Dracula rolled into one. The book, while about 700 pages moves at a constant pace and never drags and never feels like its speeding. Hill writes simply but balances detail and has some really good, freaky imagery. I have to give Hill credit for telling a different kind of vampire story while still having nods to one. My only complaint was the ending felt a little muddled but all things considered, it was a fine ending. In the end, it was a damn good horror I highly recommend. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Underwater

Underwater (2020) - IMDb

Miles beneath the ocean, all hell has broken loose on a mining station when unexpectedly is damaged. Within minutes, dozens die, the structure is compromised, and survival seems hopeless for the small group of survivors left alive. But they aren’t alone as they discover something undiscovered that leads to the horror there operation has awakened, but will the vengeful species let them leave?

I was actually pretty hyped for this movie, growing up with Leviathan as a kid, I saw this as a potential spiritual successor as well as Alien and The Descent just underwater. Well, it is basically all those this. First of all, I have to say the opening is strong as hell. The cast looks genuinely looks shit scared and frazzled as all hell breaks loose. There are some good, tense scenes and you do feel the pressure of the situation and the isolation of being in the blackest parts of the ocean alone with creatures you never get to see that great or know much about. The movie is far from perfect I will say. The pacing is too quick and honestly you don’t get much of a attachment to any of the characters as well as not knowing anything about the facility, the monsters, or the evil company’s intentions. Speaking of characters, Kristen Stewart sinks the second half of this movie with her deadpan reactions to some really alarming shit and a really lethargic one linear at the end that just sounds lame. In the end, it’s a movie worth seeing once but if you miss it, it won’t break your heart. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Mario Party: Superstars announcement trailer

Who doesn’t love some Mario Party, despite the arguments that break out after? Well it looks like we’re getting a greatest hits of the series from over the years which is a pretty cool idea and a interesting way for the last generation to share a classic with the kids today. May the gaming gods bring your glory.

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD trailer

Once again, full disclosure, I’m pretty out of my depth here but it’s cool to see some of the life quality changes with the HD version for Switch. The fans I know of Zelda, the horde of them in fact, weren’t really too keen on this entry in the series so I hope it gets a good second shot. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Evil Dead: The Musical

Evil Dead (musical) - Wikipedia

Have you ever watched the classic Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn and wished Ash and the Deadites broke out into song? Well, good news, there is a legitimate musical. Evil Dead: The Musical recounts Evil Dead 1 and 2 as well as pieces of Army of Darkness in a jaunty, goofy, and damn infectious musical. Seriously, once I began watching I couldn’t stop. The music is cheesy but lovable and some of the most catchy I’ve heard in a few years; for days on end I listened until I could sing along with such toe tappers as ” Do the Necronomicon”, ” What the Fuck was that”, “Join Us- featuring a singing Canadrian Demon Moose”, and “Housewares Employee”. I laughed, I bopped along with the talented cast who you can tell loved the material, and even cheered at the inventive, gory demon scenes. In the end, this is way more fun and spirited than I thought it would be and absolutely deserves betting checked out. May the Canadrian demons bring you glory.