Bria Lou Reviews

  When two best friends (Paul Rudd and Jack Black) who dream of remaking their favourite movie, Anaconda, finally get the opportunity, they travel to the Amazon jungle to begin filming. But they soon find themselves in their own movie when they start being stalked by a giant bloodthirsty anaconda. I like the original Anaconda movie, so I was interested in seeing this one. And I was even more interested to see that it was meta, set in a world where the original movie already exists, rather than an entire remake. I liked this film, though that's not to say it was an amazing movie. As I said, I loved the idea of the characters themselves remaking the original, rather than this being a straightforward remake, mostly because the film really didn't need a traditional remake. The actors and their characters are so much fun. The film wouldn't have worked if anyone involved took it slightly more seriously than they did - it was a great balance of humour and drama, leaning much more ...

  This is a first-time watch, but also the fourth Evil Dead movie I've watched, because I haven't gone in order. I wouldn't say I've absolutely loved any of the Evil Dead movies I've seen before this, but I am intrigued about this one. Not least because it's included on a list of classic horror movies and the first one isn't. I have mixed feelings about this film, but I definitely liked it more than at least two of the other Evil Dead movies I've watched, so that's something! It's really fascinating to have shots from the point of view of the entity. Watching the characters run away or be possessed from this point of view puts the audience right in the centre of the action. We're immediately invested. Some of the visuals were a bit too out-there and fantastical for me, even if this is a fantastical film. They took me out of the moment and almost felt comedic (which could have been the intention). I read that stop-motion animation and prosthet...

  Screenwriter Misha knows how hard it is to make it in Hollywood. So when he achieves success with an Oscar nomination, it seems like everything is finally going his way. But after refusing to kill the gay characters in his newest TV show, he finds out there's a target on his back, as monsters from his past begin haunting him and his friends. Can he find a way to get the literal and figurative monsters off his back before it's too late? I liked how unique the premise of this book was, and I was really looking forward to it. In my search for horror books, this one seemed both original but also closer to traditional horror, so I wanted to see how it played out. I loved this book! For a start, as a film fan, I loved that it was set within the film industry. Even though Misha is a writer rather than an actor, we get a lot of insight into how Hollywood works, and it felt really authentic. One of my worries about horror books with monsters, particularly original ones, is that it can...

  The description of this film says that it 'paved the way for future slasher flicks', so given how much I love the slasher genre, I was really looking forward to seeing it. Unfortunately, I didn't love this film. The opening scene is great - starting with twists and turns puts the audience on the back foot from the beginning. We're invested, but we have no idea where the story is going. But after this opening, things started to slow down a bit. Given that the film is only 80 minutes, you would think the pace would be a lot faster. The film actually feels a lot longer than it is because of this. And because of this, it didn't really capture my attention. Yes I enjoyed the opening scene, but because you don't know those people, the scene doesn't mean much. And because after this, many characters are introduced in quick succession, you can start to lose your grip on the actual story. One of the best things about a slasher for me is when the movie is a 'who...

  I was really looking forward to this one. Over the years I lose track of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies I've seen, but I'm hoping I've seen them all because I love the franchise, and this is where it all began! From the very beginning of the film you know exactly what you're in for. The opening images are really powerful and do a good job of putting the viewer on edge. Plus the make-up and prosthetics are really well done. I love that this film is so undeniably 70s. The music, the style, the way it's shot, it's so much a product of its time, and yet it's a story that has continued to be relevant and create more stories for half a century. And so many of the stories are the same base with a different background - a group of friends going somewhere they shouldn't and running into Leatherface. Bonus points if they pick up a hitchhiker, or if someone unexpected turns out to be related to the killer. But that's also something I love - when you'r...

In the afterlife, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) finds herself torn between her husband of many decades (Miles Teller), and her first love who has been waiting for her to arrive (Callum Turner). With one week to decide who she spends eternity with, Joan has to make the hardest decision of her life. I loved the concept of this film. The idea is so unique, and yet you immediately understand it and can put yourself in the character's shoes. I really wanted to see how it would be dealt with. I liked this film a lot. Though that said, even with how fantastical the concept is, I did have to suspend my disbelief. Mainly because of the way this situation is treated, as if this kind of thing is a one off that has never happened before and would never happen again. I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that, in this world, no one before Joan had ever lost a spouse, remarried, and then had to choose between them - it doesn't make sense to me! Based on the description alone I didn't...