Movie Spotlight: IT

IT is a 2017 movie starring Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Nicholas Hamilton. It's based on the 1986 Stephen King novel, which was adapted into a miniseries in 1990 (you can find my review here: Horror Movie Month: Stephen King's It). Derry, Maine, has been haunted for centuries by a supernatural entity known as Pennywise the dancing clown (Bill Skarsgard), and seven kids decide it's up to them to stop IT. This monster can take the form of their worst nightmares, so the members of The Losers Club are in for the fight of their lives.

I usually try to avoid clowns, but I love Stephen King, so I make an exception for his clowns. From the opening scene, in which Pennywise bites off Georgie Denborough's arm (dick move, Pennywise), it's clear that this clown is a force to be reckoned with. I liked the 1990 miniseries, but this version is much creepier and Skarsgard's Pennywise is scary as hell. The performances were incredible, as was everything else about this amazing movie. I had high hopes for this movie, and I wasn't disappointed. I can't wait to see Chapter 2 even though now I hate clowns even more than I did before. ; )


My rating: 9/10

Movie Spotlight: Cult of Chucky

Cult of Chucky is a 2017 movie starring Brad Dourif, Fiona Dourif, Alex Vincent, and Jennifer Tilly. It's the seventh movie starring everyone's favorite killer doll, and it takes place four years after Curse of Chucky. Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif) has been in a mental institution ever since Chucky (the voice of Brad Dourif) framed her for the murders of five people (including her mother and sister). She believes that she may have committed these murders, but when people start dying after she comes into possession of a Good Guy doll that belonged to her niece, Nica isn't so sure anymore. Chucky's old friend/current nemesis Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) comes to the rescue, but does he have what it takes to defeat Chucky and his deranged girlfriend Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly)?

I enjoyed Cult of Chucky more than some of the other movies in the Child's Play franchise, and it gets bonus points for the creative death scenes (who doesn't love a good decapitation?) and multiple Chuckys. Brad and Fiona Dourif play off of each other very well, and there's just something heartwarming about a father voicing the murderous doll who's terrorizing his daughter. ; ) If you're a fan of the Child's Play series or just like fun, entertaining horror movies, check out Cult of Chucky!

My rating: 7.5/10

Movie Spotlight: Case 39

Case 39 is a 2010 movie starring Renee Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper, Callum Keith Rennie, and Kerry O'Malley. Social worker Emily Jenkins (Renee Zellweger) saves Lilith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland) when her parents try to kill her, and she gets permission to temporarily take the child in (which, of course, is a bad idea since this is a horror movie). She soon discovers that Lily is not what she seems...she's something far more sinister.

I really enjoyed Case 39...it was entertaining and creepy, just the way I like my horror movies. All of the performances were great, and Jodelle Ferland did an impressive job of playing sweet, scared, manipulative, and evil. Also, there's a disturbing scene with Bradley Cooper and a bunch of hornets that just might give you nightmares...I can handle almost anything most horror movies throw at me, but this scene freaked me out enough that I had to close my eyes, and I don't want to see another hornet for the rest of my life. ; )

My rating: 8/10