Frightening Strikes

  A Spoonful of Sugar is something of a roller-coaster ride in that it will have you feeling either queasy or exhilarated by the end. Also like a roller coaster, it's not to everyone's taste but it is a strangely compelling mix of dysfunctional family dynamics and sinister intentions. The film kicks off with Millicent (Morgan Saylor) undergoing an interview for an unusual babysitting job with Rebecca (Kat Foster) and her husband, Jacob (Myko Olivier). The charge is their young son, Johnny (Danillo Crovetti), who suffers from a range of allergies and is also non-verbal. There are hints that more specialist intervention is required for Johnny but Rebecca is adamant that he can be treated at home. Rebecca's career as a successful author means frequent trips away so she needs to arrange Johnny's care quickly. Despite Rebecca's doubts about her experience and a lack of background checks, Millicent is offered the job as she forms an instant rapport with Johnny, and this ...

A bit mad, slightly bad and reasonably dangerous to know, Rex Cohen ( Ben O'Toole)  is an army veteran who finds himself on the receiving end of an armed bank robbery and, drawing on his military skills, turns the tables on the bad guys. He takes them out and saves the customers but, in the process, incurs a civilian casualty. This earns him eight years in prison, in spite of his hero status in the eyes of many. On his release, to escape his past, Rex takes a flight to Finland for a new start, unaware that he has been marked out by fellow passengers for an unusual fate. After being kidnapped and drugged, Rex awakens in a basement chained to the ceiling and with an important appendage missing (no, not that one). He realises he's been kidnapped by a deeply dysfunctional family with macabre motives in mind. With only his inner voice for company, Rex has to figure his way out and is assisted by the family misfit, Alia ( Meg Fraser) , who comes to his aid after mis-treatment by her ...

Mary: Christie Burke Jack: Jesse Mosse Rachel: Rebecca Olson Tim: Sean Rogerson Dr Neilson: Michale Ironside Director: Brandon Christensen Release: 2017 It has to be said that I avoided this film for a while as, when it first came to my notice, a handful of reviews didn’t rate it very highly. But after being impressed by "Z" and "Superhost", also directed by Brandon Christensen, I made it my business to take a look and was glad that I did. Still/Born opens with Mary (Christie Burke) giving birth to twin boys, with her husband, Jack (Jesse Moss), in attendance. S adly, one dies so Mary and Jack return to their new home with their surviving son, Adam, and try to rebuild their lives. Mary is not only grief-stricken but struggles with parenthood and feels like a failure as a mother. She goes through the motions as she tries to come to terms with her loss and suffers sleepless nights while she struggles to meet the demands of a new baby. It’s not long before Mary st...

Summary and Review of Welcome to Hell Christine: Margaret Clunie Elizabeth: Jessica Webber Freddie: Timothy Renoulf Victor: Charlie Robb George: Tom Bailey Director: Jack McHenry Release: 2019 Jack McHenry, director and co-writer of “Here Comes Hell", clearly has a passion for vintage horror films and it shows in this affectionate tribute to the genre, interwoven with modern day horror techniques without losing the spirit of his homage. Following the jaunty 1930s big band style opening theme and a “trigger warning” announcer, “Here Comes Hell” opens with hip-flask wielding George (Tom Bailey) on a train to Westwood Manor to meet his friends. He chats to a fellow traveller, who tells him of the mystery surrounding George’s destination and the hell-summoning activities of its former owner, occultist Ichabod Quinn. As the cast of characters assemble at the Manor, there are tensions and old rivalries bubbling under the surface. Christine (Margaret Clunie) has history with both F...

Summary and Review of The Free Fall/The Voices Sara: Andrea Londo Nick: Shawn Ashworth Rose: Jane Badler Director: Adam Stilwell Release: 2022 (released as “The Voices” in Canada) After witnessing an horrific and traumatic event at her parent’s home on the eve of their anniversary, Sara is saved from a suicide attempt and awakens to find her loving husband protecting her from the outside world while she recovers. Unfortunately, she has no memory of this or anything before that. In fact she doesn’t really seem to know her husband, Nick, but in a weakened state, she succumbs to his care. To provide additional help in the house, Nick hires Rose, who doesn’t seem to care for Sara at all.  Within the confines of their modern gothic home, Sara drifts through her recovery in a dream-like state experiencing nightmares and frightening visions until she's not sure where they end and reality begins. She has no contact with others, including her sister, whom Nick describes as “unforgivable...

Summary and Review of Death of Me Christine: Maggie Q Neil: Luke Hemsworth Samantha: Alex Essoe Madee: Kat Ingkarat Director : Darren Lynn Bousman Release: 2020 "Death of Me" opens with married couple, Christine and Neil, awakening in their AirBnB apartment with a hangover and no recollection of what happened during the latter part of the previous evening. The apartment is a mess, Neil has dirty, bloodied hands and Christine has a strange talisman around her neck. However, there's no time to ponder as they have to catch the ferry to the mainland and they’re late. After a mad dash to the port, the couple discover that their passports are missing. No passport, no ferry but there's another one that evening so there’s time to remedy the situation. Bewildered by their predicament, they return to their apartment where Neil reviews the previous evening's photos for clues as to where they might have been and what might have happened. To their horror, they discover a ...

Summary and Review of Superhost Claire: Sara Canning Teddy: Osric Chau Rebecca: Gracie Gillam Vera: Barbara Crampton Director: Brandon Christensen Release: 2022 Superhost follows two social media influencers, Teddy and Claire (also romantically involved), who are losing subscribers for their travel vlog (Superhost) by the bucketload. This is having an adverse affect on their finances so, to try and up their game and get back on track, they take off for a break to a highly rated rental house where they plan to film a video that will make a splash and pull in the viewers again. On arrival, the property looks like a dream but the couple is unable to enter the house as the access code doesn't work. Out of nowhere, Rebecca, their super friendly superhost, arrives to provide assistance. Over-enthusiastic and eager to please, Teddy and Claire think she is just a little eccentric. But as the narrative progresses Rebecca seems overly concerned about how her review might be affected by min...