Fingerprints (2006)

Fingerprints came out in 2006 and tackled one of the many urban legends in American society. The film saw its release during Screamfest of that year.  The Urban Legend this film tackled is one out of San Antonio, Texas.  What exactly is the legend?

Well, it is said that a busload of children broke down on top of a railroad crossing as a train was coming. They were unable to get out, and all were killed when the train crashed into their bus on the railroad tracks.  The ghosts of these children are said to now push disabled cars off the track to avoid the same thing from happening again.

The film opens by showing the viewer what may have happened back in 1957, but in this case, it is the small town of Emerald, Texas. We are introduced to sisters Crystal (Kristin Cavallari) and Melanie (Leah Pipes) who are on their way back to the new family home.  Crystal stops at the local abandoned train station and tells Melanie of the local legend.  As they wait to see if their small car will be pushed Melanie looks out the window and sees a small girl playing on the tracks.  As they await a loud noise breaks them out of their self-induced spell, and the girls continue on home.

The little girl that they see is later determined to be Julie, a ghost from that accident. Julie will become a bit of a small fixture in the film as strange things start to happen around town. There are not just strange things, but potentially much worse.

Upon reaching home we find out that Melanie had been away from the family for some time in rehab. Her father seems well enough and is putting things behind her, but her mother, well she seems to hold onto the issue more.  We are later introduced to some of  Melanie’s future classmates at a local party and later at school. 

The film progresses and suddenly those close to Melanie start to meet with a dark fate. They are being murdered, and not just by a “usual” suspect. In the case of the film, it’s someone in a conductor’s uniform.

The cast included some notable names, including those of Sally Kirkland, Lou Diamond Phillips, and character actor Geoffry Lewis.

I should add that Fingerprints was not a film made by a major motion picture company. It does have that independent film feeling to it, but is an enjoyable movie. I’m sure some may compare it to a form of the popular teen slasher genre films around that time. Those who like the type of films based on an Urban Legend will enjoy it. There is also the suspense and drama that comes along from this film which was directed by Harry Basil.

by Knightmist

Dog Soldiers (2002)

The name Dog Soldiers does not have you picture a horror movie. Instead, you may think of a Disney film where they have dogs saving the day. Another option is you may picture a film like Valiant where we get to see the struggles of carrier pigeons. A possible thought is you think of a group of dogs that band together to save their neighborhood tree and are led by a retired police dog. If you even think ANY of these then you would be sadly mistaken.

Dog Soldiers is a plain and simple action horror film brought to us by the director behind Doomsday (Neil Marshall) and The Decent. This film has a rather simple plot. The story revolves around a small squad of British regular army who are sent into a wooded area to work with a Special Forces group on a training exercise.

The main character, who is named Cooper (Kevin McKidd), we are shown had a run-in with the Commander of this special forces unit during a training exercise, months previous and had been washed out. This conflict comes in as the movie progresses as Captain Ryan (Liam Cunningham) is the only one to survive a massacre of the Special Forces squad. As the group works to retreat to a safe location one soldier is killed, and Sergeant Wells (Sean Pertwee) is attacked.

As the team continues to retreat they come across a zoologist named Megan (Emma Cleasby). She is able to lead the survivors to a remote cabin. Things get worse as night falls as the cabin becomes surrounded by more than one potential assailant outside of the building.

The movie moves quickly and I have to admit the look of the werewolves when finally seen is great. They did an awesome job on the makeup and design of the creatures. The one thing I really enjoyed is how they allowed the werewolves to have a brain. There was more of one of them and they showed how they would hunt as a pack and used their intelligence when hunting the soldiers.

There are some surprising twists in the film and there is one scene that is blatantly obvious to this movie fan as a throwback to the movie Zulu. There is a comment by one soldier on how it’s so much like an experience that happened to the British Army back during the time of the Zulu. During this battle, several men are trapped at a lone outpost surrounded by thousands of Zulu warriors. This is an actual battle from the British Army History and the way it was referenced in the film was great for this movie buff.

An additional piece that got me in this film is one of the soldiers who has a name well-known to Horror Fans. The name of the character just happens to be Bruce Campbell, and yes it’s just a character name, but if not the perfect one for a Horror film.

I will say the movie does have a somewhat typical ending but the movie itself is well worth a rental in my humble opinion. I say this especially if you’re a fan of Lycans especially ones that are designed so convincingly. I will add this last bit about one of the chilling moments in the film. This moment comes when those remaining realize the werewolves have been let in the house and we see them slowly come into view ready to strike.

by Knightmist

The Stuff (1985)

The Stuff is a Horror Film that came out in 1985 and has quite an impressive cast.  The film has Garrett Morris, Paul Sorvino, Michael Moriarty, Danny Aiello, and many other actors many horror fans will recognize.  The cast alone is just one reason to watch The Stuff due to the large ensemble.

However, who likes to see a movie just for the cast.  The Stuff is a classic B-Movie from the 1980s error of Horror films that combined not only a fright but satiric comedy. 

The Stuff starts out with a white substance found within a mine.  After tasting the substance it is found to be quite tasty and practically overnight it becomes the next mega commercial product.  Everywhere people look The Stuff is being sold.  This however does not sit well with those in the ice cream industry as sales began to suffer.  They turn to private investigator David “Mo” Rutherford (Moriarty) to find out the secret to the product.  Rutherford eventually finds out what the Stuff is and begins to take aims to stop it.

Along the way, others begin to find out what the Stuff is doing. We find people being mutated, killed, and in one comedic scene chased around a bed.  The film does a great job of tossing in scares along with many pieces of humor.  A young boy tossing a supermarket, Colonel Malcolm Grommett (Sorvino) adds additional humor through his actions.  Of course, the fact you have Saturday Night Live alum Garrett Morris in the film can guarantee some great comedic scenes.  Of course, some of the best moments can be found in the television commercials for The Stuff.  These commercials include the Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef” woman along with Abe Vigoda, and Actress Brooke Adams.

The Stuff is a film that will leave Horror Fans not only laughing but at times jumping from their seats.  The film is just a pure joy to watch and although the film is outdated by today’s standards it is still a great fun and enjoyable thrill ride.  Those who are fans of A Nightmare on Elm Street may even find themselves doing a double take as they watch the film.  There is a scene in this film that uses a set piece from Nightmare.  It is of course up to the viewers to see if they can find this connection. 

by Knightmist

The Burrowers (2008)

In the Wild West of the early United States, in what was known as “The Dakota Territories” a family is found dead.  During that period of our history, the first assumption was that the murder of the family had to be caused by the Native Americans.  Unfortunately for those involved, they are going to find out they are far from the truth.

The Burrowers opens with a Coffey (Karl Geary) returning from a trip and upon arriving home he finds a slaughter and there is no sign of his girl.   Upon finding that others are also missing he gets a posse together to find them and get them back.  Coffey believes the atrocity was caused by Indians and will do anything he can to get her back and kill those involved.

As Coffey and his posse try and search out those missing they begin to come across others out in these wild opened spaces.  The men come across the United States Cavalry, Indians and as the movie progresses they eventually come across a surprise just buried under the topsoil of the open planes.  What they find is a woman who has been buried alive and eventually, we will find out what has put her there, and why.

What makes The Burrowers a unique film is the way the director, J.T. Perry, combined two well-known film genres into a great movie.  Perry does a great job at setting the movie up and making it believable that the film took place in the late 1800s.  We find all the conflicts of that era taking place within the film.  You have the Native Americans trying to hold onto their lands.  Settlers moving westward setting up homes and trying to make a home for themselves.  Then we have the Cavalry whose job is to protect the settlers and at times take their job a bit too seriously as we find out in the film.

Then we move from this Western motive to the horror aspect of the film.  This aspect is heightened by the wide open spaces, the dark night found upon the open plane with only the moon and fire to cast light.  Then of course there are the noises in this dark and sudden movement that will have some viewers jumping in their seats.  Lastly, there are the creatures that were behind the disappearance of the settler family and the abduction of Coffey’s girl.  These creatures are learning to adapt to a changing world and having lost one food source has moved onto another.

The Burrowers is a film that many should find appealing to watch.  It should find viewers who like either movie genre or fans of both will not be disappointed.  The film slowly builds the suspense and when things get interesting and quicker-paced you will not feel disappointed.  This straight-to-DVD release would have played well in theatres and hopefully will play well in your homes.

by Knightmist

Fido (2006)

I hadn’t heard of the film Fido, and after some searching, I was finally able to find the film. I sat down and watched the movie and was pleasantly surprised. Fido is a surprisingly well-made film and the idea behind the film is also something interesting and not too far out of the zombie cliché world.

The town of Willard is like many 1940/1950s types of towns. You have beautiful homes, green lush lawns, a gorgeous city park, and zombies. (Insert the sound of breaks squealing to a stop).

Did I say, err type the word, ZOMBIES?? Yes, Yes I did the town of Willard and the world in which this film takes place had the Great Zombie War. It wasn’t till the genius Dr. Geiger determined that the only way to kill a zombie was to shoot them in the head is when humanity started winning the war. The great Doctor takes it one step further and develops control collars that allow the Zombies to interact with people and curb their hunger for human flesh.

We are introduced to those wonderful facts through a News Reel type of movie that plays before we get into the meat of the movie. If you’ve ever seen any of those old Atomic Bomb movies where people are told to “duck and cover” imagine that if you will. The way this film is done and spliced with some vintage WW2 film footage was quite intriguing. It was also a great way to introduce us to the world that Willard is in.

I will also say that this movie is your typical feel-good family movie where a boy falls in love with his Zombie, or I mean pet. Fido, the zombie his mother gets, becomes a family member much like a dog would in the old shows like Lassie. The fact that Timmy consistently says things like “Fetch boy”, “Good boy”, or in one scene, “I knew you wouldn’t eat me, boy.”

One of my favorite comedic moments is when Fido comes home and Timmy’s mother asks where Timmy is and Fido lets out a whine and wants her to follow him. I had a laugh-out-loud moment when I thought back to all those Lassie jokes where a dog barks and people would ask, “Where’s Timmy boy?”.  Some readers of a younger generation may need to do an internet search on Lassie.

The film also has some other small comedic pieces to help move the movie and plot along. You get to watch the zombies do everything in the town from assisting the milkman to delivering the local paper.

The movie does a great job of making you feel like one is sent back to the 1950’s as I mentioned before. I want to add to that point as there was some great use of automobiles in the film and even cars with those HUGE white wall tires. Also, the fact that Timmy’s mother felt she needed a Zombie to keep up with the neighbors as they were the only family without one.

Now, the movie isn’t all just laughs as there is some drama behind the movie. Timmy’s father for example has a zombie phobia because his 1 kill during the Zombie War was a family member. We also see poor Timmy stuck with a father who really doesn’t know how to relate to him and would rather be golfing. Of course, there are other protagonists such as 2 local bullies, and an old lady neighbor who gives Timmy the riot act for not putting his bike away. Also, in many pet/child movies, something happens to Fido where Timmy must rescue him.

Overall, I was pleasantly really surprised by this film and would highly recommend the film to others. The cast has some well-known actors/actresses such as Carrie-Ann Moss playing Timmy’s mother. Fido is played by comedian Billy Connolly, who played Uncle Monty in Lemony Snickets and was in a great film called Mrs. Brown. The young boy, K’Sun Ray (AKA Kesun Loder), did an amazing job considering this was his first movie role according to IMDB.com.

So if you’re in the mood for a light-hearted movie with a bit of zombies go out and find this movie, or add it to your appropriate streaming service queue. This film actually is low enough on the blood and gore I’d recommend it as an overall family film. Just keep one thing in mind when doing this: it is a zombie film and you must have your flesh-eating and shots to the head.

by Knightmist

Phantasm (1979)

Phantasm was originally filmed and produced in 1977 but did not come out into theatres in 1979.  An interesting tidbit about the film was that it was rather close to having an X-rating.  After you view the film you have to ask yourself for what reason but I will give you a small hint.  It’s not because of the very brief bit of nudity.  I’ll just say to watch the film closely and I’m sure you will get the point when it you’ll strike yourself in the forehead.

The plot of Phantasm is like so many other horror films simple with a bit of twists and turns.  No one in the cast will stand out to others, but Angus Scrimm does a great job as the character, “The Tall Man”.  The film follows 2 brothers as they deal with the death of their parents.  Jody Pearson is the older brother who must care for his younger brother Mike.  They live in a town that has a rather high mortality rate due to mysterious causes.  We then get to follow the brothers Pearson and later an Ice Cream salesman friend Peter as they track down what is going on.

The film’s look and music fits very well with the film’s overall theme.  It’s hard not to get pulled into the action and events taking place in the film as you sit and watch as events unfold.   There are little creatures in the film that get into some mischievous trouble and as the film goes on what exactly they are. 

The film however is stolen by Angus Scrimm’s portrayal of the mortician, “The Tall Man”.  This is a pivotal character and has to be one of the baddest villains seen in films during this period.  The character does not say much but his presence is felt whenever he is on the screen.  The sheer look of the character along with the great use of a close-up on his face can give you a nice chill.

The film has been out since 1979 and has been a hidden gem and a cult classic ever since it first debuted. The film has spawned several sequels and surely has made Angus a cult classic fan.  The movie’s dialogue and script are nothing to, pardon the pun, “write home about”.  However, the film is just simple total fun.  It has enough to keep any fan interested and those who are not fans of horror will enjoy this film due to its lack of gore. 

This is a film I’d certainly say get your hands on and have a popcorn movie night with your best friend or significant other.  The brief nudity is nothing out of the ordinary for your PG-13 films that are shown in theatres today.  Again as you watch this film you have to wonder WHY would they consider an X-Rating for this movie.  I’ll just finish seeing this film and enjoy it for what it is, a great classic horror film. There are obvious reasons Phantasm generated several sequels, and the reason Horror has got “balls”

by Knightmist

Halloween 2023-What’s Coming

As the time for Halloween, 2023, is quickly approaching, I will take some time away from reviews, or personal posting, and post some past movie reviews.

I wrote the reviews many years back for another blog and went through many of these older reviews to see if they are available for streaming.  If you wish to find out if a film is available to stream online, suggest the website Justwatch. I have to say after coming across this site on a web search I will regularly check out a title I am looking for. This has saved a lot of time of needing to go to a streamer to find the movie I was looking to watch.

Below, in no specific order on the movies that will see a review posted for them. The list is older films and some that seem to have been forgotten by some horror fans.  I hope those who find these will enjoy them.

As always, my reviews provide information that I hope will get you interested in the movie. I avoid spoilers, and will not state what I did not like. The point is to go as open-minded as you can from my review.

  • Dog Soldiers (2002)
  • Fido (2006)
  • Fingerprints (2006)
  • Phantasm (1979)
  • The Burrowers (2008)
  • The Stuff (1985)
by Knightmist

Guns, Rations, Rigs and the Undead: Book 1 (The Undead Survivor Series) by K.E. Radke

There has been a growing concern amongst a group of individuals within the United States of a global disaster would cripple the governments of the world. These individuals have been around for decades, and are known to many as Preppers. Their name comes from the fact they are preparing for the inevitable end of civilization for a multitude of reasonings.

Author K.E Radke will bring the reader into the world of one such prepper named, Lincoln. As you read the book, Guns, Rations, Rigs and the Undead Book 1 (The Undead Survivor Series). I’ll add this point that with the title including the words “Zombie”, it is more of an adult-orientated book. There is plenty of gore and even some sexual references within this story. This is just a note for those who may be a bit squeamish and not a fan of such subject material. Granted, did I already mention the fact that there are zombies within the pages, of course not literally.

The interesting thing about the book is how Lincoln goes from being the man on the block that no one paid attention to, to a potential savior. It’s partiality due to the fact that Lincoln is your typical prepper doing his best not to form any friendships with those around him. The reasoning is you prepare enough supplies to ensure you are safe when the crap hits the fan. You do not want to be responsible for additional people and best not to have people knowing all that you have in your home.

Lincoln even goes as far as to pick small Desarillo, Texas, as his home ensuring that his house gives him full access to view what is happening on his street. He takes care to even add some security to his home to make it harder for his neighbors, and others, to break into his home. He believes that all this work is making him ready for whatever disaster brings down the government and civilization as he knows it.

Lincoln does like many other preppers and connects with a network of like-minded individuals and this is why he has a sense something is coming. It gives a reason why those neighbors who never paid him any attention suddenly show up at his front yard looking for help. It is at this time the reader gets a sense of just how much he has been cut off from those around him as he reminds them all during a moment of tense discussion.

As things start to go sideways, and Elvis, shows up on the block Lincoln may start to show a bit of a gap in his armor. There are moments in the story where we find him connecting with others and even helping some of those neighbors. As I’m sure many will correctly guess, these events will open up some strong and life-threatening moments. They will also lead to some gore as well; did I now already mention Zombies?

The story is well-developed by author K.E. Radke. There are supporting characters within the pages you find yourself routing to survive. There are also those that you find yourself just hoping will find themselves at the end of the jaws of one of those zombies. There is no one safe within the pages of the book. There are relationships that happen within the pages that you feel may just be right and you want to see continue, but yeah zombies.

There are bits of comedy within the pages as well and those moments help to balance all the serious actions that take place in the book. There is just a great balance, that keeps the pacing of the story moving along. If I had anything on the side of a complaint that will be something some readers pick up on as well. Yet, for the story to move along at the right pace and storyline it’s needed. The point I have an issue with is just how much Lincoln does move from some of the strict rules of being a Prepper. However, it is a sign of his humanity that comes out from the man no one wanted to see as their neighbor.

by Knightmist

Donation by Karen A. Wyle

Author Karen A Wyle is one that has the ability to find ways to take a current issue, even rip it from headlines, and create something thoroughly thought-provoking. She has accomplished this in several of the books I have read and does so again in her title, Donation.

The book takes the reader into an alternate society where one wonders if science may have found a way to make abortions needless. As readers discover technology in this society has made it possible to create an artificial uterus that is able to raise a fetus to a child. Something that could seem amazing in the eyes of some individuals in today’s world, but at the same time something truly disgusting.

In the case of the book, there are many ethical questions that will be asked. The primary reasoning that I found is the fact that the decision on what to do with the unwanted fetus is left to a bureaucratic government agency. Those wanting children can go through an adoption process, and in the book, a couple is helped along in that process. However, as some have found employees of these agencies can be a bit zealous, and in the case of Paloma, she just may be. She is a woman who feels she is doing the right thing for these fetuses, and later children. She wishes to ensure they get proper placement and will do what she can to assist, or the opposite.

There is then the case of those who want to adopt a child. As we find out it is not very easy within the pages of the book as a couple named Adam and Grace. They are informed of a child that may become theirs, but as seen in today’s real-world things are not that easy where the government is involved. As we read on within the pages of the book there will be other things that come to light that will make Poloma even question her work.

The other person involved in this affair is the woman that give up her child to the government agency. There of course those who do it willingly with no questions asked, or even concern for what they are giving up. However, there will likely be women like Toni who give their children up but later change their minds.

This is just a bit of the back story of some of the characters involved within the pages of Donation. There is much more to the story as the reader will find themselves getting involved with the well-written and developed characters. Readers may find themselves like me, questioning what is happening, and whom do you wish to route for as the story unfolds. At the same time considering the division around abortion, and its legality, is this something that should even be attempted? Is this an option the world needs?

This is what I find interesting about Karen A Wyle’s books is her ability to bring up questions on a current topic. She creates the ability for a reader to question not just what one may believe but asks questions that may not have been even considered.

What the book Donation does very well is to give a reader one possibility on a solution around abortion. At the same time, the book brings up potential questions around the involvement of such technology and is the government the right one to be in control of the whole thing. It then brings up questions of the female, donor, and those looking to adopt. The book does its best to look at many angles within the pages. So, to me, this is a piece of science fiction, but at the same time, it’s thought-provoking. Something I hope people will discover and give the book a chance.

by Knightmist

Why did I stop?

I’ll start this post out with an apology, not so much to followers, but more to myself. As I looked it has been some time since I took the time to let my energies bring me to writing. I have no real idea why, but just some theories. The fact of the matter is I missed it and kept telling myself I need to make time to write, to let my imagination go, and to use the writing as self-therapy. I used the word therapy, and really, I’m not sure why other than writing is something that brings me joy.

I do also have one more apology here, as this is just me putting my fingers on the keyboard and doing the dance to create words. What comes out of this may likely be very freeing, and all over the place as I write this LONG overdue post. In truth, if I try to have an apology that needs to be written it is to the authors whose books I have to review. It’s to those authors that I owe the most severe of apologies.

I have looked back on the past year since I last posted and I try to think of what created this delay. It wasn’t the lack of time, as I could have made that easy enough. It wasn’t the lack of imagination or wanting to write at all. I’m sure wasn’t the sudden and untimely passing of my mother at the beginning of June 2022.

Regarding my mother, she surely was a unique woman who touched many lives. She was a retired teacher and still played the organ at the small church she attended. She was playing up to a few weeks before her passing. She was what I also call a Facebook addict as she did spend a lot of time on social media but in a good way. She would often post replies and comments on the posts of her friends, and family. It was a way for her to keep in contact with people and I know many have missed those comments from her. It’s due to that knowledge, and the lives she touched, that I realize she will live on in the memories of so many.

As I wrote those words about her, I can recall how she would complain when she could not see my social media posts and missed my blog posts. She’d always provide me with some constructive feedback on if she liked what I had written. There were times she would read a book review and ask me if I could find her a copy. I can still recall how an author was so kind to even send her a copy of their book for her to read. She preferred the physical version over reading on a device.

It is why yet again, I ask myself, why did I stop writing?

I took a moment to drink some water and continued to think if I had an answer.

I know that my ever-present internal demon, Multiple Sclerosis, has been under control. I have not had any major flair-ups, and issues over the period. I have even been able to stop glowing in the dark (insert laugh) as I had no need for an MRI for the past two years. This meant no injections of contrast in my body to ensure the MRI scan caught everything in the brain. Now, before anyone gets too concerned, no the dye injection wasn’t creating me to glow in the dark. However, when I stated that to my neurologist, she sure got a major laugh out of it.

So, again, why did I stop writing?

I have no real good response to that. As I let my find float and type these words, I have hundreds of thoughts popping into my mind. The mind that will not always go to sleep when it’s time for bed and keeps me awake continuing to think. The mind does not always want to shut down when it should. Is that a reason I ask? Nope, if anything it has been providing me with many ideas. I just have not put them down in any form. Who knows, I may have had enough to write my first book, but will never know.

I can say if there is anything I turn a bit to the bit of empath that I feel I am. What do I mean? I get the sense at times I can tell a bit about how someone else is feeling. It hits when someone is feeling down and depressed. I can say that it is not major but I can get that feeling from just reading some posts on social media, even for those who are trying to hide feelings. I get it from my loved ones as well, and thankfully it’s not so bad that I feel I should try and get a TV gig working in haunted places.

So, as I have been writing I am getting a bit more of a sense of things. I can only blame myself for being a caring person who keeps much of things hidden and to myself. I stopped being a person who would share my feelings with others. I can’t say that during those formative years of High School, I was bullied, but I did feel like an outcast. I know of a few times I’d get told this or that person like me only to find out it was a joke being played on me. I can say I was never the class stud, and I was fine with that. I was a geek, worked at the local radio station, read comic books, and kept to myself. I did not drink, did not smoke, and often kept to myself or a small core of people. I can say I trusted people and when things came back to bite me on my backside I closed up like so many and just kept things to myself. It’s likely why I do not keep in touch with anyone from those years, or college. Granted I won’t push blame at others as it was my hangups and not wanting to give more potential ammunition for the whispers and jokes.

Wow, I just unloaded a bit of internal conflict there, but back to what that all plays into the writing. I believe it is the fact that over the past few years, there has been so much going on in my sphere of the world and larger. The biggest being the pandemic known as Covid and all that came from that, which I won’t get into. The other factor is that I believe I was afraid to put my words out there and potentially offend someone and get “canceled”. I got to say that, I know that fear has me re-reading social media posts before posting.

So, here I am at a point I feel I can finish this posting and get it out there for people to see. I still have no true reason for why I stopped writing. There are just too many factors that likely grouped together that created me from stopping to express myself and doing something I enjoy. I thus feel that I need to get myself back into the groove of writing again. I have books to write reviews for, short stories to write, and share more about life and MS. It’s that time for me to re-introduce my writings to the web in the hopes that maybe someone will find them interesting, helpful, funny, and just maybe inspirational.

by Knightmist