Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Author Lataeya Lane movie reviews’

Knock at the Cabin Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

by LaTaeya Lane

Warning: Mild Spoilers

Knock at the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Dave Bautista, Johnathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Kristen Cui, and Rupert Grint, tells the story of a family vacationing in a remote cabin when their trip turns into a deadly hostage situation.

The film opens with thrills and chills as we see a young Wen, portrayed by the talented Kristen Cui catching grasshoppers when suddenly a stranger approaches and attempts to befriend her. The child’s innocent nature is cautiously aware as she engages with the man. However, she is quickly alarmed by his intentions and retreats inside the cabin to tell her parents something is wrong.

The sound of a mysterious knock on the front door begins a chain of events that will change each character’s life.

Knock at the Cabin is a fascinating and thrilling film that will get the moviegoer to think about the fate of humanity and will challenge most people’s beliefs. Horror fans have seen elements of this type of movie before. The difference between this film and many others within the genre is that the definition and meaning of sacrifice are scarier than people realize. You can’t help but feel empathy and compassion for the family as they endure the brutality of their life-altering experience.

The Protagonists in the film were a good casting match. The chemistry they shared on-screen worked well and felt authentic. Kristen was the star of this film. She did a great job with her character portrayal and was a memorable presence on screen.

The Antagonists in the film were four individuals whose only connection was the event they set in motion. Their on-screen relationships and back story reflected their lack of connection. The lead antagonist, Lenard, portrayed by Dave Bautista, had several layers to his character. He had the most connection with Wen, as their interactions were powerful yet demanding.

The film concept created a space for deeper thinking and questioning the possibility of “what if.”

Overall, this film was thrilling and worth a trip to the movies.

I gave this movie 3 stars.

L.L.

Check out the trailer below:

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Nope (Review)

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Warning: Mild Spoilers Below

Nope, written and directed by Jordan Peele and starring Daniel Kaluuya (OJ Haywood), Keke Palmer (Emerald Haywood), and Steven Yeun (Ricky Park) follows a family and small California Ranch community as they experience and attempt to document a series of strange phenomena linked to an extraterrestrial probe that is connected to the sudden death of siblings OJ and Emerald’s father.

This Sci-Fi Horror is the summer blockbuster of the year. It was so exciting to experience this film in IMAX. For fans that believe in the Ancient Alien Astronaut Theory, this is the film we have been waiting years to see. The story was very well written and uniquely presented.  Filled with subject matter that Sci-Fi moviegoers are familiar with, however, the level at which this was brought to life was moving, and eye-catching. Daniel’s character performance showed a humbled strength that transformed and elevated every scene. Keke’s performance created a balance among the onscreen family dynamic and Steven Yeun’s character portrayal (Ricky Park) gave filmgoers the invitation to think and ask deep questions about the character’s traumatic past while connecting the elements of his story with the story of OJ and Emerald. The elements of horror were prevalent in certain parts of the film. There are some scary moments that will make you almost jump out of your seat.

The setting was structured well, and the plot had a special backstory intertwined within that gave fans an acknowledgment of great respect. The film’s visual effects and score were magical. All the components were blended to create a cinematic masterpiece. Nope is a movie that will open the door to a world of possibilities.  It is a great film that will give you the means to live in the moment while escaping into a world where the existence of aliens is no longer a secret conversation, and their presence is no longer part of the dark shadows of conspiracy theories. Nope…

I gave this movie 5 stars! It is worth seeing again..

L.L.

Please check out the trailer below:

Read Full Post »

SpiderMan Far From Home Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, New Movie reviews, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 11, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Marvel’s Spiderman Far From Home, starring Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal tells the story of how a young Peter Parker and the world learns how to pick up the pieces of life without Ironman aka Tony Stark. Eager to go on a class trip to Europe, Peter plans to start living a normal life and finally decides to tell Mary Jane how he feels in hopes of inviting her to a romantic evening at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. His plans are quickly interrupted when he learns an evil villain has manifested halfway across the world to get Spiderman’s attention. Despite Peter’s efforts to ignore his calling from the legendary Nick Fury, Peter believes there is no chance to resurrect the once and thriving Avengers. A message sent by Tony put’s Peter’s life back in perspective, only for him to once again realize that it is still in his destiny to carry on Tony’s Heroic Legacy.

Spiderman Far From Home is an adventure thrill ride that brings forth the dawn of a new age of the Marvel comic films, while respectively giving fans closure for the loss of Ironman. It honors his heroism while still giving Spiderman the recognition he deserves to step in to be one of the sincerest heroes ever brought to life. The cast was great, and this movie returned the cinematic form of Spiderman into the beloved character we have loved in the comics for decades. Tom is a great Spiderman; this role was meant for him. Spiderman Far From Home is a great Midsummer Blockbuster film that fans will love. The humor, action, and the introduction of Mysterio was a breath of fresh air to the franchise.

I give this movie 5 stars, a rating that is deserving of a 21st century Marvel film.

L.L.

Check out the Trailer Below:

Read Full Post »

The Cabin in the Woods Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 The Lionsgate production, The Cabin in the Woods directed by Drew Goddard and starring a cast of relative unknowns follows a group of five college kids on a trip.  The kids intent for a fun weekend filled with booze, sex and drug usage is cut short when two of them are attacked during a moment when they believe they are alone.  Attacked by flesh-eating zombies, their traumatic ordeal and experiences in the cabin are being filmed in real-time.  Every step they make is monitored and controlled by some kind of high functioning underground operation.   From the very beginning,  starting with their encounter with the stranger on the road, to the discovery of a torture chamber in the basement,  and the moment leading up to the initial attack prompts the movie to go  in so many different directions.  The movie simultaneously follows what is happening to the college kids and the adults responsible for their demise.  Strangely they take up bets, and route for their favorite.  In the end no one is to survive this experience.

After running and making attempts to protect and save themselves the kids die one by one with only  two to survive.  Dana and Marty aka the virgin and the fool end up underground in the official facility that has control over everything.  They learn that for some reason they are ones that have to die, in order to save the world from destruction.  At this point this is where the movie looses me completely.  The Sci Fi horror legend Sigourney Weaver makes a cameo appearance in the movie as The Director of the Facility.  She explains that their purpose is to offer up human blood to satisfy the gods, in order to save humanity.  Dana is then given the opportunity to rid the world of the fool so that the world has a chance to survive.

The hour and thirty minute flick is fast-moving but really does not stir anything in me.  The movie does keep you interested because the question of knowing who, why, how and when is always on your brain.  There were elements of 13 Ghosts, infused with Hostel, Stay Alive and Silent Hill in this movie.   The movie’s horror  intention was lost in its interpretation, even though there were some scary parts.  This movie was very hard to follow at times.  The acting was not impressive but the special effects and creature designs were very cool.  The make up effects for the zombies was also very interesting.  They didn’t appear to look like the traditional zombie but more, like a hybrid demonic creature with elements of  the classic zombie.  It was a refreshing twist on the creature.

Overall I give this movie three stars for cinematic effort and the attempts to being unique in its concept.

Happy Reading, Writing, and Creating!!

L.L.

Read Full Post »

%d bloggers like this: