Saturday is Horror Day #3 - The Hamiltons, Bad Match, Dog Soldiers

The Hamiltons is a 2006 horror film written and directed by the Butcher Brothers, aka Mitchell Altieri and

Phil Flores. Following the unexpected death of their parents, four siblings are left to fend for themselves the best way they can. As a result, they constantly move from place to place, never staying too long in any one location. That's for the best, for they can't afford to let anyone discover their family secret.

David is the oldest. He works outside the home. After him are the twins, Wendell and Darlene, who give new meaning to the idea of twinship. Francis is the youngest, a teenager still in school. He hates the constant moving, and he hates what they are. He doesn't want to be like them, not for anything.

Wendell meets two young women who are traveling across the country for fun. Which, of course, makes them perfect targets as no one will realize they're missing for a long time. Wendell brings them home for a little taste of Hamilton hospitality. A terrified Dani can't help but wonder what is hidden behind that locked door. The sounds that come from there are horrific...

The Hamiltons is a slightly different twist on a familiar theme. The sensitive Francis videos every chance he gets. One wonders what he intends to do with all this footage, if anything.  I didn't guess the Hamiltons' secret until close to the end. It's not what I would call a great film, but I've seen worse. The acting is half-way decent, if not exactly stellar. The writing holds its own. All in all it's an interesting hour and a half. I might give it 2 1/2 or 3 stars, somewhere in there. I have to admit I did focus on the scenes with the twins, which were a little intense.

The Hamiltons gives family dining a whole new meaning...

Just found out there's a sequel, The Thompsons. Will Review that once I get it and watch it.

Bad Match (2017)

Harris (Jack Cutmore-Scott) is a real love-em-and-leave-em kind of guy. As he explains his philosophy

to his friend Chuck, the more he swipes right on the dating app (which I assume is meant to be Tinder), the greater likelihood he'll end up with a date. Good ol' Harris stands for one and done. Beyond a lot of sex, he has no use for his conquests, and invariably sneaks out in the middle of the night. What he really enjoys is playing online games and making fun of the teenager he plays with.

Enter Riley. Riley is one of Harris' conquests. The difference is she wants more than he is willing to give. And she doesn't seem to understand that he is rejecting her. It's not that he deliberately tries to hurt the women he sleeps with, but Harris just doesn't care enough to get involved.

When Riley won't leave him alone, he doesn't know what to do to get her out of his life, so resorts to cruelty. But when she mentions suicide, he reluctantly steps in. And finally she gets the picture.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

And now bad things are happening to Harris. This isn't funny any more. How the hell is he going to get out of this mess?

This is basically a one-note film about a guy who is a player and the girl he hurt who wants him to feel her pain. Yeah, we get it. Harris is a bad boy and he shouldn't use women like that. But how far should someone who's been hurt be willing to go to make her point? The film is just under an hour and a half and builds up to an unexpected twist. Even so, the reveal isn't enough to save this film from being less than stellar. I'll give it 2.5 stars and call it a day.

My final review for today is for a 2002 film called Dog Soldiers

Private Cooper (Kevin McKidd, Rome) is a soldier trying to get on with an elite group of soldiers led

by Captain Ryan (Liam Cunningham, Davos of Game of Thrones). But when he refuses to shoot a dog on command, he finds himself assigned to Sergeant Wells (Sean Pertwood, Alfred Pennyworth of Gotham) instead. Wells and his men are assigned to participate in war games in a remote wooded area, far from anywhere. The soldiers swap stories, such as the one about the couple who were killed in this area, and the condition in which they were found. 

The men begin to hear unnerving noises in the middle of the night, something that sounds inhuman or otherworldly. When they come across the slaughtered remains of another troop, they realize something is not right here. In the midst of the dead, they find Captain Ryan, who is injured and not quite right

Something is in the woods, and it's preying on the soldiers. Momentarily rescued by a young woman, they hole up in a nearby farmhouse. If they can stay alive until dawn, they might have a chance of coming out of this alive.

I'd heard about this film a long time ago, just didn't get around to watching it until now. I liked it, even if I was spoiled for it long ago. The story is different, and well-written, the acting good. I especially like the main characters, Pertwee, McKidd, and Cunningham. Be aware that there is a lot of blood and gore, so this might not be for the faint-hearted. It's a unique take on an old monster story, and it's not without its twists and turns.

I would give this a solid four stars. It's well worth the watch.

Thanksgiving in March - and why you shouldn't sweat reviews, or get excited

No, I haven't taken leave of my senses, although I'm sure there are some who would argue that point. I'm making Thanksgiving dinner today, not to celebrate the actual holiday per se, but because my son Michael is home for a week, from Hawaii, and it's my chance to do it. The reason he's home isn't a happy one. He received emergency leave because his father is in the hospital, and they had to amputate his foot. But I'm very happy he's here.

Life is full of mixed blessings that way. The good with the bad. No one is immune from either. So you have a choice - you can sit around crying about the bad, and not appreciating the good, or you can make the most of any situation. For example, maybe his father lost a limb, but he still has his life. There's a lot you can do missing a part of yourself, not so much when you're dead. Yes, it's all part of my take those lemons and make lemonade philosophy.

Sure, the unknown is scary. Worrying about how you're going to survive without money. Wondering where that money is going to come from. Worrying about your kids and how they're going to make it in a world that seems to be going to hell. But making yourself sick about it doesn't do anyone any good, least of all yourself.

Some people are fortunate to have families that are supportive and loving, but not everyone has that. Family doesn't have to be blood. Family is about what's in your heart. Some families have no heart. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do or how hard  you try, they're not there. There's no use in beating yourself up over it. Love the ones you can. Life's too short to spend it being upset over what you can't change.

I count my blessings in the four children that love me, and mourn the fifth who wants nothing to do with me.  So today, I'm having Thanksgiving, and counting my blessings all over again. Of course, the big meal isn't necessary, but  it's nice, and I enjoy cooking, especially for my family.



Now, on to reviews.

Everyone likes to boast when they get a good one. Some cry when they get bad ones, or get angry and gnash their teeth, and swear that the reviewers are out to get them or something. But I have to tell you this - reviews don't really mean shit. Good or bad. They're one person's opinion. And I hate to tell you, they can be biased, either for or against the author, the publisher, the subject matter - any of a number of the ingredients that go to make up your book. Don't judge a book by a review, but use it as a guideline. I never read reviews before I choose to pick up a book - I look at the cover, read the blurb, and go inside to get an idea of the writer's voice and style. Some people are paid to give reviews, while others wouldn't give you a good one if you write the number one bestseller of all time, just because that's how they are.

Same with review sites. Some are scathing and vicious and in love with the sound of their own voices. Who cares what they think? Other than the ass-kissers who follow what they say, lemming-like, and think they're the end-all and be-all of literary knowledge. They aren't. Neither am I, and I'm a reviewer. I don't even pretend to be the best reviewer out there, and I'm certainly not the worst. Do I cushion my reviews? Maybe to the point where I'm not as scathing as I could be, sure. But what purpose does that serve? You can get your point across in other ways without deliberately hurting someone's feelings.

One of the worst places for looking at reviews is Good Reads, because there are a lot of vicious people there who'll give you a low rating just because they can, or because they don't like you. I had someone put me on their authors behaving badly shelves. What the hell does that even mean? In this case, it means I voiced an opinion on someone else's review. So I guess this person thinks authors should not do that. Oh well, I don't give a fuck. Last time I checked, I still live in America, and at least for right now, I have freedom of speech. Your placing me on your shelf doesn't affect a damn thing, just makes you look stupid. Of course, you didn't need my help for that.

But the same thing goes for good reviews too, no matter how you trot them out and wave them around and yell look what I got. There are reviewers out there who kiss ass too. And the good means little more than the bad, except for being an ego booster.

So, how can you benefit from a review? Well, when you talk to your friends and ask them their opinions on books and movies, how do you know which ones to listen to, and which have suspect taste? Because you know whose tastes are similar to yours, so you're more likely to listen. If you think your friend has good judgment and discerning taste, then let that be your guide. Not XYZ reviewer who tells you the sun rises and sets on this author. Check it out for yourself before you put down good money for anything.

I'm not saying don't be happy over good reviews, certainly not. They are a boost to the ego, to know that someone likes what you did. And all authors need that boost, heaven knows. But don't take the bad ones too much to heart, or get cocky over the good ones. Most people won't tell you what they think, even if they like it. That's why they're the silent majority.

The first person you have to please is yourself. The rest is gravy.

I have a pie in the oven, a mashed potato casserole in the fridge, and later I'll be making pumpking bread, sausage stuffing and the turkey! I'd invite you all to join us if I could!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie