JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Inner Demons Starring Lara Vosburgh, Morgan McClellan, Kate Whitney, Brian Flaherty Directed by Seth Grossman The Story: Carson Morris (Lara Vosburgh) used to be a straight-A student who memorized the Bible, but now is a drug addict who thinks she's possessed.  Her parents - religious Beth (Colleen McGrann) and former alcoholic Steve (Christopher Parker) enlist the help of an "Intervention" style reality show to hopefully rid Carson of her addiction, led by producer Suzanne Tully (Kate Whitney), cameraman Tim (Brian Flaherty), and newcomer Jason (Morgan McClellan). Their intervention leads Carson to accept treatment at a local detox center, but once she's off the drugs, things only turn worse, and it may turn out Carson was right - that she's really possessed by a demon.  However, the clinic, her parents, and the production crew don't believe it, except for Jason.  He tries to help her, but it might already be too late for them all. The Synopsi...

Contracted: Phase II Starring Matt Mercer, Marianna Palka, Morgan Peter Brown, Anna Lore Directed by Josh Forbes The Story: Picking up where the original left off, Riley (Matt Mercer) is beginning to experience symptoms of a deadly zombie virus after having sexual intercourse with carrier Samantha.  He searches for a cure as Detective Crystal Young (Marianna Palka) investigates the supposed Patient Zero, BJ (Morgan Peter Brown), who had sex with Samantha and infected her with the virus.  Meanwhile, BJ stalks Riley and his motive for why he's doing what he's doing slowly comes to light. The Synopsis: The first "Contracted" was an interesting film with an intriguing premise, but had a weak, unsympathetic female lead.  With "Phase II," the premise is gone, the mystery is solved, and the main character is just as unsympathetic (maybe even moreso) than the original. I'm not sure if this was originally supposed to be a trilogy ("Phase III...

Pod Starring Lauren Ashley Carter, Dean Cates, Brian Morvant, Lary Fessenden Directed by Mickey Keating The Story: Siblings Ed (Dean Cates), Lyla (Lauren Ashley Carter) and Martin (Brian Morvant) have buried their parents within the past year, and it's affected them in different ways.  Ed is a psychiatrist and a family man, Lyla is addicted to alcohol and drugs, and Martin was dishonorably discharged from the army and has suffered severe PTSD. Ed gets a message from Martin, and he seems to be in trouble.  He and Lyla travel to Martin's desolate cabin in the woods to find him living in squalor, ranting about government experiments and saying he's got a pod in the basement, a creature that followed him to the cabin and attacked him and his dog.  Ed doesn't believe him, and Lyla is on the fence.  Things escalate quickly as the real truth comes out, and threatens the lives of the siblings. The Synopsis: There are certain things wrong with "Pod,"  b...

2016 Oscar Predictions The Oscars are, to me, as big as the Super Bowl for others.  Yes, it's basically just rich people congratulating other rich people, but these rich people give us something amazing.  They use their talents to shine on the screen as well as behind the scenes, they give it their all, and they should be awarded for the work they do. Here is what and who I think will take Oscar gold this Sunday.  For some, I have absolutely no idea.  For others, I got a pretty good feeling. Short Film (Animated) Bear Story Prologue Sanjay's Super Team We Can't Live Without Cosmos World of Tomorrow This is one of those categories I have no clue about, as I have never heard of any of these short films, but by title alone I'll go with World of Tomorrow. Predicted Winner: World of Tomorrow  Short Film (Live Action) Ave Maria Day One Everything Will Be Okay Shok Shutterer Once again, no clue.  Going by cool title ...

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension Starring Chris Murray, Brit Shaw, Dan Gill, Ivy George Directed by Gregory Plotkin The Story: Ryan (Chris Murray), his wife Emily (Brit Shaw) and young daughter Leila (Ivy George) have just moved into a huge, expansive house.  His brother Mike (Dan Gill) and Emily's sister Skyler (Olivia Taylor Dudley) come to visit for the holidays, and Mike finds an old camera in a box, along with some VHS tapes. Ryan and Mike soon find out the camera has been rigged to be able to see what happens in the ghost dimension, and soon they begin to see a demon haunting the house - and Leila in particular.  She becomes distant and strange, and as they look through the old VHS tapes, they discover the house they're living in was the house built on the ground of a burned down house that Katie and Kristi, two girls raised in a cult, had lived in previously.  They learn the demon, named Toby, wants Leila and it was foretold decades before s...

The Witch Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw Directed by Robert Eggers The Story: In 1630, in a small Puritan town in New England, William (Ralph Ineson) is excommunicated from his village for raising concerns over how lackadaisical they are toward their religious beliefs.  He leaves the town with his wife Katherine (Kate Dickey), their teenage daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), young son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), young twins Mercy and Jonas, and baby Samuel.  Months pass, and the family has built a house and started a farm.  Things are going well until Thomasin watches baby Samuel, and he disappears after being swiped by an evil witch that lives in the woods.  The family is fraught with sadness and despair, and question their obedience to God and whether or not they're even following Him.  Meanwhile, Thomasin is considered a witch by Mercy, and the family begins suffering insurmountable losses, and the witch co...

Martyrs Starring Troian Bellisario, Bailey Noble, Caitlin Carmichael, Romy Rosemont Directed by Kevin & Michael Goetz The Story: Young Lucy manages to escape from a man who's been torturing her for years, but when the police go to investigate, they don't find anyone.  She is sent to an orphanage where young Anna befriends her, and they quickly become best friends.  All the while, Lucy is tormented by the monsters of her past, and Anna struggles with believing Lucy. Ten years later, Lucy supposedly tracks down the man responsible for her torture, and calls Anna so she can verify what really happened to her.  Anna arrives at the house to a gruesome sight, and it seems Lucy really has lost her mind - until Anna finds the hidden torture chamber in the basement.  Before they could escape, they're apprehended by members of a secret society who strive to learn the secrets of life after death - using Lucy as the ultimate martyr. The Synopsis: Back in 200...

Worst2First: My Top Ten Time Travel Movies Time travel has been a theme used in several movies, and whether you believe in forward time travel, backward time travel, wormhole travel, many-worlds interpretation, quantum entanglement, immutable/mutable timelines, parallel universes or any of the countless other time travel viewpoints, you can find a movie that matches your belief. After getting into a lengthy discussion about time travel with a fellow co-worker, I decided to produce my personal list of top ten time travel movies, Worst2First. **There will be no spoilers.** #10 Triangle A group of friends on a boating trip in the Atlantic jump to another ship after eerie weather conditions arise, and find themselves facing a killer and also dealing with severe cases of deja vu.  This is an excellent horror/thriller with a highly cerebral storyline starring Melissa George and one of the first films of Liam Hemsworth.  #9 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adven...

Sinister 2 Starring James Ransone, Shannyn Sossamon, Robert Daniel Sloan, Dartanian Sloan Directed by Ciaran Foy The Story: After the events of the first film, Deputy (James Ransone) is investigating other occurrences of the evil demonic spirit known as Bughuul, who manipulates young children to kill their families, film them, and take them away.  His recent investigation leads him to a seemingly abandoned farmhouse with a church in the backyard, but he finds that it's inhabited by Courtney (Shannyn Sossamon) and her young sons Dylan (Robert Daniel Sloan) and Zach (Dartanian Sloan).  They're on the run from Courtney's abusive husband, who has strong connections with law enforcement. As Deputy investigates the premises, Dylan is haunted by nightmares and the spirits of children who make him watch their snuff films, because it pleases Bughuul and makes him stronger.  They want Dylan to make his own movie, but Dylan is reluctant to do it, but that would make ...

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams Directed by Richard Marquand The Story: Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is captive of the evil Jabba the Hutt, and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) orchestrate a plan to free him.  Afterwards, Luke goes back to Dagobah to complete his training with Yoda, who tells him the truth about Darth Vader and that he has a sister.  Meanwhile, the Empire has begin work on a new Death Star, and Darth Vader and the Emperor plan the destruction of the Rebellion. The Synopsis: The original "Star Wars" series has revolutionized cinema, and created the modern day blockbuster.  Before these films, there weren't any huge effects movies on the big screen, and now they're everywhere.  "Return of the Jedi" serves as an adequate conclusion to George Lucas's epic space opera, filled with dramatic moments, dazzling special effects (for the ...

Deadpool Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, Brianna Hildebrand Directed by Tim Miller The Story: Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a mercenary for hire who falls in love with prostitute Vanessa (Morena Baccarin).  Their loving - albeit unconventional - relationship takes a turn for the worse when he's diagnosed with cancer.  Given a death sentence by fate, Wilson is offered a tempting deal - his cancer will be taken care of, and he will become someone better than he was. Under the supervision of Ajax (Ed Skrein) and Angel Dust (Gina Carano), Wade is given mutant abilities to withstand pain and regenerative abilities, but it leaves permanent scars all over him.  Now disfigured, he goes on a quest for revenge. The Synopsis: Back in 2009, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" hit theaters, and audiences were excited to see Deadpool hit the big screen.  Unfortunately, fans were instead given a neutered version of Deadpool, who spends most of his scree...

Worst2First:  Ten Best "The Walking Dead" Episodes Thus Far Zombies have always been one of my favorite horror subgenres.  I don't know what it is about them, but I can't get enough.  From "Shaun of the Dead" to George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead," if there's anything to do with zombies, you bet I'll watch it. For years I've read "The Walking Dead" comics, and I remember hearing they were developing it into a series.  I was hooked from the first second of the first episode until now.  While there were some episodes that didn't quite live up to my desires, overall, it's my favorite television show ever. With the second half of the season coming soon, I decided to count down my ten favorite "The Walking Dead" episodes...Worst2First. **THERE WILL BE MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD, SO ONLY READ ON IF YOU'VE SEEN THE EPISODES OR DON'T CARE ABOUT SPOILERS!!!** #10 Better Angels Seaso...