JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Terrifier 2 Starring Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Elliott Fullam, Sarah Voigt Directed by Damien Leone On December 26, 1973, "The Exorcist" hit theaters, and was met with numerous news reports of people throwing up, fainting, and having to be taken to the hospital due to the intense nature of what they were witnessing on screen. I wish I was alive during that time to see it then, because watching it at home didn't have the same effect, and I wondered if things would've been different if I saw it on the big screen. The moviegoing experience is exponentially different than watching it at home, so maybe the visuals would've been more visceral there then at home (although at home it was still highly unnerving, no wonder it's constantly listed as one of the best horror films of all time). When I heard that "Terrifier 2" had the same effect - people passing out and vomiting - I couldn't wait for it to come to the theater so I could have that s...

Terrifier Starring David Howard Thornton, Jenna Kanell, Samantha Scaffidi, Catherine Corcoran Directed by Damien Leone A grindhouse film is a film that is very exploitative, focusing on over-the-top violence and unsettling strong sexual content, while offering little to no plot and utilizing low-quality filming to achieve its darker effect. While more famous in the 60s, grindhouse features still exist today to a smaller extent, and they're just as messed up as you'd imagine - they stick with you long after it ends due to its realistic depictions of violence set against a typical backdrop. When you add in a terrifying silent clown, you get "Terrifier," a film that fell below the radar of most moviegoers but received resurgence when its sequel managed to wrangle a wider theatrical release. Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is out for blood on Halloween night - dressing up as a clown, he stalks the streets in search of his newest victims, and runs across partygoers T...

Medieval Starring Ben Foster, Sophie Lowe, William Moseley, Michael Caine Directed by Petr Jakl Everyone has heard the story of William Wallace, thanks to the Oscar-winning directing talent of Mel Gibson, even if the story wasn't entirely historically accurate. Throughout history there's numerous stories of  one man who defies a nation and changes the hearts and the minds of those around him through relentlessly pursuing what is right and just, usually culminating in epic battles - such as the epic battle of the 300 Spartans. Still, there's a lot more stories to be told, and one of them is the story of Czech military commander Jan Zizka - a man who famously never lost a battle. While "Medieval" is an attempt to tell his story to a broader audience, however, it's subpar in its execution and mostly creative storytelling that doesn't really show his historical winning streak, but rather the up-and-coming commander that he grows into. There was a time in Europ...

Till Starring Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Haley Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg Directed by Chinonye Chukwuu Cinema has the power to tell stories of people whose tales would've gone unnoticed or unheard of to the general masses - stories that demand to be told, to showcase the perseverance of the human spirit through unspeakable odds and tragedies. While some politicians are trying to erase history that makes White people uncomfortable in schools, the theaters are where we can still see these stories being told, and these voices shouldn't - and can't - be silenced. The story of Emmett Till is well known, but we only know the tragedy of the events that happened, and less about the child himself and his distraught mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. Now, we know more about their story in "Till," an exceptional biopic drama centering on a mother's worst fear, and how it lit a fire under the feet of America to see the dangers and misjustice of racism. Living in Chicago, Mamie...

V/H/S/99 Starring Veronica Blue, Alexia Ioannides, Steven Ogg, Melanie Stone Directed by Johannes Roberts, Vanessa & Joseph Winter, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Flying Lotus The V/H/S/ franchise is a fantastic way for up-and-coming horror directors (as well as more seasoned ones) to deliver deliciously delectable bite-sized horror stories that the general moviegoing masses would never see since they're too short on their own to get a wide release. They're smaller in nature and yet their stories are frightening, unique, and compelling - at least some of them. As with any other anthology series, you're bound to have some duds, but more often than not they're not that bad because you're not sitting through a two-hour feature, but rather a twenty-minute tale. "V/H/S/99" is the newest installment of the franchise, and focuses on the fears, bad energies, and generally despicable behaviors of people in 1999 before they ushered in a new decade, offering five...

Worst2First: My Top Ten Films to Watch on Amazon Prime This Halloween Halloween is the time for ghosts, ghouls, and everything dark and twisted to be celebrated, and the streaming services offer a plethora of ghastly goodies to watch. For Amazon Prime Days of Horror, I picked ten films from the streaming service I would suggest watching this Halloween season. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #10 Jack Frost If you're looking for something more humorous and outrageous this Halloween season, "Jack Frost" is right up your alley. When a serial killer comes into contact with rare genetic materials, he turns into Jack Frost, a seemingly unstoppable killer snowman who returns to his hometown to get revenge against the cop who put him away, and create some Yuletide carnage along the way. Some horror films are so bad because of a poor story or performances, but "Jack Frost" is bad for all the right reasons - it doesn't take itself seriously and relishes on its B-rated...

Ticket to Paradise Starring Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Kaitlyn Dever, Maxime Bouttier Directed by Ol Parker The 90s was the decade for the romantic comedy subgenre, with films like "She's All That," "10 Things I Hate About You," and "While You Were Sleeping" dotting the cinematic landscape, allowing people who still believed in true love to enjoy their passion being portrayed on the big screen. During that time you hardly went a year without a rom-com featuring the likes of Julia Roberts ("Notting Hill," "Runaway Bride," "My Best Friend's Wedding," etc.)  but George Clooney didn't have the same flair for the romantic. Still, the two veteran actors became best friends and have appeared in several movies together ("Ocean's Eleven" and "Ocean's Twelve," where they play a divorced couple, along with "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and "Money Monster"), and their rap...