Posted July 20, 2021 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments
Annabelle Creation
Starring: Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, Anthony LaPiglia
Year Released: 2017
Rating: R
Run Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Where I Watched It: HBO Max
Recommended By: Therese
Who I Watched It For: Therese
Former toy maker Sam Mullins and his wife, Esther, are happy to welcome a nun and six orphaned girls into their California farmhouse. Years earlier, the couple’s 7-year-old daughter Annabelle died in a tragic car accident. Terror soon strikes when one child sneaks into a forbidden room and finds a seemingly innocent doll that appears to have a life of its own.
This week’s movie review goes to the next movie in the conjuring series lineup. Annabelle Creation, which was released in 2017. This is where we learn where the hell Annabelle came from. That damn doll is old as hell and has been scaring the hell out of people for hella years.
So this movie shows how Annabelle was created. A toymaker made her and then after a car accident takes the life of his 7-year-old daughter, named Annabelle, her spirit shows up in the doll and years later, when a bunch of orphaned girls with their nun nanny comes to live with the still grieving couple, the Annabelle doll comes to life after one of the girls sneaks into the forbidden room and wakes up the evil spirit. *rolls eyes* Why do people don’t mind their business and stay out of shit that doesn’t have anything to do with you? *sigh*
I spent most of this movie annoyed with Janice because…ugh, STAY OUT OF THE ROOM YOU DUMBASS! I was also annoyed at the adults in the movie too because they were shit caretakers…and the older girls were a bunch of bitches too.
I can’t say that I was all that invested in what was going on. The Annabelle movies so far are my least favorite. I’m just not that interested in a haunted doll that comes to life when people don’t mind their damn business. Or when they stir up shit they should leave well enough alone. For this one, I was mostly curious about how Janice would end up after all was said and done. I knew that she was out there somewhere, being a freaking crazy person and I wasn’t wrong. I will say that the way that the conjuring moviemakers tie in characters and things from the other movies is something that I enjoyed while watching these. I loved fitting the puzzle pieces together and when I figured out stuff from the other movies that were featured in this movie, it was my favorite. Other than that, this movie was pretty slow-moving and just okay IMO.
Final Rating
3 out of 5
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Tags: 2017 Movies, 3.0 Reviews, Annabelle Creation, Annabelle Movies, Anthony LaPiglia, Horror, Movie Reviews, Movies, Rated R, Recommended by Theresa, Scary Movies, Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, The Conjuring Series, Thriller, USA
Posted July 15, 2021 by Rowena in Reviews | 4 Comments
The Nun
Starring: Taissa Farmiga, Damien Bichir, Jonas Bloquet
Year Released: 2018
Rating: R
Run Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Genre: Horror
Country: USA
Where I Watched It: HBO Max
Recommended By: Theresa
Who I Watched It For: Theresa
When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together, they uncover the order’s unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.
Last month, my best friend and I binge-watched all of The Conjuring movies and I decided that I was going to review all of the movies so that I can keep my thoughts straight on all of them. I’ll be reviewing them in chronological order instead of by release date. Which means that first up? It’s The Nun.
In the Nun, we meet Sister Irene and Father Burke who are sent to Romania to investigate the suicide of a young nun. When they get there, they’re escorted by a young man who found the dead nun. Together they uncover a pretty dark story about dead nuns and evil spirits and they unravel secret after secret after secret. Not all is as it seems and they have no one to lean on in trying to figure out what’s going on, or to fight the evil spirits at the abbey so they must rely on each other to fight evil.
I’m new to watching scary movies and I thought this one would be a scary one since it’s got the religious tilt to it but I don’t know. There were moments in the movie where I jumped from being scared but overall, I didn’t think the movie was all that scary nor was I heavily invested in the characters and what was going on for that matter. I was much more interested toward the end when things started clicking about just who Sister Irene was and then seeing the French guy at the end and putting two and two together of what I know from the other conjuring movies. I mean, during the movie, I was putting the pieces of the conjuring puzzle together but once everything is confirmed – I was like, oh. Oh, okay. Nice touch with casting Lorraine’s real life sister as the main character in this one. I kept thinking, OMG is she connected to Lorraine cause she looks just like her…only to find out that their characters don’t connect in any way other than Lorraine talks about Irene’s case in her present-day lectures and talks.
I watched this movie in parts because I fell asleep in the beginning twice but was determined to finish it so I did just that. I’m glad that I did because even though the beginning was slow, I still enjoyed the overall story and how it connects the other movies together. Will I watch it again? Probably not. Am I mad that I watched it at all? Nah. So, would I recommend it? If you’re interested in the Conjuring series and watching all of the movies connected then yes, I recommend you start with this one. That’s all I got though.
Final Rating
3.25 out of 5
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Tags: 2018 Movies, 3.25 Reviews, Damien Bichir, HBO Max, Horror, Jonas Bloquet, Movie Reviews, Movies, Rated R, Recommended by Theresa, Scary Movies, Taissa Farmiga, The Conjuring Series, The Nun, USA
Posted October 6, 2020 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments
The Witch: Part 1, The Subversion
Starring: Kim Da Mi, Choi Woo Shik, Go Min Si, Jo Min Soo, Park Hee Soon, Kim Byeong Ok, Choi Jeong Wook, Jung Da Eun, Jeong Ye Jin, Tae Won Kwon
Year Released: 2018
Genre: Action, Mystery
Country: Korea
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Watched It For: Kim Da Mi
When she was young, Ja-yoon escaped from a government facility, but lost all her memory. 10 years later, when she appears on a nationally televised competition to win money for her family, her life is turned upside down by faces from her past.
I watched this movie when I saw that my girl Kim Da Mi from Itaewon Class starred in it. I’m super glad that I did watch this movie because Yi Seo was badass in this. She played this part so well that I was super impressed throughout the entire movie. From beginning to end, she just flat out rocked. When she shows up at that farm, all bloodied and scared til the end, when she’s sitting in that house and with no kind of expression, threatening the girl that steps up to kill her, I was impressed.
So this movie is about a young girl named Ja Yoon who was taken in by an older couple when she shows up on their farm, bloodied and bruised and scared out of her pants. Out of the kindness of their hearts, they take her in and they raise as their own. Ten years later, she in high school, and in order to help her parents with their failing farm, she enters a singing contest that the winner will win 500 million won. Once she starts singing on the show, weird things start happening. Weird things like strange guys showing up on the train and scaring the pants off her friend and asking her the weirdest questions, and a group of people including the guy from the train, showing up in her town and telling her to run home to her parents and making her do just that. Then there were the thug-like men who showed up and tried to take her from the singing competition and when she wakes up in the middle of the night to a house full of people that are trying to harm her family, her internal instincts kick in and she turns into freaking Black Widow on crack…and better.
The movie just kept getting better and better with all of these twists and turns and I thought that Kim Da Mi was the bomb in this. I loved her as Yi Seo in Itaewon Class because I thought that she was a total bad-ass but she’s just as bad-ass in this movie so I really think that she plays these bad-ass characters really well. I’m a great big fan of her so far and I’m looking forward to seeing more of her stuff.
I also liked seeing Choi Woo Shik as the villain in this one. I became a fan of his while watching Parasite and really enjoyed seeing him be a bad guy in this movie. He really played that part well because I wanted to kick his nuts every time that he came onto the screen and that fight scene between him and my girl Da Mi was bloody fantastic. The ending to this movie was pretty abrupt and I’m wondering if there’s more to this story that we have yet to see and I hope that’s the case because I’m interested in seeing that. All in all, this was a pretty fab action movie that I enjoyed a great deal. I recommend it for sure.
Final Rating
4.25 out of 5
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Tags: 4.25 Reviews, Action, Choi Jeong Wook, Choi Woo Shik, Go Min Si, Jeong Ye Jin, Jo Min Soo, Jung Da Eun, Kim Byeong Ok, Kim Da Mi, Korean Movies, Movie Reviews, Movies, Mystery, Netflix, Park Hee Soon, Tae Won Kwon
Posted September 29, 2020 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments
Be With You
Male Lead: So Ji Sub
Female Lead: Son Ye Jin
Also Starring: Park Seo Jun, Go Chang Suk, Lee Yoo Jin
Year Released: 2018
Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, Romance, Family
Country: Korea
Where I Watched It: Viki
Watched It For: Park Seo Jun
On her deathbed, Soo Ah (Son Ye Jin) makes a promise to her husband, Woo Jin (So Ji Sub), and her son, Ji Ho (Kim Ji Hwan), that she will return to them a year after her passing. Wishing, rather than believing she would keep her word, Woo Jin and Ji Ho say their final farewells. With broken hearts, they do their best to pick up the pieces of their old life and try to move on.
A year later, the unbelievable happens. True to her word, Soo Ah returns home, the problem is, she has no recollection of her past life. With no idea of who she was or what Woo Jin and Ji Ho meant to her, Soo Ah does her best to find a place in their lives once again. Eventually settling into this new life, Soo Ah and her family experience happiness in ways they never dreamed would be possible again. But their happiness is short-lived.
Only able to stay with Woo Jin and Ji Ho for a short while, Soo Ah soon realizes that her time at home is quickly coming to an end. With hearts breaking all over again, Soo Ah must say goodbye to her family, only this time it’s forever.
Adapted from Takuji Ichikawa’s novel of the same name, “Be With You” is a 2018 romantic fantasy drama film directed by Lee Jang Hoon.
I’ve been meaning to check out something with So Ji Sub in it because my friend B Nice is a huge fan of his so when I came across this movie with you guessed it…Park Seo Jun, you know your girl had to watch it. This is another one of those movies where Park Seo Jun is in a very small part of the movie but it was still an enjoyable movie. It was sad and it was hopeful and in the end, it was warmed my heart to see how far both father and son have come.
So this movie is about a young boy and his father who are both grieving over the loss of their mother and wife. The boy, Ji Ho, misses his Mom a great deal but is hopeful that she will keep her deathbed promise to him about returning to him after a year has passed. His father, Woo Jin, doesn’t believe it and though he’s having trouble moving on, he’s doing the best that he can. When the year mark comes up, the unthinkable happens. Soo Ah, the mom, and wife that Ji Ho and Woo Jin have been missing shows up just as she promised, the story really picks up. A huge bulk of the story takes place during the time that Soo Ah returns to her family. She’s only there for a short period of time and part of that time is spent trying to catch up. When Soo Ah returns, she doesn’t remember Woo Jin or Ji Ho or her life with them so she does her best to get to know them again and rebuild what they had before.
This was a very emotional story and I connected with every single family member. They’re all trying their best to keep the memories alive and I really enjoyed seeing them bond as a family while Soo Ah was back. I loved the connection between Soo Ah and Ji Ho. I loved seeing how happy he was for her return, how hard he worked to make her return more comfortable for her, and I really, really loved seeing how happy he was when she showed up for his performance. The same for Woo Jin. I really loved seeing him fall in love with his wife all over again. I loved seeing the two of them get to know each other all over again and seeing their relationship told from his pov since she didn’t remember much of it was just great. There was enough romance in this movie to warm my romance-loving heart.
There was a lot going on in this movie and the emotions, the warmth, it all got to me. I really connected with this story and seeing Woo Jin and Ji Ho being able to move on with a heavy heart but hopeful for the future made me so happy that I watched this movie. It’s another good one and even though we only got to see Park Seo Jun, who played an older Ji Ho, for like five minutes, I was happy to see him when he finally enters the picture. Goodness, that guy is bomb. Anyway, if you’re in the mood to cry and want an enjoyable but emotional movie, this is the one for you. I definitely recommend it.
Final Rating
4 out of 5
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Tags: 4 Reviews, Contemporary, Family, Fantasy, Go Chang Suk, Kim Hyun Soo, Korean Movies, Lee Joon Hyuk, Lee Yoo Jin, Movie Reviews, Movies, Park Seo Jun, Romance, Seo Jeong Yeon, So Ji Sub, Son Ye Jin
Posted September 22, 2020 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments
Juror 8
Male Lead: Park Hyung Sik
Also Starring: Moon So ri, Lee Kyu Hyung, Cho Soo Hyang, Yoon Kyung Ho, Han Chul Jo, Shim Dal Gi, Kim sun young, Soo Jang Baek, seo Hyeon Woo, Kim Mi Kyung
Year Released: 2019
Genre: Family, Drama
Country: Korea
Where I Watched It: Viki
Watched It For: Park Hyung Sik
In 2008, South Korea held its first criminal trial by jury. The case presented to the court was supposed to be an easy one, as the defendant himself freely admitted to brutally murdering his mother. However, what was supposed to be a simple, open-and-shut case turns into something more, when one of the jurors, a young entrepreneur named Kwon Nam Woo (Park Hyung Sik), begins to question everything.
Without the unanimous vote of the jury, the judge, Kim Joon Gyum (Moon So Ri), is forced to re-examine the evidence and call for a new debate, to determine whether or not the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
Refusing to bow to the pressure of the majority, Kwon Nam Woo begins a thorough investigation of the case on his own. Sifting through countless investigation records, he repeatedly questions the defendant’s admission of guilt. As his investigation continues, he begins to find the evidence he needs to substantiate his doubt. Slowly joined in his search for the truth by the other jurors, Kwon Nam Woo begins to break through the majority opinion to uncover the truth and set the standard for true justice.
Based on a true story, “Juror 8” is a 2019 film directed by Hong Seung Wan.
This was an interesting movie. It features Park Hyung Sik as a down on his luck young man, trying to get his invention patented and off the ground but is having a bit of trouble with it. When he gets the jury summons, he shows up to do his civic duty and is chosen to be part of the jury on Korea’s first criminal trial by jury.
Again, the summary included above does a great job of explaining what the movie is about. Park Hyun Sik plays Kwon Nam Woo, Juror 8. In what was supposed to be an easy case with the prosecuting side already having a confession from the defendant ends up being more complicated when Juror 8 begins questioning everything. So because there wasn’t a unanimous vote, the judge was forced to re-examine the evidence and re-debate the case. That leads to Juror 8, or as I like to call him, “Fine ass Hyung Sik” to conduct his own investigation of the evidence and the case in general.
Seeing him work through the evidence and try to figure out what really happened, without much experience in doing so was interesting. He really had the guts to question the evidence because it didn’t make sense to him and he wasn’t going to vote to convict someone until he was absolutely sure that he was making the right decision. This movie was based on a true story so I think that made the overall movie that much more interesting to me because it couldn’t have been easy for Juror 8 to go against the grain the way that he did but he did and I really liked his character. The way that he was bullheaded about his vote and the way that the other jurors came around once he started proving his gut instinct right had me cheering for him so loudly by the end of the movie. Park Hyung Sik did this role justice and I completely adored him in this. This was a great movie with heart. I really enjoyed it and have every faith that anyone who reads this blog will enjoy it too. We’re a great bunch with similar tastes so yeah, I definitely recommend this one.
Final Rating
4.25 out of 5
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Tags: 4.25 Reviews, Contemporary, Jo Han Chul, Korean Movies, Kwon Hae Hyo, Lee Young Jin, Moon So Ri, Movie Reviews, Park Hyung Sik, Seo Jeong Yeon, Yoon Kyung Ho
