Been thinking about this installation for a while, but usually SOME Bear story breaks over the weekend; however everything as of right now is ho-hum [which is better than Bengals’ or perennial Cowboy’s drama]

From time to time, I may do a Movie Monday – informally review and recommend a movie I have recently watched or RE-watched

I’m not an avid movie-goer, but I have watched far too many flicks. Besides, many of the best ones are based on books, plays and graphic novels, and those I have read aplenty

So, without further ado…

If you have nephews, nieces or grandchildren in their teens, it’s a bit hard to find good flicks to watch together. They’re either too graphic, or cheesy, or related to comics in some way, but “Final Destination Bloodlines” is just a good ole fashion thriller-action-light comedy flick you won’t have to overthink. I went into it assuming I was going to hate it, but immediately found myself a little unnerved as it touches on an audience’s phobias through cinematic mastery. I won’t get into the specifics, but many scenes vividly depict something we may have winced at some time or other; nevertheless, it doesn’t totally devolve into a gory snuff film like the “Saw” or “Hostel” franchises

When the credits rolled, all I could say was – that was fun! I almost regretted not being able to watch this in 4DX [those tickets were sold out to my shock, but relief to my wallet] as it may have taken the tension to another level

The final scenes of Tony Todd [aka “Candyman”] also made this movie surprisingly poignant

_{RIP TONY TODD}

So if it’s still out in theaters, and you want some fun with teens or family who fancy mindless horror, I definitely recommend this

[Spoiler alert. Just don’t schedule an MRI appointment in the near future like my dumbass!]

This ever happen to you? Someone recommends a movie; you’ve never even heard of it,  assume it’s new, and they inform, “Oh no. it’s been out for 10 years.”
Well, “The Babadook” was one [of many] of those flicks for me

I’m a sucker for Horror and Psychological Thrillers, and this subtly blends both. The watcher really doesn’t know what to make of it as it seems more like an indie drama for
a large part of the setup. We are left ‘waiting’ for the show to start, but it doesn’t quite where one expects. About the only thing a viewer can be sure of is that kid is annoying AF!

Yet, as the mother begins unravelling, and the mysterious episodes become more frequent, a certain creepiness and uneasiness spreads – both qualities of a solid thriller

click for spoiler

By the end of it, your alliance switches from sympathy for the mom, to sympathy for the kid, when you begin to realize that The Babadook may be all in her head – That she indeed may be clinically insane: the guilt, trauma and unrelenting social choke of being a single mom raising a hyperactive [to say the least] son only disintegrates her sanity to the point where she essentially gives up on trying to defeat the ‘demon’ once-and-for-all like in so many other horror flicks where the priest emerges victorious
The mother must meekly cede that The Babadook can’t be ignored much less exorcised or killed. She is somewhat doomed to forever feed it, literally or metaphorically with the help of the only one who stood by her through it all
Her son
Which is way more relatable to the millions battling psychological disorders and the loved ones somehow vainly trying to help

In other words, if you’re looking for a somewhat more recent horror-thriller, go watch The Babadook – preferably in the dark – alone