Spoiler-Free Review of “Haunted Mansion” (2023) in Theaters: A Haunting Good Time!

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“There’s no such thing as ghosts…”

Haunted Mansion (2023) released in theaters on July 28th 2023. Based on the Disney ride, the remake fantasy comedy film stars LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto. It runs for approximately two hours.

After a woman and her son encounter some ghosts in their new home, they enlist the help of some spiritual experts to get rid of them.

Here is the trailer:

Haunted Mansion brings plenty of nostalgia for fans of the theme park ride while creating a delightful new story filled with spooky fun and heartwarming moments. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

An entertaining story with welcomed nods at the Disney ride.

I almost forgot about the 2003 version of this film starring Eddie Murphy. The new remake has nothing to do with that story (although you will see some of the same familiar ghosts floating around). 

The new mystery is captivating enough and has a charm of its own. The haunted mansion ride at Disney World was always one of my favorite rides and it was really cute seeing some of those familiar characters pop up again, making this a fun tribute to that while branching off into its own mystery.

 
Images courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Fun characters!

We got a fantastic cast in this one and they really delivered with their characters. At first I wasn’t sure about how I felt about this group, but I quickly fell in love with them and I think they elevated this film in a lot of ways.

It was easy to root for them all and the dynamic between them was wonderful.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Takes a while to find its groove…

The first half of this film felt a little unsure of itself. A lot of the humor didn’t land for me and the ghosts didn’t really do too much damage so I was quickly losing interest. Luckily that changed and the second half of the film really found its magic.

I wouldn’t say that this is a perfect film by any means, but it was still an enjoyable ride and I think that was the point.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

I’m in!!!

A charming kids-friendly horror entry!

If you’re a fan of the Disney ride or in need of a quick film to watch with the kids, there are plenty of enjoyable moments in this one.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Haunted Mansion in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Halloween Ends” on Peacock: Laurie vs. Michael…place your bets!

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“You started this…”

Halloween Ends released in theaters and on Peacock on October 14th 2022. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Kyle Richards, and Rohan Campbell. It runs for approximately an hour and fifty minutes.

Years after Michael Myers terrorized the residents of Haddonfield, a new evil emerges in town, giving Laurie a terrorizing sense of nostalgia.

Here is the trailer:

Halloween Ends should mark the end of the latest trilogy, but does it do enough to leave fans satisfied? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Solid beginning and ending.

I thought the beginning of this film was so unexpected and brutally fantastic. It really set the tone for the rest of the film. The ending was also really well done. The showdown we’ve been waiting for did not disappoint. There was also enough nostalgia weaved in without overdoing it. I wanted it to go on a little bit longer, but I thought it was satisfying enough for fans.

Images courtesy of Peacock

The gory kills don’t disappoint…

I was slightly worried that we wouldn’t get that many gory kills in this film since it took a different path, but the later attacks in the film were bloody and terrifying. I had a few favorites in particular, but it’s safe to say that I won’t be leaving my door unlocked…ever!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Didn’t really feel like the ending of a trilogy…

I actually liked the different story and subplot going on. Rohan Campbell was really good in this. My only issue with it was that it didn’t feel like it was the perfect fit for this trilogy. I enjoyed this film, but it felt like a standalone movie, rather than a killer ending. Don’t get me wrong, we eventually got there and things came full circle, but things just felt odd and bizarre for the majority of the movie.

I also thought that Allyson made some decisions that seemed really out of character for her. I really liked her in the other films, but it’s like she threw all of her common sense out the window…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent…

Halloween fans will find plenty to enjoy in the ending to this trilogy, but I had a lot of mixed thoughts on its approach and the subplots, which may have been better suited to a film separate from this trilogy…

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Halloween Ends in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

HAVE A KILLER HALLOWEEN…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Halloween Kills” on Peacock: Evil Dies tonight…or does it?

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“He needs to die!”

Halloween Kills released in theaters and on Peacock on October 15th 2021. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Anthony Michael Hall, Judy Greer, Cameron Elam and Kyle Richards. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

Michael Myers is back after escaping from Laurie Strode’s trap as the residents of Haddonfield work together to stop him once and for all.

Here is the trailer:

Halloween Kills has finally arrived with tons of bloody kills, but is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Plenty of gory kills to look forward to.

The film delivers in this department. If you are looking for lots of blood and gore, you will not be disappointed. Michael Myers is ruthless and unforgiving and he has quite a few inventive kills this time around.

Images courtesy of Peacock

Characters to root for.

The residents in town really work together to put forth a valiant effort against Michael and I was rooting for a lot of them. Sure, they may be out of their league, but I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between all of the characters and of course it’s always wonderful to see Jamie Lee Curtis on screen.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Messy plot.

I almost felt like they shot several pieces of the movie at different times and then just stuck them all together and hoped it would work. The first half of the movie took a while to get going for me, but I did think the second half was much stronger.

I also thought the film lost some of its edge this time around. The iconic music was present, but I wanted a little bit more suspense with Michael’s kills and some of them felt really over-the-top and almost silly, but it was still a lot of fun.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent…

Every horror and Halloween fan should absolutely watch this movie. There were some really entertaining moments and you will get plenty of gory kills to keep you invested. I had some issues with the plot and the overall pacing of the movie, which was slightly frustrating, but I still enjoyed my watch overall.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Halloween Kills in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

HAVE A KILLER HALLOWEEN…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My new young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” Season 5 Episode 1: “Climax”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching The CW’s Riverdale season 5 episode 1 season premiere, we were reminded how quickly life on Riverdale can turn into a Jamie Lee Curtis movie…

Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. 

In last night’s episode, “Chapter Seventy-Seven: Climax,” everyone gets ready to attend the prom, but is this the end for some of our favorite couples? Meanwhile, the videotape killers continue to wreak havoc while Betty and Jughead try to get to the bottom of everything.

My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 5 episode 1 are:

5

“I’m beating it.”

I think it’s worth mentioning that Hiram Lodge is now suddenly getting better because he is beating up everyone in town. Veronica calls the doctors to confirm, but we know it’s only a matter of time before Hiram sinks his teeth into some other dark scandal.

4

“So you’re my competition.”

After the cancellation of Katy Keene, we knew we would be seeing some of the characters from that spin-off show pop up in Riverdale and K.O. Kelly is the first one. Veronica suggests that they have an exhibition boxing match so that Archie can prove his worth to the navy scout.

Archie and KO Riverdale

Images courtesy of The CW

Archie really puts up a fight and he may have actually been the winner in my book, but K.O. takes the victory and Archie has a fit, saying he won’t apply in the future.

I think Archie needs to find his true calling before he spins out of control…

3

“This one’s for you Archiekins.”

Poor Veronica. After finding a song that Archie wrote, he throws it in the trash and tells her that it is no good, but of course we know that she is going to get up on stage and perform the song that he actually wrote for Betty to make things extremely awkward for everyone.

Riverdale Veronica Lodge season 5 episode 1

Images courtesy of The CW

Betty and Archie exchange a few glances and ultimately, Archie breaks up with Veronica at prom. He tells her about the kiss, but they decide not to tell Jughead, but it looks like Varchie will be heading in different directions after graduation.

I have a feeling that Hiram is going to take away that “deputy mayor” offer pretty quickly…watch out, Archie!

While I’m sad about this break-up, I think that Archie really needs to find out who he is without someone. Maybe he needs another spiritual road-trip or something…

2

“Was there ever any doubt?”

Varchie is not the only couple to have some major obstacles to get through during prom. We start off with some cute and hilarious moments with Choni, as they petition to be co-queens of prom.

They have my vote for sure!

Later on, Cheryl asks about meeting Toni’s grandmother and is upset to find out that she has to pretend that she is not her girlfriend. Cheryl takes things into her own hands and goes to see Toni’s grandmother, which leads to more drama.

We find out that Toni’s grandmother doesn’t want her dating Cheryl because she is a Blossom and they have wronged their family for too many years.

Choni Riverdale season 5 episode 1

Images courtesy of The CW

Toni is able to show up to prom with Cheryl and we watch them become prom queens, but the moment is short-lived.

Toni tells Cheryl to give her some time, but Cheryl broke my heart when she was crying in Nana Rose’s lap, explaining that she is destined to be alone.

I really hope that Cheryl and Toni find a way back together, but if I’m being honest, they needed this. There hasn’t really been a lot going on in their relationship lately and perhaps this will allow them both to grow as characters and I’m hoping that they can find a way back to each other.

All hail, Choni!

1

“To surviving this town…”

While all this drama is going on, we also get Betty and Jughead teaming up to bring down the videotape killer or killers. They even go to visit Bret in jail to get some intel and are told to make a snuff movie, allowing us to witness Cheryl and Reggie show off some of their acting skills. Loved the wig, Cheryl!

Riverdale season 5 episode 1

Images courtesy of The CW

David at Blue Velvet Video knows that it is a fake, but Betty turns over the tape of her father when he was a young boy and says he is the Black Hood. They get the invite they have been looking for and end up crossing paths with Jellybean (what?) while trying to figure out who the director behind the curtain is.

During prom, the music is cut short and we witness another film where masked strangers are murdering Dave, proving it is not him. I have to say that these killers have been giving me some Purge vibes and I want to know more.

Archie gets a video at his doorstep and it looks like this is going to unlock even more rage inside of him so we’ll have to see how this plays out.

Overall, the season 5 premiere felt slightly chaotic and all over the place. I realize this episode was actually supposed to be part of season 4 before shooting was put on hold because of the pandemic, but I’m feeling a little overwhelmed and I’m hoping we can put some of the drama aside and focus on the mystery at hand.

I did love seeing everyone dressed up for prom and Betty’s dress was my favorite! But, do you think Jughead could have taken off his hat just this once?

Stay tuned, Riverdale fans!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale in the comments section below.  Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

Main promo smaller

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!