Phil sees SPY from Twentieth Century Fox- November 14, 2015

Spy films are the cool cousins of the action film genre. They have cooler heroes, bad ass villains, smoking hot chicks, awesome gadgets and big time action and explosions. The one that started it all was the Jame Bond films, which are THE best spy films of all time. Then came the Austin Powers film, which blended comedy with the spy films. And they were damn funny (except the third film). Now we have the latest spy comedy, ironically entitled SPY and it's one of this year's best comedies!

Theatrical Movie Poster (2015)

The films official synopsis: Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency's most dangerous missions. But when her partner Bradley Fine (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent is compromised (Jason Statham), she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer (Rose Byrne), and prevent a global crisis.

Actress Melissa McCarthy has come a long way since portraying Sookie from Gilmore Girls. And quite frankly, she was the last person I expected to go one to become a big time Hollywood name. And she is freaking hysterical as our lead heroine Susan. McCarthy's comedic acting range is amazing. She goes from a timid desk jockey to a foul mouth, kick ass spy and does it all with precise comedic timing. We laugh when we're supposed and we cheer her on when she's beating up spies and cussing like a sailor. But the best part of the film are her scenes with Jason Statham's out of control loose cannon CIA Agent Rick Ford. I could watch an entire two hour film of them bantering back and forth flinging insults to one another! I laughed so hard when they would come on screen together! If they ever make a sequel, it better be about them as partners!

Another actress I want to recognize is the insanely talented Rose Byrne. Her character Rayna Boyanov is of the most vicious, sadistic, insanely hot and funniest villains I have ever seen! Again like McCarthy, Byrne has had a very interesting career. He first real big break came in 2002 when she played Dormé from STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Since then she has gone on to appear in other big time Hollywood films like 28 WEEKS LATER, INSIDIOUS, TROY, BRIDESMAIDS, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2, and NEIGHBORS.  

The film was written and directed by Paul Feig, the man responsible for BRIDESMAIDS and HEAT (both featuring McCathy by the way). Feig has a real knack for showcasing fluid storytelling with laughs and action. He got his start directing television shows like Arrested Development, Nurse Jackie and The Office. I also love how he likes to cast female actresses as his leads in his films. We definitely need to see more of this coming out of Hollywood!

SPY get my vote for best comedy of 2015! It's a laugh-out-loud riot disguised as a spy thriller! Not since AUSTIN POWERS and HOT FUZZ have I laughed this hard watching an action/comedy film! You all need to see this movie now!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

SPY is now available on both Blu-Ray and DVD at your local retailer. You can also order the movie on Video On Demand, Digital Download as well as at your local Redbox.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees TERMINATOR: GENISYS from Paramount Pictures-November 11, 2015

When director James Cameron made the first TERMINATOR back in 1984, all it was really was a little low budget B-Movie that did a lot better than it was supposed to at the box office and it went on to become a sci-fi classic. In 1991, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY was released and the bar was set very, very high after that. The film completely changed the landscape of what not only a sequel could be but how movies could be made. Then Cameron left his series to make TITANIC and AVATAR so he could win a shitload of awards for them (which he did). As a result, the following two sequels TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES and TERMINATOR: SALVATION sucked hard. Seriously, they really did suck that bad. They were somewhat entertaining, but you could tell they were soulless Hollywood sequel creations whose only purpose for making them was to try to squeeze every last dollar out of their dying franchise so that fans of the series would shell out their hard earn cash to see them (which I did unfortunately. Hey, I'm a film buff. That's what I do). Then there was the short lived television series (which wasn't too bad of a show by the way) but it seemed like Skynet was finally shut down. Then out of nowhere, Paramount Pictures along with Skydance Productions announced that they had obtained the rights to the series and were planning on relaunching the franchise with a new trilogy of movies. The first installment of this trilogy is TERMINATOR: GENISYS which I finally got around to seeing.

The film's official synopsis:When John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the human resistance, sends Sgt. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and safeguard the future, an unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline. Now, Sgt. Reese finds himself in a new and unfamiliar version of the past, where he is faced with unlikely allies, including the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), dangerous new enemies, and an unexpected new mission: To reset the future.

Now the film has been receiving a lot of negative reviews from critics and from fans of the franchise. Some said the plot was too confusing and not structured correctly, some didn't like the acting, while others thought it just sucked ass. Here are some of the complaints that I had with the movie:

So let's start with the acting first. It's not that great. Hey, I'm being honest. You know it's bad if Arnold Schwarzenegger is the best actor out of the bunch. Yes, I know people love Emilia Clarke because she's on Game of Thrones and she's a decent actress but she's no Linda Hamilton. As for Jai Courtney, can someone please me why the hell is he still getting work? After seeing him in the two DIVERGENT films, I guess he's the new flavor in Tinseltown. But just like Clarke, he had some big shoes to fill and he came nowhere close to being Michael Biehn. And why is J.K. Simmons wasting his time and talent making this film? Plus I was really excited to see Matt Smith (aka the Twelfth Doctor from Doctor Who) making his big screen American film debut and he's on screen for about two minutes!! WTF?!? Come on people he was Doctor Who for crying out loud!! He's a really talented actor and you only use him at the beginning and the very end of the movie?!? Why did you cast him in this film if you were not going to use him properly?!? Bloody freaking hell!! You people are freaking morons!!

Director Alan Taylor helmed the 2013 Marvel film THOR: THE DARK WORLD. Here, he's trying to replicate his summer blockbuster, big screen debut with this follow-up to a dead franchise. And he tries so hard to make it work, but it's rather difficult to make a good movie when the script has you all over the damn place. Screenwriters Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier were trying to write a great screenplay, but it's a convoluted mess. First the trailers gave away the big plot twist! Spoilers!! Then where in the future of 2029, then we're back in 1984 LA. Then we're flung to 2017 San Francisco. I'm sorry but I thought the whole Terminator Universe took place in Los Angeles. I mean, that's where Skynet was born, where Sarah and Reese meet, fall in love, bonked and stuff. It's where all the other films take place. Why change the locations? 

Speaking of locations, has anyone else notice that San Francisco is now the new city for absolute annihilation, carnage and out of this world destruction? It's been ground zero in recent films like X-MEN 3, GODZILLA, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, SAN ANDRES, and RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Looks like our City by the Bay is the new LA for today's films! Way to go NorCal!!

Now after hearing me gripe about the movie I have a confession to make. And here is it: I really enjoyed the film. Crazy, right? Reason I liked it was because I liked how it took its own timeline and completely blew it all to shit and started over again. That was smart of the filmmakers. That's how you reboot a franchise these days. Blow up your continuity to hell in a hand basket and start fresh. It worked for the STAR TREK franchise, so why not for the TERMINATOR series?!?

For you old school fans of the series, it works on a nostalgic level. The first half hour replays some of your favorite moments and scenes from both the first two films to, so as to get you invested in the story and with the characters. Then there's a curveball thrown at us: holy crap the timeline is all messed up!! There's two Arnold Terminators in 1984? The T-1000 liquid metal Terminator is there too? And it's not Robert Patrick but it's Byung-hun Lee from the G.I. JOE movies? And Sarah Connor is a bad ass already? And it's like this for the rest of the film and you can't look away from it. Like a car wreak, it's grotesquely fascinating!

So in conclusion, TERMINATOR: GENISYS is one of the best movies you'll love to bitch about! In all honesty, it's so bad it's good! I loved this stupid film! And it really is stupid. But I can promise you all out there that you will be entertained! 4 out of 5 stars! Definitely worth watching!!

TERMINATOR: GENISYS is now available on both Blu-Ray and DVD at your local retailer. You can also order the movie on Video On Demand, Digital Download as well as at your local Redbox.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees PIXELS from Sony/Columbia Pictures-November 9, 2015

Family films are usually fun to watch, especially if you're an adult. A lot of the times the filmmakers will add references or jokes that pertained to your youth that makes you laugh while simultaneously entertaining your kids. Now when you think of family films, Adam Sandler isn't the first name that pops in you mind. However, his HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA films have been big box office hits over the past couple of years. However, his live action films have been doing poorly, which to be honest is a real shame. Despite all the negative press and reviews, PIXELS is one of my new favorite family films this year that everybody should see.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2015)

The film's official synopsis: Sam Brenner (Sandler), Will Cooper (Kevin James), Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad), and Eddie "The Fire Blaster" Plant (Peter Dinklage) all played classic arcade video games as teenagers. But now they have to use their skills to try to save the world from aliens. The aliens watched video feeds that they thought was a declaration of war. So they send down the classic arcade games to destroy earth. They also get help from military specialist Violet Van Patten (Michelle Monaghan). They have three lives and if all three get used then Earth will be destroyed, and every time they lose a live the aliens take someone's life. Who will win, us or the aliens? It's an all-out battle to save our planet and everyone on it.

Let me start by say that this was a lot to fun to watch. First, it entertained me on a nostalgic level. I was that kid who along with my friends would over to the mall and hang out at the arcade playing video games all day. I played those games when they first came out. Pac-man, Donkey Kong, Q*Bert, Dig Dug. Galaga, Centipede, the list of games I played goes on and on. And it was such a treat to see these games once again but this time attacking Earth! That was a hoot!

The script was laces with 80's references while giving us the reality of being an adult. When Sandler finds Monaghan crying in her closet while drinking wine out of a sippy cup cause her ex-husband ran off with a 19-year-old yoga instructor, it was hilarious. I mean let's face it: we've all done crazy things when our spouse or significant other runs off with someone else and we're left behind trying to piece together out life back. And here we see first hand how funny we look while doing this. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's plenty of action to coincide with these jokes that intertwine with each other perfectly.

Sandler is funny as our nerdy, tech geek turned hero Sam and he had great on-screen chemistry with Monaghan. Josh Gad's Ludlow had some of the best lines in the film! And let's not forget Peter Dinklage's character Eddie "The Fire Blaster" Plant, who is probably the most bad ass arcade player ever captured on the big screen!

The film was directed by the one and only Chris Columbus, the man who brought us modern day classics like HOME ALONE 1 & 2, MRS. DOUBTFIRE, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, NINE MONTHS and HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. Columbus does an exceptional once again showing us his directing style compliments the humor and action within the film. As you may or may not know, Columbus is a local filmmaker. Yup, his headquarters is based out in San Francisco and it's nice to see him directing again.

Overall PIXELS is hilarious, action packed, arcade filled joy ride for the whole family. So do yourself a favor and ignore what those prestigious, pompous critics are saying. This movie does what it's supposed: entertain us and forget about for a while. It's that plain and simple. So have have fun watching it with kids as well as your inner child. 4 out of 5 stars!! Definitely worth watching!!

PIXELS is now available on both Blu-Ray and DVD at your local retailer. You can also order the movie on Video On Demand, Digital Download as well as at your local Redbox.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil remembers horror actor and author Gunner Hansen-November 8, 2015

Gunnar Hansen (1947-2015)

This morning I awoke to read some terrible news, which has been blanketed all over the social media formats like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. From Fangoria, Dread Central, Horror Socirty and Rue Morgue to celebrities like Bill Mosley, Ari Lehma, Linnea Quigley and Rob Zombie have been talking about it. Even local Bay Area heroes like Miss Misery, Lord Blood-Rah and Peaches Christ have said their peace. News reports from CNN, Yahoo Movies, The Huffington Post, Entertainment Weekly and other media outlets have also been covering this story. Legendary horror actor and author Gunnar Hansen, who portrayed Leatherface in the original 1974 film THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, died Saturday of pancreatic cancer at his home in Maine at the age of 68.

Born in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1947. Hansen came to the states when he was five years old, living in Maine before his family moved to Texas. There he majored English and Sacandanavian Studies at the University of Texas. In 1973 he heard that a local filmmaker by the name of Tobe Hooper and others were planning on making a movie in their town. The film was called THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and he was cast for the part of Leatherface. Horror film history was made and an icon was born. 

Hansen went on to appear in other horror and cult films like HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS, FREAKSHOW, MOSQUITO, CHAINSAW SALLY, and even had a bit part in the 2013 relaunch TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D.

Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface (1974)

I had the pleasure of meeting him a long time ago. It was in February 1994 in my hometown of San Jose, before it became known as Silicon Valley. My younger brother Thomas and I were heading to our very first horror convention and they were holding a 20th anniversary reunion of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE with all the original cast. I was very excited to attend and I was really looking forward to meeting Leatherface himself. This was my very first time meeting a celebrity because, at that time, nobody came to San Jose. I stood in line and then I found myself standing in front of him. He was a warm, friendly and kind man who took time to talk to me, told me some great stories, shook my and said thanks for being a great fan. And I got a great autograph picture as well. I'll always treasure that first meeting.

We in the horror community have seen a lot of our heroes, icons, and legends pass on this year. To his family, friends and his legion of fans, I just would to send out my condolences to you all. Gunnar Hansen may be gone from this world, but he left behind a body of work that will be treasured and passed down to future generations of horror fans. And that my fellow horror hounds, is the greatest way to honor him. Thanks you Gunnar Hansen for scaring us for all these years!! You will forever be loved and missed!!

To learn more about this extraordinary actor and author and to purchase merchandise,  please visit his website at gunnarhansen.com.

Thanks for reading, and Rest in Peace Gunnar Hansen!

Phil Celebrates the 26th Anniversary Premiere of USA UP ALL NIGHT-November 3, 2015

Time flies you're having fun, especially if you were watching one of the best television shows of all time! Believe it or not, this year marks the 26th anniversary of the premiere of one of my favorite shows ever: USA UP ALL NIGHT!! Hard to believe that this beloved and treasured series originally debuted over a quarter of a century ago!! Now I mentioned the show several times in my other reviews but never really talked about it. So let me tell you all about its history and what made it so great. A lot you out there may already know about the show or you remembered watching it, so have fun strolling down Memory Lane with me. And if you've never heard of the show before, let me take you all on trip back to that awesome decade called the Nineties and a little late night television show that would change my life forever!

Ask any fan of horror films, B-movies, and cult classics, there was one show that you had to tune in every weekend, and that show was USA UP ALL NIGHT, which aired on the USA Cable Network. Hosted by comedians Rhonda Shear and Gilbert Gottfried, it was THE place to watch your favorite low budget gems! I discovered the show on March 21, 1992. It was my senior year in high school and I was really into horror films, comic books, and indie/punk music. At that time, I thought I knew it all, seen it all, and done it all. However, that fateful night proved to me just how wrong I was. It was a cold Saturday night and my younger brother Thomas was flipping through the TV Guide and told me that this show called USA UP ALL NIGHT was going to air all three TOXIC AVENGER films, hosted by Gottfried. Now I've heard about the movies, but I never had the chance to see them. So I watched all three films, from 11pm to 5am with Gottfried cracking jokes during his segments! It was hysterical and just laugh-out-loud fun! After that, I was hooked for life and from then on I would faithfully watch the show every weekend till the wee hours of the morning!

The series premiered on January 7, 1989 (holy crap I'm old) and comedian Gilbert Gottfried was hired on to host the Saturday night edition out in New York. Halfway through the inaugural season, actress/comedian Caroline Schlitt was brought on board to host the Friday night edition out in Los Angeles. By December 1990, Schlitt had left the show and her replacement would be the sultry, sexy and hilarious comedian/model/actress Rhonda Shear. Beginning in January 1991, Shear would tape her segments from her apartment (aka sound stage set but it was adorable looking) as well as at popular nightclubs, venues and attractions in and around LA with Gottfried doing the same thing out in New York City (in 1995 Shear would move to New York as well). The series gained a massive cult audience and became one of the network's most popular shows for years, but like all good things, it wouldn't last forever.

In 1998, the network came under new management and changes were made to their programming. Wanting to go after a more commercial, mainstream audience, many of the network's shows like Pacific Blue and Silk Stalkings were either overhauled or canceled. Even USA UP ALL NIGHT wasn't immune to the changes. In February that same year, the show was canceled and both Gottfried and Shear were removed as hosts. The network continued to use the "UP ALL NIGHT" banner but they were now using it while showing mainstream films like THE RUNNING MAN and TRADING PLACES. This angered the show's hardcore fans (including myself) and they began calling and sending angry letters to the network demanding both Shear and Gottfried to return and have the show put back to its original format. However, their voices fell on deaf ears and by 2002 the "UP ALL NIGHT" banner was finally removed from existence. It truly was an end of an era in television history.

The series maybe long gone, but fans have been showing their love for it all over the internet with blogs, websites, and on Youtube where there's a plethora of video clips of the show to watch! Even Rhonda Shear herself has uploaded most of her hosting segments on her channel (which you can check out by clicking here)! Check out some of the intros, bumpers, wacky sketches, guest stars and all the fun the show had to offer for their fans!!

If it wasn't for USA UP ALL NIGHT, I wouldn't have discovered THE TOXIC AVENGER films or Troma Studios for that matter. I also wouldn't have seen such amazing B-movies like ASSAULT OF THE KILLER BIMBOS, SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA, GOOD GIRLS DON'T, CLASS OF NUKE'EM HIGH, PARTY CAMP, DR. ALIEN, BEVERLY HILLS VAMP, VICE ACADEMY, SLAVE GIRLS FROM BEYOND INFINITY, VAMPIRE VIXENS FROM VENUS, GETTING LUCKY, MIRACLE BEACH, BAD GIRLS DORMITORY, SUMMER SCHOOL TEACHERS, NIGHTMARE SISTERS, THE BIKINI CARWASH COMPANY, ROLLERBLADE WARRIORS: TAKEN BY FORCE, CHOPPER CHICKS IN ZOMBIETOWN, and WILD MALIBU WEEKEND for starters. And I wouldn't have learned about filmmakers like Lloyd Kaufman, David DeCoteau, Rick Sloane, Jim Wymoski, Charles Band, Richard Gabai, and Fred Olen Ray. Plus not too mention all the legendary Scream Queens I discovered like Brinke Stevens, Linnea Quigley, Michelle Bauer, Monique Gabrielle, Jewel Shepard, Debra Lamb, Ginger Lynn Allen, Elizabeth Kaitan, and J.J. North just to name a few.

USA UP ALL NIGHT helped nurture my love and appreciation of these low budget films, as well as open my mind up to a whole new world of movies that I didn't even knew existed. These films hold a special place in heart, and remind me of days gone by. To Rhonda Shear, Gilbert Gottfried, and to all the talented filmmakers, actors, and scream queens, I would just like to say from the bottom of my heart thank you! Thank you all for the memories, for the laughs, for keeping me company, and most of all, for keeping me up all night!! Long Live USA UP ALL NIGHT!!!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Horror Watch: EXTINCTION (2015) from Vertical Entertainment-Nov.2, 2015

EXTINCTION Blu-Ray (2015)

EXTINCTION
Starring: Matthew Fox, Jeffrey Donovan, Quinn McColgan, Valeria Vereau, Clara Lago
Screenwriter: Alberto Marini & Miguel Ángel Vivas
Cinematographer: Josu Inchaustegui
Director: Miguel Ángel Vivas
Production Company: La Ferme! Productions, Laokoon Filmgroup, Ombra Films, Telefonica Studios, Vaca Films
Distributor: Vertical Entertainment

When legendary director George Romero released his iconic horror masterpiece NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD back in 1968, he single handily created the zombie genre and the pop culture landscape hasn't been the same since. Fast forward to today, zombies are now everywhere: video games, toys, graphic novels, books, films, television shows, and zombie crawls in cities nationwide. There appears to be no end to the zombie craze that has taken over the country. While there has been a plethora of zombie movies released in the past 47 years, there are those special films that stand out from the pack by bringing something unique and different to the genre. Tonight's film EXTINCTION is one of those examples.

The film's official synopsis: Nine years after an infection turns most of the humanity into rabid creatures, Patrick, Jack and Lu, a nine-year-old girl, survive in seeming peace and calm in the forgotten snow-covered town of Harmony. We nonetheless sense that something terrible happened between Patrick and Jack because a deep hate keeps them apart. When the infected appear again, Patrick and Jack will have to leave behind all rancor to protect the one being who means more to them than anything else.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2015)

Unlike most zombie films which focuses on death and decay of civilization, the film focuses on the humanity aspect, family dynamics and friends. How often do we see a zombie films that truthfully focuses more on the zombies and three kills rather than character development and thought provoking script about what happens when we lose our humanity and how do we get that back?

Both Matthew Fox are Jeffrey Donovan veteran actors who bring new life to the genre by taking their damaged characters and making them relatable to today's jaded horror audiences. Fox's Patrick is very likable and we gravitate to him and what exactly made him so scared and isolated. In contrast, Donovan's character Jack is much more grounded, especially since he has a daughter Lu (McColgan)  that he must protect and care for. While both these men are practically neighbors, Jack's hate for Patrick is. More harsh than the frozen winter world they now reside in. However, their friendship is once again put to the test as the must fight to survive and protect themselves and  Lu against the onslaught of the now evolved zombies. But as I stated, it's the human character examination that will appeal to audiences that are looking for something different than the same old zombie flick.

In my humble opinion, EXTINCTION is well worthy entry into the zombie genre! Even with its minor budget, the film accomplishes so much more than the bloated big-budgeted Hollywood films. Really worth your time to watch! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended!

EXTINCTION is available on both Blu-Ray and DVD. It's also available on RedBox and VOD. Also check out their Facebook page as well.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the show! 

Phil's Horror Watch: INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 (2015) from Sony Pictures-November 2, 2015

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 Blu-Ray (2015)

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3
Starring: Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Dermot Mulroney, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Michael Reid MacKay
Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell
Cinematographer: Brian Pearson
Director: Leigh Whannell
Production Comapnies: Blumhouse Productions, Gramercy Pictures, Stage 6 Films, Entertainment One
Distributor: Focus Features, Gramercy Pictures, Sony Pictures

When I first saw INSIDIOUS back in 2010, I said to myself that this one of the best horror films I have seen in a long time and I bet this will become the next big franchise. Sure enough, the series has became a global phenomenon. INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 was released back in 2013, which continued to attract acclaim, scares and profit for the franchise. And tonight it's time to examine the latest installment of the series. So let me tell you what I thought about INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3.

The film's official synopsis: A prequel set before the haunting of the Lambert family. After trying to connect with her dead mother, teenager Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott), ask physic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) to help her, she refuses due to negotiate events in her childhood. Quinn starts noticing paranormal events happen in her house. After a vicious attack from a demon her father goes back and begs Elise Rainier to use her abilities to contact the other side in hope to stop these attacks by this furious demon content for a body.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2015)

So as you just read, this sequel is actually a prequel to the series. We the audience are finally told how Elise became the powerful medium she is, the quarky team of Tucker and Specs and how they all came together. This smart and witty story comes courtesy of screenwriter Leigh Whannell, who penned the first two chapters of the series. He also reprises his role as Specs and as an added bonus, the film marks his directorial debut. Whannell takes over the reigns from James Wan, who was busy directing FURIOUS 7 (but stayed on as producer). Whannell had some big shoes to fill but manages to capture the spirit (no pun intended) of the first two films while making this film his own unique style, voice and vision. He accomplishes on creeping you out over and over again while expanding the mythology of the franchise's universe perfectly.

Both our leading ladies Lin Shaye and Stefanie Scott really do a phenomenal job with giving us strong female characters that evolve throughout the film. I don't know why this is so hard to do in most Hollywood films, but thanks to Whannell's script, the fans of the series are in for a very special treat. Shaye is simply outstanding as Elise and really gets to show off her acting ranges here. Stefanie Scott's performance is also top notch and gives us fans a new heroine to cheer on within the INSIDIOUS universe.

Overall, INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 is a worthy entry in the series and fans will no doubt enjoy it from start to finish! While not as creepy as the previous films, it still delivers the goods and gives us great depth of characters, fantastic performances and makes you afraid of the dark. Definitely worth your time horror hounds! 4 out of 5 stars!! Recommended viewing!! 

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 is currently available on both Blu-Ray and DVD at your local favorite retailer. The film is also available on Netflix and Redbox. Follow the film on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the show!