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“The Sandman” is Creepy Good Fun

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There’s something a bit old fashioned about The Sandman, the new feature from writer/director Peter Sullivan.  There’s a cool creature, a young girl with a power she can’t quite control, and a government agency trying to take control of both.  Add in a smattering of horror icons in pivotal roles, an iconic producer you never saw coming, and you have a movie that’s just the right amount of creepy fun to sit back and enjoy with a bag of popcorn.

The Sandman all starts with a man who is obviously on the run with his daughter in the back seat of the car.  Who, or what, they’re running from becomes all too clear as the father is quickly dispatched by a creature made entirely of sand.  The daughter, Madison (Shae Smolik), soon finds herself in the temporary custody of her aunt, Claire (Haylie Duff), but their trouble is far from over, especially when Claire learns that Madison isn’t running from the Sandman, but could actually be causing his attacks.

Sounds like a story from a classic comic book, doesn’t it?  That may be why legendary Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee chose to add his name to the list of producers to this film.  Madison would have fit well within the X-Men universe.  I’m sure that Professor Xavier would have loved helped her get control of her uncanny gifts.

The sound of sifting sand has never been quite so menacing as the Sandman himself, and Mick Ignis, who brings the character to life, is on the path to finding himself categorized alongside genre greats like Javier Botet and Doug Jones with his stellar performance and that all too rare ability to make the fantastic seem possible.

Shae Smolik in the role of Madison is a real standout for someone so young.  She walks the line between victim and villain quite well with emotional turns that one doesn’t expect from such a young actress.

Genre icons Amanda Wyss and Tobin Bell bring their own weigh to a couple of the standard horror archetypes in The Sandman.

Wyss plays a psychiatrist who has spent her life studying children born “under a caul”, the antiquated terminology for children who are born with the amniotic sac still attached to the body, especially the face.  It has long been thought that those born under a caul are predisposed to psychic abilities such as clairvoyance, telekinesis, and mediumship.  Wyss doesn’t get much screen time but she exudes compassion and understanding for Madison and Claire making her their perfect port in a storm.

Bell, meanwhile, plays the hardened government agent hot on the tracks of Madison and the Sandman’s path of destruction.  He, of course, sees this as an opportunity for a weapon the enemy would never see coming.

The film isn’t without its faults, however.  The sound mixing is problematic throughout especially during the attacks by the Sandman where the monster sounds overrode the dialogue in places.

Likewise, the shift between practical and digital effects is a bit disjointed.  It’s painfully obvious in the transitions when the Sandman steps into our world.  That whirlwind of sand jolted my suspension of disbelief nearly every time.

Also, Sullivan’s script stumbles from time to time and easily could have been helped by one or two more passes by himself or a talented script doctor.

Most of this can be forgiven, however, if you’re ready to just enjoy a cool creature feature, but I can’t help wondering if the movie could have been more than it is with just a tad more finessing.

The Sandman will be making its way to the SyFy channel on October 14, 2017 so you’ll be able to enjoy it just in time for Halloween!  Check out the trailer below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC5ygditmDs

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Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

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In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

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Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

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Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

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