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The App That Kills: Bedeviled – Movie Review

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Bedeviled was just released in Germany. To celebrate, here is a review of the modern smartphone killer flick, so you’ll know all about it once it hits the US.

What is it about?

In 2017, everyone has a smartphone, and everyone knows Siri. She was even in the Lego Batman Movie. Now imagine Siri is trying to kill you and your friends. That’s Bedeviled. A group of friends mourn the sudden loss of their friend. Shortly after they are invited to install an app. Mr. Bedeviled is the name. Like Siri, but seemingly even smarter. Smart becomes creepy really fast and soon teenagers die left and right.

Of course a movie like this has to have some sort of message. And to be honest, it is very on the nose: Smartphones invade your privacy. It’s nice to have a message, but it can be a little annoying when you have multiple characters mention it. While the evil app mentions it as well. Of course this doesn’t make the message less true, but it takes away from it for sure.

How is it?

For a low budget, direct to VOD and Blu-Ray movie, I was pleasantly surprised. The main antagonist, Mr. Bedeviled is really fun. The app listens to your conversations, finds out your biggest fears and then scares you to death.

“But why would they mention their biggest fears?” I hear you asking.

Well, imagine two guys try to scare their friend with one of those cheap jump scare videos and he remarks “You know I’m afraid of clowns!”. On other occasions, they just talk about their biggest fears for no reason.

Bedeviled, release 2017

The movie is well shot, the cinematography is really good. It has the look of a big budget movie, on par with Insidious. But I guess for that it would need more cheap jump scares.

Is it scary?

The most important question for a horror movie is, of course: “How scary is it?” I’d say it is fairly effective. It’s got some eerie scenes. Of course it has the usual jump scares every now and then, but it has more to offer. The scary effects look mostly practical, done with makeup and puppets. Everyone who has a fear of clowns or clown-like characters will be frightened for sure. And Mr. Bedeviled looks great. He is reminiscent of Slender Man, tall, slim, and instead of a tie he wears a bow tie, instead of a black suit, his suit is colorful. And he has a great grin.

His voice is even more important though, because as a Siri-like app, he is talking a lot. And the actor/voice actor has a great voice, reminiscent of the Killers voice in the Scream franchise.

Now to get to the gore. You won’t find any in this movie. It is R-Rated, but they don’t show anything viscera. All deaths happen off-screen. My guess is that the R-Rating comes from them saying “Fuck” quite a lot. Otherwise this would be a PG-13 movie for sure.

Anything else?

You can see where Bedeviled was influenced all throughout the movie. It is not by a big studio. It was made by actual horror fans who wanted to show how you scare people. And I think they succeeded. Also, for the most part, they managed to portray teenagers and smartphones pretty well. Most filmmakers have not yet grasped how young adults use their phones. The Vang-Brothers not only captured it pretty well, they managed to put the premise around this topic. Instead of “Oh no, my phone doesn’t work here” in this movie it works. You could say it works too well.

bedeviled 2016

There are some problems with the movie though. There are some ideas that seem to be important, like one girl who is in love with her fairly creepy teacher, that are never fully explored. This makes them feel pointless in the end. Also, a problem more and more horror movies seem to have, the death of the friends is downplayed by the characters. The first death is a big deal, but after that it just feels like they are over it right after it happens, going back to joking around and having sex. Also once again, none of these teenagers seem to have any parents. But those are small nitpicks, if you turn your brain off you will still enjoy this movie.

Final Thoughts

All in all Bedeviled is a fun contemporary movie that can hold its own in the ranks of recent scary movies. It probably won’t be remembered as one of the greatest of all times, but it is a fun teeny horror movie, perfect to watch with a few friends to have a scary night. While influenced by other great horror movies it still manages to stand on its own. Even though the main pattern of the story is nothing new, they managed to make it feel fresh and original enough to stand out. I’m rating Bedeviled 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

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The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

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Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors. 

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie. 

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time. 

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.

Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Footwear for Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams doll shoes
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1994’s ‘The Crow’ Coming Back to Theaters for A New Special Engagement

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The Crow

Cinemark recently announced that they will be bringing The Crow back from the dead once again. This announcement comes just in time for the film’s 30th anniversary. Cinemark will be playing The Crow in select theaters on May 29th and 30th.

For those unaware, The Crow is a fantastic film based on the gritty graphic novel by James O’Barr. Widely considered one of the best films of the 90s, The Crow’s lifespan was cut short when Brandon Lee died of an accidental on set shooting.

The official synapsis of the film is as follows. “The modern-gothic original that entranced audiences and critics alike, The Crow tells the tale of a young musician brutally murdered alongside his beloved fiancée, only to be risen from the grave by a mysterious crow. Seeking revenge, he battles a criminal underground that must answer for its crimes. Adapted from the comic book saga of the same name, this action-packed thriller from director Alex Proyas (Dark City) features hypnotic style, dazzling visuals, and a soulful performance by the late Brandon Lee.”

The Crow

The timing of this release couldn’t be better. As a new generation of fans eagerly awaits the release of The Crow remake, they can now see the classic film in all of its glory. As much as we love Bill Skarsgard (IT), there is something timeless in Brandon Lee’s performance in the film.

This theatrical release is part of the Scream Greats series. This is a collaboration between Paramount Scares and Fangoria to bring audiences some of the best classic horror films. So far, they are doing a fantastic job.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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