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Film reviews

Earth Mama Review

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This title of this film speaks with a meaningful message. Earth Mama is an invigorating story that displays the challenges of tough love and shows how choices have consequences. Motherhood is the subject of the struggle in Earth Mama which is filled with heavy emotions. Hardship for the mother continues throughout the film but there is no giving up hope. I found this experience to be eerie, yet vividly stunning due to its exploration of human nature. Earth Mama made me curious about what it’s like to be restricted based on choices.

The film takes place in the Bay area of California. Gia is a mother played by Tia Nomore. She has two kids and a third on the way. Her children are in the hands of the court system because Gia has made choices that are unsafe for her children. Therefore, she is restricted from being with her kids as much as she would like to. She must live on welfare and be on probation.With a rough background and a questionable paper trail of errors, Gia keeps hitting plateaus as she tries to get her head on straight so she can convince her parole officer that she is capable of taking care of her kids. Her parole officer is Jasmine played by Tina D’Elia.

As the film progresses, Gia begins to understand that she may have made mistakes. However, deep down she has a big heart for her children. Nevertheless, she decides to investigate adoption for her third child, but fears this commitment may cause even more problems. Gia has lost a lot in her life due to repeated errors, lies, and struggles with addiction. The title Earth Mama relates to Gia’s problems which all involve wanting to feel a sense of escape. Unfortunately, her brief periods of relief also have serious consequences.

The film thrives on Gia’s errors, which I found somewhat disappointing. Earth Mama has a strange vibe that boils through the audience as Gia goes through many waves of conflict. While it feels real, it is not a comfortable feeling. There is good in the love that Gia has for her children, but there is nothing good in the choices she continues to make. Earth Mama creates a world of tragedy and melancholy as the cinematography grasps the sadness of Gia’s challenging life. Can Gia get through her parole? Can Gia regain custody of her children? Will Gia make the right choice for her newborn? There is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions in Earth Mama. It is a film that battles with and tackles life challenges in an extremely realistic way.

Earth Mama hit me to the core because of its exploration of a-life-like situation, including the harsh consequences that come with poor decisions. The threat of relapse and continued errors only escalates the hardship for Gia and her children. Finally, Gia regaining faith in herself may be the biggest struggle in Earth Mama. Two and a half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Haunted Mansion Review

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This remake of Haunted Mansion takes the haunts and scares of the film down a different track. The Eddie Murphy version from 2003 was geared more toward the danger and suspense of hidden ghosts. This new Haunted Mansion has a storyline consisting of moving parts. The mansion is of course haunted, and there is evidence to possibly explain the ghosts and spirits. Clues and obstacles can be found around many corners, giving Haunted Mansion almost an interactive film feel.

The film tells the story of Gabbie, a devoted mother portrayed by the talented Rosario Dawson. She moves into a haunted house with her son Travis, brilliantly played by Chase Dillon. Gabbie’s top priority is of course her son’s safety, which is why she seeks the assistance of experts who can help her manage the supernatural presence in their home.

Among the people Gabbie seeks out for help is the knowledgeable and resourceful tour guide Ben Matthias, played by the versatile LaKeith Stanfield. The pious priest named Ken, portrayed by the Owen Wilson, brings his unique skills to the team, using prayers and mindfulness to control the actions of the spirits. The awe-inspiring historian Bruce Davis, played by the incomparable Danny DeVito, offers his extensive knowledge of ghosts to the group. The informative glass ball named Madame Leota, played by the legendary Jamie Lee Curtis offers insights into evil spirits. The film’s primary antagonist is The Hat-Box Ghost, played by the talented Jared Leto. The movie captures a similar vibe to the classic Ghostbusters but with a fresh and distinct perspective on how to deal with malevolent spirits and vanquish them from the mansion.

The combination of Stanfield, Wilson, DeVito, Curtis, and Leto gives the film an element of joy and mystery. Their humor often serves as a relief for the terror experienced by the characters. And each character in Haunted Mansion has an important role to play in unraveling the mystery and finding a solution to make Gabbie’s home safe. There are reasons why the ghosts refuse to leave Gabbie’s home and why her son Travis is affected by them. Along the way, there are moments of terror and laughter, with jump scares and humorous surprises. There are times where the audience will feel they should be thinking seriously, and other times when it feels like being on an amusement park. It is a spooky and humorous adventure.

I viewed Haunted Mansion as being almost like a Tetris maze, an entertaining and imaginative Disney puzzle that will captivate its audience. The film may even have viewers questioning whether they missed any clues from the original Disney ride that inspired this film.

But although Haunted Mansion is a decent source of entertainment, it falls short of being exceptional. It will certainly cater to those with a fascination for ghosts, and it offers a two-hour exploration of Disney’s creative prowess in filmmaking. But it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Three out of four stars for Haunted Mansion.

Film reviews

Talk to Me Review

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There is a vibe of disturbance that has the taste of a haunting rampage displayed with vengeance and obscure power. It is a film that is deep with sorrow and guilt in which terror seeps into wonders unimaginable. The directors, Danny and Michael Phillippou, drive the eerie feelings for their audiences. This film of existential and creative terror is Talk to Me and is by far one of the best horror films of 2023.  The momentum which builds in the tragedies involve consequences. Above all, Talk to Me is a terror experience that will make its viewers think. There is no hiding from the surprises in this film and it had me jumping in my seat due to the shocking discoveries. In fact, I found it hard to stop thinking about how many more frights I was going to have.

The film takes place in Australia and is about a group of friends who are always together despite some harsh terms. Those friends are Mia (played by Sophie Wilde), Riley (played by Joe Bird), Jade (played by Alexandra Jensen), and Daniel (played by Otis Dhanji). There are more names, but Mia, Riley, Jade, and Daniel are the important ones in this film’s haunting experience. The friends find a game where they realize they can conjure up spirits. The way they do this is by using an embalmed hand. Once they grab the hand, they have to say three words…TALK TO ME! Each of them has fun with the game for a bit by testing the boundaries of it.  The game is like a drug that feels fun to mess around with, but sadly, turns dangerous. One of the friends receives horrific injuries after the embalmed hand explodes with supernatural forces. This terrible encounter means lives are on the line because the conjuring force has unleashed. The many problems of Mia, Riley, Jade, and Daniel go into karma mode as the spirit makes them wonder who the most dangerous person is.

The terror in Talk to Me dives deep into missed connections. Mia is grieving after the death of her mother. She has struggled with drugs in the past. The embalmed hand is presented like a new escape in place of drugs. Instead, the embalmed hand opens a world of accepting the evils of reality, and the evils of past behaviors. Can Mia live with it? Can anyone conquer the supernatural forces of the hand? The writing reminds the audience that even in darkness there can be light. The light, however, does not come without sacrifice or admittance of guilt. It is like a Jumanji film, but in truth or dare mode where there are imagined supernatural spirits at their finest.

The diversity of horror is spellbinding. The search for answers involves dark allies filled with meaning. There is a puzzle to all the surreal and terrorizing outcomes in Talk to Me and a mystery to every emotion and event. The film tests the waters of the past, is filled with scary moments, and causes emotions to spiral in unexpected places that result in a triumphant terror flick.

Is the embalmed hand that dangerous? Do the spirits lurk throughout the film? Is there a way to battle the evils of conjured spirits? Find out in Talk to Me…a surreal realm of horror that surpasses other scary films of 2023. Four stars.