Category: Movie Reviews

Horror Movies Suck

Posted on by kustradio

Merry Christmas, my dudes. Let’s talk about horror movies.

Specifically, Halloween (2018) because that movie left me SHOOOOOK! In fact, I was so shook, it made me write this blog post about how shook I was and still am.

Let me just say, horror movies have been my favorite since I was a kiddo. However,

 

I noticed there has been a trend with

recent movies; they all suck. Trust me, I’ve seen enough to know what’s good and what isn’t.

 

But like, what makes a horror movie good? I can tell you one thing; it’s not jump scares or excessive gore. Take The Nun, for example. I never saw it but apparently, it was dumb af because they relied on jump scares. Y’all… that’s not scary. I mean, sure, at the moment it is, but you end up forgetting about it in two seconds. Halloween tho, oh my GOD, it was genuinely scary. I found myself wanting to scream the entire time, not out of fear, but because I was so frustrated and I never knew what was gonna happen next. Michael Myers is a smart dude.

 

Speaking of Michael, maybe it’s the characters that really make the movie what it is. When you think about the classics (Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, IT, etc.), the main antagonists are ICONIC. Why? Who knows. Freddy Krueger. Everyone and their grandmother recognizes the striped sweater, his hat, and his gloves with knives. Like, could you even imagine seeing him in your dreams? With his face all burned up? Honestly, I’d go into cardiac arrest. And the fact that he can kill you in real life?? Horrifying.

 

Maybe it’s the plot and overall, what happens throughout the movie. I feel like most movies these days are about ghosts and the paranormal, but it’s honestly gotten so old. Like, yeah sure, no one wants to be possessed but y’all could be more creative. I know Paranormal Activity was popular for a hot minute but let it die. Halloween, on the other hand, is iconic. Sure, you could say slasher films are also kind redundant but Halloween is more than that. Listen to this; the producers and writers of this movie worked off of the idea of paranoia. I guess, in this case, the fear that someone is watching you at all times. And you can tell this is what they were going for because Michael is so creepy! You never know where he is but you know he’s around somewhere and it’s just genuinely terrifying.

 

Listen, I love horror movies, but these directors gotta step up their game. And if any of y’all out there are trying to be directors or producers or whatever in the future, don’t disappoint me please and thank you.

Post by Maria Najera from “Honesty Hour,” Monday nights at 6p.m.

What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)

Posted on by kustradio

By: Elli Dubanoski

An insightful look into the life and music of Nina Simone, “What Happened, Miss Simone?” highlights the artist’s brilliance and civil rights activism while also refusing to shy away from the darker areas of her life, including her long-untreated mental illness. The biographical film shows how Simone almost seemed to stumble into an influential career as a jazz singer while trying to achieve her dream of becoming the first black woman to be a classical pianist. After the manager of the club she played piano at threatened to fire her if she didn’t sing, she rose to fame with her memorable and powerful voice that captivated audiences.

 

“What Happened, Miss Simone?” quite thoroughly records her life including her struggles with the tragic domestic abuse by her ex-husband Andy and the abuse she later inflicted on her daughter after she left him. The film contains an interview with her daughter who, despite experiencing violent abuse at the hands of her mother, insists on her mother’s musical genius and was able to redevelop a relationship with Simone when she received treatment later in life.

 

One of the more interesting aspects of the film is the negative impacts her involvement in the civil rights movement had on her career during her life. Simone aspired to achieve the same noteworthiness as other black women artists of her area, such as Aretha Franklin, but was unable to stay silent on injustices both through her speeches and her music. It was because of her involvement in the civil rights movement that she was given less opportunities as a musician.

 

Despite her faults, the film portrays Simone as exceptionally strong and incredibly talented. “What Happened, Miss Simone?” is a powerful record of her undeniable influence on music and a testament of the sacrifices she made to fight injustice.