A new twist on a classic.

In 1999 the found footage style of the horror genre was born with the Lionsgate release of “The Blair Witch Project”. At the time many speculated the film to be real and its’ popularity spread like wild fire. Obviously it was later determined that the film was planned but it was already a massive success. Whether you love or hate the original Blair Witch, it is engrained in horror culture for eternity. Due to the success of the first film the studio fast tracked a sequel released in the following year titled “Book Of Shadows – Blair Witch 2”. The sequel flopped and is widely considered one of the worst horror movies of all time.

It was unveiled at this years’ comic con that the new horror film “The Woods” was actually a Blair Witch sequel. The original trailer for “the Woods”was vague yet intriguing, once it was announced as “Blair Witch” it sent horror fans into a frenzy and ripe with anticipation. With a modern twist the filmmakers set out to do the impossible and bring life into a franchise that was as dead as the Blair Witch herself…

Mission Accomplished, kind of.

“Blair Witch” picks up about 20 years after the events of the first film, we meet James who is watching a clip uploaded to the internet which is believed to be from his sister Heather Donahue (The main character from the original). He and his friends set out to the Black Hills woods in Burkittsville, MD to see if they can uncover the fate of James’ sister. Armed with modern technology including GPS, drone cameras, and personal recording devices they document as they are terrorized by the Blair Witch.

While sure not to please everyone, fans of the genre and the first installment will ultimately enjoy the latest take. The 89 minute runtime goes extremely fast, a far different pace then the slower suspenseful exploits of Heather, Josh, and Mike. The visual effects obviously got a modern day overhaul which is refreshing, clearer camera shots and multiple angles lure the audience into the story and keep them intrigued throughout. The mythology of the Blair Witch is examined and key parts that fans have asked about for 17 years are answered and make sense. They do this in an obvious way but it doesn’t detract from the story.

Casting was a downfall, none of the actors were that great and they showed little chemistry for portraying “lifetime” friends. The audience is disconnected from them from the get go, making their impending demise somewhat enjoyable. The woods look different from the original, choosing to shoot in the pacific northwest probably was not correct for continuity from “The Blair Witch Project”. Giving the film more of a green look rather than orange/brown, the daytime scenes are a little annoying but obviously with night shots it doesn’t matter. The filmmakers took a lot of risks with a few of the new elements that they added, for that they should be applauded. Audiences will likely be torn on if they like the new direction. This film has a long list of negatives that movie goers will surely notice, even with horrible acting, new direction, and unfortunate location they still make this an enjoyable hour and a half and leave the audiences asking more questions.

“Blair Witch” is nowhere close to being the scariest movie of all time, it can be classified as average at best. As most fans know though, with the slew of horrible and lazy horror flicks out there, average can be memorable.

ROASTED RIPPER SCORE = C

2.9/5 Creepy Stick Figures

Someone should have kept the “Lights Out” on this film.

James Wan owns the Horror genre right now and deservingly so, However with so many successful and truly terrifying films under his belt, this one will be regrettable.

“Lights Out” is a based on a short film with a runtime just shy of 3 minutes. In 162 seconds the original had more of a lasting impact then its 81 minute feature film companion. Whether you go see this film or not, I do recommend watching the inspiration.

The feature film version follows a torn family, we find out early and often the theme of the film is family abandonment. It’s a serious issue that most families face today but the characters (and the actors portraying them)are so dull , you feel like abandoning them yourself.

The thing common with James Wan’s films is atmospheric terror, looking for a shadow in the background or a creepy tone to keep you on edge. “Lights Out” uses the same scare over and over again ultimately making it redundant and predictable.

Marketing for “Lights Out” though has been top notch but it took away from the experience as the audience has already seen the major scares due to the bombardment of advertising.

If you aren’t great with jump scares and horror films in general, this film would be a good for training. It’s sure to terrify audiences that rarely watch scary movies but for horror vets “Lights Out” will be forgettable.

James Wan has produced and directed many hits in the horror genre and is redefining fear, so we are happy to give him a mulligan on this rushed film with little substance.

ROASTED RIPPER SCORE = D+ (4.5/10 Light Switches)

Announcing the commencement of the 3rd installment in The Purge franchise…

The Purge is one of the most original ideas in recent horror history, with three films under its belt it’s continuing to grow. The term “Purge” is already cemented into our culture, whether you have seen the films or not, you know they are about all crime (Including murder) being legal for one night.

Though they got an A for creativity, the first two films were all but underwhelming as I left the theater feeling like they had much more to give. The trailers had me sold yet the films themselves were massive underachievers.

The Purge Election Year is what I wished the other two films were. Rarely does the 3rd installment in any series ever “save” a franchise, but in this case I’m willing to count this as a standalone film.

We follow an actual realistic storyline this time about a female senator who watched her family slaughtered on Purge night 18 years ago. She is running for President and her main motivation is to end the yearly bloodbath. This rocks the boat of the group who invented The Purge, The NFFA (The New Founding Fathers Of America). What follows next is a cat and mouse game on Purge night and simply trying to survive.

In the first two films the audience is never really drawn to any character, making their demise rather unemotional and dull. This film changes that narrative as the audience actually is rooting for the Senator and her help to make it out alive.

While it feels more realistic touching on many topics and issues that we face today (Political corruption, economy, and unaffordable insurance), the major shortcoming is the depiction of The Purge itself. In each film they spend only about 10 minutes showing  the crazy antics going on outside. These segments are really well done and seem to only get better with each film, but in my opinion they need to be longer. The film drags on near the end for a little bit and some extra scenes with destruction outside could have made the audience feel more in that setting, while also cutting out some of the dead weight.

ROASTED RIPPER SCORE = B- (7.5/10 Victims)

The best all around horror film since… well the original Conjuring. James Wan defined himself long ago and it’s been amazing to watch the maturity in his storytelling, all while refusing to settle with his success. From Saw to Dead Silence to Insidious to the Conjuring you will not find a better way to watch a horror movie.

Based on the true case files from the Warren’s, the Conjuring 2 takes us to London and chronicles “The Enfield Poltergeist” in which a family is terrorized by a spirit that previously lived in the home. What the Conjuring series does so well is that it makes you focus on multiple storylines and demons. In the original, right off the bat we were introduced to the Annabelle doll (Which has sparked its own spinoff). This film is no different, giving you multiple spirits to keep you up at night, including a demonic nun that you are sure to see in your nightmares.

This film also touches on the Warren’s involvement with the “Amityville” house on Long Island, which of course is a horror icon in itself and is teased at the end of the original Conjuring. If I had to say something negative about this film it would have to be the runtime, at 2 hours and 13 minutes it’s one of the longest horror movies in recent memory. Having said that I am not sure what part of the story you could even cut out.

As sequels go in general it’s extremely difficult to find many that are worthwhile, this should not even be classified as a sequel but more of a continuation. For someone who has seen many many horror films it is really nice going into a theater and knowing what to expect but still coming out surprised. Make sure to stay during the credits for actual photos from the investigation/people involved. As if Wan’s vision wasn’t enough – here is a gentle reminder that ghosts are real!

ROASTED RIPPER SCORE – A (5/5 pairs of underwear)