HAPPY DEATH DAY REVIEW

A college student relives the day of her murder with both its unexceptional details and terrifying end until she discovers her killer’s identity.

Starring: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, and Ruby Modine

Directed by: Christopher Landon

Written by: Scott Lobdell

   Many years ago Bill Murray starred in a comedy called “Groundhog Day,” where he was forced to live the same day over and over again. Now comes “Happy Death Day,” where a college student named Tree (Jessica Rothe) is forced to live her birthday over and over. While both end up stuck in their own day from hell, at least Bill wasn’t being chased by a murderer. This is what Tree is forced to overcome in order to live to the day after her birthday day.

  Knowing that this is a horror movie where someone is going to die time after time is exciting. There are so many possibilities there, and opportunities for plenty of blood. However the PG-13 bug bites again, and many of the deaths are cut short as usual. The impact isn’t felt in death, but more when she wakes up in bed the next morning. Still would have preferred the blood, but it does give the audience a little something different.

  It just shows that the movie is more about having a little fun getting through the day over and over, and the mystery of who the killer is. Every time Tree wakes up she’s in a different mood. It’s actually funny watching her no matter what mood she’s in, especially in the moments just after she wakes up. She wakes up in the room of a boy named Carter (Israel Broussard), but the really amusing part is her different reactions to his roommate coming in the room.

  As for the mystery, it seems like they do a good job of hiding the killer’s identity. There are plenty of characters to pick from, and the audience gets a chance to weed out the killer along with Tree. She actually goes on a mission to eliminate suspects one by one, and death by death. It’s a nice little twist to who the killer is, and how they end her death streak. Speaking of her deaths, the only major issue here is that there’s no good reason for this to happen. Basically she’s not a good person and is going through this in order to change her life for the better. That’s a weak explanation for a horror movie!

  “Groundhog Day” was a comedy, and “Happy Death Day” takes a similar path with a horror theme. It’s not on the same comedic level as a Bill Murray comedy, but it turns out to have its funny moments here and there. It's also entertaining trying to figure out the killer, and the twisty way the movie concludes. However, it’s a horror movie, and it would’ve been nicer to have a more bloody movie released on Friday the 13th, but that’s just me! With that, I give it 2.5 pools of blood.

  HorrO

JEEPERS CREEPERS 3 REVIEW

Sheriff Dan Tashtego and a team of creeper hunters enlist the help of officer Davis Tubbs to help stop the monsters eating spree.

Starring: Gina Philips, Meg Foster, and Jonathan Breck

  

  It takes 23 years before the Creeper (Jonathan Breck) comes back to feed. Too bad it has felt like 23 years since the last Jeepers Creepers movie. Reason after reason has delayed this movie, but it’s finally here. So was the extremely long wait worth it?

  In “Jeepers Creepers” the audience got to see the Creeper drive an odd looking vehicle that intimidated Trish and Darry. This time around the vehicle does a lot more than just intimidate people. Instead of the Batmobile, think of this as the Deathmobile. It does an effective job of keeping his victims (food) inside, and keeping others out. And the best part for the Creeper, he doesn’t even have to be around for it to work!

  So while his vehicle is cool, audiences came to see the Creeper kill, and not his ride. This time around most of the action takes place during the day, so audiences can see the Creeper clearly for once. Sorry, but he’s nowhere as scary looking during the day. Actually besides his ugly face, and wings, he looks way too human. On a positive note, the audience gets a good look at him using several of his weapons to capture, and kill his food.

  As for the story, it’s kind of weak, and actually all over the place. In previous movies, it was clear where the focus of the Creeper’s attention was. In this one, some characters are just there for him to eventually kill like the group of young bikers. Then there is a side story with an older lady who has a connection to the Creeper through her son. At first it appears like this side story is going somewhere, but just fizzles out in the end. Finally the Creeper seems to have smelled the girl it wants in Addison (Gabrielle Haugh), but the movie doesn’t do enough to focus on her to make the audience even care about her. The best part of the story might be at the end where it's confirmed that this movie takes place in between part 1 and 2.

  In the end, it’s clear what the biggest problem for this movie is... the budget. Instead of the feature presentation it's supposed to be, it feels at times like a low budget movie set for the Syfy channel. Scenes that could have been good don’t appear to be edited right. They lack the punch that the Creeper gave in the previous two films. It’s just so disappointing to wait all that time, and not be given the same opportunity to succeed as the other movies. I really wanted to like “Jeepers Creepers 3,” but it’s not even close to the quality of the previous movies. With that, I have to sadly give it 1 pool of blood.

  HorrO