Seed of Chucky (2004)

This is the fifth film in the Child's Play franchise and the first (I think) that I've watched all the way through. The main character of this film is the offspring of Chucky and Tiffany. Their  "child" is called Glen/Glenda and the real gender is not really identified in the film. This is supposed to be comedy horror and their are a few laughs but they're not very funny. It's a better film than I was expecting but my expectations were very low to begin with. The plot is poor and since the main characters are dolls their expressions don't really change much. Some of the acting is pretty dire but that is part of the black humour. Good comedy horror should be scary and funny. This just doesn't pass either bar so I couldn't recommend it, those who've watched and enjoyed other films in the franchise will probably love it.

Banshee Chapter (2013)

I think I’ve seen this film before just maybe not the whole way through. This time I did watch the whole way and enjoyed it. It’s based on experiments carried out on US citizens, off the record trials that had disturbing effects on the individuals in the study. A reporter’s friend tracks down a vial of a chemical used in these experiments and starts to write a book, he’s also sent a video tape of the experiments. It seems the chemical opens some kind of portal for aliens to enter. Or if not aliens, some kind of supernatural entity. It is visualised with the individuals face contorted with entirely black eyes. The friend disappears and  the reporter goes looking for him. She watches the videotape and pieces together the story. She eventually tracks down the source of the chemical, which turns out to be an author. He’s a great character, somewhat William S Burroughs like in nature. It’s an entertaining yarn, there are some holes in the plot and not everything works but the pace is good and its an interesting story.

Lockdown rules for all?

So we learn that during the height of lockdown that one of the most senior members of the government's advisory staff took it upon himself to drive over 200 miles away from home with his family. This while the rest of the public were expected to respect the lockdown and stay away from the funerals of those they love. It is very disappointing behaviour and rather than flocking to defend Dominic Cummings the Prime Minister should have the decency to realise he has to make fair decisions for all. Quite why the rules should be bent for Dominic Cummings and not for everybody beggars belief. But that's not the only thing that beggars belief about this government. I saw the coverage of him leaving the house this morning and a right bag of rags he looked. Okay, so it was very intrusive to have the press outside your home but WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

Witchfinder General (1968)

Strange that this film seems so tame today given it was heavily censored at the time it was first released and was regarded by some as morally bankrupt. There are some scenes that imply gratuitous violence and rape but you don’t see this. If it were made today it would be a lot worse. The lead role is played by Vincent Price, he plays the character Matthew Hopkins. A sadist really, self appointed witch finder for parliament during the English civil war.
A vicar is tortured and his daughter offers herself to Matthew Hopkins to prevent even worse torture. She is betrothed to a soldier (played by Ian Ogilvy who would later play The Saint in The Return Of The Saint in the 1970s) who returns to her village and swears revenge on Hopkins. Lots of horse riding scenes follow. He does eventually catch up with Hopkins in a town in East Anglia. No happy ending in this film, one of the reasons its regarded as a horror rather than a historical film. It’s definitely worth a watch for a Vincent Price performance if nothing else but Hilary Dwyer the vicar’s daughter also turns out a good performance.

New mobile phone

The last time I upgraded my phone was in November 2016, I've had an Android phone since November 2014 and have stayed with Android for my new phone. My wife needed to change her phone first and we got her a Samsung A40. She had been living with that for a few weeks and I was considering different phones but I was so impressed with hers that I got myself one. I think it is good value for money and the screen is very good (it has an AMOLED screen). It's slightly smaller than my Moto G4 was but it fits better in my hand and is not so uncomfortable in the pocket of my jeans. The screen is still big enough even if it is smaller. The cameras are good, better than my previous model, and camera phone cameras are all pretty good these days I have to say. I've had it a couple of weeks and am very happy with it.

Eurovision non-event

Last Saturday would have been the Eurovision Song Contest but instead they just broadcast a show playing the songs that would have been appearing. I didn't watch it. I watch Eurovision for the voting part mainly. Last weekends show held no interest for me at all.
This weekend the strict lockdown has been unwound slightly, with the ability to enjoy picnics in parks and other spaces provided we keep socially distant. I can't see this being very successful as some age groups seem to believe they are immune.
Also, what has annoyed me this week is that now more people can go out, the litter on our local park has started up again, it's disgraceful to see cans and bottles on the ground. Pick it up and take it home with you. It's not much to ask is it?

House (1986)

This film was billed as a comedy horror. A Vietnam vet and author called Roger Cobb is living alone, having divorced his wife. His son went missing a while ago and he is still trying to come to terms with life. His aunt hangs herself in an old house she lived in and Roger decides to move in there. He soon finds that the house has a secret and that monsters live there. He has a nosy neighbour who tries to help Roger through a bizarre sequence when he shoots his ex wife, rescues a neighbours son from a monster and survives a drop into the darkness from his bathroom cabinet. In this place he finds his son and brings him back and the film ends with his ex-wife arriving and Roger looking pleased with himself.
Neither comedy or horror, this film falls flat on its face in a place it is difficult to come back from, rather like the character's son. I would avoid this unless you like special effects that are not CGI based. There are some monsters in the film but they move awkwardly and slowly and are not all that scary.

I Spit On Your Grave 3: Vengeance is mine (2015)

This film is the third instalment of a remake from the first film of the same name made originally in 1978, which I confess I haven't seen. I don't enjoy watching rape and revenge films and only sat through this because it was a horror channel film. The acting is not bad, Sarah butler is quite good, but the plot is pretty dreadful. The victim Jennifer Hills from the first films is living under a different name and working in an office job. She is attending group counselling evening classes for victims of assault. She makes friends with another woman there called Marla and they bond over their hatred of males.
Led by Marla, the two follow the abusive father of one of the teenage girls attending the group and attack him to scare him off from raping the teenager. Marla is later killed, the suspect is her abusive ex-boyfriend. Frustrated that the prosecution failed to find him guilty our main character Jennifer lures, attacks and kills him herself. In the counselling group she learns that the abusive father is abusing again and she lures him also. She hammers a metal pipe up his arse, killing him. Throughout the film she has daydreams of murdering people, we see these visualised for the pleasure of the gore.
The film has quite a strange ending in my opinion but I won't spoil it here. I think you probably know what you're in for if you watch this film and while not terrible, I don't think it is very recommendable.

Mental health under the coronavirus lockdown

There are some aspects of the lockdown that are pleasant. The return of animals moving into habitats that are no longer massively frequented by humans. The air quality over lots of cities has improved. The much lower levels of road traffic. The quietness of weekend mornings especially but mornings in general are quieter.
Then there are aspects that are unpleasant. Shopping for groceries is stressful to me. I hate it. I know I am exaggerating here but it feels almost like airport security. Stress. So I go as little as possible but with a family to feed one of us has to go once a week at least, if just to buy milk, bread and teabags.
Not going out so much means we are closer as a family than before the lockdown but this has brought with it some difficulties of its own. There are times when we get on each others nerves. I think it must be especially difficult for those who are living with abusive partners. Man, that's got to be tough.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his partner have a baby boy now, born last weekend. In some ways that's brighter news for the whole country.
It has also been a week in which President Donald Trump suggested that disinfectant be injected into the blood to cure coronavirus and that also the virus doesn't like light, so bringing a dose of light into the body should be investigated. These are things that anyone might ponder in private or ask the professionals about however, you just don't do these things in a press conference watched by millions of Americans and the rest of the world. Of course its not the first time he has spouted off about the benefits of unproven treatments, while at the same time let's not forget he has cut WHO funding from the USA. The man is an absolute tool! And yet, even though the video footage is clear, what we get told is that his words are taken out of context. His words were just sarcasm to see how the negative press would report him. So the next day he leaves the press conference without taking any questions. He describes any challenge from the press as fake news. He does not like to be challenged by the press but excuse me have I missed something or isn't that their job? He'd rather hide behind his Twitter account and bully and snipe at people. He's a shockingly bad president. I just hope that the Americans can see him for what he is. He complains about fake news, well here's news: he's a fake president!