Movie Review

Movie Review: Summer of 84

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Welcome to 2019! As part of my resolutions for the year, I want to make sure I’m posting a book or movie review every Sunday. While I work on my own writing, I think it’s important for me to continue supporting other writers and creators. First up for the year is a movie review of “Summer of 84” – an excellent horror film that is much heavier towards mystery/suspense than gore.

Summer of 84 Poster

Here’s the IMDB description: “After suspecting that their police officer neighbor is a serial killer, a group of teenage friends spend their summer spying on him and gathering evidence, but as they get closer to discovering the truth, things get dangerous.”

I found this film through my Shudder subscription, and I’m so glad I did. What we have here is more of a coming-of-age film than anything else. The band of friends who decide to investigate all of the disappearances are a motley crew of boys all trying to find their roles in the world. They’re dealing with the transition of being children and becoming young adults. It reminded me a lot of “Stand By Me” in terms of tone and the style of character development.

As for the plot, it felt more like an adventure with a dark end rather than consistent horror, and that was a refreshing change for the genre. There’s plenty of suspense and a clear mystery to be solved, but the jewel of this movie is the exploration of character rather than antics of the alleged serial killer.

Without revealing too much, I would like to still comment on the ending. I’m of two minds. On the one hand, it seems very fitting. On the other, there was something that felt too resolved and convenient. Of course, I don’t want to spoil anything since I hope anyone reading this review might choose to watch and form their own opinions.

Overall, this was a really great movie that I think will appeal to both horror lovers and non-horror lovers. It’s a great movie for those just starting out in the genre or those who are fans of dark coming-of-age stories.

Thanks for reading,

Tiffany

Personal, Update

Update On My Disappearance

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Well, hello there. It’s me again. Yes, you might have noticed that I disappeared again. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I want to do, so this blog has been a bit neglected since my 31 Days of Horror series.

black and white blank challenge connect
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So, one of my goals for 2019 is to create more reasonable goals for myself! I know that Haute Couture Society will still be taking up most of my blogging/networking time, but I want to do a better job at keeping up with this one too. So, to help with this, this blog is going to be a bit more casual. I’m planning to have general updates here about writing projects and information about things I’m liking (books, movies, etc). Some posts may have a combination of a lot of different things.

To get started, here are some things I’m loving this December:

  1. Candles – There are so many great scents that come out around the holidays. Since I have a fake Christmas tree, I have been loving my Christmas Tree scented candle for some extra ambiance.
  2. Krampus – From cheesy movies to funny t-shirts, I have been obsessing over Krampus this year. (If you don’t know who this folklore figure it, check it out here). This is the perfect combination of Christmas and horror!
  3. Reality TV – Vanderpump Rules is back!! I’m a huge fan of all things Bravo, but this Real Housewives spin-off is my absolute favorite!

Here are some things I’m hating this December:

  1. Bumble – Being single during the holidays sucks. I’ve been trying to use the dating app Bumble, but it’s been so discouraging. I just don’t seem to have much in common with single guys in the Cincinnati area.
  2. Vegetables – I’m on a diet and it’s going pretty well. But even though I’m forcing myself to eat more vegetables, I still loathe them…and always will.
  3. Darkness – Despite my love of horror, I still get really sad when it’s dark both when I leave for when and when I’m coming home from work.

Well, thanks for reading! I promise, I’m going to try to do a better job to keep up with this blog, share my favorites, and update people on my writing projects.

Happy Holidays!

-Tiffany

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: Opera (1987)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Happy Halloween! I hope you’re planning something spooky for this evening. Thanks to everyone who has been following along with my 31 Days of Halloween. For this final day, I wanted to discuss Opera, a film by Dario Argento and my favorite movie in the giallo tradition.

Opera Poster

IMDB’s Description: “A young opperata is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself.”

This year I discovered a new love of a very specific type of horror/thriller film: the giallo. These Italian-made horror flicks blend mystery elements with grisly horror, and I have just been devouring them. Opera has quickly become one of my favorites because of the interesting imagery and unique plot. There are some interesting allusions to The Phantom of the Opera, but don’t expect a grand love story here. Instead, we get to delve deep into the mind of a very twisted murderer trying to recapture something he never truly had.

Thanks again to everyone who followed this blog series! I hope this is a fun, memorable Halloween for you all!

Next up, I plan to return to book reviews for a while – and yes, there will definitely be an emphasis on Christmas books!

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: They Look Like People (2015)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I love when horror movies make you question the reality of what you’re seeing. Unreliable main characters can be both frustrating and fascinating as you try to piece together what is going on internally and externally (and whether the two are one and the same). That’s why my penultimate pick for 31 Days of Halloween is They Look Like People.

They Look Like People Poster

IMDB’s Description: “Suspecting that people around him are turning into evil creatures, a troubled man questions whether to protect his only friend from an impending war, or from himself.”

This is a movie that I don’t want to say too much about, but I want to encourage everyone to watch it. It’s only about 80 minutes long, but it is fascinating. You’ll spend the whole movie trying to figure out if you should be as skeptical of the main character as the other characters seem to be or if he is the only one who truly understands what is going on. This is another horror movie with a fantastic ending and a surprising amount of emotion.

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: Witch-Hunt (2017)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Day 29 of my 31 Days of Halloween goes to another independent horror film: Witch-Hunt. This is a really interesting movie structured around a game, and at times, the movie itself feels like a game. When something sinister seems to be happening, the characters have to decide if one of them is really a witch. As a viewer, you’ll be playing along from home.

Witch-Hunt Poster

IMDB’s Description: “When five young women gather to play a witch-themed board game, they begin to suspect one of them may actually be a witch.”

I love the interesting structure used in this film. With each round of the game, we learn more about one of the players/characters. This is one movie that, upon finishing, I immediately felt like I needed to watch it again. Sure enough, there were lots of clues and subtle references to what might be going on that I had missed the first time. This movie really isn’t scary, but it’s psychologically interesting. You’ll definitely be wondering if you’re just caught up in the hysteria of witches or if magic really is afoot.

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: Hell House LLC (2015)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

For Day 28 of 31 Days of Halloween, I have selected Hell House LLC, one of the best independent horror movies I have ever seen! This mockumentary-style found-footage film really stands out from others in this genre. It’s tense and creepy but judicious with its use of jump scares. The people who made this film definitely understand that sometimes subtle things a bit out of place are just as unsettling as something jumping out at you.

Hell House LLC Poster

IMDB’s Description: “Five years after an unexplained malfunction causes the death of 15 tour-goers and staff on the opening night of a Halloween haunted house tour, a documentary crew travels back to the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened.”

I don’t know about you, but I love haunted house attractions. They give you a true adrenaline rush even though you know deep down that everything will be okay. But as I visit haunted houses/theme parks/rides/etc I always wonder how long it would take for someone to recognize a genuine emergency. This film takes that fear and cranks it up to the next level. This movie about a group of people who are creating a haunted house attraction only to find that the fear is a little too real is one of the best horror movies I’ve seen in a long time.

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Serial killers are a fascinating bunch, but one is more iconic than most of the others: Hannibal Lecter. That’s why The Silence of the Lambs is my Day 27 pick for 31 Days of Halloween.

The Silence of the Lambs Poster

IMDB’s Description: “A young FBI cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.”

Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a cannibalistic psychologist, is no typical adversary. He’s practically an antihero and one of the most fascinating characters in the horror genre. This film is part horror and part mystery. It’s a true thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. It’s one of the longest movies to make my list, but it’s well worth the time to see Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jodi Foster in these iconic roles.