During the 1990’s I spent most of my time in college classes, at the movies, or hanging out with friends. While I did rediscover comic books, I pretty much stopped buying and collecting toys save for the random action figure, die cast car, or sports cards. Toy Biz was one of the few companies that managed to catch my eye during this time. One of the figures that I purchased and still have to this day is Toy Biz’ Spiderman Web Force Tank Attack Daredevil.
I don’t know what happened to the tank accessory over the years. I’m assuming that it was left behind in a dorm room, one of the many apartments that I lived in, or possibly in an old trailer that I lived in until I could afford a home of my own. In any case it is long gone. Apparently it could be broken up into multiple pieces that snapped onto the body of Daredevil. It also had a firing missile
The figure itself was and still is amazing. Daredevil is super articulated (especially for the 1990’s) and can be posed in all sorts of positions. He has no trouble doing the splits or hanging from a cabinet door (like he did in one of my apartments). The only thing that Daredevil can’t do (apart from using his eyes), is hold anything. His hands are molded in to perpetual fists, so he can only shake them in anger at a car that blows its horn at him.
My 1997 Daredevil action figure posing with my 2003 Opening Weekend ticket for the Ben Affleck Daredevil film.
I love this figure. He’s been with me through thick and thin and spent the last two years in storage thanks to Hurricane Laura. I now prominently display him in my office at work. Despite edging close to thirty years of age this figure’s joints are still great. Boy, Toy Biz knew how to build’em.
Do you have this figure or any other figures from this line? Let me know in the comments.
As always, thanks for reading my post. I’ll see you again real soon!
Kevin Williamson of Scream fame teams up with Katelynn Crabb (additonal crew and assistant to Williamson on 2022’s Scream) to write a Scream knock off that utilizes phones, multiple killers, and even a one word title. What it doesn’t include is likeable characters and humor. Director John Hyams keeps the pace up and actually whittled this little spooker to just under ninety minutes which at least gives you the notion that you didn’t entirely waste your time watching this film.
In the movie, social media addicted Parker (Gideon Adlon) and her intelligent and COVID-19 wary friend, Miri (Bethlehem Million) head out to Parker’s family cabin way out in the middle of nowhere to enjoy time off from college due to COVID restrictions. Unknown to the duo, DJ (Dylan Sprayberry), an old flame of Parker’s, decides to follow them up to the cabin in order to spark up a little romance. He fails. He also realizes that he and the girls aren’t the only ones in the cabin. A pair of killers (Why does that sound familiar????) collect the phones of the group and then attacks them. DJ attempts to fight off one of the killers as the two young ladies flee but he fails in a very dramatic fashion. Then Parker and Miri face off with their assailants and use everything that they can, from the internet to boat paddles, in order to stay alive. Parker finally manages to get to safety (or so she believes) and the third act kicks off yet another killer entering the melee. Why are the killers after Parker and Miri? Because Parker infected a loved one of the trio of slashers who ends up dead thanks to COVID. Yep, the slashers are COVID extremists. “Cough…..sprays Lysol.”
This film isn’t that great. It was quite surprising to see Jane Adams, veteran of stage and screen, pop up in this flick. It was absolutely no surprise that she turned in the best performance of the entire cast. None of the characters are worth cheering for and, in all honesty, I wish that the kill count was a bit higher. There just weren’t enough people in this film to make it interesting and none of those that were in it were likeable. It’s essentially Scream without the humor or a hero and fewer kills.
One thing that this film does manage to do is get one thinking about extremists on both sides of the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw the worst come out of people during the pandemic. From idiots tearing into a minimum wage employee who asked them nicely to wear a mask in the store to masked individuals chewing out random people in the streets for not wearing a mask, I saw a lot of ugly people during the lockdown. Those aren’t memories that I want to relive, but Sick makes you look those memories directly in the eye.
Thanks for checking out this post. I don’t recommend Sick unless you really, really have nothing to do for about ninety minutes. There are much better slasher flicks out there like Scream, Halloween, and Friday The 13th.
Welcome to the first ever YouTube Wednesday review! This is a new feature that I’m trying out in which I’ll post one of my video reviews from YouTube (yeah, I have a YouTube channel). I am not a professional so I don’t have any bells or whistles in my videos. I keep it pretty straightforward. Click on the video below and then let me know what you think about it the comments!
Two notes on this review: I incorrectly called Mera “Merida” in the video (cuz I’m an idiot) and the figures are essentially re-releases of the latest Funko Mystery Minis DC Bombshells but with Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman, and Harley Quinn in Valentine’s Day paint.
Thanks for checking out my review. See you again real soon!
“Look, we can discuss sexism in survival situations when I get back.”
Dr. Ellie Sattler (as portrayed by Laura Dern) is one of my favorite characters from the Jurassic Park franchise. The character is great on the screen and in the books. Plus, having a massive crush on Laura Dern and seeing her in her field research outfit in the original film didn’t hurt my opinion of the character! Until recently I never acquired any collectible items featuring Dr. Sattler from the franchise but that all changed whenever I found Mattel’s The Hammond Collection Dr. Ellie Sattler 3.75″ Action Figure on clearance.
I personally loved the Mattel Amber Collection that featured 6″ action figures with excellent articulation and amazing likenesses to the characters from the films. I have the Owen Grady figure from that line as well as the second version of Dr. Ian Malcolm and the original dilophosaurus. I was unable to acquire the Dr. Sattler figure but she’s on my wish list. The Amber Collection was apparently not cost effective nor was it profitable for Mattel, as they ended that particular line for the Hammond Collection. The Hammond Collection arrived in 2022 in order to offer collectors and children alike the opportunity to acquire their favorite characters and dinosaurs at a slightly lower price point and on a smaller scale but with similar detail and accessories.
The Hammond Collection 3.75″ Dr. Ellie Sattler figure is pretty decent. The likeness to Laura Dern is okay but not great. They nailed her suit from the film. I counted seventeen points of articulation on the character and she comes with peg holes in her feet for stands. As far as accessories go, Dr. Sattler comes with a massive leaf from a veriforman plant (the one she nabs while riding in the Jeep after initially arriving at Jurassic Park) and a second set of arms that allow you to recreate the “That is one big pile of sh!t,” scene featuring Dr. Sattler digging deep into the poop of a sick triceratops. The arms feature the poo-covered rubber gloves that Dr. Sattler puts on before doo-doo diving to find out that the dino’s illness is a result of consuming West Indian lilac and, yes, I initially believed that the leaf that comes with the figure was West Indian lilac. I totally forgot about the early leaf grabbing scene. In case you are wondering, Dr. Sattler can’t hold anything with the poo hands but her standard clean hands can hold the included leaf.
Overall she is a pretty decent smaller scale figure. I’ve just been collecting six and seven inch figures for so long that I’ve become a bit spoiled. While I probably won’t collect many more figures in the Hammond Collection, I’ll definitely keep an eye out for figures of Muldoon (which arrives on store shelves this month) and Dr. Alan Grant (already available). Not surprisingly, tons of Jurassic World Dominion figures are available on shelves at the moment. I may or may not grab some of them.
Thanks for checking out my post. I’m starting the year off a little slow but I promise to post more soon. I’ve already lined up two conventions and plan on attending at least two more this year. I’m also helping out with the Lake Charles Film Festival, Calcasieu Short Film Festival, and Calcasieu SerialFest this year. Keep an eye out for posts on those events as they draw closer. Oh, and here’s a shot of the lovely Uncanny Megan cosplaying as Dr. Sattler. It appears that Uncanny Megan has stepped away from cosplay and convention life for the time being. Hopefully she’ll return as she has been one of my favorite cosplayers over the years. See you all real soon!
Uncanny Megan as Dr. Ellie Sattler. Photo by Dallas Nagata White.
Whether you first heard of Grifter when he was part of the WildC.A.T.s of Image comics as I did or didn’t discover him until DC Comics eventually acquired WildStorm and put him at odds with Batman, one thing is for certain, he’s an irresistibly cool character. Armed to the teeth and ready to fight at the drop of a hat, Grifter has been one of my favorite characters to read over the years. McFarlane Toys gave us a figure of Cole Cash/Grifter in 2022. Despite one obviously terrible misfire, the figure is awesome.
The figure is surprisingly hefty. It’s one of the most solid figures from the DC Multiverse line in my opinion. He’s also a tad bit taller than most of the other McFarlane figures that I own. The articulation is great and Grifter pretty much has all of his range of motion. The only exception is his head, which is pretty much rendered immobile by Grifter’s mask and his high collar. The paint apps on the figure are excellent as well. I did notice that the figure photo on the packaging and collector card features black gloves. My figure came with red gloves.
Grifter comes with a base, collector card, a dagger with a serrated side and a katana blade. This of course brings up the biggest miscue with this figure. Grifter is known for his guns. This figure comes with ZERO guns. Sure, I know that McFarlane doesn’t have control over this due to Warner and DC clauses on toys, but it really stinks that Cole Cash arrives without firepower. I won’t take off any points for this, but be ready to purchase a separate accessory pack from McFarlane if you want to pose Grifter with a firearm.
This is an excellent figure overall. Even with the limited head articulation and the lack of guns, Grifter looks amazing on my shelf. I definitely recommend picking him up and I also recommend snagging an accessory pack to allow Cash to carry some heat. This is a must-buy figure for WildC.A.T.s fans and/or those who miss the good ol’ Wildstorm days.
Thanks for checking out my first post of 2023! I’ve already got a few more posts planned for January, so keep your eyes peeled!
2022 was certainly a banner year for my blog. I am deeply honored that so many of you read my posts and click on the photos that I share. It amazes me how people from all over the world check out my blog and put up with my silliness. This was a record-smashing year for my blog and I thank and love all of you for making this year so successful! Due to the massive success this year, I will be expanding and updating my blog at some point in 2023. Please be on the lookout for a few changes coming up in the near future.
Let’s take a look at the year’s most clicked pics:
Coming in at #1 is this photo of KISS and a few of their closest friends:
The second most clicked pic was this photo from the film Weird Science:
The third most clicked photo was surprising, as it’s of voice actor Hynden Walch:
Hynden Walch
Sitting at number four is this classic from Flash Gordon:
The fifth pic that my readers clicked on was this photo that I took of a Spin Master figure of Batman without his mask:
The sixth most clicked photo on my blog was this one of KISS with their second drummer, the late Eric Carr:
Number seven, for reasons that I don’t know (cough, cough), is this lovely still from Edward Scissorhands:
Number eight belongs to Christie Brinkley from National Lampoon’s Vacation:
The ninth most clicked photo from my blog this year was of KISS:
At number ten we have the lone returning photo from previous years. Ivy DoomKitty definitely touched a nerve with my readers as she has consistently appeared on this list ever since I first posted this photo from a post from November of 2020:
When it comes to my posts, last year’s winner and runner-up for views remained in first and second place, respectively. For some reason people really, really love my posts on the Wizards of Waverly Place and 3-2-1 Contact!. The post from 2022 that received the most views was my The Year Of KISS post that focused on their album Hotter Than Hell.
As far as overall views are concerned, 2022 blew every other year out of the water! In total my blog posts were viewed 22,745 times! That’s about twice as many views as it received in 2021. Last year I had three months with over one thousand views. This year I had over one thousand views for EVERY SINGLE MONTH! Of those months, five featured over two thousand views and August had a whopping 5,452 views! Thank you so much for these amazing numbers! I was only hoping for one or two months with more than two thousand views but all of you blew me away with your dedication to my blog!
People from sixty-nine different countries visited my blog this year! In first place was the United States of America with 14,571 views. That’s over twice as many views as the US gave me last year! The United Kingdom came in second with 1,494 views followed by Canada with 1,031 views. Australia and Germany chipped in over four hundred views apiece. Mexico and Brazil came next with over three hundred views each. 242 good people of France also checked out my blog. From there, countries like the Philippines, Ireland, India, Spain, and Russia viewed my posts just under two hundred times each. Thanks to all of you across the world for checking out my posts!
I fell three posts shy of my goal of one hundred and fifty posts this year. That’s okay, however, as I hope to reach that goal next year. I plan on writing more Throwback Thursday posts and plan on bringing back Dimestore Reads, Tunes, and November Noise. That will definitely get me close to my goal.
Google proved to be the primary way that people came across my blog this year. It was followed by Reddit, Google Image Search, WordPress Reader, Facebook, and two newcomers to the list, Twitter and Instagram.
This is the fifth year in a row where I had more views and more clicks on photos. THANK YOU!!!!!! I hope that I can continue to post interesting film, toy, book, and music reviews. I also plan to attend more conventions. Let me know if you want me to check out anything specific in 2023.
KISS pulled their way back into the mainstream spotlight with Sonic Boom. Despite constant criticism from “fans” upset with the fact that Ace and Peter had been replaced by Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, makeup and all, the group continued to tour successfully, selling out multiple shows and putting out more and more merchandise for KISS Army members and others to scoop up for their collections. While Sonic Boom was definitely worth the wait, fans wanted more. KISS appeared eager to comply. Gene Simmons constantly hinted at and teased at the notion that a new album was in the works. After a three year and three day wait and multiple delays, Monster was released on October 9, 2012.
Unlike Sonic Boom, Monster was not released exclusively by one retailer. Advertising was relatively limited to television, radio, and magazine interviews although the band did publish a literal “monster” book that stood three feet tall by two and a half feet wide that featured 127 pictures from the band’s long history. In true KISS fashion, only one thousand copies of each version of the book were released. There were ten country flag covers to choose from and each book featured a signature page with autographs from the current members of the band.
The album featured twelve songs with a bonus track, Right Here Right Now, on the Tour edition of the album and a live version of King Of The Night Time World added to the Japanese release. A deluxe edition was also made available that featured a sixty-four page booklet. Two singles were released for the album. The first single, Hell Or Hallelujah, was released in July of 2012 nearly three months before the album’s release. It peaked at #36 on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart. The second single, Long Way Down, crawled to #26 on the Billboard Heritage Rock Chart. The album itself performed extremely well, debuting at #3 on the Billboard 200 Chart. It was the third consecutive album to reach the top three on that particular chart, joining Psycho Circus (peaked at #3) and Sonic Boom (peaked at #2).
Track Listing:
Hell Or Hallelujah (Single)
Wall Of Sound
Freak
Back To The Stone Age
Shout Mercy
Long Way Down
Eat Your Heart Out
The Devil Is Me
Outta This World
All For The Love Of Rock & Roll
Take Me Down Below
Last Chance
Personnel: Paul Stanley (lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (lead and backing vocals, bass), Tommy Thayer (lead and backing vocals, lead guitar), Eric Singer (lead and backing vocals, drums), Brian Whelan (piano on Freak)
As they did with Sonic Boom, KISS limited input from outside sources and players, with only Brian Whelan and a choir on All For The Love Of Rock & Roll contributing on the album. All songs were written by the four members of the band with Paul Stanley penning or co-writing ten of the album’s twelve tracks. Tommy Thayer wrote or co-wrote nine tracks on the album. Gene Simmons wrote or co-wrote six tracks. Eric Singer co-wrote Back To The Stone Age with the rest of the band. Paul Stanley and Greg Collins handled the album’s stripped down production, all of which was done on analogue equipment that gave the album a much meatier, thicker sound than Sonic Boom. The album truly does have a full sound that is both sludgy and crisp at the same time. Of all of KISS’ latter albums, it’s probably my favorite sounding album of the bunch.
The album was touted by the group to be a “meat and potatoes” rock album with no ballads or filler. They definitely delivered that with Monster. The album is loaded with straight ahead rockers. It feels a lot like many of AC/DC’s 1980’s releases, a true hard rock album that’s simple, loud, and fun to listen to at home or on the road. I believe that this 80’s feel is primarily due to the contributions of Tommy Thayer who did the same thing on Sonic Boom. He’s definitely got an ear for meaty rock tracks.
My favorite track on the album is Hell Or Hallelujah. It’s a fast-paced rocker with amazing guitar work by Thayer and solid vocals from Stanley. Last Chance is another hard rocker that I really enjoy. Wall Of Sound is probably Gene’s strongest track on Monster. It’s a pounding track that punches at you and I really enjoy it. The Devil Is Me is another solid Gene track as is Back To The Stone Age. Eric Singer slows things down a bit with his lone lead vocal track, All For The Love Of Rock & Roll. It has a boogie-woogie, almost 1950’s vibe to it. It’s one of my favorite tracks on Monster and it’s also the most unique song on the album. For some reason Paul Stanley’s Freak speaks to me. The lyrics aren’t necessarily groundbreaking and it’s outsider subject that has been visited by numerous bands over the years, but I really do enjoy listening to this song. Tommy Thayer’s lead vocal beast, Outta This World, is really fun. While I think that When Lightning Strikes from Sonic Boom is the better of his two vocal performances, Outta This World is definitely a very close second.The only track that I’m not totally cool with is Take Me Down Below. Lyrically it’s the weakest track on the album and feels like a weak attempt to recapture some of KISS’ cheesy glory found on songs like Love Gun and Read My Body. Musically, it’s just as solid as everything else on this album.
The music is excellent on this album. Stanley, Simmons, Singer, and Thayer are definitely synced together well and it shows. Gene’s bass is plodding, thick, and murky when necessary and it provides a great backbone for the entire album. Singer is as Singer does, providing perfect timing on each track with his drum work. Paul’s vocals are good andd work well with the overall sound of Monster. His rhythm guitar keeps provides a nice layer of sound on each track. Thayer’s guitar work is amazing. Of all of his work with the band, he sounds his best on this album. In my opinion this is the first album where Thayer gets to really show off a little bit of himself on solos. Overall, Monster can be played end to end without the need to skip a track.
October of this year marked the ten year anniversary of the release of Monster. As it stands, this will most likely be the band’s final studio album. Both Gene and Paul have talked about their reasoning for not releasing new music over the last decade. When recently asked about the possibility of new music from the group, Paul Stanley said, “I came to the conclusion that it (new music) can never compete with the past….it hasn’t the connection to important times in your life.” Simmons, as usual, took a more financial view on releasing new material stating, “KISS is not a charity. Working your ass off to have somebody download or stream your music for free is not my idea of how things should be. When you don’t put a value on music, it doesn’t have value.” Tommy Thayer said similar things in recent interviews when asked if he will release new music after KISS’ End Of The Road Tour finally draws to a close. He said that he’ll continue doing things musically but will most likely not release a solo album. No stranger to playing for numerous bands at the same time, Eric Singer will probably keep rolling along, picking up jobs from whatever bands want him. He and Paul Stanley have worked on Stanley’s solo projects before, so maybe they’ll work together in the future. Whatever happens, one thing is certain: KISS has definitely left their mark on rock n’ roll and the music industry as a whole.
Thanks to each and every person that has been along for the ride during The Year Of KISS. I hope that you’ve all enjoyed my look at the studio albums, band members, and memorabilia over the course of this year. While I may never do another year-long series on a band I will definitely continue reviewing the occasional album, old and new, when I see fit. Keep on rockin’!
“I have a collect call from Travis Walton. Will you accept the charges?”
Some of the most popular films ever made were released in 1993. It was an amazing year for film and yours truly was around to witness a ton of these films on the big screen. Hit films like Jurassic Park, Mrs. Doubtfire, Sleepless In Seattle, Carlito’s Way, Schindler’s List, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Indecent Proposal were released that year as were cult classics like Army Of Darkness and Falling Down. Another film released in 1993 that was successful but not necessarily a massive hit was the allegedly true story of the alien abduction of Travis Walton, Fire In The Sky. It was based upon the 1978 book The Walton Experience written by Travis Walton about his supposed 1975 abduction. The film has gone on to become a cult hit in its own right and holds up extremely well as both a science fiction/fact thriller and a biopic.
I say that the film is based upon an allegedly true story as the only evidence that the event occurred comes in the form of a number of polygraph tests taken by Walton and other members of the logging crew that witnessed the event and the fact that Walton was missing for five days and six hours and then miraculously reappeared along a highway in Arizona. I’m not here to question whether or not the event actually occurred. Personally, I do believe that extra-terrestrials probably exist but I do not have any hard evidence to support my belief nor do I have any proof that if they do exist that they are necessarily more advanced than humans. In any case, Walton’s story makes for a genuinely creepy tale and, with a little bit of Hollywood magic, Fire In The Sky makes for a very creepy movie.
The film is basically divided into two parts. The first part, the bulk of the film, shows us how the logging crew deals with the abduction of their friend and the fallout from him going missing. All of the men are accused of murdering Walton and are grilled by Lt. Frank Watters, who has never failed at solving a case according to the film. The leader of the group, Mike Rogers, is not only struggling with the loss of Walton but is also trying to deal with family and financial matters as well. A drifter who finds work with the group, Allan Dallis, becomes the primary suspect in the case, as he and Walton had an altercation prior to Walton’s abduction. The rest of the group, young Greg Hayes, spiritual David Whitlock, and hardworking Bobby Cogdill, are well known in the community like Mike Rogers, and have trouble dealing with their newfound infamy. The film does an amazing job showing how these men deal with their problems.
The second part of the film deals with Walton’s unexpected return, the terrifying events that took place during his abduction, and the fallout that occurs when he learns that his friends abandoned him when he was knocked down by a light emitted by the UFO that they all witnessed. The abduction sequence is particularly unsettling. The film’s screenwriter, Tracy Torme, was told to enhance that specific part of the film to make it more interesting because Paramount Pictures found the actual abduction story to be too boring. Torme outdid himself in my opinion. The abduction sequence is right up there with the extremely claustrophobic escape sequence from The Descent (2005) in my opinion. Watching Walton helplessly struggle against forces he cannot stop is uneasy to witness, and it’s one of the best parts of this film.
Robert Patrick heads up a loaded cast of amazing actors. Patrick stars as Mike Rogers. We get to see more of his story and how he interacts with the others more than any other character in the film. D.B. Sweeney stars as Travis Walton, the man who is abducted and tortured by the aliens in the film. The rest of the cast is a litany of character actors and leading men like James Garner (Lt. Watters), Henry Thomas (Greg Hayes), Craig Sheffer (Dallis), Bradley Gregg (Cogdill), Peter Berg (Whitlock), Noble Willingham (Sheriff Davis), and Kathleen Wilhoite (Katie Rogers, Mike’s wife).
The special effects for the film were handled by Industrial Light & Magic and they were brilliant. They hold up extremely well today and featured puppets and a ton of practical effects. During the sequences on the alien ship, Walton is shown in a bio-cocoon full of some type of goop. When he breaks out of the cocoon he finds himself in a zero gravity chamber. He accidentally falls into another cocoon where he finds another human being that is biodegrading into the goop. From there he stumbles upon alien suits, is captured by the aliens, and is dragged to an examination table where the aliens begin torturing him. The entire sequence is amazingly executed.
This film is a real treat. It does take quite a few liberties with Walton’s account of the events that occurred so if you are interested in Walton’s real story, look up his book The Walton Experience or Fire In The Sky: The Walton Experience. They are both the same book, just a different title. Walton apparently wasn’t happy with the way that his story was told and has been looking for a new film to be made that tells his true story. In any case, Fire In The Sky is definitely worth a look and if you’ve never watched it before, take my advice and check out this movie!
Thanks for checking out my post. I haven’t done a Throwback Thursday post in awhile now so it’s nice to get one more in the books before the end of the year. Tomorrow I’ll be posting my final The Year Of KISS post and on Saturday I’ll finish off 2022 with an end of the year summary!
Abby Quinn (L) and Alexxis Lemire in Torn Hearts (2022).
“Atone.”
Katey Sagal gives a commanding performance and carries the rest of the cast in 2022’s Torn Hearts. The film is a Blumhouse production written by Rachel Koller Croft and directed by Brea Grant. Along with Sagal (Married…With Children, Sons Of Anarchy) are Abby Quinn (Knock At The Cabin), Alexxis Lemire (The Half Of It, Truth Or Dare), and Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project). In the film, Quinn and Lemire play Jordan Wilder and Leigh Blackhouse, a country duo known as Torn Hearts, who are looking for their big break. When an opportunity to pick the brain of (and possibly work with) Harper Dutch, one half of the iconic Dutchess Sisters, falls in Jordan’s lap, she and Leigh arrive unannounced at Harper’s home. As they begin working with Harper, the pair find themselves battling Harper and each other for a shot at fame in a twang-filled thriller of a film.
Katey Sagal as Harper Dutch.
This film had so much potential. Sure, the desire for fame and glory isn’t anything new, but weaving it into a horror film with country music as a backdrop is pretty unique if you ask me. What drags the film down, however, will vary depending upon everything from your knowledge of 90’s country music to the performances of two of the three female leads in the film. For me, hearing the Torn Hearts belt out nasally modern country twang was brutal. Thankfully that only happens in the beginning of the film. The supposed 90’s country music by the Dutchess Sisters, Hope and Harper Dutch, sounds more like country-politan 80’s country with modern lyrics. I was able to look beyond these miscues, however, and tried to enjoy the rest of the film (which does include a very beautiful acapella song by Harper and Torn Hearts). I also have to say that even though the Dutchess Sisters were sisters, their rise to fame eerily mirrors the real country duo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd, a mother/daughter duo for those not in the know. Considering the untimely suicide of Naomi earlier this year, the film was a tad bit more unnerving for me than it may be for others.
The three female leads in the film varied in their performances. Abby Quinn does a very good job at being the workhorse half of Torn Hearts. It was nice to watch her struggle emotionally as Jordan tries to come to terms with the fact that she’s the songwriter and musician of the duo and not the pretty star of the show that Alexxis Lemire’s Leigh was destined to be on the country music scene. Lemire’s performance was a little bit light in my opinion, but she didn’t derail the film. Katey Sagal was a juggernaut in this film. She looks, talks, and acts like a beaten down former country star who is falling apart at the seams. Her performance was unhinged, devilish, and brilliant. Plus, even as a deranged former country singer knocking on seventy years she looks sexy. I have to admit that. She carried this film.
What keeps Torn Hearts from being an all around winner of a horror film is that it just isn’t that scary. Sure, the point of the film is to show you what lengths people will go to in order to become famous, but there are no real moments of terror in this film. It’s more like mild suspense thriller that just downed a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. Brea Grant keeps things moving at a decent pace but Rachel Koller Croft’s story lacks the teeth that it desperately needed to make it a better film.
Brea Grant, director.
Torn Hearts is a decent little film that has more hits than misses in it. Unfortunately, the misses add up just enough to keep this film from being better. Katey Sagal takes up the slack and keeps the film interesting. It’s not a must-see film, but I don’t think that you’ll regret watching it.
Thanks for checking out my post. See you again soon!
I’m not ashamed to say that I love Christmas. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. I hope that all of you get to spend time with family, friends, or anyone in your life that is special to you this Christmas. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, I hope that you have a nice day with those that you love.
Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
Kristy Swanson looking extra festive! I met her earlier this year.
Ken's Alternate Universe! 