Day 296: The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)

Two years ago for Eddie’s 31 Days Of Halloween, I covered the film The Town That Dreaded Sundown which based off of a true story of a killer never found or arrested. So for today’s film, I saw that SYFY was airing the sequel of sorts as part of their 31 Days Of Halloween Marathon. In this version, it has been over 60 years since the original murders and almost 40 years since the film was made. The town of Texarkana now watches the film as some part of a tradition until Jami (Addison Timlin) watches her boyfriend get killed by a man in the mask. Now the murders are starting to occur in almost the same fashion as they did in the film and Jami tries to unlock the truth behind the murders hoping to find out who the killer is. The film also stars Gary Cole (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) as Chief Deputy Tillman, Veronica Cartwright (The Birds) as Lillian, Anthony Anderson (The Departed) as Lone Wolf Morales, Travis Tope (Independence Day: Resurgence) as Nick, Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project) as Deputy Foster, Edward Herrmann (The Lost Boys) as Rev Cartwright, Ed Lauter (The Number 23) as Sheriff Underwood, Andy Abele (Looper) as Sackhead, and the film was directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me And Earl And The Dying Girl). To see the rest of the review, please click here to go to Moshpits and Movies. 

Day 95: Me And Earl And The Dying Girl (2015)

For today’s film, I wanted to watch something that was a little different than what I was used to and it was kind of a film that I had no idea about. Me And Earl And The Dying Girl was the name of today’s film and it follows high schooler Greg (Thomas Mann), who is a little different than most kids because all he wants to do is make parodies of films with his friend Earl (RJ Cyler) and coast by high school in hopes that no one notices him. All of that is about to be turned upside down on him when his mother forces him to hang out with a girl named Rachel (Olivia Cooke) who just found out she has cancer. While he has his preconceptions about hanging out with her, Greg’s life begins to change for the better as she opens his eyes to the world around him. The film also stars Jon Bernthal (Daredevil) as Mr. McCarthy, Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) as Greg’s Dad, Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) as Greg’s Mom, Molly Shannon (Superstar) as Denise, Matt Bennett (Victorious) as Scott Mayhew, Katherine Hughes (Men, Women, And Children) as Madison, Masem Holden (Elizabethtown) as Ill Will, and the film was directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (The Town That Dreaded Sundown).

The film was definitely different than most high school teen flicks than I am used to seeing because it strikes a nerve. It will definitely strike a nerve with anyone who has lost someone to cancer and the struggle that we all see them go through. Besides that, it’s also a touching story because here is a kid that knows he has to tip toe on the line when he first goes to hang out after his mom told him to. It’s also touching due to the fact that he begins to grow up before our very eyes because of how much he cares for her. He’s not willing to share anything with anyone, but she is essentially the first person that he shares his movies with. It was cool to see Jon Bernthal in the film as a very unorthodox history teacher who also helps guide Gregg and Earl along the way. Nick Offerman who is a brilliant and funny man may have a very minor role in the film, but it’s so different than what we are used to seeing him play and that is awesome. Issues like these were held back from us back in the day, but I am glad that kids are seeing it because it’s real life. The film was very artsy at times and I loved the long continuous shot in the beginning of the film that had no cuts. I thought that was a cool touch to the film and the writing was amazing as well. Check it out for yourself, it airs on HBO and it’s available everywhere online. I am going to give the film an A for a final grade because I felt it deserved it.