The Black Phone - Collector's Edition (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital)
[{'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "The Black Phone has been one of my most anticipated films of the year since I first heard it was being made. Director Scott Derrickson and his screenwriting partner C. Robert Cargill, of Sinister and Doctor Strange fame, have adapted Joe Hill's short story of the same name into a supernatural horror film that begs to be seen on the big screen. This marked the first time I've gone to see a scary movie in the theater since before the pandemic. I didn't realize how much I missed the communal experience of jumping and laughing together at all the right moments. There's something about being packed together into a theater, communally experiencing a story, that just can't be beaten.\n\nThe film pretty faithfully follows the short story that it's based upon while naturally fleshing out the characters and scenarios into a more well-rounded length. Young Finney (Mason Thames) has watched his community scramble as local children go missing. The Grabber, as the kidnapper has become known, has lured multiple boys into his van. The kids are never seen again. Finney struggles with bullying at school and an abusive, alcoholic father at home. He takes refuge in his sister Gwen (played by a scene-stealing Madeleine McGraw) who has a no-nonsense outlook on life and isn't afraid to fight the kids who pick on her brother. One day as Finney walks home from school, he encounters his worst fear, a black van filled with black balloons and a masked man who has decided to make the boy his next victim.\n\nWhen Finney awakens from a chemical-induced haze, he finds himself in a sparse basement, alone save for the very man who put him here. The Grabber (a devilishly demented Ethan Hawke) stares back, his eyes peeking from behind a ghoulish rubber mask. The Grabber promises Finney that he means no harm and that the entire ordeal will be over soon. He disappears into the house above leaving the boy on the bare mattress to contemplate his predicament. Finney is distracted from his own thoughts by the ringing of the antique black phone on the wall next to him. The phone shouldn't be ringing. The cable connecting it to the wall is cut, making the reality he is witnessing impossible. He answers, but no one is there. Little does Finney know that this phone will be the key to him making it out alive.\n\nI hadn't read Joe Hill's short story since I first encountered it as part of his collection 20th Century Ghost Stories. My reading of it predates the existence of my blog, so it has been well over 10 years. As I watched The Black Phone, I was struck by just how different this is from other horror movies. Yes, there are plenty of scares and moments that are genuinely disturbing, but the filmmakers never spook for the sake of being spooky. Instead, they have drawn authentic characters who are buoyed by clever writing and fantastic performances by a young cast. The result is a film that draws you in by showing its heart. I couldn't help but empathize with the kids, making it easy to root for them to get out of a terrible predicament. Hawkes's performance as the main villain is nothing short of chilling. He imbues The Grabber with a flair of unpredictability and emotional heft that it is really hard to make heads or tails of his intent. This only adds to the suspense. The plot is methodically constructed, though you don't realize it until the big payoff at the end. The Black Phone is everything I want in a movie, especially an adaptation of a short story. There's a great plot, endearing characters, and a terrifying villain, all coming together to make a thoroughly enjoyable film."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "Bogeymen when you're a child can be either figments of your imagination or all-too-real. In the movie, based on a short story by Joe Hill (son of Stephen and Tabitha King, both novelists who delve into the hidden horrors of small rural towns), it’s “the Grabber,” who lurks in the shadows, a serial kidnapper of kids whose victims have yet to be found, who masquerades as a magician with black balloons. For Finney (Mason Thames) and his psychic younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), he is a real but somewhat mysterious threat, until one day, Mason is abducted.\n\nWe then learn the Grabber is Ethan Hawke, a soft-spoken, often petulant man who always obscures his face with an elaborate clown/animal mask or makeup. (Apparently, Ethan took a cue from Kathy Bates in “Misery,” as refraining from raising one’s voice to one’s captive ward can be equally scary as full-fledged rage.) He insists he does not want to hurt Mason, but since there’s nothing in the basement where he imprisons him but a mattress and a toilet, he is not too convincing. Oddly, there is also a rotary phone, which is supposedly disconnected, but keeps ringing sporadically. When Mason answers it, it turns out to be the former victims, all of whom offer advice on how to escape. Meanwhile Gwen requests help from God and has visions that may be clues. Luckily, the police take her seriously, although her father (Jeremy Davies) punishes her, fearing that she may become mentally ill like her deceased mother. It does all end (spoiler alert) with both siblings intact and the possibility that Jeremy may soften his parenting techniques a trifle. Still, it’s quite a ride for the viewer: a Halloween scary treat for midsummer."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'I rented this from Prime Video one afternoon when I was bored. I had wanted to go see it in the theater but I got over ruled for another movie. I was surprised that the movie was able to be rented as it was still in he theaters. It was set in 1978 and was very well photographed. It was a who done it kind of film. The Grabber was known to the audience and not to any one else. It had just the right amount of mystery and supernatural elements. Based on a short story by Author Joe Hill (son of Steven King, from whom he inherits his writing chops) this one his excellent. Well cast this one run smooth and steady from start to finish! Five Stars on this one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Well done horror movie with great story and acting. A few jump scenes and a great ending.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'This is by far my favorite movie ever, the way they had this film as a horror/suspense movie really let it shine. I had so many questions throughout the movie and they were all answered in the best ways possible. You really grow to love all the characters even just in their short amount of screen time. The way they based off of the 70s was such a good thing because newer more "relatable" horror movies can be very cringey but this movie is perfect. I love this film so much and I can\'t wait to receive my DVD for it!!'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-4 review-rating', 'review_body': "Boys are disappearing in a north Denver neighborhood in 1978. The film centers on Finney (Mason Thames) who is the third kid taken. His sister Gwen has dreams about things that have happened and is trying to locate her brother. Meanwhile Finney is locked in the basement. He gets phone calls from the dead children on how to escape.\n\nIt is a watered down version of Bad News Bears vs. Hannibal Lecter. The managed to build character in a timely fashion and get us involved in the kid's life. The phone aspect was different for the genre but has been used in other films. Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) talking for the police the first time was a hoot. Nice LED flashlight. I missed the time machine.\n\nGuide; F-word. No sex or nudity."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'The whole movie is awesome it’s so nice to see something other than a superhero movie'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "Very Good Movie, had the 70's vibe that talks about how teenage kids are being kidnapped, the story was yet again a detective story aka mystery investigation on what went missing and how did these kids went missing. I know to me it was not scary at all but at least I had a good time watching it. Now for the physical media release it would be a somewhat birthday present and a somewhat Christmas present I am not too sure about the details but it is what it is. This is a 4.8 out of 5 because I find it intreating and not even scary."}]