Movie Review: AQUAMAN (2018)

Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, the city of Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm. With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans to conquer the remaining oceanic people -- and then the surface world. Standing in his way is Aquaman, Orm's half-human, half-Atlantean brother and true heir to the throne. With help from royal counselor Vulko and Princess Mera, Aquaman must retrieve the legendary Trident of Atlan and embrace his destiny as protector of the deep.

Podcast Episode #3: FOX Pushes Back X-Men: Dark Phoenix & New Mutants; James Wan Adapts The Tommyknockers

Hey there, fellow Mercs!  Check out the third episode of the official Merc With A Movie Blog podcast!

During this episode, I discuss FOX pushing X-Men: Dark Phoenix and New Mutants back, a new adaptation of Stephen King's The Tommyknockers by James Wan, Jurassic World, Wonder Woman 2, and much more!

Movie Review: JIGSAW

Well friends, the wait is over, and JIGSAW, the sequel to and soft reboot of the Saw franchise has finally been released. If you're a regular reader of these august pages, you're aware that we've spent the weeks leading up to this release by re-watching all seven films in the original Saw series, and discussing them in a series of articles. If you're new to the party -- and if you are, welcome, please tell your friends -- you can get caught up by perusing our thoughts on the original film, Saw II and III, Saw IV and V, and finally, Saw VI and VII. Otherwise, read on.

Side By Side: SAW VI (2009) vs. SAW 3D: THE FINAL CHAPTER (2010)

Welcome to another installment of SIDE BY SIDE, where we dissect the differences and similarities between two films, be it a remake/reboot with its original, a sequel with its original, or two similar movies. For the past three weeks, we have been discussing the Saw series, one of the most ambitious horror projects in recent memory, as we prepare for the October 28th release of Jigsaw. In part one, we coverd the first film. Part two covered chapters two and three, and part three, chapters four and five. This week we come to the end of the original series with the final two installments, SAW VI (2009) and SAW 3D: THE FINAL CHAPTER (2010).

Side by Side: SAW IV (2007) vs. SAW V (2008)

Welcome to another installment of SIDE BY SIDE, where we dissect the differences and similarities between two films, be it a remake/reboot with its original, a sequel with its original, or two similar movies. Our five-part discussion of the Saw series continues, as we prepare for the October 28th release of Jigsaw, the eighth installment in this landmark series. In case you're late to our game, you can get caught up with part one, discussing the first film, and part two, covering chapters two and three. This week, we continue with SAW IV and SAW V.

Side By Side: SAW II (2005) vs. SAW III (2006)

Welcome to another installment of SIDE BY SIDE, where we dissect the differences and similarities between two films, be it a remake/reboot with its original, a sequel with its original, or two similar movies. This week is part two of our series looking back at the Saw franchise, as we prepare for the October 28th release of Jigsaw, the film previously known as Saw VIII. If you missed it, you can read part one, discussing the original film, here. In this installment, we'll be discussing the first two sequels in the franchise: 2005's SAW II, and 2006's SAW III.

Dont' Watch This Alone!: SAW (2004)

Welcome to another installment of DON'T WATCH THIS ALONE!, where we review the best, worst, and everything in between in the world of horror. This week, we begin to prepare for the October 28th release of Jigsaw, the eighth installment in the Saw franchise, by looking back at each of the seven films in the original serial, beginning with the sleeper hit that started it all: SAW.

Movie Review: ANNABELLE: CREATION

James Wan’s The Conjuring films are two of my favorite horror movies of the last decade.  So, when the first Annabelle film was announced, I was understandably excited.  However, disappointment set in as I watched that lackluster film.  To put it bluntly, it was terrible, which made the news of an Annabelle sequel one of concern.  But then I heard that it was going to be a prequel.

31 Days of Horror: THE CONJURING

Welcome horror fans, to Day 12 of the 31 DAYS OF HORROR!  We are back with another film in our lead up to Halloween, and today we will be reviewing the amazing James Wan horror film...THE CONJURING.  Enjoy!

Directorial Debut: James Wan's SAW

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUTS, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a look at the film that started off the career of James Wan, the modern master of suspense and horror...SAW.

Movie Review: THE CONJURING 2 (Review #2)

Directed by horror veteran James Wan, The Conjuring 2 picks up 6 years later from its predecessor and finds Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorrain Warren (Vera Farmiga) struggling with their marriage in the face of Lorrain being haunted by a demon whilst they accept to travel to London to help a single mother (Frances O'Connor) and her four kids whose house is being haunted by a malicious spirit trying to corrupt the younger sister (Madison Wolfe).

Side By Side: THE CONJURING (2013) vs. THE CONJURING 2 (2016)

Welcome to another installment of SIDE BY SIDE, where we dissect the differences and similarities between two films, be it a remake/reboot with its original, a sequel with its original, or two similar movies. This week we compare James Wan's magnum opus THE CONJURING and the highly anticipated sequel THE CONJURING 2.   Enjoy!

Movie Review: THE CONJURING 2

When I first saw The Conjuring, I was amazed by how good it really was.  As a huge fan of horror, I've seen my fair share of bad films, and because of this my expectations aren't usually very high, so when a truly good one comes my way, it's a rare treat.  It was so good that it became one of my favorite horror films of all time, and that's why The Conjuring 2 was such a shock.  After the disappointing spinoff, Annabelle, I was a bit worried that this one wouldn't live up to the original, but I was wrong.  The Conjuring 2 is a huge improvement from the already fantastic first film, which I never thought could be possible, and makes me super excited for any future installments, which I really hope they make.

Don't Watch This Alone!: INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2

Welcome to the another installment of DON'T WATCH THIS ALONE, where we review the best, worst, and everything in between in the world of horror.  This week we review the 2013 horror sequel...INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2.

Don't Watch This Alone!: THE CONJURING

Welcome to the inaugural edition of DON'T WATCH THIS ALONE!, where we review the best, worst, and everything in between in the world of horror.  We'll start things off with one of my favorites, the 2013 film...THE CONJURING.  Enjoy!