The Sandman (2017)

Just perfect...

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

This was a real disappointment - the Sandman, an iconic figure in horror, ruined by a bad script and worse acting. The characters were undeveloped, and their lines, admittedly bad, were just made worse by bad acting, and the script fell flat trying to give the story a twist.

The Scyfy channel don't do horror originals very often, and that's a shame because more often than not when they do they're quite good.The Sandman is somewhat similiar to Before I Wake (2016). It tells the story of a girl with telekinetic powers who has somehow brought The Sandman into reality who kills anyone that threatens her.Starring Haylie Duff (Who is far better than I expected), Tobin "Jigsaw" Bell and Paul Logan (Though he may as well not have been cast) this horror effort once again shows that Scyfy should should do more horror.With a great looking beastie, decent performances and a well delivered concept this was a lot of fun. It's ending is a tad sudden and it's not overwhelmingly original but it's forgiven due to it's decent entertainment value.The Good:Sandman looks and sounds greatTobin BellThe Bad:Very sudden endingOne very bad cgi sceneCouple of bits were never explainedThings I Learnt From This Movie:Instead of renewing their access to shows like Xena & Wonderwoman the Scyfy channel should use that money to make more horror originalsI want a Sandman bodyguard!

I'll be honest, I'm dying to binge season two of "Stranger Things" and I decided to watch this because the preview looked similar."The Sandman" tells the story of a young girl (the amazing Shae Smolik) who goes to live with her aunt (Haylie Duff) when her father dies. Little does her aunt know that the girl has an ability to, as she puts it, "make things happen." One of these things is that she manifests the vicious Sandman whenever she is threatened. It's not long before the body count starts climbing and the aunt wonders who or what it is exactly that she's brought into her home.Much like "Stranger Things," this movie is a genre stew made up of a variety of influences, from Stephen King to Steven Spielberg to James Cameron, and even "Stranger Things" itself. It's impossible to look at the little girl and not think of Eleven, who also had a psychic connection to a nasty monster. There's even a blatant "Twilight Zone" reference that provides one of the film's only laughs.However, the movie really does make these elements into a satisfying whole, constantly taking twists and turns so things never get predictable. The writers and director do a good job blending family drama, horror, and even action, into something that feels wholly unique. The cast is solid. Haylie Duff brings the heart as a woman struggling to overcome low expectations and become a good mother figure for the troubled girl. Tobin Bell plays a suspicious agent- type who may or may not be a villain. It was great to see Amanda Wyss, from Nightmare on Elm Street, again facing off against a dream-based creature. But the real standout remains Shae Smolik, who glides with ease between being a victim, a heartbroken innocent, and a vengeful threat.Unusual for Syfy, the production quality was good too. Fantastic cinematography keeps it looking like a notch above. There's a heavy reliance on practical FX… from the stunning creature design to a few gruesome kills (one memorable gory moment involves a spinal cord), which work very well. Even the CG, minimal as it was, was above par for this type of film.My only complaint would be that the movie feels a little rushed. The ending is too abrupt and would be better with an epilogue or something. It almost feels like they ran out of time or money.Still… if you're a child of the 80s like me, and want to see a modernized dark take on those old, great Amblin films… this one's for you. At least, until season two of "Stranger Things" starts. Leggo my eggo!

RELEASED TO TV IN 2017 and written & directed by Peter Sullivan, "The Sandman" chronicles events in the Los Angeles area when an orphaned girl with psychic abilities (Shae Smolik) is granted custody by her photographer aunt (Haylie Duff), who has a sometimes live-in partner (Shaun Sipos). Unfortunately, there's a deadly creature linked to the girl whom she calls the Sandman. Tobin Bell plays a government agent obsessed with cultivating the girl's powers while Amanda Wyss plays a psychiatrist who wants to heal her.The theme has been around since "Forbidden Planet" (1956). The effective monster looks like a dried-up skeletal version of Swamp Thing mixed with the aliens from "Signs" (2002). Haylie is a winsome protagonist with a striking face and Tobin Bell is always good for these kinds of flicks. You'll remember Wyss from the first act of 1984's "A Nightmare on Elm Street." There's a haunting X-Files tone. I like the movie, but it's not the most compelling creature feature. There are some semi-tedious stretches, as with The X-Files.THE MOVIE RUNS 90 minutes and was shot in Los Angeles, Acton & Hawthorne, California. ADDITIONAL CAST: Lyn Alicia Henderson appears as a staunch children services agent while Paul Logan is on hand as one of Bell's heavies.GRADE: B-/C+ (5.5/10)