Hey they're folcus. It is Saturday, October fourth, and have we got a movie for you. Imagine young, hot, beautiful people going off into the jungle together, they come up on some ruins and when you believe shit go sideways. And with that, welcome to Amy and TJ and our countdown our horror hit list as we come in at number twenty eight today. As we continue our list in no robes, I'm not gonna call it that.
You're not gonna call it what deep cuts? You're going to do a boycott. I'm not gonna say deep cuts. Amy and TJ's horror hit list. Yes, coming in at number twenty eight is two thousand and eight's The Ruins. It is a marvel of a movie. It's a fun movie, it's a gory movie. And we'll go ahead and give you this synopsis. You kind of give a little bit of a version of one through your words only, but
here are the here's the official synopsis. A group of friends look for fun during a sunny holiday in Mexico, but they get much more than that. After visiting an archaeological dig in the jungle, carnivorous vines try to ensnare the friends in their tendrils, forcing the group to fight for survival.
That's a good write up. That's a good synopsis. Yes, that's very good. That's better than anything. I didn't know they gave away that much. But yes, it's kind of an unexpected horror movie. You don't know where it's going. And you hear that there are some carnivorous vines. Yes, you don't think the vines can inflict this type of.
Damage, and yet it's there for everyone to feast their eyes on or turn and look away from. Either way, if you like gore or not, this one certainly has a lot of it. It stars. You know, I don't know if you know any of these names as household names, but once you see these actors' faces, you apt solutely know them and love them and have seen them in plenty. So the lead, the character's name is Amy, that's played by jennam Alone. Stacey is played by Laura Ramsey. Then
there's Jonathan Tucker and Sean Ashmore. So these are actors that you do know and love. If you've watched horror movies, you've seen some of these folks. So they're familiar faces and they're really I think it's very well acted.
The two guys in particular will drive you crazy when you see them. You're gonna go where do I know him from?
Yes?
Exactly, and solid, solid actors in this movie.
So as we're now touting how much we love this movie and why it made our list, it got fifty two percent on Rotten Tomatoes, so not as good as one would have hoped, and it didn't do as well at the box office as its director Carter Smith would have hoped. It had a reportedly a twenty five million dollar budget. I mean there were a lot The scenes are beautiful, it's shot beautifully. I mean you're absolutely feeling
like you're transported into the Mexican jungle. The box office though twenty two point nine million, so it did fall slightly short of expectations. And here is the critics consensus. So don't just take what we have to say about it. You can obviously not. The critics don't always get it right, but this was the consensus. Despite a solid cast and truly frightening source material, the Ruins flounders thanks to a weak script and an excess of gore.
Okay, there is gore? Is it excess? Yeah?
It absolutely, and you know what here. Okay, So that was the critics consensus, and that's why it only got a fifty two percent on Rotten Tomatoes. But they have a place where audience members can leave their reviews, so to speak, and there were some recent ones from just
like the last few weeks. So I thought these were really interesting and I wanted to read them to you because this made me excited and made us both feel validated when we recognize that, yes, other people too, this is a really good film, and we really highly recommend it. So this was here. A few loved this little horror film with its unexpected gruesomeness. It reminded me of all those drive in movies I used to enjoy many years ago. Definitely worth a watch, someone else wrote in one of
the best horror movies of the decade. Original you can tell it was based on a book, and it shows you can make frightening scenes that aren't so dark that you don't have a clue what's going on. Loved it when it came out. Holds Up in twenty twenty five. Great acting, nice twist, a DreamWorks movie, surprisingly because it is quite gory. And I'll read you the last one because I also think this was a good nod to some of these critics out there. This person writes, I
don't understand all the hatred for this film. It's not scary in terms of jump scares, but it is stressful, grim and anxiety inducing. I also like that the horror isn't shrouded in darkness. In fact, part of the fear is from the exposure to the elements. This is man versus nature. Maybe it's supernatural.
Nature, but we you know what. That's another key in horror movies. There's a part of our enjoyment is that we know the formula. We know kind of what it's going to follow, and there'll be some jumps this and that. But relief is a key part of any horror movie. When it's dark, you're freaking out, and then all of a sudden it cuts to a scene in daytime, you're like, ah, we can relax. This movie takes place in broad daylight,
full sun, nothing is hidden. That's a very good point they make, and that makes this movie different.
I hadn't thought about that element of it, but it does, in a way make it even creepier because I think we all feel like, well, when the sun's out and it's daylight. We're safe, but they are not safe in the sunlight during the day. Why was this high on your list? Why did this make the list for you? TJ?
I love, We Love, But any movie you take a group of at least four friends and take them to an exotic location, off to a jungle, let's go down this uncharted path. Hey, the guy at the liquor store told me about this shipwreck. We should any time they go off on some adventure in the woods, in the jungle, I am all for what's about to happen to them.
Yes, I love a good friends on vacation goes wrong movie. I think those are really fun, especially us put it into the context of being lost in the Mexican jungle with no working phones, no food. You don't know what the threat is going to be initially because you're just thinking, Wow, they're lost, the sun is hot, they don't have water, they don't have food. What are they going to do? And yes, it's fun. I think it's a fun movie.
It's gory for sure, it's suspenseful and if you like horrific death scenes that are exceptionally creative, this movie is for you.
I believe who's gonna say yes to that was as us.
Probably anyone who loves horror movies. It's I think it's a fun, entertaining movie if you can handle the gore, and.
It's not constant, it's not throughout. We should mention that. But so much of the dread and the build up and the beginning of the movie does have to do with the mystery. You don't know what they're what's after them, You really don't. And there are some scenes we talk about daylight, but there's they have to go down into a cave. There's some darkness involved there, but that's not where most of the movie takes place.
I I don't.
Know how it's tough to recommend because there's some stuff I don't want people mad at. It's like, hey, you didn't tell me it was going to be this.
Well, yeah, that's some tough Yes, what we will fully disclose. Yes, this gets a little gruesome, but it's not. The difference for me is it's not some knife wielding monster or slasher where there's violence. From that perspective, this is a very unique twist on gore. I feel like, just in terms of how people die and how they meet their fate.
But it's supernatural with the physical manifestation of it and something we see all the time, just you know, vines, just you know, leaves outside and whatnot. That's where the threat is. I know you talk about you like supernatural all the time. Sometimes it has to do with the ghosts and things like that. This is supernatural, but something you can see and touch and can touch you back.
Yes, And I will say this again, I'm not going to give it away, but the first death in the movie is hard, is difficult, and so just prepare yourself for that. I just want to say that. So who is this movie for? TJ hmm.
I would definitely say this is for somebody who has friends. This is not even what I recommend you watch with one other person. You need a group. This is a fun movie. If you're looking for I would say a movie experience. This is not if you want to sit down and just watch a movie. If you want to experience, get immersed, get your skin crawling a little bit, get your heart racing, cover your eye. You will physically be
involved in this movie and it's fun. When you do have a group, all react into it in some way. I would highly recommend that.
In of who this movie is for. From my perspective, if you like yelling at the TV and going no, oh my god, like that will be this movie. You will be screaming at the movie as you're watching it. So if you like to, yes, be actively engaged and love to react to what you're seeing, this is one of those fun movies to do that with. So I do think that would be the best way to describe who this is for and what you should expect when you're watching it, you know, and it's.
You're gonna be yelling early on, like why are y'all even going in there? What are y'all doing? Of course you shouldn't go there, go back? Didn't they tell you not to? Why are y'all going to check that out?
So the movie class it's your classic horror movie, like don't do what we did kind of a movie. But that's what makes it so fun. So all right, we told you why we loved it, We told you who the movie is for. When we come back, we'll tell you who shouldn't watch this movie, what you should pair it with, and where you can watch it. We'll also tease tomorrow's movie. So we'll be right back and Welcome back to Amy and TJ's Deep Cuts. It is our
horror movie hit list. We are counting down to Halloween, and number twenty eight on the list is The Ruins. So we told you why we love it. We told you who should watch this movie. Here's who I think should not watch this movie. Anyone who is a weak stomach period, or if you think maybe you might be planning to visit an archaeological site in the Mexican jungle, or if you want to have like a jump scare, like, that's probably not the movie for you. This isn't that
type of movie. But I always see I feel like it's not that scary these types of movies, and I can enjoy them more because I know that I'm not going to be in the same situation this group of friends found themselves in, and so I can. I can watch it and get entertained by it without actually feeling fear personally that this could happen to me.
Oh no, I feel this. They're vines. It's vegetation. I am sitting here in the woods right now with you as we record this. No, this is this movie for me is like the nature equivalent of Jaws. Now I'm scared to walk in the woods.
Really, so you actually you find that this is fear inducing.
Yes, this stuff is all around now. I don't think there's gonna Most of the things I walk past have spirits in them that are gonna attack me.
But there's a lot of kudzu here where we are.
I don't even know what that is.
It's a vine in Georgia that's rampant. It's called kudzu.
It sounds scary.
Yeah, so you want to be oh, yeah, kudzu has taken over forests and it's like it's like a parasitic vine that kills trees.
Okay, And you're saying I shouldn't be worried after.
It kills trees, not people.
But it kills is what you're saying.
It slowly suffocates the trees, it grows up and around.
It murders other living things, that is what I heard.
But who shouldn't watch this?
Yeah, that's if you're just dipping your toe into horror. This isn't a way to start because this is going to turn you off, probably to horror.
It's too gross.
Yeah, but this is a and again I don't want to make it sound I want to give a proper warning without turning people off to it, because it's not just constant throughout gore, but the scenes that have it, like you don't just peek through your ah, your hands a little bit, but you cover your like, please, somebody tell me when this is over. There are some scenes, but it's hey, this is what some horror movies are. So I would say this isn't This should not be your entree into into.
All right, but it is so fun. All right? What to pair it with? Here's my thought. I figure, since it's set in Mexico, any opportunity to make some margarita's, bring out a medello, Maybe add some chips and walk. Maybe avoid the salsa because that might be too gross to eat something red while you're watching. So I was going with guacamole. But that would be my suggested pairing with this movie.
Guacam is worse. It's not like creamy texture, and.
You have a texture issue. Most people do not. It's delicious. I wouldn't want the pikaa gayo or the red salsa. That would be a problem for me.
I think he made a good call on the chips. I did. I was actually going to say just get your tall glass of ice water on this. But I think the Mexican theme, a good margarita that'll be fun, that'll be fun, and.
Chips and not guak for you, I get it. What would you eat with your chips? Then, oh, Pico, I'll have Piko, a guy who wouldn't bother you.
Yeah, no problem.
Freshly chopped lutting guts is what that kind of looks like to me.
Oh no, the freshly chopped stuff, not with the soupy stuff, not the salsa. I'm talking about fresh peka.
All right. So it's funny you mentioned in terms of the ambiance that you think this should absolutely be a group setting, And I actually believe that this is more fun to watch in a group setting. With everyone screaming at the TV. You can all kind of relate to each other and it feels fun to kind of experience that grotesqueness with one another. But I also would say that I think this is one you can absolutely watch
on your own, because it's not for me. It doesn't make me feel scared like someone's gonna be walking through the back door, or some demonic spirit is gonna possess me, or there's gonna be some massed killer outside. So I feel like, if you are alone, this is actually one you can totally perfectly, safely, emotionally safely watch by yourself.
Yeah, I don't recommend that, folks. That is we're split on this one. Not always in agreement. We're an agreement on the movies.
But I think this is a solo movie.
Possibly this is one. It just it is such an experience because everybody's going to experience it the same but just a little differently. Some are going to say, y'all are nuts, I'm not watching this. Someone gonna say, oh, let me know when it's over. Others gonna be like, oh my god, check it out. Other it's just to have everybody engage in. That is a fun experience. That's why sometimes we go to theaters on opening night of a movie and it's more fun.
This would have been fun in the theaters. I missed it. I didn't see it back in two thousand and eight, but that would have been fun. All right, So where can you watch it? It is basically streaming everywhere, but if you have like I tried to go through this the last time, but if you have Paramount Plus or AMC plus and those are oftentimes additions to your Hulu or Prime Video UH subscriptions. You'll be able to watch it for free, but obviously you can download it as well.
But Paramount Plus AMC Plus if you have those subscriptions, it comes with that package. Oh.
The other thing we should mention because this is a big deal for us. This is one movie you can watch in the daytime. This is a big deal for us. We live in New York, windows night, a lot of sun coming in. Oftentimes we can't watch a horror movie during the day because they happen so often at night in the dark and you can't see the TV.
That's when we usually look for like a shark movie because those happening, or a monster movie because they have to be during the day, like a like a crocodile or a shark, they have to be shot during the day. And yes, you will find out through the series how much we actually love horror movies. Because we have horror movies that are good for the mornings, good for the daytime, good for the evenings, good for the weekend. We have different times of day, week and year that we like
specific types of horror movies. This is one you can watch pretty much anytime, anywhere, which is a very nice way to watch a movie when you want to. All right, tomorrow, we're gonna give you a little bit of a teaser about what tomorrow's movie will be. This will be our number twenty seven on our countdown to Halloween, and let's just say we're gonna keep with a vacation themed horror movie. It's fun, sexy, it's a thriller. We can't wait to bring it to you tomorrow. So until then, thank you
for listening. I may meet Roboch alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you very soon.