Paranormal Activity

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 16 October 2009

Writer and Director: Oren Peli
Running Time: 1 Hour and 26 Minutes

Staring:  Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat and Mark Fredrichs

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.3 of 10

RT: Critics: 83% Audience: 56%
MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.

MY REVIEW

For a low budget indie-film, this was absolutely scary from beginning to end. So, the idea is that this man and his girlfriend buy a video camera in the attempt to record any strange activities that may be occurring in the night. The more they record, the more insane it gets. It's real and the actors are convincing and natural. It truly feels like you are watching someone's home movies. Home movies, but better because they actually have a tripod that keeps the camera steady. It's suspenseful and imaginative and deep. One can be far more scared of an idea than an actual thing. This proves it with the unseen entity wreaking havoc on this couple! Of course, i am not a paranormal believer, but suspension of reality works in most cases!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Originality- This was a concept that I could stand behind. The idea of NOT seeing what is causing the problem is conceptually clean and builds an air of suspense that cannot be created with movie magic.
• Tension- This movie does NOT rely on cheap jump scares. Fear builds and gets under your skin in a way that is both terrifying and imaginative. It's Hitchcockian with this simplicity.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Writing- I'm torn on this one. On one had, I think there was just enough acting to make it feel real, but I still felt that some of the parts were overly acted and written poorly. Leading into the acting issues, but they're good, not great.

On a more personal note..... 

What a great week at work! We signed up as a group to run for Race For the Cure. This was our second year as a team and once again, had a great time bonding with the team.

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Zombieland

MY RATING: 8

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  2 October 2009

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Horror
Director:Ruben Fleischer
Writer: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Running Time: 1 Hour and 28 Min

Staring: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a hun-toting guy trying to find the last twinkie and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America.

MY REVIEW

"Oh, America.  I wish I could tell you that this was still America, but I've come to realize that you can't have a country without people. There are no people here. No, my friends. This is now the United States of Zombieland." That's how this movie starts.

Some day, in the future, I will be in the same boat as those who were around when Rocky Horror came our when I can sat that I was around for the beginning of a cult classic. Yes, boys and girls, THIS will be on that level. I swear to you.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• WRITING- This is a well-written movie for what it is. I was not expecting such a good piece of writing in a zombie comedy. Since I'm talking about the writing, let's go ahead and get right into the story. It's bizarrely interesting and easy to follow. I love the dichotomy of the three stories that converge into one shared path. There's no real world scenario where these four people would ever have bonded but yet, they have and it feels right. They all have their quirks but it flows and it's wonderful! BEST EVER was the rules. Comedy meets drama in a wonderful way!
• CINEMATOGRAPHY- I struggled with this one, well, the struggle was where to put how m such I loved the bloody gore! I'm a gore girl, so of course I loved it!
• SCORE- Metallica, Van Halen, Velvet Underground, Blue Oyster Cult and end it with a little Hand Williams Sr. That is a recipe for a winner right there!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• There wasn't anything specific that I did not like. But I couldn't arbitrarily give this movie a 10. It was good, but it wasn't a 10.

Nightmares in Red, White and Blue

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 6 August 2009

Director: Andrew Monument
Writer: Joseph Maddrey
Running Time: 96 Minutes

Staring:  Lance Henriksen, Larry Cohen and Joe Dante

Rating? Unrated Documentary

SPOILERS? Yes

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.2 of 10

MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE

This documentary is an exploration of the appeal of horror films with interviews of many legendary directors in the genre. 

MY REVIEW

As a horror movie aficionado, I felt it was just a thing that I needed to do to watch this documentary. I love the history lesson in horror using some of the latest and greatest of the filmmaking past. I especially loved Lance Henriksen as the narrator. His voice is probably one of the most soothing in the biz!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This was a social and political history lesson masquerading as a documentary.  There was just so much information presented in a smart and compelling manner that not only stuck with the idea that people LOVE to watch horror but we NEED it. We are programmed to enjoy these based on the ever-escalating terror in the world. It delves deep into the first horror movies like Nosferatu and then explains that after Vietnam the escalation of bloody disgusting imagery just kept to the scenes that people were seeing on their evening news.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• It does get a little repetitious and derivative of other horror anthology breakdowns. But it's by far better than most.

On a more personal note..... 

Two things. This PARROT! This blow up parrot is going to live in my office until the end of September. Lisa and I decided that we wanted our office to be Margaritaville themed for the End of Fiscal Year celebration! ALSO, I won Employee of the Quarter (MVP) for Q2 2009

Moon

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  10 July 2009

Writer and Director: Duncan Jones
Running Time:  1 hour and 37 minutes

Staring: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.9 of 8

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planets power problems.

MY REVIEW

I do have a soft spot for Sci-Fi due to years and YEARS of Star Wars. I saw this and was expecting something totally different than what I was presented with, in a VERY PLEASANT way! I really enjoyed this film.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Cinematography- That was one of the things that set this movie apart for me. There were some pretty captivating shots of the moon and some amazing visuals of the moon base that was being used by Sam Rockwell.
• It was philosophical and Kubrick-esque and for me, those are extremely good selling points.
• This movie was more than just about space or the moon or an astronaut.. this was about personal attachments, psychological self-existence, examination of ones own life... so much more. Still, this is a dark roller-coaster that relies on isolation and curiosity to review the human experience. Loved it!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• After the first and second viewing, it dawned on me that it was not as unique in the plot as I had thought. I mean, how often in Sci-Fi do we find a clone/robot/machine/hologram thinking that it's human, Pretty often.
• Where in the hell were your technical advisors? I mean, it was pretty but there were so many things that were just laughably implausible.

What QUESTIONS do I now have?

• Gravity?? I have so many questions!

On a more personal note..... 

Testing out some new filters today. I think the lighting is a bit off, but the end result did give me the intended idea.  PLUS, how cute is my little cube crystal necklace!?! I am in love with this thing!

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Star Trek

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 8 May 2009

Director: J.J. Abrams
Writer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Running Time: 2 Hours and 7 minutes

Staring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 8 of 10

MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE

The brash James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

MY REVIEW

Oh, J. J. Abrams! You do know how to make a pretty god-damned spectacular movie.

I'm not a Trekkie, anyone who knows me, knows that I am a loyal Star Wars fan, so for me to say that I absolutely loved this movie is enough.

J.J. Abrams was able to create an world that was very easy to lose yourself within. I appreciated that there are plenty of references to the original series to keep the fans happy and enough new to lure me into the movie.  

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• References to the original series. 
• Casting!! The cast really seemed to be perfect. They did an amazing job BEING the people in the original shows, but giving them their own sense of originality.

• Chris Pine WAS James T. Kirk.
• Karl Urban as Dr. "Bones" McCoy was perfection! Big huge hearts!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I think the story was good, but there was sometime that stuck with me. Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek franchise was about diplomacy and peace with little bits of diplomacy and ethical dilemmas to make you think. This was missing in this movie for me.

On a more personal note..... 

Another filter. Another set of red lips. I do enjoy selfies!

The House of the Devil

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 25 April 2009

Writer and Director:Ti West
Running Time: 95 Minutes

Staring: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

College student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret.

MY REVIEW

I had a friend at work tell me that this was a decent movie that they thought I would likely enjoy. I did. Thanks J. :)

This really did have a feel that seemed classic as well as new. While it is the seemingly classic story regarding the "girl next door" to me that's where it ends. While the viewer seems to be able to make some of the calls on what may or might not happen, it seems not so much like the old standard of yelling at the main character to not do something because you really want her to go in and do stuff!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• AMBIANCE/CINEMATOGRAPHY- Intense is really all I can say about this movie. There is an unsettling feeling that looms heavy throughout the whole piece. The score builds and continues to create a sense of uneasy wonder that sticks you directly in the gut.
• STORY- It's not a slasher type horror movie, and it's not the typical psychological thriller. It's simple horror that seems different. The story will stay with you for a while. It's a slow build, but worth the wait.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• ACTING- Okay, so I admit the acting is a bit underwhelming. It's true. But this is a horror flick and if you're expecting Oscar winning performances, this is not that.
• FINAL ACT- Could have been a bit more climactic. Let me wanting a little more.

Cropsey

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 25 April 2009

Director: Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio
Running Time: 84 Minutes

Staring:  Documentary

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.4 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

Realizing that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearance.

MY REVIEW

Firstly, I'd like to say that this is a quite disturbing documentary. I am always indescribably more frightened by psychotic people than chainsaw wielding demons! What the hell is a Cropsey? Well, that was the name that the kids on Staten Island called the Boogeyman in the 70's. In 19688 Andre Rand was of one missing child, Jennifer Schweiger, one of several children gone missing between 1972 and 1987, of which the majority were special needs. 

THIS is true horror

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Zeman and Brandaccio do an amazing job piecing together available evidence regarding Rand including interviews with family and friends of Rand as well as the missing children, and the detectives who worked on the case.
• Z and B even go so far as to make a move to interview Rand from Prison. It's an abject failure, but they tried.
• The footage and research into Willowbrook are skin-crawlingly effective and visits to the ruins are equally effective. This documentary looks specifically at the Willowbrook State School, a place for the mentally ill that journalist Geraldo Rivera took a focus on in 1972. Rand was known to have lived on or near the property at the time of the disappearances. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Some of the interviews seems like they were cut short or just didn't have all of the level of detail. This would have been a better three part documentary with 60 minutes each to really go into the children, the place and the possible murderer.
• We constantly see pictures of the missing children and are told that only one was found, she was murdered, but none of the others were ever located. Jennifer Schweiger was found near a campsite where Rand was known to live. Other than that simple conjecture, THAT is the only proof that was given that Rand was the murderer. It seems they were either missing some important details or the case was flimsy at BEST! This is where it loses it focus for me in about the last third of the documentary. Some of the harsh realities are replaced by fanciful supposition.

On a more personal note..... So, today at work, this pigeon hung out on the ledge outside my window for about an hour, flew away and came back. I've named him Harvey. Came home to Captain Boomer hanging out with Terry and later in the evening, Boomer and Teddy were getting their nap time in before actual bedtime!

The Last House on the Left

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 13 March 2009

Director: Dennis Iliadis
Writer:Adam Alleca and Carl Ellsworth
Running Time: 1 hour and 50 mninutes

Staring: Garret Dillahunt, Monica Potter and Tony Goldwyn

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.6 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

Remake of the disturbing 1972 film. After kidnapping and torturing two innocent teenage girls, a group of people seek refuge in the home of the parents of one of the victimized girls. When the parents find out what happened to their daughter, they plot and carry out revenge on those that hurt their daughter.

MY REVIEW

When I saw the original movie, the 1972 version, many years after the fact, I was obviously disturbed. It was an extremely movie. I was not expecting much from director Dennis Iliadis in this remake. But was I surprised.  This movie was even more raw and intense than the original.  Although some of the pieces are hard to watch, the rape scene for example, it's emotionally heartbreaking and necessary to further the plot.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The writing and directing really allow the watcher to develop a relationship with the characters, so when the horrific things begin to happen, it gives you the ability to empathize with them.
• Great acting. I have to give them credit for being able to play these characters.
• JUSTICE is served!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• It's not that I didn't like things, it was just the movie itself. It was not great enough to get a 10 and not shitty enough to have things that I need to point out as flaws.

My Bloody Valentine 3-D

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 16 Jan 2009

Director: Patrick Lussier (Scream, The Eye, Red Eye, Cursed)
Writer: Todd Farmer and Zane Smith
Running Time: 101 Minutes

Staring:  Jensen Ackles, Jaime King and Kerr Smith 

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES, It's a re-make!

REVIEWS

IMDB: 5.5 of 10

MY RATING: 5

STORYLINE

Tom returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. Instead of a homecoming, Tom finds himself suspected of committing the murders, and it seems like his old flame is the only one who believes he's innocent.

MY REVIEW

I remember watching the original My Bloody Valentine in junior high back in Texas at a slumber party. I loved it so much! It's likely one of the reasons that I love horror movies so much as an adult!

It's okay. Not good, just okay.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Bountifulness of blood, brutality and gore! What every true horror movie fan craves!
• It's a lovely and entertaining collection of cliches that keep you tense until the last scene. Despite the predictable nature, I was deeply appreciative but still aware that it was full of the general horror movie staples.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Ineffective and weak dialog.
• I think the most ineffective piece were the 3-D effects. 
• It was a lot of fun  but still had a silly and manipulative plot.

On a more personal note..... Little homage to my baby boy, 9 month old Boomer. He's a little ginger sweetheart and I'm glad we added him to the fold!