The Innkeepers

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 29 March 2012
Running Time: 101 Minutes
Staring:  Sar Paxton, Pat Healy, and Kelly McGinnis
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 5.5 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 79% Audience: 42%
MY RATING: 7 of 10

STORYLINE
During the final Days of the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotels haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay.

MY REVIEW:
This movie is cerebral and the anti-slasher movie. There are no scantily-clad teenaged girls being chased through the woods my masked evil-doers. It's not a zombie movie.

This movie makes you think and forces you to pay attention and it really does an amazing job of telling the story. It's dark and delightful and full of pretty decent scares. It leaves you with just enough uncertainty to make this a wonderful scary movie!

The Hunger Games

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 23 March 2012
Running Time: 142 Minutes
Staring:  Jennifer Lawrence. Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Rating? PG-13
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.3 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 84% Audience: 81%
MY RATING: 8 of 10

STORYLINE
In a dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided into 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two representative from each are selected by lottery to participate in the Hunger Games. Part entertainment and part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast through Panem. The 24 youths are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year old Katniss Everdeen's you g sister Prim is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have been in training their whole lives.

MY REVIEW:
I have to say this was almost as good as the book. They did a great job with the casting and theme and just enough humor to tie it into a nice little bow. I enjoyed watching Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence, develop through the movie and end up with a believable and likable character. The stars for me were Seneca Crane, played by Wes Bentley and Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman.  I liked Peeta (Josh Hutchinson) as the damsel in distress throughout the movie, and I liked the chemistry between Peeta and Katniss. Enjoyed three movie. Must see.

21 Jump Street

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 16 March 2012
Running Time: 109 Minutes
Staring:  Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.2 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 85% Audience: 82%
MY RATING: 8 of 10.

MY REVIEW:
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I expected a shot-for-shot style reboot of the old 21 Jump Street TV Show, but it's clearly not what the film-maker had in mind.

This was a somewhat hilarious bromance with excitement and comedy and a little drama. It was really pretty good. Solid 8 on my scale.

Silent House

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 9 Mar 2012
Running Time: 86 Minutes
Staring:  Elizabeth Olsen, Adam Trese, Eric Sheffer Stevens, and more
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 5.3 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 41% Audience: 30%
MY RATING: 5 of 10

STORYLINE
This movie is about Sarah and her father as they go to their lakeside retreat to pack up inside because it's being sold. While there, her uncle also helps get the place up to scratch has to leave to get an electrician to check the wiring, but after he goes, she starts hearing noises and seeing what the things are people inside the house. Soon she and her dad are attacked by someone or something and they end up in a fight for their lives. But there's something more going on that what she thinks.

MY REVIEW:
This was a remake of a 2010 Uruguyan film of the same name, but in Spanish, La Casa Muda. I feel that this was a decently successful movie. It was effective and a little scary at first, but the twists allow it seriously to go downhill.

Elisabeth Olsen stars as Sarah and her father John, played by Adam Trese and her Uncle Peter, Eric Sheffer Stevens and their trip to their vacation house to clean it up and see it. That;s when the strange stuff happens. Starts out pretty slow and gets intense and creepy. The real time aspect of this being shot as one long sequence is interesting but it's a serious weakness for me. It's scary at times, but also pretty boring. Decent movie, but not great.
SaveSave

Red Lights

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 2 Mar 2012
Running Time: 114 Minutes
Staring:  Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Cillian Murphy
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.2 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 29% Audience: 36%
MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE
The skeptical psychologist Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy), are specialists in disclosing fraudulent paranormal phenomena. When the famous psychic Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) reappears to his public after many years of absence, Tom becomes singularly obsessed in determining whether Silver is a fraud or not.

MY REVIEW:
This was yet another good call by a friend at work. This was a thriller with some weird supernatural twinges, but is at least smart enough to build some sensibility in character development and let the scenes ruminate before letting some of the weird creepy stuff into the deal. Subtle references to some classic horror pieces such as the Omen and such. The casting was awesome. Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy play paranormal debunkers looking into Robert DeNiro's character.

Suspenseful, interesting, and full of twisty-plot goodness! 

ATM

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 2 Mar 2012
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Staring:  Alice Eve, Josh Peck, Brian Geraghty
Rating? R
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 4.7 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 9% Audience: 23%
MY RATING: 1

MY REVIEW:
You know what ATM stands for in this movie? A TERRIBLE MOVIE!!

This movie not only asks me to suspend belief but to rip that little thing into tiny itty bitty pieces and toss them in the fires of Mount Doom.

I was hoping for something like a trapped scenario and looking for some good plot twists but this was beyond ridiculous! Everything that the characters do is just dumb and if you have one iota of a shred of intelligence anyone could just figure out that there are THREE people and ONE guy trying to kill them.  If everyone ran in a different direction, he couldn't get all of them! Yeah, one person might have to sacrifice for the greater good, but that would have been a good ending!

Anyway, it's too predictable and just not worth putting the hour and a half. Don't waste your time!