Oculus

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 11 Apr 2014
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Staring:  karen Gillam, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff
Rating? R
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.5 of 10 Link
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 73% Audience: 52% Link
MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE
A woman tried to exonerate her brother who was convicted of murder by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenemonon.

MY REVIEW:
I did like this movie. 7 of 10 is pretty good on my scale but still just a little above center.

We follow one young woman, Kaylie {Karen Gillan} and her brother Tim {Brenton Thwaites} while they try to destroy a supposed haunted antique mirror whom she blames for the loss of both parents  {Katee Sackhoff and Rory Cochrane} while they were kids and that Tim was accused and convicted of murdering.

We are taken to two parallel movies; one that shows the lives of Katlie and Tim with their parents as children and one where we see them in the present time with the mirror. At times, the transitions seem either useless or a wee bit ridiculous for my tastes.

Although the story of a possessed object is pretty typical but this one felt pretty different. Direction was pretty good and the acting was well done. They were able to create an eerie atmosphere and was richly needed.

What I really did't like are the overused cliches that exist. There was a little too much of the monster-y feel in some cases and not enough of the true scares in others.

I did like that they left it open for a sequel! 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 4 Apr 2014
Running Time: 136 Minutes
Staring:  Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Cobie Smulders, etc.
Rating? PG-13
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.8 of 10 Link
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 89% Audience: 92% Link
MY RATING: 7 of 10

MY REVIEW:
I wasn't a big fan of the first Captain America Movie.  {Read my original review here.} This movie brought out more of the character development that I was missing in the first iteration.  The humor was well-balanced with the action sequences in a way the first was not.

Chris Evans was brilliant in this movie. He definitely built more depth into the Captain America that was given to him.

I would definitely say that this was a solid 7!

Killer Legends

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 16 March 2014
Running Time: 86 Minutes
Staring:  Documentary
Rating? N/A
SPOILERS? Not really

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.4 of 10
MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

Four timeless urban legends continue to haunt the psyche of the American public. This documentary follows filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Rachel Mills as they investigate the true crimes that may have spawned these urban legends, while exploring how these myths evolved and why we continue to believe. The documentary probes the following legends: The Candyman, The Baby-Sitter and the Man Upstairs, The Hookman and The Killer Clown. This documentary explores the genesis of these legends and the reason they are still so gripping and continue to haunt our nightmares.

MY REVIEW:
What I liked about this documentary:

• I appreciate the filmmakers attempt to bring a reality back to some of these legends! They have been brewing in the back of everyones mind for a long time and someone really needed to remind the people that they were just stories that jot overly saturated in the worlds eye.
• Growing up in Texas, two hours away from Texarkana, hearing the stories of the Phantom Killer, watching the Town that Dreaded Sundown so many times at slumber parties and being told.. "You know, he's still out there" brought that story to life for me. 
• They put real faces of the victims and show respect to the actual murders.

What I did not like:

• It did feel a bit rushed through the stories. It's only an hour and a half so telling four stories and their history is pushing it for content alone. There was so much more that could have been related to the watcher. 
• The documentary calls itself out for "getting to the bottom of the legends." They really just rehash stuff that we already know. 

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The Den

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 14 March 2014
Running Time: 81 Minutes
Staring:  Unknowns
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.1 of 10
MY RATING: 2

STORYLINE
While studying the habits of web cam chat users from the apparent safety of her own home, a young woman's life begins to spiral out of control after witnessing a grisly murder online.

MY REVIEW:
This is a teen scream movie. This was not what I thought it was going to be.

Why would you continue to video yourself while you are being chased by a lunatic?? This just ruins the "fear" you are supposed to have. Instead of believing that she was being chased, I just spent the time wondering why she didn't drop the camera and get something else like bat or a gun!

Poorly shot, poorly edited. Dreadful!

Odd Thomas

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 28 Feb 2014
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Staring:  Anton Yelchin, Ashley Sommers, Lenora Varela
Rating? Unrated
SPOILERS? No

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.9 of 10
MY RATING: 7 of 10

STORYLINE
Small town fry cook Thomas is an ordinary guy with a paranormal secret: He sees dead people, everywhere. When a creepy stranger shows up with an entourage of ghostly bodachs (predators who feel on pain and portend mass destruction) Thomas knows that his town is in serious trouble. Teaming up with his girlfriend Stormy and a local sheriff, he plunges into an epic battle of good vs. evil to try to stop a disaster of apocalyptic proportions. Based on the best-selling thriller by Dean Koontz.

MY REVIEW:
This was a solid movie and a very enjoyable watch. As with many movies based on novels, there were many of the finer details left out. Even with that, I still feel that they did a good job of capturing Odd Thomas' character. I was not a big fan of the chemistry between Odd Thomas {Anton Yeltsin} and Stormy {Addison Timlin}. Not sure of it was just chemistry or casting, but it was not what I wanted to see.

I hate making comparisons to the book, but I will. In the book, there was more ghostly communication with other spirits with Thomas.. diverse ghosts like Elvis. I would have loved to see that brought into the movie. That would have been hilarious. It would have also helped the viewer understand the world of the dead as it plays out in this world.

I did like the movie and I enjoyed the world that it created. I'd love to see this one made into a series. Monster of the week series would work well in this space.

The Monuments Men

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 7 Feb 2014
Running Time: 118 Minutes
Staring:  George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett
Rating? PG-13
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.1 of 10 Link
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 31% Audience: 44% Link
MY RATING: 7

MY REVIEW:
I've read some really horrible reviews and it was basically critically shunned.

I got the feeling that I was thinking that I would get hearing the storied and seeing what these men endured. I think the ensemble was just strong enough to carry out the intended purpose of this type of movie. It's based on a true story and I think they did a great job with the casting. The real men who volunteered for this mission were not solders, so casting the likes of Bill Murray and John Goodman alongside Matt Damon and George Clooney seemed to be a good choice. Yes, the script could have been a little better and some of the scenes were really overdone,but it was good. Solid 7.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 3 Jan 2014
Running Time: 84 Minutes
Staring:  Andrew Jacobs, Jorge Diaz, Gabrielle Walsh
Rating? R
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 5 of 10
MY RATING: 4

MY REVIEW:
Yeah, not a big fan of this one. It just didn't feel like it was part of the series to me. It was more of a stand-alone genre film to me. It's a found-footage style with ghosts and demons and a bunch of other crap that I was less and less interested in seeing.

I won't say that it was horrible, but it was easy on the scares and light on the plot and character development. It felt rushed and didn't have the feel that I would expect from a Paranormal Activity movie. Solid 4. No more, no less.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 22 Nov 2013
Running Time: 146 Minutes
Staring:  Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Rating? PG-13
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.7 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 89% Audience: 89%
MY RATING: 8 of 10

STORYLINE
Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games and spark a rebellion in the districts of Panem.

MY REVIEW:
Again, this seems to be repetitive for me. If you liked the first one or were a fan of the books, you'll like this movie.

Loved it.

Gravity

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 4 October 2013
Running Time: 91 Minutes
Staring:  Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris
Rating? PG-13
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.9 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 97% Audience: 80%
MY RATING: 8.5 of 10

STORYLINE
Dr. Ryan Stone is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.

MY REVIEW:
This will be a pretty easy review. It was good, almost great. Based on the trailer, I wasn't 100% sure what to expect. I think that may have been a good thing. I felt like the story was unfolding in front of me. I enjoyed the vastness and blackness of space used as a set.

I did see it in IMAX 3d, so the space portions were pretty amazing. George Clooney basically plays himself if he were an astronaut. Sandra Bullock does a great job of making her character become likable and someone who you want to survive and succeed.

This is visually stunning. I know a lot of it was CGI and that's fine. It still felt authentic to the movie. I enjoyed it very much!

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Insidious: Chapter 2

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 13 Sept 2013
Running Time: 106 Minutes
Staring:  Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.6 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 38% Audience: 57%
MY RATING: 6 of 10

STORYLINE
The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.

MY REVIEW:
If you liked the first one, then you will like this one. For me, it was fine; pretty average for a scary movie.

We meet the Lamberts , Josh and Renai, again {Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne} and their son Dalton {Ty Simpkins} immediately after the end of the first movie. Lots of stuff happens and it's interesting but not perfect.

There were some solid scares in this just like the previous. Some are less subtle than others. Some are over the top and in some ways, I felt that they may have showed the baddie too soon. There were some issues with some of the plot lines for me. Some things made no sense and were a little hard to swallow.

This movie isn't bad. It's not great, but not bad. It has some really good twists and leaves a few things open for a possible sequel, which makes sense.