jerrywright15 Reviews

The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

2 Half-Hearted Possessions

[4/10 · 7 May 2024]

The biggest fault of this film is that it starts off so engaging. It delivered an interesting setting, humanized characters, authentic relationships and a slow-build of well-crafted story that was compelling. For 30 - 40 minutes you are enjoying the pace, tone, and story that is being shown. Once the girls become possessed, the Director forces you to expend every ounce of trust you instilled in his vision, to make it to the end.

Legacy characters are once again merely terrible fan service. No purpose other than shock and awe. And the shock here is just, pointless.

The well established grounding of characters and their reactions disappear as people become reactionary robots to the tongue-wagging possessed girls. The actors do their best, but the script becomes nonsensical in direction, leading to moments like Legacy character Chris MacNeil, not an exorcist, going to confront one of the demon girls alone, only to face an eye-popping punishment.

Good story-telling turns to few jump scares and eventually a disengaging mess of too serious monologues, and an uneventful exorcism. Stakes dissipate. Horror evaporates. How did the possessed teens become background characters to their own haunting? One moment their semi-fine, the next their full on possessed, with little to show for it besides flicking light switches on and off, and yelling at preachers, and then their getting exorcised. Kinda.

The climax would have been a fun idea had it been earned. Assemble a diverse team of multi-religious fighters to save the children, except not really, everyone's some form of Western Judeo-Christian religion, except for a Haitian healer. Watch them all stand around confused for 15 minutes. The Haitian healer gets 1-minute to kind of win, and then she...loses interest in the exorcism? The demon's don't even attack them, or show any form of demonic power, they just say words and the priests break down. "Oh God, not mean words. I can't do this." Don't worry though, Captain Christianity will save everything...oh wait, no, he's dead now (funniest part of the movie). If you're going to have the Christian priest be the powerful exorcist everyone was waiting on, give him some gravitas, show him committing heroic feats, battling demons and winning, or give him a back story of strength. Don't give me wavering young priest walks in and everyone's heart melts. (I like to imagine this was an intentional commentary but who knows)

The idea behind having two possessed girls seems like a good one and you see the potential that is double the suspense, emotion, and terror but the ideas implementation flounders and becomes mute. The two girls do little in supporting/enhancing the other. The friendship feels nonexistent, a fact that Katherine's mother reinforces by saying, "I did not even know our daughters were friends." It feels like a mandatory jog to check in on both girls and the minor odd behavior they're displaying. The film plays like two stories that were forced together and the audience is left with not enough time with either character. Why didn't we just focus on Victor and Angela, the characters we had built a relationship with from the beginning, what was the point of Katherine and her family? Someone, director or producer, should have made a commitment, either it's a story about one possession or a story about two. Instead we get a story about, mostly, one possession with a few generic scenes about another possession, that ultimately culminates in an unsatisfying double exorcism. Again, kinda. Is it an exorcism if the demon just says, "eh, ya'll can have this one."

Leslie Odom Jr does a solid job as a worrying father who's lost his faith, but he's given little in the last half of the film to elevate his character as the lead. He becomes a walking simulator with little impact on the finale. He has the ability to carry this film, but they shortchanged him in the character arc.

Overall, it's the 3rd act that kills any enjoyability of this film for me.

It Comes at Night (2017)

But Nothing Ever Comes!

[4/10 · 2 January 2024]

It's always fun when you go in blind with a movie and see a cast of notable talent. Joel Edgerton and Kelvin Harris Jr as two recognizable faces. Both deliver solid performances as well as Christopher Abbott. These 3 do a good job at keeping you engaged enough to finish what is a story torn between being an intimate drama and a supernatural thriller, succeeding at neither fully. Picking a lane may have led to an enjoyable experience as the actors are solid, the cinematography is pleasing, and the setting is hooking. This all falls apart with a story that at one moment is about a world ending virus, the next the odd fascination of a teenage boy coming to grips with his sexual urges with the only woman besides his mother available, and finally a supernatural threat, maybe? The grab of the film is the tension between two forced together families doing whatever it takes to protect their respective members while trapped together in a house during what seems to be the end of the modern world. (Never explained). But the weirdest thing is in 1hr and 30 minutes so many plot lines are started and at no point are ever finished. Random people in the woods that attack are protagonist may have a connection to our new guest, who swears he doesn't know them but throws odd, "I really do" looks. Explored? No. Dog disappears chasing mysterious thing in the woods we hear said dogs bones crunching. Dog reappears, dad says "it's sick". Do we found out what the heck did it? Of course not. Magical (maybe) insidious style red door opens mysteriously, one of the young men must have done it, or is there an evil entity behind it all? Don't know, never answered. This is supposed to be about families surviving against this terribly aggressive disease. What the disease is, why it spreads, who has it and how, no clue, apparently doesn't matter even though by the end everyone gets it. How? Maybe one child did it, maybe another. The reason? Maybe one sleptwalk outside. Why? Who knows. Then throw in confusing nightmare visions that suggest there may be a demonic threat besides the virus, jacked up doggy would suggest so, or maybe even as the source of the virus, but again never explored or explained. Just horny teenager having fantasies of having black sludge dropped into his mouth by the only woman who didn't birth him. Seriously, why is he creepy horny all the time? He's 17 but acts like he's never seen a woman? By the time you get to the end suddenly characters make rushed choices that feel out of place. One moment we're all sane trying to survive, the next eh, we're all murderers in the name of family (okay Vin Diesel). Everyone goes savage and you're left wondering what was the point of the last confusing hour. Why start all these plot lines just to end it with senseless murder. The ending will leave you confused. By the way, nothing and I do mean nothing ever comes at night. Just weird sexually repressed dreams, random black sludge, and I guess the men.

Saw X (2023)

Strong Start Disappointing Finish

[4/10 · 10 December 2023]

Saw X is one of the strongest starts since the opening of Saw 2. Slower, emotional and well acted by Tobin Bell. You feel genuine sympathy for the jigsaw killer, a sense of apprehension knowing this will go wrong for him, and a crazy sense of excitement as you think of the revenge journey Jigsaw is about to embark on. Seriously, it's like watching people drop blood on Carrie, piss off John Wick, or tease Jason; these people have no idea the monster they are about to unleash on themselves.

Decently cool traps, okay acting, strong performance from Tobin, and a comeuppance story that has you rooting for the villain this movie begins like a treat.

And then...our true villain reveals just how evil she really is. Everything after the convenient releasing of the fake doctor is crisscross in the most boring, ridiculous and readable of ways. Amanda, who has been a joy to have back, although the hair choice is ...distracting, goes from in control badass to hammy whiner. Our evil doctor delivers a comically long monologue on how evil she is, our "hero" in jigsaw does his best to pretend he's not in control but...come on, we literally just watched a scene where he basically winks at the audience and says "don't worry people, EVERYTHING is part of the plan." But literally nothing makes sense as to how he could have planned it ahead without having Spider-Man level sense of foresight bordering on reading the future.

The real crime is that the movie spenT all this time building hatred for our villain. To the boiling point of I can't wait till a trap rips her face apart or a pulley stretches her limbs off...seriously hats off to the actress, this lady is EVIL, but instead, after watching everyone else suffer incredibly painful deaths...the doctor is basically left to starve to death with a few burns. She may even live to return in future installments because it would be too easy to say someone found her in the warehouse. The same warehouse people were already planning to go visit to find her for all the evil she's done. How does the master of revenge fail to get revenge on the MAIN person who wronged him?

The woman who just says hi to Kramer gets a worse death than the woman who actually stole his money and faked a life saving procedure.

Great start but uninspired twists, too convenient reveals, and a lackluster resolution leaves one begging for one more brilliantly gruesome trap.

Also...am I the only who thought Valentina got screwed? She cuts off her leg. Her whole dang leg (reminder the first Saw only asked for a foot and gave them basically all day to do it) only to die because she didn't drain enough marrow after the traumatic leg removal? You were wrong for that one Kramer.

Get Hard (2015)

Kev Hart and Will Ferrell are Comedic Gold

[7/10 · 28 March 2015]

I am a huge fan of both of these actors and the things they are able to accomplish on the big screen. You've got the funny, slightly weird, everyman, Will Ferrell who constantly brings audiences to tears with his comedic work in movies like Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers...etc. Then you have the rising box office movie star, stand up genius, one of the funniest guys in this GALAXY Kevin Hart who shines in buddy movies like Ride Along, About Last Night, The Wedding Ringer, Think Like A Man..so on. The pairing of these two actors on the big screen was a match made in the comedic heavens. It has been quite awhile since I have been able to sit in a theater and do nothing but laugh for a movies 100 min run time. From beginning to bittersweet end you will never find a period longer then a very few minutes where you just won't find something to laugh at. Although the way these two actors bring comedy to life may be slightly different, the play off each other exceptionally well in this movie as if they've been working together for years. Not to mention you get TWO very physical comedic actors who are not afraid to push subjects and themselves for pure entertainment. In my opinion this movie is far superior to Wedding Ringer or Ride Along, so if you enjoyed those, you'll love this. My only complaints for this would be that for a rated R picture, this was still very tame in terms of what these two "could" have brought to the table. The only thing that really seems to make this an R comedy is the mild language that really isn't that harsh and a large amount of the word "dick" and the actual showing of a penis. Other then that its your run of the mill comedy that brings me back to the days of an early Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey movie; with the laughs that just won't stop. I'd recommend keeping small children at home but other then that it really is a movie guaranteed to make the harshest of hearts smile. Hopefully from this we will start to see Kevin Hart take over as complete lead of a movie and put his acting to the ultimate test. As for Will Ferrell..well what can you say about a guy who pretty much conquers every single role he is offered, except for, I hope to see him in countless more roles. On a side note, for you rap fans out there. T.I. makes a substantial cameo in this movie and you can tell he still knows how to hold a screen from his ATL days.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

To The Point

[6/10 · 9 August 2014]

This review is going to be simple and to the point. Do NOT go into this movie with a pessimistic attitude or chances are your going to hate the movie before you even see the turtles. If you go in with a positive outlook or hell even a neutral one I promise this movie will provide a decent enough amount of laughs and fight sequences to make even the coldest of Michael Bay haters, smile. This movie had plenty of laughs provided through dialogue with the turtles (especially Mikey) and Vernon (April's partner). The choreography for the fight scenes were also VERY enjoyable to watch. The movements were smooth and fast and fit the 6 ft, ninja turtle, in a half-shell perfectly. These scenes truly shine when it comes to the Shredder moments. The turtles, although missing their friendly appearance, are also pleasing to the eye. Each character model looks like it the creators had taken time to learn the personalities of each of the brothers and mold their build to fit exactly that. This is very evident in the case of Raphael who is just a monster of a turtle but in a very good way. The only real,few, down sides to this film were the pacing. It seems like your stuck watching April deal with her struggling career for an ungodly amount of time and in all honestly its just completely uninteresting. On that note Megan Fox, who is beautiful to look at (you'll see this referenced through the film constantly as well) was such a dead character in this movie. She felt dry and painful to watch. I'm not sure if she was really trying but if she was she may need to find a new career. The plot to the film also seems a bit rushed and forced in at parts. Don't get me wrong their is a completely different take on the turtles and a couple little surprises that were a breath of fresh air but a lot of the back story and character building is lost in favor of action scenes. (In their defense these action scenes did come out very nicely). IN the end like I said don't go in with a negative attitude or your just going to waste your time. If you truly give this movie a chance I promise you, you'll enjoy every minute you spend with the turtles. Here's hoping that they continue with the franchise and make a sequel starring Bebop and Rock steady and maybe even a krang arc.

Surveillance (I) (2008)

Where is the Story???

[5/10 · 10 January 2013]

"Surveillance" is the work of Director Jennifer Lynch, who also brought us the troubling 2012 film, "Chained." Surveillance stars a few notable actors such as Julia Ormond (I Know Who Killed Me), Bill Pullman (Independence Day), Michael Ironside (The Killing Machine) and Pell James (Fanboys). The movie focuses on three surviving witnesses, a young child, a coked up woman, and a law abusing cop, who recount the horrible event that took place along a desolate road; while two FBI agents monitor and record their tales.

"Surveillance" is an okay film. It's not necessarily bad by any means but overall its not that good either, in terms of story. To be honest, I'm not really sure there was a story to begin with, maybe they should have stuck with their original idea and made this film about witches. You see, for most of the film there is no real plot, just people recounting twisted versions of the massacre they witnessed. For the first half of the film everything revolves around two cops, who abuse the people they pull over, that's it, I mean it made for some interesting scenes but your getting nothing about the main story, other then small snippets of dialogue pertaining to it. The second half is where everything, technically, begins because you learn about the incident and what happened to everyone but even then the scenes are rushed through in an almost, who cares kind of way. The final moments of the film are dealing with the "twist" of the movie that is supposed to shock everyone, but to be honest, most people can guess it within the first half of the film. The script writers and director try to slip in discreet things that were supposed to make you go back and say "oooohhh" but it fails because instead of being mysterious it just gives away the major twist instantly. So instead of saying, "oh wow, I can't believe that just happened" you go " I can't believe I had to wait this long for them to reveal something I knew an hour ago." By the time the credits roll you can't help but feel you didn't actually watch anything.

Now, what makes up for this lack of story and instead makes it seem longer, clever and like an actual film, is the characters the actors play; especially the cops, played by Kent Harper and French Stewart, and the two agents, played by Julia Ormond and Bill Pullman. I'll admit everyone in this film where spectacular to watch, making their characters as real as possible and entertaining to watch; but Ormon, Stewart, Harper and Pullman took it to a different level. The cops make up the first part of the film and are so lively and invigorating, cruel as well, that you forget that there is "supposed" to be something bigger going on. For the first half hour of the film everything revolves around these two and you love every second of it, as they terrorize their victims, without actually doing physical harm but plenty of mental. It was almost like watching a sadistic comedy. As for Ormond and Pullman's characters, they seem bland at first glance but as the film progresses their characters evolve and these two completely step into their roles so energetically and full of passion, making every scene they star in delightful to watch. So if there's anything that saved this movie from being a train wreck, it was the performances of these four particular actors. Normally, I would also mention the child actor, Ryan Simpkins, but I felt her character was too typical and didn't have many scenes to "wow" in, don't misunderstand me Simpkins played her part perfectly. The character itself, was just nothing special.

Another great feature about this film, which actually could be due to the lack of a story, is how the ending isn't exactly traditional. Everything is not nice and neat and tied up so perfectly that all your questions were answered. In fact most of my questions remain unanswered and honestly I don't think there is an answer to them that would make sense. I would go more in depth with this thought but to do so would reveal spoilers and I just don't want to do that, in case you want to watch the film. Though I feel, anyone who watches the movie through will have the same questions I have.

My last short credit to this film, is actually a particular scene towards the very end. In my history of watching films, I have come across few, what I deemed, "lesbian death scenes." Now the characters involved are not necessarily lesbian, just a woman who enjoys power and death. And a victim who is powerless to stop her. This scene is not only shot well but the performance by both females but especially by the aggressor is stunning. The scene is both sexual, without much actually being done, sadistic and disturbing, as a person loses their life in a way that seems to make the woman "orgasm." I believe the characters from Criminal Minds, would have something to say about that. I thought the scene was a nice way of summing up everything that had happened within the movie and represented its closing. So kudos to Mrs. Lynch for including it.

So to wrap up this review you have.

Pros: Intriguing characters performed by notable actors and comedians. Lack of a storybook ending. Well shot and acted "lesbian death scene."

Cons: No storyline, per say, leaving you with a rambling film. Rushed main events. Easily discoverable "twist."

Unfortunately, the film just can't save itself from getting a 5/10 from me.

Swimming Pool (2003)

Like A Puzzle, It Isn't Beautiful Until You See The Whole Picture

[8/10 · 8 January 2013]

Directed by Francois Ozon. Starring Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier. Swimming Pool is a tale of a middle-aged author (Rampling) who has hit a bit of a slump in her writing career. Feeling like she is missing something in her writing she approaches her publisher, who offers her his house in France as a way to clear her head. Upon arriving at the house, Sarah (Rampling), finds the place peaceful and relaxing and eagerly begins work on her new novel. Events begin to change when her publisher's sexually uninhibited daughter arrives, bringing a wildly different lifestyle from the uptight British authors. A shaky relationship begins to form between the two but as time passes Sarah begins to realize that things are not what they appear to be; leading to a controversial ending that will leave viewers stunned.

Let me start off by saying I don't find myself watching this type of movie on a regular basis, unless its strongly suggested to me or I'm being forced to watch it. When I say, "this type of movie", I'm not referring to the mentally contemplating script, sexual nature or specific genre; instead I'm referring to an older, slow paced, foreign film with little to no hype by my knowledge. That being said, I will now be broadening my movie horizons to include these films as this movie, overall, delivered wonderfully. Kudos to the cast, director, writers and everyone else involved as they brought a thought provoking movie with a nice Alfred Hitchcock type style thrown in.

Dissecting the movie piece by piece to give you an understanding of whats right with the movie and whats wrong with the movie would be pointless; because if you look at the film as individual scenes or characters it becomes quite boring, with low to no action, no unique or special characters and, in my opinion a bit of a snooze fest, unless you have a strong fascination with female nudity. But, when you look at it as a whole picture, watching it from beginning to surprising ending you get an appreciation for the film and what its done. Suddenly you go back and notice little details throughout the movie that weren't significant before and you realize just how well the actors played their roles; or how tiny little details, insignificant before, become vital in helping you understand what is really going on.

Normally I would tell you the great aspects of the film but because it is one of those movies that is only good once you watch it in its entirety, I find it hard to highlight specific items. I will tell you the actresses play their parts to a T. The twist at the end will get anybody who paid attention, and only confuse those who hardly focused. I consider myself a pretty decent movie detective but I still failed to guess what was really going on.

There is a fair amount of female nudity. For the most part its only breast being displayed, which any teenager these days has seen on cable TV more than once; but there are also some full nude shots and sexual acts committed a couple of times throughout so if that bothers you, you might want to skip this film. What I found surprising was that Charlotte Rampling, who this is my first time watching I believe, seems like such an actual uptight semi-proper woman that I didn't believe she would show anything for the camera but actually goes completely exposed for a scene. So yes, expect sex and expect both female leads to be naked at some point; but don't expect it to be just thrown gratuitously in; there is a deeper reason for everything happening including the sex.

The reason this movie falls to a 8 instead of anything higher, is due to a couple of things. One, there is a lot of dialogue spoken in French, so much that I feel I missed important or at least interesting conversations and with no subtitles there was no way of interpreting it. But I have been informed that not all copies are that way and most do feature subtitles so I'll be sure to look into that next time. Ignoring that, if you choose, the biggest reason this film fails to be higher then a 8, to me, is because actually watching the movie is a bit of a challenge. The film moves incredibly slowly with not a lot of scenes that keep you entertained. There is little to nothing that resembles an actual thriller, which this is billed as, until the final thirty minutes or so of the film. Which means for over an hour your watching an author write, eat and watch her house-mate swim and have sex; with conversation that doesn't really become meaningful until the end. Also, for a woman staying in beautiful France not much of the environment is shown other than a villa and restaurant. So the scenery could have used some work.

PROS:If you can get through the film, which many have, I promise it will be worth it. You may even end up going back through the film to validate your conclusion, as the ending really is left up to you to decide. Sex and nudity, if that's your thing.

CONS: Slow movie. Language Barrier unless you view it with subtitles. Sex and nudity, if that's not your thing. No scenery.

I'd recommend to anyone looking for something slower paced, more character driven rather then action oriented. Or Someone who enjoys films that leave you to think things out.

8/10 from me. P.S. I gave it an 8 because there simply wasn't much to fault the movie on not because the film itself was necessarily great, the ending in my opinion saves it.

Fire with Fire (II) (2012)

Decent Action Movie

[5/10 · 7 January 2013]

Released August 31, 2012 by director David Barrett; starring Josh Duhamel, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis and Vincent D'Onofrio, among some other notable talent. Fire with Fire centers on a dedicated firemen (Duhamel) who witnesses a brutal double homicide at a convenience store. Managing to escape with a bullet in his arm he now holds the sole testimony that can put the violent crime lord (D'Onofrio) away for good. Matters become complicated when, while under witness protection, his life and the lives of everyone he holds dear are threatened. Realizing no matter what he does their lives will forever be in danger he forgoes marshal protection and takes the fight to the crime lord, using any means necessary to find and kill his adversary.

Fire with Fire, point blank, is a low end action film that doesn't pretend to be anything else. Sure, there is a love story thrown in there but only to give more reason for the violence and choices the protagonist makes. There is also a side story about a cop (Willis) forced to choose between his duties as a cop and his personal morals but unfortunately his actions never really play a part in the main plot, so it becomes inconsequential. Knowing this, you can't go in expecting a movie that will blow your socks off or even be that memorable after a few days. Although, with a pretty solid list of actors you also can't it expect to be a total failure.

I'm pretty happy to report that this movie is far from a failure but also far from a Mission Impossible II action flick, which is why I gave it a 5; smack dab in the middle. The acting by all actors involved is done well enough to help you believe and carry the story, especially by D'Onofrio, who gives you that cold but calculated killer feel. Duhamel does well as the action lead, plenty of practice with the Transformers films I'm sure.I will say, with Duhamel's character supposed to be this do right, save lives kind of guy, the script writers or Duhamel, didn't give his character that feeling of really struggling with the violent acts he had to commit. Sure, he showed the typical signs, like puking but other then that I just feel Duhamel didn't show the struggle the character felt internally.

Rosario Dawson was nice to watch as a female lead. Wasn't really a damsel in distress by any means and the film didn't focus on trying to rescue her from some evil captor, which is always refreshing.

The fighting choreography is well acted and fits with the feel of the film, a gritty, bar room brawl kind of fighting. Makeup is passable, with the blood, bullet holes in bodies and so on and so forth looking plenty realistic. A typical fast-paced, heart racing, blood pumping soundtrack is missing from the film, either that or I didn't notice it. There was only one noticeable action song in my opinion and it was towards the beginning, but I did not research its name.

The ending was, like any normal action movie, cliché and featured that iconic character phrase or saying that all action movie characters have, I believe his was "I need you to trust me. Do everything that I ask and I promise we'll survive this. Do you trust me?" The movie is relatively fast, so it does get right into the action and it is possible you will feel like your missing the meat of the movie but I don't feel it hurts this film too much because if it went on too much longer I think it would have hurt the film more then helped it, though a few more violent scenes from Duhamel and D'Onofrio to show what they were both really capable of would have been nice.

So as you can see the film's positives balance out with the negatives. There are not too many failures to make it bad and not too many successes to make it great, which is why its simply decent. If your a fan of D'Onofrio, who I enjoy on Criminal Intent, or Duhamel, who I've only watched on Transformers then you will enjoy this movie as the two get plenty of screen time. If you like Rosario Dawson or find her attractive you'll also like the film as she is prevalent for a good amount of time and has pg-13 sexual scenes as well. Action movie fans, with no real high expectations but who enjoy a simple plot with a bold protagonist will also enjoy this.

My last note is towards Bruce Willis and Curtis Jackson (50 Cent). If your looking for a Bruce Willis action film where he has plenty of acting time and kicks butt all day this is not the film as he plays no real significant character and is not shown often. Albeit he has one pretty neat fight sequence that lasts three to five seconds and is fun to watch. As for Curtis, I know many who enjoy his music but not so much his acting, though I will admit I enjoyed "Before I self Destruct". I'll tell you right now his total screen time is three minutes max and in those minutes he does decently well portraying his insignificant character. I actually laughed when I saw him on the cover of the movie poster as he literally is no part of this film other then a gun seller, I assume it was for whatever publicity.

Either way this movie gets a 5/5 from me. Watching it, not watching it either way it won't affect you negatively.

What Dreams May Come (1998)

A Beautiful Movie

[8/10 · 6 January 2013]

I'll be honest, I was born in 93 and have missed a lot of stunning movies by actors I enjoy watching nowadays such as, Robin Williams. I first got wind of this movie, while watching a Family Guy episode that featured a DVD of What Dreams May Come. I figured they were making fun of this particular movie for a reason, but having never seen it I couldn't guess why; so I settled on watching this movie for myself. I'm glad that I chose to pursue this wonderful movie by Director Vincent Ward. In a short explanation, What Dreams May Come, is about a husband and wife who experience a tragic event at the loss of their children in a car crash. Four years later, the recovering wife is thrown back into a depression following the loss of her husband in an accident she blames herself for. As the man lives on in the afterlife he learns of his wife's suicide and damning to hell. Willing to do anything for his wife, the husband leaves the safety of heaven to save his wife from eternal suffering. Starring Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra and Cuba Gooding Jr, among other notables.

The aspect that stands out the most to me about this film, is the scenery. The portrayal of heaven is simply beautiful, in fact it was so shockingly magnificent that I couldn't believe this was made in 98. From the flowing waterfalls to the painted fields, everything sang of pure perfection.

Of course the environment, though the most stunning, is not the only beautiful feature. The family dynamic and relationship between William's character and Annabella Sciorra character was beyond inspiring. The emotional connection and love shared between the two seems to delve deeper then the film. Their acting was so believable, that it would not be hard to imagine these two together in reality. The children also did phenomenal jobs, in the small screen time they had, expressing their characters and emotional connection to their parents.

The script was well written and felt natural to the characters, none of it seemed forced or contrived. Cuba Gooding was exceptional as a character meant to be more then he appeared and other than Radio, was probably one of my favorite characters of his.

Now what stopped this movie from being a ten was also what made it great, the scenery. After watching how much time and effort they put into creating this memorizing heaven, I thought hell would be explored to the same degree. It didn't have to be this outrageously terrifying place full of twisted tortures and demons, but I at least wanted it to be more thought provoking, maybe have some metaphorical meanings for suffering and instead it was average at best. Hell never really felt like hell but more like purgatory of sorts. There was also a fair amount of flashbacks that I felt took away from Williams character exploring Hell. Maybe the movie was intended to be more about the characters past instead of him exploring Hell to find his wife, but when I read the synopsis it made it sound like this was about searching Hell for his troubled wife.

Fortunately this is a minor fault and doesn't take too much away from this gem that I would recommend to any and everyone who are fans of stories about love and family and the strong connection between a man and his wife. Or if you enjoy cinematography, beautiful landscapes and especially if your a fan of Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra or Cuba Gooding Jr. who deliver stellar performances.

A definite 8 out of 10.

Texas Chainsaw (2013)

A Bad Horror Start for 2013

[1/10 · 4 January 2013]

Lately I have been having trouble reviewing titles because I like to go into depth with what is wrong and what is right with a movie, usually to the point of having too long a review for IMDb standards; so I stopped reviewing and just read others. That was, until I saw one of my most anticipated movies of 2013 tonight, Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

I'm not sure I know how to began. We all pretty much know the history of Leatherface and the Sawyers. We know what made the original a cult classic and the sequels pretty good as well. You can't compare this 2013 remake to the original because its two different periods in cinematic history. Times have changed and what used to scare us and make us cringe on the big screen no longer cuts it. That being said, this movie falls well below par for any and every standard.

This movie was fairly hyped up, the trailer showed great promise of being a big time hit, the cast and crew talked of how this movie was going to blow us away in terms of gore and unsuspected twist; and if your anything like the girls in my theater you couldn't wait to see Trey Songz take a stab at acting. All of this made for a movie that people were dying to see.

I'm sorry to report that this movie tanked. I remember distinctly hearing someone in the back of the theater screaming "that was it." I myself was so let down that I was the first to walk out the door the instant a credit began to roll. I'm not going to bash the movie, citing everything that was wrong but I will ask you, what was it that made the original and some of the sequels worth watching? My answer, the brutality and instant quelling of any sort of hope. Leatherface was a cold killer with no emotion or empathy. The moment his victims stepped foot on his family's property you felt sympathy because you knew that, one, there was no escape, two, people were about to experience terrible pain, and three, someone was about to lose their face.

Things that made this franchise great were, unfortunately,tossed aside. What used to be a twisted world that made you want to gag, became a world full of laughs (literally there was more laughing at the characters actions in my theater then screaming or cries of disgust.) Instead of focusing on the brutality of the films people were disposed of relatively quickly. It honestly felt like everyone important was killed off within the first ten to twenty minutes of the film and I was just shocked at how easy they were let go. The iconic scene of replacing Leatherface's face was tossed in like an afterthought, with the scene meant to be disturbing but falling sadly short.

I won't knock on the script or the acting because I don't expect academy award performances or "Good Will Hunting" scripts. Its a horror movie as long as you can scream your golden, right? That being said I think Trey Songz should avoid horror as he just doesn't throw off that scared vibe.

I gave the movie a one because of what it was meant to be and what it actually was. I feel they might have just killed this series, granted with the anticipation, they should make their money back and it seems there are some fans of this film so who knows.

I'm disappointed and I think any fan of the franchise would be as well. Which is sad considering how enjoyable the other iconic horror remakes were; referring to, Nightmare on Elm Street (my favorite of the remakes), Friday The Thirteenth and Halloween.

I have no problem saying I just flushed $13 down the toilet.

Grave Encounters 2 (2012)

Interesting Concept

[3/10 · 14 December 2012]

Where to Start. I enjoyed the first Grave Encounter. In fact I loved it and its definitely my favorite "found footage" horror movie. Which is saying a lot because I am not a fan of "found footage." However everything that made the first film great went out the window with the second one.

The characters in 1, were believable, liked and well acted. The characters in 2 were poorly written, par acting, weren't likable in any way and made stupid decisions. One of the great things about the first is that the characters go to the asylum, not because they really think its haunted, but because they needed to shoot their reality series. Most of them didn't seem to believe in ghost. So when weird stuff started going down they were ready to leave, it was just too late to do anything about it. The kids, yes they are kids (college age), do none of this. Alex (the lead) claims to have watched the movie and believes its all true. Knowing that its all real and what follows once you enter should make you want to stay far away from the building, at least don't go into it. Not this guy, not only does he go into the building he brings along his buddies, camera equipment and ghost hunting items. WHY? He has seen the movie, he knows once you enter you can't leave so why, why, why does he go into the building? Now I don't mind stupidity in a horror movie (it comes with the territory) but if this movie is about a kid trying to prove everything was real why would you do the exact same thing that got the first people killed.

Moving on, another great thing about the first film was how it built up the tension from little ghost things to full out scares that made you want to pull up your covers. Not in this film. As soon as they enter the asylum (stuff) hits the fan. So that by the time the movie picks up your no longer scared it feels more like an action movie, instead of dreading what comes next your excited for it. I must also admit the scares are seriously lacking. I can not recall jumping once or even holding my breath. Had a smile on face the whole way through, laughing or asking why someone did this? The intro to the first film had a kind of chilling, but funny, quality to it. That made you feel somewhat lighthearted making you feel worse because you know whats coming. The intro to this movie lasted 20 to 25 (way too long) minutes showing the kids partying, trying to get interviews and making a movie. Generally you just feel like everything is cheesy or corny. I don't know if they were going for the "corny" feel but if they were they over did it. To the point where it wasn't a horror movie anymore.

I did like the concept of the second film, which is weird because usually one of the reasons a horror sequel fails is because the plot is trash, but this one did have a solid plot and if they brought the same creativity and spark they did with the first film to this one then I think they could of had a movie that surpassed the first one and solidified a series as powerful as Paranormal Activity. In fact the only reason I gave it a 3 was the plot (and a really nice sequence they did involving an elevator and escape).

My final comments go to something (its hard to elaborate on without giving spoilers and I hate giving spoilers) the final 30-40 minutes are involving someone, Grave Encounter fans will enjoy. The reason this person is involved in the script is just not, I don't know it feels forced in instead of flowing smoothly with the film. Not to mention the film tries to give life and purpose to the ghost or asylum or whatever it is in this asylum (the movie never goes in depth on whether its the patients which it doesn't feel like anymore it seems to be more like demons all under the command of someone but not Dr. Friedkin) When they started giving reason and thought to the entity I lost interest because it was no longer about the scare or haunting but now about humans battling it out. Which is not something that fit with this film series.

As another reviewer said I'd recommend this movie to Grave Encounter fans (who are going to watch it no matter who reviews it). Found footage buffs. Or someone interested in seeing what happened to characters from the first film. Other then that I would not recommend it to horror freaks. I promise you you'll regret it, not because the movie sucks horribly but because there are 0 to no scares. Nor torture porn addicts, there is little to no blood or violent scenes (which also made the first one good was the lack of gory deaths). I'd also say if your bored at home with nothing better to do then watch random movies, playing this won't dampen your mood if you don't go in with high expectations. A definite 3/10

The Shrine (2010)

Unitelligent Characters Ruined It

[3/10 · 12 December 2012]

This review will be one of the shortest I have written because there is not a lot to say about this movie. When I started the movie I came in with an open mind ready to accept whatever they threw at me. I probably would have actually enjoyed the film, which has a pleasant plot that was interesting, if hadn't been for the blatant stupidity the characters show especially the lead female.

All the way through, up until the halfway mark where it is too late to turn back, Cindy Sampson's character was excruciatingly painful to watch. I've never seen a character, unintentionally, be so ignorant when it came to decisions. Literally, without her none of this would of happened and everyone could have been at home with no worries. Now, I know some viewers say well obviously dumb decisions are going to have to be made otherwise there would be no movie and I'm okay with that, what I'm not okay with is how obvious they made it. At least give me a plausible reason as to why you should venture into the woods to look for a boy who you know is dead. I got to the point where I couldn't feel pity for the characters, even the man although he tries to be rationale, he still submits to stupidity.

On top of of that Sampson's acting ability was pretty terrible. It could be because of the script, but her range of emotion and believability was horrendous. Throughout the movie it looked like she had maybe two facial expressions. I'll give credit to Meghan Heffern who performed decently well, given her characters depth and Aaron Ashmore, who I mistook as his twin brother, who did pretty good as well.

I won't critique the cinematography or makeup or anything of that nature because it was a low budget film so you can't expect much. Though given what they had I'd say they did pretty good with character designs, buildings, scenery and such. I especially liked the statue.

The last ten minutes or so of the film is probably the best, where everything comes to a climax and you sort of learn what is going on, though not entirely since almost all of the dialogue for the villagers is in polish with no subtitles. (At least not in the version I watched.) I did enjoy the plot and given more time, better budget, more characters and a better lead as well as more depth to the script and I think you have the potential for a very good horror movie. I do warn that you should not expect to have all of your questions answered by the ending, but it is satisfactory and you can sort of fit the pieces together for yourself.

I would recommend this movie to only a select amount of people. People who enjoy reviewing any and everything no matter how bad it might of been rated. Those who consider themselves movie connoisseurs and want to watch every film ever made. Or those who wouldn't mind watching a movie where everything may not seem to be as it appears. Other then that I wouldn't watch it if your looking for a good film. I wouldn't even recommend it if you were bored and just wanted to watch something. Unfortunately the decent plot can't save this movie. 3/10

Detention (2011)

Could see this as a weekly show

[7/10 · 10 December 2012]

You know to be honest with you this movie wasn't half bad. No, its not going to win any Oscars or become a box office hit, but its definitely something I wouldn't mind in my DVD collection. This movie is by all accounts strange and all over the place but you can't help but like it. You smile at the awkwardness and at points it does make you stop and recall your own fond, or embarrassing, moments in high school and almost miss them.

I like the slasher aspect of it though it does play a back burner to the film. Which is odd because there is no real plot in my mind its just a bunch of random silly funny scenes thrown together that somehow work. The cast was spot on Shanley Caswell does an excellent job at playing the social outcast that you can't help but love and laugh at, at the same time. Josh Hutcherson, who is one of the reasons I watched the movie, plays a laid back skater just looking to enjoy life while it lasts, a kind of live in the moment guy (who still has messages of wisdom), and does it to perfection. Spencer Locke was also very entertaining to watch, playing not only the popular girl of the school but.....well watch the movie and you'll see.

I love the fast pace that the film has,I have seen a couple reviewers mention that and I agree, the film never takes a break or slows down and you love every minute of it. The movie is rated R but to be honest aside from a TON of cussing you won't see anything that wouldn't be in a pg-13. I mean yes there's blood but it screams fake. You won't believe it for a second though still entertaining. Other then that I think there is maybe one disturbing scene and it takes place in a movie theater on a movie being watched. As for nudity you get a five second boob shot. Other then that you'll see implied scenarios with people making the motions and such but their covered from the bottom down and the women have tops. To me, its a lot of what they say and imply that take this movie beyond a pg-13.

I was also surprised to see DummbfoundDead, who I watch on YouTube on a pretty regular basis. Its always cool to see YouTube sensations on screen.

As far as letdowns go I'd say at times it does become a bit complicated with the plot and you end up going "huh?". If you stick through it though, and maybe rewind here and there you'll get the gist of it but I swear if you leave for a moment and come back you'll be lost; and probably miss some hilarious scenes. The motive behind the killings also seemed rather dumb, there is not a lot of killing by any means, they added in this weird side story about a boy with fly genes or something that did nothing for the movie and I'm not exactly sure I understood the resolution as to how some people lived and others didn't but that's just something I'll have to go back and figure out.

All in all this movie is funny, silly, embarrassing and yet unforgettable. Underneath its comedy were some interesting morals and beliefs, that I enjoyed seeing. I could honestly see this being a Saturday morning show. (not on a kids channel of course) It could follow the friends as they go through weird high school adventures such as this one all the while trying to figure out their place in the world (like a comedic Degrassi). Course of it was a show I would want to see the entire original cast back as I really loved their characters and how they were portrayed. This movie is for anyone who is just ready to enjoy a film with a smile on their face from beginning to end. Its for those who look back on high school with dread and happiness. Watch it by yourself or watch it with friends either way your sure to enjoy the ride. 7/10.

Righteous Kill (2008)

Pacino and Dinero

[5/10 · 7 December 2012]

On the two sites I have looked at that give a synopsis on the film I find that neither seems to be accurate on what the film is about. I find it interesting that neither summary included the fact that the whole story is told in the view point of Dinero as if he killed all of the criminals. That is pretty much the basis of the film everyone believes Dinero's character is a serial killer who targets criminals that escape justice. Instead they say things like "two veteran detectives look for a serial killer who has links to a past case they closed?" (No)

I gave this film a 5 for two reasons and two reasons only. Al Pacino and Robert Dinero. Two of the most influential actors in the world who will go down as two of the greats are together in a film and share a lot of screen time.

Unfortunately once you get past the fact that the two actors are on screen together, the movie takes over and it all goes downhill from there.

From the very beginning the movie blatantly pins the murders on Dinero and its narrated by Dinero describing what he did and why he did it. It becomes so obvious that Dinero is not the killer that you almost pray he is so that you can avoid the inevitable cliché twist, of the partner being the actual psychopath. There are many clues scattered throughout the film that suggest Dinero's innocence, like whenever a killing occurs they never show the culprit just someone shooting or they throw in subtle things that tie Dinero's character to the crimes TOO nicely like a priest he used to know as a child that just so happens to be a molester. Or when someone is about to I.D. the killer they transition away.

There are also these weird semi-violent sex scenes shown throughout the movie between Dinero and Carla Gugino that are just... imagine someone who looks like there in their mid 60s screwing someone who looks to be in their late 20s to early 30s. Its not pleasant and I think the director must of had an inkling of the same thing because he never shows Dinero during the sex just her or scenes after the sex. Or the scene were there nearing a kiss and the scene changes quickly. It's just not the right look. No offense to Dinero, I'm sure plenty of young women would love a chance to spend a night with him.

My last fault is with the connection between Pacino and Dinero. I feel they had a great chemistry and really complimented each other especially with those unique voices they carry. At the same time though I felt Pacino's character was more caring towards Dinero then vice versa. Now this might be intentional but nonetheless I feel that lack of caring hurt the films climax. During the ending scene you feel as if you should cry but watching Dinero show little emotion towards Pacino's final moments kind of nulls the effect and you end up just saying, okay he's dead what next. That scene should have been so much more powerful, you just killed your best friend a man who was willing to put his life and career on the line for you and all you do is nod your head and kind of grimace.

So in closing, negatives, obvious story line, unnecessary sexual connections and a lack of character emotion. Positives Robert Dinero and Al Pacino on screen together for a good 90 minutes. Watching Dinero blow off anger on multiple occasions. Pacino delivering his usual stunning performance. Watching a very attractive Gugino (just realized she was the mom in Spy Kids, knew I had seen her somewhere before) in semi nude scenes.

Bottom line is if you put Dinero and Pacino in a movie together you automatically get five stars, no questions asked. There simply that great. Take them away and you've got a waste of film. So I'd recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of these actors and wants to watch them play perfectly off of each other. 5/10

Horsemen (2009)

Wasn't Impressed

[4/10 · 7 December 2012]

I actually found the Horsemen as a recommendation from watching "The Caller". It basically followed a distant father/ detective who heads up a serial investigation into murders that revolve around the four horsemen.Okay so I'll be honest I wanted to see this movie for two reasons, one it had a serial killer and two I like Dennis Quaid's work.That being said I'm not sure what Dennis read that made him want to do this particular film. Sure if you read the synopsis it seems like a great concept that could have some neat things done but I'm sure once he he read the script he had to realize this is well crap. They build this whole serial killing thing up to a point where your expecting something elaborate or grand that has meaning behind it. I'll put you out of your misery and tell you there is none. I'm not even sure why they chose the four horsemen as representation because there was really no connection. The acting was par nothing spectacular and the kills were pretty disturbing at first, but lose momentum quickly. There was also a twist they tried to throw in there that failed miserably. I maybe got a good 30 minutes into the movie and realized quickly where they were going with it and who they were going to say was the "white horsemen." The ending was...lacking I didn't feel connected to the characters or emotional for what was happening. Don't get me wrong I feel sorry about the situation but the emotional connection just wasn't there for me. Though of no fault of Dennis and Pucci who do their best. It also ended with something of question mark, I wasn't exactly sure of what happened to the guilty party. The only Ace in this movie to me was Ziyi Zhang who was pretty exceptional in her role as a troubled "youth", at least i THINK she was a youth. All in all if you feel like sitting back on a couch with your lover and just watching random movies for no reason other then something to do then go for it. 4/10.

The Caller (2011)

Loved It From Beginning to End

[10/10 · 6 December 2012]

I won't tell you the plot of the movie or even give you a synopsis, that's what Wikipedia is for. What I will do is give you an honest opinion on this film from a guy who is very critical when it comes to suspense or horror. Let me first start out by saying this is the first movie on IMDb that I have ever given a solid 10 to. I haven't reviewed a lot of movies on here so that might not be saying anything to you but trust me when I say this movie deserves an A+. Now I don't want you to think this is a movie with amazing visuals or that the story is the most amazing thing you'll ever see, that is not why I gave it a 10. I gave it a 10 because it meets all the criteria s of a thriller. It has a solid script and cast, creates a tension strewn environment and leaves you anxiously anticipating what's going to happen next. Not to mention it really has no glaring flaws, in my mind. I literally sat there looking at the rating stars wondering what to give it and realized I could find no actual faults. The movie is suspenseful, you'll find yourself biting your nails waiting for whats going to happen next, it has ominous music and scenery that will leave you feeling a little unnerved waiting for the next jump scare (that may or may not come), there is a strong tension established early on that continues to build up until you hope for a lighthearted scene to allow you to ease up. The main character and the few supporting cast really carry the movie delivering excellent portrayals especially the female lead who nailed the performance dead on. I'll admit once I realized what was going on I didn't see how she could escape her situation and Lefevre was so engaging that I felt scared for her. As for the storyline I'm sure it has been done before though I can't remember watching a recent film that has, it honestly felt like watching something entirely original. Besides lets face it there are so many movies in the world that every idea has probably been done at least once its how you take those ideas, spin them, and add something new to it, which I feel the film does. My only real complaint is that they didn't do the original ending which I thought would of been a fitting end to a solid film, don't get me wrong this ending is still good and leaves you wondering a little bit about the mental stability of our protagonist and what her future holds, but that original ending would of just sealed the deal. All in all I'd recommend this to anyone who has an open mind, doesn't mind paying attention to detail (if you miss certain scenes you will be completely lost), and who loves an engaging storyline with well cast characters. 10/10 from me. *P.S. I will say there are some flashbacks and supernatural elements that make no sense whatsoever in the context of the film and they really just add to the tension. There never explained and looking back on them makes me want to lower the rating to a 9 or 8 because of it. I also agree with a fellow reviewer who mentioned reactions to movies are sometimes changed due to over hyping so the fact that I knew little about this film allowed me an open mind that loved what it saw as opposed to a heavily advertised film like Paranormal Activity which in my mind is horrible.

The Collection (II) (2012)

The Ending Propelled It Further

[6/10 · 2 December 2012]

This past Friday I sat down in a relatively full theater to watch an anxiously anticipated sequel to The Collector. I wanted everything that had made the first movie great to be brought to this film and expanded upon to make it even better. Which meant I wanted to see more traps, brutal scenes, an unflinching antagonist and a protagonist who was not necessarily good but not bad either. The Collection managed to do all of these things but unfortunately added in some elements that, I feel, hurt the film. One of my favorite things about this movie and that I wished they did a little bit more of in other horror movies was bringing the protagonist back from the first film and giving him a significant part in the following film. I hear people reference Hostel a lot when it comes to this, how they would of liked the guy to have been more significant in the second film rather then dying within the first five minutes. In The Collection they not only brought Arkin back but made him once again the "hero" of sorts. I also like how once again he is not trying to be a knight in shining armor, sure he helped where he could but when it came to actually wanting to venture in and save the damsel in distress he wanted no part of it. To me this adds a bit of realism to him. I mean who in their right mind wants to venture into the twisted lair of a madman who performs sick tortures on others for pure pleasure. Moving on through to the star of the film, the traps. Okay so here I'll admit I was a little underwhelmed. I mean in the first film everything in that house was booby trapped you probably couldn't use the bathroom without having an arrow shot up your prostate. Don't get me wrong there are traps featured in the film and some manage to do some serious damage, my favorite being the descending cage that crushes everyone inside it, while the collector rides on top of it casually looking forward. Once they reach the actual lair though, the traps are simply part of the environment they do no damage other than providing a jump scare to the character who narrowly misses it. Still though, the lair is pretty well stocked of traps that if triggered could really mangle someone so I'll give the traps a B+ because you do see them. Onto the last bits of redeeming qualities. One, the antagonist. CHECK! The collector was a perfect killer. This guy just does not care. He betrays no emotion, doesn't hesitate to inflict massive pain on his victims, tactical, and has something unnerving about the way he stares at you. Not to mention, and I didn't see this coming, this guy can fight his *** off. This is not someone you want to go head to head with in a street brawl he will leave you gasping for air in a crumpled heap. Which made the action scenes sweet to watch as he easily disposed of, "supposed" mercenaries. Elena is also a breath of fresh air as she is not your typical damsel in distress, she is resourceful, quick-thinking, and will throw down when necessary. I liked watching her character for the most part and didn't feel she slowed the movie down at all. My last good comment is towards the end scenes, which in my mind saved the movie from being somewhat of a disaster. One of my favorite things to see in a movie is a final fight between the abuser and the abused to see a little revenge initiated. Arkin vs The Collector. I won't say much about the scene because the fight was sort of lopsided but still it was good to see the collector finally experience some pain of his own. This was then followed by the cliffhanger that everyone was hearing about, which definitely left me satisfied. He doesn't escape..."justice" let's say. Now for the bad. Very few brutal scenes most of the deaths are quick and easy that you don't really focus too much on. Like a hook through the jaw or being stabbed to death. The mercenaries, except for the leader where simply fodder. They didn't seem like hardened killers more like a bunch of adults who played Call of Duty and thought it be fun to tote a gun around. They added in this character, can't remember her name, but she mentions being the collectors "favorite" I felt she could of been a nice back story to add to the film maybe she could explain a little more of what this guy is after and why he lets her live, but no. She just goes on with "he likes me" and then becomes a psycho with no real explanation of who she was or anything like that. At one point the collector sees shes dead and looks seriously mad like someone just killed his sister. Honestly I thought that's what she was. There was also an add on of almost zombie like creatures that are basically people doped up on a ton of drugs. Eh...I just didn't feel they fit in with the film. When I think of the collector I think of a smart, lone killer who employs torture and division not zombies, figuratively. LASTLY, they expanded on this killer to a point of becoming almost unrealistic or to where it felt like I was watching an entirely different movie rather than a sequel. Those who watch the film, I think will see what I mean. Still, the entire movie was entertaining, fell a little short of expectations, but still enjoyable. 6 out of 10 for me.

Into the White (I) (2012)

A Good Movie Pure and Simple

[7/10 · 28 November 2012]

I had started the night out planning to watch some iconic war movies that I hadn't seen before, such as Saving Private Ryan or Braveheart (had seen it but its been so long I might as well not have). It was while looking at recommendations for one of these movies that I came across "Into The White." I don't know if it was poor marketing, low budget, or if it simply had no popularity but I had never heard of this movie and was even more astounded when I saw that Rupert Grint starred in it, considering I'm a huge fan of the Harry Potter series and enjoy watching the actors movies.

When I read Grint had a part in it I found my interest piqued and began reading up on the plot line, which instantly sold me. I always love a movie about a group of strangers banding together to survive brutal elements. Add in that the strangers are WWII pilots on opposite sides of the war all stuck together in a small shack and I was immediately hooked. I quickly found the movie and settled down to enjoy the hour and something odd movie. I'll admit it started off slow and I almost turned it off when I found the characters to only speak German for a good 10 minutes or so, with no subtitles, but thanks to some other reviewers I learned that the film would eventually break into English.

I'm extremely happy I persevered to watch this amazing film. Granted it wasn't the greatest thing I've seen in the world nor is it as tense and emotional as you would expect from reading the plot but its still a very solid movie. The environment is truly beautiful and terrifying at the same time. At times you could feel the harsh reality that surrounded the characters and it made me quiver at the thought of it. The cast did an exceptional job bringing their characters life, even Rupert who I thought I could never see outside the role of Ronald Weasely did a fantastic job portraying a somewhat loud mouthed but loyal gunner(a token to his acting ability). As the film moved along I felt myself loving and pushing for the characters more and more and felt elated when they were happy or tense when they were tense basically I was drawn in so well I ended up reflecting their emotions.

I have to say the best performance by far, in my opinion, was by Florian Lukas who played Horst Schopis or basically the German leader in the shack. I felt his character was the center of the group throughout most of the film providing a calm and reasonable head when tense situations arose. Of course his character might of been too nice and kind to be realistic or maybe he was just smart enough to know that their was a time and place for arguing and a time for working together. I also felt the British acted a little too recklessly, arrogant and all together unintelligent at certain points that would make others keep their mouths shut ( those who watch the movie we'll see what I mean). Other then that though I have no complaints whatsoever about this film. The script was good by any standards, the scenery and directing was pretty top notch and the cast was brilliant you could easily feel the sense of bonding they began to share as characters and, I imagine, in the real world.

All in all I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who doesn't mind sitting down and enjoying a good movie, pure and simple. Not a bunch of action, nothing too emotional or high strung just a feel good movie that promotes friendship, togetherness and coming to respect and care for others. I'd rate "Into the White" a solid 7 out of 10.

Sinister (I) (2012)

Wasn't Bad at All

[7/10 · 28 October 2012]

Saw this movie when it first came out and I'll be the first to admit it was not a bad horror movie by a long shot. There is an excellent tension established early through the movie that lasts throughout. The story line is decent and Ethan Hawke does a super job bringing his character to life. As for the rest of the cast its pretty much a hit and miss even the children I find hard to believe are real at times, but then again their young and learning and they managed to keep the film going. The only true downside I'd say is that if you've seen the trailer you've pretty much seen all the jump scares the movie has to offer. I mean a scene would start and I would go, oh this is when so and so happens... so your never really surprised though it doesn't lessen the fear. My theater was pretty much halfway full of boyfriends and girlfriends and the girls screamed pretty much every time a jump scare happened. The guys on the other hand seemed to find the movie funny rather than scary, I don't know if it was a macho thing or what, but I personally didn't see anything funny especially towards the end. By far the SCARIEST thing about this movie to me was Bagul. I give total props to the design team and everyone who made that deity come to life because from the first time I saw him I was terrified of him. That mask or face or whatever is truly chilling and throughout the movie you hope you don't see him. The movie is far from Insidious scary and won't cause you to lose sleep, at least it shouldn't, but its definitely a good movie to get a few chills in or to bring a lover to and cuddle up with. I would definitely suggest seeing this movie in theaters as I think watching it at home will make it lose its luster I definitely don't think it will be as scary unless you have some serious sound systems going and a decent sized screen. Well worth the money and I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10.

Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

I Really Wish I could Say This was Good...

[3/10 · 26 October 2012]

Would only recommend this movie to die hard silent hill fans who just wanted to see a sequel, whether good or bad. I personally thought the first one was horrible and I'm a huge Silent Hill fan and would love for the series to do well. I was hoping this second movie rocked me off my feet and destroyed the bitter taste I had from the first film. I was sorely disappointed. I just got back from the film and I must say other than watching pyramid head on the big screen and admiring some of the work they did on the creatures, this film is complete trash. The acting is poor, I think because of the script itself, none of the characters were halfway believable other than Sean Bean who does, okay I guess. The characters are seriously underdeveloped, if you don't know anything about Silent Hill you will be completely lost. They forced a love story in that was not only rushed but useless as well. The plot, oh my god, I don't know who wrote the script but they never need to work on a silent hill project again. The movie feels rushed so its like you felt like you just set down and already its ending. The 3D did work well with the ash other then that it was also useless and did nothing to enhance the film. There is not many disturbing sequences, that you would expect from a SH film, I mean don't get me wrong there are a few but for the most part there's not much gore or overly violent scenes. I will say that if you follow SH lore you'll love the Easter eggs they put in the movie especially towards the end I saw them and found myself smiling because I didn't think everyone in the audience got the significance of the later scenes.One of the coolest things they did was the sort of boss battle they had towards the end with two key characters that I personally thought was pretty awesome. Anyway its late and I feel like I'm rambling the point is this movie falls well under par and it hurts me to say that. There are few redeeming qualities and I honestly don't see how it currently has a 7 out of 10 on IMDb, but to each his own. I really do recommend skipping the theater version and just waiting for a DVD release, or hell just rent it when its available.