MOVIE REVIEWS: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2

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PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2



Spooky hauntings are once again the main course in this Paramount Pictures follow-up to Oren Peli's wildly successful supernatural thriller, Paranormal Activity. Kip Williams directs from a script by Michael Perry. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Tod "Kip" Williams

Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Sprague Grayden, Brian Boland, Molly Ephraim

Release Date: Oct 22, 2010

Rated: R for some language and brief violent material

Runtime: 1 hr. 31 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Paranormal Activity 2 avoids the Blair Witch sequel issue by sticking with what worked so well in the first film. Tod Williams formats his film very much like the bare bones original and opens it up more with more camera angles and is more overt about the demonic goings on. William’s smartly continues to build tension throughout and set ups up the audience for big scares. The script is well crafted and bookends the original offering insight to open story threads from the original along with some fairly shocking reveals. This prequel’s cast is a strong throughout creating an organic naturalistic feel. With a few exceptions they all feel authentic and are believable. The films faults are obvious but not unexpected. The plot is mostly the same as the original and while the scares are bigger they don’t provide the same surprise as the first. The third act is stronger and what seems like the finale is a white knuckle experience that might remind some viewer of REC. All and all if you enjoyed the first and it’s type of none splatter horror then you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.

B+

MOVIE REVIEWS: RED

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RED



A group of former government assassins fights back against the CIA after they're targeted for knowing too much in this adaptation of Warren Ellis' acclaimed DC Comics graphic novels. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) used to be a hired gun for the CIA. Along with Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren), Frank's specialty was carrying out contracts that the government didn't want the public to know about. These days, Frank and his old gang are all retired, but the powers that be are still concerned that they know too much, and dispatch a team of top assassins to ensure their silence. Now, Frank and his former team members realize that their only hope for survival is to break into CIA headquarters and expose the truth. But once they're in, the group uncovers evidence of a massive cover-up that promises to rock the very foundation of our government. Karl Urban, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ernest Borgnine co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Robert Schwentke

Cast: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker.

Release Date: Oct 15, 2010

Rated: Intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language

Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

An uneven but mostly enjoyable romp, RED delivers enough fun to overlook some of the more obvious flaws. Robert Schwentke directs with an uneven hand, he’s unable to find a nice rhythm for the proceedings. Schwentke inability to find this results in various dead spot throughout, making what should be a very fun action comedy lose steam a bit too often. When the he hits the right notes it’s enjoyable if unoriginal, most of the credit here goes to the stellar cast which makes the entire thing watchable. Bruce Willis headlines playing a smirking knockoff of every character he’s ever played. Willis is having good fun and he and his costars have great chemistry throughout. Mary-Louise Parker is along for the ride and mainly just acts kooky and smiles a lot. Morgan Freeman and John Malkovick are both playing along with Willis and doing what they’ve done before with Malkovick’s nutty level set to 11. Helen Mirren is an incredible sight to behold once she shows up in the latter portion of film embracing her action role with great gusto. The always reliable Brian Cox and terribly watchable Karl Urban make the most of supporting roles. The story is an illogical mess that doesn’t make much sense or provide any three dimensional characters. Still as fluff it’s decent and it’s stars elevate it above the material.

C+

Teaser Trailer for The Thing Prequel Bootleg

Its terrible quality (from New York Comic Con) but you get some idea of what's going on there, I'm still very iffy about this movie since the original movie is one of my favorite horror movies of all time.

Watch while you can.....

MOVIE REVIEWS: LET ME IN

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LET ME IN



John Ajvide Lindqvist's celebrated vampire novel makes the leap to the big screen once again with the second feature adaptation in so many years (Tomas Alfredson's critically acclaimed 2008 hit Let the Right One In, being the first). The sensitive target of vicious bullying at school, 12-year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a social misfit from a broken home. By day Owen dreams about laying waste to his classroom tormentors; by night his attentions turn to his reclusive neighbors in their austere apartment complex. One evening, as Owen takes out his pent-up aggressions on a tree, his new neighbor Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz) appears over his shoulder. A young girl wise beyond her years, Abby just moved in next door to Owen with her stoic caretaker (Richard Jenkins), who seems to harbor a sinister secret. Compelled by Abby's apparent imperviousness to the harsh winter elements, her frail disposition, and the fact that she's nowhere to be found before the sun falls, Owen senses a kindred soul, and strikes up a friendship with the girl, despite her repeated attempts to maintain an emotional distance. Simultaneously, their community grows vigilant following a series of vicious murders, and Abby's caretaker vanishes without a trace. Later, as Abby begins to grow vulnerable, her bond with Owen strengthens. By the time Owen begins to suspect that his evasive new friend is something other than human, it starts to seem as if Abby could use a good friend after all. Given that his bullies are growing more emboldened by the day, so too, could Owen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Matt Reeves

Cast: Chloe Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas, Cara Buono.

Release Date: Oct 01, 2010

Rated: Strong bloody horror violence, language and a brief sexual situation

Runtime: 1 hr. 55 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Remaking an excellent foreign film that came out just a few years ago seems like a recipe for disaster. Let the Right One In is an artistic masterpiece, the type that would make Stanley Kubrick proud. Its direction and acting were all perfectly done, it was chilling beautiful and timeless. Matt Reeves is given the unenviable task of remaking this and he somehow manages to make his version equally beautiful but with more clearly defined themes. Reeves follows the original film very closely changing a few things here and there, changing the setting to New Mexico in the 80’s seem kind of pointless, but mostly stays true to the heart of the story. Reeves uses more CGI than the original and excises the neighbors subplot only to replace them with a detective. His cast is just as impressive as their Swedish counterparts. Chloe Moretz continues to shine here in a measure performance adding a bit more ferocity to the character. Kodi Smith McPhee is perfectly suited for the role and is appropriately awkward, frail and naive. Richard Jenkins has limited screen time but does make the caretaker role more sympathetic and Abby’s relationship with Owen more sinister. It’s a common theme in this version of this story, Reeves avoids ambiguity in general and spells out things that were left for interpretation in the Swedish film. It’s a matter of taste as to whether that a good thing or not. Still, Reeves does succeed in making a wonderful tome whose greatest achievement might be making new fans discover the Swedish film and original book.

B

MOVIE REVIEWS: I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE

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I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE



The survivor of a vicious gang rape turns the tables on her attackers in this remake of director Meir Zarchi's notorious 1978 horror classic. In order to seek inspiration for her next book, urbanite author Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) retreats to a secluded cabin in the woods. Little does Jennifer realize that she's just caught the attention of some particularly depraved locals, and her peaceful retreat is about to become a living hell. At first the sadistic intruders attempt to frighten Jennifer by breaking into her cabin, but then the attack gets out of hand. Desperate to escape after being badly brutalized, Jennifer throws herself into the river and allows her body to be carried away by the rapids. When her attackers fail to locate her corpse, they assume she is dead and return to their normal lives. But Jennifer isn't dead, and she doesn't forgive. Her attackers will pay for what they did, and nothing they say or do can prevent her from savaging them in the worst way imaginable before she sends them to hell screaming. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Steven R. Monroe

Cast: Sarah Butler, Daniel Franzese, Jeff Branson, Chad Lindberg, Andrew Howard, Rodney Eastman

Release Date: Oct 08, 2010

Rated R for pervasive strong sadistic brutal violence, rape and torture, nudity and language

Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

The original I Spit on Your Grave is the type of movie that generally reviled by the most and while I can’t say I ever enjoyed it, I did get its significance in exploitation movie history. When word came down that it was being remade, the next left me kind of perplexed mainly because it’s not anything people had been clamoring for and because the original is such a product of it’s time. At this point in time most of the exploitative aspects of the film that made it shocking aren’t as shocking nowadays. The remake doesn’t shy away from the more repugnant aspect of the film, it’s is a rape revenge film after all but it doesn’t push the boundaries either. Hence when the film is over, you’re left wondering if the whole enterprise was a misguided attempt to capture something that can’t be captured anymore, the limits of excess have been routinely pushed over the last 30 years. As a film, the remake is an admirable attempt at beefing up a film which was never a perfect creation. Monroe succeeds in making the film more dense and a more rounded out experience. The cast is fairly consistent throughout with Butler doing most of the heavy lifting. Butler has an impressive ability to display strength and determination especially after the assault. The cast of redneck miscreants are solid if fairly clichéd, Andrew Howard has the most interesting role one which wasn’t in the original. The film though has a lot of flaws and the most glaring being serious gaps in logic and a nonsensical timeline. It’s a solid attempt to improve on the original but not by such a large degree that it validates its existence or necessity.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

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THE SOCIAL NETWORK



The remarkable story behind Facebook comes to the big screen with this Columbia Pictures production scripted by The West Wing's Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac). The year was 2003. Computer programming wizard Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) was a Harvard undergrad when he laid the foundation for a social networking website that would revolutionize the way we communicate. Six years later the ambitious entrepreneur made his first million -- but that was just the beginning. Despite all of Zuckerberg's wealth and success, his personal life began to suffer as he became marred in legal disputes, and discovered that many of the 500 million people he had friended during his rise to the top were eager to see him fall. Justin Timberlake co-stars as Napster co-creator Sean Parker, with Andrew Garfield filling the role of ousted Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. The Social Network is based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: David Fincher

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones.

Release Date: Oct 01, 2010

Rated: Language, drug and alcohol use and sexual content

Runtime: 2 hr. 1 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

My favorite filmmakers can make me watch films about subjects I’d never give another thought about. Most recently Paul Thomas Anderson had me thoroughly intrigued with turn of the century oil prospectors and now David Fincher has me terribly interested in the creation and founding of Facebook. I’ll be honest, when I heard that a movie about Facebook was in the works, I was terribly skeptical but when Fincher was tapped to direct and with Aaron Sorkin doing the script my interest was piqued. Within the first 10 minutes of the film, any concerns I may have had about the film were laid to rest with a rapid fire character establishing segment that covers more ground than some characters. Sorkin’s script sizzles throughout and Fincher’s direction is incredibly impressive, throw in a subtle but engaging musical score provided by Trent Reznor. Jesse Eisenberg is top notch in the lead role adding multiple layers to his character outside of his general nervous guy routine. Eisenberg makes Zuckerberg come across as terribly detached and cold but insanely intelligent and quick witted. Andrew Garfield is equally impressive as the overly compassionate and naïve Eduardo Saverin, he should probably receive a supporting Oscar nod for his work here, serving as a wonderful ying to Zuckerberg’s yang. Armie Hammer does double duty as the Winklevoss twin which is done with such technical precision that you’d never know it was 1 guy playing both roles. Justin Timberlake boarders on cartoonish as Napster founder Sean Parker showing up for a portion of the third act but disappears before the finale. Rooney Mara is the closest thing to a female character in the film and she has a total of 2 scenes. It’s a minor issue and doesn’t detract from Fincher’s work as he captures an energy and moment, even if the truth is somewhat fictionalized, of an era.

A