Scary Good Movies

I just got back from The Crazies (review forthcoming) and I am in the mood for horror! So, I thought I'd post some of my favorite movies from that genre. Let me know if you agree, disagree, or have movies to add!

Paranormal
28 Days Later*
Alien (series)*
Quarantine*
Scream
I Know What You Did Last Summer
30 Days of Night*
American Psycho
Blade
The Amityville Horror
House on Haunted Hill*
The Ring
Ghost Ship
Resident Evil*
Dawn of the Dead
The Descent*
Black Christmas
Haunting in Connecticut
The Mist
Drag Me To Hell
Cloverfield
The Hills Have Eyes
Shaun of the Dead*
The Ruins*
*personal faves

Shutter Island

Title: Shutter Island
Director: Martin Scorsese
Actors: Leondardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams

This movie had a lot of hype surrounding it, at least in my neck of the woods. Lots of people were anticipating its release, reading the book, talking about the director and the actors. Then the release was delayed. I didn't really notice or care because, honestly, it didn't appeal to me. I'm not a Scorsese fan and, while DiCaprio is definitely on my legendary actors list, I haven't really liked anything he's been in for nearly a decade. I thought that the movie had come and gone through theater's without my noticing, that's how non-interested I was in it.

So, last Friday I went to the movies, desperate to get out. I didn't really know what I was going to see. I thought about going to Wolfman, despite my gut reaction that it was going to blow majorly. I asked the guy at the box office and he said to not bother because it was worse than Legion. And that's saying something. Legion had to be the worst movie I've seen in a *very* long time. Awful stuff. So, I said, "What the hell! I'll go see Shutter Island. Can't be worse than either of those two bombs."

It was better than Legion by a long shot. Of course, watching my dog trying to find a place to poo is cinematically more interesting than Legion.

But, Shutter Island had plenty of faults. It felt long to me. I know I made plenty of impatient sighs while waiting for *something* to happen. Kinda felt like running in circles. DiCaprio and Ruffalo asked questions and got the run around from the staff, making me wonder why they would even call for help if they weren't going to cooperate. I couldn't figure out the point. To make matters worse, DiCaprio kept having nightmares and hallucinations making me think he wasn't cut out for his job. I honestly didn't really feel anything for his character until the very end.

The ending is where all the good stuff was. The ending had the stellar acting, the best storytelling, and, to me, was the most beautifully filmed. Scorsese had lots of artistic shots in the film, but they didn't add anything to the story. They felt off and, dare I say, gratuitous. Artsy for artsy's sake? Pretty much. But the end... Simple and beautiful. I wish the whole movie had had that feel to it. Actually, to tell the truth, the last 20 minutes or so of the film were enough to tell the whole story. So, felt kind of wasted.

I didn't love the whole movie, but I definitely loved the ending. I'd almost say that the ending was worth the wait. Almost. Don't think I'd wade through the whole thing again, but when it comes out on DVD I might rent it and just watch the last 20 minutes or so.

All in all: I can't really recommend it, but I also can't dismiss it. Its totally up to you and whether or not you're a fan of the director, actors, or book. Just know if go to see it, you might get a little bored waiting for the goods.

Obsessed

Title: Obsessed
Director: Steve Shill
Actors: Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter

This is a good movie. Not because of anything extraordinary, like action sequences or drama. It's a good movie because it's accessible. It could happen to you. Ever experience an overzealous co-worker, or acquaintance? Yeah, kinda like that.

This is a classic three act play.

Act 1: We meet the principal players. We get to know them and like them, or dislike them as the case may be. Everything is idillic. Happy family, good friends, great job, nice home. Then we meet the game changer. Lisa, played by Ali Larter, starts off as a love sick temp. She gets intense real quick. And poor Derek, the object of her affection, played by Idris Elba. He doesn't stand a chance. He's embarrassed, outraged and more than a little worried. I mean, the girl could claim he harassed her and, let's face it, the system is set up to protect women. He's afraid if he complains, it will backfire and he'll lose everything. So he keeps fairly quiet.

Act 2: The obsession becomes public. Or, as Lisa would like to say, "The affair becomes public." She drops in unexpectedly, making another play for Derek. He's shocked, angry, and definitely scared (but in a manly way). At one point she claims to be his wife and he somewhat violently rebuffs her. He later finds her in his bed, overdosed on a prescription in an attempt to commit suicide. The police become involved. And so does his wife, Sharon, played by Beyonce. This act culminates in a frustrating scene in the home, after an interview with the police. Sharon is *so* not happy.

Act 3: Things are getting back to normal. Lisa was taken away by her sister, now all that's left is for the family to come back together. They're working on it, and it's going well. What spurs on the mending is a common enemy, Lisa. She returns and scares the shit out of everyone. Seriously, who knows what a crazy, delusional person will do.

This is pretty much everyone's worst nightmare. A crazy, delusional person, who believes, with all their heart that something is true. Don't try to reason with someone like that cause it just won't work.

The suspense was well done, although I think it was mostly created by the creepy, suspenseful music. I mean, they took seriously mundane things and tried to make it a suspense moment. For example, Derek gets into the office, he pulls out his chair, sits down and clicks his mouse. I honestly don't even remember what his facial expressions were like because I was listening to the creepy music thinking, "Hmm, I guess they had some extra 'suspense music' to use up." Minor thing.

The action in the final scene was well done. The fight choreography was exceptional. It felt real, like an actual fight. No fancy moves, no super human strength or resilliance. If there was a hit, there was blood and bruising and stumbling and loss of breath. When they fell down the stairs it took them a moment to get themselves back together before they started back up again. Like they were human and they'd been hurt. Believable is what I'm trying to say I guess.

Ali Larter did a superb job as the mental girl Lisa. She's scary and pitiful and hateful all at the same time. Plus, she has awesome hair!

Beyonce also did an excellent job, which was somewhat surprising. I know she got tons of accolades for her performance in Dreamgirls, but to be honest, I didn't think it was *that* good. She did ok, in my estimation. Her performance here, as Sharon, was better by far. Maybe she's taken some acting classes, maybe it was the direction. Who knows. But she totally stole the show in the final act. Totally believable. And she had some great lines to work with, too. "Imma wipe the floor with your skinny white butt!" I laughed and cheered mentally.

I have to say that while the whole situation was totally believable, I was frustrated as a viewer. Which, I guess, says something good about the director and the movie in general. I cared enough to get frustrated, but not so much so that I gave up. I was frustrated because of the lack of communication. That always seems to be the critical thing in plots. A simple lack of communication keeps the plot going in some movies, which I feel makes them totally pointless. In this movie it did play a somewhat important part. It added drama and tension between Derek and Sharon. Could it have worked without it? Yes. But it would have been a much shorter film.

All in all: very good movie! Highly recommended. Suspense was great, acting was great, action was great. Plus you learn a valuable lesson: COMMUNICATE!!!

Until next time!

Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief

Title: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Director: Chris Columbus
Primary Actors: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario
Supporting Actors: Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Rosario Dawson, Uma Thurman

Well, let's start off by saying that Percy Jackson is a kids movie. The acting was geared towards kids, which means that at times it was a little overdone. Kind of annoying. But, I remind myself that it's a kid's movie and I move on.

As my parents pointed out, the attention to detail was amazing. The sets, costumes, and CG were excellent. Every costume fit the character perfectly. Persephone, played by Rosario Dawson, was done up in Gothic rockstar-wife style. A cute little bustier top with a short bustle skirt and train, chipped nail-polish, elegant messy bed-head hair. Medusa, played by Uma Thurman, was in black leather. A trench with a high collar and lacing up the back, serious nails and a nasty case of bad-hair-day.

I must admit that Uma's part irked me the most. This is the one that was *way* overacted. Uma flailed around as though her character was blind when it was made clear that she wasn't. Her head bobbed and weaved, her eyes were those lunatic large kind of eyes. She felt more like a parody. Even the minor characters had some depth to them, but poor Medusa was flat, fake, and annoying. I was glad when her scene ended, it was that painful.

Another problem I had was the satyr, played by Brandon T. Jackson. Now, the actor did a great job with what he was given. I think my problem on this count was with the director. He turned the character into a stereotypical token black kid. That annoyed me. Although, at certain times the character did act like what you would expect a satyr to act like, so that was ok. But come on. Aren't we past the stupid stereotypes yet?

The action in the movie was good. The fights were interesting, and again, the CG monsters were incredible!

I think what I like most about this movie, and in fact the books, is that the target audience learns something. And not just in the sense of morals. They learn classic Greek myths. I think that's pretty cool because in a class room, who would say that reading a bunch dry, boring ancient stories was fun? But this movie really brings the ancient myths to life, sparking the curiosity and imagination of the kids who watch it.

One final note. Mr. Columbus, this is a kids movie. Lay off the political propaganda. The economy joke at the River Styx was funny, I grant you. But come on. Kids aren't going to get political references and adults want an escape. That's the purpose of the movies, especially a kids movie.

So, all in all: It depends. If you're not into kids/teens movies, then skip this one or wait for it on DVD. If you have kids, are a kid, or just like that category in general, then I recommend it. It's fun, exciting, slightly educational and, if nothing else, the special effects and costumes are worth a look.

Until next time!

From Paris With Love

Title: From Paris With Love
Director: Pierre Morel
Principle Actors: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, John Travolta

Is this your stereotypical not-by-the-book spy film? Yes and no. Travolta plays the stereotype , Charlie Wax, perfected by Dirty Harry himself, Clint Eastwood. Travolta does it better (I think, since I actually liked the character). What's different about it though is the perspective the director decided to film it from. That's where Rhys Meyers character, James Reece, comes in. He's a fledgling agent, doing little chores for the real agents. He's basically a go-fer. Poor Reece. He finally gets his promotion when Wax comes to town, needing a partner familiar with Paris. Hi-jinx ensue. There's a high body count, explosions, car chases, gun battles, and plot twists. Good times.

I loved the car chase. I also loved the anonymous agent that drove in that particular scene. He played it calm, cool, collected and even had a sense of humor. It was like he was used to dodging in and out of traffic at high speeds with a crazy guy hanging out his passenger window, shouting directions at him. Unfortunately I can't find him listed on the movies page at IMDB.com so I can't even give him proper kudos. However, kudos to you anonymous driver guy.

Onto the acting!



Need I say how awesome Mr. Travolta was? I didn't think so. His badassness was the coolest, funnest, most unpredictable badassness I've seen in a while. I loved his character. He was tough, didn't play by the rules (obviously), was a jackass at times, but he took care of his partner (in a subtle, funny kind of way). He wasn't just another two dimensional stereotype.




Now, I know this picture isn't from this particular movie, but seriously? How could I pass that one up? *shivershivershiver* No shirtless scenes in this movie *sadface*. Rhys Meyers plays a goody goody wanting to get promoted and be a real field agent. He takes it seriously, wanting to follow the rules. But again, his character isn't two dimensional. He learns as he goes through the film. It's fun watching that growth because it's surprising. I'm just not used to seeing character development in an action flick. Meyers does an credible job with the character, although there were a few times where he felt stiff and uncomfortable with his lines. It felt like it was because of the American accent, but it would take a second (or third or fourth) viewing to be sure. Not that I mind *winkwink*.

All in all it is a great action flick. Everything you'd expect and then some. Highly recommended. I know I'll be buying it when it comes out on DVD.