Nicholson Shines in The Shining

For my dip into scary movies this week, I chose to go with a classic that somehow I had never seen before. It’s a little embarrassing to admit, as a self-proclaimed horror movie buff, that this movie somehow slipped through my fingers. So, I finally righted myself and chose the 1980 classic: The Shining. 

Skyfall is Bond at its Best

photo courtesy of imdb.com

So for this week’s new release review I was stoked to go to the theater. It took some maneuvering on my part to convince my movie buddy to go with me to see this one. Thankfully I won out, and she wasn’t disappointed. I guess the movie I chose to see is technically a sequel, but all of the movies in the long-running franchise can act as stand alone films without confusing the audience. Sunday the theatre was packed with people itching to see the latest James Bond adventure Skyfall.

The 23rd Bond film starts right off the bat with an exciting car chase. Bond and another MI6 agent, Eve, are chasing down one of the bad guys. This baddie stole a list of all of the undercover MI6 agents and their aliases. So, it's safe to say, the agents need to get the list back by any means necessary. Unfortunately that doesn’t work out for the agents, Bond in particular. After all the chaos is over, and the dust is settled, Bond is presumed dead and the list is still out there. 

Next New Release Is...

Since I’m apparently on a sequel/ franchise streak, this week’s new movie is going to be a chapter in a series. This sequel is not one that you have to see every single one to make sense of the plot, since that would literally take days. Up this week is the latest James Bond adventure: Skyfall. 

Happy About Halloween

Since today is Halloween I decided it would be fitting to review a horror movie classic: John Carpenter’s Halloween. The 1978 movie was low-budget, but instantly became hit. It was also scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis's first film role. Here's the trailer for anyone curious. 

Halloween opens with a young, soon to be infamous, Michael Myers at home on Halloween. His older sister is supposed to be watching him, but decides to sneak her boyfriend into her house and up to her room instead. After her boyfriend leaves, Michael, stoic and silent, takes a large kitchen knife and goes upstairs, where he stabs his sister to death. 

Passively Paranormal

photo courtesy of imdb.com

Since I can’t seem to stay away from the theater when a horror movie is showing, this week’s new movie review will be on the fourth installment of a supernatural horror movie franchise- Paranormal Activity 4. Since the first Paranormal Activity was widely released my freshman year, I have seen them all. Going into the theater for number four, I had higher expectations since the third one has been my favorite so far.

Coming Up This Week...

For this week’s new release I am once again going to see a horror movie. I know a lot of my new movie reviews have been on horror movies, but I can’t help it. I’m addicted. Anyway, although I am sort of following a pattern going the horror route, I am shaking things up a little. This week I will be venturing into franchise territory. I guess you could say I ventured into the franchise territory a bit with my Child’s Play review, but for that one I reviewed only the first film. This time I’ll be focusing on the fourth chapter- with Paranormal Activity 4. Here’s the trailer for those of you who haven’t seen it, and links to the other three trailers will be at the end of the post. 

Return to Horrible High

For this week I chose a lesser-known old horror movie- Return to Horror High. To make things clear, the movie is not a sequel. The title has to do with the plot, which I’ll get into in a bit. My reasoning for choosing the 1987 movie was simply morbid curiosity. The only reason to remember or know of Return to Horror High in the first place is because it was George Clooney’s first movie role. Here’s the trailer before I go any further.

Serious About Sinister

As my previous post says, this week I decided I wanted to be scared. So, I went and saw a movie in which the title says it all- Sinister. 

photo courtesy of imdb.com

In case you missed the last post, Sinister follows washed-up writer Ellison Oswalt as he tries to reclaim his 15 minutes of fame. Ellison made his mark on history as a true crime writer. Unfortunately his career is careening into “one hit wonder” territory since all of his books since the bestseller have flopped- hard. In a last ditch attempt at re-found fame, Ellison packs up his family, drags them out of their huge gorgeous house, and drops them into a smaller house where a family murder took place only months before. Oh, and he forgets to mention the fact that the previous family was hung in the backyard to his wife. Sounds like a winner. 

The New Movie This Week Will Be...

Up this week for my new movie review is another horror movie- Sinister. The freaky flick looks right up my alley, full of jumps and hopefully not too much gore. Check out the preview for yourself.

From Dusk Till Don't Bother

For my old horror movie this week I chose one that is a little newer; From Dusk Till Dawn. The 1996 vampire movie was written by and stars Quentin Tarantino, who is best know for directing the classic Pulp Fiction. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, who brought us the Spy Kids franchise and the Grindhouse movies, From Dusk Till Dawn has a pretty impressive cast including George Clooney (during his E.R. days) and a young Salma Hayek.

Pitch Perfect is Right On Key

Photo courtesy on imdb.com

Last Monday I made my way to Carmike Cinemas in Allegany to finally see Pitch Perfect. I’ll admit, Pitch Perfect was the movie I was most excited to see all semester, and I definitely had high expectations. I can happily say the movie did not disappoint.

Pitch Perfect starts out at an a-cappella championship, with the Barden University Bella’s ready to hit the stage. Unfortunately, they hit it a little too hard, making an unforgettable impression. During the credits time fast forwards to the start of the school year, and a new semester full of unknowing freshmen- including Beca. Beca, an inspiring music producer, has her suitcase packed with crushed dreams and disdain for Barden, since her orignial plan to move to L.A. was sidetracked by her professor father. 

Up This Week...

Let me start off by saying that this past weekend was mid-semester break. For those of you outside the Bona Bubble, it means four glorious days of relaxation and saying you’re going to get caught up on work but never do. So, naturally, I’m a little behind... again. Anyway, tonight I’m finally going to a new movie. This week’s choice? The ensemble a-cappella comedy Pitch Perfect. Here’s the preview before I really get started:

Stay Away From The Fog

For this week’s old horror movie, I decided to watch something directed by John Carpenter. For those of you who don’t know, Carpenter directed the original Halloween, which jumpstarted Jamie Lee Curtis’ career, and earned her a place in cinematic history as one of the first “scream queens.” Carpenter is also responsible for such films as The Thing and Escape From New York. However, the Carpenter movie I chose to watch isn’t any of those. Instead, I went with 1980’s The Fog. 

House At The End Of The Street? More like House At The End Of My List

Words cannot describe how excited I was to go and see House At The End Of The Street. My usual movie partner and I were joined by our two other roommates, and the four of us were pumped for a good scare. 

photo courtesy of imdb.com

The movie follows 17-year-old, and full of teen angst, Elissa. Along with her newly divorced mother, the two move from the ultra urban Chicago to the extremely rural, but somewhat upscale town in Pennsylvania. Lucky for them, a horrific double murder occurred there, driving down property values and making a dream house affordable for the pair. Four years prior a crazed daughter attacked and murdered her parents in the middle of the night, before disappearing herself. The only catch- their house is the one next door to the house the murders took place in. Oh, and that's the only other house nearby. The mureder house is supposed to be empty, but the couple’s surviving son is living there alone.

The New Movie of the Week is...

Tomorrow my full review of this week’s new movie will be posted. For now, here is a little refresher on House At The End of The Street. Here’s the trailer in case you want to catch up before reading on.

The horror movie stars Jennifer Lawrence fresh off of her Hunger Games popularity, which was a main selling point in advertisements for the film. Lawrence portrays 17-year-old Elissa, who, with her mother Sarah, moves to the middle of nowhere for a fresh start. Their rental house seems perfect- it's huge and affordable. The only catch is a heinous double murder took place next door a few years before. Upon first arrival it appears that the house is vacant, but where’s the fun in that? The original murder happened with a crazed daughter killing both of her parents in the middle of the night before disappearing herself. However, the couple’s older son, Ryan, took over the house and lives there by himself, pretty much every single mother’s nightmare. Since this is a movie geared towards a younger crowd, it's pretty obvious that teenage hormones will be raging, and Elissa and Ryan will be spending some alone time. Well, at least thats what Elissa will be thinking; since Ryan appears to have a secret hidden in the basement. 

Campfire Tales Fails to Light My Fire

For this week’s old horror movie I decided on something a little newer. My last three movies have been from the ’70’s and ’80’s, so I decided on a movie from the ’90’s: Campfire Tales. The 1997 movie is broken up into five segments, each focusing on a 20-30 minute scary story. 

The five segments are The Hook, The Campfire, The Honeymoon, People Can Lick Too, and The Locket. Original names, I know. The movie opens up on a black and white scene that looks like it came straight from a corny movie set in 1953. Jenny and Eric are parked in a deserted area, and doing what typical teenagers parked in a deserted area would be doing- making out. Since this segment is titled The Hook, it's pretty predictable how the rest of the first segment goes.

A Swing and Miss for Trouble With the Curve

photo courtesy of imdb.com

This week’s (well since I’m behind, the first of two) new movie review is on a movie I probably wouldn’t choose to go see myself. My normal movie partner in crime was busy this time, and so I needed a replacement. Since they were doing me a favor I let them choose the movie. That’s how I ended up seeing the Clint Eastwood drama Trouble With the Curve.

Trouble With the Curve stars Clint Eastwood as aging Atlanta Braves baseball scout Gus Lobel. Since it is the 21^st century, and people are relying more and more on technology, Gus’s way of scouting is seen as obsolete. He doesn’t use computers. Instead, he relies newspapers, watching the games, and good old fashioned instinct. Unfortunately, this process takes longer than the bosses like, and Gus is sent out on a last chance scouting trip to North Carolina see if he still has what it takes. This might be even more of a problem for Gus since he is having vision problems, and refuses treatment for them.

The New Movie of the Week is...

Since I never got around to posting a new movie review last week, I’m making up for it this week. The first new movie of this week is the Clint Eastwood drama Trouble With the Curve.

The movie stars Clint Eastwood as Gus Lobel, aging baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves; Amy Adams as Mickey Lobel, Gus’s daughter; and Justin Timberlake as Johnny, a once promising baseball player turned scout. John Goodman also has a role in the film as Gus’s friend and coworker. 

Take a Bite Out of Jaws

I know this was supposed to be up a week ago, and I’m really, really sorry. Last week, and even the beginning of this week, was extremely crazy. I promise that by tomorrow I will be back on track with my reviews. Okay, with apologies out of the way, last week’s horror movie Tuesday (which I did watch on Tuesday if that counts for anything) feature was the original shark attack movie, 1975’s Jaws. In case you want to do a little catching up before reading my review, here is the trailer.

The male-led movie stars Roy Scheider as Police Chief Brody of tourist driven Amity Island, Richard Dreyfus as an Oceanographic Institute shark specialist Hooper, and Robert Shaw as shark hunter extraordinaire, Quint. 

The Possession Fails to get Under the Skin

I’m sorry to put this up so late, but I finally made my way to the theater to see the Sam Raimi produced horror movie The Possession. As a horror movie fanatic I was eager to see the exorcism flick. The trailers and promotions seemed promising, but how many horror movies have you thought looked good that just left you with the bitter taste of disappointment? Well, unfortunately The Possession is one of those. All of the best moments were shown in the trailer. However, there were a few decent moments unseen in the promotions.

Before we get any farther, I just want to add that, as I mentioned in my previous post, The Possession is one of those “based on a true story” horror movies. The "true story" this time? The box. Apparently the idea for The Possession came from stories of a wooden box called a Dybbuk box. The legend is that the box was used to contain a Dybbuk; an evil spirit from Jewish folklore. Everyone who owned the box suffered from nightmares or unexplained medical issues. Eventually the story made its way to the small screen and was featured on a Syfy show before transcending to the big screen for The Possession.

This Week's New Movie Is...

photo courtesy of imdb.com

First off, I know that this post was supposed to be up a few days ago, and I apologize. It was a busy weekend, and my movie partner and I could not decide what to go see, and didn’t decide until last night that we would see The Possession tonight. I know that its been out for a little while now, but the only other movie that seemed interesting to us was the fifth installment of the Resident Evil movies, but my friend/movie partner hadn’t seen the fourth one. So, after much deliberation, we settled on the horror movie. Again, I want to apologize. Since we’re late going to the movies, as we normally go on the weekends and not Monday nights, my real review will also be a little late. However, lets not focus on my shortcomings. Instead, lets focus on whats in-store for anyone reading. 

The “true story” of The Possession comes from the legend surrounding the Dybbuk box. The story of the box has been featured on television, radio, and in print, each chronicling the horrors owners of the box have faced. The box reportedly contains a spirit from Jewish folklore, and rewards each owner with lots of scary perks, including nightmares, hives, and a reported stroke for one woman (which is also featured in the opening of the movie).

Make a Play-date With Chucky

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

This weeks pick for my old horror movie was Child’s Play. In case you live under a rock, and have never heard of it, the classic, and franchise inspiring, movie follows a six-year-old boy and his single mother as his doll named Chucky (ringing a bell now?) transforms from innocent plaything, into a serial killer. Sounds cheesy, right? Maybe now it would be, but back in 1988 when it was released it was a pretty creepy scene. However, I digress. 

The opening scene has nothing to do with little Andy Barclay, and everything to do with the man who’s soul winds up in his doll. The chase is underway for notorious serial killer Charles Lee Ray (played by horror legend Brad Dourif). Ray finds himself shot, bleeding to death, and trapped in a toy store with no way out. Naturally, he is a voodoo expert, and can save himself if only there is a nearby body to transport his soul into. With the police closing in, Ray makes a last ditch effort, and with a prayer, performs the ritual with a doll. Luckily his gamble payed off, and with a bang of lightning, seen through the toy store’s glass ceiling for dramatic effect, Charles Lee Ray is gone, and Chucky is born.

Lawless: Too Much, But Not Enough

As promised, Sunday afternoon I went to see Lawless. The prohibition-era, gangster drama follows the lives of three bootlegging brothers, and their troubles with the law and the mob.

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

From the beginning, Lawless was more bloody than I imagined it would be. I was expecting gunshot wounds, and typical bloody scenes from the heavily male led cast, but got more than I bargained for. One of the first scenes where Tom Hardy’s character of Forrest Bondurant beats the crap out of another guy with the help of brass knuckles, leaving a bloody mess in his wake, set the tone for the rest of the movie. The amount of bloody, graphic scenes kind of turned me off from the start. Normally I’m perfectly fine with a little blood and violence, but I guess I was just unprepared for what to expect from Lawless.

A Little Preview of Whats Coming Next

After a little deliberation with my partner in crime when it comes to going to the movies, I decided that for this week’s new release I’ll be taking a look at Lawless. I know that its been out for a week or two now, but out of the rest of the movies playing at our little theater here in Allegany, it was the most appealing choice. If you haven’t seen the preview, I've included it to give you a better idea of what I’m talking about. 

For a Howlin' Good Time Watch...

Choosing a movie for my first old horror movie review was not an easy decision. I spent about 40 minutes reviewing my options and watching several trailers before setting on 1981’s An American Werewolf in London. The movie is not strictly a horror film, but more of a horror comedy.

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

The movie starts out following two young American men backpacking through Europe; David and Jack. As the title suggests, there is only one werewolf, so the first question is who it going to be, and what is going to happen to the other man. Before the audience finds out the fate of the travelers, they stop at a local pub somewhere in the middle of northern England, where they are clearly not welcome. After they offend the locals, they make their way into the dark and rainy countryside, where they are warned to “beware the moon” and “stick to the road.”

Just Want to Introduce Myself

Welcome to my blog! Just to make sure everyone’s on the same page, the purpose of this blog is for me to share my passion for movies through reviews. Since I am particularly fond of horror movies, on Tuesdays I’ll be reviewing older horror movies. I also plan on reviewing a new movie every week. The new movie reviews won’t strictly be horror movies, although there may be more horror movies than other genres. Those reviews will be posted either Sunday or Monday, depending on which day I make my way to the theater. Just in case anyone hasn’t heard much about the movie I’m going to see, I’ll post a little preview post, summing up what its supposed to be about, who’s in it, and things like that.