Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

Hansel & Gretel are bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world. As the fabled Blood Moon approaches, the siblings encounter a new form of evil that might hold a secret to their past.

Director:Tommy Wirkola

Writer:Tommy Wirkola

Stars:Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Peter Stormare | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

The siblings Hansel and Gretel are left alone in the woods by their father and captured by a dark witch in a candy house. However they kill the witch and escape from the spot. Years later, the orphans have become famous witch hunters. When eleven children go missing in a small village, the Mayor summons Hansel and Gretel to rescue them, and they save the red haired Mina from the local sheriff that wants to burn her accusing Mina of witchcraft. Soon they discover that the Blood Moon will approach in three days and the powerful dark witch Muriel is the responsible for the abduction of children. She intends to use the children together with a secret ingredient in a Sabbath to make the coven of witches protected against the fire. Meanwhile Hansel and Gretel disclose secrets about their parents.

 

User Reviews

  What you may or may not remember about the Brothers Grimm' story is over and done with in the first ten minutes of writer-director Tommy Wirkola's revisionist treatment of the classic tale, which basically imagines what happens after the happily ever after. And so Wirkola fast- forwards the story many years later, where he would like us to believe that Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have found their calling as witch hunters, travelling around from village to village killing the evil ones who kidnap children and rescuing their abductees in the process.

One particular such mission brings them to the town of Augsburg, where a beautiful blonde-haired woman named Mina (Pihla Viitala) is due to be drowned in front of an angry crowd by the shifty Sheriff Berringer (Peter Stormare). The Mayor (Rainer Bock) is not so fast to pronounce judgment on her for the spate of disappearances, and has hired Hansel and Gretel to get to the bottom of it. Seeing no visible signs of sorcery on her, Hansel and Gretel free her, inadvertently setting themselves on a collision course with the Sheriff.

But the bitter Sheriff and his band of hunters are the least of their problems – indeed, their most pressing concern is the Grandmother Witch Muriel (Famke Janssen) and her hench-women, who have been keeping the children they have kidnapped locked up in wait for a much more sinister plot to make them even more powerful. Of course, as narrative dictates, Muriel's plan would have something to do with Hansel and Gretel's own past, as well as their extraordinary ability to be immune from the spells of witches.

Savvy viewers will be able to spot the connection once the clues are laid, so don't expect a revelatory surprise at the end. That doesn't mean however that this reimagination is predictable; instead, Wirkola keeps you riveted with a surprisingly effective blend of horror and hilarity often within the very same scene. Case in point? Just before she forces someone to turn a shotgun on himself and splatter his brains onto the wall, Muriel comments how the room they are in looks somehow drab and could do with some colour.

That same irreverence pervades the entire movie, which shouldn't come as a surprise if you paid attention to the opening credits and spotted Will Ferrell and Adam McKay as producers of the movie. Their brand of rude cheeky humour is very much alive in Wirkola's first English-language feature, who had demonstrated through his debut movie lampooning Quentin Tarantino – Kill Buljo – that he is perfectly in tune with their sensibilities. But Wirkola also brings his eye for gore – seen in his sophomore film 'Dead Snow' – to this movie, so be prepared for exploding flesh, crushed skulls and some particularly nasty decapitations that is good reason why this grown-up version of Hansel and Gretel does not carry a kid-friendly rating.

Amidst the gore and adult humour, Renner and Arterton unfortunately are left with paper-thin characters. While Renner pretty much looks dour throughout the movie, Arterton seems determined to have fun with her ass-kicking female heroine of a role, and her portrayal of Gretel resembles a Lara Croft for the medieval ages. The scene-stealer however is Janssen, the former Bond villain once again relishing the opportunity to play against type as the villain and putting in a deliciously over- the-top performance as Muriel. Other supporting actors don't make much of an impression – including Thomas Mann, a firm Hansel and Gretel devotee who gets some laughs from his fanboy behaviour and eventually sees his wish come true to be a witch hunter like his heroes.

And we suspect, how much you will end up enjoying this new twist to the classic fairy tale will also depend on your expectations. Compared to the recent spate of fairytale-inspired Hollywood movies like 'Red Riding Hood' or 'Snow White and the Huntsman', it veers most far off from its source material to tell an entirely different story. The result of that novelty is something bloody all right, that can also prove to be bloody good fun if you're looking for an adult-oriented blend of action, adventure, fantasy, horror and comedy. It might not sound intuitive, but this fairy tale is best enjoyed without the kids.

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Warm Bodies (2013)

After a highly unusual zombie saves a still-living girl from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

Director:Jonathan Levine

Writers:Jonathan Levine (screenplay), Isaac Marion (novel)

Stars:Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

With much of the world's population now an undead horde, R is a young and oddly introspective zombie. While fighting with and feeding on a human scavenger party, R meets Julie and feels an urge to protect her. What happens next is the beginning of a strangely warm relationship that allows R to begin regaining his humanity. As this change spreads through the local undead population like a virus, Julie and R eventually have to face a larger issue when the very nature of their friendship is challenged. Caught between the paranoid human forces and the ferocious "Bonies", zombies who are a mutual threat, R and Julie must find a way to bridge the differences of each side to fight for a better world no one thought possible. 

 

User Reviews

 Finally the great zombie romance? Well, maybe not, but it's the closest I've seen. You get to see zombie life from the perspective of a zombie, who starts to get feelings for a girl who's alive. Through a set of circumstances, he "rescues" her and they take refuge in a grounded plane at an airport overrun by the undead. There were several original elements that I had never seen in a zombie movie. First and foremost is the narration by our young zombie giving us insights into his condition. He can barely utter words, but weirdly, in his head, he seems smart and talks normally. I liked that part and I was kinda sorry when he got somewhat better at talking, therefore evacuating most of his thoughts. Second original element was the romance. I wasn't impressed by it, but at least it was slow-building, somewhat charming, avoiding most of the disgusting stuff, and you kind of rooted for them by the end.

Third original element would be the zombies not stuck as they are. They can "evolve" (our hero) or "devolve" (bonies, zombies who shed their outer skins, looking almost like black ghouls or skeletons). Speaking of bonies, I thought they looked amazing, creepy even, but their movements were stiff and made them look computer-generated. Also, who knew that eating brains for zombies could be a way for them to live vicariously the past life of the person they ate, through visions. It's not even the only way they can "change", although the other way, though nice, seemed a bit far-fetched and too quick. Fourth original element was that there was sometimes a humanistic, hopeful even, vibe to the proceedings despite the dramatic elements. There's something at the end involving the zombies and the bonies that I had never seen before. So the movie is more original than one might think, however the execution wasn't flawless.

Sure, overall, I found the movie had charms, but for me the laughs were few and far between, like most romantic comedies I suppose. Because it's supposed to be one of those, but with obviously more somber elements. The drama could have used more "teeth" to make this film truly memorable and moving though. The movie even made me think of Romeo & Juliet as well as Edward Scissorhands, not bad stories to be associated with. The creators never really went into total parody or silly mode, which I think was a smart choice. What really took me out of the picture at several occasions though is that they didn't follow their own internal rules. We're told by our hero that zombies can only shamble slowly, yet not long after, we see zombies running. It's like they can have bursts of speed at will. Also, bonies, for some reason, move fast despite being in a more advanced stage of zombification. Also, I know it's a short movie, but zombies "evolve" too quickly, especially the best friend. Acting was fairly good, not exceptional, but I particularly liked the main character. Why? Because he's a nice, smart freak, quite lonely and having trouble to express his feelings in words and actions, but able to be slowly "healed" by kindness and love. It made him interesting and relatable to me and probably others. Yes, the movie could even be seen as an allegory on solitude, not fitting in, and how hard it is to truly connect to others in modern society.

Zombie makeup was rather minimal, and they managed to make the protagonist kind of attractive, in a goth-like way, mostly because of his great hair and pale blue eyes. I thought there were wasted opportunities with the concept, but it could have been done much, much worse. So, I liked the movie, I would even recommend it to most people not allergic to zombies to see a different take on them. It's very minimally bloody and the most "gory" part is when they show a zombie shedding his skin to become a bonie, and even that's not too disgusting. I think it would make a good date movie. Warm Bodies didn't leave me cold and the more I dwell on it, the warmer my feelings for it get.

Rating: 7 out of 10 (Good)

 

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Mama (I) (2013)

Annabel and Lucas are faced with the challenge of raising his young nieces that were left alone in the forest for 5 years.... but how alone were they?

Director:Andrés Muschietti (as Andy Muschietti)

Writers:Andrés Muschietti (story) (as Andy Muschietti) , Barbara Muschietti (story), 3 more credits »

Stars:Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

The senior partner of an investment brokerage, Jeffrey Desange, has a breakdown due to a financial collapse and kills several co-workers and his estranged wife. He then kidnaps his two young daughters, Victoria 3 and Lilly just 1. He drives his car recklessly through a winding snow covered road. He loses control of his car and drives off an embankment. He finds an abandoned and isolated cabin where he plans to kill his daughters, but the children are saved by a dark ghostly image. After five years of searching and depleting his savings, Jeffrey's twin brother, Lucas, finds the children that were raised without social interaction and claim that they have been raised by 'Mama'. Lucas disputes the custody with the children's Great Aunt but Dr. Dreyfuss, who is working with the girls, helps Lucas get custody of the girls so that he can still have access to them. Lucas, his girlfriend Annabel, Victoria and Lilly move into a house provided be the institute that Dr. Dreyfuss works for. Lucas...

 

 

User Reviews

host is an emotion bent out of shape, condemned to repeat itself time and time again.¨

Another South American director has made his splash on Hollywood after the successful debut of Mama in theaters this year. Argentinean director, Andres Muschietti, made over 70 million dollars in the box office and received decent reviews for this horror/suspense film based on a short 3 minute movie he directed in 2008. That short film garnered the attention of movie executives such as Guillermo Del Toro who decided to produce and present this film. The fact that Del Toro's name was used here and that the coveted Jessica Chastain signed on to play the main character gave Muschietti the tremendous possibility of debuting on a high note. The formula worked pretty well because critics and audiences seemed to enjoy this film alike, and we could be heading to the start of a new horror franchise. I enjoyed most of the movie, and loved Jessica Chastain's performance, but the ending just ruined the entire film for me. It is kind of the same problem pretty much every ghost story film has. I feel like most of the endings in this genre are pretty unsatisfying and ruin the entire suspense the film has been building throughout the story. There is no denying that Japanese films have heavily influenced the genre with films such as The Ring, The Grudge, Dark Water, and One Missed Call which have all been remade, but the truth of the matter is the only film that really worked with critics was The Ring. They have tried to imitate its success, but I haven't been scared like I was with The Ring, which had a pretty satisfying ending compared to the rest. I do prefer this type of psychological horror more than the gory slasher films, but I find it troubling that they can't find a satisfying ending. My favorites in this genre will always be the first two I saw: Zemeckis's What Lies Beneath and The Ring. The rest have all fallen short. Mama was close to achieving that similar success in my opinion, but the ending really hurt it.

The film centers around two girls named Lilly (Isabelle Nelisse) and Victoria (Megan Charpentier) who are abandoned in a cabin in the middle of the woods after their father murdered their mother and was attacked by some presence inside the cabin. Five years later the search finally pays off and their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau) finds them. To everyone's surprise the two girls have managed to survive on their own, but they live like animals crawling around the floor and talking to walls. Lucas and his girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain) decide to raise the kids with the help of Dr. Dreyfuss (Daniel Kash) who continues to treat the girls in order for them to make the transition from their isolated lives to a normal and nurturing family life. Annabel soon discovers that these girls might have never been on their own and that somehow the presence that was with them in the cabin might be in their home as well. Several suspenseful and horrifying events begin to take place while the girls continue to talk to shadows in the walls and call out for Mama.

The film has several thrills and suspenseful moments with a great performance from Jessica Chastain. It was good to see her try out a different role and she proves she can do about everything. It's hard to find good performances in horror films, but this may be one of the best. The movie also has its weaknesses like pretty much all horror films do considering the protagonists always seem to make stupid decisions, but that is what makes the genre so entertaining at times. They are clichés which we have learned to accept. The two girls were also surprisingly good, they had strong performances as well. I really enjoyed everything about the movie up to the last 15 minutes which pretty much ruined everything. Psychological thrillers usually have this impact: they begin with a lot of promise but end up on the wrong note, and that is exactly how I felt about Mama along with Sinister, a similar movie I got to see a few months ago. The film is above average thanks to Jessica Chastain, and Guillermo Del Toro's influence in the production of the movie, but that is about it.

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V/H/S/2 (2013)

Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his house and find collection of VHS tapes. Viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be dark motives behind the student's disappearance.

Directors:Simon Barrett, Jason Eisener, 5 more credits »

Writers:Simon Barrett, Jamie Nash, 7 more credits »

Stars:Lawrence Michael Levine, Kelsy Abbott, Adam Wingard | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his house and find collection of VHS tapes. Viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be dark motives behind the student's disappearance.

User Reviews

 i was extremely impressed with V/H/S 1, so much that i made it a plan to watch V/H/S 2 the night after.

i'm an open minded guy, loves horror and is of the clan who consider exorcist a creepy classic rather than the ilk who consider it "not scary/ funny"

however, this was just no good to me. it seemed to really lack the originality of the first one, (which seems to have mixed reviews mainly due to people not liking found-footage in general) and was venturing more into the humorous and silly rather than creepy and frightening. which if pulled off right possibly could have been OK.

its hard because these segments are all done by different directors etc, so consistent quality is probably more challenging for this franchise.

and i suppose its not the worst thing in the world *changes my score from a 1 to a 3* but it just astounds me and evidently others on IMDb that the first one was rated so low and this one so high when it should really be the other way round.

this is probably my biggest point before i wrap this up:

for a found footage film to work, we need authenticity. but this film unwittingly wanders into two dangerous areas for these kinds of films, the first being the "why would they be filming this at this point?" factor is heavy in some segments, weighing down on the believability of the whole experience and the second being the "if they've dropped their camera/lost their camera, why are we still seeing their point of view?" area again in a few of the segments.

i wont spoil anything but there are segments involving film crews who have a camera each, but when the story climaxes we seem to seeing far more different points of view than there is cameras, including people shown to not have a camera, then the angle switching to their point of view as if they are filming. thats cheating i'd say, and again ruins the experience.

a couple segments are OK and scary, one particular one in Indonesia with subtitles was fascinating up to a certain point.

i just hope the 3rd is more like the first than this one, but from what is available to read it doesn't seem to be the case.

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Halloween (1978)

On Halloween night of 1963, 6-year old Michael Myers stabbed his sister to death. After sitting in a mental hospital for 15 years, Myers escapes and returns to Haddonfield to kill.

Director:John Carpenter

Writers:John Carpenter (screenplay), Debra Hill (screenplay)

Stars:Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tony Moran | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

The year is 1963, the night: Halloween. Police are called to 43 Lampkin Ln. only to discover that 15 year old Judith Myers has been stabbed to death, by her 6 year-old brother, Michael. After being institutionalized for 15 years, Myers breaks out on the night before Halloween. No one knows, nor wants to find out, what will happen on October 31st 1978 besides Myers' psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis. He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it'll be too late for many people.

User Reviews

 Halloween is not only the godfather of all slasher movies but the greatest horror movie ever! John Carpenter and Debra Hill created the most suspenseful, creepy, and terrifying movie of all time with this classic chiller. Michael Myers is such a phenomenal monster in this movie that he inspired scores of imitators, such as Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th), The Miner (My Bloody Valentine), and Charlie Puckett (The Night Brings Charlie). Okay, so I got a little obscure there, but it just goes to show you the impact that this movie had on the entire horror genre. No longer did a monster have to come from King Tut's tomb or from Dr. Frankenstein's lab. He could be created in the cozy little neighborhoods of suburbia. And on The Night He Came Home...Haddonfield, Illinois and the viewers would never be the same. There are many aspects of this movie that make it the crowning jewel of horror movies. First is the setting...it takes place in what appears to be a normal suburban neighborhood. Many of us who grew up in an area such as this can easily identify with the characters. This is the type of neighborhood where you feel safe, but if trouble starts to brew, nobody wants to lift a finger to get involved (especially when a heavy-breathing madman is trying to skewer our young heroine.) Along with the setting, the movie takes place on Halloween!! The scariest night of the year! While most people are carving jack-o-lanterns, Michael Myers is looking to carve up some teenie-boppers. Besides the setting, there is some great acting. Jamie Lee Curtis does a serviceable job as our heroine, Laurie Strode, a goody-two-shoes high-schooler who can never seem to find a date. However, it is Donald Pleasance, as Dr. Sam Loomis, who really steals the show. His portrayal of the good doctor, who knows just what type of evil hides behind the black eyes of Michael Myers and feels compelled to send him to Hell once and for all, is the stuff of horror legend. However, it is the synthesizer score that really drives this picture as it seems to almost put the viewer into the film. Once you hear it, you will never forget it. I also enjoy the grainy feel to this picture. Nowadays, they seem to sharpen up the image of every movie, giving us every possible detail of the monster we are supposed to be afraid of. In Halloween, John Carpenter never really lets us get a complete look at Michael Myers. He always seems like he is a part of the shadows, and, I think that is what makes him so terrifying. There are many scenes where Michael is partly visible as he spies on the young teens (unbeknownst to them), which adds to his creepiness. If you think about, some wacko could be watching you right now and you wouldn't even know it. Unfortunately for our teenagers (and fortunately for us horror fans), when they find Michael, he's not looking for candy on this Halloween night..he's looking for blood. Finally, Michael Myers, himself, is a key element to this movie's effectiveness. His relentless pursuit of Laurie Strode makes him seem like the killer who will never stop. He is the bogeyman that will haunt you for the rest of your life. So,if you have not seen this movie (if there are still some of you out there who haven't, or even if you have), grab some popcorn, turn off every light, pop this into the old DVD and watch in fright. Trick or Treat!

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Kanchana 2 (2015)

A few good ghosts haunt a man and hope to get justice through him.

Director:Lawrence Raghavendra

Writer:Lawrence Raghavendra

Stars:Lawrence Raghavendra, Tapsee Pannu, Kovai Sarala | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

Raghava (Lawrence) who always fear to watch horror movies, takes his mom (Kovai Sarala) to the toilet as he has Nyctophobia and whenever he feels the extreme shock, he sits on the lap of woman next to him. Raghava is a cinematographer for a TV channel and he loves Nandhini (Taapsee) who wants to shoot a fake ghost-haunted house so that the TRP rating will increase. To their misfortune, they actually get haunted by not one but five ghosts.

 

 

User Reviews

Lawrence's Muni,released back in 2007 gave good ground for Horror-Comedies,a genre not so popular in Kollywood,which was followed by quite a good number of similar films that succeeded in ringing bells at the Kollywood Box-Office.The highly successful Kanchana released in 2011 saw the rise of a popular franchise in the name with Raghava Lawrence concreting his deftness as an accomplished actor,writer,dancer and director.

Kanchana 2 is no exception from the previous films in the franchise and offers a decent mix of humor,horror,action,drama and sentiments utilizing an average screenplay written by Raghava himself.But in comparison with the previous parts,Kanchana 2 has a weaker storyline with the second half in particular being too lengthy and predictable,calling for a tighter screenplay which could have provided more impact especially while presenting the typical flash back sequence which looked jaded and carelessly narrated except for a beautiful melody between the lead pair.Many sequences post the interval were loud and over the top,in a way decreasing the eagerness of viewers in the proceedings.The over-stretched climax fight which utilized generous amounts of VFX didn't make much impact on screen.

Luckily,the storyline that stuffs slapstick humor inside routine horror backdrop,with its share of flaws,manages to keep the audience hooked till the end by the virtue of hilarious comedy sequences lead by Kovai Sarala,some good performances,peppy and well-choreographed songs,adequate doze of action and few notable horror sequences.

Performancewise,Raghava Lawrence was pretty impressive and gave a really energetic performance with controlled emotions showcasing his versatility in handling different characters.Kovai Sarala was hilarious and tickled the fun bones with her hilarious one-liners.Taapsee was impressive and gave a matured performance.Nithya Menen did her part well even-though her character was half-baked.Among others Mayilsami,Sriman etc were good and supported the leads well.

Songs by Thaman,Leon James,Sathya and Ashwamithra were pretty impressive and all the songs can boast of excellent choreography by Lawrence alike his films from the past.Cinematography by Rajavel Olhiveeran was good and editing by Late Kishore T.E was OK.

Overall,Kanchana 2 is a typical horror-comedy without much freshness in the storyline targeted at the mass audience.

Verdict::Kanchana 2 replicates the formula from previous films in the Muni franchise giving rise to a pretty average screenplay without any freshness to point out.Even=though clichéd big-time this Lawrence film is successful in providing satisfactory thrills to call it a decent one-time-watch for the masses looking for just fun and entertainment.Watch it if you are a fan of the series. Ma Rating::6.5/10 _Afsal

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Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)

Three scouts, on the eve of their last camp-out, discover the true meaning of friendship when they attempt to save their town from a zombie outbreak.

Director:Christopher Landon

Writers:Emi Mochizuki (screenplay), Carrie Lee Wilson (screenplay) (as Carrie Evans) , 2 more credits »

Stars:Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

Three scouts, on the eve of their last camp-out, discover the true meaning of friendship when they attempt to save their town from a zombie outbreak.

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The Conjuring

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

Director:James Wan

Writers:Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes (as Carey W. Hayes)

Stars:Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

In 1971, Carolyn and Roger Perron move their family into a dilapidated Rhode Island farm house and soon strange things start happening around it with escalating nightmarish terror. In desperation, Carolyn contacts the noted paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, to examine the house. What the Warrens discover is a whole area steeped in a satanic haunting that is now targeting the Perron family wherever they go. To stop this evil, the Warrens will have to call upon all their skills and spiritual strength to defeat this spectral menace at its source that threatens to destroy everyone involved. 

 

User Reviews

 

The key with The Conjuring is not that it has freshness on its side, as evidenced by the ream of horror fans arguing on internet sites about "nothing new on the table" , but while those fans will be going hungry for a very, very long time, The Conjuring does everything right for the splinter of horror it deals with.

There's a lot to admire about a horror film that in this day and age stands tall and proud against the ream of remakes, sequels and teen friendly slashers that "haunt" the multiplexes with all too much frequency these days. Free of gore and sex, this was automatically going to alienate a good portion of the lustful members of the horror fan base, but for those who like their horror served with appetising scares and a cauldron of suspense, then this delivers plenty to your particular table.

Forget the "based on a true story" tag, since it's kind of irrelevant in this new technological age, it's a selling gimmick that actually means "this story might be true and we might have played with it a bit". Regardless of hoax charges and embellishments, just buy into the premise, commit to it as a scary story in the same way as director James Wan has, for then the rewards are there for the compliant.

Story essentially is based around an investigation in the early seventies by paranormal specialists Ed and Lorraine Warren, who aided the Perron family as they were victims of dreadful supernatural events at their Rhode Island home. Wan builds it deftly, letting us into the Perron families lives as they move into what they believe to be a dream home. Then things start to happen, but again Wan builds it in slow instances, creating a palpable sense of dread, his camera work intelligent. So when the big moments come they have maximum impact and have us also yearning for the Warren's to get involved.

There is no over killing of the boo-jump scares, they are placed with care and marry up superbly with the mounting tension. Naturally all the cliché conventions of the haunted house movie are here, strange smells, creaky doors, ominous cellar and etc, yet these are supplemented with Wan's talented knack for a good scare and a very effective production design. From mysterious bruises and literal leg pulls – breath holding games of hide and seek – to bona fide pant soiling moments, The Conjuring is a lesson in sustained unease until the big finale is unleashed.

The script is devoid of cheese and pointless filler, itself refreshing in a horror sub-genre that suffers often with these problems. Joseph Bishara's musical score is an absolute nerve shredder, and again it's a refreshing accompaniment because it doesn't resort to telegraphed shrieks to tell us to be afraid, it never overwhelms a scene. John Leonetti's cinematography has Gothic textures, both in the house and outside of the lakeside farmhouse, while the strong lead cast of Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston come up trumps for sure.

Met with critical and box office success, The Conjuring justifies its reputation as a superb haunted house movie. 9/10

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The Final Girls

A young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s, finds herself pulled into the world of her mom's most famous movie. Reunited, the women must fight off the film's maniacal killer.

Director:  Todd Strauss-Schulson

Writers:M.A. Fortin (screenplay), Joshua John Miller (screenplay)

Stars:Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Adam DeVine | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

When Max (Taissa Farmiga) and her friends reluctantly attend a tribute screening of an infamous '80s slasher film that starred Max's late mother (Malin Akerman), they are accidentally sucked into the silver screen. They soon realize they are trapped inside the cult classic movie and must team up with the fictional and ill-fated "Camp Bloodbath" counselors, including Max's mom as the shy scream queen, to battle the film's machete-wielding, masked killer. With the body count rising in scene after iconic scene, who will be THE FINAL GIRLS left standing and live to escape this film? 

 

 

User Reviews

At first, I thought the movie would go the way of "hobo with a Shotgun" and forget to develop character... and I was wrong. The character of this film works well. The camera work was outstanding. Usually I don't care about the camera work, but this movie stood out. It made the film really cool. The lighting and the colors really did justice to the final project. The story was fun, the characters were relatable, and the humor hit every beat. If you're a fan of "Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil," this movie will be perfect for you. The story is that the daughter of a woman who starred in an 80's horror film goes to a showing of the movie with her friends. A fire breaks out and they escape... into the film. There they meet the 80's stereotypes and now they must figure out how to survive. It's a fun movie and it's worth the purchase. Heck, I can't wait to see what else comes from this director and these writers in the future. If you have a few bucks to send their way, please do because they have the talent.

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Crimson Peak

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.

Director:Guillermo del Toro

Writers:Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins

Stars:Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston | See full cast and crew » 

 

Storyline

Edith Cushing is running away from a family tragedy. She marries Thomas Sharpe, a mysterious stranger. She comes to live with him and his sister, Lady Lucille Sharpe. She starts to find out that the Sharpe's home is filled with ghosts.

 

Movie Reviews

 Del Toro spends almost ten years to make his imaginative horror love story into the big screen, it works well as a periodic Gothic romance thanks to its beautiful setting and sumptuous costumes yet falls short due to its predictable plot at the very opening of the film. It's a film full with paintings, dreams, terrifying fantasy and the addition of several modern types disturbing scares that really fit perfectly into the story but the supernatural are far more lesser than expected. Both Mia Wasikowska and Tom Hiddleston deliver solid performance while Jessica Chastain surprises audiences the most in which she is able to have fun expanding the full potential of her eerie character physically, mentally and emotionally well. Despite the disappointing story line and the CGIs of the spirits which look like those in Mama, this artistic and sombre film on a woman trapped in the social conventions is worth a watch for its creativity of combining both modern and classical elements.

 

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