groovymike_16

Maybe it's because my expectations weren't real high, but I enjoyed "Beautiful Creatures" immensely. I'm actually disappointed I didn't bother seeing it theatrically. I thought it basically looked like "Twilight" with witches. And while on paper that sounds like an apt comparison (both are supernatural romance movies based on young adult novels) it does do the film a disservice. I believe it's a better made and better acted film.

From the trailers I thought the leads (Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert) seemed poor, with him seeming particularly terrible. To my surprise they were both great and the two had a really nice, believable chemistry. The supporting cast is also great. Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson seem to be having a great time, and Emmy Rossum is fun and sexy.

From what I understand fans of the books weren't crazy about it, but I've never read the books and I loved it. I'm sad it was a box office flop as I'd love for the other books in the series to become films. I'm glad, unlike most movies based on a series of books, that "Beautiful Creatures" is able to stand on its own and doesn't really end with a big cliffhanger or anything (not in my opinion at least). But it would still be great to see more. It's unfortunate this had to become a victim of a terrible release date. I do believe with a different date where it didn't have to go up against another film attracting the same audience (Safe Haven) it would have performed much better. And if by some miracle they did decide to make another I do think the audience would grow as more discover the first on DVD/Blu-ray, as long as it was released amongst less competition. They'd certainly need to try and cut the budget in half though. But alas I'm not holding my breath for the series to continue, as sad as it may be. "Beautiful Creatures" is well-worth watching though. Such an entertaining film.

My expectations were pretty low due to the majority of reviews being fairly toxic, but I have to say I loved it. What a pleasant surprise and one of the most under-appreciated films of 2012. I don't understand the bad reviews at all. It's a fascinating story, both sad and thoughtful. The three stories were perfectly woven together. I loved the scenes set in the past. Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons were great here and the standouts, but Zoe Saldana and Ben Barnes also deserve mentions.

The film is gorgeously shot. I loved the cinematography. Also really enjoyed the score. I don't really know what everyone else was thinking, but I thought "The Words" was a lovely literary drama. It's a small-scale film and is rather quiet and intimate, but I was never once bored. I see no reason mature audiences wouldn't enjoy this.

Such a shame this is so criminally under-seen. What frustrates me the most is this could have and should have been seen by more people. Focus Features really messed up the release of this one. If handled better I could have seen newcomer Adepero Oduye's acclaimed performance as Alike earning her an Academy Award nomination. She's wonderful in the lead role. Even comedy actress (and sister to the Wayans brothers) Kim Wayans may have scored a Supporting Actress nomination for her serious turn as Alike's misguided mother. She makes the transition from comedy to a serious role amazingly well (not unlike Mo'Nique's turn in Precious, though I prefer this less showy role to hers).

I highly recommend seeking this out. It's a great drama with a star-making performance by Adepero Oduye.

I know I should have found this to be an abomination, but it's really not. I was very pleasantly surprised. I definitely didn't expect to like it so much. I really liked Daveigh Chase here too. My only beef is the finale. It seemed like it was going somewhere else, somewhere better, but it didn't.

Definitely recommended though. I'm sure the die-hard Donnie Darko fans will hate it, but the casual ones (like myself) should be able to enjoy it. I loved the cinematography and the music. It's very stylish and trippy.

8/10 (B+)

Words just cannot describe the experience that is this movie. Even after hearing how brilliant it was I still wasn't expecting a lot from it. This went above and beyond my expectations and is one of the best horror films I've ever seen. The set-up is really well-done and creepy. Especially the stuff with the woman outside the window. There are some really brilliant shots and the atmosphere is great. And once it gets going it doesn't let up. This is easily one of the bloodiest films I've ever seen.

Anyone who calls themselves a horror fan has to see this film. The French sure know their horror.

I saw the first "Wrong Turn" its opening weekend in theaters back in 2003. It was a very entertaining and fast-paced (granted it was only 81 minutes long) thrill-ride that rarely let up until the credits rolled. I wanted to see a sequel all along, but a Direct-to-DVD one wasn't what I had in mind.

So, yeah, when I heard about this being a Direct-to-DVD sequel with a plot about reality show contestants no less, I was expecting it to be entertaining crap at best. But once the movie was wrapped and people were able to see screenings of it, surprisingly positive things were actually being said about it. Some were even saying it was better than the original. How could that be? Were these people that just didn't like the original and found it easy to surpass? I didn't see how a Direct-to-DVD sequel with a plot I wasn't very thrilled about could manage the feat of being better than the first. But after reading mostly encouraging reviews for it I began to think that maybe this really would be good.

Were the reviews right or were my fears realized? Well, I must say I'm very happy to report that this was a shockingly good sequel with the quality of a theatrical release. It really did deserve to be released in theaters. After a killer opening with a nice death scene the movie does slow down a bit to set-up the storyline with the reality show contestants, but soon after it gets going and is an exciting, gore-filled time. I was really impressed. This is actually a very worthy follow-up to the first movie and in some ways it actually surpasses it. I'm kind of surprised they even managed to make this movie for as cheap as they did. If this cost only 4 Million then where the hell did the almost 13 Million spent on the original go? I sure can't figure it out.

I'm not too sure what to say about the actual movie. This is one where I really don't have many comments about the events in it. I just had a really good time and I enjoyed Erica Leerhsen (Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – 2003) in it. Her character, Nina, was my favorite and the most interesting. Aside from her character, the only others I liked were Amber, Mara, Jake, and especially Dale (played by Henry Rollins in a pretty cool role).

The major problem I have with most of the endless line of Direct-to-DVD sequels being released is that the majority of them just copy the plots from the previous films. Some even annoyingly feature the exact same type of scenes that were in the original, with the exact same thing happening to another character. Thankfully "Wrong Turn 2" is none of this. This is a perfect example of a Direct-to-DVD sequel with its own idea. I wish the quality of others could be this good.

Since this is going to be a profitable title for Fox you can bet we'll see a third entry sometime in the future. But advice to them; keep the same writer and director. Such an impressive job was done with this one that bringing in someone else could just screw up what is so far an enjoyable series. I will be disappointed if the next one has all new filmmakers. I trust that with them and another new plot (one different than the previous two) they will deliver another winner.

Grade: 8/10 (B+)

What a wonderful gem of a film! I am so angry it flew under-the-radar and couldn't have been something even remotely close to a sleeper hit. I would have been happy with it grossing even 1 Million at the Box Office instead of the paltry $3,130 it ended up with in its entire Box Office run, which, to be fair, only lasted a couple of weeks and was only shown on one screen.

It's a good thing Alexis Bledel was in this or I might have missed this great little film. I wasn't all that impressed by the trailer but thought it looked decent. However, being a huge fan of Gilmore Girls, I planned on seeing it anyway for Alexis. I'm really thankful I did. The whole cast is terrific. I especially loved Jay Baruchel in it. I've never been that impressed by him until now. He gives a really nice, natural, and charming performance.

I'm just so disappointed that it didn't do better. Did they not even market it? It couldn't have been marketed very well that's for sure. It deserves to be seen. I will definitely do what I can to get people to see it. I'll pimp it out at the video store (unfortunately we only got one copy - we couldn't even get 3? Come on!) and if I can find one I'd like an "I'm Reed Fish" shirt. Then if people ask about my shirt I'll tell them about the movie. Hopefully it can be discovered by quite a few people on DVD.

I urge everyone to seek this one out.

Grade: 8/10 (A-)

You know, this show "should" be able to offer the same fun that the BBC show "HEX" did, but it can't. That show was somewhat light on story (when it comes to its big mysteries anyway), but it doesn't matter because it's so addicting that you can't help but be sucked in. "Dante's Cove" has the potential to be such an entertaining guilty pleasure but despite the beautiful bodies and sexy scenes it's all rather dull. Maybe it needs new writers or something (it should team with the creators of "HEX"). The shows remind me so much of each other in a way but I only wish "Dante's Cove" was as cool and addicting. Add the hot sex of this show to the fun of that show and I'd have a new favorite show. As of Season 1 I'm not that impressed though and recommend anyone watching this to give "HEX" a shot instead, or as well.

This isn't some amazing film that will make my top 10 at the end of the year, but it is sure to be one of the most fun times I'll have at the theater all year. It was an absolute blast for what it's worth! Yes, the CGI sucks and there are things to nitpick about, but it has a nice amount of jump scares and couldn't be more entertaining. I saw it in a packed audience opening night and there were plenty of laughs and screams. I didn't hear anything negative on the way out. I was afraid I'd be highly disappointed by this movie, but all of the negative things lowered my expectations and lead to me being very pleasantly surprised.

I had so dang much fun at this movie! It works great as popcorn entertainment. It deserves to do much better than the other horror crap that was released this year. Too bad this one wouldn't have gotten released sooner before everyone was sick of so many horror movies (a new one was released almost every week), leading to this one not doing as well. If it would have come out sooner it could have done quite a bit better. It's a shame because it's a blast and I'd kill for a sequel. I wish they'd do one anyway. I know Wes Craven wouldn't be back to direct but I don't care as long as Kevin Williamson returns to write.

Grade: 8/10 (A-) ----- I normally wouldn't give this high of a rating to something that works as great popcorn entertainment, but it's a personal recent favorite of mine. It's not Million Dollar Baby, but if you're looking for more of a "fun" movie then this is definitely satisfying in that area. It was fun and funny. See it with a group of people. The more the merrier. A movie like this is best with a bunch of people. It's way more fun that way. At least try to go when it would be busiest so you can see it with a good amount of people in attendance. Friday night and Saturday night would likely be best.

It's no SCREAM, that's for sure, but it works on its own. It's the best horror movie I've seen in theaters in awhile. I went to SAW opening weekend because it was Halloween weekend and I wanted to see a horror flick, and I didn't think it was that great at all. It's one of the most overrated movies of 2004. The acting was atrocious by the leads! Plus the movie was just cheesy. It does work as something to laugh at though because the bad acting and cheesy stuff make it quite hilarious. Then the following weekend I sat through THE GRUDGE which was even worse. It was so boring and pointless. It wasn't involving in the least, unlike the movie it couldn't resemble more - THE RING. Now that one was highly engrossing, hypnotic, and creepy - with a mystery that was actually interesting.

THE GRUDGE was just lame and is also overrated. I'd give SAW a 6/10 (C+) and THE GRUDGE a 5/10 (C). I'd highly recommend CURSED over those two.

I plan on seeing it again in theaters. I want to support it and plus I'd just love to see it again. It's too fun! I plan on buying the DVD the day it hits stores for sure. Hopefully it's extras packed...

OPEN WATER (2004)

Based on true events, Open Water is the story of Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis), a workaholic couple that is in desperate need of a vacation. But the one they get isn't exactly the one they had in mind, as their tour boat leaves them behind while scuba diving and they are now stranded in shark-infested waters in the middle of the ocean.

I had been dying to see Open Water ever since I first heard about the raves it got at the Sundance Film Festival. Being scared of the ocean, I found the premise terrifying. No, I'm not scared of the shallow stuff off the beach, but of the huge deep, dark ocean a ways out there. I'd find it scary enough being out there with a boat and a group of people, but the thought of being abandoned out there with no way to call and let anyone know that you're there, being so helpless, is even scarier. There's nothing you can do but be taken wherever the current takes you and hope that sooner or later, someone will find you and you'll be able to go back to the life that might not have seemed so great before, but seems like heaven now. If you put yourself in the place of the couple in the movie, and just imagine what they'd be going through, it's scary. The day would seem endless. You could try and play a game like the couple in the movie attempt to do, but like Susan (Ryan), it's likely you just won't feel like playing. Even though worrying about the situation you're in would only make the time go by slower, it would be impossible to think about anything else, and impossible to be able to just relax and play a game. You'd have nothing to do but think about the sharks swimming around you and wonder if the boat will come back for you. And as it gets later and later, you'd be faced with the realization that it might not be coming back, that you might not be rescued, and the panic-inducing thought that you're going to die out there. Which then makes you think about how you won't get to see your family and friends ever again, and won't be able to tell them how much you care and that you love them. To top it off you'd be dying of thirst and getting more and more dehydrated. Sure, you're surrounded by water, but you can't drink it. Drinking some of it can make you sick, and drinking enough can be fatal. You'd be hungry too, but won't have any food. It would make you long for the luxury of being able to open the fridge at home and grab something to eat, something you take for granted when you can do it whenever you want. And could you imagine if you were in a hurry and decided to skip breakfast that morning? You'd have no water to drink, no food to eat, and swimming can be tiring enough as it is, but when you have weights on you and a big oxygen tank on your back, it would be even more exhausting. With no food and water to keep your body going, you'll just keep getting weaker and weaker, and more and more helpless. Then when night comes, and it's pitch dark and you can't see what is around you, the fear of not knowing what's there would be almost unbearable. You wouldn't dare let go of the other person, because if you drift apart, you might not find eachother again with it being too dark to see. And as bad as it would be being stranded out there with at least one other person, it would be even worse being stranded alone. You'd have nobody to keep you going, nobody to keep you calm. Thankfully this couple has eachother, I couldn't begin to imagine how frightening it would be alone.

As dangerous as it is, the idea to use real, untrained, wild sharks is brilliant and makes it scarier. I applaud them for having the guts to do this. The actors went through a lot for this movie, and didn't even receive a huge paycheck like A-list stars do for making movies not nearly as dangerous. The two actors here didn't have the luxury of getting to sit around between takes and be pampered. They sacrificed all of that for the film, and they deserve tremendous credit for it. Spending day and night in shark-infested waters doesn't exactly sound like a pleasant experience.

While Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis have done a few little roles here and there before, this is the movie that will really get them recognized. They have to carry the entire movie on their shoulders, and are on screen 95% of the time. The movie relies on their performances in order for the movie to work, and the movie couldn't have turned out better, as they give exceptionally realistic performances. They have a great chemistry together, and are really believable as a couple. What surprised me is how downright likable they are. It's amazing how much you end up caring about them. They are such a likable couple and you can tell that they really love eachother. You find yourself wanting, needing for them to get out of this alive. I was so engrossed in what was going on and in these characters that whenever they got upset and would have a breakdown, I almost cried for them. The movie is so intimate that I could feel their pain, their sense of hopelessness, and their love for one another. This is a very effective and emotionally draining experience. Ryan, who looks and seems a lot like Charlize Theron, and Travis, both give two of the best performances this year in their respective categories of Best Actress and Best Actor. I'm looking forward to seeing them in a lot more roles in the future.

Before seeing it I had heard that some loved the ending and some hated it. This made me worry that it might end up being an abrupt ending, or something stupid like they see a helicopter in the sky and the movie ends without us knowing if they get rescued for sure or not. My imagination ran wild thinking of what could possibly make some people hate the ending, and other possibilities I came up with were that a helicopter does rescue them and then once they're in the air and being brought in the helicopter blows up, or that there's a twist and we find out they were left behind on purpose. It's funny that out of all of the things I imagined happening, I wasn't even close to what actually happens. Thankfully I didn't know the ending before seeing it, because that would have ruined the experience and made the outcome less shocking and the trip to get to it less intense and effective. It's best to see this movie knowing as little as possible about the things that happen in the movie. Even if you're curious, DON'T FIND OUT. Wait until you see it. Of course, even if you knew the main outcome of it, but didn't know the details, you're still likely to be surprised by how things play out. If I had heard the ending before seeing the movie, I most likely would have thought, `Well that's a stupid ending.' However, it works so well in the movie, and I'm glad I didn't know beforehand because it would have thrown me off from seeing it. The ending makes the movie all that more memorable.

When seeing movies, even if there is stuff during the end credits, most people still get up and walk out. But nobody got up during this movie, even once the stuff was over people didn't hurry up. Everyone just sat, stunned, and too dazed to move. Most people didn't talk on the way out, other than a couple positive comments. Surprisingly I didn't hear any negative comments. While walking out I felt worn out, unable to clear my head and think of anything else but the movie I had just witnessed. And on the way home, I was in a daze. I couldn't stop thinking about the movie. I was excited about the amazing experience I had just had, but my body was too tired for me to do much of anything other than smile. It's very thought provoking and a great conversation movie.

Open Water isn't for everyone. The main people that will dislike it are young, immature teens and other closed-minded people that were expecting a violent shark attack movie. It's not like that at all. It's not very bloody, and it's not constant shark action. The sharks are certainly there, but this is not a blood feast. It's a quiet film that starts out being kind of funny with the characters cracking a few remarks about the situation they're in, but as it goes along and they're out there longer and longer, the tension increases more and more. It's not filled with a bunch of boo scares, and only had one part that made me jump. Instead it works by creating a nervous, uncomfortable feeling in your gut, and keeps you on edge. As the suspense built, I started to sweat more and more. This is a mature film for adults or the more mature teens. It's just too bad the people going into it expecting something else and don't end up liking it are going to bad-mouth it and keep others away. It's people like that that are going to cause this movie to become underrated. However, I wouldn't let any of those comments discourage you from seeing it in theaters. As long as you know what to expect, and are fine with that, then you shouldn't have a problem with it. I don't recommend waiting for video, because it wouldn't be the same at all. It's more effective when you're in the dark with more people and are able to be consumed by the screen, without the distractions you might get at home with the phone ringing, people talking, or whatever else going on. And this wouldn't be a movie you'd want to get distracted during, or that you'd want to stop to take a break and get a snack or something, because by doing that you're cutting the tension that was building and it will take you out of the movie, and it just won't be the same once you come back to it.

Not many movies can pull off being so startling, but Open Water succeeds on all levels. It works at being a dramatic and exhausting experience, and provides the viewer with a real sense of dread. This is definitely a scary movie, but not scary in the way people have come to expect movies to be scary, by having loud spine chilling music and boo scares to make you jump. This put a chill down my spine without the help of music, it did it by providing a genuine, human terror. Forget the overrated Jaws and Deep Blue Sea; Open Water is the stuff real nightmares are made of. Easily the best shark movie of all time, and I'm very confident that I will never see this one topped in my lifetime. So far this is the best film of the year, and there's a good chance it could stay that way. Open Water is an unforgettable film that is not to be missed.

Grade: 9/10 (A)

How To Deal tries to "deal" with too much in too little time, making for one crowded and not fully satisfying teen drama. It probably wasn't such a good idea to try and cram two books worth of material into one movie. But even so, I'm sure it could have worked better than it does here. There's so many characters and relationships, which would be fine but dividing the time up between them doesn't leave much time for each one. And the main one we are supposed to care about feels rushed. Although I'm actually thankful the relationship with Halley (Mandy Moore) and Macon (Trent Ford) didn't have more time, because it was a joke and the whole time I kept rolling my eyes and screaming inside "NO! Don't get together. You guys couldn't be more wrong for eachother." I never wanted them to be together. They had zero chemistry, and I never felt they really cared for eachother. It felt like a waste of time watching a so called "relationship" between these two. I'm shocked at how contrived this relationship was. I haven't seen a more contrived relationship in a teen movie in quite some time now. I don't see how anyone, even pre-teens, could not see through this. It was simply pathetic. It felt like all Macon wanted was to get in Halley's pants, and that's all she wanted too. So then later on when she says to him something to the effect that she was starting to love him, I couldn't help but think `Love? Ha! You obviously don't know what love is because there's no way you could love him when you don't even know him and haven't had a single deep conversation, unless it was shown off-screen.' I never once cared about Macon, and couldn't see how it would be at all possible for Halley to either. Hmm, maybe all of the dysfunctional relationships around her blinded her and made her a bad judge of character? It would certainly seem so.

When a romance movie ends and you are left thinking that it's very likely the two could break-up the next day and don't have a chance in hell at staying together, it's not exactly a good thing. Of course in this case, I'd have been more satisfied with them breaking it off before the movie ended. Now that would have been a happy ending for me. But at least it's comforting knowing that they don't stand a chance at lasting, and Halley might eventually find real true love.

Surprisingly, the best relationship comes from Halley's best friend, Scarlett (Alexandra Holden), and her new boyfriend, Michael (John White). Sadly, they only get a few seconds of screen time, yet the two characters seemed to have the most chemistry and had me more interested than the Halley/Macon relationship. I swear anything would be more interesting than the relationship between Halley and Macon though. I'm willing to bet that a cardboard box and a rock have more chemistry.

Mandy Moore (A Walk To Remember) gives a nice, natural performance again. It's too bad it wouldn't have been in a better movie. Trent Ford, on the other hand, gives what is sure to be the worst male performance of the year. Every time he spoke I would roll my eyes. He delivers his lines so atrociously bad that it has to be seen to believe. Even the two girls sitting a few seats over from me would make fun of him every time he was on the screen. I couldn't have agreed with them more. This guy was just so awful. Him and Moore had absolutely no chemistry. I actually think with a better actor playing Macon that the relationship between Halley and Macon wouldn't have been so laughable. In fact, I think the lead role should have went to John White, who had the small part of Michael, and someone else should have played Michael. Although the only problem with that is that it might cheapen the nice relationship between Michael and Scarlett if he were played by someone else. Either way, Trent Ford should not have been in this, unless he was just an extra that walks by the camera in a scene and doesn't have to speak. I don't mean to be so harsh, but his performance was just so downright terrible. I highly suggest some acting lessons before attempting another role, that is if anyone is even going to want to hire him after this. Anyway, enough about him. A nice surprise was Alexandra Holden (The Hot Chick), who was just adorable as Halley's best friend. I really would like to see her in more roles soon. She made her character so likable that I rather would have been watching a movie about her instead. In my opinion, she stole the show from Moore. Also providing a good performance as usual was Allison Janney (Drop Dead Gorgeous, The Hours) as Halley's mom. She provides for a very welcome and somewhat shocking (considering the kind of movie) laugh in one of her first major scenes. It was probably the best scene she was in. Also worth a note is Nina Foch as Halley's pot smoking grandmother. She manages to give us a few laughs in the few scenes she's in.

In the end, How To Deal had promise but is ultimately disappointing. I give it credit for trying to be edgier, and I really did appreciate it actually throwing in a couple of sudden and unexpected shocks our way, but there's just too much going on for one movie, leaving it all cluttered and feeling somewhat phony. I couldn't help but be reminded of a much better edgier PG-13 movie involving teens, the downright superb and well acted Crazy/Beautiful (9/10 or A-). Now that's one that managed to succeed with flying colors. This one is all stale. Sure, it brings up real problems that teens face, but the way it presents most of them just doesn't ring true. Don't get me wrong, it was decent and not really boring or anything, but sadly, it doesn't live up to its full potential.

For a movie that claims to be `a lesson in love for non-believers,' I sure can't see anyone learning much.

Grade: 6/10 (C+)

Whoa! I'm speechless! May is one weird, fun, funny, sad, and disturbing film. It's just so many things. It's a strangely beautiful character study about a lonely girl who just wants a friend. I couldn't help but feel for her. She's weird and shy, but in a cute, sweet way. I was intrigued by her, and wanted her to find happiness. No matter how pathetic her character would become, I just couldn't stop caring. I wanted to reach out to her, and be her friend. Nobody deserves to be so lonely. All she needed was a friend. But things just don't exactly work out that way. Once she began to crack and take the plunge into madness, it was understandable how it could happen. That doesn't mean that the events that unfolded weren't shocking, because they definitely were. But we see why our heroine does what she does. We can't help but want things to be different though, and for her to go down a different path, but when she doesn't, we come along for the ride anyway, following her wherever she takes us.

Angela Bettis gives an amazing performance as May. So far this is the best female performance of the year, and when the end of the year comes, if it's still not THE best, it will be one of THE best. She makes us care about her character from the beginning, and we never really stop, even when she goes psychotic. Bettis shows so many emotions, and makes us feel all kinds of things. She was very natural, and sometimes her body language spoke to us more than her words. We just knew what she was feeling, and could feel her cracking more and more as the movie went on. She was sweet, sad, scary, pathetic, and yet strangely attractive. It's too bad the Academy are such prudes, because this girl is so deserving of an Oscar nomination that it's not even funny. Unfortunately, it's obvious her performance will be overlooked by them. May just isn't "Oscar material." Plus, the movie didn't make enough money and isn't well known enough for them to even consider honoring anything to do with "May." But even if they don't honor it, the fans will always remember it. I've seen Bettis in other movies, but after seeing this, I will always remember her as May... I've always been a fan of the underrated Anna Faris. She's a great comedic actress. I found her to be a lot of fun as Polly. She's funny and sexy. This is sure to be one of my favorite supporting performances of the year. Faris was a welcome addition to this twisted little film.

Writer/Director Lucky McKee proves to be a great new talent. It's hard to believe this is his first feature film. Very impressive if you ask me. I'm looking forward to whatever he does next. If it's anything as wonderful as "May," then it should be great... Also deserving of a mention is composer Jaye Barnes-Luckett. She does a terrific job here, always providing the right music at the right moment. If she keeps this up, she'll have a bright future ahead of her.

I'm still blown away by this film. There's so many praises I have for it, that I doubt I could remember to mention them all. It's original, well acted, well written, well directed, etc... It's just twistedly wonderful. It's too bad it wasn't given a better release in theaters, but it's not exactly a mainstream movie either. It still deserved better than what it got. At least I can find comfort in knowing that it's sure to become a cult classic. Word of mouth will help it a lot. It's definitely not for everyone though. It's weird, morbid, quirky, wicked, and gutsy. It doesn't shy away from much. In fact, it has one of the best and most realistic slit throats I've ever witnessed on screen. But don't let that scare you, it's definitely worth a look for any horror fan, or any film fan in general. I'm proud to have this haunting film as a part of my collection. It's simply A-MAY-ZING!

Grade: 9/10 (A-)

If this movie was a stand alone straight-to-video flick with no connection to The Hitcher, I think it would have been more enjoyable. But that's just not the case. Instead, this turns out to be such an obvious rip-off of the first it's not even funny. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the only reason it was made was to make a quick buck. This lame and laughable re-hash of the original doesn't even deserve "The Hitcher" title. A sequel didn't need to be made, but since one was, it's just plain sad that this had to be it. They could have done better than this, even for straight-to-video. If you haven't seen the original though, you will probably enjoy this more. But for the most part, it just annoyed me. It did manage to get a little better and more interesting after a half an hour or so, but until then, I was less than thrilled. It made me roll my eyes quite a few times, mainly during the first 30+ minutes. The last 40-50 minutes or so were undeservedly entertaining, of course, pretty much anything would be entertaining after the rocky start the movie had. And even though pretty much the whole thing stole from the original, it managed to get me interested during the last half. Sure, I knew what would happen. Hell, anyone who's ever seen a horror movie, action movie, or thriller before will be able to see the final events unfolding before they even happen. But even with the terrible dialogue, plot-holes, shameless ripping off, and just plain silliness, I was still entertained during the last half, even if I'm not proud of it.

Before seeing this movie I was happy C. Thomas Howell was at least reprising his role. But after seeing the movie, I could care less. In the original, even if his character did some of the dumbest things, he was still likable and you wanted him to get out alive. In the sequel, his character was annoying and I didn't care if he lived or died. The part where he flipped out in the care about picking up the hitchhiker was so lame. Obviously, he was right since the guy turned out to be a killer, but at the time, he had no proof, and made a fool out of himself by acting so stupid. I mean, what would the odds be that this hitchhiker would actually be a killer too? In the movie, it's pretty good (but a very lame attempt at connecting the two movies, and a little unbelievable), but in the real world, it's pretty unlikely that would happen. So both times you pick up a hitchhiker in your life they are going to turn out to be psycho killers? It just doesn't seem plausable. Yet the creators of this sequel just don't care, because all they wanted was a quick buck, and could care less how much disbelief the audience is supposed to suspend. The character I liked in the original becomes just

plain unbearable here. I think C. Thomas Howell's overracting is the main reason this happens. The scene in the car when he goes crazy is the best example of this. I prefer to just forget this annoying Jim Halsey (Howell) and remember the one in the original instead... Surprisingly fairing better is Kari Wuhrer. I didn't expect much from her, but she was actually the best thing about the movie. Her acting wasn't the best, but it wasn't bad and it was certainly better than everyone else in the movie. Plus, the fact that she's very easy on the eyes here made the movie easier to watch. She looked kind of like a poor-man's Ashley Judd... I've never liked Jake Busey, and this movie didn't change that. Even if he does somewhat resemble Rutger Hauer from the original, his performance doesn't even come close. With Hauer, we felt a sense of dread, a reason to be afraid. Here, Busey is just plain goofy and cracking lame one-liners. I never felt afraid of this bumbling moron.

Even though I knew this wouldn't be able to touch the original, I still couldn't help but look forward to this movie. I thought it might be able to at least entertain, and figured it was a good sign that Howell was back, but that just wasn't the case. It couldn't even meet my expectations, which weren't all that high. I also could have done without the blinding cinematography. It was kind of annoying. The colors were really bad and bled quite a bit. I'm not sure if the bleeding was just from the DVD version, but either way, the colors looked like crap... In the end, if you want to see a hacked up re-hash of the original, then this might please you. But I can't picture any fans of the original truly enjoying this one, even if it does manage to have a few entertaining scenes.

Grade: 6/10 (C+)

THE HOT CHICK (2002)

Believe it or not, The Hot Chick is one of the best comedies of the year. It's been awhile since I've laughed so much at the theater. To my surprise, it even held up really well upon a second viewing, which is rare for comedies.

Anna Faris (Scary Movie, Scary Movie 2, May) gives another winning comedic performance here as April, proving she's one of the best young comedic actresses working today. Her facial expressions are absolutely classic. She never fails to make me laugh and I look forward to her future projects. Rob Schneider gives a really fun performance in what is his best comedy to date, not that it was too hard to top Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (7/10 or B-) or The Animal (5/10 or C).

Overall, The Hot Chick exceeded my expectations and proved to be a real fun time. It was laugh-out-loud funny from beginning to end. I even appreciated its sweet side and its good message, although most people probably won't take it too seriously anyway. This is not a great film by any means, but it is a very fun one. If you just want to have a good time and laugh then you can't do much better than The Hot Chick.

Grade: 8/10 or B+ or **** of *****

THEY (2002)

If you threw Pitch Black, A Nightmare On Elm Street, Final Destination, and The Ring in a blender you'd probably end up with something like "They." It's a moody little horror film for mature audiences. It may look like a teen horror flick but it actually takes a more serious tone and I see adult audiences enjoying this more than teens.

The main place this movie scores is with the directing. I loved the lighting and the uneasy feeling the movie gives off, especially during the final few minutes. It really made my heart beat and I felt uneasy. The many jump scenes were also a nice touch, whether they worked or not. Some worked for me and some didn't, but it all depends on the person.

Laura Regan really surprised me as Julia. Before seeing the movie I wasn't expecting much from her. From the trailer I thought her acting seemed kind of weak but I'm glad I was proved wrong. She actually gave a very good and likable performance. She's also quite cute which also surprised me because from the trailer I didn't find her that attractive. Marc Blucas does an alright job but he doesn't have much to do except play the token boyfriend that we've seen a number of times before. At least I can say his acting ha s improved a little since his days on TV's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." Ethan Embry and Dagmara Dominczyk also do fine with what they are given, although I have seen better performances from Embry in the past.

Unfortunately, even with the many high points of "They" it's not without its faults, the main one being the script. I would have liked more background info on the characters, especially Julia (Regan). To me it seemed like Terry (Dominczyk) was one of the most developed characters. I really enjoyed the story she told about what happened the night "they" took her. Where she ends up and what she does is pretty creepy and managed to stay with me the whole movie. The other main flaw of the script is that too many questions are left unanswered. Now I'm not someone who needs everything explained to them but I'd at least like to know what the hell "they" want by the time the movie is over.

Overall, despite some flaws I really enjoyed "They," it's a well crafted thriller with some very good directing from Robert Harmon and one hell of an eerie score. This clever horror thriller is sure to become one of the years most underrated. It should however develop a cult following, especially once it hits video. It's a love it or hate it kind of film that I don't think a lot of mainstream audiences will like. I think the ending alone will turn a lot of people off, I on the other hand loved it. Along with "The Ring," "They" has one of the most downright wicked endings of the year. It definitely had my heart pumping. I also can't forget the solid opening scene, it was very well done and one hell of a creepy way to start off the movie.

I'd recommend "They" to the same audience that enjoyed "The Ring," if that movie bored you then "They" is likely to have the same effect.

Grade: 7/10 or B or ***1/2 of *****