written by: MobileMiMi

Thinking about hosting a Halloween Movie Scare-A-Thon? Use this list of 75 favorite Halloween Movies as a guide to selecting the right movie. Grab the popcorn and claim your spot on the couch, it's time to take part in your own Halloween Scare-A-Thon! Halloween movies can set a spooky mood for your Halloween parties and gatherings. This list of the top 75 Halloween movie rentals for Fall 2008 can help you select the right movie or movies.

This guide features alot of great classics like Alfred Hitchcock's the Birds and Sherlock Holmes and the Hounds of the Baskervilles. I've not included a lot of hack them up and chop them ups. So you'll notice there are no Jasons or Freddies in this list. However some of the movies have some gore in them, so use your own parental guidance when choosing the right one for you and your family.

Here's the list of top 75 movies for Halloween:

1. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci
2. Fright Night - Chris Sarandon, great for Halloween
3. The Lady in White - Luke Haas, great family Halloween movie
4. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang
5. Dragonfly - Kevin Costner
6. Ghost - Patrick Swayze Halloween movies at the best
7. Eyes of Fire - Avery Crounse
8. Dead and Loving It - Mel Brooks, Leslie Neilsen
9. Disney's Halloween Treat - *Warning the first sequence can be disturbing to young children.
10. Ghostbusters - Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray
11. Ghostbusters II - Sigourney Weaver
12. The Mummy - Brendan Fraser Halloween movies with a touch of history
13. The Mummy Returns - Brendan Fraser. This is a great sequel!
14. The Fog - John Carpenter wrote this movie. Adriane Barbeau stars in this 1980 scareflick.
15. Beowulf -CG film starring Angelina Jolie
16. Something Wicked This Way Comes - written by Ray Bradbury starring JasonRobards
17. The Birds - Alfred Hitchcock's film starring Tippi Hedren. Perfect for Halloweenmovies!
18. The Hound of the Baskervilles - Sherlock Holmes at his best! I love the black and white version....

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written by Cyrus

We all know that this is one of the best selling video releases of all time, but should you empty your wallet for the super duper extra expensive "Ultimate 2-Disc Edition"? Or should you stick to the regular plain old opposite of ultimate 1-disc normal edition?

While “The Dark Knight” is a superb brooding and dark crime drama of a superhero movie with the best villain in recent memory, “Iron Man” is a bright, colorful and funny action film that's got the best hero. Robert Downey Jr brings his A-game to playing Tony Stark and he is fully three-quarters of the reason why “Iron Man” is so tits. Anyway, if you read Spill, you KNOW how we loved this so let’s go right into the only reason for writing a review of the new “Iron Man: Ultimate Two-Disc Edition”...the extras.

The movie is just the movie, no director's cut waiting for you here I'm afraid. Frankly I’m surprised since some of the stuff left on the cutting room floor would have added to the film in a positive way, but what do I know? I’m sitting here in just my jogging shorts (not that I actually jog in them) eating cheerios and writing out the best parts of the four or so hours I spent watching the bonus stuff on a superhero movie. Clearly, somewhere in my life I took a wrong turn...

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By Jacob Destree

Oh, to have seen "Beowulf" (2007) in IMAX 3-D! It would have been amazing. Watching the DVD, one cannot help but imagine what the 3-D version is like. Axes flying at you; spears pointing in your face; and soaring through the sky with a dragon! All in a gloriously animated adventure, rated PG-13 because it's not for the Disney crowd.

The blood, and guts, and hints of nudity and sex are a refreshing sight in a mainstream, computer-animated movie. This type of picture does NOT have to be clinically familial, and "Beowulf" proves it.

Here's a few reasons why you must see this movie:

1. The filmmakers rock! Robert Zemeckis is a trustworthy director. He brought you "Roger Rabbit," "Back To The Future," AND "Forrest Gump." One of the writers is Neil Gaiman. He wrote the grand-daddy of all graphic novel series, "Sandman."

2. The cast is amazing. Crispin Glover plays the monster Grendel (and nearly steals the show). Angelina Jolie, although animated, appears nearly naked. John Malkovich and Anthony Hopkins add to the mix. Part of the fun is recognizing who plays who-- not by voice-- but by likeness. Their CG counterparts look so realistic, it is amazing to see how far this technology has come.

3. The DVD extras are cool, too. Even if you never watch behind-the-scenes material, be sure to check out The Making Of "Beowulf." It shows how the actors played out their scenes wearing motion-capture suits on sets made mostly of see-through materials (so the light can penetrate the film space and the computer can digitally map out the action, right down to facial inflections). Very interesting!

P.S. Use this movie to test drive your home theater system. It's such a visceral experience. If you have amped up sound and a High-Def TV, "Beowulf" is tailor-made for your enjoyment.

Do you love the cinema too? Go to [http://www.jacobdestree.wordpress.com], Jacob Destree's Movie Blog and read all about the latest blockbusters and classic movies.

written by: Rafe Telsch

The tagline for Awake (and the opening text screens) informs the viewer that every year one in 700 people wake up during surgery. That doesn’t mean they actually wake up, screaming from the agony of having an open chest or gushing wounds from some horrible accident. Instead Awake deals with a condition known as Anesthesia Awareness. The person is physically frozen while their consciousness is still awake and alert. They can’t move, but they can hear and feel the world around them.

Being “awake” during surgery is exactly the position Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) finds himself in after he’s admitted to the hospital for a heart transplant. Prior to surgery, the billionaire, who suffers from a weak heart and a rare blood type, gets his affairs in order, which include telling his prudish mother about his girlfriend of over a year, and then marrying the girl before undergoing heart surgery. It turns out not everything is what it seems when Clay doesn’t fully fall asleep during the procedure, however, and he overhears the doctor’s plot to kill him, ensuring a hefty insurance payoff.

The biggest problem that Awake suffers is that its protagonist is completely and totally unable to do anything for over half of the movie. While Anesthesia Awareness might be a fascinating plot device, the truth is once Clay goes under (or doesn’t), he can’t move. He can’t scream out, and he can’t interact with the plot that is unfolding around him. While the story attempts to get around this by having Clay leave his body and view his own memories from a different point of view (at which point I don’t consider him to be aware of his surroundings as much as having an out-of0body experience), the truth is that once the plot gets interesting, Clay can’t act.

Even worse than Clay not being able to act, however, is the acting of the primary cast members. I’ve always heard good things about Hayden Christensen’s non-Star Wars work, but he certainly doesn’t redeem Anakin’s whininess here. Clay is a character who’s powerless against his own mother, afraid to tell her about the supposed love of his life – basically, he’s just a whiny, rich young adult, which isn’t far from the role Christensen already showed he couldn’t play. Thankfully, his acting gets better when he’s moved to a voice over – I can only assume the recording session director wasn’t the film’s director, Joby Harold, or Harold was able to focus more on helping the actor actually emote something in studio sessions. Jessica Alba isn’t terrible, especially in comparison to Christensen, but both are bad enough to make anyone wonder how Terrence Howard got roped into the same picture.

While the film does utilize some interesting cinematography choices (in particular, I love the opening shot of Christensen, submerged in a tub for an uncomfortably long time), the truth is the movie isn’t quite “trippy” enough, considering its content. Watching Clay move through his own memories gives plenty of opportunity for some surrealism or abstract elements, and the idea alone recalls Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I can’t help but wonder what this picture might have been like in the hands of someone like Gondry or a more experienced director, instead of first time Harold.



Unfortunately Awake is a snoozer of a movie. With a cast that doesn’t act well and a plot centered around a character who can’t interact with the world around him, there’s just no way for the story to move. In the end, it’s just a small, predictable mystery story that unfolds without reason as both the viewers and the primary characters act as flies on the wall. If the movie took more chances, it could have at least been something memorable, but instead there’s not much to Awake other than a unique plot hook that causes most of the movie’s problems.

Retrieved from: http://www.cinemablend.com/review.php?id=2746

NOTE: Despite what this movie reviewer says, Verniel Cutar gives 'Awake' a rating of 4 Stars out of 5!

by Brad Brevet

What can I say? There are moments in film history when everything is pushed aside and performance exceeds genre.



Batman Begins told audiences and film critics it was possible to root a comic book generated superhero in reality. Earlier this year Iron Man set out to do the same but lost its balance in the final act. The Dark Knight manages to exceed expectation with a villain so maniacal, his desire for destruction begins to make sense to the point you understand his desire for all out anarchy while you are cheering for the opposition in a war that basically boils down to one side against individual terrorism.

Heath Ledger presents himself as The Joker in a role that defines a career. It is unimaginable it would come to the point that a film based on a comic book character could actually have such an impact on one person. On a generation. Ledger's decent into what is, and has become, The Joker makes Jack Nicholson's interpretation look like nothing more than a simple clown. "Wait until they get a load of me," says Jack... Wait until you get a load of Heath says I.

The Dark Knight presents a character so destructive and without a care for those landing in his path of decimation that you are left to your own devices. Love him. Hate him. Hate to love him or love to hate him, director Christopher Nolan has guided an actor into a dark realm not often realized. The Joker finds his place alongside villains that go by the name of Hannibal, Scarface and John Doe himself. A nameless, unrecognizable entity you won't be willing to or able to admit is Ledger until the credits roll. My biggest problem with Batman Begins was the water evaporation device used at the end of the film. The apparatus took a film firmly cemented in reality and sent it into something of a comic wonderland, easily recognizable by fans and audiences expecting such a twist in narrative. Fortunately, this film suffers from no such problem.

However, this is not a film/review solely dedicating itself to the loss of a fallen actor, obviously destined to continue his influence on film as we know it. Aaron Eckhart has never changed his style or approach, but since Thank You for Smoking it seems he has finally tossed a wrench into the mainstream and said, "Look at me!" With The Dark Knight he continues his ascent into recognition with a role (and a film) that adds weight and credibility where it may otherwise be abandoned and ignored. Eckhart's Harvey Dent is a man to cheer for and empathize with at every turn.

The Dark Knight is an emotional rollercoaster extending from the characters portrayed on screen to the audience sitting comfortably as they watch an inexplicable series of events unfold. Sure, there are a few imperfections here and there, but to point them out would not only waste paragraphs but also spoil the experience. Fingerprint how? After-party what? None of it matters because five minutes later you have an entirely new dilemma to concern your little brain with.

I could tell you about Bale's Batman/Bruce Wayne, but it would be a continued exercise in explaining the man that "is" and the man that is underneath. The Dark Knight is a political machine in duplicity and an exercise in gaining an edge no matter the means, and while it may play into the life of Americans and their inadequate Commander in Chief, it rings true on a fictional level as well. "Know when to say when," never felt so appropriate.

In terms of comic book film adaptations this is the pinnacle. The argument saying this is the Godfather Part II of comic book movies would insinuate that Batman Begins is on equal terms with the original Godfather, which is far from true. However, if we could call this The Godfather of comic book movies I wait anxiously for what may/will become the film that caps off the trilogy.

To see Brad Brevet's blog, go to http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/blog/brad_brevet/

by Todd Murphy

BOTTOM LINE: Will Smith does his best to elevate this film beyond its extremely mediocre script and direction but unfortunately he is only able to do so much, leaving us with a D-grade, un-dynamic superhero film that could have had the potential to deliver so much more than it does.

THE GOOD: We've been inundated with superhero flicks in the past decade, and it won't be long before every single comic book ever written is transformed in to a movie because some producer will think they can make five bucks out of it (and they probably will). Along comes "Hancock", a film that takes a different slant on this genre by making the hero character a complete jerk. He's careless, inconsiderate, rude and obnoxious. In a great opening scene, Hancock stops a bunch of bad guys in a chase sequence that ends with Hancock depositing their car on a pointy tower, while causing nine million dollars worth of damage. In the end, the police don't want his help because he causes more problems than he solves. These characteristics work in the film's favour, and as played so charismatically by Will Smith, creates the potential for a number of very comedic scenes involving Hancock's interactions with people. Will Smith has come a long way since being the Fresh Prince, and the surprising thing that I've found in his recent movies is that he seems to have improved his presence within a film dramatically. I was never a fan, but with films like I Am Legend and Hancock, he's single-handedly able to hold your attention and make his character very watchable. Hancock is bad, but he's good bad and you enjoy watching it.

THE BAD: It's not all good for this movie, which on the surface, has so many good things going for it. There's a different take on the superhero genre, there's an anti-hero character, there's the potential for sarcastic and witty comedy. So where does it go wrong? Aside from Will Smith's great presence, this film doesn't deliver on any of its potential. It's short, skimming over any development of story or character, relying solely on Smith's star power to drive the film. Smith has some great one-liners, but they're few and far between. The script is a mess, leaving a story that doesn't really go anywhere and doesn't give you much access in to the character or the scenario at all. Jason Bateman is unfortunately very naive and silly in his role, and this detracts from Smith's presence. Charlize Theron fares better but the direction her character takes, although good if it had been done properly, is a convoluted mess and the filmmakers spend more time explaining the elaborate backstory between her character and Hancock to the point that there's no room to even get Hancock fighting the villains which are almost an afterthought in the story. When Theron's character is revealed to be just like Hancock, the film degenerates in to an embarrassing mess of bad CGI and clunky dialogue. In the end you're wondering what is this film about? Is there any journey at all? There is a journey but it's badly executed. A lot of these criticisms you could find in many movies, but I think the sad thing for me is that I saw the potential for a great, funny, sarcastic superhero movie and unfortunately all I got was a completely wasted great idea turned in to an extremely mediocre movie.

For the original review, follow this link: http://www.allaboutmovies.net/filmreviewhancock.htm

Todd Murphy is a staff reviewer at the film/DVD review web site, http://www.allaboutmovies.net - for all the latest reviews on the newest releases.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Murphy http://EzineArticles.com/?Hancock---Great-Idea,-Wasted-Film---A-Movie-Review&id=1308479

Ok, as I write this, I just finished viewing 'The Mist' and the backround music is still playing while the film credits are being shown. I've never felt so annoyed by a film in my entire life!! I mean, the film making was good, flawless, impeccable, and it got me SO glued...and I guess the writer and the director wanted to annoy the audience..so much that they achieved their purpose.

I Give This FIlm 5 Stars Out Of 5. But I don't feel good. It is impossible to feel good after watching this movie.

The movie was based on a novel by Stephen King, were a father and a son got trapped in a grocery store after a mysterious mist clouded the entire town. There are some deadly creatures hiding and lurking behind the mist. Each time someone from the grocery dares to come out and escape, they die..or at least some of their body parts manage to get back to the grocery store.

But the main character dares to escape, and brings along with him his young son, and a handful of other brave people...to get out of the grocery store and dare to make the long drive...to see where the mist ends. The film's climax happens when they finally get to the Landcruiser and starts the long drive..a story of bravery and human courage.

One lesson that I learned though, never give up! Never give up! Never be terrorized by fear. Never think that life is not worth living anymore, because maybe rescue is nearer than you think!!! That's the only lesson I learned from this film. You'll know what I mean when you watch 'The Mist'!!

P.S: I'm so annoyed. I don't know. I can't tell you the ending but you can watch the film for yourself. Remember, the rating is 5 stars out of 5. By the way, it has one of the most shocking movie endings ever. Peiod.

Ok, the most common idea that movie watchers have about SUSPENSE is this: They imagine the Blair Witch Project, or some horror film with phantoms and girls with disheveled hair, standing behind the door with a knife. Unfortunately, that's not my idea of suspense.

The movie 'Misery' is not a horror film either, but it's my kind of suspense. This came out in 1990 (I know, I know..lately we have been making reviews about recently released films..but I couldn't stand the temptation of writing about Misery, even if it's a film from the 90's).

James Caan plays the role of a writer who got into a car accident, and got picked up and taken care of by one of his deranged fans, played by actress Kathy Bates.

Now, there are two things about this movie that I like. First, seeing James Caan play another lead role is a sigh of relief. No one could have played it better than him, and I also think it's a good comeback. If you remember, James played the role of Sonny Corleone in the classic film "The Godfather" many many years ago..In Misery, he looks much older and stricken and years, but the flicker of acting prowess is still there.

Secondly, I love the idea that this film was based on a novel by Stephen King. He's on a winning streak. His novels which were turned into films include The Green Mile, 1408, and lately, The Mist (I'll write a review about The Mist in the near future). MISERY provides the same atmosphere of gloom and silent power present in almost all Stephen King's works, and that's a plus factor.

Whew, I'm such a movie freak. :-)

So what's my rating for Misery? I'm gonna give it four stars out of five. I highly recommend it, but it's not good for kids less than 13 years old.

Here's a short trailer of the film:


Looks like fun, right! So go find this film, watch it and enjoy. I'll see yah soon!

P.S: My cousin and I have a rule regarding movies. You can tell everything about any movie, but don't tell the ending!! That's a crime among movie watchers..it's like stealing the fun from the person who haven't watched the film yet. :-)

In fact, another good title for this movie would be "A Country For Dead Men". Every five minutes or so, you'll see people either already dead or being killed. SO before watching this movie, make sure all the kids are asleep...If you don't like blood and pumped up shotguns, don't watch this film. Period.

But if you want to watch a demonstration of filmmaking with FINESSE, this is the best movie for you to watch. I mean, c'mon, No Country For Old Men won the Oscar for best picture this year. The movie communicates on a spine chilling level. It's a combination of Wild Wild West, Money Train, and Hannibal (if you haven't watched those movies yet, pick up a copy, shame on you!! lol). There's so much going on even without dialogue, and every word that the characters say has a significance to the overall impression that the movie wants to leave in your head at the end of the film.

I think No Country FOr Old Men presents a distinct message to American society. Seriously, I mean it..lol. There's so much to discuss, and there's so many overlapping themes that I wouldn't dare go into all of them. But aside from that, awesome cinematography. The only film comparable to this level of cinematography is "There Will Be Blood".

Yours truly, I give this film 5 STARS out of 5...something I haven't done since the movie "Departed". Here's a clip from No Country For Old Men:

It's a good movie, but I warn you...IT'S NOT ABOUT BOXING. If you watch this film expecting a sort of Rocky Balboa flick, you'll get disappointed. Sadly, I did. While drowsily hatching eggs in my condominium, I picked up "Resurrecting The Champ" thinking that I would be instantly taken to the exciting world of heavyweight boxing, ringside view, but my expectations were not met.

This film is not about boxing..it's about JOURNALISTS writing about BOXING. Get what I mean??

In fact, there was no real boxing match! It's just about a journalist who writes about a pathetic former boxer who lives on the streets. The boxer claims to be the legendary Bob Satterfield. But later, you'll find out that he isn't what he claims to be. So the journalist's life and reputation gets messed up. The pathetic loser boxer gets messed up too. My time is messed up too, because I was bored with the movie.

The only saving grace for this movie was the way Samuel Jackson played the role of the pathetic former boxer. I mean, five stars for the performance! He deserves an Oscar or at least a Golden Globe.

I still give this film 3 stars out of five. Not totally bad. Just BAD in some aspects.

In a nutshell, let me tell you my overall opinion about this treasure hunting flick, and it is this:

I Watched It Only Out Of Politeness, Not Out Of Enjoyment.

I had respect for this movie because I watched the National Treasure (Part 1) last year...little did I know that the sequel would be a DUM-DUM.

Imagine collecting a series of far fetched ideas, conspiracy theories, lame car chases, boring high-school historical facts, etc....and VOILA..you have an instant film entitled National Treasure (Part 2).

Don't get me wrong, though. There's still some good in the movie...and that's Diane Kruger. I think I managed to watch the entire two hour movie just because of her and nothing else. She's got more curves now, and err...she's less wholesome in many aspects. For a while, I thought I was watching a Helen of Troy sequel (which, by the way, also stars Diane Kruger).

Here's some scenes from the film. Enjoy:



I still recommend this movie, especially for those who enjoyed the National Treasure (Part 1). Although the sequel wasn't as good as the first film, you would feel a certain attachment to the characters. You'd be able to skip the trouble of figuring out what the movie is all about. That aspect in itself has a very high entertainment value.

I give this film 2 stars out of 5.

But it's still worth adding to your collection. Who knows, this might turn into a trilogy.

"I'm a world class assassin, f**khead".

Those were Bruce Willis' final words in the film "Lucky Number Slevine". Did I like it? Yes. Do I have something nice to say about it? Yes, I'll do so in a minute.

And did I mention Morgan Freeman? Splendid performance. The only thing I have against him is that he looked to good for a Mafia boss. Actually, he's called "The Boss" in the movie, but he looked more like a minister to me. Well, we can forgive that.

Perhaps my interest with this film originated from Lucy Liu, who played a role in this movie so cute..in a hot way...that I forgot about my sense of criticism for two hours straight. Josh Hartnett also appears in this movie, one of the most deceptive characters in one of the most "misleading" plots" in movie history. I mean it.

Needless to say, I enjoyed this film very much and I would like to give it five stars out of five. If you're looking for a film with unexpected twists and turns, then this is the one to watch! Just when you thought you have it all figured out, you're wrong.

Remember, I gave this film FIVE STARS....you can go ahead, buy it from your local video store, and watch it now..it's not gonna be a waste of your time. Here's an excerpt from the film:

Last night and early this morning, I had fun watching and finishing the movie "Meet Joe Black". It's good for potato chips, soda, and later on, coffee. This is the type of movie that you would love to watch while you're alone in your room, very good for couch potatoes and hopeless romantics (not that I'm either one of those..lol)

Anyway, the cast was perfect. Anthony Hopkins (one of my favorite actors of all time), Brad Pitt, Claire Forlani (the hot coroner from the TV series CSI) among many others.

Unlike many movie reviews, I won't tell you the plot of the story and spoil your movie watching experience. All I can say is that this film is about love and death, and everything in between. There are some tear-inducing scenes,especially near the end.

However, there are some scenes that I object to. Clearly, the film concentrates on the emotional side of things that it fails to explain itself! And duh, the ending is utterly confusing..away from a sense of reality. Joe Black has a world of its own, something out of reach. Vague. Hostile to the detailed mind.

I give this film FOUR STARS out of five.

Here's a clip from Youtube (the end of the movie):