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"Hostel" Hostility - A Movie Review

2009-06-24T03:51:00.000-07:00

By Robert Crane

If you have any thoughts of seeing the movie "Hostel", you just might want to read this first. Or if you saw the movie and find yourself asking "what the hell was that", you might want to read this too.

I really do not go to the movies often, maybe three times a year, usually for big screen productions like Lord of the Rings or any Star Wars episode or the new King Kong, once in a while for an off-beat drama or comedy. That’s not to say I don’t watch flicks—I do, just in the privacy of my own place. The problem is that audiences annoy me with the talking and the chewing and the crunching and the snorting already. I have a control issue about my viewing environment, okay?

Anyway, I can count on one hand, assuming none of my digits have been hacked off, the number of so called horror movies I have seen in a theater in my life. The last one—Alien, 1979. The last one I purposely rented to see was The Blair Witch Project, 1999. Of course, I have tuned in on the usual stuff around Halloween to get my fill of Freddie, Michael and the gang. It’s like anything else, when I want to laugh, I watch comedy; when I want to think, I watch a documentary. I know what I want to experience, when I want to experience it. And once in a blue moon, I want to be scared.

Such was the case this past weekend. So I went to see “Hostel”. That seemed to be the movie to see for horror.

A couple of things. First, I’m not good with the gore stuff; “Reanimator” comes to mind as a great example of gore gone nuts. Second, I’m not big on the shock scene; you know—bump in the night shots. But that is exactly what I look for when I want to be frightened. They work. They scare the living crap out of me. So I have a few uneasy nights afterwards, maybe a diminished appetite for a few hours. Eventually, I’m able to dismiss the movie’s reality and I’m good to go for another two or three years.

Not so with “Hostel”.

I should have known something was up when the ticket guy at the box office warned me about the content and offered a money-back refund if I left before the end. But no, I figured it was all part of the hype, sort of like when theaters handed out vomit bags for “Mark of the Devil” back in 1970.

I was wrong, really wrong! I should have heeded his words.

My rating system for movies is quite simple: two eyes wide opened (great; i.e., never blinked), two eyes opened (good; i.e., stayed awake all the way through), one eye opened (fair; i.e., moments of drowsiness) and finally two eyes closed (poor; i.e., fell asleep).

“Hostel” got two-eyes-shut-so-tight-I-had-to-have-them-opened-with-a-tire-iron. My lids involuntarily closed soon after a long steel drill bit gouged its way into the bare thigh of a screaming pleading young male torture prop. It was only five seconds into what would be about a five minute long—felt like a lifetime—assault of pure, unadulterated, uncompromising, unapologetic gore. I almost didn’t make it; my stomach swirled. But eventually the darkness and screaming ceased. There was a momentary break to race the plot along and propel the hero into the inevitable final twenty-five minutes of salacious slaughter and desperate depravity. My armpits were dripping like an uncapped fire hydrant.

When the disfiguring rampage began anew, I slunk my body as far down as it could go without touching the sticky theater floor, squeezed my eye lids tight, and held on as I rode the run amok rollercoaster of bloody body tissue. I soon learned that you can’t get low enough in stadium seating.

I won’t go into details of the finale; well actually I can't, because quite honestly I didn’t see much. But I don’t need to go into it. I'll just skip to my opinion: this movie is not horror. It is wrong!

It uses a “true events” premise based loosely on an undocumented practice in Thailand in which poor souls allow themselves to be murdered by paying customers in order to collect insurance money for the families. In this case, it is a poor, remote, lawless Slovakian town whose only commerce is the business of luring young healthy humans to a dank rundown remote warehouse where they are bought as sacrificial lambs for wealthy troubled men who pay handsomely for the opportunity to torture and kill. Live Americans fetch $25,000 a piece, Europeans $15,000, and all others $5,000 for the locals who bring them in; the youth Hostel being a big player in the scheme. Everyone in town is in on it; after all, there seems to be an endless revenue stream coming from a lot of messed up CEO’s—men bored with prostitutes and Vegas. It gives a whole new definition to a cottage industry.

Anyway, the reason I contend it is not horror is because it didn’t scare me. It beat me over the head with lifeless limbs and Dolby dread. If I want horror, I want to watch a ten year girl munching on her dad’s detached bloody arm in “living dead” delight. Or I want to see a slimy alien pop out unexpectedly from an unsuspecting space traveler's stomach. Now that is horror. I can deal with that. At the end of the day, I can say “it’s all pretend”.

But “Hostel” delights in the graphic detail of man’s worst inhumanity to man. It cashes in on the reality of snuff films. It profits from the truths of Dr. Josef Mengele. It fills male teenage heads, the primary (and possibly only) target audience, with the most unimaginable of actual human potential. It finds and scrapes the bottom of what I thought was a bottomless pit of DNA gone bad. And it ends with a hopeless sense that nothing has been righted; that it will be torture business as usual.

And the movie is lucrative and that is wrong! The only thing more wrong is its rating. I am astounded that the movie did not receive an NC-17 rating. Astounded! The MPAA was either asleep at the switch or under the lobby thumb of Abramoff.

As far as Tarantino’s endorsement is concerned, what is he thinking about? I just don’t know. I mean he has a right to do whatever he wants, as long as it isn’t harmful. But somehow this movie seems harmful. It's not about scaring. It's about indulging in the worst of the worst.

And by no means am I off the hook on this either. I paid to see it. I was wrong too!

Look, I'm a First Amendment lackey. Lion's Gate, the production company, has every right to create and promote what they want. But that doesn't mean that what they choose to do is exempt from being judged right or wrong, and boy are they wrong.

It will be a long time before I see a horror movie in a theater again. Maybe never. I think I’ll just dust off “Plan Nine from Outer Space” the next time I have an urge for a scare.

Pathetically, that’s more my style.

This article was written by humorist Robert Crane. If you like what you read and want a bit more, please visit his popular website at: http://www.cranelegs.com

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Crane http://EzineArticles.com/?Hostel-Hostility---A-Movie-Review&id=125984
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The Da Vinci Code Movie Review

2009-06-08T01:55:00.000-07:00

By Ralph Crenshaw

There are many who say that the movie is never as good as the book, sadly, as this The Da Vinci Code movie review will show, they are probably right. The movie had all the makings to become an enormous success. Tom Hanks as the leading man, an Oscar winning director, and based on an incredibly popular best selling book. The creators of this film must have taken that for granted as they forgot to make this a good movie.

The story is disjointed and none of the mystery and puzzle solving the book was famous for transferred onto the big screen. The screenplay is weighed down by pointless exposition, never giving the audience any character development. Details that where small in the book were made huge in the movie, and very important sections of the book were either fast forwarded through or left out all together.

Critical plot points are “included” via flashback scenes that I have no idea how someone who has never read the books is possibly supposed to understand. The character development of the albino monk was on of the most fascinating storylines in the book. Besides one or two unexplained flashbacks this was completely ignored in the film.

When a new clue or riddle presents itself there is no explanation to how the character solves it, it is almost like they are struck by divine intervention when figuring it out. The book was a RIDDLE MYSTERY. The movie doesn’t even come close to having that feel. I want to feel the suspense and anxiety the characters go through when facing a seemingly unsolvable mystery. Instead we had people standing around until the cartoon light bulb appeared over their head, so the story could continue.

The biggest testament to how poorly the script was written was the awkwardness of Tom Hank’s character. I have never seen Hanks give a poor performance, but even he seem baffled at the directions this movie took. It takes a great deal of work to make Tom Hanks look bad, but “The Da Vinci Code” tried very hard. Instead of being able to focus on the story, I was left feeling sorry for Hanks for having to put up with such a piece of garbage.

While the movie was pretty to watch, it lacked any substance or intrigue. The people behind the scenes must have become incredibly lazy to make such a bad translation. With the book being such a huge success there was obviously room for a huge letdown, but this film crashed straight through even that floor. If you have never read the book there is a chance you will be entertained, but if you have, expect a huge disappointment.

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Movie Review

2009-04-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

By Todd Murphy

BOTTOM LINE: A rich, heart-warming film that takes the unusual premise of a man growing younger and using it to provide a number of life lessons about making the most of what you have been given.

THE GOOD: Director David Fincher has made some very rich and complex films in his career, many exploring the darker sides of humanity. With "Curious Case", he still retains his unique style but manages to fuse it with a more heart-warming feel without losing touch with reality which he could easily have done given the quirky premise of a man born old who grows younger. Many great themes of life, love and death are covered, particularly the ideas of destiny, fate and choice. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) is abandoned at birth by his father who thinks he is a monster. He is taken in by a loving black woman who raises him in her old person's home who are there to live out their few remaining years. As Benjamin grows, he gains a unique perspective on life; he learns quickly about the end of life and what it means to not waste any moments you have been given. Coupled with his unusual condition which makes him an outcast, Benjamin develops in to a gentle, non-judgmental character you cannot help but love. This is no more demonstrated in his relationship with Daisy (Cate Blanchett) whom he meets early in his life and leads to a rocky friendship to an eventual loving relationship. Fate continues to bring them together, and when their respective ages become closer, they develop a relationship which is full of highs, but is doomed to end early as their age gap begins to widen again.

One brilliantly constructed scene involves a car accident involving Daisy. Benjamin re-constructs the incident in his mind, pointing out a number of very minor events, and if even one of these minor events had not occurred, she would not have been on the street at the time she was involved in the accident. In many ways, this scene envelopes the finer themes of fate that run throughout this film and how life can take things away from you in a single moment, a lesson which works for all of us in that we should never take our lives for granted. Both Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett are perfect in their respective roles. Pitt delivers a very understated performance that is instantly loveable given Benjamin's gentle persona. Blanchett creates a complicated girl who has a very turbulent early life but becomes content and grounded when she becomes more intimately involved with Benjamin. The images are absolutely glorious. David Fincher is renowned for creating vivid, and carefully constructed shots and he does not disappoint in this movie, with each picture being a movie in itself.

THE BAD: The film feels a little long-winded. At over two and a half hours, the film does have a slow pace which could have been improved with some editing. The film is not boring, but there were some moments where I found myself shifting in my seat, more because of the running time than the story. The scenes involving Daisy as a dying woman in the hospital with her daughter reading Benjamin's diary do not always fit naturally in to the Benjamin's life story, and the moment where her daughter realises that Benjamin is her real father does not seem fair to the character when it happens. In many ways, "Curious Case" has a lot in common with "Forrest Gump", but unlike the latter film, "Curious Case" does not have the same energy or pace to make it stand out as a masterpiece. Having made these points however, David Fincher has done a fabulous job with this film and it is worth seeing at the cinema.

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For the original review, follow this link: http://www.allaboutmovies.net/filmreviewthecuriouscaseofbenjaminbutton.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
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Inkheart Family Film Review

2009-04-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

By Megan P.

Movie Mama Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Recommended For: Elementary school age and above

Starring: Helen Mirren, Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, Andy Serkis
Directed By: Iain Softley
Running Time: 1 hr. 43 min.
MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy adventure action, some scary moments and brief language.
Genre: Adventure/Family/Fantasy

Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraser) was born with a special power: anything he reads aloud comes to life. He did not know of his gift until he read the book Inkheart to his young daughter, Meggie (Eliza Hope Bennett). Several characters from the book appeared before him: the evil villain Capricorn (Andy Serkis), a few of his thugs, and a fire-juggler named Dustfinger (Paul Bettany). And as if the characters leaping off the page and threatening Mo with his life weren't bad enough, his wife Resa (Sienna Guillory) was tragically transported into the book. When the book is destroyed, Mo spends his entire life traveling with Meggie all over the world in search for another copy of Inkheart so he may bring his wife back to the real world.

Inkheart, in essence, is a fantasy tale about a fantasy tale. The idea of reading stories to life is an intriguing one. With all the wonderful books and characters in literary history, Inkheart had the potential to be an intimidatingly great, masterfully woven film. But the author and director took the easy route, handing the audience a mediocre story with an messy ending of underutilized characters.

While Inkheart is an acceptable family flick, true movie lovers are going to feel cheated and confused. For example, Meggie has an English accent, even though we're led to believe that she has never settled down anywhere, and her father has an American accent. Maybe I'm a bit too picky about accents, but when a director has the ability to create a world for us to step into, the most simple elements should click. Eliza Hope Bennett is a terrific Meggie, and her accent is lovely, but it was distractingly out of place.

Helen Mirren plays Meggie's rude Aunt Elinor who lives a life of solitude, escaping into novels instead of setting foot in the real world. Her character is an interesting one, especially when she gives up her solitude to help Mo and Meggie, but Helen Mirren's performance is nothing above community stage acting. I was thoroughly irritated with her by the end. As for Brendan Fraser, he brings nothing new to the movie screen since his most recent film, Journey to the Center of the Earth.

PROS
Even though Inkheart's author creates Dustfinger as a cowardly and selfish character, he learns that he can choose to be different, that our actions and choices change who we are, and that we are not preconceived notions of ourselves.

Dustfinger redeems himself in the end, becoming a selfless person. However, this is only depicted by him committing one solitary selfless act. In my opinion, this isn't enough to convince me that he has changed, but one selfless act is better than none.

Mo is consistently protecting Meggie, much to her chagrin. But he's a wonderful father figure, risking his life for hers several times. He is also committed to restoring his family, searching for years to find his lost wife and reunite with her.

CONS
Dustfinger's pet ferret fetches keys from an old hag's wrinkly cleavage. I thought this was distasteful and uncalled for. The villains are comical and not truly scary, however they do wield knives and one of them cuts Mo's arm in a flashback. The shadow creature at the end may be too much for little ones. There is a violent tornado scene where men are swept up into the cyclone, as well as very mild language.

OVERALL
Inkheart is a mildly entertaining family flick, but nothing more.

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Megan is the staff family movie reviewer for http://www.pluggedinparents.com . For more parenting articles on health and safety, nutrition, baby, money and tech, family life, pets, and movie reviews, visit pluggedinparents.com today!
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How to Put Movies on Your iPhone

2009-04-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

By Alex Jacobs

'How to put movies on your iPhone'. Every iPhone owner wants to know how to be able to watch movies on their iPhone.

The Apple iPhone is more than just a glorified cell phone. You can listen to music, but it isn't the only feature that separates the iPhone from other gadgets. With the iPhone you can surf the Internet, check email and watch movies. That's right, full-length movies right in the palm of your hand.

There are a few ways to get movies onto your iPhone. The first way is finding them on the Internet. It's easy to do a search, but be careful on which sites you use. There are illegal sites out there and you should avoid these. You can get into trouble for downloading movies that you don't have permission to do so. Besides potential fines that you can't afford, you can also download harmful viruses that will mess up your computer and iPhone. In the end, it isn't worth it.

Look for legal sites that offer unlimited downloads. There are some free ones out there, but review these sites before you begin downloading files. Some of them might seem too good to be true. Look at the pay sites that offer a one-time fee to access their library. By paying just once you gain access to loads of files for the lifetime of the membership. On some sites you aren't just limited to movies. You can also get music, games and programs.

But, what about the movies you already have? You have a shelf full of DVDs that you would love to watch at the push of a button. This is a piece of cake.

First you need a program that rips DVDs into a readable format for your iPhone. This process is called ripping. You can do a search for a DVD ripper on the Internet and thousands of results will come back. Read about the different programs and try out a trial version if there is one available. This way you can figure out if you like the program and if it is easy to use. Make sure you rip the DVD into an mp4 file because this is the file your iPhone reads.

Once you have either ripped your DVD or downloaded a movie, put the movie into iTunes. This is how you are going to transfer movies into your iPhone. Connect your iPhone to the computer and sync up the two.

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2009 Movies - A Look At How Technologies Have Changed Movies Forever

2009-04-17T23:50:00.000-07:00

By Jamie Hanson

Films are one of the most required and desired source of amusement and excitement in ones life. Our lives have changed tremendously with industrial advancements and growth. We can live a more comfortable life as compared to the life in the past.

The technology has not only changed our existence but also largely changed the world of films which has a great influence in our day to day lives. We just can't imagine about living without films as movies are the most wished amusement zone for all the generations. Whether you are a child or a teenager or an older person, there is a large range of movies for everybody. Now we see how the improved` technologies have altered movies forever.

Therefore, the year 2008 the audience was greatly impressed by James Bond-Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace who used an improved piece of gadget that was a phone with a camera and GPS!, Now that was a genuine tech piece and this style and some unusual gadgets along with Hollywood extraordinary effects gurus will surely continue in 2009 as well and will naturally pull a huge crowd of spectators towards the 2009 films.

In Iron Man, Tony Stark prepares a suit of shield that was highly powered internally; this was made to flee his rebel captors after which he carefully lands into his billion dollar home laboratory where he sharpens his armor ouyfit to a greatly powerful machine after which he becomes an Iron Man. The team of researchers and scientists are working day and night to create robotic suits that will really increase the wearer's power. This is also called Strength-Enhancing Exoskeleton Armor.

Now what more can popularize 2009 movies? Levitation, a kind of mysterious or mystic phenomenon has largely effected 2009 films. Technical Levitation like Yoda where a paranormal power is applied to pick up Luke Skywalker's X-Wing from the swamp and some invention like flying saucers and other aircrafts that stay in the air have a great positive impact on the 2009 movies. The research scientists are still working to cope with newest levitation of Power. Magnetism has created a levitation effect on certain objects and recently scientists have discovered additional techniques to enhance levitation technology. All these developments have proved to be a gift for 2009 Movies.

Invisibility is the most appealing experience used in 2009 movies; you can see it in Harry Porter's films which produce more of thrill than knowledge. This invisibility technology has produced startling effects that can be viewed in Porter's shroud. The invisibility researchers are operating upon to produce reality effects in invisibility skill and it is their renewed dedication which will be proved with the release of Harry Porter and the Half-Blood Prince. The X-Ray Vision Effect seen in Superman is an excellent model of technological X-ray Vision in these advanced movies. In 1996, Arnold Schwarzenegger bike Eraser, this film displayed a greatly developed weapon called rail-gun that could see through solid objects was all because of extraordinary impact created by X-ray Vision technology. The scientists have come out with a new technology called terahertz imagery that can see through materials and plastic clothes.

The presentation of Thermal imaging spectacles worn by police and military has set a strong liking for 2009 Movies. Time Travel experience was a great hit which was viewed in Back To Future style De Lorean time is impracticable but Einstein's researches have exposed a way to time travel. Then with the time dilation incident it was possible to travel to future, where if one brother of the twins traveled to space with the speed of light, he would be younger than his twin brother who existed on the planet and if his space tour went on for a year, the twin would show that he had been for ten years. Well all this and a lot more yet to come and stun the world with astonishing technology that will alter the perception of 2009 Movies.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/2009-movies-a-look-at-how-technologies-have-changed-movies-forever-794320.html

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About the Author:
To know more about 2009 Movies and to see how new technologies have taken Movies to greater heights look at new upcoming movies Get a detailed view on how technology has brought a great change in 2009 Movies at www.cinemarv.com

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Download Hannah Montana Movie

2009-04-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

by Paul Smith

Wanna Download Hannah Montana The Movie in less than 15 minutes? That's right … today's technology makes downloading and watching the latest theatrical releases easy as ordering a pizza.

More people than ever are looking for safe ways to download full version movies from the Internet. The easiest way to do this is to use the right file sharing software. It is possible to get this file sharing software for free, but for the not so experienced Internet user this could be a problem. Which file sharing software to use? How do you configure it? How exactly do you use the software to download Hannah Montana The Movie? Is it free from adware, spyware, viruses?

Whew! … no wonder most people just give up and end up buying those $39 DVDs.

Most people are aware of the dangers of downloading movies for free. You never really know what you have downloaded bundled with that movie. There are a lot of spy-ware / ad-ware and other nasty programs around, so much so that I advice you to be very careful with downloading movies for free from the internet. The safest method is to get a membership from a reputable movie social sharing site. Then you are virtually assured of downloading only the safest, best quality version of a movie like Hannah Montana The Movie

The best movie social sharing websites have tens of thousands of full length movies that their members can download. Now in Hi-Def too! These films are playable on various devices including iPod, PDA (HandHelds), PC, DVD & DivX players. Members also have access to software to burn these downloaded movies to DVD. This allows you to watch the movies on your big screen tv from the comfort of your cushy couch. All free to members.

Most of these movie social sharing websites work the same way. They provide you with the right file sharing software, without any ad-ware, spy-ware or virus. You use this file sharing soft ware to search the Internet for downloadable movies, downloadable songs, downloadable games etc. Once you find those files you can download them to your P. C. The download sites will also give you full on-line support in case you run into problems.

And no one will ever know your personal information, as you can keep absolute anonymity. All content from these sites are available over encrypted and secure connections. Nobody will even know that you have been downloading.

The cost of a movie social sharing membership is on average between $40 and $50. This can be a yearly fee, but most sites offer a lifelong membership for around $30. You pay once and then you can download all the movies you ever want.

I have tested many of these sites and can point you in the right direction.

If you are ready to download Hannah Montana The Movie safely in perfect quality as well as all the new theater releases then please visit this download movie review website for instuction.

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The Scariest Ghost Movies of All Time

2009-04-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Stories of ghosts and their misdeeds have been around since the beginning of time. Of course, they make the perfect subject for horror movies. Here is a list of some of the scariest ghost movies of all time-tune up your HD TV and turn off the lights as you prepare to be scared.

The Shining

This is an iconic ghost/horror movie. Directed by the great Stanley Kubrick and starring Jack Nicholson, The Shining is a masterpiece of the horror genre. In the movie, a family heads for an isolated Colorado hotel in the middle of winter where Jack Nicholson's character, a writer named Jack Torrance, is to finish a writing project while his wife takes care of the hotel. During their stay, his son Danny, sees visions of the hotel's dark past using a telepathic gift dubbed 'the shining'. Soon, the isolation gets to Jack and he goes mad. A ghost convinces the writer to 'correct' his family, and Jack sets off to kill his wife and child. Things go down hill from there; watch the remastered version of this film classic in HD.

Poltergeist

That clown, the little medium with the squeaky voice, the glowing TV-poltergeist was one of those horror movies you watched as a kid and were thoroughly terrified by. The movie, in a nutshell, is the story of a family living in California that discover that life isn't so sweet in their suburban home. Who can forget the first time Carol Ann, the young, wide-eyed daughter makes contact with the evil spirits through the TV set, saying 'they're here'. That line never fails to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. This is a modern horror classic which you can often catch via satellite TV-just consult your listings.

The Haunting

Directed by Robert Wise, this 1963 is a classic ghost movie. The plot revolves around a group of experts investing a haunted house. Dr. Markway agrees to study Hill House in order to prove the existence of ghosts; he is accompanied by Luke a skeptic who also will inherit the house, Eleanor a psychic, and Theodora, a clairvoyant. It's a simple story that doesn't rely so much on any special effects or creatures to scare you, as much suggestion. There isn't a single goes depicted in the film. The 1999 remake, on the other hand, does rely a great deal on computer graphics and special effects-this version is one to watch on your new flat screen HD TV; however, it doesn't pack quite the punch as the original, according to film purists, classicists and anyone with sense of good taste; still, you could do worse.

The Amityville Horror
This movie was based on a true story. The occurrences that went on at the Amityville house were actually documented. After merely 28 days, the family left the house leaving all of their possessions. They never came back. This is an iconic haunted house movie that will leave your hairs standing on end. The creepy children's chorus score, the disembodied voices yelling harshly , and the bleeding walls will definitely make you reach for a pillow to hug. This one usually plays on satellite TV close to Halloween.

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Top 75 Halloween Movie Rentals for Fall 2008

2008-10-12T03:29:00.001-07:00

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....

Iron Man Ultimate 2-Disc Edition - Worth the Extra Money?

2008-10-10T11:38:00.001-07:00

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...

Beowulf Film Review, Starring Ms. Angelina Jolie

2008-09-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

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.

A Review Of The Film 'Awake', Starring Ms. Jessica Alba

2008-08-08T04:31:00.001-07:00

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!

(Batman) The Dark Knight: A Lesson In Filmmaking If There Ever Was One

2008-07-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

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/

Hancock - Great Idea, Wasted Film - A Movie Review

2008-07-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

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

The Mist - and why I 'hate' it (though I gave it 5 stars!)

2008-06-13T05:10:00.000-07:00

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.

'MISERY' -- Spine Chilling Suspense from the 90's

2008-06-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

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. :-)

No Country For Old Men

2008-05-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

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:

Resurrecting The Champ

2008-05-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

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.

National Treasure 2 -- Book Of Secrets

2008-05-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

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.

Lucky Number Slevine -- is it a good film or bad film?

2008-04-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

"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:

Meet Joe Black

2008-04-21T03:34:00.001-07:00

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):