Reviews

As the story unfolds customers of the hastings supermarket are getting last minutes items as the market is about to close. Suddenly in comes a band of "robbers" who hold the remaining customers and employees hostage. Everyone is under the impression its a robbery, however we soon learn that there is more afoot here than meets the eye. The group is lead by the great and sexy Carlos Bernard from TV's "24" and featuring just as sexy Rockmund Dunbar from TV's "soul Food" and "Prison Break".Also along for this thrill ride are the beautiful and "Jolie-esque" hottie Courtney Ford as one of the so called "Alien Raiders" a title by the way I really dislike which I'll go into later and the hot and Juicey Matthew St. Patrick of "Six Feet Under " fame who plays a cop trying to figure out whats happening. It seems our band of thieves are there to find "The King" and I ain't talking Queen Elizabeths's husband. Our band of raiders have followed an alien infection to the Supermaarket where some or all there are infected with an alien organism. What follows is a nicely paced and scary ride as the group tries to weed out the infected. The film is a cross between "The Mist" and "The Thing" and it delivers what it came to do. Although you can see who the main "alien" probably is about 20 miles away...the real fun is in finding out who the other infected hosts are in the bunch. I also applaud the use of adult and mature actors in the film and glad they didn't make it a teen fest. The feisty and mature actress Bonita Friedericy is a real hoot in this and her character comes in just at the right time. The ending is fun but again you can see whats coming a mile away but since you already had fun getting there you don't mind as much, at least I didn't. Now about the title. I wish they could have come up with something more inventive because had I not known about the film while it was called "supermarket" I probably would have skipped this on the display isle under its release title. So don't let the title dictate the rental. Its a great little scary movie thats way more exciting and entertaining than the current crap-filled remake of "Friday The 13th".

OK so this remake / re-imagining / ripp off or what ever you want to call it is basically a mish mash of the first several films. It starts off by giving you one of the worst openings ever with a quick crunched up visit to the original goings on from the original FT13. Soo bad I rolled my eyes so far back they almost stayed there. As a matter a fact I rolled my eyes through this whole ordeal. And let me just say Nana Vistor has no business trying to fill in the shoes of the great Besty Palmer as "Mrs. Vorhees". Now jump some 20 odd years later and we see a group of hikers go into the woods near the old Camp Crystal Lake. Of course they run into old Jason who then...well take a wild guess. Now its six months later and this Ambercrombie & Fitch model type dude runs into this other group of annoying teens while looking for his missing sister who was with the previous group. Incidentally her fate is one of the most dumb and "how did she....." moments in the film...and there are many...like, why after after all this time does Jason suddenly pop out now and it appears that some of the locals ( an old bitty mostly ) knows that old Jason haunts the woods. Why hasn't anyone searched for this crazy killer before? How come the police never came across him in the old deserted camp that according to this movie has been deserted for 20 some years and was most likely visited by the search party after the first group of dumb teens went missing. Hello, no one bought the land to build...the owners never sold it?? Didn't anyone notice all the odd things in the camp. The list goes on. Anywho the rest of the film is so bad and predictable it hurts. You have to sit through the poorly executed slayings that show no imagination or thrill. There is no mystery or real story here. No "whats in the dark" buildup like the original did so well. The famous "ki-ki di-di ma-ma" is only barely heard in the beginning, middle and then the end. The rest of the time you hear what appears to be left over music from the Texas Chainsaw Masscre remake...And where the heck was crazy Ralph??? Before seeing this I had hopes that they would do it justice. Instead they insulted the first two films ( which were the only real good entries although in part 2 the whole Jason was really alive thing was never really delt with in a plausible way and it took away from Mrs. Vorhees's revenge motive).The opening was a dead give away that this would be a total crap fest. I almost went and asked for my money back but somebody else had bough me my ticket. When I heard Danielle Panabaker had been cast in this and I thought OK now there is some hope but not even her pretty girl next door looks and personna could not dig you out of this poop. This film could fertilize the state of California. Im being hard because im tired of all the bad horror films that have been put out as of late. "My Bloody Valentine 3D" has been the only exception up to date. That film was fun, thrilling, and well made. So what if it didn't have a real plot...it still kept you entertained. This mess is another story. But I fear we will see a future installment just like the upcoming H2. The Halloween remake was just as bad and we are in for another one. Don't waste your time or money on FT13th remake. Watching paint dry is more exciting that this garbage.

When television reporter Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter) and her cameraman (Steve Harris) are assigned to spend the night shift with a Los Angeles Fire Station crew ( Jay Hernandez, Jonathan Schaech), a routine 911 call takes them to a small apartment building, where police ( Columbus Short) are responding to blood-curdling screams coming from one of the apartment units. When it's discovered that an older woman living in the building has been infected by something unknown, the CDC quarantines the building, with Angela, her cameraman, the fire fighters and police on the scene, and remaining residents(inlcuding Rade Serbedzija, and Greg Germann) locked inside. What happens next is a harrowing account of what occurs inside the closed off building via the footage taken by the TV Camerman. This is an American remake of the Spanish film "Rec" and basically follows the same storyline with a few changes including the reason behind the crazed residents. The fright -o-meter is on high and what develops is in esssence a visit to a haunted house full of creepy noises, dark hallways, and a bunch of "what is up ahead in the dark" occurrences and a whole lot of crazed rabid people leaping at you. Its done with expert direction and the actors are all good especially Jennifer Carpenter who does a bang up job of being scared out of her skin throughout. She's very believable in her performance and I am now an instant fan of hers! The last half of the film had me on the edge of my seat. I recommend seeing it. Accept it for what it is and enjoy the frantic crazy and at times humorous ride.

First let me say if you don't figure out whats really going on in about the first 15 to 20 minutes of this movie...then you must have fallen asleep. Keanu Reeves spends the whole movie trying to figure out what is so painfully obvious to the viewer. A tale of corruption, secrets, lies, betrayals, and half-truths involving a special police unit helmed by the over acting Forest Whittaker. Keanu is his right hand man leading a special group who are into vigilante justice. Someone close and out of Keanu's characters past threatens their set up and what follows is a nicely paced familiar and uninspired plot. Some familiar faces pop up here in there in staple stereotype characters that fill these types of movies. You can tell what its trying to be but as clueless as Keanu is through this whole movie so are the makers of this film not to have it dawn on them that this has been done before in so many different ways. Keanu tries to do his best at portraying the alcoholic screwed up bad cop/good cop in turmoil but at times it doesn't stick...while other times he shines. My favorite cameo is of Hugh Laurie, the actor who portrays the doctor in "house"...watch for his "wink at House" introduction to the plot. One of the best scenes in the movie deals with Keanu and two Chinese characters and Keanus characters assessment of their whole bad boy wanna be persona's. I wont say I wasn't entertained because I was...just not inspired or thrilled. Still keanu showed some chops and that he can play something other than "Neo" or "Ted"

OK first things first..Michelle Ryan looks the part, seems likable and is attractive...however there is some depth missing in her performance. The premise is modern, or maybe typical is a better word, as this time around Jaime Sommers works as a bartender, yes a bartender. Gone is the high school teacher / tennis player. Maybe that was too 70's. Also gone are Rudy Wells and Oscar Goldman. However Rudy does have a cameo of sorts as Jaime's middle name is said to be Wells in the episode...Hmm maybe Rudy will show up. This Jaime takes care of her troublesome kid sister ( is there any other kind on these shows )is engaged and about to possibly marry her professor boyfriend and we find all this out within the first 10 minutes when....well here is where circumstances cause her to become, the Bionic Woman. Here is my problem with this version. Its dark, brooding, and comes across as Spiderman meets Alias meets X-Men. And half the show appears to be a night. Can I get some daylight please!!!! And the sister is an annoying addition and unnecessary. Another head scratcher is that after finding out what she is now...there wasn't much delving into her discovering and acceptance of her current state. The woman goes straight back to work serving drinks for god sakes like she just had a boob job and that was it and oh well back to work. Maybe this new Jaime is OK for the new generation but I don't find it appealing in its present incarnation. Maybe its the times we live in but almost every show I see on TV is dark, brooding and depressing. The bionic woman of the 70's was about adventure and action and a touch of tongue and cheek. This version is about violence, death, hit men, and dark depressing characters with ulterior motives. Yes there is action in it too but it all comes with all the extras above. Give me Lindsay and the fembots any day!!!! One good thing about this version I will say is they spruced up on how they show and deal with Jaime's speed. It doesn't come across silly or anything. Sadly Alias, aside from the superhuman strength, has already charted these waters of the beautiful babe with kickass fighting abilities. Been there done that. They should have just gone the way of an adventure/action show and maybe, just maybe...then again who knows...Dark , brooding, depressing seems to be the in thing these days.

let me start by saying I am a big fan of the nature/animal gone berserk type films and I was very excited when news of a new Wes Craven produced killer dog flick was being made and would star tough cookie Michelle Rodriquez and cool and sexy Hill Harper from CSI: New York. What eventually was made by first time director Nick Mastandrea is sadly a disappointing entry into the genre. Where in the world was Wes?? This is not to say it didn't show some small moments of promise but it never quite rises to the occasion. The story revolves around a group of five childhood friends vacationing on an Island who come across a band of sinister German shepherds who have laid claim to the Isle after surviving what is explained as a "rabies" outbreak on a compound that sits on the other side of the Island which once housed a dog training facility. Most of the back story of the dogs isn't really explained and we're left with just a few specs of dialog from cast members Eric Lively and Oliver Hudson, who play siblings that grew up on the island, to to shed a dim light. The gang enjoy some sun and water until they are visited by a pup whose visit is more like an infiltration of the enemy camp and shares one of the better moments scenes with Hill Harper. Soon the dog-pack descends on our unsuspecting group who must now find a way off the Island before becoming dog-food. The best attack scene takes place in the house where our heroes have boarded themselves up but this isn't enough to save the film. The director was obviously asleep at the wheel and it shows when one of the characters ( I wont say which as not to spoil it) suffers an injury to the leg and later seems to forget they should be limping and they can be seen walking around like nothing ever happened. Where in the world was Wes??? Yes the setup is as old as wine but I still had hopes that the makers would inject some fresh blood into the story; it never happened. The film is hurt by uninspired camera work and the even more uninspired direction of Mastandrea. I hope somewhere, some place, someone will still make an old style killer dog flick with a decent plot, great camera work, and characters you can care about. Is that too much too ask? Oh yeah..this is Hollywood...oh well

Stomp The yard is a tale of a semi troubled L.A. youth named DJ who battles alongside his younger brother at street dances and after some tragic consequences, and a run in with the law, ends up having go and live with his aunt and uncle in Atlanta. While there he goes to college and has to work partime cutting grass and gardening for the school. Later after showcasing his dancing abilities at a club he is courted by two high profile sororities lead by hotties Brian White and Laz Alonso who want him to join there respected fraternities and aid in an upcoming "Stomp" competition. Things get complicated when DJ played by the sexy and cool Columbus Short begins to pursue a pretty coed played by the beautiful Meagan Good who happens to be the girlfriend of one of the frat boys played by the equally sexy Darren Henson of the TV version of "Soul Food". Then after pledging to one of the Fraternities DJ must learn to be a team player and not just think of himself if he hopes to help them win the upcoming competition. Throw in a backstory which later unravels regarding DJ's aunt and uncle and Meagan Good's characters father which has repercussions with DJ's future and and you have a story which has a familiar formula but to which I say....So What....The director's vision is fresh and the camera work is on point especially during the dance sequences. A high energy and uplifting story that kept me entertained. It also helped that Columbus and Meagan had unmistakable chemistry and played well off each other. His courtship of her is sweet, charming and downright sexy. Many women and for that matter some men will wish they were Meagan in the scene where she and Columbus share a sweet slow dance to the incredibly sexy tune of Maxwell's "This Woman's Work" and will need a few buckets of cold water to cool off after the scene where DJ is cutting the grass shirtless and almost runs into Meagan's character. Did I mention the incredibly sexy scene of DJ and his fraternity brothers running shirtless down the countryside...I guess I just did. Rent and enjoy.

I wish I had seen this on the big screen as im sure it would have been an amazing feeling to be in awe along with everyone else in the theater of the Divine Jennifer Hudson. The story about an all girl group that start off as backup singers and then come into their own only to succumb to jealousies and betrayal which finally leads to one of them being kicked out is the platform for the sensational rise and explosion of a star being born. Hudson's first rate performance proved America booted her off American Idol to fast and Simon Cowl does't know diddly. The movie itself did not fulfill me as I felt key important elements were not dealt with like showing how the friendship began for the girls and more insight to the relationship of Effie and her brother as well which would have given the act of betrayal from the people in Effie's life more punch. Although the scenes where Effie's forced to step out from the front of the group and then where they push her out completely are haunting as they seem to be almost similar with the only difference being in on scene they are expressing their love for Effie and the next their kicking her out in the streets. Beyonce does an amazing job of channeling Diana Ross while on stage performing and she deserved more props than she got for the role. Another overlooked great performance is that of Anika Noni Rose as lorell who stood her own among the rest of the cast. Jamie Foxx gave an understated performance which I found believable. Eddie Murphy also gave a great performance whose impact and appreciation may have been lost due to Eddie's past comedic roles where he basically did the same kind of voice and facial expressions he used here for the Character of Jimmy. I felt this was a strong performance by Eddie especially the scenes where he didn't say a word and his face said it all. It would have been nice to see him win the Academy Award. But there is no denying that Jennifer Hudon overshadows all these Hollywood heavies in this movie with her knockout performance as Effie White. She owns every scene she is in. The part given more meaning for those of us who saw her through the "Idol" drama where she was accused of not having the "Depth" to compete. Well, after I first heard her sing on Idol I too believed she did not belong there....She belonged in a higher place....her voice was a force of nature. Her talent was bigger than IDOL. Finally the dream has come true for this dreamgirl!!

The hitcher is a remake of a 1986 horror film about a lunatic hitch hiker who terrorizes those who are inane and idiot enough to pick him up. In this film Sophia Bush( who never looks like she is 2 minutes away from a noxema commercial no matter what horrible and horrendous things she goes through here) and her boyfriend (played by a young Tom Cruise lookalike Zachary Knighton ) are on their way to meet up with Sophia's characters friends in New Mexico when they come across Sean Beans lunatic character. What transpires in this road trip is one idiot move after the next one. The problem with this flick is that it all could have been over and done with in the first few minutes if they would just do one smart thing. They don't.. and what you have is a moron movie in which by the middle your routing for the bad guy...not a good thing!!..What bothers me most is they spend the whole movie running from those who can help and into the hands of the lunatic. Dumb Dumb Dumb!!!They only smart thing about the flick was the wink to those of us who read up on our entertainment news during the scene at the motel where Sophia's character Grace is watching "The Birds" on the TV. Michael Bay who produced this film is in the works to remake Hitchcocks, "The Birds", through his Platimun Dunes company. I was disappointed and not much inspired by this remake but did enjoy the, im assuming unintentional, wink to Larry Hagman by Neal Mcdonough who plays Lt. Esteridge. He looks like a young JR Ewing of "Dallas" fame throughout the flick, gallon cowboy hat, million dollar grin, and all!! I think he would be better at playing JR than John Travolta!!..Anyway if you want to spend a mindless hour and a half watching dumb people do dumb things...then pick this doozey up....

This movie has really gotten beat up by a lot of "reviewers" and I gotta say until you have lived in a world where most things we've seen in sci-fi films actually occur...then give this film a break and enjoy it for what it is. This is "Congo meets Jurassik Park" with a little bit of "Jumanji" thrown in. In the future a machine is built than can take people into the past and see prehistoric nature or even Indians on the warpath. The only thing is you cant change things, you cant bring anything back, and you cant leave anything in the past either because all of this things could change the present. Well of course something goes wrong and all hell breaks loose and it a race against time to make things right again. Now sure the scenes of people walking on the future streets of Chicago look pretty fake and this movie does play out like an episode of "Stargate" but at least its more entertaining than most junk out there and the lizard Gorrials were interesting. Not as bad as people make it out to be.

This little flick took me back to my childhood and all those creepy monster stories I use to hear. The basic plot is simple; A group of four friends, which include a brother and sister, are on their way late at night to another friends house to be in a wedding the following day. Of course the car breaks down and they end up at a creepy old farm where the inhabitants have...well I wont spoil that here. What happens next is a night of horror in what turns into a farm of horrors. What I liked about this is the creepy atmosphere that the director builds up and its cool 70's like vibe. If it weren't for the mention of and use of a cell phone, the setting could easily have taken place in 1975 or 76. The director makes you suspicious of every sound and shadow and all the actors do a fine job of acting scared. The way to describe this movie is that its somewhat of a cross between "BlairWitch Project meets Night of the living dead meets Nightwing meets Night Gallery". I enjoyed it and was creeped out through most of it. This is low budget horror fun and should be enjoyed that way. My only pet peeve was that none of the characters really questioned why what was happening was happening and the director didn't even try and explain the reasons behind what was happening. But thats minor and forgiven because I did enjoy the movie and sometimes not knowing the "why's" can leave things up for the imagination. God forbid we should try and use it every now and then. My advice...Make some popcorn, turn off the lights, and enjoy!!

I found the beginning of this flick dull and slow......the end was so-so...but the middle....its all about the middle....I broke out in laughter and fear and found myself enjoying this B-Movie spoof that gives you shades of The blob, Invasion of the body Snatchers and Night of the living dead". It was like the movie just woke up from its stupor and went totally for it. The plot goes something like this...In what is shamefully a straight rip off from "The Blob and "I married a Monster from outer space"...A loving husband who just wants some nookie from his wife, doesn't get any so he goes to a bar and picks up some chicky and they head to the woods. His Conscious gets the best of him before anything can happen but then spots what appears to be some gooey mass thats crashed out of the sky on the ground. He becomes possessed by something from within the mass and then begins to infect other townspeople. His wife teams up with others from town to battle the invasion. There's a lot more that happens during all this but I wont give it away. What I will say is that its not for the weak stomach crowd. Stay with this flick and it will pay off...as best as a b-movie spoof can pay...Keep an eye out for the twin girl zombies and their one liners that had me rolling on the floor...Its not as good as "Shaun of the Dead"..Buts its good fun..

I felt this was going to be an interesting ride from the opening sequence, shown on a projector screen, of a man ( director John Gulager cameo )scooping up a dead dog with a shovel out on the desert road. The plot is pretty simple: A group of bar patrons must fight to stay alive when a family of man-eating monsters descend on the establishment out of the blue on dreary evening at the pub. The script is crisp with cool characters who may not be anything new but seem fresh in this arena thanks to Director Gulager and friends who include Chris Moore, Wes Craven, and the double-mint twins of Cinema, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who were all producers. The action is quick and the writing witty and sly. Don't get attached to anyone too much because you never know who is gonna get it and when as the patrons battle and try to outwit the carnivorous creatures who are lurking outside and determined to get in for a bite to eat. Its a gore fest of of blood, guts, and comedy that I fully enjoyed. It was a welcomed surprise after viewing some of the episodes of "Project Greenlight" and being weary of first time director Gulager's ability to direct. He's done a great job here even though he was not allowed to do everything he wanted with the script and characters. One of the things I loved and wont give away here is how the characters are introduced to the viewer. Again nothing new but here it just seems fresh and cool. I've read some reviews that made comments to the fact that the creatures are never clearly seen and although this is partially true, you do get some closeups and shots that give you some idea of what they look like. I have no problems with the "what you don't see" school of fright. It works here and I didn't feel cheated. Think "Aliens meets Dusk till Dawn" on acid, and have yourself a groovy time with this fun ride.

Have you ever wondered what you would get if you mixed "Village/Chilren of the Damned", "Night of the living Dead", the episode of "Miri" from "Star Trek", "Invasion of the Body Snathcers" (1978 version)and "Children of the Corn?....Me neither...but thats what you get with "The Plague" only those movies and TV show episode were good....this isn't....The Children of the world who are all under 9 years old fall into a comatose condition as well as any children born for the next 10 years. The ten years pass and now they awake and go on a bloody rampage. The movie began in what I found to be a slow creepy fashion which was OK....but the problem is how it unfolds after that. A majority of characters start appearing with no backup story which the script suggests we are suppose to be familiar with and care about.....Case in point is poor Dee Wallace who is in about three scenes of which take all about 5 minutes in total....She pops outta no where as the local sheriff's wife and the rest left me thinking what was the point.....Others are the two strange teens who walk with the comatose un spooked....A priest....Whose entrance was stolen right out of "The Excorsist Poster AD" you'll see what I mean.....This horror film turns into a schmorgasborg of a script and is not able to hide the fact that it did not introduce us correctly to characters and doesn't even explain a few details that would help the viewer understand some things. One of these is the two strange teens who break into houses to talk to the kids and who walk with them unoticed...Why they do this and there part in it is never explained..again what was the point...The reason behind so called "Plague" is not explained and an attempt by two characters at a so called debate as to the possible reasons behind why this could be happening right before they are attacked, was poorly executed and again pointless. James Van Der Beek is fine as the lead but cant even save this bad flick and looks like he realized mid way that he was in a turkey. The lead actress is not up to par and looks strangely similar at times to "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman's" Louise Lasser...that was scary...about the only thing I found. Again, a good idea with a bad execution which seems to be the norm these days with horror films. I was looking forward to seeing this flick since reading about the plot line and sadly I was disappointed at the actual product. I got the feeling there was a good story trying to find its way to the surface but sank like a ton of bricks at the hands of the people making it. I am surprised Clive Barker didn't go by way of "Alan Smithee" and had his name attached to this film. One good thing...this was a whole lot better than the atrocity known as the remake of "The Fog"...then again in comparison, anything is....Ouch!!

One of my favorite horror films of when I was a kid watching Creature Feature on Early Saturday afternoons and still enjoy to watch today. The film tells the story of a discovery of an ancient fossil fin that sends a group of scientists down the Amazon to find the remaining bones. What they discover instead is a live breathing relative thats not too happy to have intruders invading its Black Lagoon. Its man against nature as the group tries to capture, then escape, the creature whose gained a fixation on the lovely female scientist played by the beautiful Julia "Julie" Adams. I must admit while watching this film I cant help but stare at nothing but the lovely miss Adams when ever she's on screen. I can understand why the creature went cuckoo for coacoa puffs when he saw her too! LOL..Now whats really funny to me is that even in the amazon this lovely scientist has fashion sense and has at least ten, thats right, ten outfit changes while the men wear the same old rags. Some of those changes are within minutes of each scene that take place withing the same time frame give or take an hour in context. Even as the men around her are mutilated and massacred, the lovely "Kay" doesn't let that detract her from a quick outfit change, LOL. The only thing that puzzles me about the film is that its obvious to the watcher that the creature is enamored with the leading lady but at no time is this even mentioned nor confirmed in the film nor used or explored. Aside from that the film is top notch and one for the collection. I hope the up coming remake does it justice and hires a lovely leading lady that is a match for the knockout Miss Adams. I would suggest the sexy Angelina Jolie or even Jessica Alba...Hmmm

An ocean freighter coming back from Brazil is found floating and crew-less near Chicago's Bay. Inside policemen find the body parts of what use to be some of the crew. Meanwhile crates belonging to a scientist doing research in Brazil that were suppose to be on the freighter arrive at a museum in Chicago that is about to have its Gala opening of its "Superstitious" artifact collection. Soon after, museum employees turn up with their heads cut off. It appears something has come back on the Ocean freighter looking for the crates. Now its up to a superstitious cop investigating the murders and a pretty scientist trying to get a grant for her work to figure out just what horrifying thing is cutting peoples heads off at the museum. Thats the plot in a nutshell and throw in your typical characters; A rude Mayor and his buxom wife, a somewhat rookie partner who in the end proves himself, a krusty old scientist, an annoying co-worker who spends most of their time trying to back stab, a dumb ass pompous policeman who thinks he knows everything, and of course the old over the top CGI creature and you have a recipe for a good cheesy horror flick. This one is saved by a few cool decapitations and the likability of its lead actress. The fact that the Cop in charge is superstitious and lives his life by these rules is a quirky change of pace. Although none of this is really new stuff, and aside from the unexplained abrupt and entrances and exits of certain characters your left wondering about, the film itself is not too bad if you got some time to kill. The wonderful Audra Lindley who most will remember as the over sexed and under satisfied Mrs. Roeper of "Three's Company" fame has too little screen time ( about five minutes, if that )and I would have loved to have seen more of her character in the film. She plays a witty and sassy coroner who steals the entire scene she is in. I suspect her scenes were highly edited. Probably because she would have stolen the whole movie from the other actors. Now Linda Hunt is the odd one cast here but plays her part very well and finally shows us where the inspiration for the character of the "pat" like midget stylist from "The Incredibles" came from (I forget the character's name). So sit back and pop some pop corn and and enjoy this head popping entry.

The plot of this film is simple and thats what make it great as well...A group of twenty something's are fixing up and getting ready to open and old summer camp that has been beset by bad luck since 1957 when a young boy drowned in the nearby lake. A year later, two camp counselors are murdered while fooling around. Over the years any attempts to open the camp have been plagued by mysterious accidents. Now in the present, on Friday the 13th, the original owners try again to re-open Camp Crystal Lake and this time more than just accidents occur. On location shooting gives this film a great look and an eerie atmosphere. What happens on this day and night will have you looking under your beds and behind doors for years to come. This film is the first and best and for me, and begins as well as ends here for me too. The central heart of this film to me was always about the revenge and madness that lead to the grisly murders. It was never just about Jason although he is the driving force. Having his character take over in Pt 2 and beyond just for me kinda took away the reason why the first film worked. That is why I do not recognize the other films and see this as just one great horror film. The death scenes are well done and Sean Cunningham shows great directorial skills as he uses the camera to show us things that the killer is up to or has done while the characters on screen are talking or looking around scared. Perfect example is the phone line being cut scene where Ned and Alice search for the others. I also believe that a big part of the story is never exposed, like Crazy Ralph being married to someone...someone pivitol the this story and we just are never told about it...Wouldn't that be interesting...

When I first heard JJ Abrams was directing I said to myself, this is going to be one badass movie. I love "Alias" and Lost", "Alias" being more in the same vein as M.I. Finally, this franchise is going to be kickass. Well, you cant have everything. JJ Abrams does give this flick the kick in the butt its been needing since it started back in "96"...but unfortunately the lack of plot keeps it from being anything more than a loud, crash bang, Tom running around like a lunatic, plane exploding entry( take some advil or tylenol before seeing this) I left with a headache. The plot is simple; Big bad guy has this thing called the "Rabitts Foot" that everyone wants and Ethan Hunt is called in to get it and the bad guy and bring them all in. Thats it in a nutshell and aside from one little twist at the end, thats the plot in a nutshell. When the movie begins you feel like you watching Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes having a bad day at their Scientology Church...then we are shown how it all began....and again, I felt like I was watching the Tom Crusie/Katie Holmes story. The actress eeriely resembles Katie. Look for the scene where Tom and Michelle actually look as if they are competing to see who can keep their eyes from blinking and make themselves cry during a dramatic scene.(you'll know what I'm talking about) What bothers me most about these movies is that, unlike the original TV series, these films cater more to Tom's character than the group as a whole. M.I. was always about the interaction of all agents called in on a mission. Where the women are as able as the men. These movies are all basically about "Ethan Hunt"...One scene that bugged me was a chase scene in which the female IMF agent, played by Maggie Q, could have finally been more than just the pretty face/smart girl. She is shooting through the back window in the backseat of the car at the baddies chasing them. How they get out of this situation and what happens next should have been her key scene but they make it about "Ethan Hunt" as if he the only one who can kick butt and get everyone out of trouble. I guess I'm spoiled from watching Sydney Bristow on "Alias" which is what this movie basically is. If you look closely you can see the Alias counterparts all over this movie even down to the quirky computer guy played very well by the guy from "Shaun of the Dead". The one true badass chick in this flick is played by Kerri Russell, in a cameo performance, showing she is prime for action movies. She looks great and handles herself toe to toe with Ethan Hunt. To bad the part is minor. Her character and this whole scene is what the flick should have been like with all the agents. But alas, as I said you cant have everything. An honorable mention to Phillip Seymour Hoffman who played his part very well and was a great choice for the "Baddie"..And Laurence Fishburn..who plays his part to the hilt and has the best lines in the movie..Now heres a real kick in the pants..for anyone who cares on having closure...You wont get it. What everyone just got killed over or almost killed for is never elaborated on or explained at the end..I guess we would have to be killed if they told us...this movie will self destruct in five seconds....please.

First this TV effort has three of my favs, David Arquette, Richard T Jones and the great Angela Bassett. Sadly they are not enough to save this odd fast paced terrorist adventure flick. The movie starts fast and you hardly have enough time to get to know anyone. It also has one of the most annoying filming gimmicks. The moving camera and fast shots of scenes and voice overs during fast shots. Its enough to give you a headache and you can see the same annoying gimmick in past disaster flicks like "10.5" and "The end of the world films" that have been on TV as of late. The story itself is a contradiction to its own purpose. Terrorist plant bombs in a football stadium and kidnap the family of one of the homeland security people played by Arguette. They warn the agents to stay away and not let anyone else know and not to move people out of the stadium. OK...so why then do they move security people in knowing the terrorists are watching them...and if they are being watched why don't the terrorists just tell the agents to leave. I mean they see them when they find the bombs and....unless I missing something....why don't they just threatened to blow up the place if the agents don't exit the arena?....To many questions like these had me rolling my eyes....the only good thing....was the final act when suspicions make for a guessing game of who's in on the threat...but again its not enough to save this frenzy of a movie that half the time looks like its being filmed by someones camcorder....Arguette has the chops to play serious but he dangles on the over the top...as does Angela...but she has it down to an art form and it works for her....Richard's laid back performance is best here. The reasons for all this drama and whats behind the threat will make your eyes roll all the way back and pop out from the absurdity...and again it finishes the same way it started fast and quick and your left feeling like you just ate your food real fast and didn't have time to enjoy it....

OK sorry wrong movie......that was "Twister"....and this movie had more than its share...Global warming has sprouted global storms of gigantic proportions and its FEMA to the rescue with the help of a few other folks as the storms head for Washington. Gina Gershon leads the cast that includes Shannon Doherty and Randy Quaid reprising his role from "Category 6" in which his "Tommy Tornado" character was swept away in a twister....and yes he lived to tell the tale...I gotta say the first half of this movie was a loud, shaky fast cut editing mish mash that left me with a headache. Filmmakers can you please leave the "NYPD Blue" shaky camera style alone already!!!!That is the most annoying style of film making and I guess they felt it was just right for this disaster flick but it just became a distraction for me. Now what surprised me, aside from the fact that I actually watched the second half, is that the second half actually entertained me with its storms of doom in almost every frame and our heroes running about in the mix of it all. Another pleasing factor was Andrea Lui who I suspect could be Lucy Lui's little sister who gives us a little bit of her take on "Charlies Angels" as she rescues her boy toy from the perils of the storm. That had to be a wink from the makers. All in all the 2nd half was better for me than the first and thats not saying too much. Geez if you ain't gotta nothing better to do then just sit back and watch the world end...well kinda, sorta, and don't expect too much...

The House of Wax is a blatant ripoff of the superior "Wrong Turn". A group of friends in two cars heading to a concert or something run into problems when one of the cars "blows" a fan belt. Two of the teens decide to go a get a new belt and catch a ride with this obviously weird freak. The others decide to go on to the concert, or something and then when they get stuck in traffic decide to go back to pick up the others. Again this movie is a rip off of "Wrong Turn" and it just flips around certain scenes and characters. This wouldn't be a problem seeing as "Wrong Turn" did the same in its script regarding other films but they made it work. This movie just had its characters doing the most stupid things and no one question themselves or the situations. First, who the heck would catch a ride with an obviously loco freak from the woods in this day and age. And when two of the teens arrive in the "Town" in the woods....why don't they question the fact that no one can be seen walking the streets or in any of the buildings although its filled with parked cars. And one that really blew my noggin is that after screaming at a mysterious truck that drives up and just sits there gawking at them and after busting its headlight which makes the truck drive away; the fact that they can go right to sleep and not think that this crazy loon wouldn't show up while they sleep and slice their throats didn't even enter their minds?....PLEASE!!!!!!!! Not even the hot Elisha, who incidentally is made to look frumpy and not too sexy, could save this slop. Paris Hilton is actually good and I found myself hoping she would survive the carnage. This could have been an OK entry but again the fact that the most idiotic things are done makes you just not care and roll your eyes. The cast looks good but sadly the script isn't...There is a deleted alternate beginning that they should have kept in the film....its actually very unnerving and the special effects are good...go see the museum of modern art instead....sheesh..

"Wrong Turn" is a slick, good looking, straight ahead throwback to the old "creeper in the woods" horror genre. It's setup is simple. A med student on his way to an appointment comes across a traffic jam on the highway and decides to take a detour through a back road in West Virginia. While on this road his attention is drawn to the dead carcass of a deer which causes him to accidentally hit a jeep sitting in the middle of the road. The jeep, carrying five friends who luckily were not in the vehicle when it is hit, had its tires blown out by some barb wire that was lying across the road. Realizing the Jeep's fate was not an accident after finding the wire, three of the friends and the med student decide to go and look for help down the road. What they don't know is that three murderous inbreed siblings live in the surrounding woods and what happens next and what they find down the road is delivered in this movie in shear form of relentless horror with no apologies made. The cast is lead by Eliza Dushku and Desmond Harrington who are perfect in the leads and Jeremy Sisto does a great take on Jeff Goldblum. The siblings are horrifying even when you don't see their faces but only glimpses of the backs and body parts as the creep after and hunt the group. They're are scenes, especially the ones set in the cabin house, which will make you squirm in your seat and there are some sudden shocks that you don't see coming, especially toward the end and they are executed in grand style. Lets just say an ax and arrow are involved. A must see for all you 70's horror fans. A warning though....don't stop watching as soon as the credits start to roll...Movie makers are making it hard to just get up and go these days...because they always have a little something more for you...so sit tight and get ready to scream......And for pete's sake...don't go into the woods!!!

What an utterly agonizing waste of film....The premise and setting are interesting and had possibilities...A virus spreads through a maximum security prison. Actually in this flick its an abandoned building on a side street. You can see cars whizzing by and the gate into the prison is a shaky mess sitting on some rollers....I suppose the money on this movie was spent on special effects which by low budget standards were OK. Although you can see some actors walk out of a room and not seem to know which way to go since its obvious they are on a set and not a real building. The characters are all stereo types we've seen before which is alright if a movie is entertaining. This one seem to lag and try and give you drama at the same time. One scene in particular which has the female lead and a victim having a heart to heart about life and stuff. God I wanted to vomit just like the zombies in this movie. The actress can actually deliver her lines believably its just she sounds like such a valley girl type that its annoying. The male actors are OK at best. The male lead is a brown haired Russell Crowe wanna be. There's also a lot of vomiting and squirming in agony as victims turn into zombies which can get a little irritable after a while. At the end of the day its an annoying, loud, badly scripted, and overly acted by some, low budget horror flick. Don't get me wrong, I love low budget horror films, but they at least have to have some appeal.

A smart and sassy ad exec, Shante ( Viveca Fox looking very hot ) wants to keep her man, Keith ( Morris Chestnut also looking pretty fine ) in check after he messes up by saying he is "working late" and ends up taking another woman to "their" restaurant for some drinks and dancing. What happens next is Shante's 10 day rules of putting you man in check. We're taken along for hilarious ride as Shante and Keith match wits to see who can get the upper hand. The movie depicts very honestly, and in a humorous way, the games men and women play with each other. Anthony Anderson is a riot as Keith's friend, Tony, who helps Keith battle the very sly Shante at her game. Shante's gal pals, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Mo'Nique, and Tamala Jones, are also pretty funny. Gabrielle Union makes a sexy turn as Shante's nemesis who is after Keith and isn't shy about it. This battle of the sexes romp is hilarious and witty and should just be enjoyed for what it is; a real good time. A great friends get together flick.

OK so maybe some things don't add up or make sense, but you cant deny this movie is a riot. Nicole Kidman is a self absorbed TV big shot who gets fired for bad judgement on TV programming that leads to a crazy little scene at a showing for TV execs. Kidman and family then decide to movie to the burbs for a some piece and quiet and get more than they bargained for when they arrive in Stepford. The Divine Miss "M" plays a writer whose forced by court order to move to stepford with family but we are warned by her "Dont ask". The pharmacy guy romancing Brie on Desperate Housewives plays a guy whose hubby has brought him to the open minded Stepford for a "Change" as well. The three become fast friends and soon learn that Stepford has sinister secrets. Glen Close gives a fine performance as one of the loony wives of the town along with Faith Hill who has one of the funniest scenes early on when she "Malfunctions" at a square dance". There are funny one liners and banter back and forth from the cast and I laughed out loud and generally had a great time watching this film. It entertained me and thats all I was looking for. Although the part that doesn't make sense which has to do with the question the film makes you ponder at the very end "are they robotic or human, or are they the six million dollar women". Watching the deleted scenes involving Faith and Bette really make you say "hugh"...only because of how the movie ends with regards to the fate of the wives....you'll see what I mean. Incedently that scene with Bette should have been left in. It was hilarious. Thankfully its on the DVD. Have fun watching this wickedly funny take on the original and ignore the elephant in the room.