Film Filter: Off - The Gift

The Gift (2000)

Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves

Film Filter: On- Annie Wilson is a single mom whose clairvoyant readings help pay the bills.  When a young woman from the community goes missing and the police are at the end of their bread trail, they have no choice but to seek out Annie's unusual skill set.  Although they are skeptics, the authorities soon realize that Annie's extrasensory abilities pay off, but they must all soon decide how to proceed with caution, as her ability to sense impending circumstances appears to be incriminating.

Things to note: Good cinematography, very good casting, great characterization and believability, the movie feels realistic, star studded cast, good use of scare tactics

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Thrillers that question the protagonist's sanity, like Gothika

Film Filter: Off- This movie sat on my queued list for a while, so I was glad to finally get the opportunity to watch it on an unexpected day off…

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

New year, new format!

As I prep my next post for publishing, I just wanted to let y'all know that I am revamping my layout.

Instead of the…

Click here for Film Filter: Off

…link that appears below each synopsis that takes you to my in depth review (that I am still confined at least 25% of my viewers do not realize exists) I will be including it in the actual synopsis, or the "Film Filter: On" portion.

I will insert a page break, but because my Film Filter: Off posts usually contain spoiler alerts, I wanted to let you know to proceed with caution, if you are not at a point in which you would like to hear about film specs.

That is all, horror fans.  New review to follow.

Film Filter: Off - Se7en

Se7en R (1995)

Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey

Film Filter: On- A rookie detective and his well-seasoned partner are on a case to solve a series of murders pertaining to the seven deadly sins.  Once they discover the links in the first two murders, it is a race against time, sanity, and wits to discover who the murderer is before the seventh sin is completed.

Things to note: Excellent casting, intriguing story, good character development, good use of themes, story is a bit slow to start, captivating ending.

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Psychological murder mysteries like Silence of the Lambs, 

or thematic murder stories like The Bone Collector

Click here for Film Filter: Off

Hey everyone, my name is Corri and I suck at maintaining this blog.

I've always been told that the first step to fixing a problem is admitting that you have one, hence the title of my post.

2014 was off to a great start…until March.  I can blame the hellacious task that was nearly singlehandedly running my musical with pitfalls and obstacles left and right, but to be perfectly frank, that's not a reason, it's an excuse.  To be really honest, I got into a rom-com, feel-good movie rut, and thereby sent my Netflix suggestions into a whole new realm of mushy, sappy, joyful cinematic bliss, and it was a tough transition back to the thriller/horror universe.

I also started managing my personal blog again, and found that posts there required less research, less time, and were easier to maintain.  Another excuse, but hey, at least I'm being honest.

So here's my ultimatum…as one of my resolutions, I'd like to attempt a monthly post on this blog, with a weekly post on my personal blog.  I'm not ready to throw in the towel on either yet, as I have spent a lot of time, and many years of effort on both.  So let's do this, 2015, and if the task proves too difficult I'll figure it out, I guess.

So without further adieu, I will be posting a review on the movie Seven today, but in the meantime, enjoy this horrifying preview of a movie that I will see in the near future, despite the pants-pooping that will likely ensue.

Happy New Fear, er- Year!

Film Filter: Off - The Awakening

The Awakening R (2011)


Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton

Film Filter: On- Florence Cathcart makes a living debunking ghost stories and haunted houses, which doesn't exactly make her popular with the spiritual community.  After being approached by the headmaster of a boarding school about an incident and immediately rejecting the offer, Florence has a change of heart and decides to investigate.  What she finds will cause her to re-think everything she has so easily dismissed about spirits, and remember what she has forgotten she knew about her past.

Things to note: Good cinematography, excellent cast, very detailed story, inconclusive ending, unique and interesting plot

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Historical ghost stories, like The Others or The Conjuring

Click here for Film Filter: Off

Film Filter: Off - Insidious Chapter 2

Insidious: Chapter 2 PG-13 (2013)

Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey

Film Filter: On- The continuation of the first installation of this series takes us to Josh and Renai Lambert right after the events ending the first film.  While Renai seems unsure what to think about the events that just transpired, Josh seems adamant to try to forget everything and move on, insisting that if Renai ignore the ghosts, they will in turn disappear.  When this strategy doesn't appear to work Renai must ask herself if the ghosts are indeed haunting the house, or her husband, yet the question remains: is her husband really who he claims to be?

Things to note: Same cast, forced dialogue at times, a few pop out moments, good story continuation and development, lots of new information regarding past characters, random ending, implausible scenarios

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Haunted house thrillers like The Haunting, Sinister, or the Conjuring

Click here for Film Filter: Off

Film Filter: Off - The Prophecy

The Prophecy R (1995)

Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas, Virginia Madsen

Film Filter: On- Two angels descend to Earth with very different agendas: one to find the darkest soul on Earth and use it in the angelic battle in Heaven, and the other to prevent that very scenario.  A former seminarian-turned-cop and a school teacher team up to figure out what's going on, and how to eliminate this multi-century divine battle, before they- and the rest of humanity- get caught in the crossfire.
Things to note: Solid cast, fictional historical re-telling, some irrational moments, interesting premise

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Angelic/Satanic thrillers like Constantine or The Ninth Gate

Click here for Film Filter: Off