Film Filter: Off - Primal Fear

Primal Fear R (1996)

Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton 

Film Filter: On- An egocentric lawyer notorious for defending hardened criminals decides to take on a case of a young 19 year old boy who is accused of murder.  Although the case seems like an impossible up-hill climb for the defendant, Marty is determined to win the case.  As the trial progresses, Marty becomes convinced of the boy's innocence, and will stop at nothing to make sure the boy receives a fair trial.  The only thing that seems to be getting in the way are the secrets that his client keeps from him, leaving Marty to wonder how much young Aaron Stampler is really hiding.
Things to note: Very strong cast, first big film for Edward Norton, great plot, based off a book, cheesy music, dialogue sometimes seems forced.

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Crime thrillers involving the law, like Double Jeopardy

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Friday the 13th 2-for-1 Special

Hello, virtual friends, and Happy Friday the 13th!

I want to update you on the recent poll I added, the advice people received, and to give you not one but TWO reviews of some of my all time favorite movies.

So, since you could vote for more than one category, the votes for "What motivates you to watch a scary movie" were as follows: 100% of voters went for unique story and plot, while 25% went for scary/pop out moments.  125%?  Whatevs.

In terms of advice, we've got:

• Always buy a four door vehicle, or your friends will perish
• Check your backseat for axe murderers, so you don't perish
• Don't walk in the direction of creepy circumstances; you will certainly perish
• Scan the area for possible weapons, to prevent your inimitable perish-ing

Thanks for the advice!  I should be more diligent in following it, though.  I had a close call the other night when someone was tailgating me and flashing their high beams in my rear view mirror.  I thought I felt hot breath on my neck and was done for, but it was a false alarm.  No axe murderer, just a hobo.

Anyway, my new poll is up!  Of the following horror villains, who would reign supreme in a battle to the death?

1. Freddy
2. Jason
3. Michael Myers
4. Jigsaw, or
5. Ghost Face

Whaddya think?  Let me know and I'll update ya'll in about a week.

In the meantime, check out my 2-for-1 special reviews on Fallen and Primal Fear.  They're both excellent films that you should check out!

I'm always open to any comments on my blog discussing my posts, or anything in particular.

Frightfully yours,

-Corri

Film Filter: Off - Horror Movie 101: Lesson Learned

What piece of advice have YOU received from horror films?

No, this is not the title of the most recent horror flick to hit theaters, it's an honest question...and I want to know your answer!

I'll start.

So I drive a 2006 PT Cruiser named Pheobe.  She's periwinkle, and the inside of her is like a walking advertisement for Waste Management, but we still love each other.  A lot of times people ask me why I selected her for my automobile, and I give a lot of reasons.  "I like the color."  "She was affordable."  "I like to drive mini-hearses in bizarre colors." etc.  Well, few people know the real reason I selected Pheobe, so feel honored by your now inclusion to this elite group.

THE PHEOBS

While, no, I don't care all that much about make, model, color, interior, or other superfluous aspects of vehicles, there is one attribute that is non-negotiable: having four doors.

Is it starting to click, yet?

In the back of my twisted, overly paranoid (yet logical!) mind, my adult self is reverting back to the hundreds of scary movies I have seen that involve some sort of chase between the villain and the victim.  Let me paint a worst-case-scenario picture for you:

Three of my friends and I are walking to my car from a long day at the beach.  It's a two-door Honda Civic.  All of a sudden (gasp!) Swamp-Man appears on the shore, and begins chasing us down! Struggling to sprint in flip flops, two of us make it to the car ahead of the others...and Swamp-Man is right on their tails!  The other two finally make it to the car but, in my panic, I've dropped the keys!  I have just enough time to open the door, unlock the passenger door, and then there is a split second to make a life or death decision:

AHHH!

Option 1: Should I fold back the seats and let the slow pokes in, leaving my other friend and I vulnerable?  If we get killed first, then the doors remain open and unlocked for Swamp-Man to reach my other friends. Besides, we all know how long it actually takes for people to get behind the retarded folding seats: too long.  Not only will my quick-like-a-fox friend and I surely perish, but there's more than a good chance we all will.  No bueno.

Option 2: Should I hop in with the shotgun passenger and leave the other two stranded? If I hop in with my (not slow) friend and immediately lock the doors, my other two friends may have a chance to escape if they can run.  Plus, I now have the opportunity to try to run Swamp-Man over with my car, provided he doesn't have absurd Jeepers Creepers like jumping abilities.

As you can see, option 2 is the winner here.  Will my friends maybe die?  Yes, and that would suck, but the survival rate overall would improve, and we have to think globally in these times of distress.

Here's the beautiful thing, though.  With Pheobe, I don't have to choose between my friends living or dying!  Provided I never travel with more than four people, my sufficiently-doored PT Cruiser has enough room for everyone to survive and that, my friends, is my Horror Movie 101: Lesson Learned-

ALWAYS HAVE A FOUR DOOR VEHICLE!

(Unless you're a selfish prick and want your friends to die.)

So...it's your turn!   Now YOU get to tell ME what life lessons you've taken out of horror flicks.  Comment on my post, or e-mail me at chiapet_45 AT hotmail DOT com to let me know!  I'll take the top ones and post them on my blog for all to read, but in order for that to happen, you've got to get in touch with me.  I'm dying to hear from you.  :)

-Corri

Film Filter: Off - The Others

The Others PG-13 (2001)

Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Fionnula Flanagan

Film Filter: On- A young, assumably widowed woman is left to take care of her two young children in her very large, empty home.  Due to the children's inability to be in the light, Grace is forced to keep the home in entire darkness.  As Grace concedes to the fact that she needs to hire servants to help upkeep with the large house, she and her children start to experience unexplained noises and occurrences within the household.  Determined to get to the bottom of it, Grace decides she will stop at nothing to reveal the truth about the house, but she must also decide if the truth is too much for Grace and her children to handle.

Things to note: Good cast, believable acting, slow moving plot, several twists, very good ending, not scary.

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Supernatural dramas, like the Sixth Sense or The Orphanage.

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Film Filter: Off - Shutter Island

Shutter Island  R (2010)

Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo
Film Filter: On- A U.S. Federal Marshall and his new partner are on a quest to find a missing mental patient on the notorious Shutter Island.  Known for their unusual patients and sometimes unorthodox practices, Shutter Island is a mental institution for the criminally insane, housing patients too dangerous for other hospitals to manage.  As Teddy and Chuck investigate the escape, they start to become privy to some secrets about the facility that start to get the pair questioning who is trying to capture who in this tricky cat-and-mouse chase.  As they stand on the precipice of knowledge, they must decide how much information they wish to seek about Shutter Island, as knowing too much will result in them staying much longer than they had anticipated.
Things to note: Excellent cast, good dialogue, smooth transition from book to movie, good story evolution, excellent music score, captivating ending, awkward dream and flashback scenes.

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Thrillers that you must watch twice to 

appreciate, like Inception or The Ward.

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Film Filter: Off- 7 Below

7 Below R (2012)

Val Kilmer, Ving Rhames, Luke Goss
Film Filter: On- A group of travelers gets stranded and must seek shelter in an old secluded home.  As a storm approaches, the group of strangers starts to experience the same paranormal sightings.  After they are informed that a family was murdered there exactly one hundred years prior, they must struggle to find a way out of the cursed house before they find themselves repeating the history of it.
Things to note: Novice cast, very badly developed and shallow characters, disjointed plot lines, weak dialogue, predictable pop out and death scenes, unbelievable relationships between characters, lack of information to further the plot along, unanswered questions.

This film was so bad that I don't want to 

waste any more text writing abo...

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

A more diluted, less scary version of 

Amityville or any of its sequels.

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FIlm Filter:Off - The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods R (2012)


Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison
Film Filter: On When five friends decide to spend part of their summer vacation in one of their cousin's cabins, things start to turn mysterious.  From the sketchy locals, to the odd paintings and mirrors in the house, the group slowly starts to piece together that things are not what they seem.  The question is, will they live long enough to figure out who brought them there, and for what purpose?
Things to note: Believable dialogue, frequent humorous moments, interesting and new concept, good cast, very weird plot turns, unanswered questions, sometimes unrealistic scenarios.

Not terrible, but not that memorable and inconsistent to boot

You'll like this movie if you enjoy:

Comedic "scary" movies with multiple horrific villains and 

various sub plots, like 13 Ghosts 

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