Halloween Season

[Kansas 0]

Saw Paranormal Activity today. **SPOILERS**

 

This is that film that was released in limited areas and numbers, and if Paramount Pictures got enough good feedback, the studio was going to release it to the major markets as well? The film was released to the full market.

 

In my opinion the negative copy of Paranormal should be shot out of a warp engine.

 

Pros:

 

- Interesting use of the handheld/mounted camera angle that we've seen over the past ten years or so, starting with the "Blair Witch Project" that made the technique famous. The film "Quarantine" of 2008 did a better job of employing this Blair Witch technique, in my opinion, even compared to JJ Abrams "Cloverfield". Paranormal does okay with the camera technique.

 

- Presentation is that sorta documentary format? No background music, nothing, just the 2 primary cast members.

 

Cons:

 

- I wasn't scared. ::shrugs:: I've seen this all before in any number of haunted house films or on documentaries or re-enactments on any number of cable television shows that report on hauntings around the world.

 

- Research? The girl, who has been followed by this demon thing since she was eight years old, never did any research into this phenomena until she met current boyfriend Micah; he took the lead role in this so to speak. No offense? Seriously something not of this world is following me around? Totally doing the research, 'kay?

 

.... look, I don't want to deter anyone from seeing it if you want to or if you might want to get a good scare...but I think I'm going to go watch the original Aliens (the first and still the best out of the series) now or something...

 

On that note, I have movie recommendations in lieu of this Halloween season:

 

- Twenty Eight Days Later: quick zombies that are animal like and feral? Better start running. Now.

 

- Dawn of the Dead: 2004 remake of (one of) the George A. Romero trilogy classics. Romero rocks, and Dawn is a solid modern remake that stands up well in it's own right. Excellent zombie flick.

 

- The Exorcism of Emily Rose: now this is a good haunting/possession movie with elements of a court case intermixed. Excellent, with a hint of mystery. Tom Wilkinson and Laura Linney give excellent performances.

 

- The Changeling: made in 1980, starring George C. Scott. Remains the only haunting/horror film that gives me chills or truly scares me. Absolutely I have it on DVD.

 

For the record, I can't stand some of the hack and slash horror films or the crud that passes for the SAW films; some of these so called horror movies are so stupid.

[T'aral 0]

Saw Zombieland yesterday. One of the people I was with complained that there were a few too many silly parts of the movie.

 

News Flash: the whole friggin' movie is silly! :P

 

Ok: maybe not the whole movie. I counted exactly two parts of the movie which were honestly tragic. The catch was, you didn't end up getting brought down too far - since the whole rest of the movie was one goofy joke after another ... and well done ones, too. Ok: one goofy joke stretched believability :P , but other than that it was all pretty well covered.

 

The rest of the movie was funny without stretching believability - once you believe in the whole zombie thing, that is. If you're ok with the decaying zombie body-eating gross-out factors, I'd recommend this one for a matinee laugh with a pack of friends, including one know-it-all survivalist ... that's what I did.

 

:P

[TKAR 0]

THIS is not a movie but scared people in the 1920 and 30,s -the radio holloween -bordcast WAR OF THE WORLDS-people rain out their homes sceamming,my father told me people went nuts -also the movie -1920 freaks,