Tag: Horror

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Movie Review

Scream 4 (2011)

Exploring the Terror Behind Ghost Face in Scream 4

Exploring the Terror Behind Ghost Face in Scream 4

Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Lucy Hale, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Brittany Robertson, Neve Campbell, Alison Brie, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Aimie Teegarden, Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts, Marielle Jaffe, Marley Shelton, Erik Knudsen, Rory Culkin, Nico Tortorella, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody

Ten years has pasted since Sidney (Neve Campbell) survived the last murders. Sidney has since written a book about her experience. Sidney returns to Woodsboro for a book signing with her PR lady Rebecca (Alison Brie). Deputy Dewey is now Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) he is also married to Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox).

Upon Sidney return two students are killed by Ghost Face. Sidney cousin Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts) with her two best friends Kirby (Hayden Panettiere) and Olivia (Marielle Jaffe) get the news along with Jill’s ex boyfriend Trevor (Nico Tororella). Video blogger Robbie (Erik Knudsen) and his partner Charlie (Rory Culkin) complete the school group line up.

With Sheriff Dewey in charge he has a new squad of deputies including his new partner Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) an old school friend of Sidney. The other two we meet are Deputy Perkins (Anthony Anderson) and Deputy Hoss (Adam Brody).

Using the ‘Stab’ movies as their reference points to how to make it out the situation the Jill, Kirby, Sidney all stay at Kate Roberts Jill mother and Sidney Aunt. Having a squad car with Perkins and Hoss in are they going to be safe?

The list of suspects in Scream 4 is good and will keep you guessing all the way.

  • Is it the reporter who can’t write anymore
  • The Deputy who was ignored at school
  • The mysterious boyfriend
  • The film geeks who film their lives
  • The one who wants to be center of attention

Anyone could be the villain and every corner pushes a different prime suspect before pulling that name straight back off the table. Check out the Scream 4 Victim List for full spoilers HERE.

This movie keeps in the same trend of the original trilogy never taking itself too serious and having little pops at all over remakes. Even giving us the updated rules of the ‘Remake’. Add in the clever opening sequences puts you on the edge of your seat from start to brilliant revelation on the Ghost Face is. If you like the original movies you will like this fourth as it is same sense of tension through out. Even if your new to the franchise this isn’t a bad place to start up from as the back story isn’t important and what is needed to be filled in gets done in the short filled conversations.

My Rating 82%

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Movie Review

Identity (2003)

Director: James Mangold
Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, Clea Duvall, John C. McGinley, William Lee Scott, Jake Busey, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Rebecca De Mornay, Leila Kenzie, Holmes Osbourne, Bret Loehr,

Dr Malick (Alfred Molina) is doing research about a serial killer Malcolm Rivers. Rivers is going to be put to death the next night and Malick discovers something that could change the punishment of Rivers. Having a midnight hearing with Judge Taylor (Holmes Osbourne) the case is presented.

While the case goes on we go to a motel with a storm raging Larry (John Hawkes) meets a range of different characters looking for a room. starting with George York (John C. McGinley) carrying his injured wife Alice (Leila Kenzie) and step son Timmy York (Bret Loehr). The injury was caused in a car accident involving a driver Ed (John Cusack) and his fallen star actress Caroline (Rebecca De Mornay). After trying o get help Ed meets hooker Paris (Amanda Peet) and young couple Lou (William Lee Scott) Ginny (Clea Duvall). The final arrival is policeman Rhodes (Ray Liotta) and his prison transfer Robert Maine (Jake Busey).

After Caroline gets killed the guests at the motel start to panic to make matters worse Robert Maine has escaped. With this complex characters we are left to wonder who will make it through the night and what is the evidence to get this convected murder a new trial.

This is a good horror thriller using a basic concept leaving a group of people in the middle of nowhere with a killer on the loose. The story is pack full of twists and turns to keep you guessing from start until the big reveal at the end. The storm adds to the tension being built through out the movie.

A true thriller that hides all identities with shocking revelations on all characters a must for the thriller fans with part slasher.

My rating 78%

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Movie Review

Scream (1996)

Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, Drew Barrymore, Skeet Ulrich, Courteney Cox, W. Earl Brown, Rose McGowen, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber,

Starting with Casey (Drew Barrymore) home with her boyfriend Steve, Thinking their are alone Casey starts making popcorn when she gets a phone call. The voices on the other end starts asking film related questions being told if she is wrong she will die. She got the question wrong and Ghost Face starts trying to chase and kill her after already disposing of Steve.

The Next day we meet out heroine Sidney (Neve Campbell) a school friend of Casey and her group of friends. The friends are her sex deprived boyfriend Billy (Skeet Ulrich) best friend Tatum (Rose McGowen) and her boyfriend Stuart (Matthew Lillard) and horror fan Randy (Jamie Kennedy). The group learn about the murders the night before and as Sidney is home alone she arranges for Tatum to stay with her.

While waiting for Tatum Sidney gets her first visit from Ghost Face escaping once Billy sneaks in her window and drops a phone. Sidney thinks Billy is the killer and runs into the Ghost Face mask being held by Deputy Dewey (David Arquette) who is also Tatum brother.

Add into the mix a hungry report who already cashed in on the death of Sidney’s mother a year early. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and her cameraman Kenny (W.Earl Brown) try to keep onto of all which is going on and defending the man found guilty of Sidney’s mother murder Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber). We are now left to figure out who the killer is?

This is Wes Cravens version of a tongue in cheek look at horror slasher movies. Never taking itself too serious but keeping tension high through out the story. With endless movie references from Friday the 13Th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and many other horror movies.

The story has twists keeping you guessing on who the killer is giving very few clues to who is actually is and question every characters motives. this is a must watch for any fans of the slasher genre giving a fresh take on what we have seen before.

My rating 83%

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Movie Review

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

 

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Starring: Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head, Sarah Birightman, Paris Hilton, Bill Moseley, Nivek Ogre, Terrance Zdunich, Sarah Power

After the a worldwide epidemic a biotech company GenCo offer an organ transplant with the payment set out as a loan. However there is a catch if you miss a re-payment a repoman will come and take the organ back. With the black market offering zydrate a new painkilling drug taken from dead bodies. We enter the world very different to what we are used to seeing.

Our heroine is Shilo (Alexa Vega) and sick young girl who unable to go outside due to her sickness but secretly sneaks off to her mothers grave. Her curiosity of bugs lands her in trouble when she bumps into the GraveRobber (Terrance Zdunich) doing what he does best collecting zydrate, only the alarms go off and all grave trespassers get shot on site. Shilo gets caught but the Repo Man stops them killing her.

The Repo Man (Anthony Head) is Shilo father (but she doesn’t know it)  job is given to him by Rotti (Paul Sorvino) after Repo Man who’s everyday name is Nathan believes he is responsible for Marni his wife’s death. Rotti himself is dying he has to find an heir for his job as head of GenCo and his three children are only disappointing. Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton) addicted to surgery and zydrate. Luigi (Bill Moseley) is hot headed and just kills people in a heart beat. Pavi who wears a different face for each event he attends. also to make Rotti’s job harder his poster girl Blind Mag (Sarah Brightman) wants to leave.

Rotti sets out the talk Shilo into being the new poster girl for his company by promising to cure her sickness, while he sends Nathan out to kill Blind Mag lets the opera start who will be left standing when all the blood is spilt? Who will be in charge of GenCo?

The thing that makes this movie stand out above the rest is the rock opera with everything being sung through out the film with some very catchy songs and some bad ones but hey. Each location is very dark showing how down the world has become. the story is easy to follow told in a simple enough format but also keeps the twists in the story a surprise.

This movie came from a play created by Terrance Zdunich which was meant to have to more in the series a sequel and prequel but due to it poor performance at the box office it looks very unlikely we will get the second and third film.

I personal enjoy this movie as it is original and we don’t get many rock opera movies i will give this movie a 89%

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Movie Review

My Soul To Take (2010)

This is the latest from writer director Wes Craven (original nightmare on elm street). This is a new slasher thriller.

Starts with a story about a murder being hunted only to turn out a everyday family man with split personality or souls depending on the legend you hear. After his sane personality figures out he is the ripper the cops head out to stop this killer. after discovering he has killed his pregnant wife he goes after his little girl on for the cops to stop him. transferring him to the hospital an accident loses the body into the river.

16 years later we have seven teenagers who were born the same day the ripper died. These seven of all different social groups meet and a ceremony every year to guard from the ripper’s return. only it got interrupted by the police. now the ripper is back but who is he?

This film has similar feel to a lot slashers with some twists turns to keep you guessing on who the killer is. it lacks in suspense of the great slashers but is worth a view if you like a horror slasher movie, it also gives little character development to the surviving cop who is trying to figure out what is going on. The overall storyline is nice with the whole high school politics and their weird scoring punch system and a good job from an unknown cast too.

My rating 74%