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Flash Movie Review: The Raven
Happy Halloween to you and for your treat I have a special movie for today’s review. I still have a vivid memory of where I was when I first saw this fun horror film. My family was vacationing with my aunt and her family at a summer resort in Michigan. This movie was being shown in a recreation room that had dark paneled walls and stale popcorn. I remember my cousins and I being frightened of the evil sorcerer. Little did we know that when viewing this movie as adults it would be so campy. Bumbling magician Dr. Adolphus Bedlo, played by Peter Lorre (Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon), had crossed paths with the evil Dr. Scarabus, played by Boris Karloff (The Mummy, Arsenic & Old Lace), who turned the poor man into a raven. In need of someone with strong magical powers Dr. Bedlo sought out Dr. Erasmus Craven, played by Vincent Price (Edward Scissorhands, Theater of Blood), who was the son of a powerful magician. Though Dr. Craven stopped practicing magic, he agreed to help the raven when he discovered who was being held by Dr. Scarabus. It would take a monumental tsunami of wizardry skill to break the spell and survive Dr. Scarabus’ evil power. For the time this movie was made the special effects were fun; keeping in mind nothing in it compares to today’s standards. It was obvious the actors were relishing their roles as these titans of terror were being pitted against each other. Notice Dr. Adolphus Bedlo’s son was played by a young Jack Nicholson (The Shining, Chinatown). Director Roger Corman (Bloody Mama, The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre) did a good job of mixing horror with comedy. This was a light hearted romp with stellar stars letting themselves go and enjoying the experience. Get your favorite snack and I will tell you what I say to all of my classes on this day: “Eat without guilt!”
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Sinister
There is something about being frightened that cleanses the body. Like when a car is taken out on the highway to blow out the carburetor, there is a rush of adrenalin that opens up the arteries; making the senses clearer. Whether you get your scary thrills from roller coasters, haunted houses or something like mountain climbing; this suspenseful movie will provide a fright. Normally this would not be the type of movie I would quickly run out and see; but, I was glad I saw it at the theater. Crime novelist Ellison Oswalt, played by Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Before Sunset), moved his family into a house where a murder had taken place. Knowing how they would react, he did not tell them about the crime. Ellison planned on researching the event for his next book. When he discovered a box of old home movies left in the attic, their viewing revealed a pattern of clues that would directly affect his family. There were key elements that made this a better than average movie. First, let me talk about the script. The story was solid, providing the characters with a range of depth. Ethan was excellent and believable as the novelist desperate for another best selling book. Juliet Rylance (Animal) as his wife Tracy was a good counterpoint to his character. I found the filming was superb in creating atmosphere, with shades of darkness and muted colors. Also, the soundtrack was an excellent accompaniment to the emotional scenes, never becoming overpowering or intrusive. With any movie of this type, one must be lenient with their common sense. Once done, this horror film will grab your attention and get your blood pumping. Contains scenes of violence and blood.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Frankenweenie
Each person handles differently the loss of a loved one. Some people withdraw into themselves while others have the need to express their feelings in a creative way. My grandfather’s passing was the first time I experienced the death of a person in my life. Upon hearing the news, I remembered sitting down at the piano and played a favorite song repeatedly for a couple of hours, with tears rolling down my cheeks. The loss of a beloved pet can be just as hard. In this stunning and stylish movie, Sparky the dog was the only friend of Victor Frankenstein, voiced by Charlie Tahan (Charlie St. Cloud, I am Legend). It was heartbreaking for Victor when his cherished pet died in a car accident. With such a heavy loss, every day was lifeless for poor Victor; if only circumstances would have been different. However, everything would change when a substitute teacher performed a science experiment in Victor’s class. Inspired by the electricity experiment, Victor recreated the test at home and successfully brought his beloved Sparky back to life. The problem now would be how to prevent the townsfolk from finding out. That would not be the only problem Victor would encounter, along with the entire town. This film was a wickedly fun take on the Frankenstein story, complete with similar references and scenes. Director Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland, Corpse Bride) brought his own wild twisted sense of humor to the story, making this black and white animated film a visual feast. The use of Catherine O’Hara (For Your Consideration, Home Alone), Martin Short (Primetime Glick-TV, Father of the Bride) and Winona Ryder (Black Swan, Edward Scissorhands) to voice multiple characters was an auditory treat. Be aware this movie may not be appropriate for younger children. I had a great time seeing this film, both as an adult and a kid at heart.
3 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: House at the End of the Street
As I drove to the movie theater, I had to wonder who made the decision that put Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, The Hunger Games) into this film. From the ad campaign it looked like this was a horror movie; why would Jennifer put herself into this type of film? All I could think was Jennifer would look back at this film as a speed bump in her career. Playing teenaged Elissa, she and her divorced mother Sarah, played by Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas, Hollow Man), moved to a small town to get a fresh start. Upon arriving at their new home, the two discovered a tragic event had taken place at the house next door, several years ago. The parents were murdered by their daughter, who then fled the scene, never to be found again. The only survivor was her brother Ryan, played by Max Thieriot (Jumper, The Pacifier); who years later returned to the house, only to be shunned by the townsfolk. Elissa ignored the warnings and tried to befriend the quiet neighbor. But, would Elissa be safe being alone with Ryan in that house of tragedy? While watching Jennifer in this role, I was relieved to see she still had not lost her command of the screen. This woman has a great screen presence. Elisabeth as the mother was the perfect antagonist to her daughter; their scenes together sparked across the screen. Unfortunately they could not save this cliched thriller that left me emotionally detached. I did not find the movie scary, though I liked a couple of the twists in the story. With a PG-13 rating, this was not a slasher type of movie; think of it more like Psycho light. I cannot remember seeing any blood in the movie, but I may have missed it when I was checking the time on my watch. Was this a bad choice for Jennifer? I do not think it will hurt her in the long run; but let us say, it was a lateral move in what I feel will be a long movie career for her.
2 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Resident Evil: Retribution
All these years I thought I was big stuff because I could hold my own against the Space Invaders video game. Then Alice came along and burst my bubble. I may not have played the video game this movie was based on, but I felt I had once I saw this action film. Also, this is only the 2nd movie I have seen in the Resident Evil movie franchise. The film started where the last one left off, showing us the previous ending scene in slow motion reverse. With this installment we find Alice, played by Milla Jovovich (The Three Musketeers, The Fifth Element) was mother to hearing impaired Becky, played by Aryana Engineer (Orphan). Alice was living life as a suburban housewife until the neighborhood was attacked by flesh eating zombies. It turned out Alice was being held in a secret testing location by the Umbrella Corporation, keepers of the T-Virus. For Alice to escape out of her holding cell, she would need the help of an insider and former friends. The first impression I had while watching this action film was how long could Milla keep up the physical stamina the role demanded? Presently, I believe Alice would be in the top 3 for being the toughest female action hero on screen today. The action stunts were plentiful, with some in fast motion and others done slowly. The primal story had holes in it that did not explain some things to me, but I do not think it mattered. I found the acting stiff and wooden for the most part, but again so what? The film was meant to be a visual explosion of special effects and action; it succeeded in that regard. This was nothing more than a video game on the big screen, without the joystick.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Possession
In a new marketing twist, Hollywood is going from remaking previous movies to converting their religion now. In this suspenseful thriller, the movie studio took the story from the film The Exorcist and changed the religion to the Jewish faith. They could easily have called this movie The Yiddish Exorcist. I do not know if it has to do with society’s short attention span or whether we have become desensitized to violence in general; but, I did not find this movie that suspenseful. It needed a longer build up of tension to achieve true apprehension. With the coming attractions being shown, I was already prepared for some of the scenes, which took away the excitement for me. There were a few scenes that worked well, but I felt it was due to the well honed actors. Divorced parents Clyde and Stephanie, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Losers, Watchmen) and Kyra Sedgwick (Gamer, The Closer-TV) work together to save their youngest daughter Em, played by Natasha Calis (Donovan’s Echo, Sharp as Marbles) from an ancient evil spirit. This was not an original idea, but I really liked the matching up of Jeffrey and Kyra; they added emotional heft to the film’s story. Another plus to the movie was the avoidance of a cliched soundtrack, letting the scenes handle the build up of an impending terror. I gave this scary film a passing grade; however, I hope this is not an example of what we can expect a suspenseful film to be in the future. Personally, it does not matter to me what religion is used; I just hope the movie studios work on what is needed to build up the tension, in what is supposed to be a scary movie. Scenes with blood.
2 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Cabin in the Woods
For those of you who have known me for some time, you must be shocked to see me review this horror film. I am not a fan of the slasher horror movie genre. The only tip off I had regarding this movie was Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) was the producer and one of the writers. With trepidation, I found an empty seat in the theater and prepared myself to be visually assaulted with blood and guts. The story started with five friends (comprised of your stereotypical jock, stoner dude, intellectual guy, grounded female and the party girl) who take a road trip to a remote cabin, for a mini vacation. At first I thought what an unoriginal premise; this was going to be one of those typical horror story setups. Not to give anything away, but I was so wrong about this movie. The script was smart, humorous with a splash of satire. I would not label this as strictly a horror film; instead, I would call it a hybrid of a science fiction horror movie. The story was wildly original and was finely executed (pun intended). Besides having Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Star Trek) in the cast, I felt Richard Jenkins (The Visitor, Let Me In) as Sitterson and Bradley Whitford (Kate & Leopold, The West Wing-TV) were perfect together. The best way to view this film would be to go in with as little information about it. I would even recommend you bypass the trailer below. Just remember its roots were in the horror genre, so there were gory bloody scenes.
3 stars
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