(descriptions and information gathered from IMDB. The opinions rendered below these, however, are mine. Using a 5 star rating system.)
Phantoms** 1998
150 dead and 350 missing in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, Colorado. And that's only the beginning...
Director: Joe Chappelle, Writer: Dean Koontz, Stars: Peter O'Toole, Rose McGowan, Joanna Going
I wonder why it is that great horror novels make such terrible movies? I read Dean Koontz and Stephen King voraciously and enjoy them utterly. This book was really good. Really really scary. The movie, meh. Gross. The dialog was laughable. The characters undeveloped and over acted. The monster, nothing. The screenplay was also by Koontz, so that's not it. I guess this stuff just doesn't translate well. It relies so much on the imagination of the partaker. That is, of course, often removed in film. It doesn't have to be, though. I think the ones that work are the ones that really consider what is scary about the story and present that in a visual way, rather than just regurgitating each piece of action from the book. Hitchcock did this well, of course, and I can think of some of the scariest scenes in movies (the ripples in the water glass in Jurassic Park), and tell you it's not what you saw, it's what you didn't see…
Just Like Heaven**** 2005
A lonely landscape architect (Ruffalo) falls for the spirit of beautiful woman (Witherspoon) who used to live in his new apartment.
Director: Mark Waters, Writers: Peter Tolan, Leslie Dixon, Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo
I'm a total sucker for romantic comedies with a mystical magical element. As such, I've seen a million of 'em, so I know from where I speak. This one is a gem and gets all the elements right. It's very romantic with great comic moments. It has a fabulous supporting cast. The bad best friend is just the right amount of bad. The climactic moment is exciting and fun. The romantic ending has just the right amount of yes and no. Extremely formulaic, yes, but like I always say, so is Haiku. It's what you do within the structure that matters, and this one pulls it off.
Chronicle*** 2012
Whilst attending a party, three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.
Director: Josh Trank, Writer: Max Landis, Stars: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan
This one has stuck with me for awhile. After The Blair Witch Project, I knew that the artifice of using a camcorder held by one or more of the characters, though irritating, actually can make a movie more compelling and seem more real. Still, I wasn't sure about this one. It does work, though, and pulls you in to the story pretty well. As with all of these types of films, you do find yourself occasionally distracted by whether or not the shot is a legitimate one, or if the filmmakers went a little too far setting up the premise of how one of the characters could possible have shot it. The ending, in particular, sets off these alarms, but these alarms going off in your head actually seem to add to the implied tension. It's a good story, and it's scary and odd. Worth watching.
Pitch Perfect*** 2012
Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.
Director: Jason Moore, Writers: Kay Cannon, Mickey Rapkin, Stars: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp
I hated this movie almost all the way through, finding it insipid and overly reliant on its stars' previous reputations among the teen audience. I loved it by the end. Not much else to say.
The Valley of Elah*** 2007
A retired military investigator works with a police detective to uncover the truth behind his son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.
Director: Paul Haggis, Writers: Paul Haggis, Mark Boal, Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Jason Patrick, Susan Sarandon
This is an amazing anti-war story brilliantly told and acted. Charlize Theron's character goes on some very interesting and compelling journeys and Tommy Lee Jone's gut wrenching transformation from rah rah military to horrified honesty about what war turns people into is a sight to behold. Some of the sights we have to behold, however, are just a bit too much, in my opinion. It ends up hitting the nail a little too hard. Still a very good film.
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