Continuing on with the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY films, here we have the second entry. From here on out, I have not seen any of them (hopefully I will get to number four in theaters soon after its release). Could this movie possibly live up to the first? The history of the horror genre says that the odds are not good.
Continue reading ‘johnlink ranks PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (2010)’
Being October, I figured it would be appropriate to hit up some horror flicks. I’ve wanted to see the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY films, but only ever saw the first back when it was in theaters. When doing a re-ranking, I try not to lean on my original article. I know I scored this film fairly high, and I assumed (years later now) that I must have over-estimated its worth. I started this movie tonight fully expecting to knock it down a peg.
Continue reading ‘johnlink re-ranks PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2009)’
My history with Bond is, in no way, chronological. I’ve seen a majority of them, I’ve seen films from each Bond (except the one Lazenby flick), with my favorite Bonds being Connery and Craig. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is one of those titles I had yet to visit.
Continue reading ‘johnlink ranks FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)’
In the late 60s, documentary director Bill Greaves decided to try and make a multi-layered documentary film which would sort-of be about the process of filmmaking, but which was really an experiment in layers of truth. If people think the idea of being ‘meta’ is new, they should visit this 1968 documentary. As for that title: it appears to be a box which one wouldn’t want to even attempt to crack. It is unseemly in its length and psycho-babble. However, it’s the thing that made me DVR this when I happened across it on Turner Classic Movies, so it at least catches the attention!
Continue reading ‘johnlink ranks SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM: TAKE ONE (1968)’
Seeing the word HOUSE in a movie title usually implies horror, ghosts, or something suspenseful. I’m not sure why that is (and there are certainly exceptions), but its a fairly safe rule of thumb to live by. So here is DREAM HOUSE, a film which does not fall into the horror genre, though it does fall into the spooky-ghost sub-genre.
TRIANGLE is a movie which I would probably have not ventured toward if not for its appearance as the number one entry on Tyson Carter’s recent list of 10 Obscure Horror Movies YouNeed to Discover for WhatCulture. But, the post intrigued me and when I came across TRIANGLE on Amazon Prime, I figured I’d give it a run.
Must be getting late in the year, because the 2012 early releases are now popping up on DVD. Or maybe they already have been but I wouldn’t know since I haven’t bought a new-release DVD in quite some time. Either way, this is the first 2012 film I’ve seen at home, and not in theaters. Because, you know, having that knowledge really matters to you…
I came to this movie much the same way I came to WINTER’S BONE. I had heard good things about a dramatic film starring an up-and-coming actress who really gives one helluva good performance. As for plot, themes, or even a general idea of what I was in for? Nothing. And, as I have said many times, that is usually the best way to go into a movie. There will be some SPOILERS below, but I will save them all for a clearly marked paragraph at the end of the article. So feel free to read on until the warning hits.
Continue reading ‘johnlink ranks MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (2011)’
I know quite a few people who swear by this movie. The sub-genre of gritty prison fare isn’t always my go-to choice for film, but when it is done well it can be done very well. Tom Hardy is a heck of an actor, from what little I’ve seen, so I was also interested in seeing him featured like this. I should also note that I had no idea who Charlie Bronson was before seeing this movie. I thought it was odd that he shared a name with the DEATH WISH actor, so I was glad that got explained. But this was not a film I came to with any kind of predisposition regarding what it was going to be.
From the time this movie first popped on my radar as a potential project it has had a series of ups-and-downs in my perception of its worth. And that was before I even watched it. My first reaction was negative. How could they remake one of the all time classic sci-fi/horror flicks? When I heard they were setting it in 1982 and doing it as a prequel, I was intrigued. It’s not a bad way to make the story work, I figured. Then it was mired in post-production with rumors of problems, and it came out in theaters to mostly negative feedback. I was disappointed by what I heard, and never watched it. But this prequel found me last night, and I decided to give it a shot despite some tremendously low expectations.
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