At first, I was surprised Ghostbusters was on the list because I never considered it a "horror" movie. But, I'm glad it was and I think it deserves its coveted spot in the RIG or WIG. (Watching in Genre).
Like Poltergeist, this movie had its scary moments, such as the opening scene in the library, or when Dana is floating, however, this is definitely more of a comedy.
The concept was fantastic and fun. Bill Murray steals the show, but the other characters work perfectly as well. The movie seemed plausible and I enjoyed the scientific parts. And just like in many of the Ghost stories we read this semester, scientists and doctors played a large role in many of the books.
The movie mixes a fun plot with great characters, which made it such a success. Most movies seem to have one or the other, but Ghostbusters nailed its plot and characters. What they did was innovate on the "end of days" movies, or night of the living dead type story...(sort of)....modernized it, and made it funny.
As writers, I think that's what we're all trying to do. Put our own twist and innovations on stories that speak to us.
When the EPA shut down the containment unit, it reminded me of Die Hard, when the FBI shut off Nakotomi Plaza's power....I know Ghostbusters was first, but I love when that stuff happens!
I don't know what I feel about the new version coming out this summer. I'll probably end up renting it, the cast looks funny, but it's going to be tough to beat the original version.
Overall, I have to give Ghostbusters an A. It may not be scary, but it makes you think, it's funny, and most of all an enjoyable experience.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Poltergeist
This movie wasn't too scary, but overall, it rocked. The opening scene was awesome. I absolutely loved the dog running around the house, eating chips, and checking on the family, and then ending with "Carol-Anne" talking to the TV. I want that dog. The movie had some great visuals, set-ups, and pay-offs (for example the clown he kept covering up, which later attacks him).
The biggest take-away for me was that the movie was about a kidnapping, almost more so than a ghost story. That was a brilliant twist to the status-quo spook show.
The movie had the normal Spielberg charm and after the opening scene, which hooked the viewer and created suspense, we saw a glimpse of their normal life. And in that glimpse of "normal-ness" were set-ups...burying a dead thing in the yard (Tweety), the ugly tree, digging up the pool, the clown (as mentioned earlier), and the storm coming.
Did I say that this movie made me miss the 80s? Well, it did. It's funny how things come full circle, as in the Star Wars room decorations, which are popular again for kids. I love that the Rams are back in L.A., the Rubix Cube is still cool, and the game Clue is still holding strong...maybe it's still the 80s. Oh wait, with the 24 hour news media, the TV wouldn't turn to fuzz at night any longer...so Poltergeists have been destroyed by technology. Finally, back to the 80s stuff in the movie, I loved the product placement throughout the scenes...Cheetos, Ritz, Budweiser, Clorox, etc.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
"They're here." What a great line.
I loved the little woman who played the "medium." She was perfect for the role. I laughed out loud when she said, "You're right....you go," to the mom.
Was there a love interest (just a little) between the psychologist and the mom? Drinking together, hugging, and maybe it was me, but when "Coach" kissed the mother in front of the trans-dimensional portal, the old psychologist seemed a little jealous.
"Now lets go get your daughter." That line rivals...."I'll be back." Okay, maybe not, but it was a fantastic line. I wanted to jump through a portal and save me some kids.
The music was awesome. Sounded like tuning forks, but done so well.
I was somewhat attracted to the old lady psychologist...although her bottom teeth needed some work. I think it's a sign that I'm getting old.
The clown was a cheap shot. Everyone's scared of clowns. I loved watching the kid rip the stuffing out of that S.O.B.
Overall, great movie and it did well for a reason. I give it an A.
The biggest take-away for me was that the movie was about a kidnapping, almost more so than a ghost story. That was a brilliant twist to the status-quo spook show.
The movie had the normal Spielberg charm and after the opening scene, which hooked the viewer and created suspense, we saw a glimpse of their normal life. And in that glimpse of "normal-ness" were set-ups...burying a dead thing in the yard (Tweety), the ugly tree, digging up the pool, the clown (as mentioned earlier), and the storm coming.
Did I say that this movie made me miss the 80s? Well, it did. It's funny how things come full circle, as in the Star Wars room decorations, which are popular again for kids. I love that the Rams are back in L.A., the Rubix Cube is still cool, and the game Clue is still holding strong...maybe it's still the 80s. Oh wait, with the 24 hour news media, the TV wouldn't turn to fuzz at night any longer...so Poltergeists have been destroyed by technology. Finally, back to the 80s stuff in the movie, I loved the product placement throughout the scenes...Cheetos, Ritz, Budweiser, Clorox, etc.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
"They're here." What a great line.
I loved the little woman who played the "medium." She was perfect for the role. I laughed out loud when she said, "You're right....you go," to the mom.
Was there a love interest (just a little) between the psychologist and the mom? Drinking together, hugging, and maybe it was me, but when "Coach" kissed the mother in front of the trans-dimensional portal, the old psychologist seemed a little jealous.
"Now lets go get your daughter." That line rivals...."I'll be back." Okay, maybe not, but it was a fantastic line. I wanted to jump through a portal and save me some kids.
The music was awesome. Sounded like tuning forks, but done so well.
I was somewhat attracted to the old lady psychologist...although her bottom teeth needed some work. I think it's a sign that I'm getting old.
The clown was a cheap shot. Everyone's scared of clowns. I loved watching the kid rip the stuffing out of that S.O.B.
Overall, great movie and it did well for a reason. I give it an A.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Good movie. Parts of it were very cheesy, and other parts scared the crap out of me. I will examine both. I didn't expect to talk about any cheesy parts, but I can't help myself. I'm free flowing tonight. Plus, contrary to my statements about thousands of fans, I know about three people look at this blog per week, if that. Having said that, I will never compromise the quality of material, even if my fan base is small, I still care about you all.
Cheesy parts:
1. When the lead attorney asked the priest, "Why didn't you tell me a doctor was there during the exorcism?" The priest replies: "He asked me not to tell anyone." Wow! The priest to the lawyer, that was powerful stuff...she looked at him as if she just learned a life lesson...cheesy.
2. When the snake fell on the priest's shoulder during the exorcism in the barn.
3. When the cat hissed and then jumped at the priest during the exorcism.
4. The prosecutor's mustache. However, it was arguably handsome.
5. "Father Moore, you are guilty, but you are free to go." (and predictable...he should have gotten the chair!)
6. The doctor getting hit by a car!
Scary parts:
1. Little pen holder falling off the night-stand, sheets being pulled off Emily, and then contortions and screaming. Ohhhhh Snap! Hated it.
2. Walking down dimly lit hallways....reminiscent of Nightmare on Elm Street scenes.
3. Emily's screaming (even though he still used a tape recorder...I know it was 2005, but still)
4. Pretty much any flashback scared the crap out of me.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie and I thought the court-room drama and flashback technique worked well. The movie had good suspense and although the defense attorney's character arc was predictable, it was done okay. I think the cinematography was good, the sound effects were good, and the director definitely did well making the overall movie pretty gloomy. There was a definite down-trodden mood that was created within the film.
I give it a B. For me, it was scarier than Paranormal Activity. Hopefully this is the last scary movie I watch in a long time. (Pretty sure it will be)
Cheesy parts:
1. When the lead attorney asked the priest, "Why didn't you tell me a doctor was there during the exorcism?" The priest replies: "He asked me not to tell anyone." Wow! The priest to the lawyer, that was powerful stuff...she looked at him as if she just learned a life lesson...cheesy.
2. When the snake fell on the priest's shoulder during the exorcism in the barn.
3. When the cat hissed and then jumped at the priest during the exorcism.
4. The prosecutor's mustache. However, it was arguably handsome.
5. "Father Moore, you are guilty, but you are free to go." (and predictable...he should have gotten the chair!)
6. The doctor getting hit by a car!
Scary parts:
1. Little pen holder falling off the night-stand, sheets being pulled off Emily, and then contortions and screaming. Ohhhhh Snap! Hated it.
2. Walking down dimly lit hallways....reminiscent of Nightmare on Elm Street scenes.
3. Emily's screaming (even though he still used a tape recorder...I know it was 2005, but still)
4. Pretty much any flashback scared the crap out of me.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie and I thought the court-room drama and flashback technique worked well. The movie had good suspense and although the defense attorney's character arc was predictable, it was done okay. I think the cinematography was good, the sound effects were good, and the director definitely did well making the overall movie pretty gloomy. There was a definite down-trodden mood that was created within the film.
I give it a B. For me, it was scarier than Paranormal Activity. Hopefully this is the last scary movie I watch in a long time. (Pretty sure it will be)
Friday, April 22, 2016
THE EXORCIST
There's so much to say and so much to discuss, but I'm going to keep it somewhat brief, mostly to appease the thousands of fans who read this blog weekly.
First of all, I think Blatty is a fantastic author, and I would say he's probably a literary writer, not genre fiction. His passages were beautifully written for example:
"Keep your god-damned fingers away from my cunt!"
After I read that passage my eyes welled up with tears at the sheer beauty. No, but truly, Blatty had a poetic way about his prose. It was obvious he was an intelligent author.
Second, the mother-daughter relationship was written so well. I absolutely loved Chris's character and I thought, unlike many of the ghost stories we've read this semester that her reactions to the situations were realistic and heart-warming. You could feel the love she had for "Rags" in the pages.
Last night, my seven year old son, along with his five year old brother came downstairs in the middle of the night. I think he may have wet the bed (which I did until I was almost 12...and my dad said, "Your Uncle Ned pissed the bed until he was 14," which I'm not sure is true, but it made me feel better anyways) and my son said, "Something's wrong with my bed," at 4:44 a.m.....I almost shit myself, because I was smack dab in the middle of this book at the time. I was thinking, don't discount this, maybe he's possessed....and then I rolled over and let my wife deal with it. It ended up being a little pee pee, he didn't come down the stairs like a crab later in the morning...phew!
You could tell Blatty did a great amount of research for this book. The medical scenes were fantastic and realistic, and I thought the foreshadowing was well done. "They used to think there were demons....but it's most likely a lesion on the brain, or epilepsy..." I guess that really isn't foreshadowing, but again, I just think it added a great deal of realism, and even though the readers knew it was a possession, in the back of the reader's mind, he put that sliver of doubt in there, like maybe they'd find some kind of reason. It was brilliant.
Another character I loved was Kinderman, the detective. He was so smartly written. As an investigator myself, I thought he was drawn up so well, and again, it showed Blatty's genius.
Rookie interviewers who try to emulate NYPD Blues style interrogations typically fail. Rather than dominating an interview, they typically fail and create hostility, ending in a confrontation. Blatty understood this concept, and his detective reminded me of one of my favorite characters...Columbo. Although viewers may have viewed him as incompetent, he epitomized the actions of a truly dominant interviewer. (Columbo)
He had an ability for returning to the suspect for additional information, and after asking several mundane questions, he'd turn to them and ask "just one more question."
Kinderman showed his skills in building rapport with Chris and Father Karras, his skill, disarming demeanor, and layered questions were fantastic, and a joy to read.
Overall, I think this book was very complex, and there is a reason that it still resonates with people 40 years later.
I saw the movie when I was 21, and it is the scariest thing I've ever seen. I had just returned to my parents after six weeks of Marine Corps OCS, and I thought I was kind of tough. (Young and dumb) That night, I slept in my parents room, scared out of my mind. I didn't think the book was quite as scary, but I think it's because I'm a visual guy, and movies have a way of scaring me that books can't. Having said that, I enjoy books more, because they have a way of explaining things that movies can't.
First of all, I think Blatty is a fantastic author, and I would say he's probably a literary writer, not genre fiction. His passages were beautifully written for example:
"Keep your god-damned fingers away from my cunt!"
After I read that passage my eyes welled up with tears at the sheer beauty. No, but truly, Blatty had a poetic way about his prose. It was obvious he was an intelligent author.
Second, the mother-daughter relationship was written so well. I absolutely loved Chris's character and I thought, unlike many of the ghost stories we've read this semester that her reactions to the situations were realistic and heart-warming. You could feel the love she had for "Rags" in the pages.
Last night, my seven year old son, along with his five year old brother came downstairs in the middle of the night. I think he may have wet the bed (which I did until I was almost 12...and my dad said, "Your Uncle Ned pissed the bed until he was 14," which I'm not sure is true, but it made me feel better anyways) and my son said, "Something's wrong with my bed," at 4:44 a.m.....I almost shit myself, because I was smack dab in the middle of this book at the time. I was thinking, don't discount this, maybe he's possessed....and then I rolled over and let my wife deal with it. It ended up being a little pee pee, he didn't come down the stairs like a crab later in the morning...phew!
You could tell Blatty did a great amount of research for this book. The medical scenes were fantastic and realistic, and I thought the foreshadowing was well done. "They used to think there were demons....but it's most likely a lesion on the brain, or epilepsy..." I guess that really isn't foreshadowing, but again, I just think it added a great deal of realism, and even though the readers knew it was a possession, in the back of the reader's mind, he put that sliver of doubt in there, like maybe they'd find some kind of reason. It was brilliant.
Another character I loved was Kinderman, the detective. He was so smartly written. As an investigator myself, I thought he was drawn up so well, and again, it showed Blatty's genius.
Rookie interviewers who try to emulate NYPD Blues style interrogations typically fail. Rather than dominating an interview, they typically fail and create hostility, ending in a confrontation. Blatty understood this concept, and his detective reminded me of one of my favorite characters...Columbo. Although viewers may have viewed him as incompetent, he epitomized the actions of a truly dominant interviewer. (Columbo)
He had an ability for returning to the suspect for additional information, and after asking several mundane questions, he'd turn to them and ask "just one more question."
Kinderman showed his skills in building rapport with Chris and Father Karras, his skill, disarming demeanor, and layered questions were fantastic, and a joy to read.
Overall, I think this book was very complex, and there is a reason that it still resonates with people 40 years later.
I saw the movie when I was 21, and it is the scariest thing I've ever seen. I had just returned to my parents after six weeks of Marine Corps OCS, and I thought I was kind of tough. (Young and dumb) That night, I slept in my parents room, scared out of my mind. I didn't think the book was quite as scary, but I think it's because I'm a visual guy, and movies have a way of scaring me that books can't. Having said that, I enjoy books more, because they have a way of explaining things that movies can't.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: Movie
This movie was scary. It was pure suspense, and right when you think "home video" movies couldn't work again, this movie came out and did a decent job.
Overall, I think the movie did what it set out to do. The visual aspects were creepy and the time-lapse video was a perfect tool to amp up the tension. I thought the movie's structure worked, and in one way it reminded me of the book The Haunting of Hill House. (Only in one respect: the day / night transitions).
The acting wasn't the greatest and the boyfriend, Micah, pretty much deserved to die. He was an idiot, like most people in horror movies, so I guess I can't blame him, but man was he stupid. The psychic warned him not to get a ouija board, yet he went a head and used one. Speaking of acting, the psychic seemed like a competent actor the first time, however, the second time he showed up he sucked ass, and his dialogue was even worse. "I gotta go....I think I'm making it worse.....oh, and leaving won't do anything....I'll get you some help....bye."
What! That's it? I was disappointed with him, and his delivery was terrible, it seemed as though he was almost laughing when he delivered those lines.
Some of Micah's lines were pure crap as well: "Why did it only scratch my face? This sucks!" Although I have quotes, that was a paraphrase. Another line: "I'm gonna take care of this baby"...then he dumps baby powder on the floor. Again, what the heck is that going to do?
Their reactions to some of the stuff just didn't add up, especially staying the last night....I don't know anyone who would, even if the psychic said it wouldn't help I would do something else, aside from cuddling up for a nice sleep after all the crap that happened in their home.
Don't date anyone who has been followed around by demon their whole life.
The movie was good, especially considering the budget, which I heard was very small. It definitely scared me and I have to respect the idea.
Overall, I think the movie did what it set out to do. The visual aspects were creepy and the time-lapse video was a perfect tool to amp up the tension. I thought the movie's structure worked, and in one way it reminded me of the book The Haunting of Hill House. (Only in one respect: the day / night transitions).
The acting wasn't the greatest and the boyfriend, Micah, pretty much deserved to die. He was an idiot, like most people in horror movies, so I guess I can't blame him, but man was he stupid. The psychic warned him not to get a ouija board, yet he went a head and used one. Speaking of acting, the psychic seemed like a competent actor the first time, however, the second time he showed up he sucked ass, and his dialogue was even worse. "I gotta go....I think I'm making it worse.....oh, and leaving won't do anything....I'll get you some help....bye."
What! That's it? I was disappointed with him, and his delivery was terrible, it seemed as though he was almost laughing when he delivered those lines.
Some of Micah's lines were pure crap as well: "Why did it only scratch my face? This sucks!" Although I have quotes, that was a paraphrase. Another line: "I'm gonna take care of this baby"...then he dumps baby powder on the floor. Again, what the heck is that going to do?
Their reactions to some of the stuff just didn't add up, especially staying the last night....I don't know anyone who would, even if the psychic said it wouldn't help I would do something else, aside from cuddling up for a nice sleep after all the crap that happened in their home.
Don't date anyone who has been followed around by demon their whole life.
The movie was good, especially considering the budget, which I heard was very small. It definitely scared me and I have to respect the idea.
Friday, April 8, 2016
GRAVE'S END
“What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic
things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response (book) were you even close to anything
that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now
dumber for having listened to it…may God have mercy on your soul.” This quote,
one of my favorites from the movie Billy Madison, sums up what I thought of the
book. However, let me begin this famous blog with some positives. It was short, and it was one of the quickest reads of my life. Additionally, although I hated nearly
every page, I couldn’t put it down. It was so stupid, I couldn’t wait to read
what followed next. In essence, it was a page turner, albeit for the wrong
reasons, but one, nonetheless.
Another positive aspect was Elaine’s relationship with her
daughters. This may seem a bit out of left field, considering most people fear
my hardcore exterior, however, underneath my rough-and-tumble appearance, I’m a
softy at heart. It was an emotional roller-coaster watching her kids grow up so
quickly and leave the home in the pages of this monsterpiece. It truly did make
me appreciate my kids and want to be in
the moment with my own kids. Having said that, I think this mother should
be locked up for child neglect, who would keep their kid in a house that was
terrorizing their child? Her justifications were so repetitive and annoying.
And worst of all, it was happening to her too, yet she didn’t believe her
daughter
Okay, that’s absolutely the only
positive things I can say about this book, because it was terrible. Unlike
Amityville Horror, I didn’t do any research on whether or not this thing has
been debunked, mainly because it was an inconsequential haunting.
Gerbil cages, farts, cloudy rodents,
lights, noises, copy machines, an old lady grabbing breasts, a man stroking
thigh…time out…I thought the book was a romance novel for a second.
The big winner in this book was
Elaine’s ex-husband for escaping the house, but most of all, her! The main
problem I had with this story was I couldn’t relate to her problems. Stories at
a basic level are “Stimulus and Response”, over and over again, until it ends. Her
reactions (responses) to the ghosts (stimulus) were out of whack. She attempts
to rationalize what she did after many of the events, but her explanations don’t
add up. If my kid starts withdrawing from the family, sits on his bed with
rosary beads, complains of being terrorized at night, has cages and other
objects smack into his head, we’re getting the F%*K out of our house!
There are two explanations for this
book:
1. The whole thing was just a figurative
way for Elaine to express how messed up life can be. The hauntings weren’t
real, but a metaphor on the turbulent nature of raising kids in a troubled marriage.
2. Elaine is an unstable attention
seeker, who loves to tell crappy, embellished stories. She attends community
events, usually set up at universities, with paranormal speakers. After the
talk, she stands in line with other unstables,
just to tell the speaker what she’s gone through herself, then goes home and
drowns herself in wine and self-pitty.
The bottom
line: This book sucked…but in a strange way, I’m thankful I read it. Sometimes
we just need something to complain about.
Friday, April 1, 2016
AMITYVILLE HORROR: OG Blair Witch? TGI-Short? What does a pig say?
This was the original Blair Witch!
I gotta start out by saying this: when I thought it was real (the first night) I had to turn my audible book off...it scared the crap out of me. When a priest is quoted from the get-go, and he challenges you to have an open mind, which anyone reading horror novels probably does, I be like..."this is real." Although, having said that, priests probably had more credibility back in the 70s...before the Watergate scandal....wait, they had a different scandal, anyways.
Once I did a little research, I found out the book wasn't true and it didn't scare me anymore. It kind of annoyed me to be honest.
The writing was fine, but I would say the biggest problem I have with the book was the characterizations. I never felt connected to the characters, probably because it was told, mostly, by the voice of a narrator. It was only surface deep with internal monologues.
Also, the characters were complete idiots! It started off pretty cool, but it quickly devolved into a family of dumbasses...poor kids are probably doomed to repeat the cycle. If my wife was floating, and she hadn't levitated in our prior home, I would leave. I wouldn't hide the fact from her, and let her sleep longer....I'd probably leave her ass floating and run out of the house immediately. (We're not getting along today).
On the positive side, I did enjoy the backstory of the home, and the guy who murdered his family there (I didn't like him, but the story was horrible and really created a sense of foreboding), and the pig. Not sure why, but I liked, Jody, the angel-pig. The other part of the book which made me feel terrible was when the parents beat the crap out of their kids on one of the first nights in the house. The author did a great job with the beginning of the book and building up the suspense, but it ended up getting too ridiculous at the end. When Kathy yelled at the kids for the green-slime in the hallway, all I could think about was the "KOOL-AID" pitcher that smashes into peoples home when parents aren't home and gave kids sips from his dry-wall laden pitcher. MMMMM. "Honest mom and dad, we didn't do it...a giant pitcher smashed through the wall...." (I heard a comedian talk about that once).
The priest with the hairy palms was a complete and utter wimp...I don't want to try to spell his name because I listened to the book. I wonder if his blistery palms were a symbol? I don't know why I found that humorous.
If I hadn't checked the book out on snopes, it would have scared the crap out of me. But, once I knew it was phony I didn't enjoy it any longer. The writing was fine, but a little distant and documentary-ish. So, in short, and thankfully the book was short, I can see why this book was popular back in the day, however, knowing it was a hoax ruined it for me.
I gotta start out by saying this: when I thought it was real (the first night) I had to turn my audible book off...it scared the crap out of me. When a priest is quoted from the get-go, and he challenges you to have an open mind, which anyone reading horror novels probably does, I be like..."this is real." Although, having said that, priests probably had more credibility back in the 70s...before the Watergate scandal....wait, they had a different scandal, anyways.
Once I did a little research, I found out the book wasn't true and it didn't scare me anymore. It kind of annoyed me to be honest.
The writing was fine, but I would say the biggest problem I have with the book was the characterizations. I never felt connected to the characters, probably because it was told, mostly, by the voice of a narrator. It was only surface deep with internal monologues.
Also, the characters were complete idiots! It started off pretty cool, but it quickly devolved into a family of dumbasses...poor kids are probably doomed to repeat the cycle. If my wife was floating, and she hadn't levitated in our prior home, I would leave. I wouldn't hide the fact from her, and let her sleep longer....I'd probably leave her ass floating and run out of the house immediately. (We're not getting along today).
On the positive side, I did enjoy the backstory of the home, and the guy who murdered his family there (I didn't like him, but the story was horrible and really created a sense of foreboding), and the pig. Not sure why, but I liked, Jody, the angel-pig. The other part of the book which made me feel terrible was when the parents beat the crap out of their kids on one of the first nights in the house. The author did a great job with the beginning of the book and building up the suspense, but it ended up getting too ridiculous at the end. When Kathy yelled at the kids for the green-slime in the hallway, all I could think about was the "KOOL-AID" pitcher that smashes into peoples home when parents aren't home and gave kids sips from his dry-wall laden pitcher. MMMMM. "Honest mom and dad, we didn't do it...a giant pitcher smashed through the wall...." (I heard a comedian talk about that once).
The priest with the hairy palms was a complete and utter wimp...I don't want to try to spell his name because I listened to the book. I wonder if his blistery palms were a symbol? I don't know why I found that humorous.
If I hadn't checked the book out on snopes, it would have scared the crap out of me. But, once I knew it was phony I didn't enjoy it any longer. The writing was fine, but a little distant and documentary-ish. So, in short, and thankfully the book was short, I can see why this book was popular back in the day, however, knowing it was a hoax ruined it for me.
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