Sinister

Sinister (R) 2012

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Starring:  Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, James Ransone, Fred Dalton Thompson, Clare Foley, Juliet Rylance, Michael Hall D'Addario, Victoria Leigh and Nicholas King

Here We Go:  A true crime writer (Hawke) moves into the home of victims of a terrible murder with his family in order to investigate the crime for his next best seller.  The first 30+ minutes are slow torture with so many mundane details that it made me want to nod off.  Do I really need to see you put ice in your glass?  Does anyone?!  Other than that, yes, there were several moments when things built up and the anticipation was nail-biting, but then nada.  This entire movie was really just about trying to unravel this detailed plot that never really panned out.  

Bottom Line:  Skip it and watch Insidious...or just stare off blindly into space.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (R) 2012

Directed by Lorene Scafaria

Starring:  Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Melanie Lynskey, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, Gillian Jacobs, Patton Oswalt, T.J. Miller, Melinda Dillon, Rob Corddry, Rob Huebel and Amy Schumer

Here We Go:  The end is coming and Dodge (Carell) finds himself abandoned by his wife and in the company of a younger companion (Knightley) who may make all the difference in the world.  I expected this to be more comedy than anything else, but I was surprised to find that there was more to it than a typical Steve Carell movie.  The storyline isn't anything sci-fi and there aren't any weird aliens or special effects.  It truly is about the journey of two people who are literally facing the final days of Earth.  There are definitely some funny moments, so it's good for the guys, but it's also touching, sad and sweet.  No matter what, it's refreshing to watch a movie about the end of days that doesn't involve the demolition of NYC or any other been there/done that stuff.

Bottom Line:  Try something different, and watch it!

Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch (PG-13) 2011

Directed by Zack Snyder

Starring:  Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm and Scott Glenn

Here We Go:  Babydoll (Browning) is sent to a shady asylum where she teams up with other patients and plans an escape.  Sure, at the root of this movie there is definitely a disturbing foundation where girls are taken advantage of and politics and money mean more than the moral high-ground.  But the way that this movie shifts from reality to fantasy, and takes the girls out of their vulnerable roles into being deadly warriors, just makes it all eye candy.  Reality is a dark 1950s world that looks touched by Tim Burton.  Fantasy is world of action packed, robot slaying and full-on combat with some guidance from a sensei-like Scott Glenn.   Mix together an awesome soundtrack, sexy women battling it out with guns and swords, and a larger than life fantasy world, and you end up with a pretty hot movie. 

Bottom Line:  If you like an action packed movie that doesn't follow the typical prototype, this is the movie for you.

7 Below

7 Below (R) 2012

Directed by Kevin Carraway

Starring:  Ving Rhames, Luke Goss, Rebecca Da Costa, Val Kilmer, Brianna Lee Johnson, Matt Barr, and several other people who are likely embarrassed to be associated with this movie.

Here We Go:  Quite simply one of the worst movies ever made.  How did the production company convince Ving Rhames and Val Kilmer to take part in this movie?  They must have had some serious blackmail on them.  Even worse:  how did Ving Rhames and Val Kilmer, two legitimate Julliard trained actors, act so horribly in this movie?  It was like the script was so bad it undid all of their acting training and ability.  Val Kilmer says maybe a handful of lines in the entire movie and is so bad that at times it seems like he just needed a pay check to buy his next bottle of liquor so he showed up on set but didn't bother to bathe, learn the script or, you know, act.  At one point someone in the group is killed and everyone is more upset that another character got a bump on the head.  This theme of unrealistic and absurd reactions eventually just becomes ridiculously funny.  The bad script, bad acting and awful cinematography make this painful to get through.

Bottom Line:  Skip it!

Session 9

Session 9 (2001) R

Directed by Brad Anderson

Starring: David Caruso, Peter Mullan, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle, Josh Lucas, and Brendan Sexton III

Here We Go: The movie is set around the naturally creepy Danvers State Hospital.  The location is what makes this worth watching because until about the last ten minutes you don't really encounter anything "scary."  It's a slow developing story that introduces you to an asbestos abatement team working to clean out the abandoned hospital in just one week. The movie seems to try to go to great lengths to show you details of the asbestos abatement process (mostly unnecessary for the plot) but at the same time the work crew uses the wrong equipment and seemingly has no problem breathing in asbestos or rubbing it into their eyes during breaks.  If you get past the technical deficiencies, the story is solid and the acting of Caruso and Mullan as the two main characters is excellent. The ending left something to be desired but the first 90 minutes are worth watching and the setting of the hospital makes for an interesting story. 

Bottom Line: Worth watching but don't spend money for the rental.