Now You See Me

Now You See Me (PG-13) 201

Directed by Louis Letterrier

Starring:  Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Michael Caine, Jesse Eisenberg, Mélanie Laurent, Common, Elias Koteas, David Warshofsky, J. LaRose and Caitriona Balfe

Here We Go:  A group of elite magicians comes together to pull off some extraordinary, and ultimately illegal, tricks.  I absolutely loved this movie!  It was fantastical, extraordinary, smart and intriguing.  I would say that it's magical, but that would just be lame, right?  Seriously, the amount of awesome in this movie made it worth seeing.  Who doesn't like magic?  The group of actors assembled for this movie are right on point and the ending is just like any magic trick...surprising.  

Bottom Line: It's a treat for the senses, and definitely one that we think is worth seeing! 

The Conjuring

The Conjuring (R) 2013

Directed by James Wan

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Joey King, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Mackenzie Foy, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, John Brotherton and Steve Coulter

Here We Go:  Demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren, come to the rescue of a family that has been invaded by a deadly demon.  Maybe it's because this movie is based on a true story, but this movie is legit!  It's absolutely scary, the story moves along at a good pace, and I can testify to the fact that this movie had grown men bring out their inner child - their inner screams-like-a-little-girl child.  The cast is perfect and truly believable, (and we all know how easily horror movies can quickly lose points on believability).  I just keep thinking of the first time the demon makes an appearance...and on that note, I'm off to check under my bed and turn on a few more lights.

Bottom Line:  Watch it, ya big baby!

Killing Them Softly

Killing Them Softly (R) 2012

Directed by Andrew Dominik

Starring:  Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, Vincent Curatola, Max Casella and Sam Shepard

Here We Go:  Two knuckleheads rob a mob card game and we spend the rest of the movie watching the repercussions.  With Pitt, Gandolfini and Liotta, this movie had potential but never quite seemed to get "there."  The story was very predictable, though well done.  The acting was good but without a wow factor.  Gandolfini seemed wasted in his role and Liotta does tough guy much better than whining whimp.  Pitt, surprisingly, played the hitman role well and was the highlight of an otherwise average, yet entertaining, movie.  

Bottom Line:  Watch it but don't pay for it.  

Now You See Me

Now You See Me (PG-13) 2013

Directed by Louis Leterrier

Starring:  Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Michael Caine, Jesse Eisenberg, Mélanie Laurent, Common, Elias Koteas, David Warshofsky, J. LaRose and Caitriona Balfe

Here We Go:  A group of magicians pull a Robin Hood and steal from the rich to give to the poor, while alluding the FBI.  This movie was entertaining with a good cast that kept you guessing.  There were twists and turns throughout the movie, and the ending wasn't disappointing.  You get to know who's who, but you never fully understand the lineup.  The ending may not be what you expect, and, just like the rest of the movie, it will take you by surprise.

Bottom Line:  It's magical (see what we did there?). Watch it!

The Call

The Call (R) 2013

Directed by Brad Anderson

Starring:  Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund, David Otunga, Michael Imperioli, Justina Machado, José Zúñiga, Roma Maffia, Evie Thompson, Denise Dowse and Ella Rae Peck

Here We Go:  At first I didn't know where this movie was going to go because it seemed like it started with the climax.  However,  you quickly learn that there is more to the plot and that the story is really about redemption, closure and revenge.  I have to point out that the police chase made the LAPD look ridiculously inept while the 911 operator was a superstar.  I  guess since Halle Berry was the 911 operator they had to make her the star but LAPD could have been a little more competent.  And why were there no detectives on this case?  A kid is kidnapped and it is left to a 911 operator and some uniformed officers for a day long chase?  Without ruining the ending I will tell you that it is excellent and doesn't fall into the normal "happy ending."  In fact, the ending makes the entire movie worth watching.  

Bottom Line:  Watch it!

Occupant

Occupant (NR) 2010

Directed by Henry Miller

Starring:  Van Hansis, Cody Horn, Thorsten Kaye, Jamie Harrold, Lou Ferguson, Scott Gregory,
David Little and Dylan Clark Marshall

Here We Go:  When Danny's (Hansis) grandmother passes away, he suddenly inherits her rent controlled apartment.  The catch is that he is forced to stay locked in the apartment for several days, which kicks off a series of events that leads Danny to believe that he's sharing his new space with someone, or something, else.  It's a pretty creepy concept on paper, but it never really comes full circle.  At the end of the movie, you're tempted to think that you just saw a pretty good movie, but then...wait...so when that one guy did that one thing, did it mean this or something else? What did that other thing mean?  And what was that one guy about?  Certain questions are just left hanging there and you end up feeling unsatisfied, and all anyone can agree on is that they just don't have absolute answers.  This isn't your typical horror movie, and that much is refreshing, but that's as far as my compliment will stretch.

Bottom Line:  I don't blame you if you're curious, but watch it only if it's free.

House at the End of the Street

House at the End of the Street (PG-13) 2012

Directed by Mark Tonderai

Starring:  Jennifer Lawrence, Max Thieriot, Elisabeth Shue, Gil Bellows, Nolan Gerard Funk, Eva Link, Allie MacDonald, Jordan Hayes, Krista Bridges and James Thomas

Here We Go:  Mother and daughter move into a rental that comes with a neighbor that has a back story that involves murder and an unsolved disappearance.  I would categorize this movie more along the line of thriller or suspense, rather than horror, but you still have a few moments mixed in where you jump in your seat.  The director did a good job with letting suspense build and dragging things out just a little bit longer than you expect just to really take you off guard.  One of the things that I really liked House at the End of the Street is that about half-way through things take a change and you end up wondering what the heck is going on.  From the middle onward there are a few twists and a some pretty decent Ah-Ha moments.  

Bottom Line:  If you're looking for something deep and graphic, I'd look elsewhere, but otherwise this is a pretty good thriller.

Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray (2009) R

Directed by Oliver Parker

Starring: Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, Ben Chaplin, Rebecca Hall, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Caroline Goodall, Emilia Fox, Douglas Henshall, Fiona Shaw and Maryam d'Abo

Here We Go:  Oh Dorian...what a screw up you are.  The innocent Dorian (Barnes) is influenced by a man with no moral compass to just do whatever he wants and lead a life of indulgence.  Eventually, Dorian becomes a complete creep and basically takes down those closest to him.  Watching this movie was like watching something on how STDs happen, followed by why not to do drugs, and then the downfalls of alcohol.  As Dorian continues to butterfly as the world's biggest warning label, you see that people are aging and he's not.  Good concept, but it felt like the movie dragged on for awhile and the repetitive debauchery quickly became dull.  The ending was well done and there's a even a jump-in-your-seat moment.

Bottom Line:  Watch it but only if it's free....or if you want to scare a troublesome teenager straight.

The Darkest Hour

The Darkest Hour (2011) PG-13

Directed by Chris Gorak

Starring:  Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella, Rachael Taylor, Joel Kinnaman, Veronika Ozerova, Dato Bakhtadze, Yuriy Kutsenko, Artur Smolyaninov and Pyotr Fyodorov

Here We Go:  This was a surprisingly entertaining find.  I had never heard of it prior to finding it "On Demand" last night and the description was interesting so we gave it a shot.  The acting was good enough, the production clearly put some money into the cinematography and special effects, so the movie didn't feel "cheap".  While the story was a spin on a common alien invasion plot (aliens invade to mine/harvest earth), there was some nice spins on the old story to make it new.  The aliens and their technology are something I've never seen in any other alien invasion movie.  Don't get too attached to any character, as main characters do die in this movie which is refreshing.  The backdrop of Moscow is also a nice change since Hollywood seems intend on letting aliens invade Los Angeles and/or New York City.  The location also allows the introduction of stereotypical Russian characters that are entertaining.  The ending leaves this film wide open for a sequel and I for one am hoping it comes through.  

Bottom Line:  Worth renting.  

House Hunting

House Hunting (2013) R

Directed by Eric Hurt

Starring:  Marc Singer, Art LaFleur, Hayley DuMond, Janey Gioiosa, Paul McGill, Rebekah Kennedy, Victoria Vance and Emma Rayne Lyle

Here We Go:  Think "Groundhog Day" meets "The Amityville Horror."  The basic plot of the movie is interesting:  people are drawn to an isolated house and they soon discover that, no matter how far they wander from the house, they always end up right back where they started.  Unfortunately, the writing and acting don't live up to the potential of the story.  Then there's the little ghost boy wearing Halloween makeup around his eyes...it's just lame.  House Hunting is good for having something on in the background while you're doing other things but this should not be the focal point of your evening of entertainment.  I will give the writers credit for a decent ending that brought the story full circle.  One of the biggest problems was that there did not seem to be any climax.  There was a beginning, a long middle that dragged out, and then the movie ended.  

Bottom Line:  Watch it when you cannot find anything else.

The Next Three Days

The Next Three Days (2010) PG-13

Directed by Paul Haggis

Starring:  Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Brian Dennehy, Lennie James, Olivia Wilde, Ty Simpkins, Helen Carey, Liam Neeson, Jason Beghe, Aisha Hinds, Allan Steele, RZA, and Daniel Stern

Here We Go:  What a nail-biter!  John (Crowe) is desperate to free his wife (Banks) from jail for a crime that she adamantly denies committing.  He watches his son falling apart without his mother and John struggles to keep his family intact.  Eventually, he knows that his only chance of saving his family is break his wife out.  The lengths to which this character plans her escape results in a chain of events that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  The script is well written, the characters are believable, and I was particularly impressed with Banks' acting.  The movie is a bit long at 2+ hours, but you never notice it because the story and pace are excellent. 

The Bottom Line:  Watch it!

In Time

In Time (2011) PG-13

Directed by Andrew Niccol

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser, Olivia Wilde, Johnny Galecki, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Shyloh Oostwald, Yaya Alafia, Ethan Peck, Toby Hemingway

Here We Go:  This is a movie full of young and beautiful people. It's like an entire society based on the pages of a catalog.  Overall, the plot was disturbing and good.  Imagine only being allotted a certain amount of time to live, and then having to trade seconds of your life for things like a cup of coffee!  It's such a wild concept and it's interesting to see how their society works within these constrictions.  Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried work well together on screen as two unlikely lovers from different socioeconomic backgrounds. In other words, Seyfried has all the time in the world and Timberlake is living minute by minute.  There were several nail biting moments and plenty of down-to-wire action.

Bottom Line: Watch it. The interesting concept, settings and characters make this movie worth seeing.

Nine Dead

Nine Dead (2009) R

Directed by: Chris Shadley

Starring: Melissa Joan Hart, John Terry, Chip Bent...and a bunch of other people I've never heard of.

Here We Go:  I was ready to hate this because Sabrina the Teenage Witch can't act, but Melissa Joan Hart was decent with what she had to work with.  On the other hand, the strip club owner tried his hand at acting like he was related to the producer.  How did he get booked?  Drunken casting call at a local Fridays?  Either way, it wasn't a movie to write home about, but it was still fun to sit around throwing around guesses about what the hell was going on and why.  

Bottom line:  Check it out but only if it's free.

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.

Abduction

Abduction (2011) PG-13

Directed by John Singleton

Starring: Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins, Alfred Molina, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Nyqvist, and Dermot Mulroney

Here We Go:  Abduction is one of those movies that keeps you on your toes and interested from start to finish.  Nathan (Taylor Lautner) has a insanely intense father (Jason Issacs), and it's hard to understand the family dynamic, but then things start rolling.  As soon as you think you know what's going on, a new twist enters the picture, and you have to start putting the pieces together again.  During the movie, I actually said that "this movie has it all." There's action, suspense, mystery, and Taylor Lautner shirtless... if you're into that kinda thing.  It's a smart movie that comes with plenty of "Oh!  I get it now" moments.


Bottom line: Watch it.  There's something for everyone.