DVD Movie Review #12 The Inkeepers

DVD Movie Review #13 The Innkeepers

Yay! I am working on the next review! This time we go to the movie "The Innkeepers" brought to you by the same people that gave us "House of the Devil". As it is at the end of that time of the year it was good to end my holiday viewing during the Mexican "Day of the Dead" with a haunted hotel flick. 

 We start our tale with a few minimum wage slaves trying to run out the time at the final weekend of a soon to be closing hotel. One of them is a paranormal activity geek finding haunting websites and becoming very interested in the story attached to the hotel. Of course his naive grunge girl co-worker is drawn in even more deciding it upon herself to investigate on her own leading to a world of terror that she never imagined. 

We have a nice location for our horror being in a hunted inn occupied by a sinister guest that decided to check herself out. One might make the assumption that she was at the end of her rope...heh. Our protagonist investigates with the help of a famous psychic. I love the creepy atmosphere where you have a an empty hotel you are almost guaranteed to have a ghost jump out of each corner. You will enjoy the tenseness that this setting offers. 

 We have a great cast of characters, a Gunge girl, a Paranormal Geek, a TV psychic, an old man reliving his past, a woman and her child and a woman and child running from a failed marriage. The characters are acted out well and the acting is quite believable. You get drawn in quite well by the characters and though not many are terrible but only one is fairly likable. I have to wonder about the intelligence of some of the characters, but then most arn't in horror films. 

In the end the movie is very much a test of your patience and how well it draws you in. This movie doesn't fully draw on this as it's predecessor has relying fully on your interest in the backstory to keep you from getting bored. I do not feel that this movie will draw everyone and the wait for something to happen can lead you to a little bit of boredom. Now once the scaring starts though I can tell you it does feel intense. The music is fairly creepy but doesn't stand out and the makeup is good enough leaving me to believe that the dead woman is dead and that the injuries are real. 

In the end I must say that this is a suitable and good film for the end of my viewing. If you loved House of the Devil then you will love this movie. If you didn't like it then you still have a good shot at liking this movie. 

Rating: 7/10 

Again I am giving pricing options for the basic DVD version of this product as pictured here 

New:     $9.99    half.com

(http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Innkeepers-DVD-2012/112241241&cpid=5000001920204)

Used:    $4.66   Alibris

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DVD Movie Review #11 The Invasion

DVD Movie Review #11 The Invasion

We are back yet again for our DVD review and lineup for review. This weekend we have been trying to get in a little bit more horror viewing in. This time is the work on a movie with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig called "The Invasion". 

This is a movie about a female psychiatrist and her son living together in Washington.  The character starts noticing that people coming in are reporting odd behaviors from their relatives as well as a strange interest in her ex-husband to get their life back together again. After realizing something is terribly wrong she teams up with Daniel Craig's character, who is connected with a school of doctors bent on fighting a global alien invasion. 

The invasion works pretty simply and it is very effective body snatchers style. It spreads as a cold-like virus turning those infected into emotion dead zombies that hock loogies at those that arn't infected. The aliens have a really effective strategy and are nearly able to take over the world. Will they win? Well you'll have to watch to find out. 

Nicole Kidman excels in her acting as expected showing that she is ready to keep at it and looking very convincing as she is trying to fight going to sleep and prevent herself from turning into an alien and at the same time trying to save her son. She comes across also as a fairly convening psychiatrist. 

The chemistry between Kidman and Craig is great. I am used to seeing Craig as bond and this character is much more refined which as an egghead he should be. The acting is very well done but the story is implausible at points and the ending is a tad abrupt. The music fits the mood yet falls to the background and the makeup is suitably creepy especially when the people start turning into Aliens. 

In the end this is not something that I would jump for joy over but at the same time is well worth checking out if you want something scary and holding you with suspense (so long as you can suspend your disbelief in spots)

Rating:    7/10 

Pricing:  

Please Keep in mind that each pricing is for the edition that I have so other editions may be available for cheaper. 

This particular edition is the widescreen DVD  version. 

I have Placed direct links this time so you can fully enjoy your opporutnities. 

Used:    $3.45     ebay.com

(http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=171071720111&item=171071720111)

New:     $4.47     Half.com 

(http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Invasion-DVD-2008/63627868&cpid=1382589181)

DVD Movie Review #10 Umineko

Welcome to my next DVD review. On the Slate this time is the series Uminkeo from the same peopel that brought us Higurashi (known as When they Cry in the US). This is a 26 episode series sold by NIS America available only on Blu-ray. 

This is a story about a wealthy family with a checkered past rooted in the occult. In a meeting talking about family succession a simple rivalry ends in a bloodbath. According to the antagonist this was all purported by the evil golden witch Beatrice and her host of magical monstrosities. In this tail you get to see a frequent amount of bloodshed and a lot of madness. 

Of course in truth this is all an elaborate game seemingly run but the family head Kinzo where the scene is repeated over and over again until all involved acknowledge that the evil witch Beatrice was involved using only magic. In the end only one person stands between Beatrice and total magical domination fighting her with his logic and disbelief of any magical means that could be used. So the pieces are set and the game is played again and again until either Beatrice is acknowledged or Battler (the protagonist) can prove no magic was involved. As the games pile up the battle becomes more difficult leaving Battler at a disadvantage. 

Well let's start with the cast of characters. I really like the complexity of the relationships as they occur within each family dynamic. The story becomes more and more complex as they go on throughout the series giving most of the characters surprising depth. I was very much impressed by the way that they handled this part giving the repetition a little bit more suitability. 

The animation is also well deserving of the blu-ray treatment leaving us with a show that we can all love to watch. The series has some very strong music as well having a beautiful opener and a lovely soundtrack. In the end I will have to say that the series with its complexity and beauty is a gem to watch. 

Oh well I guess we can move on to the the down side of the series. The continued repetition is a problem and the story is very much confusing. I had a hard time getting this until the end and I know that there are others that would not get this at all. I also have a problem with the Protagonist. Battler is portrayed as a pretty cool and confident genius  but acts like a bonehead having a hard time figuring anything out until the very end of the series. He is also easily frustrated and comes close to losing multiple times in their battle of wits. I really want to like this guy but he brings the series down. You can also tell that this was adapted from a video game series near immediately and the ending is well...lets just say it leaves you wanting more. 

In the end I liked this series but it is undeserving of its reputation. 

7/10 Award 

New Only    $95.98     www.rightstuf.com

DVD Movie Review #9 The Clown Murders 

Hello All! I hope you guys are enjoying your week as this is the last week of the scary stuff and then on to the other holiday stuff. Today we have a lovely movie from the early films of John Candy which by the way was not a comedy but a horror film of all things. I bring you the Clown Murders. 

Ok We start with our intrepid heroes being members of a nice little country club on the verge of a lovely little halloween party. It turns out that one of the characters is sweet on a girl that just got married and is getting rid of the house that meant so much to them. Of course they decide to do what any sensible friends would do and that's dress up as clowns knock out the husband and kidnap the girl. You know, as a joke....ha ha...idiots...

Well they manage to kidnap the girl but realize much to their surprise that the police are out looking for them. After going through a bunch of foul ups with the police showing continuously how stupid they are they end up in a house where they hold up until they can figure something out. They of course then have fun going at each other pointing fingers and contemplating murder. And of course somewhere at this part a clown murderer shows up. 

I do not lie to you, this is a very very VERY boring story with action and possible terror happening only in about the last 20 minutes of the film I must say that the other hour and change goes to show you how incompetent the characters are and how bad things can get when you are drunk and mad at one another. I will say that John Candy is present throughout the film which is much better than "It seemed like a good idea at the time" where he gets high billing yet hardly shows his face. Other than being boring the acting is only so so and the visual is terrible. This movie was fuzzy from start to finish. Above is proof of the film quality and that John Candy is indeed in this film. 

Finally I am of course going to talk about the "killer clown" as pictured above. They give him a demonic resounding voice for some reason still unknown to me. After making a half hearted attempt and eventually adding a little to the small death toll. I know that showing the clown's Identity in the end is to make a point to the plot but it is lost on me. I am not even certain this character was needed. Other than that and some creepy clown music (which is much better than the lame keyboard soundtrack that this movie is focused on) you are pretty much lacking in the scare department. 

I give this movie a 4/10 due to it being very very Boring. I am posting a scary pic below just so you can get a little terror from this  :) 

Used:     $3.74     www.half.com 

New       $8.11     www.half.com 

DVD Movie Review #8 The Secret of Crickley Hall

Yay! This is the last one for a while until I can get back to watching again. This movie from our friends at BBC is a nice little 3 part TV movie eventually amounting to 3 hours. It is a nice little haunted tail that can pull you in for more.

The Secret of Crickley Hall is a tail about a family plagued by the possible death of their missing son. They move out to Crickley hall on a job for the husband in an attempt to forget the past. Unfortunately things only get worse as the mother keeps hearing her son and believing him alive along with having the mystery of the death of the orphanes that used to inhabit this old english building.

As creepy places go Crickley hall does an excellent job of having you look over your shoulder hearing the voices of children running around or being beaten by the place's cruel headmaster. The tone of this is overall slow over the last three hours and it takes the end of the first episode before your interest is fully involved. The scares are to the minimal level with a creepiness about the place and the scenes with the headmaster can be very intense especially if you don't like seeing violence towards children.

The story takes place on two fronts with the first being in the present with the family dealing with the loss of their child and playing with the ghosts. The other front deals with the past back in 1943 telling the story of the children and headmaster we see as ghosts in the present. The past story and mystery that unfolds has an element that draws one in and has you guessing until near the end. The overall story makes you also wonder about weather the missing child is still alive as well till the end. I of course will leave that answer to you when you see this.

I do really think the cast is good here with the acting being solid and believable. It does end up having a slight soap opera feel to it by the end. The music is also quite nice as well not over involved. I am not terribly involved in the story and had a hard time getting into it. As a three hour movie it may be better to be split up. I think that if you are looking of a scary film then this is not the movie for you but as a mysterious daytime haunting this movie does certainly fit the bill.

6/10

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DVD Movie Review #7 Grave Encounters

Here we go again for another of my DVD reviews. Grave Encounters embodies the spirit of the season. I have watched it three times thus far and find it worth watching yet again. This movie is very much a one with a pretty high scare factor it is one that I believe all can be sure of for the season.

Grave Encounters is the name of one of those wonderful TV series meant to poke at shows such as Paranormal State (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0785036/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) where a group of paid actors and a psychic go into haunted places speak with the ghosts there and make a creepy atmosphere. So as they are exploring a haunted asylum it turns out that they get a little bit more than they expected to find.

This film is done as another one of those found footage types that became popular after Blair Witch kicked off the format in the 1990s. I have kind of gotten weary of it as there seems to be an overabundance of them now and there don't really seem to be too many original ideas since the Blair Witch Project. This one does have a few original bits that did not occur during the Blair Witch movie. The style combines what we know and love about found footage with the more original style of Paranormal Activity.

This has multiple styles to it such as a fixed cam that they have established throughout the premises and the shaky cam that is the prime example of our viewing throughout the film. The cam allows for transitional scars that combine both Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity. The movie starts out very slow at first to the point where you may start to fall asleep at the beginning. It is kind of nice how you see small stuff such as the movement of a window and eventually the spirit pulling on the hair of one of the actors. This of course is just the star of the long process.

Who couldn't enjoy a nice creepy mental hospital as a setting. Long hallways with different rooms where people died in terrible ways. There is even a nice long tunnel that connects buildings on the campus. Included in this is a nice background of torture of maiming by an insane doctor (nothing new here). The winding hallways make for a nice place to have the long part of the story where they are seemingly trapped endlessly wandering.

Lastly lets look at the scar factors involved which put it above other types that only give you minimal visual effects. This has very scary encounters with the ghosts in the asylum and due to the fuzziness of the camera the budget doesn't have to be too terribly large to pull it off. You actually get the feeling that you are being chased as the film goes on to its inevitable conclusion.

In the end I feel that this film has a fair amount of creativity if only it didn't have the level of boredom that also comes with he early moments of the film.

I give this particular movie a rating of 7/10.

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DVD Movie Review #6 Paranorman

Hello, I am back again. I didn't get to do much DVD watching the last week but this weekend we are remedying the situation by trying a nice horror movie marathon. This review is for the movie Paranorman. This is the movie that comes from the same people that brought us Coraline. Paranorman utilizes the same style of animation and witht eh same creepiness.

This movie stars Norman, a little boy who has the power to see ghosts much like another lovely little movie we all might know. He is of course looked at as a freak when he is at school with his only friends being outcasts much like himself. Norman quickly has adventure thrust upon him as he is asked to try and keep a witch from spreading chaos and destruction on his home town.

Unlike the last movie I reviewed Paranorman is ore about giving you light scars for children and a lot of horror movie references for people. This movie reminds me of Frankenwennie in a way as it does like to pay homage to the genre. Whereas Frankenweenie likes to pay attention to the 30s and 40s horror this one is more inclined to reference the 1960s-1980s time periods. Many of the touches are subtle and the feel is pretty good. This movie definately brings across it's point when it comes to creating a lightly creepy family friendly atmosphere. I do feel that the movie doesn't take as much time as it should to let us enjoy the character interactions and the subtlety.

The movie is a beautiful sight to enjoy showing the full range of ability by this group. I loved their interactions and work when doing Coraline and at the same time love it here as well. it is hard to believe that stop capture animation has come as far as it has. The voice acting and music are also very well done utilizing talent such as John Goodman and even leaving with a fun song sung by the voice acting staff. This is top notch in this area I am saddened that it did not take any nods in that category at the academy awards but stop capture is largely ignored in those areas.

Of course I shouldn't hold off in relation to the story. I feel that there are some nice twists on the traditional genre that are good to give the audience a little bit of extra enjoyment in the film. I really did enjoy the twist involving the zombies and the witch though it did seem to become a little predictable at the end. Don't really care too much overall as the whole comes out well. This film has managed to gain an academy award nomination for best animated feature. It surprised me when it came up but but it was a nomination well deserved.

I give this particualr movie a rating of 8/10.

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