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Nightcrawler (2014)
Disappointing
I was mislead by the synopsis of this movie; it suggested that the protagonist, Lou Bloom, through his own ruthless ambitions at getting a news story no matter what, somehow ends up being a sort of victim. It sounded like it might live up to its little 'thriller' tag. That is so far from the case it's not even funny.
The story: Bloom is a desperate, unemployed man struggling to make ends meet, and then one night he discovers 'nightcrawling' – selling video footage of crimes to TV stations. He employs a young man named Rick and together they ride about at night chasing blood in Los Angeles; they come along a home invasion, Bloom catches the criminals leaving the house and eventually decides to hunt them down, having dire consequences – for everyone but Bloom, that is.
And that is where it all goes awry for me. I can understand that it was the filmmakers point, that sometimes in life, good things happen to bad people and not only do they get away with their tasteless, immoral deeds they are in fact awarded for them. I do understand that, and I don't necessarily have an aversion to that - being honest here: when Anthony Hopkins "had an old friend for dinner" in The Silence of the Lambs, it gave me a dark feeling of glee – that was Hopkins and his Hannibal was basically rather charismatic. But what I felt to be a huge problem here is that Jake Gyllenhaal's Bloom is so completely, entirely, profoundly unlikeable that I was honestly hoping he would get himself killed, or for Rick to just knock him one on the head. He was smarmy and cold, and possessed not one bit of anything human I could relate to; his desperation became callous ambition, and his character was so monotone that I honestly had to skip through some of the scenes to the end because I just couldn't tolerate it anymore; it was literally making my fingers curl into little fists of sublime irritation – THAT'S how bad it was for me. Another irksome component was how Bloom, as a rather strange little upstart could basically threaten and manipulate a veteran of the industry to continue buying his footage.
I dunno. There were just too many cons weighed against the pros for this one; there wasn't much character development, apart from assuming that perhaps they were all acting on their own desperations and needs, be it professional or personal or whatever else – but even that is surmised; and at times it felt rather slowly paced. Though undoubtedly - for me - I think that if they had made Bloom just slightly less of a sordid aspirant the film wouldn't have been as bad as it was; it was certainly nice to look at and it had an interesting story: I liked the idea of exploring just how deep people would scrape the gutters for 'journalism's' sake, without regard for morals or humanity, and to what extent would we disregard the dignity of others for our own benefits (as was sort of the case with Rene Russo's character)... but at the end of the day Gyllenhaal was just too much to bear.
Very, very disappointing, and a waste of money.
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
Sorrow at the heart of it
Years ago this movie was aired – late one night – on a local TV station. Perhaps it was the hour, perhaps it was its brilliance, but I remember sighing out an emphatic 'What the fack??' I watched it again the next day; it failed to lessen my confusion. I watched it again the next day and I found that as my confusion faded my fascination began to creep up higher and somewhere along the way my understanding and appreciation for Mulholland Drive began to settle in – an understanding and appreciation which are still growing today – almost ten years down the line. There really is no other film quite like this David Lynch masterpiece; never before has a movie gotten into my head the way this did, and never since. It's a cerebral exercise that insists on multiple viewings to be truly realised, and its complexities will never cease to inspire.
We are introduced to 'Rita' (Laura Elena Harring) in the opening scenes of the film, being the lone survivor of a car crash on Mulholland Drive; she stumbles her way into town and ends up taking residence in an apartment of a woman departing on a trip. The apartment belongs to Betty's (Naomi Watts) aunt. As it unfolds we learn that 'Rita' is in fact not 'Rita' at all – she can't remember who she is, suffering amnesia from the crash. So Betty decides to help her find her true identity and as they tread along the path of discovery, they find something darker lurking in the unknown. Much more, I cannot really say, as I feel it would detract from the discovery and interpretations you – as a viewer – must make for yourself.
I will, however, share what the film meant to me, and keep in mind that this is simply my opinion, what I took away from the film; whether it's 'right' or 'wrong' or something you find you can't agree with – I will afford you that. It's a story of sadness; of dreams gone wrong; of loss of trust and loss of faith – of oneself; fractured realities. I found it to be, at the heart of it, a beautifully melancholy story, and this was really something I only found with the denouement. It was then that I realised the pervasive, dark sorrow on which the film hung itself. It explores often the very tenuous divide between love and hate and how so very easily those two emotions are confused. The characters are driven by their own desperation, whether the motivation lies in selfishness or spite or heartache, and the hurt that transpires from those acts – at least in the latter part of the film, anyway. It speaks of longing for something that – deep down – you know you will never have, and through that desire you find that even the most meagre pieces of that something will satisfy, even if ultimately it leads to an even deeper state of despair. There is a scene where, one night, Harring takes Watts' hand, and I felt that to be a profound gesture; I think it's overlooked of how much trust, how much hope, can go into the taking of another's hand, and just how devastating it can be to let that hand go. It is also a movie of the darkness which I believe breathes in every one of us, and how close we really are to embracing it. And while perhaps - for the most of us – we would never consciously and wilfully act on those shadowy impulses, there is always a dark fantasy world in which we would happily play.
Technically it is, of course, rather extraordinary. Lynch is a master when it comes to infusing a surreal sense of dread into his scenes; even with the bright sunshine over Los Angeles you can't really help but feeling unsettled, because inherently you know something just isn't quite right here. Add to that Badalamenti's score and what you're left sitting with is a breathing, waking nightmare you're almost thrilled to be a part of. Harring and Watts are brilliant with their dual roles and frankly, why Watts was overlooked for most of the major awards will always be something that confuses me.
And lastly: Mulholland Drive also boasts what is to me, one of the finest scenes ever committed to film: Rebekah del Rio's exquisite rendition of Roy Orbison's 'Crying' ('Llorando'); this scene never fails to (literally) send shivers up and down my spine, and really epitomises the entire theme of the film: loss.
The Shining (1997)
Kubrick vs. King
First off: a lot of reviewers here (especially those fans of Kubrick), have said that you shouldn't compare a book to its film adaptation as this is, after all, a site dedicated to moving pictures; while I can see a very vague point to the argument, you do expect some sort of faithfulness when a book is adapted for screen. I think even more so when you have a liking for a certain book, there will always be the hopeful expectation that a film adaptation will remain true because you want to see the story come to life, visually. That's sort of the point, really...
But I'm not going to go much deeper into that, as it wasn't the greatest of concerns of mine. Probably my greatest issue was the lack of character development in Kubrick's version; you didn't really know where they came from or what sort of history they shared; none of the characters seemed to have any sort of bond with one another (which is a great deviation from the novel), and any closeness between mother father wife and husband were almost non-existent and at times – even from the get-go – bordered on pure antipathy. Here, with this adaptation, we could see that there was love, perhaps approaching its last throes for Wendy and Jack, but we could see and believe that at some point in time there was a bond that breathed between them, and this makes the break-down of the family ever more poignant. We cared. With the 1980 version we didn't really care. At least I didn't. And that's tragic, when you don't really care about the characters.
Stylistically, it would be hard to compare the two films; there was certainly a great genius in Kubrick's cinematography, and I doubt that this film will ever be considered innovative. Having said that, it was nicely-shot and it certainly achieved an invasive creepiness, resulting in a truly frightening atmosphere and I think that this is one of the film's greatest assets. The desolate fear almost gets under your skin and squeezes you from the inside, making you very aware of your ever-escalating heart beat. Also, I much preferred the setting, the filmmakers having used the actual hotel which served as muse to Stephen King when he wrote the novel; and just for the sake of pointing it out: funny how some have commented here that they didn't care much for the hotel (again: mostly Kubrick fans), and have criticised it... do you guys even know that that was the ACTUAL hotel? Get yer facts straight when you want to pontificate...
But I digress...
Casting: pretty decent all round, though: I am a Jack Nicholson fan, hands down, and I honestly think he is one of the greatest actors in modern film; on the flip-side: I've never much appreciated Steven Weber, though I think his portrayal here of Torrance is probably closer to the mark than Nicholson's psycho playwright. Shelley Duvall vs. Rebecca de Mornay... well, Duvall's Wendy was so poorly developed there wasn't much to go on, which is a shame; again, the character here had a backstory and you could identify and understand her motivations and feelings. The two little Dannys: both I think were equally well-acted and did a fine little job with their roles.
So between the two movies? While I definitely enjoyed the visuals of Kubrick, and the incredibly dramatic and foreboding score, the mini-series takes it for me simply because I felt the story was better developed, as were the characters; it also has a slow build-up of dread, a cold chill that quietly slides its way up your body and holds you close, reluctant to let go. And that's what a horror is all about.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Ultimately a let-down
Like a lot of other people, I suppose, I wanted to see this film because of all the critical praise it garnered; and I think it safe to say that also like a lot of other people: I just didn't understand all the critical praise it garnered.
Of course, it is easy to understand that it was technically masterful, but on the other hand – it was not something that has never been done before. Aside from seeing Keaton in a wonderfully-apt role, a role which was well-acted, there really wasn't much else going on here. None of the other characters felt well-developed, and they almost felt entirely perfunctory – most of the supporting characters' plot-lines went nowhere and left you wondering why their scenes were incorporated into the movie at all - the kiss between Watts and Riseborough being a glaring point here. This could really have been a one-man show. Then there was the "score," the "soundtrack." There is a reason an all-drums score has never been done before. It's because it's annoying as fack. It was almost enough to make me want to put the DVD on mute and flip the subtitles on and just read the damn thing. This is only the second movie I've seen (the first being the grating, ear-blistering Picnic at Hanging Rock) where the music has annoyed me to the point of apoplexy.
At the end of the day: I was rather disappointed by this film, and I'm not a chicken when it comes to cerebral cinema; I like movies that make me think, that initially confuse the b'Jesus out of me only to be delighted by the epiphany (Mulholland Drive being the prime example). I once read that sometimes, in literature, people confuse an abstruse narrative for masterful writing and I think the same can be applied to film; not everything 'complex' or 'profound' is necessarily masterful cinema. Sometimes it's just a convoluted mess. While I won't go so far as to say it was one of the worst films I've seen in the past year or so, it certainly wouldn't win my 'Best Picture,' and I reckon it was interesting in its uninteresting way.
Good performances, technically interesting to watch but there are much better films out there to spend two hours watching. Also: if you're going into this expecting a comedy, you're in for big a surprise...
In Fear (2013)
Doesn't quite deliver on its promise
Tom (Iain de Caestecker) and Lucy (Alice Englert) get themselves lost in the Irish countryside while trying to find an isolated hotel. Their fear deepens when they realise they are perhaps not as alone as they may have thought when things start to go wrong as the night creeps in.
Oh shame. What a pity. This started really, really good – it was building some nice tension with the setting and the fleeting appearances of shadowy figures; the anxiety continued to build when, at the beginning, they took turn after turn only to end up at the same little shack from which they departed - the creepiness that slithered across my skin made me smile. It was that good. I continued to smile when Lucy's hair was pulled by invisible hands, and my smile just about became a grin when they found her clothes strewn over and across the bushes. I felt, at that time, that I was in for one thrilling, thrilling ride.
Unfortunately – the thrills sorta kinda fizzled out after that, which was disappointing to say the least when the filmmakers had done such an exemplary job in building the suspense. It felt almost as if they failed to capitalise on everything good they had created and had run out of inspiration, just ever so slightly unable to take the film to that next level – and I really believe there was a next level, and that it could have been amazing because there was a lot of potential here. A lot. There was a taut atmosphere, and the fear and unease was almost palpable.
Negativity aside, it wasn't the worst film I've seen, but neither was it the scariest especially given its early promise. And also on the plus side, it had some nice photography that greatly benefited the atmospherics. While I felt the performance were good I can't say I liked Lucy all too much – she wasn't the most proactive and I was sorta kinda swearing at her to get out of the car and DO SOMETHING while Tom got the pesh beat out of him. What also bugged me was the fact that she just took off – literally, got into the car and took off – without bothering to even try and find him when Max (Allen Leech) came after them in the woods. Speak of looking out for number one...
Anyway: while I can't deny I was disappointed, In Fear is more than watchable, and the first half of the film definitely does deliver on shivers and scares, and perhaps on a second viewing I might appreciate more, knowing what it is, flaws and all.
Lake Mungo (2008)
Unlike anything I've seen before
Where can I even begin? This was a film that had me from the opening shot; I was immediately immersed in the story, and not once did it fail to hold my attention. In fact: this little Australian gem of a movie could've been over four hours long and I would've gladly gone along for the ride – that's how much I enjoyed it and needless to say: it's become one of my favourites.
It focuses on the Palmer family and the loss of their sixteen-year old daughter in a drowning accident. A few nights after her death, they start experiencing strange sounds around their house and so they involve a psychic, which only leads to greater heartache. All of this is done in the style of a pure documentary, going so far to include "news footage" and "police videos;" as it plays out, we see interviews from the daughter – Alison's – dad Russell, mom June, and brother Mathew; also interviewed are friends and family, and the psychic, Ray.
Everything is done right: the story is an interesting one; it is scored beautifully; the cinematography is evocative and moody; the characters are incredibly fleshed out and the acting is highly, highly convincing, and if you let yourself go you could easily believe that what you're watching is a bona fide documentary, and while it's not scary as such (you're not going to be jumping out of your seats with this one), this ultra-realism is what gives the film its chill, and what makes it a hell of a lot more effective (and superior) than the other documentary / found-footage-style movies out there. Added to that is an underlying sadness and a profound sense of loss, and it's because of this that Lake Mungo is elevated into something a lot more than a simple "horror" or "mystery" film, at times seeming to work on all your senses and emotions. Of course, having waxed lyrical it's not without its flaws, though they are minor and few in number and take nothing away from the overall experience.
Lake Mungo, I doubt, will truly scare the hardened horror fan, as I truly doubt it's a horror; but what it is, is a fine piece of filmmaking that will get under your skin and into your head and have you thinking about it for days after viewing. It does something that sometimes a number of other films fail to do: it makes you care about the story its offering up to you.
Highly, highly recommended.
Home (2015)
Lighthearted and great fun
After earth is taken over by the Boov, and all humans relocated, the alien Oh (Jim Parsons) finds himself on the run from his fellow aliens for accidentally alerting the Boov's enemy to their whereabouts. He meets up with Tip (Rihanna), and in exchange for helping him flee he promises her to help find her mother.
Jim Parsons, for me, made this movie. He was absolutely delightful as the little alien Oh, and he created one of the most endearing characters I've seen in an animation. Rihanna did fine job with Tip, and although I may be biased (coz I am, I suppose, a Rihanna fan), I felt she was nicely cast and she brought a sassy energy to the role, and together, they had had a great chemistry.
Acting aside, I did feel it ran a bit long; or rather: some parts seemed to drag on. And while it had, at times, a rather quirky humour I felt it was much more suited to a younger audience – and it probably was. And so maybe it is for that reason alone I felt it sometimes lacking.
Nonetheless, it had a good story with good characters and as I mentioned, great performances. I also felt that the animation and design was quite amazing; I loved how the Boov changed colour as their emotions changed, and their overall appearance was a lot of fun to watch. On the whole, it was a heartwarming little movie and would definitely make for a very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.
Triangle (2009)
Hellish. Nightmarish. Wonderful
Jess (Melissa George) and her pals go out to sea for the day; from the onset we see that something is not quite right with her, and she seems reluctant to go out on the trip. But she goes along with them and once at sea, a storm hits them and their yacht capsizes; moments later a ship passes by and they board it. Seemingly abandoned, it doesn't take long before their already dire situation starts to get worse when they find there is someone else on the ship hunting them down.
This was a very curious film: when it started repeating itself it put me off immediately as I am not a fan of having to sit through a given number of scenes on a loop (I didn't even like Groundhog Day.) What's the point of it, really? So very strangely enough: I wasn't really enjoying this movie at all.
And it was literally at the end of it, where Melissa George is staring at the car wreck did it smack me hard in the face: it is a nightmare, it is hell. Simple, and pure as that. And that awful feeling I had was what I feel, in my unconscious state, when I am having a nightmare myself; it's that feeling of dread, of fear, of knowing that what you're going through and feeling and experiencing is not real yet in that deadening cold pit of your stomach you start to have doubts and as your nightmare progresses your terror soars.
Only thing is: when I wake up, relief swiftly comes along; this is not the case with George's character as this is her very real nightmare, her hell, her punishment; and she will never have any reprieve. At the start, when they board the ship, they talk of a man named Sisyphus; he was a man in Greek mythology as they explained who was cursed to an eternity of pushing a rock up a hill only for it to roll back down again. And so it is for George; she has to endure the agony of her last day alive, really, over and over again, with no end in sight as her own punishment.
While I suppose it had its fair share of predictable plot twists, and the supporting cast perhaps wasn't the best, the overall product is a very good one, and it really, really made me think; the neat little clues they dropped throughout were also fun when you caught them (for instance: the Sisyphus reference and the sign reading 'Goodbye - Please Return.') And I still can't get over how it managed to gut-punch me the way it did – not many other movies have done that to me.
If you're wanting an interesting, thought-twisting movie, watch this one; it will also teach you to be truly grateful when you manage to wake from your next nightmare.
Hard Candy (2005)
Not bad. Expected more
Haley, a fourteen-year old girl meets a man in his thirties, Jeff (Patrick Wilson), in an online chat room. She suggests that they meet in person and he happily agrees. After a coffee she goes home with him where she drugs him and ties him up; convinced he is a murderous paedophile, she goes about torturing him until he confesses.
The thing is: it was very hard for me to feel sympathy for Page's character because I simply disliked her; whether it was intentional or not on the filmmaker's side not to divulge her background doesn't detract from the fact that it was hard to form any sort of "allegiance" with her. She was just a little too off-kilter, just a little too unstable to actually like, or know in any way whatsoever if her actions were justified. Whether she was a victim herself, or a friend of the victim or what: you simply had no way of knowing.
What the film did manage to do was to create sympathy for Wilson; and yes, it may be creepy to admit as he's clearly not exactly innocent (what's he doing flirting with fourteen-year olds?), but as humans we're sorta automatically distressed at watching another human suffer, especially when – at first – he's coming across as innocent, and the one doing all the harm is definitely not playing with a full deck of cards, and I can't help but say it, fracking annoying to boot. So as twisted as it may sound, for most of the movie I was sorta kinda rooting for him...
And then there are the issues with logic that sorta irritated me: how on earth did a tiny little fourteen year old girl manage to haul and pick up a fully-grown, adult male? I mean: she got him standing up on a chair and all nicely tied and hoisted while he was unconscious. How on earth...? Anyway, before I run away with myself: it was a decent premise overall, and well-acted despite me not really liking Page. And while it's being touted as a "thriller" or "horror," no... not really. This was more drama, more psychological thriller at a push; it didn't have me on the edge of my seat and once it got to the halfway mark I sorta stopped expecting that it would get me there. There was more talk than action, which I'm not saying is a bad thing, but at the end of the day if you're looking for a thrilling ride: this isn't the movie for you; if you're looking for something intriguing, something different, then give it a go.
Man of Steel (2013)
My favourite Superman movie
The first time I tried to watch this, I was like, Ah man... (outer) space! So I left it. I tried again a few days later, but alas: the same thing. So I left it for about a week or so and tried yet again. For me, third time really was the charm: I liked this movie quite a lot. I know some of the critics really didn't like it, the same applying to a lot of Superman fans; and as far as the latter goes, I can understand why they would be miffed with some of the casting choices (Amy Adams... a red-head!), and the decision to exclude the red shorts of the hero's costume – I suppose I would feel the same if a book I loved had been adapted for screen and cast someone "wrong" as the lead.
But personally – and I'm speaking as someone who prefers Batman to Superman, and an Amy Adams fan – I thought the casting was good; I especially thought Henry Cavill did a wonderful job as Clark, and I really can't think of anyone who would've suited the role better. I enjoyed Michael Shannon as Zod, he was sorta kinda subtly, calmly menacing which was fun to watch, and really: apart from the 'physicality' issue, Adams made a pretty good Lois. But then perhaps I really am speaking as a Batman fan here. As for the rest of the cast: Fishburne, Lane, Costner, Traue, Meloni were effective in their respective roles (...and if I am to be completely honest here: Antje Traue was a lot of fun to look at as Faora).
My only real problem with this movie was the fight scenes. Because special effects are so evolved it's gonna take a lot more creativity in their implementation to make an exploding building seem anything more than that: an exploding building. And there are a lot of exploding and crumbling buildings in this movie, and not once was I particularly moved or excited. I felt, too, that these scenes were WAY protracted, and the damage done was bordering on ludicrous; I reckoned that at the end of the day, when all was said and done and dusted, there really wouldn't have been much difference if Zod and his world engine had gone on to annihilate earth.
But on the whole: a pretty decent superhero / action movie. I felt the characters were all nicely developed, and they did a pretty good job with Kal-El's backstory – I also quite liked the fact that Cavill's Superman was a somewhat darker and sombre incarnation than in previous Superman films. So I reckon if you're not a die-hard, purist fan of Superman (and I say that with respect to those who are), perhaps you could over look the red hair and absent red shorts, and you may just enjoy this movie experience.
Wonder Boys (2000)
A wonderfully engaging film
I loved this movie. It was completely unconventional and offbeat, and the leading (and supporting) characters were incredibly well-developed, making them feel as if they could be your friends, people you would want to go out with and get happily caught up in the mess that is their lives – that's how engaging they are.
Douglas is Grady Tripp, a novelist whose first book was remarkable, and whose second book seems to be running away from him with its unattainable ending. We meet him in the class room of a university where he is a teacher, reading a short story by one James Leer (Maguire). The other students hate it, as they always do, and they all seem to hate Leer, possibly because he is more talented than the lot of them combined – and they know it. Tripp and Leer meet up again later that night at a party and from there the strangeness unfolds; including the murder of a dog and the theft of a Marilyn Monroe jacket.
This is a movie I can (and have) watch again, and again, and again. And after each viewing it will always leave me feeling warm inside, almost as if I have personally gone on Tripp and Leer's adventure with them – and I suppose in a way I have. It is always a magical feeling when a movie can transcend barriers and captivate the audience, taking them in and far away on its strange little journey – and I believe that is exactly what a movie should do; that's why people go see them, to be carried from their reality into a fictional world, to be absorbed by them.
Michael Douglas is wonderful here as the somewhat shabby stoner-possibly-still-talented writer, and he is backed up superbly by Maguire; they in turn are supported very commendably by Frances McDormand, Robert Downey, Jr., and Katie Holmes. This is a very rich story, and as I have already said, populated by likable, incredibly relatable characters. I would highly, highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in being delighted; this movie will assuredly leave you feeling happy and content, and if you're looking for even more I would DEFINITELY recommend reading Michael Chabon's The Wonder Boys, the novel on which this film was based.
P2 (2007)
Not the most effective thriller
It seems to be a rule of many thrillers, that if a vicious dog makes an appearance you can be sure it shall be put to use against a protagonist. Another rule stipulates that if there are cellphones they shall, for whatever reason, not work.
Unfortunately for the movie, not only does the female lead's phone abandon her, so does her brain. The synopsis of this film suggested a character that had to use her wits to overcome her captor, and her own inner-problems or limitations or something to that effect. And of course, being stuck in an abandoned parking garage it had me intrigued. But the character (Angela, played by Rachel Nichols)) was so poorly developed it was hard to empathise or sympathise with her; we never knew where she came from or what was going on with her life or how she was feeling. And when a film has only two main characters this is of itself a major problem.
As for the other half, the antagonist Thomas played here by Wes Bentley, screaming, and crazy angry stares don't account for character development. We understand that he is alone, possibly lonely, coz he sorta kinda says as much (towards the end of the film, mind). But that's as far as we go into his fractured psyche which again leaves us with another character we cannot on any level relate to. Though I will say his evil deeds are annoying and grotesque, and I'm referring here to the lone, obligatory blood'n'guts scene which I found to be highly distasteful. So you do sorta end up hating him and praying for his demise but for the wrong reasons.
And then there were flaws with logic (as another reviewer pointed out), in dealing with her seeming inability to find a fire alarm and set it off, or phoning 911 when she had the time to. Of course, if she had done so it would've ended the whole film a lot sooner, although I'm not sure if that would've been an altogether bad thing.
If you're looking for good thriller that knows how to create suspense, I'd go either for Red Eye with the wonderful Rachel McAdams and Cillian Muprhy; or the tense, fast-paced A Lonely Place to Die with Melissa George - not only does this movie have a better story, it has some lovely cinematography to boot.
I give it a 3 outta 10 coz I didn't find the acting all too bad; it wasn't too bad to look at, either; and it certainly wasn't the worst I've seen.
The Possession of David O'Reilly (2010)
Funny. And not in a good way
This was probably one of the most ridiculous "horrors" / "haunting" movies I have seen. Most of the time I was laughing - I laughed a lot at that dude running around screaming; I found something hilarious in how he sounded. So I guess in other words: his screams are ill suited for horror movies, and would be better suited for comedy; though I suppose when the guy wasn't screaming... the acting was okay all round, really
Apart from that: the lighting, "cinematography," and story were all below-par, and really: not scary at all, and at times it felt very forced and disjointed, as if they were struggling to make it all go anywhere.
Overall: A very "meh" movie experience.
The Innkeepers (2011)
Perhaps not-so-haunted hotel, but...
...I enjoyed this movie. While not the scariest it had a decent story (I liked the idea of it being set in a hotel which had over the years lost its distinction), even if it left me slightly bewildered with some if its elements, and I felt it could've done with a lot more "action," as such, and sometimes I think the filmmakers missed on some opportunities to add some truly good scares.
I've also read a few critiques here saying the acting was bad, and – as much as it pains me to – I sorta kinda almost agree; and that's not to say anything against either lead as such, as I have seen Paxton in The Last House on the Left and though it was a difficult role she pulled it off. I did notice though, with this film, her best moments came when they were lightly comedic – as with Healy, whom I think is a comedic actor.
But yes: if you're looking for a decent movie, something rather easy to watch it makes for a pretty decent night in with a bowl of popcorn; though if you're wanting to stick to a Ti West-directed film I'd certainly give The House of the Devil a go.