Scary Stories (from a Dark Allie)

Maybe it’s that thing I have for Kiefer Sutherland (or Oliver Platt), but I’ve always liked this movie.

Perhaps it’s because Joel Schumacher seems to have a thing for Kiefer Sutherland as well? Regardless, Joel Schumacher does know how to entertain me.

Okay, the last scene and the end credits score are a bit cheesy, but it actually feels like a nice payoff to all the tension build up here.

The acting is great – aside from Platt and Sutherland there’s also Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, and Billy Baldwin to round out a rather spectacular cast. Everyone was believable and pretty impressive here.

There’s a lot I like about this movie. It’s got Amy Smart and Ethan Suplee, for one (or two). And Ashton Kutcher is actually pretty good in it as well. Oh! And I’d forgotten Cameron Bright is in this – a small but important role he plays adeptly.

This is another movie where I really like the concept but the implementation falls a bit flat.

It’s definitely not the cast here. Katheryn Winnick is great in horror movies, and this one is no exception. She can cry on demand like very few other actresses I’ve seen. Believably, too!

I also like that she generally gets to play the smart (well, at least relatively) one in many of her roles. Or at the very least, the one with the best survival instinct. Without spoiling too much, that’s true here as well.

I might have a thing for Mischa Barton. It’s weird, though, because I’m not sure she’s a great actress. She seems to get cast as the somewhat spoiled, mildly haunted teenager/young adult in everything she’s ever done. I guess she pulls that off pretty well, though.

Cameron Bright, on the other hand, is a pretty great actor. Especially for someone so young. He’s been in several things and I’ve always been really impressed.

This one was okay. I’m glad I’m spacing these out to one a week because I think I’m already burned out on Saw movies.

On the one hand, I feel like this director has finally hit his rhythm with this franchise. There weren’t as many artsy effects or weird close-ups as there have been in the past two films. I’m a little disappointed that this is the last film in the franchise from this director.

I have some problems with this movie but it’s above average in terms of entertainment value. As far as movies about a bunch of strangers waking up together in a room and realizing they’re totally screwed go…this one’s pretty good.

The cast is full of mostly unfamiliar faces – IMDb tells me they’re mainly from soap operas and single-episode TV drama cameos. The only face I really recognized was Maria Olsen, and I just learned her name tonight. As it turns out her IMDb filmography reads like a to-watch list for this blog, so you might be hearing more about her in the future.

So, I don’t know…I have mixed feelings about this one. It’s been really hot this month and last, so I felt like this was an appropriate film choice to express how I’ve been feeling lately.

(Spoilers ahead, probably.) On the one hand, this scenario is basically my personal hell. Trapped in a sauna with no phone, with no way to hydrate myself or keep cool, and with three really boring people? Nope nope nope.

I’ve recently been watching The West Wing for the first time ever (I know, I know) so it’s appropriate that I’d watch a movie starring Tim Matheson. He’s much more likable in this as Jim Norman than he is in The West Wing, though, which is probably for the best.

This definitely watches like a Stephen King story, although it’s another I haven’t read. The premise is reasonably interesting but after watching the movie I don’t feel the need to read it also. Which isn’t to say the movie isn’t interesting – it is interesting. And well acted. And, for the most part, with nicely done background music.

So I saw this one tonight and it was kind of a let down. Not a huge let down, but kind of a let down. It did have Frank Grillo again though, and he was pretty badass. So was Edwin Hodge, for that matter.

So, while the first one was more about family and survival (no surprise I liked it then, eh?), this one was definitely more about the Purge. Oh, and Frank Grillo. It was also about Frank Grillo.

And I liked it! Unlike some other sequels, I felt this one actually added to the story. The Purge is an interesting concept and it’s sort of glossed over in the first film. You get enough context to feel like you understand the universe but not quite enough context to feel like all your questions have been answered.

I always liked this one. It’s not perfect, but it’s got a great cast, an interesting premise, and some tense moments.

Okay, now here’s an addition to the franchise I can get behind. This movie was engaging and entertaining and unlike the previous film actually got me excited about watching the next one.

I think perhaps my favorite part of this one (or at least the most well done part) is how, just when you start thinking that they’ve strayed far from the intent and rationale behind the first movie, the twist is revealed and the original meaning restored. It’s epic and quite satisfying.

This movie had an interesting story, an overused implementation, and a weirdly uneven and often slow pace. It has its scary moments but for the most part it’s just boring.