Topic: Weekend Movie Marathon: Anything Goes

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Paranormal Activity
Year: 2009
Director: Oren Peli
Rating: NR
Length: 86 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Katie Featherston as Katie
Micah Sloat as Micah
Mark Fredrichs as Psychic
Amber Armstrong as Amber
Ashley Palmer as Girl on Internet

Plot:
YOU DEMANDED IT and now the surprise hit critics call "one of the scariest movies of all time"* can be experienced in the most terrifying place of all...your home.

After a young, middle-class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially while they sleep.

Paranormal Activity builds suspense night after night all the way to the shocking ending. Roger Ebert calls it "truly scary."** Go ahead, WE DARE YOU TO WATCH IT AT HOME...at least you can leave the lights on.


*bloody-disgusting.com
**Roger Ebert, rogerebert.com, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
Before I bought this movie all I heard about it is how scary it is. So I figured I would set myself up right going into it. I closed all the blinds... turned off the lights getting it nice and dark in the room and then started the movie. I really wasn't sure if I should go with the theatrical version of the unrated version with the alternate ending. Since the alternate ending was available separately as well I decided to go with the Theatrical version and then afterward I would watch the alternate ending.

After watching the movie I will say I liked it... quite a bit in fact. Scary? Not surprisingly it didn't scare me at all. Maybe a slight chill in one or 2 scenes... possibly 1 or 2 jump scenes... but actual scares... not at all. But as I have said before... I haven't been scared by a horror movie in many... MANY years. But even so... I enjoyed the movie.  After watching both endings... I can't decide which ending I prefer. Both versions had their good points. Any time I watch this  again I will have trouble deciding which version I will want to watch.

My Rating:

Out of a Possible 5

[RossRoy]

Go on IMDb and read about the original festival ending - I wish I could see that one!

[addicted2dvd]

Sounds like they left the best ending off the DVD! 

[Critter]

I'm curious Pete, which films are there that you would say have genuinely scared you?

[addicted2dvd]

As far as I can remember... I never really been scared by a movie... at least not since I was a kid. Trying to remember back. Maybe The Exorcist the first time I saw it as a kid. But it don't have the same effect on me now. For some reason movies just don't seem to scare me.

The very first horror movie I ever seen was The Shining with Jack Nicholson. And even then I remembered a nice adrenaline rush (not sure if from the movie or because I wasn't supposed to be up watching cable tv in the middle of the night) That was back when I was about 11 years old.

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Se7en
Year: 1995
Director: David Fincher
Rating: R
Length: 127 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Surround EX, English: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
Morgan Freeman as Somerset
Andy Walker as Dead Man at 1st Crime Scene
Daniel Zacapa as Detective Taylor at First Murder
Brad Pitt as Mills
Gwyneth Paltrow as Tracy

Plot:
From director David Fincher (Fight Club) comes the psychological thriller about two detectives on the trail of "John Doe," a serial killer who chooses his victims according to the seven deadly sins.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
Multi-angle
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
This is only the second time I ever watched this movie. not sure why I waited so many years to watch this one again. It is a right good movie. I enjoyed it. I really liked Morgan Freeman in the movie... though I never been much of a fan of Brad Pitt. So that could be part of the reason why I haven't watched it in so long. Beyond that... it is a good story. The DVD release is very good... with lots of extras. It is definitely a movie/release I would recommend.

My Rating:

Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Title: The Man with Two Brains
Year: 1983
Director: Carl Reiner
Rating: R
Length: 90 Min.
Video: Pan & Scan 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: N/A

Stars:
Steve Martin as Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr
Kathleen Turner as Dolores Benedict
David Warner as Dr. Necessiter
Paul Benedict as Butler
Richard Brestoff as Dr. Pasteur

Plot:
It's comedy that's out of its mind (and the drunk-driving test is really, really hard!). Director Carl Reiner and star Steve Martin put their manic brains together in The Man with Two Brains, spoofing mad-scientist movies with a madder scientist: Dr. Hfuhruhurr (Martin), smitten with a disembodied brain he plans to implant into a curvaceous vixen (Kathleen Turner).

Extras:
Scene Access
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
Going into this movie I really couldn't remember if I had seen it before. It is hard to remember all the movies you seen almost 30 years ago. After getting part way through it I realized I never seen the movie before. Unfortunately I didn't care much for this one.  It may have had a laugh or two... but it was just a little too silly for my taste.

My Rating:

Out of a Possible 5

[Rogmeister]

I saw The Man With Two Brains back in 1983 when it first hit theatres.  I remember liking it...though I don't think I've seen it since and it has been just over 25 years since then.  I think this may have been the first film I ever saw Kathleen Turner in.  Yes, it was silly but that was Steve's thing back then.  I've seen most of his films but My Blue Heaven is one that I never did see.  Mixed Nuts is another.

If nothing scares you, I would say horror films have ruined you.  It's best to give them up now...or at least take a year's hiatus from them! 

[addicted2dvd]

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!  Now that scases me! 

[Najemikon]

I saw The Man With Two Brains back in 1983 when it first hit theatres.  I remember liking it...though I don't think I've seen it since and it has been just over 25 years since then.  I think this may have been the first film I ever saw Kathleen Turner in.  Yes, it was silly but that was Steve's thing back then.  I've seen most of his films but My Blue Heaven is one that I never did see.  Mixed Nuts is another.

If nothing scares you, I would say horror films have ruined you.  It's best to give them up now...or at least take a year's hiatus from them! 

Ah, but Roger, that's the great misunderstanding about horror fans. We can't be scared! It's like we're in on the joke with the film-makers.

[snowcat]

I have the same problem :S ive not really been scared by a horror movie for a while... noises of a certain pitch make me jump no matter what film they are in :S

...I watched Seven recently Pete, I agree its a very good movie, I was surprised.

[Kathy]

I think the only film that ever got to me was Jaws. After seeing it I still got the willies even going into Lake Ontario's fresh water!

Sorry Pete...that shark music has to get to even you. 

[addicted2dvd]

There is music in Jaws? I must have tuned it out. 

[Antares]

After seeing it I still got the willies even going into Lake Ontario's fresh water!

Then maybe this is the film that should have really scared you...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139414/

 

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Best of the Best
Year: 1989
Director: Bob Radler
Rating: PG-13
Length: 97 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles:

Stars:
Eric Roberts as Alex
Phillip Rhee as Tommy
James Earl Jones as Coach Couzo
Sally Kirkland as Wade
Christopher Penn as Travis

Plot:
Eric Roberts (Academy Award® Nominee Best Actor in a supporting role Runaway Train 1985, National Security, TV's "Less than Perfect"), Phillip Rhee, Christopher Penn (Starsky and Hutch, Reservoir Dogs), John Dye and David Agresta play five young men who are selected as members of the U.S. National Karate Team. Each teammate has his own reason for competing. However, they soon discover that in order to function as a team they must put aside their differences and learn to depend upon each other.

James Earl Jones (Academy Award® Nominee Best Actor The Great White Hope 1970, Field of Dreams, Hunt for Red October), is their unorthodox coach, and Sally Kirkland (Anna, The Sting, The Way We Were, A Star is Born), their trainer, teach them that winning is not a sometime thing – it's an all-time thing.

Together they enter an exhausting training period that puts their mental and physical skills to the ultimate endurance test. After three months of grueling workouts and personal conflicts thet are ready to face the highly skilled Korean team and become true champions.

In an unexpected and climactic ending these men come to understand what it takes to be the BEST OF THE BEST.

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
I felt like something a little different... some martial arts. So I grabbed this one out of the collection I got from mom. I kinda have mixed feelings on this one. For the most part I enjoyed it.Though it was a bit slow at times. In this one they decided to go with the feel good ending over the exciting action-packed ending. A bold move for a martial arts movie... not sure which I prefer... but it was a nice change of pace. It is worth watching... but don't go into it expecting an action-packed martial arts movie.

My Rating:

Out of a Possible 5