Topic: 2012 October-to-Whenever Marathon: Must-Sees and Nostalgia

[Tom]

Esecially if I was the one who saw enough weird things to call a psychic in the first place. 

This was the context I was missing (not having seen this movie). When the character already believed in psychics anyway and was the one wanting to get their opinion (and was ready to believe it).

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......actually not ready to believe in them quite yet. Kinda complicated. That's not all of the context....

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Paranormal Activity 2: Unrated Director's Cut (2010/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Paramount Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Tod Williams Writing: Length: 98 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Other

Stars:
David Bierend as Surveillance Camera Expert
Brian Boland as Daniel Rey
Molly Ephraim as Ali Rey
Katie Featherston as Katie
Seth Ginsberg as Brad

Plot:
"Paranormal Activity 2 is as groundbreaking as the original". Just as Daniel and Kristi welcome a newborn baby into their home, a demonic presence begins terrorizing them, tearing apart their perfect world and turning it into an inescapable nightmare. Security cameras capture the torment, making every minute horrifyingly real. Critics warn to "say goodbye to sleep" as Paranormal Activity 2 will haunt you long after its shocking final scene.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Closed Captioned
• Unrated & Theatrical Version

My Thoughts:

This one was quite better.  Nothing annoyed me, aside from the always-including non-believing character (which for some reason is always male), and the movie had a lot more action than the first too! The story takes a deeper look as to why there is a demon in the house and what it wanted. It ties seamlessly in with the first movie, providing footage of a haunting both before and after what happened to Micah and Katie. You really start to worry about whats happening to the family and what will befall the poor baby, Hunter. As for the ending....I finally figured out why they ended the first one the way they did. 

Scare-O-Meter:

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Paranormal Activity 3 (2011/United States) Trailer |IMDb |Wikipedia | Paramount Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman Writing: Christopher Landon (Writer), Oren Peli (Original Characters By) Length: 84 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen :1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Lauren Bittner as Julie
Chris Smith as Dennis
Chloe Csengery as Katie
Jessica Brown as Kristi
Hallie Foote as Grandma Lois

Plot:
Paranormal Activity 3 takes you back to where it all began and the activity is more intense than ever. The cameras are on and recording the chilling moments when evil begins to terrorize young sisters Katie and Kristi for the first time. Brace yourself for the horror phenomenon that delivers “heart-exploding scares” so frightening that “the last 15 minutes will mess you up for life.”

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Closed Captioned
• Digital Copy

My Thoughts:

Ok, this one totally got me on all the jumpscares!

This movie was a nice sequel. There were a lot of scenes I enjoyed. Earthquakes. Bloody Mary. Zombie-like possession. Weird "imaginary friend" for the little kid that you all know is actually the thing haunting the house. The feel was very creepy, just like the last two movies. My only problem is that I feel a lack of continuity. Not to say it broke any previously established "rules" on how the demon worked or anything, but I just saw little connection to the last two movies; this should have served as a prequel, taking place in the 80s. I don't know ... maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention. Either way, this could have totally passed as a separate movie, not connected to the franchise. Or at least that's what I think. We still have a pretty good idea on the background with the grandparent and the demon from the second movie, so I'd say we're good in that respect.

This one is bringing everything the last two movies had ... but be warned ... there are plenty more jumpscares in this one! 

Scare-O-Meter:

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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The Ring: Widescreen (2002/United States) DreamWorks Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Gore Verbinski Writing: Ehren Kruger (Screenwriter), Koji Suzuki (Original Material By) Length: 115 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, English: DTS: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Naomi Watts as Rachel
Martin Henderson as Noah
David Dorfman as Aidan
Brian Cox (1946) as Richard Morgan
Jane Alexander as Dr. Grasnik

Plot:
The Ring is the critically acclaimed, smash hit thriller David Ansen of Newsweek says "raises some serious goosebumps!" This cinematic thrill ride will keep you on the edge of your seat from the stunning opening to the astonishing conclusion!

It begins as just another urban legend – the whispered tale of a nightmarish videotape that causes anyone who watches it to die seven days later. But when four teenagers all meet with mysterious deaths exactly one week after watching just such a tape, investigative reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) tracks down the video...and watches it. Now, the legend is coming true, the clock is ticking and Rachel has just seven days to unravel the mystery of The Ring.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Closed Captioned
• Short film from Gore Verbinski, more secrets about The Ring

My Thoughts:

I have to say, the video itself was the scariest part of this movie…..it may be that I’ve seen the “Scary Movie” based off of it and already knew the jumpscares and plot twist (thanks to a horror movie special that I saw on TV Guide last year), but I would say this movie wasn’t nearly as bad (meaning “horrifying”) as I thought it would be.

Still pretty creepy, though. Especially when it comes down to how the kid was killed and how long she spent in the well before she died. The ghost’s main look is comparable to the Grudge, but I’m sure I’m just making connections that aren’t there, maybe…

If I get the chance, I’ll see if I can get my hands on the Japanese version.  However, “The Ring” has a couple absolute gross-out moments, like when you see the bodies, so there are a few more things to look forward to, even if you’ve been exposed to too many spoilers like me. ^^; 

Scare-O-Meter:

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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The Ring Two: Unrated Edition (2005/United States) DreamWorks Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Hideo Nakata Writing: Ehren Kruger (Screenwriter), Koji Suzuki (Original Material By) Length: 128 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Naomi Watts as Rachel
Simon Baker (1969) as Max Rourke
David Dorfman as Aidan
Elizabeth Perkins as Dr. Emma Temple
Gary Cole as Martin Savide

Plot:
Loaded with chilling new scenes and exclusive features, this special unrated edition of The Ring Two takes you beyond anything seen in theaters!

Academy Award® nominee* Naomi Watts reprises her role as investigative reporter Rachel Keller, now determined to start a new life and escape her haunting memories. But when the vengeful Samara returns, Rachel faces a nightmarish, life-or-death struggle to save herself and her young son in this edge-of-your-seat thriller!

*2003, Best Actress, 21 Grams.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Production Notes
• Closed Captioned
• 'Rings' short film

My Thoughts:

First thing to say: My eyes lit up when I saw Billy & Mandy playing on their TV.

Now, about the movie … didn’t really have the “haunted video tape” vibe that the first movie had. This one was more about trying to possess the kid and the ghost’s desire to have a mommy. I really liked the background with the ghost’s real mother, her adoptive parents being covered in the first movie. And the tragic line of a mother having to kill her own child, for what really would be their own good, almost had tears in my eyes.

Scare-O-Meter:

 

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Ghost Bride Hey, Arnold! (Season 5, Episode 21) Director: Craig Bartlett, Cullen Blaine Length: 15 min. Rating: Rated TV-Y

Stars:

Blake McIver Ewing as Eugene Horowitz (voice)
Sam Gifaldi as Sid (voice)
Spencer Klein as Arnold (voice)
Justin Shenkarow as Harold Berman (voice)
Francesca Smith as Helga Pataki / Ghost Bride (voice)
Christopher Walberg as Stinky Petersen (voice)
Michael Welch as Curly Gammelthorpe (voice)

Opening:


Series Summary:
Stories of a kid with a football-head, living in an urban neighborhood.

Episode Plot:
The gang investigates a cemetary at night in search of the "Ghost Bride", who is said to hack her victims to pieces with an ax.

My Thoughts:

Wow, this is one of my favorite Halloween episodes. So much so that I remember really, really, really wanting a ghost bride costume for Halloween (maybe next year?), even if this episode really did give me the creeps.

When I was younger, this episode would freak me out so bad! One of my favorite kiddie horror stories. A great way to remember Hey, Arnold! too. Well, that and I have the movie on DVD. My one complaint? How is it Curly is cornered by the ghost bride and yet lives to see the rest of the series? Come on, ghost bride!! Think about your reputation!!! 
  

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Interview With the Vampire (1994/United States) (United States) Director: Neil Jordan Writing: Anne Rice (Writer), Anne Rice (Screenwriter) Length: 122 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Brad Pitt as Louis
Christian Slater as Malloy
Virginia McCollam as Whore on Waterfront
John McConnell as Gambler
Tom Cruise as Lestat

Plot:
The undead are among us and livelier than ever when Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and a talented group of young-bloods star in Interview with the Vampire, the spellbinding screen adaptation of Anne Rice's best seller that's "one of the best films of the year" (Caryn James, The New York Times). Award-winning box-office favorite Cruise stylishly plays the supremely evil and charismatic vampire Lestat. Pitt is Louis, lured by Lestat into the inmortality of the dammed, then tormented by an unalterable fact of vampire life: to survive, he must kill. Stephanie Rea, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater and newcomer Kristin Dunst also star. One lifetime alone offers plenty of opportunities for the savage revelries of the night. Imagine what an eternity can bring. Hypnotically directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), Interview with a Vampire offers enough thrills, shocks and fiendish fun to last a lifetime...and beyond.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Production Notes
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This…was a lot better than I imagined.

Typically, with stories set so far in the past (unless it is a Shakespearean tragedy, or something similar) my mind tends to drift, and I cannot enjoy it. This was not the case.

That TV Guide special I mentioned in my “The Ring” review? That’s the one that told me about this movie. I found the idea of a little girl-vampire that went crazy because she couldn’t age fascinating, so I looked it up. I thought I got the title wrong when it opened to a vampire man drinking the blood of rats, but believe it or not the two things are actually connected.

In most parts, I see this movie as a sort of horrific comedy. I’m not sure what this says about me, but there were just some parts that had me even laugh out loud. Though, I also found myself crying at a particular death at exposure to sunlight. Then laughing again at the end of the film. Really, I just enjoyed it all around.
I’m not sure what sort of a reputation the man had to have had to land an interview with a vampire, but he had some guts is all I’m going to say.

 

Scare-O-Meter:

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

 

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Child's Play: Chucky's 20th Birthday Edition (1988/United States) Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Tom Holland Writing: Don Mancini (Story By), Don Mancini (Screenwriter), John Lafia (Screenwriter), Tom Holland (Screenwriter) Length: 87 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Catherine Hicks as Karen Barclay
Chris Sarandon as Mike Norris
Alex Vincent as Andy Barclay
Brad Dourif as Charles Lee Ray
Dinah Manoff as Maggie Peterson

Plot:
Experience this pulse-pounding slasher-shocker as never before with this all-new 20th Anniversary Edition! Chucky's back with a new slew of "friends to the end" – including a gripping audio commentary, thrilling behind-the-scenes featurettes and more!

Six-year-old Andy is thrilled when he gets a brand-new, cheery Chucky doll for his birthday. But he quickly discovers that Chucky is possessed by the soul of a notorious serial killer who swiftly begins terrorizing Andy, his ill-fated babysitter and his disbelieving mom. And he doesn't stop there. Proving he's nobody to toy with, the demonic doll schemes to transfer his evil spirit out of its "kid-friendly" container...and into Andy!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Interviews
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Saw this movie once before….watching the rest later. Sad to say that this one of the cases where a movie is scary upon release, but the special effects don’t look all that special a little over 20 years later. Though, it’s still one of the classics! Even wrote a report on him in 6th grade. It’s a bit comical in the fact that it just looks weird for that voice and violent actions to come from such a cute (at first) looking doll! I’m still dumbfounded as to how they can make a sequel from where this one left off, let alone four! It’s an ok movie, so I’m a bit excited to see what they did with it later. 

Scare-O-Meter:

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Interview with a Campfire All Grown Up (Season 1, Episodes 14/15) Director: Ron Noble Length: 46 min. Rating: Rated TV-Y

Stars:

Elizabeth Daily as Tommy Pickles (voice)
Nancy Cartwright   as Chuckie Finster (voice)
Kath Soucie as Betty DeVille (voice)
Cree Summer as Susan 'Susie' Carmichael (voice)
Cheryl Chase as Angelica Pickles (voice)
Tara Strong as Dil Pickles (voice)
Dionne Quan as Kimi Finster (voice)
Tress MacNeille as Charlotte Pickles (voice)
Ron Glass as Randy Carmichael (voice)
Phil Proctor as Howard DeVille (voice)
Michael Bell as Charles 'Chaz' Finster, Sr.(voice)
Jack Riley as Stuart 'Stu' Pickles (voice)
Amy Gunzenhauser as Mac and Cher (voice)
Lauren Tom as Bean (Voice)

Opening:


Series Summary:
Follows the adventures of the whole Rugrats gang. But, now they're all grown up. Angelica's nicer, Chuckie's a risk taker, and the rest of the gang have changed too. The adventures follow the gang in their pre-teen/teen years. Don't forget Spike and the grown ups; they're older, too.

Episode Plot:
After heading into a camp to perform a play at the end of summer, Tommy and the gang head off into the woods to explore the legend of settlers who went missing and are haunting the spot.

My Thoughts:

Another favorite from my old TV shows.

I realize “All Grown Up” isn’t as ground-breaking as the Rugrats were, but a lot of times I found it more enjoyable, especially as I got older. This episode gave me the creeps, and it still does, a little. Only after watching the movies this year did I realize that they made a “The Ring” reference at the end with Tommy’s video tape. Kind of ashamed of myself for missing that all this time…

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Child's Play 2: The Franchise Collection (1990/United States) Universal Home Video (United States) Director: John Lafia Writing: Don Mancini (Original Characters By), Don Mancini (Writer) Length: 84 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Alex Vincent as Andy Barclay
Jenny Agutter as Joanne Simpson
Gerrit Graham as Phil Simpson
Christine Elise as Kyle
Brad Dourif as Voice of Chucky (Voice)

Plot:
After being rebuilt by Play Pals Toy Company, Chucky reappears in the life of Andy Barclay, and the two battle it out for possession of the young boy's soul. Playtime's over!

Extras:

• Feature Trailers

My Thoughts:

Impressive opening, as I wasn’t sure how on earth Chucky could come back after the state he was in. A lot of sympathy for the Kyle and Andy characters, having to move between foster homes. The writers were sure to keep it realistic with where Andy was headed after that last adventure. Also … some very creative deaths were in here. Mainly at the toy company. I noticed there was a slightly more bold use of language, but nothing that major. All in all, a good follow-up to the first movie.

Scare-O-Meter:

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5
 

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Child's Play 3: The Franchise Collection (1991/United States) Universal Home Video (United States) Director: Jack Bender Writing: Don Mancini (Writer), Don Mancini (Original Characters By) Length: 90 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Justin Whalin as Andy Barclay
Perrey Reeves as De Silva
Jeremy Sylvers as Tyler
Travis Fine as Shelton
Dean Jacobson as Whitehurst

Plot:
Bad guy Chucky is back, and this time he's in the hands of an unsuspecting child. Only 16-year-old Andy realizes the sick game that's being played, but can he stop it in time?

Extras:

• Feature Trailers

My Thoughts:

Is it bad that I laughed when the guy died of a heart attack instead of death by Chucky? 

Being more serious, this one was able to keep my eyes open a little more. With Andy grown up and in military school, it’s a needed change in atmosphere. The new little boy, Tyler, seemed a little dense to me. After all, when a doll starts swearing, isn’t that a hint that it isn’t all that good? Either way, I also appreciate this one being a little more graphic with the gore…and the jokes.

 

Scare-O-Meter:

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Halloween Spectacular of Spooky Doom Invader Zim (Season 1, Episode 12) Director: Steve Ressel Length: 22 min. Rating: Rated TV-Y

Stars:

Richard Steven Horvitz as ZIM (voice)
Andy Berman as Dib / Nightmare Dib (voice)
Rosearik Rikki Simons as GIR / Monster #3 / Whitecoat #2 (voice)
Melissa Fahn as Gaz (voice)
Rodger Bumpass as Professor Membrane / Nightmare Membrane / Nightmare Bitters (voice)
Wally Wingert as Almighty Tallest Red (voice)

Opening:


Series Summary:
A kid paranormalist tries to prove that the new kid is in fact an alien bent on destroying the earth.

Episode Plot:
Dib has to deal with flashes, being sucked into a parallel universe created by his own imagination. Also, trick-or-treaters are seen as candy-crazed zombies.

My Thoughts:

Invader Zim used to frighten me to no end as a kid….now it’s just funny.

Point #1: I love Gir <3

And of course, this strange parallel universe inside Dib’s imagination thing was cool too., This show is 100% random comedy, so if you don’t like that then you’ll probably give this a 1/10. The episode didn’t have as much of a Halloween thing as I would like, but they still did cool things with the candy and the trick-or-treaters which, hilariously enough, was a crucial point in the end. It’s…just that weird kind of funny!

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Bride of Chucky: The Franchise Collection (1998/United States) Universal Home Video (United States) Director: Ronny Yu Writing: Don Mancini (Original Characters By), Don Mancini (Writer) Length: 89 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany
Brad Dourif as Chucky (Voice)
Katherine Heigl as Jade
Nick Stabile as Jesse
Alexis Arquette as Damien

Plot:
Chucky learns that marriage can be murder when he teams up with a doll named Tiffany, who's wearing a killer wedding dress and housing the soul of a real-life bad girl.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

It amazes me at how often Chucky is able to come back Something that I noticed was that here Chucky and his bride need an amulet to transfer to different bodies, yet I saw Chucky on no such search when he tried to get to Andy and Tyler’s bodies in the last three movies, but sequels do tend to have continuity glitches…

I actually laughed all of the way through this one. Chucky and Tiff really are like a doll-sized Bonnie and Clyde. The murders are getting more and more brutal and they just make it look funny! I may not be reviewing this one so much as a horror as it is a bloody comedy. Still…it’s worth a watch.

Scare-O-Meter:

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Seed of Chucky: The Franchise Collection (2004/United States) (United States) Director: Don Mancini Writing: Don Mancini (Screenwriter) Length: 86 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Jennifer Tilly as Herself
Jennifer Tilly as Voice of Tiffany (Voice)
Brad Dourif as Voice of Chucky (Voice)
Billy Boyd as Voice of Glen/Glenda (Voice)
Redman as Himself

Plot:
Tiffany and Chucky's orphaned spawn, Glen, proves that the rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree when he brings his bloodthirsty parents back to life so they can all take their family values to Tinsel Town.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

This one was ok…but for the sake of the horror in the franchise they should have stopped at Bride of Chucky, or even at Child’s Play 3. Seed of Chucky still had a lot of good gore and it was pretty funny too – I especially loved how Jennifer Tilly played both herself and Tiff – but I think a lot of the slasher, horror element is lost. I liked how there was a split personality thing with Glen/Glenda, but then again it might have been bringing a kid in that ruined it a bit. Really, it’s one of the ones that you can develop mixed feelings for.

 

Scare-O-Meter:

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5