The Best and Worst of Movies

This Week's Movies

I started this week off excited that my local place to rent movies had sprung to get the newest horror release "Prom Night." It did not do so well in its box office debut. I rarely listen to such talk because if I trusted everything Leanard Malton had to say, well, I would miss out on some gems and like a lot of crappy films to boot. It was in this rental that I decided that, for once, maybe the critics were right. So my first movie of the week is...

Prom Night (2008)

The cover alone suggested untold gore and mayhem. But all I saw was a bunch of rich kids running away from a very plain looking "psycho" with a small knife. To say that this movie was unoriginal just tips the iceberg. Through the numerous people making up the body count in this film, the only one that didn't die the exact same way the one before it died was the killer. And yes, I'm sorry for the spoiler, but the killer dies. Its not all that far fetched to assume that he would. The creative minds behind this movie were not present when this movie's dialogue was written and certainly not when it was shot. So were there any creative minds to begin with? Sure there were! The plot quite possibly was its only saving grace!! An attractive, emotionally distraught teen celebrating the final stage short of graduating her senior year of high school again bumps heads with the escaped stalker/murderer who fell in love with her and consequently killed her whole family. Unfortunately for those who consider themselves her friends, they find themselves on the wrong side of a very uninteresting murder weapon. Well, on the grading scale, this film receives.......

So there you go. A letter grade of C. Booooo.

But there's a happy ending here. It lies in the 1980 release of Prom Night featuring the "scream queen" Jamie Lee Curtis. In this movie, the plot is better, the death scenes are unique (as far as 1980s allowed) and there was a twist that you just don't see in horror films of late.

So now I bring you....

Prom Night (1980)

Its hard to believe nowadays that an all star cast really can be Leslie Neilson and Jamie Lee Curtis. The only hitch is that Leslie is playing one of the only serious roles I've ever seen him in and Jamie looks as though she's well out of high school in this film. However, the same could be said about her appearance in Halloween too however, so there you go. This movie is what drove movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer to be released. It centers around a group of kids, who, through some freak accident kill a girl when they were all 12. A pedofile is charged with the murder and in an attempt to elude the police ends up in a car accident which left him deformed and hideous. This review will contain a spoiler for the twist, so if you are reading this...and want to watch the movie...stop. At any rate 6 years later the guy breaks out of the psych ward (as they always do) and presumably attempts to hunt down the actual kids responsible and exact his revenge for maiming him. So they all start dropping one by one. It seems most die shortly after either having sex or doing drugs...(that's the 80s for you) all to a Prom themed "Disco Madness." So not only is the film cool because of its elaborate and well coreographed death scenes, it all happens to disco tunes! When the killer attempts to go after Jamie's new man, one of the kids responsible for the death of her sister 6 years ago, she puts the smack down on the killer with an axe. Then finds out that she's now responsible for killing her brother. Who was doing all this to avenge their little sister's death. Who knew? I guess Jamie should be happy with her boyfriend...now she'll have everything she wants as an only child. :)

This movie was rockin...It gets an....

But thats just what I thought, how about you?

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This Week's Movies

Hello again for the second time.
This is your middle man to the cinema world. I watched a few movies this week, and was pleased and let down all at the same time. Lol. Logically I couldn't have been acceptant of a movie that I was let down by. Or could I? Actually the answer to this is yes.

One of my first reviews is:
30 Days of Night

This riveting movie detailing the feasting of vampires on a small, remote Alaskan town would without a doubt be one of the better vampire movies I would say that I have seen. Josh Hartnett plays a character with the most appropriate job a hero in these types of movies could have, the sheriff. It was almost remnant of Jill Valentine of Resident Evil fame, but its more on the game end than the movie. I digress, frankly his relationship with all of the townspeople introduced an interesting dynamic between those he needed to save and those that were lost causes. Not to mention as his ex significant other just so happens to be stuck in the town with him, the back story of their rocky relationship just has to be brought to light. I'm not one for spoiling endings, but if you are going to watch this let me know what you think about the film in contrast to its ending. It's like awesome, awesome, awesome... wait what? That sucks. But I'm not the only voice, let me hear yours.

My second movie to review:
Left Behind

This movie saw little to no big screen time due to its undeniably Christian ideals, which would cause an uproar with extremists. This movie details the rapture as it was written to happen in the final book of the Bible, Revelation. The movie centers first on people suddenly vanishing without warning. Their clothes and belongings left where they used to be. Then, the film shifts its focus to those who were still on Earth and their quest to know why. The main characters in the story soon realize that the people were not abducted, vaporized, or just missing...they were taken to Heaven for their unfailing belief in Jesus. They soon learn that if they hope to make it to Heaven they will have to endure serious hardships over the next seven years, as the Antichrist assumes his place at the helm of the world. I thought this movie followed what I know of the Scriptures very accurately. It features very good performances as well as some time for personal reflection. This is not just a repent and turn from your wicked ways movie, this is a glimpse into what will come if you don't. Granted these are just men, with human imaginations, so its hard to even imagine the horror to great to be considered. This is one part of a trilogy, so you can expect a review on the second in this series next week.

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Two movies everyone should see at least once.

Hey, this is Ben and this is the first of many blogs detailing the best (and worst) of cinema today. I decided at first to review movies to be released every particular week, but, as it has been seeming the past two weeks, there aren't a lot of movies coming out worth mentioning in said blog. I have now decided to simply begin where I think is the best and review what I watch weekly and have your responses. I will try and touch on most of the upcoming popular releases, and feel free to recommend things for me...as this blog is to either lead you to or steer you away from certain films.

The first that I have to discuss would be my favorite comedy movie of all time. It was a difficult decision because there are so many comedies I hold near and dear, but only one I feel I could watch daily with the same results. This movie is Wet Hot American Summer.

The film is set in 1981, although the movie was released in 2001. It centers around a number of counselors, and some campers, on their final day of an eight week summer camp. This film literally has anything and everything. It has a killer plot ranging from ridiculous romance to a potentially fatal piece of NASA's SKYLAB set to fall directly on the rec hall during the talent show. This movie is ideal for fans of sporadic comedy movies. It's cast is reflective of old school veterans and new faces on the cinema scene. To put things in perspective, the camp is run by Janeane Garofalo...some of the counselors are Micheal Ian Black, Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon, Zak Orth, and Michael Showalter. All of these actors and actresses are remarkably funny on their own, so you could imagine them getting together for a project like this. But don't just take my word for it, you should really check it out for yourself and let me know what you thought.

That's one,
The other movie that is certainly a must see is The Boondock Saints.

A 1999 release that has literally become much like Rocky Horror in its seemingly fanatical fans. I certainly have seen this movie several times and every time I do I leave the screen as pumped as the time before it. Inspiring performances by Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery bring this story of brotherly devotion and God's wrath to light. The story follows the life of two brothers, Connor and Murphy, who go from working in a meat factory to the understanding that they were blessed to be the striking hand of God. Suddenly no one thriving on the underbelly of the city, and profiting from the suffering of others stands a chance. I have seen this movie a lot and I could see it a million times more and still have that same feeling every time. This was a gem that saw little to no actual theater time do to its release falling unflatteringly close to the Columbine shootings. Of course that's just what I heard. It's not gospel, it's gossip. But one could draw distinct connections between the trench coats and the firearms. Enough to just save the hassle and send it to straight to DVD. This movie takes top spot on the action genre of my top tens. But I want to know what you all think.

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