A Perfect Getaway

A Perfect Getaway is one of those rare horror movies that comes along every once in a while that is actually well thought out. J and I watched this a few days ago and I've had time to actually think about the movie and decide whether or not it was good. And I've decided that it truly was. It has a perfectly good plot, nice acting, and pretty amazing dialogue. A Perfect Getaway is about a newly wed couple who take their honeymoon in Hawaii. Once there, the find out about a murder that has taken place on one island and begin to fear for their own lives while hiking a trail on another island. On the trail the couple meets another couple who are also hiking. The two begin to hike together and both become increasingly suspicious of the other until one realizes a horrifying secret about the other couple.

The acting in the movie was actually surprisingly good. Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich play the main newlywed couple and both are actually very convincing. The love the two characters share is obviously shown by the two actors and they share a chemistry that is usually only seen with real couples in love. The other actors in the movie were convincing but not as much as Zahn and Jovovich.

Another amazing aspect of the movie was the dialogue. Every little line was important to the plot. It was incredible! Upon figuring out that the dialogue was so important, I began to pay very close attention to every sentence and also to every picture on the screen. Every little thing gave some clue as to what the twist would be and it's just up to the audience to figure it out! J and I both figured out the twist before the end but it was still surprising. The dialogue and plot were both incredibly well thought out and made for a very good film.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes a thrilling film. It was an entertaining movie that had an extremely well written plot and dialogue. It may not have a lasting effect but it's a fun movie to watch and try to figure out who the real killers are!

-H

Paranormal Activity

On Friday night at midnight, J and I went to the movie theater expecting to see a good but disappointing movie. I was very, very excited to see Paranormal Activity, but J kept telling me that I would probably be disappointed so I had to bring my expectations down by a lot. I was excited, but prepared for the worst. So, there we were in the theater, at midnight and slowly the theater began to fill up. And then the movie started.

If you haven't heard about this movie, then let me tell you a little about it. Paranormal Activity is director Oren Peli's first film. Filmed in the style of Blair Witch and Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity is filmed with a single, hand-held camera giving off a very realistic, documentary-like feeling. The movie tells about a young couple who move into a house together. After a few unnatural things begin to happen, Micah finds out that ever since Katie, his girlfriend, was a little girl she has been haunted by some sort of spirit. Micah then decides to bring home a nice camera to film the unnatural activity that is happening. After that, literally, all hell breaks loose. The couple discovers that the spirit that plagues Katie is a demon and is looking to destroy her. I won't tell anymore of the plot because then the entire film would be ruined. The movie relies on the fact that the audience has no clue what to expect. Every little bump in the night is a surprise and the movie would not be nearly as scary without the suspense.

The best things about Paranormal Activity were the plot and the actual filming, The way the film was shot was amazing. The movie was made for a mere $11,000 but the filming seemed very professional and well-thought-out. Every shot was made so that the audience would be looking in the background, trying to see something move or change. The day scenes, while not as good as those shot in the dark, were still very impressive. The dialogue between Micah and Katie make the movie very real because they talk like a real couple would talk if a camera was in the room. They fight, argue, make up, and fight again all in front of the camera which makes the movie seem all the more realistic and truly set the stage for the terrifying night scenes. The beginning of the movie is a bit long and boring and all you can do is wait for the night scenes. But at the end of the movie, you will dread the night scenes because they are so terrifying and the day scenes don't bring any comfort either because, by the end, strange things happen during the day too. And then, the ending. All I can say is "Holy crap." I will not say anything else except that the ending will shock anybody who can stay in the theater long enough to see it.

Paranormal Activity is the scariest movie I have ever seen. Ever. And I've seen many, many. many horror movies. And it truly scared me. I could barley go to sleep after watching it. And I wasn't the only one who was scared. If you've seen the previews for Paranormal Activity then you've seen the pictures of the audiences screaming their heads off because of this movie. I was very skeptical about this. I highly doubted that anybody in the theater would even jump or gasp, let alone scream. However, I was mistaken. By the end scene, almost everyone in the theater was screaming, even the grown men. I would guess, though, that Paranormal Activity is best viewed at night. I highly doubt that it would scare anyone who watches it in a brightly lit room in the middle of the day. However, if you do dare to go watch Paranormal Activity at night, then be warned. It has been said that Paranormal Activity is the scariest film since The Exorcist. While I've never understood what was so scary about The Exorcist, I'm sure the people who saw it the first night it was released were terrified. And I believe this will be the fate of Paranormal Activity. Thirty years from now, people will no longer fear things that go bump in the night like the monster of Paranormal Activity, but for now, Paranormal Activity will truly terrify anybody who walks into that theater. Paranormal Activity is the scariest thing I've ever seen and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind shaking in fear and not being able to sleep with the light off for a few nights.

-H

Update!

I just wanted to thank everyone who went and Demanded that Paranormal Activity be shown in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The movie is actually be released tomorrow in the area and J and I will be going to a showing tomorrow. I will be sure to write a review for the movie as soon as I can after seeing it. Thanks again to everyone!

Trick r Treat

Trick r Treat is a nice little direct-to-video horror film. The movie tells four different stories that are all set in the same town on one Halloween night. One of the stories tells about a school principal who is a really a serial killer. Another tells of a 22-year-old "virgin" who goes to a party and gets revenge on the man who follows her down a dark road. The third tells of four children who decide to play a mean joke on an outcast girl by telling her the story of the Halloween School bus Massacre. And the last tells of a man with a dark secret who is chased by his personal demons. All of the stories are about different people but an overlying story about an odd little creature with a dirty mask link all of the others together.

Trick r Treat is an intricate film with an amazing plot. All of the stories originally seem to be separate, however, everything is connected together. And the story works in a perfect circle: starting at the beginning, then going back two hours, then going back to the beginning. And the way that the creepy little monster fits into the film is brilliant as is the overlying story of the Halloween School bus Massacre and the missing school bus driver who is haunted by his horrible actions. While watching the movie, I actually guessed who the bus driver was which could have ruined the movie. However, the film makers anticipated this so there is even a bigger twist ending. And this twist ending is sure to shock every viewer because it is truly disturbing.

Usually straight-to-video horror films usually have very weak stories and even weaker acting. However, the actors in Trick r Treat were surprisingly good. All of the actors were truly getting into their dark, evil, and creepy roles bringing the characters to life. Everything seemed very real and genuine which made the film all the more disturbing and enjoyable.

The movie has some disturbing elements including the murder of children and an odd rape-like scene. However, I would not consider the movie scary. Many of the scenes are bordering on humorous and the ones that aren't are just fun to watch. Trick r Treat is a really fun, enjoyable movie that is perfect to watch on a dark and stormy night when it's almost Halloween. Anybody can enjoy this movie, but a true horror fan may finally find a fun and new movie to watch year after year on Halloween night.

-H

Zombieland

This weekend, J and I saw a movie. But not just any movie, we saw what may possibly be the best movie that has come out this year: Zombieland. Zombieland is the perfect blend of horror, gore, and comedy. The acting was incredible, the gore was disgusting, and the comedy was hilarious!

The movie starts with a montage of zombies chasing after people and eating them. It is incredibly disgusting but also incredibly hilarious. I was laughing so hard and it was only three or four minutes in. Then we are introduced to the main character whose name we don't know. We see him running from zombies and he lists his rules for surviving zombieland. Then, he runs in to Tallahassee, played by Woody Harrelson. Tallahassee is a zombie-fighting machine. Every zombie he meets he kills in brutal, yet hilarious ways.

Speaking of Woody Harrelson, the acting in this movie was incredible. Woody Harrelson was the perfect choice to play the zombie-killing maniac. His crazy smile and wacky attitude fit the role of Tallahassee perfectly. And Abigail Breslin was the perfect pick for the sweet con-artist Little Rock who helps her big sister con the men out of their car and guns.

The acting was complimented by the gory images of zombies eating people and the somewhat scary images of zombies chasing people. But this movie was in no way scary, the comedy really outweighed the scariness and gore. However, there was one scene with a zombie clown that left me cringing.

I would definitely recommend this movie for anybody who wants a good laugh. This movie is, I think, the best movie that has come out this year and I can't wait to go see it again.

-H