Movie-Holic » Horror Movies http://www.movie-holic.com Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:38:42 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Paranormal Activity 2 Blu-Ray Review http://www.movie-holic.com/2011/04/19/paranormal-activity-2-blu-ray-review/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2011/04/19/paranormal-activity-2-blu-ray-review/#comments Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:15:55 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=1179

Paranormal Activity 2 Review

Paranormal Activity 2

After seeing the first Paranormal Activity I had mixed feelings about seeing the second. I wasn’t really that impressed with the first. After all of the hype about how fantastic it was… I found myself bored through it.

So, upon hearing just as much hype about Paranormal Activity 2 I was a little bit apprehensive. While I would like this little set up to lead you into a “And I was wrong” type of scenario; sadly, it isn’t.

Paranormal Activity 2 is the same type of movie. It is shot in the first person with the help of some security cameras that are placed around the home. This footage is pieced together in order to show how the ‘paranormal activity’ in the home finally destroys the lives of the family it is tormenting. While some people have a problem with this type I actually like it. It adds a sense of realism to the footage.

My problem is with the actual movie itself.

Just Not Scary

I remember the incredibly letdown that came with the first Paranormal Activity movie. I was ready to have the living daylights scared out of me. I welcomed it! Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. This time around, I wasn’t expecting to be scared, but kind of hoping for it. Again, unfortunately, it didn’t happen.

There were some moments when I really thought something big would happen. Only to be let down when the moment passed.

A Family Terrorized

Paranormal Activity 2 is not a sequel to the first. It is its own movie. A different family. A different town. A different reason for the demon to bring terror. This time around there are children (a teen and a new baby) included that go through the ordeal itself. This is where I thought some great scary moments would happen. Especially when the security cameras would stop on a situation. But, it would just fizzle out.

Too Long, Too Quick

I believe I would have liked it much better if the story did not take so long to get interesting. Most of the movie was simply setting up for the incredibly fast ending. Once the real terror began, it was over.

Paranormal Activity 2 Is Still Watchable

It may seem that I am completely against Paranormal Activity 2 at this point. However, there are still some reasons to watch it.

1. The acting was better than the first.
2. The inclusion of the extra people involved adds to the intensity.
3. If you saw the first, then you should see the second to stay consistent.

I do recommend you watch Paranormal Activity 2 if you like watching scary movies. Just don’t expect it to be a movie that you’ll lose sleep over.

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]]> http://www.movie-holic.com/2011/04/19/paranormal-activity-2-blu-ray-review/feed/ 0 Nightmare On Elm Street Remake Trailer http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/25/nightmare-on-elm-street-remake-trailer/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/25/nightmare-on-elm-street-remake-trailer/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:52:30 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=1121

When you look at remakes (and there are a lot of them today), the one that I am looking forward to is Nightmare on Elm Street. I was not a big fan of the originals and am glad that somebody has some vision for this new reboot of the film.

This new remake is scheduled to be releases on April 30th, and judging from the trailer alone, it could be much better than the previous ’80′s version.

Nightmare on Elm Street Trailer

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]]> http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/25/nightmare-on-elm-street-remake-trailer/feed/ 0 Blood: The Last Vampire DVD Review http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/22/blood-the-last-vampire-dvd-review/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/22/blood-the-last-vampire-dvd-review/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:14:35 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=1107

I have to admit that at the beginning of this – I do like anime. I am kind of a closet anime fan. I don’t really watch any with anybody in my family, but love to watch anime like Naruto, and Bleach. I also like anime books of the following and others. One of my favorites has been Blood: The Last Vampire. I don’t really know what has drawn me to this one in particular, but I was hooked by the single series manga of the same name.

When this live action movie came out I was pretty excited to check it out. I didn’t quite make it to the movie theater release, but I did finally catch in on DVD. And…

Why Do They Mess With A Good Thing?

Blood: The Last Vampire is a great story… in the manga series. I was even happy with the 2001 anime version. They tried to stay as close to the original storyline as possible. I mean, what is better than the last vampire fighting an age old battle against ferocious demons?

Sadly, that isn’t what you get with the live action 2009 version. In fact, you get a story that is typical Hollywood. A girl who is searching for meaning, battling against otherworldly figures in order to find closure in who (what) she is. Yes, there was demons, but not in the way they are presented in the manga. I was a little disappointed in it.

But…

Blood: The Last Vampire Is Still Not A Bad Movie

Blood: The Last Vampire s still not that bad of a movie. I found myself actually enjoying it a little. No, it is not a big blockbuster movie. No, there isn’t any over the top acting. No, there isn’t a real exciting storyline.

But, it is a good movie. It moves along and doesn’t really get all that stale anywhere. I was a little worried about this at the beginning, but it picked up and moved pretty good.

The Last Vampire Story

The movie, at its very basic core, is about a girl, Saya (played by Gianna Jun), who is the last vampire employed by a secret, covert American agency to eradicate the world of demons in a post-WWII Tokyo. That part is almost true of the Manga. But, it involves people from the base who start to get involved also. A typical general’s daughter, Alice (played by Allison Miller), becomes involved when some her father is killed by some of the people who employ Saya and come after her. However, there is also an underlying story of Saya wanting to find Onegin, (played by Koyuki) the head demon who killed her father.

Overall, Blood: The Last Vampire Is Decent

Through the movie you get a glimpse of Saya’s past, what she is struggling with, inner turmoil, some action, cool swordplay, and some gore. So, the movie does not fall flat on its face. It is good… or at least decent. I am glad that I did not run out to the movie theater to see it and decided to purchase the DVD instead.

Blood: The Last Vampire Trailer

Blood: The Last Vampire Movie Clip

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]]> http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/22/blood-the-last-vampire-dvd-review/feed/ 0 The Haunting In Connecticut DVD Review http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/17/the-haunting-in-connecticut-dvd-review/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/17/the-haunting-in-connecticut-dvd-review/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:32:44 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=931

I would like to say that this movie lived up to the hype surrounding it, but the truth is; The Haunting in Connecticut was mediocre at best.

As the hype machine was set into motion when this movie was getting ready to hit the theaters, I just knew that this movie was going to be pretty good. Based in a true story in Connecticut, the movie chronicles the happenings when a family moves into an old home that use to be a funeral home. Just that storyline alone is enough to make you want to see it.

I was very excited to check out this movie when it came to DVD. I wasn’t able to check it out in the theaters when it was here, and now I am glad I didn’t waste a Friday night and $30 for my wife and I and popcorn.

The Good

The Haunting in Connecticut is not that bad of a movie. It was just a little disappointing after getting excited from all the advertisements, and television specials. The movie starts out like any vintage horror movie. A family that is trying to get a new start, in a new town, but ends up in the wrong house. Sort of Amityville Horror-esque. But, since it is based upon a true story (again, a little bit of Amityville Horror) I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. The movie does have some pretty creepy parts in it.

The focus of the movie is on the son and mother. The son, played by Kyle Gallner, goes through pretty much hell while he is trying to get better from a rare disease. From the beginning of the movie you begin to feel sorry for the guy because you know what is going to happen to him. However, you begin to lose that feeling pretty quickly. The mother, played by Virginia Madsen, is there being the strong motherly type who never gives up on her son. However, through all of this, some very messed up things begin to happen to her son.

Besides some of the more creepier parts, the acting was pretty good. The brightest spot of the movie has to be the way that the actors seemed to be actually living the horrors of the film rather than just acting them out. There were some points where I felt drawn in by the acting and started to actually “feel” for them.

The Bad

When you go to see a ghost flick, you want to be shown something that you haven’t seen before. I have already alluded to the fact that this movie is much like Amityville Horror than an original ghost story. Every true ghost story can not be the same. The scary moments, while some were creepy, were not all that jumpy. They didn’t give you that “look over your shoulder” moments.

The Haunting in Connecticut Is Good For A Rental

For those of you who are diehard horror fans, adding The Haunting in Connecticut will give you another DVD, or Blu-Ray, to your collection, but nothing truly substantial as far as movie thrills is concerned. You’re better off giving this one a rent through Netflix, or iTunes.

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]]> http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/17/the-haunting-in-connecticut-dvd-review/feed/ 0 The Crazies 2010 Movie Trailer http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/03/the-crazies-2010-movie-trailer/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/03/the-crazies-2010-movie-trailer/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:19:20 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=1043

A remake of the of the 1973 movie The Crazies is getting ready to be released on Feb. 26, 2010. I have to admit that I did not see the original, but after seeing the trailer for the new version, I will be going back through the archives to give it a view.

The Crazies Trailer

Movie synopsis:

About the inhabitants of a small Iowa town suddenly plagued by insanity and then death after a mysterious toxin contaminates their water supply

The Crazies stars Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker, and Christie Lynn Smith.

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]]> http://www.movie-holic.com/2010/02/03/the-crazies-2010-movie-trailer/feed/ 0 ‘The Wolfman’ Trailer Looks Promising? http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/31/the-wolfman-trailer-looks-promising/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/31/the-wolfman-trailer-looks-promising/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:37:41 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=986

In a movie world that is quickly being overrun with vampire type movies, it is about time that someone stepped up for a Wolfman film. Of course, it is a remake of the 1941 classic, but at least the effects should be better. Here is the trailer for the new ‘The Wolfman’ movie starring Benecio del Toro and it looks like this movie just might be something to watch.

The Wolfman Trailer

]]> http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/31/the-wolfman-trailer-looks-promising/feed/ 0 Zombieland Is Better Than Any Ride At Any Amusement Park; A Review http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/30/zombieland-is-better-than-any-ride-at-any-amusement-park-dvd-review/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/30/zombieland-is-better-than-any-ride-at-any-amusement-park-dvd-review/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:48:38 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=971

Zombieland Now that was fun!

I just watched Zombieland at my local theater the other day and have to say that I haven’t enjoyed a movie this much in a while. The combination of Woody Harrelson, zombies, and a lot of running and screaming has just too much going for it that it is hard not to like it.

After a summer of a lot of serious movies, and big blockbusters, it is nice to see one come out that is just for fun. Not having a huge budget for this movie, I wasn’t expecting a lot of over the top explosions or action scenes. But, I was expecting to see some zombies and Harrelson being, well… Woody Harrelson.

Zombieland Is A Great Ride!

There are two different stories going on within the movie. Well, I guess you could say that there are really three storylines if you count the quest of Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) to lose his virginity. Anyway, you have Tallahassee (Harrelson) looking to find one more Twinkie, and two sisters, Wichita and Little Rock (played by Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) trying to get to an amusement park that is suppose to be zombie free. During the entire movie it felt like you were the one on an amusement park ride.

It was a lot of fun. I sat there and had several parts of out loud laughter. It was only a little bit into the movie when I realized that I wasn’t the only one laughing. The rest of the theater was also laughing. There is just something about watching a great movie with a bunch of people who also know that they are watching a great movie. It makes the whole experience much better. It was like we were all on the same ride together.

How Zombieland Was Good

Right off the bat it is two different things that make Zombieland a great movie. The first is Woody Harrelson. The second is zombies. Put the two together and you have one amazing movie! Woody Harrelson has been in some very good movies, while also some incredible bombs. I am so glad that Zombieland was one of the good ones. His character is one that adds a lot to the movie and I can’t think of anyone else who could do as well (Bruce Willis perhaps?).

Plus any movie with zombies is worth watching. Even 28 Days Later was decent because of the zombies.

The movie also had a storyline that, while was a little dumb at the very core of it, provided a sense of “Ok, sure.” attitude. What I mean by that is this; the end of civilization has just occurred and the only thing that these people can think of is a Twinkie and going to an amusement park. Yes, staying alive, but there was something else to it. Something that other zombie movies don’t have. This story added to the entire movie and I actually found myself rooting for Tallahassee to get that stupid Twinkie!

Even the cameo appearance by Bill Murray was pretty good.

How Zombieland Could Have Been Better

Not much I can put here. The acting was good. The story was passable. The comedy was funny. And the ending was pretty cool. I actually clapped my hands!

One thing I would have changed, but this is just me personally, is get someone to play the sniveling little wimp that Jesse Eisenberg plays. His character, Columbus, is just plain irritating. I found myself wishing he would get eaten by one of the zombies near the end. But, again, that’s probably just me. I guess you could have also had a little more suspense in it, but that would have taken away from the ride that Zombieland is.

Zombieland Trailer

Watch Zombieland At Theaters If You Can

There are some movies that you just have to see at the theaters. Zombieland is one of them. I really don’t think that you would get the same experience, or even perspective, of the movie if you wait for DVD. If you have a little bit of time, and it is playing near you, I would recommend going out and checking it out.

Zombieland Movie Clip

]]> http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/30/zombieland-is-better-than-any-ride-at-any-amusement-park-dvd-review/feed/ 0 Freddy Krueger Is Going To Be A Bit More Serious http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/28/freddy-krueger-is-going-to-be-a-bit-more-serious/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/28/freddy-krueger-is-going-to-be-a-bit-more-serious/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:59:10 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=965

nightmare_on_elm_street As we get closer to the release of the newest remake of a Hollywood classic, it looks like it just might be a good one. At the first news that a Nightmare on Elm Street as going to be remade I wasn’t all that excited. It just wasn’t one of my favorites. Then the news broke that Jackie Earle Haley (The Watchmen) was going to play Freddy Krueger in it, I got a little excited.

However, with the newest bit of information, I just might have to see this one. MTV Movies Blog has an interview with Haley where he says, “You know, I think my Freddy is just a bit more serious,”. Haley told this MTV’s Vanessa White Wolf during an on-set interview.

Haley also goes on to say, “It’s really important for us, as we’re re-envisioning this, that there’s a good, strong sense of new and fresh but there’s still some recognizability,” Haley said of the adaptation’s faithfulness. “I think a lot of what was in that first movie is also in this movie, in terms of the structure of it and how it plays out.”

As I see it now, this means that instead of the slapstick horror comedy that Robert Englund brough as Freddy Krueger, Haley is going to make it a true boogeyman type of horror. Someone to be really scare of instead of laugh at. In another quote, “We delve into Freddy’s background a little bit more,” Haley explained. “It’s a very similar background to what we know about him, but… I think it’s going to be a unique kind of homage to Wes’s original film.”

I think I can get into this movie.

Nightmare on Elm Street Remake Trailer

]]> http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/28/freddy-krueger-is-going-to-be-a-bit-more-serious/feed/ 0 Drag Me To Hell Is A Little Draggy http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/20/drag-me-to-hell-is-a-little-draggy/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/20/drag-me-to-hell-is-a-little-draggy/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:43:47 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=938

drag-me-to-hell-screening There are incredible horror movies that scare the crap out of you and then there are those that will bore you. In the middle of that spectrum are the ones that can cause seconds of jumpiness, while still dragging along. Drag Me To Hell is one of those movies. What made it worse is that I was really looking forward to this movie.

Sam Raimi’s attempt at horror again was not something that I was expecting. I was really expecting Drag Me To Hell to be, well… a lot more.

A lot more scarier. A lot more sick. A lot more something.

What Is Drag Me To Hell?

Without giving away any spoiler or how things turned out, Drag Me To Hell is the story of Christine Brown, who is played by Alison Lohman. Christine is a banker who works in the mortgage department and really, really wants to get a promotion to assistant manager of the branch she is in. In fact, she wants it so badly that she does not help some nasty looking old lady with her foreclosure problem. After that, things just sort of go pretty bad for Christine. Her boyfriend, played by Justin Long, is starting to think his girlfriend is starting to go a little crazy. She starts to see things, hear things, and pretty much be put through hell.

That I Did Like About Drag Me To Hell

From the time that I first heard about this movie, I couldn’t wait to see it. I loved the entire concept of it. The thought of some demon pulling people through the crust of the earth kicking and screaming sounded like a great scare.

I am also alright with how the actors played their parts. Even Justin Long, who had the annoying boyfriend part (a part that he is very good at), was not completely horrid. But, after that it pretty much wasn’t what I was expecting.

What I Didn’t Like

If I were to make a list, I would be writing for hours. But, here are a few of the main points.

It was slow. I don’t mind a story that takes a few minutes to get going as long as it is setting up some background, highlighting some important pieces, or have gratuitous action. But, this movie just took forever to get going.

It did not live up to the hype. I think that if I wasn’t expecting to see this movie so much I would have been a little happier with the outcome. It just didn’t live up to the hypes surrounding it.

It was too fake. A lot of the effects were just too lame. It wasn’t realistic at all. Yes, I know it is a movie, but even when you can make robots look lifelike, then I think you should be able to do the same thing with blood. It just didn’t.

Watch It, But Make Sure You Have Nothing Else To Do

If you start watching Drag Me To Hell and you have some things that you need to get done (even if you have months to do them) you’ll start thinking about it and probably turn it off to go do them. However, if you want to watch it, I would say go ahead. It is not a total waste of time, but you will not be left satisfied.

]]> http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/10/20/drag-me-to-hell-is-a-little-draggy/feed/ 0 Pandorum Trailer. Creepy. http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/09/22/pandorum-trailer-creepy/ http://www.movie-holic.com/2009/09/22/pandorum-trailer-creepy/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:09:24 +0000 Tim http://www.movie-holic.com/?p=900

Getting ready to hit the theaters this weekend on Sept. 25th is the new Resident Evilesque thriller Pandorum. Sporting a cool tagline like “Don’t fear the end of the world. Fear what happens next.”, this could be an underrated blockbuster in the making. Dennis Quaid (who has been pretty busy this year) is one of the two crew members are stranded on a spacecraft and quickly – and horrifically – realize they are not alone. If the movie retains all the creepiness of the trailer, this is going to be a fun ride.

Pandorum Trailer

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