Change Your Image
hollywood
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Into the Woods (2014)
All that worry for nothing!
It was with trepidation that I went to see Into The Woods tonight. This movie was an adaptation of a cherished Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical which I had seen in the 80s and re-watched on DVD with my children. I set my expectations low so that I would not be disappointed. I had read about some of the casting and feared that Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep would ruin it. I loved the original and I wanted to love this. And love it I did! It was true to the musical. So much of the dialog and songs were verbatim from the play. The movie seemed to flesh out the scenes perfectly and give them more emotional oomph. I'll probably be going to see it again and definitely look forward to adding it to my Blu-Ray collection. If you love musicals, go see it. Note*** Don't let the fact that it has Red Riding Hood, a giant and a big bad wolf in it means it is a children's movie. It's not! It has adult themes all the way through.
The Midnight Meat Train (2008)
A surprising engrossing horror film
I went to this movie expecting Texas Chainsaw Massacre on wheels. Instead, I got a suspenseful and intelligent horror movie with a great twist at the end. This one certainly rates better than the other flotsam out this year, including The Strangers, Funny Games, The Mist and X-Files, I Want To Believe.
Anytime I come out of a movie thinking about what I just saw and dissecting it with my friends I consider it a winner. Go see this at your local discount movie theater before it goes away. And if you miss it there, please do yourself a favor and rent it. Especially for horror fans.
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973)
This one scared me, but I was only a 14 year old boy.
This movie had some chilling and gross scenes, some of which I will never forget. Mostly, because I was only 14 years old when I saw it. Maybe, it is because I could relate to much of it from the kids point of view. Heck, I lived with an alcoholic mother who could run circles around the werewolf when it came to tearing things apart and scaring little kids!
Universal certainly got their money's worth; milking their original property, the classic Wolfman for characters and set pieces. There is the gentle, caring man who is cursed to kill strangers and even tries to kill the one he loves. There are the gypsies turned hippies that shout warnings of impending doom. Oh, and don't forget that it takes silver to kill a werewolf.
I watched this one again 15 years later and I saw it for the B-Movie that it was, but I'll still hold a special place for it in my heart because it did what movies are supposed to do: transported me someplace else, got me interested in the characters and best of all, it TRULY SCARED me!
Death Ship (1980)
Not a masterpiece, but it sure left a lasting impression..
If Death Ship were made today, it would probably be a "Made for TV movie". But, when it made its limited run on cable, I watched it by myself in the middle of the night with no lights on. It creeped me out pretty well. I suspect that it has not held up well to time. I'll try to find a copy of it at Hollywood Video and see if the <spoiler-alert, scroll down to read on otherwise bah-bye>
....pool of decaying bodies "a-la" Poltergeist is as bad as it seemed over 2 decades
Life as a House (2001)
I was deeply moved.
This movie reinforces the point that critics don't always have it right. They were wrong with Ghost when it came out and they were wrong on this one too. Since the angst-ridden teen is played by Hayden Christensen, I was not expecting much of a performance [ I've seen the Star Wars previews ] but was pleasantly surprised. I could relate with so many of this movie's characters and I think the actors did an excellent job pulling it off.
Now, if you'll excuse me I have to get another hankie.
Island of Terror (1966)
Impressionable Kid of the 60's
This is one of those movies I will always remember because I was just a kid hiding under the covers while I watched it. In the 60's, it was decent scare-fare. But, I think it was done better by the crew at Star Trek when they battled similar cave-dwelling monsters.