THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (aka The Purge 3)

The Purge: Election Year (The Purge 3) Movie Review

Another year, another Purge night, another politically overbearing Purge film. Just as in the first two movies of this franchise, those dastardly, rich, white Republicans are out to kill all minorities and liberals. There's lots of violence. Lots of blood. Lots of people in masks acting "crazy". Lots of scenes thrown in to make the audience go "Ooooh!". There's Bubba from Forrest Gump.

"Hey Marcos. Have you ever been on a real shrimp boat?"

What separates this from the other two films is how completely ridiculous it is. Our lead mercenary, a guy who looks like a demented Anthony Michael Hall, has a Rebel flag patch on his jacket--another has a "white power" patch. Yeah, the political message here is even less subtle than in the second movie. If you are a fan of slow motion action, you will love this one--I personally hate it, and it gave the movie a very cheesy 80s action movie vibe. The actions of our heroes are absolutely inexplicably stupid at times. The ending is predictable, as boring as one could imagine, and complete with, yes, slow motion. The acting is more brutal than the violence throughout, and the theme truly becomes a parody of itself. The movie is a classic example of all sight, no substance, and the ending hints at this being the final chapter of this franchise--though we all know there are enough rich white people getting richer off this series to kill it now.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 3

The Purge: Election Year Movie Trailer

THE PURGE: ANARCHY (aka The Purge 2)

The Purge: Anarchy (The Purge 2) Movie Review

It's that time of year again--"The Purge" night is here, and in this sequel, we follow a few different groups: some try to hide, some take to the streets in the name of justice, and others just want to watch the world burn. There's a lot of blood and graphic death scenes, just as in the first film. Much like the first film, this is largely poor vs rich, only the political point is shoved even further down your throat in this outing. A lot of people wear masks and try to look menacing, just like in the first one...getting the picture yet?

The Lost Boys they're not

And much like The Purge, The Purge:Anarchy is a fairly average horror flick that made buckets of money for the antogonists of the films--the rich. Irony is, in fact, not dead.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 5

The Purge: Anarchy (The Purge 2) Movie Trailer

THE PURGE

The Purge Movie Review

One night a year, for twelve hours, the United States has "The Purge", an event in which emergency services are suspended, and (almost) all crime becomes legal. The result? Unemployment is down to one percent, the economy is rocking and rolling Reagan style, and crime is almost non-existent. We follow a family lead by James Sandin (Ethan Hawke, Sinister) as they attempt to hide from (and fight off) a group of people invading their home. So I know what you're thinking--if you legalize crime, including home robbery, rape, and murder, the crimes will be primarily carried out by low income folks in less than stellar neighborhoods because, you know, that's who commits most of those crimes, and where most of those crimes take place in real life. But let us not forget, avid readers, that this is Hollywood, and in Hollywood, there is one group that is more evil, murderous, and heinous than any other...

Rich white people

Not long into the movie we discover the rich white people are there to kill a poor black man, and it's up to the Sandins (more rich white people) to protect him. If you can breathe with all the political nonsense shoved down your throat, the movie will keep you interested with graphic, bloody, and, at times, unpredictable death scenes. The terror feels forced, and the suspense, when it's actually there, is brief, traded in for scenes that are shot for no other purpose than to make the film seem hipper than it is. The Purge isn't a movie one would expect to be a box office hit, and without the political slant, it probably would have been a limited release (at best) film. However, this movie did well at the box office and, to date, spurned two follow ups. Watch it for the death scenes and if you're an Ethan Hawke fan.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 6

The Purge Movie Trailer

SINISTER 2

Sinister 2 Movie Review

Following the events of the first film, Courtney Collins (Shannyn Sossamon of Wayward Pines fame) moves into the former Oswalt family house. Deputy So & So from the first film (now ex-Deputy So & So) returns and is determined to burn all the houses connected to Bughuul and end the curse once and for all. You rarely expect a sequel to live up to the original, but Sinister 2 really falls short of the original. While it's nice that Bughuul returns...

Mr. Boogeyman is back

...the focus is more on the kids of his flock, which is unfortunate in many ways. Absolutely none of the kids (dead or alive) are even remotely scary, and they come off as a ripoff of the kids from Children of the Corn...only far less intimidating, interesting, or entertaining.

And they're ugly too

As in the first film, we see a bunch a death scenes via old found footage tapes, and while satisfying, the scenes in the sequel are far less creative and scary. The story is not nearly as attention grabbing as in the first film either, though it is passable. Sossamon and James Ransone (the deputy) both turn in good performances and make their characters likable, but the atrocious acting of every child in the movie more than cancels that out. The ex husband character seems there only to give us somebody to hate so much we cheer his inevitable demise--while you will likely cheer out loud when he finally bites the dust, one can't help but observe this makes our villain a bit counter-productive--how can we completely root against a guy who just killed THAT guy?! To top it all off, the transition to the climax is one of the most rushed I have ever seen. I was somewhat excited for this sequel, but in the end, Sinister 2 is a run of the mill horror flick.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 5

Sinister 2 Movie Trailer

SINISTER

Sinister Movie Review

True crime author Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke, Alive, The Purge) moves his family into the house the subjects of his work in progress lived in when they were killed; it's there he discovers a bunch of old reels that reveal the family may have fallen victim to a serial killer that has been around since the 1960s, but it turns out the truth is much more...malevolent.

What, you expected me to say sinister?

This 2012 horror film plays out like many films of the past ten or so years--it tells a creepy ghost or possession story, builds the story somewhat slowly, throws in scares here and there, and culminates with a big ending. There are a couple things that separate this one from the pack, however, starting with the film's lead--Ethan Hawke turns in a performance that outshines practically every other actor in a similar role. Vincent D'Onofrio stops by for a brief, uncredited appearance, and is his usual awesome self. The death scenes are some of the most brutal and imaginative ones in recent memory. Take away the obligatory jump scares and the the movie is scarier than most similar films.

Bughuul is a scary dude

The story, while not entirely original, is an interesting one that will keep you hooked, and to say the ending is memorable would be an understatement. On the down side, a lot of the supporting performances are a bit weak, the movie plays out a bit long, and some of the aesthetics need to be taken with a grain of salt. Sinister stands as one of the finer horror films of the last five years, and certainly one of the better ones to hit theaters in that time.

On A Scale Of One To Ten:7

Sinister Movie Trailer

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION (aka Paranormal Activity 6)

Paranormal Activity 6: The Ghost Dimension Movie Review

Picking up where the third film left off, we see a family in a house built where Lois' house once sat. Daughter Leila begins talking to a demon named Toby while her father Ryan watches VHS tapes he found that show Kristin and Katie as children. As strange things happen in the house Ryan puts together the clues to connect what he is seeing on the tapes to what is happening in his house. Along for the ride are Ryan's brother wife Emily, and his...sister(?) Skylar. Much like Saw 7, this movie is allegedly the final in the series and attempts to tie up loose ends left from previous films--while it may have done that, the results are less than satisfying. Unfortunately, this film forgoes the organic frights of the first film in favor of heavy reliance on CGI (made for 3D no less), taking away pretty much any sense of reality, thus leaving any true terrifying moments few and far between. Of course this is a found footage film, and if you can make it through the annoying number of jump cuts you may just finds yourself rolling your eyes and taking the same issue with these type films that I take--NOBODY would continue holding a camera through everything that is happening. The family realizes the daughter isn't in the house and what's the first thing Dad does? He grabs the video camera. Mom goes through a multi-dimensional, time traveling tunnel that has developed in her daughter's bedroom? Better grab that camera, and be sure it is stable, focused, and always shooting straight.

Yeah, grabbing the camera is the first thing I would do

No that all is bad with this movie. The acting is actually fairly decent, the story connecting this with the first three films is adequate, and the film moves at a good pace. Still, if this truly is the final film in the Paranormal Activity series, Ghost Dimension sent the series out with a whimper.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 5

Paranormal Activity 6: The Ghost Dimension Movie Trailer

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES (aka Paranormal Activity 5)

Paranormal Activity 5: The Marked Ones Movie Review

Soon after graduating high school, Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) begins having supernatural experiences--there's apparently a guardian angel of sorts looking out for him and communicating with him through...a Simon game.

Remember Simon?

Thankfully for us, the viewer, Jesse's buddy Hector (Jorge Diaz) is by his side to record it all on his camera. The fifth installment of the Paranormal Activity series comes off almost as more a spin off of the series than a sequel, and gets the series back on track. There's a lot going on here--we see more a possession than before, and being goofball teens, the lead characters treat it all more like a joke than anything serious. We get more back story, tons of special effects, and a creepy room that holds many answers.

She's about to come across it

It's difficult to stick with this movie through the first thirty minutes--we get to know the characters, and not many come off as likable, but when all hell begins to break loose, you might actually begin to like the characters. Once the movie takes off it rarely slows down, leading up to an ending that ties this movie to the first in a way you will not see coming--without spoiling anything, I will say it answers a previously unanswered question from the first film, and does a nice job in doing so. I really wish the movie was more interesting in the first act, as it may have gone down as a classic, but The Marked Ones is still a very strong entry in the series.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 7

Paranormal Activity 5: The Marked Ones Movie Trailer

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4

Paranormal Activity 4 Movie Review

Teen Alex Nelson (Kathryn Newton) and her family take in a boy named Robbie after his mother Katie falls ill. Soon after, things begin to get spooky around the house, and, this being a Paranormal movie, they set up cameras to capture it all. The 4th installment of the series is a sequel to the second film, taking place five years later and in Henderson, Nevada. The Nelson family's son, Wyatt, turns out to be Hunter, and his aunt Katie eventually comes looking for him. Throw in Toby and a countless number of witches and this all becomes very familiar territory.

And Kinect dots

Unlike in the previous three movies, there really are no likable characters in this one. Alex is a whiny, annoying, self-absorbed teen girl constantly on Skype or her phone...

Lots of this

...and, unfortunately, the cast of characters only gets worse from there. The scares are very forced, we get a LOT of stuff that does nothing but slow down the pace of the film, and a lot of what we see happen makes no sense at all. Seriously, in the end sequence, is there a person on the planet who would have held on to the computer?! The movie is only somewhat saved by an ending that, while convoluted and hard to swallow, at least serves to keep your attention. The Paranormal Activity series really fell off the cliff with the fourth film. I wonder if the series can be saved?

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 4

Paranormal Activity 4 Movie Trailer

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3

Paranormal Activity 3 Movie Review

In a prequel to the original Paranormal Activity, we go back in time to see Katie and Kristi as children in 1988. Living with their mother Julie (Lauren Bittner) and would-be stepfather Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith), the children begin interacting with imaginary friend/real life demon Toby, and via the cameras Dennis has set up all around the house, we see the havoc unfold. The third installment of the series keeps the momentum going strong. The story is an interesting one, the cast is likable, and the scares, while beginning to border on over the top, are still frightening.

This one is particularly spooky

One thing one has to wonder, however, is why Katie never really mentions any of the events of this film during the first movie. Yes, I know she mentions the demon has followed her since she was a kid, but the risk you take in making a film like this is continuity--in this instance, having gone through all this as a child, you would think she would freak out the second Micah begins to set up cameras. I understand the entire series is found footage, but one has to wonder if this film being shot as a regular movie would have been more effective. The ending, while somewhat chilling, will also make you scratch your head. Without giving too much away, it involves...

"...an oven full of witches?"

If you are a fan of the first two films, you will likely enjoy Paranormal Activity 3 as well. It sticks to the format that works, does a decent job telling the backstory of the girls, and delivers in the scare factor.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 7

Paranormal Activity 3 Movie Trailer

It is interesting to note that a LOT of what you see in this trailer doesn't appear in the movie

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2

Paranormal Activity 2 Movie Review

A prequel to the first Paranormal Activity, this one finds Katie’s (Katie Featherston) sister’s family being haunted by the demon. You get much of the same here as you get in the original movie—lots of surveillance footage, home video footage, and lots of time where nothing at all is happening, all which results in a slow burn build to a very satisfying ending. One major problem I had with this film was that it did not have the “real” feeling of the original. No, I did not think the original was “real”, but the actors in it were both unknown and did a phenomenal job making me believe that they could have, in fact, been a married couple. That was lost here when I saw Katie’s sister Kristi (Sprague Grayden) and instantly recognized her from the television show 24. Grayden and her husband Daniel (Brian Boland) never come close to capturing the realism that Featherston and Micah Sloat did in the original. Oh, and to mix things up, they have a teenage daughter (Molly Ephraim) who generally only serves to annoy, though she does do a good job once the movie picks up in the end.

Turn around!

The acting in this just generally seems uninspired and that takes a lot from the movie. Featherston and Sloat do appear in this film for brief moments at a time, which adds to the enjoyment a bit, though, being a prequel, they oddly put in messages about what happens in the original—this is annoying the first time they do it and very effective the second time. All this said, the movie really comes together in the final twenty minutes, providing intense scenes and doing a good job setting up the original movie, and, ultimately, setting up a third installment. If you saw the first one already, this one should be seen. If you have seen neither, watch this one first until the final 5 minutes. At this point, turn the film off, watch the first one completely through, and then watch the final 5 minutes of this one.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 7

Paranormal Activity 2 Movie Trailer

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

Paranormal Activity Movie Review

Young couple Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) suspect strange happenings while they sleep and set up a camera to record the overnight events, but what they discover is worse than they could have imagined. This game changing film brought a realistic fear the big screen had not witnessed since The Blair Witch Project some ten years earlier.

"Think I'll just stand here a while..."

Honestly, there is a lot to like about this film. Our two leads do a wonderful job in their respective roles, and the natural chemistry of the two only heightens the sense of realism in this movie--it is easy to believe this is an actual couple we are watching. The film's formula is similar to that of a Japanese ghost movie--a slow build with each scare getting progressively more frightening, leading up to the fantastic ending. Speaking of ending, this one has two: the Spielberg ending seen in theaters, and the more terrifying alternate ending. Paranormal Activity isn't a movie filled with a bunch of blood and gore, but the scares, while much more subtle, are no less creepy--given the proper setting, this movie may even leave you feeling a bit uneasy. This movie isn't without its flaws--there are some noticeable continuity errors and the overuse of dissolve may drive you to fits, but Paranormal Activity inspired many other films, kicked off an incredibly successful franchise, and, most importantly, is a genuinely scary movie.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 8

Paranormal Activity Movie Trailer