ParaNorman (2012)

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Norman is a kid who has an unfortunate problem. He lives with a small family, all of whom expect a lot from him, especially his dad who badgers him constantly. Norman’s dad just wants Norman to be like every kid. One who doesn’t talk to spirits of the dead, including his grandmother who died years prior. Norman never really asks for his ability, but is aware of a long lost uncle Prenderghast that his family shunned away years ago, who shares his knack for speech beyond the grave. When his uncle Prenderghast tracks down Norman, and makes him cautious of a curse involving an ancient witch that is set to unfold in their town.

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Gravy (2015) [Blu-Ray]

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I really wanted to love “Gravy.” In fact during some rare moments it manages to win me over, especially with the way it uses its array of character actors to great effect. “Gravy” sadly falls under the weight of its own self satisfaction, eliciting a ton of flat improv, lame ad libbing, unresolved sub-plots, and a climax that goes nowhere very fast. We follow our heroine for ninety minutes all for absolutely zero pay off. Did Roday and co. run out of money or did they run out of ideas?

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Goosebumps (2015)

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What “Goosebumps” accomplishes, is not just paying homage to the joy of “Goosebumps,” but to the joy of reading and writing as well. It’s not many movies that can convey the idea of writing as something purely magical, and “Goosebumps” pinpoints how books can be a portal in to something entirely otherworldly, especially if you’re a fan of the world RL Stine has built for his fans since the 1990’s. More of a meta-horror comedy than an actual series of tales, “Goosebumps” is set in Delaware where Zach and his newly widowed mother are preparing to start their lives over. With Zach trying to adapt to his new school, he meets the gorgeous Hannah (Odeya Rush), a neighbor who is home schooled by her reclusive and strict father.

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Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)

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The good news is that “The Ghost Dimension,” the alleged final entry in the “Paranormal Activity” series answers most of the questions fans have had since the first film. The bad new is that “The Ghost Dimension” doesn’t answer all our questions. It actually glosses over the finer details in exchange for a broader explanation that conveniently misses out on telling us what a lot of the details meant. Like, what relevance did anything that happen in “The Marked Ones” have to the overall arc? Why didn’t Katie and Micah find out they were living next to a coven of witches? And why did Hunter suddenly go missing and get adopted by an unwitting family? Also, how did Katie find Hunter?

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Gary Larson’s Tales from the Far Side (1994)

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Enjoying “Tales from the Far Side” is based on whether or not you enjoy Gary Larsen’s original comic strip. I’d go so far as to say that the original comic strip was never this dark or surreal. I definitely wouldn’t call the animated special from Gary Larson funny, but it definitely succeeds in irony and some very morbid animated pieces. Rather than a fluid narrative, “Tales from the Far Side” shifts from scenario to scenario, all of which are interconnected by some circumstance.

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Another Me (2014)

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The Delusseys’ family life is disturbed after the father falls ill. As the family adapts to this, Fay, the teenage daughter, begins to think she has a stalker hellbent on taking over her life and stealing her place and her identity. As things escalate, others start to think they have seen Fay where she was not and she starts thinking it’s someone who looks just like, her doppelganger, attempting to assume her identity. What Fay doesn’t know yet is that her family hides a secret that could possibly explain what is happening to her.

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Nina Forever (2015)

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After his girlfriend Nina dies in a car crash, Rob attempts suicide he is so grief stricken. Following his failed attempt, as he’s working at a grocery store, Rob meets Holly and falls for her. As their love blossoms, Nina comes back to life to mess with their minds and taunt them.

The film was written and directed by Ben Blaine and Chris Blaine who create characters the audience cares about even through the mounting stress and non-sense of the dead coming back to life while they have sex. The characters feel human; their emotions being appropriate to their situation if one can believe that they would not simply run far from each other as soon as Nina shows up.

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