It’s always nice to see the beginning of a filmmaker’s career and if “Don’t Play with Ghosts” is any indication, Sydney Hord has a long road ahead of her filled with surprises. “Don’t Play with Ghosts” is a part of a 48 hour film competition with a three and a half minute length, and in that time Hord manages to paint a really spooky picture. It’s a simplistic premise, but one wrought with some interesting twist and turns.
It’s refreshing in this day and age that some indie filmmakers aren’t just content with splattering the audience with red ooze and goo and calling it a horror film. There are some filmmakers that really want to convey a story, and Larry Longstreth seems to be one of those directors who aren’t happy with just grossing people out. “The Murders of Brandywine Theater” is a complex, and very unique horror film that isn’t just eerie, but it’s also damn spooky to boot. To say Moxxy is a creepy antagonist really is underplaying the top notch puppetry that’s put to work here. Moxxy seems very rigid when we first see him, but soon enough he not only begins to take on his own life, but his limited expression make him a menace to be reckoned with.
Because he’s fat! That’s the punch line for pretty much every joke in “Paul Blart 2.” In fact that’s been the punch line for most of Kevin James’ bland career. He’s fat. That’s why it’s funny when he falls down. He lies in bed eating a bottomless bowl of M&M’s. Because he’s fat. Get it? He flips over whenever he falls because he’s so fat. Get it? And he’s loud, too. I can’t believe anyone wanted a sequel to “Paul Blart,” but the first movie was a hit, so I assume a sequel was only logical.
Abigail Breslin has really managed to leave her mark on the horror genre of late. She’s really approached the genre with respect and a lot of charisma, prompting some prime roles only she could tackle. “Final Girl” is one of those roles that seems custom fit for Breslin who uses this role to show she’s no longer the cute little girl or adorable teenager anymore. She’s a woman, and she’s making herself seen big time.
So this is it? This is the officially sanctioned sequel to the “Terminator” series? The sequel that says “Remember the first two movies you just saw? Well they don’t matter anymore. You wasted your time”? Because that’s what “Genysis” does. It wastes the audience’s time by creating an alternate alternate alternate timeline that doesn’t just erase the first two movies of the series, but completely muddles up the timeline even more than ever. I’m usually very good with timelines and can figure out convoluted storytelling most times, but “Genysis” gets so lost in a haze of over explanation and contradicting storylines that I just eventually gave up trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
Much like anyone that grew up in the nineties, “Alexander and the Terrible Horrible…” was a childhood favorite. It’s a really good and funny book about bad luck and how we make our own. Surely Alexander looks like a boy who is perpetually cursed, but really if he hadn’t been so careless the night before, perhaps his day would have been better. My expectations for the film adaptation were slim, considering the book is only about thirty two pages long. Much like “Liar Liar,” the film is based on a slight touch of fantasy, and unfolds like a less menacing and violent “Three O’Clock High.”
