The Scorpion King (2002)

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Any one who has no knowledge of “The Mummy” series won’t know that this is a spin-off/prequel to the lame sequel which was a tell tale sign that this franchise has already lost steam. In the sequel to the mummy there were bad special-effects, a terrible story and only about five minutes of The Rock. Three of which, had his computer generated head attached to a giant scorpion body that resembled a lobster on a rampage. The reason why people won’t know the significance of this to the mummy movies is that this basically has no connection to the movies whatsoever and tries really hard to be its own. The movie says: before the pyramids were even built the scorpion king reigned. Now here’s where logic enters: there’s a large plot hole in the movie’s storyline that conflicts with “The Mummy’s” storyline.

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Darkness Falls (2003)

“All this for a fucking tooth.”

In the town of “Darkness Falls” (There’s a name that will attract tourists), a kind old woman named Matilda Dixon used to give coins to children for their baby teeth out of kindness. One day she was caught in a house fire and became badly scarred; so much so she wore a porcelain mask to cover her wounds and hid in the dark due to sensitivity from sunlight. One day two children went missing and the town blamed her, and hung her. Before she died she inflicted a curse on the town until one day the two missing children appeared. The town hid the secret until modern times. We meet Kyle who encountered the demonic tooth fairy when he was a boy barely making it out alive and became institutionalized. Twelve years later, his childhood girlfriend Caitlin (Emma Caulfield) is experiencing an ordeal as her little brother is afraid to sleep claiming the tooth fairy will get him.

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The Ring (2002)

the-ring-watching-the-videoAfter the mysterious death of a loved relative, reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) discovers the source behind the death and begins to investigate. What she begins to discover will be a descent into darkness and evil that will forever change her life. This was based on the original Japanese horror series of movies that took Japan by storm and became a classic. The execs at America took notice and decided to remake it hoping to spawn an equally engrossing hit. What is spawned by it is a truly horrific movie that has the makings of a masterpiece. The one thing that stood out from this movie is the incredible cinematography.

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Scooby-Doo (2002)

Scooby-Doo“Let’s get jinkie with it.” Yes, folks, this is actual dialogue from the movie that is spouted by the “smartest” of the characters, Velma. The characters are poorly cast, including Daphne, who, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, looks nothing like her animated counterpart, Freddy, played by the atrocious actor Freddie Prinze Jr. has little command or charisma so it’s hard to take him seriously at all. Matthew Lillard is good as Shaggy but fails to gives the squeaky voice that Shaggy provides in the cartoons. Scooby is poorly animated and just looks weird and nothing like the original dog. At times he gives these odd expressions which made me furrow my brows a lot.

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Signs (2002)

In director M. Night Shyamalan’s third directorial outing in the supernatural genre, he tells the story of Father Graham Hess (Mel Gibson), an ex-preacher whose lost his faith in god and quit the church, living in seclusion with his two kids and brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) raising crops and living a generally quiet life. One fate-filled morning, Graham’s son Cole (Rory Culkin) discovers their crops in which they raise have been lowered into the forms of mysterious signs known as crop circles. What ensues is the psychological and emotional horror that will test Graham’s faith and devotion to god and his family. Are the crop circles signs from god, signals from aliens, or do they signal the coming of the apocalypse?

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Session 9 (2001)

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I wasn’t aware of Brad Anderson’s “Session 9,” when it first came out with a limited release, but I’m glad I was finally able to see it, as it’s definitely something different and unique. Filming with digital injects the movie with a lot of dread and tension along with a more realistic feeling. The atmosphere is incredible with its dark corners of the setting often feeling ominous and harrowing.

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Wendigo (2001)

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The film and entire story manages to orchestrate under the impression of a very long episode of “The Twilight Zone”, and carefully takes its time setting up the characters which, writer Larry Fessenden (who also directs, and edits) probably knew would ultimately affect the audience in a deep way. Hardcore horror fans probably will eventually become uneasy and impatient, but I was willing to sit through the entire film, because as the story progresses, I was very engrossed. Fessenden manages to skillfully craft a story of such sophistication, that no commercial Hollywood writer would have been able to think of it. Fessenden also manages to create some truly endearing, charming, and very realistic characters that the story revolves around, and I was very captured by the essence of the family.

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