The Innkeepers is a 2011 horror movie directed by Ti West (The House of the Devil), and starring Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, and Kelly McGillis.

The Setup: It's old hotel's last weekend open and two of the staffers decide to try and document the presence of longtime ghost, Madeline O'Malley.

I'm a big fan of a slow burning, atmospheric and completely creepy movie. Mmmm, so good, right?. I got to The Innkeepers as a recommendation in line with those interests.

Good news. Slow burning is true in this case. It's a little heavy in the character development area, but the dialogue is an entertaining enough mix of awkward and witty that it carries the movie up until and in between injections of creepy.

Sara Paxton's character here is one of the most offbeat leads I've seen in a horror movie. Kinda refreshing.

The Innkeepers soundtrack is great and surprising. In the beginning, it takes on a very low key approach to tension and gives it an almost made for TV feel. But when the onscreen tension mounts, it delivers in a big way.

The movie has atmosphere. It takes a back seat to character in the first half, slowing the thing down, but when it's there, it's great. The real scary set pieces are here too - mostly - which include a genuinely unsettling old man who checks in to the hotel last minute for a final stay in an old honey moon sweet.

But (...There's a but) there's one fatal flaw that stops this movie from becoming an awesome hidden gem. It's the ghost of Madeline O'Malley herself. In a day and age of CG added effects, it's nice to see filmmakers go for something more practical, but the end result here, was for me, the telltale eye holes cut out of a white bed sheet ghost - The fact that it looked fake took away from the horror. Was the scare factor still there? sure, but not what it could have been. Luckily, at the end, there's one awesomely creepy piece of imagery sandwiched between two shaky ones, so there's that for those who aren't easily spooked.

It's still a good watch, if you like the pacing slow and are in for something different. The Innkeepers gets a 6.8/10.

- Josh

The Man of Steel is a summer blockbuster with a quick pace, flaunting great CG, and is action heavy, particularly at the end. Directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, and Sucker Punch) and stars Henry Cavill (Immortals) as the title superhero, Amy Adams (The Muppets, The Fighter) as Lois Lane and has Laurence fishburne (The Matrix) and that guy from Law and Order (Christopher Meloni). Wait, there's more, Russell Crowe nails it at Superman's father, there's Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Clark's earth parents and an always eerie and intense Michael Shannon as the movies antagonist, General Zod. The flick's got some star power, sure, but does it pull off a great show?

Yes. I give it an 8.3/10. My disclaimer here is that I've never followed the superman comic book series and cannot comment on how being a fan might affect watching the movie. Other than that, the only thing I can really fault it for is it being as action heavy as it is in the last third of the movie. Had it not been for the sensory overload of building collapses, explosions, implosions, breaks and quakes, I'd go see the movie again today, but it's a little much to wade through a second time in such short intervals, even if the rest of the movie was solid.

The plot is thin at points, usually when Lois is involved, but the movie is so pretty to look at and moves quick enough that it's hard not to shrug and follow along. Too, there are some character motivation and development issues that don't feel right at the moment but sit tight, because the backwards approach offers a mostly satisfying answer in each case a little later on.

It's got all sorts of blockbuster flair, but shouldn't be so easily dismissed as a summer one time throwaway. It's a movie with some of the seriousness of Batman and flash of Marvel movies, but with a hit in the care free fun department of the latter series. It's different, but still a worthwhile theatre experience.

- Josh

V/H/S is an anthology of found footage movies with multiple directors (Adam Wingard, Ti West, David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence and Joe Swanberg.) The trailer boasts that it’s the “Official Selection” of 12 film festivals including Sundance and SXSW. MSNBC said it was “So terrifying it made people sick”.

When a group of criminals are sent to break into a house to retrieve a tape they know little about, they find a cache of bizarre found footage. When the house’s sole occupant is found dead in front of stack of T.Vs emitting eerie white noise, the guys take to watching the VHS tapes. What kind of horrible things have been recorded? Are they really as alone in the house as they think? 

… If it were a hamburger, the short found footage flicks would make up 5 patties - two with some taste, but all together rotting - and nestled  by crusted buns I couldn’t care any less about. While that’s being colorful, there really is few redeeming qualities and for that reason V/H/S gets a 4.5/10.

First the buns (The segments that tie it all together): Finding a stockpile of disturbing VHS movies is a good idea. Having the finders watch those movies in a creepy house with a dead man in it is a good idea. But having the finders be criminals who assault a young woman within the first 2 mins of the movie is a terrible idea. Next, they vandalize someone’s place. By the time they reach the house, the place has lost all its creepiness because the viewer’s rooting for the home to hurry up and kill them already. But first we have to watch the found footage.

The first Patty(“Amateur Night” Segment): Three “bros” go to the bar to pick up women and end up with squirrely looking lady who too easily makes known her affection for the guy with the camera glasses. All sorts of red flags go off and for good reason… It isn’t creepy. Not even scary. Interesting, maybe, as a part of a T.V. show or stand alone urban legend of sorts. It isn’t enough of a hook to live up to “So terrifying it made people sick”. By the end, you’re 30 mins in to the movie.

The Second Patty(“Second Honeymoon” Segment): Is really the downfall. With unlikeable core characters and an OK first entry, this second one is really off base. Here, a couple is vacationing when they notice a girl bumming a ride in the middle of the night at the motel they are staying at. They think to call the cops because of the disruption but don’t. Turns out that girlie can somehow get into their room at night while they’re sleeping though… SPOILER… it’s kind of a snuff film… and the guy's girlfriend was in on it the whole time (Which makes void the little amount of scary it had going for it)! While the rest of the movie anthology has a supernatural feel, this one’s completely different.

The Third Patty (“Tuesday the 17th” Segment): If you haven’t turned it off by now, there are some redeeming bits at the 55 min mark. A group of friends go on an outing in the woods where murders took place in years past. One friend has other motives than just a good time out. The storyline and characters suffer from the time constraints of the segment but make cool use of old camera effects. Like having dead bodies pop in and out of the screen as though only the camera sees them… the murderer appears as a blur in that way as well.

The Fourth Patty(“The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger” Segment): Begins okay with a woman connecting with an old friend and love interest via webcam. She thinks her place is haunted and connects with him when the ghosts are at play during the night. But there’s more to the situation than a simple haunting. The love interest himself is implicated somehow. The pay out in this one isn’t great and for its flavor is a lot like the first patty: just Ok .

The Fifth Patty(“10/31/98”): at 1 hr 28 mins in, the other redeeming section pops up, by then, too little too late. A group of guys go to a Halloween party to find the house empty. They scour the house in search of the party, mistaking supernatural forces at work for an elaborate gag – that is until they stumble upon some sort of cult event upstairs. The house really comes alive thereafter.  While predictable at parts and could well be faulted for overly flashy CG, it still pulls off a decent scare factor. Is easily the best section of the movie.

If you gotta watch it, the 55min and 1hr 28 min markers are the place to be, otherwise, you’re not missing much if you missed watching V/H/S in its entirety.

- Josh

“Mama” is a 2013 Ghost Story starring Jessica Chastain (The Help, Zero Dark Thirty, The Tree of Life), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones), Megan Charpentier (Resident Evil: Retribution’s “The Red Queen”) and Isabelle Nélisse (Who’s just starting out her movie career).  Directed by Andrés Muschietti (Maker of the short “Mamá” (2008).

After their father, Jeff (Nikolaj) killed their mother, he leads daughters: Lilly (Nélisse) and Victoria (Charpentier), who are but 1 and 3 years old respectively, into a snowy woods after their getaway results in a car crash. They happen upon a lone, abandoned house by a lake where they stay for what was suppose to be a brief bit while dad prepares to murder his daughters, probably to turn the gun on himself afterwards. Grisly indeed... But “Mama” saves the day. She guards the kids for two years while their uncle Lucas searches for them, hoping to find them alive or at least to provide them a proper burial. They’re found, by then quite feral, and while safe now, Mama lingers still, becoming jealous of new contact with other human beings. Caught up in all this is Annabel (Chastain), who doesn’t want to be a mom but is in an awkward position of being in love with Lucas, who takes custody of the kids. As the children open up to their new guardians and to psychologist Dr. Dreyfuss, so too does the story of “mama” and the real danger that lies hidden in “The walls”!

It doesn’t have the twists and turns I’ve heard of from some reviews. Forget the twists and turns. Other than there being a child psychologist in the movie, there’s little else psychological about it. It’s a ghost story, and a solid one at that. 

Chastain and the kids (Nélisse and Charpentier) are great, offering much in the way of character beyond the regular horror story staples of unwitting or fearful lead and creepy, vulnerable children. That isn’t to say they’ve escaped all horror movie conventions (Chastain’s wardrobe for one, and all sorts of wandering around in the dark for another). What’s great is that the flick offers some movement on an emotional level with what feels like natural relationship building between the girls and their guardians, making for a refreshingly grounded ghost story.

And the scares! “Mama” isn’t short in the jump out at you scares. I’m not a fan of those because I think they’re cheap. The way the music swells when that happens and then dies down to near silence thereafter is cheap. Mama’s got some of that. But she also has a great story (albeit with excess fat in the uncle and psychologist department) AND she’s got genuinely awesome horror! While the CG is a little too CG at times, it’s largely very well done. One GREAT part sticks out where mama stands, with a dislocated upright and slanted posture, at the end of a corridor. Victoria warns her sister not to look at mama because “she’s mad”.  And is she ever.

There are plenty of loose ends in “Mama” suggesting that parts were edited out or were just dead ends, but a worthwhile experiences rises above it. And that ending… It goes confidently where it wants to go and is something of a bittersweet if not thought provoking (the conflicting kind) finale. Mama gets an 8.3/10. Go and see it.

- Josh

If you’re in perpetual search for the next great horror movie, it’s more than likely that “Sinister” caught your eye.  It is Directed/Written by Scott Derrickson who brought us “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”. Not bad, but also had a hand in the remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still”.

The story begins with an eerie and effective slice of a murder film, which is suppose to be enough to hold us over through slow scene setting and some character exploration… it is. Sinister’s Star, Ethan Hawk, who plays a True Crime Author in search of his next big story, is a mixture of clichés and good acting that makes the protagonist's passage passable. It keeps the pace from being too torturous at spots. James Ranson’s goofy Deputy character steals the show though after a bumpy start.  The film pieces (and music) within the movie that depicts the haunting deaths of families past are where the movie really sinks its teeth in. Sadly, it doesn’t follow through on much else, except (to the movie’s credit), on delivering on a dark albeit predictable ending.

The downer is that the other bits that were intended to scare and unnerve seem to be out of place or are otherwise excess. Spoiler free, vague examples: While it’s possible living at the site of a murder could exacerbate a young man’s night terrors, it’s hard to get behind the way it’s used in the plot. The box scene was a perfect example. The bush scene was a little better. What of the ghost children parading behind out protagonist? Excess. It’s not like the movie couldn’t tie symbols together, just look at the scorpion, snake and dog. If anything, the movie felt loose and was slow because it was sloppy, not because it was building tension or atmosphere. 


That being said, there are many parts that were really great horror, but because of that inconsistency, I rate it a 7.2/10. It’s good and better than a lot of the horror movies out there but isn’t amongst the best.

- Josh

You can expect at least two movies a year on the topic of demon possession. Doesn’t it seem like the possessed have been shouting with distorted voices and in ancient languages on the silver screen forever now? Usually under the banner of “based on a true story” and always in the shadow of the masterpiece known as “The Exorcist”    

It’s a tired storyline laden with clichés. You have to be pretty creative to inject freshness into the subgenre and in this regard, “The Possession” hits its mark near 40% of the time. The twist in this tale is the use of a haunted item known as a “Dybbuk box” found at a garage sale by unsuspecting young Em played by Natasha Calis. Her somber father, Clyde, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Denny Duquette off Grey’s), struggles with trying to figure out what’s happening to his daughter, what’s with the box, and where did all the moths come from (like those seen in the poster… coming out of Em’s mouth). “Maybe it’s the divorce?” he thinks. If you’ve watched more than three of this kind of movie, you’ve probably seen it all before. Where this shines though is that it takes its time and underscores creepy with one note piano key strikes and abrupt edits – Its moody and awesome in that way – except for the inevitable exorcism at the end, in which the pace picks up and the decently packed package comes apart at the seems.

What’s good about this movie are the bits in the middle. It’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s convincing “alarmed and desperate father”, Em’s face in the mirror of the Dybbuk box, and the atmosphere. But it’s mired in familiarity and has a predictable ending to boot. It’s enjoyable at 7.3/10 on scale. But it’s unlikely you’ll be scared and if that isn’t the case, it’s not an uneasiness that will linger.

- Josh

The Dark Knight Rises is Christopher Nolan’s third and supposedly last entry into the Batman franchise. Seen back to back to back with its predecessors, it’s a more emotionally cold, distant but much larger event.

Yes, The Dark Knight Rises follows in the tradition of trying to top the plot and mayhem in scale of its predecessor. In this respect it succeeds with Bane going so far as to involve all of Gotham in his strange and questionable bid to liberate it. But in doing so, it feels less connected with the suffering and conflict of the people of Gotham as seen in spades in “The Dark Knight”. To make matters worse, a slew of new characters are introduced. Those new faces are likely much to the comic book fans’ pleasure, but the price is less depth of character. In particular, who suffers here is Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon, who’s struggle post Two Face and reflective relationship with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake are both under exposed. To be fair, the pace of the movie is fast, and the plot thick.

Anne Hathaway gives an excellent performance as cat woman. Bale is good as usual and Alfred delivers a heartbreaking bit of acting. Hardy’s Bane was okay. Poor Bane, who had to follow up after Heath Ledger’s unforgettable Joker. The restraints on his expression with his mask didn’t help. There are bits where Hardy seems about to burst through and draw out depth in Bane’s character, but things are just about always eclipsed thereafter by Bane’s military like personality. That being said, he’s satisfyingly imposing, there's no issues with not being able to understand him and he delivers on the fight scenes in a big way. 

There are some twists. Some that comic book fans will see coming before followers of the movie series only will. The ending is an interesting take but doesn’t necessarily offer anything that feels like we haven’t seen before. That aside, it wraps things up nicely.  

“The Dark Knight Rises” rises to a 7/10. Its no Dark knight. Not even Batman Begins. But it's got the Nolan stamp, it’s the last of the trilogy and its still worth watching.

- Josh

Cape Fear is a 1991 thriller starring Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange. It’s Directed by Martin Scorsese.

Disclaimer: I watched this movie on VHS with cheesy previews and in full screen format.   Because of this, it had a made for T.V feel with pumped up early 90’s/ late 80’s vibe (which it has regardless). While that may be how a lot of people watched it for their first time, I would suggest springing for the widescreen version for that proper cinematic feel - this movie’s got some interesting subtext about judgment that might be better highlighted in that case. 

The skinny is this (and the movie doesn’t waste any time getting into it): Max Caddy, a rapist, is released from jail and begins stalking his former lawyer, Sam Bowden (Nolte), who he believes did not represent him to the best of his ability during trial. Tension mounts as Max pushes boundaries and Sam tries to deal with the situation, with peaks of intense violence, an unnerving and frustrating school theatre meeting and wild ending at Cape Fear. 

It’s good. De Niro does a good job playing Max Caddy who I most enjoyed come out when coming up against a rough Claude Kerseck. The end too at Cape Fear was excellent in summarizing the crazy that was De Niro’s character.

Keep an eye out for that school Theatre scene. As silly a setup as it was to allow the characters privacy, Juliette Lewis did a great job in her role there and later with her father Sam (Nolte) when she couldn’t wipe that smile off her face.

Cape Fear is a good watch at 7/10. 

- Josh

Prometheus is more of a summer blockbuster than a satisfying, thought provoking modern sci-fi classic. Could it have been both? For certain the elements that make this a blockbuster blocked it from becoming a classic... and what a shame.... what a shiny, awesome, special effects filled shame.

This flawed adventure is an 8/10 on scale which is as confusing as its character motivations and storyline progression scenarios. It's great to watch, but you’ll feel disappointed when you trip over a plot hole - of which there are plenty - and many will mistake as smart story pieces that were meant to get you thinking.

Here’s a good exercise: If you’ve watched the movie, try and recount all of what happened. Jam packed? Yes, prometheus is filled to the brim and has a steady pace that picks up half way through and rockets you to the end where some bits are too fast.

Very much a big part of everything is that ponderous question about our origins to which the movie throws countless examples of parent/child type relationships in such directionless fashion that you’ll come back to Prometheus’ opening lesson about beliefs. That is that everyone’s got a belief about our origins and we all think ours is right ((Subtext warning!)... and that's what divides us). Look, if I wanted to wonder about life and make connections with the abstract, then I’d have stayed home and re-watched Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life”

The Prometheus plus here is that there’s good acting but only on the surface as most of the characters are weak or broken at their foundation. Both Fassbender and Rapace shine especially, but performances are undermined by this movies fatal flaw at plot and character ground level.

Like Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” panel on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, if only Adam (and Prometheus) might have tightened form and have confidently extended in one direction, there might have been an awesome connection... but there wasn’t.

-Josh 

In the ramp up to Oscar season, many movie selling stores have offered a rack of past Oscar award winning movies. David Cronenberg’s “The Fly” remake was one such Past Oscar award winner – for best makeup. Let me tell you, that Oscar was well deserved. To be fair, Cronenberg’s movies are known for their visuals, as often times brutal as they are (Videodrome, Naked Lunch, Eastern Promises) but as well can be a visual overload for some. “The Fly” (1986) with Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) and Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise) adds romance and turn a good performance in contrasting and balancing out the shock factor.

Here, at a convention, Seth Brundle (Goldblum) invites Veronica, a reporter (Davis) back to his place in attempt to connect with her by baiting her with the idea that he’s invented something that will change the world forever – and what an invention! A teleportation device! When she sees there’s a big story there, she switches gears where their might have been some romance. Seth, who is both attracted to Veronica and fearful that she might disclose his life’s work to the world prematurely, follows up with her after she doesn’t take no for an answer and brings her story to an editor. Thankfully, the editor, and third part of this movie’s love triangle thinks she’s been conned. Seth strikes up a bargain with Veronica and two become partners in finishing his project when after which she could write a book about his findings. Inject romance into their relationship and this sets the stage for a well balanced sci-fi horror that is truly a must watch. As you can imagine, Seth tests his machines’ teleportation capabilities, moving up the ladder from inanimate object to animal testing and finally to human testing. What could go wrong?

From the grisly discovery of the teleportation device’s effects on a monkey, to the flesh sloughing finally, this movie will have some squirming in their seats. Goldblum adds a intense and varied performance with the progression of his metamorphosis – That alone may be worth the watch. To top it all off the pacing, atmosphere and music are excellent in setting the scene, bringing the viewer to the wildly dark closing.

The fly gets an 8.5/10.