(film review) - The Cabin In The Woods

It's Only A Gameshow, Right? Well, we should start looking into "Gameshows" a bit more, judging by this one. We aren't told much about this film other than the fact that these teenagers go to a cabin in the woods for a little break. However, for some reason these kids are dying and it all seems to be a little big brother-ish with them being the "puppets" and these cosy other people who are watching them being the puppeteers.

Chris Helmsworth from Home and Away or who you might remember him, donning a rich red cape (no not superman) as Thor, is one of the lead characters in this film. I'd rather not go into it too much because, although you might think of Jason Voorhees and Camp Crystal Lake, this film is nothing like this at all. Other than the hack and slash elements to it. Oh, and the woods. Oh, and the lake. But I'd strongly recommend to watch the trailer to get an idea as I don't want to give it away, but there are strange things afoot with this film and not everything is what it seems, especially with the little twist at the end. This film is very different and for me, has a sort of Wes Craveny feel to it. Shocking, horrific, terrifying, but also manages to sneak in very humourous and witty parts into it. I might be getting old, but I spent quite a bit of time covering my mouth. Not yawning, but due to shock. Other times, I was laughing. Make sure you go to see this as I left the cinema thinking, "That was a really good film - very different".

Unless you don't like ...Gosh, I almost did a spoiler. Ok, lets just say, this film may scare/scar you. Watch in very safe hands to hold and huge shoulders to cry your eyes out in.

(film review) - Paranormal Activity 2

There was only ONE film that made me feel uncomfortable. That kind of uncomfortable where it's borderline violation. Where for a moment during the preview of the film, you take into account the emptied seats, the aiery feeling and you can actually hear your heart beating. The silence is so quiet that if you focused, you could probably hear someone breathing. Just hope that the person you hear is either YOU or a living breathing and speaking person your sat next to because that chill down your spine will make you think otherwise. That was 6th Sense for me. A brilliant film but a few things in that film just made me feel very uncomfortable. This film is similar.

Maybe it's the fact that you see what's happening but can't see what is doing it because Michael Myers, Jason Vorheez, Daniel Robitaille and Freddy Kruger were very visable. I don't know.

Without spoiling the film too much, all I can say that this film is very much like the first one but although I found the first one funny and not that scary, I believe this one raises the bar. I weren't scared but I was slightly uncomfortable. Maybe it's because I've seen a film of this nature before (also shot in 'Found Footage' style and also with the use of security cameras) I knew what to expect and look out for. In saying that the film still had me transfixed onto the screen and not wanting to move to miss a beat. There were some uncool things in this film which also explores people ignorance which in the end, got the better of the characters, just like the first film.

Just so you know, the film is about a woman, her husband, her little sister and her baby who have just moved into this big house and after a burglary install security camera to keep them secure/safe. However, although warned by the family nanny that the house might be haunted, after they get rid of the nanny, funny and odd things start to happen when noises are heard and the dog keeps barking.
And just so you know, you don't actually need to see Paranormal Activity 1 before you see 2, but after seeing 2, you might want to see 1. If you can stomach it, that is.

Good film. Go see it. In the cinema now.

(Vintage Film Reviews) - The Grudge 2 (With The Grudge 1 in brief)

For those who haven't seen The Grudge, here is a short update.Yes

The Grudge is about Matthew Williams, who receives a promotion at work and moves to Tokyo with his family. His wife, Jennifer and his sister Susan, choose a house where they move to along with his ailing mother Emma.

A social worker, Yoko offers to help Emma with the cleaning around the house and she hears noises through her walkman, goes to investigate and then meets her demise.

As Yoko did not turn up the following day for work, another social worker is dispatched to cover for her and check on the house, (Sarah Michelle Geller) who plays Karen.

Upon arrival, she notices that Yoko’s bike is still parked up at the houseConfused, phones her boss to come over and as she is waiting for him with Emma who seems to be the only one left in the house, Emma starts talking as if she is talking to someoneIndifferent. Karen then asks her about it, when Emma says she wants her to leave her alone. Moreover, a noise of creaking floorboards are now heard and black hair starts to come down from the corner of the room and this is the arrival of Kayako, who then starts reaching for Emma but then notices Karen. As Kayako’s eyes are rolled back, they fall into place to “LOOK” at Karen and then Alex comes in to find Karen in shock starring at the ceiling and Emma dead on the floor.

Karen is then visited by a detective who asks her questions and then goes to the house to, yep, you’ve guessed it.

Karen then goes back to the house (like going there once and seeing a woman merge from the corner of the ceiling weren’t enoughIndifferent) to find out more, when she finds her boyfriend there looking for her. Kayako comes to get them and Karen attempts to burn down the house as her chosen method to remedy the situation. That is where the film ends.


The Grudge would swiftly get a 9/10 for it’s way to keep you jumping. I never knew of such a film that made me come out the cinema paro to go home.


The Grudge 2


The opening scene is set in Chicago with a trance-like, Trish (Jennifer Beals) cooking breakfast in the kitchen and Bill (Christopher Cousins), her husband is vex at her for not cooking his breakfast right.

The film then flips to Japan 2 years after the house was burned down with 3 school girls in an International High School, leaving to go home but end up being farse to stop in "the house". Although two of the girls, (Theresa Palmer) as Vanessa and (Misako Uno) as Muyuki, have heard about the house and tell Allison, who has just found new “friends” with these girls, does not know a thing and these girls decide to go into the house and pressure (Arielle Kabbel) as Allison, to close her eyes whilst in "the cupboard" and count to 10 to try and test the myth behind the house.

Allison who is already reluctant about the house goes into a cupboard?

The film then makes a transition to Karen's sister Aubrey (Amber Tamblyn), being called by a sickly Mother (Joanna Cassidy) to go and get Karen and bring her home as there has been an accident where she tried to burn down the house, kill her boyfriend and now she's in hospital.

This is where the film got confusing.

There are three parts to the movie. The beginning is the end and the school girls is the middle. The scene’s with Karen’s sister are after the events of the first Grudge film. So technically, you are watching, The Grudge 1.5 then The Grudge 2.Geeked

After being told not to go into the house, Aubrey goes into the house, meets a reporter/journalist who is trying to seek out the truth behind the house. She then goes on a journey to only then go back to the house later on and meet her curse.Huh?

Back to the beginning of the film, bearing in mind, is the end of the film; we have Jake (Matthew Knight), who has just moved into this new apartment with his father and step mother so he is just adjusting to the new surroundings when one night he hears a noise and he gets out of his bed. He then finds a figure being brought home by the couple down the hall and continues to Columbo his way to the truth.

The film ends with a sort of twist to bring the story together with Jake being scared out of his cranium with the figure in front of him who ends up being (haha…watch the film and see) and then after a lil brief conversation and a little “borrowing clothes” momentConfused, the film ends.Indifferent

The Grudge basically takes the biscuit. In my opinion, what makes The Grudge so chilling is the fact that, once you go into the house there is no escape from Kayako and Toshio.

29th November 2006 12:46am

(film review) - Paranormal Activity

First and foremost, I was not going to watch this film. Call me whatever you like, but I thought this was based on a true story and I didn't want any parts of a film of this nature. The only parts I would except was the trailer I saw a little while back.
As this came out around the same time as The Fourth Kind, the two films got mixed together as to which one was based on true events. In the end, I sat through this.

This film is basically about what the title suggests, Paranormal Activity. And dare I say it, but white people are courageous, valiant, brave and daring. I say this because, Katie, the lead woman in the film, tells her soon to be fiancés that she has been haunted by a ghostly figure since she was young. What does her White boyfriend, Micah do? He goes out to buy a Video Camera so he can record it. Furthermore, through the film, he gets increasingly demanding and excited for the spirit. He challenges it and shouts at it for "More Action". Now you see me? If my woman told me she has been haunted since a little girl by some kind of paranormal phenomena, the following lines I would drop would be very similar or close to this, "Oh, really? Well, that's just it. I'm not cut out for that and I hope you get through it. Good luck. I'll call you sometime. Bye." whilst walking away and immediately going into my pocket for my car keys.

There isn't much to say about this film without spoiling it. Just know this, shot in 'Found Footage' style like 'Blair Witch Project' and 'Cloverfield' would possibly make this film terrifying and unwatchable due to one being terrified. I wasn't scared and I found the film hilarious. Maybe because of the two people (the couple) and their behaviour towards this entity. I mean, who buys a Ouija board (pronounced Wee-gi) to communicate with a ghostly entity? Like I said, no parts of it.
But if you like a scary movie, something that will make you jump or something, well, paranormal, then Paranormal Activity is you. Half of the time, my mouth was so wide open from what was going on, the film did indeed keep me transfixed. Funny from an outside look on it, but disturbing if you were in the same situation. Scary and frightful, but very entertaining, especially towards the end and the end scene.

In the Cinema's now
Trailer: