The To Do List (2013)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

It’s 1993, and after graduating high school, valedictorian Brandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza) vows to lose her virginity to the desirable Rusty Waters (Scott Porter). Living in Boise, Idaho, Brandy receives support from her friends Fiona (Alia Shawkat) and Wendy (Sarah Steele).

Before Brandy conquers her main goal of intercourse with Rusty, Brandy makes a checklist of mandatory foreplay activates to complete with hopes of enjoying her once in a lifetime experience with Rusty as a sexual expert. Along the way, Brandy tries to ignore relentless taunting from her sister, Amber (Rachel Bilson), and Brandy’s mother, Jean (Connie Britton) is more understanding and supportive for her daughter’s mission to explore her sexuality, but Brandy’s prudish father, Judge George Klark (Clark Gregg) doesn’t approve of Brandy’s plans.

During a summer job as the “newbie” lifeguard, Brandy has the perfect chance to catch Rusty’s eye, but she’ll have to endure some hazing from Rusty, the other lifeguards, and the manager, Willy (Bill Hader). Brandy plans to use her longtime friend, Cameron (Johnny Simmons), Duffy (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and others as practice guys for the foreplay experiments. Brandy is willing to do anything to fulfill her selfish and desperate desires, but towards the end of her journey, Brandy is forced to answer one crucial question: Is Rusty Waters really worth it?

Aubrey Plaza continues to excel within her niche of being the quirky and dismal woman, who’s a real pain in the ass most of the time. And I can’t forget about Plaza’s signature cold and emotionless scowl. Although, Plaza is a more sympathetic character here. Brandy is a stuck up and bossy geek with a superiority complex, who idolizes Hillary Clinton, but you’ll see a softer side to this character in certain parts here. Underneath all the struggles to fit in and capture the key to Rusty’s heart (or his pants), Brandy is a lost teenager, who’s trying to find herself, and enjoy some careless fun before it’s too late.

Clark Gregg is a perfect fit for the old school father, who’s too uptight to embrace any changes. The To Do List puts more focus on Scott Porter’s physical appearance, so in the grand scheme of things, his decent performance as this California surfer dude is an afterthought. Bilson is good for a few laughs, as the promiscuous big sister, who enjoys bullying Brandy. Simmons and Mintz-Plasse are entertaining nerds, but I give the edge to Simmons for the better performance. He’s spot on as the more sensitive friend with a soft spot for Brandy. Mintz-Plasse isn’t bad, but I guess I’m just burnt out on his reoccurring shtick, as this delusional dork with an inflated ego as a lady’s man.

Bill Hader is hilarious as the nonchalant manager, Connie Britton is harmless as the supportive and understanding mother, and Sarah Steele is the funnier one in the duo of Wendy and Fiona, as the persistent and free spirited friend, who pushes Brandy to break out of her shell. And his screen time is limited to a brief appearance, but Andy Samberg’s Van put a smile on my face. Long story short, he’s the lead singer in this amateur band, who sports a grunge look, and there’s a scene with Brandy in the pool’s shower room that brought me to tears, because I laughed so hard.

The To Do List feels like something different at first. Unfortunately, this one succumbs to a familiar and formulaic through the motions pattern step by step, because twelve minutes into the movie, I could EASILY predict the entire story. Brandy’s going to do any and everything she can do to impress Rusty, sacrificing the morals and the integrity of her character in the process. At some point, Brandy’s going to realize she hurt the people closest to her, and she’s going to change to right all the wrongs. In the end, Brandy will accept the realization she’s better off being proud of her nerdy and quirky persona, and now Brandy knows she had the perfect key to happiness in front of her the entire time.

I couldn’t shake a disappointed feeling throughout the movie, but I’ll give The To Do List some credit for avoiding the corny and clichéd “I’m sorry, and I love you!” speech for Brandy’s character. During the final moments of the movie, Brandy is adjusting to college life, when she runs into Cameron. They both exchange stories for their sexual experiences, and they come to an agreement about sex: Casual encounters won’t ruin their friendship. And of course, as Brandy finishes the last goal on her list (having an orgasm), Judge Klark bursts through the door to witness Brandy and Cameron together on “Dad’s Weekend.” I let out a sigh of relief, because as soon as Brandy and Cameron reunited, I was expecting some lame attempt at a tear jerking moment.

Did you know The To Do List was set in the 90’s? Well, you’ll see and hear more than enough reminders throughout the movie. Look, I love nostalgia  more than anyone, and The To Do List features a very clever 90’s themed intro, but for the love of all things holy, I don’t need constant hints and winks to remind me I’m watching a movie set in 1993. Meg Ryan, Home Improvement, Zack Morris, Sleepless In Seattle, movie posters including Jurassic Park. You name it, and The To Do List will pull out a “Remember that!” reference for a nostalgia buzz. Sorry, but The To Do List passed the point of overkill for 90’s nostalgia, because everything feels way too forced after a while. Plus, I rolled my eyes at some dumfounding attempts to point out the 90’s setting. Need an example? I can clearly see a VHS tape on the screen, so I don’t need someone to tell me they rented a “VHS” tape. Seriously, I was waiting for the “Whoopsie!” Mortal Kombat guy to pop up on the bottom of the screen, but he wouldn’t shout his famous catchphrase. Instead, the Mortal Kombat guy would appear out of nowhere to say “Hey, did you know The To Do List is set in the 90’s?”

The To Do List won’t change the landscape for coming of age comedies, but it’s a satisfying entry in the already crowded sub genre. Aubrey Plaza shines in the leading role, providing the vast majority of laughs here, and Plaza is surrounded by a rock solid supporting cast. The raunchy hijinks are consistently funny, and the gross-out gags are guaranteed to pull a reaction out of you (i.e. Brandy mistaking a real piece of floating poo for a candy bar). Still, it’s a real shame, because without the familiar genre tropes, and a constant need to remind the audience they’re watching a nostalgic 90’s film, The To Do List could’ve been one of the all-time greats.

Rating: 8/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no character deaths, plot twists, or major reveals**

Washington Post Columnist John Klein (Richard Gere) prepares to buy a new home with his wife, Mary (Debra Messing). John is basking in the glory of his happy and magical marriage with Mary, but a bizarre car accident changes everything.

After the accident, Mary is diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, but John is more worried about the circumstances surrounding the accident. A moth like creature startled Mary seconds before the crash, and Mary continues to feed her obsessions by drawing numerous pictures of the same creature.

Two years later, John takes a trip to Richmond, Virginia. Along the way, John’s car shuts off in the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia at 2:30 am. Looking for help, John knocks on Gordon Smallwood’s (Will Patton) door for the chance of a phone call, but Gordon and his wife, Denise (Lucinda Jenney)  aren’t happy to see John. Gordon recognizes John from previous visits at 2:30 am, so Gordon persecutes John as a stalker. Forcing John into his bathtub with some persuasion from a shotgun, Gordon lowers his guard, when Sergeant Connie Mills (Laura Linney) arrives to settle the dispute.

John’s unexpected pit stop in Point Pleasant turns into an investigation to discover the origins of the Mothman entity. Apparently, various citizens (including Gordon) in Point Pleasant  reported sightings of the Mothman creature, and John notices the similarities between submitted Mothman drawings to Connie and Mary’s drawings of the Mothman creature. Desperate for more information, John travels to Chicago to speak with an expert named Alexander Leek (Alan Bates). John is forced to deal with the invealtiable dilemma of stopping a tragedy, and John’s mission leads him to one unsettling question: Is the Mothman real?

Do you believe? It’s a reoccurring theme throughout The Mothman Prophecies. John wants to believe in the Mothman and the prophecies, because he’s looking for answers and closure. As the viewer, you can choose to stand on the side of logic, or you can stand on the side with the people, who believe in the Mothman and his prophecies, but one thing’s for  sure, you’ll be rooting for John to find some peace. He’s a broken man, that’s looking for the essential answers to end his sleepless nights, so he can finally move on with his life.


Although, I have to admit, The Mothman Prophecies constant attempts at cleverness feel tedious at times. During John’s research, numbers from dreams are used to determine the real life tragedies connected to the Mothman’s prophecies. Yeah, at certain points I got the feeling I was watching The Number 23, and that’s not a compliment.

Still, The Mothman Prophecies is an intriguing psychological thriller with a unique premise and some genuinely chilling and creepy moments. A few examples are the scene, where John is stranded on a seemingly deserted road in Point Pleasant at night, and the other is John’s first verbal interaction with the Mothman over the phone at the local motel. The Mothman Prophecies isn’t perfect, but I was hooked into John’s never ending mission to discover  the truth in a battle of  heartache VS beliefs of the unknown and supernatural from start to finish. It could’ve been better, but The Mothman Prophecies has enough redeemable qualities to justify a viewing, especially if you’re looking for something scary late at night.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Washington Post Columnist John Klein (Richard Gere) prepares to buy a new home with his wife, Mary (Debra Messing). John is basking in the glory of his happy and magical marriage with Mary, but a bizarre car accident changes everything.

After the accident, Mary is diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, but John is more worried about the circumstances surrounding the accident. A moth like creature startled Mary seconds before the crash, and Mary continues to feed her obsessions by drawing numerous pictures of the same creature. Eventually, Mary loses her fight with tumor after numerous chemotherapy sessions. One night, John receives a call about Mary’s floundering progress. John rushes to the hospital for one last good-bye, but the doctor breaks the news of Mary’s death upon John’s arrival.

Two years after Mary’s death, John takes a trip to Richmond, Virgina. Along the way, John’s car shuts off in the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia at 2:30 am. Looking for help, John knocks on Gordon Smallwood’s (Will Patton) door for the chance of a phone call, but Gordon and his wife, Denise (Lucinda Jenney)  aren’t happy to see John. Gordon recognizes John from previous visits at 2:30 am, so Gordon persecutes John as a stalker. Forcing John into his bathtub with some persuasion from a shotgun, Gordon lowers his guard, when Sergeant Connie Mills (Laura Linney) arrives to settle the dispute.

John’s unexpected pit stop in Point Pleasant turns into an investigation to discover the origins of the Mothman entity. Apparently, various citizens (including Gordon) in Point Pleasant  reported sightings of the Mothman creature, and John notices the similarities between submitted Mothman drawings to Connie and Mary’s drawings of the Mothman creature before she passed away. Desperate for more information, John travels to Chicago to speak with an expert named Alexander Leek (Alan Bates).

John’s obsession to unravel the mystery of the Mothman takes a dark turn, when John receives a message for a phone call from a deceased Mary. John tries to convince Connie to believe in the realistic possibility of a looming tragedy involving the citizens of Point Pleasant after a serious of ominous warnings connected to the Mothman’s prophecies, but John is forced into a tough decision. The first choice? John can patiently wait until noon for the otherworldly phone call from Mary, or John can take a shot at spending a happy Christmas with Connie in Point Pleasant. But fate alters John’s plans, when the Silver Bridge suddenly collapses……….

The Mothman Prophecies features a nice set of solid performances, with Richard Gere standing out amongst the pack, as an infallible leading man. Although, I don’t think it’s fair to judge Debra Messing one way or the other, because her screen time is limited to sporadic “here and there” appearances.

Do you believe? It’s a reoccurring theme throughout The Mothman Prophecies. John wants to believe in the Mothman and the prophecies, because he’s looking for answers and closure. But there’s one scene, where Connie bursts John’s bubble to bring him back to the real world. John is waiting for a dead Mary’s phone call, but Connie urges him to return to Point Pleasant to join her for Christmas, so he won’t be alone. A frantic and broken John wants that one last chance to say good-bye to Mary he missed two years ago, but Connie tells him the cold hard truth with no sugar coating: Mary is dead, and she’s not coming back. John is just using his beliefs in the Mothman to hide his pain over Mary’s death. On top of that, Mary reminds him you can’t cheat death no matter what, and it’s as simple as that.

It’s a soul crushing scene for the John character, because here, he accepts the truth from Connie’s words. John finally makes the decision to join Connie on Christmas, but as he’s leaving, the phone rings at noon. John, fed up with his own damaging obsession for the Mothman, rips the phone cords out of the wall, and he smashes what’s left of the phone on the ground…but the phone is still ringing, as John tries to leave. John is clearly disturbed, but John is determined to move on, and refuses to break his promise to Connie, so he leaves without answering the ringing phone. It’s an eerie sequence of events to witness, and I was pondering the “What ifs?” because it’s hard to ignore the possibilities, if John answered the phone.

John, feeling a sense of peace and relief about sticking to his decision to ignore the Mothman stuff, returns to Point Pleasant for Christmas with Connie. Lines and Lines of cars are stuck on the Silver Bridge……and the devastating collapse of the bridge sinks numerous cars into the freezing waters below. John jumps into the water, and he’s able to save Connie before she drowns or freezes to death in the water. On the back of an ambulance, a fireman reveals the death toll to John and Connie: 36. Why is this number significant? Well, before the collapse, Connie had a dream about drowning in a lake. Under the water, Connie is surrounded by Christmas presents, and to end the dream, Connie hears a voice telling her to “Wake up” as number thirty-seven. Here, it’s revealed Connie was supposed to die after the bridge collapsed. The Mothman Prophecies ends with a close-call shot of Connie and John sharing a fortunate embrace on the ambulance. The subtle foreshadowing was a nice touch for this particular twist, because it’s not so easy to predict the steps leading up to the tragedy.

Although, I have to admit, The Mothman Prophecies constant attempts at cleverness feel tedious at times. During John’s research, numbers from dreams are used to determine the real life tragedies connected to the Mothman’s prophecies. Yeah, at certain points I got the feeling I was watching The Number 23, and that’s not a compliment.

Still, The Mothman Prophecies is an intriguing psychological thriller with a unique premise and some genuinely chilling and creepy moments. A few examples are the scene, where John is stranded on a seemingly deserted road in Point Pleasant at night, and the other is John’s first verbal interaction with the Mothman over the phone at the local motel. The Mothman Prophecies isn’t perfect, but I was hooked into John’s never ending mission to discover  the truth in a battle of  heartache VS beliefs of the unknown and supernatural from start to finish. It could’ve been better, but The Mothman Prophecies has enough redeemable qualities to justify a viewing, especially if you’re looking for something scary late at night.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

The Last Days On Mars (2013)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no big twists, major reveals, or character deaths**

After six long months, a research team’s mission on Mars is coming to a close. Led by Captain Charles Brunel (Elias Koteas), Vincent Campbell (Liev Schreiber), Kim Uldrich (Olivia Williams), Robert Irwin (Johnny Harris), Rebecca Lane (Romola Garai), Marko Petrovic (Goran Kostic), Richard Harrington (Tom Cullen), and Lauren Dalby (Yusra Warsama) put the finishing touches on their experiments and expeditions.

But the accidental discovery of a malicious virus derails plans for a peaceful return trip to Earth. The virus transforms members of the crew into violent zombies, forcing the remaining uninfected crew members to devise an escape plan before it’s too late……

It’s hard to keep track of all the Mars sci-fi/horror films now a days. Although, you can tug on the audience’s “This could actually happen!” thought process by using Mars as a setting. You have to think about the select few in the audience, who believe in the risks and danger of exploring the unknown, and the consequences of discovering  life on an another planet. Sure, there’s a chance we have neighbors in the Solar System, but there’s a good chance they’re not friendly and likeable aliens, who have a curious desire to bond with us, and learn the human way of life. Maybe they’re mapping out a strategy to take over? It’s something to think about.

Anyway, The Last Days on Mars won’t set the world on fire, but there’s enough suspense to hold your attention. After the zombie attacks kicked into high gear, I was hooked into the never-ending life or death struggle. The gory and bloody stuff is kept to a minimum here, and The Last Days On Mars doesn’t rely on extreme levels of nastiness to pull a reaction out of you. It’s a refreshing approach, and I didn’t have a big problem with the PG-13 rating.

But The Last Days On Mars isn’t free of problems. For starters, you’ll quickly notice some unlikable characters here. Kim is a disruptive and cold-hearted jerk, Dalby is a fussy tattletale, and as the story progresses, Irwin turns into that one guy, who stabs everyone in else in the back, so he can save his own skin. And of course, you have the overly dramatic and corny moments with a victim trying to fight the inevitable zombie transformation.

The Last Days On Mars features some familiar clichés and head shaking moments, but it’s not a terrible film. The cast is rock solid with some noteworthy performances from Liev Schreiber and Romola Garai, and the well-executed and suspenseful finale is so fun to watch. Bottom line, The Last Days On Mars is a satisfying and effective sci-fi/horror film, that’s capable of holding your attention for one hour and thirty-one minutes.

Rating: 6/10


Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready

The Last Days On Mars (2013)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

After six long months, a research team’s mission on Mars is coming to a close. Led by Captain Charles Brunel (Elias Koteas), Vincent Campbell (Liev Schreiber), Kim Uldrich (Olivia Williams), Robert Irwin (Johnny Harris), Rebecca Lane (Romola Garai), Marko Petrovic (Goran Kostic), Richard Harrington (Tom Cullen), and Lauren Dalby (Yusra Warsama) put the finishing touches on their experiments and expeditions.

But Marko complicates the peaceful farewell with a shocking discovery. Marko pinpoints the location of a living organism, but Marko doesn’t share his discovery with the rest of the team. Instead, Marko trusts the secret with Harrington and nobody else. With Harrington’s help, Marko embraks on a covert mission to retrieve samples from the living organism, so he can bask in the glory of being the man, who discovered life on Mars. Marko is a few steps away from the rover, but an opening crack in the ground sinks Marko into a seemingly bottomless pit.

Captain Brunel takes the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of his crew, but Marko’s discovery jeopardizes the entire mission. Marko unknowingly unleashed a deadly and contagious virus. The virus mutates any living human into a vicious zombie, and the crew is running out of time and resources, as zombified crew members wreak havoc on Mars. The calamity escalates into a deadly game of cat and mouse, while Vincent struggles to block out memories from a tragic accident on a space station. With Vincent leading the way, the remaining uninfected crew members devise an escape plan, but Vincent and the others are forced to come up with a new strategy, when the zombies invade their sealed stronghold…….

It’s hard to keep track of all the Mars sci-fi/horror films now a days. Although, you can tug on the audience’s “This could actually happen!” thought process by using Mars as a setting. You have to think about the select few in the audience, who believe in the risks and danger of exploring the unknown, and the consequences of discovering  life on an another planet. Sure, there’s a chance we have neighbors in the Solar System, but there’s a good chance they’re not friendly and likeable aliens, who have a curious desire to bond with us, and learn the human way of life. Maybe they’re mapping out a strategy to take over? It’s something to think about.

Anyway, The Last Days on Mars won’t set the world on fire, but there’s enough suspense to hold your attention. After the zombie attacks kicked into high gear, I was hooked into the never-ending life or death struggle. The gory and bloody stuff is kept to a minimum here, and The Last Days On Mars doesn’t rely on extreme levels of nastiness to pull a reaction out of you. It’s a refreshing approach, and I didn’t have a big problem with the PG-13 rating.

But The Last Days On Mars isn’t free of problems. For starters, you’ll quickly notice some unlikable characters here. Kim is a disruptive and cold-hearted jerk, Dalby is a fussy tattletale, and as the story progresses, Irwin turns into that one guy, who stabs everyone in else in the back, so he can save his own skin. And of course, you have the overly dramatic and corny moments with a victim trying to fight the inevitable zombie transformation. Towards the end, Rebecca realizes she won’t make it after suffering an infection, but Vincent refuses to give up on her. Rebecca eventually turns, and she commits suicide by removing her helmet on the surface of Mars. Then, a zombified Rebecca tries to attack and kill Vincent, so Vincent is forced into a mercy killing. Yeah, I’ve seen this scenario in SO many other zombie films. For me, It’s a tiresome and clichéd formula, so I couldn’t feel the heartbreak during Rebecca’s demise.

Although, I have to admit, I was on the edge of my seat during the finale. So Rebecca is dead (again) after the mercy killing from Vincent, and Vincent is struggling to make it to the rendezvous point with a rover that’s running low on battery power. The rescue ship arrives, but the rescue crew is decimated by a horde of attacking zombies. An infected Irwin tries to take off for Earth, and Irwin is able to fly the ship into outer space, but Vincent murders him during a fight. During the struggle, Vincent suffered a stab wound to the face, so Vincent is worried about a possible infection. Vincent doesn’t have enough fuel to reach a refill space station, so Vincent warns the space station on Earth about the virus with a time delayed message before the screen fades to black.

It’s a tense series of events. Who’s going to win the fight? Will Irwin make it back to Earth, and spread the infection? Or will Vincent initiate a self-destruct sequence on the ship to eradicate the virus?  I was pulling for Vincent to make it, because he was on a short list of selfless heroes in The Last Days On Mars. Plus, fading the screen to black, as Vincent helplessly floats away in space was a nice touch for a cliffhanger, because nothing is 100% clear. You’re not sure if Vincent is alive, infected, or if someone on Earth listened to his pleas for help. And who knows, maybe another zombie sneaked on to the ship, when Vincent wasn’t paying attention?

The Last Days On Mars features some familiar clichés and head shaking moments, but it’s not a terrible film. The cast is rock solid with some noteworthy performances from Liev Schreiber and Romola Garai, and the well-executed and suspenseful finale is so fun to watch. Bottom line, The Last Days On Mars is a satisfying and effective sci-fi/horror film, that’s capable of holding your attention for one hour and thirty-one minutes.

Rating: 6/10


Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready

Madison County (2011)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no character deaths, plot twists, or major reveals**

James (Colley Bailey) invites his best friend, Will (Matt Mercer), his girlfriend, Brooke (Joanna Sotomura), and Brooke’s friend, Jenna (Natalie Scheetz) on a road trip. And as a surprise, Brooke’s older brother, Kyle (Ace Marrero) tags along on the trip.

James leads the group to the small town of Madison County to interview a local author. David Randall (Dayton Knoll) wrote Devil In The Woods, a book based on a local serial killer named Damien  Ewell (Nick Principe), and through a series of letters to each other, David granted James a one on one interview for his thesis.

Upon their arrival in Madison County, the group receives a cold reception from the townspeople. Although, the friends receive some hospitality from Erma (Adrienne Harrell), the head waitress at a local diner, after she reveals the location of Randall’s home. But James simple and harmless mission to conduct an interview with Randall for his thesis is sidetracked into a life or death fight of survival, when Damien shows up to hunt and kill each member in the group one by one………

I’ve seen my fair share of horror films over the years, and it never ceases to amaze me how a group of  twenty something city kids or teenagers wander into this little quiet town with a dark secret during a road trip, and they NEVER suspect anything fishy until it’s too late. You know the formula. Kids wander into the little, quiet town, because they’re on a vacation (oddly enough it‘s a vacation to a lake house or cabin 85% of the time), need directions to their final destination, someone has to use the bathroom, or they stop for a quick bite to eat. Then, each member of the group mysteriously disappears one by one, the creepy townspeople are either a. apart of some underground killing network/conspiracy, b. they’re cannibals, or c. they’re helping and/or protecting the local maniac/killer, who‘s a deranged and mentally ill inbred hillbilly.

Unfortunately, Madison County follows this formula step by step, and it’s hard to ignore the frustrating levels of stupidity from the main characters. From the MOMENT the group steps foot in the diner, you can sense something is wrong during a tense moment of eerie silence. All the townspeople in the diner refuse to take their eyes off of James, Will, Brooke, Jenna, and Kyle, and you can’t ignore the looks of disdain. Outside, this lunatic threatens Will with a knife, while promising a gruesome end for the group, but that’s not enough to convince you to leave? Seriously? Randall’s house is empty, there’s no one around. Get. The Hell. Out of there! Are you waiting for a mangled corpse to fall out of the sky, as a foolproof sign to leave Madison County? “Hey guys! A dead body just fell from the sky! I Think we should leave…maybe.” Ugh.

On top of that, you have the stupid, STUPID “Let’s split up!” strategy. It starts with Kyle, who takes the only working vehicle in the group to return to the diner to ask questions? Yeah. Back at the house, for no logical reason at all, James, Will, Jenna, and Brooke split up into teams of two (James and Jenna, Will and Brooke)?

Generic characters? Yep. You’ll see your fair share in Madison County. Will is the insecure nerd, Brooke is the sweet good girl, Jenna is eye candy as the hot blonde, and Kyle’s that one guy in the group, who’s a jerk to everyone, filling the role of your typical buzkill.

Damien Ewell? Eh, sorry, but he’s not intimidating enough. The pig mask and his dirty clothes are a nice touch, but Damien doesn’t have the essential ominous presence. He’s a scrawny guy, and that’s okay for a crony, but the lead antagonist? No…just no. It’s hard to adjust to and fear Damien, when you consider other hulking and towering behemoths in the horror genre (Michael Myers, Jason, etc.). Plus, Damien’s muffled squealing brought a few unintentional laughs out of me.

I don’t understand the unrated tag for Madison County. For an “unrated” horror  film, Madison County is VERY tamed. I’m talking about gore, violence, dialogue, nudity, everything. The scene where Damien shoves a broken baseball bat into Will’s mouth? Yeah, that’s nasty, but Will’s death  isn’t enough to justify an unrated label in a film with mild blood and gore, and one timid topless scene. When I see a box cover with a creepy guy wearing a pig mask, dressed in filthy clothing, and wielding a bloodstained axe with a handful of human hair, I’m going to have big expectations for a repulsive and cringeworthy horror flick. 

The twists at the end? Yeah, they're genuinely shocking, but I can't go with a positive score. Madison County is a frustrating, FRUSTRATING horror film with stupid characters, and you’ll see plenty of “Don’t do that!” moments here. I can picture others having some mindless fun with Madison County as a guilty pleasure, but for me, the sporadic rewards can’t outweigh the mound of mind-numbing horror clichés, a mediocre cast, and an overall so-so story I’ve seen more times than I can count.

Ratings: 3/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready

Madison County (2011)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

James (Colley Bailey) invites his best friend, Will (Matt Mercer), his girlfriend, Brooke (Joanna Sotomura), and Brooke’s friend, Jenna (Natalie Scheetz) on a road trip. James leads the group to the small town of Madison County to interview a local author. David Randall (Dayton Knoll) wrote Devil In The Woods, a book based on a local serial killer named Damien Ewell (Nick Principe), and through a series of letters to each other, David granted James a one on one interview for his thesis.

As a photographer, Will plans to snap some pictures of the rural countryside, but he’ll have bigger problems to worry about, when Brooke’s overbearing older brother, Kyle (Ace Marrero) tags along for the trip. Kyle isn’t aware of Brooke’s relationship with Will. Kyle and Brooke’s father don’t approve of Will, so Kyle forces his way into James’ plans as a self-appointed watchdog.

Before James and the group arrive in Madison County, James ignores a local stranger’s suggestion for a shortcut. In Madison County, the group receives an awkward and icy greeting from the townspeople at the local diner. Here, the head waitress, Erma (Adrienne Harrell) reveals the location of Randall’s house in the woods. Kyle stops an angry resident from using his knife on Will, but the knife wielding maniac leaves Kyle and everyone else with a foreboding warning about disturbing the peace in Madison County.

James’ discovers pictures linking David to Damien at David’s seemingly abandoned house, and a bigger problem emerges, when each member of the group slowly disappears one by one. Will encounters Damien wearing a pig mask in the woods, and to satisfy his unquenchable blood lust, Damien plans to eliminate the unwelcomed visitors in Madison County.

I’ve seen my fair share of horror films over the years, and it never ceases to amaze me how a group of  twenty something city kids or teenagers wander into this little quiet town with a dark secret during a road trip, and they NEVER suspect anything fishy until it’s too late. You know the formula. Kids wander into the little, quiet town, because they’re on a vacation (oddly enough it‘s a vacation to a lake house or cabin 85% of the time), need directions to their final destination, someone has to use the bathroom, or they stop for a quick bite to eat. Then, each member of the group mysteriously disappears one by one, the creepy townspeople are either a. apart of some underground killing network/conspiracy, b. they’re cannibals, or c. they’re helping and/or protecting the local maniac/killer, who‘s a deranged and mentally ill inbred hillbilly.

Unfortunately, Madison County follows this formula step by step, and it’s hard to ignore the frustrating levels of stupidity from the main characters. From the MOMENT the group steps foot in the diner, you can sense something is wrong during a tense moment of eerie silence. All the townspeople in the diner refuse to take their eyes off of James, Will, Brooke, Jenna, and Kyle, and you can’t ignore the looks of disdain. Outside, this lunatic threatens Will with a knife, while promising a gruesome end for the group, but that’s not enough to convince you to leave? Seriously? Randall’s house is empty, there’s no one around. Get. The Hell. Out of there! Are you waiting for a mangled corpse to fall out of the sky, as a foolproof sign to leave Madison County? “Hey guys! A dead body just fell from the sky! I Think we should leave…maybe.” Ugh.

On top of that, you have the stupid, STUPID “Let’s split up!” strategy. It starts with Kyle, who takes the only working vehicle in the group to return to the diner to ask questions? Yeah. Back at the house, for no logical reason at all, James, Will, Jenna, and Brooke split up into teams of two (James and Jenna, Will and Brooke)? Of course, with the numbers game in his favor, Damien is able to pick off and kill everyone with ease.

And I can’t forget about this idiotic chase scene with Jenna and Brooke in the woods. Jenna and Brooke are running from Damien. Jenna comes up with a plan to create a diversion, so Brooke can escape. During a struggle with Damien, Jenna is able to knockout Damien for a brief moment…..but Jenna doesn’t make a run for it. Instead, she gives an unconscious Damien a chance to get back up, attack her, and yes, Damien eventually murders Jenna. Brooke? Instead of taking the opportunity to run for an escape (because you know, that was the whole point of Jenna’s diversion) Brooke hides behind a tree during Jenna‘s antics and her death, giving Damien time to notice Brooke’s presence. I was speechless, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Sorry, but it’s hard to have sympathy for the deaths of stupid characters.

Generic characters? Yep. You’ll see your fair share in Madison County. Will is the insecure nerd, Brooke is the sweet good girl, Jenna is eye candy as the hot blonde, and Kyle’s that one guy in the group, who’s a jerk to everyone, filling the role of your typical buzkill.

Damien Ewell? Eh, sorry, but he’s not intimidating enough. The pig mask and his dirty clothes are a nice touch, but Damien doesn’t have the essential ominous presence. He’s a scrawny guy, and that’s okay for a crony, but the lead antagonist? No…just no. It’s hard to adjust to and fear Damien, when you consider other hulking and towering behemoths in the horror genre (Michael Myers, Jason, etc.). Plus, Damien’s muffled squealing brought a few unintentional laughs out of me.

I don’t understand the unrated tag for Madison County. For an “unrated” horror  film, Madison County is VERY tamed. I’m talking about gore, violence, dialogue, nudity, everything. The scene where Damien shoves a broken baseball bat into Will’s mouth? Yeah, that’s nasty, but Will’s death  isn’t enough to justify an unrated label in a film with mild blood and gore, and one timid topless scene. When I see a box cover with a creepy guy wearing a pig mask, dressed in filthy clothing, and wielding a bloodstained axe with a handful of human hair, I’m going to have big expectations for a repulsive and cringeworthy horror flick. 

Although, I’ll give credit where credit is due. Madison County caught me off guard with a few genuinely surprising twists towards the end. Erma being Damien’s mother? Didn’t see that one coming. David is the stranger, who told James about the shortcut at the beginning, and David is the father of Kristen (Katie Stageman). Long story short, Kristen is shown as the victim of a kidnapping at the beginning. She’s a victim of Damien, so David lured James and his friends to Madison County to help with a rescue mission.

Plus, I enjoyed the clever finale. James and Kristen escape Madison County on a pickup truck together, but  a wounded and traumatized Brooke wanders into the diner to seek Erma’s help. Remember, Brooke never returned to the diner with James or Kyle, so she doesn’t know about the conspiracy involving the townspeople and Erma. Erma promises a visit to the doctor’s house for medical care and a phone call to the local sheriff, but as Brooke waits outside for a ride in Erma’s car, Erma sneaks up behind her, and Erma viciously stabs Brooke to death. Director/writer Eric England did a great job of setting up the shot with Brooke missing the sight of the fleeing pickup truck containing James and Kristen. A nice little surprise, because the innocent good girl usually makes it to the end, as the sole survivor, but Brooke suffers a brutal end here.

Still, I can’t go with a positive score for this one. Madison County is a frustrating, FRUSTRATING horror film with stupid characters, and you’ll see plenty of “Don’t do that!” moments here. I can picture others having some mindless fun with Madison County as a guilty pleasure, but for me, the sporadic rewards can’t outweigh the mound of mind-numbing horror clichés, a mediocre cast, and an overall so-so story I’ve seen more times than I can count.

Ratings: 3/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready