I can’t believe it. I actually liked a Lucas Black film. Usually, I
can’t stand Black, because he is a terrible actor most of the time, but
he really surprised me. This wasn’t an Oscar worthy performance from
Black, but he was pretty solid here, and having Robert Duvall at a your
side doesn’t hurt. Seven Days In Utopia does feature some good drama,
and the acting in this film is solid.
Seven Days In Utopia is too sappy at
times, but I still enjoyed the story. Luke (Black) is an and upcoming
pro golfer with tons of potential. He has a major meltdown on the course
one day, and the relationship with his overbearing and pushy father
begins to fall apart. Luke had to clear his mind and regain his
confidence, so he decided to take a seven day break in the quiet little
town of Utopia, Texas. Black is mentored by Johnny (Duvall), and the
wise old man helps Luke get back on his feet.
Seven Days In Utopia can
feel boring at times, but I wanted to root for Luke. I wanted him to
regain his confidence, and I enjoyed the internal struggle he endured.
Luke was put to the test during a unique series of training sessions,
and he had to adjust to a new lifestyle.
Also, Seven Days In Utopia does
feature some clever editing. They show the struggles Luke has with his
father throughout his life in a series of flashbacks. Luke’s dad pushed
him hard. He wanted him to be the best, but Luke’s dad could be very
strict and controlling. Then, the storyline would return to the present,
and the audience is able to see Luke’s struggles, as he tries to find
himself. This combination of footage was a nice touch, and I wanted to
feel for Black’s character, because you actually get to see what he went
through as a kid and young adult.
I enjoyed Utopia, but the very end
of the film pissed me off. At the very end of the film, Luke returns from Utopia. He forgives his
father, and Luke enters another big tournament. Luke goes head to head
with one of the best pros in the sport, and the tension builds, as the
two golfers approach the final hole. Luke is about take the swing that
could provide the moment of redemption the audience has been waiting
for, but instead we hear a narration from Robert Duvall? Oh, and they
don’t even show the potential big moment. Instead, a message pops up on
the screen, and the audience is told to go to www.didhemaketheputt.com???
That’s right. If you want to know what really happened, you have to go
to the website (or read the book first). Well, I already sat through the
movie, and I was curious, so I watched the video.
Man was I
disappointed. They show a video that’s over seven minutes, and in this
video, they show the author of Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days At The
Links Of Utopia (the film is based on this book). The author reads from
the book, and he tries to convince the audience to become more
involved in Utopia. He wants you to feel the full experience, and he
thinks Utopia (the film and the book) should become apart of your life.
Umm, yeah, I had to call bullshit on this entire video.
This was just a
way to plug the author’s book, and they actually post the link to an
online store, where you can buy Utopia merchandise (the book, golf
balls, caps, etc.). I took this is a slap in the face, and I can’t
believe they got away with this. Find another way to plug the book and
other Utopia merchandise. They actually build some nice suspense towards
the end, but they ruined everything with the “go to the website and see
how it ends!” stuff. They just wanted to sell some more books and other
pieces of merchandise, but they tried to pass it off as an
“experience.” Unbelievable.
Patrick (Aidan Gillen) and Louise (Eva Birthistle) are still grieving
over the tragic death of their nine year old daughter, Alice (Ella Connolly). Alice was
killed by a gruesome dog attack. Patrick and Louise want to move on, so
they relocate to a quite little town called Wake Wood. This seems like a
quiet little town, but one night, Louise accidentally witness a creepy
ritual. After a while, Louise and Patrick learn more about the ritual.
This ritual can bring people back from the dead, Patrick and Louise want
to see their daughter again, so they decide to use the ritual to bring
her back to life, but everything quickly takes a turn for the worst
This ritual can bring people back to life, but there a few major details about this ritual.
1. The person who is resurrected can only stay alive for three days. After that, they MUST return to the afterlife.
2. This ritual can only work properly, if this person has been dead for under a year.
3. The resurrected victim must remain in Wake Wood.
Well, Patrick and Louise want to see their daughter again, but Alice has
been dead for over a year. They decide to lie to the man who can bring
her back to life (Timothy Spall), and he agrees to perform the ritual.
Everything is fine at first. Patrick and Louise enjoy the reunion with
their resurrected daughter, but Alice doesn’t want to return to the
afterlife, when her time comes. She wants to stay with her parents. She
goes on a murderous rampage, as she begins to kill random residents in
Wake Wood. Alice has been dead for over year, and the joyous reunion
goes horribly wrong, when Alice turns into a killing machine.
Wake Wood starts out pretty slow, but this film does become a lot better
as time goes on. There is a good amount of tension here, this film does
have some gory moments, and Wake Wood can feel chilling at times. The
acting in this film is very solid, and I really did enjoy the story
here. I wanted to feel for the parents, because they wanted to see their
daughter again. This story can be spooky, but this film can have this
deep sadness at times.
Towards the end, Alice goes on a killing spree at the very end. She DOES NOT want to
return to the afterlife. She wants to keep living, but Louise manages to
trick her at the very end. Alice must stay within in the limits of Wake
Wood for the ritual to work. She can not leave Wake Wood, because the
fatal wounds that killed her will reappear. Well, Louise strays close to
outskirts of Wake Wood, and she manages to trick Alice into a hug.
Alice begins to approach her mother, but she comes too close to the
outer limits of Wake Wood, the wounds reappear, and Alice finally
dies…again.
Alice is dead, and her short time on Earth is up, so her mother must
bury her. Louise buries her daughter, but as she cries on her husband’s
shoulder, Alice pulls her into the ground! Louise and Alice disappear
into the afterlife, and Patrick is all alone in the world. But Patrick
refuses to give up. He finds a strand of Louise’s hair (a personal relic
is needed for the ritual) and after another ritual, Louise is brought
back to life. At the very end of the film, Patrick has a set of surgical
tools with him, as he prepares to deliver a baby from the noticeably
pregnant Louise ( Earlier in the film, Louise found out she was pregnant
, when Alice told her). The ending for this film was filled with
emotion and drama, and the return of a pregnant Louise was a nice twist.
Louise didn’t want to kill her daughter, but she knew she had to do the
right thing. This ending was very bittersweet and sad, because Patrick
and Louise still didn’t get to say good-bye the proper way.
This horror film doesn’t go too over the top with the gore and violence,
and there aren’t too many spook moments here, but I loved the story for
this film, and Wake Wood was a nice little surprise for me.
A deadly asteroid named Matilda will destroy Earth in three weeks, and Dodge’s (Steve Carell) wife, Linda (Nancy Carell) suddenly abandons him without giving an explanation. Dodge tries to find some peace at a friend’s party, but after a few failed and forced attempts for a one-night stand, Dodge decides to spend his final days on Earth alone.
One night, Dodge tries to commit suicide by drinking cough syrup and window cleaner, but Dodge is still alive the next morning, and he becomes the owner of a stranger’s dog. Disappointed and looking for an escape, Dodge teams up with his neighbor, Penny (Keria Knightley). Dodge agrees to help Penny fly to England, so she can see her family one last time, and Penny will help Dodge find Olivia (an ex-girlfriend). Will Penny and Dodge find closure before Matilda destroys Earth?
Steve Carell delivers another enjoyable performance as the quirky and up-tight nerd, and Keria Knightley is solid as the free spirit, who will do anything to see her parents one last time. Martin Sheen has a brief appearance towards the end. He plays Dodge’s father, but as far as Sheen’s performance goes, there’s nothing worth mentioning, because his screen time is regulated to cameo status.
Lorene Scafaria wrote the screenplay, and she makes her directorial debut here. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World starts out as a whacky comedy about two people, who are looking for closure before Earth is destroyed by an asteroid. But everything slowly evolves into an emotional love story between Penny and Dodge.
A lot of critics and movie fans complained about the tonal shifts. I didn’t have a problem with the tonal shifts, because you have to remember, the world is coming to an end. Witnessing the sadness and dread from the main cast of characters didn’t irritate me, because earlier on, they enjoyed their final moments of life. But as time ran out, they realized it was all over.
All in all, the main cast of characters didn’t waste any time. They partied, had fun, and they the cherished their precious time with loved ones. But as Matilda drew closer, they finally realized the devastation of their inevitable doom. There was no escape, so the transition from a lighthearted comedy to an emotional finale makes perfect sense.
Also, the “disappointing ending” caused a lot of complaints. Dodge puts Penny on a plane with his father, so she can see her family one last time. But Dodge puts Penny on the plane, while she’s asleep, so Penny won’t have a chance to refuse the offer. At this point of the story, Penny and Dodge have already fallen in love after deciding to finally let go of their pasts. Anyway, Dodge returns to his apartment complex to die alone, but guess, who shows up? Penny! It was kind of predictable, but Penny shows up, because she decides to spend her final minutes on Earth with Dodge.
So they’re laying in bed together, and Matilda finally hits Earth. You can hear loud explosions in the background, and Penny starts to cry, as she begs Dodge to keep her awake (apparently, Penny has narcolepsy). Penny continues to cry, Evan keeps talking, the world is starting to crumble…… and then the screen fades to white to end the movie.
This might sound like a disappointing ending, but I just have one question for all the people, who complained: what else were you expecting? Fiery Michael Bay style explosions? Or did you want to see an ending, where Dodge and Penny kiss each other one last time, as melting corpses with a dramatic score in the background, and more explosions? Dodge and Penny had a chance to say their good-byes to each other, and then it’s over. I didn’t need to see a series of fiery explosions, and Penny screaming in the ruins of Earth. No, Scafaria pulls the plug at the right moment, providing a gentle and heartbreaking conclusion.
Carell and Knightley share some excellent chemistry, as two very likeable main characters, and I enjoyed most of the humor in this film. It’s not perfect, but Seeking A friend For The End Of The World is one of the better apocalyptic films I’ve seen this year.
What the fuck Zack Snyder? Seriously, what were you trying to accomplish
here?!?! I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think a film like
Sucker Punch would’ve been better suited for Michael Bay. Think about
it, hot women wearing skimpy clothes, flashy action scenes, and
explosions. Sucker Punch would've been a perfect fit for Bay.
Anyway, this was a real disappointment for me. The story was pretty messy. I understand Babydoll (Emily Browning) had to use
her imagination to help her “escape” from the evil clutches of the
insane asylum, but all of the fantasy adventures here were sooooo over
the top and ridiculous. The girls have to fight off entire armies,
gigantic samurais, and an overweight cook. I know Babydoll is imaging
all of this stuff, but everything just goes way over the top, and I
hard time buying into a lot of the fantasy battles in this film.
As far as the
story goes, Sucker Punch tried to be clever, but I couldn’t get into it.
Sucker Punch wants to be this explosive action film, with a unique
story, but it fails miserably. Also, the ending was a
big disappointment. It just felt so underwhelming.
The acting is pretty
mediocre, but Sucker Punch is loaded with some cool special effects,
and the cinematography is mesmerizing. Still,I can't give Sucker Punch a positive rating. If you just want to see a bunch of hot
and young women who wear revealing clothing shot guns and destroy
everything in their path, as they go on a wild and crazy adventure, you'll probably enjoy this film, but I never want to watch Sucker Punch again.
Will Salas ( Justin Timberlake) and Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) go on a mission to steal time. In the future, time has become currency,
and you will die, when you’re time runs out, so you need a pretty
lengthy clock, if you want stay alive. Will inherits more than century’s
worth of time from a wealthy man named Henry (Matt Bomer), and after
Henry’s very gracious sacrifice, Will and Sylvia go on a Robin Hood like
mission, as they steal time and give it to the poor citizens, who are
near death.
I enjoyed In Time for the most part, but this story did have its flaws.
Timberlake and Seyfried go on a time stealing spree, but their
characters really didn’t think things through. Yeah, I get it, you’re
trying to give time to the poor, and you want to help as many people as
you possibly can, but shouldn’t you save enough time for yourself?
Towards the end of this film, Seyfried and Timberlake put themselves in
a position, where they don’t have enough time stay alive, and they have
to fight for their lives. The dilemma is kind of stupid,
because Timberlake and Seyfried had already stolen a good amount of
time, so there was no real reason for the deadly situation they put
themselves in at the end. Also, this film is pretty predictable,
because In Time just goes through the motions, and the pacing feels a bit tedious at times.
Still, I enjoyed In Time for the most part. The acting in this film is
solid, and I really enjoyed Seyfried and Timberlake here. They shared
some good chemistry, and they were very enjoyable as this Bonnie and
Clyde type of duo. In Time can be a fun sci-fi thriller, and the
intriguing premise did hook me in. In Time can be an enjoyable film, and
this one didn't disappoint me too much.
I’m sorry, but no. Paranormal Activity 3 is another one those films I
really wanted to like, and I did want learn more about the story, but I
just saw the same old routine here.
When it comes to the scare tactics in this film, they did make some
minor changes again, and the little tweaks did feel refreshing at times,
but for the most part, they stuck to the same formula they used in the
previous films, when trying to provide spook moments. Yeah, this film
did provide some nice jump scares here and there, but most of the time, I
felt like I was watching the same old film again. And I wasn’t a fan
of the ending here. The ending just left me with this “That’s it???
Really!” feeling, and I couldn’t believe the mind boggling finale.
This film
featured some more new characters, and I thought this film would
provide a lot more details about the story. I did see some revealing
home movies that featured Katie and Kristi, and I did see the early
stages of the invisible demon’s terrorizing rampages, but I still didn’t
feel like I learned anything here. They do introduce more characters
here, and they do show you how it all began, but I still had to imagine a
lot of major details in this film. I still had to guess what could’ve
or might’ve happened. I still had to figure out things for myself, and
this prequel didn’t provide any kind of satisfying payoff for me.
In one of the commercial advertisements for this film, a certain quote
or message (I’m not sure which one it was) warns the audience about the
final fifteen minutes of this film: “The last fifteen minutes of this
film will mess you up for life.” They used this as hype material for
this film, but they should’ve changed it to “The last fifteen minutes
will save this film.” Yes. There is some nice suspense towards the end
of this film, the spook moments fly at you non-stop, and there is some
nice tension towards the very end, but the final fifteen minutes didn’t
ruin my life. The final fifteen minutes woke me up (because I did feel
bored at times), but the final moments of this film didn’t traumatize
me, or scare me to the point, where I pissed in my pants.
You‘ll probably enjoy this, if you love the Paranormal Activity
franchise and found-footage horror films, but Paranormal Activity 3
didn’t do anything for me. The acting is still pretty mediocre, the
ending was a HUGE disappointment for me, they pretty much stuck to the
same formula, when trying to provide scares, and the Paranormal Activity
franchise is starting to give me the runaround. Yeah, I was introduced
to some new characters here, and I did get to see some freaky events in
Katie and Kristi’s childhoods, but I still didn’t learn too much here.
They do give the audience some new material, but I just some new home movies that featured different people here.
I will always love The Thing 1982. It is an excellent science
fiction/horror film, and this film ranks high up my list of remakes,
because it is one of the best damn remakes ever. I always enjoy this
film, and I pop it into the DVD player a few times each month. The
prequel/remake to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic was at the top of my
must-see list of films for 2011. I was anxious to see the prequel, and I
had some hope for it, but this was an enormous letdown for me.
The 1982 version of The Thing was fantastic. This film featured some
very good tension, it was mysterious, and this film could be genuinely
scary most of the time. Also, The Thing 1982 was repulsive, because the
special affects in this film could always provide plenty of shocking and
cringing moments. But the same thing can’t be said about the 2011
version.
Yeah, The Thing 2011 does feature some very impressive special effects,
because the CGI does look great. But the CGI in this film didn’t provide
any shocking and disgusting moments. In Carpenter’s 1982 version, the
creature kills and absorptions brought that “HOLY SHIT THIS IS GROSS! I
CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT I’M SEEING” type of reaction out me. But the creature
kills and absorptions in this film brought that “Oh look. Cool CGI
effects” reaction out of me. The effects in this film didn’t shock me,
and they didn’t want to make me turn away from the screen. The visuals
in this film are a pleasing treat for the eyes, but they don’t provide
any shocking moments.
The Thing 1982 provided some great tension throughout the entire film,
and this film did feature a chilling and eerie atmosphere. But this
version of The Thing felt pretty dull and boring most of the time. There
wasn’t any real tension here, there aren’t too many spook moments, and
this film isn’t scary at all. They tried to give the audience some more
action and suspense in this one, but the attempt at some extra thrills
didn’t do anything for me. For the most part, the action in this film
isn’t too thrilling, and the suspense doesn’t pick up until the very
end.
I like Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She’s a solid young actress, who has
some promise. Winstead did deliver a very solid performance in this
film, and she wasn’t bad as the leading lady here, but she is no R.J.
MacReady. Kurt Russell was a better leading character in Carpenter’s
1982 version. Russell’s acting was better, and his character was a lot
stronger throughout the entire film. Kate Lloyd (Winstead) doesn’t show
any signs of real strength until the final moments of this film. She
slowly comes out of her shell, but Winstead’s character just comes off
as this person, who nobody wants to believe, and she has to eat shit
from her boss, Dr. Sander Halversen (Ulrich Thomsen). Winstead did
deliver a very solid performance, but her character seems so weak most
of the time. Also, the bulk of the cast was pretty bland here.
Carpenter’s 1982 version featured a nice set of colorful characters, and
the overall acting was a lot better. Lars was the only other character
who stood out in this film. Jørgen Langhelle could be funny, and at
times, he was believable as a bad ass. And Joel Edgerton (Sam Carter)
actually delivered another solid performance, but his acting couldn’t
help elevate this film. The majority of the 2011 cast was so dull, and I
was actually waiting for some of them to die, because I didn’t care
about their characters.
Also, the tests in this film didn’t make too much sense. In the 1982
version, blood tests were used to determine each character’s health.
These tests would let everyone know, who was human and who was an alien.
Blood test make a lot of sense, but in this film they use teeth
tests??? The creature can’t copy inorganic materials, and Kate found
some bloody teeth will fillings in a bathroom. The creature spit out the
teeth, because it couldn’t absorb them, and it was trying to hide this
important secret. Someone wasn’t human, so Kate came up with the idea of
having teeth tests. Her idea was pretty simple: whoever had fillings
was human, but anyone without fillings in their teeth was an instant
suspect. Everyone had to endure the quick teeth checks, as Kate checked
every mouth with a flashlight, and these tests did cause some finger
pointing, and the trust issues began to unfold. Yeah, I thought this was
pretty stupid. Everyone doesn’t have cavities, because some people
actually do take good care of their teeth. The teeth tests really didn’t
solve anything, because Kate still wasn’t sure who was 100% human.
Blood tests were the only surefire way of determining the human
characters, and the teeth tests were a waste of time. I know, I know,
this is a new version of The Thing, and the story will have its
differences, but the teeth tests were still silly.
Survival was another important theme in the 1982 version of The Thing. A
deadly alien creature has taken over the research facility, and this
alien wants to escape. The deaths are coming quickly, and they’re
becoming more frequent and viscous as the story progresses. I can
understand trying to contain the alien threat, but the safety measures
in this film didn’t make any sense. Kate begins to panic, because she
realizes how serious the situation is. She doesn’t want the alien to
escape, because it might try to take over the world. So Kate has one
bright idea: Disable the vehicles??? Umm, yeah, I know you don’t want to
take the chance of the alien escaping, but I couldn‘t buy into these
precautions. The creature could destroy the Earth, but shouldn’t you
give yourself a chance to survive? You’re going to have to leave the
research facility at some point, so how in the hell are you going to
leave, if you disabled all of your means of transportation??? And you’re
pretty much stranded at a remote location in Antarctica, a massive snow
storm is approaching, so you can’t just start walking to find shelter.
The “let’s destroy the vehicles, so it can’t escape!” stuff drove me
nuts, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on-screen.
The ending of this film does provide a nice cliffhanger, because the
final moments of this film do show us how the alien survives, and story
wise, this ending does open the door for the 1982 version. But in the
end, this little cliffhanger wasn’t enough, and it couldn’t save this
film. Bottom line, John Carpenter’s 1982 version of The Thing is far
superior in every way, and it makes the 2011 version look like a joke.
Sorry, but the theme music wasn’t enough. Using the same theme music
from the 1982 version was a nice touch, and it did provide some good
nostalgia for fans of the older film, but this touch of nostalgia
couldn’t improve anything here.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton,
and Jørgen Langhelle were the highlights of the acting department,
because they did deliver some very solid performances, but the cast in
the 1982 film was still better in every way. Carpenter’s 1982 version
featured better acting, a better cast of characters, the tension was
unbelievable, this film was genuinely scary and terrifying, and the
special effects looked more realistic and disgusting.
The 2011 version
does feature some cool effects, and the CGI is great. You can’t deny
that, but in a way, the amazing and detailed CGI hurts this film. As I
said before, the effects in the 1982 version created some genuinely
disturbing moments, but the CGI in this film can be too mesmerizing at
times. I was in awe of the special affects, but they didn’t make me
cringe, and they didn’t disgust me. The Thing 2011 is a boring and
lifeless big time Hollywood production with cool special effects. This
wouldn’t have been good as a standalone film, and this wasn’t a good
prequel/remake. The Thing 2011 is mediocre at best, and fans of the 1982
version should avoid this. Don’t let the “how it all it began” stuff
lure you to this film, because you will be disappointed. Just watch the
1982 version. Don’t waste your time with the new film, because the experience isn’t worth it, and you will hate this.
Eighty-five years later, Angela Feld prepares to throw a Halloween party
at The Broussard Family mansion. Angela needs the money and her friend,
Diana collects the cash and she gives out hand stamps for admission.
Suzanne has known Angela since high school. Maddie and Lily are friends
of Suzanne. They join the party, but a few odd encounters with
ex-boyfriends could change everything. Lily still has feelings for her
ex-boyfriend, Dex. Dex’s friend, Jason doesn’t want to ruin anything, so
he leaves Lily and Dex alone, and Jason befriends Maddie. A ruthless
drug lord named Nigel gives Maddie’s ex-boyfriend/drug dealer, Colin a
life-or-death ultimatum, so he must sell all of his merchandise to the
party guests.
Angela’s party is a money-making success, but eventually, the police
pull the plug. Failing to show the proper permit, the police shut down
Angela’s party. Diana sees an easy opportunity during the confusion, and
she decides to steal all the money. Fearing an arrest and Nigel’s
wrath, Colin hides his drugs in the basement. After the cops and the
majority of the party guests leave, Maddie, Lily, Jason, and Dex return
to the mansion to find Suzanne, who appears out of nowhere after passing
out from too much alcohol. With Angela’s help, Colin retrieves his
drugs from the basement, but at the same time, Angela and Colin
accidentally discover a secret room that contains a group of skeletons.
Angela tries to remove a gold tooth from one of the skeletons, but the
skeleton suddenly bites her finger. Maddie, Lily, Suzanne, Colin, Jason,
and Dex try to leave, but the entrance gate mysteriously locks by
itself. Unable to find another exit, the group returns to the mansion
for drinks.
Meanwhile, Angela is slowly possessed by a demon, and once she realizes
her powers, Angela possesses Dex during a game of spin the bottle. Dex
takes advantage of Lily’s desires for a second chance, and he possesses
her during an awkward moment. Plus, Angela mutilates and possesses an
unsuspecting and drunk Suzanne. Maddie, Colin, and Jason will have to
fight for survival until sunrise, as demonized versions of Angela, Lily,
Suzanne, and Dex reek havoc throughout the mansion.
Character Rundown
Angela Feld (Shannon Elizabeth)- Angela is a wild party girl with
an aggressive attitude. The hardcore punk rock look is a perfect fit
for this character, and Elizabeth brings some sex appeal to Angela.
Shannon Elizabeth is known for the Nadia character from the American Pie
films (the REAL American Pie films, not the shitty straight-to-video
releases), and she delivers a solid performance as Angela here.
Maddie (Monica Keena)- Remember Monica Keena? She played Lori in
Freddy VS Jason, and Keena brings the same kick-ass attitude to the
Maddie character. Maddie is down-to-earth, and she’s a fearless fighter,
who refuses to give up. Keena delivers the best performance in this
film, and the Maddie character has a few memorable moments.
Colin (Edward Furlong)- Nope, that’s not a typo, and you aren’t
seeing things. Edward Furlong, the same man, who starred alongside
Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2, and the same guy, who delivered a
very solid performance in American History X, has a part in this
straight-to-video horror release. Colin is a
miserable drug dealer, who can’t catch a break, and his constant
setbacks continue to sink him into a deeper hole. He’s a screw-up, but
Furlong’s performance is entertaining, and he provides a few laughs.
Suzanne (Bobbi Sue Luther)- Suzanne? She's just eye candy for the most part. She’s the ditzy and busty woman, who likes to drink, and that's about it Lily (Diora Baird)- Lily has a bubbly personality, and she clings
to the hopes of starting a new relationship with Dex. Baird’s
performance is decent enough, but her character doesn’t have any
dialogue as a demon. And if I’m not mistaken, a stunt double portrays
the demonized version of Lily, so Baird doesn’t have a significant
amount of screen time here.
Jason (John F. Beach)- He’s the goofiest character in this film. Jason provides the majority of laughs, and Beach is just hilarious.
Dex (Michael Copon)- Dex is just there. He doesn’t have a personality, and once Dex becomes a demon, Copon doesn’t have any spoken dialogue.
Diana (Tiffany Shepis)- Diana has an attitude, and Shepis brings
some believable cockiness to this character. Diana only has a few scenes
here, but Shepis is pretty solid during her short screen time.
Nigel (Jamie Harris)- Nigel has a dark sense of humor, and he’s a
cold-hearted drug lord, who torments Colin. Harris only has two scenes
here (one scene in the beginning, and the post-credits scene), but he
provides a few laughs.
Evangeline Broussard (Tatyana Kanavka)- Kanavka’s character is
important. Initially, Evangeline is the person, who releases the demons
into the living world, but you’ll only see her during the intro and
flashbacks.
Louis Devereaux (Michael Arata)- Another important character. But
Louis only has a few scenes, and most of them are flashbacks of the
same material. Also, Arata is one of the producers for this film.
Who's Behind The Camera?
Adam Gierasch brings a brutal and grotesque style for Night Of The
Demons 2009. The gore is graphic, bloody, disgusting, and Gierasch
provides a few jump scares. And it doesn’t last long, but Gierasch
creates a vibrant party atmosphere to this film.
My Overall Thoughts
Adam Gierasch and Jace Anderson wrote the screenplay for this film.
Night Of The Demons 2009 features a more thorough backstory, and you’ll
get an in-depth explanation for the origins of the demons. The story is
loaded with some good humor, and there’s a nice surprise at the end.
Great music gave the 1988 original an extra boost, and the remake
features a solid soundtrack. 45 Grave provides the title track for this
film. “Night Of The Demons” really complements the hardcore punk rock
vibe, it’s catchy, and this song is a perfect fit for the Halloween
theme in this film:
As the story progresses, Monica Keena, Edward Furlong, and John F. Beach
develop some good chemistry, and they provide some hilarious moments
together. Plus, after the first set of possessions, Keena, Furlong, and
Beach really carry this film.
Night Of The Demons 2009 was a straight-to-video release. It was
supposed to have a limited theatrical run, but Seven Arts International
(the distributor) decided to go with a DVD/Blu-Ray release. And
Entertainment One re-released the 2009 remake on DVD and Blu-Ray this
September. Also, Kevin Tenney returns to lend a helping hand, as a
producer.
Night Of The Demons 2009 is a bloody and gruesome horror comedy, that
features some genuine gross-out moments. You’ll see a few jump scares
here and there, and the cast is solid. Plus, Linnea Quigley has a brief
cameo here. Still, Night
Of The Demons 2009 is a solid remake. Night Of The Demons 2009 delivers
plenty of gore, laughs, and the fight scenes are decent enough.
Oh, and Night Of The Demons 2009 features some of the funniest video
commentary you’ll ever hear. Adam Gierasch, Jace Anderson, Monica Keena,
Bobbi Sue Luther, and John F. Beach provide the commentary. It’s
hilarious from beginning to end, and the video commentary is a great
bonus attraction for the DVD or Blu-Ray.
Comparing & Contrasting The 1988 Original With The 2009 Remake
Well, I’ll get the most obvious changes out of the way first.
-Angela’s last name changes from Franklin to Feld
-In the original, the family maid is slaughtered with the Hull Family.
But in the remake, Evangeline’s maid survives the demon attacks, and her
spells protect the modern-day survivors.
-An underground stream prevents the demons from leaving Hull House in
the original, but Broussard House isn’t surrounded by an underground
stream, forcing the survivors to fight the demons.
-The survivors really don’t have a surefire defense against the demons
in the original, but in the remake, rust becomes an effective weapon.
-There’s no abandoned funeral home here. Instead, Broussard Mansion is used as the main setting for this film.
-The story for the remake has more depth. In the original, they provide
some information for Hull House’s history, but the details are very
vague.
-The demons are more vicious and violent.
-The Halloween party in the 1988 remake starts out as a small and
friendly get-together, but Angela’s Halloween party is a big-time event
with more people.
-In the 1988 original, Angela is a weirdo and an outcast, but in the
2009 remake, Shannon Elizabeth’s Angela is promiscuous and flirty. She’s
a party girl, who wants to have fun, and Angela 2009 has an attitude
BEFORE her possession. Also, both Angelas have a completely different
look.
Pics!
1988 Angela
2009 Angela
Judy is sweet and innocent, and she becomes a leader during the final
moments of the original. So it’s easy to draw comparisons between Maddie
and Judy, because Maddie emerges as the strongest character in the
remake, but Maddie is tougher. She’s more rugged, and Maddie turns into a
real bad-ass during the final showdown.
Pics!
Maddie
Judy
Keena brings more emotion and aggression to Maddie, but Podewell carries the original by herself most of the time.
Gierasch and Anderson deny any comparisons between 1988 Suzanne and 2009
Suzanne, but the similarities are so obvious. Bobbie Sue Luther’s
bigger tits are the only main difference, and in the end, Luther’s
Suzanne is just a modern-day version of Quigley’s Suzanne.
More Pics!
1988 Suzanne
2009 Suzanne
A pic of Quigley's 2009 cameo!
The performances in the remake are solid, but when it comes to acting, I
have to give the edge to the 1988 original. Shannon Elizabeth’s Angela
is darker and more violent, but Kinkade really nailed the outcast side
of Angela, and Kinkade brings more humor to Angela’s demonized form.
Every member of the supporting cast from the original has
characteristics of a hip 80’s teen (especially the dialogue), but the
supporting cast from the original provides more entertaining
performances. The supporting cast for the remake isn’t bad, but Baird
and Luther can’t rise above the status of eye candy, and Michael Copon
doesn’t help anything. And with the exception of Baird and Elizabeth,
the post-possession forms of the main characters don’t receive any
spoken dialogue, so everyone falls into the category of a “bloodthirsty
killer.” They don’t have a real chance to standout.
Overall, the 1988 original is still the better film. It‘s a fun and
campy 80‘s horror comedy, with disgusting gore and great music. The 2009 remake has a more serious tone. The violence is more brutal,
and the gore is more graphic and bloody. It’s a respectable remake, and
Night Of The Demons 2009 is better than most shitty straight-to-video
horror releases.
(Sorry, but I couldn't find an English language trailer for NOTD 3) The Story
Alone and bored, Officer Larry (or Unit 66) is patrolling Hull House on
Halloween night. The night watch is quiet at first, but a strange noise
catches Larry’s attention. Larry investigates, but once he enters Hull
House, Angela suddenly appears. Larry tries to convince Angela to leave,
but she refuses. Larry asserts his authority as a police officer, but
Angela uses her powers to grab Larry’s badge. She catches it, turns it
into a weapon, and Angela kills Larry with his own badge.
Meanwhile, Holly, the popular and successful cheerleader, and her geeky
friend, Abbie are stranded on the side of the road. They’re on their way
to the high school Halloween dance, but some unexpected car problems
create a serious dilemma. Noticing the broken down car and two women,
who need help, a group of friends on a joy ride in a van decide to help.
Orson is the driver, Vince and his girlfriend, Lois are the
troublemakers, Reggie sees an easy opportunity for a one-night stand,
and Nick is trying to control his urges to punch Vince in the face.
Holly is skeptical at first, but Abbie quickly accepts the offer for a
free ride. Holly reluctantly joins Abbie for the ride, but a slight
remark from Nick angers Holly.
Vince wants a pack of cigarettes, so the group stops at a gas station.
Reggie tries to buy alcohol with a fake ID, but the clerk, Mr. Morris
won’t accept the phony identification. Reggie reaches for his wallet,
but Mr. Morris suspects something fishy, so he threatens Reggie with a
shotgun. While Mr. Morris aims the shotgun at Reggie, Vince takes
advantage of a lackadaisical mistake from Morris, and he snatches the
shotgun. Vince turns the tables on Morris, but two armed policemen
interrupt the tense situation. Vince panics, so he aims the shotgun
towards the cops. During the standoff, Morris grabs Vince, the shotgun
goes off, and Vince accidentally shoots one of the officers. The other
cop returns fire, and during the shootout, Reggie suffers two gunshot
wounds to the stomach. During the escape, Orson secretly steals a gun
from one of the officers.
Armed with a shotgun, Vince declares himself the leader, but the group
must face some serious problems. They’re losing fuel from a damaged gas
tank, and Reggie is bleeding to death. Vince tries to figure out a
solution, but he can’t think of a safe hideout….until Lois suggests Hull
House. Vince forces the uncooperative witnesses (Abbie, Holly, Nick)
inside Hull House, and everything is calm and quiet at first.
Eventually, Angela shows up and Vince tries to secure another hostage,
but Orson proudly flaunts his new gun, and he volunteers to keep a close
eye on Angela.
Lieutenant Dewhurst is hours away from retirement, but he has one more
case to solve before he turns in his badge for good. Dewhurst is
assigned to the case of the gas station shoot out, but Angela begins to
hatch another sneaky plan. The underground stream will protect the
survivors from any demon attacks, but time is running out. Dewhurst will
have to find Vince and the other witnesses quickly, or Angela will
complete another Halloween massacre at Hull House.
Character Rundown
Angela Franklin (Amelia Kinkade)- For the first time, Angela
loses the black wedding dress. Instead, she wears a more provocative
black dress. Still, Kinkade is devious and evil, and as usual, Kinkade
provides an enjoyable performance for this character.
Holly (Stephanie Bauder)- She’s supposed to be the likeable, hot
cheerleader, but Bauder’s performance is rigid and contrived. Bauder is
an attractive woman, but her terrible performance kills any interest in
this character.
Abbie (Patricia Rodriguez)- Rodriguez is believable, as the shy and
soft-spoken geek. Her character makes a few stupid mistakes, but there’s
nothing wrong with her performance.
Vince (Kristen Holden-Ried)- He’s a jackass. Vince tries to be this
hip and cool bad boy, with a mean streak, but Holden-Ried’s performance
isn’t convincing. His performances feels forced, and Vince is easily the
most annoying character in this film.
Lois (Tara Slone)- Lois continues the pattern of promiscuous women
for this film series. But Slone can’t act to save her life, and she
joins a pretty lengthy list of annoying characters here.
Nick (Gregory Calpakis)- Nick is one of the good guys. He stands up
to Vince, and Nick refuses to put up with his constant bullying. Nick
and Vince develop a rivalry throughout this film, but Calpakis’ dull
performance is painful to watch.
Reggie (Joel Gordon)- Reggie is supposed to be the “funny guy” in
the group, but he’s a terrible comedian, and you’ll hear a bunch of
lame jokes from this character. Fortunately, once Reggie suffers the
gunshot wounds, you won’t hear too much dialogue from this character,
and this IS a good thing.
Orson (Christian Tessier)- Orson is a nervous wimp, but when he
steals the gun, Orson develops a dark side. Orson is pretty gullible and
stupid, but Tessier’s performance pulls a few laughs out of me.
Lieutenant Dewhurst (Vlasta Vrana)- Dewhurst has a good sense of
humor. He’s an easy-going veteran, and Dewhurst tries to lend a helping
hand towards the end. Vrana delivers a solid performance, and the
Dewhurst character has some funny moments here.
Mr. Morris (Ian McDonlad)- He’s a fat slob, who works at a gas
station. Morris is the catalyst for the teen’s downward spiral, but
McDonlad’s character is only shown in two scenes here.
Officer Larry/Unit 66 (Larry Day)- Well, Angela kills Larry in
the opening scene, but he makes a return as a demon. In his demonized
form, Larry becomes this hyper and obnoxious goofball. Day’s performance
is too over the top, and most importantly, he’s NOT funny at all.
Who's Behind The Camera?
Jim Kaufman’s terrible directing really hurts this film. His style is
bland and unappealing, and Kaufman is easily the worst director in this
entire franchise. Plus, Night Of The Demons 3 isn’t scary at all, and
any sort of tension is non-existent in this one.
My Overall Thoughts
Kevin Tenney returns to write the screenplay, and Joe Augustyn’s absence
from the writing department is noticeable here. Augustyn provides some
hilarious hokey humor for the first two films, but Tenney’s jokes are
just awful. In Night Of The Demons 3, the comedy devolves into a painful
barrage of unfunny “yo momma” jokes. But more importantly, there’s one
too many unlikable and stupid characters here, and the ending is beyond
silly.
Night Of The Demons 3 features more nudity and sex. The nude scenes feel
so random, and the sex scenes are unnecessary. I guess they needed a
few reasons to distract the audience from the horrible plot, but the
extra nudity and sex doesn’t help Night Of The Demons 3, because this
film has too many obvious flaws.
The story doesn’t maintain continuity. What happened to Melissa, Johnny,
Bibi, and Sister Gloria? They actually survived Angela’s attacks, and
there was a cliffhanger at the end of Night Of The Demons 2. During the
opening scene, Larry alludes to the “kids from St. Rita’s Academy,” but
still, they don’t provide a thorough explanation for their whereabouts. I
don’t have a big problem with Bibi, Sister Gloria, and Johnny, but
Melissa? Come on, she’s Angela’s sister! Night Of The Demons 3 feels
like a stand-alone film most of the time, because a real connection to
the previous films doesn’t exist.
The lack of continuity is annoying, and the shitty acting in this film
is just dreadful. Kinkade, Vrana, and Rodriguez tried to save this one,
but the bad performances outweigh the enjoyable ones here.
And they tried to recreate Angela’s dance scene from the first film
AGAIN. The second attempt in Night Of The Demons 2 was embarrassing
enough, but Angela’s third attempt is just pitiful. She does this slow
and awkward sensual dance for Orson, and for some odd reason, Angela
performs fellatio on Orson’s gun. Of course, Angela wanted Orson to
lower his guard. She wanted to distract him, and it worked, because
Angela uses her tongue to kill/demonize Orson (it’s similar to Stooge’s
death in the “Angela’s Dance” clip). Still, the dance is just atrocious,
but Angela’s third attempt is laughably bad.
What the fuck happened to Hull House? In the first two films, Hull House
is a creepy, old funeral home. Hull House provides the perfect spooky
atmosphere, but in Night Of The Demons 3, Hull House is actually clean
and neat? Hull House ’97 is a perfect candidate for a home decorating
magazine, and that’s a major problem. In the first two films, Hull House
enhanced feelings of desperation and fear, but in Night of The Demons
3, Hull House becomes a future dream home for any happy family.
Oh, and I know I’m suppose to use suspension of disbelief for movies,
but Reggie’s survival after the gunshot wounds is unbelievable. He takes
multiple shots to the STOMACH, is bleeding profusely, and somehow he
survives well past the halfway point of this film without medical
attention? Please.
No tension, no real scares, and horrible writing. Night If The Demons 3
is an absolute travesty. Night Of The Demons 2 was a straight-to-video
release, but it didn’t feel like a straight-to-video release. Well,
Night Of The Demons 3 was a straight-to-video release…..and it feels
like a straight-to-video film, a bottom of the barrel straight-to-video
film. It’s not even worthy of Wal-Mart’s five dollar bin. Yeah, it’s
that bad.
Two versions of this film exist, the R-rated version and the unrated
version. Although, you won’t see a big difference between both versions.
The unrated version is a little bit more gory, that’s all.
Sorry, I love Amelia Kinkade, but I can’t push myself to give this film a
one rating. Besides a select few, the acting is shit, the production
values are shit, the directing is shit, and the writing is shit. It’s a travesty, and Night Of The Demons 3 provides one of the most disappointing finales for any franchise.
(This is a trailer for NOTD 2. The title is just different, that's all)
The Story
It’s been six years since the infamous Hull House massacre. Presumably,
Judy and Roger were the only living survivors from Angela’s Halloween
party. The cops recovered the remains of the dead teens, but they
couldn’t find one person…Angela. Most people believe Angela descended
into hell. Here, her powers grew stronger, and the evil villainess still
lurks inside the abandoned funeral home. After the party, Angela’s
parents received a Halloween card, but this wasn’t a normal Halloween
card. The card was covered in blood and dead bugs, and this card
included Angela’s signature. The shock was too much to handle, and
Angela’s parents committed suicide.
One day, two unsuspecting door-to-door Jehovah’s Witnesses visit Hull
House. The door mysteriously opens by itself, and Angela greets the duo.
Noticing their creepy surroundings, Albert and Linda quickly refuse a
simple offer for a slice of cake. They try to escape, but Angela
slaughters both of them with a sword.
Before I continue, I have to point out the stupidity of Angela’s
visitors. You willingly walk into an abandoned funeral home after the
door opens by itself. Then, you trust this strange woman in a black
wedding dress? Seriously? You have to see it to believe it:
Anyway, St. Rita’s Academy is a Catholic boarding school for teens. Now
an orphan, Angela’s younger and nerdy sister, Melissa (or “Mouse”) is
constantly picked on and bullied as a student. Her best friend, Bibi
tries to provide some comfort, but Bibi’s friend, Terri (or Teresa)
isn’t so understanding. Shirley Finnerty is a rebellious bully, and
torturing Melissa becomes her number one priority. The strict head nun,
Sister Gloria tries to protect Melissa, but Shirley devises the ultimate
prank.
Johnny and Kurt are best friends. Johnny has the hots for Bibi, and Kurt
is seduced by Shirley. With their help, Shirley tricks Bibi into
inviting Melissa to a “Halloween party” at Hull House. Rick and Z-Boy
are Shirley’s trusted cronies. They help set up the prank, but when they
catch Angela’s attention, the group runs into some unexpected trouble.
Z-Boy disappears, and using a tube of lipstick as a conveyance to
protect her from the underground stream, Angela secretly escapes Hull
House.
Back at St. Rita’s Academy, Angela possesses Shirley. Perry is a geeky
student, who is obsessed with demonology. He tries to offer his help,
and while Perry is able to convince Sister Gloria, the naive Father Bob
refuses to buy into the story of a demon attack. Tempted by an offer to reunite
with her demonized sister, Melissa leaves St. Rita’s Academy, and she
follows Angela to Hull House. Sister Gloria, Perry, Bibi, Johnny, and a
reluctant Father Bob try to rescue Melissa from a planned sacrifice, but
they will have to fight off Angela’s possessed victims, and evade the
deadly traps of Hull House.
Character Rundown
Melissa Franklin/Mouse (Merle Kennedy)- Melissa is a shy and
jumpy geek, and you’ll quickly be able to see why she earned the
nickname “Mouse.” Melissa is forced to live the lifestyle of an outcast.
Melissa is Shirley’s number one target, and Terri takes her fair share
of shots at her. It’s easy to feel sympathy for Melissa, because she
endures some pretty rough hazing throughout this film. Also, Melissa’s
parents are dead, and her long-lost sister is a sneaky and evil demon.
When it comes to acting, Kennedy actually outshines Kinkade in this
film. She provides a few laughs every now and then, and Kennedy is very
convincing as Melissa.
Angela Franklin (Amelia Kinkade)- Angela is more confident in
this film. She’s wickedly evil, and for some unexplainable reason,
Angela uses a sword as a weapon here. Her powers are stronger, and
Kinkade did bring a very believable devious side to this character.
Sister Gloria (Jennifer Rhodes)- Rhodes provides a hilarious
parody performance of a strict, no-nonsense nun. Sister Gloria tries to
protect Melissa from any bullying, and she becomes a leader in the fight
against Angela and her minions during the final showdown. Rhodes
delivers the majority of laughs, and Sister Gloria is one of the more
entertaining characters in this franchise.
Bibi (Cristi Harris)-Bibi is hot, but unlike Shirley, it’s not in a slutty
way. Cristi Harris brings a strong sense of innocence to this
character. In a lot of ways, Bibi is Melissa’s REAL big sister, and
Harris’ performance is enjoyable.
Shirley Finnerty (Zoe Trilling)-
She’s a trashy skank. Sorry, but this is the best way to describe Ms.
Finnerty. Shirley is nothing more than a petty bully, and her 50’s
hipster persona is kind of annoying. Shirley is a rebel, but she’s not a
cool anti-hero, because her character is too unlikable. Trilling is
decent enough on the acting side of things, but her body is the main
attraction for this film. In her demonized form, Shirley’s breasts
become deadly weapons. Shirley provides one of the most gruesome and
bizarre kills in this series, but when Trilling transforms into a demon,
she loses her sex appeal. The loss of sex appeal kills any interest in
Shirley, because Trilling’s acting skills (or lack there of) can’t save this character.
Johnny (Johnny Moran)- Johnny is kind of goofy. Moran is supposed to
be this pretty boy/jock, but this character is a klutz at times. His
“karate moves” aren’t suppose to be taken seriously, but Johnny is just
like a chicken with its head cut off throughout this film. Moran is
funny, but the Johnny character sends out too many mixed signals.
Kurt (Ladd York)- Kurt is a brainless meathead. Kurt fits the
profile of the popular guy/alpha male in high school. He’s good at
sports, the women like him, and he’s a bit of a bully. York is
believable, but he’s more entertaining as a demon. Eventually, he
develops a dark sense of humor, and Kurt’s brief screen time as a
beheaded demon provides a few cheap laughs.
Father Bob (Rod McCary)- McCary really nails this character, and
Father Bob is an ass. Father Bob is inept and arrogant, and he almost
ruins Melissa’s rescue mission.
Perry (Robert Jane, credited as Bobby Jacoby)- Perry is obsessed
with demons, and he is determined to prove Father Bob wrong. Perry is a
geek, so of course, Kurt sees an easy target for bullying. Jane’s
performance is quirky and funny, and Perry shows some bravery towards
the end.
Terri/Teresa (Christine Taylor)- Terri is just a hot blonde. She’s a
mean girl, who occasionally joins the “let’s pick on Melissa” gang.
Taylor is good eye candy, but towards the end of the film, her character
just disappears. She becomes a demon, tries to kill or possess (it‘s
hard to tell) Bibi and then poof, she’s gone. But Taylor’s disappearance
didn’t bother me, because in the grand scheme of things, her character
is pretty irrelevant.
Rick (Rick Peters)- Rick is supposed to be Shirley’s boyfriend,
but nothing is confirmed. As far as relationships go, Shirley never
shows any sort of true allegiance to her male friends in this film.
Anyway, Rick is a loser. He’s one of Shirley’s cronies, and Rick is the
type of guy, who dropped out of high school, and never moved on with his
life. Peters’ ego is believable, but in the end, Rick is just a
douchebag.
Z-Boy (Darin Heames)- As far as personality goes, Z-Boy is just a
goofy version of Rick (minus the ego), and he’s another one of
Shirley’s cronies. Heames is a comedy character, and he has a few funny
moments. He’s one of the bad guys, but they do take a lighthearted
approach towards this character.
Who's Behind The Camera?
Brian Trenchard-Smith is the director for Night Of The Demons 2.
Trenchard-Smith provides some spooky atmospherics. The gore is more
graphic, and the bloody kills are pretty gruesome. Trenchard-Smith
delivers brutal violence, but his comical approach adds some necessary
humor during the grotesque moments in this film. Overall,
Trenchard-Smith was the right choice for director. His style might feel
pretty basic most of the time, but Trenchard-Smith is the second best
director in this franchise (Tenney is still #1).
My Overall Thoughts
Joe Augustyn returns to write the script, and James Penzi helped with
the story. Night Of The Demons 1988 provided a good balance of laughs
and spooky horror, but Night Of The Demons 2 is more comedy driven.
Humor triumphs over horror here, but I can’t complain too much, because
the jokes are still funny. You can sense Augustyn’s campy humor, and
Augustyn’s return really helps the screenplay. After all, Augstyn did
create the original story, so he knows what it takes to produce the
right blueprint for any Night Of The Demons film.
The demons aren’t unstoppable, because the survivors have a dangerous weapon this time around: Holy water.
Yeah, it’s simple, but the holy water is effective. The holy water is a
refreshing addition to this film, because it gives the survivors a
fighting chance. In the previous film, the survivors spend a lot of time
running from demon attacks, because they can’t find any weaknesses.
As I said before, Night Of The Demons 2 puts more focus on comedy. Water
balloons and super soakers are used as weapons, and Sister Gloria
becomes a swashbuckler, but instead of a sword, she uses long rulers.
But Night Of The Demons 2 isn’t a horrible film. They just decided to
take a different approach here, and I enjoy most of the changes. The
introduction of holy water gives the survivors a weapon, so you don’t
have to sit through a bunch of chase scenes. Bibi and Shirley show some
skin, but as far as nudity goes, you won‘t see any major changes between
Night Of The Demons 2 and the original.
They tried to recreate Angela’s dance scene from the first film,
but the second attempt just falls flat. The music played a big part in
Angela’s dance scene from Night Of Demons, but in Night Of The Demons 2,
Angela dances to this awful generic rock music. And to top it off, she
inexplicably pours a bowl of punch on herself. Angela’s dance scene from
Night Of The Demons 2 provides a jaw-dropping moment, but not for good
reasons, though.
Oh, and I can’t get over Angela’s sword. Angela’s sword is a deadly
weapon, but we don’t know where it came from, or who gave it to her. The
sword gives Angela a bad-ass edge, and she’s a lot more dangerous with
this weapon. Still, when it comes to the origins of the sword, the
audience has to assume everything. Sorry, but this important detail
really bothers me.
Unlike the 1988 original, Night Of The Demons 2 wasn’t a theatrical
release. This was a straight-to-video film, but Night Of The Demons 2
doesn’t feel like a straight-to-video release. The awful CGI snake at
the very end is the only downside for the special effects, because the
production values are noticeably better. And unlike most
straight-to-video horror films, Night Of The Demons 2 isn’t held down by
shitty acting.
Night Of The Demons 2 is a respectable follow up to the 1988 original.
The story maintains continuity, and they did a good job of building up
Angela’s character. Angela Franklin is a dark and evil legend, and
Terri’s stories/explanations of her past provide the essential mystique.
As far as quality goes, it’s a step down, but if you enjoyed the first
film in this series, Night Of The Demons 2 should provide some
entertainment for you. Merle Kennedy is fantastic as Melissa, Amelia
Kinkade is still sharp as Angela, Christi Harris and Jennifer Rhodes
provide a few good performances, and the rest of the cast is solid.
Night Of The Demons 2 is gory, funny, and yes, this film is scary at
times.
Along with the
original and the 2009 remake, Night Of The Demons 2 provides plenty of
rewatch value for me. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about
Night Of The Demons 3.
It’s Halloween night, and Angela Franklin is planning an unforgettable
party. Along with her best friend Suzanne, Angela plans to “scare the
shit out of” her party guests. The party will take place at Hull House, a
spooky, old rundown funeral home in the middle of nowhere. Many years
ago, Old Man Hull ran the business, but Hull was a strange man. He was
obsessed with his dead clients, and like the rest of his family, Hull
was murdered during a brutal slaughter fest. One night, the entire Hull
family suffered a gruesome end, when one unknown member of the family
snapped. The Hull’s maid couldn’t escape the massacre, and the identity
of the murderer is still a mystery, because the police couldn’t find
any true clues amongst the massive piles of blood and guts.
Crossing the underground stream is one of the only surefire ways to
prevent any demon attacks (demons can’t cross over running water), but
the entrance gate mysteriously disappears. The evil forces of Hull House
will block every exit, while the demonized women seduce
their unsuspecting male victims. The remaining survivors will have to
evade the fierce attacks until sunrise, or they will lose their souls
forever.
Character Rundown
Angela Franklin (Amelia Kinkade, credited as Mimi Kinkade in this film)-
Angela is an outcast. She’s one of those reclusive goth chicks, who
craves attention in the worst way. She wears a black wedding dress, and
this costume really enhances the dark side of Angela’s character,
especially during her scenes as a demon. Although, Kinkade did bring
some sex appeal to this character. It doesn’t last long, but Kinkade
provides a show stealing scene with her sexy moment. Kinkade is the only
reoccurring cast member in this franchise, and she really nailed the
Angela character.
Suzanne (Linnea Quigley)- First of all, I love, love, LOVE Linnea
Quigley. Quigley is one of the more noticeable scream queens from the
80’s, but she doesn’t showcase her shrieking skills here. Suzanne is
flirty, promiscuous, and she provides some of the eye candy. Suzanne
oozes sex appeal, and as usual, Quigley shows some skin in a few nude
scenes here. The relationship between Angela and Suzanne feels a bit
strange. After all, Angela is an outcast and a “weirdo,” but Suzanne
fits the mold of the popular girl in high school. I enjoy the odd
pairing between Angela and Suzanne, because the typical mean, popular
girl bullying the outcast stuff is so predictable and tiresome most of
the time.
Judy Cassidy (Cathy Podewell)- Judy is the sweet, innocent,
good-girl of the bunch. Cathy Podwell’s performance is very believable,
and Judy is one of the more likeable characters in this franchise.
Sal Romero (Billy Gallo, credited as William Gallo)- Sal is the
typical high school tough guy. He’s a bully for the most part, but
Gallo’s performance is so smooth. Sal is pretty arrogant, but he’s still
a likeable character. Sal is cool and laid back, and Gallo did provide
one of the more memorable performances for any Night Of The Demons film.
Jay Jansen (Lance Fenton)- He’s a douchebag. Jay tries to be this
hip and suave lady’s man, but he is such a tool. There’s nothing wrong
with Fenton’s performance, but I really can’t stand this character at
all.
Roger (Alvin Alexis)- Roger is the most annoying character in
this film. He’s just a cowardly bitch, and when I first saw this film
years ago, I actually rooted for his death. Judy actually shows more
courage than him, and Roger’s constant whining drives me nuts. Yeah,
sorry, but his last heroic act at the end wasn’t enough, and I can’t
ignore his overwhelming amounts of cowardice throughout this film.
Stooge (Hal Havins)- He’s a fat, foul-mouthed slob, who doesn’t
respect women. Stooge is an asshole, but more importantly, he’s an
entertaining asshole.
Helen (Allison Barron)- Helen is…well she’s just there. Barron
has a few highlights/funny moments, when the Helen character insults
Stooge, but other than that, Barron really didn’t bring anything special
to this film. Barron provided a decent enough performance, but her
character doesn’t last long, and Helen is one of the more forgettable
faces in the franchise.
Max (Philip Tanzini)-Tanzini provides some enjoyable humor, and he delivered a solid performance for the Max character.
Frannie (Jill Terashita)-Frannie is Max’s girlfriend, and
Terashita is just eye candy for the most part. Frannie is an airhead,
and Terashita’s most memorable scene involves her exposed breasts, so
that should tell you all you kneed to know about this character.
Who’s Behind The Camera?
Kevin Tenney (credited as Kevin S. Tenney) is the director for this
film, and Tenney really provided the perfect touch for Night Of The
Demons. Night Of The Demons is short on genuine scares, but Tenney
created a very believable spooky atmosphere for this film. The dark
cinematography looks great, and the tense moments before certain demon
attacks/chases really help pull everything together.
To be honest, I’m not a Kevin Tenney expert. I never had the urge to
research his career, and I haven’t seen the vast majority of his films.
In fact, I’ve only seen two of his films. Night Of the Demons is one
obvious pick, and Witchboard is the other. Kevin Tenney won’t shut the
fuck up about Witchboard on the DVD commentary, so I decided to give it a
try a few years ago. It’s a decent film at best. Please don’t buy into
Tenney’s bullshit, and don’t listen to his loyal and blind followers who
praise this film, because Witchboard is far from a cult classic.
My Overall Thoughts
Night Of The Demons features one of my favorite intros of all time. This
intro has a genuine old school feel to it. It’s spooky, and the gothic
theme music is just fantastic:
Night Of The Demons is an outstanding horror/comedy. It’s a campy 80’s
horror flick, and the jokes are SUPPOSED to be corny. I love the cheesy
humor, and this film provides a good mix of spooky horror and laughs,
but Night Of The Demons never reaches a point, where you can’t take the
story seriously. It’s not too silly, and you can thank Joe Augustyn’s
(who is also the producer for this film) script for that. Augustyn’s
hokey jokes provide some good comic relief, but he never forgets the
horror side of this film, as the survivors struggle to fight for their
lives.
And Hull House is the perfect setting for Night Of The Demons. Hull
House is isolated in the middle of nowhere, so the teens can’t run to
any neighbors for help. It’s an old, creepy abandoned funeral home, with
a chilling atmosphere, and Hull House really enhances feelings of fear
and desperation.
After the first possession, Angela explains the difference between
“haunted” and “possessed.” Ghosts aren’t causing the problems in Hull
House. An evil demon stalks the teens, and Hull House is controlled by
mysterious evil forces (they can trap their victims by closing doors,
locking doors, blocking other exits, etc.) This crucial piece of
information separates Night Of The Demons from other ordinary haunted
house films, and the idea of a possessed house feels more refreshing.
Remember that sexy moment I alluded to earlier? Suzanne and Frannie
aren’t the only pieces of eye candy here, and for a brief moment, Angela
sheds her creepy goth chick persona. Angela‘s bizarre dance in this
clip is my favorite scene in the entire series. It’s seductive and
dazzling, and Billy Gallo’s “WTF???” reaction is just priceless. Night
Of The Demons is loaded with great music and graphic gore, and this
scene gives you a taste of both. Oh, and you should skip over this clip,
if you can’t handle bloody and disgusting violence, because things get
pretty messy towards the end!
Like most horror films from the 80’s (especially horror comedies), Night
Of The Demons receives harsh treatment from critics. But most critics,
who bash this film can’t take the sticks out of their asses, or they
really can’t comprehend the COMEDY side of this film.
Yeah, as far as horror goes, you’ll find a lot of bad films and
predictable slashers from the 80’s, but Night Of The Demons is a true
gem. This film features a
few annoying characters, but they can’t ruin the movie for me. Also, an
unexpected survivor escapes from Hull House.
**SPOILERS**
ROGER and Judy make it all the way to the end, and they are the
only living survivors in this film. Judy was predictable, because she is
the squeaky clean good-girl, but Roger? He’s such a wimp, and he
constantly bails on Judy during life-threatening situations. Roger’s
survival is the true shocker here, because the cowards usually don’t
make it to the end.
**End spoilers**
Technically, there are two versions of
Night Of The Demons: the 1988 theatrical version and the unrated DVD
version. Although, I’ve seen both versions, and I never noticed a big
difference. The unrated DVD version is three minutes longer, it
features more graphic gore and violence, but still, you won’t see any
major changes between both versions.
The next four reviews are apart of a review series I plan on continuing in the future. This series will focus on Night Of The Demons, one of my favorite horror franchises. The next four reviews will be broken up into four posts, because I don't want to clutter everything with one giant post.
Extra tidbit: For those of you, who have already started reading my Night Of The Demons review series, you'll probably notice the increase in the length of each post. Yeah, I know it's long, but I wanted to be thorough and give it my all in this review series. I wanted to squeeze in every little detail, and provide a different experience.
Thanks for taking the time to read it, and I'm considering Friday The 13th or A Nightmare On Elm Street for my next review series!
Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) has hit rock bottom. Mickey is one of those sneaky con-man/insurance salesman, who makes a living off of unsuspecting and gullible clients. But Mickey’s life has taken a turn for the worst. Jo Ann (Mickey’s wife) is tired of Mickey’s lies, so she kicks him out of the house. Mickey is having a hard time finding clients, past due bills continue to pile up, and Mickey desperately needs money. Mickey is struggling, but Gorvy Hauer (Alan Arkin) could be his ticket to freedom.
Gorvy is Mickey’s new client. He’s an innocent old man, and Mickey eventually suckers him into buying some insurance for his TV. But closing the deal isn’t Mickey’s main priority. Gorvy is the owner of a valuable violin, and Mickey plans to steal it. Mickey really needs the money, and pawning the violin could solve all of his problems. Mickey can be a real scumbag, but he eventually earns Gorvy’s trust. Mickey waits for the perfect opportunity, and he gets some help from the man, who installed Gorvy’s alaram system. Randy (Billy Crudup) installed the alarm. He knows the code, and Randy can disarm the system, and Mickey decides to blackmail him for some help. Mickey almost escapes with the valuable violin, but Gorvy’s friendly neighbor shows up. He instantly suspects something fishy. The friendly neighbor immediately picks up a phone, but as he tries to call the police, Randy freaks out, and he bashes his head in with a hammer.
The friendly neighbor is dead, and Mickey must help Randy dispose of the body. Randy is an ex-con, he doesn’t want to go back to jail, but if he does, he promises to take Mickey with him. Mickey tries to fix his relationship with Jo Ann (Lea Thompson), but at the same time, he must work with Randy to cover up the murder, and the stolen violin doesn’t help his messy and complicated situation.
I was ready to give up on this film at first, and I HATED the first fifteen minutes. Thin Ice starts out very slow, but everything really picked up, as the story progressed, and the constant twists and turns did hook me in.
Thin Ice can feel so ordinary most of the time. The story takes place in a small and simple Wisconsin town, the characters are just struggling Average Joes, who are trying to make a living, and the wintertime atmosphere of Wisconsin always feels so calm and peaceful. But the excellent screenplay and the very solid performances from the entire cast did bring life to Thin Ice. These elements really did enhance Thin Ice’s simplistic setting, and the Sprecher sisters (Jill andand Karen) deserve a lot of credit for the writing, because the screenplay is just superb.
The acting in this film is outstanding, and as usual, the Back To The Future fan inside of me marked out for any appearance from Lea Thompson, but Greg Kinnear was fantastic as the lead man. The Mickey Prohaska character is a scumbag. There’s no doubt about it. Mickey is a sneaky con-man, and he targets weak-minded people, because he sees them as easy targets. But at times, I could feel for Mickey. He was just a desperate guy, who wanted a second chance, and he was stuck in an impossible situation with no escape. Mickey was drowning in debt, and his wife hated him. Mickey’s troubles were caused by his own foolish mistakes, and he really did burn the bridge with his wife, but I still wanted to feel sympathy for this poor sap sometimes, and Kinnear was very convicting.
And I can’t forget about Billy Crudup. Crudup was hilarious, and his energetic performance did provide the majority of laughs here. Randy was this angry ex-con, who could snap at any moment, and he was a nervous wreck throughout this film. As far as the acting goes, the rest of the cast really did pull their weight, but Crudup’s performance was the highlight of this film.
Thin Ice starts out slow, but I was hooked in, as the story began to evolve. The humor is enjoyable, and the incredible jaw-dropping twist towards the end is just great. The big twist for this film did feel genuinely shocking, because I really didn’t see it coming, and the big surprise did help raise this score for me. Thin Ice is a low budget film, and besides Kinnear, this film really doesn’t have any recognizable mainstream actors or actresses. Thin Ice will fly underneath the radar this year, but I really did enjoy this film, and I’m happy I took a chance on this one.
Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) reunites with Dr. John Watson (Jude Law), and with the help of Madame Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace), they try to stop Professor James Moriarty’s (Jared Harris) numerous assassination attempts and terrorist attacks. Madame Simza is a Gypsy fortune-teller, and her brother might be the assassin for Moriarty’s next big target. Holmes, Watson, and Simza try to derail Moriarty’s plans, but the crafty Professor is always one step ahead of them.
For some odd reason, I couldn’t get into the 2009 film. The acting was good, and I always LOVE Guy Ritchie’s style of directing. It wasn’t a bad film at all, but I just couldn’t get into it. Well, Game Of Shadows was real treat for me, because I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this one.
A Game Of Shadows provides an excellent mix of action and humor, and this film features a good amount of twists and turns. Guy Ritchie brings his A Game on the directing side of things. Ritchie’s stylish directing provides plenty of thrills and excitement, and the mesmerizing action scenes are very enjoyable. Although, the abuse of witty dialogue did annoy me a little bit. Still, A Game Shadows is filled with laughs, and it’s a very fun action/comedy.
Jarred Harris was superb as Professor James Moriarty. Moriarty is a devious and intelligent villain, and he’s always one step ahead of Holmes throughout this film. Moriarty crafty, and Harris was very convincing here. Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law still share some excellent chemistry together, but I really missed Rachel McAdams. McAdams reprises her role as Irene Adler, but as far as on-screen time goes, she’s just regulated to cameo appearance status in this film. Her character doesn’t last long, and I wish I could’ve seen more of her in this film. McAdams’ character always played both sides. She was a crafty thief, and she did work for Moriarty, but McAdams could still bring a charming presence to this character. Noomi Rapace replaced McAdams as the prominent female in this one. Madame Simza has more of an edge. She was tough, willing to fight, and Rapace did a fine job with the acting. Rapace was a suitable replacement for McAdams, but the absence of the Irene Adler character did leave a noticeable void in this film. Adler did have a strong connection with Sherlock Holmes. Both characters had feelings for each other, and Adler was Sherlock Holmes’ Achilles heel.
A Game Of Shadows received mixed reviews from critics. Some of them really enjoyed this film, but a lot of critics decided to bash this one, because it doesn’t “live up to the original.” A Game Of Shadows has fallen on the long list of disappointing sequels for some people. The overall critical reception was mainly negative, but A Game Of Shadows was a nice box office success, and Warner Bros. has something special with the Sherlock Holmes franchise. Robert Downey, Jr. is the perfect choice for Sherlock Holmes. Plus, constantly producing high quality films shouldn’t be a problem. They just need to keep Robert Downey, Jr, Jude Law, and Guy Ritchie together. Keep this nucleus together, and the Sherlock Holmes franchise will continue to flourish, and I’m really looking forward to the third film.
