30,000!

Yep. As you can see, I surpassed 30,000 page views, and as always, I appreciate the continued support. I hit a little slump over the past week, because real life and job hunting got in the way for a while. Things picked up yesterday with my thoughts on the American Horror Story: Coven season finale and reviews for I, Frankenstein and Primal Fear, because I wanted to close out January on a strong note.

TV reviews are coming up soon, and I'm still working my way through all the Oscar nominated films for End Of The Year awards. End Of The Year awards will be up in February, I'm hoping to post my reviews for American Horror Story season one, and hopefully I'll have the time to post my review series for Paranormal Activity soon enough. Again, thanks for taking the time to read my work on here, and I'm happy 2014 is off to a good start.

MMR   

American Horror Story Coven's Season Finale

**Warning this post contains spoilers**

So last night American Horror Story wrapped up its third season with the finale of Coven, and for those of you, who don't know, I'm a HUGE fan of all things American Horror Story. Anyway, every AHS fan wanted the answer to one big question last night: Who's the new Supreme? Fiona was running out of time in the living world, and the Coven needed a new leader.

The test for the "Seven Wonders" pushed each potential candidate to their limits. Misty Day couldn't escape her personal hell for an eternity of dissecting and resurrecting frogs in her high school biology class, and Zoe suffered a gruesome death during the teleportation exercise. Members of the Coven dropped left and right like flies, and Madison Montgomery emerged as the favorite to become the new Supreme.

Myrtle called Madison's bluff during the trials, and a disgruntled Madison left the Coven....but Kyle refused a clean escape. Madison had the power to resurrect Zoe, but Madison is a selfish and egotistical brat, so she refused. Kyle couldn't handle the thought of losing the love of his life, so he murdered Madison. When all the smoke cleared, Cordelia emerged as the new Supreme, after Myrtle pushed Cordelia to compete in the trials.

Cordelia was a nice surprise as the new Supreme. Queenie was my dark horse pick with Zoe as a close number two, but I can't lie to you, because I was pulling for Madison as the next Supreme. Think about it, Madison was Fiona version 2.0. Cocky, arrogant, treacherous, and selfish. Madison as the new Supreme would be the perfect diabolical ending for AHS Coven. But AHS Coven was going for a shocker last night. With all the foreshadowing (remember Fiona killed Madison to eliminate her top threat), Madison as the next Supreme was too obvious, and you can say the same thing about Zoe.

With all that said, Cordelia was the right choice for a variety of reasons. First, Cordelia was a nice "right in front of your eyes" surprise, because no one suspected the quiet and gentle daughter of Fiona to be the next Supreme. And think about everything Cordelia had to go through throughout the season. The attack that took her eyesight, Fiona's constant abuse, Hank's betrayal, and the burden of having to play the role of peacemaker most of the time.

Cordelia suffered through hell this season, and she was on a short list of people, who were willing to risk and sacrifice (remember, she willingly blinded herself again towards the end of the season) everything for the good of the Coven. Watching Cordelia receive her well-deserved crown towards the end provided a feel-good moment for me, and Cordelia as the next Supreme is one of the more memorable satisfying pay offs for AHS.

And Cordelia was the perfect choice to represent the Coven in a new world. The Coven goes public to close out the season, and Cordelia is giving an interview to reach out to any young witches, who are afraid to emerge from the shadows. Oh, and I'm not the only one, who noticed that painting of Fiona in the background during the interview, right?

In the end, Fiona couldn't escape her heinous crimes in real life. After the tearful good bye with Cordelia, Fiona awakes to an eternity with The Axeman, a cabin full of smelly fish, and a smiling Papa Legba in the background. Myrtle made a willing choice to burn at the stake (again), so she could answer for her crimes of murder. Cordelia needed a clean slate in her mission to erase the stigma surrounding witches, and Myrtle wouldn't allow herself to hold Cordelia back. Of course, burning Myrtle alive was a  tough decision for Cordelia. As a  mother, Fiona was an overbearing and abusive bully, but Myrtle was the caring and supportive mother figure.

AHS Coven's finale provided more than enough closure for fans, and the image of Zoe and Queenie standing next to Cordelia as new members of the council is a great example. Although, I'm kind of bummed out we'll never get to see a full episode with Kyle as the new Spalding. AHS withdrawal is kicking in, and I'll have to wait until next October for more twisted spookiness and gruesome mayhem. And I hope I'm not the only one, who thought about calling the number to the Coven during Cordelia's interview..........

I, Frankenstein (2014)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No major character deaths, reveals, or twists**

Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Aden Young) creates a monster (Aaron Eckhart) in the 1700’s. Eventually, Dr. Frankenstein rejects his creation, and he tries to destroy the abomination, but the monster survives. The monster returns to Dr. Frankenstein’s home to murder his wife, Elizabeth (Virginie Le Brun). Dr. Frankenstein pursues his creation, but Frankenstein freezes to death in a snowstorm during his quest for vengeance.

Out of respect, the creature tries to bury Dr. Frankenstein, but the creature is forced to fight off an attack from an invading group of demons. The demons try to capture the creature for the demon prince, Naberius, because Naberius is obsessed with the creature and Dr. Frankenstein’s journal. But two gargoyle warriors named Keziah (Caitlin Stasey) and Ophir (Mahesh Jadu) rescue the creature.

Keziah and Ophir force the creature into a meeting with the gargoyle queen, Leonore (Miranda Otto), and the commander of the gargoyle army, Gideon (Jai Courtney). Leonore explains the detailed history of the hidden war between gargoyles and demons. Gargoyles are the protectors of earth, and Leonore offers the creature a spot in the gargoyle army to help in the fight against Naberius and his minions. He refuses the offer, but Leonore humanizes the creature with a name: Adam. Adam takes a set of gargoyle weapons for protection from demons during his journey for desolate land, and Adam wanders the earth for centuries, fighting off Naberius‘ forces to develop his skills as a warrior.

In the modern world, Adam is still a loner, who dedicates his life to fighting and eliminating demons. Naberius disguises himself as Charles Wessex (Bill Nighy), a wealthy businessman, who’s obsessed with reanimating corpses. Wessex uses his top scientist, Terra (Yvonne Strahovski) to follow in Dr. Frankenstein’s footsteps, but Naberius needs Adam and Dr. Frankenstein’s journal for the final steps in his master plan.

Adam and Dr. Frankenstein’s journal are the blueprints for Naberius’ plans of world domination, and Adam needs to fix his broken relationship with Leonore and the gargoyle order to fight off Naberius’ forces, including Zuriel (Socratis Otto) and Dekar (Kevin Grevioux). But Adam’s obsession with Dr. Frankenstein’s journal forces Leonore to make a tough decision…….

What happened to Aaron Eckhart’s promising career? This one question constantly pops up across the internet year after year, and it’s almost impossible to ignore the outcries for Eckhart’s mediocre run over the past couple of years. Why? For some strange reason, a lot of people believed in the possibility of a future full of Oscars and major leading roles for Eckhart.

Of course, Eckhart’s role as Two-Face/Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight sparked all the hoopla for Eckhart’s future. At best, Eckhart is a decent supporting player. He was lucky enough to land a role in one of the most praised and celebrated superhero films of the past twenty years, and that’s it. Eckhart was the leading man in Battle Los Angeles, and I enjoyed the movie, but Eckhart doesn’t deserve too much credit for his work in the leading role, because Battle LA was a spectacle of flashy and intense battle scenes.

Need more proof? Eckhart is not a draw, because I, Frankenstein flopped with a debut at #6 in the top ten box office standings. AND on top of that, you won’t see the best performance from Eckhart here. In the acting department, Miranda Otto and Bill Nighy carry this film (especially Otto) on their backs, and Yvonne Strahovski upstages Eckhart, especially during their scenes together. Eckhart’s performance is limited to tough guy stares, snarls, and a slow, raspy style of speech.

Eckhart is not on a fast track to stardom, so his supporters need to put a lid on all the “Hollywood is dropping the ball, because Eckhart is destined for greatness!” talk. Can’t think of too many reasons for individual recognition for the rest of the cast. Courtney and others all fall into the category of one-dimensional enforcer drones, with stilted lines of dialogue.

Looks play an important part in believability. Eckhart’s look doesn’t scream intimidating lethal bad ass, who can destroy anything in his path. In reality, Eckhart looks like a dirty bum. Seriously, who had the bright idea to dress Frankenstein’s monster in a trench coat, fitted jeans, and a hoodie? And the scars across Adam’s body don’t help the problem.

I, Frankenstein is trying to mimic the Underworld films? It’s almost impossible to ignore the similarities. The rogue outsider (Selene), who’s caught in the middle of a deadly blood feud between two races (the vampires and the werewolves), who hate each other? Yep. You’ll see a few familiar faces from the Underworld franchise with Bill Nighy and Kevin Grevioux, and you have Underworld producers Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi returning  for producer credits in I, Frankenstein. Yeah, if they were trying to create a gargoyles VS demons alternative to Underworld, they failed miserably, and there‘s no way to sugar-coat it.

It’s a shame, because I, Frankenstein had a nice story to build on for future films, but it’s a misfire on so many levels. The list of problems include poor execution, too much unintentional hilarity, terrible CGI, an overall mediocre cast, and an anticlimactic final battle. And if you’re looking for a decent amount of guilty pleasure fun, you should find another movie, because I, Frankenstein will disappoint you. I’ll give I, Frankenstein some credit for cool 3D effects, and the fight between Gideon and Adam is fun to watch, but that’s it.

Without the snazzy 3D effects, I wouldn’t hesitate to go with a lower score. Unfortunately, I Frankenstein is not the one film that can breathe life into or provide a refreshing take on Frankenstein’s story. I, Frankenstein is not worth the price of a theater ticket. Just wait for the DVD and Blu-Ray releases for a rental, or you can wait for I, Frankenstein’s inevitable two or four pack (a pairing with Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing sounds like an ideal release for the two pack)  DVD releases. Or you can wait for the non stop marathons on FX or TNT next year, but don’t waste a trip to the theater on I, Frankenstein.

Rating: 2/10

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

I, Frankenstein (2014)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Aden Young) creates a monster (Aaron Eckhart) in the 1700’s. Eventually, Dr. Frankenstein rejects his creation, and he tries to destroy the abomination, but the monster survives. The monster returns to Dr. Frankenstein’s home to murder his wife, Elizabeth (Virginie Le Brun). Dr. Frankenstein pursues his creation, but Frankenstein freezes to death in a snowstorm during his quest for vengeance.

Out of respect, the creature tries to bury Dr. Frankenstein, but the creature is forced to fight off an attack from an invading group of demons. The demons try to capture the creature for the demon prince, Naberius, because Naberius is obsessed with the creature and Dr. Frankenstein’s journal. But two gargoyle warriors named Keziah (Caitlin Stasey) and Ophir (Mahesh Jadu) rescue the creature.

Keziah and Ophir force the creature into a meeting with the gargoyle queen, Leonore (Miranda Otto), and the commander of the gargoyle army, Gideon (Jai Courtney). Leonore explains the detailed history of the hidden war between gargoyles and demons. Gargoyles are the protectors of earth, and Leonore offers the creature a spot in the gargoyle army to help in the fight against Naberius and his minions. He refuses the offer, but Leonore humanizes the creature with a name: Adam. Adam takes a set of gargoyle weapons for protection from demons during his journey for desolate land, and Adam wanders the earth for centuries, fighting off Naberius‘ forces to develop his skills as a warrior.

In the modern world, Adam is still a loner, who dedicates his life to fighting and eliminating demons. Naberius disguises himself as Charles Wessex (Bill Nighy), a wealthy businessman, who’s obsessed with reanimating corpses. Wessex uses his top scientist, Terra (Yvonne Strahovski) to follow in Dr. Frankenstein’s footsteps, but Naberius needs Adam and Dr. Frankenstein’s journal for the final steps in his master plan.

Adam and Dr. Frankenstein’s journal are the blueprints for Naberius’ plans of world domination, and Adam needs to fix his broken relationship with Leonore and the gargoyle order to fight off Naberius’ forces, including Zuriel (Socratis Otto) and Dekar (Kevin Grevioux). But Adam’s obsession with Dr. Frankenstein’s journal forces Leonore to make a tough decision…….

What happened to Aaron Eckhart’s promising career? This one question constantly pops up across the internet year after year, and it’s almost impossible to ignore the outcries for Eckhart’s mediocre run over the past couple of years. Why? For some strange reason, a lot of people believed in the possibility of a future full of Oscars and major leading roles for Eckhart.

Of course, Eckhart’s role as Two-Face/Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight sparked all the hoopla for Eckhart’s future. At best, Eckhart is a decent supporting player. He was lucky enough to land a role in one of the most praised and celebrated superhero films of the past twenty years, and that’s it. Eckhart was the leading man in Battle Los Angeles, and I enjoyed the movie, but Eckhart doesn’t deserve too much credit for his work in the leading role, because Battle LA was a spectacle of flashy and intense battle scenes.

Need more proof? Eckhart is not a draw, because I, Frankenstein flopped with a debut at #6 in the top ten box office standings. AND on top of that, you won’t see the best performance from Eckhart here. In the acting department, Miranda Otto and Bill Nighy carry this film (especially Otto) on their backs, and Yvonne Strahovski upstages Eckhart, especially during their scenes together. Eckhart’s performance is limited to tough guy stares, snarls, and a slow, raspy style of speech.

Eckhart is not on a fast track to stardom, so his supporters need to put a lid on all the “Hollywood is dropping the ball, because Eckhart is destined for greatness!” talk. Can’t think of too many reasons for individual recognition for the rest of the cast. Courtney and others all fall into the category of one-dimensional enforcer drones, with stilted lines of dialogue.

So Naberius needs Adam and Frankenstein’s journal. Why? Well, in order for Naberius to complete his plans for world domination, he needs vessels for trapped demon souls in hell. Long story short, after their deaths, demon souls descend into hell. On the flip side, gargoyle souls ascend into heaven. Anyway, for years, Naberius (as Wessex) used all of his money, time, resources, and Terra to perfect the reanimation process, but Naberius needs a firsthand “How to do” manual from the only man in history, who succeeded.

With Frankenstein’s journal or Adam’s body (Naberius doesn’t need both), Naberius plans to use reanimated corpses stored in an underground lair as vessels for returning demon souls. With a larger army of demons, Naberius can kill off the vast majority of the human race, and enslave the remaining human population.

Of course, Adam rejoins Leonore for the big battle against Naberius at the end. Adam overcomes the seemingly insurmountable odds to defeat Naberius, and Leonore orders her gargoyle clan to destroy all the corpses in Naberius’ lair. Leonore (in her gargoyle form) rescues Adam and Terra from Naberius’ crumbling building, and to close out the movie, Adam finally accepts his role as a warrior in the fight against the demons.

Eh, okay. A few problems here. First, the “big showdown” between Naberius and Adam is underwhelming. Second, why is Adam helping Leonore again? Before the invasion at the demon headquarters, Leonore ordered a hit on Adam. Gideon was supposed to kill Adam and collect Frankenstein’s journal. Adam is obsessed with the journal, because it’s the blueprint for his life, and the journal could give him the answers he’s looking for, so he refuses a direct order to hand over the journal to Leonore. But Adam turns the tables on Gideon during their fight, and Adam kills Gideon.

Also, what happened to the love story between Terra and Adam? Adam risked his life to save Terra after Naberius’ goons kidnapped her, and I, Frankenstein leads us in the direction of a developing love story between the two, because Terra could be Adam’s only companion on earth. But after Leonore saves Adam and Terra, I, Frankenstein completely abandons the love story without a follow up explanation? Ugh.

Looks play an important part in believability. Eckhart’s look doesn’t scream intimidating lethal bad ass, who can destroy anything in his path. In reality, Eckhart looks like a dirty bum. Seriously, who had the bright idea to dress Frankenstein’s monster in a trench coat, fitted jeans, and a hoodie? And the scars across Adam’s body don’t help the problem.

I, Frankenstein is trying to mimic the Underworld films? It’s almost impossible to ignore the similarities. The rogue outsider (Selene), who’s caught in the middle of a deadly blood feud between two races (the vampires and the werewolves), who hate each other? Yep. You’ll see a few familiar faces from the Underworld franchise with Bill Nighy and Kevin Grevioux, and you have Underworld producers Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi returning  for producer credits in I, Frankenstein. Yeah, if they were trying to create a gargoyles VS demons alternative to Underworld, they failed miserably, and there‘s no way to sugar-coat it.

It’s a shame, because I, Frankenstein had a nice story to build on for future films, but it’s a misfire on so many levels. The list of problems include poor execution, too much unintentional hilarity, terrible CGI, an overall mediocre cast, and an anticlimactic final battle. And if you’re looking for a decent amount of guilty pleasure fun, you should find another movie, because I, Frankenstein will disappoint you. I’ll give I, Frankenstein some credit for cool 3D effects, and the fight between Gideon and Adam is fun to watch, but that’s it.

Without the snazzy 3D effects, I wouldn’t hesitate to go with a lower score. Unfortunately, I Frankenstein is not the one film that can breathe life into or provide a refreshing take on Frankenstein’s story. I, Frankenstein is not worth the price of a theater ticket. Just wait for the DVD and Blu-Ray releases for a rental, or you can wait for I, Frankenstein’s inevitable two or four pack (a pairing with Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing sounds like an ideal release for the two pack)  DVD releases. Or you can wait for the non stop marathons on FX or TNT next year, but don’t waste a trip to the theater on I, Frankenstein.

Rating: 2/10

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

Primal Fear (1996)(Minor Spoilers Review)

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

In Chicago, a young Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) is the prime suspect in Archbishop Rushman’s (Stanley Anderson) murder. Archbishop Rushman is a powerful and respected member of the community, who took care of Aaron as a child.

During his tenure as an altar boy, Aaron lived a life of safety and protection with his girlfriend, Linda (Azalea Davila), so if Aaron is the murder, then why did he turn on his mentor and father figure? The state attorney John Shaughnessy (John Mahoney) and Bud Yancy (Terry O’Quinn) are pushing for the death penalty, and they select Janet Venable (Laura Linney) as the prosecutor.

A famed defense attorney named Martin Vail (Richard Gere) agrees to represent Aaron free of charge. With help from his team of trusted associates Tommy Goodman (Andre Braugher), Naomi Chance (Maura Tierney), and Dr. Molly Arrington (Frances McDormand), a psychiatrist, Martin vows to clear Aaron of all charges. Shaughnesy and Yancy are still holding a grudge against Martin for his decision to quit his job as a prosecutor, and Martin is forced to deal with some bitter feelings from Janet, because Martin and Janet shared a one night stand in the past.

Martin’s mission to win the case for Aaron takes a series of unexpected turns, when Martin discovers Shaughnessy’s ties to old land deals, the Archbishop’s influence over the land deals, and Joey Pinero’s (Steven Bauer), a local thug and one of Martin‘s clients, involvement  in the land deals. Martin has plans to use a controversial tape as the clincher to prove Aaron’s innocence, but things change, when Roy, Aaron’s violent and sadistic alter ego, emerges……..

You’ll see one of the best performances in Edward Norton’s career here, and for those of you, who don‘t know, Primal Fear is Edward Norton‘s first feature film. As Aaron, Norton is this broken and paranoid victim, who’s looking for a shoulder to lean on, but in the blink of an eye, Norton switches gears to become Roy. As Roy, Norton is this hateful sociopath, with a nasty mean streak, and Roy won’t hesitate to rip your head off. Norton’s versatile performance is something to admire, and Norton’s Aaron gives Derek Vinyard in American History X a tough challenge for the best performance in his career.

Richard Gere is a solid leading man as Martin. Martin is a persistent defense attorney, who refuses to quit, and he’s willing to risk everything to save Aaron. Martin will put his toes on line, but he never crosses it, and Gere’s convincing performance will persuade you to believe in Martin’s motivations and his point of view on life, and the legal system.

Laura Linney is believable, as the merciless prosecutor, who’s holding a grudge against Martin. Mahoney’s Shaughnessy is a corrupt and nasty authority figure, who abuses his powers, and Alfre Woodard (Judge Shoat) is the strict no-nonsense judge. Steven Bauer? I can’t say too much about him, because Bauer’s screen time is limited to here and there appearances. McDormand is a suitable choice for her role, but McDormand’s character is overshadowed by Norton, Gere, and others during her screen time. 

Primal Fear is loaded with sub-plots. Aaron’s relationship with Archbishop Rushman, Roy taking control of Aaron, Joey and his legal troubles. But if I had to pick a stand-out favorite, I would go with the feud between Janet and Martin. Janet resents Martin for his holier-than-thou attitude.

Martin’s act as the defense attorney, who’s motivated by a good will mission can’t fool Janet, because she knows Martin is motivated by money and big headlines. There’s a scene, where Janet is about to light up a cigarette in the halls of the courthouse. Martin tries to lecture Janet about respect, but Janet knocks Martin off of his soap box, when she pulls out a magazine with Martin’s picture on the cover. Martin tries to play the role of protector for Janet. Martin pushes Janet to follow his lead, and leave Shaughnessy, because Janet is just dancing around on strings, with Shaughnessy and Yancy as the puppeteers. But Janet won’t budge, because she’s still holding on to some bitter feelings for Martin. Linney and Gere did a good job of selling the friendly rivalry between Janet and Martin, and they provide most of the laughs in Primal Fear during a handful of back and forth bickering scenes.

Primal Fear is a sturdy crime thriller with a few good twists and turns along the way, and the final shocker is guaranteed to blow you away. Aaron’s big moment on the stand as the final witness doesn’t live up to expectations. I give Norton, Gere, and Linney all the credit in the world for doing their best to make it work, but I couldn’t feel anything during the big moment(s). Still, it’s hard to complain about missed opportunities during Aaron’s time on the stand, because the big twist at the end provides a satisfying pay-off. Primal Fear is worth the time for Edward Norton’s nutty performance, and you’ll see why he earned his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

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

Primal Fear (1996)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

In Chicago, a young Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) is the prime suspect in Archbishop Rushman’s (Stanley Anderson) murder. Archbishop Rushman is a powerful and respected member of the community, who took care of Aaron as a child.

During his tenure as an altar boy, Aaron lived a life of safety and protection with his girlfriend, Linda (Azalea Davila), so if Aaron is the murder, then why did he turn on his mentor and father figure? The state attorney John Shaughnessy (John Mahoney) and Bud Yancy (Terry O’Quinn) are pushing for the death penalty, and they select Janet Venable (Laura Linney) as the prosecutor.

A famed defense attorney named Martin Vail (Richard Gere) agrees to represent Aaron free of charge. With help from his team of trusted associates Tommy Goodman (Andre Braugher), Naomi Chance (Maura Tierney), and Dr. Molly Arrington (Frances McDormand), a psychiatrist, Martin vows to clear Aaron of all charges. Shaughnesy and Yancy are still holding a grudge against Martin for his decision to quit his job as a prosecutor, and Martin is forced to deal with some bitter feelings from Janet, because Martin and Janet shared a one night stand in the past.

Martin’s mission to win the case for Aaron takes a series of unexpected turns, when Martin discovers Shaughnessy’s ties to old land deals, the Archbishop’s influence over the land deals, and Joey Pinero’s (Steven Bauer), a local thug and one of Martin‘s clients, involvement  in the land deals. Martin has plans to use a controversial tape as the clincher to prove Aaron’s innocence, but things change, when Roy, Aaron’s violent and sadistic alter ego, emerges……..

You’ll see one of the best performances in Edward Norton’s career here, and for those of you, who don‘t know, Primal Fear is Edward Norton‘s first feature film. As Aaron, Norton is this broken and paranoid victim, who’s looking for a shoulder to lean on, but in the blink of an eye, Norton switches gears to become Roy. As Roy, Norton is this hateful sociopath, with a nasty mean streak, and Roy won’t hesitate to rip your head off. Norton’s versatile performance is something to admire, and Norton’s Aaron gives Derek Vinyard in American History X a tough challenge for the best performance in his career.

Richard Gere is a solid leading man as Martin. Martin is a persistent defense attorney, who refuses to quit, and he’s willing to risk everything to save Aaron. Martin will put his toes on line, but he never crosses it, and Gere’s convincing performance will persuade you to believe in Martin’s motivations and his point of view on life, and the legal system.

Laura Linney is believable, as the merciless prosecutor, who’s holding a grudge against Martin. Mahoney’s Shaughnessy is a corrupt and nasty authority figure, who abuses his powers, and Alfre Woodard (Judge Shoat) is the strict no-nonsense judge. Steven Bauer? I can’t say too much about him, because Bauer’s screen time is limited to here and there appearances. McDormand is a suitable choice for her role, but McDormand’s character is overshadowed by Norton, Gere, and others during her screen time. 

Primal Fear is loaded with sub-plots. Aaron’s relationship with Archbishop Rushman, Roy taking control of Aaron, Joey and his legal troubles. But if I had to pick a stand-out favorite, I would go with the feud between Janet and Martin. Janet resents Martin for his holier-than-thou attitude.

Martin’s act as the defense attorney, who’s motivated by a good will mission can’t fool Janet, because she knows Martin is motivated by money and big headlines. There’s a scene, where Janet is about to light up a cigarette in the halls of the courthouse. Martin tries to lecture Janet about respect, but Janet knocks Martin off of his soap box, when she pulls out a magazine with Martin’s picture on the cover.

Martin tries to play the role of protector for Janet. Martin pushes Janet to follow his lead, and leave Shaughnessy, because Janet is just dancing around on strings, with Shaughnessy and Yancy as the puppeteers. But Janet won’t budge, because she’s still holding on to some bitter feelings for Martin. Linney and Gere did a good job of selling the friendly rivalry between Janet and Martin, and they provide most of the laughs in Primal Fear during a handful of back and forth bickering scenes.

So who’s the killer? Aaron urges Martin to believe in a third man, who was in the room during the murder. Well, after some sleuthing around, and with some help from Dr. Arrington, Martin finds the third man, but there’s one big problem: Roy is the third man. Yep. In his mind, Roy is Aaron’s guardian/enforcer, when Aaron is backed into a corner from pressure, bullying, or any attacks. So Roy murdered Archbishop Rushman, but Martin knows he can’t switch his plea to insanity during the trial.

Martin is out of tricks and plans to win the case, because his entire defense revolved around a third man theory. But Martin uses Janet for one last chance to win the trial. Martin knows Judge Shoat and Shaughnessy will change their minds, if Roy emerges out of nowhere.

The key? Someone has to push Aaron to the edge, so Roy can step in and take over. Enter Janet. During the finale, Aaron is on the stand, and Janet unleashes a harsh attack. She tries to walk away after her series of questions, but Roy takes over. Roy jumps out of his seat, and he tries to choke Janet. After Aaron’s outburst, Judge Shoat announces a mistrial in her private chambers, and Janet is a nervous wreck, because she lost her job. Long story short, Shaughnessy and Yancy threatened Janet’s job, if she didn’t win the case. Martin tries to comfort Janet, but Janet is hesitant to accept Martin’s open arms.

But it’s not over yet! To close out the movie, Martin takes the time to visit Aaron in his cell to say good-bye. Martin and Aaron embrace, but Aaron makes one crucial mistake, when he sends out his get well wishes for Roy’s attack on Janet. Remember, Aaron is supposed to be lost in a blackout, when Roy takes control of his body, so there’s no way he could’ve known about the attack on Janet……unless Aaron created Roy to fool everyone. That’s right. Roy is not real, and Aaron is not a victim of a multiple personality disorder. Roy was a creation, and Aaron admits he exaggerated his own personality (the innocent act, the stuttering, etc.) to trick Martin and everyone else.

A disgusted Martin walks away from Aaron‘s cell, while Aaron taunts him. Aaron brags about murdering the Archbishop, and Aaron admits he murdered Linda, because Linda was a promiscuous girlfriend, who toyed with Aaron‘s emotions. Martin uses the backdoor to exit the courthouse, because he’s too ashamed to face the crowd of reporters and Aaron’s supporters at the front doors.

A great shocker to end the movie. Martin put all of his faith and trust in innocent Aaron, but Aaron duped him. Norton did a good job of showing no remorse during his cocky confession. When Martin puts the pieces of the puzzle together, Aaron starts clapping and laughing in Martin’s face, because he knows it’s too late to do anything. Throughout the movie, Aaron played the role of this sympathetic kid with a soft southern accent, and a stuttering problem. Deep down inside, Aaron was a cold-blooded murder, who wore a mask in front of everyone, but he waited for the right moment to pull it off. 

And kudos to Gere for Martin’s devastated body language and facial expressions. Martin couldn’t bask in the glory of his victory with reporters and supporters for Aaron, so he had to sneak out the back door. Martin fought and risked everything for a guilty man, and on top of that, he’s the primary reason for Janet’s joblessness. The final shot of the movie shows Martin standing outside the courthouse, and he’s still in a state of shock. The blank stare on Gere’s face is just perfect, and the Aaron twist is something to remember.

Primal Fear is a sturdy crime thriller with a few good twists and turns along the way, and the final shocker is guaranteed to blow you away. Aaron’s big moment on the stand as the final witness doesn’t live up to expectations. I give Norton, Gere, and Linney all the credit in the world for doing their best to make it work, but I couldn’t feel anything during the big moment(s). Still, it’s hard to complain about missed opportunities during Aaron’s time on the stand, because the big twist at the end provides a satisfying pay-off. Primal Fear is worth the time for Edward Norton’s nutty performance, and you’ll see why he earned his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

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

Character Spotlight- Elijah Price/Mr. Glass- Unbreakble (2000)

**This post contains spoilers**

Obsessed comic book fan? Check. Creepy recluse? Check. Aspiring super villain? Yep.

That's an odd list for Elijah Price, but it's hard to not feel some sympathy for the guy. Elijah suffers from a potentially fatal degenerative bone disease, and his brittle bones earned him the nickname Mr. Glass as a child. Elijah's mother eased her son's pain with the promise of one new comic book every week, but to cash in on his mother's deal, Elijah had to make a promise to end his self-imposed exile from the outside world as a recluse. Elijah's mother promised to deliver the comic book, if Elijah took a short trip outside to a park bench to retrieve his prize. Elijah agreed to his mother's terms, and a love for comic books saved Elijah from an unsuccessful life.

As an adult, Elijah turned his passion for comic books into a career. Elijah owns and operates Limited Edition, a gallery featuring comic book art. Elijah survived all the rough taunting and physical hardships as a child. He overcame adversity to live his dream, so what's missing? Elijah needs to find his counterpart in life to fill in the missing pieces to the puzzle, so he embarks on a mission to find a real life superhero, with some help from his knowledge of comic books.

The top man on Elijah's list of potential candidates? David Dunn (Bruce Willis), an ordinary security guard. David is trying to find some solace in his broken marriage, and fix an awkward father/son relationship with Joesph. David is quick to dismiss Elijah's outlandish claims, but David can't ignore one bizarre miracle: David emerges as the sole survivor from a tragic train accident. Is Elijah right? Is David a superhero, who possesses supernatural strength and powers?

Samuel L. Jackson's portrayal of Elijah is something to remember. As a child, you want to feel sympathy for this kid, who's forced into a life as an outcast. As an adult, Elijah is an eccentric, jaded, and bitter man, who hates the world and almost everyone in it. There's a scene in Unbreakable, where a customer visits Limited Edition to purchase a gift for his son, but there's a little catch. The customer never revealed his son's age to Elijah. The customer's son is a young child, and Elijah values the prestige of his art gallery. He doesn't want to give off the impression Limited Edition is a kiddie shop, so a snobbish Elijah berates the customer, and he refuses to sell anything to him.

David was supposed to be the cure for Elijah. He was supposed to be the one, who completed his life. Well, David eventually accepted the truth, and he embraced his powers and alter ego as a superhero. So everything should be perfect, right? David was able to save a couple of lives using his powers, and Elijah found the answers he was looking for, and he found a new friend in David, but there's one problem: Elijah is responsible for a series of terrorist attacks, including David's train wreck. David found the answers using his clairvoyant powers. Devastated and shocked, David informed the police to put an end to Elijah's reign of terror.

Elijah had to lure his counterpart out of hiding, so he lived a secret life as a terrorist. A delusional Elijah believes in his actions, because A. he helped David discover his true identity, and B. Elijah found his counterpart, and C. Elijah found his purpose in life. Elijah believes in his destiny to be David's archenemy, but the police don't share beliefs for obvious reasons.

Unbreakable features a memorable twist, when they reveal Elijah as the culprit, but a one unanswered question bothers me: Why didn't Elijah take advantage of David's trust? David befriended Elijah towards the end, and David lowered his defenses, so Elijah had the chance to strike first before David learned the truth. You have to wonder if Mr. Glass is still contemplating his mistake, but I guess we'll never know the truth about his regrets, because Unbreakable was a one and done deal. It's a shame, because Jackson is the ideal choice for this role, and Mr. Glass had a lot of potential as a villain.

If you're interested, you can follow this link to read my spoiler review for Unbreakable (2000)-

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2013/11/unbreakable-2000spoiler-review.html

And here's the link for the minor spoilers review-

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2013/11/unbreakable-2000minor-spoilers-review.html



   
 

Signs Of Trouble For Found-Footage Horror Films?

Stats courtesy of BoxOfficeMojo.com

This past weekend Devil's Due opened at number seven in the top ten box office standings. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones fell out of the top ten altogether after falling to the number nine spot during the previous weekend. And to top it off, The Marked Ones opened at number two.

Think about that for a second. A heavily promoted Paranormal Activity film opened at number two. Yes, Frozen is a front-runner to take home the Oscar for Best Animated film, but let's look at the facts. Frozen received its limited theatrical release on November 22, 2013, and the wide release on November 27, 2013. That's a full month and then some before the release of The Marked Ones, and Paranormal Activity is a well-known franchise with a fan following and a proven track record of success (the original Paranormal Activity film and The Marked Ones are the only two films in the franchise that didn't open at number one). We're not talking about some random footage film. We're talking about a franchise with real name value, and The Marked Ones couldn't take the number one spot from a film that's been around since November?

And now we have Devil's Due. Devil's Due was heavily promoted for weeks, but the film opened at number seven. I wasn't 100% sold on Devil's Due, but I was sure Devil's Due would find a way to squeeze into the top three somehow. Although, you have to look at things from a moviegoer's POV. The trailers and TV spots for Devil's Due were too generic and ordinary. If I'm using the trailers and TV spots as a measuring stick, Devil's Due is a run-of-the-mill found-footage possession film, with cheap jump scares, and a lame cliffhanger ending.

I know we're in January, so there's plenty of time left in 2014. Still, you can't ignore the obvious warning signs after the recent slide for The Marked Ones, and the huge flop for Devil's Due. As far as Paranormal Activity goes, the franchise is suffering from a problem of one too many sequels. To make matters worse, Paranormal Activity sticks to a tiresome formula: 40-50 minutes of boring security camera footage (I don't need to know what's going on in your empty pool or kitchen at 3:00 am), sporadic attacks from Toby the invisible demon, and a suspenseful finale that might last ten or fifteen minutes. Also, we have a spin-off now, and we're preparing for the fifth film in the franchise, and Paranormal Activity's story is still going in circles? Sorry, but it's a big problem, if you're still giving your fanbase the run around after four films.

Devil's Due is another big red flag. A found-footage horror film about a possessed victim (or victims)? We've seen this same story with the same tired shaky cam tricks and predictable jump scares too many times now, and moviegoers are tired of it. The Devil Inside, The last Exorcism, the Paranormal Activity films. Year after year it's the same movie all over again, and it feels like we're stuck in a reoccurring cycle. And speaking of The Devil Inside, the ending still bothers me, and I watched the movie on opening weekend at theaters. You don't stick up a giant middle finger to your paying customers by telling them to finish the movie at home on the internet. Unacceptable.

If you read my reviews and other posts on here, you'll know I'm not a big fan of the found-footage genre (horror and non-horror). I actually enjoy a handful of found-footage films, including the first two [REC] films ([REC] 3 is unbearably awful for me), The Poughkeepsie Tapes, and Chronicle, but the constant barrage of found-footage films that stick to the same redundant formula annoy me. So when it's all said and done, I'm not sitting behind my keyboard, while twirling my bad guy mustache with a sinister grin on my face for the downfall of found-footage films.

But the found-footage horror sub-genre is in desperate need of a real spark. If we see a lukewarm box office run or a noticeable flop for Paranormal Activity 5 in October, then I think it's safe to say the future of the PA franchise is in jeopardy And to add insult to injury, you have to wonder about the future of found-footage horror films, because the standard formula of possession, exorcism, and an over the top finale with demon attacks is wearing thin.

With all that said, I hope the troubles for The Marked Ones and Devil's Due kill the chances for a found-footage Friday The 13th film. The rumors of  the new Friday The 13th film having a found-footage POV are still floating around. It's clear horror found-footage films are starting to lose some luster, and I actually enjoyed the 2009 reboot. You're taking an unnecessary risk for killing the mystique of Jason Voorhees in a found-footage film, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed it won't happen.

The Marine (2006)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No character deaths, or major reveals**

During a mission in Iraq, a Marine Sergeant named John Triton (John Cena) disobeys a direct order to save a kidnapped comrade from a brutal execution. Triton rescues the Marine, but he receives an honorable discharge from his Colonel after the mission.

At home, John is having trouble adjusting to the real world. John takes a job as a security guard at an office building, but John’s temper gets the best of him one day. John throws a disgruntled and bitter ex-boyfriend through a window on the lobby, and John is fired for his actions. John’s wife, Kate (Kelly Carlson) suggests a road trip to help John relax and forget about any problems from real life for a while, and John agrees.

John and Kate stop at a gas station to refuel. Here, the happy married couple are forced to deal with a gang of deadly jewel thieves. During a tense conversation, Rome (Robert Patrick), the leader and the mastermind of the group, tries to come up with an excuse to get rid of a suspicious police officer.

The crew includes Morgan (Anthony Ray Parker), Bennett (Manu Bennett), Vescera (Damon Gibson), and Rome’s girlfriend/sidekick, Angela (Abigail Bianca), and they’re closely watching the conversation between Rome and the police officer, waiting for the right moment to make their next move. Morgan panics at the sight of law enforcement, so he shoots and kills the officer, who’s talking to Rome. The crew kidnaps Kate for collateral, and John is knocked out by a fire extinguisher to the back of the head before he has a chance to save Kate.

Rome leads the crew through a swamp with Kate as their hostage. Rome tries to figure out a plan for stolen diamonds from a recent heist, but John refuses to give up on the rescue mission for Kate. John receives the green light to pursue Rome and his crew from a detective named Van Buren (Jerome Ehlers), and he won’t stop until Kate is safe. John is determined to tear through every member of Rome’s crew one by one, but an unexpected revelation from an unlikely traitor could jeopardize John’s rescue mission……..

Kudos to John Cena for a strong effort in the leading role. John Triton is an ass-kicking machine, who won’t quit in The Marine, and John Cena is a capable leading man. Some will say Cena is too robotic in the leading role, but Triton is a man with a three step process: Hunt, fight, and destroy. That’s it. Cena has the build and look of a tough guy, so the Triton character is a perfect fit for him, because you’re not asking Cena to go above and beyond with a versatile performance. And if you’re familiar with his WWE career, you should know Cena’s character is known for overcoming insurmountable odds and heroic comebacks.

Robert Patrick delivers a solid performance, but the Rome character is too bland. Basically, Patrick’s character is limited to spitting out a few lines of devilish and witty dialogue every now and then, but we’re  SUPPOSED to believe he’s this cerebral bad guy? Kelly Carlson is a cute face, who screams for help a lot, while kicking and fighting the bad guys during a handful of failed escape attempts, and that’s it.

The members of Rome’s crew are generic goons for the most part. Abigail Bianca’s Angela is supposed to be this lethal psycho with a mean streak, but when it’s all said and done, Bianca is just eye candy. And there’s no other way to say this, but Anthony Ray Parker’s Morgan is a paranoid “black man,” who feels the need to pull the race card every five minutes. There’s a good chance you won’t have any middle ground for this character. Parker’s shtick might pull a few cheap laughs out of you, or his routine will reach a “too annoying” point after ten minutes.

The Marine is a mindless fun action flick, if you don’t over-think the story. If you analyze The Marine step by step, you’ll probably hate this film with a burning, white hot passion. You’ll wonder why a detective would trust and allow a civilian to track down murderous jewel thieves. You’ll question the competence of a cop, who can’t arrest an unarmed man, and there’s no way you’ll buy into Triton’s miraculous escapes from big explosions.

For me, The Marine is a fun film for action junkies. Yeah, the final battle is underwhelming, and it’s hard to ignore the “been there, done that” twist. But The Marine delivers enough hard-hitting fight sequences, and over the top thrills for me to look the other way. On top of that, the one hour and thirty-three minutes runtime feels like a breeze, because The Marine maintains a hectic fast pace. The Marine receives a lot of hate as a preposterous mess, but I’m going with a bare minimum guilty pleasure pass for this one.

Rating: 5/10

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 Marine (2006)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

During a mission in Iraq, a Marine Sergeant named John Triton (John Cena) disobeys a direct order to save a kidnapped comrade from a brutal execution. Triton rescues the Marine, but he receives an honorable discharge from his Colonel after the mission.

At home, John is having trouble adjusting to the real world. John takes a job as a security guard at an office building, but John’s temper gets the best of him one day. John throws a disgruntled and bitter ex-boyfriend through a window on the lobby, and John is fired for his actions. John’s wife, Kate (Kelly Carlson) suggests a road trip to help John relax and forget about any problems from real life for a while, and John agrees.

John and Kate stop at a gas station to refuel. Here, the happy married couple are forced to deal with a gang of deadly jewel thieves. During a tense conversation, Rome (Robert Patrick), the leader and the mastermind of the group, tries to come up with an excuse to get rid of a suspicious police officer.

The crew includes Morgan (Anthony Ray Parker), Bennett (Manu Bennett), Vescera (Damon Gibson), and Rome’s girlfriend/sidekick, Angela (Abigail Bianca), and they’re closely watching the conversation between Rome and the police officer, waiting for the right moment to make their next move. Morgan panics at the sight of law enforcement, so he shoots and kills the officer, who’s talking to Rome. The crew kidnaps Kate for collateral, and John is knocked out by a fire extinguisher to the back of the head before he has a chance to save Kate.

Rome leads the crew through a swamp with Kate as their hostage. Rome tries to figure out a plan for stolen diamonds from a recent heist, but John refuses to give up on the rescue mission for Kate. John receives the green light to pursue Rome and his crew from a detective named Van Buren (Jerome Ehlers), and he won’t stop until Kate is safe. John is determined to tear through every member of Rome’s crew one by one, but an unexpected revelation from an unlikely traitor could jeopardize John’s rescue mission……..

Kudos to John Cena for a strong effort in the leading role. John Triton is an ass-kicking machine, who won’t quit in The Marine, and John Cena is a capable leading man. Some will say Cena is too robotic in the leading role, but Triton is a man with a three step process: Hunt, fight, and destroy. That’s it. Cena has the build and look of a tough guy, so the Triton character is a perfect fit for him, because you’re not asking Cena to go above and beyond with a versatile performance. And if you’re familiar with his WWE career, you should know Cena’s character is known for overcoming insurmountable odds and heroic comebacks.

Robert Patrick delivers a solid performance, but the Rome character is too bland. Basically, Patrick’s character is limited to spitting out a few lines of devilish and witty dialogue every now and then, but we’re  SUPPOSED to believe he’s this cerebral bad guy? Kelly Carlson is a cute face, who screams for help a lot, while kicking and fighting the bad guys during a handful of failed escape attempts, and that’s it.

The members of Rome’s crew are generic goons for the most part. Abigail Bianca’s Angela is supposed to be this lethal psycho with a mean streak, but when it’s all said and done, Bianca is just eye candy. And there’s no other way to say this, but Anthony Ray Parker’s Morgan is a paranoid “black man,” who feels the need to pull the race card every five minutes. There’s a good chance you won’t have any middle ground for this character. Parker’s shtick might pull a few cheap laughs out of you, or his routine will reach a “too annoying” point after ten minutes.

The lone twist in The Marine is a real head-scratcher. Remember Detective Van Buren? Apparently he’s in cahoots with Rome and his crew, and he used John to lead him to Rome’s hideout (some old broken down lodge in the swamp). Here, it’s revealed Van Buren is the mysterious partner, who spoke with Rome on the phone throughout the movie. Van Buren holds a gun to John’s head, and he demands his “cut” from the diamond heist, but Rome turns the tables on Van Buren. Rome shoots Van Buren to death, and Rome escapes (again) with Kate and Angela, leaving John alone.

But it’s not over yet! John turns the tables on an arresting officer, and he steals his boat. Eventually, John catches up to Rome and Angela at a marina. John kills Angela (finishing off the remainder of Rome’s crew) by throwing her out of a speeding truck with Rome as the driver.

Rome steers the speeding truck (with a handcuffed Kate inside) into the water, so now John is free to slug it out with Rome one on one. John wins the fight, when a pile of flaming debris crushes Rome, and John rescues Kate from the truck. John gives Kate CPR, but a charred Rome returns to finish what he started. But a resourceful John uses a chain to choke out and kill Rome.

The Van Buren twist? Yes, it’s a surprise, because I can honestly say I didn’t see it coming, but the “dirty cop” twist is so clichéd, so there’s no real shock factor to Van Buren as a bad guy here. The big showdown between Rome and Triton is kind of underwhelming for a few reasons. First, Triton’s duels with Rome’s henchmen (i.e. the fight with Morgan at the lodge) were more entertaining, and it’s not even close, so Triton’s previous bouts undermine the big finale.

And to add insult to injury, Rome’s demise is tamed, when you compare his death to the deaths of the other bad guys in the film. Vescera’s body is devoured by alligators, and moments before the fight with Rome, you’ll see Angela thrown out of a speeding truck, and she flies into the windshield of a bus. That’s a shocking death. Sorry, but Rome is the primary antagonist, so he’s supposed to suffer the most brutal death.

The Marine is a mindless fun action flick, if you don’t over-think the story. If you analyze The Marine step by step, you’ll probably hate this film with a burning, white hot passion. You’ll wonder why a detective would trust and allow a civilian to track down murderous jewel thieves. You’ll question the competence of a cop, who can’t arrest an unarmed man, and there’s no way you’ll buy into Triton’s miraculous escapes from big explosions.

For me, The Marine is a fun film for action junkies. Yeah, the final battle is underwhelming, and it’s hard to ignore the “been there, done that” twist. But The Marine delivers enough hard-hitting fight sequences, and over the top thrills for me to look the other way. On top of that, the one hour and thirty-three minutes runtime feels like a breeze, because The Marine maintains a hectic fast pace. The Marine receives a lot of hate as a preposterous mess, but I’m going with a bare minimum guilty pleasure pass for this one.

Rating: 5/10

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

Grudge Match (2013)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No major reveals or twists**

In the 1980‘s, two bitter boxing rivals go their separate ways after a series of fights. Billy “The Kid” McDonnen (Robert De Niro) and Henry “Razor” Sharp (Sylvester Stallone) are locked in a tie after Henry defeats McDonnen in the rematch to even the score, but Sharp suddenly retires before the highly anticipated grudge match.

Thirty years later, McDonnen is the owner of a popular bar and restaurant, and McDonnen also owns a car lot. Sharp is working a job at a shipyard, and he’s running out of money and options to take care of his elderly trainer, Louis “Lighting” Conlon (Alan Arkin).

Sharp is stuck in a dead end life until a promoter named Dante Slate, Jr. (Kevin Hart) approaches him with a tempting offer. If Sharp participates in a motion capture session for a new boxing video game featuring himself and McDonnen, Sharp will earn a $15, 000 paycheck. But Sharp loses his cool, when McDonnen crashes the session to antagonize him. A video of the brawl between McDonnen and Sharp goes viral on YouTube, and Dante plans a grudge match. McDonnen accepts, because he’s eager to prove his one loss to Sharp was a fluke, but Sharp has no interest in a third match.

Sharp is dead-set on avoiding McDonnen for the rest of his life, but the reemergence of Sharp’s ex-girlfriend changes everything. Sally (Kim Basinger) stirs up some old feelings in Sharp, and Sharp takes some time to reconsider the fight with McDonnen.

Sharp is without a job, and the $15, 000 won’t last long, so he agrees to fight McDonnen in the highly anticipated rematch. Lighting trains Sharp, and McDonnen’s estranged son, B.J. (Jon Bernthal) trains and bonds with his father, so they can make up for years of lost time. Dante dubs the rematch between McDonnen and Sharp as “Grudgement Day,” but the lifelong rivals endure a series of setbacks on the road to the big fight.

Stallone and De Niro share excellent chemistry, as a pair of heated rivals. It’s a rivalry between the humble blue-collar worker (Stallone), who wants to put the past behind him, and the pompous jerk (De Niro) with a big ego, who refuses to move on. Stallone and De Niro deliver a pair of enjoyable performances in Grudge Match, and both men bring out the best in each other, when they’re sharing the screen together.

Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin provide some good comic relief. Arkin is the grizzled boxing trainer, with a combative sense of humor, as the crabby old man. Hart is the loudmouth and obnoxious promoter, and he’s caught up in this fantasy world, as a delusional big shot. Hart and Arkin take second place (Stallone and De Niro are still number one) for feuding duos in Grudge Match, and you’ll see a pair of solid performances from Basinger and Bernthal. And LL Cool J has a role as Frankie here. Frankie is this flashy and egotistical trainer, who  allows McDonnen to train at his popular gym. LL is a believable jerk, and Frankie has a few funny moments with McDonnen during some “low blow” scenes.

Rocky VS Jake LaMotta (or “The Raging Bull”)? Yeah, it’s almost impossible to ignore the connections. De Niro’s portrayal of Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese’s timeless classic Raging Bull is one of De Niro’s more famous roles, and he earned a Best Actor Oscar for his performance. And we all know Stallone’s history with Rocky. I’ll tell you this, if you’re expecting some kind of epic boxing match between The Bull and The Italian Stallion in Grudge Match, you should probably watch another boxing film, because this one is not for you.

For the people complaining about the believability and choreography in the final fight between De Niro and Stallone, I have one question: What were you expecting? Sylvester Stallone is sixty-seven years old, and De Niro is seventy. You can’t expect a believable five star classic boxing match, with both men throwing haymakers at each other round after round. It’s not 1980 (the release year for Raging Bull), and Stallone is not shredded from head to toe during his more brutal fights with Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago. Stallone said it best as Razor during a scene with Kim Basinger. Sally is begging Razor to back out of the fight, because Razor and Kid are too old and beat up to deliver a quality fight. Razor’s response for effort and the quality of the fight? “It’s the best we’ve got.”

Some will say Grudge Match is too corny, predictable, sappy, and clichéd to enjoy, but I loved every second of this one. Grudge Match should provide tingly feelings of nostalgia for devout De Niro and Stallone fans, because the veterans bring their A-games here. It’s a nice trip down memory lane, featuring some good consistent laughs, and Rocky fans should catch the meat locker wink (just pay close attention to the trailers. It’s not hard to miss it).

If you over-analyze Grudge Match, you'll hate this film. But if you take the time to have some fun without nitpicking every little detail, you’ll enjoy Grudge Match as a nostalgic treat, with two legends squaring off in a once in a lifetime match to remember.

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

Grudge Match (2013)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**


In the 1980‘s, two bitter boxing rivals go their separate ways after a series of fights. Billy “The Kid” McDonnen (Robert De Niro) and Henry “Razor” Sharp (Sylvester Stallone) are locked in a tie after Henry defeats McDonnen in the rematch to even the score, but Sharp suddenly retires before the highly anticipated grudge match.

Thirty years later, McDonnen is the owner of a popular bar and restaurant, and McDonnen also owns a car lot. Sharp is working a job at a shipyard, and he’s running out of money and options to take care of his elderly trainer, Louis “Lighting” Conlon (Alan Arkin).

Sharp is stuck in a dead end life until a promoter named Dante Slate, Jr. (Kevin Hart) approaches him with a tempting offer. If Sharp participates in a motion capture session for a new boxing video game featuring himself and McDonnen, Sharp will earn a $15, 000 paycheck. But Sharp loses his cool, when McDonnen crashes the session to antagonize him. A video of the brawl between McDonnen and Sharp goes viral on YouTube, and Dante plans a grudge match. McDonnen accepts, because he’s eager to prove his one loss to Sharp was a fluke, but Sharp has no interest in a third match.

Sharp is dead-set on avoiding McDonnen for the rest of his life, but the reemergence of Sharp’s ex-girlfriend changes everything. Sally (Kim Basinger) stirs up some old feelings in Sharp, and Sharp takes some time to reconsider the fight with McDonnen.

Sharp is without a job, and the $15, 000 won’t last long, so he agrees to fight McDonnen in the highly anticipated rematch. Lighting trains Sharp, and McDonnen’s estranged son, B.J. (Jon Bernthal) trains and bonds with his father, so they can make up for years of lost time. Dante dubs the rematch between McDonnen and Sharp as “Grudgement Day,” but the lifelong rivals endure a series of setbacks on the road to the big fight.

Stallone and De Niro share excellent chemistry, as a pair of heated rivals. It’s a rivalry between the humble blue-collar worker (Stallone), who wants to put the past behind him, and the pompous jerk (De Niro) with a big ego, who refuses to move on. Stallone and De Niro deliver a pair of enjoyable performances in Grudge Match, and both men bring out the best in each other, when they’re sharing the screen together.

Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin provide some good comic relief. Arkin is the grizzled boxing trainer, with a combative sense of humor, as the crabby old man. Hart is the loudmouth and obnoxious promoter, and he’s caught up in this fantasy world, as a delusional big shot. Hart and Arkin take second place (Stallone and De Niro are still number one) for feuding duos in Grudge Match, and you’ll see a pair of solid performances from Basinger and Bernthal. And LL Cool J has a role as Frankie here. Frankie is this flashy and egotistical trainer, who  allows McDonnen to train at his popular gym. LL is a believable jerk, and Frankie has a few funny moments with McDonnen during some “low blow” scenes.

Why does Razor hate McDonnen so much? Remember Sally? Well, Sally thought Razor was cheating on her after she spotted him with another woman years ago. So Sally wanted revenge, and she used McDonnen to stick it to Razor. That’s right. Sally slept with Kid, and B.J. is Kid’s son, but Sally shielded B.J. from McDonnen to protect him from a bad influence.

Keep in my mind, all this happened in the 80’s after the second fight between Razor and Kid. So a devastated Razor retired out of nowhere, robbing Kid of his precious rematch, because Razor knew boxing was everything to Kid. Kid stole Razor’s number one love in life, so Razor returned the favor by retiring, and refusing to participate in a rematch, and for years, Razor held a grudge against Sally.

Okay, so now we know why Razor and Kid hate each other so much. Who wins the fight? Well, it wasn’t easy, but Razor gutted it out to defeat Kid in a nasty slugfest. Kid targeted Razor’s main weakness (blindness from Razor’s left eye), but humility got the best of Kid in the end. Kid and Razor show  sportsmanship towards each other during the final stages of the fight. Kid helps Razor to his feet, and Razor helps Kid to his feet to break the separate ten counts. In the end, Razor enjoys his victory by celebrating with Sally and Lighting. In the losing corner, a more humble Kid celebrates with B.J. and his grandson.

Yeah, you could see Kid’s change of heart coming from a mile away, but I still enjoyed the moment of two old rivals burying the hatchet. It’s a feel good sequence, when Kid and Razor help each other stand up towards the end of the fight, because both men had to settle the score once and for all, and they refused to quit on each other. Also, you should stick around for a couple of hilarious post credit scenes. The first one shows Razor, Dante, and Lighting sitting around together, and they’re watching Kid compete on Dancing With The Stars, while Dante is (unknowingly) soaking his feet in horse urine as a suggestion from Lighting. The second post credit scene shows Dante with Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, and Dante is trying to close a deal for a grudge match between both men. Good stuff.

Rocky VS Jake LaMotta (or “The Raging Bull”)? Yeah, it’s almost impossible to ignore the connections. De Niro’s portrayal of Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese’s timeless classic Raging Bull is one of De Niro’s more famous roles, and he earned a Best Actor Oscar for his performance. And we all know Stallone’s history with Rocky. I’ll tell you this, if you’re expecting some kind of epic boxing match between The Bull and The Italian Stallion in Grudge Match, you should probably watch another boxing film, because this one is not for you.

For the people complaining about the believability and choreography in the final fight between De Niro and Stallone, I have one question: What were you expecting? Sylvester Stallone is sixty-seven years old, and De Niro is seventy. You can’t expect a believable five star classic boxing match, with both men throwing haymakers at each other round after round. It’s not 1980 (the release year for Raging Bull), and Stallone is not shredded from head to toe during his more brutal fights with Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago. Stallone said it best as Razor during a scene with Kim Basinger. Sally is begging Razor to back out of the fight, because Razor and Kid are too old and beat up to deliver a quality fight. Razor’s response for effort and the quality of the fight? “It’s the best we’ve got.”

Some will say Grudge Match is too corny, predictable, sappy, and clichéd to enjoy, but I loved every second of this one. Grudge Match should provide tingly feelings of nostalgia for devout De Niro and Stallone fans, because the veterans bring their A-games here. It’s a nice trip down memory lane, featuring some good consistent laughs, and Rocky fans should catch the meat locker wink (just pay close attention to the trailers. It’s not hard to miss it).

If you over-analyze Grudge Match, you'll hate this film. But if you take the time to have some fun without nitpicking every little detail, you’ll enjoy Grudge Match as a nostalgic treat, with two legends squaring off in a once in a lifetime match to remember.

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

Identity (2003)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers. No character deaths, or major twists**

Malcolm Rivers (Pruitt Taylor Vince) is a death row inmate, and he’s twenty-four hours away from his execution. But Malcolm’s psychiatrist, Dr. Malick (Alfred Molina) tries to convince Judge Taylor (Holmes Osborne) to change his ruling, allowing Malcolm to live out the rest of his days in a psychiatric hospital under his care. Dr. Malick uses Malcolm’s journals during an emergency meeting at a courthouse in a last-ditch effort to save Malcolm’s life, but Dr. Malick’s demonstration during Malcolm’s  face to face meeting with Judge Taylor takes an unexpected turn, when Malcolm is forced to confront his worst fears.

Meanwhile, during a heavy rainstorm in Nevada, a limo driver/ex-police officer driver named Ed (John Cusack) is looking for a safe path on the slippery roads ahead. In the backseat, Ed’s client, Caroline Suzanne (Rebecca De Mornay), a disgruntled TV star from the 80’s, orders Ed to look for a replacement battery for her cellphone. Ed takes his eyes off the road for a split second, and he accidentally hits Alice York (Lelia Kenzle). Alice’s young son, Timmy York (Bret Loehr) is horrified at the sight of his wounded mother, but Ed agrees to help Alice, Timmy, and Timmy’s stepfather, George (John C. McGinely) with a ride to the nearest motel.

At the motel, Ed, Caroline, Alice, Timmy, and George meet the owner and manager, Larry (John Hawkes). Alice needs medical attention, but the roads are flooded, the phone lines are down, and cell phones are useless without reception. Eventually, more travelers seek shelter inside the motel. The newlyweds, Ginny (Clea DuVall) and Lou (William Lee Scott) are trying to work out problems in their rocky relationship; a cop named Rhodes (Ray Liotta) is escorting his prisoner, Robert (Jake Busey) to another prison; and Paris (Amanda Peet), a prostitute,  is forced into the motel after an unexpected breakdown.

Alice is bleeding to death, and the group is forced to deal with another problem during the rainstorm: an unknown killer is stalking everyone in the motel. The killer quietly eliminates everyone in the motel, and escape is not an option. Ed, Rhodes, and others struggle to solve the mystery behind the killer and his motivations before sunrise, but a series of shocking revelations complicate the investigation……….

If I had to pick one person for the best performance, I would give the nod to John Cusack. Cusack is a solid leading man as Ed. His performance isn’t mind-blowing, but Cusack does enough to justify an increased amount of focus and screen time. Amanda Peet is serviceable as Paris, and you’ll see Peet’s best scenes during her rivalry with Larry. Larry detests prostitutes, and you can feel the disdain between these two during a series of dueling verbal jabs. Ray Liotta? He’s not bad, but his performance as Rhodes is passable at best, and that’s it.

Rebecca De Mornay had the chance to steal the show, as the snobbish and pompous TV star with en ego, but her screen time is cut short here. William Lee Scott is the typical overbearing boyfriend, who openly flirts with Paris, and of course, he verbally abuses Ginny. Clea DuVall is a panicky and frightened mess, as Ginny. Jake Busey is decent enough as the creepy convicted killer with a dark side, and John C. McGinely is believable, as the nerdy and soft spoken stepfather, who’s trying to do the right thing.

I know I say this a lot, but you REALLY have to strap yourself into suspension of disbelief mode for Identity. Maybe I’m the only, who feels this way, but when it comes to reactions, you’ll hate the twists at the end, because you’re in the “too far-fetched” crowd. Or, you’re jaw will hit the floor, when Identity reveals the killer.

Hindsight (probably my second or third watch for Identity. First time in a LONG time, but still) kills a lot of the shock value for me, but Identity earned a spot on my list of favorites. It’s an eerie and suspenseful mystery/thriller, featuring a series of genuinely shocking twists during the jaw-dropping finale, and you‘ll see the gruesome aftermath of unfortunate victims (i.e. Robert‘s mangled corpse with a baseball bat stuck in his throat…yikes).

Identity does a wonderful job of playing mind games with the audience during the constant finger-pointing in a deadly whodunit game of cat and mouse. The desolate motel in a fierce rainstorm is a perfect setting for the main characters, because it’s an isolated deathtrap, and this setting enhances feelings of desperation and claustrophobia. In the end, Identity is a must-see film, easily. As I said before, when it comes to the twists at the end, it’s an even split for which side of the fence you’ll be on. You’ll hate or love the reasons behind the revelations for the killer, but one thing’s for sure, it’s impossible to resist the urge to decipher, question, and analyze Identity’s memorable and thought-provoking finale.

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

Identity (2003)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Malcolm Rivers (Pruitt Taylor Vince) is a death row inmate, and he’s twenty-four hours away from his execution. But Malcolm’s psychiatrist, Dr. Malick (Alfred Molina) tries to convince Judge Taylor (Holmes Osborne) to change his ruling, allowing Malcolm to live out the rest of his days in a psychiatric hospital under his care. Dr. Malick uses Malcolm’s journals during an emergency meeting at a courthouse in a last-ditch effort to save Malcolm’s life, but Dr. Malick’s demonstration during Malcolm’s  face to face meeting with Judge Taylor takes an unexpected turn, when Malcolm is forced to confront his worst fears.

Meanwhile, during a heavy rainstorm in Nevada, a limo driver/ex-police officer driver named Ed (John Cusack) is looking for a safe path on the slippery roads ahead. In the backseat, Ed’s client, Caroline Suzanne (Rebecca De Mornay), a disgruntled TV star from the 80’s, orders Ed to look for a replacement battery for her cellphone. Ed takes his eyes off the road for a split second, and he accidentally hits Alice York (Lelia Kenzle). Alice’s young son, Timmy York (Bret Loehr) is horrified at the sight of his wounded mother, but Ed agrees to help Alice, Timmy, and Timmy’s stepfather, George (John C. McGinely) with a ride to the nearest motel.

At the motel, Ed, Caroline, Alice, Timmy, and George meet the owner and manager, Larry (John Hawkes). Alice needs medical attention, but the roads are flooded, the phone lines are down, and cell phones are useless without reception. Eventually, more travelers seek shelter inside the motel. The newlyweds, Ginny (Clea DuVall) and Lou (William Lee Scott) are trying to work out problems in their rocky relationship; a cop named Rhodes (Ray Liotta) is escorting his prisoner, Robert (Jake Busey) to another prison; and Paris (Amanda Peet), a prostitute,  is forced into the motel after an unexpected breakdown.

Alice is bleeding to death, and the group is forced to deal with another problem during the rainstorm: an unknown killer is stalking everyone in the motel. The killer quietly eliminates everyone in the motel, and escape is not an option. Ed, Rhodes, and others struggle to solve the mystery behind the killer and his motivations before sunrise, but a series of shocking revelations complicate the investigation……….

If I had to pick one person for the best performance, I would give the nod to John Cusack. Cusack is a solid leading man as Ed. His performance isn’t mind-blowing, but Cusack does enough to justify an increased amount of focus and screen time. Amanda Peet is serviceable as Paris, and you’ll see Peet’s best scenes during her rivalry with Larry. Larry detests prostitutes, and you can feel the disdain between these two during a series of dueling verbal jabs. Ray Liotta? He’s not bad, but his performance as Rhodes is passable at best, and that’s it.

Rebecca De Mornay had the chance to steal the show, as the snobbish and pompous TV star with en ego, but her screen time is cut short here. William Lee Scott is the typical overbearing boyfriend, who openly flirts with Paris, and of course, he verbally abuses Ginny. Clea DuVall is a panicky and frightened mess, as Ginny. Jake Busey is decent enough as the creepy convicted killer with a dark side, and John C. McGinely is believable, as the nerdy and soft spoken stepfather, who’s trying to do the right thing.

Who’s the killer? Is it Rhodes? Larry? Robert? Well, the answer to all three is a big no. On top of that, you can omit EVERYONE from the motel. Why? Because they’re not real. Remember Malcolm Rivers? Malcolm suffers from a severe case of dissociative identity disorder. Malcolm’s mind is cluttered with ten different personalities, and each person at the motel represents one of Malcolm’s personalities. One of the personalities took control of Malcolm’s body, and this personality forced Malcolm to commit the murders. The motel, the ten strangers, the rainstorm, the floods. It’s all fake, and Malcolm is playing out one of Dr. Malick’s elaborate scenarios in his mind, because Malcolm must “eliminate” the murderous personality to avoid his execution.

For a moment, Malcolm snaps out of the motel scenario as Ed, but Dr. Malick pushes Malcolm to return to the scenario in his mind (as Ed) to finish what he started, and eliminate the killer. Rhodes, Paris, and Ed are the sole survivors after Rhodes (an escaped convict, who posed as a cop for a decoy, and Robert was his prison buddy) murders Larry. Ed and Rhodes kill each other in a shoot out, so Paris is the sole survivor. A calm Malcolm finishes the scenario in Judge Taylor’s presence, so Judge Taylor agrees to Dr. Malick’s terms: Malcolm will live out the rest of his life in a mental hospital under Malick’s supervision and care.   

At dawn (we‘re jumping into the motel scenario again), Paris uses Larry’s truck to drive to her hometown of Frostproof, Florida to start over.  One day, Paris is out in the garden, and she finds a motel room key with the number one on the front. Long story short, the killer placed room keys from the motel on the dead bodies of his victims as a calling card.

Anyway, Paris picks up the key with this terrified look on her face……and Timmy is standing in front of her. Yep. Timmy was the murderous personality in Malcolm’s mind, but Timmy survived the massacre at the motel. Timmy eliminates (or murders) Paris, so Timmy takes full control of Malcolm’s body. Ed and Paris are gone, so Malcolm can’t rely on sensible reasoning or logic anymore. In the van with Dr. Malick and a guard, Malcolm (under Timmy’s influence) uses his handcuffs to strangle Dr. Malick. The driver panics, and the van skids into the desert to end the movie.

Identity packs a powerful punch with a series of genuinely shocking twists at the end. Malcolm living in a dream world, and everyone at the motel being an imaginary person in Malcolm's mind? If you predicted all of that with no bumps in the road, then I need to borrow your crystal ball for a weekend.

I know I say this a lot, but you REALLY have to strap yourself into suspension of disbelief mode for Identity. Maybe I’m the only, who feels this way, but when it comes to reactions, you’ll hate the twists at the end, because you’re in the “too far-fetched” crowd. Or, you’re jaw will hit the floor, when Identity reveals the killer.

Hindsight (probably my second or third watch for Identity. First time in a LONG time, but still) kills a lot of the shock value for me, but Identity earned a spot on my list of favorites. It’s an eerie and suspenseful mystery/thriller, featuring a series of genuinely shocking twists during the jaw-dropping finale, and you‘ll see the gruesome aftermath of unfortunate victims (i.e. Robert‘s mangled corpse with a baseball bat stuck in his throat…yikes).

Identity does a wonderful job of playing mind games with the audience during the constant finger-pointing in a deadly whodunit game of cat and mouse. The desolate motel in a fierce rainstorm is a perfect setting for the main characters, because it’s an isolated deathtrap, and this setting enhances feelings of desperation and claustrophobia. In the end, Identity is a must-see film, easily. As I said before, when it comes to the twists at the end, it’s an even split for which side of the fence you’ll be on. You’ll hate or love the reasons behind the revelations for the killer, but one thing’s for sure, it’s impossible to resist the urge to decipher, question, and analyze Identity’s memorable and thought-provoking finale.

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

20,000!

Yep. As you can see, I just passed 20,000 pageviews, and as always, I appreciate the continued support. The TV reviews are coming soon, and soon enough, I'm going to start a review series for Paranormal Activity. And if you're wondering, yes, I will include the new prequel in this review series.

Also, I'm going to post my version for End Of The Year Awards in the near future, honoring the best of 2013, and I'm going to include a category for the worst film in 2013, but I have to catch up on the Oscar worthy stuff from last year first. Although, I'll only have one Worst category. I'll let the Razzies handle all the bashing for 2013. lol.

Thanks again, and I'm happy you take the time to read my work on here.

MMR