Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Kristi Rey (Sprague Grayden) returns home with her husband, Dan (Brian Boland) after giving birth to their son, Hunter. A series of strange paranormal occurrences disrupts the family’s peaceful and carefree lives. Kristi, Hunter, Dan, and Dan’s daughter, Ali (Molly Ephraim) are all targeted by a vicious entity. 

Kristi’s sister, Katie (Katie Featherston) warns her about the dangers of interacting with the entity, and the nanny, Martine (Vivis  Cortez) offers her help with unconventional methods. But one thing is clear, blissful ignorance is not an option, as the disturbances escalate and Hunter becomes the primary target for the entity.

My Thoughts- It’s easy to feel sympathy for Kristi, Dan, Ali, and Hunter. They’re a wholesome all-American family. Kristi’s is a caring stay-at-home mom. Dan is the leader of the household with a healthy sense of humor, and Ali fills the role of the happy and sometimes bratty teenager. 

Paranormal Activity 2 is the first film in the series that starts off the security camera, or cameras set up all around the house era in the series. I’ve always had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the nighttime recorded footage looks great. Similar to the bedroom scenes in the original Paranormal Activity, there’s a spookiness to the security camera scenes at night. Just watching everything unfold, you know there’s always a good chance something serious is going to happen.

The downside? Watching security camera footage gets kind of boring and tedious after a while. I get the whole point of building the anticipation, showing how the entity is toying with, taunting, and in some cases attacking members of the Rey family. It’s all important footage that proves an evil supernatural force is the culprit. Still, so many scenes featuring ordinary footage of the pool or outside the front door in the middle of the night kills the momentum. It’s more of a bummer, if you’re hoping or waiting for something to happen……and nothing happens. 

Paranormal Activity 2 shows a lot of visual clues that put the pieces of the puzzle together. Notice how after the supposed break-in Hunter’s room is the only room in the house that was left untouched. The shadow of the entity looming over Ali, while she’s taking a nap, or Hunter levitating in his crib. The scratches and blood stains on the basement door, the sudden spike in activity on the baby monitor, the bite mark on Kristi’s thigh that’s similar to Katie’s bite mark in the previous film. One thing is clear, the entity is carefully choosing who it attacks, and who is spared or used for bigger plans. 

A new born baby and an evil entity? TWO good reasons to record! As the story progresses, there’s a noticeable transition from recording Hunter and just having fun to recording all the strange events connected to the entity. Evidence is necessary to try and understand what’s going on, especially Ali urging a stubborn Dan to watch the tapes, because he doesn’t believe in “haunted house crap.” And when the time comes, the night vision POV is crucial for survival. 

We’re introduced to a fresh set of new characters in Paranormal Activity 2. Kristi, Hunter, Ali, Dan, Ali’s boyfriend, Brad (Seth Ginsberg), and Martine. Hunter is the first born male in Kristi and Katie’s family since the 1930’s. Through Ali’s research with Brad’s help, it’s revealed Katie and Kristi’s great grandmother possibly made a satanic pact to exchange riches and prosperity for Hunter’s soul. And of course, there’s no happy ending if the pact is tampered with or broken for any reason. 

Paranormal Activity 2 moves the story forward using a clever prequel/sequel hybrid approach, with a smooth transition into the current timeline for a strong finale. Keep in mind that Kristi’s story takes place in Carlsbad, California, while Katie’s story simultaneously takes place in San Diego. 

Some questions are answered. We know why Katie’s childhood picture was set on fire around the edges, and on a lighter note, we can see why Micah (Micah Sloat) was so obsessed with owning his own video camera. Katie and Kristi have some uneasy conversations about the evil force that disrupted their lives, when they were kids. The Ouija board returns, but it’s only used in one scene with Ali and Brad. It’s also nice to see the continued effort to maintain realism. No intro, no opening credits, and a message thanking the Carlsbad Police Department. 

Paranormal Activity 2 has its problems, but it’s still a solid follow up to the original. Some spooky and tense scenes, and the jump scares worked (the kitchen cabinets bursting open on an unsuspecting Kristi is a good one). Only three scenes stick out for brutality, but they’re still impactful scenes. The entity snatching and maiming Abby (the family dog) off-screen implies whatever it did to Abby must’ve been too horrible to witness. 

The second film in any kind of franchise is always crucial. It’s a measuring stick to see if there’s any potential, if there’s truly a reason to keep going with the story, without making more sequels for the sake of making more sequels. Paranormal Activity 2 does more than enough to justify another film, featuring a shocking cliffhanger that’s loaded with a lot of possibilities.

Rating- 6/10

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)(Spoiler Review)

 **This post contains spoilers, including thoughts on the extended version**

The Story- Kristi Rey (Sprague Grayden) returns home with her husband, Dan (Brian Boland) after giving birth to their son, Hunter. A series of strange paranormal occurrences disrupts the family’s peaceful and carefree lives. Kristi, Hunter, Dan, and Dan’s daughter, Ali (Molly Ephraim) are all targeted by a vicious entity. 

Kristi’s sister, Katie (Katie Featherston) warns her about the dangers of interacting with the entity, and the nanny, Martine (Vivis  Cortez) offers her help with unconventional methods. But one thing is clear, blissful ignorance is not an option, as the disturbances escalate and Hunter becomes the primary target for the entity.

My Thoughts- It’s easy to feel sympathy for Kristi, Dan, Ali, and Hunter. They’re a wholesome all-American family. Kristi’s is a caring stay-at-home mom. Dan is the leader of the household with a healthy sense of humor, and Ali fills the role of the happy and sometimes bratty teenager. 

Paranormal Activity 2 is the first film in the series that starts off the security camera, or cameras set up all around the house era in the series. I’ve always had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the nighttime recorded footage looks great. Similar to the bedroom scenes in the original Paranormal Activity, there’s a spookiness to the security camera scenes at night. Just watching everything unfold, you know there’s always a good chance something serious is going to happen.

The downside? Watching security camera footage gets kind of boring and tedious after a while. I get the whole point of building the anticipation, showing how the entity is toying with, taunting, and in some cases attacking members of the Rey family. It’s all important footage that proves an evil supernatural force is the culprit. Still, so many scenes featuring ordinary footage of the pool or outside the front door in the middle of the night kills the momentum. It’s more of a bummer, if you’re hoping or waiting for something to happen……and nothing happens.

Paranormal Activity 2 shows a lot of visual clues that put the pieces of the puzzle together. Notice how after the supposed break-in Hunter’s room is the only room in the house that was left untouched. The shadow of the entity looming over Ali, while she’s taking a nap, or Hunter levitating in his crib. The scratches and blood stains on the basement door, the sudden spike in activity on the baby monitor, the bite mark on Kristi’s thigh that’s similar to Katie’s bite mark in the previous film. One thing is clear, the entity is carefully choosing who it attacks, and who is spared or used for bigger plans. 

A new born baby and an evil entity? TWO good reasons to record! As the story progresses, there’s a noticeable transition from recording Hunter and just having fun to recording all the strange events connected to the entity. Evidence is necessary to try and understand what’s going on, especially Ali urging a stubborn Dan to watch the tapes, because he doesn’t believe in “haunted house crap.” And when the time comes, the night vision POV is crucial for survival. 

Katie kills Kristi and abducts Hunter! The cleansing ritual, led by Martine, to save a clearly possessed Kristi was a success, and Hunter is safe. But there’s one big problem: The entity passed to and possessed Katie. 

Not only does the ending tie into Katie’s whereabouts after the ending in the original, the home stretch for PA 2 was well executed. After the intense ritual that saved Kristi, there’s a calming sense of peace throughout the house, and bam! Katie shows up. She brutally murders Dan and Kristi, kidnaps Hunter, and disappears. 

After the original, you already knew Katie was possessed. It’s not too hard to predict that she might show up at Kristi’s house, but it’s still a good shocker, considering what she did and how she did it. The sound of that snap, when Katie broke Dan’s neck was NASTY. 

Dan had to make a hard decision. The entity could only be passed on to a blood relative. He knowingly doomed Katie, but Dan is the leader of his household. A short, short list of options to try and save Kristi and Hunter. 

We’re introduced to a fresh set of new characters in Paranormal Activity 2. Kristi, Hunter, Ali, Dan, Ali’s boyfriend, Brad (Seth Ginsberg), and Martine. Hunter is the first born male in Kristi and Katie’s family since the 1930’s. Through Ali’s research with Brad’s help, it’s revealed Katie and Kristi’s great grandmother possibly made a satanic pact to exchange riches and prosperity for Hunter’s soul. And of course, there’s no happy ending if the pact is tampered with or broken for any reason. 

Paranormal Activity 2 moves the story forward using a clever prequel/sequel hybrid approach, with a smooth transition into the current timeline for a strong finale. Keep in mind that Kristi’s story takes place in Carlsbad, California, while Katie’s story simultaneously takes place in San Diego. 

Some questions are answered. We know why Katie’s childhood picture was set on fire around the edges, and on a lighter note, we can see why Micah (Micah Sloat) was so obsessed with owning his own video camera. Katie and Kristi have some uneasy conversations about the evil force that disrupted their lives, when they were kids. The Ouija board returns, but it’s only used in one scene with Ali and Brad. It’s also nice to see the continued effort to maintain realism. No intro, no opening credits, and a message thanking the Carlsbad Police Department. 

Nothing in the extended version changes the direction of the story, or has any kind of meaningful impact on the ending. Night #4 and Night #11 from the security camera footage are exclusive to the extended version, or you can also call it the director’s cut. Overall, there’s nothing too special about the extended version. You’ll see more scenes with mind games and taunting from the entity, including Dan rushing to throw a flaming pan in the pool. There’s also a scene, where Dan jumps into the boiling hot whirlpool, and the hilarious aftermath with Dan needing a bag of frozen peas to nurse his wounds. 

Paranormal Activity 2 has its problems, but it’s still a solid follow up to the original. Some spooky and tense scenes, and the jump scares worked (the kitchen cabinets bursting open on an unsuspecting Kristi is a good one). Only three scenes stick out for brutality, but they’re still impactful scenes. The entity snatching and maiming Abby (the family dog) off-screen implies whatever it did to Abby must’ve been too horrible to witness. 

The second film in any kind of franchise is always crucial. It’s a measuring stick to see if there’s any potential, if there’s truly a reason to keep going with the story, without making more sequels for the sake of making more sequels. Paranormal Activity 2 does more than enough to justify another film, featuring a shocking cliffhanger that’s loaded with a lot of possibilities.

Rating- 6/10

Takers (2010)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- A tight crew of professional bank robbers contemplates accepting a high stakes job from Ghost (Tip Harris), a member of the gang, who just finished a five year prison sentence. Thomas (Idris Elba), John (Paul Walker), Jake (Michael Ealy), and A.J. (Hayden Christensen) all have their doubts, but the money is just too tempting to resist. 

The gang questions Ghost’s motivations, but John, A.J., Thomas, Jake, and his younger brother, Jesse (Chris Brown) execute their plans to follow through with the heist. The crew is pursued by Detective Jack Welles (Matt Dillion) and his partner, Eddie Hatcher (Jay Hernandez). Risks are apart of a bank robber’s life, and a betrayal from within the group threatens to jeopardize the mission.

My Thoughts-They’re bank robbers, but the crew in Takers are also presented as likable characters. Thomas is struggling to help his sister, Naomi (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) with her drug addiction. Jake is serious about caring for and protecting Jesse, and Jake loves his girlfriend, Lilly (Zoe Saldana). Thomas and A.J. are just two cool and easygoing  guys, who are dedicated team players. There’s nothing sleazy about the crew. They’re not into blowing all their money on drugs and women. It’s a gang featuring efficient professionals, a close family willing to die for each other, if things go south.

The opposition? Matt Dillion’s Jack is a burnt-out detective trying to juggle work and his family life, often prioritizing his duties as a detective over his own daughter. Eddie stole money from a drug bust, but he did it to try and help his family, because he’s drowning in debt. To cap off a sad ending for Eddie, he drops his guard during a face-off with Jesse, allowing Jesse to shoot and kill him.

Outside of just doing their jobs, there’s really not a strong conflict between both sides. You can look at the majority of the characters in Takers, and easily find redeemable qualities. I was hoping for a stronger blood feud, but it’s more of a simple “they’re bad guys, and we have to stop them” mindset from Jack’s side.

One big score! The job, where everything could possibly go wrong…and that’s exactly what happens. Ghost is a traitor, playing both sides. His plan involved pitting his crew and Sergei’s (Gideon Emery) gang against each other, allowing Ghost to take all the money for himself after everyone else is dead.

Okay. I get that, but did they REALLY have to make it so obvious? You can easily tell Ghost is still bitter about being caught on old job, that cost him five years of his life in prison. Ghost also resents Jake for stealing Lilly away from him, while he was locked away. The snide look Ghost gave Lilly before the heist, his constant smart remarks throughout the movie, and he’s very open about how resents the gang for forgetting about him. And to make matters worse, the crew openly acknowledges Ghost is someone, who can’t be trusted.

They could’ve tried to throw a curveball? At least make an attempt at a believable swerve, or tease the possibility of Ghost being a true team player. Ghost’s impending betrayal kills a lot of the tension in Takers. You know it’s coming eventually, so it’s just a lot of waiting around for the moment, when he officially turns on the gang.

T.I. delivers a solid performance. I could easily believe and buy into his character. Ghost has a skeevy personality, an irritating and cocky jerk, who only cares about himself and punishing his friends. Idris Elba always brings a strong presence to his characters. Thomas is a leader, and Elba does a good job of showing frustration and anger, as he tries to help Naomi through an agonizing rehab process. 

There’s a lot of showing off in the early stages of the movie. The crew lives a lavish lifestyle. They wear nice suits, a fancy club is their hangout spot, and it’s a cool all-star team of bank robbers. 

The opening heist provided a good spark for the movie. The action and the thrills picked up again after the chaotic fallout from the final heist. And the shootout scene at the hotel really worked, as the violent and intense turning point before the big standoff at the airport. Takers had a lot of potential. It’s predictable, but Takers is still a decent and entertaining heist film, that delivers a solid adrenaline rush during the home stretch.

Rating- 5/10

Outcast (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

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

Mary (Kate Dickie) will do anything to protect her teenage son, Fergal (Niall Bruton) from harm. Fergal and Mary constantly switch homes to avoid any suspicious eyes, and Mary chooses a rundown apartment complex for the next stop on Fergal’s relocation tour.

Fergal tries to adjust to his new surroundings, but Fergal crosses the line, when he breaks one of Mary’s rules: No girls. Petronella (Hanna Stanbridge) is falling in love with Fergal, but Fergal is hesitant to accept Petronella as his girlfriend in the early stages of their relationship.

Meanwhile, a fearless outsider named Cathal (James Nesbitt) accepts a proposal from a magical Celtic clan to hunt and kill Fergal. Cathal receives tattoos to grant him temporary powers from the Celtic clan. Liam (Ciaran McMenamin) guides Cathal in his mission to destroy Fergal, but Cathal is obsessed with Mary. Reluctantly, Laird (James Cosmo), a highly respected member of the clan, accepts Cathal as a temporary member of the clan.

During Cathal’s hunt and Mary’s never-ending mission to protect Fergal, a monstrous creature stalks and devours unsuspecting victims in Fergal’s apartment complex. Mary uses her knowledge of spells and black magic as a witch to stall and detour Cathal, but Fergal is desperate to live a normal life as a teenager. Fergal asks Petronella to runaway with him, but Petronella is terrified at the thought of leaving her mentally challenged brother, Tomatsk (Josh Whitelaw) alone, because Petronella’s mother is a hateful alcoholic.

Cathal is one step behind Mary, and the creature’s body count rises during his bloody rampages. Mary tries to outsmart a pesky social worker, and she explains her past with the magical Celtic clan to Fergal. And Fergal’s plans to runaway with Petronella are put on hold, when Fergal meets his estranged father for the first time…..

 Kate Dickie delivers the best performance as Mary. Mary is a cruel and callous mother, who will do anything to save Fergal, and she uses her own brand of tough love to protect her son. There’s a scene where Mary confronts the social worker, because Mary intentionally  used the wrong address for Fergal’s paperwork. The social worker threatens Mary with the police, but Mary uses a spell to put a curse on the social worker. The curse? The social worker will live out the rest of her days wandering the apartment complex. Dickie has this intense and vicious look on her face during a stare down, but Dickie’s performance isn’t limited to the strict and unflinching mother. Towards the end, Dickie shows a more vulnerable side with a few tears, while Mary explains her past to Fergal.

Bruton is believable, as the quiet and soft spoken teenager, who’s trying to break out of his shell. Nesbitt is genuinely despicable as the deranged scoundrel, who will do anything to kill Fergal and Mary. Stanbrdige is entertaining as the tough and spunky young woman. There’s a scene where Petronella stands up to and taunts a local tough guy for trashing her character, and there’s another scene where Petronella berates the social worker for snooping around and asking too many personal questions. Although, Petronella has a softer side at times, because she protects and takes care of Tomatsk, and you’ll see a  few tender moments with Petronella and Tomatsk together.

The hocus-pocus stuff and the voodoo magic tricks reach a tiresome point after a while, because Outcast crosses the line for overkill a few times. Still, I enjoyed this one. Outcast is a brooding and gruesome horror film, featuring a poignant love story. Petronella and Fergal live hellish lives, but Petronella is the cure for Fergal’s pain and vice versa.

Also, your jaw won’t hit the floor for the reveals at the end, but Outcast deserves credit for a well executed finale. The finale packs an emotional and tense punch during a whirlwind of chaos, and Mary‘s brutal last stand features one of the major highlights in Outcast.

Rating: 7/10

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

Outcast (2010)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Mary (Kate Dickie) will do anything to protect her teenage son, Fergal (Niall Bruton) from harm. Fergal and Mary constantly switch homes to avoid any suspicious eyes, and Mary chooses a rundown apartment complex for the next stop on Fergal’s relocation tour.

Fergal tries to adjust to his new surroundings, but Fergal crosses the line, when he breaks one of Mary’s rules: No girls. Petronella (Hanna Stanbridge) is falling in love with Fergal, but Fergal is hesitant to accept Petronella as his girlfriend in the early stages of their relationship.

Meanwhile, a fearless outsider named Cathal (James Nesbitt) accepts a proposal from a magical Celtic clan to hunt and kill Fergal. Cathal receives tattoos to grant him temporary powers from the Celtic clan. Liam (Ciaran McMenamin) guides Cathal in his mission to destroy Fergal, but Cathal is obsessed with Mary. Reluctantly, Laird (James Cosmo), a highly respected member of the clan, accepts Cathal as a temporary member of the clan.

During Cathal’s hunt and Mary’s never-ending mission to protect Fergal, a monstrous creature stalks and devours unsuspecting victims in Fergal’s apartment complex. Mary uses her knowledge of spells and black magic as a witch to stall and detour Cathal, but Fergal is desperate to live a normal life as a teenager. Fergal asks Petronella to runaway with him, but Petronella is terrified at the thought of leaving her mentally challenged brother, Tomatsk (Josh Whitelaw) alone, because Petronella’s mother is a hateful alcoholic.

Cathal is one step behind Mary, and the creature’s body count rises during his bloody rampages. Mary tries to outsmart a pesky social worker, and she explains her past with the magical Celtic clan to Fergal. And Fergal’s plans to runaway with Petronella are put on hold, when Fergal meets his estranged father for the first time…..

 Kate Dickie delivers the best performance as Mary. Mary is a cruel and callous mother, who will do anything to save Fergal, and she uses her own brand of tough love to protect her son. There’s a scene where Mary confronts the social worker, because Mary intentionally  used the wrong address for Fergal’s paperwork. The social worker threatens Mary with the police, but Mary uses a spell to put a curse on the social worker. The curse? The social worker will live out the rest of her days wandering the apartment complex. Dickie has this intense and vicious look on her face during a stare down, but Dickie’s performance isn’t limited to the strict and unflinching mother. Towards the end, Dickie shows a more vulnerable side with a few tears, while Mary explains her past to Fergal.

Bruton is believable, as the quiet and soft spoken teenager, who’s trying to break out of his shell. Nesbitt is genuinely despicable as the deranged scoundrel, who will do anything to kill Fergal and Mary. Stanbrdige is entertaining as the tough and spunky young woman. There’s a scene where Petronella stands up to and taunts a local tough guy for trashing her character, and there’s another scene where Petronella berates the social worker for snooping around and asking too many personal questions. Although, Petronella has a softer side at times, because she protects and takes care of Tomatsk, and you’ll see a  few tender moments with Petronella and Tomatsk together.

So we’re in the final stages of the movie, and Cathal dishonors the agreement, when he disobeys Liam’s strict orders to abandon the mission. Remember, if Cathal completes the mission, he’ll receive full control of his powers for a lifetime. And Cathal doesn’t care about helping the Celtic clan. He’s obsessed with power, and revenge on Mary.

Cathal uses his temporary powers to locate Mary and Fergal. At Mary’s apartment, Mary orders Fergal to hide in his room, when Cathal shows up. Here, it’s revealed Cathal is Fergal’s father, because Mary had a one night stand with Cathal years ago. Cathal murders Mary during a fight, but Cathal walks into an unpleasant surprise, when he tries to murder Fergal. The creature bursts through the door to attack and kill Cathal by ripping his throat out. That’s right. Fergal is the creature.

But it’s not over yet! Tomatsk is in jail, because he’s accused of murder, and Petronella’s mother is at the police station for questioning, so Petronella agrees to runaway with Fergal. Keep in mind, Petronella doesn’t know Fergal is the creature. So Petronella waits for Fergal at the playground in the middle of the night.

Fergal and Petronella share a romantic moment together, but Fergal transforms into the creature after intercourse. Liam shows up to protect Petronella. Here, it’s revealed Liam is Fergal’s uncle. During a struggle, Petronella breaks her promise to help Liam kill Fergal, but Fergal uses Liam’s dagger to murder Fergal. For the final scene of the movie, Petronella is all alone, and she’s begging for spare change on a street corner. Laird shows up to offer a helping hand with a hot meal. Oh, and Petronella is pregnant with Fergal’s child.

Towards the end, the reveal of Fergal as the creature is more obvious, if you pay close attention. Outcast tries to throw you off the trail with Tomatsk as the creature, but there’s one big problem with Tomatsk as the creature: Fergal is never around during the creature’s murders/attacks, or the aftermath of the creature’s murders. On the other hand, Tomatsk is holding the body of a ravaged victim, so Fergal was the only realistic option.

Petronella being pregnant? Yeah, Petronella’s pregnancy caught me off guard, and her decision to murder Fergal was a surprise. Petronella was in love with Fergal, so for a brief second I thought there was a chance she would let him survive.

Are the reveals at the end shocking? No, they’re not, because obvious foreshadowing gives away too much, but Outcast deserves some credit for impeccable timing. First, Mary finally breaks her silence (her explanation to Fergal was ambiguous, but it’s obvious she was talking about Cathal) about Cathal being Fergal’s father.

Moments later, Cathal murders Mary during the fight. What happens after Mary’s demise? Fergal (as the creature) bursts through the door of his room to murder Cathal. And to wrap up the movie, Petronella reveals her pregnancy after a gut wrenching decision to murder the love of her life.

The hocus-pocus stuff and the voodoo magic tricks reach a tiresome point after a while, because Outcast crosses the line for overkill a few times. Still, I enjoyed this one. Outcast is a brooding and gruesome horror film, featuring a poignant love story. Petronella and Fergal live hellish lives, but Petronella is the cure for Fergal’s pain and vice versa.

Also, your jaw won’t hit the floor for the reveals at the end, but Outcast deserves credit for a well executed finale. The finale packs an emotional and tense punch during a whirlwind of chaos, and Mary‘s brutal last stand features one of the major highlights (the creatures demise is another good pick) in Outcast.

Rating: 7/10

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 Pack (2010)(Minor Spoilers Reivew)

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

During a road trip in the countryside of northern France, a loner named Charlotte Massot (Emilie Dequenne) decides to pickup Max (Benjamin Biolay), a hitchhiker. Charlotte has some doubts about Max at first, but she’ll have to worry about bigger problems, when a group of rowdy biker thugs threaten Charlotte and Max at a local diner/truck stop. The biker gang overpowers Charlotte and Max during a struggle, but La Spack (Yolande Moreau), the owner of the diner, uses her shotgun to defuse the tension. La Spack forces the biker gang to leave with the promise of fired shots, and Max takes a break to use the bathroom.

As time passes, Charlotte realizes something is strange, when Max disappears without a trace. Chinaski (Philippe Nahon), a local retired police officer, warns Charlotte about the dangers of helping hitchhikers, but he uses his skills as a policeman to help Charlotte solve the mystery of Max’s disappearance.

Curiosity gets the best of Charlotte, and she decides to investigate La Spack’s diner during the late hours of the night. For her first clue, Charlotte picks up Max’s bandana, and she finds a hidden room in the men’s bathroom. Charlotte peeks her head inside the secret room, but the investigation is cut short after a quick blow to the back of the head.

In the morning, Charlotte awakes as a prisoner inside a cage with another delusional and petrified man as her cellmate. Chinaski is still on the outside, and he’s unaware of Charlotte’s plight. Charlotte has to think of an escape plan before the next full moon, because Charlotte and the other prisoner are live bait and food for a pack of ghoulish creatures……

I give the nod to Dequenne for the best performance here. Charlotte is a tough and rugged lone wolf, who refuses to quit, and Dequenne shows some believable raw emotion during Charlotte’s moments of desperation. And there’s a scene where a biker thug spits a thick, hanging loogie into Charlotte’s cup at the diner. Dequenne calmly drinks from the cup, and she refuses to break eye contact with the biker. Nasty scene that shows off Charlote’s resilience, and Dequenne’s unflinching demeanor pulls everything together.

Runner up goes to Yolande Moreau. La Spack is a deranged  and delusional sociopath, who believes in her mission, and Moreau brings a creepy dark sense of humor to this character. Nahon is good for a few laughs as the dimwitted (there’s a scene, where Nahon sticks straws in his ears and nose to look like walrus) retired cop, but Chinaski proves he can still pull a trick out of his sleeve every now and then (more on that later). No big complaints about Biolay. He’s believable as the subservient follower, but Max has a change of heart towards the end.

The plot holes are annoying and frustrating, but I still enjoyed The Pack. The cast is rock solid, and director Frank Richard deserves credit for creating a genuinely eerie and unsettling atmosphere for The Pack, especially the nighttime scenes. Richard delivers an appropriate amount of bloody gruesomeness, the suspenseful finale is full of nail-biting moments, and the fake out cliffhanger sparks an uncontrollable series of thought-provoking “What if?” questions.

Rating: 7/10

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 Pack (2010)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

During a road trip in the countryside of northern France, a loner named Charlotte Massot (Emilie Dequenne) decides to pickup Max (Benjamin Biolay), a hitchhiker. Charlotte has some doubts about Max at first, but she’ll have to worry about bigger problems, when a group of rowdy biker thugs threaten Charlotte and Max at a local diner/truck stop. The biker gang overpowers Charlotte and Max during a struggle, but La Spack (Yolande Moreau), the owner of the diner, uses her shotgun to defuse the tension. La Spack forces the biker gang to leave with the promise of fired shots, and Max takes a break to use the bathroom.

As time passes, Charlotte realizes something is strange, when Max disappears without a trace. Chinaski (Philippe Nahon), a local retired police officer, warns Charlotte about the dangers of helping hitchhikers, but he uses his skills as a policeman to help Charlotte solve the mystery of Max’s disappearance.

Curiosity gets the best of Charlotte, and she decides to investigate La Spack’s diner during the late hours of the night. For her first clue, Charlotte picks up Max’s bandana, and she finds a hidden room in the men’s bathroom. Charlotte peeks her head inside the secret room, but the investigation is cut short after a quick blow to the back of the head.

In the morning, Charlotte awakes as a prisoner inside a cage with another delusional and petrified man as her cellmate. Chinaski is still on the outside, and he’s unaware of Charlotte’s plight. Charlotte has to think of an escape plan before the next full moon, because Charlotte and the other prisoner are live bait and food for a pack of ghoulish creatures……

I give the nod to Dequenne for the best performance here. Charlotte is a tough and rugged lone wolf, who refuses to quit, and Dequenne shows some believable raw emotion during Charlotte’s moments of desperation. And there’s a scene where a biker thug spits a thick, hanging loogie into Charlotte’s cup at the diner. Dequenne calmly drinks from the cup, and she refuses to break eye contact with the biker. Nasty scene that shows off Charlote’s resilience, and Dequenne’s unflinching demeanor pulls everything together.

Runner up goes to Yolande Moreau. La Spack is a deranged  and delusional sociopath, who believes in her mission, and Moreau brings a creepy dark sense of humor to this character. Nahon is good for a few laughs as the dimwitted (there’s a scene, where Nahon sticks straws in his ears and nose to look like walrus) retired cop, but Chinaski proves he can still pull a trick out of his sleeve every now and then (more on that later). No big complaints about Biolay. He’s believable as the subservient follower, but Max has a change of heart towards the end.

Who’s feeding the creatures? La Spack. That’s right. La Spack kidnaps unsuspecting victims at the diner to feed to the creatures, but she needs help to lure innocent victims. Enter Max. Max uses the cover of a hitchhiker to lure the victims to the diner, and La Spack is Max’s mother. La Spack suffered a severe nervous breakdown after Max’s brother died in a mining accident. Max’s brother died with other miners in the accident, and Max refused to abandon his mother in her time of need, so he dedicated himself to the role of the loyal son.

How do you lure the creatures from the ground? Blood. The creatures feed off of power from a full moon, and when blood from the victims hits the soil, they emerge for their feast. But something strange happens during Charlotte’s feeding: The creatures pass on the opportunity to eat Charlotte. Instead, the creatures devour the male prisoner.

Meanwhile, a suspicious Chinaski continues his search for a missing Charlotte. Chinaski pulls a fast one on La Spack, when she offers him a cup of coffee. La Spack poisoned the coffee, but Chinaski dumped the cup of coffee into a house plant. An “unconscious” Chinaski played possum inside a wheelbarrow, forcing La Spack to lead him to the torture chamber, where she prepares the creature’s food and Charlotte.

Chinaski rescues Charlotte, and a furious Charlotte uses the shotgun to shot and kill La Spack at point blank range. Max joins Charlotte in a desperate mission to fight the creatures before the full moon emerges (remember, the creatures are pretty much invincible during a full moon)……but La Spack isn’t dead. She breaks out of the cage to strangle Chinaski, and eventually, she drives the nail into the coffin with a beheading.

For a last stand, Charlotte and Max join the biker gang in a rundown house to fight off the group of invading creatures. The creatures eliminate the biker gang, and Max is trapped inside the house after a fire. Outside, Charlotte tries to make a run for it, but she trips and falls in an open field. The creatures surround her, and one creature starts eating Charlotte. During the feeding, Charlotte loses consciousness.

The next scene shows Charlotte working at the diner, and she’s pregnant. Charlotte is smoking a cigarette, while she watches Max lure another victim for the creatures. Here, The Pack gives us the impression Charlotte is working with Max to continue his mother’s job, and Charlotte is pregnant with Max’s child (Charlotte had a soft spot for Max). In reality, Charlotte is stuck in a dream. Yep. Charlotte didn’t escape. Instead, a decapitated Charlotte is hanging upside down in an open field, and to end the movie, you’ll see a splatter of running blood from Charlotte’s upside down POV.

I have mixed feelings for the finale. On one hand, the final showdown in the house was full of suspense and mayhem, and the fake out dream sequence cliffhanger really caught me off guard. One minute, you think Charlotte is happy, pregnant, and working with Max to feed the creatures, and in a matter of seconds, Charlotte wakes up to realize her impossible dilemma. She’s literally hanging in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the creatures to finish her off, and there’s no one around to save her. Are the creatures coming for her? Did Max survive the fire? Where’s La Spack? So many tantalizing unanswered questions.

The bad side? Plot holes. Remember the scene where the creatures refused to eat Charlotte? The Pack NEVER provided a concrete explanation for Charlotte’s immunity to the creatures. To make matters worse, the creatures devour Charlotte at the end after they made a WILLING choice to spare her life? Sorry, without an explanation, that doesn’t make any sense at all.

And I can’t forget about La Spack. Eh, why is she invincible? As the audience, we never see the gruesome shot of Charlotte murdering La Spack……but somehow she returns (without a scratch) to murder Chinaski? On top of that, during the final stand, one of the biker thugs shoots La Spack in one of her legs, but she just laughs it off like nothing happened?

So let me get this straight. She’s shot at point blank range with a SHOTGUN, and La Spack survives like nothing happened. And she takes another shot to one of her legs, and she laughs about it? Again, The Pack fails to provide a reason for Super La Spack, and it’s another head-scratcher I can’t ignore.

The plot holes are annoying and frustrating, but I still enjoyed The Pack. The cast is rock solid, and director Frank Richard deserves credit for creating a genuinely eerie and unsettling atmosphere for The Pack, especially the nighttime scenes. Richard delivers an appropriate amount of bloody gruesomeness, the suspenseful finale is full of nail-biting moments, and the fake out cliffhanger sparks an uncontrollable series of thought-provoking “What if?” questions.

Rating: 7/10

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

Frozen (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

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

Two lifelong friends are trying to figure out a way to secure a cheap pass for skit lift tickets during their annual vacation. Dan Walker (Kevin Zegers) and Joe Lynch (Shawn Ashmore) convince Dan’s new girlfriend, Parker O’Neil (Emma Bell) to bribe Jason (Ed Ackerman), the current ski lift operator, with one hundred dollars for a guaranteed spot on the lift, no strings attached. Parker lies about a spot for her “girlfriends,” and Jason reluctantly accepts the bribe.

Throughout the day, a bitter Joe isn’t happy about Parker’s presence on the vacation, but Joe agrees to suppress his animosity for the time being. During the closing hours, the trio agrees to go on one last ski trip before the park closes. Jason allows Dan, Joe, and Parker to ride the lift one more time, but Jason leaves his post to discuss a scheduling conflict with the resort’s manager. In his absence, Jason entrusts another employee with the task of waiting for Dan, Joe, and Parker. Jason instructs Rifkin (Adam Johnson) to wait for the trio, and once they return, Rifkin can start the shutdown sequence. But Rifkin mistakes another group for Dan, Joe, and Parker, and without hesitation, Rifkin deactivates the ski lift.

Dan and Joe dismiss the shutdown as a minor setback, but as time passes, no one else returns to activate the lift. Dan, Joe, and Parker are stuck at the highest point on the lift in the darkness, with a nasty storm looming over the mountains. It’s Sunday, and the resort doesn’t reopen until Friday, so the trio is stranded with no help. The group must endure the approaching storm and frostbite, and the situation takes a drastic turn for the worst, when a pack of hungry wolves emerge from the woods…….

The slight increase in screen time and the extra focus on her character helps, but Emma Bell delivers the best performance here. Parker is very annoying and whiny most of  the time. Still, Bell’s strong effort is enough to stand out amongst the pack, the welded tears helped, and Bell provides the most convincing performance, easily. Ashmore is decent enough as Joe, and Zegers isn’t bad, but his screen time is cut short here.

Wolves? A ski resort so close to wolves? I don’t get it. Having suspension of disbelief is one thing, but I have a hard time believing in the people behind the scenes for the ski resort being so careless for selecting their location. And I’m suppose to believe NO ONE bothered with a second search to see if anyone else was on the lift? Everyone just assumed the resort was empty, and all the employees left for home?

And the scene with the snowplow machine provided the biggest head-shaking moment for me. Parker, Joe, and Dan are throwing all of their equipment at the snowplow to catch the driver’s attention, but the driver never sees anything? I rolled my eyes during this fiasco, because the driver is conveniently looking away or backing up, when the the equipment lands on the ground. Yeah, right. Give me a break.

The stupid stuff is annoying, and the constant bickering within the trio is tiresome. Joe is pissed off at Dan, because he allowed Parker to tag along on their annual trip. Dan is tired of Joe disrespecting his girlfriend. And there’s a scene, where Joe tears into Parker after an accusation, but Joe and a teary-eyed Parker embrace for a truce. Eh, you guys are supposed to be working together to find a solution, so the constant arguments aren’t helping anything.

Truth be told, I didn’t hate everything about this one. Director/writer Adam Green deserves credit for creating an eerie and spooky atmosphere for Frozen. There’s an unsettling silence in the snowy mountains, and the creaky sounds of a ski lift wafting in the wind provide the icing on the cake. And the nighttime scenes feature their fair share of chills, as the survivors are dangling hopelessly on the lift with no one else in sight.

Still, Frozen is a forgettable thriller, and it’s hard to ignore some noticeable problems here. The characters are generic. Joe is that one guy, who has to be a jerk to everyone. There’s nothing wrong with her performance, but in the grand scheme of things, Bell’s Parker is just a ditzy blonde (i.e. Joe taunting Parker about her clumsiness and inexperience with skiing), and Dan is the leader/voice of reason. The constant finger-pointing and bickering almost gave me headache, and the stupidity from the main characters was too much to handle for my tastes.

In the end, a handful of eerie atmospherics, some nasty, cringeworthy moments, and an overall average cast aren’t enough to save Frozen. Frozen isn’t a complete train wreck, but it’s a chore to sit through for a number of reasons, and I can’t go with a positive score for this one.

Rating: 3/10

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

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

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

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

Frozen (2010)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Two lifelong friends are trying to figure out a way to secure a cheap pass for skit lift tickets during their annual vacation. Dan Walker (Kevin Zegers) and Joe Lynch (Shawn Ashmore) convince Dan’s new girlfriend, Parker O’Neil (Emma Bell) to bribe Jason (Ed Ackerman), the current ski lift operator, with one hundred dollars for a guaranteed spot on the lift, no strings attached. Parker lies about a spot for her “girlfriends,” and Jason reluctantly accepts the bribe.

Throughout the day, a bitter Joe isn’t happy about Parker’s presence on the vacation, but Joe agrees to suppress his animosity for the time being. During the closing hours, the trio agrees to go on one last ski trip before the park closes. Jason allows Dan, Joe, and Parker to ride the lift one more time, but Jason leaves his post to discuss a scheduling conflict with the resort’s manager. In his absence, Jason entrusts another employee with the task of waiting for Dan, Joe, and Parker. Jason instructs Rifkin (Adam Johnson) to wait for the trio, and once they return, Rifkin can start the shutdown sequence. But Rifkin mistakes another group for Dan, Joe, and Parker, and without hesitation, Rifkin deactivates the ski lift.

Dan and Joe dismiss the shutdown as a minor setback, but as time passes, no one else returns to activate the lift. Dan, Joe, and Parker are stuck at the highest point on the lift in the darkness, with a nasty storm looming over the mountains. It’s Sunday, and the resort doesn’t reopen until Friday, so the trio is stranded with no help. The group must endure the approaching storm and frostbite, and the situation takes a drastic turn for the worst, when a pack of hungry wolves emerge from the woods…….

The slight increase in screen time and the extra focus on her character helps, but Emma Bell delivers the best performance here. Parker is very annoying and whiny most of  the time. Still, Bell’s strong effort is enough to stand out amongst the pack, the welded tears helped, and Bell provides the most convincing performance, easily. Ashmore is decent enough as Joe, and Zegers isn’t bad, but his screen time is cut short (more on that later) here.

Warning! Here comes another stupid characters rant!

After the storm hits, Dan, Joe, and Parker lose their cool, quickly. They’re freaking out, because the realization of being stuck in the ski lift for one week is starting to sink in. Dan comes up with the bright idea of jumping to the ground, so he can search for help. Mind you, they’re at the highest point on the ski lift. Anyway, Dan jumps down, and guess what happens? He shatters both of his legs on impact, and you can clearly see a bone sticking out of one leg, but it’s not over yet. Dan is sitting on the ground by himself, trying to stop the bleeding with some help from Joe and Parker, when a wolf shows up. Parker distracts the wolf for the time being, but the lone wolf returns with a pack of allies. Together, the wolves literally rip Dan apart.

Dan is dead, and as time passes, Joe and Parker are stuck together. After a while, Joe leaves Parker alone in the lift, and he takes a shot at descending a ladder on a support pole. Of course, Joe has some trouble fighting off the wolves on the ground, but Parker tosses him a ski pole. Joe uses the ski pole to fight off the wolves, and he uses a snowboard to glide down the mountain…..but the wolves follow him.

Parker falls asleep on the lift during the night hours, and one morning, she awakes to nothing. No Joe, no rescue team, nothing. Parker knows something happened to Joe, so she decides to pull a Dan during a desperate jump. But the cables to lift snap during Parker’s frantic struggle. The lift drops halfway to the ground, so Parker falls at a safe height. After the fall, she injures her leg in the left, but Parker has enough strength to crawl. During her crawl to the open road, Parker spots Joe’s mangled corpse. The wolves are busy eating Joe, so Parker is free to move on without any interruptions. Parker crawls to the road, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, a driver catches Parker’s signal for help. The driver agrees to drive Parker to a hospital, and for the closing moments of the film, Parker remembers Dan’s reassuring words on the lift before she closes her eyes in the passenger’s seat.

So let me get this straight. You KNOW something bad will happen, if you attempt to jump off of a freakin’ ski lift, but you do it anyway? It’s like going to the roof of your house or apartment complex, and you’re at the top looking down at the sidewalk beneath you. You know there’s a 99.9% chance you won‘t survive the jump without any problems, but you still jump? That doesn’t make any sense. Joe knows the wolves are looking for their next meal after devouring Dan, so he decides to climb down the ladder, and fight off a pack of wolves with a ski pole? Also, Parker’s is escape is really frustrating, when you stop and think about it. After all the brainstorming and illogical planning, they NEVER thought about using the lift to break the fall to the ground? Ugh.

Waiting wasn’t an option either, huh? The snowplow machine showed up, so who knows, if you wait, another person might come to the rescue. Sorry, but it’s hard to have sympathy for Joe and Dan’s deaths, because I can’t ignore the dumb (and willing) choices from both characters.

Wolves? A ski resort so close to wolves? I don’t get it. Having suspension of disbelief is one thing, but I have a hard time believing in the people behind the scenes for the ski resort being so careless for selecting their location. And I’m suppose to believe NO ONE bothered with a second search to see if anyone else was on the lift? Everyone just assumed the resort was empty, and all the employees left for home?

And the scene with the snowplow machine provided the biggest head-shaking moment for me. Parker, Joe, and Dan are throwing all of their equipment at the snowplow to catch the driver’s attention, but the driver never sees anything? I rolled my eyes during this fiasco, because the driver is conveniently looking away or backing up, when the the equipment lands on the ground. Yeah, right. Give me a break.


The stupid stuff is annoying, and the constant bickering within the trio is tiresome. Joe is pissed off at Dan, because he allowed Parker to tag along on their annual trip. Dan is tired of Joe disrespecting his girlfriend. And there’s a scene, where Joe tears into Parker after an accusation, but Joe and a teary-eyed Parker embrace for a truce. Eh, you guys are supposed to be working together to find a solution, so the constant arguments aren’t helping anything.

Truth be told, I didn’t hate everything about this one. Director/writer Adam Green deserves credit for creating an eerie and spooky atmosphere for Frozen. There’s an unsettling silence in the snowy mountains, and the creaky sounds of a ski lift wafting in the wind provide the icing on the cake. And the nighttime scenes feature their fair share of chills, as the survivors are dangling hopelessly on the lift with no one else in sight.

Still, Frozen is a forgettable thriller, and it’s hard to ignore some noticeable problems here. The characters are generic. Joe is that one guy, who has to be a jerk to everyone. There’s nothing wrong with her performance, but in the grand scheme of things, Bell’s Parker is just a ditzy blonde (i.e. Joe taunting Parker about her clumsiness and inexperience with skiing), and Dan is the leader/voice of reason. The constant finger-pointing and bickering almost gave me headache, and the stupidity from the main characters was too much to handle for my tastes.

In the end, a handful of eerie atmospherics, some nasty, cringeworthy moments (i.e. Dan’s twisted and mangled broken legs, Joe’s dismembered corpse, frostbite wounds on Parker’s face, etc.), and an overall average cast aren’t enough to save Frozen. Frozen isn’t a complete train wreck, but it’s a chore to sit through for a number of reasons, and I can’t go with a positive score for this one.

Rating: 3/10

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

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

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

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 Town (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review review contains MINOR spoilers, no character deaths or major surprises**

In Boston, four Charlestown natives work together as a notorious crew of robbers. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), James (or “Jem”) Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Albert “Gloansy” Magloan (Slaine), and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke) run into some trouble after a routine robbery one morning. Jem takes Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), the bank’s assistant manager, as a hostage for some collateral, but the group releases Claire with no real harm.

As time passes, Jem is afraid of Claire’s potential testimony as the only witness, so Jem suggests killing Claire, but Doug decides to follow Claire for a personal evaluation instead. Unbeknownst to Claire, Doug is spying on her, and during his investigation, Doug develops feelings for Claire.

But Doug can’t bask in glory of his newfound happiness. As the mastermind and organizer behind each robbery, Fergie (Pete Postlethwaite) uses his flower shop as a front with protection from his trusted bodyguard, Rusty (Dennis McLaughlin), and he refuses to hire the entire crew without Doug’s participation. Doug is contemplating retirement, but Fergie refuses to accept his resignation, and Fegie promises retaliation with Claire’s death. On top of all that, Doug tries to distance himself from his ex-girlfriend and Jem’s sister, Kris (Blake Lively).

With a limited number of options in front of him, Doug reluctantly agrees to continue a life of crime, but things change after a botched robbery. The crew is pursued by a relentless FBI Special Agent named Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm). Frawley promises to cripple Doug and his crew with help from his right hand man, Dino Ciampa (Titus Welliver).

Doug tries to come up with a last minute exit strategy, but Fergie’s latest target complicates the situation. A haul worth millions of dollars is too tempting to pass up, so Fergie sends Doug and his crew on their most lucrative mission ever: Together, Doug and his crew will steal money from the cash room at Fenway Park.

Ben Affleck is a capable leading man, and he’s able to showcase some believable intensity every now and then (i.e. during his arguments with Jem). Jeremy Renner received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Jem here. Renner nails the “stubborn and hardened criminal, who won’t go down without fight” character, and he easily delivers one of the best performances in this film.

Rebecca Hall is convincing as Claire, and Hall did a good job of showing some real devastation, when Claire learns the truth about Doug’s second life. Blake Lively is spot on as this trashy druggie, who’s a complete train wreck in every way imaginable. And it’s not fair to judge Chris Cooper (he portrays Stephen MacRay, Doug’s father) here. Cooper’s screen time is limited to one appearance during a visit from Doug in jail, and that’s it.

Doug MacRay is an anti-hero, and John Hamm’s Frawley is the perfect foil for his character. Hamm is a sneering bully as Frawley, and Frawley has a snobbish superiority complex (i.e. mocking Doug with a Boston accent during the interrogation scene). Yeah, Doug MacRay is a criminal, but he’s also a hard working Average Joe, who makes a living by working construction. Frawley? He’s this pompous jerk, who enjoys taunting and tormenting Doug, and everyone close to him (including Claire). You’ll be rooting for Doug and his crew to escape in the end, because Hamm’s confident and unapologetic performance as Frawley is very convincing.

The Town is a sharp, tense, and efficient crime drama, featuring a formidable cast. The Town won’t change the landscape for crime dramas, but this one deserves credit for avoiding a finale that’s loaded with tragedy and sappy melodrama, because The Town allows a few rays of sunshine to break through the dark clouds. And it’s not his best film as a director (i.e. Gone Baby Gone and Argo), but Ben Affleck’s precise and smooth work behind the camera for The Town deserves praise and recognition.

Rating: 9/10

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 Town (2010)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

In Boston, four Charlestown natives work together as a notorious crew of robbers. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), James (or “Jem”) Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Albert “Gloansy” Magloan (Slaine), and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke) run into some trouble after a routine robbery one morning. Jem takes Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), the bank’s assistant manager, as a hostage for some collateral, but the group releases Claire with no real harm.

As time passes, Jem is afraid of Claire’s potential testimony as the only witness, so Jem suggests killing Claire, but Doug decides to follow Claire for a personal evaluation instead. Unbeknownst to Claire, Doug is spying on her, and during his investigation, Doug develops feelings for Claire.

But Doug can’t bask in glory of his newfound happiness. As the mastermind and organizer behind each robbery, Fergie (Pete Postlethwaite) uses his flower shop as a front with protection from his trusted bodyguard, Rusty (Dennis McLaughlin), and he refuses to hire the entire crew without Doug’s participation. Doug is contemplating retirement, but Fergie refuses to accept his resignation, and Fegie promises retaliation with Claire’s death. On top of all that, Doug tries to distance himself from his ex-girlfriend and Jem’s sister, Kris (Blake Lively).

With a limited number of options in front of him, Doug reluctantly agrees to continue a life of crime, but things change after a botched robbery. The crew is pursued by a relentless FBI Special Agent named Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm). Frawley promises to cripple Doug and his crew with help from his right hand man, Dino Ciampa (Titus Welliver).

Doug tries to come up with a last minute exit strategy, but Fergie’s latest target complicates the situation. A haul worth millions of dollars is too tempting to pass up, so Fergie sends Doug and his crew on their most lucrative mission ever: Together, Doug and his crew will steal money from the cash room at Fenway Park.

Ben Affleck is a capable leading man, and he’s able to showcase some believable intensity every now and then (i.e. during his arguments with Jem). Jeremy Renner received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Jem here. Renner nails the “stubborn and hardened criminal, who won’t go down without fight” character, and he easily delivers one of the best performances in this film.

Rebecca Hall is convincing as Claire, and Hall did a good job of showing some real devastation, when Claire learns the truth about Doug’s second life. Blake Lively is spot on as this trashy druggie, who’s a complete train wreck in every way imaginable. And it’s not fair to judge Chris Cooper (he portrays Stephen MacRay, Doug’s father) here. Cooper’s screen time is limited to one appearance during a visit from Doug in jail, and that’s it.

Doug MacRay is an anti-hero, and John Hamm’s Frawley is the perfect foil for his character. Hamm is a sneering bully as Frawley, and Frawley has a snobbish superiority complex (i.e. mocking Doug with a Boston accent during the interrogation scene). Yeah, Doug MacRay is a criminal, but he’s also a hard working Average Joe, who makes a living by working construction. Frawley? He’s this pompous jerk, who enjoys taunting and tormenting Doug, and everyone close to him (including Claire). You’ll be rooting for Doug and his crew to escape in the end, because Hamm’s confident and unapologetic performance as Frawley is very convincing.

Of course, Doug and his crew are caught by Frawley, and a blockade of police officers and FBI agents during the Fenway robbery. Long story short, Kris (with her daughter) begged Doug to runaway with her after the Fenway robbery, so they could be together as a happy family. But Doug is in love with Claire, so he rejects Kris and her daughter. Kris’ revenge? She reveals crucial details (as the old saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned) about the Fenway robbery to Frawley.

Anyway, Jem, Albert, and Desmond suffer brutal deaths during a series of shootouts, but Doug is still alive. Doug rushes to the flower shop to kill Rusty and Fergie, and after one last good-bye to Claire, Doug leaves a “Go f*** yourself” note on Frawley’s car. Earlier in the movie, Frawley promised Doug he would beg for his life and a deal after his capture, and Frawley wanted to be the first one to tell Doug “Go f*** yourself.” So in the end, Doug took his last shot to flip a proverbial middle finger to Frawley.

I appreciate The Town’s approach to avoid excessive melodrama for the final series of events. So many crime dramas succumb to a familiar pattern for the ending: the bad guys are caught and arrested by a large group of cops after a setup, or the bad buys are shot to death by a large group of cops during a final stand. In The Town, Doug escapes to Florida to live out his dreams of a quieter and peaceful life, and as a going away present, Doug leaves a bag full of money for Claire to help renovate a local hockey arena for children. All in the all, The Town gives the audience a nice balance of happiness and the inevitable tragic demise during the downfall for the criminals, so everything isn’t too over the top either way. Good stuff.

The Town is a sharp, tense, and efficient crime drama, featuring a formidable cast. The Town won’t change the landscape for crime dramas, but this one deserves credit for avoiding a finale that’s loaded with tragedy and sappy melodrama, because The Town allows a few rays of sunshine to break through the dark clouds. And it’s not his best film as a director (i.e. Gone Baby Gone and Argo), but Ben Affleck’s precise and smooth work behind the camera for The Town deserves praise and recognition.

Rating: 9/10

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 Wolfman (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

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


After his brother’s brutal death, famed stage actor Lawrence Talbot (Benicio del Toro) returns to his hometown for the funeral. Lawrence befriends his brother’s fiancee, Gwen (Emily Blunt), but Lawrence isn’t too happy about a reunion with his father. Living in Lawrence’s childhood home with Singh (Art Malik) as his bodyguard, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) provides housing for Emily, and Sir Talbot is surprised by the unexpected visit from his “prodigal son.”

Lawrence tires to block out memories of a dark past, including the tragic death of his mother during childhood, but Lawrence is forced to deal with bigger problems after viewing his brother’s mangled corpse. Local residents fear the realistic possibility of werewolf attacks, so Lawrence visits a gypsy village for more answers. During Lawrence’s visit, the village is attacked by a werewolf. Lawrence pursues the werewolf in the woods with a rifle, but the werewolf gains the upper hand during the chase, and Lawrence suffers a bite to the neck.

Lawrence recovers from his injuries after some help from residents at the gypsy village, but Lawrence experiences some abnormal changes during his rehabilitation period. Lawrence can’t escape the light from full moons and the inevitable transformations afterwards, so one night, a group of townspeople set a trap for Lawrence with a deer as live bait. But the townspeople’s mission to capture Lawrence fails, after Lawrence escapes the trap.

After the massacre, Lawrence leaves a bloody trail of evidence for Inspector Francis Aberline (Hugo Weaving), a top man at Scotland Yard, with an esteemed reputation. Lawrence is the prime suspect in Inspector Aberline’s investigation, and Lawrence fears for a returning Gwen’s safety……….

Del Toro receives the most screen time here, but I give the nod to Anthony Hopkins for the best performance. Hopkins is spot on as this eccentric and unapologetic old man with a dark sense of humor, and Hopkins shows us a more devilish side (more on that later) towards the end. I’m not trying to undercut Del Toro, because he’s a solid leading man here, but Hopkins upstages him (especially during their scenes together), and it’s not even close. Emily Blunt is believably sympathetic and innocent as Gwen, and Hugo Weaving is a nice fit for the distinguished and stern authority figure.

Pay close attention to the transformations in The Wolfman, and you’ll be able to see why this film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup in 2010. Sir John and Lawrence are genuinely intimidating in their werewolf forms, and Lawrence’s transformations are painful to watch.

Usually, you’ll get a “Wow! That’s cool. I wish I could do that!” feeling after witnessing a werewolf transformation in a movie. Well, The Wolfman should change your mind with an “OUCH! That’s gotta hurt!” reaction. During Lawrence’s transformations, you’ll see a lot of stretched contortions with bones pushing up against the skin, and you’ll clearly see Lawrence’s bloody gums, as his fangs come through during a scene at the asylum. The Wolfman doesn’t rely on a lot of flashy CGI to get the job done, and it’s a refreshing change.

Still, The Wolfman is a disappointing horror remake. There’s enough nasty and bloody gore for horror fans, who love gruesomeness, and The Wolfman features a handful of spooky atmospherics. But the screenplay is tepid at best, The Wolfman is void of any true scares, and the unsatisfying reveal towards the end sucks the life out of everything. Really? I had to wait for this? That’s the best way to describe my reaction for the lukewarm confession.

With all that said, The Wolfman doesn’t deserve a spot in the top three worst horror remakes of all time. The Wolfman was panned by a lot of critics, and the vast majority of horror fans still hate this film with a burning, white hot passion. On top of that, director Joe Johnston issued a public apology for The Wolfman a few years ago.

Is The Wolfman a good film? No. No it’s not, and the 1941 classic is still superior by a long shot, but the excessive bashing is unnecessary. Do you remember A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010), Sorority Row (2009), The Omen (2006), and The Hitcher (2007)? Yeah, they’re all abominable train wrecks, and when it comes to failed horror remakes, each film is worse than The Wolfman. Bottom line, I’ll always remember The Wolfman as a misfire, but it’s not a smoldering and unwatchable mess, and The Wolfman doesn’t deserve so much hate.

Rating: 4/10

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 Wolfman (2010)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

After his brother’s brutal death, famed stage actor Lawrence Talbot (Benicio del Toro) returns to his hometown for the funeral. Lawrence befriends his brother’s fiancee, Gwen (Emily Blunt), but Lawrence isn’t too happy about a reunion with his father. Living in Lawrence’s childhood home with Singh (Art Malik) as his bodyguard, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) provides housing for Emily, and Sir Talbot is surprised by the unexpected visit from his “prodigal son.”

Lawrence tires to block out memories of a dark past, including the tragic death of his mother during childhood, but Lawrence is forced to deal with bigger problems after viewing his brother’s mangled corpse. Local residents fear the realistic possibility of werewolf attacks, so Lawrence visits a gypsy village for more answers. During Lawrence’s visit, the village is attacked by a werewolf. Lawrence pursues the werewolf in the woods with a rifle, but the werewolf gains the upper hand during the chase, and Lawrence suffers a bite to the neck.

Lawrence recovers from his injuries after some help from residents at the gypsy village, but Lawrence experiences some abnormal changes during his rehabilitation period. Lawrence can’t escape the light from full moons and the inevitable transformations afterwards, so one night, a group of townspeople set a trap for Lawrence with a deer as live bait. But the townspeople’s mission to capture Lawrence fails, after Lawrence escapes the trap.

After the massacre, Lawrence leaves a bloody trail of evidence for Inspector Francis Aberline (Hugo Weaving), a top man at Scotland Yard, with an esteemed reputation. Lawrence is the prime suspect in Inspector Aberline’s investigation, and Lawrence fears for a returning Gwen’s safety……….

Del Toro receives the most screen time here, but I give the nod to Anthony Hopkins for the best performance. Hopkins is spot on as this eccentric and unapologetic old man with a dark sense of humor, and Hopkins shows us a more devilish side (more on that later) towards the end. I’m not trying to undercut Del Toro, because he’s a solid leading man here, but Hopkins upstages him (especially during their scenes together), and it’s not even close. Emily Blunt is believably sympathetic and innocent as Gwen, and Hugo Weaving is a nice fit for the distinguished and stern authority figure.

Lawrence is haunted by his mother’s death, and the inescapable image of seeing  her bloodied corpse as a child……but Lawrence’s mother didn’t commit suicide. Throughout his life, Lawrence was lead to believe his mother slit her throat with a straight edge razor, but that’s not the truth. Instead, Lawrence’s mother was murdered by a werewolf: Sir John Talbot. That’s right. During a hunting trip, Sir John was bitten by a feral boy. The boy passed the curse of a werewolf, and Sir John is the werewolf, who murdered Ben (his second son and Lawrence’s brother).

Sir John reveals everything to an imprisoned Lawrence (Lawrence is being held captive in an asylum after recent attacks as a werewolf). Enraged and disgusted, Lawrence asks Sir John to commit suicide for a self-inflicted and deserved punishment, but Sir John refuses, because life as a werewolf is too “glorious.” And Sir John offers Lawrence a solution for his werewolf problems with a straight edge razor as a gift.

Eh, I’m sorry, but if they were trying to use Sir John Talbot as a werewolf for the major shocker, they failed miserably. First of all, the foreshadowing is way too obvious. You can easily see there’s something off about Sir John Talbot. He’s this creepy old reclusive guy with an attitude problem, and there’s a telling scene with Hopkins and Blunt. Gwen is on the staircase, and she runs into Sir John. He’s standing there eating an apple with this cold and mischievous look on his face, and Gwen speaks to him, but Sir John refuses to answer. Yeah, if you’re trying to pull off a SHOCKER, you should be more subtle with dropping hints every now and then.

The final battle between werewolf Lawrence and werewolf Sir John is anticlimactic. They’re fighting together in Sir John’s burning house, and for the final blow(s), Lawrence kicks Sir John into the fireplace. A frantic and flaming Sir John emerges from the fireplace, giving Lawrence the chance to knock his head off with one swipe. In the woods, Gwen is forced to kill Lawrence with a shot to the chest after a struggle, and we’re left with a little cliffhanger, because Lawrence bit Inspector Aberline. Talbot manor is engulfed in flames, and we hear one last howl from another werewolf to close out the movie.

A deflating series of events for a few reasons. For starters, Sir John’s beheading wasn’t shocking, because The Wolfman gave away a similar kill before this scene. Second, Lawrence’s slaughter of the townspeople during the whole failed trap fiasco was more fun to watch. When a throwaway scene is more entertaining than your final showdown, you’re in trouble. And the tragic series of events (Talbot manor burning to the ground, Gwen killing Lawrence, etc.) during the finale didn’t do anything for me. The underwhelming fight between Lawrence and Sir John didn’t help, and Gwen killing Lawrence was too predictable. Again, the obvious foreshadowing (Gwen’s chat with the gypsy, who took care of Lawrence after the attack) is a big problem, because death was Lawrence‘s only shot at freedom.

Pay close attention to the transformations in The Wolfman, and you’ll be able to see why this film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup in 2010. Sir John and Lawrence are genuinely intimidating in their werewolf forms, and Lawrence’s transformations are painful to watch.

Usually, you’ll get a “Wow! That’s cool. I wish I could do that!” feeling after witnessing a werewolf transformation in a movie. Well, The Wolfman should change your mind with an “OUCH! That’s gotta hurt!” reaction. During Lawrence’s transformations, you’ll see a lot of stretched contortions with bones pushing up against the skin, and you’ll clearly see Lawrence’s bloody gums, as his fangs come through during a scene at the asylum. The Wolfman doesn’t rely on a lot of flashy CGI to get the job done, and it’s a refreshing change.

Still, The Wolfman is a disappointing horror remake. There’s enough nasty and bloody gore for horror fans, who love gruesomeness, and The Wolfman features a handful of spooky atmospherics. But the screenplay is tepid at best, The Wolfman is void of any true scares, and the unsatisfying reveal towards the end sucks the life out of everything. Really? I had to wait for this? That’s the best way to describe my reaction for the lukewarm confession.

With all that said, The Wolfman doesn’t deserve a spot in the top three worst horror remakes of all time. The Wolfman was panned by a lot of critics, and the vast majority of horror fans still hate this film with a burning, white hot passion. On top of that, director Joe Johnston issued a public apology for The Wolfman a few years ago.

Is The Wolfman a good film? No. No it’s not, and the 1941 classic is still superior by a long shot, but the excessive bashing is unnecessary. Do you remember A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010), Sorority Row (2009), The Omen (2006), and The Hitcher (2007)? Yeah, they’re all abominable train wrecks, and when it comes to failed horror remakes, each film is worse than The Wolfman. Bottom line, I’ll always remember The Wolfman as a misfire, but it’s not a smoldering and unwatchable mess, and The Wolfman doesn’t deserve so much hate.

Rating: 4/10

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

Machete (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

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

Wandering the streets of Texas, an ex-Federale name Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) is forced into accepting a $150,000 offer from Michael Booth (Jeff Fahey). Booth orders Machete to assassinate Senator John McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), a racist politician, but one shot from Sniper (Shea Whigham) wounds Machete before he can pull the trigger.

Machete is the prime suspect in Senator McLaughlin’s shooting. With no one else to turn to, Machete seeks help from his brother/priest Padre (Cheech Marin), and Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), the leader of a strong underground movement to help illegal immigrants with legit papers and jobs. Machete has some fun with Booth’s wife, June (Alicia Marek) and his daughter, April (Lindsay Lohan), but Machete runs into some unexpected trouble, when he crosses paths with Sartana Rivera (Jessica Alba), a no nonsense US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

Machete’s quest for the truth leads him to a confrontation with an old nemesis named Rogelio Torrez (Steven Seagal), a ruthless drug kingpin, and a final showdown with every evildoer in Texas, including Von Jackson (Don Johnson), a sadistic leader of border patrol vigilantes, and a trusted friend of Senator McLaughlin.


Danny Trejo slices and hacks his way to an enjoyable performance as Machete, and Trejo is good for a few laughs with some hilarious one-liners including “Machete don’t text” or “This is the boss” (referring to his trusted machete). Trejo is a riot in the leading role, and he’s surrounded by a rock solid supporting cast.

De Niro is a detestable phony and racist politician, Fahey a nice fit for the ruthless killer with no mercy, and Don Johnson isn’t bad, but he’s overshadowed by De Niro and Fahey for the antagonist side of Machete. Seagal? I have no major gripes about the quality of his performance, and technically, Seagal is the primary antagonist, but Torrez’s screen time is cut short here. You won’t see She until the final battle, but Rodriguez stays within her niche, as a tough and combative fighter for another consistent performance. And Jessica Alba is harmless as Sartana.

After the mock trailer for Machete, I only had one thought on my mind: “Yeah, there’s no way this could work as a full length feature film.” The fake trailer was good for a few cheap laughs, but I still had my doubts. Well, I was wrong. Machete is a cartoonish and screwy romp of brutal over the top violence, and this action-comedy exploitation adventure is loaded with some good laughs, hilarious one-liners, and tons of gleeful bloody gore. Machete is packed with endless amounts of fun, and with more time, it wouldn’t surprise me if Machete developed a stronger following as a true cult classic.

Rating: 6/10

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

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

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

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

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

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