Amber Alert (2024)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Charlotte (Ducky Branson) is kidnapped on a playground in broad daylight in front of her mother, Monica (Katie McClellan) and her grandmother, Gail (Claire Slemmer), lured into a car by a man and a doll. Elsewhere in the same area, Jaq (Hayden Panettiere) misses her rideshare car. Jaq convinces Shane (Tyler James Williams), another rideshare driver, to accept a large tip for a ride.

Eventually, Jaq spots a Toyota Camry that matches the description for Charlotte’s Amber Alert. Jaq, Shane, Monica, Sergeant Phil Casey (Kevin Dunn), and an emergency dispatcher named Cici (Saidah Arrika Ekulona) all work together to rescue Charlotte. Aaron (Kurt Oberhaus), the driver of the Camry, claims he’s innocent, but Jaq realizes something is off, when she learns the truth about the license plate number. 

My Thoughts- The remake for Amber Alert is a good example for why it’s not so easy to make a found-footage film. Amber Alert 2012 took the found-footage approach, and when you compare that film to the 2024 remake, the problems for the 2012 original are more obvious. The big one? Recording when there’s no real reason to record anything during long stretches of the movie. I’ll even go as far as saying the car chase scenes, or the scenes, where Jaq and Shane are following Aaron are easily more exciting. There’s a more uneasy and believable feeling that anything could happen at any moment. A big difference compared to the found-footage film, where the main idea basically is, let’s keep following Muller, while we wait to see what he does next. 

The 2024 remake is a more polished and refined film by a long shot. The story has structure, the characters have more depth, and all the other loose screws are tightened up, including smoother storytelling, better pacing, and it’s a more consistently tense film. I could actually buy into Jaq and Shane’s reasons for wanting to save Charlotte, if we’re comparing the two to Samantha and Nate (mainly Samantha) from the original. Shane is a father, and you can tell he loves and cares about his son. Jaq is still heartbroken about the tragedy involving her baby boy, so it’s easy to go along with a thought process, where she probably believes she couldn’t save her son, but there’s a chance she can save Charlotte.

There’s some callbacks and similarities to the original. The gas station, Jaq dropping her earbud in the backseat, so she can hear what’s going on inside the car, and the confrontation with Aaron in the open field. A few tweaks and some minor changes, but it’s still easy to see some connections to the 2012 film.

So Aaron is the bad guy. Okay. Not a big surprise, and they made things more obvious for the big reveal in the remake. Going back to that scene in the open field, where Jaq and Shane faked having car troubles, you can clearly see Aaron was ready to kill them, while their backs were turned. That, and his story about Charlotte being his daughter was completely phony. Also, it doesn’t help that you can actually see Charlotte in the backseat, when Aaron drives away. 

Still, Amber Alert manages to deliver a satisfying finale. Aaron’s house of horrors? Some genuinely creepy stuff. It’s not just limited to keeping Charlotte in a cage. The video camera, the room decorated to resemble a little girl’s room, the shoes from all the girls he kidnapped outside, the scrapbooks, and Aaron’s bizarre obsession with dolls and dressing his deceased victims as dolls. You really get to see how Aaron is a disgusting and vile creep, a man with a disturbing dark side.

Jaq and Shane survive with some help from Sergeant Casey, Casey kills Aaron, and Charlotte is reunited with Monica. Comparing the two films, the remake decided to go with the happy ending. Yes, certain events were a little bit too convenient. Casey shows up at the exact moment, when Aaron was seconds away from killing Jaq? But that final shot with Charlotte and Monica embracing, while Jaq, still wounded on a stretcher, has a smile on her face, when she sees both of them together really works as a feel good moment. 

The chemistry between Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams is excellent. They did a good job of playing off of each other, with a bold and somewhat reckless Jaq pushing a reluctant Shane to continue the pursuit. Williams and Panettiere are convincing as two ordinary people, who stumbled into a dangerous problem, and there’s a handful of funny moments from Jaq and Shane during the chase.

Is Amber Alert perfect? No. The story mainly goes through the motions step by step. The twists and the attempted swerves were easy enough to predict, but Amber Alert is still an effective mystery/thriller. The reveal for the house of horrors and the unpleasantness behind the villain’s dolls completely changes the mood towards the end, taking a dark turn just when you believe things couldn’t possibly get any worse. 

As the story unfolds, you also realize it’s not so easy to put out a successful Amber Alert. The accuracy, crucial details, including a license plate number, are all important factors. Add in the fact that dispatchers will be flooded with calls that might or might not help, AND if the perpetrator is driving a common or popular car (e.g. the Toyota Camry here), the odds of saving a kidnapped victim could swing in either direction. And what’s going to happen, when the suspect realizes they’re on the radar and the clock is ticking?

A big upgrade over the 2012 original, featuring solid performances from Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams, and of course, Kevin Dunn delivers with the strong presence of a veteran actor. And kudos to Saidah Arrika Ekulona for playing her role well, as the concerned dispatcher, who’s trying to help Monica and Charlotte. The 2012 original’s ending was bleak and shocking. But the remake takes a more joyous and upbeat approach to close out the movie, and overall, it’s a rare case, where the remake definitely outshines the original. 

Rating- 6/10

Amber Alert (2024)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Charlotte (Ducky Branson) is kidnapped on a playground in broad daylight in front of her mother, Monica (Katie McClellan) and her grandmother, Gail (Claire Slemmer), lured into a car by a man and a doll. Elsewhere in the same area, Jaq (Hayden Panettiere) misses her rideshare car. Jaq convinces Shane (Tyler James Williams), another rideshare driver, to accept a large tip for a ride.

Eventually, Jaq spots a Toyota Camry that matches the description for Charlotte’s Amber Alert. Jaq, Shane, Monica, Sergeant Phil Casey (Kevin Dunn), and an emergency dispatcher named Cici (Saidah Arrika Ekulona) all work together to rescue Charlotte. Aaron (Kurt Oberhaus), the driver of the Camry, claims he’s innocent, but Jaq realizes something is off, when she learns the truth about the license plate number. 

My Thoughts- The remake for Amber Alert is a good example for why it’s not so easy to make a found-footage film. Amber Alert 2012 took the found-footage approach, and when you compare that film to the 2024 remake, the problems for the 2012 original are more obvious. The big one? Recording when there’s no real reason to record anything during long stretches of the movie. I’ll even go as far as saying the car chase scenes, or the scenes, where Jaq and Shane are following Aaron are easily more exciting. There’s a more uneasy and believable feeling that anything could happen at any moment. A big difference compared to the found-footage film, where the main idea basically is, let’s keep following Muller, while we wait to see what he does next. 

The 2024 remake is a more polished and refined film by a long shot. The story has structure, the characters have more depth, and all the other loose screws are tightened up, including smoother storytelling, better pacing, and it’s a more consistently tense film. I could actually buy into Jaq and Shane’s reasons for wanting to save Charlotte, if we’re comparing the two to Samantha and Nate (mainly Samantha) from the original. Shane is a father, and you can tell he loves and cares about his son. Jaq is still heartbroken about the tragedy involving her baby boy, so it’s easy to go along with a thought process, where she probably believes she couldn’t save her son, but there’s a chance she can save Charlotte.

There’s some callbacks and similarities to the original. The gas station, Jaq dropping her earbud in the backseat, so she can hear what’s going on inside the car, and the confrontation with Aaron in the open field. A few tweaks and some minor changes, but it’s still easy to see some connections to the 2012 film.

The chemistry between Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams is excellent. They did a good job of playing off of each other, with a bold and somewhat reckless Jaq pushing a reluctant Shane to continue the pursuit. Williams and Panettiere are convincing as two ordinary people, who stumbled into a dangerous problem, and there’s a handful of funny moments from Jaq and Shane during the chase.

Is Amber Alert perfect? No. The story mainly goes through the motions step by step. The twists and the attempted swerves were easy enough to predict, but Amber Alert is still an effective mystery/thriller. The reveal for the house of horrors and the unpleasantness behind the villain’s dolls completely changes the mood towards the end, taking a dark turn just when you believe things couldn’t possibly get any worse. 

As the story unfolds, you also realize it’s not so easy to put out a successful Amber Alert. The accuracy, crucial details, including a license plate number, are all important factors. Add in the fact that dispatchers will be flooded with calls that might or might not help, AND if the perpetrator is driving a common or popular car (e.g. the Toyota Camry here), the odds of saving a kidnapped victim could swing in either direction. And what’s going to happen, when the suspect realizes they’re on the radar and the clock is ticking?

A big upgrade over the 2012 original, featuring solid performances from Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams, and of course, Kevin Dunn delivers with the strong presence of a veteran actor. And kudos to Saidah Arrika Ekulona for playing her role well, as the concerned dispatcher, who’s trying to help Monica and Charlotte. The 2012 original’s ending was bleak and shocking. But the remake takes a more joyous and upbeat approach to close out the movie, and overall, it’s a rare case, where the remake definitely outshines the original. 

Rating- 6/10

Amber Alert (2012)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- In 2009, Samantha Green (Summer Bellessa) and Nathan Riley’s (Chris Hill) audition tapes for a reality show are interrupted in Arizona, when Nate notices a grey Honda Accord that fits the description for a recent Amber Alert involving a kidnapped young girl. Samantha’s little brother, Caleb (Caleb Thompson) records everything, while Samantha urges Nate to follow the car. 

The driver, Michael Randolph Muller (Jasen Wade), tries to reassure the trio the Amber Alert is nothing more than one big misunderstanding. Brooke Layton (Brooke Thompson) is supposedly his daughter. Muller, dealing with custody problems and his ex-wife, apparently wanted more time with Brooke, but Samantha suspects something is fishy. Is Muller telling the truth? Or, is it possible he’s hiding dark secrets? 

My Thoughts- I have a lot of mixed feelings for Caleb recording. On one hand, yeah, you could say they need to document everything for proof, BUT when a police officer finally gets involved, the footage is basically useless. What’s the point of recording, if law enforcement already has the necessary information (the description of the car, license plate number), and on top of that, Samantha is giving out details for Muller’s exact location?

It’s strange, because you could possibly make an argument for Nate and Samantha really needing the camera during the finale for definitive proof, and the light as a guide to see through the darkness. Still, more often than not, it’s hard to come up with legitimate reasons for Caleb recording. Why? So we can see Nate and Samantha constantly arguing, and Samantha giving Nate stern lectures about morality? Outside of the need to show the viewers what’s going on, you can point to more than one scene, where’s there no need for recording. That’s a problem, because the logic behind found-footage just falls apart during long stretches of the movie.

The police? I have to believe they were aiming for some kind of social commentary about how law enforcement responds and reacts to Amber Alerts. When Officer Murray (Tom Murray) makes an appearance, there’s a sense of relief. FINALLY! Someone, who’s in a position to help, to actually do something, is here. But guess what? Nothing happens. Officer Murray gives instructions to go to a police station. He drives off, and that’s it?

I sincerely hope a message about cops and how they handle Amber Alerts was the main goal here. Otherwise, Amber Alert is basically about two friends and a young kid becoming vigilantes and risking their lives, because the police are too slow and too inept to help and do their jobs. 

The ending completely caught me off guard. I’m not talking about the reveal for Muller being a disgusting and sadistic creep, who lied to Nate and Samantha on the side of the road. It was obvious Muller was lying. Too many holes in the story about his “ex-wife.” And Nate wanted to do everything he possibly could to avoid a confrontation or a fight with Muller, so they just accepted his story.

The truly shocking parts for me happened, when the insides of Muller’s house were revealed. It’s dark, the guns on the counter, everything is covered up, the house looks like a dungeon, and Muller keeps personal items as trophies from his victims. Sexual abuse is a topic that comes up a lot throughout the movie, but when you actually see what Muller’s been up to, and what he plans to do to Brooke Layton (his latest victim), it’s enough to bring a grossed out reaction out of you. And to make matters worse, Muller keeps Brooke locked in a cage.

Caleb is wounded, Muller kills Samantha and Nate, and Nate dies in a shootout against Muller, but Brooke survives. A truly tense finale and a bleak ending. Some good horror elements, featuring Nate, Samantha, and Brooke quietly sneaking around in the dark, hoping to escape, while Muller waits in the shadows. And the screams for help from Brooke before the scene ends are truly horrifying, when you realize there’s a kid alone in a house with three dead bodies.

Amber Alert puts a lot of effort into a dedicated approach for realism. Blurred out license plates, bleeping out phone numbers and addresses, and at some point, everyone has experienced an Amber Alert, when you get that notification on your phone. It’s an unsettling feeling to have, if the alert is close enough.

The home stretch takes a dark and disturbing turn, leading to a finale that’s a real nail-biter. But the problems for Amber Alert are hard to ignore. Yes, you could say they needed the camera and they needed to record in the house, but everything else? There’s still no reason Caleb should’ve been recording. 

Samantha and Nate’s constant bickering? Oh, boy. Way too much of the tiresome and continuous shouting matches between Samantha and Nate, and it gets worse, when you realize all the yelling eats up a good sixty to seventy percent of the movie. It’s also easy to notice a tedious and repetitive pattern for storytelling. Slow down! Don’t get too close to Muller! No, no speed up, you’re gonna lose him! Or, let’s keep a safe distance, so we can see what he’s going to do next. 

Amber Alert is another one of those films, where they have great material to work with, especially if you’re doing a found-footage film, and you want to make things feel more realistic. A strong effort for a low budget film using limited resources, with a spirited cast. Good horror elements mixed in with the ending, but the overall execution just didn’t work for me.

Rating- 3/10 

Amber Alert (2012)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- In 2009, Samantha Green (Summer Bellessa) and Nathan Riley’s (Chris Hill) audition tapes for a reality show are interrupted in Arizona, when Nate notices a grey Honda Accord that fits the description for a recent Amber Alert involving a kidnapped young girl. Samantha’s little brother, Caleb (Caleb Thompson) records everything, while Samantha urges Nate to follow the car. 

The driver, Michael Randolph Muller (Jasen Wade), tries to reassure the trio the Amber Alert is nothing more than one big misunderstanding. Brooke Layton (Brooke Thompson) is supposedly his daughter. Muller, dealing with custody problems and his ex-wife, apparently wanted more time with Brooke, but Samantha suspects something is fishy. Is Muller telling the truth? Or, is it possible he’s hiding dark secrets? 

My Thoughts- I have a lot of mixed feelings for Caleb recording. On one hand, yeah, you could say they need to document everything for proof, BUT when a police officer finally gets involved, the footage is basically useless. What’s the point of recording, if law enforcement already has the necessary information (the description of the car, license plate number), and on top of that, Samantha is giving out details for Muller’s exact location?

It’s strange, because you could possibly make an argument for Nate and Samantha really needing the camera during the finale for definitive proof, and the light as a guide to see through the darkness. Still, more often than not, it’s hard to come up with legitimate reasons for Caleb recording. Why? So we can see Nate and Samantha constantly arguing, and Samantha giving Nate stern lectures about morality? Outside of the need to show the viewers what’s going on, you can point to more than one scene, where’s there no need for recording. That’s a problem, because the logic behind found-footage just falls apart during long stretches of the movie.

The police? I have to believe they were aiming for some kind of social commentary about how law enforcement responds and reacts to Amber Alerts. When Officer Murray (Tom Murray) makes an appearance, there’s a sense of relief. FINALLY! Someone, who’s in a position to help, to actually do something, is here. But guess what? Nothing happens. Officer Murray gives instructions to go to a police station. He drives off, and that’s it?

I sincerely hope a message about cops and how they handle Amber Alerts was the main goal here. Otherwise, Amber Alert is basically about two friends and a young kid becoming vigilantes and risking their lives, because the police are too slow and too inept to help and do their jobs. 

Amber Alert puts a lot of effort into a dedicated approach for realism. Blurred out license plates, bleeping out phone numbers and addresses, and at some point, everyone has experienced an Amber Alert, when you get that notification on your phone. It’s an unsettling feeling to have, if the alert is close enough.

The home stretch takes a dark and disturbing turn, leading to a finale that’s a real nail-biter. But the problems for Amber Alert are hard to ignore. Yes, you could say they needed the camera and they needed to record in the house, but everything else? There’s still no reason Caleb should’ve been recording. 

Samantha and Nate’s constant bickering? Oh, boy. Way too much of the tiresome and continuous shouting matches between Samantha and Nate, and it gets worse, when you realize all the yelling eats up a good sixty to seventy percent of the movie. It’s also easy to notice a tedious and repetitive pattern for storytelling. Slow down! Don’t get too close to Muller! No, no speed up, you’re gonna lose him! Or, let’s keep a safe distance, so we can see what he’s going to do next. 

Amber Alert is another one of those films, where they have great material to work with, especially if you’re doing a found-footage film, and you want to make things feel more realistic. A strong effort for a low budget film using limited resources, with a spirited cast. Good horror elements mixed in with the ending, but the overall execution just didn’t work for me.

Rating- 3/10 

Coming Attractions- Drop

 

Director- Christopher Landon

Release Date- April 11, 2025

Christopher Landon is easily one of my favorite filmmakers. He does a good of blending horror and comedy together for energetic movies, including both Happy Death films and Freaky. And for me, Landon wrote and directed the best Paranormal Activity (The Marked Ones) film.

Drop obviously has a more serious tone. Going by the trailer, it’s not too easy to see or to guess the identity of the puppet master, who’s pulling the strings and causing so much trouble for Meghann Fahy’s Violet, and that’s a good thing. A promising trailer with an intriguing premise, featuring a story about a single mother, who’s clearly trying to get out in the world again, and find some normalcy in her life. All signs point to a big twist, and hopefully Drop delivers a good payoff ending.

Coming Attractions- Opus

 

Director- Mark Anthony Green

Release Date- March 14, 2025

Picking up on some strong similarities to The Menu with this one. Ayo Edebiri’s Ariel receives an invitation to a secluded place, an invitation that feels odd, because maybe she’s not supposed to be there, and she just doesn’t fit with all the other guests. And it’s an event, where a famous and eccentric egomaniac (John Malkovich) takes center stage. A lot of strange cultish vibes surrounding Malkovich’s Moretti. It’s clear there’s something sinister going on, and Moretti is hiding secrets.

Opus could be a sleeper hit. Anything that comes from A24 usually receives a good amount of buzz, and John Malkovich is still capable of delivering great performances. 

Coming Attractions- Trap (2024)

 

Director- M. Night Shyamalan

Cast- Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Allison Pill, Marnie McPhail, Vanessa Smythe

Release Date- August 9, 2024

M. Night Shyamalan, the man of many twists and shocking swerves! Sometimes that’s a good thing, and sometimes the surprises in Shyamalan’s films are horribly disappointing. The Sixth Sense is a shining example of Shyamalan at his best, you can also add Signs to that list. 

But it’s hard to forget about the misfires throughout Shyamalan’s career. The twist for The Village was too far fetched and ridiculous. The Happening? A big letdown after so much anticipation for the reasons behind the pandemic, which basically led to a borderline silly film, that’s about people offing themselves in creative ways.

Shyamalan can be streaky with his films, but Trap has a lot of potential so far. A unique premise, and I’m having a hard time believing Josh Hartnett is actually the killer. Surely there’s no way they would reveal a big storyline in the trailer? It’s just too straightforward, considering Shyamalan’s track record.

Setting a trap in a packed arena? Why would the authorities put so many innocent lives in danger? Something BIG has to happen, a lot of paths and different possibilities to go with. 

Non-Stop (2014)(Minor Spoilers Review)

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

A troubled US  Federal Air Marshal named Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) fights a never ending battle with his demons. Marks lost his wife after a divorce, his job as a police officer, and Marks’ young daughter passed away after a fight with cancer, so Marks succumbed to alcoholism and cigarettes to ease the pain. A frustrated Marks argues with his supervisor before a scheduled flight, but Marks boards the plane with his partner, Jack Hammond (Anson Mount) to start his daily routine.

On the plane, Marks befriends another passenger named Jen Summers (Julianne Moore), but a distributing text message disrupts a peaceful and quiet flight. The anonymous texter delivers a deadly ultimatum: He or she demands a payment of $150,000,000 for ransom, or the anonymous texter will kill a passenger on the plane every twenty minutes.

Marks consults with Jack to devise a strategy, and Marks receives support from the flight crew. Two stewardesses named Nancy (Michelle Dockery) and Gwen (Lupita Nyong’o) monitor the passengers, and Marks works with Captain David McMillan (Linus Roache) and his co-pilot Kyle Rice (Jason Butler Harner) to come up with a Plan B and C for worst case scenarios. But Marks runs into some trouble with a few rowdy and suspicious passengers. After an awkward and random question at the airport, Tom Bowen (Scoot McNairy) raises a few red flags, and Zack White (Nate Parker) earns a spot on Marks’ list of suspects.

Bill communicates with a conflicted Agent Marenick (Shea Whigham) through a series of phone calls. But
Marks is running out of time, and the situation takes a drastic turn for the worst, when Marks shoots to the top of the list for suspects. The bank account for the wire transfer is in Marks’ name, and to make matters worse, a select group of passengers work together to plan a hostile takeover to stop Marks after a series of news reports.

A paranoid Marks targets trusted members of his team. Marks suspects Nancy, Jack, Kyle, and Jen for potential candidates, but Marks runs into another dilemma after a startling discovery in the bathroom……

Liam Neeson delivers another solid performance, as the resourceful and cunning hero with deadly combat skills, and Neeson is a believable “broken man” during Bill’s sentimental moments. Julianne Moore is the top pick for standout performances from the supporting cast, with Dockery taking the spot for second place. No real complaints from the overall supporting cast, but screen time rapidly shifts from one character to another during Bill’s search for the culprit, so with exception of Moore (she’s the only passenger, who supported Bill 100%  with no questions asked) and Kyle, the rest of the supporting cast doesn’t receive a consistent amount of screen time. And you won’t actually see Shea Whigham’s face until the final moments of the movie, because Marenick’s screen time is limited to faceless phone calls with Bill, for the most part. 

Non-Stop’s crafty style of finger pointing during the “whodunit” mystery is something to admire. The idea is simple: EVERYONE on the plane is a suspect. Pilots, stewardesses, US marshals, passengers, no exceptions whatsoever. Everyone on the plane is a believable threat, and they’ll keep you guessing until the very end. And kudos to Liam Neeson for his “I’m not the hijacker speech!” at the end. Throughout the movie, Non-Stop does a good job of convincing the audience to believe in the possibility of Bill as the hijacker, and you can sense the hopelessness in Bill for one last chance during his desperate plea.

The big reveal is loaded with problems (i.e. massive plot holes), but Non-Stop is a satisfying  mystery/thriller. Yeah, the big twist at the end is a potential roadblock for enjoying Non-Stop, but the ride to the end is full of nail-biting tension, and the thrilling action packed finale is a real treat. I had to know the identity of the hijacker regardless of the outcome, because Non-Stop’s intriguing and thought-provoking mystery is too enticing to ignore.

Rating: 7/10

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Non-Stop (2014)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

A troubled US  Federal Air Marshal named Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) fights a never ending battle with his demons. Marks lost his wife after a divorce, his job as a police officer, and Marks’ young daughter passed away after a fight with cancer, so Marks succumbed to alcoholism and cigarettes to ease the pain. A frustrated Marks argues with his supervisor before a scheduled flight, but Marks boards the plane with his partner, Jack Hammond (Anson Mount) to start his daily routine.

On the plane, Marks befriends another passenger named Jen Summers (Julianne Moore), but a distributing text message disrupts a peaceful and quiet flight. The anonymous texter delivers a deadly ultimatum: He or she demands a payment of $150,000,000 for ransom, or the anonymous texter will kill a passenger on the plane every twenty minutes.

Marks consults with Jack to devise a strategy, and Marks receives support from the flight crew. Two stewardesses named Nancy (Michelle Dockery) and Gwen (Lupita Nyong’o) monitor the passengers, and Marks works with Captain David McMillan (Linus Roache) and his co-pilot Kyle Rice (Jason Butler Harner) to come up with a Plan B and C for worst case scenarios. But Marks runs into some trouble with a few rowdy and suspicious passengers. After an awkward and random question at the airport, Tom Bowen (Scoot McNairy) raises a few red flags, and Zack White (Nate Parker) earns a spot on Marks’ list of suspects.

Bill communicates with a conflicted Agent Marenick (Shea Whigham) through a series of phone calls. But
Marks is running out of time, and the situation takes a drastic turn for the worst, when Marks shoots to the top of the list for suspects. The bank account for the wire transfer is in Marks’ name, and to make matters worse, a select group of passengers work together to plan a hostile takeover to stop Marks after a series of news reports.

A paranoid Marks targets trusted members of his team. Marks suspects Nancy, Jack, Kyle, and Jen for potential candidates, but Marks runs into another dilemma after a startling discovery in the bathroom……

Liam Neeson delivers another solid performance, as the resourceful and cunning hero with deadly combat skills, and Neeson is a believable “broken man” during Bill’s sentimental moments. Julianne Moore is the top pick for standout performances from the supporting cast, with Dockery taking the spot for second place. No real complaints from the overall supporting cast, but screen time rapidly shifts from one character to another during Bill’s search for the culprit, so with exception of Moore (she’s the only passenger, who supported Bill 100%  with no questions asked) and Kyle, the rest of the supporting cast doesn’t receive a consistent amount of screen time. And you won’t actually see Shea Whigham’s face until the final moments of the movie, because Marenick’s screen time is limited to faceless phone calls with Bill, for the most part. 

Non-Stop’s crafty style of finger pointing during the “whodunit” mystery is something to admire. The idea is simple: EVERYONE on the plane is a suspect. Pilots, stewardesses, US marshals, passengers, no exceptions whatsoever. Everyone on the plane is a believable threat, and they’ll keep you guessing until the very end. And kudos to Liam Neeson for his “I’m not the hijacker speech!” at the end. Throughout the movie, Non-Stop does a good job of convincing the audience to believe in the possibility of Bill as the hijacker, and you can sense the hopelessness in Bill for one last chance during his desperate plea.

Bill’s first suspect? Jack. That’s right. Bill catches Jack in the act after a series of suspicious text messages. Jack offers Bill a share of the ransom money, but Bill refuses. Bill fights and kills a combative Jack in the bathroom. Bill searches Jack’s phone to find a series of suggestive texts, and Bill finds Jack’s briefcase with a large bag of cocaine inside.

But there’s one big problem: Jack is not the culprit. Bill murdered the wrong person, and the culprit murders Captain McMillan and another passenger after two twenty minute intervals. Bill survives the passenger revolt, and he convinces the passengers to work with him to capture the culprit.

Remember that briefcase full of cocaine? To add to Bill’s growing list of problems, the culprit hid a bomb in the bag of cocaine, and the bomb will explode in thirty minutes. Bill comes up with a plan to neutralize the detonation, if the bomb explodes, and Bill catches the culprit after a recorded video from one of the passengers.

Tom Bowen reveals himself as a hijacker, and Zack White is his partner. Tom and Zack were US soldiers, who joined the military after September 11, 2001. Tom and Zack used shoddy airport security as motivation to join the military, and they’re framing Bill as the hijacker for their master plan. The Plan? If Bill takes the fall for the hijacking, tighter airport security restrictions in the future will prevent another tragedy, because two US federal air marshals failed in their mission to contain a crisis on their plane.

Luckily, Bill turns the tables on Tom with a gunshot to the head, and Zack suffers a painful death in the explosion. Kyle puts an end to the nightmare with a rough emergency landing in Iceland, and the remaining passengers (including Jen) leave the battered plane. Agent Marenick apologizes for persecuting Bill, and Marenick offers his full support to clear Bill’s name.

That’s it? It’s the best way to describe my reaction to the big twist after it happened. The delusional and deranged patriots twist falls into an indifferent zone for me. I didn’t hate the twist, but when you consider all the teasing, and Bill’s crafty methods for sleuthing, the big twist doesn’t live up to the hype, and it’s a disappointing payoff.

How can you kill someone on a plane, and get away with it? It’s a reoccurring question/theme throughout Non-Stop, but it’s hard to feel any shock value (or lack there of), when Non-Stop finally drops the hammer during the finale with an answer for that question. Also,  Non-Stop’s obvious foreshadowing for Tom as one of the culprits kills any chances for a genuine surprise during the big reveal. Zack as the second hijacker? Yeah, that’s a surprise, but Non-Stop drops one too many hints for Tom as one of the bad guys.

The plot holes for Non-Stop’s twist? Oy vey. The briefcase full of cocaine is the most obvious head-shaking blunder. So let me get this straight. I’m supposed to believe a skilled US Federal Marshal/former police officer is oblivious to a BOMB in a briefcase (remember, Bill found the briefcase during the early stages of the movie)? To make matters worse, Tom or Zack “hid” the bomb under a thin layer of cocaine. I’ll stop here, because I’ll go another six or seven paragraph rant, if I take the time to dissect the plot holes in this twist.

The big reveal is loaded with problems (i.e. massive plot holes), but Non-Stop is a satisfying  mystery/thriller. Yeah, the big twist at the end is a potential roadblock for enjoying Non-Stop, but the ride to the end is full of nail-biting tension, and the thrilling action packed finale is a real treat. I had to know the identity of the hijacker regardless of the outcome, because Non-Stop’s intriguing and thought-provoking mystery is too enticing to ignore.

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

Awake (2007)(Minor Spoilers Review)

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

Wealthy businessman Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) is stuck in a troubling dilemma. As the top man in his deceased father’s company, Clay tries to close a lucrative deal, but Clay’s health causes some major concerns. Suffering from a potentially fatal heart condition, Clay needs a heart transplant to save his life.

Clay’s overprotective and controlling mother, Lilith (Lena Olin) urges Clay to choose Dr. Jonathan Neyer (Arliss Howard), a world renowned surgeon, who’s in line to become the next Surgeon General, for the operation, but Clay refuses. Instead, Clay picks Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard) for the surgery. Dr. Harper saved Clay’s life after an attack. Afterwards, Clay and Dr. Harper developed a bond as friends, so out of loyalty and respect, Clay rejects Dr. Neyer.

To add to his growing list of problems, Clay is in a secret relationship with his mother’s assistant, Sam (Jessica Alba). Minutes before the surgery, Clay is reassured by Jack, and members of his team, including Dr. Puttnam (Fisher Stevens) and Penny (Georgina Chapman), but Clay’s eased spirit is disturbed once the anesthesia kicks in. Clay is unable to speak, move, or open his eyes, and as a result of anesthesia awareness, Clay is able to hear everything going on around him.

Clay is struggling to comprehend his bizarre situation, and things only get worse, when Clay accidentally overhears every little detail in a plot to murder him on the operating table……….

Yeah, suspension of disbelief is CRUCIAL for enjoying Awake. Awake feels like a sci-fi thriller, that’s trying way too hard to be crafty and complex most of the time, but I have to admit, it’s hard to look away. I had to know what would happen to Clay every step of the way. Is Clay going to survive? Will someone actually hear Clay in the hospital? I was hooked into the story with each passing minute, and Awake deserves credit for some well placed and genuinely surprising swerves.

Overall, the cast is capable at best. Hayden Christensen is decent in the leading role, and it’s nice to Jessica Alba break out of her usual mold of being the innocent ray of sunshine to take on a more devious and cold-hearted character, but it’s almost impossible to pick out a top notch performance from this cast. Terrence Howard comes close as the conflicted best friend, but his character is overshadowed by an overwhelming amount of screen time for Clay. Lena Olin is another top contender. She’s spot on as the controlling, delusional, and emotionally abusive mother, but Lilith encounters the same problem Jack encountered: Clay’s screen time and focus dominates everything. And for what it’s worth, McDonald is good for a few laughs, as the seemingly dimwitted drunk.

Still, I really enjoyed Awake. As I said before, strapping yourself into suspension of disbelief mode is essential to buying into or tolerating the supernatural side of this film, and some will complain about a contrived story and preposterous plot twists. But if you’re willing to sit back and enjoy some fun, Awake is an effective and satisfying mystery/thriller, with an intriguing and deceptive story. Awake leads you down one street, and out of nowhere, the story takes a sharp turn into a series of tricky, bumpy roads with thick clouds of unsettling fog.

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

Awake (2007)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Wealthy businessman Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) is stuck in a troubling dilemma. As the top man in his deceased father’s company, Clay tries to close a lucrative deal, but Clay’s health causes some major concerns. Suffering from a potentially fatal heart condition, Clay needs a heart transplant to save his life.

Clay’s overprotective and controlling mother, Lilith (Lena Olin) urges Clay to choose Dr. Jonathan Neyer (Arliss Howard), a world renowned surgeon, who’s in line to become the next Surgeon General, for the operation, but Clay refuses. Instead, Clay picks Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard) for the surgery. Dr. Harper saved Clay’s life after an attack. Afterwards, Clay and Dr. Harper developed a bond as friends, so out of loyalty and respect, Clay rejects Dr. Neyer.

To add to his growing list of problems, Clay is in a secret relationship with his mother’s assistant, Sam (Jessica Alba). Terrified of Lilith’s reaction to losing her only baby boy, Clay secretly proposes to and marries Sam, but after some intense pressure from Sam, Clay finally breaks the news to a dissatisfied and angry Lilith.

Minutes before the surgery, Clay is reassured by Jack, and members of his team, including Dr. Puttnam (Fisher Stevens) and Penny (Georgina Chapman), but Clay’s eased spirit is disturbed once the anesthesia kicks in. Clay is unable to speak, move, or open his eyes, and as a result of anesthesia awareness, Clay is able to hear everything going on around him.

Clay is struggling to comprehend his bizarre situation, and things only get worse, when Clay accidentally overhears every little detail in Dr. Harper’s plot to murder him on the operating table……….

Why is Dr. Jack Harper trying to murder Clay? Well, Dr. Harper is stuck behind a wall of debt after a series of malpractice lawsuits. Dr. Harper used his trusted friendship with Clay against him, and during the transplant, Dr. Harper plans to inject the donated heart with an untraceable poison, so after the surgery is complete, Dr. Harper can cling to the excuse of Clay’s body rejecting the heart.

But that’s only half of the plan. Remember, Dr. Harper needs to be in a position to collect the insurance money from Clay’s death AND his inheritance. Penny and Putnam are in on the scheme…and Sam is playing Clay for a fool. With some goading from Dr. Harper and A LOT of pressure from Sam, Clay marries Sam the night before his surgery. Why is Sam apart of this? Sam used to work under Dr. Harper, and she wants a piece of the pie, so Sam agreed to deceive Clay into accepting her as the love of his life. Clay was an easy target as the neutered momma’s boy, and Sam was able to use Clay’s desires of a leap into manhood as motivation to turn Clay against his obsessive mother.

Of course, a small monkey wrench is thrown into Jack’s plans. The little angel on Jack’s shoulder creates a moral conundrum for the conflicted doctor, and on top of that, a member of Jack’s team backs out at the last second. A surgeon named Fitzpatrick abandons the team, so Dr. Larry (Christopher McDonald), a bumbling alcoholic, replaces him.

Awake throws a plethora of sneaky twists at you, but they save the big shocker for the grand  finale. So Clay’s bodiless form is trying to warn anyone, who’ll listen, but Clay is the only one, who can hear his voice, so his cries for help fall on deaf ears. Luckily, Lilith had a keen sense of suspicion about Sam and Jack, and after some sleuthing into Sam‘s background, Lilith knew she had to do something, quickly. With one last desperate attempt to save her son’s life, Lilith commits suicide by overdosing on a bottle of pills. Before her death, Lilith called Dr. Neyer so he could warn the police, and perform the surgery on Clay using her heart to match Clay’s rare blood type. Dr. Neyer successfully saves Clay’s life with the surgery, Larry helps the police catch Putnam and Penny, and everyone else involved in the scheme is arrested.

For varying reasons, Jack and his cohorts receiving their deserved punishment may or may not provide those rewarding feelings of closure you’re looking for. There’s a moment towards the end, where Sam tries to back out of the deal, as the police arrive, using the “grieving widow” as her cover. But Jack kept the syringe containing the poison used to inject Clay’s heart in a sealed plastic bag for evidence…..and Sam’s fingerprints are all over the syringe. In the operating room, Jack was having second thoughts about killing Clay, so Sam PUSHED Jack to inject the heart, and Sam is the one, who filled the syringe with poison. Sam is outside of Jack’s office, as he flashes the plastic bag in front of the door with a smile on his face. Sam pleads with Jack to handover the bag, but Jack locks the door, leaving Sam stuck outside with police.

Although, there’s a chance you’ll roll your eyes at this finale. Why? Because it’s kind of hard to ignore the preposterous series of circumstances before Clay’s revival. For starters, Clay isn’t dreaming. His bodiless form is actually roaming the hospital, trying to warn anyone, who’ll listen about Jack’s plan, AND somehow, Clay’s bodiless form is capable of going back in time to relive events in his past for some “How did I miss this?” hindsight moments? Eh, okay. On top of that. Clay’s bodiless form is capable of having a conversation with Lilith’s bodiless form towards the very end. After Neyer completes the surgery, Clay’s heart rate drops. This is happening, because Clay, realizing his mother is the only person he can trust 100% with no doubts, decides to stay in the afterlife with her. But Lilith urges Clay to return to the living world, so he can enjoy the rest of his life. Reluctantly, Clay obliges, and Clay opening his eyes is the last image you’ll see in Awake.

Yeah, suspension of disbelief is CRUCIAL for enjoying Awake. Awake feels like a sci-fi thriller, that’s trying way too hard to be crafty and complex most of the time, but I have to admit, it’s hard to look away. I had to know what would happen to Clay every step of the way. Is Clay going to survive? Will someone actually hear Clay in the hospital? Will Jack randomly pull the plug on the scheme to save Clay’s life? I was hooked into the story with each passing minute, and Awake deserves credit for some well placed and genuinely surprising swerves.

Overall, the cast is capable at best. Hayden Christensen is decent in the leading role, and it’s nice to Jessica Alba break out of her usual mold of being the innocent ray of sunshine to take on a more devious and cold-hearted character, but it’s almost impossible to pick out a top notch performance from this cast. Terrence Howard comes close as the conflicted best friend, but his character is overshadowed by an overwhelming amount of screen time for Clay. Lena Olin is another top contender. She’s spot on as the controlling, delusional, and emotionally abusive mother, but Lilith encounters the same problem Jack encountered: Clay’s screen time and focus dominates everything. And for what it’s worth, McDonald is good for a few laughs, as the seemingly dimwitted drunk.

Still, I really enjoyed Awake. As I said before, strapping yourself into suspension of disbelief mode is essential to buying into or tolerating the supernatural side of this film, and some will complain about a contrived story and preposterous plot twists. But if you’re willing to sit back and enjoy some fun, Awake is an effective and satisfying mystery/thriller, with an intriguing and deceptive story. Awake leads you down one street, and out of nowhere, the story takes a sharp turn into a series of tricky, bumpy roads with thick clouds of unsettling fog.

Rating: 6/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Raven (2012)(Minor Spoilers Review)

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

It’s 1849, and in Baltimore, Maryland Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) is recruited by Detective Fields (Luke Evans) to catch a killer inspired by Poe’s work. With each murder, the killer reenacts Poe’s tales, short stories, and poems with a helpless victim, who’s forced to suffer through it all.

Poe is forced to take a more hands on approach in the ongoing investigation, when the killer targets his fiance Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve), and Emily’s father, Captain Charles Hamilton (Brendan Gleeson) will have to put aside his bitter feelings for Poe. Fields and Poe work together to decipher the killer’s tricky puzzles, but the killer is one step ahead of them before each murder……

I think it’s safe to say John Cusack delivers the best performance here. Cusack is this nutty and delusional alcoholic with a snarky sense of humor at first, but as the story progresses, Cusack shows a more serious side. And during the finale, Cusack was believable, as this desperate and heartbroken man. Evans isn’t bad, but he doesn’t deserve too much of the blame. Basically, Evans is supposed to be this ingenious inspector/detective, and Evans gave it his all with the Fields character, but the character is way too generic, dull, and one dimensional. Gleeson has his moments as the strict father, and Eve delivers a solid performance as Emily.

The Raven is loaded with a lot familiar tropes. The obsessive and delusional fan, who kills in honor of  their idol (for a random example, think about The Fan with Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes), the supposedly cunning detective (Fields), the amateur (Poe), who’s forced to help solve the case, and I can’t forget about the typical rivalry between the overbearing father (Charles) and the unworthy boyfriend or husband (Poe). The Raven is filled with a lot of noticeable clichés, and it’s almost impossible to ignore them all.

Still, I enjoyed The Raven. Yeah, The Raven has some problems, but the whodunit game of cat and mouse is intriguing enough to hold your attention and keep you guessing until the very end. The Pit And The Pendulum scene (you’ll know it, when you see it) is pretty graphic and nasty, but overall, the blood and gore isn’t too disgusting or cringeworthy. Plus, Poe fans should appreciate The Raven’s numerous attempts to pay homage to Poe’s poetry and short stories, because The Raven is able to pay tribute to Poe, while working his more memorable and recognizable stuff into the current storylines. The Raven’s disappointing finale is a real shame, though. I’m tempted to go with a higher score, but the big reveal at the end needed more zing for a real payoff.

Rating: 6/10

Looking for a change from Batman, Spider-Man, and Iron Man? Then get know the world's newest superheroine Freechelle Fantabulous for only $0.99 by following the link- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in my book of short stories, also only $0.99-  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

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mitch-Macready-2/439846799459035?ref=hl

The Raven (2012)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

It’s 1849, and in Baltimore, Maryland Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) is recruited by Detective Fields ( Luke Evans) to catch a killer inspired by Poe’s work. With each murder, the killer reenacts Poe’s tales, short stories, and poems with a helpless victim, who’s forced to suffer through it all.

Eventually, the killer’s obsession with Poe hits too close to home. Using The Masque Of The Red Death as his inspiration, the killer kidnaps Poe’s fiance, Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve) during her father’s annual masquerade ball. Furious, Captain Charles Hamilton (Brendan Gleeson) blames Poe for his daughter's kidnapping, but Captain Hamilton and Poe are forced to put aside their bitter feelings for each other to rescue Emily.

For his grand finale, the killer plans to torture and murder Emily by carefully following the steps in one of Poe’s more famous short stories. To make the game more interesting, the killer leaves a trail of clues including more dead bodies. Will Detective Fields and Poe solve the mystery and save Emily’s life before it’s too late?

I think it’s safe to say John Cusack delivers the best performance here. Cusack is this nutty and delusional alcoholic with a snarky sense of humor at first, but as the story progresses, Cusack shows a more serious side. And during the finale, Cusack was believable, as this desperate and heartbroken man. Evans isn’t bad, but he doesn’t deserve too much of the blame. Basically, Evans is supposed to be this ingenious inspector/detective, and Evans gave it his all with the Fields character, but the character is way too generic, dull, and one dimensional. Gleeson has his moments as the strict father, and Eve delivers a solid performance as Emily.

So I was on the edge of my seat during the grand finale for the reveal of the killer. After solving all the riddles and puzzles, Poe races to the local newspaper to confront the killer with a gun, forcing the killer to reveal Emily’s location. At first, we’re lead to believe it’s the editor in chief, but Poe spots his dismembered corpse sitting in front of a desk. The light bulb goes off in his head, and Poe turns around to see the real killer: Ivan Reynolds (Sam Hazeldine). Long story short, Reynolds is a pesky Edgar Allan Poe fanboy, who works under the editor in chief at the newspaper. Anyway,  Reynolds wanted to motivate a struggling and depressed Poe, so as his biggest fan, Reynolds decided to give Poe a much needed wake up call.

Let’s say a special someone decides to cook a mystery dinner for you. Candles are set, you’re dressed for a special occasion, and this special someone won’t stop bragging about the meal they cooked for you. A covered dish is placed in front of you, and when this special someone removes the top, you see a grilled chicken sandwich and some steamed potatoes in front of you. Reynolds is the grilled chicken sandwich and steamed potatoes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not one of those awful twists that can ruin a movie. The Raven does a good job of throwing some thought-provoking curveballs at you, and the steady, methodical pacing towards the finale really helps you feel the tension and suspense, but the Reynolds reveal is so underwhelming. I was expecting filet mignon with a loaded baked potato, or a succulent lobster meal, but in the end, The Raven didn’t deliver.

Also, The Raven is loaded with a lot familiar tropes. The obsessive and delusional fan, who kills in honor of  their idol (for a random example, think about The Fan with Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes), the supposedly cunning detective (Fields), the amateur (Poe), who’s forced to help solve the case, and I can’t forget about the typical rivalry between the overbearing father (Charles) and the unworthy boyfriend or husband (Poe). The Raven is filled with a lot of noticeable clichés, and it’s almost impossible to ignore them all.

Still, I enjoyed The Raven. Yeah, The Raven has some problems, but the whodunit game of cat and mouse is intriguing enough to hold your attention and keep you guessing until the very end. The Pit And The Pendulum scene (you’ll know it, when you see it) is pretty graphic and nasty, but overall, the blood and gore isn’t too disgusting or cringeworthy. Plus, Poe fans should appreciate The Raven’s numerous attempts to pay homage to Poe’s poetry and short stories (The Pit And The Pendulum, The Masque Of The Red Death, The Tell-Tale Heart, etc.), because The Raven is able to pay tribute to Poe, while working his more memorable and recognizable stuff into the current storylines. The Raven’s disappointing finale is a real shame, though. I’m tempted to go with a higher score, but the big reveal at the end needed more zing for a real payoff.

Rating: 6/10

Looking for a change from Batman, Spider-Man, and Iron Man? Then get know the world's newest superheroine Freechelle Fantabulous for only $0.99 by following the link- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in my book of short stories, also only $0.99-  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

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mitch-Macready-2/439846799459035?ref=hl

The Caller (2011)

**This review contains spoilers**

Trying to escape her abusive ex-husband, Mary (Rachelle Lefevre) moves into a new apartment. Mary develops a strange obsession with an antique phone in the apartment, and soon enough, Mary receives calls from a woman named Rose (Lorna Raver). At first, Mary enjoys Rose’s company, but Rose’s friendly calls quickly turn into a series of vicious threats.

Mary seeks help from her new neighbor George (Luis Guzman), and a teacher/friend named John (Stephen Moyer), but when Mary accuses Rose of time travel, her story becomes more difficult to believe. Steven’s (Mary’s ex-husband) defiance against the restraining takes a backseat to Mary’s major problem, when Rose starts killing off the people closest to Mary in the past. After pressuring George into giving her some answers, Mary learns the devastating truth about her apartment’s history: years ago, Rose lived in Mary’s apartment, and as the jealous and controlling wife, Rose suddenly murdered her husband one night. Mary is running out of solutions for her bizarre problem, and the situation takes a drastic turn for the worst, when Rose finds Mary as a child in the past…..

Nobody gives an outstanding or terrible performance worthy of individual recognition here, but The Caller features a capable cast overall.

You might enjoy The Caller…..if you can buy into the story, and believe me, that’s easier said than done. First of all, I had a problem with Rose locating Mary’s friends/lovers in the past. How is it possible? Except for first names, Mary didn’t reveal any crucial details (last names, address numbers, etc.). And how did Rose find Mary as a child in the past? I can understand if Mary lived in Rose’s apartment complex as a child, but she didn’t. In the past, Rose uses hot cooking oil to burn Mary as a child, and of course, the wounds appear on adult Mary’s body. Mary’s burns could’ve been the “OH MY GOD THAT WAS SICK!” gross-out moment of the film, but I couldn’t look past the plot holes for Rose finding Mary as a child.

But wait, it gets better! Towards the very end of the film, Rose is fed up with Mary’s games and lies (earlier in the film, Mary tries to trick Rose into a fatal accident during a phone conversation), so she decides to travel to the present to kill Mary, and she shows up at Mary‘s front door? Um, okay, how is this possible??? Did Mary use some kind of secret time machine? Because the story NEVER explains how Rose was able to travel through time, come to the present, and try to kill Mary. And more importantly, if Rose was capable of traveling through time from the start, then why didn’t she use time travel to kill Mary in the first place? Instead, she wastes time threatening Mary via phone calls, giving Mary a chance to come up with a strategy to kill her? That doesn’t make sense at all.

And speaking of the ending, it was kind of ridiculous. So Rose shows up to Mary’s apartment in the future. She’s trying to break through the front door, and finish Mary off once and for all. Out of panic and desperation, Mary picks up the antique phone, and she calls herself as a child in the past. In the past, Rose kidnaps Mary as a child, but the child version of Mary is the only hope for Mary in the future. Yeah, I know it’s more confusing and off the wall than it sounds. Anyway, after gaining the trust of Mary in the past, future Mary convinces child Mary to pick up a piece of broken glass, and kill Rose in the past? So now there’s two adult Roses, and somehow they’re capable of being in two time periods at once? Okay then. Child Mary eventually finds Rose in the past, and she kills her with the broken piece of glass. Rose in the future suddenly disappears, and future Mary orders child Mary to go home.

The Caller features a VERY shaky story, and if you can’t buy into it, you’ll probably hate this film, it’s just that simple. It’s annoying and baffling, but you know what, I’m not going with a negative score here. The Caller is a trainwreck from beginning to end, but I couldn’t pull myself away from this trainwreck. The Caller is a nonsensical mess, but this film was able to hold my attention, and I wanted to know what happened next. I was hooked into every dumbfounding twist and turn, and she’s not too bright, but I rooted for Mary’s survival. It’s not a unique or sophisticated suspense thriller, but I’m giving The Caller a “guilty pleasure” pass.

Final Rating: 5/10

The Tall Man (2012)

**This review contains spoilers**

In a small and oppressed mining town, a mysterious figure known as The Tall Man abducts children. The children are disappearing, the police don’t have any leads to follow, and families continue to suffer the wrath of the elusive child abductor.

Julia (Jessica Biel) is the town nurse, and she lives alone with her son, David. Julia enjoys a quiet and normal life….. until David is taken by The Tall Man. Without any help or protection, Julia immediately pursues The Tall Man. The distraught single mother must save her son, and uncover the identity of The Tall Man, but an unexpected car crash changes everything.

If you’re expecting a horror film, then you need to stay away from The Tall Man. Don’t believe the trailers, because The Tall Man is a mystery/drama film.

After the first abduction, the story takes a bizarre turn. Julia tries to catch up to The Tall Man by herself, so she can save her son. During the pursuit, Julia is taken by The Tall Man. Along with her son David, Julia becomes a hostage, but on their way to The Tall Man’s hideout, Julia is able to cause a distraction, and The Tall Man loses control of his van. But when Julia recovers from the crash, The Tall Man and David are gone.

With the help of the police force, Julia is taken to the local diner for food and clean clothes. Here, the townspeople keep an unusual close eye on Julia. When Julia goes to the bathroom to change clothes, the townspeople try to make a citizen's arrest, but Julia quickly escapes the diner, and before the townspeople have a chance to catch up with her, Julia runs into the woods.

Why are the townspeople trying to capture Julia? She just lost her son to The Tall Man, so why are they trying to harm her? And here comes the first twist! The person, who kidnapped Julia’s son isn’t The Tall Man. The kidnapper is David’s biological mother. Oddly enough, David’s real mother wears clothing similar to The Tall Man’s known description. David’s biological mother is a poor woman, who lives alone, and Julia was the assigned mother, who provided a better life for David.

The first twist caught me off guard, but second twist is just mind-blowing: Julia is the mastermind/leader of a secret operation that takes children away from neglectful and abusive parents, who can’t afford a normal lifestyle for their children. The Tall Man is Julia’s husband, originally pronounced dead at the beginning of the film (Julia spread the lie to protect her husband's identity). Julia’s husband abducts underprivileged children, and he places them in homes, where foster parents promise to provide better lives for them. Plus, Julia’s husband provides the foster parents with new documents (new name, birth certificate, social security card, etc.).

Okay, so at this point, I’m really sucked into the story. Julia is in jail, because she’s the only known suspect the police can find. The babysitter, who helped take care of David was one of Julia’s trusted accomplices, but when the police stormed Julia’s house, she committed suicide by hanging herself.  In an attempt to force Julia to reveal more details, David’s biological mother has a talk with Julia in prison. Julia takes the blame for The Tall Man’s crimes, and then she drops the bombshell on David’s mom: the children aren’t missing, they’re dead. Devastated, David’s mother leaves the prison with no hope, Julia becomes the most hated person in America, and she might receive the death penalty.

But another twist changes the direction of the story again. The children aren’t dead. It was a lie. Julia had to protect The Tall Man operation. She had to keep the cops and other law enforcement agencies off the trail. Someone had to take the fall, and Julia wanted to be that person, because she wanted to keep her dream alive. All of the children, including David (earlier in the film, Julia eventually took him away from his biological mother again) are safe with their new families. Jenny, a mute child and a friend of Julia’s is the most recent child to be taken away by The Tall Man. Throughout the film, Jenny begged Julia to let The Tall Man take her away, because she wanted to escape her mother and alcoholic boyfriend.

Jessica Biel is strong in the leading role, and The Tall Man features a solid supporting cast. Your enjoyment of this film is going to depend on your reaction to the series of plot twists. Personally, I don’t think there’s any middle ground. When it comes to the plot twists, you’re either going to love them or hate them, it’s that simple. I LOVED the constant twists and turns, and I’m glad they didn’t turn this into another predictable horror film. An ordinary horror story about some mysterious boogeyman kidnapping children would’ve been lame, but The Tall Man goes the extra mile. It’s a thought-provoking mystery/drama film, and The Tall Man delivers some fantastic shockers along the way.

Final Rating: 7/10

Breakdown (1997)

Jeff Taylor (Kurt Russell) and his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan) are taking a trip to San Diego. Everything is calm at first, as they drive across a deserted highway, but a near collision with the angry driver of a pickup truck changes everything. After a brief stop and a nasty encounter with the driver of the pickup truck, Jeff and Amy decide to get back on the road, but their car quickly shuts off. Jeff and Amy are seemingly stranded in the middle of nowhere, but a truck driver offers some help. Red Barr (J.T. Walsh) gives Jeff’s wife a ride to a local diner, and at first, Red seems like a nice and harmless guy, who wanted to lend a helping hand. Amy leaves with Red to call for help, but shortly after his wife’s departure, Jeff makes a startling discovery: someone intentionally rigged his car. Jeff fixes the problem quickly, but his troubles are far from over. Amy has gone missing, and for Jeff, finding a helping hand won’t be so easy.

Jeff and Amy are two characters, who you can really care about. At first, they’re just two innocent travelers, who stumble into a life threatening situation, and Jeff has to fight impossible odds, if he wants to stay alive and rescue his wife from danger. I always root for these characters to survive, when I watch this film, and Kurt Russell does a fine job with the lead role. He did deliver a very believable performance in this film, and the Jeff character does have his moments as a bad ass. Jeff is forced to rise to the challenge of fighting the kidnappers, his manhood is tested throughout this film, and Russell really did bring life to his character. Also, the antagonists in this film do provide some believable feelings of anger. The kidnappers are these lowlife and cold-hearted scumbags, who will stop at nothing to put Kurt Russell through hell. The performances from J.T. Walsh, M.C. Gainey, Jack Noseworthy, and Ritch Brinkley helped take everything to the next level, and you can truly despise the bad guys in this film.

Breakdown's story is familiar, and the plot might feel kind of ordinary and predictable, but this can still be a very enjoyable suspense/thriller. This film features some good acting, and the constant twist and turns will keep you guessing until the very end. Breakdown is a crafty thriller, that features some excellent tension, and the final moments are packed with suspense and action. This film has always been one of my favorites. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen this one, but Breakdown can always entertain me.

Final Rating: 7/10

The Thing (2011)

**This review contains spoilers**

I will always love The Thing 1982. It is an excellent science fiction/horror film, and this film ranks high up my list of remakes, because it is one of the best damn remakes ever. I always enjoy this film, and I pop it into the DVD player a few times each month. The prequel/remake to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic was at the top of my must-see list of films for 2011. I was anxious to see the prequel, and I had some hope for it, but this was an enormous letdown for me.

The 1982 version of The Thing was fantastic. This film featured some very good tension, it was mysterious, and this film could be genuinely scary most of the time. Also, The Thing 1982 was repulsive, because the special affects in this film could always provide plenty of shocking and cringing moments. But the same thing can’t be said about the 2011 version.

Yeah, The Thing 2011 does feature some very impressive special effects, because the CGI does look great. But the CGI in this film didn’t provide any shocking and disgusting moments. In Carpenter’s 1982 version, the creature kills and absorptions brought that “HOLY SHIT THIS IS GROSS! I CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT I’M SEEING” type of reaction out me. But the creature kills and absorptions in this film brought that “Oh look. Cool CGI effects” reaction out of me. The effects in this film didn’t shock me, and they didn’t want to make me turn away from the screen. The visuals in this film are a pleasing treat for the eyes, but they don’t provide any shocking moments.

The Thing 1982 provided some great tension throughout the entire film, and this film did feature a chilling and eerie atmosphere. But this version of The Thing felt pretty dull and boring most of the time. There wasn’t any real tension here, there aren’t too many spook moments, and this film isn’t scary at all. They tried to give the audience some more action and suspense in this one, but the attempt at some extra thrills didn’t do anything for me. For the most part, the action in this film isn’t too thrilling, and the suspense doesn’t pick up until the very end.

I like Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She’s a solid young actress, who has some promise. Winstead did deliver a very solid performance in this film, and she wasn’t bad as the leading lady here, but she is no R.J. MacReady. Kurt Russell was a better leading character in Carpenter’s 1982 version. Russell’s acting was better, and his character was a lot stronger throughout the entire film. Kate Lloyd (Winstead) doesn’t show any signs of real strength until the final moments of this film. She slowly comes out of her shell, but Winstead’s character just comes off as this person, who nobody wants to believe, and she has to eat shit from her boss, Dr. Sander Halversen (Ulrich Thomsen). Winstead did deliver a very solid performance, but her character seems so weak most of the time. Also, the bulk of the cast was pretty bland here. Carpenter’s 1982 version featured a nice set of colorful characters, and the overall acting was a lot better. Lars was the only other character who stood out in this film. Jørgen Langhelle could be funny, and at times, he was believable as a bad ass. And Joel Edgerton (Sam Carter) actually delivered another solid performance, but his acting couldn’t help elevate this film. The majority of the 2011 cast was so dull, and I was actually waiting for some of them to die, because I didn’t care about their characters.

Also, the tests in this film didn’t make too much sense. In the 1982 version, blood tests were used to determine each character’s health. These tests would let everyone know, who was human and who was an alien. Blood test make a lot of sense, but in this film they use teeth tests??? The creature can’t copy inorganic materials, and Kate found some bloody teeth will fillings in a bathroom. The creature spit out the teeth, because it couldn’t absorb them, and it was trying to hide this important secret. Someone wasn’t human, so Kate came up with the idea of having teeth tests. Her idea was pretty simple: whoever had fillings was human, but anyone without fillings in their teeth was an instant suspect. Everyone had to endure the quick teeth checks, as Kate checked every mouth with a flashlight, and these tests did cause some finger pointing, and the trust issues began to unfold. Yeah, I thought this was pretty stupid. Everyone doesn’t have cavities, because some people actually do take good care of their teeth. The teeth tests really didn’t solve anything, because Kate still wasn’t sure who was 100% human. Blood tests were the only surefire way of determining the human characters, and the teeth tests were a waste of time. I know, I know, this is a new version of The Thing, and the story will have its differences, but the teeth tests were still silly.

Survival was another important theme in the 1982 version of The Thing. A deadly alien creature has taken over the research facility, and this alien wants to escape. The deaths are coming quickly, and they’re becoming more frequent and viscous as the story progresses. I can understand trying to contain the alien threat, but the safety measures in this film didn’t make any sense. Kate begins to panic, because she realizes how serious the situation is. She doesn’t want the alien to escape, because it might try to take over the world. So Kate has one bright idea: Disable the vehicles??? Umm, yeah, I know you don’t want to take the chance of the alien escaping, but I couldn‘t buy into these precautions. The creature could destroy the Earth, but shouldn’t you give yourself a chance to survive? You’re going to have to leave the research facility at some point, so how in the hell are you going to leave, if you disabled all of your means of transportation??? And you’re pretty much stranded at a remote location in Antarctica, a massive snow storm is approaching, so you can’t just start walking to find shelter. The “let’s destroy the vehicles, so it can’t escape!” stuff drove me nuts, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on-screen.

The ending of this film does provide a nice cliffhanger, because the final moments of this film do show us how the alien survives, and story wise, this ending does open the door for the 1982 version. But in the end, this little cliffhanger wasn’t enough, and it couldn’t save this film. Bottom line, John Carpenter’s 1982 version of The Thing is far superior in every way, and it makes the 2011 version look like a joke. Sorry, but the theme music wasn’t enough. Using the same theme music from the 1982 version was a nice touch, and it did provide some good nostalgia for fans of the older film, but this touch of nostalgia couldn’t improve anything here.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, and Jørgen Langhelle were the highlights of the acting department, because they did deliver some very solid performances, but the cast in the 1982 film was still better in every way. Carpenter’s 1982 version featured better acting, a better cast of characters, the tension was unbelievable, this film was genuinely scary and terrifying, and the special effects looked more realistic and disgusting.

The 2011 version does feature some cool effects, and the CGI is great. You can’t deny that, but in a way, the amazing and detailed CGI hurts this film. As I said before, the effects in the 1982 version created some genuinely disturbing moments, but the CGI in this film can be too mesmerizing at times. I was in awe of the special affects, but they didn’t make me cringe, and they didn’t disgust me. The Thing 2011 is a boring and lifeless big time Hollywood production with cool special effects. This wouldn’t have been good as a standalone film, and this wasn’t a good prequel/remake. The Thing 2011 is mediocre at best, and fans of the 1982 version should avoid this. Don’t let the “how it all it began” stuff lure you to this film, because you will be disappointed. Just watch the 1982 version. Don’t waste your time with the new film, because the experience isn’t worth it, and you will hate this.

Final Rating: 3/10