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Showing posts from September, 2014

"No Good Deed" (2014) REVIEW

Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson star in... The Stay-At-Home Mom Horror Movie . When sociopath and escaped convict Colin Evans (Idris Elba) gets into a car accident, he goes to the nearest available house to borrow a phone, which ends up belonging to mother-of-two Terri (Taraji P. Henson). Terri's husband is out on a trip, leaving her alone with her her infant son and toddler daughter. However, she invites Colin into her home so he won't have to stay out of the rain to wait until the tow truck arrives. Although, when Colin starts giving off extremely creepy vibes, Terri realizes all too late that she may have made a mistake. When I saw the trailer for the film, I was expecting a good thriller to keep me at the edge of my seat. Instead, I got one hour of boring prolonged scenes and a thrilling final 20 minutes, the last 10 minutes being the best part of the film. I'm sorry, but I have to say that the person we're supposed to be cheering for to beat the bad guy is

"Left Behind" (1995) by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim Lahaye REVIEW

With the movie coming up on October 3rd starring Nicolas Cage, there was no better time to read this book! At a precise moment, all over the world, millions of people vanish. Cars and planes are left un-manned, causing chaos in the streets as everyone tries to figure out what had happened. Airline captain Rayford Steele also seeks for the truth, and when he comes home to find his wife and son to be one of the many who vanished, he knows what happened: an event in the Bible called The Rapture. The more he learns about the rapture, the more he feels the need to spread the word to others, because if what the Bible prophesied is true, the Antichrist would soon come to power and begin a seven-year reign of tribulation. This is the story of those left behind. I have seen the first two movies from years ago that starred Kirk Cameron and remember enjoying them. I attempted to read the children's series before, but it had gotten slow and boring not even halfway through the series. I

"Alan Wake" XBOX 360 REVIEW

When looking on YouTube for trailers of lesser-known games, I came across the title Alan Wake . The trailer pulled me in, hook, line, and sinker. Best-selling novelist Alan Wake has been suffering from writer's block for the past two years. In hopes to cure it, Alan and his wife, Alice, go on a vacation to a small remote town called Bright Falls. Shortly after arriving in their cabin, a force of darkness kidnaps Alice and Alan wakes up in a car crash almost two weeks later. Trying to wrap his head around the scenario, Alan soon finds himself a target to the force of darkness, possessing the people of Bright Falls to stop him from saving his wife. It's a horror story Alan is unsure he could overcome and a mystery he seems to have written in a manuscript he has no memory of. Alan Wake  is one of those rare video games that takes its story to a cinematic level. Split into six episodes, it's gripping, dark, and builds a  lot  of tension. It is absolutely amazing and ve

"The Maze Runner" (2014) REVIEW

I have only read three chapters of the book that this movie is based on and then stopped. I didn't like it. As for the movie, well, that's a different story. Thomas wakes up surrounded by a bunch of boys between the ages of 12 and 18 with no memory of who he is or how he arrived into this place the boys call The Glade. The Glade is surrounded by four large stone walls with only one way out, the entrance that opens once a day into the maze that surrounds them. Everyday, Runners go into the maze, trying to find a way out, but all efforts seems lost because the maze changes constantly overnight, with creatures known as Grievers prowling it. However, things soon go further downhill after Thomas's appearance, including the arrival of a girl that seems to remember Thomas by name. Taken over by curiosity, Thomas breaks the rules the boys have set in place to find a way out through the maze. Unfortunately, he manages to threaten their lives in the process. The Maze Runner  

Top 5 Movies of 2014 (As of Sept. 18)

Editor's Note: I have not seen all the movies that came out this year. Listed here are the movies that I have seen. Summer is over and, let's be honest, there were some amazing movies this year. Below, I have listed the best movies this year in my opinion (and I highly recommend watching them)! #5. Guardians of the Galaxy Already the highest-grossing movie of the year, Guardians of the Galaxy  is also one of the greatest movies this year. The script is well-written, each character having their own complex-yet-simple personas, and they are well-played by the actors. It's also well-directed and just all around fun to watch! #4 . Edge of Tomorrow Yet another sci-fi flick makes it into my list, and what better choice for fourth place than Edge of Tomorrow ? It's a time-loop thriller done right, with pitch-perfect pacing, edge-of-your-seat action, a fair amount of complexity and twists, and great lead characters portrayed by great actors! #3. How to Train Y

"As Above, So Below" (2014) REVIEW

Found-footage horror movie, anyone? No? Too cliche at this point? As Above, So Below  documents the journey of a group of excavators as they go through the catacombs that lie underneath Paris to search for the treasure know as The Philosopher's Stone. However, when the group attempt to go back up to the surface after recovering the Stone, things are different. Something threatens them, keeping them trapped, and using the nightmares of their past to manipulate them. As mentioned, As Above, So Below  is a found-footage horror movie, and it gets the basics right. The script for this film is, to be honest, rather intriguing. It's a combination of a treasure-hunter movie and a jump-scare horror film well blended together. The writer knows how not to give away too much information and leave just enough space to give the audience to come up with their own theories (so if you don't like those kind of movies, then you won't like this one). Everything else is in the fil

"The Half Life of Molly Pierce" (2014) by Katrina Leno REVIEW

"You live and you remember. Me, I live and I forget." Seventeen year old Molly Pierce has been having one issue for a year now: She's missing parts of her life. Instead of some kind of memory there is only darkness. However, when she witnesses a vehicular accident involving a boy she doesn't know yet he knows who she is, Molly's memories are slowly revealing themselves, showing her another life she lived and a relation she was completely unaware of. The Half Life of Molly Pierce  is Katrina Leno's debut novel and it is a mind-bender! Even though I may not be in the target audience (it's geared more towards the female demographic), I was still intrigued with the book's concept and the story itself. The structure is inspired by Christopher Nolan's first film Memento , and I can honestly say that if you are a fan of Christopher Nolan's story structure in his movies you will certainly find enjoyment in this book. All the characters in the

"Boyhood" (2014) REVIEW

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have found a winner for this year's best drama. Filmed over the course of twelve years with the same actors, Boyhood  follows the story of Mason from age 5 to age 18 as he struggles with his mother's unsteady relationships, adolescence, making sense of the world, and what he wants to do with his life. I didn't even watch the trailer for the movie before watching, the only knowledge of it being that is was filmed over the course of twelve years and that the actors age on-screen along with the movie. This alone is a groundbreaking move in filmmaking never done before, and I am glad to see that the concept didn't go to waste. Richard Linklater definitely captures the essence of a child becoming a young man is a spectacular and moving way, the casts performances throughout the movie remain true to the very end, and even though the movie is almost three hours long, the pacing is faster than what you would expect. Boyhood  is the com