It’s been a long standing and understood notion that it is getting tougher and tougher to scare movie goers. Sometimes however, a film comes along which takes us by surprise and really give us chills. Not jump scares mind you, or excess for the sake of excess, but legitimately scary sequences that stay with us long after leaving the theater. One such film that fits the bill is the brainchild of on C. Robert Cargill and director Scott Derrickson. The duo knows their stuff and getting away from purely trite hack/slash horror that populated the 80’s, they offer not only an ultra tense ride that is pure nightmare fuel, but tangible characters…
-
-
“The CineMagic 8-Ball” – In Theaters 10/12/12
When so many movies are released each weekend and trailers often seem better than the movie itself, what should one do? In this precarious situation, we consult the The CineMagic 8-Ball (TM) to help us see through the nebulous marketing haze. Doing so just might save us all a disheartening trip to the cinema and spare us unnecessarily springing for $7 popcorn. See what the 8-Ball says about this week’s releases… ——————————————————————————————————————————————- HERE COMES THE BOOM Former collegiate wrestler Scott Voss is a 42-year-old apathetic biology teacher in a failing high school. When cutbacks threaten to cancel the music program and lay off its teacher, Scott begins to raise money…
-
[Fantastic Fest Review]…Sinister
From the production team behind Paranormal Activity comes Sinister, easily one of the scariest films since Insidious (which was also produced by the same people). Less of a jump scare factory, Sinister makes its bones with legitimately scary sequences that are mostly reserved. Add to that a tangible family drama and the result is a full-bodied, entirely creepy and moody thriller. Not for the faint of heart, this film has succeeded in impressing some of the harshest horror fans, many of whom call Fantastic Fest home. Ethan Hawke stars as Ellison, father, husband and famous crime novel author. Modeled similar to Capote’s work with “In Cold Blood”, Ellison is a true-crime…
-
Spooky (Red Band) Trailer…'Sinister'
Let me be forthcoming: I initially laughed, nay scoffed, at Sinister based on its production credentials. I wondered if Jason Blum possessed an ambition to direct a trilogy of mono-titled horror films. Perhaps, I speculated, we’d see Malicious next, and if that made enough money we’d likely see the trifecta expanded to include such titles as Unpleasant and Eeeeevil. Of course, these thoughts all preceded my first viewing of the original trailer, which creeped me out and showcased what looks like a strong performance from Ethan Hawke. I’m all for atmospheric, built-up horror films that center themselves around really talented actors, so that first impression I had dissolved within mere…
