Paranormal Activity
Written and directed by Oren Peli, this is one of the scariest movies you will ever likely see! Based on a true story, the plot is very simple. A nice young couple, living in a nice suburban home in San Diego, suspect that they are being haunted. They place a video camera in their bedroom to document the paranormal activity they think is going on. There are no creepy monsters or demons from hell in this movie. Rather, the strength of the movie rests in its simplicity, and the power of suggestion. While the strange inconsequential events continue to occur, and intensify, this movie will leave you totally terrified. As the cover of the DVD says: “Don’t watch the movie alone”!
Mary and Max
This terrific pixilated cartoon comes from Australia. The stars of the movie are clay models, animated through stop motion photography. Written and directed by Adam Elliot, the cartoon tells a rather harrowing story about friendship. Mary Dinkle is a young girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne. She has no friends and she is very lonely. At random, she chooses a name from the New York telephone directory, and writes to Max Horovitz asking him to be her pen pal. Max has many psychological problems of his own. Their friendship is to span twenty years, and becomes increasingly important to each of them. The cartoon is decidedly ‘off beat’, and it is full of Australia’s wonderful sense of ironic humor. Australia’s Living Legend, Barry Humphries, better known as Dame Edna Everage, provides the warm narration, while many other Australian Super Stars, like Toni Collette, Eric Bana, Renee Geyer and Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum, supply the rest of the voices.
The Rebound
Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a 40 year old mother of two in this surprisingly intelligent romantic comedy. When her marriage breaks down, Catherine takes her children to New York to re-start their lives. Eventually, the pressures of her new job forces her to hire a 25 year old nanny, well played by Justin Bartha, to look after her children. The children are immediately captivated by Justin, and soon Catherine is falling for his charms herself. But, naturally enough, Catherine is worried about their age differences, and starts to question what their relationship is based on. The movie shrewdly observes the sexual attraction between a mixed matched pair. Catherine is warm and vulnerable and absolutely stunning throughout the entire movie.
A Perfect Getaway
A happy newly wed couple, played by Milla Jovovich and Steve Zhan, are spending their honeymoon on an Hawaiian Island. While they are enjoying the sun and the surf, they meet two other young couples, and they all go off on a long trek to an isolated picturesque beach. Meanwhile, news breaks that a pair of serial killers are at loose on the islands, and Milla and Steve have to wonder just who they are trekking with. The movie is full of twists and turns, before its rather gory conclusion, and the scenery is just spectacular!
Surrogates
Set in the future, this bizarre Sci-Fi film from director Jonathan Mostow depicts an Utopian world in which everyone lives in the security of their homes, and interfaces with the ‘real’ world through robotic surrogates. Everything is hunky dory, until a new weapon is discovered that can kill the surrogates, and through them kill their operators. It is up to FBI agent Bruce Willis to save the world, yet again. The movie is actually a bit confusing, but, if you just go with the flow, you should find it enjoyable enough. Let’s face it; Bruce is not the world’s greatest actor. He has always been more of an Action Hero Movie Star, yet, in this odd fantasy, he is skillfully robotic!
The Maiden Heist
Three security officers have worked in a prominent American museum for years. Over the years, each have fixated upon a special work of art. When they discover that the entire collection has been sold, and will be shipped to a Danish museum, they decide to steal their favorite pieces for themselves. Directed by Peter Hewitt, this is a highly entertaining ‘heist’ caper movie. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and the security guys have to improvise. Christopher Walken and William H. Macy perform with loads of ‘laid back’ wit, while Morgan Freeman has lots of fun with a subtle ‘limp wrist’! Look out for Marcia Gay Harden, who plays an ‘over-the-top’ Jewish housewife.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Okay, for those who care, the 6th installment of the Harry Potter saga has finally hit the stands. Personally, I was bored to tears by the whole thing. Nothing much really happens for the first hour and a half, except that the entire plot of the series seems to be regurgitated, then, when the action finally starts, a lot of it appears disjointed and incomprehensible. You keep wondering what in the hell the movie is all about. It is like 20 minutes are missing from the film. Anyway, if you can’t live without Harry Potter, then by all means rush to your local DVD store before the shelves are cleared out.
The Invention of Lying
Ricky Gervais’ latest comedy is a real ‘turkey’. It is a classic example of a currently successful comedian being given ‘carte blanche’ to write, produce, direct and star in his own special ‘baby’. The movie is categorically terrible.
