Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

My View:  Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones  (2014)  R  Jessie (Andre Jacobs) lives in an apartment, and a woman dies in the apartment below. Jessie and his friends think they heard what happened when the woman died and decide to search her now vacant apartment. In their investigation, they discover black magic items and mysterious VHS tapes. Later, Jessie finds a bite mark on his arm, and he soon learns that he has been marked for possession.  Unfortunately, this is another in a long line of "found footage" films, a plot device that has gotten old quickly, and this film brings nothing new to the genre.  The film isn't very scary, with most of the horror coming from very predictable scenes.  What is interesting is that this film is aimed at the Hispanic audience, with sections of dialogue in Spanish without subtitles.  But that novelty can't overcome the very basic plot in a horror film without much horror.  My Rating:  Cable  Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones Website

The 50 (A Movie from My Best/Worst Film of All Time) 
#3 Worst Film:  Leonard Part 6 (1987)  Leonard Parker (Bill Cosby), is a former CIA spy who is recruited by the government to track down an evil vegetarian who brainwashes animals to kill people in a plot to make everyone vegetarians.  This is a movie that even the PETA organization can’t stomach. He saves the world by using Alka-Seltzer (you have to see it to believe it, but don’t). Even though the film was created by, produced, and starred Bill Cosby, he told audiences to save their money and stay away from the film.  Leonard Part 6 Info

Forgotten Film:  Hollywood Shuffle  (1987)  R  Robert Townsend plays Bobby Taylor, an actor who is trying to make it in Hollywood without playing the stereotypical roles that the film world thinks he’s only qualified for.   The film is a light-hearted look at what plagued black actors for years in the film industry, that the only roles offered to them were for gangsters, pimps and “Eddie Murphy” type roles.  The film does an outstanding job of showing Townsend's struggle to be taken seriously as an actor.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Hollywood Shuffle Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  A Haunted House 2 (2014)  Once again, Marlon Wayans is in a “comedy” that will make fun of the latest horror films.  So, a bad movie will make fun of a bad movie.  What’s that old saying, two wrongs don’t make a right?  It works for this film, though.  A Haunted House 2 Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray): Don Jon (2013)  R  This film is about a man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who tries to give up his addiction to on-line porn when he starts dating the woman of his dreams (Scarlett Johansson).  I like this film but it has a number of porn scenes in the first fifteen minutes (a number of people left the theatre during my screening) that almost overwhelm you with nudity.  If you can get past the first part of the film, it becomes an enjoyable romantic comedy with stellar performances by Gorden-Levitt, Johansson and Julianne Moore.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Don Jon Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones:  Latino Advisor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Grand Budapest Hotel  (2014)  R  The latest from director Wes Anderson about the adventures of a concierge, played by Ralph Fiennes, who  works at a European hotel  between World War I and II.  The film is brilliantly cast, including Saoirse Ronan, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson, just to name a few.   The Grand Budapest Hotel Website

Until Next Time!

Rush

My View:  Rush  (2013)  R  This is the true story of the 1976 Formula One racing season which came down to two drivers, the good looking English playboy, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth), and the serious, calculating Austrian, Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl).  Can Hunt conquer his partying ways long enough to beat the seemingly unbeatable Lauda?  This film contains some of the most remarkable and realistic racing scenes I have ever seen in a movie.  Hemsworth isn’t bad as the cocky British racing icon, Hunt, but it’s the performance of Daniel Bruhl as the arrogant, unlikable Lauda that makes this film work as well as it does.    Burhl’s Lauda dominates every scene he is in, and Burhl gives a multi-layered performance that is sure to get the Academy notice.  Fans of action films will really enjoy this film as will all the Formula 1 enthusiasts as the movie flies by from race to race.  My Rating:  Full Price Rush Website 

Indiefest:  Don Jon  (2013)  R  Don (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), called Don Jon because of his ability to sleep with the best looking woman in the club every night, is devoted to his family, his friends and his church.  He is also devoted to porn.  His world gets turned upside down when he starts dating Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) who has big plans for Don.  Will Don give up porn for the woman he loves?  A bit of warning:   This is an R rated film about a man who is addicted to porn, so there are a number of short scenes from porn films throughout  this movie.  It is especially prevalent in the first fifteen minutes of the film (I saw at least ten people leave during the first 30 minutes of the screening I went to), but if you can get past the first part of the movie, the rest of the film is worth it.  Gordon-Levitt does an amazing job of making a character, who has a number of bad qualities, likeable.  Johansson is perfect as the “Jersey Girl” come to life, making her character more real than anyone on the “Jersey Shore” series.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Don Jon Facebook Page

Family Faire:  Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2  (2013)  PG  Flint (Bill Hader) and his friends are forced to leave Swallow Falls so that a team from The Live Corp. can come and clean up the island. Flint then discovers that his invention, the FLDSMDFR, is still working and, now instead of creating food, it’s creating food that comes alive as animals.  So, Flint, Sparks (Anna Faris), Tim (James Caan), Steve the Monkey (Neil Patrick Harris), Brent (Andy Samberg) and Officer Earl (Terry Crews) must travel back to the island to stop the food-animals from invading the rest of the world.   While not as funny or as original as the first film, this movie is still a fun ride for both adults and kids.  A ton of puns and sight gags keep this film moving at a quick pace which makes the movie seem shorter than its 95 minute length.  This is one film that adults can take their kids to and not be bored out of their minds.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Website

Forgotten Film: Westworld (1973)  PG  The “vacation of the future” has been developed where the rich can vacation at a theme park divided into three sections:  Medieval World, Roman World and Westworld.  Customers can go back in time and live out their fantasies with the help of robots that will fulfill their every desire.  Peter (Richard Benjamin) and John (James Brolin) decide on Westworld, and they become gunslingers in a Wild West town.  Things are going great until something goes wrong, and a robot called, “Gunslinger” (Yul Brynner), begins killing vacationers for real.  Now Peter and John must duel it out with the Gunslinger to survive.  The film is a little cheesy, and the plot line a little thin, but it’s a whole lot of fun to watch Yul Brynner relive his glory days as a western star.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Westworld Info

 

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray):  Iron Man 3 (2013)  PG-13  I enjoyed this film, though I did get tired of all the one-liners that Tony throws out.  The action sequences are excellent and the chemistry between Paltrow and Downey was still there.  I especially enjoyed Ben Kingsley chewing up the scenery as the bad guy.  My Rating:  Full Price  Iron Man 3 Website

  

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2:  Helpdesk Manager

 

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Carrie (2013)  R  Remake of the 1976 Brian De Palma film with Chloe Grace Moretz in the role that Sissy Spacek made famous.  Should be an interesting update on a film that was about high school bullying before we knew what that was.  Carrie Website