Change Your Image
AKissintheDreamHouse
Reviews
Madea's Big Happy Family (2011)
It is what it is...
What can you honestly say about the new Madea movie? The fact of the matter is, there isn't much to say. Why Tyler Perry keeps cranking out the same movie over and over again with a different title is beyond me. Not to say that the film was a complete waste. It had many humorous and heart-wrenching moments. The only problem is, we've seen them all before. There is not a huge difference between this and Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea Goes to Jail, etc. It's a Tyler Perry move. You get what you came for. Do not go into this movie expecting anything but a low-brow comedy with a few dramatic scenes to balance out the humor. With a man of his talent, it's disappointing to see Perry cranking out the same old movies with the same old characters. I feel that if he really tried, he could go into totally new territory and amaze us all with his artistic talents, but until he moves beyond Madea and the same old plot elements, we may never know Tyler Perry's full capabilities. All in all, it was a funny and touching movie but it's been done before.
The Tingler (1959)
Cheesy but fun
This is a Vincent Price film. What do you expect? This is equal parts cheesy and entertaining, like most of his films. The basic plot is quite simple. Whenever you are afraid, a creature within you appears. The only way to get rid of it is to scream. One such creature escapes and wreaks havoc on many people, particularly the people in a movie theater. No, this is not high art or a four star movie, but it does what it sets out to do. For the time, there were even some startling sequences, such as the nightmare sequence that had some color. All in all, this is a pretty cheesy and fun little movie that I would recommend renting. This movie was probably even more fun with the gimmicks in the theater where it felt like the tingler was crawling beneath you.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Awful, Just Awful
Of the three big slasher movies, this one, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, this is by far the worst, and that's saying something, considering the other two ain't so great. This film is just plain awful. Painfully boring for the first part, it slips into unintentional comedy punctuated periodically by the least scary murder sequences you can imagine. How this became a supposed horror "classic" is way beyond me. I don't see how anyone could appreciate this film or even call it good cinema, which would imply this is art. The day this is considered art is the day the world ends. Worst of all, this film inspired a million other awful films. Thanks a lot you awful movie.
Halloween (1978)
I'm Sorry...
I'm sorry, but this may have been scary in 1978 when it came out, but in modern times it just doesn't hold up. The only interesting scene in the entire movie is the opening scene where Michael kills his sister, Judith, wearing his Halloween mask. The most startling moment in the whole film is when his parents rip the mask off to see their son killed their daughter. The film goes downhill from there and doesn't pick up until the last fifteen minutes, but by then it's too late, we the audience have lost all interest in the story. There is barely any character development, and people always rave about Laurie being such an exceptional heroine, when there really isn't much to her. I'm sorry to disagree with everyone terrified by this movie, but if you want a great horror movie go watch The Shining or Rosemary's Baby. Those are the two best horror films ever made. Halloween is certainly not in their ranks. Shows you what an awful reviewer Roger Ebert is that he gave it four stars.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
The greatest animated film EVER
This truly is the greatest animated film ever. People may say Bambi or Snow White or Dumbo, but this is truly better than any Disney film ever made, or any other animated film for that matter. Every moment of the film is filled with such life. Every character, even the supporting characters, are vibrant and are filled with life. Rarely in a film, especially an animated film, do the characters have so much personality. Yubaba is one of the greatest film villains. Haku is a great character, and of course Chichiro is as well. Kamaji is interesting and No Face and Lin are both great as supporting characters. This truly is a must-see film, filled with great characters, a great story, and great animation. Step aside Disney, Miyazaki is the new master.
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Along with the Shining, the GREATEST HORROR FILM EVER
Only the Shining is a contender with Rosemary's Baby. This film doesn't rely on gore or shock tactics for its scares, which is partly why it's so great. It relies on pure atmosphere and a mounting sense of dread and paranoia. The other reason is that it is the subtlest horror film ever made. There are many subtleties throughout the film that as a viewer you have to pay close attention to if you want to get the true greatness of this magnificent film. This is a must-see film for fans of horror movies and fans of cinema in general. Not only a contender for best horror film, but also a contender for best film of 1968. This is one baby that is not to be missed.