ATTACK THE BLOCK REVIEW

   Here is a review of a movie I didn't expect to be writing about, “Attack the Ghetto.” I mean, “Rave on the Block.” No, that's not it either. How about “Party on the Block?” Oh yes, “Attack the Block.” How could I not know the name of the movie I'm reviewing?

  Sam (Jodie Whittaker) is walking through “the block” when she comes down the wrong street. Unfortunately for her, Moses (John Boyega) and his gang of fellow teens are waiting for the right person to cross their path. They have this robbery under control until something crashes into a nearby car. Moses goes to investigate, and is attacked by a strange creature before it takes off. This doesn’t sit well with Moses, as he leads the teens in a chase after the creature. They finally catch up to it, and make it pay for attacking Moses. The teens celebrate not knowing what they killed, and that it is not alone. 

  So what is with all the stupidity over the name of the movie? Well, for those that have seen the movie, you may know what I’m talking about. For those that haven't seen it, let me explain. First, throughout most of the movie there is constant upbeat music being played. A little mix of party and rap. They even play an old school favorite by KRS-One. I have never wanted to dance so much while watching a horror/sci-fi movie. Now don't get me wrong, it's fun and definitely a welcome change to the usual boring background music.

  The movie takes place on “the block.” It is basically the neighborhood where these teens are from, which they take pride in defending. If you're from the block, you’re like one of the family. If you aren't from the block, you better watch your back. The first alien that lands on the block learns that lesson the hard way, but what about the other aliens. Well, when they land on the block they are ready for a rave. Yes, they are perfect for a rave because they are all black and have glowing teeth. Simple, but they're very cool looking aliens. If they would just bang their heads a little more, and get into the music.

  Ok, the creatures aren't there to rave. They are actually there for a pretty interesting reason, which is revealed late in the movie and won't be revealed here. It is good to see a meaningful reason for them being there other than that they just randomly fell from the sky to attack the block.

  Besides the music and glowing alien teeth, this group of teens really makes this a fun movie to watch. They have a funny group dynamic going on, and come up with plenty of clever things to say. The beginning of the movie starts to paint them as bad kids, but they're far from it. Their pride in the block just gets them in trouble at times, but also makes them heroes. There's even a pair of younger kids, who want to join in on the fun, and are just hilarious in their short screen time.

 When the teens and aliens aren’t raving, they are actually fighting. Both aliens and teens are killed, as the aliens chase the teens around the block. There aren’t any amazing kills, but there is a decent amount of blood. The way the aliens are designed, the audience never really gets a great look at them killing anyone. There is more to the story, as the teens not only have to worry about the aliens, but are also being pursued by a local drug dealer. This is a welcomed storyline because it just adds to the craziness of the teens’ adventure.

  This movie was being screened at local theaters before the official release. I had no idea what it was about so I past on it. Ops! I guess you can say I didn’t RSVP to the party on the block. I’m just not much of the partygoer, but had I known that it was going to be so much fun, I definitely would have been there. Thanks to some good reviews, I decided to see the movie, and now I hope you will too! I give this movie 3 pools of blood.

  HorrO

SHARK NIGHT 3D REVIEW

  Many people asked me why I would waste my money to see Shark Night 3D. Well, the answer is simple: I’m a sucker for shark movies. I have an extreme fear of sharks so for some reason that makes me want to watch shark movies, and of course Shark Week! I didn’t have high expectations for this movie. All I could hope for is some good shark attacks, and minimal mistakes.

  Sara (Sara Paxton), Nick (Dustin Milligan), Beth (Katherine McPhee), and a few other college kids decide to take a break from school, and head out to Sara’s family lake house. After a run in with Sara’s ex, Dennis (Chris Carmack), and then the local sheriff, Sabin (Donal Logue), they finally make it to the house. They get their swimsuits on for some fun in the sun. However, some unexpected visitors in the lake, and unfriendly locals cut the fun short.

  I went to see this movie because of the sharks so let me start there. One of the unexpected things about them is that there are several different types. There is a Bull, Great White, and Hammerhead amongst others. They even come up with some smaller ones that are almost piranha like. It is interesting because audiences are use to seeing one type of shark like a Great White in Jaws, or Makos in Deep Blue Sea.

  Of course this is a mistake. It is hard enough to believe that sharks are in that lake, nonetheless all different types. They try to explain how the movie’s villains brought them there. That it isn't very believable either. If you know anything about sharks then you know how hard it is to catch a shark like the Great White. It is even harder to transport them. I kind of wondered why they didn't release the movie around Shark Week, and now I know why. The mistakes would be even more obvious.

  As far as the kills, they are all right. One of the reasons some people past on this movie is that it is rated PG-13 instead of R. That obviously has an effect on how detailed the kills are. The small piranha like sharks are the ones that the audience gets to see in the most detail while killing. There is some blood in the water at times, but there are times when the shark strikes and that's it. The sharks jumping out of the water is cool, but it would have been nice to see more of them ripping people apart. It is also somewhat disappointing that they didn’t make better use of the 3D with the attacks. The best thing about the 3D is the bubbles.

  I could go on and on about the sharks, but there are actors in this movie too. Ok, at least they try to be actors in this movie. Yes, as expected, the acting is bad. I still don't understand the need to push young actors into dramatic situations. Being scared of the sharks is one thing, but all the drama over how to handle the situation is too much for them.

  It also doesn't help when parts of the story don't make sense. Once, if not twice, they seem to take the boat far away from the house, but somehow end up right back there. When they first got on the boat, Sara tells Nick he doesn’t know how to drive the boat yet not long after that he is driving like an expert. Also, one of the kids tries to escape on a Jet Ski, but how in the hell does he know where he is going if he has never been there before. I can go on about the mistakes, but I will call it a day right there.

  In the end, there are some descent shark kills, but way too many mistakes. However, even with all the mistakes, I still had fun watching it. Again, I'm a sucker for shark movies. I can’t say it is one of the better shark movies that I have seen. I can’t even say it is better than Piranha 3D. If they modeled the movie after Piranha 3D, this movie could have been a whole lot better. With that said, I give this movie 2 pools of blood.

  HorrO

X MARKS THE SPOT (SHORT FILM REVIEW)

  One of the primary reasons I really use Twitter and Facebook is to talk horror, and promote my sites. I try not to use them for personal use that much. I particularly stay away from the check-in option on Facebook. And why is that you ask? Well, I think “X Marks the Spot” is the perfect answer to that question.

  Abigail (Aley Kreinz) has fallen in love with a tracking application on her phone. She checks in as her friend, Chloe (Melissa Reveis), warns her of the dangers of letting people know where she is all the time. Abigail, like most people, basically says that will never happen to me. All right Abigail, if you say so.

  This short film wastes no time in getting out the message. Chloe makes it perfectly clear the dangers of too much social media for a girl like Abigail. It can only end in getting raped and/or killed. It is good to see a horror film that has a message, and is very blunt about. It would be nice to see this kind of message on the big screen.

  The early message of the film sets a tone that is carried throughout the film. There is plenty of tension, and suspense even though you know the girls will eventually find themselves in some trouble. Trouble’s name in this film is Patrick (Ty Yaeger), the local nut job. I won’t give away how the ending unfolds, but just say that I wish there could have been a little more blood to match the suspense. I particularly like the finishing act, as it really drove home the point.

  I assume Aley and Melissa are new to acting, but they did a pretty good job of handling everything that is presented to them. Although the audience doesn’t see much of Patrick, he does a good job of being creepy enough. Tammy Dupal (Twisted Central) did an excellent job writing this film, and delivering an important message. If you get a chance to see this film, it will be well worth your time.

  HorrO 

MY THOUGHTS ON TRUE BLOOD SEASON 4 EPISODE 12

  Tick, tick, tick… hmm what is that sound? Oh yea, that is the bomb that typically drops in a show’s season finale. Going into this episode, I was very curious to see when that bomb would drop, and what would it be. So here are my thoughts on episode 12, “And When I Die”, and sadly my thoughts on the season and what is to come.

  Jesus and Lafayette were having breakfast with Jesus really looking forward to the future. He wanted to move on without magic, but he didn’t know a big ball of bad magic was sitting right in front of him. Moment’s later, bam! Fork to the hand… ouch! Poor Jesus was tied up, and Marnie wanted his bad magic.

  Just when I spent last week praising Jesus for being a new hero on the show, they go and take him away from us. You can say he went out a hero because if he didn’t do what Marnie wanted, she was going to slice Lafayette up. I guess I can throw out my hopes of a good vs. bad witch battle between him and Lafayette. It was kind of shocking that they killed him off, but it wasn’t the bomb.

  Jesus and Lafayette weren’t the only ones with a bad start to the day. Sookie was making coffee when she had a flashback of seeing her grandma dead on the floor. That was kind of unexpected. She then talks with Tara about missing her grandma. While this was going on, Sam was at the cemetery saying goodbye to Tommy. It really was quite a depressing start to this episode.

  I didn’t think he would do it this season, but Jason actually told Hoyt that he slept with Jessica. Not only that he slept with her, but how he did it. Oh Jason, you are still too funny. By the way, telling someone that kind of news at a construction site is not a good idea! Hoyt gave him a quick beating, but I thought it would have been worse. He let Jason off the hook for now. Tick, tick… still no bomb yet!

  Sookie made it out of the house, and to the bar only to be surprised by zombies! Ok, it was only Arlene and Terry dressed as zombies, but it was still cool. Such a bad joke, but I loved it… hand sandwich! For a show that is about vampires, they sure took some shots at them early on. Arlene said zombies are the new vampires, and Jesus even yelled out “vampires suck.” They better watch out because “The Walking Dead” is coming.

  Then for a moment you all know I liked, Sookie had a surprise visitor at the bar, Alcide! That’s right, just opening that door for the two of them to be together. I wish he would have just come out and told her he loved her, but he kind of did it in a backwards way. I still think she got the hint… hopefully. Ring, ring! Hey, who the hell is interrupting their moment? Come on now! But who was that if it wasn’t Deb…hmm?

  Was it me, or did it seem like it went from morning, afternoon, and then night awfully quick? Tara went to see how Lafayette was doing only to find a dead Jesus. She then raced to the bar to let Sookie know Marnie is back! Sookie just happened to be talking to Holly, a witch dressed as a fairy! The three of them then raced to find Eric and Bill. That is when we find the two of them tied to a pole ready to be set on fire. Of course the two of them are arguing. It was funny when Bill said he liked brain damaged Eric better.

  Sookie and friends to the rescue! Lafayette appears and sets the vamps on fire only to get blasted by Sookie. This allowed the three to start a spell putting up another shield and raising the dead. Again, I really need to learn these spells. The shields are awesome, and to raise the dead… yea probably not a good idea.  

  Then some disappoint sets in. Antonia, and Sookie’s grandma basically do away with Marnie after listening to more of her whining. It really wasn’t an exciting end to Marnie. I also didn’t like not seeing how Bill and Eric end up on the pole. It was kind of like they spent so much time on this storyline throughout the season, they rushed to end it and move on. Speaking of rushing, can someone get the extra crispy vampires down?

  So now that the whole witch thing was over, it was time for some unexpected visitors. First, Arlene gets a visit from her worst nightmare, her ex. That was awesome how she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Interesting, the ghost of Terry’s past. I wonder where that is going. Tick, tick…

  Then Jason got a couple of unexpected visitors. The first one was a welcome visitor, as Red Riding Hood herself made her first appearance on True Blood. Oh, that was Jessica. Of course it was Jessica. Imagine what little kids would think if they saw what Red Riding Hood did before visiting grandma’s house. So the two of them had there fun on the couch, and it was good to see Jason still has his Miller Lite sponsorship. They really had a weird conversation. I think they are right; they should just have sex for now. It is too confusing when they start talking.

  After Jess leaves, there is another knock on the door, the Reverend! What the hell? Where did he come from? It has been a while. Can someone fill me in on the last time we saw him? I don’t remember what happened to him last. Jason better not invite him in. Did the bomb just go off? No, false alarm!

  Then a scene that comes almost out of nowhere. They had to throw it in just to have Pam appear, but it wasn’t necessary except to give me my favorite line of the night. That is right, Pam wins the last one of the season when she says, “I’m so over Sookie and her precious fairy vagina…and her unbelievably stupid name. Fuck Sookie!” Wow, that is a lot of hate for Sookie, and two weeks in a row someone saying F’ Sookie!

  Good thing Pam didn’t see Eric and Bill sucking on Sookie’s arms. That was definitely an interesting site, especially with the two of them in the same pj’s. Then Sookie crushed the vamps in a way that only she could. She would lift their hopes of being by her side, and then drive a stake right through those hopes. And the best part, she did it to the both of them more than once. Bring on Alcide!

  Tick, tick… woo looks like that bomb is so close to going off. So it turns out one of his construction friends was the one who called Alcide. Very, very, interesting! Was that supposed to be a hole in the concrete? Some chains on the floor, and a glamed construction worker. No reason to get excited, it is probably nothing…NOT!!!

  My head was spinning with ideas, especially when Nan walked in with her stormtroppers. Then she said she quit the Authority. Oh man, so what does she want now? Ugh, you had to go and mention Sookie. Heads will roll for that! I really really didn’t expect that to happen. Hell, it happened so fast I missed it as I took notes. I only caught Bill putting an end to Nan. Love that blood splatter!

  Anyone knows where I can get some more blood splatter. Boom! What the hell was that? Oh shit, Tara just took a bullet for Sookie. What a good friend. Damn, that Deb! When will see the end of her all ready? Boom! Yes, now that is what I’m talking about! No more Deb! What a joyous ending!

  Boom! What another gun shot? No that was the bomb going off! But did you notice it wasn’t as loud as the gun shoot? More like the bomb fizzled out. While this was a good episode, I can’t say it made for the best finale. I mean, someone getting shot at the end of the season. Why do shows feel that makes for a good ending to a season finale? It has been done so many times now. Plus, like I have been complaining about all season long, why do they keep trying to make us think characters, that we know are not going to die, seem like they are going to die? It was great how they killed off Nan and Deb, but they aren’t major characters. Jesus dying was a little more of a shock, but he isn’t that major a character and he can come back as a ghost. If it turns out that Tara really is dead, I will give them more credit for this ending.

  Really, I think the previous episode would have made for a great ending, and this episode would have made a great season premiere. The only thing the previous episode lacked was opening up more storylines for next season, which they did with this episode. But as far as the shock value that you want with a finale, I think having Marnie appear over Lafayette was crazier than Tara getting shot. Oh well, it was an absolutely great season of True Blood, and I can’t wait for next season.

  Speaking of next season let me finish off this novel by giving my thoughts on some of the characters and storylines for next season. First, it will be interesting to see what they come up with to battle the vampires now that they have done wolves, and witches. I’m kind of disappointed that it appears the whole thing with Arlene’s baby is over, but they did open the door for Terry turning bad. That is hard to believe, but could be interesting. Something they didn’t expand on in this episode is Andy and his fairy friend. He has to have a bigger role next season with whatever this fairy wants from him. I’m kind of surprised at the lack of fairies they had this season, but that is a good thing.

  So who is the wolf behind Sam? Could Marcus be alive, or was it one of his friends? I thought maybe it was Deb, but that was quickly shot down. And not that I care, but will Emma be a wolf or shifter? We need more shifters, so I say shifter. My guess is Jesus will take on a role similar to what Godric is to Eric. We will see him when Lafayette gets in trouble, which probably won’t take long. I wonder if Lafayette will ever let Jesus possess him.

  What kind of trouble will Jason and Jessica cause? They can’t be good for each other. I have no clue what is up with the Reverend. I think we might see a bad Hoyt next season. He had too much go wrong for him that it would be a nice change seeing him get some of that frustration out. Poor Pam! Now that Sookie isn’t with Bill and Eric, will she finally get her hands on Sookie…probably not but it would be a fun fight. I think Bill and Eric should work as a team next season. They did so well getting rid of Nan, and they are actually pretty funny when they argue.

  Tara will be fine, so I’m not worried about her. Sookie, well I think you know what I hope happens with her. I just worry that if killing Deb will actually be something that makes it hard for Alcide to get over. Damn Deb may ruin things even from the grave. And what I’m most excited about…my friend from the cement of course!!! Now back to “Waiting Sucks!”

  HorrO

MY THOUGHTS ON TRUE BLOOD SEASON 4 EPISODE 11

  Oh, hey there True Blood fans! I was just sitting here sipping some blood from a heart. I like to celebrate another great episode in that way. I can’t believe this is going to be the second to last “My Thoughts…” of the season. This season definitely needs more episodes. Oh well, let me put this heart down and get to my thoughts on episode 11, “Soul of Fire.”

  So after a little confusion about who arrived to stop the witches, I figured out that it was the vamps, and I was ready for an all out attack. Instead, they did a little more talking. Where are all the explosions? You think I really had patience when Jessica was holding a bazooka? I guess Jason kind of saved them by warning them before they walk right into the shield.

  They didn’t waste too much time getting to my favorite line of the week. It is also another first for line of the week, as it goes to several people all for the same line. You guessed it, “Fuckin’ Sookie,” “Fuckin’ Sookie,” “Fuckin’ Sookie!” Hell I think I even threw in a “Fuckin’ Sookie!” Come on, you know you said “Fuckin’ Sookie” too!

  Inside we saw Marnie take a step further into the dark side. She tells the witches that they can take a knife, and fight through the vamps. Casey takes the offer, but only gets a knife to the stomach. That was a pretty cool flip of the wrist. Again, Antonia is upset by Marnie’s actions, and comes out to complain about it. This time Lafayette is there to give everyone the play by play. I liked when he said she “just pucked out a bitch.” I thought Antonia was supposed to be the more powerful witch, but I guess not.

   Quick thinking Jesus tricks Marnie into thinking Casey is alive so that he could bring her to the bathroom. Lafayette and him are going to use her blood for a spell. When Jesus first hit the scene, I didn’t take him for the hero type. However, he has proved to be a take-charge kind of guy, as he saved the baby, and now everyone else.

  A couple of episodes ago I mentioned how Andy really didn’t have a big role this season, and his character seemed to be going nowhere. Well, I think that all changed in this episode. In the weirdest moment of the night, Andy is walking home, and having a great conversation with… himself! That is when a light appears followed by a fairy. She makes him swear to protect her in return for some fun in the grass. I guess I should have known they weren’t done with fairies, but a guy can hope right? Looks like Andy might have a larger role next season.

  So in the only other storyline of the night, Sam and Alcide are still questioning this guy about Marcus. I thought it was more fun when they were beating the crap out of him. Surprisingly Luna comes in demanding to know where Marcus is because he has taken Emma. Apparently he is at Alcide’s house putting the moves on Deb. Oh, I just couldn’t wait for Alcide to walk in that bedroom.

  When they finally get to the house, Luna takes her daughter because it is go time. I got to give it Sam, he could have just shot him, and moved on but he handled it like a man. You know I hate the pack master so I was rooting for Sam to get rid of him, but unexpectedly Alcide finished him off. It was a very interesting scene because you have two guys who are generally good, maybe not Sam all the time, put in a situation that wasn’t going to end well. Alcide was obviously not happy, and took it out on Deb. So long Deb, thanks for coming! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Such an enjoyable moment, no more Marcus, and hopefully no more Deb.

  Back to the exciting stuff. Marnie tried to sick the robot sheriffs on Bill and Eric, but that failed. One sheriff got his heart ripped out, there was a lot of that going on, and the other had her necklace stolen by Pam. Oh Pam! So maybe they were short on explosions to start, but there were fireworks to come. It was awesome when Bill threw that sheriff into the shield. Burn, burn, burn, and then splat!

  One thing I got tired of this season is Bill and Eric being put in situations where we are suppose to think they are going to die. It is just not happening so knock it off. Bill wasn’t going to shoot Eric. Instead Pam did the shooting, as she fired the bazooka right at the shield. In another awesome shield moment, it held off the shot, and then exploded sending a ball of fire back at them. Man, if that shield holds of that kind of shot, I definitely need a shield!

  Everyone was fine except poor old Jason. Yes poor because not only was he fried, but also had to drink more of Jessica’s blood. The two of them are going to be inseparable soon. That is unless some witch cast a spell to drag the vamps into the shield first, but what are the chances of that happening? What… and there they go.

  Seeing her certain death, Marnie convinces the witches to chant one last time in hopes of changing the future. I couldn’t believe Sookie joined the circle. She looked confused the entire time she was in there. Almost like she didn’t know whose side to take. At the last second, she breaks the circle in a way only she can, and saves the vamps. This pissed off Marnie, and she cast a circle of fire around Sookie.

  At this point, I was getting dizzy because someone needed saving every few minutes. I guess I can’t complain because it keeps the action rolling. With everything coming down to the wire, our new hero Jesus works to complete the spell as fast as he can. Again, was Sookie really going to burn to death? Jesus breaks the bond between Antonia, and Marnie, as we see Antonia pull away from Marnie and then disappear. How come she just didn’t disappear earlier?

  And now for the moment we have all be waiting for… Bill and Eric vs. Marnie! The two speed inside, and come face to face with Marnie and… Roy. Yes Roy, not really a fair fight. Not even a chance as Eric rips Roy’s heart out, and toasts to what is going to be Marnie’s death in a matter of seconds. What was a little disappointing was that earlier Bill said he wanted to rip out the witch’s heart, but instead he just shot her. I guess it would have been hard to top what Eric just did.

  The two organize a little clean up while Sookie keeps looking at them. A penny for your thoughts? Could this be the end of her and vamps… again? I heard there is a wolf that has just become available!

  Ding-dong the witch is dead! Woo time to celebrate! Wait… that wasn’t the season finale! Something is not right here. If she is dead then what the hell is going to happen in the season finale? Then just as I was making notes about something not being right, it is the return of Marnie! Oh shit, that gave me chills! Poor Lafayette, he is just getting used and abused.

  So there will be plenty of questions to be answered in the season finale. Can Jesus be a hero one last time, or will Marnie get revenge on him? Will Andy see his fairy friend again? Will Hoyt find out about Jessica and Jason? Just who is patrolling the streets of Bon Temps when Andy and Jason are not around? Will Emma blame Sam for the death of her father, and keep Sam and Luna apart? Will Pam and Eric make up? And Sookie, it won’t be a season finale if she isn’t faced with some kind of decision over which man to have by her side. So I leave you those questions as I go looking for another heart to suck on. Eric is such a hog!

  HorrO

APOLLO 18 REVIEW

(Spoiler alert- just in case)

  Rarely do two horror movies open on the same weekend. Times are rough, and I have a feeling a decision of where to spend the money will have to be made by many of us. So it is Apollo 18 vs. Shark Night for horror fans? I’m a sucker for shark movies but after talking to many of you, it seems clear more of you are interested in finding out what happened to the astronauts. So I passed on seeing killer sharks (for now) in order to discuss what happened on the moon.

  As many of you know, in the 60’s and early 70’s the U.S. and Russia engaged in a race to the moon. For the U.S., the last official mission to the moon was Apollo 17 on December 17, 1972. Something happened after that point to cause the government to order a secret mission to the moon a year later, Apollo 18. Three astronauts are sent into space with two landing on the moon. What the audience sees in this movie is edited footage of what happened on that unofficial mission to the moon.

  The movie begins with a few bullet points telling the audience it is about to see edited footage from this mission. Almost immediately this peaked my curiosity. They must be showing us this for some reason right? Why else would you edit it? Who is the intended audience, and why are they showing this footage? Did someone steal this footage and release it? Did the government actually release this? That seems unlikely with how the movie ends. Speaking of the end, the only answer to those questions is that, well um, it is a movie dummy! How could I be so silly to think there could be anything more to it? Here is a video of a secret mission… watch it!

  After the bullet points, the movie quickly introduces the astronauts who are going on this mission. It mixes footage of them with their families, and interviews of them talking about going on this mission. There is just enough background information, and the family is shown in order to get you to feel sorry for the astronauts if something bad happens to them. Then it is off to space, good. Overall, the movie moves at a quick pace as it is just under 90 minutes long thanks to it being “edited” found footage.

  Now for the moment everyone is waiting for. What the hell happens to the astronauts on the moon? That is the draw for the movie as everyone has a guess. Is it aliens? If so, what do they look like, and what do they want from the astronauts? Do the astronauts get infected with something? If so, how did they get infected, and are they going to bring that back to Earth? Being this is the reason you are going to see this movie, I don’t what to give away too many specifics, but I will say it is a little bit of both.

  So while trying to decide if I really like this movie or not, I can’t help but think about one of the major complaints about horror movies these days. You guessed it, remakes! Horror fans seem to be dying for original movies, which is one reason why I think some of you lean towards wanting to see this movie instead of killer sharks. Yes, neither movie is a remake, but we all know what happens in the shark movie. The question for Apollo 18 really becomes: can it be original enough to please horror fans?

  On the surface the movie does have a lot of originality to it. There already have been plenty of found footage movies, but the originality here is that this is footage of events on the moon. They score points for originality with that, and how the footage is “edited.” I haven’t seen a found footage movie where the footage is edited, but there might be one out there somewhere.

    Once the mystery of what is happened on the moon comes to light, a closer look reveals some similarities with movies horror fans have already seen. One of the astronauts becomes sick, and there is a scene where a camera catches him shaking his head. They make it appear as if he is almost possessed. Lets just say it is similar to something you may have seen in an exorcist type movie. Not long after that, there is a scene where the same sick astronaut is standing by the make shift bed of his fellow sleeping astronaut. Can you say Paranormal Activity?

  It is not all bad. They do a decent job of building some suspense, and tension. Once they know something is out there, it becomes an adventure every time they have to leave the ship. As far as the alien, some people are going to hate it, and others may like it. I guess you could say the creativity is in the disguise, but not in the overall alien. There are some scare moments, which may or may not get you, and the acting isn’t bad. I prefer not talk about the ending because it appeared they didn’t have a good idea of what to say to conclude the movie.

  We have seen astronauts battle aliens, sickness, and the possibility of being stranded in space before so it is up to Apollo 18 to give the audience something new. The overall idea of edited found footage from the moon isn’t bad, but there is just something else missing from this movie. For me, it is the question of drawing that line between this being a movie, or edited found footage for an intended audience. If they would have come up with a meaningful reason behind why this footage is being shown, I might have found the movie a little more interesting. The movie moves quickly, and has enough suspense. However, some scenes might remind of you of other horror movies, which take away from the originality of the movie. I give this movie 2.5 pools of blood, and now it is time for some sharks!

 

  HorrO

MY PURE JOY (SCREENER REVIEW)

(Spoiler Alert)

  Do have a friend that is completely obsessed with horror movies? They watch and talk horror almost 24/7. Maybe even to the point that you start to worry about them actually hurting someone, or themselves. Hell, you all love horror movies, maybe that person is you!

  Well, in “My Pure Joy” that person happens to be Adam (Alexei Ryan). Apparently Adam’s father watched horror movies with his son since a very early age. A combination of watching too many horror movies, dealing with his father’s death, and some other personal issues finally drives Adam over the cliff. Once an innocent boy has now becomes the neighborhood serial killer.

  The movie starts off at a dinner table, where a teen is having dinner with his mother, stepfather, and younger brother. After a very unpleasant meal spent arguing with his parents, the teen returns to his room not knowing that a masked assailant is waiting in the next room to kill his younger brother, and he’s next. This opening sequence really gets the movie off to a good start. There is plenty of blood, especially in the death of the younger brother. The audience is introduced to a killer with a cool mask, and who has a particularly odd way of moving around his victims. He is definitely enjoying ever second of the murders.

  Once the killer leaves the house it isn’t long before it is revealed that Adam is the killer. I was a little disappointed that the killer was revealed at first, but it isn’t that kind of movie. Once the audience gets to see what Adam is capable of, it is all about showing the reasons why he has become that way. At first, I didn’t really buy that Adam was capable of doing what did in the opening sequence. However, the movie does a good job of building up to the point where it is reasonable to see why he has gone nuts.

  As previously mentioned, a major reason Adam turns bad is watching too many horror movies. The next day he spends time with his a few of his buddies. When they aren’t talking about girls, and smoking out, it is all about horror movies. This scene is pretty realistic in what I envision teens talking about and doing, but it might go on a tad long. When Adam isn’t with his friends, he is at home being constantly nagged by is mother, Jane (Lisa Frantz). That alone is something that can easily drive anyone crazy, as I even got tired of her nagging.

  Later Adam and his buddies go to a party where some of the girls they like are going to be. Of course, this starts some teenage drama over a particular girl. Poor Adam has a crush on this girl, but she has an ass for a boyfriend. He makes it perfectly clear to Adam whose girlfriend she is, and embarrasses him in front of everyone. You always have to be careful who you mess with because you never know when it will come back to haunt you. In this case, it didn’t take long for Adam to come back and do more than haunt them. There is a good amount of blood spilled in this scene as well, but there is something strange about it. I can’t put my finger on it, but it isn’t executed in the same way that the opening sequence was.

  At this point, it is clear to see Adam is having too much fun, and the killer side of him is really coming out. The next time he gets pushed, he will go over the edge. He gets that push when his older brother, Joseph (Cory Jacob), comes to the house for the first time in years. Jane plans a special dinner to celebrate, and this is the last thing Adam wants to participate in. It is here that Adam completely flips, and all of his odd behavior comes to life. Alexei really does a good job bringing out Adam’s wild side in this scene. Besides Adam’s actions, what is very interesting about this scene is that it brings the movie full circle. It started off at a dinner table with a family argument, and it basically ends in the same situation. The biggest difference is Adam does what the other teen couldn’t.

  So I guess this teaches me to keep an eye on all you crazy horror fans. Overall, the opening sequence is well done, and gets you eager to learn more about this killer. At first I had some doubts about Adam being capable of murder, but the more I learned about Adam, the more believable it became. It might have been nice to see another death scene instead of some of the conversations that went on a little long. I found it particularly interesting how the movie ended putting Adam in a similar situation to the teen he murdered. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I did have plenty of joy watching this movie so I give it 2.5 pools of blood.

  HorrO