Pandorum

Pandorum was a surprise.  I didn't expect much, but it was a very entertaining movie.  It combined the science fiction element of a sleeper ship (made famous by the story "Universe" by Robert A. Heinlein), the horror element of a morlock type enemy, and a twist or two at the end.  More than just a typical slasher. 

3.5 out of 5 stars

Plot Summary:

Upon rousing themselves from hyper-sleep, Payton (Dennis Quaid) and Bower (Ben Foster), a pair of crewmen assigned to work on a spacecraft, discover startling gaps in their collective memory -- including who they are and what, exactly, their mission was in the first place. The plot thickens when they realize they're not the only ones on board the ship. Cam Gigandet co-stars in this gripping sci-fi thriller.

Mirrors

Mirrors, with Kiefer Sutherland, was an okay horror movie.  Not great, as the idea wasn't new, and Sutherland had some unrealistic moments, but not bad either.  Worth renting.  And the ending was pretty good, although the fight scene was a bit unrealistic (Sutherland is more durable than I would have expected).

The best "evil mirrors" story ever, in my opinion, is the novella  "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" by Robert A. Heinlein.

3 out of 5 stars.

Plot Summary:
This creepy supernatural thriller from director Alexandre Aja stars Kiefer Sutherland as troubled security guard Ben Carson, a man who discovers malevolent spirits living within the mirrors of a fire-ravaged department store. When their murderous nature comes to light, Ben turns to his estranged wife (Paula Patton) to help him save their family -- and himself. The supporting cast includes Amy Smart and Jason Flemyng.

Zombieland

A nice take on the saturated zombie genre. It's end of the world with a dark sense of humor. But it's more about the time after the zombies first appear to ravage the world. It's a bad of misfits who are trying to survive in an impossible situation. It has a great cameo about halfway through, and the zombies aren't the shambling kind, but the much worse running at you kind.

Although it doesn't exactly do anything new, it does it in a fun way, and if you're a zombie fan, you should like this one as well. It's pretty gruesome, but that's part of the charm. It does have a few tender moments, but they enhance the movie rather than slow it down.

Enjoy, and remember your double tap!


3.5 out of 5 stars

Plot Summary:
An easily spooked guy, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), joins forces with wild man Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) to fight for survival in a world virtually taken over by freakish zombies. As they destroy scores of the undead, they meet up with two other survivors, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and Wichita (Emma Stone), and journey to a supposedly safe abandoned amusement park. Ruben Fleischer directs this horror romp.

Dexter

Again, another serial killer themed work.  When done properly, it can be a very engrossing topic. 

Dexter, although not terribly realistic in many cases, is still very entertaining.  It's nice to think someone could channel such a horrible drive into something so...productive.  As long as you can suspend disbelief on the whole anti-hero thing (as if someone that fracked up wouldn't self-destruct in a cloud of blood and bullets one day), it's well worth the time.  Keep in mind it's a series, so it may take a while to see it all.

4 out of 5 stars

Plot Summary:
Playing a sympathetic serial killer might sound like a stretch, but former "Six Feet Under" star Michael C. Hall pulls it off in this macabre drama about a likable forensics expert who channels his violent tendencies into knocking off miscreants. Dexter Morgan (Hall) seems so harmless, in fact, that neither his girlfriend (Julie Benz) nor his cop sister (Jennifer Carpenter) suspect the true nature of his extracurricular activities.

Altered

Altered is a different take on the old alien abduction movie.  A group of good ol' boys were taken by aliens, went through hell, then returned to earth.  The film takes place several years after that, as they deal with the aftermath of what has happened to them, and their need for revenge against the aliens.

This movie was a decent watch, although it was a little unclear why the aliens kept hanging around.  It has a few truly disgusting scenes (you'll be put off sausage for a while), so it isn't family friendly by a long shot.  But it turns into something both spooky and well acted.

3 stars out of 5

Plot Summary:
Eduardo Sanchez (co-creator of The Blair Witch Project) helms another chilling horror film. Five high school buddies are abducted by aliens from a farm in Florida -- but only four of them survive. Fifteen years later, the friends -- whose lives have been altered ever since -- return to the farm to face their enemy and seek revenge.

Shallow Ground

Pretty Insipid. There was almost no internal logic to this film, almost as if they were working without a script. Definitely without sleep. I've seen better movies when the power was out.

1 out of 5 stars.

13 Ghosts - or Mr. Monk Goes to Hell

Normally I don't like remakes. But this one was cool. Don't go expecting too much storyline here, as it's still a spook-slasher, but I found it very entertaining. A bit of a departure for Shalhoub, who's now best known as Monk. But for an actor of his skill, it was probably something he could phone in.

The entertainment value of the movie rests heavily on the directing and cinematography. It's a hectic and disjointed style that shows you just enough to get scared (and sometimes a wee bit more), but not enough for you to adapt.

This movie isn't for everyone, and it's definitely a limited genre, but if you like bloody ghost flicks, then give this one a look.

I give it 3.9 our of 5 stars.