Poltergeist (2015)

Directed by Gil Kenan
Written by David Lindsay-Abaire, based on the story by Steven Spielberg
Starring Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Catlett and Kennedi Clements

A family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces must come together to rescue their youngest daughter after the apparitions take her captive.

The latest in a remake plagued market, this remaining of the 1982 horror classic doesn't hold much water to it's predecessor. In my opinion, the original isn't that scary. Sure it is filled with great visuals and awesome special effects, but the fear isn't there. The same goes for this one.

With every single scene a nod to Tobe Hooper's classic, Gil Kenan struggles to find his own voice i his reboot. Perhaps that is at the fault of Sam "I don't know why he's famous" Raimi. Even in his own creation "The Evil Dead", Raimi can't find originality.

The only differences between this and the 80s film is the time period and humor. As a comedy, this movie was pretty entertaining. There were plenty of slapstick moments and satires of modern culture. But as a horror film, it is weak.

I really wanted to like this movie. Upon viewing the first trailer, I had so much hope for it. But as soon as it was announced that it was rated PG-13, I knew it was going to be weak. With the exception of a few cool scenes with great imagery, there was nothing special or worth while about this movie.

You can skip this one this weekend. Instead, rent the original. If you're lucky like I was, a light bulb that isn't on will explode above your head, adding to the experience. 

My Rating: 4/10

Oscar Best Picture Nominee: Birdman

With the Oscars coming up in a little over a week, I decided I would take these next few days to discuss my opinions of the Best Picture Nominees.

"Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (2014)
Directed by Alejandro González Iñúrritu
Written by Alejandro González Iñúrritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Armando Bo
Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis and Naomi Watts

A washed-up actor, best known for his role as "Birdman", the protagonist of a super hero franchise attempts to recover his family, career and himself just days before his passion-project play opens on Broadway.

An in depth look at what it's like to be an aging type-cast actor, while still trying to maintain your dignity, "Birdman" nails it on all fronts. The acting is unmatched by any ensemble in recent years and the cinematography is unmatched in the entirety of cinema history.

With seamless editing, the majority of the movie appears as though it is an hour, forty-one minutes and 18 seconds (Yes, I timed it) of one continuous, unbroken shot. To put that in perspective, that means the actors had to roughly 10-15 minutes of dialogue, blocking and action without messing up. And if anything went wrong in that shot (camera work, lighting, sound, acting etc.) they would have to do it all over again.

How many miles do you think they walked, just

resetting for each take?

While every film, good or bad, is a work of art, "Birdman" takes the art of cinema to a whole other level. And while it's not my favorite movie of 2014, I believe it is the most deserving for the Best Picture Oscar this year. It's a close race, so we'll know on February 22nd.

My Rating: 10/10