Recently in Suspense Category

This movie is not what I expected when I first looked at the DVD cover. Make no mistake, Beyonce's presence in this one should not lead you to conclude its a romantic comedy or lighter fair. This is a dramatic story with some depth, and the three main characters all more than carry their weight in sustaining the suspense of the story, which doesn't exactly take you where you think it will.

Derek Charles ( Iris Elba American Gangster) is a financial analyst who is on the fast track and loving it at his firm. His wife, Sharon (Beyonce Knowles The Pink Panther) is his former secretary who is now a happy stay at home mother to their infant son. All seems well, even when Derek is introduced to a nice new "temp" worker at the firm, Lisa (Ali Larter Final Destination)   Lisa seems friendly, more than efficient at her job, and its obvious that she is just a little smitten with her temporary boss, Derek. But, who wouldn't be? And, a little innocent inter-office banter and friendliness on Derek's part when Lisa gets dumped by her boyfriend isn't that big of a deal. Or, is it? I won't play spoiler on this one, but the situation between the two soon ecalates into one of pasion, a heated and intense love affair between the two.

There is just one thing.

None of that actually happens. But, Lisa thinks its happening. And, soon, we the results of someone living in their own reality and how it effects everyone around her. Now, I told you earlier the flick would not take you exactly where you expect it to, and right now you might be thinking this will be an updated version of Fatal Attraction. Its not, either in intent or or result. I think that is mostly because Larter makes her character empathetic, if not sympathetic, and it is easy for us to see why it takes Derek, and everyone else, to see just how combustible this situation will be.

For you Beyonce fans, as well as those of you who might be skeptical of her acting "chops", understand that her character-Sharon- is not one dimensional, nor is she there just as eye candy playing the wife in the backround. Oh, no. Sharon is, in many respects including the climax of the film, the hero. The final conflict is between her and Lisa, so forget the sterotypical man coming in at the last moment to save her.

I can see how some might view the hand to hand combat scene between Lisa and Sharon as a little bit cmpy, but I disagree. Its just very seldom we see movfie fight scenes between women in a realistic fashion. They are either set up as superheroines (Kill Bill Vol II), or the quintessential male fantasy of two chicks ripping each other's clothes off. Now, speaking for most of the males out there, it would be fun to see that with Ms. Knowles and Ms. Larter, bu it would be beneath a film of this caliber so, for those of you hoping to see a little of that, you'll be disappointed.

What isn't disappointing is the way the emotional arc of each character is built up and presented to us in a beleivable way, which makes Obssessed more than worth your while if you decide to take a look at it.       

Drama. Directed by Atom Egoyan. Starring Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth, Alison Lohman, David Hayman, Rachel Blanchard. Synopsis: An aggressive young investigative journalist assumes her friend's identity for the purpose of getting to the truth of the death of a young woman fifteen years previously in the hotel suite of two well known performers. Her investigation takes her closer to each of the stars and their secrets than she ever dreamed possible.

This film is an interesting telling of a fairly unique story that is well directed and well acted. The story is set in 1972, when ambitious young writer Karen (Alison Lohman Drag Me To Hell) undertakes the task of finding out the truth behind the mysterious death of a young woman named Maureen O'Flaherty (Rachel Blanchard) in the hotel suite of famed entertainment duo and polio telethon hosts Lanny (Kevin Bacon JFK, Mystic River) and Vince (Colin Firth) in 1958.

The story jumps between 1958 and 1972 often and seamlessly, without confusing the story or the characters. Its important in a film that does not follow a traditional chronological order to present its story in a way that allows the viewer to not only follow what is happening, but to know when a scene is taking place in the past or the present and this movie does that well.

It captures the spirit of the telethon and innocence of an earlier time, when many fans thought of their stars and heroes of the screen only in wholesome terms in nice comparison to the seedier reality of their often sordid personal lives.

The overriding theme of the movie is the question of what really happened to Maureen O'Flaherty, why it happened, and how. Karen is determined to find out these answers, as well as expose the cover up. She finds herself closer than she ever thought with womanizer Lanny, as well as his personal assistant (David Hayman) as well as becoming a confidant-and later a victim-of the emotionally tortured Vince. The movie does a good job of giving us clues as to what really happened, and we find out along with Karen. The conflict in the film is Karen's relentless pursuit of the truth as compared to her reluctance to share it when she finds out. I can't say that the ending will take you totally by surprise, there is a twist, but what makes this film is the telling of the story and the character development, not an incredible ending.

Alison Lohman does a good job in the most important role in the film. She puts energy and is totally believable in her character which has to show strength, vulnerability, compassion, and aggressiveness in alternating scenes of the film.

Kevin Bacon, again, reinvents himself as the likable, yet degenerate Lanny as we see him at his height of popularity in the movie and his descent which is obvious to all but him. Colin Firth has the most difficult part, playing the tortured sole with the terrible secret, yet is it really a burden that he should be carrying?

That, of course, is the whole question of the film and I won't spoil it for anyone who has not seen it. But, if you haven't seen this one, take it in if you have the chance. I can't say that its' a "can't miss", but if you appreciate a good story that is well done, you won't be disappointed.  

Directed by James Wong. Starring Devon Sawa,  Ali Larter, Kevin Smith, Tony Todd, Roger Guenveur Smith, Daniel Robebuck. Horror.                  

Synopsis: A student getting ready to board a plane for a school trip to Paris has a horrific premonition that leads him to get off the plane, along with several of his classmates, saving them when the planes crashes shortly after take off. The survivors have to deal with their grief along with the fact that they are dying in freak accidents in some king of  supernatural order.

The " teens" (or, at least, 27 year old actors playing teens) in trouble theme has long had a stronghold in the horror genre, probably accounting for about 2/3 of all horror films for the last twenty-five years or so. Final Destination follows the tried and true, with the twist on the old urban legend of the person who has a premonition of disaster before boarding a plane and turns away. In the film, Alex (Devon Sawa) is nervously awaiting the boarding call for a flight to Paris for a trip with his high school class. He has a vivid premonition of the plane coming apart right after take off and, when he comes back to the present and realizes that his premonition is real, he frantically tries to exit the plane, being let off only because he is out of control. One of his teachers and four other students also get off, for different reasons, and all six are in the terminal when the plane goes down in a fireball.

You might think Alex's actions might make him popular, at least among the survirors, but you would be wrong as he is regarded by the other five and the members of his school, not to mention the suspicious FBI agents on the case (Roger Guenveur Smith DeepCover , Daniel Roebuck). Only Clear (Ali Larter Obsessed), one of the girls that got off the plane, seems to think that Alex is really a decent guy with a special gift...or curse.

Basically, the film goes on to show the deaths of some of the survivors in freakish, almost supernatural fashion, as Alex and Clear attempt to figure out the curse, and the way to stop it. This isn't, to me, so much an attempt at a genuinely scary movie as it is a psychological creeper...what would you do if you knew that someone was going to die by freak occurrence? The film is what it is, a pretty decent popcorn flick for teens of all ages. There is nothing exceptional about the movie, we've seen similar themes before, although this is done in fairly entertaining fashion. The script has all of the obligatory unrealistic features of a "teen" horror flick, e.g. teens who are clearly in their 20's, the almost total absence of any parental presence or involvement, the totally unreal brazenous in the face of impending doom.

The acting is not bad, actually pretty good for a film of this type. Tony Todd (Candyman, iMurders) has a memorable cameo as a creepy and fatalistic undertaker, and Smith and Roebuck are upper echelon actors to be appearing in this type of movie. Basically, the key to really enjoying these movies is to either be able to put yourself or see yourself in the predicament of the main characters, or to be able to empathize with them. I empathized a little, not too much really. I need some realism, or a realistic/believable look at the supernatural, to be truly engaged not to mentioned scared at a movie. Final Destination is not a bad attempt nor is it a bad movie, but its not what you would call good either.

I guess my bottom line on this flick is that if you see it, fine, you will probably like it as a past time if you like this genre. If you don't see it, you really haven't missed anything special.

For what that's worth.           

Directed by Eli Roth.Starring Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eython Gudjaunson, Jan Vlasak, Barbara Nadeljakova. Action/Gore.   

Synopsis: Three graduate students traveling through Europe in search of the good times of sex and drugs, are lured to a Slovakian hostel where they meet beautiful women, but are unknowingly the objects of an underground human hunting business whose clients subject them to torture and mutilation.

First, lets get the two most obvious things out of the way: 1) despite what you might see on the DVD cover, previews, or what you may have heard about this film, Quentin Tarantino does not direct it or have anything discernible to do with the style of the movie 2) this is a film that people are either going to like or despise, there isn't much room for a middle ground in a movie where the ample nudity, sex, and drug use isn't even close to being the most memorable part(s) of the film.

Hostel "treats" us to mindless, graphic, unspeakable violence in spades. What am I talking about? Well, consider scenes of torture that include burning the face of a restrained victim to the point where the eyeball is, literally, hanging out of the socket, a victim who is tortured by having his Achilles heels severed (and then being told, "You are free to go"),  seeing a hole drilled in a living being's torso with a power drill, and the image of one of the torturers slipping on the spattered blood of one of his victims, which, unfortunately for him, makes him lose control of the chain saw he has in his hands, falling to the blood stained floor and the saw, a minute ago his best friend, cutting through his own leg until its severed. Other than that (I'm not going to mention the decapitation,  appendage severing(s), suicide-by-train-with-blood deluged-passengers, and hit-run-backup-hit-run-again) , its pretty standard stuff. 

As with many recent "horror" movies, we have the "spooky kid" syndrome, although in this movie it is a gang of humorless pre-teens that engage in luring victims and cap it off by stoning two of their previous benefactors to death...for their beloved bubble gum. If you have not seen the picture, no, I'm not making that up.

To me, the interesting point of discussion about a film like this is why and what? Why was it made, why will people enjoy it, and what was the point? I can't say much about the story itself, its not well developed and I, for one, have to admit that I didn't care for the three main characters during the relatively slow first 15 minutes of the movie. Their hedonistic longing for the sins of the flesh, so to speak, was a little over the top, reminding me of the Porky's   movies of the early 80's. There really isn't any plot development or mystery going on, other than the viewer asking himself/herself, "What the hell is this all about?"

Well, we don't really know and the movie does not really tell us. Suspending our disbelief a little (o.k. a lot), which is what we movie fans have to do to enjoy most pictures, its still a little hard to get around the idea that a human torture and murder facility, operated for profit, could work with the complicity of so many people, local police included. Hey, those of us old enough may still be disposed to believe anything could happen in an old Soviet Bloc country, but c'mon. There is no supernatural or unique evil in this, no grand scheme of revenge or psychosis. Just otherwise ordinary people who happen to be willing to pay big money for the pleasure of murdering, torturing, and/or mutilating their victims, who are lured by a cacophony of co-conspirators.

The main sirens for our three unfortunate protagonists are Barbara Nadljakova and Jana Kalerakova, who doff their clothes less than two seconds into their first scene and keep them off for most of the next 20 minutes or so. Delicious eye candy for us lascivious males, to be sure, but both actresses bring some substance to their evil roles, especially Ms. Nadeljakova, the brunette beauty who is so good in her role that you want to sin with her from the first minute you see her, and your cheering when she meets her end in a shocking spurt of gratuitous violence by the one surviving protagonist (Jay Hernandez) That's saying something.

Jan Vlasak is deliciously evil and contemptible as the main villain, although it seems that he is the only one through most of the film, at the end we find out that he was just another customer of "Elite Hunting", a middle aged respectable Dutch businessman who looks like your uncle Johann, but deals with his lifelong shame of failing to be certified as a surgeon by dismembering people while they are still alive.

Derek Richardson does the finest pure acting of the movie, his pleas for mercy while being tortured at the hands of Vlasak will get to the coldest fish in the sea. Also notable is Rick Hoffman's brief turn as the American client who, kind of, explains things to us through his crude conversation with Jay Hernandez. He is so wicked that you only need about 30 seconds of his 3 minutes of screen time to really, really hate him. 

Drama. Directed by David Fincher. Starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, R. Lee Ermey, Richard Roundtree, John Cassini. Drama/Thriller

Synopsis: A veteran detective in his last week before retirement teams up reluctantly with a hard charging rookie detective to investigate a unique and sadistic serial killer who tortures and kills his victims as reflections of the seven deadly sins.

This creepy, disturbing thriller is another that should be on everyone's list of all timers. The only reason not to like this one is if you don't like the genre or the theme, there is nothing else to complain about otherwise.

Forbeding from the opening scenes, Seven is the story of two detectives put together at very different stages of their career. Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman/Levity) is a deep thinking, experienced detective who is burned out all the way to heck and back. Somerset is days away from retirement when he is paired with rookie detective Mills (Brad Pitt/Kalifornia). Mills is headstrong, idealistic, and has more than a little chip on his shoulder, which may be why he requested duty in the mean streets of the (nameless) big city.

They don't hit it off well at the beginning.

That pales in importance to a couple of murders that they are investigating, which are exceptional in their cruelty and viciousness. Its not long before the pair realize they are tracking a killer who is killing victims in accordance with the "7 deadly sins" of classic literature: sloth, greed, gluttony, lust, wrath, envy,and vanity. Trust me when I say, not wanting to be a spolier, that these killings are a little different, to say the least. As just one example, the "gluttony" murder is one with an obese victim who is forced to eat himself to death by the killer.

I don't feel too guilty by telling you-as you probably already know, even if you have not seen the movie-that Kevin Spacey (The Negotiator) plays John Doe, the mysterious killer who does not appear in full face on screen until the last third of the flick. Trust me, its worth the wait as Spacey outdoes himself in the sinister, creepy mode of his character. Freeman and Pitt are also matched well as the "May/December" cop pair who really never buddy up, they do grow to respect one another, and their professional relationship is important to the film as the backdrop of the killings doesn't really domiante the film until the last 20 minutes.

Few films can be really great without a strong supporting cast and this one is no exception. Gwyneth Paltrow (Proof) is really good as Mills' shy, demure wife and you'll love R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket) playing a familiar type (himself?) as the boss of Somerset and Mills.

Thankfully, the DVD version comes with some interesting special features. One of the good things about seeing some older flicks on DVD is that the commentaries of the director and actors are done well after the fact, so they know the impact of the film and have the advantage of hindsight. Neat stuff.

Great movie.   

Drama/Horror/Mystery. Directed by Jonathan Demme. Starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Diane Baker, Kasi Lemmons, Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith, Frankie Faison, Charles Napier, Danny Darst. Oscar winner: Best Picture

Synopsis: A young F.B.I. trainee gets into a psychological match with a jailed serial killer in order to get a profile on an active serial killer who has killed several young women and abducted the daughter of a U.S. Senator.

To me, its hard to look any top 10 movie list of all time and not see Silence of the Lambs on it. Seeing it in the theater all those years ago when I was still young and now, through the magic of DVD, being able to see some of the behind the scenes footage and interviews with some of the actors just makes it all the more amazing.

On the slim chance that you have not either seen it or have heard about the plot to this classic, F.B.I. trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster Inside Man) is recruited by her superior (Scott Glenn Codebreakers, Training Day) to interview the infamour cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins Proof)  in hopes that she might get some information that will help the F.B.I. in its hunt for active serial killer "Buffalo Bill"(Ted Levine The Hills Have Eyes).

The "relationship" between Lecter and Starling proves ultimately fruitful as the young trainee is able to unlock some of the hidden complexities of Lecter's insane mind and use them to aid in the hunt for Buffalo Bill. But Lecter also cleverly uses his knowledge of the acting serial killer to set the bed for his own escape.

To me, one of the most amazing things about this film is its ability to weave so many different genres, subgenres, and elements into the story. We have classic horror, with the most frightening things, as they alwasy are, being unseen or implied, There is suspense, mystery, and-yes-a touch of romance in a serial killer-FBI profiler kind of way. But, Demme didn't skimp on the action. No, not at all. I challenge almost anyone to look at the Lecter escape scene and not squirm just a little.

Most would say that the briliiance of Hopkins carries this flick and that's true...the way its written we have to fear Lecter.  But the performance of Foster cannot be overlooked, especially at a time when strong female leads in this type of film were even less prevalent than they are now. To boot, the supporting cast is awesome as well. Levine's performance as Buffalo Bill, while not one for the ages like Hopkins, is powerfully creep and he could carry a horror film on his own. Likewise, Brooke Smith (Iron Jawed Angels), Diane Baker, Frankie Faison, Danny Heald, and Kasi Lemmons (Candyman) also hit home runs with their limited screen time.

To me, the film has no flaws, other than it might be too creepy or violent for the fairer minded among us, but for anyone who actually watches the film...it just doesn't get any better.         

Synopsis: A successful, yet troubled psychiatrist accepts a temporary residential position in a mental health facility for the purpose of around the clock coverage of his controversial method of treating patients. There he encounters a friendly, but disapproving head doctor as well as the most challenging patient he has ever encountered as he comes to grips with what he is really running away from in his own life. Directed by Eriq La Salle. Starring Eriq La Salle, Michael Beach, Ronny Cox, Tia Texada, John C. McGinley, Sinbad.  

I came across this dvd in the "for sale" bin of the video store, and I am glad I did. Its the dream of the serious movie buff, to find a movie (preferably for free or a real good price), that you don't know anything about, have never heard of, but get it and find you really enjoy it and will watch it again and again over time.

I picked it up, like so many do, because of the intriguing cover and the fact that two really good movie character actors, were the leads in this one. Its not a horror film nor does it pretend to be, although the DVD covers in some instances might lead one to believe that it is. Its a psychological drama (notice, I did not say "thriller")  

This is the quintessential low budget film, shot almost entirely on one location, with only a couple of forays outside. The film starts with psychiatrist Dr. Ty Adams (Michael Beach Internal Affairs) awakening suddenly from a gruesome nightmare. He then proceeds on to the Sedah State Mental Hospital, where he is going to display his controversial treatment methods in residency while being filmed around the clock.

There, he meets a friendly but reluctant head Dr. Delaszo (Ronny Cox Deliverance, Total Recall), a humorous orderly (Sinbad), a sensuous cafeteria worker (Tia Texada Nurse Betty), and the most confounding patient he has ever encountered: a suave, enigmatic, and articulate man who calls himself "Satan"(Eriq La Salle Coming To America) and seems much more interested in Dr. Adam's troubles than his own.  

There are some side stories in addition to this main progression, of course. Dr. Adams, we learn as the film goes on, has recently lost his wife and daughter to suicide in the wake of his failure to adequately treat his own schizophrenic child. There is also the other problematic patient, in addition to Satan, a young woman with extremely violent tendencies who never speaks. Dr. Adams takes a special interest in her case, although he doesn't eschew his practice of ignoring medication for therapy.

The movie is carried, however, by the scenes between Beach and La Salle and Beach and Cox. These are the heart of the movie and central to the twist at the end of the movie. Curiously, Cox and La Salle, interestingly, never appear on screen together. Michael Beach has long been a solid, if unheralded, character actor (Internal Affairs, Waiting to Exhale, Bad Company) and its nice to see him get the opportunity to carry an entire movie as the lead, as he is in almost every scene.

Also deserving mention are John C. McGinley, who plays the head of the film crew employed to capture every moment of Beach's actions at the facility. Tia Texada simply heats up the screen in her few important minutes with the perfect blend of smoldering, but subtly understated, sultriness.

Eriq La Salle has a great presence, as always, and he accomplishes his goal of making his character unsettling. La Salle also directs this film, and those of you who see the DVD version will enjoy his director's commentary, talking start to finish about the movie, and what he was trying to accomplish and why. This is a pleasant contrast to many director's commentaries, which focus on telling unrelated stories, fawning over the actors, or complaining about the lack of financing they had for the film. La Salle is trying to show us his vision of ultimate questions and issues that all of us must face at some point. Whether or not you agree with La Salle's interpretation, you will see it clearly, at least in the end, and it will give you something to seriously think about.  

As I said earlier, Crazy is Hell, despite its title, is not what you might think it to be on the surface...which is the whole point of the movie, as you will see in the ending.  The film never tries to be what its not, and you won't see any weak attempts at gratuitous gore or awkward CGI. It is high on symbolism. Its low budget and it never pretends that its not. Almost everyone will suspect that there is a twist coming, the trick will be in guessing what that particular twist is. There are a couple of different ways the movie could go, and the way that it does go is not surprising...if you pick up the clues.

Sound cryptic? Well, its meant to be, especially for those who have not seen the film. One good thing is that this will hold up upon a second viewing as La Salle doesn't cheat in the build up to the conclusion.

This is a solid film that will be enjoyable and the kind of movie you watch over again as time passes since its message, as it were, are timeless. At worst, this will be a film that you can talk about, think about, and discuss with someone else who saw it as well.

Not too shabby, huh? Do yourself a favor and pick up Crazy as Hell if you get the chance.