On the Reboot of "Carrie"

**Mild spoilers ahead if you haven't watched the original**

Although the original Carrie from 1976 is filled with bad fashion, an outdated musical score, and a big heaping load of cheese, I've always able to see past all of that to appreciate the awesome paranormal story weaved by the master of horror. When I heard a remake was in the works, starring Julianne Moore, I was excited, yet skeptical. Knowing it would be directed by Kimberly Peirce, the same woman who directed Boys Don't Cry, I knew it would be pretty dark, and probably a bit original.

I was able to catch the new Carrie on its premiere night. The very first scene was among the most disturbing. We watch as Carrie's mom gives birth all alone, not understanding that in fact she was pregnant and is delivering a child. While this was not in the first Carrie movie, it certainly added a whole new element of horror into the mix. It also gave us a better idea of what a psychopath Margaret White truly is. The mother continues to be the most troubling element of the remake, between her overzealous religious beliefs, abuse of her daughter, and self-abuse.

After the pig's blood was spilled toward the end is where I found myself losing some interest. The way this Carrie walked around with her arms up like a marionette for the last 20 minutes really irritated me, and I wasn't a fan of her "supernatural" telekinetic abilities that allowed her to lift a car in the air, and split a tar road like some kind of earth quake. I did, however, like the final showdown between Carrie and her mother.

The acting was just as spot on as I had hoped. Oscar award winner Julianna Moore did an outstanding job as the mentally disturbed mother, Chloë Grace Moretz was able to pull off being the socially outcast yet hopeful Carrie, Portia Doubleday nailed the part of the hateful bitch Chris, Gabriella Wilde (I'd love to see more of her) was perfect as the beautiful and sympathetic Sue, and Ansel Elgort (of upcoming The Fault in Our Stars fame) pulled at my heart strings as sweet Tommy. Truthfully, I preferred this cast over the original (sorry, Sissy).

Overall, I was drawn into the story even though I already knew it inside and out. The addition of the locker room scene being uploaded to YouTube was the only glaring difference, other than the focus on the mom harming herself. Although I'm not yet convinced I like the remake any more than the original, I had hoped that the updated version would at least appeal to the newer generation so they would appreciate the disturbed mind of Stephen King. But as we were leaving the theatre, a girl ahead of me in her early twenties told her boyfriend, "I liked the original better." Quite honestly, I don't know that a remake was necessary, but at least it made for an entertaining Friday night. And now my daughter knows (1) what can happen when you bully people, (2) at least her mother isn't a raving lunatic, and (3) don't have sex, because that birthing scene was discomforting at best.

Why "The Conjuring" Scared the Hell Out of Me

**Warning, contains "mild" spoilers**

Ever since my 13-year-old decided she wants to watch horror movies as all her friends do, I've fallen back into the genre just as much as I was before having children. I can't really tell her she can't watch them, because I remember watching movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th in 8th grade (at a friend's house), and I know she'll watch them somewhere else if not with me. While I've become comfortable with her watching scary movies, I don't want her watching anything overly sadistic or mentally disturbing (accordingly, it will be a few years yet before movies like The Purge or Texas Chainsaw Massacre make her approved watch list). Personally, I'm more of a scary-thriller type of girl, and like something that makes me jump, but also blows my mind.

When my daughter mentioned she really wanted to see The Conjuring, I decided I better screen it ahead of time to make sure it wouldn't give her a lifetime of nightmares as the trailers looked pretty freaky. So during the daytime when I knew I wouldn't scare myself quite as badly, I gave it a run. And I'm pretty sure I'm the one who will be having nightmares for the rest of my life.

For anyone like me who was really excited about this movie, and maybe even considering letting their teen watch as I was, you need to know this isn't just a harmless ghost story. It involves a mentally disturbed witch, and demon possession. Think The Exorcist—ironically, that's one of the few movies I have a really hard time re-watching because it scares the hell out of me (pun intended). Just about every scene involved something that would make your skin crawl, or have you hiding underneath your blanket. Not only are there invisible and visible creatures lurking in this old farm house, but the mother and her five daughters are physically harmed, or otherwise messed with. And there's also a side story told of a creepy doll that makes Chucky look like an American Girl.

I loved the cast of characters. I've adored Lili Taylor since she first appeared in Mystic Pizza many moons ago, Patrick Wilson does well when faced with terror (probably from his experience on Insidious), and Vera Farminga plays a very likable heroine. Even the young girls did very well with their parts (it was a surprise to see Mackenzie Foy—a/k/a Renesmee from Breaking Dawn—in the mix). And the director James Wan certainly seems to know what he's doing on the set.

The worst part about The Conjuring? It's supposedly based on a true story. I watched the extended version in which they interview the clairvoyant woman who says this actually happened to her and her husband. The skeptic in me wondered why they wouldn't show us real footage if that was the case. The part of me who sometimes wonders if exorcisms are real nearly peed.

So, did I like it or not? Yes, the rather disturbed part of me really did. Will I be able to watch it again any time soon? Definitely not. Will I let my daughter watch it? Hell no. Unless she wants to wait until she's 18, she'll just have to sneak it in a friend's house like I did when I was her age. Let some other parent be responsible for corrupting her mind. Maybe she'll follow in her mother's footsteps and grow up to write about the paranormal.

Movie Review: This Is the End

While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse. (Rated R)

Once again, I'm a little late to the party since this movie will be out on DVD this coming Tuesday, but I've been really looking forward to it with the promise of apocalyptic humor (two of my favorite elements in a movie). I'm just going to say up front that I really don't get into the drug themed movies most of these guys have starred in like "Your Highness", "Pineapple Express", and "Knocked Up". Although I guessed drugs would be a theme in this movie as well, I consider most of these comedians to be pretty funny, and figured they could pull off a hilarious story together.

As a huge fangirl, it was kind of fun to at least pretend we were glimpsing into the personal lives of celebrities. While there were some stellar cameos (Emma Watson, Rihanna, Michael Cera), there were some that fell short (Paul Rudd, Back Street Boys), and one that really didn't do any favors for the actor (Channing Tatum...he must really be proud). When the guys weren't prattling on about drugs or sexually crude acts, there were some pretty funny moments. I got a kick out of the actors trying to redeem themselves as being worthy of saving (James Franco: "We're actors! We bring joy to people's lives!"), Michael Cera playing an out-of-control character, the scene where the men are trying to decide how to lay in close proximity to each other, and the misunderstanding that happened with Emma Watson. I especially loved the development of Jonah Hill's character toward the end.

Overall it was a pretty decent movie. The premise of the apocalypse was fun, having a feel like a 1990s Adam Sandler film. The special effects were campy, like when the partygoers fell into a flaming hole, and the "big bad" at the very end, but it can be expected from a lower budgeted movie. If you can get past all the drug usage, and take this movie for what it is—a goofy comedy—you might actually enjoy the folly Seth Rogan, Jonah Hill, and Jay Baruchel most definitely deliver.

Zombie Discrimination

I FINALLY GOT TO SEE WORLD WAR Z!

I don't think I've been this excited about a movie release in years. I'm not even sure what I could compare it to. Zombies + Brad Pitt = are you freaking kidding me? Thankfully, the movie delivered just what it promised, and was amazing.

I just want to take a minute to address the zombie discrimination I've been witnessing. Many of the die-hard zombie fans have been against this movie from the start, as they say zombies are "supposed to be" painfully slow moving. While I consider myself a ginormous fan of all undead things animated, I was very open to the idea of them being raging fast. Anyone who has read The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life knows I'm not a purist. We've been given these amazing minds that are capable of creating different things. Why not use them?

Then again, I've always been a fan of non-traditional ideas when dealing with fantasy—zombies who can actually heal themselves with love, angels who don't have wings and can just move really fast, vampires who can walk in the daylight with a special ring, vampires who sparkle in the sunlight—okay wait, that one was taking it a bit too far even for me. But I think if we're dealing with creatures that don't actually exist, it's okay to go beyond the usual stereotypes. Plus the idea of zombies coming at you in a dead run makes the idea all the more frightening.

I'm not going to delve into the scientific reasons on why I think this could actually happen as (a) I find science painfully boring, and (b) science and I really don't get along so I couldn't do it even if I tried, but check out this article on Cracked.com to see why they think raging zombies are possible.

The only issue I had with the crazy-fast zombies in World War Z was the crazy-fast camera work that went along with them. While I get that the idea is to get you right in there so you're able to physically experience the anxiety of having a deadly human in your face, there were times I couldn't see anything. At all. And I think that's when the cinematic experience goes too far (think Cloverfield). Maybe one or two of these scenes would've done the trick without losing site of the leading man, and requiring a heaping dose of Dramamine.

Don't get me wrong—I'm not arguing that my side is right, and the purist are wrong. As I've said many times before, I'm glad there are people with different preferences, and think this world would be an extremely boring place if we were all the same. Bottom line, World War Z was extremely satisfying for this non-traditional, walking corpse fan.  Check out my full review of the movie on Two Chicks Blogging.

Why 'The Purge' is Disturbing on So Many Levels

Last week I got the chance to see the creeptastic thriller/horror flick, The Purge. And I can't understand why the reviews coming out for it are so bad. While it's a bit unconventional as far as horror movies go, it was original, and definitely did its job of freaking me out. There were major twists, and the ending was unexpected. The acting was top notch, especially from Rhys Wakefield who played the creepy AF stranger (pictured left).

The concept of a future in which crime (including murder) in the US is legal, however, was so disturbing that I left the movie thinking I hope like hell we're not that stupid as a nation to actually do something like this one day. The thought behind this purge is that it will allow people to rid themselves of hatred and violence, therefore creating a lower crime rate. I've also seen theories that suggest this purge also rids itself of the lower class, as they're too poor to afford a proper security system.

One of the most unsettling things about this flick was the way in which nearly everyone seemed okay with this purge, and even embraced it. The parents explain to their children why it's good for our country the way you would expect them to be explaining where babies came from. The daughter and her boyfriend see the neighbor sharpening a machete and say, "Looks like he's preparing for the the purge." The bitchy neighbor lady stops by with cookies, and says she won't be having a purge party this year as it becomes too much of a hassle. There are broadcasts on the TV in which a woman's voice pleasantly reminds the viewers why the purge is good.

As you can expect, this movie is filled with violence. At one point it reminded me of Helter Skelter and the Charles Manson family. There's a disconcerting scene in which the dad has the mom help to torture a person, and another troubling scene in which you see a parent pushed to their limit when their children are threatened. The family's morals are stretched to the limit, and even broken. This was literally me throughout the entire film:

Yet despite all of this, I enjoyed it. Really, it was just an adult's version of The Hunger Games. Does liking it make me crazy, or just extremely twisted? Has society pushed us so far that it takes extremely disturbing ideas to entertain us? I know this isn't true of everyone, as many people I've talked to said they will not be seeing this movie. But there are still a lot of us out there who really enjoy that kind of thing. And once again, it leaves me concerned for the future generations. What will come next?

Check out my full review of The Purge on Two Chicks and a Blog.

This Week's Video Blog

This week I review the Beautiful Creatures movie I was finally able to see as well as my final thoughts on the third book in Lauren Oliver's Delirium series (Requiem). I also share my 2.5 seconds of fame.

Movie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (in Every Way!)

To tell you the truth, I'm a big fan of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I wasn't nearly as excited about this movie. I tried reading the book and it nearly bored me to tears. Whenever as a story is told with an attempt to make each sentence a work of poetry instead of just spitting it out, my eyes glaze over (and I totally realize that I'm well within the minority on that). With the exception of Samwise Gamgee (it's even a fond nickname I use for my daughter), I'm not a fan of the hobbit characters. In fact, they were my least favorite characters of the series.

So did I like The Hobbit, or not? Before I give my official review, here's a rundown of my comments while watching it (yes I used my phone in the theatre, but I had the glow completely contained inside my purse - my son didn't even know I was using it and he sat right next to me - so chill out already):

I have a feeling this is going to bore me to tears.

Wait, is this a musical?

Why do these movies always have to include giant, creepy spiders?

Seriously, does Cate Blanchett age?

(One from my son: Wait, what is Count Dooku doing in this movie?)

Why are there always super high mountains with super narrow cliffs in these movies?

Storm giants totally remind me of those boxing robots.

Obviously another movie made by "grown" boys.

I'd take on Voldemort any day over the creepy one-handed ogre dude.

For someone who's terrified of heights, I've spent a third of this movie fearing a heart attack.

Why did we have to see this in 3D again?

Smeagol seriously needs to see a psychiatrist.

Ah, so that's how all this ring stuff started. Why didn't they tell us this before?

Okay, so I guess this IS a musical. Starring Smeagol.

Big birds you can ride and now a fire-breathing dragon? Hello, Harry Potter rip-off!

Based on these comments, one would probably guess I hated this movie. But I didn't. In fact, was surprised just how much I loved it! By the last scene, I realized I like it even more than any of the LoTR movies. I even adored Bilbo Baggins - a hobbit! While there were a lot of same elements from the LoTR as well as reoccurring characters and places, the overall feel of the movie was somewhat different. A lot of it had to do with the almost all new cast of dwarfs that led the story. They were a mix of brave, comical and lovable characters. Throw the charismatic Gandalf and a new-and-improved, younger version of Bilbo and you have your heroes of the story. There were certainly more light-hearted scenes compared to the LoTR trilogy, which is probably a given considering we're dealing with the most comical characters of the series. I'll admit the signing made me roll my eyes by the second song. At least they were all relatively short. And the last two melodies, sung by Smeagol (who doesn't love that creepy bastard) and the goblin king with a nasty goiter, actually made me laugh.

It's not my style to review movies and books by picking apart every aspect and scene. Bottom line is that if you're a fan of the fantasy-type movies, I think it's safe to say you will definitely enjoy this one. Even most fans of Harry Potter would probably appreciate this tale, although for children you should be aware that there are some scenes with Smeagol and the goblins that were a little freaky for my 10-year-old. I think "An Unexpected Journey" was a perfect title for this little gem. Definitely not what I was expecting from a Baggins.