Movie Cave - Insidious Chapter 2

As in true fashion, the critics didn't like it so much and I loved it.  It's the perfect sequal.  I'll admit that it's not as scary as the first movie, but there are still plenty of jumps and screams.  A movie like this needs to be seen with others in the theater to make it even more enjoyable.  Chapter 2 gives us some back story for both the good guys and the bad guys that we didn't get in the first installment.  The family is still dealing with everything they went through.  The emotions and the characterization are real and you will cheer for the family to get out of this nightmare. James Wan is perhaps the best horror director working at the moment and some of the most chilling parts are due to his keen directing.  Wan also teamed up with the original writer, Leigh Whannell, which is why the characters are in depth and true to their original characterization.  Thankfully, the story doesn't take off on some tangent from the brains of another writer.  The one thing I did miss was the demon from the first one.  I don't think you can have such a strong, spiritual evil as portrayed in this movie without demonic influence.  To sum it up, if you go in expecting this to be better than the first movie, you will be disappointed.  If you go in with an attitude of, "Okay, let's see what you've got."  You will enjoy this movie.  I give it 4 out of 5 bats.

Movie Cave Review: You're Next



I'm going to post movie reviews from my movie cave.  Here's a thing about me and the movies.  If the critics like the movie, chances are that I won't like it.  If the critics hate the movie, chances are that I will like it.  I don't know why that is.  As with any form of art, a lot is a matter of taste.  That being said, reviews will be based on my take on the movie.  Take it with a grain of salt.  Please respond with your own opinion of the movie.  I try hard not to give spoilers, so please don't give any in your comments or they will be deleted.  A person can only see so many movies at the theatre, the rest of the time we have to wait months for the DVD/Blue-ray release.

You’re Next looks like an intriguing movie from the previews.  A family comes together for a weekend in a secluded country home when they are attacked by people wearing animal masks.  That’s about where the intrigue stops.  Once the movie opens, you realize this is a B level movie with substandard acting.  The plot doesn’t quite make sense with how the people react to the deaths of loved ones and the terrors that surround them.  There is definitely a problem when the audience moans at yet another act of stupidity from the characters.  One redeeming part of the movie is that you do find yourself cheering for the hero/heroine.  The problem is that you’re not sure who that is until about halfway into the movie.  The movie serves as a platform for splatter scenes of flat characters that need more development for us to care about them.   Don’t waste your time and money on this one.  Save it for the Blue-ray when all of the movies you want to rent are checked out.  This movie gets 2 bats out 5. 

 

 

 

A Dirge for the Malice Coming Soon

 

I'm amping up for the October release of my debut novel A Dirge for the Malice.  The story is set in my hometown of Science Hill, Kentucky.  The first half of the book centers around a group of friends and their adventures on Halloween night 1987.  The second half of the book has them dealing with the consequences of invoking a witch's curse. 

 

To the right is a picture of the back cover of the novel.  I'm reading through the digital proof right now and I just received an email this morning that my hard copy proofs have shipped.  Once I go through those and make the appropriate changes (let's hope there aren't many), the book will be ready for the public.  On a personal note, let me say that I really enjoy this novel.  Even though I've been through it many times now, I still laugh at some of the things that happen and I feel the tension the characters feel as they try to overturn the curse.  I labeled the book as horror, because there really wasn't anything else to call it.  It reads more like a piece of Southern fiction with dark twists along the way.  Horror is my genre of choice, but there is a lot in this novel to appeal to most people, except for those looking for romance elements.  It's written from a 19 year old male's point of view.  So, you can guess where the "romance" lies with him and his friends.