REVIEW: The Lightning Thief

   As a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series, it's only natural that I'd feel the desire to re-read the books every now-and-then. Plus, I have to keep myself fresh since Riordan is still releasing books! I finally just finished The Blood of Olympus and am SO pumped for Trials of Apollo to come out this summer!!
   This time, after reading the books, I decided to re-watch the movie. I remember seeing The Lightning Thief in theaters when it came out back in 2010. I didn't like it. After re-watching it, the book fresh in my mind... I still didn't like it. Yes, I'm biased having read the whole series, but even if I hadn't read it, I don't think I would have cared much for it... Simply put, The Lightning Thief movie just doesn't have any real depth..!

   Let's start at the beginning: you see Zeus and Poseidon arguing over this missing bolt, and that was the first wrong thing! The whole point of a book or film is to learn along with the characters! If you just hand everything to your audience, there's nothing left for us to figure out. There was no mystery! From the very beginning you already know that Percy is Poseidon's son... The WHOLE POINT of the first, like, 5 chapters is the mystery about WHO Percy's godly parent is! Also, the audience is supposed to follow alongside Percy as he grows and learns about his special powers, in the movie he pretty much has got everything figured out already. How boring.
   And speaking of characters... Am I the only one that is still annoyed that everyone is high school age when they're supposed to be 12??? The whole point of them being in middle school is because that's the world renowned age group of awkwardness! You're no longer a kid, your suddenly starting to notice the opposite sex, you feel like you don't fit in anywhere- which is pretty much the whole story of Percy Jackson, just with all the Greek Mythology mixed in...
   On top of that, we have the lack of character development. Percy never had to wonder and worry about being claimed (not that "being claimed" was ever mentioned in the movie anyways), Chiron sent him directly to the Poseidon cabin. Whatever happened to him being the new kid?? ((And about the cabins- why did we never see any of the others?? Luke has a random tent to himself- where's the rest of Hermes Cabin???)) Grover, in the movie, starts out as this overly confident, mature, cool-kid satyr who's the center of the party; however, the real Grover is nothing like that. Grover is supposed to start out as a pitiful, crybaby, kid who's unsure of himself and eventually grows into a self-assured grown satyr with a searcher's license and an adorable romance. Annabeth, on the other hand, is pretty much herself except with a lot more of the bitchy attitude from the get-go. In the book, Annabeth is a love-sick girl who acts confident but is really trying to find her way in the real world. She's high-strung, adorable, highly intelligent, and not very much like her film counterpart. And, of course, I have to say it: WHY WASN'T SHE BLONDE??? And the worse part? If you decide to make Annabeth brunette in the first film, don't change it for the second one! You've already made the mistake, now you're just making it worse...!

   I also didn't like how different they made the world, either. Don't get me wrong, the art and graphics were amazing, especially Olympus and The Underworld, but what about the spectacular world of the Greek gods in Western civilization? In Rick Riordan's world, what makes this story so appealing is the idea that the Greek gods and monsters and myths could be lurking right around the corner. How the simplest things like a fast food chain, a mattress store, or the Empire State Building could be connected to a whole other world. But in the movie, everything relatively "normal" was just glossed over. Finding their way into Hades had to be complicated and secretive- why couldn't they just find themselves to the rundown LA music studio??
   And let's not forget the whole plot change..! Ares had no part in the movie, and I actually loved the badass Ares we meet in the book! Especially how Percy wins their little scuffle at the end- how do you think he becomes famous in the camp?? Well, besides the whole returning the lightning bolt, thing... Hermes is also missing. The kindly cousin who gives Percy a push every now-and-then, and truly feels for his lost son, Luke. And Luke... He genuinely has a strong dark purpose for wanting to overthrow Olympus, but in the film he sounds just like any run-of-the-mill bad guy. So you have to ask, where is Kronos??? The main baddee calling the shots from Tartarus, the one pulling the strings through everyone's nightmares?? Way to kill the story...
  And the last thing I have to mention: the learning aspect of it all. One of the major pulls of every Riordan series is getting to learn. Throughout the book Percy meets various monsters and gods, he ventures to all sorts of places throughout the world, meeting heroes and villains of myth. But that's not the case in the film. We don't have Annabeth giving us a history lesson every time we meet a new monster, or Grover and Chiron teaching us about the gods and their part in the world we live in today.
   I don't want to say that the movie was bad, but it definitely wasn't good. And it certainly didn't live up to the book. All they did was make an action movie, geared towards teens and young-adults, with the cool addition of Greek Mythology... And Riodan's books are so much more than that. You can't have a decent film without heart, and honestly, that's exactly what it was lacking.  

REVIEW: Coraline

   Many years ago I watched for the very first time a dark and spooky film, advertised for children. Ever from that first moment until now, I still think calling this movie a "Children's Movie" is quite a stretch. Coraline is a fantastically creepy movie with humor, adventures, beautiful art, and a totally spooktacular soundtrack.

   Suzette loved the movie so much my niece was even named Coraline. Of course, she's a positively bright princess, so I guess she's not doing too well living up to the name; however, our very own little Coraline loves the movie she was named after just as much as we do.
   Many years after first discovering the movie, Coraline, I finally got my hands on the book! To anyone who hasn't read the book, be warned, it's just as dark and demented as the film..! Personally, I think the book was even more creepy. With the book you get more details on Coraline's creepy adventure. There's also not as much comedy relief. I didn't know before diving into the book, but the character Wybie from the movie, doesn't even exist. I also would have to say that the movie has a lot more colors and happier scenes compared to the dark and danky book format. There's just a lot more creepiness as a whole in the original...

   Now, don't get me wrong, I loved the book! It was definitely thrilling, and the art fantastically gruesome; however, the movie was still equally as fun. I finished the book in one day, that's how easy of a read it was, and I would totally purchase it for my collection someday.
   I also have to give a hand out to the director, Henry Selick, and writers of the Coraline film, though. With the little that the original book gave, they were able to create a whole new world of magic and wonder, surprisingly bigger than Neil Gaiman could have imagined.

I Put A Spell On You...

It's definitely been a good while since I've posted anything- half of the reason is because I've been so busy since I arrived in Florida, and the other half is because I have limited use of my computer..! The sad truth is that one of the boxes that got left behind in Texas, it turns out, had my computer charger!! I feel so dumb, having left it behind, but there's really nothing I can do about it from here..! So, I've been having to manage by borrowing limited charger use from my roommates, but until something gets figured out (or I decide to use the computer lab), my posts are gonna be kind of limited as well...
Anyhoos, I've been living in Florida and working at Walt Disney World for almost 2months now!! It's been full of all kinds of fun & exciting adventures- I've taken tons of photos, met lots of people, worked a whole lot, and done a whole lot of nothing/ relaxing/ randomness... so it's been nice... This post, however, isn't going to be about catching up on my life at the moment. If it wasn't obvious from the post title, it's that time of year again: when I feel the need to watch a horror/ halloween movie everyday!! 31days of Halloween Movies has begun!!!!
In honor of Magic Kingdom's Not-So-Scary Halloween parties (which includes a horrifically fabulous performance by the Sanderson Sisters) the 1st movie I decided to watch this Halloween season was Hocus Pocus! It, along with The Nightmare Before Christmas, are the only movies I watch every year during October- last year it was one of the last and this year it was the first! Maybe it's because they're Disney movies, or because I love the classic- yet original- storylines, but I just love these movies! Hocus Pocus is always a fun treat to watch and it still cracks me up every time!! It's hilarious, corny, fun, cute, and soooo 90's! Plus, Jason Marsden is the voice of Thackery Binx who is also played by a baby-faced Sean Murray (McGee from NCIS! ^-^ )!! No matter how old I get I will always love this movie! And for all you youngins that have never seen Hocus Pocus- WATCH IT!!!

Happy October!! Let the Festivities Begin!!

Rating: 10/10

Halloween Marathon...*~The Classics~*

*~SPOILER ALERT~*

What better series to watch for my Halloweeny/Horror Movie Marathon than the Halloween series??

During my search for the movies, I accidentally ended up STARTING with the Remake, but still, at least it was the first one, right??

Halloween (2007 Remake)~

Although I may be the only person I know that hasn't seen this series, I'll still include a general synopsis: Michael Myers, a boy of 10years old, has lived most of his young life bullied and abused mentally and verbally from everyone around him, with the exception of his mother and his baby sister. Finally, on Halloween day, he snaps. He beats a school bully to death in the woods, he slits the throat of his mother's boyfriend, beats his sister's boyfriend with a metal bat, and stabs his sister to death. Michael is sent to a mental institute where the kindly Dr. Loomis attempts to treat him. Months later, after Michael has spent months drifting farther and farther into a mental abyss and developing a strange infatuation for masks, he kills a nurse. His mother, who witnessed her son's breakdown, commits suicide that night. 15years pass, it is again Halloween night, and Michael is still locked up. It's Dr. Loomis last day as his doctor; however, that night, the idiotic new guard on-duty forces himself into Michael's room where he and his cousin brutally rape another patient on Michael's bed. Moments later, Michael has the guard pinned against the wall. Realizing he now has a way out, Michael escapes the institute, killing everyone who has the misfortune to cross his path. In one night, Michael makes the 100mile walk back to his hometown, Haddonfield. There, he slowly starts killing off the friends and family of local high-school senior, Laurie Strode. Not until near the end of the movie is it revealed that Laurie is the orphaned baby that was Michael's sister. After chasing Laurie and bringing her to their old home, Michael shows her a picture of the two of them when they were younger, wordlessly attempting to communicate with her. Laurie doesn't understand, but she takes this opportunity to grab his knife, stab him, and try to escape. Dr. Loomis who has been called to find and return Michael to the institute, rescues Laurie after shooting Michael down. Just when they thought they were safe, Michael appears at their car door and drags Laurie back into the house. Dr. Loomis tries his hardest to protect the girl, but Michael attacks him as well. After an intense struggle between brother and sister, Michael and Laurie tumble off the edge of a balcony. After coming-to, Laurie finds the gun they had fallen with, tries to shoot the unconscious, masked Michael, but when the gun finally goes-off, Michael grabs her and the screen blacks out on Laurie's piercing cries. Unlike the previous movies of my October marathon, this movie was an intense psychological journey. It's actually a bit ironic: we open the story on the colorful Autumn leaves, but inside the household, the atmosphere is dark and colorless. It's the same with Michael himself, a young, sweet looking, lightly-skinned boy wearing the vibrant clown costume, but his eyes are black and we can see the dark and hallow mentality come to light as he starts killing that night. The sets, colors, effects and actors were all amazing, and the music score by Tyler Bates was perfection! Never having seen these movies, it was nice to hear the renowned Halloween soundtrack under the proper circumstances. I don't feel sorry for saying it, but I actually applauded Michael when he finally killed his mother's boyfriend- is that weird?? I mean, the guy was pissing me off from the get-go! I hated the whole intro because of how horribly the poor boy was treated by everyone! Could you blame him for being mentally off-kilter?? But when he grew up and became a more animalistic killer, showing no remorse for the innocent, just wordlessly killing people, that was when he became terrifying. But it was interesting, when he was with Laurie, he seemed sad. It was as if he wanted her to kill him, or for them both to die together? It's really hard to say...

Halloween II  (2009 Remake)~

This movie takes a surprising turn following the end of the previous movie; here's a general synopsis: Laurie is she trying to deal with the memories of her last encounter with the serial killer, Michael Myers. She is now living with her friend, Annie, another survivor, and Annie's father, the town's sheriff. While Laurie deals with her trauma through therapy, Dr. Loomis has chosen to turn the event into an opportunity to write another book. Meanwhile, Michael, who survived the gunshot and has been missing for the past year, has been having visions of Deborah Myers's, his mother, ghost and a younger version of himself, who instruct him that with Halloween approaching it is time to bring Laurie home; so he sets off to Haddonfield. When Dr.Loomis's book is released, Laurie discovers the truth that she is really Angel Myers, Michael's younger sister. Laurie panics and decides to let loose and party on Halloween night with her new friends, Mya and Harly. That night, Michael kills Harley at the party then makes his way to Laurie's home and attacks Annie. Laurie and Mya find Annie's dying body in the bathroom, and as Mya attempts to contact the police department, she is attacked by Michael and killed. Laurie escapes from the house but is taken by Michael while on the road. She wakes up in a shack where her hallucinations come to life. For weeks, Laurie has been seeing mirrored visions of Michael's past, his murders, and the vision of their mother with a white horse. Sheriff Brackett discovers Michael's location, driven by revenge for the death of his daughter, he sends the whole police department to surround them. Dr. Loomis, trying to repent for his book, runs into the shed and attempts to reason with Michael. Dr. Loomis is thrown through the wall, seemingly dead. As Michael attempts to finish him off, the police force is able to shoot him down. Laurie walks out onto the scene carrying Michael's bloody knife. She stumbles towards Dr. Loomis and just as she is about to plunge the knife into him, someone shoots her. Sheriff Brackett is shocked and calls for a cease fire as he runs to Laurie's aid. The scene shifts to Laurie in a while room where she sees her mother and the white horse coming towards her. This was a great follow-up to the previous film! I loved that it took place directly after the events of the last film; however, it was surprising that it was just Laurie's dream. This film focused mainly on Laurie's psychological development over the past year and how she has struggled to deal with her near-death experience. She has taken a drastic turn from being the sweet teenager to a crazed party-girl. Laurie and Annie are continually at each other's throats; Annie having gotten past her own hurdle and Laurie struggling to move on. This film had much more fantastic usage of blood, gore, and violence along with the amazing ventures into both Michael's and Laurie's mind. The most terrifying moment for me was the intense scene where Laurie had an attack and was seeing numerous visions of Michael's past along the way. I never quite understood how she and Michael were able to have the same visions, but it was still such an intriguing concept! However, the saddest part was when Annie's body was discovered: not only when she died in Laurie's arms, just aster they had been arguing hours earlier, but also when Sheriff Brackett had to see her lying on the floor. This film was more heightened than the previous one, which kept me glued to the screen. It also had a more complex theme. All of the make-up and effects were eye-pleasing, the acting was phenomenal, and overall, I really enjoyed watching it!

Halloween (1978)~
Usually remakes aren't as good as the original, but in this case, I would have to disagree. Here's a  general Synopsis: Young Michael Myers is found one Halloween night after he has killed his older sister. 15years later, he escapes the psychiatric hospital, steals a car, and drives himself home to Haddonfield. It is now Halloween morning. Laurie and her friends, Annie and Lynda, are stalked throughout the day by Michael who is hidden under a mask. That night, Laurie and Annie are babysitting while Lynda is hanging out with her boyfriend. Dr. Loomis, Michael's long-term doctor has followed him to Haddonfield and searching the streets with the help of Sheriff Brackett, Annie's father. While babysitting, Annie leaves to pick-up her boyfriend; however, Michael gets to her first and kills her. Soon, Lynda and her boyfriend arrive at the house where Michael kills them both. Having not heard from her friends for a while, Laurie decides to investigate- she crosses the street into the house and is attacked by Michael. She escapes and returns to protect the kids. Michael follows her and they struggle. Laurie manages to knock Michael out briefly, giving the kids time to run for help. Dr. Loomis, who has been walking the streets searching for Michael, sees Tommy and Lindsey running from the house and runs inside to help. As Dr. Loomis climbs the staircase, he sees Laurie being strangled by the now conscious Michael. Dr. Loomis shoots him down. Michael falls over the second story balcony and when Dr. Loomis checks, Michael's body has disappeared.  Overall, a pretty decent film; however, I'm a bit biased towards the remake. First off, I don't think I've ever seen Jamie Lee Curtis at such a young age, so that was weird. But seeing as this was her debut film, she did a fantastic job. Compared to its remake, this film had much less gruesome details, but more dramatic acting- the death scenes were very funny to watch. I wish that there was more blood throughout the whole movie, even though it's an older film, it would have been totally possible. The musical score was fantastic, as always with these movies. Another feature I disliked was the lack of character development. Unlike its remake counterpart, none of the characters were very interesting because I didn't really know their story. In the 2007 remake, we got to see Michael drop into the darkness, Dr. Loomis seemed to have genuine feelings for him, and there was an actual connection and reasoning for Michael to pursue Laurie; in this original, none of that existed. Perhaps his lack of reasoning is what made Michael even more terrifying during this time period; however, as human beings, we like to make sense of things an dot make stories, and this movie was lacking a lot of previous action information. I would definitely recommend watching the movie; however, just because it's the original, but one time is enough for me!

Halloween II (1981)~
It seems the remake got the idea for its intro from this film. Here's a general synopsis: Opening in the midst of the previous film's ending scene; Dr. Loomis shoots down Michael who tumbles over the balcony and disappears into the night. Laurie is taken to the hospital where she is bandaged up and told to rest. Dr. Loomis, on-the-other-hand, seeks the police department's aid to search for Michael. During the hunt, a person who is suspected to be Michael is hit by a car and goes up in flames. Although everyone now believes Michael to be dead, Dr. Loomis is persistent that this beast of a man is still out there. Sheriff Brackett leaves the search when it is discovered that one of the murdered teenagers was his daughter, Annie. While searching for Michael, the police receive a report that an elementary school has been broken into, it is there that they find a bloody message left by Michael, "Samhein". Dr. Loomis persists on continuing searching for him although Marion claims that he has been summoned out of Haddonfield by the governor; however, it is brought to his attention that a secret document pertaining to Michael's past has been found. This document states that Michael's baby sister, Angel Myers, was adopted and renamed, Laurie Lode. At this news, Dr. Loomis pulls out his gun and forces the driver to take him to the hospital where Laurie is. Throughout the movie, Michael slowly makes his way to the hospital, killing every adult that gets in his way, including basically all of the hospital staff. Due to her medication, Laurie continues to drift in-and-out of consciousness and stumbles through the hospital attempting to hide herself from any dangers. Jimmy, Laurie's school friend, spends most of his time trying to cheer up Laurie and promises to keep her safe; however, he slips in a puddle of blood and knocks his head, leaving Laurie to fend for herself. There are several close calls for Laurie as she struggles to keep away from Michael. Finally, Dr. Loomis and crew arrive at the hospital and help the injured Laurie to escape. While Marion calls 911, the State Trooper is killed by Michael and Dr. Loomis and Laurie escape deeper into the hospital. They trap themselves into an operation room that Michael easily breaks into. There, Laurie picks up Dr. Loomis's fallen gun and shoots Michael directly in the eyes. As Michael starts to swing blindly attempting to make any kind of contact, the pair release the valves of a couple nearby ether and oxygen tanks, filling the room. Dr. Loomis instructs Laurie to run. He chooses to sacrifice himself to take out the monster and flicks on a lighter causing the room to explode. Laurie, who has barely escaped the blast, turns to see Michael's enflamed body walking out of the room. Just as she begins to panic, Michael collapses- dead. I'm going to assume that Rob Zombie took every one of the original Halloween movies and compiled them into his remakes, because there was more of a character development in this sequel. (I can only assume since I haven't watched the rest of the series yet). This movie was still kind of slow, but there was more blood and dramatic killings, just like I wanted! It seemed that Michael was getting more creative with his murders- my favorite was, of course, the most gruesome one when he drowned the nurse in the boiling water of the hot tub. There also seemed to be an attempt at more romantic elements in this movie, which seemed a bit out of place. 

Halloween III: Season of the Witch~
To be honest, I didn't see the point of this movie. Here's a general synopsis: In the days leading up to Halloween, Dr. Challis is given reason to suspect the curious on-goings of a renown mask company, Silver Shamrock. After the mysterious murder of his patient, Grimbridge, Dr. Challis teams up with Ellie, Grimbridge's daughter, to find out what series of events led up to his death. While in the small company town, Ellie and Challis witness several odd events from the death of an inn neighbor, running into a quirky sales family, the robotic-like company security guards, and street cameras; all-the-while, picking up clues along the way. On their second night, just when they have decided to leave, Ellie gets taken. Challis sneaks into the company where he is shown by its owner, Cochran, the behind-the-scenes of the Silver Shamrock Masking Company. Cochran explains, through a live demonstration, that each of his masks contains a computer chip that has come from Stonehenge. On Halloween night, when their commercial airs, the chip will activate and kill its wearer and unleash a lethal swarm of insects and snakes. Cochran continues to explain his plans to resurrect macabre aspects of the Gaelic festival, Samhain, which he connects to witchcraft. Challis escapes and rescues Ellie. They destroy the factory and Cochran, then flee the town. While driving away, Challis is attacked by Ellie who has evidently been turned into one of Shamrock's androids. Challis crashes the car and struggles with the android. He is eventually able to escape where he finds a gas station and attempts to contact the television studios airing the Shamrock commercials. The commercials continue to air and the movie abruptly ends. This 3rd film had no reason to be apart of the Halloween series. The only references to the previous movies was the fact that the movie took place during the Halloween season, and that the television channels were airing the movies that night. The death scenes were more gruesome than the past films' but they were hilariously well-done. However, for an early 80s film, you would expect it to have been better done. This film was very out of place compared to the rest of the franchise, and was confusing throughout most of time. Not exactly a movie I would watch more than once... 

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers~
Thank you for bringing Michael back!! Here's a general synopsis for this film: It's been 10years since the end of Halloween II. Michael Myers survived the hospital explosion and has been in a coma since. After overhearing that his only surviving relative is his niece, Jamie Lloyd (the daughter of his now deceased sister, Laurie Strode), Michael escapes and returns to Haddonfield. Dr. Loomis, who also survived the explosion, hears that Michael has escaped and pursues him to the town. Meanwhile, 8-year old Jamie Lloyd is living with her foster family in Haddonfield. Jamie is picked-on by the school kids for having the serial killer, Michael Myers as her uncle; however, Jamie does not realize that Michael is the Boogeyman that she's been having nightmares about. After school, Jamie's step-sister, Rachel, and her friend (the now-teenaged) Lindsey, take Jamie costume shopping. Jamie decides on a frilly clown costume. That night, while out trick-or-treating, Rachel learns that her boyfriend, Brady, is cheating on her with the sheriff's daughter, Kelly- during their argument, Jamie wanders off and gets herself lost. Dr. Loomis, by this time, has already teamed up with the police department and is hunting down Michael. While searching, Michael murders an electrical plantation worker and plunges the town into darkness. He also takes down the whole police department, causing sheriff Meeker to initiate a town curfew, as well as causing the formation of a lynch mob thirsty for Michael's death. Unknowingly, Rachel is being chased by Michael. She eventually finds Jamie, and the Sheriff and Dr. Loomis arrive on scene to take them to a safe-home. They return to Sheriff Meeker's house and with the help of Kelly and Brady, the board up the home. Dr. Loomis leaves to check on Jamie's home, and after Sheriff Meeker makes contact with the state police on an old radio, he leaves to calm the lynch mob, leaving his deputy in charge. Michael sneaks into the house and begins killing everyone: the deputy is killed off-screen, Kelly is pinned to the wall by a shotgun, and Brady's skull is crushed inward. Throughout the carnage, Rachel takes Jamie to the attic where they escape out of a window and onto the roof. Michael follows them upward, causing them both to stumble off the roof- Rachel is briefly knocked unconscious, but Jamie, who was tethered to a rope, escapes. Down the street, she runs into Dr. Loomis and the two escape towards the school-house. Michael follows. He throws Dr. Loomis through a glass door and continues to chase Jamie. Just when Michael corners her, Rachel appears and sprays him in the face with a fire extinguisher. They run out of the school where they meet with the mob. Rachel convinces the mob to drive them out of the town and to wait for the state police. On their way out of the town, Michael climbs up from under the truck and kills off all of the men. Rachel takes the wheel and while trying to shake Michael off the roof, they crash into a ditch. The police arrive and as Jamie approaches Michael's body, he rises. The police shoot him down until he falls into the nearby abandoned mine-shaft and is presumed dead. The girls are taken home to their parents. Their mother goes with Jamie upstairs to run a bath. While the others are consoling Rachel, Jamie dons her clown mask and stabs her foster mother with a pair of scissors. Everyone runs to the bottom of the stairs after hearing a scream. There, Jamie is discovered at its top covered in blood, holding the pair of scissors. Dr. Loomis panics and the rest stare in horror as the film blacks out. I loved this sequel, and was so happy to see Michael back! Although, I was surprised to see that he and Dr. Loomis survived the hospital explosion- but I suppose the show must go on! Everything was fantastic, from the blood and gore to the graphics, make-up, music, colors, and acting. Jamie, who was played by Danielle Harris (Annie in the Halloween remakes) was amazing to watch! Definitely the best actor in the whole film! Little Jamie was also, sadly, was the smartest horror film character I have ever seen! She knew when/where/how she needed to escape Michael unlike every other horror film character that exists! The best part of this film for me was 1- the fact that Jaime chose a clown costume for Halloween, and 2- the ending twist when she killed her foster mom! Such a great twist that I never saw coming! Yes- the family legacy continues! 

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers~

Let's just get straight into the general synopsis: The film opens as the previous film ends- Michael has just fallen into the mineshaft and the girls are taken home. The state troops tossed dynamite down the mine to make sure that Michael was dead; however, Michael's body is seen drifting down a nearby river where a local finds him. Michael falls into a coma for a year and upon awaking, he kills the man and returns to Haddonfield. Meanwhile, Jamie is living in a children's psychiatric ward and has been rendered mute due to psychological trauma. Jamie has also been exhibiting a psychic link with her evil uncle- Dr. Loomis is aware of this and tries to convince her to help him convince Sheriff Meeker that Michael Myers is still alive. Throughout the day, Michael is sneaking around Haddonfield, eventually killing Rachel, and starts stalking her friend Tina. During the Halloween night, Michael kills Tina's boyfriend, Mike. After panicking during a psychic link, Jamie regains her ability to talk. She tries to warn Tina that she is in danger, but Tina leaves for a Halloween party ignoring her. At the party, Tina's friends, Samantha and Spitz are murdered, as well as a pair of deputies. Jamie disappears from the hospital with her friend, Billy, and the children appear at the barn just as Michael begins chasing Tina. Jamie draws Michael's attention and he follows her in a car through a nearby forest. Just as Michael is about to kill Jamie, Tina appears, taking the fatal blade wound. Dr. Loomis discovers Jamie and Billy and gets them to safety. Now Jamie agrees to put herself in danger to help Dr. Loomis stop Michael for good. With her help, Dr. Loomis is able to lure Michael back to the abandoned Myers house. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger dressed in all black, seen throughout the film, causes an attack at Jamie's hospital, drawing the police guard  away from the house just as Michael appears. Dr. Loomis attempts to reason with Michael- while trying to take his blade away, Michael attacks him. He then finds Jaime who is able to escape and hide throughout the house. She is forced into an old laundry chute and Michael stabs at it repeatedly trying to get her out. Jamie is able to climb out of the chute and hides in the attic and finds the dead bodies of her Rachel, Mike, and her dog, Max. Michael follows her upstairs. Jamie tries to comes very close with appealing to her uncle's humanity, but when she tries to see his face, Michael attacks her. Jamie runs around him and down the stairs and into Dr. Loomis's arms. Dr. Loomis draw Michael into a trap where he is able to weaken him with a tranquilizer gun and beats him with a wooden plank. In the end, Michael is locked up in the police station. Just as Jamie is about to be taken away to safety, the stranger in black arrives, causes an explosion, and helps Michael escape. Jamie walks inside, sees all of the dead officer bodies, and discovers Michael's empty cell as a shadow approaches her. I felt so bad for poor little Jamie! She went through so much to only have Michael escape in the end. As all of the other films, this one is another well-done piece! I loved the killing scenes, all of the make-up, gore, music, and great acting. Tina pissed me off- but that was because she was an idiot! And I absolutely adored little Billy and his relationship with Jamie. Danielle did another fantastic job with this movie. My only major complaint would be that I didn't quite understand how, or why, Jaime and Michael were having a psychic connection. Each of this film series (minus the 3rd installment) have all had realistic themes, but this one is the first to touch into the super-natural, which was both intriguing and odd. 

No wonder this series is famous- it's fantastic! Too bad there are so many films! I still have 3more to watch before I'm officially done with this great Halloween series! 

Sincerely Yours,
Lisette Monique Diaz

ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭ ~Sweet Dreams~ ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭

Halloweeny/Horror Movie Challenge...*~The 1st~*...

*~SPOILER ALERT~*

 The Scream Series is rumored to be one of the most popular slasher film franchises to date; therefore, it was with this series that I chose to begin my journey into my Halloweeny/Horror Movie Challenge!

Scream 1:

  First off, I would like to say how much I absolutely adore Neve Campbell's performances in every one of these movies. And I'm not being biased just because she voiced Kiara in Simba's Pride, she really did a fantastic job with these movies! I always love to watch actors grow and mature throughout the filming process of a series. So, Scream 1- for a film made in the 90s, it had same great murder scenes and effects! Ok, quick synopsis: Sidney Prescott, a high school student, is harassed by a psycho-killer who keeps phoning her and threatening to kill all of her friends, which he does. As the story progresses, the main characters are investigating who the killer is by comparing the real-life killings to the horror movie genre (which I personally thought was a clever story point). In the end, we find out that the man, Cotton, who Sidney had accused of murdering her mother the previous year is innocent and that the real murders were Sidney's psychotic boyfriend, Billy, and his best friend, Stu. The boys attempt to kill Sidney and to get away with all of their murders, but with the help of the annoying and nosy reporter, Gale Weathers, and her friends Randy and Dewey, Sidney is able to shoot them down. I really liked this movie! Although I knew from the beginning that the killer was Billy, I was surprised that Stu was apart of the plan. ((This was kind of upsetting kuz I liked him, also that he was played by Matthew Lillard, Shaggy from the Scooby-Doo movies!)) It's said that the Scream franchise revived the horror genre, and I'm not surprised. It was intense, suspenseful, and hilarious! It was also refreshing to see Sidney being a badass female hero, which is uncommon in American films, especially during this time-period.

Scream 2:

 It is common knowledge in the movie industry that sequels are never as good as the original, as discussed in the movie, but this movie was actually pretty good! The only major problem I had with it is the idea that it's still, basically, the same killer, "Ghostface." Here's a synopsis: 2years after the original film, Scream, the story takes off running after a couple is murdered during a screening of the new hit horror film, "Stab." The film is based on Gale Weather's book she wrote about Sidney Prescott and the Woodsboro murders. Meanwhile, Sidney has moved on and is attending college as a Theatre major along with her friend and fellow survivor, Randy. Naturally, people around Sidney's life (though none of any major importance) are killed in order to unsettle Sidney and her friends. Gale and Dewey arrive from their normal lives and work together- sort of- to solve the murder mysteries. Besides the random murders, this copycat murderer attempts to finish off the Woodsboro survivors and winds up succeeding in brutally killing Randy. Sidney and her roommate, Hallie, are taken by the police to a safety-house; however, mid-trip, the killer attacks them- both police are killed as well as Hallie. Sidney runs for help on campus and finds herself in the Theatre's auditorium where Sidney was planned to be playing the lead in the school play. Ghostface appears and attempts to kill Sidney behind-the-scenes. At the same time, Gale and Dewey are also being attacked by a second Ghostface in the Broadcasting department. Dewey protects Gale long enough for her to escape, but getting himself very close to death himself. Gale is brought to the auditorium, where the murderers reveal themselves: Mickey, a school friend of Sidney's, and the mastermind, Mrs.Loomis. Gale is knocked-out during the struggle, and Mrs. Loomis shoots down her psychotic partner, Mickey, and plans to kill Sidney for revenge of Billy's death. Suddenly, Cotton, who has been stalking Sidney all movie trying to get a double interview with her, appears and helps save Sidney by killing Mrs.Loomis. Gale follows Dewey to the hospital, and Sidney, who is tired of her publicity, pushes off reporter questions to the "real hero," Cotton. This sequel seems to follow the basic "rules" of movie sequels, which is of course the point! But there is also an emphasis of the character's love-lives: Dewey and Gale arguing back-and-forth, Randy's continued infatuation with Sidney, and Sidney slowly adjusting to the idea of opening herself up to her boyfriend, Derek. This movie also seems to have more comedic levels than the first. The effects and blood & gore are also as well done as the previous movie. All the acting was fantastic and very nice to watch, with the exception of the overly dramatic death of the girl at the very begging- I don't know if it was purposely done that way, or if it just happened, but I just couldn't stop laughing. There's also the point of the big reveal at the end: maybe I just wasn't paying attention, but Mickey's character just didn't stand out too much for me, so when he pulled off his mask, the effect wasn't there because I didn't know who he was, haha! And, of course the crazy news reporter that was stalking Gale the whole movie, I knew she was apart of it all, but, of course, no one knew her true identity until it was revealed, since it was the first time the character had appeared in the story. Still, one of my favorite points of the whole movie, was its continued references to the horror movie genre cliches and being sure to stick to them the whole way through the film!

Scream 3:

  The greatest part about this movie, as is stated within the film, is the fact that it is revealed that we although we believed to be done with the story, it is brought to our attention that we are dealing with the rare horror film trilogy! A quick synopsis: In order to escape her fate of forever being followed by crazed killers, and stalkers following her life from the Stab movie series, Sidney Prescott is now living in hiding away from the world. However, the new killer won't stop until he finds her and is willing to kill as many people necessary for her to come out into the open. Cotton, now a famous spokesperson, is killed along with his girlfriend during the movie's opening. Throughout the rest of the film, actors portraying characters in the new "Stab 3" movie are being murdered in the same order that their characters are killed onscreen. Of course, Gale and Dewey join the hunt for the mysterious killer along with the help of local Hollywood police. We learn that their relationship has hit a rocky point, and they spent most of this movie arguing. An old movie is found of Randy giving a 101 about movie sequels and explains the new rules for the trilogy our characters have found themselves in: Ghosts from the past start appearing and what we thought was true in the past no longer matters. It is revealed that Sidney's mother, Maureen Prescott, about 20years previously, had come to Hollywood to work as an actress in horror movies; however, while at a party, she was brutally raped and never mentally recovered. The killer, this time, Maureen's bastard son of that night, Sidney's abandoned half-brother, Roman- Stab 3's director. There's an intense struggle between Roman and Sidney, but of course, Sidney comes out on top. In the movie's conclusion, Dewey proposes to Gale, and we see that they are now living with Sidney and her ?boyfriend? Detective Mark. Ok, so my main problem with this film was that it was never officially stated that the Detective (whom I really liked) and Sidney actually started dating! Also, the fact that this movie seemed to have an increased emphasis on comedic elements. However, oddly enough, this movie seemed to be one of my favorites because it made me laugh so much! All of the actor characters were hilariously dumb, and Randy's short video commentating on the rules of a horror trilogy was fantastic! Another favorite part was the makeup, blood & gore, and settings- it was interesting to watch a film within a film and how each killing was much more elaborate than in the past. However, my absolute favorite parts of the movie was seeing that billboard: "100% COTTON!" Haha! I just couldn't stop laughing!!

Scream 4:

  Just when we thought the "trilogy" was over! But, of course, this is the movie industry, so there just had to be a a final fourth movie! Here's a quick synopsis: It's the 15th anniversary of the the legendary Woodsboro murders when Sidney Prescott returns home. She is promoting the release of her book that tells of her journey out of darkness; however, on the day of her homecoming, the murders begin again. First it's just a couple of local girls, then it comes a little closer to home. Sidney is staying with her aunt and cousin, Jill. Just after Jill's friend, Olivia, calls Sidney the "Angel of Death," she and two cops are brutally murdered, as well as Sidney's publicist. Gale and Dewey, happily married for 10years, reach a rocky patch when Gale claims to being going rogue, desperate for a good story. Gale is attacked and hospitalized. The same night, Jill leaves home to spend time with her friends and her mother, Kate, is killed in their home. Sidney finds Jill at her friend's, Kirby's home where they are attacked. Robbie, amateur blogger, is the first killed in his drunken-state. Kirby, who is the first to win Ghostface's phone challenge, is killed by Charlie, president of the school movie-enthusiasts club, when she tries to save him. In the grand reveal, we learn that Charlie has teamed up with Jill to commit these murders and compile them together to put on the internet for the world to see. However, after Jill shoots her ex-boyfriend, Trevor, she turns on her partner, claiming that only a "sole survivor" is necessary. Everyone presumably dead, Jill throws against the furniture, glass tables and stabs herself, all to stage her crime scene. Dewey and the rest of the police force arrive on-scene and Jill and Sidney are rushed to the hospital. Jill is delighted to hear reporters calling her a hero, but when Dewey tells her that Sidney is still alive, Jill leaves her room to finish the job. In the midst of their struggle, Dewey comes to the realization of Jill's guilt and rushes to Sidney's aid. His Deputy, Judy Hicks, attempts to help, but it's Gale's distraction that gives Sidney time to activate the nearby defibrillator and on Gale's signal, "Clear," Sidney shocks Jill's brain. However, like all the past films, the bad guy always come back! Judy sends one last bullet and kills her. The movie ends with reporters relaying to the world that Jill Roberts is the new "hero of Woodsboro for being the sole survivor of these killings." Another good movie, but it was obvious that this one was not in the original plans of the "Scream Trilogy." This movie's opening was the most clever of all: a movie within a movie within a movie! We start off with Lucy Hale playing a girl who is home alone with her sister and both are killed by Ghostface, and then, "Stab 6" appears on-screen. Apparently, these two friends were just watching a movie, right? Wrong. One of the girls stabs the other and suddenly, "Stab 7" jumps on-screen, and the movie officially, officially starts! Very well done. One of the worst parts of their movie, personally, was the fact that it seemed like Detective Mark had never existed! Uhm, hello! What happened to him?? The best part of this film, alongside all of the effects, blood & gore, and brilliantly dramatic acting, was the final twist! Not until just before the reveal did I think that it was possible that Jill was the murderer. Charlie, however, was an off-and-on suspect from the moment we met him. But, beyond everything else about these movies, my absolute FAVORITE part was watching the technological development! We went from having home units only and giant cellphones only on those who could afford it, to more phone availability, then flip-phones, and finally to modern-day cellphones! It was just so funny to watch.

Rosemary's Baby: 

  My first horror movie choice was quite a change from the past Scream movies! Even though Rosemary's Baby is a classic of the horror movie genre, here's a quick synopsis: We're in New York City, in the late 60s. Rosemary Woodhouse and her husband, Guy, are just moving into a beautiful old apartment. Immediately after they move-in, their nosy neighbors, Minnie and Roman Castevet, an elderly couple, become very close to Guy. The day after Rosemary meets the Castevet's house-guest, Terry, in the laundry room, she is found dead on the side-walk. Minnie uses Terry's death to become closer to Rosemary, seemingly using her as a daughter replacement. Soon after they have moved-in, Guy receives the lead role in a play after the man originally cast suddenly becomes blind. A few months have passed and Rosemary finds out she is pregnant. Guy insists on using the Castevet's personal friend as her doctor. After Rosemary's first meeting with Dr. Sapirstein, Minnie is instructed to make Rosemary daily "health drinks," and a pain develops in her stomach. It's been months into the pregnancy and Rosemary is thinner than before and looks deathly ill. After a visit from an old friend, Hutch, Rosemary stops taking her drinks and tries to return to her original choice of doctor, Dr. Hill, but after a heated argument with Guy the pains go away and Rosemary returns to her daily routines. It's nearing her due date and Rosemary looks healthy and very pregnant. She receives news that Hutch has passed away after a long-term coma; however, his final wish is granted and Rosemary receives his book on witchcraft that, inside, he has left clues and messages for her. Rosemary pieces everything together: she begins suspecting that Minnie and Roman are apart of coven and that Guy has promised them their baby for some ritual. Rosemary seeks help from Dr. Hill, but he doesn't believe her and he phones Guy and Dr. Sapirstein who drag her back home where she goes into labor. When she awakes, Guy tells her that the baby was delivered dead; however, as the days pass, Rosemary insists she can hear a baby's cries from next door. After secretly refusing her medication, Rosemary sneaks into the next room where her suspicions are proved to be true. It revealed that Satan had chosen Rosemary to be the mother to his son and that the coven was to protect the baby and raise him for their lord. At first, Rosemary is horrified of the news, but when the baby starts crying hr motherly instincts kick in, and she agrees to be a proper mother for her son, Adrian. This movie was beautiful to watch with its stunning setting, story, and amazing acting. Mia Farrow was gorgeous throughout the whole film and she did a fantastic job as the sweet and naive Rosemary. There were, of course, those moments of realization that this film was made in the late 60s, but most of the time, I was drawn into Rosemary's world and into the story unfolding before me. I am going to have to assume, however, that the reason this film is classified as a horror is because it was one of the first of its kind, because nothing about it was scary in the slightest. Again, looking at the time-period, this film must have been terrifying. But it is still proclaimed as a classic horror even in today; therefore, I must make the assumption that it is such because it was the forerunner of the satanic films to come.

Pet Sematary:

  This movie was fucking horrible for me to watch! It was the worst out of all of the others, which is also fantastic, since it's actually the second oldest out of them all! Based off of Stephen King's book, naturally the Pet Sematary was going to be a thrilling horror film with all the right twists and turns! A quick synopsis: A doctor, Louis, and his family move into a new home- his wife, Rachel; his young tomboyish daughter, Ellie; her cat, Winston Churchill; and toddler son, Gage. Their older and kindly neighbor, Jud, walks with them down a hidden path behind their house and down into a "Pet Sematary." Past children of the area built it up on their own over the years, burying their pets that had died. One day, while the family is away, the cat, Church, is run over by a speeding truck; however, feeling that it was too early for Ellie to have to learn about death, Jud shows Louis a secret Indian burial ground hidden beyond the "Pet Sematary." Dead bodies buried here are brought back to life, but their spirits are changed, or damaged. Months later, while the family is outside playing, Gage wanders near the road and is killed by a speeding truck. After his family leaves for a weekend, Louis sneaks away to the burial grounds to bring his son back to life. Jud tries to persuade him against the idea, retelling a story of a father who made the same mistake before; Ellie tries to warn him and her mother about dreams she'd been having; and the spirit of a boy who had died earlier in the movie, also tries to warn Louis against going to the grounds. Gage comes back to life and kills Jud and Rachel. Louis takes matters into his own hands and is forced to bring his son back to death- but he didn't learn his lesson. The movie ends with Louis burning down Jud's home, and taking Rachel's body to the burial grounds. She comes back in the end, and the movie closes with her reaching for a knife. Soooo, yaaaaa.... I did NOT like this movie! ( ; ; ) I was crying and screaming the whole time! They can't kill off the animals &&& the babies!! That's just the movie rules! Well, it didn't help that I kinda already knew parts of the movie, so even before Gage was hit by the truck, anytime he went near the street, I freaked out... And when he came back???? That freaking Chucky-like Gage giggling and killing everyone??? Just. No. And then Louis doesn't learn his fucking lesson and revives Rachel & they MAKE-OUT??? That was just.... EEEEEEWWWWW!! Well, besides all that, it was a great movie! That ghost-kid freaked me out a bit, but he was very much the comedy relief by the end of the movie. The make-up, setting, and music was all so well done! My favorite actor was definitely the little girl, Ellie. Every time she was crying or hurting, I believed it. I loved that little girl and was so pissed at how the movie ended!! Her dad didn't even stop to think about her when we buried Rachel's body! Jeeze, that movie really got me, and now I know why people still talk about how great it was, or is...

  I've realized something about myself: blood & gore and gruesome murders don't bother me in the slightest, actually, the more dramatic the better, I think! But when it comes to paranormal, I will be hiding under my covers, watching behind my fingers... I also continue to be impressed by these classics. I mean, they basically created the genre, but I was prepared to be laughing due to bad CG attempts (like the first Exorcist) but that hasn't really been the case. Only a couple times with these stories have I had to remind myself the time-period that these movies existed; otherwise, the story is just so well written, or the movie so well directed, that I become engrossed in the whole world of the story! And that's how a good horror movie is supposed to be!
 And so, this was only the first installment of my October Halloweeny/Horror Movie Challenge!! I'm so excited to get my wits scared out of me the rest of the month! I haven't a clue what I'm going to watch next! Maybe the Halloween series?? The Grudge?? The Omen?? It all depends on what I can find!

Sincerely Yours,
Lisette Monique Diaz

ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭ ~Sweet Dreams~ ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭ 

Fight!!

HiHi!!

This semester I'm taking Movement III.

In this "Special Problems" class,

the Theatre and RTVF students are teaming together 

to create short films for Stunts and Combat.

The first film to be recorded was "Fight":

based off the film, "Fight Club,"

all the actors were ready for this intensive performance!

Since I wasn't an actor for this film,

I was asked to help keep track of the audio and video files.

And although we were all freezing,

I think I was having more fun filming than the actors!

Then again,

I was one of the few people

allowed to wear a jacket!

It was great learning how a real shoot works!

With all the stunts and throws,

hundreds of takes were necessary, 

as well as a mat or too.

I love how close-knit this group has become!!

Especially after bonding in this weather!

 Things were getting INTENSE!

 Movie Magic!!

 This is the only one of our films

that has blood in it-

so cool!!

Here's a Preview I made for the Short Film:

Till Next Time: 

Remember to KEEP IT GENKI!!

☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆