OCULUS casts a chilling reflection

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 105 Mins
WRITER(S)- Mike Flanagan and Jeff Howard
STARRING- Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, and Kattee Sackhoff
DIRECTOR- Mike Flanagan



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon. 




My first impression of "Oculus" was that it's a WWE studios picture, which tend to be hit or miss. I can't say I've been too impressed with their releases. But seeing as how bad-ass  "No One Lives" was, I had some faith stored for this one.

The opening is instantly intense, and throws you into the moment. There's a few cheap jump scares towards the beginning that I'm not a fan of, but it's all in setting the atmosphere of the film and keeping you on edge. There's some good back story between the two lead characters, brother and sister, Tim (Brenton Thwaites) and Kaylie (Karen Gillan) Russell. There's not very much character development, but there's some good on screen chemistry for sure.

After Tim spends 11 years of his life in an institution for murdering his father, he's released only to have his sister bring him to the mirror that put him in the hospital all those years ago. With Kaylie obsessively rigging the house and taking extreme precautions, she swears to end what had been started all those years ago. Although her brother, now brainwashed and psycho babbled to death by doctors doesn't believe in what happened anymore, Kaylie stays on track and swears that she's right, and the mirror is still, and always has been evil. I thought the back and forth between the siblings was interesting, and I like how it weighs out both sides of the story, making you wonder who's really telling the truth.

Over 45 deaths are being blamed on the mysterious mirror in it's four centuries of existence. The first murder dating way back to 1755. And, all of the mirrors victims die in strange, unnatural ways. For example: someone died of dehydration while sitting in a full tub of water, just for owning the mirror. But, all the weird deaths that follow the mirror through the ages still aren't enough to convince Tim that it's all really the mirrors fault. He now has a 'logical' explanation for everything, and insists that his sister needs help like he's received over the last 11 years.

Dogs don't like the mirror either, it "eats them", and plants can't seem to avoid dying when exposed to the mirror. It seems to seduce whoever looks into it, and cause them to do some pretty crazy stuff. It's unbreakable, and you can't make outgoing calls while around the mirror. You may not know who you'll be talking to when you do...

The story flips between two timelines: when they were kids 11 years ago, and now, present day. The whole film you just get small hints that build up to the unveiling of the unsettling truth behind that night many years ago. It plays out so it coincides with what's going on currently, thus the timeline switching is done in a very clever way. Though, I'll admit that for the first half of the movie I found the past events more engaging than the current ones. But, by bouncing back and forth between then and now, the film creates an atmospheric suspense that makes you expect anything to happen at any time. It takes its time setting a pace, which I appreciate.

It all started with buying an old antique mirror for a new home the family just purchased. And from there we see how it all started to unfold. The mirror created a jealousy between Kaylie and Tim's parents, Allen (Rory Cochrane) and Marie (Katee Sackhoff), and we see their relationship/marriage go down quickly following some weird behavior by Allen. After Kaylie sees a woman in her father's office and questions him about it in front of their mother, Marie starts to unwind. After searching Allen's office and looking for evidence of his cheating, she comes face to face with the mirror, his true mistress. And things go from bad to worse as it eventually leads to Tim killing his father and being institutionalized.

The family's tragedy is worse than that depicted in 1979's "The Amityville Horror". It's not lighthearted, it's very serious and demented. Both in the back story and the present time, there's some good quality gore. And it's not overused, and is used very appropriately to the story, which is important to me.

Towards the climax of the film there's a plot twist that is unexpected and has an impact, but it's not profound or long lasting. But, then at the end there's another twist, this one brutal and almost expected. But that one has a lasting impact and is unnerving.

Probably the thing that I like most about "Oculus" is that it really plays around with your head. You don't know what's real and what isn't, just like the characters! Using this tactic, it proves to make the film unpredictable, and that's never a bad thing. The mirror likes to play tricks and make you see and do things, only problem is that you can't tell if it's reality or them being toyed with. So your along for the ride with the characters. There's several parts where I tried to predict what was real and what wasn't, but to no avail. So I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out.

I tend to like mystery in my movies. I'm a firm believer that everything doesn't have to be explained. And while no explanation is given for the mirror or it's reason for being cursed, I found that to be the reason this movie isn't a home run or a slam dunk. Although the film comes full circle in the end, there's something missing that I can't quite put my finger on, like a missing piece to a puzzle. It just felt kind of hollow. I think that some origin story for the mirror could have helped the movie climax in a stronger way. But by leaving the history of the antique mirror unknown, there's a layer of eeriness, and I think that's the reason for leaving out any description.

In the end, "Oculus" reinvents fear towards mirrors like the urban legend of Bloody Mary once did. And, while I didn't find it very scary, it's a very creepy and suspenseful flick that still gets a grasp on you. Regardless of if you like it or not, no one can deny that it's going to live on for a long, long time because it's about a mirror, and we don't have very many horror films focused around mirrors. So, if only for that reason, you'll be hearing this movie brought up for the next 10 to 15 years, I guarantee.

3.5 stars out of 5

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER brings the heat

RATED- PG-13
RUN TIME- 136 Mins
WRITER(S)- Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, and Ed Brubaker
STARRING- Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson
DIRECTOR- Anthony and Joe Russo



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

I've never been a Captain America fan. Something about the character just never drew me in. I'd honestly consider him one of my least favorite heros in comic books, but that doesn't mean a good movie can't be made about him! After being rather critical towards the first film back in 2011, I'm glad to see that they stepped it up a notch for the sequel. Not only did I really enjoy this one, but I actully liked Captain America (Chris Evans) as a character.

The action/fight scenes are borderline incredible. The movements and speed shows you that the prep time for these sequences had to be strenuous, but it paid off in the end. It was great to see ex UFC Welterweight champion, Georges St-Pierre on the big screen as a villain. In real life I would not want to tango with that guy, but if I was Captain America, I probably would try for the hell of it (laugh).

The acting isn't anything memorable, but it's not really a performance based film. Most comic book films aren't. No one's getting nominated by the Academy or Oscars for what they've done in this film, although it is damn entertaining and thrilling. It's good to see that they still have a bold and healthy cast, full of big names. I actually think Chris Evans did a really good job this time around. If I were to give anyone credit for good acting, it'd be him. He really surprised me and brings a new feel to the character that shows how comfortable he's become in the role.

The plot was very deep and symbolic for what's really going on today in the world. It touches up on terrorism, our security, and how our freedom is at stake. It actually goes a lot further into politics than I expected, but it's done in a way that doesn't bore you because they put the icing of cool stunts and funny dialogue on top of it. Sugar coating it, if you will. I've recently been critisizing newer comic movies for being too light hearted and child-based. This flick keeps its appeal to children, but reaches deep into the guts of adults too by making us face a realistic situation that may not be far from what's to come in the future.

Scarlett Johansson is back as the sexy and devious Black Widow, and  Samuel L. Jackson  still plays Nick Fury. One can only assume that after workinig so much together that they've all become really close off the screen. The fact that none of them have been replaced yet is a blessing, and I hope that it continues until all the innevitable reboots happen. There's also the introduction of a new character into the franchise, Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie. I really liked the addition of him and the character. It gives the story more life and dimension having more colorful characters emerge into the story.

The villian, the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) is what really makes the movie's overall quality step up a notch. He's a force to be reckoned with and proves to be a damn near impossible foe for Captain. Once he gets on screen, something serious always happens. However, I found the twist about his character to be completely predictable and lacked any thought. I've never read the comics, so I'm assuming they're keeping it correct, I just think it could have been done in a less obvious way.

That goes for the entire film and characters too. There's some things that are downright easy to predict and very common. Such things take away from the overall story, because it's hard to get over watching a movie that you've never seen before, yet you've predicted it. And there's a lot of (near) deaths that didn't bother me in the least. I knew that everyone would be safe and that they'd make people appear to die, but we all know by now they never do pass away. And because of that fact, the thrill gets taken from the picture.

When no one ever dies despite how great the danger is, it really does invoke the yawn factor and is very disappointing. But hell, it's still a lot better than I and a lot of other expected. It's one of the best Marvel films easily, but it's not at the top of the pack.

Whatever you do, make sure you sit through the credits!

TUESDAY TOY REVIEW: Hot Toys' THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Catwoman/Selena Kyle

The Dark Knight trilogy is the greatest comic book based films of all-time, no question. They're the films that broke the mold into what comic book films could be. These three films changed the face of how we'll forever see comic book movies. I've actually got quite an obssession going for these flicks, and regardless of what anyone says, myself and many others agree that they aren't just the best comic films, but they're some of the greatest films ever made, period.

Luckily, Hot Toys was on their game and released figures from all three pictures. And, they're not done! This October, one of their greatest creations ever, in their 14 years of existence is going to be released: Batman's armory with Bruce Wayne and Alfred action figures included. Though the price is steep at $624.99 a piece, there's no denying that it's worth every damn penny!And needless to say, I've got mine ordered. For more info about the armory, click here.

Hot Toys has this mentality to disappoint the really eager and up-tight fans of collecting whenever they release a pre-order item. However, all of the moaning and groaning by annoying collectors is almost always put at ease once the figure is released. Both because A) Hot Toys listens to their fans and B) collectors are to quick to discredit Hot Toys. I guess the more popular you are, the more haters you'll have...

Take their Catwoman/Selena Kyle figure from the third film in the franchise, "The Dark Knight Rises" for example. Everyone complained about all sorts of ridiculous things, but in the end, it ended up being an amazing figure and stunned collectors across the globe. Now I hardly come across a bad word about it!

While a basic figure with not a lot of accessories, the look of the overall figure's quality is stunning and looks completely realistic. The suit, the likeness of Anne Hathaway, and the paintjob all knock the ball out of the park! She's so sleek looking, and it really works for the overall realness and look.

Her eye mask is totally functional, you can make the goggle lenses flipped up on her head, or flip them down and have her using them, just like in the film. Crazy.

Then, take into account that she has 28 points of articulation, seven sets of different hands, and a pistol, and a really nice base, and it's easy to see why this collectible is on par with the quality we've come to expect from Hot Toys. I bought the limited exclusive edition, so mine came with an empty Batman cowl.

Although the suit makes it hard to pose her in a lot of ways due to it's tightness and material, there's still a ton of great poses you can get out of this one. Honestly, when I recieved mine last summer, I just posed her in a basic position and was totally happy with her. But I'm glad that I'm doing these reviews because I get to take a chance and play around posing them for pictures, and in doing so with her, I found a really good final pose. Articulation is a very important quality, because the better the pose, the better the figure looks. The trick is not only in finding the right pose that suits you, but finding one that explains the character just by looking at it with one look.

For example: for Catwoman, the idea is to go with a fiesty/sexy pose that also allows her to look dangerous. I found that posing her with her gun helps add the danger element, so all you really gotta do is come up with a creative pose.

This is only the second female action figure I have (the first being Pamela Voorhees), and despite any worries I had of this coming out looking like a Barbie, it really doesn't. And I think that's what impresses me most. Despite having real hair and a thin female frame, you can stand her side by side with other figures and she looks natural, totally un-doll like.

Ultimately, those who have this figure intend to keep it. And those who missed out on it, tend to regret not buying it and remain hopeful of finding one in the future at a reasonable price. Needless to say, most of The Dark Knight trilogy figures sell out almost instantly.

I'm very satisfied with the end result, and plan on never off-loading it to anyone else. When I buy collectibles I intend to keep it for the duration of my life. And this will be one people will always notice and mention when they see my stuff. I guarantee it.

4 out of 5 stars

Next Tuesday's toy review

PRISONERS (2013)

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 153 Mins

WRITER(S)- Aaron Guzikowski

STARRING- Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Viola Davis

DIRECTOR- Denis Villeneuve

Synopsis taken from IMDb

When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?

First, let me start this by saying that this is definitely one that you need to watch twice to get the full effect. Due to how well you're mislead the whole film, you miss a lot of details and clues that are actually important, and end up coming into play. Once you've seen it a first time, and know how it ends, going into it a second time allows you to see the things you might have missed. That is the case with me, anyway.

It's been a long while since I've seen a really good revenge thriller outside of the 2010 Korean masterpiece, "I Saw The Devil". So, having my interest piqued with the television commercials, I decided that I'd give this one a chance. I didn't get around to seeing it in theaters, and only just saw it for the first time a month ago. But after viewing it and seeing what a powerhouse of a movie it is, I knew it was going to go on the slab for reviewing.

The story to this is a lot more psychological and deep than other recent kidnapping movies such as "Megan is Missing" (which I thought was completely tasteless). Anyway, "Prisoners" takes a look at things from the parents point of view, instead of the person(s) kidnapped. And in order to pull off such a feat, you have to have a good convincing cast, which this movie provides perfectly.

What would you do if your child was kidnapped? Would you do the right thing and wait around for the authorities to handle it, or would you take matters into your own hands? How would your marriage suffer from having a child stolen from you? Or, how would it effect your everyday life, including work and sleep? Well, all of these questions are touched up on and shown to us in a very believable manor. Which is why the film hits so hard, because it has real character reacting to a terrifying situation.

And the thing that I think I liked most about this picture, is that it isn't predictable. Most films like this you can see through and pick apart within 30 minutes, but such was not the case for me with this one. Everyone is a suspect, and because you have certain people you're weary of as a viewer, it kept me on edge. I didn't trust a single person in this one. And I was blindsided by the twist at the end.

The cast is on point in all aspects. I personally thought that Jake Gyllenhaal was awesome in this, and I don't really like a lot of stuff that he's in. But the crown on this film is Hugh Jackman's acting. That guy delivers. Jackman plays the guy that does what anyone'd want to do in his situation. Most of us would never have the guts to do what he does, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't want to.

So, even though he takes things a bit far, there's a lot of people out there who'd go even further, which makes his character easily likable and easy to relate to. As violent as he is, he's justified as far as I'm concerned. You steal someones child and you deserve all the hell in the world to come down on your head in my book. As a matter of fact, the movie actually received an NC-17 rating due to the torture, gore, and violence. So it was edited to tone down the graphic nature of it all.

For such a heavy topic, director Denis Villeneuve does a great job at exposing the realness and rawness of the situation. Very good movie. The ending left me high and dry, wanting more answers, but I really believe that it was the best way to end a near perfect picture.

So just for the sake of keeping track, you've got a good, strong story, great acting, good plot twists, lots of suspense, and a solid ending. As a matter of fact, I'll swear to the Lord that midway through the movie, I was so anxious to find out who the protagonist was that I almost pulled my phone out to Google spoilers (laugh).

If you haven't checked this out yet, do yourself a favor and give it a viewing. It's hard and has some bite to it, but it's a rewarding experience, and a very serious movie.

3.5 out of 5 stars