The Conjuring

I am a huge fan of Director James Wan creator of The Saw horror flicks. He also directed Insidious which was one of the best horror movies in the last 10 years.

The Conjuring is about Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Parts of this story is about this true couple who were involved in the Amityville Horror.

The movie is pretty much a reboot of the haunted house genre. It’s also sprinkled with parts of The Exorcist. There are some scenes that will make you jump out of your seat.

My only issue is the casting of Ron Livingston as the father who is from Office Space & who also played Burger in Sex & The City.

I kept thinking that the Office Space dude would have left the house as soon as things started to go South.

Verdict:

Better than average horror flick but not as good as Insidious.

Comic-Con Trailer: The Walking Dead Season 4

The Heat

This is the summer of numerous Tentpole movies (big budget bombs) from the studios and not enough time to see them if you wanted to. I just got around to seeing The Heat and I enjoyed it.

The movie is a girl buddy cop flick and stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. The story is about an uptight FBI Special Agent, Bullock, who is paired with a foul-mouthed Boston cop, McCarthy, to take down a ruthless drug lord.

McCarthy, from TV, became a movie star after her breakthrough performance in Bridesmaids. She is funnier in this movie than she was in Identity Bullock is perfectly cast as the straight cop and has great chemistry with McCarthy. I laughed HARD throughout the entire movie.

Verdict:

This is the first movie I have seen in months where the trailer didn’t reveal the entire movie. See this movie before you see all the other Tentpoles. There will be a Heat 2.

Grown Ups 2 - The Fall of Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler's hit movie formula: bring in your old buddies that you never see in any movie but Adam's, incorporate 80's music, be self depreciating, etc. is tired and old.
Grown Ups #1 was funny but not great. In Grown Ups #2 I forced myself to laugh so that I can feel that I got my monies worth.
The story starts with Sandler moving his family back to his hometown to be with his friends and their kids. It does not explain why he and his wife, Salma Hayek (who looks outstanding and never ages) both left great jobs in Hollywood.
There is no story and even Shaquille O'Neal is not funny.
The movie is short (thank God) and even ends abruptly.
Seems like everyone was in it because they owed Sandler a favor or just for a paycheck.
This is an embarrassment for all involved. Rob Schneider, from Grown Ups #1 was wise not to show up.

Verdict:
This is the 2nd worst movie I have seen in 2013 (the first being The Purge). If you can try to stay after the credits because Sandler is setting up for Grown Ups #3. Fool me once, fool me twice, but they will not get me again.

The Best Man Holiday - Official Trailer

SHARKNADO - Official Asylum Trailer - TOO VIOLENT FOR TV??

White House Down

This movie had all the ingredients to become a major summer hit, so what happened?

-        The first hour of the film was well scripted and kept my attention even though there were major storylines taken from Die Hard. It’s the last hour of the movie where the story becomes ludicrious.

-        Jamie Foxx is a good actor but not good enough for the audience to take him serious as the

             President.

-        Olympus Has Fallen came out a few months prior to this film with the same story line and was a better action movie.

-        Channing Tatum was trying to save his kid. Bad move which put his kid in situations the audience would rather not  see. If you are going to copy Die Hard then give the star a love interest.

I had high expectations for this film and you can see the money that was spent on the screen.

Verdict:

Watch Gerard Butler in Olympus Has Fallen if you must see a movie with this storyline.
Channing Tatum is still going to be a star, this flick is just a speed bump.