This review perfectly sums up my feelings about this film.

I really… honestly… hated the movie. Granted I read the book first, so that is possibly why. They really dumbed down the characters, cut out all the stuff that made them important and gave them a role in the story at all. All the little bits and pieces that added up at the and and made you go, “Oh god, yes, I remember this moment way back in the beginning…” Hakan’s intentions for helping Eli were lost, his whole ruled-by-lust-and-sin factor was nonexistant. Also, the fact they so narrow-mindedly turned Eli into a girl for the film seemed outrageously homophobic. Honestly, when people know Eli is male and refer to him as a she simply out of their own skewed view of the character, I view it as offensive, because it reminds me of the kind of attitude people have in real life. Like with trans* or genderqueer people.

Apart from the book, as far as an actual movie goes, I would find it on the okay scale. But my extreme unhappiness with it really did come from the book. I didn’t feel any of the raw emotion in it. I didn’t feel the sadness, the disgust, or the frightening aspects (when Oskar cuts his hand and Eli starts to reveal his true nature for example).

Also, changes for the sake of changes? What’s with turning Jonny’s name to Conny? On top of that, making him the only “real” bully, as if the audience couldn’t handle the complexity otherwise.

When I went to see it already a group of friends had gone to see it, saying it was so scary they couldn’t sleep and had to have a sleepover that night. I found it silly; I’ve haven’t been afraid of horror movies since I was a child. I’ll admit, this is still the case. This is one of the best horror movies I’ve seen, and it frightened me a bit while I was seeing it, but I will surely sleep soundly tonight. Of course, that’s just me.

It is compared to the Blair Witch Project in style [which I like; I think it makes it feel more real and pulls to viewer in] but I’d say the storyline and the documentation reminds me of House of Leaves in a way. I was appreciative that it had no reliance on gore to be scary and some of the creepiest moments were not just the “jumping scares.” Watching Katie stand in one spot for three hours disturbed me more.

And personally, I thought the attitudes and acting was rather good. In most horror movies, only the scared moments are show, and that’s all you ever see of the characters. In reality, even at your most frightened or most depressed, you manage to laugh at the little things, if not just for being so scared. Also, the effects were pretty good. It really fit well with the home video feel.

I have to say though, I was criticizing their stupidity. Sure, I can see the whole macho-idiot routine; a lot of straight guys I know do that when they are obviously scared or wrong about something, no matter the circumstances. But the fact that they would not try to find other demonologists seemed silly. Oh well.

As for the end, I liked it except her lunging at the camera… too cliche. I would much rather have seen her just smiling than lunging. It’s overdone and comes off as humorous for me at this point.

Overall, a great horror movie though, which is saying something for a genre that is so full of crap.

Inglourious Basterds was a great movie, fantastic even, and I am not usually a fan of Tarantino. It was as unecessarily violent as I would expect from him – though it left me questioning whether it was really unecessary. The violence really had an impact, probably the impact he was going for. The movie was hilarious but unsettling. It disturbed me and left me sour and I couldn’t get it out of my mind; I didn’t feel for any of the characters at all because I found them revolting. But that didn’t make it a bad movie at all; it was intriguing that way. All the death and violence and the characters’ attitudes towards it were utterly horrifying to me, but at the same time fascinating and not so unrealistic it didn’t leave me feeling anxious afterwards. I felt empathy towards all parties, but hatred as well. The Basterds did the same thing to Nazis as the Nazis did to Jews – callously torture and maim. I don’t believe in revenge or violence like this so it challenged my morals. The sickness and utter depravity of the movie was entertaining somehow. Wonderful, ingenius even. It wasn’t just a comedy, it was something more – something serious. Something dramatic and forlorn, like the labels “drama” and “comedy” were somehow switched in advertising.

Still, it had some pretty damn funny moments.

I highly recommend, but not for the weak of heart, though those interested in nothing but pretty explosions and a bloodfest will be happy too.

This movie depresses me because it had so much potential. A very cool setting and atmosphere; overall, a great visual style. But the script was terrible and the story was handled in such a shallow manner that the whole thing just fell apart.

Very predictable and cliche from the start, but also a very cute and rather funny movie. Not to mention Zac Efron is just irresistible.

I don’t understand the one or two people who did not think this was Worth Consuming. It was a wonderful, emotional drama that really pulled you in; I felt genuine anger towards the police force and, especially, the chief of police. I felt genuine sadness for Christine Collins and the children who were tortured and murdered by that self-obsessed psychopath. Maybe I understood that it was a true story, or based on a true story, more than other watchers did.

It’s true what the critics have been saying about this; it’s absolutely amazing and is probably, if not definitely, Heath Ledger’s best work. I say this not simply out of sympathy, like some people seem to speculate, but he truly did capture the deranged and insane manner of the Joker perfectly. Somehow, you still managed to love the character, despite him being a homicidal maniac. Definitely worth seeing – again and again and again.

The only reason I wouldn’t consider this ‘not worth consuming’ is because I think the concept is decent, probably even able to be turned into a worthy movie, although the director who took on the task surely did not do a good job. The beginning wasn’t terrible, but there were so many off things that it brought the whole movie down in the end anyway. There are still a few things unexplained, one of which I’m really curious about – why did the people insist on getting naked or at least taking off their boots before wandering off into the snow? It made little sense to me. Also, I had a real issue with the smothering scene, considering he went from struggling to dying in a matter of two to three seconds. He would have passed out before then.

But what really ruined the movie was when you saw the spirits of the fossils. That was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen, particularly when the one dragon-looking creature carried Hoffman off into what is perceived as death.

I certainly wouldn’t recommend it, at least not unless you’re truly bored.

One of the best movies.

Ever.

See it.

Enough said.