"Ouija" (2014)

Synopsis:
A group of teenagers must face their most terrifying fears when they unleash the dark powers of the Ouija board.

Review:
Let me start off by saying that this is quite possibly the most idiotic horror flick I've seen in recent years. The characters are such idiots and nothing made any sense whatsoever. I am going to spoil it for some folks.

The beginning makes a clear cut as to why using the Ouija board is a bad idea. For instance, one of the rules of playing with the Ouija board is to never play alone. However, the character Debbie, knowing this rule, uses it alone anyway and then is possessed to hang herself.

Then, Debbie's friends Laine, Trevor, Isabelle, Anthony and Pete go to here house and find the Ouija board and decide to use it to communicate with her ghost. As the ghost responds, the teenagers think it's Debbie but then it's revealed that it's not her but the ghost of "Doris" who was killed by her mother.

The next day, the teenagers meet up with an old lady who happens to be Doris' sister and tells them that Doris was using the Ouija board and their mother stitched her mouth shut so that she could not communicate with the ghosts. The old lady also tells them that unstitching the mouth of her corpse will set her free.

Later that night, Laine goes into the basement where Doris' corpse is and starts unstitching the mouth. Then, the ghost of the mother comes to stop her. As Laine finishes unstitching the mouth, the ghost of Doris destroys the mother with a scream. Then, it turns out that Doris is evil and is killing the teenagers one by one. Then, Laine throws the Ouija board into the fire and then Doris is vanquished. All seems to be going well until Laine finds the planchette on her desk. Then, she looks into the planchette. The End. That's the whole movie right there.

This film pretty much completely misses the point in how a horror movie works. Not to mention that it relies so much on cheap jump scares, the characters are very forgettable, the acting and CGI effects are cheesy as heck, and almost nothing happens. Whenever it seems like something is about to happen, it's just a tease. It's also not scary at all. All the ghost does is kill people. Killing people is not scary. What makes a ghost "scary" is that it tortures people. Whoever wrote the script missed that big time. I found nothing redeeming about this film whatsoever.

Overall, this movie is absolute garbage and I don't recommend it.

Max Scale:
1/10

"Sinister" (2012)

Synopsis:
A writer, known for writing true-crime stories, finds a series of old home video films that suggest that the murders he is researching are done by a mysterious serial killer who's career dates back to the 1960's
 
Review:
It's not a bad film but it's not a very good one either. Before I go into the bad things, I will discuss the good things about the film.

The Good:
It has a promising first half. I was invested in the story and I like the way they interpreted the "serial killer" concept into a horror film. I liked Ethan Hawke in this. I like the film's style and what it was going for. There are some parts in it that were quite terrifying. The killer looked pretty cool and was quite scary. And that's about it.

The Bad:
Halfway through, the film quickly descends into cliched mediocrity. The plot is not too compelling, and it is quite heavy on CGI and jump scares. The CGI effects are quite cheap looking and not so convincing. Like, there were some areas where you can tell that it's computer generated. The jump scares are loud and way over the top. The first few jump scares got me, but after a while, I was getting pretty sick of it, and was hoping for more original horror elements. I'm not going to spoil it for those who are still interested but the ending is quite lame.

I tried really hard to like this film, but in the end, I found it rather mediocre. It has some redeeming qualities, but as a whole, it's a pretty sloppy horror film.

Max Scale:
5/10

"Little Boy" (2015)

Synopsis:
Set in World War II, a young boy named Pepper Flint Busbee is willing to do whatever it takes to end the war and bring his father back home.
  
Review:
I saw it today and it was not a bad movie but I was a tad disappointed. The trailer had me thinking that it would be Big Fish-like. The trailer made it look like a fantasy drama that would be "instant classic" material but it's really a religious film.

It's beautifully shot and I liked the symbolism, and it was quite emotional. However, The film has problems.

For instance, Pepper doesn't even really have powers. He only just has "faith" and a to-do list, which (for me) was quite disappointing.

Another thing is that our protagonist Pepper, while not unlikeable, is quite annoying at times. Like when he does that pose thing, he makes those grunt sounds which went out of hand and started to get on my nerves.

***MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD ***
Also, there is the ending. Like, for a second I was like "Oh, so they're going the "tragic" route". Then it got all "Happily Ever After". How Original.

I also thought it was a bit too melodramatic at times and quite (I don't usually like this word but it's true here) pretentious. Like on the previews, they make it out to be so "amazing" and "uplifting", when in reality, it's just a mediocre religious film.

For what it is, it's not a bad film. It has it's qualities. The acting is decent, it has a bit of heart, and it has a pretty accurate depiction of the true events that the film is inspired by.

I did not hate the film. There were some things I liked about it and I am proud to say that it is not "terrible", like the critics say. But in the end, I can't say that I was impressed with the film. However, I can see some people enjoying it. I'd say give it a go. You might like it but you might not be impressed.

Overall, I thought this film was a little on the okay/mediocre side. 

Max Scale:
5/10

"Into the Woods" (2014)

Synopsis:
A Baker and his wife are under a curse by a vengeful witch where they can never have children. In order to reverse the curse, the Baker and his wife must go into the woods to retrieve a cow, a cape, a lock of hair, and a shoe before the third midnight. This film is a twist on classic fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Rapunzel.

Review:
This seems to be one of those films that you either like or dislike or it just isn't your cup of tea. I never saw the play in which this film is based upon. So looking at this by itself, I thought this film was pretty good for the most part.

Pros:
It had great performances by Meryl Streep, Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt and James Corden. I think the actors and actresses made their characters very believable. I am not going to spoil anything but I actually felt sorry for the witch. I like the scenery and the dark tone. It has a very interesting storyline and I liked the connections with all of the fairy tales. Also, the songs are quite catchy.

Cons:
I did not buy Johnny Depp as the Big Bad Wolf. He just did not really seem very believable. Not to mention that he did not really look like a wolf but rather some guy in a Halloween costume. Also, it sort of dragged for longer than it should, and there are a few things in the final act that are a bit ridiculous.

Overall, I enjoyed Into the Woods quite a bit and would recommend it to Disney fans and/or fans of musicals.

In the end, I'll say "Into the Woods" may do a few stupid things, and it may seem like a downer for some folks who are beloved fans of Disney, but it is quite strong and witty and it should be found satisfying as a dark fairy tale romp.

Max Scale:
8/10

"Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (2014)

Synopsis:
A fading actor who was famous for playing a superhero, fights his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career and himself before the opening of his Broadway play.

Review:
I absolutely loved this film. It's very unique, creative and downright insane. Basically, it's an independent showbiz dramedy with social satire and some blockbuster elements.

It's uniquely shot. The film is mostly done in one  continuous shot, though there are some transitions throughout the film, and it's quite impressive how it was done.  It also has very neat visuals.For instance, we have this small indie film made on a small budget and it's very impressive how the blockbuster aspect was done.

The story is original. We have this actor famous for playing a superhero in a movie franchise and is performing in this play. It also has the feel of a superhero film in that the protagonist can move stuff around and has these visions where his environment is like a superhero flick. It also plays out like the real world as it references recent Blockbuster films.

The acting is great. It has brilliant performances from Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone. During the parts where the characters are performing in a play, the actors and actresses make it very believable.

Overall, this was a very impressive film and I think it deserved that best picture Oscar. There is not a single thing that I did not like about this film.

If you expect a superhero flick, you'll probably be disappointed. But if you are interested in film and/or just want something different from the usual Hollywood stuff, it would not be a bad idea giving "Birdman" a watch. I highly recommend it.

Max Scale:
10/10

"Mirror Mirror" (2012)

Synopsis:
"Mirror Mirror" tells the untold story of Snow White and the Evil Queen.

Review:
I like the director Tarsem Singh. I'm a huge fan of "The Fall" and I even enjoyed "Immortals" and "The Cell" for what they are. So I was looking forward to this upon hearing about it. But "Mirror Mirror" was such a letdown. Before I go into the bad parts, I am going to discuss the good parts.

The Good:
I was really enjoying the opening sequence. It starts off as a clever satire. It's visually impressive and has a neat art style. And that's about it.

The Bad:
After the first act, the film quickly descends into teen flick territory. It tries to be the next "Princes Bride" and it fails miserably. Not to mention the forced romance, poor jokes and uninspired plot.

***SPOILER AHEAD****
There's also that "twist" where the Good King isn't even dead but was turned into a monster and is being controlled by the Evil Queen. What?!? That's just stupid.

Lily Collins (who I don't think has been in a good film besides "The Blind Side") is okay as Snow White, but Julia Roberts is horribly miscast as the Evil Queen. You know who I would have cast as the Evil Queen? Cate Blanchett. And don't get me started on that cringe worthy musical number at the end. This could have just been a Disney Channel movie, because that's what it felt like.

Personally, this film is a perfect example of (I hate when people use this term but it's true here) style over substance. This could have been a great movie but, in the end, it was a big time stinker.

Overall, I was very disappointed with this film. I expected more from the director of one of my all time favorite films. I don't recommend it.

Max Scale:
3/10

"The Babadook" (2014)

Synopsis:
A widowed mother and her child are haunted by a mysterious creature from a childen's book and must protect themselves.

Review:
I pretty much loved this film. It's very creative, original, insane and downright freaky.

One thing you should know is that it is classified as a horror film (which it actually is to a large extent), but it goes much deeper than that. This film is a depiction of depression and grief. If you watch this expecting a straight up monster movie, you will be disappointed. The monster is there but it is not the main focus. It is about the relationship between the mother and her son and dealing with death and change.

One of the things that makes this film impressive is that it relies more on real horror elements rather than cheap jump scares. It expresses the fear of what you do not see and captures it perfectly. Another thing is the small amount of CGI and the extensive use of practical effects and make up that make the monster look real.

Also, this film is a directorial debut and it is from a female director. I think Jennifer Kent did an incredible job directing for the first time and I look forward to her future projects.

Overall, I was very impressed with this film and I highly recommend it to horror fans.

In the end, I'll say "The Babadook" proves that with good and original ideas, you can make a good horror movie without relying so much on cheap jump scares and CGI effects and also proves that you do not need a huge budget to make a great film.

Max Scale:
10/10