House of Fears

Starring: Corri English, Michael Pagan, & Corey Sevier
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

House of Fears was a pretty cool premise, but the movie was destroyed by a lame script and a cast that just wasn't very good. Some kids at a party decide to break into a haunted house exhibit, when suddenly their fears all come to life. It sounds like a good movie and that cover is great, but the story seemed to be written by a fourth grader. If you're over the age of ten and this film actually scared you, you should be ashamed of yourself. This is seriously about one step above Goosebumps. Aside from the childish script, the acting here is a complete joke! Muffled lines, fake screams, no emotion, I could go on all night about what was wrong with the acting in this film! It's got an awesome cover and very well written description, but the truth is this film is nothing but a waste of time, that you might find mildly entertaining, just because of how bad it really is.

Stolen (2009)

Starring: Josh Lucas, Jon Hamm, & Jimmy Bennett
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

When you watch a lot of independent and direct-to-video films, you see a lot of garbage, but occasionally you find a gem that makes it all worthwhile, Stolen, is one of those gems. This story was so intriguing and well written that I was absolutely blown away. The film is about a detective whose son went missing, without a trace, eight years ago. The trail is cold and he's beginning to accept that he will never find him, when a local construction crew finds a boy in a box. The body has been there for at least fifty years, but the case awakens something in the detective who has to learn the truth. From there, quite ingeniously, the film is divided into three different stories, the story of the boy in the box, the detectives investigation, and the story of his own child. It was seriously like watching three different movies at once, and they were all great! The cast was pretty phenomenal too, as this was a very hard thing to pull off, but they did it seemingly with ease. Josh Lucas just blew my mind, giving an unrivaled performance as the father of the other missing boy. I've seen him in things before, but nothing was as memorable as this. Stolen is a film that consists of three stories in once, that will pull on your emotions and have you on the edge of your seat. It's one of the best films I've seen all year and I can't recommend it enough!

Medium Raw: Night of The Wolf

Starring: William Davis, John Rhys-Davis, & Bridgitte Kingsley
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

This movie started out great and had such potential, but like many similar films, it eventually falls flat. In the beginning, we are introduced to a killer known as the wolf. Using Little Red Riding Hood as a tool, he's been on the loose for decades. At the same time, we are introduced to a local hospital for the worst of the worst of the criminally insane. This part of the film, was pure genius, as they came up with criminals that are the things nightmares are truly made of. Eventually there is a power failure at the facility and both stories are brought together to make up a rather less than exciting conclusion. The film started out being so unique and tremendous, but eventually becomes nothing more than a slasher film, it was truly disappointing. As for the cast, they were all a bunch of no-names, but they did an adequate job. The really upsetting thing about this film was just how quickly it went from a gem to a turd, it's like the film was written in parts by two separate people.

Hostel: Part III

Starring: Kip Pardue, Brian Hallisay, & Sarah Habel
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

It took three films, but finally the new Hostel film initiated a marketable franchise. The first two films were about a bunch of travelers who got kidnapped and killed by millionaires, who were part of some human hunting club, but they didn't go any further than that. Finally, in Hostel III, we see inside the elite hunting club and learn it's purpose. Also unlike the first two films, this Hostel has a plot, that's interesting and apathetic. Featured in Hostel III is Kip Pardue, a veteran b-movie actor, and newcomer Brian Hallisay. They were humorous, likeable, and perfect for this type of film. After two insane gorefests, Hostel finally grew up and learned to combine the shocking violence with a good story, and a likeable cast. This was the by far the best Hostel film so far and one of the best horror movies I've seen all year. If you like horror, don't miss this one. Even if you didn't like the first two films, give this one a shot!

Thor

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, & Anthony Hopkins
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

The great and powerful Thor was one of the biggest grossing movies of 2011. The special effects in this film were really some of the best I've ever seen and the star of the film, Chris Hemsworth was amazing, but besides that, this film was extremely overrated. Thor is banished to Earth for disobeying his father, the King, and must live as a mortal. Surprisingly, it doesn't take him very long to adjust, and he falls in love with Natalie Portman during a fifteen minute car ride. Okay, so the plot was weak to begin with, but the special effects could have more than made up for that. What I really didn't like about this film was just how fast everything happened. Thor is going to be in the Avengers trilogy and there is a good possibility there may be a sequel to this film, so what was the point in rushing everything? The character of Thor is a majestic one. He is one of the most powerful superheroes that ever existed. This film should have been the epic classic that was talked about for years, but instead they rushed the story and hid behind some great special effects. It was visually impactful, entertaining, and had a great star, but a side from that, this film is nothing more than a common theme with a weak script.

All Things Fall Apart

Starring: 50 Cent, Ray Liotta, & Mario Van Peebles
Rating: 1/2 out of 5 stars

I love sports movies, but when I saw that this one featured 50 cent, I really should have skipped it. I don't know what kind of rapper he is, but he is one terrible actor. The story wasn't anything special, but it was okay. It was the acting and dialogue that really destroyed this film. 50, has absolutely no personality, and every other word out of his mouth is either fuck or man. It was honestly the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen in a movie. This isn't a sports drama, it's a disaster that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy!

Hero Wanted

Starring: Cuba Gooding Jr., Ray Liotta, & Norman Reedus
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Being that they do so much direct-to-video stuff, it's hard to remember that both Cuba Gooding Jr., and Ray Liotta are award winning actors! Hero Wanted is one of those direct-to-video films. It follows the story of a man who tries to live the righteous life, but even the best of people have their breaking point. This was a really interesting story, with some unexpected twists and turns. It was a pretty good film that really fell under the radar. The story was great and the acting was top notch, but the way it was filmed really left a lot to be desired. The film is frequently jumping months ahead or to a flashback, without any notice or footnotes, it made parts of the film very confusing. There were also a couple of pretty big plot holes, that added to the confusion. This is by no means a classic, but the acting was terrific, the action was pretty cool, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.