Crimson Peak

Bill I’s Review – 3.5 out of 5

No, Crimson Peak is not about the heydey of Harvard’s football team. It’s a warning issued by a ghost to an eight year old girl. Which raised a question for me: do ghosts know the future? I guess, at least Dickens thought so in A Christmas Carol, where  The Ghost of Things Yet to Come warns Scrooge of what lies ahead. Which raised another question for me: if the ghost takes all the effort to warn the girl, and by the way (no spoiler alert, it happens in the first couple of minutes), it’s her dead mother warning her little girl, couldn’t the ghost be a little more specific? I mean, who knows what she means by Crimson Peak? How is that exactly going to help her? And why scare the hell out of her in the meantime?

Anyway, this is a very well done film, kept my attention with an interesting plot and excellent scenery, acting, and cinematography. I don’t seek out horror movies, but this movie has just enough creepiness where I was never too grossed out or even too scared. I recommend you see it! Don’t bring your pre-teens though.

Bill C’s Review – 3 out of 5

Bill asks  excellent questions.  Especially the ones about why not be  more specific and why can’t the mother be a little less scary to her daughter.  The shocking thing about Bill’s review is he never mentioned nor picked a picture that included his favorite actress, Jessica Chastain!

The movie is directed by Guillermo del Toro, and while this is no Pans Labyrinth, it is a good movie – more for the atmosphere and effects than the plot.  And as Bill says, the right word is creepy – this isn’t a horror movie that will get you jumping out of your seat.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

The Cabin In The Woods

Bill C’s Review – 2.5 out of 5

The Cabin in the Woods was the opening night film at this year’s SXSW film festival.  I didn’t see it then, but everyone I spoke to had great things to say and recently the film has gotten really good reviews. So, while I’m not a real horror fan, I thought I’d check this one out.  And I think that’s the problem–I’m not a real horror film fan. This is a horror film that’s also a loving deconstruction of the genre. You know…those movies where a bunch of teenagers go up to a cabin for the weekend and start getting picked off one by one. If you love the genre, you’ll love this movie. You’ll recognize all the stereotypical characters and you’ll get all the clever references. And you’ll enjoy how producer Joss Whedon (writer)  and Drew Goddard (writer/director) play with the genre. But for me, this movie was ok but nothing special.

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes