Open Window

Open Windows

Open windows is twisted, swervy plot that takes place completely in computer window screens and monitors. The conceit is a super fan (Elijah Wood) of a star wins a date with super starlet (Sasha Gray) only to get canceled at a last minute. A strange caller calls and gives him access to all her personal cell phones files and laptop info giving him birds eyes views. Things get crazy as the callers becomes more and more sinister.  If you like this movie depends on two things. One is, rather you can follow a protagonist that kind of creepy and pervey. The second is reather you think the road to the destination is more important than the destination. Because let me tell you the destination at the end of this movie is some old bullshit. I like to tell you you’re going to Disney land but really you going to grand old bullshit factory. Now that not to say the road to this movie isn’t fun. It is if you willing to suspend some disbelief. You got to accept pretty much that hacker...is magic.  It is not going for realism. The hacker basically solves most obstacles of a hacker version of going “SHAZAM” and the problems.  That said, being able to hack into different camera and security footage plays well with the storytelling. It makes it fast and unique, giving you different views and shots of the scene. It makes the car chase scenes look frantic and fast pace. It's like a really good video game. It goes fast enough to not make you think about the sheer implausibility of all this. The main character bit of a pervert for going along with the caller plan as long as he did. You keep wondering why doesn’t he just hang up on this guy. The caller clearly shown to be insane the first couple minutes of talking to him. But Woods plays the character as docile enough where you’re not creep out by him and you can imagine him enough of a push over to fall for this. He seems good at playing weird character you still root for.  Sasha Gray plays the actress. She is ok. She isn’t the greatest actress. She doesn’t have a huge amount of range. She has a constant glum what called Eyorre face. You constant expecting her to say “Thanks for noticing me” but the character is a bit distant enough where that lack of emotion fits. There a couple of plots holes that hand waved away sloppily. Still you can get past that it might be a fun distraction (C+)

The Filth

The Filth

                If you thought cops in your country was bad, check this out. This is a British movie about a crooked cop who competing with other cops for his promotion, while a murder investigation taking place.  He goes on a path sabotaging his friends competing for a Job and general being a dirty rotten bastards. Well while trying to catch some killers. He crooked at a level that makes Vick Mackey look he works in Mayberry. He really surprise they made a film that follows someone that that much a piece of shit. This is not a complaint. He is an interesting piece of shit that makes you go “You know what it smells but got a unique smell to it “This cop is a druggy, a Jerk, a sociopath, and sex maniac. The Humor very dark but it gives an out there feel where you enjoy the ride. It also makes the main character funny enough where you go with him…somewhat and drops hints of sympathy. You just want to see what happens to him. That said he does do some horrible things where you loses him. He is not all fun and games. He is a scary mother F’er at times. So he probably goes to lose you at some point in the movie. But that when they heap stuff on him and you see WHY he this way that makes you want to follow him to figure it out. You start to pity him.  Also the people he going after is worst. Although he does it half ass like as possible. There is a change and tone that little unbalance. It gets REAL DARK and serious as the movie goes on. So it kind of a sudden Jarring switch. Thought it manage to still be off the wall during that seriousness.  Also some of the people he tricking come of a little too dumb or push over’s. He so obviously a lunatic...you surprise how he able to pull one over on them. You wonder how this dude remains on the Job in the first place. All through the movie it’s still a good ride. It goes by fast and pace well.  It’s a unique, interesting, fun, wild, drug fuel ride B+

Apollo 18

Apollo 18

This is a story that tells the real reason why we didn’t go back to the moon. This is the suppose true story with find footage about the last trip to the moon that turns deadly. The crew of Apollo 18 land and found out that they are not alone. I was a little weary of found footage movies of late. One they never really explain why they keep camera equipment around when it make since just to drop them and run. Another is everyone has camera equipment that would make James Cameron weep, and able to do camera work with their camera that would impress any film expert.  But here it gets around that issue. For one it has a reason why their cameras there because they on a scientific mission. Second they can’t escape of the camera...due to the whole...you know being sucked into the cold vacuumed of space. Which give it a claustrophobic...man...are they bone feel. You really feel the loneliness and desperation. They’re stuck in a small area going crazy and everything around them can kill them. Space is a dangerous...dangerous place even before the creature involve. The actors pretty natural, showing fear pretty well. The creatures are pretty creepy once they appear and there some good surprise scares. There also a mystery of why they were sent there. The special effect looks nice and natural and fit well with the grainy video. It takes advantage of that. There are a few cheap Jump scares. And at times the astronauts do the dumb things people do in these movies.  “Hey weird noises going on in this dark cavern...think I walk in there all by my lonesome.” It is  like science done by lemmings. But for the most part they play it straight. It slow but it builds up to a nice big creepy ending. B+

Haunter

Haunter

Aka Casper the Hipster Ghost. Haunter switch things up by putting you in a ghost side of the story. It not like some movies with similar twist, since you know the character are dead from the get goes. The main character knows she dead, it just the family doesn’t. Now she trying to find out way, and about past people who die in the book, and their connection. She does that while trying to talk to the living, even though she was warning not to. The movie stars Abigail Breslin as the ghost teen in Question. She seems to have died in the 80’s due to her clothes and love of labyrinth era David Bowie. She helps keep the story movie since she has to carry different emotion. She has to be scared, angry, sad, happy, nervous, and sometimes all at the same time. She manage to be a ticked off teen but not to bratty about it. She is also enough of the every girl where you follow the mystery as she solving it. It not a big acting type role, it low key and helps drives you a long as the clues given to you. She a bit of cipher that way but manages to do it without being boring. It helps that the small cast pretty good in carrying there rolls. Some of them carry creepy scenes. One problem with the movie is it slow at times. It takes it sweet time. It one of those I get to the point when I get to it, you guys just enjoy the atmosphere type of stories.  This stand out when you become a couple of steps ahead of the character. Also doesn’t help at time it only a little bit of dialogue. That not a huge complaint though since that time is to tell you the rules of the world. Those rules they stick to pretty well. Also you suppose to feel the since of repetitive that the character feeling. When it gets creepy it does it very well. It not real blood or gore, it most atmosphere and weird stuff happening. All and All a nice low key movie a B

Breaking the Girls

When it comes to erotic thrillers, Lesbian loves and murder plots go together like peanut butter and Jelly. It just goes perfect together.  This is one such tell that takes a strangest on a train plot. Where two people joking about wouldn’t it be a great idea, if each one of them kills someone the other head. This way each one of them has an Alibi. But OH No...Turns out one of them wasn’t joking. One of them went through it and now expects the other person to return the favor. But here it has a down on her luck college girl. The College girl pines for an X boyfriend who dating a stone cold bitch. Who not only, gets her fired, evicted, and almost kicked out of school?  Ouch that a holy trinity of bitchiness. The college girl while down on her luck, meets a wild party girl and they hit it off and have a lesbian love affair. 

The college girl view this as a onetime thing...but party girls goes all single white female and wants more. It is the college girl who brings up the murder idea and the first to Jump. There twist and turns along the way. Some of which pretty fun if you let you mind go. Some of scenes are pretty hot and the party girls play a good crazy girl. The girls are pretty hot. It’s the main character that a bit of problem...since she seems lifeless and monotone a lot of time. She has one setting...and that setting seem to be a light cruise control. No matter how bad or crazy things get...she never hits the emotional pedal in her acting. She reacts to seeing a murder the same way you would react to finding a ticket on your cars. Also the plan she somewhat convoluted and require them to have the worst cops sense the cops on Dexter. A small amount of investigation would have totally destroyed the plan. And the plan requires for too many things going right. Still a decent watch for the ladies but their much better movies of it type. C+