At the Devil's Door (2014)

At the Devil's Door is an fast-paced, high-tension horror film with surprises and jump scares around every corner. This film had me anxious through it's entire duration as I was never sure when something was going to jump out or appear. This is one of the scariest movies I've seen in a while.

The film starts off with this girl (Ashley Rickards) and this boy she just met embracing each other. Next, the girl is taken to a trailer where she is asked to play a game and if she does so correctly, she will be paid $500. The man in the trailer tells her that she has been chosen by "him" and that she must go to where the roads meet and say her name so that he knows who she is when he's ready to call for her. Flash forward to the future, we are introduced to Leigh (Catalina Sandino Moreno), a real estate agent trying to sell the house where this first girl apparently lived a long time ago. It turns out that weird stuff started happening to this first girl and she had killed herself in that house where this couple lived thereafter. Leigh does not know this and as she's checking out the house, she sees the girl around the place, thinking that it is the couple's daughter who ran away a few months ago. Whatever supernatural entity has consumed the girl at this point tells Leigh she is not what it's looking for and kills her. Enter Leigh's sister Vera (Naya Rivera) who now enters the house to find out about how her sister died. She becomes aware of the first girl and what happened to her by talking to a friend of the girl's and after entering the house, the entity now comes after her. It appears the entity wants to take on a human form.

There's a lot more to the plot but I do not want to give away too much. But overall, I thought the screenplay was well-written. For the first third or so of the movie, we flash back and forth between Leigh and the first girl. Leigh is trying to sell the house (this is present-day in the movie) and the first girl is experiencing all this scary stuff happening to her (this is the past in the movie). So we switch between the entity haunting Leigh in the present and trying to take over the original girl in the past. Now at this point, we have no idea that the original girl had killed herself so while the entity haunts Leigh in the girl's form, we wonder whether she'd dead or alive and if she's dead, how did she die? Well, we find out the answers to our questions by the time the entity kills Leigh so it all makes sense at that point. To be honest, I wasn't even sure whether or not they were flashing back to the past when it came to the original girl, but it becomes clear that that is the case. That was written very well though because the audience interested and asking questions the whole time. Then after that, the story gets so disturbing and so incredibly creepy that I was tense until the very end of the film. The plot really picks up when the entity starts going after Leigh's sister Vera. There is not a single moment where something isn't happening, where you aren't covering your eyes from the screen, and where you are simply shocked beyond belief. So I like how this was set-up: draw the audience in by giving the back story of the original girl and how Leigh comes in contact with the entity for the first half, then focus on the entity trying to get inside Vera during the second half. By doing this, it is not only known that Vera is under attack from some supernatural creature but we also know how it found her and what it wants exactly. So excellent job to Director and Writer Nicholas McCarthy!

This is an excellent horror movie because of all the jump scenes and because of the creepy atmosphere that this film's setting creates. Personally, I jumped about 10 times and actually screamed as a result of one of these scenes. This film does an excellent job of keeping you extremely tense and making you want to cover your eyes because you simply don't know when something is going to jump out or appear because it happens so much. Even though you are expecting it, it still startles you! Often, what they would do is show you in the background that something is there but then make it go away but this warns you that a scare scene is coming. The warning doesn't help! It just makes you more frightened and apprehensive about what's coming and it is a very effective tool for a horror movie to use and this one executes it wonderfully. I also liked how there were some scares where we got to see the entity's natural form and some where he is still inside the original girl and she pops out of nowhere. A mix of these two rather than just overusing one or the other makes them equally scary whenever they pop out unexpectedly. The setting also helps to build this tense atmosphere. The house is large, dark, and there are many crawlspaces and closets for this thing to be hiding in. There are also a few scary moments in Leigh's house before she dies and Vera's apartment. All were creepy places and all generated an uneasy feeling. Perhaps it is good that all the scares don't take place in one place because that might make it lose its effectiveness and we might become aware of places where the entity could pop up over and over again. Utilizing these other dwellings eliminates redundancy in setting and atmosphere.

The cast did an outstanding job, great performances all around! Naya Rivera as Vera was the best performance in my opinion. We also get to know the characters very well through the script. We find out a lot about the original girl and what happened to her after she played that game in the trailer when Vera talks to a friend of the girl's. Rivera's performance also helps us care for Vera and feel all of the pain and suffering she is going through. She is a very likable character and the audience feels bad for her suffering at the hands of the evil entity. We don't get to see that much of Leigh since she's killed early on but Moreno did a good job playing her role and Leigh shows a lot of love and compassion for her sister which makes her a good character as well. Believe it or not, we also feel bad for the original girl because she can't help what the entity is doing to her and she actually does a noble thing by killing herself (you'll see what I mean). So very well-written characters!

Overall, At the Devil's Door is certainly one of the best horror films of 2014. I highly recommend you give this film a viewing, but don't watch it by yourself or late at night before you go to bed!

BaD BiRdS: 4/5- EXCELLENT FILM!

In Fear (2013)

As a horror movie, In Fear has its moments. There are a few jolting jump scares, some really tense situations, and it generates an eerie vibe. We really have no idea what's going on and why. In some cases, that's what makes a horror movie really good. In this case however, the plot is really drawn out, makes absolutely no sense, and the payoff is not really satisfying in any way. To me, the movie was boring and it was a complete mess.

The plot is really simple. Two people who had just met a couple weeks prior, Lucy (Alice Englert) and Tom (Iain De Caestecker) decide to go to a festival together. After leaving a nearby pub (the film takes place in Ireland), they are lead by a group of people to a hotel, but after they are left on their own, the signs that should be leading Lucy and Tom to the hotel simply lead them in circles. After a while, they have no idea where they are going. They are basically in a maze. At the same time, weird stuff starts happening. Lucy is convinced that she sees a man in a mask lurking around and stalking them in the nearby woods. Tom then tells her that something happened in the pub and Lucy is convinced that whatever happened in the pub, it has caused whoever this person is to come after them. However, Tom will simply not spill the beans for some odd reason. So as their driving, they hit the man Lucy has been seeing and he asks them for a ride. His name is Max (Allen Leech). It appears he's friendly but then he threatens to kill Lucy and it appears it has been him that's been doing all this stuff to them all along. Why? Well he says Tom spilled someone's drink in the pub. Does this really warrant torturing and killing him? I really don't think so, but whatever. By the way, we never find out if there's more to what happened. Tom never says exactly what happened in the pub and neither does Max. So what's the point of torturing Lucy and Tom? There is none!! :)))

As you can tell, I wasn't very happy with the story line. For the most part, it is bland and uninteresting. It pretty much involves Tom and Lucy fighting with each other over getting lost in the maze the whole time. That's about it. For the first 40 minutes of the movie, barely anything happens. After that, weird stuff finally starts happening but even these scenes weren't enough to draw me in. They were short and after they were over, we go back to the monotonous arguing that is a continuous occurrence between Tom and Lucy throughout the film. The only part of the film that was really high in tension was after they agree to give Max a ride and he attacks Lucy and threatens to kill her. he gives her ten seconds to choose whether he kills her or Tom. That was very suspenseful. And also, I will compliment the movie on making me jump a few times, but there was just nothing in between to keep me interested. I found myself falling asleep after a while. Plus, as I said before, we never find out why Max is after them really. We also never get any details as to what happened in the pub. I don't get why Tom had such a big problem telling Lucy what happened and it's bad because now we as the audience never find out. All we get to know is that he spilled someone's drink. Wow, what a son of a bitch!!! That's so worth following and torturing him for 6 hours over!

The movie itself was poorly scripted. There's no interesting dialogue to keep anyone interested. In fact, there's really not much dialogue other than when Tom and Lucy are arguing. We don't learn about the characters at all like we should through the script. Plus, Tom's character is an idiot. Now, I know that when people are in life-threatening situations they will certainly feel helpless and have no idea what to do, but Tom is truly the biggest idiot when it came to this one. He leaves Lucy alone in the car multiple times, argues with her over and over again about which way to go, and he takes forever to make decisions that should be really simple to make. When you are in a predicament that could mean the difference between life and death, you try to work together to figure a way out of it. Tom made this impossible. His character was poorly written and poorly scripted. And it's a shame because Caestecker actually did a nice job acting in the film. The idiocy of the character takes away from the great performance though. Besides that, Alice Englert and Allen Leech actually performed well too. Leech does a good job passing off Max as being insane and threatening. Englert made Lucy a likable character as well and I felt really bad that she was stuck in this maze with this idiot of a guy she just met. So the acting was one of the few positive things about this movie.

There is no depth to anything: the characters, the plot, the script, the motive, it is all shallow. We barely to get to know any of the characters and there is no character development whatsoever. Tom is naive the entire time and he never reveals any information that we'd like to know about the pub. Lucy was always likable, so no complaints there. Max is always a lunatic, so no complaints there. Tom was the one whose character should have changed but it never did.

There are a few positives about the movie: the tension and suspense do build at the end as Tom and Lucy try to get away from Max. After he threatens them in the car, which is by far the best part of the entire movie, he follows them in a truck and through the woods. I was actually a bit interested at that point. So good job there, but the payoff is just unsatisfying unfortunately. You'll see what I mean. The setting was well-done. It really looked and felt like a maze and the feeling of being isolated was there. Lighting was good for the most part; it is dark but flashlights make it easy to see what's going on. And the few jump scares that added thrill to the plot worked very well.

Overall, the few positive things i mentioned do not save this from being a lousy film overall. There simply must be more depth. That's really it. I wouldn't recommend watching this one but I wouldn't eliminate it from a possible viewing all together. What surprises me is how 86% of movie critics like this film. I think I will be listening to the other 14% that said this film wasn't good from now on.

BaD BiRdS: 2/5- BAD, BUT NOT HORRIBLE

~MJ Aufiero

Into The Storm (2014)

Into the Storm is an exhilarating film mainly because of its unbelievable special effects. Besides that, there are also some other characteristics of the film that are positive: likable characters; some character development; dramatized, suspenseful moments that could mean the difference between life and death; and the overall theme of the film. It is a perfect mix of action, turmoil, and drama that will keep the audience interested the entire time.

The plot is simple but there's a lot going on. First off, we have a crew of storm chasers consisting of Pete (Matt Walsh) the leader of the team, Daryl (Arlen Escarpeta) one of the drivers and filmer, Jacob (Jeremy Sumter) the other filmer, and Allison (Sarah Wayne Callies) the chief meteorologist and analyst of all the weather data. Allison looks at it all and decides where the crew should go to maximize the chance of intercepting a tornado. The crew posses a steel-armored vehicle called Titus that is designed to go inside a tornado and anchor itself into the ground so that the team can film the "eye" the storm. They are shooting this footage for their very own documentary but have not had much luck (that is about to change). Two high school graduates Donnie (Max Deacon) and Trey (Nathan Kress) are also shooting a video for a time capsule that is supposed to be opened in 25 years from now. Their father Gary (Richard Armitrage) kind of ignores them and pushes them away in the beginning and his kids resent him for this. He is the vice principal of Silverton High School (the film takes place in Silverton, KY). Donnie also likes a girl named Kaitlyn (Alycia Debnam Carey) and so rather than filming graduation like he's supposed to, Donnie agrees to help Kaitlyn shoot a film she needs to make (they would later regret doing this). In addition, there is a daredevil named Donk (Kyle Davis) doing wacky stuff with his buddy Reevis (Jon Reep) the whole time and they get dangerously close to some of the tornadoes, which adds humor and fun to the plot. So basically, Allison decides that the team should go to Silverton as she believes that's where a tornado will form. Well she is right, but a lot more than one twister will be spawned that day. An onslaught of twisters assault the town, one hitting the high school with all the graduates hunkered inside. In the end, a MASSIVE, ARMAGEDDON-LIKE TWISTER forms and they all must dodge the beast. At this point, Donnie, his brother Trey, Kaitlyn and Gary have all met the storm chasing team and their paths converge as they try to survive the massive twister.

So the plot is not the focus of this film, but there actually is a story line and its pretty good. We have stormchasers who have been unlucky of late trying to find a tornado to intercept and film, we have two brothers making a time capsule for graduation and a father they have issues with, we have a bit of a love story between Donnie and Kaitlyn (who eventually become trapped and need to be saved), and we have a series of deadly tornadoes impacting this town. So basically, there's a lot going on! To be honest, the time capsule thing was a little boring in the beginning, but there is a purpose for it by the end of the movie, I swear. The story is good because dramatized moments are woven in perfectly. Whenever tornadoes strike, somebody important to the plot almost gets swept away. At one point, Kaitlyn and Donnie become trapped and are about to be drowned, so they take video of their final words to their parents and loved ones. This was an emotional high point for me, I had tears in my eyes. Their grief was actually pretty convincing and it had an effect on me. The set-up was actually really good: draw the audience in with the smaller tornadoes first, then finish off with the massive beast of a tornado for the climax of the film. The audience is thrilled and wants more and guess what, you get what you wish for! It just keeps getting more intense as the movie goes along. I was also happy for the semi-love story that was being portrayed between Donnie and Kaitlyn. They knew they might not survive and in these situations emotions always grow high and it did between these two. I was routing for them to survive with all my heart! So good job there! Although the plot wasn't elaborate in any way (it's a natural disaster movie what do you expect?), it was still more than I asked for.

Now, I'm going to be a meteorologist when I'm done with college and I know a lot about thunderstorms and tornadoes and the dynamics that come together to create these massive whirlwinds of destruction. So basically, I was looking for a bit of weather terminology to be spoken from Allison, the chief meteorologist. It was incorporated into the script and it was used accurately as well. I was happy with the way the science was explained. It is simple enough that any audience should understand the phenomena but also complex enough to satisfy weather buffs like me. If you plan to see this movie, let me just clear up confusions about a few terms:

1.) Wind Shear- Wind moves at different speeds and at different directions at different levels in the atmosphere. The greater this variety is at different levels, the more wind shear there is. Winds moving in different directions at different heights aid rotation of the storm's winds, increasing the chance of tornado development.

2.) Updraft (Mesocyclone)- The "power house" of the storm. This is the movement of warm air upward into the center of the storm. the quicker and higher the warm air rises, the higher cumulonimbus clouds reach and the more powerful the storm. Storms with stronger updrafts are more likely to last longer and produce tornadoes.

3.) Supercell- A strong to severe thunderstorm with a very strong updraft that is usually rotating. supercells tend to be isolated from lines of storms and they are the most infamous and create the most damage out of all thunderstorm types. They can produce extremely large hail, deadly tornadoes, destructive winds, heavy rain and flash flooding, and dangerous lightning.

4.) Hook Echo- A signature on radar that literally looks like the precipitation is wrapping around something. This signature indicates strong rotation at a certain location in the storm and indicates that a tornado has developed or most likely will very shortly.

5.) Wall Cloud- A lowered cloud base at the leading edge of a thunderstorm. These structures can exhibit rotation and signal the possible development of a tornado.

Okay I think I have covered all the meteorology terms used in the film. Now you will know what they mean when Allison says them! Now, according to this film, the massive tornado's center is calm and there are no winds at all, much like the eye of a hurricane. Is this true of tornadoes in real life? I really don't think so but I have never been inside a twister so I cannot know for sure. I kind of thought that was a bit of a mistake because the eye of the hurricane is calm, but not the center of a tornado.

The special effects were the single best aspect of this film. The tornadoes looked realistic and were actually very scary looking, even the little ones. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a tornado in this movie and a tornado in real life. The "armageddon" tornado at the end was freaking terrifying!! It was so massive, so black, so ominous looking I couldn't even believe it. It was like a black hole was coming to suck up the town and it looked REAL! Great job to the special effects team for that! The destruction was widespread and devastating and it was well-done. It too looked like what an actual tornado would leave behind. The action scenes where we were close to or inside a tornado were simply exhilarating! There is a scene where the armageddon twister is picking up airplanes and throwing them away like toys. The audio was great too! When the tornadoes struck, it was loud and frightening, sounded like a freight train. The winds were strong and powerful as well. Everything from impact to conclusion was done perfectly. It was life-like and it was scary. What brilliant effects! So satisfied, could not have asked for more in this department!

The acting was not top-notch, but it was good enough to satisfy me. there were some characters and some performances that I really liked. Sarah Wayne Callies did an excellent job playing Allison. Allison is a mother who is separated from her little girl a lot due to her job and so part of her struggles as a storm chaser is to deal with this sometimes long-term separation. Callies does a good job portraying the grief attributed to this situation and I liked this in general because it realistically conveys what a storm chaser sacrifices when committing themselves to a job in this field. Allison is also the most kind, caring, and compassionate character in the film. She helps Gary as he's trying to save Donnie and Kaitlyn. Allison doesn't know him but she puts that and the fact that she's supposed to be storm-chasing aside to help him out. Very admirable. I also thought Alycia Carey did a nice job portraying her grief on camera when she was saying her potential final words, so good performance there too!  I thought it was also cool how Trey gets to act like a storm chaser when he's inside the Titus and Nathan Kress does a good job acting all of this out. Everyone else was average to good. There is some character development: In the beginning of the film, Pete, the lead storm chaser, is obsessed with filming the tornadoes and is insensitive to everyone else's needs but comes through to help them in the end, Gary is insensitive to his boys in the beginning but is loving and compassionate in the end, and overall, all of the characters learn a very valuable lesson. They learn to live every day as if it's your last. Care for each other as much as you can while you have the chance. You never know when your time here will be up. Live in the moment, take it day by day. This powerful theme was a great conclusion to this action-packed thriller!

Into the Storm is most definitely a great movie to see, especially if you love destruction, mayhem, and natural disasters. Give this one a shot! I highly doubt you will be disappointed!

BaD BiRdS: 3.5/5- GREAT FILM!!!

~MJ Aufiero

How I Met Your Mother Finale- Review & Thoughts (SPOILERS INCLUDED!!)

(SPOILERS INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW): 
How I Met Your Mother is by far my favorite sitcom, and to go even further, I would say it's my favorite television show of all time hands down. The show is very unique in many ways. Although it is a comedy, I also consider it to be a bit of drama as sad stuff does occur quite often throughout the 9 seasons of the series. This show teaches valuable life lessons about many things: Friendship, love, relationships, loss, betrayal, acceptance, etc. The list goes on and on. I liked the series a lot because of the values it teaches to the audience. The characters themselves are also great. They are different from each other (which makes the show more dynamic) but they all find a way to accept each other the way they are and hold a strong enduring bond throughout all of life's trials and tribulations. This aspect proves inspirational in how people in real life should view and treat each other. It is also a very touching characteristic and it helps us like the characters and become emotionally invested in them that much more. Personally, I grew very attached to each and every one of the characters: Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), Robin (Colbie Smulders), Lily (Alyson Hannigan), Marshall (Jason Segel), and especially Ted (Josh Radnor). Everyone of these actors does a sensational job bringing life, personality, reality, expression, and emotion to each of the characters. I got so invested in them that I viewed them all as being real people even though we all know they are fictional. I felt every emotion that they felt. When Marshall lost his dad, I felt that pain. When Stella left Ted at the altar, I felt that pain. When Lily left Marshall, I felt that pain. And finally, getting to the point of this review, I felt Ted's pain more than any other time when it is revealed that Tracy, the mother played by Cristin Milioti, died six years ago (2024) before Ted started telling his children the story of how he met her.

So, how does the series end? It turns out that the mother had grown ill and died years ago. At the same token, Barney and Robin had gotten divorced and Ted's kids urge him to ask Robin out because as we know, Ted has had feelings for Robin since the very first episode of the series. I have very mixed feelings about the ending but overall, I am fairly satisfied with the conclusion.

To be honest, I had grown very attached To Cristin Milioti as Ted's wife, the mother we had been waiting nine seasons to meet. I liked her so much because Tracy was a perfect match for Ted. There was no one better for him than her in my opinion. They had so much in common it was uncanny. Plus, they really just looked like an excellent couple; they went great together. Milioti played Tracy's character so well that only seeing her for one season didn't detract from how much I grew attached to the character. Ted is a lot like me and throughout those nine seasons, he had gone through so much heartache and pain; dealing with failed relationships, crazy women (Jennete), and the unrequited love situation with Robin. There really is a great deal of pain that someone experiences when they love someone who doesn't feel the same way and because I myself have been through that, I was greatly attached to Ted's character as well. I was routing for him to win and finally get everything he has been waiting for. In that case, I thought Tracy was the perfect reward for going through all he went through. I especially liked it that they had passed by each other so many times in the past without realizing it and it took till that night after Barney and Robin's wedding at the train station for them to meet and they reminisce about how they have barely missed each other so many times.

The scene where they meet at the train station is my favorite part- it's emotional, it's romantic, it's real, it's perfect. When Ted talks about how if his road hadn't been so long and arduous, the lesson wouldn't have been clear, all of the themes necessary to this finale are being conveyed. He talks about how from the moment he met Tracy, he knew he had to love this woman as much as he could and never stop loving her even for a second. And that is so important because you never know when your time here will be over, as shown by Tracy suddenly falling ill and passing away. Also, Ted thanks god and the universe that he was able to stand up, walk over to Tracy and speak to her that night when they finally met. This conveys that life is all about choices: if Ted didn't make the choice to stand up and talk to Tracy that night, they wouldn't have experienced 11 happy years together. You have to take risks in life, because often, they do indeed work out. And finally, although Tracy dying was like taking an arrow through the heart (for me anyway because I had grown so attached to her), it is a realistic ending and it further enforces the lesson of loving and being kind to those that are close to you while they are here. And to be honest, Ted and Tracy were happy together for 11 years which is a long time.

I loved how Ted gets Robin in the end actually because Robin is the girl who from the first episode of the series Ted said would be the future Mrs. Mosby. So that was actually really uplifting. I was quite disappointed about Robin and Barney getting divorced, but the fact that Barney has a baby reinforces the character development that occurred when he was earlier married to Robin. So although it looks like Barney is reverting back to his old ways after him and Robin get divorced, having a baby brings back all that development and change to his personality from the earlier marriage.

Overall, I am very happy with the finale. The ending to a series like this should be a bit sad to add emotional drama and there should also be an upside to it all and many different themes should be conveyed. This finale accomplishes all of that.

RATING: 9.5/10 

~MJ Aufiero

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

The Cabin in the Woods is an intense psychological thriller. It can also be categorized as a gory horror movie, a mystery movie, and even a bit of a comedy. It is so unique in its premise and the way it is written and it's setup is perfect. The audience will be thrilled with pretty much everything about the film. It is truly one of a kind.

So, the plot revolves around five friends: Dana (Kristen Connolly), Curt (Chris Hemsworth), Jules (Anna Hutchison), Marty (Fran Kranz), and Holden (Jesse Williams) who are all going on vacation to Curt's cousin's isolated cabin out in the woods. In the beginning of the film, we are also introduced to Sitterson (Richard Jenkins) and Hadley (Bradley Whitford), two men that appear to be leaders of some organization conducting some sort of experiment or ritual on other people that are selected by machine. We as the audience don't know what they're doing or why they're doing it and I'm not giving that away, but the organization is full of a lot of people that are in on this experiment/ritual. Unfortunately for the five friends, they have been selected to be a part of this. Unaware that the cabin they're going to is in a computer generated area, they go there and weird crap starts to happen after Dana finds a diary in the cellar and zombies attack them. Sitterson and Hadley manipulate the environment to see to it that the experiment/ritual is carried out correctly. That is all I will say. Oh, other countries participate in this too.

 The movie was very well-written; the plot is full of mystery, intrigue, suspense, and surprises at every turn. For the first half of the film, we flash back between what's going on with the five friends at the cabin, and what Sitterson and Hadley are doing to manipulate the environment. During this time period, the audience is drawn in because of the mystery. Why are they doing this to the five friends? What will happen to them? It just gets so weird. The people at the organization even bet on what type of monster gets unleashed by the five friends. But why? What the hell is the point of all this? That's why it's so good! Plus, being attacked by zombies creates a lot of thrill to keep the audience drawn in. Two of the characters are attacked in the woods, and another one is pulled from his room through the window. These and additional zombie attack scenes were just so damn exhilarating! So it's suspenseful and it raises so many questions. Now, i know what you're thinking: zombies are so cliche. I too was asking myself, how could they possibly make this plot especially unique to the point where I am just shocked beyond belief? I got what I wished for. Eventually, the two surviving characters take an elevator down into the heart of the organization and we are introduced to a slew of creepy ass disgusting, horrifying, and disturbing creatures and monsters. Remember how I said the five friends were able to pick which monsters get released to go after them? Well these are all the possible choices they had! The story is so twisted and so unique by the end that I was beyond satisfied.

The special effects were amazing! I gotta be honest, the lighting was a bit off during some of the zombie attack scenes so it was hard to see what was happening, but the blood and gore was there. The best part of the movie for special effects is when "army of nightmares" (all the different monsters) are released and it just becomes a freaking bloodbath. I'm not saying how or why they get released though! So, there is certainly enough blood spattering and limb tearing to satisfy any horror buff thirsty for this type of stuff. In addition, the different creatures were designed beautifully! The ideas for some of the specific creatures were quite original! Of course you have your unoriginal ones like the werewolf, but then you have new ones like the Merman (Male mermaid). You will see why I like the merman so much later in the movie; there is an especially funny scene with this creature. But really, I am so fascinated by all the different monsters that were thought up of and created. Fantastic job!

The setting was very well-done. It is very creepy and unsettling. A dark cabin isolated in the dense, lonely woods. It does a great job of setting the mood. I got an uneasy feeling just looking at the thing. Despite how small it looks on the outside, it is actually quite spacious on the inside, big enough for each person to have their own room. This allowed for weird and scary things to happen to individual characters at specific times. And then the area where the monsters are unleashed and the bloodbath occurs was well-done as well. It was cool how the creatures were all in their own cubicles and released by the opening of elevator doors. Great job making the environment visually stimulating!

The acting was great and the characters were very well-done. Dana is really the hero kind of. Connolly does a great job of playing her role, she gives Dana a lot of personality and passes her off as being brave, smart, and enduring. She gives Dana a lot of heart and she is a very likable character because of that. My next favorite character was Marty. Now this guy is high from something he has been smoking the whole time. Kranz does a good job acting like he was out of it and actually, because he is high, he is somehow immune to the pheromones that Sitterson and Hadley use to manipulate the characters so he kind of figures out that something is going on. In the end, Dana is the only one who ends up believing him. He was a very funny character. As for Curt and Jules, they had been effected by pheromones from the organization: Jules was supposed to act like a slut basically and Curt was supposed to act like a macho man. Hemsworth and Hutchison do a nice job of filling these roles as well. Williams also gives Holden emotion as he starts to become attracted to Dana and it is clear that there is chemistry between them when they are alone (do they end up together?) Plus, all the characters conveyed proper emotions in specific situations through facial expressions, physical reactions, and tone of voice. Excellent job to the cast!!!

So why is this film so unique? To summarize, it's premise is original. Although we've all seen movies where unfortunate victims are forced to play games or participate in rituals, this film takes it to a whole new level. Other countries do it, and there's a large mass of people who relish enjoyment watching it ensue. Plus, I personally can't remember another film where monsters are used to manipulate and control the subjects like they are in this film. The purpose of the ritual is also unique, but I'm not giving that away. It is different because of its writing: The script and the story come together to make it a perfect blend of horror, mystery, suspense, and comedy. At different times in the movie, I was mystified and asking questions, very disturbed, and laughing loud. When a movie can generate those three reactions together, you know it has done a great job. The movie's special effects and the creative value of the creatures also set it apart. The Cabin in the Woods just truly is its own special kind of movie in every single way you can possibly think of.

So with that being said, congratulations to Director and Writer Drew Goddard and Writer Joss Whedon! You have created a wonderful masterpiece! I really hope we all get to see more of your wonderful work in the future! And good job to Lionsgate! Any movie you get involved in always turns out great!

By the way, who wouldn't want to watch a movie where one of the characters says, "Sorry for letting you get attacked by a werewolf and ending the world." What is the meaning behind that quote? Watch the movie and find out. BUY THIS ONE. DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO OWN THIS MOVIE!! IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FILMS OF ALL TIME.

BaD BiRdS: 4.5/5- SENSATIONAL PIECE OF WORK!

~MJ Aufiero

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

The Purge: Anarchy has a lot more to offer than The Purge. It possesses a compelling main story; a broader view of the violence and mayhem going on in the city of Los Angeles on the night of the purge; scary, suspenseful moments; complex political elements that currently exist in the modern-day U.S. (government corruption, revolt of the poor, etc.); and a good mix of people to make up the main characters. This film puts its predecessor to shame and that is no exaggeration; you will be on the edge of your seat and engulfed in the story-line from beginning to end.

I'm going to try not to give away too much as I summarize the plot for the movie because if I tell you too much, the movie will not be enjoyable. But when we start out, it is about 2 1/2 hours before the start of the annual purge. We are immediately introduced to Ava and her daughter Kelly, the first two main characters. They are African American and are poor and living with Ava's father. Next, we are introduced to a man named Sergeant Leo Barnes who appears to be arming up to do some damage on purge night. Then finally, we are introduced to Shane and Liz, a couple who are separating as can obviously be told by the fact that they are arguing all the time. The purge starts. Unfortunately, one thing that the rich people do during the purge is buy off poor people to kill. Thus, in order for Ava's father to leave something valuable for his daughter and granddaughter, he sells himself to a rich family for $100,000 that will get put into Ava's and Kelly's bank accounts after the purge has ended. At the same time, Shane and Liz are being chased by a truck full of masked people after their car breaks down and they must abandon it. Leo is simply driving around and we have no idea what his plans are (until the end of the movie of course). The paths of all these characters will cross on this fateful night and they will have to work together to survive. That is all I'm giving away about the story.

Now, the first thing that is obviously super better about this sequel is its more complex set-up. It's a lot more intriguing; first, we are introduced to a couple, two African American women, and a man who have no bearing on each other's lives whatsoever. At this point, I was curious to whether they were going to flash back and forth between three separate stories the whole time, or whether the characters would connect. Fortunately, the connection happens and something like this is always excellent in a thriller because you have people who have never met each other before and in order to survive the night, they have absolutely no choice but to work together. It's very hard to trust people you don't know. You never know when someone might betray you. This sufficiently adds to the level of suspense and an environment of tension as the characters battle trying to figure out whether or not they can trust Leo (in this movie, he is the hero basically, the leader of the group). Besides that, the five people are stuck outside where all hell is breaking loose. They must find a place inside where they will be safe (even after they do it still doesn't work out but not saying anything about it!) so while they are going through the city, they are attacked by purgers multiple times, including the masked people in the truck who were chasing Shane and Liz early on. The audience (and the characters for that matter) have no idea when someone might strike- they are always in danger. This adds more tension and suspense and there are even a few scenes that made me jump. Plus, the audience will be forever curious about what the intentions of the masked people in the truck are. The main plot is full of action and thrill.

Another thing that sets the sequel apart from the first film is the setting. The Purge took place in a house the entire time. This simply isn't that suspenseful. Being out wandering the city of Los Angeles is a hell of a lot more dangerous and it allows for change of scenery to keep the background from becoming too dull. Also, being out in the city allows there to be a much broader and vivid display of the chaos and violence going on. There are several points in the movie where we see random guys getting shot and stabbed, random people turning up dead, an insane woman shouting off a rooftop and firing a machine gun at anybody who just so happens to pass by on the street below. You can always here shooting and explosions in the background. There are fires being lit, it just never ends. It truly is hell on Earth. Shooting the movie in the city allowed the producers to create a much more unsettling and dynamic atmosphere than in the first film. Also, this allowed the producers to show more criminals rather than just the one group of criminals that attacked the house in the first film. There are tons of purgers and perpetrators that show up throughout the film. this broadness is better. There was also a lot more usage of heavy weaponry which adds to the thrill of the environment. This was not true in the first film either.

The broader political elements conveyed in the film also portray the idea that the purpose of the purge is not really what it seems. It becomes apparent as the story moves along that the government is involved somehow. So the purge isn't simply about citizens cleansing their souls; there's a lot more to it. I'm not giving away what the government has to do with it, but another thing I liked was there was a bit of a revolution of the poor people against the rich, headed by protest leader Carmelo Jones. I was a little disappointed because we don't see much of them and the idea of an all-out war between rich and poor on purge night is very aspiring but I was thrilled that the idea was there at least. The political elements just add so much to the film. It's not just about five random people that we couldn't care less about like in the first film pretty much (although there is a subtlety of politics in the first film as Henry and his group of killers are hunting a poor man in the house; so the idea is there, but it is expanded upon much more in the sequel). I can't wait to see if more of these political issues are brought into the third film (if there is one) even more so than this one!

The acting in this film was sensational. Frank Grillo did a fantastic job playing the sergeant; he played him off well as being brave, heroic, and a good leader for the group. He did a good job of portraying his attitude to the other 4 characters after he just meets them as well. Zoe Soul was my next favorite; she was inquisitive about Leo and why he did what he did to help them, she was emotional (very good and convincing facial expressions) and she, like the others was scared when she needed to be. Carmen Ejogo was good playing Eva, the mother; her love for her daughter is apparent and convincing. Getting into character development a little bit, which was monumental throughout this movie, Zach Gilford and Kelie Sanchez who play Shane and Liz are convincing with their bickering in the beginning of the film, but as the story progresses and they are fighting for their lives, they come to love each other once more. Leo's character also changes monumentally, as he begins to care and trust about the other 4 he has taken under his wing for the night. great job everyone! You all performed excellent and your characters were well-written and well-created!

I have no real complaints about this film. It takes a while to get to the government involvement and the poor revolting, which to me was a little annoying because I'm all about conveying and expanding upon complex ideas and values, but the main story contains enough action to keep you entertained until the end where everything is explained by a man who actually works for the government on purge night. So my suggestion, watch this film! When it comes out on blu-ray/DVD, buy it!!

BaD BiRdS: EXCELLENT MOVIE!!



~MJ Aufiero

The Prowler (1981)

By 80s standards, The Prowler is a sensational slasher film. By today's standards, it's actually still pretty good, but in general, there are some things that could have been better.

In the beginning of the film, a ship full of troops from WW II is returning home to New York Harbor. One of the troops on the ship had been in a relationship with a girl named Francis Rosemary Chatham (Joy Glaccum), daughter of Major Chatham (Lawrence Tierney). However, it took a long time for the troops to come home so Rosemary writes her lover a letter telling him she cannot wait for him to return any longer. As a result, her now former lover kills Rosemary and her new boyfriend at the 1945 graduation dance in Avalon Bay. Fast forward 35 years to 1980, for the first time since the incident in 1945, another graduation dance is being held. Coincidentally, Rosemary's killer had never been caught, and he's back to reek more vengeance on the graduates in the name of Rosemary, the girl who broke his heart. The major characters in the film are Pamela McDonald (Vicky Dawson), Deputy London (Christopher Goutman), and the prowler himself (Peter Giuliano).

The plot for the film is simple; it's simply a tragic love story leading to the killer's actions. In the case of this film, we are given a vague identity of the killer (he is Rosemary's ex-boyfriend) and we are given his motive for reeking revenge right in the first five minutes of the film. I know that sounds bad, but it actually isn't. It was very helpful to know this in the beginning of the film; the plot is not meant to be complex; this is a slasher film. So they set up the background right in the beginning, and the rest of the movie is about the prowler slicing and dicing the students at the graduate dance. When the story is so simple like this one is, it is essential for the movie to keep the audience interested by making sure there is a lot happening in the way of action, in this case that would be a lot of killing.

This brings me to my first problem with The Prowler: There simply weren't enough kill scenes. After the beginning when Rosemary and her new boyfriend are killed, only four people other than the main characters get killed. That may sound like a lot, but the murders are not spread out enough. The first two deaths happen within two minutes of each other, and then we wait about another 20 minutes and the next two kill scenes happen one right after the other and then that's it. There's still 30 minutes to go in the movie and no one else gets killed until the main characters confront the killer at the end of the film. In a movie like The Prowler where the visual effects were astounding and gruesome (more on that later), you want to show them off continuously throughout the movie, especially when there is not a complex story that can keep the audience interested while we divert from the killings. I would have been satisfied if one of these two things were true:

1.) A total of 6-8 minor characters getting slashed would have been better than just 4. This would have allowed the movie to flash its visual effects often and would keep the audience thrilled as the two main characters try to find out what is going on.

2.) The 4 kill scenes are spread out more effectively instead of bunched together in separate pairs. Because the killer spends an inordinate amount of time stalking the two main characters but doesn't do anything to them, there is a lot of time where nothing is happening. Hey, you're a killer! Why don't you find some more stupid, useless characters to kill instead of standing around not doing anything to Pamela and Deputy London the whole time. They are the main characters, we know they will be alive until the end of the film, so provide us with entertainment and kill some more deadbeats instead!

Just to provide a specific example, after the fourth person is killed, there is a couple making love in the basement of the building where the dance is taking place. This would have been absolutely perfect for a gruesome murder scene but no, they live. I was highly disappointed about this.

As I said before, there is a lot of time where nothing is really happening- basically Pamela and Deputy London are just wandering around the town and through Major Chatham's house for half the film and that gets quite annoying after a while. However, the one thing it does is it shows how Pamela is putting the pieces together as she figures out what is going on, which is good.

The visual effects were absolutely fantastic. Although there were only 4 murder scenes, they were gruesome as hell with copious amounts of blood being spattered all over the place. For 1981, this was very well-done and even audiences today will be thrilled and disturbed by these messy killings. I was shocked at how graphic they were, especially in a 1981 slasher flick. The graphic nature of this film makes some of today's modern slasher flicks look horrible, Prom Night (2008) being one example, as there was little to no blood associated with the killings in this film. I am highly impressed with the work of Tom Savini in this film! Now, the killer himself is very clever, very sneaky, and very methodical. Being in the military probably helped him out a great deal. He carries three weapons: a gun, a knife, and a pitchfork. He knows which weapon to use in which situations. For example, in instances where has the victim restrained in his arms and there's no way of escape, it is more practical to use the knife. For the second kill which takes place in the shower, it might be hard for him to grab hold of the victim because he can't ambush her by surprise, so the use of the pitchfork rather than the knife prevents her from escaping. He is an extremely smart and well-equipped murderer. His military outfit just adds to the character. I was very happy with the killer in this film; he didn't act incredibly stupid like killers in other films do (except stalking the main characters gets a bit boring).

The acting was pretty good on most accounts. I was pretty much mesmerized by Vicky Dawson's performance as Pam McDonald. She gave her character much emotion and personality and made her fun to watch. Plus, she makes Pam a very likable character; she is very smart and brave when it comes to confronting the killer (after she is done hiding from him of course). She plays off being scared very nicely. Excellent job Vicky! Goutman's performance as the deputy was also good, but his character was so stupid. Deputy London literally had no idea what he was doing. After Pam gets chased by the killer out of the dorm house, he looks around outside and then Pam has to actually tell him to go look inside. Come on, police officers are much more thorough. I was relieved when he finally called state police to intercede as this killer was not going to be caught by this clueless idiot.

The setting was done very well. Avalon Bay is a beautiful town and I like the atmosphere it creates. A lot of cool rock and roll type music is played at the dance to add extra stimulation to the film. It was also cool how the killer pretty much got around everywhere in such a big town. He truly was a prowler; very sneaky!

Finally, Pam has a thing for Deputy London so that adds a bit of richness to the plot, but he constantly pushes Pam away, which made me like his character even less. So they really don't build anything on to this, which for me was a bit of a disappointment. This could have made up for the kill scenes being so far apart. Oh well. Probably better she isn't with that guy anyway, he wouldn't be able to protect her from anything!

Overall, The Prowler is a good slasher film, definitely one of the best to come out of the 1980s time frame. Although there are disengaging and uninteresting moments throughout a decent portion of the film, the graphic kill scenes and Vicky Dawson's performance hold it together pretty well. Despite the fact that this film could have been better, I still recommend The Prowler to fans of slasher films and horror freaks in general.

BaD BiRdS: GOOD BUT NOT GREAT



~MJ Aufiero