The Last Exorcism Part II (2013)
I honestly have no idea why I thought this would be worth watching. I'm a bit embarrassed that I even gave it a try... Then again, I'm amused by the title - I mean, how can there be a
Part II if it's the
LAST exorcism, AMIRITE?
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Kiss of the Damned (2012)
Pretty. Stylized. And how 'bout that cool retro poster?? What I liked about this movie is that it was a good homage to 70's vampire flicks - Erotic, sensual - I found the concept to be interesting and different than the slasher/zombie fare that has been thrown at us lately. If you're a fan of the genre, I say definitely see it. There was a lot I liked about it, but also a lot that I didn't (Milo Ventimiglia, who plays our male lead is honestly terrible, to be honest), and in the end I was a bit disappointed. That being said, if you like stylized, slow-burning 70's horror, you'll dig this.
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Argo (2012)
Absolutely fascinating and gripping true story. Ok movie. I was actually more interested in the pieces that I heard on NPR about the tale than I was in the movie itself.
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Dead Before Dawn (2012)
Mostly unsuccessful horror comedy. Watch
Shaun of the Dead instead.
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Side Effects (2013)
Heard really good things about this and I was honestly captivated until the "twist"... Not really sure that it needed to be that complicated, and I'm not convinced that it worked. Also, what I found troubling...
[SPOILERS]
As someone who suffers from depression and bi-polar, I honestly connected with this movie immediately and loved that we were actually given what I thought was a convincing and horrifying look at depression... Buuuuuuuuut then of course Emily kills her husband... So what's the message, that medication is bad?? siiiiiiiiiiiigh - Honestly, I'm lucky enough to find medication that works for me... AND I know that there are a LOT of people who are against these types of meds... BUT I hate the message that THESE TYPES OF MEDS ARE BAD because, honestly, while they might not be for everyone, they have seriously turned my life around....... So, there was THAT... But THEN it turns out that Emily was FAKING?! SERIOUSLY?! So all of the first 1/3 of the movie where I thought, "Wow! I think it's important that we're seeing depression in screen," WAS JUST A LIE?! So, what - Message #2 is that people who are depressed are actually faking it?!?!"
I know I'm exaggerating but those two themes really hit me; I found them ignorant and just for the purpose of a relatively ridiculous "thriller."
[/SPOILERS]