The Lords of Salem

Rob Zombie is back on the big screen with a film that celebrates the satanic cult-classic films of the 70's. Instead of young nubile witches we get filthy hags, religious zealots, and some of the creepiest music to come from a soundtrack since the Goblin's classic theme for Suspiria. The plethora of genre favorites abound with a special nod of appreciation to Patricia Quinn from the film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The hag frontal nudity and goats aside, the film is so art-house that it does not deliver on the scares which most horror fans want. It is worth a watch but I don't see this making much of a splash at the box office but may have an after-life as a midnight movie or on VOD.

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Frankenweenie

Tim Burton's classic short film from 1984 gets triple the running time as a feature length film and still has all of the heart and visual integrity of the original. Burton's love of the Universal Monsters shines through and using the Frankenstein story construct to deliver the tale of a young boy who wants his dog back after a tragic accident is shear genius. You will notice several Burton film regulars lending their voice talents to the characters like Martin Landau and Winona Ryder. Even a young Christopher Lee gets a cameo from one of his classic Dracula movies. I great little film and a must see for all Burton fans.



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Taken 2

Liam Neeson is back as our favorite kick-ass father but this time out he has to save himself as well as his ex-wife and daughter from the relatives of the human traffickers who kidnapped his daughter previously in Paris. As most sequels go this one suffers from the sophomore slump in that the story is predictable, nothing new about the characters is revealed, and unfortunately previous characters tend to be annoying. The fighting is OK and Liam is still realistic as a tough guy but you really cannot expect too much from a PG-13 action thriller. Maggie Grace still looks good but just a bit to old for her part and how did the psycho Bond girl from Golden Eye become so boring? If you loved the first film like me you may want to pass on this and just re-watch the extended version of the first film on DVD instead.



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End of Watch

L.A.P.D. is all about dope, money, and guns and this film shows just that. The film is basically a snapshot of the lives of two officers who have to deal with the aftermath of going up against the Mexican drug cartel. Both Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena are creditable as boys in blue and make you feel like you are in the cruiser with them on patrol. There is no new ground traveled here or any great surprises but it is worth checking out. Hopefully this movie does better for Anna Kendrick then her other film currently out, Pitch Perfect.



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Pitch Perfect

Rebel Wilson is popping up everywhere and this is the second film she has out currently but instead of being the bride she is part of the ensemble in an all-girl a capella group trying to make it to regionals and then nationals to win the coveted trophy. Does this sound familiar to anyone else? Unfortunately, none of the singing can measure up to Glee and their winning edge is to perform a mash-up? Rebel does have some of the best one-liners but the standout performer has to be Brittany Snow as the only character that you are really routing for. If you watch the trailer below you will have seen most of the best moments in the film so you may want to pass on this and just watch an episode from the new season of Glee instead.



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Hotel Transylvania

Adam Sander and gang are back at it again with another animated "holiday" themed movie and this time they get it right. All credit for making this awesome movie has to go to Genndy Tartakovsky who brought us such cult classic cartoons like Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. The story is top notch, the animation is classically perfect, and the characters are hilarious. There is no trace of Eight Crazy Nights in this production. This is a great, fun, family film that truly shows how much fun Halloween can be for one and all at any age.



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In Search of Lovecraft

I am a big Lovecraft fan and it's great seeing new crops of low budget Cthulhu myth films hitting DVD and streaming. One thing you must have for a watchable low budget horror film is either an interesting story or good use of creative effects or some decent acting or great T & A but unfortunately this does not have one of them. I assume they spent most of their budget on getting Rachel Robbins to participate who stared is such soft core horror classics like Screaming Dead and Vampire Lesbian Kickboxers. What is the deal with all the lisping? If you like bad movies like I do you will just want to see this to see where the train wreck finally comes to a crashing halt.

V/H/S

It is good to see that indie small budget horror is still alive and well and that horror anthology films are still getting some attention. This film is well done with five vignettes in a wrapper story which adds a nice nuance to the title if you think about it. I did not see this in the theater but was able to check it our on Amazon VOD as part of their Pre-Theatrical Rental program on a large HD display. My favorite vignette is the first one and proves nothing can be scarier than those three little words of I love you. A must see for the avid horror fan with some nice creepy moments that pluck the nerves of some of us older fans who think they have seen it all already.



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Looper

Now that Premium Rush has already been released, we finally get to the other Joseph Gordon-Levitt movie about gangsters and hired assassins wrapped in a time travel bow. First off the story is engaging, very smart, makes you think, and still delvers a good twist ending in the most subtle of ways that will have you pondering it when you leave the theater. I have known for a while that Gordon-Levitt is one of the great actors for his generation but his dead-on acting and mannerisms really make you believe he is a young Bruce Willis. The make-up and effects to help achieve this are second to none and would surpass any of Dick Smith's best efforts. All in all a really great movie that delivers on all fronts so you will want to check it out.



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Shakespeare Theatre Company's The Government Inspector

Who knew the Russians could be so funny? The 2012-2013 season opening play is hilarious and features a boatload of STC regulars led by Derek Smith from last season's Much Ado About Nothing. The stage is impressive and the jokes just keep coming. When Hlestakov woes Marya to win a bet with his servant buy singing her a poem that ends in a rap - genius. Definitely make your way over to the Lansburgh Theatre for a great night of comedy and grab a lobster roll from Luke's Lobster before the show.

Click here to get your tickets to the show.