Monday, September 7, 2009

Movie Monday - Infestation, The Final Destination & Joan Crawford!

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Infestation (2009)

[Linda Park; Chris Marquette; Brooke Nevin; Ray Wise; E. Quincy Sloan]

A young man, Cooper, is at work, having a not so good day. Suddenly, he wakes up covered in cocoon-like material. Everyone in the office is the same way. Before he can get his wits about him, he is battling a bug that is bigger than most dogs!

With a small group of other survivors, Cooper tries to fight off the bugs while coming up with a way to stop the infestation and invasion of the planet.

This is one of the few new "big, monster, mutant" movies that I liked! It was creepy and had good effects, but didn't take itself super-seriously. The acting from the main leads was good and the characters were real and fun to watch.

I just liked it. Recommended if you like scary, big bug movies.



Infestation Official Site

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The Final Destination (2009)

[Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano, Halye Webb, Mykelti Williamson]

This is the fourth film in the "Final Destination" series, and the first in 3D.

The plot, in a nutshell: A young man has a premonition of a horrible accident at a race track, which results in the deaths of many, including him and his friends. He is able to get a few of the doomed out of the track before the accident does really occur. But death won't give up so easily.

While this one has been doing great at the box office, I don't think it is the best in the franchise. I still prefer the first and second films over this one, even though this film is in 3D. Sure, some of the deaths were wince-inducing, to say the least. But the characters were flat, the actors just dull. Blah. And that can sometimes make all the difference.

Overall, it did what it set out to do, but it could have been much better. I also have to note the run time, 82 minutes. The previews started at 7:00 and by 8:30, the flick itself was over. That is really quick. Can't we get 90+ minutes, at least, for a theatrical movie?

Recommended, if you like the "Final Destination" films.



The Final Destination Official Site

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I Saw What You Did (1965)

[Andi Garrett, Sarah Lane, Sharyl Locke, Joan Crawford]

Three girls, home alone, play phone pranks on random phone numbers. When they inadvertently call a man who has committed a crime, their innocent fun suddenly takes a lethal turn!

This is a pre-slasher scary movie, and an odd one, at that! Directed by William Castle, this has a sort-of Hitchcock vibe. I think it would have been scarier with a less comical-sounding soundtrack. Sometimes the goofy music just does NOT fit the scene.

That said, it's fun and quirky, and even tense occasionally. And you get to see Joan Crawford herself as a really, REALLY desperate-for-a-man woman. Good stuff!

Recommended for classic horror or scary movie fans, even if it is just to see what they were like "back in the day".



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6 comments:

  1. I gotta check out Infestation since you know I loves me my big mutated bug movies and I will watch Ray Wise in anything. He was terrific as the Devil in the Reaper series. We both felt the same way about the Final Destination movies - way too short for a full length movie but I did like the way they went full skeleton x-ray for the final three deaths. Cheaper than full effects but stylish.

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  2. I'll pass on all three...even though I saw 2 of the 3. haha I like Ray Wise and might've given that a shot until you said "battling a bug bigger than most dogs"...I'm done.

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  3. hmmm...may have to check out infestation....

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  4. Hah... Infestation looks fun. Reminds me of Evolution for some reason. Remember that one?

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  5. I loved the first Final Destination!!!

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  6. I watched "I Saw What You Did," late at night once when I was a kid and it scared the bejeezus outta me. I still think, for suspense, it's one of the best fight flicks out there.

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