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Reviews
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
False advertising
As others have noted, the most compelling scenes somehow made it into the trailer but were cut from the theatrical release. The fact that they had this footage but chose not to use it really makes me question the intelligence and judgment of whoever edited this movie.
And, as others have noted (spoiler...), what was a demon in the first two movies, attracted inexplicably to our female protagonist, becomes a pawn of some female wiccan cult - or something. It's hard to say. But the fact that a witches are somehow controlling the demon really takes the scare factor out of the whole concept.
So, in summary, if you like the trailer, don't expect to see any of that in the movie. And if you think that witches are scary (which I don't...), you'll love this installment in what was, up until now, a terrific series.
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Enjoyable movie, but it missed the point
First of all, this is a very enjoyable movie. There's lots of well paced action, some iconic set pieces (such as the scene where Cruise dangles over the computer, which became an instant classic and so remains). However, it really missed the point of the original series. Mission Impossible was about a team of quirky and talented individuals, working together to overcome impossible odds. This movie is all Cruise, Cruise, and more Cruise. Taken by itself, it's great cinema. But it really has nothing to do with the group dynamic that made Mission Impossible such a special series. Maybe that's a sign of the times, which still continues today 16 years later - it's all about the superstar individual, rather than the team. If you watch this with no preconceptions regarding the original series, however, it's a great popcorn flick.
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) (2011)
How disgusting can a movie be?
If you've ever wondered, "how disgusting can a movie be?..." well, this film pretty much answers the question. For what it is - and you probably know more or less what it is, or you wouldn't be reading this - it is fully realized in pretty much every aspect. Casting Harvey was pure genius. He carries the film with his amazing performance. There are plenty of little twists to keep you occupied, some of which are actually humorous in a grotesque way.
The odd thing, though, is that the film really isn't scary. Maybe because Martin is so divorced from reality that he seems incapable of true evil. Rather, he is just driven by a single-minded vision to complete his project. Probably the first real success he's had in his sad, sad life.
The effects are spot-on, and the pacing generally good, although I found it dragged a bit about 2/3 of the way through. However, the brashness and oddness of this film have surely earned it a spot alongside cult classics such as Eraserhead.
Apollo 18 (2011)
Intense sci-fi horror thriller
I really don't understand all of the bad reviews for this movie. I thought it was terrific. It makes great use of the natural creepiness of the moon, and brings a level of verisimilitude to the sci-fi horror genre by grounding it in an Apollo mission. The film quality - including the variance between clear video feeds and grainy footage - is true to the era of the Apollo missions, so that works as well. The men who play the three astronauts each give outstanding performances - subtle enough that they add to the realism, but intense when appropriate. The plot makes sense and unfolds as the movie progresses, so you gradually learn - as the astronauts do - why they are there and why they brought so many cameras. The suspense builds steadily, with a nice wallop at the end. And the creatures are about as terrifying as any I've seen in a film. True to the spirit of "found footage" type films, you never really understand the creatures fully, but their menace is clear. Not quite sure what the folks who panned this film were expecting, but for me this delivered the goods with style.