The Amityville Horror

Tags

2000's, Andrew Douglas, Chloë Grace Moretz, Horror, Jesse James, Jimmy Bennett, Melissa George, Philip Baker Hall, Rachel Nichols, Ryan Reynolds, The Amityville Horror

Film Title

The Amityville Horror

Director

Andrew Douglas

Starring

• Ryan Reynolds as George Lutz
• Melissa George as Kathy Lutz
• Jesse James as Billy Lutz
• Jimmy Bennett as Michael Lutz
• Chloë Grace Moretz as Chelsea Lutz
• Philip Baker Hall as Father Callaway
• Rachel Nichols as Lisa

A remake of the 70’s film, which itself was allegedly based on a true haunting, The Amityville Horror is a surprisingly good watch. It’s got a share of flaws, but it is far from the badness I was expecting before I put it on.

The year is 1975 and George and Kathy Lutz are a married couple looking for a new house. Kathy has three children, Billy, Michael and Chelsea from a previous marriage and she is carefully integrating George into the children’s lives as they lost their father years before. On the house hunting front, Kathy and George come across a large house in Amityville, on the south shore of Long Island. George is surprised that such a house is up for a reasonable price, but Kathy has her heart set on it. They are both informed of a horrible incident in the house’s past: a year prior, Ronald DeFeo Jr, a resident of the house, murdered his family before later claiming that voices drove him to do it. Though a little hesitant after hearing this news, the couple move in and decide to make a go of things. Things start to go south quite quickly, especially in the case of George. He, along with the other members of the family, begins experiencing unexplained phenomena. Strange whispers seem to travel through the air vents. The boat house opens, despite being locked by George. Young Chelsea claims to have befriended a young girl named Jodie, who may well be a ghost of one of those slain. And most scary of all of that, the usually genial George morphs into a snarling brute who verbally abuses and torments his family. The house appears to be causing this for everyone, as evil sprouts from every corner with malevolent motives for haunting them. Even the local priest who tries to perform an exorcism is scared off by the increasingly creepy house. An alarmed Kathy fights to survive this building terror and is forced into drastic action to save herself, her husband and children from the house that clearly has evil in mind for all. Yet while the spooky events that besiege the family point to the possible spectres of the murdered family, there is something a lot more sinister in the house from centuries before that also won’t rest.

The direction from Andrew Douglas is largely successful in utilizing the oppressive landscape of he house to score jolts of terror and suspense. It’s not the finest directing as it could do with a little embellishing, but it’s satisfying nonetheless. The pacing of The Amityville Horror is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the relatively short running time does speed things on. Yet this is sometimes at the expense of character development, which isn’t helped by the occasionally by the numbers script. I think the goodness of the film wins out however over the parts that flounder. Every horror cliché in the book can be glimpsed here, yet while it is a noticeable thing, it should be noted that horror is often a genre that relies on a certain set of rules and expectations. And on that score, The Amityville makes a decent fist of it. Nothing revelatory or earth-shattering takes place and sometimes there are hints of unevenness, though the film doesn’t stumble there as it isn’t going out of its way to showcase anything newfangled. So while it is somewhat routine, I have to defend the film by saying that I have seen many horror films that are a lot worse, allowing this one to edge into good territory rather than the rubbish bin. I appreciated the use of effects as the vast majority of them felt a lot more practical than many of the contemporary horrors we have. There is moments of blood and splatter that purposefully unsettle, but The Amityville Horror generates most of the shocks through old-fashioned techniques. It must be stated that I was genuinely surprised at how much I actually liked this film. It’s not going to go down as a major classic and it is far from a masterwork, but as clichéd as it is I will admit to being scared and excited by the film which is what I crave from a horror film. It has some pretty great moments of terror, specifically when the babysitter gets trapped in a closet and is traumatised by the ghostly presence she sees. Also a well-edited sequence in which Kathy and George begin to unravel the abhorrent horror that occurred in the house via different methods is a good tension builder, exhibiting a frantic cut back and forth that eventually converges with the revelation. A creepy score does what it is supposed to do in capturing the horror of what befalls the family.

Despite the often sketchy script, the vast of The Amityville Horror acquit themselves nicely and bring out more than the screenplay calls for. The usual goofiness and charisma of Ryan Reynolds is well used here, especially as the character of George is initially an amiable guy who gets slowly driven insane by the house. Reynolds wouldn’t have been the first person I thought of for this kind of film, but he pulls it off very well as George’s mental faculties are tested through the haunting. Melissa George is reliably good as the alarmed wife, who begins to worry for the safety of her family at the expense of the sinister house. There is something very genuine about George’s work here, she reacts to the events like any mother would with a protective and decisive streak that won’t be quashed. The three actors playing the children in the film are quite good, with a young Chloë Grace Moretz standing out as the daughter who encounters something ghostly first. Philip Baker Hall does some good work as the priest who is terrified of the house and what it may possess. In the brief time that she is on screen, Rachel Nichols is well used in the aforementioned closet scene where she is terrified out of her wits.

Far from amazing yet way above what I was intending it to be, The Amityville Horror gets the job done efficiently and with some great touches to craft a creepy feeling.

Alias Season 3

Tags

2000's, Alias, Alias Season 3, Carl Lumbly, David Anders, Greg Grunberg, J. J. Abrams, Jennifer Garner, Kevin Weisman, Melissa George, Michael Vartan, Ron Rifkin, Victor Garber

Season 2 of Alias was a high point of the show, with the way it switched things up and delivered twists. It must have been hard to come up with a season that would measure up. And while Season 3 undoubtedly has its moments of greatness, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the past two seasons. You can still enjoy the show however, despite the hiccups present in this flawed season. Caution, spoilers will follow.

We arrive back with Sydney Bristow(Jennifer Garner), who has discovered that for two years she has been missing and presumed dead. Plus she has been left with no real memory of what happened to her. When she returns to the CIA, a lot of things have changed in her absence. Dixon(Carl Lumbly) has been made one of the directors, her father Jack(Victor Garber) was imprisoned for converting with Irina for information on Sydney( though Sydney manages to secure his release), Sloane(Ron Rifkin) has made a deal with the CIA to give information on other criminals, tech wizard Marshall(Kevin Weisman) is expecting a child. The most devastating of all these changes is that Vaughn(Michael Vartan) is now married to NSC agent Lauren Reed(Melissa George), who helps out in operations. Vaughn temporarily left the CIA following what he thought was Sydney’s death, but is brought back into the fold once more. Sydney, while still strong, is frightened and wants to know what happened to her in those missing years. Having to see Vaughn on a day-to-day basis poses another struggle as she harbors deep romantic feelings that have been thwarted. Unbeknownst to Sydney and everyone else, Lauren is in fact working for a criminal organisation soon to be identified as The Covenant. One thing that Sydney does know, thanks to her father’s digging is that she shockingly killed a man, yet can’t recall how and why she did so. The burden of everything begins to weigh heavily upon a shocked and confused Sydney. Add to that Sark(David Anders) is at large again and the new organisation of The Covenant stirring up the criminal underworld, and it’s yet more complex motives to navigate. Will she discover, with the help of those around her such as good friend Weiss(Greg Grunberg), what sinister machinations The Covenant has and how those two years she lost are linked to them?

While it boasts some well crafted episodes, Season 3 falters and loses some momentum along the way of the journey. Parts of this season are undeniably flawed in the very least. There is a feeling that Abrams and his crew are trying to recapture the greatness of what they have built up, but misfires a bit in their attempts. The uneven tone of this season doesn’t help, as there are good episodes but also just as many sub-par ones. While Alias has always had a somewhat wacky premise to it, the other seasons kept it flowing in a good fashion. Here, they are running out of steam a little and it does show. I think some of it stems from the absence of both Irina and Will. Those two characters were very good and added their own touches to it, with Irina driving the last season. Granted Will appears once, but it’s only a short appearance. The writers try to distance from the formula but this doesn’t necessarily work as it tries to be too different to what has come before. And I can understand them wanting there to be drama between Sydney and Vaughn to some extent, but the inclusion of Lauren as the hurdle is not exactly great in terms of a storytelling device. I felt there needed to be more Rambaldi centred episodes of which the first half of Season 3 lacks. But as it progresses, Rambaldi returns once more. All of these negatives being said, I don’t think Season 3 is nearly as bad as some make out. It’s just the lack of focus that marks it down in my estimations.

Now that the negatives are out the way, I’ll talk of the positives to be gleaned. There is definitely many parts of Season 3 to praise as it isn’t a complete disaster; just can’t be categorized as vintage Alias like the first two seasons. The visual side of Alias remains intact, with brightly coloured settings and extraordinary costumes a real joy to observe. The editing is quick and frequently inventive as it follows Sydney’s dangerous everyday life. And the music is pretty stellar; having an electronic pulse but expanding into more orchestral and emotive flourishes. Despite some weaknesses with the plotting, Alias remains mysterious and can still grip when it hits the heights. Special mention must go to the following episodes. ‘Repercussions’ has Sydney and Lauren locking horns on how to deal with the case of a Covenant kingpin. Sloane is enlisted as a double agent and though he seems to want to help, Sydney won’t trust him in this fast-paced installment. ‘Prelude’ features the disturbing dreams of Sydney that could link to the past and her past misdeed being possibly discovered. This leads Jack to take desperate and dangerous action to protect his daughter from exposure. It’s one eventful episode that all ties back to Sydney’s missing years. ‘Full Disclosure’ is possibly the best episode of Season 3 as it gives some answers as to Sydney’s past that shake her to the core. It’s a revelation episode that knows how to keep you glued. Lauren’s duplicity comes close to being discovered in the tense ‘The Frame’ and ‘Unveiled’ in which Sydney and the CIA also have to keep tabs on a Rambaldi artefact that could be hazardous for all who want it.

Season 3 has its share of flaws, the acting thankfully from out of the cast isn’t one of them. Jennifer Garner aces it as Sydney, who is more vulnerable than ever. She can still kick ass when it is needed, but this season features Sydney at her most terrified and confused. Garner is a dab hand at getting across Sydney’s painful plight to discover the truth, despite her fear of what it may reveal. Garner is the only person who could play the role of Sydney this well and she owns it from head to toe. She is Sydney Bristow from start to finish thanks to her stellar and emotive acting. I continue to be impressed by the acting of Victor Garber as Jack. Given that the character is one who usually sports a poker face and a severely cynical outlook, it is amazing how much Garber can bring out in Jack, particularly his concern for his daughter. Through small gestures, Victor Garber demonstrates an immense subtlety and quiet power in the role that he makes all his own. Carl Lumbly plays with low-key brilliance Dixon, who is now in a higher position within the agency. The down to earth charisma and soulfulness are thankfully still present in the character and the great delivery of Lumbly. Ron Rifkin essays the part of Sloane, who has allegedly come over to the side of good, but is still crafty as a fox. Rifkin is most successful at showing Sloane’s manipulative and creepy tendencies as he knows how to reel people in with his ways and get them to divulge what he needs. Some great scenes are generated from his meetings with Sydney who he toys with, yet can’t beat due to her quick wit and intellect in not succumbing to him. He’s something of a complex villain, who alternates between strangely sympathetic and downright evil holding all the cards thanks to the good work of Rifkin. Michael Vartan continues to grow as Vaughn, who is caught in a moral quagmire between his undying love for Sydney and his new wife. Although he tries to hide it, Vaughn still can’t let Sydney go because of how much history they share. A darkness also colours Vaughn this season that adds significant depth to the latter half. Michael Vartan knows how to hit the right notes of indecision and dilemma as Vaughn is forced to acknowledge his feelings.

The most problematic role of the show is that of the deceptive Lauren. Melissa George is a very good actress, but even she can’t save a woefully underwritten part. The character is supposed to be assertive and slightly innocent, but the way she comes off is as a petulant girl rather than cold-blooded agent. None of this is George’s fault as she tries her best, Lauren just doesn’t hold the interest that well in the main frame of the stories. Reptilian nastiness and suave sophistication are embodied by David Anders returning as the opportunistic Sark. Anders can turn the charm on like no ones business but can be devilishly cool as well as cruel, making Sark even more despicable. Kevin Weisman is an utter hoot playing Marshall once more, it’s impossible not to laugh at his comic timing and array of facial expressions. Comic relief also comes courtesy of Greg Grunberg as friendly Weiss. Weiss is the kind of person who you could talk to about anything and he’d have a funny answer to it. With Grunberg in the part, he becomes a good asset for Alias.

1. The Two – C+
2. Succession – C-
3. Reunion – B+
4. A Missing Link – D
5. Repercussions – A
6. The Nemesis – B
7. Prelude – A
8. Breaking Point – C-
9. Conscious – B
10. Remnants – C
11. Full Disclosure – A+
12. Crossings – B-
13. After Six – B+
14. Blowback – D
15. Facade – D-
16. Taken – B+
17. The Frame – A
18. Unveiled – A
19. Hourglass – B
20. Blood Ties – C+
21. Legacy – B
22. Resurrection – B+

It’s not to say that Season 3 of Alias is horrendous, in fact parts of it are very good thanks to the cast and how it still provides thrills. It just happens to be the most flawed season of Alias thus far. Still, it can be enjoyed, though one hopes Season 4 is a lot more coherent and thought out.

Love Your Bum

Tags

Jennifer Lopez, Love Your Bum, Matt Bomer, Matthew McConaughey, Melissa George, Michael Fassbender

Another gif post has arrived and this one is about bodies. Or more precisely bums. I’ve always heard a lot of people say that they’re least favourite part of their body is their bum. So I thought, wait a minute, everyone should embrace their bum no matter what. Have confidence with your money maker. I hope this post gives people inspiration to love their behind.

And here are some sexy gifs for you people to shake your bums to.

For Eric, we have Melissa George’s pert rear and his man crush Matthew McConaughey with his ass on show.

For the wonderful blogging sister of mine Emma, here’s a bit of Michael Fassbender.

For the exemplary Kim, we have her beloved and very peachy Matt Bomer.

And as it wouldn’t be a bum post without her, here’s Jennifer Lopez.