Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained is a 2012 American Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson. Set in the Old West and antebellum South, it is a highly stylized variation of spaghetti Westerns, and a tribute to the 1966 Italian film Django by Sergio Corbucci, whose star Franco Nero has a cameo appearance.

The story is set the Deep South in the early winter of 1858 and the following spring of 1859, two years before the outbreak of the American Civil War, with preliminary scenes taking place in Old West Texas. The film follows Django (Foxx), a branded black slave, and Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), an English-speaking German bounty hunter posing as a travelling dentist. Schultz buys and then promises to free Django in exchange for his help in collecting a large bounty on three outlaws. Schultz subsequently promises to train Django in bounty hunting and split the bounties with him in partnership, if Django assists him in hunting down other outlaws throughout the winter. He further offers to help Django to locate and free his long-lost wife Broomhilda (Washington) from her cruel plantation owner Calvin Candie (DiCaprio).

The film was a major critical and commercial success and was nominated for several film industry awards, including five Academy Awards. Waltz won several awards for his performance, among them Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Academy Awards. Tarantino won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA award for writing the film's original screenplay. The film grossed over $425 million worldwide in theaters against its $100 million budget, making it Tarantino's highest-grossing theatrical release.

Storyline

Former dentist, Dr. King Schultz, buys the freedom of a slave, Django, and trains him with the intent to make him his deputy bounty hunter. Instead, he is led to the site of Django's wife who is under the hands of Calvin Candie, a ruthless plantation owner.

Plot

In Texas 1858, the Speck brothers, Ace and Dicky, drive a group of black slaves on foot. Among the shackled slaves is Django, sold off and separated from his wife, Broomhilda von Shaft. The Speck brothers are stopped by Dr. King Schultz, a German dentist-turned-bounty hunter from Düsseldorf, Prussia, who asks to buy one of the slaves. When he questions Django about his knowledge of the Brittle brothers, a group of outlaw for whom Schultz is carrying a warrant, Ace becomes irritated and aims his shotgun at Schultz in threat. Schultz, a superior gunslinger, immediately kills Ace in return and leaves an injured Dicky at the mercy of the newly freed slaves, who shot Dicky in the head.

As Django can identify the Brittle brothers, Schultz offers Django his freedom in exchange for help tracking them down. After hunting down the Brittles, the liberated Django (who adopted the surname "Freeman") partners with Schultz through the winter and becomes his apprentice, and Schultz discovers that Django has a natural talent of being an incredible crack shot. Schultz tells Django that Broomhilda is named after Brunhilda, who was rescued from a prison of dragon hellfire by Siegfried, from the Germanic mythology. Schultz explains that he feels responsible for Django since Django is the first person he has ever freed, and felt more obliged to help Django (whom he described as a "real-life Siegfried") reunite with Broomhilda. Django, now fully trained, collects his first bounty, keeping the handbill for good luck.

In the Spring of 1859, Django and Schultz travel to Mississippi, where they learn the identity of Broomhilda's owner: Calvin J. Candie, the charming but cruel owner of the Candyland plantation, where slaves are forced to fight to the death in brutal wrestling matches called "Mandingo fights". Schultz, expecting Candie will not sell Broomhilda if they ask for her directly, feigns interest in purchasing one of Candie's prized fighters for far more than the normal price. Schultz and Django meet Candie at his gentleman's club in Greenville and submit their offer. Intrigued, Candie invites them to his ranch at Candyland. After secretly briefing Broomhilda, Schultz claims to be charmed by the German-speaking Broomhilda and offers to buy her.

During dinner, Candie's staunchly loyal house slave, Stephen, becomes suspicious of Schultz and Django's motives. Deducing that Django and Broomhilda know each other previously and that the sale of the Mandingo fighter is ruse, Stephen alerts Candie and admonishes him for his greed. Candie is angered at being fooled and having his time wasted, but contains his anger long enough to theatrically display his knowledge of phrenology, which he uses to theorize why the slaves have failed to kill their oppressors, despite ample opportunity.

Candie's bodyguard, Butch Pooch, bursts into the room with his shotgun trained on the two bounty hunters, and Candie explodes in anger, threatening to kill Broomhilda. He offers an alteration of the original deal, with Broomhilda taking the Mandingo fighter's place at the same price, and threatens her death should the deal be rejected. After business appears concluded, Candie insists that the deal be sealed through a handshake, which Schultz initially refuses but eventually appears to concede. However, Schultz snaps and kills Candie with a concealed derringer. Butch shoots dead Schultz and Django kills him in turn, and an extensive gunfight in the mansion between Django and Candie's henchmen ensues. Django guns down a great number of his opponents, but surrenders when Broomhilda is taken hostage.

The next morning, Stephen tells Django that he will be sold to a mine and worked to death. En route to the mine, Django proves to his dim-witted Australian escorts that he is a bounty hunter by showing them the handbill from his first kill. He convinces them that there is a large bounty for criminals hiding at Candyland, and promises that they would receive the majority of the money. The escorts release him and give him a pistol, and he kills them before stealing a horse and returning to Candyland with a bag of dynamites.

Returning to the plantation, Django kills more of Candie's henchmen, takes Broomhilda's freedom papers from the dead Schultz's pocket, bids goodbye to his late friend and frees Broomhilda from a nearby cabin. When Candie's mourners return from his burial, Django kills the remaining henchmen and Candie's sister Lara Lee Candie-Fitzwilly, releases the two remaining house slaves, and kneecaps Stephen. Django then ignites the dynamite that he has planted throughout the mansion, and he and Broomhilda watch from a distance as the mansion explodes with the incapacitated Stephen inside, before riding off together.

Cast

• Jamie Foxx as Django "Freeman"
• Christoph Waltz as Dr. King Schultz
• Leonardo DiCaprio as "Monsieur" Calvin J. Candie
• Kerry Washington as Broomhilda "Hildi" Von Shaft
• Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen
• Don Johnson as Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett
• Walton Goggins as Billy Crash
• James Remar as Ace Speck and Butch Pooch
• Dennis Christopher as Leonide "Leo" Moguy
• James Russo as Dicky Speck
• David Steen as Mr. Stonecipher
• Tom Wopat as U.S. Marshall Gill Tatum
• Dana Michelle Gourrier as Cora
• Nichole Galicia as Sheba
• Laura Cayouette as Lara Lee Candie-Fitzwilly
• Ato Essandoh as D'Artagnan
• Sammi Rotibi as Rodney
• Clay Donahue as Fontenot
• Escalante Lundy as Big Fred
• Miriam F. Glover as Betina
• Omar J. Dorsey as Chicken Charlie
• Franco Nero as Amerigo Vessepi

User Review

Absolutely loved every minute of this movie. Usually I'm not too crazy about Tarantino's movies, but this one is definitely the best one I've seen in a long time. The actors were picked perfectly. The overall experience of a movie is amazing. When we first went to watch it, I was a bit skeptical and thought I'd end up leaving an hour into the movie (it's a 3 hr movie), but it grabbed my attention from the very beginning and I didn't even wanna get up to go to the bathroom, afraid to miss something. I'm usually very particular about the movies, nothing can hardly satisfy me, but this one is definitely in the top 5. Soundtrack was perfect. When I got home, I've done some more research on it and loved it even more! Overall, I would highly recommend this film!

Titanic (1997)

Titanic (1997)

Titanic is a 1997 American epic romantic disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as members of different social classes who fall in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage.

Cameron's inspiration for the film came from his fascination with shipwrecks; he felt a love story interspersed with the human loss would be essential to convey the emotional impact of the disaster. Production began in 1995, when Cameron shot footage of the actual Titanic wreck. The modern scenes on the research vessel were shot on board the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh, which Cameron had used as a base when filming the wreck. Scale models, computer-generated imagery, and a reconstruction of the Titanic built at Playas de Rosarito in Baja California were used to re-create the sinking. The film was partially funded by Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox. It was the most expensive film made at that time, with an estimated budget of $200 million.

Upon its release on December 19, 1997, Titanic achieved critical and commercial success. Nominated for fourteen Academy Awards, it tied All About Eve (1950) for the most Oscar nominations, and won eleven, including the awards for Best Picture and Best Director, tying Ben Hur (1959) for the most Oscars won by a single film. With an initial worldwide gross of over $1.84 billion, Titanic was the first film to reach the billion-dollar mark. It remained the highest-grossing film of all time until Cameron's 2009 film Avatar surpassed it in 2010. A 3D version of Titanic, released on April 4, 2012 to commemorate the centennial of the sinking, earned it an additional $343.6 million worldwide, pushing the film's worldwide total to $2.18 billion. It became the second film to gross more than $2 billion worldwide (after Avatar).

Storyline

84 years later, a 101-year-old woman named Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story to her granddaughter Lizzy Calvert, Brock Lovett, Lewis Bodine, Bobby Buell and Anatoly Mikailavich on the Keldysh about her life set in April 10th 1912, on a ship called Titanic when young Rose boards the departing ship with the upper-class passengers and her mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, and her fiancé, Caledon Hockley. Meanwhile, a drifter and artist named Jack Dawson and his best friend Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets to the ship in a game. And she explains the whole story from departure until the death of Titanic on its first and last voyage April 15th, 1912 at 2:20 in the morning.

Plot

In 1996, treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his team aboard the research vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh search the wreck of RMS Titanic for a necklace with a rare diamond, the Heart of the Ocean. They recover a safe containing a drawing of a young woman wearing only the necklace dated April 14, 1912, the day the ship struck the iceberg.[Note 1] Rose Dawson Calvert, the woman in the drawing, is brought aboard Keldysh and tells Lovett of her experiences aboard Titanic.

In 1912 Southampton, 17-year-old first-class passenger Rose DeWitt Bukater, her fiancé Cal Hockley, and her mother Ruth board the luxurious Titanic. Ruth emphasizes that Rose's marriage will resolve the DeWitt Bukaters' financial problems. Distraught over the engagement, Rose considers suicide by jumping from the stern; Jack Dawson, a penniless artist, convinces her not to. Discovered with Jack, Rose tells a concerned Cal that she was peering over the edge and Jack saved her from falling. When Cal becomes indifferent, she suggests to him that Jack deserves a reward. He invites Jack to dine with them in first class the following night. Jack and Rose develop a tentative friendship, though Cal and Ruth are wary of him. Following dinner, Rose secretly joins Jack at a party in third class.

Aware of Cal and Ruth's disapproval, Rose rebuffs Jack's advances, but realizes she prefers him over Cal. After rendezvousing on the bow at sunset, Rose takes Jack to her state room; at her request, Jack sketches Rose posing nude wearing Cal's engagement present, the Heart of the Ocean necklace. They evade Cal's bodyguard and have sex in an automobile inside the cargo hold. On the forward deck, they witness a collision with an iceberg and overhear the officers and designer discussing its seriousness.

Cal discovers Jack's sketch of Rose and a mocking note from her in his safe along with the necklace. When Jack and Rose attempt to tell Cal of the collision, he has his bodyguard slip the necklace into Jack's pocket and accuses him of theft. Jack is arrested, taken to the master-at-arms' office, and handcuffed to a pipe. Cal puts the necklace in his own coat pocket.

With the ship sinking, Rose flees Cal and her mother, who has boarded a lifeboat, and rescues Jack. On the boat deck, Cal and Jack encourage her to board a lifeboat; Cal claims he can get himself and Jack off safely. After Rose boards one, Cal tells Jack the arrangement is only for himself. As her boat lowers, Rose decides that she cannot leave Jack and jumps back on board. Cal takes his bodyguard's pistol and chases Rose and Jack into the flooding first class dining saloon. After using up his ammunition, Cal realizes he gave his coat and consequently the necklace to Rose. He later boards a collapsible lifeboat by carrying a lost child.

After braving several obstacles, Jack and Rose return to the boat deck. The lifeboats have departed and passengers are falling to their deaths as the stern rises out of the water. The ship breaks in half, lifting the stern into the air. Jack and Rose ride it into the ocean and he helps her onto a wooden panel only buoyant enough for one person. He assures her that she will die an old woman, warm in her bed. He dies of hypothermia but she is saved.

With Rose hiding from Cal en route, the RMS Carpathia takes the survivors to New York City where Rose gives her name as Rose Dawson. She later learns that Cal committed suicide after losing everything in the 1929 Wall Street crash.

Lovett abandons his search after hearing Rose's story. Alone on the stern of Keldysh, Rose takes out the Heart of the Ocean — in her possession all along — and drops it into the sea over the wreck site. While she is seemingly asleep or has died in her bed, photos on her dresser depict a life of freedom and adventure inspired by Jack. A young Rose reunites with Jack at the Titanic '​s Grand Staircase, applauded by those who perished.

User Review

I avoided watching this film for the longest time. Long before it was even released I had dismissed it as an over-hyped, over-blown, overly romanticized piece of Hollywood schmaltz, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I never watched it in the theatre. I shook my head in disbelief at the 11 Academy Awards - even though I had never seen it. Then I was asked to be a judge at a high school public speaking contest. One of the girls spoke about this movie. "It was so great," she said. "You really felt like you were on the ship." "Nonsense," I thought. I shared my feelings with my fellow judges. One looked at me and said, "you might be right, but if she liked the movie that much maybe she'll want to learn more about the real Titanic. The movie must have done something right to get her so interested." "Well, maybe," thought I. Then it finally appeared on Pay TV. "OK," I thought, "I'll give it a look see." I didn't want to like it - and I didn't. I loved it! What a great movie.

Where to start? First - the directing. My high school public speaking contestant was right. James Cameron does a superb job of creating an almost "you are there" type of atmosphere. The gaiety of life aboard the most elegant ship in the world. The nonchalance as news of the iceberg first spreads; then the rising sense of panic. You don't just watch it; you really do feel it. Then - the performances. The lead performances from Kate Winslet (as Rose) and Leonardo DiCaprio (as Jack) are excellent - Winslet's being the superior, I thought, but both were good. They had their rich girl/poor boy characters down to a perfect "t" I thought. In my opinion, though, stealing the show was Frances Fisher as Rose's mother. She was perfect as the snobby aristocrat, and you could feel the fear and loathing she felt every time she looked at Jack. Then - the details. I'm no expert on the sinking of the Titanic, but I have a reasonable general knowledge, and this film does a super job of recreating the historical details accurately and then weaving them seamlessly around the fictional romance. Very impressive, indeed. Then - the song. Who can watch this movie and not be taken with Celine Dion's performance of "My Heart Goes On."

Problems. Well, the romance was perhaps too contrived, in the sense that I just don't accept that Jack could have moved so effortlessly from steerage to first class. (I know he was invited the first time; but he seems to keep getting into first class without being stopped until he's been there for a while.) The realities of the separation of the social classes were much more realistically portrayed, I thought, when the steerage passengers were going to be left locked down there after the ship hit the iceberg while the first class folks got to enjoy half empty lifeboats.

A minor quibble, though. This is truly an excellent movie. My only regret is not seeing it in the theatre, where I think it would have been so much more impressive.

28 Weeks Later (2007)

28 Weeks Later (2007)

28 Weeks Later is a 2007 British-Spanish post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film, structured as a sequel to the critical and commercial success, 28 Days Later (2002). 28 Weeks Later was co-written and directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, with Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, director and writer of 28 Days Later respectively, now acting as executive producers. It was released in the United Kingdom and United States on 11 May 2007. The on-location filming took place in London and 3 Mills Studios, although scenes intended to be shot at Wembley Stadium, then undergoing final stages of construction, were filmed instead in Wales, with Cardiff's Millennium Stadium used as a replacement

Storyline

28 Weeks Later picks up six months after the Rage Virus has decimated the city of London. The US Army has restored order and is repopulating the quarantined city, when a carrier of the Rage Virus enters London and unknowingly re-ignites the spread of the deadly infection and the nightmare begins

Plot

During the original outbreak of the Rage Virus, Don, his wife Alice, and four other survivors hide in a barricaded cottage on the outskirts of London. They hear a terrified boy pounding at their door, and let him in. A few minutes later, they discover that the infected have followed the boy to them. The infected attack and kill most of the survivors, while Don, Alice, and the boy are chased upstairs. Don is separated from Alice and when the boy is seen hiding in the closet. Alice rushes to get the boy, while Don tells her to just leave him. Soon the infected break into the room and after Alice pleading with Don to "help us", he decides to leave, abandoning them. Don desperately sprints to a nearby motorboat and narrowly escapes.

After the infected die of starvation, NATO forces take control of Great Britain. Twenty-eight weeks after the outbreak, an American-led force, under the command of Brigadier General Stone, brings in settlers. Among the new arrivals are Don and Alice's children, Tammy and Andy, who have apparently been out of the country at a boarding school and so missed the outbreak. They are admitted to District One, a safe zone on the Isle of Dogs guarded by the U.S. Army. Sergeant Doyle, a U.S. Delta Force Sniper and his friend, Chief Flynn, a helicopter pilot, are amongst the military presence charged with guarding the district. Tammy and Andy are reunited with their father, who was found by the U.S. Army and has become the district's caretaker. In their new flat, Don explains what happened to him and their mother.

That night, Andy dreams about forgetting his mother's face, so Tammy and Andy sneak out of the safe zone, and return to their former home, where they begin to collect family photographs and other mementos. To their shock, they find Alice in a semi-conscious state. Doyle sees Tammy and Andy leave the safe zone, and they and their mother are quickly picked up by soldiers and returned to the district. Alice is taken to a quarantine room, where she is tested and found to be an asymptomatic carrier of the rage virus. Don makes an unauthorized visit to Alice in her isolation cell, begging her to forgive him. However, when they kiss, Don is infected, savagely kills her, and goes on a rampage.

General Stone orders the building to be quarantined and District One to be put into Code Red lockdown. Civilians are herded into safe rooms, but despite the precautions, Don breaks into a room containing a large crowd and quickly causes a domino effect of attackers. Scarlet rescues Tammy and Andy as the soldiers in District One are ordered to shoot indiscriminately. Doyle, unable to bring himself to comply with the order, abandons his post and escapes with Scarlet, Tammy, Andy, and several others through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. General Stone orders District One to be firebombed, but large numbers of the infected, including Don, escape the bombardment. Scarlet informs Doyle that the children might hold the key to a cure and must be protected at all costs. Flynn arrives by helicopter to pick up Doyle, but he refuses to take anyone else, as they would be shot down for carrying possibly infected people.

Flynn contacts Doyle by radio and tells him to head to Wembley Stadium, but to leave the civilians. Doyle ignores his instructions and escorts the civilians to Wembley. He breaks into an abandoned car to escape nerve gas released to kill the infected, but is burned alive by soldiers as he tries to push start the car. Scarlet escapes an Apache gunship and drives Tammy and Andy into the London Underground, where the trio continues on foot. Don ambushes and kills Scarlet, then bites Andy. Tammy shoots Don before he can kill Andy, who remains symptom-free but an unknown carrier of the Rage virus. They continue to the stadium and are picked up by a reluctant Flynn, who flies them across the English Channel to France, as previously instructed by Doyle.

Twenty-eight days later, a French-accented voice requesting help is heard from the radio in Flynn's abandoned helicopter. A group of the infected are then seen running through a tunnel which, as they emerge into the open, is revealed to be the exit of the Paris Métro Trocadéro station with a view of the nearby Eiffel Tower.

Cast

• Further information: List of 28 Days/Weeks Later characters
• Robert Carlyle as Don
• Rose Byrne as Scarlet
• Jeremy Renner as Doyle
• Harold Perrineau as Flynn
• Catherine McCormack as Alice
• Mackintosh Muggleton as Andy
• Imogen Poots as Tammy
• Idris Elba as Stone

User Review

When I first heard there was to be a sequel to Danny Boyle's excellent 28 Days Later and that Boyle himself would not be directing it, I was less than excited.

Then the reviews began flooding in and I was surprised, shocked even, that the majority of them were positive.

It was then after the well respected film critic Mark Kermode said it was "very good" and "better than we had any right to expect" that I began to raise my expectations.

Im happy to report that they were exceeded by a sequel that surpasses the original in terms of tension and spectacle.

Boyle remained on board with the project, albeit as a producer, but also directed some second unit footage and never allows it to veer away from the look or feel of his original.

Not that he had cause to worry as the new director,Juan Carlos Fresnadillo obviously understood Boyle's vision and expands on it without getting too carried away.

The result is a faster paced, less reflective film, containing a very intelligent political subtext and some fantastic action set pieces that (and this is the most important part) delivers a large number of quality scares.

It also dwarfs 28 days later in terms of gore, meaning true horror fans have much more in the way of visceral glee to sink their teeth into (pun intended).

Insidious (2010)

Insidious (2010)

Insidious is a 2011 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan, written by Leigh Whannell, and starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Barbara Hershey. It is the first installment in the Insidious film series. The story centers on a couple whose son inexplicably enters a comatose state and becomes a vessel for ghosts in an astral dimension who want to inhabit his body, in order to once again live. The film was released in theaters on April 1, 2011, and was FilmDistrict's first theatrical release. A sequel, Insidious: Chapter 2, was released on September 13, 2013, with Wan returning as director and Whannell returning as screenwriter. Because of the film's success it became the basis for a maze for 2013's annual Halloween Horror Nights. A prequel in the series, Insidious: Chapter 3 was released on June 5, 2015.

Storyline

A gripping story of a family in search of help for their son, Dalton, who fell into a coma after a mysterious incident in the attic. Little do they know that there is much more to this endless sleep than meets the eye as they explore the paranormal, and rediscover the past; the key to getting their son back once and for all.

Plot

A married couple Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne), their sons Dalton (Ty Simpkins) and Foster (Andrew Astor), and infant daughter Cali have recently moved into a new home. One night, Dalton is drawn to the attic when he hears creaking noises and sees the door open by itself. He falls from a ladder while investigating and sees a figure in the shadows. Hearing his terrified screams, Renai and Josh rush to his aid and declare the attic "off limits" to the children. The next day, Dalton falls into an inexplicable coma.

After three months of treatment without result, Renai and Josh are allowed to take Dalton home. Soon after, supernatural activity begins to occur; Renai begins hearing voices over the baby monitor when no one is in Cali's room, Foster says that Dalton sleepwalks at night, Renai sees a frightening figure of a man in Cali's room, who vanishes when Josh comes and the burglar alarm is repeatedly triggered for no reason with the front door open. After Renai finds a bloody hand print on Dalton's bed, she questions Josh about the house, but he ignores her. That night, Renai is attacked by the figure from Cali's room, and the Lamberts decide to abandon the house and move elsewhere.

In the new house, Renai sees the ghost of a dancing boy who leads her to Dalton's room. Josh's mother, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey), visits them one day, and says she had a dream in which a figure in Dalton's room replies "Dalton" when she asks what it wants; at the same time, she sees a monstrous red-faced demon standing behind Josh and screams, while Dalton's room is ransacked and Dalton himself is found laying on the floor.

Lorraine calls paranormal investigators Elise Reiner (Lin Shaye), Specs (Leigh Whannell), and Tucker (Angus Sampson). Upon entering, Elise senses a presence in the house and upon entering Dalton's room, she sees something on the ceiling; to which Specs draws the demonic, red-faced figure Lorraine saw.

Elise explains that Dalton is not in a coma; he was born with the ability to travel mentally to the astral plane. He has traveled too far and become lost in a realm called "The Further", a place inhabited by the tortured souls of the dead. Without his mental presence, Dalton's body appears comatose and spirits can use it to enter the physical world. Josh is skeptical until he realizes that all of Dalton's drawings are of the demonic entity drawn by Specs.

Elise performs a seance to communicate with Dalton, but they contact the demon who threatens them before using Dalton's body to attack them until it is stopped by Elise. She reveals that her acquaintance with Lorraine is decades old, because she previously performed the same service on Josh when he was eight years old (he was terrorized by the parasitic spirit of an old woman). Josh also possesses the ability to astral project, and Dalton inherited this trait from him. Elise tells Josh that the only way to rescue Dalton is to go into the Further.

Elise puts Josh in a trance and he is able to project himself to their previous house. He goes to the attic and finds a red door, but is attacked by the mysterious figure that attacked Renai. After defeating him, Josh enters the Demon's lair, where Josh finds Dalton chained to the floor. After an tearful reunion, Josh frees him, but they are caught by the demon. Josh tries to fight it, but they are forced to flee with the demon in pursuit. Returning through the red door, Josh confronts the old woman that haunted him as a child. The old woman dissolves into darkness after Josh shouts at it to leave him alone. When Josh and Dalton return to their bodies they wake up in their new home and the spirits disappear.

As they celebrate the end of their ordeal, Elise starts packing her equipment with Josh, when she senses that something is wrong (she notices Josh's hands look old and dirty, similar to the old woman's), and proceeds to take a photo of Josh. Josh goes into a violent rage, as he doesn't like to have his picture taken and strangles Elise to death. Renai is horrified when she discovers Elise's dead body and searches for Josh to inform him of her sudden death. Renai picks up the camera and sees that the image Elise took of Josh is actually the old woman that haunted him as a child, implying that Josh has been possessed. Josh, suddenly appears behind her, and she turns around and gasps.

Cast

• Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert
• Josh Feldman as Young Josh
• Rose Byrne as Renai Lambert
• Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier
• Ty Simpkins as Dalton Lambert
• Barbara Hershey as Lorraine Lambert
• Leigh Whannell as Specs
• Angus Sampson as Tucker
• Andrew Astor as Foster Lambert
• Heather Tocquigny as Nurse Kelly
• Corbett Tuck as Nurse Adele
• Ruben Pla as Dr. Sercarz
• John Henry Binder as Father Martin

Monsters

• Joseph Bishara as lip-stick faced Demon
• J. LaRose as Long Haired Fiend
• Philip Friedman as the Old Woman
• Kelly Devoto and Corbett Tuck as Doll Girls
• Lary Crews as the Whistling Ghost Dad
• Jose Prendes as Top Hat Guy
• Caslin Rose as the Ghoul / Contortionist
• Ben Woolf as Dancing Boy

User Review

I went into this movie confident that it would be a cheesy, campy romp with the same "tried and true tricks of the trade," like when the hero is investigating the creepy music coming from the basement and a cat jumps into frame, but I quickly discovered that this would not be case with Insidious. After watching the move and obsessing on it for about 12 hours now, I can honestly say it's one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. In fact, there were several points during the film where I screamed like a 13-year old girl at a Justin Beiber concert. Keep in mind I was consciously trying my hardest to keep my composure, mainly because I was sitting beside my new girlfriend of 2 months. She, incidentally, didn't make a peep; thankfully, I later found out she had her eyes closed the whole time.

I was also expecting to see some blood and guts, especially coming from the guys who made Saw, but there wasn't a drop. Instead, they used just about everything else in their arsenal to scare the bejesus out of me and everyone else in the theater (my girlfriend included). From literally the opening credits, they created an intense, haunting tension that didn't leave my body till several whiskeys and half a Xanax later. And the movie constantly feeds that tension, making even the characters' mundane family life somehow seem utterly terrifying. I was actually exhausted leaving the theater from all of the uncomfortable squirming I was unable to control. I'd say it's the most calories I've ever burned while watching a movie (well, at least a PG-13 movie).

Overall, the movie was great. It was crazy scary, thoroughly entertaining, and even surprisingly funny at times. Having said that, it will be quite some time before I watch another horror movie; I have no desire to be turned into a frazzled bundle of nerves again anytime soon. So, if you plan on seeing this movie, please consider this a cautionary reminder: it's probably best to go with someone who's already witnessed you have a complete physical and mental breakdown, so as to avoid an embarrassing drive home. And maybe bring a Xanax as well.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British horror comedy film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg and Nick Frost. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather. At the same time, he has to cope with an apocalyptic zombie uprising.
The film was a critical and commercial success in the UK and the US. It received a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 76 out of 100 at Metacritic. Shaun of the Dead was also a BAFTA nominee. Pegg and Wright considered a sequel that would replace zombies with another monster, but decided against it as they were pleased with the first film as a stand-alone product, and thought too many characters died to continue the story.
The film is the first in Wright and Pegg's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, followed by 2007's Hot Fuzz and 2013's The World's End.

Storyline

Shaun doesn't have a very good day, so he decides to turn his life around by getting his ex to take him back, but he times it for right in the middle of what may be a zombie apocalypse... But for him, it's an opportunity to show everyone he knows how useful he is by saving them all. All he has to do is survive... And get his ex back.

Plot

Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a 29-year-old electronics shop salesman with no direction in life. His younger colleagues show him no respect, he has a strained relationship with his stepfather, Phillip (Bill Nighy), and a tense one with his housemate Pete (Peter Serafinowicz) because of Ed (Nick Frost), Shaun's other housemate and vulgar, unemployed best friend. Furthermore, Shaun's girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) dislikes their social life as they spend every date at the Winchester, Shaun and Ed's favourite pub. Because Shaun always brings Ed, Liz is always forced to bring her flatmates, David (Dylan Moran) and Dianne (Lucy Davis). After a bad day at work, Shaun forgets to book a table at a nice restaurant, and after suggesting the Winchester again Liz breaks up with him. Shaun drowns his sorrows with Ed at the Winchester. While celebrating at home, an enraged Pete — suffering from a bite wound caused by "some crackheads" — confronts Shaun on his flaws, telling him to sort his life out.

The next morning, a zombie apocalypse has overwhelmed the city, but Shaun is too busy dealing with his hangover to notice. He and Ed discover a female zombie in their backyard, but assume she is just drunk until she survives being impaled on a pipe. Another zombie makes its way into the garden, and Shaun and Ed run back inside. They learn more about the outbreak by watching the news and kill the two zombies (and another zombie that slips in through the front door) with blows to the head. The two decide to rescue Shaun's mother, Barbara (Penelope Wilton), and Liz so they can wait out the crisis in the Winchester.

Shaun and Ed escape in Pete's car and pick up Barbara and Phillip — who has been bitten — and then switch vehicles after Ed deliberately crashes Pete's car for Phillip's Jaguar. They then head over to Liz, Dianne, and David's flat and collect them. On their way to the Winchester, Phillip makes peace with Shaun, dies from his bites, and then reanimates — forcing them to abandon the vehicle and set off on foot. The streets surrounding the pub are overrun, so the group pretends to be zombies to sneak past them, but Shaun gets into an argument with Ed and breaks their cover. Shaun leads the horde away while the rest take refuge in the pub. Shaun rejoins them after losing the zombies.

Several hours later, the zombies return; Shaun discovers the Winchester rifle above the bar is functional and the group uses it to defend themselves. Barbara reveals she was bitten along the way and dies, and a distraught Shaun is forced to shoot her after she reanimates. David is then pulled through a window and torn apart by the zombies, and Dianne frantically unbolts the front door to rescue him, disappearing into the advancing horde. Pete arrives as one of the zombies and bites Ed; Shaun kills Pete and sets fire to the bar, but also sets off the remaining rifle ammunition by accident. The survivors flee into the cellar and contemplate suicide, but discover a barrel hatch elevator that opens to the outside. Shaun and Liz escape on the elevator as Ed is left behind with the rifle. Back on the street, the British Army arrives and guns down the remaining zombies, rescuing the two. The couple approach the safety of the trucks, reconciled.

Six months after the outbreak, civilization has returned to normal, but the living now use the zombies as cheap labour and entertainment. Liz has moved in with Shaun, and Shaun keeps Ed — now a zombie — tethered in the backyard shed so they can play video games together.

Cast

• Simon Pegg as Shaun
• Nick Frost as Ed
• Kate Ashfield as Liz
• Lucy Davis as Dianne
• Dylan Moran as David
• Penelope Wilton as Barbara, Shaun's mother
• Bill Nighy as Phillip, Shaun's stepfather
• Jessica Stevenson as Yvonne
• Peter Serafinowicz as Pete
• Rafe Spall as Noel
• Martin Freeman as Declan
• Reece Shearsmith as Mark
• Tamsin Greig as Maggie
• Julia Deakin as Yvonne's mum
• Matt Lucas as Cousin Tom

User Review

Shaun of the Dead is quite a surprising and brilliant piece of work which I suspect will achieve the accolade of instant cult status as word of mouth snowballs this film to richly deserved recognition.

Simon Pegg, both the joint writer and the main star of the film, has been a comedic force for some time, most notably in the fantastic BBC2 series 'Hippies' (which inexplicably bombed in the ratings) and the cult Channel 4 series 'Spaced'. Both programs hinted at Pegg's saliently dead pan comedic manner (and writing skills) which comes to full fruition in 'Shaun of the Dead'.

In a nut shell, this film is a romantic comedy with zombies (or zom-rom-com) who appear for no good clear reason (although some tantalizing clues are offered). The film is an amazing blend of the funny, the violent and the poignant.

Pegg has cast himself as one hell of a serious loser in this film. And not in the 'American' form of: 'I am a loser but I work in TV and have Jennifer Aniston as my wife' kind of loser as portrayed in tripe such as 'Bruce Almighty' or dozens of other US 'loser' films. Pegg's Shaun is a genuine loser and extremely recognisable too, he's an everyday man who works for an electrical retailer and his life is just plain dull and disappointing - and this is where all the comedy comes from in this film. There are two scenes in the film which seem to summarise this (and also shine a light of Simon Pegg as a very clever and funny writer) and both scenes simply involve Shaun walking to the nearby corner shop. The first time Shaun plods semi-comatose to the store we simply get the feeling that he is a loser. However, by the time the film shows him making the same journey again we realise that there is a lot more going on! The scene is played with such exquisite subtleness that it has to be one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen in any film! Not that this film is subtle however, there is a stunning array of visual comedy, one liners and (best of all) some digs at other films from the horror genre. The funniest being a very subtle snipe at Boyles `28 days later' - see if you can spot it!

The only problem with reviewing this film is that there are so many funny moments in it that it is hard to pick any to write about without spoiling the film. All I can say is that I cannot remember a film ever being this consistently funny with probably five or six serious laugh-out-loud moments. It was a joy to watch and my only disappointment is that I can never watch this film for the first time ever again - every viewing will forever be a repeat viewing.

Shaun of the Dead is not very everyone though - the language from the beginning is strong and the violence was quite surprising for a 15 certificate film (in the UK). This film is definitely going to be most appreciated by horror fans who know a huge back catalogue of horror films. It will also be enjoyed by teenagers (who filled the cinema when I viewed this film which was terrific, as they laughed loudest). Finally, I do have some criticism of this film and that is there is some wasted talent in the movie. Black Book's (channel four) star Dylan Moran seemed a bit wasted and so was Martin Freeman (from BBC2's The Office) - who would have made a terrific zombie! Also, did I spot Matt Lucas (from BBC3's 'Little Britain') in this film? I am not sure as I was laughing too hard maybe!

These problems however are so minor and can easily be forgiven. My suggestion is to go and slowly shuffle down to your local cinema to see this film and give Simon Pegg the money and recognition he deserves so that he can go on and make more films that are this good including what the UK papers have suggested as his next project - `From Dusk 'Till Shaun'.

Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)

Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)

Insidious: Chapter 3 is a 2015 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell in his directorial debut. It is a prequel to the first two films and the third installment in the Insidious film series. The film stars Dermot Mulroney and Stefanie Scott, with Angus Sampson, Whannell, and Lin Shaye reprising their roles from the previous films.
It was released on June 5, 2015 and has grossed over $112 million.

Storyline

After trying to connect with her dead mother, teenager Quinn Brenner, ask physic Elise Rainier to help her, she refuses due to negotiate events in her childhood. Quinn starts noticing paranormal events happen in her house. After a vicious attack from a demon her father goes back and begs Elise Rainier to use her abilities to contact the other side in hope to stop these attacks by this furious demon content for a body.

Plot

A few years before the events of the first film, retired parapsychologist, Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), reluctantly uses her spiritual ability to contact the spirit of Quinn Brenner's (Stefanie Scott) mother, Lillith, who died a year before. However, she urges Quinn not to make contact with her mother again after she senses that the spirit is not Lillith. Quinn begins to see a mysterious figure waving at her from a distance, and following her unsuccessful attempt to win an audition for a prestigious drama school, she is hit by a car and briefly flatlines before waking up with her legs cast.

The accident leaves Quinn stuck in her apartment with her father, Sean (Dermot Mulroney), and younger brother, Alex (Tate Berney). The demonic figure continues to haunt her, becoming increasingly malevolent as time progresses and leaving Quinn with her neck injured after the demon flings her around her bedroom. Sean tries to convince Elise, who like him is still grieving after the loss of her significant other: her husband, Jack, to help his daughter, but Elise declines, stating that her previous visits to the "dark" spiritual world made her realize that an evil spirit is hunting to kill her. However, she is convinced by her fellow parapsychologist, Carl (Steve Coulter), to continue using her spiritual ability, reminding her about her successful case involving Josh Lambert and stating that she is stronger than any spirits or demons because she is living and they are not.

Due to Elise's refusal, Alex suggests to call a ghost hunters duo: Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), but Quinn's possession grows increasingly worse as she, now possessed by the demon, breaks through her braces. Realizing that they are a fraud, Sean prepares to kick the duo out until Elise arrives timely. Deducing that the demon's goal is to lure potential victims to "the Further" so it can eat their life force, Elise decides to enter the spiritual world with Specs and Tucker recording any activities and words she spells out. With the help of a spirit who likewise is a victim of the demon, Elise enters the Further and after a brief encounter with the evil spirit that haunts her, the Bride in Black (Tom Fitzpatrick), meets with Jack (Adrian Sparks), whom she realizes is the demon (Michael Reid MacKay). While managing to defeat the demon, Elise returns to the material world after realizing that Quinn has to defeat the faceless version of herself by herself, who is slowly taking control of her features and soul. Though Quinn is at first at a disadvantage, Elise reads a message that the Brenner's late neighbor had tried to tell Quinn of: that Lillith is leaving her with a letter to read before she graduated. Lillith's (Ele Keats) spirit then appears to help Quinn fully take control of her body and return to the material world. She then disappears after leaving parting words to her family.

Following the Brenner' successful case, Elise decides to come out of retirement and work with Specs and Tucker. She arrives home and notices a figure watching her from outside. Thinking that it is Jack at first, Elise realizes that it is something demonic as the demon from the first film (Joseph Bishara) suddenly appears beside her.

Cast

• Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier
• Dermot Mulroney as Sean Brenner
• Stefanie Scott as Quinn Brenner
• Angus Sampson as Tucker
• Leigh Whannell as Specs
• Hayley Kiyoko as Maggie
• Tate Berney as Alex Brenner
• Michael Reid MacKay as The Man Who Can't Breathe
• Tom Gallop as Dr. Henderson
• Steve Coulter as Carl
• Phyllis Applegate as Grace
• Ashton Moio as Hector
• Ele Keats as Lillith Brenner
• Tom Fitzpatrick as Bride in Black / Parker Crane
• Adrian Sparks as Jack Rainier
• Phil Abrams as Mel
• Ruben Garfias as Ernesto
• James Wan as The Acting School Audition Judge
• Amaris Davidson as Nurse
• Fawn Irish as Lambert Woman
• Garrett Ryan as Young Josh Lambert
• Joseph Bishara as Lipstick-Face Demon

User Review

I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through this movie. It brought me back to when I first watched The Exorcist as a young boy.

I'm actually quite surprised at the low rating here though. Perhaps I thought it was brilliant because I really had no idea what the movie was about before watching it. I tend to avoid all previews and articles prior to watching movies so I go in fresh without any clues on what's coming. That behavior may have served me well with this one.

Honestly speaking, I jumped out of my chair a few times and even more satisfying, I experienced a few prolonged bouts of sustained horror. I sat there in total fear at what was transpiring right in front of me which I absolutely loved.

What an incredible surprise of a film and I'm still buzzing as I write this review. Job very well done. I can't remember the last time a horror film had such an effect on me. Bravo!

Final Destination 3 (2006)

Final Destination 3 (2006)

Final Destination 3 is a 2006 American horror film, and the third installment of the Final Destination franchise. It was directed and co-written by James Wong, who also directed and co-wrote the first film, and was produced by Wong and his writing partner Glen Morgan, with franchise producers Craig Perry and Warren Zide. Released on February 10, 2006, the film performed well at the box office and gained a mixed reception from critics.

Storyline

When Wendy Christensen has a vision of an accident on the roller coaster, resulting in her and her friends' deaths, she instantly begins to panic, causing more of her friends to be left of the ride. The remaining friends, including Wendy's boyfriend, are stuck on the roller coaster and find themselves involved in the accident. With death waiting around the corner, Wendy and Kevin Fischer must try and work out death's plan, before they and the remaining survivors end up dead.

Plot

High school student Wendy Christensen visits an amusement park with her boyfriend Jason Wise, best friend Carrie Dreyer, and Carrie's boyfriend Kevin Fischer for their senior class field trip. As they board the Devil's Flight roller coaster, Wendy has a premonition that the hydraulics securing the seat harnesses and roller coaster cars will fail, killing everyone on board. When she panics a fight breaks out and several people leave or are forced off the ride, including Kevin; best friends Ashley Fruend and Ashlyn Halperin; alumnus Frankie Cheeks; athlete Lewis Romero; and goths Ian McKinley and Erin Ulmer. As they leave they witness the roller coaster derail, killing the remaining passengers, including Jason and Carrie, leaving Wendy devastated.

The next day, Kevin tells Wendy about the explosion of Flight 180 and the subsequent deaths of the survivors. Believing that Kevin is mocking her, Wendy dismisses his theory and leaves. Later on, Ashley and Ashlyn are killed at a tanning salon when a loosened shelf falls and locks them in the overheating tanning beds. Now convinced that Death is still after them, Wendy and Kevin set out to save the remaining survivors using omens hidden within photos that were taken of them the night of the accident.

Frankie dies next at a drive-thru when a runaway truck crashes into the back of Kevin's truck, causing the engine fan to blow out and slice off the back of Frankie's head. The next day, they try to save Lewis at the gym. He tells them he doesn't believe them, shortly before two iron weights from the machine he is using swing down and crush his head. Next, they find Ian and Erin working at a hardware store. Wendy manages to save Ian before he is impaled by falling planks of wood, but a chain reaction causes Erin to stumble backwards onto a nail gun and she is shot repeatedly through the head. This leaves Ian devastated, and causes him to resent Wendy.

Later, Wendy learns that her sister Julie was also on the roller coaster, and rushes to the county fair to save her. She and Kevin are able to prevent Julie from being impaled on a harrow, and Wendy asks Julie who was sitting next to her on the roller coaster, as they are next on Death's list. Her question is answered when Julie's friend Perry Malinowski is suddenly impaled by a flagpole that is launched by a rope tied to a horse. Wendy saves Kevin from an exploding propane canister caused by all the commotion and is confronted by a deranged Ian, who blames her for Erin's death. A set off fireworks go off in their direction, and nearly hit Wendy, but she ducks and they strike a nearby cherry picker instead. As Ian shouts that Death cannot kill him, the cherry picker collapses and crushes him in half. Wendy believes the cherry picker was meant for her, but Ian inadvertently took her place.

Five months later, Wendy is on a subway train with her roommate Laura and friend Sean. After seeing more omens, Wendy attempts to leave the train, but she encounters Julie as she enters the carriage and decides to stay. Wendy then notices Kevin sitting at the back end of the carriage. Suddenly the train derails and everyone on board dies: Julie is hit by a stray wheel; Kevin is ground between the train and tunnel wall; and Wendy survives the crash but is hit by another train. This turns out to be another premonition, and the three attempt to stop the train. The screen then cuts to black, followed by the sound of screeching metal.

Cast

• For more details on this topic, see List of Final Destination characters.
• Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Wendy Christensen
• Ryan Merriman as Kevin Fischer
• Kris Lemche as Ian McKinley
• Alexz Johnson as Erin Ulmer
• Sam Easton as Frankie Cheeks
• Jesse Moss as Jason Wise
• Gina Holden as Carrie Dreyer
• Texas Battle as Lewis Romero
• Chelan Simmons as Ashley Freund
• Crystal Lowe as Ashlyn Halperin
• Amanda Crew as Julie Christensen
• Maggie Ma as Perry Malinowski
• Ecstasia Sanders as Amber Regan
• Dustin Milligan as Marcus
• Cory Monteith as Kahill
• Agam Darshi as Laura
• Dylan Basile as Sean

User Review

I've always been a huge fan of the Final Destination 3, mainly because it got me to look at the world in a whole new light. Granted, a slightly paranoid light, but a new light all the same. Any film capable of doing this deserves some recognition! The first and second were 2 gory, brash and trashy films, and didn't attempt to pretend they weren't, and the third followed the same route.

The plot in itself was pretty thin, and the characters were really just people on a hit list, no strong characterisation, but then, it wasn't needed! This is a no brainer snuff movie and it rocks. Some gratuitous amounts of gore, and a little nudity here and there and you have the perfect film to waste away the boredom welling up inside you after sitting through Harry Potter. The actors all do fine jobs, and the special effects are pretty much top-notch (when they're not CGI) and the pace just moves along nicely.

The 2 major bad points are : The CGI - It was pretty noticeable, and it did take away some of the magic of the Roller-coaster scene,in my opinion anyway, and secondly, it was way too short and there weren't enough deaths in it! That sounds a little demented, I know, but I actually found myself yearning for just a little more... but no. Excellent ending though, it surprised me, I have to say.

A good strong film altogether, a perfect date movie, but you'll never EVER look at a Tanning Bed (or a picture for that matter) the same way again.

GO SEE IT!