Boy can I pick ' em. But in my defense, when I saw Stephen Cragg had directed one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and about 4 episodes of Reaper, I figured there was promise.... right? I mean both are great shows (that is before Buffy jumped the shark after season 6; no 4; no 6....) And Reaper... well, geez, what happened to that great show?? Why do they always cancel the ones I like? Tru Calling, Dollhouse.... Dead Like Me...
Boy, I sure can pick 'em.
This time, my pick was Circle of Eight. The DVD sleeve was so promising with its depiction of an ominous high rise apartment building with some pretty odd characters as tenants that mysteriously begin dying once Jessica moves in.....
Sounds like it could have potential, right?
Wrong.
In the movie world, Jessica may be the stupidest bimbo on 2 legs (except for maybe Penny in Penny Dreadful.) After feeling guilty for not saving her little brother from drowning, Jessica moves into the "Dante" apartment building where everything and anything happens.... all on day one. You'd think she'd realize her best course of action would be to leave as quickly as she arrived, but no; she stays. Just like all stupid bimbettes in these types of movies. Guess we would not have a movie otherwise...
For starters, Jessica (small potato actress Austin Highsmith) meets her oddball neighbors (also small potato actors you won't recognize except for maybe DJ Qualls) who for whatever reason, feel right at home with Jessica. So much so that they walk right into her apartment, uninvited and without knocking. Almost as if they know her, and know her well. Hint Hint.
And you would think Jess would ask questions whenever her brand new neighbors (whom she has known for all of an hour) seem to know personal details about her she had not shared since arriving. Nor had she been freaked out enough to leave the building once she found one of her new neighbors hanging bloodied and dead from the ceilings rafters. No, our little naive waif thinks its smarter to hole herself up in new dark and dreary apartment. Makes perfect sense to me.
Such promise this movie had. Such apparent high hopes I had for it. But Circle of Eight left more loose ends than the number of advertisers who have dropped Tiger Woods. And none of it makes any sense until the last 5 minutes when all the pieces come together but leave you with at least 2 new questions, and a really big "WTF?"expression on your face....
So if you happen to be at your local video rental store and Circle of Eight catches your eye, don't be fooled like I was. It's definitely a waste of time.
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People believe different things for different reasons; what is real for one may not be real for another. Do Zombies really exist? One might think with my fascination of the undead I would believe they do, but is my definition of a zombie the same as yours?
Do I think corpses literally rise from the dead only to become mindless carnivores that seek to eat living, breathing, human beings? No. Do I believe that some living people are dead on the inside and exhibit parasitic behavior by "feeding" on the lives and emotions of those around them? Yes, I do.
Do Ghosts and Demons really exist? Are the thousands of people who believe they do - claim they have seen them - all crazy? Or are their minds merely open to the possibility while the unbelievers remain closed, inhibiting their ability to see....
Do you believe in ghosts?
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Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity 2009
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Don't kid yourself into going to see Paranormal Activity thinking it's based on actual events. Though the opening credits will lead you to believe it is, it is not.
It is a fictional story created and directed by newcomer Oren Peli, much in the same fashion as that of The Blair Witch Project (and while the Blair Witch Project was made with a meager $11,000, Paranormal Activity was made with an equally meager $15,000.)
I think for someone who does not believe in ghosts or possession, Paranormal Activity is a movie they should probably skip seeing. The buildup of fear this movie creates is only effective if one has the willingness to believe in the possibility. Anything short of that makes for a boring couple of hours.
I myself have always believed in ghosts and possession. Quite frankly the possession side of it terrifies me which is why I have never been able to watch the Exorcist in its entirety. Well, either that or the crucifix thing, but my point is that I tend to stay away from serious movies involving possession. So why did I want to see Paranormal Activity? Who knows. But I am sure my willingness to believe in such things is probably going to cause me some restless (and most likely sleepless) nights for weeks to come after seeing this one. Paranormal Activity is the story of Katie (played by newcomer Katie Featherston) and Micah (played by newcomer Micah Sloat), a young couple just starting out. It seems Katie has been hearing strange noises and seeing strange things in their new home, and much to Micah's dismay, consults with a psychic for help in stopping the events. We learn Katie has had a demon trailing her rather silently since she was 8 years old, and if she wants it to remain dormant then she need not do anything to antagonize it. The psychic strongly suggests consulting an actual demonologist, which Micah adamantly refuses to do.
So for duration of the movie, Micah takes "control" of the situation by recording the events taking place in their home in an attempt to determine what it is they are dealing with. The events initially happen only at night and seem minor enough: lights flipping off and on; sounds of footsteps; doors moving and subsequently slamming, but it's not enough for Micah. He wants more than just slamming doors and he wants it on tape. Not understanding the seriousness of Katie's "haunting," Micah ignores the psychic's warnings and instigates confrontation with the unseen intruder; taunting it; daring it to be more evident. His typical male ego tells him he can handle the outcome, no matter what it is, without having to concede to an exorcism.
Unfortunately Micah's actions are not without serious consequence as the nightly recordings show Katie being physically touched, bitten, and even possessed by the entity (although the two do not acknowledge it as a possession.) The events become more frequent, happening in the daytime as well, until the unthinkable becomes the young couple's inevitable reality.
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My Opinion
. Paranormal Activity focused on all the elements that freak me out: spirits, demons, and possession. To top it off, they threw in a Ouija Board. Now anyone who has any real belief or fear in the spirit world knows the Ouija Board spells bad news. It's the ultimate portal for allowing the supernatural entrance to your world. Call me stupid, but there is no way in hell I am having one of those things in my house so some evil thing can screw with me. Why tempt fate? Sure some people have had Ouija Boards in their homes for years with no consequence, but guaranteed I would be the exception and I won't take the risk of proving myself right.
While Paranormal Activity was not laden with excessive scare tactics or even much excitement (as it is seen mostly through the lens of a video camera), the tension that builds from scene one is filled with expectation. Enough so that this viewer at least was held captive until the very (although somewhat foreseen) ending. .
The Effectiveness of Paranormal Activity
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Unfortunately Paranormal Activity wasn't wit]hhout holes and it's these little holes (namely missing video footage) that confirm that Paranormal Activity is not based on actual events, and cause the movie to lose some of its effectiveness.
The ending of the movie was probably the biggest hole and the one part of the movie that caused me to leave the theater feeling somewhat cheated. (Click on this link if you want to see what that hole is but do so only if you do not care that I will reveal the movie's ending!)
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Did I Miss Something?
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I was so pumped to see this movie. And while I am glad I did as I still found it to be a very good movie, it wasn't a great movie. I tell myself the director was aiming for a feel of reality which doesn't usually involve projectile vomit or spinning heads, and I completely respect that he held true to the realism - but something's just..... missing. I hate to say it but it just didn't scare me enough.
Maybe I will watch it again when it's released on DVD - alone in my creaky house with all the lights out late at night. I bet then I'd be so scared I'd rather pee my pants then get up to walk through the dark to the bathroom. THAT'S how I was hoping to be scared.... guess I will just have to wait and see.
I so wanted to see The Invisible when it was first released in theaters however being that there is an "us" versus a mere "me" in my life, it's a joint decision and he wasn't as intrigued as I.
Needless to say I was not happy to have to wait for this movie to be released on DVD. Yet no matter how many times I have watched it since the DVD release, I experience it for the first time each time, as subtle references and foreshadowing previously missed become exposed......
Though the trailers would lead you to expect more supernatural drama from this movie, I have to say I was in no means disappointed that it did not deliver; because what The Invisibledid deliver was so much more. Anyone who has seen this movie and did not absolutely love it, obviously did not understand it. Or perhaps they simply prefer blood and guts and should have never seen this movie to begin with.
For starters, the soundtrack for The Invisible is startling effective. The songs lyrics supported the depth of the story line, enhancing the emotion of the viewer (maybe I should say enhancing the emotion of this viewer.) So often soundtracks leave you feeling a little detached from the movie; not meshing with the underlying message. This one kept me glued to each moment, without getting bored.
Secondly The Invisible's story line was plentiful. On the surface you have a situation of mistaken identity that results in a college bound student being unmercifully tortured and left for dead. As his body lies tethering on the brink of death, his spirit (or soul) attempts to reach out to the police and aid them in finding his body. He also tries to reach out to his mother, in an attempt to evoke some sort of emotion to validate that he mattered to her, as Nick is convinced he did not.
Which leads us into one of the sub-stories. Nick (played by seasoned actor Justin Chatwin) is a bright student with a promising future, but with the turmoil of losing his father at a young age and his mother's stoic demeanor to remain "strong," Nick feels "invisible" as he stumbles through a life he can't control. This is one of the many ironies of the movie as he does indeed become "invisible" when he is callously beaten and left to die.
Another sub-story is Annie, played by young Margarita Levieva. Annie is a scarred and troubled soul who has lost control of her life and deals with it by trying to control everything around her while trying to appear "invisible" in her exterior. It's this obsessive personality that ultimately drives her over the edge, resulting in her being the reason Nick has been left for dead.
Unfortunately The Invisible is a movie not without holes. Lose ends in Hollywood productions are always present it seems, and this movie certainly is no different in that respect. For starters there is Annie's father who "once was a cop" but now is simply detached from his life; then we have Annie's paroled boyfriend who ultimately turns on her and ends up shot himself; and of course Pete, Nick's friend responsible for Nick's untimely "demise;" who unsuccessfully attempts suicide as a release from his guilt.
The acting of Justin Chatwin and Margarita Levieva in this movie is incredible. They are extremely convincing in their roles, and produced a chemistry between them that is not easily found in movies of today. I realize I may be alone in my love affair with this movie but I felt what they felt; I hoped when they hoped; I cried when they cried. To me, that is what makes a good movie great.
There are a lot of comments on the web about viewers dissatisfaction with The Invisible because a scene from the trailer was deleted from the theatrical release. the missing scene featured an old man in a hospital window who saw Nick when no one else could. I've watched this scene as it is included on the DVD release (in the deleted scenes section for those who do not explore the DVD menu option.) I personally prefer the scene they utilized with a bird versus this one as it is definitely more symbolic and thought provoking in the message it was intended to deliver.
The Invisible is a movie that will make you think. It will make you draw certain conclusions for yourself versus laying them out for you. If this is not something you like in a movie, then definitely don't bother watching this one. But if you occasionally enjoy a movie with a story line as well as a plot, one that inspires you to ponder different hypotheses, then I highly recommend watching this one.
