Paranormal Activity Series

 

 

 

 

Okay, well, not yet anyway. It sure is getting close though and what better way to celebrate the month of October than watching scary movies!?

I have currently been obsessed with Season 3 of The Walking Dead that has finally arrived on Netflix but that doesn't mean I can't watch some scary movies too right?

So, to start the month off right, I have chosen a series that I am up to date and very familiar with. The "Paranormal Activity" franchise.

Now this movie series gets some mixed feelings. You have those who love it, those who hate it, those who can't follow it and those who just want to watch it for the sake of another sexy and scared girl on screen.

Me? I personally love the series and I like the scary movies that make you feel like it can really happen to you. As far as graphics, I like what they did. I didn't see any wires, the reactions I thought were awesome, but the fact that the first movie came out without the idea of it as a series and it had an alternate ending sort of ruined it for me, esp since I saw the first one second.

So, let's start with the summary and then I will get to the reviews. Sounds good? Good. Remember, spoilers as always.


Paranormal Activity was created by first time director Oren Peli who was so scared of ghosts that even Ghostbusters terrified him. He wanted to turn his fears into something positive and took over a year to prepare everything to be filmed within his own house. He even studied Demonology and researched paranormal cases, wanting the movies to be as realistic and "truthful" as possible.

Along with the current four that are out, there is set to be two more movies. The fifth movie is set directly after the fourth one and they are both set to be released in 2014. Oren Peli only directed the first one but was a producer for the prequel and the other films in the series.

The series is generally filmed using camcorders, home videos, security cameras and webcam's and it follows a family who turns out to have a terrible secret in their history which leads the current-day members of the family to deal with demonic possession and hauntings.


 The first movie revolves around a couple, Katie and Micah, who slowly become terrorized through the nights by a demonic entity that Katie believes to have been following her all her life.

The second movie starts of several weeks before the events of the first film with the demonic activity affecting Katie's sister Kristi and her family-- a husband and a step-daughter, after she brings home her first child, a son, named Hunter.


The third movie is set to be a prequel for the whole series, showing Katie and Kristi as they were kids and what happened when they were younger to make sense of the events said in the first two movies. This is when they encounter "Toby" for the first time by name.


In the fourth, and latest, segment of the series it deals with a new family that might have something in their history that brings them into the demonic bouts of terror. It is several years after the events of the second movie and Katie is seen moving in next to the family with her "son". The events of this movie tend to affect the new family's son, Wyatt.

Alright. So here is the jist.

I love the series, I really do. I feel like after I watch it that I need to be careful when I walk around my house and that my daughter needs to be checked on because anything can happen. Not to mention my daughter watched the Labyrinth with David Bowie in it awhile ago and decided to name one of her baby dolls Toby. Yeah, that was creepy.

Anyway, I do understand the confusion though and some of the dislike for these movies. First off, if you get vertigo by watching movies that switch back and forth or move around a lot. This series is not for you. With the webcams, security feeds and so on, it can make you a little twitchy.

As for the storyline, I followed it until the third movie when things just didn't seem to completely follow what was said in the second when their past was more revealed, but hey, whatever. Different writers, I get it.

The fourth one was a little harder on me because, well, using the webcam all the time, keeping the computer on, hacking in to the other cams in the house, really?

Sure, I sometimes wonder "why not put the damn camera down and do something!" but that would make for a pretty boring movie.

I do like though how they learned from the mistake of the first film. These movies do not have very many special features except for, maybe, some lost footage every now and then. The "alternate ending" to the first one, whether it was supposed to be a series or not, really takes away from the affect. So, really, if you get the dvd set, please don't watch the alternate ending to the first one, cause, it just sucks.

I do recommend the series though for people who like that "I cant really see it the monster but wait, is that someone breathing cold air on the back of my neck, OMG ITS HERE TOO" kind of thing.  I know I did and I intend to see the last two to see how it all gathers together.



Oh, if you also want to see some online things they did to promote the series and you have a facebook, check out the following link. It really doesn't have to do with the original family, but they did some amazing work trying to promote the series through getting people to interact online.

https://www.facebook.com/mrjacobdegloshi?fref=ts

Well, enjoy my lovelies and feel free to leave a comment on some of the awesome and terribly scary movies you have seen before so I might review them for other's looking for some truly scary, not all about the gore and bloodshed, terror films.

Riddick

One name. One name and this movie should already have your attention. Vin Diesel.

Another actor I am a fan of, Vin Diesel as been in a lot of movies I have watched from action and no romance like Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, the new Riddick movie, to comedy like The Pacifier. I love these movies and I love this actor. However, it doesn't mean I can not be a good critic.

A lot of people watched the trailer of Riddick and thought, "Man, that looks identical to Pitch Black." Well, sort of.

The similarities are there. Riddick being on a planet where the creatures attack mainly at night and they are worse then the people actually left on the planet, the main male casting, the same ruthless attitude.

But in other ways, the movie is pretty different. For starters, Riddick got to this planet not as a prisoner, but as a leader who wanted to get away from the community who now bowed to him like a king. He went to the planet because he was looking for his home world Furya and Vaako, played by the over loved Karl Urban (who was the new Judge Dredd in the recent remake.) said that was the one and only he knew where Furya was since all the maps of where it was located has since been destroyed. Well, some things occurred and it turned out it wasn't Furya but Vaako's way, or the other Necromunger's way of getting rid of Riddick "once and for all". Yeah right.

Anyway, I also like this movie because it shows Riddick's caring side. He, at first, captures his wild puppy for none other then experimentation, but in the end it grows to be his friend and companion. And then, heres a sad spoiler.. GETS SHOT! In front of him! I mean how horrible is that? Poor Riddick.

The cast of this movie deal with NO innocent persons either like the first dark planet one did but two groups of well trained Mercs. One being lead by the father of the guy who captured Riddick in Pitch Black. I love how that came around to mean something later. Whew. Anyway, more a cast members included; Katee Sackhoff who plays a badass lesbian merc who can teach a man a lesson-- but eventually succumbs to Riddick's brutal charm, Dave Bautista, Raoul Trujillo and many more. But in typical fashion, the movie doesn't revolve around a huge number of A+, we see them everywhere, actors.

This movie does have a lot of breast action though. I mean really, you turn here, you turn there and you see some woman's breasts. The reason I like Riddick films so much though is it is about the storyline, about Riddick, about the fight, not an action movie filled with drama, heartache, romance, but just plain action! It is a pure action film that should be seen, in my opinion.

Well, that is my review of Riddick and I honestly think it should be seen. This one has a lot stronger language then the others and like I said, a bit more nudity-- not that the others had a lot of that-- but even with its similarities to Pitch Black, it still works, and do not worry they DO explain how Riddick went from the next general to the Underverse to back on a deserted planet. They don't leave you hangin'. I do wish we had gotten to see the Underverse though, I think that would have been interesting.

Well, until next time. You keep what you kill. -winks-

Tah.

The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones.

And for my first review;

Alright, so I want to start this off by letting everyone know, Yes! I have read the book. In fact, I have read almost all of them save for the most recent that has come out and that is because it has been sold out nearly everywhere, including online. I love them dearly and I think I have come to know the characters very well. No, I have not hit the Infernal Devices series yet but  want to read those consecutively and without the Mortal Instruments series on my mind. Then, after the Infernal Devices I will be reading the series that Cassandra Clare is working on that comes after the Mortal Instruments series titled The Dark Artifices.

 

Okay, now that I have that admittance out of my system we can start on the movie.

First, let me say that I know how hard it is for people who read the books and love them to no end come in and see a movie made about their book. They can be harsh, judgmental and very brutal when it comes to casting, storyline, visual effects. However, I am one of those people who understand that the movie is BASED on the book, not the book itself. I do however, take solace in the fact that Cassandra Clare was pleased with the director and production managers rendition of the book. With that in mind, as a birthday present to myself, Derrick and I went to see the movie.

Casting; I loved it! Now yes, Lily Collins would not have been my first choice for Clary Fray because I pictured someone more red-headed since it says that she has fiery hair. But hey, Lily Collins did a pretty good job as Clary and she is a beautiful but modest person. And lets admit it, she rocks the dark, thick eyebrows. Wish I could get mine like her. I also admired the casting of Robert Sheehan as Simon; he pulled off the geeky best friend but still had that sort of sex appeal where you could understand why Clary might like him or have a chance of liking him eventually. Alec, let's face it, not entirely what I had in mind because I was thinking someone a little less muscled reguardless of Shadowhunter status but man, he is gorgeous. No wonder Magnus wants to hook up with him. (Very pleased with the Magnus and Valentine casting too by the way) Isabelle, well, I pictured her a little more sexy. I mean, don't get me wrong, Jemima West is beautiful but just NOT what I had in mind for Isabelle. Now for Jace. Oh dear god is it time for Jace. Bestill my heart, the decided to go with Jamie Campbell Bower. At first they were going to go with some actor named Alex Pettyfer. Now I do not know who that is off hand but I am sure he is a nice guy. I looked up a picture of him and yeah he's cute, but I did not see Jace in him and I do not think he would have been right for the role. When I saw and heard Jamie Bower as Jace, my heart sunk deep into my chest. He is, in my opinion, the very actor form of Jace Wayland. The accent, the looks, the 'I'm the most beautiful man on the universe but also the most self conscious" attitude. Perfect and that choice alone for an actor as the main lead role makes me want to go see the movie over and over and over and over and.. well, you get the idea. Haha.

Storyline; I think they followed the storyline pretty well for basing it off the book. I will have to re-read back over the book to see what they left out, but I am pretty sure it was a bit. The revealing, or plot, to make Jace and Clary believe they were related was okay but it was much more emotional in the book. I love at the end of the movie how Jace says he doesn't believe it, but in the book he is pretty damn distraught over the fact that he is having a Star Wars moment with his sister and that he loves her so much. Reguardless, they did good. I did recently hear that the second movie has been pushed back though because the script was not following the book at ALL, which they wanted to stick close to, but as sad as I am that they pushed it back, knowing that they will be making three movies cause they have contracts for three (later decided whether or not they want to make the rest since it was originally supposed to be a three book series) then I can wait and see a movie that took a bit longer to come out because they want to do the movies and books justice.

Visual Effects; I LOVED them. Okay, so the werewolves looked a little bit like the ones from Twilight, but what do you expect with CGI? Not that I am complaining, personally I am a Twilight book and movie fan. But the transformation of broken down building to cathedral-like Shadowhunter base was so beautiful, and the fighting scenes? Nice! I can not believe Jamie learned to actually do that front flip onto the table.

Mix of Serious and Comedy; It was perfect. The fighting met the male prospective, the romance met the female prospective and I think the comedy brought them both together. I cracked up when Jace flipped onto the table, stabbed his sword not only through the vampire but the table itself and the face he mad when he heard Clary and Simon scream from under the table where he was at? Priceless. Not to mention the sarcasm in the movie, mainly from Jace to Clary in the friction of her relationship with Simon. -Swoons-

Alright, enough of my ranting. Really though, I think that director Tarsem Singh did a wonderful job and I do hope they do a good job for the rest of the series.

Alrighty, rant over.. now I will leave you girls with a sexy image of Jamie Campbell Bower; whom by the way, has been in Sweeney Todd as Anthony also all three of the big Book to Movie Motion Pictures of our generation;
Harry Potter- Young Gellert Grindlewald
Twilight- Caius of the Volturi
City of Bones- Jace Wayland

Enjoy... <3

Welcome One And All!

Welcome one and all
to my new blog,
Coyote's Commentary!

   I was recently introduced to one of my friend's blogs; Geeky Cat, and I must confess, I was most entertained and found myself reading through two and a half months of blogs she had made in one night just so I was caught up on all the details she had to offer. Not to mention her blog on gaming introduced me to a new game I wish to try, Dark Souls.

      While reading her blog, and thinking about the novel I have been writing lately, it made me think about starting my own blog. This one, however, about the hundreds of pieces I tend to watch a year; accumulating from shows, anime and movies. I always used to critique them on Facebook where I am an avid poster. Now though, I think I have found the reason for my blog.

Now, I have some reasons why you will have to bare with me;

      First, we do not have cable. We don't find it particularly needed except in the case of our favorite shows. Other times it is mainly just a waist of the extra money. So we, my fiancee Derrick and I, have joined the crowed of people who learn patience through Netflix. We might be a season behind everyone else but that does not mean that we do not have feelings on the shows we watch.

      Second, if you are the type of person who likes consistency than you are on the wrong blog, my new friends! I go back and forth between movies I find on Netflix, Anime's, Shows which are, like previously stated, probably one season behind what is actually on television, and then occasionally the new movies that come out in theatres. Not to mention I plan on extending the blog to occasionally games, books, music videos or new songs we come across, events in our area of Illinois, restaurants in our area we dine at and possibly more. I'll learn to make different pages for those of course... I hope.

 

      Finally, if you want a blogger who posts everyday, then I might also not be the one for you. I will however swear to all you faithful readers that I will blog as often as I can, whether it be at three in the morning or two in the afternoon. Who knows, I might even turn you onto a show you might want to see.

Spoiler Alert!
      You will get some. I can not promise details will not be given away on anything I watch. In fact, I will probably be giving away much. But, I will make it as informative and entertaining as possible! So stick with me and if you see me start to talk about something you are watching and have not yet gotten too, I would stop reading and wait for the next post to come out.

In return for this information, I hope to find some dedicated followers who will also join in with the critiquing of personal feelings towards things I post about. Remember, these are personal feelings and nothing personal to those who like or dislike something I write about so keep the comments clean and happy and we will get along great!

Call me Ashli, Ash or just The Coyote if you prefer.


Now, let's get started!