Halloween II rated R for brief nudity, violence/gore, some drug use, disturbing imagery, and mild profanity *contains spoilers*

This movie picks up where the first film left off.  So it's still Halloween night 1978 and Laurie (played again by Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken to the the hospital for treatment as the full horror of The Shape/Michael Myer's (played by Dick Warlock) murders are beginning to be revealed.  Michael Myers has obviously escaped and is at large.  Michael pursues Laurie to the hospital to kill her.  Meanwhile Dr. Loomis (again portrayed by Donald Pleasence) and the police are desperately attempting to find and apprehend Michael Myers.  While in the hospital Laurie recalls forgotten memories of her past that reveal that she is Michael Myers younger sister and that she was adopted by the Strodes.  She also meets a young paramedic named Jimmy (played by Lance Guest).  Will Dr. Loomis get there in time?





This film is much more violent and graphic than the first picture.  I think that the reason for that is because at this time horror films started to take on the "cartoonish" graphic violence that some people were so offended by in the eighties/early nineties.  Friday the 13th had been released the year before this one.

Whereas the previous film showed deserted streets and no one, not even trick or treaters out while Laurie was being attacked by The Shape/Michael Myers, the streets are so full of people that it's honestly a little confusing since the events in this film occur on the same night as the events in the previous film.  However it does serve a purpose as it contributes to the confusion of the law enforcement and Dr. Loomis resulting in Michael Myers/The Shape succeeding at getting to the hospital.  Also, fun easter egg of a sort, the boy Ben Trainor that Laurie indicates that she likes in the first movie becomes a red herring. 



  Still I like it well enough.  Of the Michael Myers Halloween franchise, I love the first one, this one, and H20 so far.  This is the last Michael Myers Halloween picture that has direct influence from John Carpenter and Debra Hill. 

 

Halloween (1978) rated R for brief nudity/sexuality, drug use, violence, slight profanity, and frightening/disturbing imagery *contains spoilers*

On Halloween night in 1978, a masked killer named Michael Myers (played by Nick Castle although he is listed as "The Shape") returns to his hometown of Haddonfield.  For the last 15 years, Michael Myers had been locked up in a sanitarium for the murder of his sister Judith whom he brutally killed when he was only six years old.  His psychiatrist Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasence) is doing his best to try to stop Michael with law enforcement help.  Unfortunately a combination of law enforcement's skepticism and Dr. Loomis not knowing what Michael's plans are lead to the unfortunate murders of three teenagers and one adult man (at least in this picture).  During the course of his killing spree, The Shape/Michael Myers crosses paths with babysitter Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) who is working across the street from the house that most of Michael's victims meet their unfortunate ends.













This is one of my favorite horror movies.  I can and have watched this over and over and it never loses its magic for me.  I love everything about this movie.  One of my favorite aspects of this movie is that there was initially no explanation for why Michael Myers is killing anyone.  I also liked that Michael Myers himself starts out as

This movie was probably the first to have situations where teenagers having sex/about to have sex get killed while the "virgin" teenager survives.  According to John Carpenter himself, there was never an intention to say "Don't have sex." His intention was to show that distractions are what will get a person killed whether it's sex, drugs, or simply not paying attention to what's going on around you.  The only reason that Laurie survives is because she is paying attention to what's happening.  So for anyone who had the misconception that horror movies are anti-sex now you know the real intention.

While watching this film with a friend recently, she pointed out that there appears to be no one in the neighborhood while Michael Myers/The Shape is killing and Laurie is fleeing.  One house turns on the outside light when Laurie is pleading for help but they quickly turn the light off and close the curtains.  On the one hand I would say that this is just because this is a horror movie and most things that can go wrong will go wrong.  I would also argue that this is an atmospheric factor to convey that Laurie feels alone in her horror as she is trying to survive.

Also, fun fact, this movie was the highest grossing independent film until The Blair Witch Project.  That means this movie was top from 1978 until 1999.  I personally think that that is impressive.

Singin' In the Rain rated G

This beloved classic opens with silent picture star Don Lockwood (played by Gene Kelly) telling the audience of how he and his friend Cosmo Brown (played by Donald O'Connor) worked their way up on various films until they got their respective big breaks.  Don initially started out as an accompanist to Cosmo's piano but managed through hard work to end up in front of the camera.  He ends up starring alongside the beautiful and admired Lina Lamont (played by Jean Hagen) and the two become Hollywood darlings with an enthusiastic audience that loves everything that they do.

After Don reminisces Don, Lina, and Cosmo go into a theatre to introduce the latest Don and Lina silent romance movie.  The audience loves it and Don and Lina come onto the stage to thank the audience.  It is at this time that the viewing audience is made aware that there are problems between Don and Lina as well as with Lina in general.  It seems that she has a bit of a screechy, nasally voice that is anything but pleasant to the ears.  Also Lina is so full of herself that she assumes that she and Don are a real-life item when Don is beyond uninterested.  After Don, Lina, and Cosmo have a brief conversation, Don leaves the theatre to rejoin the group at a house party in celebration of their latest success.

Along the way to the party, Don gets mobbed by enthusiastic fans and in his effort to flee, ends up in the car of a lovely young woman named Kathy Selden (played by Debbie Reynolds).  At first Kathy is naturally upset but after realizing that Don Lockwood is in her car, she calms down.  Before Don can completely relax Kathy starts to criticize Don by saying that he isn't really acting since he is in silent pictures.  Don is affronted.  Kathy drops Don off at his location then disappears.

While Don is still trying to get over his bruised ego at the party, a new technology involving talking that the audience can hear while the speaker on screen is talking is revealed.  Everyone brushes it off as something ridiculous.  Some even laugh.  No one is taking it seriously in the slightest.

At this time a group of dancing girls from a nearby club come out to entertain the audience and who should be a member but the critical Kathy.  Don is amused and delighted to see her if only for the chance to give her a hard time after she was so full of criticism for him.  Kathy is embarrassed and put off and leaves after finishing the number.

Shortly after the party, Don, Lina, and Cosmo are told by the studio head that the studio will be making "talkies" from now on after the enormous success of The Jazz Singer.  Everyone is appalled because this is a huge change.  Some were worried about what would happen to people who couldn't speak well or didn't have nice voices.  Lina isn't worried because she doesn't think that there is anything wrong with her voice.

Since the party, Don and Cosmo have been looking for Kathy partly to help her get her big break and partly because Don is smitten with Kathy.  After Cosmo spies Kathy performing in a musical number in a "talkie" picture he finds Don and brings him over.  Fortunately for Kathy the studio head also observes Kathy during the musical number and decides to cast her in a minor role in the latest Don and Lina picture.  Don heartily agrees with the casting choice.  Everyone agrees to keep Lina out of the loop due to Lina's jealousy and meanness.

Geostorm rated PG-13 for destruction, action, and violence

I was impressed by the initial trailer and wanted to see it when it was in theatres.  Unfortunately life happened and I was unable to watch it before it came out on dvd.  I was pleased with the movie overall.

The movie opens with disasters that are occurring in our near future.  Deadly storms and tsunamis are devastating our planet as a result of global warming and just us not taking care of our planet as we should.  Fortunately a brilliant scientist named Jake Lawson (played by Gerard Butler) leads an international team to create the Dutch Boy Program which involves a number of satellites regulating the weather for our planet whenever a potential catastrophic storm is about to occur.  As a result a sense of normalcy returns to our planet and complacency sets in.  When the program appears to be  "malfunctioning". Jake and his brother Max (played by Jim Sturgess) work together to try to find out what is causing the problem and to fix the problem.

For a cautionary tale about treating our planet with respect, this film was great in telling the story while not being preachy/jamming environmentalist propaganda down our throats.  The visuals in the movie are great.  The plot is well done.  The acting is great.  All in all a very good movie worth watching.

A List of Mother's Day movies (both conventional and unconventional)

I was recently having a conversation with a couple of coworkers who are also movie enthusiasts about Mother's Day movies.  As a result I was inspired to come up with this list.  My criteria for the films on this list, in my opinion, feature for better or worse a "strong" mother figure and/or the strong influence of a mother that influences the characters/plot.

Mother's Day (although I haven't seen it, this is an obvious choice)

Mr. Mom (a great Father's Day and Mother's Day film)

Australia

Any of the Beowulf pictures

Chocolat

Bambi

Dumbo

Any of the Cinderella pictures

The Conjuring

Coraline

Dear Frankie

The Fourth Kind

Edge of Seventeen

Land Before Time

Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas

Freaky Friday

Addams Family

Addams Family Values

Any of the Parent Trap movies

Because I Say So

Something's Gotta Give

Lady in White

Any of the Alien films

Jaws (in the book, after Brody blows up the shark, a baby shark swims out of the dead shark's body therefore revealing that the shark was in fact a mother)

Jaws 3

We Need to Talk about Kevin

Mermaids

Psycho

Mommie Dearest

Miss Meadows

The Brood

Rosemary's Baby

Brave

Scream 2

Look Who's Talking

Look Who's Talking 2

Bridget Jones Baby

An Unfinished Life

Where the Heart Is

Practical Magic

Sleepwalkers

Silent Hill

Mortal Instruments

The Family that Preys

Waterboy

Only the Lonely

Cellular

Enough

Maid in Manhattan

Hope Floats

Insidious Ch. 1

Insidious Ch. 2

Wes Craven's New Nightmare

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Overboard

Paranormal Activity 2

Paranormal Activity 3

Sound of Music

Ghostbusters 2

All of the Terminator movies besides Terminator Genisys

What Lies Beneath

Tangled

Woman in Black

Yours, Mine, and Ours

The King and I

Anna and the King

The Manchurian Candidate

All versions of Carrie

Halloween: H20

White Oleander

The Others

Anywhere but Here

Friday the 13th (the original)

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

Heartbreakers

Passionada

The Seventh Sign

Striptease

The Prophecy 2

Drop Dead Fred

The Women (the original)

Bless the Child

The Bad Seed

Boy Next Door

Monster-In-Law

Prozac Nation

The Blind Side

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Chloe

Mamma Mia!

Mamma Mia!  Here We Go Again

The Princess Diaries

The Forgotten

Mask

Ju-on:  The Grudge

The Grudge

Ringu

The Ring

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Grace

The Haunting of Julia

Juno

Dark Water

A Haunting in Connecticut

Momma

Stepmom

All versions of Pride and Prejudice

Snatched

Erin Brockovich

Jurassic Park 3

Spanglish

Steel Magnolias

Bad Moms

A Bad Moms Christmas

The Babadook

Moms' Night Out

I Don't Know How She Does It

Carnage

Kidnap

Monster's Ball

Maniac

The Incredibles

Kill Bill Vol. 1

Kill Bill Vol. 2

Joy Luck Club

Knocked Up

Life As We Know It

Nine Months

Terms of Endearment

Mrs. Winterbourne

The Piano

Troop Beverly Hills

A Holiday Engagement

Changeling

Jaws 2 rated PG for violence/disturbing imagery, mild language, and mild sensuality

As the catch phrase says "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..."  This picture picks up about four years after the first movie.  Michael Brody (played by Mark Gruner) has grown into a strapping young man.  Ellen Brody (played again by Lorraine Gary) now works for the town committee to expand the local economy regarding tourism.  Chief Martin Brody (played again by Roy Sheider) becomes convinced that a large great white shark is once again terrorizing the waters off of Amity Island after a few mysterious "accidents" and disappearances occur in close succession.   Once again Chief Brody works hard to convince the town council including Mayor Vaughn (once again played by Murray Hamilton) that there is a shark problem.  Once again Chief Brody is ignored at first.

While Brody is working to keep the town safe, Mike is trying to indulge in hanging out with his friends.  Everyone likes to go boating on the island and Mike is no exception.  Mike is also keen to impress his friend's cousin Jackie (played by Donna Wilkes).

Brody meanwhile decides to be as vigilant as possible while seeming to pray that his fears are nothing more than fears.  All the while his anxiety and terror grows as he can't ignore his gut feelings.  Unfortunately Brody's fears lead to him causing a scene on the beach and getting fired.

The following day Mike decides to sneak out to go boating with his friends and Jackie.  When Mike's little brother Sean (played by Marc Gilpin) threatens to tell their parents, Mike reluctantly takes Sean with him.  No one can imagine the horror that awaits as the unwitting teenagers find themselves under attack from the monstrous shark.

This film has a lot of the same type of fake out scares as the first one.  The shark effects are similar to the first picture.  This film has one of the more horrific cinematic deaths for me in the form of the young woman who valiantly saves Sean from certain death but dies in the process.  It isn't so much the actual death that disturbed me so much as the reactions of the characters when it happens.  Plus it's so tragic because she was so close to making it and the fact that she was so quick to try to do something in the face of such terror.

Again probably not a film for younger audiences.  Not as gory as the first one but still has disturbing images.

Jaws rated PG-13 for violence and gore, mild language, and frightening/disturbing imagery

In honor of Shark Week 2017 it seems fitting to talk about shark movies.  Naturally I'll start with the first that comes to mind.

In this film, a huge great white shark terrorizes the waters off of normally idyllic Amity Island.  The island's economy is largely based off of summer tourism and the shark happens to begin its attacks at the start of summer season.  While the town is gripped with terror resulting the horrific shark attacks, new town police Chief Martin Brody (played by Roy Scheider) does his best to first make the town council headed by Mayor Larry Vaughn (played by Murray Hamilton) acknowledge that there are shark attacks occurring.  Brody enlists the help of marine biologist Matt Hooper (played by Richard Dreyfuss) to assist Brody in understanding more about the shark and thereby stop the shark.  When Brody's son and the mayor's son have a close encounter with the shark, Brody convinces the mayor to hire Quint (played by Robert Shaw) to kill the shark.  So Brody, Hooper, and Quint then go out on Quint's boat called the Orca to hunt and kill the shark.  The shark turns out to be worse than the three men could have imagined.

As pretty much everyone knows, Jaws the movie is based off of a book written by Peter Benchley.  The book is loosely based off of real life events that occurred off of the New Jersey coast in July 1916.  Unfortunately this film inspired a lot of fear of sharks.  Thankfully we are more educated about sharks now.

Interestingly enough this film was listed the number 1 scariest film in the top 100 scary movies of all time.  This film plays to visceral fears that everyone has of A) the unkown and B) facing an apex predator and being powerless in the face of it.

Another noteworthy aspect of this picture is that this film contains the first reference to the U.S.S. Indianapolis for most people unfamiliar with that horrific event prior to this film.

Lots of people like to make fun of how fake-looking the shark looks and how silly the effects look as well.  Some of those same people either have are unaware or have forgotten that when this movie was released, this film was the first of its kind.  The "nightmare" aspects of filming particularly revolving around the use of the shark ended up working to the picture's advantage and upped the suspense.

This film is a classic that shouldn't be missed although it might be too much for younger children.  I personally was traumatized enough by this movie that I used to be scared of the deep end of the pool.  After I got older and wiser, I am now only comfortable going into the ocean at knee deep level.  I have a healthy respect for sharks but I even now this film makes me jumpy.