Drillbit Taylor — Paramount Pictures

Owen Wilson is back in this week’s new comedy, Drillbit Taylor, a John Hughes film, slapstick style.

Wilson is hired by two freshmen who are tired of being bullied after just the first day of high school.  He’s supposed to protect them, teaching them to defend themselves.  Unfortunately, those are skills he, himself, doesn’t have.
This film has so much going for it.  Well, other than Owen Wilson.  Unless, of course, you like Owen Wilson.  Then, it’s got everything going for it.

The great John Hughes came up with the idea for this film several years ago.  Judd Apatow, the Superbad guy, developed it.  And, as he’s apt to do, Apatow put it in the hands of Seth Rogen, who wrote Superbad, and Kristofor Brown.  Add Steve Brill, the director behind “Without a Paddle.”  Uh, nevermind.

Shutter — 20th Century Fox

If you’d rather laugh with fear, then Shutter might be more your style - another Asian horror import.  And, do we really need another one?

This time, it’s not a deadly videotape nor a catlike pale child nor a dripping apartment we must fear.  It’s ghostly images in photographs taken by an American couple honeymooning in Tokyo.  (So, is the moral of these stories that Americans should never go to East Asia?)  But, in true Asian horror style, they must solve the mystery behind the images in order to get a Scooby Snack.  Or, something like that.

This one stars Joshua Jackson, of Dawson’s Creek fame, or non-fame, depending on what you thought of that show.

It’s a little too familiar, for my taste.  But, fans of Asian horror imports may like it.

Of note, the original was made in Thailand, not Japan, as you’ll likely hear.

Posted: March 20th, 2008 under Film.
Comments: none

This weekend, Playcrafters Barn Theatre presents a murder most foul.  Okay, not foul.  “Anybody for Murder?” is meant to be murder most funny.

Max is married to Janet, but having an affair with Suzy.  Max and Suzy concoct a plan to kill Janet, collect the insurance and live together in financial bliss.

In comes Mary and George Ticklewell, announcing Janet is due for an inheritance from her recently deceased cousin, which they want a part of, but Mary is only a second cousin.  Identity confusion and deathly comedy ensues.

Playcrafters Barn Theatre is my favorite performance space in the Quad Cities.  I love the layout, with the stage jutting into the audience and the audience sitting on three sides of the action.  It’s such a great space, bringing the audience closer to the performance.

The set, crafted by Jeff Adamson, is truly impressive. These are real walls with a real staircase, not just theater smoke and mirrors.  During slower parts in the stage, I just sat and marveled at the set.

The lighting, too, deserves a mention.  I don’t usually notice lighting, unless it’s active and choreographed.  But, I noticed it here, despite its subltey.  The night scene is realistically lit, but light enough to see the actors, while believing they’re moving around the room with the lights out at night.

The show itself is amusing, but not hilarious.  I’ve never met a murder comedy that’s hilarious, actually.  They’re usually filled with predictable and/or flat humor.  Anybody for Murder? is the same, but, Playcrafters at least offers some fine performances to up the amusement level.

Christopher Tracy is a bit endearing, cute, really likable as Max.  He’s the murderer at the start, but you like him.  Tracy also keeps the show going in the dead spots (no pun intended) with ad libbed comments.  He seems to know about pacing and tries to keep things moving by adding comments here and there.

Pamela Crouch is impressive as the dead Janet.  That may sound like a slam, but it isn’t.  It’s not easy to go completely limp and trust in others to carry you around.  She does quite well at letting all control go.  And, her performance in the Second Act is quite charming.

Jean Lupoli’s Suzy offers the only two moments in the First Act in which I laughed out loud.  She offers a bit of a ditzy likeableness, which keeps you interested in the show.

Ben Hopkins, who plays Edgar, for me was the most enjoyable to watch.  He offers the most natural performance.  I truly enjoyed every moment he was on stage.  He’s sort of a gruff, likeable fellow with a good sense of humor.

Greg Bouljon, however, is made for this kind of humor.  As George, he plays the comedy of the show perfectly.  His style of delivery matches perfectly with what’s called for from the script.

Kathy Heckman  is appropriately cast as Mary, with the right amount of nagging wifeliness and controlling money-hungry, status monger.

The first act was a tad dull, with the audience not laughing as much as I think the script expects.  Part of this may due to pacing, which was a bit off.  Tighter entrances and picking up on cues for lines could correct this.  The second act, however, picks up with the audience offering their first, full on laughter in response to the comedy on stage.

Anybody for Murder? runs this weekend at Playcrafters Barn Theatre in Moline.  Shows start at 7:30 Friday and Saturday night and at 3:00 on Sunday.  Tickets are $10 and can be reserved at the theater’s website or by calling (309) 762-0330.

Posted: March 13th, 2008 under Theater.
Comments: 2

This week, I had a chance to catch the Prenzie Players’ The Taming of the Shrew.  And, I have to say, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had with William Shakespeare.

The story is a battle of the sexes, with suitors chasing Bianca, but not allowed to take her hand until her older sister, Katherine, is married.  The problem?  Katherine is a head strong, sharp-tongued woman — an untamed shrew.  In comes Petruchio, who sets upon the task to win Katherine over, shaping her into the model wife.

The Prenzie Players set the show in a bar, with the audience sitting at the bars tables.  The stage is the entire room, with the audience, as bar patrons, watching the play within a play unfold.  The actors walk amongst the tables, interacting with the audience.  In fact, the asides so common to Shakespeare are spoken directly to individuals in the audience, which seems so much more affective.  And, they ad lib.  Ad-libbed Shakespeare?  God save us!  But, it works.

As for the cast, this may be the best collection of truly exceptional actors I’ve ever seen in the Quad Cities.  Few stand out, as almost the entire cast plays at the same level of greatness.  I have to admit, it’s been years since I’ve seen or studied Shakespeare, so it took me all of the first act to get accustomed to the language.  But, that didn’t diminish my enjoyment.  I didn’t always understand what the actors were saying, but they did, speaking in the language of Shakespeare as if it were their native tongue.  Thus, they are able to speak with appropriate inflection and body language, which conveys the meaning even if the words themselves are not understood.

The cast truly is incredible, but if I had to pick some standouts, they would be Chris Moore as Petruchio and J.C. Luxton as his servant, Grumio.  While the entire cast speaks with the full knowledge of the meaning of their words, these two are a bit above the rest, making the words their own and performing with authority and confidence.  Truly impressive.

Maggie Woolley as Bianca and Jaci Entwistle as Baptista Minola also offer great performances, crafting full characters out of Shakespeare’s words.

Jake Walker is really amusing to watch as Gremio, offering many laughs through his characterization.

But, my favorite is Eddie Staver III, who plays Christopher Sly, a drunken character for whom the other cast is performing.  He is a part of the audience, pulled into the play at a few points, and never drops his drunkenness.  He’s truly impressive to watch.  For me, his role was too small.  I wanted to see more of him, truly in awe of his ability to maintain his character at all times.

And, I can’t neglect Dustin Oliver, who appears as a woman (wearing a bad wig).  He may have the smallest role in the show, but I smiled every time I looked at him.  From tossing his hair to chastising his husband for not watching the show, everything he did was subtle, not at all over the top, and just made me giggle!

The only cast member I would criticize negatively would be Beth Woolley, whose Katherine is angry… just angry… at least in Act One.  The entire first act, whenever on stage, she stomps around the room and conveys only the emotion of anger or rage, with no nuances nor subtleys.  She has an over-the-top anger, for which I could find no motivation.  I think of the character of Katherine as sharp, witty, toying and haughty.  Here, she’s just angry.  Nothing but angry.  However, Woolley’s performance much improves in the second act.  I breathed a sigh of relief as I finally saw some subltey in her performance.  She conveys several emotions, none of which were over the top.  And, she delivers the longest monologue of the show, so it’s good that’s she more than just a ball of anger.  After seeing her in Act Two, I know Woolley has the ability to offer more than just a one-dimensional character in Act One.  If she matched the multi-dimensions of Act Two Katherine in Act One, she, too, I would list among the impressive.

As I said, this is the most fun I’ve had watching a performance of Shakespeare’s work.  It’s the cast and the direction that make it so.  This isn’t a performance for which a show was selected and then the cast found.  This is a cast that wants to do this show.  Their passion and respect for and love of Shakespeare’s material is very much apparent.  And, that helps the audience.  Even if you don’t understand what’s going on, you’ll still have a great time.

Posted: March 6th, 2008 under Theater.
Comments: 4

The Other Boleyn Girl — Columbia Pictures

History remembers Anne Boleyn, King Henry the Eighth’s second wife.  But, it was her sister, The Other Boleyn Girl, who had first crack at the king.

Scarlett Johansson plays Mary Boleyn, the titular character.  She and her sister, Anne, played by Natalie Portman, are set upon a task by their father to advance their family’s status by courting the king.  The pair are steadfast in their efforts, but one filled with ambition and the other true affection.  A bitter rivalry results, which makes for a tabloid history lesson.

This is a powerful cast, with Eric Bana also starring as the lusty King Henry the Eighth.  Those familiar with his story know the outcome, but the journey to history’s outcome is quite a baudy one.

While the cast is good, the director is not quite up to the task of making this an epic piece.  It plays more like a big screen soap opera.  But, it’s still a lesson in history that’s a lot more entertaining than your Seventh Grade teacher’s classroom.

And then there’s Will Ferrell, back for another slapstick comedy, Semi-Pro, which takes his now familiar antics to the basketball court.

Semi-Pro — New Line Cinema

Ferrell plays the owner of the Flint, Michigan Tropics, an ABA team.  But, he’s also the team’s coach and a player.  And, he’s the man who may take the team to NBA status.  Or not.

If you like Ferrell’s brand of humor, you’ll probably like this movie.  Otherwise, there’s nothing new to offer here.  And, the attempts at humor often bounce off the rim, rather than slam dunk to score laughs.

If there’s anything positive, it’s Woody Harrelson, who returns to the Silver Screen basketball court, and to comedy.

Otherwise, eh.

The Other Boleyn Girl isn’t getting great reviews, but I think it’s worth a watch on the big screen.  It’s baudy, historical sibling rivalry with a stellar cast.

Semi-Pro, on the other hand, isn’t one of Will Ferrell’s winners.  I say wait for the DVD, lower your expectations and then you might like it!

Posted: February 28th, 2008 under Film.
Comments: none

This weekend, The Green Room Theatre presents “Eleemosynary”, a show that’s easier to swallow than it’s name is to spell.

The show centers around three generations of the Westbrook family women: Dorothea, the grandmother; Artemis, or Artie, Dorothea’s daughter; and Echo, Artie’s daughter.  Rather than a linear plot presentation, the show makes us privy to what’s in their heads.  As they share their memories from life, we learn what shaped them as a person as well as how they shaped each other, not usually in a good way.

The characters often speak directly to the audience, which makes for an uncomfortable experience, which is brilliant.  These fractured woman are telling us, the audience, the things they should be saying to each other.  I wanted to stand up and scream, “Tell you mother that.  It would repair your relationship.”  That’s quite an emotional connection.

It helps, too, that the space is such that the audience is above the stage, looking down on the actors.  It’s as if we’re on a jury, with these three women pleading their cases before us.  How easy it is to judge these women for their faults.  But, then again, how uncomfortable the positioning made me feel, as the protrayals show me I am not in a position to judge, figuratively.  I am just as fractured by my surroundings, my family as are these women.  It’s a good discomfort, as it adds an element of empathy, strengthening the experience.

Dorothea is a pseudo-eccentric, playing the part to make life easier.  Susan McPeters, who is not new to the Quad Cities stage, comes across very naturally.  There’s no effort for her, here, as she embodies the role.  I adored her Dorothea, wishing she and I could sit down and have a cup of tea while she shared her stories with me.

Artie is a highly intelligent wreck, ruined by Dorothea’s cold response to Artie’s demanding attributes.  Artie, who we’re told likes rules, often breaks them, running away from uncomfortable situations often, one of them being her daughter, Echo.  Angela Elliott, who recently moved to the Quad Cities, is Artemis.  She comes across as the most real or raw, in terms of being in touch with the emotion of her character.  This is especially true when she’s speaking directly to the audience.

And then there’s Echo.  Sweet little Echo, who loves to spell, admires her grandmother, Dorothea, greatly and wants a relationship with her mother, whom she also seems to hate.  This role is adorably played by Abby VenGerpen, a St. Ambrose student.  Right away, I was impressed with her performance.  This young woman knows her craft and plies it expertly on stage.  There’s a point where Dorothea asks Echo, “Don’t you want to fly?”  and Echo says “I do.”  And I believe her. And I believe that she could fly because she believes she can fly.  This simple line, “I do”, is the most believable and, for me, touching line uttered in the entire show.

What’s interesting, though, is that I thought none of the women portrayed their characters as the script implied they should be portrayed.  Dorothea’s lines and description from the other characters seemed to describe her as a harsh, haughty, cold woman with a sense of great self-importance.  This is not how she’s portrayed.  Instead, McPeters gives her a bright soul and a loving heart, with a bit of a firm hand when handling her daughter, Artie.  As for Artie, the play wants to portray her as a rebel, a woman with aimless direction.  But, Elliott gives Artie a natural flow to life, as a regular woman who just doesn’t deal with problems well.  And Echo, who should perhaps lean much more to the smart and dull side is quite giddy.  But, this misrepresentation of the characters as scripted is the production’s strength.  The actresses portray these ladies more as real women, who you and I might interract with on a daily basis, rather than as characatures.  And that strengthens the emotion of the play and ties us closer to these characters, making for a deeper impact on us, the audience.

Eleemosynary runs this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at The Green Room Theatre in Rock Island.  The address is 1611 2nd Avenue, which is the original location of the former Brew & View movie theater.  Tickets are $15, cash or check only.  For tickets, call (309) 786-5660.

Posted: February 21st, 2008 under Theater.
Comments: none

The Spiderwick Chronicles

While we don’t have romance this Valentine’s Day, we do have the first family film of 2008 — The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on the children’s book series.

Freddie Highmore, the brilliant child actor from Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, plays twin brothers who move into the run-down Spiderwick Estate.  While there, they discover a book which reveals to them a world of fairies, goblins and other fantasy creatures.

It is about time Hollywood taps into this treasure.  The books just beg to be told on the big screen.  And, the imagery style of the film is similar to that of the books, which means the creatures your kids read about are suddenly alive and flitting around on the big screen.

Jumper

We also have a sci-fi, Heroes type film starring Hayden Christensen — Jumper, a time travelling, teleportation thriller.

Christensen plays a character with the power to teleport through time and space.  Once he discovers this ability, he’s off searching for the man he believes killed his mother.  But, he’s up against a secret organization set out to destroy people with his powers.  And, there’s also fellow jumpers who’ve gone bad, as they tend to do.

First off, cool.  From the very first trailer I saw, this just looked really cool.  Okay, Christensen can’t really act.  I honestly have no idea how his career continues.  Even with Christensen, this still could’ve been a summer blockbuster.  It baffles me as to why it’s a winter release.  But, I say, enjoy the jump.

Posted: February 14th, 2008 under Film.
Comments: none

I’m not a fan of musical revues and rather indifferent to the music of Buddy Holly.  Musical revues are a dangerous choice to do, as you run the risk of alienating potential audience members who don’t like the music making up the revue.  That would be me, as I’m not really all that attracted to the music of Buddy Holly.  But, with low expectations, I figured I’d enjoy “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” more than I expected.

Buddy starts with a rebellious leader of a band on a country show who just wants to play rock and roll.  After playing a rock and roll song on the air, without permission, he’s fired, but also set up with a recording contract.  And so begins the career of the legendary Buddy Holly.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy “Buddy” more than I expected to enjoy it.  The trouble, however, is not Circa’s production.  It’s the show itself.  “Buddy” is heavy on the performance of Buddy Holly’s songs and light on the story of his life.  I went in knowing very little about Mr. Holly and came out knowing more about his life, but not because of the show.  Everything I learned I learned from my companion for the evening, who filled in all the gaps for me at intermission and after the show.

The show is poorly paced.  This could be Circa’s fault, but it seems the show offers too much opportunity for poor pacing.  The first act is heavy on the recording sessions, with little short scenes depicting an ever increasingly tired band, except for Buddy, working all night.  The scenes are broken up by dips to black, which last too long and slow the pacing of the show down.  It’s hard to enjoy when you’re sitting in black listening to canned music almost more than you’re watching the actors play out that night of Buddy’s life.  This could be fixed with shorter dips to black.  Much shorter.

Act 2 starts promisingly in the pacing department, but ends up more of a mess than Act 1.  The first part of the act is actual scenes with dialogue and story advancement.  We watch as Buddy meets a girl, marries her and then leaves for a tour with her warning him of nightmares she’s having about a fire ball in the sky.  Finally!  I’m learning something and enjoying the show!  Then, it descends into a long string of Buddy Holly songs, with very little in the way of storyline, as the rest of the act plays out in concert style.  My companion said he felt “like a groupie on a boring tour.”

The end of Buddy Holly’s life is also problematic.  We’re right in the middle of a fun song, with the audience dancing and clapping, when the lights dim, the song stops and a voice announces the deaths of Buddy, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.  A spotlight lights each from the top as their deaths are announced.  It could be an emotional, tragic moment, but the crowd is clapping over the front of the voice over, so you miss the first part.  Then, when it’s done, the show goes right back into the upbeat, fun song.  The audience doesn’t have a chance to let the tragedy sink in, let alone acknowledge it.

One more negative, before I focus on the positives.  Much of the cast lacked energy.  The approach to scenes with dialogue seemed to be laid back, with a slowness and an energy-less performance.  It couldn’ve been that I was watching the second performance of the show’s run, so the actors were still warming up to the show.  Still, it brought the energy down.  Way down, in fact.  That’s where the “boring tour” comes in.  I had trouble being excited and having fun because most of the actors on stage seemed to not be having fun.  And those who were trying to perform with energy were pulled down by those without energy.

Okay, enough of the negative.  The major positive of the show is that the actors perform their own instruments.  I prefer live musicians accompanying stage shows to pre-recorded accompaniment.  The live music adds to the energy of a show.  So, Buddy gets major bonus points for actually having the actors perform on their instruments.  And, they do quite well performing and will only get better as the run of the show continues.

Todd Meredith is a likeable Buddy Holly.  He has to carry the show, so he’d better be good.  Unfortunately, he’s the one who’s trying to perform with energy, but it’s held back by the lack of energy of those around him (other than Tristan Layne Tapscott as Jerry, the drummer, who adds some nice humor to the show).  I think Meredith’s performance would be more notable were the energy of the rest of the cast raised so that his could go through the roof.

The standouts, however, are Teddric Alexander Matthews and Aurianna Angelique as the Apollo Singers.  They kick off the scene at the Apollo theater with more energy than the rest of the show combined.  (Well, the concert ending the show is pretty high energy.  But, I’m talking performance more than just the music.)  Finally, I was into the show, ready to jump out of my seat.  They were exciting and giving their all.  I wished, for a moment, we were watching “Apollo: The Apollo Singers Story” just so we could see more of them!  These two are above and beyond the rest of the cast in what they offer the audience on stage.

Vaughn Irving also does a fine job as Ritchie Valens.  He has high energy and “La Bamba” was one of my favorite numbers.

Linda Boelsche is also worth mentioning.  As Vi Petty, she offers a character more than anyone else on stage.  She has very nice delivery and, along with Jerry the Drummer, some of the funniest moments on stage.

Once the show hits the final concert of Buddy Holly’s life in the second act, the energy really ramps up, bring the audience to its feet, at a couple of points.  (I know, I’m using the word energy a lot.  But, energy is the key to making this performance fun.  I keep mentioning it because that’s what this show is missing, for the most part.)  The actors seem to most enjoy themselves while performing, with all of them on stage singing, dancing and actually playing their instruments.  How can you not have energy here?

I, personally, did not enjoy “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” all that much.  But, I think that’s due to my expectations.  I wanted to learn something about Buddy Holly.  The show didn’t offer that.  It’s more of a chance to perform his songs than it is the story of his life.  For me, it’s too heavy on the songs when I want the story.  That’s not to say it’s bad, though, and that you should avoid it.  That’s just my opinion based on my personal taste.  I think anyone who likes the music of Buddy Holly will have a great time at the show.  Just expect to hear more songs than to learn anything about the legendary performer.  Study up on his life before the show, if you don’t know about it already, and you may enjoy the performance even more.

“Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” runs through March 22 at Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island.

Posted: January 24th, 2008 under Theater.
Comments: none

27 Dresses — Fox 2000 Pictures

Katherine Heigl stars in a movie that was supposed to come out last week, but was bumped to this week — 27 Dresses — a movie that’s supposed to be better than it is.

Heigl plays the “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” girl, whose served in the sidekick wedding position 27 times.  Now, she’s on the sidelines again, watching her sister marry the man she loves, played by James Marsden, who’s getting a lot of exposure, lately.  Good for you, James!

This was so promising.  But, critics are calling it overly formulaic, uninspired and an insult to the romantic comedy.  The thing is, if you like romantic comedy and you like Katherine Heigl and go for emotion over execution, you’ll like this.   There’s just nothing special about it.  For a better date night, go rent the classic romance “Somewhere in Time” instead.

Cloverfield — Paramount Pictures

It’s arguably the most anticipated horror film in a long time — Cloverfield, formerly known as 1-18-08, formerly known as Untitled J.J. Abrams Project.  Yes, the man behind the hit TV series Lost is behind this flick, too.

The movie starts at a going-away party in Manhattan.  The party quickly takes a turn for the worse when a monster attacks the city. It’s basically a Godzilla movie told through the video cameras of those attending the party.  And, it’s effective.

The film runs a short 80 minutes, roughly.  But, it’s good that it’s short, as the filmmakers gave it the right amount of pacing to make it an effective thrill ride.  And, the monster is something to behold.

“27 Dresses”, on the other hand, is not.  Don’t waste your money at the theater.  Wait to rent it, only if you like romantic comedy lite.

“Cloverfield,” on the other hand, is the first must see movie of 2008.
While this isn’t as groundbreaking as expected, it is well told, well paced and well put together.

Posted: January 17th, 2008 under Film.
Comments: none

This is the time of year to be particularly choosy about the movies you see at the theater.  Hollywood tends to toss out the lesser films to bide the time until the Summer movie season starts in mid-Spring.  But, there will be a few pearls among the swine.

That does not include Ice Cube’s newest film, First Sunday, a petty criminal comedy set in a church.  Ice Cube stars as Durell, a bumbling criminal partnered with his best friend LeeJohn, played by Tracy Morgan.  To raise money owed to pay a debt in order no to lose his son, Durell hatches a plan to rob a local church.  Instead, they learn a valuable life lesson from the parishioners they’re holding up.

Barf.

How does that alone not sound like a bad movie?

In execution, it’s predictable and preachy.  Neither of which is good.  Tracy Morgan is funny, but the whole movie feels like a Tyler Perry wannabe, sentimental at the end, but not as funny up to that point.

What is laughable is the casting of the latest video game to silver screen adaptation — In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.

Jason Statham, you know, the Transporter?, plays Farmer, a man on a quest to rescue his wife and avenge his son’s death by taking on the Krugs, the animal-warriors responsible for both.  The Krugs are led by the evil Gallian, played by, hold on while I stifle my laughter, Ray Liotta.  But what’s even funnier is the casting of the king.  He’s played by Burt Reynolds.  This could be the greatest comedy of all time, and it’s not meant to be!

There are some notables in the film, LeeLee Sobieski, whom we haven’t seen enough of, as well as John Rhys-Davies and Ron Perlman, without prosthetics.

The biggest problem isn’t the casting, however.  It’s the director, Uwe Boll, a man with a reputation for being a hot-head and a director who doesn’t really know what he’s doing, but sometimes makes a decent film.  This isn’t one of them.  Audiences are laughing at some of the most serious moments, as the actors deliver the cheesiest, most cliche lines in the genre.

Posted: January 10th, 2008 under Film.
Comments: none

I don’t like horror movies.  A good psychological thriller, yes, but not horror, which makes reviewing this week’s only new release, “One Missed Call”, hard for me to swallow.

In the movie, people receive cell phone messages from themselves in which they hear their own deaths.  The messages reveal the how and the when, which seemingly can’t be avoided, even by deleting the message.

Beth is the central character, who witnesses two of her friends die within days of each other after receiving said calls.

She teams up with a detective, whose sister died in a similar way.  Together, they’re trying to figure out the mystery behind the calls in order to stop from receiving one themselves.

First off, it’s a phone horror, so expect a lot of false jumps from phones ringing.  Second, don’t expect much fresh material.  Doesn’t this sound familiar?  It’s a sort of “The Ring” mixed with “Final Destination” with maybe a dash of “The Grudge”.  It’s not, really.  But, it has hints of them in it.

“One Missed Call” is not one to see in the theater.  Your money would be better invested in Sweeney Todd or I am Legend.  But, “One Missed Call” is worth renting, as it’ll be scarier while watching at home, especially if your cell phone rings during the movie.

Posted: January 4th, 2008 under Film.
Comments: none