So much was changed in the movie version of The Twilight Saga: New Moon. So much was left out and so much was added. It was hard to not compare the movie with the book since I loved the book so much. That said, I didn’t hate it.

Robert Pattinson is as beautiful as ever as our beloved tortured vamp Edward Cullen and Taylor Lautner’s werewolf body is as hot as promised. The movie was fairly well done but in comparison to the book, New Moon fell short.

Quick Review: I’m still up in the air about whether or not I liked The Twilight Saga: New Moon, but you can be sure I’ll be watching it a few more times to decide. I plan to see it once more in theaters and I’ll be first in line to buy it the day it’s released on DVD. Watch it now and decide for yourself!

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The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Two-Disc Special Edition)

I love Twilight and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Edward Cullen is every woman’s fantasy – dark, brooding, dangerous, protective and gorgeous. Sure he has a little problem with needing to drink blood to survive, but everyone has their flaws.

I have to say, the first time I watched Twilight I hated it. The acting is sometimes cringe-worthy and it doesn’t hold a candle to the book but I liked it a lot more after a second viewing. Since then, I can’t count how many times I’ve seen it. I counted down the days until New Moon, drove six hours to watch it with a girlfriend and will likely do the same when Eclipse hits theaters in June.

Quick Review: Swallow your pride and give Twilight a chance. Yes, it’s been over-hyped to death, but it’s a good watch and worth the time. You don’t have to tell anyone you like it. It’ll be our little secret. Enjoy!

And hey, buy the DVD. I highly recommend the two-disc version for the special features. It’s worth it for the audio-commentary with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart alone.

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Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Dark Reel is far from a masterpiece. The flaws are numerous, but let’s focus on the positives. The biggest positive for Dark Reel is definitely the killer. I had no idea who the killer was for most of the movie. I had my theories, but the use of the old red herring here was in full effect and used masterfully. The movie keeps you guessing from the very beginning. Nice work.

Quick Review: Dark Reel employs a great cast who all turn in great performances (another great performance from the incredible Tony Todd). I wouldn’t say it’s one of the best slasher movies I’ve ever seen, but it’s fun and entertaining. A great movie to kill an afternoon with.

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Dark Reel (Ws)

With that said, Backwoods isn’t  a bad movie once you get over it’s flaws – the biggest of which being the familiarity already mentioned. Even so, Backwoods has a lot going for it – it’s fast paced, suspenseful and manages to pull off that eerie out of place feeling that makes a slasher movie work. All told, this isn’t one of the best slasher movies I’ve ever seen, but it’s not the worst either.

Quick Review: Familiar and cliched to a fault, Backwoods manages to overcome it’s issues to amount to a decent, watchable slasher.

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Backwoods

Acolytes starts out as a revenge tale – two boys are raped by a local bully and blackmail a serial killer to carry out their vendetta. It backfires on them and soon they find themselves battling for their own lives.

The suspense in Acolytes is intense and the jump scares are effective. The performances from the entire cast is above-par and although the movie is light on the gore, it doesn’t need it to be frightening. Very well done.

Quick Review: Bad reviews aside, I’m glad I took the chance on Acolytes although I have considered one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much it because I was expecting so little. Don’t go into it expecting a masterpiece and you won’t be disappointed.

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Acolytes

Martyrs is brutal and unrelenting. The true horror of this film is in the way gore and violence is so perfectly blended with horrific psychological terror. You feel so much for Lucie and Anna and you want them to be okay, but in the back of your mind, you know they’re not going to be – and you can’t help but wonder if you’re even going to be okay by the time the movie is done.

Quick Review: Martyrs is not a fun little slasher with no meaning or purpose. From start to finish it is a movie that shocks and disturbs and leaves you feeling shaken. This is one that will stick with you. Keep that in mind before you press the red button to play the movie.

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Martyrs

I’ll admit, the best thing about Mutant Chronicles is the look of the film. It’s dark and brooding with most of the set-pieces being CG. I have a soft spot for movies like that (Ex: Skycaptain and the World of Tomorrow, Sin City) and I think they pull it off well here. The cast is great and their performances aren’t nearly as bad as many people would have you believe.

Overall, Mutant Chronicles is a fun movie to kill a little time with. Don’t expect brilliance and you won’t be disappointed.

Quick Review: Don’t expect too much from Mutant Chronicles and you won’t be let down. It was fun and entertaining. Nothing wrong with that.

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Mutant Chronicles 2-Disc Collector’s Edition

The people that complain about Midnight Meat Train the most seem to be the ones who don’t like gore. That would pose a serious problem for anyone that watches this film as it is quite gory. There is a lot of blood shed on that creepy train but at the same time, I never felt it was over the top. It was necessary to really show the brutality of our killer (the always amazing Vinnie Jones).

One of the things I liked most about Midnight Meat Train was the setting. It was everything it needed to be. The pacing could be a tad slow at times, but that’s really the only complaint I had. Perhaps it would’ve worked better as a short story, but overall, an excellent movie with great performances by Bradley Cooper and Brooke Shields.

Quick Review: Be patient during the slow moments in Midnight Meat Train and you’ll be rewarded with a great movie.

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The Midnight Meat Train

The acting is incredible and the story is believable, although some spots were a little questionable. All in all though, it’s an entertaining movie and it leaves you guessing.

The Lodger doesn’t really have that suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat vibe, but it does a great job of building mystery and really shows that the misdirect can be a great tool in cinema if used properly.

Is Jack the Ripper the mysterious lodger living in the garage? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out. Just pay attention or the ending will leave you a little confused.

Quick Review: I’ve read a lot of bad reviews for The Lodger, and I can’t quite wrap my head around that. It’s isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s far from garbage – at least worth a watch or two.

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The Lodger (2009)

Dorothy Mills takes its time getting going, but the payoff is a great movie that doesn’t spend all its time on scares and blood. It makes sure you care about who is bleeding and you’re not just scared because something jumps out of the dark and catches you off guard. You’re scared because you care what happens to the people you’ve grown attached to over the course of the movie.

Probably the best thing about Dorothy Mills is it doesn’t cheap out in the end and give you the ending you were expecting. When they try to explain everything that happened in the movie, its well done and doesn’t seem rushed or pulled together. The plot twists are genuinely surprising and the acting is solid – all for less than a million dollars. Not bad at all.

Quick Review: If you’re looking for an edge of your seat thriller from start to finish, Dorothy Mills isn’t the movie for you. Give it a chance though and accept that things are a little slow to start. The reward for your patience is well worth it.

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Dorothy Mills