Everyone waits until the year is over to compile their “Best of whatever” movie lists. This has become a mundane practice. Time for a bit of a change, kids.
The coaches behind Paranormal Activity 4 became too complacent; for they thought by simply going through the motions, they would achieve success once again. And when considering they have home court advantage (horror flick opening in late October), they need to go back to the creative drawing board. But fear not PA 4 players, because your opening weekend counterpart, Alex Cross, didn’t even deserve to be on the court (in theaters).
And then there’s the quiet Cinderella in The Sessions. A welcomed surprise with decent hustle.
The new releases for the respective week will have a capsule review at the end of the column. An updated list comes out every Monday. Here’s how things are shaking up so far in 2012:
1. Chronicle
2. The Dark Knight Rises
3. The Cabin in the Woods
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. Side by Side
6. ParaNorman
7. Argo
8. Looper
9. Game Change
10. The Avengers
11. The Secret World of Arriety
12. Red Tails
13. The Grey
14. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
15. Friends with Kids
16. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
17. The Raid: Redemption
18. Arbitrage
19. The Odd Life of Timothy Green
20. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds
21. Big Miracle
22. Think Like a Man
23. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
24. Brake
25. Robot and Frank
26. Hope Springs
27. Rock of Ages
28. The Sessions
29. HeadHunters
30. Hemingway and Gellhorn
31. Mirror Mirror
32. People Like Us
33. Magic Mike
34. Total Recall (2012)
35. House of Ghosts
36. The Campaign
37. Ted
38. Celeste and Jesse Forever
39. V/H/S
40. Pitch Pefect
41. Snow White and the Huntsman
42. The Words
43. 21 Jump Street
44. The Master
45. Sinister
46. This Means War
47. God Bless America
48. The Three Stooges
49. Gone
50. Resident Evil: Retribution
51. The Queen of Versailles
52. The Amazing Spider-Man
53. Blue Like Jazz
54. For a Good Time, Call…
55. Frankenweenie
56. Ruby Sparks
57. American Reunion
58. Jeff, Who Lives at Home
59. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
60. Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best
61. Katy Perry: Part of Me
62. Butter
63. The Expendables 2
64. Ice Age: Continental Drift
65. Juan of the Dead
66. Prometheus
67. Hysteria
68. The Dictator
69. Safe
70. Searching for Sonny
71. End of Watch
72. Brave
73. Lawless
74. The Hunger Games
75. John Carter
76. Wrath of the Titans
77. Dead Dad
78. Ingenious
79. Underworld: Awakening
80. The Devil Inside
81. The Possession
82. Dredd 3D
83. Seven Psychopaths
84. Premium Rush
85. Father’s Day
86. Livid
87. The Five-Year Engagement
88. Downtown Express
89. Sparkle
90. Savages
91. Sound of My Voice
92. Project X
93. Men in Black 3
94. Paranormal Activity 4
95. The Tall Man
96. Hit and Run
97. Hotel Transylvania
98. Piranha 3DD
99. Dark Shadows
100. The Raven
101. The Bourne Legacy
102. [Rec] 3 Genesis
103. Silent House
104. Won’t Back Down
105. That’s My Boy
106. Darling Companion
107. Bully
108. Here Comes the Boom
109. The Watch
110. What to Expect When You’re Expecting
111. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
112. Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding
113. Trouble with the Curve
114. Lockout
115. The Woman in Black
116. The Vow
117. Man on a Ledge
118. Step Up Revolution
119. Extraterrestrial
120. The Lucky One
121. Contraband
122. The Samaritan
123. Act of Valor
124. 4:44 Last Day on Earth
125. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
126. Safe House
127. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
128. To Rome with Love
129. The Apparition
130. House at the End of the Street
131. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
132. Taken 2
133. Why Stop Now
134. The Pirates! Band of Misfits
135. Kill List
136. Chernobyl Diaries
137. Haywire
138. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection
139. A Thousand Words
140. Alex Cross
141. Joyful Noise
142. Battleship
143. Wanderlust
144. Barricade
Not Screened: One for the Money, Casa De Mi Padre, Chimpanzee, High School, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Nitro Circus 3D, Cosmopolis, Oogieloves In The Big Balloon Adventure, The Cold Light of Day
REVIEWS (click on title for full write-up)
It’s one of those stories that can capture your interest within the first 5 minutes. Especially when going in blind to what this 95 minute piece entails (avoid trailers/previews my friends; you’ll thank me one day).
In life, there are phrases that you just dread ever hearing. For example: “You’re fired.” “You have cancer.” Even, “This relationship isn’t working out,” or, “I’m pregnant.”
With regards to Alex Cross, the following words uttered by the titular (no pun) star Tyler Perry, “It’s not over yet,” are by far the most frightening, and by default, engaging, aspect of this uninspired 101 minute telling.
Congratulations Paranormal Activity, you have officially begun the process in becoming as worthless as the Saw sequels (parts 4 – 7). The fourth installment in the uber low-budget spook house franchise is now just being greedy and resting on their laurels. Basically, when there are more laughs than scares, and the intelligence/creativeness this product once carried has all but vanished, it’s a fail. And it’s time to pull the plug.
