Drama

The Ring – Rating 3 out of 5

The Ring – Rating 3 out of 5

With its disturbing images and a few good shocks, The Ring is the kind of frightfest you’ll watch to set a chilling mood or spook your susceptible friends, but when you try to sort it out, this well-mounted American remake (of the 1998 Japanese hit Ringu, based on Koji Suzuki’s popular novel) becomes a batch of incoherent parts. The negligible plot follows a Seattle reporter (Naomi Watts) as she investigates the death of her niece, the victim of a mysterious videotape that, according to urban legend, causes the viewer’s death seven days later. (Fear Dot Com borrowed the same idea while avoiding this film’s lofty pretensions.) The countdown structure follows the reporter, her son, and her estranged boyfriend into deepening layers of terror–all quite effective until the movie attempts to explain itself. At that you’re better off shutting down your brain and letting the creepy visuals take over.”

There was a lot of hype over this movie and its deadly plot of watching a video which begins the countdown to your death. I found this movie to be so full of holes and so implausible that it was hard to watch the whole thing. It has an interesting premise and some creepy parts but the movie is so confusing it loses its edge and becomes a mess of unrelated parts.

Too flashy, too Americanized, too blonde… This movie has some good setups for the big scare and some good atmosphere with the creepy sounds and the scary little kids, but overall the movie is rather flat and is hell bent on a journey to no where. By the end of the story when the big explanation comes the movies falls further into the hole of nonsense and I walked away disappointed. What’s more, I watched the original Ringu which is a far superior film in many respects. It sticks with the less is more approach and pulls off a more atmospheric and “uncomfortable movie”.

It’s worth renting, but the hype far outweighs the reality of this film. It’s pretty weak, but could be good late night fodder.

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Ghost Hunters – Season 1 – Rating – Too Damn Funny!

Ghost Hunters – Season 1
Rating – Too Damn Funny!

Sci-Fi Channel s Ghost Hunters introduces Jason and Grant plumbers by day ghost hunters by night! Ghost Hunters a one-hour weekly docu-soap follows a group of real-life ghostbusters as they investigate haunted houses throughout the country. Plumbers by trade Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson head-up a group of intrepid souls that are far from the usual collection of be-spectacled Ph.D.s. They re ordinary everyday people with an interest in getting to the bottom of your otherworldly disturbances. Every week Jason Grant and their team investigate a new case from poltergeists who throw a child’s toys around an attic to a lighthouse whose late keeper still welcomes visitors. This team of moonlighting ghost hunters are our first and last defense against uninvited paranormal visitations.

I just finished watching the first season of Ghost Hunters featuring Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson and I have to say that although they have yet to prove (or even capture) and real evidence of the paranormal, they are wildly entertaining to watch. In the spirit of American Chopper, each episode is more centered on the bickering and the drama associated with the team member rather than the supernatural. But this juvenile squabbling is actually pretty entertaining and does make me keep watching.

Jason and Grant take their tasks seriously, perhaps a little too seriously at time while Brian and Steve seem like a couple of Frat Boys on the loose in someone else’s home. Brian with his constant, “Dude! What was that?!” and Steve with his confused and glazed over look. But over time you grow to love them.

The show isn’t scary and there is nothing chilling or suspenseful about it. It’s pretty much they show up on the scene, turn on a bunch of video cameras and walk around in the dark trying to get the ghosts to speak. Out of the 10 episodes I’ve seen they haven’t come up with anything that would make you a believer. They do visit some cool sights such as the lighthouse, a penitentiary and an armory where the sound guy gets smacked in the face by something (perhaps the most paranormal show thus far).

Unsolved Mysteries Ghosts gives more credible accounts of the paranormal, but this show shouldn’t be discounted. It is funny and entertaining and if you can deal with the cheese factor it’s worth watching. The cost is a little high ($20 for 10 episodes) and future episodes are overpriced as well, but it still makes for an entertaining weekend of viewing.

Ghost Hunters Complete Season 1


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Unsolved Mysteries: Ghosts – Rating 4 out of 5

Unsolved Mysteries: Ghosts
Rating 4 out of 5

Taken from dozens of Unsolved Mysteries episodes this boxed sets 4 discs loaded with episodes about the paranormal, ghosts, strange occurrences and unexplained spirit phenomena. With the deadpan Robert Stack at the helm we get dozens of stories from across the country regarding haunted houses, cemeteries, civil war ghosts, haunted inns and plenty of other tales of strange and unusual happenings.

Some of the episodes seem a little far fetched and some seem to variations on long told stories such as the young woman who appears out of nowhere wearing a ball gown and asks for a ride home but then disappears as soon as she gets there. The driver goes to the door of the house to find out the young girl used to live there.

More credible than Ghost Hunters but none of the humor factor. There is more support for the paranormal in these discs than in the GH series and many stories will make you wonder.

Overall they’re pretty entertaining stories and a lot of fun to watch. The kids should be fine watching these as there is no blood, gore or violence, just the typical recreation scenes and that stoic voiceover narrating the haunting tale. Definitely worth watching at night over the weekend with the kids.

Unsolved Mysteries: Ghosts

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