Eagle Eye

2008 Action/Suspense/Mystery by director D.J. Caruso

Description: When a high tech, top secret classified, super smart computer decides that it knows what is better for the American people than the American people do, things get complicated.  The computer starts enlisting the assistance of unwilling everyday citizens to help complete its objective through blackmail. Now it’s up to Jerry and Rachel to save the people of America from this computer, while being chased by law enforcement, the military and 3 letter agencies.  Will they be successful in protecting the American way of life or will the super computer take over?

Review: A very well done “what if” story.  Granted, this idea has been done is various ways before; the idea of computers taking over is always a very real chance.  But I really liked the direction that Eagle Eye went and I like the character’s solutions. There is lots of action and suspense with a few comic relief moments. Well written, directed and acted.

My ratings:
Storyline & Plot – 7.5
Acting – 7.5
Action – 8
Suspense – 8

My favorite quotes:

ü  “Jerry Shaw you have been activated. Your compliance is vital.”

ü  “Well on behalf of all that fucking bomb equipment in junior pinhead’s apartment, no, you’re not.”

ü  “You’re all going to be demoted into something that’s gonna require touching shit with your hands.”

ü  “You couldn’t have picked a worse time to be of some use.”

Lead cast: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Billy Bob Thornton
Supporting cast: Michael Chiklis, Anthony Mackie, Ethan Embry, William Saddler

13

2010 – Drama/Suspense by director Gela Babluani

Description: Vince’s father is in the hospital and their family is out of money.  So, to pay the hospital bills they put their house up for sale.  But then, by sheer chance, Vince stumbles upon a way to make a lot of money.  The catch is that he doesn’t know what he is in for, only that the instructions have to be stolen.  Lucky for Vince, the man with the instructions drops dead of an overdose.  Now all he has to do is follow the directions and hope that everything will work out.

Review: The opening scene is catchy and it has an overall interesting story and plot.  I didn’t really care for the main character Vince; it was kind of like he just happened to be there at the same time as the story is going on.  The movie was really carried by the other cast members.  I had never seen a preview for this movie I just happened to add it to my Netflix, it was a decent gamble.

My ratings:
Story & Plot – 7
Acting – 6.5
Violence – 6.5
Suspense – 6

My favorite quotes:
F    “Didn’t you hear? We don’t keep sheep inside and we don’t take them
       to bed with us.”
F   “Players, load your bullets into their cylinders.”
F   “Mrs. Richelieu, are you trying to seduce me?”

Lead cast: Sam Riley, Jason Statham, Ray Winstone, Mickey Rourke
Supporting cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Michael Shannon, 50 Cent

The Amityville Horror (2005)

2005 – Horror/Mystery/Suspense by director Andrew Douglas

Description: Newlywed couple, George and Kathy Lutz, find and buy their dream home.  After moving their family in, strange things start to happen.  Maybe the history in this house plays a bigger part in their story than they think could be possible.  Will the Lutz family survive and if so for how long?  And will they ever get to the bottom of the riddle that is their house?

Review: If you have never read the book or seen any of the dozen previous versions of this movie, then I would tell you that it is a great movie!  It has a little more gore, suspense and more back story on the DeFao family and house pre-DeFao.  Ryan Reynolds does an amazing job with the character of George Lutz, makes him 5 times scarier.

BUT –I do have a few gripes: the real children that lived in this house were Danny, Chris and Missy.  These are Kathy’s children from a previous marriage that George adopted.  Later after the Amityville house George and Kathy had Chelsea.  In the original 1979 movie they changed the children’s names to Matt, Greg & Amy.  In the 2005 movie they changed the names again to Billy, Michael and Chelsea.  Why would they not use the boys but then put the wrong girl in?  Also, they changed the girl’s imaginary friend Jody.  In real life, the book and the original movie Jody is like a demon pig thing and in the 2005 they made Jody into a little girl who supposedly was a member of the DeFao family.

My ratings:
Acting – 8.5
Horror – 7
Suspense – 7
Violence – 6

My favorite quotes:
F   “Your house frightens me, Mrs. Lutz.”
F   “Hi, Lisa. Look what Ronnie did.”
F   “Do I look nuts to you?”
F   “When the body suffers... the spirit flowers.”

Lead cast: Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, Jesse James, Jimmy Bennett, Chloe Grace Moretz
Supporting cast: Philip Baker Hall, Rachel Nichols