The Devil Inside

Well... I don't have much to say about this movie. I initially had high expectations for the film. For starters, it actually looked creepy. The trailer editors did their job well, evidenced by the fact that the movie brought in $34.5 million dollars opening weekend, becoming the third highest premiere ever for the month. I wasn't entirely disappointed by the movie (despite it's stinker of an ending), but it never lived up to it's potential. We are way overdue for a hit paranormal horror movie. I don't know if The Devil Inside could have ever been it, but it definitely missed an opportunity.

The Devil Inside is the documentary-style telling of a daughter, Isabella Rossi, seeking the truth behind the night her mother, Maria Rossi, murdered three people. Her investigation leads her to Rome where her mother has been institutionalized for the last twenty years. Isabella takes matters into her own hands and recruits two rogue priests to determine whether or not her mother is mentally ill, or demonically possessed. They were never prepared for what they found.

The documentary style of the film unfortunately drags the film. The scares are few and far between, most of which can be found wonderfully edited in the trailer. While some of the clicking noises and screams were chill-inducing, they weren't exactly frightening. Honestly, the only scare I got from the movie was when a large dog unexpectedly jumps up and barks while the characters are walking down the street. The entire theater jolted and we all laughed about it afterwards, and that is the kind of scare I enjoy - the kind you don't expect, the kind that the entire theater bonds over. At least I knew what I was getting into, so I wasn't completely let down.

Bottom-line: Just watch the trailer and save your $10, or catch it at home when it eventually shows up on Netfilx or Redbox. 

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Scream 4 [Spoiler Free]

Let's face it: Remakes and sequels rarely, if ever, exceed the quality of the originals, a point I tried making in one of my earlier blogs. This point is also made in Scream 4 by poking fun at the unquantifiable horror sequels and reboots out there. The Scream movies are so fun because of how self-aware of themselves they are. 'Scream' even exists within itself in the form of seven 'Stab' movies. How many of you have sat at home or in a theater and asked yourself why characters in horror movies don't seem at all familiar with horror movie cliches? These films are so enjoyable because they fearlessly self-parody themselves, without compromising the suspense or mystery, by commenting on the rules to which horror films play out, and specifically in Scream 4, how those rules are changing, among other things.

The film does a good job of throwing red herrings your way to throw you off the scent of who the killer is. It was fun trying to guess who it was. I honestly had no idea who it could be until the killer was revealed. It was fun seeing some of the original cast mixed in with new one. I love throwbacks and cameos (even though these appearances are more than just a cameo). My only complaint was the ending act seemed to drag on, especially since I held my bladder for about 20 minutes so I didn't miss anything. The acting was alright, but who actually goes to see a slasher flick for the acting?

Bottom-line? Scream 4 is a fun and entertaining movie far better, in my opinion, than any slasher flick released in recent memory. I think it also stands well on it's own. Without having seen the first two films in the franchise, a crime on its own, I didn't feel like I was left out on anything other than the experience of not having seen them. The movie definitely does have its flaws, but I think that they are forgivable enough to leave you with an overall, enjoyable experience.



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