MINI-REVIEW: Thor: The Dark World 3D

MOVIE
Thor: The Dark World

CAST
Chris Hemsworth,
Natalie Portman

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 8, 2013

DIRECTOR
Alan Taylor

STUDIO
Marvel (Disney)

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 52 minutes




STARS
***1/4








REVIEW:

At long last, the return of everyone's favorite superhero, Thor!  Ok, let's be honest here: who here was on their knees begging for a sequel to 2011's "Thor?"  As much as I enjoyed the first one, I wasn't exactly clamoring for another one, even considering the curiosity that peaked to my head on where the other superheros would be after the events of "The Avengers."  Well, back in May we found out what Tony Stark/Iron Man was up to, and next year we find out what Steve Rogers/Captain America has been up to.  So for now, we have "Thor: The Dark World," which is a solid sequel, I must say.  It's not as good as "The Dark Knight" or "Iron Man 3," for example, but it is still a fun superhero flick that is worth checking out if you want to see the next installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In a way, it's the same movie as the original "Thor," meaning it has great visuals, decent humor, a ridiculous name for ridiculous and stupid villains, and a scene-stealing performance from Tom Hiddleston.  The film isn't exactly special on any account, but it is at least more entertaining and better in quality than "The Wolverine."  I admire Disney doing these types of movies as filler between the "Avengers" installments, because it gives these superheroes their moments to shine which they might not receive in the huge crossover flicks.  If you're looking to fill that gap that's in between "Iron Man 3" and next year's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," then this is probably the best way they could have done it.

I will say, though, that the villains of the film are incredibly stupid and unintentionally hilarious, and Sir Anthony Hopkins was pretty annoying at times.  Plus, the film was a bit slow at times, though that could have just been because I was really tired when I went to see the film.  Nevertheless, "Thor: The Dark World" is a satisfactory superhero flick that will really get you excited for the next Marvel movies coming out, and this is partially thanks to the insanely awesome mid-credits scene in the film.  However, it's not worth seeing in 3D, even if you get 5 minutes of "Captain America" footage preceding the movie.






PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Robocop

47 Ronin

I, Frankenstein

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

REWIND REVIEW: The Internship

MOVIE
The Internship

CAST
Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
June 7, 2013

DIRECTOR
Shawn Levy

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 57 minutes






STARS
**3/4







REVIEW:

The last time Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson teamed up for a movie, they played two men who enjoyed crashing weddings.  Eight years later, they're playing two "old geezers" who attempt to get a job at Google by partaking in a summer internship there thanks to a clause in the rules.  While "The Internship" as a whole is a funny and cute movie, it is also pretty formulaic and something we've seen before.  There are many potholes present throughout, the villain is over the top and really unnecessary, and the romances that are in the movie are just thrown in there for the sake of having romances in it.  Having said that, the movie is somewhat original, it has some really funny moments present throughout, and Vaughn and Wilson prove that they are a team that should collaborate more often.  While "The Internship" isn't the funniest or most original movie you'll see this year, it is still an entertaining rental to say the least.

REVIEW: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

MOVIE
The Hunger Games:
Catching Fire

CAST
Jennifer Lawrence,
Josh Hutcherson

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 22, 2013

DIRECTOR
Francis Lawrence

STUDIO
Lionsgate

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 26 minutes







STARS
****






REVIEW:

Movies rarely ever get me so excited and pumped when it ends that it makes me jump out of my seat and just scream "YES" in front of hundreds of teens.  And yet, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is one of those rare exceptions.  It's obvious that this movie is targeted mostly towards the teeny bopper crowd of this generation, but what this series has done that others like "Twilight" have failed at is to appeal to almost every demographic out there.  Guys can enjoy these movies almost as much, if not more, than the ladies that may or may not be dragging the men to theater in the first place.  And as somebody who has read all three books in the series, I was really excited to see this film.  The first "Hunger Games" was a good film, but it had a lot of shaky cam, a lack of character development in certain spots, and some awful special effects.  This movie has none of those problems, surprisingly, and for a movie that clocks in around 2 and a half hours, it never drags and successfully manages to get the audience emotionally invested in the story.  "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" isn't just the best sequel of the year, but it may also be the single best blockbuster to hit the big screen this year.

In case you haven't seen the first film, here's a little recap: a futuristic America has been split into 12 different districts with one big Capitol called "Panem."  In order to maintain peace in the districts, The Capitol orchestrates a televised event every year where boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18 fight to the death until there is one lone victor standing.  Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute when her younger sister Prim got chosen at the female victor of their district, District 12.  So Katniss, along with the male victor Peeta Mellark, end up winning the games after killing the other victors and standing up against the Capitol by nearly killing themselves with poisonous berries.

"Catching Fire" takes place immediately after the events of the first film, and Katniss and Peeta are about to embark on a "Victory Tour" across the 12 districts to act like celebrities basically.  President Snow is not happy with Katniss' supposed rebellion towards the Capitol, which has caused a revolution to spark in the 12 districts.  Katniss is trying to keep control with the situation, but things just aren't going well.  So with the 75th annual Hunger Games, aka the third "Quarter Quell" coming up, President Snow has devious and special plans for "The Girl on Fire."  Because he is able to change the way the games are done every Quarter Quell, Snow plans to eliminate Katniss and Peeta, along with 22 other past victors from the other 11 districts by bringing them back into the arena to fight to the death.

Jennifer Lawrence continues to prove herself as one of the best young actresses of this generation.  At only 23, she has made herself a legit household name, as well as being nominated twice for the Best Actress Oscar, and winning this past year for "Silver Linings Playbook."  In this movie, Lawrence envelops herself into this character and makes the audience see past the actress and see herself as Katniss Everdeen.  This might be my favorite performance of Lawrence's resume to date because she shows that even the strongest of heroes get emotional when someone they love dearest is in peril.  Josh Hutcherson has also proven himself from the last film, and here he shows true emotion in his character Peeta.  I feel that he's more believable as the character, whereas in the first movie it felt like he wasn't pulling it off to his fullest potential.  In fact, the chemistry between Katniss and Peeta is significantly more believable and emotional in this movie than it was in the first movie.  Everyone else from the first film is great as always here, including Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, and Liam Hemsworth, and luckily the newcomers to the series are no exceptions.

Sam Claflin's portrayal of Finnick is practically dead on when comparing him to the persona and tone of the character in the book.  He emulates the type of sarcasm and charm that just makes you love this character in the first place.  Jena Malone is an all-around badass as Johanna, and you never know whether or not she's trying to help Katniss or kill her, just like the character in the book.  Jeffery Wright is really good as the tech-savvy Beetee, and once again delivers another great performance in his career.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays head game-maker Plutarch Heavensbee, and what I love about this character is how subtle and mysterious his evil is for the most part.  All of these characters are great overall, and I can't wait to see a lot of these newcomers in the next film.

I give props to screenwriters Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt, as well as director Francis Lawrence, for bringing some fresh new life into this film.  Beaufoy is best known for writing the screenplays for "Slumdog Millionaire" and "127 Hours," and Arndt is known for writing "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Toy Story 3" respectively, and these two together not only made me feel for these characters throughout the film, but they also did an amazing job at translating this book onto the big screen.  Aside from a couple of things that were omitted for time, this movie stays so incredibly true to the story, and it was almost as if these guys went into the minds of the series' fans and learned what they wanted to see in this flick.  Lawrence, best known for directing "I Am Legend" and the underrated "Water For Elephants," manages to take his time telling this story, and when the action part of the film comes about 80 or so minutes in, there's no shaky cam whatsoever, and the action is well-paced and pretty damn exciting.  Gary Ross did a fine job adapting the original book to the big screen, but the guys behind this movie did a better job bringing this book to the big screen.

For those who were disappointed with the first "Hunger Games," let me assure you that this is the movie that fans of the series have been waiting for.  Everything that was flawed in the first movie has been improved here, including but not limited to the special effects, shaky cam, and character development.  The acting is superb, particularly from Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, however the newcomers to the series also do a great job at emulating their characters.  Director Francis Lawrence  and screenwriters Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt have created a movie that is emotional and entertaining at the same time, and I give huge props to them for pulling that off.  "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" may not be the best movie you see all year, but it is the best sequel that I've personally seen this year.  In fact, I'd argue that this movie is up on the lines of "Toy Story 2" and "The Empire Strikes Back" as one of the best sequels of all time.






Me Interviewing Bruno Gunn (Brutus), 
Jeffery Wright (Beetee), and Sam Claflin (Finnick) at 
"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" Victory Tour On 
Sunday November 3, 2013 at the Cherry Hill Mall!!!!

Check Out My Full Interview Coverage, Including 

Scott Menzel's Interview with Jena Malone (Johanna):

MINI-REVIEW: Enough Said

MOVIE
Enough Said

CAST
Julia Louis-Dreyfus,
James Gandolfini

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
September 20, 2013

DIRECTOR
Nicole Holofcener

STUDIO
Fox Searchlight Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 33 minutes







STARS
***1/4

REVIEW:

Back in June, the world lost a truly great talent in Mr. James Gandolfini.  Known for his work on the hit HBO show "The Sorpranos," Gandolfini left behind a number of memorable films and shows, as well as a couple of movies that would be released posthumously.  One of those films was "Enough Said," which Gandolfini co-starred in along with the likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Catherine Keener, and Toni Collette.  The film itself has a simple premise: a woman finds out that the man she's dating is the ex-wife of one of her clients.  Normally, this would be passed off as any other romantic comedy with a good heart that's valid for a solid date night.  I mean, there isn't anything really revolutionary about the film's plot or the story whatsoever.  However there are many things in this film that make it better than any other romantic comedy.

Louis-Dreyfus and the late Gandolfini have fantastic chemistry together, and they have great moments of comedy and drama together.  Personally, I saw my parents in the two characters, and I knew when watching it that this would be a perfect date night movie for them.  The other characters in the movie are good, but not really worth talking about much.  The script is fresh, funny, and feels real for the most part, meaning that writer/director Nicole Holofcener made these characters and the situations that they get themselves into very realistic and pretty believable.  "Enough Said" might not be the must see theater experience of the year, but it is a sweet, funny, touching, yet slow at times movie with fantastic performances from Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late, great James Gandolfini.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Black Nativity

Homefront

Delivery Man

Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas

Frozen

REVIEW: Delivery Man

MOVIE
Delivery Man

CAST
Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 22, 2013

DIRECTOR
Ken Scott

STUDIO(S)
DreamWorks Pictures,
Touchstone Pictures (Disney)

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 44 minutes







STARS
***1/4








REVIEW:

Earlier this year, I reviewed a French-Canadian movie entitled "Starbuck," about a man who finds out that he has fathered 533 children after a mishap at a fertility clinic which he donated to nearly 700 times.  This was a movie that had a strong amount of comedy as well as a good amount of heart, along with a fantastic lead performance from Patrick Huard.  So when an American remake was announced with Vince Vaughn attached as the lead character David Wozniak, I wasn't too excited to see it, yet I was curious at the same time considering that the director of "Starbuck" also helmed this version, and I wanted to compare the two films side by side.  It's kind of hard to do though since both movies are almost identical to one another.  Having said that, it was nice to see this movie "again" and those who haven't seen the original are in for a real Thanksgiving treat.  While a flawed film, "Delivery Man" produces a solid amount of laughs as well as a good heart, and it gives audiences what might be Vince Vaughn's best performance since "Wedding Crashers."

My main problem with this film, aside from all of the problems I had with the original "Starbuck," was that it was the same exact movie as the original French-Canadian version.  In fact, aside from a few minor changes here and there, this is exactly the same screenplay, and even the same shots, as the original film verbatim.  Even though the original movie came out fairly recently here in the States, I feel that it might have been nice for writer/director Ken Scott to have redone the script a little and make the film different from its Canadian counterpart.  Recent remakes like "The Karate Kid" have taken the story of the film its remaking and change certain elements to make it stand out on its own.  This is sadly not one of those remakes.  I still enjoyed watching the movie, it's just that I was kind of hoping that Scott would have something different up his sleeve for us Americans.

Vince Vaughn seems like he'd be a great guy to hang out with, and his performance as David Wozniak further shows his likableness and the charisma that audience have been in love with for over a decade.  Unlike many of his roles, Vaughn isn't a fast talking yet likable guy who says a joke everywhere he can in this film.  In fact, he gives more of a heartfelt performance here than a comedic performance that he's used to giving.  One scene that immediately comes to mind is when Vaughn's character David goes to visit one of his children who is physically and mentally disabled.  I felt that the way he handled the scene was almost identical to any parent who doesn't know what to do with a disabled child.  While not hilarious, Vaughn still shows that he still has got it and deserves to be in funnier films than things such as "The Watch" and "The Dilemma."  The rest of the cast, including Adam Scott and Cobie Smulders of "How I Met Your Mother" fame, all are fine in the movie, but none are really worth talking about since they were merely supporting roles to Vaughn's almost one-man show, so to speak.

Aside from the original flaws from "Starbuck" and the fact that it's basically the same script, only Americanized, "Delivery Man" is still an enjoyable movie.  The acting is good, particularly from Vince Vaughn, and the script is still as funny as it was when it was used for the original.  I only took off more here because I felt that Scott could have improved on the flaws of the original and made it a more wholesome movie.  Instead, he re-hashed the same exact script and made it suitable for American audiences.  There's really nothing else to talk about other than that "Delivery Man" will likely gain an audience upon release, but for those who have seen the original film, there's nothing really new to add here.  Still though, it is a feel good comedy with tons of laughs and a big heart at its center, which overall makes it a movie worth checking out.

MINI-REVIEW: The Starving Games

MOVIE
The Starving Games

CAST
Maiara Walsh, Brant Daughtry

RATING
NR

RELEASE
November 8, 2013 (VOD/LIMITED)

DIRECTOR(S)
Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer

STUDIO
Ketchup Entertainment

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 26 minutes






STARS
*









REVIEW:

Well people, if you didn't know that Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer were the most untalented men in Hollywood by now, then "The Starving Games" is the latest nail in their coffin of "talent."  For those who may not know, Friedberg and Seltzer are responsible for such films as the appropriately titled "Disaster Movie," "Meet The Spartans," and "Vampires Suck" most recently.  If these men think that having pop culture references, slapstick humor, and revolting imagery can be considered as "good comedy," then they should definitely stop making movies now.  "The Starving Games," obviously a parody of "The Hunger Games," has exactly what you would expect from a Friedberg/Seltzer project, and it is obviously a terrible movie.  I personally find it amazing that these men still are able to get money from studios in Hollywood to keep making this garbage.  Are studio executives so daft and money-hungry that they think that making these disgraces to the parody genre will get them some quick cash?  Well if that is the case, then clearly someone is getting the message about these films and their non-profibility when the distributor of a movie is known as "Ketchup Entertainment."  "The Starving Games" is just another example at how low the bar has been set in the movie world, and if these movies continue to be made, then god help us all.

REWIND REVIEW: 21 & Over

MOVIE
21 & Over

CAST
Miles Teller, Skylar Astin,
Justin Chon

RATING
R

RELEASE
March 1, 2013

DIRECTOR(S)
Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

STUDIO
Relativity Media

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 33 minutes





STARS
***








REVIEW:

If "Project X" was more outrageous, had an interesting story, and didn't revolve around a teenage's birthday party, then "21 & Over" would be that film.  This movie stars some reasonably notable young actors, including "The Spectacular Now's" Miles Teller and "Pitch Perfect's" Skylar Astin, and it tells the story of two estranged best friends who come together to celebrate the 21st birthday of their other best friend with a montage of alcohol, partying, and girls.  Look, this film isn't revolutionary or original in the slightest, but it is a good time with a couple of buddies at your side who are willingly along for the ride.  The jokes are immature but funny, the story is fine, the acting is decent, and the film overall is a fun time to watch.  If you're expecting a smart and sophisticated comedy in this film, then clearly you've never seen a trailer for this flick.

REWIND REVIEW: Grown Ups 2

MOVIE
Grown Ups 2

CAST
Adam Sandler, Kevin James,
Chris Rock, David Spade

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
July 12, 2013

DIRECTOR
Dennis Dugan

STUDIO
Columbia Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 41 minutes







STARS
***







REVIEW:

Well then, if you're reading this just to see me tear this movie a new one, then I shall redirect you to my review of "The Counselor."  Look, here's the thing about "Grown Ups 2:" it is probably the single stupidest and most juvenile thing I've seen all year without a single doubt in my mind.  What else would you expect from an unnecessary sequel to a film Adam Sandler made just so he and his buddies could go on vacation and make money doing it once again?  Having said that, I could see that Sandler and his buddies were having a good time making this film, and my gosh, I had fun watching this movie.  If there was an actual plot to talk about, I guess it would be that the characters from the first movie trying to make the best of the last day of school.

The jokes are all physical and are neither clever or revolutionary, yet I laughed at them as if I was a stoned-out-of-my-mind 4th grader.  The amount of celebrities in this movie, which ranges from Taylor Lautner to Shaquille O'Neal, is ridiculous, and yet they were all fun to watch.  The acting is effortless and over the top, but still fun to see.  If you're expecting a smart comedy with this movie, then you clearly have never seen an Adam Sandler comedy that came out after 1998 before.  If you want to watch an extremely stupid, mindless, and fun comedy, then "Grown Ups 2" is the film for you.  Only somebody with the mindset of an immature child can enjoy this movie, and I'm not ashamed to say that I possess this particular kind of mind in my corrupted skull.

REWIND REVIEW: Frances Ha

MOVIE
Frances Ha

CAST
Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner

RATING
R

RELEASE
May 17, 2013

DIRECTOR
Noah Baumbach

STUDIO
IFC Films

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 26 minutes





STARS
***1/2








REVIEW:

"Frances Ha" is less a movie and more a series of vignettes strung together and are all about the same character and her misadventures in her journey in life as a struggling 27 year old in modern New York. I guess if there was an exact plot to the film, it would be that Frances' roommate and best friend is moving out, so Frances has to find other means of living.  And this entire film is her struggling journey to find a place to live, as well as to figure out what the hell she wants to do in life and be successful at.  Through all of her misery, however, is an entertaining, dry, and very funny movie that is worth seeing depending if you like films that aren't told in a traditional way.  Greta Gerwig carries this film with not only her fantastic and realistic performance, but also with the script that she co-wrote with her husband/ the film's director Noah Baumbach, whose direction is also quite great.  The film as a whole might not appeal to the masses, but for those who want to see a story that can be easily related to life itself, as in with no proper beginning or ending, then you may enjoy "Frances Ha."  It is a slow burner and is dry for the most part, but it is overall an entertaining, quirky, and funny movie worth checking out before 2013 clocks out.

REVIEW: Ender's Game

MOVIE
Ender's Game

CAST
Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
November 1, 2013

DIRECTOR
Gavin Hood

STUDIO
Summit Entertainment

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 54 minutes







STARS
***3/4







REVIEW:

It seems that almost every week, there is a new movie adaptation of a popular book or book series roaming into theaters to try to win audiences and the devoted fans of the book or books over.  The three that have really succeeded at not only being box office hits, but also garnering multiple sequels, are the "Harry Potter," "Twilight," and "The Hunger Games" series'.  The latest book series to try to attempt this feat is "Ender's Game."  Starring the likes of Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, and Viola Davis, as well as child stars like "Hugo's" Asa Butterfield and "True Grit's" Hailee Steinfeld, this movie is a lot darker than most book-to-film adaptations are, yet I feel that the darkness of the story really adds to this genre as a whole.  "Ender's Game" might not be a perfect film, suffering from a lack of character development and some story elements, but it is a riveting, exciting, and overall moving sci-fi story that is sure to relate to many teens all over the country.

Imagine a future where the government recruits gifted kids into a special naval unit in order to learn how to fight and defeat a planet of aliens.  The reason for this is because fifty years prior to the events of the film, we defeated these aliens in a heated battle, so the government, in a desperate act of defense, has taken some precautions in case they ever decide to battle us again.  Ender Wiggin is one of these gifted kids, and Colonel Graff believes that he could be the one to save all of mankind from the potential alien threat.  So Ender is taken in to battle school to learn how to battle these threats, and hopefully get himself up to the top to eventually command soldiers to take down these aliens.  However, is Ender the right guy for the job, or is the government spending millions of dollars on some random whiz kid?

It's great to see Asa Butterfield in more big movies like this, because he really is a talented child actor.  His character Ender is kind of like Spock from "Star Trek" but with 10 times the amount of emotion in his system.  Butterfield is the type of person who seems weird and nerdy on the outside, but when you dig into his and his character's personas,' you get to see an emotionally layered performance with a hint of sarcasm if he's used just right.  Hailee Steinfeld hasn't really done a lot since "True Grit" back in 2010, so it's also great to see her in a movie once again, and damn does she prove that she's talented.  While not used a lot, Steinfeld is still really good, and I personally love how this movie didn't have Asa and Hailee's characters hooking up in the end.  Harisson Ford and ben Kingsley are also great in the movie, as well as Abigail Breslin and Viola Davis, but the latter two aren't really used a lot, thus not giving the audience enough time to get to know their characters.  Still though, all of the acting in general is simply great here.

The only real problems for me, and they were pretty small, were that some characters weren't developed enough for me to really care about them.  Other than that, "Ender's Game" is a fantastic young adult sci-fi movie that is definitely worthy of sequels if enough people are willing to support it.  Director Gavin Hood has a handle on this type of material if he is able to properly show it, unlike with "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," and his eye for direction is a good one in general.  The visuals, while not amazing, are very good and pretty gorgeous in certain scenes.  The story is great, as well as the acting, and there is not much else to say about this movie.  "Ender's Game" as a whole is a movie that is both riveting and heartfelt, but may fall into the abyss of people's minds because of the release of big films like "Thor: The Dark World" later this month.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Delivery Man

The Monuments Men

I, Frankenstein

Mr. Peabody and Sherman

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

REWIND REVIEW: The Conjuring

MOVIE
The Conjuring

CAST
Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga

RATING
R

RELEASE
July 19, 2013

DIRECTOR
James Wan

STUDIO(S)
Warner Bros. Pictures,
New Line Cinema

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 52 minutes







STARS
****










REVIEW:

Typically modern horror films consist of two things: either the film revolves around a group of idiotic people being hunted down by ruthless killers, or average people are living in a location that happens to have a demonic presence roaming the place.  "The Conjuring" falls in the latter category, but instead of being generic, predictable, stupid, or filmed in the "found-footage" style, it's actually a pretty terrifying movie.  Based on the supposed "true story" of a horrific case from Ed and Loraine Warren's past, a demonic spirit decides to terrorize a family that moves into an old abandoned house.  Clearly, this is not the first time this concept has been done before, yet the difference between this and other haunted house movies is that this doesn't rely on jump scares to give off a creepy atmosphere.

Director James Wan proves that all you need to make a legitimately scary horror film is a creepy house, a crazy demon, and an interesting story behind the possessed family.  Unlike films like "Texas Chainsaw," this film shows off a good amount of originality and actually makes you feel for the characters when these terrible things happen to them.  The eeriness of the film starts from the opening shot and never lets up from there.  Halloween might have just passed, but that shouldn't stop you from seeing a downright scary film that on its own is simply terrific.  The acting is great, the story is clever, and the scares are genuine and haunting.  After watching this film, I really want to look up some of the other cases the Warren's have done just to see how creepy they are.