Halloween Horror Nights

For the past 20 years Universal Studios has honored the Horror genre with their outstanding Halloween extravaganza that is Halloween Horror Nights. This is the first year I have attended the event and I must say that it was truly incredible. Since I am writing two articles (one in 1st person one in 3rd) for the newspaper, I decided to put them both on the site.

• My Personal Experience of HHN 20-

For several years now I have longed to visit Universal Studios Florida's annual Halloween event that is Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) and this year, the event's 20th anniversary, I finally got the chance. Soon after I entered the gates I knew things were going to get intense fast. The first thing I noticed was a band of zombie marines wielding chainsaws; they stood still until the captain gave them the word to attack and then all of the un-dead raced through the streets chasing and frightening all those who were near. Seeing this I there was one word that went through my mind...sweet! From their I proceeded to experience all the haunted houses, scare-zones, and shows that are scattered throughout the park.

In HHN's haunted houses, I felt like I was immersed in a horror film. Each house used all my senses (besides taste) to try to convince me that I was trapped in a real nightmare. The sight of anyone from a prisoner in an insane asylum to a demented little girl, the smell of the dirt in underground catacombs, the sounds of gunshots, chainsaws and screeches of scareactors, and the feeling of having to push hanging severed heads away to get to the next room (while being chased by a demon), all contribute to the stunning atmosphere. Universal also succeeds in the props, costumes, sets, and overall design of their houses. The best example of this was in the house titled, "Hades: Gates of Doom" which I consider both the best and scariest house. Based on creatures of Greek Mythology, "Hades" showed me different areas of the Underworld in which snarling creatures like minotaurs and Medusa are waiting to make those walking by scream. This house boasted large and detailed set pieces, stunning costumes, and plenty of scares. The other two houses I enjoyed were "Havoc: Dogs of War" in which the side effects of a super solider program cause the "Dogs of War" to become raging killing machines, and "ZombieGeddon" where you go to the Zombie Awareness Program to learn how to kill Zombies...until the un-dead take over. How do the haunted houses do a great job of scaring its visitors? For me it was because the mazes did a good job of distracting me. Two good examples of this are all the visual effects and misdirection. First, some houses have a combination of lighting techniques. Whether its dark inside, lights are flashing, or the very effective strobe lights are shining, these effects make it difficult for me to analyze my surroundings until BOOM, someone or something was in my face. The other factor was the misdirection which is simply when someone pops out at the person in front of you and, when you look at them, someone from the opposite direction gets you.

Out in the streets I walked through the different scare zones, each with a different theme, in which scareactors roam the streets searching for victims to scare. For me, these zones weren't nearly as scary as the haunted houses and were more about the atmosphere and pictures opportunities. In the "Fear Revealed" scare zone (my favorite) I came face-to-face with this years icon, Fear himself as well as the minor icons Jack the Clown, the Caretaker, the Storyteller, the Director, and the Usher. Not much else to talk about with the scare zones.

The last thing to talk about are the two very entertaining live shows at this year's HHN. The first and best show is "Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure." In this show I found myself cracking up as I saw the show make fun of 2010's films, TV shows, music, and other pop-culture. Iron Man 2, Toy Story, Justin Bieber, Lindsay Lohan, and Jersey Shore are just a taste of what the show makes fun of. The second show was a magic/illusion show put on by "one of the countries most outrageous illusionists," Brian Brushwood. He stuck a needle in below his eye and it came out his mouth...enough said.

Overall I was astounded by the everything I saw at this year's HHN. The houses, shows, costumes, scare zones, etc. was truly amazing and at times almost convinced me that it was real. This is an outstanding event where being scared is not an option, but a guarantee. I would recommend it to anyone that is looking to experience the heart and soul of Halloween.

-Fear has Arrived!

For the past 19 years, something has been lurking in the shadows, something has been watching every scream that has been echoed through the years. His minions, a clown (who he refers to as Chaos) , a caretaker (Death), a storyteller (Legend), a director (Sacrifice), and an usher (Vengeance). He has been waiting for 19 years and now, on the 20th year, he will make himself known to take ultimate control. He...is...FEAR.

This year at Universal Studios Florida's Halloween Horror Nights, Fear has arrived to create "a new age of darkness" and to present the most intense environment ever experienced at Halloween Horror Nights. This year during select nights of September and October, people will be able to witness the 8 haunted houses and 6 scare zones that Fear has created.

Whether it's being stuck inside an insane asylum full of vengeful inmates, or running through the gates of the Underworld, Fear has provided a variety of original houses that will surly terrify all those who enter. The houses are beautifully designed all the costumes are very detailed making the experience all the more real.

And for those who think staying out of the haunted houses will keep them safe, Fear begs to differ. This year's HHN features 6 different scare zones spread throughout the park that will make sure that no one is left out from the scares. These areas are good for those who may want to take a break from the haunted houses but still want a place to go to for atmosphere and lighter scares.

One thing that Fear doesn't seem to have complete control over just yet are the two outrageous live shows. The first and best is the annual "Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure" show that makes fun of 2010's pop culture including movies, TV shows, and music. The 2nd show is a magic and illusions show put on by "one of the countries most outrageous illusionists", Brian Brushwood.

Do keep in mind when planning to attend this event that HHN is not for the faint if heart, for those who don't like being scared, and especially not for children. Universal themselves even say on the HHN website that this event is not recommended for those under the age of 13. When inside the gates people are at the mercy of the scareactors and they will show no mercy for anyone no matter their age. However, for those who enjoy the spirit of Halloween, no event could be better to attend. Fear has taken control, and the final key to his plan is YOU!

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Comic-book films have become quite popular in this past decade with some examples being "Spider-Man", "X-Men", "Iron Man", and "Batman." But at the start of 2009, we started to see what I call "the next generation" of comic book movies ("The Book of Eli," "Watchmen," "Kick Ass"). The films I speak of are more unique, much different, and they show us heroes aren't the perfect people that some movies make them out to be. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," which stars the both funny and geeky Michael Cera is a good example.

Meet Scott Pilgrim (Cera), the 22 year old who is in a band named the Sex Bob-ombs (ode to Super Mario Bros) that isn't getting anywhere, is dating a 17 year old high school girl, and has to share a mattress with his gay roommate who most of the time has company. All around Scott doesn't have the best life...that is until he meets the magenta haired girl of his dreams. Say good-bye to the 17 year old and say hello to Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). When her and Scott begin to hang out, she seems to be pretty up tight about who she is and her past. That's because Ramona happens to have seven evil exes and soon Scott realizes that in order for him to date Ramona, he must defeat all of them. Most of the exes have some sort of power, while Scott just has his love for Ramona, but that just might be all he needs to win his battle (plus he has some awesome karate skills)

Being a lover of video games, my favorite thing in "Scott Pilgrim" and what makes it even more unique than probably any comic book film I've seen (almost all of them) is that it is made to look like you are watching a video game. This is demonstrated in popular music from video games, health bars on characters, extra lives, and even a pee bar when Scott uses the restroom. A fun example was at the start of the film where, instead of the traditional Universal Studios introduction, the intro moved and sounded as if it were in a Donkey-Kong game back from the 80's.

Along with the many video game references, my other favorite thing about "Scott Pilgrim" is the fight scenes. Like in video games, each fight begins with the camera panning out on each character and a "VS." shown in between them. "FIGHT! " is shown and each character dives into wonderful choreography of martial arts, sword fights, or just a classic fist fight. Of course the fights would not be complete without the many pows, crashs, and bams that are shown literally every time someone gets hit. Don't worry, "Scott Pilgrim" is not a bloody film; instead the bad guys explode into coins that give Scott bonus points.

Now don't think "Scott Pilgrim" is all about video games and fighting. The film also has plenty of laughs caused by the humorous Michael Cera who can never seem to get out of his usual funny/nerdy roles that he is famous for. It's almost seemed like anything he said made the crowd laugh but that can be attributed to his good timing and line delivery.

The single problem I found with "Scott Pilgrim" is that it is at times hard to follow because of it's very fast paced. Scenes flew by very quickly and I found it hard to process all that I was watching, The good thing was that this was only a problem at the start of the film. Besides that, the combination of video-game connections, comic-book style, action, laughs, and romance made "Scott Pilgrim" a very unique film that sets the standard for the new kind comic-book movie.
"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" has a running time of 112 minutes and is rated PG-13 for stylized violence, sexual content, language and drug references.

The Other Guys

By now it is a known fact that when director and writer Adam McKay teams up with Will Farrell, a good comedy is about to be created. Together the two have brought us films like "Talladega Nights", "Anchorman", and "Step Brothers." Now the two have teamed up again, with the help of Mark Wahlberg, to bring us another memorable comedy about two very different cops who might be in way over their heads in, "The Other Guys."

When it comes to the N.Y.P.D., their are two cops who everyone wants to be and that is Highsmith and Danson (played by Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson respectively). When it comes to fighting crime, there is no one who can do a better job than these two and when it comes to fighting crime, no one would ever expect Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz (Ferrell and Wahlberg) to succeed. Hoitz has a bad reputation from when he shot a baseball player during the World Series and Gamble...well he's just made fun of all the time. Soon the time comes when these two partners have the chance to take on their own case and have a chance at being taken seriously like Hoghsmith and Danson, but to do that they are going to have to learn to get along with themselves first.

In "The Other Guys" we are presented with two very different characters with very different personalities. On one side we have Ferrell's character who is very calm and is happy to do what he does which is sitting at his desk everyday doing paperwork. On the other side we have Wahlberg's character who is very anxious to get out of the office and do something exciting instead of sitting at his desk. He gets very angry with his partner who insists on not leaving and strives to redeem himself for the time he shot that baseball player. With the combination of Wahlberg's anger and seriousness and Ferrell's monotone humor and stupidity, the two make an enjoyable and amusing pair.

There is no doubt that "The Other Guys" is a very humorous film. The two leads do a great job of working together to create many laughs for the audience. With Ferrell as the classic dork/funnyman and Wahlberg as the straight man, both bring their personalities together that equal out to create a memorable team. Wahlberg, who is more known for roles in dramas and action films, works great as the straight man with his good timing, facial expressions, and funny reactions to anything stupid Farrell might say or do. Farrell would probably have to work harder to not be funny as his infamous monotone line delivery and stupidity he brings to many of his roles makes him one of the best in the comedic business.

"The Other Guys" is filled with laughs and gives us a brilliant comedy that no doubt surpasses early March's "Cop Out" (another cop comedy) and last week's "Dinner for Schmucks" making it one of the funniest films this year. I give it three stars out of four.

"The Other Guys" has a running time of 107 minutes and is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, language, violence and some drug material.

The Avengers (2012) Teaser Trailer HD 720p

Dinner for Schmucks in a Nutshell

You know those comedies that come out every so often that, though very stupid, are hilarious? Some examples are "Napoleon Dynamite", "Nacho Libre", and the best of all..."Dumb and Dummer." Well "Dinner for Schmucks definitely fits in to that category. With the mix of Steve Carell's crazy character, his many mice-art collections, and an IRS worker who thinks he has the power of mind control, this movie conatins some of the weirdest, most random things that could all be together in a film. But, sometimes that's just what a good comedy needs.

When Tim (Paul Rudd) needs a promotion, his boss says that the only way he can get it is if he comes to a dinner. Now this is no ordinary dinner because each guest must bring someone that all the other guests can make fun of. For example: a lady who can talk to dead animals or someone that thinks his wife is a ventriloquist doll. Well when Tim meets Barry, who collects stuffed mice and puts them together in different scenes like "The Last Supper," Tim believes he has found his fool. But when he starts to spend a little more time with Barry, a friendship starts to grow and Tim might realize he was wrong about his new pal.

Bottom line...this film made me laugh almost the entire two hours. Slapstick comedy, funny lines, or just downright "so stupid it's funny" elements were scattered throughout the movie and it's probably one of the funniest films I've seen this year.

Charlie St. Cloud

By now most people in America have heard of the teen-heartthrob, Zac Efron. Since 2006, where he sang his way into fame with the immensely popular High School Musical series, Efron has been making his transition from the television screen to the silver screen and now in 2010 it is clear he is trying to be taken seriously as an actor from last years drama, "Me and Orson Wells" and the new, "Charlie St. Cloud."

If you have seen the trailers for this film you will already be expecting that it has the potential to be utterly depressing and this plot description isn't going to change your mind. The film starts with Charlie and Sam on the final stretch of a sail boat race in which the two win resulting in Charlie earning a scholarship to Stanford University. At the start of summer, Charlie makes a promise to his little brother saying that he will practice baseball with him everyday at sunset until he leaves for college. That night, Charlie and Sam are driving down the road when a drunk driver hits them into the intersection where a semi-truck collides with the car killing Sam. But for Charlie, Sam isn't dead, in fact when Charlie travels to the spot they practiced baseball, Sam is standing right in front of him. Sam reminds Charlie of the promise he made and they begin to practice everyday.

Five sad years later, Charlie has given up his scholarship and has been working at the graveyard near he and his brother's practice spot. Since he believes his brother is still alive, he occasionally talks to other dead friends as well. Every single day for the past five years Charlie has played baseball with Sam and can never seem to accept the truth that his brother is gone. Until he comes across a girl from his high school. Tess (Amanda Crew) also sailed in the race Charlie won and has continued to sail for the past five years. When Charlie sees Tess again he starts to feel like he might actually want to pursue her. But then a choice is given to Charlie...be bound to his dead brother, or be with Tess and finally learn to let go.

"Charlie St. Cloud" has two major flaws; it lacks depth and emotion. That's probably the flaw that the film doesn't want to have being that it is an EMOTIONAL drama. "Charlie St. Cloud" is one of those films designed to make you cry, I had no such feeling. The film did not do an impressive job of making me feel bad and sympathetic for Charlie. This is most likely because the film makers don't take the time to dive into Charlie's character to explain his emotions towards his problems (something of which I'm sure the book does a better job). Because of this, instead of feeling for Charlie, I found myself saying, "Wow, just get on with your life and let go." I went into "Charlie St. Cloud" hoping for an interesting story with intense character development and heart but I was let down.

The second flaw as a mentioned before is the lack of depth. The film fails to answer important questions like, why does Charlie choose to stay, why does he not want to move on, etc. Instead the film focuses more on the plot and moving the story along than on the meat and heart of the storyline.

Now everything about "Charlie St. Cloud" isn't bad. The premise itself is an interesting one along with some shocking plot twists. Thankfully Efron is a good actor because if this wasn't the case, the film would be a complete letdown. Efron has shown us in his past three films (including this one) that he is a talented actor that can pull off several different role types (musical, comedic, and dramatic). He is the biggest factor that keeps "Charlie St. Cloud" alive.

Efron is definitely trying to show the world that he can do more than just musicals (since his first four films were just that) but now its just a factor of choosing the right films in which to act. "Charlie St. Cloud" is not one of those films and though Efron gives it his all, the lack of depth and emotion in the script held him back from what could have been a terrific and even Oscar worthy performance. I give it one and a half stars out of four.

"Charlie St. Cloud" has a running time of 100 minutes and is rated PG-13 for language including some sexual references, an intense accident scene and some sensuality.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Who would have thought that you could create a two hour film based off of a five minute animated musical short? Sure enough, big-producer Jerry Bruckheimer has teamed up with Nick Cage to create a magical story very loosely based off 1940's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", a short included in "Disney's Fantasia" that stared our favorite magical mouse. But does this new adventure capture the magic that Mickey did 70 years ago? Sadly that goal is next to impossible to achieve.

It's 740 A.D. and the wizard Merlin has trained three apprentices, Balthazar Blake (Cage), Veronica (Monica Bellucci), and the back-stabbing Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Horvath betrays Merlin and his two apprentices and sides with the evil sorceress, Morgana le Fay (Alice Krige). A battle ensues between the five characters ultimately resulting in Merlin's death and Balthazar trapping Morgana in the Grimhold, which resembles a nesting doll. Before his death, Merlin gives Balthazar his dragon ring and instructs Baltahzar to seek out his successor who will be known as the Prime Merlinian because only that person could kill Morgana once and for all.

Balthazar searches for centuries for the Prime Merlinian. Along the way he defeats foes trying to release Morgana and eventually defeats Horvath, trapping them all in the doll. Finally Balthazar finds his magician and his name is Dave (Jay Baruchel) who is a physics wiz at New York University. Balthazar tells his story to Dave and the boy agrees to train with him and help defeat Morgana. But things will get complicated because Horvath escapes from his prison and he plans on bringing a few friends to help bring down the two heroes.

There are two things that "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" relys on and they are visual effects and action scenes. The CGI was impressive whether it was a dragon tearing up Chinatown or a steel eagle from the Chrysler Building coming to life, everything looked good. Next to that the movie was pretty much a non-stop action roller coaster that ranged from wizards hurling spells at each other to car chases through the streets of Manhattan. However, there must be more than just good visuals and action to make a film decent, the disappointing "Transformer 2" proved that statement.

Now about the connection to this film and the cartoon on which it is based. There is really no similarities between the two with the exception of one scene where Dave tries to uses mops and brooms to clean his apartment (while the music from "Fantasia" is played) which is an ode to the animated short. Besides that it puzzles me why the makers of the film bothered to say that it is based off the cartoon and not just say it is its own film. But as it turns out, that one scene was probably my favorite in the film.

The main problem with "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is this, at this time in cinema history where "Harry Potter" rules the magic/wizard genre, no film can quite live up to the originality and greatness of the "Harry Potter" films. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" did not bring anything new or original to the table and ends up being just another visually impressing popcorn film that will very quickly be forgotten. I give it one and a half stars out of four.

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" has a running time of 110 minutes and is rated PG for fantasy action violence, some mild rude humor and brief language.