Review: Gone Girl

Did He Do It?

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: October 3, 2014 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Running Time: 149 minutes

Director: David Fincher

Writer: Gillian Flynn

Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, 

Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, 

Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, 

David Clennon, Lisa Banes, Missi Pyle  

"Gone Girl" is a pulpy, twisty, b-movie thriller – and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's great fun. In the capable hands of director David Fincher, writer Gillian Flynn (who penned both the screenplay and the bestselling novel it's based on), and a world class cast, this is one hell of a wild ride with many sharp starts, stops, and sudden turns.

Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) comes home one day to find a glass table broken and his wife missing. Where did Amy (Rosamund Pike) go? Is she dead? Did her husband kill her?

The entire film raises one question after another. I spent all 149 minutes of it wondering what was going to happen next.

As the police (played by Kim Dickens and Patrick Fugit) investigate, Nick turns to his twin sister, Margo (Carrie Coon), for support. A Nancy Grace-ish, tabloid-style TV reporter, Ellen Abbott (Missi Pyle), exploits every single detail of the case. The Dunnes are a ratings bonanza. A slick lawyer, Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry), gleefully offers his services to Nick on live television should the need ever arise – and of course it will. A suspicious ex-boyfriend, Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris), shows up for the search party. Did he have anything to do with Amy's disappearance?

And that covers only the barest threads of the plot. Trust me, there is more – much, much more!

Ben Affleck had his fair share of critics earlier in his career, and there is still skepticism about him taking over the role of Batman, but he is remarkable here. He says so much with his face alone. Rosamund Pike is also extraordinary as his missing wife. Flashbacks lead us up to the day she disappeared. Carrie Coon does a great job too as the sister of Affleck's character. She's reliable and relatable – exactly the type of person you'd want by your side in a major crisis. Neil Patrick Harris crackles with a caring creepiness. It's a side of him we've never seen before.

I could go on and on about the actors – they're all fantastic – but one of the biggest highlights is Tyler Perry. He impressed me in "Alex Cross," but he takes it to another level entirely in "Gone Girl." He owns his role as a lawyer who claims to win the "unwinnable cases." He delivers his lines – some of the best in the film – with a relaxed confidence and sly smirk that makes him easy to root for. In a way, he seems to represent the audience. More often than not, he says what we're all thinking.

Lawyers – especially those of the cinematic variety – aren't always the world's greatest people (except for the ones who read this site), but Perry's character entertained the hell out of me and did right by his client. You really can't ask for much more than that.

"Gone Girl" reminds me of "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct" in many ways. Their stories aren't necessarily similar, but they all share the same loony vibe of over-the-top outrageousness. Let's face it: This situation is ridiculous. There's nothing realistic about anything that happens. It's based on a beach read and plotted like a Lifetime TV Movie of the Week. Tyler Perry's character even admits it. The audience I was with couldn't stop laughing for the entire second half of the film – literally non-stop chuckling at the sheer absurdity of what was unfolding. But all of that is okay as long as it works – and it does!

The core of "Gone Girl" really (bunny) boils down to the dynamics of a marriage – wildly exaggerated for dramatic effect, of course – but anyone who has been through the ups and downs (and downs and downs) of a committed relationship can probably relate.

The ending, which I won't spoil, initially had me throwing my hands up in the air and possibly uttering out loud a few expletives that begin with the letter F. Without giving anything away, it's a bit sudden. But after a period of deep reflection, prayerful sessions with my priest, and a delicious bowl of bunny stew, I am now of the firm belief that it's a brilliant way to conclude to a mystery movie like this. Others will naturally disagree.

I have no idea if those final moments are faithful to Flynn's book or something Fincher incorporated to give the film more of an "arthouse" element. If it's the latter, he needn't have bothered, because nothing else about the story is exactly "highbrow" in any way. That doesn't really matter though, because the ending is still very effective.

"Gone Girl" is a b-movie that's elevated by an acclaimed director, a-list actors, and several Oscar-worthy performances. It won't make anyone smarter, but there's something immensely satisfying about losing your brain for a couple of hours and enjoying a good, clean, missing girl mystery. 

Review: Locke

Beyond Bane: Tom Hardy is the Next Big Thing

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: April 25, 2014 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 85 minutes

Director: Steven Knight

Writer: Steven Knight

Cast: Tom Hardy, Ben Daniels, 

Andrew Scott, Ruth Wilson, 

Bill Milner, Tom Holland, 

Olivia Colman

"Locke" clocks in at a taut 85 minutes. The entire film is spent behind the wheel of a car. The only person we ever actually see is the driver, Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy). He interacts with several people during his journey, but only over the phone. He calls his family, but he's not going home. He speaks to his boss and assistant, but he's not showing up for work in the morning. Instead, he's going to London – for reasons that will be revealed over the course of the drive.

Every other movie openly celebrates the irresistible allure of the open road. Not this one. There are no dazzling sights to see. Locke snails through an average English highway at night. Everything is dark and dull, ordinary and listless. One area blends into the next. Despite the mundane setting, the roads take on an eerie, foreboding quality.

In some ways, it's similar in structure to "Buried" from a few years ago – which featured Ryan Reynolds inside a coffin – but this is (thankfully) much less disturbing and claustrophobic.  

Flashing police lights add tension to an already volatile situation by slowing Locke down and forcing him to maintain the speed limit. Locke is locked in. Of course, there's always the ever-present threat looming of being stopped by the police and further delayed.

Then there's the matter of Locke's persistent coughing and sniffling. What does it all mean? In any other film, it would foreshadow the character's fate. But this is a driving movie without a road trip, no high-speed races or chases, and not an explosion in sight. One could possibly surmise that Locke's physical deterioration symbolizes the similar erosion of his life – but sometimes the common cold is just the common cold!

"Locke" plays with the standard "grammar" of film by taking the audience's expectations and subverting them.

This is an actor's showcase for Tom Hardy. Every scene hinges on his facial expressions and vocal inflections. It's an incredible performance. But special mention must also be made of his supporting cast, who have only their voices to work with. They include Ben Daniels and Andrew Scott (who play Locke's boss and co-worker, respectively), Ruth Wilson, Bill Milner, and Tom Holland (his wife and kids), and a few others he interacts with along the way – most notably Olivia Colman. In some ways, they have the more difficult job. They have to create relationships with the main character and further the story along – all without ever actually appearing onscreen. The two children ("Son of Rambow's" Milner and "The Impossible's" Holland) are especially strong in their roles. Mostly, they ramble on about a soccer match, but their enthusiasm and intensity really brings Locke's unseen family to life. Locke's overwhelmed assistant, Donal ("Sherlock's" Andrew Scott), is another highlight.

"Locke" is a unique experience. It won't be for everybody. For me, it's one of the coolest films of the year. Tom Hardy is a riveting presence. He's been in high-profile roles before (Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises"), but this puts him on the map as a major talent to watch closely. 

Review: Chef

A Cinematic Confection

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: May 30, 2014 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Running Time: 114 minutes

Director: Jon Favreau

Writer: Jon Favreau

Cast: Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, 

Bobby Cannavale, Emjay Anthony, 

Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, 

Sofía Vergara, Oliver Platt, Amy Sedaris, 

Robert Downey Jr.   

"Chef" is a film about relationships. A cook's relationship with his food. A chef's relationship with his staff. A father's relationship with his son.

Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) controls the kitchen of a major Los Angeles restaurant, but he's not the owner – that distinction belongs to Riva (Dustin Hoffman), who's more concerned about what's in the cash register than on the plate.

Despite those difficulties, Casper has a great staff: his sous chef, Tony (Bobby Cannavale); his line cook, Martin (John Leguizamo); and his hostess, Molly (Scarlett Johansson). They're all fiercely loyal to him. They love him. So does his ex-wife, Inez (Sofía Vergara), and their 10-year-old son, Percy (Emjay Anthony).

A prominent food blogger, Ramsey Michel (Oliver Platt), is coming to the restaurant to review Casper's cooking. The chef wants to create a new, bold menu that will wow the critic's culinary senses. The owner disagrees. Keep everything the same, he says. "Play your hits!" Unfortunately, the chef's "hits" make him a tired nostalgia act instead of the vibrant visionary he used to be.

As Casper's boring molten lava cake bubbles over, so does his anger. A shouting match between him and the restaurant reviewer quickly becomes an internet phenomenon, and a mistaken public message on Twitter ignites a war of words.

Food is Casper's calling. If he gets a bit hot-tempered sometimes, it's because he cares so much about what he cooks. Like any artist, he's passionate.

But now he's also jobless – and there are no offers in sight.

Left with no other options, he reluctantly accepts his ex-wife's invitation to join her and their little boy in Miami for a week. It would be good for him, she reasons, to get away for a while and spend time with his son. Miami is where it all began for him: his culinary career, his relationship with her, and the birth of their child.

Inez urges Carl to consider opening a food truck. That leads to a meeting between him and her first ex-husband, a rich flake named Marvin (a scene-stealing Robert Downey Jr.). The off-kilter conversation between Favreau's chef and Downey's crazed character is one of the best and funniest moments in the film. Downey's presence amounts to little more than a cameo, but he makes every single second count.

Truly, all of the actors are fantastic. Favreau and Leguizamo share such an easy, natural rapport that it feels like you're genuinely listening in on two old friends. The same can be said for the love and pride Favreau's character feels for his boy; it just bursts through the screen. If I didn't know better, I'd think they were really father and son. Some of the best moments between them are the quiet ones – such as little Percy explaining to his dad how Twitter works, the concept of Vine's six-second videos, and what it means when a post "goes viral." Favreau is awesome as a 40-something-year-old who is behind the times technologically, and Emjay Anthony is heartwarming as the kid who just wants to spend time with his father "like they used to."

Once the food truck becomes operational, "Chef" turns into one of my favorite of all the genres: the road trip movie. This is where the film really shines. There on the open road, they talk, bond, take in the great sights (and smells), and discover new things about themselves and each other.

And then, of course, there's the food itself. Mmm Mmm! You will walk out of the theater wanting a second dinner.

"Chef" is not only a film about relationships, it's also about love. It was obviously a labor of love for Jon Favreau. In addition to being the star, he is also the writer and director. This is clearly a passion project for him – and it shows. He's taken all of the ingredients at his disposal and served us one of the year's best films.

Note: In "Chef," @ChefCarlCasper started a vicious "Tweet war" with @RamseyMichel that went viral. For a more pleasant and peaceful experience, you can follow me on Twitter @ScreenSurprises.

Bonus: Silver Screen Sister, the Second

I saw "Chef" with Silver Screen Sister, the Second. To preface this, I should point out that she's not usually the most attentive moviegoer. (For example: We watched "Black Swan" together – an unfortunate choice in retrospect – but she was too preoccupied with e-mails from work to notice anything "amiss" between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis during one of that film's more infamous scenes. Thank God!) However, at the end of "Chef," she was absolutely giddy. So was I. She said it was one of the best movies she's ever seen. High praise coming from her, even if she has only seen nine or ten other movies. ("Coal Miner's Daughter" is still number one, in case you were wondering. Has "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" fallen to number three?)

"Oh my God, I have been smiling about that movie since we saw it. What a great experience. Thanks for getting me out of my draining work rut to see it. It was so worth it!

The line [Chef Casper] used – about not having a plan and never having made any steps without one before – reminded me of something I was thinking a few weeks ago:

Maybe sitting still is going to help me get where I need/want to be. It IS moving forward, but just not in a direction I have ever gone in…"

"Chef," she said, was "life changing" for her.

It's an easy movie to love. One cannot help but feel an infectious enthusiasm for it.  

Matt's Movie Mortuary: The Gruesome Splatter Films of Joe Spinell

A True "What If?" Story

By Matt Wintz

This edition of Matt's Movie Mortuary takes a look at two horror films starring Joe Spinell, who also had roles in more mainstream fare such as the first two "Rocky" and "Godfather" pictures.

Undertaker

Any movie that kicks off with blaring 1980s music and a montage of women working out intercut with a blurry female-led rock band as opening credits can't be all bad, right? How could a horror movie with jazzercise suck? Well, I was going to make sure to find out, and the fact is, it can do a little bit of sucking. Joe Spinell, who worked as a character actor and found a part in "Rocky" along with "Godfather" and "Godfather Part II" became well known to horror fans as the maniac in, well, Joe Lustig's "Maniac." Here in the film "Undertaker," we find him as an undertaker by the name of "Uncle" Roscoe but his murderous tendencies haven't exactly died off like the people whom he's hired to care for.

The story is pretty cookie-cutter in the aspect of Roscoe is a murdering undertaker bothered by voices in his head, and he spends a lot of time stalking women and watching "The Corpse Vanishes." From the get-go of the movie, I noticed that there might be more time spent to women working out then to the actual violence on screen, and this is a fact that definitely plagued the movie. For fans of women jazzercising, this movie could be your cup of tea, as there's no less than two nearly full routine workouts plus women jogging in the first forty-three minutes. In comparison, there are only three on-screen kills in the first forty-three minutes.

Character-wise, we have Spinell as Roscoe, the murdering undertaker. Rebeca Yaron plays Miss Pam Hayes, the teacher of Roscoe's nephew Nick who does seem to have this awkward hots for her while trying to show her Roscoe's parlor and that he might be keeping some of the bodies for some extra lovin'. What brings this about is Miss Hayes seems that teaching about necrophilia in a college course is acceptable, and this immediately makes Nick believe his Uncle is bumping uglies with the recently deceased.

Story-wise, the movie runs a little thin. While I can respect a film that is trying to be no-nonsense, the sad thing to this movie is the pacing is very slow. And not in a slow-burn, intensity building sort of way. It just seems to be a movie that is trying to hit certain points, but is crawling to get there. For the most part, editing is a series of cuts between shots that don't seem to fit well and there are several times where there are different scenes intercut. While this might be to try and show what's happening in two places at the same time, it kills the intensity of the scene when you go from a kill, cut to a couple in bed, back to kill, back to couple, back to aftermath of kill, back to talking, then cut to a scene that seems to be set a day later.

There were also decisions in this movie that I could see might have been made from a budgeting perspective, but made me laugh (unintentionally). For instance, it seems that a lot of people enjoyed public domain programming in the 1980s, as "The Corpse Vanishes" makes almost twenty percent of the films running time, along with clips from "The Terror", an Abbott and Costello piece, and Ronald Reagan hugging a monkey. I also noticed that in Roscoe's first onscreen abduction attempt, when he uses the syringe on the female victim, there's no contact with the needle on the victim. It seems like a good idea that when creating a scene like this, make sure the scene doesn't pick up the reflection of the whole needle in the light.

The film is noted as being Joe Spinell's final starring role, as he would die in 1989, and it's also written on the back that it was unfinished. From how the film ends, I was wondering if there was more to be done bet it never got a chance to be completed. Either way, while I respect the filmmakers giving Spinell another leading role and the attempt (possibly) to recapture the feeling of "Maniac," the film falls very short in both the movie's disturbing tones and onscreen violence.

Maniac

I will also take this time to bring this writing to a little bit of a side-note, and that is Joe Spinell and "Maniac" and why I have always seen that movie in a good light among horror fans. "Maniac" was co-written by Spinell, who played the main character Frank Zito, and the movie was directed by William Lustig, who also has directed the entire "Maniac Cop" trilogy. "Maniac" tells the story of Zito who lives in a small apartment, surrounding himself with mannequins, and during the night drives through the New York City area murdering and scalping women, putting his newly acquired trophies on the mannequins. The movie marries the amazing special effects of Tom Savini, coming off movies like "Dawn of the Dead" and "Friday the 13th," with the gruesome scalpings and Savini himself having his head blown off by a shotgun, with a disturbed story of a man who stalks a woman who he gets to know and how his underlying mommy-issues drive him to brutal attacks. The movie, a cult classic and having one of the best posters in horror movie history, was actually remade with Elijah Wood as the killer Zito.

The movie was put out on DVD by Code Red in 2010, and along with the movie there is a short interview with actor Robert Forster, and then his daughter Kathrine, that briefly touches upon their thoughts of Spinell. "Remembering Joe" is only a few minutes and the elder Forster talks about how Spinell was interesting and the only time he ever played a good guy was in "Hollywood Harry" with Robert and Kathrine Foster. Kathrine Foster then tells of a story from the rap party of "Hollywood Harry" involving Spinell, a Glad bag, and a swimming pool. Finally, trailers for Code Red releases of "Nightmare" (aka Nightmare in a Damaged Brain), "The Carrier," "The Visitor," "Slithis," and "Horror High" round out our special features.

Remembering Robin Williams

Comedy or Drama, Silly or Serious, Was There Anything Robin Williams Couldn't Do?

By Chris Sabga

The world remains in shock. Robin Williams has died after apparently committing suicide. He was 63 years old. This particular celebrity death has hit harder than most – generating widespread feelings of sadness and confusion – as everyone is left wondering why someone so beloved and extraordinarily talented would want to kill himself.

The picture included here perfectly captures how most of the world saw him – funny and fun-loving, with a bright light in his eyes and always a mischievous twinkle – but the reality was far darker and much more complicated. He recently checked into a rehab facility and was also struggling with severe depression – a crippling double whammy. Williams admitted in a 2010 interview with The Guardian that he felt "alone and afraid."

The misguided among us will say "he had it all" or "took the coward's way out." Both statements are false and dishonest. The truth about depression: "It's a real illness that doesn't discriminate. No amount of money or fame can fix it. The funniest man on earth couldn't just think positive and be healed. Support those who are battling depression and other mental health issues. It takes lives!" (HighAnxieties.org via Facebook)

Indeed, it doesn't matter whether we're rich or poor, a world-renowned celebrity or an ordinary factory worker – the vice grip of depression can trap any one of us at any time. Winston Churchill perfectly referred to it as his "black dog."

We're several paragraphs in, and I've yet to mention the reason why we're all here and reading this in the first place: Robin Williams and his incredible performances over dozens of memorable movies.

Ask anyone, and they'll all have their favorites. Over the past 24 hours, I've heard so many classics rattled off feverishly: "What Dreams May Come," "The Fisher King," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Popeye." Even "Death to Smoochy" has its fans.

To me, the all-time best Robin Williams performance came in 2002 with the deeply haunting "One Hour Photo." He completely disappeared into the role of lonely photo technician Sy Parrish. I said it then, and I'll say it again now: He should have won the Oscar for Best Actor that year. He wasn't even nominated!

"One Hour Photo" marked a dark, dramatic shift for the comedic icon.

Then again, Williams was never just a comedian.

The first Robin Williams movie I saw, as best as I can tell, was "Good Morning, Vietnam" in 1987. Williams played the inspirational Vietnam War DJ Adrian Cronauer and put his gift of gab to great use. His next major role – and probably the second time I saw Williams on-screen – was as English teacher John Keating in "Dead Poets Society." Once again, he was passionate and inspirational.

Both before and after, Robin Williams had an impressive body of work, but here are a few you might have overlooked:

Bicentennial Man: It's a long, strange movie – Williams plays a robot over the span of 200 years – but it tells a beautiful story about life, death, and what it truly means to experience both.

The Night Listener: A gay late night radio host receives calls on the air from an abused teenage boy...or does he? What's fact and what's fiction? This is inspired by events from the life of author Armistead Maupin, who wrote the book of the same name.

August Rush: Channeling the ghoulish Fagan from Oliver Twist, Williams is a nasty piece of work here, exploiting kids for his own financial purposes. Passionate about music, he discovers a young prodigy, whom he renames August Rush. This oddity of a film doesn't always work – the script is sometimes off-key, even if the music isn't – but I have a soft spot for it anyway.

RV: Is this great cinema or even top-notch entertainment? Hardly. But it's light and funny – and Williams and Jeff Daniels make a great comedy duo. Give this one a chance – it might surprise you.

The Final Cut: This movie almost completely falls apart at the end. The final sequence pretty much undermines everything that came before it. But this sci-fi thriller (also starring Jim Caviezel) is an absolute blast to watch until then.

And a TV role you may have missed entirely:

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – "Authority" (Season 9, Episode 17): Williams dominates the small screen as the villainous anti-authority crusader Merritt Rook, who always seems one step ahead of the police. Even if you aren't a fan of the "Law & Order" franchise, this episode is well worth going out of your way to see for Williams.

I've undoubtedly left out many of his other overlooked roles. I've also neglected to mention the superb "Good Will Hunting," for which he won an Oscar. I didn't bring up "The Birdcage" either, or his small but fun role as a Catholic priest of the fire and brimstone variety in "The Big Wedding," or...

It would be impossible to cover everything he's ever done – that's what IMDB is for – but, man, what a career!

The legendary actor was also a huge fan of the "The Legend of Zelda." How cool is that? Not only did he appear in commercials for the revered gaming franchise, his daughter is even named after the character.

No less than President Obama himself had this to say about the life and career of Robin Williams:

"Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams."

As Obama so eloquently stated, Robin Williams made us laugh and he made us cry.

But he also made us think and made us feel.

His death may currently overshadow his life, but Robin Williams will ultimately be remembered as an actor who could do it all – and did!

Review: Ida

A Nun Finds Out She's Jewish

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: May 2, 2014 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama, Foreign

Running Time: 82 minutes

Director: Pawel Pawlikowski

Writers: Pawel Pawlikowski, 

Rebecca Lenkiewicz

Cast: Agata Trzebuchowska, 

Agata Kulesza

Good priests and nuns are the truest of the true believers. But what if one of them were to discover that they're, in actuality, Jewish? That's the dilemma facing this film's central character, Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska), a nun about to take her vows. Her real name, as it turns out, is Ida Lebenstein. She meets her aunt, Wanda Gruz (Agata Kulesza), and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

The nun's response to the startling news is curiously muted. I was expecting an explosion, but she barely reacts. Have years of living in a convent taught her to cloak her true emotions in a seemingly unattainable attempt to embody God's grace? After all, nuns can't exactly scream angrily and shout four-letter words whenever something is bothering them. That wouldn't be kosher.

Set in 1960s Poland and shot superbly in black and white, "Ida" powerfully evokes a specific sense of time and place. Stark and dark with striking imagery that makes extensive use of light and shadow, an air of mystery, tension, and unease permeates this visually stunning film.

After Ida finds out who she really is, her next question naturally has to do with her parents. What happened to them? How did they die? She and her aunt go on a road trip to seek some answers. That takes them back 20 years, to a much darker period in human history. I won't spoil what it is I'm referring to, but you can do the math. What they find out will haunt them – and us.

Agata Trzebuchowska and Agata Kulesza deliver wonderful, natural performances. The two ladies are a contrast in styles – in both looks and personality. Ida, the nun, is generally silent and contemplative. Her aunt is the opposite: outgoing and outspoken. They make a strange pairing – the nun and the Jew. Oddly, almost no one wonders what they're doing together. That would be the first question I'd ask!

Even though they drive to many places, meet many people, and ask many questions, the story still feels somewhat slight. Not much actually happens. It's as slow as a Sunday sermon. Sister Ida is steadfast in her determination to remain unchanged. She clings stubbornly to her old habit(s). That may score her points with the Pope, but it makes for a lethargic moviegoing experience.

Still, no one in Ida's situation can remain completely unaffected. By the end, the young nun does finally allow herself to experience a series of emotional milestones as she struggles to come to terms with who she was, who she is, and who she ultimately wants to be.

Matt's Movie Mortuary: Devil's Due

Should Not Have Gone Full Term

By Matt Wintz

Release Date: January 17, 2014 – U.S.

Rating: R 

Genre: Horror

Running Time: 89 minutes

Directors: Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

Writer: Lindsay Devlin

Cast: Allison Miller, Zach Gilford, Sam Anderson, 

Vanessa Ray, Roger Payano, Bill Martin Williams, 

Geraldine Singer, Julia Senton, Colin Walker

A review ago, I tackled a found-footage movie called "Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes" and I found myself staring at another one for this review, a movie I had been looking forward to entitled "Devil’s Due." It follows a young, recently married couple on their honeymoon by the names of Zach and Samantha McCall, and they are enjoying time in the Dominican Republic. When deciding to try and make it back to their hotel, they get picked up by a taxi driver who insists on taking them to a party, and they both end up passed out. Thanks to their video camera hidden in Samantha’s bag, we see they are taken to some sort of underground cult area where Samantha is the focal point of some sort of ritual. This then leads to the expected reveal weeks later that, even though she’d been taking her birth control pills every day, she is now pregnant.

Of course, with every pregnancy comes changes in the mother, and in "Devil’s Due" these take on a demonic nature. The vegetarian Samantha chows down on raw meat while in the supermarket, her rage is unexpected and powerful, like when she smashes in a car’s windows for nearly backing into her. She repeatedly goes into a semi-trance and when Zach tries to pull her out of it, she will snap at him or grab his arm and twist, bringing him to the point of pain. The couple also begin to notice people starting to watch their house or watch them from the street, and this coincides with a change in doctors at their next appointment. The group of people even go so far as putting hidden camera throughout the couple’s home while they are out, which allows for a little bit of a change of pace then the feeling that one character is carrying around a camera the entire time.

More strange goings-on occur during the last two months of Samantha’s pregnancy, such as at month eight when they attend the first communion of their niece. During the service, the priest is unable to take his eyes off Sam and is given a bloody nose and fit of violent coughs that result with him vomiting blood. After taking Samantha home, Zach begins to review the footage of the event, along with his honeymoon, and begins to realize there is definitely something wrong with both how his wife is acting and how she got pregnant in the first place, especially since the cab driver from their honeymoon is sitting in the church. He goes to meet the priest in the hospital, taking with him a series of symbols he found throughout the tape, and the priest tells him it deals with the coming of the first antichrist, and that there will be more. From here on out, Zach decides he needs to investigate a supposedly abandoned house down the street where he notices the growing number of strange people to be coming from. I don’t want to fully spoil the rest of the movie, but it does then delve into more "Paranormal Activity" realm as we get cult people, weird happenings, and an ending that does leave the movie a bit open-ended.

I mentioned before how I had been looking forward to this movie, and after finally sitting down to watch it, I have to be completely honest that there was a feeling of disappointment. Many of the weird things feel tired by this point, with four "Paranormal Activity" entries, along with numerous knock-offs, having done similar storylines or pieces. Whereas I had hopes of this becoming a great entry in the subgenre like "The Last Exorcism," this film just came up short in scares, characters, and story. When the weird things start happening, it’s far too late, as the movie seemed to slow burn with less-than-medium level scares up to this point. The best way to explain this movie is the way it has been described online, and that is a cross between "Paranormal Activity" and "Rosemary’s Baby," but nowhere near as good as either of those. This felt more like a low-budget direct-to-video release that was lucky enough to have a big budget treatment, and it never reached the heights that it set for itself. For a better found-footage horror film with great backstory, I’d definitely say stick with "Blair Witch Project" or "Paranormal Activity."

The other problem is the holes in the story that are meant to add fear or anxiety but just fall short. Why or how does the cabbie from their honeymoon show up in their church? What happened to the original doctor? Was she murdered or just left her practice? If the Priest is such a Godly guy, why does the mention of the Anti-Christ immediately make him unwilling to help someone coming to him for help? Okay, I get the fact the filmmakers wanted to add something unnerving or creepy to get you to go "Oh what the hell..." but here, it’s just more like "ho-hum." Nothing in this movie is scary, or even mildly creepy. It just seems to walk through a generic blue-print of found-footage horror.

Sadly, for the first time in the Mortuary’s short history, I have to say this is one that should be skipped altogether. It is currently available on Blu-Ray and DVD.