Thoughts On The Omen-1976

I have watched this movie many many times, being that it's a horror classic and all. Since it is a classic, I have always given it the respect it deserved by not questioning certain things. I keep meaning to read the book, perhaps it would make it clearer.

Why didn't the devil's helpers just switch the babies in the first place? Why the whole adoption ruse that would later make the father question where his kid was. I understand he didn't mention to his wife that their baby had died in "childbirth", but why had he never seen his own kid's body or know where it was?

Why did the father cut the hair in the kid's room so the Nanny could sneak up on him after he witnessed the birth mark? Why not just take the kid out for a moment and cut his hair?

Anyway, seemed like some classic horror movie mistakes and inconsistencies.

Hannibal Rising 2007, Mark of the Devil 1970, Tourist Trap 1979

Hannibal Rising was not a favorite (apparently) of many of the fans of this series. I, however, loved it. I also liked the original ending of the book that followed Silence of the Lambs, and not the filmed ending that everyone objected to being in the movie (hogwash). Harris as an author has an incredible imagination that I love. I love the way he twists things in the same story with a different perspective.

I loved the book, AND I LOVED the movie. There were some truly frightening moments there, and I was glad we didn't go some places it seemed we were going. I also loved seeing my Rome guy, Verenus (?) playing a bad guy. Really brilliant, I thought.

Tourist Trap--Typical in some ways, but this 70s movie preceded it's followers, so I gotta think this is one that is being copied from. The wax theme was done before of course with Vincent Price, but this has a couple different spins on it. Not my favorite movie, but in the interest of seeing a minor classic that has something to do with major themes, I did enjoy it. Again not the best piece of work (and certainly not acting) that I have ever seen.

Mark of The Devil--Note to self, do not take horror movie suggestions from the husband. First of all, I have seen parts of this (really really bad) movie before. This is a sixties movie and a classic cult movie among some. I, personally, can't get past the bad western, sixties, or Gypsy music that is many time inappropriate and distracting during the whole movie. It's all about torture and witch trials in the 1700 or 1600 hundreds (perhaps even earlier), so you can see my objection to the cheesy western cowboy music being used. Boob shots, pretty girls, a couple of sex scenes that were probably shocking at the time, rapes, knives used on females.....yawn. Really really bad acting by pretty girls, and handsome men with nice eyes and other attributes (that are probably 90 years old now).

Have to say, am again sad to have seen it again, but forced myself to see it all the way through, so I would never need to wonder if it's redeeming at all again. Oh yes, well lit sets where actors use candles as that is the period, but of course castles would actually be lacking light, and so candles would have been NEEDED instead of STAGE SETTING for a horrid movie.

It does look somewhat intriguing at parts, but trust me, just walk away. Ick.

Gone But Not Forgotten-2004 TV

I really doubted this movie, and didn't think that any of the three that I got from Netflix would be anything, especially this one.

My only hope is that it is an adaption of a Phillip Margolin novel, who I enjoy as an author but mainly as a large step up from Mary Higgins Clark. One of those plots with many twists that are made somewhat more plausible by this author than others that try this. This movie was done by Hallmark (another mark against it in my former opinion) in 2004 and directed by Armand Mastroinanni (I have started to appreciate how important it is to pay attention to who the director might be, haven't heard of him before, but thinking now that I will keep my eyes open.)

Very well told "mystery" of 172 minutes. This is a long time to keep my attention folks, and it did that. It is your serial killer mystery of something that starts up again (seemingly) 10 years later, a mystery man, various mystery woman, and secrets that go to the top. And despite the corniness of all that, I found it quite good.

I give it a 3 out of 5 stars. Mainly because of the commercial quality of it, whereas I like some horror movies and mysteries to be a bit more gritty and weird. So some might really prefer something like this to say, Texas Chainsaw Masacre, which interested me even more after I saw the documentary on how the project was done, and the lack of funds et. I was never going to watch that movie until husband got me the documentary. Course this movie is nothing like this, just disclosing why my ratings might seem weird to some who do not value some "weirdness" in their horror/mystery movies.

Dexter Season Two

Okay, I watched the entire thing in maybe three days. I was hooked from the beginning. I try to say as little as possible so as not to blow any surprises that someone might not know about.

Let's just say there are a couple of surprises next season!! Well, at least one big one and a new character. This is where the story veers way off from the book. Sadly or gladly, you will get not one hint if you have read further into the books (as I have) with the futile hope that you will know something as the story goes along. You will not.

I personally like the TV series take on Dexter more so than the books. It could just be that I started with the TV one first though. I can't dislike the books too much though, as I am almost thru the third one.

The Other-1972, All About Eve-1950

I have been getting over a little bit of a stomache but lately. So I have been forced to watch more television, read, and attempt to play tombraiders. You know, TV even if you get all the channels still really sucks. I have been forced to visit some classics. The only reason I haven't watched these lately is that when I was young these movies fascinated me so much that I watched them all the time.

The first was my first book as well, which gave me the sensation that most America had if the watched "The Sixth Sense". Book definately better than the movie, but the movie is pretty good all the same. The movie and book that I am referring to is "The Other". I don't want to give it away too much, but excellent story line that is in the horror realm, but thinking horror realm.

The other movie that I saw this morning was "All About Eve". I didn't really remember much of it, but great movie about amition, betrayal, taking friends for granted, and in the end still not being happy after you have gotten all that you wanted. Very young Marilyn Monroe has a small part in it. I wasn't sure (after I watched it this time) if I ever really watched the movie all the way through.

Movies, these days, are just not made with the same quality or attention to detail.