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1408 Review

By Sean O'Connell

Very Good

You do not have to read the original short story "1408," part of the longer anthology Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales, to know that the central idea comes from author Stephen King. In fact, one must assume that the movie was pitched in production meetings as "The Shining in New York." And while it's true that this cinematic take on "1408" recycles so many narrative strings tied to King's overall body of work, it somehow modifies them into a surprisingly fresh, tight and effective thriller.

Renowned travel writer Mike Enslin (John Cusack), like most characters in King's ouvere, is haunted by his own demons. Hiding behind alcohol and a refined cynicism, Enslin scours the country for legitimate haunted habitats, rating rooms on a "shiver scale." A bed-and-breakfast with good food but moderate mood gets five skulls, in his opinion. This movie, based on Enslin's most terrifying encounter, would receive a solid eight skulls.

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Hollywoodland Review

By Sean O'Connell

Weak

Who killed Superman?

George Reeves' death remains one of Hollywood's juiciest unsolved mysteries. After years spent clinging to the industry's fringe, the performer shot to stardom in 1952 when he hopped into Superman's red-and-blue tights for a Saturday-morning serial. The role made Reeves an overnight sensation, but also damaged any chances he had of becoming a serious actor.

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Hollywoodland Review

By Sean O'Connell

Weak

Who killed Superman?

Off camera, Reeves (Ben Affleck) reportedly wallowed in a directionless affair with Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the two-timing wife of MGM executive E.J. Mannix (Bob Hoskins). Seven years after agreeing to play the Man of Steel, an unsatisfied Reeves was discovered shot to death in his Beverly Hills bedroom while his selfish fiancée, Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney), and a handful of strangers, partied downstairs.

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The Brothers Grimm Review

By James Brundage

Bad

If you stop to think about it, weren't the Brothers Grimm stories demented enough that they really didn't need to be made into a horror movie? Not that it's stopped several other people from touching the subject matter before, but no one has quite given the Grimm fairy tales the molestation that they get in the latest rendition of this story.

In the latest Grimm, the brother-tellers are snakeskin oil salesmen, with younger brother Jacob always focused on the fairy tale world. When a string of abductions, (including Red Riding Hood and Gretel) in the village of Marbaden catch the attention of a French General (Jonathan Pryce, playing Ian Holm's Napoleon from Time Bandits) who only seems interested in a good meal, he sends Italian torturer Cavaldi (Peter Stormare) to grab the German con men out of bed to send them to investigate the problem.

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