Diving Bell and the Butterfly (3.5/4) It’ll blow your mind, then break your heart.

Sweeney Todd (2/4) It bored me, then I liked it.

Margot at the Wedding (1/4) I want to punch this movie.

Alien Vs. Predator - Requieum (0/4) But not as much as I want to demolish this one.

The Golden Compass (*/****)

This movie ended
A woman shouted “f*ck you!”
All of us agreed.

I Am Legend (**.5/****)

A terrible third act (and really, one of the few cases where I will argue that they should stick closer to the book, because vampire cults are sweet, and also, they changed what the friggin’ TITLE meant) doesn’t take away from what is really quite a solid blockbuster. Actually, everything in the first two acts not involving the “dark-seekers” is tremendous, and Will Smith is astonishing at times (the “please say hello to me” scene is among the finest acted scenes of the year). The allusions to 9-11 (and almost borderline plagiarism from “War of the Worlds”) don’t quite come off as strong as I’m sure they had originally hoped, but it doesn’t fall flat either. Overall, a mixed bag, but worth seeing for the first half and Will Smith’s performance alone.

Atonement (****/*****)

The fact that I loved this movie is a testament to it’s quality, because anyone that knows me will acknowledge how surprising this is. It’s just immaculately made and near pitch-perfect. The only complaints I have are book complaints. And that tracking shot is completely mindblowing.

In celebration of this, the greatest of holidays, let’s talk about horror. I’ve been curling up in my very few minutes of spare time reading Stephen King’s “Skeleton Crew,” primarily “The Mist”. King has his flaws, to be sure, but when he’s on, ooooh boy is he head and shoulders above everyone else. I’ve been a fan of his since I was 12, but I haven’t read a lot of his stuff, mostly because there’s just SO MUCH. He’s arguably the most prolific writer working. And this is considering he’s semi-retired now. And considering his biggest flaw is that he over-writes.

Which leads me to my favorite Stephen King adaptation, and my favorite horror movie, The Shining. It’s so deliciously freaky and unnerving, I never stop getting scared from it.

What are some of your favorite scary movies?

Hey kids! The ticket office now has tickets on sale for our fall trip to Broadway! This semester’s shows are:

Les Miserables
Grease
Mary Poppins

for Saturday, September 22nd

The cost is $75 with Messiah student ID/$85 non-student. This includes the round trip bus ride and show ticket!

There are also bus only tickets available for $25.

This is a FANTASTIC opportunity!! Grab your friends and head to NYC for a day!!