As mentioned earlier, one of my classes is studying remakes, so we watched the 1982 "Poltergeist" and the 2015 "Poltergeist". I ended up having to buy the 2015 version because I missed the second half, and wanted to watch it again. I watched the first half as the theatrical edition and the second half as the extended edition.

I felt that this film was much more effective than the original. I thought that it was much creepier, and the atmosphere was much more horror-like due to the lack of cheesiness from the 80's. The special effects were also improved over the decades, as the 1982 film's special effects look cartoonish, while these look good. The clown in this film is also much creepier than the clown in the 1982 version, creating one of the best scenes in the film.

The acting of this film is really good. Sam Rockwell is a great actor, and he brings both his cynical, sarcastic humor and his believable emotion to this role. Overall, Kennedi Clements was a much better actress than Heather O'Rourke, however she did not deliver the iconic "They're here!" line as well. Nicholas Braun is also absolutely hilarious in the film, with his reactions resulting in my favorite scene in the film.

Other elements of the film also impressed me. The writing of the remake fixed a lot of the errors in logic from the first film, making this one a bit more logical. The cinematography is also really good, as it was in the first film.

Overall, I think that "Poltergeist" is a really good horror film with the slew of garbage coming out in the genre. I highly recommend it if you like horror films.

​Poltergeist
Big Tuna's Rating: A-
How Did I Watch It?: DVD/Blu-Ray in a class and Digital that I own.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

I saw this movie when it came out in theaters and I really liked it, so I wanted to watch it again. I ended up buying it, since it was on sale on iTunes for $9.99, and I am glad, as I will likely be adding it to my annual Christmas film routine.

The film, in my opinion, was surprisingly well-written, especially for a horror movie, however there are still some flaws. There are formulaic elements, however there are also many original elements that redeem this issue. There are also some issues with pacing: the beginning is fine, but in the end, the movie becomes a bit crammed, and therefore rushed, however the film never fails to be interesting.

The film has a good blend of humor and the eerie atmosphere characteristic of a horror film. The film had me laughing out loud multiple times, however also often had me on the edge of my seat in suspense. Heartwarming moments in the film felt natural and necessary to the progression of the story. The film also has a great ambiguous ending, allowing for the viewer's interpretation with many possible ways to see it.

Adam Scott was one of the biggest draws that made me want to see this film in theaters, and he still impressed, even after watching it again. Despite his role as the reasonable character, he still added humor to the film naturally, which is a rare feat. David Koechner is as funny as always in his supporting role too. The real surprise was Emjay Anthony, who was a great child actor that has tremendous potential to break out in the industry.

The film was also particularly well-made for the genre. Special effects were for the most part good, especially those of the Jack-in-the-Box and the Gingerbread Men. Masks for Krampus and the Elves weren't great, however didn't really detract from the film. The film also had some really interesting cinematography.

Overall, "Krampus" is a very fun, rather well-made horror film. It is a must for fans of horror comedies, and is a great film to watch around the holidays.

Krampus
Big Tuna's Rating: A-
How Did I Watch It?: Digital that I own.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

I have wanted to see this movie since I first heard about it, and I was supposed to see it last weekend, but the theater cancelled it. Thankfully, they rescheduled it to this weekend, so I was finally able to see it.

The acting of this film is phenomenal, the best part of a great film. Don Cheadle is absolutely amazing as Miles Davis. His personality is great, and he is very believable in the role. He is visibly devoted to the role, as this seems to be a passion project. Ewan McGregor is also great, and offers some phenomenal comedic relief in his role, however he also serves as a voice of reason in such a situation. Michael Stuhlbarg is also extremely intimidating in his antagonistic role.

The writing of the film is also great. Even though it is a drama, it plays out very much like an action movie because of the film's pacing. The film also has an extremely interesting narrative technique, which I will not describe, as to avoid spoilers, however I absolutely loved the technique as both a film critic and a musician.

So overall, "Miles Ahead" is an interesting, well-acted, well-made biopic. I highly recommend it if you get the chance to watch it.

Miles Ahead
Big Tuna's Rating: A+
How Did I Watch It?: In theaters.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

I really liked this movie when I saw it in theaters. It was a funny, light, heartwarming movie that is just a good time to watch. I bought and re-watched it as soon as it was released on digital, and I decided to watch it again today.

Even though the movie is predictable and formulaic, it is gloriously fun, mostly do to the light-hearted writing and the undeniable charm of the actors. The film doesn't really bring anything new to the table, but it's fun to watch, which is why it was made. I have actually found myself to like it more and more each time that I watch it. There are parts that make me laugh extremely hard every time, such as the heist scene, and the movie always keeps a smile on my face.

Robert De Niro is great in his role, bringing his charm to the character. Anne Hathaway is also funny and human in her role. The combined skill and chemistry of the two characters allows the audience to like the characters, and therefore the film, as it is a character piece. Adam DeVine and Zack Pearlman are hilarious in supporting roles, and Nat Wolff also has a very funny cameo.

So overall, "The Intern" is definitely a good time. It's funny and lighthearted, and a good way to spend two hours if you're feeling down or just feeling like watching a movie.

The Intern
Big Tuna's Rating: A-
How Did I Watch It?: Digital that I own.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

I had no desire to see this film, however I had family members visiting that really like horror movies, so I went with them to see it. I thought that there was no way that this film could have disappointed me, as I had extremely low expectations, however it somehow managed to do so.

I appreciate a bad horror movie every once in a while. They can be enjoyable, but "The Darkness" is anything but. The first hour of the movie is quite possibly the slowest horror movie that I have ever seen. For most of that hour, the film's idea of scary was a TV turning on randomly or a door opening out of nowhere (and they didn't even use a loud noise). The last twenty minutes did speed up the pace, but for the most part, the film is boring. If the line illustrating the rising action and various peaks of suspense were a heart monitor's readings, the person it was connected to would be pronounced dead until the end.

The film is really cheesy. The cast is talented, and they try their hardest, however they are given a horrible script. The script is filled with plot holes, especially during the last twenty minutes, which was the only enjoyable part. The movie was also rather poorly made. Special effects were laughably bad. There is some good cinematography, however the last twenty minutes are filled with shaky cam that makes it hard to focus and see anything.

So overall, I wasn't particularly pleased with "The Darkness". The last twenty minutes are what keeps this from being an F. I will say, however, that even though I didn't like this movie, the family members I was with did, so some people might still enjoy this.

The Darkness
Big Tuna's Rating: D
How Did I Watch It?: In theaters.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: No.