Misery: I Bet James Caan Wished His Number One Fan Was Hotter.

OK honestly the obsessed lunatics just keep getting worse. Annie Wilkes may be the most terrifying obsessor yet. While not a lot of action takes place during the Misery, the movie still managed to keep me horrified and really anxious the entire time. Kathy Bates is truly terrifying and I don't know how James Caan's character held out so long. I would have done myself in as soon as she brought her pet pig in to meet me.

I had never seen this whole movie before. When I was younger the only thing I could remember from it was when someone smashed a type writer on someones head. And honestly, knowing that that would happen at some point sort of kept me at ease in a way, because I knew retribution would come.

Paul Sheldon writes romance novels. He longs to write something deeper so he finishes the last of his novels, properly titled the Misery series for the main heroine, then gets to writing something new and different, deep in the mountains of Colorado. He drives straight into a blizzard and ends up crashing his car off a mountainside. Annie Wilkes rescues him from the car and being the beast that she is, throws him on her back and takes her back to her house. Here she takes care of his wounds and relentlessly tells him how much she adores his books.

It is not too long before we realize that this woman has some problems. Paul notices it too, especially after her first insane outburst. I however could tell she was a whack job by the way she was whispering to him before he woke up that she was his number one fan and lah di da.

So things just keep getting worse and worse. Annie forces him to burn his new manuscript, then forces him to keep the Misery series going. Finally when she totally loses it she of course performs the famous hobbling. And shoots a poor old man. And tries to convince him that they have to kill themselves together.

Movies like this, where the hero is trapped somewhere and unable to escape really make me panic. That part when he explores the house for the first time made me so jumpy. I was going nuts. WHAT ARE YOU DOING STOP DICKING AROUND SHE IS COMING BACK WHAAT THE FUUCK for example is what my inner monologue sounded like. Then when his plan to drug her at dinner goes awry. EGADS I just wanted to scream. And finding the scrapbook....I knew she was messed up but a baby killer really? That's just nutty.

So this movie really had a hold on me. From the first moment I saw her face on the screen I knew I would hate her, but I didn't think I would despise her as much as I did. She can really crack with no warning and that may be the scariest part. I also have to hand it to Paul he can really think on his feet. The pills in the mattress? Good call good call. The only thing I wish is that Buster had actually saved Paul rather than just be useless. At least he knew he had finally found Paul, he must have been a little happy..... oooh Buster.....A moments silence for Buster please....



Sigh. Here's the hobbling scene...try not to cry out in despair.

Weird Mask, Amazing Movie.

I must say I really enjoyed this film. It really spins the horror movie convention on it's head and delivers a very satisfying bit of entertainment. Filmed in a mockumentary style- think "Best in Show" or even RENO 911!, Behind the Mask tells the story of a man trying to rise to fame as a serial killer. The documentary is filmed in a place where killers from horror movies, namely Jason, Freddy and Michael are all real people with accomplished death totals.

3 College students set off to make the documentary and the entire process is very well done. It's all rather natural and the comedic timing by most characters is perfect. Leslie Vernon is funny and surprisingly so is the lead girl who you may recognize from a small role in Jerry Maguire.

Leslie takes the crew through what his murder spree will look like. Finding his "survivor girl" Kelly, and plotting out exactly how the murders will go. He goes through the elaborate mechanics of sawing off tree branches so if the victims try to make an exit out the window they will fall, as well as sabotaging the old weapons in the shed so he can't be killed by them.

Once Taylor and her crew witness the first killing they become horrified and Leslie gets angered at their emotional attachment. He makes them leave and tells them goodbye. Taylor has a change of heart and realizes she cannot let the kids die. Here they put the cameras down and the movie switches to real movie style, where I'll keep the rest to myself because it's extremely entertaining.

If you love horror movies this is a good choice because it brings together so much of what we love and know. See if you can spot all the different homages to certain favorite and famous horror movies, as well as some cameos from a few different horror movie characters.

There are so many great lines in this that I couldn't help but laugh out loud. There is gore but it's not over the top. Overall it's a great movie that gives another dimension to the character "behind the mask" as the title suggests. Check this one out and tell me what you think. Don't be mislead by the trailer, it really has much more fun and laughs than terror.

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This is Why I Don't Talk to People on the Train.

This is one of my favorite Hitchcock films. Based on the book by Patricia Highsmith who also wrote "The Talented Mr. Ripley" another great book AND movie which I think is rare to have both. Strangers on a Train is the classic tale of that friend who just won't leave you alone. And that friend who is a murdering psychopath. We all have them don't lie.

Guy Haines a famous tennis player is trying to divorce his wife Miriam. On the way to meet with her lawyer he meets a man on the train named Charles Anthony Bruno. The man seems like a nut job, and pries a little too much into Guy's life. After a few drinks Chaz suggests they make a swap. He'll kill Miriam for Guy if Guy kills his father for him. Guy thinks Chaz is merely making a joke and laughs it off as he gets off the train, saying yes yes Bruno whatever you say good plan.

Bruno meets up with Miriam at a fair where he stalks her, finally strangling her on an island. Bruno meets with Guy and tells him he's done his part and hands Guy Miriam's broken glasses. Guy flips out at him and rushes home. Bruno now starts following Guy every chance he can get, becoming friends with people he knows, slipping him maps of his house and sending him a revolver to kill his father with. It's all very stressful and Bruno is such a whack job.

The beauty of Hitchcock films for me are those amazing shots we get. There's the picture of Bruno after he strangles Miriam reflected in her glasses, the juxtaposed women with glasses, the scene at the tennis match where everyones heads are following the balls back and forth except Bruno who stares straight ahead at Guy amidst the sea of turning heads.

Bruno is really frustrating in this, which makes him an excellent villain and character. My other favorite character is Babs hah I love her. The end scene is also really really great and maybe a tad comical. But there are really some great moments in this one, especially when Bruno is tailing Miriam at the fair sooooo creepy.

So if you are interested in Hitchcock but haven't seen many, definitely see this one it can't be missed. Here is the creepy part where Bruno stalks Miriam at the fair.