Ticket or Click It? Proposal vs. Paranormal - Reel News - Blog Entertainment

Welcome to Ticket or Click It, where we help you find the best use of your money and time this Halloween weekend. Should you take in a movie at home On Demand or make a trip to the theater?

What’s On Demand?

Stan Helsing
“Stan Helsing” is no “Shawn of the Dead”: In the grand (or maybe mediocre) tradition of “Scary Movie,” this horror spoof happens on Halloween night when villains from various horror franchises invade a small town. Video store clerk to the rescue!
Our Take: You don’t expect Oscar-caliber performances from spoof movies, but you do at least expect them to be entertaining. This one isn’t.

Orphan
All the adopted kids I know are quite nice. Except that one who roots for the Yankees. A heartbroken couple adopts a little girl who is more “creepy, sinister and everything evil” than “sugar and spice and everything nice.”
Our Take: Not the best malevolent child flick you’ll see, but not the worst either.

The Proposal
Is it just me, or is Bullock in every third movie this year? Sandra Bullock and recent “it-man” Ryan Reynolds headline this rom-com about sexual harassment in the workplace – err, about a boss who forces her underling to marry her for immigration reasons.
Our Take: Bullock and Reynolds make the best of predictable and lackluster material. It’s not life-changing, but the feel-good quality of this flick made it a big hit.

Monsters vs. Aliens
Seems the government was also out of anti-monster vaccine: Susan is a glowing bride who gets hit by a meteor on her wedding day. And, no, we don’t mean the groom’s ex. Susan morphs into a giant. Now her wedding dress no longer fits her and, worst of all, she’s still single. But her freakish size is a blessing in disguise. Her country needs her and the other monsters when an egotistical alien threatens earth.
Our Take: This animated kid’s pic has some great characters and funny moments. Don’t miss Bob, a dim-witted blob, hitting on a Jell-O mold.

Easy Virtue
People still snipe. It’s just moved to Twitter: A son (“Narnia’s” Ben Barnes) of a proper 1920s British family brings home a brash American wife – a wife with secrets, one of which is that she’s Jessica Biel. With a background of elegant parlors and lovely period clothes, the mother and sisters snipe at Biel in elegant and upper-class ways.
Our Take: If you’re one of the women who get their 1870s replica knickers twisted for Colin Firth, this is a must-see. He plays the adventurous patriarch of the family. If you’re looking for explosions or car chases, this isn’t your flick. And Jessica Biel oozes 2009, not 1929.


What’s In Theaters?

Paranormal Activity
I’m even scared by the low-light shots of a terrified audience in the trailer: The film is set around a simple premise: A man sets up a camcorder to convince his girlfriend that her sensation of “something being there” in the night is just her imagination. But of course it’s not. Because then the movie would be really boring.
Our Take: This movie is scary. Like truly scary. Like won’t sleep for days scary. I haven’t actually seen it myself because what with swine flu, boys in balloons, and Lady Gaga, I have enough to keep me up at night. But reliable sources (well … ok … critics) and the public have reacted to it in a big way.

Michael Jackson: This is It
The “Thriller” video also scared me: In the months leading up to his sudden death, Michael Jackson was preparing a huge comeback tour. The footage that was shot of rehearsals is now elevated from DVD bonus feature status to a world-wide theatrical event.
Our Take: There’s no denying that MJ was a genius of an entertainer. The film captures his sometimes brilliant and sometimes confusing creative process. It’s lovingly and expertly put together. The music is timeless. But the whole baby-dangling, Jesus juice, Propofol side of things is still icky as ever.

Ticket or Click it?

Ticket! Two huge cultural events rock the theaters this week. They’re both somewhat creepy, both oddly appropriate for Halloween. All your friends will be talking about “Paranormal Activity” and/or “This is It.” See them both.




Message Edited by RebeccaKelley on 10-30-2009 03:15 PM