Contraband

To protect his brother-in-law from a drug lord, Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) a former smuggler heads to Panama to score millions in counterfeit bills, leaving his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and children with his best friend Sebastian (Ben Foster) for safe keeping.

Of course things go wrong both in Panama and back home. If nothing else this film makes it perfectly clear to never trust anyone.

The acting is superb as expected with this cast. The story line is so so, but I was let down by the lack of action. Don’t get me wrong, the action scenes a good, just far and few, which slows the movie down a little too much for my tastes. It is a good film, and worth watching… But I will not be adding it to my movie library

Darkest Hour

When it comes to the Darkest Hour film I am going to keep it short and sweet. The film met it problems even before it’s completion, the 2010 wildfires in Russia held the production up, as well as filming conflicts, but the film was finished and hit the big screen by Dec. 25 2011 in the US. The box office wasn’t what it should have been, and I really don’t understand why. The film has plenty of action and will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The storyline is strong, and the cast was exceptionable. And the special effects were spectacular to say the least. The premise of the movie may be that of so many other science fiction flicks, alien invasion, but the movie itself is original. I have to give Darkest Hour 4 ½ stars and put it on my must see DVD list.

Creature (2011)

This 201 horror film is set in the Louisiana Bayou, where a group of friends discover that a local legend is true and they must fight for their lives. The film stars: Serinda Swan (Emily), Mehead Brooks (Niles), Dillon Casey (Oscar), Amanda Fuller (Beth), Lauren Schneider (Karen), Wayne Pere (Bud), and Sid Haig (Chopper).

Even though the film was a box office flop, earning a mere $327,000 from 1507 venues during its first week, don’t let it fool you. This was actually a well written and performed movie. The story is solid, although on the taboo side of society. The is far too much nudity and sexual content for younger viewers, but I recommend renting this DVD for your late-night-after the kiddies go to bed-classic horror pleasure fix.

Creature (2011) gets a 3 ¾ stars from me.

The Pack

This 2010 French may not be a horror classic in the making, but it is worth your time to watch. It is a fresh and some times humorous take on some very old monster tales of the Golems. While these creatures have found homes in literature for centuries, they very seldom make it into films. A shame really.

Emilie Dequenne

Emilie Dequenne does a wonderful job as the tough and loveable Charlotte, who finds herself alone, caged, and the future meal of a pack of Golems. Don’t count this girl out; she’s a fighter, and fight she does. Sorry, no spoilers for this movie, you have to watch it.

The gore is kept brief, and the pace can be a bit slow at times, but over all I give “The Pack” a solid 3 ½ stars.