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Carrie, a review by Dragonfire

Carrie

My Thoughts

I've seen this one a few times over the years, usually when it has turned up on television.  This was the first time I had watched it in years.  This one isn't as gory or as scary overall as most other horror movies, though I do think this one has a scene that is one of the scariest ever.  It still makes me jump a bit, and I freak when it is recreated in other movies too.  The plot is interesting and Carrie being tormented in school is perfectly believable.  Some of the scenes start off a bit sweet and then something shocking happens that changes the mood completely.  There is a really sweet scene with Carrie and Tommy later in the movie..then just minutes later all hell is breaking loose.  That brief moment of sweetness makes what happens even more tragic.  There isn't any mystery to the movie and really not much suspense, but it is still very entertaining.

The characters work very well.  Carrie really isn't a bad or evil character.  She is just pushed too far and she snaps and ends up using her new ability in a not so good way.  Sissy Spacek is wonderful in the part, especially later in the movie when Carrie has snapped.  She gets this look on her face that still freaks me out a bit.  It fits perfectly for what is going on with the character at that point.  Carrie's mother Margaret is an overly religious woman who sees sin lurking everywhere.  The woman is clearly missing most of her marbles and the way she treats her daughter is horrible.  Piper Laurie is great in the part.  The other characters don't stand out as much to me, but the cast is all good in the parts. 

Some of the shots and effects look a bit dated now, but overall the movie has held up very well.  The majority of the movie deals with how horrible groups of kids can treat others in high school, which is very believable.  The stuff with Carrie having powers is a smaller aspect even though it does end up playing a large part in what is going on.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Carrie

(From Dragonfire's Halloween/Horror Marathon 2009 on October 4th, 2009)

The Confessor, a review by Rich

The Confessor



Everyone Has A Secret To Confess.

Christian Slater (True Romance, Interview With A Vampire) stars in this tense psychological thriller about a priest caught in the middle of a dangerous murder case. While making his name as a loyal public relations representative for the Catholic Church, Daniel Clemens (Slater) has lost his true calling. But when a fellow priest is accused of a brutal slaying, Clemens defies church orders and continues investigating the case to prove the priest's innocence. With the aid of local reporter (Molly Parker, Nine Lives, TV's Deadwood) and a church lawyer (Stephen Rea, The Crying Game, The End Of The Affair), Daniel soon discovers the deadly truth which will test his faith to the limit.

With a made for TV feel about this movie, it really does not grab the attention, is short on suspense or mystery, and is the type of fare I would only recommend for a wet Sunday afternoon if you were really bored.
Poor old Slater really has filled his career with some average films, I always thought he warranted better roles.
 

(From Riches Random Reviews on January 10th, 2009)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Dexter: Season One (2006/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Showtime Entertainment (United States) Length: 652 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

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Plot:Six Feet Under), Dexter is one of the most critically acclaimed, must-see television shows of the year! Like no other crime drama you've seen before, this horrifying and intoxicating DVD includes all 12 riveting Season One episodes and a host of delightfully twisted special features.


Dexter
1.01 Dexter (2006-10-01)
Writer: James Manos, Jr. (Screenwriter), Jeff Lindsay (Original Material By)
Director: Michael Cuesta
Cast: Michael C. Hall (Dexter Morgan), Julie Benz (Rita Bennett), Jennifer Carpenter (Debra Morgan), Erik King (Sgt. Doakes), Lauren Velez (Lt. Maria La Guerta), David Zayas (Angel Batista), James Remar (Harry Morgan), C. S. Lee (Vincent Masuka), Jim Abele (Mike Donovan), Margo Martindale (Camilla), Dominic Janes (Young Dexter), Christina Robinson (Astor), Daniel Goldman (Cody), Patrick Michael Buckley (Officer Oliver), Ethan Smith (Jaworski), Susie Taylor (Detective Sue), Marc MaCaulay (Detective), Devon Graye (Teenage Dexter), Justin Kane (Officer Simon), Neeona Neel (Jane Saunders), Jeanne Tidwell (Mrs. Donovan), Roy Rutland (Desk Sergeant)

This is a good series. But just not something which really clicked for me. I never had the urge to watch the next episode and if I wouldn't have watched it together with my brother, I am not sure if I would have finished watching it. I never bothered to pick up further seasons.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on April 3rd, 2011)