Rish Outfield's reviews
I must first suggest, politically incorrect or not, that Christopher Reeve should've starred in this film. I thought/still think that it would've been perfect for him, and one of the few roles he could currently play as is. With that said, please put it out of your minds.
I saw this for free a week before it opened, and I couldn't decide afterwards whether I liked it or not. It was well-done, directed by the talented Phillip Noyce, and was quite involving. None of it seemed very innovative, though, nothing I hadn't seen before. And in the end, I was left pretty apathetic. So, whether I liked it or not was a big question. But not the biggest. The big question is "Is it Horror?" And I wish you wouldn't ask me that. I've really gotten tired of debating it. Sure, it was more Horror than, say, Tron, and less Horror than, maybe, "Texas Chainsaw Eleven." The movie it was most similar to is The Silence of the Lambs, which I have argued about (for and against), so may I leave it at: If "Silence" is Horror, then this just as is. This stuff is hard to distinguish sometimes, you know? Take Casper, for instance. Not Horror. And Jacob's Ladder? Yeah, I think that's Horror. But take something like Videodrome or Gremlins or The Sixth Sense. I say No, Yes, and No, but who's to say I'm right? After all, Bone Collector only got eleven skulls (and some of those might be disputed). It might be filed under Drama, or maybe under Action. And possibly under Horror. I guess you'll just have to give me some leeway on this one.
Oh, I forgot to say anything about the film. The cast was good, but I don't know if I like them. Is that obscure enough for you? I did like Queen Latifah, and I sure couldn't see that one coming. Ed O'Neil is a good guy who has faded from view, but I don't think he warrants Former Celebrity status yet. Why can't I like Angelina Jolie (or spell her name)? Unanswerable. When the killer was revealed, a couple of people around me said, 'I knew it!' but I sure didn't. In fact, I thought there was nothing hinted at at all indicating his identity. I wasn't really satisfied with the ending, since it seemed to tie everything up too nicely. Are happy endings supposed to be THAT happy? Was this a good movie? I can't say, you may have to judge for yourself. And ask the Horror question while you're at it.
Best Scare: To be honest, the biggest scares came from two transitions involving BANGing. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. For more traditional scares, a particular shot with a rat comes immediately to mind.