Ben Affleck stars in Gone Girl.
By Leslie Olvera
The fall movie season is usually difficult for movie buffs because there are so few films released during the back to school time. This season actually has some offerings that were worth the time and some that could be skipped.
Annabelle: Released October 3, Annabelle is a spinoff of the popular movie, The Conjuring. The plot is about a killer doll, who haunts the lives of a doctor and his wife. Crazy things really do come in small packages. This doll is not just a Chuckie copy, but is truly horrifying.
The plot is somewhat predictable as many horror films are, but the style in which this story is told is really well done. The director, John R. Leonetti, served as the cinematographer on The Conjuring (2013). The style of horror from this film involves tricks of the eye, such as a murder in a neighbor’s house is seen through Mia’s (the doll collecting protagonist) bedroom window.
Some of the details that were wanting were the usual collection of self-shutting doors and self-popping popcorn. However, there is little doubt that Annabelle will be back because “haunted dolls have been around since the beginning of civilization.” This film is entertaining but it does not blaze a new path in the horror genre.
Ouija: Released in October this thriller horror movie has been one of the top releases this fall season. A group of teens face their darkest fears when they awaken the malicious powers of an ancient spirit, which is brought out of Ouija board game.
These teens discover that this specific Ouija board is a portal to the afterlife. The board was altered when a family had used it to practice satanic rituals. Those in the afterlife sought revenge when the group of teens opened the door to the afterlife through the board.
This film does a good job of unnerving its audience for a good scare, in addition to the typical genre of teens being killed by evil in a horror movie. It was a fun movie, definitely worth the price of admission.
One of the most anticipated movies this year is The Hunger Games: Mockingjay–Part 1. The third installment in the series is the first of two parts. This sequel is filled with suspense. The protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) remained in District 13 after she had demolished the games forever.
Getting stronger with every installment, Katniss makes the decision to fly her wings with the leadership and help from her friends and President Coin to save her beloved friend Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) as well with the nation who had been motivated by her courageous actions. This movie will not make any sense on its own, but in concert with the first two installments it is a commendable effort, and a very entertaining movie.
The film Gone Girl begins easily enough, with a happy couple enjoying their marriage. However, as the plot develops and the wife, Amy, (Rosamund Pike), mysteriously disappears, her husband, Nick (Ben Affleck), becomes the primary suspect.
This drama, mystery-thriller centers around the media circus that engulfs Nick about the mysterious disappearance of Amy, and the things that come to light about Nick. At first the audience is convinced that Nick is innocent, but as the details of their marriage emerge, then perhaps he is not as innocent as first thought. The mystery holds to the end of the film. By the end the story is about a couple making ruins of each other. While this story is a suspenseful thriller it becomes a horror of a relationship for this couple.
If a slightly depressing movie about the destruction of a marriage is too much going into winter, then perhaps a movie about a group of boys who realize that they have been trapped in a maze and must try to escape with the help of his new associates. The Maze Runner is actually a smart and well-acted science fiction movie. There are many computer generated effects, especially the Griever, which is truly terrifying.
However the best part of this movie is that the story is so good. A group of boys, who only remember their first names, have no memory of their previous lives before the maze. They can only get out by trying to map a route through the maze, which is full of danger at every turn. The sum effect of this movie is a very satisfying escape (no pun intended) from the colder weather.
