The Ring 2 (2005)

"The Ring 2" is the kind of sequel that carries over bits and pieces from the original film but attempts to be it's own movie with it's own strengths and flaws. The film tries to evolve but struggles in doing so, feeling overly complicated and silly at times. Hideo Nakata, the director of the Japanese versions, takes over in this installment from Gore Verbinski and offers the viewers something different that was not previously presented in the Japanese films. Naomi Watts and David Dorfman return as Rachel and her son Aiden.

The aspect of the VHS tape and watching the film on it plays a very small role in this film and is only dealt with in the very beginning. Samara's power of coming out of the television is revisited and expanded on because now she is able to pull victims through the screen and bring them into her world. When this happens, I can't help but to think of the alternate world from "Silent Hill", how the characters become trapped and left alone.


Rachel and Aiden have left the "big" city of Seattle and have relocated to Astoria, Oregon. Six months after their encounter with Samara, her ghostly activity begins again after local high school students begin watching copies of her film. Rachel tracks down the copy and destroys it but it's too late because Samara has already found them. Samara possesses Aiden (why?) and Rachel looks like an abusive mother as her son's body becomes bruised and unhealthy. Rachel is forced to seek out Samara's real mother and find out even more back story/mystery surrounding the child.

Favorite WTF moment - Rachel and Aiden are driving home through a heavily wooded area when their car is attacked by a heard of CGI deer. It made sense in "The Ring" that horses would be driven crazy by Samara or those with her curse, brought upon the by the mental abuse that her adopted father inflicted on her, loving his horses more than her. But why would deer be affected? Beyond the fear of the unnatural of course. The scene is over the top, silly, and completely unnecessary for this movie.

Carrie (1976)

“Carrie” was Stephen King’s first novel to be published, 1974, as well as his first novel to be adapted into a movie, 1976. That is quite an achievement for any writer starting out, but as history shows us, it was only the first of many of his works to thrill the world as both book and film. And “Carrie” was the perfect story, a story which was being considered by several movie studios before director Brian De Palma read the book and quickly made some phone calls. The movie that followed was a critical box office success and was widely considered to be one of the best movies of the year. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress for Sissy Spacek and Best Supporting Actress for Piper Laurie.

The only drawback to the film is that some scenes feel like they go on for much too long, as if De Palma was stretching the movie out as long as he could instead of making it short and to the point. As it as, the film is currently only 98 minutes long, so such a technique was needed  as was a cheaper alternative than filming the scenes that were cut from the original novel.

Carrie White is an extremely shy seventeen year old girl who is bullied and abused at school by the other girls in her classes. She is humiliated and terrified when she has her first period why in the showers after a gym class and the other girls mock and harass her. At home it’s even worse; living with a single mother who is a religious fanatic who accuses Carrie of sinning and forces her to read her daily prayers while locked in a closet. But weird little accidents begin to occur and while in the library, Carrie begins reading a book about telekinesis. Out of guilt, one of Carrie’s tormentor’s convinces her boyfriend to take Carrie to the Prom (why? I still don’t understand why!?!?) and eventually Carrie agrees. At the Prom, events spiral out of control as Carrie falls victim to a prank and unleashes her full wrath upon the student body before going home and dealing with her mother.

 Carrie beginning to be soak in pig's blood

 Carrie praying

Carrie as the Prom Queen