Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)/Movie Review

Release Date:  21 October 2011 (India)  Genre:  Horror
Tagline:  It Runs In The Family

In 1988, young sisters Katie and Kristi befriend an invisible entity who resides in their home.

Directors:  Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Writers:  Christopher B. Landon, Oren Peli (characters)
Credited cast:
Katie Featherston, Sprague Grayden, Lauren Bittner, Chloe Csengery , Christopher Nicholas Smith, Jessica Tyler Brown, Brian Boland, Dustin Ingram, Mark Fredrichs
Executive Producer : Akiva Goldsman  
Cinematography by Magdalena Gorka Bonacorso       
Film Editing by Gregory Plotkin       
Casting by Terri Taylor       
Production Design by Jennifer Spence       
Art Direction by David Batchelor Wilson          
Costume Design by  Leah Butler    
Production Co: Blumhouse Productions, Paramount Pictures
User Review

Much like its predecessors, "Paranormal Activity 3" is a slow-building, stealthily creepy supernatural thriller that takes a teasingly indirect approach to generating suspense and escalating dread. The threequel is actually a prequel, time-warping back to 1988 to show how siblings Katie (Katie Featherston in the first film) and Kristi (Sprague Grayden in the second) were traumatized at an early age by things that go bump in the night. Slightly slicker and more densely populated than earlier pics in the franchise, the Oct. 21 Paramount release should play well with any fans who haven't already tired of the found-footage gimmick.

Although Featherston and Grayden make token appearances in a portentous prologue, preteen newcomers assume their roles throughout the rest of "Paranormal Activity 3." Pic details how Dennis (Chris Smith), the girls' videographer dad, becomes obsessed with discovering the source of latenight noises that echo throughout their spacious suburban home -- and learning the true nature of an imaginary playmate who may not be so imaginary after all.

Again like its predecessors, the film pivots on the conceit that its elliptical narrative has been culled from videos shot by someone (or a couple of someones) who cannot be called upon to provide any sort of explanatory narration. (It's interesting to consider whether some future sequel will identify just who's been editing together all this spooky stuff.)

MOVIE TRAILER

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The Thing (2011)

Release Date: 14 October 2011 (India) Runtime: USA: 103 min
Genres: Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Taglines: It's not human. Yet.

At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.

Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
Writers:  Eric Heisserer, John W. Campbell Jr. (short story "Who Goes There?")
Cast overview

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Eric Christian Olsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Paul Braunstein, Trond Espen Seim, Kim Bubbs, Jørgen Langhelle, Lars Jan Gunnar Røise , Stig Henrik Hoff, Kristofer Hivju , Jo Adrian Haavind, Carsten Bjørnlund Jonathan Walker

Produced by J. Miles Dale , David Foster & Gabrielle Neimand
Original Music by Marco Beltrami     
Cinematography by Michel Abramowicz        
Film Editing by  Peter Boyle, Julian Clarke & Jono Griffith
Storyline

At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson. While Dr. Halvorson keeps to his research, Kate partners with Sam Carter, a helicopter pilot, to pursue the alien life form. Written by IMDb Editors 

Filming Locations: British Columbia & Ontario, Canada
Budget:  $35,000,000 (estimated)
Production Co:  Morgan Creek Productions, Strike Entertainment See more »
Sound Mix:  Dolby Digital  | DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) | SDDS
Review
Truly a film for the fans
Author: gbi09403 from United States

John Carpenter's version of "The Thing" is a classic. The makers of this film clearly recognize that. So instead of doing the typical thing of this generation and "rebooting" a series/film, they did something classy- they expanded on a story. And they pulled it off exceptionally well. Yes, this movie has MUCH more CGI effects, but it wasn't overboard. The tie-ins to Carpenter's version are spot on. Set designs were great. The acting went way beyond my expectations- Winstead was amazing as the lead. The story was tight. As its first week of release showed, I'm certain this film - like Carpenter's - will go under-appreciated. But I would bet the farm this movie will find its place right next to Carpenter's on your movie shelf at home. Give it a chance!!

TRAILER

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Ranger's Apprentice: The Lost Stories by John Flanagan/Review

 

John Flanagan (Author

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Philomel (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399256180
ISBN-13: 978-0399256189
Genre : Science Fiction, Fantasy , Horror , Magic, Action & Adventure

Amazon Price    
Kindle Edition     $10.54 / Hardcover     $8.99      

Description

The secret history of the New York Times bestselling Ranger's Apprentice

Unconfirmed accounts of a group of Araluen warriors - tales of adventure, battle, and triumph over evil - have spread for centuries throughout the known world. Most notable is a clan shrouded in mystery, phantom warriors known as the Rangers.

Two names pass the lips of every storyteller: Halt, and his apprentice, Will. They and their comrades in arms are said to have traveled throughout the kingdom and beyond its borders, protecting those who needed it most. If true, these rumors can be only part of the story.

Only now, centuries after these men and women walked the earth, do we have confirmation of their existence. Behold The Lost Stories.

Inspired by questions and letters his loyal readers have sent over the years, John Flanagan offers a gift in response: a collection of "lost" tales that fill in the gaps between Ranger's Apprentice novels. For the first time, readers can learn the truth behind how Will came to be orphaned and what his real relationship to Halt is, or watch Alyss in action as the young Araluen diplomat disguises herself and becomes the perfect spy.

Review

By  Dadinator (Wisconsin)

The story behind this book are that these are stories that have been found while historians are exploring the ruins of Castle Redmont and its nearby village. The book is a collection of short stories that fills in some of the blanks that didn't fit into the original books. eg. Gilan hunting down Foldor who is mentioned as Halt is banished from Araluen).

The ton of the book is different; some parts are more sad/somber and others are just shortened adventure stories. I think some younger readers may be bothered by the thought of a time when Castle Redmont lies in ruins and they realize this world has moved on.

As a stand alone book, I still prefer the full stories to a collection of short stories. Still this is a very fun read and for fans of the series, I think you will love it. If you haven't read the entire series, there will be a name or two you may not recognize, but it won't be a big deal. I, for one, am not ready for this world to move on.

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Red State (2011) /Movie Review

Release Date: 12 August 2011(UK)| 22 September 2011 (Australia)

Runtime: 88 min | USA:97 min    Genre:  Horror | Thriller

Tagline: Fear God  Sound Mix: Dolby

Set in Middle America, a group of teens receive an online invitation for sex, though they soon encounter fundamentalists with a much more sinister agenda.

Director:  Kevin Smith

Writer:  Kevin Smith

Cinematography by David Klein

Film Editing by Kevin Smith

Cast: Michael Angarano,  Deborah Aquila, Nicholas Braun, Ronnie Connell, Kaylee DeFer, Joey Figueroa, Kyle Gallner, Anna Gunn, Matt L. Jones, John Lacy,Catherine McCord,  Alexa Nikolas, Stephen Root, Cooper Thornton, Betty Aberlin, Kerry Bishé

Production Companies

• Harvey Boys, The
• NVSH Productions

User Reviews

Best Kevin Smith Film to Date!

Author: sethmartin  from United States

The film begins with sort of the stereotypical horror movie formula, teenagers go out looking for sex and find themselves staring death in the face. However, what happens to them in Red State is a far departure from your standard Jason or Michael Myers flick. The film is hardly a stereotypical horror movie. In fact, Kevin Smith deliberately goes out of his way in this film to keep it far from the typical story arch and structure of most studio movies. Just when you think you know what is going to happen next, Smith hits you with another twist and surprise. This film is completely unpredictable and unforgiving of its characters.

This is by far the best looking Kevin Smith movie to date. The constant use of hand held cameras and creative cutting, keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I think a fair comparison would be Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects" or parts of the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". Also, the film has no musical underscore. It uses ambiance and sound effects in place which works beautifully for this film. Most films use music to enhance the mood and make you feel a certain way. In this film, you can tell Kevin Smith doesn't care how you feel and wants you to just sit there and take it.

The cast is also spectacular. Michael Parks steals the show. Also John Goodman delivers the goods and has a lot more screen time than the teaser trailer suggests.

All in all,  this film is one of the best films in the last few years. With everything being computer generated these days, it refreshing to see a small practical film like this which still holds as much power as one of the big boy studio flicks. And for those of you worrying about the political or religious messages, there aren't any. This movie does not preach religious views to you nor does it take any kind of political side. Its plain and simple. This is just a horror movie about a family of psychos. The fact that they are religious just adds to the terror.

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Shark Night 3D (2011) /Movie Review

Release Date: 2 September 2011 (USA)   Runtime:  USA: 91 min

Sound Mix:  DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) | Dolby Digital

Genres: Horror | Thriller

Official Sites: http://www.iamrogue.com/sharknight3d/fullsite/index.html

Filming Locations:  Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Taglines:  Terror runs deep.

A weekend at a lake house in the Louisiana Gulf turns into a nightmare for seven vacationers as they are subjected to fresh-water shark attacks.

Director:  David R. Ellis

Writers:  Will Hayes (screenplay), Jesse Studenberg (screenplay)

Cinematography by Gary Capo

Film Editing by Dennis Virkler

Casting by Kelly Wagner

Box Office

Budget:  $28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:  $8,404,260 (USA) (4 September 2011) (2806 Screens)

Gross:  $10,126,458 (USA) (4 September 2011)

Production Co:  Incentive Filmed Entertainment, Next Films, Sierra Pictures (III)

Cast

Sara Paxton,  Dustin Milligan , Chris Carmack , Katharine McPhee , Chris Zylka , Alyssa Diaz , Joel David Moore, Sinqua Walls , Donal Logue , Joshua Leonard , Jimmy Lee Jr. , Damon Lipari , Christine Quinn ,

Kelly Sry , Tyler Bryan

REVIEW

Hot teens, sick villains oh and don't forget the sharks

Author: xJags from Trinidad and Tobago

Shark Night 3D has a simple plot and its nothing we haven't seen before - college students on a deserted island with shark infested waters.

This movie has a very predictable plot and very little character development even on the main characters which doesn't make you feel anything when a character dies. You can guess how the sharks got in the water way before the movie is even half over, which completely killed some of the fun.

If the plot doesn't make you iffy then you would look at the cast, most of whose names many of us have never heard of. The only really good performance in this movie was from Dustin Milligan, his acting was solid.

The movie was just to un-realistic for my liking. For instance, sharks don't leap out of the water often nor do they attack every human being. On top of that the movie's shark kill scenes are basically screaming and bloody water, there is little to no gore. The 3D was good when underwater but otherwise it did nothing for the movie.The movie isn't even a horror, there are just moments of suspense before the kill and that's it.The 3D was used well in some parts but for the majority of the movie it was not necessary.

So if you're in the mood for half-naked college students, some suspense and blood and a movie with a predictable plot, Shark Night 3D is the movie for you! Otherwise, you should pass on this one.

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Apollo 18 (2011)/Movie Review

Release Date: 2 September 2011 (India)   Runtime: USA:88 min

Genres: Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Taglines: There's a reason we've never gone back to the moon.

Director:  Gonzalo López-Gallego

Writers:   Brian Miller (screenplay), Cory Goodman

Stars:  Warren Christie, Lloyd Owen and Ryan Robbins

Decades-old found footage from NASA's abandoned Apollo 18 mission, where two American astronauts were sent on a secret expedition, reveals the reason the U.S. has never returned to the moon.

Budget: $5,000,000 (estimated)

Production Co:  Apollo 18 Productions, Bekmambetov Projects Ltd. (BPL)

Official Sites: http://apollo18movie.net/

Filming Locations: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

REVIEW

This film is best summed up by my comment to my brother when he got up to go to the toilet and asked me to tell him what happened. 'I don't think you'll miss much' I said, and was correct. To be fair, I would have been correct if he hadn't bothered coming back, or even hadn't come in the first place.

Very poor character development. Practically no suspense developed throughout, and even poorly faked. High def images overlaid with cine-camera 'crackle', anyone?

Compare this with the more traditionally filmed, and more obviously sci fi 'Moon', and I don't think anyone will prefer Apollo 18.

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Don't Be Afraid of the Dark /Movie Review

Release Date:  26 August 2011 (USA)   Runtime:  99 min

Genres:  Horror | Thriller

Filming Locations: Central City Studios, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.

Director:  Troy Nixey

Writers:  Guillermo del Toro (screenplay), Matthew Robbins (screenplay),

Original Music by   Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders

Cinematography by Oliver Stapleton

CASTS:

Bruce Gleeson ,  Edwina Ritchard , Garry McDonald , Bailee Madison , Carolyn Shakespeare-Allen, Katie Holmes , Guy Pearce , Jack Thompson , Julia Blake , David Tocci , Lance Drisdale , Nicholas Bell , Libby Gott , James Mackay , Emelia Burns

 
Box Office

Budget:  $12,500,000 (estimated)

Production Co:  Gran Via, Miramax Films, Tequila Gang

REVIEW

I loved the trailer for don't be afraid of the dark and couldn't wait to watch it on big screen. I was the first one in the theater with my girlfriend for the midnight show of this film and the first one to walk out. If you are looking for a long scene by scene review of this so called 'movie' then you must look somewhere else since I couldn't bare to watch the entire film. i walked out after one hour and 15 minutes.

The movie starts off really slow...slower then usual with predictable story line. The run time for the film is 1:40 and after sitting through 1:15 with literally nothing talking place in the movie, i decided to walk out. Please be warned that this review will get a lot of thumbs down by Del Toro staff or groupies but i can only urge you to refrain yourself 3-4 days from watching this film. come back to this site in a day or two to see the star rating of this film plummeted.

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Fright Night (2011)/Movie Review

Release Date: 19 August 2011 (USA) Runtime: USA: 106 min

Genres: Comedy | Horror

Taglines: You can't run from evil when it lives next door.

Director: Craig Gillespie

Writers: Marti Noxon (screenplay), Tom Holland

Storyline

A remake of the 1985 original, teenager Charley Brewster (Yelchin) guesses that his new neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Farrell) is a vampire responsible for a string of recent deaths. When no one he knows believes him, he enlists Peter Vincent (Tennant), a self proclaimed vampire killer and Las Vegas magician, to help him take down Jerry.

Production Co:Albuquerque Studios, DreamWorks SKG, Gaeta / Rosenzweig Films

Budget: $17,000,000 (estimated)

Casts

Anton Yelchin , Colin Farrell , Toni Collette , David Tennant , Imogen Poots , Christopher Mintz-Plasse , Dave Franco ,Reid Ewing , Will Denton , Sandra Vergara , Emily Montague , Chris Sarandon , Grace Phipps , Chelsea Tavares , Lisa Loeb

_____________________________________

Review

To be honest the 2011 update of FRIGHT NIGHT stands perfectly on its own even without the familiarity of the original. As a film the remake gave me everything the original struggled to give me- a fun and engaging movie experience.

Anton Yelchin stars as Charlie, a teen trying to leave his geek past behind by blowing off his former best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) in order to stay connected with his attractive and popular girlfriend Amy (Imogene Poots). Ed turns Charlie’s attention to Charlie’s brooding neighbor, Jerry (Colin Farrell), accusing him of being a vampire.

There you go- if you’re familiar with the original you know the story, if not, then that’s all you really need to know. I have seen the original and I do like it, but in all honesty I may have come late to the party. I didn’t understand all the love I’ve seen regarding it and then when I saw the update all I could think was how much I enjoy the remake infinitely more. There’s very little in the remake I had issues with and the stuff that I did have issues with are minor and will likely grow on me after subsequent viewings. Multiple viewings is the other key factor- where I have no desire to watch the original on a regular basis, I could have sat and watched his version a few more times and be delighted to do so.

What I believe FRIGHT NIGHT gets right was the decision to cast Colin Farrell. From beginning to end Farrell’s performance as Jerry is nothing short of awesome. Jerry as a character is menacing yet playful at the same time- a mix that Farrell plays almost flawlessly, making both aspects of the character a ton of fun to watch. Anton Yelchin also does a great job playing off the awkwardness of trying to leave behind his geeky childish days in exchange of popularity and hot girls. Yelchin adds in another layer when he has to convey the absurdity of his neighbor being a vampire to others. As far as cast goes the only one that didn’t fully work for me was Christopher Mintz-Plasse- I didn’t hate him, but there are moments where I could have easily done without him. I also love David Tennant as Peter Vincent- updated as an egotistical Criss Angel type of Vegas performer. Tennant lends to the goofier side of the film, but I found him to be quite hilarious.

With all the different aspects and characters at play the film is edited together tightly. Not a second of the film felt wasted and even the quiet moments have a distinct sense of purpose but are incredibly subtle. FRIGHT NIGHT has maintained the fun and playful comedy as well instead of opting for a darker overall tone. Make no mistake there are some sinister moments to the film, but they are all done with a certain playful attitude.

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Movie Review : Final Destination 5 (2011)

Release Date: 12 August 2011 (USA)  

Genre: Horror | Thriller

Tagline: Death has never been closer.

Plot: Survivors of a suspension-bridge collapse learn there's no way you can cheat Death.

Directed by Steven Quale
Writing credits : Eric Heisserer  & Jeffrey Reddick

Produced by Richard Brener & Sheila Hanahan

Original Music by Brian Tyler

Cast

Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell,  Miles Fisher,  Ellen Wroe, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, P.J. Byrne, Arlen Escarpeta, David Koechner, Courtney B. Vance, Tony Todd, Brent Stait  etc..

Movie Details

Runtime: 92 min

Country: USA

Language: English

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Filming Locations: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company: Jellystone Films

Top Review

This will make you love all the FD films all over again. I saw this movie opening night and I am so very glad I did. They have stepped up the quality of the film and the creativity of the deaths. Not since FD2 have I enjoyed one of these films. If you read bad reviews do not trust them go see it for yourself and you will believe.

The acting was much better then number 4 not as good as number 2. Just when you thought you knew what was going to happen you are hit with a surprise and I was left saying wow. I saw the 2D version of the movie not really of big fan of 3D. The movie to me had good balance did not move to slow and the deaths were extremely creative and at times shocking.

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Insidious (I)/ Movie Review

Release Date: 1 April 2011 (USA)    Genre: Horror | Thriller

Runtime: 103 min

Tagline: What's in that picture?

Storyline

A gripping story of a family in search of help for their son, Dalton, who fell into a mysterious comatose on one ordinary morning. Little do they know that there is much more to this endless sleep than meets the eye as they explore the paranormal, and rediscover the past; the key to getting their son back once and for all.

Director:  James Wan

Writer (WGA): Leigh Whannell

Box Office

Budget:  $1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:  $13,271,464 (USA) (3 April 2011) (2408 Screens)

Gross:  $53,966,569 (USA) (7 August 2011)

Production Co:  FilmDistrict, Stage 6 Films, Alliance Films

Casts  :

Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne , Ty Simpkins , Lin Shaye , Leigh Whannell , Angus Sampson ,

Barbara Hershey , Andrew Astor , Corbett Tuck , Heather Tocquigny  Ruben Pla  John Henry Binder

"Insidious" revolves around the perfect couple. Beautiful kids. A new home. It's all smooth sailing until Dalton is in a supposed "coma", but the actual reality is that he's haunted. What will Dalton's family do to stop this entity?

The film begins with a mysterious old woman (Philip Friedman) near an ominously lit back window. She smiles and then the screen flashes to black.

A couple, Renai and Josh Lambert (Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson), and their three kids have recently moved into a new house. One morning, Renai begins looking through a family photo album. Her son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), joins her. He asks why there are no pictures of Josh when he was a child, which Renai reasons that he has always been camera shy. After Dalton tells Renai he is scared of his new room, she calms him down and stacks a few books on a nearby shelf. Later, after finding those books laying on the floor, Renai tells Dalton to put them back after he looks at them, but Dalton claims that he didn't touch them. Sometime later, as Dalton is playing, he hears noises in the attic and goes to investigate. He steps on an old ladder to turn on the light when it breaks, causing Dalton to fall. He starts screaming after looking at a shadowy corner. Renai and Josh help him, then tuck him into bed, confident he only took a minor spill and scared himself. The next day Josh goes to wake Dalton, but he doesn't move. They rush him to the hospital where the doctors say he is in an unexplained coma. 3 months later, still in a coma, they bring Dalton home to care for him there.

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Red Riding Hood (2011)/Movie Review

Release Date: 11 March 2011 (USA)  Runtime:  100 min

Genres:   Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Taglines: Believe the legend. Beware the wolf.

Directed byCatherine Hardwicke

Writing credit(WGA)  David Johnson

Original Music by Alex Heffes & Brian Reitzell

Cinematography by Mandy Walker

Filming Locations:

Canadian Motion Picture Park Studios, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada 

STORYLINE

Valerie (Seyfried) is a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie's older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon's arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon..

MAIN CASTS

Amanda Seyfried , Gary Oldman , Billy Burke , Shiloh Fernandez , Max Irons , Virginia Madsen , Lukas Haas

Julie Christie , Shauna Kain , Michael Hogan , Adrian Holmes , Cole Heppell , Christine Willes , Michael Shanks , Kacey Rohl

Box Office

Budget: $42,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $14,005,335 (USA) (13 March 2011) (3030 Screens)

Gross: $37,652,565 (USA) (22 May 2011)

Production Co: Warner Bros. Pictures, Appian Way, Random Films

REVIEW

Red Riding Hood is...Good enough!

I've read quite a few reviews here and was truly surprised about the supremely negative feedback. "The Grimm brothers would roll in their graves," someone wrote. My response to that is: "Really, would they now?" I believe a bit of research on the subject would do some quite a bit of good. The brothers Grimm -which weren't the original story tellers of 'Rotkaeppchen' as they called it- told folktales, not fairy tales…they were the very first tabloid writers and although their stories all had a grain of truth at the very core, the brothers wrote them to feed into peoples believes, superstitions and prejudice in central Europe in the 1800…their tales were often capricious and usually cruel, showing very little moral. It took generations of translations and retelling to soften the originals enough to be considered bedtime stories because the originals would have provoked nightmares in grown man at their time. Does anyone know what the significance is of the name Peter and why he wears black throughout the entire film?? I'd love to read your ideas about that. The film is a nice translation…yet another one. And by far closer based on the Grimm brothers vision than the stories we all were told as kids. I did see a bit of parallel to Twilight but only because both, this film and all the Twilight movies were filmed in Vancouver and surely used the same scenery. The Storyline is based on the folktale and (in my opinion) it has been done rather well.

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