Horror Thoughts ‘15—House (1977) ***½

NR, 88 min.

Director: Nobuhiko Ôbayashi

Writers: Chiho Katsura, Chigumi Ôbayashi (original story)

Starring: Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Kumiko Ohba, Ai Matsubara, Mieko Satô, Eriko Tanaka, Masayo Miyako, Kiyohiko Ozaki, Saho Sasazawa, Asei Kobayashi

Have you ever seen one of those Japanese variety shows where you are wondering just what the heck is going on? Well, the 1977 cult horror film “House” comes from the same mindset. In it you will witness a floating head attack a friend, a piano eat its player, a girl who loves to clean killed by linens, a man turn into a pile of bananas, a woman taking a bath attacked by hair, an old woman who likes to hang out in the broken refrigerator, and a skeleton dancing in the background of many scenes without any explanation. But, even that list of absurdities fails to do the movie justice. It is one that must be witnessed to be believed.

Horror Thoughts ‘15—Horns (2013) **

R, 120 min.

Director: Alexandre Aja

Writers: Keith Bunin, Joe Hill (novel)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Max Minghella, Joe Anderson, Juno Temple, Kelli Garner, James Remar, Kathleen Quinlan, Heather Graham, David Morse

So, I seem to have gone for a Stephen King related start to my Horrorfest ’15. For those of you who aren’t aware Joe Hill, the author of the novel “Horns” upon which this movie is based, is the son of King. His writing is very similar to King’s. From what I’ve read of his, he might be even better than his father. I have not read “Horns”, however, so I came into this movie fresh. I’m a little shocked at how similarly this story is structured to some of his father’s work. It definitely shares some character structure with the stories of King’s “It” and “Dreamcatcher”. It also may share King’s curse of having horror maestros mishandle the material.

Home / ** (PG)

Featuring the voices of:

Oh: Jim Parsons

Gratuity ‘Tip’ Tucci: Rihanna

Captain Smek: Steve Martin

Lucy: Jennifer Lopez

Kyle: Matt Jones

DreamWorks Animation presents a film directed by Tim Johnson. Written by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember. Based on the book “The True Meaning of Smekday” by Adam Rex. Running time: 94 min. Rated PG (for mild action and some rude humor).

“Home” is a perfectly entertaining movie for children of a certain age. It lacks—as more and more CGI animation efforts do these days—that vigor to press the animation boundaries once shattered by Pixar. I suppose DreamWorks Animation has always been the poor man’s Pixar, but its ambition seems to falter more with every successive effort. “Home” is just the most recent in the diminishing vibrancy of family centric CGI animation.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies / *** (PG-13)

Bilbo Baggins: Martin Freeman

Gandalf the Grey: Ian McKellen

Thorin Oakenshield: Richard Armitage

Thranduil: Lee Pace

Tauriel: Evangeline Lilly

Legolas: Orlando Bloom

Bard: Luke Evans

Alfrid: Ryan Gage

Kili: Aidan Turner

Fili: Dean O’Gorman

Balin: Ken Stott

Dwailin: Graham McTavish

New Line Cinema and MGM present a film directed by Peter Jackson. Written by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Jackson & Guilermo de Toro. Based on the novel “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. Running time: 144 min. Rated PG-13 (for sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images).

If “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” proves anything, it’s that we’re pretty much done with Middle Earth now. There are only so many times you can watch digitally created armies of humans, dwarves, elves, orcs and various other monsters come together in epic battle and still glean anything worthwhile from it. “The Hobbit” hasn’t exactly overstayed its welcome. Peter Jackson has once again crafted an exciting and visually stunning piece of cinema, but I think I’m done now; and I doubt I’m alone.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) ***

PG-13, 186 min. (extended edition)

Director: Peter Jackson

Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, J.R.R. Tolkien (novel “The Hobbit”)

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Scott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O’Gorman, Aidan Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch (voice), Cate Blanchett, Sylvester McCoy, Mikael Persbrandt, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, John Bell, Manu Bennett, Lawrence Makoare, Anthony Sher

For all of the excitement I had over the first “Hobbit” movie, the second one left me wanting more, and not in the way the second film in a trilogy should. Really, leaving them wanting more is exactly the purpose of a second in a planned trilogy; however, I felt I hadn’t gotten enough out of what was there. Not only did the film suffer from the new phenomenon of conveying an incomplete story, which is afflicting more and more movies these days as Hollywood has discovered a new way to milk book adaptations for money by splitting a single book into multiple movies, but what was there didn’t seem to carry the weight that all of the other Tolkien films have.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—Hannibal, season 2 (2014) ****

TV-14, 13 45-min. episodes

Creator: Bryan Fuller

Directors: Tim Hunter, Peter Medak, David Semel, Michael Rymer, Vincenzo Natali, David Slade

Writers: Bryan Fuller, Thomas Harris (characters from novel “Red Dragon”), Steve Lightfoot, Jeff Vlaming, Jason Grote, Scott Nimerfro, Ayanna A. Floyd, Andy Black, Kai Yu Wu, Chris Brancato

Starring: Hugh Dancy, Mad Mikkelsen, Lawrence Fishburne, Caroline Dhavernas, Hettienne Park, Scott Thompson, Aaron Abrams, Raúl Esparza

Guest starring: Gillian Anderson, Cynthia Nixon, Jonathan Tucker, Martin Donovan, Patrick Garrow, Lara Jean Chorostecki, Maria Del Mar, Shawn Doyle, Eddie Izzard, Gina Torres, Kacey Rohl, Amanda Plummer, Anna Chlumsky, Ted Ludzik, Katharine Isabelle, Jeremy Davies, Chris Diamantopoulis, Mark O’Brien, Michael Pitt, Daniel Kash

There was a point about halfway through the second season when I though this series had finally run itself off the rails. It has always skirted on the precipice of going too far off the deep dark end. I’m sure there are some who feel that it started that way. However, the writing has always been incredible on this series. It is about the best written American television show out there. So how was it possible that things could go so wrong with the writing starting with S2E9 “Siizakana”?

Holiday Thoughts ‘14—Happy Christmas (2014) ***

R, 82 min.

Director/Writer: Joe Swanberg

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Melanie Linskey, Joe Swanberg, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham, Jude Swanberg

Joe Swanberg’s “Happy Christmas” is not going to be the next holiday classic. In fact, I’m guessing it’s the type of movie people don’t really want to see for the holidays, which might explain its summer theatrical release date. And yet, it has come out on home video formats just in time to remind us of the things we don’t necessarily appreciate as much as we should during the holidays—our relatives.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) ****

PG-13, 182 min (extended edition)

Director: Peter Jackson

Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, J.R.R. Tolkien (novel “The Hobbit”)

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Scott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O’Gorman, Aidan Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis, Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries, Jeffrey Thomas, Lee Pace, Manu Bennett

It seems “The Hobbit” trilogy hasn’t been as well received as “The Lord of the Rings”. It’s flown in a little lower under the radar and fueled less passion than Jackson’s first Middle Earth trilogy. Much of the dismay about it seems focused on the fact that it was one book that he’s making into three very long movies, instead of three slightly longer movies out of three books. I really don’t see the extension of the story as a negative, as long as what they come up with is good. Roger Ebert always said, no good movie is ever too long; no bad movie is ever short enough.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1 / *** (PG-13)

Katniss Everdeen: Jennifer Lawrence

Gale Hawthorne: Liam Hemsworth

Plutarch Heavensbee: Philip Seymour Hoffman

President Alma Coin: Julianne Moore

President Snow: Donald Sutherland

Peeta Mellark: Josh Hutcherson

Haymitch Abernathy: Woody Harrelson

Beetee: Jeffery Wright

Boggs: Mahershala Ali

Primrose Everdeen: Willow Shields

Finnick Odair: Sam Claflin

Effie Trinket: Elizabeth Banks

Caesar Flickerman: Stanley Tucci

Lionsgate Films presents a film directed by Francis Lawrence. Written by Peter Craig and Danny Strong and Suzanne Collins. Based on the novel “Mockingjay” by Collins. Running time: 123 min. Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images and thematic material).

We’ve seen to two Hunger Games now and it is time for the revolution of Panem. But, before we get to that let’s pause to consider just what we’ve done and what it is we are calling upon ourselves to do. It is rare that an action franchise will take the time to consider its own ramifications, however, this first part of the exciting franchise finale might just be more about making money from four movies instead of three. I believe if its final chapter weren’t split into two parts, Katniss probably wouldn’t have quite this much of a chance to prepare herself to be the symbol of change she becomes here, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Horror Thoughts ‘14—A Haunted House (2013) *½

R, 86 min.

Director: Michael Tiddes

Writers: Marlon Wayans, Rick Alvarez

Starring: Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, Marlene Forte, David Koechner, Dave Sheridan, Nick Swardson, Alanna Ubach, Andrew Daly, Cedric the Entertainer, Affion Crockett, J.B. Smoove, Robin Thede, Jordenn Thompson

The art of the spoof is a delicate art indeed. The Wayans family has long been some of the few who could actually pull one off. They know what works and what doesn’t in terms of structure, but the success rate is still very low, even if you know what you’re doing. Marlon Wayans’  “A Haunted House” is a send up of the recent surge in found footage horror movies sparked by the success of the original “Paranormal Activity”.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—Howard the Duck (1986) *

PG, 110 min.

Director: Willard Huyck

Writers: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, Steve Gerber (Marvel comic book character)

Starring: Lea Thompson, Ed Gale, Jeffrey Jones, Tim Robbins, Paul Guilfoyle

Voice: Chip Zien

So the big credit cookie in this summer’s blockbuster Marvel hit “Guardians of the Galaxy” featured an obscure Marvel character who has already had his shot at a feature film. “Howard the Duck” has gone down as one of the worst flops in movie history. Executive produced by George Lucas, the late summer release in 1986 was panned by critics and ignored by audiences, for some pretty good reasons. The biggest of which is that it really is horrible.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—her (2013) ***½

R, 126 min.

Director/Writer: Spike Jonze

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, Olivia Wilde, Matt Letscher, Laura Kai Chen, Portia Doubleday

Voices: Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Wiig, Spike Jonze, Brian Cox

I’m not sure whether Spike Jonze’s latest movie “her” is telling us that relationships are necessary or not. It depicts a future where computer operating systems are able to develop personalities. It follows a writer who ends up falling in love with his operating system. While this is presented as an isolated event at first, the movie broadens its scope to show us that what this man is going through is happening all over this future world and in most ways these relationships differ little from relationships with real people. All that’s missing is the physical relationship, although at one point the man’s OS tries to fix that too.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 / *** (PG)

Featuring the voice talents of:

Hiccup: Jay Baruchel

Valka: Cate Blanchett

Stoick: Gerard Butler

Gobber: Craig Ferguson

Astrid: America Ferrera

Snotlout: Jonah Hill

Fishlegs: Christopher Mintz-Plaase

Tuffnut: T.J. Miller

Ruffnut: Kristen Wiig

Drago: Djimon Hounsou

Eret: Kit Harrington

DreamWorks Animation presents a film written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Based on the book series “How To Train Your Dragon” by Cressida Cowell. Running time: 102 min. Rated PG (for adventure action and some mild rude humor).

I have a cineaste friend who hated, hated, hated “How To Train Your Dragon”. Just the thought of hating that rather harmless movie seems odd to me. I mean it wouldn’t surprise me for someone to dislike it.  But, to “hate” it. Well, that’s a level of displeasure reserved for Ed Wood movies, or Transformers. I think it more likely that he hated the fact that it had such universal success.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (2013) ***

NR, 77 min.

Director: Sophie Huber

Featuring: Harry Dean Stanton, David Lynch, Sam Shepard, Kris Kristofferson, Wim Wenders, Deborah Harry

Yesterday I reviewed “Repo Man”, the movie probably most responsible for my awareness of character actor Harry Dean Stanton. I had most likely seen him in many movies before I saw “Repo Man”, certainly in Ridley Scott’s “Alien”; but it was “Repo Man” that let me know that this was an actor to whom I must pay attention.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—The Haunted Mansion (2013) **

PG, 88 min.

Director: Rob Minkoff

Writer: David Berenbaum

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Marsha Thomason, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, Marc John Jefferies, Aree Davis, Jennifer Tilly, Wallace Shawn, Dina Walters

I’ve never really explained on the site exactly what I mean by “Penny Thoughts”. Generally, I do about one theatrical review a week. That’s a full-length review of a movie currently in theaters. The rest of the week I review films in my Penny Thoughts feature. These reviews are shorter. I usually forego the synopsis or at least cut the synopsis down to just a paragraph. But really, a Penny Thought doesn’t necessarily have to be a review at all. It’s really just the thoughts that a certain movie inspires once I see it. The thoughts that Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion” inspired were to finally explain what the Penny Thoughts feature was about. It’s a little more interesting than the movie itself. I watched it for the kids. I guess they like it alright.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—Human Revolution: Deus Ex (2014) **½

NR, 12 min.

Director/Writer: Moe Charif

Starring: Moe Charif, Liannet Borrego, Shayna Nicole E’Orio, Antoni Corone

I’m not a video gamer. I’ve never liked playing video games, and despite how much time I spend watching movies, it seems to me that video games devour a great deal of time from their users that could be better spent. Can you tell that my children eat them up?

Penny Thoughts ‘14—Holes (2003) ***½

PG, 117 min.

Director: Andrew Davis

Writer: Louis Sachar (also novel)

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Khleo Thomas, Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver, Tim Blake Nelson, Patricia Arquette, Dulé Hill, Scott Plank, Jake M. Smith, Bryon Cotton, Brenden Jefferson, Miguel Castro, Max Kasch, Noah Poleteik, Henry Winkler, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Nathan Davis, Eartha Kitt, Eric Pierpoint, Rick Fox

“Holes” is a wonderful adolescent movie that shows us a young Shia LaBeouf long before he was “no longer a celebrity” and reminds us why he became one in the first place.

Taken from Louis Sachar’s popular book, the story follows Shia as a youth wrongfully accused of stealing a pair of sneakers from a charity auction for the homeless. Instead of jail, he’s sent to a youth correctional camp run by questionable adults. At the “camp” the juveniles are forced to dig holes in a dried out lake bottom all day everyday. The “counselors” claim it is to build character, but it becomes obvious fairly early on that they are looking for something. That secret has great ramifications on the boy’s life and involves his ancestry, which the movie tells in flashbacks.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—The Hunt (2013) ****

R, 115 min.

Director: Thomas Vinterberg

Writers: Tobias Lindholm, Thomas Vinterberg

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp, Lasse Fogelstrøm, Susse Wold, Anne Louise Hasing, Lars Ranthe, Alexandra Rapaport, Sebastian Bull Sarning

“The Hunt” is one of those ultimately frustrating movies where you find yourself talking to the screen trying to guide the characters away from the mistakes and misconceptions you just know they’re going to commit. “No, no, no. Don’t do that. It’s just gonna make it worse.” Despite your pleas, those people just go on doing what they’re doing as if they aren’t listening to you at all. This trait is most commonly associated with horror movies, but there are some movies that are just about horrors of life that embrace them as well. “The Hunt” is one of those.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—How I Ended This Summer (2010) ***½

Not Rated, 130 min.

Director/Writer: Aleksey Popogrebskiy

Starring: Grigoriy Dobrygin, Sergey Puskepalis

As humans, we make stupid, stupid mistakes sometimes. A few years ago, I followed my GPS down a gravel road when I was warned ahead of time not to. It was just so much shorter according to the GPS. Then, I could see for my very eyes why I shouldn’t continue to follow the GPS, but I said to myself, “I’ve got four-wheel drive. I can make it.” So not only did I lose an entire day of work because of it, but also I had to disrupt someone else’s day to come and tow me out.

Penny Thoughts ‘14—The Host (2013) **

PG-13, 125 min.

Director: Andrew Niccol

Writers: Andrew Niccol, Stephanie Meyer (novel)

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, Chandler Canterbury, Diane Kruger, William Hurt, Boyd Holbrook, Frances Fisher, Lee Hardee, Mustafa Harris, Stephen Ryder, Scott Lawrence, Emily Browning

“The Host” would be a fairly compelling science fiction about an “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” style alien invasion where parasites take over our human forms if it weren’t so drawn out and slow. Melanie is a member of the dwindling human resistance after the Earth has been mostly colonized with much of the human race compromised to the alien entities. She is caught and has an alien known as Wanderer implanted into her body. Although Wanderer culls a good deal of information from Melanie’s memories for the aliens to use against the resistance, Melanie fights back and eventually turns Wanderer to her plight. The two help each other escape the aliens and search out Melanie’s surviving family.