RiceBunnyx

I saw the poster of this film and I was intrigued. It looked pretty good, so I saw the trailer and immediately booked a ticket. And I have to say, money well spent! The story is about two brothers, Dane and Lucas, who move to Bensonville with their mother, who works at the hospital. Dan falls for Julie, the girl nest door, and whilst exploring their new house, Dane, Lucas and Julie find a seemingly bottomless hole in the basement. They are bewildered, but assume it was dug by the previous owner of the house, Creepy Carl. However, the three soon experience creepy and possibly supernatural events, all of which are linked to the thing they fear the most. But the thing that scares them most is where these things came from. With only one explanation, the trio soon discover that they must kill the darkness before it kills them.

Don't be put off by it's 12A rating, this is a brilliant and well made horror, with a few bloody moments for the older viewers to enjoy. This is a film for all ages to enjoy, and one that will give you chills.

Let's not deny that the original Nightmare On Elm Street is much better than this remake, but for horror fans who haven't seen the original may find this to their liking.

Okay, let's start with the pros: the new cast is very good (I particularly enjoyed Katie Cassidy's performance), the atmosphere is darker and less comical (which I like in a horror) than the original, we know more of Freddy's background, plenty of gore and shocks, a fabulous new Freddy, great effects, and it mirrors the original whilst adding something new. Now things like that are what I look for in a good horror, and this provides just that.

Now for the cons: less character development (which is very unfortunate, and Nancy in particular just feels like an empty shell and seems to just jump into the story, and her lack of development and appeal makes the audience not care if she lives or dies), not the best opening (despite some good acting, the scene just felt weak), seems to focus more on Freddy and death than the victims (therefore, you get the same vibe from the Nancy thing), not enough suspense, the characters are good, but still get on your nerves, too predictable (even for those who are completely new to the franchise), Freddy talks too much, and bad music to end on. I'm not giving any spoilers, but when the credits roll, the music just doesn't fit. It's got the right theme (Dreaming), but the tune and lyrics just takes away the scary feel from the film.

To sum it up, this film is simply okay. If you like a creepy villain with a big mouth who kills off unsuspecting teenagers while they sleep, you'll enjoy it. But if you like the classic 80's movies with the same thing (minus the excessive talking), go for the original. If you like genuinely scary slasher movies, go for Scream or The Shining.

Let's not deny it, Family Guy was once a huge hit. I would watch every episode and buy all the box sets, but recently it's been lagging in both storyline and character development, and not to mention the fun factor.

The story is about the Griffin family, Peter is the overweight, drunk and retarded dad who gets into all kinds of crazy get ups, like his hilarious plastic surgery addiction, and getting America jumping into song and dance in the infamous Shipoopi number. He is married to the extremely attractive and feisty redhead Lois, who comes from a very wealthy family. She is a loving mother, but is also a dynamite in the bedroom. They have three children, socially rejected and unattractive Meg, Chris, the preteen Peter, and violently evil baby Stewie, who craves world domination and conducts bizarre schemes to kill his mother. And last is Brian, their talking pet dog, who drinks, smokes and does drugs, whilst maintaining unsuccessful relationships with various women and tries fruitlessly to complete his novel.

Sounds pretty good, right? Dubbed by many as the 'adult Simpsons' and I happily agreed. But the arrival of season six brought the well known 'Stewie Kills Lois/Lois Kills Stewie' two part episode which saw the downfall of the once great evil Stewie. That annoyed me, but I still enjoyed the series, but after another season I became bored with it. What started as a great, hilarious cartoon about a dysfunctional family suddenly turned into a violent South Park remake, complete with swearing and gore.

I still like some of the episodes such as 'I Dream Of Jesus' and 'Road To The North Pole', but the characters have viciously transformed way too much. Peter is now less comic drunk and more violent drunk, where he beats everyone up and swears until he turns blue. Lois is now, well, insane. Still full of the sex jokes and raging libido, but it's become rather tasteless and annoying. Meg is also violent and tries to become the boss of the family with gross outcomes, but is always shoved back down the social ladder, where she continues to cut herself and throw up. I preferred her as the sweet girl who gets on with her family, despite all the crap she gets. Chris is still the preteen Peter, and I just don't like it. Stewie, like I said, has shed his evil persona and become a normal baby, besides all the high tech gadgets he possesses, although he occasionally finds himself aiming a gun at Lois. Now Brian? I never liked him much, but now I loath him. He drives me nuts with his selfish personality and urge to legalise drugs, whilst every so often tries to rape Lois, who he has a deep unrequited love for. Oh, and he falls in love every other episode, but it never works out.

Yes, it sounds like I hate Family Guy now, but I don't. It still produces some funny episodes and memorable themes, but all in all, I don't like the characters or the over use of blood and swearing. The new HD isn't doing it for me either, I preferred the previous animations.

Some will love it, some will hate it, it all depends on what you like. I still watch the episodes in hope that it will restore the greatness it once had, but for now? Fail.