BobbyGuerrieri

Claiming to be based on a true story, "The Haunting in Connecticut 2" follows a young family who have just moved into a new home in Georgia. Not long after their arrival, the daughter, Heidi (Emily Alyn Lind) begins to see people in and around their home. One ghost who seems to be extremely menacing is Mr. Gordy, who is discovered to be the last inhabitant of the home. The family also learns that their house was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. The station-master who lived there saved the lives of many slaves, but was discovered and killed. As the ghosts become more threatening and begin getting physical, it is only a matter of time before Heidi is hurt, or even killed.

This film can be described in four simple words. Dumb title, good movie. I had extremely low expectations for "Ghosts of Georgia". Direct-to-VOD horror movie sequels are usually pretty bad as it is, but with a first time director, I definitely didn't expect much. Luckily I can say that I was very pleasantly surprised. By no means is this a great movie, but it is certainly enjoyable.

The plot is actually pretty original and very creepy. The most impressive part is the fantastic back-story. I loved the way it used a part of American history to serve as the back-story. The flashback scenes were pretty well-done, but the non-stop camera cuts got old after a while.

The acting is pretty impressive given the type of movie. Abigail Spencer's character is very annoying, but her acting is pretty good. Chad Michael Murray was... well he was Chad Michael Murray. Katee Sackhoff definitely brought a lot to the movie. She was a comic-relief, but was also very serious when needed.

However, the most impressive performance was by Emily Alyn Lind, who played Heidi. Just like Megan Charpentier in "Mama", Lind carries "Ghosts of Georgia". It is important to have a good child actor, especially when they are on screen almost the entire time, and Lind doesn't disappoint. She really effectively conveys how terrified she is, without going over the top.

Director Tom Elkins does a pretty solid directing job, especially for his first film. While the direction is a little rough around the edges, he did a better job than most would. For the most part, Elkins managed to keep a high level of suspense. Unfortunately most of the jump scares were aided by sudden bursts of music. Plus the constant switching from black and white to color at the end got annoying and nauseating very quickly.

Overall, "The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia" was an above-average horror sequel, with many exciting twists and turns. The movie managed to keep my attention the whole time, and I would've watched it for another hour. It's not a great movie, but it's fun, and that's all I care about. I will be looking forward to a sequel, especially if David Coggeshall comes back as the writer.

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"Safety Not Guaranteed" stars Aubrey Plaza as Darius, a young magazine employee who has had a rough life so far. She and two other employees set out to write a story about a man who placed a classified ad that reads, "WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed." Darius tracks down the man, Kenneth, and becomes his partner. He doesn't know that she works for a magazine. While the two other magazine workers drift away from the story, Darius grows closer to Kenneth and starts to wonder if he isn't crazy after all.

'Safety Not Guaranteed' contains possibly the most likable character of the year, Kenneth played by Mark Duplass. Immediately we are drawn to him. He seems like a person who is extremely kind, but still doesn't have any friends. He is misunderstood. Mark Duplass perfectly conveys all of the emotions that his character is feeling.

Darius, played by Aubrey Plaza, is also a very likable character. By being provided with a little back story of her character, we can begin to understand why she is the way she is. In one touching scene, Darius opens up to Kenneth, telling him something that she hasn't even told her partners on the story. This shows us that she looks at Kenneth as friend and as someone she can trust rather than just the subject of an article.

The other two magazine writers who are "working" on the story, Arnau (Karan Soni) and Jeff (Jake Johnson), are very different people. Arnau is a friendly young man who is very awkward with women. Jeff on the other hand is presented as a jerk who only wants to hook up with his high school sweetheart. The sub-plot of these two characters doesn't distract from the main plot, but rather promotes the main idea that all people are different, and we should accept that. In one scene, Arnau explains to Jeff that "he is not him". It is just as interesting to watch these two characters evolve and in a way come-of-age, as it is to watch the main story of Darius and Kenneth.

The movie is written brilliantly and is full of deep and often humorous dialogue. This is screenwriter Derek Connolly's first full-length feature film, and he has already created such memorable characters and scenes that I am very excited to see what else will come from him.

This is also the first film of director Colin Trevorrow. He seamlessly weaves from sci-fi to comedy to drama almost scene by scene. The movie is also beautifully shot, especially the spectacular finale. "Safety Not Guaranteed" is very similar to another movie that I absolutely loved, "Another Earth". If you enjoyed that, I am 100% positive that you will enjoy this.

"Safety Not Guaranteed" is not your typical romantic comedy and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a feel-good movie that doesn't through feel-good material in your face. I can't think of anything that I didn't like about this movie. It is one of my favorites of 2012 so far.

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Written and directed by Nicholas McCarthy, "The Pact" stars Caity Lotz as Annie, a young woman who returns to her childhood home following the death of her mother. Her sister and cousin have disappeared and it appears that there is some supernatural entity inhabiting the house. As Annie digs deeper, she learns of a serial killer whose last victim may have had some kind of connection to her mother. Annie begins putting the information together, revealing shocking and terrifying secrets.

Sound clichéd? Well believe me, it's not. What starts out as your typical run-of-the-mill haunted house film becomes one of the most intriguing and horrifying horror movies of the year. Not many movies scare me half as badly as "The Pact" did. I can tell you honestly that this film messed with my head and left me fearing my own house.

Caity Lotz does a great acting job, especially since she has such little dialogue. She really gets her feelings across by body movement and facial expressions. Another actress who really stands out is Haley Hudson, who plays Stevie, Annie's friend who just happens to be able to contact the dead. It is her character that scared me the most.

The movie also has some very good cinematography, especially when Annie walking throughout the house. Rather than constantly cut to new angle every time she turns a corner, the camera follows her with one continuous shot, immensely adding to the suspense.

The best part about the movie is that it doesn't assume that the audience is stupid. One of my least favorite things is when all questions are answered by the characters talking to themselves, or even to other characters. In "The Pact" the audience is given the information, and we are required to put it together ourselves. I have seen the movie twice now and certainly picked up on some small things that I missed in my first viewing.

The final plot surprise terrified me and I definitely won't forget it anytime soon. I didn't care for the very end (as in the closing shot), but it didn't ruin the whole movie for me.

Overall, "The Pact" is one of the scariest movies this year and a very well done horror movie. Not many low-budget horror movies are able to maintain the constant level of suspense that "The Pact" did. I highly recommend this to any horror fan. "The Pact" is currently available on Netflix Instant Streaming.

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