Last Shift

It's a rookie cop's first night on the job, and she is given the unfortunate task of babysitting a police station that is closing the next day. All of the other cops are at the new station a little ways away, and all calls are supposed to be routed to the new station. But of course, on a night like this one, all hell is going to break loose and at least a couple calls make it through. The repeated calls from a girl needing help, however, are not what they seem and this night only gets worse as it goes on.

What I liked about this movie, first of all, is the main woman. She is young and inexperienced but doesn't show any fear or shrink away from anything, from the homeless guy who wanders into the station to the weird, singing people who come and go all night. I liked her pluck and fearlessness, a refreshing change from the screaming, half naked young women you usually see in horror movies. They make us all look bad, while this cop stays calm and gets it done.

So we have the usual weird happenings and general strangeness, and the empty police station gives a real sense of isolation and panic. I have to admit, my heart was pumping a little harder while watching this. There are some great scenes in the dark, and several creepy moments. I'm not going to lie, I was watching this all alone and actually had to turn it off and finish it the next day.

As for the ending, some are calling it a twist but it's really not and I thought it was a little bit of a letdown after how good the rest of the movie was. It didn't make me angry (if you've read my other reviews you know I get a little worked up about crappy movie endings) but I felt that this main character deserved a better ending after how admirably she survived the whole thing. Maybe that's just me. Either way, I recommend it for a few thrills and a kick-ass main character who isn't afraid of the dark or a few crazy cult members.

Insidious

I don't know how I've gone this long without writing a review of this movie. Horror movies in recent years have mostly disappointed me, but this one is creepy and interesting enough to rate it as one of the best of the last few years. A family torn apart by their son's strange affliction (a coma-like sleep that is actually astral projection) seeks help from some paranormal investigators, including Lin Shaye (who is great in these movies) and Leigh Whannell (who should be in more movies; I've liked him since Saw, even though he was kind of whiny in that). Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne play the parents of the boy who are freaked out and willing to do anything to help their son.

Why did I love this movie? This is the first movie in a very long time that actually creeped me out. Like, had to sleep with the lights on creeped out. The spirits in the other world (the one Patrick Wilson must venture into in order to save his son) are so creepy and smiley that I was glad I didn't watch it alone. With an interesting plot and some serious creep factor, this movie is definitely worth a rent. Although I did bust up laughing at the very end when, after all this scary stuff happens, the movie title bursts onto the screen in red letters with loud music like something out of a Vincent Price movie. Still, a great time to be had and I highly recommend this one. If you, too, are looking for an excuse to sleep with the lights on, go out and get this one.

Kristy

A college student (Haley Bennett) hanging out at school alone during Thanksgiving break is terrorized by masked strangers and Ashley Greene (who doesn't feel the need to cover her pretty face with a mask).

The main girl, Justine (no her name is not Kristy), wanders around the big, empty campus and chats with the security guard on duty (the only other person who will be around for the whole weekend), then goes to the local convenience store to grab junk food. There she runs in Ashley Greene, who acts weird and creeps Justine out, then chases her down the road for no apparent reason. I won't give away the killers' motivations or the reason this movie is called Kristy, because it doesn't really matter. This is a suspenseful, fun little movie that feels kind of like an adult version of Home Alone. In fact, toward the end I kept yelling, "Go all Home Alone on their ass!" And then she did.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and my only problem with it was the last act of the main character; it was another one of those horror movie moments where the main character does something they wouldn't normally do, not really in self defense but because they've had it. But it doesn't ruin the fun of the movie and I would definitely recommend this if you're in the mood for some suspense and not too much gore.