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Some horror clichés but overall pretty good horror film by Alexandre Aja. I liked much more his previous "The Hills Have Eyes" remake or his debut in "High Tension" but the man is able to create really spooky atmospheres. And Kiefer Sutherland always adds charisma to any film; actually, watching him holding a gun and saying "you´ve got to trust me on this one" (how many times does he say this line in "24"?) is so cool!

3 out of 5

Standard horror score by Navarrete, nothing really special. Nice main titles / main credits cues (Navarrete´s arrangement of an Albéniz theme) but the rest is pretty average.

then I urge you to check out Dark City, The Vanishing, Flatliners, Lost Boys and Article 99

When she was pressed she couldn't come up with anything concrete - it's been a while since she had read the book. She did think that Johnny tutoring the shy boy (in the film) was quite different in the book (older & more out-going college ice hockey player).

But I did come across this in Wikipedia:

- The novel takes place over the course of 10 years (1970-1980), while the film is in much less time, and is presumably set in 1978 and 1983.
- In the novel, Sam Weizak is simply a doctor at a hospital, and there is no Weizak clinic.
- In the novel, Johnny's accident happens in a taxicab, when the cab crashes into two cars drag racing.
- The carnival scene is more detailed in the book.
- In the book, we are introduced to Stillson at the beginning.
- In the novel, Johnny has an early psychic episode when he's a child, after a skating accident.
- In the novel, Johnny learns he is dying of a brain tumor from his "dead zone", as opposed to being drained of his life force in the film.
- Dodd's suicide is different in the novel, and there is no shootout with his mother.
- In the novel, there is a sub-plot about Johnny's mother losing her sanity, and becoming overly-religious.
- In the novel, Sarah has nothing to do with Stillson, and it is a different child that Stillson uses as a human shield.
- The novel has an epilogue in which Sarah visits Johnny's grave, and a Senate hearing is held about the attempted assassination.
- More of Stillson's past is revealed in the book.
- In the novel Alma Frechsette (the waitress) is Dodd's first victim, and an elementary school girl is the victim found in the gazebo. Also, the high-school girl is a completely different victim.
- In the novel Johnny plays Roulette (called "The Wheel of Fortune") at the carnival, and wins a significant amount of money with his powers (unbeknownst to him) and the house numbers, double zero, are used in reference throughout the rest of the story.
- In the novel John drives Sarah home in Sarah's car because she was sick, forcing him to take a taxi, and has the accident.
- In the novel, John jokingly accuses Sarah of using cocaine on several occasions.
- In the novel, Dodd's victims are in fact all raped as well as murdered by strangulation.
- In the novel Dodd was not present at the investigation.
- In the novel whenever Dodd murdered someone he uses the phrase "Nasty Fucker" (Originally used by his mother) and believes himself "Slick" in reference to his wet raincoat, disallowing a struggle between him and his victims.
- In the novel Dodd shows Alma Frechsette a used prophylactic, thinking she was a prostitute and she had something to do with it.
- In the novel Chuck is a high school football star trying to graduate as opposed to his younger film counterpart renamed Chris.
- In the novel, John's vision of Chris' death involves a restaurant fire, rather than a skating accident.
- In the novel, the style of John's visions are less visual than in the film.
- In the novel, Johnny never properly meets Greg Stillson.
- In the novel, Roger is grateful that Johnny saved his son and he pays Jonnies medical bills.
- In the novel, Johnny gets the idea of killing Stillson from Rogers asian gardener.
- In the novel, The gardener tells Johnny of a childhood game called "the laughing tiger" this disturbs Johnny and is frequently refrenced throughout the novel.
- In the novel, it is not revealed what becomes of Stillson after the rally.

I managed to finish watching it last night and it gets a little better in the last two hours. I was left amazed at how much the ending resembles Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Quarantine

Good remake of the spanish horror film [REC] (2007). Actually it is almost a frame by frame remake. Pretty realistic horror movie. Advice: if you are gonna watch it, stay away from trailers, news, etc. Let it surprise you.

Ford was good but they should have stuck with Alec Baldwin.

Mr. Ben is a plank.

I prefer Ford as well. Plus, he was the original choice to play Ryan but declined to star in Red October because he didn't think anyone would want to see a movie about a submarine. BTW, Baldwin did a great job in Red October.

-Erik-

Yes, very worth watching, both the original and the remake. Really scary, great crescendo as things go crazy, very realistic approach, no source music, no original score. A true horror experience. Shot in the style of Cloverfield, I mean we watch the film with the cameraman perspective.

I think the first person point of view is the better way for this kind of film. I mean you almost feel what´s going on. Take a look at the spanish original version trailer. DO NOT watch the american trailer, as it has a BIG spoiler at the end.

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=ib5ZSj6ST0U

No monsters. Only humans. Not very friendly, but humans

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=nfgZlMYj_NU&NR=1

Why the fudge they have to remake every successful non-american film? Anyway. Which is better, the original or the remake?

It got, on dvd. It's out now, the original.

HAIR

FINALLY I saw it and what an amazing film it. Savage, d'Angelo, Treat Williams, everybody is amazing. I can perfectly see what got Forman to make this movie. I know that there is major change in the ending compared to the Broadway original and when I think of it, I think the change was inspired. Music, everything was great and the ending is just really dramatic and moving. Great movie.