Scary movies

Well, kind of scary, but also kind of stupid.

Devil (2010)

In this edgy thriller, Det. Bowden (Chris Messina) must not only save 5 people trapped in an elevator -- a mechanic, a young woman, an old woman, a guard, and a salesman -- but he must act fast because the devil is among them.

Yes, this is an M. Night Shyamalan movie, which immediately puts it into a certain category – for most not a good one.  I have to admit that I enjoy the concepts in Shyamalan’s movies, if not the delivery.  This one was only about 80 minutes long, which makes it more palatable, but I actually don’t recommend it.  The concept wasn’t that interesting and the characters were pretty flimsy. 

Case 39 (2009)

To save 10-year-old Lillith Sullivan from her abusive parents, idealistic social worker Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) welcomes the girl into her own home -- only to discover that Lillith isn't quite the innocent victim that she claims to be. As Lillith's mysterious past comes to light, Emily finds herself in a world of danger.

Modern devil child movie with annoying child actor.  Bleh.  Poorly acted and a tired tale.  Please, for me, skip it.

Buried (2010)

While on a job in Iraq, civilian contractor Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is attacked and kidnapped, then awakens to find himself buried alive in the middle of the desert with nothing but a lighter, a candle, a cell phone and a knife. Does Paul have the instincts he'll need to save himself?

Boring.  You wouldn’t expect a movie with a description like that to be boring, right?  Well, you’d be wrong.  For all the suspense and terror the movie tried to convey, I just didn’t feel it.  I did chuckle a few times.  The guy has a cell phone and gets transferred, put on hold, and leaves voicemail messages.  I chuckled and I do think it was meant to evoke a sense of the ridiculous of modern communication especially in a situation like that.

Ryan Reynolds, the lead (and only role), doesn’t really deliver the performance required to carry a one-man show.