Reviews: "Cursed," "Man Of The House," & "Constantine"

This weekend I saw "Cursed," the new horror flick starring Christina Ricci. The film was directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. You may recall that their former teamup resulted in the "Scream" trilogy. It only makes sense that much of "Cursed" seems like a "Scream" spinoff, then. The campy humor, the strictly developed set of horror rules, and the well developed characters all are courtesy of "Scream." I am proud to call "Cursed" one of my favorite horror movies of all time, now. This werewolf tale is freaky and fun all at the same time. A standout scene involves a girl stuck in an elevator as the werewolf pounds at the other side. It is an absolutely frightening sequence. Jesse Eisenberg plays Ricci's brother and does a spectacular job as the geek-turned-stud. There is plenty of goofiness in this movie but I am a firm believer that a horror movie must have a sufficient mix of comedy in order to be successful. To top it all off, there are more twists than a reality show.


I also had the chance to see "Man Of The House" starring Tommy Lee Jones. This comedy revolves around a Texas Ranger (Jones) who must live with and protect five cheerleaders/sorority girls. It is entertaining and fun but nothing special. If it seems a little old fashioned, that is because it is. It has been sitting on the postproduction shelf for quite some time. The style of the comedy is a little dated but I still say that it is worth a watch. It is a happy little movie and will most likely make you smile.


A movie that is not really worth a watch, though, is "Constantine." The new Keanu Reeves supernatural thriller based on a comic book is all style and no substance. The fight between good and evil looks good, but that is all that can be said for this monotone flick. I had hope for it, espcially since the special effects are pretty cool. However, it is difficult to completely comprehend and I think it takes itself too seriously. If you decide to ignore this review and see the film anyway, be forewarned: it may cause depression.