The Number 23 (2007)

When I took a trip to Family Video last night I was searching for something a touch different. After a few minutes, I decided on the 2007 entry The Number 23. For me, there are some intriguing elements to be uncovered with strange numerology and coincidence. That is if you believe in coincidence, I don’t.

Plot/ Walter Sparrow becomes obsessed with a novel that he believes was written about him. As his obsession increases, more and more similarities seem to arise.

This is one of those flicks that I have stayed away from for some time even though the premise sounded interesting. Now that I have watched it, I wish I had picked it up earlier. This one is much better than I expected, featuring a thought-provoking storyline, solid performances from an interesting cast, decent scripting, and a darker atmosphere than I expected when I grabbed it from the shelf. On top of that, the cinematic elements all came together in a way that made the movie and entertaining and smooth watch. Sure, there were some incoherent moments that did not match the characters predictable actions and the ending seemed somewhat predictable compared to the early points that built the storyline, but those are just minor flaws. In the end, this one was a great watch on this cold and icy evening. If you are looking to take a trip back in time for a flick, give the movie a shot-you could do much worse.

White Noise 2: The Light (2007)

I was sitting around looking for something on the tamer side for Scary Movie Night with the daughters and decided on White Noise 2: The Light. Ironically, I had avoided this movie like the plague for some time, as I was extremely disappointed in the first film. However, if I new Nathan Fillion was in it, I would have watched it earlier. No, it is not a man-crush or anything, but he does star in my favorite show Castle and his performance as Captain Hammer is one of my favorites.

Plot/ Following the loss of his family, a man attempts suicide only to discover upon waking that he can identify people who are about to die

As I stated above, I was not expecting much from this one. Fortunately, it was so much better than I could have imagined. Sure, it was not perfect as the ending really did nothing for me and some of the scares were predictable, but to me, it was better than the first installment. Overall, it did boast some atmosphere within the solid pacing, the acting was good, and there was actually characterization that helped the interesting storyline. In the end, while not perfect, it was enjoyable and had a few creepy moments (one that made the daughters jump, which is always a plus). If you have not watched it, feel free to check it out, it is pretty good and you could do a lot worse.

Circle (2010)

Last night I decided to kick back and see what was available on one of the many movie channels I have on my cable system. Unfortunately, there was not much that I have not already seen or reviewed already. The flick I chose may not have been the greatest for my evening entertainment, the 2010 thriller Circle.

Plot/ The FBI and US Marshals pursue an escaped serial killer who is headed to his childhood home.

This basic tale on the typical glorified psychopath comes across in an uninspired way. Full of cliché, there was really nothing new at all. Yes, the basic premise did seem interesting with the numerology and Greek references, unfortunately, most of that was left undeveloped. There were a couple of good moments, but most is very predictable. The acting is so-so, storyline choppy and the ending is telegraphed a mile a way.   When you couple that with zero gore and almost no character development, you guessed it; you have a snoozer on your hands. In the end, there is no way I could recommend this for anything more than a time-filler if no other options are available. In addition, I definitely would not waste money on it if that were the case.