Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (Movie 2011)

This week, I went with my friend to go see Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. I love a good horror movie and they are just so hard to come by these days. I don’t know if it is because I have become desensitized to them of they just aren’t making them as scary as they use to. But when I saw the previews for Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, I asked my girl to go with me (because honestly…she is the only one who likes horror movies as much as I do!)

The movie itself starts off in the past at a spooky looking mansion called Blackwood Manor (heck even the name sounds spooky…Blackwood…aren’t a lot of rich men called Blackwood in movies??) . A maid (a white maid I noticed) is cleaning up when a bell rights calling her to her master. She grabs a candle and walks towards a door leading to the basement. She calls down to Lord Blackwood, but it is silent below. She cautiously begins to proceed down the stairs. You can tell by her steps that Lord Blackwood hasn’t been his usually self lately. Suddenly she over a wire that was stretched across the stairs and falls the rest of the way down. Lord Blackwood rolls her onto her back and sits on her chest. Coming out of her daze she looks up at Blackwood, he begins to apologize to her; he can barely speak because all of Blackwood’s teeth are missing and broken off. He pulls out a chisel and a hammer and as the maid screams he smashes out her teeth.

As the maid lay unconscious on the floor, Blackwood scoots around the floor, insanely, picking up the broken off teeth. He collects them all and puts them into a small offering tray in the fireplace. He begs whatever creatures he is making the offering to, that they release his son. Instead the evil creatures swarm him, pulling him down into the hole…killing him one assumes.

Time passes and the house stands empty for years, until it is bought by an architect.

We meet Sally (played by Bailee Madison) , an 8 year old little girl flying to go live with her father, Alex (played by Guy Pearce) and her father’s new girlfriend Kim (played strangely by Katie Holmes). Kim and Alex wait as Sally’s plane taxis in and we can see that Kim is nervous about meeting the boyfriends kid (but can you blame her…I have been there too…it is not pleasant). Sally gets off the plane, hugs her father and gives Kim the stink eye. Kim, desperate to make peace with the kid offers it a teddy bear, with Sally accepts after some encouragement from her father.

*Side Note – if you can avoid it…don’t hook up with someone who already has a kid. The drama and stress entailed in that type of relationship is serious and should not be taken lightly. And if the kid gets attached (which it will eventually) can really get screwed up if the relationship doesn’t work out. They saw one relationship fail around them, they don’t really need to see another**

The ride from the airport back to the house is brutal. Sally didn’t want to leave her friends and mother and move out with her father and as she sits in the backset you see the mother’s solution to dealing with her daughter….drugging her up….the kid is on Ritalin. Kim sees Sally look at her watch, pull out a pill bottle and pop one. Her father…is oblivious to the situation, his daughter or Kim’s amazement. He is to self-absorbed in making this Manor a success.

Pulling up the Manor it looks freaking haunted. Why you would by a house that creepy looking and not expect something bad to happen is beyond me. Idiots. But the Manor is lively. People are working around the house getting it ready for the debut night where the new couple will put the house on the market and attempt to get their money back and make a killer profit.

As the new patchwork family enters the house, we meet Harris (played by Jack Thompson). He eyes Sally as she arrives in a creepy pedophile way.  (I don’t think that was what they were going for, they were going for wary, but it just came out creepy). Sally looks around the huge evil looking house as she walks in. She wonders off to the office as her father leaves her to explore as he goes to handle some business. Kim desperate to get Sally to like her follows her into the office. Kim tries to get Sally to lighten up and tells her a story about her grandmother giving her a beautiful broche, but Sally just responds with “My mother gave me to my dad.” Surprised Kim is left speechless as Alex comes into the office and leads Sally away to show her the new bedroom the designed for her.  Kim is left speechless. Alex, trying to make his daughter feel at home is surprised when Sally asks when she can go home. Alex stumbles over his words for a second as he tries to explain that basically her mother didn’t want her anymore and dumped her on her father. Dealing with this sudden realization of abandonment Sally runs into the bathroom and locks herself in. Unable to do anything Alex turns on the nightlight (which is a spiffy carousel) leaves the room and goes to bed.

Kim, not sure how to deal with what is happening, tries to talk to Alex. But he just avoids the questions by starting some hanky panky. Luckily for Sally, the bedrooms are attached by an air vent and she gets to hear everything. She covers it up with a pillow and goes to sleep.

Deep in the basement in the fireplace that Blackwood was dragged into we hear evil voices whispering…”Sally…her name is Sally.”

The next day doesn’t start off much better for Sally, she is alone and the only kids. Bored out of her mind she wonders off into the garden. Sally hears whispers come through the trees, and she follows the faint sound of her name deeper into the forest. The garden is beautiful (although it has been years since someone has maintained it). Sally wonders around and ends up in a ring of mushrooms (I am going with magical ring of mushrooms), the wind blows and within the blink of an eye she is next to the house. She moves aside some of the brush and as she sees though a window into the basement, Harris suddenly appears, grabs her up scolding her that it is not safe to wonder off a lone and leads her back to the house. 

By this time Alex has realized that is daughter is not were to be seen and he and Kim are looking for her when they come across Harris and Sally in the woods. Sally explains that she found a basement window, Harris tries to dissuade them from looking, but trying to build up the relationship with his daughter, Alex looks. To their amazement a basement does exist, which is great for them because houses built in this time period didn’t have basements! This will be great for their pocketbook…so they think.

Rushing back into the house, Alex finds the wall that hides the stairway to the basement and Kim, Sally and Harris watch as he smashes his way though. Kim unlocks the door and the basement is reviled to them. Excited they all rush down to explore, but Sally is drawn to the fireplace. She leans close to it and hears voices calling her name. Before she can do anything, Alex and Kim say they have to go back upstairs and will look at it again more tomorrow.

Sally still upset with her father, acts up during dinner and storms off to her room half way through her meal (my mum would have KILLED me if I ever did that!). Later that night Sally hears the voices calling her name again through the vent. They ask her to be their friend and to come play with them. In need of a playmate the next morning Sally takes a wrench from one of the workman’s bags and heads down to the basement. She finds a random tooth lying on the ground and puts it into her pocket. She then works furiously on the bolts and unscrews them all but the last one before her father comes looking for her. He finds her in the basement and she tells him about the voices. Leaning down to listen Alex puts his ear next to the fire place and we see the creatures stick a long sharp piece of metal next to his ear. They pull back and just as they are about to plunge it into his eardrum he moves. Alex and Sally go upstairs, neither of them realizing what almost happened. As they walk away, the voices whisper "She'll be back, they always come back."

Later that night while getting ready for bed, Alex notices his shaving blade is missing. Kim opens her closet only to find her dress for the open house sliced into pieces.

The next morning Alex confronts Sally and yells at her. Sally cries that she didn’t do it. Alex notices Sally clutching an old coin that Sally had gotten from the tooth she had put under her pillow the night before and demands an explanation.  Sally unable to explains run away in tears. Kim confronts Alex on being so harsh.

The next day, still fighting over Alex’s displace of Sally, Kim and Alex head downtown to finalize some business leaving Sally alone with Harris and the cook.  Kim again confronts Alex about how he handles Sally and how she is acting out, but refusing to listen; Alex gets out and walks to the meeting, leaving Kim alone to wonder what is going on with Sally. Back at the Manor things are beginning to go downhill. Sally again sneaks off into the basement with a flash light (seriously, this little girl is asking for trouble). Sally tries to befriend the creatures in the fireplace. She offers them raisins and asks if she can see them. She shines the light into the fireplace, but the creatures hiss back at her saying they don’t like the light, she turns it off and the creatures begin to venture forward…”hungry” the say… “hungry”. Just then Harrison rushes down the stairs with his flashlight and points it at the fireplace sending the creatures plunging back into the deep. He asks Sally who she was talking to and when she replies’s No One he yells at her go get upstairs. Sally rushes out of the basement and as Harris makes his way backwards towards the stairs the creatures begin to come towards him and attack him. Knocking the flashlight out of his hand, they cut him with scissors, a razor, a knife and other objects. The scissors they stick into his collar bone. Harris climbs bleeding out of the basement and collapses in the entry way in front of Sally and the cook. 

Kim and Alex arrive home to see Harris being taken to the hospital. The cook cry’s that she tried to keep Sally from seeing it, but she was to slow. Realizing what Sally must have seen, Kim (NOT ALEX) rushes off to find her.  Kim finds Sally hiding in the tree, after coxing her down Kim takes her to a fountain in the middle of the garden with strange Japans fish in it. Sally tells Kim again that she didn’t cut her cloths. Kim hugs her and says that it’s ok. Thus the Step-mother – child bond begins.

Night comes again (it’s like ALWAYS night in this movie) and the creatures have made their way into Sally’s room and they lay in wait under her bed. Sally sits wide awake in her bed with her flashlight. One of the creature’s craws up under the covers and Sally sees the sheets move at the end of the bed. With her flashlight in had she looks under the bed, only to come face to face with the evil creature. She screams and Alex and Kim come running into the room.  Kim hugs her…Alex’s solution…to call a therapist.

The next day the therapist arrives, but this is not Sally’s first time.  She sits there drawing and answering the doctor’s questions. She tells him about the creatures that she believes are evil fairies. She tells him that they are her friends and that they told her that her parents don’t lover her. The therapist tells Alex and Kim that Sally is imagining the creatures and shows the pictures Sally drew to them. Alex feels better, but Kim questions it, especially after what has been happening.

Alex and Kim go out the next night; Alex is finalizing some more details for the Open House. Kim drops him off and heads to speak with Harris at the hospital. The cook and a few workers are around the house and keeping an eye on Sally. Sally goes and gets into the bath to get ready for work and while she is in the tub the creatures attack her. They shut off the light and remove the doorknob. The creatures start to attack Sally in the tub and she screams for help brining the cook and workers running.  They break through the door sending the creatures running into hiding.

Meanwhile Kim meets with a critically injured Harris who tells her to…Get HER OUT! And instructs her to go to the library and ask for the Blackwood collection.  At the library, Kim asks the librarian to show her the books and writings of Blackwood’s work, explaining that she is working at the house. The librarian leads her into the back vaults and explains to her that Blackwood’s son went missing when he was 8 yrs old and a few days later Blackwood himself went missing.   Surprised to hear this Kim questions the librarian some more. He explains that Blackwood drew some different types of pictures at the end of his life. He drew and wrote about ancient fairies that lived of the boons and teeth of children. In the writings by Blackwood he mentioned that the fairies must take one victim (child or adult) every time they emerge so they can survive until the next. Kim realizes that Blackwood’s drawings are similar to Sally’s. Kim turns to leave but just as she is leaving the librarian mentions that there is a mural in the house somewhere that Blackwood did before he died and he would love to see it if Kim comes across it. Kim is surprised again; she knew nothing of a mural.

Upon arriving home, Kim and Alex hear what has happened to Sally. Running upstairs, they realize that Sally is gone. Alex, undisturbed explains that Sally has done this before. Kim runs down to the basement and pulls back a huge tarp covering the far wall, only to uncover a huger mural of a child being sacrificed to the fairies. Convinced that Sally is telling the truth she tries to convince Alex while they head out to look for Sally. Unbelieving, Alex feels his point is backed when they find Sally walking down the road in the dark. Kim disappointed in Alex doesn’t bring the subject up again.

Later that night Kim is awaken by Sally lying on the end of their bed. Kim carries Sally back into her room (where is the father?? Blind). Sally wakes up and begs Kim not to leave, promising to stay the night they fall asleep together. In the middle of the night Kim wakes up, seeing that Sally is asleep and safe Kim tucks Sally in with the teddy bear and heads back to her room , but the creatures where lying in wait under Sally’s bed.

Once Kim is gone, the creatures come out. They knock over the night light waking Sally up. She grabs the flash light and shines it over the room, seeing the fairies running from the light, Sally screams and Alex and Kim come running.  Holding Sally, Kim (not the father) notices that the night light and teddy bear are broken and torn to pieces. Kim believes Sally.

The next night is finally the open house. Kim is helping Sally get ready and she finds Alex’s razor in Sally’s drawer. Sally’s explains that it is for protection from the fairies. She says that the only thing that hurts them is bright light. Kim gives Sally her camera (one of those really old Polaroid’s – who still has those!). Sally spends the evening taking pictures of the guess, until she hears a small sound in the flowers. It is a fairies. She snaps a picture…giving her proof. She rushing to show her father, but he ignores her and heads upstairs to find out where Kim is. Kim is in Sally’s room packing Sally’s things. They fight and Alex convinces Kim to stay until after the open house.  

At the dinner table, Sally tries to keep the picture safe so she sticks it under her legs, but while Alex is speaking one of the creatures comes and grabs it away. Sally goes under the table chasing it. She follows the creature out the dining hall and into the office/library.  Behind her the door slams and the creatures lock her in. They begin to torment her, pulling her hair, jump on her, Sally desperately tries to keep them away from her by taking pictures. She screams and the guests, Alex and Kim (who is still upstairs) hears her and come running.  Alex is unable to get in the door; Kim push’s her way to the front of the crowd and tries to get the door open. The fairies grab the camera and begin to rush away with it and Sally slides the bookcase into one of them killing it. As the camera hits the ground the door fly’s open. Sally rushes to Kim and embraced, Alex tells the guests it is time to call it a night. Crying Sally shows Kim her “proof” but it doesn’t show the creature, just her.

Alex still doesn’t believe Kim or Sally. He puts Sally to bed, alone, again, while she is crying and goes down to look at the mural. Finally he agrees to leave. He goes to start the car and Kim goes to pack.

Realizing that time is running out the fairies kick it into high gear, in the garage they close the door locking Alex in. They jump down on top of him and knock him out. The fairies go to the power box and cut the wires, plunging the entire Manor into darkness. Kim, now standing in complete darkness takes the flashlight from Sally’s bedside table and starts to look around for Alex. She hears whispering in the dark and as she makes her way down the stairs, she trips on a wire (just like the maid had done all those years ago). Kim hits the ground, knocking herself out.

Sally wakes up as she hears Kim’s unconscious body hit the ground. Realizing the flashlight is gone she takes the camera and goes to find Kim. Seeing her unconscious, Sally rushes up to her but the fairies swarm her. Trying desperately to keep them at bay with the flash from the camera she attempts to revive Kim. In the garage, the worthless father as finally come-too and is trying to get out, but the fairies have locked him in. Breaking the glass he tries to undo the lock. Back at the Manor the fairies knock the camera from Sally’s hand and drag her screaming into the basement. Kim awakes, and hears Sally’s cries. She rushes down the stairs to see the fairies pulling Sally into the fireplace. Kim turns the flashlight on them and they scatter. She tugs on the rope attempting to free Sally. Sally takes the flashlight from Kim and points it at the creatures. Kim begins to desperately try to cut at the rope.

Kim looks at Sally and tells her that once she has cut the rope, she needs to run. The rope snaps and Kim is dragged to the fireplace. The rope is around her knees and as the creatures pull, Kim’s knees snap backwards and she disappears into the darkness of the fireplace. Alex who has finally gotten out of the garage breaks down the doors as he goes he rushes down the basement, but he is too late.  Sally is standing there crying. Suddenly Kim appears at the entrance to the fireplace. Alex rushes over to grab her hand, but she slips and is gone.  Apologizing to the crying little girl he guides he from the house.

Time passes, we don’t know how much, but Sally and Alex return to the Manor during the day. A sign hangs on the door saying Foreclosure. Sally has her hair cut into Kim’s style and she puts a piece of paper down on the group of a picture of her and Kim by the fountain that says “I love you Kim.” They leave the house.

The drawing drifts down into the basement and into the fireplace, which has been re-bolted. You hear the fairies whispering what will they do the house is empty again.  Suddenly Kim’s voice is heard…. "We have all the time in the world," and the other fairies agree saying, "Yes, we have all the time in the world."

This movie wasn’t scary at all. It didn’t have a surprise or twist or anything. To be honest the acting was also pretty pitiful and it just wasn’t very real. It was almost like they acted blindly through it. You never felt like you were part of the movie or amazed by how it took you on an adventure. It was basically a boring move and not something I would recommend to even my worst enemy.

Next is Apollo 18. I hope that is better. I want a good horror movie! Pure Horror!!!

Rise of the Plant of the Apes (2011)

When I first saw this preview, I was a little cautious. There have already been a remake of the Plant of the Apes movies, so I was not sure I wanted to see Hollywood create another bad remake of a great movie. But as I began to actually watch the preview (Instead of fast forward though it – gadda love the DVR) I realized it was a prequel and it actually looked really good. So I added it to my list of summer movies to see.

I usually try to avoid opening weekend or even week for any movie, because the theaters are usually overcrowded and let’s be honest, I hate having to listen to Jake & Jill’s baby cry while they act like they cannot hear it and Sam Smith a few seats down with his phone ringing ever 15 mins like he is a damn rock stare or something. Seriously people! I know you can hear your baby making that noise…I didn’t pay $10 to listen to your baby for 3 hrs believe me, I really don’t love your kid as much as you do…I actually really dislike it! And dude, you are not that great…leave the theater to answer it or just put in on vibrate, news flash, I don’t care who is calling you, I don’t want to hear what you have to say and GUESS what the world so doesn’t revolve around you…give me my $10 back and tell me when you are not going to be at the theater!!!

Ok…so besides my rant about ignorant prats at the movie…now onto the actual movie!!!

The movie starts in the jungle. You see the apes, out gathering food, socializing, enjoying the sun as it cascades through the trees…suddenly a branch breaks. The apes stop as the birds flock overhead away from the sound. Suddenly men with nets and tranquilizers leap out from the bushes and begin to hunt down, capture and lock up these innocent creatures to ship them off to a lab in the US. As one female crys out from the small air hole, you see the rest of her pack (her husband) run after the truck, unable to save her. Your heart just breaks…these apes were hunted down and carted off like slaves…no rights…no respect…just the desire to make money off the suffering of another living creature.

We meet up with our female enslaved ape again in a genetics pharmaceutical lab for a company named Gen Sys (Genesis – funny right), where Will (James Franco) and Franklin (played by Tyler Labine) are testing a new drug known as ALZ 112. If proven ALZ 112 is predicted to allow the brain to grow new cells curing degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Schizophrenia and more on her. So far, the only side effect they can see is a green glow that appears around the eyes. She has now been named No. 9 (AKA “Bright Eyes). Will and Franklin are testing her on the Towers of Hanoi Puzzle. The puzzle test intellect and a perfect score is 15. In amazement, Franklin and Will watch on as No. 9 solves the puzzle in 20 moves. Will rushes off to speak with his CEO Jacobs (played by David Oyelowo), to inform him that 112 works and requests to meet with the board of directors to get permission to move forward with human trials.

Cautious at first, Jacobs agrees to the conference. The next day Will is presenting to the board, explaining the process and drug theory effects while waiting for Franklin to get No. 9 out of her cage. But No. 9 is not having it. She lashes out in anger at Franklin and goes insane on the lab techs. Leaping out of her cage she crashes through the doors and into the lobby. People scream and run in horror as No. 9 comes crashing through the glass into the conference room as a security guard shoots and kills her.

Jacobs, fearing that violence and rage is a side effect of the drug, deems it to high risk to continue testing and tells Franklin to get rid of (AKA murder) all the aps. Franklin tries to talk to Jacobs, but all Jacobs sees in green dollar signs.

Later that day while cleaning up all the cages, Franklin and will make a startling discovery. A baby ape laying in No. 9’s cage (prison). She had given birth and was only trying to protect her infant child when she lashed out at Franklin and the other techs. Unable to take the life of any more innocent creatures today, he tells Will to either kill the baby himself or take it home with him until he can make other arrangements. Will agrees (of course…I mean who could ever turn away from an innocent baby monkey like that. Baby person…maybe, but not an animal!)

Will arrives home, arms full of baby formula, dippers and more. He is greeted by a nurse who is leaving as he is coming in. Upstairs Wills father, Charles (played by John Lithgow) plays the piano badly. We realize that Charles suffers from Alzheimer’s, and is a potential person Will’s drug to save if only Will could get it approved before it is too late. He brings his father down, and introduces him to the baby ape, which his father promptly calls Caeser after his favorite book.

Right off the bat Caesar (done by Andy Serkis) shows early signs of intelligence such as feeding himself at only 2 days old. Will realizes that while in the womb, Caeser must have been dosed with the 112 and instead of his brain re-growing cells, it grew better cells, making Caeser adept to learning sign language and communicating on a whole other level. Will builds a giant room for Caeser in the attic, putting up gymnastic rings and sings so Caeser can jump about. But for Caeser’s own safetly, Will keeps him locked away inside the house, and Caeser is forced to only look through the small window in his room out onto the world that he will never know.

Seeing what 112 did for Ceaser, Will decides to try it, illegally of course, on his father. Late one night he sneaks into his father’s room and injects him. Overnight, Wills father has recovered 110% and laugh around the house continues as normal. Yet every day Caeser spends hours looking out at the children playing on the street, watching the wind blow through the trees and listening to the birds in the sky. Unable to take it anymore, Caesar sneaks out of the house into the neighbor’s yard to play with the other kids. The little girl sees Caeser come into the yard and screams out, her father rushes out and corners Caeser with a baseball pat. Will hears the noise and arrives just in time to save Caeser from the evil man who was willing to beat him to death, just because he didn’t understand and just because Caeser was different.

While fending off the attach from the mad man with the bat, Caesar got hurt, a huge gash in his leg. Will takes him to the zoo undercover in baby cloths and a baby carriage. No one notices except the apes, who all got extremely quiet and stared at the carriage when Caeser and Will went by. This is where we meet the most 2 dimensional pointless character in the movie, Caroline (played by Freida Pinto), a vet at the zoo who stitches Caeser up and flirts with Will.

**Side Note*** To be honest, I have no idea why they wrote in this character and how she didn’t get cut out of the entire movie, because she really doesn’t do anything for it. She was truly only needed for that one scene. Maybe she was screwing the director or something, because she really didn’t bring ANYTHING to the movie..just a complete waste of a character.

To tame Caesar’s urge, Will (and Caroline) take him over to the Giant Redwood Forest to play. Which of course Caesar loves…

**Side Note** For anyone that hasn’t seen the Redwoods…they are amazing. I remember we drove right through one when we were there!**

Time passes, Somehow this pointless Character moved in with Will (you realize this by seeing her in a robe or some lame crap like that, she could have just spend the night…you honestly don’t know) and his Father, who by the way has started to no longer respond to the 112. Will realizes that his father is becoming immune to the drug. Realizing his mistake, he rushes into work to speak with Jacobs about this.

Jacobs of course is sick of Wills nonsense and obsession with this failed drug and refuses to listen to him, until Will divulges that he tested the drug on his father and it worked, repaired his father and made him smarter. Seeing dollar signs fly Jacobs automatically tells Will to start again with the 112, fix it and get it working. He immediately reopens the animal testing lab bringing Franklin and everyone back to work…to improve the 112.

Back out the house, Charles has fallen back into his Alzheimer’s state, finding the front door ajar, he wonders outside to find a running car…his neighbors car. Getting behind the wheel to drive he hits the car in front of him and behind him. The neighbor (AKA…the mad man) rush out of his house screaming (surprise there right) at Charles who is at a complete lose as to what is going on. But we know this mad man already, he doesn’t listen to anyone and doesn’t care about anyone so obviously the mad man doesen’t realize that Charles is unwell in the head. The mad man starts to push his finger into Charles’ chest.  Caesar seeing this direct attach on his family does what anyone would do. He attacks the mad man, beating him repeatedly until Charles tells Caeser no.

OF COURSE animal control shows up.

**Side Note**WTF people. The damn animal was just trying to protect his family, honestly…the freaking mad man should be the one being pulled away from his family and locked up. He assaulted an older man! But no…animals have no rights, which is crap!! If you damn child bit another child does “Child Control” show up and drag them off to be put down. NO (maybe we should have a child control..but then again, I hate children so I am a little bias on that). Animals are like small children and if not trained correctly they don’t know better…LIKE A CHILD! I hate ignorant people who just don’t seem to get that!

Poor Caesar is taken away to a primate (so called) sanctuary (they have those in LA?). Poor Caesar is now left alone in a prison with wild apes. Although he is an ape…he is different…half ape/half human, and the apes can since this about him. Stepping out into the court yard from his cell, Caesar is confronted by the Alpha male (Lucky) who proceeds to beat him and rip his shirt off, seeing the commotion, the evil sick pathological caretaker shots both Lucky and Caesar with a tranquilizer. Once back in the cages, Caesar challenges the caretaker, but the sick freak just turns a firehose on him (very much like the whites did to the black during the civil movement….anyone else noticing the similarities yet??).

Alone, wet and cold…different but the same, Caesar feels like giving up completely until a circus orangutan across from him signs to him…asking if he is ok. You see a light for Caesar at the end of the tunnel.

**If you want to watch the movie…and NOT know the ending, now would be the time to stop reading!!**

Will back at Gen Sys is working hard to come up with a new more effective version of the 112…the 113. After weeks of preparation, they are ready to expose the first ape.  They strap this crazy looking ape down (you can see that this ape was used to being tested on…use to the system and had the scars to show how long he had been doing it…like a well-trained slave) and begin to expose him to 113 via gas method. During the procedure, the ape begins to have a seizure and during the struggle, Franklin was accidentally exposed to the gas.

Feeling that the drug is ready for human testing (rushing again…) Will takes it home to treat his father, but Charles refuses and dies that night in Wills arms.

As Charles dies…Caesar is tormented even more by the pathological “caretaker” (we should just say pathological guard).  The Guard brings some girls and his mate to the “prison” to show off his inmates, but his mate gets a little too close to Caesar and before getting tasered by the guard he manages to pull a pocket knife from the guys pocket. Alone again in his cage, Caesar fashions a make shift lock pick out of it and unlocks his cage, giving him free roam at night. He goes out of his way to befriend an aggressive gorilla that is keep separate from the rest of the apes and never let out of his cage…now Caesar has some serious back up behind him….allowing him to become the new Alpha male!

Over time, Caesar watches his minions…and realizes though discussions with the orangutan, that he must find a way to get the apes to rise up together as a group to get their freedom. He allows the old alpha male to give each of the apes a cookie that Caesar had stolen from the pathological guard and slowly the group begins to solidify as a whole.  

**Side Note** If you haven’t realized the similarities and the depth behind this movie by this point in time, just give up thinking and watch the pretty colours.

Back at Gen Sys, Will is beginning to feel the pressure of the greedy and powerful men in control push down on him for results and human testing. Now with his own personal issues resolved through the death of his father, Will no longer feels the need to push the testing ahead of schedule…but greed drives Jacobs and he demands more,…human testing. Realizing that he has no say, Will quits and heads to the prison to bribe back Caesar (yes bribe). The owner takes the money, but Caesar…having found his new home and calling refuses to go with the man that abandoned him here in the first place.

Meanwhile…Franklin is beginning to feel the effects if the 113…sneezing blood.

Late that night, Caesar realizes that he needs one more thing to help the apes go to the next level as a group. He goes out into the night and back to his old, beloved home…but not to reconnect, but to steal the 113, that Will had planned to use on his father. Back in the prison…Caesar distributes the gas to the sleeping apes.

The next day…the prison guard’s watch in awe and dismay as Caesar leads the apes in teaching them sign language. Finally together as a unified group…it is time to move forward. That night at lockdown, Caesar refuses to go to his cage. The prison guard goes out and fights Caesar. The guard says “Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!” Caesar shocks the guard, the apes and the entire theater by responding “NO!” Releasing the other apes, the guard turns to Caesar with the taser, but Caesar turns the fire hose on him (irony) electrocuting the man.

The apes have taken over the prison…locked the other (not a main character really) guard into one of the cells and are going…well…ape shit and leave the confinements of the prison. Heading out into the streets of San Francisco to free other imprisoned apes (at the zoo and at Gen Sys).

The next morning, feeling guilty over Caesar, Will attempts to call the prison, but no one answers. He (and that random chick) drives out there. He discovers a empty container of 113 and realizes what has happened.

Our infamous Franklin appears again, sick and looking like death goes to Wills house, looking for help, but Will is gone. Instead he runs into the mad man next door who is heading off to work…in his pilots uniform. Confronting Franklin, the mad man gets sneezed on…spraying blood all over him. Franklin rushes home…where he dies…alone.

Jacobs gets a call on his way into work. He discovers that Franklin is dead and concludes that it was the exposure to 113 that did it. Walking into Gen Sys, he stops in mid sentence as he looks up and sees the liberated apes standing above him looking down.

The war is on!

At the zoo the apes break off pieces of the cage, which are shaped like spears.

**Side Note** Somehow every time you see this ape army the numbers are doubling…there really can’t be THAT many monkeys in San Francisco, but what do I know.

Ceaser begins to lead all the monkeys towards the Redwood Forest. The humans, not knowing what is going on, begin to fight back with Animal control, guns, and violence (like the human race always does). But for every ape the humans kill, Caesar prevents the monkeys from killing the humans…making him better than them!

A dark fog rolls into the city making it near impossible to see on the bridge. The humans think they have the monkeys cornered…each side of the bridge are police, but monkeys have more than one way to go. Up to the wires and down under the bridge the monkeys move in on the unaware humans.

Jacobs more concerned about recovering his assets then anything arrives in a helicopter and begins to kill the monkeys. Spotting Caesar, he demands for the men in the airplane to take him out! Realizing what is going to happen, the lonely gorilla leap off the bridge onto the helicopter, bringing it crashing down on the bridge…killing himself in the process. The only one left alive is a wounded…begging for life…Jacobs, but feeling no compassion for him, Caesar lets the Test Lab Patron (the first to be tested with 113) kill him.

Finally freed from the barricade, the monkeys make it to the woods, free at last. Will, still blind to what is truly going on, he rushes after Caesar into the woods to bring him home. Caesar hugs Will and says very clearly….”Caesar IS Home!”

**Side Note**this brought tears to my eyes!!

Back in the city, the mad man neighbor is rushing to his flight…and as he walks into the international airport his noes begins to bleed…the infection has begun.

We see the Rise of the Plane of the Apes begin.

I have seen a number of movies in the past few months, but this must be the best one I have seen in a while. It had a depth to it that many movies I have seen didn’t have. Even though a few of the characters (mainly that chick) had no true role…the MAIN characters were amazing…Caesar was amazing. Andy Serkis should win an award for bringing this character to life. He did the Gollum before…and that was good, but this was WOW! Is there an Oscar category for this, because there should be and he should win it! The whole theater at the end was cheering for the monkeys to make it…to survive…to have the chance to enjoy their freedom.

The movie played on so many different levels, but the one thing I related to more than anything was the concept of slavery and the civil rights movement. Caesar was half and half…like me J

I was really depressed that they messed it up with that chick, such a drag on the movie. It would have been amazing without her…maybe even better. She provided nothing to the story line except for a semi attractive girl for the main character to flirt with. They really should have just left it at that. That was the only thing that really disappointed me in that whole movie, which really suxs, because that didn’t need to happen, she didn’t need to be there. Her character left me with a bad taste in my mouth…can I get the DVD version without her in it?!

But overall this is a movie I will go see again (even at $10 a pop) and I will buy when it comes out. It not only a must see but it is a must own. 

YOLO Restaurant (You Only Live Once)

I love to go to different restaurants and try different things, nothing beats a break in the middle of a stressful week then going to a nice restaurant and not having to worry about a thing and just having a good time.

This past week I went to YOLO’s for the first time. I have wanted to go for a while, so when the opportunity came up, I jumped on it. I went with my good friend Tim, so I knew regardless of the food or service we would have a good time! 

Walking into YOLO really was an experience all on its own. The restaurant is just something different and very unique. We had reservations, but unfortunately our table wasn’t ready, even though we were right on time. Then the girl tried to sit us at some back corner table facing the server area, and to be honest, the server area is loud and dirty and at a nice restaurant like that, it is not really what you want to see.

We ended up sitting at the bar, and we had a very nice bartender, who kept a good eye on us.

Me, being the excited little girl that I am…had sneaked a look at the menu on-line and already had an idea of what I wanted. We go the Calamari and Mussels for the appetizer and I had a filet for dinner. The Mussels were above par, there were a few grits of salt in them still which was a little disappointing. The Calamari was a little too Sweet & Sour for my taste, and the Sweet & Sour was very strong. It overpowered the fresh natural taste of the calamari. I guess if you don't like the taste of Calamari, you may like this version. It made me feel like I was in a Chinese restaurant eating Sweet & Sour chicken or pork. Very disappointing.

So we moved forward from the appetizers not stunning us and proceeded to wait...a while...a longer while...for our main dishes. I appreciate good food, and I don't mind waiting for my food to be cook fresh. So anticipating perfection and fresh food, I was more than happy to wait. When the food finally did come, my filet was cooked well, although I had ordered it medium well. And it had been pushed repeatedly into the pan to cook it faster...thus I had a flat steak on my plate.  However the sides were amazing! The side of Mac & Cheese that I got was surprisingly good. It wasn't super cheesy and like no M&C I have very had before. The Mash Potato’s surprised me the most, they had a green tint to them and an herb in them that I couldn’t name but that made the irresistible.

Although I couldn’t finish my meal (which is just as well, I took it home with me) we did spend a little while after dinner having a few drinks in their nice little outdoors area.  Even though we were right off a main road in down town Fort Lauderdale, the bamboo trees hid the branches and it was like a whole different world out there. It was lovely, and even if you don't rush in for the food. drinks and a few appetizers (not the ones we had of course) in the courtyard lounge would be a great way to spend the evening.

If you are looking for somewhere different to go out with some friends one night, YOLO is some place you should try. Tim did say that the food had gone downhill since he was there last time a few years ago, for me, being my first time and I did enjoy it. The atmosphere, the décor…all a unique experience. Not such a huge fan of the food though. 

Next stop – Canyon Southwestern Café  :)

Captain America - The Movie (2011)

Last night, my girl and I went to go see Captain America. We have been doing really well so far…went to see Thor, saw Iron Man, let’s just any Marvel (or DC) movie that has come out in the last, seen it! So after Iron Man (and Iron Man 2) a few years back when Nick Fury approached Tony Stark, you knew that a plan was in motion and that eventually…one day…you would see…The Avengers.

I have been waiting to see Captain America since the day it came out, and I must say it didn’t disappoint! This is one of the best movies I have seen in a while. It made me laugh, it made me feel lose and hope, it had you sitting on the edge of the seat…it was good. Although I do still prefer Thor, and although Thor was an awesome movie it may also have something to do with the fact that the guy who played Thor was HOT!

Anywho the movie starts in 1942 at the high of WWII (right around the time that the US decided that maybe the war wasn’t going to stay in the Europe and maybe they should step up a bit more and actually get more involved. Europe was falling at a drastic rate and Hitler was taking the countries down like dominoes. Thankfully, that tiny island up north wasn’t going to go down without a fight). We meet Johann Schmidt, the leader of the deep Nazi scientific group known as the Red Skulls. They are in Norway and a small group invades a lone castle in search of a treasure from the vault of King Odin himself, the all-powerful Tesseract, a.k.a. the Cosmic Cube. Johanna finds the cube he searches, and kills the old man guarding it. He takes the cube back to Dr. Zola (played by Toby Jones) where he demands that Zola figures out how to harness the energy to create weapons that will allow him to take over the world.

Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans – You know…the same guy that played Johnny Storm…Human Torch) is determined to find a way into the military, even if he has the body of a 12 year old body and so many illnesses no military would ever accept him. Steve after waiting for hours at the recruitment center, get rejected yet again. To escape his depression he goes to a local theater to hide from his shame in the dark. The pre-movie commercial is a call to action for young soldiers…deepening the disappointment that Steve feels in himself. An idiot boy in the theater starts to make lewd comments and Rogers tells him to be quite, the boy turns and he isn’t a boy, he is a football sized bully. The bully takes Rogers outside and proceeds to wail on his face, but Rogers refuse to stay down. Courage of a bull, but body like a mouse this one. Rogers is finally rescued by his best friend Bucky (played by Sebastian Stan).

**On a side note, I think Sebastian Stan was very nice looking in this movie, Rogers was a hotty, but maybe I just like the darker hair…or something about his character that I found attractive…maybe Captain America was just too much of a good boy for me, you know how girls like the bad boys…not MEAN!!! BAD!!!**

Bucky, an average sized boy, has got accepted into the military and has come to spend his last night in NYC with his best friend…and two girls he recently meet. The small group head off into the city to the fair, where Howard Stark (played by Dominic Cooper – also a hotty), Tony Stark’s father is presenting his latest invention…the hover car. Rogers is unfazed by the laughter and celebration around him, he is drawn back to his dream of becoming a soldier. Rogers wonders off towards the recruitment center at the far. Bucky follows Rogers to try to get him to come dancing with him and the girls, but Rogers can’t do it. He confesses his desire to become a solider to Bucky and how he has the right to serve and die like anyone else, even if he isn’t as big or as strong. Bucky feels for him, and understand his friend burning desire to help save the tortured. Rogers says goodbye to his best friend and once again heads to a recruitment center.

Unbeknownst to either of the boys their conversation was overheard by Dr. Erksine, a brilliant scientist from Germany that is determined to help the Allies take down the Nazi’s.

Rogers waits for his results, believing that once again he has failed to get accepted, when Dr. Erksine appears from behind the screen. Thinking he was about to get in trouble for falsifying is records, Rogers considers running, but Dr. Erksine stops him and asks him “Do you want to kill Nazi’s” Rogers just looks at him. Dr. Erksine asked him again. Rogers replies “No, I just don’t like bullies.” Dr. Erksine smiles “We have a lot of big boys in this war already, maybe it’s time to give the little guy a chance” and Dr. Erksine stamps Rogers file and he is in.

We visit Schmidt again; Nazi’s have arrived at his secret facility demanding, direct from Hitler of course, to know the progress of new weapons. The Nazi’s explain that Red Skull is funded by the Nazi regime only because they are supposed to provide new weapons, but Red Skull has not given anything to the Nazi’s in months. Schmidt, lazily leads them to the work shop. He tells them not to worry and that Red Skull has developed some of the most amazing weapons every that can take out entire cities miles away. Then he turns his new weapons onto the 3 Nazi’s denigrating them on the spot. He turns to his people, “it is time to turn away from the old regain, Hail HYDRA,” and with that Schmidt and his followers desert the Nazi’s.

We travel forward to Rogers at his first day of training camp. The luxurious Brit, Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwell) walks up to the row of newbies. Walking down the row of plebes, they are all about the same height until she reaches Rogers, who is at least a head 1.5 ft shorter than everyone else.

**side note – it is at this point that my girl leans over and whispers in my ear. What is up with his head, it just looks so freaking on that body, mis-sized. It is really freaking me out! I couldn’t help but laugh…and respond, because that head doesn’t really belong on that body! **

Peggy begins to grill into the guys when one of them makes a snarky comment, Peggy stops, and turns and tells the plebe to come forward. He steps forward and she gives him one hell of a right hook, knocking the little sod on his ass. Just then Colonel Phillips (played amazingly by Tommy Lee Jones) pulls up. He takes one look at Rogers and immediately doesn’t like him and is unpleased with Dr. Erksine for favoring this skinny little boy for the Project “Rebirth.”

Rogers although struggling and being picked on by the other boys continues to push forward, show more than once his wit, courage and drive. While doing a run, the Sgt tells the recruits that anyone who gets the flag down from the top of the flag pool will get a ride home from this half way mark. All the guys rush forward trying to climb the pool as the Sgt stands their laughing “No one has gotten that flag down in 17 years” as the plebes fall back into formation, Rogers walks up, pulls out the pin keeping the pool standing start and the flag falls to him.

Still unconvinced that Rogers is the right guy for the mission, Colonel Phillips decides to test the group and prove to Dr. Erksine that his choose of another newbie is better. Colonel Phillips pull a grenade from the box, pulls the pin and tosses it in front of the trainees. All duck and run, except for Rogers, who throws himself onto the grenade without a second thought, willing to sacrifice himself for the other. Colonel Phillips although not pleased, gives in and Rogers is the new candidate.

Dr. Erksine comes to Rogers the night before the experiment. He tells Rogers a story about when he was back in Germany. He tells of a man, Johann Schmidt, his first test subject who was too eager to wait for the serum to be perfected, demanded a mortal boost forced Dr. Erksine to perform the experiment. But something went horrible wrong and Schmidt suffered horribly. Although Schmidt survived, and the experiment worked, the serum didn’t just heighten his physical abilities, but it also heightened who he was…and mean became evil. Rogers looks at Dr. Erksine, wondering why he was chosen…and Erksine explains that it is because he is a good person inside.

We go back to Johann Schmidt, who has called for Zola, he informs Dr. Zola that they have found Dr. Erksine and to be on the safe side he has issued orders to have him “taken care off.” Dr. Zola, terrified of Schmidt, agrees and hurries away.

The next day Peggy escorts Rogers to the secrete lab of Dr. Erksine, which I must say was SUPER well hidden. Stark is there to assist Dr. Erksine along with other Senators and military leaders watching on as they hope to see their first Super Soldier born. Rogers steps into the chamber and the extremely painful experiment begins blacking out the power in half the city…but it was all worth it because out-steps a body like a god! Everyone rushes forward to see, but in the background…an assassin is at work. He shots Dr. Erksine, grabs the last of the experimental serum and run. Rogers takes off after the man, catching him but only to have the man scream Hail HYDRA before biting into a cyanide capsule.

New York and the rest of the country go wild as news spreads about this new hero, this Captain America. And although Rogers wants nothing more than to go and fight alongside the other soldiers, he is commanded to say in the USA, because his blood is the only thing left that holds the key to creating other Super Soldiers. So with no other way to help, Rogers hits the road, as Captain America preforming alongside dancing girls and getting the civilians to by war bonds. He travels around the country, until he ends up in Italy, where he is preforming in front of the 107^th.

Rogers is booed off stage and while he sits out back, Peggy finds him. Through her he learns that the 107^th has just gotten back from combat with the Red Skull and over 2/3 of the soldiers are dead or missing. Rogers jumps, Bucky was assigned to the 107^th, he rushes off to find Colonel Phillips. However Colonel Phillips realizes that it is a long shot to send out a rescue mission 30 miles into enemy territory. Refusing the quite Rogers goes off alone.

He hitches a lift from Stark and flies as close to his target as possible. He sneaks onto the base, and manages to rescue the men. While fighting his way out alongside the rescued soldiers, Schmidt sees Rogers on the security cameras and realizes that Rogers was Dr. Erksine project and that he is like him. Realizing that his men would lose this battle, he sets his facility to destruction and heads for the door dragging Zola along with him.

Rogers still unable to find Bucky begins to explore the facility. He finds a chuck of the cube from Odin’s vault and realizing it may be valuable takes it. Finally he stumbles upon Bucky in an abandoned room strapped to an experimental chair. Rogers checks the other rooms to make sure it is safe, where he notices a map, where all the Red Skull facilities are located, before he goes back and unties his friend. Together they make their way towards and except, when they come face to face with Schmidt.

Schmidt confronts Rogers, tries to convince him to join Red Skull (why you would try to turn such a patriotic, Goody two-shoes into a traitor is beyond me, but whatever). Schmidt, frustrated with Rogers removes his prosthetic face to revel his true image…Red Skull. Hideous really. Turning to escape Red Skull leaves Rogers and Bucky trapped on the far side of the facility.

Obviously the boys manage to escape thanks to some quick thinking on Roger’s side and Captain America and the rescued soldiers return to the campsite to the joy of everyone. Rogers has managed to rescue 300+ Allie prisoners on his own Realizing that Rogers is a wonderful asset, Colonel Phillips lets Rogers put together his own team to take out the rest of Red Skulls hide outs. Which thanks to Rogers memory and luck at seeing the map they know where they are all located. Rogers, Bucky and his marry team of men head out and cause MASS chaos on poor Red Skulls hideouts dropping them like flies.

Right before the last one, they hear word that Red Skull is going to be taking a train, but it is a trap and Bucky ends up taking a dive. Upset over the loss of his longtime friend, Rogers is even more determined to stop Red Skull. He learns that Red Skull is taking a giant B2 (or at least that is what it looked like) full of 8 (I believe…I can’t be 100% on that) missiles and heading for the East Coast. Rogers and the entire 107^th move on Red Skulls facility trying to stop the mad man from destroying the USA and the world. Red Skull seeing his window of opportunity closing makes a break for the Giant B2 and starts to taxi to Takeoff. Seeing what is happening Rogers takes off after the plane, but let’s be honest, even Captain America can’t catch up with a Giant B2! But in behind him pulls Col. Phillips and Peggy. Racing down the runway they manage to catch the aircraft just before it lifts off and Captain America jumps onto the wheels. As he is taken up into the landing gear, he realizes how dangerous this plane is as he looks around and sees all the bombs. Realizing that there was only one way to end his, he kills Red Skull and sacrifices himself driving the Giant B2 right into the ice, imprisoning himself there.

We jump forward. Rogers, awakes on a bed. He hears a ball game in the background. Suddenly a nurse walks into the room. Rogers jumps to his feet. “Where am I?” he demanded. “1945,” she replied. He looks at her and calls her bluff. “That game on the radio is from 1941, I was at that game,” realizing her cover is blown she calls for action, but Rogers is to fast he bust out of the room and out of the building and right into the middle of Times Fucking Square…in the year of our lord 2011!

Welcome to the Avengers!! Coming 2012!!!!! BRING IT BABY