388 ARLETTA AVENUE

Photos courtesy of Copperheart Entertainment



A couple is tormented by a mysterious stranger in the horror film 388 ARLETTA AVENUE.  

James and Amy begin to notice some odd occurrences when James finds an unknown CD in his SUV’s stereo.  Amy believes James created the CD and forgot he’d done so, finding many of the CD’s songs burned on to their computer.  The event causes an argument between the two, and the morning after the dispute, James goes to work feeling guilty.  

James returns home that evening, finding a note from Amy that says she’s left to take a break.  James suspects that Amy's break is not a break at all, but rather an occurrence created by outside forces.  

 

388 ARLETTA AVENUE is a basic horror film, borrowing from PARANORMAL ACTIVITY in style and THE STRANGERS in content.  

Although not altogether unique, 388 ARLETTA AVENUE works as an unnerving thriller, a horror film that seeps into the back of your mind, rather than attempting to engross your eyes.  The terror that is initially inflicted upon the couple, and then completely on James, gradually builds from scene to scene, as we discover small pieces of James’ personal history, and as the events become more and more disturbing.

Writer-director Randall Cole keeps the film simple and tight, with James’s actions and reactions escalating with additional information and revelations.  All of the events are revealed through the eyes of the tormentor, initially through his camera’s shutter a la REAR WINDOW, and then through a series of strategically-placed video cameras.  

This unique point-of-view adds to the terrifying atmosphere created by Cole, with disconcerting footsteps and creaks at night, and eerie old pop songs that begin playing on James’ computer.  

This also mounts to a climax and conclusion that may be less-than satisfying, but becomes more haunting even after the credits have rolled.

Grade: B

BATTLESHIP

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Aliens again wreak havoc on America, this time courtesy of the seas in the Hasbro board game inspired feature, BATTLESHIP.  

After discovering another planet almost identical to Earth in our solar system, NASA has sent a message to the foreign planet in hopes of contact.  The message is received, but instead of a friendly return call, the aliens decide to pay us a visit off shore.  They do so during a naval exercise involving several US destroyer ships.  

Two of the ships are led by the brother tandem of Lieutenant Alex Hopper and Commander Stone Hopper.  Stone is the responsible, stable leader, while Alex is the fiery hot shot.

BATTLESHIP is the Jerry Bruckheimer-lite of action epics.  It’s centered around a cataclysmic event, has enough testosterone to fuel 100 armies and wears its patriotism on its sleeve.  None of these characteristics is a plus or a minus, but it gives you a sense of what BATTLESHIP is all about.  

The action scenes are more comprehensible than your average Bruckheimer flick, but they still fail to capture a sense of danger or the scale of their importance.  The future of America, and the world, hang in the balance, but the spectacle of the aliens and their high-tech machinery is more important in the eyes of director Peter Berg and screenwriters Erich and Jon Hoeber.  

Some of the gadgets are interesting, including gigantic metal wheels that possess the power of a tank, the speed of a rocket and the lethalness of a dagger.  Yet, the gadgets dominate a story where mankind’s existence is in the balance.  

The fickleness of the script does lend itself to some self-aware silliness, some of which I appreciated, from Alex’s quest for an elusive chicken burrito to a scientist questioning a clichéd statement from a disabled veteran’s mouth.

In spite of the film's often playful nature, BATTLESHIP amounts to a relatively standard, formulaic blockbuster that lacks the firepower to deliver on its biggest moments.  Leave BATTLESHIP at bay.

Grade: C