CARRIE [2013]

Boys Don't Cry director Kimberly Pierce goes for a third adaptation of Stephen King's classic thriller/tragedy novel Carrie.
Unfortunately Pierce finds nothing new to explore within King's story and gives you no reason to give it much thought.  Besides the formidable performances from Chloë Grace Moretz in the title role and Julianne Moore as her batshit crazy mother, the only other thing that held my interest was how were they going to set-up the iconic prom scene.  It pleases with ruthless carnage and horror that probably had Mister King himself squealing with glee.  As a stand alone film it's all right, as yet another adaptation it's feels pretty pointless.

2½ YouTube sensations out of 5

CHRONICLE [2012]

I'm getting awfully tired of the superhero and found footage trends in film, so I went into Chronicle with leery expectations. 

Director Josh Trank & writer Max Landis' feature film debut started out pretty much like every other found footage film but the intrigue and dread slowly crept up after the 30 minute mark.  It captures your attention with a realistic view on the superpower genre, while never really relying on the found footage gimmick and instead integrates it into the storytelling with subtle yet effective ideas.  Graced with some strong lead performances by a bunch of unknowns, Chronicle is a fine addition to two tired film genres.

3½ buddhist monks out of 5