Tag Archives: scary

ROSEMARY’S BABY 1968 9/10 vs 2014 8.5/10

2RosemarysBaby1968

1968

I saw the original Rosemary’s baby when it came out in 1968 and again in May of 2014, a couple of days after the new Rosemary’s Baby mini series ended.  The original starring Mia Farrow, was in the movies but the remake, starring Zoe Saldana as Rosemary Woodhouse, was on TV (NBC) as a 2 part mini series.  I am happy to see a modernize version of this classic tale of evil remade.  However, because it was remade for TV, Rosemary’s Baby was swarming with commercials.  The original was dark, mysterious and scary.  The remake definitely  lacked some of the mystery although most of the elements were there.  The scary and mysterious aura were not.  In all fairness, this could also be because I already knew what to expect.  I found a few small problems with the remake.  I think it should have been produced for and aired on a premium channel like HBO, Showtime or Starz.  The

2014

2014

commercials were a huge turnoff.  Another really tiny thing that annoyed me was  Zoi’s long straight hair wig.  It looked artificial.  Over all, Rosemary’s Baby was excellently done the first time (a 9/10).   I would give the remake a 8.5/10 because of the obvious updates and how they fit it all in the story without compromising the plot.  In the original, Rosemary didn’t have the luxury of a cell phone or internet so she relied on using pay phones as well as books from the library.    I liked the way Rosemary and her husband interacted with one another.  They definitely seemed closer in the remake.  Now that the mini series has aired, I suspect you can catch it ON DEMAND then after a while on Netflix.  I think Roman Polanski did a very good job on the original and  Agnieszka Holland did equally as well on the remake.  The story was slightly changed to accommodate modern times without compromising the film.  I loved Patrick J. Adams (Suites) as Guy Woodhouse.   BTW:  I really am not into Devil movies but this one was an eye opener in it’s hay day.  You can learn a thing or two and keep your eyes open, you never know what so folks are up to.  Overall, check this one out especially if you’ve never seen the original.  I don’t think it will scare you as much as intrigue you.

THE FOLLOWING – My rating: 8/10

TheFollowingWhat a thriller!  The Following is the story of a deranged, serial killer named Joe Carroll and his cult of admirers. As if being a serial killer wasn’t bad enough, this one has a cult following of deranged killers who will do anything for their hero, Joe Carroll, played by James Purefoy.  The show stars Kevin Bacon as the obsessed cop, Ryan Hardy, who is hell bent on capturing Joe.  This series is in it’s 2nd season and all the characters are playing their roles brilliantly.  Joe had a wife named Claire Matthews, and a little boy but he killed her and the boy is now in the foster care system.  Joe’s wife was played by Natalie Zea, who was dating Kevin Bacon’s character, Ryan,  in season one.  By the time season 2 rolled around, Claire was out of the picture (or is she)?  This series is intense  and the thought this could ever be real makes me cringe.  The Following is not for the weak minded.  Graphic scenes are often shown when one of the cult members or Joe Carroll kills someone.   Joe is a psychopath who is well educated and was a professor before he was identified as the great Joe Carroll, serial killer.  Every week you can see what Joe and his cult are up to and how the cult evolves.  Cult occupations range from police officers, art dealers. teachers, pilots  and the list goes on and on.  It’s hard to know who to trust.  I find The Following interesting as well as a little scary.  You can’t go wrong with this one, it definitely entertains.