Eight Legged Freaks
Toxic waste creates giant spiders that overrun a southwestern American town in this comedy-horror. I will admit, I wasn't expecting much and I didn't get much, which isn't to say that's a bad thing. Watching hundreds of CGI spiders swam through a hole in a building still looks cool, and watching spiders crawl from a man's mouth still gives me chills. There are even some great scenes of spiders jumping on screaming town folk and pulling them from their cars, as well as some cool trap-door spider and spiders on ceilings scenes. What struck me as interesting however was that this could have been a decent straight horror film had the background music not kept it so light-hearted. Sure, there are some silly lines and characters, but with a scary score, tension could have been milked to the extreme. I guess someone figured horror isn't "in" right now and went for the laughs. But as a comedy it's only so-so because it doesn't go over-the-top and become "Splat-Stick" like an Evil Dead or Dead Alive film. And that's too bad because they could've had a nice little hit on their bloodied hands. Still, it works on enough levels to add to your "must rent" list.

End of Days
Disjointed twists power this Terminator meets Rosemary's Baby supernatural thriller. Better the second time.

Eragon
Based on the Knopf Book for Young Readers (August 2004) written by Christopher Paolini, this preteen adventure marches over a well-trodden story path—the hero's journey—made popular by Star Wars, Episode IV. In this version, substitute Eragon for Luke Skywalker, Brom for Obi Wan, Durza for Darth Vader, and the evil King Galbatorix for the Emperor. There is even a "rescue the princess" segment (substitute Arya for Princess Leia). Other problems I had were that the elves didn't look like elves, the dwarves didn't look like dwarves, and the rest of the rebel army looked like Persians—an odd mixture—which had me wondering more than watching. The story is small in scope, and the battles are relatively short and small compared to Lord of the Rings and Narnia, leaving it long on fluff and short on stuff, probably in part due to the fact that Eragon director Stefen Fangmeier's previous credits (a long list at that) are all as a visual effects supervisor. The only thing that makes this one different from Star Wars is the addition of a flying dragon and its rider, but even that hardly gets into any depth worth mentioning. Audiences under 11 will probably enjoy it, but for the rest of you, I recommend dusting off the classic—1981's Dragonslayer, directed by Matthew Robbins and starring Peter MacNicol and Ralph Richardson, for those who want some "stuffing" with your dragons.

Evolution
Unlike real evolution, absolutely nothing develops in this major disappointment that wastes the talents of Duchovny and Jones. Even the special effects wizardry of the legendary Phil Tippet gets a back seat to pointless dialogue and scenes. Skip this one!

The Exorcism of Emily Rose
With 1973's The Exorcist setting the standard for films about demonic possession, it takes guts to try and make an exorcism film these days. I mean, how can you do it without being compared to Blatty's masterpiece? Well, writer/director Scott Derrickson (2000's Hellraiser: Inferno) has found a way because The Exorcism of Emily Rose (based on the true story of a Anneliese Michel in Germany) is a gem. In this story, Catholic Priest, Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is on trial for contributing to the death of a young woman during an exorcism by not seeking proper medical care. His defense? Demons are real! So in steps the agnostic defense attorney, Erin Brunner (Laura Linney), to represent the priest. As the trial unfolds so does the story of Emily Rose, told through flashbacks. I was worried about sitting through a trial, but I am happy to admit that this film was as riveting listening to the prosecutor's argument that Emily was victim to easily explained psychological and physiological ailments as it was watching Emily experiencing the symptoms of possession. Yes, there's plenty of drama here, but the drama was as dramatic as the demon segments were spooky. I actually felt for Emily, adeptly played by Jennifer Carpenter as a shy, frail country girl. And while there is no one outstanding element here, that's not a bad thing because this film is a tight "package" meaning everything—acting, cinematography, directing, music, story flow—worked well. I jumped and squirmed just enough. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is definitely worth the admission price, but if you can't get to a theater, rent it as soon as it becomes available. But be warned: I don't think you'll ever feel comfortable finding yourself awakening at 3:00 a.m. again.

The Exorcist (re-release)
Does digital sound and added scenes make a difference? Having taught film studies, I estimate seeing the original version over fifty times, including the original theater release. This time, I actually heard dialogue I never understood before. New music adds even more suspense, and from the audience's reaction, this film still works! For a detailed analysis of why this film is so great, read my Son of Celluloid column at http://www.gothic.net/chiaroscuro.

Exorcist: The Beginning
Renny Harlin (Deep Blue Sea, Nightmare on Elm Street 4) takes a stab at the Exorcist franchise and comes up with a winner. In this prequel, we travel back to 1949 to meet Father Merrin who, troubled by his experiences with the Nazis, has given up the priesthood and become an archeologist. Right away (this movie flies), he is asked to visit a dig site in East Africa where a Christian church has been uncovered in a place where the Christians (supposedly) have never been. Merrin is soon aided by Father Francis (James D'Arcy) and a doctor (Izabella Scorupco) after the dig "lets the evil genie out of the bottle" and all hell breaks loose. I went into this one ready to judge this film as part of the franchise and as a horror film on its own, and it scored well in both cases. Having done an extensive study of the original (see my review and article link above) I was pleased to see seamless ties to the 1973 classic with references that maintained a wonderful continuity between the two films making this film work well as a prequel. But, I am happy to say, this one even works alone and probably would have received more attention had the original not been made. There are enough scares (cheap and real), creep-outs, and action (British soldiers vs. native peoples) to please most horror fans. Harlin does a fine job with cinematography and music to keep me riveted throughout. There is never a dull moment. So I say again, forget what you've read in the mainstream press. If you don't get to see it in the theaters, make it a must rent. And if you've never seen the original, watch it after this one.

The Eye (Jian gui)
In this Japanese import (shown with subtitles), a young woman (Angelica Lee), blind since two, regains her sight with a cornea transplant. But with the gift comes a curse. She can see dead people. Soon the real story is revealed and she is off to find the cornea donor. Following a trail that leads to Thailand, she and her doctor (Lawrence Chou) uncover a tale of torment and helplessness that ends with a life lesson. It was hard not to think of The Sixth Sense while watching this film, although there are enough differences to set it apart. But like The Sixth Sense, this one is also more drama than scares and one creepy encounter with a spirit wasn't enough for me to recommend this one, if you can even find it as it is in limited release.

Eyes Wide Shut
Except for fulfilling my Nicole Kidman fantasies, not much else to be said.