Quick Reviews - Part 2

IMPULSE
Directed by Graham Baker.  Written by Nicholas Kazan and Don Carlos Dunaway.  Stars Tim Matheson, Meg Tilly, Hume Cronyn.
1984, 91 minutes, Color, Rated R. 

Spoiler!
 Potboiler that deals with a town that becomes infected with a toxic nerve agent accidentally.  The nerve agent was stored in a government shelter in the woods, and there was an earthquake, and, well, you get the idea.  The townsfolk become less inhibited as a result, and ultimately, everyone dies, killed by the government.  This probably would have worked better in the 70's, but in the 80's it just plays wrong.  It stars Meg Tilley, who is always watchable, and Tim Matheson, who is not.  Rated R for a few choice words, violence, and implied sex (indeed, the worst kind).
End Spoiler! 

DEAD BIRDS 

Directed by Alex Turner.  Written by Simon Barrett.  Stars Henry Thomas, Patrick Fugit, Nicki Aycox.
2004, 91 minutes, Color, Rated R.

This movie almost caused me to drop a deuce in my pants a couple of times.  Somewhat erratic in execution (due no doubt to what was probably a very low budget), but it sure did have some good scares. Nicely acted.

AMITYVILLE-3D (in 2D)

Directed by Richard Fleischer.  Written by William Wales.  Stars Tony Roberts, Tess Harper, Meg Ryan.
1983, 105 minutes, Color, Rated PG.

This is not a good movie by any stretch, but as a simple haunted house movie I kind of dug it.  Perhaps because I saw it in the theater way back when I am positively biased towards it, but I can't fault the movie too much for its problems.  It succeeds in being creepy and has a couple of good jolts, and in the end why do we need more?  The DVD is in widescreen and the image looks alternately fuzzy with mis-registered colors, and rock solid.  The sound is 5.1, but rather unimpressive.