Stephen King's Children of the Corn (1984)

A creepy concept with decent execution at barely 90 minutes. The film opens with a narration (a signature trait of King's stories) by little Job about how a once sweet small town in Nebraska went so sour so fast because he and his clairvoyant sister Sarah are the only youngsters that don't wield farm tools. Biblical names galore in this picture, too, because, well, Gatlin's got religion. Trouble is, the poor children should have lost it instead of losing their minds (and their parents) and seeking to reap the harvest of fanaticism.
But no worries; Sarah Connor, the mother of humanity's savior, real name Linda Hamilton, has come to town, or maybe those credentials do not extend beyond The Terminator story (also released in 1984). Along with Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton gives a satisfactory performance, but the characters lack notable substance outside of being a happy couple. She wants to get married; he doesn't. What else is new? The screenplay was on a diet.

The best part is the kids and eerie atmosphere. The close camera angles on the farm tools and children make for remarkable imagery, along with wide shots of the desolate ghost town. There is also a nice but shoddy theme about manipulation and how it can lead people to commit terrible acts.

Of course, this manipulation comes from a supernatural demon that lurks behind the rows of corn, but hey--what else from a Stephen King story! I guess Old Scratch enjoys corn on the cob and possessing Isaac, sporting devil horns and a very deep pubescent voice.

Mademoiselle C (2013, Fabien Constant)

Rating: 7 out of 10

This French documentary focuses on the making of a fashion magazine and offers snippets from the busy life of prominent fashion mogul, Carine Roitfeld, who is both quirky and intriguing.

Because I know zilch about couture and fashion, this was a nice getaway from typical movies, and attractive French women (as well as the gorgeous language) doesn't hurt! Her ballet instructor was a looker, too, as were plenty of the models who actually had some meat on their bones!

Those in the fashion world, or at least those in this documentary, say that fashion is a dream world with tasteful (or cringe-worthy, you be the judge!) clothing that we would love to see people wear in that dream world. I was drawn to this documentary due to the artsy cover it has on Netflix, and for the same reason I got a laugh out of Zoolander.

Overall, Carine I found to be rather likeable and open about her feelings. One might say vapid is as vapid does, but I appreciate art.  The reviews almost turned me away, saying it had scatterbrained editing and focused on 'soulless' fashion weirdos, but I stuck with it and it paid off! I would love to have a copy of the first issue the movie is about, since most of the shoots were eye-catching (especially the artful nude ones). Photos from the magazine are available for viewing at CRfashionbook.com and "CR Fashion Book" on FaceBook.

This is a serious but lighthearted take on the magazine production and honest glimpse into Carine's quirky character, who I'd never heard of before, offering an abundance of celebrity cameos and who's-who's of the fashion world. It was a neat 90 minutes or so.

Diana (2013, Oliver Hirschbiegel)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Very enjoyable portrait about love, compassion, discontent and choice. Naomi Watts is a constant delight on screen and she shines brighter than ever in gorgeous gowns and to-die-for hair-and-make-up. The brunette wig sequences show that Naomi's beauty is omni--oh, what's the word? Breathtaking? Exquisite?

During sad moments, Watts takes the sympathetic Princess Di and sheds a tear to remind us why the Princess was so loved. Without this wonderful and very human performance, "Diana" would not be as touching.

 The film is roughly shot in the beginning but by its end I could list a handful of scenes that were so effective at summarizing the woes of a Princess that was forever in the public eye until her woe was at last gone and the world inherited her mourning about this bittersweet existence that all of us struggle to understand. The musical score was great, and there are plenty of lines from the dialogue that I loved as well as plenty of picturesque frames.

I hope Diana found that elusive garden of love, despite her tragic route of escape not being the most desirable one. Naomi Watts admittedly wishes this picture about a "gorgeous creature" had been received better, and so do I, for it has a softness to it that carried me vicariously along into Diana's dreams. She fell, yet flew. I fell in love with her dreams.

The Lifeguard (2013, written/directed by Liz M. Garcia)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Kristen Bell is cute and vulnerable as a 29 year old reporter that is not happy with her life. She goes back home and starts an ill-advised fling with a 16 year old boy (David Lambert, in a fine performance) who is going through his own bout of confusion for his future. I won't dwell long on the "controversial" subject matter that pertains to such a relationship, mostly because if he were simply two years older, it wouldn't be an issue and is therefore a silly thing to get in a twist about. Other people have their opinions, but that is not the purpose of this story.

I am generally interested in these little movies that have an indie vibe to them. The performances were solid, and Bell is absolutely gorgeous, morphing between sad older woman and smitten girl who's wound back the clock. She also gives an unexpected amount of T&A without it going overboard. We see why this boy is so crazy about her, but remember it is mainly because they care about each other. Stuff happens in life.

Then you move on. Or you will drown.

The emotions in this picture are very real and tug at the heart. Everyone is struggling and fails to see what they are doing wrong. It was an enjoyable look into how people find the courage (often due to other's encouragement) to tackle the future, or sadly surrender to the pain. The community pool setting and outdoor scenes made for plenty of nice visuals and montages. The film is not too long or too short; it feels just right. I was expecting a 'chick flick' but was surprised by the attention that was given to the other characters.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (Neil Jordan, 1994)

Rating: 7 out of 10 (Enjoyable)

Admittedly, I did not like the warm color scheme for this adaptation of Anne Rice's novel (who also penned the screenplay). It quickly became apparent that this was a classical vampire story, so immediately I turned down the color on my TV. The undead do relish the dark, living coldly in shadow, so I loved the new murky look. Sapping the color intensified the creepy and dark quality of this film.

Lestat (Tom Cruise) has come to terms with his immortal curse as a vampire. He is demented and thirsty--never convinced that he has sucked enough blood from his victims. One of his victims--although Lestat would disagree--is Louis (Brad Pitt). He has been sired by Lestat and thrust into a new, dark and sunless existence. Louis is a sulky anomaly: A vampire with a conscience! He does not want to join Lestat's round-the-clock bloodsucking feast. No, Louis wants answers to life, some meaning to grasp onto about how he fits in the world as an undead shell. He misses the color of the ocean for he can now only view it at night and the gorgeous beauty of the sun that would scorch him where he sulks. Louis languishes in sorrow, and Lestat gives him no comfort in his torment.

Reborn by caprice, pity and madness is little Claudia (Kirsten Dunst, in an impressive performance). Lestat has broken the vampire code of conduct by siring a child. The undead brat doesn't understand why she will not age and her insatiable thirst for blood startles even Lestat (who dances with corpses from time to time) as Louis tries to play big brother with her, despite the girl's increasing depravity.

Among the undead is a very old vampire, Armand (Antonio Banderas) that is as puzzled about his immortal curse as Louis is, who mistakenly thinks Armand can help him understand it, and conflict ensues due to Santiago's (Stephen Rea) playfully dangerous presence. Louis finds Armand more appealing than Lestat, but Armand is no saint as he and his minions disrobe, humiliate and murder a terrified girl during a stage play in front of an aghast human crowd. Scenes like this are the best of the lot, but they do not prevent a misguided final scene.

The final scene abandons the dark and weary tone of the film, despite taking place after a bittersweet end to Louis' plight as his own evil continues to plague others. An uncharacteristic song begins to play that makes it more jarring and then the credits roll. This bothered me after being so moved by the pathos. Overall, this is still an effective tale about vampires and there is a great deal of lasting and classic imagery that even becomes disturbing at times due to the scary music, content (like people being lit on fire), and well done makeup design. These vampires look beautiful but they are brutal, one way or another.