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Vacancy is a good and suspenseful thriller where the good guys, David and Amy Fox (Wilson and Beckinsale), have as much control over what is happening to them as the audience. Wilson and Beckinsale carry the film well, and the homicidal bad guys are pretty damn creepy, but there really is no character development at all. So if you're not a fan of Kate Beckinsale or Luke Wilson in general, then you probably won't care so much for them. Luckily, though, the film is not a thorough character study or an in depth look at a crumbling marriage - it's just a game of cat and mouse (that makes a stab at the idea of snuff films). And, as an avid horror film fan, I can say that this game starts out great. The first twenty to thirty minutes is very intense and unsettling. You feel as uncomfortable and uncertain as the Fox's. Unfortunately, towards the end, the films begins to putter out and becomes a bit predictable. But the hour and a half I spent watching it was a fun, adrenalin packed hour. If that's all you're looking for, this film is for you. After you step out of the theatre, you won't be looking over your shoulder as you walk to your car, want to whip out your night light when you get home, and you won't need to check the closet or under the bed before you go to sleep. Maybe you'll think twice about staying over at a shady motel, though.

I knew nothing of this movie when I went to see it, and I'd recommend that to everyone. Especially if you're a fan of the 1974 film, which I am...it'll be much harder to be disappointed.

Anyway, this movie is entertaining and if you plan to watch it, your viewing has to be in a theatre with good sound. Otherwise, the effect will be lost. The Texas Chainsaw: The Beginning's "scare factor" relies heavily on how insanely gory it is. There's not a lot of intense suspense, and the movie is very predictable. If you're a horror movie fan, then there will be little surprises...it's pretty much like last summer's Wolfcreek meets High Tension, which came out in American about two years ago.

Another issue with this film was how one dimensional the characters were. I felt nothing for any of them and didn't care when there was a unfortunate, very painful death. The acting isn't that bad or that cheesy, there's just nothing there for the actors.

All that said, in the end, the film isn't that bad. It isn't that good either, but if you want something that'll make you cringe, this is definitely the movie for you.

King Kong really is the 9th wonder. Peter Jackson faithfully and beautifully remakes this film. The only difference is the relationship between Ann and Kong, which personally, I think is so much better. Ann Darrow is no longer just a blonde damsel in distress. She's a beauty and Kong's a beast. Also, Naomi Watts, in her portrayal of the character Fay Wray made so iconic, is brilliant. Though she doesn't have millions of spoken lines in the film, her eyes say it all. Naomi is so convincing that not once did I find myself thinking that Kong was CGI, or really, it's just Andy Serkis (who is genius as both Kong and Lumpy, the cook). Watts sells it all.

The rest of the cast is good. Jack Black is great as Carl Denham. You hate him and you love him. Thomas Kretschmann is the perfect guy for a really mysterious captain. Evan Clarke and Jamie Bell play off each other very well and their relationship is sweet. Adrien Brody is nice to look at and acts well with what he's been given by Walsh, Jackson, and Boyens. His character is a bit underdeveloped as well as most of the characters save Ann and Kong. But King Kong is, obviously, a movie about beauty and the beast--Ann Darrow and King Kong.