Devil - A review by Camilo Arenivar

This movie starts off with a man telling us about a story his mother used to tell him about when the devil would come in human form to torture and then claim souls. The narration, by the character played by Jacob Vargas in the film, comes in and out of the short but direct movie.

“Devil” is part of what is called “The Night Chronicles”, and it’s writer (story not screenplay) is none other than M. Night Shymalayan, the writer/director who rose to large success with his classic “The Sixth Sense” but seems to not have been able to match that. Well, it may be a saving grace of the film that it is directed by John Erick Dowdle, who directed 2008’s “Quarantine”.

I liked Devil very much. It worked decently as a “scary movie”, but in classic Shymalayan fashion, there were also interweaved storylines and even a little bit of a “moral to the story”. It was great to see that talented story telling mixed in with some typical horror scares. I feel that the movie succeeded at delivering this. Of course, maybe I liked it because it’s themes of forgiveness and accountability in a mixture of religion and pop psychology are things that appeal to me personally.

I was entertained, and the movie worked well as both a scary movie and a well connected story. Of course, it’s another one of those movies where belief must be suspended, but then again, we’re talking a horror film here, what are you really expecting?

I am looking forward to the next story in "The Night Chronicles".

Rating: 85

Machete - a brief review by Camilo Arenivar

Alright, this movie is highly entertaining. It is not to be taken very seriously, it is purely for fun. Although there is an underlying political message, it is primarily mindless gore, violence, fun, tits, and ass. If you are a straight male or a Lesbian, the roles of Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba will make this movie worth it strictly on a flesh level.

This movie is over the top, cheesy, and contains a lot of silly dialogue, but a few good lines too. Yes, there is a story, but it is largely typical. The movie almost has the feel of a satire, almost the animated type of violent cartoon you’d expect to see on Adult Swim.

Overall, it is a fun time at the movies. Is it a deep and meaningful movie or anything like that? Is it a film making masterpiece? Totally not. Is it fun (and funny)? Certainly!

Rating: 80