The end of the year is the time when films bidding for Best Picture tend to be released. The opposite can be said about those looking for Razzies.
These less than favorable movies are released in January and February while the rest of the world catches up on the movies they should have seen in December. Already in 2014 we have had a few films released that look so bad you have to change the channel during the commercial.
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
Another Paranormal Activity film, this time released just after New Year’s Day? Something is terribly wrong when a popular horror franchise cannot capitalize on the Halloween rush.
The latest in the run, ‘Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,’ appears to be yet another repeat of bad acting with constant jump scenes to make you think you’re being cleverly scared. These films offer terror on a level of someone tapping you on the shoulder when you have a pair of headphones on. A consensus roll of the eyes happened when the trailer for this film was first released followed with the dreadful words, “Not again…”
I, Frankenstein
Aaron Eckhart might be one of the last actors we would expect to play Frankenstein’s Monster. In ‘I, Frankenstein’ he does the unexpected and plays the legendary monster in some sort of a modern day telling.
This is another one of those films with an interesting logline and a poor execution as it relies heavily on special effects that do not meet standards. While visually attractive, I’m sure the film has a poorly constructed story that is difficult to follow due to its own predictability. Why steal the name of one of the most classic monsters just to make a bad movie? Oh right, money.
That Awkward Moment
Zac Efron ditches the clean Disney image in ‘That Awkward Moment.’ A film about three male best friends doing male best friend things like talking about girl problems and being shirtless a lot, ‘That Awkward Moment’ looks to be more for the ladies than it is for the gentleman.
Titled after a Facebook status trend, this movie has all the workings of being forgettable. Efron’s comedic timing is worse than ex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens’s ability to keep nude photographs private. Unless for a change the trailer only shows the unfunny parts, I expect very little from this gem.
Vampire Academy
‘Twilight’ set back the idea of vampires being bloodthirsty creatures worth fearing. ‘Vampire Academy’ looks to set a new standard of bad vampire movies.
A mix of teen drama and a watered down ‘True Blood’ is what this film gives off the impression of being. This is nothing more than the studios trying to capitalize on the dying genre of vampires. The target demographic will probably enjoy the film because it will deliver everything they need; a mindless and familiar story.
About Last Night
Kevin Hart has exploded into Hollywood. The feisty short comedian already had ‘Ride Along’ released earlier in the year and on Valentine’s Day ‘About Last Night’ came out.
While some fans of Hart may enjoy the film, it is still quite a change for him. Certainly the expected audience for this film was urban couples looking for something to do over the most loving weekend of the year. It’s hard to argue that this movie was not made for a wide variety of people. The released timing should help at the box office and Hart’s rise to fame and plethora of jokes about his height, the basis for everything he does, will give fans of his what they want.
