"Devil" - on DVD-Keeps You Guessing Thriller

I recently watched  Devil, PG-13, 1 hr, 21 min, out on DVD & Blu-ray, from producer M. Night Shyamalan. Five strangers are trapped in an elevator and discover that one of them is the Devil in disguise. Without giving away too much...A bad or evil aura in a certain space had opened the door to the Devil . He takes on a human form to torment people before taking their souls, enjoying the misery he creates and seeing the expressions on his victim's faces. Everyone on that elevator is on the Devil's  *#!* list and discovering what those reasons are is part of the thrill ride for the viewer. When the Devil is around, things don't behave normally and he creates doubt and confusion in your mind. Innocent people get caught in the crossfire and we know what happens to them. Big surprise twist at the end on who ends up being the Devil in disguise. One of the movie taglines is: "Bad things happen for a reason." Inquiring minds want to know if the Devil manifested the body of that particular person or did he take over the body and mind of an existing person. And without spoiling things, another mystery was the "bite marks"...why this just a method to torment? I wondered if the Devil had possessed her body with the marks as the point of entry. Interesting. This movie is one of three in a similar style produced by Shyamalan under the title The Night Chronicles. The second movie will be called  Reincarnate, slated to shoot in 2011. Other screenwriters and directors will collaborate to make his creative ideas come to life with these movies. Shyamalan has had several movies out in the last few years that did not live up to their hype, and that's not just my opinion. But Devil was a short, solid, character-driven, well-delivered movie that will keep you sitting on the edge of your couch!

The Vampire Diaries - Elena and Elijah: The Deal

The Vampire Diaries returns Thursday, January 27 on The CW with an episode appropriately titled, "The Descent." The last new episode on December 9 left us with finger-tapping, head-scratching cliffhangers as it wrapped for the mid-season finale. Tyler experienced his first werewolf transformation with Caroline offering support. Rose, the vampire, was bitten by the new character, Jules, the female werewolf, who left a nasty mark with lasting consequences. But one information-loaded scene that will effect the forthcoming storyline was the "deal" assumedly made between Elena and Elijah. Fans have focused on other interactions and events in the episode and had only a miniscule amount to say about that scene. A refresher: Elijah offered to protect Elena's friends and family. She, in turn, will try to stay out of trouble and will be used as bait to draw out the ancient, dominating vampire, Klaus. Elijah wants  Elena alive and Klaus dead. He stated that if he wanted Elena or her friends and family dead, he would have already killed them by now. If news gets out that Elena is a doppelganger, vampires will want to capture her to take to Klaus for his approval and reward. Elena must stay alive to allure Klaus to Mystic Falls so Elijah can dispose of him. Spells from witches (Bonnie and another that Elijah knows)  can keep everyone safe. Something to consider: Elijah swears that he keeps his promises - he wants Elena safe and will keep all the people she cares about protected, but once Klaus is dead, if that actually does happen, will he just walk away from Elena or does he have another agenda up his sleeve for her? 

Also, Elijah says his goal is to NOT break the curse of the moonstone, which is interesting. A refresher on the curse: Centuries ago, an Aztec shaman cast the curse. The moonstone BINDS the curse. Vampires cannot tolerate the sun; werewolves can only transform during a full moon and are unable to control themselves. A Petrova doppelganger (Elena) needs sacrificed to BREAK the curse. Her blood along with a vampire, a werewolf, the moonstone and a witch to do the spell are all needed to break the curse. Katherine has been trying to break the curse. She wanted to present to Klaus all those "ingredients" so the curse would be broken and she could win Klaus' approval and then he'd leave her alone. Those "ingredients" were: Elena with the Petrova bloodline, Caroline as the vampire, Mason (killed)/Tyler (newly transformed) as the werewolf, the moonstone and Bonnie as the witch.

When the show returns in January, Damon will be pressing Jules for a cure to the werewolf bite she gave Rose in order to save her. Of course, Jules says in the preview to put a stake in her heart. And what happened to their theory that a werewolf bite would kill a vampire? Rose is stomping around alive...so far. The Vampire Diaries winter break will be agony for dedicated fans. How many more weeks till the show returns?! When? Thursday, January 27!!

"Fringe" - The Observers Intrigue

Fringe - Nominated for favorite SciFi/Fantasy show by People's Choice Awards, will return on Friday, January 21, 2011. The bold move to a Friday is usually considered a death time slot for shows but if any show has the ability to survive, it would be Fringe. Especially with this teaser: An Observer will be making an appearance as he contacts the team to help him correct a mistake he thinks he made. Did you realize that in every episode of Fringe an Observer can be found if you watch close enough for him? Under most circumstances, his appearance is very brief and fleeting but in some episodes the camera focuses directly on him. Many fans would argue that these beings are seen only a few times throughout each season, with a few episodes featuring one or several as main characters. But if you dive into researching on the internet, some sites provide the precise frame or clip of the scene proving that an Observer is actually in every episode. You'll be slapping yourself on the forehead wondering why you never noticed him while watching the show! An Observer is usually lingering near the vicinity in which the Fringe characters are involved in an unusual discovery. They appear at important moments in human history, reaching far back in time, and at "Pattern"-related events. Observers are bald, approximately middle-aged men with no eyebrows, dress in suits and hats, and carry briefcases. They watch and observe and are not supposed to interfere, unless it is to correct a mistake of their own making. Observers keep tabs on our universe and report their findings to an unknown party on some type of communication device. The Observers seem to be named after our months; for example: December and August have been names mentioned in past episodes. Observers are calm, reserved and prefer not showing any emotions; although they are capable of emotions, as witnessed when one shed tears. It remains a mystery as to what their true role and overall mission are in the storyline, but they appear to be a crucial underlying element to the plot, and tend to stir up quite a debate among fans.