Here's an interesting little film, with Renee Zellweger and a semi-small role with Bradley Cooper.

I don't have any memory of it playing theatrically, but it did make $13 Million at the NABO, and a total of $28 Million WW, with an October, 2010 release.  It was filmed in 2009 with a $27 Million budget, written by Ray Wright who also collabed with Wes Craven on Pulse and wrote The Crazies (remake).

I gotta say I enjoyed this pretty much throughout.  It's well put together, and if you don't know the premise going in, you'll mot likely be surprised in where it goes and how it gets there...but...if you do know the premise, it will seem rather predictable and remind you of several other, "better" movies.

The acting is great, IMO.  Renee comes off very real and believable.  Young Jodelle Ferland (although not nearly as young as she looks or is supposed to be) is incredible.  Really, really strong performance, and IMO, not an easy role to handle.

FX work is good and you can see that there was definitely a good budget to work with.

It may be a little slow overall, but for me, this isn't a problem at all, as the payoff is there over and over.

My advice, see it, but go in blind and don't try to guess where we're going, looking for twists.

Recommended!

What did you think of the Crazies?

I was disappointed.  I liked the opening, liked where it could have/should have gone, but overall, was let down harshly.

I think I've got a review up here on it, actually.

I missed the first 15 minutes, and I guess you're saying that was the best part. What I saw was pretty bad, but I guess it's fine for late night, low budget movies.

Yep, first 30 minutes by for the best.  Went way downhill from there.

MAJOR SPOILERS, SO PLEAE DON'T READ IF YOU ARE GOING TO WATCH IT!!!!!!!!










I quite enjoyed it.

Only problem I had was that they gave the plot away by naming the girl Lilith.

Lilith:

Lilith (Hebrew: לילית‎; lilit, or lilith) is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud (completed between 500 and 700 AD/CE), who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith


The name is so very famous, that it ruined the twist. It's the equivalent of calling someone Lucifer.

Agreed, Rick.  I thought they were calling her Lily at first, but I'm not sure at this point.  Later on, it was definitely Lilith.

I went in semi-blind, but I had heard something or other about it being horror and involving a demon of sorts, but I tried to play along and it worked for me pretty well.

I heard it sat on the studio shelf for 3 or 4 years, and that really surprises me.

This was one of the other three films I rented the other day. I was quite surprised by this. Overall, I liked it. Kind of reminded me of 'The Orphan' a little bit from a few years ago- but that was more thriller than supernatural thriller.

Case 39 sat on a shelf for awhile; the studio didn't know what to with it. It might have had something to do with the original ending (seen on the extras) but I'm not sure. I was also surprised that there was no a/c. Christian Alvant did one for his previous (Released) film, Pandorum, a sci-fi horror which, aside from one element (a character played by Cam Gigandet) really impressed me. I think he filmed Case 39 first though.

The best thing about Case 39, aside from watching Zellwegger losing her sanity, aside from the dogs coming after Ian McShane (*although one questions why didn't they attempt to get the possesed girl/demon to church. Anyone recall a plot point in The Omen?) and the bee scene...is the revolving chair. You know what I mean.