THE EYE - not scary

High production values don't offset the lack of imagination, visual flair or genuine chills in this piss-poor Hollywood remake of the Pang Brothers 2002 original. Jessica Alba plays a blind concert violinist who undergoes an eye transplant after which she starts seeing dead people. Alessandro Nivola is the psychiatrist who helps her journey to Mexico to discover the original owner of her eyes and the secret behind the spooky visions. It's all very predictable, nicely done, but not scary in the least.

THE EYE was released in early 2008 and is available on DVD.

THEM/ILS - better than THE HITCHER, still not brilliant

French couple living in isolated cottage awoken by spooky things that go bump in the night. Film-makers sustain charmingly old-school sinister atmosphere through deft camera-work and sound design. This almost, but not quite, makes up for the lack of plot, character development, genuine suprise ending and standard-issue run-time.

THEM (ILS) was released in France, Belgium, Turkey, Spain, Sweden and Greece in 2006. It is currently on release in Romania and the UK and opens in Finland on February 9th.