New Releases: October 24, 2014

1. Ouija (Universal, 2,858 Theaters, 89 Minutes, Rated PG-13 for disturbing violent content, frightening horror images, and thematic material):
From the people who brought you Battleship, comes Ouija.

That’s no joke. This is the latest in Hasbro’s attempt to build a franchise out of their holdings to rival Transformers and G.I. Joe. As we know from Battleship, things aren’t going too smoothly in that arena.

They might have a little more luck in this attempt. I mean, it’s not like a Ouija Board has never been used in a horror movie before. However, that might work against them.

Anyway, the plot involves a group of friends who try to contact a deceased comrade through the game and end up getting more than they bargained for.

2. John Wick (Lionsgate/Summit, 2,549 Theaters, 101 Minutes, Rated R for strong and bloody violence throughout, language and brief drug use):
Was anybody else surprised by the amount of emotion that Keanu Reeves showed in the ads for this film? His voice actually raised a few decimals. I was amazed.

The story is that of an ex-hitman who comes out of retirement to track down the criminals who killed his dog (yes, dog). When the trail leads back to a former employer, there will be hell to pay.

The film seems to be a loopy action film in the tradition of Shoot ‘Em Up, and the film has gotten some very good reviews (currently it’s at 91% fresh at Rotten Tomatoes).  It might be worth a shot if you have an afternoon free.