Singer. Songwriter. Fashion designer. Scream queen?

Sounds like Mandy Moore, who first entered the spotlight as a teen pop star in the late 1990s, is determined to be all of the above. And she's going to take her shot at the horror genre with the help of Buried screenwriter Chris Sparling.

Sparling will direct Moore and actor Rodrigo (300, Che) Santoro in Falling Slowly, a supernatural thriller about a couple who find themselves living in an apartment haunted by a dark presence. No word yet on what the dark presence is or if Sparling, who makes his directorial debut on the project, also wrote.

If he directs half as well as he writes, this could be great. Shawn and I dug Buried a lot. The script also earned Sparling a National Board of Review award for best screenplay. But making the transition from writer to director isn't always easy. Just hang back with Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive if you doubt what I say.

As for Moore and Santoro? What knows. With the right script and right director, anyone can be good. I'm not knocking their previous work. I just have no opinion.

Jason and Shawn review: Buried and Catfish

Buried

Jason: I love movies that leave me feeling like I've been punched in the gut and this movie did that to me. The final 10 minutes are unbearably suspenseful and the ending, although some may see it coming, still packs a wallop. This is the kind of movie Alfred Hitchcock would have made if he were still with us. It's cinematic, emotional and even shocking despite its cramped quarters and features a great performance by Ryan Reynolds. This is a one-man show and he owns it. A Good review from me.

Shawn: You know, a man in a box for the whole movie? I wondered if this was something that I would even be able to endure. And I've never really been a fan of Ryan Reynolds, as I believe he should stick with humorous roles as that is what he personifies. Is this a thriller? No, not really. Unless you are highly claustrophobic and also have a fear of snakes. But I was surprised at how well this movie worked and kept me interested. At the end, I was surprised again. Quite pleasantly. That satisfaction was all that was needed to bust this up into a Good category. Low Good, but still Good. Nice job Reynolds. You made me slightly believe that perhaps type casting isn't for you.

Catfish

Jason: Fact or fiction? Or does it even matter? This sure looks and feels like a documentary. No note is false. Every person feels 100 per cent credible. If it's bullshit, then give the makers an award anyway. This movie pulled at me. I felt every emotion while watching it and it's certainly a work for our times; kind of a high-tech, real-life thriller. And, true or not, every Facebook user needs to see this because there is no doubt in my mind this happens every day to people who spend too much time online. In fact, I'd be willing to screen it to people just for that purpose. This is a Good for sure.

Shawn: This was a disturbingly accurate account of possibly hundreds of thousands of people's lives. Thank you Interwebs and social networking for the ability to branch out and let us become a victim to anonymity and other such horrors. Catfish, fake or not, is a great "program" that people who HAVE the technology really should watch. As a documentary, I was pretty impressed that I enjoyed it as I endured a plethora of emotions throughout. As an entertaining film, it rates a Bad, but Catfish is another great documentary.

Next on the chopping block: Buried and Catfish

Where to begin in our descriptions of tonight's films? One is a documentary for our times that has been accused of not being a documentary at all. The other is a one-man show about a man buried in a coffin beneath the sands of Iraq. To say much more would be giving too much away.

Buried stars future Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds, an actor better known for his comedic timing than his dramatic chops. But he's all there really is to Buried and the film hinges on his ability to carry a dramatic role. Does he pull it off:? Stick with us!

Then there's Catfish, a high-tech "thriller" of a documentary about online relationships and dating in the Facebook age. Some believe what happens in Catfish is too good to be true. Being a journalist, I make my bread and butter off of such stories and have come to believe that truth really is stranger than fiction.  In the end, all we in The Basement really care about is does the film work? Tune in tonight and find out.

And don't touch that dial as we discuss the latest movie news, spin some tunes from the likes of Gravity Kills and Mark Collie, and share our thoughts on bad movie ideas. It all happens at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5 FM CFBX Kamloops and online at www.thex.ca.

Now for some previews of coming attractions:

Buried



Catfish

Trailer: Buried

The trailer for Ryan Reynolds new thriller Buried went live on iTunes today. And it looks pretty freakin' intense!

Buried tells the story of Paul, a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone, it's a race against time for Paul to escape this claustrophobic death trap.

The preview doesn't show much, but it sure builds some suspense and tension. My heart was in my throat by the end of it. This is one I will certainly seek out upon release.

Watch the trailer here and tell us what you think!

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/buried/

-Jason