re:mote voices

Title:The Fog
Cast: Tom Welling, Maggie Grace (that blonde lassie from Lost), Selma Blair
Director:Rupert Wainwright

Title:The Hills Have Eyes
Cast: Tom Bower, Ted Levine, Kathleen Quinlan, Dan Byrd, Emilie de Ravin (that other blonde lassie from Lost), Aaron Stanford, Vinessa Shaw
Director: Alexandre Aja

Well. If "Hollywood" has become too lazy to do new films, then I guess I'll become too lazy to do separate and original reviews? The Fog and The Hills Have Eyes both have a lot in common. Both being remakes of horror films. Both featuring actresses from the hit TV series Lost in prominent roles. Both spend too much time explaining what they are about, to the point where any idiot should get it well before the 100th repetition. Both are based on films by people with a certain debateable reputation - John Carpenter (The Fog) and Wes Craven (The Hills).

The films do have some differences. The Fog is effects heavy, while The Hills is rawer and nastier. Though neither are particularly striking, original, or actually worthwhile. The Fog has that kid superman from Smallville and the more worthwhile Selma Blair. The Hills has direction by Alexandre Aja, who was responsible for the French horror Haute Tension. Despite it's flaws Haute Tension was more original and stylistic than many. Which would suggest that The Hills should be similarly so, but instead it falls into the rut of just being another film exactly the same as dozens of others.

Even as dumb/popcorn movies, neither of these films is particularly worth your while.