Has the success of “Paranormal Activity” created a monster?

The Milla Jovovich thriller “The Fourth Kind,” opening today, purports to be about real events and claims its using real documentary footage right alongside actors portraying the same scenes. Turns outmost of it may not be real at all. Read on here.

Why is this so necessary? Can’t we just have well-told suspense stories with good writing?  Ugh.

This weekend, there are a lot of new releases and each one seems to underwhelm in its own particular way.

I saw “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” which may be the least offensive of the bunch, in that its just silly and unfocused and doesn’t amount to much. At least it has George Clooney and Jeff Bridges to make it enjoyable in parts.

Contributor Phil Fava saw “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” with Jim Carrey voicing Scrooge and Robert Zemeckis employing motion-capture animation again, is a perfect example of an adaptation that loses track of what made the original such a classic.

Phil also saw “The Fourth Kind,”  a mixed-up attempt at melding “actual” footage (much of which feels staged) and Hollywood actors into a suspense movie. Maybe its filmmakers should have watched the terrific and underrated “American Splendor” for tips on how to do that better.

This weekend “The Men Who Stare at Goats” will enter theaters with George Clooney leading an impressive cast (Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Ewan McGregor) behind the curtain for a very strange peek into arguably the most powerful organization around—the U.S. military.

Seeing the movie made me think immediately of another great Clooney film that takes a skewed look at the military (see #4). Next thing you know, I had a list. Check out the Top 10 Military Comedies here.

Alas, it’s Friday and we must close out or week-long tribute to horror and Halloween-related Top 10s.

Are you making the perfect Hallowen music compilation? This Top 10 Halloween Rock Tunes has over 100 suggestions (and 10 videos) and that doesn’t even count the comments section!

If you’re a real sicko, you might enjoy this list of Top 10 Instruments of Death in Slasher Films. Actually, it’s pretty funny. (I guess I’m a sicko.)

And lastly, one of our more controversial lists is this Top 10 of the Best Modern Horror Remakes. Didn’t know there were any? Check it out. And have a great holiday!

Well, it’s finally come to our neck of the woods after everyone else in the country has seen it, and I still haven’t seen it. There was only one screening in this area and I had to miss it. Argh!!

Luckily, Scene-Stealers contributor Alan Rapp caught the Coen brothers’ newest (and most personal, I hear) movie “A Serious Man” and he has this review to prove it.

Our week of horror-related Top 10s continues. Today, I’d like to spotlight a double list from J.D. and I called Top 10 Movie Monsters. This one is very personal. These are the monsters that have meant the most to us over the years for some reason or another.

One of our more popular user-submitted Top 10s is this graphic list of Top 10 Unnerving Movie Scenes that’s perfect for the horror fan who wants more gore and mayhem. This stuff will mess you up.

And lastly, in keeping with the tradition of Top 10 of fun horror flicks list from yesterday, here’s a great list of the Top 10 Slapstick Horror Movies. Enjoy!

Our week of Halloween Top 10s continues at Scene-Stealers!

Today’s Top 10 is a good one for the people who love Halloween but don’t like being scared as much as they like the costumes and fun of it all. Brian Reeves from Kansas City contributed this good-humored list of funny horror films.

Check out his list of Top 10 Fun Movies for Halloween right here.

Remember, if you have a Top 10 list you’d like to contribute, email me at eric@scene-stealers.com.

We have a brand-spanking new horror list for you today. It’s a sequel of sorts to my Top 10 Overlooked Scary Movies list from a couple years back. This list (and the other) are for those who want to spice up their Halloween; those movie fans who are sick of the same lame old horror franchises year in and year out at the video store. Ugh.

Want something different this year? Then this is the list for you. Try my Top 10 Horror Movies You Should Rent. You won’t be disappointed. Our Top 10 Halloween week continues tomorrow with another brand new list from a Scene-Stealers user!

Besides having two new Halloween-related Top 10s this week (stay tuned on Tuesday and Wednesday!), we thought we would spotlight some of the great horror Top 10s from the past because they keep getting searched out on the Web.

Need a costume idea for this weekend still? Putting together a Halloween-themed compilation for your party? We can help. We’re starting off Scene-Stealers’ Halloween Week with two lists: J.D.’s Top 10 Movie-Inspired Halloween Costumes and Eric’s Top 10 Scariest Movie Themes list (with music included). Please enjoy.

Two Oscar favorites, John C. Reilly and Hilary Swank, fly into theaters this weekend on very different wings. Swank stars in Mira Nair’s prestige-style biopic of missing aviator Amelia Earhart, while Reilly plays the vampire in one of the worst-titled films of the year, “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant.”

Contributors Alan Rapp and Phil Fava have the lowdown on both movies and, let me tell you, it looks like mild and milder. Might I recommend “Where the Wild Things,” one of the best movies so far this year? I might and I just did. If you’ve already seen it, go again. It’s even better the second time!