This is a difficult one. On the one hand, the constant use of jump scares, which last for about two-thirds of the running time, feels like a cheat. The camera closes in on an actor, the music drops, and then, suddenly, WHAM, something appears, screams indecipherably, and a discordant note strikes. Repeat. And repeat, repeat, and repeat. It’s not difficult to do, and director James Wan (Saw) does it so frequently that you start to wonder, fairly early, if he can do anything else.

He doesn’t seem to, since the story is nonexistent for a large part of the beginning, and once Wan finally settles down and tells it, it gets convoluted and downright silly.

What we do get, at least before the spoiler-mark, is a flashback to 1986. Young Josh Lambert (Garrett Ryan) is troubled by spooky visions so his parents call in Elise Ranier (Lin Shaye), a paranormal something-or-other who senses deadly presences and then decides to hypnotize Lambert into forgetting everything. Jump to the present day, where Josh (Patrick Wilson), his wife Renai (Rose Byre), and son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) are recovering from the events of the first film.

Josh starts acting strange, and Renai suspects something’s come back with him (come back from the supernatural place he went in the first film). At the same time, two bumbling ghost chasers, Specs (Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), team up with quasi-psychic and former colleague of Elise, Carl (Steve Coulter), and Josh’s mother, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) to contact the spirit of (Spoiler for the first film) Elise.

Yeah, we know that picture above is creepy. So was the first Insidious movie. And now, the team of director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell have reunited with the original cast of Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey and Ty Simpkins for a sequel entitled, appropriately enough, Insidious: Chapter 2.

This new movie follows the haunted Lambert family as they seek to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world. Quick guess as to how that goes?

We’re gonna guess not that well. For almost everyone.

Look for Insidious: Chapter 2 to arrive in theaters on September 13. Watch the trailer after the break and prepare to be scared.

So yesterday, we ran part one of this post.  In case you missed it, here were my picks:

• Waiting for Superman
• Winter’s Bone
• The Company Men
• Rabbit Hole/Blue Valentine (tie)
• The Fighter

Now, without further ado, are the rest of my picks for best movies of the year.

5. The Kids Are All Right

This quirky drama won me over in no time. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore play a lesbian couple raising two children who were the product of an anonymous sperm donor. When the kids are old enough, they seek out and find their donor, who is played by Mark Ruffalo.

His character Paul is a perpetually laid-back restaurateur who drives a motorcycle and lives a bohemian lifestyle. The kids are instantly captivated, and develop a relationship with the guy, much to the chagrin of their uptight mom Nic (Bening).

I admire writer/director Lisa Cholodenko for her sensitive handling of the subject matter. A lesser director could have turned this into a slapstick farce, but ultimately the film is funny, touching, and wholly original.  It is also universally relatable.  Bening is a standout in the film for her performance.

I was surprised at how much trouble I had narrowing down my top ten movies this year.  My top 20 were all very close, but here are the movies that I ultimately enjoyed the most. I readily admit that I did not see near as many foreign films as I would have liked, but by the time I cover most of the mainstream fare, there is simply no time left.

Honorable Mentions: Fair Game, Tiny Furniture, Greenberg, Cyrus, The Tillman Story, The American, Mother and Child, Scott Pilgrim.

10. Waiting for Superman
This Documentary was equal parts frustrating, inspirational, and heartbreaking. Director Davis Guggenheim (No End in Sight) sheds light on the dismal state of our public school system. He follows the plight of several children who live in various geographic regions who are placing all of their hope for an decent education into lottery systems for charter or private schools. Guggenheim relies on their compelling stories for a narrative, while interspersing lots of graphics and cartoons illuminating some pretty harrowing statistics.

By Shannon Hood / Originally posted on October 7, 2010

Darren Aronofsky has made a career of choosing interesting, non-traditional material and illuminating the unexpected aspects of his subject matter. Case(s) in point: The Wrestler (a down-trodden wrestler), Pi (mathematicians), Requiem For a Dream (middle-aged drug addiction), and now Black Swan (competitive ballet.)

His knack for taking something completely mundane and elevating it to something tense and dreadful is astonishing. Who would have ever thought that a movie about mathematicians could be exciting, much less sinister? It is no surprise that the man who brought us Pi delivers a dark, provocative, psychological drama, set in the cutthroat (who knew it?) world of competitive ballet.

Natalie Portman stars as Nina, a beautiful ballerina who dances for a New York City ballet company. Though technically gifted, she has never gotten her big break because the company’s arrogant art director thinks she is too bland to carry a performance.

The film opens with us being privy to some of the cattiness that takes place behind the scenes at the ballet. The troupe’s principal ballerina, Beth (Winona Ryder), is being forced into retirement at the ripe old age of 37. Nina finds it sad, and defends the dancer, while the other girls titter on about her age and diminished athletic ability. It’s immediately established that the women are highly competitive. There is no sense of camaraderie, everyone is out for themselves.

The perennial classic Swan Lake is set to be the season opener, and Beth’s departure leaves the principal role wide open. Director Thomas (Vince Cassel) pits the girls against one another as they audition for the coveted role of The Swan Queen.