the buzz log

Horrific violence leads the way this Friday the 13th, but the surprise twist is who's interested. Here are this weekend's offerings, in order of Search interest:

1. The Last House on the Left (R). The raw exploitation of Wes Craven's 1972 revenge-horror gets a 21st-century makeover. Although fright flicks generally attract more male interest, 58% of the searches come from females. NPR has called the remake "an exceptional, truly horrific movie" with a "narrative clenched and swift." However, Philly.com finds it "objectionable and nihilistic" and notes the missing lesson that had been in the Vietnam-era original.

2. Race to Witch Mountain (PG). The UFO thriller took 34 years for a re-do. A sour Newsday review believes the effort is "weaker and creakier," but the Hollywood Reporter finds "a crafty mixture of action, humor, and drama." The reimagined Disney flick puts Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson into the driver's seat as a Vegas cabby helping alien twins, but co-star Carla Gugino has launched out-of-this-world Search frenzy thanks in large to her "Watchmen" gig.

3. Miss March (R). Not a remake of a movie, but the premise jumps right out of an '80s song ("My blood runs cold/My angel is a centerfold"). Cable stars of "The Whitest Kids U Know" aim for the big screen in this tale about a man who wakes from a coma and finds his old galpal a Playmate. The "dull" effort only wins one grouchy star out of five from the Orlando Sentinel. Judging from anemic searches, this is the bad-choice-we're-going-to-so-regret-later-dude male bickering movie of the week.