With the fairly recent hike in movie ticket prices, it is getting increasingly harder to choose which movie to see. Do your research and go prepared so you won't have to suffer with the knowledge that you gave up a kidney and a leg in a game of chance and ended up with a flop. The following is a forecast of what is worth giving $11 over the next two weeks.

The Messengers

Directed by the Pang Brothers, written by Todd Farmer and adapted to screenplay by Mark Wheaton, The Messengers, in a nutshell, is family-in-haunted-house tale. The eldest child (Kristen Stewart) is deeply affected by the things that haunt the house but none of the adults would believe her accounts. Only she and her younger brother, who is too young to speak, can see the terrifying things that happen. They are left to deal with the paranormal helplessly alone. It is clear from the trailer that the plot seems intriguing, that there may be a few good scares, and that the film will definitely contain disturbing images. But is it worth $11?

In my opinion, the movie is worth renting, but not worth paying all that hard-earned cash. The Pang Brothers directed "Bangkok Dangerous" well, but they can do very little to save the film from Todd Farmer's writing. Farmer wrote "Jason X." So unless Wheaton did an out-of-this world job on the screenplay, the dialogue and plot may actually make you laugh instead of shake in fear. It is safe to say that the movie will turn out to be average or horrible, so you should hold out on seeing it until reviews come out.

Because I Said So

Written by Karen Leigh Hopkins and Jessie Nelson and directed by Michael Lehmann, "Because I Said So" showcases Diane Keaton as an overprotective mother who tries to get her daughter (Mandy More) to change her life style. "Because I Said So" seems to be less predictable than "The Messengers" because it has the potential to be an above average movie. The same writers who wrote "I am Sam" may be able to turn this film into something more than a lifetime feature, though this is not to say that it will appeal to everyone. It can be pleasant for those who are dragged to the cinema, because director Lehmann also worked on "40 Days and 40 Nights," which reached out to a broader demographic. Like all movies, unless you are initially interested, you shouldn't spend the ticket price to see it (unless of course you have another purpose for spending that kind of money).