The World of Disgruntled Monkey

Review: 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

2012-02-12T03:59:00.000-08:00

“Come on, man. Guns, murderers and crooked cops? I was madefor this, bro.”

Director: John Singleton

Actors: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Cole Hauser and EvaMendes

Writers: Michael Brandt and Derek Haas

You could say that the first film was held up thanks toDiesel’s charisma and the car scenes. So maybe going ahead with a sequel andmissing half that equation might seem like a big mistake. But none the less weshall forge on without Diesel. I’m sure nothing could possibly go wrong.

So without Vin Diesel most of the heavy lifting has to bedone by Paul Walker. Unfortunately for us he’s still the same wooden presenceas before. While I acknowledge that I give him a lot of crap, I think it’smainly because he’s capable of being a good. Watch Running Scared and beamazed. Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce is interesting enough and I kind of likedhim, but he needs a stronger lead to bounce off. Eva Mendes is fine enough asthe love interest but doesn’t have much to do other than look pretty. Yet againI think it’s a shame as she is a capable actor. Where things really pick up isin the villain department, Cole Hauser is a menacing presence. Carter Verone isactually a sleazy, cold character that really does give the movie a good focusunlike the first one. Oh and I really liked Ludacris’s character Tej. Wishthere was more but I’ll take what I can.

This sequel tries to ramp up the action, but it commits oneof the greatest sins, it goes too CGI. In the case of a racing action movie, Ibelieve the audience needs to have a sense of reality when it comes to driving.When the cars look too fake it destroys any excitement that can be gained.Thankfully not everything is over done and there are still some great setpieces. There is a certain rush to all these movies that comes from the speedsand crazy twists and turns.

Plot wise we actually have two hero’s against a crediblevillain and as such it does create a certain pace that was lacking in the firstfilm. Where it all falls apart is the dialogue, which goes to some cheesylevels. There is also a smattering of bro’s, dudes and other such names thatmake me feel that this was written by a surfing guy. While there is betterfocus, there are still plot points that just make me scratch my head. At onepoint our pair of heroes is driving to audition for some crime jobs, which theyare doing to help the FBI. The FBI is tracking through tracers on their carsand when they see the cars speeding away they assume that they are runningaway. Why? They’re doing exactly what you want. It’s just a way for them tocreate false tension during the scenes. Thank about it too much and the moviecomes crashing down.

I can see why people think this is the worst of the Fast andFurious movies. The absence of Vin Diesel is notable, and even with theaddition of a good villain and a more focused plot, the movie is totally undoneby a boring main lead and a story that just has plot points that are stupid ifgiven too much thought. However if you really want to see some good car actionhere, then I can’t fault you for trying this movie out, but better stuff is inthe future of this franchise.

Review: The Fast and The Furious (2001)

2012-02-11T03:51:00.000-08:00

“Ask any racer, any real racer. It doesn't matter if you winby an inch or a mile; winning's winning.”

Director: Rob Cohen

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez andJordana Brewster

Written: Gary Scott Thompson, Erik Bergquist and David Ayer

Never in a million years did I think I would ever like theFast and Furious Franchise but low and behold I’ve been a fan. I can’t say I’ma car person but there was something about this movie that connected with theaction junky in me. Last year I reviewed the fifth in the series. Well thismonth I’ve decided to go back and review the other four. So hold on tight,because this is going to be a bumpy ride.

First off I think the main reason this movie worked is inthe casting of Vin Diesel. He definitely has an alpha male quality that worksfor Dominic Toretto, a charisma that works for this particular cheesy film.It’s the same type of swagger Stallone and Schwarzenegger had. Paul Walker asBrian O’Conner is the weakest actor in this movie, with him being akin to awalking piece of wood. He only ever feels animated when he starts acting like aBro, but then it verges on the annoying. Michelle Rodriguez (Letty) plays thetough female character, she doesn’t get much play in the movie but at least hasenough time to make a character. Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto, is the loveinterest of Mr Walker and when in his presence acts circles around him.

Action wise this movie makes sure that the camera gets allthe details of the racing, and really does glorify it. Other than racing thereare a few scuffles but the fights are down and dirty. Nothing as over the topas The Rock vs Vin Diesel in the fifth movie. Really at this point the moviefranchise was concentrating on the cars rather than just putting together agood action movie. In my honest opinion there seems to not be as much action asyou would expect as there is the main focus on the Bromance of Dominic andBrian. Visually the movie is pretty plain, it manages to catch what action itcan solidly, but there just seems to be a lack of style. During the racing gettogethers there is a bit of life, as the party atmosphere is brought to thefore front. Still from what it would become, this is visually one of the weakermovies in the franchise.

Scripting is also a problem with the plot not really movingon at a great pace. In fact this movie is pretty padded with no real sense ofdirection. The main problem comes from the fact that the main villain isn’tactually given the focus so there is no sense of danger. Only at the end is themain villain crammed in at the end, and shows any sort of threat. Add to thatthe dialogue that hurts to listen to. Very macho, very cheesy and coming fromthe mouth of Paul Walker it does make me want to smack my head against a wall.

Overall I’m not sure how a franchise was made from thismovie. The action is decent, and Vin Diesel does make his presence known, butit’s a movie that really lacks direction. As much as people criticise thesequel (which I probably will), it at least had climax worth rushing to. Maybeit was the focus on cars that drew people in, maybe that was the reason it wassuccessful, but whatever the case the movies eventually morphed into somethingbetter.

Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

2012-02-07T23:42:00.000-08:00

“Ha ha ha, wasn't that just magnificent? I was worried itwas getting a little dodgy in the middle part, but then that finale... Wow!”

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, FreddieHighmore and David Kelly

Writer: John August

So I should probably put up front that Willy Wonka and theChocolate Factory is my favourite childhood movie. When I heard Tim Burton wasremaking the movie I wasn’t that worried, when I heard Johnny Depp would beplaying Willy Wonka I wasn’t that worried. In fact you could say I went intothis movie with the highest of expectations. Where did it go so wrong?

To me this movie has it’s share of both good and bad, withthe bad really overwhelming the good. I think the perfect example of this wouldbe in the acting. With the four naughty children played by Anasophia Robb,Julia Winter, Jordan Fry and Phillip Wiegratz, they really do hit the mark withtheir characters. Each child represents perfectly a problem child and is verydistinctive. Honestly when it comes to Veruca Salt, Mike Teavee, VioletBeauregarde and Augustus Gloop, I like these versions better than the original.

However when we move on to the two main characters thingsfall apart. I’m not sure what Johnny Depp was trying to do, but it just didn’twork. His Willy Wonka is annoying, and just seems to be played too childish ifthat’s possible, and I just didn’t care about him, which is a problem as he’sthe actual main character in this movie. Freddie Highmore as Charlie is hurtwith some bad writing, but like Depp he also seems to make a character choicethat just doesn’t work. Charlie is way to goody goody, and it is just bloodyridiculous that a child can be this angelic; it verges on the Jesus side of theequation. In the original Charlie was still a good boy, but he had his selfishmoments like any kid would.

Visually this movie kicks the ass out of the original.Obviously this is Tim Burtons strong suit and the entire factory looks awesome.Each room is distinctive and the ideas behind some of the candy is expressedvisually just perfect. But as I was going through the factory I just wasn’t asfascinated as I would normally be, I do find this weird, I will clearly admitthat this is my own problem. But I can’t help wonder if this has to do with theold argument of CGI vs Pratical.

Story wise the movie focuses more on Willy Wonka, ratherthan Charlie. It’s a tad off putting especially given the performance of Depp.There are also ideas in the movie that make me scratch my head some what. WhenI hear the name Ommpa Loompa I don’t imagine a really small man, something abit more fantastical pops into my head. Also there is a lot of showing the backstory of how Willy Wonka came to be and honestly I liked the mystery behind theman. By concentrating on Willy Wonka there is a dilution in Charlie’s story andthat’s where we really get our emotional pay off.

It was around Planetof the Apes I started to turn away from Tim Burton, I was some what relievedwith Big Fish as it adds a grand emotional core not really common in Burton’s work. But withCharlie and the Chocolate Factory the camels back was broken. Burton is a master of visuals, but it seemswith Big Fish he’s used up what was ever left of his story telling juice, asthis movie is a hollow experience filled with some bad acting choices, and astory that just doesn’t work. Sure the visuals are great, and some the childperformers are fantastic but I’ve come to expect a lot more from Burton. Basically thismovie is very much like chocolate, tastes great, but there’s nothing good foryou in it.

Fantastical Reality

2012-02-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

So I’m a big fan of The Soup with Joel McHale, and whilethey don’t solely deal with reality television, they do get a good chunk oftheir stuff from there. Some of the reality programs I’ve seen on The Soup aretruly horrifying. Gigolos, Housewives of (enter one of many America cities), Jersey Shoreand a hole host of so called television programming.

When it comes to these shows, my first initial reaction ismock the hell out of them, but surely this is a little hypocritical. I watchreality shows, and as much as I try to justify my love of the shows I watch,but decry the stuff I don’t I just get that feeling that I’m talking out of myass. Just for the record the shows that I watch are Ghost Hunters, DeadliestCatch and To Catch a Predator. Occasionally I might delve into some cookingbased reality shows, but that’s really it.

If there is one difference I would like to point out, onewhich I think works in my favour (not biased at all). Is that the reality showsthat I like to watch are of people actually doing things. Catching ghosts,catching fish, catching paedophiles, hmm I think their might be a running themethere. Where I think people get upset with reality television shows is theartificial celebrity that is created, especially those celebrities who seem tobe famous for being famous.

Kardashians, Snooki, Hilton they are well known for doingnothing. This is like a red flag to a bull for some people as they look attheir lives, see they are doing more than these people on television, but don’thave the ridiculous amounts of money these television idols have. I canunderstand why people get pissed but here is where I bring things full circle.

I watch The Soup and find it hilarious, but it wouldn’t beso hilarious if the show didn’t have reality television to aim most its jokes.We can’t really complain about reality television because we are the ones whomake it popular. It sucks but until people turn to another channel we willnever be free. Some people like to blame the studios, claiming that realitytelevision only gets made because it’s cheap to make. Partial true but it’sreally all the people watching it that give the studio executives the drive toput these shows out there.

So am I going to lead by example? Sorry I enjoy The Soup toomuch. If you want me I’ll be over here laughing rather that yelling.

I really do love this show. More people need to watch it.

Review: Super (2010)

2012-02-07T03:19:00.000-08:00

“Shut up, crime!”

Director: James Gunn

Starring: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and KevinBacon

Writer: James Gunn

(Warning: I do talkvery briefly about the end of this movie. No details but the general feeling.If you want to be completely spoiler free then do not progress.)

James Gunn, comes back to movies with Super. After Slither Ireally wanted more from the man, but he seemed to disappear for a bit. SinceI’ve learnt he went to TV and did a few pilots and episodes, not to mention afair chunk of writing. With a welcome return, he puts his sight on thesuperhero world. I can only hope at the twisted stuff he comes up with for thismovie.

Well if I was hoping for a twisted take on the superherogenre, I got my wish and then some. This movie is pretty damn dark, and I cansee many people getting turned off by what they are seeing. I myself waswatching this with someone and they were turned off by the demented world Frank(Rainn Wilson) lives in. While the story is quite simple; husband becomes acostumed crime fighter to get his wife back from a drug dealer; it’s all theside character stuff that is very interesting. Questions or morality, right andwrong, sanity and finding happiness are all dealt with but never forced. We areasked to witness some brutal dark actions, and then be asked if the endjustifies the means.

Taking that question of ends justifying the means, JamesGunn weaves this into the action pacing and break down of the movie. As I saidthis movie gets into some dark territory and yet I can say has one of the mostjoyous endings I’ve seen in a while. The funny thing is an ending like thiswouldn’t have worked in another more mellow movie. We need the darkness of thebrunt of the movie, to be won over by the light at the end. In the end JamesGunn makes a movie that asks us if we can enjoy a happy ending if it has comefrom such a twisted and horrid place.

Of course a movie that’s trying to operate as a piece oftrash cinema and a thoughtful look at heavy themes, needs actors who can ham itup, but also give enough moments where we can see the message written in theirfaces. Rainn Wilson is more hit than miss, but sometimes he skirted too closegoing over the top. It doesn’t destroy the movie; in fact Rainn Wilson needs tobe congratulated on such a great effort in such a tough role, but I do see roomfor improvement. Ellen Page as Libby is just awesome. I’ve enjoyed Ellen in allher movies, and this particular role is great as it has her playing veryagainst type. It shows diversity that just makes me excited for the futureroles she will take. In Libby she strikes a perfect balance of villainousinsanity with a certain level of sympathy. Liv Tyler as Frank’s wife Sarah is alittle weak, but she doesn’t have to do much, and is more a plot moving devicerather than a character. Kevin Bacon as drug dealer Jacques shows once morethat he is the man. While being the villain, and doing some horrendous stuff,he comes of as normal when compared to Frank and offers a guy who you could befriends with if he wasn’t such a douche bag.

Visually the movie works as like a Troma film. If you don’tknow what that means then maybe this is also a sign this isn’t a movie for you.But basically everything seems to be done on the cheap, and yet at the sametime there is a visually aesthetic that just screams gross out fun. Howeverwhen the movie takes those dark turns it makes sure that the violence is morerealistic to really hammer home the impact. In one particular scene I was squirminga lot, such was the realism used.

Super was a great experience, and is a movie I want to havein my DVD collection. Even though this was a great film in my opinion, I cansee this just not being to everyone’s taste. Sure the ending in my mind justifieswhat I’ve just sat through, but others will not agree. If you have a love ofTroma films then dive right in as I see Super as a Troma film with a heart andintelligence. Otherwise maybe move on to other things.

Review: Lost Boys – The Thirst (2010)

2012-02-05T23:18:00.000-08:00

“Holy shit! It's the attack of Grandpa Munster!”

Director: Dario Piana

Starring: Corey Feldman, Casey B Dolan and Jamison Newlander

Writers: Evan Charnov and Hans Rodionoff

Crawling wounded from Lost Boys the Tribe; I knew I had thethird one arriving any day. Those days of waiting were made up of mostly cryingmyself to sleep, and wondering why I did this to myself. It would be easier tojust stop this whole reviewing lark and just watch the movies I really wanted towatch. Oh well I can’t stop now after so many reviews.

Wait a minute; this story is different and kind ofinteresting. I’m a amazed. Hang on it centres on the Frog Brothers; okay I’mgetting more interested. Wow they mention the other characters and give reasonsfor them not being around. Gee that was kind of a touching moment dedicated toCorey Haim. Okay I’m going to stop there and do a proper review because itlooks like this movie is actually giving a damn.

So first off the acting in this isn’t great, but it’s somuch better than the second movie. Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander aregreat as the Frog Brothers and do share this chemistry which makes me give adamn about the characters. As for everyone else I actually liked them. Thevampires were a little different from the original cadre and this made them aninteresting villain. The human’s were funny enough and given enough to do thatthey worked as a group. Casey B Dolan was also a cutey as Zoe, and offered us aquirky character for Corey Feldman to bounce off.

Story wise the movie gets it right where the second screwedup. This is not a rehash of the Lost Boys but a new story set in the sameworld. The villains plot was actually pretty good, and while I didn’t reallycare for the twist, it was far from a deal breaker. Look I’m not going to standhere and say that this story is gripping, but at least some effort went intoit. So much that I did cheer at one point, and I did feel mildly touched at oneparticular scene. The writers haven’t shot for the moon but they’ve tried to atleast get in the entertaining zone.

Special effects are also upgraded from the second movie, butare still that straight to video quality. Yet again though it seems people havetaken at least some care in what they are doing. Also the idea behind some ofthe weapons are pretty cool, and I would love to see them used in some kind ofFrog Brothers, From Dusk Till Dawn crossover. Scarily it wouldn’t surprise meif someone has written this type of fan fiction.

Where as the sloppiness and laziness of The Tribe got mequite riled up, I was actually entertained by this movie. No way will it evermake a top 10, 50 or even 100 list with me, but sometimes all movie goers needto be is entertained. I can’t really recommend this to anyone but hardcorelovers of either the Frog Brothers or vampire movies in general. At least thismovie has restored the sanity that I lost in watching the sequel.

Review: Lost Boys – The Tribe (2008)

2012-02-04T20:00:00.001-08:00

“I'm Edgar Frog, surfboard shaper and vampire hunter.”

Director: P J Pesce

Actors: Tad Hilgenbrink, Angus Sutherland, Autumn Reeser andCorey Feldman

Writers: Hans Rodionoff

Come with me as we step into a zone beyond time and space.Where the normal movie rules are thrown into complete disregard, and as youwander about you’ll begin to question your sanity. Welcome to the Cheap Cash inZone. (cue Twilight Zone Music) With an intro like that I’m pretty sure youknow where this review is going, but please come with me as we trudge throughthis movie.

Before I get into the bad, I will deal with the two thingsthat I enjoyed in this movie. First is Angus Sutherland as the head vampireShane. Now I’m not going to stand here and say that he’s a great actor, buthe’s definitely got the Sutherland Charisma. I believed that he could bringtogether a motley crew of vampires and lead them through their undyingexistence. The second positive is Corey Feldman as Edgar Frog. He knows thecharacter, he is the character. Some of his dialogue is a little cringe worthy,but at that’s more at the hands of the writer and not him. Basically if youloved the Frog brothers from the original movie than you shouldn’t enjoy seeinghim again.

Everything in this movie is laughable, and reeks oflaziness. I try not to get mad at movies as there is no real point in it, butthis movie really got under my skin as it seemed as if the makers of the moviereally didn’t care. I’ll give some examples to help you understand. There is adriving scene where on of the characters ask how they are going to surf atnight, seeming there is no moon out, cut to a scene of them surfing where thereis a full bloody moon! Next we have a character who disbelieves in vampires,even though she is becoming one and nearly killed a man. Okay maybe she doesn’tremember right? Well that’s blown out of the water as only a minute later shenow is complaining about the thirst she felt in the moment before. What thehell? No one cares about consistency and continuity in this movie, and as suchit just reeks of laziness and an insult to the audience members.

The story here is basically beat for beat the same as theoriginal, but even at the same basic running time doesn’t manage to gives us asfleshed out characters, or really highlight the gradual change into a vampire.Honestly watching this movie back to back with the first film would be anexcellent lesson in how to pace a movie correctly, and how to actually make uscare about characters. It’s amazing how this movie can’t even copy correctly.

There is more to complain about in the movie but I’vecovered the two major points, which pretty much reduce this movie to anunwatchable mess. People who love the film and want some more Frog Brotheraction best look elsewhere. There is a third movie out there and yes I havewatched it, and yes I will be reviewing it. While I won’t give away my thoughtson the movie, I can confirm you don’t need to watch this movie, to watch theother one. So at the end of the day you don’t need to go anywhere near thisfetid piece of crap.

Review: Chronicle (2012)

2012-02-04T02:12:00.000-08:00

“Listen to me, we can't screw around with this it's toodangerous.”

Director: Josh Trank

Starring: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell and Michael B Jordan

Writer: Max Landis

It’s hard for me to get too excited about super hero moviesthese days. Sure I’m looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises, but I can’t helpfeel a little burnt out on it all. This is a bad thing considering I work at acomic book store. Fact is it’s been a while since I’ve truly been wowed by asuperhero premise in films. Off the top of my mind I would say the last timethis happened was with the movie Unbreakable. Well it seems it’s time to bewowed once more with Chronicle.

Truly the power of the movie is in its story and its uniqueway of filming. I’ve heard people call this a found footage film but it’s farfrom it. It’s not so much found footage as a movie which weaves a story throughthe use of the filming eye. We have two characters that are filming the events,along with footage from security cameras, news reports and other sources. Byusing the unique perspective but getting away from the trappings of the foundfootage film, Chronicle is able to breathe life into this filming conventionand really raise the bar for other movies to come.

The story is also very strong. Simple, yet detailed tocreate significant meaning. Equal parts tragic and funny, this is one of thebest origin stories around. At the end of the movie, there is room for sequels,but it doesn’t feel cheap. This is a very satisfying first chapter in a biggerstory. If they were to never make another movie, I would be happy enough. Atits heart are characters that are fully fleshed out, and create an interestingjourney into the beginning of being hero’s and villains. There are things tolearn from this movie, but it’s never forced down your throat.

Of course one of the major problems with films that go for afound footage feel is the actors. Because the movie is trying to make youbelieve in the characters, they can’t really use known actors. This can lead tosome god awful performances as the film has gone for unknowns, rather thantalent. Chronicle strikes a wonderful balance with having great actors, butgetting ones relatively new to their career so they have the experience andacclaim in some circles, but won’t be recognised by the average movie goer. Inthe case of this film it’s all about the trio of teens who find power, as otheractors are more dressing for their emotional core.

Dane DeHaan is the centre of the story, as the bullied andabused teen Andrew. The one who embraces his powers the most; he’s also themost damaged and is the one who ultimately has to face his demons. For all thedarkness in the character, he also manages to show the joy of a teenagerfinding friends and a meaning to his life. Alex Russell plays Matt, cousin toAndrew and someone who’s pulled away from the social circles of school.Ostracising himself he is trying to find a human connection, but thanks toisolation he has trouble. Finally Michael B Jordan plays Steve, the all star ofthe group. Over achiever, looking to get into politics, social butterfly, hislife has purpose, but with the power he finally is given something that giveshim a great sense of joy. Fun without worry, freedom with limits. All threerepresent a perfect trio, and the actors are believable. Every step of the wayI was with them, feeling every emotional turn.

Dealing with teens that have super powers, that means thereare special effects to be had. Also unlike some found footage movies that tryand hide the supernatural/science fiction elements, this movie glorifies it.That being the case sometimes the special effects can seem a little off, forthe most part I didn’t really notice but maybe one or two times I was pulledout by the bad CGI, thankfully thanks to the acting and story I was quicklypulled back in.

Honestly I loved this movie, and the more I think aboutthings, the more I realise that this could be one of my favourite movies of theyear. It has such a strong story and manages to pack everything in under ninetyminutes. Some movies that come off bloated should take note. People need to getto the cinemas. Chronicle is a journey on well trodden road, but it makeseverything seem brand new.

Review: Underworld Awakening (2012)

2012-01-25T23:54:00.000-08:00

“This day was bound to come!”

Directors: Mans Marlind, Bjorn Stein

Actors: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Indie Eisley andMichael Ealy

Writers: Len Wiseman, John Hlavin, J Michael Straczynski andAllison Burnett

My first 2012 movie for the year, and its UnderworldAwakening, is this an ill omen of things to come? I mean I don’t hate theUnderworld series, but I can’t say I’ve been totally into them. There hasalways been potential in the series but it’s never reached those lofty heightsof awesome. So along comes this newest movie in the hopes of rebooting thefranchise by bringing back the original starlet, and continuing the story intothe future.

I think the wisest thing this movie did was keep the storypretty simple and just concentrate on the action. The action is crammed intothis movie and it was pretty easy to go along for the ride. All the action waswell shot, and it also made full use of the 3D technology. Hat’s off to KateBeckinsale for being such an action presence in the movie. She along with MillaJovovich are doing a lot for strong female characters. Oh and one last thingfor the action scenes, they are pretty brutal which was nice to see. Selene isnot screwing around in this movie.

Acting wise Beckinsale is fine as Selene, she hits the rightnotes of the character, and lends credibility. Stephen Rea is interesting asthe main villain, and it was an unique portrayal of a villain. He gave moredepth to the character than the story really warranted. Indie Eisley also cameoff pretty damn good as the character Eve. Normally child characters can bepretty damn annoying. Being too damn smart for their own good, or just beinguseless baggage. Thankfully Eve is both a scared little girl, and capable ofhelping at times. Overall the acting is not horrendous, but honestly with thismovie you shouldn’t be expecting too much from it.

While the 3D is good, the special effects weren’t exactlygreat. Too many times the CGI looks like a computer game which was a shameconsidering the action scenes were well put together. Also the blue pallet ofthe film does drain the movie of a certain excitement, but then again it’skeeping with the look of the previous three movies. I do think there was somelost potential in the look of the movie, but then again this could of just beena way of keeping costs down.

The plot of this movie is bare bones and is only there toget from action scene to action scene. If you want a thrilling epic story thenyou best turn around. Also the more you think on the plot, the more questionsthat start appearing. But for a ninety minute movie I wasn’t too concerned, Iwas more enjoying the visceral experience. Still I do think the movie is cursedwith having four script writers, it’s never a good sign, and the movie doesreek of lack of focus. But at least, as I stated above, they kept the storysimple which helps with driving over the holes.

If you like the Underworld movies then you should enjoy thismovie. Personally I thought that this movie was best of the series, and it wasa pleasant surprise as I wasn’t expecting much. If on the other hand, you don’tlike the Underworld movies then just skip this offering, as there is nothingnew here to win you over.

Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

2012-01-23T23:55:00.000-08:00

“Soon you'll know us all too well, with my apologies.”

Director: DavidFincher

Actors: RooneyMara, Daniel Craig and Christopher Plummer

Writers: StevenZallian

David Fincher is back with the feel bad movie of the season.I was very interested in what he would bring to this remake/adaptation. NaomiRapace had left such an impression as Lisbeth Salander, it was going to be ahard job for whomever was going to take the role. So was the creative might ofFincher used to its fullest, or did it fail to deliver anything significant.

The first significant thing that Fincher delivers is abrilliant visual quality creates an ever present feeling of gloom. Truly animprovement over the original movie, but for a Fincher movie there aren’t asmany camera flourishes as normal. I’m guessing that by toning down his ownstyle, there was an attempt to truly concentrate on the atmosphere. Howeverwhile I was still taken in by the visuals I wanted more of what Finchernormally delivers.

Acting wise we yet again have an improvement. Daniel Craigis fantastic as Mikael Blomkvist, and gives a nuanced performance. Blomkvistseems like a truly broken man desperate to find redemption. Rooney Mara excelsas Lisbeth Salander and plays her much more down beat. Coming off more fragile,her sudden bursts of violence do jar, and are therefore is more impactful.Rooney also manages to create a more developed persona, and this fleshing outyet again makes the more incredible parts of the character stand out. All theother actors are just as good in their roles, but it’s truly Daniel Craig andRooney Mara at the centre of everything.

Now we come down to the weakest element of the movie, andthat’s the script. Now it’s a very serviceable script, and manages to fine tunethe movie so it’s a lot smoother. A few plot elements are dropped but they werejust convoluted to begin with. Where I was disappointed in this regards, wasjust a lack of added depth from Fincher. In all of Fincher’s movies there seemsto be layers to delve through but in this case there’s just the plot.Considering the source material on offer there was a lot Fincher could havedone, especially exploring darker elements. While this doesn’t trash the movie,it certainly makes this a lesser work of David Fincher.

On a more nit picky level, the music while good (I want toget the soundtrack) was only good by itself. In the movie it was too obtrusive,and sometimes wrecked the scene I was watching. Atticus Ross and Trent Reznorare a good team, but this was just a wrong call. Also I’m not sure what theidea behind the opening credits was but it’s completely misplaced. Don’t get mewrong, it’s the best music video I’ve watched in a while, but it just sets thewrong tone.

If you’re after a stylish thriller then this is a good portof call. David Fincher gives us a solid film with some great performances, butwhen compared to the rest of his films there is something lacking. I’m notreally sure if having this was a worth while remake, but we’re not poorer forit. Give this a try, just don’t expect too much.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 22

2012-01-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

Colombiana (2011)

Zoe Saldana is slowly becoming the actress you go to forfemale led action movies. With Colombiana she had the movie solely on hershoulders and the results are pretty average. I’m not saying that this is a badmovie, but it’s just very by the numbers affair. We have a young girl whobecomes a hitman, in order to get revenge on her murdered parents. The actionis okay and honestly I seem to be talking myself around in circles. Saldananeeds to find something more like The Losers as this at least had somecharacter to it. Oh well I’m sure Avatar 2 will be big for her, even if it’snot really her but a blue cat lady.

The Burrowers (2008)

One of the biggest problems with horror is that it reallygets stuck into trends. All genres succumb to this, but horror more than anyother seems to love milking a good thing till its dead. Enter The Burrowersthat manages to go over ground that is rarely tread except by franchises thathave run out of ideas (it’s normally the wild west or space). The horrorwestern is back and it is awesome. This movie was a joy to watch with someoriginal monsters, and such a mean spirit that’s lacking in a lot of horrormovies. Add to that some great casting and this movie just sparkles. If thereis one thing that lets it down, it’s the special effects but even they don’truin the movie. Horror lovers should do themselves a favour and check out thismovie.

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011)

I’ve seen some people review this movie, and say that ConanO’Brien comes off a jack ass in the movie, constantly complaining about thefans that he has. Too me this isn’t Conan being a jerk, but a human being wholoves entertaining people, but at the same time likes being alone with histhoughts. This documentary is an enlightening look at the man, and inparticular looking at a hectic time in his life. Having left The Tonight Showin a storm of controversy, Conan puts on a show to not only entertain, but tokeep those that stayed loyal with him in work. Fascinating, true to life andmost importantly damn funny, those who like Conan O’Brien need to watch thismovie.

Wizard of Gore (2007)

It’s been a month or so and I’m still confused by thismovie. It’s not that I didn’t get the story, but in trying to make sense in itsexplanation I see several holes. Honestly I think this movie tries really hardto be clever and fails spectacularly. An exercise in style over substance thatloses itself and seriously never gets a handle on its characters. As for thegore it is somewhat impressive, but it happens to those we don’t have anemotional connection with so there is no real impact. A highlight of the moviewould be Crispin Glover who is just insane as Montag the Magnificent, and healso possess one of the most over stuffed crotches I’ve seen since DavidBowie’s cod piece in Labyrinth. Overall though this is a movie with charactersthat are just flat, and it’s made worse by this pretension that pervades it.Give it a miss unless you are desperate to see some Crispin Glover.

Down, Down and Below

2012-01-21T00:28:00.000-08:00

Working in a comic store, I’ve been afforded a uniqueperspective on the industry. The only way it could be better is if I wrote forthe industry, but I doubt that’s going to happen any time soon. But I must sayI’m excited to see what sells, what doesn’t, and what new comics are on thehorizon. I thought perhaps that I would look at some of the comics I’m readingand would like to recommend. Also would like to mention two comics that are onthe horizon and are getting me excited. So let’s begin.

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo

The merry Marvel mutants have always been a riskyproposition with me. Sometimes I dig the stories, other times they just don’tconnect with me. While I’ve been enjoying Uncanny X-Force of late, I didn’treally need another darkish comic story with the X-Men. Also honestly these arenot the X-Men I remember, or so I thought. Along comes this little gem and I’mhaving so much fun it’s ridiculous. Honestly this comic connects with thelittle kid in my head and I just hope this strong writing continues. Not onlyis the pace of the story energetic, and the script crackle with great dialogue,but hidden in the background are in jokes and just great little details.

Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang

My goodness is this a great book. I touched upon it when Iwrote my sum up of the new DC 52, but I need to hold it up again and try andpimp it hard. The story is slow in some regards, but in that good way. Thingsare bubbling in the back ground, a bigger story is fitting the pieces together,and it just makes me want to keep reading. Out of the new 52 this series hasreally embraced the mandate to write for both fans and new readers. Giving usthe character we all love, and yet a story very accessible and new. But whileI’ve said the main story seems to be a slow boil, there is action aplenty andnever feels like a bore. More people need to get out there and read WonderWoman.

Saga by Brian K Vaughn and Fiona Staples

The writer of Y the Last Man (one of my favourite comicseries), returns to comics with this story that’s being described as Star Warsmeets A Game of Thrones. From what I can gather from the story, two people fromwarring factions fall in love and run away. Unlike other doomed couples, theysurvive and have a child who is the narrator of the story. The feel of the fewpreview pages seems like fantasy creatures in a modern age. Either way I’mexcited and can’t wait to feast my eyes on the double size issue one.

America’sGot Powers by Jonathon Ross and Bryan Hitch

A while back there was a show called Who Wants to Be aSuperhero. I see one big flaw with this show. No one has powers so the show isa little bit of a bust. That’s of course if they were all Batman. Still theidea of a reality show dedicated to finding out the new hero/team is aninteresting one, and finally the idea is coming to comic this year with America’s GotPowers. But for something like this you’ll need someone who understands showbusiness. Oh wait Jonathon Ross is a UK TV Host (check him out from Penand Tellers Fool Us), well then that will do. I’m excited as both Ross andHitch are looking at this as not just a mini series but world building withpossible other comics leading off from this work. Take my money I’m in.

Review: The Muppets (2011)

2012-01-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

“I can't deny that inside I am a muppet. Not a moopet!”

Director: JamesBobin

Actors: JasonSegal, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper and Jack Black

Writers: JasonSegal and Nicholas Stoller

As a little kid I used to always love the nights I got tosit in front of the television and watch The Muppet Show. My parents even madesure to tape their own programs so the television would be free. The Muppetswere an important part of my childhood and I was sad when they started to fadeaway into the mists of pop culture. But then Forgetting Sarah Marshall happenedand a man stepped forward, showing he too was a child of The Muppets. OneMuppet Rock Opera on Dracula later and Jason Segal was put into the position ofwriting a script for the new Muppet movie. So does this movie live up to fondchildhood memories?

Short answer yes, long answeryeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees. Everything that I loved aboutThe Muppets is on the screen and it was a surprisingly emotional journey forme. As for new people coming to this movie, what they can expect to watch issuch a happy movie. It wears its heart on its sleeve but never becomes toosaccharine. The writing is strong and Segal and Stoller have managed to craft astory that fits perfectly with the other Muppet movies. There is a goodsmattering of nostalgia, character and meta jokes throughout.

All the actors involved are having a fun time. Jason Segalas Gary isperfect as the closest form of human Muppet. Amy Adams is sweet as Mary, ChrisCooper is great as the evil Tex Richman and shows a talent for rapping I neverthought possible. Even all the celeb cameo’s work, and while they may seemshameless, that’s the Muppets. As for the Muppets themselves, all of them arepitch perfect and Segal tries to cram as many mini story arcs for the Muppet charactersas possible. If you have a favourite Muppet then chances are you’ll see them inthis movie. Hell I got to see Uncle Deadly in this movie, a Muppet I’ve lovedsince I saw the Vincent Price episode.

Visually the movie has some energy and there are more thanenough visual gags thrown in for those that are eagle eyed. There was also somecreative use of the camera which was surprising for a Muppet movie, but it didadd a sense of modernisation to the proceedings. If there is one negative aboutthis movie, it’s that there is a heavy sense of nostalgia hanging overeverything. The session I was in, had a fair few children, and for them noteverything hit. Me and a few other adults seemed to be getting more enjoymentfrom it. But there were still children laughing so at least this is a greatfamily film.

Fan’s of The Muppets need to get out there and watch thismovie. It’s one of the best Muppet movies, and a great way to start thefranchise up again. For families this offers a great movie going experiencethat should make everyone happy. I honestly wish Australia got this movie last yearas this would have been my number two of the year. GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 21

2012-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

Remakes huh? This one word can make many a movie lovercringe and yell out to the heavens as if they were Charlton Heston. I too wasguilty of the knee jerk reactions to remakes a while back, but thankfully withtime and a little bit of personal growth I’ve managed to move past that. Do Istill hate remakes? Well I still hate the idea behind remakes, but not theindividual movies. One of my favourite horror movies is John Carpenters, TheThing, which is a remake, however it works. So not all remakes are horridpieces of trash. However the laziness behind the idea of remakes is what drivesme insane. I could go on but the topic of remakes has been floating about inthe discussion boards I frequent, and of course I also watched a remake thatgot me thinking. So now my thoughts are done, it’s time to move on to thereview.

50/50 (2011)

Well this movie appeared on my top list of 2011 so I’m suremost people know where I stand on this movie. Now this would be a hardrecommend to people when you tell them it’s a comedy/drama about a man who’sjust been diagnosed with cancer. So I want to address this to the people Ididn’t convince with my top list of last year. You are honestly doing yourselfa favour, grabbing this movie and giving it a watch. It’s a simple movie thatactually gets in touch with the real emotions we all feel when faced withadversity and tragedy. I can tell you that the dark times I’ve had in my lifehave been tinged with both laughs and sadness and this makes this movie seemmore true to life. If you are on the fence about this movie, please go and seeit as it’s just a movie that really manages to reflect the world we all livein.

The Adventures of Tin Tin (2011)

With each progressive movie we are getting closer and closerto over coming the uncanny valley of motion captured movies. Spielberg puts onan informative class on how to do action and adventure in the CGI cartoonmedium, and honestly puts Robert Zemeckis to shame for his efforts. The scarything is, this is Spielberg’s first foray into this type of movie and you canjust sense that he had a ball doing it. There is such a joy to this movie it’sinfectious, along with top notch action sequences that are just unbelievable.With the limitation of camera movement out of the window Spielberg shows us whyhe is the master director. Add to that some top notch performances, inparticular Andy Serkis who is king of the motion capture, and you have a familymovie that is just fun.

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Now we arrive to the movie that got me thinking aboutremakes. In order to be fair I’m not going to compare this movie to theoriginal. First off the positive. The acting is rather decent in the movie,sure not award winning but good. Mads Mikkelsen in particular held my attentionas the warrior Draco, he was intense and honestly I wished he was the main heroof the movie, but alas it was not to be. Now to the negatives. This movie hasrush job written all over it, as such I’m not sure if I should blame thecreative team behind this movie, or studio interference. There seems to beentire scenes missing from this movie and it really does create a mess, ascharacters are never allowed to be clearly defined. But the biggest problem ishow dumb it treats its audience. It over explains the simplest of things,things that don’t need explaining, but when it gets to the complicated stuff itdumps those explanations and instead throws an action scene our way so theaudience doesn’t have to think to hard. I’m sure people will enjoy this movie,but this movie just drips with laziness on several fronts, and I’m justthankful the acting was decent.

Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

2012-01-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

“You know, he's nothing like as slow witted as you've been leading meto believe, Sherly.”

Director: GuyRitchie

Actors: RobertDowney Jr, Jude Law, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry, Noomi Rapace

Writers: MicheleMulroney & Kieran Mulroney

When I watched the first Guy Ritchie, Sherlock Holmes movieI left entertained but wasn’t chomping at the bit for more. Hell when BBC didits updated version of Sherlock Holmes I kind of forgot all about this movie asthat was far superior. But I must admit with the announcing of two cast membersI started to get a little excited. So let’s take a look and see if this movieis any good.

Hearing that Stephen Fry was cast as Mycroft Holmes andJared Harris as Moriarty I was pretty excited. Harris is a great characteractor and I really enjoyed his work in Fringe. As Moriarty he made me believethat this was the man that could match and in some cases beat Sherlock Holmes.There is a particular scene where he really manages to bring an intense displayof menace. Stephen Fry is perfect as Mycroft and my biggest disappointment wasthat he wasn’t in the movie enough. As for the other newbie Noomi Rapace, shewasn’t given much to do. Weirdly her character was important to the plot, yetit’s treated as such a second hand thought sometimes.

Both Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are comfortable in theirroles and have a good buddy partnership. At times it almost seems like Sherlockloves Watson, with Sherlock seeming off put that Watson is getting married. Itdoes add an interesting dimension, but I was far more into the interplay ofSherlock and Moriarty. Considering what the first movie did to develop therelationship, this was just going over old territory and could have beenditched to develop Sherlock and Moriarty.

Visually the movie has the normal Guy Ritchie stamp, and itreally does culminate in a wonderful chase through a forest. After that thingsslow down a little, but I think it does lead to a finale between Sherlock andMoriarty which is satisfying. A few complaints were levelled at the Holmesvision in the last movie, while it returns in this movie, it is toned down andit still offers an interesting look into the mind of Homes.

Story wise is where it starts falling apart for this movie, whilestill very entertaining it does stop the movie from ever truly excelling. Firstoff the Simza (Rapace) story line just doesn’t really work, as the entirethings seems forced and just an excuse to put a female in the movie. Moriarty’splan is interesting but for all the build up from Holmes it doesn’t really liveup to the hype. Finally we come to the final one minute of the film. Of course I’mnot going to spoil it but it pissed me off. I thought we were getting a perfectending, or at least one that befits a Holmes tale that has Moriarty, and yet itreally doesn’t follow through.

Overall the movie is an enjoyable romp, and I liked it farmore than the first one. Fans of the first movie should enjoy this; even newcomers should be able to pick things up quick as it does offer a good adventureduring this time of year. But it never becomes a classic thanks to its writing,but then again popcorn movies can be a great piece of escapism.

2012 Movies I Want To See.

2012-01-07T04:49:00.000-08:00

Well with 2011 behind us it’s time to turn to the future. Imust admit as we step upon the hallowed grounds of new movies, I am slightlynervous about the big movies of 2012. I guess 2011 really stuck the dagger inwhen it came to movies I was looking forward to.

But none the less, we can’t judge a movie till it has beenseen, so away with you pessimism, may you drown in the unholy sea of offmayonnaise. Instead let us become optimistic and greet the new dawn. Oh and ifthere is any trailer out for the film I’ve put the link in the title for yourclicking pleasure.

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter:

I like vampires, I like the novel that this movie is basedon and I also happen to like Timur Bekmambetov. To me this has a chance to makemy jaw drop with the crazy visuals and kick ass story. Of course adaptationscan be a treacherous business, but I choose to be positive about it.

Brave:

While Cars 2 might have shaken some peoples view point onPixar, I still have faith in them. Every now and then you need to make thepurely money movie so you can fund your more dynamic movies. Brave just looksawesome, with a strong female character, and some great humour shown in thetrailer, I’m hoping this has a big of an impact on me as Up or Wall-E.

The Cabin in the Woods:

First time I heard about this movie I wasn’t really onboard, all I got of the plot description was five friends go to a cabin in thewoods and bad stuff happens. Sounds like a pretty standard horror film. Add tothat a script by Joss Whedon and I was wary. It’s not that I hate his work butsometimes the Whedon fanboys/girls are a little over zealous with how they sellhis creative pursuits. All that was put to rest when I saw the trailer, lookslike there is something interesting happening with the movie as it tries tosubvert expectations.

Chronicle:

High school friends get superpowers, but find with greatpower comes a sudden urge to do bad, bad things. A found footage film I mustadmit the trailer sold me pretty hard. While it may be found footage it seemsto expand out with news reports and could possibly be a mockumentry. Either wayI’m sold and can’t wait to see this movie.

The Dark Knight Rises:

Do I really need to go on? I mean this is Nolan, one of myfavourite directors back into Batman mode and dealing with Bane one of myfavourite Batman villains. It could have only been better if the Riddler wassomehow put into the movie, but we can only dream. Everything about this movielooks bigger, and the impact could be massive if Nolan actually finishes thestory the way he seems to be hinting.

Django Unchained:

Django a black slave is played by Jamie Foxx who escapes,gets trained how to kill by a german bounty hunter played by Christoph Waltz,so he can rescue his wife from evil plantation owner Leonardo DiCaprio. Thismovie could only be better if it had Samuel L Jackson in it and was directed byQuentin Tarantino. Wait a minute, it does. Well hurrah for that. TAKE MY MONEYNOW.

Ghost Rider, Spirit of Vengeance:

Confession time, I kind of liked the first Ghost Rider. Ithad its problems but the look of it was pretty good and at least entertainedme. However it looks like this sequel that should have never been is going toset everything right. From the trailer it seems Cage is striking the rightbalance of insane, humour and angst, while the directors are giving us crazyaction. Do you expect any less from the directors of Crank?

ParaNorman:

From the people behind Coraline comes another dark tale forthe kids. Normanis a young boy who can see ghosts, and soon he will have to deal with ghosts,zombies and adults in a race to break a curse that has taken grip of his town.Visually the movie excites me, and I think that we need more children’s moviesthat delve into darker territory. Also any trailer that uses Season of theWitch as its music choice, instantly gets two thumbs up.

Prometheus:

Ridley Scott going back to the Alien universe, but insteadof doing a prequel to his first movie, he’s trying to expand the universe thecharacters exist in. This is going to be really interesting, and with its tiesto the Alien world I can see this becoming a back to back watch. The trailerthat just came out really hit the right notes for me and looks like it coulddeal with some big ideas which is always great for science fiction.

Snow White and the Huntsman:

I’m not a Kristen Stewart hater, but she’s never been infilms that I’ve wanted to see, so colour me surprised when the trailer hit andI was drawn into this visually interesting world. We’ve seen reinterpretationsof fairy tales before, and a lot have failed, but this just seems to havesomething going for it.

The Woman in Black:

Oh look its Harry Potter and he’s all grown up. Hmm horror,yeah right, I’m sure this trailer is going to be nothing but eye candy for allthe girls out there. (Clicks on trailer and after two minutes.) Holy damn isthis trailer bloody creepy. Fine you win this round Mr Potter.

My Top 10 Movies of 2011

2011-12-31T00:34:00.000-08:00

And so the year ends and now is the time to look back at theyear that was and make the inevitable top ten list. I know it’s like pouringwater into the ocean, it’s not going to make much of a difference, but it’sstill something I find fun. Now I will point out that one movie missing fromthis list that I’m pretty sure would be here is The Muppet movie. Australia stillneeds to wait another 2 weeks before we get it, but there is no doubt in mymind that I would of loved it. I’m a massive Muppet fan; in fact some peoplemay think I’m a Muppet given human form. Other than the tragedy of missing theMuppets, I’m pretty happy with my list. As always this is my own personal listand the impact they had on me.

10: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

This was just a well down action movie, with an incrediblepace that sucked you into the set pieces. Sure it’s nothing that will changethe world, but any movie that gets me this jazzed and has Tom Cruise in it, hasto have some merit. Also in a time where movies seem to have this kineticfrenzy of editing, it’s nice to have a movie that relishes in the action andreally lets you see what’s happening. After this movie I’m ready for MissionImpossible 5.

09: The Adjustment Bureau

It’s all about the magic hats. Well not really but thismovie touches upon destiny, love and free will, and it does it in such acharming way. I’m a sucker for some love stories and this definitely hits allthe things that I like. Some people may laugh at some of the aspects of themovie, but all around it’s very solid, and helped by some great performances byMatt Damon and Emily Blunt.

08: Super 8

The ending of this movie could have been much better, butbefore it went a little off I was hooked. A coming of age story mixed withalien on the loose wouldn’t seem to work but it does. By giving the kids anextreme problem, they are forced to do a bit of growing up. The movie is helpedby the chemistry of all the kids involved, you could get a real grasp of thefriendship they had. They also had the right balance of smart but not toosmart, so I had no trouble believing kids would act this way. Made me rememberthe good times I had as a kid watching The Explorers and Goonies.

07: 50/50

Cancer comedy. It doesn’t really seem like those two wordsshould be grouped together. It would also make people take a step back andponder whether any movie that is a cancer comedy would work. Surprisingly notonly does it work, but it was a great film. The comedy and seriousness blend togetherto make a touching movie that doesn’t get too depressing but still offersgenuine human emotions. Joseph Gordon Levitt is great and Seth Rogen provesthat he does have a deft touch to be able to act when he wants.

06: Bridesmaids

In a year that the Hangover tried to get another bite of thecherry, by doing the exact same thing, it was Bridesmaids that showed that youcan do movies in a similar vein but change it enough to be better. Kristen Wiigand Maya Rudolph share a great chemistry and the movie is damn funny as well asbeing touching. I liked the relationship between Kristen Wiig and Chris O’Dowdand how it took typical romantic comedy beats and switched them around. A greatcomedy that managed to find a bigger audience than what you would think.

05: Contagion

Contagion isn’t about characters, it doesn’t let us get thatclose with the people that we are watching but then again that’s no it’sagenda. This is a movie that studies the world as a whole, how our systems meannothing when up against our honest human impulses. Fear takes hold, fearspreads, and there is nothing that can be done. I was so glued to this moviethat time just passed so quickly. Honestly want to watch this movie again andgo through it slowly so I can see all the little details of how our societybreaks down.

04: Hanna

This movie rests on the shoulders of its lead actress andshe delivers with such force that Saoirse Ronan is one to watch. At first Iwondered how the fairy tale theme would mix with this tale of a little girlassassin, and then after watching it I realised that this is the type of fairytale people will tell of our age. It has all the beats of the stories we weretold, but it’s distinctly from this era. In keeping with that idea we get aterrific score by the Chemical Brothers, which is modern but works so well witheverything playing out on screen.

03: Warrior

Is it predictable? Yep. Have you seen this type of moviebefore? Probably. But is it a great movie? Hell yes. The fact that in the lastfight I was on the edge of my seat, yet still knew the outcome of the movie isa testament of the power of this movie. It manages to connect with our baseemotions and while it’s a story we’ve seen, it’s one we won’t get bored from.Add to that some great acting, as well as camera work that really captures whatMixed Martial Arts is all about and you have a movie that should please a fairfew people.

02: Tree of Life

After watching Tree of Life I was a little depressed buthonestly I’m not sure why. The movie doesn’t have a traditional story andleaves everything up to the audience. It’s a hard movie to get into, and Iunderstand that this isn’t for everybody, but I still thought visually themovie was spectacular and it’s one of the reasons why I still go to the cinema.So even though I left on a slightly depressed note I still loved the movie.This is visual poetry, it’s a movie that refreshes me from all the drivel thatgets put out, and I hope Terrence Malick makes more movies like this.

01: Drive

This is not an action movie, this is an intense characterstudy with action beats. If you can keep this in mind then you’re already aheadof the game when watching this movie. Drive gave me the same buzz as Heat, abeautiful film, a deep film, a film that didn’t shy away from some of the moreviolent aspects of human nature. When I left the cinema I knew that this wouldbe my number one film of 2011. Ryan Gosling’s performance is great, so subtleand yet if you pay attention you can see a lot of what is going through hischaracters head. I can’t wait for this movie to come out on Blu Ray as I’llwatch it back to back with Heat. That’ll be a great night.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 20

2011-12-29T00:33:00.000-08:00

The horror, oh the horror. Here I was rushing through somemovies to catch any 2011 movies I watched, and then I stumbled upon threemovies that took the wind from my sails. I’m now done, I’ve got my top ten listready for 2011 and I will post it up on Saturday before the end of the year. SoI’m guessing some of you out there are wondering what three movies destroyedme. With a heavy heart I now venture to the dark wilderness of Hollywood, where a youngman can be struck down by a savage film in a heart beat.

What’s Your Number (2011)

If I wanted to be cruel with this review I could use theterm slut, as it kept coming to mind throughout this entire movie. Oh and Idon’t mean Anna Faris’s character but instead I mean Chris Evans’s character ofColin Shea. He is a total slut and a reprehensible character that we are askedto looked beyond the pig and see the kind soul deep within. Not only that; butAlly’s (Faris) dilemma is such a non-issue you I just was wondering why I was supposedto be cheering for her. You’ve slept with 20 guys, it isn’t that bad, andespecially when it’s hinted Colin is in the hundreds. I think what makes meangry about this movie is what a waste of Faris and Evans talent it is. I thinkboth of these actors are great and Chris Evans has really shown diversity withsuch movies as Sunshine all the way up to Captain

America

. Are there funny moments?Sure. But it’s not worth wadding through a movie whose issue is not worth afeature movie, and has characters that you really don’t want to get behind.

Shark Night (2011)

Teenagers get eaten by Sharks in an evil plot that made mewant to slap my forehead several times. Sharks are a pretty good monster tohave in your movies. Just take a look at Jaws. But this movie just uses them insuch a god awful over the top manner it made me want to throw my controller atthe television. I can’t really get into the main thing that annoyed me as itwould spoil the movie, and as much as I would like to spoil the movie forpeople I can’t. Let’s just say the plot can turn brains to mush. To add insulton this pile the characters are so bland, I wouldn’t even class them asassholes, more like dead meat walking. If you slapped them in red Federationshirts they would belong in the ranks. Just avoid this turd of a movie.

Killer Elite (2011)

This movie is based on a true story. So then the plot holesand random changes in character motivations are all true as well. It has to be,cause I was told so. You know I’m beginning to feel really sorry for JasonStatham as this is the third movie I’ve seen of his this year, and the thirdone I’ve just really hated. There is no point in Robert De Niro being in thismovie, other than him getting a pay check, Statham is playing the same guy heplays all the bloody time, and Clive Owen’s character is all over the place. Atone point he screams at his men not to kill Statham, and then he follows thatoff by setting off an explosion near him, cause we all know explosions don’tkill people. Killer Elite wants to be taken seriously, but it adds drama andcharacters that are just there to move the plot along, nothing seems natural. Ihope Statham can find a project that elevates him in the action ranks, but hekeeps on making crappy decisions. Only watch this if you are a Statham fan andhappen to run across it on television.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 19

2011-12-27T23:13:00.000-08:00

You can expect a few of these quick movie reviews over thenext few days, as I try to cram as many movies in as possible. Then to top itoff I shall unveil my top 10 movies of 2011 before the beginning of the NewYear. Hot damn do I love it when a plan comes together. So let’s get this partystarted in a non Black Eyed Peas sort of way.

Hanna (2011)

A movie of a young girl trained to be an assassin wrapped inthemes of fairy tales and scored by the Chemical Brothers. Joe Wright creates aunique film, one part spy thriller, one part child trying to find her place inthe world. Of course this type of dualism wouldn’t have worked if it wasn’t forthe actress they selected. Saoirse Ronan is perfect as Hanna and she displaysboth an innocence and deadliness, I honestly think this girl is an up and comerand I hope to see her in more movies. She is aptly supported by Eric Bana asher father, and Cate Blanchett as the intelligence office trying to track herdown. As a source of action the movie does deliver with some interesting camerawork as well as a Chemical Brothers soundtrack that really gets the adrenalinepumping.

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

Born in battle in one of the most over the top scenes I’vewitnessed in a while, I was hoping for so much. Basically I wanted insanity upon the screen linked by action set pieces that would make any barbarian hollerwith joy. What I got was slightly disappointing as it’s a pretty standardfantasy action movie. I don’t think people will hate this movie as it’scompetent in what it does, the action is decent and Jason Mamoa is pretty goodas Conan, it’s just not a movie that I want to return to. When it comes tovillains Stephen Lang didn’t really light my fire, I thought there waspotential in Rose McGowans character Marique but I don’t think that potentialwas exploited to the fullest. But if you got a bit of time and looking for anaction movie to kill that time you can certainly do worse.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Speaking of wasted potential we come to this little moviestarring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Clancy Brown, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wildeand Walter Goggins being directed by Mr Iron Man himself Jon Favreau. Thisshould have been good but instead it can get kind of boring in places. Ishouldn’t be saying that as it’s cowboys versus aliens, lasers vs shotguns, theonly way it could have been cooler is if ninja’s and pirates were added intothe mix. There was a decision made to keep this movie as serious as possible,now doing this isn’t a bad choice as long as you can back it up withinteresting characters and some deep themes running through out the movie, alsoin my mind the aliens would have to be pushed into the background as if theyare front and centre too much you could get an unwanted camp vibe.Unfortunately with the decision made they failed to pull it off, and honestlyshould of embraced the camp vibe from the get go. Sure it wouldn’t have been anexcellent well crafted movie, but at least it would have been fun.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 18

2011-12-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

It’s beginning to look like Christmas and what better way tocelebrate than to take a look at a trio of movies that have nothing to do withChristmas. Also with the end of the year just a weeks or so away, I’ve beentrying to catch up on as many movies as possible for the 2011 season. So expecta few quick movie reviews to come out over the coming days. So anyway strapyourself in, cause here we go.

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010)

A nice little spin on the horror genre. Tucker and Dale aretwo hillbillies who get put into a situation where a group of teenagers believethey are evil killers like from all the horror movies. It’s funny, gory and anidea that I haven’t seen much. The two leads played by Alan Tudyk and TylerLabine work well off each other, and have a loveable quality to them which isreally essential for this movie to work. If there was one thing that kind ofannoyed me, was a late in the movie twist that really didn’t do anything toimprove the movie. To be honest the final revelation kind of destroyed theeffectiveness of what was happening. Overall though horror movie lovers shouldenjoy Tucker & Dale vs Evil.

The Holy Mountain (1973)

I wanted to do a full review of this movie but I came to therealisation that I don’t have much to write about it. It’s not that I didn’tenjoy it; it’s just a movie that can be an extremely personal experience foreach individual watcher. The movie is deeply symbolic with massive religiousovertones. Also the movie doesn’t hold your hand and in my mind the story thatis happening does depend on what the audience member creates. Aside from theplot the movie has some excellent imagery, and there is just a beautifulattention to detail. Having watched this I want to continue with AlejandroJodorowsky movies, but I understand that these movies will not be everyone’scup of tea.

Troll Hunter (2010)

First off I think I need to say that the character of Hansthe Troll Hunter is pretty bad ass, and he has one of the best exits of acharacter on film I’ve seen in a while. That scene alone makes me want to buythis movie because I was so invested in the character. Otto Jespersen does afantastic job and I applaud him. So getting away from that one character, themovie is a pretty excellent idea, and one of the better found footage moviesI’ve seen. I saw everything on the screen, there was no time where I feltdisorientated from the shooting style. The special effects aren’t the best, butthey’ve made sure to give each individual troll a different personality. Iwould highly recommend this movie as there is a great pace to it, and I wasnever bored. Maybe the only thing to point out is that it’s a foreign movie andtherefore it involves subtitles, it wasn’t a problem for me but I knowsubtitles can turn people off, still I think people should put this feelingaside as the movie is very enjoyable.

Review - Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)

2011-12-19T00:39:00.000-08:00

“We all have our secrets. Don't we, Ethan”

Director: Brad Bird

Actors: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg & Jeremy Renner

Writer: Josh Appelbaum & Andre Nemec

I like the Mission Impossible movies, but I can’t say I gocrazy for them. Maybe because there is an emphasis on Tom Cruise, instead ofone on the team which MI movies should have front and centre. With the thirdmovie there was a shift back to the team dynamic, but there was only so muchthat could be done with a story that focused on Tom Cruise’s character as wellas his wife. Well this time we have BradBird stepping up to direct and he only happens to have directed TheIncredibles, one of Pixar’s best movies as well as an excellent example of ateam of super heroes.

Well first off it was nice to see Simon Pegg back for thesequel and actually given a fair bit to do. His character now being a fieldagent, he’s right in the thick of things, as well as bringing some nice comedicbeats. Jeremy Renner is a welcome addition to the franchise and I hope hesticks around. Thankfully his character is given a nice arc. Paula Patton asthe token female of the team is also given many things to do, as well as givensome good character motivation. Finally this leads to Tom Cruise, who is stillthe uber spy, but this time he has to rely on his team more. The man still hashis big set pieces but at least the movie duties are split, and as much aspeople don’t like Tom Cruise, he does suit the role of Ethan Hunt.

Action is the true heart of the mission impossible films.It’s all about the big set up, for the crazy action scenes. This movie doesn’tfail to deliver, as in a fair few scenes I was really getting into the actionand even jumped out of my seat at some points. This movie revels in the action andmakes sure to let audience soak in every minute. Brad Bird gives the movie sucha great energetic feel; you can’t help but be drawn in. There was also a goodsense of danger in the movie, with a constant feeling that the heroes were onthe back foot from the beginning and not everything goes according to plan.

Probably the biggest problem with the movie would be thevillains. Their plan is great, their reasons interesting, and yet they aren’tgiven that much movie time and are just simply there. It’s actually weird howmuch threat comes from the evil scheme and yet the villains are lifeless. Thereis a great final showdown between Ethan and Hendricks (the main villain) whichgives Hendricks some bad ass points, but it’s a little late as the movie iswrapping up. Basically the movie tells us they are bad with most of their evilthings happening off screen, and this breaks the rule of show don’t tell. Atthe end of the day however the movie still manages to tick along and worksdespite this flaw. I would also point out I think the fault lies with thescript writer rather than the actors or director. Michael Nyqvist (Hendericks)makes the most of what he is given, while Brad Bird makes a thrilling moviedespite the villains so I can only lay the blame on the script writers.

With Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol I got an excellentpopcorn movie that wasn’t stupid. There was some great action that drew me, andother characters on the team were given a lot to do. Tom Cruise is still thecentre of the series but this movie is probably the best in the franchise whichbodes well for the direction this movie went. Sure this movie isn’t going to beaward winning but it does what it does very well. Get out there and watch itpeople.

Horror Movie Comics

2011-12-15T15:44:00.000-08:00

Horror movies are normally a very visceral genre, sure thereare the ones that make you think, but normally the horror movie will try andrun rough shed over our instincts and emotions. As such it lends itself well tothe visually medium of film, but I would also argue that comics are also abastion of possibilities for the horror stories and in particular creating anexpanded universe for horror icons every bit as great as the Star Wars expandeduniverse novels.

What got me thinking about all this expanded horror universestuff was the third annual of the Hack/Slash comic (click here for a wiki rundown). It had the main character go up against the killer Victor Crowley. Now Ilove the two Hatchet movies and this annual gave me more of what I love. But italso gave me a story that I probably wouldn’t have got thanks to budgetrestraints. It opened up the possibilities of the character and I loved everyminute of it.

This isn’t the first time that I’ve read a horror comic andwas thankful. Freddy vs Jason is a movie I enjoy, but I love the comic booksequel Freddy vs Jason vs Ash. That’s right everyone’s favourite Deadite slayerdecides to kick some Freddy butt. Also the series answered the question whatwould happen if Freddy ever got the Necronomicon (the short answer is theshiteth hiteth the faneth). Now I know this idea was being thrown around as amovie but could never get off the ground and in my opinion thank god as I don’tthink the movie could have ever done it justice.

The sheer awesomeness of this idea makes me smile.

Of course there are horror comics that just don’t work andpersonally I think the one reason for that is it tries to follow the moviebeats too close. A bit back the major horror icons were really hitting thecomic book industry hard, and I decided to jump on board with Chucky. It wasn’tlong before I just stopped collecting all together as the comic series didn’tgive me anything the movies already have, and I think if the expanded universeof horror was ever to take off, it would need people to give different spins onthe horror icons we love.

So where would I start? Hell if I had any say in the matterI would love to see a series of comics on Phantasm. The world of Phantasm isripe for exploration as a lot of the answers haven’t been given, and a biggerstory is just around the corner. Who wouldn’t love to see an almostapocalyptical tale, where we see a world at war with the Tall Man. Plus withcomics we wouldn’t have to worry about the death or ageing of the actors welike, the companies who make these comics would just have to ensure findingwriters who could mimic the speech style of the characters.

There is a comic miniseries of Phantasm,
but I think the world warrants
a long running series.

There are some great horror comics out there, and plentywith links to the horror movies we love. I would suggest people get out thereand read them as you never know. If sales increase the comic book industrymight look at these horror icons and try and create an extended universe thatis robust with great story ideas.

Review - Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

2011-12-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

“How can kung fu stop something that stops kung fu?”

Director: JenniferYuh

Actors: JackBlack, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman and Lucy Liu

Writers: JonathanAibel, Glen Berger

Last year as time was ticking away, I happened to go andwatch Megamind and it made my top ten list of 2010 from the sheer awesomenessof it. Sitting down to watch Kung Fu Panda 2 I wondered if this would followsuit and Dreamworks would rock my world more than Pixar. So did this Panda giveme the five finger punch of death, or was it more white belt in its Kung Fuways?

I really enjoyed the first movie and was impressed how muchit got to me. Especially considering how Jack Black can annoy me sometimes. Forthe sequel I was happy to be drawn back into the world, and liked getting toknow the characters all over again. One of the problems with some voice actingis the audience can be taken out of the movie with higher profile celebritiesas they try and match face to voice. However in the first movie and this sequelthe actors truly seem to embody the characters. Po was Po,he wasn’t Jack Black doing a voice. Thanks to this I was more emotionallyconnected with the story as these characters were ‘real.’

On the voice acting everyone is excellent, with Gary Oldmanand Jack Black the stand outs in my mind. Mr Black is able to make Po a true innocent in the world, and when the story getsserious there is no over playing it. Oldman as Shen is having a blast as avillain, and thankfully he plays it to the max, creating a villain that isgoing ahead with his plan with out any consideration for others. All the othersare perfectly fine and it was nice to have Jackie Chan doing a little more inthis movie, as he wasn’t given much in the first one.

Story wise the movie cleverly highlights maybe one of theweirder aspects of the first movie. You see Pothe Panda had a Duck for a father, doesn’t make much sense. Oh wait he’sadopted. It’s not a surprise but it does make you wonder if plans were set inplace from the beginning for sequels. While the save the kingdom plot is niceand simple and allows for some great action, the core story of Po trying to figure out who he is, and his past isemotional. The great thing is the story not only brings depth to the characterof Po, but amplifies the evil of the villainShen. Like the first movie, this sequel gives the kids a good message which isnever too preachy.

Dreamworks has always known how to make movies that lookedgood; it’s just never had the heart of Pixar. Or that was the case but that’sall changing, thankfully in their quest to create better stories they haven’tforgotten how to make a beautiful movie. In this movie there is actually a mixbetween the cgi created imagery and beautiful dream scenes that are done in amore traditional manner. Kung Fu fights are glorified throughout the movie andputs some non cartoon based action movies to shame.

So it’s obvious that I really enjoyed this movie and I thinkit’s better than the first one. If you liked the first movie, then you willlike this sequel. Parents should get out there and buy the double pack of KungFu Panda, you won’t regret. Ah hell I think anyone who is a fan of animatedfeatures should get the double pack, I know I will.

Review - Grave Encounters (2011)

2011-12-11T01:08:00.001-08:00

“They were searching for proof... they found it.”

Director: TheVicious Brothers

Starring: SeanRogerson, Juan Riedinger, Ashleigh Gryzko and Mackenzie Gray

Writer: TheVicious Brothers

I guess I should start off with the fact that I’m a huge GhostHunters fan. Yep that’s right I watch a reality show, and one that involves twoguys running around dark places and normally scaring the crap out of eachother. When I discovered a horror movie using this type of reality show as thefoundation of the story I got a little excited.

Being a mock reality show means the movie is of the foundfootage variety. Found footage movies can be rather hit and miss with thecamera becoming nauseating in its shakiness. There is also the old problem ofcoming up with a viable reason why people are holding onto the camera’s asstuff happens. Honestly if I was in the middle of a zombie apocalypse I wouldput the camera down and start a running. But Grave Encounters has come alongand given us a premise where it’s logical for the camera to be filming theaction.

The other problem with found footage films is the acting. Assoon as you have someone who is famous it can destroy the illusion of the film;having unknown actors don’t mean it’s going to be bad, but it does put acertain strain on the movie. In this case most of the actors are okay but thereis an added layer that can complicate things. Each character is portraying thenormal person, and then the persona they put forth for the reality show, causeas we know reality shows are normally very separate from any reality we know.

Visually the movie stays close to the ghost reality shows,and the place where the movie was shot, was milked for all it’s worth. Scarewise we have things that play it pretty similar to Paranormal Activity. I can’tsay I was tense during the movie and that’s a negative point in the film. Atleast I was interested in the ideas it presented. I will admit there were someeffects that looked really good (mainly a moving bed), but it’s all kind of hamperedby the shakiness. While I didn’t mind it, I’m sure people will be turned off.

The other problem with found footage movies is the story isnormally just a situation that makes a turn for the worse. As such there isn’treally much of a character arc, and the movie can stagnate because we are justwaiting for the next event to occur. The same problem occurs with this movie,there was an underlying story with the history of the place that was beinginvestigated, and while it was interesting because it’s not fully investigatedwe are left with the characters that are on the screen and I needed more.

The premise is a good use of the found footage genre inhorror, and I think the film makers try to make it as authentic looking aspossible, but when it comes to story it’s shallow. I wasn’t scared, and wasonly interested when it kind of looked at the history of the haunted place. Ifyou like found footage movies then I would say go ahead and give this movie awatch, but if not then you can just move on.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 17

2011-12-04T22:19:00.001-08:00

It’s something that makes me scratch my head, but I wonderwhy movies put arseholes in movies. Or at least put them as the leadcharacters. With horror movies I might understand the argument that theaudience is paying money to see arsehole’s die in horrendous ways, but what ofother genres? Even a movie like Very Bad Things where it’s littered withhorrendous people, there are still main characters who are somewhatsympathetic. Anyway it’s just a question to think about and I should probablymove on to the movies.

Paranormal Activity(2007)

Finally managed to watch this found footage movie and theoverall impression was? I thought it was a solid movie, but nothing to writehome about. I do think the hype about the movie may have been too much for itto live up to. During the course of the movie I did feel tense at some moments,but was never truly scared, and the ending didn’t have that much impact on me.I would like to see the two sequels, so I guess this movie is successful inthat regards. Not too sure if I would recommend it to people, but I certainlywouldn’t stop people from watching it if they were interested.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Wow. Yet again a cartoon proving to me that I still have achild like heart. At the outset I was a little wary as I am suffering from JackBlack overload. But as the movie progressed I was laughing, cheering andgenerally enjoying the watching experience. I also think the message at thecore of this movie is great for children, and yet it’s not overbearing. Simplyput that if you have a dream you need to work at it and nothing good willhappen if you just give up. The voice acting is also really well done andseemed to suit every character, in particular I thought Jack Black was verygood as Po and Ian McShane as Tai Lung broughta suitable amount of menace. I love Pixar but it’s always good to see anothercompany being able to match them, and I think Kung Fu Panda was Dreamworksfirst step towards that.

Bad Teacher (2011)

My opening paragraph comes full circle, as this is thereason why I’m thinking about arsehole characters at the moment. Or in thiscase it would be a bitch character. Cameron Diaz plays Elizabeth Halsey, adespicable wretch of a girl who is trying to get hitched to a rich man so shewon’t have work ever again. I’m not sure what the point of the movie ishonestly. It’s not that funny, the character doesn’t really go through any arceven though her character is supposedly improved somewhat, and actually nicepeople are punished. It’s the same problem I had with Bad Santa, as the mainjoke is, “wow. I didn’t expect (enter job) to ever act that way.” Once thatjoke is used up, the movie become stale as it’s just a repeat. The only thingthat I liked about this movie was Jason Segal who seemed to come up with someof his own lines, and at least brought a decent character for me to get behind.Avoid this movie.

The New Hotness

2011-12-03T01:14:00.001-08:00

A whole slew of new shows have raised their hands in aneffort to grab my attention and I want to go through them with you. So grab agun, ride a dinosaur, beware the gimp, and start believing in fairy tales, becauseit’s going to be a bumpy ride.

American Horror Story

Starting with a show that took me a little bit of time toget used to, and to be honest it’s still taking a bit of getting used to.However the show is creepy, the characters are disturbing and it’s giving mesomething that I don’t have on television. Also the show gives Dennis O’Harework and that’s always appreciated. Personally I think this series will bejarring for people, I myself was thrown off by the characters, and how free form the main story drive is, but after a few episodes i'm starting to see the light. If you are after a well done horror show than I wouldhighly recommend.

Terra Nova

Oh Terra Nova. I want to like you, but you just seem to begoing through the motions. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still enjoying the show ifonly for dinosaurs, Stephen Lang and Jason O’Mara, but the family dynamic travelsdown some very worn roads. Things are starting to pick up which is good to see,and given time the show could really find its footing and become veryinteresting. Just at this moment they seem to mining scripts stolen from otherscience fiction shows. There is also the issue of special effects and sometimes they over reach what they are capable of, but they a fully using their shooting location in Australia to really make it seem like the untamed wilds.

Grimm

One of two television shows that focused on fairy tales.Grimm’s Fairytales were real, and the brothers were actually hunters. Now overthe ages there has been Grimm trying to destroy the evil creatures of theworld. So it’s like Buffy but without the Joss Whedon writing, and thememorable characters. Kind of like Terra Nova, I’m only really digging onecharacter and he’s holding the whole show up. That would be Silas Weir Mitchellas Eddie, the vegan Big Bad Wolf. I will keep watching but I haven’t been wowedby it. It is at the moment very monster of the week. There is some main plot development but this show is in danger of stalling if it takes too much time. But as long as there is Eddie i'll always put aside some time to watch Grimm.

Once Upon A Time

I love the comic book Fables and this seems to be theclosest I’m going to get to it on the television. Fairytale characters throwninto the modern day and yet none of them seem to know the truth. I love thisshow and think it’s one of the better paced shows on television at the moment.It has some of the writing talent from Lost and they seem to have learnt fromthat show what to do and not to do. We have a clear end game and yet there arestill mysteries hanging over the main story. Most of the acting is pretty solidwith Robert Carlyle the highlight in my opinion as Rumpelstiltskin. The onlything that could wreck this show is if they prolong the story too much. I couldsee this show going for four to five seasons, but any longer and they couldwreck the flow.

Final Thoughts

I must say this television season has been better than most,with me connecting with four of the new offerings. There have also been manyold favourites that I’m enjoying but I’ll get to them another day. I’m hopingthat all four of these shows have managed to stay away from the studio axe fornow, and really it’s all going to come down to the wrap up of the seasons tosee if these shows really have what it takes.

Review - The Howling Reborn (2011)

2011-11-29T23:53:00.001-08:00

“Full Moon. New Blood.”

Director: JoeNimziki

Stars: LandonLiboiron, Lindsay Shaw and Ivana Milicevic

Writer: JoeNimziki

I liked the first Howling movie, but I won’t say I was blownaway by it. To be honest I have a perverse love of Howling 6: The Freaks. Butwho wouldn’t like a movie with vampires and werewolves (I’m ignoring youTwilight). But the reason I bring this up is I’m not precious about the series,and I am not against a remake or rebirth if you will, as long as the movie isgood. Sadly what we have here is something that is just horrid. Normally in myreviews I try to be fair, and highlight some of the positives in the movie. Thisis going to be a bloody hard review to do. With that let’s get Kraken (Yes Iknow) and put a silver bullet in this bastard.

The biggest problem in my mind is how the remake approachesthe issue of appealing to a new audience. Quicker than you can say “Bella isthe most evil character ever to grace literature,” the movie goes down a veryTwilight angle, with teen angst being the key theme. So with the relationshipbetween Will (Landon Liboiron) and Eliana (Lindsay Shaw) front and centre a lotof the emotional pull has to come from this development. Needless to say thedevelopment just doesn’t work. It’s too quick, too forced and just doesn’tbloody work when they head down the path of love soothing the savage beastwithin. I groaned when love beat Freddy Krueger in the second movie and thatwas a hell of a lot more developed than this movie. Another problem is in thecharacter of Kathryn (Ivana Milicevic) who seems to be evil because she’s awerewolf. That’s it. It’s hard to explain how bad this is, without spoiling themovie. But needless to say when we find out certain things about her, her evilplans seem very out of the blue.

Without the solid foundation of a credible story, the actorsreally struggle with what they are given. I didn’t find any actor’s that badbut none of them really stood out to me. If I’m going to give any compliment, itwill be to Landon Liboiron who does okay, and maybe with a better script couldhave been good. Oh wait there is an actor I have a bone to pick with, andthat’s Jesse Rath who plays Sachin. He’s basically the equivalent of Randy fromScream, the problem being is his character is badly written, and Jesse Rathplays him with such hyped up energy I wanted to transport into the movie andslap him. Everything about the character annoyed me, including his digs atmovies of old. You know its okay to take the piss out of older movies, if youcan back it up and be a good movie.

Visually the movie is fine, and I’ll give Nimziki somecredit that the movie didn’t look like ass. Well it looks okay for what budgethe had; however there are some special effects that just look really bad. Anexplosion just looks like it’s layered over footage, and some of the werewolveslook like BATS! You see there are alpha wolves that look like actualwerewolves, and all the others are werebats. God damn it how hard is it to makewerewolves look like werewolves. I shouldn’t even need to say that, but thereyou have.

Simply put. Don’t see this movie. It’s a bad werewolf movie,it has plot holes bigger than the forest moon of Endor, and its charactersreally don’t make much sense. It thinks it’s a lot cleverer than what it is,and honestly is a movie that gives remakes a bad name. I hate being so down ona movie, but to be honest its made me appreciate the originals a lot more.

Review - Burke and Hare (2010)

2011-11-27T23:52:00.001-08:00

“Six years in the Army I don't get a scratch. Ten minutes as a graverobber I get shot in the ass.”

Director: JohnLandis

Starring: SimonPegg, Andy Serkis, Jessica Hynes, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Curry, Isla Fischer andBill Bailey.

Writers: PiersAshworth, Nick Moorcroft

You would think that the man who made An American Werewolfin London wouldbe able to get the right balance of horror and comedy in a film? However inBurke and Hare we have a movie that fails to be really funny, and doesn’treally horrify. Then again maybe this isn’t a horror comedy, but just a blackcomedy. Well we come back to that whole not being funny thing. What went wrong?Let’s find out.

First off the acting isn’t that bad, in fact if it wasn’tfor some of the actors I would have probably stopped paying any attention tothe film. Simon Pegg as William Burke brings a certain lovability to hischaracter which is impressive for someone who is a murderer. Andy Serkis(William Hare) and Jessica Hynes (Lucky) play the more deranged protagonists,for them death is not only a good way to make some money, but it’s great topatch up their relationship. Tom Wilkinson (Dr Robert Knox) is a noble presencewith noble goals, but at the same time he’s pretty aware of what’s happening soyet again he’s a bastard. Isla Fischer tries her best as Ginny Hawkins who isBurke’s love interest, but a lot of the comedy around her falls flat. Everyoneelse is trying to bring a comedic vibe in their actions and delivery; but reallyhas nothing to latch on to.

The script has to be the biggest villain of this movie.Comedic moments just don’t gel, a lot of jokes fall flat, or the laughs theyare going for are just tired. Considering the actual notion of the movie, thereis a rich vein to mine for black comedy, and yet the script is lazy. Ithonestly wants to do the least amount of work it can. Also one of the mostglaring problems with the movie is how it treats Burke and Hare as lovablescamps just trying to make some money. They are killers, and the movie is justwasting time trying to humanise them in a way so the audience is on their side.Hell even at the end of the movie a character points out we shouldn’t feelanything for them because they are killers. Thanks movie, I’m glad you are alsoaware that you’re wasting my time.

As for Mr Landis the movie doesn’t look to bad, and you canimagine a black comedy taking place in the setting. There is a pace to themovie so it doesn’t lag too much. But like the script there just seems to be acertain feeling of laziness. Landis is a good director, but it just feels likehe’s going by the numbers. Maybe if the script was stronger, then the endproduct would have been more entertaining. I think Landis still has thepotential to make good films, but maybe he needs to work with someone who canhelp him tap into that potential. A young script writer perhaps. But whateveryou think, Landis probably needs to challenge himself to really get thecreative juices flowing.

This movie suffers from just not embracing its source materialand taking it to a darker place. There is just a mixed tone, that doesn’t gel,and the comedy seems very by the numbers. Most of the actors step up and try tomake the most of what they are given but they just don’t make it. The core ofthis movie is lacking, and as such nothing truly good grows. I don’t thinkpeople will hate this movie out right, but perhaps it’s best to go look atLandis’s earlier work.

Review - Drive (2011)

2011-11-24T23:33:00.001-08:00

“My partner is a belligerent asshole with his back up against a wall,and now, so am I.”

Director: NicolasWinding Refn

Starring: RyanGosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman

Writing: HosseinAmini

Diving head first into the world I learnt many interestingthings. Albert Brooks can play a great villain, Bryan Cranston is appearing inevery movie now a days, and I’m now a fan of Nicolas Winding Refn. I think it’sobvious where this review is headed, but let me explain why this movie would bea contender for my favourite movie of 2011.

First off the acting on all fronts is brilliant and trulyelevates this story. Ryan Gosling as the character simply known as Driver isperfect. His performance is minimalist and yet he can express his character ina glance or a smile. I was drawn into the character and was fascinated by hisquiet moments; there is so much to like in the performance. Carey Mulligan alsodownplays it, and is pitch perfect as Irene. She carries this sadness with her,which says a lot about her past, but you can see the genuine kind person she iswith her actions. Bryan Cranston is great as Driver’s friend and boss Shannon.Unlike the Mulligan and Gosling he plays his character a lot more livelier andstands out because of it, yet he doesn’t go so far has to wander into hamacting territory. Finally I would like to mention Albert Brooks, a man who Iwill always remember as the voice of Hank Scorpio from The Simpsons. Well Iwould until his turn as Bernie Rose, a villain who does send a shiver down myspine. Bernie isn’t a psychopath, isn’t over the top, isn’t remorseful, but oneof those rare villains who just is. It’s hard to really explain, but needlessto say yet again another wonderful performance in a movie exploding withtalent.

Visually the movie is stunning with Nicolas Winding Refngiving us these beautiful driving scenes that show us why Driver is in lovewith driving. We aren’t talking Fast and the Furious speeding down street, morejust driving around the city at night. There is something beautiful about itcaptured on screen. However when the action does ramp up we get some well shotchase and getaway scenes that definitely feel tense. It was also a pleasantsurprise to see a getaway from a robbery involve using one’s head, rather than puttingpedal to the metal. In Refn we have a director with an assured eye for thisfilm, able to blend action and drama seamlessly together. It was such apleasure just to watch this film I really want to go back as soon as possibleto see it again.

Story wise we have a very basic premise, but action is notreally the aim of this movie. Instead we have a drama and character study thathas moments of action and violence. At its core it’s a look into the character ofDriver and how he struggles with a growing attraction to Irene and his past andjob seeping through into his life. Driver is also somewhat of an enigma, a lotis implied rather than out right said, and that’s refreshing as while his pastis important, it allows for Gosling to be able to show rather than tell. Therewere moments in this movie that reminded me of Heat, in that while there was acrime story taking place, the movie really tries to get into the heads of thecharacters.

Not sure how passionately I can say this, but whatever youdo you need to go see this movie. Sure I can see people not gelling with it, asminimal dialogue and lack of action might turn people off. But this is whatcinema is all about, movies that are able to get the audience thinking as wellas be entertaining. Gosling is phenomenal, the movie is beautiful and obviouslythe more people who go see movies like this, will help in getting more movieslike this made. GO SEE THIS MOVIE NOW.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 16

2011-11-21T02:01:00.001-08:00

So I’m back on the movie train, watching plenty of new andold films. During a re-watch of one of my favourite movies of last year, Inoticed it ended with ‘The End,’ plastered on the screen. I honestly thought inthis day and age we don’t really need to be told when the movie ends. Reallydon’t see the point, and what made me scratch my head even more was that thefilm in question had naturally come to the end without need of telling us that.But I’ll stop before I get into old man rambling mode. Let’s get on with themovies.

Warrior (2011)

This movie isn’t going to shock anyone, it’s not going makeyou look at films in a new way, but what it will do is give you a solid storyand some brilliant performances. It’s a drama set in the world of MMA (mixedmartial arts) and centres on a family torn apart. You can probably guess wherethe movie is headed from the outset, but the movie is more concerned withgetting the audience to connect to the two main brothers Brendan (Joel Edgerton)and Tommy (Tom Hardy). Putting it plainly I guessed the ending, but damn if Iwasn’t on the edge of my seat feeling for both characters. Some times the bestmovies are predictable but allow us to connect emotionally.

Hatchet 2 (2010)

I heard rumblings that fans of the first movie weren’t thatkeen on the sequel; actually saying rumblings is a nice way of putting it. Insome respects I can see why people were disappointed in this sequel; it’s adifferent kind of movie with the gore amped up. But there is actually nothingwrong with this movie, it’s still fun, gory and does the job. In fact I thinkit’s a great riff on how horror sequels try and up them selves. More bodycount, more action and as always an over explanation of the monster. Adam Greeninjected the first movie with a sense of humour and a love of horror, no matterwhat you say about the story direction of this sequel, it still has thosethings. Also any movie that gives Tony Todd the spotlight is worth your time.

Unknown (2011)

Every now and then a movie comes a long with a plotdevelopment that just makes me want to give the middle finger to everyoneinvolved. This movie uses a plot device commonly used by the Flinstones, andfor that it can go to hell. Look if I can step back for a minute from my bileduct, I will say that Liam Neeson is fine in the role, and the movie does haveits thrilling parts, in fact it’s not a bad movie if it wasn’t for one glaringhorrid excuse for an ending I’ve seen in a while. The reason why I feel soimpassioned by this plot development is that it wasn’t necessary. All itactually did was give one more action beat, smarter writers could have writtenaround it, and actually created a more meaningful ending. Most people willwatch this and enjoy it and not really care with the ending, and there arethings to like in this movie. Honestly if you want to see a good Liam Neesonthriller I would go for Taken instead.

My Top 10 Directors

2011-11-19T02:28:00.001-08:00

It’s weird that it’s taken me long to get to this list. Butnow is the time to look at my favourite directors. For this list I did a lot oflooking about and tried to really figure out the directors whose work I admiredthe most. I also made sure I stuck to one golden rule. I had to like at leastthree of the director’s movies, which also means a director has to have made atleast three movies. I think this one golden rule really helped me refine thelist down. But for the people out there I will also list my favourite moviesfrom the director. As if I didn’t have enough work already.

10: Mel Brooks(Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, Robin Hood Men In Tights, The Producers, YoungFrankenstein)

Mel Brooks was one of the directors who helped form myhumour when I was just a kid. While other kids watched Star Wars over and over,to the point of memorizing every line, I did the same for Spaceballs. WhenRobin Hood Men In Tights came out I was performing the main musical number formany of my friends. But even with all the zany comedy a film like BlazingSaddles also has a message buried beneath all the great jokes. While I’velisted above all my favourite movies, even those that didn’t land well withaudiences I still enjoy. Yes that’s right I I’m one of the few people to likeLife Stinks. Still at one point Brooks was a director who could never miss inmaking people laugh, and when he wanted to he could throw a little messagealong with the comedy.

09: Paul ThomasAnderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood)

The day I watched There Will Be Blood is the day I knew Ididn’t need to watch any more movies done by Paul Thomas Anderson, he wouldalways have a place in my top ten. It’s hard to describe how much of an impactthat movie made on me, and honestly only a few movies have ever had that effecton me. It all had to do with the character of Daniel Plainview. While a lot ofcredit has to go to Daniel Day-Lewis for the performance, its Anderson’sfocus on character in his movies that truly lets Plainview live. But getting away from thatmovie, he also managed to move me and make me laugh in his other efforts suchas Boogie Nights and Magnolia all which really delve into characters and allowthe story to truly breathe through them. While the movie isn’t on the listabove I’ve got to give him a fair tip of the hat to for Punch Drunk Love whichmade me believe that Adam Sandler can do serious movies. Paul Thomas Andersonis a director that is able to create powerful movies that really highlightinteresting characters and ones that we might not normally want to watch.

08: Quentin Tarantino(Inglorious Basterds, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill)

Tarantino only get’s number eight on my list, I can alreadysense people grabbing their pitchforks and torches for a little mob justice.But I still like the man’s work and do watch Inglorious Basterds maybe a littletoo much for my own good. I think the ultimate testament to the man is hecreates movies that influence the way people talk. Sometimes I real of a quotefrom his movies and not even realize it as it’s just the way I talk. Add to thefact that the man can create interesting stories that just eat up the time eventhough the movies are long. Tarantino also has a habit of putting people infilms that suddenly propel their movie careers, or even rejuvenate them. Ican’t wait for his next movie, as I really want to see what he does with aCivil War era story. Tarantino is a director that has been able to tap into thesocial conscience and manage to influence it with his work.

07: Frank Darabont(The Mist, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile)

Frank Darabont is the man behind my favourite movie of alltime. The Shawshank Redemption was the movie that made me take film seriouslyand is probably the reason why I’m blogging about movies. It was a movie abouthope but it was set in one of the darkest of settings. It really shows thegenius that is Darabont, as he really has a great handle on tone and atmosphereand how to use them to maximum effectiveness. But as if the man wasn’t coolenough, he also loves horror movies. The Mist is a fantastic horror movie, thatreally revels in the bleakness. He also helped write Nightmare on Elm Street 3and The Blob as well as some other horror fair. Horror or drama, Darabont isone of those directors that always knows what he’s doing, and one that doesn’tshy away from the darkness of reality.

06: Wes Anderson (TheLife Aquatic, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Fantastic Mr Fox, The DarjeelingLimited)

There is just something about Wes Anderson films that get tome. I can’t put my finger on it, but beneath all the quirkiness of thecharacters and settings, are themes that really resonate with me. More than anyof his films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou seems to emphasise thisquality. Claymation sea creatures, film techniques that bring in to questionthe whole reality of what we are watching, characters that are delightfullyweird, and a story that takes a left turn at Albuquerque, all hide the potent themesof family, love, loyalty, grief and revenge. Getting away from Steve Zissou andhis crew, his other movies offer a lot in the same way, and when viewed as awhole he proves himself to be quite the auteur. Every movie of his that comesout I look forward to as I know I’m in for a fantastical ride, with a seriousdose of heart.

05: David Cronenberg(A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, The Fly, Existenz, Crash, Videodrome)

Whether it is his earlier science fiction and horror work,to his more modern reality based work, Cronenberg has the power to utterlycreep, disgust and disturb the hell out of me. Still no matter the era I likehis fascination with body horror and the changes people go through. Even in AHistory of Violence themes of transformation are present as violence acts as avirus and changes the people around the main character once it’s introducedinto the circle. At his best he can create movies that turn audiences away asthey are confronted with imagery that just manages to get under the skin, yetif they stick around there are lessons to be learnt about the human condition.Crash is probably an excellent example of this, as while I had problems gettingthrough some of the scenes I emerged better for watching the movie fullythrough. Cronenberg is a director that doesn’t shy away from the blood and goreof being, but is always asking interesting questions to go along with it.

04: Ridley Scott(Blade Runner, Alien, Kingdom of Heaven, GI Jane,Gladiator, Legend, Black Rain, Black Hawk Down)

When I was young I went to a movie night that was showingboth Labyrinth and Legend. Labyrinth was the movie that I liked the most, but Icouldn’t help but be impressed by the visuals of Legend. Having grown up I’vecome to appreciate Legend a whole lot more, and realised that Ridley Scott hasbeen a director that has regularly popped up in my life. Blade Runner is one ofmy favourite Science Fiction film, and really did formalise what I like aboutScience Fiction. Gladiator actually made me like Russell Crowe, Black Hawk Downis one of my favourite war movies, Kingdom of Heaven is slowlyclimbing my list of all time favourite movies, GI Jane is a movie that I enjoydespite some issues and it also was the first film to introduce me to ViggoMortensen one of my favourite actors. Finally who can forget Alien which gaveme the Xenomorphs that I love so much. Ridley Scott has always been in my lifeinfluencing my taste in movies.

03: Christopher Nolan(Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception)

Well first off he did two awesome Batman movies, but thisisn’t the only thing that drew me to the director. Memento was an excellentfilm that played with narrative flow, Insomnia actually gave Robin Williams anmeaty role to bite into and The Prestige was just an excellent period piecethat gave us a look into illusions. What I like about Nolan is how varied hismovies are, and how dedicated he is to each and every movie. But maybe theultimate reason why he makes it so high on my list is this little movie calledInception. One of my favourite topics is dreaming so I was having an absoluteriot with the movie. Everything about this movie was polished head to toe, andit offered a movie that was only as complicated as you make it. To me Nolan isjust an example of a professional that wants to craft a well tailored productthat manages to reach as many segments of the population as possible.

02: The CohenBrothers (The Big Lebowski, Hudsucker Proxy, True Grit, No Country for Old Men,O Brother Where Art Thou? Millers Crossing, Intolerable Cruelty)

Thrillers, Comedies, Westerns, Crime; the genre’s that TheCohen brothers have done is impressive. What is truly impressive about thebrothers is how they seem to be capable of working in any genre. Sure therehave been some missteps, but the amount of films that people enjoy isastounding. That’s the other thing that the Cohen’s bring, films that are lovedby people as well as being praised by critics. They truly seem to be in lovewith their work and it seeps onto the celluloid. No matter how I feel I canalways reach for a Cohen Brothers movie and find something to suit my mood.

01: David Fincher(Fight Club, Seven, Alien 3, Zodiac, The Social Network, Panic Room)

So my favourite director of all time has to be David Fincherand simply put it’s because he hasn’t made a single movie that I’ve hated.Every movie is a work of art and the darkness that he seems to deal with mainlyreally inspires me. Fight Club was one of those movies that knocked me downlike a freight train. The Social Network was truly inspiring as he turned asubject many mocked, into an interesting character study. Alien 3 while crappedupon is an excellent ending to then trilogy, and while it had its problems ittapped into a side of Ripley not yet explored. David Fincher represents one ofthe directors who’ll be remembered from this current age of cinema. I’manxiously awaiting the remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as it’s justthe sort of story that he can truly bring his dark visuals.

Review - Arthur (2011)

2011-11-17T13:44:00.001-08:00

“Could you detach the half-naked business woman from under my bed?”

Director: Jason Winer

Starring: Russell Brand, Helen Mirren and Jennifer Garner

Writer: Peter Baynham

When this movie first came out I wasn’t that interested inthis movie. You see it all has to do with Russell Brand. His comedic persona isgrating to some people, and honestly I’m not sure why he’s as popular as he is.But I’ve come to learn that even if I’m not a fan of the actor I should give amovie a chance, as I may be surprised. So here’s that chance, let’s see if Iwas surprised.

Well first off let’s deal with the actors in this film.Helen Mirren was dependable as you would imagine. In the role of Arthur’s nannyshe was both stern and yet you could see the affection she had for Arthur. Shedefinitely added some class to the role of Hobson (Hobson is my last name soyou can imagine my delight). Jennifer Garner as the evil Susan Johnson plays itpretty much one note, other than a scene where she is drunk. To be fair sheisn’t given that much to do. Geraldine James is cute as Vivienne the loveinterest of Arthur, however she too isn’t given much to do, as is more a goalfor Arthur to change his ways. And now we make our way to the main star, thewhole reason why this movie was made, Russell Brand. Straight off the bat ifyou don’t like Brand’s humour, you won’t like this movie. I’ve never really gothis appeal but haven’t hated him, so it wasn’t too bad for me. He does bring acertain lovability to this role which is necessary as in this current age whowould feel sorry for billionaire. However this story does take a turn intoserious town in the third act and it is at this point that I didn’t buy thechange in Arthur. Russell is so content playing Arthur as a fool, that it seemsimpossible that there is a real human beneath it all.

Now one of the complaints people had was how this was ashallow shade of a shell of a movie when compared to the original. I’m notgoing to get into the argument over the remake, as while I’ve watched it, it’sbeen a while and honestly I can’t remember too much about it. Instead what Iwill say is the very idea of a lovable billionaire is one that just doesn’t flyin this age. I can’t understand why they would want to remake this movie, asthe very core of the idea hamstrings the movie from the beginning gate. Peopleare supposed to feel bad for Arthur? Other than this core concern the story isa pretty standard romantic comedy affair. Things take a dark turn in the thirdand it just doesn’t seem right. It was good to see the idea of Alcoholismtackled in the movie, but I don’t think there was enough time really devoted toit to make it worth our time.

Honestly this is astandard comedy and if you like Brand you’ll probably enjoy this movie. Thereis nothing to really write home about, and the story is very basic, with comedywinning out over any worth while topics. Also for those people who love theoriginal, just skip the movie and forget about it. Having this movie out therein the cosmos isn’t going to ruin the original in anyway. If you want to seethis movie, grab some friends and watch with some pizza.

Review - Immortals (2011)

2011-11-14T02:36:00.001-08:00

“The Gods Need a Hero.”

Director: Tarsem Singh

Stars: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt, Luke Evans

Writers: Charley Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides

The director known as Tarsem was the mind behind The Cell, amovie that I don’t mind at all, but has plenty of detractors. Yet even thosewho didn’t like the movie said that it was visually interesting. So with thatin mind I was really interested in seeing what this man would make of the Greekgods. Well the results are a movie that I’m somewhat torn on. Let’s get down tobrass tacks people.

Like the Cell this movie is a visual feast, and for somepeople it could be worth the price of admission alone. It’s nice to see anaction movie with such an experimental eye, and honestly I wish there was moreaction movies that tried to break free from the standard movie look. Howeverthere was one thing that did bug me when it came to the look of the film.Several times throughout I had to remind myself that it was in 3D. Not once didI think that the 3D enhanced the movie, in fact most the time I thought it wasall in 2D. Still it’s a minor gripe as it was never distracting, just lacking,and more a problem with marketing than the film itself. The movie is also a lotmore adult than you would expect as well, with the gore being pushed to themax. Along with the beautiful visuals, the gore does have a good punch to itall.

Most of the actors do a fine enough job, with John Hurt andMickey Rourke being very dependable. Mickey Rourke in particular as Hyperion isan interesting villain, there are attempts to flesh him out and have some humancharacteristics, and yet he’s a completely loathsome. Henry Cavill as our heroTheseus was a little boring in my opinion. There was just nothing about himthat really stood out to me. I wish I could speak more about the performancebut honestly there is nothing to talk about, which gets me worried as he’s thenext Superman and well say what you want but Superman has a personality.Stephen Dorff on the other hand as Stavros does an excellent job as thesidekick, and brings some much needed personality to the group of heroes. Thegods themselves all act very regal but aren’t given much to do, other than lookgood for the visuals. Luke Evan’s as Zeus does bring the thunder, andlightning, and does bring a certain presence to the godly role.

The story itself strives to be an epic tale, and the end israther exciting with the action really ramping up. However it does take a whileto actually get there and the story is a very sparse thing. There are littleidea’s planted all over the place, and I would think that in the hands ofTarsem the movie would of made more of an attempt to get in depth with thequestions raised. But maybe I’m expecting too much from a movie that issupposed to be action packed and a fun ride. Still why bring these themes up ifyou aren’t going to do anything with them? What they do is just pad out thebeginning to make the movie drag, when you want to get to the glorious action.

People who like the mythological like adventures should givethis movie a look. The action is really good, and the experimental nature ofthe visuals does create a uniqueness not found in a lot of action films. Butthis still doesn’t stop the fact that the beginning of the movie is slow, andthe main hero isn’t anything memorable. If you can find a 2D version of thismovie I would go and see it. I’m sure most people will find this a beautifulGreek tale.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 15

2011-11-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

So with new work I haven’t been watching as many movies as Iwould normally. But I still get my butt out there when I can. Tonight Iactually watched Immortals well before the release date (at least in Australia), andI’ll be getting a full review out there hopefully in a day or so. As we getcloser and closer to the end of the year, my top ten list for 2011 is startingto shape up. However I’m still hoping for some movies to come along and wow me.But enough of this chit chat, lets get to the quick fire minty fresh burst ofQuick Movie Reviews.

The Girl Who Kickedthe Hornet’s Nest (2009)

And thus ends the Millenium trilogy. Damn did this go outwith a whimper in my mind. It’s somewhat not fair to cry at how the ending justfeels so unfinished, the writer of the books died before he could write anymoreand as such emotional character arcs are just left dead in the water. Thejourney of the characters Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander is aninteresting one, and yet what was such a strong relationship in the first movieis never explored again. I understand that the two characters still showloyalty and friendship to each other even when separated, and for Lisbeth anyform of connection is impressive, but you can see that there were roads yet tobe taken for the two and it’s never fully realised. As for the film itself, ittidies up numerous story lines and therefore does offer some resolution for theaudience, but there is never the definitive end. If you liked the other moviesI would say go ahead and watch this, but those of you who want to start theseries should be warned that you may find the end disappointing.

Real Steel (2011)

It’s a movie about robots beating the crap out of eachother. If this single idea makes you giddy with joy, then stop reading rightnow and go and watch this movie. There is nothing I can say or do which willstop you from spending your money on this film. However if robot fighting isn’teverything you are after, then perhaps I could suggest go and finding Rocky.It’s not that this movie is bad, but Rocky does this type of story so muchbetter and it has that human connection that robotics just doesn’t lend itselfto. Truth be told this movie not only takes the story of Rocky but crams asmany sporting clichés as it can into the run time. Honestly this movieshouldn’t work, but it does and I think it has a lot to do with two things.First Hugh Jackman and Dakota Goyo have such a wonderful father, son chemistrytogether; they breathe life into the flaccid script. The second is real careand attention has been put into the creation of the robots to give them as mucha personality as possible. I’m going to admit it; I felt something for the damnrobot Atom in the final fight. Real mixed emotions about this movie. I’ll goahead and recommend for father and sons, and those who are after a bit of robotcarnage.

Anonymous (2011)

This is without a shadow of a doubt Roland Emmerich’s bestfilm, but it’s still far from perfect. Getting away from alien invasions ofID4, or giant lizards, or global catastrophe’s has really helped Roland connectwith the human emotion lacking from some of his other movies. It seems morerealistic and it is helped that Rhys Ivan’s gives a fantastic performance asthe Earl of Oxford. However there are some time jumps that just seem a littleoff when you consider that the movie is actually supposed to be a play. Itmuddies the flow of the story for no real reason. Having everything take placein chronological order wouldn’t have hurt the movie in the slightest. There arealso some performances that just didn’t seem right and did veer into thecartoony side of the acting creek, which is a shame considering the serioustone of the movie. The movie also seemed too big for its running time, which attwo hours and change to me seems that some editing could have been used. Somecharacter motivations just aren’t clear thanks to not enough time being paid tothem. Also for a film that is all about the conspiracy behind Shakespeare,there seems to be a lack of the man. He came off as one of the cartoonycharacters I was speaking about earlier, and by having him such a buffoon itmade me less interested in the story. Still I would recommend this movie topeople into period dramas. It’s a harmless little diversion.

American Vampire, Chew and Penguin: Pain and Prejudice

2011-11-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

With getting a job comes cash, and that can mean only onething. What’s that? Fiscal responsibility. Hell no, it means picking up sometrades. The two trades I thought I would get are Chew and American Vampire.I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about these two books and upon readingthem I knew that I needed to write a blog post about them. Also to add somedepressing flavour I’m looking at the first issue of the Penguin mini seriesPain and Prejudice.

American Vampire Vol1 by Scott Snyder, Stephen King and Rafael Albuquerque

Taking a monster such as the vampire, which is well known bymany people and changing it, can be a tricky thing. Some attempts seemridiculous (yes I’m looking at you Twilight with your god damn sparklyvampires), others just change without any respect to the tradition of thevampire. However American Vampire manages to not only be something different,but to also pay homage to the tradition of the vampire. Skinner Sweet is anAmerican cowboy who has been turned into a vampire, but he’s somethingdifferent, a new species of vampire.

The writing of both Scott Snyder and Stephen King isabsolutely awesome and grabbed me from the balls from the out set. Swappingbetween Skinner Sweets origin story and Pearl Jones story set in the 1920’s,it’s an interesting look at this young America and its various historicperiods. Rafael Albuquerque’s art also aptly captures both time periods andreally helps define both stories. Highly recommend this trade for people.

Chew by John Laymanand Rob Guillory

In the last week I’ve purchased the first three trades, Ilove this series that much. It’s such a warped fun world to read. Basically 23million Americans were killed by the bird flu, as such chicken and any otherbird have been deemed illegal. Tony Chu is a detective for the FDA who tracksdown black market chicken rings and murders surrounding such things. Tony Chualso as a power that helps him, he’s a Cibopath which gives him a psychicimpression of any object he eats. There are also other people out in the worldwith taste related powers and it all leads to some unique situations.

This book is not just a fun action adventure tale, but alsosmart in how it constructs each issue. The layout and the playing around withtime conventions always keeps the tale fresh. The characters are also reallywell developed and even those who seem to be one dimensional bastards, getfleshed out to show the inner workings. Comics like Chew are the reason why Ikeep reading. They take the art form and really show the possibilities. Anotherbig recommendation for people out there.

Penguin: Pain andPrejudice 1# by Gregg Hurwitz and Szymon Kudranski

I picked this up not expecting much at all. Penguin is oneof my favourite Batman villains and this was me getting it for the sake ofhaving a Penguin story in my collection. What I got was a very mean, nastycomic that is absolutely brilliant. You probably not going to read this morethan once, but wow is this a fascinating take on the character. It’s actuallynot that far removed from what we know, instead the story takes a darkerapproach that is both sad, depressing and gives the Penguin such a strongfoundation as a villain.

This is a mini series and I can’t wait to see where thestory goes, but the tone has already been set and I’m sure it’s not going toanywhere happy. This first issue reminds me of a show like OZ or Shield, whereit’s an indepth look at people who aren’t heroes, yet sympathy is created evenin the darkest of characters. If you are a fan of the character I would say getout there and get it.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 14

2011-10-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

With a new night shift job my blog posts have been a littlemore random, and I’ve gotten behind on my movie reviewing. But never mind forI’m about to catch up a bit with another dish of quick movie reviews. A journeycontinued with a Swedish trilogy, an American horror movie, English crime dramaor was that action movie, and finally a movie that will be in my top ten ofthis year when I get to the list. So sit down, buckle up, and get ready.

Hatchet (2006)

Adam Green gives us a neat little slasher set in New Orleans. The firstthing that I found endearing about this movie was that the characters weren’tcomplete and utter assholes; well most of them weren’t assholes. A nice set uphad me caring about most of the characters and the situation they were put in.But let’s not forget why we are here. The gore was impressive and the killsinventive. A few times I was amazed that they went with such a gory death butthen this is what the movie is all about. It’s trying to show the world whatAmerican horror is all about, and give the people a break from all the dulllifeless horror movies that are out there. My one complaint is that the swampsetting does get a little repetitive, but this was probably a budgetary concernand it’s not such a big thing.

The Girl Who PlayedWith Fire (2009)

I loved the first movie and thought the chemistry betweenNoomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist really drove the film. With this moviehowever, the two don’t share any scenes together, and while the actors are alltop notch and the story is interesting there is something lost. The first moviereally drew me in and the time flew by, however I couldn’t help notice the pacejust felt slower, and more burden with the characters histories. Noomi Rapace is amazing as Lisbeth Salanderand Rooney Mara has got some big shoes to fill in the David Fincher remakelater this year. If people liked the first movie, then there is no need toavoid this. The movie is enjoyable but be warned it’s not as good as the first.Also the movie ends pretty abruptly and left me kind of disappointed.

Blitz (2011)

Jason Statham plays a tough cop who is tracking down a copkiller. It sounds like a simple story and one that couldn’t be screwed up butsomewhere someone lost focus and gives us a movie that kind of fails. The mainproblem of the movie is its very unfocused and seems to offer multiple sidestories that really do nothing for the main story and only dilute attentionaway from the two main cops. The shame of this is both Jason Statham and PaddyConsidine as the two lead cops actually do an impressive job. There could havebeen a decent cop drama with these two characters, instead the movie is tryingto be an action movie and only pays lip service to the characters troubles.Aidan Gillen is an interesting villain, and while weedy and not looking likemuch of a threat does seem credible in his role. Overall I would give this amiss as the movie doesn’t know what it wants to be and thanks to that neverseems like a full movie.

Contagion (2011)

In many of my movie reviews I have complained about the lackof character development, but occasionally there are movies where thecharacters aren’t the focus and the topic is. Normally in this case the cast ofcharacters are played by dependable actors who will be able to give smallcharacter details in the briefest of glances and gestures. Contagion is a filmlike this. Each character is only set up in order to explore the effects of avirus that is spreading across the world like wildfire. Still the idea of thevirus isn’t the main topic here; Contagion is more looking at how fear spreadsand the effects on people. This movie is fantastic and throughout I feltunease, add to the fact the actors here who manage to connect with theircharacters when given just a few scenes to accomplish that, it’s an excellent masterclass in how to do a massive sprawling film. Steven Soderbergh has accomplishedthis before with Traffic and out of the two movies I would say that is moreaccomplished but shouldn’t take away from Contagion. One of my favourite moviesof the year, I’m glad it’s done well and I hope more people get out there andsee this movie.

Review - The Three Musketeers (2011)

2011-10-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

“There were four of us, against forty of them.”

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson

Starring: Ray Stevenson, Orlando Bloom, Christoph Waltz, MillaJovovich

Writing: Alex Litvak and Andrew Davies

I can remember watching the 1993 version of The ThreeMusketeers and just having so much fun with it. Crammed with awesome actors itremains a corner stone of my favourite childhood movies. Going into this movieI was hoping to have the same sense of fun captured. Say what you want about PaulW.S. Anderson but he has made some entertaining movies, and a genuine horrorclassic (in my opinion) in the form of Event Horizon. So this couldn’t be allthat bad right?

Well I may be over selling this a little, but after twohours of this movie I wanted to claw my eyes out and erase any memory of thismovie. Unless another movie comes along and craps in my shoes, I think I’ve gotmy worst movie of the year right here. The greatest shame is that there aresome good things in this movie that tease at what could have been.

Starting with the acting I’m going to highlight possibly myfavourite thing in the entire movie. Orlando Bloom plays one the villainBukingham and he was my favourite thing in the movie. Never been that big a fanof Orlando Bloom but he is perfect as the moustache twirling British bastard.He engulfs his entire persona in this smarmy charm; it was just fun to watchhim. Bloom beats out Christoph Waltz in the bad guy department, which isastounding as Waltz is a great actor. But Waltz just plays Cardinal Richelieu alittle too seriously which doesn’t work in a fun adventure. On the hero side ofthings Ray Stevenson has a great time as Porthos and I would have loved if hewas the main character. Logan Lerman as D’Artagan isn’t bad, and while wasn’tmy cup of tea he at least tries, and is successful in giving the audience ahero to get behind. Everyone else is either really bad, or just seems bored ofbeing in the movie. I could go into the individuals but honestly the bad actingwas probably caused by the other problems.

This script is truly awful and the main reason why thismovie is so bad. No matter the actors or director this thing was rotten at thecore. The musketeer’s adventure doesn’t really kick in until maybe half waythrough the movie which leaves me scratching my head. Instead there seems to bea focus on Milla Jovovich’s character Milady and a lot of side stories thatnever really pay off. In the case of Milady there could be some great storywork with Milady and the musketeer Athos. Yet the character conflict is paidlip service and when the story beat happens where the audience is supposed tocare, there is no connection. It comes off pointless and a waste of time.Instead of any true story development the audience is given music cues. Everytime the heroic music swell occurred I rolled my eyes as the moment was neverearned. Sad music? Really? I don’t feel sad movie. There is some lazy moviecrafting going on here.

Now this movie was filmed in 3D and it is one of the better3D movies out there, it was never too dark, or blurry. It looked good, and someof the action scenes were exciting. Still there are some visual choices thatjust seemed like padding in a movie that is lacking focus. Directing wise themovie is as choppy and unfocused as the script. I also can’t help but feel thatPaul W.S. Anderson might have put more focus on Milla because they are married,rather than finding the character interesting. The only reason I bring this up,as it might give some insight into the directorial choices of Anderson.

Overall this movie is a mess. There is no solid focus on thevarious stories happening, dialogue is awful with some lines sounding like theywere stolen directly from other movies. Visually the movie looks good, but thatdoesn’t help the experience of watching this movie. Even if there were freetickets to this movie I would decline them, and instead go and watch the 1993version.

Review - The Thing (2011)

2011-10-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

“Not all of us are human!”

Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, UlrichThomsen

Writer: Eric Heisserer

You would think that a prequel to the 1982 classic would notcop a lot of the remake stigma, but I think that’s to it using the same title,it’s still copped some flak. However title aside there is some room for the prequelas the 1982 did mention a Norwegian expedition that discovered the thing first.Also let’s not forget that the 1982 The Thing is also a remake and was anabsolute awesome remake. So come on let’s be like the Blue Lanterns and let alittle bit of hope enter us. Time to delve into the gooey mass that is TheThing.

One of the reasons why I loved the 1982 The Thing was forthe characters used. Each was allowed their time to shine, and thus creatingcharacters created tension. This time we don’t get as much characterdevelopment, but there is still some distinct characters that get out of thepack, also the characterisation of the Norwegian expedition as a whole is donein a way that shows us that they aren’t bad people and allows the audience toget behind them quickly. Right at the beginning one of the Norwegians istelling a joke, at the punch line I noticed a lot of the audience laugh and youcould sense in one confidant action, the director Matthijs had gotten theaudience on side.

Acting wise I couldn’t fault this movie. Sure some actorsweren’t given much to do, but there was no one that I would call god awful. Kate(Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is refreshing strong female character. She’s strongbut not characterised as butch, which is a trap some movies fall into. I alsodidn’t mind Ulrich Thomsen who played Dr Sander Halvorson. While portrayed asthe bastard scientist, his portrayal isn’t so much evil as focused onuncovering what’s happening. Also out of the Norwegian group I thought thatJorgen Lanhelle as Lars and Kristofer Hivju as Jonas stood out of the pack.Finally I thought Joel Edgerton was okay, but sometimes it looked like he wastrying to do a Kurt Russel impersonation.

Visually the movie manages to capture the cold environment,and you do feel the loneliness and isolation of the area. In that regards itdoes stand along side the original. Where it goes a little pear shaped is inthe special effects. Now CG wise the special effects aren’t that bad, but whencompared to some of the work in the original it doesn’t stack up. There aresome practical effects but mostly CG. However the creature design is pretty damnawesome. I like some of the ideas for how the creature changed, and exactlywhat it used. So while the CG isn’t as good as the practical work from 1982,the two match up perfectly with the design of the creature.

The 1982 The Thing was an exercise in tension, this moviedoes have some tense scenes, and at some points I was on the edge of my seatsometimes. But there are two things that really hamper this movie from becominggreat. First off is the final act of the movie. Tension is thrown out of thewindow for the big bad alien hunt. While personally I didn’t mind it, I can seeothers just not liking it. Still I’ve seen worse tonal changes. Also the movieis slightly hampered by how it’s trying to connect to the 1982 movie. Thingshave to be set up, so it matches with the next movie. While it’s commendablethat they are trying to have both movies connected, it does feel a littleforced sometimes. Also the movie does mimic John Carpenters movie just alittle. There are some similar beats, and I’m sure people will point to thesestory moments and say that this is evidence enough to call this movie crap.Fact is while I did recognise the similarities, and to some extent it did makeme wish the film makers of this prequel were a tad more original, I still had funwatching this movie.

Overall this wasn’t a bad movie, but it’s going to cop someflak from people who love the original. This movie will be compared to the 1982movie, and be found wanting, but that’s not fair. It succeeds more than itfails and personally I think that people who like alien movies should go alongand see this as they will have fun. In fact when this comes out on DVD I’mgoing to buy it and watch the two movies together. This movie does not diminishthe original, and personally I think it’s entertaining enough to hold its own.

Review - The Thing (1982)

2011-10-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

“I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find thetime, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!”

Director: JohnCarpenter

Starring: KurtRussel, Wilford Brimley, Keith David

Writer: BillLancaster

In 1982 two movies came out about aliens. One was thedelightful family picture ET, the other was The Thing which was distinctly notmade for the family. The Thing is one of my favourite movies, and with that youcan probably tell where this review is heading. But putting a fresh pair ofeyes on, I guess the main question is does this movie hold up in this day andage? Well you should get reading and find out.

I think one of the greatest strengths of the movie is in thegroup dynamic that is formed with all the distinct characters. There is timegiven to let all the characters differentiate themselves and allow us to notonly to get to know them, but for us to give a damn about them when the craphits the fan. Kurt Russel as MacReady is all that is man, and proves this withhis glorious beard. He’s also a good sturdy lead for the audience to getbehind. Was also a fan of Donald Moffat as Garry. Leader of the group he has aworn down father quality to him, not exactly hero material but an endearingcharacter, he also has one of my favourite quotes from the movie which is upabove. But honestly it’s hard singling everyone out as everyone does an awesomejob, Richard Mauser, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, the list goes on.

Story wise it’s kept simple and it’s all the better for it.There is an alien that can take the form of anyone in the group, now it’s arace to survive. The tension created in the story is so thick, it really doesadd to the threat of the movie. Not a movie beat is misused and really does puta lot of current horror movies to shame. It gives enough time for characterdevelopment, but also uses the character development to create charactertensions to be used later.

Probably one of the factors that will age in any movie isthe special effects, but with The Thing the work still holds up. Well maybe themonster design at the end is a little dated, but everything else is awesomeincluding the famous head spider. I also think there is something special aboutpractical effects. The actors are actually reacting to something there, andjust adds to the believability of the scene, or as believable as an alienmenace could be. Also the cold setting is captured perfectly by John Carpenterand does create menace from the environment as well as the visitor to the articstation.

Directorial wise this is John Carpenter at his best. Thereare so many elements that he brings together successfully, it’s a credit to himfor not dropping the ball. The performances he gets, the visuals he uses, allgo together to create a tense, nihilistic movie experience. I think this is anexample of Carpenter at his peak.

The Thing is a classic horror movie, and anyone who is a fanof the genre needs to see this movie if they haven’t. It’s a shame in the yearof 1982 ET got more of the spotlight but then again I might be the weird onewho likes man eating aliens, rather than Reece’s Pieces eating ones. But getout there and watch this.

Review - Bad Eggs (2003)

2011-10-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

“Yep; I smell fuckwits.”

Director: Tony Martin

Starring: Mick Molloy, Judith Lucy, Bob Franklin, AlanBrough

Writer: Tony Martin

I suffer from the cultural cringe when if comes toAustralian movies. I’m not sure what it is but I tend to be down on movies thattry to be distinctly Australian, especially when distinctly Australian meansmilking the aussie cliché for humor. Personally I think this is a cheap way totry and distinguish ourselves in the world cinema, and that as a country we arecapable of unique story telling in movies without going for the cheap laugh. Sowith that said does Bad Eggs, fall into this trap? Let’s find out.

Bad Eggs is the Australian take on the cop movie, and mainlylooks at how mundane the job can be while still have the beats of a detectivestory. There is some low key humour as well as some over the top scenes. As acomedy movie it’s trying to walk a balanced line but sometimes just comesacross as a little bit of a mess in the humour department. Still at its corethis movie is written by a man who knows a thing or two about comedy, and Ithink the jokes hit more than miss.

Acting wise we have Mick Molloy as Ben Kinnear, and alreadywe are at a hurdle. Mick is a good comedian, and I thought he was wonderful inCrackerjack, but while this movie is a comedy it also requires some seriousnessto come through to make the cop portion work. Honestly Mick is too laid backfor the role. Bob Franklin as Mike Paddock on the other hand is perfect.Believable as a cop, funny as hell, he is the balance this movie is strivingfor in human form. He also works well off Mick and the two do share great buddychemistry. Finally Judith Lucy as Julie Bale is another who I wouldn’t normallybelieve, but she brings such fire to her character I can see her easily in anauthoritative role. More a foil to Mick’s character she does have a few scenesto shine but is mostly in the background.

Tony Martin isn’t anything special when it comes todirecting, but he is competent and occasionally has the odd flourish. In thismovie I did like the flashback scene, where both Ben and Julie see their pastin more action movie terms. The visuals in the rest of the movie seem veryclean, precise; it’s hard to put my finger on it. I think the idea was to tryand make the world as mundane as possible, so when the characters or scene wentmad cap it was more pronounced, but this does mean the weight of the movie ison the shoulders of the actors to entertain, and if they are off there is achance the audience will just be bored.

There is an attempt here to bring American sensibilities toan Australian cop drama, and show that Australia is never going to havethese epic cop tales. There are some very Australian use of language andclichés present but it’s never so much that I get the cringe. In this regardsthe movie is successful as by making the distinctly Australian in some regards,it shows the stupidity of the American movie beats.

It’s hard to recommend this movie. I love it, I own it, butit is flawed, and the tone may just not work for people. I think it’s anambitious movie that just doesn’t quite do it. Maybe with more time and someother actors it could have succeeded in what it was trying to accomplish. Ifyou are after an Australian movie there are better out there, but I don’t thinkthis is the worst movie to experience, maybe just rent it out and see.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 13

2011-10-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

So more movies watched and now time venture forth and do mything. One of the movies I just watched tonight, normally I don’t put a movieup for review this soon, I wait at least a day before I get writing. Howeverthe reason for this breach of protocol (yes I have some protocol), was the factI had fun watching this just above average movie. Sometimes I get caught upwith trying to break a movie down; I forget to just have fun. I think havingreally little information about this movie increased the enjoyment I had whichgot me thinking.

In this day and age, with trailers and movie information atour finger tips, does it all ruin the movie going experience? It’s a topic thatI will probably cover at a later date in a more in depth article, but at leastfor now it’s got me thinking. Anyway enough of this on to the movies.

Drive Angry (2011)

As you may or may not know, I have an obsession withNicholas Cage. So it would come as no surprise that when this movie wasannounced I was joyous. A man breaks out of hell, to find the cult that killedhis daughter and kidnapped his grandchild. That man is Cage. This movie wasdestined to be pure gold. Patrick Lussier was the man behind the remake of MyBloody Valentine which I enjoyed a hell of a lot (for the record I also enjoyedthe original), it was so fun, and the man seems to have a knack of going forfun without trying to hard. Teamed not only with Cage in ‘let’s have fun mode,’but William Fitchner being oh so awesome as The Accountant; the demon sent tobring back Cage; this movie is just a damn fun ride. Fans of horror movies andaction movies should get this movie.

Eat Pray Love (2010)

This movie was definitely out of my comfort zone, yet Itried going into this movie with an open mind. The first thing that hit me washow hard this movie is trying to be important. I’ve been told the book wasactually a very touching piece of literature that was a profound read to a lotof people. If that was the case then the movie just doesn’t create that samefeeling. Biggest reason is Julia Roberts character of Liz Gilbert, a womanspending time in various locations trying to discover herself. I hated her. Iwanted her to be hit by a bus. GO GREYHOUND. She came off as a horrible personand therefore I didn’t care about her journey of self discovery. The bad thingabout this is I could have seen myself enjoying this movie if it wasn’t forher. The other characters I didn’t mind, I laughed and felt about their ownpersonal journeys. There is a good possibility that Julia Roberts was not rightfor this role, give me someone more along the lines of Julianne Moore or JodyFoster and I might have been more inclined towards this movie. Still I thinkwomen will get more out of this movie than me, but honestly after discussingwith my girlfriend they would do better in grabbing and reading the book.

Griff the Invisible(2010)

Griff is a social outcast who doesn’t live in reality, hebelieves he can turn invisible and at night is a super hero. Ryan Kwanten isfantastic in the lead role, and it just shows you the acting talent he has. Yesfolks; playing Jason Stackhouse isn’t the only thing he’s good at. At first Iwas drawn in by the quirkiness, but there was a certain point where I wasstarting to get disturbed. I wasn’t sure where I stood. Should I cheer forGriff and watch as he spirals further into delusion, or do I hope that someonecomes along to save Griff from his mental problems, but then see him become amindless drone with no sense of wonder. It’s a tough stance, and a brilliantmood. Maeve Dermody as Melody was also good in this movie, and yet again offersan unusual question to the audience. She is someone who will make Griff veryhappy but also cement his delusion for ever. If any of this interests you, thenget out there and watch this movie. It’s worth it. Oh and it’s an Australianmovie that doesn’t use Australian clichés. More points for this movie.

The Last Exorcism(2010)

I’ve wanted to watch this movie since it came to cinemaslast year. Finally being able to sit down with this movie I’ve got to say I wasreally impressed. Patrick Fabian as Cotton Marcus is fantastic. A conman exorcist, who is getting out of thegame, because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone, encounters a dark force in his lastexorcism. Cotton is a complex character, a man who I would class as a good man,yet his talent lies in conning people out of money. He justifies why he doeswhat he does, but you can see that after all these years he was conning himselfand it’s beginning to stab at the good man behind the conman. This greatcharacter is then put into a situation which is creepy as hell. I was on theedge of my seat and felt so much tension as they start uncovering the truthabout Nell, Cotton’s latest exorcist case. It’s a good movie and at one pointseems to end, but then comes the twist. The problem with the twist is it wrecksthe found footage angle, as there is some editing that couldn’t have been donewith just raw footage. Also the ending is such amps things up from the subtlehorror of the rest of the movie it will through people off. Personally I wasinvested with the movie so I didn’t mind the movie, but I know many who justhate it. Still this is a great, low budget movie, and people need to get outthere and watch this movie to encourage this type of solid film making.

Take Me Home Tonight(2011)

What we have is a guy trying to figure out his life, and itseems that this is the night everything comes together. It’s a movie we’ve seencountless times, its jokes don’t hit that consistently and sometimes I wantedDan Fogler to tone it down a little. However while I thought this was a justabove average movie, I still had fun. It had a lot to do with the charm ofTopher Grace, Anna Farris and Teresa Palmer. I liked these people and wanted tosee things work out for them. Oh hell I’m even going to admit that even DanFogler had his moments, and considering what happens to his character I guess Ican cut the guy some slack for his over the top antics. I also like that whileit’s set in the 80’s, it doesn’t shove the 80’s references down you throat,it’s just the 80’s so people dress and act that way. The biggest problem isthat the movie isn’t fall down funny, neither is it serious, it’s in this greyarea so it never truly succeeds or fails. Hmm that sounds like the plot of thismovie.

Movie Series Review: The Addams Family

2011-10-03T02:16:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to a new little review thing I’m doing,where I take a look at a series of movies and get the reviews done in one postrather than multiples. Normally I’ll talk about the series as a whole first, andthen get into the individual movies, then move into my final thoughts. To kickthings off I’m going to take a look at The Addams Family and its sequel AddamsFamily Values.

Based off the old television series, I do remember watchingreruns when I was a little kid and liking it. But what I feel for thetelevision series is nothing when compared to the two movies; I adore them andpersonally think the sequel is as good as the original thanks a consistencyfostered between them. Both movies are directed by Barry Sonnenfield thisallows for a visual style to carry through to both movies. A real dark comedicatmosphere is created, and exploited to draw in adults while still appealing tokids with the more absurd stuff.

He's a real lady killer. Acquitted mind you.

Cast wise we have the late great Raul Julia inhabiting therole of Gomez. It’s amazing how he can take this deeply demented persona andyet put so much charisma into him, that we can’t help but like this acquittedlady killer. Angelica Huston is graceful and brings a lady like class toMorticia. She also has impeccable comedic timing, being cold most the time andthen breaking out the emotion at just the perfect moment for maximum laughs.Christopher Lloyd is having a ball with both films and unlike the other membersof the main cast gets to play two different variations of the character betweenthe movies. While Raul Julia brings some suave charisma to his role to lessonthe bad qualities, Lloyd brings a lovable goofiness to Fester. Jimmy Workmanand Christina Ricci as Pugsley and Wednesday play off each brilliantly and youreally do get a brother and sister vibe from them. It’s also obvious how greatan actress Christina Ricci would become, and it’s no wonder Wednesday was givenmore to do during the sequel.

While the writing is sharp, I really do believe that themovies are as good as they are thanks to the director and cast. If one of thosethings were changed then it would have all been shot as the idea alone of theAddams Family isn’t strong enough to carry the movie. If you want an example youcan always watch the third movie in the series, a straight to video effortcalled Addams Family Reunion. It’s bad. That’s all I got on that one so let’stake a look at the two movies.

The Addams Family(1991)

I’ve heard people be down on this movie more than the sequelbecause of the plot of the movie. Basically Tully Alford and Abigail Cravenwant to cheat the Addams Family out of their vast fortune. Fortunately Abigailsson Gordon looks just like Fester Addams who was lost at sea. Inserting Gordon intothe family as long lost Fester, they hope to find the vault with all the moneyand make off with lots of money. The fact that Fester wasn’t Fester got somepeople hopping mad, but it all works in the story, and while you could nit pickthe plot, and ask if it was necessary to start off this way, the comedy isstrong enough to really dispel any worry. Also at the end of the day the moviestruck a cord with a lot of people and was successful enough to warrant asequel.

Addams Family Values(1993)

Two years later, the sequel hit and it wasn’t as successfulas the last one. I think one of the main reasons was this movie was darker thanthe original, and that was saying something. We have a plot that deals with ablack widow serial killer, and a sub plot of Pugsley & Wednesday being sentto summer camp because they are trying to kill the latest Addams, Pubert. Yep alot darker than a heist like story. But personally I love the sequel aseveryone has gotten better with their comedic timing, the kids are given asubstantial increase in the plot duties, and the addition of both Pubert to thefamily adds a new dynamic that keeps things fresh. Also there is Joan Cusack.She plays Debbie Jellinsky who is the black widow like serial killer I wasmentioning, and she has a ball. She plays off every member of the family well,and she brings such a funny yet darkly demented persona, it feels like she wasalways meant to be part of the Addams Family.

Really. Pastels?

Final Thoughts: Ihighly recommend these two movies. They are great comedies, and thanks to theconsistency of the people involved they really do flow together well. Hire bothout and sit back and watch with some friends. Just remember to hum and clickalong with the theme song. Oh and maybe do the Addams Family MC Hammer rap,cause we all know that’s damn cool.

Finally I shall leave you with the dance of brotherly love, the Mamushka!

Review - 8MM (1999)

2011-10-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

“If you dance with thedevil, the devil don't change. The devil changes you.”

Starring:Nicholas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix and James Gandolfini

Director: JoelSchumacher

Writer: KevinAndrew Walker

Nicholas Cage is an actor that people can have an adversereaction to, I however dig most of what Cage does, and even in those roles thathe goes full on insane I can find fun in his performance. Joel Schumacher is adirector that has created one of the worst comic book movies in existence. Somepeople still whisper its name to this day in the hopes of children not overhearing and begin to cry. However the man has made one of my favourite vampiremovies (see herefor the rest). So with the two joining forces, what sort of movie do we have?

Well to put it bluntly, you have a dark, depressing moviethat made a lot of people want to take a shower after wards. But even if themovie goes to places most people don’t want to visit, is it that bad a movie?In my opinion it’s not. I think this is mostly thanks to the script of KevinAndrew Walker who gave us Seven’s script which was also dark and disturbing. Thescript is a solid detective story, with Tom Welles (Cage) being this relentlessforce trying to find out if a ‘snuff’ film is real or not. The world that Tomhas to tread to find the truth is a grimy place, and in firmly gets theaudience on Tom’s side as they are repulsed by the world.

Credit also needs to go to Joel Schumacher as he is aptlycaptures the grimy feel of the script. Honestly after watching this movie Ifeel like I’ve just walked through a sweat filled room and feel really dirty.The fact that the movie is able to create this reaction is impressive.Schumacher really does try to capture every little nuance about the world. It’strying to be as truthful to the story as possible, yet at the same time it canbe a little much, and I can see why some people just don’t like this movie. Notbecause of the quality but because of the subject matter.

Acting in this movie is pretty good, Joaquin Phoenix inparticular is great and is one of the few characters Tom meets that is decent.The only two people that kind of let the movie down are Peter Stormare andNicholas Cage. Both are favourites of mine but I found Peter Stormare was justhamming it up a little too much and came off too cartoony in a movie that hadplayed it relatively straight. Cage while doing a good job for most of the moviedoes cross that ham acting line a few times. Personally I would have like himto tone it down just a little. Mind you telling Cage to tone it down is liketelling Juggalo’s gravity isn’t a miracle but a scientific thought. It justwon’t work.

Now I think the main bone of contention with this movie iswhether it was necessary at all. When all is said and done what is this movietrying to do? It’s certainly not trying to be a fun movie. How about themessage? Well if there is any message to take away from this movie is thatanyone can do horrible things, it just takes the right environment to fosterthat personality. Not exactly an uplifting message. The movie does seemunnecessary, but that doesn’t invalidate the good movie that exists here.

So besides the topic and acting issues, I think this movieis damn good. It certainly creates an atmosphere that wallows in the horridworld being presented. As for recommendations, I seriously can’t tell people togo and see it. If you’ve heard about this movie and are interested in takingthe plunge and then go for it. However if you are looking for a fun movie,probably best to move on.

DC Relaunch

2011-10-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don’t know what the DC relaunch is;first I would like to thankyou for bothering to read this. Secondly inSeptember DC scrapped all its regular comic books and basically started fromscratch. Hero’s and villains were brought into the modern world, and a freshnew start was given to characters that were buried beneath decades of storiesthat had caused their origins to be convoluted. The reason for this was DC washoping new readers would hop on board and wouldn’t feel intimidated by themassive back catalogue.

Now I didn’t get all 52, but I still managed to get 20 ofthem, and read a further 6. I also have one on order as it was sold out beforeI could get a copy. I only bring this point up, as it seems DC has succeeded atleast in the mean time in grabbing more readers. Whether this will keep up,needs to be seen. So out of the comics I managed to read, what were myfavourites?

Swamp Thing#1 by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette

This was the first of two books written by Scott Snyder andI was honestly looking forward to Batman more. I mean why wouldn’t I? It’s thegod damn Batman. However afterwards I was drawn to his work in Swamp Thingthanks in no small part to how well it hits the horror tone. There was justsomething fascinating in this book that grabbed my attention, and the art ofYanick Paquette really compliments this comic book. The more genuine horrorcomics in the DC universe the better, as it does allow greater storyopportunities for characters in the world.

Aquaman #1 by GeoffJohns and Ivan Reis

This comic should not be on my list. Aquaman has neverinterested me in the slightest, and the fact that I’m walking away from thisissue on such a high note is astounding. A lot of the awe comes from thewriting of Geoff Johns who seems to have a great talent in recreating superheroes. In this first issue he tackles some of the goofier aspects of Aquamanwith a good natured gentle ribbing of the hero, but then backs it up with somerather touching moments. This is amplified thanks to Ivan Reis, who alternatesart styles effectively to bring more emphasis on the touching moments.

All-Star Western #1by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Grey and Meridat

Jonah Hex is a character that’s been around for a while. Hestarted off in the west, went into the future, teamed up with present dayheroes, tackled aliens and forces of the supernatural. This would be one ofthose characters that have a confusing back story. However Jimmy Palmiotti andJustin Grey came along and stuck him firmly in his western era. The latestJonah Hex was a series that got a lot of critical praise. I was thinking ofstarting to read it but being 50 issues in I felt there was no point. Low andbehold relaunch has come along and in this case hasn’t messed with the creativeteam. Great time to jump aboard. This story just oozes that western feel, andgive us a tale set in the past of Gotham City. I think this firmlycements Jonah in the world of DC, allows DC to flesh out the past of the worldfurther, but at the same time keep in firmly in a time that suits him. That artis also damn good with Meridat really being in touch with what makes for goodwestern visuals. I’m glad to be aboard gentlemen, I’ll be with you to the end.

Frankenstein: Agent ofSHADE #1 by Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli

During Flashpoint the big event leading to the relaunch,there was a mini series that gave us Frankenstein and his creature commandos.For some reason I really liked it; maybe because of my love of the universalmonsters. When I heard Franky was escaping to the relaunch I was hoping for adecent book that gave me my monster fix. What I got was DC’s take on Hellboy,and as much as I could decry it for not being wholly original, I love thequirky glory the pages inside contained. Jeff Lemire gives us a weird, weirdworld, and something I kind of missed in my comics. I got the same feeling whenI would read Un-Men. I really hope this continues for a while as I want to knowmore about Frankenstein and his team of monsters.

Wonder Woman #1 byBrian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang

Yet again another super hero I wouldn’t have thought everputting on a favourite list but Brian Azzarello gives us a comic that launchesinto the action and doesn’t slow down. Dialogue is kept to a minimum, andexposition of the world comes naturally. I was reading Wonder Woman before therelaunch and it’s amazing the turn around that’s happened. The world isdynamic, the story so far is interesting, and Wonder Woman has taken the roleof protective presence rather than cog in the story. Cliff Chiang does not dropthe ball, capturing the action scenes perfectly and really allowing the fastpace to flow from page to page.

My Top 10 Comic Movies

2011-09-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

Well this was one of the harder lists I’ve had to come upwith. It wasn’t as simple as putting The Dark Knight as number one and callingit a day. I had to ask myself what comic book movies really stuck with me. SureThe Dark Knight is on my list but it was actually beaten out by somecontenders.

This list represents some diverse sources and after reallynutting out my ten I’m happy with what I’ve got. As always these are mypersonal favourites so don’t go crying that I’ve missed something. That fact isI’ve tried to do this list at least three times since I’ve started this blogand I’ve always had troubled. So I’m proud to finally get this bastard outthere. Hope you enjoy.

10: Constantine (2005)

This comes in at number ten asthis is very much a personal favourite, yet not something I can call an awesomeexample of comic book movies. Yes there are serious flaws, and John Constantineis not a full representation of the comic character. Yet I can’t help but enjoythis film as Keanu Reeves does a surprising job as John. To me there havealways been two sides to John, the smartass and the tragic figure. The scriptditches the smartass, but hits the tragic figure aspect right on the damn head,and Keanu manages to sell me on the character. Add to this an interesting takeon hell and an awesome turn by Peter Stormare as the Devil, and you have amovie that rises above what could have been a horrid movie going experience.

09: Watchmen (2009)

Watchmen is a brilliant piece of workmanship, that showsZack Snyder is very capable of both cherishing the source material but changingthings that wouldn’t work with today’s audiences. Most of his work is based offother people’s works, and with Watchmen he hit such a high note I’m not sure ifhe can ever reach those heights again. Watchmen is a super hero movie, but alsoa character study, as well as a dark mirror of our world. Dense as all hell,visually stunning, it’s only real problem is the acting, but then Jackie EarleHaley’s turn as Rorschach makes us forget about some of the other actors. Hisperformance is mesmerizing, and truly is the pillar that the movie is builtaround. It took along time for this movie to be made, the baton passed throughmany directors hands, but in the end the project was just waiting for Snyder.

08: The Crow (1994)

This movie has a legacy that often overshadowsthe movie itself. Brandon Lee was killed during filming of this movie thanks toa freak accident; as such many people remember this more than the movie itself.Alex Proyas gives us a movie that is rough around the edges, and hampered dueto the tragedy, yet at the heart of this movie there is such raw emotion thatthe audience can’t help but be swept away. Love, revenge, hope, sadness anddespair. Pure human emotions fuel this movie, and the quieter moments cansometimes be more fascinating than the action scenes. Brandon Lee has fun withhis role, and brings forth a talent that seemed untapped in his previousmovies. Michael Wincott is also a force to be reckoned with as Top Dollar themain villain. Wincott is every bit a force of destruction and chaos, as BrandonLee is a force of love and revenge. Visceral as well as poetic, I do recommendpeople watch this movie if they haven’t seen it yet.

07: Mystery Men (1999)

A damn funny take on the super hero movie that also has abig heart beating away. It’s an underdog story like no other, and houses somegreat acting thanks to its line up. Geoffrey Rush, Greg Kinnear, William HMacy, Hank Azaria, Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo and Eddie Izzard to name afew. I will admit this movie was the beginning of my man crush on GeoffreyRush, his turn as the villain Casanova Frankenstein is such a deliciousperformance. What is particularly great about this movie is that everyone ofthe main hero’s as a character arc, some may be smaller than others, but atleast they get some time to shine. Just typing about this movie is making mewant to watch it.

06: A History of Violence(2005)

Cronenberg makes a movie that looks at violence as a virus.I can’t say too much about this movie, as I don’t want to spoil it for peoplewho haven’t watched it. But the general idea is a violent event happens to aman in a small town, this then starts to not only affect those around him, butbrings unwanted attention. Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall shows that he is one ofthe best actors out there at the moment, and isn’t going to be typecast thanksto a certain massive movie trilogy. This is a comic book movie that really doesprove that not everything is about spandex, and some deep material can be minedfrom comics.

05: American Splendor (2003)

Harvey Pecker is a man thatmade a comic called American Splendor that was based off his real life, andoften highlighted the things that perplexed him. The movie blurs the linebetween reality and fiction. It has Paul Giamatti playing the main role, butalso has Harvey Pecker in interview mode as he explains some of his lifeevents. Truly capturing the spirit of the comic, the actors are all great withGiamatti really excelling. This movie can be touching, frustrating, funny andis unique just like the subject matter.

04: The Dark Knight (2008)

Okay we knew that this wasgoing to be on the list somewhere. A crime story that has superhero’s andvillains as the main characters, it’s a somewhat realistic take on the comicbook world. Nolan has really managed to create a Batman world that hasengrossed many people the world over, and even those who shy away from thesuperhero movies have delved into Nolan’s work and found something they haveenjoyed. Heath Ledger’s turn as the Joker is also fantastic and it’s a shamethis was his swan song, as he gave a performance that just makes you want tomore of. Every Joker has positive moments, but with Ledger we definitely gotthe agent of chaos that the Joker is in the best Batman stories. I can’t waitto see what Nolan brings to the next movie.

03: Oldboy (2003)

Oldboy blew me away. Dae-Su Ohis released after 15 years of imprisonment, what begins as a revenge story,morphs into a search for the reason behind his imprisonment. Demented, dark, itooze’s style and made me a permanent fan of Min-sik Choi who played the maincharacter. Based off manga I think that this is one of the more accessibleKorean movies for audiences. Sure the subject matter is pretty dark but it’snot as confusing as some of the foreign movies out there. It has a relentlessdark tone and I can only recommend this movie over and over again.

02: Scott Pilgrim vs TheWorld (2010)

Sin City, 300, these movies were very close visually to thesource material, but in my mind Scott Pilgrim is the movie that best representsthe closest connection of film to comics. Edgar Wright creates such aninteresting world where people explode into coins, and super fighting powersare the norm. The fact is through out the entire movie I never questioned thereality of the world, I just believed in it and went along with the fun ride.Michael Cera cops a lot of flak with his one note acting range, and I thinkthere is a valid argument with the different portrayal of Scott that he gives,but he’s still good in this movie and I think he deserves more acknowledgementof this fact. However everyone’s thunder is stolen by Kieran Culkin as WallaceWells. Everything he does is hilarious and really hopes this Culkin gets morework on the silver screen.

01: Road to Perdition (2002)

A gangster movie, that is alsoabout the relationships between fathers and sons. It’s a comic book adaptationdirected by Sam Mendes of American Beauty fame, and he brings that same greatdirectorial eye to this movie. There is a certain beauty to this film, even atits most disturbing. However the visuals aren’t everything, as the acting is fantastic.Tom Hanks seems to dig into new ground as the hit man Michael Sullivan, Ihaven’t seen him act such a dark character but not only does he succeed, heexceeds expectations, and truly creates a believable father son bond with TylerHoechlin. We also have a strong cast with Paul Newman, Daniel Craig, StanleyTucci and Jude Law. People need to watch this movie as it’s a tad underrated,and deserves more attention being shone on it.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 12

2011-09-25T01:17:00.000-07:00

Fun. Sure I like to watch a movie to feel other emotions,but the main one for me is I watch moves for a sense of fun. This month theFright Night remake really did a lot to remind me of the fun I can have when Iwatch movies. However this month also gave me some movies that were trying tobe funny, trying really hard and yet just missed that mark. I think movies thatare made my people who are too self aware of the fun clichés, can use themthinking that people will think their movie is cool, and not contributing anyheart to the proceedings. Anyway that’s a minor gripe and I might come back tothis topic at a later date, should get onto looking at another handful ofmovies.

The Warriors Way (2010)

Ninjas vs Cowboys with Geoffrey Rush as one of the cowboys. Wasthis movie made for me? Time to watch it. *fast forward two hours* Well thatwas a little shit then. Okay to be fair this movie is far from the worst oneI’ve watched this year, however this movie seems to be begging the audience toacknowledge it’s cool. Some of the special effects are pretty, but most areobvious green screen and do break the illusion of the world. There is an ideahere that is decent, but it actually seems rushed, and more time given tocharacters would have been appreciated. This was a disappointment. Oh and theline from the trailer that got me wanting to watch the movie wasn’t even in themovie.

Skyline (2010)

Skyline is a special effects reel to show off to people whatskills they have. The story is pretty basic, and the characters are of thecookie cutter variety. The special effects are good and the creature design isunique. However as the movie progressed I couldn’t help but feel that there wasa better story happening with other characters away from the hotel. When theending hits I almost wish the movie started from the end and went on its merryway. But thanks to budget concerns the movie is seriously hamstrung right fromthe get go. Simply this was a movie that didn’t need to be made. It was acompletely hollow experience; it was made even worse as some good ideas hidaround some of the corners. I should have listened to all the negative reviewsthat I heard at the time.

The Girl with theDragon Tattoo (2009)

I heard the hype and this movie deserves every bit of it.This is a good old fashioned crime mystery that grabbed me from the get go, anddidn’t let go till the end. It’s actually a pretty simple movie, just executedwell and no delusions of grandeur. Where it really gets interesting is in theperformances of both Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace which are magnificent.Not only well acted but the characters do give the story a refreshing qualityto it, and the movie is a character study as much as it is a mystery, but itdoesn’t push it too far as to destroy the story. The story is allowed to flowand great things come from that.

Barney’s Version(2010)

Paul Giamatti plays television producer Barney Panofsky ashe looks back on the wives he had during his life. What starts off as a comedywith hints of tragedy, makes a subtle turn half way through and turned into atragedy with hints of comedy. The turn is so well done, and it doesn’t comefrom nowhere. The movie is subtle in how it sets itself up for the ultimatepunch and in that regards it’s one of the best crafted movies I’ve seen in awhile. Paul Giamatti plays the loveable shlub that he’s mastered in many of hismovies, but doesn’t rest on his laurels and gives a fine performance every bitas subtle and masterful as the movie. By the end I felt drained from theemotional ride I had been through but thankfully the comedy does dull the blowso I can look back on this movie, and now that I want to watch it againsometime soon.

Review - Abduction (2011)

2011-09-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

“There were only fourof us that knew your identity, two of us are dead.”

Directed: John Singleton

Starring: Taylor Lautner, Lily Colins and Alfred Molina

Writer: Shawn Christensen

So I made a few jokes at the fact I was going to see thismovie, sure it was a free ticket but I’m not that interested in Taylor Lautner’sabs. But in all honesty I hope to be impressed by movies that are out of mycomfort zone. As I sat down to watch this movie I hoped that this would be likeI Am Number Four, and entertaining enough to get me over the all teen dramathis movie would surely have.

Okay the surprise here was I was kind of into the movie atthe beginning. It wasn’t my cup of tea but I could see other people getting akick out of it. Taylor Lautner was okay, and there was a slow build up. It gaveus some character development. Not a hell of a lot but enough to get people togive a damn about them. But then maybe a quarter of the way through there is aline that signifies a wave of stupidity that’s about to hit. A wave that washesaway any good will the movie was building. That line? “There’s a bomb in theoven.” Basically it is the first plot point that makes little sense, and isonly there to add an action beat.

This movies biggest problem is the script. It’s written inclichés and has some of the worst dialogue I’ve heard in a while. By the end ofthe movie there were people behind me laughing at nearly every line beinguttered by the characters. What was worse was they were being uttered by good actorswho were turning in some of the worst performances I’ve seen them do. It seemsthat plot is sacrificed for the sake of action, and even then the action isn’tall that to write home about. Though Taylor Lautner does show glimmers ofpotential in becoming a fully fledged action star in the future.

Taylor Lautner iscompetent in acting in the beginning. All he needs to do is act like a teenagerand show a little inner turmoil. But it’s all pretty one note. When the actionkicks in however he does seem to have a problem transitioning from emotion toemotion. It’s almost like he can’t actually show two emotions at once. I dothink he has potential in becoming an action star but this will probably taketime. As for the other actors they all are weighed down with the script andonly three manage to overcome it. Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello and Alfred Molina,with Maria Bello being the best of the trio. I really dug Alfred Molina but hischaracter of Burtonis written in pure cliché and I’ve seen this character so much that as muchpersonality he brought to the role, I knew exactly where it was all headed.

Abduction was a disappointment because the first quarter ofthe movie did promise that it would be at least a competent movie. I think fansof Taylor Lautner might still like the movie, and find enough action to not bebored. However I saw first hand the demographic of this movie start to rejectit with laughter which isn’t a very good sign.

Review - Fright Night (2011)

2011-09-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

“Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and... that doesn't leave much.Well... basically, Sushi and mini golf.”

Director: David Gillespie

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell and David Tennant

Writer: Marti Noxon

Remakes huh? Scourge of Hollywood. Nothing good comes from theremakes. Or perhaps that’s what you might guess if you delved into the sea of Fanboyranting. Yet there are plenty of remakes out there which are consideredclassics. I love the original Fright Night, it showed up in my top 10 vampirelist, but I was willing to give this movie a chance. So the real question is,is this movie a The Thing or a Wicker Man?

Unlike a lot of the movies I’ve watched this year, I leftthis movie happy, content and feeling that a movie managed to meet and exceedmy expectations. One of the key reasons has to be the acting in this movie.Acting wise horror movies can run the gamut, but I must confess they do seem tolack consistency. However in Fright Night every actor gives a good to great performance.I didn’t think one actor seemed unable to handle the material. Colin Farrell isawesome as the vampire Gerry. His portrayal reminded me of the vampires from 30Days of Night, shark like, sniffing out his prey. He’s the alpha male in thismovie and Farrell seems to revel in the role. David Tennant is also awesome asPeter Vincent and is a different kettle of fish compared to Roddy McDowall.Some may have a problem that he is far more capable than the Peter Vincent ofold, but this new version is refreshing.

Anton Yelchin as Charlie is also great, and makes the rolehis own. I liked the different angle the script took with Charlie, how he was anerd pretending to be a cool guy. It makes the dynamic between Charlie and EvilEd that much sadder. Speaking of Evil Ed, it was great to see ChristopherMintz-Plasse stretch himself a little and take on a more serious role. FinallyImogen Poots as Amy was a very strong presence, and I believed in the chemistrybetween her and Charlie. I think as an overall thing, it was nice to seecharacters that seemed more dimensional. We are talking wonderful characterstudies, but because I cared for these well rounded characters, I was moreinvested in the movie.

Story wise the film moves pretty damn quickly, and beforeyou know it, it’s over. Fast and fun is the stories catch cry, and it doesn’tbother you with too much dramatics. The script pays homage to the original butis still its own beast, and in fact does a brilliant job in what a remake issupposed to do. Modernise a movie for the current cinema audience. Maybe theonly thing that I had a slight problem with is how Peter Vincent is given alittle too much back story to make him work in the current setting. Honestly asI was starting to get bothered by this, the movie threw a one liner and I wasback to having fun with the movie.

Visual the movie plays with light and shadow very well,which is always a plus in a vampire movie. The setting of a Las Vegas suburb does lend the movie a uniquefeel to it. David Gillespie does a great job in keeping the movie visuallyexciting. Special Effects are also good, with the 3D being gimmicky but stilldone well. Some of the CGI does come off a little overused; personally I stillthink that sometimes practical effects can be used more effectively than CGI;but I understand that it’s the way the film world works now a days.

On the basic level Fright Night is just a solid vampiremovie that’s fun as hell. I don’t think fans of the original have really rightto complain, and instead should revel in the fact that another good vampiremovie is making the rounds at the moment. Horror fiends and vampire loversshould check this movie out. Anyone else after a fun ride should also go along.Fangs for the memories Fright Night.

Review - Red State (2011)

2011-09-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

“I fear God. You better believe I fear God.”

Director: Kevin Smith

Starring: Michael Parks, Melissa Leo and John Goodman

Writer: Kevin Smith

I’m a Kevin Smith fan. I enjoy his entire film work onvarious levels. Yes this also means Jersey Girl and Cop Out. But the man doeshave his flaws, and his films have never been great works of art. But they arewhat they are, and they can make me laugh and sometimes they even make methink. However with Red State we have aninteresting case where Kevin has really tried to push himself, and make a moviethat means more that his previous entries.

First a word on Michael Parks. He plays religious figurehead of the Five Points Church,Abin Cooper. Many reviewers no matter their perspective on the film have saidwhat a brilliant performance he gives, and damn it they are right. In thismovie we are dealing with a bunch of religious fanatics, whose hatred ofhomosexuals has led them to finding and killing those they deem to have committed this sin.Abin Cooper could have easily been drawn as a character that we should justhate, but in the hands of Michael Parks he becomes a character who we certainlydon’t sympathise with, but still see human traits that make him less of amonster than we would want. His a slick presence that doesn't yell but instead sells his message by being a dad to all. He's quiet most the time and only really starts yelling like a loon when he feels vindicated. It's a powerful performance, and one that I dare say could be Oscar worthy.

As for the other actors they do well enough, but areconstantly hamstrung by the characters they are portraying switching mindsetstoo rapidly and not showing enough consistency. I like John Goodman, he was oneof the better actors in this movie, but I never got a good handle on hischaracter thanks to the inconsistencies. It’s a shame as the movie isn’tlacking from talent, it just seems the script has let the actors down and theonly part that really shines is Michael Parks because it’s been deliberatelyput aside to be the show stopper.

On the director side of things, this has to be one of KevinSmiths most accomplished films. There is a genuine effort to push himself andin doing so he seems to have tapped into talent he never knew he had. Some maywant to get angry as it does make his previous films seem lazy, but instead Iwould want to congratulate a filmmaker being able to better himself. Editing isalso interesting with different styles of editing being used for differentcharacters. Rapid fire editing for the scared teens, a flowing style forMichael Parks silver tongued preacher and a steady more stable feel for thegovernment Agents. It’s far from perfect but it’s still a wonderful step in theright direction.

With Kevin pushing himself in an area not many would thinkhe had talent in, it’s funnily enough his writing that lets this movie down.Normally one of Smith’s strong suits, this movie just doesn’t feel complete,and its characters do not act in a consistent manor. Not to mention the overalltheme of the movie isn’t that subtle. Yes we get it; belief can make people docrazy things. I will say at least Smith balances the approach by having beliefin government and belief in religion held to the same standards. Still nomatter how much I find the subject matter, especially in a horror moviecontext, I can’t help but feel the movie could have been so much better ifSmith let someone else give the movie a once over.

Did I like this movie? Yes. Michael Parks performance isworth the admission, and despite the scripting problems, the subject matter didintrigue me. I feel happy for Smith that he’s made such a step forward as adirector in this movie. But it saddens me that the script is just not up toscratch with his other movies. If you are a fan of Kevin Smith then I wouldrecommend this movie. However just be prepared to see a heavily flawed movie.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 11

2011-09-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

The other day I was thinking about the whole so bad its goodmovie, you know the type of movies like Sharktopus etc. I used to be a fan ofthem but I must be reaching my limit as I’m sick to death of them. Or at leastI think I’ve come to an understanding that I can’t stand watching these moviesand I’m more amused by the people who do the reviews for them. In truth thereis no such thing as a so bad it’s good movie. It’s a bad movie that hasinspired a separate awesome parody/performance/street theatre. Well maybe notthe last one. Anyway that’s a quick thought for this volume. On to the movies.

The Room (2003)

This is really what got me thinking about the so bad itsgood movie. I went to the theatre to watch this, and probably had one of thebest times I’ve ever had at the theatre barring maybe watching The Aristocrats.All enjoyment derived from this experience was watching it with my girl, mygood friends and an awesome crowd. The movie is as bad as you’ve probablyheard. But here is the big thing; there is no enjoyment to be had in watchingthis movie by your self. You are not going to laugh at the ineptitude, andwhile a chuckle might happen thanks to the acting, the movie is so slow andlaboured that you will want to claw your eyes out and join Sam Neil in hell. Ifyou are going to the theatre to see this film, do so. You’ll play gridiron,chuck spoons at the screen and try and come up with witty one liners. Mine wassaying Johnny was a ‘Naval Officer,’ and trust me unless you’ve watched themovie you won’t get that.

Splice (2009)

I really wanted to like Splice, and in some regards I did. Imanaged to walk away from it more positive than negative. However there aresome serious issues I had with the movie that did disappoint me. First off themovie supports a fine cast of douchebags. If we were supposed to be sympathetictowards Dren (the genetically splice creature), then maybe I can see the pointof making the humans bad people, but it turns monster movie on us and I stoppedcaring cause I just wanted everyone to die and get to the end. There are someinteresting themes that get explored, and I did dig the creature design ofDren, even if the animal characteristics she had sometimes got a little stupid.It’s really a hard movie to recommend to people, but if you like sciencefiction I can think of worse movies.

9 (2009)

9 is an animated movie about rag doll like beings, which aremade by a scientist, to be something good in a devastated world devoid ofhumans. Dark and depressing at times this is the kind of childhood movie Iremember watching when I was young. It doesn’t pander to children, it doesn’tpaint a pretty world, yet it teaches valuable things like hope. Sometimes thedarker the picture the greater the message is. The movie is also visuallystunning, and I seriously want this in my collection so I can watch this alongwith my Pixar movies, because it’s of that calibre. The only minor complaint isthat the script sometimes feels like its rushing. But that could be that I justwanted more from this movie. Tip of the hat to Shane Acker who was bothdirector and writer. Oh and the voice work is killer, with the likes ofChristopher Plummer, Martin Landau, John C Reilly, Crispin Glover, JenniferConnelly and Elijah Wood. Get this movie and watch it.

Review - Attack the Block (2011)

2011-09-06T00:08:00.000-07:00

“This is too much madness to fit into one text!”

Director: JoeCornish

Starring: JohnBoyega, Jodie Whittaker and Nick Frost

Writer: JoeCornish

I heard many good things about this movie, I was hoping forsomething along the lines of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, but this time withaliens. However this turned out to be a completely different kettle of fish.But I’m not entirely sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It all has todo with the main group of kids and how they are introduced at the beginning ofthe movie.

At the start our crew of kids are actually introduced bymugging a young woman called Sam (Jodie Whittaker). It’s not exactly the bestway to introduce your hero’s, and right from the beginning I was put off. Furtherinto the film the personalities of the kids were really grating and I wanted tojust smack the hell out of them, or at least watch them die at the hands of thealiens. But then something started to happen, I started to get behind the maincharacter of Moses. This is thanks to the performance of John Boyega, whobrings a quiet reserve to Moses and becomes the embodiment of hope. That nomatter how bad things get, there will always be some good.

Alien design in the mofo is some of the best I’ve seen in awhile. It was really unique and the darker than dark fur really gave anotherworldly look that some designs fail to do, not to mention the awesome neonglowing maw that just looked great. Other than the visual design of the aliens,the look of the English blocks is interesting. Joe Cornish does have a greateye, and does create a wonderful sense of tone thanks to the lighting. Also theway the block is lit, it creates a sense of menace, and allows us to see anenvironment where you could see these kids becoming hooligans. With aliens andenvironmental lighting the movie does have a distinct visual style that didimpress me.

Story wise the film moves along at a decent pace, andmanages to progress the story along without a hell of a lot of exposition. Thereis a redemptive story being told underneath the alien shenanigans, which for meproved rather effective. Hat’s off to Cornish again for being able to create astory with reprehensible teens, yet managing to give them qualities thatdoesn’t make them absolutely bad. I think this will be the major flaw in themovie for people, in that there is a hurdle to get behind the kids. Some willtake the same path as Jodie Whittaker’s characters; others will just not beable to accept it.

I would recommend this to people into the science fictionand horror genres. And while very different beasts, I would say that if youliked Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz you would have no problem with this movie.People will find it hard to sympathise with the main characters but there is aninteresting story of redemption if you are willing to go along with it. Attackthe Block is a good movie that offers more than it lets on at first.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 10

2011-09-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

Another batch of movies, and yet again surprises from filmsI would have never given a chance normally. This time I’m catching up on mostly2011 movies. Looking back on 2011, I must admit there hasn’t been a moviethat’s completely blown me away yet. Tree of Life was close but I had someissues with it. As it stands a comedy movie seems set to be my favourite filmof 2011. Still plenty of time left in the year and with a David Fincher moviedue at the end of 2011, things could change.

Horrible Bosses(2011)

This was just a solid comedy. With an idea I’m sure manypeople have thought about, it seems destined to be a comedy that pleases speaks to everyone. Howeverwith something as dark as people trying to kill their bosses, it doesn’t seemto really push the concept as far as you would like. Also the ending is alittle to neat for my liking. Still everyone involved seems to be giving theirall, and I was laughing a lot during the movie. The actors playing the bosseswere a particular delight. Kevin Spacey is an excellent psychotic, but then weknew he can play roles like that. Jennifer Aniston plays sexpot really well andI think people have over looked her slightly. Finally Colin Farrell steals thewhole damn show, and isn’t in the movie enough for my liking. Still it’s afunny movie, and people need to get out there and see it.

Priest (2011)

Being a vampire science fiction movie, this is pretty muchin my wheelhouse. Still I wasn’t expecting too much from this movie. Colour mesurprised when I walked out not only really happy with what I had just seen,but really wanting to see more movies set in this world. Now it’s certainly notthe best movie in the world, some of the acting is a tad off, and the script isnot as tight as it could be. I think the biggest flaw is that this movie almostfeels like they were expecting to make sequels. As such it doesn’t feel thatfulfilling as there is so much more to tell. Still Paul Bettany is decent asthe priest, though I wish he would get away from these genre movies as he’s abetter actor than what his movie choices suggest. Also Karl Urban as Black Hatmakes for a decent villain who actually felt threatening. This movie is like acombination of Judge Dread, a cowboy movie and a vampire movie, does that soundexciting? If so go and see this movie.

Mutant Chronicles(2008)

Almost opposite of Priest, I thought that I would actuallyenjoy this. I remember playing the card game this movie was based off, andthought the world sounded interesting. The movie also stars Thomas Jane and RonPerlman who always brings a level of awesome to the proceedings. But what I wasgreeted with was a movie that just felt really flat. Characters wereunderdeveloped which really doesn’t work when one of the main themes issacrifice. What do we care about the sacrifice these characters are making,when we know nothing much about them? The look of the movie tries for somethinglike 300, yet the special effects aren’t that great. The only positive is thatthe world has potential, but that doesn’t mean much if you don’t have a storythat engages.

I Am Number Four(2011)

I heard that this movie is like Twilight but with aliensinstead of vampires. As such I wasn’t interested in the movie at first, but waspleasantly surprised when I finally watched it. This type of teen movie isn’treally my cup of tea, but damn it if I wasn’t interested in the alienbackground and the villains. Add to this some decent action set pieces, and agreat performance by Timothy Olyphant, I had a good time. Being based of thefirst book in a series, it does suffer from the same problems as Priest. Thereare more stories to come, so questions are left unanswered, and it’s not asfulfilling as self contained movie.

The Adjustment Bureau(2011)

Holy cow did this come from no where and just grab me by theballs. Both Matt Damon and Emily Blunt give excellent performances, and Ibelieved in the love that they had for each other. The plot is also prettyunique dealing with notions of destiny, free will and god. There are someelements that get a little silly, but overall the performances, the look andthe story are strong enough to kind of drive over these problems. I wouldrecommend this for most people to try, as I think it did get overlooked when itfirst came out.

Monsters I Want To See In Films

2011-09-02T02:11:00.000-07:00

This was originally written for Outside the Cinema and the blog I do for them.

I liked it so much that I'm putting it here. While I'm at it why don't you go to

the Palavr forums where the OTC Blog is, or better yet go to their website

(click here) and have a listen to one of the best cult movie podcasts in town.

Think the latest vampire movies suck? Werewolf movies needto be put down? Just want to bludgeon zombie movies till they are nothing but apink and red paste? Listening to Bill and Chris’s sub genre list got methinking. There are some monsters that have been used so much I just want tocry. I’m a huge vampire fan, hell I just did a top 10 vampire list for my blog.But man do they need to go back to their coffin for a decade or so. And I don’tblame Twilight for this; sparkly vampires aside, studios smelled money in thewater with vampires and knew they had to bleed the sub genre dry.

I wantsomething different, something that hasn’t been done a million and ten times,and this is where I get to my point. People don’t need to create something newlike a Graboid, they can just steal from what already exists. So here are a fewmonsters that I would like to see hit the silver screen.

Baron Samedi: To me this is a bit of a no brainer. Some teenagersgo piss off a voodoo practitioner and all of a sudden they have this nasty spiritof the dead on their tail. Top hat, skull face, dark glasses and black tuxedo,along with crude behaviour would make this particular menace distinctive, andin the hands of the right director creepy as hell. Also being a spirit anyonecould become the Baron at anytime. Finally being the Loa (spirit) of death youcould jam in some Final Destination shenanigans for fun. I hear the kids aredown with the FD. Also how can a something that drinks rum by the bucket loadsbe all the bad?

Jenny Greenteeth: A little explanation for this one. Jenny is ariver hag in English folklore that has green skin, long hair and very sharpteeth. She also drowns children and the elderly, as well as taking long walksdown beaches with her perfect man. Okay may the last bit was false but likeSamedi I see some great creepy potential. Water is always an interesting visualin horror movies, and the way some directors have used it, they’ve seemed totap into some primal terror humans have of what lies below the surface. Tiedinto the myth of Jenny is the fairy tale background, and fairy tales aren’tcommon territory for horror movies so it would seem rather fresh. Have a familyinherit an estate with a lake on the property, slowly weird things happen, thechildren find out the old tales of Jenny, parents start seeing weird things innot just the lake but any water surface. Ratchet the creepiness up, then bam,kill one of the kids, have the rest of the family fight for survival.

Ghoul: Smarter than zombies, the ghoulis an undead being who hangs in graveyards and consumes human flesh, not alwaysalive. In some of the Arabic tales, Ghouls can take on the form of those whothey have recently eaten, they also lure people into the deserts to die. Inmovies the ghoul has had its origins morphed with zombies and have even becomeservants of vampires in some cases. However I think it’s time to have the Ghoulstand on its own two feet. If you use the Arabic notion of shape shifting youcould create a sympathetic ghoul, who’s just trying to get what all the livinghas. Or better yet change luring strangers into the desert wasteland, for theurban wasteland and you could make some effective social commentary with yourhorror movie. Anyway there is some potential still on the bones of thisparticular monster, and it would be interesting to see a Ghoul on screen who’snot blended with other monster myths.

Black Shuck: Finally the demonic black dogs that are said to hauntthe Norfolk, Essex and Suffolkcoastline in England.Ever since of heard of Black Shuck and read tales about the monster, I’ve beenfascinated. Foretellers of doom, they both seem to come to scare people, aswell as kill them. What I like about Black Shuck is that unlike my othersuggestions it’s an animal, it can’t be reasoned with, it’s harder tounderstand, and I just piss myself at the idea of a regular dog charging at me,teeth bared. Tales vary in description, there are individual attacks as well aspacks, regular dogs with demonic eyes to ones as large as a horse. One of thetales I heard was a Church in East Anglia being attacked by this dog that ranthrough the walls, scaring those who came to the night mass. Those who touchedthe dog received burns, and in the morning black burnt spots could be seen onthe wall where the dog had entered. None died in the tale, but there waspandemonium, and I can imagine this translating very well on the big screen.Whether used as an omen of death, or as the actual monster to deal with, BlackShuck needs more screen time.

So there are my monster mentions,hope you enjoyed reading them. And with that, I’m out.

Review - Final Destination 5 (2011)

2011-09-01T01:48:00.000-07:00

“This just got way more fun.”

Director: Steven Quale

Starring: Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fischer

Writers: Eric Heisserer

Oh Final Destination, I never expected much from you, but at least for a while you kept me entertained. I liked the first and second films, wasn’t really fussed on number three and couldn’t be bothered paying the money to watch the fourth. So it was with free ticket in hand that I headed to see if this was any good at all. Expectations were low, and as the 3D titles began I knew I was in for a ride. But would this be a crappy haunted house ride?

Well first off I’ll say that some of the deaths made me cringe, and in that respect the film is a success as people really only go to the Final Destination movies for one thing. Death! Death by the bucketful. Who cares about the characters, let’s just see the gory delights you have. So to start with the most positive aspect of this movie, hats off to the constant swerve in how people are going to be killed. Often the scene will highlight a few ways characters will die, which does leave the audience guessing. The movie isn’t boring, and going from the big opening disaster to the climax, it was over before I knew it. Also the use of the 3D while at it’s most gimmicky in a film like this was used effectively and did hit the squirm button a few times.

Now it might seem like a free kick to bash the acting in a movie like Final Destination but it wasn’t exactly that bad. Also the two leads were distinctly not assholes. While this may seem weird to point out, all too often in the current crop of horror movies, nearly every character comes off as an asshole and therefore the audience doesn’t care and just wants to see them knocked off. I actually wanted the two leads (Nicholas D’Agosto and Emma Bell) to survive. In fact most of the characters weren’t asshole barring two, which seemed to absorb all the assholes traits into themselves. Those characters I did want to see die. But not to over do it, while the acting wasn’t bad, there was nothing memorable. So in this case I got more than I expected but still nothing to really make this Final Destination break free of its gory roots.

As for the story we have the same basic establishment from all the other movies. Character has a vision of the tragedy, character saves various others, death starts killing off characters in a set order, and there are rules to save their asses. For a bare skeleton of a plot this works, I mean it’s sustained four other movies. There is some attempt to change things up by introducing a new rule, and it does make for some interesting themes that are never fully capitalized on. The story though is never trying to be daring or different, and after the movie finished, while I enjoyed myself I knew that I wouldn’t be revisiting the movie unless I managed to catch it for free sometime.

With a movie like this, everything is really streamlined to highlight the deaths. Audience’s expect this and don’t want to deviate from the formula, but on the other hand Studio’s have fostered this expectation in order to get people hooked on the franchise. It does come down to if you liked the previous instalments.

My recommendation is to go and watch the first Final Destination. If you like it and what more, then continue with the series. As for the 3D spectacle, I think I was more enamoured with it because it was a free ticket. When it comes down to the twenty dollar price tag for this movie, I don’t think I could recommend it to people to go in cold. Honestly people who will like this movie have probably already gone to it. At least this was better than the third one.

Tony Todd is made of awesome, but it just seems like a waste having
him in such a small part in these movies. STOP WASTING HIS TALENT!

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 9

2011-08-28T03:09:00.000-07:00

Continuing my catch up on all the movies I’ve watched. Some were pretty surprising, others met expectations. Still doesn’t give you a clue if it’s positive or negative, but that’s the hook. You’ll have to read to find out, mwhahahahahahahaha. Okay I’m over it. Time to look at a new batch of movies. Join me won’t you.

I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)

This was such a pleasant surprise. I heard good things about Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in this not typical comedy romance. However because it didn’t get much of a release, and being put on the shelf for a bit, I was not expecting such a touching, funny and poignant movie. Carrey is funny as hell, McGregor is pitch perfect as his love interest, and the two actually have a really good chemistry. Some have said that this is one of Jim Carrey’s bravest performances, while I wouldn’t go that far, it certainly is one of his better performances. I think that a few people should give this movie a try as it has been under looked and it is very good.

Red (2010)

It took me a while to get to this movie and it was as good as I thought it would be. Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis and John Malkovich all seem to be having such a great time in this movie it comes through and you can’t help but be caught up in the fun. It’s a light, fun action movie that is sometimes missing in action films of late. I couldn’t help but imagine that this was a sequel to a late 80’s, early 90’s action movie that was never created. As such I can see many movie marathons where I’ll be watching Red along with the likes of Tango and Cash or Demolition Man. Fun action for the win.

Year One (2009)

Jack Black is an interesting case, I like Tenacious D, and have enjoyed him in some movies, but damn do my limits get tested sometimes. He’s like junk food and should only be enjoyed on occasion; too much you’ll get sick. Year One just doesn’t have any focus, it limps from joke to joke, all the while Jack Black mugs for the camera. I think what’s worse is there is an actually good idea at the centre of the movie, something that could have been down right hilarious, instead I chuckled on occasion and wanted to smack my television screen whenever Jack’s grinning face. To be fair though Michael Cera as the other lead didn’t really help matters. I have a bit more faith in Cera than most, but damn does his shtick get as tired and boring as Jack Black’s.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010)

I was not expecting much, and even though I liked Brandon Routh in Scott Pilgrim, I still sting a little from his performance in Superman (a tad fan boyish but then again I’m a fan boy). Still I can actually see in Dylan Dog he would be a good leading man. This movie is flawed and yet I had fun as I was watching. I love stuff that deals with hidden supernatural worlds, and this movie had enough of a spin to be unique. The zombie stuff was actually really interesting and something I hadn’t though of before. Oh and Peter Stormare yet again gives another bat shit insane performance, he’s getting close to giving Nic Cage a run. So if your after a harmless, film dealing with werewolves, vampires and zombies then go watch Dylan Dog, you may find a fun film.

The subtlety that is Peter Stormare as the devil in Constantine.

Quick Movie Reviews: Vol 8

2011-08-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ever since getting into Quick Flix I’ve been mowing through the movies at a pretty consistent basis, and I’ve found some movies that I never thought I would like. It seems to be the case that if you don’t spend money, you’ll be a lot more lenient on a movie as you don’t feel like you’ve wasted money. Anyway enough of the chit chat, time to get my ass into gear and get into the movies.

Piranha (2010)

The best way to describe this movie is that it’s cheesy and gory. There is just a charm to this movie, honestly its good ol fashioned fun. Well if fun is equivalent to horror movies. I’m sure there are a few people who will be turned off by the nudity and over the top violence but I couldn’t help but have a goofy grin as I watched this. The great thing is you can tell that all the actors are having fun, Ving Rhames, Elisabeth Shue, Christopher Lloyd, hell even the Eli Roth in a small role seems to be having fun. Also massive shout out to Jerry O’Connell, who plays a sleazy porn producer, he brings such an insane manic energy, it’s beautiful to behold.

Captain America (2011)

On the expectation level, this movie was just behind Green Lantern and only because I’m a mammoth Green Lantern fan. After watching the movie I have to say that I can’t remember too much about it. I remember having fun and enjoying the movie, but it never electrified me as much as I thought. Chris Evans is great as Cap, as is Hugo Weaving as Red Skull. However thinking back on the season of Super Hero movies, it seems that Thor is the one that I like the most because I at least remember large chunks thanks to the performance by Tom Hiddleston as Loki. The weird thing is, I would actually say Captain America is the better film out of the two. Still all this shouldn’t deter people, the movie is a good one, its fun and I can think of worse ways to spend two hours. Also if you are waiting in anticipation for the Avengers movie then you really need to see this.

The Box (2009)

Oh Richard Kelly, I’m not sure where it went wrong. Starting with Donnie Darko you captured people’s attention, and yet you’ve never followed it up. I love Southland Tales but it’s a hell of a mess, and it’s easy to see why people hate it. With The Box I was hoping that with a smaller scope that maybe you might no off the deep end. But you did it again. Simple premise, you are given a box, you push the button someone you don’t know dies but you get a million dollars. What do you do? What could have been an interesting look at decisions, morality and humanity gets confused and cluttered with a thriller like aspect of trying to find the truth behind it all. I think the big factor that made me hate the thriller aspect is that the truth actually hurt the movie, knowing too much made me lose interest. The performances weren’t all that great, though I’m not sure if that’s the actors fault or perhaps the direction. The movie looks nice though, and does capture the period really well.

If this man comes to your door and offers you the box, take a
deep breathe, clear your head and see what your spirit
animal has to say.

Thanks Spirit Animal. (What squid is an animal?)

My Top 10 Vampire Movies

2011-08-22T03:37:00.000-07:00

I love me some vampires. In fact it’s well documented on this very blog. One of my first blog posts talked about how Dracula saved me as a kid. Now with the Fright Night remake hitting America I thought it would be a good time to look back at my top ten vampire movies. This was pretty damn hard but I got there in the end, as always these are the movies that have stuck in my mind. So let’s get out there, make like Dennis Miller and stake some vampire bitches.

10: Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1991)

Oh hi western themes, meet a vampire movie. I will admit that this isn’t the best movie in the world but there is just this sense of fun that is present through the entire run time that charms me. I loved this when I was a kid. Basically a human family is brought to a small town in America to work on a factory that will produce fake blood that can be used by hospitals. Townsfolk get around wearing sunscreen, sunglasses and umbrella’s during the day, seem a little kooky, but are actually pretty nice. Unfortunately rogue vampire elements are about to start a vampire civil war, so they can feed on real blood. Throw in Bruce Campbell as the descendant of Van Helsing and fun is to be had by all.

Sundown starring ZZ Top. Those guys rock.

09: Dracula (1931)

Bela Lugosi is awesome. The only time he is more awesome is when he’s being played by Martin Landau in Ed Wood. But I digress. The presence that Bela gives to the character of Dracula is why the character has been cemented as one of the classics. Even I recognised the Bela version of Dracula even though I never saw the movie when I was a very small child. Just remember you can only do the creepy hand thing Dracula does if you’re Hungarian and double jointed. I think that's why Gary Oldman will never surpass Bela as Dracula in my opinion. Oh but the one thing Francis Ford Coppola's version did have over the original was Tom Waits as Renfield.

Bitch Please!

08: Fright Night (1985)

The original and so awesome that Hollywood took one look at it and said “There is money to be made from that name boys. Quick to the remake vehicle.” An everyday kid sees finds out his neighbour is a vampire and he needs to become the hero from all the old horror movies he’s watched. I think the real joy of the movie is how it plays with the conventions of vampires, it’s actually pretty old school with the vampire rules, and yet actively goes out of it’s way to modernize how we view vampires. Add to all that a wonderful performance by Roddy McDowall as Peter Vincent, a late night horror movie host who becomes a fearless vampire killer; kind of.

Now that's a hell of a butter face.

07: The Lost Boys (1987)

Only number seven? Outrage. Well look I love this movie, the Two Corey’s are great, Kiefer makes for a frightening vampire, special effects are great, the ending is humorous and this was one of those movies that was watched numerous times during my childhood. It’s just I have plenty of other vampire movies that I adore or respect just a little bit more it gets beaten down to this position. But don’t worry it’s not going to be beaten by Dracula 2000, no sir. If I was being truthful with everyone, I think this movie loses a few points because of the fashion. I mean wow, people dressed like that? Still Kiefer did look bad ass so it can't be all that bad.

Death by Stereo; a new way to kill vampires.

06: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Okay vampire killers, let’s kill some vampires. Clooney just makes this movie cool, and it was this movie that really grabbed him attention. Sure he was the heart throb doctor on ER, but damn did he score some major bad ass points with his role as Seth Gecko. From the warped mind of Tarantino (writer) and Rodriguez (director), what starts off as criminals on the run, turns to a balls to the wall vampire survival movie. In fact when if first came out many people thought it was a crime movie and where completely surprised by the vampire in the second half. That’s what’s so great about this movie, it doesn’t matter if you know vampires are in it, the gear shift in mid movie means you won’t be bored. Also it’s nice to see some brutal bloody vampires. They do not mess around. Beating people with severed limbs, ripping heads off, and all down with a Mexican flare that just makes it a little more unique than the average vampire movie.

Were you staring at a) Tarantino, b) Clooney or c) Hayek? For the
correct answer please turn over book.

05: 30 Days of Night (2007)

Speaking of brutal vampires. I love the comic book series, and was excited to see what this movie would be like. While not everything was what I hoped for, at least the vampires rocked the house. Predator like, they were feeding machines, sharks with human characteristics. The innate sexiness that vampires seem to exude was stripped away and audiences were left with something unfamiliar. I also like the fact that you don’t get a lot of explanation about the vampires, they just appear and begin to feed. Not knowing exact origins of the vampire made them scarier. Also any movie that has Melissa George in it, and that I can stand has to be high on the list.

If you find this vampire sexy, check yourself into the mental ward.

04: The Night Flier (1997)

The vampire in this one is kind of in the background, a white whale to be chased down if you will. The Ahab of this tale is tabloid reporter Richard Dees as played by Miguel Ferrer. I was entranced by the character Richard Dees and his manic search across rural

America

for a serial killer he believes to be a vampire. It’s a unique vampire movie, and an adaptation of a Stephen King story that works. By having the main character chase down the vampire there is a pace to the movie that some vampire movies lack. Also when all is said, and there is the big reveal, holy heck was it cool. Do yourself a favour and watch this movie.

Miguel Ferrer a career in playing assholes.

03: The Night Stalker (1972)

With this television movie we stay in the realms of the reporter, and take a look at one of my favourite characters. Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) is a reporter in Las Vegas who begins to think a serial killer is possibly a vampire. In fact he looks at the evidence and knows he’s a vampire he’s just got to make the city officials believe him. It’s great to watch a smart character piece everything together early, and instead of going full on vampire hunter he tires to convince the police to do the killing. Kolchak is a smart man, through and through. The vampire kind of plays second fiddle and doesn’t really have enough time to be all the memorable, but for me it’s the location, they way the story is played out, and of course the most excellent character that is Kolchak that truly makes this movie.

So bad ass doesn't need to even look at the vampire.

02: Interview with the Vampire (1994)

I don’t like my vampires too weepy. The oh woah is me act grates on my nerves. Personally unlife is wasted on some vampires. So here we go with a movie where the main character Louis (Brad Pitt) is a constant whiny bitch. Thank goodness for Tom Cruise (I didn’t think I would ever say that) as Lestat who really gives a good showing of what a proud vampire should be, something between your best friend and the devil. But this movie is a really good movie about a vampire recounting his unlife, while Louis isn’t normally what I like to see in a vampire it’s very well acted. Also seeming the story spans many lifetimes we get to see vampires in different situations across time and the world. Sexy, stylish, a wonderful story that manages to really get in depth into the psyche of different vampires.

Don't let the goofy blonde hair fool you, he's the DEVIL!

01: Near Dark (1987)

Kathryn Bigelow made a vampire movie that is poetry in motion, a true love letter to the night and the world vampires inhabit. A young man falls in love and the girl turns out to be a vampire. She turns him as she also has feelings for him as well. It could have been a wonderful love story, but it gets seriously screwed up when her family is introduced. Here we have vampires who are a close knit family, they actually have some values that we can admire, and yet they are scary as hell as they have no compassion towards humans. We are cattle to this fucked up family. This movie hits upon themes of family, love and life. The way this movie is filmed is beautiful, and captures the night in such a way that you can understand why the vampires love the night. Truly my favourite movie as it has memorable characters, some gruesome set pieces, and can both make me shudder and intrigued.

The cast of Aliens in some rough times.