Click HERE to see this thread with all of the graphics, features, and links.

Self explanatory thread, everybody! Seen a movie lately and want to give your opinions/reviews? Do it here!


"Stacy" (2001) -

"I watch a lot of the less popular movies because you never know what you'll find". A direct quote from my co-hort, Sandy, at Hollywood Video. With those words of wisdom firmly planted in the back of my mind, as always, I didn't think twice about picking up "Stacy" from the pawn shop this afternoon. $3.99 being the main reason, I was sold on the zombified Japanese school girl, dangling eyeball appliance tactfully edited on the cover art with a "paper rip" effect. $4.20 to the clerk, dash through the door, and it's mine.

"Stacy" is a RomZomCom, manga style, where the country is dealing with an unprecidented epidemic. Girls aged 15 through 17 are overwhelmed by "NDH", or "Near Death Happiness". Serving as a bold social allegory, picked up on later, once this mysterious euphoric state expires, the girls become good old fashioned flesh eating zombies. Families are urged to put their daughters out of their misery before re-animation occurs, going as far as chopping them up and leaving them for the RMKS, or, the Romero Repeat Kill Squad. Meanwhile, in a laboratory cum girls art school, a mad scientist tries to unlock the secret behind the reanimation process. A love struck soldier, whos girlfriend became a "Stacy", a namesake carried over from the plagues 1st victim, unleashed the brood upon the city, and carnage ensues.

Upon first glance, this film looks like a pedestrian fan-film with zero credibility and a lofty storyline. Schoolgirl zombies that materialize from a phantom epidemic? It's not until the stories conclusion when we're able to acknowledge the directors true plot. Love, the lengths we go to maintain it, and learning when to let go. The girl, once smiling and giggling, now reduced to a rotting meatchopper. "If you love them, set them free", which is what's not so nonchalantly suggested by the "Repeat Kill" method of hacking the zombie cuties into 162 pieces. In the spirit of parody, Tomomatsu, throughout the film, hams up the whole "schoolgirl" fantasy to a whole new debauched level. Ask yourself; are they just as desirable with their spinal cords visibly being ripped from their bodies? Didn't think so.

While the bittersweet love story is lurking below, we're treated to a smorgasborg of gore drenched window dressing. Namely, horror film in-jokes and sight gags. As mentioned before, there's the Romero Repeat Kill Squad, who dispose of the 162 piece zombie jigsaw puzzles. Did I forget the "Bruce Campbell's Right Hand 2" chainsaw device, the preferred method of dismemberment. Not to mention a great disembowlment a la Rhodes in "Day of the Dead". Lest we forget the "Drew Illegal Kill Squad", headed up by a gun-toting Drew Barrymore in "Scream" look-alike. All female, glamorized to get across the infatuation with said characters, and call out the social ill in lusting over innocence.

"Stacy", thankfully, was a gamble that paid off in spades. A swift 80 minute film that kept me entertained the whole way through, coupled with a smart, stinging, and eye-opening social commentary, in grand Romero style. Toss in some absolutely incredible special effects, some gut-busting pokes at the Asian culture, the familiar classic American horror film nods, and you've got another unique J-Pop horror gem with all the obscure humor of "Suicide Club" and the punch of "Junk".

"Sleepaway Camp 2"

In keeping with the Horror theme, while more than satisfied in the grue department, I took in "Sleepaway Camp 2". The original, an instant cult classic with a conclusion that will live on in Horror lore for decades to come, the sequels showed signs of waivering. Kind of like the film "career" of one Pamela Springsteen. A once promising franchise, this is one camp that needed one hell of a councilor, and a barber, to keep the kids coming back.

"Sleepaway Camp 2" follows up on Angela Baker, now Angela Johnson, the genre's favorite (and only) transvestite mass murdering teenager. Angela becomes a senior concilor at Camp Rolling Hills. A few years removed from "Sleepaway Camp", her criminal record expunged, and baring a new last name, Angie, "The Angel of Death" plays tough love with a bunch of teens who've decided to go away for the summer.

The 2nd installment in the franchise was never expected to reclaim the glory or stylings of the original. Thankfully for them, there were NO expectations for this film. Basically, Angela firmly believes it's her duty to weed out the bad seeds. All the 80's Horror flick no-no's are her motivations for disposition. Drinking, smoking, fornicating, and sporting a mullet got you a one night stand with Angela's weapon of choice. Wether it be a fire pit, battery acid, or a knife, you were going to get yours.

What turned me off most was Angela's lack of enthusiasm. C'mon, you herm! These kids are breakin' the law, and all she can muster are some unenthused one liners and then play nice to the rest of the crew as she picks them off? Please. It wasn't much help that many of the kills were "suggestive", never showing the "final act". That's something this movie should have taken the liberty of doing, considering there was nothing else to keep the viewer engaged with the feature. As the cover art suggested, there were the obligatory Horror movie references, a black kid in a Jason mask complete with machete, and some mulleted assclown with a LIGHT TAN fedora and a work glove with some knives taped on it.

All in all, avoid this movie like..well..it was a "Sleepaway Camp" sequel, because in all honesty, I'm sure watching someone suffer from the plague would have been a better investment of time than this film.

"Sleepaway Camp 3"

As a disclaimer, I only watched this film because I have seen the other two, and I will be selling my "Sleepaway Camp" DVD boxed set this week. It's only for educational purposes that I know what happened. That said, how about a scathing review?

"Sleepaway Camp 3" opens with Angela behind the wheel of a GARBAGE TRUCK, mowing down a young girl in an alley, with strategically placed garbage bags. In an instance of SHEER COINCIDENCE, Angela's hairstyle matches that of this poor New York State crack fiend teenager. Imagine rapper Krayzie Bone with split ends and white streaks. Under the assumed identity of Maria Nacastro, Angela's back to kill more kids at Camp New Horizons, formerly Camp Rolling Hills, just with new management, new direction, and eclectic mix of preps and underpriviledged kids.

Camp New Horizons, this season, is playing host to a split camp of underprivileged city hoods, as well as some upper-class rich kids. Tempers flare early and often, pointless racism abounds, as does the "Sleepaway Camp" staples for Angela, I'm sorry.."MARIA" to kill by. Her tactics are even less credible and inspired this time. But, all but one person ends up getting killed, and that's how it ends.

That's it. She kills people again and gets away with it. Just like last time. Surprised? I'm not. Don't rent it. Ever. E-Mail Bruce Springsteen and tell him to have Max Weinberg beat Pamela to death with his drumsticks, just to ensure we don't get Pamela in another "Sleepaway Camp" sequel a la "Halloween: H20". I want that ***** DEAD! DEAD I TELL YOU!

"The Interpreter"

Silvia Broome, played by Nicole Kidman, has overheard an assassination plot involving an African Head of State at the upcoming UN assembly. Sean Penn, playing Agent Keller, who rightfully has his suspicions, is assigned to guard Broome as the plot unfolds. As evidence mounts in both directions, the tension builds as the summit lurks near, and the question remains unanswered. Is Kidman's character, given her past associations, in on the scheme, or a victim of circumstance?

"The Interpreter" makes for a good, intriguing, and engaging plot on paper, but when it's applied to the screen, it just doesn't pop. A conspiracy theory is set into motion, there's a solid see-saw plot that could pen this on Kidman as soon as she's cleared, which did indeed keep me guessing. That said, the actual delivery by the major players was just mediocre at best. The enthusiasm required to carry a movie with such attention to detail, and keep the otherwise heavy, interesting characters wasn't there. The pace was made even heavier by a 130 minute run time, which offered an explosion ever 30 minutes, which served as a "Still there..?" alarm to the bored.

Nicole Kidman had been lending herself to more adult, artsy films, and while not a thriller/adventure staple, she clearly didn't convince me, other than being an interpreter of foreign languages. Sean Penn, on the same token, disappointed me. He has the power to grab people through the screen, having done so most recently in "Assassination of Richard Nixon", but his character, too, seemed to be on auto-pilot. The excitement just wasn't there, nether was the necessary pacing, nor the engaging storyline necessary to carry the film at the runtime alloted. Maybe at 100 minutes, cut out some of the Broome backstory which seemed repetitive, as did the Cat and Mouse game, this film would have worked.

"My Summer of Love"

Based on the novel by Helen Cross, "My Summer of Love" chronicles two young women from two totally opposite sides of the spectrum. Mona, a tomboy born into a broken home, headed by her brother, who can't shake a violent past, meets Tasmin, the pampered, mysteriously engaging prep scholar. The two, having led similar lives in the respect of being sheltered or unable to explore their own worlds, spend the summer becoming closer than they ever expected, opening up doors they never knew existed.

In all fairness, an IMDB reviewer had claimed that "You don't have to be a lesbian to enjoy this film!". This film has universal appeal, and in its uniquity, there's something that appeals to EVERYONE. For everyone, there's one person who can change your entire existence. This was pulled off MASTERFULLY by two young actresses in Nathalie Press (Mona) and Emily Blunt (Tasmin). While Mona settled and reveled in the small world she knew, Tasmin created her own, becoming a self proclaimed fantasist. The two complimented one another flawlessly in their craft.

"My Summer of Love" ran the gambit of exploration in human companionship. The two shared a friendship, found what they had in common. That evolved into a special understanding, in that they were both alone, never having the opportunity or bravery to venture. From that, they found true love with one another, complimented by acknowledging one another's beauty. Not the aesthetic beauty, or the superficial, puppy love like so many would associate with a lesbian, or summer fling. Mona's life took a violent turn, as her brother, a born again Christian, had to face his demons after a confrontation, sending Mona back to Tasmin after her brothers imposed exodus, she, who's flaws were exposed, leading to an awakening for Mona.

The ending was surprising, and while hard to understand at first, it was ultimately poetic and made perfect sense. As a fan of independent cinema, this one comes highly recommended for those who want a very convincing drama, that you'll come away from enlightened and more understanding in regards to something that isn't as taboo as suggested, after viewing.

"The Lost World" (1925)

Long before "Jurassic Park" and its sequels, there existed the Harry Hoyt helmed "The Lost World", based on the book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This, a silent era Sci Fi film, set the standard for movie monsters to come such as "King Kong", "The Mighty Joe Young", and even Godzilla, in the way of stop motion special effects. Professor Challenger claims to know of a "Lost World", an island in Brazil that he swears hosts these prehistoric creatures, but alas can give no proof to the London critics. Funded by reporter Edward Malone's publishing company, he, the professor, as well as the daughter of now Lost World inhabitant, Paula White, and Sir John Roxton set sail for the dangerous plateau.

Silent era Sci Fi films are a rarity. Sadly, of the 9 existing prints of the film at the time, each was equally as haggard as the other, so much so, a complete, original version of Hoyt's film no longer exists, but was pieced together fluently by Image. There's a solid story of excitement and expedition, complimented by the old school physical acting of the silent players, and of course the tribulations brough forth by the (at the time) realistic looking dinosaurs. While the film isn't a masterpiece, it's still fun to watch, and serves as a cornerstone in special effects in cinema.

"The Gold Rush" (1925)

Charlie Chaplin had mentioned that this was the film by which he wish to be remembered, and for good reason. A literal genius in the arena of slapstick, in the film, the Tramp finds himself wandering about the Klondike in search of gold. Instead, he stumbles upon a wanted felon, a cabin with a hungry inhabitant, and the love of his life. Of course, madcap slapstick is soon to follow, and it all works out in the end.

This, surprisingly, is my first exposure to the work of Charlie Chaplin. "The Gold Rush" is the epitome of perfection in slapstick. The physicality he exuded, necessary to pull off such a demanding genre film, wouldn't be topped until America was introduced to the Marx Brothers, who also had witty banted to rely on. Charlie didn't. A silent film comedy icon, he used all his tools. From his shy cunning, his bushy eyebrows, to his exagerrated, eccentric attitudes, and genius in storywriting. He was the total package.

The film was sheer fun from beginning to end, and it showed on the face of Mr. Chaplin, and when you can literally see someone enjoying their craft, recognizing their own potential, and going above and beyond it, you know you're getting their all. The film seemed so fluid, as if he asked his co-stars to just play along with him, not having to dig deep for motivation, just acting naturally, as it seemed he did. That's love, and that's Chaplin.

"Kicking and Screaming"

Competition. It's all too familiar between fathers and sons in the arena of sports. Take for instance Phil Weston (Ferrell). His father Buck(Duvall) is accustomed to winning. He's a local legend, has his own sports emporium, and now, having traded his grandson to a winless team, forced to match wits with his own son, the new coach of the Tigers. Like his father, Phil subconsciously becomes his father, applying the same "win at all costs" attitude toward a deviant soccer team. At the same, his own son feels the sting of getting lost in the competition.

"Kicking and Screaming" would have worked with virtually anyone at the lead, because Will Ferrell's talents were wasted here. A role as interchangable as the plot, having been visited in "The Bad News Bears", "Ladybugs", and countless other rags to ritches kids sports team stories. It's a family movie, the characters are all relatable, there's a message at the end, there's identifiable hardships, and some adult humor to keep the elders in check. Otherwise, it's a very mediocre movie, with very little substance.

Mike Ditka was surprisingly entertaining, and dare I say ended up OUTSHINING WILL FERRELL!? Did I just say that? Indeed I did. So, unless you're under the age of 14, have kids that play sports, or will see even the worst of Will Ferrell's career moves, I'm not suggesting this one.

"Fever Pitch"

Introducing Ben. a local Boston high school math teacher, and absolute die hard Bo-Sox fan. Ben meets Lindsey, a corperate suit who at 30, has been waiting to settle down. Lindsey thinks she's found her perfect match, that is, until baseball season comes around, and Jimmy Fallon's Ben becomes a whole 'nother person all together, allowing baseball to consume every facet of he and Lindsey's (Barrymore) life.

Going into this one, I didn't expect much, if anything at all. It was a very fresh approach to what we consider the modern day date movie. I was appreciative of the unique approach, with the thematic chapters, like a baseball season, only relating to relationships. I found the situations were CREDIBLE, and not exagerrated for effect. There were differences, hard times, and the all too familiar scene of teaching your girlfriend about sports so that she can follow, lol. It's nice to see actual PASSION for things in movies like this, not just lust and puppy love. Jimmy Fallon was fun to watch, Drew Barrymore seems to have matured over the years, and Ben's "extended family" at Fenway were always entertaining, as was his not too far fetched devotion to the team.

All in all, yeah, it's a good date movie, and a solid 105 minutes well spent with a significant other. It'll hit home even harder for sports fans and Red Sox fantatics, especially.

"A History of Violence"

Tom Stall is an everyman. That's the impression you'd get from your first glance at the Viggo Mortensen helmed character. The Stall clan resides in the sleepy little town of Millbrook, Indiana, where they own and operate a anytown coffee shop. Before closing one evening, Tom is approached by a couple of would be robbers. With undue provocation, Tom leaps into action, seemingly unassumingly, given his demeanor, albeit, comfortably. That evening tugs at a thread, subsequently unraveling a spool of questions in an interrogation brought on by Ed Harris as Carl Fogarty.

David Cronenberg's films are usually best when he has full creative control, as he did with "The Brood", "Existenz", "Scanners", and "The Fly" to name a few. This time, he assumed "the chair", so naturally, the following tirade is not entirely his fault. Cronenberg, who is bluntly hit or miss, with the respective extremes. "Violence", on the whole, was a unimpressive film. The Atlas of the film, Mortensen's Stall was one dimensional. Unassuming, but nothing to lend to his credibility as a once troubled individual with ties and a disposition. Maria Bello's wife-figure inherited the range for most of the cast.

Having been touted as a suspense, there was virtually none to speak of. A one minute standoff with his son in holding was about as "guess what happens next" as the movie ever got. Naturally, almost like a poor man's "Bourne Identity", Stall flipped on the Hulk switch, and the scene deviated to violence you knew the outcome of from the beginning. Gore galore. The signature Cronenberg stylings were, at times, out of place, uncomfortable, contrived, and at times, totally uncredible. It took some guesswork to determine wether or not Tom's son, Jack, would act violently against provocation, testing Tom's morals, which, in the final act, we come to find are no better than they were before "the change" occured.

Style over substance seemed to be a reoccuring theme in this film. Sex and violence sell, obviously. Too bad movies can't have cohesive, engaging stories to keep themselves rolling. That's one Cronenberg styling that was missing from this one. Quality. Instead, we got a boring, predictible thriller with scenes of questionable "ooh" enducing violence and forced sex scenes to make us forget that the story was really over, and you could have drawn your own conclusion, and had been right, about 45 minutes into the movie.

"Unleashed"

The Luc Besson penned drama/actioner "Unleashed" is the story of Danny the Dog. Subserviant since his capture at the hands of Bart, one Bob Hoskins, Li's character had been held in a dank underground cage. Used as a literal human weapon, for anything from extortions to fight night payoffs, that was the only way of life Danny had known. When a supposed mob hit was taken out against his captor Bart, Danny escaped, and re-united with a friend in Morgan Freeman, a piano tuner who takes him in with his step-daughter. A craft that held some relevence we'd come to find. Danny, having started a new life, was enjoying his new found freedom, when Bart set out to look for his lost dog. Unwilling to abandon his "normal" life, Danny is determined to fight for his freedom and make Bart understand that he no longer serves any master.

In only their second film together, the combination of Director Louis Leterrier and Writer/Director Luc Besson, make sparks once again. A entriguing, unique story with some real drama, real struggle, credible characters, heartfelt emotion, signature Besson cinematography, and what was probably most surprising, a great pace for a mutt of a movie, considering its elements. This is probably Jet Li's best movie. His mannerisms were on point, and as an ACTOR, he's grown. Bob Hoskins, whom I admittedly haven't seen enough of, was brilliant as well, and of course Morgan Freeman's resurgence is unstoppable.

For such a rich story, it's very easy to follow, which I appreciated. Danny's taken captive, literally bred as a dog, he escapes and makes a new name for himself, is re-captured, but has become self-aware, and can distinguish right and wrong, and that violence and vengeance aren't the most fulfilling forms of retribution. The collar's significance, we'd find, was mental, and poetic in the end. A very nice conclusion.

There are scenes that will make you cringe, scenes that will make you laugh, and those that will take your breath away in the way of choreography, courtesy of Master Woo Ping. All in all, it was a very satisfying movie with a great soundtrack, a unique and enjoyable tale, characters with depth and pull, and a well polished effort from one of my favorite writers of all time.

"The Specials"

For a while, a dysfunction group of semi-super heroes called "The Specials" were the jobbers of the crime fighting industry. Called in when absolutely nobody else was available, The Strobe and crew leapt into action. When The Specials' big break comes in the way of a new action figure deal, it all pretty much goes to hell, and becomes the biggest test for this band of not so super heroes yet.

With "Mystery Men" having flopped a year earlier, "The Specials" fate was sealed before it was even released, settling for a video release from Pioneer Entertainment. Sadly, this film I found, was sorely underappreciated, and what "Mystery Men" SHOULD have been, given its roster. "The Specials" boasts a slew of names that ended up making it big. Oscar Nominee Thomas Hayden Church, "West Wing-er" Rob Lowe, funnyman Jamie Kennedy, and the lovely Jordan Ladd of "Cabin Fever". A SOLID cast, better than expected for a B movie.

The cast, as we've established, was great. Performances, especially. The story was HILARIOUS! This group has to deal with an egomaniacal leader, a misanthropic Nightcrawler wanna-be, a happy-go-lucky lesbian who babies a supposed alien shapeshifter, extramarital affairs, money crunches, infidelity, heroes leaving for other factions, aaaaaaand a new girl whos super-power is laying eggs. The toyline in itself is absolutely uproarious. It's a movie that says "superheroes go through shit too", albeit, it's much funnier than our everyday lives.

Fans of super-hero movies, cult cinema, and just wacky Saturday afternoon UPN material movies need not pass this one up any longer. It's smart, funny, riddled with parody, and totally, totally enjoyable if not for just "The Specials" toy commercial.

"Me and You and Everyone We Know"

Miranda July's loaded directorial debut film takes on many facets. An adults inability to connect in what seems to them as a cold and distant world. Children growing up too fast, and how innocence is becoming lost way too soon.

Frankly, I was disappointed, as the trailers for the film made it out to be a totally different piece. Instead, the interesting characters were relegated to the backstory, and what ended up being pushed was a dry, disturbing look at how children today are making themselves grow up too fast, robbing themselves of their own childhood. The sexual exploration in the film were supposedly "dark comedy" in essence, but came across very uncomfortably, unnecessarily, and clashed with the adult theme of the film, which kept the story interesting, but was spoiled being relegated to the subplot.

In short, "Me and You" had no direction, and it had no frame. While the films personal inspiration was evident, it was unfulfilling. Smart and independent in nature, but at the same very lost. Esoteric and sometimes existential, it just wasn't for me.

"Undead"

Chunks of Haley's Comet have broken off, resulting in massive meteor showers that befall a small fishing community in Australia. The result? People are mutated into flesh eating zombies. The remaining few survivors, including an ammo shop owner and the town beauty hole up to fight off the infestation. When members of the remaining crew are suddenly abducted, things get a whole lot more complicated.

"Undead" has been available only in Australia and possibly the UK until now. I've been in possession of a DVD-R, thanks to James/Tabby999, but never got a chance to view it in its entirety. Suffice to say, I thought it was a brilliant and refreshing take on the genre. The combination of extra-terrestrials and the zombie beings WORKED, and it's hard to believe what was pulled off in the film was possible with such a low budget. Fantastic special effects, a very original plot, regardless of the all too familiar opening, and it was credibly acted all the way through with some memorable characters.
This is Australia's first venture into said genre, and hopefully it won't be their last.

What makes the film stand out to me, from an otherwise totally diluted genre is the story development. It has to be seen to be understood, because it's just so unique, and flowed so seamlessly.
Again, considering the budget, it's a real treat to see first time filmmakers with such a great idea culminate with pleasing special effects, great make up applications, and ultimately present a film that you can see was a blast to make.

"Undead" is available on DVD in the US on 10/11

"11:14"

"11:14" is an independent movie from Writer/Director Greg Marcks. Originally released in 2003 on the indie film festival circuit, the movie is in the same vein as "21 Grams" and at times "Crash", relying on reverse chronology to make the story complete. Taking one characters involvement to its climax, introducing the next characters part, and so forth, until we realize everyone played a small but intrigal part in the outcome. Pre-dating "Million Dollar Baby", the film stars Hillary Swank, Patrick Swayze, Henry Lucas of "ET" fame, Rachel Lee Cook, and Colin Hanks.

From first glance, "11:14" looked to be a total "Crash" clone, only with a murderous twist. Boy, was I wrong. Marcks' film managed to be original and stylish, even in a genre that has had its fair share of copy cats. It had a sensory heavy plot which was laid out and followed through with with ease. Guesswork was minimal, and he managed to get you to be wholly interested in everyones role. The characters were as incredibly original as the situations in which they were thrown into. Said goings-on, coupled with the score, led me to believe that this was actually a very dark, sinister comedy of sorts, which had me relieved, as I first thought it was a serious suspense film of sorts.

Like so many independent features with little to no promotion, "11:14" is a little known gem that will remain such. There's very little else that I can actually critique without giving away plot points and spoilers, so I am recommending the film to everyone reading this review. It's just so different, refreshing, and paced so flawlessly, I don't know how you couldn't like it.

"Demons"

Lamberto Bava, son Italian Horror director Mario Bava (Planet of the Vampires), presents "Demons". A mysterious man invites people in West Berlin to a sneak preview of a new horror film. As the viewers curiously become overcome by a demonic spirit, the rest must fend for themselves.

Bava enlisted the help of Dario Argento with this one, and even he couldn't really save it. The film wasn't absolutely horrible, in fact, it was fun, but in typical 80's Italian horror fare, it was a cheese fest. The soundtrack boasted tunes from Rick Springfield and SAXON of all bands. How's that for a contrast. The storyline was fun, and the premise was "art imitating life", as if the viewers were watching the movie version of their own bizarre experiences. The dubs were bad, the acting worse, which leaves the make up and special effects as the only decent part of the feature, thanks to Mr. Argento. We can always count on Asia's daddy for more gore.

"Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession"

California's Z Channel was the nations first pay cable channel. Their programming, headed up by Robert Altman was indie friendly. Playing some of the greatest films that nobody ahd ever heard of, as well as allowing his personal tastes influence programming, Z Channel thrived. In the late 80's, fearing the demise of the channel, Altman took his own life and that of his wifes. This is his story. His magnificent obsession with film.

"Z Channel", directed by Alex Casavetes was a FANTASTIC look into the history of the famed Z Channel and its programming. Altman's dedication and appreciation for cinema in all its facets was something I could relate to, but never fully mirror. His influential programming, and great taste in movies made him a cult figure in the movie and television industry. There were some rich interivews with Quentin Tarantino, Andrei Rublev, Ridley Scott, Penelope Spherris and more, all waxing nostalgic on how he directly made an impact in their lives.

It's a beautiful chronicling of a champion of cinema, including his sad and tragic underlying dark side. It's a very brisk 2 hours, packed with lots of fun for the cinema-addicted.

"Batman Forever"

In the 3rd installment of the "Batman" franchise, Director Joel Schumacher takes up the chair with Val Kilmer as the Dark Knight. Batman takes on dual responsibilities as he faces off against The Riddler, an ex-Wayne employee and Two Face, both who want to run Gotham City. The film also introduces Dick Grayson, better known as Robin, who Batman takes under his wing (no pun intended) and shapes his potential sidekick.

"Batman Forever" was just a boring movie. Schumacher left his bag o' explosions and granduer at home, apparently. The characters were equally as bland, The Riddler was unfunny, Two Face was just drab, his love interest was as wooden as the dialogue shared between the two, and there really was no plot, other than keep Gotham safe. No major threats, no nothing. Sure, the Robin backstory was interesting, but even that seemed a little rushed and hokey.

Kilmer was a great Batman, but a horrible Bruce Wayne, so do yourself a favor, and just rent "Batman Begins" next Tuesday.

Already a step ahead of you. Rented it today, I love my illegal rental chain that releases movies a week in advance.

"Natural Born Killers"

Penned by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Oliver Stone, "NBK" follows the murderous duo of Mickey and Mallory Knox on their murderous rampage, and subsequent onslaught against the media that forced them to live up to a fabricated legendary status. Careful to leave one person alive to tell their tale, on down Route 666 they headed.

"Natural Born Killers" is an exercise in complete cinematic freedom. Literally no director in their right mind would combine the elements of "NBK" and think they'd come out coherent, much less find actors to pull it off. That said, Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis are the ultimate acting compliment. Their chemistry was through the roof on this one. Another strongpoint was the dialogue, a fair amount written by Tarantino, the rest was Stone, given it was his cut of the film. Great supporting performance by Robery Downey Jr, as the overzealous "myth making" reporter, and the fuel for the Knox's media firestorm.

The glue that held together this incredibly visually stunning piece was the cinematography. Every single trick in the book was thrown into this one. Melds, psychadelic shading, freeze frames, color filters, warping, audio delays, gaphic ANIMATION. You name it, it was there, and made the film, frankly. It was a bizzarre trip of a film, one that seemed to change directions at the midway point, losing some steam, but thankfully picking up at the end.

If it's been a while since you've seen this manical masterpiece, treat (or subject) yourself once more and get a taste of avant garde cinema.

"Starwoids"

"Starwoids" is an original Film Threat documentary about the 1999 Star Wars, Episode 1, explosion. Chronicling fans 41 day wait for tickets to the film premiere, to a year laters retrospective, and everything in between, "Starwoids" is an exercise in patience, and the nature of the Star Wars fun.

Frankly, this was an unsatisfying and pedestrian documentary. A bunch of dorks wait in line, in shifts, to see the new Star Wars film. They eventually clash, they never fight of course, maybe knock their toy lightsabers around a bit, and get angry, but that's the extent. Boring doc about some losers which make me glad I got out of that whole scene.

"Day of the Dead 2: Contagium"

"Day of the Dead 2: Contagium" is a self proclaimed sequel/prequel to George Romero's 1985, "Day of the Dead". In the late 1960's, a viral outbreak occured in a small German hospital, causing some of the patients to become flesg-eating zombies. A vile of the infection, which was originally a military experiment, was stolen, stashed in a thermos, and lost in the mix. Fast forward to today, a group of mental patients stumble upon a thermos, containing the virus. As history would have it, curiosity killed the cat, and turned its handlers into the same meat craving creatures.

I'll just come right out and say it. This is the stupidest, worst ****ing horror movie I've ever seen. First strike is the literal sacrelige in using the "Day of the Dead" title, which happens to be MY favorite zombie films of all time behind SOTD. There's no relation whatsoever, as it was merely a cash-in by Anchor Bay. Secondly, the special effects were so incredibly low that the team used DRIED GLUE as PEELING SKIN! Yes..DRIED..****ING..GLUE. Oh, forgot the horrible acting, incredibly bad dialogue, even worse gore, because the STORYLINE took the cake here. THERE WASN'T ONE! They opened the thermos, dropped the vial, the infection spread, people acted like they were in a elementary school play, and then it was an exact re-enactment of the first scene of the movie!

Just crap..it was so bad, I get angry thinking about it.

"Batman & Robin"

In the 4th installment, and the final of the 1990's, George Clooney suits up as the Caped Crusader to take on Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, played respectively by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman. Alfred, the butler, sees his granddaughter come in from a school break, to dawn the Batgirl costume and fight alongside the crime fighting duo, partaking in some killer bat and cat fights.

As if you hadn't guessed, the franchise got progressively worse. Bright colors and cool looking new characters don't make up for horrible miscasting, and as cript mainly contrived of one liners. I don't think Mr. Freeze, when decipherable, had an actual sentence in the entire film. Clooney even sounded like he was reading off of cue cards. Totally uninspired efforts by the main characters, leaving Uma Thurman's sultry Poison Ivy to carry the weight of the 2 hour long crapfest. Well, props to Alfred. Even on his deathbed, he had more enthusiasm and energy. Like the other Schumacher "Batman" film, there was no real story. Just action, no character development, no history, just stretching a barrage of one liners and wire works for way too long.

Pass.

"The Stepford Wives" (1975)

Joanna Eberhart and her family have decided to leave the hustle and bustle of NYC and retreat to the little quiet town of Stepford. There, they immediately find bright shining faces, waiting to great them, and all the makings of domestic perfection. Almost too perfect, when Joanna and her friend Bobbie notice a pattern of undying male servitude in the Stepford women.

"The Stepford Wives" is a strong social statement, as well as smart thriller of sorts, especially for the 1970's. It seems like a stripped down David Cronenberg storyline, although, with little room for gore. The film, in short, puts the term "trophy wife" into perspective. Men desiring total perfection in their mate, as if they were robots, there for their every beck and call. The film was recently re-made with Nicole Kidman, and took a more savagely dark humor turn, whereas the original had a bitting social commentary for the supposed "archaic" males of the age.

A good movie, overall. While it ran a little long, and the imagery is dated, the message still rings true today, almost 30 years later, and comes across as quite inventive.

"Apollo 13"

One of Ron Howard's better directed films, "Apollo 13" chronicles the trust story of the seemingly ill-fated mission to the moon that could have very well never been shared, given the overwhelming circumstances. NASA, having just endured a mid-mission catastrophe prepared for the Apollo 13 flight. Their pilot falling ill, a back up team captain took the chair, thus creating a chain reaction of roadblocks in the journey. In the end, the men of Apollo 13 stared adversity in the face, and while they never made it to the moon, more importantly than anything, they made it back home.

"Apollo 13" is a genuinely American movie. It's cast almost flawlessly with "average joes" such as Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, and Kevin Bacon, which had great chemistry, even of the negative persuasion which worked equally as well. Naturally, such a harrowing story has liberties taken with it, however, the authenticity was strikingly credible. Those of us that have had "one of those days" know that when it rains, it pours. Luckily, we're never had to comadeer a space shuttle during that time.

The film never sagged, which tends to be a problem in most long-running dramas, and was a plus. The suspense was genuine, and always kept me interested, and I was always left waiting to see what the boys at NASA would do to make things right again. "Apollo 13" was a beautifully shot film, a la "2001", with great landscapes, and breathtaking cinematography. All in all, it was a very well rounded space adventure movie. Nothing as showy or engaging as, say, "Armageddon", but the "All American" feel was still as strong.

A great piece of filmmaking, and the story is a testament to the will of the human spirit. Very uplifiting.

"The Fog" (2005)

In the updated version of "The Fog", Antonio Bay is victimized by a mysterious, almost supernatural fogbank that summons the ghosts of a ship that sank 100 years ago. Looking to avenge their deaths, that are traced back to the settling families doublecrossing, the fallen come back to the town.

Revisions in the structure make the 2005 edition of Carpenter's story more solid. There's a sufficient backstory, some historical aspects explaining the feud, as well as some complimentary imagery. While Wainwright's effort seemed to have had a high school friendly twist, it never escalated to the absurdity of other teen horrors, more so staying true to the original. The whole picture actually had a lot of potential, and given the thin premise and original workings it had to operate with, it wasn't so much a disappointment as it was a missed opportunity for a better overall film.

"The Fog" displayed some surprisingly solid acting on the parts of Tom Welling, Maggie Grace, and the always fun Selma Blair. Nobdies performances came off as contrived or forced, just very mellow, per the original. In the end, what it came down to was the films lack of a real punch. 105 minutes was just too long to stretch an invasion of a big, evil cloud. While I appreciated it being more thorough in the storytelling, it was too sporatic, and would have served better as an opening, instead of sporatic installments, chopping up the pacing.

IMO, it's a renter, but I saw it for free. Makes for a decent date movie.

"Domino"

Ms. Harvey was an infamous female bounty hunter. Her tale was equally as entriguing as her personality. While the world lost Domino on June of this year to an accident overdose on painkillers, Tony Scott has brought her tales to the big screen in a fashion only he knows how to do.

"Domino" was a cool-ass film. Not flawless, but cool nonetheless. The picture depicts the tale of Domino Harvey, who grew up fighting adversity all her life, namely in her own family. Born into money and popularity, Harvey was never one for the "90210 lifestyle" her mother was so fond of. She hooks up with Ed (Rourke) and Choco (Rodriquez) and becomes the 3rd piece of a bounty hunter outfit. The trio are asked to hunt down a $10 Million dollar prize that was heisted earlier from an armed security truck. Little did they know, they'd soon have the mob, and billionaire, and a TV crew on their tail.

The entire movie was well acted. Keira Knightley was very convincing as the lead, while Rourke took the whole shady bad guy to a new level. Christopher Walken was hilarious as the cable TV executive, and Lucy Lui's stonefaced FBI interrogating agent all complimented one another. There were two things that didn't set incredibly well with me, that may merit and second viewing. The plot was heavy, and incorperated A LOT of different characters, and with the time shifts, the chronology was thrown off balance, thus confusing me for the longest time. Thankfully, after sitting down and thinking, it all made sense. The other thing was Tony Scott's stylings. He's made the "seizure cam" a household name, thanks to "Man on Fire". The visuals were just overwhelming sometimes, and their charm wore off. Fuzzy filters, discolored frames, and honestly, not a lot of footage that was shot steadily, or cleanly.

All in all, it was a story, with liberties taken, made to entertain, namely with insane visuals and LOTS of violence, set to an awesome soundtrack. So, if you're in the mood for a cool story, with some contemporary camerawork, and a lot of people getting sprayed. check this one out.

OK, I'm starting My own review thread, Not because I'm lookg for E-points or anything like that, I'm just trying to cover things that cine' did not. I write reviews becasue I like writing. and one last thing, Please do not post in this thread, just look and go, PM me questions and such. should have two up today.

I'm not the fastest writer in the world, I do have a life, Highschool defianatley messes with it.

Enjoy these reviews.

One Flew over the cuckoos nest (1975)


I got the chance to veiw this movie earlier this week, And I must say, I loved it. Jack nicholson definatley deserved Best Actor for this movie, and It definatley deserved to win Best picture of 1975. It starts off with Jack nicholsons character "R. P. Mcmurphy" Coming to a mental institute. He isn't really crazy, he is acting crazy to get out of spending time in jail, and with lower security in the mental institute, he has a much better chance of escaping. I'd tell you more but I dont want to ruin this wonderful movie. The movie also gives birth to the actor Christopher Lloyd, who you may also know as "Dr. Brown" in "Back to the future" (another good flick).

Louise Fletcher Played a hard-ass nurse working in the institute, she is constantly on R.P's back, trying to decide on whether or not he is really a loon or not. She believes so, but the others think differently. Every actor who played a crazy did perfect, exactly how I think a person whould act in an institute. I could make a paragraph on each actor to be honest, But I will spare you the time, and let you watch the movie and Decide for yourself, I doubt very seriously you will be dissapointed. This movie comletley swept 5 oscars in 1976, and it very much deserved to.

All in all this is the directors (Milos Forman) best film, He is currently making 2 movies that are to open up next year. I very much look forward to those.


-Mando

Serenity (2005) -sci fi.



Serenity is like some people say "like being at a friends college party" unless you watched the "Firefly" series that was cancelled shortly after about 13 episodes. That however, was a HUGE mistake, claimed by many. So if someones crushes your idea's on TV, what are you going to do? Make a movie! And that is exactly what Joss Whedon did, and the results were great, I have the "Firefly" series in the mail right now. Now enough talk about this, here is the review.

Serenity is like a mix between Starwars, and the fifth element. The movie is about a ship of pirates on unknowingly carrying the woman-weapon "river tam", secretley holding the secrets of the Alliance's plans, and secrets, she is a fighting weapon, and a phsycic, which can be very useful when living a life of crime. This movie has tons of action, and blows ROTS out of the water IMO, the movie also had a good sense of humor, The comic relief is Adam Baldwin. You may know him from "Full metal jacket", as "animal mother" the marine with the faithful M60, He plays just the right role in this movie .

Chiwetel Ejiofor played the "no-name" operative out looking for River tam, he was a super bad-ass in this movie, he didn't use a gun hardly as much as he used his short sword, he is a master in kung-fu and other fighting. If you've seen "Four Brothers" he played Victor sweet.
Besides The no name operative being the bad guy, the real threat to the universe is the "reavers". they are galactic, man-eating beasts that eat and rape their victims...ALIVE. They are pretty scary, and I did not expect them to be so ruthless in this movie. they defianatley create some suspense for the movie IMO..

I was also very impressed with Nathan Fillion and Summer Glau's acting in this movie, they were great! I would suggest this movie very strongly to all Star wars fans, all fans of Sci-fi, and fans of the fifth element in particular. take my advice: the trailer is misleading, and Go see it now, while you still have the chance.


-mando

Originally posted by Mandorallen
One Flew over the cuckoos nest (1975)


I got the chance to veiw this movie earlier this week, And I must say, I loved it. Jack nicholson definatley deserved Best Actor for this movie, and It definatley deserved to win Best picture of 1975. It starts off with Jack nicholsons character "R. P. Mcmurphy" Coming to a mental institute. He isn't really crazy, he is acting crazy to get out of spending time in jail, and with lower security in the mental institute, he has a much better chance of escaping. I'd tell you more but I dont want to ruin this wonderful movie. The movie also gives birth to the actor Christopher Lloyd, who you may also know as "Dr. Brown" in "Back to the future" (another good flick).

Louise Fletcher Played a hard-ass nurse working in the institute, she is constantly on R.P's back, trying to decide on whether or not he is really a loon or not. She believes so, but the others think differently. Every actor who played a crazy did perfect, exactly how I think a person whould act in an institute. I could make a paragraph on each actor to be honest, But I will spare you the time, and let you watch the movie and Decide for yourself, I doubt very seriously you will be dissapointed. This movie comletley swept 5 oscars in 1976, and it very much deserved to.

All in all this is the directors (Milos Forman) best film, He is currently making 2 movies that are to open up next year. I very much look forward to those.


-Mando

Good review for what is, IMO, the best film ever made. Nice work

Originally posted by Mandorallen
One Flew over the cuckoos nest (1975)


I got the chance to veiw this movie earlier this week, And I must say, I loved it. Jack nicholson definatley deserved Best Actor for this movie, and It definatley deserved to win Best picture of 1975. It starts off with Jack nicholsons character "R. P. Mcmurphy" Coming to a mental institute. He isn't really crazy, he is acting crazy to get out of spending time in jail, and with lower security in the mental institute, he has a much better chance of escaping. I'd tell you more but I dont want to ruin this wonderful movie. The movie also gives birth to the actor Christopher Lloyd, who you may also know as "Dr. Brown" in "Back to the future" (another good flick).

Louise Fletcher Played a hard-ass nurse working in the institute, she is constantly on R.P's back, trying to decide on whether or not he is really a loon or not. She believes so, but the others think differently. Every actor who played a crazy did perfect, exactly how I think a person whould act in an institute. I could make a paragraph on each actor to be honest, But I will spare you the time, and let you watch the movie and Decide for yourself, I doubt very seriously you will be dissapointed. This movie comletley swept 5 oscars in 1976, and it very much deserved to.

All in all this is the directors (Milos Forman) best film, He is currently making 2 movies that are to open up next year. I very much look forward to those.


-Mando

Funny its not on your favourites list in your profile. But yeah good review and good thing you opened this thread ; It was like Cine was monopolising the review section that once was.

OK guys, try not to post in here too much.


The outsiders: complete Novel released (2005)

Here is a review on a DVD I bought the other day, The outsiders: full novel.
It pretty much covers S.E. Hinton's entire book, I cant think of a single event in the book that doesn't take place in the complete novel movie. What I love about it is it sows everything, which not all movies based on books do, because the filmmakers do what they think is best for the audience, who have both read the book, and those who haven't. Personally I loved the original movie, and I love this one too, let me tell you about the actual movie itself.

The movie is about 2 gangs, the soc's and the greasers. the greasers are from the north side, and they are all poor and look out for each other, they are the good guys in this movie. and the soc's are the south side snobby, and rich bad guys in this movie. what happens, is that a drunk soc, comes up to 2 greasers, (ponyboy, and Johnny) and attacks them, they are actually drowning one of the greasers, and could kill him. so johnny (played by Ralph maccio) whips out his knife and stabs the soc entirely out of self defense, they conflict is that they then hafto run away from town, so that they are not arrested. There is alot more to it, but I don't want to give it all away.

This movie is directed by critically loved Francis ford Coppola, the Godfather man himself. and does a good job with this movie. It really has a strange cast. Much of the cast went on to be even bigger stars, like Patrick swayzee, rob Lowe, Matt Dilan, Emilio estivez, and tom cruise. But as far as I'm concerned Coppola did a great job translating IMO.

And the actors did a great job filling in the rest, I would recommend this to everyone, but I recommend even more, the book itself. "the outsiders" by S.E. Hinton.

-Mando

Every which way but loose (19780 - action/comedy


Clint Eastwood has a way of making everyone of his lines a memorable quote for you and me. I cent exactly put my finger on it on what he does, but I like it. Everywhich way but loose is a great way to show off what Clint Eastwood can do. Cint eastwood plays Philo Beddoe, a bare fisted fitfighter searching for his lady love west of the rockies. And lives with his 165-pound Orangatang buddy "Clyde".

This movie Is great, It's not oscar material, but you will remember this movie forever. That's usually how most Clint Eastwood movies are. This is Jeremy Kronsberg's few and best writings, in fact he only wrote this, and then "Going Ape!". So you dont really have much to select from this guy. And the director James fargo, Has a movie coming out this year, or already has, and I have no idea on anything about it.

But do yourself a favor, if you are a fan of 70's movies, go check this one out, and if you like it, check out it's sequel, "any which way you can".

Anybody want a review of "Ice Princess" i'll be seeing it tonight.

















I didnt think so

Run it by Cine, and see if he gives you permission to post it up first.

I would but I just saw clips of it while I was on the computer and am not gonna re-watch it.It didnt look that good.Kinda cheesy.

This is a fascinating documentary, the likes of which I have never seen before. It records the events that happened in a smalltown in America named Black River Falls, between 1890 and 1900. It focuses on the bizarre and alarming amount of murder, death and bizarre goings on.

As though the very soil of this Midwest settlement was soaked in evil (there is little surprise in learning that serial killers Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer hailed from the same state), its largely German and Norwegian occupants found themselves inexplicably plagued with disease, insanity, suicide and murder.

Distilled from period newspaper reports into a book by Michael Lesy, director James Marsh has taken the astonishing events that took place in Wisconsin's Black River Falls between 1890 and 1900, and made a haunting and moving documentary.

It consists of eloquent narration over artfully shot vignettes and real life photos and newspaper reports of the time.Even though it focuses on death and murder, it is not voyeuristic or tastless, rather it gives insight into the fragility of the human condition and the great hardships humans beings had to endure at the time and continue to endure.

"Jurassic Park III"
with it's great CGI Animation it makes a good Movie,Take that away it is terrible,not even good to start with come to think about,but persay it still was okay

Acting

CGI

Story

directions

i give it a D

( so what it is a bad grade..its a BAD Movie)

Originally posted by Cringe
Anybody want a review of "Ice Princess" i'll be seeing it tonight.

















I didnt think so
That movie looks so bad ( now on DVD )

"Modern Times"

Charlie Chaplin's period piece, "Modern Times" defines the stuggles of the working man during the depression. Taking anything from factory jobs to janitorial positions, Chaplin's struggle is art imitating life. Along the way he finds love and happiness, and despite all his mishaps, there's still a place for him.

This was the second Chaplin film I'd ever seen, and having come off of "Gold Rush", I expected great things. Sadly, I was disappointed. It was ha;f silent, with some spoken lines which somewhat ruined the feel of the movie, from the "silent" era. Secondly, the while Charlie Chaplin's easily the greatest physical comic of all time, and the first half was entertaining, it sort of spiraled into a drama, very melancholy, and not as upbeat as before. There was some situational irony that's signature Chaplin, but it never really regained it's comedic composure, and I gradually lost interest.

All in all, I suggest the movie to those who want to familiarize themselves with Chaplin's prowess, as I did, but save it towards the end of a focus viewing. "Gold Rush" was his crowning achievement, and "Modern Times" more or less signaled the end of an era.

"Saturday the 14th"

Before there was "Scary Movie", there was the original Horror spoof, "Saturday the 14th". Starring Paula Prentiss (The Stepford Wives) Saturday the 14th follows a suburban family that inherits a house that they already know is haunted. In the meantime, Dracula and his wife are also looking to obtain the home, and gain possession of a particular book of spells. As the new inhabitants encounter all the ghoulish squatters, the book is found by the youngest, who opens up a whole new can of worms..and beasts..ghosts..creatures, all of which Dr. Van Helsing must be called into to defeat, given he doesn't have plans of his own for the book!

"Saturday the 14th" was a fun movie. It wasn't an extreme spoof, and it wasn't even saturated with early 80's humor. It was very basic, with some cool special effects and a fun story that was easy to follow, and surprisingly entriguing at the same time. It's a cult classic for sure, and for good reason. I bought it blindly for a mere $8, and would suggest the same should you find it. The DVD is a rarity, and fairly sought after, so give it a look!

"From Dusk Til Dawn"

The Gecko Brothers are travelling through Texas, in the middle of what seems like an all too familiar crime spree. They stumble upon a family of 3 with their ticket to their next destination. Mexico. Kidnapping the trio and their precious RV, the would be kidnappers, including Quentin Tarantino as a violent foot fetisher, and the short tempered, take no shit George Clooney, trek across the border. There they stop at Titty Twisters, a bar in the middle of nowhere, to rendevouz with Cheech Merin. But, until he arrives, he's got some creatures of the night to deal with. Namely, stripper vampires and biker werewolves. Sound like fun?

With Tarantino's script and Robert Rodriguez's direction you know you're in for a pulpy, cult treat. It was a fun movie, surprisingly "tasteful" considering, and Nicotero's special effects put it over the top. George Clooney was BAD-ASS! I was impressed with his bravado, and Tarantino's mellow demeanor, as well as Harvey Kietel's "cool under pressure" approach to their dire situation. The action and dialogue complimented one another flawlessly, both contributors' signature stylings were present, and it was honestly a hell of ride. I'll be purchasing it soon. Makes for great Halloween viewing.

"Following"

Christopher Nolan's debut, "Following" is about a young writer who obessesively follows people to gain material for his stories. One instance, he encounters a burgular who takes him under his wing, and essentially gives him the key to obtaining all the material he'd ever need. Bill, under the spell of a woman he had met earlier at a bar, volunteers to do her a favor. Little does he know of the deadly situation, with imminent repercussions, involving those he already knows.

For a writing and directing debut, Nolan takes the film-noir genre from out of the vault and in the forefront. The chronology is a little confusing, and the DVD features a correctly timed version of the film, which was easier to follow. The characters are smooth and engaging, the plot was easy to follow, but takes hairpin turns, leaving you wondering who was screwing over whom? The ending was genius, very old school pulp noir, and a VERY nice surprise, given the rise to power Bill had enjoyed from his mentor, almost too easily.

Those looking for a solid independent feature, that's sleek and stylish, at a short but powerful 70 minutes, and enjoyed "Insomnia" and "Memento", "Following" is a brilliant introduction into the past of Chris Nolan, who is also the director of the newest Batman feature, "Batman Begins", which was another masterpiece.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Wow, what a great movie. one of Jake Gyllenhaals best performances yet in my opinion. Here's my review.

Donnie Darko is about a teenager who is going through some emotional problems, and is visited by this vision of a man in a rabbit suit. the rabbit suit is kind of creepy to be honest. some great acting by the bunny though, lol. The rabbit-man tells Donnie when the world is going to end, which is aroud 26 days. The film is sunspenseful, creepy, and absolutley amazing. Drew barrymore and patrick swayzee are both in this movie. Drew barrymore is Donnie's english teacher, while Patrick is kind of liek the school counselor. he helps teach the kids how to harness fear and learn how not to be afraid anymore. I loved patrick in "donnie darko" but Barrymores acting was kind of edgy.
I hope Jake Gyllenhaals acting in "Donnie Darko" is as good as it will be in "Jarhead". I've always liked Jake Gyllenhaal scince I first saw "October sky", Another great movie. "October sky" means alot to me because I grew up in West Virginia.

But overall the movie is very good, and you probably wont understand it the first time you watch the movie, and especially if you aren't used to watching that particular genre.

If you liked Donnie darko, I would reccomend: Fight club, the sixth sense, minority report, and Memento.

"Elektra" starring Jennifer Garner

Looks can kill.

Elektra Natchios has experienced death after being killed by the villain known as Bullseye. After being resurrected back to life, she has trained to be an assassin. Now, she's the best assassin in the world. When she is given an assignment to kill a father and his daughter who she has become acquainted with and refuses, Elektra finds herself protecting them from the assassin team known as the Hand. The war between good and evil has been raging on for centuries, will Elektra choose which side she's on and throw off the balance?

After Daredevil, comic book fans were angry about the portrayal of Elektra, for it wasn't true to the comics. This spinoff, Elektra, is much more true to the original character, leaving Daredevil in the past and having almost no references to it. Though the character development and inner conflict wasn't as strong as Daredevil, it still held the movie together.

Elektra is a bitter woman who has isolated herself from the outside world. She has her reasons. Her mother was killed by a mysterious assassin as a kid. Her father had been killed in Daredevil. Even she herself had been killed. Garner's anti-social acting was really believable and noticeable.

The villains in this film are just amazing. They're all unique from one another, each with a special ability. There is the leader, Kirigi, played by martial artist turned actor, Will Yun Lee, who is a great fighter with a superior speed. There's Typhoid Mary, who, similar to Batman & Robin's Poison Ivy, has a kiss of death and looks to kill. There's Stone, who is built like a rock. Bullets and blades do not affect his hard skin and superior strength. Finally, there's Tattoo, who is covered in tattoos which can animate into supernatural creatures such as birds, snakes, and wolves. This is quite a team.

Throughout the movie, Elektra finds the daughter, Abby, turning more and more into a younger version of herself. She doesn't like seeing this, wanting more for the thirteen year-old than a life as an assassin. This aspect of the movie was played very well.

Great martial arts action, great special effects, very creative, not a bad storyline. Being a superhero movie, don't expect an Oscar winner. There are certainly worse ways to spend an hour and thirty six minutes.

Originally posted by Mandorallen
Donnie Darko (2001)

Wow, what a great movie. one of Jake Gyllenhaals best performances yet in my opinion. Here's my review.

Donnie Darko is about a teenager who is going through some emotional problems, and is visited by this vision of a man in a rabbit suit. the rabbit suit is kind of creepy to be honest. some great acting by the bunny though, lol. The rabbit-man tells Donnie when the world is going to end, which is aroud 26 days. The film is sunspenseful, creepy, and absolutley amazing. Drew barrymore and patrick swayzee are both in this movie. Drew barrymore is Donnie's english teacher, while Patrick is kind of liek the school counselor. he helps teach the kids how to harness fear and learn how not to be afraid anymore. I loved patrick in "donnie darko" but Barrymores acting was kind of edgy.
I hope Jake Gyllenhaals acting in "Donnie Darko" is as good as it will be in "Jarhead". I've always liked Jake Gyllenhaal scince I first saw "October sky", Another great movie. "October sky" means alot to me because I grew up in West Virginia.

But overall the movie is very good, and you probably wont understand it the first time you watch the movie, and especially if you aren't used to watching that particular genre.

If you liked Donnie darko, I would reccomend: Fight club, the sixth sense, minority report, and Memento.

Is it tru that its one of those movies that requires a second viewing?When I first saw it I found it kind of boring and confusing but I think a second viewing would be appropiate for myself.

Originally posted by Cringe
Is it tru that its one of those movies that requires a second viewing?When I first saw it I found it kind of boring and confusing but I think a second viewing would be appropiate for myself.

most likely.

If you thought it was boring, than maybe you didn't follow the story. if you were following it correctly, I dont think you would have found it boring.

No,I followed the story but found it boring.Mostly because I didnt know where the story was trying to go.I had never heard anything about except the talk about it.I didnt know the summary or anything.

So... you found it boring because you didn't understand it?

I didnt know where it was trying to go or what it was try to do so I got kind of uninterested about halfway threw the movie.I kept watching to see how it all turned out.I thought it was dumb.

Originally posted by Cringe
I didnt know where it was trying to go or what it was try to do so I got kind of uninterested about halfway threw the movie.I kept watching to see how it all turned out.I thought it was dumb.


Different people, different opinions I guess.

But I would watch it again.

"Swamp Thing"

A research scientist named Dr. Alec Holland is tucked away in the swamp, engineering a plant and animal hybrid that can adapt and live in the worse of mother natures wrath. The evil Arcane is after Hollands experiment, and after a fluke accident in a near death encounter, Holland himself transforms into the beast that would be known as Swamp Thing!

I've said before, some movies I liked back in the Eighties were for good reason. I was a young, impressionable punk with no taste. Now a hardened, critical old man, this movie was crap. Everyone's roles were so hokey and over the top, better suited for a television show, and even Adrienne Barbeau bathing nude couldn't have saved this "thing". Stupid characters, silly premise which was stretched to far, and one of those typical horrible early comic book movie adaptations.

Please do yourself a favor, even you kids of the 80's, find another outlet with which to relive your childhood. This is a skidmark in Wes Craven's early career.

"The Corpse Bride"

During a routine wedding rehearsal, Victor, who was forced into an arranged marriage, who can't remember his vows, takes to the woods to practice. There, thinking he had placed the ring on a twig, he is unknowingly wed to Emily, the corpse of a bride who was left at the alter. Now, Emily takes Victor to her world, where things aren't as bright and shiny as his pampered life. He's given a choice, and must decide wether here hand in marriage is worth dying for.

As what would serve as a precursor to the rest of the film, I fell asleep almost immediately. It was old school Tim Burton, but mainstream. Gone was the stop motion animation, replaced by CGI. The actual movie was just too dark. The characters were all black and white, and what little color there was to be found wasn't enough to hold my interest. Their personalities were equally as drab and uninteresting. There also seemed to be plenty of recycled NMBC themes as well. Personal conflict between two worlds, a love interest that was both there then gone, 3 dead kids, a skeleton dog, etc.

Through my catnaps in the film, I never really found anything I liked about it, honestly. It's obvious he was trying to recapture the spirit of NMBC through Elfman's score, which failed to delight me as well, and that hardly ever happens given the man's track record. Just a bunch of rehashed Nightmare tracks, so it seemed. It's a dark, dark movie, with hardly any life, and a total 180 from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" which I found to be miserable as well.

"Herbie Fully Loaded"

A college grad, and part of a racing heritage, Maggie Peyton (Lohan) is the first in her family to have graduated from college, as a present, she's given her choice of any car from a junkyard lot. It just so happens she's conveniently paired with Herbie, after he having been dropped on her 350Z. Once again, Herbie has a mind of his own, taking on NASCAR legend Trip Murphy, defeating him in a street race. Determined to find out the secret to Herbie's vivacious racing spirit, Trip does his sluething while Lohan prepares Herbie for the ultimate test rematch; the Daytona 500!

Not much to say here, really. "Herbie", as always, is a safe little family film that I viewed for one reason, and one reason only. I hate when people ask me if movies are good, and I haven't seen them, because they're usually kiddie/family flicks, so, I watched this one reluctantly. Anywho, it was nice updated version of a Disney family classic, very squeaky clean, very safe, and kids would most definately enjoy it. Aside from the funny NASCAR driver cameos by Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon, I think the best part of the entire film, for a Pontiac enthusiast such as myself, was seeing Murphy's 2005 Pontiac GTO. droolio

If you have kids, the film's available Tuesday, otherwise, unless you're a Lohan fan, even of the digitally altered version(the rumours look to be true), there's nothing to see here.

It was stop motion animation filmed on digital photography this time around. No gone about it.

It wasn't as raw as NMBC. It was too polished, and looked very CGI. What was so appealing about the process is that you could see a lot of the breaks in the film, and the intricacy of the voice work in sequence with the stop motion. This seemed too animated and looked like it was all computerized.

"I'm Not Scared"

Michele, a boy residing in a remote Italian village stumbles upon Filippo, who's been relegated to a hole in the ground, his origins unknown. The two befriend one another. Once Michele's father plays host to Sergio, a scruffy no nonsense shady businessmen, the younger ones begin to wonder. The tension found in the relationship is merited, and Michele comes to find that Filippo and he have more in common than their age and school grade.

Italian directors have a way with cinematography. It's a given, and this movie is no exception. With some beautiful sweeping shots of the wavy grainfelds in the seemingly desolate countryside of Italy, paired with the haunting blacks surrounding the inhabitants of the holes, it was a gorgeous movie. Right down to the pouring rain and first person POV's.

The storyline ended up throwing me for a loop. Expecting a more exploitative, dark, and gruesome film, I ended up seeing something intriguing, realistically tense, and human. The Michele character was infact the one to carry the film, which he did almost flawlessly, save the end, which seemed a little contrived and didn't exactly fit the title.
It was moderately paced, allowing a lot of the human emotion to flip-flop, considering the position the adults of the film were put in, gradually building up the tension, which I appreciated, not going over the top.

In closing, it was a enveloping and beautifully shot film, with some passionate directing and camera work. I'd certainly recommend it, especially given it's somewhat of a cellar dwellar.

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
"Herbie Fully Loaded"

for a Pontiac enthusiast such as myself, was seeing Murphy's 2005 Pontiac GTO. droolio




I prefer 68.

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
"Herbie Fully Loaded"

A college grad, and part of a racing heritage, Maggie Peyton (Lohan) is the first in her family to have graduated from college, as a present, she's given her choice of any car from a junkyard lot. It just so happens she's conveniently paired with Herbie, after he having been dropped on her 350Z. Once again, Herbie has a mind of his own, taking on NASCAR legend Trip Murphy, defeating him in a street race. Determined to find out the secret to Herbie's vivacious racing spirit, Trip does his sluething while Lohan prepares Herbie for the ultimate test rematch; the Daytona 500!

Not much to say here, really. "Herbie", as always, is a safe little family film that I viewed for one reason, and one reason only. I hate when people ask me if movies are good, and I haven't seen them, because they're usually kiddie/family flicks, so, I watched this one reluctantly. Anywho, it was nice updated version of a Disney family classic, very squeaky clean, very safe, and kids would most definately enjoy it. Aside from the funny NASCAR driver cameos by Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon, I think the best part of the entire film, for a Pontiac enthusiast such as myself, was seeing Murphy's 2005 Pontiac GTO. droolio

If you have kids, the film's available Tuesday, otherwise, unless you're a Lohan fan, even of the digitally altered version(the rumours look to be true), there's nothing to see here.

It was not Bad

"Dare Devil"

Boring people with its horrid story line and bad acting Jennifer Garner was good in it though the only good thing about the movie was..nothing. It bored me to tears cry

"Wake Up, Ron Burgundy"

In the pieced together furthur adventures of local anchorman, Ron Burgundy, a crime wave at the hands of some vigilante bank robbers named "The Alarm Clock" strikes San Diego. Veronica Corningstone and Burgundy fight for the scoop, and chaos ensues.

This was obviously like an alternate version of "Anchorman". There are many similarities to the theatrical version, while this seemed comprised of alternate takes and cut scenes, sewed together to make a "sequel", which was actually going on at the same time as the original. That said, "Wake Up" still holds its own. It's still funny as hell, features even MORE comic greatness from Steve Carell, and the plot while silly, has a great ending.

"A Boy and His Dog"

Set in the not so distant future, America is coming off of World War 3, which lasted 5 days. Don Johnson plays a young survivor, who with his dog in tow, straggles across the barren wastelands in what was once his country. During his travels, he meets a beautiful young women, sniffed out by his talking genius of a dog. Under her spell, and he being the savior of mankind, she takes him to an underground society where he'll be stripped of his goods and used to procreate the human race 30 times over before he's killed.

This film was typical lmid 70's cult fluff. This, in a time where post apocalyptic films were all the rage, i.e. "The Omega Man", "Soylent Green", and the "Apes" movies. The acting was standard fare, the dialogue was fair, and the ladies were always attractive as can be. 70's mod type. The 3rd act of the movie was indeed VERY cult, and odd. A society of women, looking to procreate, along with the best of the best inhabitants.

Personally, I'd suggest skipping this one, just because it's a very empty movie overall, and the plot of each act is very thin, not to mention repetitive and boring. I've never been much on the films of the 70's, and this one didn't help matters.

This is one of my 1st written reviews, I normally don't right them, because I sometimes have a hard time expressing them on paper, I do better in speech, but here it goes.

The Fog is John Carpenter's 3rd installment since Halloween. The Fog is about town and it's 100th Birthday, in which was also the day a man was murdered. His ship and crew all died by the wrecking of their hull while following a campfire. They come back to take revenge.

The beauty of this movie is that it's minimalist in the way it scares you, mainly due to the fog which keeps you in suspense. The Fog was a great suspense tool, and definitely made the horror element in this movie work. The Fog was more of an enemy than the actual murderer, which I suppose is why they called it the fog over something like Murderer from the sea for example they knew how to keep the movie in perspective. Although personally I would have preferred more of the murderer, which I think the movie may have lacked.

Jamie Lee Curtis's role in the movie was a lot smaller than I thought it would have been, which isn't to say that's a bad thing, because I'm not a huge fan of hers anyway but thought I might point that out for you Jamie fans out there.

It was a nice flick to watch with a pretty decent storyline and nice ending. I recommend it.

"Spun"

Ross is a college kid who hasn't yet got a grip on life. He's seperated from a girlfriend of sorts, whom he happens to owe $450, and frequents stripclubs. One day, Ross, a speed freak meets The Cook by way of his dealer, Spider. From there, he's become the personal taxi service of The Cook and all Ross' own newfound drug fiend friends. This is his story.

First and foremost, this is a drug culture film. While not exactly in the upper tier with "Fear and Loathing", namely due to the perverse nature at times of "Spun", courtesy of Rourke's "The Cook" character, it's still a gem of the genre, IMO. It's funny, wild, intoxicating, always intriguing, and at times a total mind****. Personally, everyone else said that "Sin City" was Mickey's big "comeback". Personally, I don't know that he ever really went anywhere. Perhaps people weren't looking in the right place? With every sarcastic yet cool line he uttered, every ass he kicked, and every hazy, drug induced roll of his big, almost completely dialated eyes, I couldn't help but smile. It was his movie, especially the over the top, patriotic speech about the importance of the female netherregions.

"Spun" was a wild ride, to say the least. Some very hip camerawork was the initial draw, same can be said for the sound effects. Yes, speaker ripping, ear piercing sound effects that complimented the movie quite well. Tack on some genuinely thorough character performances from John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari, and Brittany Murphy, and you've got a great little underappreciated number. Awesome supposrting cast, great mix of comedy, drama, and action/suspense all make "Spun" an honestly underrated and overlooked indie that, with time, will eventually get the exposure it deserves in a tough to please drug culture film circuit.

Hmmm...since it's around Halloween, I'll go ahead and review my favorite horror film, Texas Chainsaw Massacre:

The 70's was a decade full of cinematic classics across all genres. This is especially true in the horror genre which enjoyed huge success during this decade, which is where the modern horror film was born.

No film is more important to the modern horror film industry then the 1974 psuedo-gore classic - "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

The first shot is of a sizzling, rotting corpse sitting under the hot texas sun. You'd think with a start like that you'd know what to expect from this film. And there in lies it's brilliance. You know it's a horror film, you know what it's about, yet as the film progresses you are still shocked and terrified by the raw and honest manner in which the story is carried out.

The film starts with a quiet tone and atmosphere which almost immediately gives off a foreboding silence that gives the impression of a calm before the storm. You know something bad is going to happen, you can tell...but the film is so unique, and so strikingly different from other horror films you can't predict how or what exactly is going to happen.

The story is of 5 young hippies on a road trip in Texas, they run out of gas and go to a secluded house to try and find help and gas. What they find is TERROR! and lots of it.

It's done in such a way that you never know what's going to happen next. There is no pounding music to build the suspense and let the viewer know to expect something, there is no coherent reason behind the gruesome acts of carnage we see, and as a result they come out of no where and completely blind side you.

The scene that best exemplifies this is the scene where we first get a glimpse of leatherface. When he pops out with that mallet and smacks Kurt right in the head it leaves the viewer shocked and confused. We had no way of expecting that, and that feelings stays during the entire film.

It's raw in every sense of the word, it's brilliance lies in it's anti cinematic feel...giving it a grainy plausible atmosphere that doesn't accept the idea of "it's only a movie". It's to real, it feels like what you're seeing is not just a movie but simply peering into the world of an absolute maniac who kills for no apparent reason other then not knowing any better.

This brings me to the star of the film, and my favorite horror villain of all time - Leatherface. His animalistic yet childlike behavior makes him so much creepier and interesting then other slashers. He wears a mask of human flesh, he eats his victims, he kills without remorse...yet he feels innocent, like a child who doesn't know he shouldn't pull the cat's tail. He's scolded by his older brother and whimpers and cowards, he IS a child, mentally at least, and that's what makes him so disturbing. The idea that he doesn't know what he's doing is wrong. He's doing all he's even known, what HE thinks he needs to do to survive. He's vicious, yet innocent.
This is insanity at it's best. Never once do you feel bored or let down by the film. You are never able to tell what is going to happen next. With each passing scene you think you've seen the worst the film has to offer. And yet the next scene you find yourself more shocked and confused then you were the scene prior. This is truly a testament to Tobe Hooper's brilliance that seems to have been lost immediately after making this film.

In my opinion this is the pinnacle of horror films. It's the one that got me into the genre in hopes of finding another film that left me feeling as exhausted and drained as this did. While I never did find a film that affected me in a comparable way, I still can watch this film, after over a hundred times, and still get those chills I got the first time I saw it.

If you're aching for some Halloween viewing, then do yourself a favor and go rediscover this gem.

"A Better Tomorrow"

In action movie directing staple, John Woo's debut film entitled "A Better Tomorrow", the estranged Sung brothers are pitted against one another. One a cop, the other a gangster. Growing up playing "cops and robbers", their playtime favorite has become a reality. While the gangster contingent of the pair is trying to clean up his act for both himself and his brother, the outside pressures mount, luring him back to a life of crime. From there, a barrage of back-stabbing, double crossing, and faith testing situations bare down on the Sungs.

I viewed this as an introduction into what made Woo a household name. Sadly, it supported my suspicions of him as an overrated director, not garnering the claims that he was ahead of his time. There was an unique and somewhat sophisticated story to be built upon, but the action and violence was very pedestrian. There were graphic shoot-outs, typical mid 80's style flailing about, but nothing ingenuitive or inventive, in my opinion. Chow Yun Fat's character was a hard-ass who could hold his own, and was relied on to carry the movie to its American style violent, yet totally predictable end.

In short, if you want a Woo retrospect, this is the place to start, as dissappointed with the film as you may be. Another mindless action flick with unrealized potential.

"National Treasure"

The Gates family legacy was plagued with the clans treasure hunters always finding nothing more than more clues and roadblocks. Determined to reverse the supposed curse, Ben Gates (Cage) treks out to find a ship lost at sea, which holds the clues to a virtual treasure trove of artifacts, buried deep somewhere in the United States. The only catch is, he'll need to borrow the Declaration of Independence for a little bit.

It's been a long time since I've seen such a well rounded, solid, and engaging film that was rated PG. Action, comedic relief, some tense moments, and an cast comprised of well fitting characters and actors. "National Treasure" i believe had it all. A modern day "Indiana Jones" of sorts, this movie had brains, and you could actually learn and be entertained at the same time. A great balance I appreciated even more having just seen it the first time since in the theatres.

Nick Cage heads up the expeditionary crew, and although he's double crossed, his character's resolve gets he and his second mate through. Sean Bean plays another psuedo-baddie, where he's still likeable, but he's still an greedy, hardheaded buffoon. Boromir, anyone? Again, the supporting cast in Justin Bartha and Dian Kruger were stellar. Quirky dialogue, great chemistry, both of which helped this film literally FLY along without missing a beat.

There are always the unfounded "DaVinci Code" comparisons and the premature, judgmental "It's a Bruckheimer" movie quips that would detract you from the feature, but please, judge for yourself. Safe, fun, clean movies like this are just so scarece nowadays, which is right when we need them. Do yourself a favor and give this a look-see.

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers"(1956)

A major epidemic has struck Smalltown, USA. A doctor, played by the late great Kevin McCarthy observes his patients, complaining about paranoid delusions that their relatavies are "not themselves", so to speak. The good doctor comes to learn of an odd cloning process taking place under their very noses. Having stumbled upon the imposters, as well as these alien pod cloning devices, Miles tries to escape his own fate, which is to become one of the mindless, emotionless clones.

Now, like every good 50's Sci-Fi or Horror, there's an underlying message for you to chew on. In this film, communism, maybe even McCarthy-ism. Society being replaced with mindless, emotionless, and cold clones who answer "the alarm", which springs them into action against the non-conformist. There's some solid tension that is derived from this sub-plot, which isn't all that secretive. It's a very smart and effect thriller, and the subtlty in the science fiction element, conservative until the very end, makes it all the more real.

Had it been anyone other than Kevin McCarthy at the helm, whos brave, determined, and boisterious like many of his other roles, I don't see it as effective. The narrative angle of the film keeps things chronological, as it opens with him in police custody, telling his tale, which threatens to become an eerie realization in the end. Fabulous acting, a complimentary duo of storylines, and a brisk 80 minutes of sci fi in its finest hour make this one a must see for all ages who appreciate the genre.

"Phantasm"

The younger of two brothers, Mike, has his older brother in town to visit. Afraid to lose him, given his parents had recently parished, Mike follows his brother around constantly. One day his snooping leads him to a funeral, where Mike views "The Tall Man", who suspiciously takes the casket from the scene after the ceremony. Introduced to the Tall Man's realm, there they encounter the Phantasm, and much more.

Tonight marks my 3rd, and final viewing of the film. I can't enjoy it, and I never have, and seemingly never will. The elements of both genres are just too low laying and sporatic to view it as anything other than a DRAMA of sorts. The first half of the film is incredibly dull, with little palpable "suspense", and the rest fleshes out as a dated little thriller, with a few elements of schlocky horror, i.e. the blood draining sphere. The last 15 minutes hold the only worth in the entire film, with the gateway to a odd "limbo" world. The ending of the movie, much like the pacing, seemed familiar, having seen it in Carpenter's "The Fog".

All in all, it's not necessarily overrated, but to hold this film in high regard, it must have had some major impact on your life, otherwise, I'd hope you'd agree it's not much more than a horror novelty with a memorable character and a scene or two.

"SAW II" (2005)

Oh yes, there will be blood!

Detective Eric Matthews, after a long time of searching, has finally caught the Jigsaw killer. When he and a SWAT team ambush Jigsaw's lair, they find many television screens, revealing a game taking place. Eight people are trapped in a house, breathing in a deadly nerve agent. They must play by Jigsaw's rules and several games to attain the antidotes they need in order to survive by the time the house opens up. One of these victims, is Detective Matthews's son, Daniel. Another, Amanda, who had survived the horrifying jawbrace trap before.

SAW II is a sequel. SAW II was released a year after the first one. How could it be that it actually met the greatness and possibly preceded the original (other than if you hated the original)? I can't tell you whether this was better or worse than the first SAW because I honestly can't decide. It stays true to the original without it being totally different or a mere copy.

As the movie began, I had my worries that this wasn't going to be nearly as good as the original. SAW began so quickly and got right to the point with Adam waking up in the bathtub. SAW II begins with a neat little game, but continues for a while with policework, making it seem more like a Se7en sequel than a SAW sequel. However, once they find Jigsaw, the fun begins and doesn't end until the last frame.

Here, the audience is treated with more air-time for Jigsaw. His appearances in the first one were short and far between in order to keep the audience wondering who this mysterious man in a black cloak is. Now that his identity is revealed, we get to see more of him and get a little backstory of how John became Jigsaw. It wasn't just the cancer that inspired him.

One thing that pleased me going in to see this is that there are so many possibilities for this one. Instead of two men chained in a dirty bathroom throughout the entire movie, we have eight people who are free to roam an entire house. This helped in more ways than one. It helped the main plot to be more pleasing to the fans that loved Jigsaw's sick games because it resulted in a lot more of them. It also helped because the games were more spread out. Three games weren't clumped together. There was one game, retaliation, and then a search for another clue.

No one saws his foot off in this movie but there are cringe-worthy scenes to make up for it.

With the first SAW, you either loved the ending or you hated it. The ending in SAW II is just as shocking, with shocks building on top of each other, and have little to no plotholes.

Fans of the first SAW will certainly not be disappointed by this and will be crossing their fingers for a SAW III.

Great review and Great movie. Thanks for doing this one justice Wolfie,could'nt have said it better myself

Why did they call it "SaW 2" though? There was no saw apparent in this film

No saw? The end... between Daniel and Xavier....

I'm trying not to spoil it for those that haven't seen it.

And thanks for your feedback, it's much appreciated.

great review wolfie.

*cracks fingers*

ok, I guess I'll start writing again.

Originally posted by Wolfie
No saw? The end... between Daniel and Xavier....

I'm trying not to spoil it for those that haven't seen it.

And thanks for your feedback, it's much appreciated.

Oh. I geuss I missed that part.

Your welcome

Great review, Wolfie, but Saw 2 was just as bad as the first, IMO.

Thanks. Yeah, if you didn't like the first SAW, you probably won't like the second.

you guys should check out 4th Matrix movie and say wut u think about it i want to know ppls oppinions

:'( I was looking forward to The Interpreter....

Originally posted by Wolfie
if you didn't like the first SAW, you probably won't like the second.
One week too late.

The Interpreter was alright, just not as good as it could have been.

Didn't like Interpreter 2 at all...

Originally posted by Solo
One week too late.
On the other hand, I talked to my friend a couple days ago, she hates the original with a passion but she thought the second wasn't too bad.

Chicken little 2005

More than I expected anyway.

So I go out on another random movie run looking for buried treasure, so after seeing the awful "Madagascar" I thought I
might check out another Animated movie of th sorts, so I looked at chicken little At about 12:25 or so. But I won't keep you waiting with the boring stuff, Here's the review.

Chicken little is actually the best we've had since the "incredibles" or "Finding nemo", It was a hundred times better than "Robots" and ran circles around "Madagascar". Not a minute goes by where something isn't funny to tell the hones truth. The thing I really liked about this movie is the fact that they went that extra mile to really colorize the characters. The Characters are so awesome, I just loved all of them. Not to mention the fact that the animation they use on "chicken little" is something we haven't seen before, It's a little more chalky, giving out the idea that they aren't trying to look real. They are trying to look unique in a cartoon kind of way. Plus they also try and use the shaky camera effect which animators don't usually use because of the difficulty. After the movie I couldn't help but ask my brother, "who was your favorite character?". There are lots of characters to like here.

It's almost impossible to hate this movie IMO, unless you are looking for the best picture type. I should also warn you, be prepared to see celebrity guest voices in this movie, such as Adam West, the Batman himself. All in all this movie was ALOT better than I expected it to be. It's a good little family movie, and a GREAT time killer. The only real disappointment I had was the fact that it was only 81 minutes long.

Nice review

"Man Bites Dog (It Happened In Your Neighborhood )"

Ben (Benoit Poelvoorde) is eccentric, witty, intelligent, charming...oh and a serial killer. Filmed by documentary filmmakers looking for a truly evil human being, they follow his every move: from his murders, rapes to his harmless talks about women or chats with his grandparents. As the filmmakers follow this killing specimen, they themselves get rapped up in his own games of sadistic killing, drawing the line in objectivity in film, journalism and the like.

The film shot in documentary style gives it unflinching realism to a sickening in-your-face level. Being shot in black and white reduces any diversions of sights and colors; consequently, this lets you focus on the killer and accomplices actions to the fullest extent. The killings are brutal, without any remorse or sense of pity. Yet with documentary style, it makes the murders so much more realistic than any other type of serial killer movie. To some, the film is considered an black comedy, although the funny parts were pretty thin with all the murder.

Never has a film had a character been so absurdly loony yet still so realistic. Ben has an almost James Bond persona but still has a every day quality that makes him all the more scary. Even as crazy Ben is, it's the documentary film makers that truly change the film. Just starting out filming a psychotic killer, their objectivity goes out the window as they soon become replica's of Ben. At one time, they themselves want to stop filming Ben. They have enough film to make a movie of it, yet they keep coming back to Ben for the interest, pleasure, and fascination. Kinda true about our society. We condone violence, yet we are fascinated by it at the same time.

Man Bites Dog is totally recommended if you loved A Clockwork Orange or Natural Born Killers. It's an terrifying look on violence and violence presented by the media. As Matt Zoller writes in his essay about the film "By the time Man Bites Dog ends, you may wish you'd stopped watching.

But you didn't"

Nice review, Strangelove. I love Man Bites Dog, truley gripping and disturbing cinema.

. good review, it's about time this thread got booted up.

I'll try some reviews today on:
Jarhead
Harry potter 4
Zathura


after I ir al cine

Last 28 Movies I Saw

City of God - (Meirelles, R, 2002): Original and disturbing. Portrays crime and corruption (in the 1960s'-1980s') in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil perfectly. - 10/10

The Blair Witch Project - (Myrick, R, 1999): Great start, horrible ending. - 5/10

Undead- (Spierig, R, 2003): Great stuff. - 7/10

High Tension - (Aja, NC-17, 2003): A gorey "wanna-be-thriller" with horrible dialogue, and a predictable twist. - 3/10

What's Up, Tiger Lily - (Allen, PG, 1966): Not the most entertaining comedy, but it's still funny. - 5/10

Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown! - (Melendez, G, 1977): A wonderful story with fantastic animation sets up for one of the best "Charlie Brown" adventures yet. Although, it was'nt as good as "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!)". - 7/10

Gangs of New York - (Scorsese, R, 2002): A terrific, intense, and amazing revenge tale. - 8/10

Jarhead - (Mendes, R, 2005): Dragged out, sloppy, but none-the-less great. With Sarsgaard and Gyllenhaal's amazing performances it's almost ace, pure ace. But the film was dragged down by a sloppy script, and as a result they're sadly left a notch under beautiful. - 9/10

From Dusk Till Dawn - (Rodriguez, R, 1996): If you are looking for a little Halloween movie, with vampire strippers, loads of corney violence, George Clooney, and a Tarantino view of it all, this is your movie. - 6/10

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown - (Mendez, G, 1980): Magnificent story, magnificent adventure, magnificent characters, magnificent animation. - 8/10

Fritz Lang's M - (Lang, NR, 1931): Peter Lorre made this movie. The beggining is very slow, but the middle starts to pick up it's pace, and in the end, it's two-hours well spent. Not the best two-hours spent though. - 8/10

Christmas with the Kranks - (Roth, PG, 2004): Not great, and definately not good, but I guess you could call it decent. - 4/10

The Matrix - (Wachowski, R, 1999): Great. - 7/10

Donnie Darko: Director's Cut - (Kelly, R, 2001): Donnie Darko is easily one of the best films of all time. It's very strange. But then again, tell me a movie that has a six-foot tall bunny rabbit named Frank who's from the future. Donnie Darko is a hidden gem, more people should really see it. A truely deserving pin-point in movie history. It has a very strong performance by Jake Gyllenhaal (Jarhead) and a memorable directorial debut from Richard Kelly. Amazing, it truely is. - 10/10

The Matrix Reloaded - (Wachowski, R, 2003): The Matrix Reloaded puts itself in a pickle. By viewing this, most people would think nothing of it, but what they can't see, is that it flows much better. It's much harder to understand, but once you do understand, it's a lot more entertaining than the first. It answers all of the questions from the original, and makes a few more too. It's much better than The Matrix, but not too much better. - 7/10

Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle - (Leiner, R, 2004): Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle is a teen movie, but it succeeds at being a hilarious adventure. - 8/10

Pulp Fiction - (Tarantino, R, 1994): Tarantino's second flick is a lot better than the first. Although, that isn't saying much considering they're both masterpieces. Easily one of the best and influencial films of all time. - 10/10

Reservoir Dogs - (Tarantino, R, 1992): Tarantino's directorial debut is one of the most emotional, powerful, and entertaining movies of all time. - 9/10

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - (Newell, PG-13, 2005): This addition the the Potter franchise outdoes the previous takes. Newell shines a new light on Harry Potter, and the film is more intense, entertaining, and emotionally provoked than ever. Will this be the best movie of the year? Depends, but right now the chances look pretty good. - 9/10

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb - (Kubrick, PG, 1964): Pretty overrated, but it does have it's moments. - 7/10

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - (Cuaron, PG, 2004): The Potter franchise started out roughly, but it looks like it's getting exactly where it should be. - 9/10

Madagascar - (Darnell, PG, 2005): The penguins were hilarious, too bad no one else was. - 3/10

Schindler's List - (Spielberg, R, 1993): Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes give strong and emotional performances in Spielberg's visual adaptation of Oskar Schindler's essential part in the Holocaust. - 10/10

Grosse Pointe Blank - (Armitage, R, 1997): George Armitage actually made a good movie. I might even add, John Cusack did a great job. - 7/10

Once Upon a Time in Mexico - (Rodriguez, R, 2003): This one wouldn't have been anything without Johnny Depp. A truely great action film, and it takes some unexpected turns. - 8/10

A Christmas Carol - (Marin, G, 1938): The adaptation of the classic Dickens' novel. The film has obvious potential, but it goes to fast and cuts many parts of the novel. It fails to rise to the novel's magnificence. - 7/10

The Family Man - (Ratner, PG-13, 2000): Sure, it teaches morals, but it's still too long, and I might even say, gay. - 3/10

Frank Miller's Sin City - (Miller/Rodriguez, R, 2005): A triumphantly disturbing masterpiece. Yep, it has it's flaws, but what doesn't? - 10/10

good thinking.

I might do something like that.

Those aren't reviews. They're more like short, and ultimately invalid opinions.

Ranking "Christmas With the Kranks" above "High Tension". That's a ****ing gas.

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
Those aren't reviews. They're more like short, and ultimately invalid opinions.

Ranking "Christmas With the Kranks" above "High Tension". That's a ****ing gas.

They're quickies cine, for people who don't feel like reading a 2 page reviews. There is NO such thing as an invalid opinion, an opinion is an opinion, not a fact. And he ranked "High tension" above "Christmas with the cranks" based on an OPINION. also you need to remember you put "spice world" in your favorites list. Now maybe I think that movie is shit, but I'm not going to bother you about it becuase it's your opinion, and not my own.

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
Ranking "Christmas With the Kranks" above "High Tension". That's a ****ing gas.

I'm sure "Joe Somebody" was a whole lot better?
How about "Spice World"?
And the masterpiece that is "It's Pat!"?

"High Tension" was an unpretentious piece of shit, that tried to pull off a twist, and was, IMO, horribly unoriginal. The only reason people would like "High Tension" is for the gore.

The only thing in High Tension that was bad was the twist and a few trivial plot holes. Everything else about the movie - The atmosphere, the suspense, and the gore - was excellent. It was definately one of the best horror films of the last couple of years, hands down.

Originally posted by DeVi| D0do


Here's my review/ramble/collection of words on my opinion of the film...

KING KONG

Absotively, posolutely the BEST film of the year. Bar none. It would seem that Jackson can indeed do no wrong. The three hours are a great butt workout but damn is it worth it. Yet, unlike Lord of the Rings, this is a film I can see myself watching again and again. In fact I can not wait to see it again.

This film is not only true to the nature and spirit of the original, but it adds upon it enourmously. The emotion is astouding. There were moments throughout the enitre film where I got knots in my throat, and if it wasn't for the fact that I went to see it with my mates instead of my girlfriend, there were moments I think I would have shed a tear or two... (but, then, I cried during The Lion King).

Kong himself is simply amazing. If the academy had any balls they'd nominate Andy & Peter & Co. for Best Actor. That's how good he is. There was not a single moment where I didn't totally believe there was a 25 foot gorilla right there. Though, sadly, it seems some of the other effects in the film suffered due to the obvious amount of time spent on Kong. The Brontosoraus stampeed is less than convincing, and some of the creepy crawlies could have done with several more months of post production. But the quality of the CG is forgivable when watching these amazing scenes. And they really are amazing.

Kong vs. T-Rexes. Ho... ly... f*ck. I can say without hyperbole that this is very possibly the greatest sequence ever put to film. I'll leave it at that as to not give anything away. Though, I will say that here the CG is great.

Indeed it does take just under an hour to actually get to Skull Island. And, yes, it is another 20 minutes until we actually get a glimpse of Kong. But what preceeds the arrival on the island is still so great that I didn't even care. In fact, I could have done with more. The first act alone is better than most films. Though there is this strange subplot to do with one of the crew members (Billy Elliot) that really just goes nowhere, and could easily have been done away with.

I've read some reviewers had a problem with the Carl Denham (Jack Black) character. I can understand where they're coming from. I'd have preferred a character more like the original. Jack Black is sometimes just too... Jack Black. It's not distracting, and if you hadn't seen the original I don't you'd have a problem... And even though I had seen the original it wasn't really a problem for me. I liked the way he played it. It was just different.

The relationship between Ann and Kong is just beautiful. The scene where she dances for him is so warm and funny and beautiful. And the scene on the ice in New York could have been so corny and cheesy, but for me it totally worked. Beautiful.

Yeah, so maybe I am biased. Maybe, because I'm a kiwi, because I have enourmous respect for Jackson I was predestined to love this film. Whatever. I love that I love it.

10/10

'The Descent'

Spoilers ahead...DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET!

Well, my dears...I have just completed the viewing of this particular horror film. My opinion? Why, yes...Of course, I shall come to that as it is what you've all been waiting for, isn't it my poppies? Yes, it is...

Well, with my eyes viewing the screen and thus partaking in the 'movie experience', I was initially rather unsettled and ready to roll. The spear through the window was bank-rolled before the first corner, but that second spear? Well, we all knew something was about to happen, but what we didn't. Jumping jack rabbits, I flinched like a weak kid who is always being picked on! Toughen-up, me boy!

As the females entered the cave, I was filled with dreadful anticipation. With my peeling eyes, I could hardly watch the squeeze through that itsy bitsy pokey holey. It reminded me of a chance happening many moons ago, when a squad of friends and I went cliff jumping. Found an underwater hole, did we 4...so upon dare of trying did we all dive down and through - for if we poultried, then walking home it would be...la la.

On first sight of Chapman's Homer...wait...On first sight of the little monsters, I was a little tweaked. Freaky enough, but a little too precious, if you get my meaning, Gollum. Then, after that skiddadle and swift ascent, I was suitably chicken jittered. After this, some things happened.

Then, that there ending...Suitably up-lifting at first, but then you always knew something had to be up its sleeve seeing as it hadn't finished yet...The final denouement? Hmmmm, maybe a little too tricksy, if you ask me. You didn't? Huh, that's weird. Anyway, yeah, she was loco, but so were her eses. My opinion is that she fell down, down, down and out, then up, up, up and about. The little motion in the car being a strange daymare. Maybe...maybe not...

My brain just don't like the idea that..."Oh, and then I woke up and it was all a dream..., etc." Didn't we all write that at least once during our high-school exams? Hmm....

7/10 - jumpy, but loopy

Man, I've been wanting to see that movie for such a long time, since I heard about it a year ago. Neil Marshal is a great, promising director - Dog Soldiers was outstanding. I hope this comes to the states soon.

I think you'll like it. It got me pretty spooked on a number of occasions, and the final part of the movie is what you'd call 'Grand Guignol'.

Sweet, I'll be checking it out as soon as it comes to the states.

Have you seen Dog Soldiers, Krunk'd?

Yeah, I thought it was good, rabid fun. Obviously, it looked a little cheap, but 'The Descent' is cinematically more attractive.

The Man Who Fell To Earth

Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie) is an alien on earth disguised as a human on a mission to save his family. Many years pass and Newton becomes head of a profiting business. While in a hotel near his big project to help his family is a distant planet, he meets a girl-next-door type maid Mary-Lou (Candy Clark) who soon becomes his lover. Then, on the site of his project, Newton meets Nathan Bryce (Rip Thorn) an ex-college professor who had a liking of women half his age. With the help of each he tries to complete his mission, yet many obstacles await stop his goal.

Unlike other big, raunchy Sci-Fi films, The Man Who Fell To Earth is much more subdued and realistic. Newton easily plays into the role in regular American life. He soon becomes more human, but sadly, also gaining humans many faults. This can be seen by Newton's relationship with Mary-Lou which at the very start they seem to be meant for each other, yet soon things deteriorate into shouting matches because of materialistic items such as TV or alcohol. Bowie is very good playing an alien (a part he was made for when you look at some of those costumes he wore during his rock career.) Clark is also very good when you look at her transformation from an 'aw-shucks' persona, to an intoxicated, pleading drunk.

One of Roeg's great points is made without words but with images. Whenever the film shows images of Newton home planet with his alien wife and kids, it always looks very peaceful. Yet most of the scenes on Earth are chaotic, depressing, and out of place. In a way, he is saying that our lives are a lot stranger than any alien ever could be.

Originally posted by Dr. Strangelove
The Man Who Fell To Earth

Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie) is an alien on earth disguised as a human on a mission to save his family. Many years pass and Newton becomes head of a profiting business. While in a hotel near his big project to help his family is a distant planet, he meets a girl-next-door type maid Mary-Lou (Candy Clark) who soon becomes his lover. Then, on the site of his project, Newton meets Nathan Bryce (Rip Thorn) an ex-college professor who had a liking of women half his age. With the help of each he tries to complete his mission, yet many obstacles await stop his goal.

Unlike other big, raunchy Sci-Fi films, The Man Who Fell To Earth is much more subdued and realistic. Newton easily plays into the role in regular American life. He soon becomes more human, but sadly, also gaining humans many faults. This can be seen by Newton's relationship with Mary-Lou which at the very start they seem to be meant for each other, yet soon things deteriorate into shouting matches because of materialistic items such as TV or alcohol. Bowie is very good playing an alien (a part he was made for when you look at some of those costumes he wore during his rock career.) Clark is also very good when you look at her transformation from an 'aw-shucks' persona, to an intoxicated, pleading drunk.

One of Roeg's great points is made without words but with images. Whenever the film shows images of Newton home planet with his alien wife and kids, it always looks very peaceful. Yet most of the scenes on Earth are chaotic, depressing, and out of place. In a way, he is saying that our lives are a lot stranger than any alien ever could be.

Nice review, it's very strange that someone's actually thiking about remaking it.

Thanks.

Strange indeed. Not the kind of movie that will sell very well with it being an artsy sci-fi film.

Originally posted by DarkWizard
They're quickies cine, for people who don't feel like reading a 2 page reviews. There is NO such thing as an invalid opinion, an opinion is an opinion, not a fact. And he ranked "High tension" above "Christmas with the cranks" based on an OPINION. also you need to remember you put "spice world" in your favorites list. Now maybe I think that movie is shit, but I'm not going to bother you about it becuase it's your opinion, and not my own.

I like this guy.

Thanks

Just to retort, an opinion can infact be invalid if there isn't any support. I knocked "Spice World" out of my DVD library about 7 days after I bought it. Not that I seriously liked the movie to begin with.

As for "quickie" reviews, there's nothing to be gained from two or three sentences that accurately and effectively weighs a movie.

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
As for "quickie" reviews, there's nothing to be gained from two or three sentences that accurately and effectively weighs a movie.

I think the purpose of a short review, is to get the reader teased so that they will go off and venture to buy the film, and fill in the rest of the Opinion with their own. Keeping the movie original, and still surprising.

But on a side note, I am seriously thinking about un-pinning this thread. It's reached a certain point of inactivness where it's just "there".

Animal Factory (2003)

Prison drama directed by Steve Buscemi, adapted from the novel by Edward (Eddie 'Mr Blue') Bunker.

Every aspect of this movie, from the washed out colors to the grinding, bluesy score, defines the word 'gritty'. It's so gritty, I was groping around for a toothpick by the time the end credits rolled. Few movies, even prison dramas, are as relentlessly bleak as Animal Factory. The characters are cold and essentially unlikeable, but that's not a minus point, on the contrary, it's exactly what the (excellent) cast is aiming for. It stars Edward Furlong as Ron Decker, a 21-year old rich-boy rebel sent to a grim state penitentiary for selling marijuana. With his slight frame and relative innocence and naivety, he seems easy pickings for the various psychos and hardened lawbreakers he is surrounded by.

Luckily for him though, he is taken under the wing of violent but intelligent career criminal Earl Copen (played by a bald, intense Willem Defoe), who basically has the entire joint in his pocket. Through Copen, Ron is taught the do's and dont's of prison survival, and that's about it. Not a huge amount happens throughout the course of the movie, but when it does, the sparks of vicious, animalistic violence are all the more effective, and although it is by no means the most original or ambitious of it's kind, Animal Factory captures the claustrophobic monotony of everyday prison life better than any other I've seen. Also, watch out for Mickey Rourke as Decker's motherly but horny transvestite cell-mate. No, seriously.

The ultimate anti-Shawshank Redemption film.

7/10

Nice review there Deathblow, I enjoyed Animal Factory as well. Why Edward Furlong went from films like this to the horrendous Crow: Wicked Prayer really puzzles me.

As for Rourke, I didn't even catch on it was him until I read the end credits...

Thread Already. But I'll shove it in the Vomit.

Buffalo Soldiers (2003)

Black military comedy/drama directed by Gregor Jordan.

I forced my cousin to watch my DVD of this movie yesterday, and the fact that he'd never heard of it before inspired me to write a review. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Ray Elwood, this frighteningly realistic view into the lives of jaded US soldiers stationed in Germany just prior to the toppling of the Berlin Wall, drags the viewer into a world of backstabbing, drugs and an almost playground-style division between ''cliques'' of cool kids and not-so-cool kids. Or as Elwood refers to them in his cool as ice voice-over; ''the motherf*ckers, and the motherf*cked''.

Elwood works as a clerk on a major US army base by day, manipulating his honorable but naive superior officer, Commander Berman (good ol' Ed Harris), but by night he relieves his boredom through raucous partying, speeding in his prized jet-black Mercedes Benz, and manufacturing and wholesaling high-grade heroin from the basement of a near by tower block. He and his group of loyal followers have been gleefully capitalising and cashing-in on the drug addicts and general corruption running completely rife throughout the base for sometime, until a new Top Sergeant (Scott Glen) comes into the frame. That's when things start to get nasty.

Honestly, it wouldn't be far from the truth to say that this movie has it all. It's both hilarious (the stoned tank drivers) and horrific (the final scene...military-grade firearms and heroin do not mix), packed with immortal dialogue (see my profile for what deserves to stand alongside ''I love the smell of napalm in the morning'' and ''show me your war face...'' as one of the greatest military movie quotes of all time), the soundtrack is top-notch, it has possibly the best opening scene since Reservoir Dogs, and the entire film is scarily convincing. It is intended primarily as an indictment on the state of the US armed forces morally, but personally, I see it as an extended metaphor for the victory of capitalism over socialism. But even without looking for deeper meanings, Buffalo Soldiers can be enjoyed merely for all the features listed above. It's also the movie that endeared Joaquin Phoenix to me, both he and Scott Glen give possible career best performances, Ed Harris and Anna Paquin are also sharp. One of the most underrated movies of the last decade, and one of my favorites. See it.

9/10

Highlander


I had researched a little into this film before acquiring it and was quite hyped for what was too be a good movie. I was not disappointed .

The basic stories premise is that hiding right under our noses are a group of 'Immortals' who never grow old and cannot die under any means (sans decapitation) , these immortals fight for the mysterious 'Prize' which if acquired by an 'evil' immortal will cause mankind to be forever shrouded in darkness.

The main character (Christopher Lambert) , is a scottish highlander and as the tag says his name is Connor MacLeod and he is immortal , he is evicted from his clan after living from a fatal wound caused by 'The Kurgan' (Clancy Brown) . He is soon found though by Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (Sean connery) who takes it upon himself to teach Connor the ways of the immortal.

Fast forward four-hundred years and Connor is now named Russell Edwin Nash , living in America and awaiting 'The Gathering' where the last immortals shall battle for the prize . Of course things are never easy with the Kurgan returning and a new love interest being brought up .


I enjoyed this film greatly , Lambert did well in the role of Connor (although his accent wavered occasionally) and portrayed the brooding figure of the highlander superbly.

Sean connery as always did a good job , bringing charisma and humour to the film .

But the real award should go to clancy brown . The man made the kurgan into a truly malevolent and evil villain devoid of all kindness and humility.

The film was a little cheesy occasionally with special effects and sword fighting , but you have to expect that from a film made in the eighties .

All in all i give this film a 9/10

Tetsuo: The Ironman (1988)

Not many have heard of this movie, and I only heard about it because I was telling my friends I was going on a disturbing movie binge and this girl told me about it. Not disturbing as in the binge...disturbing as in the movies. Anyway, I'll get to others later. On to the review!

From the get-go this movie does not disappoint if you are looking for a good shock, with an opening scene of a man slicing his leg open and shoving in a metal rod, and then immediately followed by a car accident, for which is the basis of the events of the movie. Paying close attention, you will soon discover that the television, which makes frequent appearances, tells all, giving a good amount of foreshadowing, and then finally revealing the surprise you may receive if you don't figure out the exact details of the accident. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but the climax becomes very much like an action anime in the way the protagonist and antagonist gain super abilities due to the metal growing in their bodies. The movie has many more memorable moments, including the entire film itself, one of which is the giant metal drill penis, and another which will remind you very much of The Matrix and machines growing humans.

Now, none of the characters have names, nor do they talk very much. The story is almost entirely in the visuals, which are not too bad, and really get the point across. The editing of the film is it's strong point, because there are certainly no computer graphics effects. Everything from metal growing out of flesh to super-sonic running is done with physical materials and editing. But that's something to expect from a black and white film made in the 1980s.

The metaphors for the movie are numerous, ranging from man's obsessions with machines will be his downfall to man's quest for power. This is good because if there was no message, this entire movie masterpiece would be wasted as another independant mediocre shock-flick, but fortunately writer/director Shinya Tsukamoto knew he could get a good message across with gore when he made this film, and he does a stupendous job.

Even though this movie is fairly unheard of, it lives up to it's underground reputation. I give it an 8.5 out of 10.

officially 1 month since last post!

I haven't had DSL service for almost a month. I'm here at the damn library posting for the first time in weeks.

Anywho, I've seen about 60 movies this month, so I'll be sure to chime in.

You going to be getting DSL back soon?

Back!

V For Vendetta: 9.5/10
-By Echud123456

This Is One Of Those Movies Which You Either Love Or Hate, As You Can See By My Rating Of It, I Loved This Movie. In My Opinion It Is The Best Movie Out In 2006 By A Long Shot. The Movie Opens Cold, With The Reciting Of The Classic British Nursery Rhyme, 'Remember, Remember The 5th Of November'. As The Rhyme Reaches It's End, The Story Of Guy Fawkes Is Laid Out In Quick, Effective Cuts Untill He Is Ultimately Hung, Which Is In Fact Inaccurate, He Was Hung, Drawn And Quartered, However I Think That The MPAA Would Have Some Reservations About Showing That.

The Movie Than Progresses A Couple Hundread Years To The Near Future Were We See Supreme Chancellor Of England Lewis Prothero Giving A Spirted Speech Detailing His Desire To See A Revenge Inacted On America, Which Has Fallen To A Deadly Virus, Several Hundread Years To Late . In The Foreground We See Reported Evey Hammond About To Break Curfew To See Someone Refered Only To As Uncle. As She Makes Her Way To "Uncle's" House We See A Beautifully Shot Backstreet Montage Of 2065 (Ish) London, Which Is Reminesent Of One Might See Had One Followed Guy Fwkes Around In 1605 And Yet Frighteningly Realistic Signs Of The Time Can Be Seen Suddelly Strewn Throughout. As She Ducks In To A Thin Back Alley She Is Intercepted By Two "Fingermen" (Facist Police) Who Then Proceed To Intemidate And Attempt Rape Her When V Intervenes!

Theres A Definate Feeling Of Almost An Swash-Buckeling Vibe Coursing Through The Air As Fawke- I Mean V Proceeds To Foil The Nefarious Bunch. As The Move Moves On It Becomes Clear How Good An Actor Hugo Weaving Is. Even From Behind The Masking It Seems To Me Like V Was Exeptionally Acted As Is All Of The Cast. I Wasn't Dissapointed With A Single Performance. The Story Is Riveting And Stays Down To Earth Without Getting To Speilburg On The Futuristic Side. The Large, Wide Shots Of London Are A Treat As Are The Small, Chlostorfobic Intervals Between Battles If You Will, Which Show Tiny Bits Of Everyday Life In 2065 (Ish) XD. Lastly, The Dialogue Is Smart, And The Music Is Perfect For The Movie. An Ecclectic Mix Of Zorro And Robin Hood Come To Mind . The Movie Is Expertly Shot, Scored, Written And Directed And Is A Treat To See In The Theater.

Decent review... but why did you capitalize the first letter of each word?!?

Sry XD I'm Used To Tagging MP3s lolz

Scary Movie IV 3/10
-By Echud123456


One Of The Most Hotly Debated Movies On This Forum Has Been The Fourth Installment Of The Scary Movie Franchise, So I'm Going To Be As PC As Possible (And Will Of Course Be Capitalizing Every Letter Of Every Word Lol XD). The First Five Minutes Of The Film Is The Trademark Scary Movie Opening Spoof, Which Is This Time, A Spoof Of The Movie Saw Involving Dr. Phil, And Shaquille O'Neil. Just As They Do On TV They Proceed To Butcher Every Line Written For Them, Which Seems A Fit With The Jokes Which Are Terrible Head Hits And Cussing (PG-13 Style). After Several Of The Afore Mentioned Head Hits Phil Cuts His Leg Off But What Do You Know? Wrong Leg. Darn Oh Well He Doesn't Seem To Mind Because He Just Says "Mother -" And Flops Back On To The Ground (More Of That PG-13 Cussing) Which Is Where The Spoof Ends. The Rest Of The Movie Is A Fragmented Collection Of Spoofs With Terribly Written Dialogue, Horribly Done Visual Effects And Potty Humor Which Is Neither Clean Enough For Kids Nor Funny Enough For Adults. Excluding A Few Parts (Which Are Very Far And Few Between) The Movie Was Full Of Dry Unfunny Crap. To Be Fair There Were Some Good Things About The Movie, At Only 83 Minutes, It Was Short, Dane Cook Played Jigsaw Who Was Meticulously Close To The Original, And Of Course Leslie Nielsen Was Hilarious Except He's Nude Fair Warning. These Facts Stop The Movie From Being A Complete Waste Of Three Bucks But Bottom Line Scary Movie Four Is A Dud At Best.

X-Men: The Last Stand

I recently saw this installment over the weekend and I must say, I was disappointed. I had far more complaints than I thought I would. When you walk out of a theater with more things that you didn't like as opposed to what you did like, you know there's something wrong. Here's what I didn't like: Phoenix. She was completely and utterly different from the comics, (I understand it would be hard to pull off the whole cosmic thing, but they could have done a lot better).

Secondly, I didn't like how Magneto, Rogue, and Mystique all lost their powers. It hinted at Magneto having them back or at least starting to get them back at the end of the film, but I just really didn't like the fact that they tampered with so many characters. Cyclops died, which I didn't really like. Some of the most interesting parts of the Phoenix arcs in the comics is the interaction she shares with Scott. All she did was kiss him and then kill him immediately. Lame. I didn't like the fact that Xavier died... If you stay after the credits, you will see that his consciousness lived on and was transported to a different body, but come on, you don't need to kill off 2 main characters to impress an audience.

The scenes with Storm seemed a little forced at times. Halle Berry stated prior to the film that she wanted Storm to have a larger role, otherwise she would quit. This was pretty evident to me when I watched the film. It seemed like the movie revolved around Wolverine and Storm... not the X-Men. Besides the movie not staying true AT ALL to the comics, there is one more major thing I disliked. They shouldn't have tried to have 2 plots in the movie. They should have either focused on either the Phoenix story or the Cure story. One would have been better, if done correctly and in a good enough depth.

This movie had some good action and it was not a bad film. But... it just wasn't all that great. I think this is partly because of the fact that Bryan Singer didn't direct this one. He seemed to know what he wanted to do with the story/characters and he pulled it off really well. X2 is by far my favorite of the series, followed by X-Men, and then The Last Stand. It seemed as though they tried to cram way too many things into this film without proper coordination and planning.

If you haven't seen the film, and want to, then by all means, go for it. Just don't expect a whole lot, like I did.

I give it a 7/10.

Well, no need to see the movie now that it's been completely ****ing spoiled.

Thanks.

Whoops...

Anyone besides C-Dic read my review or have opinions on the film? Agree? Disagree?

Originally posted by SnakeEyes
Anyone besides C-Dic read my review or have opinions on the film? Agree? Disagree?

i totaly agree they did a bad job on this one.

i'm so mad that o wait i dont know how to hide like you do

Lycan: use Spoiler tags. (add the r)

Snake, your review was accurate for the most part. The highlight of the film for me what the sound. It was ace. But the movie itself was a disappointment.

Well I don't know how many people will have seen this movie, so I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. And this is my first review, so be kind.

The story revolves around a girl named Helena who's parents run a circus that she helps out in every night. She's feeling a lot of teenage angst, and paradoxically wants to run away from the circus, which I thought was a nice little twist and a nod to the cliche of teenage troubles.

Helena's mother gets very sick, which Helena struggles to deal with so she travels into a dream world to escape the troubles in her life. Once inside, she stumbles upon a quest to find the charm that will wake the Queen of Light. There are very obvious parallels, showing how events earlier in the film influence the dream world, including the black and white socks, the argument with her mother as well as foreshadowing her meeting with 'Valentine' {her companion in the dream} whom she later meets after waking up.

This world is full of weird and wonderful creatures, and is visually one of the most stunning and unique pieces of cinema I've ever seen. It looks almost like a cinematic representation of a cover of The Sandman graphic novels {no surprises there, considering who the director and scriptwriter are }, it's utterly beautiful and wonderfully bizarre, it's worth watching just for the visual impact.

Interesting characters, amazing costumes, animation and storyline all weave together nicely, though it would have been nice if the depth and power given to the landscape would have translated a little more to the plot as that felt a little flat.

The acting is very good as well, especially the lead actress, Stephanie Leonidas, who really conveys the sense of a girl trying to deal with the world around her, especially struggling with the idea that she could lost her mother as well as the guilt and inner turmoil she feels. Her quest in the dream land runs parallel to a passage of rites into young adulthood, and that is reflected through the passage of her 'darker' side in the supposed real world.

The penultimate scenes are very interesting and very well played out, resulting in a nice ending, though the film might have been improved by a slightly darker finish.

Overall, it is a visual stunning and imaginative movie that carries an simple but effective and moving story at the heart of it. Definitely see it if you like quirky, experimental movies and fantastic visuals.

8/10

Okay, my rambling is over now.

I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, today.

I recommend it to anyone who asks "Where did the true, fun, exciting and riviting Summer blockbusters go?". Flawless, in my opinion, for a film of its kind.

The ending made me want to buy tickets to the third installment already.

-AC

who likes my new sighnature is the BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN *** (GOOD)

I think this is the type of film that some people will class you gay if you enjoyed this film. A film by Ang Lee who have given us the innovative and beautiful Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and the first art house-type comic blockbuster Hulk. All of his projects contain depth with the characters and gets more involving with the storyline not giving it a dull moment at any time. His new feature Brokeback Mountain was controversial when it came out in the theatres back in January 2006 all because of the graphical relationship between two men. I watched it with my friend, I didn't expect much from it but it turned out the opposite to what we both were expecting - I enjoyed it and my friend didn't in this critically acclaimed Western.

The plot focuses on a ranch-hand and a rodeo-cowboy who meet in the summer of 1963 as they work together for a man by keeping an eye on all of his sheep from intruders and predators on Brokeback mountain. The partners, who are played by two great actors; Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, fall for each other and endure a complex relationship through the whole summer until their job is over and they can go back to where they came from. Ennis and Jack then lead different lifes in the prejudiced society of early-sixty America. They form relationships with women and settle down to having a family. That is until Jack meets up with Ennis after a few years which they express to each other how their love for each other has not died.

The film is again beautiful to watch which is thrown into the traditional method pile of DVD's that Ang Lee has directed. It can get slow at times, but then I feel that it's because Ang Lee trying to get the same art house-form with the photography to keep up his reputation rather than concentrate on the dialogue as much. There is a twist at the end which if you don't want to know then skip this paragraph NOW! It turns out in the end that Jack gets killed in a accident with his car that leads into a emotional climax for both the audience and Ennis.

The acting is as amazing as we can expect from our two mainstream guys. Heath Ledger looks different now he has shaved his facial hair completely, and that he is skinnier than what we have seen him in his other flicks - Knight's Tale and 10 Thing's I Hate About You. Jake Gyllenhaal looks much older than what we have seen him in over the last few years - Donnie Darko, Bubbleboy and The Day After Tomorrow. It follows their lifes right to their old age which is lead into some great make-up effects.

This is the sort of film that I could only watch once, not something I would go out and buy. All because it is not amazing as what some critics make it out to be, and because I think I will get bored watching it the second time. Still a good film to watch if you can be mature with the theme, otherwise this should be the film this year that you should avoid.

BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE 2 **** (RECOMENDED)

I didn't like the original film of Big Momma's House. I think it's because I could of thought of ideas that would have been alot funnier for the plot. People would refer this to Mrs. Doubtfire, but I would say it resembles more to The White Chicks - even though that film came out a few years after Big Momma's House. It starred Martin Lawrence (National Security & Bad Boys) who goes undercover as a seventy-year-old afican-american woman in "Big Momma's" house when she is leaves her house to visit a sick friend. Martin puts on the body suit, face mask and wig and pretends to be her, living in her house for her daughter and grandson to come as their suspects to a bank robbery that was done by her daughters ex-boyfriend. However, Martin falls in love with the daughter which starts to make him think that she wasn't involved in the bank robbery and must protect her and her son from her ex-boyfriend that is trying to get to her. That pretty much sums up what went on in the original, but I will say that the sequel shocked me on how good it is. The first ten to fifteen minutes was terrible making it look like it was going to be more for children rather than the teenage humour of the original. The jokes just weren't funny at all until when it started to kick in when Martin goes back undercover as Big Momma once again but in a different plot. I thought some parts were hysterical and had me laughing away for the first time to a film this year.

To stop a national security distaster, the loudmouthed Big Momma who is not afraid to throw her ample weight around, becomes a nanny housekeeper in the suspect's household. The only trouble is Martin retired as a undercover cop for ages since the girl he fell in love with in the original are now a married couple, and that she is pregnant. But I guess he just wants to have excitment in this life like the 'good old days'. So he makes an excuse to her saying he has gone to a convention for a few days, but soon she starts wondering when she sees lady clothes appearing in the house and especially when she finds out he didn't go to a convention. To make matters worse, the interview day of when the woman of the house was to decide who should be the nanny to her children, one of the nannys was also undercover and when Martin got the job, her and the people who she work for has got suspicion on who this Big Momma is. Also things get complicated when the agent finds him/herself becoming attached to the three children of the dysfunctional family when he has to investigate the man of the household for criminal activities. A spoiler for the ending will now be mentioned so if you don't want to read it then go to the next paragraph NOW. Only the father of the family finds out that Big Momma is a undercover agent, in which Martin also finds out that the father is the creator of a fatal computer "worm" that would allow forces access to government intelligence files and thats why Martin must protect the family from people wanting to get their hands on it. But Martin is gonna give the creator (father of the family) a second chance in life by letting him go back to his family and become a better father than what he was before.

Directed by See Spot Run John Whitesell, this funny sequel will definitely repeat and so a hell lot more storming success of the original film. I would say this is alot more slapstick compared to the original which even though has alot of funny moments for adults it is also on for the children as well. Expect alot more action than what we were supplied with in the original including one hilarious chase scene when Big Momma is after a suspect. Also look out for a Baywatch sketch when Big Momma is running in slow motion down the beach with her hair in dreadlocks as she twirls in around in the air. Martin Lawrence has always been a funny man to me that makes me laugh just when he has a serious expression on him, but Big Momma's house 2 lets him move onto the next step of giving us laughs.

Be warned, there are still some cringy parts when Big Momma is coaxed to teach children dancing moves for the upcoming cheerleading dance, which pretty much makes the young girls look like sluts the way they move their bum to the beat. Some parts can just be corny as hell, also as I have already mentioned the opening is pathetic making it look like it's going to be like that for the rest of the film. Which in some cases it does, but mostly we're treated to some non-intelligent jokes of slapstick caper. I will buy this DVD but only for a small price as it surely isn't worth as much as it is in the stores right now. Definitely something to watch if you're stuck for choice and are in the mood for a good laugh. Even if you haven't seen the original, you will understand this from beginning to end as there is a different storyline with a different cast. Unless you want to know how he was influenced on becoming Big Momma. Watch this little comedy.

CHICKEN LITTLE *** (GOOD)

Could the little chicken save Disney? That was the question flapping around the film fan's brains after the departure of the incredible Pixar team from the world of Walt. I don't know what everyone else has to say about this but I will admit that I enjoyed this little flick, maybe not as much as what Pixar did for Finding Nemo and The Incredibles but it was entertaining in it's own way. I just couldn't believe how short the feature was, they don't normally do that with computer animated films these days but Chicken Little seemed to come and go which I think will be perfect for those low attention span children that just want something quickly to watch. I have enjoyed a few computer animated films right back when Disney's Toy Story set the method off.

Chicken Little causes widespread panic when he mistakes a falling acorn for a piece of falling sky. When the rest of the animal characters in his small home town find out that he's mistaken and make him a laughingstock for his behaviour of ringing the town bell, the young chicken is determined to restore his reputation especially to his father that is now really disapointed in him. Just as things are starting to go his way when he wins the schools baseball game against another competing schools he finds a real piece of the sky that fell into his bedroom. This is part of the plot that reveals Chicken's town is being invaded by outer-space aliens and the little chicken, who no one believes, is left to try and save the town with his band of misfit friends; Abby Mallard (aka The Ugly Duckling that is in love with Chicken Little), Runt Of The Litter and Fish Out Of Water (my favourite character of this feature). There is nothing really much for me to say about this film, maybe another few lines will sum up the whole of it. But then that would just be spoiling the experience for you as, like I said earlier, this feature doesn't go on for that long.

In a retelling of a 1943 comedy, Chicken Little is littered with movie in-jokes, as cgi animation intend to do these days, including spoof such as Sci-Fi hits as Signs, Independence Day, with Scrubs star Zach Braff as Chicken Little and Joan Cussack as his best friend The Ugly Duckling. Added to this comic pairing of animation veterans Harry Shearer (The Simpsons) and Stuart Little's Steve Zahn as Runt, and the original Batman Adam West. Although the home of Mickey and Donald has now stopped making traditional 2-D animation and thrown all its eggs into the 3-D world of Toy Story and Finding Nemo, I would say Chicken Little is running out of fresh ideas and is a sample of how desperate creators can be these days to make a decent story and to throw in good jokes. I won't say the magic has ran out completely in this, but I wasn't involved as much as I was with the Incredibles and Monster's Inc. There are some funny parts, some being the keyword, and not enough laughs for adults and teenagers alike. It's all the traditional smacking faces and falling over stuff that little children will laugh at. Most of it is very cheesy that it will make you cringe, which is more ideal for children this time around. But then isn't that what it is meant to be?

Too short of a film to spend you're money on in the theatres and to waste on buying the DVD. I would say it would make a worthy rental but then make sure you have an offer on for it down in your local rent store. Computer animated fans will be disapointed, not by the graphics as it's just as amazing as ever, but by how silly the characters are in this one. It makes The Incredibles look serious! If your up for some brainless fun then maybe you could give this one a go. If you're worrying what your child should watch then I would definitely recomend this to them, but then they would have to be very young.

FINAL DESTINATION 3 ***** (BRILLIANT)

I remember the first time watching the original Final Destination in the theatres with my mother. We both didn't have a clue what was going to happen except of what the genre was. After the first fifteen minutes of it got me hooked and gave me some jumps as well as taking me to the edge of my seat. It is a teen slasher movie with a difference; instead of it being a murderer stalking the teenagers with a weapon and mask we get a taste of what Death would do. The bus scene, hanging in a bathroom are to name, they had more widely death scenes than you could poke a blood-stained stick at. Basically we follow a teenage boy that has a horrific vision of the plane he was on with his highscool class to a trip to Paris crashing killing everyone on it. He wakes up to find himself on the plane with the exact things happening before takeoff like it was in his dream. In panic he gets off the plane with few of his classmates and a teacher with him. As they stay in the lobbey calming the guy down the plane that took off without them crashed and burned killing everyone on it! Thus came forth Death, whom we can't see throughout but can tell his presence to known when the teenagers start dying in order that they would of died on the plane in gruesome 'accidents.' It was a smash hit in the theatres getting a good name by everyone, so obviously the sequel was spawned by a different director who in my eyes didn't do a good job. Yes, the death scenes were more gorier and inventive but I didn't like the twist that is supposed to make Death clever. So the director of the original, James Wong, comes back to take another stab at it with this third installment.

Set six years after the original, this supernatural thriller finds high school student Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead from The Ring 2) having a fatal premonition of a disastrous roller-coaster accident that involves her and her friends. She warns everyone just like the main characters of the other two movies did after their premonitions that manages to get some people away. These 'lucky' friends of hers manage to get off before the roller-coaster sets off and crashes how she imagined. She teams up with schoolmate Kevin Fischer (Ryan Merriman) in a race against time to prevent death from revisiting the survivors of the accident. But will those who escaped succeed in cheating death or will the friends learn a lesson that you just can't keep the Grim Reaper at bay? And so brings forth the gory death scenes.

Alot of my friends said they loved this film and is way better than the first two put together. However the more serious critics reviewing this have said that it is just an excuse to give us more jumps and yucks. I agree with both of them. Yes, there is no proper storyline in this one and all we get is a death scene almost every five minutes in between not leaving more talking except the parts that Wendy and Kevin are trying to convince their ignoring friends that the Reaper is after them. But that doesn't mean the film isn't entertaining. The only twist in this, which if you don't want to read then go to the next paragraph NOW is; When Wendy took pictures of her friends at the funfair where the rollar-coaster was before the incident happened had clues on the photos of how their friends are going to do. Like one of them was under two knives, so immediately the two main characters thought that two knives would be killing him when it comes to his freak 'accident'.

I am terrified of rollar-coasters so I thought this was going to be a huge treat for me just like the plane did as I am terrified of heights, hence why rollar-coasters are a big no-no for me. Leading up to the accident was great but the special visual effects on it was a huge let down which made me doubt I was going to enjoy the rest of the film. It just didn't look real at all and was like watching a B-movie from the New Line Cinema company. Even the first death, which some I know enjoyed, didn't do it for me which also questioned if I was going to enjoy this. After that I gave up hope and just slumed back in my seat of the theatre. But then all of the sudden it started getting better, no, it started getting brilliant that brought back the shocks and laughs I had with the original. It's just a shame I had to wait over twenty minutes for it but it was sure enough worth it at the long run. This film is really gory which brings back the question that some people have been asking if it should of been giving the age certificate that it contained. The death scenes were over the top but that is what I have been waiting for, that is what Final Destination is known for and thats what we pay for.

I will definitely be buying the DVD when it comes out over here and will recomend this to all you slasher freaks out there! A one not to be missed except if you don't like horrors and have a weak stomach. Theres plenty of 'guess how the next person will die' scenarios and even though the dialogue can be cheesy the people dying will make up for that. If you're into more intelligent horror films then you would know that teen slashers are the opposite for that, and Final Destination 3 is no different. It's just brainless popcorn fun that I would say is perfect for a guys night in and also for couples that like a fast paced horror film in all its gory glory!

UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION **** (RECOMENDED)

This sequel, to the surprise smash hit Underworld is alot different bringing forth more of a fantasy tale in a more darker and violent style. In complete honesty I didn't like the original that much at all when I went to watch it in the theatres. There are quite a few monster movies out trying to cash in on the genre and especially involving werewolves and vampires. That is what Underworld was about; vampires against werewolves in the violent action thriller in the same sort of style as Blade has been. The special visual effects weren't impressive or believable and it was more focused on a storyline that I didn't care much about rather than the action. The sequel to 2003's surprise hit, Underworld Evolution has garnered great early-buzz across the pond and offers boys in the audience another chance to see Kate Beckinsale in those Lycra leggings once again. I have heard from some people saying this film is rubbish which is what put me off watching it in the theatres until it came out on rental a few weeks ago. They say it is not as good as the original, which put me off even more knowing that I didn't like the original that much (even though I bought the two disc special edition but only because it only cost $3.00.) But I was shocked on how wrong they were when I finally gotten around to renting it.

Underworld Evolution traces the beginnings of the ancient feud between the Death Dealers (vampires) and the Lycans (werewolves) as Selene (Beckinsale) and michael (Scott Speedman) try to discover the secrets of their bloodlines. Accordingly this leads them into a battle to end all wars as the immortals finally face their retribution. Like the great good verses evil yarn Nightwatch, flashbacks trace the beginning of the feud and a modern tale of action, intrigue and shape-shifters develops. Selene and Michael are forbidden to love and both are at risk from the werewolves and vampires. A terrible new foe that poses a monsterous threat to all has also been thrown into the equation; Bill Nighly. He brings a depth to his role as sleepy vampire Viktor, whom he kills his prey through the film in search for his brother by stabbing them with his tentacles that are also his wings. He kind out reminds me of the main villain in Blade 2 by the make-up. He is in search for his brother which happens to be a werewolf, they have been fighting for centries until they were summond into dark; the werewolf was locked up and Viktot, in search for his buried brother to reunite with him and settle their differences, was summond to sleep.Their father is played by esteemed Sir Derek Jacobi whos characters name is Alexander Corvinus.

I think it is better if you watch the original before this, even though it's rubbish it will give you the just of how it all began and will clear up a few things that will be confusing if he just watched Evolution firstly. There is a few flashbacks in the beginning with the narration of Beckinsale explaining what happened before, but she doesn't go in depth to explain everything, which I can't really criticise since it would make the film go on even longer if it was all explained and noone would then feel the need to watch the original. The age certificate has boosted up to a eighteen meaning we will get to see plenty of over-the-top gore by the bucket loads. There are some great yucky parts including a breathtaking final that involves the wings of a helicopter that makes one hell of a death scene for the eyes. The special visual effects are amazing, there is still some scenes that they could of made better but is definitely better than the originals adding some even better transformation scenes of werewolves and some creepy models that look true-to-life. Scary for all you monster lovers that get scared by werewolves.

I will be buying this on DVD when it goes down in price, so I think I could manage not watching it for over half a year again but it will be worth it later on. I won't say it is suspenseful or that the acting is something special, but then the original didn't achieve this, but it's just fun to see the dark set pieces and action sequences. The storyline may confuse you even though you might have watched the original and takes time for it all to sink in. The opening scene is done nicely but then it will go off-topic making you think what the hell was the point of putting that there! And you don't hear anything else from that until over half way through the film which a twist kicks in. If you're a fan of the original then there is a chance you could enjoy this or hate this, depending if you could handle the more surreal storyline to it. But this is a film I will be watching again... After I have bought it.

JARHEAD *** (GOOD)

An unconventional war-movie that eschews big battles and cardboard characters. Jarhead (named after the U.S Marine's distinctive haircut) focuses largely on the soldier's emotions. I watched it on rental over my friends house, the guy that everyone knows him for being very critical when it comes to films. Not hearing anything about it before I watched it I was suprised how good the film actually was, being that there have been too many unaccurate war films these days that make the American army look like heroes rather than what they actually are, but I am writing about the film not about my views on the army. Even though there is still alot of clitches in this film it did bring up some good points that dares to question certain things that goes on in the army. All these pointers are what we have already gathered anyway but it is still good to see them being shown in modern war films. One of my friends said he hated this as he reckons that everyone who goes out to war have not come back without killing someone. This film shows differently which I agree more to the film rather than my friend on that one.

The ticking timebomb of a plot follows Marine Anthony "Swoff" Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) serving in pre-Desert Storm Middle East under Sgt Sykes (Jamie Foxx). Fighting an enemy they cannot see in a country they don't understand, the soldiers use humour to relive tension. Slowing their gung-ho attitude is eroded by the war's questionable morality. We pretty much follow Swoff through the whole time he is in the army without him even killing a single person. It's not about the action in this, we see his how he gets friends there with the whole tradition of burning him with a fire poker and how he coupes with his life out there away from his family and girlfriend. The whole training course he does involve one of his fellow soldiers getting shot and killed for not staying on the ground when he was told to, and him getting caught up in a mission that in the end doesn't involve him shooting anyone that he wanted to do. Sounds boring? It's not that bad actually, as even though this isn't a proper war film full of expensive action pieces, we are treated to male humour and entertainment of what they do in the army.

Completing Sam Mendes' trilogy of American genre movies that includes suburban comedy American Beauty and gangster epic Road to Perdition, this war movie focuses on the short-lived gulf conflict of 1990. Certain to resonate with today's American foreign policy and the current Iraq war, Jarhead will undoubtedly create post-cinema debates with its stirring mix of thought-provoking politics and the way the soldiers act out there.

A great cast memorably features Jake Gyllenhaal who has recently been in Brokeback Mountain as the vulnerable Swoff serving under Oscar-Winners Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper, who burn up celluloid as the leaders of the sniper unit. Jamie Foxx has also been seen in Stealth and Ray. It's a good film but as entertaining as it is, and how true it is to what war is really like it just wouldn't do anything for me in watching it the second time around. There are some memorable parts that will stay with you for a while, not because it is disturbing but it has stuff we have never seen in a war film before; Like the guys get to watch a porn film only for one of them to find out that his wife is the performer with another man in it! He crys and shouts that he wants to go home and has to be taken away. It isn't so much upsetting and some parts can be funny, but that doesn't hide the fact that you will forget them anytime soon as it is something 'new' for us.

I would want to watch this again but after I can forget alot of it, not worth buying unless you disagree with blockbuster war films like Pearl Harbour only because they change it to make the American army look good in it! I would say Jarhead is in the same sort of style as Full Metal Jacket, but just don't expect it to be as good, obviously. I think there will be a few war films out in the future that will use the same method as Jarhead, but this will always be a little gem. I don't think the girls will enjoy this film, though, unless their happy to see guys act immature. I would say this is more for the boys.

GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN' * (TERRIBLE)

Curtis "50 Cent" jackson, one of the biggest and most popular stars in hip-hop, is the charismatic driving force behind Get Rick or Die Tryin'. Discovered by Eminem and led to worldwide fame, 50 Cent follows his mentor's path by making the jump from music to movies. The director of six-time oscar nominee Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot) takes the chair and pretty much looks set to repeat the success of 8 Mile which starred Eminem. The both films go on about both their lifes and how they became famous from being in the gheto coping with the hard life which makes them almost look like heroes. In my opinion I think both the films are over hyped, especially with GRODT, I mean, it is based on 'Fiddie's' shady past of being shot nine times! I'm sure one of those shots was straight to the head and he still managed to survive. I don't know much about the rapper and I know I will get disrespected off many of you on the Forum, but, I think he is over exhagerating on that one. At least with 8 Mile it was more believable and was at least entertaining all the way through. I got bored with GRODT as soon as it started. One film that I just got bored very easily with, read on to find out why.

The drama focuses on an orphan Marcus (Fiddie) whose mother has been murdered. Marcus has always wanted to be a rapper but turns to dealing drugs to pay the rent. As his world spirals out of control, he begins to apply the same manic intensity to his writing as he does to dealing by writing down his words to stay sane. For years he endures this living hell, until a tragedy nearly kills him and forces a change in lifestyle. He gets shot nine times by a jelous hooligan and is then left for dead. But will Marcus escape the violence of the hood and become the rap artist he was meant to be? I think we can all guess the answer to that one.

There is nothing we haven't seen before in this except it is supposed to be a true story of what happened to the 50 Cent rapper before he made it big and was back living in the hood. His acting is rubbish, nothing in comparison to the surprising acting skills of Eminem. I suppose the only treat the girls will get from watching this is the chance to check out 50 Cent's body. I suppose people who like these types of films will not get bored but will definitely admit that it doesn't stand out from anything else. Maybe if a more talented actor to play the part of Marcus could boost the film up in my book but then that would be frowned upon many people.

I didn't like this film at all and could do without watching it again for the rest of my life. I won't pay money to rent this out, and thank god that I lend it off my friend because he claimed it's supposed to be good (but then he also liked When A Stranger Calls). If I even payed a penny to watch this I would of been mad! Avoid this film if you don't like the genre and 50 Cents, because you would definitely hate this. I think the only way your going to enjoy this is if you like these 'gang war' films. 50 Cents can't save this one I'm afraid.

FUN WITH DICK AND JANE ** (NOT BAD)

Although Jim Carrey's career choices have created two fan-bases for the multi-talented actor - Fun With Dick and Jane offers the chance for Jim to simultaneously display his acting and funnyman skills. It is a remake of the classic 1977 film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda. However I found Jim's acting to not being as funny as what he has been in the past, maybe it's a sign of how old he is getting? Maybe it is because the film still limits him to how insanely funny he actually can be. One of my friends hate him because he reckons Jim is only good for pulling faces and acting like a maniac (as he was found on Ace Ventura Pet Detective), but I have seen him in more serious films and have shown that he can actually act when he wants to. I love Carrey's films, especially A Series of Unfortunate Events that allows him to pull on multi personalities in a more darker way, but Fun With Dick and Jane I have to admit was not that funny. Sure it did have it's moments but didn't do any justice for Carrey at all. I was very disapointed in it, but that's comparing it with his other films, as a film by itself it wasn't too bad only because of the storyline and some jokes that were said and done.

The plot follows a middle-class couple Dick (Carrey) and Jane (Tea Leoni replacing Cameron Diaz) who have it all - swimming pool, two-cars, big house - until stressed executive Dick is inadvertently involved in a schandal at work. The American dream soon turns into an American nightmare as Dick is shown the door and the couple face losing everything they have when the company gets busted. With a mounting pile of bills to pay and a desperate desire to maintain their luxurious lifestyle, Dick and Jane start organising various heists and steal from their rick friends in an effort to make ends meet. Like Carrey goes around everyones garden in the neighbourhood in the night and steal their grass to put into his front garden. The next day everyone has patches missing from their garden except for Carrey's. Whilst embarking on the crime spree, their marriage gets exciting again and the couple rediscover a zest for life that puts the fizz back into a stagnant relationship. You may think that isn't much of a storyline and how they would be able to end it, well that is when they discover the truth behind how the company got busted and work together with a alcoholic ex-employee who helped with the scam to get the money back from the powerful manager who devized the whole thing and got the company out of business by taking all of its money.

Directed by the man behind the very funny Galaxy Quest, Dean Parisot, written by Freaks And Geeks Judd Apatow and starring the impressive Alec Baldwin, Fun With Dick and Jane completes the dazzling recent trio of amoral films about lawbreaking partners that includes Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. It just seems to be the market for it these days, but I would say that this is the worst movie of the other two I have compared this film with. But a movie in whole is not that bad but I just didn't laugh as much as I thought I would and especially not from Jim Carrey. I didn't like Tea Leoni's character at all, it made her seem she was trying to act just like Jim Carrey to be funny. Her acting was just over-the-top, which I know Carrey's is as well but he is known for that, and just made me roll my eyes at her.

It mixes slapstick heist scenes with corporate America and with the rubber-faced Carrey back in the comedy wheelhouse, unfortunately this is a film I will not be adding to my Jim Carrey DVD collection and will probably watch it again in the future, but not anytime soon. You will be disapointed in this, I watched this in the theatre and I have to say I could hear forced laughs from the audience that was mainly just one or two from time to time. I did laugh at some scenes which is why I have given it a two star which shows it isn't a waste. If you're a fan of Carrey then watch this as I don't think you will be entirely disapointed, but then you wouldn't think this is the best either. Rent it out, just do that before you decide to buy it - I did that, and now I'm not buying the DVD.

THE TERMINAL ** (NOT BAD)

Steven Spielburg is one of the most powerful people in the film industry at the moment and is easily one of the best directors of his generation. When coupled with exemplary actor Tom Hanks, you can see why expectations surrounding The Terminal are flying higher than the aeroplanes that land at the airport in which the film is set. In fact, for this production an exact studio replica of the arrivals terminal at JFK airport was built. Projects that Spielburg and Hanks have worked on together in the past have tended to be gritty, action-packed dramas, like Saving Private Ryan, so the film is an interesting depature. I watched this on a PV rental when it first came out in the stores after it being in the theatres, I was impressed with what I was watching and was quite clever of how Steven could kill you're time without realizing it since it is all filmed in the airport setting. I won't say it is as good as Steven's other projects that he has done in the past, but then those were all classic blockbusters of his that got him where he is today. This is more of a slow-paced drama which focuses more on emotion of feeling sorry for Hank's character getting trapped in the airport for a long time. It did bring motion to me and was a good film, but only to watch once in my opinion, and even the first time did have some moments that I noticed my eyes was drifting away from the screen.

At times quite touching and tender, The Terminal is a devised comedy that explores one man's triumph over the testing situation thrown his way. The man is Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks with a Eastern European accent) whose home country has entered civil war as he is on a plane to America. Arriving at JFK airport he technically has a ticket from nowhere and, as a bureaucratic anomaly, must remain and live in the arrivals lounge. The days turn to weeks and the weeks turn to months. As time goes by Viktor learns to adapt to what where initially very alien surroundings. As we follow his journey of discovery so the audience shares in the serendipity and the absurd - the boredom and the beauty - of airport life. Of course, protagonists must have their antagonist. For Viktor this comes in the shape of the uptight airport official Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) who plays Tom to Viktor's Jerry and, as in the cartoon, is always outsmarted at the last moment. There is more than just trouble int he air, however. Amelia, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, is a well-observed flight attendant who is drawn to Viktor's plight and, after spending some time with him, becomes firstly strangely drawn, then beguiled by his spirit and his humour. Now comes a spoiler for the ending, if you don't want to read it then go to the next paragraph NOW; In the end Tom Hanks manages to leave the airport finally and into the streets of America. I didn't like the ending as much as it turned out to be the whole cringy concept of having everyone clap when he leaves the place and everyone is being kind to him like a typical happy ending you get in romantic comedies.

It may sound like a interesting synopse but it may be bit of a risk to if you will be entertained all the way through. I think it's really good until it gets to the chemistry between Hanks and Zeta-Jones which then goes downhill and shows that it is running out of jokes quite quickly. The way of how Hanks adapts to his surroundings is funny but yet done to an extent that it is not over-the-top, however, I didn't like Hanks acting as much in this one as you can see he is trying desperately to make you laugh even when it is clearly unnecessary.

Not a bad film to watch with the whole family and maybe something that particular couples may enjoy, but this is only worthy of a rental and nothing more. I think everyone could say that it is worth watching the first time but after that it's best not to until you have forgotten what it is all about which will take quite a while as the material is quite memorable. At a time of increased focus on security and immigration, The Terminal offers a refreshingly level-headed approach.

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR *** (GOOD)

After years of speculation, debate and delayed projects, finally the inconic monsters from two of the scariest film franchise battle each other on Earth for the first time that was once on the big-screen before coming out on rent and to buy in the stores. The cult British director Paul W.S. Anderson is in the chair on this one, as soon as I found that out my expectations went downhill on this one. The teaser trailer came out about half a year before the film was released in the theatres which got me even more excited everytime I saw it appearing in the trailers before other films I watched in the theatres. But W.S. Anderson, I mean, C'mon! I simply loved the Resident Evil franchise for the Playstation and the Playstation 2, but when finally the movie was brought out by the same director of Alien Vs. Predator it turned out to be extremely disapointing. It was a pathetic translation of the game to movie with it's horrible special visual effects, dialogue and even the storyline was not the same as the mansion for the original Resi Evil game. So I completely gave up hope with this director, but thought I might give him a second chance and watch Alien Vs Predator only because I watched and enjoyed the Aliens and Predator movies. The results weren't as good as what I was hoping for it to be and is another letdown with compliments once again from Paul W.S. Anderson! Thanks alot!

So, how is the showdown of the century set up? Well, Charles Weyland (Lance Henriksen) is an industrialist billionaire and thinks there is an ancient pyramid buried under the ice of Antartica by his people monitoring the world through a satelite he has in space. He and a hired archaeological team travel there and find that there are holes in the snow leading straight down to the pyramid, could it be that another team have gotten to it before they have? Or is it from 'fire stars' dropping from outer space that when it got to the bottom contains a batch of five lethal Predators to do battle with what is inside the pyrmid. The team end up going down and make their discovery. So, why not go inside and take a look around? As soon as they got in they triggered a trap, that brings forth aliens that have been locked up inside it, so it is now time for the Predators to do battle with the aliens as they have been wipping out the alien race for centuries. The team of humans that went in cannot get out and are stuck in between the battle of the aliens and predators in which their not letting the humans take any sides and kill them without warning.

The settings are just great simply because the budget is high in this one, but that means that the money deserves to be well spent which amazingly it does giving us some top notch special visual effects, weaponary, death scenes and settings. However the dialogue and the way the film is treated is once again corny, surreal and action-packed. That is when the director comes into the topic again.

The aliens and predators are much better than what we saw a guy wearing the alien costume on in the original and what the predator looked like in its original. There is a combination of special visual effects which look stunning towards the aliens capturing markings and the lighting on them perfectly, and then there is animatronics for close up shots which work as good but then from time-to-time the camera angles don't do the robotic aliens any justice especially one memorable part when one of the aliens is fighting one of the predators. The predators may not look as impressive, simply because they are men dressed under a mask and some armor but there is a form of upgrade to them and looks cooler and better, with their weapons back just like what we saw in the original that are sometimes overly used but not to the extent that it gets repetitive. In fact the action between these two species don't get as repetitive as different action sequences have different things happening, but then it's normally showing the humans trying to escape from them, with almost all of them dying different ways. The overall special visual effects are great, even though near to the end it does start getting a little unbelievable as if they are almost running out of money and had to keep some cheap effects quickly done to give an ending.

The dialogue is you're typical one linear stuff from Hollywood that is both cringy and cheesy to say the least. It's just a typical action movie that just wasn't supposed to be called that. There is no suspense or horror in it what so ever unless you show to a child, obviously. The Alien fans will definitely be disapointed but the Predator fans may not be as much, simply because that had some action involved. The way these species kill the humans are not as inventive as what I wanted them to be, and is not that gory at all unless you call green ooze running from the aliens is disgusting or when the Predator removes his mask to find what the ugly monster-like creature it is. There isn't much creativety behind this as well, and is not as clever as it would like to think it is. The only reason why I have given this a three star is because it is still entertaining and manages to give some impressive eye candy which is the reason why I liked it. The storyline is good, and if it was thought more carefully could of been a even better film than what it is. However taking out the horror and adding in more action is a big no-no to the fans. For those who like cheesy slashers will really enjoy this, probably not to the extreme that you thought it was brilliant, but might be one of the best action films of that year. A disapointment indeed. Worth renting and buying only if you're after the effects and action.

THE PUNISHER ** (NOT BAD)

The theme for revenge is hot in Hollywood at the moment. In Kill Bill Quentin Tarantino's The Bride took two volumes over it, while Man on Fire sees Denzel Washington doling it out in dramatic style. The Punisher takes things a step further, doing it super-hero style, in an adaptation of the Marvel Comics series. This is one of the most violent comic books to date from Marvel Comics which is why this is the first comic adapted to movie basis that has a adult certificate slapped all over it because of its gruesome torture scenes and action sequences. After watching this it got me even more excited hearing that a film from the Ghost Rider comics is soon in production. I love my comic to movie blockbusters these days, however I think I would say that The Punisher is my least favourite heroes. It feels as if it has been done B-movie style as well which surprised me when I heard John Travolta is in this, but then he has been in a few rubbish films these days. The Punisher wasn't much of a good movie which I thought that everyone would surely say the same as me. I haven't heard many people talk about this horrible film, maybe because it didn't make much of an impact in the theatres, and I would of given this a one star. But then when I went to a house party a few months ago a guy brought around The Punisher and I was forced to watch it again! I didn't mind it second time around but didn't pursuade me that it is a good film. This guy though loved it, as I could tell by the comments he was giving some of the scenes throughout which made me realize that people are going to like this just for the violence. I mean, that is why I enjoyed Sin City so much, but then it also had a great storyline and was filmed so well.

Thomas Jane is Frank Castle, the undercover FBI agent and former Marine, his last job had him and arresting some of the crime bosses men which he was not very happy about. So he had his men to murder Thomas Jane one day at his beach house where he was throwing a party. The people murdered the guests, his wife and his child, but the only person who was left for dead was the guy they wanted dead in the first place; Frank Castle. Washed up on the shore after the killers think they have disposed of him too, which I have a hard time believing the amount of bullets he took as well as an explosion, Frank finds a black t-shirt with menacing white skull on the front and becomes The Punisher. With nothing left to lose, he sets himself on one path, to punish those responsible. Top of this pile is Howard Saint (John Travolta), a seemingly respectable businessman who is in fact the ruthless crime boss who sent the men out to kill Frank. But now he wants the Punisher dead and sends a barrage of heavily armed heavies to find him since he has become a nusance cleaning out Howard's money and setting up traps to get him to suspect his wife is having an affair with his brother. Bent on his task, the Punisher now acts as a one-man vigilante army, becoming the judge, and executioner rolled into one. The Punisher also makes some friends with his roommates in his flat that tries to get him out of his shell and to talk to him. Their all misfits of society all living under one roof.

Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, this is one film that can't save itself with its violent tone. But then there have been plenty of comic book adaptions after this that has been more violent. The Punisher shouldn't really be classed as a superhero as he doesn't have any special powers, but then doesn't wear a mask or have gadgets just for him to be called a hero since he gets hurt and shot plenty of times through the whole film not to just die making him seem like a superhero. The whole movie just seems to be a B-movie rather than a Blockbuster. Maybe it is supposed to be like one, I don't know. But all I do know is you will find better action sequences in the Daredevil movie which is saying something. Normally with films like this they leave a breathtaking final at the ending on how the main villain dies. John Travolta doesn't have anything spectacular happening to him at all that just lets us down thinking there is going to be a huge surprise for the final mutilation.

There are some good parts that I must confess but I can only name two decent action sequences and only a few parts that I liked through the whole film. I think it pretty much depends if you have seen alot of violence in your time to decide if this is bloody enough for you. I would say the Playstation 2 game of The Punisher is much more violent than this, and that is all in computer animation! You might like the fact that there are isn't much special visual effects in this at all, and is all relied on clever camera work and blood packs on people to do the messy work which I must say does the job nicely. Like I said earlier on, there are some good parts which I will mention below. If you don't want to know then read the next paragraph NOW. John Travolta sends a muscular guy out to the flat to get The Punisher which shows him and the Punisher battling it out going from room to room through walls and doors. The amount of things the Punisher does to this guy for him to keep standing up is exhiliarating only to find that he brakes his neck when he falls down some stairs. Also near to the ending when the Punisher infiltrates Travolta's building is great to show the Punisher shooting bloody patches into peoples legs and arms, and for him to tie Travolta by his legs to a back of a moving car heading into a burning wreck of other cars exploding is good but nothing special.

I would think twice before you buy this DVD. The guy who I watched it with love this film as it was clear by that day who showed there are people out there who would... I hate to say... Love this film! Yuck! I would say it was an alright experience but nothing I would be unhappy with watching it again in my life. Make sure you rent it first before deciding if your on that guys side or mine.

SUPER SIZE ME **** (RECOMENDED)

Move over Michael Moore there is a new documentary filmmaker around, and his name is Morgan Spurlock who is a man on a mission. We live in a fast food culture, and obesity, particularly in America, is becoming a major health issue. In the middle of all of this are the fast food outlets, insisting they are not part of the problem. Spurlock is out to prove otherwise in this clever documentary that is directed, written, narrated and starring Morgan Spurlock. It won so many awards in festivals that no wonder it was so popular and enjoyed so much when it hit the theatres and the rent stores. I don't think there is a group of people I haven't hanged around that haven't watched or haven't heard about this movie. I enjoyed this so much and opened my eyes alot more than what they were before on the fast food chains. We think we already know everything about what they put in our burgers at McDonalds for meat and the chicken in our chicken nuggets, but that's when Spurlock comes in and gives a full disturbing explaination of what they do to these cows and chickens and what we're actually eating from them. He doesn't just tell us what happens to you, he also shows us.

By using himself as a human guinea pig, Morgan will eat nothing but fast food for one month, and when offered it, will always take the 'super size' option. Also he must have had everything from the menu before the month is over. This documentary takes a look at the startling results. All of this is because two girls sued McDonalds for turning them big, Morgan has a look to see if what their saying is true and McDonalds is the reason why they are the way they are. Interlinked with the story of his new diet regime are revealing interviews with doctors like Dr. Daryl Isaacs and Dr. Lisa Ganjhu are the main two it is focused on and also fast-food devotees, who seem to have an astounding lack of awareness about the contents of the products they consume.

This is a very funny documentary as Morgan is always adding in humour by jolts, but it is also shocking at the same time as we realize we know not that much as what we thought we did. I really like the opening to film which involves the track from one of the Queen songs. It is evengly spread out and most of what is mentioned will stay with you for ages, I still remember tons from that film and I watched it when it was back in the theatres in 2004! Like Michael Moore's documentary films it didn't last very long on rental and to buy in the stores before it came out on television and has been on quite a few times already. I think it's the same for all the documentaries that have been in the theatres, but then there are so many being made these days! I think Super Size Me will stand out from most of them and is going to be a inspiration to documentary filmmakers for their future projects.

This paragraph will explain a few scenes from Super Size Me, so if you only want to read one or two, or nothing at all then start reading the next paragraph NOW. A man has been interviewed for how many times he has been to his local McDonalds. He has been a ridiculous amount of times that they have a banner outside saying his name and he is their number one customer. He eats there everyday and even proposed to his wife there! He loves the place so much and it all happened only because he bought a burger from there on the way home one day to find he drove back to have more. What is shocking is that he is a tall and skinny guy for the amount of burgers he has ate. Morgan shows graphic scenes of him forcing to eat his meals from McDonalds to the point that we see him throwing up. He put on so much weight throughout the test, the doctors said to him he should give up and that was only a few days into it! His girlfriend said that their sex life hasn't been that good, he gets tired too easily and she is the one on top all the time.

This is a great film to watch even if you think you know alot about fast food, this could surprise you! I would say this is the number one documentary to buy on DVD, not only because it is knowledgable but also because of the humour and how entertaining Morgan makes it. I would definitely watch this again and would buy it on DVD if it was for a very cheap price. If you want to cut down on food then watch this film as it would help. I don't think it is as terrifying as some critics make it out to be, saying you will not look at another burger the same way again, as everyone wouldn't care about that. But it would remind you of the film when you do eat fast food, though.

OPEN WATER *** (GOOD)

When I saw the trailer and the poster for this film it stated it is a combination of Jaws and The Blair Witch Project. The Jaws part I could understand since the film is about a couple getting stranded out in sea and heading into shark water. But the Blair Witch part? Maybe it's because the whole film is filmed with digital video cameras giving that quirkyness feel that went on in the Blair Witch Project. Or maybe it's because it is based on true events of what happened to a couple. Also the people who played the couple were really sent into the sea with sharks which what we see from their expressions is real terror, which seems to be mostly the hype over this film. Alot of people didn't like The Blair Witch Project because of all the hype over it's supposed to be scarrier than The Exorcist, it wasn't, but then that doesn't mean it wasn't disturbing or creepy. I admit I was disapointed the first time but that was because my expectations were too high but when I watched it again I started appreciating the sheer brilliance of their method of filmmaking and the clever ideas they used that turned it into a psychological classic that has been spoofed in loads of movies and talked about over the world. I think Open Water is trying to get the same response as TBWP did, except they wanted all the comments to be good about it. except, unfortunately the responses are as neutral as TBWP was and is not as popular.

We follow an American couple, Daniel and Susan (Daniel Travis and Blanchard Ryan) on an idyllic holiday in the Bahamas. But disaster strikes the pair when they are accidentally left behind while out at a sea scuba diving. The person on the boat that did the head count of the all the guests made a mystake and thought everyone was back on safely until they got back to the island in which it was too late for the unfortunate couple. We witness their last few hours out in sea before they plunge to their doom. Cold, alone and miles from land the couple are in shark-infested waters and, like vultures, the sharks are beginning to circle. Unlike vultures, the sharks are not going to wait for their prey to die naturally first! About fifteen minutes of it is made of terrible quality including the acting. It's as if their all amatures and don't get the just of it until their out in the water. The dialogue is very unnecessary that is supposed to show the chemisty between the couple and what their like, I would say that some people wouldn't care about them as when their out in the water we still know nothing about them! There is something awkward shots through the whole film of unnecessary zoomed in shots which it's supposed to act like a proper movie but you're still reminded by them that there are cameras there taking out alot of its atmosphere and suspension that this movie could of been. There is bit of a twist at the end which if you don't want to find out then start reading the next paragraph NOW! The water-proof camera the couple take out to take photographs with is found in a shark whilst someone is gutting it to hear the dialogue of how puzzled they are. I suppose that is what the filmmakers mean when they say it is based on true events since they have evidence from that camera of what happened to those poor couple. But it still doesn't mean they were eaten by sharks! Daniel is the first one to die from bleeding to death by how many times the sharks have been bitting him, and strangely not his partner Blanchard. She has a very disturbing death, in my opinion, when she realizes there is no hope for her and she lets herself sink to the bottom of the sea for the sharks to get her. You see her head going underwater which is a shocking and clever way to make an ending for that film. It's a shame they couldn't do that for the opening sequences as well.

The director Chris Kentis had help from his wife to make this film with a tight shoe-string budget that didn't cost them much to make at all. You can tell this with the picture and sound quality in a few places. The acting from Daniel and Blanchard is pathetic on land which doesn't even look like their making an effort at all. They do bulk up a little when their out at sea with their acting but that only shines through some dialogue but then I guess thats because Mr Kentis sent them into the sea with real sharks so I should imagine there was no acting involved in that one. I still think the camera angles could of been better as alot of times we're just shown zoomed in faces of the sharks which doesn't even look like their near the couple! It is about an hour in the film that we see this couple getting surrounded by sharks anyway, alot of time is wasted on the boat showing it leaving and the acting of other people on that boat. Also alot of shots of the surroundings are taken as well with a fresh mix of caribbean music which even now I don't think suited the mood for the film, but then that is probably the only music they could afford unless they had someone to do it for them. The couple also get attacked by jellyfish before swimming into shark territory so alot of moans and groans are from that as well.

This film is good but not something I could sit through again. I remember exactly what happened as it didn't go on for that long, but the shots of the scenery does as if their trying to stretch the film on longer. I know alot of people hated this film so I would say that if you can't appreciate the filmmaking methods like used in Touching the Void and The Blair Witch Project then you will definitely not like this. I could probably watch it again but only if it is someone I know that haven't watched it and would appreciate it. Buying the DVD is out of the question, only worth renting out and only to watch it by yourself. If you watched it in a group of people then there WILL be at least one person who will not be able to sit all the way through because of how 'boring' it is. The ending is the best, though, so even if you have to sacrifice to watch all of it just for the ending would be worth it.

MAN ON FIRE *** (GOOD)

With two films in 2004 out in the same month, fans of Oscar winner Denzil Washington are in for a treat. In Man on Fire he is directed by Tony Scott who did Top Gun and The Last Boy Scout, who is known for his rich visual design and thrilling capture of action sequences. Man on Fire is a film themed on many of flicks that have been out over the last few years telling sadistic tales of revenge. The Kill Bill franchise took the world on by storm as Tarrantino directs some sassy dialogue and martial art action sequences that first kicked it off in a very gory way. Sin City, based from Frank Millers graphic comics was also about vengence told by three perspectives, each have a story to be told filmed in black and white throughout with computer animated backgrounds. All of these had it's unique style behind them but Man on Fire represents the olden revenge flicks that pretty much resembles the PC game Max Payne in the next line; 'A man with nothing to lose'. This is the more 'realistic' look to revenge, which because it is more true to reality makes it the most believable. I wouldn't say as shocking as what we have seen from the other revenge films, but it is definitely disturbing in its own sadistic little way. This was a film I did not expect to be as tragic and upsetting as it was. Little on the action but high on stalking and torture.

Washington's character is an ex-Marine named Creasy. Although not specifically told what has gone on, the audience come to learn that in the past a tragic event befell Creasy and his old Marine buddy Rayburn (Christopher Walken). This has left him a broken man, torn between his religion and the alcohol that numbs his anguish. Crasy drifts into Mexico City, the kidnapping capital of the world, and takes a job as a bodyguard protecting young actress Dakota Fanning. The bond that develops between the two restores Creasy's faith and brings new purpose to his life. But this is shattered one day when Pita is kidnapped. Creasy's lifeline has been stolen and his mind now turns to one task: bloody vengence against those responsible. Turning the tables on the kidnappers, he uses his training to gain the upper hand in a violent pychological battle. Make no mistake, Creasy's revenge is brutal and, at times, visually graphic. But the strength of the film lies in its patient build up. Creasy has gone through an emotional mill and the audience has been there with him. I thought the ending was sad, but if I write it then it would be a spoiler so if you don't want to find out then start reading the next paragraph NOW. Creasy finds the young girl but the only way he is going to get her back from the kidnappers is by trading himself for her which the terrorists kindly accept his generous offer. So it may be a happy ending for her but not for poor Creasy. What I don't understand is that he went through a lot of trouble to get where he was and to just end his life being a slave for her is just... Well... Disturbing to watch. A quite clever ending.

A good film but is not all that violent as what some critics make it out to be. Yes, it does deserve its eighteen certificate as it has got but nothing to go frantic over. There is one good torture scene that involves Washington's victim tied in a car which goes through hell before he finally breaks to Washington, only then to find that the car with him in it gets blown up, so he just ends up dead which is a nice sadistic scene to get that taste of the movies revenge genre. I can't remember it all that well as I watched it on a special showing when it was still in the theatres but what I can say is that I wasn't unimpressed what I saw and has actually made me think these days if I should buy it on DVD for a very cheap price. But then I wouldn't go out of my way unless it came to me firstly. But if you're a fan of Denzil and vengence films then you will be in for one hell of a treat and you could think this is better than the rating I have given it. Don't expect too much blood at all and explosions as well as gunfire, but think the trail Denzil leaves behind of mutilated bodies of what used to be bad people that deserves punishment like that.