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alimabean
Reviews
The Forsaken (2001)
Nothing New
In a crowded subgenre like vampire movies, you have to have something fresh to stand out and this movie made no attempt. It used every new-modern cliche about vampires that have been thoroughly played through in other vamp movies.
There are so many ridiculous plot holes that it's painful to actually sit through the whole movie. Once you get past the plot holes, it is predictable to the very end.
When they couldn't think of anymore terrible lines that the actors could force out, they showed some girlie-chest or explosions.
Lastly, **SPOILER** I have never seen a vampire be so menacing in such a non-supernatural, thug type way. Since when do vampires choose to attack people by way of 9mm instead of fangs? Is that supposed to be scarier?
I gave this movie a 2 out of 10. If you have never seen any other vampire movie before, then this may offer something fresh for you personally. As for the rest of us, pass it on up for... well, just about anything.
The Others (2001)
Suffers from the UNBREAKABLE disease
This movie can be compared to that of the SIXTH SENSE but suffers from the same fate as UNBREAKABLE. You could watch the sixth sense and skip the ending and still enjoy the movie because of its plotline. The ending is just the kicker that makes you want to see it again.
Like UNBREAKABLE though, THE OTHERS has very little plot. It spends the entire movie with a setup for a "surprise" ending (which is not very surprising). Without the ending, the movie just states facts about its characters and the situations they are in (not what they are doing).
This would have been better suited for a short (like a TALES FROM THE CRYPT type story). Stretched over the course of 2 hours, it is very thin. There are also some "plot holes" which took of a point for me. It is too close to others movies out there to get anything above a 7, but since someone may see this that hasn't seen any other movies that are similar, I gave it just that for its technical points.
Killers (1997)
Garbage.
After seeing this film, I am convinced that the people who added positive feedback about this movie are either:
a) grateful to come out of their cave and see daylight, much less ever see an actual good movie...
b) a storeowner who bought several copies of this video and are trying to rid themselves of them or...
c) actual members of the production crew on this movie.
The movie was so bad, I had to check the box to make sure this wasn't still in production. The only redeeming quality was the 3 second intro. The dialogue was horrible. Maybe it just seemed bad coming from the either whiny or monotone voices coming from the actors. This is to cinema what SAVED BY THE BELL is to intelligent comedy. Garbage.
Bulworth (1998)
BUL-WORTHLESS
For me to comment on a movie, I either love it or hated it. Let me start by saying that this is a horrible movie. I cannot understand why anyone would find this remotely entertaining or, for even a further stretch, funny. I have yet to meet anyone face to face who thought this was at all enjoyable.
The plot had potential. It ended up being foul-mouthed slop and an unwatchable mess. Had I been able to watch the entire thing, even the credits probably contained the F bomb.
You disagree? That usually gets followed up by "oh, you must not get it?" I got IT and IT is old hat and nothing new under the sun. Sure, political campaigns are big scams. Sure, large industry buy and sell laws. At least make it entertaining when you show me something I already know. Did anyone find humor in his political rapping or was I the only one who thought, "Man, this is garbage" ?
This would have gotten a 1 out of 10 except that the technical aspect of film making was up to par. If you do ever feel the need to rent this movie, do yourself a favor and buy a soda instead. Trust me, it's more enjoyable.
The Minus Man (1999)
Step Away From The Video, Nothing To See Here!
Some movies lack in some areas but make up for it in others.
Minus Man had: a fantastic trailer, good actors, and a good premise for a movie (I mean, how can serial killers not be interesting?)
Minus Man lacked: an interesting story, basic story points (like say, a climax), a flowing chain of events with a goal, or even an ounce of anything worthy to show (how can serial killers not be interesting? - watch this and find out).
If you think the film will be as clever as that trailer, which was rather creepy (kudos to the ad agency who designed it), you will be sadly mistaken. The movie was so NOT interesting, I had considered flipping the stop button on the old dvd player at least 3 or 4 times but didn't just in case the ending made up for the poor bulk. I was robbed of my $2.99 rental fee. I gave it a 2 because I can't see me ever wanting to watch any part of it again. It would have gotten a 1 if not for the fair acting and good trailer. I can only recommend this movie to those who have cut me off on the beltway -- this one's for you.
Raising Cain (1992)
I Don't Get The Fuss!
The first several minutes of this movie may seem confusing, but by the end (especially after a second viewing) it comes together quite nicely. This seems to be one of those either love it or hate it movies. I happen to think it's great. There are several scenes that use imagery that stays with you.
The acting is above par and the direction made me a DePalma fan (until Mission to Mars, that is). The movie is fairly accurate as far as the disorder goes which makes it that much better.
I'm not a big Lithgow fan, but I thought he did very well in this. I don't see why so many people hated this. I gave it a 9.
**POSSIBLE SPOILER HEREAFTER** ******************************
The darkest portion of this movie, which I think most people missed, is not Lithgow (Cain) capturing kids for the father. The darkest part is what they didn't show but only talked about. A father abused his own son to purposely create a disorder that he was trying to study -- not cure.
Mystery Men (1999)
Not Too Shabby
The directing behind this film was fantastic for a comedy. Many of the scenes appear to be out of a comic book and much darker (visually -- not story wise) than what I expected. Granted, this may not be the funniest movie ever made, especially if you are into very crude sexist jokes as this has very little of that (compared to others like Something About Mary or American Pie). As you rewatch it, several jokes stand out and get funnier. If you have ever read a comic book or watched a comic book-type movie (Batman, X-Men, etc.) and liked them, you will probably enjoy the subtle humor that continues throughout the movie. If you didn't like them, you may like the respectful ridicule that this film has for those. If you did like this movie, the dvd has some cool extras. (8/10)
The Perfect Storm (2000)
Not So Perfect
I went to see this after all of the hooplah about the special effects and heart touching story. What I saw was an average film with a predictable (and advertised) ending and several scenes that seemed so similar to one another, they could have just been shot at different angles and used as separate scenes. The acting was good (even with Mark Wahlberg's funky bunch accent) and the visual effects were very well done. The problem? It didn't seem to have much substance. I may have gotten into it more if I were a regular boater or fisherman myself, but I am not, and frankly, I was a little bored. If you've seen the commercial and thought that it was so great that you would like to watch it looped for 2+ hours, then have a look at it. Otherwise, rent something else. Average (5)
Stir of Echoes (1999)
Great -- Even With The Competition
This came out around the same time as The Sixth Sense and after watching both, I can see why this movie was basically ignored by a lot of people. Had this been the only ghost movie out at the time, it may have gotten more attention. The first half is intensely creepy. Memories of THE SHINING came to mind when watching some of the characters and their actions. The last half, which is not quite as complex or fulfilling as the first half builds it up to be, is still quiet frightening and is sure to make you flinch if not turn your head. I thought that it brought the story to a satisfactory and creepy close even though it did lose a tad of momentum for a few minutes. Still a very decent flick if you liked THE SIXTH SENSE, WHAT LIES BENEATH, or THE UGLY. I gave it a 9.