djderka Reviews

King of the Ants (I) (2003)

Stretches credibility like a rubber band...then....snap.

[2/10 · 30 June 2021]

I only watched this on pluto tv channel because the other shows were all repeats.

Gordon joins Trauma films in veracity, integrity, and style.

I.e. Nothing there.

The premise (not pitched in an elevator, but probably a loud strip bar is far fetched. Ray convinces Sean to kill an accountant (rubber band starts to stretch). Sean does it and has a crush on Susan (the accountant's wife).

After the job, Ray decides not to pay Sean, (more stretching of rubber band).

Ray and his buddies torture Sean in the desert house by hitting him several times in the head with golf clubs. (rubber band reaching limit). Sean never leaves town to avoid the beating...( rubber band ready to snap).

He turns into a vegetable on skid row and is befriended by Susan, the wife of the accountant. (stretching even more).

She takes him in because his apt. Has been trashed.

"you can't live here she says".. and invites him home to stay with her. (SNAP goes the rubber band).

Soon, predictably, she sleeps with him and then he accidentally kills her in a fight. DOUBLE SNAP.

Then he cons Ray to join him in the desert house to give him the papers he has. Sean clumsily disposes of the 3 thugs in a boring sequence.

If you want revenge films, try U Turn, Revenge, Malone, Death Wish, and hundreds of others.

BUT, we need films by Trauma and Gordon, really, otherwise we could easily overlook real talent and skill and take master craftsman and genius for granted. Don't confuse 'refusing to break into the mainstream", with lack of talent, skill, talent, craftsmanship, and insight.

With heavy editing, and better production values, this might have made an interesting 30 min (tops) episode on Night Gallery.

Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010)

Birdemic on target.....

[1/10 · 8 June 2021]

For being an example of how to make a movie when you have zero experience about making a move. Nguyen could have also spent the 10 K on doing a dental implant in his dentist's office for the fun of it.

All the key elements are missing: script, characters, dialogue, lighting, camera work, blocking, shot making, music, and SFX.

To sum up the plot; Birds attack a town because of climate change and endless theories of planet issues are discussed at a beach gathering, to cap off the reason for the movie.

Nguyen has a lot of friends, friends that he promised to put in his movie. His drunken friends challenged him to make a movie and ponied up 10 K to do it.

I have a friend who wrote a screenplay while getting drunk at a local bar, each night he was there, which was every night.

Then he tried to get 40K from a friend of his and mine who had the money to do it. The drunken writer was to play the lead drug king pin and a sexy local college girl the female star.

The friend just laughed.

Drunks are a great source of half baked ideas.

The bird FX are the worst I have seen and probably done on a Windows program.

Birdemic is probably used in Robert McKee's classes to encourage people to take his screen writing seminars.

And an example of why you need to go to a film school.

Or why you need to read at least ONE book on filmmaking.

My bet is that Nguyen wanted to seduce the blond Nathalie and said at a bar, "i'll (hic) put you in a move and make you a star, let's talk about it at my place"

A lot of people think, "I bought a Sony XF405 video camera and I am a director".

Reevaluate your position.

And yes, the MST3K version is the best.

Rod misses his cue to walk, Crow says, 'you'll edit that out, right". Tom says, "yep we will edit that out'..Crow says, "keep rolling".

Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961)

Creature gets dunked

[5/10 · 5 May 2020]

I agree with Bruce. Corman early films in b/w are hysterical. My favorite is Bucket of Blood...only there ain't no blood, but a send up of beatniks and conceptual art.

Creature starts with a chess game in a sleezy bar with a hot undercover operative and the narrators mission to Cuba. From a guy who mimics animals in his dialogue to a hot babe in a black sheath dress on the beach, this becomes a series of funny 3 stooges type script.

It is hard to describe the plot...but a Gilligan type goes under cover to find some gold? and make it with the look alike Anna Karina. A phone box in the middle of the jungle is hysterical..the movies is a collection of odd ball scenes, a creature that appears in the last 4 minutes of the film, a sinking boat, a boat captain who thoroughly looks like Humphrey Bogart in African Queen.

Shot on a 16mm silent camera, it was dialoged looped. You can do a lot with old 16mm film cameras and a Nagra audio recorder is you have talent and ingenuity and a low, low budget forcing you to be creative. Remember these were B movies with a super market budget, no Psycho budgets. Many are great and deserve to be watched again.

There is no spoiler, I am not sure how it ends.

Let the Corpses Tan (2017)

Schizophrenia type folks will love this film...

[1/10 · 21 February 2020]

Did Goddard direct this film or Kenneth Anger? The film is reminiscent of Experimental films in the 60s and 70s in the US with more surrealism than realism. The DVD cover gives away the plot. Lots of style, no substance. Can only sum up film with 'bank robbery gone bad". I assume. I am reminded of an art work whose method of expression far exceeds the ideas embodied in it. I.e. what the hell was this all about. You could call it imagistic film making. That is, the film is what is shown on the screen, bullet holes, angry faces, female urine flow, more bullet holes, gun sounds, explosions, dream imagery, and what is that shot about? type structure. That sums up the film, other than there is a bank robbery and cops and robbers get shot. The scene where the girls red dress is shot to pieces and torn off her body by bullets is interesting. Kind of an homage to spaghetti westerns. It is not dazzling but tedious. But nevertheless, experimental films like this are important...important to let you know to really appreciate films like Once Upon a Time in the West for its brilliance. You cannot write a spoiler to this film. It is impossible, because you don't know how it ends. It doesn't 'end', it just kind of stops. Best viewed whilst tripping on some kind of substance.

The Amazing Panda Adventure (1995)

If you want Robot Panda...watch this film

[3/10 · 3 November 2019]

Yep, this is reality > Robot Panda....too bad as I love pandas. Plot so simple, it could be a short elevator ride pitch. To producer: "Hey, about a panda flick where two airheads save a panda from poachers". Producer; "Sounds great. You got $500,000. Make it a block buster"

Yeah, right.

I have seen every panda film and documentary and read 6 books on pandas. I thought something was fishy when the panda went over a bridge, down a water fall, and attacked a poacher. Hmmmm..... First of all, there were probably 3 Chinese Panda handlers/keepers on the set and TWO armed guards to prevent any harm to the panda. Messing with a panda brings severe penalties. The panda handlers would NEVER permit a panda to go over a falls, hence the big use of the mechanical panda, which was obvious. Story sucked, and only a few minutes of live action with a panda. If you want a fun film about bears, try Yellowstone Cubs, made in 1964. Director does a fine job of telling the tale (reenacted by two bears) separated from mom. They get into tons of trouble, including driving a boat...It is really fun. AND don't miss BORN IN CHINA...an great movie about snow monkeys, snow leopard and Giant Panda...and beautiful footage of the majestic beauty of China.

Night Visitor (1989)

Ambitious horror film is fun....and scary.

[7/10 · 31 October 2019]

You know there are a lot of fun, low budget horror films that are very ambitious and fun. Like Blood and Lace, Night Visitor, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, I Was a Teenage Zombie and hundreds of others that are always fun to watch.

Reviewers sometimes don't like them because they think they are one reel short of Dr. Zhivago and are spoiled by viewing Halloween, The Exorcist, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and others.

But these great 'second' tier films can be way underrated. Usually made of a few hundred thousand dollars instead of millions, they offer a fun, quirky, style about them.

Night Visitor has a star studded cast in odd ball character roles. The teacher is a Satanist who kills people for his sacrifices. A student tumbles on to his secret and seeks help to help uncover him. See Dig That Crazy Cast review for actor backgrounds.

Sadly, the director mentions that the studio edited his film, which seemed much darker. This version is lighter and fun to watch. I recommend a whole sub genre of horror films made under 1 mil and are exciting adventures into the mind of directors and writers without large budgets.

I recommend this film, I watch it every time it comes on Comet TV, which probably means it has been edited like all the others on TV. You'll have fun.

X-Ray (1981)

Stuck in a Mental Ward?

[7/10 · 10 October 2019]

You won't be the first. Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. poor Leonardo DiCaprio stuck on Shutter Island...or Peter Breck in Shock Corridor. Are you next? Not happening....today. Very hard to get committed.

This film is fun and very appropriate to being committed against your will. Much under rated and following some familiar themes, X-Ray is good, well done thriller from the 80s. An much under rated. Dealing with corrupt doctors and a nut job from her childhood, poor Barbi Benton is tortured and subjugated to various mental challenges. Stuck in a hospital for an 'examination", her old child hood pervert becomes a doctor to imprison her since he had a peeping tom crush on her when she was a pre teen. Through various narrow escapes she does survive. I have only seen this on Comet TV, so no nudity. May have to get a copy in the $1 bin somewhere. Overall a good film and re watchable.

Standoff (I) (2016)

About as thrilling as watching a field scarecrow

[3/10 · 16 July 2019]

Its been 3 days since my friend and I saw this movie and I already forgot most of it. Want a hitman movie? Try Diary of a HItman with Forest Whitaker. Obscure opening has Fishburne shooting a few people, (don't know why) and girl in b.g. sees him taking a few photos. He has to find her and kill her. How original.

Fishburne winds up at a farmhouse where he encounters the girl and her "protector", an ex military guy who is trying to redeem himself for his son's death. He has only two shells in a shotgun for defense.

Want to make a cheap film. Find a single location. I.e. a house. No permits, parking costs, nothing.

The dialogue between Fishburne and the ex soldier could have taken place in a coffee house like Starbucks. I don't recall to many violent home invasions movies where the perp is intent on killing the occupants to be so chatty. Surprised the too of them didn't bake some cookies over hot chocolate. Scenes draaaaaaaaged. No impetus to watch the next scene. Little girl misses opportunity to use cop car radio in barn to call for help while Larry lies wounded on the floor. Ooopppps. Although the cop, who is shot earlier, is missing for some 10 hrs, no one at the station thinks to investigate. Huh?

No suspense in ho hum movie. The Professional (10) was far, far more interesting. Good writing is the viewer wanting to know what will happen next NOT when is this movie over? Little girl is supposed be um..sort of frightened not philosophical. Now if Tarantino had written it.......hmmmmmmm... Want a house film scenario > Here's a house film...Your Next...or Get Out. You will be much more entertained.

A Crime (2006)

Pseudo thriller boomerangs on writer

[1/10 · 14 June 2019]

Whew! Bought this for a dollar at Dollar Store. Spent 99 cents too much. Basic plot; Man catches glimpse of car fleeing the scene of murder where his wife was killed. He goes to NYC to search for a cab with a scratch among 14,000 cabs. He races his dog on the side with a bunch of Asian dog racers. Alice Parker has a crush on him and frames Roger Culkin(shabby cabby) to take the fall so she can hook up with Vincent Harris (the guy whose wife was murdered).

In basic thrillers each scene should have you wondering what will happen next. In this film, you wonder when it will end as each scene is sooooooo boring.

Alice Parker (Emmanuelle Beart) has the emotional range of a piece of toast. Harvey Keitel needed some fast bucks for rent so he signed on as the cab driver and a chance for a sex scene (two) with Beart. She has one look trough out the entire film. The film maker could have used a mannequin and saved a few bucks.

Keep your remote in a holster so you so you can fast draw for fast forward. You will be using it a lot. The writer needs a course in screen writing. Or watch Breaking Bad for basic screen writing, where each scene keeps you anticipating the next scene. Not praying for a quick ending.

A Crime should have been directed by Michael Bay and made into a 10 minute film. This movie has more in common with Plan 9, than Clouzot.

Molly's Game (2017)

Yak athon non thriller

[1/10 · 16 May 2019]

If you like a movie with constant yaking...this is for you. If you like a movie with boring characters on the screen exchanging boring dialogue or voice over with boring details...see this film. Geez. I fell asleep 4 times. Injured skier turns to creating a high stakes poker game. There it is..That is the story line That is the elevator pitch. What a concept!

Oh, and the gamblers are boring too! Oh, they were movie stars,and rich folks...whoopee doo.

If 'Molly" didn't wear high heels, tight skirts, show lots of cleavage, and wear red lipstick and blue eye shadow...the movie wouldn't last 10 seconds. But even that isn't enough to keep viewers interested. Her lawyer was the most interesting character. He should have dropped her case as soon as her saw her and her arrogance.

Molly is a non stop talk fest with voices that are better than sleeping pills for making you doze off. Molly has the same MONO TONE voice through out the entire film, and what she says is equally boring.

Want a thriller? Try: Catch me if you Can Now You See Me 1 & 2.

Molly was a talking head video without any compositional interest. And the ending was Say What? After all this?

This is the Cliff Notes version or cartoon version of Silkwood, a REAL movie about a very courageous women who help stopped a nuclear disaster. vs. women who starts high stakes poker game. Really? What a career goal. Wait...maybe this was satire on movies like this....ah..nah.

Jane (II) (2017)

Home movie style "doc' lacks luster

[5/10 · 21 January 2018]

Jane is a 'assembled' movie that rightly shows her place in understanding the chimps in Africa and leading to new conclusions about their species. However, there were far to many "Jane looking through binoculars" shots and Jane washing her hair. In a great faux science experiment, she brings in outside bananas to the chimps and they go well, bananas in coveting the goods and wrecking the support site. There are observational animal studies which means you do not interact with the animals and make them part of your 'western 'family' getting them to become dependent on you. Missing parts of the film > why did the chimp colonies fight each other to death. Was it the bananas? Jane simply gloss overs this terrible tragedy. Lot is really missing from a study of this type and inserting herself into the colony was not a good idea. Music by Glass was of course great. And there are lots of other worth while studies providing necessary insight into animal colonies.

Desierto (2015)

Desert Thriller delivers

[7/10 · 31 August 2017]

Actually I thought this was going to devolve into a procedural drama with those that witnessed the original shooting going to court and a whole 'trial movie'.

As I kept watching however, it turned into a very real horror movie. Just like the innocents are chased in Texas Chain saw, only this is very original and shot in the daylight in the desert.

I would not want to be in the desert in those conditions. Was surprised that Moises leaves Adela behind, saying 'he has a son'.

Great cinematography and direction. Different scenes in desert great > rocks, desert, cactus beds, and a hunt and chase scene that is thrilling and a little reminiscent of Duel. Very good well thought out and put together film.

The shooter Sam is an extreme typical stereotype by the left, all the Minute Men in the south report such illegal immigration to authorities they don't shoot them.

Commenters were right about the M! Garand and Sam is a little improbable making long shots without a tripod and several migrants moving in different directions. For having no military training he is too good a shooter and is a fantasy.

However, avoid the voice over sound track by the director, just more political diatribe about migrants who are really illegal immigrants. How about a film about illegals who commit crimes in US, like drunk driving, fake Soc Sec cards and shootings.

Where to Invade Next (2015)

More distorted propaganda

[2/10 · 1 August 2017]

I liked the first Moore film on Flint, MI but he has always started with left wing propaganda and shows that his films are just extensions of Pravda like journalism and its orientation to 'capitalism'. Yet Russia and China are becoming more capitalist, while still regaining control over the people in social interactions.

His comment, "slaves built this country" is just like Obama saying 'you didn't build this country, we did". The leftist theology never ends.

So, Michael who paid the wages of workers. Capitalist, people willing to invest cash into major projects like railroads, buildings, early roads, cars, electricity... forgot about that did you? Did workers say, 'hey let's build cars' or did they earn a living from capital investment.

But yes wages were indeed low and it was Henry Ford to doubled their wages so that every worker could buy a Ford, something that only the RICH, like Moore, could afford. And labor unions were necessary in the 1900.

He also fails to mention (on purpose) that there was a Trans-Atlantic slave trade, most were run by African tribal leaders who sold slaves and that of some 10 million slaves, 4 million went to Brazil and the rest of Central and South America. and some 450,000 Africans in the US for the slave trade.

Moore just simply distorts facts and cherry picks and uses the sin of omission to 'prove' his left wing narrative bias.

Sadly his films profit from paranoia, conspiracy theory and duplicity.

Dead Heist (2007)

Thugs vs zombies in refreshing clash

[8/10 · 18 July 2017]

Everyone knows the plot so I digress:

I liked this movie. For one thing it followed the golden rule of all film making. "I wonder what happens next." And it did.

The writing and the characterizations were well done and not like the robot like characters in 99% of zombie films. Lighting great. scenes great. Location great. The beginning hood scenes of the robbery were cool. They showed character development, believable characters...often missing in zombies movies. In short it started as a real movie, not schlock. So tired of zombies attacking 1 minute after the movie credits start and continuing for 90 more minutes with a 'who cares' about the victims.

Dead Heist is a refreshing change from other zombie movies and has an interesting plot, characters and execution. Looking for more films from writer and director.

I was wondering why the government dude was letting zombies in, and he told why..to capture them and dispatch them once and for all. Dead Heist is an enjoyable movie experience and breaks the mold.

If movies weren't all based on comic books today this would have been in theaters. At least at the drive-ins.

Rating: Cool.

Nightstalker (2009 Video)

A forgettable film in 10 minutes

[1/10 · 10 August 2016]

Another graduate student production shot on video. Very tireless and one of those 'when will this end' type of film. View the first chapter. Then the last chapter. You missed nothing. Except 10 minutes of your time. A psycho drama about Rodriguez the stalker in LA that tries to relate it to his early childhood upbringing and the usual satanic abuse. You learn nothing here, except over acting, poor special effects, lack luster direction, and a hastily written script. But realizing that you might learn something. The killer seems to be doing the same thing every time with 'explaing' of his psychosis through flashbacks of his early childhood and how his father killed a few women in front of him causing a traumatic influence on his behavior. Not very original and poorly executed. A few hot babes tho. And one that doesn't seem to mind being followed by a psycho killer. I mean really. She did have a hot outfit on tho, I'll give her that. Didn't she get the message when she saw him sucking on lollipops all day. Get a clue.

Unfriended (2014)

New online horror movie very real

[8/10 · 13 February 2016]

I liked this new original concept. An online horror film. When it first started I thought "is this all going to be online?" Then I thought, 'hey this is all online'.

The plot is quite involved. A bullied girl commits suicide on line. Her friends all go online for a chat. Soon the mysterious Laura hacks their chat and starts posting under a new user name.

They can't get rid of the new intruder although on of them tries with an anti-virus program. Soon their past sins began to play out online in a weird game of disclosure. Very nicely done.

Loved the way it was made very real with miscellaneous clicking and mousing around. When an unwanted song comes on for example one user tries reducing the volume by various ways, none of which are successful.

Another scene has the user trying to click on a grayed out area, his friend suggest reloading the page. The vitality and realness of this movie makes it one of the best new horror films.

The new online cast is very, very good, I felt that they were all really on target. Kudos to writer and director. To get that very real effect I bet there was a lot of computer work.

Cannibal Diner (2012)

The cannibals should have eaten the writer/director first

[2/10 · 23 December 2015]

I gave it two because of the hot models ruining around with tank top cleavage and short skirts.

To think Herzog, Winders, Fassbinder, Lang, all came from Germany and now this awful film. Hard to believe. The writer seems enjoy chicks running around screaming, which I believe the screams were dubbed anyway.

Other reviews are right, Wrong Turn, makes Cannibal Diner look like a student film shot on 8m.

The lead actress sure spends a lot of time running through the forest and running though an abandoned warehouse. Oops that is the movie. Not to worry about dialogue, there really isn't any. The girls are hot, and I give the casting director the most credit.

TGIF applies here, thank god its finished. Use chapter skip a lot, you will not miss anything. As for the jerky camera no light finale, um, been done before with a lot more style and narration.

Muck (I) (2015)

Great for drive in...that is closed for the season

[2/10 · 11 October 2015]

Yes, I gave it a 2. Why? Lots and lots of T&A from former models and a playboy bunny. Jiggly boobs in slo-motion, lots of rear view shots of girls in bra and panties. Bathroom scene of a girl 'mugging' the mirror in different bras. Nice girls underwear type t-shirt shirts with lots of nice cleavage. Girls being chased by albinos. Where is Joe Bob Briggs to rate this....let's see: multiple stabbings, 6 boobs. If I was 15 this would be a great movie...you are just aware of chicks.

Plot: Huh? Dialogue: Say Whaaat? Guys acting: Right from public access TV.

Best scene: guy runs to get help, stumbles upon a bar and dozen of hot chicks. He is supposed to call for help, but winds up with a drink and a babe. Take all those hot babes in the bar and run hem out to the house where they can be terrorized.

I thought this could be some kind of wry comedy because the actions of he 'actors' is so stupid. But then I thought, no. the Scary Movie series is so much better. Then the guys are arguing over a junk car???? A feeble attempt at humor because the characters look so stupid.

I noticed Puja's dad was an Executive Producer. One girl in the credits had her named blurred out.

If it was supposed to be scary > see Wrong Turn. Comedy and horror > Night of the Comet.

Maybe if the Whiplash teacher was guiding Steve Walsh he would say, stop! do it again! Were you to fast? Do you know the beat? Do you understand moving making. Slap!

See what happens when you make a Canon 5D available to everyone.

How about another title: Cleavage run aMUCK.

Then again I am thinking this guy thought he was making a comedy and a was John Waters wannabe. People about to be killed make quippy dialogue about unrelated circumstances? And Puja's lines were beyond stupid, I think Steve thought he was making a comedy. That or he is the worst dialogue writer ever.

Let's Be Cops (2014)

Title should have been: Let's Be Metermaids.

[1/10 · 7 August 2015]

This long, long (yes even at 100 or so minutes) is just awful.

PLOT: Two bumbling idiots decide to impersonate cops. Faux hi jinks follow. You are very thankful though when the movie is over, even tho it seems as tho it goes on forever, way past its premise.

Nothing to see here so just move along, folks.

The 'buddy' cops fail to deliver and those two had about as much chemistry as salt peter and zinc.

Horrible plot, poor acting, no sympathy for such bone head characters, and their stupidity and bumbling is so frustrating, you better have ff engaged at all times. Totally stupid situations they encounter. All make mowing the lawn a much better more exciting alternative.

Or better if as in Star Trek you had 'warp speed' you could get through this mish mash much faster.

Was this movie scripted on a napkin at Spaggios? It looked like they winged it.

Too bad, because I think Waylans is funny and loved all of the SCARY MOVIES.

Citizen X (1995 TV Movie)

Low key but brilliant cop drama

[9/10 · 25 July 2015]

What is is brilliant about this story is the persistence of the lead detective to find the killer.

Interestingly the Commissar said that 'there are no killers in the Soviet Union, that is in decadent western societies" Of course we all get the point. But here in the mid-west in a college town in a lefty book store of the the owners actually said that crime in America is because they are a capitalistic empire. Some left wing ideas never die.

Now, back to the movie, it was great and the quips by the Colonel and his astute observations or Soviet society were appro. In fact, most Russians found ways to work outside the system.

But my favorite scene was when they caught Chilikto He is in a park and children are playing the the plain clothes police come up on him from the sides, front and back and tell him to 'keep walking'.. One of the most brilliant arrests I have ever seein. The opposite of course of our cops yelling for him to get on the ground and every manner of gun pointed at him.

Great film.

One, Two, Three (1961)

Fastest and funniest comedy in the West (Berlin)

[10/10 · 21 July 2015]

I thought Airplane 1 & 2 were very funny. I liked all the Scary Movies (the comedies). I really liked It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, World with all of the greatest comedians of the time. And Bridesmaids was really funny too.

But compared to One Two Three they all are in slow motion.

One Two Three is the fastest most witty comedy I have ever seen. I just saw it on cable. And it is one of Billy Wilder's finest films. You cannot afford to laugh as you will miss the next zinger.

The comedic innuendos come a flying at ya' and you better have a cup of Dark Roast coffee to stay alert.

Fun is made of East/West, North/South, Communism/Capitalism and a ton of everything including society itself. A real tour d'force of life in the 60s and the cold war.

Cagney has the fastest and longest lines you have every seen and he is backed up by a great supporting cast. The story is simple: Executive has to confront his capitalistic boss with the fact that his egocentric daughter falls in love with a commie. The quick witted dialogue between the Russian embassy guy and Cagney are great!

I have to buy the video and show it too my friends, ASAP. And had to get my 2 cents in for a legacy post.

And no CGI special effects, explosions, gun fire, car chases, impending disasters, foot chases, and the big mean bad guy.

All dialogue and funny sight gags. Why can't we make this kind of comedy today.

Dear White People (2014)

Boring and overdone

[3/10 · 23 June 2015]

There are plenty of other black films out there that really entertain and sometimes make a point about race perceptions and relations. (see last paragraph)

The filmmakers scripted a real life situation, A racial Halloween Party in Texas...how boring can you get. Whites in black face... zzzzz..huh, oh I fell asleep. Why make a movie about one incidence of jerky white guys.

Then the movie turns into a black Dinner with White People where people chat on and on.

If you are into b/w dialogue just listen to the audio. Nothing to see here except a few very hot sorority girls. The filmmakers must have said, 'let's bring in comments on 'the weave'. Sorry Chris Rock did an entire documentary and it was great.

Was Dear White People a class project? What was the point. "Hey some fraternity dudes can be assholes." Big surprise.

Rent Hollywood Shuffle by Robert Townsend and then check out the reset of his film. He is good.

Nightcrawler (2014)

Zoom in and check out this flick

[8/10 · 19 March 2015]

Although most of you know the plot by now, I found the story to be very accurate as I did work as a 'stringer' for news stations in Indianapolis awhile ago.

Jake is great as an up an coming 'if it bleeds it leads' camera prowler looking for a story. Reminds me of the famous Wee Gee who covered the police beat in NYC in the 1930s with his trunk full of camera gear and a police scanner. Coverage and the need for a 'bleeds it lead' story hasn't changed much.

Jake really fills the role of an up and coming, 'wannabe' news night time stringer. His performance reminded me of the great performance of Robbin Williams in One Hour Photo. Truly stunning jobs by both of them. Bill Paxton was wonderful as the grizzled Nightcrawler.

Lots of news satire in this movie and the great line of course is from Rene Russo (hot) when she says "we are interested in the uptick in suburban crime and how crime is spilling out to the burbs."

I just sent an email to 5 of my friends to watch this movie.

However, I think the dialog was a bit too wordy and more like an essay at times and dragged the story down a little. Remember For a Few Dollars more and the man with no name and little to say. There seemed to be a little too much psycho babble by the character and his actions made a lot of the points anyway. I didn't think that at the end he needed to say to his partner who just died in a shoot out that he was just a story lead, it was obvious. So less verbosity would have really made a better movie, I think. Sometimes too much dialog is like hitting the brake on an Indy Race Car before it crosses the finish line.

But all in all a wonderful cast, great visuals, good direction, great writing, cool subtle soundtrack, and current absorbing storyline.

There was another film, Paparazzi, that viewers may also want to check out.

Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014 TV Movie)

Weather TV casters save Sharknado

[6/10 · 5 March 2015]

Actually this was a fun film with quick pacing and some interesting CGI effects.

However, the newscasters and the TV news shows saved this from being the run of the mill 'disaster' film.

I cracked up when Al Roker and Matt really gave a great, great comic yet believable relief from an otherwise run of the mill disaster film. Add their special weather graphics and the movie is worth watching for just this part. Truly funny.

IN ADDITION

The move likes quips but could have been improved by a few tweaks.

1)Kelly use her sky high red heels to kill one shark, it was forewarned in an early segment by her showing off her red heels to her co-host. What was needed was a slow motion CU shot of those red high heel coming down on to the shark's head and in slow motion with appropriate sound effect. We could almost hear the shark saying nooooooooo.

2)The hero uses a chain saw in one scene to split a shark in half, lengthwise. I expected him to do the "chain saw dance" like in the chain saw movies, but he never did.

3)Great scene in the pizza place where a shark comes in and the owner bats the shark into a pizza oven. I expected him to put up a sign that says: "NEW, Shark Pizza soon".

4)In one scene the hero says to his friend, "we need a bigger bomb', she should have said, "yeah, like Heavens's Gate".

There were some of these missed opportunities, but overall a fun, fast moving film with good homages to other similar movies. View the extra features for some inside info. Well directed and with great cameos. I enjoyed it.

A Horrible Way to Die (2010)

Horrible way to make a film, worst photography ever

[3/10 · 3 March 2015]

A serial killer does his usually stchick on unsuspecting characters after he escapes from jail. His ex-girl friend is in hiding and under witness protection because she testified against him.

But, the cinematography was so bad, it was hard to follow the story.

I think the director got a string of Christmas lights and decided to use them in an out of focus foreground for a 'anxiety' effect. Really? A very poorly conceived decision. 'Shaky cam' was used on Blair Witch and a few others. You might try a tight story line, good actors, and scenes and presto a movie and a tripod.

Rather than move you into the story, such techniques take you out of the story since you are very aware of the effects and fail to follow the story. But maybe the cinematographer had the d'ts'

Pulp Fiction had very little 'artsy out of focus lights' as an effect to get the audience in a tipsy mood.

Story line wasn't bad, but ruined by the constant use of out of focus lights and jumpy camera work. Did you not have access to a pair of sticks?

Plot at the end was good though and should have been extended instead of endless AA meetings.