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eileena20905
Reviews
The Walking Dead (1995)
Good take on a low-budget Vietnam war movie from a Black perspective
I was looking at the free movies on demand and saw Joe Morton was in this, so I decided to watch it. I was really glad I did. The interactions between Joe and Eddie Griffin were great. I also loved the soundtrack; it reminded me of my youth. I have to disagree with anyone who thinks Blacks weren't disproportionately represented in Vietnam. Actually, all poor Americans were; unfortunately, inner cities happened to have a lot of poor minorities and little political clout. The movie did suffer a little with the generic stereotype VC, and the fighting seemed low budget, but the acting among the main characters was great. Worth seeing if you come across it.
Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
funniest send-up of a genre i've seen since airplane!
i saw the trailer for this movie online - at first, thought "what is this?" - watched the trailer again and laughed so hard, i started crying. at that point, i knew that the idea of seeing alan tudyk playing a hillbilly in a send-up of all the slasher films based on the concept of "deliverance"-esque type guys vs. suburban kids away for a weekend was going to be worth the watch. i mention alan tudyk because i have a special place in my heart for him after "firefly" and "serenity".
i was so right. *everyone* in this film was good if not great. tucker and dale played off each other perfectly; the actors' chemistry was incredible, and they should consider working together on other films. there were several scenes where i laughed so hard, i missed dialogue. the only thing that prevents me from scoring it higher than 8/10 is that about 3/4 of the way through, the movie dragged a bit for me - there was about 10 minutes where the movie lost a bit of momentum, and i was no longer fully in the movie. once past that, the movie went right back to the same tempo and it finished as strong as it started.
Terminator Salvation (2009)
tried, but it's just not up to the gold standard (the originals)
both terminator and terminator II were absolutely fantastic movies - in different ways; i love them both, and each of them are wonderful for what they are. the third movie is weaker, but still links in a not-unimportant way to the first two movies in keeping with how John and Sarah Connor are important to saving the future. however - James Cameron's vision was sorely lacking in the third, as was Linda Hamilton. i adore her.
this fourth movie lacks several things. Cameron's vision - his ability to pull a movie together into a cohesive, tight, yet visionary flow - is incredible, and badly missing. Christian Bale's acting is seriously flawed. he alternates between wooden and angry, with no nuance. once again (as in batman), i do not see why people think this actor has the ability to carry a film. last but not least, the plot is not cohesive and believable to me. the *only* saving grace among the actors is perhaps the scene where the terminator sacrifices himself for John Connor - and Christian Bale ruins that scene as well.
i was generous with giving it 5/10 stars; i felt the special effects and the cinematography, along with costuming and set design, gave the film the proper feel. in other words, the people behind the actors, writers, and director are what bumps this movie up to a 5.
House M.D.: Autopsy (2005)
I never miss this episode when it reruns - it's that good
There are DEFINITELY spoilers - DO NOT READ if you do not want to know what the key points are in the plot. This review points out *why* this episode has stood the test of time in the series - this is being written mid-S7.
House is at his thorny best both sarcastically and medically. The POTW (Andie) is a young cancer patient of Wilson's, who comes in with unusual symptoms - and unusual bravery in the face of eventual certain death from cancer. However, her current symptoms don't fit her cancer progression. What truly intrigues House with this case is Andie's bravery. He refuses to believe a nine-year-old girl can truly be brave, and insists that it is simply a symptom of her current medical crisis.
Andie (played beautifully by Sasha Pieterse) shows from the beginning of the episode how well she is able to face her cancer - singing "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera in front of her mirror, when she goes into a seizure, which brings her back to Princeton-Plainsboro. While she is going through testing, the writers use her talent well to show an unusual, interesting ethical dilemma - Andie asks Chase for a kiss, since she's convinced she will probably die before she has the chance for one. Chase chooses to give her one; something he obviously pays for once it is revealed during a differential.
House also comes up with one of the most interesting/unusual medical procedures in the entire series (extremely risky, of course), and the combination of humor and snarkiness during the rehearsal of the procedure is great.
Cuddy is not in the episode as much as I would have liked, but her banter with House is always wonderful.
The music in this episode is part of how memorable this episode is. As Andie recovers after House puts her through this risky experimental procedure, "In The Deep" (Bird York) plays as scenes flash: House thinking about the case, Foreman telling the neurosurgeon where to look despite his doubts and finding the problem, Andie's mother smiling and crying as Andie wakes up, Wilson informing House that the blood clot was not responsible for her bravery, Andie leaving the hospital and saying goodbye to the staff - even giving House a hug.
With both Wilson and Andie's comments in House's head that he should start living life - Andie suggesting he go outside for a walk, Wilson saying that Andie enjoys life more than House does - he walks towards a motorcycle shop, with "Beautiful" playing in his iPod at the end of the episode - only this time, it's Elvis Costello singing. House decides to test drive one, wandering along a beautiful rural setting, with the lyrics fading out as he fades off-screen.
All of these elements weave together beautifully. It's why this episode stands out after all this time.
Iron Man (2008)
Realistic portrayal of the comic book version of Iron Man
I've seen basically all of the "modern" superhero genre movies (I'm counting Superman with Christopher Reeve the first in that line) - and obviously Marvel and Stan Lee have raised the bar on matching scripts to original comic series. Since Marvel made Tony Stark comparable with his human foibles to the series, I felt it fit (and enhanced) the movie experience.
Robert Downey Jr., one of my favorite actors, was brilliant in this film - as were Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard. Gwyneth Paltrow was very good but not great as Pepper; she was a little flat, not quite as feisty as the comics portrayed her. Jon Favreau was shockingly great as Happy, and fit the part perfectly - and he's now on my top 10 director list. I also thought that Shaun Toub as Yinsen was dead-on - the fact they altered his nationality to fit the story for present day was a non-issue.
The technical upgrades (robotics, holography, new alloys) compared to the original series were realistic and added to the whole experience.
I cannot wait for S.H.I.E.L.D to be a reality, which it appears Marvel is going for! Most of all - finally, Stan Lee gets the kudos he has always deserved and was blocked from (particularly the money) in the earlier superhero genres movies. Stan Lee is an American icon and deserves everything, including the wealth and respect, he is starting to finally get for building such a rich tapestry for comic aficionados.