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kev-coyne
Reviews
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
One of the best ever remakes?
This has to be one of the best films ever made in the horror/ action horror genre. I was a big fan of the original George A Romero film, and went into the cinema with a cynical eye. But after ten minutes of the film I was totally won over. The first ten minutes of the film are hard hitting, and brilliantly directed. I thought the film would probably go down hill after such a great start, but the adrenalin just kept rising. There were parts of the film that made you want to cheer out loud.
The screenplay and direction paid homage to the original film, but slickly mixed the 'old school' zombie film style with modern action and camera techniques. I was concerned that the makers may have made a completely different slasher style movie under the franchise of Dawn Of The Dead, but have indeed made a faithful remake, which stays very true to the original story.
The casting in this film is superb. The actors have a good balance of not taking themselves too seriously, but being quite believable at the same time. CJ is probably the coolest warrior ever to appear in a zombie film!
The makers have injected a small amount of humour into the film, which is more ironic than cheesy, which create some original funny moments. The makers have been very innovative, and have added some new ideas seamlessly into the action and story, making it fresh and interesting.
It is refreshing to see organic gore effects, as many films now depend on computer imagery. The gore is nicely sick and bloody, but here comes my only criticism; there could have been more shots of zombies devouring human flesh and organs!
If you like action horror, this film will blow you away. The rollercoaster doesn't stop until you find out what film they used to shoot it with! 9/10
Stella Street (2004)
A big dissapointment
After being a big fan of the ten minute T.V episodes of 'Stella Street', I awaited this film with excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately I was left feeling very disappointed.
I was dismayed by the way that nearly all of the gags and one liners were directly lifted from the T.V Episodes, and delivered with much less enthusiasm and comic timing, as if the actors had said them once, and couldn't be bothered to say them again. I bought my copy on DVD and felt cheated that I had parted with my hard earned cash to watch the same jokes over again.
*SPOILERS* The plot of the film starts with Stella Street (a normal English street in Surrey), gradually being populated by 'some of the most famous people from stage and screen of the last forty years', including Michael Caine, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson and The Rolling Stones. All the celebrities in the street end up being conned out of their entire fortunes by a local fraudster, and are forced to live like tramps and common working class people. There are some nice moments, but on the whole, the writers manage to take an interesting idea and make it pretty boring. *END OF SPOILERS*
In the T.V Episodes, all the characters are performed by John Sessions and Phil Cornwell (including females), but in the film Ronni Ancona is added to the cast. I think this was a mistake. Her impersonations weren't funny, and it felt like her characters were included in the story just to give her something to do.
If you were not a fan of the episodes of Stella Street, you may find this film entertaining. But if you were a fan, I think you may walk away feeling a little bit cheated. 4/10
Executions (1995)
How did it get a certificate?
First and foremost, I find it incredible that back in 1995 this film got an 18 cert in the U.K, and films like Straw Dogs or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre were still being refused.
I saw this film in 1995. It is a film I would never choose to watch today, but as a 15 year old I was curious about its content, and was constantly in search of shocking horror films. This is not a horror film. It is not a documentary. It is a collage of gross video footage of people having their lives ended in brutal fashion. The people behind the cameras are probably as sick as the people conducting the executions.
Maybe some of the people who were executed had been fairly tried and found guilty of terrible crimes, but this is not explained in the 'film'. And even if it was, would it really make any difference?
I have read some of the other comments on this film, and find it laughable that people have praised its content, and have even suggested it be used for educational purposes! This film tries to justify itself as exposing mans inhumanity to man. No, this film is for shock value only, and I suspect that most people who seek it out are naïve thrill seekers, or just plain sick. I was a member of the former group!
If you want sick blood and guts, get your kicks from a horror film, and when you leave the cinema you can be safe in the knowledge that you have just been shocked and exhilarated by the skill and genius of a special effects and make up team.