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Oldboy (2013)
Was it horrible, no. Was it great or even necessary if you've seen the original? No
while not really a fan of Spike Lee, I will admit to enjoying this film. that being said, does it measure up to the Korean remake from the Chan- wook Park revenge trilogy? probably not.
technically by itself it's an interesting film, Josh Brolin does a good job of making you not like him early on as is intended by his character, Olsen I think does have quite a future on the Indie circuit in future film. The problem stems from those who have seen the original and know what's up. So the Big Reveal at the end of the film is not all that surprising nor shocking to us. other issues i think are 1. the big fight scene in the warehouse. though decently executed, a bit unrealistic given Brolin's stiffness throughout the choreagraphy of the fight. Second would be the Man who locked him in the room for 2 decades. It was unnecessarily twisted, as the original wasn't a bit twisted. yet this version takes it waaaay over the top on the why part. even though a twisted character, I'd say Copley plays it rather well, he oozes with creepiness in this role and you do wonder what his next move would be condsidering he shows lack of morality and boundaries in his quest for revenge- all in all- not a great remake but not a horrible movie by itself. (am more worried over Lady Vengeance remake)
Skew (2011)
Not horrible but still not that great.
I've seen a bunch of mixed reviews and decided to check Skew for myself. It in the hand-held selfshot/found footage style that's honestly become over saturated in the horror genre of late.
we have Rich, Eva, and Simon. Death seems to be following them around, literally? I'm not sure what the message the writer/director was trying to project here. Honestly this film seems like it's based off only a half formed idea.
In other words it's just not all that cohesive- especially the end, which is a bit lackluster, anti-climatic and honestly doesn't explain very much as to the actual events. It manages to gain my attention in some places only to lose my interest in others.
like I said, not horrible, yet still pretty far from being polished.
The Blackout (2009)
Not bad, but still not all that good.
OK so not a great movie overall, yet still better than some of the stuff you'd for syfy channel movies. Characters are all one dimensional, clearly labeled, family, couple in love, couple in trouble, big guy with gun, annoying guy,the guy who can kind of guess what's going on, etc, etc. yeah the acting isn't all that great.
The premise -subterranean creatures coming up eating people and taking over, not that original but it kept my attention- with the victims you know nobody is safe. designs for the creatures look really cheap for a full length feature, but if you went to a Halloween party and saw some dude dressed up as one of said creatures, I'd be impressed. there were times when the tail manipulation was very CGI.
all in all, slow intro, some slightly interesting stuff in the middle , and a not so good ending. I'd recommend this is you haven't anything else to watch or to have a MST3K style viewing with friends.
The Reflecting Skin (1990)
Mixed Feelings
I've seen many films and many movies(yes I believe there to be a difference. this particular piece has me scratching my head a bit.
I get the metaphor of how terrible the innocence of childhood can be, how not having the perspective of an adult can totally perplex the more serious tones.
The boy is meant to feel isolated, this is characterized by the open landscapes and wheat fields -both serene like some old Americana oil painting and starkly cold, lonely even. In this film the boy is bombarded with all kinds of different things. Death of children, allegations of homosexuality or child molestation(never clarified), his father's suicide,incest, the confusing ramblings of age and death from his widow neighbor(whom he believes to be a vampire).
I do get the message, it's literally told to us by Dolphin-she slaps of in the face with it verbally in case some have missed the point. This I feel doesn't make up for some of the more disturbing moments.(dead fetus anyone?) yes he is innocent as to what it is but damn, those were some disturbing scenes. The frog scene as well I get it they don't realize their folly, or about death so they laugh with glee at its demise.
The older brother character wasn't all that confusing and was easy to see he possibly was going through radiation poisoning due to his involvement in the pacific during his duty and how some of those symptoms could be misinterpreted by the boy as being the victim of vampirism.
Yes I understand the entire metaphor of the film, how the car of hooligans represent death, how he didn't feel like he needed a ride just yet. I do feel this film quite pretentious in its execution of said metaphor and was very close to imitating the boys final scene a a reaction to having viewed this over repeating, indulgent, pretentious piece of work.
Werewolf: The Beast Among Us (2012)
decent fare for a werewolf flick and better than rating suggests
So for what appears to be a modest production value and mostly no- name or not very well known faces, this turned out to be a great little flick to watch. Is it one of the best horror movies? no, this is an entertainment only popcornfest.
So we have a cowboy type in Europe and questionable early eastern European accents, there are a few moments when the CG is noticeable-though I'll admit the transformation scenes are decent. my only complaint for the "wolf" is its head shape appeared a bit flat headed or too wide.
Anyway good solid story structure, decent action(it reminded me of Van hellsing but actually good)It has its serious moments when needed, never takes itself too seriously and doesn't go full into silliness either.
I'd recommend as something to watch on movie night with friends for entertainment or even by itself. The Beast Among Us delivers on what it's selling
Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)
Great English Zombie Flick.
First, it's a movie about zombies and it's English, so don't go in expecting some grandiose academy award winners. What we have is a film that is meant to be watched and enjoyed. It's purpose is to entertain us with zombies, gore, and the best type of dry Brit humor one can find. A job it accomplishes rather nicely.
It never takes itself seriously but doesn't go full on to cheeky parody mode either. I have to agree that like Shaun of the Dead or Tucker & DAle Vs Evil, this one has successfully blended a great comedy with a good horror flick. though I'll warn it's more about the good gore one finds rather than scares.
By far the strongest actor would be Alan Ford who fills the character role of "Grandad" brilliantly as the cantankerous grandfather of the two leads and the caretaker of an old folks home. He has some of the best lines- most of which you simply don't expect or at least won't know what the heck is gonna be said next. right from the get go with opening credits you have the idea it's gonna be a fun, somewhat satirical ride and indeed it is. In all, the plot isn't that much of a stretch(it's zombies) but the actors and director make it work. it has a decent music score too. after viewing it may not be in some horror fan's top fav list, but it will certainly not disappoint. (also if you like crass British slang you'll like this movie)
Cherry Bomb (2011)
No Cherries, Just a Bomb
So in Recent years ever since Rodriguez and Taratino's Grindhouse flicks came out, we've had a slew of poor imitators coming out of the woodwork. Cherry Bomb isn't really all that different or the one thing that makes it stand out, is it's one of the freaking worst of the genre to come out.
First we have Cherry- late night stripper who is assaulted one night(thankfully it's more implied than shown) she's released from the hospital and immediately has plans for an upcoming murder/revenge spree. Instead of the character reflection, anger, humiliation, she just acts like a spoiled brat. I don't think I've ever disliked a character as much as her in any movie I've watched. Then there's the brother who really doesn't add too much- just helps reluctantly to off her assailants. the only other character of note is the hit man. a poor ripoff of Samuel L form Pulp fiction- rides around whilst wearing a suit and bad Fro wig, adds nothing to the film
Yes it's supposed to look like a cheap grindhouse movie, but it has no polish at all, horrible production value. I mean I've seen decent flicks on a shoestring budget, but this turd has really missed it's mark.
In short don't waste your time with this Bomb. stick to Hobo w Shotgun, Deathproof, or Planet Terror. Hell watch Troll 2 instead too.
Kim Bok-nam salinsageonui jeonmal (2010)
Slow Start Drama-esque with Big Finish
I had read nothing about this particular film and honestly forgot why I even put in my To Watch list. I agree with other reviewers in saying that's the best way to watch it.
At first I believed myself to be watching a film of redemption of self and re-connection for one of the character's younger self. Oh man was I ever wrong.(well about it being the major plot point) continuing I could see this as a character study and also social commentary on isolated communities. in this case the brutality of the remaining islanders towards Kim Bok-Nom.
all throughout I was waiting for some kind of vindication for her character, some form of redemption or apology from the islanders. you'll hate just about everyone on the island save for her and her child.
What I took to be some kind of slow building drama then took a serious turn towards the dark(this is all I can say as to not spoil anything)
I admit the film left me feeling a bit unresolved on the most part but we do see a redeeming catharsis. All in all, if you're a fan of Asian Cinema this is a definite must see.
Breathing Room (2008)
A Poor Man's "Cube" or watered down "saw"
CONTAINS SPOILERS****************************************************
The setup while nothing original (especially in the low budget movie market) had possible potential. yet the characters mostly all seemed extremely one dimensional for the duration of the film. whiny expandable #1 #2 I'm a recovering this or that. Creepy Guy, Pc version of black guy, the non PC projects Black guy so we know the movie is edgy, the I'm not anyone's friend, the jerk, the smart guy who has his head together, our seemingly main "protagonist"
then there's the game itself, a warehouse riddled with hidden clues and items that don't seem to fit together at first and really don't actually until later in the game(way later) so how could the characters have pieced anything together at all? (hell they never used the damn rope for anything constructive)
then the game has blackout periods where one of them is killed off each time. this only serves as a way to neatly kill them off without such annoying nuisances as actual Plot Devices.
all in all it's not the worst movie I've ever witnessed but man does it have major flaws to it. Spoiler alert ahead *******************************
so basically what the hell is the message of the film? is it some kind of sociological experiment? did anyone realize the game is rigged/fixed from the very beginning? Honestly I think the writers lost steam and didn't know a proper way to finish or were hoping with the ambiguous end that they could squeeze out a sequel, or perhaps they just thought they were actually being intellectual. if you want a goofy flick with no payoff and to feel cheated by the end watch this. if you want something that's kinda clever, watch the first Saw or first Cube movies.
The Seamstress (2009)
So Much Going for it yet still fails miserably
Imagine you're watching one of those cooking contest shows, they give the contestant a beautiful Filet Mignon and then they proceed to make a cheeseburger with it. That's this mess of a movie.
It seemed to have all the elements of making an excellent horror film yet fails so so badly. The concept while not original was still good, the setting was great- small island off the coast? spooky looking ghost. a curse of some sort, and Lance Henriksen.
Instead what we get, the angry confused, unlikable daughter trying to find out what happened to her father. Oh yeah she has "vision" dreams but this isn't ever expanded upon. pretty flat characters with similar acting. a back story/ curse/ that's never truly explained. "They Changed the rules". yeah? well how? this isn't explained either. The run time is pretty short I think around 76 minutes yet it feels much longer than this. another minus, it never seems to know if it wants to be a drama/mystery, a supernatural horror, or just a slasher type movie. with more focus on the backstory and less time spent on the character which didn't really need any development and this could have been one hell of a good movie. I stress could have been....
Girls Gone Dead (2012)
purposely made B movie but plays with a grade of D-
Is this the worst flick I've ever happened to view? no is it good? no. The very beginning seems promising enough(confusing shameful church sacrifice dream) there's some gore, but then we play into the rest of the movie.
What's good about it - the production value is pretty decent but only slightly better than some late night skinemax weekend movies. there's cameos by Ron Jeremy and beetlejuice(which even lowbrow his lines are funny) and Jerry the King Luller from WWE fame
Okay, so what's not good about it. Other than the opening sequence, it takes damn near half an hour for anything sinister to remotely happen. the girls' acting ranges from mediocre to subpar(even for a bmovie) I kept having to tell myself I'm too far in an need to just power through. this is even with gratuitous shots of breasts mixed in. No spoilers but the killer to me seemed easily identified to anyone who cared to wonder who's actually doing all the killing (I mean they didn't even throw in an obligatory red herring!) I want the last hour and a half of my life back.
Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
Truly Worst Movie EVER!!!!
This is in case you've read all other reviews and are still thinking about watching the horror that is Manos the Hand of Fate, the first thing that should warn you is the title. Manos means hands!!!! it's Hands: the hands of Fate! Oh still don't believe me?
Bad sound, the scenery so droll, a main character making stupid decisions, a "menacing" painting more shots of the droll scenery, too much focus on the dog and painting, an annoying little kid. Manos himself for some reason looked like what the pringles logo mustache guy would look like if he came to life and was an evil porn star.
The only redeeming quality of this flick is Torgo, oh my god where do we even start? the character playing him was rumored to be blitzed out to Pluto on acid while shooting and man does it show. I warn you, if you've little patience for really really really bad movies, you may want to skip this, or at the least watch the MST3K version. I has to suffer through the undiluted pure evil which is Manos I think those of us who've watched it should get a T shirt reading: I watched Manos: the Hand of Fate and all I got was this T shirt.
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Truest adaption of the Novel and great film.
As I stated if you want to watch a true film and the best adaption of the Matheson novel, then skip the Heston and Will Smith remakes. this movies does a great job of portraying the vampires/infected populace. Vincent Price gives one of if not his best performance as Robert Neville, the soul survivor of the plague. His isolation, the torment each night as the infected try to lure him out, he does his best to block their taunts, his mission of hunting them down.
it's funny the modern versions of the film fail so horribly, by far this is the best film based on I am Legend, especially because back then they didn't cop out with feel good possible sequel endings.
The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)
Early Schlock at it's Schlockyness
While still what I'd call a mediocre entry at best, I still thoroughly enjoyed TBTWD, it reminded me of the absurd things you could get away with back then. Brilliant Dr on the edge of science, breaking the moral boundaries he's supposed to abide by, his girlfriend reduced to a head, the deformed lab assistant, silly dancers/ would they really have been strippers?, as the good Dr watches trying to "pick out a new body" the obligatory weird creature we don't see until the finale.
so many things that if this were ever to be remade, certainly the film would fail abysmally. honestly not one of the better from it's era but certainly it has a special place in some hearts of those who watched it's first release and certainly a warm place in the hearts of us B movie enthusiasts.
good movie to watch with friends of similar mind.
Detention (2010)
just a Bad Bad Movie, not Good Bad
the two stars is because I'm feeling kind. I first wanted to watch this from seeing a preview where it looked like a satire on the teen slasher genre. Instead what we are served with is an incomprehensible plot (even by the ghost wanting revenge premise)It starts out promising enough with prank gone wrong in the past cliché' then fast forward to the present and it goes downhill from there.
We get the typical stereotyped students a la' the Breakfast Club, a mysterious teacher who we all know, she knows more than she's letting on, a mix of possessed student and murdering spirit, also a tarnished memory of Carradine by appearing in this dredge of a flick.
The effects were bad even for the budget- more reminiscent of early Syfy channel stuff. the plot which could have been good, became a convoluted mess. I took me some patience to get through this movie, the boredom and just waiting for the GD end can make one border on the suicidal. in short it's not worth watching even to mock(unlike such treasures as Troll2) unless you're brain dead, don't waste your time.