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Na Wewe (2010)
6/10
The ending ruined this film...what a shame.
28 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The film got me going. The cinematography was crisp, and I was really on the edge of my seat, anxiously awaiting the fate of the poor boy with the walk man. Unfortunately, said walk man was critical flaw of this film. Before viewing the climax, I had intended to rate this film at least a 9 on IMDb, but, unfortunately, that walk man and its involvement in the narrative ruined it for me ten fold. I mean, it felt like a commercial for U2! And the sight of those battle hardened soldiers dancing and smiling to music was quite difficult to bear. Up until that point I was ready to give this film a 9 on IMDb, but because of that cheese infested anti climactic ending the film received a 6.
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A Single Man (2009)
2/10
I couldn't wait until this film ended!
16 October 2010
I'm quite bewildered with the praise this film has received. Sure, the color tones (or lack thereof) Ford chose to use are pleasant and compliment the story quite well. However, that does not undo the damage done by several pointless slow motion sequences. What was the point? Ford over used slow motion so much that the film was rendered unbearable. The pace was slow, and it seems every moment of the film was an attempt to create some thought provoking blah blah, with the constant cliché music. The story was lacking as well. I understand the film was a portrayal of middle age, loss, and love, however, something was missing. Oh right, A STORY!!!

My god, this movie was horrible.
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1/10
Words cannot describe how awful this film is....
25 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The title of this review, "Words cannot describe how awful...," stems from more than just the awful quality of "Survival of the Dead." It's a combination of all the potential the film had. What happened to Romero? Maybe he was just a filmmaker who got lucky with the original "...of the dead" trilogy. He did have co-writers, correct? The brilliance behind those films is gone, all that's left is waste.

Let's start with the production value. The CGI blood splattering, ruined the film for me in 5 minutes. But I kept watching. Low budgets do not define a film. Then the B.S. comedy started coming in. The zombie/solder who had his head blown off point blank range, and his scalp lands neatly on his neck, how pitiful. Then the female solder pleasuring herself, what is this??? I mean, does Romero actually think anymore? Is he absolutely senile??? Crappy music, crappy cast of characters as well, made this an awful movie.

The sad part though is that I'm actually glad I finished the film. I was tempted to turn it off in the middle, which is something I never do. I'm glad I completed the viewing because some decent moments had shined through. The theme of how hatred can consume a man, and the shot of the 2 zombies shooting each other on the hillside, etc. But these two aren't enough to save the film.

I have vowed to never watch another Romero film. I'm done. I'll stick with the original "...of the Dead" trilogy, and that's it. I truly hope that he never gets financing for another film. He ruined his legacy. It's so sad, it truly is.
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6/10
What a supreme disappointment!!
15 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILER ALERT****

What happened Sly? How can the writer of 'Rocky', just to name a few, and such a talented director mess up so badly. I've always been a Stallone fan, looking past his 80's action hero typecast and given him credit when its due. However, this was an awful film, mostly for the 3 reasons listed below:

1) Gunner Jensen (Lundgren) had a very touching death scene towards the middle of the film due to his betrayal of Barney Ross (Stallone). As an act of redemption, he gave pivotal information to Barney regarding the enemy's layout, simply if Barney fulfills this request, "You'll bury me, right?" This touching moment was ruined completely when Gunner was shown alive and well during the BS sugar coated ending. He was shot 2 inches away from his heart, there's no way this could happen!

2) The annoying macho guy to guy bantering. OK, we get it, you're tough guys, but yet you want to portray that they pick on one another lightheartedly, blah blah. But one or two of these moments is enough, but it just kept continuing!!

3) The horrendous use of CGI blood! It was so overdone. How expensive are squibs??

Sly, you disappointed me on this one.

P.S. Schwarzenegger's cameo was painful to watch. I'm a die hard fan of the man, but he only acts well under certain direction/directors. Ivan Reitman, James Cameron, and John Milius to name a few. Sly should have known this. During this cameo of his, his bantering was so forced, illogical. Additionally, the camera kept cutting back to these unnecessary close ups of Arnold as he said another poorly delivered line, followed by a smirk of some sort.

This was a bad film, Statham was good though.
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6/10
Had it come out in '98, it could have been received better.
18 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This film in my opinion gets a critical beat down more than it deserves. It is indeed highly underrated. They definitely should not have called it Basic Instinct 2. Just 'risk addiction' would have been fine. For example, 'hannibal', was not called 'silence of the lambs 2' thankfully, but still it was a worthy sequel.

Besides that, the script should have recognized that Katherine Tramell is quite older now, and should have laid off the sexual themes which were dramatically overplayed, especially in the opening sequence. True, Stone did look great, but it just felt wrong and forced. Tramell is a calculating, brilliant killer/sociopath and she does not need to rely just on looks to get what she wants done.

The story besides the mentioned flaws above, is actually good. Morissey was enjoyable as the male lead and held his own against Stone. But the unrealistic opening sequence, Stone's age, and forced sexual dialogue are the negatives that far outweigh the positives.

Unfortunately, this sequel came out quite too late. If released in '98, I believe it would have done better at the box office. Perhaps even Verhoeven would have been on board.

Sequels should definitely come out within a 3-4 year range of their predecessor, if it can't for whichever reason, then a new name should be given, for example 'risk addiction'.

Watch this if you're a fan of the original, it does certainly have some good moments, and the Oscar nominated Stone does give it her all. But I think it's safe to say you'll agree with most of what I have said.
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Surrogates (2009)
2/10
Another disappointment by the team that brought you Terminator 3!
23 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Like the movie mentioned above, the script of "surrogates" probably had a lot of potential at one point. We have an overall interesting story, but the lame ending (which was very predictable) and the whole notion of Willis's character being disapproving on some level of surrogate being spoon fed to you over and over again really ruined all hope for this one good story.

Mostow used his bright colors in color tones and that made the film look too polished. This was also done in T3, another one this guy Mostow and his 2 moron writer friends botched.

These 3 shouldn't be allowed to be anywhere near a set.
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The Patient (II) (2009)
9/10
A Diamond in the rough!
21 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Very enjoyable film! In this day and age when anyone with access to Final Cut Pro and a mini DV camera considers themselves a filmmaker it's hard to take short films seriously. Time and time again I am let down. However, this film was very professional looking, good acting, great audio and a sweet twist at the end. It's interesting that I view this as a feel good dark comedy of sorts. I won't give spoilers but the doctor did give some good advice didn't he? The pacing was just right also. The 20 + minute run time allowed me to get to know the main character well and sympathize with him a lot more.

Anyway, congrats to all those involved. They did a terrific job, and I look forward to seeing more from them.
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Flawless (2007)
7/10
Nearly flawless, but still very enjoyable!
18 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
A very intelligent, heist thriller, OVERALL. Moore has aged well but is still charming as ever. Caine was terrific as usual. However, some major stereotypes occur, like the clumsy guard for instance. And some thing's don't match up, like Hobbs being the official culprit, how would they know? And why wasn't Moore's character allowed in London for 40 years if she didn't go to jail? Despite the two things mentioned above, this is a lovely film. And I mean that literally. The cinematography is beautiful. I'm so glad I caught this on Blu Ray. The production designer did a fantastic job re creating the 50's it truly had that authentic look.

I hope more people view this rarely seen gem, even though it isn't completely flawless.....
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Intimacy (2001)
3/10
Nothing worse than watching ugly people do it
7 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Well I watched this film, and found myself fast forwarding thru the love scenes. They were too explicit, too visual, especial one particular part. It was unnecessary to show that much skin and certain oral acts. There are classier ways to show a love scene. This however felt like borderline porn.

Well besides the major flaw mentioned above, this film could have been great. If done in the vein of "Match Point", it could have been a real gem. Terrific story, but clouded by a shoddy script and uninteresting characters. The flashbacks the gentlemen was having were sort of moving, and he did some fine acting. The woman as well, but I just feel with beautiful cinematography, a screenplay that concentrated more on the loneliness the two main characters go through than the graphic sex scenes this film could have been much better. Oh well.

Please don't watch this.
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8/10
The new cut takes away Lester's horrible comedy, but removed much more as well. : \
5 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Well, I've always enjoyed the original "Superman" but was always kinda iffy on part 2. There always seemed to be unnecessary humor especially when the citizens were literally being blown away. Donner's new cut is a significant improvement on some levels, but on others not so much.

For example, in Lester's cut, Clark/Supes is told by his mother he must first turn into a normal human, if he wants to be intimate with someone, which makes complete sense, since one hip thrust from Superman could rip a woman in two. So Superman resigns his powers to be with Lois. However, in this new cut, Lois and Clark make love, before his powers are removed. Which does not make sense to me. She would not be able to survive it.

The extra footage with Brando is nice, however, isn't is just a recording? How is it/he aware of current events? And the ending, Supes turns back time, yet again. What's even worse, is that the pre-climax would have been a great ending, when Supes and Lois say goodbye on the rooftop. Being a perfect lead in to Singers "Superman Returns".

All in all, I'm not too sure what to make of this film. On it's own it's quite good despite the rehashed ending from the first film. But compared to the original theatrical cut, I'm not sure. I think key scenes Lester were shot were only removed out of spite from Donner's camp during creation of this re release, and this hurt this cut. But it's a 2 sided coin. Lester shot some horrible stuff as well.

In a nutshell, you get to see a great new footage of Christopher Reeves, and a "re telling" of Superman 2. So die hard fans, check this out, but be prepared to be confused/disappointed with the ending..
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Dead Snow (2009)
8/10
Painfully obvious CGI, but still a good flick!
28 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Interesting zombie flick. I'm glad to see the revival of this horror sub genre, even if it's more based around black comedy these days. But that makes sense, doesn't it? Zombies are so easy to poke fun at.

Well unlike most zombie films, this is actually very entertaining. Well done film that doesn't take itself too seriously. Typical horror formula, whoever has sex first dies, there's always a last man standing, etc.

One thing that bothered me was the painfully apparent CGI. Sometimes the actors were outside but I could not see the steam from their breaths. Or the blood, was just very CGI looking. Why not just do pure "real" special effects? Anyway, if you enjoy zombie films, check this one out.
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8/10
Not quite "Point Break" but still an excellent film!
26 February 2010
Pretty excellent film right here. Bigelow is officially one of my favorite directors. Ever since "Point Break" she's been on my watch list. She really deserves the Oscar for best director, and I hope she gets it rather than her ex.

Renner was a pleasure to watch as an adrenaline junkie. I enjoyed how the script is unbiased in regards to the countries involved with the Iraq war. It's more about the day to day workers that keep the gears going in any war, and the ramifications of their job on their personal lives. No matter what side you're on, you'll enjoy this flick.

The cinematography was top notch. The gritty super 16 mm did the story justice along with the HD counterpart. I don't think this film would have felt the same way if it was shot on 35 mm.

Please check out this film, it's quite excellent. But also check out Bigelow's "Point Break".
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Legend (1985)
6/10
Beautiful visuals, but the script lacked the sense of true danger!
19 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This film can be considered a tragedy in the sense that it's truly one of Ridley Scott's most beautiful films, and I have seen all of them. The costumes and set design were amazing as well. However, with the amazing visuals comes a script that feels almost under developed. I feel like there was never a sense of true impending doom which the characters would be facing. I can't put my finger upon it, but something was terribly off. And that is such a shame, because with the proper script, this film could be a true legend instead of a cult classic.

I think I spotted an error as well in the film. The elf people were shown waving towards the camera, with 2 unicorns beside them. However, one was killed, the other survived. Didn't the prince of darkness say the surviving one was the last of it's kind? I'm sure he said that. And if he did say that, why are 2 being shown during the credits? I'm also getting the feeling the writers and Mr. Scott, wanted to hint that the events of the film could have been a dream all in the mind of the princess. Anyone else get that? P.S. The distributors really need to remaster this film for a blu ray release. I just watched the standard DVD on my hi def TV, and this disc just doesn't cut it anymore.
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4/10
A remake of "Forrest Gump", only not as good.
14 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Definitely not as bad as I thought it'd be, but could be much better. I would suggest cutting out the tail ending where "khan" meets a particular individual. Just show this "individual" from the back of the head ONLY, anymore just turns into a joke like it did in the theater I saw it in. People were laughing and NOT in a good way. I also felt they were shoving the fact that "khan" was very devoted to Islam way too much down our throats. Way too many Islamic references. By cutting out the last scene and any of the no longer necessary Islamic refs, the film would be shorter by half an hour, which is very necessary. The close to 3 hour length is completely not necessary for this tale. Khan did some fine acting in this film though, I'll give him that. Superb actually. Kojal did a good job as well.

Overall, I'd suggest this film to people who barely watch films and are entertained by anything.
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Eye See You (2002)
8/10
Underrated film that desperately needs a blu ray re-release!
13 February 2010
Despite the bad reviews, I really enjoyed this film! Despite what the majority of people think, I went into this viewing knowing that Stallone would provide some fine acting at least. And that he did. Robert Patrick was great as well. He's always an excellent addition to any cast. The story has been done before, maybe not in the same exact way but it's been done before. However, something was lacking. I don't know how to describe it, but the story didn't seem "grand" enough. It just felt like a Made for TV film. But despite this, it's still a good film.

I also want to add that the distributor should definitely re-release this on Blu Ray. The DVD I received from Netflix was pan-scan. In these changing times, that ain't good enough.
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Rain (I) (2001)
8/10
Really fine film, definitely needs a remastered release on blu ray!
10 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Despite the many bad reviews I read about this film on IMDb.com, I surprisingly enjoyed this very much! The setting of the film is almost a character in itself. The bleak and lifeless characteristics it has certainly leave a "presence" on screen. The film wouldn't be the same without it.

The plot is quite good. Almost a bit too many affairs to keep track of but it all comes to make sense at the end. But the doozy of them all (if you see it, you'll know what i mean) seems a bit of a stretch to me. Fine acting by the entire cast.

I'd like to add that this film is in dire need of being digitally remastered and thrown onto a blu ray. Watching this film from a regular DVD on an HD TV doesn't do it any justice and the cinematography is much too splendid to just go to waste.
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8/10
Jocelin Donahue has really nice feet!
3 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Really enjoyed this one! Really dug the early 80's look the filmmakers went for, even right down to the yellow text in the title sequence and credits. Very nice touch.

Joceline Donahue was really charming as our heroine (or villain?). Tom Noonan played his usual typecast creepy guy, but still he was fit for the role. The plot was quite good, and the ending was brutally enjoyable. Quite the bloodbath, and I'm glad the ending wasn't sugar coated. That last shot of Donahue's character in the white robe soaked in blood is one of my favorite clips from a horror movie. I just love it. The score was pretty intense as well. A little too short though. An extra 10 to 15 minutes could have been used nicely. I also enjoyed how the audience wasn't spoon fed everything as well. We knew what Donahue's character was carrying in her belly, we knew why she was there, etc. There was no lame explanation from Noonan's character.

Check this one out!
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10/10
Excellent film, but even more excellent on the new Blu Ray edition.
3 February 2010
I finally got to view this film for the first time, and I'm glad. Since my first viewing was via the blu ray edition of the film, digitally remastered with high definition audio. I can see now why people consider this to be one of the best westerns or THE best of all time. Leone sure loved his wide lens and made brilliant use of it. The cinematography was amazing.

Clint Eastwood as usual was a pleasure to watch. He truly has a on screen presence that you can feel. It was the first time I ever saw him in a role that wasn't purely a good guy, if anything he was an anti hero. But even with some "bad" traits he still remained a stoic hero. The actor who played "the ugly" was amazing. Truly comical, but when it came down to business he knew what he was doing. The title sequence was great. And last but certainly not least, the musical score MADE this movie. The film would not be the same without it.

I definitely recommend this to all western buffs and fans of classic cinema. But watch it on Blu Ray.
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Moon (2009)
9/10
One of the best sci fi films of the past decade!
30 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Pretty damn good film! Sam Rockwell blew me away in his dual roles of two completely different personalities. The direction was top notch and the visuals were outstanding for the budget this film was given. The story was truly touching and felt a lot of compassion for our main character(s).

However some things did strike me as odd. How come there was no mention of the escape craft which clone 2 used to escape to earth? How was Gerty talking to the 'bosses' through a live feed if the signal was jammed? Anyway, this film is still top notch despite what I mentioned above. I really recommend this to ALL individuals.
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Dead & Buried (1981)
6/10
Great story, had real potential, but script failed to deliver. Still worth a watch.
29 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This film is alright in my opinion. Towards the beginning of the film, when the first attack at the beach happened, it just seemed odd to me. There was no reasoning behind this attach. Although the motive was made clear behind it later on in the film, it still seemed unnatural. All of a sudden there was a group of ordinary citizens going on a murder spree. This isn't a plot hole, more like a very undeveloped part of the story inside the script. They should have worked on this better. And the climax, could have been much better. Farentino's character knew destroying the hearts of the corpses would destroy the corpse itself, so IMHO the climax should have shown this and then the startling revelation. But alas, this did not happen.

James Farentino did a great job showcasing the emotional ordeal he was going through I wanted to add. Sherman's direction was pretty good. Nice use of wide shots and blocking within them.

All in all, I would recommend this to horror enthusiasts and Twilight Zone buffs.
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10/10
Poor special effects, but still a great show!
28 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I believe this show is a great example of how acting and story come first, and not special effects. The story is superb along with the acting. Cylons mimicing humans is nothing new to the sci fi genre (Terminator) but still the way this tactic is interwoven into the human drama is what draws my attention.

Unfortunately, at least for season 1, the special effects aren't too great. That shot of the Cylons during the title sequence marching through the door looks so pixelated, it's a wonder why the producers allowed that clip to be released. And this is after watching the entire season blu ray.

I look forward to watching season 2, already on my Netflix waiting list.
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Saw VI (2009)
8/10
Maybe the 'Saw' franchise isn't a dead horse just yet?
28 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Lionsgate sure know how to kick a dead horse, but at least when they do it's still good! I surprisingly really enjoyed this film. Gave me many adrenaline rushes. The story is fantastic. And it's charming to see Jigsaw take on our crappy health care system and provide reform in the best way. The writers have once again found a way to make Tobin Bell's character make reappearances via flashback still believable in a sort of way.

Again to touch back on the health care "reform" touched upon in this film, I think it's justice. These companies are run by people who view human life with a dollar sign and that's it. Even though this is the fifth sequel it's almost as good as the original film! They really struck a chord with me on this one. I recommend it!
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Pale Rider (1985)
9/10
Another great western starring Clint!
26 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Excellent film! Even as a priest Clint remains the ultimate bad a**! Kind of a simple story revolving around a gold mining village being bullied around by a corporation that wants to move in on it's territory. A priest comes in and saves the day. The character development was great. We learned a lot about the main characters and what drives them. The scene with the young daughter confessing her love to the priest was really touching.

Clint's direction was superb as usual. The use of the wide lens was a great choice, especially considering the landscape the story was set on. I really enjoyed this one. I recommend to all fans of westerns, but then again, they've already probably seen it.
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Pandorum (2009)
6/10
Character development severely lacking and it shows!
21 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I'm not too sure what to make of this film. I'm between calling "ok" and "good", closer to just "ok" though. I feel that there wasn't much character development going on whatsoever. We were just thrown into a mystery situation and it being solved, with proper pacing and plot development being thrown out of the loop. The mutated passengers on the ship weren't given a proper explanation and were just painted up as "villains".

Ben Foster's character seemed to be a mixed bag. Sometimes he seemed overly anxious and then borderline schizophrenic, the same with Quaid's character. If you watch the film you'll know what I mean. On a more positive note, the production value is quite high, I really felt like I was on a ship, trapped by it's enclosing walls.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone besides hardcore sci fi fans. If you haven't seen "event horizon" watch that instead.
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Manon 70 (1968)
7/10
An entertaining classic with a risqué storyline.
18 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
So Manon wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be surprisingly. It started off a little dull, but I got into it. Basically, it's about infidelity in relationships, especially in the main characters'. Deneuve's character believes it doesn't matter how many men a woman has slept with, only the number of men she has actually loved. That's a crock of bull in my opinion. A sl*t is a sl*t no matter how you look at it. So anyway, her character is scheming this older gentlemen for his money so she can support her brother and "true love", a long time bf/companion. Anyway, the scheme unravels and she is busted deservingly. She vows to her true love she is forever changed. But we never know if this holds or not.

Honestly, not to sound morbid, but I was hoping for a risky ending like the older gentlemen blowing off the heads of Deneuve and her long time love. Unfortunately, this did not happen. : \ overall, if you're into classic romantic comedies with some edge, go for this one.
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