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Reviews
Quarantine (2008)
So far this years best horror flick
Quarantine starring Jennifer Carpenter is easily this years best horror movie. Based on the very successful Spanish horror (Rec) which was released only a year ago Quarantine has been loyal to the original but also adding some own twists to spice things up.
The story is very simple and straight to the point. Angela Vidal (Carpenter) is shooting a reality show about firefighters and follows two guys when they get a call about a woman acting strange in a remote building. Once Angela and her cameraman (played by a convincing Steve Harris) things start to get bloody. As the outside world finds out that the people inside the building have developed rabies, the authorities shut the building down and anyone trying to get out will be executed. Because this movie is shoot through the eyes of the cameraman it sometimes gets annoying and a bit hard to see what is actually going on. However that doesn't stop the action and horror to be top notch. One really good thing about this movie is that the supporting cast is mainly played by people from different TV shows and there is no real star in the movie which is really good because you don't no who is going to die next. There are easily 4,5 scenes that will make you jump out of your seat and the last 5 minutes are absolutely frightening. The isolation Angela feels is really horrible and Jennifer Carpenter does an amazing and moving performance.
This year has been a really bad year for horrors but with Quarantine 2008 has finally had a successful and really scary movie and hopefully 2009 will provide more movies like this.
The movie is well worth the 10 euro I paid. Highly recommended!!!!
The Strangers (2008)
Not good not bad either
This Strangers starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman has its good moments but unfortunately there are some bad moments to. The plot is quite basic, the actors play a couple who are alone in a deserted house and shortly 3 strangers (2 women and a huge guy) start harassing them. That's it. Liv Tyler does her best but she ain't no Neve Campbell and Scott Speedman (I'm sorry) but his acting is just plain and boring. Another thing you all out there need to keep in mind is that THE MOVIE IS ONLY 75 minutes long. It's like the director ran out of ideas and just decided to finish it at 75 minutes. The first 45 minutes are quiet slow and sometimes you really have to hit yourself to keep awake but the last 30 minutes when the strangers start showing themselves things start to get interesting. There is a nice scene with an friend of the couples who unfortunately gets himself involved in the events. The last two scenes of the movie are absolutely amazing. Their is an emotional scene between Live and Scott which is quiet moving and the ending scene reminded me of I know what you did last summer. Trust me people where screaming their heads off.
So it's an average horror movie more suspenseful than scary. I would recommend the people out there rent it on DVD as this movie does not deserve the 10 euro I paid, 5 euro would have been a more suitable price.
Eragon (2006)
What a big mess
To all you fantasy fans out there please stay away from this crap. I've read the book and it was amazing and it was hard to believe that it was written by a 15 year old boy. With the right director (and not some loser who before directing this movie did not have any directing experience at all) this movie could have been something great. But you can't blame the director as much as the screen writer who did such a big mess with Paolini's wonderful book.
The movie is about a boy who finds a egg, that later turns out to hold a dragon in it. The boy was destined to be a dragon rider and to save mankind from a evil king (who is played by John Malkovich who has 3 scenes in the entire movie). A lot of important characters in the book like Murtagh, Ajihad, Hrothgar and Angela all had very few screen time. The Urgals (this movies Orcs) are described in the book like a cross between men and beast but in the movie they are just big Hungarian men running around trying to do frightening noises.
The young British actor playing the role of Eragon is not bad but is not good either. As this was his first role I am not going to be too hard on the guy but they good have found someone better who would have had more experience.
The only good things about this movie was the dragon (nice work), Jeremy Irons performance and some nice camera work, but that's pretty much all.
So please if you are a fantasy fan like me and loved movies like the Lord of the rings trilogy and the Narnia movie please stay away from this one cause you will only be disappointed.
The author is currently writing a trilogy and the second book is named ELDEST but that one will not be filmed (that's for sure) cause this movie (believe me) will not do good at the box office.
Queen of the Damned (2002)
A huge disaster!
When I heard that they were going to do this movie I felt very excited and really looked forward to seeing it. Interview with the vampire was a wonderful movie and I think Tom Cruise did a wonderful performance in that one. Unfortunately when I heard that Aaliyah was cast as Akasha I knew something had gone terribly wrong. First of all Anne Rice should have written the script (like she did for IWTV). The Vampire chronicles are very popular and the film company wouldn't have had any problems getting famous actors in the leading parts. I think Catherine Zeta Jones could have been wonderful as Akasha, Jude Law as Lestat, Lena Olin was great as Maharet and Ralph Fiennes as Marius.
With a great director this movie could have easily been as great as IWTV but Warner Brothers were so cheap and did not care s### about this movie so they hire this nobody from Australia to direct and cast a couple of Australian actors in supporting parts. Claudia Black was alright as Pandora but the Australian actor who played Armand was totally wrong for the part.
Stuart Townsend was a disaster, I don't understand where they found him cause he looked like he was acting in a totally different movie. Aaliyah (God rest her soul) was a beautiful and talented singer but her acting abilities were limited and that is clearly shown in this picture. (Her accent is awful in this movie).
The screen writers, producers and director is to blame for this mess and that they dedicated this movie to the memory of Aaliyah was a disgrace. She will be remembered for her wonderful music and not for this huge disappointment.
I don't understand why Anne Rice haven't gone out stating how the movie company totally ruined this movie. She was angry that Tom Cruise played Lestat but at least he did a good job in a wonderful movie but this movie should have given her a heart attack cause they haven't been true to her books.
They only good things about the movie is the Music (Jonathan Davis rules), the Score written by Jonathan and Richard Gibbs and Lena Olin's performance, the rest is crap!!!
Stay away from this one!!!!
Frágiles (2005)
Another scary movie from Catalan genius!
Don't look, don't move and don't even breathe.............
Well this movie opened yesterday in Spain and I saw it and I have to say that I liked it. I have seen the directors two previous movies, LOS SIN NOMBRE and DARKNESS and I think he is one of the most interesting directors in Europe at the moment. Fragile is just like Darkness in English with an international cast, mainly with actors from the UK, but in the lead we see the American actress Calista Flockhart and Australian actor Richard Roxburgh.
The movie starts very slow but after 45 minutes it comes alive and you jump out of your seat a couple of times. The acting is not the best, Calista looks mostly tired throughout the movie and there is a scene between her and Richard that should be very moving but ends up laughable. (you will recognize it when you see the movie).
Spanish actress Elena Anaya is hot and very talented and should have had more scenes.
The best thing with this movie is the mechanical girl, the ghost living on the 2nd floor. She or IT is really scary and the make up artists have done a terrific job. Every time she appears you will definitely be sacred. This movie is not going to go down as one of the best horror movies ever made, but if you like movies like The sixth sense, the omen, the eye you will definitely enjoy this one. I hope Dimension films picks this one up for an US release cause with Calista in the lead I think the movie could gross at least 40-60 million at the box office.
I can't wait for the directors next movie. Viva España!