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GLemerond
Reviews
Hostel (2005)
Brilliant, terrifying film-making at its most primal...
Hostel is a terrifying ride, from almost beginning to end. Although it takes over 40 minutes for the action to set in, the most horrifying thing about this film is that all the while, as you watch these young men have fun, you're fully aware of what will eventually happen to them. They laugh, smoke, have sex, and generally enjoy themselves as the audience winces in their seat, unsure of what moment will be their last. And then, when the violence finally starts, it fails to ever let up. Rather than having gore spray like fountains, you're treated to snipped tendons, puncture wounds, and the like - all of which are far more cringe-inducing than a head popping off. A unrelenting film, coupled with a very satisfying ending, make this one of my top horror picks for 2006. I think the US will be hard-pressed to find something that out-does this in the next ten months.
Doom (2005)
Like any other 100 million dollar b-movie... Fun!
I was a bit hesitant about seeing "Doom", but I found myself quite surprised by how much I actually had with it. While its no award-winner, its certainly a lot of fun for anyone who wants slimy aliens, beefy guys with guns, and tons of gore. Althoug it strayed from the plot of the video game somewhat, it still managed to pay homage to the classic title through lots of subtle nuances. The acting is uniformly mediocre, but no one stands out as truly bad. The Rock looks like he had a lot of fun playing a character that obviously wasn't written with him in mind. For the gorehound in me, I was pleased to find tons of the red stuff (as well as green, pink, and black stuff). Overall, it was a lot of fun. This is the kind of movie you'd get if Roger Corman was paid 100 million dollars to remake "Aliens"... In other words, a lot of goofy, cheeseball entertainment.
International Playboys' First Movie: Ghouls Gone Wild! (2004)
Cheesy YET AWESOME
This movie is not made for people who want to watch a big blockbuster. Its made for fans of rock who love stuff like The Beatles' Yellow Submarine or Guitar Wolf's Wild Zero, which this movie is influenced by. Its a short movie about a group of rockers who go to a ghost town, drink a lot of beer, and rock. There is nothing else - so don't expect there to be. The acting is awful but the cheese just makes the movie more fun to watch. These guys are totally awesome. I love low budget movies and even thought I've seen a lot that are way better, this is still really fun. Its even better since I saw The Playboys play live, so I feel closer to the movie than most viewers. I would highly recommend buying the movie from The Playboys themselves because you'll feel like you know this movie better. Seeing it without seeing them live might take away from it. Still, its an awesome movie. Its cool when a band does something like this, rather than just music all the time. You can tell they don't take themselves seriously and are just having fun, which is why the movie is so entertaining. It is already a drunk "Friday Night Favorite"!