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The Hurt Locker - 7/10
It was a good movie with a fairly good narrative but it didn't really grab me. I know it won 6 Oscars and 6 BAFTAs but they were all for technical categories, so I reckon, it's an extremely proficient piece of movie making but lacks a bit on story and acting performance. |
Trolljegeren (The Trollhunter)
This film is the Norwegian answer to The Blair Witch Project but instead of the ghost of witches, it is trolls. The movie is plain hilarious. I really enjoyed it, and for a rather small Norwegian production the effects are very good. |
Buried (2010). This is a movie that requires lots of trust going in, and it takes a while before that trust gets earned. For movie fans that are moved by daring premises, this will be an amazing experience. But for those with short attention spans or that prefer the typical movie setup then you will almost assuredly be disappointed by Buried.
The story was ridiculously simple, and the challenge here was finding a way to fill its run time. Once it got going, though, I was fully sucked in and never again did I wonder how they were going to pull it off, instead finding myself whisked away by this terrifying ride. Ryan Reynolds makes for an unlikely choice to helm this gripping tale, but he pulls it off miraculously. This movie demands that every possible emotion be elicited and then conveyed, and Ryan does so swimmingly in the tight confines of the set. The direction and camera work make small wonders grow into a magnificent movie experience. With so little to work with, the camera and limited lighting is used in every possible way to help the story unravel. In doing so the audience almost becomes a participant in Ryan's plight, and his highs and lows are not just seen but felt. Little more can be said of this flick without ruining it, so for those that are fans of claustrophobic thrillers then this is a must see. Merci. d |
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The Hunger (1983). The opening scene of The Hunger is a harbinger of what is to come. For those entranced by the visually rich style, incredibly wicked audio, and viciously sexy composure, then stay tuned because this will be a real treat. But for those drawn to story, plot, or novel adaptation authenticity you are probably going to be wildly disappointed.
As stated, the story itself is hinted at but remains as fleshless as its victims. It is not that it is hard to follow, but it is almost childishly simple. The same old philosophic ideals such as the dreadful fear of death are hinted at, but these notions go no further than that. While the denouement was quite chilling, then end proper almost served as an executive Hollywood demand. The acting was astounding. Bowie was better than expected, but it was Catherine Deneuve's chilling performance that really put ice in the heart of vampire love. Her character was so emotionally distant yet engaging that questioning her humanity became second nature, yet everything she does was ostensibly human. In other words, she exudes an otherworldly detachment that deifies description. Susan Sarandon is almost a second thought in comparison to Catherine, and this only furthers the inhuman puissance that is the central character's monstrosity. The direction, camera work and editing all work together to slather up a rich tapestry of Gothic beauty that almost challenges the naysayer's want of a story proper. When the score is not offering up a deliciously cold dish of classical melody, it is grating the ears with a harmony of death, only to be followed by a chillingly engrossing scene whose guilty pleasures are thrown to the wind such that its sumptuous mise en scčne can be savored as if just served in the snootiest of aristocratic manors. In the end, having sat through such a savage ensemble of deeply beautiful and dark imagery, instead of ruining the whole experience with the retardation of thought, instead just sit back and let the remote in your mind replay those magical scenes as if the experience took place in an upscale gallery. d |
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The Final Destination - Imaginative (albeit ridiculously chain-event based) deaths do not make up for an unimaginative (aka absent) storyline.
Planet of the Apes (1968) - Used this to wash my eyes of the aforementioned filth. |
Ghost World (2001). The dream of every high schooler, to merely graduate, is the drab starting point for the journey into the real world for our two protags. Unfortunately the real world sucks more than high school. This is a tale that examines the creation of an artificial facade of personality in order to stave off the loneliness of eccentricity. Being true to the self might look good on paper, but its main contribution to our lives appears to help keep the weekly planner ink free. Sadly, this gem of a flick hits its mark in the truth of Western civilization. On the bright side, this film has so much fun making light of humanity that its bitter bullet is thoroughly sweetened.
Thora Birch steals the show amongst a throng full of wonderful performances. Her refusal to hold back her caustic opinions is delightfully entertaining, but her character is so painfully authentic, her tongue so biting, that it is hard to imagine her not becoming a nasty old cat lady that is the terror of her favorite haunts. Scarlett Johansson's character is equally believable, though it is unimaginable that at such a young age anyone could capture such a villainous sense of depression and then express it with piercing aplomb. Steve Buscemi is equally delightful, his role almost glamorizing the quirky dork with a sentimentality such that we completely understand how Thora's character could almost canonize the fuel of his sadness. The other characters are a genius collection of clones that we all end up hanging out with and eccentric types that we keep at a social distance but secretly admire. Director Terry Zwigoff takes this script from a comic and weaves it into a highly entertaining dark comedy with a message that neither criticizes the hopelessness of conformation nor offers any instant solutions. Instead, ours is a world where the cultural foundation always exists in our memories but is ever elusive in the present moment, leaving us empty on the one hand or lonely on the other. The ending, so simple that it tempts us to cry foul, poignantly leaves us filled with the clear message that either way, our lives or our spirits are doomed to suffer invisibility. d |
Bitter Feast (2010)
http://l.yimg.com/eb/ymv/us/img/hv/p...rfeast_dvd.jpg >>: B Panic in the Streets (1950) http://content8.flixster.com/movie/1...913982_pro.jpg >>: A- Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus (2010) http://content8.flixster.com/movie/1...154818_pro.jpg >>: D Salo, or The 120 Days of Sodom (1975) http://content7.flixster.com/movie/1...937577_pro.jpg >>: B+ |
Pulp Fiction (as you may have guessed from my Facebook quote).
Empire Strikes Back - All the talk of it in the Spoiler thread made me want to watch it. I've just reached the "He told me enough...he told me YOU killed him..." line. I wonder what's coming next! |
"Case 39"
-Rene Zellweger Plot: "Case 39" centers on an idealistic social worker who saves an abused 10-year-old girl from her parents only to discover that the girl is not as innocent as she thinks. Phantom's Review: To be honest with you, I thought this film was going to be lousy. I mean, it sat on the studio shelf for quite a while and when it finally got realesed it was a bomb. But to my total surprise, it was a pretty good film. Some fine acting, decent FX and a couple of good scares. Nothing new or groundbreaking, just a good movie. |
Finally saw Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive aka Deathtrap(1977) and I have to say I laughed from start to finish it was hilarious in a very very good way :)
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Just watched [Rec] 2 =)
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Last seen movies for me were:
Freddy Vs. Jason (2003) I loved Ken Kirzinger as Jason Voorhees Robert Englund never fails to amuse me as Freddy Krueger, either. 8/10 early 2000 horror films were a bit cheesy though, kinda like the 80's but with better FX. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) Kane Hodder is legendary as Jason Voorhees, but the story of a telekinetic teenager, named Tina was a bit...Odd? Loved it nonetheless. 8/10 (for characters and kill scenes) Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) First movie in the series I ever watched, was legendary in my books. 9/10 |
I saw The Witches Mountain today. It is a confusing film but I did enjoy it, but sh** that is allot of witches in one little tent. :P
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Last flick I've watched was "Chain Letter"..Check out my horror page on fb..A place for REAL horror fans to come and talk horror on fb http://www.facebook.com/JohnnyGoreGalore[IMG]http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._8208217_n.jpg
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Splintered (2010)
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...Splintered.jpg >>: C+ The Mechanic (2010) http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...c/mechanic.png >>: B The Troll Hunter (2010) http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...rollHunter.jpg This is a hilariously serious take on Troll mythology in a modern day context from Norway. And they nailed it! Director Andre Ovredal smartly balances the myth with highly impressive special effects along with the trolls themselves. He has taken that myth that is so implanted in Norwegian culture, and crafted a film that gave inventiveness and spanking humor into the nearly over exploited mocumentary trend. The creature animation and their integration with the live action footage have done flawlessly. The pacing was perfect and another great thing is like many other monsters or creature feature flicks- where they ‘save’ them to psychically reveal mostly at the final showdowns…here they didn’t try to hide the trolls ever in the film! All over there is lot of action going around as the trolls appeared at regular intervals in full form…they did their best to leave the monsters in full focus. The execution couldn’t be better, IMO but what sets The Troll Hunter apart from any other “found footage” films is it has a beautiful heart and it’s all about the trolls, which you’ll gradually find out with the progress of the story. And last but not the least; this Norwegian masterpiece comes along with some amazing cinematography that nicely captures the stunning picturesque Norwegian countryside (I wish I could ever go there!:o). >>: A |
Inception (2010). There is no doubt that Inception is one of the better movies coming out of 2010, but the accolades that it has received seem a tad too much. It has all of the elements to make a truly magnificence picture, and its production values alone scooch this up a notch without regard to its other characteristics, but there was a little something missing to consider this as one of the best films ever .
The story was a tightly woven work that requires some gifted detective work in order to expose its plot holes. First, this is the movies folks so the physics of its plot are safe from attack. Working from this, there is some pretty complicated and dicey material that is covered in Inception that never feels contrived or asks the audience to stretch their imaginations past any cinematic barriers. In other words, the story is easily comprehended from the standpoint of its filmatic premise. The acting was solid on all accounts. Leonardo does a splendid job as usual, but it was nice to see a supporting cast that was just as strong and that did not rely on DiCaprio's skills to carry the whole. The entire ensemble works together to create a larger than life gaggle of denizens. Some complain that there were too many people to keep track of, but at the 148 minute runtime there was plenty of time to figure it all out. On the other hand, there may be something to the fact that the plethora of characters did not allow for enough development of our most significant players, with even Leonardo's Dom remaining distant at the movie's end. Even with a viciously cerebral premise, kudos go out to the production values. The effects were nothing less than spectacular. The action was plentiful and remained original throughout, although I must admit that I wished that they would have shaved a few minutes off of the third act. I was getting a little itchy to have this one end sooner than it did. There were plenty of scenes that lingered unnecessarily and these could have come to the editors ax without taking anything away from the movie. The other technicalities were all up to snuff. Nolan has created another spectacular movie that deserves much attention. The camera and such were all used pragmatically without taking the audience's attention away from the action, which was all the more important as any distraction could have easily thrown the viewer into confusion. My overall impressions of this movie are that it was indeed a monumental production whose ambitions were achieved to the highest movie making degree save one element. What this movie seemed to lack was that ineffable sense of movie magic whose alchemy probably entails a dash of lizard's tail in its inception (ha!). This is not to detract from the movie proper, for it was a terrific endeavor, but to those screaming acclamations that this movie could ever near that monumental list enjoyed by Welles and the like I am sorry, but Inception did not have the all the right stuff to be shelved with the BIG boys. Great yes but exalted, almost. d |
Yeah THE TROLL HUNTER has been the suprise of the year for me so far..
Plus Johnny Gore needs a bigger Sig. |
The Revenge of Doctor X, this is a horrible little B movie. It is about a scientist who is sent on a vacation trip to Japan. There he begins to create a plant monster who off course get loose and start eating people. The movie is slow and the monster effects are just ridiculous, but the movie was rather entertaining.
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Roshiq is splintered any good?
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Deep Rising (1998). Deep Rising is simple entertainment that has no other aspirations. As such, it achieves its purpose handsomely, and those that were disappointed were likely digging for a genre that that does not exist here.
The story is nothing new, a rehashed plot and premise. Keeping it simple allows director Steven Sommers to focus on entertainment, as should the audience. That much of the action and even dialog is easily guessed is part of the fun. The acting was standard fare for such a production, and that these actors were used mostly as vehicles of entertainment helps make this movie a success. Treat Williams as a third-rate movie hero is the perfect captain of this ship. Costar Famke Jannsen deserves more than a mere mention, not for her acting prowess but instead for being so damned sexy. The camera cannot seem to fit enough of here alluring lusciousness onto the screen. The rest of the cast were mere fodder for the action, deliciously gobbled up at just the right moments. The technicalities were all above standards for this genre, with the directorial tone of Sommers the same here as in his other works. The camera does a textbook job of eliciting all of the correct response from its audience, and the tried and true tilts and closeups worked their magic fabulously. The CGI was probably spectacular for its time, and even today it was are more than acceptable. The editing could have been a little tighter, but that is just getting nit picky. Deep Rising is a cinematic guilty pleasure through and through, and how we ever came to the point that movies that are pure entertainment should elicit unnecessary regret is a consideration that should be considerably considered. Merci. d |
the Re-Animator
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"The Thing" (1982)
-Kurt Russel John Carpenter's modern era classic, is truly one of the greatest monster movies ever made. Fine acting and excellent FX along with a hell of a lot of scares. I remember seeing this film in theaters at a sneak preview (hosted by Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark) about two weeks before it was released and being totally blown away. The nice thing is, the film still holds up and is still a personal favorite. |
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The King's Speech (2010) http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...ingsspeech.jpg This is a deeply moving & very inspiring film where Colin Firth gave a tremendously convincing performance. He just brilliantly captured different sorts of ordeals that a stammer person can have or face in his/her everyday life. And in this regard, the movie just didn't remain an astonishingly true story of a King who tried to avoid the throne in fear of the humiliation & embarrassment that could resulted more & more for his problem and not only for him but also for the royal family; it also turns out a very compelling -habitual & psychological portrayals of stammering that produce routine challenges & torments for the person with this speech disorder. The supporting cast was magnificent and particularly Geoffrey Rush & Helena Bonham Carter were excellent in their roles. It was witty at times and beautifully written in every single frame; so kudos also goes to the screen writer David Seidler for the marvelous script. And finally I like to salute director Tom Hooper for his exceptional camera works and amazing set designs that successfully delivered a very unique tone to the story till the final credit rolls. >>: A+ Short Night Of Glass Dolls (1971) http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...Glassdolls.jpg Oh, it was a terrible download...audio was 5 minutes ahead of the video!:D >>: B- |
Life is Hot in Cracktown (2009). Be forewarned, this is a rugged movie. The first action scene will have all but the most stolid of individuals reeling, and some frantically grasping for the remote. For the rest, set back and brace yourself for a highly polished look at a flick whose premise asks what do the dregs of the neighborhood do when they are not out in the public being scummy.
Life is Hot in Cracktown is one of those intertwining stories where we are never sure whether or not our antiheroes are going to clash in its viciously debauched denouement. This is a horrifically bleak story that thankfully makes its characters almost too polished such that it does not wholeheartedly turn off its audience. What these stories do is force the viewer into seeing that these characters, abhorrent creatures of public squalor, are not inhuman monsters whose fuel is delivered by Satan himself. Even the rottenest of the cast is a monster by day, son and brother on the occasional night. The story does not offer much hope, but nor does it wallow in the misery of the 'hood. Instead it is offers an uncompromising slice of a life that most of us could not fathom. The acting was phenomenal everywhere, child actors included. Evan Ross plays a discomforting gangbanger, a good looking guy whose fleeting smiles appear at all of the wrong moments. Illeana Douglas takes what should have been an impossible part and sneaks in some humanity where nothing but a black hole should exist. Desmond Harrington and Kerrie Washington pull off a miracle of an impossible relationship held together by an unfathomable glue that fillips a challenge to any and all takers. The rest of the cast are just as impressive, and without them this production would have likely been shelved in vat and left alone to rot. Director Buddy Giovinazzo takes what should have been a repugnant premise and has fashioned a movie that is accessible despite it harrowing topic. His sense of balance is astounding, twisting us up inside by insisting that we care about characters we'd just assume hate, but then allowing just enough of life's little treasures thorough to give us the facade that these people have some little thread of hope for happiness. The photography was solid, but it was the enthralling editing that captures our attention and then leaves us wanting even more. The score was perfect for this flick, at times mercilessly manipulating our emotions, at other times hinting at what might come. The end comes together in a spectacular fashion, again to the credit of the editing. Life is Hot in Cracktown is the cinematic version of passing by a horrible car wreck and being gifted the optical carnage of an aftermath that will be indelibly burnt into our emotional memories. d |
Exam (2008)
Pretty strait foward "solve the riddle" kind of movie. Fairly claustrophobic with small bits of tension. Overall thought they couldve done more with the characters and the premise. Multiple "movie type" mistakes and actions. Nothing really wowed me but nothing really let me down too much. Kept you thinking the whole time which i enjoy. An OK problem-solving, tight feeling thriller. C New Town Killer (2008) I was let down by this one. Really liked the premise of it and i expected more from it. Thought to be a london version of Most Dangerous Game with mixtures of The Game (movie) this is hardly either. Plot holes, under-developed characters and overall not really tense as it should be. The villian was pretty good and it made you think about how much power the bored, rich, buiness type really have but thats about all it had going for it. An under-achieveing search-and-kill movie that wishes it was the movie Micheal Douglas nailed more than ten years before this one. D |
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Just finished watching The Brood, Begotten and The Serpent and The Rainbow. All good in their own way although it is a relief when Begotten ends cos its too heavy
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I love The Brood.
Anyway I just watched Cathy's Curse and yesterday I watched The Demons of Ludlow as well as Dance in the Vampire Bund anime series. :D |
Tell us more about Cathy's Curse and The Demon Of Luclow-I've never heard of them.
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The Social Network
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ork_poster.jpg Now I can see why everyone liked this film - It's intriguing, well-written, well-directed, and the acting is superb. While I haven't been all that impressed with Jesse Eisenberg in the past, I thought that he was perfect as the OCD Mark Zuckerberg, a misanthrope who is both hero and unlikeable at the same time. It's a really good, solid story. And Justin Timberlake was fantastic too. Wish he appeared in more good films. 3.75/5 ... The Town http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...vie-poster.jpg I'm actually pretty upset that The Town wasn't wasn't up for Best Picture this year - I would say that The Town is my second or third favorite movie of the year (definitely second to Black Swan, though possibly third to Despicable Me, which just makes me incredibly happy)... Could be that I'm biased; I'm from the Boston area and get a certain delight from watching actors who can get the damn accent right (it's not just about dropping your R's, by the way)... Or it could be that this crime drama was a really thrilling character piece with characters whom I honestly cared about. Jeremy Renner is utterly brilliant (definitely deserves the Oscar nod), and Rebecca Hall is incredibly sympathetic. And I don't care what people say about Ben Affleck - While he may be limited, he's talented within his sphere. And apparently a great actor, too. I loved this film - I was on the edge of my seat, intrigued the whole time. Highly recommend it. 4.5/5. ... Devil http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...devil_ver2.jpg I had heard a couple of rumors that this movie wasn't too bad, so I figured that I should check it out. As it turns out, it was surprisingly good. Good story, solid acting, and the end brought everything full circle. It's one of those "solid 3" movies - Not amazing, but a good, quality little flick. 3.5/5. ... Mutants http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6.../mutants-1.jpg Sigh - Ok. So this movie obviously had a decent budget - The direction was solid and the acting good... BUT... The movie doesn't really give me anything that I haven't already seen before. Meh. 2.25/5. ... The New Daughter http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ewdaughter.jpg Ick. Pretty bad writing accompanied with awful acting... And a pretty poor story. Disappointed as Rue Morgue Magazine seemed to like this one. I was hoping it would be a "solid 3." Oh well. 1.75/5. |
I didn't like Devil at all but I can see why some people like it. I'm intrigued by the Town that loooks interesting. Cheers
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Definitely check out The Town - It's not as good as, say, The Departed (which is one of my all-time favorites), but it's a really, solid character piece. I'm actually psyched with how well it came out (being from the Boston area and all, my pride is showing through). |
Land of the Dead
I just got done watching Land of the Dead. I rented three movies (Incubus, Last House in the Woods, and Land of the Dead). I didn't watch 20 minutes of the other two crappy movies before I popped in Land of the Dead, and it was cool as hell. The way they portray the zombies with some intelligence is awesome.
BTW: The Town is one of my all time favorite movies. Very well done. |
I just watched Bread Crumbs. It was a decent, lower-budget slasher-horror-fairy tale flick. It's a little inconsistent, the gore isn't mind blowing, and the story is somewhat familiar, but it evokes some interesting atmosphere and held my attention.
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http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...zpier/Moon.jpg
Moon - An impressive and intelligent sci fi piece,Moon is remarkably accomplished given the Writer/Director's (Duncan Jones) relative inexperience. The film benefits from Sam Rockwell's convincing portrayal of the isolated and emotionally strained central character,Rockwell's haunting and engaging performance is crucial to the success of the film as there are really no other characters to speak of. I thought Clint Mansell's lingering eerie score complemented perfectly the melancholy tone of the film.Mansell is amassing an impressive body of work and I would be surprised if he didn't win an Acadamy Award at some point. 9/10 |
"Troll Hunter" 7/10
Meh... the trolls were great. The rest wasn't quite. I hope a sequal is coming up with much more trolls and a better story. And less handheld cameras.:) |
The Mechanic (2011)
A bit to flashy to really get across what made the original so great. The opening sequence was way to James Bond and didn't sit right with me. No masterpiece but a decent enough timewaster. |
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