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cwfultz
I like to write. If you like to read, you should give my stuff a whirl. Go to Lulu.com and search for C.W. Fultz.
Reviews
The Happening (2008)
Hmm... Interesting...
I should probably start off by saying that I'm not particularly an M. Night Shyamalan fan. I've seen every movie of his but "Unbreakable". But I do enjoy his movies, if that makes any sense. In fact, "Lady In the Water" is one of my favorite movies of all time.
Here's my review of "The Happening":
I think it might have been an exceptional film if it weren't for the acting. The acting totally killed it, and a lot of the dialogue was really ridiculous as well. I read a review of this the other day that made a comment I agree with completely: M. Night Shyamalan should stop directing his own scripts.
The story line... I found it to be interesting. It's an interesting thought. Sort of a tired topic, as of late (Humans reaping what we've sown as far as how we've treated the environment), but it was still such a bizarre spin that I was able to forgive it. Whether or not it's plausible, it made sense. (Can I just say that my favorite thing in this movie was the subdivision billboard with the sideboard that said "You Deserve This". Thanks a heap, Night. ;-])
I would urge you to wait until this is on video or on television to watch this. With acting this bad, and gas prices so high, it's really not even worth driving to the theater. (Your lack of carbon-emissions from the saved drive might prevent "The Happening" from ever really happening.)
Lady in the Water (2006)
We could change the world...
In a time of great disrest in this country comes a film called "Lady In the Water", a simple bedtime story that suggests one thing: We all have a purpose.
In this film, there is a character called a Narf. The purpose of the Narf is to help someone. They have one specific person. In this case, it is a writer that must be helped. Once the person comes in contact with the Narf, they feel an awakening. Then, they are inspired to do something. In this case, it's write a book. The book in question is entitled "The Cookbook" and it contains the writer's opinions on the many things wrong in the world. Perhaps philosophy? Anyway, the Narf has the ability to tell the future and the Narf in this, Story, tells the writer that his book will inspire a boy to become president of the U.S. and make great changes.
This is what I like to call a co-plot. The other co-plot is Story's journey and struggle to get back to the Blue World and how everyone who is designated a certain part of the bedtime story helps her.
How amazing is that? This movie inspired me to do something great. It might not be become president, but it will be something good. This movie was so wonderful. It's message rang true and clear, and I fell in love with it. For anyone who is able to embrace change and is open to one of the most (if not the most) unique films in history, "Lady In the Water" will amaze you. It did me.
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
Intense and kind-of disturbing
So I didn't really know what to expect with this one. I've seen the original, and that one was bad enough. But with today's technology and Alexandre Aja directing (I've seen "High Tension"), I knew that this one would be rough.
I wasn't let down, either. From the get-go, this movie is intense. The death scenes are so awesome. I can't wait to see this unrated. The trailer scene was the worst. It really creeped me out. And when Doug went after the baby, I felt like he was diving into Hell by going into the Hill people's town. And the chase scene in the house between him and one of them (I don't remember which) was awesome. This movie may or may not disappoint you because it is a lot like the original, which, I guess, is a good thing. It shows how dark the human nature can be. Fans of gore and violence won't be let down. Some of the camera techniques were a little odd, but other than that, the directing was wonderful. The acting was right for the film. Nothing really stood out in my mind.
10/10
The Devil's Rejects (2005)
If this had been more delicately handled, it would have been extraordinary
Okay, let me start off by saying what's probably been said about a thousand times: "The Devil's Rejects" is not for everybody. There are so many things about this movie that could offend somebody, especially a religious person.
The story is, of course, about three killers who go on the run from the cops after their "house of 1000 corpses" is discovered. They embark on a killing spree and just enjoying themselves up until a rather odd conclusion.
I am a follower of Bloody-Disgusting.com and I kept up with the hype of this film. The first was nothing special. It had its moments, but in twenty years, I doubt I'll even think about it. However, there were plenty of people who were so excited for this film, I went in to the theater thinking that Rob Zombie made a movie that his fans wanted to see. If he had made this for an even broader audience, I think that it would have been wonderful.
Even still, I enjoyed this film. It was exactly what I expected and I enjoyed it. I doubt there will ever be another like it. Well... except when some goober decides to remake it in about twenty years. (Maybe then I'll remember "House of 1000 Corpses". lol) I'll probably go see it and remember.
7/10
Hostel (2005)
This is pretty much the worst movie ever made.
There was nothing impressive about this movie. I think that people had heart attacks because they were shocked at how stupid this movie really was. Sure, the gore was good and it had an interesting concept, but the first hour totally ruins that.
I do not go to see a horror movie to see sex. That kind of ruins it. I do realize that the only reason they were in this town was for sex, but it wasn't necessary to show it.
Like I said, the gore was good. That's what bumped my vote up to a 2. I was a little upset that they cut away half the time. They will probably show this on an unrated DVD, but there's no telling how much sex will be in that version. That fact also hurt my vote.
I was just soo let down. I mean... Tarantino was attached. What went wrong? I didn't expect it to be perfect because I've seen Cabin Fever and didn't expect much from Eli Roth, but Tarantino was there too! My guess is that the first half of the film was Roth and the second half was Tarantino.
My recommendation is to wait until the unrated version is out on DVD.
King Kong (2005)
Wow...
"King Kong" is a very heartbreaking story of a giant ape who falls in love with a beautiful woman. It's very sad.
This movie is extremely drawn out. Two of the three hours this movie take place in the jungle. It seemed like it would go on forever.
Peter Jackson, of course, did good. The creatures were awesome. He got the best performances out of the actors. Even Jack Black did good, but seeing him trying to be serious made it funny.
I've never seen any of the previous two and I really don't think that I want to because this one was just too good. It made my mom cry.
I recommend to... people who love action, people with romance, and people who have patience.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
An Excellent, Thought-Provoking Film
In "Th Exorcism of Emily Rose", a priest is on trial for the murder of a college student, who died under his care. He claims that she was inhabited by demonic forces. Others claim she was merely epileptic and psychotic. What do you think? That's exactly what "Emily Rose" does. It lets you decide and I love that. I love the fact that they do not force the idea of demonic possession upon you. If you want to know what I think, whatever was wrong with Emily Rose, I got chills watching her exorcism.
The acting was awesome. I was very convinced by all, especially Emily Rose. The director did an awesome job catching this story. I'm a huge fan of "Law & Order" so the court arguments were great. One thing people don't understand is that this is not an all-out horror film. Horror is definitely present, but not as much as the drama. It works, just trust. Or don't trust me. Watch it for yourself and decide.
10/10
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
A wonderful adaptation of the first book in the best fantasy series EVER!!!
"The Lord of the Rings" was good, but soooo drawn out. "Harry Potter" was just good. What sets "The Chronicles of Narnia" apart is the fact that the story is just all around more interesting, along with the symbolism.
In this film, four kids find a magical world in a large wardrobe. The world is under the reign of a false ruler. A witch. When the four kids arrive, so does a lion, and things begin to change.
The symbolism in this movie is obvious. The White Witch is Satan. Aslan is Jesus. Come on, I mean The White Witch kills him and he comes back and when he kills her, he says: "It is finished", the same three words Jesus said on the cross.
Tilda Swinton was a better White Witch than the old one because when she pretended to be nice to Edmund, it was convincing. The four kids, particularly Georgie Henley, were really great too.
This movie is a great family movie or anyone just big on epics.
10/10
Batman Begins (2005)
My New Favorite Comic Book Movie
To me, Batman is the most mysterious superhero there is. We know about Superman's past. It has a TV show. I was very pleased to see how Batman became what he is. I am not a reader of comics so I wasn't making comparisons. This guy that my friend is dating is a comic book freak and he wouldn't shut up about how this movie strayed away from the comics. At least five people told him to shut up in unison.
I did expect this to be good because there was so much speculation and buzz on it. I was excited to see if it was really good as it turned out. It now ranks with the Spider-Mans and Elektra as my favorite adapted movies.
The direction of this film was spectacular as was the screen writing. I'm hoping that different people aren't brought in for the possible sequel/remake that is suggested at the end of the movie. The acting is also good. The Batman that was chosen was a great choice. I couldn't imagine him being played by anyone else.
I highly recommend this to fans of the old Batmans and any other comic movie. Maybe not so much to extreme comic book fans, though.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
The Best Remake To Grace The Silver Screen
Charlie and the Chocolate is, as everyone already knows, the remake of the legendary Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Everyone had their reservations about it because it's a remakes, and remakes are typically not as good as originals. This one, however, pleased me greatly. It stayed truer to the book which made me happy because the book is an all-time favorite of mine.
Johnny Depp did an excellent performance and showed how diverse of actor he can be with his performance of Willy Wonka. He was so funny. The children were well-casted and at times, they were freaky. The oompa loompas were absolutely terrifying. Their songs were cool, though. I'm really thinking about buying the soundtrack if those songs are on there.
For curious parents, this is an excellent movie to take your children to. It's also perfect for fans of the book and fans of the original. I'm really hoping for a sequel, whether or not it's based on the second book: "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator".
Dark Water (2005)
A very sad, dramatic ghost story. I hope it gets nominated for an Oscar.
Dark Water is the story of a woman and her daughter moving into a new apartment. The apartment just might be haunted or the eerie things could be the result of the mother's disintegrating sanity.
What really annoys me is that people keep saying: It's just like "The Ring". Please realize, just like the commercials say: They were written by the SAME guy!!!!!!!!!! Dark Water, however, is more drama than mystery and the only thing they have in common is the dead girl living in the water tower. She does NOT crawl out of anything and she looks normal.
The cinematography was great. It was a beautiful movie. The acting was great. I won't be surprised if this movie merits an Oscar nomination. I hope it does. Don't go in expecting anything scary. Expect a sad, drama about a mother struggling to keep her daughter.
Haute tension (2003)
Highly suspenseful
High Tension is the story of a girl trying to save her roommate who is at the mercy of a crazed killer. The scene where she first encounters him was probably the most suspenseful scene in a movie I've ever seen. She hides under the bed while he searches the room. I can't believe he didn't look under the bed. I would have.
The whole scene where the guy walks through the house killing people was intense. After that, you can only just watch because it doesn't get much more exciting, just weird.
The ending threw a giant twist at me that made me confused until I sat down in a quiet room and truly thought about it. And I still have tons of questions.
But this movie delivers blood and suspense and is very entertaining, which is what movies are made for: to entertain.
Land of the Dead (2005)
Enjoyable
Okay, after a long time, George Romero has finally returned to the zombie scene to give us his input and show us how it's done. It's funny because a lot of people are saying that he's a newbie or something like that, when in fact, if it wasn't for him, there wouldn't be any other zombie movie. Or there might have been, but they would have been no good. It's an excellent conclusion to the series. (I hope it's the conclusion because I've heard rumors that this could be the beginning of something else.) It began with two siblings visiting a loved one in a cemetery and ended with a group of people driving off in an enormous tank-like vehicle shooting fireworks off. Wow. That's awesome.
But down to the review: If you like zombies. If you like blood. If you like seeing two chicks make out. This movie is definitely for you. I was very proud that we actually got to see more zombies eating people. In recent zombie films, all you see is a zombie tackling a person and hearing the person scream. In this, you were privileged enough to see zombies holding legs while munching on them like corn on the cob. It had excellent gore. And I enjoyed seeing slow zombies for a change. He definitely takes us back to the good old days before Resident Evil came along and caused a craze. I liked the fact that the humans set up a refuge center. It really showed how the humans were affected by the zombie invasion. They were leading normal lives, probably not even thinking about the zombies in the outside world. Unknown to them, the zombies are getting smarter. I really wish there was some science guy who explained why this was happening. It probably explains it in Day of the Dead, but I just couldn't pay attention to that one.
I recommend this to any true zombie fan along with Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" and "Dawn of the Dead", the remake of "Dawn of the Dead", and "28 Days Later".
Madagascar (2005)
The Best Children's Movie In A While
Madagascar tells the story of animals in a zoo. The lion is some kind of celebrity, the zebra wants to go to the wild, the giraffe is scared of everything, the penguins want to go to Antartica, and the hippo is content. When the penguins influence the zebra to escape, the lion, giraffe, and hippo chase after him. When they are caught in a train station, they are boxed up and shipped off to the Kenya Wildlife Preserve. An incident on the boat involving the rather peculiar penguins causes their boxes to fall off the boat and eventually wind up on the shores of Madagascar.
I loved this movie! There was little or no crude humor, and it made me laugh more than either Shrek, Shrek 2, Shark Tale, and The Incredibles. It was absolutely hysterical. Kudos to DreamWorks for making such an awesome film. I highly recommend to parents or to anyone wanting to go see something funny. My rating is definitely 10 out of 10.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
Entertaining at best
I get private messages all the time from people saying that I am way too lenient with my reviews. All that I really care about is that I'm entertained, especially if it's a movie that I really want to watch. I had gotten so sick and tired of everyone telling me about "Resident Evil" that I decided to check it out. It was like a war. Half of them loved it and half of them hated it. I was at a friend's house when I watched it. Sometime later on, I came over and he asked me if I wanted to watch this one. I didn't really care, figuring it was going to suck.
"Resident Evil: Apocalypse" picks up where the original left off. You know something is wrong. Something weird is happening to a woman. She escapes from some weird medical facility and into the streets to find them deserted. There are still people around, but they are either hiding, or mindless zombies. The corporation from the original has unleashed their latest weapon, Nemesis. It is an odd looking creature that has connections with Alice, our hero.
This one was good. It was full of action and I do enjoy action. It captured my attention long enough for me to watch. It was okay. If there was a third, I wouldn't pay to see it. I'd just wait till my friend gets it. Final rating 7/10.
The Ring Two (2005)
"The Ring Two" is an excellent continuation, not sequel, to "The Ring"
"The Ring Two" stars Naomi Watts and David Dorfman reprising their roles as Rachel and Aiden Keller, a family plagued by Samara Morgan, a demon child that created a video tape after death that showed horrifying images and killed the viewers seven days after they watch it. The original was met with great praise, labeled by critics as the scariest movie since "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby", even though I didn't find it scary at all, just a good mystery. In "The Ring Two", Rachel and Aiden have moved to a new town, and evidence arises that a local death may have been caused by a mysterious video tape. This inspires Rachel, a reporter, to investigate.
Most critics don't like this film because it doesn't have the "atmosphere" of the original. Since I've read the books and now how vastly different the first is from the second, I didn't expect it to. You can't expect it to, anyway, seeing as how they have two different directors. I'm quite sure this movie would have been better if Gore Verbinski had been on to direct, but the studio hired the director of the Japanese film. It didn't work for "The Grudge" and it didn't work for this, but it turned out better than what I expected.
In "The Ring" the mystery of the video tape was revealed, including where it came from and the history of who made it. (Though I will admit, they could have explained it better. The book does.) In "The Ring Two", we know what there is to fear so all there is left to do is throw it at us and see what happens. They try something new though, that slightly resembles what occurs at the very end of the book, but is much different and happens in the middle. I didn't like how they just threw the idea of Samara being adopted at us. I wish they had explained it. They also kind of overexagerated on the water. After a fact about the villain is later revealed, it kind of makes sense but not really. I just hope fans react to "Dark Water" well when they see it. I also really liked the scene at the end with the well. There seems to be a scene like that at the end of both of them, one that shocks you and makes you flip out. (The first being where she crawls out of the TV.) All in all, it was a very cool movie, one of the better ones I've seen recently. I'd give it 10/10 because it did everything I thought it should. They did close it off, but I still expect a third. Why wouldn't they do it?
Darkness (2002)
A Disappointment
I've learned that if they lable it: "The scariest movie of the year" or "Scarier than 'The Ring'", it won't be and I should wait until it's available on Netflix. At least I didn't pay for my ticket though.
Darkness is about a family of four: mother, father, teenage girl, little boy, who move into a house in Spain. Little do they know about the house's horrific past and the father's links to it. Apparently six kids were murdered there in a part of an evil cult ritual.
This movie seemed okay at first. The acting was acceptional. I didn't care about the acting, though. I never do. I just see it as a perk, even though it affects the way I rate movies. The story line was very unfamiliar to me. I had only seen advertisements twice, and I really couldn't tell what was going on.
The father seems to have a mental condition that had gone away for a long time. It suddenly seems to come back because of the six ghosts of children that appear throughout the film.
Then, the movie took a turn for the worst: the ending. I was so confused. But what I saw, I didn't like so I didn't care if I understood or not. Then, when it was explained to me, I felt a little better about it, but I wouldn't be recommending it to anyone.
Although many people thought the ending was cool (the movie even scared one girl sh*tells, I didn't. It had an interesting appeal to it that I would have enjoyed had the events leading up to it been better.
I hand it to the director or writer or whoever I should be giving credit to for originality. I will give his next film "Fragile" a try, but probably when it's on video. Final rating: 5/10.
Saw (2004)
I Was On The Edge Of My Seat
Saw is about two men who have been captured by a sick freak and locked in an old bathroom. They later find two micro tapes that tell them that one must kill the other or his wife and kid will get it. Of course the history of the two men comes into play as they search the room for clues as to how they can escape.
Oh my goodness! Only two movies have I seen in theaters where I was like: "OH MY GOD!!!! HURRY UP, MOFO!" The other was Panic Room (10/10). The acting was awesome, although Cary Elwes's American accent was.... interesting. The writing was brilliant as was the directing. I love independent films and this is a prime example of how awesome and original they can be. This is a must-see for anyone who enjoys a good suspense film. You go, director guy, you go! I am anxious for a Saw 2. Hopefully they will continue the story and not make it a repeat of the horrible tortures that were inflicted upon innocent (or are they?) people in the first. My final rating: 10/10.
Ju-on (2002)
The remake was better
I saw "The Grudge" before seeing this, so I had a general idea of what to expect, but I did expect better. Everyone always says: "The Japanese one was SOOO scary." Umm... no, not really. The remake was more terrifying and that says something because the remake wasn't scary, just entertaining. I found "Ju-On: The Grudge" to be confusing and lame. The Japanese actors are.... strange. Like... whenever something moves or a strange noise is head, they completely blow it out of proportion. They start screaming and clutching on to their face like they are dying when they've only heard a strange noise. The only thing that was scarier about this movie was Toshio. He was creepy in this one and kind of dull in the remake. The dead woman was lame looking in this one. The lead character was not as eye-friendly as her friends or her American remake portrayer Sarah Michelle Gellar, yet that's what sets this movie apart: an unattractive female lead. My final rating: 5/10.
The Grudge (2004)
Mildly Scary But Still Very Entertaining
"The Grudge" is a film about a house with a curse. Someone died in that house in the grip of a powerful rage. Now, their spirit is confined to that house, making it it's goal to kill anyone who enters that house. This is very ironic. It seems that "The Grudge" has fallen to a the curse of entering Hollywood. It could have been way better than it was had the director played his cards right. (He also directed the Japanese version. I don't understand what happened.)
This is one of the better horror films I've seen in a while. It was somewhat original. Its SFX were alright, but it could have been better. The acting, mainly from Sarah Michelle Gellar, was far better than I expected. It's just right for the season. I love Halloween! 7/10.
The Patchwork Monkey (2003)
I liked this better than "Child's Play"
I didn't get to see the first minute or so of this, but what I did see I liked. It was about this creepy monkey that was scaring the pants off two kids. It had it's really eerie minutes where you were thinking "What's about to happen?"
It really showed up "Child's Play", the movies about Chucky the killer doll. One thing was that you never really saw the monkey showing signs of life which really added to the rising tension. I didn't really quite understand what happened at the end, but it still rocked! Of course, IFC short films are hard to come across so if you get to see this, you are lucky! My rating: 7/10. (The ending left me confused.)
The Simpsons (1989)
The Complete Fourth Season
I bought this with the money I received for my birthday, completing my collection. I absolutely love this show and was not disappointed by this collection. This season contains episodes such as: "Selma's Choice", in which Aunt Selma thinks about getting pregnant. There's also "Treehouse of Horror III", "Last Exit To Springfield", and "Krusty Gets Kancelled". (That might have been season 3.)
This was definitely entertaining, especially since I've been at home and only kiddie shows and soaps are on during the day. It's a must-have for any Simpsons fan. I look forward to the fifth season and another relaxing day on the couch. My rating: 10/10.
Shark Tale (2004)
Not a very good children's movie....
I went and saw this movie last Sunday, expecting a funny, cute comedic kid's movie like Finding Nemo, only with an urban twist. Perhaps, it was a little too urban. I did laugh, and I did think this was a funny movie, but it should have been aimed more towards teenagers. You see, my theory to why this happened is this: Rap is taking over the world. If I ever hear a little kid say: "Forsheezy", I'll have a good idea that it's because of this movie.
The movie is about a fish who works at a whale wash. He owes his boss money he cannot pay so his boss's goons take him out to the middle of no where to either torture him or kill him. (His goons are Jamaiican jellyfish.) Then a shark appears and is killed by an anchor. The two jellyfish assume that the fish killed the shark and they free him. Unfortunately, the shark is part of a family of mobsters. There's also a vegitarian shark in there somewhere. I'll let you sort it out.
I wonder what parents thought when they heard a shark wish that Oscar would burn in the fiery pits of Hell. It was all a little too extreme for the young children I saw there. This is just my opinion, of course. Not to mention adolescent fish vandals. Is it any wonder that America's youth is corrupted? My rating: 7/10. (Unnecessary language, annoying dialogue, and annoying characters.)
Resident Evil (2002)
Entertaining, to say the most
This a review done by someone who has never played the games. I saw this movie for the first time a few days ago and I thought it was cool. It was a good action film. Of course, I was expecting action instead of scares so it probably appealed to me more than others. This is a movie about a corporation that makes household products, and, secretly, biochemical weapons or something like that. It focused on an underground facility that was inhabited by workers of the Umbrella Corperation. A virus that they were experimenting on escapes and spreads amongst the workers, turning them into zombies. Then, Alice wakes up in the shower and is soon taken by men in suits to the underground place, hoping to shut down the computer that operates it. Little do they know that mindless zombies among other things will soon be hunting them down.
This was a generally cheesy movie, but what did you expect? Most of the corny lines were delivered by Michelle Rodriguez or however you spell her name's character. It had an ending that I thought was somewhat cool. It was a lot like most of the other zombie flicks I've seen. I'll wait until the sequel is on video before I see it. Anyway, my final rating is 6/10. (Dialogue, poor acting, and poor writing.)
This Is Not a Film (2003)
An All Around Good Movie
Okay, it's almost the end of my fall break. I've been bored. I was scanning the DISH Network guide when I saw a movie called "This Is Not A Film". It had an interesting title so I thought I'd give it a shot. It turned out to be a very excellent movie. The movie/documentary focuses on Michael Connors or something like that. He and his friends Nichols and Lindsey are making a movie about a relationship he had with an Irish woman named Grace. Also, he gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his life and such. Basically, what he wanted to do was get the viewers of the film to tell Grace if they saw her that he was sorry or something like that. He gets his friend Nadia to play Grace and Patty (The woman he was sleeping with.) During the process, he discovers that he screwed up big time.
It was very touching. I really felt for the main character. He was such a goof. Also, Nadia's portrayal as Grace was Oscarworthy at times. (Especially during the really emotional scenes.) If you ever get the opportunity to watch this, do it. You won't be sorry. My rating: 9/10. (Nadia's costuming as Patty was a little ridiculous.)