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An error has ocurred. Please try againAll these films were based on real crimes /or real criminals. Though some serial killer films are included, I tended to exclude most of them (instead, making a separate list, just for those).
Reviews
The Scratch (2009)
A rather inactive action film...until the last third of the film
Have you ever wondered what a porn flick would look like without all the sex? Well, wonder no more, for Jorge Suarez's "The Snatch" answers this age old question... You still get the same wooden actors, the same stilted dialog, complete with lengthy pauses between lines of dialog, and enough throw away jazz to fill the multiple periods of inactivity. from what my wife and I were able to figure out, you have some inexperienced PI/cop who gets caught up in a caper involving a computer hacker and some downloaded software.
It's really hard to tell, as the pace is slooooooooooow with choppy editing, doing anything in it's power to keep the viewer inattentive. Although promoted as an action film, the director spends an inordinate amount of time on talk scenes. Now perhaps if the dialog, screen play, and acting were interesting, this wouldn't be so bad, but with on screen interaction akin to that of a third grade production of Chicken Little, one can't help but chalk it up to a minuscule budget preventing too many action scenes.
Speaking of the occasional action scenes, well, they mainly comprise of 2 minute gun fights over-saturated with an inappropriate "peppy" jazz score. It's obvious that the film makers are big fans of films such as Bullett, Lock Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, et al, but need to take another look at those films and realize that throwing some jazz, attempts of witty dialog and periodic action do not an engaging movie make.
The directing wasn't completely without its moments of charm. Some of the angles and use of light were spot on. A good example would be at the 1hr6min mark, with some nice steady cam work. The editing was for the most part pedestrian, with the occasional jump cut, which keeps the pace much too slow for the type of film this wishes to be.
On a side note, I did enjoy the little joke regarding Harv's reading matter...some of the magazine titles were pretty funny.
All in all, I didn't hate this movie. Though slow and plodding for the first hour, it does pick up speed in the third act, but I doubt most will be willing wait this long for an action movie to get active.
Hack! (2007)
A Fun little homage to slasher flicks for the horror geek in us all
After watching this flick a few times, and reading the various reviews regarding this, I felt compelled to write my take on this film. First off, I think that there is some confusion, for many, whether this is an actual horror movie, or a homage (ala Scream) or even a spoof (ala Scary Movie)... Personally, I feel that it is best viewed as a humorous homage to not only 80's slasher films but of "teen movies" and pop culture, in general..
Each cast member/character represents a typical teen movie cliché... The brain-dead, sexist narcissistic jock, the self-absorbed social climber, the IQ challenged vulgar blonde, the "street"/hip hop black kid, the ultra intelligent (and over-the-top homosexual) Asian guy, the glasses wearing, pigtailed bookish nerd girl and the quiet, honorable guy who the nerd girl has a crush on....and best of all, this addressed by one of the characters about 55 minutes into the film..
On top of that, we have the crusty boat captain, the odd-ball couple who owns the place they are all staying at..."the secluded island". Of course no secluded island would be complete without a psycho or two running around offing people...for having sex, drinking, smoking weed, listening to boy-bands...pretty much all the social evils of the world...
We also have plenty of the obligatory "point of view" camera shots, red herrings, a good-hearted sheriff and his bumbling deputy, T&A, gore, creative murders, and a truckload of "in-jokes" and pop culture references... and some nice "breaking the forth wall" moments, addressing things that "always happen in horror movies" .
It was the cornucopia of in-jokes and references which really made the movie a treat for me and my wife. The character names alone cracked me up, most comprising of names related to famed horror directors (Dario Argento, Eli Roth, John Carpenter), authors (Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Stephen and Tabitha King) and movie characters, (Bates of Psycho, "Q" of James Bond, Johnny of NotLD, and (Boo) Radley of To Kill a Mokingbird), as well a tip of the hat to Vincent (Price) and even a appearance from everyone's favorite serial killer: Kane "Jason Vorhees" Hodder, Buffy's Juliet "Drucilla" Landau, The Wonder Years' Danica "Winnie Cooper" McKellar, and Rocky Balboa's well meaning brother-in-law, Burt "Paulie" Young and his corner man, Tony "Duke Burton.. Of course, that's just scratching the surface...
The amount of movies and TV shows nodde3d to is staggering...I found myself chucking time and time again at the quotes and film references that made this movie a horror geek's nirvana... Just off the top of my head, some of the films/TV shows touched upon are: IT, Jaws, The Shining, Guinea Pig, Ringu/The Ring, Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, House of 1000 Corpses, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Scream, Pinky and the Brain, Dracula (1931), Fame, Reefer Madness, Lara Croft, The Birds, People Under the Stairs, Hellraiser, Saw, Free Willy, Shakespeare, Siskel and Ebert, Pet Semetary, Shocker, A Few Good Men, Elephant Man, Dead Calm, even a reference to the 80's Budweiser slogan ("This Bud's for you") and the Cingular "Can you hear me now" commercial.. Of course, some of these things may have been unintended, as I tend to connect the most obscure things (the first thing I thought when Maddy was hit with the brick was Krazy Kat and Ignatz), but anyone wishing to have me elaborate, feel free to drop me a message
Anyway, I found this movie to be a fun little flick, and recommend it to anyone into 80's slasher films....and a must for horror geeks into movies like "Saturday the 14th"...
From Justin to Kelly (2003)
"Worthless Abomination" is a more appropriate title
The director of this worthless piece of smegma owes me 81 minutes of my life back. Completely vapid characters, inane dialog, and a total absence of anything comprising a plot, is all that this movie has to offer. I cannot believe one person would think this waste of film even resembles a concept of entertainment. I can't believe that any studio/director/writer would want anything to do with this homesick abortion. Couldn't they see that having one's name attached to this would be career suicide? I would rather sandpaper a bobcat's butt in a telephone booth that watch this drivel, nor that craptacular joke of a show, American Idiot...I mean Idol, from which this movie is based. Anyone voting this travesty higher than a "1" needs to be refused access to a computer, for the rest of his/her life!