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phryx
Reviews
Splice (2009)
Species for modern times
I watched this movie today at cinema.
It's quite easy to summarize the plot itself. Two scientists, very besotted in their jobs, try to create a new "human" creature out of human DNA. They already created two, but these were made with animal DNA and resemble more some monster than an animal. In fact the use of human DNA was denied by the concern administrators, but the two scientists are allowed to work most of the time for their own so they're able to hide the creature they brought into being.
The movie itself has a quite nice modern look with typical SFX effects, which are used in these days. The plot is easy, has some twists but is not that big thing. Especially the ending is hunting one cliché after the other. The acting is quit standard good. Brody (Scientist #1) had his better films, Poller (His wife and scientist #2) not. The whole action reminds me too often to other typical Sci-Fi films of this genre like Alien, Species or Predator. At which Species comes Splice the nearest. My buddy who watched the movie with me made also an interesting suggestion, that the story reminds him of what can be read about Mew and Mewto in the Pokemon game (For those who played it a while, maybe know what I mean).
To put it all in a nutshell. Wait and watch this movie some day at 10p.m. in television. It's okay but not worth a visit at the cinema.
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2007)
70 Minutes too much story
I've seen many horror, splatter, monster movies in my life. And of course also a lot of monster movies from the 50's and 60's. When I first stumbled over this one I thought this is from the 60's until I recognized it's from 2007.
In fact the character of Jack Brook is interesting and the acting all in all is for a splatter movie quite good, but.... I expected a splatter movie and not a drama story about a aggressive plummer. The movie runs 80 Mminutes and I think the first kill is after 65 minutes. Although it takes hours to explain the story the reason where are the monsters come from takes at least 3 minutes... the we have another 20 minutes boring dialogue and finally a, in my opinion, not that well managed splatter sequence. Although we have Robert Englund starring here I only recommend this one to real hardcore horror fans.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Very emotional and again something unexpected....
So I watched every movie Stanley Kubrick shot since Lolita and its very notable he always tried to invent himself again and again... I think he never worked except with Kirk Douglas with one actor two times, might that right? I'm not a great fan of Tom Cruise, he had really bad appearances and I don't like his unemotional style and also in this movie he had a little bit of it. But overall he played really well this time. And so did Nicole Kidman. The sequence shortly after Cruise arrived at home and Nicole tells him her bad nightmare was very true and real. Also the scenes in the house were really harmonious and I really felt with Cruise in these moments. Though the movie is a two and a half hour drama of epic dimensions it could even be longer because it was never, not even one second, boring... for example the party sequence: I remember a lot of party scenes like this in hundreds of movies, but I can't remember one, which was so near to the people. The dance sequence between Sky Du Mont and Nicole Kidman is so near to them you have to watch them because its so... its hard to describe... fascinating, although they just talk about complete nonsense. I think that's very notable for Stanley Kubrick, there is under no circumstances an actor who is just there and if he wouldn't it would be not important, If you remember the guy from the costume rental, or the guy at the reception of the hotel... both of them had maybe 30 seconds, maybe a minute in the movie but you remember them as a person because they had a distinct character. So all in all I just can say: If you like movies where the plot evolves very close you have to watch this movie but If you expect just a 90 minutes amatory drama, go and watch any Hollywood movie, because this is the real art of cinematography. ;-)
El laberinto del fauno (2006)
Different and fantastic...
Be careful... SPOILER!
Okay, it's absolutely right to say that Ivana Baquero did a really good job playing Ofelia. She's a huge talent, and you should bear her in your mind the next years. The story is different but not that illogical I thought before. Unfortunately there are by some scenes or other a few mistakes like: Why doesn't kill Mercedes the Capitan? Maybe 'cause he's important for the ending ;-) And I was really commiserate about the monster, which is eating children, just had this... maybe 3 minutes. The first two secrets where in my opinion uninspired and acted like: Okay we need two secrets, let's take a toad, a golden key... But the third secret was instead so much the better. Generally the ending was really really great and I was totally impressed. I'm really curious about Del Toros next movies, I like him.