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Reviews
The Final Conflict (1981)
Damien comes into his own.
In the first two Omen films, we were presented with a boy learning to adjust to his unusual personality and his future position in the destiny of the cosmos, but in this last film, Damien is in complete control as he prepares mankind for a " paradise of pain. " Sam Neill exudes a aura of amoral humanity, befriending a female reporter and her son while he seeks to defeat God; One very good sequence has Damien describing man as being naturally evil, claiming that God seeks to keep man from becoming truly innocent. Even though the atmosphere bounces from materialistic to spiritual, the film still gets a powerful message about corporations and their link to politics to the audience. Again, Sam Neill shows us a flawed, but arrogant man-beast, who pushes his way through without a backward glance. With such a performance, it is no wonder that Sam Neill is a great actor.
Damien: Omen II (1978)
Religious horror meets American suburbia.
Completely on a whim, I rented " The Omen.", which to my surprise, I liked. Alas, what made that movie great is diminished in the sequel. In focusing the story around Damien, we are presented with a All-American boy at a military academy, who happens to be a history whiz;in one scene, Damien is talking to two girls. Also, it is surprising that Damien,who cringed in fear at the sight of a church in the first film, can read the Holy Bible without a grimace. I was impressed by the use of a raven as Damien's familar, as they call it, thus preventing anyone from suspecting for the sinister deaths. I think this sequel was built around William Holden, explaining Thorn Industries since he is known for playing tough gentlemen( via Network.)Despite some of its faults, this film does deliver some good chills.
Underworld (2003)
More is not always better
Today, I went to see this movie, lured by its mix of romance and horror. Alas,despite its exciting sequences, including the opening shot, " Underworld. " is a movie which is unable to maintain its balance; there is never a explanation of why Selene wears leather or why Erika, Selene's rival, is not as aggressive as one might expect in a love triangle since their chieftain, Kraven, desires Selene more than her. Baskindale is pretty good as the vampire warrior Selene; like Catherine Anne-Moss(Matrix), she makes her performance the focus of the film. In fact, one of the most surprising things about this film is the " mortality " of the Vampires; they do not change into bats, hypnotize people or wear capes, the traits of vampire lore. Selene's black leather outfit, despite its seductive look, does enable her to blend in with the humans, track down Lycans, and find the human doctor who is linked to the eternal war between the two races of monsters. Overall, this movie is a good draw, but only if you are familar with the Hammer Dracula films. Otherwise, you just might want to come for Kate Baskindale, a very sexy and impressive actress.( Can't wait to see her in Van Halsing.)
One Hour Photo (2002)
A Thriller of Oscar caliber.
This is one film that should have been nominated for Best Actor. It is not only the look of Robin Williams, but also his performance as Sly Parrish which elevates this from film-festival fare to nail-biting terror. It is creepy to hear the first-person narration, and awe at how Robin stayed in character; when he jokes in this movie, it is very eerie. Romanek uses the locations very well throughout the film such as when Sly gets a photo at a yard sale even though she has been in Sav-Mart many times before, and had her photos developed by Sly, you can see her nervousness around him has not faded. In fact, the main characters are very much alike: they present a certain face to hide their true feelings; Nina wears stylish clothes and high-heeled boots to stand out from everybody else, and maintain a image of being the picture-perfect wife. The director also takes advantage of his background in music videos in a sequence at the Yorkin's house. The musical score is very good. Overall, I believe that One Hour Photo may be a symbol of the future independent film, where plot and style meld perfectly.