Change Your Image
super-cow
Reviews
In Too Deep (2001)
Powerful
I just happened to stumble upon this short film tonight. This was a really excellent suspense/thriller. The editing and direction was spot on, and the depth of character was excellent considering the length of this film. As a whole I felt this was a suspenseful short film, drawing me in quickly with a great introduction. I find it hard to get interested in some short films, because there is not enough time to develop a connection to the characters or anything happening for the audience to be drawn in. The way the film opened was quick, and very direct, giving the audience a quick connection to the events, instead of dragging establishing shots. The overall sense of paranoia was well portrayed. For director Scott Quigley this was an excellent early film and I look forward to seeing more work from this promising film maker.
The Dark Knight (2008)
I'm going to make this pencil disappear...
The opening sequence (which most people have seen online due to the footage being shown on some trailer reels) sets the stage for the entire film. An eerie score, brilliant directing, and spot on acting. There isn't too much that I feel comfortable saying about this film that hasn't already been said a thousand times, and wouldn't give anything away. I will tell you that The Joker is incredible. The trailers (thankfully) don't really give away too much of Heath Ledger's incredible acting, so I recommend seeing it for yourself. A lot of people are complaining about the length of the film, but the film covers a lot of ground and shortening it would be murder. Go see this while you can, it's a classic and raises the bar for all super hero films.
Beowulf (2007)
Gayowulf...
To start off, I have a few spoilers in this review which are well marked so don't be afraid of me throwing in anything important without warning. I was very neutral about Beowulf when I went to see the film. I was skeptical when I saw the trailer, however, a lot of positive reviews had made me think it might be pretty good. I saw the 3D version which was about the best thing about it. Where to begin? Beowulf was completely in CGI, which was a huge surprise to me when I actually sat down to see it. The animation was very well done for the exception of a few of the characters. The 3D effects were at some parts very enjoyable, and others it was pretty much a joke. I imagine watching this at home and wondering why there is a spear head that takes up the entire screen, then remembering this movie was tailored for 3D. The only really horrible moment to me in the animation was the scene with Grendel's mother, and Beowulf. Beowulf looks fine on his own, however, Grendel's mother looks so much more realistic that it makes for an awkward clash in contrast. This was honestly the only moment a normal person could complain about as far as animation goes.
Onto the plot and characters... I really don't like Beowulf in this movie. He's pretty much portrayed as a boastful liar which makes for a horrible hero if you ask me. Everyone has flaws, but to have a character where his only sense of heroism is in physical prowess is difficult to identify with. Anthony Hopkins character really fit well into this movie as well as most of the other protagonists. The only problem was I felt like they all wore their personalities way out there so you could get to know them very quickly because there was absolutely no story telling in this film at all. To appreciate a film you don't have to like all, or any of the characters but it really does help. The plot was pretty weak I felt. It was more of a troubled love story, and less of an epic story of a hero which seems to me to fit the title better. In a movie just full of action this kind of thing really doesn't matter because its more like filler for scenes with no action. Unfortunately for Beowulf there was not enough action to carry this empty plot and make a decent film out of it. The setting didn't change much at all, it was basically taking place around a small village. I will give them that at the end of the movie it really transformed from small and pathetic to pretty vast.
The directing was excellent if you ask me. The action sequences flowed very nicely, and I really did enjoy the soundtrack written for this movie. There were some amazing shots of Beowulf performing slices on sea monsters and a dragon. Overall a well shot film and I can see why they went CGI.
Overall Beowulf felt very empty. I felt like I watched a whole lot of nothing happen on the screen. There were only 2 significant action sequences, and a few very brief mentions of action. The plot was very bland and I felt like there was not much that actually happened throughout the whole movie, and the resolution if you can call it that when the credits rolled made me want to punch someone. The soundtrack from the beginning to the end was spot on. I feel like this is a great movie for 3D, however, I feel like 3D can really cheapen a film. Look at Friday the 13th part 3 that film was pretty ridiculous. Beowulf is worth a single watch in 3D because there are some good moments, however I don't imagine this ever appearing on my DVD shelf. There were quite a few laughable moments (**SPOILERS** the butt naked fight scene, him bursting through a sea monsters head screaming "BEOWULF!!!!!!", and my favorite was when he cut his own arm off and it didn't even seem to work out that well. Personally I would untwist myself or something so I could manage to kill the dragon and land on that bridge...**END OF SPOILERS**) 5/10
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
The best horror movie ever made...
Dawn of the Dead is probably the best horror movie ever made. The sequel to "Night of the Living Dead" takes place about 3 months after zombies, or as George A. Romero (writer director)likes to call them "ghouls" start attacking the living. If you haven't seen "NotLD" go see it before watching this movie its definitely worth a peek.
Taking place in a world thats falling apart, four people attempt to just stay alive by escaping to a shopping mall via helicopter. Most of the movie follows them attempting to regain control of the mall which happens to be over run by zombies. DotD is more a movie about the personal feelings of George A. Romero on consumerism and materialism. The whole idea is basically a metaphor for people who just mindlessly pass through life, and often just spend money for no reason at all.
The acting is pretty much top notch except for a few moments which are actually laughable. (Watch for Steven running into a zombie at an airport... you'll know what I mean. It's hilarious... also take note how many times Fran says "OH FOR GODS SAKES!") Other than what I just mentioned this movie does not suffer from any over the top acting, just typically movie mistakes.
DotD is a top notch horror movie that pulls no punches, definitely one of the goriest movies I have ever seen in my life. There is a scene in an apartment complete that should surprise you. There is no lead up to the gore it just happens which definitely makes it hard to get ready for when someone is torn apart by 20 zombies. I haven't really ever been frightened by this movie but I am a huge fan of horror so I think I'm just too used to it. A must see for horror fans, or gore fans in general.
All the music in this movie, with the exception of one song was all written by a band "Goblin", and from what I can tell was written for this movie. I enjoy the bizarre music in this movie, however, I can see how it would annoy some people to no end.
All in all this is my favorite movie which I have watched probably a hundred times! From the first time I saw this movie I was hooked. If you enjoy zombie movies this is THE zombie movie to see. If your a fan of horror this is probably the best horror film ever made period, though not as scary as the first "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" it still surpasses it with the fairly detailed plot and tons of social commentary. If you don't like horror films, or zombie movies, or anything to do with the apocalypse then you probably wont enjoy this piece too much, this ones for fans of the genre.
-After watching this one watch "Day of the Dead" an amazing sequel (with none of the same characters unfortunately) and the OK final zombie film from Romero in the series so far "Land of the Dead"
9/10 because it seems to be somewhat of a cult film and I think a 10 should appeal to all audiences. This is the flagship zombie film, the best ever made.
Zombi 2 (1979)
Classic zombie flick
Great zombie film! This film suffers from the most horrible marketing, tagging it as a "sequel" to the even better zombie film "Dawn of the Dead". In Italy DotD is known as "Zombi" so this was titled "Zombi 2" as an unofficial sequel to cash in on the success of that film. -Now onto the review.
Zombi 2 follows a young woman teamed up with a reporter searching for her father. They travel to a zombie infested island where they search for her father and end up trying to just get off alive. The film starts off pretty slow but when it finally picks up its really worth the slow start! Zombi 2 is known mainly for its gory death scenes and excellent zombie makeup, definitely not for someone who has a weak stomach... The plot is pretty bland, the acting just OK, but its a zombie movie so don't expect much in that department your in this film for special effects and some decent violence. If you are not a fan of horror movies or gore this movie is definitely not for you! If you enjoy a good gore scene or two, or at least zombie films this is one of the "must see" classics... Watch for the craziest eye ball gouge ever, its quite ridiculous! I give this film 8 out of 10 for a good horror flick but its missing the social commentary that Dawn of the Dead (1978)(or any of George A Romeros dead films) is so full of.