pantalla9
http://www.flixster.com/user/pantalla9
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| Movie: | Modern Times |
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| Actor: | Charlie Chaplin, Gary Oldman, Gérard Depardieu, Ralph Phiennes,.... |
| Director: | Woody Allen, Chalie Chaplin, Coen Brothers, Guillermo del Toro... |
| Quote: | "No me asusta la muerte, pero espero nunca toparme con ella", Woody Allen. |
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Àlex Frias Haro es crítico de cine, radicado en D.F., México. Lleva 5 años dedicado a escribir crítica de cine, en los que ha colaborado para medios como las revistas (Cinepremiere, 24 x Segundo,...), periódicos (Uno Más Uno y Provincia de Michoacán), y páginas web (Sessió Continua.com). Finalista del 6° concurso "¿Quieres ser crítico de cine?" organizado por la revista española "Guía del Ocio" (2003), ha entrevistado a personalidades del cine francés, como Christopher Lambert, Linda Hardy, Ludivine Sagnier, Vahina Giocante, Marilyne Canto, Romain Duris, entre otros, y sostenido encuentros con estrellas como Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Spacey, Matt Damon, Clive Owen, Will Smith, etc. Actualmente colabora para la revista La Tempestad, la página web Cine Vértigo (www.cinevertigo.com), entre otros medios.
Alex Frias Haro is a film critic in Mexico City. He has been writing for 5 years in magazines (Cinepremiere, 24 x Segundo,….), newspapers (Uno Más Uno, Provincia) and websites (SessióContinua.com). Finalist at the 6th contest “Do you want to be a Film Critic?”, organized by Spanish magazine “Guía del Ocio”, he also has interviewed French cinema celebs, like Christopher Lambert, Linda Hardy, Ludivine Sagnier, Vahina Giocante, Marilyne Canto, Romain Duris,…, and held encounters with Hollywood film-stars like Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Spacey, Matt Damon, Clive Owen, Will Smith,…. Currently, Alex is contributing for “La Tempestad”, a Mexican magazine, and the website Cine Vertigo. Mis Páginas (My web sites): http://pantallanueve.blogspot.com (in Spanish). http://www.myspace.com/pantalla9 http://pantalla9.hi5.com http://es.facebook.com/people/Alex_Frias_Haro/1047051402 http://cinecritico.spaces.live.com/ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/vine/j/pantalla9 |
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Alex's Recent Reviews
Planet Terror (Grindhouse Presents: Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror)
R
Hasta que vi Planet Terror (2007) pude comprender el gran y genéricamente vasto desbarajuste creado por Quentin Tarantino y Robert Rodríguez. Death Proof (reseñada en este blog), una dispareja y experimental road-movie dirigida por Tarantino, y que es un homenaje a las películas de persecuciones de autos antiguas, y Planet Terror, dirigida por el texano Robert Rodríguez, es un díptico que forma parte de un proyecto en común titulado "Grindhouse". Son dos películas que guardan cierta relación entre sí, algunos personajes en común, pero se pueden ver por separado sin problemas de no llegar a entender nada. Lo que no he podido ver son los falsos trailers, que dicen las malas lenguas están todavía mejor que las mismas películas.
Planet Terror, contrario a Death Proof, me pareció más lograda, entretenida y, sobre todo, redonda. Se trata de una sangrienta y asquerosa película de zombies, que lanza una mirada nostálgica a las películas de terror de los 1970-1980, un homenaje estilístico a las películas serie B de terror. Tal vez Robert Rodríguez no sea un gran director de cine ni mucho menos, pero es un maestro de los efectos especiales y de las modernas técnicas digitales. Planet Terror deberá tener (aventurando una cifra al tanteo) medio millar o más de efectos especiales. Tal vez exagere o tal vez me he quedado corto, pero en esta película de aire underground, Rodríguez no nada más se divierte como niño, sino que se luce con buenos efectos digitales en toda la extensión de la palabra.
Planet Terror no es apta para estómagos sensibles, y al igual que Death Proof tiene una fotografía avejentada, que simula los colores apagados de las películas de los 1970. Esta fotografía no se logra usando película vieja o cámaras antiguas, sino, como el propio Rodríguez explica, con retoque digital. Además, la banda sonora también emula la de las películas de terror de hace 30 años, lo que convierte a Planet Terror en un atractivo y trepidante filme en el que Rodríguez lleva a cabo una especie de reciclaje tarantinesco. Sabe llevar un ritmo ágil, que va en aumento hasta el climax final, one-liners rescatables (?Voy a comerme tu cerebro y ganar tu conocimiento?, le dice Josh Brolin, medio zombie, medio mutante, a su esposa), y una buena edición, como en aquella escena de sexo justo a la mitad, donde la película se quema y un letrero avisa ?Missing Reel?, junto a una disculpa del personal del cine.
Mas en pantallanueve.blogspot.com
Happy Feet
PG
Es claro que Happy Feet (2006) no hubiera podido ser, de no haber existido antes el documental francés La Marcha de Los Pingüinos (2005), sobre la crónica de una pareja de pingüinos emperador, desde su encuentro durante su emigración para aparearse y poner tan sólo un huevo, cuidado por el padre, mientras la madre consigue la comida. Luego, su cría pronto tendría que iniciar de nuevo el ciclo.
Así comienza esta impresionante cinta de animación, espectacular en toda su recreación de los gélidos escenarios del Polo Sur, y en sus cinemáticas secuencias de acción, que demuestra muchos de los grandes avances tecnológicos en la animación 3D. No nada más Happy Feet se nota inspirada en el mencionado documental francés, sino también en el musical Moulin Rouge! (2001), en especial por su ecléctica banda sonora, plagada de música pop de las últimas tres décadas.
Miller echa mano de la música, de canciones atractivas y de logradas coreografías a cargo de los pingüinos (las aves más estáticas del mundo), para conseguir una entretenida y atractiva película de animación musical. Aunque, como suele suceder a veces en esta clase de filmes, que literalmente quitan el aliento por su realismo visual (el océano, la persecución del león marino y la secuencia de las focas elefante son magistrales), la trama es el aspecto más descuidado. Luego de un buen avance de la historia, la resolución corre el peligro de caer en lo inverosímil, a pesar de su buen mensaje ecologista.
Mas en pantallanueve.blogspot.com
The Paleface
Unrated
Bob Hope, uno de los comediantes y animadores más famosos de Estados Unidos, protagonizó este western en tono de comedia, filmado en un buen Technicolor, que ayudó a Jane Russell a lucir más su belleza en el papel de la legendaria Calamity Jane.
The Paleface (1948), ante su modesto éxito, tuvo una secuela años más tarde, Son of Paleface (1952), dirigida precisamente por el guionista de la primera, Josh Tashlin, quien consideró que el director Norman Z. McLeod, no le había hecho suficiente justicia a su guión. Tal vez Tashlin exageró un poco. Para ser sinceros, The Paleface no presume el tener un buen guión, y el argumento no la octava maravilla. Si acaso, lo que más podía presumir Tashlin es el haber exhibido las habilidades de Calamity Jane: hábil con la pistola, alerta ante el peligro y, además, fuerte con aquel que se le pusiera enfrente.
La película resulta entretenida si se está con el humor adecuado, a pesar de estar realizado con una producción nada costosa, vestuario que raya en lo hortera y del pobre desempeño de Jane Russell como actriz. Lo más gracioso que logra hacer la Russell, son esos besos que le da a ?Indoloro?, seguidos de un golpe en la cabeza. Un western gracioso, que de no ser por el nombre de Bob Hope, hubiera pasado a ser un producto desechable de inmediato.
Mas en pantallanueve.blogspot.com
Broken Flowers
R
En Broken Flowers (2005) Bill Murray colabora nuevamente con Jim Jarmusch, con quien ya había trabajado en uno de los segmentos de Coffee and Cigarettes (2003). El actor da vida en esta ocasión a uno de sus acostumbrados hombres solitarios y confundidos existencialmente, que ha gustado de interpretar recientemente.
Murray ofrece una magnífica actuación como Don Johnston, un maduro y soltero mujeriego, metido en el negocio de las computadoras. Luego de que su última novia lo deje, no sin antes darle una bofetada emocional preguntándole ?qué es lo que quiere en la vida?, recibirá una carta misteriosa de una novia que tuvo hace 20 años, avisándole que es padre de un hijo al que decidió criar sola, y que el chico ha iniciado un viaje para encontrar a su verdadero padre.
Don acabará maltrecho emocional y físicamente de la experiencia. Bill Murray ofrece una actuación basada más en lo que logra con su rostro y sus gestos. Su apesadumbrada facha nos puede, nos pesa justo hasta la escena final, en donde dirá unas filosóficas palabras que resumen la premisa del filme, sobre el peso de los grandes cambios y giros inesperados en la vida.
Mas en pantallanueve.blogspot.com
Coraline
PG
¿Estamos en Coraline ante la obra maestra de Henry Selick? En mi muy personal opinión, diria que sí. Es evidente que en esta magistral y, hay decirlo, muy personal adaptación del libro infantil escrito por Neil Gaiman, parecen estar contenidas todas las ambiciones estéticas del artífice de joyas de la animación, como The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) y Jim and the Giant Peach (1996), la primera basada en personajes creados por Tim Burton, y la segunda una adaptación del libro infantil de Roald Dahl.
Selick se ha consagrado como un especialista en dirigir historias infantiles surrealistas y pobladas de personajes excéntricos. Coraline es una historia de estas características, realizada con la todavía vigente técnica del stop motion, que en manos de Selick es de un refinado estilo, que ha llegado a niveles técnicos insospechados. En la detallada y minuciosa creación de las marionetas, incluso cada cabello luce real y con movimiento, como es el caso de la Coraline del título, el personaje más complejo de todos en su diseño. De hecho, en ocasiones es difícil pensar que el director se lleve todo el mérito en una obra animada de este tipo, teniendo un gran equipo artístico detrás.
Por supuesto, la historia está plagada de escenas tan perturbadoras, como los fantasmas de los niños con una trágica historia detrás, que parecería estar lejos de ser adecuada para niños. Pero por lo que he escuchado, la película ha gustado a los pequeños, a pesar de la complejidad de su historia. Siempre se tiende a subestimar a los niños, y el mensaje de la película está precisamente dirigido a ellos. Aunque, pensándolo bien, hay una que otra lección que los padres pueden sacar de esta extraordinaria película, la cual sería una verdadera injusticia que fuera ignorada en la próxima entrega de los Oscares. Por cierto, si quiere disfrutar de una pequeña pero notable animación, espere a que termine el roll de créditos finales.
Mas en pantallanueve.blogspot.com
Minority Report
PG-13
La mirada futurista de Steven Spielberg en Minority Report (2002), es la de un mundo en el que se acaricia la posibilidad de una sociedad sin crímenes. Basada en un cuento escrito por el visionario autor de ciencia ficción Philip K. Dick, Spielberg construye un thriller visualmente poderoso, que aventura no pocas tesis sobre las segundas oportunidades para criminales potenciales. La historia trata sobre un sistema de prevención del crimen, en el año 2054, desarrollado por una institución policiaca, Precrime, que tiene en su poder a tres hermanos psíquicos capaces de visualizar asesinatos horas antes de que se cometan. Con esta valiosa información, la policia llega al lugar de los hechos para arrestar a un supuesto criminal?que todavía no ha cometido crimen alguno.
En este thriller futurista, Spielberg consigue juntar la reflexión moral con el entretenimiento puramente palomero. Su personaje principal, el oficial de policía John Anderton (Tom Cruise, siempre eficiente cuando trabaja con Spielberg), parece extraído de alguna novela hard boiled o algún film noir. Con la fiel creencia de que el sistema de los ?precogs?, es decir, los hermanos psíquicos, es infalible, Anderton verá su torturada vida con un giro crucial, cuando se vea en una de las visiones como el posible responsable de un asesinato, teniendo que huir por toda la capital de Washington. El sistema se ha puesto en su contra, y por primera vez en su vida profesional ha empezado a dudar de lo que creía con fervor.
Max von Sydow participa en un papel secundario como el fundador de ?Precrime?y, además, el protector de Anderton, la única persona en la que puede confiar, al menos hasta que sus investigaciones vayan profundizando más. La reflexión moral que viene a sacudir este universo futurista, es la posibilidad de que el sistema de ?Precrime? falle y de que los precogs puedan equivocarse alguna vez. Ahí es donde surge el Minority Report del título: el hecho de que los potenciales criminales tengan un futuro alternativo al que ven los precogs, la posibilidad de que no cometan el crimen que les costará su libertad.
Mas en pantallanueve.blogspot.com
Alex's Favorite Movies
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El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)
R
El Laberinto del Fauno (México-España-E.U., 2006), su octavo largometraje, estuvo nominada a la Palma de Oro en Cannes, una historia fantástica de altos vuelos, fiel a sus obsesiones temático-visuales (relojes, insectos y criaturas fantásticas) para reinventarlas dentro de un contexto histórico, la Guerra Civil Española, no muy lejos de lo surreal y lo gótico de todas maneras. Del Toro demostró lo bien que podía desenvolverse en este escenario histórico con El Espinazo del Diablo (2001), una historia de fantasmas que se desarrollaba dentro de un internado para chicos. El realizador encuentra en esta época histórica, un espacio idóneo para situar historias fantásticas sobre la clásica lucha entre el bien y el mal. En El Laberinto del Fauno, será el ejército franquista la representación del mal, en un relato situado años después de su triunfo sobre las huestes republicanas. Su despotismo, tiranía y crueldad estarán representados en la férrea y poderosa presencia del actor catalán Sergi López, interpretando al capitán Vidal, jefe de un cuartel instalado en algún bosque del norte de España. Escrita por el mismo Del Toro, el relato es un fascinante cuento de hadas terrorífico, que exhibe una violencia gráfica sin tapujos, llena de metáforas sobre el bien, el mal y que se mueve sin problemas dentro de una dimensión alterna de fantasía, llena de criaturas como hadas, sapos gigantes, mutantes devora-niños y, el mejor de todos, un maravilloso fauno, quien fungirá como el guía de una niña, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero, estupenda), en su viaje por este universo. Más en http://pantallanueve.blogspot.com
Alex's Movie Scrapbook
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Alex's Talk
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I recommend you see...
Martyrs
by katleyposted 1 day ago -
Come see this movie with me...Hey, you should really see this! Not for the faint of heart.
posted 2 days ago -
I recommend you see...
La Terza Madre (Mother of Tears: The Third Mother)
by katleyPerhaps one of the biggest disappointments since Romero's Diary of the Dead, Mother of Tears the Third Mother is nothing but a mediocre movie and a rotten end to what would have gone down as one of the best movie trilogy's ever. Ok so the plot is based around Sarah, a girl who works in a museum, one day she opens a package, and unleashes a dark spirit. Soon like a plague terror and violence start to spread over Rome like some sort of virus. Then Sarah finds herself being hunted down by witches from all over the world, who want nothing but her head on a platter. Now Sarah must use her psychic powers to conquer the Mother of Tears before it's too late. I'm not even sure were to start with this one. I would definitely see this one as a love it or hate it movie, with no in between. I am unfortunately one of the people who saw nothing good in this one just a bunch of disappointment. I am a huge fan of Argento's work, especially the Three Mothers movies. Suspiria, and Inferno were absolutely brilliant, and it's sad that this movie will be pared next to those in this trilogy. Ok so acting, I wasn't impressed at all. Asia Argento wasn't so bad at least not considering what she was given. But she was hardly enough to hold up the rest of the cast. Proving 1 good actor means nothing if you have 3 dozen bad ones. Gore, the only place that this movie did not let me down was with the gore. You get, evisceration, slit throats, someone being strangled with their innards, eye gougings, a pole through the vagina and out the mouth, some cannibalism, a head bashed in, mouth ripped open, an impalement, and a bit more. All and all if you were to cut the movie down to the 15 minutes that it would take to watch all the gore scenes, you would be very happy, but if you have to sit through the other 75 minutes or so, not so much. Soundtrack, nothing, nada, zip, I remember no music in this film. Directing, Ugh I think the only thing worse than getting older is not only having people able to see it in your face, but your work as well. Argento has to be one of the most brilliant minds in horror cinema, and to watch this rubbish and know that it was made by him is an awful feeling. The two previous movies (Suspiria, and Inferno) had a way of being classy, original movies yet at the same time were graphic, and disturbing. This one was none of those things; there were boobs and lesbians, taking out anything classy. A cheesy predictable plot that lacked any originality. Some graphic gore that was nothing reminiscent of the original?s in the sense that there was no creative thought, and the only thing disturbing about this one was knowing who was behind the camera. Bottom Line, Mother of Tears was an utter disappointment and will leave fans of the original films with their jaws dropped. (Not in a good way) I say forget this movie was ever made and don't look back.
Skip it!!
posted 2 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Stay Alive
by katleyI don't care how many reviews you read saying this movie sucked, I have to say I rather enjoyed it. So the plot is based around a group of friends who inherit an underground video game after one of them dies. After they play the game one by one the friends start to die the same way their characters died in the game, can they uncover the mystery of the game, or will it be too late? Now I know the plot might sound a bit played out, but I found it surprisingly original. Acting, reasonable you get a solid lead cast, that needs to work on their emotional delivery a bit, but nothing too wretched. I think that the best was done with what was given. Gore, could have been better. You get a nails through the body, shears through the stomach, some flashes of blood, a hanging, impalement, someone being run over by a horse drawn carriage, and a few good shots of a killing in a video game. All and all not bad, but could have been so much better, this movie had all of the makings for a solid hardcore R rating, but was butchered for a PG-13, bad move, very bad move. Soundtrack, I liked a lot of the music on this one, but it failed at creating any kind of suspense or tension, Except for the wicked video game controller vibration sounds. Directing, sadly Bell chose to go resort to cheap scares a bit in the film. But you do get some cool shots of the video game. But even though this one might be generated more in the teenager direction it still kept the audience intrigued. You wondered what was going to happen to these characters and what was going to come next. Bottom line, Stay alive might have had quite a few flaws but still managed to keep its audience engrossed with the film. It has to be said that slasher movies were not meant to have a PG-13 rating, but somehow this one found ways to make it work. With reasonable acting, a semi-original plot, and some nice gore shots, I say check this one out. But be warned this is a love it or hate it movie with no guarantee.
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 2 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
by DanI'll keep it short and to the point: parents, it's PG-13 for a reason. Don't bring your little toddlers in to see this film because they'll be too scared and confused by all the visuals. That being said, the visuals were extremely awesome. The battle sequences were very well choreographed, and you'll find yourself cheering for Optimus and Bumble Bee.
There are a couple of things I would have done differently:
1. I would not have had so many ridiculously gorgeous women in the film. One would think that Sam was attending a college for supermodels...nice eye-candy, but totally unrealistic and distracting.
2. The twins have to go. I don't care what ethnic group they were meant to be caricatures of, but weren't funny. They were mostly sophomoric and annoying.
3. I wouldn't have borrowed some of the scenes from so many different films. You can easily see the influence of The Matrix and Terminator 3 in this film, and it just didn't feel like homage was being paid properly.
What I really liked:
1. Sam's parents were hilarious, especially his mom. The scene where she gets stoned at the college is priceless.
2. The action sequences were over-the-top awesome. Watching the behemoth robots show submission and take-down techniques added a whole other depth to the combat.
3. The story, although kinda weak, was no weaker than the story from the previous film. It was easy enough to follow.
4. I'm probably the only one to say this, but I liked having all the different Autobots and Decepticons entering the scenes at once. You shouldn't care what their names are, just that there's a huge battle about to happen.
All in all, a decent action film for the summer. Don't worry about losing any brain cells watching this one because you really won't be using any. Just enjoy it.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 5 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Friday the 13th
by katleyI have to say I was expecting more with the remake or reboot of Friday the 13th. The plot is one of the problems I had with the film. Ok, so it is based around a group of kids that go to a cabin in the woods to party, only to be hunted down by the famous hokey mask wearing madman Jason Voorhees. Yes I know it sounds like every other Friday the 13th movie, except for the one that it is trying to imitate. The original Friday the 13th was based off of a mother's revenge, and other than a bit at the end Jason was just mentioned, until the sequel when he came back as the sole killer, trying to make mother happy by killing partying counselors. So in my opinion this movie was a sequel. As a remake this sucked bad, but as a add into the franchise was actually rather enjoyable. Acting, this is not were the enjoyment factor comes in. Wretched, all around wretched no one new what they were doing, and to make matters worse there really were no likeable characters , honestly you didn't care if they all just dropped dead, and at some points I was wishing that they would. The only performance that was truly good was Derek Mears, who plays the infamous Jason Voorhees. He did a great job and had the role down pact, this will also be the first film were Jason runs. Yes I said runs. Throughout all of the sequels the slow walker has always been able to get to his victims without even trying, but here you see him chase, and I have to say it was a nice change that just added to the kills. Gore, you get it all in this one, a screwdriver in the neck, a girl burned alive, a ton of machete kills, axe in the back, arrow in the head, impaling, tons of stabbings, and a fire poker through the eye, and get this there's more! Directing, I was really happy with Nispel's take on this. Although I did notice quite a few similarities between this one and his TCM remake in 03, I still liked the atmosphere that he gave off, some great tension shots, and a majority of the movie was shot at night, and he didn't let the darkness take over so props dude. PS, stop with the remaking of classics how about trying something original for once? Soundtrack, total score, I loved the mood music that was given very reminiscent of the original movies. Except for the ki ki ki ha ha ha, I mean that's Friday the 13th's thing and they really held back on it. You'll notice that in this one Jason comes off more as a hunter, with traps and other stuff I'm not going to ruin, and it was another nice change. Showing you a different side to the Voorhees. I love that the fact that this stayed true to the franchise in the sense that this was an all around slasher flick, no doubt. You get all the elements that make a slasher flick good, the iconic killer, gore by the tons, and a lot of T and A. One thing that I would have changed is the poster, I mean come on. They made an enjoyable slasher flick here, and although it was a remake, they found ways to make it unique, and all that you guys can come up with for the poster, is the hokey mask, I mean really? Bottom Line, I found Friday the 13th to be rather enjoyable and although it did not fulfill all of my expectations, it was still a good flick. True to the slasher sub-genre Friday the 13th has gore, hot chicks and guys, and a new twist on one of the most iconic killers ever. Far better than a lot of remakes I've seen lately I say check this one out.
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 5 days ago -
I recommend you see...
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
by PierluigiIt is not only a story about poor people struggling to win an anguishing dance contest in the eve of the 1930s great depression; It is a cruel but honest allegory that mirrors the state apparatus and the thinly disguised form of slavery imposed to all its citizens. The damned, who are blinded by empty promises and guided to a cliff when they can not benefit the big evil machinery.
They can't have enough with condemning us to oblivion, but they indistinctly also shoot down our dreams, those galloping gallant horses we once visualized, who now are laying, rotting somewhere in our conscience.
I don't know if my notions are mistaken, if it sounds just like cheap demagoguery. All I know is that everything I said is what I felt when I watched Sidney Pollack's masterpiece for the first time. One of those late 60s-early 70s landmark films that held such powerful grudge against the system, and an extremely dim prospect of our existence.Hey, you should really see this.
posted 8 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Shutter Island
by PierluigiShock Corridor meets The Shining meets... Vertigo?
Amazing cinematography...
www.shutterisland.comwatch the trailer: www.shutterisland.com
looks promising...posted 19 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Hannibal
by AmandaI like this film a lot, but of course it suffers - as all sequels do - by comparison to its predecessor, in this case 'Silence of the Lambs' The main reason for having a sequel at all was to showcase again the character of Hannibal Lecter, a monstrous creation everyone wanted to see more of after the first film. It could have bombed badly therefore if writer and actor had let us down by failing to catch the magic again. It was after all a decade after the original was made. But they don't, and Anthony Hopkins turns in another delicious performance as the man with the evil intent cloaked in inestimable, menacing charm.
Julianne Moore drew the short straw in having to re-create the Clarice Starling role that had been so memorably played by another actress. She does well in my opinion, but inevitably we keep thinking 'where is Jodie Foster?', and this lends her portrayal a lack of credibility which is entirely unfair. Gary Oldman's Mason Verger is suitably loathsome and manages to make Lecter seem almost like the hero in their battle of wits. If there is a weak link, Ray Liotta's Krendler seems a bit misplaced.
The direction deserves special mention. The lush, beautiful settings are mocked by the horror of what is happening in them and the perfectly-selected atmospheric music stayed in my mind long after the film had ended.
Once again, the film lacks realism, but as with the original, it doesn't matter. Of course things like this don't really happen - but so what? It's a film. Get over it! I was prompted after seeing it to read the books, and the right decision was made in changing the ending of this story from that written by Thomas Harris.
We were subsequently treated to another look at Lecter in a decent prequel movie, 'Red Dragon,' but I will not be alone in hoping that some day we will see yet more of him in a further instalment. Unlikely I suspect - but not impossible.
I´m giving a serious though in to eating your wife.
Ta-taHey, you should really see this!
posted 23 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Conformist
by PierluigiThe story of a man who shook hands with the devil in his despair of trying to run away from his true self at any cost. but when his loyalty is put to the test his conscience and ideals, or the lack of them, will shatter him little by little.
Conspicuous, sultry and aesthetically impressive.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 26 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Like Water for Chocolate (Como agua para chocolate)
by AmandaI love historical movies set in Mexico and this wonderful movie shown on BBC last night simply reinforced that feeling.
The Director, Arau, laid before the viewer a magical cornucopia of settings and in this case, tastes, that tempted the eye as well as a palette that had to remain unfulfilled. Esquivel's novel and subsequent movie script were superb and were certainly not the normal fare dished out by Hollywood. Berstein and Luezki's rich cinematography painted a superb background upon which the rich character development and plot could be traced.
There are a few movies set around this revolutionary period in late Mexican history and i have loved everyone that i have seen-this is certainly no exception.
Like Water For Chocolate is a movie lover's movie and I would highly recommend anyone with a interest in or love for Mexico to make an effort to seek out this gem.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 31 days ago -
I recommend you see...
My Bloody Valentine 3-D
by katleyMy Bloody Valentine 3D was actually one of the best remakes to come out in a long time. So the plot just like the original is based around a mining accident that happened in the little town of Harmony, which turned one man, Harry Warden into a killing machine. Ten years later all seems well in the town until body's start turning up right and left, is Harry Warden back or is another sociopath finishing what he started. So as you can see the remake's plot is identical to the original, a full on slasher film. It has been so long since I have seen a new hard core true slasher film and this is it. You get horny teenagers, a memorable killer, and a heck of a lot of gore. Acting, not the best I've ever seen in a slasher film (Jamie Lee Curtis still holds that spot) but certainly not the worst. The whole cast delivered reasonable performances, Jaime King gave a surprisingly excellent one as well as Jensen Ackels, and Kerr Smith gave his typical jerk performance as the character that you are praying through out the whole movie dies, but never does. Oh and special props to Betsy Rue she was naked 90% of her time on camera and not only was memorable for her lack of clothes but for her acting as well. All an all a nice ensemble. Gore, were oh were do I start, I couldn't possibly list all of the red stuff but just to give you a taste you get, body's with there hearts ripped out, jaws being torn off, melted face, pick axe through the head, pick axe ripping out an eyeball, shovel through the mouth, decapitations, mangled body's, and get this there's more! Soundtrack, Some nice stuff here not going to lie typical slasher soundtrack but that's exactly what this needed. This is one of the great who's the killer movies, with cookie cutter characters, and that fantastic 80's feel. So what about the 3D you ask, well sorry guys unless you were one of the lucky ones who's theaters got it in 3D then you will probably want to see the 2D version. I was lucky enough to see the 3D version in theaters and it was pretty wicked and surprisingly cool. But if you are just getting it on DVD be warned the glasses suck big time and yes there are ways you can adjust your TV to get a better visual, but good luck getting it back. But any which way you turn it 2D or 3D My Bloody Valentine is a perfect slasher film that delivers in every aspect. Bottom Line, it's worth it, so get up and go check this one out.
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 34 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Baat sin faan dim ji yan yuk cha siu baau (The Untold Story) (Human Pork Chop)
by AmandaThe Untold Story is one of those nasty flicks that most horror fans whisper about, or have heard of, but because of its ridiculous premise, foreign nature, and Category III rating (the Hong Kong version of X or NC-17 in U.S.A), most of us have rarely gone out of our way to see it. Or if you?re like me, you made the mistake of getting a hold of the second one before the first film and, consequently, never wanted to see the first film because of the shit nature of the sequel. The Untold Story, despite all of the odds that are stacked up against it, deserves to be mentioned right up there with the heavies of the serial killer genre. Sure, it?s cheaper, more brutal, and quirkier than something like Silence of the Lambs or Se7en, but its originality, coupled with the fact that the film is based on a true story, packs those deficiencies in a delicious barbecue pork bun and washes it down with liberal doses of urine and feces laced gore.
The film follows the story of Wong Chi Hang, a notorious serial killer in 1970?s Macau. Wong Chi Hang has three loves in life, gambling, killing, and grinding up corpses to serve as tasty meat filling in his delicious barbecue pork buns. Chi Hang, a criminal wanted for murder after killing someone in another part of China, flees to Macau, where he unceremoniously becomes the owner of a restaurant entitled The Eight Immortals. The restaurant?s original owner has disappeared along with his family? it doesn?t take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened to them. The cops are soon on his tail, led by the prostitute courting Officer Lee, a tomboy female cop trying to get the attention of her co-pigs, and a couple of other generic silly cops.
One of the major problems with the film is that it is so uneven. For a movie about a dude who kills the fuck out of people and grinds them into dumpling filling, the movie feels ridiculously light as the group of cops engages in Police Academy style hijinks and banter. They eventually tone it down a little bit, but it?s kind of an odd decision to make to inject a little humor in what is clearly a dark story. I don?t know what to be more disturbed by, the lighthearted approach the co-directors took with the film or the disgusting and over the top brutality with which Wong Chi Hang dispatches his mostly undeserving victims.
The other huge problem with the film is how poorly it is put together. The film?s entire crux relies on the fact that there is an ?untold story? somewhere in the film. The untold story is of course what happened to the original owner of the restaurant and his family. The last half hour to thirty minutes of the film focuses on the cops? efforts to figure out exactly what happened to the family? even though they?ve got a sack full of body parts that screams ?missing family? sitting in their evidence locker. The ideas behind the structure and form of the film are off. Instead of taking the true crime direction, the directors turn the film into a Shakespearian like tragedy where the big payoff is one hellacious slaughter and the reveal to the police that they have in fact eaten the remains of humans. This all may seem like spoiler material, but any five year old that has ever seen a horror flick would be able to guess all of this stuff and it?s basically thrown in your face during the film. The Untold Story deserves credit for trying to take a non-traditional approach to the serial killer flick, but it?s light-hearted tactics leave a little to be desired.
The two directors, Danny Lee and Herman Yau, make some pretty solid decisions throughout the film, if you throw out some of the Police Academy type vibe that?s going on with the detectives? seriously I expected to see the Hong Kong version of Michael Winslow to pop up and start making annoying sound effects. The scenes that focus on the serial killer are solid, menacing, and intense as fuck. It?s a shame they shit in their bed and roll around in it by getting too experimental with the tone. There is a lull in the middle of the film, after the serial killer is arrested, and the film?s torture sequence where the cops try to pry information out of Wong feels a little drawn out, but the rest of the film flows rather nicely.
The gore and the brutality is what this film is famous for, and for good reason. You?ve got your over the top rape and murder scene, you?ve got your crazy human butchering montage, and quite possibly the world?s worst and most brutal family massacre scene. The gore and the special effects are all laid out with a reverent flair that is disturbing and pulls no punches. If I liked children, I might have been tempted to turn the film off near the end, instead of laugh insanely. Good stuff.
The Untold Story has some major flaws, but the sheer ballsiness of the flick is enough to counterbalance the good against the bad, creating a delicious Hong Kong classic that is unlike any movie out there. The film?s complete lack of sensitivity to people that may have actually been killed in this true crime tale is appalling, but who gives a damn? It looks cooler than a pile of used profos, gives your stomach a couple twists, and sticks in the memory like that time you played hide and seek with your naked Scoutmaster at the annual Boy Scouts overnight campout.
Final Synopsis: This movie is only for the diehard horror fans out there, as it may be a little over the top and odd for the more casual fans. It?s a great flick that pulls no punches and delivers on the gore without wimping out in typical bullshit cinema-style. Give it a rent, or buy a copy if you?re a sick fuck. Like I am.
Points Lost: -1 for trying to combine Police Academy with Se7en tonally, -1 for a lame approach at telling the story; there?s no real mystery here, so stop pretending like there is one
Lesson Learned: The best recipe for barbecue pork buns includes urine, poop in a bucket, and human bodies ground into filling. Enjoy.
Burning Question: Why is it so fucking hard to find information on foreign serial killers? excluding the lame British serial killers?
The Untold Story.
Enoy and keep a bag next to you.Hey, you should really see this, be warned it has many disturbing material
posted 36 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Dog Soldiers
by katleyAs far as werewolf movies go, I don't think that you get much better than this. So the movie in based around a group of British soldiers in Scotland that get a lot more than they bargained for when they are sent on a training mission. Being hunted by a group of blood hungry werewolves that don't particularly care for the unexpected guests. Now I know it may sound a bit done but believe me, Neil Marshall found a way to turn the werewolf sub genre on its head. Starting with acting, you get solid performances from the lead cast, and one surprisingly wonderful performance from Emma Cleasby. Gore, GET THE UNRATED ADITION, trust me anything else and you won?t get the full ride, I repeat UNRATED. You get it all in this, Wolves eating humans, wolf stabbings, guts being cut out, an impalement, heads being blown up, and a lot more. Soundtrack, total score, you get great music that goes perfectly with the scenes taking place. I praise Neil Marshall for finally giving horror fans an up to date all original gut wrenching werewolf movie, I mean it was about time. His directing was phenomenal and he made it obvious in this one just how comfortable he is behind the camera. I also love the humor in it, now don't get me wrong this is not a horror comedy but there are some funny scenes that are worked in perfectly, that just add to the movie. Bottom line, Dog soldiers is one of the best werewolf movies to come along in a long time you get great acting, a whole hell of a lot of gore, and Neil Marshall as the director, ask yourself is there anything better? I think not. If you haven't already, get up and go get this one, Check it out.
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 36 days ago -
I recommend you see...
X-Men Origins - Wolverine
by DanThis wasn't the worst film, but it wasn't the best either. Good action, good drama from Jackman. Didn't like Schreiber as Sabertooth, and I didn't like all the silly plot twists. I REALLY didn't like Deadpool. I don't know much about the character, but having Stryker remote-controlling him as he fights Wolverine seemed really stupid.
Hey, you should really see this, but be mindful that it ain't like the comics!
posted 37 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Jungfrukällan (The Virgin Spring)
by AmandaLegendary Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman's probable precursor to Wes Craven's notorious 1972 shocker 'The Last House on the Left' is a far more compelling and emotionally draining film that adroitly and continuously switches the viewers sentiments up until the despondent, tranquil and haunting ending. While one minute the viewer is laughing along with the youthful, if naïve, exuberance of the young Karin (Birgitta Petterssen), the following minute will encourage different emotions as Bergman plunges the viewer into the middle of a nightmarish crime perpetrated by nothing less than the evil inside man. Although the portrayals of the acts committed in 'The Virgin Spring' are far less graphic than the modern viewer may have become accustomed to, they still retain an immense power to horrify as one cannot ignore the great lengths Bergman has gone to in order to give his characters a base in order to harden the impact of what we see. With just the simplest of dialogue, the viewer continues to learn about the relationships and personalities of each of the characters so that we may appreciate the consequences and, in some ways, forgive the actions that we see. This film is, after all, a tale of morality and repentance and therefore, even while in some cases the actions may be evil, it is necessary to accept the goodness that is still there. This thought is made no clearer than during the solemn and subdued final scene which fades out abruptly and leaves the viewer in a state of quiet reflection.
Bergman's pacing and subtle direction which at one point leaves the viewer in suspense for what seems like an eternity is surely the reason for the greatness of this film. As if he were playing chess, he manipulates not only the characters, but the emotions of the viewers with intelligent and surprising maneuvers while pressing home his own sentiments regarding the story so that we may at least take into great consideration the events that we have seen. Bergman has an amazing ability to flip the atmosphere of a movie in a split second using various lighting and camera angle techniques as well as motivating his performers to follow suit. The simple expression changes on the faces of Birgitta Petterssen, Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg and Gunnel Lindblom at various points throughout the film quickly alter the mindset of the viewer and indicate that all is not well; so beautiful in undeniable simplicity.
'The Virgin Spring' is nothing short of a masterpiece and a film that few will be able to forget.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 40 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Jury Duty
by JonathanFunny and entertaining comedy that is my favorite movie from Pauly Shore! Tia Carrera is sizzling in this movie and has some funny moments.
Worth a look! one of my favorite comedies.Hey, you should really see this! It's great fun!
posted 49 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Star Trek
by DanNot a horrible effort by J.J. Abrams and company, but not a stellar production either. Spoilers ahead...you've been warned. There were several pros and several cons to this film. I'll start with the pros:
Casting, for the most part, was spot-on. I thought Chris Pine played a good Kirk. He even got the swagger down at the end of the film. Ben Cross played a good Sarek, John Cho played a good Sulu, and Bruce Greenwood played a good Captain Pike. Nice job casting Simon Pegg as Scotty. Zoe Saldana was a very sultry Uhura, and I have to give major kudos for Anton Yelchin's young Checkov, who wrestled with pronouncing words like 'victor" and "invinsible." The best fit is Karl Urban as Bones McCoy, who was as sardonic as the original character.
This film also had fairly decent writing, although there were some plot holes I couldn't get past. The visuals were really impressive, despite the use of the "Cloverfield cam". The USS Enterprise's exterior looked sharp, and some of the angles that were shot made me remember that space isn't 2-dimensional. However, I noticed enough things that were wrong to knock the visual score down several pegs.
Which now brings us to the cons:
There were some casting issues that could not be overlooked, such as Tyler Perry being in the movie at all. Who thought having Perry play a Starfleet Admiral was a good idea? Smack that person and send them packing! Another poor choice was to cast Zachary Quinto as young Spock. Despite his best efforts to play the part, Quinto has been and forever shall be Sylar! I could not really see Spock, despite Quinto's best efforts to show me otherwise. Eric Bana really came across as a pathetic and beaten Romulan Nero who was 2-dimensionally hellbent on revenge.
Which brings me to some of the plot problems. Nero destroys Vulcan. I'm not going into how, but it's enough that one of the main homeworlds in the Star Trek universe gets wiped out. Kirk, with a few others to help, try to save Vulcan by destroying the device being used to deliver the main weapon. The main stunt performed here is a jump into Vulcan's atmosphere, which had me questioning why Kirk and company weren't incinerated like meteorites! Another disturbing ripple in the plot was Uhura's apparent love interest in Spock. Yet more disturbing to me was Spock reciprocation of that love!
Even some of the visuals were just wrong. For example, Vulcan is shown from afar as a red planet with few bodies of open water. So why does it have a blue sky? The "cloverfield cam" really wasn't an enhancement for me. In fact, the camera work took much away from the scenes in which it was used, leaving me frustrated, disoriented, and borderline nauseated. I was also disgusted with the overuse of sterile florescent lighting all over the interior of the Enterprise. Nero's ship, a mining vessel as the story describes it, was too far over-the-top evil-looking, and reminded me of a sea urchin.
People who were at the showing I saw applauded. I know this film wasn't really supposed to fit perfectly with the current Trek universe, but this rewrite is lightyears away from its original and even farther from being worth applause.See it, but don't expect a stellar movie.
posted 51 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Swimmer
by PierluigiA magnetic parable that pulverizes the american dream.
Burt Lancaster plays a character engulfed by existential grief, trying to reach his own paradise lost. He decides that his burden will end when he swims his way home through every of his neighbors' pools, finding fragments and glimpses of his obscure past.
Though a bit dated, it certainly has a huge space of inner meditation and also gives a hard and well-aimed blow to american society the way 'American Beauty' did some decades later.
It also anticipated the arrival of 70s cinema and its complex and disenchanting themes.
Lancaster's performance stands out, as well as the final scene.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 52 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Wages of Fear
by PierluigiI don't recall when was the last time I felt so enervated and powerless for the fate of characters in a film. The perfect drawing given to them by the cast and director, plus the existential tone and the imminent danger displayed kept me concerned for their safety all the way, to a degree that it was almost uncomfortable or even painful to experience their odyssey.
A real nail-biter, a notch above Clouzot's other masterpiece 'Les Diaboliques'Hey, you should really see this!
posted 59 days ago
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