Perseu's Talk

9

This movie freaked me out because I'm a very paranoid person who thinks technology will literally take over us one day. Though most plot elements from 9 have appeared in countless other movies, it manages to be refreshing thanks to its avan-garde animation (the serpent-like thing scared the shit out of me!), characters you want to root for and action scenes that really get you worked up.

Goodbye Solo

I knew next to nothing about this movie before watching it and was completely surprised at how much it moved me. Both main characters are loneliness personified and it's very touching and intriguing to see how their paths cross. It has a very genuine humanity to it.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

If you like warmhearted optimistic films like me, you should say "Hello to this Goodbye"....

Bloodrayne

So far, the most competent work from Uwe Boll I've seen. It's not as funny as House of the Dead, but it does offer enough badness, cheesiness and ridiculous amounts of blood to keep me sort of entertained. It was better than Rise of the Lycans.

Backyard (El traspatio)

Paranormal Activity

Nothing But the Truth

Surprisingly entertaining. Vera Farmiga was outstanding in her supporting role. Recommended.

Night of the Creeps

I love it when a film can combine horror, gore, comedy and camp values successfully, such as Dead Alive, for example. This film, however, despite the very entertaining performance of Steve Marshall, doesn't seem to get the mix right and is just monumentally boring. It took me three attempts to finish it because I would find it hard to pay attention when everything was putting me to sleep. I know it's highly regarded by nostalgics and has a strong following, but I cannot see any reason why.

Mary and Max

Simply delightful. The craftsmanship is spectacular and the story, despite its bleak and depressing characters, is handled greatly with fantastic humor and emotional resonance.

A Perfect Getaway

So, the first hour only offers beautiful scenery and the always enjoyable presence of Milla Jovovich, then there's a stupid twist they take too long explaining and then there's some cool-ish action with more beautiful scenerey (the director obviously got massive hard-ons when he learned he could do camera tricks in this scenes). All in all, a pretty boring, dull movie with no thrills and forgettable characters. But very beautiful landscapes.

The Hidden

Think you've seen every possible incarnation of the cop/buddy flick? Well, if you missed this gem from 1987, think again. Kyle MacLachlan plays FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher, who is on the trail of an alien being that killed his partner 9 years ago. This particular species of ET is not the cute, cuddly type that has a fondness for Reese's Pieces. Not even close. This slimy critter has the following M.O.: it likes to inhabit human bodies, and it has a penchant for listening to loud rock music, driving fast cars (preferably Ferraris), robbing banks, and obliterating anything or anyone that gets in its way. The opening sequence is a real grabber that involves a bank robbery (seen through a security camera), followed by a high-speed chase through the streets (and sidewalks) of Los Angeles, as the perpetrator tries to outrun a mess of squad cars, leaving a trail of bodies and wrecked vehicles in his wake. Even the guy in the wheelchair is not spared! Not coincidentally, Gallagher has tracked the alien to L.A., where he enlists the aid of Homicide Detective Tom Beck (Michael Nouri), who is not thrilled by Gallagher's idea of inter-agency co-operation. He becomes even less thrilled when law-abiding citizens start going ballistic and the bodies start piling up in his city. When Gallagher eventually lays it all out for him, Beck's response is to throw him in a cell until he can come up with a better story. It is pretty far-fetched, but Beck soon discovers the truth for himself, and they team up to try and catch the alien before it can switch bodies once the current one becomes unuseable (i.e. riddled with bullet holes). Apparently, the only time it can be killed is when it is between bodies and out in the open. There are some pretty amusing scenes where the alien is getting used to its latest new body. Check out the one where it has just taken over the body of a gorgeous and nicely endowed stripper. After it finishes fondling its new breasts, it proceeds to give some unknowing slimeball the best (and last) screwing of his miserable life. Talk about using sex as a weapon! Anyway, all I can say is any movie that pays homage to Blade Runner (the gorgeous babe being hunted down), Assault on Precinct 13 (the shootout at the police station), The Dead Zone (the political assassinaton), and especially The Thing (the alien as a dog) is pretty cool in my book. Maybe it gets a little hokey towards the end, but the road that gets you there is filled with sci-fi/action FUN. Take the ride!

Whatever Works

The joined forces of Woody Allen and Larry David first seemed like a match made in heaven, but this feels more like lost in limbo. David has a few moments where he shines and Patricia Clarkson gives a hilarious performance, but nothing in the filme ever comes off as either genuine or natural; it speaks of relationships without having anything to say.

Light Sleeper

Trick 'r Treat

I love how the movie looks and sounds, everything is clear and sharp. Pretty. As for the stories themselves, well, they're hardly considered scary, but they do provide great visuals and a lot of fun; everything is keeping more in the spooky, entertaining aspect and tone of Halloween and it makes for a great time.

Moon

First off: Sam Rockwell, wow. I liked and respected him as an actor before, but this performance totally made me loose my shit over him; he's exceptionally magnificent in his dual role. Also, the story moves amazingly presenting a "twist" to further develop a plot rather than as a cheap way of ending it. Constantly full of subtle surprises, Moon is an excellent entry in the science-fiction genre, and one that shows that with a solid performance and good storytelling you don't need huge bucks to make a good movie.

Surveillance

Apparently the tainted apple hasn't fallen far from the Lynch family tree. recommended.

Looking for Eric

The Time That Remains (Le temps qu'il reste)