| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avatar - PG-13 |
Not only is it visually the greatest experience at the movies this year, but an ambitious, fully immersive cinematic experience from start to finish. This has been without question the most overly hyped film in quite some time, promising 'the most spectacular movie ever'. And, by such ridiculous claims they should as well be saying 'this is the greatest movie ever made. go see it in IMAX'. And of course, like many other people, I did. I gave in and went to the closest IMAX theater and bought myself a ticket for one of the 3D showings that hadn't already been sold out. And, I ask myself: Does it live up to all the hype? Is it really that ground breaking and fantastic? Well, the answer is yes. Yes it is. Ok, the big question that has been lingering around this film is it really the big game changer? Yes, it's the truth. Avatar employs technology necessary to render its largely computer-generated, 3D world that will give directors, including but not limited to Cameron, one heck of a sandbox to play in over the next few years. That?s how the game has changed. It's such a amazing visual experience. I've had the luxury of seeing it in it's full definition, and I'll be the first to say it's truly breathtaking. There's no dizzy, headache educing fuzzy picture here (well, at least I didn't encounter that problem), the screen really jumps out at you. Especially during the huge action sequences. Although the world is nothing short of a fantastic fantasy, in no time you actually feel like your on Pandora with these nine foot tall aliens and their acid induced dreamscape. I'm usually the first to pick out a bad cgi moment in a film, because to be honest I hate most computer generated images unless there done really good. And you can tell they didn't take the lazy way out, everything here - including jungle monsters, giant flying lizards, and mech assault suits (think the mechanical suit Sigourney Weaver fought the queen alien with) - all look very realistic. And the landscape is amazing. The planet of Pandora is the most detailed and realistic alien home world ever depicted in a film. This is '2001: A Space Odyssey' for the 21st century. James Cameron has always been at the top of my favorite directors list. Being responsible for films such as the first two Terminators, the under-rated underwater alien flick 'The Abyss', and of course 'Aliens', I couldn't expect anything less than a spectacular movie. And fortunately Avatar exceeded my expectations. Not only is this a good looking film, but boasts an impressively layered story. I won't get into too much detail, because you should really see this for yourself, but take my word for it - this isn't your average sci/fi popcorn flick, this is the brainchild of one of the greatest entertainers in Hollywood. |
December 23, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Silent Night, Deadly Night - R | December 22, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Sherlock Holmes - PG-13 | December 22, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Bourne Identity - PG-13 | December 14, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Invictus - PG-13 | December 11, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre) - PG | December 10, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Office Space - R | December 9, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Gangs of New York - R | December 4, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - PG-13 | December 2, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Unforgiven - R |
"Just 'cause we're goin' on this killing, that don't mean I'm gonna go back to bein' the way I was." Review: If The Unforgiven really serves to be Clint Eastwood's last true western, it sure is a grand one to ride out on. Eastwood plays William Munny, a Kansas hog farmer, who gave up train robbing and murder eleven years ago to settle down with a good woman and raise two kids. Now the wife who reformed him is dead, and he needs cash to save the farm and keep his family from homelessness. A young punk called the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) arrives with a tempting offer - A group of prostitutes in the town of Big Whiskey have offered a bounty of $500 each for the two cowboys who mutilated the pretty Delilah's (Anna Thomson) face. Big Whiskey's sheriff, Little Bill Daggett (fantasticly portrayed by Gene Hackman), let the cowboys off easy, making them pay six horses to the brothel owner to compensate for Delilah's loss of market value. Outraged, the group of prostitutes pool their money together in an attempt to avenge poor Delilah's disfigurement. "Ned, you remember that drover I shot through the mouth and his teeth came out the back of his head? I think about him now and again. He didn't do anything to deserve to get shot, at least nothin' I could remember when I sobered up." Eastwood made the tough guy cowboy look famous in his Man With no Name films, where he made killing seem as easy as breathing, but Munny's character is completely different. Still the rugged cowboy figure, William Munny is moving forward from a brutal and violent past. Killing a man isn't second nature here, like Eastwood himself says 'It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have.' And it's nothing but the truth. In a horrifying scene, the panicky Kid shoots a man who is sitting on a toilet and tries to justify his action by saying the bastard had it coming. "We all have it coming, Kid," says Munny. "You better bury Ned right!... Better not cut up, nor otherwise harm no whores... or I'll come back and kill every one of you sons of bitches." It's no surprise Unforgiven received an Academy Award in 1992 for best picture, because this surely is a fantastic film. Ironically the ultimate western was made years after it's heyday, where Eastwood's presence in Spaghetti Westerns was the norm and cowboy films graced the screen more often than not. This is captivating for all, not just fans of the genre. |
November 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Happy Birthday to Me - R | November 30, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Dead Alive (Braindead) - R | November 25, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Lovely Bones - PG-13 | November 24, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - PG-13 | November 24, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Road - R | November 19, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon - PG-13 | November 18, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Dead of Night - R | November 9, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Abominable Dr. Phibes - PG-13 | November 9, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Paranormal Activity - R |
Review: Yes, Paranormal Activity managed to do something that almost no other ghost movie in the past 25 years has managed to do: actually be scary. Like Blair Witch, it's presented entirely through self-shot footage (or from a fixed tripod in their bedroom), and ramps up from simple noises to truly freaky violent acts. The increasingly terrifying nature of the scares is what really makes the film work. Not trying to be a tough guy by saying movies don't scare me, but movies don't scare me. Maybe once in a while, when all the lights are dim and I'm all alone - and this is only under certain surcumstances - if I'm in the right mood I'll get a little freaked out, and I still don't recall the last time this occurred. Well, if I had the opportunity to watch this film in said environment, it has the potential to be truly frightening. I'll admit, it's not a perfect film but any movie that prevents me from taking that dark and lonely walk down the hall from bedroom to bathroom to take a leak is more than worth all of my praise. So congratulations go to you, Paranormal Activity, for making me look over my shoulder if I happen to hear a creak in the floor boards or some other unexplained, unexpected noise. But how scary is it, really? Is it like everyone says, the scariest movie ever? I'll have to say no, it's not. Although some parts are terrifying in their own right, the movie itself could have been better. Much like Blair Witch, this movie could come off as extremely terrifying to some people, yet terrible to others. You either get it or you don't. If you got Blair Witch and understood what was going on there, if you put yourself in their place, it's a truly horrifying experience. But, if your one of the people who either wasn't paying attention or just didn't get what was going on, it'll just be a nauseating movie going experience. The same applies here, but while I think Blair Witch is the stronger film by far, I think it's easier to follow along with Paranormal Activity. It plays off all your contemporary fears: fear of the dark, fear of being watched, fear of the unexplained, and of course fear of the supernatural. Noises play a key role here, but there not found in cheap jump scares. You can almost follow this entity (you never truly discover what it is) about the house by hearing loud thuds and strange sounds. It seems very real, and seeing the actual monster is not the scary part, but just knowing it's there but not seeing it is the scary part. Sure, you could walk out of the theater with your head held high without flinching the whole film, but once you get home, no matter how brave you are, once you hear a door slam or a board creak somewhere in your house your head will be peering over your shoulder examining everything in sight. And that's the scary part, after the movie when your laying in your bed and you hear that sound, but don't know where it came from, or what caused it. 
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November 6, 2009 | N/A | |||
| A Nightmare on Elm Street - Unrated | November 2, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Wolfman - Unrated | November 2, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Halloween H2O - R |
"I am not responsible for you. That's it, I've had enough. I can't take it anymore mom. He's dead. Michael Myers is dead. " Review This is the best Halloween sequel besides the second movie. I just wanted to get that out of the way. If you were to watch any Myers movies other than the first two, follow this films intentions and forget all the lousy installments in between. Because you have to admit, it was getting to the point of self parody (although it achieved that title in Resurrection), you couldn't take Michael seriously any more. The stories suffered the sequel curse, they just went downhill into absurdity, adding new characters to the family and unneeded plot twists. But, lucky for the fans a director with a little bit of slasher background stepped up to the plate to take a swing at the series. Directed by Steve Miner (Friday the 13th parts 2 & 3), and written by Kevin Williamson (Scream), H20 was really a breath of fresh air not only for Michael Myers, but for horror movies in general in this period. One of the best things about this film is it's a return to form. Michael Myers was intended to be the shape. The boogeyman lurking in the shadows. This is how he appeared in the first two films, but then transformed into a hulking Jason clone from parts 4 and on. Sure, he's not the same dark figure as in the first, but he's still an anomaly and not supporting a pair shoulder pads (more on that later). This movie isn't about relentless blood shed like the latter sequels in slasher franchises, but aims for suspense. This is perhaps why it has one of the better plots since the first, the screenplay is gold compared to earlier installments. Although it has some impressive kills, it doesn't rely of that alone. For once you root for the victims, maybe it's just jamie lee Curtis's character of Laurie Strode, but you actually want to see them prevail and beat Myers and escape. Oh, and does Michael ever take the beating here. He's constantly being knocked down and out - just enough for the victims to escape his grasp, but how often do you see the killer being knocked around? But there's enough scenes that retain Myers strength. He's not completely unstoppable, just pure and simply evil remember? Once again, Michael Myers is at his best here. You delve deeper into his psyche, but don't learn to much about him. He still remains the mysterious figure he as ment to be, but you learn about what he thinks. He's smart. He knows what he wants and how to get just that. Not only that, but his appearance is for once truly frightening. This has been an issue through out the series. It seems as if Michael's visage has become worse, cheeper and less terrifying as they went. I understand that after films become huge successes that people manufacture costume pieces so little boys and girls can walk around pretending to be Michael Myers and the like...but that doesn't mean the film sequels should use those costume pieces. Here, Michael's mask is great. A return to the original style. I liked the more open eye holes they did for this mask, as it plays up the more human side of Myers this entry went for. H20, which is short for Halloween: 20 years later is defiantly one of the strongest sequels to date. It doesn't hold up as good as Halloween 2 (well, I guess I gotta say the original Halloween 2 now), but besides that this is the one to watch. Do like they tell you, skip out on all that about Laurie's daughter and that nonsense about the Mark of Thorn cult, the real story lies on Halloween day 1978, and Halloween day 1998. I'm saying this as a huge fan of the series and of Michael Myers (been sporting the mask and overalls every halloween). |
November 2, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The House of the Devil - R | October 28, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Pontypool - PG |
Review The zombie genre is over-stuffed to the point of leaking pus, but writer/director Bruce McDonald has a plot that may prove a breath of fresh air for the flesh eating monsters. It's name is Pontypool, and it is definitely unlike any zombie movie you've ever seen. It'd be a stretch to consider it a full-out undead opus at all. What works about this film is it's strong lead actors, shock jock Grant Mazzy (McHattie), and Sydney Briar (Lisa Houle) brilliantly talk us through what seems to be several riots taking place through out the small town of Pontypool, Ontario. If your looking for zombie action, this movie is not for you. But, unlike your average head exploding, brain devouring walking corpse films, Pontypool doesn't rely on the action or gore effects. Instead, we're isolated in a radio station on cold, stormy morning. All the action takes place here, but never once does it start to feel claustrophobic. The action lies in reports broadcasted in telling grueling accounts of murder and mayhem that's going on in the town. We're not shown such acts of violence, but it's left to our imagination to picture the chaos that's happening here. Ironically, these are the better scenes of the film, and it all starts falling apart towards the end when some action actually does occur. But the biggest turn off for the film is knowing the reasoning behind these 'zombies'. I won't ruin it for you, since this film is worth watching, and this just may make you reconsider viewing it, but the infection has nothing to do with your blood or the rendering of flesh to transfer into another victim. Looking past this, the set up of the beginning of the film is great and following such credible characters through it is entertaining enough, making this a half-decent film to watch if your a zombie fan looking for something a bit different out of your walking corpses. Well, if you want to go as far as dubbing these zombies. 
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October 20, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Deadgirl - R |
Review: I'll admit, when going into this movie, after reading all the positive reviews proclaiming it's disturbing nature, and negative views about it taking it one step to far, I expected a little more out of it. Although it deals with a gruesome subject, I didn't think they exploited it to it's fullest. Not that I wanted to see more, but I gave into the hype and expected something far more revolting than what I saw. The subject matter here is truly terrible, and the character's actions toward the deadgirl are unquestionably disgusting, but I can't find myself disturbed but somewhat disgusted by what I just watched. Now, I won't get ahead of myself here, if you don't know the plot you may find it fairly simple: The premise of Deadgirl is brilliantly grueling ? two high school buddies come across a naked woman chained to a bed in the basement of an abandoned hospital. Before long, they realize that this mystery woman isn't alive, but some kind of zombie (a word the film never uses). While the more conscientious of the two kids, Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) is squeamish about the whole situation; his friend J.T. (Noah Segan) knows a golden opportunity when he sees it. In short time, J.T. has put the dead girl to his own personal use. I won't go to far into detail, just reading the barest description of the plot will likely put off a good number of viewers. And even those who think that they're game for the movie might have second thoughts once it starts to unfold. Although not handled in an overly graphic fashion, there's no mistaking exactly what's going on. And frankly, a movie about a woman ? whether the woman in question is living, dead or undead ? being repeatedly raped is not an experience to be taken lightly. By design, this is a film meant to provoke, sicken, and upset viewers. Deadgirl raises questions about male sexuality and peer pressure ? making it an ambitious entry in the teen horror sub-genre. Unfortunately, it's only partially successful in handling its difficult material. At first, the movie handles quite well. Only Rikkie and J.T. know about the deadgirl at this point and it seems plausible. They question what to do about her, what would happen if anybody else finds out, and how could they keep it a secret. But, from there on out it seems to spiral downward into absurdity. Deadgirl does in fact push some boundaries, it's absolutely one of it's kind, putting a very original twist on the zombie movie, but it fail's to be anything other than a twisted exploitation film set to provoke and disturb you. But, that is what horror movies are about, right? To unsettle and make you feel uneasy. But, if you look past it's desire to sicken you, you may not find much, if any entertainment value out of this film. It's a well made indy project, but it needs a bit more to make it worth your while. |
October 18, 2009 | N/A |
277 ratings
147 reviews
