KenForeman Reviews

The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)

An Enjoyable Variation with an Eli Roth Twist

[7/10 · 25 December 2018]

John Bellairs' The House with a Clock in its Walls and Robert Silverberg's The Man in the Maze were two novels I read as a kid that stuck with me, and I find just as enjoyable as an adult. When I heard the were turning House with a Clock into a movie starring Jack Black, I was seriously concerned about what they would do to a beloved novel.

The movie captures some scenes and characters perfectly, but deviates a great deal for sequence of events between Isaac Izzard and Selena, the purpose of the House, and some of the most magical scenes such as the night in the garden. Eli Roth as the director makes some interesting choices to capture the spirit of the novel while changing the story and visuals to fit film rather than the imagination.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable movie. It wasn't the novel I remember and love, but Jack Black as Uncle Jonathan and Cate Blanchett as Mrs. Zimmerman did justice to the two spinster warlocks and witches. Kyle Machlachlan brought an enjoyable malevolence to Isaac Izzard with a more interesting backstory. My wife and I enjoyed it! 😉✌

The Brothers Grimm (2005)

Scenery with barely a story

[5/10 · 30 August 2005]

Terry Gilliam told a great story in both "12 Monkeys" and "Brazil". They're bizarre for anyone expecting a straight-forward, everyday tale, but they were truly fantastic (both as fantasy-tales and fantastic imagery). Given Gilliam's talent for the fantastic, I thought "Brothers Grimm" would be no exception.

For imagery, it was. Audiences can enjoy picking through it looking for the beanstalk, the red cape, the bread trail, and the gingerbread man. Gilliam's eye for detail should be commended. As a story, "Brothers Grimm" was terribly lacking. The Brothers Grimm had a treasure-trove of material that could have been used, but it felt terribly wasted.

I'd recommend "Brothers Grimm" for a lazy afternoon in front of cable or on DVD, but not a $9.95 evening showing. Having paid $30 for my wife, my niece, and I, we were tortured with slow pacing, great visuals, and a throw-away story. A few great scenes and an impeccable Jonathan Pryce couldn't salvage a forgettable plot.

The Echo (2004)

Memento, The Sixth Sense, The Ring ...Sigaw?

[8/10 · 8 June 2005]

To start with, I'm an American "mutt." I don't consider myself to belong to any culture unless "white bread" should start appearing on the US census. I speak almost no Tagalog (Filipino), and understand little. That said, I watched "Sigaw" on DVD with English subtitles.

"Sigaw" is an interesting movie. It lacks the visual cues to let an American audience know "This is the present..." "this is the past..." but it's a movie that shows the history of a haunted apartment building in parallel (past and present). We see a struggling restaurant owner trying to make sense of the noises and getting little sleep. We see another younger man trying not to get involved in a very loud domestic dispute.

The movie centers on the present-day man trying to make sense of it, and just trying to get by, hopefully by ignoring it. The movie is mostly atmospheric, with a few surprises, and little gore. Similar to the "The Others" and "Sixth Sense", most of the fun is trying to figure out what's the story, and what's the right solution.

American cinema often borrows from foreign. "The Birdcage" is a remake of a French play. "The Ring" and "The Grudge" are both remakes from Asia. Doing an American remake of "Sigaw" might be worthwhile for a director who values atmosphere and story over effects and gore. On the whole, I'd recommend "Sigaw" for Americans who enjoy wondering about what goes bump in the night...

The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004 TV Movie)

Okay waste of an afternoon or evening...

[4/10 · 6 December 2004]

A fun if very derivative movie detailing the growth of Noah Wyle from a permanent student (22 degrees, 30, still in school, lives with Mom) to a Librarian entrusted with the protection of important artifacts throughout history. "The Librarian" tries to be "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "The Mummy" but doesn't have nearly the story, characters, depth, or humor of either.

Poor Kelly Hu is wasted as a set piece. Kyle Maclachlan plays a passable villain. Jane Curtain stands out as a "straight man" in her interview scene and few interjections.

"The Librarian" is an okay waste of an afternoon or evening, but certainly not memorable. 4/10

The Village (2004)

Forces you to take time to stop and think...

[7/10 · 11 August 2004]

If Alfred Hitchcock were alive today, would critics and audiences be as unkind as they are to M. Night Shyamalan? Just as Hitchcock's name was the draw for viewers then, "a M. Night Shyamalan film" is the hook today. People see the phrase and already have preconceived notions about the film. Shyamalan, like Hitchcock, experiments with characters and stories.

"The Village" is no real horror movie. Going to the theatre thinking you'll get a good, visceral scare is probably going to result in disappointment. "The Village" is a drama, maybe an "intellectual suspense", and has the trademark twist. It's unfortunate that Shyamalan prides himself so much on twists because his movies could probably stand on their own as dramas or well-crafted tales.

The dynamics between William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver, Joaquin Phoenix and Bryce Dallas Howard make it watchable alone. Some give Shyamalan flak for his cameos, but he's simply following in the footsteps of Hitchcock and Stephen King. Go expecting a story and a twist (or two), have some patience, and you'll be well rewarded.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

Great Premise, Poor Execution

[5/10 · 14 July 2003]

If you were to merge "Wild Wild West" with "X-Men", you might have something resembling "League of Extraordinary Gentleman." The movie suffers from having too many protagonists and anachronistic technology. Unlike "Wild Wild West," it doesn't have Will Smith & Kevin Kline's humorous pairing to save it. Unlike "X-Men," it doesn't have the fan base.

The premise behind LXG is a fantastic one: take several well-known literary characters across several genres, unite them, and throw them against an adversary. I'd love to see what the movie might have been like in a better director's hands. Sean Connery can't save it (think "The Avengers") and all of the characters are given too little screen time and too little development to care about.

In all, "League of Extraordinary Gentleman" might make for a good rental or time wasted in front of cable. It's not worth the $8.75 (local ticket price) for a night out with friends or family.

The Ring (2002)

wow... a good horror movie, lives up to its hype

[22 October 2002]

Recent horror movies have been disappointing for me. "The Blair Witch Project" seemed more enamored with its first-person cinematography than telling a good story. I had high hopes for "Mothman Prophecies," but left the theatre feeling as if I had just been pickpocketed. I didn't go into "The Ring" with very high expectations.

"The Ring" begins like a number of other movies. Teenage girls, alone in a house, rehashing horror stories and urban legends. Ten minutes into the movie, I was wondering if this was yet another horror/slasher ("I know what you did..." genre). Thirty minutes later, I felt like I was actually watching a movie that a director, writer, and cast actually *cared* about. It went from horror/"slasher" to a rather unique story around a cliche urban legend.

Daveigh Chase was unrecognizeable as Samara. Ms. Chase is typically the "cute, Disney girl" ("Lilo & Stitch","Spirited Away"). In "The Ring," she is truly otherworldly. Her acting gave me goosebumps. Naimi Watts and Martin Henderson were both very good in their roles. They seemed to be real, everyday, people who were caught up in a bizarre horror/mystery.

I'd recommend "The Ring" to others. It might not be a movie you'd see again and again, but it will leave you scared and thinking about your fears. That's more than I can say about most modern horror movies.

Dungeons & Dragons (2000)

"And then the weirdos came out of the woodwork..."

[13 December 2000]

In the first five minutes, my wife looked around and noticed she was the only woman in the theatre. A single woman need only walk into the theatre to have her selection of the aging single white males who left their parents' basement to watch this movie... and then there was this movie.

The people who play D&D spend more effort designing their characters than the screenwriters spent on these folks. It's unfortunate that Jeremy Irons was cast in this movie, the rest of the cast portrayed why they'll remain second- and third-tier actors (Wayons should keep to 1-800-Collect commercials)

In the age when your home computer can render special effects better than most 80's flicks, it's not surprising to see CGI dragons and grandiose castle shots. It's a shame that some hardware didn't generate the actors. Alas the only hardware spent on actors were the large breastplates on a thin actress.

My only recommendation is to keep your money in your pocket.