hatesdragons Reviews

Insidious (I) (2010)

half and half

[5/10 · 13 July 2011]

Insidious begins with the Lamberts(Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) moving into a new home that is as haunted as the Belasco house. As all hell breaks loose their son (Ty Simpkins) falls into an unexplainable coma. Ghostly things continue to happen so the family pulls up stakes and moves into another home, but the evil follows them.

With the aid of a psychic(Lin Shaye) the Lamberts learn that their son's astral body is trapped in a place called "The Further"by a lip stick faced demon.There is a séance with a gas mask no less. It's downhill from there.

Insidious has a few jump scenes but fails to scare. The confrontation with the demon is a let down as the demon appears as ultimately powerless.

The biggest scare was remembering Tiny Tim singing Tip Toe Through the Tulips on Laff-in.

Alien Nation (1988)

Decent science fiction

[7/10 · 3 June 2001]

This is the film that inspired the excellent television show and the many specials that followed its cancellation. This film has good performances by James Cann and mandy Patinkin, that elevate it above the norm. It is a combination buddy film, crime drama and science fiction story. Surprisingly it comes together very well. This film is not the best of the genre, some of the television shows surpass it, yet it worth a watch.

Alien 3 (1992)

Pales in comparison

[6/10 · 31 May 2001]

" This is rumor control, and these are the facts.." Alien 3 pales in comparison to the previous two films. It seems David Fincher wanted to combine the elements of the first two films to create a dark, foreboding action movie.Something just didn't work. For one thing there isn't anyone in the film to truly like, after all, everyone is a double y chromo and prone to things like murder and rape. Not exactly the cast you get all teary-eyed over when they meet the alien. Only Riply (Sigourney Weaver) remains from the other films, and she is acting a tad strange in this one too. For example: Ripley is asked to remain in sick-bay because the men have not even seen a woman in years. Remember too, that these are men that are all lifers, having no qualms about committing horrid acts. So what does Riply do? She goes to the mess hall to have lunch with them. Ripley was a very smart woman in the other two films, what happened? Too long in cryogenic sleep? At one point Riply tells the inmates "I've never seen one(the alien) move Quite like this one does." I guess she hasn't seen too many poor cgi effects before. This is the weakest of the alien series. That is, of course, until they made Alien Resurrection.

The Abyss (1989)

The additional footage makes the film one to watch

[8/10 · 28 May 2001]

The addition of extra footage into the Special edition of the Abyss makes the film much better. I remember seeing the original version when it was first released and thought the ending seemed to be tacked on just to end the movie. Now, with the Special Edition we get to see what Cameron intended. Although this film has incredible visuals, the story was a tremendous disappointment. With the addition of the 28 minutes, we are treated to a whole new film. This one a tad darker then the original, and much more meaningful. It now has the flavor of other cautionary tales like "Day the Earth Stood Still". Not the best of the Camerion epics but well worth a watching.

Aliens (1986)

Something Rare, a grand sequel

[10/10 · 28 May 2001]

James Cameron took the continuing story of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in a different direction than the first installment. Where Ridley Scott slowly built tension in the claustrophobic Nostromo, Cameron takes the story back to the desolate planet LV-426 and is relentless in the action that ensures. Ripley, along with a troop of Colonial marines, are not faced with a single alien(which almost killed everyone in the first film), but a hive of them. The two films marry together quite nicely. The dark foreboding atmosphere of the first and the nonstop battle excitement of the second. Other fine performances are delivered by, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein and of course Lance Henriksen as Bishop.This is a rare film:A sequel that is as good as the original.

Alien (1979)

Dark and Foreboding

[10/10 · 28 May 2001]

Dark, foreboding, sinister. Ridley Scott has created a world of shadows that conceal a lurking predator within the sealed hull of a space cargo ship. An alien creature who's sole drive is to survive, and that can only be accomplished with the death of the crew of the Nostromo. "IT, the Terror from Beyond Space" is a forerunner of this film, but Scott has elevated the horror story way beyond those 50's monster flicks(don't get me wrong, I love those old horror films).The tensions build slowly and then reach fever pitch.From a deserted rock of a planet to the dark cooling tunnels of the ship, Scott has created a vision of the future that looks and feels authentic.A landmark film that changed the look of this genre for a long time to come. The cast is perfect, especially Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. She defines the strong woman that can control her destiny instead of succumb to it. A highly recommended film.

Airport (1970)

70's soaps aboard a 707

[7/10 · 28 May 2001]

"The Days of Our Lives" aboard a 707. Classic disaster melodrama within the confines of an airport and a jet in flight. Somewhat long character development, but when the bomber chooses to act, the viewer can relate to all those aboard the jet. Helen Hayes is wonderful as a savvy freeloading stowaway. George Kennedy is also fun to watch as the tough mechanic dealing with a snow bound jetliner during a blizzard. Somewhat dated by today's standards but still worth watching now and again. After all, this is the movie that started the disaster film craze, that pops up every now and again, even today.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Vincent Price at his most sinister

[7/10 · 25 May 2001]

This is great camp horror of the early 70's. Vincent Price, at his evil best, is a man seeking revenge on those he blamed for the death of his wife. " Nine Killed her, nine shall die." Each of the killings is based on the old testament, and each is more ingenious than its predecessor. Vincent Price's 100th film is a winner.

The Abominable Snowman (1957)

solid Hammer film

[8/10 · 25 May 2001]

This gem from 1957 is a solid tale about the yeti. Hammer Regular Peter Cushing is a man driven to prove the existence of the fabled creature, while Forrest Tucker is a man driven by the desire for fame and wealth no matter the cost. With a back drop of snow and ice they find the monster of the Himalayas, but he is not like anything they expected. Good direction by Val Guest, and very atmospheric. A Fine representation of the Hammer film collection.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, Oh my!

[8/10 · 25 May 2001]

This film was a favorite of my childhood. My gosh, all the universal monsters in one picture, it couldn't get better than this. Throw in Bud and Lou and you have the classic monster laff riot of all time. The mixing of the scares and humor work in this film like no other. This is by far the best of the Abbott and Costello feature films. Grab some popcorn, a soda, sit back and enjoy.