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Batman Begins (2005)
An amazing film from start to finish
What can't be said that hasn't already about this film over the years since it's release? Christopher Nolan single-handedly revitalized the Batman character and made it legitimate cinema. I had low expectations for the film before it's release because I had not really followed much of it's development save for a few pictures on the internet here or there.
For those that haven't already seen the movie, it follows Bruce Wayne as he begins his quest to becoming Batman and bringing justice to Gotham City. It is a true origin story, and it fleshes out characters and their unique motivations in a very fresh and interesting manner. Though the beginning half of the film contains not one scene with Bruce Wayne as Batman and focuses more on why he becomes Batman, the latter is about his fight against an old nemesis and saving Gotham.
The entire film from start to finish is filled with great performances. Both Liam Neeson and Gary Oldman give amazing performances in this film. Christian Bale is also very good throughout, although when put next to actors like Neeson and Oldman, they slightly outshine him on screen. The weakest performance would have to be Katie Holmes, and even her's is not that bad as the District Attorney that is a childhood friend of Wayne's.
Nolan uses a deft hand to create tension and up the ante with every plot point, and his love of the material and the craft is unsurpassed in the superhero film genre. If you have not seen this film yet, go and find it immediately. It was one of 2005's best films.
Halloween II (2009)
Better than Zombie's first attempt...but not that great
I really, really didn't like Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween, so I went into this film with expectations set fairly low. In the end, that might have helped me like this film a little more than the original. This is by no means a good movie, but at least there are shreds of good ideas that made it onto the screen this time.
One problem pops up right when the the first title card pops up, which is explaining the symbolism of a white horse. It's nice that Zombie tries to put symbolism in his films, but if he really thinks its too obscure for anyone to actually understand, or just thinks his audience is too dumb to actually comprehend the symbol, maybe it shouldn't be put in there. So throughout the film, Myer's mother continually appears with a horse. Myers also makes grunting noises and screams on occasion in this film, so it just adds to Zombie's distancing of the mythos.
The film starts out at breakneck speed, with Myer's continuing his rampage at the hospital where Laurie is taken. This was a great way to start the movie...but then Zombie counters it by showing it was all just a dream. It is instances throughout the film just like this that bring it down.
The writing once again is not very good, but it rises slightly above it's predecessor. But when Laurie is holding a beer can and says "meet my new best friend", one has to really question who thought that would actually sound good coming out of an actors mouth. And on another point, the acting is a little better than the Halloween remake, but nothing spectacular.
THe story tries to continually show more motivation for Myer's murderous rampages, something about bringing his family back together and reuniting everyone, but it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. He just lumbers around town killing people. Then, when Zombie makes the genius move to make him lose the mask and just show up to kill people looking like a large hillbilly/bum, it just gets a little ridiculous. He has a full mountain man beard! It turns out a mask less Myers isn't scary, just very dirty looking. Dr. Loomis has also turned into a fame-mongering, money-hungry author with a new book coming out that reveals that Laurie is Micheal Myer's sister. But by the part of the film where that plot point is revealed, it is just another aspect of the script that was phoned in just to keep the movie going. Psychic connections are dipped into between Micheal and Laurie but never explored, and the family reuniting aspect of the film just doesn't work This is another case of Zombie's lack of being able to build up tension or suspense and instead relying on gore and jump scares. This film works much better than the first, but by the end the narrative been long off the tracks. Zombie swings and misses once again in his newest ravaging of a classic.
Halloween (2007)
An insult to the original in every way
When I went to the theater to see this film on opening day, I had moderate expectations. I love the original Halloween, and I couldn't see this film ever matching up to it. So I had already decided that the film couldn't ever match up to the suspense and fear that John Carpenter had created with his film. But I liked that Zombie was going to try and add more of an origin story to Michael Myers. This would have been his own stamp on a series that had grown pretty stale over the years.
This is not the return of the Halloween franchise in any shape or form.
The script seems like it was written by a group of 12 year old boys who just learned curse words and some things about sex from their older siblings. At no point in the film does any character have any good or even meaningful dialogue. It's mostly swearing and crude sexual references. And I don't mind things like that in a movie if they at least make sense in the context they are used in. Zombie aims to offend with his dialogue, not actually advance the plot or make the audience care about any of the characters. In this he succeeds, and in doing so, makes it seem like he wrote the film for a 12 year old audience. The dumbed down dialogue isn't as bad as the horrible acting though. The acting from all involved is just horrendous. Scout Taylor Compton is laughably bad. Malcolm McDowell is probably the best of the group, but he isn't given much to work with in the script. I still can't believe he actually agreed to be in this film.
As far as Zombie's promise to deliver a more fleshed out back story as to why Michael Myers is driven to murder, frankly, there isn't really one. Every scene that Zombie tries to use to show why Myers murders people comes off as forced into the script, and they care no real fluidity in the rest of the film. It is almost as if Zombie compiled a list of traits of serial killers, and then took that list and just made a scene around each trait.
There is obviously a lot more blood in this remake than in the original. But again, this doesn't make the film better or even make it interesting. It simply is there when another one dimensional character dies.
Judging by this directorial effort, Zombie does not understand how to generate fear or even use music cues to heighten suspense. There isn't one scene in this film that involves suspense, just a few jump scares. He throws in the stalking music from the original Halloween early in the film ineffectively, and continues to just throw in random songs and sounds throughout.
I really wanted this film to be just OK, especially after Halloween: Resurrection and H20. But unfortunately, this is just a film from a wanna-be director that has an inept script and a bunch of bad ideas and offensive scenes that don't add up to a good film. Zombie failed on all fronts with this film. I usually understand why people like certain films and can understand why they defend them, but this film is just bad. Even viewed as an exploitation film, it isn't even interesting on that level and had very few original ideas if Zombie was trying to go for a more exploitative angle.
This film is a complete insult to the original Halloween in every way, and shouldn't even bear the name.
The Cider House Rules (1999)
One of my favorite films
There have been very few films over the past decade that I can watch many times over and still appreciate. Even after memorizing all of the dialogue and knowing how every scene will play out, there is still something about this film that transcends that knowledge and makes every viewing as enjoyable as the last.
The story takes place in the 1940's and revolves around an orphan named Homer that resides at the St. Clouds Orphanage He is adopted on separate occasions, but is returned each time, eventually turning an age that makes him undesirable to parents seeking to adopt a child. It is then that the head doctor of the orphanage, Dr. Larch, decides that if Homer is to stay at St. Clouds, he must be of use. Dr. Larch teaches Homer how to perform births, as well as abortions. A couple, Wally and Candy come through seeking the latter and Homer decides to leave the orphanage and travel with them back to their hometown. Homer finds that he enjoys the work in the orchard that Wally's family owns and decides to stay and work there against the wishes of Dr. Larch since he sees Homer as wasting his surgical talents on picking apples. Wally is eventually called to fight in the war and the rest of the story revolves around Homer and Candy's relationship and their relationship with the migrant workers that come through the orchard on a yearly basis.
The most striking aspect of The Cider House Rules is in the editing and cinematography. There are no quick cuts to be found here. The shots linger long enough to get a sense of place and setting. The actors actually have to act as opposed to just having to throw up an expression for a few seconds. Michael Caine shines as Dr. Larch and exudes just the right amount of grandfatherly guidance for Homer. Tobey Maguire does a serviceable job playing Homer, and Charlize Theron isn't bad playing Candy. Delroy Lindo is very good as the head of the migrant workers, Mr. Rose.
As a final thought, The Cider House Rules should be sought out if you haven't seen it yet, and is a thoughtful drama that is heavy-handed on the pro-life debate, even though it is in there. Those with a strong opinion against abortion will probably not care for the film as much as those that are on the fence or pro-choice. Beyond that, the film is enjoyable due to the good acting and great direction from Lasse Hallstrom.
As for those that have read the book know, there are many more developed characters and plot lines in the book, and Homer's time at the Orchard lasts 15 years as opposed to the few that are in the film. But these things obviously had to be cut back for the film, and the makers did a good job of adapting the material for the screen in leaving out what wasn't absolutely necessary to create a film version of John Irving's novel.
Dear John (2010)
I took a chance on this one...and was disappointed
Well, after passing over this movie in theaters and figuring it was going to be another run of the mill "chick flick", I finally saw it was out on DVD today and decided to give it a chance. I went into my viewing of the film with an open mind and was really hoping that this movie would be a cut above the other romance films that had come out lately. This review will contain only very light spoilers, nothing to actually spoil any type of surprises in the plot whatsoever.
Unfortunately, it was nothing new or special. The story involves a girl named Savannah, who meets a boy named John, who happens to be a special forces operative for the United States Army and when not on assignment, lives with his father who has autism. Savannah is spending the two weeks of her spring break helping out a family who's home has been wrecking by a hurricane in John's coastal home town. The two quickly fall in love and the film chronicles the journey they share through the ups and downs of their relationship.
The major problem I had with this film is that the pacing is way off the mark. The film moves at breakneck speed to establish John and Savannah's relationship, which ends up cheapening any type of romance that develops between them. It just never seems believable that they fell in love so quickly.
The other problem I have with the film is that many of the subplots, which are more interesting than the central love story, are never developed. John's relationship with his autistic father never seems genuine either because it is thrown together so quickly that the reason for strain between them in taken care of in a flashback lasting about thirty seconds. Another underdeveloped portion of the film is Savannah's relationship with another character's autistic son. It is just thrown in at the beginning of the film and never really explained. Loose ends abound throughout the rest of the film as well and it is really unfortunate that the film didn't take more time to build on these intricate side stories.
The scenes where John is in combat bring a much needed air of reality to the film, but they're too brief to elevate this film over it's weak script and under-developed characters. This is a film that could have used more script polish and could have been much better had it not been simplified for a wider audience. The love story involving war gives it a current tone, yet the script makes it unbelievable. I haven't read the novel so I cannot speak for it's merits, but the film misses the mark if it intended to differentiate itself from many other romantic dramas that have hit theaters lately.
Saved by the Bell (1989)
One of my favorite classic teen shows
I cannot even remember the first "Saved by the Bell" episode I watched on television when I was growing up. I cannot even remember exactly how old I was when I started watching it. If I had to guess, I'd say around 10 or 11 years old. It was around the time that I was entering middle school in the mid 90's, and the show was already re-running again by that point. Somehow, some morning, I got hooked on Saved by the Bell, and probably will be for the rest of my life.
The themes always seemed pretty relevant when I was younger. Fights with friends, worrying about tests, breaking up with girlfriends...all of these things I could instantly relate to at that age. Zach and Slater got into all of those situations that someone getting into their teens probably was in at some point...although their version was usually a lot more politically correct and and always had a happy ending. But the older I got, the more ridiculous some of the episodes seemed. And even in most, the acting is not that good. For some reason, though, I still continued to watch the television show. It just had that allure that even though you'd seen an episode 20 times, it still was entertaining to watch.
I have to recommend this show to everyone, because now I can look back and laugh at the episodes, but still enjoy watching them because of how nostalgic they are for me. Most of the people I know now watched the show through their adolescence as well. Now if only they had a reunion show...
The Driller Killer (1979)
This movie could have benifited from a lighting budget
Driller Killer is one of those movies that you hear about on Cult film message boards and horror genre sites. So I finally found the dvd at a horror and scfi convention and I couldn't resist so I bought it. The first thing you see in the movie is a slate that says "This film should be played loud". I wondered why this was there, then within the first 30 seconds strange music begins to blast out of my tv's speakers. The music basicly continues on throughout the whole film, as does the strange use of lighting and the lack there of. The film basicly follows a starving artist who is trying to scrape together a living. Before long the pressures of inner-city life get to him. He buys a drill and goes on a dimly lit killings spree. I couldn't really tell what was going on for most of the film because of the ultra low lighting and the almost complete darkness at times. But he does drill a few people into bloody pulps. And the plot stops after he gets the drill. From there on its all killings and screaming. I guess I would have to rate this one a 4 out of 10 just based on how bad the plot and lighting are. The gore is your basic fare, with one strange scene where he is stabbing the head of a skinned rabit. It is as strange as it sounds. So I could only recommend this movie to the most hardcore genre buffs of horror.
Wolf (1994)
Great retelling of the werewolf tale.
This movie was great because it lets you see both sides of good and evil through the eyes of a werewolf. The plot line of Jack Nicholson becoming a werewolf parallels how his company is merging and his wife is having an affair with his friend. The writers and the director truly did a great job of showing how Nicholson slowly and painfully becomes a werewolf and how Michelle Pfeiffer cares and loves him. In a way, it becomes a Beauty and the Beast story as well. I would definitely give this film 8 out of 10 because of its great performances and the great how great it is written.
The Prowler (1981)
An average slasher, but definitely some great effects.
This movie was simply an average slasher made in a time when the slasher genre was booming. What distinguishes this movie from the others is the great effects, done by Tom Savini, that are gory and shocking. The performances by the actors are all together not that good, but the plot is slightly better than a lot of slasher films out there. The plot concerns a G.I. who just received a dear john letter telling him that his girlfriend couldn't wait for him any longer. Well, when he finds her alone with another guy after the graduation dance, they both get the sharp end of a rake, in graphic detail. Twenty years later a group of kids decide to have their own graduation dance. Then the murders start again. I would give this movie 5 out of 10 and only recommend it to hard core fans of Tom Savini or the slasher genre
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
One of the best sequels.
This movie greatly surprised me. I was thinking it would be a ripoff of survivor combined with a scream clone. Well, I was wrong. The webcast setting provided some truly tense moments and really heightened the atmosphere at some points. What I really liked about this movie was how good the Michael Myer's mask looked. Gone are the masks of parts 4 and 5, this mask is totally remodeled and looks pretty menacing. The acting does suffer at times, but rappers and models were never meant to act, right? It seemed like most of the gore was intact as well, so thats also a plus. Well after Jason X, this movie renewed my faith in the horror genre.
The Beast Within (1982)
Very Strange movie, but has some good effects
I just finished watching this movie and it had some really good transformation sequences for it's time. But the plot never really explains itself. I just really felt unsatisfied when the movie wrapped up. But other than that, the acting is fairly solid and the effects are pretty well done. A fairly good entry in the evil entity genre of the 80's. I would recommend this one to anyone with nothing else left to see.
Return to Horror High (1987)
It had it's moments, but they were all comedy.
This movie had some really good comedy bits, but they don't add up to make a good movie. They don't even add up to make a horror movie. The basic plot follows a bunch of low-budget filmmakers who are making a movie about a series of murders that happened at a high school years ago. The only problem is the killer was never caught. The problems start off with this movie when you can obviously tell the school is not abandoned, or ever was. But according to the movie, it's been abandoned for years. Then theres the bad acting. It was pretty bad all the way through, although the producer actually pulls of some good one liners. The one redeeming factor of the movie is some funny comedy bits. Unfortunately, they are few and far between to make it worth while. Although the end was as stroke of genius, sitting through the film is quiet a task for such a small payoff. So I can't really recommend this film to all but the most hardcore fans of any of the cheesy 80's slashers, and even they might not find it all that entertaining.
Virus (1980)
This movie's plot seems to have the attention span of a three year old.
This movie had potential, but it kills itself by changing the scene out of nowhere every five minutes. You don't even get a chance to get whats going on, and then, they go somewhere else. There were so many un-needed scenes in this film i can't even begin to mention them all. Then One scene that tops them all in the bad movie department is when a swat team member starts dancing around in a woman's dress with a cane and top hat on. It looks even worse then it sounds. Although this movie does have some cool moments, they are either to short or to far in between to make this movie worth a second, if first, viewing.
Le notti del terrore (1981)
Not the worse zombie movie ever.
This movie has some pretty good death scenes in it, but the zombies look pretty bad. It also has some fairly scary scenes. So if you liked zombie and night of the living dead, then you may like this film as well.