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Mdgeist316
My Top Movies (in no particular order):
Vampire Hunter D
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Fist of the North Star
Elfen Lied
Gantz
Neon Genesis Evangelion
End of Evangelion
Urotsukdoji
Innocent Blood
Hard Target
Dragon Pink
Elfen Bride
Midnight Panther
Battle Royale
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Ninja Scroll
Goku: Midnight Eye
Cyber City Oedo
Sin City
Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight
Lethal Weapon 1, 2, & 3
Die Hard 1, 2, and 3
Batman Begins
The Punisher
Kill Bill 1 and 2
Grindhouse
Golgo 13
Leon: The Professional
Silent Hill
Hellraiser 1 and 2
Halloween (1978)
The Thing
The Fly
Evil Dead
Tenebre
Mad Bull 34
M.D. Geist
Genocyber
Perfect Blue
Berserk
Batman
Any Given Sunday
Shawshank Redemption
Scarface
Goodfellas
Speed
Hellsing
Ushio and Tora
Devil Man
Violence Jack
Enter The Dragon
Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Sweeney Todd
Reviews
Rambo (2008)
Adrenaline-pumping action in its purest form
During this time of watered down sequels and fun for the family flicks, we badly needed a throwback to the 80's & 90's form of bad-ass, mindless action flicks. So who are you gonna call? John McClane? Nope. Dirty Harry? Wrong again. The Terminator? Please. Chuck Norris? Maybe, if he would get back into making those types of movies again. Our savior is John friggin' Rambo! This movie pulls no punches while managing to be extremely entertaining. You almost forget the fact that he's 62 years old, and he looks better than some young guys who would try a film like this. There is no slick martial-arts fighting or corny one-liners, this is a depiction of the savagery of war and a glimpse of the cruel activities going on in Burma.
Thank you Stallone for bringing us back to the good old days before political correctness took over. Before we were introduced to films that wouldn't dare go the extra distance to make a few bucks. Rambo is by far the most entertaining action movie I have seen in years, and I hope Hollywood takes notice by giving us a trip back down memory lane more often.
GameSpot TV (1998)
This isn't the X-Play we know and love anymore
Ever since X-Play was on Tech TV, this show used to be funny, fresh, and excellent at reviewing games. Then when this show became part of G4's initial lineup, many of us fans were in heaven with the non-stop gaming shows, and X-Play just continued to get better and better. Suddenly, the X-play we came to love has been stripped of almost anything that fans know it as. Gone now are the skits, the characters (bring back Roger: The Stan Lee Experience!), the humor, and most of the reviews. X-Play is now a dull show that talks about gaming news, ONE game review per show, game previews, and Cheat segments. As for our co-hosts Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb, they look like they couldn't care less anymore. I don't blame them because this isn't the way X-Play is supposed to be.
It really feels like G4 is trying to hammer the final nail in X-Play's coffin. It's a shame because this is the show that brought and kept viewers interested in the network once they canceled all of their gaming shows. I still give it a positive rating because it's really the only gaming show on TV, and they at least cover the big gaming events.
Halloween (2007)
Excellent beginning, terrible ending with too many out of place scenes.
I had pretty high hopes with this one. Rob Zombie impressed me with House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. However, those were movies that fit Zombie's persona completely and the fact they were his original creations. Halloween is not a movie that can be handled lightly, and Zombie fails in this one to show his flexibility as a director and writer. Where this movie really shines is in the first hour. Michael Myers development and background was very well done. I don't tend to think Myers was the product of some white-trash family, but it was good for what it was. Sherri-Moon Zombie was excellent in her role, and I was very impressed to see that she can be a great actress. End the movie with his development and relationship with Dr. Loomis, and it would've been a classic.
The big problem is the true "remake" part of the movie or at least when Myers becomes an adult. This is where Zombie's writing and directing fall apart. When we do reach the familiar scenes, Zombie forgets to leave out of that "white-trash" mindset that worked with his other movies. The girls who were victims this time were whiny and bitchy, not to mention very unbelievable. If you've seen the scene with Laurie and her mom in the opening, you'll know what I mean. Who really talks to their mother like that? Then, as expected, Zombie increases the violence meter and the death count dramatically. He also adds in a couple of sex scenes with our two female victims. The ending was equally ridiculous. By this time, I didn't care anymore as it showed me that Rob Zombie should stick to original works, and never touch another remake again (maybe he would be better suited to remake something like Last House on the Left).
Overall, it's a slightly entertaining movie. The first half was very, very good and by far the best part of the movie. The second half is where it ultimately fails. If Rob Zombie is to become a horror icon, he must learn to be flexible when making certain projects and realize that gore is not a replacement for tension and building atmosphere. It upsets me because this movie was bordering on being one of the few really great remakes if it weren't for the out of place moments, and Zombie's need to turn his characters into guests from the Jerry Springer show. It's entertaining, and I could watch it again. However, this is one I won't be seeking out on my own.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Greatest Horror-Musical Ever!
My girlfriend turned me onto the stage play of Sweeney Todd last year, and I became a big fan. When I heard it was going to be made into a movie, I cringed. Then I heard Tim Burton was going to be directing, I felt a little better. Then I heard Johnny Depp was going to be Sweeney Todd. I felt a lot better. But once I saw that it was actually going to be rated R for strong bloody violence, I was sold. This to me meant that they were going to keep it faithful to the original story.
This is by FAR the best horror musical ever and one of the best movies of the year. People initially get turned off of it when they hear it's a musical. I'll be the first to tell you, that you won't notice it after the first 5 minutes. Johnny Depp makes this picture, and has a great supporting cast around him. He goes from being a funny, adventurous pirate in PotC, to becoming a homicidal madman out for blood and revenge. The one thing I didn't much care for was the character of Toby, as he irritated me, but the rest was superb.
Another thing I will mention is the violence. When I heard it was strong bloody violence, I couldn't really picture it since it was a Tim Burton film. But this is also one of the most blood soaked mainstream movies I've ever seen. Many throats are slashed and we are treated to glorious showers of blood spray each time. The ending is one of the most disturbing I've ever seen. It's a hell of a twist, and it's just sad as hell.
So whatever memories you have of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow or any of his other characters, throw them out the window. This is a new, vicious, violent, and vengeful Johnny Depp who further makes his case as the best actor of this current generation. He along with Tim Burton, and this fabulous cast, has made Sweeney Todd one of the best movies of this year.
And please don't ignore it just because it's a musical. 9/10
Dead Silence (2007)
Good and Effective Ghost Story
Sometimes, I really don't understand the hate for a movie. I saw Dead Silence about a week ago, and it's still fresh in my mind. This movie is proof that horror movies of today don't need a ton of gore, sex-crazed teens, nor does it need to be a badly done PG-13 J-horror remake to be effective. Dead Silence takes a man named Jamie Ashen (Ryan Kwanten), who arrives at his home to find his wife's tongue ripped from her mouth after he finds a mysterious package with a dummy inside. Detective Jim Lipton (Donny Whalberg) believes that Jamie killed his wife, and is making up a story about a doll. Jamie then goes off to search for the truth behind his wife's death, and it's an intriguing journey from there.
If there is one thing I hated about this movie, is that Ryan Kwanten is not that good of an actor. At least not in this film. Some of his lines come off incredibly cheesy, and his reactions remind me of Keanu Reeves at times. Donny Whalberg does a great job yet again. I was expecting a lot more violence being that this was from the creators of Saw, but the after-shots of the victims were more than enough to be effectively creepy. The FX is done very well, and the sound (especially when Mary Shaw is about to appear) is very creepy. Then to top it off, they have an ending that (unlike Saw 2 and 3) I didn't see coming and creeped the hell out of me.
Dead Silence is honestly one of the best horror movies I've seen this year. It gets a lot of unnecessary hate, but I could only wish that horror movies these days could be this well done every time.
Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005)
Someone please slap Mr. Bota for making this garbage!
This was an insult to all Hellraiser fans. Pinhead was never some mass-murderer, and *slight spoiler* never needed a knife to do someone in. But the biggest culprit of this film was the acting. Or severe lack thereof. I haven't seen this bad of an acting job since a Uwe Boll movie. And Lance Henriksen, I'm especially disappointed in you. You definitely lost some cool points you gathered from Hard Target. It's apparent that you needed the money.
And while I won't spoil the ending for you unfortunate souls wanting to see this crap, it totally takes away from anything having to do with Hellraiser. Mr. Bota is single-handedly killing this franchise. My question is, when will Clive Barker step in and take it back from this hack? Overall, this was nothing more than Scream with some random Hellraiser mythology built in, pointless sex, and terrible acting. I hope this is the final installment, until this gets some much needed treatment from a real horror director.
Hellraiser: Deader (2005)
Terrible also, but a bit better than Hellseeker
This was a bit better than the previous installment, but not by very much. The Hellraiser mystique is back, but it really has no direction to it. The thing jumps around like crazy all in a sorry attempt to confuse us. The point of bring up the Deaders as some kind of punk/goth group is silly. I liked the idea, but it was executed horribly.
And the acting. My god the acting. I've seen wet paper bags act better. By the end it got down to almost being unwatchable. Especially with all of the goofs and lack of editing.
Bottom line, if you're gonna make a Hellraiser movie, at least make a clean and coherent one.
Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)
Mr. Bota doesn't know how to make Hellraiser movies, and this is the start of it
Mr. Bota, This is NOT how you make a Hellraiser movie. None of them ever contained going in and out of the past and present. And certainly none of them were ever this boring, and horribly acted. Ashley Laurence was horribly used in this movie, and whoever played her husband needs some serious acting lessons. And don't even get me started on Pinhead who makes probably two appearances in the entire film.
So in short, it's boring, horribly acted, and bears almost no resemblance to the Hellraiser films other than Kirsty, Pinhead, and the Box. Pinhead deserves more that this obviously lazy attempt at a Hellraiser movie. Thing is, it gets worse and the series goes on.
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
Decent Hellraiser film
I have now seen all of the Hellraiser movies, and this one is a little better than Bloodlines.
The story seems to have the Hellraiser mystique surrounding it, and the acting is pretty decent. While Pinhead doesn't have a huge role in the film, he is present along with the cenobites. It can get pretty creepy, but really never to the point of being scary. There is gore, and most importantly, character development. You actually care about what's going on with the main character, and how he got to where he is.
Overall, this is probably the best straight-to-video Hellraiser and the only one I would ever consider watching again. Give it a rent.
Silent Hill (2006)
Best game-to-movie adaptation EVER! But if you're not a fan, be warned.....
I really liked SH from a gamer's point of view. They captured everything that made the games great. However, there are a few nit-picking comments about the story. Won't get into that here. So if you've played the games (you can get the references by just playing the first one), you'll love this movie. On the flip side.....
If you haven't played the games, you won't like it as much. As a horror movie on it's own, it's decent. The monster are cool, Pyramid Head looks awesome, and the atmosphere is incredible. But as far as generating scares, it falls a little flat. I can't tell what it is, but it's missing something. I felt the tension, but it lead nowhere. Where it does work as a horror movie is the gore and the tension. It has a lot of both, and more gore towards the end.
Overall, it's a toss-up. SH is without a doubt the best movie made from a game ever. But it's just good enough to be worth it to a horror fan. Recommended, but non SH fans should take caution.
Genocyber (1994)
What is Ohata Koichi smoking?!
This movie pushes the limits as to what anime fans can tolerate violence wise. Mr. Ohata seems to have a fascination with killing kids and teenagers in this movie. Any plot that is presented is immediately forgotten due to scenes of graphic violence. Beyond that, it's hard to grasp what the point of all this destruction is anyway. I have a feeling people could just barely tolerate the 1st episode, but many people have expressed great displeasure at the beginning of the 2nd episode where children are shown being graphically shot to shreds and could not watch beyond it. It's worth a look for fans of violent and gory anime, but be warned about the content!
Maddo buru sâti-fô (1990)
Totally wrong, but great nonetheless!
Mad Bull 34 is a 4 part anime series that features the story of an 18 year-old police academy grad named Daizaburo Eddie Ban. He joins the NYPD's 34th precinct and meets his new partner John Estes, AKA: Mad Bull. Mad Bull's over-the-top way of dispensing criminals, and dealing with prostitutes has yet to be seen. This guy gives new meaning to police brutality. Shoot first, ask questions later. This concerns Daizaburo, but learns the meanings behind Mad Bull's Actions. Visually, it's pretty average. I've never seen the Japanese sub version, but the English dub isn't that bad at all. In fact, it's pretty funny. Overall, it's a good action-comedy series that shouldn't be taken seriously. Watch it at midnight on the weekend and you won't be sorry. Highly recommended but contains sex(not really graphic), graphic violence, and language that would make a sailor's ears bleed.