jdw5656 Reviews

The Innkeepers (2011)

A throwback of a ghost story and a good one..

[8/10 · 5 February 2012]

For the over 25 crowd who miss great ghost stories like The Changeling, Poltergiest,The Others, or eerie films like Suspiria and The Fog(Carpenter's original not the horrid remake)- heck I'll even throw Insidious in there, then check out The Innkeepers. It is a bit of a slow burner at times but is consistently spooky, scary, and even during the down time has you involved and getting to know the characters dwelling in this Gothic tale.

Really good work in my opinion. If you are into Saw or Horror Remakes you can let this one go, but if you like being spooked on a stormy night with your other half sitting along side you gnawing on your shoulder then this is quite a fun ride! The director of this Ti West made House Of The Devil last year which I thought was entertaining if not a bit boring throughout. It showed the potential and he nailed it with The Innkeepers. A ghost story about an old hotel with a few secrets and a small yet interesting cast of specters and human characters, namely the female lead(Actress Sara Paxton) who while working the last weekend before the hotel is closed for good decides along with the other employee(Actor Pat Healy) to have a few scares ghost hunting the place. Kelly Mcgillis, yes that one- Maverick's gal from Top Gun has a great supporting role in this as a once former actress turned medium.

Anyway, it is just a good flick and will have you thinking about the ending for some time after it finishes. Check it out so hopefully more films like this are green lit. The Inkeepers surprised me quite a bit..

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005– )

Freakin' Funny Stuff!!! Wanna Huff Some Glue???

[10/10 · 10 June 2008]

You've read the reviews and have seen how highly rated this series comes, so instead of retreading everyone else I will just give you wonderful IMDb followers a few beautiful words describing this show-- Hilarious, Brilliant, Edgy, F'ing Hilarious, F'ing Brilliant, Still Edgy, Mind Numbing(in a good way), Loud, Mean Spirited, Sad Yet Happy, Justified, Unjustified, Too Much, Danny Devito, Drunken Stupidness, Drunken Debauchery, Drunken Brilliance, Fun W/ Crack Heads & Pimps, Pepper Jack(trust me), Huffin' Glue Kinda Fun, Paddy's Is Gaelic For Best Bar Ever, Great Names Of Great Episodes, Political Correctness Overrated, Dee & Dennis' Mom=MILF, Best Friend Mac Bangs Said MILF, The McPoyles-- Way To Crazy To Explain, Nasty, Friendly, Angry, Always Get Even, Charlie, Frank, Charlie & Frank, Friends, Family, Some Friends & Family Are F$@#ed Up, Loopholes Are Good, Charlie Got Molested-- Need I Say More... Oh Yeah, GREENMAN!!!!

This show is far from overrated in my honest opinion and that is coming from a guy that is hard to please when it comes to sitcoms and or a good comedy... I miss shows like Cheers, Home Improvement, Simpsons(yeah, I know but C'mon it's been 10 years since it mattered), and Taxi yet if Sunny continues it may hopefully make up for the loss and replace some really great gems of old on my shelf of all-time great comedy's on TV . If you like the HYSTERICAL, and creative comedic writing with a nice side of WRONG- Check this show out on F/X!!!!!!

Diary of the Dead (2007)

GEORGE, George, george????

[3/10 · 21 May 2008]

Mr. Romero, I don't know what happened but I know it wasn't good! I must say as a lover of many films you've done- especially Dawn, Day, and Creepshow that I am actually angry with you over this installment in your ZOMBIE OPUS. First I'd like to say that the gore from Greg Nicotero is good, not great but good, with a few surprising zombie deaths- namely one involving a sickle.

Anyway, back to George-- Hey man why all the anger and hate? I usually respect an artist and their artistic views with socially relevant commentary, yet I see a very hateful, sad, miserable extremist of a man here. I know it is unpopular being American right now(thank you Mr. Bush & Ms. Cheney), but jeez man- you seem to have distaste for all Americans... is that why you moved to Canada? Apparently our police force, soldiers, average college kids, media(I agree w/ this one), the wealthy, southerners, hunters,Texas as a whole, and many blue collar everyday folk are EVIL SPAWNS OF Satan in your eyes pal(That's right, no ambiguity here- he tells you who is at fault and that which he don't like)! However if you are a socialist and or African American, Ol' Mr. Romero has a soft spot for ya... which is rather funny coming from a CAPITALIST like George- granted he likes to work with a small budget he'll still take any donations a studio can throw his way!!! "Cough, Cough, Land Of The Dead"! I'm sorry to be so harsh here because I really do like your films sir, but I just think you have lost your marbles with this one!!! The acting is atrocious-- plus if you compare Diary to Cloverfield, which I know many of you will, the latter will be almost Oscar worthy in comparison. I always thought Romero was a decent director and great editor with a sharp eye, though he always had problems directing actors as we've all seen in many of his previous films. Unfortunately he does not have the talent in front of the camera here that can make up for the lack of direction behind the camera with this movie. It would help if the characters were more fleshed out, however.... and what was with the professor(HOLY SHMOLY was that a miscast of character)?!?!?!? Oh, and don't even get me started on the Amish guy...

The look of the film can also be seen as a set-back. I respect the team for trying something different although it was handled poorly or possibly because of budget restrictions and being financially unsure of itself. I come back to a film like Cloverfield, and even Blair Witch, a film that also did something similar- The reasons those succeeded may of been because of the previous one's budget or maybe the latter film's risky new approach, but one thing is for sure- Cloverfield and Blair Witch are believable in the world they are set and Diary Of The Dead is not. It really didn't capture the whole YOU TUBE experience it set out to. Probably because the film looked forced and unnatural. Sorry FANS!

I was really hoping to like this, I really was! I waited for this film for a long time but right after viewing that retread of the 28 Days Later ending I wish I hadn't. I'd like to remember George Romero as a visionary who pushes buttons and tells scary stories, not as a miserable hack-- Which is what he looks like here. I bet if many of you fans get rid of the whole new car smell and revisit this film you'll have a different opinion of it. I don't need to see it again... I got the just of it the first time and it wasn't pretty!!!!

Oh wait!!! This is a comedy, right???

Automaton Transfusion (2006)

Damn the 90's for allowing anyone to buy a digital video camera and make movies!!!!

[2/10 · 25 April 2008]

Damn the 90's! That is what I have to say- Damn the 90's! That is the wonderful decade that brought many no talent and mediocre film-makers the ability to create their dreadful ideas and put them out for the world to see, or at least us unlucky few who love to give independent film a chance... Yet to call it film it would actually have to be shot on some. Why oh why can't cheap low budget schlock take a cue from the 80's?!?!? At least in that decade when you watched a small indie film late at night on The Movie Channel it looked as if a little time, effort, and respect went into it. Hell-- at least it was shot on film and whoever backing the project apparently saw something positive and marginally talented inside the director and the team involved.

And that is where the problem lies. Anyone can make a movie now- just max out mommy and daddy's credit card and get yourself a Canon, a couple microphones, lights, and a few eager folks from the local film school/junior college that offers a film class and BAM- you're Hitchcock, or so you may think. This is the reason that you are not working for a studio or have a budget above 30,000 buckaroos, because you low budget guerrilla-shooting-indie-horror-movie-makers are way too busy relying on the fact that financially you can make the film but realistically you shouldn't! At least master the damn craft before jumping in....

I'm sorry to be so harsh but I am one of many giving stuff like Automaton Transfusion a shot... plus my money- bought it a Walmart(it was 13 bucks on RollBack). Oh by the way, to the team involved in this mess- Can I have my 13 bucks back? Anyway, I will not even go into a coherent review and mainly because the film was much less coherent itself than my tired and half drunk review would've been. I will give props however to the effects people. Between the horribly spotty picture it looked as if the gags in the movie were decent if not surprising. So to the make-up effects guys--KEEP IT UP! To everyone else-- RETIRE! Sorry again to be so harsh but I truly do love giving any film and any film-maker a shot, especially if they gave it everything they could and were marginally talented, driven, and patient with the end product. I see none of that here!!!! In closing I will tell all people looking to become the next Carpenter attempting to make low budget horror and or anything else for that matter- if your heart is in it and you have the guts and drive to make it then go for it-- if you deeply appreciate the ART of film-making then go for it... yet sometimes it's better to wait for a budget or just go work at the video store!!!!!

Halloween (2007)

I know, I know, but it wasn't too bad!!!

[6/10 · 6 January 2008]

I have let this movie sink in for a few weeks now- the director's cut that is, because the only other version I'd seen was the work print version that my buddy had scored/stolen(it was floating around this wonderful internet thingy). Now I was against this remake initially because the original Carpenter masterpiece is a movie I hold dear to my heart, and I mean that with all honesty... I am more than a fan we'll say! The work print was junk as most work print cinema is when leaked online- Don't get me started on the editing in that mess but hey, that is why it's called a WORK PRINT so I cut Zombie some slack right there- plus I thought Devil's Rejects was a great throwback to 70's schlock/exploitation so I knew our little Robbie was growing as a film-maker. Anyway, to stay spoiler free and still give you gentle yet critical folks on IMDb my final opinion I will say that the movie ain't so flippin' bad!?!?!?! Yes, I said it-- It was pretty good. I'll stand by my 6 rating I had given it and maybe change it to a 7 with future viewings.

Remember I had seen the Director's Cut which was obviously leaps & bounds or was it bound & gagged... we are talking about a Rob Zombie movie here- Anyway it was leaps and bounds better than the leaked version and from what I hear the theatrical one as well, which I cannot base any of this opinion on since the stink of a remake was still lingering while I was deciding to view Halloween in Zombie's happy lil' disaffected universe. The dialogue was a little much. I knew that when I asked my niece which had seen the remake in theaters and said that teenage girls do not use lingo like that, which I thought was legit since she was around the same age as the gals in the film. Then I remember her calling her boyfriend an "f'ing ball-bag" on her cell and that pretty much canceled her not so valid opinion of teenage language in a Rob Zombie tear-jerker. Oh, note to Katherine- You're mom called and would like you to stop flipping off the Spanish teacher, even if it's in Spanish. Anyhoo, the whole movie was a fun little surprise and I've watched it a few times now, and though some parts namely some of the lines and a few parts ripped from the original were a little tired- I thought that the whole take on Loomis(played well by Malcom, but long live Donald) was fun and his interaction with precious little Mikey(Doug Fresh is what I'll call him cause I can't pronounce that little Hitler youth name of his) in the sanitarium was well handled.

Overall the movie was fun(editing and pacing fixed) and I do think Robert is a genre director to watch but I hope he goes back to his own films. I'd like to see what he has up his sleeve. Maybe a buddy comedy with Sid Haig and Hillary Clinton who plays Sid's brother of course. Wouldn't that be FUN? I know I didn't say much about the film mainly to ignore spoilers and comparisons to the original but check it out, and try, and I know it's hard but try to forget about Carpenter's for 2 hours and you might enjoy this version too, maybe not as a companion piece to the classic but as its own! And please no more crying about the white trash Meyer family at the beginning. I live in a trailer park in central Illinois and trust me it was pretty damn close to the things I have seen from neighbors. Instead of a car on the front lawn it's a home where I'm from... Give this intense chiller a shot if ya got the time. Oh yeah, and it is nice to see Danielle Harris still working and Carpenter Lives!!!!!!!

The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)

Pointless, Plot less, and Perfect FUN!!!

[7/10 · 7 August 2005]

This is not much of a review, yet it may be worth but a few sentences-- Anyway, forget your brain at the door and enjoy! This is a movie in the sense of Roadhouse... you know the movies I am talking about- the kind of films that really never need to be made, but thank God they are! Car chases and bar fights are just part of the fun. Throw in some beautiful girls and you have a weeknight action romp that any guy after a long day at work can enjoy, and not have to think so hard about. The DUKES is fun and plays to it, and doesn't try to be anything else! The film is well made for the kind of movie it is and the stunts are nicely done. It sure won't win any awards, but do you really expect it to?