Film Filter: Off- So this is the first blog of the thriller persuasion, deviating slightly from the horror genre. I cannot pass up an Ashley Judd film, though, and I did state that this was a horror/thriller blog, so sue me.
Pros- Well, let's not beat around the bush, the biggest positive note in this film is that Ashley Judd is kind of a ho'. I mean that with all due respect, but how many countless movies has she been in where she's been abused, battered, cheated on, or hurt- it's about time she becomes the queen of one night stands with strangers! This proves to be a troublesome hobby when all the men she has slept with start coming up dead. Whoops. As a cop with a deceased serial killer for a father, you can only guess who they're pointing the finger at. This is a good thriller because the plot moves along rather quickly, and while it's fun to guess who the next dead ex will be, it is tougher to guess who the one responsible is. Andy Garcia does a nice job as the calm, collected partner, while Samuel L. Jackson also does well in his supporting role. Again, let's not forget my love of themes when it comes to murder. I don't care how simplistic, it's always nice to have a themed motive in a murder flick- it provides a means on which to formulate guesses on who is responsible, and it adds a new depth to the plot. This time, it happens to be former lovers of Ashley Judd, which proves to be a very personal, and tough trend for her to discover.
Cons- Although Judd portrays an excellent inspector, she tends to also portray a fairly dim girlfriend. The men she's dated that get enough screen time to hear a story about them are both arrogant and aggressive. For someone who's supposed to have great character perception in her job, she sure doesn't have it on the dating field. She also lacks in the brains department when it comes time to settle in to bed every night, and her evening glass of wine causes her to drop to the floor and pass out. It's a new wine called Sauvignon Rohypnol, and it's a dry red. If it were me, I'd have joined AA, and quick. Not that she abuses alcohol in the movie, but if my wine did that to me I'd probably stop drinking it. Lastly, there are many good things about this plot and the back stories of the characters. Once the killer's identity is discovered, though, those clever, creative plot twists become very dull and in some cases non-existent. I love a good plot with lots of background knowledge, but even the satisfaction of knowing the killer gets anti-climactic if that knowledge risks the sabatoge of what has already been provided as good plot knowledge.
Wrap-up- This is a really good movie, until just about the end. It's so true that the finale can make or break the production, and it's still a good movie, but the inconsistencies and nose-dive of the plot leave it in just the average category. Check it out, though, if this type of movie is up your alley.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Film Filter: Off - The Lost Tribe
The Lost Tribe- So this is the first film on my review list that received the lowest rating. I'm very serious when I say that watching this film is probably the biggest waste of time you'll encounter. I honestly can't say that I know what possessed me to continue to watch it...I suppose in hopes that the ending would save it but, alas, that didn't happen.
Pros- Hmmm, this is where I need to get creative. Pro #1- the movie was only 1 hr 40 minutes long, and not a second longer. Pro #2- the leading actress was (kind of) hot. Pro #3...I got nothing.
Cons- So we've got the setup here for a perfect horror movie- four people on a pleasure cruise to a meeting that will garner them millions of dollars, but *gasp* something goes awry! Someone is floating in the ocean, so one of the male passengers saves him and they opt not to call the Coast Guard, as it will take too long and they've got better things to do with their time. So far, not an awful plot. This nut-job of a flotation device goes berserk and steers the ship into a rock and causes it to sink, while the passengers find their way to a nearby shore. We find out that there are creatures inhabiting this island which are the missing link between humans and the evolutionary theory. These creatures do not speak English, are very hairy, and like to eat people. Again, not too shabby thus far- but that's about as good as it gets, folks.
The next hour and a half includes all but one of the main characters dying, thus leaving one English speaking character left on film. Somehow, we find out that the creatures must have a Helen Keller-like handicap, for they honestly have a hard time hearing the final character as she traverses among them. Oh, and if she rubs grape ooze all over her body, she can't be seen by them. Genius! She finds her beloved boyfriend half dead in a cave (who, by the way, handed her a velvet box at the beginning of the movie and guess what was inside!? A key. What every girl has always wished for.) and cries a little bit, then strangles him. Cute. Oh yeah, somewhere in the midst of this riveting plot the Catholic church is involved (what did I tell you about creepy ministers and horror movies?).
So...let's pretend for a second that this movie didn't suck in every capacity and analyze the logic behind it. Humans evolved from apes to this thing and...it's still around? Last time I checked things that were evolved from went extinct, because they EVOLVED, but I'm willing to overlook that in order to inspect the other fine qualities of this film, so let's recap: we have no characters, no dialogue, no background story on why the Catholic church is torqued (we can assume it's the prospect of proof of the theory of evolution) even though it's the only interesting sub-plot, half a dozen partially eaten human bodies, a mysterious oozing mud coming from a grape plant that makes you invisible, and a marginally attractive blonde searching for the half-eaten love of her life that gave her a key to his apartment.
I can't find a way to wrap up this review, other than to urge you not to watch it, or at least find a way to turn it into a drinking game.
Pros- Hmmm, this is where I need to get creative. Pro #1- the movie was only 1 hr 40 minutes long, and not a second longer. Pro #2- the leading actress was (kind of) hot. Pro #3...I got nothing.
Cons- So we've got the setup here for a perfect horror movie- four people on a pleasure cruise to a meeting that will garner them millions of dollars, but *gasp* something goes awry! Someone is floating in the ocean, so one of the male passengers saves him and they opt not to call the Coast Guard, as it will take too long and they've got better things to do with their time. So far, not an awful plot. This nut-job of a flotation device goes berserk and steers the ship into a rock and causes it to sink, while the passengers find their way to a nearby shore. We find out that there are creatures inhabiting this island which are the missing link between humans and the evolutionary theory. These creatures do not speak English, are very hairy, and like to eat people. Again, not too shabby thus far- but that's about as good as it gets, folks.
The next hour and a half includes all but one of the main characters dying, thus leaving one English speaking character left on film. Somehow, we find out that the creatures must have a Helen Keller-like handicap, for they honestly have a hard time hearing the final character as she traverses among them. Oh, and if she rubs grape ooze all over her body, she can't be seen by them. Genius! She finds her beloved boyfriend half dead in a cave (who, by the way, handed her a velvet box at the beginning of the movie and guess what was inside!? A key. What every girl has always wished for.) and cries a little bit, then strangles him. Cute. Oh yeah, somewhere in the midst of this riveting plot the Catholic church is involved (what did I tell you about creepy ministers and horror movies?).
So...let's pretend for a second that this movie didn't suck in every capacity and analyze the logic behind it. Humans evolved from apes to this thing and...it's still around? Last time I checked things that were evolved from went extinct, because they EVOLVED, but I'm willing to overlook that in order to inspect the other fine qualities of this film, so let's recap: we have no characters, no dialogue, no background story on why the Catholic church is torqued (we can assume it's the prospect of proof of the theory of evolution) even though it's the only interesting sub-plot, half a dozen partially eaten human bodies, a mysterious oozing mud coming from a grape plant that makes you invisible, and a marginally attractive blonde searching for the half-eaten love of her life that gave her a key to his apartment.
I can't find a way to wrap up this review, other than to urge you not to watch it, or at least find a way to turn it into a drinking game.
Film Filter: Off - The Alphabet Killer
Film Filter: Off - The Alphabet Killer
This movie received a fairly low rating because of it's overall "ehh" quality. Anytime the movie started to get interesting or take a turn, it went "ehhh" again, and jumped right back into the realm of so-so. I guess we should start with the positives, as that proves to be a much shorter list.
Pros- Ever since Bring it On, I have kind of had a woman crush on Eliza Dushku. I'm hoping one day she can get married and rid herself of that weird last name, but everything else about her makes the sub-par last name tolerable. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her star in a film where she was neither a sex kitten or the object of everyone's affection, although it seems odd since she is so hot. It almost made the movie comical in the fact that she gets dumped for being crazy and trying to kill herself because she is hallucinating. Come on, it's Eliza Dushku! The other thing I enjoyed about this film is the strategy of the murderer having a killing theme (the alphabet). It makes the movie above par when the killer has some sort of intellectual reasoning for doing what they are doing. Also, can we give the city of Rochester a standing ovation for making it into a movie? Sure, it was about a serial killer rampant in the quaint suburbs, but it's still publicity- yay for the 585! Lastly, some bonus points are awarded for being "based on true events". I know some people take this statement with a grain of salt, but some of it had to have happened, or they wouldn't have made the claim. Props for turning reality (no matter how far a stretch they take) into a cinematic adventure.
Cons- Where to begin? Part of the problem with this film is the dreary cinematography. It seems like every scene is black, grey or some combination of those with another morbidly drab color. This diminished my liking of the use of Rochester, because using a setting in your story is only as good as the way you use it. They managed to make Rochester and all of its suburbs look like the dirty bathroom of a crack-whore. Not good. Plus, there's some sentimental value in the fact that I student taught in Webster, and the movie in no way did the town justice. Webster is comparable to a mini-utopia, and they made it look like poo-poo. I know, I know- you're going to tell me that scary movies are supposed to look dark. Well let me ask you what's scarier: a serial killer roaming a dark alley in the streets of a bad neighborhood, or a serial killer roaming the family owned shops on the corner of a safe, crime free neighborhood? I guess everyone has their preference, but it's different watching a director portray a remote place that exists that you've been to, and doing so inaccurately. Bonus points deducted.
The other pro I had that needs to also be revoked is the use of the killer's theme. As you traipse through the story with Megan, you find out that the killer's alphabet theme was pretty much all a coincidence. They followed through with it after they realized, "Oh. That murder was significant because the girl's first and last name begin with the letter 'C'. And I dumped her body in a town that begins with the letter 'C'." This entire series of murders is brought to you by the letter 'C'. It's like a whacked serial killer episode of Sesame Street, but not planned nearly as well. Megan is also crazy, as I mentioned, and hallucinates- seeing the ghosts of the murdered victims. The ghosts apparently "help" her figure out who their killer is by (drum roll)...standing there and looking creepy. They do nothing to help. If you're going to show ghosts of dead girls, make it either creepy and haunting, or pathetic and helpful. Don't make them creepy and useless. That's just...well, useless.
Lastly, the Alphabet Killer does not kill in alphabetical order. Lame-o.
This movie received a fairly low rating because of it's overall "ehh" quality. Anytime the movie started to get interesting or take a turn, it went "ehhh" again, and jumped right back into the realm of so-so. I guess we should start with the positives, as that proves to be a much shorter list.
Pros- Ever since Bring it On, I have kind of had a woman crush on Eliza Dushku. I'm hoping one day she can get married and rid herself of that weird last name, but everything else about her makes the sub-par last name tolerable. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her star in a film where she was neither a sex kitten or the object of everyone's affection, although it seems odd since she is so hot. It almost made the movie comical in the fact that she gets dumped for being crazy and trying to kill herself because she is hallucinating. Come on, it's Eliza Dushku! The other thing I enjoyed about this film is the strategy of the murderer having a killing theme (the alphabet). It makes the movie above par when the killer has some sort of intellectual reasoning for doing what they are doing. Also, can we give the city of Rochester a standing ovation for making it into a movie? Sure, it was about a serial killer rampant in the quaint suburbs, but it's still publicity- yay for the 585! Lastly, some bonus points are awarded for being "based on true events". I know some people take this statement with a grain of salt, but some of it had to have happened, or they wouldn't have made the claim. Props for turning reality (no matter how far a stretch they take) into a cinematic adventure.
Cons- Where to begin? Part of the problem with this film is the dreary cinematography. It seems like every scene is black, grey or some combination of those with another morbidly drab color. This diminished my liking of the use of Rochester, because using a setting in your story is only as good as the way you use it. They managed to make Rochester and all of its suburbs look like the dirty bathroom of a crack-whore. Not good. Plus, there's some sentimental value in the fact that I student taught in Webster, and the movie in no way did the town justice. Webster is comparable to a mini-utopia, and they made it look like poo-poo. I know, I know- you're going to tell me that scary movies are supposed to look dark. Well let me ask you what's scarier: a serial killer roaming a dark alley in the streets of a bad neighborhood, or a serial killer roaming the family owned shops on the corner of a safe, crime free neighborhood? I guess everyone has their preference, but it's different watching a director portray a remote place that exists that you've been to, and doing so inaccurately. Bonus points deducted.
The other pro I had that needs to also be revoked is the use of the killer's theme. As you traipse through the story with Megan, you find out that the killer's alphabet theme was pretty much all a coincidence. They followed through with it after they realized, "Oh. That murder was significant because the girl's first and last name begin with the letter 'C'. And I dumped her body in a town that begins with the letter 'C'." This entire series of murders is brought to you by the letter 'C'. It's like a whacked serial killer episode of Sesame Street, but not planned nearly as well. Megan is also crazy, as I mentioned, and hallucinates- seeing the ghosts of the murdered victims. The ghosts apparently "help" her figure out who their killer is by (drum roll)...standing there and looking creepy. They do nothing to help. If you're going to show ghosts of dead girls, make it either creepy and haunting, or pathetic and helpful. Don't make them creepy and useless. That's just...well, useless.
Lastly, the Alphabet Killer does not kill in alphabetical order. Lame-o.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Film Filter: Off - Insidious
Film Filter: Off Insidious-
This film received a high rating from me for many reasons, number one being its creativity. It takes many common themes found in stereotypical horror films and takes a new direction with them. This movie is also enhanced by the fact that it has been dramatically unadvertised and has a fairly B/C list cast. Even the description of the movie leaves much to be desired plot-wise, so your only option of getting more information is to go see it.
Pros- I found the camera use to have a positive effect on the film as there were many opportunities, shot-wise, for a scary pop-up moment. The director does not choose to take this opportunity all of the time, so it leaves the moments where it does happen to be more meaningful. The images in this movie tend to be extremely creepy and haunting, but they are also at times predictable (which was great for me, because then I knew when to turn away). I also liked that not all of the details of Dalton's condition were divulged too quickly. There was no dramatic irony of the audience knowing more than the characters, so it felt like we could become more involved in the story. They also added a few nice twists toward the ending involving Dalton's father, which I saw coming in some ways, but because of the director's insight to not over-inform the audience too soon, I was forced to wait until nearly the end to learn the key details that allowed me to understand what those twists were. It was a very smartly played out film.
Cons- Some of the things that caused this movie to slip from the star rating are its odd choice of make-up for the souls that wander in the Further; it looked a little like they had collectively decided to raid Cher's make-up case. It definitely enhanced the creepiness in ways, but also detracted from it when I realized they were ALL made up like that. I also enjoyed what my imagination conjured up after seeing only the demon's silhouette, so I was a little disappointed when they showed all of his features, which didn't match up with my expectations. Just showing the face could have worked, but showing the whole demon made him less scary, in my opinion. Sometimes less is more! I'd have to say the big reason for points being docked was some disjuncture in the plot. There was a bit of background information that was hinted at about why the family had to move, but never brought up again. There were also some moments that left the audience wondering why the story took a certain direction or mood briefly, that didn't quite make sense right away (the little leprechaun-type guy dancing, the "Tiptoe through the Tulips" song that was referenced twice). Although they eventually got resolved, it was left unattended for long enough to distract me.
Wrap up- Overall, a VERY good horror movie. It's definitely the first one in a long time where I straight up screamed aloud in the theater (along with others, so I'm not a total loser). It is unique, and succeeds in all the ways a good scary movie should.
This film received a high rating from me for many reasons, number one being its creativity. It takes many common themes found in stereotypical horror films and takes a new direction with them. This movie is also enhanced by the fact that it has been dramatically unadvertised and has a fairly B/C list cast. Even the description of the movie leaves much to be desired plot-wise, so your only option of getting more information is to go see it.
Pros- I found the camera use to have a positive effect on the film as there were many opportunities, shot-wise, for a scary pop-up moment. The director does not choose to take this opportunity all of the time, so it leaves the moments where it does happen to be more meaningful. The images in this movie tend to be extremely creepy and haunting, but they are also at times predictable (which was great for me, because then I knew when to turn away). I also liked that not all of the details of Dalton's condition were divulged too quickly. There was no dramatic irony of the audience knowing more than the characters, so it felt like we could become more involved in the story. They also added a few nice twists toward the ending involving Dalton's father, which I saw coming in some ways, but because of the director's insight to not over-inform the audience too soon, I was forced to wait until nearly the end to learn the key details that allowed me to understand what those twists were. It was a very smartly played out film.
Cons- Some of the things that caused this movie to slip from the star rating are its odd choice of make-up for the souls that wander in the Further; it looked a little like they had collectively decided to raid Cher's make-up case. It definitely enhanced the creepiness in ways, but also detracted from it when I realized they were ALL made up like that. I also enjoyed what my imagination conjured up after seeing only the demon's silhouette, so I was a little disappointed when they showed all of his features, which didn't match up with my expectations. Just showing the face could have worked, but showing the whole demon made him less scary, in my opinion. Sometimes less is more! I'd have to say the big reason for points being docked was some disjuncture in the plot. There was a bit of background information that was hinted at about why the family had to move, but never brought up again. There were also some moments that left the audience wondering why the story took a certain direction or mood briefly, that didn't quite make sense right away (the little leprechaun-type guy dancing, the "Tiptoe through the Tulips" song that was referenced twice). Although they eventually got resolved, it was left unattended for long enough to distract me.
Wrap up- Overall, a VERY good horror movie. It's definitely the first one in a long time where I straight up screamed aloud in the theater (along with others, so I'm not a total loser). It is unique, and succeeds in all the ways a good scary movie should.
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