agtsmith-1 Reviews

High Tension (2003)

Could have been better ( spoiler )

[1 August 2004]

I saw this movie yesterday on the Fantasy Film Fest in Stuttgart, and the first 50 minutes or so were just pure tension. It was somehow like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the way of its Atmosphere and the use of a disturbing soundtrack with some great gory moments and shock effects. But after the massacre at the family's home happened the movie got weaker and the twist in the end was just worked in for I don't know what. It made the movie somehow stupid and opened space for plenty of plot holes. Not to mention that it was a rip off of the ending of such movies like Identity or The Hole. The movie would have been much better if they kept it just a small 80s style slasher flick with a no name killer and good atmosphere, which leads to the good aspects of the film. The production is very professional either the camera work and the soundtrack. The killer is great, just a nameless butcher who kills for the fun of it. The splatter Effects are achieved very well ( The death of the mother is just gross ) But if they wouldn't have tried to make the movie something it is not it would have been a lot better. 5 out of 10

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

More Big Lebowski than Horror Movie, Hilarious!!!

[30 July 2004]

I just received my DVD today, and what can I say? This movie ROCKS!!! Not since The Big Lebowski has a movie entertained me so well. The One-Liners are just hilarious and the acting of the two Leading Actors is just great. It's a shame that here in Germany nobody noticed this masterpiece. It's been running on some Film Festivals, but I have no hope for a theatrical release. This movie deserves definitely one. And the Soundtrack is so fitting. This movie can make you laugh, it can make you (almost) cry and is an awesome achievement for everybody working on it. In the way of a horror movie it's as good as Evil dead 2, but without the flaws of that movie. I hope the DVD release sometime will make this movie a Cult classic just as it happened with Donnie Darko (No theatrical release here, either, but great success on DVD). If You haven't seen this movie, go and see it. You're not gonna regret it. 10 out of 10.

Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002 Video)

A worthy sequel

[15 November 2003]

Hellraiser: Hellseeker is definitely a sequel deserving the title Hellraiser. It stands alone as a good picture and you could even watch it without having seen the other Hellraiser movies. It's probably what Clive Barker intended to be a sequel to his masterpiece. It tells a story that could have come out of his Books of Blood, with characters invented in The Hellbound Heart, the novel which was Filmed as the original Hellraiser. There is always room for Pinhead, the pope of hell in those kind of movies, and I hope that this great effort will be continued in the following two Hellraiser sequels. I would also appreciate to see his short stories from the Books of Blood filmed, because I think some of them would make great horror movies. A must see for horror fans who have enough of teenie slashers and for anyone else who likes a good suspense thriller before going to bed.

The Negotiator (1998)

A very good constructed Thriller

[4 October 2003]

The Negotiator is a very good Thriller with lots of twists and two great performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey. The story is constructed very well, the pacing is good, so that the movie isn't boring for its entire 140 minutes. Jackson gives a very strong performance as the man who's got nothing to lose as well as Spacey as Chris Sabian, the top negotiator of Chicago. The supporting roles are also top, especially those of J.T. Walsh and David Morse. This is definitely one of the top Thrillers of 1998 and it's a shame that here in Germany almost nobody saw it. It's definitely not a movie of the size of Forrest Gump, but I think it deserves much more recognition than it got.

Hellraiser (1987)

One of the best Horrormovies of the '80s

[4 October 2003]

Maybe one of the most original Horrormovies of the '80s. What Clive Barker created here is just astonishing. With little money he created something of his own book, that looks much more than it actually is. The makeup FX are just great, better than in many Big Budget movies of that time. The violence is so disturbing that I couldn't believe that the ratings board let him get away with it. I mean, how many other movies do you know that are rated R in which you can see skinned people walking around, people being pierced and torn apart by hooks and demons which look like they are coming from some SM studio? But beware of the German version. it is cut down so that you can sometimes hardly imagine what's happening, and that destroys much of the athmosphere of this movie. The only thing that isn't very good is the pacing of the movie. The book was straight in that way, but the movie lacks something of a structure. Maybe it is just too short to give it the depth of the book. And the ending, unlike the ending in the book, is somewhat unsatisfying. But neverthless this is one great movie which never gets boring, which can disgust you but always fascinates you in the same way. A true piece of art that you have to see for yourself and have your own opinion on.

Gangs of New York (2002)

A masterpiece ( beware, minor spoiler )

[3 October 2003]

Gangs of New York is another masterpiece by director Martin Scorsese. The opening of the movie is as intense as for example the one of Saving Private Ryan. The performances are outstanding, especially the one of Daniel Day Lewis as Bill the Butcher, but I also liked Di Caprio's, Liam Neeson's and Cameron Diaz' roles. Not to speak of the set design and the costumes, which are the best I've seen since Shakespeare in Love. The movie is supported by a great score, especially in the first gangfight scene. It makes it look more brutal than it actually is. And now there's something I've got to critizise. The movie got some very bad ratings in Germany, especially due to its violence. I don't think that the violence level is pushed too far. There is just enough violence as the story needs to be believable and shocking. I think the cutting and pacing doesn't show that much of violence like in Black Hawk Down for example. One thing I didn't like is the Scene where Bill the Butcher "disfigures" Di Caprio's character. I mean one scar more or less, what's the difference, in the end you can hardly see the scar. A little bit more would've been great here, but maybe the studio didn't want Di Caprio running around like the Elephant Man or something like that. But the few weaknesses of the movie can't overrule the great whole it is after all. And the song The Hands that built America is one of the best movie songs in a long time. Definitely a movie you should watch if you haven't yet.

Day of the Dead (1985)

A very underrated movie

[29 September 2003]

Next to Night of the living dead this is probably the best Zombie-movie ever made. I think it's definitely better than Dawn of the Dead, especially because it is filmed in a much more professional style and the makeup FX from Tom Savini are the best the Zombie-genre has ever seen. Nevertheless it never reaches the tension of the classic Night of the living dead. My biggest complaint about Dawn was, that it was too long, and the FX didn't work all too well. This movie is pure entertainment on the technical status of a Big-Budget Horror movie of recent time. I also think that the computergame Resident Evil was inspired by this Film more than just a bit. It's a shame that the movie Resident Evil wasn't directed by George Romero. He would have made the movie a lot better. But that's the fault of the producers of Resident Evil. Definitely one of the Horror highlights of the 80s and in Horror history itself. Forget about the modern Kindergarten-crap. If you're looking for a real cool Zombie movie and you haven't seen this one yet, get it. And besides, the new Anchor Bay DVD is absolutely worth it's price.

Day of the Dead (1985)

A very underrated movie

[27 September 2003]

Next to Night of the living dead this is probably the best Zombie-movie ever made. I think it's definitely better than Dawn of the Dead, especially because it is filmed in a much more professional style and the makeup FX from Tom Savini are the best the Zombie-genre has ever seen. Nevertheless it never reaches the tension of the classic Night of the living dead. My biggest complaint about Dawn was, that it was too long, and the FX didn't work all too well. This movie is pure entertainment on the technical status of a Big-Budget Horror movie of recent time. I also think that the computergame Resident Evil was inspired by this Film more than just a bit. It's a shame that the movie Resident Evil wasn't directed by George Romero. He would have made the movie a lot better. But that's the fault of the producers of Resident Evil. Definitely one of the Horror highlights of the 80s and in Horror history itself. Forget about the modern Kindergarten-crap. If you're looking for a real cool Zombie movie and you haven't seen this one yet, get it. And besides, the new Anchor Bay DVD is absolutely worth it's price.

Nichts bereuen (2001)

One of the best german films in recent years

[26 September 2003]

Now, that is an authentic piece of German filmwork. I could completely identify with the lead character played magnificently by Daniel Brühl. I could imagine everybody in this picture as one of my friends, and, in some cases they come as close to my friends as it can get. I'm 20 years old now, and I just went through my Year of Social Service and I've never seen a movie which depicts this as real as it is here. It is also very entertaining to watch Daniel changing from the rational to the irrational, even rebellish person. It's a great coming of age story with well drawn characters and great cinematography. It deserves much more recognition than it got in Germany and anywhere else.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Maybe the best in the series

[17 September 2003]

Definitely one of the better Friday the 13th Sequels. The Atmosphere of the second half of the movie is very exciting ( thanks to the rain and darkness ), the acting is OK and the Makeup FX of Tom Savini are just great. The editing is also very good, especially in the Killing Sequences because you only see the killings long enough to be shocked, but not long enough to spot how the FX worked. The movie itself is very tense and without much humor which is for its advantage. I've just bought this in Germany on DVD, after it was banned nearly 15 years and I think it really works best when you see it for the first time. It's not a masterpiece, but better than you would expect. 2.5 out of 4