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KatrinaBay
Reviews
Ancient Evil 2: Guardian of the Underworld (2005)
Low budget horror genius
I saw this film at its premiere and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Being present at the premiere I was privy to the film's extremely low budget (No, even lower than that. Nope, keep going). People have become so "Hollywoodized" when it comes to blockbusters that when they see a movie with a micro-minuscule budget they automatically think it's crap. These people aren't giving director D.W. Kann the credit he very much deserves. In fact, they are doing him a great disservice. This is one director who was able to pull off a damn funny, well executed, horror movie. I laughed out loud, as did the entire audience, as well as jumped out of my seat. That seems quite a feat to me.
"Ancient Evil 2" (not a sequel and originally titled "Anubis: Rising"-blame the distributors)is quite literally low-budget genius. The story is simple but what it lacks in a serpentine plot, it makes up with heart and gumption. The two leads are a pleasure to watch. New-comers Christopher Kann (Paul) and Victoria Campbell (Jen), while a bit green around the gills, worked wonderfully together. Paul had dead-on comedic timing and his facial expressions were beyond hysterical. He's one to pay attention to. Jen may want to make you spoon your eyes out at first but she grows on you. The creature was well done and you actually forget that you are watching some dude shoe-horned into a suit. There is some minor incongruity between the dialogue (who needs profanity with lines like, "Who you calling 'hick,' slapnuts?") and the killings which definitely are not cut away from but it's endearing opposed to distracting. The music is catchy, the editing is creative and clever, and the acting is above par. This is a campy movie, and anyone who doesn't get that needs to have their head examined. But most importantly, director D.W Kann never took himself or the film too seriously and there-in lies the genius of it.
Homicide: Life on the Street (1993)
Best show on television
"Homicide" was easily the best show on TV and it's a shame it wasn't more popular. Det. Pembleton and Det. Bayliss are two of the most realistic and well-written characters to grace the boob tube. Watching those two in the "box" is like listening to music the way they complete each other's sentences. They're like an old married couple-they can't live with each other and they can't live without. Hell, the entire cast is awesome. Lewis, Munch, Gee, Kellerman, Cox, Howard. All incredible. It's gritty, it's funny, and it's true to life. You wish you could go out for a beer with these guys, you wish you could count them among your closest friends. That's the sign of a great show.