I thought that the basic premise for Totem was pretty good. Six teenagers find themselves at a cabin. Three will kill. Three will die. Granted, they told the whole plot rather than showed it, but come on. This flick is all about camp. A little bit of gore, a little bit of humor, some silly monsters and a really out of place dream sequence (no shower scene?) I was even lucky enough to get another cheesy B movie on the same disc. Not a bad deal for a night of popcorn and a few tongue-in-cheek laughs.
Reviews
6 Reviews
Donnie Darko
(2001)
One of the Coolest Movies of All Time
15 July 2003
'Donnie Darko' has all the elements of a truly amazing movie: excellent script, great characters, terrific mood, superb one-liners, wonderful mood, splendid soundtrack and originality. There are scenes that will make you laugh, cry, tremble, and stare with wide-eyed wonder.
It is a movie about a kid who is obsessed with time travel. He also happens to have an imaginary friend who looks kind of like a rabbit. But those are about the only "normal" parts of the movie.
Don't let the comparison with 'Groundhog Day' keep you at bay. That only relates to an element, not the script or the style. If you liked the good parts of 'Blue Velvet,' you'll love the entirety of 'Donnie Darko.'
It is a movie about a kid who is obsessed with time travel. He also happens to have an imaginary friend who looks kind of like a rabbit. But those are about the only "normal" parts of the movie.
Don't let the comparison with 'Groundhog Day' keep you at bay. That only relates to an element, not the script or the style. If you liked the good parts of 'Blue Velvet,' you'll love the entirety of 'Donnie Darko.'
Trailer Park Boys
(2001–2018)
The Best TV Show Out There
28 March 2003
Trailer Park Boys is about life between prison terms. At least that's what the show says. I think it's more of a mix between COPS and a soap opera. All of the characters are deep, original and lovable. Ricky has his knock knock jokes, his horticultural skills, and a tendency to shoot and get shot. Julian has his ever-full drink and a way of helping everyone around him. Bubbles has his love for cats and shopping carts. Mr. Lahey and Randy have their love for each other and a playful hatred of Ricky.
Each episode chronicles another adventure in the trailer park through mockumentary style filming. Julian is making a video project so he always has a small film crew following him. They capture everything that goes on in the park and in the surrounding neighborhoods, but their main focus is on the lead characters. Some of the funniest shots ever include: Ricky sliding down the hill, Jalapeno, Ricky getting shot for the second time in one day, Bubbles swerving because he sees the cat in the road, and the robbery at the grocery store. Of course if you've never seen the show you have no idea what I'm talking about. So see it. In America the only way to see it right now is to download the episodes off of Kazaa, but it's well worth the time. This show is better than The Simpsons.
Each episode chronicles another adventure in the trailer park through mockumentary style filming. Julian is making a video project so he always has a small film crew following him. They capture everything that goes on in the park and in the surrounding neighborhoods, but their main focus is on the lead characters. Some of the funniest shots ever include: Ricky sliding down the hill, Jalapeno, Ricky getting shot for the second time in one day, Bubbles swerving because he sees the cat in the road, and the robbery at the grocery store. Of course if you've never seen the show you have no idea what I'm talking about. So see it. In America the only way to see it right now is to download the episodes off of Kazaa, but it's well worth the time. This show is better than The Simpsons.
Zoolander
(2001)
Stiller's much better than that
7 November 2001
After sitting through 'Zoolander' I couldn't help but wonder, "Why would a comic genius like Ben Stiller make such a lousy movie?" I know, it was intended as a satyre of the modeling industry or what ever. Also, I enjoy eye candy as much as the next gen-x'er. But this was just out and out stupid. Imagine an hour and a half of the screaming scene in 'Dumb and Dumber' (an excellent movie) and you'll start to get a picture of 'Zoolander'. The only couple of somewhat funny scenes were already fully shown, in context none the less, in the previews.
After such genius films as 'There's Something About Mary' and 'Meet the Parents', I would expect Ben Stiller to make something much better. This is like Tom Hanks making 'Forrest Gump' and THEN 'The Burbs'. It's all backwards. Let's all sit in a big circle, light our lighters, and pray that the sequel of 'Meet the Parents' is of the quality Stiller is capable of and had shown prior to 'Zoolander'.
After such genius films as 'There's Something About Mary' and 'Meet the Parents', I would expect Ben Stiller to make something much better. This is like Tom Hanks making 'Forrest Gump' and THEN 'The Burbs'. It's all backwards. Let's all sit in a big circle, light our lighters, and pray that the sequel of 'Meet the Parents' is of the quality Stiller is capable of and had shown prior to 'Zoolander'.
American Pie 2
(2001)
Another Summer Sequel?
13 August 2001
In a summer plagued with sequels and remakes (every 100+ million dollar movie has been one), this is just a drop in the bucket. From the beginning to the end, it seems like the same characters are reading from the same script and performing the same actions. Even many of the sets are the same. At one point the characters were even commenting on being back at the same place as before, "just like the first movie". Maybe it was more like, "just like before" but I was kind of falling asleep at that point so they could have said either.
Sure, there were some funny scenes. If you've seen a preview you've pretty much seen them all though. The rest of it was basically who's hooking up with who, and who's still with who, and who's with who again.
The saving grace for this show was the fact that all of the original characters were in it, if even only for a few scenes. While it was neat to see the whole gang back to their goofy actions, it could have been a lot better if it didn't parallel the original so closely.
This is a movie worth seeing only if you have seen and really liked the first. You'll laugh.
Sure, there were some funny scenes. If you've seen a preview you've pretty much seen them all though. The rest of it was basically who's hooking up with who, and who's still with who, and who's with who again.
The saving grace for this show was the fact that all of the original characters were in it, if even only for a few scenes. While it was neat to see the whole gang back to their goofy actions, it could have been a lot better if it didn't parallel the original so closely.
This is a movie worth seeing only if you have seen and really liked the first. You'll laugh.
Dancer in the Dark
(2000)
A Wonderfully Odd Film
8 November 2000
Last night I was pondering whether to see Billy Elliot or Dancer in the Dark. Since I got to the theater late my decision was made for me. I'd read reviews about Dancer in the Dark saying that it was about a Czechoslovakian immigrant who moved to America because she thought it was like in the movies and to save up for an eye operation for her son. However, after watching it I came to my own conclusion that she was a dreamer who lived for musicals and for her son. Her fascination for musicals turned the film into a wonderfully odd creation that made you wonder why she was how she was.
It starts out very slow. In fact I'd suggest arriving 5 minutes into the movie because the first 5 minutes is a changing abstract painting set to opera music, very boring. Then once it begins there is an awful lot of talking and annoyingly shaky camera work. Surprisingly though, there are at least three recognizable stars in addition to Bjork (the lead). As the story develops we learn that she has a hereditary disorder that causes her to go blind. She has a son who also has this disorder. She is determined more than anything to save up the money to get him an operation by working in a factory and doing night jobs. All the while her own blindness is taking her over. There's a lot of singing and dancing which doesn't seem to mesh with the seriousness of the themes but lends a hand to showing the way her mind works, which ends up playing a critical part in the eventual outcome.
Aside from the incredibly slow start and shaky cameras, this was a good movie. The directing and cinematography were questionable but the writing and most of the acting was top-notch. If you like "film" movies and are able to remain seated for 2 hours and 20 minutes then you should definitely like Dancer in the Dark.
It starts out very slow. In fact I'd suggest arriving 5 minutes into the movie because the first 5 minutes is a changing abstract painting set to opera music, very boring. Then once it begins there is an awful lot of talking and annoyingly shaky camera work. Surprisingly though, there are at least three recognizable stars in addition to Bjork (the lead). As the story develops we learn that she has a hereditary disorder that causes her to go blind. She has a son who also has this disorder. She is determined more than anything to save up the money to get him an operation by working in a factory and doing night jobs. All the while her own blindness is taking her over. There's a lot of singing and dancing which doesn't seem to mesh with the seriousness of the themes but lends a hand to showing the way her mind works, which ends up playing a critical part in the eventual outcome.
Aside from the incredibly slow start and shaky cameras, this was a good movie. The directing and cinematography were questionable but the writing and most of the acting was top-notch. If you like "film" movies and are able to remain seated for 2 hours and 20 minutes then you should definitely like Dancer in the Dark.
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