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Reviews
Batman Beyond (1999)
One of the best Cartoon Series' of the 90's
It's an absolute tragedy that they discontinued this series. I am now 17 and would put a lot of money down that plenty of other late teens or even early 20's kids loved nothing more than sitting with a blanket on Saturday mornings watching this show.
While, at times, overly intense for the probable audience, the show was different, and great, because of this.
The story begins in a way that hooks everyone in. Terry McGinnis is a 17 year old high-schooler. With divorced parents and an overly-aggressive attitude, Terry seems to be struggling, like many teenagers, to find his place in the world. Little does he know that that place will be as the next Dark Knight.
Advice to people who are interested in beginning to view this series:
The best episodes:
"Dead Man's Hand" Season 1, Episode 8 "Spellbound" Season 1, Episode 10 "Earth Mover" Season 2, Episode 2 "Bloodsport" Season 2, Episode 6 "Once Burned" Season 2, Episode 7 "Eyewitness" Season 2, Episode 14 "Plague" Season 2, Episode 21 "King's Ransom" Season 3, Episode 1 "The Call: Part 1" Season 3, Episode 7 "The Call: Part 2" Season 3, Episode 8
The episodes that COULD be disturbing/frightening to younger children (10 and under):
"Shriek" Season 1, Episode 7 (Simply for a few scenes with creepy voices) "Earth Mover" Season 2, Episode 2 (For frightening images and a frightening/intense storyline) "Eyewitness" Season 2, Episode 14 (Purely for the intensity of the episode) "Plague" Season 2, Episode 21 (For frightening images)
Batman Beyond: Dead Man's Hand (1999)
One of the best of the series
Terry struggles through both personal life problems as well as a new crime gang in town.
After his first encounter with the "Royal Flush" Gang, a club that consists of five family members nicknamed by the characters of a Royal Flush in poker: 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, Batman/Terry is late for another date with his sweetheart, Dana. After a somewhat heated conversation the two break up based on Terry's recent tardiness. As they argue, Terry is watched by a young and beautiful girl, Melanie, from outside. After she gets his attention the two get to know one another. Melanie and Terry seem to be perfect for one another. Unfortunately nothing could be further from the truth and with the Royal Flush Gang still floating around, Terry's problems are hardly scarce.
Saw (2004)
Great moral in a great movie
This was really my first modern horror movie that i "saw." To be honest it was a great choice for a movie but a bad choice for a horror noob.
The opening scene does not grab your attention as quickly as some horror movies because the scene immediately develops the story and the characters rather than showing a gruesome death to grab your attention. But don't worry there are plenty of gruesome deaths later on. After meeting Doctor Gordon and Adam we witness their futile attempts to understand the game and to break free.
After doctor Gordon and Adam hear the voice of the Jigsaw Killer they realize what the game is. Doctor Gordon has to kill Adam by 6 a.m. or his family will be murdered and he will never be freed from where he is now chained and neither will Adam. After finding two hacksaws the pair of them seem rejoiced as they hack away at their chains. Unfortunately the hacksaws are too dull to cut through the chains, Dr. Gordon realizes that to escape in this manner they would have to cut their feet off (the part of their body which is chained).
Doctor Gordon then begins to explain how he knows about the Jigsaw Killer. We witness flashbacks of Dr. Gordon being questioned as a suspect for being the Jigsaw Killer and we witness flashbacks of past victims playing passed games of the Jigsaw Killer. These are some of the more gruesome scenes in the movie.
During this stretch we are also introduced to the primary detectives working on the case. Danny Glover and a main i believe was named Seung. After discovering Jigsaw's lair and saving one of his many victims they attempt to arrest him. However Jigsaw makes a run for it and Seung is killed by a trap while pursuing him. Afterwards Danny Glover goes mad attempting to find the Jigsaw Killer.
We are taken back to the present time and place with Adam and Dr. Gordon eventually and we witness both of their capture scenes, Adam's capture was a very frightening scene, it was smart that they used it in the trailer. Eventually Adam and Dr. Gordon work together to the discovery that Dr. Gordon's wife and daughter are being held by a man named Zap or Mr. Hindel who works at the same hospital as Dr. Gordon (Lawrence). After many more futile attempts to escape 6 o'clock comes and goes. MEanwhile, Danny Glover has discovered who he believes to be the Jigsaw Killer: Zap. After breaking into the Gordon's apartment he chases Zap back to where the two men are trapped however he is shot and killed by Zap after a fight.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gordon has gone half mad trying to break his chain to help his family. As his blood lust takes over he saws his own foot off, (wondering where the title came from and the cover?). He crawls to the gun in the room loads it and shoots Adam to end the game. Unfortunately for him time was already up.
Zap appears in the room and aims his gun at Dr. Gordon. However, Adam who was not shot fatally takes him down from behind and beats him to death. The killer is finally down. really? Dr. Gordon crawls out of the room to get help and send help back for Adam who is still chained in the room. Adam struggles to find the key to his chain on Zap's dead body and eventually finds a mini-tape recorder. It is then that the greatest twist in any movie i've seen happens. Zap was not the infamous killer, simply another pawn in the real killer's game. For 5 seconds we have time to ask ourselves "then who is the real killer" and after those 5 seconds the supposed dead body that had been in the room the entire time begins to rise.
This is the true Jigsaw Killer, he tells Adam the location of the key to his chain, unfortunately in his panic Adam had allowed it to slip away and be lost forever. After a futile attempt to kill Jigsaw Adam is shocked into submission. The killer then walks out and slams the door shut as the credits flash across the screen.
Myself? I was a teenage boy hampered by the complications of adolescence, i still am. I was worried about a girl that didn't like me the way i liked her, my lack of success in athletics, my declining grades and all the petty things that shouldn't matter in the grand scheme. After watching this movie i made a vow to appreciate things more and i have kept that vow since i made it.
The acting in this movie was obviously not the greatest but how could it have been, with a budget of around 1 million or so i've heard, they couldn't afford to get Tom Cruise and Robert De Niro. As for Carry Elwes' accent, why does it matter so much? Quite honestly i just want to know why it is such a big deal to some people.
The character development i think was relatively good for a horror movie and the settings and scenes were all dark dank and mysterious. Even in one of the few scenes outside it is a cloudy day when it was filmed.
I think the script in this movie was great.
But of all things the moral in this movie was the best part. Too many horror movie villains kill just because the movie wants to have people get killed. At least in this movie there is somewhat of a motive although many including myself would consider it a bullsh*t motive.
Anyways this was a great movie not just a grotesque horror movie. Don't watch it alone or if you have a weak stomach. See my review for Saw 2 as well if you're interested.
Thirteen (2003)
holy freaking crap
So to all the people that say this is over-dramatic and never happens. Turn the news on a few nights in a row you'll probably hear a story about a desperate teen leaving home, committing suicide or other. Just because this doesn't happen a lot doesn't mean it never happens and i think it's about time people got some insight and look at what some teens have to go through. Being a teen myself and having hopefully passed most of the drama in adolescence i understand what both Tracy and Evie were going through.
While Tracy was the victim in the movie, the protagonist and the sufferer i think what a lot of people overlook is that Evie probably went through the exact same thing months or a year ago but didn't have anyone to pull her back.
I understand this isn't exactly a true story but i do think that is could easily be based on a true story because I'm almost sure that something very close to this has happened at one point or another.
The acting in this movie was some of the best i've seen by some actresses i had not seen yet. Obviously no one had seen Evie before.
To finish: i loved this movie because although it isn't what happens to everyone it is what happens to an unfortunately fraction. Open your eyes and see how bad some kids get it and help them out.
To get back to the actual movie there were a few points that just absolutely blew me away with the way they symbolized so much in one shot.
First: The shot where Evie and Tracy are in the park, Tracy gets high for the first time and they're all laying on the ground. The camera relentlessly spins in circles, is this not symbolic to her life just beginning to spin out of control.
Second: During her "No Bra, No Panties..." attack Tracy steps into the shadows. When she stops her advance on her mother there is only a small patch of light on her face, the rest shrouded in shadows. There's still a small bit of light fighting against the darkness in her head, in her mind.
Finally: When Tracy rambles into the bathroom after her teacher sends her to the counseler she meets one of her friends. I don't know if her name was ever mentioned. That's beside the point: Tracy then applies a ridiculous amount of make-up to cover up her scars and her cuts. By this time she has begun to look as pale as the background of the page I'm typing this on. By this time the real Tracy is starting to break-through, screaming to be let out again. The make-up is just more layers for the real Tracy to fight through to get out. And the new Tracy is doing all she can to keep it down, but she can't.
Anyways, after watching this there are some of the best performances, scenes and shots iv ever seen. Let's get this straight I'm not a professional movie writer, i don't get invited to movie festivals in Montreal or New York and I don't get invited to mid-night showings with the actors present; but i do know what it's like to be a teenager and having seen stuff similar to this with my own 2 eyes it's like my high school and even part of my former middle school has been transported onto the screen, with some of the girls i know on the screen as well.
Some ironic things about this movie are how when we first meet the family Mason seems like the most messed up. However after watching the fight between Tracy and Mason and after her mother spills all the oats on the kitchen and rips up the floor i began to think he was the sanest one of them all, the fact that he does drugs doesn't change how much common sense he has. Also, Mel's boyfriend is probably the nicest and most civil character in the movie. Despite what Tracy hates him for, he shows no traces of that in the movie. He does nothing but try to take the load off of mel and befriend Tracy and is even cool with Tracy's dad. And yet he is treated horribly and unfairly.
Obviously the last shot is symbolic too for Tracy just screaming for help while she spins out of control. However, by this time in the movie she is finally snapping out of it.
In any case everyone should see this movie if you are 13 or older. Maybe 15 or older if you are more of a sheltered kid or live in a smaller town since there are usually more strict guidelines laid down there.
No matter what, it's a must-see.
Cube (1997)
Great for the same reasons ppl hated it
This was a great movie.
I loved the characters and yes i too found it a bit weird that Kazan could suddenly do Einstein-Esq math equations and before he was talking about the rooms colors. Still, at some point you just have to buy into the fact that it's a movie.
So the thing i liked best about this movie was the same thing that made a lot of people seemingly hate it. The ending? How can you not love it? While i hear people griping and saying that the ending was forced and stupid but i loved it because it leaves us wondering. Who is doing this? why are they doing it? where is it taking place? did Kazan get out? I think it makes it that much more creepy to think about, because answers would just give us ways to comfort ourselves and give ourselves excuses not to be afraid.
Anyways i would like to offer an alternative ending in which worth, leaven and Kazan get out without Quentin coming back but when they step outside they find themselves in a gigantic complex made up of the seemingly gigantic cube they just got out of. How ridiculous and nuts would that be!? Great movie guys, watch it asap.