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Reviews
Grindhouse (2007)
Surprisingly Good!
This was a great set of movies. "Death Proof" is a great concept & great idea executed pretty well. There are points where it doesn't seem to be going anywhere or have a purpose but it doesn't detract from the experience of the film. Quentin truly captures what films were like in the 1970's and it is great to see those techniques being used again.
As for "Planet Terror" ...I despise most Robert Rodriguez films & I really credit him with ruining "From Dusk Till Dawn" which was an otherwise great film. However, with Planet Terror, Rodriguez hits a home run. For some reason his quirky and silly ideas (like a machine gun leg, or "sex machine") work well in this film and I can't explain why. I used to think Rodriguez was a worthless director but after seeing Planet Terror I realize that he does have some talent. His ideas just need to be in the right context.
These movies will not be for everyone but they are very well done.
Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Best Sci-Fi Show on Television!
I have been watching this show since the mini-series and have not missed an episode yet. I also own the DVD's and I am just not understanding the terrible reviews.
I watched the original Battlestar Galactica when it aired in the 70's and I primarily watched the show because it was either that or "Hee-Haw." When combined with my penchant for Star Wars, I found the original BSG to be bland. I wanted to like it because it had a cool story, cool look, and reasonably cool special effects (for the 1970's anyway).
In reality; however, I always thought the original show sucked! It had terrible writing, some really silly scenarios, and the characters were wooden & underdeveloped (you couldn't love/hate them because they were uninteresting). That being said, it was still certainly a better alternative than "Hee-Haw." Now here we are over 25 years later and Battlestar Galactica is everything that it should have been in the 70's. The characters are rich & interesting, the story lines are serious & compelling, and the Special FX are far superior to a lot of the other crap on Sci-Fi. What I don't understand is how people can rate this show as terrible compared to the original? This show has some of the better writing on TV today, and has taken some wonderful steps at making it engaging (webisodes, Razor, etc) and wraps it into a nice package that accurately describes how messy human life can be. There is real drama where there was none before and it has a darker more serious tone. What exactly is not to like about it? (Granted they could really screw things up with some stupid writing twists in the upcoming season - but I am talking about up to this point).
Unlike the wimpy Star Trek crap, where they tip-toe around peril, and dance the Bossa Nova through space... this show actually gives a sense of despair, victimization, and danger. Who actually wants to go back to pickin' & grinnin' by settling for a "Hee-Haw" substitute when you have great characters, great writing, great special FX, and a show that is unapologetically about misery, suffering, sacrifice, and hope in trying times? Do I like everything about the new BSG? No. There are some things that bug me; however, this is an overall good re-imagining. Would you really rather the show not be available and instead go watch Oprah or Ellen? (Help us if you do).
... and to all of you original BSG fans. This is not meant to be a knock on the original BSG (because it was a product of the times and studio funding). I agree that it is a great concept and always was (but lets face it, it never lived up to its potential). I just find the new version to be far more interesting, engaging, and suspenseful.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
TNG - Absolute Rubbish!
This show had potential and decided to squander it. Instead of being a science fiction show meant to entertain, it became a liberal mouthpiece and completely intolerable to watch. The only thing missing was having them hold hands at the end of each episode and sing "Kumbaya."
That is not to say that it didn't have moments of brilliance (i.e. "The Best of Both Worlds") but those moments were few & far between. Star Trek should be completely shelved for another 20-30 years and come back (re-imagined) when Hollywood has had an enema.
Save yourself the grief and the waste of time. Invest your time in something with real talent.
Hostel: Part II (2007)
Another Crap Film From Eli Roth
I can sum up this movie in one word... terrible! Yet another pile of dung from Eli Roth. He is 2 for 3 now. Cabin Fever was a complete turd (don't know why people claimed to love it) so I wasn't expecting much when I went to see the first Hostel.
The first Hostel had problems but there were more moments of brilliance than expected. It was a great idea, a great horror gimmick, and had an overall great delivery. That being said, it was also contrived, formula, and had some moments of complete, "What were you thinking?" I actually began to believe that Eli Roth might have some merit in Hollywood. Was I ever wrong!
Hostel 2 strips away all the moments of brilliance from the first movie and leaves us with a festering dung pile of mushroom invigorated camel turd. Anything that was even remotely appealing about the first film vaporizes into extreme unintelligent gayness very similar to the poor style of Robert Rodriguez. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but when it smells this bad, I would prefer Eli Roth go "Flatter" himself in a closet as opposed to making the rest of us suffer.
This is certainly a movie you can miss.
Night of the Living Dead (2006)
Best 3D Movie I have seen...
...and that is not saying much. Even the "Best" 3D movie is a stinker. I love the George Romero dead movies (except for Land of the Dead... which was a big turd).
I didn't expect a great movie going in but I was completely disappointed at the loss of a great opportunity. Barely any gore, the zombies were not even remotely creepy or scary.
I was bored for most of the movie and couldn't believe it was only 80 minutes. It felt like forever.
Wait and see it on cable or rent it (I have another 3D movie on DVD so it is not out of the question).
Save your money... go see something else.
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
Guilty Pleasure
I actually refused to see this movie in the theater because I can't stand Sharon "Alan Quartermain" Stone. But after seeing it on cable a bunch of times, I have to admit that it is a guilty pleasure. It is a contrived, predictable, and all around worthless piece of cinematic garbage... but I cannot help but watch it. I can only imagine the cost of this movie if it would have been filmed today (as only a couple of years later some major star power developed from this *now* all-star cast).
Sharon Stone does a terrible job at convincing us that she is a gunfighter but the rest of the cast makes up for her ineptitude. I also believe that the direction of Sam Raimi (Of Evil Dead and Spiderman fame) helped out a bit.
Overall, I say watch this movie... you'll probably enjoy it... just don't admit it to anyone.
Hawk the Slayer (1980)
Fantastic Movie!
This is one of those rare early 80's movies that I love. Everything about it is terrible and yet something about it is great!
It has the feel of a Saturday "matinee" and is certainly an entertaining piece of work (although far from a masterpiece). Essentially, this movie is a guilty pleasure. If had to choose between it or "The Beastmaster", I would certainly take Hawk the Slayer.
I recommend this movie as a must see! Although I am not blind and can certainly see all of the faults, I still love this movie.
I even sampled sound bites from this movie and created a dance mix! (Not for commercial purposes... just for fun). If interested, check out the messages boards as I have posted a link to the sound file there.
Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966)
A HORROR FILM IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!
I actually stayed up late to watch this one night. How could I resist a title like "Billy The Kid Versus Dracula."
Not only was it incredibly historically accurate, but Dracula was very well played by John Carradine. I was thankful that it was shortly followed by another treat with "Jesse James meets Frankensteins Daughter."
The fact that someone actually green lighted this movie is the most horrifying thing around.
I will say, it is worth the watch just for the final showdown between Billy and Dracula. After firing about six shots into Dracula, Carradine stands with the most sinister of stares only to be belted squarely across the nose with a gun that Billy throws across the room. The quickness and "Doh!" factor almost makes me think John Carradine wasn't acting. It is a little too realistic (something not characteristic of John Carradine's acting). I was laughing myself to tears when I saw that.
If you want a good laugh, stick around to the end.