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scott-keiser
Reviews
1408 (2007)
A true psychological horror
The movie is set staring a washed up writer, Mike Enslin played by John Cusack, whose books on the paranormal sell on bargain book racks in every bookstore. For the mans chosen path he believes in nothing, good nor evil, it seems because of the loss of his daughter. The movie really gets going after he receives a post card in the mail telling him not to go in room 1408. Apparently this was one of many and he finally decided to check it out.
The room is set in the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. After a small but well played role by Samuel Jackson as the hotel manager who tries to dissuade him from staying in the room, the inevitable happens and Enslin checks in. The room is rather dull, nothing out of the ordinary or special. The occurrences start off slow but the pace quickly builds.
The room is not the traditional haunted house where things leap out from the darkness. The room is darkness itself. The room manifests real to life images of the darkest times in Enslin's life.
The movie is wonderful because it never deviates from a central theme. The entire movie is held up by Cusack who plays the role very convincingly displaying his versatility as an actor. Although he has to play a man who is slipping into insanity he is still able to keep the personality of his character. How he does this is quite mesmerizing.
1408 is not a typical horror of walking zombies, ghosts, or monsters. This horror explores the darkness of an individuals past and brings it forth in the most evil way imaginable. King outdid himself with this fantastic horror.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Flash, Glamour, and Faulty Science
As an atmospheric scientist I was intrigued to see this movie. The basic premise of this movie is based on the idea of anthropogenically induced (human) global warming resulting in a catastrophic set of weather events that in a matter of a week will plunge the Earth into its next ice age.
This movie above all else is a fictional, over exaggerated drama of well done special effects, poor acting, the most basic and mundane of plots, and a romance between two characters trapped in the New York Public Library. The main theme of the plot is a a classical man v. nature struggle with a father trying to rescue his son and several friends after a climate changing storm that left behind meters of snow and ice, a group of friends who struggle to survive in New York during and after the storm, and the romance that develops in which the girl becomes ill because of an injury.
As an atmospheric scientist I was very disappointed. Their are very few scientific truths in this movie. This movie came out in response to a surge in global warming alarmism and portrays the cause quite well in that it is completely over exaggerated, is primarily a political tool, utilizes faulty science to scare people, and is all flash with no meaningful substance.
While not the worst movie of all time it is very close to the bottom.
Summary: The acting and plot are poor. The science in the movie like that behind global warming alarmism is highly flawed. The only thing that saves this movie is its special effects.
Martian Child (2007)
Mindblowing, Never Gets Dull
I have seen this movie many times now after flipping past it a few times not expecting much. All I can say is that I wish I had seen it sooner. This movie is one of my favorites of all time or at least in the last decade.
The plot line is original and full of surprises. I was really blown away. This movie could have been overly dramatic very easily or too emotional but the comedy helped bring more of an even standing to this picture that made it a pure delight to watch and more so over and over again.
The acting to say the least is superb and that is a bit of an understatement. John Cusack and Bobby Coleman are a fantastic pairing in this touching drama. The relationship they share in this movie is unbelievable.
A child with a bad past, estranged in a cruel world has developed that he is an alien from another world. This is clearly a coping mechanism to deal with his past troubles. A best selling science fiction author takes this imaginative and special child under his care. As you can imagine the story of their first weeks together is full of drama, twists, and surprises as the two learn to adapt to each other and in turn how the world views them. The author finally understands through his own business dealings how cruel the world can be if you do not conform to societal norms or what is expected of you.
I don't want to spoil the entire movie for you, actually I could tell you the ending but I think you would be as surprised and touched as if you had not seen or heard it before. I am surprised how good this movie is no matter how many times I watch it.
Mission to Mars (2000)
Simply Fantastic
This film is simply fantastic. I am not too much into sci-fi anymore but this film like any great fiction has a sense of reality added in to give more intrigue.
Mars is an interesting planet to say the least and much is unknown about its history. The possibility for life to have inhibited the planet is science fiction but not out of the realm of possibilities and theories exist of Mars possibly seeding our planet with life, one that this movie clearly latches its storyline around. Scientists have been fascinated with its surface for decades and the fascination will not end anytime soon.
I have seen this movie a few times before but watched it for the first time in a few years recently and was more mesmerized by this movie now than ever before. A great storyline with very nice special effects. A very believable story on this mysterious planet and our origins in the universe.
The Descent (2005)
An Unsuspecting Horror
I was flipping through some of the movie channels looking for something to watch after college football was over and I flipped by just as 6 women are entering a cave. A nice little descent as it were. Not sure what caught my eye (I like caves I guess) but I kept watching and this movie did not disappoint.
In contemporary horror films so much originality has been lost to the usual man in a mask wielding some sort of weapon, a mass murder in a haunted house or something of that sort but not here. This is a truly original horror in an unsuspecting beginning that starts as an adventure-thriller with some hairy caving scenes that gain your intrigue straight out. In fact this movie develops into a horror rather late but the buildup to the introduction of horror happens shortly after the halfway point in the movie.
Then this movie starts into an unrelenting finish full of twists and turns. The movie climaxes the entire way to the end.
If you have to go to the bathroom go beforehand because you won't want to move watching this original horror. Grab a beverage and your favorite snack and sit down to this fantastically created horror that is far different from today's horror film clichés and repeating story lines.
A truly unsuspecting horror!
Alexander (2004)
Boring, Uneventful
My title about describes the entire motion picture. I have seen few movies as dull and uneventful as this one. This was a movie I had wanted to see since I had seen the promotions came out. I was in the theater with a group of about 10 friends. When we walked out no one really said anything to one another so I spoke up that I would have left in the middle of the movie if I had been there by myself. The rest I found out would have followed along.
A little bit about the movie. The movie was very poorly made and carried out far too long. Every time Alexander was hurt I was left feeling that the ending was near but became more dismayed after each time the movie carried on and on. The acting lacked any passion and heart to say the least, which probably led to part of my dislike for the film. Each scene seemed to blur into the next leading to false climaxes and a lack of a clear dramatic ending that a film like this deserves.
Don't bother with this nonstop sleeper.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Unforgettably Brilliant: A True Masterpiece
This is perhaps the best motion picture of the past decade. Tim Burton has created a grotesquely beautiful masterpiece based on an English folk tale that will be cherished forever. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter have come together stunningly in this nightmarish tale of human despair and beauty in a theatrical and dramatic manner that has not been seen in decades and will leave you breathless begging for more. The entire cast is unforgettable and performs with heart and the rawest of human emotions. The performances increase in intensity and usher forth the next moment with grace and building anticipation until it concludes with a sheer touch of brilliance that left me stunned, horrified, saddened, and wanting to see this picture many more times.
This motion picture is relief in a time where drama, theatrics, and simple beauty have been long forgotten in digital rendering and overly dramatic special effects. This is a true masterpiece that enchants, horrifies, and illuminates the depth of raw human emotions and horrid resplendence.
Click (2006)
Outstanding, Fast Paced, and Great Story
Overall great movie! Drama, comedy, and a great story. I am amazed, I did not move from the time the movie started until the credits started rolling. I was totally engrossed in every moment. I would rate this now as my favorite Adam Sandler movie.
I had put off seeing this movie for a while, just seeing it recently on TV for the first time. This movie is much different then Adam Sandler's other movies. It still contains the laughs and humor you would expect with Adam Sandler but there is a much more serious undertone to the entire movie. I am not sure whether younger children could grasp the point of the movie but it still has enough laughs to entertain.
Fantastic and a must see!
M*A*S*H (1972)
Unique
A truly unique series in American TV history. A combination of satire, comedy, and drama makes this show a continual favorite of many people across the country. This series will forever have a place on American programing in reruns. Not a night goes by that you can't find it playing somewhere on the TV.
Never a dull moment even after seeing the series over and over again. This is the only TV show I have seen that I was willing to buy on DVD and that for me says a lot.
Though this series ended before I was born I have found a true favorite in American television history that no current show has been able to surpass. A true America classic for the whole family.