Smiley097 Reviews

Land of the Dead (2005)

Hits all the zombie movie notes, drops a few of the clichés.

[8/10 · 30 June 2005]

This film is definitely deserving of the others in Romero's series.

The acting is particularly good. I can easily say there wasn't one role that wasn't well played. (The realism of the guns and how they like to shoot them one handed is another thing.) Of particular note, Dennis Hopper did an excellent job as playing the city's resident Dr. Breen. He definitely has all the funniest lines and best dialog in the film.

As for the scary factor, there are plenty of moments when I jumped a bit. (I wouldn't say I'm very jumpy, so you know you are getting your money's worth here.) The scares are as predictable as other zombie movies, such as the Dawn of the Dead remake, where you can usually predict when and where on screen the undead are about to strike.

Land of the Dead also likes to escape a few of the clichés of its genre. As an example, one character shuts up another character right as they were about to tell their sad story about how they survived the initial invasion. I just had to smile when I realized Romero was using moments like these to tear down the genre's clichés.

Definitely deserving of your money for a good horror/action time with a bit of social commentary. Land of the Dead does quite a bit to advance the typical zombie flick in the post-Shaun of the Dead world.

They Live (1988)

Good for a night of not-so-serious movies

[8/10 · 25 February 2005]

This film has a commentary as relevant today as in the 80s. Upper class people are actually aliens corrupting America. And the only way to see them is to wear special sunglasses that our hero, Nada, stumbles upon. This film has some cool ideas: the way all magazines and signs have subliminal messages, the paranoia, and the B-movie-on-purpose-so-it-feels-like-a-B-movie feel. It also has some really great cheesy one liners which I don't wish to spoil. Let it be known though, by the end of the movie you might just see a little of Ash from Evil Dead in Nada. The film also has a fight scene around the middle that is particularly funny to watch because it keeps going forever.

Definitely a fun flick to watch if you are light hearted and can enjoy the B-movie vibe it gives off.

Constantine (2005)

Surprisingly Good, If You Don't Know What to Expect

[8/10 · 22 February 2005]

Warning: Mild Spoilers. I will admit I had doubts about seeing Constantine. However, on the advice of a friend I saw the film and left the theater feeling quite content. I thought it was definitely above par for a comic book adaptation and for most fantasy action flicks. The acting is actually quite good, even Reeves delivers a character with believable depth despite what others might say. However it is the supporting cast which delivers the best performances, the characters played by Weisz, Hounsou, Swinton, and Stormare where enough to leave me wanting to see more of them on screen. The writing was also clearly done by a Hollywood outsiders: it didn't follow very many clichés and I was surprised when characters and plot twists surprised me with things seldom seen in Hollywood movies. Last but not least the special effects where excellent: the demon effects, breaking glass, bullet time-like effects when time stops, and Hell itself were all excellent. Hell is especially cool looking so it is fortunate it is visited quite a bit. I definitely recommend seeing this film if you can go with an open mind.