SMS_Emden Reviews

Cherry 2000 (1987)

Gritty Underrated Post Apocalyptic Romp

[10/10 · 23 January 2016]

In an age of CG everything, Cherry 2000 shines even more now than it did in the eighties. Great story, gritty landscape, wonderful cast of characters, and a cave full of toaster ovens. Don't let the age of this flick put you off if you haven't seen it and have even a passing interest in post apocalyptic and/or sci-fi flicks.

The special effects are live action which really stand out if you haven't watched an older movie without CG in awhile. The setting is thoroughly appropriate for the story and genre. Is any movie truly "worth" a 10 out of 10? They will all have flaws, but in my book if at the end of the flick you are thoroughly entertained and transported to another time or place and have a smile on your face then the crew succeeded in their mission in movie-making.

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Great Movie Displaying A Lost Art in Cinematography

[8/10 · 6 April 2007]

This movie's copyright has expired and it can be downloaded from several places around the internet legally, so I recently picked it up. I am a fan of post-apocalyptic movies, but I believe anyone who has a decent attention span will appreciate this flick, as my girlfriend did who is not necessarily into these types of films.

The plot is just as the title states, Vincent Price is the last man left on Earth (as far as he knows). A plague wiped out the planet and he is left to make a life out of what is left behind. The first half of this movie is entirely spent building up the character Price plays while the second half is spent moving through the main plot of the film. This is what I refer to in my summary..the cinematography..the fact that five minutes can go by without a piece of dialog and still captivate you is something lost in todays films. Whereas today's movies do more hand holding of the viewer, this film leaves your mind to wander and fantasize. That is what does it for me and probably many people. It is a soulful movie filled with thought. Price's character finds a place of piety in the viewer's heart and you pull for him throughout.

I recommend this movie to anyone looking for something in the genre of just interested in seeing a different style of film making from a bygone era. Time well spent with this one folks.

The White Dragon (2004)

Not As Advertised

[2/10 · 9 August 2006]

I picked the DVD off the shelf with hopes of a Crouching Tiger/Hero/Flying Daggers experience..in fact, the DVD brief even makes a reference to this flick being in the same vein as House of Flying Daggers. Do not be fooled. The description given to this DVD on the case is misleading and will not aptly describe the movie whatsoever. With ancient Chinese musicians playing historical United States tunes on their flutes and references to McDonalds, this is nothing more than Mall Rats, Clueless and so much other teenage drivel pumped out by Hollywood studios wrapped in the beautiful costumes of the recent Chinese hits of late. The English dub is so fantastically painful that I found myself scrunching my eyes closed tighter than I thought possible. The plot does not suffer so much from the premise as it does from the horrible interactions of the characters who fill in the spaces between pointed scenes with American elementary school politics. Avoid this movie at all costs if you are looking for what is promised on the DVD description offered up by the distributor. Of course, if you are a 12 year old girl moving to china to go to school in a Chinese elementary school where all your peers will be imitating American culture learned from Saturday morning cartoons, then this is right up your alley.