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Reviews
Splice (2009)
Annoying Creature and lead characters..
This is really one of the worst horror/science fiction movies I've seen in a long time. This seems like a film created by a committee of agents. "Hey, let's take this part from 'The Fly', and this part from 'Frankenstein', and then we'll add a little of 'Aliens'... you get the picture. SPLICE is the perfect name for this film since it 'borrows' and outright steals from so many other films. Let's start with the poster itself: When was the last time you saw a film company reveal the 'monster' ON THE POSTER!! Film-making 101: Part of the fun of a horror/science fiction flick is the big reveal of the creature. Secondly, the creature itself is just plain annoying with it's stupid squeaks and'cutesy' puppy dog looks. I had no sympathy for the thing and SPOILER ALERT-- couldn't wait until the damn thing had it's head smashed in with a rock. And the casting is terrible. Who is Sarah Polley screwing? I have no idea who thought she should be the star of a movie. She has absolutely no screen presence. And Adrien Brody is equally miscast. The two have no chemistry whatsoever. Polley looks like she's about to crack up laughing at any given moment. Their characters were completely unsympathetic and you really don't care about their story, or what ultimately happens to them. So, basically you've got two annoying lead character and an annoying creature. Two hours of suffering, let me tell you. Stay away from this movie. My friends told me "it looked stupid" - and I went opening night, determined to prove them wrong. What a mistake. Just a rehashed, predictable, crappy movie.
Watchmen (2009)
Worthy Effort But Doesn't Quite Work
I was really looking forward to this movie having read the graphic novel. To be honest, I've always felt that the book had its own flaws. There's a LOT of filler in the book that really slowed the story down. Unfortunately, Zack Snyder's insistence on staying true to the book meant these flaws were translated onto the screen. The movie could have used some good editing. Various ideas and scenes could have been condensed. Unfortunately, the final product was a rather slow paced movie with a rather muddled storyline and ideas. Snyder also dropped much of the dark humor elements in the book. On the good side: The acting was well-done. The art direction stunning. The changed ending I felt worked better. Bottom line: a Graphic Novel is NOT a film. The director shouldn't have looked at the book like it was the Holy Bible.
Cloverfield (2008)
Godzilla Meets The Blair Witch
Godzilla meets The Blair Witch. That pretty much sums the film up. I was reflecting on this flick today and was thinking... "when was the last time you saw a MONSTER flick that was actually scary?" Modern film audiences are so jaded that it's really difficult to creep people out anymore with a creature/monster. This flick actually had me believing maybe this could happen! I actually found myself getting pulled into the story, thinking: What the hell are those things??
There are many very effective scary moments in this movie, and one particular sequence that actually had viewers in my screening jumping out of their seats. Sure, there's moments that don't quite work, the actors are a mixed bag - but overall a very original take on Japansese Kaiju flicks. ALSO: Thumbs up to actress Odette Yustman, who I felt really stood out amongst the cast. Very sexy. Believe performance. Wish they would of shown more nudity though!! Come on, it's a horror film after all!!
Escape from Afghanistan (2002)
Bekmambetov's First Film
This is Timur Bekmambetov's first film and to be honest it's kind of hard to judge the movie without viewing the original Russian edit. Roger Corman sliced and diced the film up and distributed this mess. It has some mildly interesting ideas and moody lighting but the film is pretty bad.Boring and confusing are two words that come to mind. Still, it gives you a window into the world of Bekmambetov during the early days of his career. The director really improved with his next outing: the remake of Corman's "The Arena", and following that, the vampire saga: "Night Watch" and "Day Watch." I think we'll be hearing a lot more from this director. He's still pretty much a diamond-in-the-rough I think. In my opinion, this film isn't really representational of his visual talents.