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Reviews
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking (2004)
Disappointed
When I heard that they were making a new Sherlock Holmes to be shown at Christmas and that Rupert would be playing the lead, I was quite excited. The trailers looked promising.
Unfortunately, then I watched the program and I was really disappointed.
The story was dull and felt rushed. I was disappointed also with Everett's performance which lacked the spark or energy shown by Jeremy Brett when he played Holmes in the TV series.
Alas I don't think it was anywhere as good as The Hound of The Baskervilles that was on the other year, which had Richard Roxburgh as Holmes; he was much better.
Daredevil (2003)
Not sure if I liked this movie or not! Spoiler Alert!!!
For some reason, although Ben Affleck is one of my favourite actors, and all the other people in this movie were excellent, and the fact that I love superhero flicks, I still can't decide if I like this movie or not! The sparky scenes between DD and Elektra were spot on, and the movie was full of touching moments, like when his pal sees Elektra in her dress at the party and says he wishes he could loan Matt his eyes so he could see her too. And when Bullseye stabbed Elektra and she died in Matt's arms, I was really moved.
There were lots of really quirky bits too, like when Matt and Elektra first meet and they have a sort of mock battle in the park and she can't figure out how he can do back flips and everything - "are you sure you're blind?" It was quite an uplifting story as to how Matt came through the trauma of losing his sight, and then having his father murdered, and then his girlfriend but managed to make it through and triumph over Kingpin.
But still there was just something about the movie that didn't gel. It wasn't a waste of money by any means, and I'd recommend anyone to go see it but hopefully if there is a sequel it will be a lot better.
Phantoms (1998)
Not a bad movie! Spoiler Alert!
This was actually a decent movie, based on the book of the same name by Dean Koontz.
Ben Affleck was ideally cast as the sheriff who answers a distress call from a female doctor trapped with her younger sister in their mountain town as they have returned home to find the town deserted and all the inhabitants vanished or dead. As always, he makes a very capable hero.
The movie did reasonably well in maintaining the eerie tone of the book, especially in the sequences where a) the 'dead' scientists show up at the army camp, b) Ben Affleck has to walk past the monster in 'dog' form while it just sits there watching him and c) where he ends up trapped underground with it when it has taken the form of a little boy.
I was disappointed that they cast Liev Schrieber as Stu Wargle though; I thought he did a good job but was miscast as the sleazy perv. It was good to see Peter O'Toole as Flyte bringing his usual class to the performance.
All in all a good movie.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Don't miss this one!
After seeing Dawn of the Dead, and being a bit depressed with it (and disappointed)I had a feeling this would be the perfect antidote. I was right.
From the very first, this movie was hilarious. In the character of Shaun was something everyone in the cinema identified with. He was a brilliant hero, rising to the challenge when he finally realized that zombies had in fact taken over (which took a while).
But this was more than a comedy - it was a sharply observed statement on how we live or to be precise don't live our lives today. It was a warning, in a way, to value what we have or have the potential to achieve before it's too late. Or maybe I'm reading into it more than was intended and it was just absolutely brilliant comedy.
Cabin Fever (2002)
Don't Catch It!
Okay, this movie was rank!
I really hate it when you see a trailer, and it really sells up a movie so much that you can't wait to see it.
Then when you pay to get in you feel like asking for a refund. That's how I felt after Cabin Fever. The movie was boring, trivial and seemed to rely mainly on stomach churning scenes for its frankly limited sense of tension.
The characters were so self-centred and obvious that you couldn't care at all what happened to them. The best bit in the movie was the credits when I was finally free to leave in the hope that the next movie I went to see would be better. It probably isn't possible for any film to be worse.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001)
Best of the bunch
Criminal Intent has breathed life into the Law and Order format.
It turns things on their head to see this mainly from the criminal's point of view. It's like working backwards, in a way - most cop shows you find out who did it at the end, when the arrest is made. But here, you know from the start - you see the before and after and then get to witness genius in action as Goren pieces together motive and M.O to nail the culprit(s).
What I guess I love about this show is even when you think you know the whys and wherefores something unexpected springs at you from the shadows and you see it wasn't quite as simple as you thought. It's this element of surprise that keeps me on the edge of my seat every week.
But let's face it - Goren is the star of the show. In the other Law and Orders, the whole ensemble cast gets a reasonably fair slice of the action, but CI is Goren's kingdom. I can't deny, it chafes a bit - Eames seems to be around solely to agree with Goren. There is a hint of a deeper purpose there and I hope that she will be given a chance to be more than Goren's yesman in future episodes.
Saying that Goren is brilliant - strong but also vulnerable. Here in the UK we haven't reached the Nicole/Elizabeth episodes yet but I can't wait to see how they play out.
Dracula 2000 (2000)
I love vampire pictures!
I love vampire pictures! This is one of the best I've seen. It was a good idea to set it mainly in New Orleans; it fitted well with the feel of the movie.
Jonny Lee Miller rocked as the hero, quickly finding his feet in the battle against the undead.
The guy playing Dracula was also excellent, scary but attractive at the same time. The special effects were brilliant, helping to create some really creepy scenes.
I also liked that the film was tongue in cheek in places. It didn't rely mainly on gore, like John Carpenter's Vampires which I thought was pointless and dull.
Full marks for this one.
Proteus (1995)
Rubbery monsters ahoy!
This movie is taking a bit of a bashing, and I can't deny, it's not the best movie I've ever seen.
The dialogue is cliched and banal. The special effects are pretty disastrous, failing to convince or frighten or even shock.
But the movie is not without its good points. Namely Craig Fairbrass.
A better action man / hero type could not have been found. He's has the looks, the build and is clearly capable of such parts. Ok, I'm biased cos he's British, gorgeous and was in Eastenders, but so what?
I will say he is definitely wasted on stuff like this, though. Can no one in the UK give him a good, meaty role to save him from American B movies?
Cold Creek Manor (2003)
A big disappointment
I was really looking forward to this movie. When I saw the trailer, it looked atmospheric and frightening - a family in a big, stately, creepy house in the woods - it seemed the perfect setting for a tense two hours.
But I was very disappointed. It was quite a predictable movie and I wasn't that impressed with the star turns although it was really good to see Dennis Quaid back on the big screen. Stephen Dorff was far better in Feardotcom.
I was really bored to be honest and couldn't wait for the movie to end. There was only one really big shock in it, I thought, and that's more to do with a phobia of mine than with it actually being scary. I thought at the end it was trying to imitate The Shining.
It tried really hard to keep shocking you but you could see things coming a mile away and you kept wandering why Dennis Quaid didn't just pack his family up and get out; none of it made any sense. If you really like Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, or Stephen Dorff then you should probably see this movie. Otherwise I'd give it a miss.