Ignore all the badly-written reviews on here trying to claim that this film has redeeming qualities (other than the nicely-made models - I discovered it after watching Sense of Scale). It doesn't. It's an absolute mess. I love bad sci-fi, but this is just dull, uninteresting and unintelligible rubbish.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Jennifer
(1978)
Really not very good at all
7 October 2020
Obviously a Carrie rip-off, and a pretty lame one at that - in spite of a few half decent performances. The director does an okay job of building suspense, and the crew obviously know what they're doing (and use decent equipment because the film looks quite good for a low budget American effort), but Jennifer - as a film - never really goes anywhere. It does promise revenge, but when it comes it's so underwhelming that the only conclusion I came to was this this film must've been cobbled together by a few religious nuts with some spare cash to invest in order to write off some tax dollars. Why "religious nuts"? Because of the premise of the film, and the nature of Jennifer's revenge. Religious snake handling?! Really? Nope - it doesn't work for me. The end result is a disappointing film with some terrible special effects and a largely wasted cast and crew.
Gate 2: The Trespassers
(1990)
Underrated - better than the first film IMHO
2 August 2020
The Gate II is a very underrated film (4.3 on here seems harsh). It's extremely well made (for a low budget horror picture). It's got some excellent acting and the characters are not so stupid that you hate them all immediately. It's beautifully shot with dark scenes that are actually discernible (not all films can boast this). It's got some excellent FX by Randy Cook and his team, and the ending made me chuckle to myself for a while afterwards. There's also a post credits joke at the very end that made me smile. I preferred this sequel to the original and I'm discerning when it comes to films. Well worth a watch - it's enjoyable horror pulp - and deserves more credit for not being a worthless piece of trash, which most people expect it to be.
Upgrade
(2018)
Phenomenal science-fiction film!
1 April 2019
This film only cost five million dollars to make? I'm stunned - it looks like fifty!
I don't think I've ever seen as good a contemporary sci-fi film such as this. It is gripping, exciting, witty, gory, full of amazing ideas - almost perfect. The special effects are stunning. The acting is first rate. It builds and builds, and the ending is terrific.
I just finished watching it and I am drenched in sweat. I'm dazzled. I want to tell everyone about it. I... can't really put into words how it made me feel. It made me feel... every feeling in the book.
Bravo! Bravo! Everyone involved in the making of this film: you did an incredible job. And everyone who loves science fiction should see it.
I don't think I've ever seen as good a contemporary sci-fi film such as this. It is gripping, exciting, witty, gory, full of amazing ideas - almost perfect. The special effects are stunning. The acting is first rate. It builds and builds, and the ending is terrific.
I just finished watching it and I am drenched in sweat. I'm dazzled. I want to tell everyone about it. I... can't really put into words how it made me feel. It made me feel... every feeling in the book.
Bravo! Bravo! Everyone involved in the making of this film: you did an incredible job. And everyone who loves science fiction should see it.
Krull
(1983)
This is no "gem" - it's awful!
14 March 2019
I cannot understand people on here calling this a "gem" - it is APPALLINGLY BAD!
Yes: it's got a great cast*. Yes: some talented movie pros (who I admire) worked on it. Yes: the studio spunked a load of money on it so it looks okay from a technical standpoint, BUT... director Peter Yates has succeeded in only one thing: creating a soulless, generic fantasy film for (very young) children**. From an adult's point of view, Krull is awful, throwaway nonsense from start to finish.
Yates certainly did NOT manage to coax decent performances out of any of the actors. At best the story and dialogue are nothing better than a slighty-above-average pantomime.
The special effects and production design throughout are pathetic. Obvious matte lines; badly-filmed models; unimaginative sets; wildly over-lush (and way too high in the mix) James Horner score; no atmosphere with lighting; laughable action scenes... the list goes on.
I read that Krull cost 40 million dollars to make. Watching the film now (which I did tonight) you honestly wouldn't know where that money went. It's certainly not on screen.
Krull is nothing more than a studio vanity project gone wrong. It deserves to be forgotten, and there are plenty of other - better - 'sword and sandal' fantasy films out there. Don't fall for the "it's a gem" nonsense.
* = What a waste of the great Freddie Jones. What a waste of the talented and beautiful Francesca Annis. What a waste of Bernard Bresslaw. Robbie Coltrane, Todd Carty and Liam Neeson must all be terribly embarrassed by this film now.
** = I first watched Krull when I was in my early teens, not long after release, and even then I thought it was weak. Watching it now, as an adult, I can see clearly how bad it is.
Yes: it's got a great cast*. Yes: some talented movie pros (who I admire) worked on it. Yes: the studio spunked a load of money on it so it looks okay from a technical standpoint, BUT... director Peter Yates has succeeded in only one thing: creating a soulless, generic fantasy film for (very young) children**. From an adult's point of view, Krull is awful, throwaway nonsense from start to finish.
Yates certainly did NOT manage to coax decent performances out of any of the actors. At best the story and dialogue are nothing better than a slighty-above-average pantomime.
The special effects and production design throughout are pathetic. Obvious matte lines; badly-filmed models; unimaginative sets; wildly over-lush (and way too high in the mix) James Horner score; no atmosphere with lighting; laughable action scenes... the list goes on.
I read that Krull cost 40 million dollars to make. Watching the film now (which I did tonight) you honestly wouldn't know where that money went. It's certainly not on screen.
Krull is nothing more than a studio vanity project gone wrong. It deserves to be forgotten, and there are plenty of other - better - 'sword and sandal' fantasy films out there. Don't fall for the "it's a gem" nonsense.
* = What a waste of the great Freddie Jones. What a waste of the talented and beautiful Francesca Annis. What a waste of Bernard Bresslaw. Robbie Coltrane, Todd Carty and Liam Neeson must all be terribly embarrassed by this film now.
** = I first watched Krull when I was in my early teens, not long after release, and even then I thought it was weak. Watching it now, as an adult, I can see clearly how bad it is.
Tell Your Friends