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Reviews
Alone in the Dark (2005)
Alone in the dark is how you might feel in the theater...alone
The Abskani tribe, an ancient demon-worshiping civilization that mysteriously vanished 10,000 years ago, becomes the obsession of a mad archaeologist, Dr. Hutchinson. His fixation with the Abskani turns him on a 22-year crusade to usher those same demons into today's world. Unbeknown to Edward Carnby (Slater) a paranormal detective, and his girlfriend Dr. Aline Cedrac (Reid), they possess the key artifact to unleashing these menaces of terror. And they'll need the help of Commander Burke (Dorff) and the government's top secret "Bureau 317" to fight zombies and battle demons in order to stop Hutchinson before he re-opens the door of eternal darkness.
Based on the popular Atari video game series, Alone In the Dark, holds true to most paranormal thrillers. Fast paced, killer action, streamlined special effects, and gripping suspense. Unfortunately, a poor storyline, undeveloped structure, and pathetic cliché acting suffocate those highlights. Looking for a sequel? After such an anti-climatic, open-ended conclusion, it deserves one. Then again
maybe not.
But, if an audience is only concerned with what's on the surface, then this movie may become quite engaging. The 'scares,' special effects, and action sequences are comparable to its recent sister movies. Its like Residents Evil meets Dreamcatcher meets Starship Troopers. Just when the last AK47 blows away the final 'scorpio-dog-worm-like' demon another one strikes from behind. The movie also has some well-done makeup effects. There is a scene where a Bureau 317 agent's head is split in half, it looks real
from what I could imagine.
Whirlygirl (2006)
It's been done before, but still worth your time
It's been done before, and done before better. A year ago The Girl Next Door had most of the same concepts, themes and lessons. Studious boy meets wild girl, boy breaks the rules for the first time, girl straitens her life for the first time, they fall in love, and then what? However, the amateur writer (McCormack) should have remembered to add a climax, or even a third act. It was one of those movies that just seemed to be, "Is this the conclusion?" Debuting in his first American film, said UK actor Julian Moris, gave a realistic, well done performance. Whirly Girl Monet Mazur is beautiful; unfortunately, less could be said about her acting. Profanity and nudity may be an issue for ratings, there is mild nudity during the sex scenes and what kind of language would you expect from 18-year-old boys?
Nothing bad could be said about the image or audio quality. Then again, nothing new in the world of aesthetics was brought to the picture either, nor should have been. It's a typical 'on location' picture. The musical score is mostly combined with a mix of pop and rock hits, appropriate for the scenes but soon to be outdated.
Don't get the wrong impression I did enjoy the picture. It was as good as average for its genre and worth seeing once. It repeats some cut and paste storyline; however, Whirly Girl is cute, funny, and entertaining in its own. The scenes at the boarding school with the horny teenage boys are hilarious and very tangible for any young adult male. This picture serves the appetite of its young adult (17-25) target audience.
Review by, Darren R. Brandl
Into the Fire (2005)
Slow, but ultimately a beautiful story well done
Still blaming himself for the deaths of his sister and mother decades ago, lieutenant Walter Harwig (Flanery) of the NYC harbor unit, is encased in a life of sadness. While on duty investigating a plane crash, Harwig breaks down after discovering a dead body of a woman, and as a result is dismissed from duty. Now having lost the only thing with meaning in his life and being consumed by deep, abiding depression, Harwig will by fate meet two other individuals (Williams and Kanakaredes) whose lives are also rooted with misfortune. Together they will learn that the true meaning of life lies not in tragedy but in celebration.
The premise is real and story is believable and moving. There was a quote that stuck with me after the film was over. It was about living a life of celebration because it's the balance of living a life of tragedy on the same spectrum. Most of the themes in the movie revolve around similar issues, including reincarnation. Though, at times the story is slow and the conflict is confusing. I wasn't sure if this was a story about love or self-forgiveness until well into the second act. However, the cast is exceptional. Portraying the antagonist and protagonist, Sean Patrick Flanery's (Powder) performance was true, honest, engaging and his best work to date. Both Melina Kanakareses (CSI: NY) and JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist) supported Flannery and excelled the dramatic themes.
Aesthetics. Well done. Portrayed mostly hand-held, 'documentary style', its photography and production design are up to par with most of today's Hollywood pictures. The film was shot on 35mm with sharp color contrasts and at locations across New York City and Coney Island. The musical score is original and adds drama to the film without distracting the viewer from the story.
Review by, Darren R. Brandl