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murdoc995
Reviews
Unbreakable (2000)
Think HANCOCK and,,,
...add three times the purity!!
As a filmmaker, I think of different ideas to create an ultimate idea of the unthinkable.
What M.Night does with UNBREAKABLE is superb, though really dragged out. A story of a classic belief is brought into reality, as Bruce Willis portrays your average Joe who is brought into belief that he is a superhero, enthused by a man who loves his comic-books(Samuel Jackson). The films expertise story, casting and dialog make for an excellent film alone, but is drowned by it's narrow, dark-lighting.
A simple mistake however is sliced into a brilliant array of character and story-telling, being sure to add to a scene's clarity which inhabits the film's true perspective.
If you want a REAL film to watch, watch it right and enjoy! This is a classic example of how film should truly look and work! Not for the mentally inept!
With that note, be sure to really enjoy UNBREAKABLE for what it is, a mindful thriller which has an excellent cast of things to come...
7-10
[Rec] (2007)
OK. A genuine gem to horror.
So many have commented positively on this little gem, it's hard to agree with someone, but I will anyway.
I LOVED this film. It has everything a horror fan could love. From story, terror, to characters, REC delivers.
I'll start with a general summary; -A news reporter and her loyal cameraman follow a fire-crew into the bowers of an infested apartment without notice. The infestation consists of zombie-esqe victims, attacking any and all for sustenance. Along with the fire crew, police officials and apartment tenants, the reporter and firemen fight against up unsurmountable odds to survive the night.
As I watched this film, keep in mind I watched in subtitles. I will say in response however, I don't care. This film was superb in every dimension and I was no less than impressed.
From a filmographers point-of-view, this was to become a basic run-of-the-mill POV zombie-flick, but beat the sub-standard and became an instant(soon to come, I promise) cult-classic.
The story itself is very interesting, providing it's beginning which consist's of the reporter and her cameraman getting to know the fire department. It then proceed's with a terror-filled vision into the apartment and never seems to let down EXCEPT to allow time for character-development and suspense-building.
The main characters of Angela Vidal(Manuela Velasco) and Manu(Ferran Terraza) give nothing but genuine performance. Velasco makes you BELIEVE this reporter is out for NOTHING but the Truth, and follows through with that of her anonymous cameraman Pablo. The firefighter Manu(Terraza) also gives his excellent dramatic effect to add on as the accident-prone hero.
REC definitely adds the scares, confidence and bravado of any of the US's latest mainstream P-O-V(point of view) horror films! Definitely check-worthy!
Diary of the Dead (2007)
Romero Is Back
Saw it at the Durham RVC Center last night.
Definitely an improvement from LAND. It had some great characters including (My personal fav) a deaf Amish laborer, a swash-buckling alcoholic college professor, black radicalists, and even some of the stupid teens(namely Tony). If you can get a chance to see this film, please do. It's great to see Romero stepping back into the independent light and shine so well.
On the down side, the films pacing was rather annoying as was the constant narration. Personally, I thought bringing the beginning of the plague to modern day times was also pointless, but keep in mind that I am a Romero fan of my own accord. CGI was a major factor to several great scenes, but didn't drown the films quality as much as you'd expect. Still bloody, still violent. Definite plus! All in all, DIARY is definitely a great addition to the DEADOLOGY, and is on its way to being one of the best indie films I've ever seen. Great job George! -w.a.m.woodfin
Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis (2005)
necrapolis...
Upon my anticipation for the two RTOLD sequels, I was extremely disappointed to encounter these terrible cop-outs for sci-fi pictures. I didn't think that the rape of a film-series could ever evolve on this level. However, as I caught the film on Sci-Fi, I saw the 4th one first and thought it was'nt SO bad.. simple story, simple structure. Very poor and dry acting sets the pace as a group of Teenagers bent on dirt-biking, find themselves trying to save a friend from a chemical company which is harvesting our favorite zombie-making chemical.
Friends ZEKE(Elvin Dandel), JULIAN(John Keefe), BECKY(Amie Chadwick), CODY(Corey Hardick), CARLOES(Toma Dinala), JULIANS kid-brother JAKE(Alexandru Geoana), ZEKES exigirlfriend KATIE(Jana Kramer), MIMI(DIANA MUNTEANU) and DARREN(Razvan Oprea) are all dirt-biking lovers. However, after ZEKE wrecks his bike, he finds himself presumed dead and in the care of JULIANS uncle CHARLES'(Best actor thus far PETER COYOTE) company HybraTech. The crew of teens then go special-ops as they try and attempt to rescue ZEKE, and accidentally release numerous zombies into the facility.
The cheese-fest starts up when the characters are all unbelievably older than they are. The plot is so dried-up, but recycles itself with oodles of zombie-action. But don't get excited, the zombies are a major disappointment.. remember the invincible undead which made the ROTLD series interesting? Well, they are'nt here. We do have the talking, brain-craver's from before, but on a reduced One-Shot-To-The-Head Romero basis. One thing that also ticks me is that Every time someone usually got bitten, it was a zombie chomping into the same spot on the back of the skull... Every time. It got to expecting.
Despite all the crap this new line of sequels adds to the mix, it IS a rather entertaining zombie film... except that one zombie has a thing to want to start street-fighting. Regardless, this IS better than its follow-up, ROTLD 5: Rave To The Grave. I'd check this one out again to see the good special-effects make-up, to some of the more thought out kills. The major thing that should be redone is changing the name from ROTLD to some other zombie film... it would've been much better, speaking also for the sequel.
Overrall, if your looking for a bonified sequel to the infamous Russel Streiner film-collage, don't touch this with a 10-foot-pole.
Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave (2005)
Necrapolis was better...
I was one in great anticipation for the latest installations to the ROTLD series. Despite the obvious teen-survival genre integration, I was still anxious to my lovable brain-craving zombies in all their blood and gory. However, I was extremely disappointed.
Part 4 had it's points. It had a very dry and bland cast of teen Hollywood rejects whose acting compared to paint drying on a wall. Good points included the hero-characters uncle CHARLES played by Peter Coyote. Despite the poor-quality of acting and story writing, ROTLD 4 was redeemable slightly b/c of some of the zombie-action, the make-up and gore factor. It was a fun zombie flick I did'not mind... despite the favorite invincibility-quality of the zombies being lost. Original Romero zombies are applied that talk, and dare-I-Say, street fight?! I was hoping the 5th movie to help out a lot with the favoritism to the sequels... boy was i wrong..
Returning in ROTLD 5: RAVE TO THE GRAVE is the previous heroes JULIAN(John Keefe) and CODY(Corey Hardict), who are now in college as they have obviously moved on from the previous event. However, it's hard to tell they moved on from anything... they were so non-chalant to the zombie threat, they didn't recognize the transformation of two OBVIOUS zombies, saying they were probably sick. The directing was terrible, and the acting was doubled in terriblism. How gay is that!!!!???!!?
Don't waste your time. The film-saga is ruined thanks to Ellory Elkayem and his poor-writing team. I just pray the zombie-genre will only improve after this degrading Di's to the movie-type.
Good points DO include the TarMan Zombie looking better than ever, and two VERY well placed Russian hit men as well as including Peter Coyote as UNCLE CHARLES.
The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Total Cream-Dream!
Metal master Rob Zombie brings to the nation his second feature film "The Devils Rejects". A predecessor to his 2003 gore-fest "House of 1000 corpses", the film surrounds the story of the sadistic Firefly clan; a family of psychotic cultists who each have a thirst for blood and a knack for bloody violence. The 'family' consists of the whorish Eve "Mother Firefly" Wilson(Leslie Easterbrook), daughter and satanic slut Vera-Ellen "Baby" Firefly(Sherri Moon-Zombie), burned mongoloid Tiny Firefly(Matthew Mcgory) and brother Rufus Jr.(Tyler Mane). There is also the leader Otis(Bill Moseley) and Baby's biological father/equally macabre John-Lee Johns/"Cutter"/Captain J.T. Spaulding(Sid Haig).
The Story follows several months after the events of "corpses"... the family is tracked down by Ruggsville counties newest Sheriff, John Quincey Wydell(William Forsthe) and are then taken down in a violent shoot-out with many casualties on both sides, and even a capture... however, Baby and Otis are able to escape and eventually team up with Capt."Cutter" Spaulding. Together, the trio takes on a road trip to evade the ever persistent and ever vengeful Sheriff Wydell... who goes to the lengths of hiring deranged Bounty Hunters Rondo(Danny Trejo) and Billy-Ray Snapper(Diamond-Dallas Page) to track down the remaining Fireflys and their allies. The movie also stars Ken Foree as Spauldings pimp-brother Charlie Altamont, Michael Berryman as Charlie's sidekick Clevon and features porn mistress Ginger-Lynn Allen.
The film is a GREAT improvement from "Corpses"... the kind of thing telling fans that maybe, "Corpses" was MADE to suck and only open up the initial characters story for the sequel which turned out to be a horror-fans "True-American-Cream-Dream". With many elements from classical films such as Wes Cravens "Last House On The Left", "The Devils Rejects" promises to be one of the best modern scary movies of 2000.
Sin City (2005)
"Sin City"
- A new film by Robert Rodriguez("Dusk Till Dawn", "Desperado") along with fellow director and friend Quentin Tarantino("Pulp Fiction", "Kill Bill"), "Sin City" follows up on the original comic series by Frank Miller about a corrupt and sinful city and it's unforgettable characters. Among many of the big names in this new box-office hit, some include BRUCE WILLIS("Armaggedon", "Die Hard"), JESSICA ALBA ("Idle Hands", "Fantastic Four"), MICKEY ROURKE("The Rainmaker", "Once Upon A Time In Mexico"), CLIVE OWEN("Sharman", "Bent"), ROSARIO DAWSON("Josie And The Pussycats", "Men in Black 2"), BRITTANY MURPHY("8-Mile", "Just Married"), ELIJAH WOOD("Lord of the rings", "The Faculty"), and JAIME KING("White Chicks", "Pearl Harbor")
The film's plot surrounds three story lines, each one about a character whose morals rise above the lowest low's of Sin City. One such following the struggle for a young girls innocence by a tough-as-nails detective Harnigan(WILLIS). Harnigan must go against all that represents the city, including it's corrupt law-system, in order to do what is right...
The second story depicts a mongoloid warrior of our day and age named Marvin(ROURKE), who is framed for the murder of a partic-ularly special hooker named Goldie(KING) and must fight to regain his name, and gain vengeance on her true assailant. As many find him guilty for the crime he didn't commit, the determined Marv is indeed assured to set things somewhat right in a city of pure evil...
The last tale is of the cities street hookers whose limited power prepares to fall as the shaky truce of Sin City and the streets "leading ladies" begins to crumble. The only hope for a solu- tion is a local street-rough known as Dwight(OWEN), mistress hooker Gail(DAWSON) and her crew of sexy and dangerous ladies. Together, they fight to uphold a weak-peace between those who run the streets, and those that run everything...
A very stylish film which closely follows the original ideals of Rodriguez/Tarantino films, "Sin City" is a must-see action film, and a detailed adrenaline rush for those who closely follow other films by the director. Also including names such as JOSH HARNETT, DEVON AOKI, MICHAEL CLARKE-DUNCAN, BENECIO DEL TORO, ALEXIS BLEDEL, MARLEY SHELTON and MICHAEL MADSEN, "Sin City" will very well become an instant classic, and one of the most entertaining films today.
Saw (2004)
"Saw"
-Among many are those who live normal, healthy lives with very little worry. However, there are those that take that blessing for granted... and there are those that despise that ignorance, and will do what is necessary to show it.
A film by James Waan and Leigh Whannell, "Saw" surrounds the untold fate of two ordinary men with every-day lives, who are thrust into a twisted game for survival at the hands of a psycho-path. Dr. Lawrence Gordon(CAREY ELWES; "Twister", "Princess Bride") and a young man named Adam(LEIGH WHANNEL) awake in a forlorn bathroom, chained to opposite ends of the room at their ankles. The clues of how and why they're in the isolated chamber are limited, and the motives of the game soon become clear as their only chances of escape and survival lie within the hands of a disturbing and macabre menace's agenda.
With the eerie oddities of "Silence Of The Lambs" and "Seven", "Saw" delivers a fast and disturbing story of a mad-man's relentless pursuit to take down those who don't appreciate their blessings, and what he can do about it. Also Starring DANNY GLOVER("Lethal Weapon", "Predator 2") and MONICA POTTER ("Con-Air", "Patch Adams"), "Saw" is a must-see-for-yourself kinda-film. I hope you enjoy.