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Aquaman (2018)
This movie is so much better than Fresh Tomatoes and critics would lead you to believe!
For some reason Fresh Tomatoes and I believe many critics are leaving reviews of this film that lead you to believe that it is not very good. This is not true. This movie is almost as good as Wonder Woman. It stands head to shoulders in quality with Wonder Woman, the recent Batman movies, and the recent Superman movies. It is truly that good.
The way James Wan (the guy behind Dead Silence and other horror movies) and crew have brought Atlantis to life is simply amazing and epic in scope. It reminds me of the depth and quality of Valerian. I felt the same way, watching this, as I did when I watched the first Iron Man movie. I enjoyed this as much as I have enjoyed Iron Man, the Batman movies and Wonder Woman.
It is not perfect by any means, and both my parents thought it was slightly cheesy in parts. I did not. I was thoroughly caught up the scope of the adventure here. I enjoyed this even more than Mortal Engines, yet another gem. I am not a fan of Momoa, and Lundgren is not much better as an actor. Neither of them could act their way out of a wet paper bag. But both were at the top of their game here. Did you even recognize Dolphie in this?
Sadly this movie is being railroaded in my area. They tell me it is brand new, yet they have only one 3D showing, at around 11am -12pm at Regal Cinemas and Cinetopia. Look it up for yourself. Writing this on 1-2-2019, and am in the Vancouver, WA. area. There is some sort of concerted effort between local theaters and the folks at Fresh Tomatoes to destroy this film, to sabotage it, and I have no idea why.
If you have been hesitating you better go and see it in 3D for yourself right now. avoid IMAX if you can, Real 3D has the most comfortable glasses. If you are stuck with IMAX swallow the price tag and uncomfortable glasses. You will not regret it. Trust me. If you loved Wonder Woman, if you enjoyed Valerian, then you will certainly love this movie! It is backed by a number of excellent actors and actresses, and everyone is doing their best in their various roles. This movie is an absolutely stunning epic you do not want to miss.
And if the theaters in your area are not providing afternoon and evening 3D showings, or even 2D showings, you need to speak up. The only way to stop them is to break the silence. Check the disparity in user reviews to the Fresh Tomato score. You will see something is fishy here, no pun intended.
I wish they had let James Wan handle Justice League. That movie truly was a flop. But this one just about makes up for it.
The Open House (2018)
The description at Netflix is misleading and wrong.
This movie can be summed up in three statements... Psychopath, Bad Ending and Makes No Sense.
There is nothing eerie. There are no "unexplained forces." The ending is not only bad, it makes no sense. There is no way for what happened to have happened. Oh and the killer, whoever he is, must have the strength of Michael Meyers for some reason, because nobody seems to be strong enough to fight him.
The Humanity Bureau (2017)
Piss poor movie, please do not rent, let's boycott this!
NOTE: There are no real spoilers here, except I talk about the kind of ending the movie has.
OK, to start with the good guys are DAYS ahead of the bad guys, yet all of a sudden, there they are! Just in time to screw everything up. Also they had no way to track the good guys, so they shouldn't have even known where they were.
Next up in our list of flaws is our antagonist is fanatically loyal to those in charge, to the point it doesn't make sense and is completely irrational. He knows THE TRUTH. It is never explained why our protagonist didn't at first, yet everyone else does.
Next up at the end a powerful gun vanishes into thin air, leaving our protagonist armed only with a pistol and I think 3 bullets.
Then there's the ending... It is SPOILER: IRREDEEMABLY BAD! A sniper, who has been waiting for the arrival of our protagonist for weeks, is somehow not there when the bad ending stuff happens, then he appears in time to save only one of our hero group.
This is just another movie in a very long list of movies over the last few years that release with NICHOLAS CAGE or BRUCE WILLIS or some other big name actor is on the cover, yet they all end up with our hero dying in a variety of terrible ways. Their deaths never make any logical sense; all these movies end bad just to be a movie that has an edgy bad ending.
So let's send Hollywood a clear message by not renting or buying at least this one movie. Let's make it absolutely clear that any bad endings have to make logical sense, and that we will not tolerate badly written scripts where the bad guys magically know where our heroes are and show up ahead of them.
Even the latest Avenger movie falls into this trap, with a late arrival to a fight near the end that makes no sense at all. But at least the chosen ending of that movie made sense.
Whispers (2015)
Very poor quality title
I am giving this a 2 because it had some interesting photography, and a few good ghost scenes.
The reviews that say this title is good, both the critic and user reviews, are all false. This movie is by no means a 7 out of 10.
The photography is poor. This is an MTI offering, and they have not improved with agree. In fact they still use the same intro with the letters MTI bursting out of the theater screen.
The sound is poor, the acting is poor, the plot is poor, and this movie has little if anything to do with what the description at Redbox says it is. It is also not a new title released in 2017, as you can see for yourself here at IMDb.
This is yet another example of a poor offering from Redbox, making you think it is new when it is not. It may be one of MTI's best offerings in the last few years, but their best offering is still worse than any other film company. Asylum Entertainment makes better movies than this - I'm not kidding.
I never say this, and rarely review this critically and low. But in this case it is merited. This title is not worth renting, save your money. I would not say this unless it was true. There s absolutely no redeemable quality to this movie. It may have a haunted house, but it is not even very good as a "haunted house" movie.
I hope IMDb at least cracks down in this illegitimate critic reviews that lead you to believe this movie is good. They are blatantly lying.
Assassin's Creed (2016)
Better than what I was lead to believe
There is something fishy going on here.... Over and over I have heard how bad this movie is, how it flopped in the theaters, how nobody liked it, how it is too complicated, how even those who played the game wouldn't enjoy it. When I asked a theater if they would have it in 3D they said it would be a week, the whole underlying attitude was that the movie was so bad it would not merit any more time than that in 3D. It barely stayed in the theaters for more than a couple of weeks as I recall.
It makes no sense at all. Not the movie, no, all this stuff being said about it and people's apparent attitudes towards it. I just watched in in the cheapest theater here in Vancouver, WA, in 2D. It has been at this theater for over a week. It is a small theater, no 3D presentations, no large screens, and sub-par sound. It does have the speakers along the side and they played the movie in one of their larger rooms. But overall there is absolutely no reason anyone would come to watch this, considering all that has been said about it, and that Doctor Strange was also here, along with Moana and Passengers.
Still the theater was almost packed by the time the movie started. Seriously. The movie had been in the area, in 3D, for a couple of weeks a few months before. Then it had been in 2D. So people had something like three months to see it in better theaters, yet here they were, in the worst theater in the area. I watched the movie with my parents, and here is what I have to say, having played the first game.
Many things are different between the game and the movie. Some things are the same, I.E. Templars are still the bad guys. But nothing in the movie is somehow more understandable if you have played the game. Well maybe other than you gain some general understand of the Assassin's Creed universe. The truth is you can walk into this movie with half the average person's intelligence and it will not be confusing to you at all. My mom and dad have never played the game, yet my mom understood the film and even enjoyed it. Now we are all pretty intelligent, but the story is very easy to follow and understand, all you have to do is pay attention. So whoever said the story line is confusing, complicated or hard to understand is full of the stuff your dog leaves on the ground after breakfast.
The movie is not bad either. If you had to choose between this and Doctor Strange, the later wins out. This is a 6-8, just as it has been rated here at IMDb, while Doctor Strange is an 8-10. If you had to choose between this and the new Triple XXX movie, this is better. Honestly. This just has more substance, if not as much action. The new Triple XXX movie is pretty much nothing more than brainless action, and for some reason Vin Diesel is annoying as this character. I prefer him as Riddick. All this to say Assassin's Creed is very enjoyable, it has a good story and just enough action.
To sum up... Ignore everything bad you have heard about the movie. You are being lied to. If the movie in its 2D version is still bringing in crowds all this time after its initial release, in a theater that has had very little updates since the 70's (look it up, the Regal Plaza 10), something is drawing people to it. Something is good about it. The numbers don't lie. The score here at IMDb isn't lying either. It's almost spot on.
I think there is something else going on here, maybe political. In my area movies don't get to stay in 3D for very long, unless they are these animated things like Life of Pets and maybe Lego Batman. If it is a horror like Resident Evil or something like this movie, it lasts a week, two at the very most, and it does not matter how good the movie is. Some other agenda is at play here. I missed out seeing Assassin's Creed in 3D and I am extremely angry about it now, because there is no reason, absolutely none, that it could not have stayed in theaters twice as long as it did. From what I saw tonight it's a safe guess that people were still coming to it and packing the theaters when they shuffled it out for one of the million other 3D titles that all happened to be coming to the theater at the same time.
I suggest we get together and speak up about this. Maybe Regal will listen to us and stop giving us the bum steer with these limited release times for 3D movies that have not made whatever list it is they have been given from Hollywood or whatever is going on. It would be nice if a Regal employee, someone in a managerial role, would be courageous enough to come in here and verify my suspicions. Tell us all exactly what is going on.
I know this was not strictly about Assassin's Creed. But I have told you all you need to know. The movie is not hard to understand, it is well done, it is fun and interesting to watch, you do not need to have any experience with the games to enjoy it (my mom enjoyed it and knew nothing about the games.) It is well acted and it has a few twists you can catch if you pay attention. It would have been an epic journey in 3D. If you still have a chance of seeing in in 3D, do so. Don't hesitate, because your window will close soon.
Dark Summer (2015)
This movie is just a tale of possession with a bad ending
I checked the spoiler box but I will still attempt to be as vague as possible. I will start by saying that movie not only suffers from a bad ending, it is unnecessarily bad. Very much like the ending of Jeeper's Creepers where we end up looking through the poor kid's freshly hollowed out head.
There are no ghosts here and little of anything scary. IFC midnight has completely, utterly failed. It is all about possession with a twist that nobody cares about. If you have seen any one of the last few thousand possession movies released in the last few decades, movies with trailers that lead you to believe there are ghosts or a haunting involved, then you already know what this one is all about.
I will never recommend staying away from a movie unless it is so utterly bad that it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. This movie, I am sorry to say, is one of those movies. Even Jeeper's Creepers had something going for it, making it worth the ride. This one has a few unique things, but ultimately, it is not worth watching at all.
You should only watch this if you like possession type movies with excessively bad endings. You have been warned!
Poltergeist (2015)
Very good, very scary and truly paranormal. This movie does not rely on blood n' gore!
I simply do not understand those who have given this a negative review. It is beyond my ability to comprehend. They are probably the same people contributing to the unearned 8.0+ rating of the series, "American Horror Story" and "Game of Thrones." There seems to be a trend here...
Take a look at the ratings for Grave Encounters, 100 Feet, The Haunting and Dead Silence. All in the 4-6 rating range. All truly paranormal stories with some really amazing and innovative scenes. I can still picture them in my mind all these years later! The only thing that makes sense as to why they were all rated so low is that here must be some kind of bias against this type of film, and for things that are bloody, dark, hopeless, morbid and macabre.
If you are looking for a good ghost story, horror that does not involve nudity or sex, rivers of blood and mountains of body parts; horror that sucks away all hope, leaving you disgusted by the end, then this is the film for you. If you want all that other crap, get the latest episode of AHS or whatever Rob Zombie has recently made.
I have been watching the horror genre since the 70's. Every Nightmare on Elm Street. Every Friday the 13th (including the remake.) Every Candyman, as many Hellraisers as I could stand, every Phantasm, and every single haunted house film I could lay my hands on, from the original Poltergeist movies to The Changling and Burnt Offerings. Throw both Shinings in there and Rose Red.
The last good scary movie or mini-series I have enjoyed, until this one, was the first Woman In Black remake (not the sequel.) Oh yes, I did watch the original Woman In Black as well. I am an expert. After 3 decades, that is not surprising.
The trend lately, exemplified in AHS, is towards the bloody, dark and macabre. True haunted house movies of any quality, featuring ghosts (not demons, monsters or possessed people) are extremely rare. In fact the person behind this movie also did Monster House, which was another excellent haunted house movie, just more for children. The only thing rarer than a true haunted house movie are science fiction movies that are not about survival in some form. Where are the movie versions of Rama? But I digress...
This movie is one you can watch with your kids. They won't be able to sleep that night, unless you have allowed them to watch Game of Thrones and American Horror Story. If they have been watching these nothing will shock them. The same is true of most adults. If you are into decapitation, evisceration and things that are seriously depressing, hopeless and screwed up, you probably won't like this movie. It's just not dark and gross enough for your tastes.
Poltergeist is unique, yet it retains the spirit of the original. A family fights against a paranormal force. They stand together and overcome it. The special effects are simple but high quality. I do not understand one reviewer's comments about them. In fact there are some scenes in this movie that are like nothing I have seen before, in 30 years of watching these kinds of movies. I was surprised and seriously freaked out, neither of which happens much anymore when I watch a movie. The people behind this did some good work. There is only one scene that doesn't fit this kind of film which involves a drill. Otherwise it is all about the ghosts and paranormal. Acting is also good.
I am glad they made this, and I hope they do more, improving on what they got right (which is just about everything), keeping the focus right where it is, on the paranormal and supernatural. If you like a good ghost story, ignore the reviews as well as the overall rating and try this movie. You will not be disappointed.
Forged in Fire: The Roman Gladius (2015)
A very enjoyable show spoiled by corrupt judging in the later episodes
NOTE: This review contains spoilers only for Forged In Fire Episode 7 – The Roman Gladius.
Someone needs to call the judges on their crap, and I am going to be the one to do it. For the first half or so of season 1 I have agreed with the decisions of the judges. They have been spot on, based on clear factors as the result of their testing.
But a couple of episodes back around episode 5 or 6 they made a choice that seemed suspect, but as I recall it was a very close call between two final swords that each had their own flaws and strengths. I didn't agree with their decision, but it made sense and they gave good reason for it.
This is not the case as of episode 7. Right off the bat I know something is wrong because judge Doug Marcaida does not perform his usual slight bow to the contestants. He seems angry and withdrawn. But I let that slide, everyone has off days, right? Of the first four contestants, the guy I thought of as all talk submits a POS blade with a shaft about the size of a pencil. It breaks during the first test. Easy elimination. Of the next three a guy gets booted because his blade is too long. OK. All understandable and agreeable. All very clear.
Then we get to the final test, where the last two contestants have to forge a Roman Gladius. Mareko, who has made it all the way to this point, and who I think is the best smith of the two, puts something like 675 layers into his blade. A lot of work. It is straight, the handle is ovoid, the blade is strong and super sharp. It slices the sugar cane then annihilates and absolutely destroys the test dummy, passing all the tests with flying colors.
But Jamie makes a pretty looking thing, with a decorative handle and sheath. However the handle is round and the blade is warped. Mr. Marcaida says, and I quote, "Only thing was, at the end, as you're doing more shots, it starts to rotate with a very rounded handle..." It too passes all the tests. But it is not as sharp or as comfortable to grip and use as Mareko's weapon. It is all eye candy, a display piece.
I guarantee you that if you were to present a choice of the weapons to some Roman Gladiator in an arena of the past 10 times out of 10 he will pick Mareko's blade. Good balance, comfortable grip, lightweight and strong. The gladiator would look at Jamie's weapon and probably laugh, saying something about how it must be for a woman because it is so pretty.
Guess what? The judges, knowing all about the obvious warp in Jamie's weapon and how he tried to cover it up with a pretty handle, pattern and sheath, still chose it over Mareko's far better sword. The reason? Judge David Baker says, and I quote, "Having a tang that is going to bend or deflect in a combat situation is a serious problem." Do you know how I know this is made up utter bull? Simple. In 6 episodes Mr. Marcaida has never, ever, not once failed to say something about the handle or grip of the weapons when he tests them, or during the judging, or both. If there is a problem with the handle, you will know before the weapon is even judged. Mr. Marcaida said, and I quote, "The handle construction felt secure in my hand." He said nothing about the tang of Mareko's sword.
(For anyone who doesn't know, the tang is the part of the weapon that goes into and is attached to the handle.) Anyhow that's the death-knell for me. I love this series, and I will finish it out, but I will avoid season 2. I want nothing to do with obviously biased, corrupt or skewed judging. It's been a fun ride, but if the judges are going to start making stuff up to disqualify weapons, I want off. It disgusts me. Maybe it also disgusts Mr. Marcaida, which could be one reason to explain his mood this episode.
Go ahead and watch the first season if you like this sort of show. Except for this episode, and maybe the next one (I haven't watched it yet) you will probably enjoy yourself and find yourself in agreement with the judges. But join me in boycotting this series from continuing, by deciding here and now not to watch season 2. If they don't get any money for the show, they will cancel it, and if they can't do it right, that is for the best.
If you like this you will love Big Giant Swords, which is far more enjoyable. If that returns for a second season, watch that instead. Unless the judges start out season 2 of Forged In Fire with a public apology and explanation for their obviously biased, corrupt and skewed decision in episode 7, I would just avoid any second season of this show.
The Haunting of Whaley House (2012)
A corny horror and very poor ghost story
Let's start with the pros: The movie is in 5.1 sound. The photography is good. The location is good.
Cons: Too much blood for a ghost story. For some reason people in the movie industry think we want tits and buckets of blood in a horror movie. Perhaps for a horror movie we do. But the sub-genre of the ghost story this is simply not necessary or wanted. Cheesy deaths. Borderline acting. Awful piano music sound track, repeating the same tune over and over. Bad, spit in your face ending. They end the movie poorly and then they rub the salt into the wound. Inexplicable happenings. A number of things vital to understanding the story are left out. I'm all for leaving the viewer to use their imagination. But sometimes there are things that have to be explained to understand the plot. I started getting sleepy during this. This is the worst sin a ghost story could commit. I never even startled slightly during it. Yes there are ghosts, but there is nothing really scary about any of them, except for one perhaps, and that one is not explained.
Summary: If you want a depressing and cheesy blood and gore horror flick then this is right up your ally. If you want a ghost story this will not satisfy. Asylum Entertainment did far better with, "The Haunting of Winchester House."
The Veteran (2011)
Another movie with a bad ending...
OK so here's the second movie in the last few weeks that has awoken my ire. I really liked the acting, photography, transitions, and our hero. However I hated that fact that...
(START SPOILER) First off our hero is too easy to sneak up on. It doesn't match the professional character portrayed elsewhere in the film, nor does it match the reality of an experienced soldier's training and reflexes. Our hero is supposed to be a veteran, but people, one of them a little kid, sneak up on him 3 times. He's also caught off guard once, leading to his capture. Oh and our so-called vet is a complete idiot. He listens to Cox's character at the end and goes off on a one man war against the gang, but they don't have the girl like he was told. Cox told him that to ensure he could not rescue the girl. He wanted to send our hero off to his death. But the director/producer/writer aren't done enraging us, nooo. Next the vet wades through the gang, only to get shot from behind in the side of the neck by an twelve year old punk and conveniently he's out of ammo, so the kid is able to come up and shoot him in the head. He never rescues the girl, never gets proper revenge, its another, "bad guys win, lets make a great movie with a great story and great characters but give it a tragic, artsy ending" (END SPOILER).
I really wish people would stop making this garbage because there is nobody on earth who can honestly say they like it. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this, unless you enjoy being really, really annoyed!
Backlight (2010)
Good movie, bad ending
This movie has a beautiful and original story with engaging characters played by good actors. Everything just ties together so nicely until the end. Everything has worked out so far, everyone is happy, there is a lot of passion and hope.
(SPOILER) Then the final piece of the puzzle, a couple who will finally be reunited, is destroyed because the guy gets stung by a frikkin' bee (he's allergic)! I mean what the heck is that? He's dying and the movie ends.
So my advice, just don't watch this, or if you do turn it off right after the guy talks to the kid and receives the camera.