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Silent Rage (1982)
Two different movies
Watching Silent Rage I felt like I was watching 2 movies spliced together.
One movie had Chuck Norris as a sheriff of a small community trying to keep the peace and rid the town of scum. He shoots a multiple-killer & cleans house in a bar invaded by bikers. He also has a comic sidekick (surprise) played by Stephen Furst of Animal House fame (I chuckled a bit at his parts, especially the Robert DeNiro/Taxi Driver scene). Double-punches and roundhouse kicks aplenty here! Then there's the other movie.
A man gone made by society's ills is brought back to life by a doctor (Steven Keats) and his assistant (William Finley), under the protest of Dr. Halman (Ron Silver, in his usual good form). The premise struck me as a kind of "Reanimator" premise with the serum bringing the killer back to life, thought Reanimator was made years later & based on a H.P. Lovecraft story.
I felt the stalking scenes were well-done & suspenseful and the opening scene was great. I felt the movie would've been pretty good without the Chuck Norris scenes. However, since this is was a Chuck Norris vehicle...
The Norris portions were filled with scenes we've seen in any other Chuck Norris film; barroom scenes, Lone Wolf McQuade-like stances against lawbreakers, etc, etc, etc.
The producers must've been thinking, "OK, who can we put Chuck Norris up against that he hasn't faced before. Got it! An indestructible killer!" Going into the film you know that Chuck would have to face the killer eventually, and when he does it's a HUGE disappointment. If fact, old Chuck RUNS from the guy! WHAT?! Yep, he runs from old Stoneface.
No spoilers here on the ending, though you would've thought it could have ended better than it did after seeing it.
My rating?
6.0 for the horror portion of the movie
2.0 for the Chuck Norris portion
Averages out to 4
Land of the Dead (2005)
A great addition to the Dead canon!
OK, before going into the main review, I want to address a few of the comments that have been made here and elsewhere regarding GAR and LOTD.
Questions about GAR and "who" directed LOTD: I feel this is a "George Romero" film. I do not have the "insider" POV that Dave and some others have; I'm just a fan. He did have a larger budget. He also had some new toys at his disposal that he didn't have while filming his previous works (He actually had a CRANE!). He had others to answer to, i.e. Universal. That's the trade-off when you take studio money. You work within the system.
The "Pacing": By now, every GAR fan boy on the planet had read or was familiar with the screenplay and plot of LOTD, so there were few surprises going into this. Dave and I even wondered how he was going to put all this on film with a reported $15-19 million budget, but he did. Basically, everything that was in the script wound up in the film, save the "zombie rats" (Thank God!). So though the pacing seemed somewhat fast to us fan-boys, to the average Joe...or Josephine, it was perfect or near perfect, given to the reviews (mostly positive). The running time was shorter than his previous Dead films, except maybe NIGHT, but once again hence the trade-off with the studio. If not for Universal, we'd still be sitting here wondering if GAR was EVER going to get a chance to make LOTD and instead talking about DIAMOND DEAD (which I hope NEVER sees the light of day).
Now, "The Review": Me and my 16-year-old daughter went to a matinée showing on Saturday. The theatre was mostly full. I won't bore you with any details since you already know what is what. You just wanna know what I thought (or maybe not). I purposely let the film sink in over the weekend before commenting.
Let's just say this movie kicked some serious ARSE! The acting was spot-on, the FX were damn fine. The plot is as familiar as an old lover, so I won't touch on it. The zombies are definitely GAR zombies! Slow, shuffling, with individual quirks we all know, love and appreciate. No DOTD04 or 28DL-type Olympic sprinters (Romero's Rules are followed here!) and no RE-type foo-fighting by the humans. There are definitely some "jumps" & "boos" and you will NEVER look at a Jack-in-the-box the same again! There is GORE, GORE, GORE...though it is not lingered on as long as say DAY...but even more than the unrated DOTD04! I must, however, nitpick on a couple of things.
First, I wish that this movie was longer. I could've gone into some more exposition about Fiddler's Green and the street dwellers. The "evolution" of the undead could've used a little more detail. Another 20-30 minutes could've gone a long way. However, this is a fan boy's POV and not of the average viewer.
Also, I know the are Romero's babies. However, there is one instance of "If a zombie can do this, how does he do this?" As not to spoil it, I will tack onto the end of this review.
I mentioned I took my daughter to see LOTD with me. What did she think? She LOVED IT!!! She went in with little or no knowledge of GAR or the Dead series. But she knew some things about zombies. She said this was one of THE BEST HORROR MOVIES SHE'S SEEN!!! That says a lot coming from a jaded teen who has seen such crap as HOUSE OF THE DEAD and RE. She jumped a few times and let out a yell in one key scene I will not reveal.
Overall, I was very pleased with LOTD! Just remember, when reading the critics' reviews and comparing them to the fan-boys' reviews they are looking at this film with 2 different POVs.
It's a very good addition the the Dead canon.
*****SPOILER*****
In the beginning of the film, they show a zombie blowing into a trombone, making a noise from it. Question: How does a zombie breathe? And how does he not drown later in the film?
Corpses Are Forever (2004)
The marketers should be sued for false advertising!
I picked up this DVD in Hollywood Video hoping for a little zombie fix. Instead, I found myself going "Huh?"
CORPSES LAST FOREVER tries to be an original take on the zombie genre. The prologue before the credits is not bad. In black and white, we find a young man lying on the floor all bloodied. As he revives, a voice-over of his thoughts are trying to piece together what happened to him. He feels no pain, even though he has been shot and suffered a mangled leg. He grabs a gun on the floor and goes in search of his car.
OK, I was somewhat hooked at this moment.
After the opening credits roll (a take on James Bond films), we are introduced to a guy who has no idea who or where he is. But all of a sudden, he is kung-fooing some zombies who seem to be lined up left and right of center. This is where I start to groan, because these kicks and punches are NOT landing at all! I was reminded of the Elvis comeback special where Big E is showing off his martial arts moves in a musical/dance sequence where E seems to be kicking major bad-guy ass but the moves miss and the bad guys just merely jump and roll on the floor.
The plot of the movie seems to be part spy adventure, part army commando film and part devil-taking-over-the-world scenario. Zombies? Yes, there are zombies, but they seem to more fodder for the star to use his kung-foo than the driving force for the plot.
Jose Prendes wrote, directed, produced and stars in dual roles as the flashback guy and the kung-foo spy. Supposedly funded by Prendes' trust fund, the budget really shows. He seems to try and pay homage to several genres here. Several horror vets appear alongside Prendes; Richard Lynch, Debbie Rochon and Lennea Quigley (No, guys. She doesn't show any skin). Don Calfa (Ernie from ROTLD) is listed as a producer, along with Lynch. This Prendes must have some connections down there in Miami, where this was filmed.
Now the zombie action.
There is no munching, head shots or vacarious gore. NONE! The zombies only seem to stagger around while Prendes kung-foos them around and roll on the floor. Just like Elvis.
Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
Good Popcorn Fluff
Thir13een Ghosts is scary in some parts, laughable in others (some unintentionable). You can really juice up the "spook" factor by buying or renting the DVD version and play it through a great surround sound system...loud! The acting is so-so and the plot is thin. Director Steve Beck's use of quick-cut editing enhances the urgency of the situations. But his best shot is during the opening credits; the voices in the background tell the story of how happy this family was and then tragedy erupts. The pan shot of the living room, from well-kept to fire scarred in a single shot, is pure genius (though slightly Hitchcockian). This film would make a good at-home date movie. Straight-ahead, no-bones horror.
The Patriot (2000)
Flag-waving, "God-bless-America" epic; as well it should be!
"The Patriot" is one of those films that draws a line in the sand with no middle ground; you either love it or hate it. I loved it! This is one of those movies that John Wayne would have gave his left tooth to be in. Instead, we have Mel Gibson as our flag-waving hero, Benjamin Martin, a single father whose wife passed away a few years from something I didn't pick up on. A veteran of the French/Indian wars, he has seen the ugliness of battle and feels a sort of remorse for the tactics he used and the lives he had taken. Now owner of a plantation with indentured servants, not slaves, he doesn't want any of that to change, no matter that he is taxed unfairly. He is at peace with himself. However, his oldest son, played by Heath Ledger, is caught up in the fury that is building against the British and a resulting revolution. Benjamin forbids him from joining the cause, but being a teenager, he disobeys him and is soon joining the Army as a dispatcher. What follows is pure Hollywood patriotism. I only have 1000 word limit, and by now you've read other reviews here. Gibson does, for the most part, play it straight, i.e. brave and heroic. However, there are some parts that he shows his "Lethal Weapon"-style humor, i.e. cocky and audience-winking. The scene where he meets with Cornwallis, with the two Great Danes he captured in the first battle scene, is accurate in ways of Officer/Gentleman behavior during that time. But when he orders the dogs to sit or come or stay, is pure Mel (Reminds me of one scene in LW2 or 3 where Mel is schmoozing with another large dog who is about to attack him). Hilarious! The battle scenes are awesome and well-choreographed. Being from South Carolina, I appreciated the filmmakers for combining the actual Revolutionary war heroes Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox) and Thomas Sumter (The Gamecock) into the character Martin. America Rocks!
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
A great film that deals with just ordinary people and nightmare horrors
George Romero's classic, `Night of the Living Dead', has been interpreted in so many ways that the original intent of the film has been lost: what happens when you put people from different walks of life together to fight for a common cause.
Sure, Romero was trying to make a social statement.
He was also trying to scare the Hell out of us.
Romero was a promising film student from Pittsburgh who wanted to make a movie that made both of those statements above. He wasn't trying to change the world. He just wanted to make the best movie he could for the money available. He went out and hired local actors for the film (including Tom Savini, who had to drop out when he was called to service in Vietnam. Boy, would this experience pay off when he came back to the States and create his trademark effects!).
The group of people in the farmhouse Romero created was eclectic; a common-sense hero, a hysterical young woman, a no-nonsense middle-aged man and his sympathetic wife along with their daughter, and a young couple experiencing puppy love. The hero, played by Duane Jones, is not portrayed as black or white. He just happens to be a man brought to the house by happenstance. He has no political agenda, no idealistic dreams. Just a man running from a diner that was taken over by ghouls. As he describes what happened at the diner to a comatose Barbara, you imagine the horror those unfortunate people went through as they were being torn apart and eaten alive. The fuel truck being overturned. The driver being dragged out of the cab and being mangled and chewed on by things that look human but are not. It makes you feel that you were actually there witnessing the carnage. This is a very descriptive scene that implies the horror that not only the ordeal others had but the fate that lies ahead for the others.
The indoor scenes are dramatic and powerful. Conflicts upon conflicts are piled on as decisions are made and then changed as to protect themselves from the ghouls. Should they try to stand and fight the onslaught? Should they try to flee to the next town deemed safe by TV anchors? Or should they hide and barricade themselves in the cellar. All three options are tried to some extent. For those who haven't seen the film, I will give no details.
The stark b & w footage only adds the to atmosphere of film, as when the ghouls are seen walking through the woods at night are scenes from your nightmares. The close-ups of the ghouls eating the flesh of the living is vivid and mindnumbing. There are some amateurish shots also, as when Ben is bent over the body of a ghoul he just killed. You can see Romero's hand waving Jones to move on and out of the scene. This is the only glaring mistake I can see through the film.
You can tell that Romero was influenced by old horror comic books like `Tales from the Crypt', which had several stories of the walking dead. The idea of taking this concept and turning the ghouls into flesh eaters was a stroke of genius. He wanted to create a sense of doom and he succeeded.
The only complaint I have with the film is the casting of Barbara. Her cantonic and amateurish acting is the only guff I have to an otherwise excellent film. If you are looking for some serious social commentary, watch the higher budgeted but just as entertaining `Dawn of the Dead' and `Day of the Dead', which drags at the beginning but concludes with a slam bang finish.
The Ninth Gate (1999)
Good Polanski film, until...
I was really looking forward to seeing this film. I had bragged to my wife about Polanski and his work. I also explained why he is now in Europe instead of living in America. These points figure in my review of this film.
The Ninth Gate is a typical Polanski film, full of "cloak and dagger" twists and turns that the director is famous for. There are scenes reminiscent of Hitchcock, as in when Corso, played by Johnny Depp (in another fine performance), finds himself in whenever someone turns up dead, reminds me of Gary Cooper or James Stewart. They're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Except that Corso chose to be entangled in the situation.
The "blue screen" effects that everyone seems to be talking about, especially the New York shots, stem from the fact that Polanski can't enter the US without being arrested, hence he can't film here and resorts to stock footage of New York as his backdrop. Yes, this does cheapen the car scenes, but also pays homage to Hitchcock, in a way.
The first scene that gives you a sense of the supernatural is when Corso is being beaten by the black man with blond hair (you don't know his association at this time, he is just following Corso). Suddenly, in a creepy, but cheap shot, the woman, who seems to be wherever Corso is, floats down the steps of the river enbankment (I had to rewind this shot because I had to make sure I wasn't seeing things). She then proceeds to Bruce Lee this unknown black man. From that moment, you know she is more than just a pretty face.
I was hooked into this movie until...let's say it all together now...the final scene! I saw the credits come on the screen and said out loud, "WTF?!"
I promptly apologized to my wife for making her sit through this film. Thanks for the letdown, Roman.
Army of Darkness (1992)
Good as a stand alone film, but no Evil Dead
Army of Darkness, when looked at as a singular film, is funny as hell and of course Ash rules! This film was released as both a stand alone and a sequel to Evil Dead II. I made the mistake of watching this film the first time back in 93 as a sequel, and I was disappointed. First of all, they show Ash working in a Walmart-type store. I'm thinking to myself, "didn't he timewarp to a medieval world with his car and a saw attached to his arm at the end of E.D. II? Why is he here?". From there on, I lost all respect for what Raimi was trying to do; trying to please both E.D. fans and gain new ones with an original movie. It just doesn't work on that level. The lack of plot continuity threw me off.
But as a stand alone flick, it rocks! Funny as hell and cool fx. I remember when I saw this movie for the second time with a friend, he started humming the theme from "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" because he thought this movie was stupid. He just didn't get it; it was, for the most part, meant to be that way, with groaner one-liners and silly skeletons.
If you've seen the first 2 E.D. movies, don't rent this expecting a continuation of those movies. Just enjoy it for what it is.