Started with low expectations, but the movie moved along at a reasonable pace and the normal horror tropes used were handled ably. The story detailed small bits of expository information and handled them well, all the while building suspense. The cast is competent and interesting and the movie relies more on set up, anticipation and then payoff, rather than cheap jump scares (though there are a few of those as well). The one issue the wife and I had was that we felt the ending let us down just a little, but I would recommend the movie to others as an unknown horror that you will be caught up in until the final minutes.
Reviews
14 Reviews
Life
(I) (2017)
Decent sci-fi horror film
6 May 2023
Unrelenting tension as the situation worsens. Not scary as in jump scares (which, IMO, are the cheapest and worst way for a movie to try to scare it's audience). Rather, it sets up a perfectly logical situation with a possible new life form, and each plot complication amps up the tension as the cast takes the new logical step as the life form "unfolds" for them. Look for this one to achieve cult status 10-15 years from now, IMO, as new audiences discover it.
The cast is likeable, though the movie spends more time on plot than character development, but that's often the case in this genre. Alien has the same flaw, yet it's scares and story elevate it over that weakness.
The cast is likeable, though the movie spends more time on plot than character development, but that's often the case in this genre. Alien has the same flaw, yet it's scares and story elevate it over that weakness.
Dark House
(2009)
Exceptionally poor script and direction
25 November 2011
Awful movie. What's worse, it's so bad you can't make much of a judgment about the cast other than how pretty they are.
The setup is basic haunted house horror. As a child, Claire entered the Darrode House, saw something terrifying, passed out and for years since has been haunted with horrifying nightmares. As a young wannabe actor, she refuses to take medications that cut her off from her feelings. Her acting class runs an exercise of no value other than to give the audience a thumbnail stereotype of each character and then we get the horror-meister who wants to setup a reality/horror type show in the old Darrode House. Claire jumps at the chance to face her fears, buttressed by a crowd of people she knows and talks them into becoming the cast for the new show.
What follows is the most ridiculous, contrived horror-schlock that has nothing to do with the setup, no rising action, just scene after scene of hellish horror with no real context.
This was so bad that I couldn't make it through the whole thing. Not frightening and not even titillating enough to put up with how horrible it is as a motion picture. About halfway through my wife and I finally gave up on it. it's so bad that were I to have gone to see it in a walk-in theater, I would have walked out.
Someone PLEASE stop Darin Scott before he writes and directs again! Or get him some classes in screen writing and directing and a decent mentor?
The setup is basic haunted house horror. As a child, Claire entered the Darrode House, saw something terrifying, passed out and for years since has been haunted with horrifying nightmares. As a young wannabe actor, she refuses to take medications that cut her off from her feelings. Her acting class runs an exercise of no value other than to give the audience a thumbnail stereotype of each character and then we get the horror-meister who wants to setup a reality/horror type show in the old Darrode House. Claire jumps at the chance to face her fears, buttressed by a crowd of people she knows and talks them into becoming the cast for the new show.
What follows is the most ridiculous, contrived horror-schlock that has nothing to do with the setup, no rising action, just scene after scene of hellish horror with no real context.
This was so bad that I couldn't make it through the whole thing. Not frightening and not even titillating enough to put up with how horrible it is as a motion picture. About halfway through my wife and I finally gave up on it. it's so bad that were I to have gone to see it in a walk-in theater, I would have walked out.
Someone PLEASE stop Darin Scott before he writes and directs again! Or get him some classes in screen writing and directing and a decent mentor?
Hamlet 2
(2008)
Can't make up it's mind if it's a comedy or a drama
3 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS AHEAD! Read at your own risk!! I'm not going to agree with several of the reviews I've read on this site after watching the film. Just some comments on my first (and only) viewing. The movie can't seem to decide if it wants to be comedy or drama. It's paced like a drama, slow in the beginning to develop the characters and giving us little bits of discovery throughout to flesh out the characters more, yet it bills itself as a comedy. On top of that, the primary character Dana Marschz, played by Steve Coogan, is so inept and politically incorrect that he takes his advice from one of the students at the Tucson high school where he teaches. An incompetent actor with more than a little emotional baggage who teaches because he's too bad an actor to find work finds his acting class (with two hardcore students) filled up with a lot of other kids, most of them Latino. In his own world-view, Coogan's character assumes that they are mostly gang-bangers and attempts to deal with them like characters in movies he's seen. In fact, he worships the movies and his plays have been adaptations of popular movies that he's adapted himself for the only two students that will work with him. Not surprisingly, he doesn't connect well with them. He's also married to a woman who is obviously more than a little tired of the relationship and whose best friend seems to be a roommate who lives there with them in order to share rent. When the school principal announces that budget cuts have forced the school to cut drama, and his shows are so bad it's no great loss anyway, he decides to try one more show to save his program. He uses a time-travel plot device in his latest story to save the main characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet because he has never understood why it has to be so depressing. Not surprisingly, his use of language and brief nudity forces the principal to ban the show. The student who advises him makes a free speech issue and a lawyer from the ACLU, played wonderfully by Amy Poehler, arrives to fight for the play. As satire, the writing works. While the writing works, the pacing doesn't. As mentioned, the show develops like it can't decide if it's a comedy with some poignant moments and character development or if it's a drama with some funny shtick. The character of Dana is likable enough that the things he does that might be workable physical comedy in a faster paced vehicle instead are cringe-worthy in this movie. You like this incompetent, incapable slob because there is no meanness in him. Also not a lot of common sense. But it's because you empathize with him that you don't laugh at a lot of the events that revolve around him. Not that the movie isn't funny. There are some funny lines, and a few nicely comic situations, but overall the movie suffers. I put the blame on director Andrew Fleming who co-wrote the script. Fleming, who also penned "Dick" and "The Craft" should have let helm this feature. Catherine Keener and David Arquette are pretty much wasted here, their comedic abilities unused, as well as Elisabeth Shue. Usually a good director wants to surround the lead with talent to help them succeed. In this case, the effect of not properly using the talent he cast, the opposite has happened Coogan is forced to carry the entire movie himself, and it appears to be a load that he may not be fully up to handling.
War, Inc.
(2008)
A Funny and Topical satire.
2 June 2008
In War, Inc we find the logical extension of the current outsourcing of all war-related activities we are currently doing in Afghanistan and Iraq. If you are familiar with the antics of Halliburton, Kellogg, Brown & Root and Blackwater overseas you are already halfway home to fully appreciating the satire of Cusack's latest piece. Cusack plays a corporate hit-man named Brand Hauser who finds himself in Turiquistan organizing a trade show in the newly liberated country as his cover while waiting to get access to his latest target. While there he finds himself intrigued by the anti-establishment reporter played by Marisa Tomei and pursued by the over-sexualized pop star played by Hilary Duff. We are introduced to Hauser's past, which includes a tragedy that has haunted him ever since and the corporate assistant named Marsha Dillon who actually is running the entire operation for him (and played hilariously by Joan Cusack). While some moments are played suitably over the top, they aren't always the moments you expect and the little touches often catch you by surprise. All the principals turn in solid performances. Duff's accent comes and goes but otherwise she does a very nice job and goes a long way to dispel her Disney image. Tomei is funny but understated while the Cusack's own nearly every scene they are in. To be fair, they are given good material. The writers turn in a good script with enough twists and turns and visual gags to keep you giggling throughout all the way to the predictable conclusion. In fact, the predictability of the end is the only thing that keeps me from rating it higher as the story twists and turns it's way to the expected conclusion.
If you like your comedy broad and physical, there is probably not enough here to keep you interested the entire movie. On the other hand, if you like sly comedy and broad satire, this is for you.
If you like your comedy broad and physical, there is probably not enough here to keep you interested the entire movie. On the other hand, if you like sly comedy and broad satire, this is for you.
BloodRayne
(2005)
Ed Wood Meets From Dusk Till Dawn
4 January 2007
What can you say about a movie with a script so poor that no actor can save it, slipshod editing and over-the-top special effects that belong only in a video game (not a movie based upon the video game)? Mediocrity, thy name is BloodRayne.
Not good enough to avoid being unintentionally funny. Not funny enough to save it. The cast has potential but they are brought to ruin by a poor script and poor direction. Some of the shots are setup in such a way that they emphasize the actors lack of training and grace. They look like no scene could have been re-shot more than 2-3 takes.
It's safe to say Uwe Boll brought the movie in on time and under budget but the finished product suffered as a result.
Not good enough to avoid being unintentionally funny. Not funny enough to save it. The cast has potential but they are brought to ruin by a poor script and poor direction. Some of the shots are setup in such a way that they emphasize the actors lack of training and grace. They look like no scene could have been re-shot more than 2-3 takes.
It's safe to say Uwe Boll brought the movie in on time and under budget but the finished product suffered as a result.
The Closer
(2005–2012)
Wonderfully character driven laughs and drama
10 July 2006
An outstanding drama that dances on the edge of being a formula cop show and a soap opera. Brenda Lee Johnson is an outstanding interrogator with a background of being difficult to work with but achieving great results. However, her personal life is a mess. She is hired from Atlanta to head LAPD's Priority Crimes Unit for those high profile crimes that need a resolution and need it quickly. Tensions arise immediately. Her brusque style makes her own people want to transfer away, her boss is a former lover who dumped her and she manages to make many more enemies than friends. The crimes are formula enough that you can probably figure out whodunit before you get to the climax but it's the characters and relationships that sell the show and make it worth watching. Not only is Kyra Sedgwick giving the performance of her life in this series but she has a terrific supporting cast that gives the series heart. The ability of the writers to also give us some great comic lines keeps the show teetering at times from comedy to drama. The first season is already out on DVD. Watch it from the first episode to the last, in order, and you can see why this show has become the most watched show in basic cable history.
Just Imagine
(1930)
Barely predates King Kong
1 October 2005
I have to say, this movie was so bad that if Ed Wood saw it, it's no wonder that he thought he could make movies. Like 50 years later when Sylvester Stallone first put pen to paper, assuming he couldn't possibly write anything worse than "Easy Rider." I kept watching, since if Maureen O'Sullivan was in it, it couldn't be that dreadful.
The hero was an offensive stereotypical Jewish man who spoke with a horrible dialect. The men and women on Mars were all born as twins, one good and one bad and one of the characters on Mars, a woman, spoke entirely in hyena-like laughter.
It was.
The hero was an offensive stereotypical Jewish man who spoke with a horrible dialect. The men and women on Mars were all born as twins, one good and one bad and one of the characters on Mars, a woman, spoke entirely in hyena-like laughter.
It was.
The Phantom of the Opera
(2004)
Wonderful adaptation from the stage version
22 June 2005
I approached this movie with trepidation after finding that Joel Schumacher was going to direct. After all, he had almost singlehandedly destroyed the Batman franchise handed down to him from Tim Burton. I have to say though, that this is a powerful adaptation from the stage production, wonderfully cast and sensitively done. Excellent cast, with highlights from the "Big Three - Butler, Rossum and Wilson, but even the supporting cast are delights. Minnie Driver is a standout as the vain diva Carlotta, and Hinds and Callow are wonderfully comic. A strong support performance from Miranda Richardson who was given some additional dialog and scenes that helped move the film along. In the end, though, it's the eternal triangle and strong sensitive performances and yes, wonderful direction from Joel Schumacher to make this movie the real treasure it is. This one is worth owning and watching again and again with someone you love.
Boogeyman
(2005)
Strong on images and so-so setup, Poor on delivery
5 June 2005
Stephen Kay's direction has some strengths, particularly in finding some odd images and setting up a feeling of tension, but this overproduced piece of film is lacking a solid story, which has holes you can drive tanks through. The cast tries admirably to find a way to make something of this and Kay's direction has some hope but the real crime here is the script itself. Since it lacks any real substance the director goes for the "jump out at you" shock that passes for horror when there isn't anything really scary. The ending is over-simplified psychotherapeutic gobbledygook and leaves too many loose ends unaccounted for. There really isn't much else to the film. Save your money. You can watch "Sixth Sense" again and get as much real scare even though you already know the end.
Pleasantville
(1998)
An Oft-Misunderstood Fairy Tale
20 May 2002
A lovely little fairy tale that I see more and more has been misconstrued and misunderstood. It's been called a "race" tale due to it's use of the phrase "colored." It's been called liberal because the townspeople who refuse to change tend toward the conservative, and because by definition, "conservative" means resistant to change. The heart of the movie is that people change, life is ever changing and the people that embrace that change live more full, colorful lives than those who attempt to hang onto the way things always were before. In the world of Pleasantville, nothing ever changes. Tobey Maguire's character knows them all so well that he has memorized the episodes and the dialog. But the introduction of his and Reese Witherspoon's character brings change and disruption, until they learn to deal with the differences, and then they change and have color as well.
An enchanting little fairy tale and one that I can still go back and watch again and again.
An enchanting little fairy tale and one that I can still go back and watch again and again.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
(1987–1994)
Not a retread, but a better show, overall
25 January 2002
While the original Star Trek series was hampered by financial hamstrings and inconsistent scripts ranging from the mediocre to the sublime, Star Trek: The Next Generation floundered the first three seasons with old re-hashes of the original series scripts and ideas. They didn't find their voice until the final episode of season three, "The Best of Both Worlds." Afterwards, they started seriously exploring the various characters and concepts (second chances, the nature of love and attraction, etc) and in their final season, with the exception of the attempted romance between Worf and Troi, they hit very few bad notes. The two shows really can't be compared, since the original series had been pitched as a "Wagon Train to the Stars" and were pretty much held to that, and was consistently cut in budget by it's producer, Desilu every season of the three years it was on. The Next Generation, also overseen by Roddenberry, suffered from some of the constraints that Gene put on the show (there is no conflict, no poverty, etc in the 24th century) was often just ok, seldom bad after season three and often hilarious. And, when it hit, it was the equal of anything in the first series, both poignant and thought provoking, such as the episode "Tapestry."
It was eclipsed in writing by Star Trek: Deep Space 9 which didn't have the luxury of travel and finding a new alien species each week (a staple of the first two series) so it had to concentrate on issues and characterization.
Later, another series in the canon, Star Trek: Voyager, attempted to recapture the sense of exploration of the first two series but failed badly as the writing never quite came up to par of the first two series.
It was eclipsed in writing by Star Trek: Deep Space 9 which didn't have the luxury of travel and finding a new alien species each week (a staple of the first two series) so it had to concentrate on issues and characterization.
Later, another series in the canon, Star Trek: Voyager, attempted to recapture the sense of exploration of the first two series but failed badly as the writing never quite came up to par of the first two series.
It's a Wonderful Life
(1946)
Everyone's life is important
21 December 2001
One of the best movies ever made, Frank Capra's Christmas masterpiece shows us that even in the depths of our despair, our lives mean something to the people around us. The overall message of "It's A Wonderful Life" is that all lives are interconnected, everyone's life touches so many others, that when one person doesn't exist, it leaves an "awful hole." Capra's genius was that even though he gave us small town stereotypes, they were lovingly human. The characters were nearly all likeable, even when they had problems, and you honestly feel for the misery of George Bailey and the confusion among his family at his plight. In the end, George is redeemed by the people he helped all the time, and Clarence, the guardian angel, finally gets his wings.
an outstanding film about redemption and realization.
an outstanding film about redemption and realization.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(1997–2003)
The most original and best written show on television
5 June 2001
Joss Whedon's television series Buffy is a far cry from the movie version from 1992. For one thing, the shows work on multiple levels, on the personal and the epic. One example of that would be the case where Buffy slept with her boyfriend, the vampire-with-a-soul, Angel, causing him to lose his soul and become her enemy. On the mythic level, or epic level, it's the story of the hero who finds her best friend and comrade in arms turned against her. On the personal level, it's about a girl who sleeps with a boy she thinks she is in love with, and then he doesn't call her anymore. The show continually uses metaphor for it's storylines. The analogy of high school as horror show enabled the writers to take their favorite horror movies and weave into the storylines all of the embarrassing moments that high school meant to them. As Buffy and her friends moved from their sophomore and through their senior years, we watched them grow and change, with the storylines reflecting that growth and offering new challenges. The monsters of the show reflect the perils and miseries of youth, along with the challenges to be met, and it's no surprise that vampires are tied so completely to the idea of sexuality. Through it all, the characters start off as cliches and continue to grow and change as they move out of those stereotypes and become real people to the viewers. It's challenging to someone coming into the show in the fifth or sixth year, because, unlike the characters in most television shows, the characters of Buffy learn and grow and you can see the results of their previous experiences in the choices that the characters make later, not just in the episode, but in the following season, two seasons, three seasons. Yet, the writing is wonderfully comic and dramatic at the same time, reflecting the fears and hopes of real people even as they describe the lives and loves of fictitious creatures. While it appears that the stereotypes will come out early, viewing the show allows you to see human beings in all their foibles and failures, as well as their hopes and successes.
Other prime time shows that concentrate on the soap operas of who is sleeping with whom. In Buffy, we see the soap operas of who is sleeping with whom, but there are levels beneath that the regular viewer picks up on and makes the show more interesting than most.
Rather than concentrate on the different actors, I will simply say the best show on television is dictated by the best writing and that would be Joss Whedon and his talented crew of writers and producers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Don't be put off by the title. It's far and away the strongest show on television.
Other prime time shows that concentrate on the soap operas of who is sleeping with whom. In Buffy, we see the soap operas of who is sleeping with whom, but there are levels beneath that the regular viewer picks up on and makes the show more interesting than most.
Rather than concentrate on the different actors, I will simply say the best show on television is dictated by the best writing and that would be Joss Whedon and his talented crew of writers and producers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Don't be put off by the title. It's far and away the strongest show on television.
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