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Reviews
Firestarter (1984)
Satisfying adapted film from first to last frame
I'd like to start off by saying that I am a huge Stephen King fan. I've seen more of his adapted miniseries and movies then I've read his books, but thankfully I have a father who is even more into King's works then I am and is able to tell me if a book adapted movie of his is any good. I've never read Firestarter, but I found it to be incredible and not the least bit boring. Like so many other King novels although the #1 Best Selling Horror Author may have a story on the surface that consists of the supernatural in some way shape or form what I love about so many of his stories is that beneath the supernatural surface King reveals a more personal side of the story. Firestarter is just another great example of a more personal touch King gives the novel where a young girl and her father will do what it takes to survive in a world where the government continually hunts them to expose they're powers and then kill them. Where a father will also do what he must to keep his daughter alive. An incredible novel done even more justice when put on screen will never leave you unsatisfied if you are a true Stephen King fan.
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
Heretic Falls Short of Classic Exorcist Mark
After reading the excellent novel and seeing The Exorcist disappointment does not even begin to cover how I felt about this sequel to the academy award winning movie. The Heretic was beyond cheesy and the special effects were terrible in comparison to The Exorcist and The Exorcist 3. I've seen all three Exorcist movies and I strongly feel that the third one with Jason Miller as Fr. Karras/The Gemini Killer and George C Scott as Kinderman should have been the true sequel to The Exorcist. The third one followed the events just after the end of The Exorcist more closely then the cheesy Exorcist II: The Heretic. I would strongly recommend skipping a rental of The Heretic and going straight to renting The Exorcist 3. Your disappointment will have been saved greatly.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Book adapted film even better then novel itself
I first came across the excellent novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest when doing a report for an English class in High School. After I read the book in order to establish a better comparison between novel and film I found the movie more to my liking. Everything in the film I had been able to really visualize when reading the book. I could also completely see Nicholson in the role of R.P. McMurphy and in all honesty his lunatic performance in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was much better (and of course funnier) then playing Jack Torrance in Kubrick's butchered version of Stephen King's The Shining. Milos Foreman did an extrodinary job directing this film adapted from the book even better then he did with Man On The Moon starring Jim Carrey as the late Andy Kaufman.
For those who have not seen or read One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest the plot of the story follows a man by the name of R.P. (Randle Patrick) McMurphy (Nicholson) who is sent to prision for the statuatory rape of a 15 year old girl. Not wanting to do any kind of labor whatsoever he convinces people that he is an insane person (and ironically enough he actually could be insane by the way he acts in the institution) and thus sent to a mental institution where he meets Nurse Mildred Ratched the head of the insanity ward. From the moment he arrives there he turns the world of the patients, orderly's and nurses upside down with his demands for changes in the schedule. However, in the end McMurphy's antics do more harm then good and the resulted consequences turn out horrifying.
I give this movie A++++
Signs (2002)
Horizon points to phenomenal "Signs"
After the box office smash hit of The Sixth Sense and the shaky, but
stable Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan succeeds masterfully
with his third suspense/thriller film Signs. Once again set in PA
only this time 40 miles away from Philly, Shyamalan centers his
story around a family living on a farm in Bucks County, PA. Mel
Gibson playes Graham Hess, a farmer who is also a former
reverend who after a very tragic event turned his back on his faith
and god. Joaquin Phoenix plays his younger brother Merill Hess.
Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin (I think she may be sister to
Spencer Breslin from Disney's The Kid) play Gibson's children
Morgan and Bo.
This movie was in my opinion far better then Unbreakable and
really neck n neck with The Sixth Sense. Shyamalan's knack for
flashbacks at various intervals in the film shed a lot of light on the
"emotional troubles" the family is experiencing lately. Shyamalan
preps the audience in the very first scene to stay in the isolated
setting of the farm for the next two hours with the families discovery
of the sudden appearance of the crop circles in they're field. As to
what happens after they see these?........Well you'll just have to see
the film for yourself won't you?
The acting in this was phenomenal especially from the small
children who know something is up from the very beginning even
while they're dad and uncle remain with they're doubts. Gibson
gives an incredible emotional performance (although I still would
have preferred seeing Willis in Gibson's role after Willis's
performance in The Sixth Sense) and you come to find yourself
emotionally drawn in to the families woes also.
Not only was this film scary to the point of jumps and slight shrieks
or screams in the theatre, but it does have it's comedic moments.
Bo (Abigail Breslin) in particular is very cute and adorable with her
puzzling comments and actions (to not give too much away, an
obession she has concerning drinking glasses is by far absolutely
hilarious).
As much as I loved Signs though there is one thing that I found
myself to be dissapointed with. I won't say because it has to do
with a very crucial part of the film. See it for yourself though and
while your watching it keep in mind of something in particular from
The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. In the end though Signs
message points out that whether or not you are a person who
believes things are just coincidence or luck that if you have a little
faith even the most horrifying experience will turn out alright in the
end.
Memento (2000)
How reliable is your memory really?
First off I'd like to start by saying that whoever made a comment prior to mine, Leonard Shelby's condition is that he has no SHORT-term memory, not LONG-term. If your gonna review the film make sure everything you know about a film as good as this was is right.
Memento is unlike any movie you'll see or have ever seen. The plot seems simple enough, but don't let that mislead you about the film itself. Memento is an original film-noir film adapted from a short story by Director Christopher Nolan's brother Johnathan Nolan about a man named Leonard Shelby who is an Insurance Investigator who finds his wife raped and murdered. Lenni (whoops sorry, he hates people calling him that) ah, Leonard intrudes on the rape and murder and ends up with a condition. This condition makes it so that he cannot make any new memories. Even with this new handicap of his he still wishes to exact revenge on his wife's rapist and killer. However, it's the structure of the movie that will leave you perplexed and questioning everything you've seen even after the last frame of film. The structure may seem complex almost as if it's non-linear, but it is in fact very linear. It has only been reversed so that story starts at the end of the film and works it way to the beginning making it so that the next scene relies upon the scene prior to it.
Director Christopher Nolan (Following, Insomnia), creates an orginal film-noir film where you the audience are literally put exactly into Leonard Shelby's shoes thereby not allowing you to be capable of empathizing with Shelby since you too are just as confused as to what's going on as he is. After thinking you've just about figured everything out about what's going on (although with this film even by the end that still shouldn't be possible) the film's "climatic ending" (remember this films goes in reverse from end to beginning) completely turns everything you thought to be true upside down and has you leaving the theatre questioning everything that took place.
Not that that's a bad thing though. I personally loved leaving the theatre after seeing that and continuing to try and make sense of it all. I think what I loved most about it was that it wasn't a straight psychological film-noir thriller. Nolan makes sure to add in snippets of humor throughout the film just to keep the audience from not getting too consumed in what's going on. For instance Leonard is hiding in the bathroom of a motel room holding a bottle of wine and waiting for someone (this obviously is not his room since he is hiding like he is waiting for someone who may know something). He looks down at the wine bottle and in a short voice over monologue ponders, "Hmmm, I don't feel drunk." Lines like that and, "Okay, so what am I doing? Oh, I'm chasing this guy. No, he's chasing me." is sure to get chuckles from the audience knowing how bad Shelby's condition is and the fact that one second ago he knew how he got into the situation he's currently in, but then the next he's wondering why something in particular is happening to him.
All and all Memento is truly a one of kind film in today's film industry. It's message is pretty clear in my opinion and that is that our memories are not perfect so how can we rely on it 100%? It may leave you confused and pondering everything that happened in it, but honestly: would you constantly always want to see a movie that didn't make you think about an important asset like our memories? There's something new for you to ponder.
The Shining (1997)
King's '97 Miniseries does more justice then Kubrick version
Let me start off by saying I am a huge fan of Stephen King. I haven't read all his books, but I have read many such as The Green Mile, Apt Pupil, The Talisman, Eyes of the Dragon, Dreamcatcher, and just recently finished Black House not to mention The Shining. Commenting on what the last person who reviewed it said I'd have to disagree on the fact that it does not live up to the other two miniseries (The Stand and Salem's Lot) that were put on TV. If anything I thought King's miniseries version of The Shining surpassed The Stand especially with the way the stand ended. The Stand had such a let down ending after it had built up so much over the four part chapters. As far as Salem's Lot goes I felt King's miniseries version of The Shining hung right in there with Salem's Lot.
I personally thought the late Kubrick's version was an insult to King and his novel. Kubrick butchered King's novel at every turn using a hedge maze instead of the Topiary like King had in his novel and using an axe instead of the croquet mallet again like King had in his novel. Not only that, but Kubrick also made Jack Torrence out to be the bad guy in it without a remorseful bone in his body. What I loved best about the novel and the miniseries was that King didn't focus solely on Jacks growing insanity, but made Jack a human being who would constantly try at various intervals to not lay a violent hand on his son or wife, but in the end couldn't surpress the influence of the hotel. In the miniseries and novel he actually loved his son and wife, which was non-existent in the Kubrick '80 version with Nicholson.
In the end I would say that King's '97 version completely surpasses Kubrick's '80 one. After who better to make sure the film/miniseries goes right then the #1 Best Seller Author himself?
House on Haunted Hill (1999)
Like so many remakes, House on Haunted Hill falls short of it's predecessor.
I love horror. Anything having to do with horror I will be fully committed to. That goes for books and movies. However, I am a fan of old horror movies. Mostly black and white ones that project that sense of what you don't see scares you more than what you do see, although there are some older horror movies in color that also project that sense. Movies like the original Haunting based on Shirley Jacksons "The Haunting of Hill House", the original House on Haunted Hill, The Innocents based on James Henry's "The Turn of the Screw", JAWS, PSYCHO, Rosemary's Baby, and The Exorcist. That is why when I saw the remake of House on Haunted Hill I was to say the least extremely dissapointed with it. I'm sure many would disagree with me on this view point since today's movie goers are more into the graphic violence that are in today's horror movies, which is fine since everyone has their own taste. Don't get me wrong I do like some of today's horror movies, but I like them for the cheap thrills and scares they give me, in all honesty though, they will never compare with older horror movies. When I watch older horror movies, whether they be in color or black and white and I just can't get to sleep at night after watching them I know that they have given me that sense of being scared of what I can't see rather than what I can see.
Another thing I love about old horror movies that the remake of House on Haunted Hill did not provide is the music. In horror movies you have to time the music just right to get that creepy and erie feeling that makes a horror movie incredible and a classic. However, music doesn't always have to be used throughout a horror movie no matter how low it is toned down so it can be heard. Some of the best older horror movies have been those that do not constantly use erie and creepy music, but those that know when it is best to use it and when not to in it. With the remake of House on Haunted Hill even though it had scary music it had it throughout most of the film toning down the volume of it so it could barely be heard, but heard nonetheless.
I am not one to force my opinion of what a good horror movie is and consists of, but in this case I would have to strongly recommend viewing horror movies that are actually good and leave you hesitating to leave your seat once the ending credits roll rather than ones that leave you disgusted with the gore, blood, and apparent violence in it. If you are a true fan of the horror genre than the appreciation of a truely terrifying horror movie should not go overlooked because of today's definition of a horror movie.
The Real Ghost Busters (1986)
Most likely the best cartoon series every made.
I was only 2 when "Ghostbusters" came out to theatres. When The Real Ghostbusters aired as a cartoon show I was only 4. However, this cartoon series caught my eye immediately. I loved the revised personalities of the characters and found the cartoon version of Peter Venkman to be funnier than the way Bill Murray portrayed him in both movies. Of course the cartoon version of Peter was funnier because Lorenzo Music, best known to play the voice of Garfield at that time, supplied Peter's voice. I would have to say that I loved the first 3 seasons of the show. However, when the show became older and older I was disgusted with the changes that had been made. Peter was given an ego boost and was very arrogant and full of himself. It also didn't help his personality later on in the show when Dave Coulier (Joey of Full House) supplied Peter's voice since it encouraged the changed personality in the character, which I hated. I loved Peter, which as I'm sure you can now tell that he was my fav character in the show, Winston being my second fav, in the first three seasons even after Music left only because they hadn't completed the personality process of the character yet. Most people will say that in the first 2 seasons you could really feel for the characters and felt like you knew them with the kind of issues the writers address pertaining to each one's personal/private life.
There are so many episodes that I found to be extremely funny that I found myself rolling on the floor with laughter because they were that funny. The animation was great for a cartoon in the mid to late 80's and I loved the little changes they made to the characters with the different colored suits the boys had and Slimer becoming one of the good guys (although Pete still didn't like him all that much when in the presence of the others. He, however, was nice to him every now and than, but would never admit it if anyone were to bring it up). I'm a college student and since many other college students have passed that whole cartoon tv phase of their life a good while back, I am happy to say that this show will never leave me. It may not be the "cool" thing, but I don't care; all I know is that this show was the best show I watched as a little kid and look forward to showing some of those episodes to my own kids when I have a family one day.
Witchblade (2001)
TNT Original Series Combines Cop Drama w/ The Supernatural
I have to be perfectly honest. I'm not into the new reality shows that are popping up everywhere now like Fear Factor, Boot Camp, The Weakest Link, Temptation Island, and Big Brother. I'm more of a Cop Drama TV show person. So when TNT premiered their new show "Witchblade", mere words couldn't describe how happy I became. The series, which combines that of the cop drama element with the supernatural, is centered around Sara Pezzini a New York Homicide Detective who has a chance encounter with an armored gauntlet known as "The Witchblade" while in a museum fighting a henchman of a very clever criminal mastermind who killed her father and sister awhile back. Her ultimate goal was to avenge both of those deaths by bringing down this criminal mastermind; however, before she could achieve that her partner was killed by the very same person, this time right in front of her as she watched her friend and partner lying in pain on the floor of the Rialto Theatre. She ends up getting her revenge by using the "Witchblade as a threat to him if he should ever step out of line again. Ultimately though, he ends up committing suicide out of fear of Sara and her new supernatural powered weapon.
Now armed with the "Witchblade", which grants her the ability to deflect bullets, to use it as a sword, and strike fear in her enemies by transforming into a fully armored knight, Sara is "reborn" to find out what her true destiny is and has become a new kind of law enforcement and justice to the city of New York.
Again what I love about this new original series is that it combines the cop drama with a supernatural element. Sara Pezzini is no ordinary women or Homicide Detective. She is tough, yet still somewhat a vulnerable person, although she would never openly admit it to anyone except those close to her. She is also very aggressive and bold, letting bad guys know that when she wants answers she means business.
I love the fighting sequences with the weapon when she uses it and when she and another person are combating or chasing one another from on their separate motorcycles. By using the techniques used for digital and visual effects used in The Matrix, Witchblade has been given an added edge to it's gritty and powerful plot and compelling characters.