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Reviews
Shutter Island (2010)
A definite letdown
Let me say that I went into this movie without having read the book. I was coming in blind, so to speak. Also, I was coming in hopeful. A psychological thriller starring Leo and being directed by Scorsese? Who wouldn't be a little excited? However, my excitement ended shortly after the opening credits.
The entire movie was boring, predictable, and I found myself not caring about any of the characters. From the first five minutes, the obvious and supposedly twisted ending is revealed all too easily for the careful watcher. It gives you a feeling that the creators of this film don't think the audience can figure things out for themselves. Everything is handed to us and there's no time for suspense because everything is being answered before you can become curious. There is a great score that's guaranteed to give you goosebumps, but the film doesn't deliver anything but a few jumps here and there.
All in all, this film was a horrible miss at a psychological thriller. Both Scorsese and DiCaprio should stick to what they know.
The Fourth Kind (2009)
Would have been better without 'real' factor
I saw The Fourth Kind on opening night and while I'd already researched the film and become a little skeptical of its validity I was open about it. And truthfully, it wasn't a bad film. After the traumatizing death of her husband and fellow psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich) heads back to their study in Nome, Alaska about sleep disorders and discovers shocking similarities. As the trailer shows, aliens might be involved. Though Milla's acting varies throughout the film from dry to wonderful (such as a scene with her in the hospital) she seems to take on the role of Tyler as bored and apathetic. But perhaps that's just because of Milla's airy, and annoying voice. So right off the bat while we're intrigued, the lead actress doesn't have us gripped. And the supporting actors do nothing to help in their way-too-stereotypical roles of the gruff hick sheriff and the doubting, condescending friend. Even with the flashes of supported archived evidence throughout the film, it just wasn't doing it for me. The showing of real evidence was also redundant, as it looks exactly like what the film portrays. Showing one or the other would have been fine but showing both in their similarities increased skepticism for me. And the film does have some eerie moments but overall nothing is answered, including your doubts, and you're just left frustrated. I think if they had left out the 'real' aspect of the film and just portrayed it as a good ol sci-fi I would have been more pleased. But they opened the door for skepticism, and that's what this film will receive. All in all, the most frightening bit of the movie is the face of the 'real' Dr. Abigail Tyler. That's what will keep you up at night.
The Collector (2009)
Predictable, boring and unbelievable
The Collector, a new horror that's trying to bring about a new horror icon such as Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger, had good intentions but ultimately fails. The basic summary is an ex con skilled at opening safes, decides to invade the family's home (while they're on vacation) where he has been doing housework to steal a jewel intended on paying his wife's debt. But when he enters the house he discovers that not only has the family not left, but they're being held captive by a man known only as The Collector. Their only hope, the con is forced to race against the clock to save the family from the madman and find the missing daughter who's hiding in the house. There's just one problem: The Collector has rigged the entire house with boobytraps intent on killing those who trip the wire.
Overall, the entire thing is just too unbelievable. I couldn't even enjoy the clever mastery of the tricks, for they were too far fetched. The acting was sub-par, especially from the leading hero. He was as dry as unbuttered toast and I found myself not being able to care less if he lived or died. And it's obvious from the beginning that the movie is trying to re-invent a classic horror movie and icon so everyone dies, lamely and The Collector, while very much human, never portrays a scar. The basic point is that films like this are just getting old. I'm begging, begging for some originality, but won't receive it from this film.
Shallow Ground (2004)
Give it a break; it wasn't that bad
Look, the film definitely was not the best that I've ever seen but for the budget that it had, it was very well made. And, for once, the story took an original twist. The film is about a bloody naked boy who stumbles upon a dying town and haunts whichever resident he touches. The town is dying because of a damn that they built near it. The boy is, essentially, a vessel for the dead who died wrongly in the town. The murders are brought on by a lonely woman who lost her husband and daughter in an accident while they were building the dam. To avenge them, she kills all those associated with the dam. Honestly, if you were confused during it, you clearly weren't paying attention as I understood the entire film and found it very interesting. It's original, it's fun and most importantly, it's believable, as far as it goes. Sure, a vessel for a dead is out there. But, it's a horror film. What did you expect?
Twilight (2008)
Complete Miss
Wow, being a Twilight fan, the trailers alone set my low standards. But I wasn't even prepared to sit through two hours of...that. First off, the director, Catherine Hardwicke, was potentially the worst choice possible to make this film. Her indie style mixed with the camera shots that mimicked the acid trips I'm sure she was on ruined the romanticism and drama of the book. I don't feel that she really understood the book and what it did for people. Everything was flat.
Robert Pattinson? Really? Like, really, really? For one, I consider him ugly. Two, he can't act. Three, thanks to the soundtrack we've also learned that he can't sing. But that aside, he totally missed the concept of Edward. The faces of utter constipation got annoying after the biology scene(which had everyone in the theater laughing). His whiny voice and his constant insecurities were completely not Edward. Bella, was extremely poorly casted. Kristin Stewart as a person, not an actress is too strong to play the weak Bella Swan. Nuff said. She was just so...butch in the movie. I can't wait to see how she fails at New Moon.
The romance was appalling. I felt no chemistry between the characters and it seemed as if it was like BAM LOVE! The movie skimmed past the romance to head to action part. And they really said "lion lamb" line. Lord have mercy I almost left the theater when they said it. The graphics were pretty seventies too. This movie was big budget, they could have done more.
And now, for what angered the most: NO ALICE OR JASPER. Um, excuse me, they were only prevalent throughout the last half of the novel! Alice said like 15 lines total while Jasper, just looked like a vegetable. This movie, unfortunately, chose to lose its appeal with fans to score more money in the box office.
I give it two out of ten. One point for the fact that Alice was the only character that felt fitting. Two, because we get to see her rip James' head off.
The Hours (2002)
The Greatest Movie I've Ever Seen
I've seen so many movies in my life that it would be easier to ask how many I haven't seen but out of all of those movies, The Hours was by far the best. After watching it I went out and bought the Hours and Mrs. Dalloway and read them both within a week. Every single character seemed to be made especially for the actors that played them, the music was fantastic, did I say the acting was phenomenal? Every single minimal part of this movie added to its perfection, down to the set design, types of flowers, and music featured in the film.
Kidman, Streep, Moore, and Harris, the leading actors are all at the top of their game in what I think was their best work yet. Especially Nicole Kidman, who I would have never thought to be a GREAT actress, brought me to tears several times during the film because her acting was so beautiful. I've watched the movie several, several times and every time I watch it I am mesmerized for those two hours. The Hours never ceases to amaze.
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
Sucked, Sucked, Sucked, Sucked, Sucked
This movie was a literal eyesore. Never in my life have I ever left a movie in the theatre but this one I was eager to and glad I did, (though I only missed about 10 minutes.) This film was designed with the intent only to see how many viewers they could make vomit. The makeup was great, but too much. There wasn't a single part when I felt scared (Which I assumed horror movies were supposed to do) but there were several times that I gagged and had to turn away. This movie could have been made scary, and way less, dare I say, pathetic for lack of a better word if they had excluded the molestation with the baby and the consumption of the elderly grandmother. All in all, all this film got out of me was the desire to hug my grandmother, save yourself the money...