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paul006
Reviews
Fantastic Four (2015)
Nowhere near as bad as its reputation- it's actually a decent movie
First two thirds were decent with good acting, engaging character arcs etc. It was at least as engaging as a origin story as something like Sam raimi spider-man etc. I genuinely haven't understood some of the reviews that have said that the cast had no chemistry and the acting was poor -could not disagree more.
The last third was less engaging, but have still seen worse final acts and cgi battles in super hero/ genre movies. Whether this was the result of all the behind the scenes trouble etc is up for debate.
I do think the poor reviews and general bashing of the film have been unfair and to some extent jumping on a band wagon. Josh Tranks alleged behaviour not withstanding, I actually feel sorry for the cast and crew as I feel this film and their work has been treated unfairly.
Ignore the bad reviews, see it and make up your own mind.
Aliens (1986)
Another classic from my childhood
Well I think a lot of other users have summed up my feelings about this film.
I actually saw aliens before alien, after a lot of people has spoken about it in the playground. It was a premier on ITV over Xmas in 1990-1991. It was one of the first scary sci-fi i watched and it gave me nightmares! Classic characters such as Hicks, Hudson etc. Excellent direction from James Cameron. The only thing is that some of the effects have dated a little bit (not the creature effects though).
Also the portrayal of a elite military unit seems very undisciplined, which is something Cameron says he wishes he could address in his DVD commentary.
Predator 2 (1990)
the difficult second film....
is a OK follow-up. It's not the first, but it's OK.
Does a good job of building suspense around a creature we've already seen, with the increased gore quota, new weapons, and the Black Ops plot etc. It furthers the franchise mythos quite well.
Unfortunately the budget/ rushed production schedule/ Stephen Hopkins inexperience as a director show through. For example, the end fight is a bit of mess. To sell the idea of Harrigan playing possum, i'd have included a shot of Harrigan dropping the disc before he falls to his kness, so it's a surprise to us (and the Pred) when he has it in his hand and stabs old dreadlock head. But what do I know? It's also a shame some of the spider-man type stuff, with the pred jumping from building to building, car to car, in a shopping mail etc didn't make it in for production reasons Cast is OK, with Danny Glover playing against type, and it just about works.
Black Christmas (1974)
One of the best
One of my very favourite films, I first watched it very late night on Channel 4 during Xmas and it scared the hell out of me The acting, direction etc are all top notch. Having worked in mental health, Billy's rage, hatred of women etc seems plausible (although exaggerated for dramatic reasons).
It might seem slow paced with a lack of gore for some tastes, but I like my horror subtle and dark.
My favourite DVD release of this is the critical mass special edition, although Dan Duffin's new release last year is well worth checking out, as is Australian release with the retro documentary (the name of that escapes me at the moment)
Also check out www.itsmebilly.com
Black Christmas (2006)
a bit of a mess (spoilers)
The original is one of my favourite films, so this was a real disappointment If you consider this a throwback to some of the 80's slashers, then it is slightly possible to get some fun out of it.
Some of the production values are good and of course the girls are all hot and talented. But the film never gives them an opportunity.
The mess of a plot, editing etc show how much the film has been messed about with and shows all the signs of the arguments between glen morgan and the studio etc. For example, the 'supposed' mystery and surprise of Billy and Agnes. How can Billy be doing the killing when he's still in the asylum? My favourite thing about the film is the alternate ending on the DVD with the mobile phone, which is very subtle, creepy and in spirit with the original film.
Chimera (1991)
Strong memories of this from my childhood (potential spoilers)
I remember watching this when I was twelve, it's one of those programmes that I remember images from, even years later I got hold of the chopped 'monkey boy' version, which, while it contained some of the scenes I remember, is simply not as good as the original mini-series. After watching that, I got hold of the complete mini-series which is simply so much better, as other users have said.
In the full series, characters like Tracy and the farmer and his wife have time to develop as proper characters before they encounter the title creature. 'Chad' himself is given more time to become a sympathetic Frankensteins monster style figure.
After rereading the book and listening to the radio adaption, this is the best version and captures the book as a TV drama very well.
Although the rapid change in plot and genre can jar a bit (monster hunt with soldiers, x-files style conspiracy sci-fi etc) that is also one of it's strengths as its never boring. The performances, direction and even creature effects all hold up. It's now up there for me with all the great drama's such as Quatermass.
Watching the full version, my childhood nostalgia is justified. Get the full version from raretelevision.com and enjoy!