While not the first, the Blair Witch was at it's time a very effective representation of found footage. (BTW look online for the never was a witch theory,but it was all a planned murder carefully crafted against heather). A side effect of this successful film was, for good or bad, a glut of similar styled formats,most notably the Paranormal series. How ever this forget able little addition fails to make good use of the genre and its potentially great setting, a psychiatric asylum. the tag says it all On April 30, 2010, six reality television show contestants spent seven nights in an abandoned and haunted asylum. The show never aired but an editor for the network was able to piece together some footage. The prize for staying all seven nights was a share of one million dollars that was to be split amongst any contestants that didn't leave. No prize money was ever awarded. We are given very little background info on the place and less unfolds as we watch. The idea of insane ghosts is great but fails to be exploited. The characters are 2 dimensional and seem unconcerned as members vanish one by one...I mean wouldn't you search the whole hospital for them? Nope, instead, it's "let's go to sleep" In one night two people disappear, and after the initial "OH $#!+, THEY VANISHED," they acknowledge it and skip off to the next nightly challenge As for scares, well, they are the usual face change, shadow in the corner schtick. The only "patient" we hear about is an unnamed little girl who haunts the place. No background, no other horrific ghosts with terrifying pasts that once lived here, just shadows. Had they gone to specific sites that were scenes of heinous acts we would be more engaged, No history of demented orderlies, over strict nurses or sadistic doctor torturing or maiming inmates. If you watch it to the end it to the end hoping for answers> There are none, simply because there are no questions
Reviews
9 Reviews
The Sunset Limited
(2011 TV Movie)
A brilliant two man play with two power house actors.
26 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of movies greatest team up films based on a play. And while I don't agree with all of how it was done, it was still a powerful performance between Tommy Lee Jones, a suicidal atheist professor, and Samuel L. Jackson, an ex-con who is a bible believer (but not a fundie) who saved Tommy from jumping in front of a train, The Sunset Limited. What follows is a two man dialogue taking a philosophical look at life, based upon God. Thankfully Tommy's character is not "mad" at god, but they do tread close to that rail. And while HIS character is nihilistic, there is no attempt to paint all atheists as such. The acting is superb, the dialogue is interesting and thoughtful. The bias to god is unbalanced, Samuel L spends 2/3rds of the movie with the weight on his side, even with Tommy's responses. Tommy's final nihilistic speech is given the last 15 minutes but boy does he deliver, and if as an atheist you accept this is HIS view as a personal position for his character, it does leave you thinking. This film is a great jumping off point for how a theistic discussion (not so much a debate) should be handled. Sam makes very pointed and thoughtful points and admits his areas of weakness without losing his position. I can NOT recommend this enough to theists, atheists, philosophy buffs and those who enjoy great acting.
The Wicker Man
(2006)
Why even try? This movie should never be remade
1 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
There are some films that are classics and should never ever be remade, no matter who doe sit or stars in it. Casablanca is one, the Wicker Man is another. In 1973 an amazing film came out that was timeless in its execution and became an example of great film making using subtle psychology and a weaving plot line that culminated in a sublime piece of work. In 2006 a piece of crap was slapped onto the silver screen and tainted the name and memory of that classic. not only wa sit an unnecessary remake it was a horrible remake. Contrived plot twists tried to pay homage (if defecating on the hand of the one you wish to pay respect to is "homage") to a classic and continuously made not so subtle references to the superior original. it was crap, it took a bad idea and made it worse. Don't even see this one for free on a dare. It is just plane awful in every way. the convoluted resolution of character relationships place an unbelievable Nic Cage as not only the victim of the towns need to sacrifice for a poor honey yield (bees? really? god I want to vomit just remembering) with forced twists it is reveled not only is he the estranged father of Rowan, but the girls mother is responsible for the unlikely chain of events that lead Nic to his doom with the Wickerman. Not only should Nic have been burned, all prints should have been burned, and all those responsible for this POS film need to be sacrificed as an apology for disrespecting the original classic. I wish I could give negative stars
The Wicker Man
(1973)
stunning rendition of subtle horror both physical and psychological
1 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
An upright police officer investigates a little girls disappearance on a secluded island village. A community known for it's bountiful crops most especially it's apples. As Sgt Howie investigates the town, his puritanical christan sensibilities are shaken he delves deeper into a terrifying cult of Pagan followers who when all else fails resort to desperate measures, is the girl really missing? Has she already been sacrificed to the Wickerman? Or is she still alive being held captive to be sacrificed or is there something worse in store for Sgt Howie?
While it does accurately portray some aspects of Neo paganism, it does go where real practitioners would never go. Having seen this at a time when I was deeply into Paganism, esp Celtic beliefs, I was not offended by it's approach to what paganism could be if left unchecked. It doesn't implicate modern pagans as a catch all tale it stands alone as a good tale with a great twist, and a fantastic soundtrack of wonderful songs. There are two versions available to the buyer and I'd get both as they each have a few scenes unique to the other. this is a gem of a film relegated to cult status (no pun intended, but the irony is there) and worth finding. It is dated but it can not be touched, it should never had been remade, it was perfect as is.
While it does accurately portray some aspects of Neo paganism, it does go where real practitioners would never go. Having seen this at a time when I was deeply into Paganism, esp Celtic beliefs, I was not offended by it's approach to what paganism could be if left unchecked. It doesn't implicate modern pagans as a catch all tale it stands alone as a good tale with a great twist, and a fantastic soundtrack of wonderful songs. There are two versions available to the buyer and I'd get both as they each have a few scenes unique to the other. this is a gem of a film relegated to cult status (no pun intended, but the irony is there) and worth finding. It is dated but it can not be touched, it should never had been remade, it was perfect as is.
Between Lovers
(1983)
porn with a plot you actually may want to watch
9 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Well, first off it's porn, so if you keep your expectations there and you won't go in expecting a lot. Because of that this movie actually surprises you with a fairly well done story line and, for porn stars, well acted story. When porn was first made mainstream and VHS was in its infancy, Deep Throat came along and changed the adult film industry and made it more palpable to the common audience. Now couples were going to less seedy theaters and watching porn together, and they wanted to draw in women. Enter Between Lovers, a story of a married woman who after seeing her husband screwing his secretary decides to have her own affair. She meets up with a guy and they develop a more then physical relationship. My first viewing of this was in a collection of porn accumulated while in the Air Force and like any red blooded guy I used the VHS technology to do what any guy does..fast forward to the good parts. So the sex? less hard core then most X-rated fair, more then late night Showtime soft-core but for a love story? sorry girls not much foreplay, they pretty much get right to it. Guys especially by todays net porn standards? If you like vintage stuff this is quaint but if you are jaded and want it down and dirty you'll be disappointed. This was before women shaved their nether regions, so be ready for a lot of hair, the men were also stars so a lot of face time on the guys face during sex scenes, and girls back then did not swallow so expect facials, belly and back shots and chest shots. This quaint 80's porn presentation is a great starter for timid couples or guys who want their girl friends to see a porn w/o the explicate crudity of todays very hardcore fair. And you may just find the plot less stiff (sorry) then most x films that try to coat the sex with a story.
This was flipping awful.. hideous...terrible
18 January 2008
Sorry, major hater here. I mean the absolute worst. I cannot believe that Douglass had anything to do with this travesty of injustice based his works. I can't even count the ways this sucked. I'll take the TV adaptation from 1982. The cheap effects made it even funnier! The actors perfect. Everything that was right about the radio play/TV show was completely wrong with this POS movie. Zaphods second head hidden under his chin? WTF?? That was hideous. You could not pay me to watch this crap again. I am glad I just rented it and didn't waste my money buying this dreck. And Foed, hey black? fine but Don Cheedle please, not Mof Def, he Definitely killed Ford.
The only good choice of actors from this crap was Alan Rickman as Marven. That was Brilliant, but by the time Allan made his appearance as the voice of Marvin I wanted to rip my own eyes out and was waiting for my lower intestines to leap up my neck and throttle my brain.
100 thumbs wayyyyyyy down
The only good choice of actors from this crap was Alan Rickman as Marven. That was Brilliant, but by the time Allan made his appearance as the voice of Marvin I wanted to rip my own eyes out and was waiting for my lower intestines to leap up my neck and throttle my brain.
100 thumbs wayyyyyyy down
The Call of Cthulhu
(2005)
A Classic tale teated in a classic manner
29 December 2007
It seems that too many people have little or no appreciation for the art of film making and its history. Being a huge Lovecraft fan and been very disappointed in just about every film adaptation of his works I skeptically found this gem a refreshing change. What could have been its down fall make sit work. Of course those jaded folks who need their horror served up with heaps of blood, guts and slick CGI effects are in for a disappointment. The effects are what they are but even a stop motion of Mighty Cthulhu and classic film tricks don't take away from the challenge, a film adaptation of Lovecraft that is true, this is it. It should appeal to those of high intellect who read the works of Lovecraft in spite of the many short comings in literary style ( I love the themes but how many times can a man us "cyclopean" or "unspeakable, unnamable" "eldritch" "ichor" laden horrors and in every tale?) Better writers then me have noted that his style is ponderous yet his influence and contributions to his genre cannot be missed. Mighty Cthulhu rises from his cold deathless sleep and moves to steal mankind's soul and sanity in a film adaptation that will give a fan of the master a true tale and a good initiation to the novice of the shapes horrors that creep in unnatural geometric chasms between the depths of distant stars gnawing away at the worlds end!! So a silent film made to seem as if it was made in the time of the tale, a vehicle to keep cost down and yet disguise what could be cheesy effects into a subtle nod to the greats such as mighty Kong in all his claymation glory and Harryhausen with all his twisted vision: Cthulhu Lives in this great little treat!!
Dracula
(1979)
The sensual drive and sexual energy of the vampire as Stoker intended.
4 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
As a young boy I was always drawn to the vampire out of all the monsters legend and film have brought us. Now a days, while in their own ways decent, the horror and sexual desire has been stripped from this most distinguished of horror staples. Today the vampire is an action hero ( or action anti-hero). The limitations of technology and standards make it hard to view the silent Nosferatu by Murnau or Lugosi's Dracula with anything but amused quaintness. Copella brings us a far more visceral and explicit Dracula with some flaws and weak areas, but the most faithful depiction to date. Then We come to this almost Masterpiece with Frank Langella. A classic in it's own right,and for the first time showing movie goers the vampire we believe could seduce women and maintain a dominant position over all. Culminating in a contest of wills and strength of convictions between Olivier's Van Helsing and Langella's Count.
The plot remains familiar if not altered and condensed and for some reason characters where either dropped or switched in function and name. (Lucy Seward, Mina Van Helsing rather then Mina Murray Harker and Lucy Westenra come to mind most readily)
Over all, this film balances romance and horror without shock and schlock. And while dated in 2006, it remains a worthwhile achievement in the Dracula myth.
The plot remains familiar if not altered and condensed and for some reason characters where either dropped or switched in function and name. (Lucy Seward, Mina Van Helsing rather then Mina Murray Harker and Lucy Westenra come to mind most readily)
Over all, this film balances romance and horror without shock and schlock. And while dated in 2006, it remains a worthwhile achievement in the Dracula myth.
House of 1000 Corpses
(2003)
Rob redoes Texas Chainsaw Massacre with a few twists
29 November 2004
I love Robs music, and his spin on horror. I was eagerly looking forward to his debut move. As I watched, within the first few minutes I felt like I was watching a remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It was OK, a few goofy twisted characters and a few changes, but over all I felt he just made enough changes to avoid a lawsuit on copyright infringement. The couples lost, meet a seemingly nice guy, end up in a house full of sick cannibalistic killers, everyone gets killed, one girl survives, goes to guy from beginning of movie who, in this case NO surprise, is part of the killer clan. OK so leather face is replaced with DR Satan, and his scene was probably the best, but too close for coincidence. If Rob said it was a homage to Tobe and his flick I missed that. I'll probably watch it again, it has a few unique moments but sorry Rob, in my mind it was a plagiarized movie.
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