Sunday, December 5, 2010

BEYONCE: I AM... WORLD TOUR

(10 of 10)

If you're a Beyonce fan then you probably know how amazing her previous tours were. Personally, I have seen her twice with Destiny's Child and once on her "The Beyonce Experience" tour. So when I found out she was releasing her "I Am..." tour on DVD, I was quick to snatch it up. And it's just as amazing as it could be. From her D.C. medley to her smoldering ballads to an incomparable performance of "Single Ladies", Beyonce showcases it all. She also performs alot from her "I Am... Sasha Fierce" album as well. She's all for her fans and that shines through on this incredible concert DVD. So fellow Beyonce fans, if you haven't already made this purchase, I'm advising you to do so now...

THE UNBORN (2008)

(7 1/2 of 10)

A young woman is tortured by a demonic ghost who is haunting her in an attempt to take possession of her body and cross over into our world. Ghost stories usually aren't my thing, but I liked it. It was suspenseful and entertaining and I guess that's all you can really ask for from this type of film. It's pretty atmospheric and creepy as it plays on the "evil children" angle.

THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP

(7 of 10)

After a young boy finds what appears to be some sort of strange rock, it soon hatches to reveal the most legendary creature the world has ever seen, the mythical Water Horse. Adventures ensue in this heart-warming tale of friendship and courage. It's a worthy addition to your family's movie collection.

PREDATOR (1987)

(7 1/2 of 10)

Deep in the jungle, several bodies are found skinned and hanging from trees... these are victims of the Predator! It loves to hunt and is in it for the kill. Arnold Schwazenegger finds himself face to face with the creature and soon a fight to the death ensues... This is the original film that spawned a hit franchise. And a worthy one at that, if you haven't seen this Sci-fi / Action classic, you should seek it out.

LEGION

(7 1/2 of 10)

Okay, so the storyline is kinda strange: God puts a hit out on mankind when he decides humans are no longer worthy of their own existence. And the hitmen are angels from Heaven... Yes, very strange indeed. But this makes for an interesting film though. It's very well acted and has some outstanding fight sequences. If you haven't seen it, give it a try.

THE STRANGERS

(7 of 10)

A young couple find themselves besieged by a trio of psychopaths that taunt them from outside their home until eventually breaking in to cause even more mayhem and terror. Liv Tyler gives an amazing performance in this suspenseful flick. It's quite slow-paced though. For the first quarter of the film, there is very little spoken dialogue. And this is what stopped me from sitting through the film when I rented it when it first hit DVD shelves. But after finding it on Blu-Ray for $5.00, I decided to give it another shot. And I can't say that I regret it.

THE STEPFATHER (2009)

(8 1/2 of 10)

A teenage boy returns home from military school to find that his mother has a new man in her life... One that's hiding a very dark and very deadly secret! When neighbors start coming up dead, the boy, played by Penn Badgley, begins to suspect his new Stepfather is to blame. And he's right! Filled with suspense and thrills, this one should be on your viewing list. I mean, considering it was released in theaters with a PG-13 rating, I skipped it. But now it's on DVD and Blu-Ray in all its glory, Uncut and Unrated.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

VAMPIRES SUCK

(10 of 10)

I usually despise spoof movies, but since I'm a fan of the Twilight Saga, I gave it a shot. Coming off the success of Stephenie Meyer's book-to-screen vampire love triangle, it was bound to happen eventually. And it's actually pretty damn funny. That's if you don't take it too seriously. I mean, you have to have a sense of what you're getting into before you dive in. It's mindless, and ridiculous, and totally worth the rental.

THE MUMMY RETURNS

(8 1/2 of 10)

Following the original film, the mummified body of Imhotep is once again awakened to resume his quest for immortality. Filled with just as much action and adventure as the first, it's truly a worthy sequel and should not be missed.

THE MUMMY (1999)

(9 of 10)

The Mummy is based loosely on the classic 1932 Horror film of the same title. It tells the story of a group of people exploring the long lost city of Hamunaptra in Egypt who accidentally resurrect a mummy. I remember seeing this when it first came out and I thoroughly enjoyed the story - it's just a fun movie. Full of effects and non-stop action and excitement. Yes, the effects are somewhat dated, but with CGI always evolving, it's hard to not make that statement about a film that's over 10 years old.

THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE

(9 of 10)

An average college student, Dave (Jay Baruchel), is thrust into the world of Magic and Sorcery after he is recruited by Balthazar (Nicolas Cage) to become his apprentice. He must learn to hone his powers and stop a malevolent wizard from unleashing a powerful sorceress who's mission is to destroy the world as we know it. Based loosely on the short segment in Walt Disney's Fantasia, this film is definitely worth a viewing at your next family movie night.

THE WOLFMAN (2010)

(8 of 10)

Universal Studios has reinvented the classic Wolfman tale for a new generation. And it was done pretty well. They amped up the intensity as well as the gore levels. It does have it's slow-paced parts and I think that's the films only downfall. Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt give stellar performances throughout the film. If you're a fan of the original or suspenseful horror, you should give this a shot.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

CLAPHAM JUNCTION

( 7 of 10)

This is a sex-soaked Drama that follows multiple story lines throughout the entire film. I generally don't like films that jump from person to person but I actually didn't mind this one... There's men hooking up in bathrooms, a dinner party from Hell, a gay-basher, and a young boy that secretly watches his neighbor from across the street while masturbating... It's twisted to say the least, and very sexually explicit. So if this doesn't sound like your cup of tea then I'd probably skip it.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

PIRANHA (1978)

(8 of 10)

Albeit quite cheesy, it's still rather enjoyable. Since the remake is on the fast track to hitting the home video market very soon, I figured I'd review the original film first... The original follows a female investigator searching for a couple of missing teenagers. This eventually leads her to a testing site where she finds some of their belongings by a test pool. Then she drains it and unknowingly unleashes scores of genetically-enhanced Piranha into the nearby waters... It soon becomes a race against the clock for her and a man she meets along the way, Paul, to stop the Piranha from reaching a nearby Camp full of unsuspecting children who will no doubt fall victim to the flesh-eating monsters if they don't reach them in time.

This is a fun little film and if you don't take it too seriously and take it for what it is, a popcorn flick, I think you'll enjoy it as well.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

The A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Franchise

I have always enjoyed the ANOES Franchise and have ALWAYS been a hardcore-fan of Freddy. So, now that the reboot has arrived on Video Store shelves all over the globe, I think it's time for a film-by-film breakdown of one of my Favorite Horror Franchises:



A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
(10 of 10)

One, Two, Freddy's coming for you... You know, I really don't think that Wes Craven could have ever imagined how huge this movie was going to get. It tells the unforgettable story about a group of high-schooler's who are being hunted in their sleep by a maniacal madman who is horribly burned and dons a dirty red and green sweater and a Razor-Glove on his right hand. Heather Langenkamp portrays the role of Nancy, a sort of "leader" of the Elm Street kids. She's determined to put an end to Freddy Krueger before he kills all of her friends. This is what Horror is about! It was a staple of what to expect of Horror in the 80's. And it was simply... amazing!




A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE
(9 1/2 of 10)

I only hate the fact that this doesn't include Nancy. It does however, include her house. This takes place after Nancy and her family have moved off Elm Street and a new family has moved in. Teenage Jessy is now being haunted by Freddy in his sleep after moving into her house and now Freddy wants to use him as his "vessel" so he can cross over into the real world. So it's up to Jessy to fight him off before Freddy's reign of terror reaches the surface. This is full of cool special effects and death sequences. The open sequence with the school bus is worth the rental cost alone. A lot of people complain about the "gay" undertones, and I however, enjoy them. I think it adds a little comedy to the mix. It's definitely a worthy addition to the franchise.




A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS
(10 of 10)

And Nancy returns!!! I think this may be my absolute favorite entry in the franchise because it deals with the "last of the Elm Street children". The final teenagers who's parents were directly responsible for the death of Krueger are now all in a mental institution. But that hasn't stopped Freddy from picking them off one by one. Nancy leads the kids into a face-to-face war against Freddy in an attempt to end him once and for all. This one is made very well and includes some nice cameos such as Laurence Fishburne and John Saxon. It also introduces a new leading heroin, Kristin.




A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER
(10 of 10)

Freddy returns to finish off the last of the "dream warriors" and is inadvertently introduced to a whole slew of new teenagers. Kristin "pulls" Alice, a good friend of hers, into her nightmare and passes on her dream "powers". Alice must now take the reigns on the quest to stop Freddy's massacre. I think that introducing a new leading lady and, SPOILER: killing off the last one in the first act is a very tricky thing to do. But the way it was done with this film, it was almost seamless. It's by far, one of the best installments in the series.




A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5: THE DREAM CHILD
(8 of 10)

Now this one I had a bit of an issue with... So now Alice is pregnant and her baby is having nightmares. This, even for me, is a little far-fetched. We get a whole lot of back story and you would think there's a huge pay-off coming at the end of the movie, but there really isn't. This movie went in a very weird direction and it slowed down the pace of the entire film quite a bit. I still liked it, but it definitely could have been better.




FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE
(7 of 10)

Alright, for this being marketed as the epic finale that everyone has been waiting for, it wasn't that good. This time Freddy Krueger is hunting the last surviving Elm Street kid and his long-lost daughter. He is eventually brought face-to-face with his daughter and it's a literal fight to the death. I think this is a great concept that was poorly executed. It's great for a straight-up sequel but it somehow lacks the appeal of the previous films too much to be a definitive "ending". I of course still liked it because it was a Freddy movie.




WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE
(8 1/2 of 10)

This takes place outside of the mythology of all the previous films. A risky move indeed, but it still paid off really well... Heather Langenkamp (playing herself) is being stalked by a crazed fan who keeps sending weird letters and keeps calling her home. After her husband dies after falling asleep at the wheel and she discovers slash marks on his lifeless body, she begins to suspect that his death was more than an accident. She soon discovers that Freddy has entered the real world and the only way to defeat him is to become "Nancy" one last time... Full of direct nods to the first film, it's hard not to enjoy this film. True, it stumbles in some spots but altogether it's a worthy sequel to the original classic.




FREDDY VS. JASON
(9 1/2 of 10)

Two of Horror's greatest icons are face to face in an all-out battle... winner kills all. This was definitely a cheese-fest but it's really entertaining. It's got a hot new cast and some really awesome death sequences. Freddy is back on his A-game in this installment.





A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (2010)
(7 of 10)

Now this is an alright film but I cannot get past the fact that Freddy Krueger was played by someone other than Robert Englund. I mean Robert Englund IS Freddy Kruger. This fact alone really crippled me on enjoying the film. But I gave it a shot anyway... and I wasn't impressed with it at all. The story wasn't that intriguing to me. It was nice to see it updated for the next generation but it fell short of how entertaining the previous entries were. But I will say it had some really cool special effect sequences (I mean dream scenes, certainly not the horrible makeup of Freddy).

PREDATORS (2010)

(9 of 10)

This, in my opinion, is the best entry in the franchise. I was skeptical at first, but I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. It follows a gang of warriors (in their own way) who have been dropped on a rogue planet with no idea what they're doing there. They soon find out that they've just become the prey in a horrifying game of Cat and Mouse. They must fight like hell to survive against the Predators if they want to get back to Earth... alive. I really enjoyed the movie and I think that if you like Action flicks, you probably will too.

AVPR : ALEINS VS. PREDATOR - REQUIEM

(8 1/2 of 10)

This film follows the Predator ship crash-landing in a small town on Earth and unleashing Aliens along with the Half-breed Predalien. Now, another Predator has come to Earth to stop the Alien infestation... This, to me, is a more entertaining film than the first AVP because it's faster-paced and even more action-packed. My only complaint is that it didn't need to be filmed quite so dark. I mean, there are times when you literally cannot tell what's happening. Other than that little mishap it's a very enjoyable film.

AVP: ALIEN VS. PREDATOR

(8 of 10)

Merging two iconic franchises together is ALWAYS a delicate process but I think this achieved that pretty well. After a group of archeologists descend miles below the earth's surface and discover an underground temple, they soon realize that they're not alone. This flick is action-packed and well-paced. Yes, it could have been better but I can't complain too much because it was still done really well. See it.

THE DEVIL'S REJECTS

(9 1/2 of 10)

Picking up directly where "House of 1,000 Corpses" left off, this stunning sequel to the cult classic does what is rarely accomplished in Hollywood Horror... It outshines its predecessor! Yes indeed, even with Mother Firefly being recast, it's an undeniably better flick than "House of 1,000 Corpses". It's more action-packed, scarier, and even more twisted and brutal. Baby, Captain Spaulding and Otis return to unleash hell on earth to everyone that gets in their way. And even those they seek out just for the hell of it. Whether you're a fan of the slasher genre, or horror in general, everyone will find something that they like about this film.

HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES

(9 of 10)

Rob Zombie's directorial debut will go down in history as an undeniable Cult Classic. It's a creepy little tale of a group of thrill-seekers searching for a local legend: Dr. Satan. But what they find along the way is much more terrifying... A demented family of sick, twisted and maniacal murderers. This film is great and it's overflowing with unique characters that yo surely won't forget any time soon. If you haven't seen it, you should because it's actually quite entertaining.