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.

MY SISTER'S KEEPER

(10 of 10)

This film is so underrated that it's ridiculous. It's an amazing story... and an undeniable tearjerker. When a little girl (who was genetically-engineered before birth and born to keep her sister alive) files a lawsuit to the rights over making decisions over her own body, all hell breaks loose within her family. You see, her sister is dying of leukemia and needs a kidney to survive and the girl doesn't want to give it to her. (There's more to the story, I assure you. But I don't want to give anything away.) The mother is played by Cameron Diaz and up until this film I thought she was only capable of borderline-comedies. Well I stand corrected because she is phenomenal in this outstanding drama... I highly recommend it.

FAME (2009)

(8 of 10)

I liked this quite a bit... It's a retelling of the original classic and in essence, stays pretty true to the original storyline. It's definitely updated for a new generation and has some spectacular dance sequences. So all-in-all I enjoyed it. But as far as the actors go in this film, you probably WON'T Remember Their Names.

DEEP BLUE SEA

(10 of 10)

I'll admit it, I'm a huge "underwater creature movies" fanatic. And I LOVE Shark flicks. I've seen some really, really horrible ones in the past. So when you see a really good one you certainly appreciate it. This is, hands down, the BEST shark flick since the JAWS franchise. It's got some amazing special effects and an intriguing story. If you like creatures features, I say sink your teeth into this one...

NIGHT OF THE DEMONS 2

(6 1/2 of 10)

Although this has a different actress playing the role of Angela, it at least follows the story of the first movie. It's pretty good in it's own defense. Although it's certainly lacking the showstopper moments the first one has, it's still entertaining. This one has leans a little more toward the horror-comedy genre with some gross-out gore sequences. It's still a nice little popcorn flick.


*Please note that the film is in English, but I could only find this German trailer:

NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988)

(10 of 10)

This should be on every horror lover's list. It's such a fun Halloween Horror flick. It's full of scares and gore and plenty of demons. Angela is sooo creepy after she gets possessed as are the rest of the hellish creatures. I love the 80s feel of this frightful classic and if you haven't seen it, I really think you should seek it out.

HOUSE OF WAX (2005)

(8 1/2 of 10)

I have never seen the original, but this was a really fun film. The villains were cool and quite brutal, it was filmed very well and the acting was pretty good. (Well aside from Paris Hilton of course) And it actually had a pretty good story as its base. The effects were executed decently as well. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it...

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

(9 of 10)

A lot of people loved this film when it first came out and later despised it for being too cheesy. I however didn't. In fact, I went out and purchased the Blu-Ray and gave it another viewing a couple months back. I still like it and and I still think it's a very creepy little film. And it just goes to show that you don't need a multi-million-dollar budget to scare the hell out of an audience. And that still holds true today, as it still had the ability to freak me out.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

(6 1/2 of 10)

You know, I didn't hate it. And it was actually more interesting than the trailer seemed. It's about this poor young guy who has to battle the angry exes of his current love interest and it's actually kinda funny. I didn't really expect that from this film so I was pleasantly surprised.

TOY STORY 3

(7 of 10)

Okay, I loved the first one and really liked the second but this one was a little bit different than the others... It was almost too serious and moody for my taste. The villain teddy bear was a little too mean (comparatively to the villains in the previous entries) and I kind of found a couple moments quite depressing.

SPOILER:
Like when the toys were about to be incinerated at the dump and they all held hands, ready to die together. That was a little bizarre and out of character for this franchise I think. But none-the-less, it STILL had plenty of fun moments that I really did enjoy and I still think that if you enjoyed the first 2 films that you really should give this one a shot.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

THE LITTLE MERMAID

(10 of 10)

This is my absolute favorite Disney film of all time and I simply adore it. It has absolutely everything you could possibly want in a film: Adventure, a beautiful heroin, funny sidekicks, romance, adventure, action and the most unforgettable villain you will ever see in a Disney film, URSULA. I have loved this film ever since I was a child. If you don't own this or have never seen it, I think the very next thing on your to-do list is to seek it out!

THE LITTLE MERMAID 2

(9 of 10)

I have to say for a straight-to-video Disney sequel it was done really well. The original Little Mermaid is probably my favorite Disney tale and I remember being ecstatic when I heard a sequel was in the works. I liked it, my only complaint is that there wasn't a whole lot of Ariel. I get it, they wanted to tell the story of her daughter... but come on, there could have been a whole lot more of Ariel, or mermaids in general. But none-the-less it's still entertaining and has a fun new villain, Morgana, who is the sister of Ursula...

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991)

(10 of 10)

Like most other Disney Classics, Beauty and the Beast has and probably forever will, stand the test of time. It's a great feeling knowing that a film will truly live forever and be passed on from generation to generation. I simply adore the elegant beauty of this film and the timeless tale about loving someone for who they truly are and not what they APPEAR to be... I recently picked this up on Blu-Ray and I was astounded at how vibrant and real the picture seemed to be. It was true Disney Magic at its finest... If you don't own this film you're certainly missing out.

NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (2010)

(10 of 10)

I have waited to see this since I heard about it being in production way back when, and my anticipation had been building ever since... Well there's two things I can tell you right off the bat: 1.) It's not as good as the first, and 2.) It's just as good in it's own defense. See, the problem with remakes is that you always want to compare the two based on story and execution but this isn't what I would consider a "Remake" but rather a "Re-Imagining". So take notes Hollywood, re-doing a film based on it's title alone and not the story should be referred to as a "Re-Imagining" and not a "Remake".

Well now that I'm done ranting, I would like to say that this film is pretty much the deal. It's brimming with blood and gore and... DEMONS! It's a fun little popcorn flick and a true crowd pleaser. I would have loved to have caught it in theaters but it wasn't playing around where I live so I had to get it on Blu-Ray, which, by the way was definitely worth the purchase. I recommend that you hunt it down immediately!

LOTTERY TICKET

(10 of 10)

Absolutely!!!!! This was great. Bow Wow stars as Kevin Carson, a young guy living in the projects who wins a Multi-Million Dollar Lottery. But because he wins on the weekend of July 4th, he's unable to turn it in for the next three days... So after the neighborhood gets wind of his new-found fortune, he has to do everything in his power to hold on to that ticket long enough to cash it in. It's alot of fun and completely entertaining... highly recommended.

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD

(6 of 10)

Well, it's quite different than I expected... I expected it to be about Charlie forgiving himself for the inadvertent death of his brother while he was behind the wheel of a vehicle and eventually moving on with his life after falling in love with some girl. (Based on the trailer, it was a pretty good assumption) But no, he's kind of crazy in a whole I-Can-See-Dead-People sort of way and (without spoiling the film too much) I still don't understand some of the final act. The story definitely has it's holes but it's still semi-entertaining... I'd say catch in on cable or rent it if everything you were wanting to rent was already gone.

Monday, November 15, 2010

FROZEN

(10 of 10)

Beautifully acted and directed. It's as unnerving as a film of this nature can possibly get... What do you do when you are left on a ski lift after the resort closes down for the next five days? You try to survive. That's precisely the case when 3 young people are stranded up high above the ground, freezing to death. This is an intense film, and it sort of stays with you a while after the credits roll. I highly recommend it!!