One Movie A Day Remix

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That's not the definition of "good" I had in mind. The film implies that Bender comes from a white trash household and has a father that's both physically and verbally abusive. By "good" I mean that he comes from a more affluent background similar to Andy's or Claire's, but his parents either don't care about him or don't know what to do with him. You could probably make a similar case for the other kids' parents as well.
 
Day 58: June 27th, 2010

Fright Night



There are some very good reasons to be afraid of the dark.

After his new neighbour moves into town Charlie begins to suspect he is a vampire. He tries to get the help from famed tv star Peter Vincent, Vampire Hunter to help kill him. But does anyone believe him?

That is Fright Night in a nutshell and the film is great eighties horror camp. Along with the Lost Boys this vampire romp is something I can watch over and over and is another entry into a long list of vampire films that are

A: Better than Twilight
B: I would rather watch than Twilight.

I'm sorry for bringing Twilight into this review, but it's a teeny romance film disguised as a vampire flick, so every chance I get I will knock it.

Sarandon is Jerry the vampire, he has a certain sex appeal about him that vampires usually do. They are either lustful, or ugly as hell. Sarandon becomes both. His good looks and calm demeanor are great, he oozes cool in this film. Roddy McDowall is hilarious as Peter Vincent, Vampire Killer. My one complain lies in the casting of now gay porn star Evil Ed. His annoying laugh and horrible acting really drag the film down in the scenes he is in. I cheered when his death scene occurred, one of many highlights in the film.To some small degree, Charlie Brewster himself gets tiresome. He is clearly an idiot.

The special effects are pure eighties and still rock to this day. I'd rather watch this film than Twilight anyday for the effects....for story....for pretty much anything. Sorry, like a said, any chance I get. Hell, even the wolf transformation scene is better than the stupid one from American Werewolf in Paris. See, no film is spared here.

The film has a horror Rear Window vibe to it. Is he, or isn't he a vampire. Seeing something you're not suppose to from your house. Fright Night is getting a remake with Colin Farrell in the role of the Vampire. I don't see it reaches the heights of this film, but I will still give it a chance. Fright Night is cheesy b-horror movie entertainment. Characters do stupid things, there's craziest effects, pure eighties soundtrack, some nudity, and vampires. Good mix for a good film.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Twilight Sucks.

[rating]3.5[/rating]
 
Watched State of Play again on the weekend (fourth or fifth time). Also written a review about it, it`s such a great movie. I guess you are right about Affleck (Gone Baby Gone!) and Lohan (sweet, but not-so-clever).
Also great: Hellen Mirren (as usual) and Jason Bateman as pervert PR-guy.
 
Good review and all, but in all the ten times I've seen Shadow of a Doubt, I've never thought that there was anything sexual between the two Charlies. Love and a kind of storybook romance an older relative can show to a younger one, yes, but nothing sexual in the least.
 
Day 76: July 15th, 2010

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind



Best film of 2004 and a personal favourite of mine.

Yes, I love this film. It grabbed me in such a way that I cannot really describe. For a film about love and loss, it had me from the start. The fact that it is unconventional makes me smile with glee. Eternal Sunshine is a beautiful and heartfelt film that is depressing as hell and a marvel to watch. I cannot heap enough praise on this film.

After a bad break up, Clementine decides to erase the memory of Joel, completely. This is possible at Lacuna, Inc. Joel finds this out, which is an uncommon thing for the company and he wants to same procedure. They agree to do so and we enter the surreal world of Joel's mind as he lives the good and bad memories of his time with Clementine.

Written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry, this is a match made in heaven. The filming style of Gondry flows beautifully with the writing and the weird and quirky story here. Very few instances of the use of CGI, Gondry shows us the imagination and creativity are always a way to get things done. The film is an inspiration in ways to look outside the box and find solutions to problems. The indie way he made this film gives it a feel as if you are there with them. As I mentioned before, Kaufman wrote the script, it's a beautiful mess. Joel's memory is being erased, but he finds himself wanting to keep certain ones, the good ones. He fights for his chance to remember and this is where the film gets strange...-r.

Jim Carrey gives his best performance to date and Kate Winslet is on top of her game as the ever changing Clementine. For a film that is emotionally draining at times, I find myself wanting to watch it again as soon as it's over. Don't get me started on the music, it's serene and eerie. A beautifully constructed emotional piece to accompany a strong story and visuals. The film gets me thinking of what I would do if this technology existed, or what my girlfriend would do. I ask her and others exactly what the tagline does....Would you erase me?

[rating]5[/rating]
 
Well, to be fair. If I see a theatrical film the review will be longer. Usually it will be a paragraph or two.
 
I liked Alien: Res. Maybe it's because i saw it before Alien 3 but liked the tone and thought it nailed some decent suspense and had a great supporting cast- Wincott, Dourif etc. Ryder didn't need to be an android though, that was a cheap twist. Surprised you didn't mention the awful hybrid alien design at the end though.
 
I usually (though not always) play it like this with + rep for reviews.

If I've seen the film and your opinion agrees with mine, obviously that's a +. If you don't, but you articulate what you saw/thought differently well, at least to my mind, that's a +. If I haven't seen the film and the review makes me want to see it (either because of the writing or just because the film sounds good) that's a + and if I'm not sure about a film and a review pushes me one way or the other (into seeing it or not) that's a +.

Hot Tub Time Machine is something I've toyed with seeing since its release. Some things look/sound good others not. Your review enforced both, but I've yet to make a decision and, after reading the review, I'm not moved any further either way. Therefore, I've not + repped it.

It may sound odd or harsh, but that's how I usually do it for all the reviews on this site.


I see. Thanks for cleaning that up.

So this wasn't anything that was actually in the film, just something someone came up with. So, for instance, I could say that Andrew's father is gay and that he thinks that, by pushing his son to be the best (i.e. most macho) he's trying to ensure that his son isn't, as he blames his own father for his homosexuality. There's nothing in the film to suggest that's true, but I can theorize that it is.
 
I'm planning on checking out the source material, on honeykid's recommendation.
 
Day 11: May 11th, 2010

Smokin' Aces 2: Assassin's Ball



I Liked The First One, But This One Fails Terribly

Pretty much the same plot as the first one. Someone has put out a hit on another person and dozens of highly skilled assassins are called in to take him out. Bullets fly, bodies fall and the story doesn't seem all that it was suppose to be.

I'm one of a few people who really dug Smokin Aces. It had great quirky characters, good action when it was actually happening and it showed Ryan Reynolds can do more than just comedy. People seemed to complain that it was thin on story, needed more action, and deserved a better twist. Well, I am putting all those complaints to the second film, which is actually a prequel.

Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins Ball is a cheap direct to DVD cashing in on the name, quick and dirty film. The production values are pretty low rent and the acting suits it. Vinnie Jones is the biggest name draw and he is hardly in the film. They plaster his face all over the poster and he honestly doesn't belong there. In fact, one of the main characters isn't even on the poster. He's not recognizable enough. Tom Berenger plays the character who has the contract out on him and a special team of agents must protect him. So they take him to a vault, highly protected and assure him no one can get in. Sure enough, dozens of crazy hit men show up and that's when things go from bad to worse.

The Tremor family makes a return, minus Captain Kirk and Martin Keamy (Star Trek and Lost fans can attest). They kept the least interesting brother, the one who obviously needed the money, and introduce three new Tremor characters. The crazy sister, the dumb bigger brother and the hillbilly father. None of these new tremor characters are as interesting as the two missing. The film tries to fill that void, but it fails. Instead the fans get a poor imitation of one of the better aspects of the first film.

The action is lame and never feels as frantic as it should. The cheap explosions are goofy and laughable. We never get a chance to connect to any of the characters. In the first film, I was picking my favourite hit men, this one I had none. None of them are as cool, or as memorable.

The twist is lame and makes little to no sense. The writing of the film was slacking and obviously written so quickly to get the film into production that people must have really not read it. The director P.J. Pesce, seems to specialize in direct to video films. It shows, since he has no theatrical vision and the film feels very confined to its obvious production costs.

If you hated the first film, thought it was decent or just liked it, I would advise you to skip this one. I only recommend it if you are truly a die hard fan. Even then, I say proceed with caution.

[rating]1.5[/rating]
 
It's my second fave Hughes flick, after Ferris Bueller... , and those are the only two I give [rating]4[/rating], at least of the films he directed.
 
I expect to get into some older films that I haven't seen and been meaning to, also want to hit up some movies that were recommended last time but never got the chance to see.

Stay Tuned.
 
Day 66: July 5th, 2010

Texas Chainsaw Massacre



Who will survive and what will be left of them?

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre claims to be based on true events. The events, as far as I can tell, involve a man who would kill his victims, then wear their skin. Leatherface does this very well, his demented, mentally challenged terror strikes fear in the hearts of those who are in the film and sitting in the chairs at home. The first experience of him swinging the door open and slamming that mallet into the head of his victim is memorable for the sheer visceral nature of it all.

The film was directed by Tobe Hooper and made him a horror icon. More than 30 years later, people still talking about this film and it has spawned numerous sequels and a film franchise reboot for the newer generation. TCM is low budget horror as it should be, you either hate it or love it.

Now I'm going to contradict that last sentence and say I'm in the middle. While I love the style of the film, how it was shot, what it took to get it made and the cultural impact of it all, the film definitely rubs me the wrong way sometimes. For one it has one of the most annoying and hated characters in the history of film. I'm talking about Franklin, the big loud moth wheelchair sloth who bitches and complains about every little thing. I can honestly say that if he were not in the film, I would have enjoyed it immensely.

The gritty documentary feel, this film excels at it. The atmosphere is here, the house itself is terrifying, with the bones everywhere and the meathooks just waiting for a body to be thrown on. The leatherface character is one to be afraid of, he doesn't speed walk to kill his victims like Jason, Michael and the Fisherman from I Know What You Did Last Summer, he full on runs after you. Chainsaw blaring.

The film ends abruptly, which was perfect. You are thrown into this mayhem, then immediately taken out. It's a sudden jolt that you do not expect. While this film is not one of my favourite horror films of all time, I can say that I appreciate and respect it a hell of a lot.

[rating]3[/rating]
 
Really? That was one of the first things I picked up on. Their first meeting is the most obvious to me, just the way they are talking to each other. Most of it is in the performance from Cotten.
 
Now I'm reminded of the time I was in a video store and ended up recommending Fright Night to a couple of girls. Wish I could find out what they thought of it.
 
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