One Movie A Day Remix

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To misquote Jimmy McNulty, 'oh Freddy, I had such high ****in' hopes for us'.

Can't say im surprised by the negativity, but I was hoping it would somehow transcend itself. Oh well, at least it sounds like Haley's done a good job. I'm still going to see this at the cinema, mind. Just because im a fan of the original and I was always too young to see a Nightmare film in the cinema.
 
Day 37: June 6th, 2010

Forrest Gump




A Film Everyone Should Watch.

So my good friend Powdered Water recommended Forrest Gump for me in my last attempt at this, I didn't get a chance to get to it. Now I have and that's one more off the list. Sooner or later, every film that was recommended to me will be watched, as long as I can get a copy of it.

Forrest Gump tells the story of, well Forrest Gump. The man was born with some disabilities, but he has overcome them and somehow seems to be present at a lot of historical moments. He's in love with his childhood friend Jenny, who constantly eludes him.

The film that beat my favourite film of all time at the Oscars. I'm not hating it, I think that both films deserved the title. Forrest Gump is something else. It seems to have been one of those, right place at the right time flicks. Everything about it simply works, it's heartwarming, funny, intelligent and depressing.

Tom Hanks gave us an unforgettable performance that goes down in history as one of the greatest. He is lost in this character and Gump takes a life of it's own. Probably one of the most lovable characters in the history of cinema. Jenny, the woman of his affections is played by Robin Wright Penn, her performance is almost saddening. Her life is constantly spiraling out of control and you can do nothing to stop it. Gary Sinise is hilarious as Lt. Dan, the hard ass in the army who loses his legs. We love to hate it at the beginning, then we come around, much like his character.

Speaking of losing legs, despite the film not needing a heavy load of CGI, it uses it beautifully. Inserting Gump into old footage and giving Sinise the lack of legs among other things. These are small things compared to what people are doing today, but Zemeckis has always been one to push technology in films, here he does it very well and never does it encompass the film. The story is forefront, something that he needs to get back into.

Forrest Gump is an everyman film. Meaning the almost everyone will like it. Some political messages may turn people the other way, but the overall feel of the film is something that a lot of people share. Every once in a while there is one film that touches a lot of people, I think Forrest Gump is one of those films. Even though the film goes off in many different directions, it works. Forrest in the army in one segment, then running around the country in another? I love it.

[rating]4.5[/rating]
 
Day 77: July 16th, 2010

Taxi Driver



On every street in every city, there's a nobody who dreams of being a somebody.

Scorsese has numerous films that I love and adore, Taxi Driver is one of them, not surprisingly. Is there any other lonely psychopathic character quite like Travis Bickle? I don't think so. It's easy to use words like brilliant, powerful and classic for this flick, so let's use those.

Taxi Driver is indeed a classic, it's hard hitting New York underbelly is dirty and raw. The film grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the explosive ending. No neat trick here, no special effects to heighten the tension, just like the city it is depicted in, the violence is raw and real. Travis Bickle unleashes terror in the climax and guess what, bullet don't fly off of him. He's not some lone gunman hero that is un-killable. He's no Terminator or Rambo. He's a man.

DeNiro, teaming up with Scorsese, is a powerhouse. This lonely and depressed man has dark thoughts, he is one person in a city of millions. The script paints the picture vividly, so well that Scorsese is easily able to paint that picture onto film. This movie needed to be filmed on film, if it were done today and were done with digital, it would never get the same feeling.

It is indeed an American classic and is still talked about to this day. It's Scorsese most depressing film. It also gave us that memorable line in the mirror that is parodied time and time again. Do yourself a favour, if you love film and want to experience it. Taxi Driver is a good place to start.

[rating]4.5[/rating]
 
Day 50: June 19th, 2010

Toy Story 3



So A Third Film In A Series Can Be Good?

Andy is going off to college and is given the option of putting his toys in the attic or throwing them out. Through a series of unfortunate events, the toys actually end up being donated to Sunnyside Daycare. Which at first, seems like a wonderful place to be, but the truth about the place is soon discovered by the toys and they try to escape.

In 1995 when Toy Story first hit the screens, I was around 7 or 8 years old. I am in disbelief at how young I was, 1995 doesn't seem that long ago, but it's been 15 years. I was still in elementary school when the second one came out too. I was young and was able to connect to both of the films, I saw a little of myself in Andy. I grew up playing with plastic army men, dinosaurs and cowboys. There is a special bond between a boy and his toys and Toy Story got it perfect. The original Toy Story introduced us to a few things. One was Pixar, a studio that would go on to create dozens of films that are entertaining and brilliant. Another was the first fully computer animated feature film. It changed the way animated films were made. Finally it gave us two of the most recognizable animated characters of all time, Woody and Buzz.

Flashforward 11 years after Toy Story 2. I have recently graduated college and don't play with my toys anymore. Andy is heading off to college and he doesn't play with his toys anymore. The big question I had was, can a third entry to a series that is more than a decade old, still hold true to the original and will I still be able to connect to it? The answer is yes, on both accounts. Toy Story 3 is magical, entertaining and heartfelt. It reminded me of my childhood and my toys, the biggest thing this film has going for it is nostalgia. I found it funny that more than half the people in the audience were not alive when the first film came out.

The constant fear of being discarded is present here, as it is in all three of the films. With this entry it is the forefront issue. The themes of loss, friendship and courage are all present in this third installment. Usually the third film in a franchise falls short of what the first two are, but this is not the case. Toy Story 3 is just as good as the first two. My minor complaint is that there is that one thing that is missing. It might be the 11 year gap between the films, but there is that little special thing that made me love the first two films that this one doesn't seem to have. Buzz seems a little underused as do the other toys, but this is a small issue that doesn't ruin a great film.

There are 3 scenes in the film that made me almost cry. Hey, I said ALMOST. The first one is pretty early on, when Woody calls for a meeting, something we are accustomed to in the previous installments. But this time we don't see dozens of toys coming out from under the bed, behind closets or out of bins. It's just these guys. All the other toys that we see in the background are gone. Even though they were never the main characters, or given a lot of screen time, there was something about each one that we seemed to love. This people were a family and that family is broken. Wheezy, Bo Peep, Etch, RC, Lenny the Binoculars, Mike the tape recorder, Rocky Gibraltar the gladiator. Dozens of lovable background characters that made us love that room so much more.

The other two scenes are near the end, one in which the toys join hands in fear of their ultimate doom. It's their realization of the end and their bonding together that got to me. The other is the final send off from Andy. The film builds on the previous adventures these characters had to tug on the heart strings. It never reaches the emotional depths of Up, but these are two totally different films. The way they chose to end the series, in my opinion was perfect and sad.

There are hundreds of new characters, all introduced at the Daycare. At first you would seem to think that you will be overwhelmed with all the additional characters, but it is never an issue. The two most prominent new characters are Lotso Hugs and Ken, who is voiced by Batman himself. Some of the more interesting new characters are never given a chance to shine, they belong to Bonnie in her room, mainly my new favourite Mr. Pricklepants.

The film mixes adventure, comedy and drama all perfectly. It's not as funny as the first two, but it is more adventurous. The animation doesn't call for anything fancy, these are toys after all, yet Pixar finds a way to still dazzle the eye. The climax of the film has a lot going on and it is edge of your seat entertainment.

To end this review, I'll simply say the last thing Andy said before leaving the toys..."Thanks Guys"

[rating]4.5[/rating]
 
Day 51: June 20th, 2010

Men of Honor



Another military film about training.

The inspirational and true tale of one black man who tries his hardest to become a deep sea military diver. Cuba Gooding Jr. is this man and the hard ass who is training him is none other than Robert De Niro.

Men of Honor seemed like another boring military film that focuses on one character who must overcome adversity while training to become a part of a special unit in the service. Then of course there will be the officer who trains them, he will be a hard ass who doesn't take any B.S. from anyone. The more he pushes you, the harder you become, the two usually hate each other at the beginning, but then come to terms and respect each other. In some cases they even end up liking each other. The third act of the film usually details the life of the character after he graduates the class. Men of Honor follows this criteria to a capital T.

With that being sad, I still found myself interested in the characters and the performance. This is an interesting film that pits two leading men who seem to have had bad luck with roles in this recent generation. Cuba Good Jr. can't seem to find his footing after winning an Oscar for Jerry Maguire, today the poor guy is in the direct to video market. In this performance he tackles it with true pride. His determination to provide the role with some credibility shines through. I usually find his work to be more or less with every film. Men Of Honor is one of his better performances. Robert De Niro has taken a big hit since his heyday. It seems that ever since the one role in Rocky and Bullwinkle, his script choices have been pretty dull. Some people refer to his roles post 2000 to be the sell out years. Men of Honor might be an exception, he brings his usual De Niro self to an otherwise thankless role. We don't know much about his character, other than he has a short temper and refuses a lot of orders.

The film has a one dimensional presentation and it hurts the plot and characterization. Despite this, it does hold together well for most of the running time. I always find that after the training sequences of the film are over, they tend to drag on afterwards. This film is no different. The most interesting part of the film is over and yet we are still sitting here watching events unfold that we have little interest in. The romance between Cuba and his gal is thin and Charlize Theron is given so little to do I wondered why she was even in the film.

Men Of Honor has everything that an inspirational film that is based on a true story should have. Our man character is black and has to overcome the racism of everyone around him. Nothing new, but knowing that it was based on a true story does lend to some moments where we respect that character for what he accomplished. Some scenes are really well done, specifically one where one character receives a medal of honor, which should have went to Cuba, but because he was black they gave it to the one guy who didn't deserve it.

The film is long and drags after the more entertaining parts are finished, but it's not a total loss. I can recommend it for people who are into the military film genre, this one has great performances that overcome a lazy script.

[rating]2.5[/rating]
 
Day 61: June 30th, 2010

Rocky III



Rocky defeats racism.

Third round, here we go. Rocky is defeated by Mr. T because he pities the fool. Mickey dies and Rocky cries. Apollo decides to retrain Rocky, get him back to tip top shape and reclaim his title. Oh yeah, Hulk Hogan makes an appearance.

The third film is a mish-mash of things. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's awful. The death of Mickey, while emotional for all of us, felt forced in some ways. They needed to push the emotional envelope for the character, it works well in that he losses the fight and has to be trained by another boxer, but I can't shake that feeling that it was used to play with the audience emotions. Mickey, the guy who taught us to eat lightning and crap thunder was gone. His death was laughable, but the emotional baggage brought with it was an interesting aspect to the film.

Rocky fights two entertainment icons. One is the wrestler Hulk Hogan, the scene is suppose to be the two putting on a show, but one takes it more seriously than the other. The second is of course, Mr. T. This film shows Clubber Lang as a dangerous opponent. But also this film shows that it dives right into the campy material. It's freaking Mr. T.

We see the montage, we hear the Eye of the Tiger, all classic moments from the series. The fight scene is well choreographed, but fails to take place in reality. As with each passing film, the fights get less and less believable, all for the sake of entertainment. Each punch sounds like pure movie magic, nothing that would really happen when you punch a guy. The next film does this too. In fact, they all do.

Clubber Lang, cartoon likeness aside, is a great opponent, or villain as they say, for Rocky. Apollo Creed may be the best boxer, but Clubber Lang does the most damage to Rocky. Rocky III is a film that is watchable, with classic moments from the series. If you are a fan of Rocky, this one makes the list.

[rating]3[/rating]
 
Day 13: May 13th, 2010

The Lovely Bones



It's Not The Mess People Say It Is

Susie Salmon was 14 when she was raped and murdered. Instead of going to heaven, she is in the in-between. She is there to watch over her family through the grieving process and to somehow bring her killer to justice.

Let me say right off the bat that I have not read the book, but I understand that a lot of the hate towards this film is the fact that Peter Jackson didn't get the emotion right and he left the important stuff out to focus on the magical world that is the in-between. While I can't attest to this, I can sort of see their point, even without reading the novel. The story is easy to follow, but near the end becomes a bit cloudy with it's purpose and message. The film is far from perfect, but it is not the mess that people say it is.

Jackson loves his CGI and he uses it beautifully here, but it does seem to be overbearing. A lot of the in-between scenes are nice to look at, but they don't hold any emotional resonance with the viewer. We get that it's a wonderful place where you can do what you want, but we are shown this too many times. It took away from the more interesting story that was the family.

Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz are the parents of Susie, normally I find Wahlberg to be too monotone and passive in his voice. I did not think he was going to be able to pull off the emotional requirements for this character. He didn't knock it out of the park, but he did surprise me. Weisz is the mother who cannot go on living in the house. Her husband is obsessed with the case and finding the murderer, her mother is an alcoholic and she needs room to come to terms with her daughter's death. The film doesn't explore the emotional weight enough for these two characters. We see they are upset, obviously, their daughter is dead, but I wanted them to dive deeper into their characters. It unfortunately wasn't the case here.

The film itself isn't sure what it wants to be, is it fantasy, is it a film about solving a murder case? It mixes both and yet doesn't feel like either. The obsession of the father is just one quick scene and we are to believe that he comes to a realization of certain events based on, I'm assuming, Susie willing him to. Far-fetched, but believable in some small ways. Stanley Tucci is the killer, this is no spoiler as it is all over the trailers. He is haunting in this role, his blue eyes are cold and steel like. His kind and warm hearted demeanor only adds to his tormented cruelty. Both Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci were excellent in their roles. Don't forget about Saoirse Ronan, after all if we don't like her why do we care? She was excellent and made the film better by her innocent and young portrayal of the victim.

There are certainly some suspenseful scenes, Jackson knows how to get an audience to hang on to the edge of their seats. Jackson uses his camera in unique ways to give and uneasy feeling at times. The shots looking through the doll house are great, as are the extreme close ups of random objects thrown on dutch angles.

The Lovely Bones isn't without it's problems. The film concludes with mixed messages and a lot of questions. Did she stay to see her killer brought to justice, or to kiss the guy? Does that girl live in that shack near the sink hole? Why did the film have random transformation possession scenes. None of it is really explained. She ends with film with some narration about the connections made in her death, yet I failed to see any.

In the end I did enjoy it though, it is shot beautifully and I was engaged in the story. The film is receiving a lot of heck, so I'll be in the minority and recommend it.

[rating]3[/rating]
 
You never know. They could always be those cold, distant parents that couldn't really care about what Bender gets up to, which would explain the fact that he's a troublemaker that's constantly getting Saturday detentions.
 
Day 18: May 18th, 2010

Dead Girl



Hey Kids, Who Wants To Watch A Movie About Raping Zombies?

Two high school friends ditch school to go drinking in this abandoned asylum. They get lost after an encounter with a dog and end up finding a body. The body is of a dead girl, naked and chained to a table. The twist is she is not dead, but the undead. What would the normal thing to do in this situation be? Well, one of the guys thinks it's to have sex with her and keep her as their sex slave. Things obviously get out of control.

Dead Girl was a little film that I heard about after reading a list of the Top Ten Most Disturbing Movies You'll Ever See. With that in mind, I went into Dead Girl expecting sick and twisted things. I got those, but not to the degree I was thinking of. Sure the scenario is sick and disturbing, but I find that if I went in not knowing anything about it, it would have had a more profound effect on me. Sexuality plays a big part in this film, the homosexual subtext between the two friends early on sets up some kind of weird relationship that isn't really explored till the end. These guys objectify women. They are virgins and want to loose their v-card, so seeing a naked girl chained up to a table unleashes these weird sexual urges in one of them. She tries to bite him and he beats her, breaks her neck as well.

Uh-Oh, she is not dead. They discover she can't die, the guy even shoots her to prove it. Yes, one character has a gun, and the scene is so poorly written that you can tell they needed a simply way of telling the audience this girl is dead. So we give a character a random gun that is used in this random scene and it is never seen again. The two friends immediately take opposing sides. One is in love with the idea and even invites others to join, while the other finds it sick and disturbing. The one in love with the idea becomes twisted and obsessed with his unorthodox relationship with this dead girl.

The analogy to boys growing up and exploring their sexuality is lost in this film, they resort to rape. I felt bad for the actress who had to lay there naked being used in such a horrific way. By the end of the film, it felt as if there was no real protagonist and everyone was evil. The comedy fell flat in some areas and seemed really random in others.

The subject matter is indeed interesting though and the filmmakers handled it in a mature way. It is not your average zombie film. You know that the climax of the film will involve her getting loose somehow. So there are no real surprises in the film. The twists and turns are really seen a mile away. Some people might find it hard to enjoy a film that is about necrophilia. I for one thought it started off well and then gradually had it's ups and downs. The inclusion of the other guys (Wheeler and two bullies) seemed to show the writers were a bit inept, the dialogue didn't help it either.

The subject matter is controversial and so is the film, to a degree. It's not the most horrifying film I've ever seen, nor does it really tip the ice berg. But then again, you are probably not like me. Constant images of a naked woman chained up, beaten to a pulp, bloody, raped and degraded might bother some people. The horror aspect is left until the end when it becomes more of a conventional horror film. It's the unsettling mood and themes this film has that make people uneasy with it. I can only recommend this to people who are actually interesting in this type of stuff. This is not for your every day movie goer.

[rating]2.5[/rating]
 
Day 42: June 11th, 2010

P2



More Violent & Bloody Than I Thought It Would Be.

A business woman has to work late on Christmas Eve, when she finally finishes and heads down to the parking garage, her car won't start. She asks the parking attendant to help her, but what she doesn't realize is that he is a deranged psychopath who has been watching her and wanting to be with her for quite some time now.

I had pretty low expectations for this film, after all it is set in a parking garage. Yet P2 surprised me, not only was it suspenseful, it had great performances and a pretty surprising amount of violence. With a lot of horror/thrillers these days they seem to skim out on the bloody violence, but P2 uses it very well here. It's not overly done, only used sparingly. When it is used, it's gruesome, which adds to the ick factor. P2 gets a thumbs up from me because of that.

Wes Bently plays the parking attendant and he plays crazy very well. His calm demeanour is even more sinister than what a loud lunatic would be. He wants to be Rachel Nichols' friend desperately, he is madly in love with her. In his sick and twisted way, they need/have to be together. He is there to help her realize this and is willing to kill those who either get in the way or mistreat her. This takes us into our first death and one of the most gruesome parts of the film. For those that are squeamish, they should look away because one characters gets beaten repeatedly and then some. I find myself liking Bently more and more with every film I see him in, with the exception of Ghost Rider...ew.

Rachel Nichols is the female lead, she is suppose to be the clich
 
Day 52: June 21st, 2010

X-MEN



The comic book film that re-started this generation.

Mutants are feared and hated, they have special abilities that humans don't. Magneto is a mutant who believes a war is brewing between mutants and mankind, so he sets out to turn everyone into a mutant. Professor Xavier and his team of X-Men believe mankind is good and can live peacefully with mutants, they must stop him.

There have been many comic book films before X-Men, the most notable ones are Superman and Batman, yet there have even been lesser known comic book characters getting their big screen debut before the mutants. Tank Girl, Blade and The Crow all got their chance and they did pretty well (well, maybe not tank girl) but I think it was X-Men that kick started this wave of comic book films that we have today. 2 years later we got Spider-Man and then every other film coming out was based on a comic book. X-Men, ten years later, still remains to be one of the better adaptations.

The key role in the success of this film was the casting choices. Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier is not only a stroke of genius, but the most obvious choice. Newcomer Hugh Jackman gives us a dead on portrayal of Logan aka Wolverine and since this film has become a superstar in Hollywood, even getting his own film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Ian McKellen plays the villain Magneto and even though his physical appears make him appear fragile, his use of speech and demeanor make him terrifying in a unique way, you believe that he is as dangerous as they say.

Being a big fan of the comics, I was anticipating this film with a big smile on my face. I liked it then and as I mentioned earlier, it still holds up today. There are some shoddy special effects that jump out at you more now than ever, but as a whole, this comic book adaptation hits the right notes. Bryan Singer uses homosexuality as a comparing theme for mutants. Being a homosexual himself, he seemed to be able to portray the issues of separation and isolation that mutants feel. This is further explored in the sequel.

I can help but feel that by the film's conclusion, they could have gone a little bigger. The conflict between Sabretooth and Wolverine is not as engaging as a fan of the comics would want and the changing of Rogue into the Jubliee character from the animated series might rub some people the wrong way. Sabretooth is not as vicious as he could be and Rogue is an annoying teenage girl.

X-Men is a good film that is shy of being great. Everything that was mishandled here was made right in the sequel. X-Men proved that comic book films can be smart and not just for fans/geeks who collect comics.


[rating]3[/rating]
 
Day 2: May 2nd, 2010

Revolutionary Road



The American Dream, Is Actually A Nightmare.

A young couple living in 1950's suburbia think they are different from all the other families living the American Dream. Although, they soon find out that not every dream comes true and they fall exactly into the situations they didn't want to be in. Their marriage is falling apart, they have trouble raising their children and they want out of this lifestyle.

Sam Mendes is a filmmaker who knows exactly what he wants, which is why he would want to work on this film. Revolutionary Road is probably his least interesting film, story wise. After-all, it's just about two people who try to cope with their lives. There is no motivational plot to it, but the thing about this film is that it doesn't need one. We are getting a glimpse into the lives of two people who had big dreams and realized that they had to sacrifice them in order to live their lives. It's sad, but it also rings true.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, as the married couple who constantly fight. Everyone called this film the "What If Jack and Rose Ended Up Together" movie. Yet it is so much more than that. They give powerful performances, which unfortunately were overlooked during the Oscar season. Another Titanic star, Kathy Bates, gives her support to the couple as the real estate agent who thinks the world of them. She has a son, who is mentally unstable and asks to bring him over for dinner one night. Michael Shannon plays the son and he steals both scenes he is in. For a guy who is deemed insane, he is the only one who speaks the truth.

I watched this flick because so many people told me how depressing it was. While it was depressing I didn't find it to be that bad. The most depressing aspect of the film is how relatable it is to real life. This story happens everywhere and that is the sad part.

The cinematography is great, the 1950's feel was spot on and really gave the film more of a cinematic sense of wonder to it. Roger Deakins seems to know exactly what is needed for every film he takes on. The look and feel of the film here is so simple, yet so beautiful at the same time.

Finally, I can see why people may not like this film. It's definitely an acquired taste. I was not in love with it by any means and for those involved it's not their best work. Instead it's a film to enjoy once. I wouldn't bother watching it again because the pace is long and I feel that I won't be as engaged a second time.

On a final note, why do guys from the 1950's only last about 15 seconds?

[rating]3.5[/rating]
 
Day 53: June 22nd, 2010

X-MEN 2



A sequel that outshines the original.

An attempt on the Presidents life doesn't help the X-men's cause for peace between mutants and mankind. Magneto is still up to no good and a new enemy surfaces, Stryker, who seems to have a past with Wolverine. Wolverine tries to find answers to his past through this mysterious man who wants to kidnap mutants.

X2 opens with a bang and is one of the best scenes in the entire trilogy. We are introduced to a popular x-men character, who is visualized perfectly and is one of the best character adaptations the films have ever done and the sequence itself is entertaining. So much that it immediately grabs you and tells you that this film is a sequel that outshines the original and it does. Bryan Singer took the flaws of the original and fixed them here, he makes a sequel that is not only bigger, but better. Many times sequels fall under it's own need to do things on a grander scale, but here it works.

We are introduced to some new characters, such as Nightcrawler, Pyro and Lady Deathstrike. All three of these characters shine in this film and elevate it to making this sequel the best in the series. Deathstrike has a brutal and violent fight scene with Wolverine, it seems he has finally me his match this time around. Styker is played by Brian Cox, he is deliciously evil and a nice face to see against the x-men then just having it be Magneto again.

The action sequences are better here, more rough and tough. They are choreographed to make it not only more real, but more entertaining. They fit the comic book form a little more here than in the previous installment. The risk in this film seems a bit greater as well, the stakes are risen in the sequel and it makes us care more about the characters and the outcome then what one would initially think.

Halle Berry and her role as Storm is still one of the weakest parts of the series. Her lines fall flat and her sincerity doesn't seem genuine. Her bits with Nightcrawler seem forced and she somehow manages to take one of the coolest characters from the comics and make her quite lame here. James Marsden improves here as Cyclops, he has more emotional baggage to carry here than last time. It's always hard to act when your eyes are covered, I give him credit despite having less screen time.

This film is darker, not everyone makes it out alive. It sets up one of the best story lines the comics have ever introduced, the Dark Phoenix Saga. The script is tighter as is the acting. Rogue is still an annoying teen, but she has matured a bit since last time. The special effects are improved and the direction is more polished. If I were to point anyone into the direction of an x-men film, this is the one I'd tell them to watch.

[rating]4[/rating]
 
Day 19: May 19th, 2010

The Collector



Throw Plausibility Out The Door.

When a thief enters a house he was working construction at, he is under the impression he will be stealing a diamond. He has debts to pay off. When he enters he notices that there is someone else in the house too, an insane serial killer. He's known as The Collector. It becomes a cat and mouse game between the two.

Very interesting take on the genre. Two bad guys in a house, one more evil than the other of course, but interesting nonetheless. What would have made this film better for me is if they ditched the thief aspect and had the lead be another serial killer. Then we have two serial killers trying their hardest to best the other in their own sick and twisted ways. Alas, this is not that film. Though I give the film props for having a main character with some brains.

A lot of people are comparing the film to the SAW series, that's understandable. The killer sets each room up with it's own trap. Unique and interesting traps that make you wonder how the hell he could have done it all, some of them while the thief is still in there. To enjoy this film I had to throw plausibility out the door. You should too, otherwise you might be frustrated.

I think you can guess why they call him the Collector. No need to probe that area. But why does he collect? Not really explored. I wanted to get inside this guy's head. We are never given that chance. Our lead is interesting to some degree, he makes being a down on your luck loser guy likable. Once we get into the house, pretty much everything stops from a story telling stand point and it turns into a "how can we up ourselves in each room' scenario.

The film has a somewhat 80's feel to it, revamped for today's genre. When the film should have been able to stand out on it's own, it falls. It becomes a cookie cutter follower and never stands out of the shadow of the films before it. It's a dark and depressing film too, any sense of hope is squashed and you feel rotten after the credits roll. Good job on that.

Bottom line is that the real star of the film are the traps. They're are intriguing and if you can get pass the logistics of many of them, you'll enjoy the suspenseful ride.

[rating]2.5[/rating]
 
Day 78: July 17th, 2010

The Rocky Horror Picture Show



Another Kind Of Rocky.

If you'd had said that I would love a film that involved song and dance numbers, a character who cross dresses and Susan Sarandon, I'd call you crazy. Yet here I am, reviewing the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The craziest film that gets you singing along. I had the great opportunity to see this in the theatre once for a midnight showing. It was a blast.

Brad (asshole) and Janet (slut) have car trouble and take refuge in the Frankenstein Castle. While there, they run into some Transylvanians and a mad doctor, Dr. Frank-n-Futer. He is creating his masterpiece, Rocky. The film blends horror, sci/fi, comedy, musical, camp, and thrills in one unforgettable package. The moment those lips appeared on the screen singing the opening number, Science Fiction + Double Feature, I knew I would like this film.

I was wrong, I loved this film.

Riff Raff, my favourite character, is played by Richard O'Brien. Half of the creative team behind this piece. The most iconic character in musical films, in my opinion, is played by Tim Curry. In an unforgettable role as Frank-n-Futer. The film has catchy songs, every single number I seem to like. Of course I have my favourite, but there is not one song that I can't stand. A rare thing for me and musicals.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a hard film to sell to people. It might make them uncomfortable to watch, but I love it every time I see it. It's campy for sure and it knows it. People didn't get that back when it was released, but they did once it played to the midnight crowd. It holds the record for longest film release for theatres, because it's still going.

[rating]4[/rating]
 
Day 62: July 1st, 2010

Rocky IV



Rocky defeats Communism.

Creed fights a big Russian dude and dies. Rocky cries because he lost yet another friend to boxing circumstance. Rocky agrees to fight this Russian, in Russia of all places and finds the determination and will to win.

This film is utterly ridiculous. Ivan Drago punches at a power level of 2150 psi. One punch to Rocky's head would kill the guy. Yet he keeps on coming like the energizer bunny. While in Russia the Russian fans cheer for the American boxer Rocky. This is the cold war people, I know Americans can be full of themselves sometimes but this is a bit ridiculous. Fans of the sport? Want to support the underdog (is he still considered an underdog now?) Cheer for him after the fight, not during. That damn robot.

With all that said, I love this film.

What? Did you read that right? You did.

It is all because of Ivan Drago, the absolute best thing in the entire series. I loved this guy, his stature is pure determination. The guy is the perfect fighter. Dolph Lundgren explodes onto the scene in a role that defines his career. It's his most memorable role and he barely speaks a word. I admire him and his roles, he has something about him that is likable. My favourite Rocky opponent is without a doubt Ivan Drago.

The rest of the film is ridiculous, but I let it slide. Bad move on my part? Doesn't make sense with everything else I've said about the other films? I don't care. This is my guilty pleasure film of the series. How 'bout that.

More montage of Rocky training, in Russia. His told school methods compared to the new technology that Drago is using. Paulie tells Rocky that is he could be anybody else in this world, it would be him. Touching, Paulie us usually used for bits of comedic relief. He was the guy that was just around. His in Rocky's corner now.

The film focuses less on the characters and their problems and more on the montages, muscles and fighting. I'm fine with that, it's nice to have a fun little break away film in the series. Creed's death isn't as emotional as Mickey's, but we still feel the heat. Drago straight up murders the man and walks away. Bad ass?

If it weren't for Drago, this film would be a lot lower on my rating scale. Take that as you will.

[rating]3.5[/rating]
 
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