Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Fighter [Trailer]
David O. Russell directs with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale starring, I'm there....
Sunday, September 12, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D
IN THEATERS
RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D
Experience a new dimension in action horror as director Paul W.S. Anderson uses the 3D technology pioneered by James Cameron and Vincent Pace to take movie lovers on a nightmare thrill-ride. It's been five years since the zombie virus swept across the globe, and Alice (Milla Jovovich) is still traveling tirelessly in search of survivors. When the Umbrella Corporation ratchets up the stakes, an old friend turns up to lend Alice a helping hand. Rumor has it that some survivors have found sanctuary in Los Angeles, but when Alice and friends show up they find the city overrun with zombies, and quickly realize they've stumbled into a diabolical trap. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Paul Anderson
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio Peris-Mencheta.
Release Date: Sep 10, 2010
Rated: Sequences of strong violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
There are plenty of unexplainable events in the world but none boggles the mind more than the Resident Evil franchise. How and why it’s made it to 4 films and why I’m there ever opening weekend. I don’t know, maybe I find Milla Jovovich terribly likable and think she could be a stellar action heroine for this generation. I keep hoping that someday she’ll find the right project and really make something impressive, after The Fifth Element of course. I’ve now sat through Ultraviolet and all these Resident Evil movies, even rewatched the first 3 films of this series, 2nd one gets closest to the actual video game feel. I’ve been a fan of the Resident Evil series since I first played the game back in college and it’s always seem like the type of game that would work impressively well on film. Sadly, Paul W. Anderson was given the keys to the car and never really had much interest in anything, outside of token moments, close to faithfulness. With Anderson at the helm the series we got lots of slowmo and lots of pointlessness. The plot is incredibly pointless, they take care of the hook from the last movie in the first 10 minutes and then just go on about their business. The reason for this film to exist is simply to showcase James Cameron’s 3D tech without the Smurfs. As a tech demo for 3D it’s a massive success. There is no reason to see this movie in 2D because if you do you’ll be left with nothing but a strange feeling of being robbed of time and money. So my answer is spend more money on higher price tickets? Yeah kind of, the only reason to see this movie is to see what an action movie would look in proper 3D. The action sequences are all set up well and Anderson’s overuse of slowmo lets you appreciate the experience. Speaking about anything else like acting or story is pointless as there is nothing else to this movie but 3D action.
D-
RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D
Experience a new dimension in action horror as director Paul W.S. Anderson uses the 3D technology pioneered by James Cameron and Vincent Pace to take movie lovers on a nightmare thrill-ride. It's been five years since the zombie virus swept across the globe, and Alice (Milla Jovovich) is still traveling tirelessly in search of survivors. When the Umbrella Corporation ratchets up the stakes, an old friend turns up to lend Alice a helping hand. Rumor has it that some survivors have found sanctuary in Los Angeles, but when Alice and friends show up they find the city overrun with zombies, and quickly realize they've stumbled into a diabolical trap. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Paul Anderson
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio Peris-Mencheta.
Release Date: Sep 10, 2010
Rated: Sequences of strong violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
There are plenty of unexplainable events in the world but none boggles the mind more than the Resident Evil franchise. How and why it’s made it to 4 films and why I’m there ever opening weekend. I don’t know, maybe I find Milla Jovovich terribly likable and think she could be a stellar action heroine for this generation. I keep hoping that someday she’ll find the right project and really make something impressive, after The Fifth Element of course. I’ve now sat through Ultraviolet and all these Resident Evil movies, even rewatched the first 3 films of this series, 2nd one gets closest to the actual video game feel. I’ve been a fan of the Resident Evil series since I first played the game back in college and it’s always seem like the type of game that would work impressively well on film. Sadly, Paul W. Anderson was given the keys to the car and never really had much interest in anything, outside of token moments, close to faithfulness. With Anderson at the helm the series we got lots of slowmo and lots of pointlessness. The plot is incredibly pointless, they take care of the hook from the last movie in the first 10 minutes and then just go on about their business. The reason for this film to exist is simply to showcase James Cameron’s 3D tech without the Smurfs. As a tech demo for 3D it’s a massive success. There is no reason to see this movie in 2D because if you do you’ll be left with nothing but a strange feeling of being robbed of time and money. So my answer is spend more money on higher price tickets? Yeah kind of, the only reason to see this movie is to see what an action movie would look in proper 3D. The action sequences are all set up well and Anderson’s overuse of slowmo lets you appreciate the experience. Speaking about anything else like acting or story is pointless as there is nothing else to this movie but 3D action.
D-
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Hobo With a Shotgun Trailer [UNRATED]
With the release of Machete and Grindhouse film, it appears that there is a resurgence of exploitation films, something that makes me rather happy as I've always enjoyed the genre.
Up next, the film version of Grindhouse Jason Eisner’s contest winner, Hobo with a Shotgun and it looks like it'll be right up my alley.....
Up next, the film version of Grindhouse Jason Eisner’s contest winner, Hobo with a Shotgun and it looks like it'll be right up my alley.....
Saturday, September 4, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW: MACHETE
IN THEATERS
MACHETE
Robert Rodriguez brings a new breed of anti-hero to the big screen in this hyper-violent adaptation of the "fake" trailer originally featured in the 2007 double-feature exploitation throwback Grindhouse. Machete (Danny Trejo) is a former Mexican Federale who plays by his own rules, and doesn't answer to anybody. In the wake of a harrowing encounter with feared drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal), Machete finds himself in Texas, where the shadowy Benz (Jeff Fahey) offers him the opportunity to make some quick cash by assassinating the unscrupulous Senator McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro). When the job goes awry and Machete realizes he's been set up, he turns to fierce taco queen Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), heavily-armed holy man Padre (Cheech Marin), and trigger-happy socialite April (Lindsay Lohan) to show Benz that he just messed with the wrong Mexican. But before they can get to Benz, Machete's gang will have to contend with blade-wielding ICE agent Sartana (Jessica Alba), who never met an adversary she couldn't flay. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
Cast: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez.
Release Date: Sep 03, 2010
Rated: strong bloody violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity
Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
Robert Rodriguez’s Machete could have easily been added to Grindhouse for a full on triple feature. It feels like such an extension of that wonderfully unappreciated exercise that it makes you wish Grindhouse has been more successful so as to spawn more films from those mock trailers, prays for Edgar Wright’s Don’t!. Future prospects might be better should this one do well at the box office but that might be a difficult sell as this film is very much for a certain niche of the film viewing audience. You’ll find out if you are part of this niche within the first 10 minutes of the movie. You’ll either be gleefully grinning like some sort of demented Cheshire Cat or utterly disgusted, a nude woman pulling a cell phone out of her, um, well……nevermind. Rodriguez’s fleshed out story plays out with a strong pro-immigration sentiment throughout but with all the depth of an exploitation film from the 70’s. It’s a modern day Brown-ploitation film using trademark plot points from classic exploitation films like Shaft or Foxy Brown. The entire plot plays out with a self aware sense of self, always keeping things fun and light even if Rodriguez makes it very obvious he’s using this film to make a point. Danny Trejo, one of the legion of “that guy” actors, is stoic and cool throughout, never breaking as much as a grin or a sweat. He’s a superhero in prison tattoos, a wonderful showcase for an actor who has worked in the background for decades. Michelle Rodriguez delivers a strong and believable performance and is slowly but surely becoming a more naturalistic actress. Jessica Alba is everything you’d expect, her character never appears on screen without stilettos, here and plays up her own detached Hispanicity. Jeff Fahey, with those piercing blue eyes, is always terribly interesting to watch. Robert DeNiro, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin and Don Johnson all ham it up to great effect, Johnson doesn’t leave as much an impression as the other two. Lindsay Lohan’s role is small and feels slightly shoehorned in. Outside of a few dead spots Machete delivers the bloody gory goods you’d expect plus a little more.
B+
MACHETE
Robert Rodriguez brings a new breed of anti-hero to the big screen in this hyper-violent adaptation of the "fake" trailer originally featured in the 2007 double-feature exploitation throwback Grindhouse. Machete (Danny Trejo) is a former Mexican Federale who plays by his own rules, and doesn't answer to anybody. In the wake of a harrowing encounter with feared drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal), Machete finds himself in Texas, where the shadowy Benz (Jeff Fahey) offers him the opportunity to make some quick cash by assassinating the unscrupulous Senator McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro). When the job goes awry and Machete realizes he's been set up, he turns to fierce taco queen Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), heavily-armed holy man Padre (Cheech Marin), and trigger-happy socialite April (Lindsay Lohan) to show Benz that he just messed with the wrong Mexican. But before they can get to Benz, Machete's gang will have to contend with blade-wielding ICE agent Sartana (Jessica Alba), who never met an adversary she couldn't flay. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
Cast: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez.
Release Date: Sep 03, 2010
Rated: strong bloody violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity
Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
Robert Rodriguez’s Machete could have easily been added to Grindhouse for a full on triple feature. It feels like such an extension of that wonderfully unappreciated exercise that it makes you wish Grindhouse has been more successful so as to spawn more films from those mock trailers, prays for Edgar Wright’s Don’t!. Future prospects might be better should this one do well at the box office but that might be a difficult sell as this film is very much for a certain niche of the film viewing audience. You’ll find out if you are part of this niche within the first 10 minutes of the movie. You’ll either be gleefully grinning like some sort of demented Cheshire Cat or utterly disgusted, a nude woman pulling a cell phone out of her, um, well……nevermind. Rodriguez’s fleshed out story plays out with a strong pro-immigration sentiment throughout but with all the depth of an exploitation film from the 70’s. It’s a modern day Brown-ploitation film using trademark plot points from classic exploitation films like Shaft or Foxy Brown. The entire plot plays out with a self aware sense of self, always keeping things fun and light even if Rodriguez makes it very obvious he’s using this film to make a point. Danny Trejo, one of the legion of “that guy” actors, is stoic and cool throughout, never breaking as much as a grin or a sweat. He’s a superhero in prison tattoos, a wonderful showcase for an actor who has worked in the background for decades. Michelle Rodriguez delivers a strong and believable performance and is slowly but surely becoming a more naturalistic actress. Jessica Alba is everything you’d expect, her character never appears on screen without stilettos, here and plays up her own detached Hispanicity. Jeff Fahey, with those piercing blue eyes, is always terribly interesting to watch. Robert DeNiro, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin and Don Johnson all ham it up to great effect, Johnson doesn’t leave as much an impression as the other two. Lindsay Lohan’s role is small and feels slightly shoehorned in. Outside of a few dead spots Machete delivers the bloody gory goods you’d expect plus a little more.
B+
Saturday, August 28, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: THE LAST EXORCISM
IN THEATERS
THE LAST EXORCISM
When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to perform just another routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist, Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is possessed by a demon who must be exorcized before their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy. Buckling under the weight of his conscience after years of parting desperate believers with their money, Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon arriving at the already blood drenched family farm, it is soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn back, Reverend Marcus’ own beliefs are shaken to the core when he and his crew must find a way to save Nell – and themselves – before it is too late.
Director: Daniel Stamm
Cast: Patrick Fabian, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Caleb Jones, Tony Bentley.
Release Date: Aug 27, 2010
Rated: Disturbing violent content, thematic material, terror and some sexual references
Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Daniel Stamm spends the better part of his film building up tension and having you question your expectations of what’s really going on in this story. Unfortunately, the film takes an unexpected and unneeded U turn that makes everything before it seem totally and utterly pointless. It makes me wonder if Eli Roth, serving as producer, just couldn’t keep himself contained and felt the need to add his own flavor to the ending. The set up is interesting and compelling, giving you something unexpected from what has become a terribly predictable subgenre of horror. The cast of unknowns play their roles well and are believable for the most part, only a few spots of just plain bad acting early standout. Patrick Fabian is the strongest of the group as a PT Barnum type reverend who’s trying to expose religious rituals with a healthy dose of cynicism. Ashley Bell is more than adequately disturbing throughout, besides the fact that she looks a tad too much like Michael Cera for my taste. She plays innocent well but with a strong under current of something off throughout. Her ability as a contortionist is extremely helpful. The supporting player, like the camera crew and the girl’s father, are solid enough but forgettable. The Last Exorcism could have been a low budget gem if Stamm had just stuck to the trail he’d made earlier in the film instead of ripping off a classic movie about demonic shenanigans and it’s not the one you think.
C-
THE LAST EXORCISM
When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to perform just another routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist, Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is possessed by a demon who must be exorcized before their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy. Buckling under the weight of his conscience after years of parting desperate believers with their money, Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon arriving at the already blood drenched family farm, it is soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn back, Reverend Marcus’ own beliefs are shaken to the core when he and his crew must find a way to save Nell – and themselves – before it is too late.
Director: Daniel Stamm
Cast: Patrick Fabian, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Caleb Jones, Tony Bentley.
Release Date: Aug 27, 2010
Rated: Disturbing violent content, thematic material, terror and some sexual references
Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Daniel Stamm spends the better part of his film building up tension and having you question your expectations of what’s really going on in this story. Unfortunately, the film takes an unexpected and unneeded U turn that makes everything before it seem totally and utterly pointless. It makes me wonder if Eli Roth, serving as producer, just couldn’t keep himself contained and felt the need to add his own flavor to the ending. The set up is interesting and compelling, giving you something unexpected from what has become a terribly predictable subgenre of horror. The cast of unknowns play their roles well and are believable for the most part, only a few spots of just plain bad acting early standout. Patrick Fabian is the strongest of the group as a PT Barnum type reverend who’s trying to expose religious rituals with a healthy dose of cynicism. Ashley Bell is more than adequately disturbing throughout, besides the fact that she looks a tad too much like Michael Cera for my taste. She plays innocent well but with a strong under current of something off throughout. Her ability as a contortionist is extremely helpful. The supporting player, like the camera crew and the girl’s father, are solid enough but forgettable. The Last Exorcism could have been a low budget gem if Stamm had just stuck to the trail he’d made earlier in the film instead of ripping off a classic movie about demonic shenanigans and it’s not the one you think.
C-
Friday, August 27, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: PIRANHA 3D
IN THEATERS
PIRANHA 3D
Haute Tension and Hills Have Eyes director Alexandre Aja pays homage to the films that made him fall in love with the horror genre by helming this comedic remake of director Joe Dante's 1978 Jaws parody. Lake Victoria may look peaceful, but beneath the placid waters of this painterly lake lurks a deadly menace. A powerful underwater tremor has released scores of man-eating prehistoric fish into the waters, and now it's up to a group of unlikely heroes to band together and defeat the razor-toothed predators. With time running out and the aquatic carnivores taking over, one brave heroine (Elisabeth Shue) will risk everything to save the lake and prevent her family from becoming fish food. Richard Dreyfuss, Ving Rhames, Jerry O'Connell, and Adam Scott star in the Dimension Films production. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Alexandre Aja
Cast: Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell, Ving Rhames, Jessica Szohr.
Release Date: Aug 20, 2010
Rated: Sequences of strong bloody horror violence and gore, graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use
Runtime: 1 hr. 29 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Roger Corman’s sole direction when he produced the original B-movie classic Piranha was “More blood...” The low budget original filled that bill capably and while Alexandre Aja’s redux shares little, outside of the titular fish, in common with the original he does keep the spirit of it alive in all its gory goodness. His remake is filled with enough blood, gore and full frontal nudity to appease even the most cynical of horror fans. Aja moves his film at an incredibly fast pace staging some of the larger scenes of carnage with a precise technical eye but never losing the sight of the fun of the entire endeavor. His film is classic B-movie goodness, something that’s become a lost art. He finds that perfect mix of the exploitive, an egregiously long fully nude underwater ballet is a prime example, and visceral excess. Nothing is ever taken very serious, the cast plays it mostly straight with only the slightest of a wink, enough to let you know they are very aware of the kind of film they are making. Elisabeth Shue is given the unenviable job of trying to carry some semblance of a story and she does a fine job while displaying a nicely toned physique. Steven R. McQueen plays a fairly paint by the number goofy kid in love character and is mostly forgettable. Everyone else, from the good natured cameos to porn stars are pretty much cannon fodder for the meat grinder. Once the carnage starts its keeps going till the end but once it ended I could help wondering or maybe wishing that Aja pushed the envelope a little bit further. Perhaps that speaks more to my general blood lust.
B-
The 3D doesn’t make nearly the impression it should and mostly feel unnecessary.
PIRANHA 3D
Haute Tension and Hills Have Eyes director Alexandre Aja pays homage to the films that made him fall in love with the horror genre by helming this comedic remake of director Joe Dante's 1978 Jaws parody. Lake Victoria may look peaceful, but beneath the placid waters of this painterly lake lurks a deadly menace. A powerful underwater tremor has released scores of man-eating prehistoric fish into the waters, and now it's up to a group of unlikely heroes to band together and defeat the razor-toothed predators. With time running out and the aquatic carnivores taking over, one brave heroine (Elisabeth Shue) will risk everything to save the lake and prevent her family from becoming fish food. Richard Dreyfuss, Ving Rhames, Jerry O'Connell, and Adam Scott star in the Dimension Films production. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Alexandre Aja
Cast: Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell, Ving Rhames, Jessica Szohr.
Release Date: Aug 20, 2010
Rated: Sequences of strong bloody horror violence and gore, graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use
Runtime: 1 hr. 29 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Roger Corman’s sole direction when he produced the original B-movie classic Piranha was “More blood...” The low budget original filled that bill capably and while Alexandre Aja’s redux shares little, outside of the titular fish, in common with the original he does keep the spirit of it alive in all its gory goodness. His remake is filled with enough blood, gore and full frontal nudity to appease even the most cynical of horror fans. Aja moves his film at an incredibly fast pace staging some of the larger scenes of carnage with a precise technical eye but never losing the sight of the fun of the entire endeavor. His film is classic B-movie goodness, something that’s become a lost art. He finds that perfect mix of the exploitive, an egregiously long fully nude underwater ballet is a prime example, and visceral excess. Nothing is ever taken very serious, the cast plays it mostly straight with only the slightest of a wink, enough to let you know they are very aware of the kind of film they are making. Elisabeth Shue is given the unenviable job of trying to carry some semblance of a story and she does a fine job while displaying a nicely toned physique. Steven R. McQueen plays a fairly paint by the number goofy kid in love character and is mostly forgettable. Everyone else, from the good natured cameos to porn stars are pretty much cannon fodder for the meat grinder. Once the carnage starts its keeps going till the end but once it ended I could help wondering or maybe wishing that Aja pushed the envelope a little bit further. Perhaps that speaks more to my general blood lust.
B-
The 3D doesn’t make nearly the impression it should and mostly feel unnecessary.
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