Return to House on Haunted Hill (2007)

Return to House on Haunted Hill

The Good:
A number of gorgeous actresses in the film, nice followup in that respect to the original.
I like Andrew Lee Potts as an actor (see Primeval).
The plot was an interesting attempt to continue the story while adding new elements.

The Bad:
While it was an interesting attempt at a sequel, the "new" story was not so innovative.
The motivations were paper-thin.
Story itself was lackluster and very predictable.
Not scary.
Non-creative deaths.

Overall: Meh... skip it unless you just "have to see it" or you feel compelled to complete series in horror.

Babylon A.D. (2008)

Babylon A.D.

The Good:
Vin Diesel is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. He is not a super actor, but he is our generation's Arnold, or John Wayne... you gotta love a straight-up action flick!
Interesting concept.
A believable futuristic world, I liked the setting a lot.

The Bad:
The story was a great skeleton, but not a fully realized tale.
My ability to suspend disbelief was "challenged" in a few places.
Not a big fan of the soundtrack in general.

Overall: It is no Children of Men as far as a future film is concerned, and it is not a Chronicles of Riddick as far as a Vin Desel film is concerned, but it is a decent action movie. Don't expect much more.

Dead Space: Downfall (2008)

Dead Space: Downfall

The Good:
The story got going pretty fast and though not all that original, it was fun and fast-paced.
Animated zombies!
Interesting soundtrack.

The Bad:
It was a bit predictable.
Some of the aspects of the plot were left pretty vague.
I didn't really feel or identify with any of the characters.
Inconsistent zombie ability.

Overall: Not a terrible animated zombie flick, still no City of Rott, though the genre is slightly different. I enjoyed it, but it is an anime film to be honest.

*Just discovered it was a prequel to a video game... makes more sense now... well, not really, but reasons for some things are more understandable now.*

Hamlet 2 (2008)

Hamlet 2

Non-traditional Pope review:

I don't know exactly how to describe this film. It is definitely a wonderful farce or perhaps a "parody of a tragedy". More heart and humor than a High School High and still carrying a good message... basically. I laughed aloud multiple times. Were there parts that were ridiculous? Of course. Was it predictable? Absolutely. Did that diminish the film? Not at all. It was fun and light and delivered exactly what I was hoping for in this kind of a film. A good movie, not great, but jolly good. :-) "Rock me sexy Jesus!"

The Strangers (2008)

The Strangers

The Good:
The cinematography was pretty good.
The acting was alright.
The soundtrack added to the film.

The Bad:
Loud expected "bangs" to startle the viewer, along with a lot of outside of the characters' POV shots to 'heighten' suspense - neither worked.
The lack of motivation and intelligence on both sides was astounding.
Predictable.
Became less and less creepy by trying to be more and more creepy.

Overall: I wasn't into it, then I was, then I realized my orginal instinct was right. Watch Vacancy instead - similar concept, better execution.

The Mutant Chronicles (2008)

The Mutant Chronicles

It has been a while seen I have watched this - I usually try to review a film shortly after viewing it, this one slipped my mind. I liked it ok, but honestly, it was like watching a really good cut-scene from a video game for 2 hours. Neat, stylized, decent acting, overtones of a specific branch of fantasy/sci-fi that is little explored, but I kept thinking, "When do I pick the controller back up?"

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008)

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

The Good:
The newsreel simulations are entertaining.
Um... brief nudity?
I like the movie poster alright.

The Bad:
The plot.
The sets.
The acting.
You get the point.

Overall: Even Jolene Blalock could not save the film. Better than Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation... but that ain't saying much.

Twilight (2008)

Twilight

The Good:
There was a few minutes of action that was directed/edited decently.
I liked the acting of the guy who played Carlisile and the girl who played Alice, and I thought that the film could have used a little more screen time for the guy playing Jacob.
Pretty good soundtrack.

The Bad:
The narration was completely unnecessary, most of it was portrayed in the acting and did not need to be spoon-fed to me.
The pacing - super slow.
I know it is drama, but I could have used a little more action.
The main vampire Edward, his acting was dead... pun intended.
I didn't really care for the main character Bella, her motivations seemed vague.
Vampire in the daylight...and they do what in the sun? Give me a break! A classic creature of folklore was just completely rewritten, which I am ok with, as long as it is done well - it wasn't.

Overall: Maybe it is because I haven't read the novel. Maybe it is because I have been watching True Blood and loving it. Maybe it is because it is written for teenaged girls. Maybe I am too much a fan of the horror genre. Maybe... I didn't like the film.

On a funny/weird/stupid side note if you've seen the film or read the book: I woke up this morning laughing, saying, "And so the bacon fell in love with the ham."

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

The Good:
The fact that people have lost their jobs over talking about intelligent design is wrong. Science especially in the US should be free to explore any avenue of thought.

The Bad:
First they postulate that it is silly that there is a conspiracy to sneak religion into the science classroom via intelligent design. Then they accuse the evolutionists of the exact same thing. They connect the theory of evolution and abortion to Hitler. No where did the documentary attempt to scrutinize the intelligent design theory - they kept saying that there were important questions that needed to be asked... but they never asked them (except they said that the complexity of the cell was too extraordinary to have evolve over billions of years). They used Nazi and Soviet footage to instill a feeling that evolution is Un-American. Teleological thought is the only evidence presented in the film. No evidence is presented at all. Hmmm... I wonder why? I think the answer is obvious.

Overall: This is a blatant piece of propaganda for the Creationists, I'm sorry "Intelligent Design Theorists". It pretends it is not, but with no evidence and the fearful imagery and skewed logic lies in the film, it is crystal clear what it is. If this is the best anti-evolutionists can do, I feel sorry for them. Watch if you want to keep shaking your head and saying, "There's no evidence for that, " or "How did you come to that conclusion?" or ... ugh... watch this film. It is a great film for converting any intelligent person away from the idea of Intellignet Design.

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2007)

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

The Good:

Once the action kicked in, I really enjoyed the film.

Parts were kinda funny, I personally would have gone a bit more silly with it (never thought I would say that).

The directing was decent, if a but over the top at times.

It was an ok origin tale for a "Monster Slayer".

The Bad:

Lots of poorly executed cliches.

So-so acting.

It took almost an hour for anything interesting to really happen.
I often enjoy 2D characters, but the ones in this film were quite uninspired.

Overall: I would say this is a just-less-than-average B movie (it needed more action). It may well be a decent start to a "Jack Brooks" series, but as a stand alone, this film falls well-short of an Evil Dead 2 in creating an enduring monster slayer and doesn't have enough humor to be an enjoyable monster-slaying romp like Dead Alive. This is a Sunday afternoon watch, that can be watched while cooking dinnner and nothing is lost if you miss some of it.

Mirrors (2008)

Mirrors

The Good:

Keifer Sutherland was decent in the role, believable and a sympathetic lead character.

The subtle special effects during most of the film were well done.

I liked the concept in general.

The Bad:

The wife's acting.

Some special effects were badly done (some fire scenes).

A few things about the plot were absolute horror cliches.

The film almost seemed to be two seperate

Overall: I would love to see the original. I imagine it is creepier but perhaps that is wishful thinking on my part. It's not The Shining example of horror... but it was alright.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

The Good:

I love you Natalie Portman.

I actually liked the kid in the film better than most of the adults... odd for me.

The special effects were neat.

The opening credits were very cool.

Fascinating blend of fantasy and reality.

The Bad:

I wasn't a big fan of the acting of Dustin Hoffman or Jason Bateman in this film, I usually enjoy both of them.

Dustin Hoffman's hair got on my nerves.

I felt rather unsatisfied with the ending.

Overall: As a kid's film it was ok at best. I watched it with a bunch of kids who all seemed unimpressed. Would have a better film with a bit more story and less reliance on special effects. Where is the Labyrinth or The Wizard of Oz for this generation.

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight

Continuing the trend of comic book films, The Dark Knight, second in the new incarnation of Batman films, is far superior to Batman Begins. No origin stories, no screwing up the mythos, no weak portrayals of classic villains (I am referring to Ra's Al Ghul here, not Scarecrow. Scarecrow was awesome.). This film was grand I must admit. I went in skeptical and especially not wanting to like Heath Ledger as the Joker. But alas, Ledger was a fantastic Joker, much more Arkham Asylum and The Dark Knight Returns than previous incarnations. Caesar Romero was perfect for his time. Jack Nicholson was perfect for his time. Ledger is perfect for the comic fans who came of age in the late 80's and early 90's. Great movie. See it. See it again. This is what a Batman movie should be like. I will spoil nothing for you on this one, 2 and 1/2 hours well spent.

Comic Book Films where the sequel was better than the original:

The Dark Knight
X2
Spider-Man 2
Superman II

The Signal (2007)

The Signal

The Good:
Though the concept wasn't completely original, (take Night of the Living Dead and/or Invasion of the Body Snatchers and mix it with TV's Threshold) the idea was well executed.
You couldn't help but laugh at a lot of the middle of the movie. It was like it switched seemlessly from horror to dark comedy. Seriously, I chuckled to myself, I smiled a good bit and laughed aloud a couple of times.
The direction was very cool and the changes in perspective were a very nice addition.
The "exposition" was well-done.
I loved the character of Clark.

The Bad:
You question some of the decision made in the film, but I think perhaps you are meant to do so.
Some people were just juggernauts in relation to pain and injury.

Overall: I went into this movie not expecting to enjoy it, but honestly, I thought it was pretty great. Especially good when you consider it was a low budget horror. I am going to call this one a must-see for fans of the genre.

Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)

Do you like dark anime? Do you like Batman? Then this DVD is for you! It is a very slick take on Batman from multiple perspective and using a number of different anime styles. I was impressed with the range of emotion and depth in this DVD, which is actually a number of shorts. Some of the shorts deal with Batman directly and some of them do not, in those he is a catalyst character around which the events center. It has that nice gritty mood that most Dark Knight fans crave and if you don't care for one of the shorts, just wait a few minutes and another is on the way. This is a great watch for a nice afternoon DVD (or any time for that matter), plus it gets you a fix to hold you over until the new film comes out. Look for this video release on July 8th.

Directors:

Yasuhiro Aoki		(segment "In Darkness Dwells")
Futoshi Higashide		(segment "Crossfire")
Toshiyuki Kubooka		(segment "Working Through Pain")
Hiroshi Morioka		(segment "Field Test")
Shoujirou Nishimi		(segment "Have I Got a Story For You")

Screenwriters:

(in alphabetical order)
Brian Azzarello		screenplay (segment "Working Through Pain")
Alan Burnett		screenplay (segment "Deadshot")
Jordan Goldberg		story and screenplay (segment "Field Test")
David S. Goyer		screenplay (segment "In Darkness Dwells")
Josh Olson		screenplay (segment "Have I Got a Story For You")
Greg Rucka		screenplay (segment "Crossfire")

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The Incredible Hulk

The Good:
So many nods to fans of the comic and the tv series it'll make your head spin!
The film really picked up on the feel of the television series and added many comic elements to it.
Norton was a great Banner.
Hurt was a decent General Thunderbolt Ross.
It was cool to see a gamma-irradiated brawl played out.
Tim Roth was pretty good as Blonsky.
The special effects were good... but...

The Bad:
The Hulk still looked CG to me.
I didn't like the propotions of the Hulk.
The continuity of at least one scene (early chase scene) was AWFUL, I mean Ed Wood style awful. Night then day then night... ugh.
The film seemed somewhat anti-climatic.
Liv Tyler.

Overall: This is no Iron Man by any stretch. Is it better than Hulk from 2003? Well, yes and no. The movie was a more traditional tribute to the character's history, but the editing wasn't nearly as good. In 2003 you had the wonderful Jennifer Connelly, in 2008 you get sub-par Liv Tyler. The storylines in both leave something to be desired. Both Hurt and Elliot were good General Ross-es. Norton was better than Bana (though I didn't hate Bana). I think it all comes down to in 2003 you had a terrible version of Absorbing Man and in 2008 you get the Abomination - 2008 is a better film just because of that. I liked it, but I would rent it.

The Ruins (2008)

The Ruins

The Good:
The concept was semi-original I guess.
It surprised me once.
It was...
The subtle special effects were alright.
I like the poster a lot.

The Bad:
Really there is so much to go into here: the problems with the believability of the plot and the concept, the acting, the lack of explanation, the length, the dialog, the movie.

Overall: I am sure that in novel form this idea would have come across much better. Don't waste your time on this one.

Cloverfield (2008)

Cloverfield

The Good:
Excellent concept that was executed extremely well.
The fast-paced movement of the movie was believable and tense.
Borrowed a lot of basic concepts from earlier Romero films, Godzilla movies and from The Blair Witch Project and combined them together amazingly.
The characters seemed real.
Neat editing.
Great special effects.
Expert storytelling.

The Bad:
Some of the wounds in the film would have been a lot more grievous than were played out.
I didn't see it in the theater.

Overall: Wow. Great flick! It is what Diary of the Dead wished it was. A must-see movie! I will say no more. Watch it (on the big screen if you get a chance)!

Diary of the Dead (2007)

Diary of the Dead

The Good:
Gotta enjoy a Romero zombie movie no matter what! :-)
I like that Romero went back to focusing on the people, because though I found the zombie evolution in Land of the Dead interesting, Romero's strength is the character interaction.
It seemed to take a lot from The Walking Dead, which of course had in turn taken a lot from Romero.
Samuel the Amish guy was awesome!

***The myspace.com shorts are a must watch on the DVD!!!***

The Bad:
I wasn't feeling the motivations of the characters so much in this one.
The social commentary in it was a lot more heavy-handed than usual, that detracted from the film in my opinion. It was like a social commentary with a story based around it rather than social commentary contained within a story.
The special effects were not so good.
The narration was a major distraction.
I didn't buy it as a student filmed documentary at all.

Overall: Is it better than the continuing Return of the Living dead franchise? Yes. Is it up to Night/Dawn/Day standards? Nowhere close. Worth watching? Yeah, I guess. But for the same basic concept, Cloverfield is much better.

Mr. Brooks (2007)

Mr. Brooks

The Good:
I enjoyed the exchanges between William Hurt and Kevin Costner and the physical mimicry very cool too.
I liked the meticulous nature of this serial killer.

The Bad:
Dane Cook was awful.
The "action" scenes were terribly directed and put together.
I had the plot figured out by the first third of the movie.

Overall: It is kind of ok for a Sunday afternoon watch or something (odd to say about a movie about a serial killer I know). It seemed leisurely and slow-paced. Blah... I was underwhelmed.

Sunshine (2007)

Sunshine

The Good:
It does an amazing job of making the setting seem real.
The film ask a number of interesting moral questions.
The special effects were awesome.
The odd spiritual, mystic almost, side of the film very much appealed to me.
I loved the score.

The Bad:
A few of the scenes were lifted straight out of other movies.
The last quarter of the film took an odd direction.
The acting ranged from pretty darn good to not-so-darn-good.
Some of the science was... strange.

Overall: I really enjoyed the movie. It was a good motion picture, I wish I could have seen it on the big screen. It reminds me of 2001: A Space Odyssey in many ways and takes a few cues from Solaris. A good space drama.

Lust, Caution (2007)

Lust, Caution

The Good:
This is a period piece that has a perfect feel for its era.
The story and drama take place as much in the silence and movement of the characters as in the dialog.
Mixing simplicity and innocence with a world of cruelty and complexity made for an intriguing tale.
Great direction, great acting.
The feeling of uncertainty that Ang Lee creates in the movie is wonderful.

The Bad:
It was long and felt long at times.
Is that all you need for an NC-17 rating, jesus, we are prudes.

Overall: A very strong and engaging drama, full of politics and human suffering on many levels. Ang Lee is a fantastic director and this film is well-worth seeing.

Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man

The Good:
First of all, I thought they really did the character of Tony Stark/Ironman justice.
The updated origin was great as was the look and feel of both Stark Industries and the armor.
Great theme.
Very much a character peice. The plot was propelled by the evolution of Tony Stark and the changes taking place in him.
The CG was perfect.
Bits of humor and just the right amount of Stark hubris.
The little nods to fans were awesome, from Rhodes to the "Ten Rings", I just kept smiling.

The Bad:
Some of it was predictable - way predictable.
Every time I saw Jeff Bridges I thought, "I'll take a White Russian." Must have been the facial hair.

Overall: A great comic book movie, on par with X-men or Spider-Man. Heck, a great movie in general. Two thumbs way up. I might see it again in the theater.

The Deaths of Ian Stone (2007)

The Deaths of Ian Stone

One of the After Dark Horrorfest films from 2007.

The Good:
Neat concept for a movie.
Multiple twists, some more predictable than others.
I enjoyed the movement of the film, kuddos to the director (it only seemd slow once or twice which is pretty freaking good for a low budget film in my opinion).
Simple special effects that were just effective enough for the plot.

The Bad:
Some of the ideas were taken from other films, but what movies' plots aren't.
Some of the acting was so-so.
A little bit of cheese in a few areas.

Overall: A little bit Jacob's Ladder, a little bit The Matrix, a little bit Dark City, a little bit ______ (that film would give away too much of the plot). All those little bits add up to a decent movie, check it out, it was really different than I expected.

P2 (2007)

P2

The Good:
Yeah...

The Bad:
The plot.
The characters.
The concept.
The setting.
The stupidity.
...
The acting was even on the not-so-good side.

Overall: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, who the hell green-lighted this for a big budget feature?


***Just as an aside here, Rachel Nichols is slated to be Scarlet in the upcoming G.I.Joe film.***

Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)

Justice League: The New Frontier

The Good:
Great cast of voice-over actors.
Great cast of characters.
Very comic bookish style story (similar to the comic version).
Awesome animation.

The Bad:
Too short for a solid plotline in a feature film with multiple characters.
The comic version was a lot more robust in its feel and theme.
I would have liked a few more bad guy appearances, that's just the comic geek in me.
Too many characters, not enough character development in most areas.

Overall: I was real excited about this one, with Timm doing it and it being based on a fantastic comic. And it wasn't terrible, it just lacked that certain something that would have made it a Superman: Doomsday.

War (2007)

War

The Good:
Decent fight scenes.
I generally enjoy Jet Li and Jason Statham was great in The Transporter.
The plot seemed familiar... oh yeah, the classic A Fist Full of Dollars plot, it is always fun to see it executed in a different setting.
I liked the Asian club scene, cool girl in the dark Go-Go dancers!

The Bad:
Ugh... action movies with multiple "twists" are kind of annoying... unless the twists are good.
Wow, I guess the Yakuza and the Triads are idiots!
Not nearly enough hand-to-hand combat for Jet Li to have a lead role in it.
Parts of it were directed so fast and choppy it was difficult to watch.
The dialog was so-so at best.

Overall: There are plenty of better action movies out there to see. Unless you really like morons engaging in gang warfare, there is little reason to see this film. It lacks the H2H of a good Jet Li movie and the interesting western combat stylings of a good Jason Statham film.

The Man from Earth (2007)

The Man from Earth

The entire film takes place at John Oldman's cabin as he is leaving. Friends from the university faculty, many of them scientists, gather round to see him off. After a fashion, John begins to weave a tale that is about a 14,000 year old caveman that is still alive today and that caveman John claims is himself. Most of the film is storytelling, scientific questioning, philosophical wondering and religious debating. It kept me quite sucked in throughout. I would have gone with a different ending, but I am not complaining about it. The Man from Earth was exactly what I was in the mood for, a little mental stretching and a few smiles. This was really a good flick. Watch and enjoy, but be forewarned it is much more a storytelling session than a traditional film.

Outpost (2007)

Outpost

The Good:
Although the idea of the story has been done before, it seldom gets old to me. In a lot of ways, it is become a genre all to itself - "Dimensional Breach" genre (including films like Event Horizon and The Mist and nominally films like Pulse).
I like Ray Stevenson as an actor (see Rome).
The Nazi, the perfect villain.

The Bad:
Little character development.
Slow to start.
I would have liked a bit more exposition.
Some predictability.

Overall: Better than a Sci-Fi Original movie, not great though. I enjoyed watching it and enjoyed the idea. If you don't mind one color tone for an entire film, it's fine really. Nice ending too.

Say Anything... (1989)

Say Anything...

The Good:
It was a semi-sweet story about the triumph of youth and hope.
The acting was fine, for the most part.
It was cool seeing so many people early in their careers.
Some of it was humorous.
John Cusack was good in it.

The Bad:
There didn't seem to be much of an interesting story arc to me, I kept waiting for it to really get going.
The boombox scene was a lot less important or cool as I was expecting considering it is like a pop movie iconic reference.
The film seemed really dated in look and feel (of course it is).
I honestly thought the character development was lacking for the empathy it was demanding.

Overall: Sorry everyone of my generation, I just didn't get it. The film was fine all-n-all, but nothing special. Perhaps I needed to see it when I was 17 or something. I prefer Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club hands down. *sigh* I will admit, perhaps I was expecting too much.

Undead or Alive (2007)

Undead or Alive

The Good:
Come on, it's a zombie comedy set in the Old West!
This might be Chris Kattan's best movie ever.
There were a few good chuckles in the film.
It moved pretty quickly.
Zombies!

The Bad:
You weren't expecting a perfect plot were you?
You weren't expecting a perfect acting were you?
You weren't expecting a perfect directing were you?
You weren't expecting a perfect (insert your own word here) were you?

Overall: I liked it ok. It is worth it if you like B-movie style comedy and zombies. "A lower budget low-rate Shanghai Noon that wants to eat your brain" is the best I can do in describing it.

Mean Girls (2004)

Mean Girls

Finally saw Mean Girls. Wow, it was really funny! I enjoyed the whole movie to be honest. I would not dare to say it was a great film or will change cinema or anything, but it was well-written and decently acted and pretty darn hilarious (and so true about HS girls). Lindsay Lohan and Lacy Chabert and Tina Fey all did a great job and were very in-character.

I have no idea why I waited so long to watch this...

And as a final note, Tim Meadows was freaking AWESOME in it. Every time he opened his mouth I laughed.

Attention!!! Attenttion!!! A Special Anouncement!!!

The Film Crew are a comedic team similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000, comprising former MST3K cast members Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy.

So far I have seen 2 of their films, The Film Crew: Hollywood After Dark and The Film Crew: Killers From Space, and have really enjoyed them (the latter a bit more than the former). I must admit, I do miss the "robots", but the humor is still there. Check 'em out!!!

King of California (2007)

King of California

The Good:
Some of the direction and editing and film techniques were very cool in the film.
I liked Evan Rachel Wood a lot in it.
There were some comical parts.
I thought the quirky character of "Pepper" played by Willis Burks II needed way more screen time!

The Bad:
The story was not all that interesting, elements of the plot were filled wit glaring holes and useless little side-story-trinkets that detracted from the film.
Acting crazy is too easy.
The movement of the tale is broadcast from too early on.

Overall: Not a bad film I suppose... but I wouldn't pay money to rent it.

The Mist (2007)

The Mist

The Good:
I liked the plot, sort of a Lord of the Flies meets just a few of the 12 Angry Men in The Fog.
The main human antagonist was very well acted (ie I hated her).
Some of the ideas in the film were not completely idiotic.
Played on the lines between rational and irrational, science and superstition, dogma and compassion, and free-thinking versus herd mentality, all quite well.
There were a few moments of wonderful, glorious happiness in it :-)

The Bad:
The ending was not good at all (the very end that is).
I would have liked to have seen some follow-through with some of the characters.
Some of it was predictable.

Overall: Not a bad Stephen King horror. I would say this is worth watching if you are a horror fan, or if you like movies about twisted human nature.

I Like Killng Flies (2004)

I Like Killing Flies

I highly recommend this documentary. There is something special in the thoughts of a owner Shopsin's take on life and living. You can't help but enjoy his simple and insightful folk philosophy and politics. He lives his life his way. He has his own style of zen in cooking and loves his family and friends in his own belligerent way. A great film, give it a watch... a lot of heart in just over an hour.

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark (2007)

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark

The Good:
I liked Peter Woodward as Galen.
The exterior CGI was great.
The second story was more enjoyable and more keeping with the feel and tradition of Babylon 5.

The Bad:
The interior CGI was terrible.
The first tale was ... ugh... ugh... bad.
I never cared for Colonel/Captain Elizabeth Lochley.
Bab 5 was always religiously over-toned, but the blatant judeo-christian story was too much.

Overall: I am a huge fan of Babylon 5, I am not a huge fan of this movie. Watch the series, not this movie.

Seraphim Falls (2006)

Serphim Falls

The Good:
The story plays out much more like the plot progression of a novel than a typical screenplay, that made it interesting.
The changes in scenery were very neat and the scenery itself was beautiful.
There was an interesting breadth of background characters.
The two parallel stories were excellent contrasts.

The Bad:
Two Irishmen playing two very American characters... just kinda weird don't you think?
Some of the acting (not the main characters) was so-so.
Predictable in places.

Overall: A much more interesting and complex story than it seems to be. I enjoyed it more and more as the tale was revealed.

Night Skies (2007)

Night Skies

This is a horror film based on the Phoenix Lights. Just thought you might want to know that...


The Good:
It was subtle in its onset and build-up.
This was supposedly based on some one's weird hypnotic regression, knowing that made it rather fascinating.
The characters were decently written and portrayed by the actors (*see my one caveat below*) .
The special effects were done well, if odd in a few spots.

The Bad:
The main character is weird, some of the decisions were "just not right" in my opinion.
He he, hypnotic regression, hasn't that been discredited yet?
Some of the plot was hokey.
*The individuals in the group made a few terrible/tragic errors in judgement.

Overall: Not quite the extraterrestrial glory of Fire in the Sky, but definately not the cattle mutilation that was Altered.

I purposefully left out any anal probe jokes

House of Blood (2006)

House of Blood

The Good:
The...
This film definately...
I must say that...
So anyway...

The Bad:
Okay, first this film's opening credits went on for seriously 7 minutes, way too long for uninteresting credits with choppy bits of action.
Second, it took this film more than 30 minutes to do anything really.
Alright, then the film decides to repeat itself, no really it does, just with even-less-interesting characters.
Bad, bad, bad english-King James Bible-speak accents and dialouge.

Overall: If you accidentally rent this, return it to the video store and see if they have a policy to exchange a terrible movie for something else (most video stores actually do have those kinds of policies, some places only have it for their old movies, in that case, sorry you were subjected to this film), perhaps you have yet to see Citizen Kane, then rent it for free... or better yet, just rent it rather than this one.

The Grudge (2004)

The Grudge

Yes, yes, yes people, I just saw it for the first time this past week.

The Good:
The film's direction felt clean... hard to explain, but the angles were purposeful, the movements were very specific, the environment was sterile... it felt clean.
The storytelling style was interesting.
In general the plot and concept were okay.

The Bad:
I am yet to be terribly impressed with Sarah Michelle Geller.
It didn't scare me, and what was that sound? Was it a bullfrog? How is a bullfrog frightening?
Making a child creepy is difficult... this child was not creepy.

Overall: I stand by what I have said before, "If you've seen one Japanese remake with some weirdo with a white face (The Ring, The Grudge), you've seen as good as it gets... why bother with another one?"

Land of the Blind (2006)

Land of the Blind

The Good:
One man's journey, the story of a nation, a dark comedy that ceases to be funny as the adept director leads you along a winding trail of political satire, revolutionary philosophy, and callous realism.
It is a fantastic cautionary tale and morality play.
The multiple styles of dress from blended time periods create a caricature of royalty and the ruling elite that is very nice.
The acting was top notch, the directing was amazing, the plot was finely crafted, the dialouge was well-written...

The Bad:
My only real complaint was I wanted it to be longer, it was 110 minutes, but I would have watched it for another 110 minutes. It seemed to end quickly.

Overall: I really enjoyed this film! It pulled me in very quickly with a kind of off-beat dark humor and then introduced interesting political elements and before I knew it I was completely hooked. I am a little drained from it though, in a good way. Good for sparking political and/or philosophical discussion (or thought). No rating by comparison this time, let me just say I enjoyed it immensely.

Rest Stop (2006)

Rest Stop

The Good:
One of the best features of this film is that it is confusing... (if you have a IMDB account you should read the hilarious posts about who KZL 303 is).
It was slightly better than most of the crappy horror films I have the misfortune of watching.
The director did utilize a few different filters and did a competent job directing.

The Bad:
Ok, the acting wasn't good, the dialouge wasn't good, the (insert most aspects of film-making) wasn't good... but seriously folks, it's a low budget horror film called Rest Stop, did you expect much?
It was confusing, frustratingly so... but again, that also adds to the "charm".

Overall: So it wasn't a gem, or a diamond in the rough, or even a dime on a dirty sidewalk that still only brings your grand total in coins to 50 cents when you need 55. But it wasn't the worst film ever. Strange that a film called Rest Stop wouldn't be even 1/10 as good as a film called Phone Booth.

Flyboys (2006)

Flyboys

The Good:
The dogfights were pretty cool, and honestly, that's all I really wanted to see. Had it been an hour and a half of biplane vs triplane action, I would have been happy.
The setting was great, the french countryside is beauiful (or wherever they were shooting).
The actions and reactions of the characters varied a good deal, that seemed to add to the realism.
It showed the horror of the Great War while also showing the type of restained nobility that is often romanticized in accounts of WWI.
Did I mention the dogfights :-)

The Bad:
The plot seemed to thrust the characters into the thick of it without a lot of character development (but they do develop as the story progresses).
I didn't care for the music... it didn't seem to fit in some places and in others it caused what would have otherwise been a decent dramatic scene to teeter on the edge of melodrama.
It was a little predictable.

Overall: It reminded me of an older film with contemporary effects, romance and high flying action. It is well worth seeing, but don't expect a Platoon or a Saving Private Ryan.

***The Great War was such a strange conflict. Romantic notions tied to burgeoning mechanical flight, young mens' idealism contrasting with chemical warfare, iron crosses and zeppelins, trench warfare and civilian causalties. I find it endlessly fascinating and tragic. It marked the beginning of modern war and an end to the naive notion that war is only fought by the soldiers.***

Incubus (2005)

Incubus

The Good:
One character had a brain in this film... she sensed the rest of the idiots in the group had a terrible idea, then she left (within like 10 minutes).

The Bad:
Pretty much everything... the plot was idiotic, the dialouge was ridiculous, the characters were shallow, the pacing was terrible, the directing was average at best.

Overall: If everything could be reduced to a simple yes or no answer, this film would be a "For god's sake no! Save your selves! Run! No!!!" If I hadn't been reading about igneous plutonic rocks also known as igneous intrusive rocks, I would have probably died of boredom.

Hide and Creep (2004)

Hide and Creep

A semi-humorous attempt at a zombie flick. Cheap and you can tell it. A noble effort that fails at its execution. Don't bother, instead grab Shaun of the Dead.

Saw 3 (2006)

Saw III

The Good:
I found parts of this installment of the "Saw" franchise to more tolerable than the other 2, the main reason being that it only focused on two people in "traps" and actually attempted some character development on the villians.
I have a soft spot for Shawnee Smith, she's not a great actress, she's not the most beautiful woman in Hollywood, but I like her for some reason.
It had a few real thriller moments.

The Bad:
Anyone who has seen the other "Saw" movies won't be surprised by the traps or plot devices used in this film.
This film looks exactly like the other 2 in feel and ambience.
Some things that happen are near impossible to believe.
There are a few moments that are meant to be neat surprises that fall terribly short.

Overall: If you liked Saw or Saw II, then you'll like this installment... I haven't been impressed by any so far, but if I had to pick one, I liked Saw II best.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

The Good:
I like seeing any serial horror franchise keep going, even though this is one of my least favorites.
It does explain the backgrounds of some of the characters from the remake's storyline.
I have a soft-spot for R. Lee Ermey and enjoy seeing him in any movie, though this isn't one of his best.

The Bad:
The plot (just plain old bad storytelling), the characters (paper-thin and under motivated), the gore (not gross enough to be comical and not subtle enough to be creepy), the boring use of the chainsaw (let's see some creativity here Leatherface!), so on and so forth...

Overall: This is the same old crap from this new birth of Leatherface, no better than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or even The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, actually this one is a bit worse, which might just make it terrible.