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.

The Descent (2005)

The Descent

The Good:
The director did a great job of giving you the feeling of claustrophobia.
The lighting was done very well, in other words most of the movie was in near total darkness.
Suspension of disbelief is easy in this film.
The all female cast worked with the plot quite well.
Though this setting has been used in horror films in the past, I believe this film does the best at utilizing the subterranean.

The Bad:
I only remember 2 characters' names out of 6, ie to me only 2 of the characters were interesting (being basically the two lead characters).
The character motivations were strange in some parts, or maybe they were just strange to a rational person... what? You don't think I'm rational? I am so, and if don't believe me I'll make you regret it!!!

Overall: This movie was quite pleasing for a horror film. Its a breath of new life into a field littered with flapdoodle hoping to masquerade as mediocrity. If you liked what Dog Soldiers did for werewolves, then you should enjoy what this film does for spelunking (same director).

Undead (2003)

Undead

The Good:
Some of the zombie-killing-action was cool.
The last 15 minutes of the movie was interesting, it took a neat twist... getting there was quite a wait though.
A few good chuckles.

The Bad:
The acting wasn't so good.
Smurf-tinting abounds, in other words, the entire film is in a blue hue/filter, like night filmed during the day.
Lighting is bad.
The story was weird, hard to follow... wait, I don't think there was much of a story until the last 15 minutes.

Overall: Sap all the positive story-telling of a Romero film, then rob Dead Alive of its humor, then make a bad copy of the sweet camera work of Evil Dead 2, mix it all together and you have this film.

Idiocracy (2006)

Idiocracy

The Good:
The theme was great, if we're not careful the world is going to become filled with idiots.
It had some very funny parts.
Maya Rudolph is always great.
It was written and directed by Mike Judge, a major plus to me.
Biting political, corporateand social satire masked in... no covered in low brow comedy.

The Bad:
It's not really the kind of movie you watch more than once.
Some of the jokes are painfully bad, but of course that fits with the theme of the film.

Overall: It was a fun film to watch, it's no Office Space but it is slightly better than a bad Beavis and Butthead episode.

Brick (2005)

Brick

The Good:
The Femme Fatale, the reluctant investigator tied to the "case" by his heart, the underworld, odd characters, the style and jargon of a classic film noir with a teenage setting - no less dirty and no less complex.
The camera angles were perfect, the settings were gorgeous, the costuming was even pretty sweet.
The music help set the scene at every stage.
Little bits of humor that make you smile.

The Bad:
As with any detective drama, there were parts that were bit slow.
It takes a minute to get used to the actor who plays the main character in a serious role, I kept thinking, "Hehe, he's the kid from Third Rock." That passes though, he does a good job.
For a bit you are confused with what exactly is going on, but that is again par for most in the noir style.

Overall: Pleasantly surprised! I liked this film a great deal. I would say that Laura would even be proud of this film.

The Covenant (2006)

The Covenant

The Good:
Some of the special effects were pretty neat.
Wow... you know... that's all I got.

The Bad:
The sound effects were terrible.
The plot was bad and worse than bad, it was fantasticly slow.
The characters were paper-thin.
The "history" was sparse and uninteresting.
The idea was just bad from the get-go, shame on the studio executive who greenlighted this project.

Overall: It's like watching The Craft with all the good parts removed, and The Craft ain't the greatest movie ever made to begin with.

Altered (2006)

Altered

This is the newest movie by Eduardo Sanchez, the director of the The Blair Witch Project. I picked it up hoping that it would entertain me as much as his first film. Unlike so many of the people I know, I really enjoyed The Blair Witch Project, and in light of that was willing to give Mr.Sanchez a another go.

The Good:
The concept is neat. Alien abductees trying to get revenge on their alien abductors.
I honestly believed some of the actors were rednecks.
Um... the back of the DVD case was a hoot to read.

The Bad:
The concept might have been neat, but the actual story was not at all interesting. The attempts to build tension really just made me think, "I know why the aliens dropped these idiots back off on Earth!"
The film felt cramped, like it needed to get outside the house more. Then when it does, you realize that the outdoors sucks just as much in the film.
The end was terrible... but then again so was the beginning and the middle.

Overall: I would say that if you wanted this high caliber of film, you should instead rent any Steven Segal film that has a 3 word title...
Flight of Fury
Mercenary for Justice
Today You Die
Out of Reach
Fire Down Below (always thought that sounded like a porn title)
Out for Justice
On Deadly Ground
Marked for Death
Hard to Kill
Above the Law


Hey, here's a fun exercise. What do you think should be the next Steven Segal three-word film title?

Bound to Fight!

Has to Kill!

Get that Thing!

Bring my Coffee!

I Kill Soda!

The Wicker Man (2006)

The Wicker Man (2006)

The Good:
Leelee Sobieski for some reason seems to captivate me. She is like a pretty Helen Hunt.
The... um... uh... there was a... um.... the lighting was good, ramchip! (a little MST3K reference for ya).

The Bad:
Slow and not even interesting.
I usually try and view a remake as a new movie, and many have been verey good movies, but this, this was just terrible.
They changed the creepy into the stupid.
I can barely type I disliked it so much.

Overall: Wow, amazingly bad. This film may well be a Feeling Minnesota.

Though it does make me appreciate living in the modern world... wicker man... bah! Human sacrifices! Silly celtic barbarian idiots*! They should be thankful the Romans brought them civilization! I find the celts endlessly fascinating, but "Hail Caesar!"

*Well, the ones in the British Isles at least. The further east you go the more the celts become civil.

Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic (2005)

Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic

The Good:
F***ing hilarious.
Offends EVERYONE!
Sarah Silverman is beautiful, not just her looks, but yes her looks and her dirty dirty soul! Mmmmmm.
Cool songs, hehehe.
Excellent "supporting cast".

The Bad:
Too short :-(
Offends EVERYONE! :-)

Overall: I loved the film, but it is not for everyone. If you are offended by, um, anything, then don't bother watching this, but if you like being pushed to the limits of what is funny and what might make you a little or a lot uncomfortable, watch this movie! I adored it. Oh, yeah, you can watch the entire film on her myspace page if you'd like - click this.*

Beerfest (2006)

Beerfest

The Good:
I like the overall feel of the Broken Lizard troupe, they always seem like a bunch of buddies having a good time.
I laughed out loud a good number of times during the film.
They are a quite a few good, more well-known, actors that pop up in the movie.
You never know where this zany story is headed next... except for the few parts that are completely and utterly predictable. :-)

The Bad:
If you want something more realist than a Three Stooges movie, rent something else.
A few parts of the film are quite gross, but not too disturbingly so.
The plot is... what is a word that means thinner than thin? Paper-thin, razor-thin, monofilament thin?

Overall: This film falls somewhere between Super Troopers & Puddle Cruiser (weighted more heavily on the Super Troopers side). Grab a few brews and enjoy, I definitely did.

Population 436 (2006)

Population 436

The Good:
The plot took its time to develop and build into an interesting story.
The acting was pretty good.
I like seeing a good horror/thriller that takes place in the daylight.
The main character reacts, in general, like a sane and rational human being. That is somewhat of an rarity in a horror.
Kept my attention.

The Bad:
It was a little slow in parts.
Some characters seemed extraneous, especially this one kid (used basically to propel the plot) and this other weird teen.
Nothing put you on the edge of your seat, not that it totally needed to.

Overall: I liked this movie more than I ever expected to. I give it a middle America Wicker Man... well, not that good though.

MoH: Dance of the Dead (2005)

Masters of Horror: Dance of the Dead

It's like Rebel Without a Cause had a bastard brain-damaged child with Land of the Dead, then that child had an affair with Doom Generation while shooting up some 2001 Maniacs. I enjoyed it. Anti-heroes and false humanity abound in this sweet little film centered on the heart of youth in a world discarded by history. Mmmmm, mmmmm, good.

MoH: Imprint (2006)

Imprint (Masters of Horror)

A story of demons and whores. A strange folk tale of cruelty and punishment. Twisted desires and betrayal such that mocks your sensibilities. This film was very odd indeed. On a quick side note, this one was deemed too graphic to air (quite a feat to be too graphic for late night Showtime). It kept me captivated throughout. I'm not sure if I would say it was "good", but it was interesting. It wasn't realistic though, it was more like the characters in a medieval morality tale or something. I liked it.

MoH: The Fair-Haired Child (2006)

Masters of Horror: The Fair-Haired Child

Well, not all Masters of Horror can be winners right? This one isn't bad for a one hour horror film, but it isn't up to the standards of the Masters of Horror series. It is one of those films that has a "twist ending" that you end up letting out an unenthusiastic, "Oh." Commmon horror techniques used too much (see The Ring or any other recent Japanese remakes for what I am talking about - strobed movement, pale skinned monsters, blah blah blah). Usually I recommend you rent the Masters of Horror series cause they are at the least entertaining and directed well, I am saying skip this one.

Hate Crime (2005)

Hate Crime

I agree with what this film was trying to do. It attempts to make you ask questions about the prejudices you hold. That is a noble thing to do. Too bad it made me sick. It applauds being bigotted towards christianity and vigilantism. It fails so miserably in making its "noble" point. The acting isn't horrific, as a general rule I tend to like Bruce Davison, the directing is decent, but the plot and the general execution of the theme was disgusting.

Silent Scream (2005)

Silent Scream (aka The Retreat)

Oh my god, so so so bad! They were 3-5 sets of breasts exposed here, but even that doesn't mitigate the terrible everything of the film. Cheap movie tricks, dark shadowy hooded figures in broad daylight, bad acting, a sad attempt at a plot. Avoid.

It Waits (2005)

It Waits

It Waits, indeed it does wait, for a plot, a character I care about, good actors, a decent concept... It Waits, it sucks!

Pulse (2006)

Pulse

The Good:
The story concept and execution is pretty good (though it is a remake of a Kurosawa film from 2001, Kairo (Pulse))
The special effects were interesting, a lot more subtle than I expected in general.
It definately ended very differently than I expected.
The "bad guys" were mysterious.

The Bad:
Can somebody please turn on a damn light! I don't think there was a well lit room throughout the film.
There was little characterization. I didn't really feel for anyone.
There was an unmistakable steep change in the plot that takes place that wasn't pulled off well. Believability was kinda shot. Hard to explain without giving away parts of the story.

Overall: Well, I tried really hard to like it, but... but... I guess I'll try Kairo.

Clerks 2 (2006)

Clerks 2

Let's jump right in...

The Good:
Rosario Dawson... her acting was good and she is quite easy on the eyes.
It was nice seeing the characters from the first film reprise their roles as Dante and Randal.
The climax was... interesting and it did make me laugh.
I actually thought Jay was the funniest he's ever been.
The last half of the movie was pretty decent.

The Bad:
The first half of the movie.
The jokes were a lot less quirky and funny this time, much more toilet humor and less smart witty laughs.
Just wasn't the original, though few sequels are.

Overall: It is worth seeing once... once. It is Clerks, if Clerks sat in a damp room with mildew and poo for about 12 years or so.

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (1966)

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

This is the third in Leone's "Man With No Name" trilogy. Most people consider this a prequel, and you kind of need if you want the 3 movies to be about the same exact guy, because in this movie is where Eastwood's character gets his characteristic poncho and shirt and vest. On with the review...

The Good:
First, and foremost, Eli Wallach is freaking amazing as Tuco (the Ugly). Tuco is by far the coolest character, the scoundrel you have to love.
This is quite a cowboy epic (though technically it takes place before what most people consider the "old west", it takes place in 1862 during the Civil War).
The cinematography is the best of the trilogy in this film.
The character development was great.
The music was definately classic in this one!

The Bad:
It is very confusing that Kinski is again in a film in this series but he is playing a completely different character.
Some of the ADR was bad.
It was long, very, very, long 2 hours and 41 minutes, at parts you could feel it.

The Ugly: It is not the best of the trilogy, but it is an awesome epic, worthy of its place in film history. I give it a mexican stand off and a 72 % Braveheart .

For a Few Dollars More (1965)

For a Few Dollars More

This is the second in the Sergio Leone "Man With No Name" trilogy. I was excited to see where Leone would take the character next, although according to what I read after-the-fact, Leone never intended the character to be viewed as the exact same person... kind of strange, but I can dig it... anyway...

The Good:
The story in this film pulls you in almost immediately. What happens when 2 bad asses find they are both on the trail of the same insane outlaw?
Eastwood and Kinski are so absolutely perfect in their roles in the movie.
The film contains humor and heart and great tension.
Again, the music was cool.
The cinematography was incredible, long shots contrasting with extreme close ups, so well done.

The Bad:
The ADR again was bad in some parts.
...um...there are some anachronisms in the film that are minor, but there...

Overall: I give this one a lit cigar, a poncho and a 84 % Braveheart .

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

A Fistful of Dollars

I decided to take a break from my normal horror and scifi watching. Instead I decided I needed to brush up on my westerns. So where better to start than with a film that changed the genre, though to be fair, this is a "remake" of Kurosawa's Yojimbo.

The Good:
The character of "the man with no name" was truly created in this film. The essence of this character influenced films from this point on. The lonesome outsider who says very little and has his own sense of justice, you know him, whether it's from other westerns or cop dramas or Vampire Hunter D.
Clint Eastwood is great in the role.
It is a neat story about a town tormented by rival gangs, with a couple of interesting subplots thrown in.
The barkeep is an interesting character, fun and honorable.
I loved the coffin maker, he's a great dark comic relief character.
The music was cool, what I consider "real western music".

The Bad:
The ADR was terrible (that would be the "dubbing").
Sometimes the story kind of skipped, I'm not sure how to explain this, but I kept wondering, "Wait, how did that happen?" It just seemed not to explain certain parts of what happened in the story.
Some of the acting was not-so-good.

Overall: I give this one a Clint Eastwood squint, a guarded smile and 65 % Braveheart (please try to not take into account Mel Gibson is a horrible anti-Semitic dumbass).

House of 9 (2005)

House of 9

I will say that this film does execute a thought that Cube attempted, sort of an existentialist concept of man outside of civilized society. Still, I do not recommend this movie at all, though seeing Dennis Hopper as a preist is kind of funny.

The Graveyard (2006)

The Graveyard

This is the kind of movie that gives low budget horror a bad reputation. A group of friends go to party at this graveyard and blah blah blah. Bad jokes, bad acting, and a complete waste of time... there is some nudity though, I guess that makes it slightly better than Ghost Game.

(Originally this was inside the same review as Ghost Game on my other site)

Ghost Game (2004)

Ghost Game

This is the kind of movie that gives independent films a bad reputation. A group of friends go camping and ... yadda yadda yadda. Bad jokes, bad acting, and a complete waste of time. And absolutely no nudity.

(Originally this was inside the same review as The Graveyard on my other site)

Final Days of Planet Earth (TV - 2006)

Final Days of Planet Earth

So rather than telling you just how boring and bad this movie is, I have decided to tell you a funny little thing that happened when I brought it back to the apartment. I had put all the videos I rented on the counter, and Pylgrim X came in. I said, "Hey I rented that Al Gore documentary about global warming, it's on top of the videos over there." His face contorted, his eyebrow raised, then he picked up the video that was on top, oops, it was this movie. I got quite a laugh out of that. **To be completely honest I only watch 30 minutes of this before I couldn't take it anymore.**

Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creature (2006)

She Creature

I was walking around Hollywood video, looking for something interesting to watch the other night. I wondered through the horror section as usual and saw something that I had overlooked everytime in the store so far She Creature (or perhaps it was that the title automatically made me think it was some crappy Species rip-off, which by the way would be extra crappy because Species isn't a very good movie). I picked it up to read the back for a laugh, but then saw that Rufus Sewell was in it and so was Carla Gugino and the plot didn't sound terribly bad. So I said, "What the hell!" and rented She Creature. BTW, IMDB calls this Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creautre.

The Good:
Sewell was decent and Gugino was quite good in this mariner's tale of terror.
It reminded me of an old monster movie.
The filmmakers did a good job of creating a "mythology" for the mermaid.
The plot was okay, it was quite the classic monster tale, but that was honestly a pleasant surprise.
The creature effects on the mermaid for most of the movie were awesome (I suppose the fact she is an attractive topless woman didn't hurt either).
I actually would like to see part 2... of course there isn't a part 2... which makes the fact they call this one part 1 kinda dumb, or maybe their funding got cut.
I like horror that includes madness and monsters!

The Bad:
Some of the non-lead actors were not-so-good.
A few characters were 2-D.
The sound editor needed his hearing checked, the whispers are too soft in comparision with the rest of the film.
Much of the ending I liked, but some parts of the conclusion just lacked somehow.
You might feel a little sea sick afterwards, the camera moves a lot (and though this completes the feel of the movie, for some it might be a negative).

Overall: I was pleasantly surprised by She Creature. It falls right inbetween Jaws and Splash (if Splash were horror).