Change Your Image
christopherblackwell
Reviews
A Glitch in the Matrix (2021)
So Disappointing
I was so looking forward to watching this documentary ever since I saw its trailer for the first time. Unfortunately, its makers have absolutely no concept regarding the scientific method and the ways in which real science to assess phenomena is mechanized. Instead, what follows is a series of foolish and silly interviews with people spewing opinions and anecdotal life experiences, mostly based on their subjective interactions with, and fandom of, science fiction movies, comic stories, and other forms of fictional artistic expressions. There is never any reveal of true scientific study of simulation theory or data from any serious research on the topic. Interviewees mostly provide subjective impressions of these art forms and how these fictional works somehow convinced them simulation theory is reality. What an incredibly disappointing film that is ultimately an exposition into ridiculousness and skewed subjectivity.
The Happening (2008)
What's Happening? An Awful and Boring Time, That's What
It's been a while since I've felt so obliged as to write a review on here. This film truly isn't worthy of one. All I can say is that it is really awful. The dialog is laughably ridiculous (people in the theater in the screening I attended were actually laughing throughout) and the acting equally as bad. I was really hoping to see MNS return to his former grandeur with The Happening and I had faith in him. But this movie is so tawdry and boring that it is beyond salvage. For those calling this a "thinking man's movie," I hate to see how elementary your "thoughts" are.
I have a Ph.D. and there's nothing I love more than a movie that truly invokes thought. This piece of detritus certainly does not. It is plagued by a rushed storyline with absolutely no climatic redemption whatsoever. Clever marketing might yield exceedingly good profits (which could save MNS from this being the nail in his coffin) until word-of-mouth exposes the fraud this film truly is.
I am so disappointed in this movie. I remember feeling this cheated after being completely dissatisfied and disgusted with Lady in the Water; it's equally as bad with The Happening. Don't waste your time, money, or energy with The Happening...Because Happening, it simply isn't.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
Movie Review: TCM: The Beginning
One of the scariest movies I can remember seeing as a kid was the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I remember not being able to sleep for weeks and being absolutely terrified of the "creature" in the film known as Leatherface. I was loyal to the series and watched the pathetic sequels the original spawned but was definitely left disappointed. That disappointment made a complete 180 in 2003 when I heard that there was a remake of TCM in the works at New Line Cinema. At the time of its release a good friend of mine working at a radio station was able to secure me tickets to its premiere and I remember leaving the theater in absolute shock for 2 reasons: First, the remake was incredibly well-done with a great script, good acting, and bone-chilling intensity that rivaled the original TCM. Second, the absolute pure terror of the movie was enough to scare the hell out of just about anyone. The film was a smash box-office hit and New Line announced they would proceed with a prequel that was being prepared by the same creative team as the remake. So, two years later, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning hits theaters. Of course, being as impressed as I was with the remake in 2003, I have been anticipating this movie for a while now. The story is very good and the acting is also much better than most slasher-pics. The entire story of Thomas Hewitt, the man known as "Leatherface" for his use of victims' filleted faces as masks, is played out beginning at his birth. We learn of the ridicule Hewitt faced as a child and young man due to his skin affliction and how the insanity of the rest of his family would eventually make its grisly impact on him. Four main victims serve as the background drop for the story. Brothers Dean and Eric are being transported across the State of Texas by their girlfriends Chrissy and Bailey to answer their draft into the Vietnam War when they are involved in an automobile accident. Sheriff Hoyt, played by R. Lee Ermey, who also appeared in the 2003 remake, is eerily close to the scene of the accident and brings the gang back to the Hewitt home, where "Leatherface" is being cultivated into a brutal killer. From there, the story plays out in sheer horror as we continue to see just how psychotic the Hewitt family is becoming. Learning the background story of the murderous clan is somewhat of a double-edged sword: On one side, a morbid curiosity of just how the hell these people became what they were is satisfied; but the terrifying aspect of their anonymity and ambiguity, which adds a great deal to the emotional tension of the film, is lost. The loss of this tension does pull the movie down a little; but the over-the-top blood, guts, gore, and increasingly shocking scenes do lift it back just enough to leave you completely unnerved and unsettled. So, in the end, the movie lacks the quality of its 2003 predecessor; but it's still good enough to scare the audience into oblivion! If you're a fan of the original and 2003 remake of TCM, you won't be disappointed. But if you're not a deeply-devoted horror film fanatic, you will probably leave the theater disgusted, empty, and disheartened. Of course, if you're the latter and not the former, you'll probably steer away from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning in the first place. Grade: B
Circuit (2001)
Incredibly Moving and Well-Designed Film
I was very anxious about seeing this movie for all the wrong reasons--the excitement of the circuit scene, incredibly good-looking guys, a film about my community, and a chance to experience something unique. But after I got into the first 30 minutes of Circuit, I began to realize what an incredibly brilliant film I was watching.
The artistic-design is amazing; and the camera-work and cinematography incredible--especially remembering that the filming was completed with a digital camcorder. But the heart of this movie is the story. The main characters John and Hector have a dangerous love for one-another and both yearn to experience the true intimacy between them; but the shallow and tumultuous world of the Circuit keeps them tragically separated.
The film begins with an all-too familar example of intolerance and ignorance that forces John to relocate to LA, where he meets hustler Hector and is seduced into the provocative world of the Circuit. Serving as both Co-Writer and Director of the film, Shafer displays the rise and fall of the main characters flawlessly and the audience quickly grows emotionally-attached. With one heart-wrenching scene after another, we are drawn to these characters and as we watch their demise, we feel the pain in our hearts as if we were experiencing the heartbreaking events ourselves.
Overall, this movie is a definite A with plot twists and turns, excellent characterization, and a portrayal of a world seldom experienced by most. This film will not only impress you, it will pull your heartstrings and force you to appreciate film-making and the entire cinematic experience at its finest.
Those who criticize Circuit for its raw, edgy approach and glitz and glamor with sexy actors playing men without care have missed its salient point. At its heart, Circuit is a tragic love-story intertwined with a glimpse that examines the harsh reality of a world filled with seductive life-endangering drugs and anonymous sex presented in a way only a filmmaker with true talent could present. Circuit won't be recognized for awards and praise because of its low budget and independent release. But after seeing it, you will realize it truly is worthy of many...