Change Your Image
wbcamera
Reviews
Donnie Darko (2001)
A Lot of People Love This Movie, I Didn't
For years I kept hearing "You have to see Donnie Darko" and "I can't believe you haven't seen Donnie Darko". It kept coming up on my list of recommendations at Amazon.com and on Netflix. Well, I finally sat down to watch it last night and fell asleep. So this evening, I sat down to watch the rest of the film.
Why? Because I bought into all of the hype surrounding Donnie Darko. That it was a movie that you cannot just watch the first hour of and walk away, that the payoff in the second hour makes the whole thing worth it.
Don't buy into that. If you're watching this film and you just don't like it after the first 30 minutes, don't waste your time on the rest of the movie, it's just not for you. It certainly wasn't for me.
However, I can see how some people might find this movie fascinating and riveting. It didn't do anything for me.
The story is fairly straight forward, albeit from a slightly unnerving point of view. In many ways the way this film was shot was a sort of tribute to the way that Donnie experiences his world.
The Soundtrack was a great amalgam of late 80's pop that anyone growing up at the time will identify with. However, the emotions that are experienced and the scenes just seemed overly contrived and at time farcical. There was little flow to this film. In it's attempts to be hip and cutting edge, it distracted the viewer just enough as to disengage him or her from the film.
I couldn't identify with any of the characters in the film simply because they were all over characterizations. The brooding Teen, the bully, the preppy girl, none of them seemed at all believable, and in a story such as this, believability is what would drive the viewer to engage in the characters and their actions.
This film is certainly not for anyone, and I think, really, the emotional investiture that's necessary to draw the viewer in was lost on me.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Self Made Man (2008)
Self Made Episode
This episode is about as stand alone an episode as they've produced so far. One of the best of the series yet, as well. The Citizen Kane style it was created with really added to the overall effect.
Billy Lush as Eric made a very strong and compelling case for becoming a returning character as a means for Cameron to discover her humanity. A stellar performance.
Also, the plot device of the Terminators missing their intended marks while time traveling has some very interesting aspects that could be explored in future episodes.
All in all, one of the best story lines of the series thus-far.
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)
Mad Genius or just Mad?
Plan 9 was made during the hysteria of Macarthyism. For this reason, there was a myriad of "invisible invaders" movies that permeated the landscape at the time Wood created this movie. While the script is flawed, the storyline one-dimensional, the special effects non-existent, stock footage galore, and the acting as cardboard as they come, this movie blends these aspects together in spectacular fashion. Had this movie had Tim Burton or the Zucker brothers names attached, and been released 20 or more years later, this movie might be considered one of the greatest spoofs ever made. There is so much to get caught up in, and so many different things to hit the rewind button for, that it may take upwards of 2 hours to get through this short film. This film is bad, but it could be argued that this film was created to be bad! From cut shots that move from midnight to midday and back again, to mattresses readily apparent as fall-aways, to the ever-popularly sighted man in the cape covering his face from the camera, this film has more Easter Eggs in it to search for than Oliver Stone has conspiracies.
We sometimes forget that films are created to be enjoyable. We don't always need to have to ponder the meaning of existence after every feature. This is a film from within the era is seeks to mock. Every cliché is used. It's not quite a horror film, and yet holds some of the well-worn clichés of the genre. Same for the Sci-Fi genre. This is a film that rises above it's own limitations to entrench itself upon the cinematic landscape it seeks to make fun of. Remember, this is Ed Wood's idea of the greatest film he could create.
This film has to be listed among mandatory viewing for anyone aspiring to work with the industry, as it is a mockery of both the big budget as well as the independent spirit.
This is one film you will not soon forget, and for all the right reasons. Is it right to be so wrong? Or is it wrong to be so right? Is this film a great parody? A masterpiece of a spoof? Or was it genuinely trying to be as good as it possibly could? This is all up to debate. The fact remains, your time viewing this film will seldom be thought of as a supreme waste.
A masterpiece? Maybe. The worst film of all time? Absolutely not.
Pure Country (1992)
If You Like George Strait...
This is quite simply a movie that will be enjoyed by country music fans. Pure Country is a throw-back type of a picture. Simply put, there's nothing to take away from this film. It either makes you feel good, or you don't like country music. If you DO like country, then sit back and enjoy, as this film is NOT meant to be taken seriously.
George Strait stars in this film about a musician who is at a crossroads. As his career has become bigger, the less control he has over himself. In a moment of clarity, he decides to "take a walk" to find himself, leading to a better understanding of himself, as well as his finding and falling for a girl.
This film holds no surprises and it doesn't try to. It simply tries to entertain, and that it does, at least for a George Strait fan.
True, the acting leaves MUCH to be desired. But honestly, if you are watching this film, the LAST thing that you are thinking about is Oscar winning performances.
This film is a throwback to the days of yesteryear and the singing cowboy. No one took those films seriously, and neither should anyone take this one seriously either. Just sit back and enjoy.