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Reviews
Parallels (2015)
Dull
There is not much excitement in the film. The story is pretty generic, probably due to the poor acting of all characters which gives a dull viewing experience. Except for some pretty nice sci-fi effects, nothing stands out in this movie to make it memorable.
Insidious (2010)
Scary at some scenes, but not too much.
I had watched James Wan's The Conjuring before this, so I had high expectations. I am a fan of found footage horror films, but the Conjuring was one of my favorite commercial horror films. The start of Insidious is always good, like in Annabelle, which he also had directed. James knows how to create a very uneasy atmosphere. Insidious was a scary one, but as usual, at the middle towards the end, it gets fast=paced, knowing that the mysteries are being divulged. Plus, the repeated overusing of loud distorted scary orchestra sounds can sometimes be annoying, like it is trying too hard to scare. Near the end of the film, it doesn't get scary, especially since the demon's face is explicitly shown. It looks more like watching an adventure/fantasy film. Overall, I enjoyed this better than Annabelle, but this film is short of scenes that would have made it more well-remembered.
Grave Encounters (2011)
One of the most terrifying films for serious horror fans
Not always, but many horror films with big budget and spectacular production effects are not that terrifying as raw found footage films. Found footage simulate the actual atmosphere and lets the viewer focus on the scene without the distracting production effects. I do not understand why this film has only a cult following, when it is far more scary than Paranormal Activity series. The setting is to much for one to imagine; being in a hospital is uneasy; in a mental hospital eerie; in an abandoned mental hospital scary. But to be locked inside a haunted abandoned mental hospital at night? Maybe that's why it can't be understood by the mainstream; they don't want to put (or don't care in putting) themselves in that kind of situation. They just watch the film as a spectator who is detached from it, or like nothing goes on their mind while watching it, or the film is not being taken too seriously. If you have a strong imagination and dark delusions, and hate pretentious mainstream horror films, this film would really satisfy your dark "fantasies".
The Equalizer (2014)
So here is another super hero in human form...
There's no doubt Denzel was able to portray the stoic character of the protagonist. In fact, he did it perfectly, so as to appear that he was the real villain. One would, as usual, expect spectacular effects from such wealthy companies as Sony and Columbia. But the story was disappointing. Here we have an agent who assassinates adversaries perfectly in every situation, with minimal to no damage taken at all. The girl was even set aside in the mid-section of the film and, laughably, re-emerges in the final scene (maybe so as to remind viewers her significance in the film was not fully set aside). Plus, some would find the insertion of a meaningful quote at the beginning baffling. The movie doesn't even provoke pity or, at the very least, understanding of the main character's situation. With so many slow-motion and time-lapses in between scenes, one can vividly picture the aim of the movie; to impress viewers with force, which some people may see as arrogance. It is a commercial action movie though, so most who are satisfied with intense action and little drama would find this film worthy of taking their time.
Kinatay (2009)
A film that effectively shows how "natural" a gruesome act can be.
After reading reviews of Kinatay, I decided to watch the film, but it was so rare I can't find it in the internet. Luckily, I found it in a CD shop in a mall and bought it.
The first scenes had a feeling of ordinary life in the shanties of urban Philippines, displaying the bouncy/cheerful personality of Filipinos. However, the ordinary setting takes an abrupt turn upon the start of the mid-section of the movie, where the dark ambiance begin to ooze.
The actors, as aided by unconventional found-footage style camera angles, really did well in making the scenes appear so natural, so as to make the viewer really believe he is an invisible spectator on the actual site. The eerie background music was minimal and effectively placed in scenes that actually require it, enhancing the psychological effect on the viewer.
The flow doesn't hurry in switching scenes. It maintains a slow pace, even until the ending, which is so unconventional but effective. At the end, it leaves the viewer "hanging" because its ending can only offer implications.
What makes the movie really stand out is the sheer natural attitude the characters portray for an extremely brutal and insane act, as viewed by a direct witness. As an indie film, it is not expected to have a spectacular production value, so there would be scenes that are so dark and silent (or both at the same time), and others used to commercial movies might find it boring and lame. If you want something dark and psychologically affecting because it shows how "natural" a grisly act is, then this film should be in your list.
After Earth (2013)
A fresh young actor in a not-so-refreshing movie..
I didn't know of Will Smith's son, Jaden, being the young main actor in the film until I checked IMDb. So that could explain why such a juvenile actor was given the spotlight in the movie because his dad was the screenwriter. While Will showed how serious, composed and stern he can be, I could not really complain about Jaden's acting either except for some acting that needs to be subtle so as not to appear overacting. The story in relation to the glamorous effects was disappointing. It seems they made an expensive movie with a lame story just to introduce Jaden's acting prowess (or progress) to the public. Unless you are fond of sci-fi adventure films, or good-looking young "prodigies", then there will be much more excitement that other films might offer.
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
One of the most worthless things to watch.
I do not get the idea why people would make a movie so worthless. Its story is senseless and extremely lame to say the least. Its primary purpose is to show gore, gore that is done by non-humans; "monsters" if you will. Like your usual mediocre gory horror movies, the cast is all enticing with youthful good-looking actors and actresses. In this movie though, the acting was fair enough. The movie writers wanted to make a movie that combines technology with old-fashioned backwoods zombies. They thought it was a brilliant idea. All it did was an utter waste of resources. Maybe that's what they wanted after all, since the movie was all about that; futility.
Evil Dead (2013)
Gory scenes make up for the lame story.
At the first scenes, one would think the movie courts the audience with all of its good-looking actors and actresses. But why would people want to make a movie with a lame-to-useless story just to show how gory and cruel a movie can be? The movie's background was so rushed that I cannot understand why the the group even visited the cabin. In addition, the lead actor is good-looking but his acting style is so bad. His persona and decisions are so dumb that it can be annoying. The flow is fast-paced and there is no element of suspense. At the middle of the film, you already get to know the outcome. The scenes are virtually the same; gory scenes, loud screams and survival. There is so much blood and violence in the movie that one can only imagine how twisted the writers and director were to portray the worst imaginable kind of physical feeling; but that's all about the movie. For people who really enjoy gory and cruel stuff, however bad the story is, then this is for them.
Deliver Us from Evil (2014)
Not a very good exorcism movie.
After watching several exorcism movies, I thought this would be a really good one. The building of the suspense in the early part of the movie is very good. It has some similarities in certain events with The Conjuring. Although the disappointing part is the abrupt and bland ending which spoils the whole movie. In addition, the priest actor has some Latin accent that makes it very hard to recognize the words he say, which makes understanding the plot and flow more difficult. The perspective is more "worldly" than spiritual, which is understandable since the main actor is a police. Although the story writers had missed putting enough religious element in the movie, which makes the movie seem as if it was trying too hard to stray away from being religious. Because of this, the movie isn't compelling, and is fine to watch when nothing better is available.
Quarantine (2008)
Gory and startling
OK, this movie starts off like it was "fun". There is no anticipation of any terrifying stuff. I cannot believe how quick the events unfolded. But the tension started building up the moment the police with the reporters and firemen opened that door with the old lady. The characters played their roles well. It was expected that the characters would end up dying as the film progresses, but I did not expect the terrifying near-end and ending, which overshadows the horror of even the Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity. One cannot stand but ponder on the pitiful situation the female reporter was in. A really good horror movie.
Cloverfield (2008)
What else would you expect from a Hollywood production company?
I thought I would be able to like all found footage films. However, this disappointed. The voice acting by the cameraman was so horrible like he was just making fun of it. What's more, there's so much sensationalism in the obviously Hollywood high-budget movie which strips off the suspense and realism. The numerous "Oh my Gods" are extremely annoying. Plus, the storyline was so bland that it would seem the movie was primarily for showcasing the impressive graphics and simulation technologies at the time. Whatever the case, this isn't even a scary or thrilling movie. So I wouldn't know why they made such a pitiful script for such a high-budget movie. I would like to think of it as a waste of time, but at the very least, it opened my eyes to see how big and wealthy production companies venture into the found footage genre only to end up mostly creating a trying-hard or trying-to-impress movie full of your usual mainstream movie elements; extravagant graphics and annoying sensationalism, two key elements not typically found in the REAL found footage genre.
Apollo 18 (2011)
Any fan of found-footage films would likely enjoy this
After watching the movie, I had done some research on it, and was surprised why the score was quite low. OK, maybe because the footages itself were fictitious. But looking at it objectively, you cannot help but be impressed with the realistic production, with low quality grainy camera and transmission/interference sound effects. The acting was great too. There were some times though that Anderson would "overreact" near the ending but it wasn't that bad. The film didn't show long scenes of evident "beings", which is what makes it very effective to appear believable. It also spurs interest in space exploration and its history. I don't understand why people would rate this film low. People must realize that having scenes that don't show much changes is a feature of the found-footage genre. In a world where big movies are all about sensationalism, I truly believe the more you show, the less effective it is (at least for horror/thriller/mystery films).
Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)
Maybe an independent film director can do the job.
For players of Silent Hill series, there is much expectation for every game made. One would be the non-sensational, stoic and almost emotionless acting of each character. The movie, which is a fair improvement over the ever-disappointing 2006 original film, still lacks this unique characteristic. It starts of good, but later progresses into a fast-paced typical survival horror/action movie.
The production, props and effects are very good though that you can imagine the staff to have worked really hard to capture that visual appeal. You will also notice some background noises that were directly borrowed from the game Silent Hill 3.
But the movie doesn't really capture the game's atmosphere with good props alone. Camera angles are "normal" and moving that it's like watching a normal movie. The game is known for having weird and unconventional still camera angles that would make it look really creepy by itself. Sometimes, the background music creates a certain atmosphere which makes a person relaxed. The game has its own BGM; creepy distorted sound effects like mumblings, door knocking, sound of a gate opening or a vibrating metallic "thing" that doesn't "allow" you to relax not even for a bit. There is so much dialog in the movie that it doesn't deserve to have the title of the game. The acting is good for another mainstream movie, but it should not be sensationalized since the game's atmosphere is all about being unconventional, eerie, uneasy, and stoic. There also wasn't an atmosphere of something eerily "looming" that it becomes a typical "scare-you-right-in-the-face" movie, more of an action-type. The game is known to, as much as possible, avoid fast-paced actions, that it allows you to run slow so you have the element of uneasiness and despair. The movie should have been about psychological horror.
All in all, I think the movie is fair. There might be a few instances where the movie becomes funny. It belongs more to the typical horror movies, and doesn't accurately represent the Silent Hill game franchise. Fans of the game would be disappointed (as usual?) Maybe an independent film director can do the job.
Super Shark (2011)
It's very unusual to see such a bad movie released in 2011...
Watching this movie in Cinemax, I waited for the credits to see the year it was released: "MMXXI". It couldn't be 2011, I thought, it might be 1991, but XXI is 11. I had wanted to believe that this movie wasn't made in 2011 (by the US), but now I see.
It looks like a low-budget film. The shark's graphics look horrible. Even the movement of the waves when the shark was swimming near the boat appears unnatural. And so with the sand falling off the robot-tank's legs, and the blood spatters when the shark eats a person. The story is not that exciting too, and the outcome is quite predictable. Perhaps this film was to somewhat "relive" the 1970s Jaws atmosphere, since the hairdos of the cast were quite old-fashioned. Were the movie personnel trying to limit also their technology?
Perhaps there will always be low-budget films such as these even up to these days. With many great movies released in the past years, it's just unusual to see such a movie being released to the public, especially at this time of high innovation and technology.
Saan darating ang umaga? (1983)
A heavy drama film that can evoke emotions without exerting almost any effort; a timeless classic that must be watched by those who haven't
The movie is one of the best Philippine drama films I had seen; it is a movie that can truly evoke your emotions, especially since it is about family relationships.
The movie begins with a smooth flow and light atmosphere but as it approaches the end, there is a twist that changes the direction of the story; a stark contrast that makes the movie so affecting. There are few characters in the film, but the characters' identities are well-portrayed by very good actors such as Maricel Soriano, Nestor de Villa and most especially, Nida Blanca. Their acting is very convincing that you almost cannot see the film was just "scripted". You will feel the actors' emotions as if they were real, even without exerting too much "effort" trying to absorb the feelings they are trying to portray. Although, the constant and long crying of the child in the some parts of the story might be quite "awkward" to watch, the child was nevertheless good in acting; perhaps it is just not everyday that you hear a child crying in the manner that the child had done in the film.
The best acting I had seen was from Nida Blanca. Her acting and, most especially, facial expressions look very real. Just by looking at her face, you cannot help but feel the happy, gloomy, or uneasy atmosphere even before she does something. It's like she can "kill" a person just by staring at him.
Overall, any drama film about family relationships almost turn out to be very good. But this is one of the few films that cannot be forgotten easily because of the theme, its twist in the story, and the very good acting by several actors & actresses. It is one of the timeless classic drama film masterpieces in Philippine cinema history.
Magdusa ka! (1986)
A timeless classic; played by veteran actors and directed by legendary Eddie Garcia; a heavy story that can bring out your emotions
Eddie Garcia's legendary experience as an actor makes him a very effective director. Written by the famous Pablo S. Gomez, the film has a complex but well-written story focusing on Christine (acted by Dina Bonnevie) and her unstable relationships with her adoptive mother, her boyfriend, her father who has a second wife & daughter, and her wealthy grandmother. As the story continues, Christine is wrongly accused of wrongdoings caused by false beliefs and by the malevolence and cruelty of the antagonists in the story. She absorbs much of the suffering by her own self.
The actors & actresses are excellent in portraying their characters; not surprising as almost all of them have become some of the well-known and sought-after veteran actors in Philippine television. Although the best and most realistic acting I had seen in the movie was from Nida Blanca, Armida-Siguion Reyna, Christopher de Leon and Jacklyn Jose (who are undoubtedly, some of the most effective actors in Phil. cinema history). If there was some "flaw" in the film, I think it was the fast pace of some scenes. There were little "relaxing scenes", most of the scenes were about the active unfolding of events, which forces the viewer to be focused and receptive of the fast-paced scenes. Although, it may have been intentionally done to fit the film's running time.
The film has some similarities with the 1978 film "Atsay", also directed by Eddie Garcia. Eddie knows how to make a protagonist suffer in extreme, and how to make a villain perform a very malevolent and deceptive act. There is always a stark contrast between the hero & the villain in his films, and it is quite difficult to see the unfolding of events because of the complex story lines. All in all, this is one great classic film, a reason why it was remade into a TV series in 2008 in the Philippines.
Amaya (2011)
A well-portrayed historical TV show series that effectively captures the peaceful atmosphere and rich native culture of pre-colonial Philippines
I have seen the preview of this show by GMA-7 network several weeks before it had been released, and was intrigued because it is a rare occurrence for "historical movies" to be released nowadays in the Philippines.
Although I watched a few later episodes, I was really impressed on the in-depth research done by the staff; to simulate or bring close to reality the setting and atmosphere of pre-colonial Philippines; from the costumes to the environment. But most importantly, it was the language that brings the show close to reality; the actors & actresses really try their best to use "the original" Tagalog language (and they are almost always successful); speaking in a formal & respectful manner, with no "slang words", and most of all, no "colonial-based Tagalog words" (using "nais" instead of "gusto", "marahil" instead of "siguro", and "ngunit" instead of "pero"). Though at times, there are instances when certain actors or actresses accidentally use some of those colonial-based words such as "pwede", but it is extremely rare. The only minor flaw I notice occasionally is that some actors don't talk in a natural or continuous way; there are noticeable "pauses" while talking; which is understandable because they may not be adept in using formal Tagalog language.
The value of respect for the higher-ranking members of the community is also well-portrayed by the actors. The atmosphere is not "fast-paced", which gives a natural feeling of serenity in a peaceful village; but of course, there will always be antagonists.
It was an expensive and daring move for GMA-7 to make a movie like this; in the midst of TV shows focusing on present times; with many Filipinos preferring to watch "love stories" between the youth. Amaya is not just a retreat from the modern (and quite frankly, similar) TV shows you watch daily; but it is one which will educate people how the pre- colonial Filipinos lived, in a very effective and convincing way.
Isinakdal ko ang aking ina (1997)
Good story and good actors, but "rigid acting" in some scenes take away the overall satisfaction in the movie
Overall, the movie is good in the sense that it has a good story focusing on family relationships, and because of the characters are well played by several veteran Filipino actors and actresses. Although there are times when the "crying scenes" of Susan Roces and Wowie de Guzman are "rigid/repetitive", and not too convincing.
The story is complex; but is portrayed in a realistic manner; there are not too many "jumping" or "even "skipping scenes" which confuse the viewer on how or why the next event will take place.
Other supporting actors/actresses played their roles very well; such as Gladys Reyes and Tony Mabesa.
Personally, the major flaw in this movie was that some conversations in the movie are performed in a "rigid" manner; and sometimes they don't sound realistic nor convincing. Still, it is a fairly good movie because of the theme focusing on family, the reasonable unfolding of events, and the generally well-played acting of several veteran actors & actresses (although I would recommend a similar but far much better family drama movie "Abandonada" instead)