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katdakay
Reviews
Haute tension (2003)
Really trippy.
Wow. So this was one of the free selections on our digital cable on-demand, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I did, because it was well worth it. The movie doesn't tease; bloodshed begins quite early on, establishing it as a pretty fast-paced slasher flick. The movie begins as a college student brings her friend to her place for vacation, and all hell breaks loose. Aside from the sufficient gore, the movie also has excellent music, including songs by artists such as Muse; the soundtrack is placed so brilliantly into the context of the movie, making chase scenes aesthetically beautiful despite the dark subject matter. A beautiful, haunting, and moving film.
Dead Man's Curve (1998)
a relatively obscure, but decent flick
The premise behind this movie is, how much is someone to compromise their morals in order to achieve academic gain? In the tradition of movies such as "The Perfect Score" and "Cheaters", but much, much darker, that question is answered...and then some. Matthew Lillard does an amazing job as a cunning, manipulative, and more than slightly psychotic college roommate willing to do anything to get ahead. The movie contains enough plot turns to make your head spin at times, but the acting is solid and the storyline was more than enough to keep me captivated throughout. Its an old question placed in a contemporary context, and it makes for a damn good horror film.
Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
quite good.
Interesting to see Keanu Reeves post-Bill and Ted, but pre-Matrix fame. In this movie, he, like in "The Matrix", plays a character who has the fate of the world in his hands...well, kind of. My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed it, partly because we reveled in finding the parallels between "Johnny Mnemonic" and the Wachowski brothers' ubiquitous creation. This movie does have that mid-nineties hacker movie quality about it, it focuses on a dystopian futuristic world where corporations own everything--no surprise there. What I was surprised about, though, was how underrated (again, recurring word in this thread) this movie is. I found it a decent and original piece, and surprisingly fun. If you're looking for another 'Matrix', you're not going to find it here, but if you're looking for a good science fiction/cyberpunk piece, "Mnemonic" is definitely worth a shot.
Planet Terror (2007)
awesome.
Throroughly enjoyed this movie. For those who insist on comparing "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof", come on. They're both amazing, but in different ways. "Planet Terror" definitely owns "Death Proof" in the gore department, whether that is good or bad is up to you. However, I did enjoy the fact that Rose McGowan's character in "Planet Terror" (Cherry) is much more empowered and independent than her role in "Death Proof". That "Planet Terror" contains zombies only adds to the appeal; the main message derived is that in the face of destruction and adversity, Cherry still fights back and refuses to give in. Even when the odds are against her. Its a timeless message, but delivered in a provocative, action-packed, thrilling context.
Maniac (1934)
madness!
The plot is kind of dubious, basically its about a mad scientist who attempts to guilt his lab assistant into killing himself, so the lab assistant kills him and assumes the scientist's identity, reveling momentarily in the attained prestige. What follows I can only attempt to understand, but basically the lab assistant goes crazy, either with guilt, or from the heinous hairdo that goes with his new visage; pay attention for allusions from Edgar Allen Poe's The Cask of Amontillado (lit junkies will know what I mean) and scenes from random silent movies. The general idea is the descent of a man into madness; descriptions of psychiatric disorders (archaic descriptions at that) are interspersed throughout the show, including Bipolar disorder and a type of paranoia which would nowadays be called schizophrenia...I actually like this film, perhaps it is the psychiatry nerd in me; it starts out slow but it picks up and is definitely worth it.
Seddok, l'erede di Satana (1960)
a disaster, and i'm not talking about the "plot"
Yet another pretty bad movie; this one centers around a mad scientist who falls in love with a stripper who has been disfigured by a car accident. He finds a way to make her beautiful again, but the catch is they must murder a bunch of prostitutes for reasons which are kind of fuzzy and unclear but provide for a moderate amount of entertainment. Somehow, the demoralized scientist ends up looking a cross between the werewolf from "Werewolfs of London" but with a hairdo reminiscent of Tina Turner. I guess this movie is supposed to somehow be thematic of the evils of vanity, but its much less a horror movie than it is a really, really bad soap opera. Avoid at all costs.
Funny Games (2007)
mind games
"Funny Games" is hysterical; whether you view it as a commentary on the ubiquity of violence in cinema or just plain torture porn, it was definitely sufficient in capturing my attention as deftly as the film's murderers captured their victims. It begins with the most domestic and simple of requests; the film's antagonists in white knock upon the family's door with the most simple of requests-the neighbors want to borrow some eggs, can I have some please?--and transforms drastically into a masterpiece of sadism and torture. Naomi Watts does an excellent job as the traumatized mother, but the real stars here are the deliciously evil villains with impeccable table manners.
Il boia scarlatto (1965)
You just can't look away..
I have watched this movie so many times, and I still love it. Basically the plot centers around a group of models and photographers that want to do a horror photo shoot at a haunted castle, and the chaos that ensues. The rest of the storyline is a bit blurred and even I don't quite understand after seeing it many times, but..
This movie is kinda sexy. There's torture, there's lust, there's a beautiful woman suspended in a giant spider web. And did I mention, torture? The gore and special effects are pretty bad, but the torture devices are worth notice, and Mickey Hartigay is funny, he over-dramatizes every line he's given. Good, mindless fun.
Bloodlust! (1961)
not fabulous, but decent.
Taking its cues from the short story "The Most Dangerous Game", "Bloodlust" centers around a group of teenagers who land on a desolate island inhabited only by a mysterious, homicidal eccentric millionaire who likes to hunt and has surrounded himself with cronies. But wait. What's so weird about that? Oh, nothing, except that his species of choice is no other than...human beings. So of course, he gives the teenagers an inconsequential head start and then proceeds to attempt to hunt them down so he can add them to his 'collection'. Aside from the eccentric millionaire, the characters are relatively flat, static caricatures; you've got the pretty brunette, the take-charge Ken doll boyfriend, the archetypical nerd, and the smart blonde. One thing I did like about this movie is that, unlike most horror movies of the era, the women don't just sit there and scream for help, but actually are resourceful and intelligent enough to fight back at what is attacking them. Its one of the early "teen-scream" movies that were popularized through the early-mid 1960's--basically the slightly edgier equivalent of the Annette Funicello beach bunny movies. While most of the movies in the "teen-scream" subset of the horror genre are pretty lame, this one's actually alright. It lacks the cinematic brilliance of say, a Hitchcock film, but it was entertaining enough to be worthwhile.
Bio-Dome (1996)
ugh.
One of the few movies I couldn't even watch in one sitting, I had to split it up into two. I always despised Pauly Shore, but now I really really can't stand him. There are a few moments where the jokes are relatively funny, but they are few and far between. The only neat thing about it was the overwhelming mid-90's pop culture melting pot, which appealed to my nostalgic side, but even that was squashed by the overpowering obnoxiousness of Pauly Shore. Stephen Baldwin is slightly less annoying than Shore, but not by much, and its sad, because I've seen him in other roles which he played incredibly well. I usually find at least some redeeming features in 'stoner' movies, or even like them-- (the Clerks series, Bill and Ted, etc.)-- but this movie is just really bad. The supposed protagonists are so idiotic and obnoxious that its painful to watch.
Superbad (2007)
superbad was superbly amazing.
One of the few movies in general that I not only had to see the weekend it came out in theatres, but also had to buy on DVD and watch numerous times over and over again, many times with friends.
It's truly a comedic masterpiece, but not in the stupid, mindless way most films about teenagers are. It's funny because people can really relate to the characters, either seeing themselves or their friends in them. The acting in it is amazing, it introduced a whole new generation of quality comic actors, most notably Michael Cera, whose role as Evan is sweet, charming, and endearingly awkward. However, the audience favorite--admittedly, mine too--was Christopher Mintz-Plasse as McLovin, the ubergeek who infiltrates the adult world by essentially being in the right place at the wrong time. The comedic timing, however, is immaculate. Superbad is worth watching...over, and over, and over again. I also recommend getting the extended version DVD, because the extended features are almost as hilarious as the movie itself.
Charlie Bartlett (2007)
a rare gem in the high school movie genre..
I had seen the trailer for this movie last summer when I saw Superbad, and was excited to see that the trailer said it would be in theatres soon. However, the release date was moved to February, so I got my chance to see it a few weeks ago...
It was just as amazing as I expected it to be, if not more so. Charlie Bartlett is the epitome of the misunderstood, precocious teenager who finds his 'niche' in becoming the unofficial school psychiatrist--yes, meds and all. Of course, there's violence, some sexual themes, and romance, as in most teen movies, but what makes this movie good is the depth of the characters. Whereas in most teen movies I've seen the characters are very representative of perceived clichés rather than real people, in Charlie Bartlett they're inconsistent, angsty, multi-faceted, complex. In other words, realistic.
Great movie. I fully plan to catch it when it comes out on DVD.
The Monster Maker (1944)
Comparatively good mad-scientist movie.
Okay, now this is one of the few movies that really did scare me. Its about a classical pianist with a lovely young daughter, who is attractive enough to catch the eye of a mad scientist (what a catch!)...whom shehas absolutely no interest in. So the mad scientist injects the classical pianist with acromegaly (this is medically impossible, although acromegaly--better known as elephantitis--is a real disorder, it is due to a glandular problem and is treated with either medication, or worst case scenario, radiation)...a disfiguring disorder for which only he has the cure. Of course, the mad scientist refuses to give the father the cure until the girl accepts his hand in marriage. It sounds lame, but this movie actually did give me a pretty good fright. The makeup/special effects are well done, especially given the budget. And hey, the piano music's nice, although I would have liked to hear some Liszt to balance out the Chopin.
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Funny, charming, and witty.
The sci-fi movie that inspired the more familiar musical that came later on. Jack Nicholson is hilarious as the masochistic dental patient, but what really caught my attention is that this movie is way more emo than the musical. Seymour, with his horn-rimmed dark glasses, plaid scarf, and self-deprecating personality, is almost reminiscent of Rivers Cuomo. He even runs into a prostitute and is immune to her over-the-top sexuality. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was watching a sci-fi version of "The Catcher in the Rye." With a giant plant. But hey, when you think about it, that actually sounds kind of cool. It was.
The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)
I've seen better. A lot better...
Another movie that relies upon the trite, worn-out cliché of the mad scientist gone madder. The movie centers around a surgeon whose life's ambition is to bring the dead...back to life. I know, I know...you've never heard that one before! Of course, as all of these movies go, the experiment goes very, very wrong and creates a maniacal, bloodthirsty creature. For this promising setup, you'd think that it'd be at least a bit suspenseful. Wrong. Like many movies of this era, the idea is nice, but the execution and the script is mediocre. Not the worst horror movie I've seen (no, Abominator: the Evilmaker 2 still takes the cake)...but not one of the gems, either.
Metropolis (1927)
Beautiful, politically charged epic masterpiece.
Probably the second best silent movie I've ever seen, (Frank Capra's The Matinée Idol still rules), but that's saying something. Its a futuristic dystopian masterpiece about a world in which the rich live in beautiful glass palaces, ignorant or otherwise indifferent to the plight of the majority of the population, impoverished and overworked manual laborers who are relegated to living in a subterranean inner city. Note the Marxist undertones, which are not at all subtle. The political commentary of the bourgeoise vs. the proletariat, and the classic David vs. Goliath theme are well conveyed. It was beautiful, and totally lives up to its praise as a "visionary masterpiece." Fritz Lang is a cinematic genius, and the emotion flows beautifully from darkly comedic to hysterical to somber. A true epic.
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
not my favorite vincent price film, but still pretty good.
The original film adaptation of "I am Legend", starring Vincent Price as the title character, the last man on earth. Anyway, the movie itself was a bit anticlimactic for the first half hour, but I think that was intentionally supposed to convey Price's character's boredom and the degradation of one's psyche without the stimulation of normal human interaction. As a horror movie, it isn't remarkably gory or anything, so you may be disappointed. Price, however, does a great job as a man struggling to maintain his sanity under the intense pressures of a post-apocalyptic world. From a psychological standpoint, there is a lot to dissect here, and if you view it under that context, it is an intelligent statement on the tribulations of human loneliness.
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Price definitely earns his cult status...
Another Vincent Price movie, this time he is an eccentric millionaire that offers $10,000 to five strangers in return for spending the night in his haunted house. If the deal sounds fishy, that's because it is. The first thing I thought was, Wow, this sounds like a reality television show... except for with murder, special effects galore, and a lot more deceit. I think the best part about this movie was watching my eight-year old sister, a huge horror film fan, gasp and scream and react to the film, which she wholeheartedly enjoyed. Intellectually, The Last Man on Earth has a lot more to grab onto, but The House on Haunted Hill has the cheap thrills, screams, and moments of suspense that have undeniably made it a cult classic. I suppose I enjoyed both features equally, but as far as being an audience favorite, this movie surely stands the test of time.
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Excellent. And not just because I love silent film.
Silent film starring Lon Chaney, oddly enough I had never seen "The Phantom of the Opera" before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I had heard that in the musical, the Phantom/Erik is portrayed as a more sympathetic, tragic, human character--but in the Chaney version you don't feel bad for him at all. In fact, with every letter he wrote, every move Chaney's Phantom made, I was like "Oh no you didn't!" Plus I watched it late at night after coffee, and I can get pretty passionate about these things. I mean, if anyone had it coming, it was him. According to the Wikipedia entry, when the movie premiered, some viewers were so disgusted when the Phantom's face was exposed for the first time that they walked out of the theatre. In all fairness, his physiognomy in the movie is pretty ghastly. I guess that's what made Chaney such a great actor, though, he obviously could do the bad guy role really well. Anyway, the cinematography was decent, and the musical score was commendable, so I would totally recommend this movie.
Boy Eats Girl (2005)
Hilarious
When I first came across "Boy Eats Girl", it was a previewed movie for sale at a video store. I initially thought it was a porno because of the title, but picked it up and read the back anyway...it was enough to pique my interest and get me to buy the thing.
After seeing the previews that preceded the actual movie, my expectations were pretty low, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. I'm glad I did, because the movie itself was hilarious, in that irreverent, youthful European style of humor. That said, if you're looking for a hardcore, creepy, serious zombie movie, then this one is definitely not for you. "Boy Eats Girl" is a funny, brilliant take on both adolescence and the horror genre; the characters take center stage and the whole zombie plot is more of a side note.
But...I loved it. I've seen some pretty shoddy horror movies, but this film has excellent cinematography, decent special effects, and, most importantly, good acting and interesting characters. A good movie to watch with friends... you'll laugh until you cry.