Daelock Reviews

See No Evil (2006)

Good, B-movie Fun

[7/10 · 19 May 2006]

This, ladies and gentlemen, is truly a modern B-movie. The dialog is stilted and delivered with wooden rigidity, the premise is predictable (there are a few decent twists) and characters remain 2D for most of it. And yet there is a certain...charm. WWE wrestler Kane brings to life the sick, twisted monster of a man with a lot of pathos (though it is somewhat like his character that he's been playing around ten years) and so I'll find it quite amusing when people say it's "not much of a reach for him," but Glen Jacobs is, apparently, quite the nice guy, so actually it is. In any event, he's cast perfectly as the hulking brute and the deaths are suitably over the top (Jason would be proud), but I heard at least four applause breaks for four different kills scenes. Frankly go into this movie thinking that you'll have some fun and a gorefest, oh it is QUITE the gorefest. The R-rating IS richly deserved and I actually got a little nauseous during some of the more graphic times. In any event, a very, very fun, but fairly bad, movie.

Corpses Are Forever (2004 Video)

Terrible in ways I never dreamed possible

[1/10 · 13 April 2005]

I thought I'd seen the worst when I saw Uwe Boll's "House of the Dead" but no, this piece of junk had to come along and give me a new low of just how bad something can get. I'm not sure what happened, at what point the director thought it was a good idea to have him run from set-piece to set-piece using fake looking spin kicks (shot from the side to completely emphasize the point he gets nowhere near any zombie he kicks), speaking in one of the WORST British accents I've heard since Keanu Reeves was Harker in Dracula. If you want a great zombie movie, head over to Dawn of the Dead (either the remake or the original). It has better acting, better zombie scenes, and is an overall better movie. The plot was scattered around with unlikable character after unlikable character polluting the screen with their very presence. It's not even "good cheesy" it's most Definitely "bad cheesy" and bad in the worst way, bad because it doesn't know how bad it is. It's the kind of movie that makes you wish Myster Science Theater 3000 was still around to give movies like this the treatment it deserves.

Apt Pupil (1998)

Evil Feeding Evil

[9/10 · 26 October 2004]

Apt Pupil is a movie of symbolism, it is a movie of metamorphosis, it is not a movie to be brushed off, taken lightly, nor is it to be watched if you want anything even remotely uplifting. It is a thoroughly depressing movie about corruption and the very root of evil. You'll find no plot summary here because you can scroll up slightly and find one. I can tell you Ian McKellen is one of the finest actors in the world and even solidifies that unlikely people like Brad Renfro and David Schwimmer can be incredible actors in their own rights. The movie poses several questions, almost none of which it answers and indeed might not have answers. It is, at it's core, about evil feeding into evil. The boy's evil reawakens the old man's evil, the old man's evil stokes the boy's evil and it continues to crescendo throughout coming to an incredible climax. A fascinating and thoroughly challenging movie.

Team America: World Police (2004)

America, **** YEAH!!!

[7/10 · 16 October 2004]

This movie is not a satire in the same way that South Park: The Movie was a satire. They both satirize different things, but their methods are the same. Not everyone will see that, a lot of people will just see a dirty movie where marionettes cuss, vomit and even fornicate. And yes, that's a huge part of it. But another huge part is the fact that, if you can't laugh at yourself as well as those you disagree with, you will not like this movie. It takes even shots at both sides so if you take yourself or your personal politics too seriously you will probably hate it. If you can't laugh at the humor that pushes R to the limit, you'll probably hate it. If you can't see that there really is a profound and true message beyond all that humor, you'll probably hate it. If you CAN do all those things, you will absolutely love it. It's a hilarious look at what happens when both sides, left and right, get pushed to extremes.

Frankenstein (2004 TV Movie)

Bear In Mind It IS A Made For TV Movie

[12 October 2004]

I don't think these kinds of movies should be judged by the same standards as others. Compared to a full budgeted, generally more free, Hollywood movie, this movie lacks somewhat. Compared to something like The Langoliers, it's spectacular. Judge it on its own merits and it's certainly not a waste of time, the performances all around are excellent, stand-outs from Adam Goldberg and Micheal Madsen in my opinion, and it's got a plot that doesn't suck as well as some genuine twists. I'd say the production values are the best drawing points though, as this has the appearance of a big-budget, cinematic blockbuster, while most come off as cheesy and campy. There are worse ways to spend a couple of hours.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000–2023)

Call it hilarious, call it original, call it what you will

[30 July 2004]

This is indeed one of the most hilarious, original shows on the air right now. How many shows have starred food products but not been some full-time endorsement of a restaurant or been made strictly for kids? 0 comes to mind and this show is neither and it is excellent. I will say that judging it based on the first few episodes may be a mistake because the series is quite different from then. For one thing they kicked that whole "being detectives" angle (as Frylock said "We don't really do that anymore. It was making us NO money") Incidentally, the previous review on here had the neighbor listed as "Steve" for some very strange reason. He listed even listed an episode and described it in detail calling him "Steve." Steve is Dr. Weird's red headed assistant/victim of most of his experiments. Their neighbor is named Carl. I don't know how you could get through the episode he described and not pick that up, but there you go. Simple correction. What more can I say that hasn't already been said? If you have an odd sense of humor, a good way to judge is to watch an entire Adult Swim Sunday line-up, if you find yourself laughing at most of the stuff, you'll like this, or if you're open to new things, give 'em a spin. Each episode clocks in around 10 minutes so it's not even too much time wasted if you turn out hating it.

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Good For What It Is

[8/10 · 18 June 2004]

I'll make this short since it's already been commented on by many and I'd just be regurgitating what they've said: I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It's been awhile since the action/sci-fi niche has been so thoroughly filled (Star Wars Episode 2 sure didn't do it) but that's exactly what CoR is: ACTION/Sci-Fi. You don't go into an Ahnuld movie expecting a wondrous plot and deep characters, you expect to see people fighting and blowing up. This movie delievers that and delievers it well. I wish it had been rated R so the fights could be more visceral, but it doesn't ruin the experience. 8/10

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Less Action, More Plot Makes This Series a True Epic

[9/10 · 19 April 2004]

My summary says it all, the sequel to Kill Bill Vol 1 packs in more plot for the sake of the huge battles of the first one. Not to say there aren't great fight scenes in this one, but none are quite as enormous as the Crazy 88 fight. However that was what was holding back Kill Bill from being a real "epic" and just kept it in the realm of being a "really awesome action flick," a lack of any plot or backstory or even real character development(except for O-Ren), however this picks it up and goes into tons of backstory and develops all the main characters to some extent. I feel that, while many may be disappointed at the lessening of action, many more will enjoy the fact that this is what makes Kill Bill a true epic, plot where it was needed.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Epitomizes What Modern Horror Should Be

[8/10 · 21 March 2004]

I'll keep it short since I haven't seen the original and most people seem to have made up their minds about whether or not to see it. This is a vicious movie. It's not necessarily the most violent ever, but it's certainly vicious. It has an intensity lacking from many modern horror films, especially from the zombie ones. The idea of swift zombies rather than the lurching ones is not new, 28 Days Later had it and as a result many comparisons have been drawn between the two movies, but I don't think it's fair. 28 Days Later was more about the human condition(I personally forgot about the zombie menace in the second half in light of the human nature aspect) while this one focuses on the zombies and their effect on people. This generates some truly genuinely moving scenes, mostly revolving around Mekhi Pfeifer's(I have no clue if that was spelled right) character and the character of a gun salesman trapped on his shop's roof. This movie is truly powerful in some parts. I thoroughly enjoyed it overall.

Jersey Girl (2004)

VERY Different

[7/10 · 21 February 2004]

First things first: This is NOT Clerks, this is not Mallrats, this is not Chasing Amy, Dogma or J&SB: Strike Back, this is completely new and quite a bit more dramatic than any of those Kevin Smith movies(except possibly Chasing Amy) and that should be taken into account before you see it. I was lucky enough to see an advanced screening and I can tell you it's worth seeing at least once. I don't want to give away too much, but don't discount it just because it looks like it's going to be a Ben/J-Lo pic, it's not, trust me. I can't say exactly how because it's a huge spoiler, but yes, she's in it, but don't let that dissuade you. See this movie and give it an honest chance.

Clerks (1994)

Simply a Slice of Life

[9/10 · 21 February 2004]

Vulgar, obscene, over the top. All words used to describe Clerks, all words used to describe Clerks by people who clearly just don't get it. I know that's a giant cop-out, especially in a movie review but if that's all you see this movie for, then you missed it. I'm sorry to say, but that's how people talk then and now. Casual swearing, frank and open talks about sex, how crappy your job is, I've talked about all these things with my friends along with Star Wars and while we've never played hockey on the roof of anywhere(or played hockey at all for that matter) I feel that this movie really speaks the language of the youth culture even now in the tenth year since it's release. An excellent movie all-in-all

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

When Legends Collide to Beat the Crap Out of Each Other

[8/10 · 4 February 2004]

In the 80s, two names became synonymous with the genre defining series in the slasher world: Jason Vorhees and Freddy Kreuger. They shredded the box office and preyed on our fears, setting the tone for an entire genre to come. Now, in the tradition of King Kong Vs. Godzilla and Dracula Vs. The Wolfman, Freddy Vs. Jason. I went into this movie with a healthy amount of skepticism, but also a healthy amount of anticipation. I'd never been a big fan of Friday or Nightmare, but my friends and I had just watched the original Nightmare on Elm Street and Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday in preparation, though I later learned that Jason Goes to Hell was not the best prep film since Jason is barely in it. Anyway, we go in and right from the intro, we know it's gonna be pretty sweet. Now Robert Englund has played Freddy Kreuger in every single Nightmare on Elm Street movie and he's still got such an incredible spunk and spirit for the role that he is easily the best actor in the entire film. Though that's not exactly hard in this movie, the acting still gets the job done, not exactly the deepest parts. Of course everyone had already made up their mind on who to root for long before going into the movie(I was pulling for Jason just cause I love the whole silent killer with a mask deal.) and the ending will probably disappoint some, but I've heard they'll be making Freddy Vs Jason Vs Ash(from Evil Dead) so I say BRING ON THE SEQUEL! In any event, the plot's been explained, all I'll say is stick this movie out til the end. The last twenty minutes is basically devoted to how much pain Freddy and Jason can inflict upon each other. It is a visceral, gut wrenching brawl basically due to the lack of CGI in the fight. Because of this, the hits feel like they have some impact and power rather than just drifting through each other. Powerful end fight with some good laughs from Freddy and some stylish killings from Jason(and by stylish I mean graphic and brutal). All in all, a great movie.

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

FUBAR, but in a good way

[6/10 · 25 January 2004]

This movie was quite disturbing, from the first jump(the first of MANY) it'll either ensnare you or lose you. I do have one piece of advice to anyone reading this review before you see the film: Give Ashton a chance. So many people were on the forums here judging his performance based on the previews, and these were people who'd already made up their minds to hate the movie because of him, but it was unfair because he is more than competent as Evan in what was a very challenging role(calling for him to be humorous, serious and deeply disturbed all at once.) This is NOT a movie for children either, excessive swearing, some sex, drug use and heinous violence(I like my violence in movies, but the fact that many times children are committing it makes it very wrong). The movie delivers on jumps and a very good plot, though I am reminded of the Simpson's Halloween special where Homer time travels(which I know was based on something else). All in all, the movie is certainly above average in terms of overall quality, but it is DEFINATELY bizarre and very graphic and disturbing. Tremendous acting all around, nice to see Ethan Suplee back on the big(big BIG in his case) screen and nice to see that hopefully Ashton Kutcher won't succumb to Jim Carrey syndrome and be typecast until he has to make a series of movies just to prove he's more than "the goofy actor"

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Literally Took My Breath Away

[10/10 · 22 December 2003]

What can I say that hasn't been said? This movie is a gorgeous piece of what films can become. Everything falls into place flawlessly, the cast delivers performances for the ages(I personally think Viggo Mortensen should at least be nominated for an Oscar for his role as Aragorn)once again showing that the casting job could not be better filled by anyone. It's all been said, anything I put here would be redundant and you've probably already made up your mind as to if you're going to see the movie or not(or in some cases how many times you're going to see it), but to those who aren't, perhaps, just perhaps, you should. This movie deserves all the praise it's getting and much more.

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Open Your Eyes

[9/10 · 6 November 2003]

The Matrix Revolutions is a masterpiece. Based on critical reviews and reviews I've just heard people saying around here, I've just sent a great many of you into a spiral of anger, but for those who are undecided about this movie: see it. For those who think it's an abomination that ruins the series, open your eyes. In the words of Bane when he's possessed "Look past the skin, past these gelatinous cattle-eyes and see your true enemy." Now while this movie is not your enemy, you must look past the skin and dig deeper. Many people say that Reloaded was too much talk, not enough action(I seriously wonder if they fell asleep during the "Burly Brawl" as it's been dubbed, and the freeway chase but that's another story) but The Matrix was never simply an action movie, even the supposedly infallible first film had it's fair share of talk, in fact it did that more than any of the others. Reloaded did what a sequel should: it grabbed you with action, but didn't necessarily develop the plot or characters as much as it could have. Revolutions wraps it all up, tying up most of the loose ends while presenting one or two just for the viewers to chew on. Obviously some will have a problem with an ending that doesn't answer every single question they have, but I found it to be a perfect conclusion to a near-perfect series. I also like how it focused its attentions to the more minor characters rather than the Holy Trinity(pardon the pun) of Trinity, Neo and Morpheus. I could go on and on, but in the end you've probably already made up your mind whether or not you're going to see the movie and maybe even if you're going to love or hate it. Go in with an open mind and a pair of open eyes and I guarantee you'll walk away satisfied with some wonderful conversations to have with others who have seen it.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Incredible, Profound

[10/10 · 21 May 2003]

This movie took my breath away. I just finished watching it for the second time and have decided two things about it: 1) It is not a movie to be watched casually. Sit down and take the whole movie. 2) It is to be watched more than once. You notice a ton of things that you won't have noticed the first time. I can't say much that hasn't already been said, but I found the acting to be amazing on all fronts, special congrats to Mr. Patrick Swayze who's portrayal of the "little-too-clean" self help guru Jim Cunningham was DEAD ON perfect and the Gyllenhaal siblings for being two of the most promising young actors in Hollywood that I've ever seen. The movie is billed as a horror move "in the tradition of Final Destination..." and NOTHING could be further from the truth. Both movies deal with fighting destiny and that's it. Donnie Darko has some rather frightening moments, but it's not a frightening movie. The only reason it would keep you up all night would be if you were trying to unravel it's complex and profound plot, most especially the ending. The ending has received the most heat from critics of the movie who cite it as a cop-out or lacking any substance, but nothing could be further from the truth. I was a little skeptical after my first viewing, but just now I watched it again and so much more clicked. It still doesn't make complete sense, but I'm told if you watch it with commentary on the DVD the director explains a lot of it. The very end, as it shows everyone's gut reaction to the shocking event that the film ends on before they even know about it, is underscored by the song "Mad World" performed by Gary Jules and is one of the most moving and genuinely sorrowful scenes I have ever seen in my life. 10/10

X2 (2003)

Simply Amazing

[9/10 · 8 May 2003]

**This review may contain MINOR SPOILERS. You have been forewarned!** This movie surpassed its prequel in every conceivable way. It had double the budget, which it showcased brilliantly through way more powers being used. From the flashy introduction that tosses us straight into the action up to the thrilling climax that leaves us breathless, this movie grabs on and does not let go until the credits start to roll. It's two hours and twenty minutes of near-perfection. The only complaint that I would make would be that character development for Cyclops was a little weak as it was for Professor X. Now I have some experience with the series, so I can fill in some of the holes myself, but not everyone has this luxury. But it's still a fairly minor complaint amid a sea of praise for this movie. Each and every actor, as far as I'm concerned, ARE the characters that they represent. Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Barry, Alan Cumming, EVERYONE in the cast too lengthy to mention not only acts like their comic book counterpart, but physically resembles them. I think if this series continues for a long time, then this cast will surly be the "Sean Connery" of the X-men movies, all others will simply be trying to imitate them, but there will be only one true cast. The action scenes were, despite everything else, what held this movie up. With the huge budget, the mutants could display their powers far more graphically and more vividly and they certainly do. Everything from Wolverine's vicious defense of the School to Nightcrawler's teleporting to Storm's weather control, everything is now vibrantly showed with incredible special effects. And Magento's jailbreak, while scientifically implausible, is impressive nonetheless. Anyway, isn't that why it's called science-FICTION? All in all, this movie is a more than worthy successor to the first and in fact follows such incredible sequels as Terminator 2 as it, in my opinion, far surpasses it's predecessor. 9/10

Trigun (1998)

Life-Altering if you let it

[10/10 · 8 March 2003]

The best way to go into watching Trigun is with a good attitude. An attitude of "I'm going to watch this with an open mind and disregard the fact that it's 'just a cartoon.'" This is, of course, to all non-anime fans. Anime fans, if you haven't seen this yet, where have you been hiding yourself? This is one of the most talked about anime series of all time, and with very good cause. I don't like to attack other people's opinions, but someone on here said that this series had a shallow plot and I can't see how they got that out of this unless they were either watching it half asleep or missed some episodes. The series has depth and meaning and questions ethics (is it ok to kill at any time even in self defense or defense of others?) and takes on an emotional roller coaster, starting out funny and carefree, but becoming deadly serious by the mid-point(I'd say the major turning point is when Vash is hired to do a hit) The main character, Vash the Stampede is one of the most lovable protagonists in entertainment history. His violent mood swings from carefree wanderer to vicious fighter are juxtaposed beautifully. The callous Wolfwood who kills to protect the innocent(is he wrong?). The air-headed(or is she simply innocent?) Milly and strict, but loving Meryl. Even the villains who last only a single episode are memorable and dynamic and Legato Bluesummers is one of the best villains of all time. Not simply content to defeat Vash, he wants him to suffer terribly. **SPOILERS!!!!!**

This anime literally moved me to tears. When Wolfwood is dying in the chapel and calls out to God, not knowing if he can be forgiven. And when Vash holds a gun to Legato's head, either violating every moral fiber in his body and killing the wicked man(who surely would, to almost any of us, deserve the death) or letting him live but sacrificing Meryl and Milly. As Rem and Wolfwood's dueling views play in his mind ("Don't force your way of life on others!!," "No one has the right to take the life of another," etc.) it's so moving and genuinely heartbreaking, especially when he decides.

**END SPOILERS!!!*****

So ultimately, if you're an anime fan, you owe it to yourself to watch this. It has everything: action, intensity, emotion, philosophical questions and a BIG, BIG gun. If you're not an anime fan, give it an honest try, it might get you hooked. (SLIGHT SPOILER!!!)

And by the by, this is for everyone: Trigun refers to Vash's 3 guns. His pistol, his arm cannon, and the Angel Arm. Tri-gun. Three Guns. (END SLIGHT SPOILER!) (END REVIEW!)

Trigger Happy TV (2000–2016)

Hilarious

[13 January 2003]

HELLO?!!! NO, I'M COMMENTING ON TRIGGER HAPPY TV!! YES...NO!...YOU'RE BREAKING UP, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!!!! If you don't have a clue what I just did, watch an episode of Trigger Happy TV and it'll all make sense. When I first saw it, I was quick to jump to conclusions that it was just some British take on Jackass or some trash like that and quickly dismissed it. Until I really began watching it(I don't remember what originally inspired me to, I think I saw a few more previews)and found comic gold. I understand there aren't any more episodes being made, which is a real shame, but I think I smell a DVD collection certainly worth buying. His gags are smart(but not like a Frasier episode) and yet some of them are rather crude, though he almost never resorts to making jokes about farts and crap. He also never inflicts bodily harm on himself or any other, he simply messes with people's minds and that is something that is very funny to watch. I'm very glad that the episodes that made it here did, but I don't think all of them have. I think we should get at least that. Dom Joly is not a genius, he's just someone who has some hilarious ideas and a craving to mess about with the general public. His jokes mostly work with a great set up and a powerful punchline. If you haven't given it a chance, you definitely should.

American History X (1998)

Intense, Very Very Intense

[1 January 2003]

This movie is awesome for so many different reasons. Edward Norton(I know it's been said) is the GREATEST American actor to come along in a long, long time(I'll admit I'm not very familiar with foreign films, so I won't say greatest actor worldwide, but he's GOT to be one of the best.) He can play any role, from a Catholic priest, to a con man, to a Neo-Nazi, but I think this movie is clearly his most powerful performance. He plays a Neo-Nazi who just got out of jail and has seemingly changed, though we're not really sure what he was like before, though the tattoos in the flashback that opens the movie give us a pretty good idea. The rest of the movie is partial flashback, partial current as he confronts a world he renounced in prison for reasons unknown(until close to the end, but I won't spoil it because the reason has layers upon layers.) and now his former running buddies are wondering what happened to their leader. Furlong's performance was 2D to be sure, but that almost seemed to be what his character was crying out to be. This easily molded follower archetype, and overall he did very well. The supporting characters were all excellent, but of course the blue ribbon goes to Norton for playing two radical extremes in the same movie. This movie does something that most movies about a racial subject matter don't do: it DOES NOT preach. It shows a very gradual, very REAL transformation, not like some ray of light shines on him and suddenly he sees the error of his ways. It takes experience, hardships and incredible agony to even plant the seed of reform in his mind. This movie is very, very powerful and very, very real.

Hannibal (2001)

Sequel falls short of other two flicks, but is decent

[6/10 · 23 December 2002]

A friend of mine summed this movie up best, referring to why it doesn't have the same impact as Silence of the Lambs or Red Dragon: "It's all about the gore."(he used a different word for gore, but it would give away part of the the ending to use it here) and it's true, that is what this movie is ALL about. In Silence we saw a man clearly tormented by his own inner demons to do such despicable acts for such a twisted reason. In Red Dragon, a man's hideous past with his grandmother forces him into a spiral of shame and guilt that manifests in a very bizarre and frightening way. In Hannibal...it's all about the gore. Even the 'villain's'(since Lecter cannot be called the villain, but the lesser of two evils)reasons for what he's doing is filled with blood and gore. His method is full of hideous gore. Hannibal's scenes are all very messy but these movies have always been violent and graphic, but with the other two there seemed to be far more method to it all and it always went into great detail into the psychoses of these men to see why, why they did this atrocious things. With this, it's understood and it's given and there's very little psychology to it. Is it a bad movie? Certainly not. Hopkins gives, as always, a brilliant performance as the cold and calculating Dr. Lecter. Julianne Moore fills the shoes of Jodie Foster playing Clarice Sterling, but simply can't come up with the same look or intensity as Foster could. Still, too many people blame the movie's downfall on her, because she's an easy target(she's NEW and FOREIGN in the movie series! Cue the demonic hiss) but she does an able job. The fault can't be squarely placed on one thing, but a combination of things because no ONE thing in this movie is truly lacking, but nothing is as powerful as the others were. This movie is NOT for the squeamish or the faint of heart, it gets INCREDIBLY messy, but it's worth seeing at least once.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Left me breathless and speechless

[10/10 · 23 December 2002]

Warning: May contain VERY minor spoilers

This movie literally left me unable to catch my breath and unable to talk about to anyone who hadn't seen it. I saw it with a large group of friends and we were talking about it for a long time afterwards, but when I got home and my parents asked about it, all I could do was make a series of grunts to indicate I couldn't describe it yet. It needed to all sink in. After more previews than I've ever seen in one movie, it began. There was no recap, I was glad I'd recently re-watched LOTR: Fellowship SE on DVD, but the lack of a recap doesn't hurt the movie and serves to quicken the pace because that is truly what this movie is about: a faster pace. From the first scene of Gandalf and the Balrog to the final scene of...well that would be a spoiler, wouldn't it? This movie grabs you and doesn't let go EVER. At no point was I sighing and saying "Come on! Come on! MOVE!!" The only time I checked my watch was in distress because there wasn't much of the movie left. This whole cast amazed me in the first movie. Everyone seemed like they were born to play the roles, although if you check the trivia section of the site, you'll see that Viggo Mortensen was not the first, or even second choice of Aragorn. The second movie doesn't add many major characters, save Gollum and Theodred, but everyone is perfect, especially Gollum. Andy Serkis captures the voice and movements of Gollum PERFECTLY and to a tee. The special effects crew who created the CG "skin" for Serkis did an equally amazing job, making a CGI that was not only believable but able to express immense emotion and blend in almost seamlessly with the world around him. The battle of Helm's Deep was the most intense combat experience I've ever had at the movies. The battle rages for about 45 minutes and never drags. It amazingly incorporates computer effects and blends them with live actors, much like the first did with the battle at Mount Doom. The Ents are another amazing piece of CG work. Now, these are not so much complaints as they are observations. For book purists, this movie may disappoint. It's not faithful to the book in MANY places, but it never truly hurts the movie. They added something here, took away something there, changed this around and in the end, it is rather different but that does not mean inferior. Quite the contrary, I was happy to see the Wargs return for a scene and thought it was tastefully put in. In the end, this movie is truly a successor to Fellowship in every way. It is an amazing achievement and is sure to become a classic movie in years to come.

The Ring (2002)

I've Never Been More Scared

[20 October 2002]

Now the fact is, I'm reasonably easy to scare. I come out of scary movies and usually don't sleep well that night. So some would say that would make me a poor judge of the fear factor(not a reference to the mindless show of the same name)of The Ring. However, quite the opposite is true. If I've been scared before, then the odds of something on the same level scaring me are unlikely. Now, I can most easily compare this movie to Red Dragon, while the two are almost nothing alike, they are both meant to elicit a response of fear. Red Dragon frightens on a far more visceral, primal level than does The Ring, which goes for a more psychological fear, but yet also on a very primal level. The images presented in the cassette that kills are very frightening, but we're not sure why. Certainly the strange background noise helps, but it is, in essence, a collection of random images. So why are they so disturbing? Because they have certain meanings that are ingrained in our psyche, all of which have negative connotations. A mirror reflecting something that isn't there, a little girl in darkness, a ladder(walking under one), a woman jumping from a cliff, a millipede and more are all images that are disturbing by their very nature. On with the review! The cinematography was amazing, with camera angles that captured everything that needed to be seen and also clued the more observant in the audience(of which I am certainly not one of!) into what was going on before the movie even said it. The sound was the other best "tool." It was amazing, every single noise meant to elecit a response and every single noise doing so. It contains one of the most terrifying scenes I have ever witnessed, but revealing what would ruin it, but trust me, you'll know when you see it. All in all, a movie that doesn't even strike until you're lying in bed trying to fall asleep and all the images flash in your mind. Very, very well done and scary.