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Reviews
Rise of the Zombies (2012)
Worth watching ... for free
The plot isn't anything new. And the execution is pretty typical.
Mariel Hemmingway's acting was outright painful. Flat line delivery, and almost never with the proper emotion. Ethan Suplee isn't much better, but thankfully he doesn't have to say much. Lavar Burton is excellent, think the emotion of I Am Legend, without the kick-ass survivalist skills. By far the most noteworthy part of the movie. Danny Trejo is as Danny Trejo is, bad-ass. You won't be disappointed by him.
The effects are decent and the gore is quality.
If you enjoy watching formulaic zombie action movies with little cinematic value, this will deliver.
Insidious (2010)
Slightly above average; but the average isn't great
The film creates suspense very effectively through the lighting and sound. That being said, the suspense of the same violin screech, or twang, or bass sound becomes increasingly less effective. By halfway through the film, they were largely more annoying than anything else. At the beginning of the film, there is a nice mix of light and darkness, but this is abandoned in the last 1/3 of the movie. Ominous shadows and rooms give way to the sporadic flashlight, and in tandem with the unending screeching of the violin, it made me angrier more than anything else. Jumpy cuts led to some jump-in-your-seat moments, as you would expect.
Overall, I think the movie is executed better than the horror films we're used to, mainly because it's a call back to the time when horror films were about suspense, not violent bloody mutant or alien murder. Compared with the films of today, I would say it was above average. But, if you compare it to the older titles of the kind (Rec comes readily to mind), you will be far less impressed.
I sat down to watch a suspenseful movie, and that's pretty much what I got. However, I won't be watching it again and I won't be suggesting it to anyone.
Twelve (2010)
Not For Everyone
This is by no means a 'great' movie. The narration is mind numbing, and the plot seems to meander to nowhere, until an arbitrary climax. At this point, it ends with a cookie cutter montage that was, in my opinion, out of the character of the preceding content of the film.
All that being said, some may be able to draw enjoyment out of it anyway. If you are a fan of Kids, by Larry Clark or Havoc, by Barbara Kopple, you will probably enjoy this. There are similar themes of highlighting an out of control youth and they all move listlessly from one chaos to the next, though everything is more measure and less intense than in the aforementioned films. Consider it a lite version.
I felt there were relatively strong performances by Crawford and Culkin, and none of the other ensemble members did anything too cringe-worthy. Even 50 Cent was able to translate his menacing blackness into the character of menacing dealer.
In summation: Not perfect, not for everyone. But, I'm confident there are some niche crowds that will find the film entertaining. They'll know who they are.