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perfectseanie
Reviews
The Robber (1998)
"The Robber" playing now
I enjoyed this short a lot. It reminds me of the short films that used to get more exposure on HBO and other up-and-coming cable channels when I was a kid, when they needed to fill gaps in their programming grid. Similarly, I caught this short recently on INHD, one of the newest high-definition variety channels as part of their "Shorts in HD" program.
Though the transfer is full of neg dirt (white specs) and "frying eggs" from the analog audio track, the picture and sound were marvelous in HD. I even preferred that the analog artifacts were there because it made the experience recall those shorts when I was a kid, mentioned above. The blacks were deep and the night blues were slick. It was also sharp as a tack. Aside from the technicals (I'm a geek) the story was interesting and the performance engaging.
Unfortunately INHD doesn't list this "filler" program on their website or on my cable's programming grid so I'll just have to watch for it and be ready with the record button if I want to save it off to my DVR.
House of Wax (2005)
Okay popcorn movie
Not the worst teen slasher flick you could see but this one needed another couple passes on the script. These are some of the flattest teens since Wrong Turn to be hunted by savage rednecks. Still, Paris Hilton makes the rest of the cast look like Oscar contenders and the producers wisely cut around her dialog. I bust out laughing during her "big scene" that she made such a big deal about on the MTV behind-the-scenes "reality" show. But just when you're looking at your watch and wondering if you can get your tickets exchanged for passes to see the new Amityville down the hall the mayhem starts. This is one of those films, like the remake of 13 Ghosts and the sequel to Final Destination, that shows just how utterly arbitrary the MPAA is at handing out an R versus sending a film back to the cutting room. Stick it out and you will be treated to madmen who kill like they mean it, with a frankness and directness that is as disturbing as the ways in which they dispatch and maim their victims. It's a sub par film compared to the average '80s teen slasher but only during the bits between the killing. No subtext. No allegory. No nudity. Lots of carnage.