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joaquinortiz2004
Reviews
The Business of Fancydancing (2002)
A good idea, but poorly directed
I really like Sherman Alexie. He is a great writer. That said, he is still a writer, and that does not mean he is a good director. The other successful film he was tied to was written by him, but directed by someone else. It shows in this film.
The movie has a great idea behind it, but in the end it is just people talking. A lot of talking. Endless talking. Scenes go on and on and on and on... How people feel. Why they did this, why they did that. At times it is hard to watch, especially considering the low production value. It really does not look that great.
Film is a visual medium, not a talking medium. People always try to counteract that by saying that films are full of dialogue, and they are. A good film, though. is still made up of actions and visuals, things that we can watch. This does not do that. It just shows people talking all the time. That's it.
I really wish this one was handed off to another director who could have made the film into something more visual like "Smoke Signals." Instead we have this, and in the end it just does not hold up that well.
Silent Hill (2006)
There are some flaws, but in the end it is a good movie with a cool message!
Last night I went to a preview screening of "Silent Hill" in San Diego. I was anticipating this movie for a couple of months now. Even though I never played the video games I am very familiar with their story lines. I definitely wanted to see how Christophe Gans interpreted all of the material from the games into a cohesive movie that would be scary, disturbing, and thoughtful.
After seeing it I have to say that the movie is no masterpiece. Some of the CGI looks a little weird, some of the ideas in the movie feel stolen from other movies (the game takes a lot from other horror movies), the plot line with Sean Bean's character is a little thin and feels thrown in (which it was because the studio did not like a script with only females), some of the acting and dialogue are mediocre (not bad, just not great), and the plot has some issues.
However, the movie is creepy, and at times disturbing. Not in the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" way that leaves you disgusted, but more in the way of haunting images and setting. The biggest strength of the movie lies in its art design; the town, the creatures, and the costumes pull you into a very unnerving world.
If you are familiar with the games the plot will keep you guessing. I do not want to spoil it for anyone, but the ending is not like the games. That is the film's other big strength. The third-act really shows an interesting social and political message that some might overlook. As much as the horror elements carry this film, it is really the message that elevates the film from gory atmospherics into something that is more thoughtful than your average fright-fest.
Fist of the North Star (1995)
complete garbage
I do not consider myself a die hard fan of the anime version of Fist of the North Star, although it does have its moments. This version, though, really shows that sometimes anime needs to stay anime. The acting is terrible. The guy who plays the main character does not capture the essence of Ken from either the animated movie or the manga. The fight scenes are weak, even for a b-movie like this. I do not expect a live-action version to capture the graphic brutality of the anime, but this movie does no justice to the original idea of these super-human martial artists. In the end what really kills the movie is that is too buried in cheap, live-action reality. Where the anime and manga transport you to a post-apocalyptic world that is both disturbing and fantastic, this movie always feels tied into shoddy sets and lame costumes. Save yourself any money you might waste on this movie (which is not much considering the movie can be found for a few bucks in bargain bins everywhere) and dig up the anime for a real treat, as well as an attack on the senses.
I.K.U. (2000)
don't bother with this movie
If you look at the box art and read the description this movie sounds like a Japanese "Barbarella" with sex scenes. Instead what you get is a silly porn masquerading as art. The problem is it is not good enough to be great porn or great art. The sex scenes are lifeless and forced, even for porn standards. And the qualities that should make it rise above porn status are lacking. The "high tech" graphics are cheesy, desktop animated, three- dimensional renders over live action video. Even in 2000 the look of these graphics is outdated and poor. The anything that would give it a story is non-existent, meaning you get an hour and a half of lame sex scenes, but nothing to connect them to some plot or story like the box suggests. In the end you are left wondering why watched it when there are many other actual science fiction movies, or actual porn movies for that matter, that actually achieve their intended goal. This just falls short of both!
La chiesa (1989)
A very meandering film...
I have a lot of respect for Mr. Argento's work, but this film lacks many of the qualities that make his films really unique. The opening to the film is great, and sets you up for the possibility of a really scary horror film. What occurs for the rest of the film lacks structure or purpose and does not build into much. There are some good performances, though, and a lot of great atmosphere. The end of the film is weak considering everything this builds up to. Where there should be some grand climax of huge proportions you instead get a very typical conclusion that too many other bad horror movies use, making it feel like they just needed to wrap it up. A couple of scenes are very memorable for their imagery, but in the end the film does not gel to make a really good movie. Unless you feel you must see everything this director made I suggest passing on this one...
Razor Blade Smile (1998)
This is a terrible movie, do not watch it...
Unless you are starved for anything to do with vampires than steer clear of this one. It sucks you dry... Ugh. The writing is terrible, the acting is horrible, and the cinematography is amateur. People say the ending has a good twist, but it is just a lame cop out. Do not think you are going to get some mind bending, well though out plot device. Instead it is just adds to the cheese that this movie puts you through... Although the box art makes it seem like there is going to be lots of action, the truth is there are few scenes with any of that in it, and they are poorly done. And then there are the "weird" dream sequences... God... Too bad more of the budget could not have been spent on actors or writing or sets or ANYTHING but this. There are plenty of other interesting vampire movies out there, so please do not give the people who made this any more money so they can keep making this kind of cheap garbage.