What begins with scratches in the attack and a young girls experimentation with an Ouija board, concludes with demon position and the death of a priest.
The Exorcist is one of the most sensational, terrifying and controversial horror films of all time. So terrifying in fact that when the film was originally released, some audiences went fleeing form the cinemas. Based on William Peter Blatty"s 1971 novel, and a supposedly authentic exorcism performed in 1949, the film deals with demon position for young Regan, and the exorcism performed by two priests.
The acting debut from 12-year-old Linda Blair made the character of Regan that more innocent and child like, while at the same time being gruesome and hideous with cracked features and the most disturbing imagery you have ever seen. This film was not only able to reach the limit of what could be shown in a film, but push past it. Many critics and public have opposed the controversial nature of films content, the Catholic Church and demons as well as the gruesome images on screen. Some of the most disturbing imagery ever seen on the big screen was thanks to this film. Scenes including the green vomit, 360-degree head rotation, and the infamous spider down the stairs. Today, you may not see scenes such as these and think "Oh I"m terrified" as there are other terrifying issues freaking out today"s cinema audiences. Back in 1973, it was demon position and vampires giving the scares, where today it"s cutting off limbs and being attacked by the man next door.
As well as obvious scenes of grossness, what many original viewers were unaware of were the subliminal images hidden in the film. As the mother enters the house, and hears scratching, the lights flicker and the white face of the supposed "Captain Howdy" can be seen; another face is seen shortly after when the mother enters the bedroom. When Regan is released from the bed restraints and screeches and stretches in pain, the statue she made, and that the Father Merrin found of an ancient demon can be seen. While watching it"s easy to miss these images, so next time you watch the flick take extra care to watch out for them.
Unfortunately, this masterpiece spawned countless imitations (the Omen) and sequels (Dominion), none of which had the stain power to live up to the original; no horrifying scenes, or imagery, and no where near as good a story. Whether you believe in spirits and demons or not, this film will truly terrify and shock any audience, no matter your age.
First came the remake of the Omen then the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and now Halloween, the slasher of all slasher flicks, what next...The Exorcist?! When you hear that one of the best horror films of all time is going to be remade, expectations are not going to be high, and they are right not to be. This is an extremely disappointing film. Not only does it take over an hour to get into the parts you"ll recognise, but also you have to sit through a 10 year old denying he committed the murder, you actually saw him do.
Zombie aimed to make his own version of Halloween, while combining original parts of John Carpenter"s film with remake and prequel sections. The character of Michael Myers has been transformed from a horror villain to a family name, which is why Zombie decided to add another dimension to the personality and bring back fear, which unfortunately didn"t work. The back-story was aimed to answer questions of why and how Michael became a murder and why he wears a mask.
The Myers family has been altered a great deal though the film. In the original, the mother and father were out while Judith babysat Michael; which was when he killed her. The Strode family then adopted Michael"s baby sister. In this version, the mother is a stripper, the father is actually a step father, the older sister is a rude mouthed teen, and his baby sister, well he actually cared a lot about her, this was why she was left alive and the apparent reason why he is coming after her 15 years later. Not some of the best changes you will agree.
In character terms, Laurie is meant to be a responsible teenage girl who is smart and innocent. The problem is Taylor-Compton doesn"t look like it; unless you think by adding glasses makes her a geek. This is a very bad stereotype. McDowell as Dr. Loomis is very convincing and really seems to care for Myers well being, even if that means keeping him locked away. Faerch as Michael age 10 is amazing in his portrayal of the psychopathic mentally unstable character and Mane as older Michael is a little creepy, very tall, very strong and very fast.
Music was an integral part of the original movie. In 1978, when the movie was set, films mostly used sound and suggested imagery creating suspense and giving thrills. This film continues on from many of the horror flicks today by showing actual stabbings and the use of bloody images. At times, the suspense music seems to be in the wrong place, aiming to give suspense where there is obviously nothing happening, or where something is obviously going to happen. The whole point is to have the music where audiences are unsure of what is to come.
If you are thinking of seeing this film, as you loved the original, then you may be disappointed - but it does have some decent parts.
Kubrick"s intense, gothic horror film The Shining, is based loosely on the book written by Stephen King. The story follows the Torrance family as Jack (Nicolason) takes a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel in an effort to rebuild his life. Unfortunately, things are not what they first seem.
What follows is a story that basically maintains the same narrative as the novel, but focuses less on themes such as the breakdown of the family and the dangers of alcoholism, and more on imagery and visions, after all, reading the novel has no images and so the film must adapt to this. The film has its differences from the novel; the room number for example changes from 217 in the book to 237 in the film. One element I felt was lacking was having the hedge animals come alive; the director chose to insert a maze instead. The animals were put together in the TV mini series so well and were a great effect.
This haunted hotel film is an amazing piece of work that defers away from the bloodletting and gore that a lot of modern horror films have come to rely on, and waits until its climax to provide the bloody violence. There are the odd visions of gore and rather stomach turning images such as the naked corpse in the bathroom, and the two dismembered young girls. But the intriguing thing about these images is their time on screen. The earlier gruesome images are only seen for a few seconds before the viewer is given another shot to focus on. The majority of the blood and violence is saved or the finale.
The way this film gained its audience was through the amazing imagery, and the soundtrack music surrounding it. Suspense and anticipation are created through the music, even though at times it creates a false hype, specifically as Danny approaches the room.
The acting in this film I felt was slightly unbelievable at times. The mother portrayed by Duvall was lacking in her credibility as a wife let alone a mother. She seemed frail in her appearance and it surprised me she lasted to the end of the flick. Nicholson was a known actor when he slipped into this role as recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance. He was half convincing as a father but more so as a raving loony. Lloyd is an amazing character in this film. He showed real emotion and depth in his acting and was very believable as a scared and misunderstood child.
Kubrick made a solid film with memorable imagery and one-liners throughout. One thing to come of this film that has lived on, as a cult icon is a line Nicholson says. After he has chopped away one of the bathroom door panels and sticks his head through he screams "Heeeere's JOHNNY!"
This is a film that has managed to pass through the generations as a cult hit and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Before Jason returned from the dead to wreck havoc on Camp Crystal Lake, another individual set their sights on punishing everyone there for an incident many years ago. Back in the 1980s a small budget could do wonders with the right director. You get a fairly unknown cast, a creepy killer, good setting and a decent plot and you"re set to film. On this film however, there is something that doesn"t make you so much jump with a scare, but with disappointment.
Friday the 13th is not one of the most enjoyable films, but a good watch never the less. The plot has all the elements of your average horror flick, but there is one component that must be praised. In many horror films past and present, you get a sense of who the killer is even before you reach the middle of the flick. With this one however, the identity of the killer is hidden throughout the film, so you are unaware until the very end who is causing the killings. If you haven"t seen this film previously, let me inform you now, where all of the films in the Friday the 13th franchises feature Jason Voorhees as the killer, in this one he is only the motivation behind the killings.
The general look of the film is quite dull for much of the time. There are campers walking around doing nothing, and the films pace begins to drag on a little, and we become bored to death. When the killings begin and the film actually becomes more interesting, it is the gore and violence factor that cause some problems. Gore and blood in a horror film is expected, by the violence and manner of killings are very disturbing, and defiantly not for the light hearted.
Suspense is a must in a horror flick. Unfortunately the atmosphere and scenery, which are at times a little creepy with the huts and woods, cannot be sustained. During the final scene between the killer and the heroine, there is no tension, and all surprises are predictable. Some of the scenes Friday the 13th are of a sexual nature, which differs from other horror films; there is kissing scenes, drug references and a game of strip poker. The direction therefore isn"t as good as it could have been. There seems to a "this is an 18 so let"s put as many disturbing and indecent images as possible" motive behind the scenes.
If your purpose for watching a horror film is to be scared and get a few jumps, then maybe this isn"t the flick to watch. But if you want to watch one of the classics that took part in the slasher craze, then give it a shot, but don"t expect too much form it.
Forget Snakes on a Plane, think zombies on a plane, and you have this film in one. Flight of the Dead: Outbreak on a Plane is a zombie film, which begins with a flight from LA to Paris, and ends with a 'flesh-eating' scientist feeding on passengers and crew, spreading on a deadly virus.
This film has everything you"ll need to be entertained. The special effects and imagery are top quality. As the storm gets worse, there are terrific outside shots of the plane surrounded by the storm. When the co-pilot dies in the cockpit, the only view of him in the dark is through the lightening lighting up his face, which is remarkable. Seeing the reflection of the zombie woman coming at the man in the protective suit though his visor is a high-class vision. As well as these, the appearance of the zombie"s looks like a lot of thought has been put in, with yellow eyes and stained faces. There are also visions of blood spurting out of bodies, people being bitten, flesh being ripped from bone, legs bitten off and decapitation.
This may be classed as a sci-fi/horror/thriller film, which of course it is. But there are also some attempts at humour. The nun has her legs bitten off, and we later see her scampering along on her arms in an attempt to kill, one zombie who was killed in his seat unable to figure a way out and spends the entire film trying to grab people. Another aspect that may have you in giggles is when a frail old woman attempts to bite, but has no teeth, therefore cannot cause any harm - "She"s trying to tongue me to death".
Much of the effects in this film are via special effects and visions; there is however the odd scare that will make you spill your popcorn. When the air marshal and cop are searching the air vent for the prisoner, a zombie suddenly pops up from another air vent in front of him. The scene when zombies smash through the mirror to grab people will also make you shoot in the air. As will the final shot when someone appears in the screen suddenly; you"ll have to watch to find out whom. The only aspect found a little disappointing was when turbulence caused an airhostess to tumble onto someone else; the timing was slightly off. If you loved 28 Days Later or any ...of the Dead movies you'll love this film. It's faster and more entertaining and manages to squeeze in scares, horror as well as a few gags. With several mad doctors, brain-dead teens and a screaming nun Flight of the Dead: Outbreak on a Plane is a guaranteed hit.
This review is based upon the USA Region 1 dvd:
DARK RIDE is released on the original After Dark Horrorfest 8'Films To Die For' range. An effective throwback to the 80's slasher cycle, and in particular, director Tobe "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Hooper's "The Funhouse" on which this falls into the same category. DARK RIDE's opening (set in the late 80's) details two young schoolgirl friends who take a journey on the funfair's ghost train, but who end up in a gory fate at the hands of killer Jonah. The movie then moves forward to the present day, and we meet our six teens, who, like in most of these movies, go off for Spring Break, with sex and drugs on their minds. While stopping off at a grotty petrol station, one of the teens finds a leaflet detailing the reopening of the attraction and they decide to detour and spend the night there (as you do..) - meanwhile, our "killer" Jonah escapes from a mental institution and returns to said ride. This then sets the pace for the rest of the film, as Jonah stalks and kills our victims until the climactic twist at the end...
Overall, DARK RIDE is a fun, if at times slow build-up, gory chiller. Setting the film within a ghost train, the scares come good and fast, with false jump-scares and gory "real" killings - one stand out moment is when an unfortunate cop's head is carved in half - the gory effects are very well done, and the film picks up pace in the middle half. Unfortunately you can see the twist-ending a mile off, and some of the plot holes are wildly over-looked. But this is a fun film that really should be checked out. I don't know if it was my region one copy or not, but the soundtrack volume varied greatly, music blasting while the talking scenes at times barley audible - minor quibble and don't let this put you off - rounding things off are a nice set of extras (including a original version of the opening) - let the dark ride begin...
Terrific musical numbers featuring jazz stars Phil Harris (Baloo) and Louis Prima (King Louis) plus the wonderfully sleek and sinister George Sanders as Shere Khan, the tiger. Unmissable and great for all the family.
A magical adaptation of Kipling's Mowgli story by Disney Studios at their absolute best.
An excellent version of this story made for tv in 1999, it has become well known also for featuring a very young Daniel Radcliffe (latterly well known as Harry Potter)as young Davey. He will break your heart. Add in splendid performances by the ascerbic Maggie Smith (Betsy Trotwood), sinister Trevor Eve (Mr Murdstone), a surprisingly creepy Nicholas Lyndhurst (Uriah Heep), bucolic Michael Elphick as Barkis and lovable Pauline Quirke (as Peggoty) this is a dvd you just must have. Total joy.
I won't insult readers by attempting to summarise the plot of one of Dickens' best loved tales!
What a wealth of wonderful music has been bequeathed to us by American composer and songwriter, Richard Rodgers. This celebration concert to mark his centenary features many, but necessarily only a selection, of his best loved songs. Includes songs from the King & I, Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Sound of Music of course as well as some lesser known shows, plus standards like Manhattan.
The performers give their all and this memorable concert, which runs just over an hour, is a delightful addition to any dvd collection. Guaranteed to life the spirits!
The film is done in a documentary style film and the camera work shows this by having a grainy image.It is still a good film but the grainy image quality means that you may as well buy it on normal DVD as it doesn't really show off the potential of Blu ray. It was one of the first Blu-ray films I played and was disappointed in the 'quality' of Blu-ray, so this wasn't a good one to try first. Played Spiderman 3 afterwards which restored my enthusiasm in Blu-ray.
This film is a classic and every woman will love it! This is a love story with a bad boy with brilliant dancing and music. It will keep you entertained the whole way through and as always, love conquers all!
Clive Owen"s rough-hewn Mr Smith waits at a bus stop on the film-noir side of town and chomps on a carrot. A pregnant woman runs by pursued by a would-be assassin. Mr Smith comes to her rescue and fights off a small army of faceless thugs in an audacious action sequence which also sees him delivering the baby mid-gunfight and severing the umbilical cord with, what else but, a bullet?
Shoot "Em Up will have your head spinning from the get-go but what did you expect? Claims that the film is overly violent are a little idealistic given the title and the 18 rating. Indeed for most it will be no more than a slightly guilty-pleasure; some of the most extreme scenes however are a mid-air skydiving gunfight and sex scene during a hotel shootout.
This is an action flick and doesn"t claim to be anything other. The plot is one-dimensional, the characterisation simple and the action over-the-top and in-your-face. The fight scenes, bristling with violence, style and invention are impeccably choreographed and shot.
Owen gives credibility to the lead role, perhaps even more than the script warrants as Paul Giamatti adds nuance, and humour, to even this most devious of villains. Although seen from another angle it"s a very simple play on the eternal battle between the Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd characters.
Carrot-chomping-gun-totting-all-action Clive Owen saves baby.
Dark and atmospheric adaptation of Alan Moore"s cult comic book, 'From Hell' is an absorbing, albeit occasionally over stylised, dose of historical fiction which deals with the Whitechapel murders of 1888, as Queen Victoria's England plays host to Jack the Ripper; whose murderous, but calculated, rampage against prostitutes in London's East End (killing / mutilating five women in total), mark him out as one of the most infamous serial killers of all time. Johnny Depp is cast in his element as clever cockney detective and opium addict; Inspector Fredrick Abberline, paired with officer Godley (an on form Robbie Coltrane) the pair is tasked to bring Jack to justice, though a dizzying array of suspects, deep rooted police corruption, prejudice, misinformation and shadowy Masonic shenanigans only serve to aid the elusive evildoer in his heinous deeds. 'From Hell' is part police procedural, part supernatural horror, grisly thriller and labyrinthine murder mystery, but with such an expansive storyline, directors Albert & Allen Hughes just plough right in: introducing us to the working girls with an initially overwhelming, and unusually lengthy, opening sequence in the local pub. I'll be the first to admit that this doesn't appear to be the best way to begin a film, though on reflection, proves to be a daring and deceptively clever way to immerse the audience into an unfamiliar world of Dickensian inequity, of dead end poverty & desperation; an entire social class crippled under an imperial juggernaut of industrialised modernity. An English establishment who, in an unsurprising act of monumental hypocrisy, refuses to acknowledge its red light district, dismissively referring to its indentured servants as "unfortunates", look out for familiar faces Susan Lynch, the late Katrin Cartilage and Estelle Skornik (Nicole from those 'Pappa & Nicole' Renault Clio commercials) playing the prostitutes / potential victims. The film's leading lady; redheaded hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold Mary Kelly (a miscast Heather Graham), begins an off-the-clock affair with Abberline, meanwhile, his frequently sabotaged investigation leads to an encounter with Royal physician Sir William Gull (an excellent Ian Holm) who may have information regarding an alleged romance between Victoria's son HRH Prince Edward Albert Victor and a missing prostitute who recently gave birth.
Comic book fans decried the decision to make Abberline a semi-psychic empath plagued with disturbing, yet revelatory, premonitions bought on in an opiate induced stupor, but it works out quite well. Depps"s humorous banter with Coltrane is also surprisingly good and I loved Abberline's research montages (never has a library scene been so intense) though its desire to cover a variety of subplots only serves to distract us from the case (Brian De Palma's 'The Black Dahlia' had similar pace issues) and 'From Hell' loses momentum as it meanderings around a London bathed in perpetual darkness and fog. I found the ending rather flat, for it just seems to fizzle out in a manner that's neither pensive nor particularly satisfying. A rich subtext involves 'The British Empire' as a mirror of the Ripper's bloody reign; both parasitic and opportunistic in their dealings, both preying upon the riches of another. Jack a profane violator of the flesh and institutional desecrator of a nation's wealth (i.e. its youth and women), the Empire, through similar acts of terror, managing to impoverish and enslave entire civilisations; both individual and nation enslaved to a system that makes prostitutes of us all. Hughes also manages to touch upon issues and academic hypothesis such as the Royal connection and Catholic / Protestant conflict as an MO for murder. The Freemasons also play a major role in this picture, and it's possible that some people didn't quite appreciate the symbolic nature of neo-pagan re-enactment rituals (as there's not nearly enough time to go into such detail) hence may not have had as great an appreciation for how Abberline cracks the case. Scenes in the Masonic temple chapter rooms are filmed with rich detail that should appeal to those with an interest in secret societies and how they've intertwined with the establishment in an attempt to exert a shared influence/agenda upon an unsuspecting public. Now this may be heresy to graphic novel purists; but I'm of the opinion that Alan Moore movie adaptations, with the exception of 'LXG', have surpassed their source material in terms of visual flair, narrative scope and cinematic creativity, 'V: For Vendetta' is already considered a modern classic by some (your reviewer included) whilst director siblings the Hughes brothers, whose popular ghetto efforts 'Menace II Society' and 'Dead Presidents' gave little indication of their ability to tackle a period piece with the authenticity & directorial confidence they bring to 'From Hell', have managed to assemble an impressive, highly underrated and occasionally unsettling picture. With a captivating, often intense, performance by Johnny Depp, 'From Hell', though uneven in places, still has the power to provoke questions. For if all this movie does is inspire an audience to have an enquiring mind about what lurks behind the shadows; then it's already done more than a lot of similar films in this genre. Jack The Ripper is attributed to having said that he gave birth to the 20th century, it's a taunting boast that brings shame upon those whose evil crimes of empire, slavery, war, murder and holocaust made that century and, it seems, this new one, the bloodiest in the history of human civilisation, it is a sad indictment of us all; that the Ripper was right. Grim & gritty.
Jesse Ventura, when asked to praise U.S. democracy, wryly remarked: "I think its great we have one more choice than Communist Russia". And such is the nature of party politics on film, for director/producer Ed Zwick ('Glory', 'Blood Diamond') fumbles an otherwise interesting premise with 'The Siege' (1998) by refusing to condemn his party of choice; namely the Democrats and Jazz loving philander, then president Bill Clinton; in this controversial, muddled, though just about tolerable, political thriller. After U.S. storm troopers kidnap & torture a prominent Arab sheik in Iraq, enacting the neo-fascist policy now known by its Orwellian euphemism: 'Rendition', random retaliation comes home in the form of a deadly bus bombing in New York City. Enter veteran FBI man Hubb (a typically stoic, if unsurprisingly uninspired, performance by Denzel Washington) his partner, token Arab-American Haddad (Tony Shalhoub making the best of an underwritten role), scheming sex-kitten / CIA operative Sharon Bridger (steely Annette Benning) and Bruce Willis, who proves he's got a sense of humour after all; lampooning his right-wing views as U.S. General William Deveraux; an evil military mastermind and all round bad apple in the Big Apple, whose out to declare martial law: imprison / torture young Muslim men, lockdown the entire borough and terrify New Yorkers into surrendering their civil liberties. For just as the Devil has all the best tunes, so too does the General get most of the best lines, unfortunately, that only serves to turn 'The Siege' into an unintentional, 'Dr. Strangelove'-esque satire that feels detached from the cat & mouse antics of the first half, which itself feels detached from the politicised, yet implausibly neat, conclusion: "APCs, helicopters, tanks and of course the ubiquitous M-16 A2 assault rifle", whispers Deveraux, "A humble enough weapon until you see it in the hands of a man outside your local bowling alley or 7-11. It will be noisy, it will be scary and it will not be mistaken for a parade".
Like Peter Berg's recent thriller 'The Kingdom', 'The Siege' is at its worst when it attempts hyper-real tie-ins with actual events e.g. even in 1998, it was a well documented, albeit later suppressed, fact that Zionist sympathisers within the FBI had built & delivered the truck-bomb used in the 1993 World Trade Centre terror attack, and yet there's no mention of that whatsoever when said event is referenced in this movie. Could it be that screenwriter Lawrence Wright simply didn't know? Perhaps: for we'd sooner forgive ignorance than we would a malicious intent to misinform. I don't think 'The Siege' is a racist film per say, just one that finds it hard to accept that Republicans & Democrats are two sides of the same coin when it comes to taking orders from 'Military Industrial Complex' plutocrats, Israeli lobbyists, neo-pagan cultists, chickenhawks & the corporate cabals who run congress. For its loathe to admit that Clinton's regime was directly responsible for the murder of over 100,000 Iraqis via genocidal sanctions, terrorist attacks and air-strikes hence compounding the Malthusian degeneracy of George Bush senior. An overtly sinister and well directed sequence in an impromptu concentration camp (i.e. a football stadium with cages on the field and torture chambers in the locker room) makes for difficult viewing in light of atrocities committed in 'Abu Ghraib', Guantanamo Bay and countless other prisons / gulags around the world. For there's a particularly disturbing scene, one made all the more unsettling by the presence of an all star cast, in which a terror suspect is stripped naked and interrogated by Deveraux and Bridger, only for Hub to burst in and denounce his allies' depravity with a good speech about civil rights and the rule of law. Its a very powerful scene, brilliantly acted and the reason why 'The Siege' earns an extra star, but some could say that its' the right argument in the wrong context, for there is no us and them, only an insidious Hegelian paradigm of deceit, 'Problem-Reaction-Solution' instigated by the very government & nation whose deeds and falsified history our hero glorifies without question. 'The Siege' is an average, sometimes engaging film that falters for a variety of reasons: lack of research, socio-political and general knowledge being among its most obvious flaws. An honourable attempt at inter-racial inclusivity botched by the classic faux pas: "They love this country as much as we do", Benning's dangerous older woman romancing a lusty young Arab (who may or may not be a terrorist), it's the stuff of colonial comic books projected through a filter of self-righteous delusion, one which only serves to undermine some of the film's more coherent and thought provoking points. Pro-American bias coupled with the old 'best intentions' spiel and inter-agency conflict soon begins to grate, and seems more like an excuse for U.S. terror than a credible dramatic angle. Trite to all but those who've never seen an Alex Jones documentary, read an essay by John Pilger or had the opportunity to seek out director Sut Jhally's must see documentary 'Reel Bad Arabs'; in which Dr. Jack G. Shaheen has the last word on Hollywood's shameful history of enforcing naturalized prejudice through state dictated propaganda. Now we all know the military works hand-in-glove with the powers that be, Deveraux even says words to that effect when he advises some chickenhawk senator against sending in troops, so the fact that this movie seems content to hang (or ludicrously; arrest) those who do the dirty work and let the real villains go scot free, is a testament to the screenwriter's naivety about how the world works. As if the federal government is actually going to bring its own henchmen to justice; its times like this that you wish Denzel Washington was more Malcolm X or his Creasy character from 'Man on Fire' than a speechifying suit who thinks everything will just sort itself sort. Critics often slate director Ed Zwick and though he's known to employ the now hilarious 'White-Man-In-Foreign-Land-Who-Wins-The-Native's-Begrudging-Respect' narrative structure, I usually enjoy his films a great deal: 'Legends Of The Fall' and 'The Last Samurai' in particular, but 'The Siege', his third collaboration with Denzel, is, like their previous movies together (the overrated 'Glory' and below par 'Courage Under Fire') somewhat of a non-starter. For this is not, by any stretch, a serious or well researched film about terrorism, nor is it anathema to good taste or part of some right-wing conspiracy. 'The Siege' will neither enlighten, inform or even entertain all that much, but if you want to see how Denzel Washington outfoxes an armoured Humvee and successfully evades a TIA police state satellite spy system by, wait for it; running down an alley, then this is the film for you. 'The Siege' puts up a good fight, but ultimately loses 'The War on Tedium'.
George A Romero is well known and respected as being the king of the zombie movie, heck he basically invented the genre and after the critically acclaimed Night of the Living Dead (1968) he revisited the genre pretty much every ten years with Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985) and Land of the Dead (2005).
Okay so the first three look hideously dated now but Land of the Dead is pretty decent. It"s not as good as Zack Snyder"s remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004) or in all honesty as good as Danny Boyle"s 28 Days Later but those films did what Romero"s Land of the Dead and his latest effort Diary of the Dead (2008) failed to do - they invigorated the zombie genre, by making the zombies faster and honestly a lot, lot scarier. Romero is still making the same films that he did in the 60s and 70s, his zombies are slow and shuffling dead creatures, they"re frankly a bit boring and you"ve got to wonder other than sheer weight of numbers, how would they ever kill anyone that could, well, run?
Romero fails to bring anything new to the zombie genre. How can that be the case? How can the audience forgive Romero for not bringing his action and scripts up-to-date? The dialogue, direction and acting are all, quite simply, very poor. The shaky handheld camerawork is irritating and vomit-inducing and the characterization is severely lacking. Romero should know better - you can"t have a good film without good characters - and I"d not believe in any audience member that made a claim to have actually bought into any of the characters in this film.
This film should mark the death of the dead for Romero.
Poor Zombie Film from a writer/director known to have invented the genre.
Wow, simply WOW!!!! Anyone who has been attached to The Wire will know it's probably one of the best shows on television (if not the best - obviously subject to opinions).
The . We have murders left, right and centre and Marlow's crew know how to stay off the radar as bodies go undetected for long periods. We have some killing machines and some scenes bring a chill down your spine. Although, fictitious, it all seems so real in a way. The Homicide Unit have their work cut out and are in fine form as they deal with drug dealers at the highest level. However, it is clear Marlow is the main man in Baltimore at the tender age of 23 - his competition is still Avon Barksdale!!!
The biggest focal point is in fact the storyline based on 4 young school children. They have their own traits and personalities and the acting by the four is amazing. It's definately worth buying regardless of any cost as you will get true value for your money. There are far too many superlatives to describe the show. In fact, for followers of the series, it does not need selling. Again, absolutely wonderful depiction of reality in Baltimore, taking into account aspects such as education, drugs, police and political impacts for all concerned.
INSPECTOR MORSE IS PROBABLY THE BEST POLICE SERIES EVER SHOWN ON BRITISH TV . WITH A GREAT CAST EVERY EPOSODE IS GREAT WITH FANTASTIC STORY LINES FRON START TO FINISH . JOHN THAW AND KEVIN WHATLEY WORK GREAT TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND THE SERIES NEVER SEEMS TO DATE ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT
Two famous films from the celebrated Kenji Mizoguchi (he won prizes at venice 3 years in a row). One historical film hailed as a master peice, Sansho the Bailliff; and one contemporary (to the 1950s) about geisha, Gion Music Festival. I watched Sansho first and it was, as expected, beautiful. It is tragedy of a family torn apart by history and war in the 11th century and united by sacrifice. The mother and her 2 children are seperated by treachery and the morally corupt feudal regime. The film starts with the children sold into slavery, the mother into prostitution, and their servant drowned. This masterpeice, however, is flawed by some over the top and melodramatic acting. And I actually prefered the second film in the set Gion Music Festival. Gion tells the story of an experienced geisha and her young novice, pressured to make compromises and sleep with men they do not like, as well as by the changing times. The geisha are being turned into prostitutes, and are not happy about it. They resist and struggle. Throughout this we are given little insights into the concerns of 1950s Japan: the effect of the American occupation, evolving cultural morals and much more. Visually the film is less lavish than Sansho, but it still looks great. I found this film to be, often, moving and, always, interesting. Its story engaging, and visual style strangely endearing. Ultimately, this boxset contians 2 really good, and diverse, films as well as a small book of stories (the inspiration for Sansho) and essays by film critics. On the discs there the films are put into the context of Mizoguchi's career by Tony Rayns, the famous critic and festival planner. This DVD package is a really good one with everything you could want from it - especially too high quality images of high quality films.
A excellent film set in japan which sets samurai against samurai and with loads of action.
Despite the somewhat macabre subject matter of this documentary, I found it quite uplifting (though don't get me wrong, it is very melancholy). I think this comes from the massive amount of personal insights offered by the interviewees on death, life, suicide (desperation, escape and relief), religion, mental illness, prejudice, friendship and family, upbringing, as well as the personalities of the individuals we are shown jumping off the bridge. The young man who survived his jump has, as might be expected, a lot to say on all of these things. However, I did expect it to cover the 'Fatal Grandeur' of the bridge in a little more depth. I wanted to know why 25 people in 2004 chose to kill themselves there, painfully and publicly. Though perhaps the films images of clouds rolling out over the bay, enveloping the towering red structure and dozens of sight seers offer a little insight into this. The bridge and film are both beautiful, and almost demand some careful meditation. This is definitely worth multiple viewings.
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