suttercane Reviews

Trapped Ashes (2006)

Great directors.... but how involved were they overall?

[1/10 · 13 September 2006]

I attended the premiere midnight screening of this film at the Toronto Film Festival last night and would have to say I'm severely disappointed. Going in, I had moderate to good expectations considering the talent and pedigree of the director's involved, and my hopes were dashed almost immediately. I highly respect these filmmaker's, but you get the feeling watching this that they didn't have a lot of creative control overall.

One thing must be made clear at this point: although a team of director's collaborated, it was all written by one man. And shot by the same cinematographer. And edited by the same team. These three areas (as well as the acting) are what really bring the film down. It's lazily written, unoriginal and clichéd to a fault. Everything is there, and we've seen it all before.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh, as it was mentioned that this is a throwback to the Amicus and Hammer anthology pictures, but I digress - those films at least felt alive. This is a movie with no real characters, just carcitures to get dispatched as the writing sees fit.

The various cameos are fun, but they wink too much at the audience and in some cases (like the random transformation of a security guard into Dick Miller) are absolutely pointless.

SPOILERS: There are entertaining ideas, but they've all been done before: killer transplants, vengeful spirits, immortal succubi, killer aborted twin... the list goes on. Worst of all is the ending, in which the character I'll just call "Grandpa Exposition" openly says "you each forgot the endings of your own story" and then explains how.... drum-roll... everyone is dead ad caught in some kind of limbo (it's a twist you could predict by reading the name of the film).

Altogether it is a waste of two hours and a lot of talent. Rent it and watch in fast forward, or skip it all together.

Pilot Season (2004)

amazing, like Adaptation the series in a way

[17 October 2004]

I'm surprised that there are no other comments for this show. I guess nobody really watches Trio, but oh well, their loss. To me this show was like a cross between Adaptation and the great Brit-com The Office (only about TV in Hollywood).

The story is really well drawn, and the actors are all good enough to make you believe that these are real life people. That said, this is a comedy, and a very funny one at that. Not only that, but each of the characters are realistic enough to have something to identify with in them, yet outlandish enough to inspire some great surreal scenes (the Palladio's instructor for example - taking Pilate's and adding a really sexual twist).

Also of interest to Mr. Show fans is the fact that a lot of the supporting cast (David Cross, etc.) are vets of that great series. I've got to say, I was impressed, and recommend this series to anyone looking for something a little different. Christopher Guest fans will also get a kick out of this.

Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)

an improvement over Unleashed...

[26 August 2004]

This prequel entertained me, so that instantly makes it miles better than the horrible Unleashed. Still not a good movie by any means. Whose bright idea was it to have the sisters speak in modern day english, complete with modern slang and teen "whatever"-isms? Acting all-around is decent at best, and in most cases poor. Nonetheless, there is some fun to be had, it's bloody and the werewolf FX (save for the young boy) aren't too bad.

There is one thing that stands out really strongly as a glaring oversight. Near the beginning a wolf breaks into the fort by breaking a hole in the wall.... we see the hole get one board hammered over it and then the sisters use it to escape later. Who in a standoff situation with werewolves would leave a hole like that open the whole time? They deserved death!

Sky High (II) (2002)

Great..... really great....

[5 July 2004]

Let me get this out of the way now. I am a huge Ryuhei Kitamura fan. I think I have now seen all of his movies (Heat After Dark, Down To Hell, Versus, Azumi, Aragami, Alive...... and even Battlefield Baseball, which he sort of had a hand in), and though enjoyed them all, I found Sky High to be one of his best. This definitely sits in my top 3, with Versus and Azumi.

Anyone familiar with Kitamura's films will recognize his style immediately. Fantastic cinematography, digitally assisted effects, hyperkenetic fights, and story lines that at best can be described as complicated. He seems to weave a mythology into most of his work, and it all seems very new and interesting.

In any case, Sky High really got to me because the world he spins here has really defined rules, and they are played to the best of their limits. We know that the death of one character will cause a chain reaction in both the living and spirit world, and that was really intriguing.

The film has flaws, to be sure. It's a little long, and sometimes you can predict what's coming next, but it's still very good. This is the kind of movie that looks good enough to have a very wide theatrical release (except for the demon at the end, what was with that?) and do well once word of mouth got around.

Anyway, highly recommended viewing. Can't wait to see what Kitumura will do with Godzilla: Final Wars.

Mindhunters (2004)

"At least we figured out his weakness...... bullets!"

[27 May 2004]

This line is in the movie. No more major description needed beyond that. It was fun, the death scenes were cool. But it made absolutely NO SENSE. I mean NONE. It makes sense in that "as long as we explain it at length and show flashbacks to how it was done" movie logic kind of way... but in real life it's nothing but plotholes. Still, fun.

This "film" follows much of the same format that DEEP BLUE SEA did. It's all here. Isolate characters. Check. Kill off major actors early on. Check. Leave Cool J alive at the end. Check. Give Cool J and others "witty" dialogue that is totally out of place. Check. Make the characters quickly go through their backstories as conveniently as possible. Double check.

Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004 Video)

Different than first, but pretty impressive

[8 May 2004]

I must admit I had my doubts about the quality of this direct-to-video sequel to a film that was pretty good to begin with. I'm pretty amazed at what was pulled off on a low budget here though, for this turned out to be a pretty decent flick.

Sure, we've seen it all before. It's like someone took the first film, Aliens, The Hidden, Pitch Black and half a dozen other movies and put them a blender, but I really don't mind. It was executed well, it was gory, and it never became dull. Plus, you get Richard Burgi in the lead role, who IS a good actor.

This one doesn't have the satirical elements of the first, and in tone feels much darker. Tippet pulled of a good action/horror/sci-fi movie though, it's worth the rental.

Decoys (2004)

What a piece of s**t!

[27 February 2004]

I have to say this was one of the worst films I've ever seen. I feel ashamed to be Canadian, if this is what gets funding (from like 6 different sources!!). Terrible dialogue, stupid characters that keep doing things that don't make sense, no pace, no suspense. The effects were decent I guess, and technically the film is well made. But the script is one of the worst I've ever had the displeasure of sitting through. One liners like "Belt of orion, how about belt of O-fryin'" left me cringing. And Nicole Eggert? What happened to her? The guy from 24 was good as Detective Kirk, but everyone else was terrible. With this and the slightly-better but still terrible GINGER SNAPS II, I've seen better film on teeth.

Club Dread (2004)

A little disappointing....

[27 February 2004]

After SUPER TROOPERS these guys became comedy gods in my eyes. I caught an early screening of CLUB DREAD last night and the magic seems almost gone. It's not a bad film, it is actually quite good, a little inventive, and balances the laughs and the scares well. Thing is that the comedy that seemed so fresh and thought out in SUPER TROOPERS seems stale in this film. I don't know if it was the fact that the characters weren't as well drawn, or just.... well...... I'm not entirely sure.

Nonetheless, after the movie I felt a little disappointed. I still love Broken Lizard, I just think they are capable of better than this.

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004)

umm..... that was horrendous

[29 January 2004]

I saw an early screening of this film last night and all I can say is I feel cheated, even after the free tickets. I must say, I am a fan of the original GINGER SNAPS, and of the film's director, John Fawcett. Now that I've said that, let me tell you that this is one of the most cliched, poorly written and groan inducing horror films I've seen in a long time.

Okay, it has a couple of high points. The wolf looks pretty good (thanks to KNB effects), it's a decent Canadian horror film (we all know how many of those there are), and........ no....... I'm out. Can't think of anything else.

Basically, Bridgette (Ginger's surviving sister) is in a substance abuse recovery centre and is being pursued by another werewolf, for some reason. We never find out who the wolf is, or anything else beyond that. While at this center, she meets a little annoying girl named Ghost that is a big fan of comics. Not just any comics, but werewolf comics! How convenient! Perhaps some people found this clever?

Okay, so everyone here is phoning in their roles, most of the make-up on Bridgette is pretty terrible (with a few exceptions), there are no surprises. At least no good surprises. There is a "twist" ending that should have you wanting to eat the first bullet you can find.

All in all, this wouldn't even make a decent rental. I'll still watch part 3 when it comes out, but I have little faith in this crew.

Body Melt (1993)

"That's what we call outback humour"

[20 January 2004]

This movie really surprised me. I picked it up after reading the rave reviews from other IMDB members, and on the strength of everyone comparing it to Braindead (aka Dead Alive).

Well, it isn't like Braindead. It's something new, something extremely unique and original. Really impressive if you ask me, and a whole lot of fun. I loved the inbred family, loved the "over-the-top" gore effects.

There is one thing that not many have mentioned yet, this film is clever. It isn't just some empty splatter film, it has personality and style. We never really get to know the characters that well, but it tells a good story just as well.

Oh, and it's funny. Very funny. Any movie in which a couple of deformed hillbilly kids kill a kangaroo with a rock at 1000 yards, then eat it's adreno glands to get high, has got something to say.

Love it.

Azumi (2003)

All I can say is "wow"!

[18 January 2004]

I'm completely blown away, easily one of the coolest movies I've seen in a long time. This is the third Kitamura film I have viewed, and out of the three (the others were Heat After Dark and Versus), I can honestly say I believe this to be his best.

Don't get me wrong, I love Versus. It's a great film, but this one trumps it on nearly every level. From the first 10 minutes I was hooked, and it never let up.

This film boasts some of the best action sequences in recent memory, especially if you love samurai films. The movement of characters is unreal, some of the smoothest wirework I've ever seen. It feels very much like a living anime.

Anyway, seek this film out and buy it! Don't rent it, just buy it! You will thank me for it.

Battle Royale II (2003)

On par with the first

[27 December 2003]

I just finished watching BATTLE ROYALE II and was really impressed. A great sequel that lives up to the first, because it adds enough new stuff to keep things fresh. I loved the idea that the students are now forced to become a strike force, and that their collars are now tied together (one dies, so does their partner).

The battles are brutal, although I'm a little iffy on the politics. Anyway, it's a fun, beautifully shot movie that shouldn't disappoint fans of Battle Royale. Definitely adding this one to my collection.

Wrong Turn (I) (2003)

pretty crappy.....

[1 June 2003]

In the year of HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, this movie seems a little bit boring. No backstory on the hill people (the restricted trailer gives more!), and a "who cares?" atmosphere to the entire thing. Some cool death scenes though, and the chase through the treetops was interesting. Still, are these deformed hillbillies made of metal, or cyborgs or something? Axe in the chest, falling from 100 feet up, shot, stabbed, pierced with an arrow....... still comin'!

The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)

loved this movie

[20 May 2003]

Let me get this out of the way now: this movie is really slow. But it's also really creative, over-the-top madness made by the best director to come out of Japan in the past 20 years. From the cool stop-motion opening to the ending zombie-filled musical number, I was hooked. But it's slow, really slow...... though it couldn't be made any other way.

Dead or Alive: Final (2002)

Much better than DOA 2: Birds

[20 May 2003]

Out of the three in the trilogy, I'd say this is the second strongest. It starts with some very amazing action, but goes downhill from there. Thematically it's similar to the previous films, but the story and point of the movie get muddled somewhere along the way. The ending is quite nuts, and reminded me of TETSUO. By the way, did you know that the director of TETSUO played Ichi's father figure in Ichi The Killer?

Full Metal gokudô (1997 Video)

not that bad

[20 May 2003]

I bought Full Metal Gokudo before seeing it, and felt a little ripped off. I've seen many Miike films, and this is the weakest, by far. Still, it's way better than most movies. It starts out fairly strong, but it gets really quite boring. Worth checking out though.

Dead or Alive 2: Birds (2000)

Worst of the three

[20 May 2003]

But, that still a very good movie. This is the weakest of the three entries in my opinion, if for no other reason, than for the way a good number of scenes just feel flat. The play for the children, for example, just didn't seem needed. Tons of fun to be had though, and a must see if you're a Miike fan.

The City of Lost Souls (2000)

The "cock fight" alone makes this worthwhile.

[20 May 2003]

I haven't seen anything as cool as the "cock fight" on film in a long time. See this if you are a Miike fan, but it is nowhere near as good as Ichi, Fudoh, Visitor Q, the DOA trilogy, Audition or Happiness in the Katikouras (spelling?). It was better than Full Metal Gokudo, however.

Fudoh: The New Generation (1996)

My second favorite Miike picture

[20 May 2003]

This was the first Takashi Miike film I ever saw, and was immediately hooked. Since then I have hunted down and bought Ichi the Killer, Audition, the DOA trilogy, Happiness in the Katakouris, Full Metal Gokudo, Visitor Q, City of the Lost Souls and this. Fudoh is easily my second favorite after Ichi.

This movie has it all: insane action, exploitive over-the-top violence and sex, great drama and acting, and scenes that are impossible to forget. Miike's repetoire is sure to influence my own filmmaking for years to come. I haven't seen a film this original in a long time. It's pure genius!

DarkWolf (2003 Video)

well, that sucked

[13 May 2003]

Having read the other reviews of this "film" on IMDB I rented it. Unfortunately, it was as bad as I expected it would be. I am a huge fan of cheesy horror, I even though "ELVES" was good (even though there was really only one elf in a movie called "Elves"), but this was just awful. Scenes just sat there collecting dust. Nothing interesting at all. Except for some of the nudity, but even that was lame by soft porn standards. Dog Soldiers this isn't.

Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002 Video)

Not great, but better than a lot of direct to video horror.

[23 October 2002]

Let me get this out of the way first: I really like the Hellraiser series. The first two were really imaginitive, the third was really fun because of how over the top it was, the fourth tied up the series well. And then the fifth one, Inferno comes out. Most people don't like it, even downright hate it. They hate that Pinhead is only in it for a few minutes. I happen to like the way that the Hellraiser series has gone. The first four gave us a full story, so the subsequent sequels are telling sidestories, sort of showing the Cenobites at work.

Hellseeker is a lot like Inferno in style. It's slower paced, and relies upon atmosphere instead of visceral imagery to get scares. It's pretty tense in parts, but overall isn't that great. We've seen a lot of this before, in movies like Jacob's Ladder and, well, even Inferno. Allegiences to characters are changed often, and we never know who is really to be trusted.

Overall, the film is an entertaining 90 minutes. If you just sit back and let the creepy imagery and decent acting (Dean Winters is pretty good) take over, you'll have a good time. It has problems, particularily with it's pacing, but it all comes together pretty well at the end. Definitely worth a rent, because it's better than most of the direct to video horror out there (so few are good. the best: The Item, How to Make a Monster, Dagon)

Wild Zero (1999)

well... um.... it was okay.

[18 October 2002]

I went to my local rare movies store and got myself a three pack of zombie goodness yesterday: Junk, Versus, and this, Wild Zero. Now I haven't watched Junk or Versus yet, but I can say that Wild Zero is, without a doubt, the most "okay" movie I've seen in a long time.

You see, it's got elements that are great, and a lot that aren't. The camerawork and editing were pretty good, almost impressive. The story, well, wasn't. It's really difficult to classify this film. If you like the idea of a cheeseball rock band named Guitar Wolf fighting zombies, then this is the movie for you. Me, I could have done without Guitar Wolf entirely.

SPOILERS START NOW:

There are scenes that are great. Ace fighting the room full of zombies with the crowbar was great. The female arms dealer coming outside carefully and looking for danger, seeing none and turning around, then turning back again to be greeted by a horde of zombies is great. The crazy dude in the tight summer camp shorts was great. But other than that: pretty lame. When Guitar Wolf stood like Elvis and yelled: "Ace! True love knows no boundaries, color or gender! ROCK AND ROLL!" I almost turned the movie off.

There is one key element missing from this that keeps it from being even remotely exciting: there is no sense of danger. Sure, characters die left and right, but the zombies have the be the slowest, weakest and lamest in recent memory. When that transvestite chick was being swarmed by zombies, she was able to fight them back really easily. There was like 10 of them. If this was a Romero movie she would have died so easily.

Cypher (2002)

original, exciting, stylish

[29 May 2002]

When I saw this it was called CYPHER. I'm not going to give away anything of the plot, because it's much better if you watch it without knowing anything about it. All I'm going to tell you is that it's a very tense sci-fi/thriller that keeps you guessing to the very end. It's really very original and exciting. Jeremy Northham is great in the leading role, Lucy Lui is good as usual, as is the rest of cast (especially David Hewlitt in a small but creepy role). This is Natali's second feature film, after CUBE, and it's great too see what he's capable of with a larger budget. I expect great things to come. I have no idea when it's going to be released, but see it when it does come out.

Dungeons & Dragons (2000)

Poorly directed, but fun

[8 December 2000]

I was not as disappointed with Dungeons and Dragons as I thought I would be. Sure, the film is poorly acted and campy, but it was a good night out at the theatre. Everyone is so over the top in this film that you can't help but like it, for the performances hold a certain charm in their ridiculousness (except for Thora Birch, who put in a mind-numbingly awful performance).

The film was fun, plain and simple. The action was well directed, the various "D&D" adventure components were impressive (especially the Thieves Mage) and the special effects were pretty good. The writing itself wasn't bad, but the inexperience of the director really shows. Had this movie kept the same script but hired an experienced director, it would have been much better.

Anyway, I still recommend you see this film, you won't regret it. Afterall, far worse films have been released.

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

Absolutely amazing, mind bending horror film

[10/10 · 28 November 2000]

This film was made before SCREAM turned all horror into self-referential sludge. This is a true horror film, and a credit to both Lovecraft and Carpenter. What truly made this film great was it's wonderful story-line and twisted imagery. Utterly surreal, and very creepy. Easily in my top five horror films of all time (the others are The Exorcist, Suspiria, Eraserhead and The Thing). Oh, and take a look at my nickname.