Reviews
My Little Eye (2002)
Mediocre rendition of an old concept
"My Little Eye" is an uninspired, if inevitable rehash of a well-worn horror concept: a limited number of people in an insular, secluded, and ominous setting are threatened by an aggressor of mysterious origins. While this concept worked very well for such films as "Alien" and "John Carpenter's The Thing" it is done with far less spectacular results here. The new twist this film offers is that the characters are on a reality web cast, with all the film angles provided by video cameras placed in "Big Brother" style.
The plot follows five "contestants" who are in the final days of a six-month isolation in a creepy house in the middle of nowhere. If these characters can last through the final days they will receive a lofty cash prize. However, "The Company" who has set up this extravaganza is apparently trying some ever more frightening tactics to get the five to disqualify themselves. After a while the contestants begin to realize a far more malignant plot is afoot.
The conceptualization of this film is fairly clever. Though it borrows heavily from the "Blair Witch Project" style of horror, its video look, especially in night shots, it quite unsettling. Unfortunately, a script filled with pointless and ill-conceived plot twists, asinine dialogue, and plot holes large enough to run a semi through them ruins this promising concept. Add to this the thoroughly unimaginative casting, and the viewer is left with a shallow "could have been", where a superior horror film may have emerged in better hands. Disappointing.
The Sting (1973)
The caper movie uber alles
A magical plot, dead on art direction, brilliant supporting roles (most notably Robert Shaw, ya falla?), and the guiding hand of Redford/Newman chemistry make this one of the Hollywood's great films. "The Sting" is a hallmark of the "Golden Age" of American film, and has molded not only countless films, but numerous genres, few of which have met the challenge of its master.