RockyAKAEggin Reviews

My Bloody Valentine (1981)

A Slasher with 'heart'

[6/10 · 17 February 2021]

*Note* I watched the unrated cut which adds significantly more blood and gore that was originally cut by MPAA

The Good:

• Pretty much every kill in this movie is inventive and memorable. They also feature stunning practical effects which really help to make the kills impactful to the audience.
• Harry Warden's back story is fairly original and unique.
• I very much enjoyed the 'Halloween-esque' POV shots that helped to give the movie a classic slasher feeling.
• I absolutely love the unique design of the killer's outfit. It's intimidating, mysterious and memorable.
• The mines were a very interesting location for the second half of the film.

The Bad:

• Most of the main characters in this film are rather annoying teenagers who I personally didn't really care about. They all blended together and I could hardly tell them apart.
• The pacing in the second half of the film seemed to crawl to a snail's pace. This made it become somewhat of a drag and sadly damped my excitement towards this film.

Overall I found My Bloody Valentine to be a fun but slow Slasher that is greatly elevated by its use of practical effects...

6/10

Valentine (2001)

Be My Valentine?

[6/10 · 17 February 2021]

The Good:

• The seasonal framing of the film is extremely fun and unique. There's not many Valentines Day themed slashers so I'm thankful that this one exists.
• The killers design is rather menacing and fits the theme of movie. Also the first chase scene is very entertaining with a fun morgue set piece.
• Valentine also features some rather unique and inventive kills such as a man in an cherub mask shooting a woman with a bow and arrows.

The Bad:

• The motives of the killer are rather generic and conveluded.
• Most of the acting is relatively meh and leaves a lot to be desired.
• I am not lying when I say that pretty much every character in this film is unlikeable... everyone from the mean spirited group of friends to the overly touchy detective.
• Sadly this movie was mercilessly censored by Warner Bros as it was released in the wake of the columbine tragedy from 1999. This results in most of the kills feeling rather lackluster and bloodless.

Overall Valentine is a pretty standard early 2000s Slasher which does little to innovate the genre apart from it's themeing. It is a good bit of though...

6/10

Fallen (1998)

Spooky!

[7/10 · 17 February 2021]

The Good:

• Denzel Washington and John Goodman are as excellent as ever and create a believable on-screen friendship.
• I really enjoyed the neo-noir style voiceovers that happened throughout the film as well as the noir themed soundtrack.
• The creepy POV shots helped to elevate the horror aspect of the film.
• Throughout the movie, the plot was intriguing and had some great tense moments.
• I loved the idea of possession throughout the film. This created some really interesting dynamics and moral choices for the characters.
• The final act is absolutely exciting, tense, and thrilling and definitely made this film a lot better.

The Bad:

• The first 10 minutes of the film felt very convoluted and confusing to me. It hardly explained itself and left a lot for the viewer to decipher.
• There were a few awkward character interactions within the first hour of the film that kinda took me out of the film.
• Although the premise of the film was very intriguing, it didn't really engage me fully until the last 45 minutes.

Overall Fallen is a very well-made and entertaining 90s thriller with a unique premise and enthralling acting. The only thing that lets it down is its slightly slow pacing and lack of fully engaging scenes in the first half...

7/10

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

Bruce is Back!

[8/10 · 17 February 2021]

The Good:

• Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis are absolutely perfect in their roles and are both visually engaging throughout.
• I enjoyed the fact that the movie got straight into the action. It starts with a bang (literally) and instantly grabs your attention.
• There are some great scenes of tension with high stakes. These scenes are genuinely gripping and give a real sense of dread to the audience.
• I relatively enjoyed the link to the first movie even if it feels rather forced just to fit this movie in with the series.

The Bad:

• This movie feels relatively outcast from the movies in the series that came before it. By this, I mean that it feels less like a Die Hard movie and more like a standard Bruce Willis 90s action flick.
• I wasn't a huge fan of how there were no returning characters from the previous films. I liked how Die Hard 2 incorporated the characters of Holly, Powell, and Thornberg, but this movie seems to completely omit them, with the exception of Holly who is mentioned but never seen.
• There was a lot of dialogue relating to race throughout the movie that felt rather unnecessary.
• A few of the villains felt rather undeveloped and not very interesting. For example the main villain's girlfriend... We learn nothing about her throughout the story and don't get me started on the woefully unnecessary sex scene in the final act.

Overall a very high-class action movie that features visually stunning action, high suspense and a solid cast...

8/10