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Reviews
The Killing Room (2009)
Great psychological thriller.
In this review I shall not go deeply into the plot, as I believe that the viewer will benefit from knowing as little of the narrative as possible, seeing as the script offers many twists and turns to any film-goer looking for thrills, and the film delivers on its dark premise, and then some.
While films where a group of characters are manipulated and tested upon in many a sadistic and calculated manner have been all the rage since the Saw series, (comparisons to the franchise wouldn't be completely unfounded) this movie has a somewhat different approach to all the torture porn of late by relying on mind-games to get its thrills. Thanks to the swift pace, taut direction and believable cast, this is pulled off tremendously well.
The plot concerns under-the-radar experiments by a government-tied group (the purpose of which not revealed to the viewer until later) on a group of random volunteers. It starts off innocently enough when they are asked to fill out a form of questions, but things take a sudden turn for the sinister, and the group starts acting upon instinct. However they are constantly being scrutinised by a team of psychologists, and through conversations with the leader of the project and a talented new employee, we learn that their every move is anticipated and prepared for. This creates a sense of impending doom, and brilliantly we, the viewer, feel like we are observing them along with their captors.
The performances are incredibly strong and plausible, and as we learn more about the characters and their motives, the suspense and drama feels all the more engaging. While the idea that experiments like this are still being carried out to this day (the film is based upon real experiments conducted by the CIA in the 60's and 70's) is completely impossible, the script makes it feel completely possible. The whole film twists and turns sharply, making for some genuine bite-your-nails, edge-of-your-seat stuff, something which has been missing from thrillers lately.
For fans of this sort of fare, I wholeheartedly recommend this as what is going to be one of the best thrillers of this year. Hell, even if you don't like the genre usually, I think that you should give this a watch. The film will grip you throughout the entirety of its running time until it twists the knife one last time and leaves on a brilliantly sinister note.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
A brilliant little comedy, but I didn't quite 'get it'
A lot of people say on the comments that they felt very happy after watching this film, I must say that I felt happy, but differently. I felt a very weird hybrid of depressed happiness. But it was definitely a good film, without a doubt, I just didn't really click with what was supposed to come across.
I thought what made this film so good, though, was the visual style. If you look at it, the film has a very drained, boring feel to it. Everything from the colours, to the fashion, to the characters themselves, this film is boring, but it uses it to it's advantage.
The main character of the title is conceived brilliantly. His fashion sense, dialogue, character and overall look fits perfectly with the overall geekiness.
In fact, the acting in this film is top class. All the people involved really put a lot of effort into making the film feel even more boring.
There's a lot to relate to here, but the character I really relate to (besides Napoleon himself) is Deb, Napleon's friend who is played brilliantly by Tina Majorino. I know so many girls who think that they are fat and walk around with zero self esteem. She's brilliant.
And I guess that's why this film has such a love-hate relationship with audiences, because of how much they can relate to. Being thirteen years of age, I can't really relate to a lot in this film. But I still love it for it's simple quirkiness and charm.
Some of the films lines really stuck out in my mind afterwards, because I use speech similar to it, or just for it's strangeness.
'My god, you guys are retarded!'
'I like your sleeves.'
'Hey, Napoleon, gimme some of your tats!' 'No, I haven't had anything to eat today.' 'Napoleon, just give me some of your tats!' 'No!'
'Napoleon, you're just jealous because I've been chatting to babes all day.'
'Tina, come get some ham!'
So on and so forth.
All in all, the entire film is very slow, dry and bland, but is all the better for it.
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
Refreshing, disgusting, curious, funny, offensive, strange, idiotic and inventive - all at the same time.
My friend came in saying to me: 'You have got to see this film.' Upon asking him why, he told me that it was one of the most hilarious films he had ever seen. I usually find this particular person's opinion correct, so I bought the DVD.
I must say, I did find it very funny, but also very extreme. This film has very much been built up on it's controversy, like many other films. Some quotes include, 'purile and disgusting' 'highly offensive' and 'stupid, immoral and idiotic.' All of the above are true.
But it is also very, very funny.
I had never heard of Tom Green before, so I didn't really know what to expect. I put on the DVD, and judging by the cover, the blurb and the beginning of the film, it seemed like a light hearted, stupid slapstick fare. I wish I had paid more attention to the rating.
The storyline is non - existent. Well, very little anyway. Gordy, a wannabe animator, tries to make a break for Hollywood, making just enough money as a cheese sandwich factory worker. But he fails miserably, and goes back to living at home with his parents.
That is all the 'storyline' I could decipher. What follows is a barrage of offensively brilliant comedy, including the infamous deer scene.
For 90% of the films running time, it doesn't really make sense. That is the one thing you must remember. But it is not supposed to. I think that it is not the deer scene that sets the tone, though. It's another.
Here's the scene: Gordy and his friend, Darren are standing on a half - pipe built outside Gordy's home. Darren tries to do a bit of skating, and trips up and breaks his leg - bone poking out through the skin, blood everywhere, and Darren screaming. This really took me aback - I wasn't really expecting anything so disgusting. While I was laughing a retching at Tom Green's childish antics during this scene, I never really recovered from it.
Although not all the humour is disgusting; some of it is just plain weird. For example, the sketch where Gordy hangs sausages from the ceiling and hooks them up to the piano strings, so that when he plays on the piano the sausages go up and down, made me crack a grin. He plays while randomly singing in an off - tone voice, 'Daddy, would you like some sausage? Daddy would you like some sausages?" It made me smile just out of pure curiosity.
Also in the bizarre section of the humour of this movie is the 'Treasure' sequence, in which Gordy childishly pretends he is a deep sea diver in the shower, and pretends that soap on a rope is treasure. This had me a bit weirded out, to say the least.
And last, but not least, is the 'Backwards Man' sequence. This is brilliant/stupid depending on who you talk to. In my opinion, this sequence is one of the films stand out moments.
But what I really think makes Freddy Got Fingered shine is the moments which parody the usual Hollywood schmaltz's. For example:
'Oh Gordy,I don't care about jewels. All I really wanna do is.... suck your c***'
'This has been a valuable life lesson. This trip hasn't been about spending about acting like a d***, shouting at the top of my voice like a hyperactive child or whacking off an elephant. This trip has been about the fact that one million dollars should be spent the right way. The American way. Blowing it all in one go on a load of s*** I will never need'
So sure, this movie ain't no masterpiece. But it is a damn fine comedy, one that made me laugh a lot, and a truly offensive one too.
And you don't see that too often nowadays.
Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico (2005)
A very good, over the top, assault on the senses.
You load up the game. You watch the intro sequence, and you think, "What have I wasted my money on here?" Then you get to the title screen, and the brilliant soundtrack hits you right in the face. Brilliant song. Things start looking up. You start the game, the first level is absolutely pump. And the graphics? Below average. What happened to the decent soundtrack? This plays like a Max Payne clone! Except worse! Then you get to the second mission. Things start looking better. Throughout the game, it keeps on improving. Until it's brilliant climax.
The plot is pretty much nothing special, but enough to keep the game going: Man gets murdered, son goes out to avenge his death.... blah blah blah.
The game play is nothing short of insane. In a good way. This is how it works. When you kill somebody, a combo timer starts. kill somebody else before the combo timer ends and you've got yourself a score multiplier. The more stylish and varied ways you kill people, the more points you get. When the combo timer ends, your score multiplies by the amount of people you kill. It's simple, but very addictive.
The soundtrack consists of Mexican metal/hip hop. Sounds bad yes? You couldn't be more wrong. It really does contribute to the experience.
Get this game if you want a out and out insane experience. Enough said.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Weird, Creepy, Emotional, Funny, Beautiful. All at the same time.
I don't know what to type. Honestly. This is just one of those movies you have to see for yourself.
Its also one of those movies that to fully get it, you have to see it more than once. Its a brilliant film, but a bit confusing.
Well, the plot may sound stupid, and if it hadn't been as brilliantly executed, it probably would have been. But its brilliant. I am going to attempt to explain it. Here goes...
A giant rabbit (no kidding) comes to proclaim the end of the world (no kidding) to troubled teenager Donnie Darko. Then, an aeroplane engine crashes into his bedroom while the rabbit is proclaiming the end of the world. (no kidding. Donnie then is able to see peoples 'paths', (represented as a long tube in front of the person, showing where they are going to go next) and is able to deny his own path. Confusing eh? This is a movie I can't explain any more. The rest has to be seen for yourself. Don't go in expecting a fully blown horror movie or any type of film with a straightforward, easy to understand plot. Because this film is really deep. Thought provoking, captivating, mesmerising and moving, this is a work of genius. This isn't the sort of film you can just watch casually though. You have been warned....
The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Whoa.
This movie is great. Fantastic. At the opening where there is a shoot out between the killers and cops, you think, "This is really clichéd, hope it doesn't stay like this." Thankfully, it doesn't. In fact, I'd go as far as to say I've never seen anything like it.
The film works on two different levels: If you go to see the brutality, gore and out-and-out sick torture scenes, go. Enjoy the ride. But if you go for something a little deeper that exposes a lot of emotions, it's all here. Particularly clever is the use of sexual threat, and you think that this scene is going to lead to a rape scene, but it never goes there, even though it gets pretty damn close.
This has two different kinds of horror: Anticipation and brutality. I think honestly, that the intense anticipation in this film is some of the best ever made. There's one particular scene where Dr. Satan holds the claw of a hammer over a girls head, and the scene lasts for 30 seconds with no dialogue from the characters. It is absolute genius. The brutality I can't put to words. You have to see it yourself.
I have two pieces of advice about this movie: 1. See House of 1000 Corpses first (the prequel), and 2. Is expect brutality. Oh yeah, and the ending is one of the best ever. (no spoilers).
See this.
The Machinist: Brad Anderson and the Machinist (2005)
Fantastic psychological drama is a masterpiece.
Let's get this straight. This movie is brilliant. No question. It's one of those films you may have to see more than once to fully understand, but that just adds to its overall mystique.
The plot is, a man is living alone, losing weight, basically looking like a walking skeleton (Christian Bale lost 63 pounds to play the part.) He has to write notes everywhere (reminescent of Momento) and regularly visits a prostitute, who develop a relationship that is more than just physical. Then he finds a note which he has not written himself, appears on his fridge. It is a game of hangman, and the letters which have been revealed so far are _ _ _ _ E R. After he discovers this, his life seems to go downhill.
The great thing about this movie is the brilliant story and direction. As the main character starts to find out what is going on, so do you. This makes you develop a real relationship with the main character. The story is seemingly straightforward at first, but as the movie goes on, it becomes more complex. You may have to watch this a few times to completely understand it, but it is a truly rewarding, emotional, at times taxing movie. This deserves completely the cult status it has earned and is a real gem. See it.
House of the Dead (2003)
One of the worst films ever made. And I'm being serious.
So here I am, in my video store. What film do I feel like tonight? Hmm... a horror film sounds good. So, I'm looking around, and what's this? A House of the Dead movie?! Oh god! And one of the comments says, "The Dawn of the Dead meets The Matrix". Right, that's it, I'm buying this! This was the excited hysteria that followed me finding this movie. You see, I am a HUGE fan of The House Of The Dead video game. I didn't even know this movie existed. I also like old zombie movies. I also like the Matrix. However, unknowingly, I had made one the worst mistakes of my film watching life.
So, here I am, at home. I put the DVD in my player, and as the interactive menu appears, I hear the voice-over man from the original arcade game saying, "The House.... OF THE DEAD." A buzz of nostalgia washes over me. So, I press select, and the film starts playing. For the next 87 minutes, I was in a depressed, suicidal state.
How could they do this to a legendary game? Make it a pile of trash? How could I describe this movie in three words? How about this movie sucks. The "special" effects look like they've been thrown together by a confused four year old. I've seen acting superior acting to this in a porn film. The entire film is so frustratingly hard to understand, that you feel like tearing your hair out. The plot is one of the very worst I've encountered. The entire film is a crying shame. And would throwing in a bunch of clips from the game completely at random make it any better, even for a die hard House Of The Dead fan like me? No. In fact, it makes it even worse, seeing your favourite game reduced to nothing. The cast are complete unknowns, (sometimes, this can be to a films advantage, e.g 28 Days Later, Blair Witch Project, but it makes it worse here)it has zilch production values and the director (Uwe Boll) is well known for his trashy game to film conversions.
In fact, I've done a little research on Uwe Boll, and I've found this. He has made SEVEN game to film conversions. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS CONSIDERED COMPLETE TRASH. And guess what? He's planning to make another three.
The message is clear: DON'T BUY THIS MOVIE. House Of The Dead fans, don't be tempted by the name. Watching this will only make your love of the game shrink.
My Little Eye (2002)
Really scary if slightly unoriginal horror movie
I thought this film was very well shot in a gritty, realistic way. Yeah sure, it's been done before with The Blair Witch Project, but in a way, it's completely different. Instead of being shot on digital hand-held cameras, it's done on CCTV.
Plot Summary (No Spoilers!) Five twenty-somethings are put into an isolated, camera filled house for six months and will all walk away with one million dollars prize money each as long as they stick to three rules: Don't break the curfew, don't cover the cameras and don't leave the house. If anyone breaks the rules, everyone loses. Their entire experience will be broadcast live on the web twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Everything goes fine until the last week of the time they spend in the house, strange things happen around the house. An injured crow is found in the attic, a girl wakes up to find a bloody hammer next to her, and on a window is written a very disturbing comment. It becomes more and more apparent that things aren't what they seem, and that they aren't on a 'massive' web-cast on the internet. What is going on? Well, you'll have to see.....
The film is a slowly building, dark and gritty piece of horror. Usually, I don't like slow burners, but the way that this is done, it really does (and I really mean this!) keep you on the edge of your seat. It builds and builds until it leads to a genuinely horrifying climax. The film makes you feel like you've found a weird DVD on the ground in the town, gone home and put it into your player. The acting is good, and a particular performance that stands out is that of Kris Lemche's, who plays Rex in the film. I'm not joking, this movie actually kept me awake at night. See it if you want to get completely freaked out.
Second favourite comment from the film (If I said my favourite, I'd spoil the film.)
*Rex on his audition tape for the web-cast* "I'm Rex. The prize is still a million dollars, right? Why should you pick me? 'Cos I'm a people person. (coughs sarcastically) I could stick to the rules for a million dollars, yeah!