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clarencebutler
Reviews
Wolf Creek (2005)
Horror from down under
Wolf creek is a horror film from Australia that received some notoriety upon release. Wolf Creek offers a few legitimate shocks. To say more would be unfair, but for McLean to be able to surprise a veteran horror-goer, he must be doing something right. Also, the term "shock" must be differentiated from "twist." The unexpected developments within Wolf Creek are organic to the storyline. Unfortunately, McLean relies upon a few too many stock horror clichés, and this at times hurts the movie's credibility. No cars start on the first turn of the key in the ignition, characters repeatedly put themselves in harm's way, and (most unforgivably) no one finishes off the bad guy when he's down. The latter sin is more egregious than when Jamie Lee Curtis committed it in Halloween. That was more than 25 years ago when the genre was being born. These days, smart horror films don't have to rely on contrivances like that. Wolf creek is a fascinating journey down under.
Chimera Strain (2018)
Some good, some bad
Chimera Strain by Maurice Haems could have been a great film- It looks amazing and the acting is sublime across the board. Henry Ian Cusick is so bloody good he deserves a nomination somewhere just to get noticed. However, there are some problems- for one the pacing is disjointed and off. Scenes seem rushed and many times a long take scene is immediately followed by a bunch of short ones, which dispenses the flow of the film. The script is good but there is way too much dialogue. Mr. Haems should know that the "show don't tell" rule also applies in a way that one should make the character do things to back their intentions and not just say it. That's for plays. All in all, this is a brave effort and I feel any science fiction lover should see this.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Sweet and funny
This is a crowd pleaser. A wedding. Cross-cultural clashes. A young woman getting a makeover and finding herself. But there's no Windex and this isn't My Big Fat Greek Wedding. In fact, it's not My Big Fat Indian Wedding, either. However, it is a feel-good comedy that traverses similar territory, if not exactly the same road. Most people who were entertained by My Big Fat Unexpected Box Office Hit will leave this movie with the same kind of warm, fuzzy feeling deep inside. It unashamedly wears the crowd-pleaser tag, and it's likely that some critics will gripe that it's too eager to enrapture the masses. Bend It Like Beckham is enjoyable enough that the sprinkles of artificial sweetness in the mix don't do lasting or irreparable damage.
Cabin Boy (1994)
Give this comedy a miss
Cabin Boy has its share of clever moments, but the most frustrating thing about Adam Resnick's script is that, while toying with a host of intriguing concepts, it takes neither the time nor the effort to develop any of them. There is enough untapped potential in this film to provide fuel for half a dozen full-length features. The humor is distinctly unfunny, as the picture repeatedly courts cheap laughs. By comic standards, Cabin Boy is a failure, proving that no matter how badly a movie wants to make its audience laugh, it needs to be amusing to do so. Also Chris Elliott is appallingly bad as the title character. Poor attempt at comedy.
Revenge of the Electric Car (2011)
A documentary for the future
With the dawning of sustainable energy and electric cars now is the best time to watch this documentary on green energy in general and the electric car industry in particular. The race is clearly interesting not only between the various gas variants- diesel, petrol and their electric counterparts but also among various companies within the sectors. This is a fascinating documentary and you will come out well enlightened for the future we are all embarking.
The Thing (1982)
One of the finest horror- scifi of all time
John Carpenter's the Thing is a hugely atmospheric horror science fiction set in the cold settings of an Antarctican base camp. A dog is rescued by the American team of researchers out of which arises an alien entity that has the capability to take any organism's shape or form. One by one the base camp members are "afflicted" and the way this goes about is what makes The Thing so special. You really don't know who would become the next victim and we are as much in confusion as the researchers. The set design is so good it still hasn't dated at all and the performances from everyone of the cast is excellent. Carpenter was at the height of his directing prowess at the time and the film is expertly shot and edited. The Thing is a rare film: An excellent science fiction as well as horror entry.
Godzilla (1998)
Very middling Godzilla movie by famed average of budgets Ronald Emmerich
Godzilla is anything you wish it to be- cheesy, camp, atrocious, B movie with A movie budget. It depends on the circumstances you see it in. As a kid I loved it and it always reminds me of late 90s nostalgia. But now that one sees it they see what a flawed one this is. For starters the whole film seems to be either aping or paying tribute to the then recent Jurassic Park. The lead played by Mathew Broderick is a wimp and the "leading lady" was so bad I don't remember anything about her expect that she was a TV journalist of sorts. The effects of Godzilla romping through NYC are decent(especially for the time) but this isn't anything special nowadays. Still if you want to watch a monster movie this can be given a shot.