official-jab Reviews

Piers Morgan Live (2011– )

Victim of Unavoidable Bias

[9/10 · 11 April 2012]

There couldn't have been a more thankless job than following in LK's time slot. No matter who on Earth took that spot, they would have been ripped apart. The fact that he's British may or may not be related to all of the negative feedback about his show, but what should be undeniable is that he's refreshingly persistent with his questioning, but is always composed and calm, never flying off the handle, even in the more heated debates, such as with Toure or Penn Jillette.

Being bold enough to poke at nerves with guests has to be done carefully, but everyone watching wants to know what a politician thinks about particular issues, and not many interviews go as deep as the public would like. Having Christine O'Donnell walk off her interview rather than field a question on the touchy LGBT subject is very telling of her position, and wouldn't have happened with a more reserved host.

It was unfortunate that he had to come along and be necessarily compared to Larry King, a fantastic host, but Morgan was confident and outspoken enough to take over a job that nobody was brave enough for. If that doesn't speak enough of his character, then the show itself ought to, if you try watching it with an open mind.

1408 (2007)

Above Average

[9/10 · 13 July 2009]

On the surface you'll see mostly just jump-scares and a simple idea, but the highlight of the film is John Cusack's portrayal of Mike Enslin, the logical skeptic, losing his sanity and trying hopelessly to reason it out in his mind. It's really one of the more faithful adaptations of King's stories, compared to The Mist and other ones of late.

The special effects are used more tastefully than similar movies, where necessary for the most part. Those hoping to see lots of Samuel L Jackson will find he has little screen time. 90% of the acting in the film comes from Cusack, who expertly handles his character's attitude and weakness. He has a great sense of humor, but doesn't slip on the dramatic scenes.

1408 is a much more character-driven story than most horror movies of it's kind. As much as it's about everything that's happening to Enslin, it's about what's happening in him, and hopefully you'll be able to take notice and appreciate it's uniqueness. Stay scared.

The Unborn (2009)

Need to stick with it.

[7/10 · 5 July 2009]

This is a movie that really picks up in the second act. The first half relies a little too heavily on predictable spooks that don't make a lot of sense, and flaunting the main actress about in revealing clothing. However after a certain point you can notice the film starting to focus and becoming more creative and daring.

I'm only familiar with the Unrated DVD version, but given the choice it's often the most complete version anyhow.

In music and sound effects, you'll notice obvious influences from The Grudge, but nothing that is a plain ripoff. Fans of Silent Hill will see some influence as well which spices up the second half quite a bit. You need to stick with it, and get past the uninspired, cookie-cutter horror bits in order to see what is really being offered from this film.

Transformers: Beginnings (2007 Video)

Fun short, as long as you got it cheap

[6/10 · 13 September 2008]

It's basically a voiced-over comic book. The film is just a series of stills showing the events before the Transformers left their planet, and the human events since Megatron and the Allspark arrived. Some cheesy voice on the humans, but with Megatron / Prime's original voices from the cartoon. Mostly just uses the movie's soundtrack.

Might be best watched AFTER the movie, since some of it's content will ruin surprises for you. I just happened across it out of luck, but you may need to eBay it now since it was only released with one of the limited editions of the movie. It has references to the cartoon, not just the movie, like Starscream's ambitions for leadership of the Decepticons.

Overall, fairly nice for collectors but nothing to worry about if you only really liked the movie. Good for 20 minutes of fun if you're a Transformers fan.