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Frazetta: Painting with Fire (2003)
Interesting study of an icon
Came upon this by accident on IFC and could not turn away from it. Practically everyone is familiar with Frazetta's work even if they don't realize it. Google him and you will see what I mean. The movie tells his story through numerous interviews with family, friends and co-workers. Very interesting as you see just how many people love his work and were influenced by it, especially in Hollywood. It also does a nice job of placing his work in historical context. I like Frazetta's work though I'm not a huge fan. The way this movie just captured me despite me not being a fanatic speaks a lot as to just how good this movie is. It's a true documentary that shows how you can entertain while staying true to form unlike some of the garbage that seems to win awards these days. Please watch this if you get a chance!
The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Strong effort
I can't understand all the negative reviews I've seen. Perhaps people are trying to appear sophisticated by tearing down Ashton Kutcher. Regardless, Kutcher has a very solid performance and proves he is not the one dimensional "Kelso" character (nothing wrong with Kelso either LOL)on TV. No point in going over the story except to say that the film really takes it's time to develop the story before really getting into the meat of it. Some criticize the second half (in comparison to the first) and don't like the way the sci-fi element is handled. I couldn't disagree more, I think the plot holds together very well and it's amusing and sad to watch the twists unfold. As for the movie being too dark, it is but it is written well and gives much more urgency to the story. The cinematography is nicely done and special effects are nicely restrained but effective. There are several enjoyable montages throughout. This film really resembles "The Lathe of Heaven" in that it examines similar territory. Viewers of "The Dead Zone" and "Donnie Darko" will see similarities. If you liked the ideas explored in the Butterfly Effect I highly recommend all of these features if you haven't already seen them.
WARNING SPOILER!
For Animal Lovers: Yes a dog (in some realities) is burned to death in this film. It is NEVER SHOWN! Only a brief scene before it happens and after wards. It is tastefully (no pun intended) done and shouldn't stop anyone from watching the film. In the end the dog survives the final reality so fear not! :) All the performances were solid in this movie although the only one that really stood out for me was the ultra-creepy Eric Stoltz as a pedophile. It really blows the nice guy image he has built up through the years. It was a gutsy move for Stoltz in a role that really wasn't that big. Ranks up there with Ted Danson in "Something About Amelia" and Gordon Jump (no not as Arthur Carlson on WKRP) but in a guest spot on Different Strokes. All leave a bad aftertaste but good acting.
Saint Sinner (2002)
Goofy fun.
If you like Clive Barker film adaptations you will probably like this. This is a good and bad thing of course as Barker films tend to be uneven. On the plus side is decent acting and some genuinely spooky scenes especially in the first half. The two sucubi are especially interesting at first with quirky mannerisms and they do give an impression of supernatural beings in human form. The effects are generally good but do get a little cheesy in parts (the latex look). The protagonists also tend to become less interesting as the film goes on. Thats the main problem I have with this movie in that it just goes on too long. I really enjoyed the first hour but steadily lost interest as the story ran out of ideas and became pretty predictable. All in all though it was enjoyable enough and does show more imagination than a lot of what passes for horror these days. If you liked this I would recommend "Hellraiser" also by Clive and "The Prophecy" with Christopher Walken.