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Reviews
Deer Crossing (2012)
Two thumbs up for Deer Crossing!
Deer Crossing is a complex story that starts off being about a woman named Maggy (Laura Lynn Cottrel) who has left wit her young son, Cole, to go on a trip somewhere. When she detours she ends up hitting a deer and her and her son end up being picked up by mountain man who holds them captive for eight years. Maggy is kept shacked up in his shed as some sort of play thing and he raises Cole to be his son. This is one of three stories intertwining into the main plot of the film. The disappearance eventually ends up in the hands of a retired detective named Stanswood (Christopher Mann) who is reluctant to take the case after Maggy's husband desires to hire him personally. Before he knows it ends up in Carvin Country where as the story progresses, other disturbing tales unfold as well. Doug Bradley performs very well in Deer Crossing as Sheriff Lock, a cop who takes himself more seriously than the rest of the town does. This film will not be for everyone. It's disturbing but not in a typical blood-filled, over-gored, torture chamber sort of way. This film is disturbing because it's more realistic and emphasizes on the violent impulses and corrupt nature of human beings who you would hope don't actually exist in this world. I'm not big on Independent films but this one really stands out. It certainly doesn't look like a low-budget flick and I'm actually surprised that for the amount of money spent on Deer Crossing that such great visual effects and production was put into this film. I admire the director's effort. Grillo obviously is setting out to change the world of cinema and get us all out of the mainstream of typically tired horror films. I also very much liked the acting in this film. Aside from Bradley and Ernie Hudson I think Hollywood might need to start keeping an eye on Deer Crossing's talent pool. Laura Lynn Cottrel as Maggy was one of the best performances in the film. She was so emotional ad convincing that I still think of Maggy sometimes and what she's been through. Christopher Mann's performance was also top-notch. The most memorable indeed was K.J. Linhein as Lukas Walton. I have no doubts that people will be having nightmares about him for years to come. Tom Detrik really stood out in this film as Dick, the flamboyantly-ruthless villain of the film. He actually wasn't the main villain but I think he should have been. I thought Carmela Hayslett's small part was very good as Olivia. It was nice to see Carmela Hayslett outside of her Roxsy Tyler Carnival of Horrors persona. She plays some sort of cop. She's not convincing as a cop but I don't think she was supposed to be. Her character's job was obviously to not come across as a cop to the person she was interrogating. And Kevin Fennel as older Cole, I've never seen Fennel before but I can't imagine his role being played in any other way than how he did it. If he's new than he has a great career ahead of him!
Ten Inch Hero (2007)
Wonderful film!
I'm not big on romantic comedies but "Ten Inch Hero" was an absolute Gem! It's about this young artist named Piper who moves to California and finds a job at a sandwich shop. Every character seems to be extremely likable from the cook with the Mohawk and his hopeless crush on the pretty waitress (who's the slut of the film) to the insecure but very much kind cashier who feeds homeless strangers. Everyone in this shop is looking for love whether they realize it or not and they all find it in their own unique way. It's really a beautiful story.
I don't want to give too much away about the film. I just know I loved the story and the characters. You'll be able to find at least one character you can relate to in the film. I felt like I was in the film like I was actually friends with these people in the sandwich shop. I understood all of them perfectly well. I laughed, I cried, and in some moments I was even on the edge of my seat with curiosity. Find it on Netflix! Watch it! Rent it!
Wir sind die Nacht (2010)
The Vamps and Tramps of Berlin!
I really didn't know what to expect of this film at first glance. The cover art for it suggested to me that this will be just another foreign vampire film with breasts and pretty faces all over it and not a near interesting story. I was wrong. This was actually a pretty decent film. It's about a beautiful vampire named Louise who's been spending eternity with her two beautiful cohorts looking for her soul mate. Nina Hoss as Louise very much reminded me of Lauren Hutton in "Once Bitten" as the Countess with her luscious long blonde locks and beautiful face. Louise is obsessed with finding her "partner" and it is implied that there was a time where she might have thought her cohorts Nora and Charlotte were her soul mates. Louise meets a troubled young girl named Lena and forces Lena against her will to become a vampire. Louise is convinced Lena is the partner she's been looking for.
This vampire story might be more for a female audience. The story is mostly about being love-sick for someone who doesn't want you and all the chaos and jealousy it may ensue. Other than that it has most of what you would want or expect from a vampire story. There's violence, there's action, there's still that conflict between being powerful and immortal and being sad and alone. There's a lot of elements of fun in this film as you will see these women doing absolutely anything they want from speeding, doing drugs, having sex, and shopping. Nora is a fun character because for an undead she is quite lively and energetic. Charlotte and her story is quite tragic and justifies her behavior once you get more involved in the film.
I thought the story could have been better but there's plenty to like about this film from it's casting to it's imagery, to it's playfulness.
Yip Man 2 (2010)
Just as great as the first!
When it comes to any kind of Kung Fu or Karate movie I usually have to be in some sort of mood to watch them but the IP Man movies blew me away right from the beginning. Both IP Man and IP Man 2 are nothing short of amazing. I must say I prefer IP Man 2 as my favorite of the two films. I love Donnie Yen as IP Man. The character is so likable even in less then desirable situations. IP Man is the best at what he does but knowing him out of his fights you would only believe he's a peaceful family man living a quiet life. In the reality of his art form he is a master, one capable of taking on twenty men in a fight and being the only one walking out of instead of crawling.
In IP Man 2, Master IP is training his pupils but when those pupils face a more aggressive group from a rival school IP Man tries to preserve peace but often ends up having to engage in combat instead. As IP wishes to gain proper respect from the rival schools he realizes he has to go through the proper channels to legally be able to teach. This means he has to engage in combat with all the other Kung-Fu masters in respectable bouts. There's a really cool scene where he has to fight each master on a wobbly table. I don't know if it's convincing but it looks fantastic. Like all the fights scenes in IP Man movies the fights are fast-paced, action-packed, complex, and quite beautiful. It's a graceful ballet of fists and kicks.
Foreigners come to town to have a "boxing match". The overly self-insuring British boxer has no respect for the countrymen and challenges the kung fu students to a fight. After one utter humiliation after another, IP Man's rival has a match with the boxer which doesn't end so pretty. To redeem this man's respect and to undo the humiliation brought to his homeland by this repulsive boxer, IP Man steps up to the challenge.
This story is impactful, the characters are very distinct and interesting, and like I said the fight scenes are absolutely graceful. Watching the action scenes really makes me feel like I'm on a ride. Please make more IP Man movies!
Red Eye (2005)
An in-flight wild ride!
Red Eye is about a woman named Lisa who works at a hotel resort and has to travel home for her Grand mother's funeral. She takes the last flight out which is known as a "red eye" flight despite her fear of flying but what appears to be a chance meeting with a handsome stranger (Cillian Murphy) might take her fear of flying to the next level.
I love the fact that most of this film takes place solely on a plane. For the 85 percent of the time we are on the plane it's only a conversation between Lisa and her tormentor that is keeping us on the edge. The plot is taunting and can be easily seen as realistic. What would you do if you were on a plane next to a man who's threatening you and your family? There's not much you can do!That's scary! The whole time you're watching this film you might find yourself thinking about what you would do in this situation. A movie that makes you think is a movie worth watching! What I like most of all is that though it is clear Lisa is being held hostage and Jackson is not her friend the two have a chemistry together. At times, Jackson seems sympathetic and likable and at any given moment he's as cold as ice to Lisa. Jackson is a master manipulator and one of the most calculated bad guys I've ever seen in cinematic history.
I highly recommend this film. It might not be for everyone but I will say I very much enjoy it. I thought the idea was some-what original, the acting was top-notch, and the story was very clever.