Change Your Image
worthythorn24
1: Transformers the Movie
2: The Shawshank Redemption
3: The Simpsons Movie
4: The Naked Gun
5: Dawn of the Dead (1978)
6: Evil Dead trilogy
7: Indiana Jones trilogy
8: Back to the Future trilogy
9: The Dark Knight
10: The Wrestler
Favorite TV shows: Lost, The Simpsons, The Office, Breaking Bad, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Arrested Development, The Jeffersons.
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Let Me In (2010)
One of the best remakes ever
This is almost a shot for shot remake of the superb Let The Right One In, but in English and with a few minor differences. The premise is exactly the same, and so is the heartfelt bond between Owen and Abby. Despite their obvious difference, they develop strong feelings for one another and share several powerful scenes together (the swimming pool scene comes to mind). Along with the original, this is a very well-written and atypical love story disguised as a vampire movie. It's a fantastic film and one of the best of 2010.
Curse of Chucky (2013)
Believe it or not, Chucky is scary again
I must commend everyone involved in the making of Curse of Chucky. After seeing the series slowly evolve into satirical horror I never thought it would be possible to turn Chucky into a true horror villain once more. After the failed attempt to do the same for Freddy Kruger in the NOES remake I had very little hope for this film. That slight glimmer of hope quickly changed when I pressed the play button on my remote.
For those of you who have not seen the movie yet it opens with Nica (played by the rather lovely daughter of Brad Douriff himself, Fiona Dourif of True Blood fame) receiving a rather mysterious package in the form of everyone's favorite pint-sized serial killer (sorry Leprechaun). Nica, who happens to be a paraplegic, lives with her mother Sarah. Before long, Sarah ends up dead from an apparent suicide while Chucky quietly watches Nica sobbing from a chair.
Soon thereafter Nica's family shows up at the home to pay respects and settle her mother's affairs. The family consists of Nica's older sister Barb, her husband, Ian, their daughter Alice and their live-in nanny Jill. Slowly but surely the family members disappear or die leaving only Nica to face Chucky and figure out why he decided to terrorize their family. A lot of people seem to be disappointed by the big reveal, but I feel like despite being somewhat trite it added a layer to the legend of Charles Lee Ray that had not been explored before.
The movie ignores certain aspects of the previous 2 films, but stays true enough to the original story along with keeping bits and pieces (pun intended) from Bride and Seed of Chucky. The death scenes are nothing new, but brutal and effective enough to be worthy of the Child's Play series. At times the CGI is a little suspect, but the film only had a $5 million dollar budget. After viewing the film, which by the way is alarmingly good for a direct to DVD sequel, you will wonder why this was not given a theatrical release. I have a feeling that if it turns a profit this may reignite the Child's Play franchise.
Chucky is the creation of writer/director Don Mancini and it's good to see that he still knows how to stir up the scares after the disappointing Seed of Chucky. Curse of Chucky is a slow, atmospheric horror film and that is a rarity in the post-Saw days of the genre. Make sure to keep watching after the credits for an awesome Easter egg which may play a pivotal role if they decide to continue the franchise. Curse of Chucky is definitely worth owning and I give it an enthusiastic 7/10.
Don Jon (2013)
Disappointing
My wife and I went to see Don Jon based on the fact that we both like him as an actor and the premise seemed interesting. I do believe this is a film where the premise failed to live up to expectations. At times I felt like I was watching the same movie about 10 times. Guy picks up girl at a club, sleeps with her, finishes himself off with porn numerous times per week, go to church, is absolved of his sins, and repeats. I suppose that was one of the main purposes of the film, so show a man who is unable to separate what he sees in pornography and what his expectations are of a real relationship. It was just poorly done, and giving this a 4/10 is based on my elation that Tony Danza found work as the title character's foul mouthed father and Scarlett Johansson looking like a knockout for the duration of the flick. I would not suggest checking this one out. Disappointment abound. Hopefully Joseph Gordon-Levitt's next project will be an improvement.
Subspecies (1991)
Not a bad flick
Subspecies is one of those films that I had seen on the shelves of video stores for years and never got around to watching until recently. I didn't have a legitimate reason for bypassing it so many times, but this time I figured I would finally check it out. I'm glad that I did because it is a fairly interesting film. It really offered nothing new to the vampire sub-genre (aside from the sub-species themselves and the concept of the bloodstone), but I suppose as the old cliché' goes if it ain't broke don't fix it. The scenery was quite nice and there was a couple of decent surprises tossed in the plot. The acting was sub-par with the exception of Anders Hove (Radu) who made for a rather terrifying looking vampire. Despite being billed as the star of the flick, Angus Scrimm provides nothing more than a short and fairly meaningless cameo. I'll be checking out the sequels soon. Overall, 6/10.
The Wrestler (2008)
This movie is great even if you don't like professional wrestling
I had heard a lot of hype surrounding this movie, and as a lifelong wrestling fan I was hoping this would portray professional wrestling in a positive light. While it did showcase the best about professional wrestling, it also helped expose the seedy underworld of the sport as well: Sex, drugs and steroids. While the tone of the film itself is dark and moody (what did you expect from the director of Requiem For a Dream), one cannot help but root for Randy "The Ram" Robinson to clean himself up and do the right thing. The Ram is played brilliantly by Mickey Roarke and he certainly deserves every single accolade that is tossed his way. As with any great actor, you forget that it is an actor and you truly believe that Rourke IS The Ram! With strong supporting jobs by fellow Oscar nominee Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachael Wood, The Wrestler in my opinion was the best film of 2008. Even if you are not a professional wrestling fan, this film draws you in from the very beginning as it is more a melancholy portrait of the life of a broken down man who searches for redemption, only to find that sometimes redemption is not something that can be found in the form of family or friends, but more so in the ability to bring happiness to the lives of total strangers. A very strong 9/10. Worth watching in the theater and owning on DVD or Blu-ray.
Knocked Up (2007)
Good, but not great
I had heard so much about this movie that it was nearly impossibly for i to live up the the expectations I had. Some people even called it the funniest movie of all time. It was number 1 at the box office for weeks. It made nearly 150 million dollars. I finally got it from netflix last night and sat down for a viewing. My opinion is that it's a fine movie, but certainly not the funniest movie ever made.
The plot sees simple enough. Slacker goes to a bar and has a one night stand with a stranger. Stranger gets pregnant and they struggle to cope with the situation they're in. The slacker realizes that his partying ways are about to come to an end, and she is terrified that she'll lose her job as an on-air E network personality. The film follows them through the course of her 9 month pregnancy, and introduces us to a zany cast of characters along the way.
For those who have seen the film, perhaps the funniest moment was the cameo of "Stephen Hawking" or their constant harassment over a roommate who decided to go a full year without cutting his hair or shaving. A lot of what makes this film work on a personal level is the ability of the audience to identify with the characters. Most people know a slacker, a demanding wife, a husband who will do anything to get out of the house, etc. Watching this film was almost equivalent to going back in time when I was in college (sans the drugs).
Overall, I give this a 7/10. Definitely worth renting, but not as good as the 40 Year Old Virgin.
Haute tension (2003)
Decent effort, but tired old plot
I think we have all seen the "It was all in his or her head" plot twist about a million times. But this time it is given to us in the film Haute (High) Tension. While the gore was pretty impressive, the big reveal at the end was guessed by yours truly about 30 minutes into the film. The acting is above average and there are some good scares, I left feeling a little disappointed. I kind of wish that the killer would have been the truck driver after all, since he was pretty imposing in a WWE star Trevor Murdoch kind of way. The director's remake of the 1970's classic The Hills Have Eyes was a much more solid effort in all areas. This one gets a 5/10. Worth renting.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Words cannot describe (but I will try to describe with words)
Pure and simple, this is one of the greatest films ever made. If one were to ever question the genius of Stanley Kubrick, they only need to indulge in this masterpiece to be persuaded to think otherwise. There are so many positives that can be taken from this picture that it is almost impossible to find a starting point.
The film (which was also co-written by Kubrick) begins in ancient times, where we are introduced to the Neanderthals. Primitive and lacking intellect, they encounter a strange monolith buried in the ground. Shortly after this encounter, one of the primitives discovers a weapon that they use to not only hunt and fend for themselves, but also to evolve. As a matter of fact, evolution plays a crucial role in the development of this film, as the movie itself seemingly "evolves" from one era to another. Later, we are whisked away into the 21st century, where a group of scientists embark on a mission to study a new monolith that has been discovered in the far reaches of the galaxy. Their ship is controlled by HAL 9000; a computer that is flawlessly flawed as we find out later in the movie.
Released way back in 1968, the movie has special effects that are absolutely breathtaking. As a matter of fact, upon viewing this film I had a difficult time believing that it wasn't filmed only a few years ago. The scenes might take a long time to unfold, but that is the beauty of the film. The classical music and the effects are used here to illustrate the glory of mankind's evolution thanks to the monoliths that we have encountered. Music plays a critical role in all of Kubrick's films, but here I feel it has the most impact overall. This film is one that every connoisseur of fine cinema should see at least once. I am giving this a very enthusiastic 10/10.
The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
Borderline great
I had a few reservations about viewing 'The People vs. Larry Flynt'. From what I had always heard about the man, I fell into the trap of assuming this movie would be nothing more than a self-serving, contrived view of his life. Boy was I mistaken. This was a very good movie, thanks in part to an excellent performance by Woody Harrelson as Mr. Flynt and a wonderful supporting cast.
The film chronicles Flynt's struggles as a poor boy growing up deep in the hills of Kentucky to his transformation into one of the most influential advocates of the freedom of speech in the world. Along the way, Flynt meets some very interesting characters, including his soon to be wife Althea (Courtney Love) and the sister of President Jimmy Carter.
The People vs. Larry Flynt contains elements of a Hollywood classic. It is the story of a man who, although quite eccentric, conquered the world. He turned a few seedy bars in southern Ohio into a multi-million dollar publication almost overnight. But just when you thought he was on top of the world, he suffers a devastating loss when appearing in court in Georgia. Flynt kept a low profile for several years, becoming sort of a recluse and became addicted to painkillers. Larry Flynt definitely had his share of personal demons, as we learn that fame and fortune almost always come with a price. His life was so surreal that at times during the movie I asked myself 'Did this really happen?' I am almost convinced that some portions of this movie were embellished a little to make the film more dramatic (especially the courtroom scenes) but for the most part it is historically accurate.
Directed by Academy Award winner Milos Forman (for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1975), the film is aesthetically pleasing. Forman really knows how to get the most out of the actors in his movies. At times you forget that Woody Harrelson is portraying a character, you actually begin to think that he really IS Larry Flynt. There are also notably good showings by Love, Edward Norton and even a cameo from the real Larry Flynt, who plays a judge.
I'm giving this movie a score of 8/10. The People vs. Larry Flynt is one of the better comedy-dramas of recent years and definitely worth checking out. If you are a defender of our First Amendment Right and a proponent of free speech and press, then you will enjoy this film. I only regret that I didn't watch it sooner.
Day of the Dead (1985)
Tom Savini....'nuff said.
This film is the third installment in George A. Romero's infamous 'Dead' trilogy. With all due respect to 'Night of the Living Dead' and the brilliant 'Dawn of the Dead', this is my favorite film in the series. It might even be the best film of the zombie genre. It would certainly rank as the most underrated.
Released in 1985, this was the culmination of carnage. Most of the world had been ravaged by the dead, and the few survivors have gone underground to devise a survival strategy. It's never clear whether or not there are any other survivors left on the planet aside from the cast of this movie, which helps add an atmosphere of uncertainty. The mood is very grim and depressing, which is one of the factors that led to an abbreviated theatrical run. Most people chose to watch 'Return of the Living Dead' instead, because it was more of a dark comedy and didn't take itself seriously. But this aura of hopelessness was what Romero wanted. In 'Night', he wanted a movie that would shock audiences. In 'Dawn', he wanted to make some strong social commentary. I mean would you be ecstatic to have zombies as YOUR neighbors? The movie stars (among others) Linda Cardille, Joe Pilato and, in an unforgettable performance, Richard Liberty as Dr. 'Frankenstein'. It takes place inside of an underground facility in Florida, where a group of civilians, scientists, and soldiers try to find a solution to the zombie plague above. Most of the actors turn in very strong performances and really make the film seem real. The only quarrel that I have is that the military men seem a little mentally unstable, but perhaps this was intentional given their surroundings. Cardille's character Sarah seems to be the voice of reason among the group, but she has a difficult time convincing Captain Rhodes (Pilato) that their research is producing any quality results. Their words soon escalate to violence and a war brews, not between the surviving humans and the undead, but between the living themselves.
In typical Romero fashion, this film contains some great dialogue, particularly the scene when Sarah is in 'The Ritz' with John and McDermott. There is gore galore, which should please any hardcore zombie movie fan. Trust me this film is not for the faint of heart. I'm giving this movie an 8/10. It's not perfect, but it's darn close. I kind of wish Romero could have made the film as he originally intended (buy the special edition DVD and you'll know what I'm talking about).
The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
More than meets the eye indeed!
There are so many positive things that could be said about not only the Transformers movie, but about the series. I relate Transformers to everything that was good about my childhood. No matter how bad things were, I could always count on words of wisdom from Optimus Prime, some cynical remarks from Springer, and of course the usual self-serving antics from everybody's favorite backstabber Starscream. Each day I would come home from elementary school (I was probably 6 years old when the series debuted) turn on the television and be whisked away to the far off reaches of the galaxy.
I regret that I wasn't able to see Transformers: The Movie at the theater. Being from rural Kentucky we only had one cinema and unfortunately Transformers didn't draw enough interest to be shown on the big screen. I saw it several months later on VHS, but it was definitely worth the wait. The plot is fairly rudimentary (good vs. evil), but there is so much more to Transformers. It was definitely the cartoon for intelligent children. I never truly appreciated the complexity of the series until I got older. How many shows of this genre have dealt with topics such as death? The concept of death is sometimes difficult for an adult to fully grasp, let alone the children who were the target audience. In the movie we witness the demise of some of the most popular characters in the franchise (although this was likely done to usher in the season 3 bots). I do believe that the death scenes hurt the overall success of the movie and the subsequent Season 3, but were very necessary elements to the film. I mean c'mon the Autobots and Decepticons were AT WAR! How many wars have ended without casualties? The series wasn't quite as graphic, but often times Optimus Prime was faced with very difficult decisions (Watch The Ultimate Doom for instance).
The animation in the film is superb...as is the soundtrack. With the exception of "Dare to Be Stupid" there isn't a weak song in the movie. Leonard Nimoy pulls off an amazing voice characterization as Galvatron and I was also pleased as usual with Peter Cullen as Prime, the late Chris Latta as Starscream, and the legendary Frank Welker as Megatron (among others).
The only quarrels I have with the movie would be the dance scene with the Junkions (while their friends are being gobbled up by a gigantic moon-gobbling planet), and the introduction of Blurr and Wheelie. In a perfect world they would have been fed to the Sharkticons :). The introduction of the matrix of leadership seemed to come out of thin air. It was never mentioned in the series, but seemed to be the Autobot Ark of the Covenant. I suppose it was always understood to be there and was just never mentioned.
My Transformer biased nature aside, I think this movie is one that everybody should check out at least once. Whether or not you're a transfan it's still rather entertaining. I only hope the big budget live action version due out next summer will be half as good. 10/10 and worth owning on DVD!
Slither (2006)
A decent job of paying homage to the 80s gore fest.
Slither has been compared to Shivers, Night of the Creeps, Slugs and just about every other film where those creepy crawlers try to take over the world. Won't mutant slugs from outer space ever learn? Here it is 2006 and they're at it again, this time traveling to earth aboard an asteroid. Anyway, on to the review.
While two country bumpkin sheriffs are debating over how fast birds can fly, an asteroid lands in the woods behind their car. Soon after we are introduced to Grant Grant (Michael Rooker) and his lovely young wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks). Apparently, Starla married Grant for his money but they appear to actually be in love with each other, much to the surprise of the local community. One evening after having his sexual advances warded off by Starla, Grant goes into town and meets a woman at a bar. They go off into the woods to get to know one another a little bit better when grant stumbles across what appears to be a gigantic larvae. When he approaches it (of course he doesn't just choose discretion as the better part of valor) the thing double probes him in the solar plexus and injects him with some sort of alien life form. After a few days, Grant begins acting strangely. By strangely I mean ordering up a truckload of meat from the butcher shop and abducting animals. Later in addition to abducting animals, Grant comes back for the young lady he spent the evening with and rapes her. You can pretty much guess what happens from there, right? Wrong! Well, maybe. This movie is pretty unpredictable at times and that made it pretty interesting to watch. Later on in the film, the alien (or are they Martian?) slugs possess the bodies of anyone unfortunate enough to ingest one and they can have their mind and body controlled by Grant. It's up to a few select townspeople to try and stop "Grant" from taking over the planet!
The best thing about this film in my opinion was how it pays homage to the over the top gore fests of the 1980s. What a decade that was for horror. You can see this film borrows from such classics as Reanimator, Night of the Creeps, Waxwork, Evil Dead, The Fly and Basket Case to name a few. There's even a scene where a family is watching the Toxic Avenger! However, even with all those movies being referenced I still felt like they tried a little bit too hard. It would definitely be a great movie to watch after you've had a few too many! There were truly disgusting moments when I had to turn my head and just wonder who thinks of this stuff? Thankfully, the tone is very tongue in cheek and shows this movie is NOT to be taken seriously. The TV spots try to portray this as straight up horror but it really isn't. If you are expecting to be scared, then you will be sadly disappointed. If you're looking for an over the top, dark and gory comedy then give this one a chance. 6/10.
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
The one that never happened...
Some people say Jason Goes to Hell was "the one that never happened". Others say "Jason X" is not part of the Friday the 13th cannon. While I disagree with their opinions on those two films, I dare not object when someone tells me that Friday the 13th: A New Beginning should have been aborted.
The story picks up several years after the events of the so-called "Final Chapter". Tommy Jarvis is now a young adult and is living with the memories of that fateful night when he encountered Jason Voorhees. He has nightmares where Jason returns seeking revenge and apparently is suffering from several mental disorders. He is taken to a home for troubled youngsters where he will be given treatment, therapy and most importantly a second chance. Shortly after he arrives, one of the patients is brutally slaughtered by an employee. Not too long after that, several Jason style murders occur. Is Tommy's imagination playing tricks on him again? Is Jason really back from the dead? I think it's pretty clear that everybody now knows the answer to that question.
The acting is typical of a Friday film, and by that I mean what acting? The kills are actually pretty good and were one of only a handful of reasons for me not giving this film an even lower rating. I love the one where the guy is in the crapper, that's just priceless! In all honesty, the movie could have been worse I suppose. It kind of reminds me of the infamous "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" because it would have worked so much better had it been a standalone film with nothing to do with Jason (although technically is DIDN'T have anything to do with the REAL Jason). A VERY generous 3/10. Worth watching only if you're really bored or really drunk.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Superb
What can possibly be written about Night of the Living Dead that hasn't already been duly noted? This is one of the greatest films of all time. The budget was minuscule and the actors were certainly not even C-list caliber, but this movie works on so many different levels. First and foremost, it's a horror movie that helped create the zombie sub genre. It shocked the entire nation when it was released in 1968. The movie was highly controversial, with it's direct references to the civil rights movement and, of course, the gore which led to it becoming the cult classic that it is today. When he is on, George Romero really knows how to deliver a great movie. This gets a very enthusiastic 9/10 and is worth owning even if you're not a fan of horror flicks. One of the best movies ever made.
Near Dark (1987)
Bill Paxton is the man!
Near Dark was one of those films that I had heard so much about throughout my lifetime, but I never did sit down and actually watch it. After seeing it showcased on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments I decided to rent it. I felt that it was a decent movie with an interesting twist on the vampire mythology (interestingly, the 'v' word is never used in the movie), but I still felt as though there was something missing.
The film opens with a cowboy named Caleb (Adrian Pasdar) encountering a beautiful, but puzzling young lady named Mae(Jenny Wright) late one evening. After some flirting, they go on a drive back to her place. She continually reminds Caleb that she has to be home before the sun comes up, and thwarts his persistent advances. When he politely declines to let her go home until she gives him a kiss, she gives in and takes out a nice chunk of his neck in the process. She scurries inside and Caleb goes home. But almost immediately he realizes something is wrong. As the sun begins to rise, his skin begins smoldering. As his stunned sister watches from afar, he is abducted by a group of people in a Winnebago. However, we come to find out that they we not "people" in the ordinary sense of the word. Mae is among them, as they embark on a tour of total destruction throughout the American South and Midwest. Slowly, Caleb begins to realize what he has become and what he must do in order to survive. But will his family manage to intervene before it's too late? The acting in this movie was a lot stronger that your typical horror movie. Bill Paxton contributes a remarkable turn as Severen, a redneck vampire who has a penchant for causing trouble. His performance alone makes the movie worth renting. Lance Henrikson is quite good as the unofficial leader of the clan, as he is clearly evil but not to the point of acting irrationally. The rest of the cast were also good in their roles as well. Near Dark also has the typical "love story" that all vampire movies seem to require, as seen here with Caleb and Mae. As would be expected, this relationship leads to both characters having to make very difficult decisions and sacrifices for one another. You can just sense a real chemistry between these two actors and they just do a terrific job.
Of course, since this is a vampire movie there is an ample amount of death scenes. None of which are particularly harrowing to watch, but gore is not always necessary if you already have a good movie on your hands. The look and feel of the film to me seemed a little more modern that 1987. The director was married to James Cameron at the time, and you can almost feel his essence at times during this movie. It was a strong picture the entire way through. Truth being told, the ending was one of the things I disliked about this film. I won't give it away, but I felt it was just a little contrived. Maybe that's just me. Anyway, I'm giving Near Dark a generous 7/10. It's worth owning on DVD if you're a big fan of vampire themed flicks.
Final Destination 3 (2006)
Hopefully, this will be the FINAL Destination.
Have you ever had a really good idea? One that was original, creative, borderline innovative? Yeah, me neither. However, the people who brought you "Final Destination" did. The first film was very entertaining, suspenseful and unpredictable. The inferior, but also highly entertaining sequel brought more of the same. But as the old saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Well, with Final Destination 3 the formula has finally ran out of fuel.
We begin at a carnival, where we're introduced to some teens from the local high school. They decide to get on a roller-coaster (plane) when the lead girl (see also Devon Sawa, Final Destination) has a vision of a horrible accident (see plane crash, Final Destination 1. Highway wreck, Final Destination 2) where everybody dies. She goes into uber panic mode and several of the kids get off, sans her boyfriend. Well, the coaster does indeed crash and kills everyone who was riding it. Now, fast forward a little while and "death" begins to pick off the survivors systematically. I am surprised death just didn't initiate the U.S. military nuclear launch codes and just blow the entire city up.
I'm not even going to chronicle the absurd ways that the survivors die, but I will tell you it is quite gruesome. Almost gratuitous, but of course that's what draws people into the theaters these days. Unfortunately, almost all of the gore appears to be CGI and looks very fake. The appearance of the film was pleasant, as the director gave us some interesting POV shots of the victims. The acting on the other hand, was not so pleasant, but no worse than the other movies in this genre. The best performance was probably from the lead actress, as I felt she was the only character who was believable in her role. Tony Todd is not in this, but he does provide the voice of the devil on the roller coaster.
I'm giving this movie a 3/10. If there are truly 2 certainties in life (death and taxes), then Final Destination 3 is certainly the "death" of the series.
Troll 2 (1990)
So bad that it's...........bad.
Troll 2 is one of those films that is truly so awful, that it has to be seen to be believed. I had heard about this movie for years, but never watched it until I caught it on Showtime recently. Basically, this family goes to the town of Nilbog (Goblin, backwards) and are stalked by Trolls who want to eat them. In order to consume humans, the Trolls force people to eat a substance that turns them into a green, slime-like substance that the Trolls can digest. Sounds interesting, right? Well, I'm not entirely sure how a movie this atrocious can get made. The acting is worse than any elementary school play that I have ever seen, the Troll masks are literally rubber Halloween masks from Wal-Mart, and the dialog is so corny that Orville Reddenbacher would be proud. It's a good movie to have a drinking game with (everytime someone says I wish Grandpa Seth were here, drink. Every time someone looks directly into the camera, chug). Seriously, you have to watch this at least once to see just how bad it is. This movie gets a definite 1/10.
King Kong (2005)
A modern masterpiece
I have been trying to think of what words could possibly describe the experience of seeing Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong. I have arrived at the conclusion that there is nothing that I can say that would truly do this film justice. When I think of the word "masterpiece" I think of King Kong. It has it all: Action, comedy, drama, suspense, horror, tragedy, wonderful performances, state of the art SFX, etc. If King Kong doesn't win at least 5 Academy Awards, then there truly is no God. A lot is being made over the lack of box office success thus far, but I am convinced this movie will end up like "Titanic", by that I mean word of mouth will help it find a larger audience. This gets a very enthusiastic 10/10. Nothing I can write will substitute for seeing it yourself. Definitely worth watching at the theater and owning on DVD!
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Better than the first 2 sequels
Jason's back...again! Boy, you just can't keep a good guy down! This film takes place the day after the events of Part 3, with Jason seemingly down for good. He is taken to a coroner's office where he escapes and wrecks havoc on another group of unsuspecting teenagers (doesn't anybody watch the news at Camp Crystal Lake?). We really don't see anything different in 1984's "Friday the 13th Part 4" but we do see the return of Tom Savini's innovative gore and special effects. It features a couple of the most brutal of all Jason's murders, particularly the neck twist and the meat cleaver. If it wasn't for Savini's brilliance, I would have given this installment another 5. I also like the character of Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman) because I can somewhat identify with him. Except for what he does at the end, I don't think I could do all that. I'll give Jason's first "Final Chapter" a 6/10. Worth renting on DVD!
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
Good remake
This film was much better than I had expected, being a big fan of the original. In this version, instead of a street gang attacking the precinct we have corrupted cops trying to preserve their own freedom. The action is plentiful, but it didn't seem to pack the same punch as it's predecessor (no ice cream scene in this one, sorry). Most of the actors seemed to be going through the motions, but Ethan Hawke did a really good job in the lead role as did Lawrence Fishburne. Gabriel Byrne just seemed misused here. I think the reason the movie didn't do very well at the box office was it's a remake of a film that's rather obscure .But the film's saving grace was the action and the atmosphere. For that and that alone, I'll give this movie a 6/10. A decent remake, worth renting on DVD but not worth owning.
The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Ferocious
The Devil's Rejects is Rob Zombie's follow-up to the inferior, but fun "House of 1,000 Corpses". In that film, we were introduced to the Firefly clan; a group of sadistic, devil worshiping serial killers who live in a nightmarish house filled with horror and suffering. The main difference between that film and this one is that here Zombie makes a motion picture. In "House", he merely set out to totally shock the audience.
At the beginning of this movie, we see the Ruggsville police arrive at the Firefly home and engage in a shootout with them. Several police officers and family members are killed in the ensuing battle, with Otis and Baby escaping capture through a storm drain. At this point the film turns into a retread of "Natural Born Killers", only with a bit of a twist. Almost from the onset, the tone of the film is very intense, especially the performance of William Forsythe as Sheriff Wydell. The sheriff is out for revenge against the media dubbed "The Devil's Rejects" for the murder of his brother in "House". Wydell begins to walk the line and eventually completely crosses over into the realm of no return. Forsythe puts forth an incredible turn in this movie and really should be considered for some sort of award for his portrayal of the revenge-obsessed sheriff. Not to be overlooked is Sid Haig as the infamous Captain Spaulding, who completely owned the first film and here continues to steal every scene that he is in.
There are tons of strong performances here, and a lot of appearances by 70's horror movie icons such as Ken Foree and Michael Berryman. Both of them have really fun roles in this movie. As a matter of fact, the entire movie sort of brought back memories of 70's horror, which sadly has been replaced by the CGI-infused PG-13 horror movies of today. This movie is very fierce and Zombie never let it get away from him like he did in HOTC. You can literally see how he has grown as a director and I expect more good things to come in the future. With his rock background, his use of music in this piece is nothing short of brilliant (I'll never hear "Freebird" the same way ever again). One thing that was neat to see was how the mental deterioration of Sheriff Wydell plays out on screen. At one point, Zombie makes his audience question, albeit only briefly, who the REAL bad guys are? If you want to watch a movie that is an intense, thrill ride where you NEVER know what will happen next, check this one out. Filled with blood, torture, and very dark moments of levity. I give this one a VERY strong 9/10.
Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
yadda yadda yadda
Another year, another Friday the 13th film. 1982's "Friday the 13th Part 3" was director Steve Miner's second in the franchise and it was also filmed in 3D. In this edition, we learn that Jason is still on the loose, this time in nearby Higgins Haven. Higgins Haven was a farm owned by the lovely Chris Higgins (Dana Kimmell) who is there for a weekend of partying with her boyfriend and her stoner friends. Instead, they become more fodder for Jason and his machete. It is in this installment that Jason first dons his now infamous hockey mask.
Interestingly enough, this edition actually has *gasp* character development. Turns out, 2 years earlier Chris had been attacked in the woods by Jason and managed to escape. But will she be so lucky again? Or do we even care at this point? It's a good thing I am a fan of the franchise, because if I wasn't I would definitely give this film a lower rating than I have. The acting is abysmal, the dialog is utterly ridiculous and the idea that the entire area is not SWARMING with police officers (the events of Part 2 happened the night before) is ludicrous.
The movie's saving grace is the special effects. I felt like they were very well done, especially if you can see them in 3D. If not, then they look fairly humorous. There is also some decent gore and some of Jason's most brutal kills are demonstrated here. Dana Kimmell is never going to win an Academy Award, but my god is she hot :). Based on these two very "important" criteria, I'll give part 3 a very impartial 5/10.
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Decent follow up to the first
Friday the 13th Part two begins much the same way as the first one. A girl is brutally murdered by a faceless killer and leaves it up to the viewers to decide if the perpetrator is none other than Jason Voorhees, back from his watery grave for revenge? Well, unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last 20 years you know the killer IS Jason and this is the movie where he takes his rightful place in the hearts of horror movie aficionados worldwide.
Friday 2 was Paramount's big follow up to their sleeper hit of the same name the year before. After the success of Friday 1, Paramount realized they had a cash cow on their hands and quickly gave the green light to director Steve Miner to make a sequel. This film takes place 5 years after the tragic events of the first. Crystal Lake is open again (albeit a few miles away from the crime scene of "Camp Blood") for business. We meet several new, pretty young people who are ripe for the slaying and represent every cliché thinkable. But god you have to love these films! They're so bad that they're good. Watching a Jason movie is like watching a car wreck. You just can't seem to look away.
Curiously, Jason appears in this movie wearing a burlap sack rather than the hockey mask we have come to love over the years. He doesn't get that until the third installment. I think the burlap sack sort of adds a hokeyness to this film; some much needed levity. There are some brutal kills in this outing, particularly the one involving the poor kid in the wheelchair (OUCH!). Aestically, the movie looks good and the new DVD does a wonderful job in restoring quality. I remember having this movie on VHS and it literally looked like it was filmed from a personal camcorder. I wish they had not killed off the character of "Crazy Ralph". I really enjoyed watching him warn the characters about going to Crystal Lake. All his death did was add another body to Jason's overall tab. One burning question I have is when the police officer goes into the woods to pursue Jason. He leaves his car parked right in the middle of the road. Wouldn't the police have organized some sort of search mission for him? The car was there for several hours at least! Maybe Jason got them, too.
The acting in this movie is definitely a notch lower than in the first one. The only person who did a good job was the guy who played Jason. Perhaps it was because his face wasn't shown :). I'm giving this movie a 5/10. Average installment in the series, but it is brutal, nostalgic and important in the franchise because it marks the debut of Mr. Voorhees.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Legendary
What can possibly be written about a movie that is 25 years old and helped to spawn an entire genre? It was 1980's film "Friday the 13th" that ushered in a new age of horror. Slasher films were nothing new, with John Carpenter's Halloween being released two years earlier, but Friday the 13th set the tone for violence and opened the door for several copycat films.
The film begins in 1958 where two Crystal Lake camp counselors were ruthlessly slaughtered while making love inside a barn. These grizzly murders led to the camp being closed down for over twenty years and caused the community to assign the moniker of "Camp Blood" to the area. Now, someone has decided to re-open the campground and soon the memories twenty years removed become a harsh reality for the new camp counselors. One by one, these youngsters get murdered in extremely graphic fashion and it's up to the sole survivor to fend for herself when the killer is finally revealed. SFX master Tom Savini provided the gore effects and Sean Cunningham did a good job directing the film. In my opinion, the gritty look of the film made it look almost documentary style and it really added a lot to the movie. Another thing that makes this movie so good is the pacing. Unlike most of the sequels, the killer in this film stalks the victims and watches them long before disposing of them. Let's not forget the music and the "ki-ki-ki-ki-ma-ma-ma-ma".
The only negative I can draw from this movie is the acting. Of course, with the small budget it had they couldn't exactly hire the upper echelon of Hollywood talent. Then again, none of them would have liked the script. Also, there was not a lot of character development. In a movie like this, people just go to see kids being murdered with any kind of garden tool/weapon available. I always wanted to see Jason kill somebody with a squeegee (Heck, he used a party favor in Part 6). I'll give this movie a 7/10. Definitely worth owning on DVD.
Ghostbusters (1984)
Timeless classic!
Oh boy! What can I say about Ghostbusters that hasn't already been written? This is one of the most successful films of all time and also spawned a very successful sequel, cartoon series, and catapulted Bill Murray into super stardom. Let's not forget the catchy theme song as well. We all know what the plot is about, with the Ghostbusters (Igon, Ray, Peter and Winston) trying to prevent the end of the world. The movie is filled with excellent performances by the cast and, for its time, outstanding visual effects. As a matter of fact, this is one of the most impressive casts ever, featuring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and William Atherton (and a cool cameo from Reginald VelJohnson from TV's Family Matters playing a cop, of course).
I recently bought the box set of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 on DVD and there is some very interesting information within. Originally, the Ghostbusters movie was going to star John Belushi as Peter and he and Ray were going to be "intergalactic ghost busters" traveling through space and catching ghosts. Although this is an interesting premise, I don't think it would have delivered quite the way the final version did. Maybe that would work if they made a third film in the series?
I'm giving Ghostbusters an 8/10. It was very innovative back in 1984 and features some great special effects, most of which still hold up today in the age of CGI. Definitely worth owning on DVD!