Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - 1 star out of 10
Sometimes movies that are completely "fluff" are fun to watch, but there really is nothing appealing about "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." While providing the interesting opportunity to listen to some of the biggest stars from the 70's singing the Beatles hits that we love, it is hard to look past the fact that it is inherently stupid. I don't think that I could ever view this as a "serious" movie because the plot is just so terrible (and often non-existent), but it is hard to even enjoy it as a fun, mindless experience because the songs (which provide the only dialogue) don't even effectively tell the story. "Across the Universe" is everything that this film aspired to be, providing an interesting plot that is perfectly conveyed through the music of the Beatles AND dialogue. Imagine my chagrin when I discovered that there are not any Beatles in this film... It was worth watching one short segment to catch a look of a very young Aerosmith, but not worth watching the whole film to get to this segment. I'm sure that this film was quite a sight to see when it came out, featuring more musical stars than has been feasible in any other film; unfortunately, watching it 30+ years later, I don't recognize most of the celebrities and it loses that magical aspect.. It is unfortunate how many of the songs are ruined (particularly Maxwell's Siver Hammer as sung by Steve Martin) through this film and I wish that I could take back that 2 hours of my life. Adults who grew up in the 60's and the 70's with these music celebrities will enjoy the nostalgia but outside of that, I can't see anybody enjoying this.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Quarantine - 9 stars out of 10
Quarantine - 9 stars out of 10
"Quarantine" is the best scary movie since "Cloverfield"!!! The first-person perspective is extremely effective in this movie, as the viewer truly feels like they are actually there and it will keep you on edge the entire time. I believe that the first-person works so well because the person recording is supposed to be a professional with a news camera, therefore this "shaky camera" technique is justifiably not too shaky. This movie does a great job of creating an emotional attachment to the characters before the terror begins, much better than Cloverfield did. It is almost like a zombie movie with a twist that you get to experience from a first-person perspective. I love that they reveal just enough for you to understand what is going on, but leave a number of questions unanswered. Not to mention that these rabid zombies are terrifying, while the unseen images are exponentially more chilling. You really cannot predict what will happen next as this realistic news interview keeps you believing from start to finish. Jennifer Carpenter was great, though she was annoying for about 5 minutes in there toward the end. The rest of the acting is solid, feeling candid and panicked Jump-scenes and shocking moments are inserted in a way that they make sense and don't seem like too much. I would totally watch this movie again. And again. And again.
"Quarantine" is the best scary movie since "Cloverfield"!!! The first-person perspective is extremely effective in this movie, as the viewer truly feels like they are actually there and it will keep you on edge the entire time. I believe that the first-person works so well because the person recording is supposed to be a professional with a news camera, therefore this "shaky camera" technique is justifiably not too shaky. This movie does a great job of creating an emotional attachment to the characters before the terror begins, much better than Cloverfield did. It is almost like a zombie movie with a twist that you get to experience from a first-person perspective. I love that they reveal just enough for you to understand what is going on, but leave a number of questions unanswered. Not to mention that these rabid zombies are terrifying, while the unseen images are exponentially more chilling. You really cannot predict what will happen next as this realistic news interview keeps you believing from start to finish. Jennifer Carpenter was great, though she was annoying for about 5 minutes in there toward the end. The rest of the acting is solid, feeling candid and panicked Jump-scenes and shocking moments are inserted in a way that they make sense and don't seem like too much. I would totally watch this movie again. And again. And again.
Quarantine 2: Terminal - 2 stars out of 10
Quarantine 2: Terminal - 2 stars out of 10
"Quarantine 2: Terminal" is a terrible follow-up to its imaginative and bone-chilling predecessor. This is great evidence that less is more. Abandoning the intrigue of the first film where seeing is NOT believing, this installment of the Quarantine series shows all; unfortunately, these images are not nearly as terrifying as the images created by our imaginations during the original and the end result is a lot of blood and a minimal amount of terror. Even more disappointing is the extensive use of "thermal vision." You can tell that this is the point where they decided to stop investing money into the film and went with some of the poorest CGI I've seen in a long time. The use of nightvision in the first film strongly related to the storyline and was seemlessly incorporated into this plot whereas the thermal vision is just a gag that tries to provide variation but just makes the film awful. You can tell that the acting is going to be bad from the first 2 minutes and this large cast hinders the ability of the film to scare, merely providing more meaningless personalities to be turned into rabid zombies. I am upset that they tried to connect this film to the first through that brief newsfeed and even more upset that this film bears the same title. The first "Quarantine" is a terrifying piece of art while this abhorrant sequel's sparse scares beg for a label of mediocrity.
"Quarantine 2: Terminal" is a terrible follow-up to its imaginative and bone-chilling predecessor. This is great evidence that less is more. Abandoning the intrigue of the first film where seeing is NOT believing, this installment of the Quarantine series shows all; unfortunately, these images are not nearly as terrifying as the images created by our imaginations during the original and the end result is a lot of blood and a minimal amount of terror. Even more disappointing is the extensive use of "thermal vision." You can tell that this is the point where they decided to stop investing money into the film and went with some of the poorest CGI I've seen in a long time. The use of nightvision in the first film strongly related to the storyline and was seemlessly incorporated into this plot whereas the thermal vision is just a gag that tries to provide variation but just makes the film awful. You can tell that the acting is going to be bad from the first 2 minutes and this large cast hinders the ability of the film to scare, merely providing more meaningless personalities to be turned into rabid zombies. I am upset that they tried to connect this film to the first through that brief newsfeed and even more upset that this film bears the same title. The first "Quarantine" is a terrifying piece of art while this abhorrant sequel's sparse scares beg for a label of mediocrity.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Zombieland - 7 stars out of 10
Zombieland - 7 stars out of 10
You must be in a zombie mood to enjoy this one. They leave nothing to the imagination, graphically showing all (but one) of the zombie killings. I really enjoy the style of this film, from Jesse Eisenberg's narration to the "rules" displayed on screen throughout the movie. Despite being a zombie movie, all of the actors provide strong performances. You will just love to watch Woody Harrelson - he's totally B.A. but totally loveable! Bill Murray has one of the greatest cameos in all of movie history. It was just too perfect. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin round out this great cast that thrust zombie films back into the limelight. Though the plot is nothing special, "Zombieland" is just fun to watch but be careful - you may feel a little nauseous until your stomach adjusts to the gore.
You must be in a zombie mood to enjoy this one. They leave nothing to the imagination, graphically showing all (but one) of the zombie killings. I really enjoy the style of this film, from Jesse Eisenberg's narration to the "rules" displayed on screen throughout the movie. Despite being a zombie movie, all of the actors provide strong performances. You will just love to watch Woody Harrelson - he's totally B.A. but totally loveable! Bill Murray has one of the greatest cameos in all of movie history. It was just too perfect. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin round out this great cast that thrust zombie films back into the limelight. Though the plot is nothing special, "Zombieland" is just fun to watch but be careful - you may feel a little nauseous until your stomach adjusts to the gore.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan - 8 stars out of 10
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan - 8 stars out of 10
This movie is incredibly offensive, but Sasha Baron Cohen's accent brings immediate forgiveness for every crude and racial remark uttered throughout. Despite the "stupid humor" of this documentary-style movie, Cohen's performance is really incredible and it feels as if his character is completely legit. Off the wall dialogue and situations keep you guessing how things could get any more ridiculous. "This is Natalia." [Romantically kisses hot blonde chick] "She's my sister. She is number four prostitute in Khazikstan." [Sister holds up trophy] "Nice." Though the extensive naked scene was a bit much, this movie is filled with classic moments like the bear in the ice cream truck (which was absolute genius). Who couldn't appreciate that this is one of the world's most elaborate practical jokes, all caught on camera? There may be a lot of language, but it is worth enduring for Cohen's beautifully unpredictable performance.
This movie is incredibly offensive, but Sasha Baron Cohen's accent brings immediate forgiveness for every crude and racial remark uttered throughout. Despite the "stupid humor" of this documentary-style movie, Cohen's performance is really incredible and it feels as if his character is completely legit. Off the wall dialogue and situations keep you guessing how things could get any more ridiculous. "This is Natalia." [Romantically kisses hot blonde chick] "She's my sister. She is number four prostitute in Khazikstan." [Sister holds up trophy] "Nice." Though the extensive naked scene was a bit much, this movie is filled with classic moments like the bear in the ice cream truck (which was absolute genius). Who couldn't appreciate that this is one of the world's most elaborate practical jokes, all caught on camera? There may be a lot of language, but it is worth enduring for Cohen's beautifully unpredictable performance.
Monday, March 5, 2012
The Wolfman (2010) - 2 stars out of 10
The Wolfman (2010) - 2 stars out of 10
All that I want to know is how a movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Benecio Del Toro could be so bad. I'm not sure where to even begin with this mess. For one thing, the wolf men look more like characters from Planet of the Apes than wolves. I guess they were trying to make it look like the original wolfman but I'm not crazy about this look. Next, this movie was more like a slasher movie, only the murderer used claws instead of a knife. And like a stereotypical bad slasher movie, they forgot to write in a plot. Unlike a slasher movie, it takes half of the movie to reach the first action sequence instead of strategically placing sequences throughout the movie to hold the audience's attention. The visual effects were cool but too sparse to make this movie worth watching. The combination of the constant dark atmosphere, slow movement of the film, and slow soft music put me to sleep. The icing on the cake was Hugo Weaving using his "Matrix voice" with a British accent. I would never waste my time on this movie again. I was warned ahead of time and saw it anyway - PLEASE do not be as foolish as I was.
All that I want to know is how a movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Benecio Del Toro could be so bad. I'm not sure where to even begin with this mess. For one thing, the wolf men look more like characters from Planet of the Apes than wolves. I guess they were trying to make it look like the original wolfman but I'm not crazy about this look. Next, this movie was more like a slasher movie, only the murderer used claws instead of a knife. And like a stereotypical bad slasher movie, they forgot to write in a plot. Unlike a slasher movie, it takes half of the movie to reach the first action sequence instead of strategically placing sequences throughout the movie to hold the audience's attention. The visual effects were cool but too sparse to make this movie worth watching. The combination of the constant dark atmosphere, slow movement of the film, and slow soft music put me to sleep. The icing on the cake was Hugo Weaving using his "Matrix voice" with a British accent. I would never waste my time on this movie again. I was warned ahead of time and saw it anyway - PLEASE do not be as foolish as I was.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Dream House - 6 stars out of 10
Dream House - 6 stars out of 10
The oft-overdone "psychological thriller with a huge twist at the end that you could have never predicted" genre receives a facelift with "Dream House." The thing that makes this film so good is the fact that the writers reveal the twist half-way through the movie. This might seem like a boneheaded move by them, but it's what makes this film so fresh. Instead of being shocked as the credits roll since the truth was revealed in the final five minutes of the film, this film toys with you by questioning whether the "truth" is actually true as you are trapped you between two realities. And just when you think that there can't possibly be a logical explanation, the ending sequence wraps everything up very neatly. The acting is good overall, though I'm biased since I love Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz. The development of Daniel Craig's character was good, creating a sudden shift in his personality once the truth is revealed. The critics ripped this film to shreds but I think that "Dream House" is an exciting journey that leads you to dark, unexpected places and will keep you on the edge of your seat, far after the truth is revealed.
The oft-overdone "psychological thriller with a huge twist at the end that you could have never predicted" genre receives a facelift with "Dream House." The thing that makes this film so good is the fact that the writers reveal the twist half-way through the movie. This might seem like a boneheaded move by them, but it's what makes this film so fresh. Instead of being shocked as the credits roll since the truth was revealed in the final five minutes of the film, this film toys with you by questioning whether the "truth" is actually true as you are trapped you between two realities. And just when you think that there can't possibly be a logical explanation, the ending sequence wraps everything up very neatly. The acting is good overall, though I'm biased since I love Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz. The development of Daniel Craig's character was good, creating a sudden shift in his personality once the truth is revealed. The critics ripped this film to shreds but I think that "Dream House" is an exciting journey that leads you to dark, unexpected places and will keep you on the edge of your seat, far after the truth is revealed.
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