• 1Nov 09

  Paranormal Unbelievablity

  Summer is over and there isn't much to see out there, but hey.. I'm always up for a good movie

  Parnormal Activity was film that that wasn't on my radar, but was willing to go see. Filmed as a mockumentary, its has a similiar feels to Blair Witch and Cloverfield. Tagged as the most scarey film of all time, PA sadly fails to deliver as the scariest film of all time, all year, or last week.

  I guess when you see a horror film you're willing to suspend your belief of reality for the sake of the experience, but the lines there are really blurred. Some are at the far end and demand a lot, dreamscape killer Freddy Krueger or the brutal traps of Saw. Others are on a thin line to reality, like PA. But if you're that close to reality and not fantasy, you have to get all the realistic details down. Or else, you fall out of the movies grip.

  Sadly, PA got two things wrong. Spoiler.... our two main characters are plagued by something at night while they sleep. In an effort to figure out whats going on, the boyfriend gets a camcorder and films them as they sleep. At first, the nightly events are minor, but quickly get serious. Now, when they get serious, they leave their bedroom door open! As silly as this gripe sounds, its a realistic detail thats overlooked and pulls you out of the movie. Second, the events mainly affect the girlfriend. In every relationship I've been in, I've always slept nearest to the door. Mainly for her sense of security, but also, its our duty guys. But in PA, she stays sleeping near the door! While I know this is for the film, framing of the shot and all... the effect can't be changed. The movie loses me and I'm not on the egde of my seat anymore.

  But the positive notes are the couple perform well. Their performances and entertaining thru the movie, you can believe her fear and laugh at the boyfriends comic relief. The buildup events are well paced and the end is foreseeable, but well done. Its worth seeing in the theatre with your girlfriend, but not worth seeing again or owning.

  

  • Posted Nov 1, 2009 12:43 pm GMT
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• 16Aug 09

  Sci-fi...

  is great, the best films this year have been all sci-fi. First with Star Trek, now with Moon and District 9. Now, both films are as far from each others as you can get, but the stories are solid. Moon is a simple story about a man on the moon working as a miner. There is no heavy special effects, epic space battles, or evil invasion. What you have is a good solo Sam Rockwell performance, excellent sets design, and excellent story pacing. Additionally, Kevin Spacey delivers great support acting as Gerty, the computer AI eerily similair to HAL. Moon is a great movie that every sci-fi fan should see. The only people that won't like it will be ones that a trained to accept only Hollywood FX end of the world doom as the only sci-fi.

  Now, as good as Moon was, District 9 was equally, if not more, an incredible movie. Not knowing if this was a serious sci-fi film, or a tongue in cheek serious film. I went in hoping for a good movie and I got a great movie. Filmed in a semi-documentry style, D9 delivers a solid sci-fi while paralleing social questions while pulling us in with the plight of a odd man trying his best to do the right thing, or what he thinks is the right thing to do. Its core has wonderful character development and drama. The environments are fantastic, the acting from people and CG characters are really good. Not since Gollum, have I seen a CG character so compelling as in District9. Technically, D9 is extremely well put together. FX, alien design, and sets are unique and well grounded into a believable near-future. I really enjoyed little things that film did, like not basing itself over New York, Washington DC, or LA. It was good there was no evil plot to rule the world, exteriminate the human race, or survive the monster virus. The story, in fact, was more simple than I imagined. Now, don't get me wring, D9 has its full share of action, explosions, and chase sequences. Its far from the slow pacing of Moon, but it still works well into the flow of D9.

  If you get a chance to get out of the heat, drop the kids back at school... treat yourself to seeing Moon or District9, you'll certainly enjoy both.

  

  I wonder how the idiots that let Halo die, think now? Videogame to movies are overall BAD. Yet, if one man could make it awesome, it could have been Peter Jackson. Shame shame to Bungie, MS, and anyone else who kept the awesomeness of District 9 being made into Halo.

  Summer 09 best films:

  1. District 9

  2. Star Trek

  3. Moon

  4. Terminator: Salvation

  5. Drag Me To Hell

  6. Wolverine Origins

  7.Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

  8. Fast and Furious

  9. Watchmen

  10. Bruno

  • Posted Aug 16, 2009 12:56 pm GMT
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• 11Jul 09

  Bruno...

  Yeah. What can you say? If you saw Borat, you saw Bruno. The movie is just about the same feel and continuity with the theme being gay sterotypes, and the pursuit of fame. Bruno is a gay Austrian reporter thats trying to get back in the A-list of fame with crazy tactics. Everything from adopting an Africian baby, a celb sex tape, to becoming straight.... Bruno attemps it all. If there is a line you shouldn't cross, Cohen does.... again, again, and again. Joke after joke, the movie is entertaining and fun to watch. Some moments are extremely funny, others aren't too bad. The scripted "suprises" are pretty good, but sometimes you really feel for Cohen's victims, like Ron Paul. The strongest point of the movie is the commentary about American culture, which works well. In the end, you gain a good respect for Sacha Cohen's characters. Borat, Bruno, and Ali G is some of the best personas in recent years.

  If you've seen Borat, you'll know what to expect and I have to say that lessens Bruno. While the story, theme, and commentary is on an entirely different subject, its shock isn't as strong. I think most will appericate Borat more, like Bruno, but probably not see it more than once. I think certainly worth the price of admission for the first time.

  

  Summer 09 Best Movies:

  1. Star Trek

  2. Terminator: Salvation

  3. Drag Me To Hell

  4. Wolverine Origins

  5.Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

  6. Fast and Furious

  7. Watchmen

  8. Bruno

  • Posted Jul 11, 2009 1:16 pm GMT
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