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Donnie Darko October 29, 2008

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Some movies you just never get tired of watching, and this is one of them.

     Years ago I found this one sitting on the shelf at the local rental place, and thought it sounded interesting.  I couldn’t even remember if it had been released in theaters.  After watching it for the first time I knew I had found one of those hidden jems that I would be telling people about for years.  It seems I was right.  I drag is puppy out every year for Halloween because of its unusual nature and mood.  Its not a horror movie really, but it certainly is dark (thus the name perhaps?)

     The story itself centers around Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal)  A rather disturbed teenager with some mental issues, one of which is that he see’s a 6 foot bunny named Frank.  One night he follows Frank out of the house, only to be told that the world will end in 28 days.  After waking up and finding  himself on a golf course he heads home only to discover that a Jet engine has fallen on his house, specifically into his bedroom.  This is what sets off a series of events that starts Donnie on his quest to try and figure out what is happening to him, and even the nature of time travel.  Along the way we are introduced to many interesting and unique characters who all play their role in Donnies life.  Of course that date for the end of the world looms closer, and will eventually bring everything full circle.

     I can’t really say enough about this movie, which by the way is set in the 80’s, so if you are a fan of the music from back then, you will love the song choices.  The cast is great, and everybody does a fine job with their roles, no matter how big or small.  The great thing about Donnie Darko, is that it makes you think, and ponder the possabilities that it offers.  I have watched this with whole groups, and the discussions afterwords always seem to come up with different meanings and philosophies.  It might not be for everyone, but if you are looking for something a little different, then its worth checking out.

    

Bram Stokers Dracula October 28, 2008

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You just knew that I would have to include the king of the vampires at some point.

     Having watched this in the theater when it first came out, I was lucky enough to enjoy it the way it was meant to be seen.  All these years later, and with a decent television and sound system I was able to enjoy it again.  For the most part Its a solid movie, with a few parts that drag a bit.  But then again they are staying true to the more traditional telling of the Dracula story.

     Starting with how Dracula became what he is, in this version vowing to rise from his grave and take revenge on a god that would allow the love of his life to die, while he was in battle defending him.  From there he moves to London to basically be evil and feed on Lucy Westenra.  Naturally Van Helsing pops up at some point and all hell breaks loose, but you get the idea.

     Francis For Coppola did a wonderfull job with the look of this film, making it very dark and gothic.  And the casting was pretty much A -list at the time, with names like Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder, and Keanu Reeves.  Ive never been a big fan of Reeves, but the movie manages to be good despite his wooden performance.

Planet Terror October 24, 2008

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Guess what folks, Its zombie time again.  But this time Its done B-movie, grindhouse style.

     In 2007, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino decided to each make a horror movie in what is refered to as Grindhouse style.  It is called this, because back in the 70’s and even the 80s It was common for low budget studio’s to “grind out” as many lousy horror movies as possible to make a fast buck.  Typically they had bad acting, even worse effects, and terrible plots.  They also had lots of sex and over the top violence.  Some achieved cult status, but most were disposable.  So why on Earth would two good directors waste their time makeing movies to look and feel like this?  Because It was fun.  And both of the Grindhouse pics turned out to be rather decent.  Now by decent, I mean that they were intentionally bad on purpose.  Making the film look as if it was scratched and dirty.  Having missing reels.  And even making a fake trailer before the movie even starts. 

     Planet Terror itself, is basically a zombie movie.  A nerve gas of sorts gets loose, turning people into the undead, and a small group of people band together and try to stay alive and even stop it from spreading.  Really I can’t say a whole lot about the plot because It really doesn’t matter all that much.  Its more about the characters, and a whole lot of blood and guts.  Seriously, if you have a weak stomach, don’t watch this movie.

     Of the two grindhouse movies, I kind of liked this one a bit more, because It seemed to capture that old B-movie look and feel a bit better.  So if you want a good laugh and a bit of a gross out, this one is for you.  Oh yes, and if you only watch it for one reason, it has to be Rose Mcgowan having a big frigging gun for a leg.

Hellraiser October 15, 2008

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Me thinks Pinhead should invest heavily in Advil.

     Clive Barkers directing debut gave us a graphic and bloody piece of work, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.  Hellraiser also introduced us to Pinhead, one of the most enduring figures in horror history.  The funny thing is, we don’t even see him, or his fellow Cenobites till close to the end of the movie.  And even then, he is only listed in the credits as the “lead cenobite”  of course he became so popular that the sequels mostly revolved around him.  Unfortunately they made a whole lot of sequels, and after about the third one, they got pretty bad.  That isn’t the fault of Doug Bradley (Pinhead) though.  He plays that part to perfection.  Now a little bit about the actual movie.

     After moving into a house, a woman discovers her former lover, and her current mans half brother hiding upstairs.  He was somehow brought back to life by a drop of blood on the floor, and escaped the Cenobites.  Of course since he lost his earthly body, he needs the help of his former lover to bring him fresh victims so he can reconstitute.  Naturally once he is whole, you just know Pinhead and company are going to come looking for him.

     Despite liking the Hellraiser movies for the most part, and loving the character of Pinhead himself, I found myself confused at certain parts of this one.  But maybe that was the point?  Either way, I guess the moral of the story is, if you find a weird looking puzzle box, dont try to solve it.  Of course if solving that thing is anything like Rubiks Cube, It just won’t get solved anytime soon.  Not by me that is.

30 Days Of Night October 7, 2008

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Bring on the Vampires.

     Each year the small town of Barrow Alaska is plunged into darkness for 30 days.  Most of the towns population of about 500 leave, with a small group staying behind.  Unfortunalely for them, a gang of vampires shows up and takes advantage of the month long darkness to feast on everyone they can find.  The sherrif and his wife are the only hope for the small group of survivors hiding out in an empty cellar.

     Personally I love vampire movies, but not all of them are created equal.  This particular one is among one of the best Ive seen in a long time.  The concept is very simple and straight forward, no need for too much character development here since people are getting picked off so fast.  Part of what makes this movie work is the feeling of isolation you get because of the location.  You can almost feel the desperation of the victims, knowing that there is no help, and no chance of getting away until the month is over.  The other factor, is the vampires themself.  Not your good looking charmer type.  Nope, these bad boys are fierce.  Incredibly strong, fast, and rather smart (releasing a crying child into the cold to try and lure out more victims) They revel in an orgy of blood, only letting up when they can’t find anybody else to eat.  This is one of those types of horror movies that doesn’t let up on the suspense from start to finish.

     If you like vampire movies, then you should give this a go, I doubt you will walk away dissapointed. 

Mirrors Movie Review September 28, 2008

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So, I finally had a chance to watch Mirrors.

     First, let me preface this review by saying that I do intend to review all different kinds of movies, past and present, but during the month of October I will be doing 31 reviews in 31 days….ALL HORROR.  Now on with the show.

     I have to say that for the most part I liked this movie.  Reviewing Horror movies can be a tad difficult because you have to suspend disbelief more than in any other genre. If you try to apply logic, or nit pick over details you will hate them all.  That being said, one of the marks of a good horror movie, is it’s ability to suck you in and have you suspend that disbelief long enough to creep you out.  Mirrors did that for me, at least most of the time.  Here is the long and short of it.  Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland)  Is an ex cop who takes a job as night security guard at a huge burned out shopping mall.  On his first night, he notices that all the mirrors have been kept spotless. (by the guard that he is replacing)  It doesn’t take long for the sinister nature of the mirrors to rear Its ugly head, and mess with Bens brain.  Without giving too much away, I will tell you that there is an actual mystery involved, and some very spooky moments involving Bens wife and kids.  This movie looks great, and isn’t all blood and gore which is nice for a change.  It also has a very odd twist for an ending that I can honestly say I didn’t see coming.  I would say Its worth checking out, even if just as a rental.