PRESENTS:

Updated: 11/24/2010
MY RATING SYSTEM: 1 or 1/2 out of 5.

- This website features honest and fair movie reviews and monthly Top 10 Lists. This website does not feature reviews on every currently released movie but focuses more on genre specific films in the categories of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and comic book films. Enjoy!

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- 11/23/10 - TOP 10 BIRTHDAY SPECIAL: Boris Karloff (November 23, 1887- February 2, 1969)
    Born William Henry Pratt, Karloff is one of the major icons of the classic horror film, best known for playing two of Universal Studios most famous Monsters including Frankenstein's Monster and The Mummy are among his Top 10 Best Movies!

#10 How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) Karloff is the narrator and the voice of the Grinch in the original animated Dr. Seuss holiday classic.
#9 Tower of London (1939) Boris plays Mord, the bald executioner to Duke Richard (Basil Rathbone).
#8 The Invisible Ray (1936) Boris plays Dr. Janos Rukh who searches the African Congo for a meteorite along with Dr. Felix Benet (Béla Lugosi).
#7 The Walking Dead (1936) Boris plays John Ellman, a dead, ex-con who is "resurrected" by Dr. Evan Beaumont played by Edmund Gwenn (who also played Santa Claus in the Original Miracle of 34th St. (1947)!
#6 The Body Snatcher (1945) Boris steals corpses with Béla Lugosi in this Robert Louis Stevenson classic adaptation.
#5 Son of Frankenstein (1939) Boris returns for the third and final time as the inarticulate monster with the help of Ygor (Béla Lugosi).
#4 The Black Cat (1934) Boris Karloff plays Hjalmar Poelzig opposite Béla Lugosi in this macabre story of murder and satanic ritual. The scene at the end when Béla is skinning Boris alive in shadow is particularly disturbing for it's time!
#3 Bride of Frankenstein (1935) The monster (Karloff) demands a mate in this surprisingly brilliant yet campy classic directed by James Whale!
#2 The Mummy (1932) Boris plays Imhotep, the immortal Egyptian priest searching for the reincarnation of his lost love played by Zita Johann.
#1 Frankenstein (1931) The Original Classic Masterpiece! Karloff plays the Monster although his name in the opening credits is left only as a "question mark"!

- 11/20/10 - REVIEW: LET ME IN (2010)
       
    It seems most American audiences are unwilling (or either uninterested) in the occasional foreign horror film. Take for example the recent Japanese horror franchises such as Ringu (1998) or Ju-On (2002) which were remade in the U.S. as The Ring (2002) and The Grudge (2004). The newest Hollywood attempt to remake a foreign horror film however doesn't come from Japan but from Sweden! Let Me In (2010), at first, seems no different from all those other foreign horror remakes however this doesn't seem to be the case as this film marks the return of legendary British based Hammer Films, being it's first theatrical feature of the millennium. Cloverfield (2008) director Matt Reeves returns with his remake of Swedish horror film Let The Right One In (2008) aka "Låt den rätte komma in", although the American remake gives credit to the original novel and screenplay by John Ajvide Lindqvist, it fails to mention the original film directed by Tomas Alfredson.
    Let Me In is a disturbingly unique coming-of-age story of love, adolescent pain and of course VAMPIRES! In a time where the vampire genre has become over-saturated with the overly-hyped, teenage Twilight-like vampires, it is a relief that there are a few original vampire stories such as the recent movie Daybreakers. Let Me In stars two young rising stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) as Owen, a frail, 12-year old boy who comes from a broken home and is constantly bullied befriends Abby played by Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) a mysterious young girl who turns out to be a vampire. Aided by her guardian/father (Richard Jenkins), who goes out at night to kill for her and bring her blood so she can live. Surprisingly, as Owen gradually realizes this it doesn't seem to bother him as the two children soon develop a strong (but somewhat awkward) connection.
    I will not go into the original as much or even try to compare or contrast the two films as this is more of a review of the remake but there are a few things I would like to point out. Although the remake brings some originality to the story there is very little difference from the original film except for the fact that it was filmed in English and not Swedish, but also the setting time frame is the same being the early 1980's although instead of being set near Stockholm, Sweden to Los Alamos, New Mexico (of all places?) which creates somewhat of culture-clash element to the story. There is also the inclusion of another main character, a policeman played by Elias Koteas. Although the names of the main characters are also changed: Owen/Oskar and Abby/Eli. The characters are very similar however Owen seems much less submissive and innocent to his Swedish counterpart Oskar, who has more of a boyish shyness. As with Abby to her Swedish doppelganger Eli who seems much more forward and self-confident. Again this may be partially because of cultural and/or acting difference but it is noticeable. Much of the same elements in both films are the same with the same dark and cold atmosphere (mostly due to to the Winter landscape which seemed an odd similarity as you expect Sweden to be in a very Scandinavian-Arctic climate whereas I had no idea it snowed like that in New Mexico? (I am from Texas after all!)
    The most interesting concept about this story actually comes from the title (or titles) in dealing with the old vampire myth of how vampires can't come into your home unless you actually invite them in! Most modern vampire movies rarely (if ever) deal with this age old (and very European) element vampire of vampire lore. The last time I can even remember a vampire movie even mentioning this is surprisingly from the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) movie with Kristy Swanson!? The biggest complaint I have with Let Me In comes from the special effects. Although this movie relies more on the traditional horror of mood and atmosphere but also a lot of blood! In the few sequences where Abby attacks a victim they use noticeably CGI to turn Abby into a more vicious animal-like creature but this makes her appear very jerky and unnatural, which may have been the intent of the director. However, in the original Swedish version the same scenes with the vampire Eli is much more realistic, although mostly in shadow, the original film takes a more subtle approach to the special effects. For horror/vampire movie patrons who expect a little more action or gore, think again. This film is much more focused on characters and their interaction, most of this could be seen as merely a boy-meets-girl story, only with a vampire!
    Overall, I found Let Me In to be a fascinating and intense experience, just the notion of dealing with adolescent vampires creates a disturbing feeling, as we are used to the more older teenage vampires of the Twilight saga, with the character of Abby I am reminded of Claudia from Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire with her childlike mentality inside a vicious blood-sucking killer! The appeal of the film comes mostly from our reluctant juvenile protagonist Owen, for any child who was ever bullied or tormented is a very sympathetic character and the inclusion of his unlikely savior in Abby, who also becomes very likeable and sympathetic, brings new meaning to the phrase "a friend in need", although this "friend" needs blood! If you have not had the opportunity to see the original Let The Right One In, it is definitely worth it and most devoted fans prefer it to the remake, however Let Me In is a worthy homage to the original and both are definitely worth watching!
RATING:
(Sorry for the lateness of this review, but I wanted to be sure I saw the original foreign film before I saw the remake to better review it.)   

- 11/11/10 - VETERANS' DAY - TOP 10 WAR MOVIES
    On Veterans' Day we honor our military veterans and what better way to acknowledge them then with my list of the Top 10 Greatest War Movies!

#10 Platoon (1986) Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe in Oliver Stone's Vietnam War drama.
#9 Pearl Harbor (2001) Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett in Michael Bay's special effects explosion!
#8 Glory (1989) Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman star in this Civil War story of the first all-black volunteer company.
#7 Apocalypse Now (1979) Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando in Francis Ford Coppola disturbing masterpiece.
#6 The Green Berets (1968) John Wayne stars and co-directs this intense Vietnam War story.
#5 Midway (1976) Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda and Toshirô Mifune  as Admiral Yamamoto in the story of the Battle of the Pacific during WWII.
#4 The Patriot (2000) Mel Gibson plays Benjamin Martin in this Revolutionary War epic (Also starring Heath Legder).
#3 Patton (1970) George C. Scott IS General George S. Patton!
#2 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Sir Alec Guinness stars in this WWII classic about a Japanese POW camp.
#1Saving Private Ryan (1998) Tom Hanks and Matt Damon in the greatest WWII movie ever! The Invasion of Normandy is disturbingly realistic.

- 10/31/10 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN! - TOP 10 SCARIEST MOVIES
    Halloween is my favorite holiday and I LOVE horror movies so today is the perfect time to list the top 10 movies that scare the crap outta me!

#10 Night of the Living Dead (1968) This is and always will be one of the most original zombie movies ever. The feeding frenzy after the truck explodes is particularly disturbing! Mmm good!
#9 30 Days of Night (2006) Based on the graphic novel by , this is one of the most original vampire stories ever. The dark Alaskan setting makes you glad to see the sun come up every morning!
#8 Silence of the Lambs (1991) Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) is one of the best villains ever!!!
#7 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Although considered one of the goriest movies ever, there is a surprisingly little amount of blood in it! Leatherface is awesome!
#6 The Omen (1976) The original! One of the creepiest children of all time, he IS The Antichrist! That last scene when the boy looks at the camera and smiles, priceless!
#5 Jaws (1975) After seeing this I never went into the ocean, EVER!
#4 Psycho (1960) Just the shower scene alone makes you think twice about motels (and also seeing Anthony Perkins in a dress)! LOL!
#3 Alien (1979) It's like a haunted house in space, around every dark corner could be one of the scariest aliens ever!
#2 Poltergeist (1982) While watching this one night with friends, our TV exploded! True Story! I'm still afraid of my closet too!
#1 The Shining (1980) The original Stephen King adaptation directed by Stanley Kubric and starring Jack Nicholson is one of THE most disturbing and scariest movies of all time! Especially the gross old-lady and the 'furry' scene!

- 10/20/10 - TOP 10 BIRTHDAY SPECIAL: Béla Lugosi (October 20, 1882 - August 16, 1956)
    One of horror's most iconic and original actors, CHERNOBOG'S LAIR celebrates the birthday of Béla Ferenc Dezsõ Blaskó a.k.a. Béla Lugosi with his Top 10 Best Movies!

#10 Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) Béla appeared posthumously in stock footage for only a few minutes in director Ed Woods most infamous masterpiece!
#9 Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) Béla appears as Count Dracula for the last time in this silly comedy.
#8 Mark of the Vampire (1935) Todd Browning's remake of London After Midnight has Bela Lugosi playing an actor playing a vampire completely mute until the last scene!
#7 Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) Béla stars as the Frankenstein Monster, a role for which he originally turned down thus introducing Boris Karloff as the Monster!
#6 Island of Lost Souls (1932) Béla plays "Sayer of the Law" in this adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau.
#5 The Raven (1935) Béla plays Dr. Richard Vollin, a doctor obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe who creates elaborate torture devices.
#4 The Black Cat (1934) Béla plays Dr. Vitus Werdegast opposite Boris Karloff in this macabre story of murder and satanic ritual. The scene at the end when Béla is skinning Boris alive in shadow is incredibly disturbing for it's time.
#3 Son of Frankenstein (1939) Béla is Ygor! With his dark humor and fractured English he almost steals the show from the again-inarticulate monster!
#2 White Zombie (1932) Just his name: Murder Legendre and his stare, makes this one of Béla's most striking appearances ever!
#1 Dracula (1931) The one, the only, the original! This is Béla Lugosi at his best, this is what made him an icon and both doomed him to a life of being type-casted as the immortal count until the day he died. He was actually buried in his Dracula cape!

- 9/12/10 - REVIEW: RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D

    Just like the zombies in the Resident Evil series; the movies just won't stay dead! The fourth installment in the popular zombie franchise has arrived and it is bigger and badder (but not necessarily better...)! Now in eye-straining, headache inducing 3D, Resident Evil: Afterlife stars Milla Jovovich reprising her role as the super-powered zombie killer, Alice.  After the events of the third movie Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), Alice has been waging a one-woman war against The Umbrella Corporation, the evil, multi-national conglomerate who developed the T-Virus bio-weapon which caused the zombie apocalypse, only this time...she's not alone! Alice has her own army of clones to attack Umbrella's underground base beneath Tokyo and goes up against the top bad guy Albert Wekser (Shawn Roberts). After Wesker escapes (as he always does in the games) Alice resumes her search for the survivors from the last film like Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) and K-Mart (and yes, that is her character's name)Spencer Locke. Her search takes her to the remote regions of Alaska and then back down to Los Angeles where she meets another group of survivors (and more extraneous characters) including Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller), a character from the original game. As Alice and the other survivors try to make their way to safety, the inevitable conflict between Wesker and Umbrella must soon come to a climax!
    The convoluted story of the Resident Evil film franchise always brings more thrilling (and sometimes bewildering) cliffhangers which will obviously culminate in the fifth Resident Evil movie most likely slated to be released sometime around 2013? Since the end of the second movie "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" (2004) the story has veered off into bizarre plot-points and twists which somehow complicate even further with Alice (already a formidable ass-kicking heroine) possessing new psychic/telekinetic powers having been infected with the T-virus and now part of an army of "Alice's" in the new movie. I have been a huge fan of the Resident Evil games as well as the movies, but it gets to a point when the story goes too far and you wonder when will enough be enough!? Since the first movie in 2002 the filmmakers initially kept the movies and games separate with merely keeping the atmosphere and back-story of the games in the movies with Alice being a totally original character that does not appear in the games. With the release of "Apocalypse" fans of the games like myself got a treat with the inclusion of game characters such as Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory), Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and of course Nemesis from the game Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. When the third movie came along there was the addition of Clair Redfield, the main character from the first game played by Ali Larter (Heroes). It seems like every movie they have to add another character or villain from the game to make fans happy but I have to admit add almost nothing to the actual movie storyline and the filmmakers either kill them off in the next movie (Carlos Olivera) or don't bring them back at all (Jill Valentine)?! At least with "Extinction" and "Afterlife" we get a consistent villain with Wesker (although two different people played him in the movies). Again the same scenario plays out in "Afterlife" with the addition of the Ganados from "Resident Evil 4" (which is one of my favorites although technically, they're not even zombies!) and the Axe-Man from the recent "Resident Evil 5" game (which doesn't even make sense)!
    The action in "Afterlife" is so over the top and with the addition of the more agile and fast-running zombies as in "Extinction" and with Alice's new powers everything becomes an over-done, hyper-active nightmare. It has more slow-motion fight scenes and "bullet-time" special effects than all 3 "Matrix" movies combined! It never fails when Alice has to jump or make some sort of complicated stunt it goes into slow-motion and we watch close-ups of her bullets as they fly through the air never (missing her mark) as they explode into a zombie's head!
    Another aspect of "Resident Evil: Afterlife" is the addition of the 3D process which has gained both popularity and criticism in mainstream movies with blockbusters like James Cameron's "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland" as well as low-budget horror movies like the recent "Piranha 3D" and the upcoming "Saw 3D". Since 2003 the 3D craze has been steadily increasing and shows no signs of wearing off as more and more films are being released in 3D. To me it seems like a fad; like the 3D movies in the past with its golden age in the 1950's and it re-emergence in the 1980's. Although some films benefit from the 3D process as those who were actually shot in 3D (like "Avatar") but most it feels overblown. The 3D experience may excite some viewers, to me it feels artificial and uncomfortable. I feel it doesn't add anything rewarding to film-going experience.
    With every new sequel to this series we get more and more lost in the heavy continuity and convoluted plotline that by the fifth movie the story will be so confused and tired that they should call the next one "Resident Evil: Exhaustion"! By this time they should let the series die and who knows maybe they will make a prequel? By that time the world will have ended thankfully; or they could even bring in Leon S. Kennedy into the movies (maybe)? If you can look past its many flaws, stereotypical and flat characters, massive plot-holes and altogether confusion "Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D" is an exciting (and overwhelming) experience but don't try too hard to wrap your brain around the plot, you'll just give yourself a headache (or is that just from the 3D glasses?)!

Official Movie Website: http://www.residentevil-movie.com
RATING:

- 8/20/10 - TOP 10 BIRTHDAY SPECIAL: H.P. Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 - March 15, 1937)
    H.P. Lovecraft is one of my favorite American authors, an originator of the Weird Tale and creator of The Cthulhu Mythos. Many of his works have been adapted into movies, music, comic books and video games. CHERNOBOG'S LAIR celebrates the 120th anniversary of his birth with a list of his Top 10 movie adaptations.

#10 The Call of Cthulhu (2005) A stylized, direct to DVD, black and white, silent movie made by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (http://www.cthulhulives.org)
#9 The Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter (1993) John Rhys-Davies stars in this very low budget adaptation featuring its heroine played by Maria Ford appearing throughout most of the movie in the nude!
#8 Die, Monster, Die! (1965) based on the Lovecraft story "The Colour Out of Space" it stars an aging Boris Karloff as a mad scientist.
#7 From Beyond (1986) Director Stuart Gordon and actor Jeffrey Combs, perfect match in this bizarre and overly sexual adaptation of a very short story.
#6 The Haunted Palace (1963) based loosely on the Lovecraft story "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" combined with Edgar Allan Poe's "The Haunted Palace" but it stars Vincent Price and directed by Roger Corman, 'nuff said!
#5 Masters of Horror- Dreams in the Witch-House (2005) Although not a full-length movie, one of the best of the Masters of Horror series directed by Stuart Gordon.
#4 The Dunwich Horror (1970) - A very psychedelic and sexy adaptation starring Dean Stockwell and Sandra Dee!
#3 Necronomicon: Book of Dead (1993) A campy collection of vignettes with Jeffrey Combs playing Lovecraft himself in the framing story and an impressive adaptation of Cool Air starring David Warner.
#2 Dagon (2001) - An impressive adaptation by director Stuart Gordon with an odd Spanish twist and creepy fish-people!
#1 Re-Animator (1985) The ultimate Lovecraft movie, Director Stuart Gordon's campy/gory masterpiece starring Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Herbert West!

- 8/5/10 - SPECIAL ANIME REVIEW - KING OF THORN

    This weekend I had the opportunity to view a special screening of a new Japanese anime feature film King of Thorn at AnimeFest in Dallas, TX! From director Kazuyoshi Katayama (Appleseed, Big O) comes an amazing and intense experience featuring a unique blend of traditional and CG animation based on the manga series by Yuji Iwahara. In the year 2015, the mysterious "Medusa" virus becomes a worldwide epidemic. 160 people are chosen to be put into cryogenic sleep at a laboratory inside an ancient Scottish castle to await a future cure. Among those chosen is a teenage girl named Kasumi, reluctant to be separated from her twin sister Shizuku. Upon awakening, her and seven others find themselves surrounded by strange creatures and find the castle covered with giant thorny vines. As the group struggle to escape with their lives they must try to find what happened to them and the world and reveal truth. King of Thorn is based around the timeless fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty and is a running theme throughout the movie. King of Thorn is full of stunning visuals and intense action with some violent imagery. The element of the Medusa virus provides a very disturbing quality to the story as it is very relevant in our world today with the fear of epidemics/pandemics although being set in the near future. Although the supposed effects of the fictional virus does seem somewhat unrealistic as victims are almost literally turned to stone and petrified, it is feasible in this Sci-Fi setting. Like many anime feature films in the past like Akira or Ghost in the Shell there is always an element of confusion in the somewhat convoluted story which is common in many "high-brow" animes which personally I love but the concepts may be lost on many audiences who are not used to anime. King of Thorn is planned to have a short run in American theatres before it is to be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 27!
Official Site: http://www.kingofthorn.net/
RATING:

- 8/23/10 - TOP 10 BACK TO SCHOOL MOVIES
Well, it's back to school time and I thought I would share my Top 10 List of the best Back to School Movies whether they be comedies or dramas, enjoy!

#10 The Faculty (1998) Elijah Wood takes on alien parasites disguised as teachers, awesome!
#9 Stand and Deliver (1988) Edward James Olmos teaches math to Lou Diamond Phillips, 'nuff said!
#8 Renaissance Man (1994) Danny De Vito teaches Shakespeare at an Army school. Fun and impressive.
#7 Accepted (2006) Justin Long and Jonah Hill create a fake college that actually works!
#6 School of Rock (2005) Jack Black poses as a substitute teacher and teaches kids about Rock music! Fun and entertaining!
#5 Freedom Writers (2007) Hilary Swank teaches "The Diary of Anne Frank" to inner city High School students. Very moving!
#4 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) Bill & Ted travel back in time to collect historical figures in order to pass history class! Classic!
#3 Kindergarten Cop (1990) Arnold Schwarzenegger as an undercover cop/kindergarten teacher! "Mr. Kimble, Mr. Kimble!"
#2 Breakfast Club (1985) This is the classic '80s movie that changed detention forever! Bart Simpson's got nothing on Judd Nelson!
#1 Dead Poet's Society (1989) This movie made me want to be a teacher! Robin Williams is great! "Carpe Diem!"

- 8/3/10 - TOP 10 COMIC BOOK/SUPERHERO MOVIES

#10 Sin City (2005) Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez's stunningly beautiful masterpiece!
#9 V for Vendetta (2005) Alan Moore's story and the Wachowski Brothers directing, Amazing!
#8 Iron Man (2008) Beginning the new era of Marvel comics movies for years to come!
#7 Watchmen (2009) Zack Snyder's brilliant opus of a comic classic brought to life!
#6 Hellboy (2004) Guillermo Del Toro and Ron Perlman, a match made in HELL!
#5 Spider-Man (2002) An almost perfect superhero film, Tobey Maguire IS Spider-Man!
#4 X-Men (2000) Patrick Stewart as Prof. X and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, 'nuff said!
#3 The Dark Knight (2008) Christopher Nolan's vision and Heath Ledger as the creepiest Joker ever made it awesome!
#2 Superman (1978) This one started it all, without this movie comic book films would have never made it!
#1 Batman (1989) This movie changed my life and made me a life-long Batman (and Tim Burton) fan!

- 7/18/10 - REVIEW: THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE

    How could CHERNOBOG'S LAIR ignore a film based on a segment from Disney's Fantasia? Without Fantasia , there would be no "Night on Bald Mountain" and no Chernabog! From the director and producers of National Treasure (also starring Nicholas Cage) comes a movie based on The Sorcerer's Apprentice, a 10-minute sequence from Walt Disney's "Fantasia" (1940), for those who DON'T KNOW, an animated concert film that revolutionized feature animation. Although the original story of the Sorcerer's Apprentice is significantly changed for the movie's plot, "Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a fun and exciting film with a surprisingly heavy scientific and magical theme including impressive magical special effects and a decent story for a PG rated family movie. "Sorcerer's Apprentice" stars Nicholas Cage as Balthazar Blake, one of three apprentices to the legendary wizard Merlin. When another of Merlin's apprentices, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina) betrays him and allies with the evil Morgana (Alice Krige). Balthazar manages to trap both Horvath and Morgana in a magical nesting doll; but not before Veronica (Monica Bellucci), another apprentice and Balthazar's lover is also trapped. For the next 1000 years the immortal Balthazar searches for a way to free Veronica and to try to find the Prime Merlinian, Merlin's magical successor. After centuries of searching he finally finds him in the most unlikely of persons, Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a very-geeky physics major who's been experimenting with Tesla coils. Balthazar takes it upon himself to train Dave to be a sorcerer. While Dave becomes distracted by his childhood sweetheart Becky (Teresa Palmer), Horvath (now free from an antique Chinese urn) seeks to free Morgana and other evil sorcerers from the nesting doll and destroy the world!
    Although this Sorcerer's Apprentice doesn't feature Mickey Mouse in a pointy hat, it does pay homage to the classic scene of the enchanted brooms. Dave tries to clean up his secluded laboratory and misuses his newly found magical powers, enchanting a whole closet of brooms and mops which backfires. As with other Disney inspired movies such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, "Apprentice" has almost nothing to do with the original source material, be it ride or movie. However, there is a  homage to the original Sorcerer's Apprentice in a special scene after the end credits. (I won't spoil it!) Although the movie was fun and entertaining, the story does become  convoluted with too many extra characters and a bizarre plot. Nicholas Cage pulls off the character of Balthazar with humorous eccentricity although still retaining his very dull personality. The young star of the movie, Jay Baruchel, has proven himself as an up and coming star with his characters in such comedies as Fanboys (2008) and Tropic Thunder (2008), and fresh from his first starring role with this years She's Out Of My League. While he successfully pulls off the innocent and extremely awkward "nerdiness" well, his overly bumbling and goofy character in Sorcerer's Apprentice is almost too overdone bordering on annoying and even excessive. An hour and a half of his whiny/nasally voice becomes almost unbearable! Despite Jay's nerdy foibles "Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a fun movie but sadly fails to compare with the success of Pirates or National Treasure chocking up another Disney financial flop this year like Prince of Persia. Although I have to admit that I enjoyed both Prince of Persia and Sorcerer's Apprentice, I feel that both of the films suffer both critically and financially with having to "measure up" to Disney $100 million blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean or Alice in Wonderland(coincidently both starring Johnny Depp). Although I'm sure movie going audiences (and myself) can't get enough of Johnny Depp, I wonder how the movie would have done with Depp as Balthazar and who knows, maybe one of the "Twilight" teens as Dave? (yeah right!)

RATING:

- 7/10/10 - REVIEW: PREDATORS

    Since our last disappointing venture into the Predator universe with 2007 's "Aliens VS. Predator: Requiem", Robert Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios took it upon themselves to remake or re-imagine the Predator franchise with the release of "Predators"! For most fans of the Aliens/Predator franchises like myself, I was looking forward to this fresh new approach and being written and produced by Robert Rodriguez ("Grindhouse") and directed by Nimród Antal ("Vacancy" (2007) it seemed like a match made in heaven (or space)! Unfortunately, as "Predators" seems more like a remake, it was meant to be a sequel to "Predator" (1987) and "Predator 2" (1990) but instead of following the Aliens VS. Predator series. As "Predators" starts off with good intentions and a seemingly original new story, the movie begins very quickly as our main character Royce (Adrian Brody) appears unconscious and plummeting towards a thick jungle, then suddenly parachuting just in time. With no memory of why or how he got there, he meets other just as clueless, (and very random) victims who follow into a seemingly sick practical joke. With at least 8 others including various soldiers or criminal characters played by a variety of actors like Danny Trejo ("Machete"), Alice Braga ("I Am Legend"), and even Topher Grace ("Spider-Man 3")?! They soon figure out they are on another planet which is basically an alien game preserve for the Predators, who seem more savage and bloodthirsty than ever. As the group quickly dwindles one-by-one they run into Noland (a very chubby Laurence Fishburne) a crazy, lone, survivalist who manages only to complicate the groups situation. As time is running out, whoever is left must try to find a way to either defeat the Predators or make it off the planet; easier said than done!
    The biggest problem is that the story is very unoriginal by merely turning the original story from the first "Predator" movie around. In the first movies the Predators come down to Earth to hunt their prey, but now, in "Predators", the prey are brought to the Predators! The motley crew of characters in the group are SO random and as half of them are picked off very quickly we don't know anything about them or do we even care?! Royce (Brody) and Isabelle (Braga) seem to be the focus as they develop some semblance of a relationship, but with the others, you have everything from a Mexican mob enforcer, to a Yakuza hit man, an African guerrilla fighter, a Russian heavy machine gunner, and even a death row convict and a doctor! It's a wonder Rodriguez even bothered to try and remake "Predator" because despite the difference in the group of "victims" the story is almost the exact same as the group tries to survive against the Predators who hunt them one-by-one, which remain just as mysterious as in the first one with little or no new revelations to the Predator culture as with "Aliens VS. Predator". The character Isabelle (Braga) even makes a reference to the events of the first "Predator" movie as she compares it to their own situation (déjà vu!). The most disappointing of all is Laurence Fishburne's character, who is so over the top insane he reminds me of the crazy guy (Ben Gunn) in "Treasure Island" (READ A BOOK!) that he becomes so uninteresting and (SPOILER!) dies so quickly in the movie we don't even have time to figure him out! All in all, the worst thing about this movie is the fact that the music/soundtrack in the movie is almost the exact same as the original 1987 movie! They didn't even bother giving it it's own score, the themes are the same! You almost expect Arnold Schwarzenegger to pop out from behind a tree! The only interesting part of "Predators" is when the movie alludes to a kind of race war between two kinds of Predators. There are the traditional/classic Predators which we know of but really only see one of in this movie and then there are the more savage Predators who are the main antagonists. Despite the attempt at introducing a new kind of Predator, it remains just as futile as the appearance of the half-Alien half-Predator in AVP2! Overall I was significantly bored and disappointed with "Predators". I can't see Adrian Brody as an action hero and I definitely can't stand Topher Grace! I think the funniest part in the whole movie is the cameo from Danny Trejo, a popular character actor who's made cameos in various movies along with several of Robert Rodriguez's own films such as "Desperado" (1995) and "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996) but who will also be appearing in the movie "Machete" in September as he reprises the same character he appeared in a farce-trailer for Rodriguez's "Grindhouse: Planet Terror" (2007), coincidentally enough, the actual trailer for the real "Machete" movie appears before "Predators" in theaters!

RATING:

- 6/21/10 - TOP 10 SUMMER MOVIES

#10 "Independence Day" (1997) This was one of the biggest summer movies ever! They blew up the @#$%ing White House!
#9 "Transformers" (2007) A nerds dream come true, unfortunately the franchise went downhill too quick!
#8 "Aliens" (1986) One of James Cameron's best!
#7 "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) I was convinced that Judgment Day was coming!
#6 "The Dark Knight" (2008) One of the best Batman movies ever!
#5 "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003) Jack Sparrow is awesome!
#4 "Spider-Man" (2002) Almost a perfect superhero movie!
#3 "X-Men" (2000) We finally got to see Wolverine on the big screen and he was great!
#2 "Batman" (1989) This was one of the best summers of my life!
#1 "Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope" (1977) This defined Summer blockbuster movies for years to come!

- 6/5/10 - REVIEW: "SPLICE"

    With the recent controversy over genetic engineering, cloning, and stem cells in recent years its time for Horror/Sci-Fi to address the issue in its own twisted way! "Splice" is a new disturbing look into science gone wrong, in the style of "Frankenstein/Dr. Moreau" and "Species" (1995). Artist turned director Vincenzo Natali ("Cube" (1997) brings a new vision of horror dealing with the themes of gene splicing and animal-human hybrids. Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) and Clive Nicoli (Adrian Brody) are a couple of biochemist/scientists, also romantically involved, who have been developing genetically engineered organisms for use in pharmaceutical research. In defiance of their corporate controlled company whose sole purpose is profit, they take it upon themselves to create a human-animal hybrid, i.e. 'Dren' (Delphine Chanéac)! With bizarre features and animal-like legs and a tail containing a deadly scorpion like stinger, Dren starts out as a deformed, uncontrollable creature. But as her surrogate mother Elsa grows attached to her and continues to hide and raise it in secret despite Clive's growing ethical and legal concerns. Soon Dren grows up into a oddly beautiful but extremely dangerous creature and soon becomes sexually attracted to Clive and even grows in hostility towards Elsa, who then decides to try to destroy her!
    Testing the limits of the power of science, ethics, and morality "Splice" is an intense and disturbing experience. Like a modern day Frankenstein's monster (or Bride of...),  Dren is the newest in a long line of femme fatales along the lines of Sil (Natasha Henstridge) in "Species" is both strangely sexy and deadly. Delphine Chaneac is truly a unique beauty and had the perfect look to play this part-beauty/part-beast. Coincidentally, the young French actress doesn't speak English, although unnecessary in the movie as Dren only speaks in animal-like purrs and squeaks. Director Guillermo Del Toro is an executive producer for this movie and you can see some of his influence and disturbing vision in the imagery. The oddest part of the movie comes from it's very human duo of Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley, while both great actors, they make somewhat of an uneasy couple as their sex-life is threatened by the creation of Dren, however has very little effect since a lot of their chemistry on-screen seems forced. Also Brody's and Polley's bizarre wardrobe gives the film kind of a near-future feel or is it they just have weird taste in clothing! Sarah Polley's character of Elsa also seems to have the most issues in the film as it is alluded to that her character had a very strange childhood. As the couple bring Dren to raise her in Elsa's mothers farm/barn she reveals that she was not allowed to have dolls or even make-up growing up and when we see her old room, it is a small, almost prison-cell like, with the bed on the floor, one chair and a bucket! (Go figure?) The movie is full of delightfully disgusting and gory moments along with a TON of sex and frontal nudity (mostly Delphine Chaneac)! I found this movie to be interesting and very intense at moments but I couldn't get scenes of "Species" out of my head as it seemed very similar in many ways, but still very exciting with an impressive and really twisted twist-ending!
Official Website: http://www.splicethefilm.com/

RATING:

- 5/31/10 - REVIEW: "PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME"

    In recent years, movies based on video games have usually not gone over very well. Since such bombs in the '90s like "Super Mario Bros." or "Mortal Kombat" and even in more recent years with "Tomb Raider" and "Resident Evil" which were somewhat faithful but with others like "Doom" and don't get me started on "Bloodrayne", will we ever see a video game movie which lives up to namesake? Amazingly enough it took the producers of the highly successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and Disney to do it! "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" the movie is based on the 2003 Ubisoft video game which is part of the "Prince of Persia" series created by Jordan Mechner in 1989. Directed by Mike Newell ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire") and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, "Sands of Time" aspires to equal Disney's previous Action-Adventure hit, the "Pirates of the Carribean" trilogy. Although it may not live up to "Pirates" status "Sands of Time" is a solid fantasy story with some impressive action. "Prince of Persia" stars Jake Gyllenhaal ("Donnie Darko", "Brokeback Mountain") as Dastan, once an orphan living on the streets who is adopted by King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup) and raised by the king's brother Nizam (Ben Kingsley). Dastan, along with his brothers Garsiv (Toby Kebbell) and Tus (Richard Coyle), attack the holy city of Alamut, who are suspected of selling arms to their enemies, they encounter the beautiful Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) who is the guardian of the "Dagger or Time" which controls the sands of time. When the King is mysteriously murdered, Dastan is falsely accused and he escapes with the princess only to discover the secret of the dagger which is the key to the conspiracy in finding the King's killer.
    The amazing stunt work of Dastan leaping from building to building was inspired by the martial arts of parkour (the art of movement). The Dagger of Time, made its appearance in the "Sands of Time' video game and is the central plot point in the movie as well. This isn't the first time Disney has addressed a Persian/Middle East setting as one of its most famous animated movies "Aladdin" is set, however the biggest problem both critics and fans have is none of the cast is even remotely "Persian"! It seems Hollywood is returning to the old trend of casting foreign characters with usually very-white British or American stars such as Yul Brynner as the King of Siam in "The King and I" (1956) or even John Wayne staring as Genghis Kahn (No kidding!) in "The Conqueror" (1956) or Ben Kingsley (who coincidentally stars in "Sands of Time" also) playing "Gandhi" in 1982! As with most of the cast who is either English/British or American, the lead Jake Gyllenhaal even adopts an English accent (i.e. Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean") which really makes no sense at all! Despite the "racial" inequities of the movie, "Prince of Persia" is still an exciting adventure in the style of "Pirates of the Caribbean" with a little "Indiana Jones" action thrown in. For those like myself who doubted Jake "Bubble-boy" Gyllenhaal could grow up to be an action star, we were sorely mistaken!
Official Website: http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/princeofpersia/

RATING:

- 5/29/2010 - IN MEMORIAM TOP 10: Dennis Hopper (May 17, 1936 - May 29, 2010)

#10 "True Grit" (1969) - Hopper plays the villain to John Wayne's hero, movie trivia has it Wayne chased Hopper around the set with a loaded gun!
#9  "Blue Velvet" (1986) - I was really creeped out when I first saw Hopper sucking on oxygen and going down on Isabella Rossellini! Yikes!
#8 "My Science Project" (1986) This was a low-budget 80's Sci-Fi, Comedy kind of like "Back to the Future" with an interesting story and Hopper plays a crazy science teacher, Mr. Roberts!"
#7 "Super Mario Bros." (1993) - I know, but when I saw this as a kid I thought it was awesome! Hail King Koopa! Lol
#6 "Speed" (1994) - Hopper as one of his craziest villains, mad with revenge and a freaky looking hand, Keanu Reeves owes him a lot!
#5 "Easy Rider" (1969) - This is the one that started it all! Hopper as a scruffy buckskin clad Hippie! Groovy!
#4 "Apocalypse Now" (1979) - This is the one man, the one he is the most noted for and imitated, man! The crazy photojournalist who found himself stuck on Kurtz's island.
#3 "Land of the Dead" (2005) - Hopper said he based his performance of Kaufman on Donald Rumsfeld! A great yuppie-type villain.
#2 "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" (1986) - This is the most hilarious of all the TX Chainsaw's movies with Hopper as Lieutenant 'Lefty' Enright fighting Leatherface with dueling chainsaws! Awesome!
#1 "Waterworld" (1995) - As the Deacon, he is one of the most sinister and funniest villains ever, he has some of the greatest lines in this movie!

- 5/27/10 - TOP 10 BIRTHDAY SPECIAL: VINCENT PRICE (May 27, 1911 - October 25, 1993)

#10 "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) - Even though he was only in this for 5 minutes this was his last and still a memorable performance. Especially his death scene!
#9 "The Fly" (1958) - This is an old favorite, although Price isn't the main character he remains a focal point through the story.
#8 "Madhouse" (1974) - Opposite another great, Peter Cushing, we have an old horror movie star whose character is committing murders independently!
#7 "Diary of a Madman" (1963) Price plays a judge who visits a murderer possessed by an evil spirit, awesome!
#6 ""House of Wax" (1953) - This is one of his best, although a remake of "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (1933) and in 3-D! Price's makeup is frightening and the movie features a young and thankfully mute Charles Bronson!
#5 "House on Haunted Hill" (1959) - The original, the amazing! The incredibly campy and hokey! But wonderful!
#4 "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" (1971) - PHIBES! Need I say more? He didn't, he doesn't "speak" a word the whole movie!
#3 "The Last Man on Earth" (1964) - Before Will Smith! Before Charlton Heston! This is the original adaptation of Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend", very faithful, although they changed the title and the main characters name too. Oh well...
#2 "Pit and the Pendulum" (1961) - One of many of Vincent Price/Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. The torture sequences are intense!
#1 "The Masque of the Red Death" (1964) - My favorite of all and Poe story too! This is Vincent Price at his most evil of characters!

- 5/7/2010 - REVIEW: "IRON MAN 2"

    "I AM IRON MAN!" After 2008's Summer Blockbuster, being the first in a long line of movies to emerge from Marvel Comics new studios now comes the most anticipated super hero sequel since "The Dark Knight"! "Iron Man 2" has the unlikely honor of being the first Marvel Studios release after the controversial $4 Billion Walt Disney Co. buy! Director John Favreau returns most of the original cast of the first "Iron Man" including Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) and Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) all except for Terrence Howard as 'Rhodey' who is replaced (oddly enough since Howard recently told E! Online he helped Robert Downey Jr. get the lead in "Iron Man"?) by Don Cheadle, which creates an unusual continuity problem as two different actors play the same character in two consecutive movies!? Three new additions to the cast includes Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler" (2009) as new villain Whiplash, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Sam Rockwell as competitor Justin Hammer. As Don Cheadle takes on the role of Rhodey, he also has the opportunity to literally step into the armored suit as War Machine, (which was so delightfully alluded to in the first movie when Rhodey sees the prototype and says "Next time!", sorry Terrence!) Even Samuel L. Jackson reprises his now fanboy-famous role as the new Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., for those who stayed after the credits in the first movie for the little hint of future Marvel movies with the "Avengers Initiative"!
  Despite all the cast changes and extra characters "Iron Man 2" is a satisfying sequel with a deeper insight into the character of Tony Stark, who remains even more of the eccentric, rich-boy, alcoholic, genius he IS! With the first movie/origin out of the way the film is free to explore a darker side to Tony's armored alter-ego as his innovative arc--reactor in his chest which powers the Iron man suit is essentially killing him slowly and  on top of that we have Ivan Vanko (Rourke) a.k.a Whiplash, bent on revenge, leading to a showdown between two protégés both with mechanical genius, advanced weaponry and not to mention, daddy issues!
    The biggest problems come from the fact that this movie juist has way too many characters for its own good. Not only do we get ANOTHER Iron Man with Rhodey as War Machine, but there is Jackson's Nick Fury who until now, has only been an ancillary character watching in the background, and Scarlet's Natalie Rushman a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow, who remains merely eye-candy in all her tight, black, leather! (OK wait, I changed my mind!) For fans of the comics they will know she is obviously Black Widow but nowhere in the movie do they ever actually CALL her that?! Rockwell's Hammer character is an unnecessary antagonist and is just plain annoying at times as he tries to unsuccessfully compete with Stark at every turn. Essentially you have 2 villains and 2 heroes. on one hand you have Iron Man and War Machine, then on the other you have Whiplash and Hammer. I suppose one way of looking at it is Whiplash is there to compete with Tony's technical side, whereas Hammer is there to compete with Tony's business side. So then how do you explain all the extra allies like Black Widow and Nick Fury? Where's Mandarin when you need him?! Maybe in "Iron Man 3"...?
    SPOILER ALERT! In the meantime, like the good fanboy I am, I will be looking forward to future Marvel movies in the years ahead as they all connect to each other in a bizarre way with their extra after-credit epilogues with Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers! "Avengers Assemble! Soon...I hope!"
Official Website: http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/

RATING:

4/30/2010- REVIEW: "NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET" (2010)

"1...2...Freddy's Coming for you,
3...4...Better lock your door,
5...6...Grab your crucifix,
7...8...Better stay up late,
9...10...Never sleep AGAIN!"

    In 1984, director Wes Craven brought to horror movies one of the most popular icons of the 1980's slasher genre to life with "A Nightmare on Elm Street" featuring the infamous sweater and fedora wearing, clawed villain Freddy Krueger! Spanning 7 (and a 1/2? i.e. "Freddy Vs. Jason"(2003) films, Freddy has been returning time and time again to haunt the dreams of helpless teenagers for years. Now, as horror/slasher films get a 21st century reboot with remakes like 2003's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", Rob Zombie's "Halloween" (2007) and 2009's "Friday the 13th", Freddy gets a CGI makeover alongside his companions Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Leatherface! Directed by music video director Samuel Bayer 2010's remake of "Nightmare..." stars Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach in "Watchmen" (2009) as the new Freddy Krueger! With an all new teenage cast of victims like Thomas Dekker ("Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles"), Kyle Gallner and Rooney Mara, the new "Nightmare..." hopes to keep a whole new generation of teenagers from falling asleep but sadly remains a mediocre version with one unique twist which brings a little more reality to the otherwise dream-like atmosphere. Unlike most new horror/slasher films which seem more realistic, "Nightmare..." is still grounded heavily in the supernatural/dreamworld of its predecessors. There is almost nothing new to the Freddy mythology except for a more believable origin story and deeper character whereas the original Freddy was simply an evil child-killer, the new Freddy is almost sympathetic, but in the end, he is nothing more than a pedophile with a fetish! The new Freddy is not so much after ALL the children on Elm Street, but rather only a select group of children from his past. I don't mean to spoil it, but the death of Freddy still comes at the ends of those disgruntled parents who seek justice in their own hands. One of which just happens to be Clancy Brown, who played The Kurgan in "Highlander" (1986) whose character name in coincidentally was Victor Kruger)! The latest "Nightmare..." is an entertaining and decent scare, but has almost none of the campy humor of the older films which made them fun to begin with. Whereas this version takes itself almost too seriously in bringing a monster who kills teenagers in their dreams believable. Kudos for effort and for Jackie Earle Haley's performance, but this "Nightmare..." remains just another cheap scare among the slew of remakes that keep trying to recapture the essence of those original movies that many of us grew up with the love of being scared and hiding under the covers repeating "It's only a movie!..."

RATING:

4/16/2010 - REVIEW: "KICK-ASS"

    With a name like "Kick-Ass", you know it's going to be a wild ride! When the theatre down the street is so fearful of our overly conservative media and society they can't even display the full name on the marquee, only as "Kick-A!", yeah, this is gonna be good! Based on the recent Icon comic book series by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., "Kick-Ass" is one of the most controversial and brutal comic titles ever. Independent film producers Marv Films releases a movie adaptation of "Kick-Ass" in one of the most faithful comic adaptations I've ever seen. Both the comic's and the movies prologue are almost exactly identical, dialogue and all. Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), high school, student and comic book fan aspires to be a real life superhero, donning a makeshift disguise he becomes Kick-Ass and on his first attempt to fight crime, literally gets his ass kicked! After a few months of rehabilitation and several metal implants he resumes his alter-ego and finds he is not alone. Also with the father and daughter duo Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) along with Red-Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) begin a popular trend of costumed crime-fighters who try to end organized crime like Crime Boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). Soon, they find out that crime fighting is not like in the comic-books as Kick-Ass becomes a target because of his own want for publicity and Big Daddy's and Hit-Girl's own quest for vengeance proves they bit off more than they could chew! With an intense and ultra-violent experience mixed with awkward humor and comic book-like atmosphere "Kick-Ass" is one of the best comic book movies in a long time and proves to be successful without big-budget Hollywood or multi-million dollar studios. "Kick-Ass" definitely Kicks Ass!

RATING:

4/2/2010- REVIEW: "CLASH OF THE TITANS" (2010)

    2010 is definitely the year of the remake, and as we are starting to see many do not hold up well to their originals. Case and point: "Clash of the Titans". Like any good fan-boy, I was awaiting this movie with great anticipation. As Sam Worthington has seen two back-to-back successes with "Terminator: Salvation" and of course "Avatar", although both huge special effects movies, it would seem that the third would invariably be "the charm", not likely. It's amusing to note that these three movies have been released within less than a years time in order to maximize Worthington's screen presence and supposed popularity. We are soon realizing that he is very quickly wearing out this popularity. I realize that while I enjoyed "Avatar" immensely, much of what I loved about it really had nothing to do with his performance and also a lot of it really isn't him anyway.
    With "Clash of the Titans" we have the perfect combination of my two favorite things: mythology and monsters! I loved the 1981 original which I grew up with and although it hasn't yet been 30 years (as is the average duration between many originals and remakes) since the original it seems almost too soon to release a remake. But, with the advancement of CGI special effects and the recent reemergence of the 3D movie, director Louis Leterrier ("The Incredible Hulk"(2008) tries to bring this epic mythological tale back to life. The problem lies in the most basic elements of the original movie and the mythology itself. The mythology is wrong, the story is boring, and even the reason for the quest is construed. But for those of us who actually care about story and plot the rest of those dullards who are consistently wowed by computer-generated monsters and over-blown battle sequences, they are missing the point. The whole character of Perseus played by Worthington is almost a polar opposite of the original and completely off-model of the original mythological hero. Take away the armor and we have another angry, anti-hero! His origins and motivations are completely different and has no resemblance of what he should be! Even the gods and monsters themselves are unimpressive. The only impressive performance comes from Liam Neeson who plays Zeus, but even his performance is lessened to a very few scenes in which he has very few lines and shows off a ridiculously blinding suit of silver armor. The so-called "villain" in the movie is the god of the underworld Hades, played by Ralph Fiennes who becomes a cartoonish, over-melodramatic generic bad-guy. The one thing I was looking forward to in this movie is the quintessential monster, the Kraken! The new Kraken is so-over done and has so little screen time in the climax it barely leaves an impression. The Kraken from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies seems a lot better than this one. All in all, this "Clash..." was so disappointing, it left me drained and with a big headache (or was that from the 3D glasses?)

RATING:

2/26/2010 - REVIEW: "THE CRAZIES" (2010)

    George A. Romero's films have become some of the most remade titles in horror films in the last decade. After 2004's "Dawn of the Dead", "Night of the Living Dead 3D (2006) and "Day of the Dead" (2008) it seems his zombie films won't stay dead, (or undead)! Although I am usually reluctant to accept most horror remakes. George A. Romero's "The Crazies" (1973) although one of his lesser known films and not part of his Living Dead series, does stand out in his extensive filmography. Director Breck Eisner ("Sahara" (2005) brings a new, updated vision of "The Crazies". With the theme of paranoia from government secrets still relevant in our society "The Crazies" is an intense and terrifying ride that doesn't slow down. When the small Iowa town of Ogden Marsh succumbs to a mysterious biological agent, having contaminated their water supply, the town descends into chaos as ordinary citizens become murderous psycho-paths! As Sherriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his wife Judy (Radha Mitchell) discovers the cause of the mysterious illness, they try to escape from both his maniacal neighbors and the ever increasing military bent on containing the contagion by any means necessary!
    While the original "The Crazies", a pre-"Dawn of the Dead" Romero film, explored both subplots of a group of survivors as well as the military trying to contain and ultimately cure the spreading disease. The new "Crazies" explores more on the town and the ordinary citizens who try to survive but also vilifies the military who resort to simply containing the disease by killing off the whole town with no hope of a cure changes the whole theme. These two films seem oddly conflicting whereas the original was set in the early 1970's as the hippie generation and Vietnam grew out of control the original seems to show the government more helpful then the remake whereas the time we live in, a post-September 11th society would seem we have grown even more distrusting and paranoid of the government than we realize. I think it poses a fascinating question as any good horror/sci-fi story will show and reflects our own society in the fears we have. The biggest difference in the two films also comes with the disease/contagion itself in the appearance of the "infected" are much worse than in the original where those that became infected only showed mental and behavioral aberrations, the new movie shows also physical evidence as well, in an almost zombie-like appearance with rotted flesh and bloodshot eyes, much like the effects of the "Rage virus" from movies like "28 Days Later" (2002) and "28 Weeks Later" (2007).
    "The Crazies" (2010) was a surprisingly impressive and frightening experience, although will undoubtedly go unnoticed with the majority of horror films this year. On a personal note, I was given the opportunity to see an advanced screening of the movie and was glad I got the chance to see it before its initial release! On another note, it is probably one of the scariest films I have seen in a long time and not to give away any spoilers, but I will definitely think twice before going into drive-thru car washes anytime soon!

RATING:

2/13/2010 - REVIEW: "THE WOLFMAN"

    Of all the re-makes of classic horror and sci-fi movies in recent years, there are very few who truly capture the essence and impact that those classic movies possessed. Since I was young, I have been a huge fan of the classic Universal Monster movies of the 1930's and 40's, particularly the original "Dracula" (1931), "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Mummy" (1932) and of course "The Wolf-Man" (1941). For anyone who denies these movies impact on popular culture and film do not realize  where our fascination for monster movies came from. Very rarely has studios sought to remake these classic films and in-turn become successes, such as "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992) directed by Francis Ford Coppola and "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" (1994) directed by Kenneth Branagh are among those triumphs. However, the recent "Mummy" franchise from director Stephen Sommers left much to be desired. Now, Universal has resurrected another of their greatest monsters in the tradition of the original films with the release of "The Wolf-Man (2010) directed by Joe Johnston.
    I went to this with high hopes that Universal would renew my faith in my old favorites thus dispelling their failures with "The Mummy" and others. This new incarnation the Wolf-Man delightfully draws directly from their sources in presenting a new adaptation of the Wolf-Man story which references both the original 1941 classic as well as the 1961 British Hammer film "Curse of the Werewolf". Set in 1891 England, Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro), an American raised Shakespearian actor, returns home at the bequest of his brother Ben's fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt) who explains Ben's mysterious disappearance and when Lawrence arrives, of Ben's gruesome death at the hands of an unknown creature. Upon returning to his ancestral home he is reunited with his estranged father, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) once an adventurous world-traveling hunter, now a disheveled aging man who appears to be falling apart along with their now crumbling and cob-webbed mansion. As Lawrence tries to discover the truth behind his brother's fate he must face terrible childhood memories long repressed concerning the death of his mother. Soon he himself is attacked and bitten by the creature and is now cursed to roam on a full-moon night searching for victims as a werewolf! When prominent police inspector Abberline (Hugo Weaving) arrives to solve the murders he suspects Talbot to be involved and seeks to capture him and if necessary, destroy him.
    "The Wolf-Man" marks a long-time coming return to the gothic style of the classic era of Universal Monster movies complete with its turn of the century European setting, foggy forests and graveyards, to dark, foreboding mansions and lets not forget one the most terrifying monsters to come out of the Universal pantheon, The Wolf-Man himself, reborn with amazing special make-up effects from the master himself, Rick Baker! For anyone who loved the classic monster movies as I did or wants a truly horrifying experience in true horror, "The Wolf-Man" is an impressive movie, with an amazing cast! This is the best horror film I've seen in a long time and the best remake since the 1990 versions of Universal's Monsters! I'd say it's about time, now if you'll excuse me I have to go bark at the moon...

RATING:

1/17/2010 - REVIEW: "DAYBREAKERS"

 With all the hype from the vampire craze in recent years from "True Blood" to "Twilight" it's nice to have a little originality! "Daybreakers" is a unique twist on the vampire movie that starts out with a great idea, but...some of the plot points are significantly lacking and ultimately make little sense in the end. The world is recovering from a major viral outbreak in the near future and the only way to survive is for the population to become VAMPIRES! Although they may be the blood-sucking living dead for the most part, people go about their daily lives, they work, they play, children go to school even...but, only at night! Anyway, Edward Dalton, a hematologist, played by Ethan Hawke (WOW, ETHAN HAWKE!) and his boss Charles Bromley played by Sam Neil (The Dinosaur Man from Jurassic Park!) work for a major corporation who harvest blood from the remnants of the human population who are kept (naked!) in giant "milking" facilities where they are drained of every last drop for the ever thirsty vampire population. Problem is, there's a "drought" and they're running out of blood! And those vampires who don't get enough blood in their diet soon mutate into bizarre rat-like, bat-winged FREAKS! Ethan Hawke, unlike his brother Frankie (Michael Dorman) is tired of being a vampire and seeks to find a cure. He soon finds an underground resistance of humans led by 'Elvis' (Willem Dafoe), a former vampire who through a freak accident was miraculously cured and with Edwards help tries to develop that cure to be reproduced. The only problem is vampires like Sam Neil, LIKE being vampires and they don't want a cure. Well, too bad!
    "Daybreakers" is a fairly exciting and original vampire movie with some very "Blade-esque" qualities, the only annoying aspect is that although the world is full of vampires, there's really nothing interesting about them until they start mutating. They even still drink Starbucks coffee...just, with blood in it. "I'll have a Grande Mocha Frappuccino topped with whipped cream and AB+, thanks."

RATING:

1/1/2009 - REVIEW: "SHERLOCK HOLMES"

"Elementary my dear Watson", "Sherlock Holmes" is a new spin on a classic detective. Starring Robert Downey, Jr. (Holmes) and Jude Law (Watson) as the original dynamic duo Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson! Adding a little more of an action-adventure style to the original more cerebral-type of Holmes story. British action movie director Guy Ritchie elevates the otherwise dry and proper Holmes to almost an Indiana Jones-like status. Holmes' character differs greatly from previous film versions and is less of uptight, deerstalker hat wearing gentleman and is now more of an eccentric, neurotic, anti-social, recluse with a curious hobby of engaging in pit-fighting! Watson is almost as odd with a severe gambling addiction, while their whole relationship is like that of an old married couple?!
    The story itself is a fascinating mix of action, mystery, and love with a little occult/supernatural intrigue! Holmes methods appear even more amazing as the film features these odd Zack Snyder-like slow-motion scenes as he plans his next moves carefully analyzing every stage. The love interest in the film is Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams ), a talented female thief who continues to elude and best Holmes surprisingly at every turn! The villain is Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) who dabbles in secret societies and occult alchemy in order to cheat death and destroy parliament.
    To the more purist Sherlock Holmes aficionados, this is definitely NOT old-school Holmes, rather a more modern and action-centered version to appease those who shy away from the more dry and traditional Holmes adapatations. While fun and exciting is tends to shy away from the more intellectual side of Holmes in his usual deductive methods sacrificing them for a more direct and visceral incarnation. Although Downey, Jr. makes an impressive Holmes, I find the episodes where Commander Data from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" could do a better job than him. Sorry Robert, stick with Iron Man!

RATING:

12/21/2009 - TOP 10 MOVIES OF THE DECADE (2000-2009) "Super-heroes and trilogies!"

#10 "Kill Bill" Vol.1 & 2 (2003-2004) - I wasn't that big of Tarantino fan until I saw "Kill Bill", but it changed my opinion of him forever! Part 1 is like all those old 70's kung-fu movies and Part 2 has a touch of Clint Eastwood westerns to it. Fun and exciting, both innovative and often imitated, this is first on my list!
#9 "The Incredibles" (2004) - if you think Disney/Pixar movies are just for kids, you're fooling yourself! This is an amazing movie, the animation is impressive and the superhero/James Bond story is great! A must see!
#8 "X-Men" (2000) - This sparked the new era of the super-hero movie proving that what was thought could never be done. This also made Hugh Jackman the unlikely star turning an Australian Broadway star into the hairy, ill-tempered Wolverine! Thank you Bryan Singer, but WTF happened to you?
#7 "Spider-Man" (2002) - Another milestone in super-hero movies, Tobey Maguire was perfect and Sam Raimi is a genius!
#6 "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003) - If you think a Disney theme park ride can't be turned into a movie, you thought wrong! Johnny Depp is awesome and this started one of the best trilogies of the decade.
#5"Iron Man" (2008) - They took a Marvel second stringer and turned it into one of the best super-hero movies ever and brought Robert Downey Jr. back from the brink!
#4 "The Dark Knight" (2008) - Absolutely amazing! Unfortunately for Heath Ledger who died shortly after making it. Christopher Nolan knows Batman!
#3 "Watchmen" (2009) - This is the single greatest graphic novel/comic book movie EVER!
#2 "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy" (2001-2003) - All you fellow Ringers out there know that this trilogy defined the decade and changed movies for all time and turned a whole new generation of fans onto Tolkien!
#1 "AVATAR" (2009) Need I say more!

12/19/2009 - REVIEW: "AVATAR"

    12 years! That's how long it's been since director James Cameron released his last feature film "Titanic" (1997), his sappy love story combined with the infamous ocean liner disaster which currently occupies the #1 All-Time World Wide Box Office spot having earned $1,835,300,000. Since that time Cameron has devoted his creative talent to IMAX documentaries such as "Ghosts of the Abyss" (2003) and "Aliens of the Deep" (2005). Now as Cameron admitted having to wait for CGI technology to catch up to meet his vision (i.e. George Lucas style) we finally get to see "Avatar" (Not to be confused with "Avatar: The Last Airbender", which comes out next year under the name "The Last Airbender", amusingly enough.)
    This epic Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Adventure takes place on the planet of Pandora, where crippled Marine grunt Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is given the opportunity to participate in a experimental project to transfer his mind into an alien body in order to help convince the native alien species, the Na'vi, a 10-ft. tall, blue-skinned, cat-like, humanoid race to move so the Earth corporation can extract a precious mineral. During his experiences as a Na'vi, he meets Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) a female, native warrior, who he falls in love with and ends up betraying his own race to save the Na'vi.
    The themes of "Avatar" resonate with the same man vs. nature and man vs. savage, not unlike "Dances with Wolves" or even "The Last Samurai", where a character is estranged from their own culture but finds happiness within another, whether it be a more primitive and/or "alien" civilization. The parallels of the story draw much from our own history with the annihilation of the Native-American people by our own ancestors. This message is anything but subtle but isn't necessarily over-done as the old adage of history repeating itself is clearly seen. Sam Worthington's character is very sympathetic but in his human form is often very dull which only perpetuates the idea that when he is a Na'vi, he rediscovers himself, finding meaning and purpose in his previously depressed and meaningless existence as a wheel-chair bound ex-grunt.
    With all the hype surrounding this movie, which apparently has been 15 years in the making, the incorporation of state-of-he-art computer generated animation makes this for an incredibly bold and innovative movie experience. With the increase of CGI special effects in movies over the years, skeptics worried that this movie would be more about the visual aspects and action than the actual story and performance. Although the CGI is visually stunning and amazing, the movie itself holds up rather well. I admit just in watching this, you lose yourself in the CGI and after a while you forget you're seeing CGI because it looks so real. Although it's hard to imagine 10-ft. tall blue aliens to look real but it is impressive just how real they look, down to the sweat, blood and tears. Most people forget that the whole reason behind special effects from the very beginning of the film industry is to make something look real. It's really our fault, the audience that we have become harder and harder to convince, ever since the early days of Ray Harryhaussen-style stop-motion to models and animated graphics of the first Star Wars films.
    "Avatar" is a return to what made James Cameron famous for my generation with exciting special effects Sci-Fi films like "Terminator & T2", "Aliens", and "The Abyss". I'm especially looking forward to Cameron's rumored "Battle Angel" anime adaptation in 2011. "Avatar" is truly a whole new level of movie experience, and not just because of the recent 3-D, craze. See it without the 3-D and it will be as equally stunning and beautiful as well as an exciting and compelling film experience!
Link: AVATAR Official Website

RATING:

10/31/09 - "HALLOWEEN 2" (H2)

    Rob Zombie, former front man of "White Zombie" and now solo artist, embarked on his new passion for horror films. Already a devoted horror film fan he both wrote, produced and directed movies such as "House of 1,000 Corpses" (2003) and "The Devil's Rejects" (2005). In 2007 he released his re-imagining of the popular horror franchise Halloween and gave new life to the Michael Myers killer. Essentially a remake, however Zombie's new version explores more of the psychology and origin of Michael Myers who in the original films remains very much a mysterious character with a very vague back-story. Now, Zombie continues the story with essentially a remake of a sequel to a remake in H2!
    The story begins much like the original Halloween sequel "Halloween II" (1981) with Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) in the hospital following the aftermath of Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) killing spree. But, surprise, surprise, of course: Michael is not dead! The rest of the film focuses three point of views: Laurie's new and traumatized life as she now lives with Sheriff Lee Brackett (Brad Dourif) and his daughter, Laurie's best-friend Annie (Danielle Harris); Dr. Samuel Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) as he profiteers of his new book about Michael Myers revealing the truth about Laurie being Michael's sister to the world, unbeknownst to her! We also see a little into Michael Myer's life as he has retreated to an almost hermit-like life in the counrty where he is constantly haunted by bizarre visions of his dead mother (Sherri Moon-Zombie) and his younger self (Chase Wright Vanek) apparently Daeg Faerch from the last movie did not return?
    Well, it's Halloween again and Michael Myers is determined to find his sister "Boo" (Laurie) and try to reclaim what family he has left or kill her in the process and what follows is an even more intense and ultra-violent killing spree where the once un-emotional and silent Michael Myers has become slightly more bloodthirsty and determined as he hacks and slashes his way through Haddonfield.
    I must admit I was somewhat taken back by this new direction and the bizarre twist ending that I don't think anyone had imagined. Also, the very disturbing and somewhat psychedelic visions of Michael's mother all clad in white and followed by a white horse adds to the dream-like imagery of the movie. With this odd new direction I wonder if Rob Zombie will continue on with a slew of Halloween's, but perhaps he can go on to more original films. We shall have to wait and see...

RATING:

7/5/2009 - SUMMER MOVIE REVIEWS

    With SO many blockbuster movies this summer and combined with my laziness in posting blogs, I've decided to post one long movie review with all the summer movies I have seen so far. I will try to continually edit throughout the summer.
(Warning: Some spoilers, but who really cares!)

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" 6/24/09
"More than meets the eye"...Literally! I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to seeing this movie. As a kid who grew up in Transformers heyday. And being there in theaters when the Transformers animated movie first came out way back in 1987. And as an adult 20 years later to finally see Transformers come to life in Michael Bay's 2007 blockbuster, it should have been a fanboys dream come true. The 2007 movie was cool, great and a lot of fun (even though Shia LeBouf is so freakin' annoying at times.) Being a huge special effects movie, which it had to be in order to pull off realistic looking robots.
As successful as it was, a sequal was inevitable, although I don't think any of us were expecting it so soon...I admit that this movie was a special effects nightmare with more explosions, more robots and an even more convoluded story which leaves you breathless and confused at the end, with only the image of a newly enhanced (in more ways than one!) Megan Fox! This is "The Phantom Menace" of Transformers movies and its not even the fourth installment which will most likely be a trilogy. (Look for "Transformers 3: The Search for a Plot" Coming Summer 2011, LOL!) And when I compare Episode I to Transformers 2, I'm not kidding, they even have their own robotic equivallent to Jar Jar, and whats worse: they have 2 of them!! (i.e. Skids and Mudflap)
I applaud the fact that the story is able to successfully pick up right where we left off 2 years ago, but we don't seem to have improved things any. Sam (Shia LeBouf) is still awkward and annoying, Megan Fox is still a hottie and there is absolutely no reason why she is still with him! Plus, there are even more Transformers like Arcee, Jetfire, Soundwave and the Constructicons...(YAY! More Toys! Sorry, that was my inner 6 year old talking) both good (Autobots) and bad (Decepticons, yeah like you didn't know.) But when is too many, TOO MANY!? If you remember there were hundreds of Transformer robots back in the day and with the resurgence of the franchise thanks to the film, I think the filmmakers are trying to put ALL of them in the movies, no matter how small (i.e. Wheelie) or how BIG (i.e. Devastator!)
The whole movie is an intense, action packed, thrill ride filled with all the robots and destruction you can handle but while your lost in the mind-numbing, eye bleeding visuals, take a moment and reassess just exactly what the f*** is going on! I didn't the first time either but after leaving the theater, with the THX sound still ringing in my ears and my eyes still straining to see clearly (should I mention I went IMAX, oy!) I said, hey, wait a minute, what did I just see??? (My head hurts.)

RATING:

"Star Trek" 5/7/09
"Space...the final frontier, these are the voyages of the starship ENTERPRISE..." (at least, I think it is?) After four TV spin-offs and ten movies, Hollywood has decided to press the preverbial reset button on the "Star Trek" franchise and they got renowned producer/director J.J. Abrams (Mission Impossible 3) to do it. To paraphrase Spock: "It is not logical." For over 40 years Star Trek has become THE most popular science-fiction series, with hordes of fans both young and old. After a 7 year lull in the franchise Star Trek has apparently been "renewed" with an entirely new cast playing the original crew: Chris Pine as Capt. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, just to name a few...its intentions were noble, to restart the franchise for a whole new generation and also in the hopes of making old-school fans take notice. Unfortunatly, it's as though they took everything fans loved about Star Trek and threw it out the window! Forget everything you know about Star Trek and set your brain from stun to kill! The worst part of this movie is the entire story is supposedly an alternate universe, which supposedly gives the filmkaers free reign to do whatever the hell they want with it, thus leaving us with something that shows no resemblance of being STar Trek and more like som bad piece of Star Trek fan-fiction. After watching this movie, although incredibly well done with amazing special effects, there is hardly anything left that resembles Star Trek at all. For many who think Star Trek has become old and stale, you're gonna love this. But, for those true "Trekkers" who grew up loving Star Trek, you will erase your memory banks of ever having seen it. All in all, it's a great movie...it's just NOT "Star Trek"!

RATING:

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine", 5/1/09
I LOVE the "X-Men" movies! 2 was the best, but 3 was disapointing. And just when you think the trilogy was over, we get a Prequel! Obviously Wolverine is the most popular character and he has been my favorite ever since he got his own comic way back in 1988. I was so excited when I first saw the trailer for this and couldn't wait. Hugh Jackman returns for the 4th time as the scruffy, Canadian, metal clawed mutant. Like most Hollywood comic adaptations it never fails to make lots of changes to the original source material, that's why they're called adaptations!
If you've ever read Wolverine or X-Men you know Wolvie has the most confusing and conveluded origin ever. And since the 2001 "Origin" series., they keep changing it! "X-Men Origins" is no different, although they do try to stick with Wolverine's origin, they have to incorporate the other stuff they messed up in the previous 3 movies, so we have LOTS of problems. With all the Weapon X, adamantium, mutant craziness, on top of all that they made Sabretooth Wolverine's brother! On top of that, there's WAY too many mutants in this one, it seems like every movie tries to outdo the other by adding more and more mutant/x-men characters for cameos and even go so far as to create some of their own or takle existing ones and screw them up! Fans were excited when it was revealed that Gambit and Deadpool make an appearance and even more so when they found out that Ryan Reynolds would be playing Deadpool. Another anti-climactic cameo is the Blob, you know when you've run out of mutants when you put in the Blob (although I've always had a soft (fat) spot for him, but really, somebody tell me what he has to do with Wolverine and/or Weapon X?
For the most part it makes for a cool, exciting action movie but I think we've had enough. I've loved the Marvel movies, there've been hits (i.e. X-Men, Spider-man, Iron Man) and misses (LOTS of misses, i.e. Elektra, Hulk...) Maybe "X-Men 2" should've ended the franchise or maybe Hollywood is destined to keep milking it until it becomes non-profitable and fanboys like me stand up and say "Ok, that's it, I'm done." and walk out...

RATING:

4/24/09 - MOVIE REVIEW - "IRON MAIDEN: FLIGHT 666"

This week, I had the opportunity to experience a very rare movie event with the release of "Iron Maiden: Flight 666" (ironmaiden.com/flight666), a rockumentary about one of the biggest British heavy metal bands in the world! This film documents Iron Maiden's "Somewhere Back In Time Tour" 2008 in which Iron Maiden toured 13 countries, travelling 50,000 miles while in their very own airliner called "Ed Force One" and piloted by none other than the band's singer Bruce Dickinson! Written and Directed by Sam Dunn and Scot McFayden ("Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" (2005) and "Global Metal" (2008)) "Flight 666" is a unique experience for any heavy metal fan as we get a behind the scenes look at Iron Maiden during their biggest and most ambitious tours ever. Not only do we get to see the band perform many of their most beloved hits but watch as the literally travel across the world to such locations as South America, Tokyo, Australia and even Papua New Guinea.
    Although it's not just about the tour as we get to see a little more of a personal side to the band as they play golf and tennis in their spare time, even touring Mexican pyramids or just taking their families along. The most impressive aspect of the film is seeing the incredibly multi-talented Bruce Dickinson himself (in uniform) pilot an enormous airplane full of band members, crew and all of their equipment. 
Another aspect of this film also shows how a metal band that were in the height of popularity in the 1980's is still going string and how their music means so much to people all over the world both young and old. And to any fan (old school or new) can come together and enjoy a truly awe inspiring musical experience.
    I must admit, upon first hearing that the movie which would only be released only in select theaters until its intial DVD release later in June, would come to my local theater in a one time only showing on a Tuesday night I half expected to be one of maybe less than a dozen fans in attendance but it wasn't long before the theater was almost packed with fans both young and old, and the majority wearing various Iron Maiden T-shirts and even one diehard fan who donned a full-headed "Eddie" mask. (And if you don't know who Eddie is, why are you even reading this?!
    Along with "Live After Death" and "Rock In Rio" This is one of the best live Iron Maiden shows ever! If you're an Iron Maiden fan or heavy metal in general, this is a must see, and totally worth seeing on the big movie screen before it comes out on DVD. I also recommend "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" for a little Metal 101!

RATING:

5/7/09 - MOVIE REVIEW - "WATCHMEN

    “Watchmen” is considered one of the most influential graphic novels of the 1980’s. Written in 1986 by Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, From Hell) and Dave Gibbons (Doctor Who, Green Lantern), “The Watchmen “appeared at a time when America was going through drastic economical and political change. Even after 20 years it continues to influence the world of comic books and graphic novels with its incredibly profound and intense storyline and complex characters. For fans “The Watchmen” remains one of the most important superhero graphic novels of the last 20 years right alongside “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns”, “The Sandman” and as writer/co-creator Alan Moore is considered one of comics greatest modern writers in the same respect as Frank Miller and Neil Gaiman. “The Watchmen” has even earned mainstream prestige with its spot in Time Magazine’s All Time 100 Novels.
    With the rise in comic book movie adaptations in the last 10 years there has been some hits (“The Dark Knight”, “300”, “X-Men”, “Spider-man”) and some misses (“Catwoman”, “Elektra”, Punisher War Zone”) but there was one comic property that was considered un-filmable (i.e. “Lord of the Rings”) but on March 6, 2009, Warner Bros. released “Watchmen” Directed by Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead (2004), “300” (2007)) and starring Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson.
    To the uninitiated “The Watchmen” is essentially a murder mystery with superheroes, based in the alternate history of the 1980’s. In the world of “The Watchmen” it’s 1985, and the world stands on the brink of a nuclear war with Russia. America won the Vietnam War and President Nixon is still in office. As in the comic, the main character is Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), once a masked hero and partner to Note-Owl (Patrick Wilson), delves into the murder of an ex-vigilante named The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) As he seeks the truth behind the murder he probes deeper into the lives of both former heroes and partners including Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), and Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman). As far as superheroes go, no one in “Watchmen” actually has any super power except for Dr. Manhattan who has almost limitless god-like powers gained from an accident with a scientific experiment (and did I mention he’s bright blue and nude for 90 % of the movie). In 1985 costumed heroes have retired due to a governmental act and most go on living ordinary lives except for Dr. Manhattan who works for military research with the help of his girlfriend Laurie Jupiter formerly the Silk Spectre (II) and Ozymandias who is now a billionaire businessman and industrialist. The most mysterious and enigmatic character is the fan favorite Rorschach, who possesses a strange white mask which displays various interchangeable Rorschach inkblot patterns. Rorschach is an intense, violent and obsessive character who refuses to give up his costumed persona and lives like a vagrant.
    When Rorschach discovers the identity of The Comedian he begins his search believing that there is a conspiracy to murder former costumed heroes and anyone of his former associates and even villains could be next as he stumbles onto the truth of one of the most convoluted and world shattering murder plots ever which the end result could mean all out nuclear destruction.
    Still considered a new director, Zack Snyder has shown his talent in both horror and action/comic book based movies with the impressive 2005 remake of George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” and the adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel “300” in 2007. Zack Snyder has brought the world of “Watchmen” straight from the pages of Moore and Gibbon’s comic masterpiece and brought new life to the story as it most certainly will impress both new and old fans alike. Like any adaptation, there is always the element of revision and change to that of the source material, and like most comic book movies there are always some parts where the directors and writers alter certain aspects of the source material. Already having some experience and success in “300”, Snyder brought Frank Miller’s graphic novel almost literally word-for-word and scene-by-scene to life he has done incredible justice to the book. As with most adaptations of Frank Miller’s works it somewhat disappointing and maybe a little thought provoking of why Alan Moore has completely distanced himself from all of his books turned to movies  such as “From Hell”, “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” and “V for Vendetta”. Although he remains an extremely talented yet eccentric personality, because he has no involvement whatsoever with those stories he unfortunately gets zero credit on the movie as Dave Gibbons, “co-creator” is the only one who gets his name in the credits.
    As for the movie itself, it is an intense, deeply thought provoking if not somewhat a little saddened that such a comic masterpiece be made into a movie it both empowers and hurts the comic as it will not likely give the mainstream film goers a completely new experience but will please most fans of the original series. The film version takes much of the original scenes and dialogue right from the pages but the movie does take its liberties with the story as only Hollywood could. Even from the beginning of the movie you can already see every detail has been painstakingly crafted and both the actors and direction is superb. The choice of actors for the various parts are nothing if not perfect even with some of the younger actors chosen for older parts you can see as the past is constantly revisited in numerous flashbacks from the 1940’s to the 1980’s that the illusion of age is very well done with the makeup of the characters.
    As for the music used in the film, which is something to be noticed as it draws heavily from nostalgic music especially from the 60’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s where much of the story takes place. With selections like Bob Dylan’s “The Times, They are-a Changin’” in the opening title sequence, to “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel, “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole, and Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower”, “I’m Your Boogieman” by K.C. and the Sunshine Band, and even the use of “Ride of the Valkyries” during the scenes of the Vietnam War, ala “Apocalypse Now”. As many of these seem obvious others are somewhat perplexing in their placement.
    If you are a fan, there is a strong chance that like me you will be impressed by this movie, however many of the more devoted “fanboys” will be sorely disappointed and unsatisfied with this adaptation, particularly with the alteration of the final scenes of the movie which I will not spoil. This movie is one of those rare films that will change the way people will think about comic book films. The only regret I have is that although I believe this to be an amazing movie, for most people and the mainstream movie audience this will be a perplexing and even confusing film that many will not fully understand or appreciate. For those people who will not get a single moment of “Watchmen” I say have a more open mind and forget everything you think you know about superhero movies and for the fans who expected so much more than a 2 ½ hour, $130,000,000 blockbuster could give.
    So my answer to the ancient “Who watches the Watchmen?” (Juvenal, Satires, VI, 347) the answer is “We Do!”

RATING:

2/13/09 - MOVIE REVIEW -  "Friday the 13th"

    As a fan of the horror/”slasher” film, there are few in the vast ocean (of blood) of slasher imitators and cheap knockoffs and sequels over the years that are considered original or significant. Among these few great originals such as the first “Halloween” (1978), “Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) and even “Psycho” (1960), one series has survived the longest despite numerous sequels: “Friday the 13th” (1980). After 10 sequels and even a drop down fist fight with another slasher icon Jason Voorhees is regarded as one of the most memorable names in horror films, along others such as Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers (not “Shrek”!) even Leatherface. The 1980’s was when the slasher was the most prolific although it very quickly became stale and shallow. In recent years, Hollywood has attempted to revitalize the slasher/horror genre as the horror icons of the past come back from the grave to torment promiscuous teenagers once again!
            With the trend of remaking horror films in recent years with successes such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2003) and Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” (2007) and “The Hills Have Eyes” (2006) have brought some much needed originality rather than failures like “Psycho” (1998) and “The Omen” (2006) which utterly defeated the purpose of the remake by just copying the original. As the horror icons have reemerged in the last decade with Leatherface (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”) and Michael Myers (Halloween), the newest killer to be remade (or “re-imagined”) is none other but Jason Voorhees with the release of New Line’s “Friday the 13th” on February 13, 2009.
            Although genuinely frightening and mildly impressive the new “Friday the 13th” could easily be another installment (“Friday the 13th Part XII”) in the long series as the only connection with any of the original series would be the original “Friday the 13th” (1980) as it seems to take place after the events of the film with Jason’s mother Mrs. Voorhees being the killer. However it is more of a combination with the original and “Friday the 13th Part 2” (1981) as the murders have taken place years ago and a new group of licentious teenagers happen upon Camp Crystal Lake (apparently searching for a rumored marijuana crop, I didn’t know Jason was a pot-head) it’s obvious what is going to happen. 
      From the beginning, (by which I mean the first 15 minutes) it’s the same tired “murder-fest” where the first victims are dispatched one by one by the masked “mongoloid” but only after they conveniently set up the story by telling us the events of the first movie (as if we didn’t know) only to not follow their own warnings and GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE! The only difference is that after the first massacre (which turns out to be the longest prologue in horror film history) only then do we get the title sequence.
    As we get into the real story we meet Clay Miller, played by Jared Padalecki (“Supernatural” TV series), who is searching for his sister Whitney Miller (Amanda Righetti, “Return to House on Haunted Hill”) believed dead. When he happens upon a group of college kids led by the overbearing Trent (Travis Van Winkle) heading to his parents lake house to party, they are all drawn into the plot when Jason begins exacting his mindless slaughter on all of them. Unlike most of the Friday the 13th movies we are given very little into Jason’s story other than basic clues to his origins as the filmmakers made no attempt to improve or add upon his already known past. Like “Part 2” he starts out very plain as just a silent, mindless killer with a burlap bag over his head. He does don his trademark hockey mask, as in “Part 3” (1982) but only by accident.
    There is almost nothing to set this movie apart from the other 10 movies as it keeps the same predictable, formulaic story fraught with merciless ultra-violence, sex, and death. Without spoiling the ending Jason is dispatched in almost the same way as any of the other Friday’s, you know he can never be stopped and he will always come back, there is almost no end to the pointless killing, I had high hopes for this movie but despite the hype and the new talent this is just another bland slasher flick, good for a cheap scare and a little thrill but nothing more. Hopefully, as the new decade is upon us and the new era of horror film remakes we may see some of our old favorites reborn with new twists on an old scare. With new hype for movies such as Rob Zombie’s “H2: Halloween 2” later this year and the remake of “Hellraiser” in 2011, there is even rumors of a new “Nightmare on Elm Street”. But of course as we all know Jason Voorhees will not rest at the bottom of Crystal Lake forever, it’s only a matter of time before he rears up his deformed hockey masked face and wreaks havoc on a new generation of screaming teenagers.

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12/5/2008 - MOVIE REVIEW - "THE PUNISHER: WAR ZONE"

    After Marvel Comics movies had a rebirth of great blockbusters like "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk", you would think we would be in for more greatness. As we eagerly await the "Wolverine" Movie and the upcoming "Avengers" what could Marvel give us to wet our Marvel appetite: we get "Punisher: War Zone" and lets just say it is an unwinnable war! 2003's "The Punisher" starring Thomas Jane brought the gun-toting vigilante into the 21st century and it was great!
    Unfortunately, due to the usual Hollywood politics, Thomas Jane was unable to return as Frank Castle for this year's movie and so we get a new Punisher (Ray Stevenson) and although it seems to hearken back to the 1990's comic other then the more recent comic series, it presents a campier version of the ultra-violent comic character. Released as the first of Marvel Pictures "Marvel Knights" series for those that know the "Knights" comics know that they are the more mature rated titles intended for adults, hence the R rating for the movies. Although as this Punisher seems to be less about substance and more about violence and gore we get a very one-dimensional Punisher whose expression and tone of voice never change. As this version includes a new villain, Jigsaw (Dominic West), first introduced in the Spider-man comics in 1976, this is his first movie appearance.
    "War Zone" is by far one of the worst Marvel films in recent years, right alongside Marvel flops like "Hulk" (2003) and "Elektra" (2005).  Some fans may enjoy its melodramatic overacting and over the top violence and gore, but it seems to be more like a Joel Schumacher (Director "Batman Forever (1995) and "Batman & Robin" (1997) version of the Punisher! If there had never been a 2003 Punisher movie I would say that the Punisher movie from 1989 (for those who remember) starring Dolph Lundgren was better then "War Zone"!....

RATING:

11/23/08 - MOVIE REVIEW - "THE DARK KNIGHT"

RATING:

11/23/08 - - MOVIE REVIEW - "HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY"

I first became a "Hellboy" fan in 2001 when I discovered the first graphic novel while working at a local comic book store. Since then I have been a devoted fan of all things Hellboy, including anything B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) related! When the first movie was released in 2004, I was blown away by director Guillermo del Toro's film until then the I had only seen Del Toro's American film "Mimic" (1997) and would search out his Spanish-language films such as "The Devil's Backbone" (2001) and later "Pan's Labyrinth" (2006). Already impressed by del Toro's vision and imagery I was eagerly awaiting Hellboy's sequel this summer.
    I have realized over the years being both a moviegoer and comic book fan that the line between comics and movies has been severely twisted. With older classics such as Richard Donner's "Superman" and Tim Burton's "Batman" (1989), which I had grown up adoring. I was always aware that any comic book adaptation has to have an equal mixing of both the comic book and the moviemaker in order to work. Like "Batman" (1989) which was delightfully dark as Batman should be it was also very Burton, ("Beetleguise", "Edward Scissorhands") at that time still a young filmmaker. And in recent years with Marvel comics burst of film franchises like "Spider-man" and "X-Men" which were very successful although somewhat dwindling the third time around, all has the directors style but still remains devoted to the comics original flavor.
    Like "Hellboy", whose original creator Mike Mignola had a lot of involvement with the first "Hellboy" movie as well as the sequel, however it is noticeable that Mignola's presence is somewhat lesser and del Toro's style has completely overtaken the film. Not only has del Toro taken liberties with the film but he used this sequel as an opportunity to have a little "Fun" with "Hellboy" which, as far as I'm concerned, is too much!
    "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army" is remarkable, the special effects the imagery, the inventiveness. Its downright overwhelming, its no longer dark and mysterious as the Hellboy comics were originally, now, its bright and funny!? What happened!? Don't get me wrong, Ron Perlman as Hellboy is fantastic, I met him shortly after at a convention. Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) is incredible. I was even overjoyed that this movie would introduce a new B.P.R.D. agent from the comics into the movies: Dr. Johan Krauss! On first seeing his ectoplasm suit and hearing hi voice (although humorously voiced by "Family Guy"/"American Dad" creator and voice: Seth MacFarlane. Although Krauss now sounds more like Klauss, the goldfish from American Dad, which I enjoy watching.)
    The failing of Hellboy 2 starts with the soap-opera level love story between Hellboy and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), and not to mention Abe Sapien becoming smitten with the new character Princess Nuala, which goes so far as to have him begin drinking and singing annoying love songs (Come on! WTF!)
     The final stab is the overly convoluted story that has no basis in the Hellboy comics! We've gone so far from the original concept of Hellboy and a far turn from the original film that I dread to see if and when there will be a Hellboy 3, will Hellboy return to his roots marked with dark, Lovecraftian stories or will be off to the north pole to fight an evil Santa Claus. Guillermo del Toro, stop please and re-evaluate your situation before it gets too much for us to handle. I cannot even think about what's going to happen when his vision of "The Hobbit" will be released in 2011 (Really!) and they've already slated for "The Hobbit 2" in 2012! I can't wait…

RATING:

8/14/08 - MOVIE REVIEW - "TROPIC THUNDER"

When a group of popular actors embarks upon a controversial Vietnam War movie they are thrown unawares into a real jungle warzone! This whole movie is a hilarious satire on Hollywood, actors, and what the business of movies in general, has become. Director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan), unsatisfied with the films progress and his constant berating by the films producer Les Grossman (Tom Cruise), decides to take the crew out of the studio and into the jungle to film the rest of the movie when everything goes horribly wrong and the whole cast encounters a Cambodian opium ring and has to fight their way out with fake guns and no catering!
    Ben Stiller stars as Tugg Speedman, a popular action star whose dwindling action career after a string of over the top action "Scorcher" movies and one serious drama as a "retarded" farmhand leads him to portray John "Four Leaf" Tayback (Nick Noltes alter ego) a supposed Vietnam War hero who whose book about his heroic efforts and the "alleged" loss of his hands. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Kirk Lazarus, a talented, Oscar-winning, Australian actor known for his highly controversial parts and his deep commitment to his roles, plays Sgt. Osiris, but in order to play this role he transforms himself with surgery and make-up to become black/African-American, and never breaks character! Jack Black plays Jeff "Fatty" Portnoy, a drug-addicted excess driven comedian/actor known for his movies "The Fatties". Brandon T. Jackson plays hip-hop entertainer turned actor Alpa Chino, who makes millions of his product endorsements.
    Both Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stillers' characters are the epitome of this films pop-culture satire as Downy plays the actor who will do anything to win an Oscar and Stiller as the actor that becomes so type-casted as a character that he cannot escape it and ruins his life and career forever. With an all-star cast, this movie, despite its initial negative criticism, is not just some fun comedy, it has a profound underlying criticism of Hollywood and celebrities.

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5/30/07 - MOVIE REVIEW - "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

"Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, a pirate's life for me…" To think, that a 40-year-old amusement park ride could spawn a multi-million dollar blockbuster trilogy. Nonetheless, Disney Picture's "Pirates of the Caribbean" films have surpassed all expectations in becoming one of the most popular film franchises. With the first movie, "Curse of the Black Pearl" released in 2003 and the sequel "Dead Man's Chest" in 2006, the third installment in this epic, swashbuckling, and action-packed blockbuster has blown this summer's competition (literally) out of the water!

            In "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", we reunite with the crew of the Black Pearl, along with William Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris), with a little help from the recently resurrected Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) to rescue Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from Davy Jone's Locker. They reluctantly travel to Singapore to seek the pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) for aid in their quest all-the-while, dodging their sworn enemies: the East India Trading Company, led by Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) and Commodore James Norrington (Jack Davenport) with their unlikely ally, the tentacle-faced Capt. Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). On top of all that, there is still the matter of Will Turner's promise to marry Elizabeth and his determination to save his father 'Bootstrap' Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) from Davy Jone's eternal clutches.

            While Capt. Jack resides in the "locker," an alternate dimension, (which looks an awful lot like Utah's Salt Lake Desert) where Jack is driven to the brink of insanity as he carries on conversations with his numerous other-selves. The crew must now journey to the edge of the world and beyond to bring Capt. Jack back from the dead, because they need him as one of the eight pirate lords to wage war on Beckett and Jones. Now, there is a new twist, as the pirate lords must seek the help of the sea goddess Calypso, to aid them in their battle or all is lost. It's an all out battle-royal with a ruthless battle between Beckett and the pirates with a face-to-face fight with Capt. Jack versus Davy Jones and a surprise ending that no one would expect. Also, be sure to stay after the credits for another little surprise.

"At World's End" combines a uniquely complex plot along with intense supernatural suspense and epic, swashbuckling action in this third and (maybe?) last installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.

"Dead men tell no tales…"..:
 

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