The Movie: The Messengers, directed by Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang
Recommendation: Nobody.
Reason: I saw the commercials and was really struck by one section-the teenage girl being snatched back through a doorway by greyed hands.
I like horror movies. I really do. My wall is heavily seeded towards that end, ranging from The Descent to Scream to...eurgh...Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. So I sometimes get excited by new concepts and interesting visuals, which the previews of The Messengers certainly included-the child's legs appearing as a bedspread billows upwards was quite eyecatching. I usually forget that movies with interesting visuals tend to sort of suck in the story and horror department.
As it turns out, this movie was filmed in my province. Credit should be given, I couldn't tell, but then again North Dakota and Saskatchewan do look a little alike. Wish I had known this was happening. I might have been able to stop it. The Messengers isn't a bad movie so much as it is damn boring. Seriously boring. The 'shocks' are telegraphed horribly and the 'scary' never comes. It's basically Cold Creek Manner without Stephen Dorff's innate ability to create utter crap.
Apparently it hit #1 in between Epic Movie and Norbit, which just goes to show that the stupid ran high for three weeks in February. Don't bother seeing The Messengers. There are better things to do with your time. Watch The Changeling. I've heard it's good.
-136/365 down, 229/365 to go
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Sorry. My bad.
The Movie: Reno 911!: Miami, directed by Ben Garant
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I love Reno 911. Yup.
So, Reno 911! was hilarious, as I expected it would be. I'm a pretty big fan of the TV show, and the movie kept the spirit of the show while taking it to a new level. I don't know if I can really provide a review that's objective here, because I really do like the show enough that I feel it might cloud my judgement. But for those who enjoy the improvisational humor Reno has to offer, it was a good movie.
The story of the movie is a little over the top, not unexpected in a comedy like this. The Reno sheriff's department, comprised of short-shorts wearing Dangle, probably-insane Weigle, asleep-at-the-wheel Junior, moderately skanky Clementine, butch Kimball and ethically questionable Garcia and Jones, is put in charge of preventing crime in Miami after an accident. This is about as good an idea as it sounds to those familiar with the series, and the cast really gets into their new environment.
This was a truly entertaining movie, head and shoulders above the other movie I saw on the same night. If the show's your thing, watch the movie, flip off the brain and enjoy yourself.
-135/365 down, 230/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I love Reno 911. Yup.
So, Reno 911! was hilarious, as I expected it would be. I'm a pretty big fan of the TV show, and the movie kept the spirit of the show while taking it to a new level. I don't know if I can really provide a review that's objective here, because I really do like the show enough that I feel it might cloud my judgement. But for those who enjoy the improvisational humor Reno has to offer, it was a good movie.
The story of the movie is a little over the top, not unexpected in a comedy like this. The Reno sheriff's department, comprised of short-shorts wearing Dangle, probably-insane Weigle, asleep-at-the-wheel Junior, moderately skanky Clementine, butch Kimball and ethically questionable Garcia and Jones, is put in charge of preventing crime in Miami after an accident. This is about as good an idea as it sounds to those familiar with the series, and the cast really gets into their new environment.
This was a truly entertaining movie, head and shoulders above the other movie I saw on the same night. If the show's your thing, watch the movie, flip off the brain and enjoy yourself.
-135/365 down, 230/365 to go
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Yo-HAR!
The Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, directed by Gore Verbinski
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I had to finish the trilogy.
I was dragged to Pirates of the Caribbean. I really was. I did _not_ want to see it at all. For crying out loud, it was based on a Disney ride, and the Haunted Mansion movie looked bad enough. Imagine my surprise when the original movie turned out to be a slightly longish swords and seas flick with a spectacular performance by Johnny Depp as the possibly-villainous, possibly-heroic Jack Sparrow. It was thrilling. I giggled with glee. Then they started putting out sequels, and that wasn't...so bad. I liked Dead Man's Chest, which wasn't the general consensus, and I did like At World's End.
At the end of the movie, I was so tired I didn't stick around for the after-credits bit. Apparently it was important, but unless it was Elizabeth standing behind the wheel of a pirate ship in full regalia, I can wait for DVD. If I did miss that, I apologize and I will rectify it as soon as possible. That's the part of the ending that probably annoyed me the most-Elizabeth is left on a stupid beach, pining away for Will...and everything we've seen so far makes that conclusion of her character a little difficult to accept. I think I'll settle for being happy to have seen so much of Naomie Harris and Geoffrey Rush-his scenery chewing manic-pirate antics would've punched up Dead Man's Chest quite a bit.
This third installment was adequate, I'd say. It wrapped up the stories it started, everyone went on their merry way and it was nearly a happy ending. Sorry if I've gone and spoiled things for people, but I've left out the more...bizarre stuff. Go and see it, assuming you haven't already and you liked the first two movies. At the very least, there's a damn cool ship-battle.
-134/365 down, 231/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I had to finish the trilogy.
I was dragged to Pirates of the Caribbean. I really was. I did _not_ want to see it at all. For crying out loud, it was based on a Disney ride, and the Haunted Mansion movie looked bad enough. Imagine my surprise when the original movie turned out to be a slightly longish swords and seas flick with a spectacular performance by Johnny Depp as the possibly-villainous, possibly-heroic Jack Sparrow. It was thrilling. I giggled with glee. Then they started putting out sequels, and that wasn't...so bad. I liked Dead Man's Chest, which wasn't the general consensus, and I did like At World's End.
At the end of the movie, I was so tired I didn't stick around for the after-credits bit. Apparently it was important, but unless it was Elizabeth standing behind the wheel of a pirate ship in full regalia, I can wait for DVD. If I did miss that, I apologize and I will rectify it as soon as possible. That's the part of the ending that probably annoyed me the most-Elizabeth is left on a stupid beach, pining away for Will...and everything we've seen so far makes that conclusion of her character a little difficult to accept. I think I'll settle for being happy to have seen so much of Naomie Harris and Geoffrey Rush-his scenery chewing manic-pirate antics would've punched up Dead Man's Chest quite a bit.
This third installment was adequate, I'd say. It wrapped up the stories it started, everyone went on their merry way and it was nearly a happy ending. Sorry if I've gone and spoiled things for people, but I've left out the more...bizarre stuff. Go and see it, assuming you haven't already and you liked the first two movies. At the very least, there's a damn cool ship-battle.
-134/365 down, 231/365 to go
I have a crush on Doug Jones.
The Movie: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, directed by Tim Story
Recommendation: Broomie
Reason: He's a Chris Evans fan, and a Marvel comics geek.
So, the first Fantastic Four movie is probably best forgotten. In a real case of the sequel kicking the ass of the original, Rise of the Silver Surfer completely wipes the slate free of our sickening memories of Dr. Doom arriving at the final confrontation on a bus, and Ben Mulroney. Wanktastic Marvel geeks are going to hate it, as their precious Galactus is altered from 'retarded looking planet eating robot' to 'amorphous cthonic cloud', as well as loads of other 'inaccuracies'. I'm going to take the perspective of a DC fan and say 'suck it'. I've had to put up with all sorts of jackassery surrounding the Batman franchise-yon Marvel wankers can just deal with the 'assault on canon' the Fantastic Four are undergoing.
But I get off track-spent a little too long discussing that particular bit with Broomie I think. Rise of the Silver Surfer is a really good movie. Nothing that's going to win any awards, but for a comic book movie, it rises to the occasion. It ranks with X2, Batman Begins and X-Men, though doesn't quite reach Spiderman levels of excellence. The effects were stunning (even Galactus, you whiny fanboys), the performances were alright and the story was better than the first one. Altogether, Rise of the Silver Surfer was just all-round a better movie. It was less boring, much tighter, and Doug Jones was in it. We have a silly amount of love for that man.
From the perspective of a comics fan, I liked the movie. It had a good feel to it, it found the balance between the multiple storylines better than the first movie did, and the superpowers were appropriately over-the-top. As a movie, it's good summer fare, and that's all it needed to be.
-133/365 down, 232/365 to go
Recommendation: Broomie
Reason: He's a Chris Evans fan, and a Marvel comics geek.
So, the first Fantastic Four movie is probably best forgotten. In a real case of the sequel kicking the ass of the original, Rise of the Silver Surfer completely wipes the slate free of our sickening memories of Dr. Doom arriving at the final confrontation on a bus, and Ben Mulroney. Wanktastic Marvel geeks are going to hate it, as their precious Galactus is altered from 'retarded looking planet eating robot' to 'amorphous cthonic cloud', as well as loads of other 'inaccuracies'. I'm going to take the perspective of a DC fan and say 'suck it'. I've had to put up with all sorts of jackassery surrounding the Batman franchise-yon Marvel wankers can just deal with the 'assault on canon' the Fantastic Four are undergoing.
But I get off track-spent a little too long discussing that particular bit with Broomie I think. Rise of the Silver Surfer is a really good movie. Nothing that's going to win any awards, but for a comic book movie, it rises to the occasion. It ranks with X2, Batman Begins and X-Men, though doesn't quite reach Spiderman levels of excellence. The effects were stunning (even Galactus, you whiny fanboys), the performances were alright and the story was better than the first one. Altogether, Rise of the Silver Surfer was just all-round a better movie. It was less boring, much tighter, and Doug Jones was in it. We have a silly amount of love for that man.
From the perspective of a comics fan, I liked the movie. It had a good feel to it, it found the balance between the multiple storylines better than the first movie did, and the superpowers were appropriately over-the-top. As a movie, it's good summer fare, and that's all it needed to be.
-133/365 down, 232/365 to go
Friday, June 15, 2007
ZOMG! You stole his idea!
The Movie: The Last Broadcast, directed by Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler
Recommendation: A lot of people who claimed The Blair Witch Project ripped it off.
Reason: As the above.
Sometimes horror movie nerds (yes, I am a horror movie nerd) just plain piss me off. When The Blair Witch Project came out, I heard a lot of hype about how terrifying it was. Lots of my 'hardcore' buddies were really blown away by the movie, and when I went to see it, it terrified me. I actually didn't sleep that night-I couldn't. I ended up barricading the door to my room and staying up with the lights on, reading. To this day, I still admit that The Blair Witch Project scared me stupid and I will probably never forget the last minute of the film. So people who claim that the movie didn't scare them at all usually get a dubious look. The people who claimed that The Blair Witch Project wholly ripped off The Last Broadcast will be getting a double-dubious look because while there are some surface similarities, it's just not close enough.
The Last Broadcast is about a couple of local-cable access geeks in New Jersey who haul The Internet, a sound guy and a psychic out into the Pine Barrens to go looking for the Jersey Devil. Only the psychic comes back, and he's charged with murder when the other guys turn up really really dead later on. The movie we watch is an attempt to find the real killer and prove the psychic guy didn't do it. I know, it sounds so much like The Blair Witch Project it's creepy, huh? The initial 'buildup' phase of the movie is repetetive and slow, with the main source of tension becoming a box of videotape sent to the guy making this documentary about the murders. In the age of CSI and its many spinoffs, I think we've all become a bit jaded by 'zoom-enhance-zoom-enhance-zoom-enhance', even when it's portrayed realistically. Therefore what I was left with was a few wonderfully atmospheric shots framing some really redundant 'reveals'.
For the two dollars I paid for it, The Last Broadcast was an okay film. It doesn't age well at all, and if they mentioned THE INTERNET one more time I was going to die laughing, but there was at least some development of mood. Blair Witch was better and scarier by far.
-132/365 down, 233/365 to go
Recommendation: A lot of people who claimed The Blair Witch Project ripped it off.
Reason: As the above.
Sometimes horror movie nerds (yes, I am a horror movie nerd) just plain piss me off. When The Blair Witch Project came out, I heard a lot of hype about how terrifying it was. Lots of my 'hardcore' buddies were really blown away by the movie, and when I went to see it, it terrified me. I actually didn't sleep that night-I couldn't. I ended up barricading the door to my room and staying up with the lights on, reading. To this day, I still admit that The Blair Witch Project scared me stupid and I will probably never forget the last minute of the film. So people who claim that the movie didn't scare them at all usually get a dubious look. The people who claimed that The Blair Witch Project wholly ripped off The Last Broadcast will be getting a double-dubious look because while there are some surface similarities, it's just not close enough.
The Last Broadcast is about a couple of local-cable access geeks in New Jersey who haul The Internet, a sound guy and a psychic out into the Pine Barrens to go looking for the Jersey Devil. Only the psychic comes back, and he's charged with murder when the other guys turn up really really dead later on. The movie we watch is an attempt to find the real killer and prove the psychic guy didn't do it. I know, it sounds so much like The Blair Witch Project it's creepy, huh? The initial 'buildup' phase of the movie is repetetive and slow, with the main source of tension becoming a box of videotape sent to the guy making this documentary about the murders. In the age of CSI and its many spinoffs, I think we've all become a bit jaded by 'zoom-enhance-zoom-enhance-zoom-enhance', even when it's portrayed realistically. Therefore what I was left with was a few wonderfully atmospheric shots framing some really redundant 'reveals'.
For the two dollars I paid for it, The Last Broadcast was an okay film. It doesn't age well at all, and if they mentioned THE INTERNET one more time I was going to die laughing, but there was at least some development of mood. Blair Witch was better and scarier by far.
-132/365 down, 233/365 to go
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