billbeast Reviews

Camp Dread (2014)

Trashy & Ridiculous - Some like that

[3/10 · 7 December 2014]

I liked the sound of the premise, really anything to do with camp gets me excited to watch, but Camp Dread is so bad, and it never even comes close to the so-bad-it's-good pile.

What I really hate in this genre I love so much is when endings make the whole film seem pointless and in my opinion thats what this film does. It's misleading, and im not just talking about Danielle Harris getting a star billing.

The death scenes weren't too bad, but when the movie finished I was extremely disappointed. If you like low-budget trashy camp flicks try Bloody Murder 2. It's so bad its good. This is so bad it's not even worth wasting your time on.

Patrick: Evil Awakens (2013)

Watchable

[6/10 · 1 December 2013]

Saw this in it's limited run in Melbourne. The movie is quite strange and has just the right amount of creepy to keep you entertained for the entire running time, but I feel this should've added a prequel element to make the obsessiveness work better.

The acting was great, and the film is pretty average, but if you are into these psychological films than you'd probably enjoy it more than I did.

Sharni Vinson is great as the leading lady and new nurse at the hospital, and she always has this believability about her which is great. Rachel Griffiths was also fantastic as the head nurse and every time she popped up you wanted to find out what the deal is with her being so cold and black hearted.

Carrie (2013)

Better than expected.

[7/10 · 1 December 2013]

I must admit that after watching the trailer for the movie, I was very disappointed. The movie didn't look good, but as Australia gets very little horror in cinemas I go and see every release from the genre.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. Traditionally, nothing much happens until right at the very end but Kimberly Peirce manages to keep you entertained and enthralled in the story and gets you ready for the explosive climax.

The climax is definitely the best part of the movie, and it's much more violent than I expected and I loved it. Death scenes were great, and I feel that Carrie really redeems herself in the last scene.

The acting was great. Julianne Moore is terrific as the overly religious Margaret White and plays her with a terrifying amount of believability. Chloe Moretz was good as Carrie, but I really do feel like she is too pretty for the role. If they had made her look more average before the prom it would've been nice. Judy Greer was great as sympathetic P.E teacher that seems to be Carrie's only friend and I would've liked to have seen that relationship explored a little more.

Im not a huge fan of the original film, and I think this remake is one of the better ones from the last few years. It doesn't overload with violence like many others and it's got just the right amount of gloss that I think older audience will be able to enjoy it too.

Life on Top (2009–2011)

Meh.

[5/10 · 4 February 2013]

Life On Top is about a bunch of ladies that have sex in every episode. They live the high life and like to sleep with pretty much anyone. It's softcore porn. many real pornstars feature in this series and I don't think anyone would actually watch this series for non-existent plot, but rather for the average 4 sex scenes in every episode.

Acting is horrible, production is clearly cheap and that it managed to last for more than a season is astounding. When looking for a television series, if you like only watching sex scenes, bad acting, and a very VERY tiny speck of story then this is the show for you, but if you want something with substance, story and romance then steer clear.

Motive (2013–2016)

Watchable.

[6/10 · 4 February 2013]

I love a good crime show. Law & Order SVU is the highest standard for me when it comes to crime shows and Motive takes an original spin on the genre by showing you immediately who the killer is and also their victim.

As the episode progresses you find out more of the story (or motive) from backflashes or killer movements. The sub-plot with the detectives is also standard for these shows and it gels well.

My main criticism for the show is that I like to guess and have suspicion at who the killer is, not being told straight off the bat and thats where Motive really fails. Great acting, great detective characters (especially Kristin Lehman) and production values. I'll be watching curiously to see how it progresses but Episode 1 is really just giving the viewer a basic summary of what the show is about and how it works. It's not great, but it's not bad.

The Unborn (2009)

Genuinely Scary

[8/10 · 6 March 2009]

Scary. I had so many high expectations going into this movie as I've wanted to see it for ages. These expectations were not only met, but were exceeded beyond my belief. I'm not usually the ones to jump out of my seat in the cinema, but this made me do it so many times. It's scares were genuine and 90% of the time, you didn't see coming. The film itself is original, and the few cliché moments, gave the film an extra effect. The special effects, were also very well done, and yet again Platinum Dunes has delivered another great movie. Key elements in the story, were made very clear, so the audience didn't get lost. The cinema was packed with a huge range of age groups, and everyone jumped at the same bits. The film has totally arisen anything 2008 had come up with, and shits all over any film released in 2008.

The plot was very original, and many parts of the film were so creepy, it makes me shiver. The plot wasn't too complex, but it did make the audience think one or two times. It was solidly built and had times of excellence, and was very well made.

The acting was above average, and not once did I actually think what the hell are they doing in this movie. "Odette Yustman" is a very sexy woman, and her character is very well acted, and i think "odette" really was born to play her. "Meagan Good" was also good as the best friend. She had humour, which is always good to have, to brighten the always dark mood.

Overall "The Unborn" is a definite must of 2009, and is one of the most genuinely scary films I've ever seen. My rating is 4/5.

Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (2008 Video)

Load Of Rubbish

[3/10 · 6 March 2009]

Load of rubbish. The film starts off good, and is enjoyable, right until about mid-way through, when things become laughable. One of the characters even has sex with a ghost. The movie was just plain stupid and had PLOT HOLES written all over it. It was predictable and one thing died throughout the whole movie.

The plot started off good and then turned to rubbish. The amount of plot-holes and unrelated dialog was so stupid and it just made the filming pointless.

The acting was surprisingly good, with a believable cast, take 1. One of the key elements to the film is the acting.

Overall this sequel, is only to be viewed if you've seen the first, and even if you have seen the first, i wouldn't bother buying it, or renting it. My rating is 1.5/5

Passengers (2008)

Decent, Intriguin, perfect for a lazy afternoon

[6/10 · 6 March 2009]

Not what i was expecting. Judging from the plot summary, i thought i was going to see a decent thriller, but what the film was, is more of a drama with thriller moments. The plot, i think could have been a lot stronger if it was given more time in the writing process, as many times during the film you fell like your watching two totally different movies at the same time. A few scenes had some unexpected "jump" moments, that literally made me jump in my seat. The moderate pacing in the film, made it easy to follow, but still not giving too much away with what was about to happen. Never once did i actually know what was going to happening in the following moment's which made the movie, even more enjoyable. The "shock" ending, i didn't see coming either.

The plot was very up and down, and sketchy. It was like it jumped from the actual storyline to some romance story that was misplaced into the film. The dialog was very intriguingly smart. Many scenes the main character Claire would say something unexpectedly, and the whole films plot really shone through to a decent movie, apart from the split-genre vibe i got.

The acting was really well done, and believable. "Anne Hathaway" stars as therapist "Claire" and really commit's to the role, making it seem it was born for her. She shows little expressions in the film, which is just what her character needed to really replicate what she was supposed to be in the script. "Patrick Wilson" stars as Eric, the passenger Claire forms a relationship with. The character was very mysterious, giving off a vibe, he was somehow involved with the whole thing. "Wilson" effort in the role was well done.

Overall "Passengers" is a decent, intriguing watch, perfect for a lazy afternoon. My rating is 3/5