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ronski68
Reviews
The Hangover (2009)
Don't Believe The Hype......
Hey....I'm a guy who loves all types of humor, both highbrow (most Woody Allen films) and low (Billy Madison, Bachelor Party). As an example of a film in the lowbrow category, The Hangover disappoints......tremendously. There is no doubt, however, that the context of extreme hype this movie generated added to my disappointment.
After seeing Bradley Cooper in this movie and in other roles, I now conclude that he is an actor of limited range, delivering forgettable performances, and who adds absolutely no value to any film. In contrast, Ed Helms appears to be an actor perfect for a comedic role. I will definitely seek out his future performances (Hangover 2 the exception). The director, Todd Philips, produced two other forgettable movies in the same buddy format as Hangover: Road Trip and Old School. Both are derivative, unfunny films. Look for him to churn out more junk in the same mold.
Believe me
I love to allow the juvenile in me to enjoy a crazy buddy movie. I just don't get this film. If you enjoy crazy movies that Hangover attempts to emulate watch Clerks, Billy Madison, Little Nicky, or even Dodge Ball.
If you to continue to have a desire to see this movie wait for its appearance on a non-premium cable channel.
Nuff Said
Event Horizon (1997)
Great premise ..poor delivery!
I always think about H.P. Lovecraft whenever viewing movies mixing the genres of horror and sci-fi. I'm not saying that this movie is based on or directly influenced by a Loveraftian tale. However, I'm sure that H.P.L. would have been entertained. Event Horizon begins by offering a chilling and creative premise: A space ship capable of warping space returns after missing for several years and is adrift within the orbit of Neptune. A science team is sent to search for any survivors and investigate the situation of the ship's disappearance. The team discovers that the shipped warped into a dimension of pure evil and went insane; eventually killing themselves in the process. However, what the team is late in discovering is that the ship itself has become haunted (possessed) and is attempting to murder the rescue team members. Viewer questions arise: Has the ship become an sentient evil entity, or are the possessions and poltergeists caused by residual spiritual energies?
This creative premise had me intrigued. The movie essentially becomes an orbiting haunted house. What a concept! Unfortunately, the promise of a great ghost story is lost on unoriginal elements. The spooky events used to convey the plot become tired and clichéd. Visual hallucinations, sudden sounds of slamming doors, and laughing ghost children (overused in most horror movies of the late 90's) are meant to convey the atmosphere of a haunting, but fall flat.
A better directorial approach should have included each member of the team offering different arguments on the causes of the haunting, bringing in a science-verses-the-world-of-the-spiritual theme. A Lovecraftian blend of the spiritual and hard science would have made this movie more thought provoking and encourage intense conversations among the viewers.
This movie is an example of how many of today's directors are incompetent in utilizing sound and visual imagery to convey a creepy atmosphere. A study of "Legend of Hell House", Kubrick's "Shinning", or Val Lewton's "I Walked with a Zombie" would have assisted the director in forming an appropriate atmosphere for this movie.
In summary
..Event Horizon offers a great horror premise, but the cinematic events fail to carry it through.
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Horror meets Sci-Fi
I always think about H.P. Lovecraft whenever I view movies mixing the genres of horror and sci-fi. I'm not saying that this movie is based on or directly influenced by a Loveraftian tale. However, I'm sure that he would have been highly entertained.
**May contain spoilers**
The movie begins by offering what appears to be a standard spook tale of a group of paranormal investigators attempting to research (and survive) the haunted happenings of an old mansion (aka Hell House). The first character appearing, a respected physicist, is put forth as the lead and the research skeptic. Other members of the team include two clairvoyants, both representing the metaphysical/spiritual side of the continuum. The physicist's wife is a neutral member and gives the group its balance.
The traditional spooky-house-survival-team plot eventually begins to take some unpredictable twists and turns. This element is the movie's greatest strength. Predictions made upon early characterizations and introductory discussions fly out the window. All of the characters are presented as insightful, but flawed personalities. The different takes on the causes of the haunting are all creative and given convincing arguments by each proponent. One cannot help but think about "Hell House" being a precursor to the "Shinning" story when discussions of possessions and poltergeists caused by residual spiritual energies arise.
The atmosphere of "Hell House" is given the traditional haunted house treatment: billowing drapes, ceiling candelabras dropping, and the periodic bassoon accompaniment. These effects are a set up for the viewer and amplify the effect of the surprise twists and gear shifts.
Again
.the movie's blend of spirituality and hard science will allow for great debates and wet one's appetite for a reading of Lovecraft.
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972)
Some Creepy Zombie Moments
It's always interesting to view a horror movie after hearing so much praise from other fans. Experience has taught me that you should never generalize fan taste within a genre. My expectations of this movie were a great deal higher than my viewed opinion.
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things is a movie with a good intended plot that trips up too many times to carry it out. The whole idea of a band of actors staging a reanimation of dead corpses had me intrigued. However, everything degenerated into cinematic chaos. The actors,who for the most part were competent and amazingly expressive, were offered roles that fail to maintain consistent characterization. Some of these characters go from ambivalence about the whole act of defiling a cemetery, to outspoken criticism, back to ambivalence. It's one thing for characters to have a change heart in the course of the film; it's another to produce an overly dynamic, circular attitude that loops every ten minutes.
Another inconsistent element of this film is the premise. Does the main protagonist intend for the ceremony to be theatrical prank or does he actually conspire with dark spiritual forces to raise the dead? Even with the aforementioned flaws, I would recommend this movie to other horror fans, since I believe that only true horror fans will appreciate the dark atmospheric components and be able to ignore the plot's inconsistency. The scene where the dead rise out of the grave is made extremely haunting (even to a veteran zombie enthusiast) by the excellent combined use of scenery and sound, and the great choice of skilled actors chosen to play the reanimated dead. Current filmmakers should learn from CSPWDT about using the proper video and audio techniques in mood development.
All in all, if you are zombie movie completionist like me, you should take time to locate and view this movie. It's a fun watch.