Sunday, March 13, 2011

New Reviews

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done(2009) - 8/10 stars.
David Lynch and Werner Herzog fans will find plenty to enjoy about this
atmospheric thriller.  I don't understand why it got so many negative reviews.
It really is a beautiful film in a lot of different ways.
My Soul to Take(2010) - 4/10 stars.
Since this was Wes Craven's return to horror, I really wanted to like it.  I mean,
I even tried as hard I could to like it.  Unfortunately, it is just not a good movie.
It starts off very strong and slowly unravels into a sad cliche.  Hopefully Scream
4 is better than this.
Pirate Radio(2009) - 3/10 stars.
I suppose this film is entertaining and funny in parts but it's non-linear storyline
and overly unlikable characters make it hardly count as a noteworthy film.  If you
decide to see it, see it only for fun and nothing else.
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra(2001) 9/10 stars.
Probably the best horror parody of all time, next to Young Frankenstein, of
course.  If you're a fan of the sci-fi and horror films of the 50's and 60's, you
owe it to yourself to see this tribute to them.
I Sell the Dead(2008) - 8/10 stars.
It feels like a throwback to early horror films that would star Vincent Price or
Christopher Lee.  This return to genre is very much welcome if you ask me.  I
hope to see more films like this coming out in the near future.  After all, something
needs to save the horror genre!
Red River(2011) - 1/10 stars.
Not even worth talking about, much less seeing.  
Black Death(2010) - 9/10 stars.
Black Death is a new favorite film of mine.  If you're a fan of 1973's The Wicker
Man, you'll undoubtedly love this one.  Christopher Smith is one of the best new
directors out there.  It's kind of sad that very few people will see film simply because
it was made in the UK.

Summer of Sam(1999) - 3/10 stars.
An overlong, painful, boring mess that proves once again how overrated Spike
Lee really is.  The story is so cluttered that you might ask "what story?" after you
finally reach the long awaited ending.  
Holy Rollers(2010) - 8/10 stars.
A very touching an depressing story about drug dealers using Jews to smuggle
drugs into the U.S.  As usual, Jesse Eisenberg shines in his role and the script is
very well crafted. 
The Hillside Strangler(2004) - 4/10 stars.
C. Thomas Howell is always entertaining and there are plenty of cringe worthy
scenes in this film about the true story.  However, every other performance and
the narrative seem to fall flat.  I probably wouldn't recommend seeing this unless
you're an expert on the actual news story.

Bulletproof(1996) - 6/10 stars.
It features Adam Sandler in his prime and there are plenty of laugh out loud
moments that will keep your attention.  It probably would have gotten a higher
rating from me if it didn't have Damon Wayans and if the script wasn't so cliche. 

The Reeds(2009) - 2/10 stars.
My obsession with British horror has been growing and growing ever since I
saw Eden Lake and I have enjoyed almost every Brit scare flick since then.  Alas,
every streak has to end eventually.  The Reeds plays out like any teen survival horror
from the states.  Try to stay away.

The Green Hornet(2010) - 3/10 stars.
After looking forward to this one for a while, I was very disappointed once I
finally got to see it.  There are hundreds of other directions this film could have
gone in that would have been much better.  I was also very surprised that such
a visionary director like Michel Gondry made this.


The Hand That Rocks the Cradle(1992) - 7/10 stars.
Though it  doesn't boast much, this film is very intense and entertaining.  There
are also very good performances from all sides.  I would recommend it as a late
Friday night flick.