Topic: KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010

[KinkyCyborg]

Terminator 2 : Judgment Day



Title:Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Year: 1991
Director: James Cameron
Rating: R
Length: 152 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital EX: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Commentary

Stars:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Linda Hamilton
Edward Furlong
Robert Patrick
Earl Boen

Plot:
Experience T2 Like Never Before!

Skynet, the 21st century computer waging a losing war on humans sends a second terminator back in time to destroy the leader of the human resistance while he is still a boy. His mother is the only one who knows of the existence of the Terminators, human-like robots that exist only to kill and are nearly indestructible, and Sarah, the boy's mother is currently in a state mental hospital because of her 'delusions'. A second protector is sent back to the past by the Human resistance to protect John Connor, their future leader, at all costs.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned
THX
2-Disc Set, Remastered Video, "Special Edition" Cut of film

My Thoughts:

I can say with a fair amount of conviction even without having seen the last installment, Terminator Salvation, that Judgment Day is hands down, and always will be, the best movie in the franchise. 

It has all the best lines, the best scenes and the most WOW moments. Be honest... when this first came out and you watched it for the first time you were blown away by the special effects... yes? The T-1000 and it's ability to morph, liquefy, mimic and kick ass was groundbreaking for the time and another pioneering moment of many for James Cameron.

Another thing you have to give Cameron kudos for... his taste of women. We had a recent up close and personal with the gorgeous Katherine Bigelow but my favorite of the ex's is Linda Hamilton. She is a breathtaking vision in this movie. Ripped, toned, athletically graceful and mean! Her facial expressions during her stay in the mental hospital invoke fear... better to take your chances with the Terminator rather than her when she's pissed.

I almost forgot this was Edward Furlong's breakout movie and I find after this viewing that I didn't care too much for him. He didn't quite have the chops yet at that young age to pull off the cockiness of his character. He did go on to have some good roles after that however.

My favorite image from this classic?



Rating:

[Jimmy]

My favorite was always the first one, not that I don't like the sequel but I find it less serious and menacing (but I must agree the special effects were really impressive). Edward Furlong is one of the main reason why I don't like it as much. By the way I must say that I was quite impress by his performance in Stoic last year...

[KinkyCyborg]

I haven't watched Stoic yet but it looks good.  I love the first Terminator too but the innovations of T2 edge it by a nose. They are like 1 and 1a for me.

[Achim]

T-2 is awesome and I watched it twice at the cinema. That image is actually my least favorite of the film, as it always felt too tacky (and unrealistic, how can he give a thumb up when the rest of his body is molten already ).

[KinkyCyborg]

Brooklyn Rules



Title:Brooklyn Rules
Year: 2007
Director: Michael Corrente
Rating: R
Length: 99 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Alec Baldwin
Scott Caan
Mena Suvari
Monica Keena

Plot:
A gripping tale of three life-long friends struggling with relationships, responsibility, and loyalty on the mean streets of 1980's-era Brooklyn, NY. When the violent influence of the mafia becomes a factor in their friendship, lives will be threatened as the fond memories of the past begin to give way to a potentially grim future.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Music Videos
Interviews

My Thoughts:

Excellent movie that is more of a coming of age story than a mob movie as you might get the impression from the trailer. The story of these three young men played by Freddie Prinze Jr, Scott Caan and Jerry Ferrera is interwoven into a mob world of fictitious characters who are part of real life mob families of the Gambino's and the Gotti's.

Some entertaining moments, some touching moments and some brutally violent moments would make this an interesting watch for almost anyone.

Alec Baldwin was great as the man who runs the Brooklyn mob, both feared and looked up to, generous and murderous. I thought Scott Caan was great in this, reminding me of his old man. The Godfather remark Prinze made about Sonny Corleone was not lost on me.

This movie came out with so little fanfare that I was sure this must have been a straight to video flick but I see it did in fact have a Limited theatrical release. Regardless of how it was distributed it is an excellent movie worth a look by all.

KC


Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Shrek The Third



Title:Shrek the Third
Year: 2007
Director: Chris Miller
Rating: PG
Length: 93 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Mike Myers
Eddie Murphy
Cameron Diaz
Antonio Banderas
Julie Andrews

Plot:
Get ready for Thirds – the greatest fairy tale never told continues with a whole new hilarious comedy of royal proportions. When his frog-in-law suddenly croaks, Shrek embarks on another whirlwind adventure with Donkey and Puss In Boots to find the rightful heir to the throne. Everyone's favorite cast of characters is back, along with a magical misguided Merlin, an awkward Arthur, a powerful posse of princesses, and a bundle of unexpected arrivals. Only Shrek can tell a tale where everyone lives happily ever laughter!

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Interactive Games
Music Videos
Outtakes/Bloopers
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Took me a while to get around to watching this as I wasn't really looking forward to it. I just have... had this feeling that the whole Shrek thing has been rather overdone and it will continue to fade and pale in comparison with every sequel. Doh! Wrong again! 

I won't say this is the best in the series but I gotta admit, it's still entertaining even after round 3! I love the frogs singing Live And Let Die, the diva princesses (Snow White, Cinderella & Sleeping Beauty) turned bad-ass Charlie's Angels and a gaggle of one liners from much of the supporting cast kept a smile on my face throughout.

Eddie Murphy is still on his game as Donkey although I notice his screen time is starting to diminish, like he is rotating out as one of the central characters. Pinocchio, Gingerbread Man and The Three Pigs are still a riot.

The one I dislike the most is Puss'n Boots, aka Antonio Banderas. Never found him funny and I don't think he has the voice to pull off voice over comedy.

Great music throughout too. The rebel charge set to Heart's Barracuda was stellar!   

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Pathfinder



Title:Pathfinder
Year: 2007
Director: Marcus Nispel
Rating: Unrated
Length: 107 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: DTS: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Karl Urban
Moon Bloodgood
Russell Means
Clancy Brown
Jay Tavare

Plot:
Experience a new world of graphic, hard-core action with this Unrated Extended Edition of Pathfinder–packed with extreme battle footage not shown in theaters, plus an army of kick-ass deleted scenes and special features! Savage Viking invaders bent on death and destruction clash with the iron-willed protectors of a new world in this heroic action-adventure filled with intense battle scenes and breathless, primal violence.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Pretty intense action when vikings and native Americans clash. Actually it's pretty lopsided in favor of the Norsemen who kill and plunder at will until they encounter a man who knows their ways, lost to the natives as a young boy on an earlier expedition and who now fights for his adopted people.

Karl Urban played the man of two people who knew how to fight by the sword perhaps a bit too well considering he might have been about 8 or 9 years old when he was picked up by the kind hearted natives. I can forgive that plot hole for the sake of the exquisite battle scenes. The final showdown on the cliff face was fantastic.  Action fans rejoice!

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

The Bridge Of San Luis Rey



Title:The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Year: 2004
Director: Mary McGuckian
Rating: PG
Length: 120 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: DTS: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Gabriel Byrne
Robert De Niro (1943)
F. Murray Abraham
Dominique Pinon
Pilar López de Ayala

Plot:
Robert De Niro, Kathy Bates, Gabriel Byrne, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, and Geraldine Chaplin co-star in this epic film adaptation of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

Five seemingly unrelated travelers cross the San Luis Ray bridge when it suddenly collapses. Were their tragic deaths the result of Divine Intervention, mere chance or perhaps something more sinister? Intrigued, a Franciscan monk investigates the victims' pasts, uncovering secrets in this moving tale of passion, ambition and destiny.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Five souls plummet to their deaths off an old bridge in Peru during a period of the Spanish Inquisitions. The movie delves less into the tragedy and more into the lives of the five people, their own personal tragedies, how their lives interconnect and the intrigues of the Spanish court. A pious priest played by Gabriel Byrne investigates what these people may have had in common, and if that denominator might have been the reason God might have taken their lives.

Pretty heavy subject matter which leaves the viewer with much to digest. The irony of the priest's findings is that they themselves lead to an inquisition, his assertions deemed heretic, and the priest burned at the stake.

Some excellent performances by an A-list cast make up for an at times excessively slow pace. I didn't find the ending very satisfying as many questions that should have been asked at the trial of the priest were not asked. Kathy Bates was incredible as the Marquess, a lonely old woman of power who only longs for the love of her petulant daughter who is off in Spain, playing the social game at Court, all the while ignoring her mother's many letters. You feel terribly bad for Bates' character, almost thankful for her death which was more of a release from her misery.

F. Murray Abraham and Harvey Kietel were also excellent in their respective roles. Robert De Niro seemed out of place as the Archbishop of Peru. His enunciation of the speech from that era was good, but his Goodfellas accent was evident which almost made it appear to be a bad voice over job. 
If you want to watch and appreciate some great method acting then you may enjoy this but I'm certain this movie is not for everyone and would likely be labeled as boring for many.

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

The Bride



Title:The Bride
Year: 1985
Director: Franc Roddam
Rating: PG-13
Length: 119 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, French: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai

Stars:
Sting
Jennifer Beals
Anthony Higgins
Clancy Brown
David Rappaport

Plot:
Frankenstein builds the perfect woman — and lives to regret it — in this tantalizing marriage of horror, romance and unbridled passion! Rock star Sting plays the cunning scientist and Jennifer Beals lends her dramatic presence as his supreme creation, THE BRIDE. This spectacular movie follows Frankenstein's creations as they look for their place in the world – the gorgeous Eva (Beals) by declaring her sexual independence, and her grotesque mate Viktor (Clancy Brown) by learning self-worth from a compassionate circus dwarf (David Rappaport). Can Dr. Frankenstein survive when the monster returns to claim his intended? Alive with brilliant photography and lavish costumes, THE BRIDE invites you to a wedding night you'll never forget!

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Production Notes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Not bad although I wasn't stuck on Sting's performance as Dr. Frankenstein. He wasn't nearly brash or bold enough for a man with a God complex. Jennifer Beals was ok as The Bride although I found her inexplicably creepy. 

I thought the much better sub-plot was the adventures of Victor the monster excellently played by Clancy Brown and his diminutive friend Rinaldo the circus midget. Their steadfast friendship in a cruel world was uplifting.

Cary Ewles makes an appearance as the prissy, pretty boy like he has in so many other movies. I was so glad to see him cut off his own leg in Saw.

This is a below average foray into the Frankenstein world as far as I'm concerned.

KC

Rating:

[Dragonfire]

Isn't the Bride supposed to be creepy?

[KinkyCyborg]

Pavement



Title:Pavement
Year: 2003
Director: Darrell James Roodt
Rating: R
Length: 91 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Robert Patrick
Lauren Holly
Barry Shabaka Henley
Chris Hoffman
Danny Keogh

Plot:
A middle-aged nurse has been found brutally murdered in her apartment. The killer took his time, showing the victim no mercy. The cops, led by Detective Buckley (Lauren Holly) are on the case, unaware that the victim's brother (Robert Patrick), a tracker from Alaska, is shadowing them. When similar victims are discovered, the cops soon realize that they're looking for a serial killer. But what do the victims share in common? The clues lie in their murderer, a cold-hearted, methodical torturer, twisted and tormented by the pain of being alive, bent on revenge for the simple crime of being born. Whether the cops and the tracker can follow the clues to the killer will be a test of their ability to observe...to analyze...and to survive.

Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:

Decent thriller that could have been better but for two major drawbacks. The first being the irritating camera tricks. Constantly zooming in and out and skipping ahead in time in 3 second intervals, all coupled with cheesy 'whooshing' sound effects. God I hate that!  Might as well turn on a bloody strobe light.

The other negative is the performance of Lauren Holly whom I've yet to watch in a movie where I didn't think she was in way over her head, even in a straight to video flick such as this. She has no acting depth at all and attempts to compensate for her lacking skills by being cute and posturing that is embarrassingly obvious.

Robert Patrick on the other hand is excellent as the stoic and steady tracker, brother of one of the victims. He lends tremendous credibility to the film and I think this would have made a better movie had it been just about him hunting down his sister's killer on his own.

There were a few more roll-your-eyes moments but nothing too shameful. All in all this had a sound story and makes for a presentable late night thriller to watch.

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Isn't the Bride supposed to be creepy?

Indeed she should be but her being creepy had nothing to do with her acting creepy or even her appearance. She was meant to viewed as beautiful but it just didn't come across to me that way. Hmmm... hard to articulate what I mean. 

[Dragonfire]

Ok.  Just checking.  She was a different sort of creepy.

[KinkyCyborg]

Lakeview Terrace



Title:Lakeview Terrace
Year: 2008
Director: Neil Labute
Rating: PG-13
Length: 110 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Thai: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Spanish, Thai

Stars:
Samuel L. Jackson (1948)
Patrick Wilson
Kerry Washington
Ron Glass
Justin Chambers

Plot:
A young couple (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington) has just moved into their California dream home when they become the target of their next-door neighbor, who disapproves of their relationship. A stern, single father, this tightly wound LAPD officer (Samuel L. Jackson) has appointed himself the watchdog of the neighborhood. His nightly foot patrols and overly watchful eyes bring comfort to some, but he becomes increasingly aggressive to the newlyweds. These persistent intrusions into their lives cause the couple to fight back.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes

My Thoughts:

Young interracial couple moves into a house next door to a psycho, black cop who is still pissed at his wife who was fooling around with a white man at the time of her death. Bad timing or what?

Samuel L. Jackson certainly had me convinced as a hard ass cop and father who is losing his grip as he systematically terrorizes his new neighbors.

Said neighbors, played by Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington, scared shitless at first, soon get fed up and try to get back at the cop in subtle ways so as not to bring down his wrath and that of his LAPD buddies.

An interesting backdrop to the neighbor from hell scenario was the raging wildfires bearing down on their homes which is quite common for California. The cop was so determined to drive them from their home, I was curious to see if the fire would make the whole skirmish moot.

Kerry Washington was ok but would have been better without the distracting Uber Geek glasses she kept sporting throughout the movie.

Good watch!

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Stories Of Lost Souls



Title:Stories of Lost Souls
Year: 2006
Director: A Whole New DayWilliam Garcia, The SameMark Palansky, Euston RoadToa Stappard, Standing Room OnlyDeborra-Lee Furness, SupermarketIlleana Douglas, New Year's EveColin Spector, BangersAndrew Upton
Rating: 14A
Length: 90 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles:

Stars:
A Whole New DayJames Gandolfini
Katherine Narducci
Ned Eisenberg
Delilah Cotto

Plot:
Stories of Lost Souls compiles seven powerful, intriguing sometimes usettling vignettes of human will and courage. The star-studded cast includes Cate Blachett, Hugh Jackman, Josh Hatnett, James Gandolfini, Kiera Knightley, Paul Bettany, Jeff Goldblum, Daryl Hannah, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Illeana Douglas, Billy Boyd, Andy Serkis and Michael Gambon.

Extras:

My Thoughts:

Every time a person in Hollywood with limited film making skills calls in a bunch of favors a truly abysmal movie is born!  

Stories Of Lost Souls is the perfect example of that. Seven short vignettes, all vying to be the worst. Yeeesh! A remarkable cast including Hugh Jackman, Cate Blanchett, James Gandofini, Keira Knightly and others give face time, some of them not even uttering a word as two of these shorts had no dialogue whatsoever. The Illeana Douglas short was particularly stupid and included... wait for it... Jeff Goldblum! Shocker! Every time someone tries to turn film into art there he is spouting out random gibberish.

I did find the last short with Gandolfini mildly entertaining as it was the only one that at least made sense at the end but for the most part this is a complete waste of time that only eccentric artists and stoners might find entertaining.  

KC


Rating: