Topic: The little known movie review depot

[Jimmy]

I sure wrote some reviews who didn't fit in this thread recently
But I think at least one person here want to know what I think of those films, even if I'm not positive

[Achim]

Certainly appreciated...

I agree with what you said about Wolf Creek, in that it had all that potential to be a scary flick and then they fail to make us care. Same thing with Hostel (which you probably hate regardless of this problem), where we also don't care about the main characters and are even looking forward to see them die

I always thought that the look of it would be the first thing to make Running Man age badly. It all looked so fake, probably due to the budget and maybe Paul Michael Glaser's TV roots.

[Jimmy]

Same thing with Hostel (which you probably hate regardless of this problem)

It even worst as even the bad guys are unlikable. At least Mick is funny and likable in Wolf Creek

I always thought that the look of it would be the first thing to make Running Man age badly.

Sure it looks cheesy, but not more than Battle Beyond the Stars or Not of this Earth and I like those two

[Achim]

Sure it looks cheesy, but not more than Battle Beyond the Stars or Not of this Earth and I like those two

Point taken.

Although, after watching the special feature about the special effects I was quite impressed by Battle Beyond the Stars! After all, it's a Corman movie with super low budget and yet it looked quite impressive.

[samuelrichardscott]

I need to watch The Running Man again. Don't own it and haven't seen for at least 10+ years on TV but I remembered enjoying it in my mid-teens... The book is now on my radar also. Thanks Jimmy.

[Achim]

Funny thing s that Running Man is nowhere near original. The concept is t least 80 years old, when it was done in The Most Dangerous Game, and even the idea with the manhunt being a media event was exploited on German TV about 40 years ago, in Das Millionenspiel.

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Ultraviolet (2006)

Genre: Action
Director: Kurt Wimmer
Rating: NR
Length: 1h34
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Milla Jovovich
Cameron Bright
Nick Chinlund   
Sebastien Andrieu
Ida Martin

Plot:
Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil, The Fifth Element), Cameron Bright (X-Men 3), Nick Chinlund (The Legend of Zorro) and William Fichtner (The Longest Yard) star in this story of a woman caught in a futuristic civil war between the government and a subculture of disease-modified humans in whom speed, strength, and intelligence are magnified. To protect a young boy who has been marked for death, she must fend off the human government.

My Thoughts:

Normally that would be the kind of film I would really dislike. I mean everything I hate is there : an overdose of CGI (really I felt like I was watching a PS2 cinematic more than a film), a story that made no-sense at all and characters I feel nothing for. But I watch it with the idea I will watch Milla Jovovich kick ass for an hour and a half, so I got what I expected to see. No more than a brainless action film, but fun for a while (of course at the end I was kind of suffering a CGI overload ).

Surprisingly or probably not most people doesn't seem like to like it...

Rating :

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: The Hunt For The BTK Killer (2005)

Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Kay
Rating: NR
Length: 1h28
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English / French / Portuguese
Subtitles: English / French / Portuguese

Stars:
Robert Forster
Michael Michele
Maury Chaykin   
Mimi Kuzyk
Gregg Henry

Plot:
Dennis Rader (Henry) was an adoring father, devoted husband, and much-loved model citizen of Wichita, Kansas. But secretly, he was a gruesome monster that terrorized the community for over a decade before disappearing in 1988. After discovering the bodies of his first victims and haunted by the most infamous cold case of all time, Detective Jason Magida (Forster) and the police department got a huge break in 2004 when a new letter and clue arrived at a local Wichita paper, clearly from the BTK Killer himself and a horrifying indication that the nightmare was about to start all over again, unless the killer could finally be caught.

My Thoughts:

I will be short... All the time I was watching this one tought was in my mind "this is boring nothing happen it feels like a TV movie of the week" and that was confirmed at the end when we see it's a Sony television production. Probably one of the weakest "serial killer" biopic I've ever seen, seriously we see nothing and the movie overuse flashback (not in a good way). Sure Gregg Henry does a good acting job, but this is the only thing worthy of a mention. Even Robert Forster is wasted in this, not that he seems to really care...
 
Rating :

[samuelrichardscott]

I almost bought this the other day. Perhaps fate stopped me.

[Jimmy]

We never know maybe you would like it
Eric found it better than I did. BTW I think I got his copy via Kathy as the french canadian rating sticker is on the box

[Jimmy]

Watched Van Helsing this morning... I won't waste my time writing a review as this movie is quite awfull and boring. Perfect exemple of what I hate in recent movie : overuse of CGI (effects pathetic to watch BTW...), poor acting, more hole in the plot than a swiss cheese have and incredibly insulting to the original materials

Sorry Kathy, can't find anything positive to say about this one and it was a hard task to complete it

[Kathy]

No proplem Jimmy - in fact I'm always pleasantly surprised when you actually enjoy one of the mainstream films I send you! 

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: The Girl Next Door (2007)

Genre: Drama
Director: Gregory M. Wilson
Rating: R
Length: 1h31
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English
Subtitles: English

Stars:
William Atherton
Blythe Auffarth
Blanche Baker   
Kevin Chamberlin
Dean Faulkenberry

Plot:
In a quiet suburban town in the summer of 1958, two recently orphaned sisters are placed in the care of their mentally unstable Aunt Ruth (Emmy® winner Blanche Baker of HOLOCAUST). But Ruth’s depraved sense of discipline will soon lead to unspeakable acts of abuse and torture that involve her young sons, the neighborhood children, and one 12-year-old boy whose life will be changed forever.

My Thoughts:

This film is based on the Sylvia Likens case (you can read more about it if you want at the Crime Library website). The real life events are already hard to read and this film make it even harder. It made it so hard that I was almost unable to finish it and I've pass most of the time crying like a little girl... Usually movie film doesn't affect me and you know I've seen my part of hard to stomach movie with real violence. It's hard because they took an already sad real crime and made it even worst by creating a sexual aspect. I can't note it or recommanded this film even if it's well done, well acted and effective. Honestly I feel dirty and ashamed to have watched this film... Never I would have believe in a million years that my limit would be reached with an R rated movie, but for me too much is just too much...

Sorry guys if I overreact for a film
 
Rating : N / A

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Rise and Fall of Idi Amin (1981)

Genre: Drama
Director: Sharad Patel
Rating: I guess it's an R rated movie
Length: 1h35
Video: Full Frame
Audio: English
Subtitles: None

Stars:
Joseph Olita
Thomas Baptiste
Leonard Trolley   
Geoffrey Keen
Louis Mahoney

Plot:
The chronicle of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and his tyranic rule from 1971 to his overthrow in 1979.

My Thoughts:

Don't search for a DVD of this one as it isn't available, it was supposed to be released in a set at least 3 years ago but it didn't happen. As said in the synopsis it about the period Idi Amin was the ruler of Uganda and it's the third one I watch about him. One of those three is the ridiculous Last King of Scotland, the other is the Barbet Schroeder's documentary and of course now this film. Even if this film countains some exagerations and some false claims (the canabalism isn't the worst one and the 500,000 deads is an over the top exageration) it is for the most part accurate. Of course the fact it's a british production directed by an Indian explain a lot of the inaccuracies. By exemple they never mentions that he was welcomed with joy by Ugandans and was a good President (by the African standard) untill the collapsing of the country economy due to the Europeans. Of course he was a bloodthirsty dictator but honestly 90% of the Africans leaders are, but he had to deal with a domestic guerrilla movement ruining the country. Unsurprisingly the Entebbe raid is presented in a good light as usual even if it was a mosad attack against a sovereign country. Anyway the goal isn't to write a political text here... I must also point the great performance of Joseph Olita in the title role. He use the same body language and look like a teenage twin of Idi Amin (easy to realize if we compare with the Schroeder's documentary).

I got it from YouTube and the image is convenable but the sound isn't as good. Subtitles would have been usefull since the african accent is a tough one, but it will only happen if an official release is made and even with that this isn't a guarantee.
 


Rating :

[samuelrichardscott]

Out of these Youtube DVD's you recently posted about you making, this one had me interested the most. I know it is mainstream and maybe not your thing but by chance have you seen The Last King of Scotland? I would highly recommend that to you.