Topic: KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2011

[KinkyCyborg]

Extremeops




Title:Extremeops
Year: 2002
Director: Christian Duguay
Rating: PG-13
Length: 93 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen :1, Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Devon Sawa
Bridgette Wilson
Rupert Graves
Rufus Sewell
Heino Ferch

Plot:
On a remote Austrian mountain, a filmcrew, three daredevil American snowboarders, and a professional downhill skier have gathered to shoot a spectacular stunt for a TV commercial. The stunt is perilous, but an even greater danger soon appears - known terrorists are hiding near the crew's camp. Now the extreme athletes must use their extraordinary skills for their greatest challenge: to stop a terrorist threat...and escape a treacherous mountain with their lives.

Extras:

My Thoughts:

Extreme sports nuts decide to outrun an avalanche on snowboards and skis to film a commercial but accidentally happen upon an exiled war criminal in hiding who now wants them all dead.

Fans of extreme sports will probably love this, but I only found it mildly entertaining. Too many of the stunts looked staged and contrived so it's hard to assess how much is believable. Some great scenery though, both from the landscape and one of the female leads, Bridgette Wilson, aka the wife of tennis star Pete Sampras.  Rufus Sewell and Devon Sawa also star.

Definitely produced by fans of this genre of sports as the terrorist plot was quite secondary to all the high speed, dangerous aerials from these adrenaline junkies.

Just ok.

KC


Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

The Morning After



Title:The Morning After
Year: 1986
Director: Sidney Lumet
Rating: R
Length: 103 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Jane Fonda
Jeff Bridges
Raul Julia
Diane Salinger
Richard Foronjy

Plot:
Who's the guy lying next to her? How did they meet? All Alex knows is that he's as dead as a toe-tagged John Doe. "He had a heart attack?" Alex's ex asks over the phone. "From a knife in the chest," she retorts.

Two-time Academy Award® winner Jane Fonda earned her seventh Oscar® nomination as Alex, an alcoholic has-been actress cast in the real-life role of Suspect #1. Panicked at facing the police, Alex runs for it... right into the battered convertible of a washed-up former cop (Jeff Bridges). Their uneasy alliance draws them nearer each other and closer to the startling truth behind the murder. Director Sidney Lumet (THE VERDICT) draws strong performances from his leads and an ensemble that includes Raul Julia and Kathy Bates. The murder happened the night before. But the real mystery begins THE MORNING AFTER.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Excellent Sidney Lumet thriller with Jane Fonda at the top of her game as a washed up actress who is now a lush and wakes up next to a dead man in bed. Fonda, a younger, still boyishly looking Jeff Bridges and a favorite actor of mine, Raul Julia all give solid performances.

Fonda, who would have been 49 when this was filmed sure could pull off sexy, even at that age. The scene where Bridges slams her against the wall and she looks up at him, diabolically licking her lips was hot!!

I could see where it was heading as to who the culprit was although I guessed wrong at his reason for doing it. A very satisfying ending.

A few knocks... Fonda's scenes where she was stumbling drunk were a bit too overplayed and the musical score at times seemed too uplifting and happy-go-lucky considering the theme of the movie and the morbid subject matter but those bits can be overlooked when appraising the film as a whole.

Great watch!

KC

Rating:

[Achim]

I could see where it was heading as to who the culprit was although I guessed wrong at his reason for doing it. A very satisfying ending.

This came out at a time in the 80s when Whodunit seemed a popular concept . There was quite a few films floating around at the time. Jagged Edge being another one with Jeff Bridges in it. Or even in some way No Way Out with Kevin Costner.

[KinkyCyborg]

I could see where it was heading as to who the culprit was although I guessed wrong at his reason for doing it. A very satisfying ending.

This came out at a time in the 80s when Whodunit seemed a popular concept . There was quite a few films floating around at the time. Jagged Edge being another one with Jeff Bridges in it. Or even in some way No Way Out with Kevin Costner.

I haven't watched Jagged Edge in many a year... I'm do for a re-watch. No Way Out had a great unexpected twist at the end. 

[KinkyCyborg]

Bandidas



Title:Bandidas
Year: 2006
Director: Joachim Roenning, Espen Sandberg
Rating: PG-13
Length: 92 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Penélope Cruz
Salma Hayek
Steve Zahn
Dwight Yoakam
Denis Arndt

Plot:
Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz have never been sexier as they team up for this hilarious, action-packed western! Determined to avenge the deaths of their fathers, Sara Sandoval (Hayek) and Maria Alvarez (Cruz) vow to seize the ill-gotten gains of robber baron Tyler Jackson (Dwight Yoakam). So, with help from a retired bank robber (Sam Shepard) and a jittery criminologist (Steve Zahn), these two beauties become unlikely outlaws, blazing a trail of larceny and laughter across Mexico!

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Two Mexican girls, one a spoiled rich girl, the other a tom boy farm girl, decide to rob banks to avenge the violence against their fathers and the plundering of their peoples lands by the money men.

This storyline has been done to death but this time with some interesting twists, them being the female heroines and their nationality, Mexican rather than American. Made for an relatively entertaining western comedy.

For the most part I much prefer Salma Hayek over Penelope Cruz, both as an actress and as a looker but in this movie I preferred Cruz over Hayek in both regards. Cruz was super sexy and had a much more interesting and engaging character. These BFFs always wanted to do a movie together and while it's no High Noon I enjoyed it.

Steve Zahn provides the comic relief as a nerdy crime investigator and Dwight Yoakam, who never gets as much credit as he should for his acting, plays the nefarious front man for the greedy banks.

This movie will appeal to fans of westerns, comedies & gorgeous women. 

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Amnesia



Title:Amnesia
Year: 1996
Director: Kurt Voss
Rating: R
Length: 88 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: :
Subtitles:

Stars:
Nicholas Walker
Dara Tomanovich
Sally Kirkland
Vincent Berry
Ally Sheedy

Plot:
Paul Keller is a minister who has found himself heavily involved in a illicit affair with his son's teacher. Unable to see an end to his deceptive and sinful path, he concocts a scheme to fake his own death. However, his cunning plan goes awry and he is left with no recollection of himself or his former life.

Ally Sheedy (The Breakfast Club, Short Circuit, War Games) John Savage (The Deer Hunter, Hair, TThe Thin Red Line), and Sally Kirkland (General Hospital, Bruce Almighty, JFK) star in this film about unholy love and the consequences it can bring about.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers

My Thoughts:

Save for an inspired performance by Sally Kirkland as a demented Motel owner who holds captive a philandering pastor who has lost his memory, this is a major crapfest. Short, clipped dialogue throughout, and awful performances from Ally Sheedy and John Savage whom you would expect better from.

As the title would recommend, best to 'forget' about this one. 

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Near Dark



Title:Near Dark
Year: 1987
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Rating: NR
Length: 94 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: DTS: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles:

Stars:
Adrian Pasdar
Jenny Wright
Lance Henriksen (1940)
Bill Paxton
Jenette Goldstein

Plot:
In the dusty heart of the American southwest, innocent country boy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar of MYSTERIOUS WAYS) is seduced by a beautiful girl (Jenny Wright) into joining a roving pack of vicious drifters led by the enigmatic Jesse (Lance Henriksen of THE TERMINATOR and ALIENS). But this is no ordinary band of outlaws; Caleb is now trapped in a nightmare of soulless evil that waits in the shadows, hellish mayhem that thrives on blood and absolute horror that begins NEAR DARK.

Bill Paxton (TWISTER) and Jenette Goldstein (ALIENS) co-star in this extraordinary shocker co-written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow (STRANGE DAYS) that Entertainment Weekly calls "ultrastylish, ultraviolent and altogether brilliant." This is more than simply the most ferociously original vampire movie of our generation; NEAR DARK is one of the best horror movies of all time.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Closed Captioned
THX

My Thoughts:

My first time watching this... how embarrassing. 

Not my most favorite vampire movie but I think it cracks my top 5.

What makes this movie great is it's simplicity. There is no shape shifting, no elaborate coffins, no lengthy history about how they came to be. These are just bloodthirsty, marauding vampires who are flying by the seat of their pants and despite their obvious strengths & advantages they are very much living life (death!) on the edge.

Lance Henriksen has always been a favorite of mine and it's great to see him in a meaningful role of yesteryear as he has now pretty much evolved into a STV (Straight To Video) whore. He is the cynical leader of the pack. Bill Paxton was phenomenal as a monster among monsters, stylish with a sense of humor.

Loved the bar scene as you knew what was coming as soon as they walked in. Reminded me of the restaurant scene in Natural Born Killers where a collection of strangers, victims of wrong place wrong time, wait for their deaths in muted horror and myself as the viewer all pumped up to see how it will play out.  I also liked the means for a cure of vampirism, again for how simplistic it was.

Interesting film from Bigelow as this is about as different in content and direction from Hurt Locker as it can possibly be but it presents to us an insightful evolution of a director's work.

Great stuff!

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Edge Of Darkness



Title:Edge of Darkness
Year: 2010
Director: Martin Campbell
Rating: R
Length: 117 Min.
Video: Widescreen :1
Audio:
Subtitles:

Stars:
Mel Gibson
Ray Winstone
Danny Huston
Bojana Novakovic
Shawn Roberts

Plot:
The bullet that killed his daughter was meant for Boston cop Thomas Craven. That's what police brass and Craven himself think, but that's not what the investigation finds. Clue after clue and witness after witness, the search leads him into a shadowy realm where money and political intrigue intersect. If Craven wasn't a target before, he – and anyone linked to his inquiry – now is. Mel Gibson stars in his first screen lead in eight years, making Craven's grief palpable and his quest for payback stone-cold and relentless. Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) directs from a screenplay written by Andrew Bovell and The Departed's William Monahan. Gibson is back, taking us to the edge...and into the sinister darkness.

Extras:

My Thoughts:

Thought I would check out Edge Of Darkness which is Mel Gibson's latest and it has been a long time coming. Mel is violent, profane, abusive, says exactly what's on his mind.... all that and the movie hasn't even started! 

Jokes aside, in spite of all his troubles in the tabloids, Mel can still act and very much commands presence on screen. He is starting to show the wear and tear of life with stark, craggy features that suited him perfectly for this role as a grieving father who is investigating the murder of his daughter in a nothing to lose fashion.

This was riveting and despite how long Gibson had been out of the game he can still cut the mustard in action/thriller roles. Several WOW moments and constant thrills that hurtle you towards a traumatic ending make this a great watch. Ray Winstone was also great as the dapper 'fixer' whose own ironic dilemma makes his end move so poetic.

Gibson's still got it. I'd love to see more movies out of him. Even more so I'd like to see some more directorial efforts from him. C'mon Mel... get your shit together... 

KC

Rating:

[Najemikon]

I liked this too. It was based on a British tv series I've never seen myself, but Martin Campbell directed both, which I thought was nice and gave it more credibility. It's basically a Noir plot, but his style is for sudden straightforward brutal action rather than mood. Not unlike Mel's Payback. Have you seen that? The director's cut is fantastic.

[KinkyCyborg]

Not unlike Mel's Payback. Have you seen that? The director's cut is fantastic.

Oh yes... I've seen Payback and loved it. Kris Krisofferson was diabolical in that one. I'll never forget his line 'It's starting to look like roast beef...' as they swung the ball peen hammer again. 

[Najemikon]

  I seem to remember that he isn't in the director's cut though. If you get to see it, I'd be interested in what you thought. I reviewed it on here actually.

[KinkyCyborg]

Kristofferson is not in the Director's Cut?! His character had such an integral role in that movie. I'll definitely have to track it down so I can see the difference.

[Najemikon]

Kristofferson is not in the Director's Cut?! His character had such an integral role in that movie. I'll definitely have to track it down so I can see the difference.

The story goes that Mel disagreed with the direction Brian Helgeland was taking the film and so fired him. Kristofferson and the whole kidnapping plot was introduced to make the film Gibson had wanted. And the result is good, but not what was originally intended.

I think I prefer the Straight Up cut because it's darker and more honest, feels even more like it's straight out of the 70s. This is what I said at the time: http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,597.msg68102.html#msg68102

[Achim]

A quick look at DVD Profiler shoed me that Kristofferson is indeed not in the Dorector's Cut. I saw the theatrical cut originally, which is probably why the road beef line seemed familiar, but also couldn't say for 100% that he was "cut" from the Director's Cut.

I hate it when actors get to meddle with the Director's vision like that. Especially when, like here, the product doesn't necessarily become better. I believe Edward Norton is infamous for doing that as well...?

[Najemikon]

I stress that you must watch Straight Up and the relatively brief features because as I said in my review, they give a fascinating insight.

Suffice to say, Gibson was the producer and was paying for a film he didn't think was commercial. And he was probably right to be fair. Also it was he who gave Brian the chance to do his cut.