Topic: Never Ending Movie Marathon (short reviews)

[Achim]

Wow this is an ugly cover

IIRC this is what the poster looked like in Asia. At least the girl is actually from the movie... It's not really what I'd expect or a horror movie though.


I agree, Sam, the movie is better than could have been expected. It has good gore, some good new ideas

(click to show/hide)

the baby

and is overall quite exciting. But I would deduct more points for the biggest of all flaws: Zombies Don't Run!

[Jimmy]

At least the girl is actually from the movie...

I know, that little girl made me do a hell of a jump when I've seen the film the first time

But I would deduct more points for the biggest of all flaws: Zombies Don't Run!

I can leave with the running zombies, my biggest problem with this film is the fact it has too many characters in it and they aren't really develloped because of that fact. I mean the original did a great job of making us care about the characters because there were only four of them.

[samuelrichardscott]

Wow this is an ugly cover

IIRC this is what the poster looked like in Asia.

Also the same as UK poster.

But I would deduct more points for the biggest of all flaws: Zombies Don't Run!

True, but at least the running zombies weren't capable of wall climbing Spider-man antics like in the 2008 Day of the Dead.

I can leave with the running zombies, my biggest problem with this film is the fact it has too many characters in it and they aren't really develloped because of that fact. I mean the original did a great job of making us care about the characters because there were only four of them.

Yeah, pretty much why it loses the half point. I cared for the characters much more in the '78 version where a bit more background was given and more time spent with each character.

[samuelrichardscott]

Flypaper (2011) Region B United Kingdom

Overview:
From the writers of The Hangover, Patrick Dempsey (Valentine’s Day, Enchanted) and Ashley Judd (Tooth Fairy) star in this all out action heist comedy caper. A man caught in the middle of two simultaneous robberies at the same bank desperately tries to protect the teller with whom he's secretly in love.
Tripp Kennedy (Patrick Dempsey) ambles into a bank near closing time, just as two different gangs unwittingly converge to rob it. A shoot-out erupts, and Tripp tackles the smart, pretty teller (Ashley Judd), to protect her. The gangs—one clearly made up of pros and the other a couple of buffoons named Peanut Butter (Tim Blake Nelson) and Jelly (Pruitt Taylor Vince) - have deadlocked themselves in a Mexican standoff. The bank’s security system starts the end of day lockdown and seals everyone into the building. As the night evolves, a hilarious game of cat and mouse ensues as Tripp and Kaitlin try to save the day, escape being killed, and avoid falling in love... almost.

My Thoughts:
Ashley Judd is an actress who is undervalued in Hollywood and when I saw her included in the great cast listing for this, I had to check it out. Directed by Rob Minkoff who is reasonably well known for kids/family movies like The Lion King and Stuart Little, Flypaper turned out to be a fun comedy heist movie which was very well paced and had some good twists (though I managed to guess the ending early on). There is a great mix of characters, the plot is quite tight and some of the humour was perfect for the moment (like checking each others rankings on the most wanted website). If you're a fan of heist movies with a bit of comedy added to it, I have to recommend this. It's nothing new, but it's entertaining. 3.5/5

[goodguy]

Overview:
... and Ashley Judd (Tooth Fairy) ...

My Thoughts:
Asley Judd is an actress who is undervalued in Hollywood...

I agree and I can't believe they cite her for the frickin' Tooth Fairy. 
Although "from the writers of The Hangover" isn't a great endorsement either, so at least they are trying for consistence.

[samuelrichardscott]

Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010) Region FREE - United Kingdom

Overview:
From the writer of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and one of the producers of the Matrix trilogy comes a story of action, drama and heroism.
Tomorrow, When The War Began follows the journey of eight high school friends in a remote country town whose lives are suddenly and violently upended by a war that no one saw coming. Cut off from their families and their friends, these eight extraordinary teenagers must learn to escape, survive and fight back against a hostile military force.

My Thoughts:
I had never heard of the book on which this is based and added this title to my rental queue as it just happened to catch my eye as I was browsing new releases and having not heard of any of the cast outside of Rachel Hurd-Wood I was unsure of what to expect. As soon as it started I recognised lead actress Caitlin Stasey from TV show Neighbours (she joined around the time I stopped watching the show). I found the first act of the movie did quite a good job of developing the characters, even if they are your usual movie teen stereotypes, and the kids were all decent actors. The story is enjoyable enough: teens go camping; realise Australia has been invaded, take action - but unfortunately the script could have done with some work in the second half. Some things did annoy me, such as the fact some of the teens get little to do in the story (like Lee) and parts of the dialogue is cringeworthy but other than that, it's a fun movie, though nothing special. I look forward to see where they can take the sequel (if it gets into production) but I think this would've made a better television series than the (currently) intended movie trilogy. High end of rent it. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Cheerleaders (1973) R0 United Kingdom

Overview:
Debbie may have done Dallas, but the girls of Amorosa High are game enough to take on the whole country in The Cheerleaders, a classic 1970s sex comedy where the laughs come thick and fast and the outfits come off even quicker. For the bold and brassy girls of the cheerleading squad, taking one for their football team comes naturally, so when rivals need to be taken down, there’s only one solution... seduce them into exhaustion. Now the game girls are on a sex-crazed mission to ride their rivals to victory in the politically incorrect comedy that shocked the world! From lesbian sports mistresses and square-jawed jocks, no one is safe from the amorous advances of the hottest squad of horny good-time girls in the USA.

My Thoughts
The first thing that strikes you with this film, is that the acting is quite laughable, especially from the male contingent. The females spend most of their time with their clothes off, so perhaps acting talent wasn't so much a requirement, but nonetheless, the main cheerleaders played by Stephanie Fondue, Denise Dillaway, Jovita Bush, Brandy Woods, Sandy Evans and Kim Stanton are played well enough for what is required. Dialogue wavers from dreadfully woeful to some surprisingly funny innuendo and it is this funny innuendo that manages to keep the movie ticking over. Music is very reminiscent of the decade and suits the film really well but is unfortunately underused which is a shame as the story is quite weak, using silly ideas to string together the more raunchy scenes. The strange thing is, no matter how bad I know this movie is, it was still quite good fun, but there are much much better sex comedies out there. Low end of rent it - 2.5/5

Full review - http://www.dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=2583

[Jimmy]

Low end of rent it - 2.5/5

I think we disagree on this

[samuelrichardscott]

Low end of rent it - 2.5/5

I think we disagree on this

 

The song is here by the way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B15Joasp0EU (Just go to keepvid.com and copy as an mp3)

I have the third film next, Revenge of the Cheerleaders. This is just a double feature so I'm guessing Arrow don't have the rights to the second. I'm sure I won't miss any storyline interlinking them

[Jimmy]

Thanks

I was able to get it by using Media Download helper (I didn't even know it do the conversion itself). Always happy to find one of those rare song, you can believe how I was when I found the one from Toys Are Not For Children

I'm sure I won't miss any storyline interlinking them

No you won't, the three films aren't related.

[samuelrichardscott]

The Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1976) R0 United Kingdom (This is an extra feature on "The Cheerleaders" DVD)

Overview:
The tale of the Aloha Cheerleaders' struggle against Lincoln high. High points include such events as the Aloha girls raiding a Lincoln classroom to get drugs, then putting aforementioned drugs in the cafeteria food while the state school inspectors are present.

My Thoughts:
Whilst the first film in this trilogy may be bad, it was at least fun in it's silliness. Revenge of the Cheerleaders is just plain bad. The dialogue isn't as funny as in The Cheerleaders, the situations don't add to much, there isn't as much nudity and the cast are even worse at acting than their predecessors. That isn't to say there is nothing to enjoy, a small appearance by David Hasselhoff before he was famous is of interest and the dancing during the end credits is worth skipping forward to. Still, only get this if you're a completist because I can't see any other reason to own it. 1.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Hero Wanted (2008) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Academy Award winner® Cuba Gooding, Jr. (1996 Best Supporting Actor, Jerry Maguire) wreaks his own brand of justice in HERO WANTED, a brutal action-suspense thriller co-starring Ray Liotta. Once the toast of the city, Liam Case (Gooding, Jr.) is now a forgotten man, a hero whose fame has passed him by. Hoping to restore his former glory, he attempts to foil an armed bank robbery, but winds up shot instead. Recovering from his wounds, Liam swears vengeance and begins a hunt of his own, leading to a shocking climax that proves the old adage: heroes are made, not born.

My Thoughts:
The last few years, Cuba Gooding Jr. has seen his star status fall to the level of starring in several DTV action films a year like Snipes (when not serving time), Lundgren, Seagal and Van Damme. This one comes from one of my favourite studios of all time, Nu Image, a specialist of the b-movie action film. Some very solid action choreography throughout keeps the pace high and the supporting cast, including Ray Liotta, Christa Campbell, and the underrated Tommy Flanagan, are above average for the film type. The story is quite blunt and to the point and doesn't hold back in pointing out Liam's (Gooding Jr) downfalls and bad character traits and for that it should be somewhat commended, although the ending was a little bit of a copout. The story was well structured and although nothing new, is worth a look for people who enjoy these DTV features. As a fan of these DTV-actioners, I hope to see more like this from Gooding. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Alice Through the Looking Glass (1998) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
This magical live-action adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale features an all-star cast headed by Kate Beckinsale, Steve Coogan, Ian Holm and Geoffrey Palmer. Alice returns to the strange world of Wonderland where she joins the Red Queen in a giant game of chess and once again encounters all the weird and wonderful characters: the odd-ball twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the White Queen, the Red and White Knights, Humpty Dumpty, and the scary Jabberwocky. As she continues her adventure things become curiouser and curiouser.

My Thoughts:
This adaptation sticks to the original story reasonably well although some creative license has been used, mainly at the start. In the original story, Alice is playing with a couple of kittens when she wonders what the world is like in the mirror's reflection. In this version, Kate Beckinsale's Alice goes to the mirror when reading a bedtime story to her young daughter, Little Alice, played by Charlotte Curley. Whilst "Alice in Wonderland" uses size to tell the the story (getting smaller/bigger), "Alice Through the Looking Glass" uses sense of direction and time, and that has come across here quite well.

The cast included here, is what makes this adaptation worth watching. We have Kate Beckinsale in the lead, before she hit it big, and her talent shines through showing she would go places. For me though, it's the supporting cast I really enjoyed. Tweedledee and Tweedledum are hilariously played by Marc Warren (TV's "Hustle) and Gary Olsen (TV's "2point4children"). They play off each other extremely well and are easily the highlight of the casting for me. Next up, we have Steve Coogan as Gnat, another good comedy actor who plays his role well. For those after more 'classic' actors, the exquisite Geoffrey Palmer and Penelope Wilton play the White King and Queen.

Unfortunately, where this feature falls, is in it's production. Dialogue is sometimes clunky and the music selected, not always the best. The worst thing however is the set and costume design which looks as though it has been done by GCSE art students on work experience at Projector Productions. Filmed in a wooded area, sometimes the level of design is down to just a few colourful plastic/wooden flowers, and for such an imaginative film, it's quite disappointing that the surreal world hasn't been well created.

Still, the story and cast help the viewer surpass these shortcomings, and this is worth a viewing.


Full review - http://www.dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=2586

[samuelrichardscott]

The House of Clocks (1989) R1 America

Overview:
From Europe's Grandmaster of Gore, Lucio Fulci, comes one of his rarely seen genre efforts, House of Clocks. Lucio Fulci is recognized the world over as the sultan of splatter and creator of Zombie, The Beyond, Demonia and countless other Euro-horror classics. A gang of ruthless thugs intent on robbery prey upon a seemingly harmless elderly couple, Vittorio and Sara. The simple plan turns into a terrifying nightmare, as Vittorio's antique clock collection mysteriously turns back time. Now the hunters become the hunted, and the old couple becomes a vengeful, malevolent force. A stylish shocker, starring Paolo Paolini (Cannibal Holocaust, Voices From Beyond), Bettina Milne (Tea With Mussolini) and Fulci stalwart, Al Cliver (Zombie, The Beyond, Demonia).

My Thoughts:
Fulci made this feature for Italian television towards the end of his career and whilst it is far from his best work, there are some things of note. The story is quite original and the ending was enjoyable. If Fulci had put more thought into the structure of the story this could've been better though as sometimes it feels a little empty in the approach. The casting isn't particularly strong with the 'burglars' quite poor, but Paolo Paolini and Bettine Milne are good as the elderly couple. The special effects are good if unspectacular, the gut spilling near the beginning the best of what is on offer. Fulci fans might be let down a little, but it's worth a rental or a cheap buy. 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

International House (1933) R2 United Kingdom

Overview:
Professor Wong has invented a television machine and invites everyone to see it at China's International House Hotel. Every time Tommy Nash attempts to wed his fiancée Carol Fortescue he comes down with an illness, and when he breaks out in a rash the hotel is quarantined. Into this hotel flies Professor Quail in his auto-gyro.

My Thoughts:
I've been slowly working my way through the 17 film W.C. Fields Collection from Universal and I'm yet to be disappointed. Tonight I decided to watch another movie from the set, International House. As typical for Fields' films of the time, this contains a good mix of comedy from witty dialogue (mainly involving the nurse played by Gracie Allen) to physical laughs. A wide range of characters and a great cast (Fields, Bela Lugosi, Stuart Erwin and even Cab Calloway) make this a recommended watch although there were a couple of musical numbers used to show off Wong's invention that seemed misplaced. 3.5/5