One Movie A Day Remix

If you want more info on this topic ... go to the original source. This was a real life psychological experiment done in 1971. Just google ... Stanford Prison Experiment

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lol chill out.

Who me? Why do you say that? LMAO

u have posted like the last 4-5 posts lol

Oh ... ya ... well I took the time to read all his reviews. But I only posted replies on 4. Could have been much worse. Sorry if it seems like spam, but I'm still trying to catch up on so many good threads.

not complaining theres some good reviews here carry on ha.

dead snow seems awsome, small post for such a long thread but Ive never seem the movie and it looks like a good "b" movie.

Dead Snow has a great second half to a mediocre beginning. One of the better nazi zombie films though.

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

TUS .... are you still taking requests? I can't say I always agree with your reviews, but I find them well done and fair enough. So, I'd be interested in reading your thoughts on some. Send me a PM with a list of the movies you've seen (if you have one). That would be easiest and avoid clogging up this thread.

If you're still taking requests that is ...

I am still taking requests, but they won't show up till I hit January.

Send over whatever movies you want me to see, it would be easier than me telling you what I've already seen.

Next January? Or you mean what's on your list to watch for January? Or am I just utterly confused? lol

Okay, hopefully you haven't seen what I send. I'll toss you a PM sometime between now and tomorrow night. I want time to look through my list for some odd films.

The January month we are currently in. My list is only up till October right now. I'm backed up. I've watched a movie every day and have reviews written. It's just finding the time to get the pictures/posters and post them here. Most of my time is either at my part time job, writing screenplays, trying to find a job, or being with my girlfriend who I only get to see on weekends.

I hope to blast through November and December when I get to them though.

Day 167: October 13th, 2010

30 Days of Night: Dark Days



Argh...Did They Try?

I'm not a huge fan of the original film, but I thought it did have a great atmospheric tone to it. The vampires looked great and it was pretty violent. This is the direct to dvd sequel, with a different actress in the role of Stella. For me it's always hard to connect to a character who is played by someone else in a sequel, the one notable exception for me is of course James Bond.

In this sequel, Stella has left Barrow for LA, where she has a book and tries to expose the truth. Vampires follow her and she soon discovers there is a leader, Lilith. Kill her and the rest will crumble. Joining a rag tag team of vampire hunters, they set out to kill her and end their nightmares.

This film plays more along the lines of Blade Trinity than 30 days of night. The vampire hunters are 3 people who have zero intelligence and no character development. In one particular scene they raid a vampires nest. They claim to have done this dozens of times. So what do they do? They walk in to the nest with a few guns, no exit strategy and no real plan what so ever. It was almost as if this was their very first time doing anything. We are then treated to the classic, "I can't kill my friend even though he is a vampire and will likely attack and kill me" scenario.

Kiele Sanchez is in the lead role, taking over for Melissa George. Those who have seen the first film will know she is a survivor. In this film she goes commando and is all of a sudden a weapons expert, explosives expert and machete expert. When did she become Alice from the Resident Evil series? She has nightmares of vampires attacking her and constant guilt over the death of her loved one from the first film. That's about as far as we go with any sort of character development here.

The vampires aren't as scary this time around. Mia Kirshner is not as fearsome as Danny Huston and the vampires themselves loose their 'danger' aspect. It doesn't help that the setting change to LA was not an improvement. I hear that most of what happens in this installment is true to the second book. I blame the source material then, because this film is not scary and entertaining.

I don't want to get into the ridiculousness that is the ending, something out of character (yes it happens in the book, I know) and cheats the viewer. We are treated to a wonderful scene near the end that if a dead vampire has blood poured into their mouth, they can regenerate and come back. First of all, that is stupid, second of all...you know where I'm going with this regarding the ending.

30 days of night wasn't a great film, but it had a creepy atmosphere that helped set it apart from other vampire films. This sequel just falls into the bunch of forgettable vampire films.

Day 168: October 14th, 2010

The Room



You're Tearing Me Apart Lisa!!!!

I've been wanting to write a review for this for awhile, keeping the fact that I've seen this film a secret until now was killing me. Yes, I watched The Room and yes it is indeed one of the worst films ever made.

So, what I took away from this film regarding the plot is this. Johnny is getting married to his girlfriend Lisa, yet she doesn't love him anymore, she has fallen for his best friend Mark. We know they are best friends because every time Mark and Lisa have sex, he says he shouldn't because he's Johnny's best friend, then he proceeds to have sex with Lisa. Everything comes to a climactic halt at Johnny's birthday party and the lies get unraveled.

So, for those of you not familiar with the film, let me give you a bit of information regarding the production and the final film itself.

Most of the dialogue had to be dubbed, mostly for the lead actor (who is also the writer, director, producer) and most of it is out of sync. All of the cast, never acted before. The actor who plays Mark agreed to play the role 72 hours before filming began. The actor who played Peter, quit the production half way, so a new character was written and given all of Peter's lines. This character is never named, or explained who he is.

Now let's look at the subplots, events that happen in the film and the impact they have on the story.

Lisa and her mother are discussing the party for Johnny, when Lisa's mother out of the blue says this: "I got the results of the test back. I definitely have breast cancer." "Oh, you'll be fine" was the response from the daughter. The cancer is never spoken of again. One character shaves his beard and other characters decide to dedicate full conversations to it (to fill up time?). Characters are wearing tuxes and then decide to play some football in the middle of the street. I must have missed why they were wearing the tuxes, wedding rehearsal? Characters randomly drop by the house to see if Johnny or Lisa is home, it doesn't matter if they are or not, they leave a minute later and tell the person who answered the door to tell the person they said hi. Denny, a young boy that Johnny helped get a place and paid for, owes a drug dealer some money. After Johnny and Mark take care of the drug dealer, this is never mentioned again. I have no idea what happened to the drug dealer. Denny also apparently wants to watch Lisa and Johnny have sex. Characters missing halfway through, unexplained. The list goes on and on.

The first 20 minutes, there are four sex scenes. One of which uses the same shots from the previous sex scene. One couple decide to go into Johnny and Lisa's house to have sex, the don't live there, but they have easy access. Tommy Wiseau, the creator of the film, claims to have intentionally made a black comedy, this is BS. The film was clearly trying to be a serious drama and it fails at that. The acting, is well, terrible. The mother seemed to be the only one 'trying'. Well, maybe Wiseau was trying, I couldn't tell. His most emotional scene was his tantrum at the end, throwing things around and tearing the house apart. He looked like he was sleepwalking while he was doing it.

I suggest playing a drinking game while watching this, with friends, not alone. Take a shot every time someone says "I don't want to talk about it", anytime Johnny laughs for no reason, anytime you see a football, anytime roses make an appearance, anytime someone says future wife/husband and of course, anytime something inexplicable happens. You'll be wasted within the first ten minutes.

I don't hate the film, I adore it for the absurdity. He tried, failed and is now riding the failing success to the top. The film is considered a cult classic. The 'Citizen Kane' of bad movies and Wiseau is using that to his advantage, smart move. Had he tried to defend the movie, it would have turned into a Showgirls. I wish someone had given me 6 million dollars to make a movie. I would have turned something in better than this. The guy didn't know the difference between 35mm and digital, so he filmed the movie with both cameras side by side. Interesting way to do things, but not showing confidence in your actors there. At least one of them knew what kind of movie it was and split before the film was finished. I would even make a better alley way set.

Oh Hi Mark.

I don't know what rating to give it.

Day 169: October 15th, 2010

Whiteout



A routine film of mediocrity

The basic premise of this gem is that a U.S. Marshal, on her last day station in Antarctica finds a dead body and has to investigate, discovering there is a killer out there. The story, events, plot twists, everything is routine and mediocre in this film. The one thing that tries to stand out is the location, Antarctica.

Whiteout is a film that has all the ingredients and none of the charm. The film has no heart, it feels cold and distant, much like the deserted location our characters find themselves in. Our attractive female lead has to overcome her past in order to get the answers to the case she is currently working on. We are treated to poorly edited and shot flashback sequences that involve a person she trusted and a drug dealer, things go badly for her and now she has trust issues. We get all this information after we see her take a shower, which was most likely included after the casting of Beckinsale.

The script is full of bad dialogue, filler to run the time a tad bit loner (getting trapped and then blowing p the escape hatch?) and of course plot holes. The acting is goofy and all around bad, with the exception of Tom Skerritt. Characters are easily identifiable as the killer, especially when the film tries so hard to place suspicion on one, you know it will be someone else.

Whiteout has nothing special going for it, I can't recommend it to those looking for something good, decent or even cheesy. If you want to see a film in the same location with better effects, acting, writing and direction, stick with The Thing.

Day 170: October 16th, 2010

RED



A great ensemble cast makes RED work.

R.E.D stands for Retired and Extremely Dangerous. That's what has been tagged to Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and he is a target of a hit. The ones trying to kill him underestimated his skills and he is out on a mission to find out who is trying to kill him and his maybe girlfriend (Mary-Louise Parker). So he rounds up the gang and they set out to find out who is behind everything.

RED is pretty much exactly like the other films I mentioned before (Losers, A-Team, Expendables) with only difference is that this film's angle is that the people who are dangerous are retired old people. The cast has Bruce Willis, doing his John McClane thing without the one-liners and more precision. Morgan Freeman pulling his Wanted role but in a good guy role. John Malkovich playing a retired CIA test subject that has been given daily doses of LSD for 11 some odd years. He seems like one of the Malkovich's that crawled out of the tunnel to his body in Being John Malkovich. Helen Mirren, in an offbeat choice. She plays sexy and dangerous and can hold her own against the boys. Karl Urban is the lead CIA officer sent to take them out, he plays his assassin role from Bourn Supremacy. He follows orders, not knowing if he is doing good or bad. Of course we have the Mary-Louise Parker character, who is like the audience, not knowing any of these things we are experiencing and are along for the ride.

Malkovich steals the show. He plays the role of conspiracy nut with a gun very well. He's off kilter and has the funniest bits in the film. The film is based on a comic book so you can expect over the top action and stunts. A revolver showdown versus a bazooka? Check. Playing baseball with a grenade? Check. Casually exiting a vehicle spinning out of control and nearly getting hit by the bumper while shooting at another vehicle and not blink an eye? Check. RED is over the top and funny. If you enjoyed The Losers or the A-team, Red is more of the same.

I enjoyed it, the plot revolves around a cover up and an old job that comes to bite those RED members in the behind. The twists it tries to give us is half baked but forgivable because the film is, overall an enjoyment. I must criticize the relationship between Bruce Willis and Mary- Louise Parker, it doesn't seem fleshed out enough to be taken at face value. They chit chat over the phone and he kidnaps her to protect her from people who are trying to kill her because he has had so many phone conversations with her. She ends up liking the thrill and excitement of his life, yet he says that she makes him feel like he can have a normal life. This conflict is never resolved or brought up again.

Morgan Freeman doesn't have enough screen time and the role could have been played by virtually anyone. Karl Urban is a likable guy, I seem to appreciate his role in everything he does, even if the film turns out to be uneven. He's good here too jumping onto moving vehicles to catch other moving vehicles (did I mention this film is over the top?)

RED is enjoyable and like I said, fans of those previously mentioned films will get a kick out of this one. It blends comedy and action well enough to pass the time. It's enjoyment hangs on the fact that these old people are kicking ass. It works. I keep mentioning how over the top it is, but it never reaches the heights of the over the topness of the A-Team. If that is any indication of this style of violence. I forgot to mention Brian Cox, he plays a Russian who becomes an integral part of the 'team'. Poor guy is nowhere to be seen in the promotional ads for the film and yet he has more screen time than Freeman. Anyways, RED is good popcorn fun. It's problems are obvious ones for a film like this, but the direction is slick and the film is funny.

Day 171: October 18th, 2010

Rubber



I expected it to be more fun...

A movie about a killer tire sounds like the most ridiculous concept next to someone creating a human centipede. Yet, these two concepts did in fact make it onto film and both of them failed to meet their absurdly high expectations. The film is a homage to 'no reason', as we are told at the beginning and when a film is created for no reason, you know you are in trouble.

The film opens with a character talking directly to the viewer by breaking the fourth wall. He states the the film has no purpose, so he is actually preparing you for the most useless film you'll ever see. Unless of course you've been one of the special few who have seen The Room. As interesting as this may be, it's also a drawback. Why would someone think that to interest an audience, you need to tell them from the beginning that everything has no purpose what so ever. It makes the audience feel like they are wasting their time. Rubber wasted my time.

I don't know why the prospect of a killer tire that makes your head explode sounded good to me, but it did. I thought I was in for a ridiculously cheesy good time. I got something else entirely. A boring, redundant film that has no fun factor. The audience is actually a part of the film, represented by a few people who actually watch the events unfold and make comments. Again, an interesting concept that never materializes.

I give the film credit for looking great, it never felt like a cheap film to me. They get creative when shooting scenes with the tire, they make the killer tire really seem to have a mind of it's own. They actually give it a name in the credits, Robert. All this creativity is wasted though on a script that bores the hell out of the viewer. They were on a mission to make a film with no purpose, good job they achieved it.

Day 172: October 19th, 2010

Spartan



The Last Starring Vehicle For Kilmer

Val Kilmer is an actor I have always been fond of. Sure, he has been in a lot of crap lately, but back in the day he was dedicated to his craft. His last good film was Felon, since then it's been down hill for the poor guy. Spartan, the Mamet written and directed feature was his last big starring role in a film that would have been seen because of him. Much like The Salton Sea, the film was good, seen by few and has a few detractors that take away from the overall enjoyment of it.

Kilmer plays Scott, an agent sent to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a high ranking United States government official. Kilmer plays the role with determination, next to no emotion and a sense of realism. He isn't Rambo, killing hundreds of guys without reloading, but he does know his way around a gun. Spartan sets itself apart from those films because it's more interested in the characters and the story than the action. Mamet has a keen eye for dialogue, most people either love it or hate it. Watch Glengarry Glen Ross to see just how good his writing can be. Here it actually sounds a bit off. I don't know if it's the delivery, or the writing, let's just say both. Some of the dialogue the characters would spew had me scratching my head in confusion.

The action, very little. Only when there needs to be, the rescue is quick and dirty, no car chase sequences out of the city at the last minute. This isn't a Michael Bay film. There are twists and turns, as to be expected with any film that deals with governments, these twists don't come as a surprise. You know there will be cover ups, double crosses and people who aren't who they claim to be. It's all part of the genre.

Spartan isn't great, but it's good enough to dedicated 2 hours to. Kilmer plays a more toned down Jack Bauer type character, not showy at all. Kilmer needs to finally put those low rent direct to DVD crappy films behind him and choose roles that will get him back on the map. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was brilliant and I believe that a film like Spartan, might actually help do the trick.

Day 173: October 20th, 2010

Eden Lake



A disturbingly dark film.

A couple go to Eden Lake for a relaxing weekend, where Steve plans to pop the question to his girlfriend Jenny. Much to their disdain, a group a thug wannabe kids plan to ruin their weekend and their lives.

Very few films leave me in such a depressed and angered mood. The only film that really got under my skin and emotionally drained me was Martyrs. Eden Lake is a film that steps up to the challenge and offers the viewer a look into realistic horror. A scenario that could happen and one that does not end happily ever after. Eden Lake doesn't have the Hollywood ending that some people will be hoping for, which is why it stands out above the rest.

The film presents us with some pretty disgusting and loathsome villains in the kids. They are arrogant, rude and crude. What at first seems like young kids being kids and annoying an older couple, quickly turns into something more sinister. They steal their car, after an altercation leads to the death of a dog, the kids go rabid and wild and chase after the couple. No more fun, these kids mean business. They capture and torture Steve, each taking their turns in stabbing him with a knife and choking him with the choke chain that belonged to the dog. I hated these kids and I wanted them to get what was coming to them, Eden Lake doesn't give you the pleasure of seeing any of that.

The film quickly becomes a survival horror as the young lady tries her best to survive, not only the kids, but the elements. She is lost in the woods and has to fend for herself. I prayed and rooted for her to make it to safety and she almost did. Making it back to civilization, I thought she was home free. The ending is disturbing and leaves you with a foul taste in your mouth. Something that I applaud and hate the film for. Here we have a movie that decides to not play ball and it goes out on it's own note. Yet, I'm always one to hate a film where the character, that I absolutely hate, end of winning. Eden Lake is this kind of film.

I watched it based on the recommendation of a friend, I liked it. It was shot well, the acting was realistic, even if the kids were annoying, and the gruesome scenes were indeed cringe worthy. Eden Lake joins Martyrs and The Mist for depressing endings that leave you angry and disturbed. Kudos.

I've got all three of these films and have yet to watch any of them.