19 reviews
This movie started with some promise, considering that it's from the same writers of "The Ring," and directed by (until now) promising director Fruit Chan.
The beginning is fairly intriguing, but maybe fifteen or twenty minutes in, I was losing interest, and wondering where the plot had gone. In my opinion, the writers definitely missed out on an opportunity to really scare us, to give us the next "Ring," or "The Grudge," but they passed it up. God knows why.
I didn't find Chan's direction particularly riveting or impressive, which was disappointing, to say the least. Without any notable exceptions, the acting is dismal and unconvincing, making a bad movie worse. The fake Romanian accents, in particular, started to get to me after a while. (Our hero's name is MarCUS. Not MarCOOS.)
I still felt they might have managed to salvage it at the ending, but this, as well, was a disappointment. Any brief horror they had managed to drum up had been whizzed right down their legs in roughly fifteen seconds.
Yes, there is some gore, and at times I felt an uneasy sense of foreboding, but this film ultimately failed in delivering the punches. Rent it if you like, but beware that it won't live up to expectations.
The beginning is fairly intriguing, but maybe fifteen or twenty minutes in, I was losing interest, and wondering where the plot had gone. In my opinion, the writers definitely missed out on an opportunity to really scare us, to give us the next "Ring," or "The Grudge," but they passed it up. God knows why.
I didn't find Chan's direction particularly riveting or impressive, which was disappointing, to say the least. Without any notable exceptions, the acting is dismal and unconvincing, making a bad movie worse. The fake Romanian accents, in particular, started to get to me after a while. (Our hero's name is MarCUS. Not MarCOOS.)
I still felt they might have managed to salvage it at the ending, but this, as well, was a disappointment. Any brief horror they had managed to drum up had been whizzed right down their legs in roughly fifteen seconds.
Yes, there is some gore, and at times I felt an uneasy sense of foreboding, but this film ultimately failed in delivering the punches. Rent it if you like, but beware that it won't live up to expectations.
- sudsinthebucket
- Sep 13, 2010
- Permalink
- claudio_carvalho
- Oct 4, 2010
- Permalink
Normally I don't write reviews... although after watching this movie, it marked my life in such ways I had to leave a comment and warn others. Just spare yourself the misery. This movie shows promise at the start, thinking of such urban legends as the filming of The Exorcist... yet sadly it fails to deliver. The plot is very poor to say the least, and the main character inspires as much empathy in his role as a mad director, that by the end of the movie you are actually rooting for something to happen to him. The movie ends, and ends again, then ends strangely... and I now have to find a way to wash my brain of this dreg...
- raoulcortereal
- Oct 2, 2010
- Permalink
There was a time that Japanese or Asian flicks were the next big thing. Gore galore and brutality used was a common thing. Sadly, Hollywood saw the dollars coming in and started to remake most of those flicks, many of them flopped. Even worser, those eastern directors were asked to make Hollywood movies. Bad idea, they are really crap. Here, Fruit Chan, the director couldn't deliver the stuff. And even as the granddaughter of actor, Charles Chaplin, plays in it it really is a dreg. The idea is okay, but done before a year ago in two other films. The movie in the movie, remember The Hills Run Red and Midnight Movie. Here a director would like to remake a movie that was never finished due to, as legends go, evil spirits. Those evil spirits are killing all crew members or anyone involved in the making of the movie. The supernatural is a main thing in this flick but appears too much via CGI. No gore, no nudity, no suspense, no nothing. I would recommend it for teenagers seeking for a good time with a beer and some crisps.
I have to admit, I only found out about this oddity, because I was looking for the way better known "Don't look up" from 2021. But this popped up as one of the results too here on imdb and reading this being a horror my interest was piqued. And since it was available to rent on Prime, I thought why not and here we are.
My story aside (I wonder if yours is similar), the movie has quite a few flaws. But it also has an intersting cast - and an almost completely miscast Eli Roth in one of the roles. He was far better in Tarantinos movie - and of course behind the camera as a director. But his contribution is minor and probably only a favor - or maybe just a fun cameo day at the set.
Whatever it was, the rest of the cast is quite convincing too. They may be over-explaining certain things (like certain film related stuff that they should know anyway, but they elaborate because of the viewers), but they seem to know what they are doing ... are they also too deep into it to realize many things are wrong? Or is everything a trick of ones mind? If only ET was here to help ... I'm not even sure if everyone will recognize Henry Thomas from the ET movie - doesn't even matter.
Not the best horror I have seen, but most definitely not the worst I have seen either ... effects are nice, considering the budget.
My story aside (I wonder if yours is similar), the movie has quite a few flaws. But it also has an intersting cast - and an almost completely miscast Eli Roth in one of the roles. He was far better in Tarantinos movie - and of course behind the camera as a director. But his contribution is minor and probably only a favor - or maybe just a fun cameo day at the set.
Whatever it was, the rest of the cast is quite convincing too. They may be over-explaining certain things (like certain film related stuff that they should know anyway, but they elaborate because of the viewers), but they seem to know what they are doing ... are they also too deep into it to realize many things are wrong? Or is everything a trick of ones mind? If only ET was here to help ... I'm not even sure if everyone will recognize Henry Thomas from the ET movie - doesn't even matter.
Not the best horror I have seen, but most definitely not the worst I have seen either ... effects are nice, considering the budget.
- Peppered_Productions
- Jul 24, 2012
- Permalink
Marcus Reed (Reshad Strik), a film-maker troubled by strange visions, travels to Romania to try and make a movie based on a long lost film by legendary '20s director Béla Olt (Eli Roth). Reed's film is hampered by strange accidents on-set: is Marcus losing his mind or is an ancient gypsy curse causing his problems?
Don't Look Up is a remake of the 1996 Japanese film Joyû-rei; it is an American/Japanese/South African co-production starring an international cast and directed by Asian film-maker Fruit Chan. No wonder it's a bloody mess. The first half of the film is extremely boring, while the second half makes no sense whatsoever.
A couple of gruesome death scenes and frequent clouds of CGI flies do nothing to make this garbage any more bearable. Boring dialogue, terrible acting, horrible editing effects, a set that looks like an old derelict junkyard, an irritating Romanian character who says 'Mr. Marcus' every few seconds: this sorry excuse for a horror film is a total dud from dull start to utterly incomprehensible finish.
Don't Look Up is a remake of the 1996 Japanese film Joyû-rei; it is an American/Japanese/South African co-production starring an international cast and directed by Asian film-maker Fruit Chan. No wonder it's a bloody mess. The first half of the film is extremely boring, while the second half makes no sense whatsoever.
A couple of gruesome death scenes and frequent clouds of CGI flies do nothing to make this garbage any more bearable. Boring dialogue, terrible acting, horrible editing effects, a set that looks like an old derelict junkyard, an irritating Romanian character who says 'Mr. Marcus' every few seconds: this sorry excuse for a horror film is a total dud from dull start to utterly incomprehensible finish.
- BA_Harrison
- Oct 8, 2014
- Permalink
The formula has been repeated so often you have to wonder why they don't just quit.
Take a good Japanese suspense film of the same name, which was directed by Hideo Nakata (The Ring Trilogy), and had a screenplay by Hiroshi Takahashi, who also wrote the screenplays for the Ring Trilogy. and bring in a big time director (Fruit Chan) and someone to adapt the screenplay to add gore instead of suspense (Brian Cox), add some American eye candy (Rachael Murphy), and you have a film that is a pale imitation of the original directed to teens.
Forget the eye candy, find the original.
Take a good Japanese suspense film of the same name, which was directed by Hideo Nakata (The Ring Trilogy), and had a screenplay by Hiroshi Takahashi, who also wrote the screenplays for the Ring Trilogy. and bring in a big time director (Fruit Chan) and someone to adapt the screenplay to add gore instead of suspense (Brian Cox), add some American eye candy (Rachael Murphy), and you have a film that is a pale imitation of the original directed to teens.
Forget the eye candy, find the original.
- lastliberal-853-253708
- Jul 21, 2012
- Permalink
A lot of the other reviews are kinda harsh and seem to come from the Uber-Film High-Brow Horror Critic's row of the theatre. Whereas I just wanted to see something. . .different.
What grabbed me was the notion of a ghost story set current day, in Transylvania, that didn't involve Vampires. Period.
I'm sick of Vampires: Old, Young, Teenagers, the black leather thing, suburban dark sex. . .whatever. Just sick of it all. And here was a story about a modern day haunting in Transylvania on a movie set.
Now I'll be honest, the plot is confusing. I'm not quite sure on exactly WHAT was haunted: The Movie Set, the Film, or the 'Set Specialist' himself, But I like the fact that you're not quite sure whether the 'Set Specialist' Marcus is hallucinating or really seeing things. The build-up of havoc on the filming set and the deaths here and there followed by the final send-up of the ghost/apparition at least did not follow the usual formula, so I was entertained. And to the Nay-Saying Aficionados who were expecting more linear, explainable plot, I say that the lack of an explainable plot was excusable because the action still drove towards a weird conclusion. And what held me was the fact that it wasn't a PREDICTABLE Plot. I STILL wanted to see what the End would be. And on that score, I say the movie scored a point.
The FX were nicely done and the flies were a nice touch. There's gore, but it's more Ick than Splatter. Warning: Girlfriends with weak stomachs or sensibilities may need you to cover their eyes a bit. Oh, and refrain from a genuine male desire to get some pizza out of the Microwave. . .the GF will NOT understand and will give you troublesome disgusted looks.
Nah, it's not Horror Movie Gold-- but it has it's own Honorable Mention Category and definitely a good passable Saturday Nite Horror Flick.
And when you watch, don't Siskel & Ebert it. This is Elvira material! Enjoy!
What grabbed me was the notion of a ghost story set current day, in Transylvania, that didn't involve Vampires. Period.
I'm sick of Vampires: Old, Young, Teenagers, the black leather thing, suburban dark sex. . .whatever. Just sick of it all. And here was a story about a modern day haunting in Transylvania on a movie set.
Now I'll be honest, the plot is confusing. I'm not quite sure on exactly WHAT was haunted: The Movie Set, the Film, or the 'Set Specialist' himself, But I like the fact that you're not quite sure whether the 'Set Specialist' Marcus is hallucinating or really seeing things. The build-up of havoc on the filming set and the deaths here and there followed by the final send-up of the ghost/apparition at least did not follow the usual formula, so I was entertained. And to the Nay-Saying Aficionados who were expecting more linear, explainable plot, I say that the lack of an explainable plot was excusable because the action still drove towards a weird conclusion. And what held me was the fact that it wasn't a PREDICTABLE Plot. I STILL wanted to see what the End would be. And on that score, I say the movie scored a point.
The FX were nicely done and the flies were a nice touch. There's gore, but it's more Ick than Splatter. Warning: Girlfriends with weak stomachs or sensibilities may need you to cover their eyes a bit. Oh, and refrain from a genuine male desire to get some pizza out of the Microwave. . .the GF will NOT understand and will give you troublesome disgusted looks.
Nah, it's not Horror Movie Gold-- but it has it's own Honorable Mention Category and definitely a good passable Saturday Nite Horror Flick.
And when you watch, don't Siskel & Ebert it. This is Elvira material! Enjoy!
- michaelRokeefe
- Dec 18, 2021
- Permalink
Here's a film which seems to be all over the place in terms of story, which is needlessly complicated and as a result feels rushed and unsatisfactory. This is apparently a remake of an Japanese ghost film, given a western twist and cast, and directed by Chinese director Fruit Chan (who made the sickening DUMPLINGS).
The story tells of a film crew attempting to shoot a tale about a cursed production, only for themselves to fall foul of the evil spirit of a witch inhabiting the set. The witchcraft/ghost angle is entirely predictable, although there are some cool CGI effects involving swarming flies, but that doesn't stop the film from feeling disjointed and more than a little unfocused.
There are familiar cast members here, from a cameoing Eli Roth as a Hungarian director to Henry Thomas and Shiloh Fernandez, but the actors fail to bring life to what is a very stale script. You can tell Chan is trying and indeed DON'T LOOK UP is unsettling in a few places thanks to his efforts, but as with most remakes I'd recommend checking out the original instead.
The story tells of a film crew attempting to shoot a tale about a cursed production, only for themselves to fall foul of the evil spirit of a witch inhabiting the set. The witchcraft/ghost angle is entirely predictable, although there are some cool CGI effects involving swarming flies, but that doesn't stop the film from feeling disjointed and more than a little unfocused.
There are familiar cast members here, from a cameoing Eli Roth as a Hungarian director to Henry Thomas and Shiloh Fernandez, but the actors fail to bring life to what is a very stale script. You can tell Chan is trying and indeed DON'T LOOK UP is unsettling in a few places thanks to his efforts, but as with most remakes I'd recommend checking out the original instead.
- Leofwine_draca
- Apr 28, 2015
- Permalink
I originally picked this movie to watch after reading the plot. It seemed different from most movies so I thought I was seeing something new that would grab my attention. When getting the movie home, I read the reviews on here and saw it was a "bad" horror film. Still, I took my chances.
I can see why many do not like this film. There is no definite beginning or end, leaving you to question the purpose of the entire movie. The plot seems to change focus from the movie production to the mental state of the producer.
Let it be known, this is NOT a horror movie. There are "intense" images placed in scenes without much thought (i.e. the flashbacks the main character gets). The idea is probably to shock the viewer when they least expect it. The "gore" in the movie is less frightening than taking a stroll through the butcher's shop to pick up dinner. I do not understand how this movie is rated R. It lacks the core elements which would make a movie "R" - gore, language, and nudity. This movie is all about the deteriorating mental state of the "producer" inside the movie, which is fun to watch if you're into that kind of thing. The acting was subpar; I think a high school play crew could act the scenes better than the actors hired for this movie. Overall this movie gets a 3/10. They tried and came up short.
I can see why many do not like this film. There is no definite beginning or end, leaving you to question the purpose of the entire movie. The plot seems to change focus from the movie production to the mental state of the producer.
Let it be known, this is NOT a horror movie. There are "intense" images placed in scenes without much thought (i.e. the flashbacks the main character gets). The idea is probably to shock the viewer when they least expect it. The "gore" in the movie is less frightening than taking a stroll through the butcher's shop to pick up dinner. I do not understand how this movie is rated R. It lacks the core elements which would make a movie "R" - gore, language, and nudity. This movie is all about the deteriorating mental state of the "producer" inside the movie, which is fun to watch if you're into that kind of thing. The acting was subpar; I think a high school play crew could act the scenes better than the actors hired for this movie. Overall this movie gets a 3/10. They tried and came up short.
- engelofdestruction
- Oct 15, 2010
- Permalink
I can see why some reviewers thought this film was a bit messy. But I can see how that adds to the, this person is loosing their mind and what is, and what is not actually real. I thought some of the ideas here were cool.
It's not the best work for this director, but I thought it was still a pretty interesting watch. It has some cool ideas, and the idea behind the story was pretty interesting too. Like finding out more depth behind the spirit the filming is meant to be about would have made this a better film.
The acting and script are pretty average, but overall I think the film is worth a watch.
It's not the best work for this director, but I thought it was still a pretty interesting watch. It has some cool ideas, and the idea behind the story was pretty interesting too. Like finding out more depth behind the spirit the filming is meant to be about would have made this a better film.
The acting and script are pretty average, but overall I think the film is worth a watch.
- arnaldo_macia
- Sep 1, 2012
- Permalink
- Fishman1966
- Aug 21, 2012
- Permalink
Traveling to Romania to finish a legendary movie, a troubled director and his crew must deal with the effects of a deadly curse over the production killing off anyone involved and deal with it before succumbing to it.
Overall this one was pretty enjoyable if slightly disappointing effort. This one really tends to get going with the rather enjoyable and exciting back-story here detailing the effects of the gypsy curse and revelations about the early film here which is quite the creepy story that would've made for a rather enjoyable film had it ever been filmed. This makes the filming of these scenes quite enjoyable as there's a fine sense of atmosphere displayed there during these scenes when looking back at them through the film-cameras which makes many of these accidents quite thrilling when falling lights, broken rigs and failing light-work all conspire against the crew in a slew of grisly accidents that come off rather nicely here to carry on the legacy of the curse here in addition to the few startling ghost attacks up on the stage- rafters and the ambush down in the basement. This also brings up the events of the final half as the true value of that curse comes about with deadly accidents in the development lab, a thrilling revelation sequence on the movie set as the replayed events of the original story are enacted and then finally meeting up with the main spirit which causes this one to really get a decent enough finish here to help it somewhat against the few flaws here. Among the biggest is the fact that there's just no end to the rather convoluted and completely meaningless visions that he keeps experiencing which don't really further the movie at all. Rather than serving as a way to keep the filmed movie going or gaining insight into how to defeat the ghostly being stalking around, which is what's to be expected in this kind of situation here, they're more used to showcase supposedly creepy images and jump-scares that don't mean much instead as there's little purpose to them, and simply being there to remind us how troubled he is doesn't help matters so all these scenes do is serve to highlight the film's next big problem in the uneven pacing. There's so many stretches here where nothing really happens that there's times when this one tends to run aground and derail itself by not going for the main storyline involving the curse on display against the film crew as they deal with their own petty problems or utilizing his moronic visions that keep the ghost actually off-screen so long into this one until the final battle. That in itself is the biggest issue holding this one back, as while the lame CGI for the lone ghost sequence might be another detriment it's not as bad compared to these other factors that hold this one down.
Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.
Overall this one was pretty enjoyable if slightly disappointing effort. This one really tends to get going with the rather enjoyable and exciting back-story here detailing the effects of the gypsy curse and revelations about the early film here which is quite the creepy story that would've made for a rather enjoyable film had it ever been filmed. This makes the filming of these scenes quite enjoyable as there's a fine sense of atmosphere displayed there during these scenes when looking back at them through the film-cameras which makes many of these accidents quite thrilling when falling lights, broken rigs and failing light-work all conspire against the crew in a slew of grisly accidents that come off rather nicely here to carry on the legacy of the curse here in addition to the few startling ghost attacks up on the stage- rafters and the ambush down in the basement. This also brings up the events of the final half as the true value of that curse comes about with deadly accidents in the development lab, a thrilling revelation sequence on the movie set as the replayed events of the original story are enacted and then finally meeting up with the main spirit which causes this one to really get a decent enough finish here to help it somewhat against the few flaws here. Among the biggest is the fact that there's just no end to the rather convoluted and completely meaningless visions that he keeps experiencing which don't really further the movie at all. Rather than serving as a way to keep the filmed movie going or gaining insight into how to defeat the ghostly being stalking around, which is what's to be expected in this kind of situation here, they're more used to showcase supposedly creepy images and jump-scares that don't mean much instead as there's little purpose to them, and simply being there to remind us how troubled he is doesn't help matters so all these scenes do is serve to highlight the film's next big problem in the uneven pacing. There's so many stretches here where nothing really happens that there's times when this one tends to run aground and derail itself by not going for the main storyline involving the curse on display against the film crew as they deal with their own petty problems or utilizing his moronic visions that keep the ghost actually off-screen so long into this one until the final battle. That in itself is the biggest issue holding this one back, as while the lame CGI for the lone ghost sequence might be another detriment it's not as bad compared to these other factors that hold this one down.
Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.
- kannibalcorpsegrinder
- Jun 22, 2015
- Permalink