plumberguy66

I thought (because I foolishly believed what I read here) that this movie was going to be pretty damn good. Wrong. It takes itself way too seriously for being nothing more than a typical teen-slasher movie – only this time the killer is some plants. WOW! Got that from the previews. I was hoping there would be some crazy twist or, at the very least, it would be graphically shocking. And while the amputation scene was pretty intense – it just fell short in the end. I didn't care at all about these kids. In fact, at one point - after hearing Jena Malone's character bitching about everything under the sun one too many times - I said who cares about these people, they're deplorable: get on with the killing already - and start with her! Oh yeah, and what's this crap about it being all psychologically twisted? (That's the film-makers' self profession, by the way.) I've seen better psychological twists in an episode of Law & Order! What a disappointment. Don't expect much and you may enjoy. Good luck!

Facts: As of 4.27.08 the rating for this movie is 2.9

Nearly EVERY review is negative. The accusations leveled over and over are: worst movie ever, terrible, trash, stupid and the like.

Here's my sad story about One Missed Call:

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon (I live in Seattle) so I went to the local video store looking for a mindless movie to watch while laying about. While perusing the selections I saw IT – not the Stephen King movie but the most vilified movie in recent memory: One Missed Call, staring at me from the shelf. I almost felt it call to me and for a fraction of a second my hand, with a mind of its own, started to reach out for it. Needless to say, I retrieved my composure and hurried away. Having read the reviews on IMDb, and so KNOWING it was something to avoid at all costs, I felt shameful and dirty at having let my guard down as I did.

As I walked a little further down the aisle I spotted another movie: Reservation Road. Thank goodness! Redemption!, I thought as I picked up a copy; feeling once again like sensible individual. As I headed for the front counter, reading the back of the box, it said Reservation Road was something to the effect of being a deep, emotional story. Not exactly the mindless fare for a rainy Sunday! So, completely loosing my mind and throwing caution to the wind, I snuck back and returned the copy of Reservation Road. Then, making certain no one else was around, grabbed a copy One Missed Call. I quickly tucked THE movie under my arm so that no passers-by could read the title and know the poor decision I had just made.

As I made my way to the counter, I made sure no line of happy movie renters were there so as to avoid their judging eyes. Safely at the counter, to throw-off some of my guilt, I made a joke with the clerk about how I was going to regret my selection but am a die-hard horror fan and therefore excused. He looked completely unaffected. I hurriedly paid and headed out the door with my guilty secret.

Once home, I popped the disc in, settled onto my couch and readied myself for disappointment. Funny thing though: About half way through the feature I started thinking about how similar this movie was to another movie I had seen - The Ring.

The Ring, when it hit the theaters and ultimately DVD, got huge, rave reviews. Strangely though, once I, personally, saw The Ring - and after all the hype - was ultimately disappointed. The Ring wasn't a bad movie, in my opinion, but it also was not deserving of all the accolades either – again, in my opinion.

So, here I am watching One Missed Call, comparing it to The Ring and now thinking the end has got to be the reason everyone is calling this a stinker. Well, I got to the end and was sitting there with furrowed brow thinking: What did I miss? Where is the movie that everyone hates so much? I don't feel ripped-off or violated. I don't even feel as if I was condescended to. What happened?

I suspect this was a case of jumping on the proverbial bandwagon. I thought we had are OWN opinions and shared them, here on IMDb, honestly. I have a very hard time believing that the same demographic gave The Ring 7.3, AVP: Requiem 5.1 (which SUUUUCKED) and One Missed Call 2.9. There is a serious disturbance in the force here. I used to trust the opinions and ratings on here. Ultimately this single incident has shaken my confidence in IMDb and the people casting their votes (much like the general elections of 2000 & 2004).

I hope one day I will once again be able to enter IMDb with the belief that I will be able to take away from it the knowledge needed to make a sensible movie renting choice. Until then, I will have to stumble through the video store alone, unarmed and destined to fall into the crags of bad movie selections.

A sad story indeed.

I fear I will run out of room soon so, I'll end here.

Cheers! Thanks for reading.

A mass for the dead… 'cause they killed this franchise. And actually, I am convinced that was the intent here.

So many people have commented here about how bad this movie was - BELIEVE THEM! This is Predator and Alien meet the friggin O.C.! There is NOTHING new here except a very bad, stinky, script overlay on the AVP theme. And all that is Predator and Alien was stolen from the previous movies. The Alien's face right in the face of a terror stricken woman as she turns away - Alien 3 anyone? And a tank-like transport, strong military type woman at the wheel, turns around and tells everyone to hang on - sound a bit like Aliens? The skinned man in the tree? The Predator med-kit? Seen it. And the list goes on and on and on. And the people in peril here - we just don't give a rat's ass about them. In fact, most of them are such loathsome clichés that we WANT THEM TO DIE! But no, this movie sucks so badly, that we have to wait 3/4 of the way through for any kind of mayhem to begin and by then it is just way, way too late. And what we do get is way to dark to see.

I swear it's like someone did this on purpose. At times it was like they thought the audience never saw an Alien or Predator movie. Even the first AVP relied on the fact that we were familiar with the premise. That's who we are idiots! Fans! People that saw and loved these series and you went and killed them. You killed them dead! I hope you're happy! Seriously though: Who put these two special effects nerds in charge anyway? That was dumb. I'm so disappointed.

The trailers for this film do it an injustice. While I am not a big Will Smith fan I have really enjoyed some of his films especially the MIB films. On the flip-side, I have found him extremely annoying in others like Independence Day. From the trailers for I, Robot, it really looked a lot like the character from I.D. had been rehashed. I am happy to report that the film and the Spooner character were not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. In fact, I quite enjoyed the film.

I am not really all that familiar with Azimov's work so I had no expectations on that front. I did try to read I, Robot years ago but found it so boring that I couldn't finish it. My interest in this film was to see how action and special effects improved on what little of the story I read. I got more than I had hoped for.

I, Robot had all the action, good special effects and stuff that you would expect from a summer sci-fi film but it also has an intriguing and interesting story. Add those with decent acting and solid direction and you get a pretty enjoyable film. My advice, forget the trailers and ask someone that's seen it. I am confident that most will enjoy the film. It's simply a fun, popcorn munching, escapist, summer flick.

Ok there's more..

In the thick soup of seventies remakes one stands out above the rest…. Dawn of the Dead. Not only is this movie far superior to the original but it is IMHO, The BEST zombie/post apocalyptic/horror movie I have ever seen. True, and I've seen a lot.

I'll warn you if spoilers are coming.

The opening of Dawn of the Dead is quite intense and brutal… gouts of blood, people running and screaming, zombies (of course) doing their thing and then the credits start to run and you just know you are in for one hell of a ride. I swear, I got goose bumps in anticipation of things to come. Dawn of the Dead works on so many levels I can't cover them all but suffice to say that it manages to be brutal and terrifying while injecting splashes of poignancy and gentleness. Sarah Polly has led me down the rabbit-hole before with movies like GO and No Such Thing; she takes us (willing) on a new, nightmarish ride and delivers the goods as usual. I think she is one of the best, most beautiful actresses today. For me, being familiar with, and liking, her past work made it easy for me to like/care for her character right from the get-go. This helped tremendously with getting sucked into the atmosphere. You can tell all the actors really got into making this picture. It must have been great fun. Ving is as great as always. But the real kudos have to go to the director and cinematography… While the premise is disturbing enough and the actors veterans, I'm not sure it would have been as effective without the, up-in-your-face, shaky camera work. A lot of the film is shot in close, claustrophobic intimacy and then there are these shaky, off-focus, chaotic shots that put right in the think of the fight and violence, then wide panoramic shots that show you the full scope of this desperate situation. Some parts of this movie are nothing less than brilliant. I love true artistry in film and it delivers that as well. Great special effects, smart story elements, attention to detail (listen to the mall Muzak – perfect) simply a great movie going experience. I will accept no arguments on this. Perfect 10.

Wonderland could have been a very boring movie but, with the treatment it was given it is more eye-candy than substance in a satisfying way. The artsy visuals and inventive ways the makers of this film move the story along were unexpected and creatively pleasing. Look for such things as the backdrop to some of the scenes is the schedule of the TV guide from that period… very creative. I have to disagree with some other reviewers that felt this was not the way to present this story. I think this would have been yet another `just say no' movie if not given this twist. The story it's self has the potential to fill about half an hour otherwise. At least this way we are entertained visually while waiting for the story to unfold. All in all I enjoyed this film and hope others will see the art here as well.

Also, being that I grew up durring the 80's, kudos must be given to the detail in clothes, sets, props... check the big clunky cell phone. Cool stuff, dude.

I feel like I am one of very few people that went to see this movie for the story and performances. I've read so many reviews about the makeup effects in this film that I'm beginning to suspect that that was the main motivation for a lot of people to see this flick. In some of the reviews the opinion of this movie seems to hinge fully on the distraction the makeup caused for them. Now, I've had some issues with the poor use of makeup effects in movies also; Spy Game comes to mind. But, the problem I had with that was the lack of effects used. They never aged the actors in that film which made it unbelievable, not unwatchable and certainly not so distracting as to make it a bad film. I liked Spy Game. I just wanted it to be a little more believable. But this review is supposed to be about Monster and is turning out to be more of a commentary on the people that had a problem taking their eyes and minds off the way the two lead actresses looked.

The film is based on the killer Aileen Wuornos, as I'm sure you're aware. Though I think it's a stretch, she's touted as a serial killer and may very well be the first woman classified as such. That alone makes this an intriguing story. This is the story of a very misguided (or perhaps that would be better stated as unguided), delusional, dangerous woman, who, after years of hard living that leads to occurrences of brutality, snaps and begins a life of killing. Along with that, there is a story of desperate love and hopeless denial. The performances are nothing less than exceptional; of course most of the kudos go to Charlize Theron. The make up effects help, but she really has become this woman. I have seen TV programs on this case with footage of Aileen and Charlize Theron has simply embodied her. Another reviewer made a remark that she (Theron) watched footage of Aileen Wuornos and simply copied her mannerisms, voice and look. Hmm, wasn't that her job? And I doubt it was that simple or easy. I have to rely on these trained professionals to try and develop their craft enough to convince me that they are someone else. Mrs. Theron did this for me with out flaw.

I urge people to go see this movie only if they are interested in the story and/or film in general. If you go just to see a beautiful woman look ugly for a film then you'll most likely miss the great performances and messages this film conveys. And that's sad. I really don't have the words, or time, to deliver all the feelings this movie brought up in me. I like to believe I got the messages and nuances of this picture and hope that others ‘get it' too. Look beyond the surface. That's my take, what's yours?

If I had heeded the advice of the first wave of idiots that said how bad this movie sucked I might have missed this very satisfying movie experience. I'm not really sure what some (if not most) of the people that disliked this movie were expecting, but it surely did p**s them off. I mean this was way, way, way better that those Star Wars prequels (I don't think I'll ever get over that disappointment). Perhaps a lot of people didn't understand these Matrix sequels. maybe they were too deep. That's really sad 'cause they aren't that hard to reach. I'll admit that I need someone to help me through a David Lynch movie now and then but come on. this is not like a psych exam without any prep. Yes, there is some philosophical babble here but it's just requires a little thought. Mostly there is a whole lot of hard hitting action that is completely satisfying. Also, I wouldn't call this the last installment of this franchise. There is more than enough room for a whole new series of Matrix movies. I say 'bring 'em on.' And if you whiny little dullards need someone to explain it all to you 'cause you didn't 'get it'; there's a message board on the subject going 24/7. check it. Sorry if I'm a little harsh, I just watched 8Mile.

Do people have minds anymore? What was wrong with this movie? Lets compare with say, Solaris… Supernova was better… how about Pitch Black? Supernova was better. Sphere? Event Horizon? Again, Supernova was better (in my opinion). So, why all the bashing? I see a lot of, ‘it could have been better' sentiments… well duh! Just about ANY movie could be better in some way. I found, in a lot of the reviews, individuals not knowing what was going on in the movie. Was this movie WATCHED only by myself and a few others? In the recent past (that being the last decade or so) how many great-big budget, sci-fi movies were even OK? I thought Supernova had its flaws, yes, but I don't think it deserved this massive attack. In fact, there are a lot of parts of this movie that are quite intelligent that deserve kudos. Again this my humble opinion… ok, maybe not so humble ;)

One reviewer suggested; this movie would appeal to the less sophisticated audience. I guess that's me. I really enjoyed this movie. Some have also described it as heavy-handed and some mentioned all the yelling and profanity… Huh? Well perhaps the heavy-handed opinion about the performances/direction is valid but the yelling and profanity? If you want a 'Disney-fied' crime story some aught to stick with Training Day (don't' get me wrong, I really liked Training Day, I just thought Narc was grittier). I found in this picture a little more than just yelling and shooting and would not be able to dismiss it as some so easily have. The performances are nothing less than excellent… great job by all. The direction, I found, to be a little LESS than ‘heavy-handed'. In fact there are some subtle parts that, unless you know of whence they stem, would leave a lot of viewers thinking they were the sort of fodder found in music videos. I found this movie to be gripping, gritty and realistic, albeit; very dark. I found some reviewers writing this off as a simple movie about a murder investigation while I thought it to be more about Jason Patrick's character battling his own demons and looking for deliverance. But then, I am of the less sophisticated viewing audience… proudly.

Where to start… I have not been a huge fan of Scorsese ever since The Last Temptation of Christ debacle. It's not that I don't think that M.S. is a good director, I just think he has had some problems with casting pictures outside his tried and true NY style. I mean Harvey Keitel as Judas and Willem Defoe as Christ? Sure Willem may look the part but geez, neither of them could rid themselves of their Brooklyn/NY accents long enough to ever be convincing. The picture told a great story but I just couldn't get over that accent hill.

Moving forward 15 years… I thought that he may have done it again. I just didn't see Cameron Diaz fitting into a role that is set in the 1850/60's. Also, I'm not a big fan of L. DiCaprio's either. Sure he can act but I just have a hard time getting that sniveling little ‘This Boy's Life' kid out of my mind sometimes; especially when he's supposed to be tough, I expect Robert De Niro to come waltzing in and slap him down. Anyway… I think that GoNY has put some of these difficulties to rest for me. Here we have a fantastic, sweeping story about this country's, but especially New York City's, shaky beginnings and we have another classic New York story from M.S. – the thing he does the best. I didn't have problems with accents, I found the story completely engaging, the acting was top notch (of course Day-Lewis stole the show, as I'm sure everyone has mentioned) but DiCaprio really impressed me and may have dispelled the image I've had of him for so long. His character struggles with his sense of loyalty; to avenge his dead father or to the man who killed him but has taken him under his wing and shown him respect. DiCaprio really relays the emotion superbly. There are scenes in this movie that will stick with me for years, i.e.: when Jenny asks Amsterdam who he is, which makes Amsterdam ask the same of himself, which causes him to come to his resolve. Simply great storytelling.

The production on this picture was nothing less than epic. It really transports you back to this country's struggle to find it's self. I found myself questioning weather any of the story was based on fact. On the DVD there is a Discovery Channel feature that put those questions to rest: most of what's in the film has some basses in historical events. Most not so flattering, but all very fascinating. If you have any interest in discovering what kind of strife our forefathers and mothers had to endure to make this country and NYC what they are today with a generous helping of great acting, directing and story telling: rent Gangs of New York and then watch the DC feature. I don't see how anyone could be disappointed.

If I may… (some possible spoilers) To me this movie told the story of two women in two very different times enduring the circumstances of their lives both of which come to a head in the location around the same island. On one hand we have Maren who is displaced from her homeland to a desolate island with a husband that she does not love with no companionship to speak of. Then we have Jean who is in a strained relationship with her writer husband; both not able to deal with the inability to communicate honestly with one another. Time passes for Maren then one by one her sister, brother and sister-in-law arrive and she ends up being nothing more than a ‘mother hen' to them. To keep her brother's affections near by, Maren is willing to endure the life she now has. For Jean she endures the blame, infidelity and resentment from her husband due to his troubled past and inability to write any longer. At some point in the movie both women make a choice to do what they must to survive and keep the men they love. In one time Maren rids herself of her problems and in the other Jean holds on to save herself. Both choices have similar consequences and both women suffer loss. There is a lot more in between but that, to me, seems to be the common thread here. Perhaps I'm reading too much into this film. Whatever the case, it's visually stimulating, well tooled and haunting. Sarah Polley is, with out a doubt the gem in this movie. I was captivated from the first frame to the last. Yeah, I liked it.

This movie could have been told in about thirty minutes and saved people a lot of money and me some time if had only aired on the Twilight Zone. It's obvious attempt to be another 2001: A Space Odyssey was insulting. At first I tried to forgive S.S. in thinking that he was paying tribute to Stanley Kubrick but (to quote Linkin Park) in the end, it doesn't even matter. What is not completely predictable becomes completely irrelevant in the end. If this picture was made to try explore and/or question our existence and the possibility of a higher power, questions which this movie tries to raise on at least two occasions, in the end is moot. I found myself waiting for the movie to get to some point or at least go to a place to let the viewer in and start questioning one's self, but alas, no. It wades through thick self importance and then wraps up and you say, ‘so what?' I never cared for any of these characters, that, like in 2001, are mostly distant and cold. But at least with 2001 there was HAL. That WAS the reason S.K. made the human characters so banal; to make HAL more alive by comparison. If that's what S.S. was trying to do here with the planet Solaris; he failed. At least with 2001 there were valid questions to be asked, possibly profound thoughts to be explored. Here the very lack of questioning and provoking thought is what's missing. What a let down. A huge budget, star(s), producer and director wasted on a motion picture that did even tantalize one little bit.

Did anyone else notice that they even had the audacity to make the planet look like HAL's optical lens when they did that pull away at the end? How cheesy was that?

What an excellent feeling I had after seeing Intacto. I've read books that have this sort of theme and wondered why no one used it for a movie. At last, a film with some imagination and courage. This one deserves high marks all around. Great story, script, acting and, surprisingly, great special effects. (check out the FX section on the DVD). Now all we have to do is wait to see how Hollywood will butcher the Americanized version.

What a strange and twisted movie this was but, at the same time, it was strangely beautiful. In one way, it's a story of two people finding their true soul-mate. It's also a near classic.. well, ok,a kind of out there, telling of individuals overcoming obstacles in their personal and societal lives.

The basic story is about a shy, troubled girl that gets a job as a secretary at a troubled lawyer's office. After a very short time both parties find that they are a lot more alike than they knew. A sort of flirtatious thing starts between them and… you'll have to see for yourself. From here the story is steeped in mild S&M and sexual fetishes. The normal, Hollywood script is thrown out on this one, thank god. This movie helps you realize that James Spader is still a fine actor and gives hopes that we will see a lot more of Maggie Gyllenhaal.

I really enjoyed this unconventional movie. It kept me guessing, not knowing what to expect next and kept my rapt attention until the very end. This movie was a Lion's Gate distribution… for those that know the label, you know they put out some great inde's and this is no exception. Worth a viewing or two.

Lord knows I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed and I sometimes don't think before I say or do something stupid but I too have an angle on this film… It may be way off, but then, so is this picture.

Some thoughts and lots of spoilers: Have you noticed that when we go to sleep we sometimes carry some of the residue of the day into our dreams with us? Just bits and pieces, usually. A little bit of everyday `reality' swept in that gets skewed and twisted in the fugue of sleep. Add to that a healthy dose of despair, and guilt and you could be on one hell of a trip. That, I think, is what we have here in the film Mulholland Drive. We start with the perspective of one climbing into bed and falling into a pillow… here the dream, and the skewed reality begins. Diane, now Betty, hits L.A. straight off the jitterbug circuit where she's just won a dance contest which has prompted her to try her hand at acting (makes since, right? Jitterbug contest winner = great actress pre-req). Sounds like something straight out of a silly old fifties movie right? Coincidentally, as you find out later in the film, Diane in an extra on the set of a movie set in the fifties.

In Diane's dream, Betty hasn't got a care in the world. Everyone is so nice to her and her situation couldn't be more perfect; Her aunt is conveniently away and has left Betty her fantastic apartment. The aunt has also got Hollywood connections and has arranged for Betty to go in for an audition, her first ever, and of course, they love her (with all her jitterbug experience how could she fail?). She's just perfect for the part. She's not had to suffer the pain of rejection. Rejection and failure, those elements seem to me major players in this picture and missing thus far in the film. It seems it's at this point that reality first tries to creep into her dream. The pain of not getting a part in reality is glossed over in the dream by some strange characters making the director cast some unwanted for the part. We are also now taken on some side venues that, to me, are just remnants of the real world that Diane has drug into her dream but are, in the end, inconsequential. Now comes the unavoidable part… Rita (Camilla in the real world), Diane's love interest. There's no way around casting her in the dream. She's been Diane's focus for far too long for that. In this role, Rita is the beautiful, sole survivor of a horrible car accident who conveniently has amnesia so she can be anyone Betty's mind needs her to be, except for the person she really is, of course. Here, Rita is dependent on Betty, she needs Betty. Just the way Diane would love to have been needed by Rita.

In the real world Diane is all messed up. She wants to live the Hollywood dream but, the reality is that she's not a star and probably never will be. She's infatuated with a woman, Camilla, who is a star but is no longer interested in Diane. Her obsession's new romance with the director of the film that both women are working on is rubbed in Diane's face and she snaps. Have you ever noticed how that when something bad is going to happen, something you were dreading but powerless to stop, it seems to occur with agonizing slowness when it does finally happen? The point where the director announces the impending nuptials between himself and Diane's intended, plays just like the eponymous scenario. During this scene we see the cowboy walk by who will be pulled into the dreams later simply because of his presence during this powerful turn/crack in Diane's mind. Diane goes off the deep end and hires someone to kill Camilla. The agony of loosing Camilla and the guilt of having her killed is too much for Diane. She sleeps all day, trying to escape the reality. For the brief time we do see her in the real world is when she is awakened by her neighbor, collecting some things left behind after the two swapped apartments. Diane is in her robe, hair a mess looking like she's been in bed for days. (Anyone who has been or knows someone that's been depressed, knows this is probably the case). The neighbor informs Diane that some detectives came looking for her again. Undoubtedly investigating Rita's disappearance/death. One of the last times we see Diane, is her standing in her kitchen thinking back on the things that led to this point. To the point where guilt and despair cause her to take her own life. The next time we see her in reality is when the demons have come home and she has to shut them out for good…

As far as the homeless guy in the back of Winkie's goes (note the name denotes sleep: catch a few winks – Winkie's, Ok maybe not) to me he could represent the dirty little secret in the back of Diane's mind. She did, after all, hire someone to kill Rita. The blue box might represent Diane's life; she has the key but never opens it herself. Once it is opened by Rita, we see that it is empty. Rita is the one that holds it in her hands and opens it up. In the end though, it's dropped by Rita and we see them no more.

As far as the old couple… that could be the finger of accusation. The innocent and honest seem to magnify guilt and shame just by their very existence.

To me the strangest thing in this movie is the aunt walking into the room after Rita drops the box… as though she heard it drop. Did she feel a disturbance in the force? Did she somehow feel Diane's life pass. We don't even know if she really is Diane's aunt or just another inane character having been dragged into Diane's dream.

Whatever the case, this movie will keep you guessing and asking questions long after it's viewed. In my opinion this is one of Lynch's best. One director that understands that film is a medium in the world of art.

After reading some of the reviews on here, I'm beginning to believe that the Matrix is real. Who else but Agents would turn you off of this movie. We must be getting too close to the truth. That, or perhaps some of these reviewers are not true Matrix fans…

I don't understand what the real problem is that some of these people are having with this movie... Yes there are clichés here and there and perhaps there is a scene or two that is a little lengthy but in the end, you know what? This movie rocked. Some of the ‘over-long' scenes were some of the best ones, i.e.; Neo fighting the Smiths, the freeway scene and especially the opening scene with Trinity. The choreography in those scenes was fantastic. We all saw the first one and maybe got a little desensitized to the special effects so, you throw in a little more story and some scenes of sensuality (which always makes most people a little uncomfortable anyway) and people complain... whatever!

I, for one, thought the movie was great and well worth seeing. I even loved the rock video, shake the cave scene. What can I say, I'm part of the MTVgen... If I were to rate this with stars: I'd give a healthy 8.5 out of 10. Yeah, it was good.

Whoever said this was just more of the same didn't see the same picture I did… What I saw introduced new characters, answered questions, created new ones, had more action and more violence. The heightened violence level of this one was surprising to me, but at the same time, it fit also. Not to worry, most of it occurs in half-light and there're not terrific amounts of gore flying around. This one also holds a level of consistency that I find lacking in a disconcertingly high number of other films. It caters to the audience, knowing that we are return visitors. I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable movie experience. X-Men fans, and fans of this genre in general, will not be disappointed.

This movie left me feeling kind of empty in the end. It had me hooked from the get go. The story was compelling, the acting was good, the mood and tone were fine… then I figured out what was going on and got all goosebumpy with anticipation and then they let you in on the joke and it wasn't as funny as you thought it would be. Is it because we are getting desensitized to the `surprise ending' thing. Or could it be that this one just wasn't handled with as much style as some others. I don't know and don't care… that's the sum of my feelings about this movie. I was disappointed at one time.. now I've just moved on and forgotten the whole thing.. it wasn't hard.

Obviously this was not the best motion picture in the world. It wasn't all that good either but it is not, by a long stretch the worst movie of all time. Going against the scathing reviews I read on here, I went ahead and rented this on pay per view. And while I was doing other things while it was on (sorting through old photos) it did pass the time. From what I did see of the movie, it was obvious that the makers of this film saw Ringu and tried to apply some more techie stuff to the story which could have worked but didn't do much for this movie. There are certainly holes in this story and the acting could have been better but all in all it was kind of interesting comparing it to the Ring and seeing the similarities. Could have been better, it wasn't. Could have been a waste of time but it didn't seem like one. Maybe it was the picture sorting that helped pass the time and not the other way around. If you're a die hard horror fan, I say watch it, we're used to the really bad stinkers anyway and this one is only mildly smelly.

The production value on this installment of the Dune series is more than I could have hoped for. Thank you for getting rid of those awful painted backgrounds. I had been contemplating how a real movie version of the Dune books would look for years. I liked the sets on the DL version but the lack of story was just too confusing for anyone that hadn't read the books and disappointing for those that did. When I heard about the SciFi channel doing the movie 3 years ago I was all jazzed up and ready to be dazzled. And while the story was more consistent with the book and the acting was good, I was rather disappointed with the sets. Now with Children of Dune I think we've seen what should have been done from the get go. The special effects are right on target as are the performances in this one. In the first installment it seemed more like a filmed stage play. This one is more like the full-on, glossy, Hollywood production these stories deserve. That said, I (and some of my friends) still feel that these movies are not going to be very comprehensible to anyone that hasn't read the books but I don't mind that much as I am a selfish and self-serving person at heart. I also have lost faith that anyone will do the Lady Jessica character justice. DL's Jessica was horrible.. beautiful, yes, but what a simpering little weakling she was. Not so in the book… Jessica was more solid, calculating and strong. The miniseries did a little better but she still seemed weak in comparison to the novel. Hopefully Alice Krige will prove to be better. Since she was barely in last night's part, we'll have to wait and see. All in all I am very pleased with what the makers have done with this part of the series. I can't wait until tonight and the next night and especially (hopefully) for ‘God Emperor of Dune' and ‘Chapterhouse'. If they don't do the whole series, I will be sorely disappointed. Bottom line: Keep up the great work!

I really kind of liked this movie. No, it wasn't a heart-stopping, jumpy movie but there is no arguing that it is a well made, skin-crawly, creepy, atmospheric movie. I am the type of person that can enjoy both kinds of movies equally well and I do.

Some of the scenes in the Ring are straight out of a nightmare and others are shown so briefly, you're not sure what you just saw - which only helps circulate the creepy atmosphere.

I've read some of the reviews on here and have to say that I don't understand why some people take offense at remakes of foreign films. Granted, I usually like the original version as well but I can't possibly keep up with every foreign title. Or perhaps I'm just a lazy American but, sometimes it's difficult trying to get into the feel of a movie with having to read subtitles. Also can't watch dubbed movies, that's just plain silly. But if the remake is done well, what's the problem. I've seen both and thought them equally well made. In a way I am grateful to the people that bring some of these foreign films to the US mainstream. I may never have become aware of this, and other wonderful titles were it not for their Americanized cousins. Movies like Ringu and even Abre los ojos (Vanilla Sky) might still be unknown to me otherwise. That would be just sad. Cheers!

I saw this movie at the drive-in theater when I was a kid. I was really into horror movies at the time, so I thought the Gate was pretty lame compared to the movies I was seeing during that period. Well, today I turned on the TV and the Gate was showing on cable and I thought I'd give a few minutes for nostalgia's sake. What I found surprised me; it was better that I had remembered, in fact it was quite good for a 1987 movie and most surprising were the special effects. The little demons are done really well in a time before CGI. It even prompted me to sit down and write this just minutes after watching so it can't be that bad. I say give it a whirl, you may be delightfully surprised yourself. That's my take. What's yours?

I found this movie to be very much in the vein of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure or Edward Scissor-hands. I can see how it would not appeal to a lot of people, but just note that the performances are good and the story is cute. I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. It's only a movie and I for one thought it was rather fun. It was surely better than Shallow Hal! That's mho.

While I didn't hate Hannibal (having read the book which was pretty weak in it's own right) I didn't think it fit with Silence of the Lambs too well. Red Dragon bridges the gap pretty damn well though. Being a prequel and having to live up to SOL, I thought the makers of this film did a pretty good job of creating a tense atmosphere. It did help that the other two movies were done before this one because you already knew Dr. Lecter to be a very menacing and evil character. In the original make of this, Manhunter, you were never introduced to Hannibal properly so he was a rather banal peripheral addition. Here we have him in all his glory and even get to see him grazing the free range before being pinned. There are lots of great lines and good performances in Red Dragon. You hardly even notice that Mr. Hopkins is a decade older than his first outing as Hannibal thanks too some suspension of disbelief, good make-up and good camera work ( i.e.: his reflection in the towel holder). All in all it was an enjoyable experience. I think it will appeal to all who enjoyed the others. That's my two cents.