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Night Owls is a good and refreshing flick and if you already have to watch something in this genre, it might as well be the best that the genre has to offer at this time. Very strong slapstick vibe and raunchy jokes will make you forget that at its core Night Owls is a classic romance movie. And this is not a bad thing, it's just there have been so many of them and almost all of them were horrible and generic, made just to milk the audiences for more money. This one takes things in a different direction.

Kevin is one those guys who just work and work, with occasional outburst intended to prove that he's still alive. This time that outburst involves Madeline, a troubled girl who likes Kevin and the two of them spend the night together. Next thing you know Kevin finds Madeline lying unconscious in the toilet...

Another thing that will entertain you is the fact that the movie is happening in almost real-time. This adds more tension to the atmosphere and a deadline that you see coming as the movie progresses, making time go faster and faster. Dynamic relationship between Kevin and Madeline is the core of this movie. They transition very quickly from strangers, friends, lovers, enemies and whole bunch of other stuff, keeping the movie interesting and further examining their relationship. How do you test a hypothesis: you take it to the extreme. This time the setup was a bit extreme, but still well thought out so our characters have lot to deal with, making Night Owls a movie you should check out.

By now we are used to seeing all sorts of horrors coming to us from Asia, but they all had one thing in common, they were seriously messed up, with rare exceptions. Dead Mine, an Indonesian medium budget movie takes an almost textbook approach to storytelling, and while graphic violence is present, it isn't sick or anything, but just as I said more classically bloody that we are used to seeing in American horrors. The movie itself is nothing special, but the exotic locations,cast and story make up for that. The director Steven Sheil managed to make the movie look really good, with some innovative camera angles and relatively suspenseful scenes, sacrificing reality for looks. Although when the movie's about zombies, Second World War and strange things lurking in the depths of the mine, reality discussion is really not a valid one.

An expedition led by a very wealthy, I guess scientist, called Price has finally found the thing they were looking for in Indonesia, an old abandoned bunker from WW 2. Price, accompanied by his girlfriend, a Japanese journalist on a quest to find out more about the war and a bunch of mercenaries in charge of their safety, decides to take a closer look. As soon as he said it, they were attacked by a local gang and forced to find shelter in the mine that has been converted into a bunker. After the cave in, they find themselves trapped in the mine with only one option, to push forward, into the darkness. What they don't know is that the mine is not abandoned, but far from it...

Fascination by Nazi zombies is something that has kept filmmakers in Europe occupied for quite some time, but now we are seeing this trend in Asia with Japans soldiers. While the directing was good and they managed to make Dead Mine look visually great, the story and the dialogue needs to be better. The thing that I missed the most is the suspense building up as they go deeper and deeper into the mine... Check out Dead Snow, a movie with a similar subject if you liked Dead Mine. It's not the best movie out there, but it's worth a watch...

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What, there's a new movie about Hansel & Gretel, wow I would like to see that! After about twenty minutes into the movie: what, they are going to hunt witches all the time, this is the movie? Well, yes, the movie is called Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, it stands to reason that they would spend most of the time in the movie hunting down witches (and burning them, mmm crispy). Yet another one of those "what if" or "spin on a classic tale" movies that has come out in the recent years, but oddly enough I really liked this one. I mean, as much as you can like a movie like this, it's really great for the first viewing and the replay value due to the awesome visual effects is also big, but still, it's missing that key element, that undefinable thing that some movies just have whether it's the mood of the movie, actors, conditions of the shoot or something else that would make this a cult classic. In case you are wondering is there any violence at all in this movie and why should I see it, check out the rant after the summary.

You all know the classic tale of Hansel & Gretel, so you are somewhat prepared for the surprise that is coming (well, fully prepared considering the title of the movie). Movie picks up years after they slaughtered the witch, and features Hansel and Gretel all grown up (especially Gretel, yummy), who are now witch hunters. Blessed by some magic, they impervious to witches spells making them the ultimate killing machines, especially with the huge arsenal that they have at their disposal (Gretels shotgun and Hansels cannon :). They are hired by the mayor of the small town of Augsburg to find out who is taking children and are they alive. A suspected usual witchcraft gig will soon turn into something much more serious and threatening and two siblings will have to battle one of the most powerful witches in the world and her many followers...

Dismemberment, blood, decapitations, eviscerations and all the other fun acts of violence that you wouldn't expect to see in a "kiddie" movie are here. There's even a nude scene, granted it's quite short, but still enough to raise a few eyebrows (or other things). And to all those puritans who are now screaming oh my gosh, that is a children's book, please go online and read the original stories that are filled with murder, mayhem and mutilation, not to mention some sick and perverse ideas. So this is a full blown fun ride with cool "steampunked" weapons and phenomenal special effects. This all would be for nothing if the director didn't know what he's doing, but luckily for us he does. Tommy Wirkola is the man! After Dead Snow, also a great movie, he strikes again! Camera work, action sequences, chases and everything else is done very professionally. To me, the style seemed like an homage to the Evil Dead franchise. And the witches are really scary, wet your pants scary, better call Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (if you can afford them of course, maybe they have some sort of payment plan or something, who knows...) Movie recommendations Rabbit-Reviews.com - Only movies worth watching

In case you are in a mood for that special blend of black humor, realistic characters and difficult, but funny situations that actually happen in real life Amatørene is the movie for you. Granted, it is a bit more obscure than the usual black comedies that we are used to, but only by recognition, this is a phenomenal movie that is waiting to be discovered. The concept is pretty much simple, you take one average (maybe below, sorry) guy and his life and make that at an almost every junction in his life he makes a wrong turn. His life sucks, and he didn't deserve this, but if you can identify yourself with him and some of his problems you can actually help yourself, it's always good to get some perspective on your life… But don't get me wrong, its not preachy or anything, just cleverly and relatively realistically written, with situations that happen to almost anyone at one point in life (what, they could totally happen...).

Lets face it, Jan is a loser… He lives with his father who harasses him constantly, while running a fast food joint that is not doing well, and by not doing well I mean its bankrupt. While we are on the harassment subject, he also has a girlfriend, well 'nuff said. With no way out, and his life slowly falling apart, especially since his girlfriend left him (even that isn't as good as it sounds for him), he is desperate. So, when he accidentally gets involved in a kidnapping of a famous rock star, he decides that enough is enough…

Great thing about movies like this is that you can watch them as a bunch of interesting and funny stuff or you can get all analytical and stuff, and follow one mans journey through some rough times. In the end, the life is a journey, not a destination (totally quote worthy), and maybe we should all treat it like that, with a positive spin and attitude…

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Pawn. Pawn is the reason why I watch too many boring or just plain bad movies (or start watching), because out of every 20 bad movies there is one, just one, as awesome as this one. It comes at you as a freight train, just wrecking everything in front of it and it keeps going 'till it hits the end. Nerve-wrecking and incredibly intense, the thing that blew me away was the script with its twists and turns. And these were clever and well thought out twists and turns, worthy of a much bigger budget. Although I wouldn't change a thing in Pawn, the cast was phenomenal, a compliment of experienced and rugged actors who know how to do what the directors asks and when to do it. Production values were also great, so you will have a feeling that you're watching some big block buster.

Nick is a car thief who just got out of prison, determined to change his life, for his and his families sake. His wife is pregnant, and this is the time to man up and take some responsibility. He goes to a local diner, not knowing what will happen in just a few minutes. A band of criminals led by the ruthless and charismatic Derrick, storm the diner while Nick was in the bathroom. Soon they round up all the guests, all but one who's hiding in the bathroom. At the same time Will, a policeman stops his car in front of the diner and lights up a smoke. Then all hell breaks loose...

Used to Michael Chiklis as Detective Vic Mackey, it was a bit strange to hear him talk with an English accent, but as the wise hooker once said it is cute. The rest of the characters were well developed and with excellent and believable motives for their actions. There was nothing that was sacrificed to drive the story forward, and this is a very rare thing, although the very end was just a tiny bit rushed or it seemed that way because of all the excitement that happened earlier. Just at the time when you think that you know what's going on, and who is who another twists punches you in the gut. This freight train stops for no one.

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Utterly confused about the title of this movie (it's either Extraction or Extracted) and its quality I dived in it, expecting nothing. What I got in return was something that seemed really innovative and new, but was actually a really old idea with a twist. It all revolves around a device that allows you to access and immerse yourself into other people memories and experiences, much like the movie Strange Days [1995]. This time we can witness how that device was made and funded, and eventually tested. The clash of the science and real, corrupt and devious world is another thing that I liked about Extracted. Although the hipster assistant was a bit too much. The cast is relatively unknown but they did their job really good. Dominic Bogart (Anthony) stole the show from lead actor Sasha Roiz (Tom), as the drug addicted accused of murdering his girlfriend. This doesn't mean that Sasha was bad, but just that Dominic was more passionate and realistic. Sasha redeemed himself, either intentionally or unintentionally, by giving his character a dose of douchiness, showing us that not everything is black or white.

Tom and Eric are a couple of scientist working on a machine that would allow them to go into peoples minds and memories. The main purpose of this device is to help autistic and other people with severe psychological and physical disabilities, but as the research starts to reach its critical phase they are forced to take funding no matter what obligations it may bring. Through Richard, their middleman, they contact a mysterious stranger who is willing to fund their research. As it turns out the mysterious stranger had some other things in mind when he decided to invest, but one thing remained the same, the test. They meet on a remote farm in the country, and there it all goes as planned, right up 'till the end where Tom is supposed to exit the subjects mind…

The real rating of this movie should be 7 or 8, but I am giving it a 9 to encourage filmmakers and others to follow their example. With a unique script, several overlapping stories which all make you think and look at things from another perspective, Extracted is an example of how science fiction movie with a restricted budget should be made. You start with a very good concept idea, build characters on it, hire the right people to play them and eventually direct the whole thing. A job well done…

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After a small break, we are continuing our exploration of Spanish cinema, this time with a thriller that we might label as supernatural, although it seems that it isn't. Is there such a thing as luck, and are some people luckier then others? I think that most of us asked these questions at some point in our lives, but for Intacto the thing is quite clear. There is such a thing called luck and some people are luckier than others, but only because they steal that luck by touching others. A quite interesting concept that led to this movie, and I am sure will lead to its remake sometime in the future. Directed and written by a talented Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and starring Max von Sydow and Mónica López, Intacto questions the basic human beliefs, although this depends on how you perceive the world around you.

Tomás is the only survivor of a horrible plane crash, suffering only minor injuries. As it turns out, Tomás isn't just a lucky survivor, he's also a bank robber, wanted for an armed robbery. Before law enforcement got to question him, he is approached by a man claiming to be working for an insurance company. He offers him a way out of his current predicament and into something much larger, a game with huge stakes, explaining that he can actually can control his luck and use it to his benefit. Actually, there is a whole underworld of people who consider themselves lucky and gamble with it. The rewards are enormous, thrills unparalleled and eventually, consequences can be lethal. In this hierarchy, there is a king, and his name is Samuel, an undefeated ruler of luck, reigning for over thirty years. Love, fear, death and gambling, a perfect combination…

The movie itself might seem a bit stretched, but this is only because we are used to fast paced thrillers that leave no time for thinking and further pontification of story. Although, I must admit that the story could be a bit more coherent, because it seems that the glue that binds the scenes was relatively scarce… As a final note, my opinion concerning luck and the whole concept of it in this movie: I don't believe that there is such a thing as luck, its all just a statistical coincidence. At this time we must make a distinction between different perspectives, lets say that we take 100.000 people and throw them from a plane without a parachute. Then we take people who survive this and make them run through a minefield. If we don't have a winner at first we repeat the experiment. The guy that survives all this to us as neutral observers is a statistical probability and reality, but from his perspective he is lucky. The thing that instantly classified this movie to fantasy is the fact that you can rob someone of their luck by touching them. But thats just me, feel free to form your own opinion and enjoy…

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This is 40 could be easily renamed to This is 30 or This is the life of a married, urban couple with kids. Judd Apatow outdone himself with this little flick, starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, as he made a combination of all those little things that make a life for a man or a women in their forties. Of course, you don't have to be that age to identify yourself with the characters and situations, all you need is a stable relationship that lasted longer than a year and you will be in familiar territory. All those little and not so little fights, constant nagging and problems of various nature: financial, emotional and physical. If you ever watched any of the C.K. Louis shows you know what are you in for.

An almost documentary storytelling combined with good acting and a phenomenal and brutally honest script created a movie that will make you laugh really hard, but on the other hand, also examine your life and where you are in your current relationship. This roller-coaster of emotions is not easy to handle but we have good guides on this journey. It's difficult to admit certain things, and when they are staring back at you from the screen, they are much harder to ignore. As for the story, there's no classical structured plot, but more a series of events that happen to a married couple with two kids as they live their lives. Pete owns his own record label that promotes classical rock and is having financial difficulties, and his wife Debbie owns a clothing store that is doing quite well, but she is suspecting that one her employees is stealing from her.

This is 40 is one of those movies that you either get or don't get, there is no middle ground. Those who don't get will find it quite boring, irritating and too long, while those who do get it will enjoy saying that happens to me to. And this is the main point of this movie, nobody talks about personal problems in their lives to all the people around them(with the exception of their closest friends) and now we have the opportunity to look into a life of another couple and say we are so similar, identify with their problems and solutions with the ultimately satisfying experience that we are not alone and that the same stuff happens to most people, but they don't talk about it openly.

One final note that I cannot avoid is the social critique of the couple featured in this movie. They are both rich, own their own businesses and a big house with enough money to indulge in risky financial moves, and from my perspective they act as two spoiled, adolescent brats without any regard for the future or their children. A true example of the new spoiled and overindulged middle class that somehow miraculously formed in the US. Take an average couple without money and give them a tenth of these guys have and they will be happy for the rest of their lives. But then again, these families exist and their problems are real for them, so its just all a matter of perspective.

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You know that relaxing movie that you wanna play sometimes, but you're ashamed to, you know what I mean... That mix of comedy, somewhat intelligent humor and a good cast to top it all off, but not too romantic, modern or lame... Well, these are the gambits you are looking for (actually gambit, but then I couldn't make that Star Wars reference showing you that, I too, have watched the trilogy at some point (oh wait, is that another remark about Star Wars, now showing that I don't acknowledge the last three parts(oh snap, we got some Inception stuff right here...))). Anywhoo, Gambit is a cleverly written light comedy with an excellent cast, each character seems to be specifically written for that actor, although this movie could have been starring a completely different cast: Hugh Grant, Sandra Bullock, and Ben Kingsley.

Lionel Shahbandar, a media mogul and a lord has one more title to his name, a horrible boss. Especially to his curator Harry Deane (Colin Firth, long live the king) who looks after his art collection, a simple fellow with good manners and a big heart, but really depressed because of the fact he has to be humiliated on a daily basis by his pompous boss. Harry and his good friend Major, devise a plan to stick it to the man, well in this case, Lord Shahbandar, magnificently played by the almighty Alan Rickman. This complicated and yet simple scheme involves a third person that could not be farther from the business and art world, miss PJ Puznowski (Cameron Diaz). PJ is a country girl from Texas, that enjoy cattle rustling and plucking chickens, so a plan that will make her rich very quickly sounds very good to her. But, as in all good plans, things don't go quite well as you would expect them to...

Written by the Coen brothers who brought you many legendary movies, Gambit is good for one watching and perhaps a second, when you accidentally catch it on cable. Still, I liked how the romance was shifted out of the focus, and the clumsiness of our dear fellow Harry brought into the spotlight. In the scenes which take place in a hotel, he reminded me very much of a timeless performance by Peter Sellers in the movie The Party (1968). Other than that, I think that this sums up my thoughts about this movie, enjoy...

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Hurray, another movie from the nineties is getting a remake! Wow, I can't wait to see more of these, said no one ever... But wait, there's more... This one is in 3D, with like stuff flying into your face. I am so tired of writing reviews for movies that suffer the same flaw, quick cash. They are looking to interest people to check out the movie in 3D in theaters and make a quick buck, turning it into a product and applying to it all the rules that apply to any other product (shampoo, condoms...). Unless you are watching the 3D version, you will be forced to "enjoy" prolonged sequences of stuff slowly moving and flying towards you, cramming the 3D down your throat with nothing left to do but to swallow (giggity or I guess gaggity) So, I guess you are wondering why I it is worth watching after all that. The reason for that is a small miracle that the director and cast managed to produce. Very talented director Pete Travis managed to create a really good movie, working within the constraints set by the studio. Not to mention Karl Urban, a magnificent actor with only one smudge in his resume (Pathfinder), but he redeemed himself for that with the passion and skill that he approached the Star Trek reboot. To seal the deal we have Lena Headey, now starring in Game Of Thrones, playing the evil bitch and loving it.

They did stray a lot from the original movie starring Sylvester Stallone from 1995 and did a "Game of Death" thing. To clarify that term, it refers to a level based movie, where the protagonist are constrained to one building and they are slowly advancing to the top floor where the boss is waiting for them (although she is a hot, sexy female boss). Used also in Punisher 2, and more recently in The Raid: Redemption, this style suits and I guess other gamers that are quite familiar with the concept. While the original tried to show us how would do future look, Dredd is more concentrated on the action and the characters, and while I prefer the latter one in most of the movies, in science fiction I much more enjoy seeing how would do future look, but then again this is a personal preference.

The decay of our society, in almost all areas continued and in the future people live in huge megalopolises where the justice is dealt swiftly by the Judges. They are literally the judge, jury and the executioners, determining on the spot whether someone deserves to die and what is his punishment. The most bad-ass of them all is Judge Dredd, the most skilled and efficient Judge ever to be in Mega City One. Of course the opposite of Dredd's experience and skill is a young female Judge Cassandra Anderson. Cassandra possess some psychotic abilities, and seems to be a promising Judge so Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate her. This will all change when the two of them are called into an infamous building complex under control by a ruthless criminal known only as Ma-Ma.

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While we are on a subject of movies based on true events, we must mention this French gem from 2010. Although the production values are not blockbuster-like, as you would expect them in a movie of this caliber, the usual French colour manipulation and slight blur applied in post-processing made the whole thing look much better with almost noir vibe. I had some doubts about this movie, that it will be some Taxi-like action, but I assure you that this is a serious movie. The only flaw that I could think of is that they didn't manage to fully develop the characters, but then again that wasn't the point. The point was the assault, and that part was done perfectly.

In the past decade we have seen a number of movies portraying special forces of different countries (SWAT, BOPE…) so we finally get the chance to see the frenchies in action, and out of all them, they were most successful (at least in real life). The Assault is a movie about the hijacking of Air France Flight 8969, that was taken by the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) in the December of 1994 and the attempts of the French government to peacefully resolve this situation. Although this happened in 1994, after the September 11 attacks and a number of failed attempts to hijack other planes this is still a very interesting subject, especially now with the rise of the Islamic extremists. Speaking of them, we have a rare chance to look inside the mind of your average terrorist, and we have to thank the actors for that. Along with the actual raid, that part of the movie was just so fascinating to me. Maybe because of the outcome of this hijacking, they didn't hold back with the story and we can actually see what is going on behind closed doors. Bribes, pleads, blackmail and only as a final solution an assault… With a very talented director and a great cast, this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat with its realistic action and suspenseful atmosphere. The special bonus is that it's all true, and this just adds more tension to an already intense movie. I will not reveal you what happens in the end, but if you want you can check out the links below for more information, enjoy… As a final note, I must implore you that as with any other movie that isn't made in USA or England, please DO NOT watch the dubbed version, it will ruin the vibe…

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When you see this poster with that classic JB pose and you read that this movie is a comedy, you would think: hey another JB comedy, I should check it out or hey another JB comedy, I should avoid it, but the truth is much different... For me, ever since Pick Of Destiny, Jack Blacks career has been steadily declining with that awful, awful crowning achievement called Gulliver's Travels. Granted there has been a couple of movies where he was decent, but not as a lead role. Well, after seeing Bernie, one thing is for sure, JB is back! He finally came to terms with his acting and the type of roles that he plays, and used that to his advantage, without that forced goofing around that I really didn't like. Much like Based on a true story, later published in a local newspaper, this is a movie about one of those little man, just like you and me, but whose life took a turn and they, well, you'll see . Bernie is just one of those guys that everybody likes, with his unconditional love, calm demeanor and desire to help everyone. He moves in a small town in Texas called Carthage, where he gets a job at a local mortuary. He excels at it, making an art out of putting make up on dead people for their funerals. He lives his days, practicing singing and hanging out with old ladies that no one cares about, bringing happiness to everyone. Without a wife or a girlfriend he is a well sought merchandise in this small town, but one faithful day he meets Marjorie Nugent, an extremely wealthy widow and two of them don't hit it off. Marjorie is a real old, nagging bitch in a true sense of that word, who almost everyone hates and Bernie decides that she is the person that needs his kindness, time and effort. What happens after his decision is up to you to find out, especially did he wanted to make Marjorie happy or did he was just looking out for himself...

Shirley MacLaine, an extraordinary actress with her phenomenal performance as Marjorie created that link with Jack Black that made this movie so good, not to mention other actors, of which some are actual residents of Carthage, who actually knew the real Marjorie and Bernie. Very thought provoking movie, Bernie makes us question our own lives and it shows us how can a whirlwind of events lead one person to end up in a place that it doesn't deserve, or maybe it does?

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It would seem Kathryn Bigelow after her great success with The Hurt Locker gained enough credit to do this little big movie about the hunt for the most wanted man on a planet. I first saw a cable TV movie Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden, so I roughly knew the story and of course the ending that I think everyone knows by now. They kill Osama, there, I've said it, major spoiler. Lets start with the fact that this movie caused a major discussion all around the world concerning the methods used to obtain informations about Osama's whereabouts. Torture is something that we would like to think belongs to the dark ages or some fringe terrorist groups and "evil" countries, but the fact remains that almost every country in the world uses it to obtain information. To continue with this part of the story we must first take a look at the actual movie: Zero Dark Thirty is more of a documentary than a movie, yeah it sure looks like a regular movie, but the direction, storytelling and everything else screams documentary, all its missing is Morgan Freeman or David Attenborough to be complete (that would be a fun movie). We start with a young female operative, unexperienced and unaccustomed to torture, water-boarding and all the fun stuff that is being used on "assets". As we follow her on her path we learn more and more about the actual processes that led to the capture, and the lengths that people are prepared to go to achieve their goals. Later on we meet the team that actually raided Osama's house, and killed him, so we get to know more about them and their take on this situation (just another job) Again this entire film is shot without any prejudice or bias, and I must commend Kathryn for not turning it into a blood fest or some patriotic bullshit. What you take from it is your choice, you could just see it and go hmmm thats how they did it, or you can start asking questions is torture OK, should we spend money and recourses on some more immediate threats...

This brings us to that outrage from the first part of the review, where people were so shocked and appalled by the scenes of torture that they questioned the director for shooting them, and consequently (talk about reverse priorities) the actual torture that went on and is going on. I must admit that those scenes are quite difficult to watch, what with all the truth and that masterful camera work. There is no music, just two guys hanging out (well at least one of them is hanging) and you are left there with the feeling that you should do something about it. A brilliant scheme, if it was intentional, but it does not sit well with everybody, because they will see the emptiness and not fill it, while others will see the same emptiness and fill it with their own thoughts...

So, finally should you watch this movie? Well that depends on a question what kind of person you are. If you are interested in the hunt, and not somewhat morally squeamish you should definitely check it out, but on the other hand if you do not like almost historical portrayal of events style movies, you will find the movie incoherent and ultimately boring. The choice is yours.

As for me, I've of course seen it, and it was a pleasant information gathering mission, without any problems, plus the ending is much like a video game(COD,BF...) so thats a major plus :) Movie recommendations Rabbit-Reviews.com - Only movies worth watching

I was just partially prepared for this gritty thriller, so I am warning you in time to get ready for it to maximize your enjoyment. This is another gut-buster coming to us from sunny Spain, in case you missed it the first one is Mientras Duermes, and this just goes to show you that no matter what Hollywood decides to do to cinema, there will be always other countries to step up. This vibrant noir movie is just too cool, and the reason for that is Santos Trinidad masterfully played by José Coronado. While the American take on your average alcoholic, corrupt and dangerous detective set the standards, Jose took it to another level with his believable acting, right appearance and that crazy look in his eyes is the thing that completes the whole image. These are the guys that you don't wanna see or have anything to do in real life, but secretly fantasize about being them or hanging out with them.

The director did not hold back, and once again we can enjoy in this glass of whiskey that is not watered down or with ice. The taste that this movie leaves is that one of bitterness of life, wrong choices and the those moments of perfect clarity where you can actually feel alive and meaningful. Just beautiful.... And gripping, from the beginning to the end, this movie will hold your attention and let it go just for brief moments that are to be used to light up another cigar or pour another shot of whiskey (well, I guess any alcohol will do). One more thing I found very interesting and that is that upon viewing this movie Sylvester Stallone immediately bought the rights and expressed desire to make an American version (with him in the lead role, no doubt)

Using the actual events of 2004 Madrid train bombings, No Rest for the Wicked further develops this story, from the eyes of one Santos Trinidad. Santos Trinidad is a bad man, a police detective who likes to drink, gamble, misuse his authority and all the fun things that we would do, if, of course, life was a video game. He comes alive at night and as an alcoholic vampire prowls the streets and strip clubs looking for trouble, life and death. One of those visits, will prove to be a very important one as he accidentally stumbles on something much, much bigger than the usual sleaze that you would expect in a nightclub. Not to reveal too much (again, but what can I do when the movie is that good...), I will leave you with this, enjoy this phenomenal movie...

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After big summer blockbusters, I think it's time to turn to a more thought-provoking European movies, and Mientras Duermes is a perfect choice. We have seen a multitude of Spanish movies that are excellent but somehow they don't reach any of the viewers and instead rot in the video stores (I guess they still exist...). What is fascinating (fascinating, this movie form is alive) about them are the plots and general ideas that are so whacked out and original that it's mind boggling. And lets be perfectly clear, these are not some straight-to-DVD movies with small budget and amateur actors, but a full-bloodied cinema masterpieces, with phenomenal actors and immaculate scripts. Immediately after watching Mientras Duermes I checked out what other movies did this talented crew created and Celda 211 was my first choice. I haven't watched it yet, but it seems like a damn fine movie.

I was talking about the originality and the pureness of the ideas in European cinema, and if you remember a couple months earlier I reviewed El Habitante Incierto, another phenomenal Spanish movie with a great script. Sleep Tight or Mientras Duermes, is a Spanish movie and I implore you to see the original version in Spanish as with any other movie that has a dubbed version, no matter how good the dubbing is, it's still not the real thing. One more thing about this movie is very disturbing and that is the sympathy for Cesar that I felt throughout the movie, although I maybe shouldn't. The suspense, the twists, the acting... I could go on and on telling you how good this movie is and how the atmosphere has that special vibe, that space-time continuum thingy captured, so every time you decide to watch it, you will relive it...

You probably noticed that the half of the review space has gone in some gibberish and not a word was said about the actual movie, and the reason for this is that I am afraid to say almost anything because it might ruin your viewing experience. I dived into this, now already cult, movie without any informations and was amazed, and so far everyone that have seen it had the same reaction. Some scenes where Cesar is trying to avoid detection are nerve-wrecking and so intense that I felt like I was going through it all. But still, here's something to keep you going: César works as a janitor in a building and is pretty much disappointed in life. He has no friends nor a girlfriend, no interests and nothing to make him happy, just his menial work and the smiling faces of other people who seem to be doing just fine. One of them is Clara, a beautiful girl living in the same building. Soon she becomes a subject of obsession for Cesar and to what degree this goes is up to you to find out...

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With the huge success of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and later on Prometheus, Noomi Rapace has become a well established actress, and if you are interested in seeing her in something closer to her home you can check out this movie. Directed by Pål Sletaune (Next Door, You Really Got Me) it has that strange and almost surreal atmosphere (almost surreal, more like super surreal), so besides the Norwegian vibe you have the surreal one too. Two phenomenal leads, Noomi Rapace and Kristoffer Joner create a perfect setting for Babycall. While Kristoffer didn't have much transitions to go to, Noomi here had the opportunity to take us on a journey to a mind of a single mother and she did it perfectly. We can understand different states of her mind, without any words spoken and follow her mental state as the story develops.

Anna and her son Anders have just moved into a new apartment after her husband tried to kill Anders. They now live in hiding and await the final court decision about the custody of Anders. Anna, afraid for her sons wellbeing is overprotective and is practically glued to Anders. This will be a problem when it's time for him to go back to school, and she nervously accepts this only after being chased away from school grounds. Still in fear that her husband will find them she goes to a store and buys a baby monitor. There she will meet Helge, a shy salesman troubled by his mothers illness and two of them will become friends. Trouble starts when Anna starts hearing something that sounds like an abuse and brutal beating over the baby monitor. After consulting with Helge she discovers that this is an interference from another baby monitor only 50 meters away. This is the same time when mind will start playing tricks on her, making it extremely difficult for her to get to the bottom of this...

Babycall is a strange movie, and while some might find it a bit slow, it is quite rewarding if you watch it 'till the end. It is a different take on the same thriller/horror subject so popular in Hollywood, but it definitely has its flaws. One of the main ones is the sudden turn in mood towards the end of the movie, and relatively confusing story with the heavy lifting left to the viewer.

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Stoner comedies are one of my favourite sub-genres, especially when they are done right, perfect examples being How High, Harold & Kumar, Half Baked... High School cannot be added to this hall of fame, but it sure is a movie that will satisfy your need for laughter and maybe something else. Considering that this is a directorial debut for John Stalberg, it turned out pretty awesome, and without major mistakes. Thing that annoyed me was the typical cast, that was thrown onto us without an ounce of shame. Two guys, one funny and fatty screw up and one sciency-nerdy type become partners in crime, I mean come on. This plot I have seen at least a dozen times, and although it worked here, it is something to be avoided, luckily the rest of the script is pretty good, and it has that original weed vibe (especially if you watch while being high).

High School would be another lame budget weed comedy if not for three actors in supporting roles that colored this movie and gave us, the viewers, something to go back to after a while. Lets start with Adrien Brody AKA Psycho Ed, a guy who started as a shy piano player now is a vicious and psychotic tattooed drug dealer. Michael Chiklis, a bold thug from The Shield, AKA Dr. Leslie Gordon, a by-the-books principal who wants to eliminate drugs from his school. Colin Hanks AKA Brandon Ellis well, there's nothing special about this killer from Dexter, apart that he was that high school kid in Orange County [2002], a movie with a similar subject. We can also see Curtis Armstrong, and if you can't still remember who he is, I have only one word for you: Booger.

As I said earlier meet Henry and Travis, two unlikely friends brought together by the icky sticky - weed. Henry is a really smart kid with perfect grades, and he can't wait to get into Harvard, while Travis has one goal in his life: to get stoned. While Travis is stoned almost all the time, Henry hasn't even tried weed, so after detention he decides it is finally time. As the school principal Dr. Leslie Gordon decides to test all the students for drugs, Travis and Henry must find a way to stop him, and how will they accomplish that is up to you to find out, enjoy...

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Starring Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy Red Lights seemed like a sure thing. Based purely on the cast I started watching it, without any expectations, and Red Lights slowly started to win over my heart. I think that this is one of the few cases where we can see, instead of classic, paranormal investigation as it should be: purely scientific. We follow professor Margaret Matheson and her assistant Tom Buckley as they debunk and expose one fraud after another. Not only do they prove that they're all hoaxes, but they show us how they did it in details. It is very similar to magician showing us how some magic tricks are done, and I was totally amazed by this part of the movie. Excellent performances from all three leads made it even more convincing.

But then, the plot thickens as Simon Silver world famous for his supposed powers makes a comeback after a thirty year break. During his last show, one of his biggest critics had a heart-attack and died, so this added even more mystery to his name and powers. While professor Matheson is determined to stay clear of Silver and his shenanigans, young Tom Buckly is eager to prove that Silver is a fraud. As soon as he started snooping around him, strange things started to happen, birds falling dead from the sky, unusual sounds... Who will prevail in this struggle is up to you to find out...

SPOILER ALERT - - - SPOILER ALERT - - - SPOILER ALERT

So you have been warned, and if you continue reading you will find out some major plot twists that might ruin your viewing experience, but than again when you find out whats the plot twist you might not even see the movie. I leave that decision to you. Now, back to the "twist", as strange things happen, in the finale we find out that young Tom Buckly is actually a human being that has some sort of special powers. Yeah, you read right, he has special powers and abilities that he wasn't aware of all his life, and all that weird stuff that we thought Simon Silver is doing are his subconscious emotions being transmitted unto the world. Dear lord what a mistake! They have been pumping throughout the movie this vibe that all psychics are frauds and that the world is as it is, but in the end they ruin all that for one lousy twist that isn't that good to begin with. It's like watching an atheist movie, and in the end they say: wait, but there's god, and he waves from the sky. So instead of 8 or even a 9 this movie gets only 5 from me, on account of the beginning of the story and the actors... What a mess...

Not to mention couple of other things that annoyed me, like the sudden death of Proffesor Matheson, for no apparent reason and no hints to Silver as this should be his doing. Still if you are willing to look past all these things you will have a good time, apart from the end.

And one last thing, since the director needed that big plot twist this is how he could've done it: basically everything is the same, with the return of Silver unexplained things start to happen, and in the finale we find out that he was behind it all, and they show how he did it. For example killed Matheson with stronger medications, used sexy assistant to set Tom Buckly up, and so forth...

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Now I can officially say that I have some sort of sharks movie fetish. No matter how low budget, how painfully bad and terrible they are I have to check them out. I guess it all started with the movie Jaws that left a pretty big impression on me, especially since I saw it as a kid. Bait AKA Bait 3D is primarily targeted towards movie cinemas and this new 3D kajigger, but it can be a good viewing experience even without it, especially because good shark movies are hard to come by. Production values are good, and the special effects believable which is a major plus. As far as the characters go, they are pretty much generic and made to the same formula like in any other college-kids-up-to-no-good movie.

As it is customary in these sorts of movies, nudity is a factor, but the crew of Bait decided to treat us just with a few bikini shots in the beginning of the movie, and the rest is just action and suspense. Throughout the movie I applauded the director and writer as I kept remembering that they are fighting sharks in a freaking supermarket. They could have easily called the movie Sharks in The Supermarket and it would be an accurate description of whats about to follow. But it all adds up and could happen (well...), so this creative approach added more points to the final score. Acting was watchable, with no one in particular showing any special talent, but then again, this is a movie about sharks in the supermarket...

And now the plot, Tina and Rory are in love and they are about to be married when Tina's brother gets eaten by sharks. Since they were all lifeguards on the same beach, they split up and Rory takes a job in a local supermarket to get away from the water and the memories and Tina travels to Indonesia as she intended to do with Rory. One year later a chance encounter will bring them together with the addition of Tina's friendzoned buddy Steven, a cute Indonesian guy looking to score. With a lot of colorful characters that are shopping right now, we meet even a pair of robbers, but their plan gets foiled by a freaking tsunami. Everything gets flooded and where there's water and food there are sharks. Now those who survived the tsunami must face a new challenge, man-eating sharks...

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It was really hard to decide whether to include or not to include this new age comedy in the movies worth watching, but in the end Paul Rudd's performance along with some aspects of the story prevailed. Wanderlust is one of those hipster comedies that tries so hard not to be it, but eventually it just accepts the truth and goes along with it. The thing that makes this movie work is the Paul Rudd's character, a calm, rational average guy who thinks like the rest of us but also has a wild side and some dreams (I guess wet) that he would like to see happen in real life, and this is the reason why you should see the movie (well, I guess Jennifer is easy on the eye too). If you ever wondered what would happen if you joined a hippie community along with your girlfriend/wife this is what would probably happen. There are a few good jokes and awkward situations that make it look like a comedy, but I think that Wonderlust would be much better off as some tense up drama, but I guess there are enough movies about crazy hippie cults.

George and Linda Gergenblatt are living in the city, busy with their day-to-day boring survival. They both are working (or at least trying in Linda's case), but they're not rich and can barely make the payments. After their latest purchase of a crappy apartment they're left without money and are forced to go live with George's brother and his wife (not a very good solution). On their way there they stumble upon a community of free-loving hippies living in the woods a different lifestyle without boundaries and obligations. Linda is immediately attracted to this new thing, while George remains skeptical, but as tension rise in his brothers house they decide to give a hippie commune a go, and this will prove to be an experience of a lifetime.

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With absolutely no background in the whole Dr. Seuss-The Lorax thing, I approached this movie as any other big screen animation comedy. As far as the technical aspects of the movie are concerned I think that this is an fairly average computer animated movie, there are no some amazing scenes, and also there are no blunders so it would seem that almost minimalistic style of animation should steer our attention to the setting and the background story . And the story is good, really good, and I can see why it pisses people off and why it is considered preachy and hippie. The same scumbags that are destroying the environment, our lives, our health are those who are criticizing the story. This is like the light version of the real world and what is happening in it, intended for children and I applaud the balls of the people who decided to make something like this.

On the other hand, while the general setting is awesome, the characters and this particular story are quite ill conceived and poorly thought out. A kid wants to impress a girl so he needs a bush (to get some bush, first you must get some bush), and he seeks out the loner living outside the city in an effort to obtain this precious object. And this object could be anything from cocaine, alcohol, rocket fluid or unobtainium, so we are lucky that this girl just wants some trees. The next two complaints are about Lorax character who's special power is to pull himself by yanking his tail towards the sky. This is really useful against big machines, axes and other instruments of destruction. He is not that good with words either, so you gotta wonder is he the male equivalent of a dumb bimbo employed purely based on his cute looks....

Ted is a 12-year-old boy in love with pretty Audrey, and he, as any other boy, would do anything to win her affection. They are both living in Thneed-Ville, a more of a prison than a city, controlled by an evil corporation led by an unscrupulous Mr. O'Hare, who will do anything to remain the only one able to provide clean air to the residents of Thneed-Ville. Yes, you read it right, he is charging people for clean air, and walled in the Thneed-Ville, people just mind their own business, preoccupied with other, unimportant things. To find that freaking tree, Ted will seek out the Once-ler who lives outside the city and is the only one who knows what has happened to the trees and who is the magical Lorax...

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What I thought is going to be a black humor comedy with a twist, turned out to be something much more. First of all, as many movies before almost the entire movie is set in snow ridden Wisconsin (death trip), and I love just how that setting immediately sets the atmosphere of the flick. With two experienced leads Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin, who already worked together in a similar movie Little Miss Sunshine, Thin Ice is a thriller comedy with a weird up vibe involving scams, murder and black humor. Most of all I enjoyed the character of Mickey Prohaska masterfully played by Greg Kinnear, an average shifty looking insurance salesman who finds himself in quite a pickle... Since I would like you to fully enjoy the movie, I will not bother you much with anything else in fear that I might spoil the viewing pleasure.

Mickey Prohaska is an insurance salesman looking to move from freezing Wisconsin to some sunnier state. He has a silver tongue and a well thought-out approach to his future customers. Self-confident and always in control he decides to show how it's done to his new employee by helping him lock a deal with a forgetful elderly gentlemen Gorvy Hauer. While at his house he accidentally discovers that Gorvy has a very valuable violin, that he currently uses to play fetch with his dog. And then and there the plan is born in Mickey Prohaska's head, a plan that will get him out of snowy Wisconsin but he did not realize that sometimes things go wrong, very wrong. As events unfold we see him losing control over the situation and accusations of murder, heist and embezzlement are pending... Will Mickey manage to talk his way out of this situation (and should we want him to?) is up to you to find out. Enjoy.

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After all the Mel Gibsons blunders, I think that this is something that he has done right. In case you have been living under a rock (why do people say that?) Mel was banned from all major production after a series of incidents that portrayed him as racist, sexist and all the other -ist that you can think of. The man who created The Passion of the Christ was considered more evil than the Devil himself. With ruined reputation, no money, no life and no Azamat, Mel's last movie The Beaver added even more weird feelings to this whole thing with him befriending and talking to a beaver hand-puppet. After this movie all hell broke loose, and it seemed that his career was over. There was only one last thing that he could do... A last chance... If he accepted all the hate that was channeled towards him and said **** you, if you don't like me **** off, he would be real life bad ass R- Rated action hero (or so it would seem). This sort of re-branding was the only logical thing that he could do and his media advisors are totally right, and Get The Gringo is the beginning of a new bad ass Mel Gibson.

Now that we got that out of the way, we can proceed to the actual movie. It had everything that an R rated, full-blooded prison thriller should have, except nudity, but as this is just the beginning I will let it slide this time. Good script with some sort of neo-Mexico-USA- noir vibe going on provided enough of a character for Mel to immerse in. The lack of money was barely visible, although Get The Gringo would certainly benefit from better cameras and editing. The end product is not perfect but it is definitely watchable, especially with a great supporting cast, so if you are wondering whether or not you should see this I think that now the choice is obvious...

We do not know his name, we do not know what he has done, all we know is that he is trying to escape American authorities in a jeep with two million dollars that he and his dying partner just stole. After the car chase ends in Mexico, out unnamed hero (we'll call him Driver) is transported to a local prison that looks like anything else but the prison. Drugs, prostitution, fights and every other vice that you can think of is perfectly legal in this enclosed city, that has only one rule: No one gets out. Very versatile and resourceful, driver slowly gets the hang of the place and soon befriends a fellow inmate, a nine year old boy and his mother (not too shabby lookin') and starts to plan his escape. With no one knowing his name, or the proper owner of those two million dollars he uses these information to create chaos and confusion, but will this be enough?

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Contraband is a strange thriller, but not strange because of the story or anything, but the general vibe around the movie was really lame and it turned out to be quite good. I would go even that far and compare it to some of the better thrillers from the eighties. One may argue that Mark Wahlberg was a bit a of an odd choice for the lead, but in the end he pulled it off better than expected. This also means that the movie would be phenomenal with some other actor in a lead, but also in a supporting role instead of tired and uninterested Kate Beckinsale (I guess too much posing in tight leather would do that to you). This is a remake of an Icelandic movie Reykjavik-Rotterdam, a bit of an underground flick that now got the deserved attention. The beginning of the movie is a bit average but once it starts rolling it's unstoppable. Several different streams, nerve-wrecking tension will he make it or not, and likable and colorful characters that you wanna see succeed in something (even if it is smuggling). Contraband has it all action, suspense, great story and a great ending (all its missing is Machete…) Chris Faradey is a retired smuggler who is enjoying his crime-free life with his beautiful wife. But as always, trouble comes unexpected (and it probably involves a women) as his brother-in-law messes up his smuggling run and now owes a lot of money that he doesn't have to some very dangerous people. Chris decides to help him, involving himself and his family in something that could cost all of them their lives. After leaving his best friend Sebastian Abney to look after his family while he's away he looks up some old friends and tries to smuggle via ship counterfeit currency from Panama to United states. Everything up to this point seems to be going as planned, but as soon as they left port things will start to fall apart both at home and overseas….

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I just love closed environment movies! Cramped in a small room, a couple of characters try to escape/survive and show the best and the worst in them. Although they have to be well written, most of these movies is a great study of characters and the claustrophobic vibe just adds to the tension. ATM is one of the better examples of how you don't need big budget or actors to make a great movie. The first half hour of the movie is quite dull and boring, the rest is very intense and nerve-wrecking and totally makes up for it. It's like they tried to improvise some events leading up to the fact that they are going to be trapped in an ATM, hoping that this will help us to get the know the characters, but as they are pretty much average stereotype males and females, I think that this was redundant. As far as the plot is concerned, a lot of the reviewers complained about the plausibility of it and the decisions that have been made by prisoners of the ATM, you have to remember that this is a movie and something has to drive it forward, and everything can be easily explained with enough thinking.

David, Corey and Emily are three coworkers having a good time at their company's party. David is trying to pick up Emily and when he finally manages to convince her to go with him, Corey steps in to hitch a ride home. After a bit of driving they decide to go for a late dinner, and then they realize that everyone is broke. That makes their next stop a lonely ATM in parking lot. Once they enter it, their carefree night will turn into a fight for their lives, as a crazed murder places the chair in front of the ATM room and decides that no one is leaving it, alive...

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