dan-bgb

Dive into the fun and approach this as what it purports to be: a television series akin to 'GhostHunters'. The first half was well done, it really felt like a tv series you might see on any of the networks. Much like some Superbowls, however, the "commercials" sometimes steal the show. Having Lloyd Kaufmann of Troma Films fame as an attorney, was one of the highlights of this film. Overall, I liked it. Where it suffered was that there really weren't a lot of 'scares' until the very end. The makeup was good, especially if you watch the behind the scenes. Where it suffered was the electronic special effects. The first 'ghost' to be seen seemed out of place in it's 'unnaturalness'... after all of the movie before it, which had the look and feel of a reality show, it was quite obviously digitally placed. The acting was uneven, especially the old guy who seemed a bit wooden at times. Bottom line ? It could of been better...but on a budget of $15,000 it was a masterpiece.

Movies I love are becoming rarer and rarer...However, I absolutely love this movie. It feels like a sci-fi abduction movie... who or what is taking these plague survivors out of their self-contained, hermetically-sealed (against the plague) bunkers ? ARE they being, in fact, 'taken' or simply being whisked away into nothingness ? The set reminds me of one of those spaceships that house thousands of colonists en route to another planet. Now if you're one of those who believes it's their job to figure out the movie before it ends, there are clues there to help you do that. If, on the other hand, you enjoy the story, surprise and simply like to go along for the ride and enjoy it, the acting, atmosphere and dialogue will keep you entertained...and the big reveal is (imo) brilliant.

Just goes to show how important a script is. You can have good actors, and a good story with appropriate twists and cliffhangers. But the captions have got to go. I understand that it's incredibly complicated to try and convey the depth of what is happening in bite-size captions, especially with cultural and linguistical differences. But...really ? Almost every interaction between characters goes something like this: Character 1-"The suspect is in the alley"...Character 2-"So...what you're saying is that the suspect is in the alley?" I'm 5 episodes in and it just continues and continues. Quite maddening. Decently entertaining otherwise.

I gotta admit; I always have issues with emotionally-based efforts to solve a problem...and for the first thirty minutes that is what we are treated to when the woman first wakes up. Rather than logically try to sort out the situation, she constantly resorts to hysterics...I literally was reaching for the remote to exit the movie numerous times...yet something spurred me on to continue until the end...and I'm glad that I did...I thoroughly enjoyed the slow uncovering of what transpired to put the main character in the situation she finds herself in, as well as the final payoff. But, emotion makes for great movies, no ? For me, personally, it was a herculean effort to constantly watch her freak out, but it had some really dicey moments when you didn't know what was going to happen...her reactions may have been more appropriate there. But, all-in-all, and entertaining and suspenseful movie with a satisfying ending.

There are great creature/alien movies: Everything from Alien to The Thing. And then there's this. But, I like Sci-Fi's movies...they are just the thing when I just want to veg or otherwise occupy my time while doing other things, with something on in the background. Nothing new here except an all-female crew. Basically clueless crew gets into trouble of their own making, an alien/creature attacks, the make bad decisions and turn on each other. Regular cast of characters playing the roles we know so well, weakling, survivalist, martyr. Completely formulaic. On the plus side, there was very minimal CGI; most of it was 'live action'.

Jens is a 40-something, hard-working overweight man who works as bakery employee in a small bakery shop. His life is monotonous and routine. We follow him as he wakes up, through his morning routine, to work, and back home again to start it all over. He deals with life's annoyances: rude people hurling insults, an unappreciative boss, minor pranksters, female rejection...One day, something breaks his routine as he is the victim of a petty crime...and decides to take action. More than a 'revenge' film, 'Bakerman' is an understated gem of a story that could be about any decent, past-their-prime anti-hero...we don't get much character development or backstory...it's mostly told by a few photos representing Jen's youth...but it's enough. Mikkel Vadsholt's performance as a man who's basically resigned himself to his bland existence...until he doesn't...is superb. Throw in a damaged waif in Siir Tilif's character who is rescued by Jens...who may wind up saving Jens...and you've got a cathartic tale of redemption through pain.

Ok. It's not 'Train to Busan'...but, it still is a smart, fast, action-packed film...with Korean zombies ! Some of the reviews called it a 'Fast and Furious' zombie movie...and they wouldn't be wrong...but it DOES veer away from Hollywood a bit in that it's not entirely predictable. While lacking in the emotion of it's predecessor, it nonetheless is one action-packed ride. Entertaining, if nothing else.

Not everyone 'gets' art or allegory. Likewise, leave it to people to take something beautiful and make it ugly. It is the nature of 'human' nature. And it is on display for all to see, both in the film, and in the reviews. If your mind is open...watch this film. If it is closed, don't bother...it's message is wasted upon you.

It's too bad when a potentially good horror movie slips up due to easily fixable things... such as dubbing. As many reviewers have said, "Bob"s part is particularly annoying...but it doesn't stop there...characters routinely take ages to react to critical scenes where a 'normal' person would react a bit quicker...I understand it is for the audience's benefit to show 'reaction' shots, but it is entirely unrealistic. On the plus side, it is Fulci...both gory and atmospheric. But any of it's more positive merits is ruined by a somewhat disjointed story (what exactly was 'Ann' trying to get into (and why) when the husband first addressed her?), Bob's incessant screaming, the non-existent children crying throughout the house, the husband's absolute lack of any sense of urgency (sees his wife in the corner crying, and takes a full 2 minutes to do anything but stare) and Bob's over-dubbed, whiny voice ? (and by the way... who in their right mind calls a beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed cherub of an 8-year old "Bob" ? "Bobby" is way more appropriate. It's cultural things like this that moves these types of movies into a "didn't care enough to get it right" category).

It always amazes me when people give poor ratings for obviously great films. The Gentlemen is a raucous ride with never-ending twists, beautiful dialogue, and just enough action to keep it interesting and moving. It's not a Jaws or Star Wars, (which is why I gave it an 8 and not a 10), but it IS wildly entertaining (and satisfying). Recommended.

Rarely does a film affect me as this one did. We've all struggled against injustice, and those more powerful than us. What happens when the most powerful falter, and are not so powerful anymore but are vulnerable, with us holding the cards ? What one chooses to do (and not to do) always has repercussions...some apparent, others obscured...but one thing is clear...blood always begets blood.

Man tian shen fo (or Ghosts Galore) is an entertaining outing by the Shaw Brothers that is equal parts comedy and martial arts action. Two best friends are on a journey to rid themselves of a ghost. There is also a subplot with two siblings (brother and sister) who have escaped to China from Japan being hunted by the 'clan' that they left behind. Billed as a 'horror comedy', the 'horror' is in name only because of the 'ghost' theme...the main female ghost seems downright friendly. Calling it 'horror' is like calling Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein a horror film. It may be given the theme, but the emphasis is on comedic elements in a 'horror' context. The chemistry between Siu-Ho Chin and Cam Cheung (aka 'Fat Chicken') is funny to see. The subtitles aren't bad. The lighting is a bit dark at times, but overall film quality is good.

I am a zombie movie aficionado... but the acting, makeup, and dubbing couldn't be any worse. Obvious paper mache makeup, (and worse). For being 'Nazi' zombies, they all had 1970's hairstyles and most definitely weren't blond, blue-eyed Germans. The acting was absolutely atrocioius...I mean, how hard is it to die ? A fierce gun battle droned on endlessly, with people doing flips, rolls, and every other manner of outlandish 'acrobatics' before expiring. But, the worst, for me, was the dubbing. Obvious character 'screaming', with mouths open in a rictal 'O', was dubbed with a grunt or some other such nonsensical sound. If the filmakers didn't care enough to at least 'attempt' to make a decent film, why should we ? Awful.

So why did I rate it a 7 ? Because the acting, special effects and action was good. I really wanted to like this movie as I love K-drama, K-horror, etc. Perhaps the culture is different, but I just couldn't get over the over-the-top emotionalism of everyone involved. "Get back to work !!!" (as everything is falling down around them)..."Go in and save them !" (as we're told the radiation levels are too high for a safe retrieval)..."Come with us !" (person #1) "Come with us !" (person #2) "Come with us" (person #3) (as the person in question tells each one that he almost has the problem at hand fixed). It was just too much hysterics for me...against all common sense.

Let's be clear. This ISN'T a mind-bender, or a movie with a deep meaning. Neither is it unwatchable as others have said. Rather it is like snacking on Cheetos...you want to stop, but you just can't. It's 'satisfying' in an odd way. Acting, camera-shots, even the cgi ants were watchable. The issue is in the story. Nothing new, completely formulaic...minor love interest, a few annoying passengers, showing their true colors to the ones they love. A couple of plot holes, though. The bald, heartless government director says it's better to shoot down the plane and lose 44 lives than let them land and infest the nation, which would have absolutely no natural defenses...yet, they allow them to land, with instructions to take out the passengers, making absolutely no sense. (And btw, the director was right).

Truly, I have never seen such a bunch of whiny brats. From being entirely freaked out by a creepy pastor to two guys that were supposed to be 'rivals', the cast definitely didn't come far from their safe space.The first time one of the 'rivals' gets a bloody nose (barely a trickle), the other becomes hysterical saying that they should go to the hospital before the other 'bleeds' out. You could tell where the writer wanted to go with the story, but the execution was all wrong. As others have said, the sounds were evidence of a foley artist working too hard...constant, and annoying. Of course with a film like this, there's the obvious plot holes and unexplained behaviors. Takes 2/3 of the movie to get to anything 'good' (if you can use that word). Only reason to continue watching is to see if the whiney cast get what's coming to them, or will somehow make it out alive.

So nice to have an apocalyptic movie without mindless, flesh-eating monsters...no, it's eminently more satisfying to have the 'villians' in a movie be good old-fashioned, self-centered humans. The whole premise of the film is that the world is coming to an end because of human selfishness...in this case, overusing antibiotics which creates a lethal super-bug with no cure. In an effort to stem the tide of the disease, governments have quarantined the populace, halting all traffic from leaving the country. The message is clear...to save the 'body' of humanity, one must 'cut off' (or sacrifice) the offending part, a theme that is revisited often in the film, both figuratively and literally. But of course, no one listens and they all try to leave, infected or not, even killing in the process. Only one man realizes what a successful escape would mean for the world, and pleads with the others to not spread the disease, but is called crazy. The theme would run all through the film until the very end...but what is the ultimate message ? A nicely nuanced film that examines human priorities and what it means to sacrifice a part to save the whole. Oh, and the makeup FX was certainly good.

I was all set to hate this film as I'm not a fan of POV footage-type films. Fortunately, its only used in the beginning of the film to set the stage. And what a "stage" it turns out to be. The acting was passable for films of this type, especially the landlord. The neighbor whose dog our protagonist walks was entirely superfluous to the overall film and really didn't serve a purpose other than for an animal reaction shot. The film had a couple of minor subplots going on and ended well. I was glad to see that it won some awards, especially for the special FX. Could it have been better ? Of course...it's an indie film. But if you go into this knowing that and accepting the film on its own merits, its an inventive plot, intelligent scriptwriting (at least one victim immediately tries to talk down the aggressor instead of becoming hysterical), great special effects (hence the awards) and generally decent acting.

It says that the producers spent 2 million on this. It certainly wasn't on the script, the actors or cinematography. As someone previously said, it's basically a crying hot mess in a car. Not only is she pathetic, but annoying as all hell. And why is it that she has an strong accent, but her 'sister' doesn't ? The worst part about the film was the utterly wooden voice acting from everyone that happens to call our protagonist. It got so bad I literally had to put it on mute and read the captions. (most people will know the difference between the words 'mutating' and 'muting'...except a scientist in the film). I don't say this very often...but this movie is truly a waste of time.

Ok. Went into this hoping for the best as I like Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah and Shirley Jones. I also can accept that a 'TV' movie will be a bit more dialed-down to appease the masses and the censors. Which is the only reason I gave it 4 stars...I could look at Daryl Hannah all day. What I can't accept is complete, and utter stupidity on the part of the characters. That, and the fact that all of the characters were eminently unlikeable and irritating, from Shirley Jones' blind mother to the petulant teenage boyfriend to Anthony Michael Hall's protective father character, they all come across as utterly unprepared for something as mundane as an empty peanut butter jar... "WHAAAT? There's NO peanut butter ? How am I going to make a P&J without peanut butter????" From leaving perfectly working automobiles, wondering if they can 'hotwire' a car when one member's car is in their garage to taking shelter in a SEE-THROUGH flimsy plastic structure to the family looking at someone as if they had just massacred a village for locking a hysterical person in a bedroom, the movie just irritates to no end...well...there IS an end, fortunately. But it takes a lot longer to get there than the stated run time.

Since virtually everyone has been killed off in the previous episodes, the annoying 'moralism' finally stopped too...or has it ? Surprises galore...up to, and including the last scene. So...what IS the moral ? That we should do good all the time...and that even if we slip only once, it can have adverse consequences...

Everyone remembers 'Jaws', right ? How about 'Orca', about a killer whale in the great white shark's place ? Yeah, not so much. Back in the 70's every 'hit' movie spawned a slew of similar-genre films...all usually tepid, mediocre outings. 'The Silence' is no different. Designed to ride upon the success of 'Bird Box' and (to a lesser extent) 'A Quiet Place', 'The Silence' fails. From unlikeable characters (father, who is bullied-boy all grown up...'What's that?' he asks his friend...as if he doesn't know what a hand gun is) to the annoying, screaming grandmother, 'The Silence' doesn't take all that long to get going, but the creatures don't make much of any appearances, preferring to follow the story from the deaf-girl protaganist's perspective. I kept waiting for a commercial break; it felt like a made-for-tv movie, rather than a cinematic outing. SO many things wrong with this film...I'll leave it to others to go in-depth.

Since horror films/tv started, we all have shouted at our tv to 'not go in there!' or 'does it REALLY take 100 bullets and why can't you aim for the head ?' at one point or another. This series is no different...characters make stupid choices. Not sure what the negative reviewers want...its easy to say that 'you' would do something different...if you were ever really in that situation, instead of watching from the safety of your easy chair. So, the characters sometimes make bad choices...big deal. The action, like the fear, is visceral and virtually non-stop...it's easy to identify with the characters and care about them...doesn't matter if they are there for 2 episodes or all of them. Nothing is 'romanticized'; this is how the world would be if the zombie apocalypse happened. People make their choices based upon their own version of what is right and what is wrong, not what 'society' may say is right or wrong. I like the character development as well...you can actually see the 'growth' as characters do what they have to do...out of necessity, out of loyalty or need. The only thing that became a little grating on the nerves were the black screen with titles (reminiscent of 'Law and Order') that announced every new 'chapter' in an episode. Pacing, explanation, acting, zombies...all are excellent. Recommended viewing.

Let me say first, that I like things like this...I won't regurgitate the plot...there's enough of that here in the other reviews. What makes this a satisfying watch is that you're really not sure what's going on half the time, why characters do the things they do...at times it appears as one happy family, at other times a bit combative...who's playing who and who has the upper hand ? What is real and what is playing the game ? Simple things can appear as plot holes...or not, given the perspective that can change at a moment's notice. It all comes together at the end, but it's a trippy ride there.

I like films like this...very Lynchian imo... The movie engages you...trying to figure out exactly what's behind it all. To those that point out its irritating parts, I would have to say it is definitely 'British', and may seem strange to American audiences with its patriarchal mindset and blind faith in authority. Shades of racism and ethnocentricity combine to raise the paranoia levels...Is all of this inherent in the characters normally ? Or is it the effect of something unknown ? We don't know. And that's what makes it interesting. Are they experiencing a threat ? Or a blessing ? I also enjoyed the special effects...it only enhanced the creepiness, imo. but then again, I come from a time when stop-motion special effects were legit. Even if the final scenes, and 'explanation' for everything was a bit rushed, for me, it was an enjoyable watch.