In honor Of TWILIGHT: NEW MOON being a success and Ruining a new era of moviegoers with it’s Romeo & Juliet with vampires storyline. I am rather tired of all this romanticism of vampires everywhere all of a sudden in books on television and in movies. Can a slasher get a hug. Vampires are always so Romantic, distinguished and classy sort of like the myth applied to Europeans. That I tend to like the films that give you more of a realistic portrayal. That look at it as more of a curse you have been infected with. That make it seem more like a drig addiction you have been infected with that you can’t quit or you die. One of the problems is that there has been plenty of films with vampires in them that don’t really feel like or to me count as vampire movies. I have decided to make a list of vampire movies that might be more entertaining then any TWILIGHT movies.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
CLOSER (2004)
Cast: Clive Owen, Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman
Directed By: Mike Nichols
Written By: Patrick Marber
Cinematography By: Stephen Goldblatt
Editor: John Bloom & Antonia Van Drimmelen
The beautiful thing about this movie is the words the language used which is both smart and cruel it’s amazing how sentences can hurt and destroy so much
This is not a film to watch if you are looking for action it’s more about Character , Drama and situations then anything else. This is just a adult relationship drama and everything here is beautiful.
This is a drama but feels more like a horror movie there are so many scenes of emotional violence that this is like watching a massacre. Since there are only four characters it’s easy to get to know the characters even though they don’t talk about there pasts much you get to know them so much that you feel the pain and despair that they do.
The Switching allegiances, mind games and harsh words make this like a british David Mamet film though you can tell the film is based on a play for it’s limited locations and exclusive intimate closed spaces that the action takes place in. Mike Nichols wisely knows how to open the film up to make it looks sumptuous.
Even though the cast is all good the person who walks away with the film is Natalie Portman this is what award winning acting is all about een thought she didn’t even get nominated it was a chance for her to escape her shackles of her teen and lightweight roles to show that she is not only grown but a fully sexual being. From her scene in the strip club where even though she is taking orders she is in total control while also letting herself be completely vulnerable by actually telling the truth for one of the first times in the film. To when she is being vulnerable when she is supposed to be running away with the love of her life. Mike Nichols also knows how to make this beautiful lady into a goddess with color, dress and showing just enough skin.
Cate Blanchett was originally cast in the Julia Roberts role she played the role in the play that Julia Roberts plays but she got pregnant and could not do the role so she was replaced by Julia Roberts who does pretty good in this role since this is really one of the few times where she plays a three dimensional character that is kind of like her usual self of being likeable but also capable of being hateful. There is no cutesy sweet girl we are used to here. Jude Law and Clive Owen were both also in the play but here they switched the roles they originally played. Both are too perfection.
The film also has a beautiful opening scene with the song the blower’s daughter by Damien rice that this movie seem to put on the charts for people to discover which in itself is a haunting song that hovers over the rest of the film
A definite must see
GRADE: A
Directed By: Mike Nichols
Written By: Patrick Marber
Cinematography By: Stephen Goldblatt
Editor: John Bloom & Antonia Van Drimmelen
The beautiful thing about this movie is the words the language used which is both smart and cruel it’s amazing how sentences can hurt and destroy so much
This is not a film to watch if you are looking for action it’s more about Character , Drama and situations then anything else. This is just a adult relationship drama and everything here is beautiful.
This is a drama but feels more like a horror movie there are so many scenes of emotional violence that this is like watching a massacre. Since there are only four characters it’s easy to get to know the characters even though they don’t talk about there pasts much you get to know them so much that you feel the pain and despair that they do.
The Switching allegiances, mind games and harsh words make this like a british David Mamet film though you can tell the film is based on a play for it’s limited locations and exclusive intimate closed spaces that the action takes place in. Mike Nichols wisely knows how to open the film up to make it looks sumptuous.
Even though the cast is all good the person who walks away with the film is Natalie Portman this is what award winning acting is all about een thought she didn’t even get nominated it was a chance for her to escape her shackles of her teen and lightweight roles to show that she is not only grown but a fully sexual being. From her scene in the strip club where even though she is taking orders she is in total control while also letting herself be completely vulnerable by actually telling the truth for one of the first times in the film. To when she is being vulnerable when she is supposed to be running away with the love of her life. Mike Nichols also knows how to make this beautiful lady into a goddess with color, dress and showing just enough skin.
Cate Blanchett was originally cast in the Julia Roberts role she played the role in the play that Julia Roberts plays but she got pregnant and could not do the role so she was replaced by Julia Roberts who does pretty good in this role since this is really one of the few times where she plays a three dimensional character that is kind of like her usual self of being likeable but also capable of being hateful. There is no cutesy sweet girl we are used to here. Jude Law and Clive Owen were both also in the play but here they switched the roles they originally played. Both are too perfection.
The film also has a beautiful opening scene with the song the blower’s daughter by Damien rice that this movie seem to put on the charts for people to discover which in itself is a haunting song that hovers over the rest of the film
A definite must see
GRADE: A
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN (2008)
Directed By: Ryuhei Kitamura
Written By: Jeff Buhler
Based On A Short Story By: Clive Barker
Cinematography By: Jonathan Sela
Editor: Toby Yates
CAST: Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Vinnie Jones, Roger Bart, Peter Jacobsen, Tony Curran, Brooke Shields, Ted Raimi, Quenton “Rampage” Jackson
I can see why the studio held this film up. By doing so they made this into a unofficial cult film the truly sad part was I bought into it. But the end product is not worth it. I don’t believe it was I had my hopes up to high even if I wasn’t expecting much this film is pretty much a disappointment on many levels
The film is too stylized for it’s own good. There is nothing wrong with having style especially if it’s a good style but here it goes overboard it’s clear the director is talented but he seems more fit for action adventure type films not for horror first off the gore and violence while overabundant and messy is just too fake looking to much digital effects automatically take you out of the scene. For the type of film this wants to be or at least a decent entry into the films based on Clive Barker stories this film needed more suspense and shocks. Clive Barker films usual feel supernatural and messed up this seemed a little too clean cut and easy. It’s not really too disturbing in fact after awhile it seems to get repetitive
It also doesn’t help that most of the cast is damn near model good looking I know they all revolve around the art world but let’s get serious it is almost like a adult website in a horror movie that sent me back to memories to the 90’s teen horror boom albeit this one is more violent but still it is sub-par.
The characters don’t make you feel anything in the form of sympathy for them as they seem to be passé about violence happening to other people in fact brooke shields character finds beauty in these violent scenes the drama and intensity in the eyes of the people the photographer takes pictures of are what is true art.
This film is about a photographer who is trying to get work or at least a show for his work but the problem is his photos seem to lack the drama and intensity of the city so one day he saves a girl form being mugged she ends up missing but he remembers he saw a man get on the train with her and he begins to follow the man to find out about him and investigate him and the deeper he gets into finding out the more obsessed he gets and the more trouble he causes for himself and everyone around him. He soon starts to change himself not physically but emotionally and mentally.
The only scenes I found somewhat close to what the intention of this story might have been or at least close to the disturbing images that are supposed to be common in a story like this is the scenes of the massacre on the train that the photographer actually witnesses. Also the final battle scene between the butcher and the photographer with the 360 degree camera angles and where the gore finally seems organic and real
I would say check this out when it is on cable the only reason I don’t say to wait for television is that It makes no sense to televise this movie as for the most part you need the violence to understand the film and to really get into it but it is a disappointing endeavor just the wrong director with the wrong project Mr. Kitamura has directed some great visually accomplished violent films Like VERSUS but if John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon, or Tobe Hooper got there hands on this. This film could have been something amazing a lot more hard-edged not as glossy
GRADE: D
Written By: Jeff Buhler
Based On A Short Story By: Clive Barker
Cinematography By: Jonathan Sela
Editor: Toby Yates
CAST: Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Vinnie Jones, Roger Bart, Peter Jacobsen, Tony Curran, Brooke Shields, Ted Raimi, Quenton “Rampage” Jackson
I can see why the studio held this film up. By doing so they made this into a unofficial cult film the truly sad part was I bought into it. But the end product is not worth it. I don’t believe it was I had my hopes up to high even if I wasn’t expecting much this film is pretty much a disappointment on many levels
The film is too stylized for it’s own good. There is nothing wrong with having style especially if it’s a good style but here it goes overboard it’s clear the director is talented but he seems more fit for action adventure type films not for horror first off the gore and violence while overabundant and messy is just too fake looking to much digital effects automatically take you out of the scene. For the type of film this wants to be or at least a decent entry into the films based on Clive Barker stories this film needed more suspense and shocks. Clive Barker films usual feel supernatural and messed up this seemed a little too clean cut and easy. It’s not really too disturbing in fact after awhile it seems to get repetitive
It also doesn’t help that most of the cast is damn near model good looking I know they all revolve around the art world but let’s get serious it is almost like a adult website in a horror movie that sent me back to memories to the 90’s teen horror boom albeit this one is more violent but still it is sub-par.
The characters don’t make you feel anything in the form of sympathy for them as they seem to be passé about violence happening to other people in fact brooke shields character finds beauty in these violent scenes the drama and intensity in the eyes of the people the photographer takes pictures of are what is true art.
This film is about a photographer who is trying to get work or at least a show for his work but the problem is his photos seem to lack the drama and intensity of the city so one day he saves a girl form being mugged she ends up missing but he remembers he saw a man get on the train with her and he begins to follow the man to find out about him and investigate him and the deeper he gets into finding out the more obsessed he gets and the more trouble he causes for himself and everyone around him. He soon starts to change himself not physically but emotionally and mentally.
The only scenes I found somewhat close to what the intention of this story might have been or at least close to the disturbing images that are supposed to be common in a story like this is the scenes of the massacre on the train that the photographer actually witnesses. Also the final battle scene between the butcher and the photographer with the 360 degree camera angles and where the gore finally seems organic and real
I would say check this out when it is on cable the only reason I don’t say to wait for television is that It makes no sense to televise this movie as for the most part you need the violence to understand the film and to really get into it but it is a disappointing endeavor just the wrong director with the wrong project Mr. Kitamura has directed some great visually accomplished violent films Like VERSUS but if John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon, or Tobe Hooper got there hands on this. This film could have been something amazing a lot more hard-edged not as glossy
GRADE: D
I LOVE YOU BETH COOPER (2009)
Directed By: Chris Columbus
Written By: Larry Doyle (Based On His Book)
Cinematography By: Phil Abraham
Editor: Peter Honess
CAST: Paul Rust, Hayden Panettiere, Jack T. Carpenter, Lauren London, Lauren Storm, Shawn Roberts, Samm Levine, Andrea Savage, Alan Ruck, Cynthia Stevenson, Patt Finn
This is a disappointment considering I loved the book so much. Soon as I heard that Hayden Panettiere Was staring as Beth Cooper I knew it was doomed. I thought in the hands of Chris Columbus this could be decent but this is studio chis Columbus not early screenwriting whiz Chris Columbus the man behind YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES.
Basically that is what is wrong with the film the cast is just strange. But I can’t blame Mr. Columbus Totally since the screenplay is written by the author of the book. Who initially had the idea to write this as a screenplay but when there was no interest decided to write is as a book to garner more interest and low and behold they decided to make it into a film. But the funny thing is that it was better as a book!!! With a better ending that felt full while being ambiguous while this one just feels dead.
The film feels like it was sanitized from the book so it could play to younger teens but keeping some Raunch so that it doesn’t seem too tame. It’s a film that talks down to its audience by just lumping in one slapstick violent scene to the next. Instead of sticking to a novel that managed to be funny, Naughty but also reminded you of what it was like to be young and have that passion for a girl of your dreams. With your future ahead of you. This film just feels gimmicky. It has no soul.
The film is a perfect timewaster but you won’t laugh much or remember too much afterwards, it makes a threesome not sexy at all nor funny. This film will be perfect to put on television as you don’t really have to cut anything. Plus the characters don’t remind me of any real teenagers at all.
This film came and went to theaters with hardly a blip on the screen. Which is not all that surprising since as soon as I saw the trailer I knew it was doomed. It wasn’t funny and felt like it was trying way too hard. It was a struggle and after i saw the trailer my heart broke.
When it comes to the cast. Paul Rust is a good actor with a strange look but he still looks to old to be in this film. I thought it was impossible but the film finds a way to make Lauren London not attractive plus it doesn’t give her much to do. Hayden penirette is attractive but she doesn’t have the look or character to play this dream girl that many men obsess over she looks just regular to me. Plus her character half the time seems a little off or crazy and her later reasoning make no sense in the film. Plus with the age difference of her and the male lead it makes him more look like a molester then a paramour. The only actor who comes off good is Jack T. Carpenter, Who plays his sexually confused best friend while he is funny I only wish it was in a better film.
This film is not horrible but it’s not good or decent either. Maybe a good pick for older highly clean cut kids but all others will be bored except for maybe senior citizens.
Wait for TV. Which I’m sure it will be on in no time.
GRADE: D
Written By: Larry Doyle (Based On His Book)
Cinematography By: Phil Abraham
Editor: Peter Honess
CAST: Paul Rust, Hayden Panettiere, Jack T. Carpenter, Lauren London, Lauren Storm, Shawn Roberts, Samm Levine, Andrea Savage, Alan Ruck, Cynthia Stevenson, Patt Finn
This is a disappointment considering I loved the book so much. Soon as I heard that Hayden Panettiere Was staring as Beth Cooper I knew it was doomed. I thought in the hands of Chris Columbus this could be decent but this is studio chis Columbus not early screenwriting whiz Chris Columbus the man behind YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES.
Basically that is what is wrong with the film the cast is just strange. But I can’t blame Mr. Columbus Totally since the screenplay is written by the author of the book. Who initially had the idea to write this as a screenplay but when there was no interest decided to write is as a book to garner more interest and low and behold they decided to make it into a film. But the funny thing is that it was better as a book!!! With a better ending that felt full while being ambiguous while this one just feels dead.
The film feels like it was sanitized from the book so it could play to younger teens but keeping some Raunch so that it doesn’t seem too tame. It’s a film that talks down to its audience by just lumping in one slapstick violent scene to the next. Instead of sticking to a novel that managed to be funny, Naughty but also reminded you of what it was like to be young and have that passion for a girl of your dreams. With your future ahead of you. This film just feels gimmicky. It has no soul.
The film is a perfect timewaster but you won’t laugh much or remember too much afterwards, it makes a threesome not sexy at all nor funny. This film will be perfect to put on television as you don’t really have to cut anything. Plus the characters don’t remind me of any real teenagers at all.
This film came and went to theaters with hardly a blip on the screen. Which is not all that surprising since as soon as I saw the trailer I knew it was doomed. It wasn’t funny and felt like it was trying way too hard. It was a struggle and after i saw the trailer my heart broke.
When it comes to the cast. Paul Rust is a good actor with a strange look but he still looks to old to be in this film. I thought it was impossible but the film finds a way to make Lauren London not attractive plus it doesn’t give her much to do. Hayden penirette is attractive but she doesn’t have the look or character to play this dream girl that many men obsess over she looks just regular to me. Plus her character half the time seems a little off or crazy and her later reasoning make no sense in the film. Plus with the age difference of her and the male lead it makes him more look like a molester then a paramour. The only actor who comes off good is Jack T. Carpenter, Who plays his sexually confused best friend while he is funny I only wish it was in a better film.
This film is not horrible but it’s not good or decent either. Maybe a good pick for older highly clean cut kids but all others will be bored except for maybe senior citizens.
Wait for TV. Which I’m sure it will be on in no time.
GRADE: D
ORPHAN (2009)
Directed By: Jamie Collet-Serra
Written By: David Johnson
Story By: Alex Mace
Cinematography By: Jeff Cutter
Editor: Tim Alverson
CAST: Vera Farminga, Peter Sarsgaard, CCH Pounder, Isabelle Fuhrman, Karel Roden, Margo Martindale, Jimmy Bennett
The film succeeds in a lot of ways until you get to the third act which I know disappointed a lot of people with it’s ridiculousness. I think it is because the film so far plays but logical realistic rules so far and then you have this twist that belongs in a crazier movie. Especially since all the advertisements say “you’ll never figure out the ending” they are right you won’t no one could have. It’s like those mysteries where they give you all this evidence and clues to suspect one of the characters you know about up to this point is the murderer then they bring out a character out of the blue making all that came before it null and void fully knowing you were never really meant to figure it out.
For the most part the film is entertaining it starts off with a gory scene but hardly rises to that level of violence again. The rest of the film is more diabolical. It set’s a dark tone as all of the scenes and surroundings seem drained of color. So there is a lack of vitality yet a polished look that is supposed to be laid back but really tries to cover the trouble that is down deep.
The film is about a couple that has two children who lost a child at childbirth that the mother has never fully gotten over so they decide to adopt after she has gone to therapy for a few years. They decide to adopt a seemingly perfect intelligent little girl. Soon after is when all of the trouble starts soon there are many violent accidents. Which the mother soon suspects is committed by the girl we know only because we are witnesses to it. Which could have made this film a totally different type of thriller if we don’t know if she is actually commiting these acts or is it really just the other going crazy. But then the film would have been more of a slow moving psychological thriller insead of a more traditional thriller with more action.
I have to give the director credit it shows more skill and is better then his previous Film HOUSE OF WAX. The film intrigued me from the beginning and I was never bored.
It’s interesting that Vera farminga stars in this film which is a bit similar to a thriller she made last year named JOSHUA. Only in that film it was her son who was evil and driving her crazy but his real challenge was his father. Here it is her really versus the little girl.
This Film goes best with a Demented kids Film Festival with THE BAD SEED, WHO CAN KILL A CHILD, THE GOOD SON, JOSHUA, and this film. This is a good rental. It has the requisite thrill factor and the shocking I can’t believe they just did what they did. Especially since children are imperil more then the adults in this film.
SPOILER. The alternate ending where she survives could have been done many different ways she walks downstairs the cops don’t believe she is dangerous and she kills them all. Or they don’t believe she is the killer so they let her slip through there fingers only to show up later at another orphanage. Or leave it open ended where she just escapes leading to more sequels.
GRADE: C+
Written By: David Johnson
Story By: Alex Mace
Cinematography By: Jeff Cutter
Editor: Tim Alverson
CAST: Vera Farminga, Peter Sarsgaard, CCH Pounder, Isabelle Fuhrman, Karel Roden, Margo Martindale, Jimmy Bennett
The film succeeds in a lot of ways until you get to the third act which I know disappointed a lot of people with it’s ridiculousness. I think it is because the film so far plays but logical realistic rules so far and then you have this twist that belongs in a crazier movie. Especially since all the advertisements say “you’ll never figure out the ending” they are right you won’t no one could have. It’s like those mysteries where they give you all this evidence and clues to suspect one of the characters you know about up to this point is the murderer then they bring out a character out of the blue making all that came before it null and void fully knowing you were never really meant to figure it out.
For the most part the film is entertaining it starts off with a gory scene but hardly rises to that level of violence again. The rest of the film is more diabolical. It set’s a dark tone as all of the scenes and surroundings seem drained of color. So there is a lack of vitality yet a polished look that is supposed to be laid back but really tries to cover the trouble that is down deep.
The film is about a couple that has two children who lost a child at childbirth that the mother has never fully gotten over so they decide to adopt after she has gone to therapy for a few years. They decide to adopt a seemingly perfect intelligent little girl. Soon after is when all of the trouble starts soon there are many violent accidents. Which the mother soon suspects is committed by the girl we know only because we are witnesses to it. Which could have made this film a totally different type of thriller if we don’t know if she is actually commiting these acts or is it really just the other going crazy. But then the film would have been more of a slow moving psychological thriller insead of a more traditional thriller with more action.
I have to give the director credit it shows more skill and is better then his previous Film HOUSE OF WAX. The film intrigued me from the beginning and I was never bored.
It’s interesting that Vera farminga stars in this film which is a bit similar to a thriller she made last year named JOSHUA. Only in that film it was her son who was evil and driving her crazy but his real challenge was his father. Here it is her really versus the little girl.
This Film goes best with a Demented kids Film Festival with THE BAD SEED, WHO CAN KILL A CHILD, THE GOOD SON, JOSHUA, and this film. This is a good rental. It has the requisite thrill factor and the shocking I can’t believe they just did what they did. Especially since children are imperil more then the adults in this film.
SPOILER. The alternate ending where she survives could have been done many different ways she walks downstairs the cops don’t believe she is dangerous and she kills them all. Or they don’t believe she is the killer so they let her slip through there fingers only to show up later at another orphanage. Or leave it open ended where she just escapes leading to more sequels.
GRADE: C+
GOOD HAIR (2009)
Directed By: Jeff Stilson
Written By: Lance Crouther, Chris Rock, Jeff Stilson, Chuck Sklar
Cinematography By: Cliff Charles & Mark Henderson
Editor: Paul Marchand & Greg Nash
Featuring: Raven Symone, Eve, Salt N’ Pepa, Lauren London, Maya Angelou, Andre Harrell, Sarah Jones, Nia long, Tracie Thoms, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Megan Goode, Melyssa Ford, Al Sharpton, Ice-T, Paul Mooney, KRS-ONE,
This is a must see. It’s not the greatest documentary of all time but it is like a Michael Moore documentary in other words it’s a documentary for people who don’t usually like or go to documentry’s it’s funny while being informative and bringing up emotions of course the film has the celebrity interviews to bring more people in to see them give there personal account of the subject but that is not the whole film it’slike a little boost now and then
Good hair is about the business and culture of black women and there hair the processes they go through to be what is taught to them to be beautiful by straightening and having long hair. It not only follows the culture by talking to hairdressers and the women who are paying big bucks for this but it also talks to business owners and the place where most of this hair is coming from India. While exploring this it is also follows the Bronner Brothers hair show and the competition for hairstylist of the year. The subjects are almost as entertaining as the film and some easily walk away with the film.
Though the film is hosted by chris rock he is not the director he is the producer and host because this subject is something he wanted to explore but he is the one asking all the questions and helping to explain everything. While showing sad and hostile scenes and making them a little more bearable and calm through comedy. But you can’t help but think a lot of times he gets answers and access a little more easier because of his celebrity status. Without that it might have been a little harder to gain access to certain places.
The film is much like the skit when Chris Rock hosted the scars, and he went to a black movie theater and asked them about the Oscar nominated films. Through his comedy he is exploring and shining a light on a broader serious subject.
The shameful facts of the film are aplenty like the fact that African Americans are 12% of the population but 90% of the fake hair business a billion dollar business that only 5 % of African Americans own any of the businesses. Most of the companies are owned or run by Koreans. The Fact that as a African American it seems so hard to keep our own money in our community and we willingly gie it away to others who make money off of our community but don’t respect us is a on-going problem and another reason why it seems hard for us to come together and have any power as a community. The film is certainly an eye opener. Plus as African American cinema it is a film that needs to be supported so that more black cinema can be made and cultivated since there is so little of it out there.
As usual I was enjoying the film so much I only wished it had been longer.
GRADE: B+
Written By: Lance Crouther, Chris Rock, Jeff Stilson, Chuck Sklar
Cinematography By: Cliff Charles & Mark Henderson
Editor: Paul Marchand & Greg Nash
Featuring: Raven Symone, Eve, Salt N’ Pepa, Lauren London, Maya Angelou, Andre Harrell, Sarah Jones, Nia long, Tracie Thoms, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Megan Goode, Melyssa Ford, Al Sharpton, Ice-T, Paul Mooney, KRS-ONE,
This is a must see. It’s not the greatest documentary of all time but it is like a Michael Moore documentary in other words it’s a documentary for people who don’t usually like or go to documentry’s it’s funny while being informative and bringing up emotions of course the film has the celebrity interviews to bring more people in to see them give there personal account of the subject but that is not the whole film it’slike a little boost now and then
Good hair is about the business and culture of black women and there hair the processes they go through to be what is taught to them to be beautiful by straightening and having long hair. It not only follows the culture by talking to hairdressers and the women who are paying big bucks for this but it also talks to business owners and the place where most of this hair is coming from India. While exploring this it is also follows the Bronner Brothers hair show and the competition for hairstylist of the year. The subjects are almost as entertaining as the film and some easily walk away with the film.
Though the film is hosted by chris rock he is not the director he is the producer and host because this subject is something he wanted to explore but he is the one asking all the questions and helping to explain everything. While showing sad and hostile scenes and making them a little more bearable and calm through comedy. But you can’t help but think a lot of times he gets answers and access a little more easier because of his celebrity status. Without that it might have been a little harder to gain access to certain places.
The film is much like the skit when Chris Rock hosted the scars, and he went to a black movie theater and asked them about the Oscar nominated films. Through his comedy he is exploring and shining a light on a broader serious subject.
The shameful facts of the film are aplenty like the fact that African Americans are 12% of the population but 90% of the fake hair business a billion dollar business that only 5 % of African Americans own any of the businesses. Most of the companies are owned or run by Koreans. The Fact that as a African American it seems so hard to keep our own money in our community and we willingly gie it away to others who make money off of our community but don’t respect us is a on-going problem and another reason why it seems hard for us to come together and have any power as a community. The film is certainly an eye opener. Plus as African American cinema it is a film that needs to be supported so that more black cinema can be made and cultivated since there is so little of it out there.
As usual I was enjoying the film so much I only wished it had been longer.
GRADE: B+
Sunday, October 18, 2009
HOSTEL: Part 2 (2007)
Cast: Lauren German, Bijou Phillips, Heather Matarazzo, Roger Bart, Jay Hernandez, Jordan Ladd, Richard Burgi, Vera Jordanova
Written & Directed By Eli Roth
Cinematography By: Milan Chadima
Editor: Gorge Folsey Jr.
This was one of those movies that had a chance to really be something different something special make this franchise count go past all the accusations that had been thrown not only at the film but the filmmaker but as they say in easy rider Not we but “he blew it”
This film takes place on the same train after the last one ended but after tieing up loose ends fro the first film we are thrust into the company’s next sale of three girls visiting Prague who are American and there to study art who have almost no personalities just character types the shy one the good girl the party girl as they are seduced into being captured how they are sold to the highest bidder and the death set-up it also focuses on two friends one alpha male who gets his buddy involved the alpha-male feels this is the ultimate hunting trip and will give him the killer edge in business he feels it will toughen his friend up and let him get out the aggression he can’t at home with his wife and kids. We see what they have to go through to get certified and prepared
This is almost the same story as the first movie except he has replaced the males with girls who don’t have as much fun or hook-up instead before they are kidnapped they just have fun and think of all the art they will get to see and experience. Kind of a stereotypical way to make these characters. But also if the whole big idea here is to make the women get tortured then this is just another typical horror film where women are mutilated and tortured in states of undress almost like a punishment for being femanine that was what made the first film so different was it was the males who were hunted and mutilated
There are only a few things in general which make this film interesting finding out how the business works was interesting but could have been explored more like it would have been a departure from what was expected if the while story was told from the business part of view with having to deal with the escape of the girls from the planning of the abduction or in something totally different remake the first film totally seeing how the business deals with the set-up the sale and trying to find Paxton when he escapes and dealing with the deaths of there workers and clients. The other interesting thing is the next to final scene where there are double crosses and revelations galore before the ridiculous revenge filled final scene. The reason this movie will probably be remembered is the castration of a character in full close-up which he deserved for his all of a sudden change in demeanor that makes no sense and also as punishment for making the audience sit through this whole movie and this is the only really edgy scene in the whole film
Despite his intention to shock Mr. Roth also tries to beautify certain scenes of the carnage with what he deems as artistic flourishes that he has seen in European films this movie strives to be like and seems to be at least a little modeled on but it comes off more as pretentious and unnecessary and with little sense like the killing of one character by a woman who seems to be a countess she hands the girl upside down naked and slashes her with a blade that makes blood drop onto her while she seems to get turned on by bathing in the blood the way I described it is more exciting then the finished product of the scene
There are some scenes where he tries some dreamlike surreal imagery but it’s out of place in a film like this so it just makes you wonder what is going on it isn’t subtly put in there it’s more just comes out of nowhere and is too abrupt. He seems to be trying to make a art film where as this is and was like it’s predecessor a popcorn horror movie with extreme violence almost a exploitation movie or a grindhouse film with gloss
The first movie had a cameo by filmmaker Takashi Miike and just like his body of work the first film was over the top lunacy at certain points but entertaining this film with a cameo by filmmaker Ruggero Deodato is like his body of work lots of beautiful camera work but really all that does is decorate the gore his films are more exploitationish in a sick depraved way where as mike’s films are sick but fun.
I guess this film was Eli Roth’s fate he already had made 2 pretty good films Cabin Fever and the original hostel maybe he had too much confidence being the wunderkind of horror and this hopefully brought him back down to focus on good work instead of anything I do will fly.
GRADE: F
Written & Directed By Eli Roth
Cinematography By: Milan Chadima
Editor: Gorge Folsey Jr.
This was one of those movies that had a chance to really be something different something special make this franchise count go past all the accusations that had been thrown not only at the film but the filmmaker but as they say in easy rider Not we but “he blew it”
This film takes place on the same train after the last one ended but after tieing up loose ends fro the first film we are thrust into the company’s next sale of three girls visiting Prague who are American and there to study art who have almost no personalities just character types the shy one the good girl the party girl as they are seduced into being captured how they are sold to the highest bidder and the death set-up it also focuses on two friends one alpha male who gets his buddy involved the alpha-male feels this is the ultimate hunting trip and will give him the killer edge in business he feels it will toughen his friend up and let him get out the aggression he can’t at home with his wife and kids. We see what they have to go through to get certified and prepared
This is almost the same story as the first movie except he has replaced the males with girls who don’t have as much fun or hook-up instead before they are kidnapped they just have fun and think of all the art they will get to see and experience. Kind of a stereotypical way to make these characters. But also if the whole big idea here is to make the women get tortured then this is just another typical horror film where women are mutilated and tortured in states of undress almost like a punishment for being femanine that was what made the first film so different was it was the males who were hunted and mutilated
There are only a few things in general which make this film interesting finding out how the business works was interesting but could have been explored more like it would have been a departure from what was expected if the while story was told from the business part of view with having to deal with the escape of the girls from the planning of the abduction or in something totally different remake the first film totally seeing how the business deals with the set-up the sale and trying to find Paxton when he escapes and dealing with the deaths of there workers and clients. The other interesting thing is the next to final scene where there are double crosses and revelations galore before the ridiculous revenge filled final scene. The reason this movie will probably be remembered is the castration of a character in full close-up which he deserved for his all of a sudden change in demeanor that makes no sense and also as punishment for making the audience sit through this whole movie and this is the only really edgy scene in the whole film
Despite his intention to shock Mr. Roth also tries to beautify certain scenes of the carnage with what he deems as artistic flourishes that he has seen in European films this movie strives to be like and seems to be at least a little modeled on but it comes off more as pretentious and unnecessary and with little sense like the killing of one character by a woman who seems to be a countess she hands the girl upside down naked and slashes her with a blade that makes blood drop onto her while she seems to get turned on by bathing in the blood the way I described it is more exciting then the finished product of the scene
There are some scenes where he tries some dreamlike surreal imagery but it’s out of place in a film like this so it just makes you wonder what is going on it isn’t subtly put in there it’s more just comes out of nowhere and is too abrupt. He seems to be trying to make a art film where as this is and was like it’s predecessor a popcorn horror movie with extreme violence almost a exploitation movie or a grindhouse film with gloss
The first movie had a cameo by filmmaker Takashi Miike and just like his body of work the first film was over the top lunacy at certain points but entertaining this film with a cameo by filmmaker Ruggero Deodato is like his body of work lots of beautiful camera work but really all that does is decorate the gore his films are more exploitationish in a sick depraved way where as mike’s films are sick but fun.
I guess this film was Eli Roth’s fate he already had made 2 pretty good films Cabin Fever and the original hostel maybe he had too much confidence being the wunderkind of horror and this hopefully brought him back down to focus on good work instead of anything I do will fly.
GRADE: F
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