Sunday, March 21, 2010
Coming Soon: Child's Play series, a Retrospective
The cult classic and it's 4 sequels that it spawned will receive a look at their impact on the horror genre.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Die Hard (1988) Maybe Minor Spoiers
Before John McClane fought for control of an airport, teamed up with a store owner to stop a mad bomber, and shaved his head while still being badass, he was the focus of Die Hard. The movie that started it all, this flick has more action than you could ever want, with plenty of sarcastic humor sprinkled generously without.
McClane, and NYPD detective, travels to Los Angeles in an attempt of reconciling with his estranged wife Holly. He is taken to her place of work, the Nakitomi building. Not too long after that all hell breaks loose.
The company Christmas party is abruptly halted as a terrorist group led by Hans Gruber invades the building. They get rid of the phones and station their own guard at the entrance. It's up to John to defuse the situation, and he embarks on an adrenaline rush that includes but is not limited to rooftop gun battles, tossing baddies out a window, getting shot at by the police, and catching his precariously dangling wife from certain death.
It is soon learned that Gruber and his thugs are after 640 million dollars in bearer bonds. The well organized thieves execute everything almost flawlessly. That is, until John starts ruining their party.
Gruber very quickly realizes he has a problem and is infuriated by the unwelcome resistance. After killing a few innocent hostages, the police cut the power in the building making it impossible to pass the last lock on the vault.
Gruber makes his way to the roof and after tricking McClane that he was a victim, he flees. He sees on tv that Holly is John's wife, and he takes her hostage hoping to gain leverage on John. He then detonates the C4 that he planted earlier before the final showdown with John.
I'm not going to spoil the ending, just because I think the movie should be watched again anyways. Even if you know the ending, go watch this movie. There were many 'action' films in the 80's, perhaps even more than the action/comedy movies, but nobody really came close to Die Hard's caliber. It was a gritty, bloody, pulse-pounding roller coaster ride, and it was a truly enthralling film.
While not the best movie ever, Die Hard is definitely a good way to pass a couple hours on a slow day. Even if you are not a fan of action movies, I urge you to watch this movie. It's a classic, and it spawned some other great movies, including the most recent, Live Free or Die Hard which made millions on opening day and became very popular in the year 2007.
The actors in the movie are perhaps not as well known as you would think, for the exception of a few, but all of them do a great job. Of course you have Bruce Willis as the hero, and he's easy to buy as a smart ass tough cop, and he's easy to relate to. Bonnie Bedelia, who plays Holly Gennaro, spins a fine performance as a wife with her feelings towards John mixed and confused.
And then, of course, you have Reginald VelJohnson, perhaps best known as the lovable big guy Carl Winslow on Family Matters. He serves as John's guiding light for much of the movie, and while at the beginning he doesn't seem to be a very hardened cop, by the end he'll have you believing he can handle a lot of shit that gets thrown at him.
Alan Rickman's portrayal of ruthless terrorist leader Hans Gruber deserves kudos as well. He is buyable as a villian, although at some points I just couldn't see it.
Movies are sometimes called Die Hard clones, with much of their plot seemingly ripped straight from Die Hard (Speed, The Rock, etc). Everyone knows the quote that defines this movie, and if you are one of the few that don't, shut off the computer and go watch this movie NOW.
The negatives in this movie aren't very prevalent, in fact I'm hardpressed to find any. I suppose the depth of character in John is somewhat lacking, but I really don't see much else.
Die Hard gets an 8 out of 10 from me. I want to give it more but I think it would be overdoing it a little. The movie takes place in just a few locales, and it does a such a good job at keeping the action fresh that you barely even notice the movie is basically centered around one building. It's rare that a movie like this keeps you focused the entire time. You're drawn in, and the grip the movie has on you is never loosened. It's a rare example of how white knuckle shoot em ups can be great films as well. SEE THIS MOVIE.
-Drew
McClane, and NYPD detective, travels to Los Angeles in an attempt of reconciling with his estranged wife Holly. He is taken to her place of work, the Nakitomi building. Not too long after that all hell breaks loose.
The company Christmas party is abruptly halted as a terrorist group led by Hans Gruber invades the building. They get rid of the phones and station their own guard at the entrance. It's up to John to defuse the situation, and he embarks on an adrenaline rush that includes but is not limited to rooftop gun battles, tossing baddies out a window, getting shot at by the police, and catching his precariously dangling wife from certain death.
It is soon learned that Gruber and his thugs are after 640 million dollars in bearer bonds. The well organized thieves execute everything almost flawlessly. That is, until John starts ruining their party.
Gruber very quickly realizes he has a problem and is infuriated by the unwelcome resistance. After killing a few innocent hostages, the police cut the power in the building making it impossible to pass the last lock on the vault.
Gruber makes his way to the roof and after tricking McClane that he was a victim, he flees. He sees on tv that Holly is John's wife, and he takes her hostage hoping to gain leverage on John. He then detonates the C4 that he planted earlier before the final showdown with John.
I'm not going to spoil the ending, just because I think the movie should be watched again anyways. Even if you know the ending, go watch this movie. There were many 'action' films in the 80's, perhaps even more than the action/comedy movies, but nobody really came close to Die Hard's caliber. It was a gritty, bloody, pulse-pounding roller coaster ride, and it was a truly enthralling film.
While not the best movie ever, Die Hard is definitely a good way to pass a couple hours on a slow day. Even if you are not a fan of action movies, I urge you to watch this movie. It's a classic, and it spawned some other great movies, including the most recent, Live Free or Die Hard which made millions on opening day and became very popular in the year 2007.
The actors in the movie are perhaps not as well known as you would think, for the exception of a few, but all of them do a great job. Of course you have Bruce Willis as the hero, and he's easy to buy as a smart ass tough cop, and he's easy to relate to. Bonnie Bedelia, who plays Holly Gennaro, spins a fine performance as a wife with her feelings towards John mixed and confused.
And then, of course, you have Reginald VelJohnson, perhaps best known as the lovable big guy Carl Winslow on Family Matters. He serves as John's guiding light for much of the movie, and while at the beginning he doesn't seem to be a very hardened cop, by the end he'll have you believing he can handle a lot of shit that gets thrown at him.
Alan Rickman's portrayal of ruthless terrorist leader Hans Gruber deserves kudos as well. He is buyable as a villian, although at some points I just couldn't see it.
Movies are sometimes called Die Hard clones, with much of their plot seemingly ripped straight from Die Hard (Speed, The Rock, etc). Everyone knows the quote that defines this movie, and if you are one of the few that don't, shut off the computer and go watch this movie NOW.
The negatives in this movie aren't very prevalent, in fact I'm hardpressed to find any. I suppose the depth of character in John is somewhat lacking, but I really don't see much else.
Die Hard gets an 8 out of 10 from me. I want to give it more but I think it would be overdoing it a little. The movie takes place in just a few locales, and it does a such a good job at keeping the action fresh that you barely even notice the movie is basically centered around one building. It's rare that a movie like this keeps you focused the entire time. You're drawn in, and the grip the movie has on you is never loosened. It's a rare example of how white knuckle shoot em ups can be great films as well. SEE THIS MOVIE.
-Drew
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Upcoming Reviews (No Set Date)
-2007.jpg)
C: Penny Dreadful (2006)
Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)
-------------------------------------------------------
D: Die Hard (1998)
Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)
-------------------------------------------------------
D: Die Hard (1998)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Review Number 1
The Departed (2006)
by D
by D
The Departed is this decade's version of the Goodfellas, you may say, and for good reason; Martin Scorcese directed both. Betrayal, violence, profanity, and tension is abound in this thriller that doesn't disappoint.
At 2 and half hours, The Departed can be an intimidating film at first, but no time is wasted, and everything that is put into the movie is important enough to learn/know. This is great because you won't be sitting there wondering why certain parts were even put in. I can't tell you how much this helps out the film in the long run.
The story could be called a little bland, some might even say unoriginal, but the way it is crafted and carried out more than makes up for the lack of imagination. You'll be kept on your toes by constant twists and events that truly make you wonder what may happen next. The dialogue is great as well, and all of the actors really make you believe they are from Massachusetts. The gritty surroundings and harsh language really help convince you that these guys could be legitimate gangsters.
The violence is not that bad, at least not to me. It wasn't over done or unrealistic, and it should be pretty easy to stomach for most watchers. Profanity may be an issue to some (not me), but would it really be believable if brutal gangsters talked like some English women having a tea party? And it's not overbearing either; the amount of swearing in the Departed certainly isn't ground breaking.
But the best part about the film by far is the actors. Are you kidding me? They are all cast perfectly, and Jack Nicholson gives another great performance as a mob fat cat. In the movie, he is 70 years old and still could scare the crap out of you. Other than Jack, you also have Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio, both very respected and talented actors. Leo is great at playing a disturbed cop that infiltrates Nicholson's mafia by going undercover. Matt is great as a police officer who also doubles as one of Nicholson's right hand men.
All in all, the Departed can be compared to the Goodfellas in most facets of both movies. However, they are different movies. Scorcese is great as director, and the actors make this movie incredible. Ignoring the somewhat lackluster story, the Departed can easily be regarded as one of the decade's top films, perhaps one of the best of all time.
The Departed's Final Rating: 8.7 out of 10
At 2 and half hours, The Departed can be an intimidating film at first, but no time is wasted, and everything that is put into the movie is important enough to learn/know. This is great because you won't be sitting there wondering why certain parts were even put in. I can't tell you how much this helps out the film in the long run.
The story could be called a little bland, some might even say unoriginal, but the way it is crafted and carried out more than makes up for the lack of imagination. You'll be kept on your toes by constant twists and events that truly make you wonder what may happen next. The dialogue is great as well, and all of the actors really make you believe they are from Massachusetts. The gritty surroundings and harsh language really help convince you that these guys could be legitimate gangsters.
The violence is not that bad, at least not to me. It wasn't over done or unrealistic, and it should be pretty easy to stomach for most watchers. Profanity may be an issue to some (not me), but would it really be believable if brutal gangsters talked like some English women having a tea party? And it's not overbearing either; the amount of swearing in the Departed certainly isn't ground breaking.
But the best part about the film by far is the actors. Are you kidding me? They are all cast perfectly, and Jack Nicholson gives another great performance as a mob fat cat. In the movie, he is 70 years old and still could scare the crap out of you. Other than Jack, you also have Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio, both very respected and talented actors. Leo is great at playing a disturbed cop that infiltrates Nicholson's mafia by going undercover. Matt is great as a police officer who also doubles as one of Nicholson's right hand men.
All in all, the Departed can be compared to the Goodfellas in most facets of both movies. However, they are different movies. Scorcese is great as director, and the actors make this movie incredible. Ignoring the somewhat lackluster story, the Departed can easily be regarded as one of the decade's top films, perhaps one of the best of all time.
The Departed's Final Rating: 8.7 out of 10
Movie Review
Hello all, this will be a simple blog with movie reviews by me and one of my friends. Being that we both love horror movies and comedies, those will be the most reviewed genre. I like dramas a lot more than he does, however, so I'll occasionally do those as well.
Keep in mind that age can play a part in what someone thinks of a movie. I am 18 and C is 16. When you see a review signed by D, that's me. C, that's my friend. Easy enough to follow.
With all that said, I'm going to start posting some reviews real soon.
Keep in mind that age can play a part in what someone thinks of a movie. I am 18 and C is 16. When you see a review signed by D, that's me. C, that's my friend. Easy enough to follow.
With all that said, I'm going to start posting some reviews real soon.
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