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Lee (2222 KP) rated Blair Witch (2016) in Movies
Aug 14, 2017
Yeah, I preferred this to the original...
The original Blair Witch movie came out in 1999 (wow, where has the time gone?!) in the good old days when you could get hold of a US DVD import in the UK before a movie was even released on UK cinema screens. I remember The Blair Witch Project being released in the UK on Halloween, the same day that the US DVD was delivered to my house! I excitedly sat down to watch it that evening with my family while everyone else had to go out in the cold rainy weather to watch it at the cinema, and I remember at the end of the movie we all kind of looked at each other as if to say “is that it…?!” All the hype, all the usual crap about it being absolutely terrifying and the scariest movie ever made and it was just a bunch of people getting spooked in the woods! To be fair, it wasn’t that bad, but it just wasn’t as scary or as fantastic as we’d been led to believe. The movie spawned a forgettable sequel and since then, despite being done to death, far superior found footage movies have come along and done it all a hell of a lot better. Then, out of the blue in July last year, a movie which had been previously marketed as ‘The Woods’ was revealed to actually be ‘Blair Witch’. The trailer looked OK, not great but interesting enough. But, once again we’re being subjected to all the usual marketing crap about it being terrifying and the scariest thing you’ve ever seen… blah, blah, blah…
James Donahue is the brother of Heather, who was one of the central characters in the first film. We join him 22 years after the original, as he prepares to lead a new bunch of characters into the Burkittsville woods. They meet up with a couple of young locals, who offer to be their guide, and off they head, into the woods where their video footage will later be discovered. This time round, the array of cameras capturing the footage has vastly improved. As well as the standard handhelds, we’ve got ear piece cams, drone cams, night cams. All offering new and interesting ways to capture the action.
Things mostly follow a similar path to the original – strange noises, weird stuff happening with time, thinking you’re heading in one direction when you’re going around in circles, juddery camera movements where it’s difficult to tell what the hell is going on. But… you do actually see things this time, the noises that you hear are terrifying, the characters are far more interesting and believable than those in the original. And the final act when we find ourselves back in the house from the first movie is seriously the stuff of nightmares.
Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, both have an excellent recent track record (see You’re Next and The Guest) and their influence on this movie has taken this story to another level. This is a far superior movie to the original and yes, it is truly terrifying.
James Donahue is the brother of Heather, who was one of the central characters in the first film. We join him 22 years after the original, as he prepares to lead a new bunch of characters into the Burkittsville woods. They meet up with a couple of young locals, who offer to be their guide, and off they head, into the woods where their video footage will later be discovered. This time round, the array of cameras capturing the footage has vastly improved. As well as the standard handhelds, we’ve got ear piece cams, drone cams, night cams. All offering new and interesting ways to capture the action.
Things mostly follow a similar path to the original – strange noises, weird stuff happening with time, thinking you’re heading in one direction when you’re going around in circles, juddery camera movements where it’s difficult to tell what the hell is going on. But… you do actually see things this time, the noises that you hear are terrifying, the characters are far more interesting and believable than those in the original. And the final act when we find ourselves back in the house from the first movie is seriously the stuff of nightmares.
Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, both have an excellent recent track record (see You’re Next and The Guest) and their influence on this movie has taken this story to another level. This is a far superior movie to the original and yes, it is truly terrifying.
Jordan Binkerd (567 KP) rated The Mummy Returns (2001) in Movies
Aug 13, 2019
Brendan Fraser (6 more)
Rachel Weiss
John Hannah
Oded Fehr
Arnold Vosloo
Continuity of cast
Not as good as the first one, but still better than the next....
Introduction of concepts and elements that weren't present in the first - reincarnation, Rick's tattoo and it's significance, etc (1 more)
The Scorpion King's introduction looks like a PS2 cutscene.
A solid sequel
This is a solid sequel, even if it falls short of the mark set by it's predecessor. The entire (surviving) cast returns, which I appreciate in a franchise, and the story mostly delivers. There are a few frustrating elements, such as all of a sudden adding concepts such as reincarnation (especially given that the concurring reveal would have been relevant to the story of the first film) or Rick's tattoo that he's had since his childhood, except that he didn't have it in the first movie. Where this film really falls short, though, is a couple bad animation moments. Mostly the film is a lot like the first in terms of effects - decent animation for 2002, if occasionally dated, but a couple of sequences are jarringly bad, especially the Rock's entrance as the Scorpion King. Is it enough to keep me from watching? No. But I still cringe at that point every time.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018
How it began
Earth is under an energy crisis and is on the brink of planetary war for control. A team of scientists have the answer to our problems but must make it work. A particle accelerator that will supply the earth with unlimited power for everyone. Several trials and fails happen before they get it stable. Once it is fired things an explosion happen and things aren't what they are used to seeing. Earth is no longer in contact and strange things are happening. On earth a series of events begin with the release of a huge being that was never there before. Where did it come from you have to watch to find out.
Was never a big fan of the the first movie but this one wasn't too bad
Was never a big fan of the the first movie but this one wasn't too bad
Awix (3310 KP) rated Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) in Movies
Mar 16, 2018
Hammer's attempt to make Dracula more with-it succeeds as far as it does despite, rather than because of, the contemporary elements. Dracula pops up in the present day, causes the usual trouble, is disposed of with surprising ease. (The plot is essentially a retread of that of Taste the Blood of Dracula but with more flared trousers and Peter Cushing.)
Christopher Lee's disdain for the whole project is virtually palpable, but Peter Cushing works his usual magic in lifting some rather duff material. Movie may deserve some kind of award for the sheer number of before-they-were-famous people appearing in it. It's not quite actively bad, but it feels much more dated than any of the films set in the 19th century. Somewhat groovy; hardly fab.
Christopher Lee's disdain for the whole project is virtually palpable, but Peter Cushing works his usual magic in lifting some rather duff material. Movie may deserve some kind of award for the sheer number of before-they-were-famous people appearing in it. It's not quite actively bad, but it feels much more dated than any of the films set in the 19th century. Somewhat groovy; hardly fab.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968) in Movies
Feb 19, 2018
Grave Errors
Hammer's third Dracula movie is arguably inaccurately titled, but then 'Dracula Has Thawed Out of a Moat' wouldn't look good on the poster. Busybody monsignor finds lingering legends of Dracula affecting church attendance, decides to exorcise Castle Dracula, ends up resurrecting Dracula himself, wins Counter-productive Stupid Idea Award for 1906.
What follows is a fairly routine gothic melodrama without much to distinguish it; Christopher Lee goes through the motions manfully. Chief wrinkle in the story is the fact that the juvenile male lead (who has an unfortunate resemblance to a young Hugh Grant) is an atheist, which is a problem when it comes to vampire hunting (he can't wave a crucifix with sufficient conviction, apparently). Not-bad climax doesn't really compensate for lack of good ideas in the rest of the film.
What follows is a fairly routine gothic melodrama without much to distinguish it; Christopher Lee goes through the motions manfully. Chief wrinkle in the story is the fact that the juvenile male lead (who has an unfortunate resemblance to a young Hugh Grant) is an atheist, which is a problem when it comes to vampire hunting (he can't wave a crucifix with sufficient conviction, apparently). Not-bad climax doesn't really compensate for lack of good ideas in the rest of the film.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Battle: Los Angeles (2011) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
One last tour of duty
Staff Sargent Nantz (Eckhart) is planning his retirement from the service but, a strange phenomenon has began to crash all over the world and into the pacific right off the the coast of Los Angles. He is called back into duty to help lead a squad of Marines who all have a different views on him and all have stories of their own. Their job is to clear the area and evacuate all civilians because some form of alien beings has begun to attack and the order to send in nukes has been given. Does Nantz have anything left in the tank to lead us to victory?
Not Eckhart's finest movie but it just was a bad story. I am surprised that Michelle Rodriguez even got involved in this film
Not Eckhart's finest movie but it just was a bad story. I am surprised that Michelle Rodriguez even got involved in this film
Ross (3284 KP) rated Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) in Movies
Jun 11, 2018
Not the best Jurassic movie but still ... dinosaurs
The follow-up to Jurassic World sees the cast trying to save the remaining dinosaurs from the erupting volcano on Isla Nublar. The inevitable terribly disguised bad-guys are exposed, along with the corporate greed financing them. While the film is enjoyable, and the action exciting, the whole plot hinges on people opening doors or pressing buttons that they should not press, but then that is the same with Jurassic World (people going into the Indo-Rex's enclosure and releasing it). Sets up the third instalment, which looks to be quite epic in scope.
Jeff Goldblum's role in the film is very minor compared to how much his return has been played in the media. It is a cameo at best.
Jeff Goldblum's role in the film is very minor compared to how much his return has been played in the media. It is a cameo at best.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Skyscraper (2018) in Movies
Jul 18, 2018
Utterly derivative and calculated mash-up of the thriller and disaster movie genres as Dwayne Johnson has to rescue his lovely family from a really tall building which is on fire, and some evil criminals who are not.
Not what you could honestly call bad in any department, but any soul or originality seems to have been ground out of the script, which may well have been written by software. The only exception to this is - it's not even a proper subplot - the fact that Johnson's character has a prosthetic leg, which keeps turning out to be relevant to the action in all kinds of odd ways. But this just serves to make the film odd rather than actually interesting. In the end it's okay, just really bland.
Not what you could honestly call bad in any department, but any soul or originality seems to have been ground out of the script, which may well have been written by software. The only exception to this is - it's not even a proper subplot - the fact that Johnson's character has a prosthetic leg, which keeps turning out to be relevant to the action in all kinds of odd ways. But this just serves to make the film odd rather than actually interesting. In the end it's okay, just really bland.
David McK (3600 KP) rated Conan the Barbarian in Books
Jan 30, 2019
A collection of classic Conan tales, repackaged with a new jacket to tie-in to the new movie coming out. This edition includes:
The Tower of the Elephant (pg 1)
Rogues in the House (pg 27)
The Frost-Giant's Daughter (pg 54)
Queen of the Black Coast (pg 63)
A Witch Shall Be Born (pg 95)
The People of the Black Circle (pg 141)
Red Nails (pg 226)
Beyond the Black River (pg 212)
The Hyborian Age (pg 372)
Cimmeria (verse) (pg 397)
and, to be honest, I'd be more inclined to give the book 1.5 stars (except GR doesn't do 1/2 stars) than 2: I preferred some of my other 2-star rated books, but this wasn't as bad as some of my 1-star rated books either.
The Tower of the Elephant (pg 1)
Rogues in the House (pg 27)
The Frost-Giant's Daughter (pg 54)
Queen of the Black Coast (pg 63)
A Witch Shall Be Born (pg 95)
The People of the Black Circle (pg 141)
Red Nails (pg 226)
Beyond the Black River (pg 212)
The Hyborian Age (pg 372)
Cimmeria (verse) (pg 397)
and, to be honest, I'd be more inclined to give the book 1.5 stars (except GR doesn't do 1/2 stars) than 2: I preferred some of my other 2-star rated books, but this wasn't as bad as some of my 1-star rated books either.
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Ma (2019) in Movies
Aug 17, 2019
Not bad
This movie had some good acting(and some mediocre) but the cinematography was good and the story, overall, hit the mark for creepy. This lady played the part of humiliated high schooler turned psycho pretty well. The story unfolded well. A little slow at first but rolled along at a good pace pretty quickly and smoothly. These kids, however, missed so many red flags with this woman. Naivety at it's finest. The ending was a little weak but at least they didn't go the typical "leave it open for a sequel" way Hollywood seems to love doing so much. Some partial nudity but otherwise nothing to graphic for younger viewers, though probably not for too young of viewers. Anyway, for you adults this one is worth a watch.