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28 Days Later (2002)
28 Days Later (2002)
2002 | Horror, Sci-Fi
Verdict: Modern Zombie Gem

 

Story: 28 Days Later starts by showing a group of activists breaking into a laboratory where chimps are forced to watch some of the most gruesome sites in human history. This was designed to create pure rage and when the chimps are released an epidemic starts. 28 Days Later (title drop) we meet Jim (Murphy) who wakes up in a hospital, alone he searches looking for help but the hospital, streets and everywhere is empty. Wonder around the empty London Jim finds a church filled with infected that chase him before getting save by Mark (Huntley) and Selena (Harris) who also fill in the blanks of what happened.

Jim finds out the harsh reality of the world now but meeting Frank (Gleeson) and his daughter Hannah (Burns) gives them a chance to go to a radio signal left by the military. The group soon find the military holding up in a mansion lead by Major Henry West (Eccleston) but not everything is as it seems.

28 Days Later brings the modern infected zombie film to life in one of the best story ideas we have seen. It is good to see a story that the infection can only be spread rather than you turn when you die which is big change to all we have seen. The journey itself is been there seen that but what we get is a revenge film with infected around once we meet the military. This shows us that the enemy could come from all direction and our characters are never going to be safe in the world now. This is easily one of the best zombie based films in recent years. (9/10)


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Actor Review

 

Cillian Murphy: Jim waking up alone in a hospital he wonders the empty city before being found by other survivors, with a group he heads to the military safe zone where he ends up having to fight to save the rest of his group from not only infected but the soldiers. Cillian gives a great performance and this put him on the map for bigger roles. (9/10)

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Naomie Harris: Selena the nonsense survivor who takes no prisoners which we see from the moment her fellow survivor gets infected. Naomie gives a good performance showing that she was always going to be in bigger films. (8/10)

 

Brendan Gleeson: Frank caring father who has waited for support before taking his daughter to a radio signal he has been hearing. This character may only be a supporting character but his final moments are one of the most memorable turns in this genre history. Brendan does a good job in what is just a supporting performance. (8/10)

 

Christopher Eccleston: Major Henry West who is running the military unit that has been calling for the survivors but his motives are not what they seem. Christopher gives a good performance in the role. (7/10)

 

Support Cast: 28 Days Later doesn’t have the biggest supporting cast we have a couple of other survivors as well as the soldiers in the military unit. They all help as they show us what the characters are capable off.

 

Director Review: Danny Boyle – Danny does a great job directing this zombie classic that is easily one of the best in the genre. (9/10)

 

Horror: 28 Days Later uses plenty of horror elements with survival horror shinning through. (10/10)

Music: 28 Days Later uses brilliant scores to build the tension up through the scenes. (9/10)

Settings: 28 Days Later uses the settings really well to show how empty busy places could be when the world comes to an end. (9/10)
Special Effects: 28 Days Later uses great special effects with the infected creation. (9/10)

Suggestion: 28 Days Later is one to watch for every horror fan out there. (Horror Fans Watch)

 

Best Part: Suspense building.

Worst Part: Nothing

Action Scene Of The Film: Jim breaks into the mansion


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Kill Of The Film: Frank

Scariest Scene: Jim’s returns home

 

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: Has one sequel with talks of another always around.

Post Credits Scene: There is the alternative ending

 

Oscar Chances: No

Box Office: $82 Million

Budget: $8 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 53 Minutes

Tagline: His fear began when he woke up alone. His terror began when he realised he wasn’t.

Trivia: The scene where Jim and Selena celebrate with Frank and Hannah was shot on September 11, 2001. Danny Boyle said it felt extremely strange to shoot a celebratory scene on that particular day.

 

Overall: Brilliant Infected Film

https://moviesreview101.com/2015/03/14/28-days-later-2002/
  
The Punisher - Season 1
The Punisher - Season 1
2017 | Action
Jon Bernthal (1 more)
Tackles some very timely subjects
SO GOOD!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Once you get through the violence, this show hit home for me having so much military in my family and close friends.

It looks at some subjects that are for me very hard to watch. Soldiers come home from war and try to fit back into society. Fighting PTSD and the realization that society might not have a place for him, ex-Army soldier Lewis acts out in a violent and horrific way to get the public's attention in an attempt to get the world to see the way he sees. It was really hard to watch Lewis's transformation from a confused, out-of-place ex-soldier to a violent terrorist in his death.


Add to this the gravitas that Jon Bernthal adds to the role of Frank Castle and you have a very deep and almost sympathetic show. You just need to get past the sheer violence.
  
The Mist (2007)
The Mist (2007)
2007 | Horror
In 1987, I picked up a copy of the new Stephen King novel, Skeleton Crew, a collection of short stories that were amongst the best short stories the author has ever written. The first story in the collection was a novella entitled The Mist and I was captivated by the engrossing stories, characters, and supernatural situations depicted.

As I moved on to other books and films, I never forgot the impact of the story, and for years wondered why nobody had attempted to bring the story to the screen. A few years later, I heard rumblings of an attempt to make a film version of the story with Michael J. Fox being listed as the intended lead.

While this never came to be, Frank Darabont who masterfully adapted King’s “The Green Mile” and “The Shawshank Redemption”, into solid films, took up the task of writing and directing “The Mist” and has done a solid job of translating the master story for the screen.

The film stars Thomas Jane as David Drayton, a movie poster artist who lives in a quiet Maine town in a nice house overlooking the water with his wife and son Billy (Nathan Gamble). The morning after a freak storm lays waste to the surrounding area, Frank and Billy set out for the store with their estranged neighbor Brent Norton (Andre Braugher).

When they arrive at the store, they find it packed with people who are trying to stock up on supplies following the storm. With the power, phones, and cell service being out, and military forces being deployed all around them, the town is in a state of chaos.

A man marked with blood suddenly emerges from an expanding mist that has formed over the town and claims that something in this mist has taken his friend. This event is punctuated with a warning siren that has started to sound, which leads the people in the store to lock the doors and seek shelter in the store.

Frank attempts to tell the people that there was something scraping against the back loading door, but his concerns are ignored with tragic results. Since this event was witnessed by only a small group of people, the residents trapped in the store quickly give in to their fears and star to accuse Frank of fabricating the situation, and locale crackpot Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), and blames their situation on Judgment Day and starts to convert people to her radical beliefs.

Things get even worse when creatures from the mist get into the store and attack the people which forces Frank and company to take a risky trip to the neighboring drug store in an attempt to gain much needed medical supplies.

In short order the situation gets even worse as Frank and his supporters are faced to contend not only with the creatures in the mist, but the growing threat from Mrs. Carmody and her fanatics who have adapted a mob mentality towards anyone they think is a non-believer.

What follows is a thrilling series of events that leads to one of the most shocking and memorable finale acts that will stay with you long after the film has ended.

There has been much made of the decision to add a proper ending to the story instead of the nebulous ending in the story where nothing was truly resolved. I think this decision was wise, as being a fan of the story; I was a bit frustrated that there was not final outcome in the story and I was left with more questions than answers when the story ended.

Darabont has crafted a finale that is sure to upset some people and please others, but credit has to be given for crafting an ending that does not take the standard Hollywood outs.

The cast is strong, and the FX and Gore are restrained to the point that they do not overshadow what is essentially a drama about people in an extra-ordinary situation, and what happens when the rules and creature comforts of society collapse.

While the film will not break new ground in the horror genre, it is one of the best adaptation of a King story, and is very entertaining.
  
The Killer Inside (Joe Stark #3)
The Killer Inside (Joe Stark #3)
Matthew Frank | 2021 | Crime, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Loved it - proper rollercoaster of a ride that I didn't want to get off!

At first, I didn't realise this was the third in the series starring Joe Stark as I have never read anything by Matthew Frank before but first the title and then the blurb enticed me and had I not read some other reviews first, I wouldn't have known. So, I can safely say that this can be read as a standalone because although I have probably missed a lot of backstory and character development, for me it didn't detract from my enjoyment one little bit.

I absolutely love the character of Joe Stark - yes, he is a bit of a cliché being ex-military with a troubled history now working within the police but, for me, this made him an interesting and complex character. The supporting cast were equally well developed and I think Julian Sinclair was a great "baddie".

At first, you think the plot is going to be pretty simple and straightforward but as the book progresses, it becomes more complex; the police investigation plays this out really well with them struggling to put the pieces of the puzzle together with many of their leads ending in dead ends. The politics within the police also provide an interesting side story as does Joe's complicated life.

This is fast paced with plenty of twists and action. It is also a dark read with some scenes that some might find disturbing so if you are easily shocked, I would give this a miss but I would definitely recommend this to others who enjoy this genre and eagerly await the next instalment.

Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
  
Dune (2021)
Dune (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The Definitive Film Version for the Fans
Fans of the 1965 Frank Herbert Sci-Fi Fantasy Masterpiece DUNE can finally rejoice - the definitive film version of this novel (at least the first 1/2 of the novel) has made it’s way onto the screen.

Lush, dense, rich, well cast and acted with eye-popping visuals that should be seen on the big screen, Directer Denis Villaneuve’s DUNE is everything that a fan of the book (that would include me) has been waiting for in a film version. It IS the “Peter Jackson LORD OF THE RINGS” version of this book - finally!

The question is, how does this film work for casual fans of the book - or for the myriad moviegoers that have never read the novel it is based on.

And, I’m afraid, the answer there is “not as well”. For Dune is a dense novel, filled with mythology that does go somewhat deep in the movie. This makes the pacing of this film problematic - especially at the beginning, for the novice - but is “deep enough” for those that have read the books.

Let’s start with what works - and that is the visuals that Director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) and his crew put on the screen. They are incredible. Unfortunately, most casual on-lookers to this film will decide to check out this 2 hour and 35 minute epic at home for free on HBO MAX, and that would be too bad. This film needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible to totally immerse you in this world.

Villeneuve perfectly cast this film from top to bottom starting with Timothy Chalamet as the hero of this book (and series) Paul Atreides. He brings the right balance of cockiness and unease to Paul who grows into something more than the “perfect prince” as the story progresses.

He is joined by some of the finest performers working today. Rebecca Ferguson and Josh Brolin bring their star power to the roles of Paul’s Mother (who is something more than Paul’s mother) and the head of the military (who is something more than the head of the military). Both of these roles needed to be played by a strong force - and both fill this need admirably.

The always good Oscar Isaac is the right choice for the role of Paul’s father, Duke Leto Atreides, who - by story necessity - is underwritten and, therefore, this film/role does not showcase his talents.

However, Jason Mamoa SHINES as Warrior Duncan Idaho. This is one of my favorite characters from the book and Mamoa brings his “A” game to this charismatic warrior/mentor to Paul. It was the largest pleasant surprise of the performances for me.

Alas, the villains of this piece - Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) and his nephew, Beast Rabban Harkonnen (Dave Bautista) are relegated to background “mustache twirling” villains, they were not able to showcase their talents in this film. But, at least, we did not get the “golden speedo” that Sting wore in the 1984 David Lynch film version.

Also, not being able to showcase their talents is Javier Bardem and Zendaya as members of the Freman (the subjugated native people of the “Dune” planet). They are both in this film, briefly, as their characters rise and shine in the 2nd half of the book - so, hopefully, we’ll get to see more of them, then.

Which is the other part of this film that will turn off the casual viewer - it only covers (by necessity) the first half of the book, so only tells half a story with no real emotional payoff. For me, a fan of the books, I was fine with this as I am eagerly anticipating the 2nd film - but as a viewer who is just gonna “check this one out”, I’m not so sure that the visuals of this film will be enough to satisfy them.

Come for the visuals, stay for the performances and the dense story and prepare for Dune: Part 2.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Alone in the Dark (2005)
Alone in the Dark (2005)
2005 | Action, Horror
3
3.8 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: I am going to first look at this only as a story, no opinions on the CGI or casting choices. If you were to look at the story as a solo idea you get a solid action horror. Now I hear people going ‘no its just crap’ so let’s look at the details. First off we have an idea of scientific experiment on children to create sleepers, but something goes wrong so we don’t see why it happened until more discoveries in the future. Then we have a search for hidden treasures of a lost ancient people. Add in a paranormal investigator, a secret government paranormal investigating team and the search for a truth. Now looking at those factors we should have a good story not special but enjoyable. Now with terrible casting decisions, awful CGI and a script that could have been written but a child everything goes south fast. As an idea for a story this is good, but as an execution of a story it’s bad. (5/10)

 

Actor Review

 

Christian Slater: Edward Carnby a paranormal investigator who has been trying to uncover the truth about his childhood, this puts him in danger as this time he has got closer than ever before. He must team up with his old organisation to final uncover the truth that has lost him the memories of his childhood. Slater strolls for this role without showing any of the skills that made him a star in the early 90s. (5/10)

 slater

Tara Reid: Aline Cedrac assistant curator at the museum who also happens to be Edward’s girlfriend, she gets caught up in the middle of the battle after she uncover the location of the door. Going to take a deep breath before going for this one, just no how did this happen? Try your luck in romantic comedies. (2/10)

reid

Stephen Dorff: Commander Burke leader of a military team trying to keep the monsters away from the public, old partner of Edward but after seeing the truth he teams up with them to uncover the truth. Stephen can act and has proven it many times, just need to give him something to work with. (4/10)

dorff

Frank C Turner: Sam an old connection within the organisation that still communicates with Edward, he fills in the science gaps and you can guess what happens to him by the end. Basic supporting performance. (4/10)

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Matthew Walker: Professor Hudgens scientist trying to open the door to the truth about the ancient people, he will do anything to get his answers including sacrificing anybody who gets in his way. As villains go this is generic one that doesn’t need too much to make them special. (4/10)

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Director Review: Uwe Boll – He not only managed to mess up a relatively easy story with awful CGI and lack of directing ideas. (2/10)

 

Action: Plenty of guns being fired, not sure if they ever hit anything as everything is in the pitch black. (3/10)

Horror: Doesn’t give you any scares, frights, well made with the acting. (1/10)

Settings: The settings used for the gun fights are used well, because they would make real settings for such a discover if someone wanted to keep it quiet. (6/10)
Special Effects: Terrible special effects that I only saw one good one and that was a soldier’s head split in two. (1/10)

Suggestion: I think if you are bored one night and this is on it would be acceptable to watch it as it slips close to the line of so bad you have to see. (Late Night TV)

 

Best Part: The idea

Worst Part: The CGI, Acting and Execution of the idea.

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: Actually has one sequel

Post Credits Scene: No

 

Oscar Chances: No

Box Office: $10 Million

Budget: $20 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

Tagline: Can mankind defeat the army of darkness unleashed by an ancient evil cult?

 

Overall: Not only did this film destroy the source material, it ruined any chance the video game had of returning.

https://moviesreview101.com/2014/11/09/alone-in-the-dark-2005/