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Zombies: A Cultural History
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The zombie has shuffled with dead-eyed, remorseless menace from its beginnings in obscure folklore...
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Rampage (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
When three different animals become infected with a dangerous pathogen, a primatologist and a geneticist team up to stop them from destroying Chicago.
Lots of eyebrow action from The Rock, but even that couldn't save him from being upstaged by George the gorilla.
I've got no knowledge of the video game this is based off... but really, who needs it. Yet another film that does what you want it to. It's a solid action adventure with hints of comedy.
The parental advisory at the beginning saying there were crude gestures had me confused. After all I feel like we see that quite a lot in movies but it's never listed on the rating card at the beginning. It all makes sense once you see a giant gorilla flipping off The Rock.
A great monster movie that won't leave you disappointed. I'm almost certain that I'll be seeing this one again. My initial viewing was in 3D, there were no particularly bad parts to it in this but I certainly didn't feel like anything benefited from it.
Classic enjoyable Rock action, love Jumanji, and looking forward to Skyscraper. He's definitely on a roll.
Lots of eyebrow action from The Rock, but even that couldn't save him from being upstaged by George the gorilla.
I've got no knowledge of the video game this is based off... but really, who needs it. Yet another film that does what you want it to. It's a solid action adventure with hints of comedy.
The parental advisory at the beginning saying there were crude gestures had me confused. After all I feel like we see that quite a lot in movies but it's never listed on the rating card at the beginning. It all makes sense once you see a giant gorilla flipping off The Rock.
A great monster movie that won't leave you disappointed. I'm almost certain that I'll be seeing this one again. My initial viewing was in 3D, there were no particularly bad parts to it in this but I certainly didn't feel like anything benefited from it.
Classic enjoyable Rock action, love Jumanji, and looking forward to Skyscraper. He's definitely on a roll.
David McK (3422 KP) rated Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) in Movies
Jun 16, 2019 (Updated Apr 24, 2023)
OK, I'll admit it: I have a soft spot for the 1998 Matthew Broderick version.
This has nothing to do with it, but is (rather) a continuation of 2014's Godzilla movie that 'kicked off' what I'm going to call the Monster-verse, which now consists of 3 movies: 2014s "Godzilla", 2017s actually-quite-enjoyable "Kong: Skull Island", and now this.
The connecting tissue? The organisation known as Monarch, which has secretly being studying the Titans (as they are called here) ever since the events of that movie (set during the Vietnam War, remember). Kong is mentioned a few times, and appears on a TV screen in the background, but is not a character in this film.
What anybody really wants out of a movie like this, of course, is to see the monsters fighting each other whole destroying all around, and - in that respect, at least, this movie does not disappoint. It's just a pity that the human element doesn't really connect, with some clumsy eco-message exposition, although it does have some nice-looking vignettes when viewed in isolation (King Ghidorah on top of a mountain, with a cross in the foreground, for example).
This has nothing to do with it, but is (rather) a continuation of 2014's Godzilla movie that 'kicked off' what I'm going to call the Monster-verse, which now consists of 3 movies: 2014s "Godzilla", 2017s actually-quite-enjoyable "Kong: Skull Island", and now this.
The connecting tissue? The organisation known as Monarch, which has secretly being studying the Titans (as they are called here) ever since the events of that movie (set during the Vietnam War, remember). Kong is mentioned a few times, and appears on a TV screen in the background, but is not a character in this film.
What anybody really wants out of a movie like this, of course, is to see the monsters fighting each other whole destroying all around, and - in that respect, at least, this movie does not disappoint. It's just a pity that the human element doesn't really connect, with some clumsy eco-message exposition, although it does have some nice-looking vignettes when viewed in isolation (King Ghidorah on top of a mountain, with a cross in the foreground, for example).
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Victor Frankenstein (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Victor Frankenstein is basically a prequel to Mary Shelly’s book, Frankenstein, where we get to meet Igor and a younger Frankenstein as they get to meet each other.
We start off with our story teller, Igor played by Daniel Radcliffe, and how he came to be rescued by our movies namesake, Victor Frankenstein played by James McAvoy. The movie begins showing the trials Igor went through, growing up, as the lowest sideshow freak who just happened to learn how to read and become a self-taught medic for the circus that keeps him. Victor came to the circus to find more animal parts to make his homunculus, which he is building out of various animal parts he has been able to procure from zoos, as his prototype for his ultimate endeavor, making a human and bring it back to life.
Igor and Frankenstein are brought together when Igor’s paramour Lorelei falls from her trapeze and they both run to help her. Victor is about to give up and let her die when the Igor’s genius shows through and is able to save her with his quick thinking and knowledge of the human anatomy. Victor’s shrew perception bring him to offer Igor a new life and to escape from the circus.
I give Victor Frankenstein 4 out of 5 stars only due to the fact that being a prequel to the novel and not the many movies about Frankenstein and his Monster will confuse many. If you go in expecting an action movie instead of a film done in the noir horror genre in the styles before the 1950’s, you will be disappointed.
We start off with our story teller, Igor played by Daniel Radcliffe, and how he came to be rescued by our movies namesake, Victor Frankenstein played by James McAvoy. The movie begins showing the trials Igor went through, growing up, as the lowest sideshow freak who just happened to learn how to read and become a self-taught medic for the circus that keeps him. Victor came to the circus to find more animal parts to make his homunculus, which he is building out of various animal parts he has been able to procure from zoos, as his prototype for his ultimate endeavor, making a human and bring it back to life.
Igor and Frankenstein are brought together when Igor’s paramour Lorelei falls from her trapeze and they both run to help her. Victor is about to give up and let her die when the Igor’s genius shows through and is able to save her with his quick thinking and knowledge of the human anatomy. Victor’s shrew perception bring him to offer Igor a new life and to escape from the circus.
I give Victor Frankenstein 4 out of 5 stars only due to the fact that being a prequel to the novel and not the many movies about Frankenstein and his Monster will confuse many. If you go in expecting an action movie instead of a film done in the noir horror genre in the styles before the 1950’s, you will be disappointed.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla Vs Biollante (1989) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018 (Updated Feb 8, 2018)
The Rise of the Rose of the Risen Dead
Toho Studios held a competition to find the plot for their next Godzilla movie after the semi-reboot of the series in 1984, and this is the film that resulted from the winning idea. Heaven knows what the losing entries must have been like, because this is a tale dripping with utter insanity of a kind you just don't get in conventional western movies.
Scientists hoping to grow extra-resilient genetically-modified wheat give some harvested Godzilla cells to a brilliant scientist who has been left unhinged by the death of his lovely young daughter in a terrorist attack. The scientist promptly decides to use the G-cells to create a new form of hybrid rose (as you would), which starts to exhibit worrying Godzilla-ish tendencies (demolishing the greenhouse and heading off across country, for instance). It transpires the new creature is possessed by the spirit of the scientist's daughter. 'I think now I may have made a mistake,' admits the scientist, in one of the great movie understatements.
Not to worry, for Godzilla himself erupts from the volcanic prison he was stuck in at the end of the previous film, and the new creature (Biollante, in case you haven't already figured it out) may be able to lend a hand in sorting him out. There is also a slightly dull subplot about evil American corporations and spies from the desert nation of Saradia (i.e. Saudi Arabia) which sometimes gets in the way of the monster action.
Well, if you've ever wanted to see cinema's most famous mutant nuclear dinosaur battling a botanical semi-clone of himself which has been possessed by the ghost of a young woman, this is the movie for you. Actually, this is a cut above most Godzilla movies of this period, being filled with (admittedly mad) ideas and actually keeping Godzilla at the centre of the plot. The monsters look good and it treats them with a welcome seriousness. Unfortunately, the poor box office for this outing led Toho to adopt a policy of bringing back old favourites in subsequent movies, rather than new monsters, but this is a refreshingly different and rather well-made Godzilla film.
Scientists hoping to grow extra-resilient genetically-modified wheat give some harvested Godzilla cells to a brilliant scientist who has been left unhinged by the death of his lovely young daughter in a terrorist attack. The scientist promptly decides to use the G-cells to create a new form of hybrid rose (as you would), which starts to exhibit worrying Godzilla-ish tendencies (demolishing the greenhouse and heading off across country, for instance). It transpires the new creature is possessed by the spirit of the scientist's daughter. 'I think now I may have made a mistake,' admits the scientist, in one of the great movie understatements.
Not to worry, for Godzilla himself erupts from the volcanic prison he was stuck in at the end of the previous film, and the new creature (Biollante, in case you haven't already figured it out) may be able to lend a hand in sorting him out. There is also a slightly dull subplot about evil American corporations and spies from the desert nation of Saradia (i.e. Saudi Arabia) which sometimes gets in the way of the monster action.
Well, if you've ever wanted to see cinema's most famous mutant nuclear dinosaur battling a botanical semi-clone of himself which has been possessed by the ghost of a young woman, this is the movie for you. Actually, this is a cut above most Godzilla movies of this period, being filled with (admittedly mad) ideas and actually keeping Godzilla at the centre of the plot. The monsters look good and it treats them with a welcome seriousness. Unfortunately, the poor box office for this outing led Toho to adopt a policy of bringing back old favourites in subsequent movies, rather than new monsters, but this is a refreshingly different and rather well-made Godzilla film.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) in Movies
Nov 25, 2020
"Slowly but surely, the Earth began to wither and die." - Alice
This quote sums up how I feel about the Resident Evil series and it's effect on the world of movies...
Resident Evil: Extinction is the third in the franchise, and honestly, it's a big improvement on the first two. The effects are a lot better for a start, and it feels more like a horror. It at least attempts (and unfortunately fails) to make you care about other characters other than Milla Jovovich's Alice, and it does have some good shots here and there, courtesy of Highlander director Russell Mulcahy.
However it has a butt load of issues (surprise surprise).
Although it leans more towards horror than before, Extinction ticks off every zombie cliché in the book, but has the arrogance to act like it's showing the audience something new. This culminates in a laughable number of unearned and predictable jump scares, and any action scenes are once again riddled with unnecessary edits and cuts.
The characters are another issue. This series continues to drip feed characters from the games, but they're nothing more than glorified cameos. Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) is adapted this time around, and although it's nice to see her character, she doesn't really do much beyond leading a group of survivors around, a group of characters who feel like they're straight out of one of the boring episode of The Walking Dead.
Then there's poor Iain Glen. Before Game of Thrones came along, he was destined to always be that evil dude who got to be in video game movies. *Spoiler Alert* - he turns into the Tyrant from the game series near the end, but he still sounds like Iain Glen when he talks (which is really fucking weird), and is then dispatched without much hassle, meaning that once again, this film series fucks up another classic Resident Evil monster. We also get a tease of Albert Wesker but it's all thoroughly underwhelming.
Apart from all that, I still struggle to connect to Alice as a protagonist, no matter how undeniably badass she may be.
Extinction is way more watchable than most of these movies but still, they should be better, and they're not. Ugh.
This quote sums up how I feel about the Resident Evil series and it's effect on the world of movies...
Resident Evil: Extinction is the third in the franchise, and honestly, it's a big improvement on the first two. The effects are a lot better for a start, and it feels more like a horror. It at least attempts (and unfortunately fails) to make you care about other characters other than Milla Jovovich's Alice, and it does have some good shots here and there, courtesy of Highlander director Russell Mulcahy.
However it has a butt load of issues (surprise surprise).
Although it leans more towards horror than before, Extinction ticks off every zombie cliché in the book, but has the arrogance to act like it's showing the audience something new. This culminates in a laughable number of unearned and predictable jump scares, and any action scenes are once again riddled with unnecessary edits and cuts.
The characters are another issue. This series continues to drip feed characters from the games, but they're nothing more than glorified cameos. Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) is adapted this time around, and although it's nice to see her character, she doesn't really do much beyond leading a group of survivors around, a group of characters who feel like they're straight out of one of the boring episode of The Walking Dead.
Then there's poor Iain Glen. Before Game of Thrones came along, he was destined to always be that evil dude who got to be in video game movies. *Spoiler Alert* - he turns into the Tyrant from the game series near the end, but he still sounds like Iain Glen when he talks (which is really fucking weird), and is then dispatched without much hassle, meaning that once again, this film series fucks up another classic Resident Evil monster. We also get a tease of Albert Wesker but it's all thoroughly underwhelming.
Apart from all that, I still struggle to connect to Alice as a protagonist, no matter how undeniably badass she may be.
Extinction is way more watchable than most of these movies but still, they should be better, and they're not. Ugh.
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated A Quiet Place (2018) in Movies
Jul 17, 2018
Incredible acting (3 more)
Unique take on the monster horror genre
Superb cast
Super intense
The most intense I've felt in a movie!!
This is an incredible movie. I cannot find a single fault to this movie.
The acting is incredible and that's without very little dialogue. The whole idea if the movie is: you make a sound, you die. This made me feel very intense at times especially considering the main female lead (Emily blunt) was pregnant. Even stuff as simple as moving medicine bottles had to be moved very carefully and this kept me on the edge of my seat. It's funny how very little and slight sounds and movements can sound so loud and scary. This was a very unique concept which added so much.
John Krisinki is an incredible actor and director. The movie is shot beautifully. He manages to not only bring the horror perfectly but he brings forward the importance of family and what a parent would do to protect their children. The kids were cast perfectly and every part of the cast brings so much emotion to the roles, they completely suck you in and you really care about them.
The CGI was great and not knowing exactly what the monsters are or where they came from brought another level of creepy to them. There were twists I didn't see happened within the first 10 minutes and the movie is paced incredibly well.
I'd be very interested to see a sequel to this with a whole new cast but not sure what the plot could be without reusing this same plot. I did get a feeling of cloverfield from this and could easily see this as being some kind of spinoff to those movies.
1 of the best movies I've seen of this genre. Could definitely recommend watching this.
The acting is incredible and that's without very little dialogue. The whole idea if the movie is: you make a sound, you die. This made me feel very intense at times especially considering the main female lead (Emily blunt) was pregnant. Even stuff as simple as moving medicine bottles had to be moved very carefully and this kept me on the edge of my seat. It's funny how very little and slight sounds and movements can sound so loud and scary. This was a very unique concept which added so much.
John Krisinki is an incredible actor and director. The movie is shot beautifully. He manages to not only bring the horror perfectly but he brings forward the importance of family and what a parent would do to protect their children. The kids were cast perfectly and every part of the cast brings so much emotion to the roles, they completely suck you in and you really care about them.
The CGI was great and not knowing exactly what the monsters are or where they came from brought another level of creepy to them. There were twists I didn't see happened within the first 10 minutes and the movie is paced incredibly well.
I'd be very interested to see a sequel to this with a whole new cast but not sure what the plot could be without reusing this same plot. I did get a feeling of cloverfield from this and could easily see this as being some kind of spinoff to those movies.
1 of the best movies I've seen of this genre. Could definitely recommend watching this.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) in Movies
Mar 24, 2018 (Updated Mar 25, 2018)
Final movie in the first Godzilla series often gets some stick for supposedly killing off the original continuity, but is actually not that bad. Bacofoil-wearing aliens team up with mad scientist and his cyborg daughter to conquer the world; there are many opportunities for evil laughter at the planning meetings. The usual strategy of using giant monsters as invasion weapons is employed, despite it having utterly failed in at least five previous movies.
Original director Honda comes back and at least ensures this film has a degree of dignity and craft to it: pretty good monster suits and model work, but the back projection is terrible. There's slightly more focus on character than usual (particularly that of the tragic cyborg girl), which the film seems unsure how to handle. To be honest, one of the main problems is that it's not really about Godzilla any more - he just turns up to fight the bad guys at the end and everyone else takes him for granted. By no means the worst Godzilla movie even of the 1970s, but you can see why Toho decided to take a break. Best line (possibly in the whole of cinema): 'Please kill me - Mechagodzilla's brain is installed in my stomach!'
Original director Honda comes back and at least ensures this film has a degree of dignity and craft to it: pretty good monster suits and model work, but the back projection is terrible. There's slightly more focus on character than usual (particularly that of the tragic cyborg girl), which the film seems unsure how to handle. To be honest, one of the main problems is that it's not really about Godzilla any more - he just turns up to fight the bad guys at the end and everyone else takes him for granted. By no means the worst Godzilla movie even of the 1970s, but you can see why Toho decided to take a break. Best line (possibly in the whole of cinema): 'Please kill me - Mechagodzilla's brain is installed in my stomach!'
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Revenge of the Creature (1955) in Movies
Sep 22, 2019
I'm seeing some Spielbergisms in these movies so far as it seems like he must've used some ideas or themes when starting out like in Jaws. Once you show the monster, it's hard to put jack back in the box.
Unlike the original film, you see too much of the creature right away to build tension or think of him as menacing. This time around different scientists go back to the lagoon and capture the creature and bring him back to civilization. His new home is a large public aquarium where he instantly becomes the new star attraction. While chained to the tank floor he wows the spectators, defends himself against the nosy scientists and attempts escape. This sequence also felt like the 3rd act of The Lost World where the dinosaurs made it to land and terrorized the suburbs.
He eventually escapes and follows the main scientist and his girlfriend whilst they try and have a romantic time out to sea together. The last half of the film feels like you are watching From Here To Eternity with an occasional creature showing up every once in a while.
The tension just wasn't there in this one. A disappointment,
Unlike the original film, you see too much of the creature right away to build tension or think of him as menacing. This time around different scientists go back to the lagoon and capture the creature and bring him back to civilization. His new home is a large public aquarium where he instantly becomes the new star attraction. While chained to the tank floor he wows the spectators, defends himself against the nosy scientists and attempts escape. This sequence also felt like the 3rd act of The Lost World where the dinosaurs made it to land and terrorized the suburbs.
He eventually escapes and follows the main scientist and his girlfriend whilst they try and have a romantic time out to sea together. The last half of the film feels like you are watching From Here To Eternity with an occasional creature showing up every once in a while.
The tension just wasn't there in this one. A disappointment,