Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (2056)

Content

Autobiography, Letters and Literary Remains of Mrs Piozzi (Thrale): With Notes and an Introductory Account of Her Life and Writings

Hester Lynch Piozzi and Abraham Hayward

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Highly educated and accustomed to intellectual society, the writer Hester Lynch Piozzi (1741-1821)...

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Halloween (2007) in Movies

Jun 3, 2021

Halloween (2007)

2007 | Horror

6.0

(19 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

The original Halloween is such a goddam incredible movie, that anytime the franchise has tried to stray too far from its roots, the wheels just come off. The psychic stuff in Halloween 5 just didn't work. The cult stuff in Halloween 6 just didn't work. The found footage stuff in Resurrection just didn't work. This time around, it's a remake of the original, directed by Rob Zombie. His particular brand of hateful characters and nasty dialogue can be effective in other corners of horror, but when applied to the Halloween template, you guessed it, it just doesn't work.
It has its moments - Malcolm McDowell is great as Dr Loomis, and the towering behemoth of a Michael Myers we get her is genuinely fucking terrifying. There's also a fine selection of genre icons here and there - Dee Wallace, Brad Dourif, Clint Howard, Ken Foree, Sybil Danning, Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, Danny Trejo, Danielle Harris - it's an impressive roster for sure.
All of this isn't enough to lift this remake above all of its problems however.
None of the characters are particularly likable, and it's off pacing make for a bloated experience, an issue that's further exacerbated by the more widely available Directors Cut, which further pans out its runtime with an horrifically unnecessary rape scene.
I can appreciate the decision to explore the origins of Michael, but the end results are very mixed. When the familiar stuff kicks off halfway through, it's actually kind of boring. It manages to ape the original at every turn, whilst simultaneously feeling disrespectful with it's token RZ tropes.

All in all, Halloween is a remake that I wouldn't take issue with, but the decision to put Zombie in the driver's seat results in a movie that doesn't feel like it belongs anywhere. An inferior re-tread in every aspect, that leaves a bitter after taste.

Kudos

Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Taking Of Pelham 123 (2009) in Movies

Jun 12, 2020

Get Off My Train

The Taking of Pelham 123- i have seen this movie about 7 times now, and its a good movie. Full of drama, suspense and thrills. Not alot of action though. When I watched the first couples times, i didnt realize it was a remake. It wasnt until like the 4th or 5th time, i realize it was a remake. Both Denzel and John were excellent in this film. I really liked John as the villian and wish he can play more villians, cause he is really good as the bad guy.

The plot: Chaos reigns in the New York City subway system when heavily armed criminals, led by a mastermind named Ryder (John Travolta), hijack a subway train and threaten to kill everyone on board unless a large ransom is paid. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system in a bid to outwit the hijackers and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if the hijackers get their money, how can they possibly escape?

Its a highly entertaining movie, and a must watch film.

Kudos

Dean (6927 KP) rated Death Wish (2018) in Movies

Jan 20, 2019

Death Wish (2018)

2018 | Action, Crime, Drama

7.0

(28 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Good cast (0 more)

This is a decent enough revenge action film. It's not really a remake as such as the story is different to the old Death wish film. There's a bit of a gore, expected as Eli Roth is the director. The story is good and the violent encounters feel raw and not glamourised. A entertaining film but if you fancy something more indepth try @The Brave One (2007) or @Death Sentence (2007) both slightly better I felt.