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Reviews
Crime Zone (1988)
pleasant and enjoyable
i feel this movie can be appreciated by fans of the bmovie scifi genre. it takes a bit of patience to watch it, i've seen it about two times. the second time was better. i zoned out and watched it, my friend did not like it and fell asleep. meanwhile i enjoyed this visual feast. its based in your post apoc city underground. the main character is kicked out of his police job. back to his seedy apartment. ironically he claims he'll be going back to nothing. although he still has his place and seems to be getting by. he wants to get out of the city, a sort of ghetto with bleak implications. an amazing line is delivered by a fascist city guard, who bursts into his apt, because they saw him with a known prostitute outside of the legal zone the other day... "is that the normal size of your ----" referring to his privates the society is exploitave and interrogative. i really appreciate the sound track and back alley progression of the film. i like the gritty nature of the film. technically this is not a pleasing film and will not enthrall techno junkies. use of the imagination is required. i feel this adds well to post-apoc completist essences.
Hong men jue e zhe (1985)
Decent ninja flick
I don't understand all the bad reviews for mafia vs. ninja. I mean, sure the dubbing, action, acting and plot are amateurish, but this is a kung fu movie, which means a new set of criteria needs to be used from which to judge it. A lot of IMDb users make this crucial mistake, and go looking for Shakespeare in everything they watch. Something like Mafia Vs Ninja needs to be reviewed with these potential qualities in mind: humor (intentional or otherwise), creative fighting styles/ gimmicks, quirkiness, and overall effect. I'd say it fares well in these respects. The film had me laughing throughout, like when the two main characters (who dress like oi punks, which added to my enjoyment) trash an establishment owned by a white bigot in the middle of the film for no reason (the scene seemed to be randomly thrown in), the ninjas at the end who turn into clumps of grass and either teleport or travel underground and then take their normal ninja shape again, the special team called in by the ninjas to fight the mafia (who are the protagonists) which includes an italian (i think?) knife thrower with a huge ridiculous scar on his face (who is an expert at throwing knives into apples suspended by wires in mid air), a Chinese swordsman, a Japanese ninja, and an African American fellow from detroit who as far as i could tell didn't know any actual kung fu, so just rolled around a lot and sort of threw people. and who can forget the sex scene which contains no nudity, but then is immediately followed by a still shot on what appears to be a painting of our hero's girlfriend in the nude. and even though none of the fighting in this film is too well done, the setups are creative, and the grittyness of them helps make them entertaining. overall a decent flick, and one kung fu fans should dig, especially if you liked fantasy mission force or any other of jackie chan's more bizarre films (half a loaf, the original drunken master, etc)
Millennium (1996)
farewell millennium
damn you fox. millennium was one of the most well thought, continually interesting shows on television. i mean you couldnt even give chris carter one more year to finish the series. but dont worry millennium fans, carter either plans to introduce frank black as a character in the x files or make a millennium movie, i personally hope he does both.
The Hobbit (1977)
simple, but effective
i've enjoyed this movie sinse i was a little kid. obviously to make the hobbit suitable for television the length had to be shortened immensely,the parts left in were good choices, sinse they showed bilbo's change from timid hobbit to brave hero. but what i most like this movie for are the visuals. the animation on the charactors is exactly as i always imagined, and when i read the book it is rankin and bass's elves, trolls and dwarves i picture in my mind. and the scenes with bilbo and gollum are classic
The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)
B movie classic
i mean do i really need to say anything about how bad this movie is, i mean its called the brain that wouldnt die! can you imagine "and the academy award gos to 'the brain that wouldnt die!'" anyway, i caught this one on MST3K, mike's first movie actually. there are many opportunities to make fun of this movie, especially the scene in which the doctor drives his car around town looking at women he passes by, with the most lecherous look ive ever seen on anyone's face. also great is the monster in the closet and the head's evil cackle.
The Abyss (1989)
i really liked this one
the abyss is remembered mostly for being one of the first films to use realistic computer special effects, but its much more than that.the effects are not overused,but enhance the movie.one good thing about this film is it creates real tension,and scenes where water is rushing into the compartments of the sub are particularly exciting.the actors do a good job of conveying terror and hopelessness at times, especially when bud decides to stay at the bottom and when bud keeps trying to resusitate lyndsay even know she is most likely dead.this movie would have been good without the sci fi element, but the underwater creatures look good and enhance the story.this is much better than cameron's other ocean epic, you know what i'm talking about