Reviews

Teen angst and illegal street racing. Not exactly a match made in heaven, but here it works, due to amazing car stunts, and some interesting ideas. A group of thieves in robbing trucks after catching them in suped-up race-ready street model cars, and an undercover cop is on the case to try to find the crooks before they end up dead. The emphasis of the movie however is racing scenes and amazing car stunts, of which there are quite a few. These are some nice sequences, and ultimately save what would otherwise be a piece of crap and make you believe the movie wasn't that bad. Performances are all right; none of these guys are going after the Oscar, but overall, its not that bad. Especially enjoyable was the absolutely luscious Jordana Brewster("The Faculty") as the obligatory love interest. Bottom Line: If you like cars and action, you'll probably get enough out of this flick to enjoy it. Just don't expect a whole lot of extras.

What starts out looking like a poor Mad Max type of film about a post-apocalyptic nightmare ends up a fairly well-done low-budget horror flick about a gang of futuristic nomads attacked by a whole lotta nasty rodents who are hungry for humans. The film unfolds as the rats slowly take control of the situation and trap the humans in ruins of a long-abandoned city, and prepare for the siege. The violence is pretty graphic as the rats seem to kill people from the inside out, and there are some nasty scenes of rats popping out of dead bodies. This one should satisfy horror fans with its violence, somewhat interesting storyline, and a bizarre and unusual ending. Recommended for fans; one of the better killer rat flicks.

Gore, Gore, and more Gore await the viewer of this now-classic cannibal flick that was supposedly banned in 31 countries due to its graphic, extreme, hardcore violence. What you get in the end is more torture, sex, mutilation, and animal cruelty for your dollar than with any other movie ever. A college student travels to the Amazon to prove that cannibalism doesn't exist...come on. Don't these people know that cannibals will ALWAYS exist in the stories of cheesy exploitation flicks? Anyway, her expedition falls into the clutches of a sadistic and brutal tribe of primitive cannibals who torture all the members of her party. There's the infamous real animal cruelty scenes intermingled with all this; basically anytime you see an animal on screen, be sure that the next thing you'll see is that animal being hacked apart, eaten or killed in some manner. There's some almost unbelievable violence, and effective, if nasty, effects work to bring the torture to life. This is one that any fan of zombies, cannibals, or basically GORY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE cannot miss. An absolute classic, and it actually has some kind of underlying message that exists under the surface as well. My HIGHEST recommendation.

Violent and odd, this zombie thriller concerns a family beseiged in the middle of non-stop sex by a bunch of the walking undead. Eventually they are stuck in their house with zombies trying to get at them at every turn. This one is also pretty weird with a mother's "young" son who looks like he's about 40. Effects by Gianetto DeRossi (Gino's brother) are pretty well done, and definitely violently effective. The ending is also interesting and different. Features a climax that you have to see to believe. Recommended for fans.

Totally stupid--in fact laughably inept-- remake of JAWS with a less than menacing looking crocodile, who can destroy whole villages with his tail--eating people in small villages, until a group of locals hunt the thing down a la the JAWS finale. Incredibly cheap effects are totally ludicrous, making this whole movie hilarious. The scenes with the croc destroying whole villages are just too funny for description. There always seems to be someone vomiting blood in these scenes as well. Try to find a frame where someone ISN'T. For camp lovers only...others will be totally put off by the total ineptness of this production.

Similar in many ways to Gregg Araki's movies, this one follows a weekend in the lives of a couple of friends, told several times from each person's point of view. The movie is funny, dark, and ultimately highly entertaining as it follows each character's exploits, and how they relate to each other. Anyone who dug the Araki movies, or "rave" flicks will probably like this one as well. Just remember...don't do drugs.:-)

Hilarious...or is it?...flick concerning an apartment full of pot-smokers who get themselves in trouble with the law and end up going on a series of the most funny adventures ever put to celluloid. This is a gas for the "in" crowd. Others probably won't get all the jokes, but it is still damn entertaining. I know people who worship this movie...of course, they've more than "smoked themselves retarded." If you're "feelin it," then you'll laugh your @ss off, I guarantee.

Even better in depicting the nihilistic lifestyle of a group of teens than DOOM GENERATION, this flick has all the same type of story elements. Still a lot of sex, drugs, and music, although this time there is a sci-fi theme, and even more bizarre happenings. When I first saw this movie, it screwed with my head badly. Not neccessarily in a bad way though...it just made me think. Too bad many movie goers don't even want to think when they go to the movies anymore. Anyway...if you liked DOOM GENERATION or GO, you'll dig this one with a cast of people, many of whom are now stars in Hollywood. See if you can spot them all.

I don't really know how to describe this movie. There's just so much of it that is really bizarre and whacked-out. From the makers of KIDS, this one is somewhat similar to that one in depicting young people participating in anti-social and disturbing behavior in a small Ohio town. The kids run into some crazy characters and do some unbelievable stuff, so maybe its a small town version of KIDS .?! What goes on is really bizarre, but makes for an interesting film. For fans of offbeat cinema, this is a must and I guarantee you'll find it interesting.

Trend-setting and disturbing view of life for some teens in New York. The story involves a lot of drug and alcohol use and sex involving the teens, making it more biting. At the time, this kind of stuff was really taboo, now KIDS looks like just about any teen movie, or any teen's life, for that matter. Still, a must see film because it is incredibly realistic, and thoughtful. Many unforgetable scenes and sequences including the legless man on the subway (one of my all-time favorites).

One of my personal favorite films is this tale of a road adventure between a teenage couple and a guy they pick up, leading to lots of sex, gory violence and bizarre events. This one is quite a dark movie, with lots of death and tragedy, but at the same time a brilliant look at the whacked-out characters involved in these harrowing situations. Director Gregg Araki seems to have a knack for these types of movies. His next film was the even better NOWHERE. Definitely Recommended.

Another of the period pieces that have been popular lately, this one concerning 2 guys in search of drugs, sex, and music in Small Town, USA. Of course they get themselves into some comedic misadventures. Quite similar to DAZED AND CONFUSED, but on a lower scale. Entertaining, but not quite the movie that DAZED was.

A chemical leak unleashes a poisonous gas bringing the dead back to life in this stupid but incredibly violent zombie flick. Most of the movie follows a SWAT team blasting their way through the New Guinea jungle. The emphasis in this film is the absolutely revolting and disgusting violence, and maggots crawling all over everything. There is also quite a bit of documentary footage probably lifted off some cheap MONDO flick from the looks of it.

The film suffers from total stupidity in its characters and was transfered to video very poorly resulting in half the action being unable to be seen due to the darkness of the print. If zombie flicks are your thing, you might enjoy it somewhat, but I think even fans will be disappointed with this one.

Joe Spinnell as a schizophrenic, crazed madman gives a sense of reality and truth to this gory and violent slasher. He attacks women and steals their scalps, created to the bloody effect by Tom Savini, who also stars as an unfortunate boyfriend who falls victim to the murderer(quite a murder scene). This one is very, very violent and gory, but has become a cult classic due to its bizarre nature. Recommended for gore fans.

Tim Robbins plays Gary Winston, the head of a huge computer company set on a date for a new product release. New hiree Ryan Phillipe is working on meeting that goal but discovers some interesting things in the workings of the company. Somewhat interesting, but highly geared for people into computers and such, so it has a limited appeal to viewers looking for action or drama. Although there is some of both in this one, the overall impact is not one or the other, making the film somewhat disappointing. Those in the computer "know" will probably enjoy this one, others may find passable but disappointing entertainment.

Obviously an appeal to those who fell for AMERICAN PIE, this film actually is better in some ways then the aforementioned PIE. When a college student accidently mails his girlfriend a tape of him with another girl, he grabs his friends and goes on a road trip to try to intercept the package. Of course, the group runs into some trouble on the way, and the results are comedic. Tom Green steals the show as a student, and the narrator of the story, and has some funny scenes with a snake and mouse. If you like these kind of things, and don't mind all the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, then you'll probably enjoy this one as well.

Ok, I've seen most of the big new releases this summer, and I have to say the one that I most enjoyed was probably SWORDFISH or BLOW, not to mention THE FORSAKEN, which I liked a lot. PEARL HARBOR, and this one, TOMB RAIDER, I have to say were highly disappointing. In fact this movie, I would have to say, probably is one of the worst movie-based-on-video-game flicks I've ever seen. The effects were outstanding, and Angelina Jolie was hot as f--k, but that's not enough to carry this movie. It plays almost like a female version of INDIANA JONES, which has already been attempted numerous times, to little success. The only thing carrying the film, it seemed, was what was hidden under Lara's TIGHT, and I do mean TIGHT tops; Jolie's T&A is what kept this one going. Fans of the game will find it interesting at least. I thought it was a joke.

Top-notch and exciting effects highlight the movie of Heinlein's book about a group of Space-Marine types fighting interstellar bugs in the future. The effects really steal the show, and the battle scenes between humans and swarms of bugs are incredible, and gory. This mix is also loaded with gratuitous nudity and sex, but what else do you expect from Paul Veerhoven? A lot of fun that I would highly recommend to sci-fi fans.

This IS my favorite sci-fi flicks of all time. Although it is gory at times, it is an outstanding monster flick, about a giant flying reptile killing people while it flies through the city of New York. Director Larry Cohen creates another bizarre yet riveting movie in this one. Moriarty, who is a crook who knows where the creature lives, and Carradine, as a cop on the case, are excellent. The monster itself is somewhat cheesy, but overall this flick is a lot of fun, and very well constructed. My highest recommendation.

Filmmaker Lucio Fulci again has created a masterpiece of bloody, gory, and atmospheric horror. This one concerns a family moving into a house only to discover the ghastly past of the house. What is at sometimes an effective haunted house flick is turned into a gory Fulci bloodbath as an unknown creature from the basement attacks visitors and eventually the family. Recommended for fans of Fulci's other work. This one is somewhat similar to THE BEYOND.

Futuristic thriller about a violent sport and the players who participate. James Caan plays Johnathan E., a star of the game which is run by corporations who has gotten too good at the game. The Rollerball sequences are quite well done...with a lot of carnage and hard-hitting violent action. However, what goes on between games is a complete letdown, as the rest of the film has no development whatsoever, and what's up with that gun that blows up trees? These gaps in the story leave this flick to be nothing but the game sequences, which is fine, if somewhat confusing and disappointing. Watch this one just for these action sequences, but don't expect much of anything else.

Made by the same team as the earlier "Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle," this is the definitive documentary, the full story, about the notorious punk band, the Sex Pistols. Using footage from the nearly 20 hours of footage shot of the band, interviews with the band and their fans, clips from the earlier film, and new clips from various sources, the behind the scenes story of how the band was formed right on down to the breakup of the band after briefly touring the U.S. To music fans looking for the story of the Pistols, this is it...and its presented in all its filthy and potentially offensive glory. I would urge any music fan to see this and learn what the punk movement was really about.

This movie kicks @$$!!

Absolutely one of the best movies that I have ever seen in its humorous and at the same time disturbing portrait of a group of Scottish heroin junkies. The exploits they get themselves into are absolutely riveting, and the cast is probably the best ensemble cast I've ever witnessed. Every cast member does not appear to be acting...they look, behave, and ARE their character in the film. This makes for a believeable, if not relatable, story which takes the viewer on a roller coaster ride of triumph and tragedy, culminating with problems within the once tight-knit group. Also featuring an awe-inspiring soundtrack, which I would strongly urge fans to check out.

If you haven't seen this flick, I strongly urge you to check it out. It is absolutely amazing.

This low-budget masterpiece is about as good as they come. The first of director Kevin Smith's New Jersey films is one of the best as it follows a day in the life of a clerk at a convenience store. Often hilarious, and thoughtful at the same time, this is what I wish big-budget Hollywood productions could live up to. The film is a lot of fun and features the cinematic debut of Jay and Silent Bob, the pot-smoking duo who steals the show in every one of the Smith films. Mallrats is the next movie in the series, and if you want to see some funny, enjoyable films, the Kevin Smith movies are as good a place as any to start. My highest recommendation.

GG Allin was truly something else. The man had no musical talent whatsoever, yet had probably one of the most loyal fan bases in rock music. This is despite the fact that he beat up, assaulted, and even raped audience members during concerts he gave...and more often than not ended up in jail because of it. His concerts were more of a war zone, filled with bodily fluid, violence, and musical assault. As a "fan", or more an observer of GG's music, I was quick to pick up this documentary about the man, and I must admit, I was thourougly impressed with it. It contains what probably are some of the most disturbing and utterly disgusting images I have ever seen. GG was known for performing shows naked, and defecating on stage...then rubbing the result all over himself. I can bet that most people would have a hard time watching a video of this event...which is shown here...and would find it hard to even imagine seeing GG in concert live. GG was also somewhat remembered as the guy who said he would commit suicide onstage for rock, only to die of a heroin overdose.

Overall, this film was a no holds barred look at the life of this infamous rock 'n' roll "legend", and one that was actually quite revealing into the how and whys of his life through interviews with him, friends, family, and fans. There is quite a few disturbing and absolutely disgusting images, including moments from live shows, as well as a scene a fan talks about with a camera there to document it. This particular scene is just beyond description...and as not to spoil it should you attempt to watch this film, I refuse to comment further.

GG was definitely one of the outlaws and revolutionaries in the rock and roll industry, paving the way for such artists as Marilyn Manson and others doing nasty things on stage and this documentary is worth it to see just what created this rock and roll myth and the "legend" behind it. Recommended, but be prepared for a lot of nastiness going in.