Change Your Image
DostoyevskyClone
Reviews
Knight Rider 2000 (1991)
Most Unintentionally Tragic Movie Ever Made?
I bought 'Knight Rider: Season One' on DVD and enjoyed it well enough. The theme music was awesome as I remember it being and there was certainly enough 80's cheese and style in there that it still retained it's nostalgia for me. The bonus disc for season one was 'Knight Rider 2000' and I was actually looking forward to watching it (I had never seen it)...
...let me just say that if you are on the very edge of contemplating suicide and need one last reason to end it all, watch this movie. There's a real unintentional tragedy surrounding the whole thing - we don't get to see the old KITT, there's no trace of the theme music, there's hardly ANY action, the new KITT-car is TERRIBLE-looking, and the film is filled with that early 90's gloss that so many early 90's films were injected with - there's no sense of self-parody and it's taken all too seriously.
There was something actually kind of cool about Jan Hammer's music in this (he's probably best known for doing Miami Vice) - especially the 'main' theme that plays during the end credits. It certainly doesn't match the original, but it does captures the sense of unintentional desolation, emptiness, and tragedy the movie will evoke in the viewer.
Lawn Dogs (1997)
A Profound Experience...
The only reason I came across this film was in a search for movies starring Angie Harmon (a prior obsession). From the reviews I read the story actually seemed interesting with the potential to be quite moving, so I decided to buy it..
. and I've never been so moved and touched by a story in my life. I'm a 21 year old male who found himself brought to tears at this film's close.
I'm tempted to talk about specific parts of this movie but for those who haven't seen it, I can only suggest, in the most profound and well-intentioned way possible, that you take the time to find this movie and watch it for yourself.
Village of the Damned (1995)
Beware of this bad directorial decision...
Mr. Carpenter atmospheric director and brilliant music man what made you decide to make this movie? What were you trying to accomplish here?? Did you really think that the children with glowing eyes were scary??? What were we meant to take from this debacle???? Why am I writing a review that's so negative about a John Carpenter movie????? I'm sorry - this movie wasn't scary, thrilling, entertaining, or thought-provoking. I felt a dread at the very beginning of this movie when the music started playing and it didn't feel like Carpenter music. I felt even worse a few moments later when the shadow moved over the landscape very poor.
I'm really sorry Mr. Carpenter I didn't think I still had the capacity for such cruelty. Ghosts of Mars' was better than this (and I want to say Vampires,' but I still haven't seen all of that yet).
Embrace of the Vampire (1995)
One amazing, unbelievable scene...
I'll just come out and admit it - I was one of those who bought this movie for nude scenes of Alyssa Milano. As it turned out in this film, she has a good ability to play both the innocent girl and seducing woman types very effectively. I had seen screen captures of one particular scene in this film and that was enough for me to put down my $15.00. Normally, and almost always, I'm into provoking drama movies that have a message...
That being said, 'Embrace of the Vampire,' has no significant message to speak of and as a story, is simply average - which isn't that bad really since it could have been handled a lot worse. Harold Pruett (Milano's boyfriend) is the only real stand-out of the film, bringing a nuance and believability to the role... ...and now the reason you *will* want to consider seeing this movie: the photo shoot scene. The directing, photography, writing, and nuance in acting in this one scene jumps about 30,000% (and of course, Alyssa Milano is great to look at) - and the very best thing about it is probably the music. By far the most erotic piece of cinema (hell, the most erotic ANYTHING) I've ever seen, it truly is a surreal and rewarding experience...
If you are simply looking for some eroticism or a tolerable (I hate to say it) soft-core flick, then this is *well* worth looking into. If you are looking for a engaging horror/thriller film, then look elsewhere (preferably in the direction of John Carpenter)...
[7/10] (I was going to give it a 5 or 6, but that one scene was just too much!)
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Horribly advertised, brilliantly executed...
I'd really like to meet the responsible party who marketed this film since they obviously had little idea about what 'The Rules of Attraction' was trying to convey. Or perhaps, more simply, the marketers were trying to bring in the largest audience possible by making it seem like this was a college soap opera that anyone could watch and understand.
Having read some of the reviews for this movie, its clear that those who appreciated it understood the point of having a story (and story telling device) that is concerned primarily with style, not substance; a story that has no real likeable characters (or at least, hero or heroes), and imagery and language that is overly gratuitous and disturbing. This film essentially is a mirror for youth culture today and in many ways is simply a documentary of modern life. I could write a lot more about this movie, but ultimately, that, for me, is what it comes down to. Although I haven't read completely any of Bret Easton Ellis' works, I think a lot of credit must be given to him for the original story, though Roger Avary was a large part of this movie's making, and he did a brilliant job.
If you are like me and fully understood and appreciated what this film was concerned about, then you find yourself deeply gratified that stories with such relevance and importance are still being told.