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Rob11086
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Triple 9 (2016)
What Happened?
I'll make this short and sweet.
I really wanted to like this movie. With its insanely talented cast, this should have been way better than it actually was. It is well acted, and the cast did the best they could with the material given to them.
However, it all gets lost in what tries to be a convoluted plot. This wants to be a really good heist movie (with very well executed action scenes, granted), but in reality it is just a sub-par, predictable action movie filled with your run of the mill, dirty cop dialogue filling the scenes trying to move the plot forward. Rent it for a rainy evening, but don't expect anything you haven't already seen.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Psychologically Terrifying
Let me begin by saying that I generally hate horror movies. I view them as stupid, gratuitous wastes of time that are recycled time and time again.
Having said that, I've seen quite a bit of them. This movie is the only movie I have seen in the entire genre that has legitimately scared me. As someone who loves movies, I can honestly say that this is the best horror movie I have seen, simply because it is absolutely terrifying.
The movie premise is simple. Micah and his girlfriend, Katie, have recently moved in together. After a few months they start noticing strange happenings around the house, IE lights turning on and off, faucets turning on when no one is around, keys falling to the floor randomly, etc. After things get worse and worse, they determine it is no normal haunting of a house...
It sounds like the same old thing done again, however the key here is all about how the events unfolding are executed. The movie is done in the same presentation as The Blair Witch Project, or more recently Cloverfield, in that everything is filmed as a home movie. As cheap as it sounds, it does not skimp on the terror factor. The effects of when the "activites" happen are subtle but very very effective. From a simple humming sound to air blowing on someone making hair move, everything is done very professionally.
I can not overstate how suspenseful this movie really is. Get through the beginning. As the movie progresses, it gets more and more terrifying. If you let yourself really get lost in the movie-- as a movie should make you, you will truly be scared for what is happening on screen. This movie stuck with me days after I watched it, giving me strange dreams and second guessing sounds in the middle of the night if I was awakened. This is what Horror Movies should be. This is what horror movies should accomplish! I highly recommend this gem of a movie to anyone who needs reassurance that there is still a proper horror movie out there.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
A Review from someone who hasn't read the book.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is a very... Odd Film. Is it good? Yes. Is it fantastic? No. Is it entertaining? Very.
Though the film itself isn't Oscar worthy by any means, it gets the job done very well. It's funny and well acted, and it's a beautiful film full of nice special effects. The film is very creative as well, and not having read the book, I absolutely love the humor in it. There is a scene where a whale very suddenly appears and has a very short time to figure things out. This monologue of sorts epitomizes the type of humor in the film- British and somewhat slapstick (No Pun Intended). It's funny and doesn't take it to the point where it comes across as stupid. All the slapstick is there for a reason.
Acting wise, the film is strong. The better characters of the film come from Mos Def's portrayal of Ford Perfect and Sam Rockwells Portrayal of Zaphod Beeblebrox, who sounds a little too much like our "esteemed" president, W. The weaker acting however, comes from Zooey Deschanel, who while is good looking, is very stiff in her part. Martin Freeman's portrayal of Arthur Dent whines way to much, to the point where it becomes rather annoying.
All this aside, the film comes across as a nice light hearted romp through our universe with subtle cameos by the likes of Jason Schwartzman and Kelly MacDonald. It's very good for what it is, and despite the shallow love story, it's definitely worth a watch.
This has been one of the only reviews by Rob Beeghly.
Road to Perdition (2002)
Absolutely Gorgeous.
"Road to Perdition" is, without a doubt an absolutely gorgeous film to look at and listen to. Visually, the film looks like a series of still photos come to life, set in the 1930's. Conrad L. Hall, one of the greatest cinematographers in film history (at least in my opinion), has captured the dark atmosphere of the film perfectly, and this is by far his best work. As his last film, the lush images seen on screen are some of the best looking seen in film to date. Paired with Thomas Newmans beautiful, albeit somewhat recycled score, this film is presented almost perfectly.
Almost being the key word. The performances in the film are all very strong, Particularly from Paul Newman and Tom Hanks. The problem comes from certain parts of the storyline. The movie is well paced, however parts of it could have been left out. Whatever the flaws are in the story, this is still a great movie. It is Sam Mendes' best to date, and a very formidable end to one of cinemas best Cinematographers.