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cadeland2002
Reviews
Caught Inside (2010)
Very believable and nifty little Aussie thriller.
I saw this on the first public screening so there were cast and crew there and the mood in the room of the general public in attendance was very supportive which made it for a very enjoyable experience on the whole.
Though Ben Oxenbould's performance is the stand out for me, the rest of the cast are also incredibly good and deserve much praise. What I liked most about this film was the believability of the characters, even the villain is someone you can imagine existing (and in school days I'm sure some of us met one or two people who were destined to turn out like the villain!). I very much enjoyed how characters acted in a such realistic manner. One of the male characters is completely de-masculinised throughout the villains reign and unable to protect the other characters, or his girlfriend, which was quite innovative and just screamed of authenticity. Too many films are full of testosterone fuelled 5 minute fight scenes, where as this films fights were clumsy and awkward, as they would be in real life.
The 'hero' of the piece (I can't remember the names properly but the brown haired fit looking guy who starts a romance with Sam) is written very well in not being too tough either, he's masculine, and brave, but he's no Vin Diesel, he's just a human trapped in a desperate situation doing the best he can.
My only criticism is that perhaps it took too long to get to the meaty part of the film when the villain takes control of the boat. The last movie of this type I saw was Donkeypunch, and though that was good in a popcorn movie kinda way, 'Caught Inside' is ahead of a lot of thrillers is the completely believable behaviour and realistic and natural dialogue, which in turn makes for some quite edge of your seat moments.
As an indie Australian film the cast and crew have done incredibly well in pulling together this enjoyable and tense little film and I'd definitely be proud to see it go overseas and do the indie festival circuits.
Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! (2008)
Hit and Miss - But well worth a shot!
I didn't actually really like the first movie 'Another Gay Sequel' at all, and admit for the first 20 mins of this one I was wondering how on earth such a god-awful script made it to the point of actually shooting it as a movie! But I hung in there, and by the end I was a committed fan and own the DVD now.
It's definitely hit and miss with it's jokes, there are some quite lame jokes, some 'could have been so much better with a bit more planning' jokes and definite laugh out loud moments (The films campy villains - the 'Jaspers', Niko's 'Does He?............' with flickering eyes *not sure what film he's parodying but it's hilarious*, Rupaul's incessant product spruiking, Amanda Lapore's 'offer to use her ample bust for flotation devices during some turbulence, and even Perez Hilton provides some laughs as a militant anti gay campaigner (turned to the dark side after being knocked on the head whilst performing oral on a priest in an aeroplane toilet).
Then there are some sweet and touching moments (Niko's speech at the orgy at the end about his struggle to fit in, the love story between Andy and Luis the virgin, even Griff and Jarod's struggles as they explore a monogamous - then open - then back to monogamous relationship.) It's VERY cheap, VERY over the top and incredibly trashy. So leave your standards at the door and just enjoy 90 mins of mindless fun and campy silliness!
The Amityville Horror (2005)
If This Don't Scare Ya Nothing Will
*SPOILERS AHEAD* I just saw this film tonight and STUPIDLY went and saw it by myself. I've lost count of how many horrors I've seen, but in my opinion this film was INCREDIBLY SCARY! Twenty minutes in I'd jolted so many times I was close to leaving the cinema, intending on watching it when it came out on video so I could pause it every now and then when the jolts got too much. The fifth jolt I can't even recall as I think I've blocked it from memory! Luckily the film settled down after that (for 10 minutes or so!!) and I bravely experienced the whole thing. Having done that, I honestly now count this in my top 5 scariest movies of all time (alongside The Exorcist, Ringu, Dark Water and Wrong Turn). There are a things in this film which are not so perfect which I'll get out of the way first. The plot is far removed from the original book and film, Ryan Reynolds clothes seem to unnecessarily keep falling off (which isn't a bad thing considering how buff he is but at the same time is just a little too hard an attempt at eye candy). To be honest both he and Melissa George are far too pretty for their parts and on that basis seem quite mis-cast. Melissa's acting, though she tries hard, just doesn't seem to convince, and of course the those CGI flies and cowardly priest...yes they're as bad as everyone is saying.
However, with that out of the way, let's get onto the good parts, the scene in the cupboard with the babysitter, SCARED the hell out of me, I was, from a realism point of view, glad to see the babysitter a gibbering wreck, being carried away on a stretcher after the wardrobe scene, as anything less would have not been believable, in real life that experience = mental hospital quick smart! The first 20 minutes was so jarring I stopped eating my popcorn for fear of sucking back some and choking, even the shot of the shadow racing past the kitchen made me jump a mile high as by then my nerves had been rattled so much from one relentless scare after another.
The scene on the roof with the daughter wanting to go 'be with daddy' again, was gripping, the shot of Kathy sliding helplessly down the roof holding onto her daughter was filmed superbly. The climax where they are trying to escape the house was brilliantly gripping and had me on the edge of my seat (although it was a little annoying the family running UPSTAIRS in the middle of this - why do they make people do that in films?) - however this did lead to an awesome chase across a rain soaked roof which was extremely tense. I found the scene where the priest tells Kathy of when her daughter's teddy bear was last scene spine tingling and the scene at the church when Kathy says "I'm living in their house" (or something to that effect) awesome with the chill element too.
I did see the Kathy character as being annoyingly weak in her dealings with her children and especially her husband as he moved into psycho-ville, I mean after almost having had your head sucked into a boat motor by hubby on purpose I think you'd be a LOT more angry than she seemed to be! (I have to say at the same time though I found that scene incredibly frightening and effectively done). I would have however liked to see her bonk hubby on the head with a heavy blunt object after that instead of just shouting a line and running out of the boathouse (she does get to do some head-bonkage to hubby near the end though which led to a few women in the audience applauding which was amusing). Before I forget I have to say the dead girl is freaky and finishes off the film with one last great scare (which I pre-emptied by tensing up and sliding down in my seat but STILL jumped!) All I can say is if you are expecting it to stick too closely to the book don't bother, but if you're willing to just sit back and take in a brainless scare flick then go for it, I am SO getting this out on video when it comes out so I can watch my fave scenes again, I truly thought this was a brilliantly scary movie, it wasn't until about an hour after I'd left the cinema that I got my jangled nerves back together to be honest!
Ringu 0: Bâsudei (2000)
Definitely Worth A Look
After seeing the first "Ring" film about a year and a half ago I never got around to checking out the sequel or the prequel (I think seeing the US version turned me off the franchise to be honest) but I am very happy that I finally got to see "Ring 0" last night, and I have to say I think it is a definite must see for fans of Ring 1, I have to say I will definitely be checking out "Ring 2" in the future also.
I was disappointed to read a number of negative reviews of Ring 0 prior to seeing it but I suspect some people may have been looking for the all powerful final scene fright moment from Ring 1 which this one doesn't have, but to be honest it doesn't actually need it.
I read somewhere else someone describe it more as a 'psychological thriller' which I have to agree with. There are some definite creepy moments that will stick in your mind after the movie has finished, and for me the final scene where Sadako meets her end at the hands of her father is quite shocking and quite upsetting, due to the brutality served upon this innocent sweet shy girl and the tragedy of her death.
I admit I found the first hour of the film a bit slow but then found the final 30 minutes and especially the last 15 minutes of the film were totally captivating and action packed, when Sadako and Toyama are trying to escape the 'witch hunt' you are mentally cheering them on all the way, wanting so desperately for Sadako to get away from the horrible narrow minded people who have labeled her as some kind of murderous witch. I'd developed such sympathy for the hardships suffered by Sadako throughout the film that I think upon seeing Ring 2 I'll quite enjoy watching her terrorise a few people in revenge!
"Bad" Sadako from Ring 1 and 2 has to be in my opinion the coolest and creepiest horror/thriller film character in many many years, and Ring 0 a definite must in understanding Sadako and why she is so vengeful in the other two films. Don't be swayed by negative reviews, check it out and make up your own mind.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Cool!!!
The things I really liked were the special effects, I really loved the scene of the cleaner going up the hall and opening the door to see the city destroyed and then the camera panning back to show all the destruction.
The bit where the older guy fell through the snow and was hanging and the other guy was on that clear piece of ice which started cracking was very tense, the wolves I thought were so realistic (I'm probably the only one who did) but I was very impressed. The woman staying behind with the young cancer patient I found really touching.
The bit where they were running and the ice was freezing everything was very cool. At the start the waves crashing throughout NYC was so well done, I remember someone kind of toppling head over heels over a car which looked cool. The birds in the sky in that scene at the start was totally eerie, I really loved that the homeless guy and his dog survived, the homeless guy giving the doggy sausage when he had hardly any food for himself was totally sweet and lovely.
I liked that Jake (who looked totally cute even in the face of certain death) got the girl in the end, and I quite liked the guy wanting to save that book and the reasons he gave for it. I especially liked how you didn't have to sit through 45 minutes of character development before the action started which generally happens with disaster flicks, it had my attention right from the start and kept it the whole way throughout the film.
I give it two very enthusiastic thumbs up! 8/10
Crash (1996)
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!
No story line, no background or explanation for any of the character's behavior, the 'shocks' were all so blatantly written to be exactly that, they just felt so contrived that at points it was insulting that you were expected to go "Oh dear! How shocking!!".
You've got James Spader suddenly getting it on with a guy and then suddenly at the end for no good reason you have Holly Hunter and Patricia Arquette snogging, James Spader does it with Patricia Arquette by sticking his penis in these big scars in Patrica Arquettes leg, but there's no explanation for why they're having sex, or why they're suddenly hanging around together, the characters continually try to drive each other off the road for no good reason, the only reason I knew James Spader was an advertising exec and that the blonde woman was his wife was because I read it on the back of the video case half way through the film.
James Spader and his 'wife' seem to start out knowing each other but just go off and have sex with other people for no reason, it made no sense, it had no plot whatsoever, it should have been a porno film but you know what, I think even porno film's would have more of a storyline, the film is SO stupid!! I can't believe I just wasted an hour and a half of my life on this piece of sh*t.
AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS!!!
Wrong Turn (2003)
SCARY MOVIE!!
I'm a big horror buff and have a LOT of slasher flicks in my time, but for some reason "Wrong Turn" scared the crap out of me! I still can't even begin to pinpoint what it was, I mean sure they had the standard horror fare loud crashing music and someone jumping out or something suddenly happening which makes you jolt, but the scene with Eliza Dusku (Jessie) and Desmond Harrington (Chris) were hiding under the bed and the red head friend's body was dumped on the ground in front of them I damn nearly wet myself. I spent a good 3/4 of the film in a constant state of unease which I really couldn't handle, I'm so used to just yawning my way through these horror flicks that actually feeling scared made me very uncomfortable, I think the uneasiness came from actually feeling like you were in the forest with them, when they ran you wanted to jump up and scream "You call that running?? RUN FASTER DAMN YOU!!" I think this is a *must* see for people who are a fan of the genre.
Cut (2000)
There are Aussie hits and there are Aussie misses...
Hmmm, what can one say about the Aussie slasher flick "Cut" ?
Being a total horror nut since I was a teenager, I remember being so excited in the months leading up to the release of this film late in the year 2000, I could hardly stand the wait! I had a four page article about the film from Empire magazine, and a visual teaser, a photo of ex Echo Point (defunct Aussie Soapie) star Jessica Napier bruised and bloodied, locked in battle with Scarman (Frank Roberts) surrounded by flames. It looked absolutely magical! Australia were making their very own "Scream". I was SO excited!
I saw it the very day it came out, and left in such a weird state of mind. I WANTED so much to like it, really I did, but the truth is, the film is SO BAD! So badly written, so badly acted and just an absolute MESS in parts. (I'm going to overlook some of the corny dialogue, I'm not sure if it was the dialogue, or the bad actors delivering it!!)
The acting by pretty much 75% of the cast is laughable, however the two leads, Molly Ringwald and Jessica Napier are convincing, Jessica Napier in particular showing considerable talent in her acting ability. Warning though, the two police officers at the end could well be the WORST actors EVER to get a gig in a film. Then there is Sarah Kants who plays Hester. Terrible actress, TERRIBLE TERRIBLE actress! And when her character suddenly out of the blue decides she's a lesbian and wants to snog Raffy (what the hell was that about??) you just want her to get splattered.
But then the most bizaar thing happens in her death scene. She suddenly turns in an Oscar winning performance! She runs, she hides, she cries, she whimpers, she falls, she gets up, she runs again, she even attacks the villain with a pair of hedge shears shreiking a venemous "Get away from me!!!". Sadly just as Sarah Kants is stealing the whole movie and you are too enthralled in her performance to remember how terrible she'd been for the 45 minutes prior, she gets her head squashed in some kind of lathe type machine and carks it (not before letting out one final breath taking shriek which any slasher flick actress would be proud to call her own!).
I say put this girl in more horror films!! But keep her silent until her death scene and then just sit back and watch the magic! Truly one of the best performances I've seen from a slasher victim in the last 10 years or so!
There are two other highlights, the cameo by singer Kylie Minogue at the start is interesting, she looks so tiny, which she attempts to counteract by pouting and doing the 'Bossy domineering director' role before ticking off the murderer with her attitude and having her tongue cut out.
The finale' is quite decent one part, the shot where Scarface melts and turns into this horrid moaning creature laying on top of Jessica Napier trying to drive a knife into her chest before dissolving into a stream of what can only be described as 'goo' is quite cool and freaky. However Scarface is really not that scary once you hear him talk, he's kind of a Freddy Kruger wanna be, without the wit.
The film is good for a laugh at times, but that's a laugh at how terrible some of it is, like when Scarman decides to try and hack off Molly Ringwald during a scene they're filming in the 'film within a film' ("Hot Blooded") and they realise it's not an actor, it's the killer! (Eeeeek!) They all kind of jog outside in this bored way which is quite amusing, it looks like a practise run which got filmed and somehow ended up in the film. And of course Molly Ringwald holding a serving tray (for use as a shield) and a knife saying "Let's kill the bastard" is just laughable in it's delivery. Not to mention Raffy's professor who gets speared through the neck and 15 minutes later reappears to do the "I'm not really dead!" entrance, THEN decides he might pull the spear out of his neck, why didn't he do that 15 minutes prior???
Anyways, in truth the dialogue is terrible, even thinking about it now I'm cringing, but if you're the kind who has the patience to sit through even the worst of horror films and you've run out of slasher flicks to see, give "Cut" a go just to see Kylie Minogue, Sarah Kants death scene, and of course Scarman melting all over the blonde heroine at the end.
Aside from that do not expect anything even remotely original, scary or worth remembering about this tragic failure of a film (what went wrong? We did "Razorback" in the 80's and ended up with "Cut" in the year 2000!!) But then again, it WAS directed by an ex member of Aussie garage band the Hoodoo Gurus!!
As you can see I still can't make my mind up about this film, I so want to like it, and some parts I do, but also part of me wants it banished from video stores across the world for the shame of seeing what happens when you let ex one hit wonder band members behind a movie camera! It's sad to see from the special effects at the end that they did indeed have a bit of a budget (by Australian standards) and how the film could have been quite ok with a few changes, ok wait ALOT of changes! If only we could turn back time, fire most of the cast, rewrite most of it, and re-film it. So yes, we tried to make an Aussie Slasher Flick and we failed. But we'll be back! We will match the brilliance of "Picnic At Hanging Rock" you'll see!