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Reviews
Running Scared (2006)
Side Plot is Better Than Main One
It's not every year that I see a movie, or in this case a scene in a movie, that makes my jaw drop before screaming "Oh, my God!" three or four times in a row, then I look at my girlfriend and we both simultaneously said that it was the best scene we had seen in any movie...ever! So, that's why I had to put the spoiler warning in here. I'm not sure if this is actually a spoiler, but I'm placing quite a bit of emphasis on this one scene. The scene in which Paul Walker's wife rescues the boy next door from the wicked couple that kidnaps him...and the way in which she does it, is wonderful.
The front of the movie says something like "This movie makes Kill Bill look like Sesame Street" is a very fair comment. This movie lacks all of those weird Tarantino elements that are his trademark, and I feel would take away from the charm and seriousness of this movie.
This was the best movie I've seen in a long time.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Not bad at all
OK, the idea that these two monsters would have a history together was so outrageous that the expectation that there could be no plot line worthy of even the quickest breakfast at Starbucks between the screenwriter and producer. Yet this movie actually pulls it off. I went in thinking this is going to be a B movie at best, and came out of it wanting more. The likelihood of a sequel is slim, and I think the idea is only a carry over of the utter blowing away of my expectations. Now that I think more about it, I don't even remember questioning whether there were holes in the plot. That is something I usually do in movies like this. This movie was entertaining enough to force me to overlook the whole "let's pick this apart" type approach. It was surprisingly enjoyable.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Hilariously bizarre psycho thriller love tragedy
This movie is one of a kind. The idea that one's bad memories can be erased is enough seed of an idea from which to harvest comic material for a small miniseries, and this movie is like the highlights all scrunched into 2 hours. The action is non-stop, the suspense is ever-present, the cinematography is so fresh, and the acting is purely enthralling. You will find yourself so captured by the story that you will forget that you are watching a movie. Movies like this take our subconscious spirits on a joy ride and leave the rest of us to try and catch up. The catching up only comes well after the movie is over, as the smiles take days to wear off. After watching this movie, I immediately KNEW that it was in my top 25 of all time, and that it would stay there forever. Other movies with similar bizarre plots will come close, I'm sure, but this one is so original as to only be compared with the likes of 12 Monkeys, Vanilla Sky, Brazil, and a small handful of others. Enjoy!
Fong Sai-Yuk (1993)
very good despite the overdub
Believe it or not, this was the movie that introduced me to Jet Li. I was immediately hooked. I've read reviews that discredit the dub into English, but I found it easy to overlook this -- in fact, I found it to be somewhat hilarious. This film has all the makings of a great movie. There are no sub-plots that do not get resolved. The servant who always bawls whenever Jet Li's character get's set to go away for a minute or two is downright hilarious. That's one of the unique things about this movie: with so much drama they managed to make a hilarious movie, as well. As usual, the kung fu is extraordinary. In particular, there are a few scenes in which the opponents face off and the camera takes a moment to pause and let the viewer see the poses from a brilliant perspective. This will always be one of my favorite Chinese films.
Dracula 3000 (2004)
Only see this movie if you are looking for the worst ever!
OK, maybe I'm being too harsh on this movie because it is one that I have seen (and paid for -- arggh) most recently (today is 2005-02-08). Regardless, this IS the worst movie I have ever seen, and I can qualify this further by stating that I have actually seen The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes -- the worst movie ever prior to my seeing Drak 3k. I'm so upset just thinking about it that I am finding it difficult to write on the subject due to the fact that I typically only try to find positive things to say about stuff. Here are some positive comments: Coolio is a much stronger music biz artist than show biz artist; "Tiny" Lister had a wonderful role and performance in 'The 5th Element', one of my favorite movies; and all of the other actors have the rest of their careers to look forward to. If you want a tip on how to watch this movie, try imagining that humvee's anger is directed solely at the relative merit of the film, instead of written into the script which is filled with overused and outdated black-white racial slurs. Zero points for originality. ZERO!