Sorry for no blog last weekend due the fact that I was busy with Boston Red Sox basebal and the fact that I'm feeling happy of Red Sox winning the World Series again, in my lifetime. With that said, here are the remaining two movies of Horrorfest 2007.
Reviews
Rating System
5 Stars – Highly Recommended
4 Stars – Recommended
3 Stars – Good / Average Film
2 Stars – Disappointing Film
1 Star – Totally Awful
Horrorfest 2007
Dark Corners
Dark Corners is about a young troubled woman (Thora Birch) who wakes up as a totally different person. Soon, her typical conscious world and unconscious world will collide as she begins to be haunted by visions that are so horrifying. She then begins to wonder, if these visions are just fragments of her imagination or something that put her in danger. The film is directed by first time writer/director Ray Gower and Toby Stephen co-star in the film. Dark Corners is very intelligent and creepy film that has the feel of a David Lynch film. I thought Ray Gower did a really good job with this film. I thought the screenplay was very good, as the characters were interesting and a story that kept my attention leading up to it shocking ending. Gower also did a nice job with the direction of the film, as the set pieces were creepy along with the action making the film frightening. I thought Thora Birch's performances were very good, as she plays both of her characters very well. She pulls it off very well in the film, as it must have hard work to portray two characters that are very different from each other. Dark Corners is a frightening European horror film, which never eases up on its dark tone and creepiness. 4Stars. Not Rated. 95 Mins.
The Cradle
The Cradle is about a married man named Frank (Lukas Hass) who's wife and son become mysteriously ill when they move into an isolated town. He begins to find out that a vengeful sprit maybe the cause of the illness. Soon he is pushed to the point where he hat to find a way out of this madness, in order to save his family. With the exception of a few scenes, The Cradle was an un-suspenseful and slow moving film. The film felt like a film that was made for television. Most of the problems with this film were the fact that there were too many scenes with no dialogue or any sort of action, which made the film boring. Also, the characters in the film were uninteresting and lifeless at times. If you are looking for an entertaining supernatural film, then The Cradle is not it. 1 Star. Not Rated. 107 Mins.
That it for this short edition of The Anthony T Movie Blog. I should be back weekend, as I have a couple of movie that I've been meaning to get to and I'll let you my favorite film of Horrorfest 2007, in my DVD Pick of the Week. Until then, Have a happy and safe Halloween.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
10/23 Edition of The Anthony T Movie Blog
Welcome to this week’s edition of my movie blog. Before I start, it’s been a busy and fun week for me. I didn’t get a chance to see Reign On Me but I promise, I will see that film and have thought on it, in the next edition. One reasons I’ve busy spending time at the Rhode Island International Horror Festival, as I volunteered there this past Thursday and Saturday. It was a fun time, as I got a chance to see some good movies at the festival including, Kreating Karloff. A documentary film about a young actor who bring the two of Universal’s iconic monsters that Karloff played for an sophisticated screen test and tribute to the icon him. Another film that I caught at I liked was underground filmmaker Mike Watt and his latest A Feast of Flesh. The film is about a young woman, who gets caughted up in the middle of a war between a group of vampires and a team of mercenaries. I thought this was good vampire horror film. I’ll go into more detail on the film when it comes out on DVD next month via Bloody Earth Pictures / E.I. Cinema. The best film I saw at the festival was Am I Evil. I’ll talk about the film later on in this edition.
Reviews
Rating System
5 Stars – Highly Recommended
4 Stars – Recommended
3 Stars – Good / Average Film
2 Stars – Disappointing Film
1 Stars – Totally Awful
In Theaters
Across The Universe
Across the Universe is the latest film from director Julie Taymor (Frida). The film is a sixties period piece set to the tone of the music from The Beatles. It's about a British dockworker named Jude (Jim Struggles) who travels to America to find his long lost estranged father working at a university. There he meets Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) a woman who ius the sister of a friend (Joe Anderson), he meets at the university. Later the two would fall in love. Soon their relationship is threaten, when Lucy joins a peace activist group after her brother was sent to Vietnam. Jude then becomes jealous and start's thinking that she's having an affair with the leader of the group. Can their relationship survive through the troubles they are having and would the film live up to my expectations? Bono, Joe Cocker and Eddie Izzard make cameo appearances, in the film. Thankfully, Across the Universe did live up to my expectations, as my most anticipated film of the fall. Director Julie Taymor makes this movie special through the visual images, as it kept me glued to the screen. The music in the film was great, especially during the music sequences that featured Joe Cocker and Bono. Also, the imagery was great to watch, as it was perfect for the big screen. The screenwriters did a really good job with the story. The characters were interesting and I liked the way the songs made senses with the movie as a whole because the movie doesn't work, if the songs don't fit the flow of the movie. The performances were very good, as there weren't many headlining stars in the film. Both Jim Struggles and Evan Rachel Wood gave good solid performances. They both had good chemistry and their performances kept the story going. Across the Universe is the most visual compelling musical film that I have seen, since Pink Floyd's The Wall. 5 Stars. Rated PG-13. 131 Mins.
Horrorfest 2007
Murder Party
Murder Party is one of the first releases on Magnolia Entertainment's new label Magnet Entertainment. The film is about an average person named Chris, who finds an invitation to a costume party on the eve of Halloween. Soon, he get more that he bargains for when he goes to the party, where a group of artists wants to kill him artistically for an art grant. But when the group starts to fall apart, Chris knows that must survive the chaos within the group to survive the night. Murder Party has played in various major festivals this year, including Slamdance, where it won the Audience Award and the South by Southwest film festival. This was a very enjoyable movie, as it was a very odd and entertaning horror film, but I can see how this played well at film festivals. The characters in the film were very interesting, as they didn't seem clichéd or boring. I liked that how the filmmakers made the hero of the story totally different from those in other horror films today. But the best part of the film was the last 20 minutes, as it grabbed my attention and was entertaining. The acting was good and there's plenty of gore shots that horror fans will enjoy. Murder Party is one of the weirdest and most original horror films out there this year. For More information on this film, you can goto www.myspace.com/murderparty07 . 4 Stars. Not Rated. 80 Mins.
Death By Engagement
Death By Engagment is about a man (Brandon Largent) who on his wedding day was left at the altar. He then begins to snap, as he becomes obsessed with the ring that he used to propose to his girlfriend, in which belongs to his mother (P.J. Soles). Soon he begins to leave a bloody trail in which a couple of detectives (Sascha Knopf, Aaron MacPherson) begin to follow the trail of the ring, which keeps bouncing from one unlucky bride to the next. Will the detectives be able stop this rampage before any more brides die? Christa Campbell (2001 Maniacs) and Ivari Limon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) also co-star in the film. Death by Engagement is very good film. I thought the story was interesting. I liked how the filmmakers connected the different stories to the ring, as it made the film interesting. The acting in the film was very good, as it made the film entertaining and watchable. The only drawback in the film was it didn't feel suspenseful enough for me, but nonetheless the acting and the story still made the film good to watch. For more information on this film, you can goto www.myspace.com/death_by_engagement 3.5 Stars. Not Rated. 99 Mins.
Am I Evil ?
Am I Evil is about a normal guy who has everything, a good relationship with his brother, a girlfriend who loves him and a best friend who likes to hang out with him. But unknown to everyone, he has an evil side that make him do horrifically things to fulfill his darkest fantasies. Am I Evil is one of the most disturbing and shocking underground horror films, I’ve ever seen. With that said, I thought this was also the best film, I saw at the Rhode Island International Horror Festival. A lot of the credit for this film has to go to director/writer Richard Terassi who won the Best Direcor award at the festival. He did a great job, by making this film a character study piece instead of a typical homicidal manic film. The direction of the film was great. I liked how he kept going back and forth with using color and black and white frames to give the film its eerie and disturbing feel. Also, I thought he really got very good performance from his lead actor, as he portraying this frightening character very well. The musical score of the film was very good, as it was another component to making this film terrifying. I hope someone in the movie distribution business will distribute this film on DVD as its a frightening psychological film that deserve to put out on store shelve. Am I Evil is a Psychological horror film that’s definitely not for the weak of heart. Am I Evil is currently playing on the festival circuit. For more information on this film, you can goto www.myspace.com/RichardTerassi. 4 Stars. Not Rated. 104Mins.
New Releases
DVD Pick of the Week
Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror
Planet Terror is the Robert Rodriguez’s half of the Grindhouse film that was released together with Death Proof, back in April. The film is about a virus that infects a small Texas Town turning people into zombies. It’s up to a group of survivors to find a way out of town before the zombies get them. The feature stars Rose McGowan (TV’s Charmed), Freddy Rodriguez (TV’s Six Feet Under), Marley Shelton, and Bruce Willis (Live Free or Die Hard). I thought it was a fun movie to watch. Planet Terror moves along at a good pace. I like the way that Rodriguez gives the feel of 60’s grindhouse films with the aged picture and the missing reel. The action sequences were action packed and very gory at times. He’s great at directing these action sequences, as they were entertaining. Marley Shelton’s character Dr Dakota Block kind of reminded me of the bride in Kill Bill vol. 1 &2. Also note that the Machete trailer that was apart of the Grindhouse film is at the beginning of this film. It was my favorite fake trailer of the bunch. Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror was fun to watching this film because it don’t take it’s self too seriously like other films from that era. 5 Stars. Not Rated. 104 Mins.
That’s it for this week’s edition of the movie blog. I’ll be back this weekend hopefully, after I celebrate my birthday with my reviews of Reign On Me, and the final two films in Horrorfest 2007. The Cradle and Dark Corner. Until then, have a good day.
Reviews
Rating System
5 Stars – Highly Recommended
4 Stars – Recommended
3 Stars – Good / Average Film
2 Stars – Disappointing Film
1 Stars – Totally Awful
In Theaters
Across The Universe
Across the Universe is the latest film from director Julie Taymor (Frida). The film is a sixties period piece set to the tone of the music from The Beatles. It's about a British dockworker named Jude (Jim Struggles) who travels to America to find his long lost estranged father working at a university. There he meets Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) a woman who ius the sister of a friend (Joe Anderson), he meets at the university. Later the two would fall in love. Soon their relationship is threaten, when Lucy joins a peace activist group after her brother was sent to Vietnam. Jude then becomes jealous and start's thinking that she's having an affair with the leader of the group. Can their relationship survive through the troubles they are having and would the film live up to my expectations? Bono, Joe Cocker and Eddie Izzard make cameo appearances, in the film. Thankfully, Across the Universe did live up to my expectations, as my most anticipated film of the fall. Director Julie Taymor makes this movie special through the visual images, as it kept me glued to the screen. The music in the film was great, especially during the music sequences that featured Joe Cocker and Bono. Also, the imagery was great to watch, as it was perfect for the big screen. The screenwriters did a really good job with the story. The characters were interesting and I liked the way the songs made senses with the movie as a whole because the movie doesn't work, if the songs don't fit the flow of the movie. The performances were very good, as there weren't many headlining stars in the film. Both Jim Struggles and Evan Rachel Wood gave good solid performances. They both had good chemistry and their performances kept the story going. Across the Universe is the most visual compelling musical film that I have seen, since Pink Floyd's The Wall. 5 Stars. Rated PG-13. 131 Mins.
Horrorfest 2007
Murder Party
Murder Party is one of the first releases on Magnolia Entertainment's new label Magnet Entertainment. The film is about an average person named Chris, who finds an invitation to a costume party on the eve of Halloween. Soon, he get more that he bargains for when he goes to the party, where a group of artists wants to kill him artistically for an art grant. But when the group starts to fall apart, Chris knows that must survive the chaos within the group to survive the night. Murder Party has played in various major festivals this year, including Slamdance, where it won the Audience Award and the South by Southwest film festival. This was a very enjoyable movie, as it was a very odd and entertaning horror film, but I can see how this played well at film festivals. The characters in the film were very interesting, as they didn't seem clichéd or boring. I liked that how the filmmakers made the hero of the story totally different from those in other horror films today. But the best part of the film was the last 20 minutes, as it grabbed my attention and was entertaining. The acting was good and there's plenty of gore shots that horror fans will enjoy. Murder Party is one of the weirdest and most original horror films out there this year. For More information on this film, you can goto www.myspace.com/murderparty07 . 4 Stars. Not Rated. 80 Mins.
Death By Engagement
Death By Engagment is about a man (Brandon Largent) who on his wedding day was left at the altar. He then begins to snap, as he becomes obsessed with the ring that he used to propose to his girlfriend, in which belongs to his mother (P.J. Soles). Soon he begins to leave a bloody trail in which a couple of detectives (Sascha Knopf, Aaron MacPherson) begin to follow the trail of the ring, which keeps bouncing from one unlucky bride to the next. Will the detectives be able stop this rampage before any more brides die? Christa Campbell (2001 Maniacs) and Ivari Limon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) also co-star in the film. Death by Engagement is very good film. I thought the story was interesting. I liked how the filmmakers connected the different stories to the ring, as it made the film interesting. The acting in the film was very good, as it made the film entertaining and watchable. The only drawback in the film was it didn't feel suspenseful enough for me, but nonetheless the acting and the story still made the film good to watch. For more information on this film, you can goto www.myspace.com/death_by_engagement 3.5 Stars. Not Rated. 99 Mins.
Am I Evil ?
Am I Evil is about a normal guy who has everything, a good relationship with his brother, a girlfriend who loves him and a best friend who likes to hang out with him. But unknown to everyone, he has an evil side that make him do horrifically things to fulfill his darkest fantasies. Am I Evil is one of the most disturbing and shocking underground horror films, I’ve ever seen. With that said, I thought this was also the best film, I saw at the Rhode Island International Horror Festival. A lot of the credit for this film has to go to director/writer Richard Terassi who won the Best Direcor award at the festival. He did a great job, by making this film a character study piece instead of a typical homicidal manic film. The direction of the film was great. I liked how he kept going back and forth with using color and black and white frames to give the film its eerie and disturbing feel. Also, I thought he really got very good performance from his lead actor, as he portraying this frightening character very well. The musical score of the film was very good, as it was another component to making this film terrifying. I hope someone in the movie distribution business will distribute this film on DVD as its a frightening psychological film that deserve to put out on store shelve. Am I Evil is a Psychological horror film that’s definitely not for the weak of heart. Am I Evil is currently playing on the festival circuit. For more information on this film, you can goto www.myspace.com/RichardTerassi. 4 Stars. Not Rated. 104Mins.
New Releases
DVD Pick of the Week
Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror
Planet Terror is the Robert Rodriguez’s half of the Grindhouse film that was released together with Death Proof, back in April. The film is about a virus that infects a small Texas Town turning people into zombies. It’s up to a group of survivors to find a way out of town before the zombies get them. The feature stars Rose McGowan (TV’s Charmed), Freddy Rodriguez (TV’s Six Feet Under), Marley Shelton, and Bruce Willis (Live Free or Die Hard). I thought it was a fun movie to watch. Planet Terror moves along at a good pace. I like the way that Rodriguez gives the feel of 60’s grindhouse films with the aged picture and the missing reel. The action sequences were action packed and very gory at times. He’s great at directing these action sequences, as they were entertaining. Marley Shelton’s character Dr Dakota Block kind of reminded me of the bride in Kill Bill vol. 1 &2. Also note that the Machete trailer that was apart of the Grindhouse film is at the beginning of this film. It was my favorite fake trailer of the bunch. Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror was fun to watching this film because it don’t take it’s self too seriously like other films from that era. 5 Stars. Not Rated. 104 Mins.
That’s it for this week’s edition of the movie blog. I’ll be back this weekend hopefully, after I celebrate my birthday with my reviews of Reign On Me, and the final two films in Horrorfest 2007. The Cradle and Dark Corner. Until then, have a good day.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
10/14 Edition of the Anthony T Movie Blog
Welcome to this week's edition of my movie blog. Things are going good today. This week is going to be a fun week for me. I'll finally have a chance to see Across the Universe and for the first time, I am going to go and be part of a film festival as I'm volunteering at the Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival Thursday night and then going out Saturday afternoon as a fan. It should be a fun time watching films with people who have a common interest, such as me.
Reviews
Rating System
5 Stars – Highly Recommended
4 Stars – Recommended
3 Stars – Good / Average Film
2 Stars – Disappointing Film
1 Stars – Totally Awful
Horrorfest 2007
The Murder Game
The Murder Game is about a group of teenagers who invent a game, in which a killer stalks victims with a prop weapon before being found out by the other contestants. But the game takes a deadly turn, when the kids are getting murdered for real. Now they must find the real murderer and stop them, before they all die one by one. The Murder Game is movie that kind of reminded me of Scream a little bit, where it was a horror/mystery movie. I thought the film was creepy and suspenseful. The film is the first feature film from director Robert Harari. I thought he really did a good job with the production value of the film, as it looked very good for a low-budget film. He also did a great job in directing the actors in the film, as their performances were very good. The screenplay was also good, as the killer wasn't predictable which helped make the film suspenseful. Fans of Scream and the mystery/horror genre will enjoy this flick. For more information on The Murder Game, please go to www.myspace.com/themurdergame. 4 Stars. Unrated. 86 Mins.
Shadow Puppets
Shadow Puppets is about a group of strangers, who wake up in a locked asylum ward. Not knowing how they got there or who they are, they must find out what is happening to them. But there's a supernatural force lurking to kill them all before they discover the truth of what's going on with them James Madsen (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jolean Balock (Star Trek: Enterprise), and Tony Todd (Candyman, Hatchet) Shadow Puppets could have been easily been shown on the Sci-fi Channel. The acting was good, as that wasn't the problem with this film. I just could not get into the film until the last half hour of the film, as it made me interested for the first time because it was suspenseful all of a sudden. Before that it felt like a slow moving film waiting for something to happen. Shadow Puppets is a movie that could have been better with more action but overall the acting in the film made it watchable for me. For more information on this movie goto www.myspace.com/shadowpuppetsmovie. 2.5 Stars. Not Rated. 103Mins.
Dead Line
Dead Line is a short film about a group of college kids who spend a summer vacation at an isolated cabin. Their vacation takes a turn for the worse when Jane (Adriel Joy) starts receiving mysterious phone calls. Soon, their vacation of fun, takes a violent turn. I thought Dead Line was a very good psychological slasher short film. It didn't have the feel of a mindless b-movie slasher film. Michael Fatale (the film's director) does a very good job with the screenplay, as it's focuses on character development and story. The production value of the film was also good. The interaction of the actors was very good, as the acting didn't feel amateurish and it kept my interest in the story. Dead Line was a very interesting little horror film and I look forward to seeing more of Michelle Fatale's work in the near future. For more information on this film and how you can purchase it, you can go to www.myspace.com/deadlinethemovie. 4 Stars. Not Rated. 36 Mins.
New Releases on DVD
You Kill Me
You Kill Me is one of those films I've been waiting to see but it wasn't playing anywhere in my area, until now. The film is the latest film from director John Dahl, who directed the movies Rounders, The Last Seduction and Red Rock West. His latest film, You Kill Me, is about an alcoholic hit man (Ben Kingsley) who works for the mob in Buffalo, New York. There, he messes up his assignment when he drank on the job in which, put the family business in danger. After that happens his uncle sends him to San Francisco to get cleaned up. While there, he has to go to AA meetings, find someone to sponsor him there, and work in a mortuary where he meets a woman (Tea Leoni) who is devoid of boundaries. Luke Wilson (Vacancy, My Super Ex-Girlfriend) Philip Baker Hall (Hard Eight, Zodiac), Bill Pullman (Independence Day, The Last Seduction) and Dennis Farina (Snatch, Law and Order) also co-star. You Kill Me was a very good film. John Dail goes a really good job directing this film because the acting is good and the movie moves at a good pace. The acting was pretty good as Ben Kinsley was great as the hit man, in this film. I think this is one of his best performances since Sexy Beast. Both, he and Tea Leoni were great together on-screen. The screenplay was good as the dark humor worked for me. You Kill Me is nice dark edgy comedy for the summer movie season. 4 Stars. Rated R. 93 Min.
DVD Pick of the Week
28 Weeks Later
The zombies are back in 28 Weeks Later. It's the sequel to the 2003 hit 28 Days Later. The film takes places six months after the initial outbreak of the rage virus, where the US Army has restored order and stability to London, England. The film follows the story of a father, who is reunited with his children, after they've been separated due to the outbreak. Everything returns to normal, until a carrier with the rage virus gets into the city and the virus starts spreading again. After watching 28 Weeks Later, I had the same thought after watching Children of Men. It was gloomy and intense but also raised some serious issues. It does a great job in drawing parallels to the war in Iraq, and the Katrina devastation. The film was intense from the first scene on. The camera work in this film helped made it more realistic. Another reason why I enjoyed this film was the character development. It's very rare to see this in horror films these days. It made me care about the character in the film. This film was more terrifying than 28 Days Later, as it had more action and gore. This is the second film from Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. He does a great job of keeping the intensity level up and getting very good performances from his actors. He did a great job in following the footsteps of Danny Boyle (28 Days Later), who directed the first film and is one of the executive producers of this film. I really hope Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has the chance to make more films in the near future, because he seems to know how to make films more suspenseful and action packed like this one. 28 Weeks Later delivered what I was expecting, a suspenseful and intense horror film. Even though I liked 28 Days Later a lot, this maybe one of those rare sequels, where the second film is better or equal to the first film. 5 Stars. Rated R. 99Min.
That's it for this week's edition of the movie blog. I'll be back next week with my review for Across the Universe and Reign On Me. Until then, have a good day.
Reviews
Rating System
5 Stars – Highly Recommended
4 Stars – Recommended
3 Stars – Good / Average Film
2 Stars – Disappointing Film
1 Stars – Totally Awful
Horrorfest 2007
The Murder Game
The Murder Game is about a group of teenagers who invent a game, in which a killer stalks victims with a prop weapon before being found out by the other contestants. But the game takes a deadly turn, when the kids are getting murdered for real. Now they must find the real murderer and stop them, before they all die one by one. The Murder Game is movie that kind of reminded me of Scream a little bit, where it was a horror/mystery movie. I thought the film was creepy and suspenseful. The film is the first feature film from director Robert Harari. I thought he really did a good job with the production value of the film, as it looked very good for a low-budget film. He also did a great job in directing the actors in the film, as their performances were very good. The screenplay was also good, as the killer wasn't predictable which helped make the film suspenseful. Fans of Scream and the mystery/horror genre will enjoy this flick. For more information on The Murder Game, please go to www.myspace.com/themurdergame. 4 Stars. Unrated. 86 Mins.
Shadow Puppets
Shadow Puppets is about a group of strangers, who wake up in a locked asylum ward. Not knowing how they got there or who they are, they must find out what is happening to them. But there's a supernatural force lurking to kill them all before they discover the truth of what's going on with them James Madsen (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jolean Balock (Star Trek: Enterprise), and Tony Todd (Candyman, Hatchet) Shadow Puppets could have been easily been shown on the Sci-fi Channel. The acting was good, as that wasn't the problem with this film. I just could not get into the film until the last half hour of the film, as it made me interested for the first time because it was suspenseful all of a sudden. Before that it felt like a slow moving film waiting for something to happen. Shadow Puppets is a movie that could have been better with more action but overall the acting in the film made it watchable for me. For more information on this movie goto www.myspace.com/shadowpuppetsmovie. 2.5 Stars. Not Rated. 103Mins.
Dead Line
Dead Line is a short film about a group of college kids who spend a summer vacation at an isolated cabin. Their vacation takes a turn for the worse when Jane (Adriel Joy) starts receiving mysterious phone calls. Soon, their vacation of fun, takes a violent turn. I thought Dead Line was a very good psychological slasher short film. It didn't have the feel of a mindless b-movie slasher film. Michael Fatale (the film's director) does a very good job with the screenplay, as it's focuses on character development and story. The production value of the film was also good. The interaction of the actors was very good, as the acting didn't feel amateurish and it kept my interest in the story. Dead Line was a very interesting little horror film and I look forward to seeing more of Michelle Fatale's work in the near future. For more information on this film and how you can purchase it, you can go to www.myspace.com/deadlinethemovie. 4 Stars. Not Rated. 36 Mins.
New Releases on DVD
You Kill Me
You Kill Me is one of those films I've been waiting to see but it wasn't playing anywhere in my area, until now. The film is the latest film from director John Dahl, who directed the movies Rounders, The Last Seduction and Red Rock West. His latest film, You Kill Me, is about an alcoholic hit man (Ben Kingsley) who works for the mob in Buffalo, New York. There, he messes up his assignment when he drank on the job in which, put the family business in danger. After that happens his uncle sends him to San Francisco to get cleaned up. While there, he has to go to AA meetings, find someone to sponsor him there, and work in a mortuary where he meets a woman (Tea Leoni) who is devoid of boundaries. Luke Wilson (Vacancy, My Super Ex-Girlfriend) Philip Baker Hall (Hard Eight, Zodiac), Bill Pullman (Independence Day, The Last Seduction) and Dennis Farina (Snatch, Law and Order) also co-star. You Kill Me was a very good film. John Dail goes a really good job directing this film because the acting is good and the movie moves at a good pace. The acting was pretty good as Ben Kinsley was great as the hit man, in this film. I think this is one of his best performances since Sexy Beast. Both, he and Tea Leoni were great together on-screen. The screenplay was good as the dark humor worked for me. You Kill Me is nice dark edgy comedy for the summer movie season. 4 Stars. Rated R. 93 Min.
DVD Pick of the Week
28 Weeks Later
The zombies are back in 28 Weeks Later. It's the sequel to the 2003 hit 28 Days Later. The film takes places six months after the initial outbreak of the rage virus, where the US Army has restored order and stability to London, England. The film follows the story of a father, who is reunited with his children, after they've been separated due to the outbreak. Everything returns to normal, until a carrier with the rage virus gets into the city and the virus starts spreading again. After watching 28 Weeks Later, I had the same thought after watching Children of Men. It was gloomy and intense but also raised some serious issues. It does a great job in drawing parallels to the war in Iraq, and the Katrina devastation. The film was intense from the first scene on. The camera work in this film helped made it more realistic. Another reason why I enjoyed this film was the character development. It's very rare to see this in horror films these days. It made me care about the character in the film. This film was more terrifying than 28 Days Later, as it had more action and gore. This is the second film from Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. He does a great job of keeping the intensity level up and getting very good performances from his actors. He did a great job in following the footsteps of Danny Boyle (28 Days Later), who directed the first film and is one of the executive producers of this film. I really hope Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has the chance to make more films in the near future, because he seems to know how to make films more suspenseful and action packed like this one. 28 Weeks Later delivered what I was expecting, a suspenseful and intense horror film. Even though I liked 28 Days Later a lot, this maybe one of those rare sequels, where the second film is better or equal to the first film. 5 Stars. Rated R. 99Min.
That's it for this week's edition of the movie blog. I'll be back next week with my review for Across the Universe and Reign On Me. Until then, have a good day.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
10/6 Edition of The Anthony T Movie Blog
Welcome to this week’s edition of my movie blog. It’s a busy month for film festivals and conventions, as there are a lot of them around. So I figured, I would highlight them in my opening this week. Here’s a list of some of the festivals and conventions that are happening this month.
Eerie Horror Fest
Erie, PA October 10 - 14
Woodstock Film Festival
Woodstock, NY. October 10 - 14
Rock and Shock Horror Convention
Worcester Mass. October 12 -14
Terror Film Festival
Philadelphia, PA October 16 -21
Bang Bang Film Festival
Philadelphia, PA. October 17 – 21
Hollywood Film festival
Hollywood, CA. October 17 - 22
Rhode Island International Horrror
Providence, RI October 18 -21
Toronto After Dark Film Festival
Toronto, Canada October 19 - 25
It Came From Lake Michigan Film Fest
Milwaukee, Ws. October 25 – 28
Full Moon Horror Convention and Film Festival.
Little Rock, AK. October 26 - 28
Big Bear Lake Horror Film Festival
Big Bear Lake CA. November 2 - 3
Please go out and support independent filmmaking by going these festivals.
Reviews
Rating System
5 Stars – Highly Recommended
4 Stars – Recommended
3 Stars – Good / Average Film
2 Stars – Disappointing Film
1 Stars – Totally Awful
Horrorfest 2007
Bad Reputation
Bad Reputation is the first film to kick off Horrorfest 2007. The film is about a high-school girl (Angelique Hennessy), who thinks that the students have accepted her, when she is invited to a party. During the party, things go horribly wrong for her, when someone put drugs into her drink. Then she is raped and the student body makes fun of her. She then begins to exact her revenge by murdering the people that tormented her. It’s amazing how independent horror has become watch-able again for me. Bad Reputation was a very good film. It’s very rare for me to enjoy a slasher film where you don’t care for the victims at all, but it works for this film. I liked how the story developed in the first thirty minutes, where I felt sorry for the main character and you hated the kids that were doing this to her. I also like the fact that the screenplay didn’t get carried away with offing various characters for no apparent or stupid reasons which plague some low budget horror films. I thought Angelique Hennessy did a good job the material that she was given in the film. Bad Reputation is good film for those who love revenge slasher films. For more information on this film, go to www.myspace.com/badreputationmovie. 4 Stars. Not Rated.
Stupid Teenagers Must Die
Stupid Teenagers Must Die is group of teenagers in the 1980’s are having a séance in a haunted house, where all the typical 80’s characters in horror films are there. Soon eerie things start to happen in the house where a serial killer used to live and the teenagers start to die a bloody death. The remaining teenagers must fight this supernatural force and stay alive. Will they get to safety or will they end up dying a horrible death. Stupid Teenagers Must Die is good campy B-movie fun. The film does suffer from its little budget and the fact the screenplay spends, a lot of time parodying 80’s horror movies. But I enjoyed the film’s humor that made it a fun mindless guilty pleasure film to watch. B Movie fans will have a fun time watching this film. For more information, on Stupid Teenagers Must Die, go to www.myspace.com/stupidteenagers. 3.5 Stars. Not Rated. 76 Mins
New Releases on DVD
Maang Lung (Dragon Heat)
Dragon Heat is one the latest film on the Weinstein’s Dragon Dynasty label. The film is about a crime lord who goes missing before he stands trial. It’s up to a group of elite Interpol agents that’s assembled to bring the crime lord back to stand trail. In order to capture him they have must go through a mysterious and very armed enemy. Michael Biehn (Grindhouse, The Terminator), Maggie Q (M.I 3, Live Free or Die Hard), and Shawn Yue (Infernal Affairs) also co-star. The filmmakers of War should take notes on how to make an effective Chinese action film because this was a very effective and violent action packed film. The film does good job developing its characters and telling a good story throughout the film. I thought the action sequence were very good and smart, as the sequences made it entertaining to watch and not redundant. I thought the performance were also good in the film. Dragon Heat was a nice escape from the action movies that Hollywood usually puts out. 4 Stars. Not Rated. 110 Mins.
DVD Pick of the Week
1408
1408 is the latest movie to be adapted from a Stephen King story. The film stars John Cusack (Gross Point Blank, High Fidelity) as an author who’s written two books that focuses on supernatural phenomena. Then one day, he receives a postcard telling them about a room 1408 in a New York hotel. Obsessed about the postcard, he’s determined to stay a night in the room and research the strange occurrences of that room. Will he make it out alive or will he end up another victim of that room? The film also co-stars Samuel L. Jackson (Black Snake Moan, Snakes on a Plane) and directed by Mikael Hafstrom (Derailed). I was surprised that I really enjoyed this film a lot, even thought it was rated PG-13. This is coming from a person, who dislikes PG-13 horror films. The rating for the film was biggest fear going into this because it might not be frightening enough for me or horror genre fans, as it might fall into the trap that many PG-13 horror films go though, by having no major scares or no story. Mikael Hafstrom does great job in creating a dark atmosphere that makes the film frightful and suspenseful. It also pushing the boundaries of what a PG-13 horror film can do. Also, I enjoyed John Cusack’s performance in the film. He was great and kept me interested in suspense throughout the film. It’s also one of those movies, where if the lead performance wasn’t very good or great then the movie was going to suffer because he’s on-screen by himself for most of the film. Also, don’t be fooled by the advertising that Samuel L. Jackson plays a major role in this film. He only on-screen for a short time but goes give a very great supporting performance, as the manger of the hotel that has this haunted room. 1408 is one of the best horror films to be released this year. It’s the most frightening film I’ve seen in theaters, since The Blair Witch Project back in 1999 and genre fans will enjoy checking into room 1408. 5 Stars. Rated PG-13. 108 Mins.
That’s it for this week’s edition of the movie blog. I’ll be back mid-week with this month edition of The Underrated Movie Blog on my myspace page. It will include two horror films that some of you might not have heard of. Until then, have a good day.
Eerie Horror Fest
Erie, PA October 10 - 14
Woodstock Film Festival
Woodstock, NY. October 10 - 14
Rock and Shock Horror Convention
Worcester Mass. October 12 -14
Terror Film Festival
Philadelphia, PA October 16 -21
Bang Bang Film Festival
Philadelphia, PA. October 17 – 21
Hollywood Film festival
Hollywood, CA. October 17 - 22
Rhode Island International Horrror
Providence, RI October 18 -21
Toronto After Dark Film Festival
Toronto, Canada October 19 - 25
It Came From Lake Michigan Film Fest
Milwaukee, Ws. October 25 – 28
Full Moon Horror Convention and Film Festival.
Little Rock, AK. October 26 - 28
Big Bear Lake Horror Film Festival
Big Bear Lake CA. November 2 - 3
Please go out and support independent filmmaking by going these festivals.
Reviews
Rating System
5 Stars – Highly Recommended
4 Stars – Recommended
3 Stars – Good / Average Film
2 Stars – Disappointing Film
1 Stars – Totally Awful
Horrorfest 2007
Bad Reputation
Bad Reputation is the first film to kick off Horrorfest 2007. The film is about a high-school girl (Angelique Hennessy), who thinks that the students have accepted her, when she is invited to a party. During the party, things go horribly wrong for her, when someone put drugs into her drink. Then she is raped and the student body makes fun of her. She then begins to exact her revenge by murdering the people that tormented her. It’s amazing how independent horror has become watch-able again for me. Bad Reputation was a very good film. It’s very rare for me to enjoy a slasher film where you don’t care for the victims at all, but it works for this film. I liked how the story developed in the first thirty minutes, where I felt sorry for the main character and you hated the kids that were doing this to her. I also like the fact that the screenplay didn’t get carried away with offing various characters for no apparent or stupid reasons which plague some low budget horror films. I thought Angelique Hennessy did a good job the material that she was given in the film. Bad Reputation is good film for those who love revenge slasher films. For more information on this film, go to www.myspace.com/badreputationmovie. 4 Stars. Not Rated.
Stupid Teenagers Must Die
Stupid Teenagers Must Die is group of teenagers in the 1980’s are having a séance in a haunted house, where all the typical 80’s characters in horror films are there. Soon eerie things start to happen in the house where a serial killer used to live and the teenagers start to die a bloody death. The remaining teenagers must fight this supernatural force and stay alive. Will they get to safety or will they end up dying a horrible death. Stupid Teenagers Must Die is good campy B-movie fun. The film does suffer from its little budget and the fact the screenplay spends, a lot of time parodying 80’s horror movies. But I enjoyed the film’s humor that made it a fun mindless guilty pleasure film to watch. B Movie fans will have a fun time watching this film. For more information, on Stupid Teenagers Must Die, go to www.myspace.com/stupidteenagers. 3.5 Stars. Not Rated. 76 Mins
New Releases on DVD
Maang Lung (Dragon Heat)
Dragon Heat is one the latest film on the Weinstein’s Dragon Dynasty label. The film is about a crime lord who goes missing before he stands trial. It’s up to a group of elite Interpol agents that’s assembled to bring the crime lord back to stand trail. In order to capture him they have must go through a mysterious and very armed enemy. Michael Biehn (Grindhouse, The Terminator), Maggie Q (M.I 3, Live Free or Die Hard), and Shawn Yue (Infernal Affairs) also co-star. The filmmakers of War should take notes on how to make an effective Chinese action film because this was a very effective and violent action packed film. The film does good job developing its characters and telling a good story throughout the film. I thought the action sequence were very good and smart, as the sequences made it entertaining to watch and not redundant. I thought the performance were also good in the film. Dragon Heat was a nice escape from the action movies that Hollywood usually puts out. 4 Stars. Not Rated. 110 Mins.
DVD Pick of the Week
1408
1408 is the latest movie to be adapted from a Stephen King story. The film stars John Cusack (Gross Point Blank, High Fidelity) as an author who’s written two books that focuses on supernatural phenomena. Then one day, he receives a postcard telling them about a room 1408 in a New York hotel. Obsessed about the postcard, he’s determined to stay a night in the room and research the strange occurrences of that room. Will he make it out alive or will he end up another victim of that room? The film also co-stars Samuel L. Jackson (Black Snake Moan, Snakes on a Plane) and directed by Mikael Hafstrom (Derailed). I was surprised that I really enjoyed this film a lot, even thought it was rated PG-13. This is coming from a person, who dislikes PG-13 horror films. The rating for the film was biggest fear going into this because it might not be frightening enough for me or horror genre fans, as it might fall into the trap that many PG-13 horror films go though, by having no major scares or no story. Mikael Hafstrom does great job in creating a dark atmosphere that makes the film frightful and suspenseful. It also pushing the boundaries of what a PG-13 horror film can do. Also, I enjoyed John Cusack’s performance in the film. He was great and kept me interested in suspense throughout the film. It’s also one of those movies, where if the lead performance wasn’t very good or great then the movie was going to suffer because he’s on-screen by himself for most of the film. Also, don’t be fooled by the advertising that Samuel L. Jackson plays a major role in this film. He only on-screen for a short time but goes give a very great supporting performance, as the manger of the hotel that has this haunted room. 1408 is one of the best horror films to be released this year. It’s the most frightening film I’ve seen in theaters, since The Blair Witch Project back in 1999 and genre fans will enjoy checking into room 1408. 5 Stars. Rated PG-13. 108 Mins.
That’s it for this week’s edition of the movie blog. I’ll be back mid-week with this month edition of The Underrated Movie Blog on my myspace page. It will include two horror films that some of you might not have heard of. Until then, have a good day.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
9/30 Edition of the Anthony T Movie Blog
Welcome to this week's edition of my movie blog. I'm getting ready Horrorfest 2007, in which I will review films in the independent horror genre for this blog. It will be a change of pace, from what I usually do, as it will be more horror heavy than usually, for this month only. I still have plans on reviewing other movies like Reign On Me during this month, for those not into independent horror. Without further explanation, here is the list of the films that I will be reviewing for Horrorfest 2007.
Horrorfest 2007
To get information on some of these films, just click on the title.
Bad Reputation
The Cradle
Dark Corners
Death By Engagement
The Murder Game
Murder Party
Shadow Puppets
Stupid Teenagers Must Die
Each week in October, I will review two of those films and after Horrorfest is over, I'll let you know, which film received the honor of Best of Horrorfest 2007.
Reviews
Rating System
5 Stars – Highly Recommended
4 Stars – Recommended
3 Stars – Good / Average Film
2 Stars – Disappointing Film
1 Stars – Totally Awful
New Releases on DVD
Knocked Up
Knocked Up is the follow up to Judd Apatow's The 40 Year Old Virgin, a film that I thought was good but not great. This romantic comedy is about a slacker named Ben (Seth Rogan), whom has a one-night stand with an up and coming career girl named Alison (Katherine Heigl). Eight weeks later, he finds that she's pregnant with his child. The film co-stars Paul Rudd (Anchorman, The 40-Year Old Virgin) and Leslie Mann and features cameos from Harold Ramis (director of Caddyshack, and Groundhog Day), Ryan Seacrest, and Steve Carell (The Office (US) and the upcoming Evan Almighty). This film was a laugh out loud riot. Judd Apatow did a great job in making a movie that is funny, while dealing with the serious issues of pregnancy and relationships. I also liked the fact that the film didn't have to rely on gross-out humor too much, which has plagued most comedies these days. This film was also Seth Rogan's breakout role. He's very entertaining and funny throughout the film. I hope he gets to star in more films, in the near future. The other performances were also funny especially from Katherine Heigl and Leslie Mann as Alison' sister, Debbie. Knocked Up is up there with Hot Fuzz, as one of the year's funniest comedies. I might be in the minority here, but I have to say this film was better and funnier then The 40-Year Old Virgin. 5 Stars. Rated R. 129Min.
Bug
Bug is the latest film from the director of The Exorcist and The French Connection, William Friedkin. Ashley Judd stars as Anges, a lonesome woman who is lives in a motel room when she is introduces to a man (Michael Shannon) who's a Gulf War veteran and thinks that the government is brainwashing people. Slowly, he begins to brainwash her with his ideas and begin a tender romance until her abusive ex (Harry Connick Jr.), suddenly shows up to see her. Soon the lines between reality and paranoid delusion begin to affect Anges, and there is no telling what is real or not. The film is based on the play written by Tracy Letts (who also wrote the screenplay for the film). Bug should have stayed as a play, as it felt like a play, not a movie. The screenplay really hurt this film as it was confusing and felt weird. The movie moves at a slow pace, which makes it dull and depressing to watch. The characters in the film were dry and lifeless. The acting in this film was good but not enough to keep my interest in this film. Bug is a boring drama that should have stayed as a play only. 2 Stars. Rated R. 103 Mins.
DVD Pick of the Week
The Camden 28
The Camden 28 is a documentary about the trial of 28 Vietnam protesters in 1973. The accused were either priests or devoted Catholics. They were on trial for braking into a New Jersey draft board in 1971, a crime in which they were acquitted for. The Camden 28 is a must see documentary. Director Anthony Guiacchino made this documentary interesting to watch for someone who hasn't heard about this story. He also gets both sides of the story and going into detail of this trial and the back-stories within it. I liked the fact that the movie included old news footage from back in the early 70's and their reunion back in May of 2002. I thought the subjects were very interesting and went into great detail about the events, for those who haven't been around when this event occurred. The Camden 28 was a fascinating look at a bunch of people who stood up to the government during a controversial war and that's why it's my DVD Pick of the week. For more information on The Camden 28, go to www.camden28.org 5 Stars. Not Rated. 83Mins.
That's it for this week's edition of the movie blog. Next week I will hopefully have time to see Dragon Heat for review and the reviews for the first two films in Horrorfest 2007. Until next time, have a good day.
Horrorfest 2007
To get information on some of these films, just click on the title.
Bad Reputation
The Cradle
Dark Corners
Death By Engagement
The Murder Game
Murder Party
Shadow Puppets
Stupid Teenagers Must Die
Each week in October, I will review two of those films and after Horrorfest is over, I'll let you know, which film received the honor of Best of Horrorfest 2007.
Reviews
Rating System
5 Stars – Highly Recommended
4 Stars – Recommended
3 Stars – Good / Average Film
2 Stars – Disappointing Film
1 Stars – Totally Awful
New Releases on DVD
Knocked Up
Knocked Up is the follow up to Judd Apatow's The 40 Year Old Virgin, a film that I thought was good but not great. This romantic comedy is about a slacker named Ben (Seth Rogan), whom has a one-night stand with an up and coming career girl named Alison (Katherine Heigl). Eight weeks later, he finds that she's pregnant with his child. The film co-stars Paul Rudd (Anchorman, The 40-Year Old Virgin) and Leslie Mann and features cameos from Harold Ramis (director of Caddyshack, and Groundhog Day), Ryan Seacrest, and Steve Carell (The Office (US) and the upcoming Evan Almighty). This film was a laugh out loud riot. Judd Apatow did a great job in making a movie that is funny, while dealing with the serious issues of pregnancy and relationships. I also liked the fact that the film didn't have to rely on gross-out humor too much, which has plagued most comedies these days. This film was also Seth Rogan's breakout role. He's very entertaining and funny throughout the film. I hope he gets to star in more films, in the near future. The other performances were also funny especially from Katherine Heigl and Leslie Mann as Alison' sister, Debbie. Knocked Up is up there with Hot Fuzz, as one of the year's funniest comedies. I might be in the minority here, but I have to say this film was better and funnier then The 40-Year Old Virgin. 5 Stars. Rated R. 129Min.
Bug
Bug is the latest film from the director of The Exorcist and The French Connection, William Friedkin. Ashley Judd stars as Anges, a lonesome woman who is lives in a motel room when she is introduces to a man (Michael Shannon) who's a Gulf War veteran and thinks that the government is brainwashing people. Slowly, he begins to brainwash her with his ideas and begin a tender romance until her abusive ex (Harry Connick Jr.), suddenly shows up to see her. Soon the lines between reality and paranoid delusion begin to affect Anges, and there is no telling what is real or not. The film is based on the play written by Tracy Letts (who also wrote the screenplay for the film). Bug should have stayed as a play, as it felt like a play, not a movie. The screenplay really hurt this film as it was confusing and felt weird. The movie moves at a slow pace, which makes it dull and depressing to watch. The characters in the film were dry and lifeless. The acting in this film was good but not enough to keep my interest in this film. Bug is a boring drama that should have stayed as a play only. 2 Stars. Rated R. 103 Mins.
DVD Pick of the Week
The Camden 28
The Camden 28 is a documentary about the trial of 28 Vietnam protesters in 1973. The accused were either priests or devoted Catholics. They were on trial for braking into a New Jersey draft board in 1971, a crime in which they were acquitted for. The Camden 28 is a must see documentary. Director Anthony Guiacchino made this documentary interesting to watch for someone who hasn't heard about this story. He also gets both sides of the story and going into detail of this trial and the back-stories within it. I liked the fact that the movie included old news footage from back in the early 70's and their reunion back in May of 2002. I thought the subjects were very interesting and went into great detail about the events, for those who haven't been around when this event occurred. The Camden 28 was a fascinating look at a bunch of people who stood up to the government during a controversial war and that's why it's my DVD Pick of the week. For more information on The Camden 28, go to www.camden28.org 5 Stars. Not Rated. 83Mins.
That's it for this week's edition of the movie blog. Next week I will hopefully have time to see Dragon Heat for review and the reviews for the first two films in Horrorfest 2007. Until next time, have a good day.
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