Reviews from the Dark Side presents
The Raven
Released 4/27/12
In this historical thriller that some have called "Saw meets Sherlock Holmes", John Cusack is American literary icon Edgar Allan Poe who is solicited to catch a serial killer in Baltimore. Why Poe? The psychopath has patterned his kills after Poe's famous stories.
When Baltimore police fail to catch a killer who has brutally murdered a mother and daughter, Inspector Fields (Luke Evans) is called to investigate. Fields makes a disturbing discovery. The crimes resemble fictional murders described in gory detail in the local Newspaper. Fields figures the author (Poe) has the best insight to catch the killer. The murders become personal for Poe when the killer kidnaps his secret, well- to- do girlfriend, Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve), in an attempt to engage his idol in a mano-a-mano battle of wits. He also leaves cryptic clues for Poe with each of his next victims. Each clue Poe deciphers inches him closer to finding Emily (in the movie, the inspiration for his poem, Annabel Lee).
As a Poe fan myself, I got a kick out of naming the stories that inspired the murders as they are cleverly interwoven in the plot. OK, I know, The Pit and the Pendulum is a "gimme" in this movie. The murders are sufficiently chilling. John Cusack gives a nice performance showing the author as he was in life. Arrogant, self-loathing, and perpetually down on his luck. He has a sneering hatred for most of his peers and is a social pariah of the highest degree.
Emily's terror in the hands of the killer is very real to me as she suffers through one of my greatest fears. I found her scenes more than sufficiently cringe worthy in her "prison."
Bit of a spoiler alert here. The ending is bittersweet. I'm not sure if this is how Poe met his end in real life given his penchant for self destruction. The movie gives you one possibility that is likely more noble than what really happened.
Overall, this is one of the better thrillers I've seen in a long time. It is well worth your time if you see it.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Safe
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Safe
Released 4/27/12, now in theaters
What do you get when you have a pre-adolescent girl who knows too much (literally) chased on three fronts by the Russian Mob, Chinese Mob, and corrupt NYC detectives with Jason Statham as her only protector? You get the mash-up action flick, Safe.
Mei is a young Chinese girl that has an exceptional mind for numbers. She comes to the attention of the Chinese mob through one of her classmates. She is brought before a mobster who she will later come to know as "Uncle Han." Mei's abilities are very valuable to Uncle Han's "business." He coerces Mei into working for him by threatening her extremely ill mother. He orders the girl to the U.S. (NYC) under the protection of his henchman (enforcer), Quan. Mei's first duties in the U.S. are to keep track of the collection money Quan collects in her computer like brain.
One day, however, Han comes to the U.S. and asks her to memorize a list of seemingly unrelated numbers. As Quan takes her to the next location for further instructions, his party is ambushed by the Russians and Mei is taken. The Russians want the #s in her head. Mei escapes when the NYC police arrive at the Russian stronghold led by corrupt Captain Wolf. The good Captain is playing the Russians and Chinese against each other willing to sell Mei to the highest bidder or, as he later learns about the data she is carrying, profit from the information himself with his crooked detectives.
On the run, Mei encounters Luke Wright (Statham) in the subway. Luke is homeless, down on his luck, and suicidal. He's also a former NYC detective that was part of an elite anti-terrorist unit in the department. Luke was disgraced when he turned whistle blower on his corrupt associates. Since leaving the force, he made a living as an underground cage fighter. His wife and unborn child were murdered by the Russian Mob when he didn't throw a fight. When Luke protects Mei from the Russian thugs chasing her, he sees his shot at redemption. It's going to take all his wits and flying fists to keep both Mei and himself alive from the Russians, Chinese, and NYC cops trying to reacquire her.
Jason Statham has fast become my favorite action star. The character he plays here doesn't break any new ground for him. He's all cool, smoldering anger until he breaks someone's neck. He pulls these roles off extremely well. He's found a niche that works for him. I can also count on one hand how many groaners he's spouted in his movies which is a good thing. Schwarzenegger has a thousand page book of these from Batman and Robin alone.
Luke is a multi dimensional character. He's no angel. He's done things in the line of duty that resemble assassinations more than police work. He does, however, have a limit which is what caused him trouble with the department. He serves his penance by allowing himself to be pummeled in the cage when he can easily best any of his opponents (except the one fighter he puts in a coma). Protecting Mei becomes his salvation which he sees through to its bloody conclusion.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/2 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Safe
Released 4/27/12, now in theaters
What do you get when you have a pre-adolescent girl who knows too much (literally) chased on three fronts by the Russian Mob, Chinese Mob, and corrupt NYC detectives with Jason Statham as her only protector? You get the mash-up action flick, Safe.
Mei is a young Chinese girl that has an exceptional mind for numbers. She comes to the attention of the Chinese mob through one of her classmates. She is brought before a mobster who she will later come to know as "Uncle Han." Mei's abilities are very valuable to Uncle Han's "business." He coerces Mei into working for him by threatening her extremely ill mother. He orders the girl to the U.S. (NYC) under the protection of his henchman (enforcer), Quan. Mei's first duties in the U.S. are to keep track of the collection money Quan collects in her computer like brain.
One day, however, Han comes to the U.S. and asks her to memorize a list of seemingly unrelated numbers. As Quan takes her to the next location for further instructions, his party is ambushed by the Russians and Mei is taken. The Russians want the #s in her head. Mei escapes when the NYC police arrive at the Russian stronghold led by corrupt Captain Wolf. The good Captain is playing the Russians and Chinese against each other willing to sell Mei to the highest bidder or, as he later learns about the data she is carrying, profit from the information himself with his crooked detectives.
On the run, Mei encounters Luke Wright (Statham) in the subway. Luke is homeless, down on his luck, and suicidal. He's also a former NYC detective that was part of an elite anti-terrorist unit in the department. Luke was disgraced when he turned whistle blower on his corrupt associates. Since leaving the force, he made a living as an underground cage fighter. His wife and unborn child were murdered by the Russian Mob when he didn't throw a fight. When Luke protects Mei from the Russian thugs chasing her, he sees his shot at redemption. It's going to take all his wits and flying fists to keep both Mei and himself alive from the Russians, Chinese, and NYC cops trying to reacquire her.
Jason Statham has fast become my favorite action star. The character he plays here doesn't break any new ground for him. He's all cool, smoldering anger until he breaks someone's neck. He pulls these roles off extremely well. He's found a niche that works for him. I can also count on one hand how many groaners he's spouted in his movies which is a good thing. Schwarzenegger has a thousand page book of these from Batman and Robin alone.
Luke is a multi dimensional character. He's no angel. He's done things in the line of duty that resemble assassinations more than police work. He does, however, have a limit which is what caused him trouble with the department. He serves his penance by allowing himself to be pummeled in the cage when he can easily best any of his opponents (except the one fighter he puts in a coma). Protecting Mei becomes his salvation which he sees through to its bloody conclusion.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/2 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
The 5 Year Engagement
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
The 5 Year Engagement
Released 4/27/12, now in theaters
As a whole, with few exceptions, I think rom coms are a blight on humanity. However, The 5 Year Engagement intrigued me. Since Jennifer Lopez and Katherine Heigl weren't starring, it has one thing going for it. The other thing it has going for it was star, Jason Segel (Marshall from How I Met Your Mother), who has a penchant for starring in sweet at its core but bent comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Bad Teacher. The film has also been spit out of the Judd Apatow comedy machine that has produced Bridesmaids and the 40 Year Old Virgin.
The movie follows the trials and tribulations of young couple, Tom Solomon (Segel) and his girlfriend/fiancé, Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt). Tom is a sous chef for a high class San Francisco restaurant. Violet is a Psychology graduate who I'm not sure is actually employed at the beginning. The characters meet at a "Make Your Own Super Hero"-themed New Year's Eve party a year ago which is revealed through several flashbacks. Tom proposes as the movie begins. After Violet accepts, the trouble soon begins. Violet receives the opportunity of a lifetime to be part of a psychological research group at a prominent university. The problem? It's the University of Michigan. The couple decide to move to Michigan so Violet can follow her dream. Shortly after residing in Michigan, Tom soon learns this ain't San Francisco! Among the many obstacles the couple must try to overcome are Violet's amorous boss, Tom's adventures becoming a modern day Grizzly Adams, and the inevitable break up that is a staple in all movies in this genre. And, of course, the movie lives up to its name as the lunacy lasts for...wait for it...five years!
By my last statements, you might think that I didn't like the movie. Not true. It had enough slapstick and the usual Apatow raunchiness to overcome the rom com clichés which are also prominent. It has heart and you will root for Tom and Violet to finally get it right. The film is a little overlong clocking in at over two hours. Unlike the Apatow produced classic, Bridesmaids, from 2011, The 5 Year Engagement doesn't maintain its hilarity throughout. It is funny, just not hurt yourself laughing funny. Segel and Blunt are believable and likable in their roles. They have nice chemistry. There are funny supporting performances along the way from Kevin Hart as one of Violet's colleagues and Chris Parnell as Tom's weird sweater wearing, deer hunting friend in Michigan. The scene between Violet and her sister arguing in the voices of Cookie Monster and Elmo is a laugh out loud moment that is very clever in its execution.
My overall feeling is The 5 Year Engagement is a good movie that will engage and amuse. It has enough bite to keep it from being overly sappy but, in the end, you're still watching a romantic comedy that pretty much follows the same formula as they all do.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
*** stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
The 5 Year Engagement
Released 4/27/12, now in theaters
As a whole, with few exceptions, I think rom coms are a blight on humanity. However, The 5 Year Engagement intrigued me. Since Jennifer Lopez and Katherine Heigl weren't starring, it has one thing going for it. The other thing it has going for it was star, Jason Segel (Marshall from How I Met Your Mother), who has a penchant for starring in sweet at its core but bent comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Bad Teacher. The film has also been spit out of the Judd Apatow comedy machine that has produced Bridesmaids and the 40 Year Old Virgin.
The movie follows the trials and tribulations of young couple, Tom Solomon (Segel) and his girlfriend/fiancé, Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt). Tom is a sous chef for a high class San Francisco restaurant. Violet is a Psychology graduate who I'm not sure is actually employed at the beginning. The characters meet at a "Make Your Own Super Hero"-themed New Year's Eve party a year ago which is revealed through several flashbacks. Tom proposes as the movie begins. After Violet accepts, the trouble soon begins. Violet receives the opportunity of a lifetime to be part of a psychological research group at a prominent university. The problem? It's the University of Michigan. The couple decide to move to Michigan so Violet can follow her dream. Shortly after residing in Michigan, Tom soon learns this ain't San Francisco! Among the many obstacles the couple must try to overcome are Violet's amorous boss, Tom's adventures becoming a modern day Grizzly Adams, and the inevitable break up that is a staple in all movies in this genre. And, of course, the movie lives up to its name as the lunacy lasts for...wait for it...five years!
By my last statements, you might think that I didn't like the movie. Not true. It had enough slapstick and the usual Apatow raunchiness to overcome the rom com clichés which are also prominent. It has heart and you will root for Tom and Violet to finally get it right. The film is a little overlong clocking in at over two hours. Unlike the Apatow produced classic, Bridesmaids, from 2011, The 5 Year Engagement doesn't maintain its hilarity throughout. It is funny, just not hurt yourself laughing funny. Segel and Blunt are believable and likable in their roles. They have nice chemistry. There are funny supporting performances along the way from Kevin Hart as one of Violet's colleagues and Chris Parnell as Tom's weird sweater wearing, deer hunting friend in Michigan. The scene between Violet and her sister arguing in the voices of Cookie Monster and Elmo is a laugh out loud moment that is very clever in its execution.
My overall feeling is The 5 Year Engagement is a good movie that will engage and amuse. It has enough bite to keep it from being overly sappy but, in the end, you're still watching a romantic comedy that pretty much follows the same formula as they all do.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
*** stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The Three Stooges
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
The Three Stooges
Released April 13, 2012. Now in theaters
The classic comedy trio is brought to the big screen by Peter and Bobby Farrelly. If you don’t remember this brother duo, they are responsible for the raucous comedies Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, There’s Something About Mary (their magnum opus), and Me Myself and Irene. Since their movies always contain a bit of slapstick, it seems like a natural that they’d take on the masters of the art. The Stooges movie is a bit tame by Farrelly standards only garnering a PG rating. The most important feature if you’re making a movie about legends is the casting. The Farrellys have chosen Chris Diamantopoulos (Moe), Sean Hayes (Larry), and Will Sasso (Curly) for the honors.
The Stooges are introduced in the film when they are literally thrown on the doorstep of an orphanage in a gym bag from a speeding car. The nun, Mary-Mengele (Larry David), who opens the bag receives an immediate eye poke. The other nuns discover three babies that have amazingly weird haircuts, haircuts they will keep into adulthood. Mary-Mengele will also be the unfortunate recipient of Stooge fiascos as they grow up. The boys, having never been adopted, work for the orphanage as maintenance men when they become adults. The orphanage suffers a financial crisis, needing an immediate influx of $830,000 to stay afloat. The boys set out in the world for the first time to get the orphanage the needed cash. Of course, since they are the Stooges, they have less an idea how to do this than the average person. While attempting to make the needed money, they start a salmon farm on a golf course, Moe becomes a reality TV star, and they become embroiled in a murder plot involving a friend who was adopted from the orphanage many years ago.
You can tell this was a labor of love for the Farrellys. They get every aspect of the Stooges right down to Larry wearing clothes too big and Curly wearing clothes too small. The sound effects are spot on. You think you’re watching a Stooge short when they dish out the usual Stooge brutality. The actors playing the Stooges must have done some in depth character study as each match the originals’ personalities poifectly (wanna slap myself for that pun). The best characterization I would say is Moe. Chris Diamantopoulos and the young actor that plays Moe as a pre-teen child are excellent down to their facial expressions. Supporting characters include Jane Lynch as the put upon Mother Superior and Sofia Vergara as their friend’s murderous sexpot wife. For my money, Moe slapping and eye gouging the overtanned meatheads from the Jersey Shore is worth the price of admission. The only times the film suffers are at the orphanage. Sure, the Stooges do many funny things while they’re there, but the interaction with the kids starts to get overly sentimental for my tastes.
If you don’t “get” the Stooges, you won’t “get” this movie. Stooge fan or no Stooge fan, the film won’t do much to change your opinion. I am a fan of the originals, a huge one in fact, so I admit this review is a little biased. Take it with a grain of salt if you like, but I would personally high five the Farrellys if I could.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***½ stars (only for overdramatic sentimentality at times)
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
The Three Stooges
Released April 13, 2012. Now in theaters
The classic comedy trio is brought to the big screen by Peter and Bobby Farrelly. If you don’t remember this brother duo, they are responsible for the raucous comedies Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, There’s Something About Mary (their magnum opus), and Me Myself and Irene. Since their movies always contain a bit of slapstick, it seems like a natural that they’d take on the masters of the art. The Stooges movie is a bit tame by Farrelly standards only garnering a PG rating. The most important feature if you’re making a movie about legends is the casting. The Farrellys have chosen Chris Diamantopoulos (Moe), Sean Hayes (Larry), and Will Sasso (Curly) for the honors.
The Stooges are introduced in the film when they are literally thrown on the doorstep of an orphanage in a gym bag from a speeding car. The nun, Mary-Mengele (Larry David), who opens the bag receives an immediate eye poke. The other nuns discover three babies that have amazingly weird haircuts, haircuts they will keep into adulthood. Mary-Mengele will also be the unfortunate recipient of Stooge fiascos as they grow up. The boys, having never been adopted, work for the orphanage as maintenance men when they become adults. The orphanage suffers a financial crisis, needing an immediate influx of $830,000 to stay afloat. The boys set out in the world for the first time to get the orphanage the needed cash. Of course, since they are the Stooges, they have less an idea how to do this than the average person. While attempting to make the needed money, they start a salmon farm on a golf course, Moe becomes a reality TV star, and they become embroiled in a murder plot involving a friend who was adopted from the orphanage many years ago.
You can tell this was a labor of love for the Farrellys. They get every aspect of the Stooges right down to Larry wearing clothes too big and Curly wearing clothes too small. The sound effects are spot on. You think you’re watching a Stooge short when they dish out the usual Stooge brutality. The actors playing the Stooges must have done some in depth character study as each match the originals’ personalities poifectly (wanna slap myself for that pun). The best characterization I would say is Moe. Chris Diamantopoulos and the young actor that plays Moe as a pre-teen child are excellent down to their facial expressions. Supporting characters include Jane Lynch as the put upon Mother Superior and Sofia Vergara as their friend’s murderous sexpot wife. For my money, Moe slapping and eye gouging the overtanned meatheads from the Jersey Shore is worth the price of admission. The only times the film suffers are at the orphanage. Sure, the Stooges do many funny things while they’re there, but the interaction with the kids starts to get overly sentimental for my tastes.
If you don’t “get” the Stooges, you won’t “get” this movie. Stooge fan or no Stooge fan, the film won’t do much to change your opinion. I am a fan of the originals, a huge one in fact, so I admit this review is a little biased. Take it with a grain of salt if you like, but I would personally high five the Farrellys if I could.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***½ stars (only for overdramatic sentimentality at times)
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
The Cabin in the Woods
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
The Cabin in the Woods
Released April 13, 2012. Now in theaters
I usually like a horror movie release around Christmas because I love the irony. However, being a fan of the genre, I’ll take them when I can get them. I went into this movie with high hopes since Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire fame is a producer on the film. He knows how to mesh horror and comedy flawlessly. But, since he’s not the director (honor to Drew Goddard), at the same time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The most notable actor in the movie is Chris Hemsworth (the Odinson himself). Bradley Whitford also has a supporting role for fans of The West Wing.
For fear of giving away the punch line, there isn’t a lot I can tell you about the plot. I can say that five college friends take a trip to a cabin in the woods for sex, drugs, and other recreation. The cabin supposedly belongs to a cousin of one the college students (Hemsworth). They get a little lost on their way and meet the obligatory old creepy guy that all but warns them away. Their first night at the cabin, during a rousing game of Truth or Dare where one of the girls frenches the mounted head of a wolf, the floor gate to the basement mysteriously opens. Exploring the basement, they find many odd, unrelated things like a music box, a conk shell, a portrait of creepy girl, and a diary among others. Of course since this is a horror movie, one of them has to chant a spell written in the diary. And, of course, the spell raises a family of the undead. Seems the cabin used to be theirs in the early 1900s. The five students spend the evening evading death by zombie, not all successfully. But is this Night of the Living Dead or part of a higher, nefarious ritual the victims are goaded into starting?
What I have described sounds like standard horror fare. While it is to a degree, it is also something you haven’t seen before. The punch line I mentioned earlier is the difference. Even though you know what this surprise is from the beginning, it is captivating to watch it play out. Much of the comic relief is provided by Bradley Whitford and his partner, Richard Jenkins. They play a huge role in what happens to the kids at the cabin. There is one spectacular death on a motorcycle. This movie can’t be pigeonholed to one subset of the horror film genre. It’s a slasher/zombie/monster movie combined into one. Most horror movies have one or two survivors of the carnage. While I will say there are survivors, they are not the type of heroic survivors you usually see. Survivors do what is necessary to, well, survive, even if this means turning on each other. And how long they survive after the night’s ordeal is up in the air. I said the most notable actor in the movie is Chris Hemsworth. There is a cameo by an academy award nominated actress in the last 10 minutes of the film. You can say she’s doing the wrong thing for right reason as are most of cast who are not the five victims.
I recommend this movie even if you are not a huge horror fan. There is a deeper story than what is on the surface. It takes old horror clichés to different levels. This is one of the better horror films in a long while and should not be missed.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
The Cabin in the Woods
Released April 13, 2012. Now in theaters
I usually like a horror movie release around Christmas because I love the irony. However, being a fan of the genre, I’ll take them when I can get them. I went into this movie with high hopes since Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire fame is a producer on the film. He knows how to mesh horror and comedy flawlessly. But, since he’s not the director (honor to Drew Goddard), at the same time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The most notable actor in the movie is Chris Hemsworth (the Odinson himself). Bradley Whitford also has a supporting role for fans of The West Wing.
For fear of giving away the punch line, there isn’t a lot I can tell you about the plot. I can say that five college friends take a trip to a cabin in the woods for sex, drugs, and other recreation. The cabin supposedly belongs to a cousin of one the college students (Hemsworth). They get a little lost on their way and meet the obligatory old creepy guy that all but warns them away. Their first night at the cabin, during a rousing game of Truth or Dare where one of the girls frenches the mounted head of a wolf, the floor gate to the basement mysteriously opens. Exploring the basement, they find many odd, unrelated things like a music box, a conk shell, a portrait of creepy girl, and a diary among others. Of course since this is a horror movie, one of them has to chant a spell written in the diary. And, of course, the spell raises a family of the undead. Seems the cabin used to be theirs in the early 1900s. The five students spend the evening evading death by zombie, not all successfully. But is this Night of the Living Dead or part of a higher, nefarious ritual the victims are goaded into starting?
What I have described sounds like standard horror fare. While it is to a degree, it is also something you haven’t seen before. The punch line I mentioned earlier is the difference. Even though you know what this surprise is from the beginning, it is captivating to watch it play out. Much of the comic relief is provided by Bradley Whitford and his partner, Richard Jenkins. They play a huge role in what happens to the kids at the cabin. There is one spectacular death on a motorcycle. This movie can’t be pigeonholed to one subset of the horror film genre. It’s a slasher/zombie/monster movie combined into one. Most horror movies have one or two survivors of the carnage. While I will say there are survivors, they are not the type of heroic survivors you usually see. Survivors do what is necessary to, well, survive, even if this means turning on each other. And how long they survive after the night’s ordeal is up in the air. I said the most notable actor in the movie is Chris Hemsworth. There is a cameo by an academy award nominated actress in the last 10 minutes of the film. You can say she’s doing the wrong thing for right reason as are most of cast who are not the five victims.
I recommend this movie even if you are not a huge horror fan. There is a deeper story than what is on the surface. It takes old horror clichés to different levels. This is one of the better horror films in a long while and should not be missed.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Wrath of the Titans
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Wrath of the Titans
Wrath of the Titans
Released March 30, 2012. Now on DVD
Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Sam Worthington reprise their roles as
Zeus, Hades, and Perseus respectively in Wrath of the Titans. Wrath is the
sequel to the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans. Like that film, this one can
also be viewed in 3D. Clash had mixed critical acclaim. Wrath has had less than
that so I approached the movie with some reluctance since I wasn't a huge fan of
the Clash remake (still better than the cheesy original though).
The story starts a decade after Clash ends. Perseus is making a living as a
fisherman. He has a son, Helius, and his wife, Io, has died. His father, Zeus,
comes to him yet again requesting his son's aid in a new war that is soon to
erupt. Due to the lack of faith humans have in the Gods, their power is fading.
In fact, it's fading so much that the Titans are threatening to escape their
underworld prison in Tartarus to exact vengeance on man and God alike. Perseus
decides to sit this battle out preferring to stay with his son. Zeus travels to
the underworld with his brother, Poseidon, to meet their other brother, Hades,
and Zeus's son, Ares (God of War) to form a battle strategy. Hades and Ares
betray Zeus and Poseidon when the God of the Underworld orders his minions to
attack. Poseidon escapes gravely injured while Zeus is captured. Hades has no
love for his brother due to his banishment to the underworld to stand guard
over the Titans. Ares is jealous that Zeus has given more affection to his half
mortal son, Perseus, than he has given to him, his Godly son. Hades and Ares
have made a bargain with Kronos, leader of the Titans (and Zeus', Hades', and
Poseidon's father). In exchange for providing Zeus so Kronos can drain his
power, Hades and Ares will be granted immortality. Perseus is drawn back into
the fight when a chimera is released from the Underworld to wreak havoc on his
village. With Perseus engaged, it is a race against time for he and his allies
(The winged horse, Pegasus, Queen Andromeda, Agenor (demigod son of Poseidon),
and the fallen god, Hephaestus) to gain entrance to Tartarus, free Zeus before
his power is fully drained, and assemble the triam (Zeus' Thunderbolt,
Poseidon's Trident, and Hades' pitchfork) to defeat Kronos.
Let me be among the minority of critics that liked this movie. It was much
better than the Clash remake in my opinion. Seeing this movie in 3D is worth
the price as great care was given to the 3D effects. This is 3D that you feel
you can actually reach out and touch. Kronos emerging as a gargantuan smoke
monster is tremendous CGI. Yes, the dialog at times makes you think, "oh,
please!" I'm no historian, but I don't know if the ancient Greeks said "You've
gotta me kiddin' me!" The Gods in this movie also look and feel like Gods
unlike the ones we saw in "Immortals" a couple of months ago. At least I can
say the "Wrath" Gods remained fully clothed instead of appearing like an
advertisement for This Week In Bondage as they did in "Immortals." Is this a
great movie? No. But, it is an entertaining one. This is a special effects
bonanza. The story is decent enough but my high rating is due more to film's
incredible look.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/4 stars. By comparison I would have given the "Clash" remake
2 stars and its predecessor 1.
Ratings
Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit! 2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit! 2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
The Ides of March
Reviews from the Dark Side presents
The Ides of March
Released October 7, 2011. Now on DVD
I'm not usually crazy about political dramas, so I entered my viewing of The Ides of March with some trepidation. The movie stars Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, and Evan Rachel Wood and is inspired by the real life experiences of an aide who worked on Howard Dean's 2004 presidential run. Clooney also directed.
The film starts at an Ohio debate between Pennsylvania Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) and Arkansas Senator Ted Pullman. Both are vying for the Democratic presidential nomination with Morris holding a tentative lead. Stephen Meyers (Gosling) and Paul Zara (Hoffman) are Morris' junior and senior campaign managers respectively. Paul is an old war horse that has advised in several campaigns during his career. He knows the dirty politics that must be played to win. He's also a bit paranoid and values loyalty above everything. Stephen is an idealistic consultant who, while not naive, believes in his candidate wholeheartedly. He begins a physical relationship with intern, Molly Stearns (Wood) in Morris' campaign. Molly also happens to be the daughter of the Democratic National Committee Chairman, Jack Stearns (Gregory Itzin. Remember him from 24?). Both candidates covet the support of powerful U. S. Senator, Franklin Thompson (Wright). His 300+ delegates will change the tide of the campaign in either candidate's favor.
After the debate, Stephen is contacted by Pullman's campaign manager, Tom Duffy (Giamatti) to meet at a secluded Cincinnati bar to "talk." Against his better judgement, Stephen accepts. Stephen doesn't tell Paul about this meeting when questioned. Tom offers Stephen a job on Pullman's campaign since the young consultant is smart and has great potential. Tom says that Pullman already has Thompson's support due to a promise to make Thompson Secretary of State if elected. With the Senator's support, Pullman is sure to take the primary in Ohio and the next in North Carolina. Stephen refuses the offer, in part due to Paul's future meeting with Thompson to wrangle the Senator's support for Morris. Paul tends to get what he wants. However, Thompson wants the same deal from Morris which Morris is unwilling to give.
Matters start to spiral out of control for Stephen on a dalliance with Molly. While Stephen is working in bed next to a sleeping Molly, she receives a strange call on her cell. Stephen mistakenly answers it believing the phone to be his since the two are identical. The caller hangs up. Stephen playfully asks Molly who could be calling at 2:30 a.m. and dials the caller back under Molly's vehement protest. Then Stephen receives his realization when there is an answer on the other end. Prior to her relationship with Stephen, Molly slept with a prominent member of the Morris campaign and is now pregnant. As if matters couldn't become worse, someone has leaked his meeting with Tom Duffy to Ira Horowicz (Tomei) at the New York Times. Ira has a working relationship with both Paul and Stephen, so she gives Stephen a chance to come clean on the details of his meeting before she has her own version printed. When Stephen refuses she blackmails him and gives a deadline before her story goes to print. Stephen logically thinks it is Tom who leaked the story. Tom protests and tells him that he has just as much to lose. Stephen discovers it is Paul who leaked the story. Paul was not thrilled when Stephen admitted days earlier that he met with Tom. Since Paul says he can no longer trust Stephen, the leaked story gives him ample reason to fire Stephen with Morris's approval. When Molly hears of Stephen's firing from an aide, she mistakenly believes it is due to her situation and makes a rash decision. How is Stephen going to turn the odds back in his favor? Will he accept his fate or learn how to play the game with the other sharks?
As I stated earlier, I am not fond of political dramas, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. There are very good performances by all involved. Ryan Gosling's expression at the end of the movie is a portrait of a man whose soul is broken and is not the better for the things he had to do attempting to swing the odds. Most of the major players are pleasingly corrupt as the movie does not sugarcoat the games politicians play to gain the advantage. Idealism is difficult, if not impossible, to maintain when you are dealing with cutthroats. This is a good watch. I would also urge viewers not to look at this movie as one party's ideals over the other's. That is not what this is about. These are the pitfalls any campaign can encounter no matter what your ideology.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee. Buy this on DVD when released!
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here. Get this DVD goes without saying.
The Ides of March
Released October 7, 2011. Now on DVD
I'm not usually crazy about political dramas, so I entered my viewing of The Ides of March with some trepidation. The movie stars Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, and Evan Rachel Wood and is inspired by the real life experiences of an aide who worked on Howard Dean's 2004 presidential run. Clooney also directed.
The film starts at an Ohio debate between Pennsylvania Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) and Arkansas Senator Ted Pullman. Both are vying for the Democratic presidential nomination with Morris holding a tentative lead. Stephen Meyers (Gosling) and Paul Zara (Hoffman) are Morris' junior and senior campaign managers respectively. Paul is an old war horse that has advised in several campaigns during his career. He knows the dirty politics that must be played to win. He's also a bit paranoid and values loyalty above everything. Stephen is an idealistic consultant who, while not naive, believes in his candidate wholeheartedly. He begins a physical relationship with intern, Molly Stearns (Wood) in Morris' campaign. Molly also happens to be the daughter of the Democratic National Committee Chairman, Jack Stearns (Gregory Itzin. Remember him from 24?). Both candidates covet the support of powerful U. S. Senator, Franklin Thompson (Wright). His 300+ delegates will change the tide of the campaign in either candidate's favor.
After the debate, Stephen is contacted by Pullman's campaign manager, Tom Duffy (Giamatti) to meet at a secluded Cincinnati bar to "talk." Against his better judgement, Stephen accepts. Stephen doesn't tell Paul about this meeting when questioned. Tom offers Stephen a job on Pullman's campaign since the young consultant is smart and has great potential. Tom says that Pullman already has Thompson's support due to a promise to make Thompson Secretary of State if elected. With the Senator's support, Pullman is sure to take the primary in Ohio and the next in North Carolina. Stephen refuses the offer, in part due to Paul's future meeting with Thompson to wrangle the Senator's support for Morris. Paul tends to get what he wants. However, Thompson wants the same deal from Morris which Morris is unwilling to give.
Matters start to spiral out of control for Stephen on a dalliance with Molly. While Stephen is working in bed next to a sleeping Molly, she receives a strange call on her cell. Stephen mistakenly answers it believing the phone to be his since the two are identical. The caller hangs up. Stephen playfully asks Molly who could be calling at 2:30 a.m. and dials the caller back under Molly's vehement protest. Then Stephen receives his realization when there is an answer on the other end. Prior to her relationship with Stephen, Molly slept with a prominent member of the Morris campaign and is now pregnant. As if matters couldn't become worse, someone has leaked his meeting with Tom Duffy to Ira Horowicz (Tomei) at the New York Times. Ira has a working relationship with both Paul and Stephen, so she gives Stephen a chance to come clean on the details of his meeting before she has her own version printed. When Stephen refuses she blackmails him and gives a deadline before her story goes to print. Stephen logically thinks it is Tom who leaked the story. Tom protests and tells him that he has just as much to lose. Stephen discovers it is Paul who leaked the story. Paul was not thrilled when Stephen admitted days earlier that he met with Tom. Since Paul says he can no longer trust Stephen, the leaked story gives him ample reason to fire Stephen with Morris's approval. When Molly hears of Stephen's firing from an aide, she mistakenly believes it is due to her situation and makes a rash decision. How is Stephen going to turn the odds back in his favor? Will he accept his fate or learn how to play the game with the other sharks?
As I stated earlier, I am not fond of political dramas, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. There are very good performances by all involved. Ryan Gosling's expression at the end of the movie is a portrait of a man whose soul is broken and is not the better for the things he had to do attempting to swing the odds. Most of the major players are pleasingly corrupt as the movie does not sugarcoat the games politicians play to gain the advantage. Idealism is difficult, if not impossible, to maintain when you are dealing with cutthroats. This is a good watch. I would also urge viewers not to look at this movie as one party's ideals over the other's. That is not what this is about. These are the pitfalls any campaign can encounter no matter what your ideology.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/4 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee. Buy this on DVD when released!
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here. Get this DVD goes without saying.
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