GRINDHOUSE

I had no idea of what this movie was about. I just got to the cinema, and followed the lead. I mean, I was warned about it taking the worst of horror flicks and making fun of it… but since I liked Sin City, and the two Kill Bill deliveries, I didn’t question things much… There must be something good about this after all… Since I had no idea of what to expect, all that went on had a blank slate so it could be internalized. The ride was fun. It is refreshing to see that actual original flicks are still out there. I dislike funny flicks, but this was witty, sour, no holds barred humor… and I loved it. So… Overall, an interesting concept that takes so many details from horror thrillers and action flicks and makes fun of them all… Dark humor, very sarcastic, very gory. The two flicks are very different, of course, showing off each director’s different style. Loved the fake trailers. DON’T and Machete were hilarious! Nicolas Cage’s five second cameo was a treat. Three hours and a half of real entertainment… what a concept!

About each flick:



Planet Terror: With Rose McGowen and Freddy Rodriguez, directed by Robert Rodriguez. “Two doctors find their graveyard shift inundated with townspeople ravaged by sores. Among the wounded is Cherry, a dancer whose leg was ripped from her body. As the invalids quickly become enraged aggressors, Cherry and her ex-boyfriend Wray lead a team of accidental warriors into the night.”

I think this was the best of the two short films. It took many clichés from all those zombie movies that has been made, especially the virus outbreak theme a la Racoon City… but it all worked swiftly. Rose has many mannerisms left from Charm’s Paige, but gives Cherry a believable force at the right times. Corny, yes… Linear, well duh… it is a zombie movie so what you expect! But the delivery of the diverse events meshed together. Watching Bruce Willis dying hard, female power, and the lovely ending in which Cherry Darling finds her true destiny was a nice, enjoyable trip. The lesbian doctor was great, especially her skill with syringes. And I simply loved Wrey, epitome of the good guy in many horror flicks who at the end gives his life for the cause. My only complaint is why must these themes mostly be about strippers? Men and their libido… I dislike nudity and/or heavy sexual references in flicks, so sue me. It is a big reason I am not that crazy about Sin City… or about any of Rod Zombie’s works. But that detail aside, this flick is a nice tribute to oldies but goodies in the zombiefied sci-fi world. Gore, disgusting skin infections that splatters pus around, hack & slashing, nice dialogue, meaningful events, action, a machinegun-leg… See? It’s the simple pleasures in life that really counts.



Death Proof: With Kurt Russell, directed by Tarantino. “Austin's hottest DJ, Jungle Julia, sets out into the night to unwind with her two friends Shanna an Arlene. Covertly tracking their moves is Stuntman Mike, a scarred rebel leering from behind the wheel of his muscle car, revving just feet away.”

Hmm… Didn’t like Julia, didn’t like her flimsy flaky friends, the revisited theme of drugs and alcohol equals fun is not attractive to me… So I really enjoyed it very much when Stuntman Mike sent their pieces flying off the air. Don’t get me wrong, the guy was in my bad list when he killed the bleached blonde so easily and without any fun for it… besides the simple thrill of watching desperation… which was poorly depicted as a killer’s motive to do his job. I dislike Kurt Russell, so that doesn’t help his case… but the death of the bimbos in the red car was a smash in every sense. His second attempt to do the same with another group of bimbo’s was a “more of the same”, but then we get to realize that these bimbos are not really just helpless femmes (well, they did left the gullible cheerleader aside… understandably… LOL). Stuntman Mike never saw that comeback coming… LOL Insane femme power, highlighted by a lovely poetic scene of 3 ladies beating the heck out of Russell… Sweet! This flick was about action, speed and payback. Simple, linear… not too brilliant, very cliché, but fun at some points. It’s the joint smoking and the getting drunk and the emphasis on lap dances that really turns me off… but that’s me. Just like Pulp Fiction, the ode to sex, drugs and alcohol and speed are simply… not for my taste… Dark humor and the wrecks made it all bearable.

THE LAST MIMZY

The last Mimzy... I would say simply good idea, bad execution. This late trend of having a brother, a sister, and a so called plot/conflict/whatever is a bit crowded… After Theradiphia, revisiting this kind of story is a bit too soon… Even Zathura had more drama/conflict. The future needs something from us and so sends an emissary to get it… it’s a used plot leaving nothing to the what ifs you might expect in a flick that seemed to promise science fiction and a bit of originality… Seemed… (Sight)

All in all… The little girl excels at her acting, it was nice seeing the actress who was Legally Blonde’s best friend looking so good, it was nice seeing the eye candy of some mild special effects, it was nice seeing the actor from Green Mile… So much potential… ending up in a predictable story that is a nice tale to pass the time but could have gone a bit further. The idea of Alice through the looking glass has been reused too much in movies… Loved the Intel moment and the idea of the big eyed aliens being suits… So we should walk naked into the future? LOL Tibet and mandalas… Again, good idea, bad execution. Rent it and it will do good for a Sunday family afternoon.

10-4

Pan's Labyrinth

Everyone told me I must see this movie, and finally I did. Opinion? Yes, it was entertaining, it was nice… Refreshing as a reminisce of gritty Grimm's tales are.

Original? I must disagree with everyone here. No. I just saw a combination of Clive Barker’s creation and Silent Hill mixed up with classic fantasy. The cross of the aftermath of war, the Spain rebels, the cruel captain with the fantastic realms that triggered young Ofelia’s adventures was clever, although not a personal favorite for me as I hate to have war reminisce from the fascist era… perhaps thanks to the Wonder Woman tv series, and too many military oriented mini series and movies… ( I was surprised I really liked V for Vendetta, I usually despise gov-military themes in movies).

Anyway… The concept of the praying mantis inspiring the faerie theme… Yes, they do look like faeries in flight… And that concept is quite old... I just hate bugs. But I will go with the flow… Pan was lovely. His demeanor was evil, his cleverness fearsome, and in the end he was a good guy… A very neutral guy, as a matter of fact... as fickle as Nature. Well, Duh! He is Nature impersonated, literally... The mandrake scenes were touching, especially when it get tossed in the fire. . Hated the powerlessness of the girl’s mom, but that is exactly what went on in that era… and even now… Women that think they cannot go on in life without a man… and then that man turns into their executioner and their kids bane.

All in all, a well thought- well written tale of fantastic realism that is very in your face with gritty events and that has its moments (loved the flesh golem). Del Toro revisits the aftermath of war, giving it a new spin somewhat different from his Devil's Backbone ghost story... Pan's Labyrith turns darker, deeper into the psyche of war's outcome... A lovely piece worthy of being bought and kept in your home's personal collection.

I should note that the actor playing Pan and the pale man (the flesh golem), Doug Jomes has appeared in many films… He was the humanoid cockroach in Mimic, the aquatic Abe Sapiem in Hellboy, Lady in the Water, the Time Machine, Men in Black 2, and on tv series as Buffy Vampire Slayer, CSI, Tales from the Crypt and The Guardian.

300

Poetry in motion. Refreshing, powerful performances, a simple story that makes a bold statement about freedom, honor, and respect. It has been a long time since a movie was done with such beauty in both acting and script... Women are not helpless wenches, and men are not simple warriors looking for hack and slash... These were Spartans!

Did you actually wonder why the actors at 300 looked or felt so familiar? Where they come from? Let's see...

The king, Leonidas, depicted by Gerard Buttler... who was the Phantom of the Opera at the same tittle movie, was Attila in the tv movie of Attila the Hun, and appeared in Beowulf & Grendel, Reign of Fire, and Tomb Raider Cradle of Life...

The queen, depicted by Lena Headey... who appeared in Brothers Grimm and the Cave, and who will be portraying Sarah Connor in the upcoming tv screenplay "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" which continues the saga of Terminator movies.

The captain, Vincent Regan, was seen in Troy, Unleashed and The Messenger: The story of Joan of Arc.

The one-eyed captain at the end of the movie, depicted by David Wenham, who appeared in Moulin Rouge and the last two movies of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Van Helsing.

And so, all the other actors have been part of movies within this genre... and seem interested in epics and stories based on the Dark Ages, science-fiction and fantasy.

Delightful movie, a must see for anyone... A movie that must be owned.

GhostRider, Bridge to Theradipia, Silent Hill & Happy Feet

Another year, more remakes and prequels… and ideas that are not so original… Some may work, some are lousy, some are too mucho of a disappointment… Still, there are some movies that look promising or that at least seem interesting. On my must see list for the following weeks lurk the following titles: 300, Pan’s Labyrinth, Zodiac, Dead Silence and Premonition. On the coming soon agenda, lurk: Resident Evil Extinction, Shrek3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Spiderman 3, Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix…. Hopefully they will all deliver something good and wicked towards us…

Some remarks on the most recent movies I have seen:

GHOST RIDER: Eye candy, plenty of flames (which I love), a reminisce of a dearly beloved Marvel comics character… A lousy delivery by Nicooas cage, who always seem to play himself no matter what… Maybe it is not his own fault, maybe the writers should be blamed for stupid one-liners and corny dialogues… The emphasis on the busty gal certainly didn’t help the issue. What could have been a nice adaptation as Spiderman was, became a disrupting dance of chaos that really disappoints unless you know nothing of the character. WTF they did with Legion!!! Ugh! Anyway… The main treat: Watching the original Ghost Rider riding his lovely dark stallion, showing off his skills while burning some hooves.

BRIDGE TO THERADIPIA: Very innocent, reminisce of Chronicles of Narnia. I expected a movie with more action involving hardcore fantasy, well… that’s what you get from the ads… But instead it delivers a lovely story of a girl that could be a human version of an elven lass… whose main trait is her unbound imagination. In the movie, she is the storyteller who leads her best friend through a magical world that unfolds at a daily pace. AD&D gamers can relate to this story, as we all daydream while studying or working about magical forests filled with treants, ogres, giants, manticores, giant ravens, dragons and many other fantastical creatures… And just as in the movie, strong binds become real within the people that share that imagination, making them as close as family. The movie leaves you feeling melancholic, wishing that it had ended as magically as it unfolded in terms of the girl’s sudden demise… But of course, thanks to that an important chapter comes true on Theradipia… And a sound bridge is built welcoming its princess…

HAPPY FEET: This may seem too much of a happy choice on my listings, since I mostly lean towards horror/fantasy movies… But I do have a soft spot when it comes to animated features. With a cast such as the one that this penguin movie showcased, it was a MUST see! And it was delightful, a treat to the eyes, to the ears and to the soul. Anyone who has ever felt an outcast, a loner, branded as different… should love this movie. Yes, it is the ones who are different and who have their own rhythm that actually saves the world… This is a must buy movie that should be in everyone’s home collection.

SILENT HILL: I just realized I had said nothing about Silent Hill on this blog. And that’s a shame in itself, for Silent Hill was a very nice adaptation from a video game to a movie. True, it was not completely faithful to the game… But! But! But! The ambience and main storyline remained eerie and intact. The acting was believable, the storyline didn’t stray from the original ideas. This movie was a treat.

They say I'm Ringu... Aintit cool?

Which Horror Movie Are You?
Ringu You are a risk taker, and are always up for a challenge. You don't care what people say, you'll do what you have to do, and you'll act how you want to act. Screw society, screw what people say - you're gonna live your life the way you want to live it.
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