So, I'm going back to college full time and I've not been around the board much lately. Hoping to cure that soon once everything settles down. Anyway, I've caught a few films recently and figured I'd throw down some quick reviews.
Dark Water - My wife has been trying to get me to watch this one for a while. I've seen the original Japanese film which was mediocre and I didn't expect much more than that from this American version. Sadly, it was worse than I expected. The film just drags and drags from the beginning to the end. This is one of those films that doesn't know that it has actually passed it's ending. It gets to the logical end point and then just keeps going. Not scary, not interesting...pass on it.
2/10
2001 Maniacs - This one was actually pretty fun. It's basically a rehash of the original 2000 Maniacs but with a ton of cheesy humor and Robert Englund. If you're not familair with the plot, then I'll give a short explanation:
People end up in a small redneck town in the south. Turns out, the townsfolk are all cannibals.
That's it. Not much on the story side but there is a nice bit of gore, and a few funny one liners...especially from Englund. It's worth a rental if you are in the mood for a seriously cheap horror film.
6/10
Masters Of Horror: Sick Girl - I'm a huge fan of Lucky McKee's film May. It was strange, funny and inventive. Here, Mckee brings back Angela Bettis from May to play Ida Teeter, a lesbian entomologist. She falls in love with a young woman named Misty (Misty Mundae) and the film follows them as they go throughout their relationship. Things are complicated by the fact that Ida has a dangerous insect running around her apartment complex. The bug was sent to her from a stranger and claims that it can control humans and use them to reproduce....and Misty has been bitten by it.
Overall this one goes from being fun to being downright heartbreaking. McKee proves he's not just a one hit wonder. I can't wait to finally see The Woods whenever it gets released.
9/10
Cube Zero - I'm a huge fan of the original Cube but not so much it's sequel Hypercube. I was a bit hesitant about seeing Cube Zero due to the taste left in my mouth from Hypercube. Still, I had heard good things so I went ahead and sought it out.
It's actually pretty good!
Cube Zero adds another layer to the Cube story by following the people who watch and maintain the cube. It's very cool to get this outsider's view of the Cube and gives quite a bit more information about how everything works.
The film surprised me by throwing in some neat twists here and there. I highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoyed the original.
9/10
The Irrefutable Truth About Demons - Received this one as part of the Shatner DVD Club. I'd never heard of it before, but I figured I'd give it a chance.
The film is from New Zeland and is about an anthropologist (Karl Urban) who writes books about religious cults on the side. One night, after leaving work, he is kidnapped by a few of the satanists and chained to the floor in a small cell. He breaks out before being mutilated by one of the cultists only to be stalked by the head of the cult and the various demons he can summon.
I'm not normally into demonic films, but this one works quite well. The acting is quite good considering the material and the film keeps up a nice, quick pace. Well worth renting.
8/10
Arrested Development: Season 3 - Sadly, Arrested Development is gone for good. I picked up Season 3 when it was released about two weeks ago and blew through it in about two days. I had watched this season when it originally aired, but missed the final 4 episodes since Fox never announced when they would be shown.
Overall, it's not the best season of the show but it's still pretty good. The end of the season is where it really started to get good. It seems like the cast knew at that point it was the end, so they started giving every scene all of their energy. I'm sad to see this show end, but atleast it ended before it could become a parody of itself which many shows succumb to.
9/10
I really disliked Dark Water. it just didn't work for me and I usually enjoy Japanese horror movies.
Cube Zero was pretty good. It didn't give that much away about who actually runs it but I did like how its run by regualr people that try not to question the job.
The Irrefutable Truth About Demons I saw on cable with a friend of mine. I didn't like it to much but I loved that girl who he was with Benny I think her name was.
I enjoyed Dark Water. The rest I haven't seen although Cube Zero is on my soon to see list...
I didn't like Dark Water. I waited a long time to see it, and finally broke down and rented it. It was very.....eh.
Cube Zero was good. I liked the Irrefutable Truth About Demons. I bought it mainly because of Karl Urban. He's in another movie called "The Price of Milk", that was actually really very good. Not a horror movie, but strange indeed.
I rented 2001 Maniacs, but never got around to watching it. I guess I'll have to give it another shot.
I'm back in school full time, and it's making a huge impact on my movie time. *L*
Crud, I meant to post something about Sick Girl too. That was one of my favorite episodes of Masters of Horror. I liked the Deer Woman too, but Sick Girl was just cool. Fair Haired Child was excellent too.
I want to see the Takashi Miike episode that they wouldn't air.
Hmmm...
Dark Water was on my radar vaguely for a little while since I was really getting into jap horror-style films at the time, but I think it was released 12 months too late to really capitalise on the 'trend'.
Still, if the mood strikes me I'll still probably rent it, though after the above comments I'm not really ripping my hair out waiting for that time to come.
I wish I was exposed to more of the 'Masters of Horror' series, but unfortunately don't have ready access to it. I only have a few episodes a friend downloaded and gave me, but I haven't had the time to watch them yet.
What was the Takashi Miike one about if anyone knows?
The sequel to Cube dissappointed me in many ways, but it was still interesting enough to hold my attention. They kind of ruined it with a few of the explanations being badly executed, and it wasn't all that unpredictable [unlike the first which was suitably mysterious right to the end]
I'm not sure if it's out here yet, but I'll definitely pick up Cube Zero. Not only do I have to 'complete the trilogy' [unless of course they release more] but it sounds like an interesting alternative view to how the cube works.
I'm also a big fan of Arrested Development and am also sad to see it go. The humour in that show really struck a chord with me, although late in the second series, early third series it was getting a little too wacky to be truly fantastic, but it's still a higher standard than almost any other TV that I watch, which lately has been little.
How's the study going Skaboi? I'm also in the 'full time club' now, although different I guess, after starting full time work for the first time [yay for me] and it really has eaten into the large slab of free time I used to have in that glory period from graduating university and starting work. Now I really need to set aside not only time to watch movies, but to write up reviews on them. I've seen plenty of movies, but haven't really had the time to sit down and write something up.
Which means I don't feel like I'm contributing much other than rambling responses to a few threads here and there. I hope to sort that out soon. After all, Ash seems to be getting a bit bored, what with his NFL post and all [which was more interesting than he gave it credit for, but anyways]
I promise to pick up my game soon!
This is a review from imdb.com:
IMPRINT is Takashi Miike's entry into the cable TV series MASTERS OF HORROR, and the one entry to be banned from transmission (in the US that is). Its certainly an impressive entry. The story follows an American man as he travels to Japan to find the prostitute who he fell in love with and whom he made a promise to, to take back to America and marry. He meets another prostitute who recounts the story of the women he is looking for and what happened to her fate. Told in flashback the story takes a rashomon-like approach as the womens story becomes steadily unreliable, until she reveals the true side to her tale. Cue scenes of torture, abortion and also hints of incest and child abuse and general weirdness, that those familiar to Miike will expect. Its a generally well made, and beautifully filmed tale, though at times it felt like a sumnation of the best bits of Miikes work, mainly the excessive extreme films, such as ICHI, DEAD OR ALIVE and AUDITION. Though Miike is always an interesting director to watch and his entry into this otherwise excellent series, stands out as one of the best. In some ways you can see why it was banned from television!
I rented dark water and it was so boring I never got to the end. Cube Zero on the other hand I really, really enjoyed. It made up for HyperCube which was a forgettable film.
Imprint is getting a DVD release next week I think. May have to check it out.
I loved Arrested Development and tried to get anyone I could to watch the show, but had a hard time explaining the show and why it was funny without having to use the old "You'll just have to watch it," line. It was so smart and clever, but never condescended to the audience. I saw parts of two of the final two episodes just by chance since Fox dumped them out there when the Olympics started, IIRC.
Any show that can have the head of the family in trouble for doing business with Saddam Hussein, and the man explaining to his son that he thought he was Tony Orlando and that he told him he loved his work, and actually mean it is pure comedy heaven.
Working from memory:
"I shook his hand! There's no coming back from that!"
Cut to superimposed picture Jeffrey Tambor''s character shaking hands with Saddam Hussein.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that."
Cut to original picture of Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussein.
And the bit about negotiating to get Andy Griffith to sit on their side during a trial and how much he would want to wear his "Matlock" suit, followed by Ron Howard's voiceover assuring the audience that NOBODY on the show was putting down or mocking Andy Griffith. I was rolling on the floor the first time I heard it.
Yaddo,
My favorite bit of dialogue from Arrested Development was in the first season I believe. GOB and Michael are in Michael's office right before Lucielle walks in.
Michael: GOB, you have got to get rid of The Seaward. (the boat)
Lucille: I'm not going anywhere!
That one had me in the floor myself. Also, in the third season the whole thing about the copier and Lindsay wanting a Volvo had me dying.
I agree on your views on both "Sick Girl" and "Cube Zero", Skaboi.
I loved every minute of "Sick Girl", it's by far one of the best things that have been in "Masters of Horror". It's diabolically funny (the daughter of the building owner had me cracking every time), and deliciously sickening as well. I'd say you'll like "The woods". It's very different from McKee's early works, as it is more a suspense than a character study, and although McKee proves he's still a bit green when it comes to the genre, it's both creepy and smart. And the actors rock, specially Bruce Campbell in a unusual role.
I also liked "Cube Zero" much more than I expected. I had my quips with the main villain, but the tow regular joes who controlled the whole thing were priceless.
I will have to definitely rent Cube Zero. I really liked the first one , and feel the same as youabut hypercube. I actually didn't know it existed until you!