Aftermath ( 1994 ) Netflix Review

Starring:  Xevi Collellmir, Jordi Tarrida, Ángel Tarris, & Pep Tosar

Directed By Nacho Cerdà

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159241/


     If you can stomach necrophilia, and graphic defilement of a corpse, then Aftermath is right up your alley.  I had the pleasure of watching this short a little while ago, but was constantly interrupted by idiot roommates that had to comment constantly at what they were seeing.  Fast forward to today when I was finally able to stream the video without any interruptions, and let me tell you first hand, I was very impressed with work.

     The whole story is focused around Morgue workers and their day to day duties.  Once the day is done, a worker stays behind and decides to do some very unsavory things to a corpse of a young woman.  Nothing more than just that.  All in the span of 30 minutes, which is about most peoples threshold for content such as Aftermath.

     I really liked this short.  It reminded me of the raw creativity of Nekromantik.  Yes, it was a very graphic and somewhat disturbing movie, but hey, some people live for this sort of thing.  I for one enjoyed the fact that there were no actual words spoken.  It was just glances and stares from people to people.  When the morgue worker decides to do his thing, you feel like you're right there with him trying not to get caught.

     Aftermath is definitely not for the weak stomached or sensitive type.  It hits a nerve with you and stays.  I would recommend this movie to the Gore Hounds world wide.

-Mr. What?- ( * * * * )

Suck ( 2009 ) Netflix Review

Starring:  Rob Stefaniuk, Jessica Paré, Paul Anthony, Mike Lobel, Chris Ratz, Alice Cooper, Moby, Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop & Malcolm McDowell

Directed By Rob Stefaniuk

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323605/


     Indifference can be a total bitch.  I've often said this about a lot of things, but none more than movies.  I really hate getting pumped up over a preview, and then feel so so about the actual movie once i saw it.  Suck is a perfect example of that.  I really thought this movie would have more balls to it considering the cast, but not so.  Maybe if there were a second chance at this, or maybe a re-imagining in say, 3 years, then it would be worth owning.

     Not to say that Suck wasn't funny ( which it was in spots ) or that the makeup was decent ( which it was ) or hell, even the fact that some of the influential heads of Rock/Punk made decent appearances, it was just the story that kind of left me flat. We've seen this format with Queen Of The Damned and Jennifer's Body, and by no means is Suck anything to put in a top 10 list, but at least it tried to be different in a familiar setting.

     The story is pretty simple.  A band at the end of their rope is willing to do anything to be famous, even if it means becoming Vampires.  That's where the Jennifer's Body Reff. comes in a bit.  Though, in JB the band sacrificed Jennifer in attempt to be famous.  It also didn't help that central protagonist of Suck was named Jennifer either.  But I will give this Jennifer ( Jessica Paré ) the nod to better acting and selling the woes of being a Vampire in Goth band, better than Megan Fox did with Her possessed Jennifer.

     I will say that the Cameos made this movie a little more watchable.  Moby as a rock frontman named Beef was funny in itself considering how Moby is.  The rest of the cast wasn't bad either, but at times this movie just lost steam and failed to deliver a better product.  Oh well, at least it's a vampire film without anybody sparkling around a Forrest.

-Mr. What?-

Black Dynamite ( 2009 ) Netflix Review

Starring: Michael Jai White, Obba Babatundé, Tommy Davidson, Arsenio Hall, Byron Minns, Cedric Yarbrough, & Miguel A. Núñez Jr.

Directed By Scott Sanders

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190536/


     8 months ago I saw a preview for Black Dynamite and lost it.  I didn't know if it was a joke trailer on Youtube, or an actual movie.  I researched it and found out that it was an actual movie, with an actual cast.  To my surprise though, the movie was really funny and at the same time an homage to early Blaxpoitation films of the 70's.  After 3 to 4 screenings I still find new stuff to laugh at or back up the scene to catch something I missed.

     Black Dynamite is the story of an ex CIA/Kung Fu Master/Pimp/total badass who is trying to clean up the streets.  Early on Dynamites brother is gunned down, and BD must find his brothers killer.  As if that's not enough, the local orphanage is being flooded with Heroin, the streets are a chaotic mess, and a new malt liquor called Anaconda is being introduced to the streets with a very nasty side effect.

     The real sealer for me was the extra stuff added to make this seem like an actual Blaxpoitation film.  The grain of the original 70's low budget films is here on dislpay. Also the bad acting and chessy fighting scenes are here too.  Seeing a character take a hit off of an unlit cigarette and cough, watching another character named bullhorn slap an extra ( on accident ) and almost get punched himself, & Black Dynamite try to get serious only to have the boom mic pop into the shot are only a taste of the goodies in store for you the viewer.

      If you liked Dolemite or Coffy then you will love this movie.

-Mr. What?- ( * * * * )

Dread ( 2009 ) Netflix Review

Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Evans, Hanne Steen, Laura Donnelly, Jonathan Readwin, & Vivian Gray

Directed By Anthony DiBlasi

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331307/


     Will somebody please stop this madness?  Taking Clive Barker short stories and making them into full length features is bad.  Especially anything from the Books Of Blood series.  Raw Head Rex was terrible, Midnight Meat Train was so so, and now we have this piece of garbage, which is almost completely void of anything entertaining other than the death/torture scenes.  I really hope that Disney gets the Abarat series at least somewhat right.

     Dread is nothing more than a filler movie for Jackson Rathbone during the gap between Twilight and New Moon.  The other actors involved brought nothing worth mention to the table.  Shaun Evans was a total laugh as a bad guy, and probably would've been knocked out cold by anybody else for his constant antics.  What was the purpose of this movie anyway?  To capture on the Torture Porn scene that has almost become a joke in itself?

     Without going on and on, here's the story in a nutshell....  A group of College kids decide to partake in an experiment as to what people dread the most, and as fate would have it, that same dread is used against each other.  I will say that some of the scenes were disturbing, but nothing so much that would make me look away.  It does take awhile for the story to get going, and that is one of the biggest letdowns.  The other being the acting.

     Do yourself a favor.  Read the short story by Clive Barker and be you own judge.  As expected the higher ups are trying to make things easier for the viewer by adding more than the original story had, but the short story is better paced and doesn't make you feel like you're in a video detention camp watching a waste of time picture.

-Mr. What?- ( * )

Shakes The Clown ( 1991 ) Netflix Review

Starring: Bobcat Goldthwait, Julie Brown, Kathy Griffin, Adam Sandler, Blake Clark & Tom Kenny

Directed By Bobcat Goldthwait

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102898/


     There was a time when you could see a cheesy/raunchy comedy that wouldn't offend too much, while still feeling you were "Alternative".  1991 was a huge year for issues.  Rodney King, The Gulf War, Mike Tyson & the arrest, The Discovery of Jeffery Dahmer and his "Hobby", & the collapse of the Soviet Union.  1991 was also a decent year for movies.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Silence Of The Lambs, & Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves all came out and did well with audiences.

     By that same measure though, there were other movies that came out not so......well.  Cold As Ice, King Ralph, The Rocketeer, The Super, & Nothing But Trouble.  In the middle of all of the Hollywood Bullshit and big releases, there was the the middle ground.  The ones who almost always go and see movies that critics like, but don't make as much as the bigger releases. That year had some movie just like that.  Naked Lunch, The People Under The Stairs, My Own Private Idaho, & Dead Again.

     Among all of those movies one stood out as almost a total outcast.  Shakes The Clown is really nothing more than a cheap-o movie filmed with a decent cast.  To see Adam Sandler dressed as a clown, beating up mimes is awesome. Robin Williams  makes a hilarious cameo as mime instructor, Julie Brown plays an annoying but lovable girlfriend to Goldthwait's character Shakes, and Tom Kenny ( Spongebob and Chowder ) killed the role as Binky The Clown.

     The story revolves around Shakes the drunken party clown.  Shakes ( Goldthwait ) plods through his job with drunken ease, and little concern.  With his buddies Stenchy ( Clark ) and Dink ( Sandler ), shakes goes through the motion of boozing up, doing parties, and beating up mimes.  His girlfriend Judy ( Brown ) want more out of life than her current occupation, and for shakes to sober up.  One day it is announced that Binky ( Kenny ) will be the successor to a kids show, and not shakes.  That news puts shakes into a deeper depression.  As if that's not enough, Shakes gets framed for his boss's murder.

     All of this wrapped into a little foul mouthed package for you to laugh at.  I really enjoyed the heart of this movie, and was reminded of the early 90's and kinda free cinema.  A few years later True Romance would come out and really set the bar for violent films.  Shakes The Clown would fare pretty well by today's crowd.  Hell, I'm more surprised that the self proclaimed "Juggalos" of the world don't have this movie listed as one of their favorites.

     If you want a good time and some good laughs at the expense of a low budget movie, then this would be a perfect match.  Extra Kudos to Bobcat Goldthwait for being the writer and director at the same time.  Just too bad his career didn't fetch him more that his current standing.

-Mr. What?- ( * * * )

This Film Is Not Yet Rated ( 2006 ) Netflix Review

Starring: Kimberly Peirce, Jon Lewis, Wayne Kramer, Kevin Smith, John Waters, Matt Stone, & Kirby Dick

Directed By Kirby Dick

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493459/


     Right from the get go, I was hooked.  For the past 10 years I have researched and questioned as to how the MPAA rates it's films.  Just last xmas was a prime example.  The movie It's Complicated came out, and the Mrs. and I decided to attend a screening.  It was rated R, so we headed into the picture with a semi clear head and expected it to be funny.  It was funny, and a good movie but I couldn't figure out why it was rated R.  There was no nudity, Hardly any coarse language, no blood or gore, but a scene where 3 actors smoked a joint.  By that scene alone, it was handed an R rating.

     I was puzzled and pissed at the same time.  How could a movie like It's Complicated get an R rating for a joint, but yet the movie Slap Her She's French not only has drug abuse, violence, and countless other infractions only get a PG-13 rating?  I know that our rating system is flawed, but after seeing TFINYR, I know longer think it's flawed.  I know it's totally fucked.  Well to be honest, I kinda knew it was fucked before, but didn't know how secret the MPAA is.

     This Film Is Not Yet Rated follows director Kirby Dick's documentary about the MPAA and it's terrible vice grip on what we, the viewers, are allowed to see in this country.  Kirby enlists a pair of private investigators to find out more about the MPAA, and the people that set the ratings on movies.  What we find out is that the MPAA is a self governed entity that hands down ratings at will, and has no public record as to who these people are that are responsible for the absurd rating system.

     Along the way, several directors are asked to give their story as to how the MPAA cut, or restricted releases of their movies until the said directors played along ( not of free will ).  Kevin Smith's movie Zach and Miri make a porno was cut down to just Zach and Miri, and slapped with an NC-17 rating until Kevin won an appeals process ( which is also on display ) to get an R rating.
Kimberly Peirce also got slapped with an NC-17 rating for her film Boys Don't Cry.  Why?  for a prolonged Orgasm and  a motion of cleaning the mouth after going down on a girl.

     It's these and other instances that make you want to scream.  By now it's obvious that if you have violence in a film you can secure a PG-13 rating with some tweaking.  Oh but if you have almost ANY sign of adult sexuality, it's almost an instant R rating or the dreaded NC-17.  In other countries it's almost the opposite.  Weird how that works out huh?  As a whole I really liked this movie and found it very entertaining as well as informative. 

-Mr. What?- ( * * * )

True Grit ( 2010 )

Starring:  Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, & Barry Pepper

Directed By Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/


     For the second time this year, I have seen a remake that was just as good as the original.  The first being Let Me In.  I was like a lot of people and VERY apprehensive when I heard about an American version of the Swedish vampire film Let The right One In.  When I attended the screening, I was floored at how good and very equal the American version was.  The same can  be said about True Grit.  Sort of.

     When it was announced that True Grit was going to be remade, I about threw up.  I could only imagine who some Hollywood douche bags would select for the role of Rooster Cogburn.  To my surprise the douche bags of Hollywood got some of the best directors fit for a project like this, and even sweetened the deal by getting Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin to star in it.  I still had some concerns though,  How do you take a classic film like True Grit, and re-hash it for the "thrill me" culture to appreciate?  Ethan & Joel found a way.

     This version though, is a lot darker and more violent.  I expected it to be of like this.  You can't take 2 great directors like the Coen brothers and expect them to keep it all ginger beer and twizzlers.  For the most part the story is still the same.  Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney ( Josh Brolin, ), 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross ( Hailee Steinfeld ) sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn ( Jeff Bridges ) . Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf ( Matt Damon ), who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her "grit" tested.

    The story was still the same, but more violent.  There is no way that they could release the same kind of film the Original was by today's standards.  People would either pan it, or walk out.  So with those considerations, I would say that True Grit was a huge success.  Part of that is the way the characters play off of each other.  LaBoeuf and Cogburn's back and forth bantering was classic and well timed, and young Mattie Ross's very to the point nature, and maturity was played with remarkable skill by Hailee Steinfield. 

     True Grit is an amazing film that was well paced and not hard to watch.  If you have a chance, go see this one in the theaters.

-Mr. What?-  ( * * * * )

You Don't Know Jack (2010) Red Box Review

Starring: Al Pacino, Brenda Vaccaro, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon

Director: Barry Levinson

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132623/

Which would you choose? A quick painless death or slowly withering away on a cold hospital bed. The courts said we didn't have the right to choose. If we were allowed to die, they simply unhooked the machines and let us go. Unable to move, barely having any motor function. Lying there, slowly starving, til your body finally gives out. One man, sought to change that. This is the story. Dr. Jack Kevorkian created a "suicide assist" machine. Where the patient was able to bring about their own death. A doctor couldn't do it, that would be illegal. So he would set up the machine and let the patient do it themselves.

I remember when this was going on in the 90's. The media painted a grisly picture. "Dr. Death" they called him. Like a sadistic serial killer from a slasher flick. Arresting him whenever he tried to help out a patient. All he was doing was trying to protect our civil rights. Let us choose ourselves if we have the right to die. He never asked for any money. What doctor can say that? This film shows the side of Jack that we never got to see. The humanitarian. The sympathetic doctor who only wanted what was best for the individual. It follows the trials up until he finally got seen in the Supreme Court, no longer charged for assisting suicide, but for murder.

Beautifully shot and brilliantly directed. Al Pacino is in top form. I didn't even recognize him. He really became Kevorkian. Not your typical Friday night flick. It's heavy subject matter, but still it is something worth seeing.

Verdict: * * * *

- Xtoph

Frenemy ( 2009 ) Red Box Review

Starring:  Matthew Modine, & Callum Blue

Directed By Gregory Dark

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1053880/


     First off you the viewer must be warned:  If you happen to see this film listed on Netflix or Red Box, be cautious....  Zach Galifianakis has only a very minor role in this film, but judging from the cover, you would swear that the movie revolves around him.  Not so.  This was another case of the higher ups changing the name of the original movie title ( Little Fish, Strange Pond ) with a dumber, yet catchy name, and Putting Galifianakis's face on it to attract The Hangover crowd.  Only one problem. 
The intended crowd wouldn't have the attention span to give this movie a chance.


    
     Well enough chit chat already, here's the story in a nutshell.  Mr. Jack and Sweet Stephen cruise aimlessly through the streets of LA speculating about life, death, divine will and the force of power that predetermines their existence. Mr. Jack attempts to illustrate to his sidekick the delicate and natural forces of the universe. Sweet Stephen's superficial charm and bloodsucking lifestyle sends him and Mr. Jack on a voyage that is relentless, engaging, (sometimes) and darkly hilarious.



     Frenemy is a very slow starting, and very confusing film.  Once you figure out that Z.G. has nothing to do with the story but just a bit part, you kinda feel cheated and want to turn it off.  I watched The Mrs. drift off into sleep,  and a fellow Cinephile begin messing around with Magic cards rather than attempt to give this movie a chance.  They missed out on some really funny moments, and some violent parts, but all the while they were more engaged in what they were doing.   I will be honest, there were moments where i was bored and wanted to change the disc.


     If you're in the mood for something different go for this then. 


-Mr. What?-  ( * * )

The Fighter ( 2010 )

Starring:  Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Mickey O'Keefe, & Jack McGee

Directed By David O. Russell

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751102/



     Growing up as a kid, I was able to see some of the greatest boxing matches of modern time.  Mike Tyson was a Heavyweight champ, Sugar Ray was still boxing,  Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini was always getting screwed out of a title, and then there was Micky Ward.  I remember seeing some of Micky's earlier fights, and to be honest, felt bad.  The guy never seemed to fight like I thought he should, but being a kid wtf did i know?  My father always rooted for him whenever he was on an early card fight, but Micky always seemed to lose or come close.

     Now as an adult, i was finally able to see how Micky had come from nothing and finally became something.  Just the name of Micky Ward makes any fight fan think of his classic triple bout with Arturo Gatti, dig a little deeper and you'll see why somebody finally decided to make a movie about Micky and his struggle to get to the top.  Unlike other sports movies The Fighter doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the delivery.

     The story of Micky Ward alone is one deserving of attention.  Coming up as a working stiff in Lowell, Mass.  Micky's boxing career is being overlooked in favor of his older  brother Dicky Eklund ( played by an Oscar worthy Christian Bale ), who is heavy into crack cocaine and under the delusion that his own boxing career is on the rebound.  As if Dicky's constant glory hounding wasn't enough to deal with, Micky ( Mark Wahlberg ) must also deal with his mother Alice who is completely domineering, and is blind to Micky in favor of Dicky.

      After getting put in prison for numerous offenses such as Assaulting a police officer, and Crack possession, Dicky gets clean, gets released from prison and begins to train Micky.  All the while before Dicky's release Micky has to deal with constant nagging and complete chaos from Alice and his sisters.  The only solace poor Mick seems to find is in a local bartender named Charlene Fleming.  Charlene is tough as nails, and has a very direct, blunt way of speaking, which ultimately leads to Micky falling in love with her. 

     I could go on and on about how great this movie was, but why?  Everybody else seems to agree.  I was impressed the most with Christian Bale.  I have had the disgust of dealing with Crack Heads in my neighborhood, and Bale's performance was spot on.  The twitching, constant movement, and delusion was played with perfection.  Mark Wahlberg deserves accolades as well for the physical training and boxing displayed in the film.  His acting was par for the course, but this wasn't a typical Wahlberg action film,  It was something deeper and darker.  By the performance alone you could tell everybody put forth a lot of effort.

     The Fighter has my vote for at least 3 Oscar nods including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best supporting Actor.

-Mr. What?-  ( * * * * )

Tron: Legacy ( 2010 )

Starring:  Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, & Beau Garrett

Directed By Joseph Kosinski

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104001/


     It doesn't matter if you're 6 or 90, there is something for everybody in Tron: Legacy.  Reading all of the so called "critics" reviews you would swear that this was the new Ishtar.  Why?  Because this isn't a Fern Gully rip off with blue monkeys?  Look people, this is NOT Avatar.  Tron: Legacy is better, and has a TON of heart unlike Avatar.  Plus, this isn't a remake.  It's a sequel that took over 20 years to make.  And I for one am very happy the studio took it's time, and yes it shows.

     The story itself wasn't too contrived or bland,  it actually flowed well, and kept me in my seat.  Sam Flynn, the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn, looks into his father's disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 20 years. Along with Kevin's loyal confidant, father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

     Nearly everything about Tron: Legacy was epic.  The CGI for the Cyber Universe was amazing.  Having Daft Punk doing the score really added to the feel of the characters and the world they resided in.  The highlight(s) for me was the revised light cycles and CLU 2.0.  First off The light Cycles were awesome to behold on a big screen.  These newer ones were more agile and seemed to flow at a hypnotic pace.  I often caught myself drooling over the races, and was applauded for letting my inner geek show. 

     CLU 2.0 should be given a lot of credit.  To take a younger Jeff Bridges face, and work it like a puppet to perfection on a digital level, AND make him a main character was epic!  I've viewed this movie twice now, and am still amazed at how good of a job the animators did.  Kudos to all of you involved with CLU 2.0, your hard work shows.  At times you have to shake your head and go "damn, that's awesome".

     I guess if I had any complaint against Tron: Legacy, it would be against the 3D.  I really didn't see the need to add it, because for the most part the movie was 2D and really didn't need to be in 3D.  That's it though, just that small gripe.  As a fan for the original Tron I give this movie my utmost respect and admiration. I saw the First one as a kid in a Drive in, Then as an adult I was very lucky to see the sequel in a theater.  I just hope it doesn't take 20+ years to film another addition to the possible franchise.

     Do yourself a favor, and go see this movie.

Mr. What? ( * * * * )

Lost Boys: The Thirst (2010) Red Box Review

Starring: Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Casey B. Dolan, Tanit Phoenix, Steven Van Niekerk.

Director: Dario Piana

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1400526/

The third installment in the series... I'll be honest, I sure wasn't expecting much. Was not too impressed with the second, so I went in with real low expectations. This has a better look and feel. Better script, better acting... and all around is just a better movie. I actually enjoyed it a lot, and lets face it, we're all fans of the Frog Brothers and want more of these movies made... no matter how bad they are.

Here's the low-down. We all know about the Frog Brothers. We open the film with the duo busting in on some political blood-suckers in the expected Frog fashion... too expected. Alan Frog (Jamison Newlander) quips, akwardly, "Holy Shit... it's the attack of Grandpa Munster". Rehashing his best line from the original Lost Boys film. Now, if you've seen the sequel(2008's "Lost Boys" The Tribe"), you know Alan is already a vamp. Turns out the opening is a dream sequence of Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman). We pick up with him getting evicted from his trailer and trying to scrounge up some dough to survive. He meets up with Gwen Lieber (Tanit Phoenix) who tells him up glow-stick waving Raver Vamps passing around a new drug called "The Thirst" at all the parties. Turns out the drug is vamp blood being used to build up an undead army. Edgar accepts the challenge and is partnered with a reality show reject (Steven Van Niekerk) and has to deal with a cameraman tag-a-long.

Best One-Liner: "Vinyl... still shreds!" - Edgar Frog

Verdict: * * * *

- Xtoph

The Disappearance Of Alice Creed ( 2009 ) Red Box Rental

Starring:  Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan, Gemma Arterton

Directed By J Blakeson

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1379177/


      Awesome movie, but be warned......  There is a A LOT of comparison between this movie and Hard Candy.  Small cast kept together, and most of the movie filmed on one or maybe two sets.  Very minimal, but very intense.  TDOAC is yet another staple in the British film section that will go down as a sleeper success.  Funny how the Brits are still more edgy than us at movies sometimes.

     The story was simple, but half way through started getting twisted and interesting at the same time.  A feat which is sometimes unachievable with movies like this.  Two men fortify a nondescript British apartment so it can serve as a prison, and then kidnap a woman and tie her to a bed. Before there's even time to react, we're plunged into a very nasty situation, but not a simple one.

     Like I said before, it's minimal, but dammit if I couldn't turn away for a second or I might run the risk of missing something.  That is what I liked most about the movie.  You had to pay attention to it or you're gonna miss something.  Unlike Iron Man 2 or garbage lie that, TDOAC had that Indie feel, and was an intense film to watch from beginning to end.  By intense I don't mean Saw, or Hostel.  Just imagine being tied to a bed and have to pee in a bottle intense, while your assailants are wearing ski masks and making threats.

     Trust me, if you like films of this nature you will not be disappointed.

-Mr. What?-  ( * * * )

Chloe ( 2009 ) Red Box Review

Starring: Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, & Amanda Seyfried,

Directed By Atom Egoyan

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1352824/


     Not bad.  For a Red Box rental I was a bit surprised.  I half expected this to be a slow movie with absolutely no feeling or emotion, and a semi hot scene to tie everything together.  Nope.  Chloe was actually a very well done piece of work that should get more credit than it has gotten, and should've had a bigger distribution. 

     I was actually very surprised with Amanda Seyfried.   In between the movies Jennifer's Body and Dear John Ms Seyfried did this little indie flick that should've been pushed more for a bigger distribution.  Her acting next to Julianne Moore was outstanding and very noteworthy.  I can only hope that she lights up the screen with the upcoming release of Red Riding Hood.

     The story was fairly simple..Catherine and David, she a doctor, he a professor, are at first glance the perfect couple. Happily married with a talented teenage son, they appear to have an idyllic life. But when David misses a flight and his surprise birthday party, Catherine's long simmering suspicions rise to the surface. Suspecting infidelity, she decides to hire an escort to seduce her husband and test his loyalty. Catherine finds herself 'directing' Chloe's encounters with David, and Chloe's end of the bargain is to report back, the descriptions becoming increasingly graphic as the meetings multiply.

     I was most surprised at the love scene between Seyfried and Moore.  If you happen to like cougar lesbian Masterbation scenes, then you must rent this movie.  At times the film kinda dragged on, but for every time this happened, better stuff awaited the unsuspecting viewer.

Great movie for a stay home date night.

-Mr. What?- ( * * * )

Faster ( 2010 )

Starring:  Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, & Maggie Grace

Directed By George Tillman Jr.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1433108/


     It's about time Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson did another R rated film.  So far, Doom and Southland Tales were the only R rated films under Dwaynes belt.  With Faster, hopefully there will be more offered.  I was getting a little upset at the fact that an awesome personality like Dwayne possess was being wasted on PG-13 films.  Not that there's anything wrong with PG-13, but after so many flops, DJ was fast becoming the New Eddie Murphy.  Not the case with Faster.

     I was a tad bit apprehensive at first when I saw the preview.  Good thing I decided to go against the so called "colleagues" and attend a screening.  WOW.  What a movie!  Faster had everything I had hoped for.  Action, Revenge, and a good cast all rolled into a good paced film.  Dwayne has earned my respect as an actor, and hopefully Faster will open the doors for more roles like this, or at least bigger box office draws, because the guy is totally deserving.

     The story was easy to follow and not full of too much lag time.  An ex-con sets out to avenge his brother's death after they were double-crossed during a heist 10 years ago.   During his campaign  however, he's tracked by a veteran cop and an egocentric hit man. All the while killing almost everybody involved in his brothers death.  Nothing in the world will keep Driver from fulfilling his revenge, or will it?

     I really liked how this movie was filmed with the same edge and grit as the 70's car chase movies, but without relying on the car to sell the whole picture.  Yes, it is a revenge flick, but with a set of balls, and not too much Fast and the Furious cheese.  At times it felt like I was watching a softer Grindhouse movie, but without feeling a bit ripped off.

     All in all Faster was a good movie that should be viewed with as much volume as possible.

-Mr. What?-  ( * * * )