This collects issues 19-24 of The Punisher form the Marvel MAX line. This is what I love about Marvel MAX. It's not for some characters... but for some, like the Punisher, there is no other way. None of this watered down pussy shit. No Thomas Jane wanna-bes. This is the real deal. Blood, boobs and gore. In this series, expertly written by Garth Ennis, mob boss wanna-be Nicolas Cavella digs up Frank Castle's (The Punisher) families graves and pisses all over the corpses. He video's the whole thing and sends it to the media. Of course Frank totally goes over the edge then and starts killing every criminal in town.
- Xtoph
Showing posts with label Crime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crime. Show all posts
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Condemned: Criminal Origins - X-Box 360 Game - Angled Doors Review
This is the creepiest game I have ever played. I loved it. It's got the right blend of eerie music and settings... It's kind of like if the movie Se7en was a game. This game has a great blend of action and puzzle solving. You play as FBI agent Ethan Thomas, who hunts down serial killers. This time around, there is a serial killer who targets serial killers. A lot of fun and pretty addictive. Worth checking out.
- Xtoph
- Xtoph
Monday, December 6, 2010
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?- ( * * * )
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?- ( * * * )
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The Lovely Bones ( 2010 )
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weiz, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, & Saoirse
Directed By Peter Jackson
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/
At first glance it seems an odd match: “The Lovely Bones,” Alice Sebold’s massively best-selling novel about a murdered girl watching over her family and her killer from heaven, brought to the screen by Peter Jackson, the bearded uber-geek behind “The Lord of the Rings.”
But remember: Jackson came to world attention in the mid-‘90s with “Heavenly Creatures,” a film about teenage girls and fantasy lives and a killing, and he has written his scripts since even before then with his wife, Fran Walsh, adding, more recently, Phillippa Boyens to his screenwriting team. So there’s always been a significant influence of womanly wisdom countering Jackson’s most boyish tendencies.
And if that doesn’t convince you that he’s qualified to adapt “Bones,” well, who among working filmmakers is as likely to whip up a dilly of a vision of the afterlife?
As it happens, the paradisiacal home of Jackson’s fallen heroine, Susie Salmon, is more candy-colored and fanciful than you might expect from the man who made us believe in Mordor. Particularly in contrast with the detail-rich 1970s suburbia “The Lovely Bones” depicts, its heaven is an airy play-scape that morphs in color and form like the innards of a lava lamp -- recollecting the afterlife depicted in Vincent Ward’s groundbreaking, under-seen “What Dreams May Come.” But, then, Susie is 14 years old at the time of her death, and it’s thus not surprising that her paradise is fluffy, cutesy and girlish.
And, truly, there’s little else about the film for which those adjectives are fit. Streamlining Sebold, Jackson and company build a zippy, heated, harrowing drama on a triangle of characters: Susie, her grief-torn father Jack, who seeks his daughter’s killer zealously, and the murderer himself, the grim recluse George Harvey. With infectious confidence, Jackson switches between the perspectives and obsessions of these characters, as well as those of Susie’s mother, Abigail, her sister, Lindsey, and Ruth Connors, whom Susie barely knew in life but who has an uncanny connection with the dead. It’s truly virtuosic moviemaking.
But for all the motion and energy and attention to décor and wardrobe and hairstyles, the foundation of the film is emotional. The devastation of losing a child; the nervous titter of puppy love; the frenzied pursuit of justice; the icy calm of a killer: Jackson builds and conveys it all with unswerving certainty. There are moments of heartrending grief in “Bones,” and of sickmaking dread, and of breathless exhilaration. And in all, as ever, Jackson proves himself a born filmmaker.
To aid him, he’s got a solid cast on hand. Saoirse Ronan is as persuasive as Susie as she was when she stole “Atonement” from the grownups. Here, doe-eyed and confounded and rent, she’s fully compelling. But she doesn’t overshadow Mark Wahlberg, desperate and determined as Jack, or Stanley Tucci, pursing his mouth and composing his body into silent predation as the killer. Compared to these, the estimable trio of Rachel Weisz (Abigail), Susan Sarandon (Abigail’s mother, Lynn) and Michael Imperioli (the investigating detective) feel a bit like background, which is less a judgment on their work than a reflection of the relative weight their characters bear in the adaptation.
It’s not clear, of course, what the admirers of the novel will make of Jackson’s “Bones”; readers have a habit -- annoying to filmmakers, no doubt -- of having strong ideas about books they love. But as someone new to the material, I found Jackson’s film soulful, respectful, masterful, horrifying, rending and emotionally true. It may not be the “Lovely Bones” that you have in mind, but it’s a fine and powerful one.
Overall Rating ( * * * * 1/2 )
Mr. What?
Directed By Peter Jackson
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/
At first glance it seems an odd match: “The Lovely Bones,” Alice Sebold’s massively best-selling novel about a murdered girl watching over her family and her killer from heaven, brought to the screen by Peter Jackson, the bearded uber-geek behind “The Lord of the Rings.”
But remember: Jackson came to world attention in the mid-‘90s with “Heavenly Creatures,” a film about teenage girls and fantasy lives and a killing, and he has written his scripts since even before then with his wife, Fran Walsh, adding, more recently, Phillippa Boyens to his screenwriting team. So there’s always been a significant influence of womanly wisdom countering Jackson’s most boyish tendencies.
And if that doesn’t convince you that he’s qualified to adapt “Bones,” well, who among working filmmakers is as likely to whip up a dilly of a vision of the afterlife?
As it happens, the paradisiacal home of Jackson’s fallen heroine, Susie Salmon, is more candy-colored and fanciful than you might expect from the man who made us believe in Mordor. Particularly in contrast with the detail-rich 1970s suburbia “The Lovely Bones” depicts, its heaven is an airy play-scape that morphs in color and form like the innards of a lava lamp -- recollecting the afterlife depicted in Vincent Ward’s groundbreaking, under-seen “What Dreams May Come.” But, then, Susie is 14 years old at the time of her death, and it’s thus not surprising that her paradise is fluffy, cutesy and girlish.
And, truly, there’s little else about the film for which those adjectives are fit. Streamlining Sebold, Jackson and company build a zippy, heated, harrowing drama on a triangle of characters: Susie, her grief-torn father Jack, who seeks his daughter’s killer zealously, and the murderer himself, the grim recluse George Harvey. With infectious confidence, Jackson switches between the perspectives and obsessions of these characters, as well as those of Susie’s mother, Abigail, her sister, Lindsey, and Ruth Connors, whom Susie barely knew in life but who has an uncanny connection with the dead. It’s truly virtuosic moviemaking.
But for all the motion and energy and attention to décor and wardrobe and hairstyles, the foundation of the film is emotional. The devastation of losing a child; the nervous titter of puppy love; the frenzied pursuit of justice; the icy calm of a killer: Jackson builds and conveys it all with unswerving certainty. There are moments of heartrending grief in “Bones,” and of sickmaking dread, and of breathless exhilaration. And in all, as ever, Jackson proves himself a born filmmaker.
To aid him, he’s got a solid cast on hand. Saoirse Ronan is as persuasive as Susie as she was when she stole “Atonement” from the grownups. Here, doe-eyed and confounded and rent, she’s fully compelling. But she doesn’t overshadow Mark Wahlberg, desperate and determined as Jack, or Stanley Tucci, pursing his mouth and composing his body into silent predation as the killer. Compared to these, the estimable trio of Rachel Weisz (Abigail), Susan Sarandon (Abigail’s mother, Lynn) and Michael Imperioli (the investigating detective) feel a bit like background, which is less a judgment on their work than a reflection of the relative weight their characters bear in the adaptation.
It’s not clear, of course, what the admirers of the novel will make of Jackson’s “Bones”; readers have a habit -- annoying to filmmakers, no doubt -- of having strong ideas about books they love. But as someone new to the material, I found Jackson’s film soulful, respectful, masterful, horrifying, rending and emotionally true. It may not be the “Lovely Bones” that you have in mind, but it’s a fine and powerful one.
Overall Rating ( * * * * 1/2 )
Mr. What?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Public Enemies (2009)
Stars: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Stephen Dorff & Channing Tatum
Directed By Michael Mann
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152836/
The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.
So there you go as far as the plot. Johnny Depp plays Dillinger as well as could be expected. At times it seemed as if he got bored with the role or a bit frustrated with it. The other actors and actresses seemed to be into the project, but Depp just didn't look all to thrilled. The feel of the movie at times felt like a film school project. I don't know what Mann was going for with the camera work, but 3/4 of the movie felt like some guy with a hand held camcorder was trying to film this while riding a bike intoxicated.
Set in the depression era, Dillenger (Depp) is robbing banks and throwing his middle finger up at the law. Now enter Melvin Purvis. A tough FBI agent hell bent on bringing down Organized crime. After a promotion Purvis(Bale) is given the daunting task of overseeing the crime soaked city of Chicago. So as you can imagine tons of shots are fired and people die, while Dillinger escapes making Purvis and the FBI look like the keystone cops.
I really enjoyed the sets, and the dirty feel of Chicago. The movement of the film at times seemed to drag on and on. The scenes with Dillinger and his flock of friends was just too much talk and not enough action. Also, it seemed like the supporting players kept the movie going when Depp was just there.
As far as a gangster flick goes though, it was awesome. The gunfights, outfits, seedy backstabbing people all around, and so on.... I felt like a kid watching a classic film on the big screen, but that would subside when we had to watch Depp babble on and on for minutes...
If you want to see a decent flim with shoddy camer work ten this is for you. If you want to see Depp pull off another great performance though, stay away from this movie. Maybe if Danny Elfman and Tim Burton were involved with the project Mr. Depp would've more of a performance.
Overall rating (* * *)
-Mr. What?-
Directed By Michael Mann
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152836/
The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.
So there you go as far as the plot. Johnny Depp plays Dillinger as well as could be expected. At times it seemed as if he got bored with the role or a bit frustrated with it. The other actors and actresses seemed to be into the project, but Depp just didn't look all to thrilled. The feel of the movie at times felt like a film school project. I don't know what Mann was going for with the camera work, but 3/4 of the movie felt like some guy with a hand held camcorder was trying to film this while riding a bike intoxicated.
Set in the depression era, Dillenger (Depp) is robbing banks and throwing his middle finger up at the law. Now enter Melvin Purvis. A tough FBI agent hell bent on bringing down Organized crime. After a promotion Purvis(Bale) is given the daunting task of overseeing the crime soaked city of Chicago. So as you can imagine tons of shots are fired and people die, while Dillinger escapes making Purvis and the FBI look like the keystone cops.
I really enjoyed the sets, and the dirty feel of Chicago. The movement of the film at times seemed to drag on and on. The scenes with Dillinger and his flock of friends was just too much talk and not enough action. Also, it seemed like the supporting players kept the movie going when Depp was just there.
As far as a gangster flick goes though, it was awesome. The gunfights, outfits, seedy backstabbing people all around, and so on.... I felt like a kid watching a classic film on the big screen, but that would subside when we had to watch Depp babble on and on for minutes...
If you want to see a decent flim with shoddy camer work ten this is for you. If you want to see Depp pull off another great performance though, stay away from this movie. Maybe if Danny Elfman and Tim Burton were involved with the project Mr. Depp would've more of a performance.
Overall rating (* * *)
-Mr. What?-
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Pride And Glory - DVD (2008)
Director: Gavin O'Conner
Starring: Colin Farrel, Edward Norton & Jon Voight
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482572/
Buy It On Amazon!
A story about a family of cops. Norton ends up investigating a scandal to find out his brother-in-law is involved.
We had the trailer for this at my theater, but for whatever reason never ran the film. SO when I saw it up for rent I had to snag it. Jon Voight is as amazing as always. Seeing two great actors like him and Edward Norton together was pretty cool. As for the film itself, it's your basic cop-drama. They don't really bring anything new to the table, but if you like that kind of film you will like this one, it's done well.
Verdict: * * *
- Al B. Damned
Starring: Colin Farrel, Edward Norton & Jon Voight
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482572/
Buy It On Amazon!
A story about a family of cops. Norton ends up investigating a scandal to find out his brother-in-law is involved.
We had the trailer for this at my theater, but for whatever reason never ran the film. SO when I saw it up for rent I had to snag it. Jon Voight is as amazing as always. Seeing two great actors like him and Edward Norton together was pretty cool. As for the film itself, it's your basic cop-drama. They don't really bring anything new to the table, but if you like that kind of film you will like this one, it's done well.
Verdict: * * *
- Al B. Damned
Friday, April 10, 2009
Observe And Report (2009)
Director: Jody Hill
Starring: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta & Anna Faris
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1197628/
Seth Rogen is a Mall-Cop whose mall is being terrorized by a flasher. He takes it upon himself to save the girl and the mall. Sounds like another "Mall-Cop" from the trailer and looks to be a bit funnier.
Turns out it's much better. This movie was freakin' awesome. It is similar to "Mall-Cop" in some ways, but far superior. It takes the comedy that extra step. Turns out Seth's character is bipolar and gun-happy. The directorial style is amazing. Similar to some of the films from the late 70's early 80's that I'm fond of. I was told this was going to be like a comedic version of "Taxi Driver" by Martin Scorsese. It actually is. Seth delivers some lines that will totally make you think of Travis. Definitely run to the theater and watch this now. You don't want to miss out on this one.
Verdict: * * * *
-Al B. Damned
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Punisher: War Zone (Two Disc Special Edition) DVD (2008)
Director: Lexi Alexander
Starring: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West & Doug Hutchison
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450314/
This was my favorite theatrical release for last year, if you missed it on the big screen now is your chance to own it. The Punisher from the 80's was ok, and the one from '04 sucked balls. This one makes up for that. There ain't no pussies like Thomas Jane in sight. This time we got the real deal, Ray Stevenson, who happens to look just like Frank Castle in the more recent comics. This movie really brought the comics to life. Beautifully done, it reminded me of the comics growing up as well as the new ones by Garth Ennis. West was amazing as Jigsaw. Seriously... this movie was amazing. If you are a fan of the Punisher you have to get this.
Special features on this one include a commentary track with the director and the director of photography. Several featurettes on the making of, training, the weapons of and more. The second disc was kind of pointless. It's just there so you can get a digital copy of the movie. I don't understand having a disc, but still having to get online to be able to get it. Should just be either with the disc or online, not both. Lame.
Verdict: * * * * *
- Al B. Damned
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