The Blair Witch Project Review

I know its about 10 years late for the party, but here's my review of "The Blair Witch Project." This indie horror flick made a big impact on moviegoers in 1999, but I do find this movie somewhat overrated. Its not bad, but it definitely doesn't deserve its glowing reputation.

The movie centers around three film students who venture into woods, filming a documentary about the fabled "Blair Witch." The film is presented as "lost film footage" that was found after the three died while filming (don't worry, thats not a spoiler, they tell you that as soon as the movie starts).

This movie was pretty hyped when it was first released. The concept seemed original enough and the way it was marketed was very clever. For almost a year, the filmmakers started spreading rumors about the failed expedition, presenting the film as if it was true. I understand why it did so well at the box office, but what I don't understand is why critics loved it so much. The movie isn't horrible, but it doesn't deserve its glowing reputation.

At times, the movie does an adequate job at building suspense. Every now and then, the crew will stumble upon a clue or an item that grabs your attention. The camerawork does maintain the feel of guerrilla filmmaking for which they were aiming.

Unfortunately, the movie's cons outweigh the pros. As original as the concept seemed at the time, it was preceded by another film with a near identical plot and style called "The Last Broadcast" released a year earlier. The presentation is sometimes ruined by the fact that there was some obvious editing, which killed the illusion of "found footage." The acting never comes off as natural and the gratuitous use of profanity becomes really annoying. Most of the movie was improvised and the plot was, as expected, not 100% tight. This did not bother me too much, but ending leaves far too many elements unresolved.

Overall, "The Blair Witch Project" is far from the worst film I've seen but its nothing amazing. Its worth a watch for its decent concept and the occasional moment of suspense. That being said, it is very overrated and definitely doesn't live up to the critical praise it received.

My Review: 2.5/5

Drag Me To Hell Review

Seeing as Halloween is right around the corner, it seems fitting to review some horror films. Tonight, the movie is director Sam Raimi's horror/comedy "Drag Me To Hell."

Writer and director Sam Raimi is probably best known to mainstream audiences for his take on the Spider-Man trilogy, but for his biggest fans, its his horror films that define his career. In fact, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness are two of my favorite films. As much as I enjoyed the Spider-Man movies, I was glad to see Raimi return to the horror genre and bring us another enjoyable scary flick.

The movie centers around Christine Brown, (Alison Lohman) a former farm girl now living in the city working as a loan agent. Determined on obtaining a promotion, she turns down an elderly woman for a loan extension on her home. In response, the woman places a deadly curse on Christine that will condemn her soul to the depths of Hell in three days.

It's always a breath of fresh air to see a well-done horror movie. The genre is littered with low budget straight-to-DVD quality crap that give the genre a bad name. First off, the movie is genuinely suspenseful. Though it does occasionally resort for some gimmicky jumps and shock moments, a majority of the film is legitimately scary. That being said, Sam Raimi did throw in some of his trademark slapstick humor as well. Some of the more gross moments of the film are reminiscent of the Evil Dead trilogy, also directed by Raimi. The acting was overall pretty good. Alison Lohman was convincing for most of the film as the Hell-bound protagonist. Justin Long does a solid job as Christine's supportive boyfriend. His performance was decent overall, but his facial expressions at the end of the movie, though brief, were very effective. Another stand out performance was Lorna Raver as the creepy Mrs. Ganush, the one responsible for placing the curse on Christine. The story was by no means Oscar-worthy, but it got the job done. It had a few twists along the way and the ending was appropriately disturbing.

Not too much to complain about really. The cgi could have been better. Some of the more gimmicky scares were ultimately ruined by either lame cg or poor execution. Some of the characters weren't particularly innovative or original, nothing horrible but nothing amazing either. For a horror film, the gore factor was fairly tame (this is a good thing) but it did have an abundance of gross-out moments that were a tad bit too excessive. If the ending doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth, the vomit scenes will.

Overall, it was a great movie. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it for horror fans or anyone looking for a quality scary movie.

My Score: 4/5

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs Review

Now its time for a review for a recently released movie. The movie is the cgi family comedy, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs." This movie is based on the children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett about a small island town where food rains down from the sky.

I remember reading the book back when I was a kid and when I saw the trailer this film, my expectations were quite low. After all, how many kids books adapted into feature films have really worked? Plus, the movie looked like a very loose adaptation, giving more backstory to the concept and making substantial changes to the art style. It ultimately replaced the fantasy/fairy tale themed style from the book with a more science fiction themed direction. I am happy to say, however, that I was very pleasantly surprised with how the movie turned out. It is a funny, exciting, and a very cute film that is entertaining for all ages.

The movie centers around a young inventor named Flint Lockwood. His whole life, Flint would create strange machines and inventions that despite being very innovative, would generally malfunction and cause chaos. His late mother believed in his abilities and encouraged to keep on inventing but his father was less than supportive. His most recent invention was a device that could turn ordinary water into various foods. After a slight mishap with the machine, he accidentally launches it in the sky, where it begins to absorb moisture from the air and causes it to start raining food. At first, the whole town loves this edible weather, but when the device begins to malfunction, the food grows to dangerous sizes as it rains down on the town.

Generally, when I review family films, the first thing I look for is whether it is good for both children and adults. I can gladly say that this movie definitely does. It is full of very clever and funny jokes that are appropriate for kids but can make the adults laugh as well. The third act, when the film becomes a food-themed disaster movie, has many amusing homages to classic B-Movies and recent disaster films such as those made by Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich. It also pokes fun at some of the cliches every now and then. The animation is pretty good throughout the film. The characters have a somewhat familiar look to them that, while not particularly innovative, did the job well. The the attention paid to the detail of the food catastrophes, however, was very well done. The voice acting is spot on. SNL Alum Bill Hader plays Flint alongside Anna Faris as a young weather reporter who also serves as Flint's primary love interest. Both do their voices well and in accordance with the characters' personalities. One of the stand out voice actors is Mr. T as Earl, a local police officer. I can't think of any voice that could fit the character better than Mr. T. Bruce Campbell, a personal favorite of mine, was a fitting actor for the voice of the town's mayor, who serves as one of the main antagonists. James Caan, Andy Samberg, Benjamin Bratt, and Al Roker also add to the all star voice ensemble.

In terms of complaints, there are a few things I can think of but nothing major. The manner in which the story develops is very typical. I'll try not to spoil anything but rather say it has the feel of a typical Disney animated movie (even though its not a Disney film). Some of the jokes and lines are quite corny as well. There were a lot of food puns that, while amusing at first, got kind of old quickly.

So while the movie probably won't win too many awards, that probably won't bother most families who go to see this movie. Any complaints I have for this film are very minor and I would definitely recommend this movie for kids and families of all ages.

My Rating: 4/5

Ed Wood

And now it begins. Here's my first official film review to be posted on this blog! The film is the 1994 biopic, Ed Wood. This "mostly true story" was directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp as the title character.

For those who aren't familiar with the film's central character, here's a little background information. Edward D. Wood Jr. is know by many as the worst director of all time. He is responsible for such infamous classics including "Glen or Glenda", "Bride of the Monster", and of course "Plan 9 From Outer Space." The latter of which has received the reputation as "The Worst Film of All Time." Wood was known to film over 30 scenes overnight, rarely do more than one take, and constructing incredibly cheap sets and props, resulting in films with countless plot holes, continuity errors, and revealing mistakes. Despite making a mild name for himself, he never obtained mainstream success in the industry. In fact most studio executives loathed him for the quality of his films, his unorthodox directorial style, and his general lack of skill. Also, once word got out that Wood was a part-time transvestite, his reputation took another turn for the worse. After Plan 9 was released in 1959, he went on to make a few more low budget B-Movies, followed by some monster-themed erotica films, and finally when his career truly hit rock-bottom, became a pornographic director. He died in 1978 at the age of 54 and it wasn't until years after his death that his work finally started receiving widespread recognition. Today many of his films have attained cult followings and, especially Plan 9, have become synonymous with the expression, "So bad, it must be good."


Now for the review of the film:

The story chronicles the life of Ed Wood while he was filming "Glen Or Glenda," "Bride of the Monster," and "Plan 9 From Outer Space." Here it shows his struggles as an inexperienced filmmaker going from studio to studio begging for the opportunity to get his films made. It also details the ups and downs of his love life starting with Delores Fuller (Sarah Jessica Parker) and ending with Kathy O'Hara (Patricia Arquette). The other subplot worth mentioning invovles Wood's friendship with an aging Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), who after becoming a morphine addict and unable to find work, acts in Wood's films.

The movie is shot in black and white, and has an near-identical resemblance to the B-Movies released in in the 1950s. The opening scene and credits is taken straight from Wood's style. It opens with Criswel (Jeffrey Jones) emerging from a casket reciting some bizarre narration that was heard in Wood's films. It then proceeds to a perfect recreation of the opening titles in Plan 9, complete with the cast and crew's names etched into cardboard gravestones. Finally the credits end with shots of rubber octopus tentacles and paper plate flying saucers hanging from strings; perfectly setting the tone for the rest of the movie. The film maintains this visual style and keeps it interesting for the full two hours. The musical score is put to great use as well. Here we hear bits and pieces of the theme from Glen or Glenda as well as the occasional use of "Swan Lake" from the 1931 adaptation of "Dracula" starring Lugosi. Overall, the film has a great look to it that both pokes fun at Wood but also pays respect to his creative visions.

The look of the film is only the icing on the cake, the film really shines due to the amazing cast. Johnny Depp not only looks like Ed Wood, but he has the mannerisms down perfectly. You can see the struggle he deals with and you do want to see him succeed in the end. At the same time, you can't help but pity the guy. You know his heart's in the right place and he is totally driven but at the same time he was making horrendous films and wasting studios' time and money. Its an interesting dilemma that is hard to explain and must be seen to understand. The other stand-out performance is Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi. Landau won the Oscar for best supporting actor and rightfully so. He nailed down Lugosi's accent, voice, and mannerisms to a point that its you forget that you're actually watching an actor portray the legendary actor. I'm not going to review every other actor because there's too many of them, but rather just say that every actor was well cast.

In short, I was not expecting to like Ed Wood that much. I've always considered Tim Burton a fairly hit and miss director, but I was greatly surprised by how well made this movie was. Every actor was perfectly cast, the visual style was excellent, and the film moved at a perfect pace. Its a great film that's both entertaining and inspiring, especially for any aspiring filmmakers. The movie is mostly true, but it does take a few minor fictional liberties. I don't normally give 5 star reviews, and I wasn't expecting to this one either, but I honestly can't think of one thing I didn't like about this film. Its just that good.

Overall, an excellent film about a terrible director. 5 Stars!

Summer Movie Season 2009 Awards

These are my awards for the best and worst films of the 2009 Summer Movie Season.

5. Most Awesome Visual Effects
Winner: District 9
I'm still in awe of how incredible the cgi in this film turned out on such a modest budget. Not only did the cg aliens blend in with the real world environments and people, but their movements and facial expressions was arguably the best acting in the film.

4. Funniest Comedy
Winner: The Hangover
I actually did enjoy Funny People a little more, but mainly for its script and acting. In terms of how many times I laughed, The Hangover wins. It was crude and sometimes gross, but always hilarious. Definitely worth watching.

3. Most Badass Movie
Winner: Inglorious Basterds
Its Quentin Tarantino directing a movie about Jews killing Nazis in WWII-era France. What more do I need to say?

2. Best Family Film
Winner: Up
I must confess, I only saw two family films this summer, Up and Harry Potter. Regardless, I have a hard time believing that any of the other family flicks could be as good as Up was. Pixar's standard for quality in their stories and animation continues to go unsurpassed. Up wasn't Pixar's best imo, but still an excellent film worthy of the Pixar reputation.

1. Greatest Movie of the Summer
Winner: District 9 (w/ Inglorious Basterds a very very very close second)
A great story, excellent special effects, convincing performances, and tight pacing made this the best movie of the summer.

The Crap

5. Worst Special Effects
"Winner": X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Not all the cg sucked, but I remember seeing a scene where Wolverine was staring at his new adamantium claws that looked like they were Photoshopped on. A few more scenes like that added to the mix, made this movie qualify for this distinction.

4. Worst Comedy
"Winner": Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Of course this movie was a comedy, there was no way the filmmakers actually figured the public would take this piece of shit seriously. Every performance in this movie came off as a half-assed comedy act. When the film was trying to be funny (and it often was), it wasn't. When it was not trying to be funny, it almost was... either way it sucked.

3. Least Badass Movie
"Winner": Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
A toy car/gremlin transformer, an aging and senile Decepticon, and Autobots with racist depictions... need I say more?

2. Worst Ending
"Winner": Angels & Demons
I won't spoil anything, but rather just say the ending was incredibly predictable and that the director and actors tried way to hard to sway you from the supposed "twist." No luck though.

1. Worst Movie of the Summer
"Winner": Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Just read my review for this film on the flixster app. I feel like I've dissed this movie enough for now.

The Unmentioned

Star Trek was pretty awesome, Bruno was disgusting but funny, Harry Potter set up for the seventh, Terminator Salvation had Batman fighting robots, Public Enemies had Batman chasing Jack Sparrow, Funny People was more touching than funny, and the Hurt Locker was surprisingly good.

Never did see G.I. Joe, so I don't know if it was good or not, even though knowing is supposed to be half the battle.

Overall review: What started off as a fairly disappointing movie season was ultimately redeemed in August.

My Ratings

I will use a general rating system for my film critiques. It basically works like this...

0-5 stars.

- 5 Stars
A five star film is a perfect or very near-perfect film. This score will be reserved for the films that truly go above and beyond the realms of a quality film. They must deliver and unforgettable experience that is both unique and original while also being capable of staying fresh for years to come. Don't expect too many 5-star films.

- 4 1/2 or 4 Stars
These movies are excellent examples of entertainment. 4 1/2 star films have little to no flaws, but just miss the mark in terms of quality to qualify for the perfect score. 4 Stars have some noticeable flaws but not nearly enough to significantly deter it away from greatness.

- 3 1/2 or 3 Stars
A three and a half star film is highly entertaining but does have a number of noticeable faults. It is enjoyable and worth the price of a ticket, and barely worth the price of DVD or Blu Ray disc. 3 stars are good and probably worth seeing in theatres at a cheaper price. They're not bad by any means but they just barely amount to decent entertainment. Worth watching once, but probably not more than that.

- 2 1/2 or 2 Stars
A 2 1/2 star film barely holds its own. Its cast into the category of mediocrity, neither really good nor really bad. Its the kind of film that you'll watch once and probably not hate but forget about the very next day. 2 star films are pretty bad, but not abysmal. You'll feel slightly ripped off if you paid to see it in a theatre, but only somewhat.

- 1 1/2 or 1 Stars
For both of these ratings, any good aspects are few and far between. They're either poorly made, unoriginal, boring, unfunny, or unintentionally funny. You'll feel quite ripped off if you paid to see one of these films.

- 1/2 or 0 Stars
Any film thats unfortunate enough to land one of these dreadful ratings should be avoided like the plague. There's nothing redeemable, entertaining, or positive in any way about them. Don't pay to see them and don't even watch them for free. Just stay far far far away from these.

Its Alive!!!

Hey Everyone!

This blog will be a source for any news regarding any of my films of interest. I will be reviewing films both recent and old, posting news of any productions I am working on, and sharing my general opinions of anything film-related.

Hope you enjoy it!