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the_vultureSadly, I haven't really had much of a chance to spend much of the bonus I just got for the quality of my work. It seems I've been a little too over-enthusiastic with some aspect of my physical routine and have put my back out since last Wednesday, ironically the day before I was to attend a trial class at a local Aikido club I had recently discovered. Argh!!! Of course, having very fews options during which to spend my free time save re-enact my former life as a couch potato, I've been watching a fair number of films. Some are hidden gems; others maybe should have remained hidden.
Here's a quick run down:
Asylum: Yep, every once in a while, I'll indulge some silly psycho killer horror film. This one features the fairly typical plot of a bunch of teenagers spending quality time in an abandoned mental institution which is not as abandoned as is healthy for them. My opinion of this film? What a waste of a bunch of good characters! This film deviates from the rest of its kind by revealing its stereotypical characters as being not so stereotypical in a manner that actually allows one to even sympathize with the bully jock. Sadly, the revelation of character backgrounds and bits of development are rushed to prepare them as fodder for what has to be the least interesting villain of the genre.
Kaena, the Prophecy: Browsing the sci-fi/fantasy section, I came across this little piece of animation and, intrigued by both the plot summary and shots of great artwork, I brought it home in the hopes that it would prove to be an entertaining watch. This film proved to vastly exceed my expectations as I was completely immersed in a world of myth and wonder that is parallel with films such as The Dark Crystal for the sheer imagination required to conceive and appreciate it. And to top it all off, it's a CANADIAN production! (Okay, at least as Canadian as anyone is willing to admit Quebec being so...)
The Cell 2: I enjoyed the rich visuals and sheer imagination that was the hallmark of The Cell. This sequel has none of that. Sadly, it travels further into failure than refusing to meet any audience expectations from the preceding film by blatantly defying plausibility with such scenes as a supposedly seasoned FBI agent repeatedly calling out someone's name whilst making a solo foray into an abadoned factory believed to be housing a serial killer. I hate it when writers refuse to do any research into anything they have no real clue about.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans: I enjoyed the first two Underworld films, though I would not have considered them to be amazing works of cinema, by any stretch of the imagination (though granted both featured some great eye candy). This film however, went further in terms of writing, characterization, and cinematography to really create a truly worthy film. Of the Underworld series, this one is easily my favourite and is worth watching by any fan of either werewolf or vampire film genres.
Mongol: If you can handle subtitles, this dramatization of the early life of Temudjin is a real find for any historical drama buff. For those of you who know who Temudjin one day became, this film handles many details of his life, and Mongolian culture, with a surprising degree of humanity. For those who don't, watch the film and see if you could guess at this man's destiny.
The Lost Colony: There's been a lot of speculation regarding the fate of the early Virginian colonies of Roanoke. This film puts a sinister and supernatural spin on that mystery. Though I didn't get to see Adrian Paul kick as much ass as he did in the Highlander tv series, this was a reasonably interesting watch.
Max Payne: I don't know if this was faithful to the plot of the game it was inspired by, as I've never played it, but it did feature a fair degree of good action and cinematography. My knowledge of Norse mythology rather spoiled a surprise or two, but the film was still worth the watch, especially given certain mysteries about key plot points that defy the rational explanations given for them.
Hancock: This was an original twist on the superhero genre of film that examined the superhero as myth and presented a riveting story of personal redemption. I've been a fan of Will Smith's acting for quite some time and this film did not disappoint! A worthy watch for fans of the superhero genre!
Iron Man: Neat! Not stunning, but neat!
Dawn of the Dead (The Original Theaterical Release): Yes, I finally got the chance to watch this Romero classic. And, frankly, I enjoyed this one far more than its recent remake. That's probably because I'm a big fan of character exploration, which this film went into. It also has less bleak of an ending. It was more of a thinking man's film (as much as a zombie flick can be a thinking man's film...).
Lost Boys II: The Tribe: Ever see the original Lost Boys film? Then you've pretty much seen this one. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Blood and Chocolate: This curious blend of Romeo and Juliet and the rpg Werewolf: The Apocalypse was a reasonably compelling watch that roams further into the realm of romance than horror, whilst also presenting an interesting study of an imagined culture of shapeshifters secretly co-existing with a contemporary human culture.
Cloverfield: This film features intense character development in the context of a giant invading monster disaster. In some ways similar to the cinematography of The Blair Witch Project, the cinema verite feel achieved in this film works very well, leaving enough uncertainty and mystery to make this film especially compelling.
The Happening: Meh. It was an interesting concept, but there wasn't enough plausibility to make it work for me.
Skinwalkers: Are you a good werewolf or a bad werewolf? This film features the struggle between a group of werewolves seeking an end to their curse, by ensuring a young lad fulfills his prophecy, and others who really don't want to see an end to their murderous way of life. It was a reasonably interesting watch for fans of the genre.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: I found the TV series much more entertaining.
Here's a quick run down:
Asylum: Yep, every once in a while, I'll indulge some silly psycho killer horror film. This one features the fairly typical plot of a bunch of teenagers spending quality time in an abandoned mental institution which is not as abandoned as is healthy for them. My opinion of this film? What a waste of a bunch of good characters! This film deviates from the rest of its kind by revealing its stereotypical characters as being not so stereotypical in a manner that actually allows one to even sympathize with the bully jock. Sadly, the revelation of character backgrounds and bits of development are rushed to prepare them as fodder for what has to be the least interesting villain of the genre.
Kaena, the Prophecy: Browsing the sci-fi/fantasy section, I came across this little piece of animation and, intrigued by both the plot summary and shots of great artwork, I brought it home in the hopes that it would prove to be an entertaining watch. This film proved to vastly exceed my expectations as I was completely immersed in a world of myth and wonder that is parallel with films such as The Dark Crystal for the sheer imagination required to conceive and appreciate it. And to top it all off, it's a CANADIAN production! (Okay, at least as Canadian as anyone is willing to admit Quebec being so...)
The Cell 2: I enjoyed the rich visuals and sheer imagination that was the hallmark of The Cell. This sequel has none of that. Sadly, it travels further into failure than refusing to meet any audience expectations from the preceding film by blatantly defying plausibility with such scenes as a supposedly seasoned FBI agent repeatedly calling out someone's name whilst making a solo foray into an abadoned factory believed to be housing a serial killer. I hate it when writers refuse to do any research into anything they have no real clue about.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans: I enjoyed the first two Underworld films, though I would not have considered them to be amazing works of cinema, by any stretch of the imagination (though granted both featured some great eye candy). This film however, went further in terms of writing, characterization, and cinematography to really create a truly worthy film. Of the Underworld series, this one is easily my favourite and is worth watching by any fan of either werewolf or vampire film genres.
Mongol: If you can handle subtitles, this dramatization of the early life of Temudjin is a real find for any historical drama buff. For those of you who know who Temudjin one day became, this film handles many details of his life, and Mongolian culture, with a surprising degree of humanity. For those who don't, watch the film and see if you could guess at this man's destiny.
The Lost Colony: There's been a lot of speculation regarding the fate of the early Virginian colonies of Roanoke. This film puts a sinister and supernatural spin on that mystery. Though I didn't get to see Adrian Paul kick as much ass as he did in the Highlander tv series, this was a reasonably interesting watch.
Max Payne: I don't know if this was faithful to the plot of the game it was inspired by, as I've never played it, but it did feature a fair degree of good action and cinematography. My knowledge of Norse mythology rather spoiled a surprise or two, but the film was still worth the watch, especially given certain mysteries about key plot points that defy the rational explanations given for them.
Hancock: This was an original twist on the superhero genre of film that examined the superhero as myth and presented a riveting story of personal redemption. I've been a fan of Will Smith's acting for quite some time and this film did not disappoint! A worthy watch for fans of the superhero genre!
Iron Man: Neat! Not stunning, but neat!
Dawn of the Dead (The Original Theaterical Release): Yes, I finally got the chance to watch this Romero classic. And, frankly, I enjoyed this one far more than its recent remake. That's probably because I'm a big fan of character exploration, which this film went into. It also has less bleak of an ending. It was more of a thinking man's film (as much as a zombie flick can be a thinking man's film...).
Lost Boys II: The Tribe: Ever see the original Lost Boys film? Then you've pretty much seen this one. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Blood and Chocolate: This curious blend of Romeo and Juliet and the rpg Werewolf: The Apocalypse was a reasonably compelling watch that roams further into the realm of romance than horror, whilst also presenting an interesting study of an imagined culture of shapeshifters secretly co-existing with a contemporary human culture.
Cloverfield: This film features intense character development in the context of a giant invading monster disaster. In some ways similar to the cinematography of The Blair Witch Project, the cinema verite feel achieved in this film works very well, leaving enough uncertainty and mystery to make this film especially compelling.
The Happening: Meh. It was an interesting concept, but there wasn't enough plausibility to make it work for me.
Skinwalkers: Are you a good werewolf or a bad werewolf? This film features the struggle between a group of werewolves seeking an end to their curse, by ensuring a young lad fulfills his prophecy, and others who really don't want to see an end to their murderous way of life. It was a reasonably interesting watch for fans of the genre.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: I found the TV series much more entertaining.
