Showing posts with label demons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label demons. Show all posts

Monday, February 14, 2011

my brief thoughts on.... 'Legion' (2010)

from the time this was released, i've heard nothing but bad things about it.... there were a few positive things, here and there, that they pointed out in the movie but overall it was a failure.... this movie was intended to be a trilogy, however it's doubtful that this will happen now.... i'm a man that will give just about any movie out there a day in court.... some sooner than others, but eventually they will be seen.... and i stayed away from this one for quite a while because i was biased against it from the reviews.... i needed to give it some time and distance so that i could watch it with clear eyes.... (however, when it came out on Netflix OnDemand.... i can never refuse that.... so i watched it before i was totally unbiased....).... once i finally sat down to view this, i had very low expectations still, but the trailer showed some promise so i had a faint glimmer of hope.... i can honestly say that from the first scene on, i was intrigued.... and the further into the movie i went, the more interested i became.... it felt like a zombie movie, but with angels....

the basic story wasn't new, however the bigger storyline was something that i hadn't seen before.... i believe that this movie really could have been something.... i'm not sure what i can pinpoint that killed it, but i felt the ending could have been done much better.... that's the biggest thing that bothered me.... that and what i call 'the 'Stigmata' effect.... a movie that basis itself in religion, but disregards religion and just makes it up however they want.... or however will fit the best in the movie....

to keep the plot breakdown as simple as possible: angels come to earth, in human form, to stop the birth of a child that will save humanity.... but a small group of people, including the pregnant woman, barricade themselves in an old diner.... the only thing that can protect them is the angel, Michael, who gives up his place in heaven to save the child and humanity.... (that wasn't as simple as i would hope....)

the cast really puts on a good show and does the best with everything they have.... the special effects are done fairly well.... i enjoyed the action sequences.... i mean, who doesn't love massive amounts of guns firing....? the hordes of angels are frightening and change the way angels are thought of.... (part of the changes made to religious icons to meet the needs of the storyline).... it's a very dark movie that had a lot of promise.... i could see how this got greenlit to be made, i just wonder how it could go so wrong....? maybe i'm missing something....? or perhaps i'm just a simple guy who is easily entertained....?

i gave it 3 out of 5 stars and even watched it a second time.... i really think they should have re-thought the ending.... and perhaps the casting of Lucas Black as one of the leads.... not that i dislike him, but he just doesn't sell the storyline.... and i can't say i'd want to see him in a sequel.... maybe that's what happened....? i don't know.... maybe the world will never know.... either way, i recommend to check this out.... just close your eyes at the end or shut if off before the last 15 minutes play out.... it's a fun little time waster....

if you like this, watch: a zombie movie.... it's kind of what they were going for i think.

Monday, February 7, 2011

my brief thoughts on.... 'Night of the Demons' (2009)

in 1988, Kevin Tenny directed a fun little flick called 'Night of the Demons'.... it's a cult classic and a film that gets brought up quite often in the horror forums.... it's was good in 1988 and it still holds up in 2011.... i heard of this remake after it was already done and about to come out.... i didn't know what to think.... i'll give every remake a day in court, as i believe that some of them are on par with the original and sometimes even better.... this was not one of those times....

this movie was about demons and a small group of people trying to survive the night in the mansion where the demons have trapped them and are trying to turn them all into demons.... sounds kind of good, right....? it's not.... the story is about a woman who hosts a Halloween party and after the cops raid the mansion where she's hosting the party, things happen and suddenly demons start attacking the remaining partygoers....
the script goes from bad to worse as the movie progresses.... it's full of holes and jumps in logic.... they try to create a backstory that will make the movie deeper than it is.... but it just doesn't work.... the demons look kind of cool and i was happy to see Edward Furlong in a movie again, but it's just so over the top and not very good.... not even bad good that i wouldn't recommend it to anyone.... i gave it 1 out of 5 stars.... and i know that i don't ever need to see it again.... oh and by the way, when Edward Furlong falls through the floor and down about 3 stories, he breaks his leg.... his femur to be exact.... and when Monica Keena repels down to help him, she takes his leg and 'pops' it back into place to splint it.... (he turns into a demon right away *spoiler*, so i guess this whole bit doesn't really matter).... note to the writer of the movie.... if someone breaks their femur and you attempt to re-set it in order to splint it, you can rip the femoral artery and the person will bleed out in about 2 minutes.... so what you've esentially done is given some horrible advice to potential hero's.... just one more strike against this lame remake.

watch: 'Night of the Demons' (1988), 'Night of the Demons 2' (1994), or '28 Days Later'.... those are much better alternate takes on the zombie genre....

Saturday, May 22, 2010

my thoughts on.... 'Demons'

i've never been a fan of Italian horror films.... i just had to say that right off the bat.... for some reason they just never appealed to me.... i've seen several and tried to get into them, but the only one that i can say that i love and even own is Lucio Fulci's 'Zombi'.... but a friend of mine told me that i should check out the pair of Dario Argento produced films called 'Demons' and 'Demons 2'.... i was hesitant, but he insisted and i read the premise of the first one and it intrigued me.... so over this past weekend, i rented it from Netflix and last night i had the time to sit down and absorb the movie and give it the proper attention it needed....

the storyline begins with a strange man' with a silver mask and disfigured face, handing out free movie passes to a cinema called the Metropol.... the theater had been shut down for years, but this was the grand re-opening.... gradually we're introduced to several groups of people attending the premire and we're told little bits about them.... so as to make us worry about them when the poop hits the fan.... as the film begins, we find out that it's a horror film about Nostradamus and demons taking over the earth.... soon art begins to imitate life, when one women turns into a demon herself and begins infecting everyone else in the theater.... it's a fight for their lives to try and find a way out.... and that's all i'm going to give away.... sounds pretty intriguing, right....?
i have to admit and i'm not too big to say this.... i enjoyed this film from start to finish.... it was a lot closer to a zombie movie.... or '28 Days Later' than to anything else i've seen.... the virus spreads in the same way, for the most part, and the demons move fairly quickly.... which of course heightens the tension.... i think that's the reason that i really dug this movie.... was the original plot and the zombie-like similarities.... the special effects are overly gory.... the demons are extremely gooey and bloody.... the sets are used very effectively.... and it's amazing how much use you can get out of one movie theater for the plot of a horror movie....

hands down one of the first Italian horror movies i've seen in a long time that i enjoyed.... easily 3 out of 5 stars and highly recommended for zombie fans.... i might even go up to 4 stars on this one, once i see the 2nd one and find out where the story goes.... as i was a little let down by the end of this one.... and you'll see that for yourself if you watch it.... i want to take them as a whole piece of work, not just one film.... to sum this up, this movie comes Joel recommended.

if you enjoy this, check out: 'Zombie', '28 Days Later' and 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)

Monday, April 5, 2010

my thoughts on.... 'Paranormal Activity'

i rented this movie with no other knowledge about it other than it was similar to 'The Blair Witch Project'.... and that's the way i wanted it.... i wanted to come in fresh and with no expectations.... i usually enjoy a movie more the less i know about it.... i'd heard good things about this movie.... and had even heard some people say that it really scared them quite a bit.... and it's been a while since i've been scared of a movie, so this peaked my interest even more to rent it....

a couple buy a video camera to document strange goings on in their home which they think may be paranormal.... they soon find proof to back up their gut instincts.... but this just leads to more questions as we find out that the main girl in the movie has been followed from house to house by an entity since she was a little girl.... they then call in outside help to get more information about the spirit and how to get rid of it and that's when things get really dark.... i don't want to give the entire plot away.... but it's interesting enough to be worth your time to rent this one and watch it alone in the dark....

with the comparisons to 'Blair Witch', i'd say some of them are grounded.... but overall the only real relation is that it's all very 'reality show-ish'.... it seems like it's all unscripted and that you're watching footage from a police file or something.... there's not a huge amount going on in the movie.... and the plot is sparse at best.... but the atmosphere makes up for all of that....

all in all.... a clever twist on an old theme.... very effective scares.... and some of the tactics are based in reality.... i found myself getting swept up in the storyline and got a little bit of a jump at the end of the movie.... but this vs. 'Blair Witch'....? i'd take the witch anytime over this.... 'Paranormal Activity' is worth a watch and possibly a second viewing.... but i don't know how much staying power it has.... i'd give it a good 4 out of 5 stars.... most certainly not crap....

if you enjoy this movie, check out: 'The Blair Witch Project', 'Suicide' and any of the paranormal shows on basic cable