my thoughts on.... 'Hack!'

this movie made me wonder what the hell is going on with me lately....? this movie, yet again, has Kane Hodder in it....! granted he's a small part in the movie.... but he's in it.... and it took me by suprise.... also, if you ever wondered what happened to Winnie Cooper from the Wonder Years....? well here she is....! Danica McKellar is basically the star of this movie.... and she hasn't changed much over the years.... but you'll have to see the movie to find that out....

this is another example of a movie that just peaked my interest because of the storyline and the people in it.... i watched it sight unseen.... and there are movies out there that are made to be just watched and enjoyed for what they are.... not for any deeper meaning or life changing affermations.... this movie is a popcorn flick.... a fun movie for a Saturday night when you have nothing going on and you just want to check out for an hour and a half.... and in my mind, that's one of the little joys in life....

the story involves some kind of field trip to a remote island with a group of stereotypical teenagers.... every type is cast.... it's so obvious that it's silly.... however, i think that was the point.... they're all pop culture obsessed and talk about horror movies a lot.... the group heads off to a small island ran by a strange couple who are also amateur filmakers.... soon people start disappearing one by one and ending up dead.... and that's just the beginning....
i really, really enjoyed watching this.... it was like a horror geeks movie made for horror geeks only.... it's not all that smart and it's not all that serious, but it's well worth the watch.... it's a fun little flick with a lot to enjoy with all the little references to movies we've all seen and love and conversations that we've all had with our friends.... this movie got a bum rap for trying to hard and not being well done.... but i disagree.... i think it did exactly what it was supposed to do and i'd watch it again....

3 out of 5 stars.... however, if you're going to watch this.... please don't expect too much.... and you'll be pleasantly suprised.... i promise.... if you're looking for the next 'Citizen Kane', then look elsewhere.... because Oscar worthy it ain't.

if you like this, watch: 'Scream', 'Club Dredd' and 'Scary Movie'

my thoughts on.... 'Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield'

well, here we go again.... another film from the same folks who brought you 'B.T.K.' and 'Bundy'.... and yet again, it's not really all that good.... i should have known.... and i did.... but i wanted to watch it anyway to see how off they were with the story.... and once again, they remade history.... i mean, some of the facts were right, but so much of it was made up and Kane Hodder as Ed Gein was a very poor choice.... Ed was a fairly lean and small older man, not some beefy younger guy who looks like he'll rip your head off.... i have no idea what they were thinking when they cast him.... but i didn't make the movie so i guess i can't bitch.

the story follows most of the real plot lines.... he was a loner who lived in Plainfield, WI and was a mama's boy even after she died.... he lived in the house he grew up in and kept to himself for the most part.... most people would say he was a nice man, but a bit odd.... Kane's Ed Gein doesn't carry that part off.... he liked to rob newly dug graves containing women who reminded him of his mother.... and do bad things to their bodies.... everything but having sex with them.... that he said he never did.... ("they smelled to bad.").... they don't show much of him with the corpses, which was the majority of his sickness.... he turned their parts into lapshades, chair covers, bowls, pull chains, etc.... in this movie they barely touch on that.... the only thing they show is the full skin suit that he made out of different women's skin and sewed them all together....

all in all, it kept my interest.... but Ed Gein only confessed to killing two people and they only tried and convicted him for one.... they never found that he killed anyone else.... in the movie, they show Ed killing a few more folks than just 2.... granted they show one of the real killings and elude to another.... however, it was just so hard to get past Kane Hodder in the role.... i mean, he did fine.... he proved he has some acting chops.... it just didn't work.... and the ending was just lame.... it's not something i would recommend that you watch.... unless you're a Kane fan or you just have a lot of time to kill....

2 out of 5 stars.... it's available on Netflix OnDemand right now.... so at least it's free.... i think i just know too much about the history of Ed Gein to allow myself to enjoy this movie for what it was, a piece of entertainment.... Ed is shown in the movie to be a serial killer, but the reality is.... he never was. a sicko and a messed up guy, but not a serial killer.... by definition, he would have to kill 3 or more people to qualify for that title.... but he did inspire a slew of characters based on his life and crimes that are the serial killers of little kids nightmares and ones that we all know and love.... so for that i guess he'll always be remembered.

if you dare watch this, make sure and watch these too: 'Deranged' (the much better Ed Gein story), 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974) and 'The Silence of the Lambs'

my thoughts on.... 'B.T.K.'

this is a movie "inspired by the true story".... this is important to realize before you watch this movie.... it's not a true retelling of what actually happened in the B.T.K. case.... i didn't realize this when i went into it.... i just assumed it was going to be a bit more fact based.... sure they got a couple of things right, but overall it's just a reason to have Kane Hodder (Jason from several Friday the 13th films) go around and kill people.... i was less than impressed by it....

their version has B.T.K. as an overzealous compliance officer.... who tends to take his job a bit to seriously.... he's married with two teenage daughters and sneaks out occasionally to kill some women and sometimes men for no real reason.... we're never really given a motive.... he's an upstanding citizen to the outside world and to his church.... but soon all of that comes crashing down in one big mess....
i think Kane Hodder is an interesting fellow.... and as an actor, he's better than i expected he'd be, since mostof the movies i've seen him in he's behind a mask and doesn't say anything.... he does his best with the story and tries to make it interesting, but it all just falls flat.... there is nothing really special about the movie.... nothing really stands out.... its all just kind of there.... you know....? like they made it and just kind of did it for the hell of it....

2 out of 5 stars for this less than stellar movie.... and not something i would recommend to anyone actually interested in the case.... you're better off reading a true crime book instead.... the only reason i would tell anyone to see this is to see Kane Hodder do more than his usual typecasting.... other than that, junk.

if you like this movie, watch something better: 'Se7en', 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'Zodiac'