my brief thoughts on.... 'The Butcher'

the Korean film industry continues to impress me with what they're releasing.... not just in one genre, but across the board.... i've seen so many good Korean films in the past several years.... now when i came across 'The Butcher' i did so because of a little blurb about it in the years roundup of good films from the past year.... it's not a movie with much out there that i could find out about it.... but it's available from Netflix to rent.... obviously this is a horror movie.... some might use the buzz words, 'Torture Porn'.... i hate that term and disagree with it and don't use it.... this is a grusome piece of work and is not short on blood, guts, gore and horrific acts of violence.... but that's what it advertises and you shouldn't be expecting any less than that stuff.... i mean, look at the cover....! a man in a pigs head with a chainsaw and a butcher-type apron.... that doesn't scream Meg Ryan comedy/love story....

this movie is probably one that will have a lot of love/hate reviews.... it's kind of something where you either enjoyed it or hated it.... i'm on the left side of that arguement.... i actually found this to be an original, little gore fest with a lot of potential that pays off just enough to leave you feeling satisfied at the end.... what's it about, you ask....? that's the neat thing that makes this stand out.... the storyline is not original at all.... you have several men who are kidnapping and killing innocent people in an old barn/warehouse thing.... but they're filming each murder and selling it to a specialized market.... 'snuff' films for the masses.... however, where this differs quite a bit from other movies is how it's filmed.... you not only view this from the third party perspective, but through the eyes of the killers and the victims.... that little trick is accomplished by the killers attaching cameras to helmets that the victims have to wear.... so you get to feel what it might be like to be the one in the chair as the killer is doing horrible things to you.... but then the view changes and then it changes again.... it is something i don't remember seeing before in a movie.... it puts this on a different level, instead of just being another slasher flick....
i ultimately gave this 3 out of 5 stars.... i couldn't quite justify the 4 star rating.... it had it's moments and accomplished exactly what it set out to do.... but something left me feeling a little unsatisfied at the end.... the way that the movie ended wasn't bad.... i felt it ended the best way it could.... and boy did i feel dirty.... especially after the decision our lead character made to save his own life.... if that doesn't give you a direct punch in the face, then i don't know what will.... that being said, only rent this if you've enjoyed other movies with over the top blood and guts and scenes of violence....

other movies that are similar: 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (2003), 'Hostel' and the 'August Underground' trilogy

my brief thoughts on.... 'Broken'

i've just finished this movie and i can honestly say i have no idea how i feel about it.... it doesn't make "Saw look like a children's film." but it starts out pretty harshly.... and was hard to watch.... but the entire 2nd act is far from gut wrenching or disturbing.... it's a lot of washing of pots and pans and our heroine trying to escape from her captor.... i can say this about the movie.... i had no idea where it was going.... i mean, it seemed pretty cut and dry, but it never really let on how it would end.... so it did hold my attention.... and when another women joined the group as another captive, things got more interesting.... it just never reached any sort point or reason why we should bother watching it.... it's weird to feel that way about a movie.... but it's kind of the sense i got.... that i was just watching it because it was on and it wasn't really going anywhere specific.... i can honestly say that after finishing it, that the writer was dragging us along for this ride just so we could reach the ending.... it was just shocking enough and disturbing that it left you feeling like the wind got knocked out of you.... and maybe that was the point of the rest of the movie being so evenly paced.... so you get lulled into a sense of safety.... i don't know....

a person just listed in the credits as 'The Man' is hard at work putting women through a series of tortures to see how far they'll go.... and if they're worthy to ultimatly be his slaves.... you see more than one woman unable to take the torture.... but one woman is so determined to find her child that she's willing to do anything to live long enough to find out what The Man has done with her.... and this is no short period of time we're talking about.... nearly two months of being held captive and yet she holds on to hope that she'll escape and find out what happened or her captor will tell her something....
this movie got a lot of bad press for it's treatment of women and i see why.... the first 20 minutes are pretty hard to watch.... but if you've seen 'Saw' or 'Hostel', it's nothing you can't stomach.... but as you can imagine the woman gradually gains the power.... and it's no longer about women in bondage.... but as i said earlier on, do we really care in the end....? i can't say.... it's such a weird little movie.... it reminds me slightly of 'Wolf Creek', but without the non-stop horror.... this movie is more about the put coming to a boil.... anyway.... i gave it 2 out of 5 stars.... not something i would recommened.... and if you want to know the ending, drop me a line and i'll give it up to you.... so you don't have to sit through the rest.... this is mediocre at best.

other similar-ish movies: 'Wolf Creek', 'Saw' and 'Hostel'

my thoughts on.... 'Sick Girl'

filmakers fascinate me.... as i've been on both sides of the lens, i find the whole process intriguing.... i've been director, cinematographer, screenwriter and actor.... finding a creative story and one that has the certain 'it' factor is rare.... this movie was one of those movies that got under my skin and despite it's shortfalls, it was still something unique.... maybe the story wasn't original in all aspects, but it just didn't matter.... i fell in love right away.... now you may find that disturbing once you see the film.... however, there's just something about it.... before i get on the review.... this movie is not available OnDemand on Netflix, but it's available to download and was one of those strange movies i just stumbled across while messing around on the Netflix site.... (a daily thing i do.).... needless to say, the title is not just a way to get your attention.... it really describes the film and it's star.... Leslie Andrews.... who is hypnotizing to watch....

Izzy and her little brother basically live on their own after their older brother goes off to Iraq.... their friend Benny watches over them as much as he can, but he has a life of his own and isn't always there.... neither of them know what Izzy is really up to.... she has a violent streak a mile wide and has very little pity for anyone and i mean anyone.... the movie opens with Izzy doing something nasty to a nun, doing something nasty to a schoolbus full of kids and then does something nasty to two random boys on the road.... that's just in the first 10 minutes.... it just gets worse from there.... as she continues on her silent rampage across her small town totally unknown to anyone except her victims.... that's all i'm going to say.... the rest just needs to be seen.
this is not a gentle film.... it's not heartwarming or at least not for long.... it's wrong on many different levels but there's some kind of poetry to it.... something i can't quite explain.... i'm sure you'll all think i'm nuts once you see it.... i just couldn't get enough of the film.... and i sent it right back this morning, as i wanted to remember it fondly and watch it again after it has time to settle.... i'd like to even own it, if i can ever find it anywhere.... perhaps on Amazon.... it blends a lot of different genres.... and some people may equate it with torture porn, but that's a genre definition that i don't agree with.... i think it's bogus and in this film it doesn't hold any more true than any other "torture porn" movie.... granted there are horrific things done to all ages of people.... but it has a point.... it just shows how truly disturbed our anti-hero Izzy is.... and she's pretty damn messed up....

after it ended i automatically gave it 4 out of 5 stars.... the only real drawbacks are some of the low production values.... but it's a low budget film.... so i can forgive the drawbacks of a lack of money.... the story is so strong and the characters so interesting that i couldn't take my eyes off of it the whole time.... and i wanted the experience to never end.... from the hard hitting beginning all the way to the gut punching ending.... it grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go.... plain and simple, i loved it.... so if anything i've said catches your interest at all.... go out and rent it asap and let me know what you think.... but you have been warned, it's not for the faint of heart.... 'Sick Girl' is film going experience, not a movie to casually just watch.

my thoughts on.... 'Stoic'

so my Uwe Boll fest has finally come to a close.... 'Stoic' being the last movie in the collection.... so far the count is 2 crappy movies and 1 great film.... what about 'Stoic' you might be asking....? well, i have to say i didn't hate it.... it's not a better movie than 'Rampage', but it's far above and beyond 'House of the Dead' and 'Seed'.... i honestly sat entranced by the actors performances.... each one of them were well cast and played their roles up to a "T".... the script was well written and supposedly this is based on true events.... which if that's the case, it makes it all that much more disturbing of a movie....

you have 4 prisoners in one cell.... they start out harmlessly enough playing a friendly game of poker for cigarettes.... soon a bet is placed for the winner of the next hand to have to eat an entire tube of toothpaste.... when the player who made the bet loses the hand and won't keep up his end of the bet, things start to spin out of control.... first they force him to eat the toothpaste.... but it just gets progressively worse from there.... as they continue to up the ante to the point where they carry out some of the most horrific acts on the poor man which eventually has some pretty tragic results.... however, i won't say ultimately what happens.... as Netflix OnDemand didn't have the entire movie available to watch.... it just suddenly cuts off right at the climax.... i mean, most of the important stuff has happened and you know the ending, but some closure would have been nice....
Mr. Boll has proven himself to be a 50/50 player in the directing, writing and producing game.... i think the key is for him to stay away from video game movies and stick to other stuff.... because it's where he shines.... i won't say that i'm a fan of his now.... but i have gained a little more respect for him and would watch another one of his movies if the plot intrigued me enough.... i can't believe i'm saying that.... but i will give credit where credit is due and i'm glad i took the time to give him another chance.... and you should too....

this movie gets 3 out of 5 stars.... and may not be something i'll own or need to watch again, but it was worth the time and energy i invested into watching it.... it was above par and Edward Furlong is always good to watch.... that being said.... my Uwe Boll fest has ended and now i can go back to real life.... i hope you've enjoyed this review.... (what an odd way to end this....?!?!)

my thoughts on.... 'Seed'

so my Uwe Boll fest continues.... as i feel it's only fair to judge the man on several of his films rather than to just judge him on just one.... and based on 'House of the Dead', i would hate him if that was the case.... my next movie was this little indie serial killer fest called 'Seed'.... i had low expectations.... but not as low as before i saw 'Rampage'.... the only name in this movie is Michael Pare.... who isn't really much of a name anymore.... but he does a good job as the policeman hot on the heels of Max Seed, the most prolific serial killer in history.... or that's what Uwe leads you to believe.... there's blood a plentry and lots of gore.... the only real problem i had from the get go was that they used animal cruelty videos in the beginning and middle to show the inhumanity of man.... and the videos were provided by PETA, so you can imagine how horrible they are.... i can handle all of the gross stuff in the movie, but the real horrors made this hard to watch.... especially those involving dogs.... i felt this wasn't necessary.... but i guess Mr. Boll did.

as i mentioned before, Max Seed is an extremely busy serial killer.... over the years he's murdered too many people to count.... and the stories of his exploits are legendary.... Michael Pare is the cop out to catch him.... and based on a tip they get, they go out to an old farmhouse on a road that has no name and isn't even on the map.... one by one, Seed kills off the policemen until Michael finally subdues him.... he's thrown in jail and sentenced to die.... for some reason they let him continue to wear his mask in jail.... but whatever.... eventually they submit him to the electric chair.... however the chair is subpar and the law states that if you electrocute a man three times for 45 secs a piece and he doesn't die, he goes free.... after 2 attempts, Seed doesn't die.... they pretend he's dead rather than take the chance on a third failed attempt.... and instead they bury him alive.... within hours, he's free from his underground prison and returns to kill everyone was involved with his execution....
i wouldn't call this a classic slasher.... and i wouldn't rate it as high as 'Rampage'.... it just fell short in so many areas.... and the PETA footage brought it down to an extremely low level.... it has it's high points.... some of the scenes are above average.... however the bad outweighs the good.... therefore i don't know that i would recommend it to fans of the genre.... it's depression, disgusting and not to well written.... i don't feel sorry that i watched it.... there are just some things that can't be unwatched.... and this almost ranks up there with something i wish i didn't watch....

all in all.... 2 out of 5 stars.... so far the count for Uwe is 2 bad movies and 1 good one.... i have one more movie on the hit parade called 'Stoic'.... and it's gotten pretty good reviews.... so i have my hopes up for a decent prison flick.... not too mention it has Edward Furlong in it.... so it can't be all bad.... but until then, i need something directed by Rob Zombie to wash the taste of this movie out of my mouth.... no seal of approval for 'Seed'.... none at all.

my thoughts on.... 'Train'

let's keep this brief.... i can sum up this movie in 4 words: "'Hostel' on a train." (only not in a good way....) this movie borrows HEAVILY from the 'Hostel' films, but it has a twist and not even a very good one.... it's bloody and messy for no real reason.... and is about as pointless as 'Under Seige 2: Dark Territory'.... but at least with that movie, it was fun and didn't take itself too seriously.... this one is way too serious. 1 out of 5 stars.... for Thora Birch fans only.... and i can't say that i'm one of them.... i'd ask for my money back, but it was free OnDemand from Netflix.... stay away from this like the plague....

if you even bother with this one, watch something else instead: 'Hostel', 'Hostel 2' or 'Under Seige 2: Dark Territory'

my thoughts on.... 'Rest Stop: Don't Look Back'

so you really wanted a sequel to 'Rest Stop', eh....? oh wait, you didn't....? neither did i.... however, damn the people who make the DVD covers for this movie and the original because it makes me want to watch them for some reason....! not to mention i'm a slasher movie guy.... but in this film, you realize that perhaps the killer is more than your standard hack and slash kind of guy.... needless to say, i really didn't care for the first one all that much.... the killer was kind of lame and the people in the Winnebago were the only really creepy part.... overall it was just kind of lame.... but for some godforsaken reason i put myself through another one....

here's the deal.... people in Winnebago kill man in yellow truck. (not to be confused with the man in the yellow hat.).... they rip out his eyes and bury him after mutilating the body.... little did the world know that if you do that, the native american legend of them coming back to haunt the earth will happen.... and he won't rest until you burn his eyes.... sounds pretty cool, right....? nope. guy in the yellow truck kills all the people in the Winnebago and makes them suffer the same fate as him.... so people show up at this rest stop and never leave.... because he comes and takes them back to his big yellow school bus.... i'm not kidding about that.... and in this sequel, the brother of the original guy in the first film comes looking for his younger brother with his girlfriend and another guy.... and the rest writes itself....
the story is predictible.... but not without it's entertainment values.... i did watch the whole thing and was curious the whole time about how it would end.... don't mistake that for any desire to ever watch it again.... because it ain't gonna happen.... the ending is nothing new.... the story is a mess.... the supernatural element and horrible bad guy make this one for the lame movie books.... i dont' recommend it unless you really liked the first one and are just dying to see what happens next.... and i highly doubt you're that guy.

2 out of 5 stars.... plain and simple.... pretty people + violence + low budget sequel = this movie.... there is some nudity, but trust me.... it ain't worth the price of admission.... go rent some of the other movies i've reviewed instead.... and if you want a backwoods, dirty desert killer movie.... rent 'The Hills Have Eyes'.... the remake or the original.... they're both far superior to the 'Rest Stop' duo.... about all that the rest stop is good for is taking a poop on a long trip.... and writing something nasty on the bathroom stall with a sharpie....

oh and it's not just a clever title.... when they say 'Don't Look Back'.... they mean it.... seriously....

if you enjoy this movie, check out: ' Rest Stop', 'The Ruins' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning'