Paranormal Activity

Paranormal Activity
Today for Halloween, we decided to check this one about
3 hours after Zombieland.

I've heard all the hype behind this movie.

Because of that hype, I was a little bit disappointed.

I didn't care if the doors closed on their own.

For the most part, that's what we get out of here.

It got a little better towards the end.

It ended too quickly.

I wish there was more crazy shit like the last 10 minutes

of this film for the rest of the movie.

All we had is this one dude wanting to record everything,

and this girl sleepwalking.

I recommend this only on DVD (watching it alone in your house).

That probably be a little scarier.

Not worth watching it at the theatre.

Zombieland

Zombieland
Good start for Halloween.
Thanks to my friend Mike, who hooked us with some tickets,
we got to see this zombie flick.
We brought a whole box of Twinkies and we ate
them as they referenced them in the movie.
My favorite part is the beginning. Good starting credits.
I like all the music on here, like "Im So Lonesome..." by Hank Williams.
The concept is good.
The comedy is alright, it gets not so funny as we move along.
I still don't like the main actor, Jesse Eisenberg.
He plays the usual role.
Woody Harrelson is bad ass, though.
The zombie kills were awesome.
I like the rules and the way they show them on the screen.

All in all, good zombie entertainment.
Don't expect a good comedy like Shaun of the Dead.
Expect a decent action film with some comedy.
P.S. Bad ass cameo from the dude from Groundhog Day.
That whole scene was hilarious.

Feast

Feast
Several words describes this movie:

Comedic, Unpredictable, and Splatterific.

I remember the making of this film came out

on the Project Greenlight show.

I forgot all about it.

Earlier in the year, my friend Ramon, recommended this.

I didn't get the chance until tonight.

This sucker was bad ass from the opening to the ending shot.

It was funny as hell, too.

There's some moments where you think something is going to

happen then something totally different happens.

We meet "The Hero" of the movie in the first five minutes,

then at that second, he gets killed. Genious!!

That leaves no hope for everyone else.

Good special effects on this.

White Lightning

White Lightning
This was an alright exploitation flick about rednecks, racing,
and moonshine.
Burt Reynolds and the rest of the actors
do their best with their redneck accents.
I first heard about this movie through a Kill Bill reference guide.
One of the sounds came out in that movie.
The main title song of this movie also came out
in Inglourious Basterds.
The beginning was probably my favorite.
It was dark and set the mood for the movie.
Although, it doesn't focus too much on it,
this carries a revenge theme. I wish the character,
Gator, would of said something about his brother right
before he got his revenge on the sheriff.
That was a spoiler, but in these kinds of movies,
it's predictable from the start.

Nothing special, but good to check out for some of these
crazy characters.
Good to buy if you want to collect movies related
to Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

Orphan

New Release Tuesdays Presents:

Orphan
This was a crazy ass flick with the same old plot
but with a different twist.
I won't spoil the twist, but once I found out,
everything else made sense.
And there's no point in seeing the movie again unless
I haven't seen it in 10 years or so.
It's kinda the same feeling I got when I saw "The Sixth Sense"
for example, Bruce Willis' character is dead.
So the next time I see it, the experience won't be as powerful.
There's some good fantastic kills on here.
The best part of this was all the performances.
The story is similar to "The Good Son" and "Mikey."
Nothing new there. The dad was getting on my f-ing nerves.
I guess, that was his job.
This is the kind of movie I would like to see once for
the entertainment and twist. I would only buy it if
I ever want to start a children gone bad collection.

Good flick that's worth the rent.
Grade: B

36th Chamber of Shaolin

36th Chamber of Shaolin
Tonight, we have this kung fu classic.
Its kinda long. Majority of the time we
see the main character in training.
They show every detail of what this guy had to do in order
to learn kung fu.
We finally see this guy in action and applying what he learned
while fighting the bad guys in the last 15 minutes of the movie.
It was an exciting journey.
The best part is the way they put this together.
I can't believe I waited so long to see this movie.
The movie itself it's all about patience.
I was waiting for more than an hour for this guy to start kicking major ass.
It was worth it.

For those fans of Kung Fu flicks, if you haven't already,
this is a must buy.
Grade: B+

Bajo La Sal

Bajo La Sal
The trailer got me hooked on this spanish film.
It's a whodunit movie.
It's kinda long, some scenes could of been shorter.
But, it was still entertaining.
The first act, where we meet all the characters,
was my favorite.
The second and third act were okay.
It gets a litte predictable.
Like other movies, they purposely make some of the characters
seem suspicious, even though deep inside I knew they weren't.

Overall, good story, but the plot has been done before.
There's a lot of good shots.
Grade: B

Mirageman

[To explore cinema from all over the world,
every 4th Thursday of every month I see a Foreign Film
that I haven't seen before. Even though, I see more than
one foreign film a month, it's mandatory on this Thursday.
Includes any film that is not American or Asian.]

Foreign Film Thursday Presents:


Mirageman
Here we have a clever low budget superhero movie from Chile.
Except, the hero don't have super powers.
He can't climb like Spiderman, he can't fly like Superman,
and he's not rich like Batman.
He's a human being.
From beginning to end, this was very entertaining.
There's no big explosions and there's no cgi stuff.
This easily became one of my favorite superhero movies
of all time.
I like that they focus a lot on the human side of this character
rather than the hero. This guy sees something wrong,
he gets into his outfit. But it takes him several minutes
to put it all on rather than a few seconds. That's realistic.
There's a lot of ass kicking. And it gets a little too violent
towards the end.
I first heard this because of Fantastic Fest.
The director came to Austin this year to promote his latest,
Mandrill, and that movie ended up winning Best Film
at the festival. The review stated that he also won two years back
with Mirageman. I can see why.

This is a must buy.
Grade: A.

Four of the Apocalypse

Spaghetti Western Night
[To gain more knowledge of this genre,
every third Wednesday of each month,
I watch a spaghetti western film that I haven't seen before.]


Four of the Apocalypse
This spaghetti western is directed by italian horror
director, Lucio Fulci.
Sad to say, but I was fairly disappointed.
It's not a traditional spaghetti western.
I was expecting some kind of revenge story
and little bit of violence, at least that's what
the cover and description promised.
What I got is four different people walking
in the desert with a stupid song.
The only bad ass part was when we first meet
Tomas Milian's character. All the scenes
with his character are awesome.
He plays this cold blooded motherplucker really good.
The story drags on and on. For example,
towards the end we have about 20 minutes focusing
on this baby. Just threw me out.

Don't recommended. Grade: D
(It would of been an "F" if this did not include Milian's performance)

Dead Snow

New Release Tuesday Presents:

Dead Snow
That's right. This movie came out today, but you can only
get it at Blockbuster.
I don't know when this will be released for the rest of the stores.
I'm glad I was able to check this out today.
I didn't want to see Transformers taking a crap.
The only other choice was Blood: The Last Vampire.
When I unexpectedly saw this, I knew this was the winner.
Let's jump into the movie.
This nazi zombie flick from Norway is original.
These zombies are not like other zombies.
Besides being nazi, they're smarter and looking for something
more than just killing people.
The movie was more horror than comedy.
There's some cheesy comedic moments here and there.
And hell yes, there's a lot of gore you can handle.
The first half of the movie reminded me of Cabin Fever.
Then the second half, all hell breaks loose.
The plot was good enough for a zombie film.
Some things can be better,
like having some of the victims turning into a zombie.
Kudos to the sound and songs featured on here.
This sucker was loud and clear.

Overall, it was entertaining. Not total bad ass
but it satisfies. Must see for zombie fans.
Grade: B++

Caliber 9

Gangster Film Night
[Being a big fan of the gangster genre, every third Monday
of every month, I will see a Gangster film that I haven't seen before.]


Caliber 9
I went to I Luv Video and I found a rare dvd copy of
this italian gangster flick.
This came out in 1972.
It's the second film I saw from director Fernando Di Leo.
You have to have an aquired taste for these classic italian flicks.
It's more character driven than action.
The first five minutes of this was my favorite part.
It's probably one of my favorite openers when it comes
to gangsters flicks in general.
I like most of the cinematography. Well done.
But for the most part, I felt that this needed more
better scenes. I didn't like the main character (Hugo).
I did enjoy the scenes with Rocco (the psychopathic gangster).
The plot was okay, but it could of been a lot better.
I must add that I saw the English dubbed version of this
movie because the original Italian version is extremely rare.
So seeing this dubbed version did not make the experience better.
The Boss aka Wipeout is so far my favorite movie
from Fernando Di Leo.

Grade: B- (because of that bad ass opening but was alright as a whole)

And because I'm a nice guy and this movie is hard to find,
I decided to put the intro on here.
Seriously, this is one of the best intros ever in a gangster film.
Watch it all and you'll see.


Here's the trailer:

Julia

Julia
Brilliant film.
From beginning to end, this story kept me interested
and entertained.
Good performance by Tilda Swinton.
My favorite part is when she's in Tijuana and
the story becomes more complicated.
It's almost 2 and half hours but it don't seem like it.
Good editing.
The only flaws were some of the Mexican characters.
One scene, they don't know much English.
A few scenes later, they know more English than before.

If you're in the mood for a crime/drama about
kidnapping and stuff with a decent message,
then check this sucker out. Worth the time.
Grade: B+

Diary of the Dead

Diary of the Dead

I been having an appetite for zombie flicks lately.

Maybe because it's Halloween season.

But still have not seen Zombieland. Dammit.

I'm missing out.

Well, I decided to see this one.

A lot of people told me this one is not a good movie.

So I went in with very low expectations.

I had to see it just to catch up on George Romero.

Did I like it? Of course I didn't.

I agree with the people. This was kind of disappointing.

I didn't like these actors one bit.

The gore was okay. Nothing special.

Though, I do like the ending shot where we see this half of a girl's head

hanging from a rope.

I didn't like the concept of the whole thing.

It should of been more low budget style and more shakey

to make it more believable.

Grade: D+

Dead Alive / Deadgirl

Tonight I had me a zombie double feature.


Dead Alive
Believe it or not this gory zombie film is directed by Peter Jackson.
This was freaking funny as hell.
A lot of gore as well as a lot of cheesy moments.
The only part I didn't like as much, but still very
bizarre, was the ending. But the whole thing was one
crazy trip. It never took itself seriously.
The zombies got all started because of some infected rat monkey.
This is now one of my favorite zombie films of all time.

Grade: A- (for a kick ass zombie film)
Must have.



Deadgirl
I was curious about this one for a few weeks now.
It came out on dvd last month.
The story is very original.
This is not your typical zombie film.
There's no zombie infections spreading around.
In fact, all in all, there was around 3-4 zombies in the whole movie.
The main one is this one dead girl these high school kids find.
They decide to use her to their advantage.
Crazy shit happens.
One hour into the movie, she bites the first victim.
That victim feels the effect but we never see him turning into
a zombie. This is one of those movies that aim towards a high school audience.
I didn't like some of the actors.
I didn't like the way it ended.
There was some good scenes here and there.
But, all I was waiting for, was some kind of zombie invasion.

Kudos for an original story. Just wished the direction
would of been better. I wish they would of explained
what happen to the main dead girl.
Grade: C+

Not Quite Hollywood

Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!
Damn, there's a shit load of films I need to catch up on.
This is a great documentary, especially if you're a low budget film fan.
I now have higher respect for Dennis Hopper than I ever had before.
He's in a movie called Mad Dog something. He's hardcore.
This documentary tells you some of the crazy crap that
went on while making these weird flicks.
I'm putting Howling 3 and Roadgames on my "rent list. "
The first part of this doc, is about the nudie/sex flicks then
it goes into slasher and horror flicks followed
by kung fu and gearhead movies.
A good variety.
Didn't know the Aussies had all this in them.

For fans of grindhouse movies and Quentin Tarantino,
this is a must buy.
For everybody else, this might not be for you.
Grade: A (for a documentary)

Drag Me To Hell

New Release Tuesday Presents:

Drag Me To Hell

Bad ass!!

I truly enjoyed this film.

The intro was great.

"We will meet again." Then the credits starts.

Love it.

I had my doubts in the first part of the film.

But then the second and third act delivered the goods.

Poor cat never saw what was coming.

I saw the unrated version.

All the effects were impressive.

My favorite part besides the cat scene was when the main

character, Christine, was digging the grave of the wicked old

lady.

This is a must see for horror fans.

Grade: A-

It's hard to find this trailer on youtube without it being
protected by corporate a-holes.
But here's a scene I found:

The Rebel

Asian Cinema Night
[Every second Monday of each month
I watch an Asian film I haven't seen before.
Even though I see about two or three Asian films a month,
it's mandatory on the second Monday.]


The Rebel
I must say this Vietnamese action/drama flick
was entertaining.
Good fighting scenes with good performances.
The story was decent.
Not knowing much about this certain point of history
in Vietnam, this gave me a good idea of what it was like.
Feel sorry for the slaves and the french are assholes.
The only big problem I had with the story was
that they didn't emphasize too much on why "the rebel guy"
became a rebel and a traitor to his people.
Just one day he changed his mind and decided to help this
girl. Yeah, his family were rebels. His dad mentions that.
But it doesn't fully explain it all.
Other than that, kudos to this film.

This was a cool experience because I had me a Vietnamese
sandwich while the movie was playing.
Grade: B+

Gozu

Gozu
I couldn't help it but to watch this crazy ass Japanese film tonight,
even though Asian Cinema Night is tomorrow.
This is a Takashi Miike film.
That says it all.
If you're a Takashi Miike fan or a David Lynch fan,
then you'll be satisfied with this movie.
If you're not a fan yet, don't see this one until you seen
a few others films from him.
This is probably his weirdest film yet, from what I've seen.
The intro and the ending are the best parts.
The rest it's just one trippy surreal adventure.
After five minutes into the film, the yakuza guy goes outside
and beats the hell out of a dog and kills it.
That sets things off.
It is a slow movie. You got to be alert at all times.
The pace and the mood reminded me of Lynch's Mulholland Dr.
and Inland Empire.
I liked this movie, but I didn't love it like his other films.
It may require additional viewings to comprehend it.

The special features on the DVD has interviews with Eli Roth
and Guillermo Del Toro asking questions to Miike.
Once again, you have to already have seen three to four Miike films
in order for you to be ready for this one.
Grade: between a B- and C+

Dark Country

Dark Country
This directorial effort by Thomas Jane wasn't as good as
the trailer makes it out to be.
The first hour and 10 minutes was weak and
was doing nothing for me. The last 15 minutes were better.
I was not satisfied with most of the shots and lighting.
The concept is good but the execution sucked.
And most of the story has already been done before.
Spoiler: The best part but not that great is the ending.
I like how it turned out to be a time travel kind of film.
But, they could of done a lot things better to get to that point.

So take it from me, don't waste your time.
This gets a D.

Away We Go

Away We Go

Decent comedy/drama about a couple expecting.

I guess, you all probably know why I rented this?

Duh.

I expected this to be a little funnier.

There's some good scenes, my favorite being:

the scene where the couple go to Madison to meet

this weird couple who hates strollers. That was classic.

The acting is good.

This was a good average movie to watch when one is expecting

but nothing to make a big deal out of.

So my grade for this pregnancy comedy/drama is: C+ almost a B-

if the ending would of been a little better.

Trick 'r Treat

New Release Tuesdays Presents:


Trick 'r Treat
Kinda spooky.
It wasn't scary for me, but if I was 10 years old
and I was watching this, I would be scared shitless.
It's got the elements.
I like the way they put all 4 stories together.
Love it when "Sweet Dreams" by Marilyn Manson
came out in the soundtrack during a weird warewolf scene.
There's some okay kills.

This movie will bring the Halloween spirit in you.
It got me pumped for Halloween, and it's only the beginning of the month.
Don't expect anything terrifying and scary moments unless
you're a kid. For the record, this movie is not for kids.
Good to check out during Halloween but nothing special
any other time.
Grade: B

Absurdistan

Absurdistan
This Russian flick gives the heart a little smile.

It's a little bizarre but friendly.

A nice touch of independence.

It's got a little love story as well.

I like the direction style.

It's an original women vs. men tale.

It was good to watch it on a Sunday rainy afternoon.

I may not buy it, but I'm glad I was able to check it out.

It was worth my time.

Grade: A-

Dumplings

Dumplings
This is a sick ass but well made movie from Hong Kong.
Earlier this year, I saw a short version of this movie that was
edited into the movie:"3 Extremes."
Tonight, I got to see the full length feature.
This one had a different ending but the same concept.
It's amazing what people are willing to do to
look young again.
For those of you that love dumplings, I don't recommend
you watching this film, it might ruin your craving for dumplings.
If not, then you're one twisted person.

This trailer sucks but it's the only one I can find.
You'll never know what that red stuff is until you see the movie.

Wizard of Gore / Gore Gore Girls

Friday at the Grindhouse

[To explore and expand my knowledge in exploitation
and grindhouse cinema, I will be watching on the first Friday of each month, either
a double or a triple feature of grindhouse movies that I never seen before.]

Tonight, I had a H.G. Lewis Double Feature
This is my first time checking anything out from this
director. I heard all the crazyness that goes on with
his films.


Wizard of Gore
This was definitely weird.
The gore on here was very low budget
and it made me giggle a little bit.
This is not for everyone.
I'm glad I checked it out to see what the big
fuzz was about. I don't think I can stand another
screening of it, because it's simply a not well made movie.
But of course, we shouldn't take this movie seriously.
It is good to watch after midnight when the brain
is all a mess.

Don't really recommend this unless you're desperate
for a cheesy little gore exploitation flick.



Gore Gore Girls
Now this one I enjoyed more than the previous.
It is very cheesy and sleazy.
And if you're a fan of gore, this is to the extreme.
The french fry deep fryer scene is original.
There's some very dull moments that I just had
to laugh with the film.
The "it's so bad that it's good" saying comes to mind.
This is a very good example of a grindhouse movie.
It's got all the elements and feel to it.
Love the whole surfer music, especially in some of the kills.

I couldn't find a trailer for this but I did find this short clip
of a messed up scene. It is not for the faint of heart.
This is simply just a taste of how weird this movie is.



Good for a 2:30 a.m screening.