Review: The Silence Of The Lambs/Hannibal/Red Dragon

The Silence Of The Lambs: So to kick off the Hannibal Trilogy review there's Silence Of The Lambs. FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is given the task to hunt down murderer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) but first she needs to know where to find him. Enter the manical mastermind Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). Lecter gives Starling Bill's whereabouts but as he does he slowly manipulates her into getting what he wants. Freedom.

The Silence Of The Lambs is quite simply a masterpiece of modern cinema. It has some of cinemas greatest ever characters and is guaranteed to keep you watching beginning to end without hesitation and without blinking an eye. To say Hopkins and Foster shine is an understatement they absolutely blow everything else out of the water and give the performances of a lifetime. Ted Levine is shockingly underrated for his performance. After his I was begging for more Hannibal Lecter.

*****

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Hannibal: I wanted more Lecter, but I didn't want this. Jodie Foster has stepped out of Clarice Starling's boots and Julianne Moore has stepped in.

The only thing that salvaged this film for me was the ending and Hopkins' performance yet again. I hated Julianne Moore as Starling, I hated the silly characters they introduced and I hated feeling cheated by it. The ball was dropped.

**

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Red Dragon: This is set before the events of Silence Of The Lambs and links very pleasantly to it.

This time around Edward Norton is the guy looking for a killer and is seeking the help of Hannibal Lecter to find him. This killer leaves a very clear and very prominent pattern in each of his killings.

Every character has a good turn out in this film. Ralph Fiennes is great as is Norton, Kietel and obviously Hopkins. Just like Lambs this left me wanting to see a lot more of Hannibal but I don't think I'll be checking out Hannibal Rising.

***

Review: Shutter Island

Shutter Island is the latest film from Director/Actor pairing Martin Scorsese & Leonardo DiCaprio based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.

Ok first of I really enjoyed Shutter Island. It thought that the film was executed very well and the location/acting gave off a real genuine and authentic feeling. Now to the technical jumbo. In the first scene with DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo the editing seems extremely choppy. Now I'm not sure if it was supposed to be like that (Symbolism of the sea etc.) but I'm glad that the rest of the film didn't follow suit.

The mystery element of the film is played well as Leonardo DiCaprio is running amok round the island looking to find "Who is 67?" and also to search for missing inmate Rachel Solando. Ben Kingsley has a good turn as the Island's head psycharitrist and so does Ted Levine as the Warden depsite his limited screen time.

The film comes full circle with a major twist that if you did or didn't see coming will still get you saying "Ahhh" or "Ohhh" when you think about the film as a whole. For me Shutter Island would have been a 5 star film if it not for the sometimes clunky editing and the odd cheesy line but I recommend it to fans of Scorsese's work and also anyone who likes a good mystery. I'm looking forward to reading the book now.

****

Review: Angel Heart

Angel Heart sees Private Investigator Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) hired by Louis Cyphere (Robert De Niro) to track down Johnny Favourite, A man who is believed to be dead.

This might be a short review.
Angel Heart lost me in places and confused me in others. The plot sometimes strayed off by introducing several nonsecial minor characters. Mickey Rourke had a decent turn as Harry Angel and Robert De Niro was basically on cruise control all the way through. The ending comes with a twist which isn't all that clear and takes some thinking but other than that Angel Heart is a very confusing and sometimes nonsecial film that unless your keeping up with the hectic pace and many characters, you get lost.

**

Review: The Crazies

The Crazies is a remake of the 1973 original of the same name. It stars Hitman's Timothy Olyphant and Surrogates Radha Mitchell. A small town comes under threat as a mystery toxin gets into the town's water and turns the people "crazy".

To be honest I was expecting a lot more from The Crazies. Timothy Olyphant played the town's sheriff well but the plot wasn't well driven. From the first instance of someone being infected the story becomes even more surreal as it plays out. Obviously there is a reason how and why the toxin got into the water supply and as it goes; It was a military booboo.

There are some scenes that look positive and a genuine bit of Horror but other than that there is little to be excited about. Again I think Timothy Olyphant was good and the rest of the cast were fairly watchable but I think it was missing something. It's one of those films you'll see the 14 year olds watching whilst making alot of noise and over reacting at each scare.

**

Review: The Wolfman

The Wolfman stars Benicio Del Toro as Laurence Talbot who returns home to discover who or what murdered his brother. Whilst investigating, Talbot is bitten by the very creature that murdered his brother, a werewolf. So as the legend goes, Laurence then becomes one himself.

I quite enjoyed The Wolfman and though it was a fun yet effective take on the familiar monster story. Del Toro gives a worthy performance as Talbot but is outshined by Anthony Hopkin's delightly menacing Sir John Talbot.

Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving complete the main cast and I've gotta say, Whenever Weaving said "Mr. Talbot" all I heard was "Mr. Anderson"

The Wolfman did have it's share of flaws though. The whole Del Toro/Blunt love subplot was rushed, hell it was almost non existant and you can tell where those reshoots took place as Continuity plays a real bitch towards the climax.

All flaws aside, The Wolfman (as I've said) is a effective horror/monster film and makes for a fun, enjoyable trip to the cinema. I'm looking forward to seeing the extended cut on DVD.

****

I'll take Benicio Del Toro's Laurence Talbot over Taylor Lautner's Jacob Black anyday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Last Catch Up

Ok so in addition to yesterday's post, This is the last big catch up i'm doing. As of now I will blog reviews via my iPhone after I have watched a new film. They'll be short & sweet, Just like these.

Bruce Almighty - Great fun with Jim Carrey on top form - ****

Dawn Of The Dead (2004) - Very fun Zombie Horror - ****

Harry Brown - The slap in the face this country needs - ***

Inglourious Basterds (2009) - Confusing in parts, French & German in others. Slow burner but the ending picks it up - ****

It's Complicated - Not Meyer's best but still a decent couples film - ***

Law Abiding Citizen - Very fun all out thriller - ****

P.S I Love You - Effective Rom-Com but one for the Ladies - ***

Paranormal Activity - Not believeable at all. Whatever's pestering them picks the wrong spots. - *

Sherlock Holmes - Dull, Boring but it's a good job Downey's in it - **

The Descent Part 2 - Like the first but worse. - *

The Fourth Kind - Stupid Alien Film - *

Twilight - Yeah, you know what it is. - ***

Twilight New Moon - Like the first but with Werewolves - **

Vantage Point - A little repetitive but an all round decent film - ***


Later today I'll be watching The Hurt Locker and seeing either The Road or Up In The Air tomorrow. 

The Major Catch Up

Ok, So I've sorta been neglecting blogging lately and I shouldn't have done really. My laptop has been playing up to be fair and as I've finally brought my Xbox to Uni I've been a bit preoccupied but nevertheless I am going to get back on track and review the seven films I've seen between now and the last review. These aren't the full reviews I usually do because there's too many to write but I will return to my usual reviews for the next film I see.

The Invention Of Lying - I hated this film. It looked really funny from the trailer and Ricky Gervais didn't disappoint in Ghost Town but the entire film was flat and dull. I was really annoyed after seeing this as well hopefully Cemetery Junction will be better. *

Zombieland - Talk about a fantastic time in the cinema. As Jimmy Carr put it on Twitter: "Zombieland rules the school" and so it does. It's full of laughs and zombie killings that never disappoint. Woody Harrelson has a good turn in this as Tallahassee and Jesse Einsberg strangely resembles Michael Cera. Seriously one of my favourite films of the year and a definite must see, even if it is only for Bill Murray. *****

Up - Pixar have done it again. Up is a film full of emotion and comedy which is a definite hit for audiences alike. Being 19 I didn't know if i'd enjoy this or not (But I did choose it over Halloween 2) and I can tell you I truly did. Pixar are running away with the Best Animated Feature Oscar yet again and a nomination for Best Original Screenplay wouldn't surprise me either. *****

Couples Retreat - Another year, Another Vince Vaughan comedy romp. This is a good rom-com with a few laughs here and there. Faizon Love steals every scene he's in and I'd recommend this as a good film to take your boyfriend/girlfriend to. ***

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus - This is one of those films that gets you thinking about what it is your watching. Heath Ledger gives another strong turn in his final performance and Johnny Depp is brilliant as usual. It's quite scary as to how much Depp & Ledger look like each other. I also thought Jude Law and Tom Waits gave good performances. I'd recommend it to fans of Ledger & Gilliam but also if you want a break from the mainstream and see a nice smart film for a change. ****

Saw 6 - Thank You Kevin Greutert. Saw 6 is the film that has revived the Saw franchise after the close call that was Saw 5. Hoffman is up to his old tricks again although this time Jigsaw's wife Jill has a larger part to play. The traps are as smart as they always are and dare I say it the acting in this film is the on par with the first three films. Do yourself a favour, ignore how much 5 annoyed you and go and see this. ****
(Small Tidbit: On IMDB the films are ranked 1,2,6,3,4,5 according to user reviews. Take that into consideration!)

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - This is based on the Darren Shan books. Which I haven't read. But i did enjoy the film. I enjoy pretty much anything with John C Reilly but if there was one flaw it would be that it feels like it's a little too long. If you like Twilight I wouldn't recommend it, mainly because you'll go into the film with a subconcious idea of what you think vampires are; Glittery skinned nonce's. ***

Michael Jackson's This Is It - Probably the most anticipated documentary in recent memory. This Is It as you all know is all the rehearsal footage from what would have been The King Of Pop's last ever tour. The cinematics are stunning, The dancers and band are fantastic and these shows would have been absolutely phenomenal. I would say this would be on the shortlist for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars but apparently it's too late in the year for that (?). If you have the chance to see this in the cinemas go see it but I think it'll be on DVD soon. **** (I enjoyed Smooth Criminal the most but Jam is growing on me.)

And thats that. Films i'm planning on seeing soon are: Law Abiding Citizen, The Descent Part 2, The Book Of Eli, Shutter Island, The Lovely Bones and because i've dragged her to so much this year, Twilight: New Moon for the Girlfriend :D

There probably will be more than that being as I recently invested in monthly cinema passes!

Next Week (9th & 10th November) i'm attending the Raw, Smackdown & ECW TV Tapings in Sheffield so expect live reports!

The Final Destination

Dir: David R. Ellis
Starring: Bobby Campo & Shantel VanSanten

Yet Another 3-D Horror Film.....

The Final Destination is the fourth (and what I hope last) installment of the Final Destination franchise. As usual, one unsuspecting member of the public has a 'vision' and for sees the horror which will unfold momentarily.

Nick (Campo) sees a crash take place at a raceway track whilst he's in attendance. Just like the other 3 films he warns a number of people about what is going to happen but because he prevented their deaths, Death is on their backs.

Yes even the fourth movie in the franchise uses the same old recycled plot and story to attempt to scare viewers, but this one doesn't?

This is what I like to call the typical "Teen Horror" It has Gruesome deaths which people can cringe at and say "Ewww, That was disgusting!", It has a rock type soundtrack which pulls the viewer and and most of all it has boobs. Yep, all 15 year old boys can run down to the cinema, buy their tickets and get a glimpse of a girl's breasts just for good measure.

I enjoy a good horror film. But I enjoy a good horror film that will scare me out of my wits instead of just showing me a gazillion different ways of how to kill someone. I suppose as a big fan of the Saw franchise I'm sorta contradicting myself here but the first Saw film scared me and it was considered a Thriller, not a Horror!

The 3-D bothered me with this film. The only 3-D moments where when someone died and the odd occasion where something was thrown. I remember going to watch Spy Kids 3-D in the cinema, now that was a good film for 3-D!

3-D horror these days is just becoming a gimmick. I did enjoy My Bloody Valentine earlier this year but now I've seen enough of it. Although to the film's credit, they did find some inventive ways to kill someone in 3-D.

This is yet another film aimed at the population who are too young to go and see a full on 18 certified film but are too old to go and see something like Up with their friends. This explains why the films doing so well at the Box Office.

If you've seen the last 3 Final Destination movies then you've seen this one. The only difference is you'll be sat there wearing Austin Powers' glasses.

**

(All reviews can be given a maximum of 5 *'s and i will not give 1/2's and 1/4's. I will write reviews on films i have recently seen and will review other films upon request)

Sorority Row

Dir: Stewart Hendler
Starring: Rumer Willis, Briana Evigan & Leah Pipes

If you've seen one, you've seen them all?

Sorority Row tells the story of a group of Sorority Sisters at Theta Pi. A number of the girls decide to play a prank on a boy (Garett) who cheated on one of the sisters; Megan. They fake her death. Not knowing about the prank, Garett for no reason whatsoever decides to stab Megan in the chest with an axel from the car. With the prank gone horribly wrong the other sisters decide to dispose of Megan's body by throwing down a well. In typical teen horror style, 8 months later someone is out to kill the sisters and avenge Megan's death.

Sorority Row was an average movie, nothing totally bored me and nothing totally compelled me so really I had no room to complain. That was until the twist was revealed. Like a lot of films recently this twist is silly and doesn't really make sense. Without spoiling things; the twist involves more than one person and because they have limited screen time I honestly couldn't tell the difference between them.

The acting is nothing special but I suppose that's typical of your average date movie horror flick. Also, this is the only film i've known Rumer Willis to have a major role in.

Sorority Row does however use a lot of the generic camera shots, average acting and music scores that are now typical of a teen horror movie. This is merely an advantage when recognising the genre it belongs to. Without sounding harsh, if you've seen I Know What You Did Last Summer, You've seen Sorority Row.

Overall if your looking for a simple, traditional horror film to waste time with friends or to get your 'fix' see Sorority Row, if not go elsewhere.

Oh, will someone tell Rumer Willis to stop screaming please?

***

(All reviews can be given a maximum of 5 *'s and i will not give 1/2's and 1/4's. I will write reviews on films i have recently seen and will review other films upon request)

The Midnight Meat Train

Dir. Ryuhei Kitamura
Starring: Vinnie Jones, Bradley Cooper & Leslie Bibb.

So, where to start.....

To begin with Midnight Meat Train seems like a pretty straight forward horror film. The opening scene shows some sort of out of the blue death scene to get the audience thinking about what's going on and whats going to eventually happen. Thus enters Leon (Bradley Cooper). Leon is an unemployed photographer who is striving to take that "perfect picture"

Leon takes advice from Brooke Shields seemingly pointless character and begins to look for danger in his shots which leads him to follow a gang of thugs into a subway station to which he ends up saving a Chinese model (Erika) from being mugged by the gang. However, once Leon leaves Erika she boards a train and meets her untimely demise at the hands of Vinnie Jones' character simply known as "Mahogany"

Shortly after this Leon becomes infatuated in Mahogany and the subway station where Erika disappeared and begins to follow Mahogany as best as he can to learn the truth about what exactly happens on these very late night trains.

Midnight Meat Train comes across as a very plot driven horror film which takes care in giving depth to it's little cast and to also give the audience a good scare however for me this film got a little silly upon the reveal of a clearly not thought about "twist" ending. To it's credit I was thoroughly enjoying the film until this ending left me baffled and confused.

All in all Midnight Meat Train delivers in terms of character motivation, depth and recognition but as I've said the nonsical twist seems to spoil and make waste of what could have been a very good and thought out ending.

***

(All reviews can be given a maximum of 5 *'s and i will not give 1/2's and 1/4's. I will write reviews on films i have recently seen and will review other films upon request)