It's the good old "deep/shallow" debate, isn't it? And the way I see it, if you genuinely like that sort of thing, by all means go for it. My comments were more towards Irishman, really, and how low he continually rates these films despite making every effort to see even more.

Have you ever entertained the notion that these "bad" (cult?) films were intentionally so, catered towards the sort of fan you might align yourself with? That's no different, really, to Steven Spielberg prostituting himself to the Academy for a gold statuette.

By the way, I think Motel Hell (1980) is right up your alley. I saw it on the big screen last week, and found it quite lamentably unbearable at times, though it was not without a certain charm. Check it out if you can.

You know, I actually used to keep regular e-mail contact with MOTEL HELL's director. Rather interesting British TV/Z-movie worker who's shot, at different times, people like Pierce Brosnan, Bruce Willis, Christian Bale, etc.

Alot of good stories, and a nice guy.

SUDDEN DEATH (1995) - **1/2

An action movie being a serious DIE HARD rip-off isn't necessarily a bad thing. It certainly didn't stop Andrew Davis' UNDER SIEGE from being very good or SPEED becoming great popcorn, if of course you want to argue that the later is an actual HARD clone.

Certainly its difficult to make something remarkable out of the same basic premise of said geographic location taken over by armed terrorists who are out for a major payday by taking people hostage. Like Zombie movies, one can only do so much with the story limits. Certainly I can compare it to fashion designers who still trying to make creative new uses of the same silk and cotton we've had for centuries. Some succede, most don't.

Director Peter Hyams reteamed with action star Jean Claude Van Damme after their career-best financial hit TIMECOP and maybe this movie should have worked, but it just doesn't really for me.

I mean certainly you have Van Damme killing alot of bad guys and causing many explosions. There are a couple of fun, entertaining fight sequences involving of all things a murdering mascot and a meat-slicer. The plot of terrorists taking over a hockey arena during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals is gimmicky, but in a good way. The awesome Powers Boothe hams it up as the villain. There are death-defying thrilling stunts, you name it.

The ingredients are there, but instead of scrambled eggs I get yellow goop.

Maybe the problem is in the little details. For everything that I enjoyed, something comes along that I didn't.

Ok, Van Damme is a fireman. Maybe I would let go the question of why he would know how to use firearms, but bombs? Sure why not. But did we really need that prologue about how he's haunted by the fact that he couldn't save a girl's life in a fire?

I mean, SUDDEN DEATH alone is pretty damn dramatic with the American Vice-President and Van Damme's kids held at gunpoint. That and thousands of spectators threatened with a fireball of death, did Van Damme need anymore motivation in saving the day?

Plus, as much as Boothe tries, his part sucks because its scripted like the poor man Yankee clone Hans Gruber. Hell, they even share the same haircut. At least UNDER SIEGE had the knack of having Tommy Lee Jones be a different sort of terrorist villain.

That movie, along with DIE HARD, some of its sequels, and SPEED all benefitted greatly from a baddie that would entertain us when the movie cuts away from the hero killing people.

That said, the movie's highlight is when Van Damme suits up as a goalie and gets into the hockey game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks in order to force Sudden Death and prevent the arena-bombs from detonating.

Several have criticized it as utterly ridiculous, but considering how awful the Blackhawks have been for the last many many years, a crippled kid would have denied them a few goals.

THE GRAVEDANCERS
(Second Viewing)

Better after a second look but I still feel the CGI at the end of the film was done badly. Also the story seemed more interesting a second time around.

THE HAMILTONS
(First Viewing)

A somewhat interesting story however it doesn't do a good job describing what exactly the characters are. It also doesn't explain really how or why they do what they do.

PENNY DREADFUL 1/2
(First Viewing)

A girl has a phobia about riding in cars and as such, she's trap in a car for about 90 minutes. About as heart pounding as PHONE BOOTH was and the ending I didn't think was finished. I thought it should have kept going and all of a sudden it just ends. Also at times this film seemed to insult the audiences intelligence.

American Gangster

not bad, but it is almost like it was missing something

REINCARNATION 1/2
(Second Viewing)

I'm just not a big fan of Japanese horror films from what I've seen. Really the only one I loved was JIGOKU but other than that, they're not my bag. Better with a second viewing however.

I felt the same way. I wanted to love the movie but as you said, something was just missing. I couldn't put my finger on it but it didn't blow me away like I thought it would/should have

I thought the best part was the Thanksgiving scene: Frank Lucas dealing with his enemies, crosscut with him carving up the turkey. It owes so much to the Baptism scene in GF 1, it's not even fair.

UNREST 1/2
(First Viewing)

Corri English, the main star in this film, looked to me like a Britney Spear's look-a-like throughout most of the film. A somewhat exciting look at a medical student who thinks her cadaver is trying to kill her. More suspenseful than some of the other 8 Films To Die For.

X-Men 3.

VERY DISAPPOINTING.

The Pheonix didn't even do anything thru the last part of a film.

Poor boy, expectations always seem to screw your cinema nirvana.

Besides, missing...WHAT?

Shit, even I hypothesized what was missing in my SUDDEN DEATH review.

Folks, even if you're wrong, what's the worst that happens? You're simply wrong. Theorizing is worth a try.

The thing is I don't know what it was missing, it just seemed to be missing...something

Aparajito ****
The second movie in the Apu trilogy by Satyajit Ray. The movie starts off where Pather Panchali ends. This one is more bleak and tragic. The character that is most beautifully developed is that of the mother/wife. Amazing BW cinematography again. Highly recommended.

For you, I think thats a valid point.

Then again, many people are perfectionists. Any work below perfect is a failure. Not you buddy, but many pricks are.

And trust me, this pricks knows pricks. Right Irish? ;D

FRED CLAUS
(First Viewing)

Vince Vaughn, oh how you have fallen sir. You are better than this. Paul Giamatti, you are better than this. Rachel Weisz, you have an Oscar and you're better than this. All of the above went with the "safe" holiday film looking for the big paycheck to cash. Unfortunately for fans without young children, the film is just yet another in a long line of holiday, christmas spirit films that don't need to be made anymore.

Anyone really surprised that FRED CLAUS was a coal in the stocking?

Man, what thou happened Vince Vaughn?

Vince Vaughn is like bell bottoms, or women wearing shoulder pads, or parachute pants, or mullets.... For some reason they were "cool" once, but everyone moves on and realizes it was really just a little embarrassing.

Vince Vaughn never changed. He's still exactly the same.

Or, he both quit hanging around creative filmmakers and started trying to be a Hollywood movie star by working uninteresting commercial fare.

I mean, he was the man in SWINGERS and Spielberg saw that early edit and casted him on the spot for that LOST WORLD movie of his. Then Vaughn simply went where the paychecks and a free lunch could be found.

A pity, but Ben Affleck fell for that same bullshit too. At least Affleck is following his buddy Matt Damon's paradigm for choosing the right project to work on. His recently released directed picture GONE BABY GONE is a surprisingly pretty good drama.

But until Vaughn does something remarkable with his star power, he can fuck off.

WICKED LITTLE THINGS 1/2
(First Viewing)

Probably the goriest of the 8 Films To Die For although not a lot is shown onscreen (it's mostly just sound effects). As previously predictated this 8 Films To Die For series was nothing more than a clever marketing ploy. Unfortunately for the studio and probably some other fans who were hoping for more, we'll only check out the next 8 Films To Die For on DVD and not waste our time or money at the box office. I'd rank the films in order:

1) DARK RIDE 1/2
2) WICKED LITTLE THINGS 1/2
3) UNREST 1/2
4) THE GRAVEDANCERS
5) THE HAMILTONS
6) PENNY DREADFUL 1/2
7) REINCARNATION 1/2
8) THE ABANDONED

rrA -

Consider this a warning, and the final one you'll be getting. Stop your unprovoked comments to and about Irishman. Thats it.

Oh, this goes for KrautDude, too.

I was talking about myself. "This prick" refering to me RRA, you know?

I know your finger is on the trigger and all, but come on.

It's too bad. Some of those movies looked like they could have been good. Same with some of the 8 currently in theaters. Hopefully they will be better.

I just looked up all of those 8 movies on imdb, and they aren't rated very high, but it's funny they are rated almost opposite as yours starting with 4.8 for dark ride to 6.2 for Reincarnation.

Yeah, I don't know why but people voted THE ABANDONED to be the best of the series and it was my least favorite. Oh well I guess

Out of curiosity, why did you watch Reincarnation a second time if you gave it half star rating the first time?

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD 1/2
(Second Viewing)

3 words sum up this movie for me: better than expected. Since day one I was against the idea, especially when I heard it was going to be PG-13. However, this time I was able to view the unrated version which did bring me back with McClane. However, still at times it seems like guys were sensoring themselves and should have dropped some more F bombs. The language started off slowly and wasn't very noticeable towards the beginning. But by the end you saw a glimpse of what a DIE HARD movie used to be. I also appreciated the action scenes more this time around and this version (the unrated that is) is probably the second best action film of the summer behind only Michael Bay's masterpiece, TRANSFORMERS.

Justin Long did a great job in a big Blockbuster movie providing the humor outlet and Mary Elizabeth Winstead continues to grow as well. The Kevin Smith cameo was a nice touch but what impressed me the most with the film was Timothy Olyphant as the villain. I'll always remember him from SCREAM 2 as Mickey and he's done some fine work on HBO's DEADWOOD series, however I haven't seen him in many movies recently.

I wanted to see if they impressed me anymore the second time around and they did (REINCARNATION and THE GRAVEDANCERS).

OCEAN'S THIRTEEN 1/2
(Second Viewing)

The best OCEAN movie is saved for last. I didn't know or even think they could surpass the original buy they sure did. This will at least dispel that unpleasant taste left in your mouth after watching OCEAN'S TWELVE. Al Pacino definitely stole the show for me. I haven't seem him play a villain in a good movie in such a long time (truly an a$$hole in this picture). Ellen Barkin worked really well as Al's personal assistant. Don Cheadle and Bernie Mac were kind of buried in this film, although Bernie did have a bigger part than Don (which I was happy to see). Finally, Casey Affleck and Scott Caan had great chemistry together always bickering and breaking each others balls. My expectations for this film weren't much, but I walked out of it completely satisfied.