jondunn Reviews

The Apocalypse (1997)

Tirelessly, Alien Aped

[12 August 2001]

If these movies - there seems to be about one per year - could possibly hew any closer to copying "Alien", they would. It is merely the aim of these films to make Alien all over again. The music. The characters and their conflicts. Even fragments of dialogue! "I don't trust so and so ...", "All I want is what's comin' to me..." These things either take place in space or underwater. Virus(1999), set on an ocean ship, was an interesting variation. The prime point of entertainment for me is the fatuousness of the imitation.

The Attic Expeditions (2001)

Unpleasant. Unfinished. Avoid.

[16 June 2001]

Promising in some ways. It looks like it might go somewhere - until the last half hour, which becomes increasingly unpleasant and confusing, climaxing in an arrogant or incompetent refusal to explain and fill in the loose ends. The performances and photography are quite competent. Unfortunately, it all collapses like a schizoid house of cards at the end. When it works, it feels like a combination of Suspiria and Jacob's Ladder.

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

Left Me Hanging

[30 January 2001]

Great visuals. Bad accents. Good idea. Bad dialogue. Excellent acting. Ameteurish editing - did they take the first take on everything? At times, the sense of the flow of the story - full of suspense and inspiring anticipation - did manifest, only to dissipate in a strange and empty scene or transition. Dafoe did what he could - and was worth watching. Elwes' spot-on accent was fascinating. At the end, I was thinking it needed Jack Webb to tell us what everybody was charged with and where they are serving time currently. Much of the movie left me hanging.

Latitude Zero (1969)

Interesting Game

[1 August 1999]

I had a friend who would want to play the game 'Apartment Zero' which was his name for the game played by the characters in that movie. I would facetiously suggest that instead we play 'Latitude Zero'. The rules of Latitude Zero are: try to think of a 3rd person who was in the film Latitude Zero other than Cesar Romero and Joseph Cotten. ;)

The Haunting (1999)

Quite enjoyable despite unintentionally laughs

[26 July 1999]

I never got bored, and stayed right with the characters, enjoying the performances. Many of the effects which were designed to elicit fright did in fact (as the critics' reviews said) make the entire audience (including myself) laugh, all the cast was great, and the film was visually entertaining.

The Tick (1994–1997)

Wonderful Send-ups of Comic Characters, Concepts

[25 July 1999]

This parody of comic-books old and new utilizes wonderful references both to specific super-heroes and to the absurd conceptual logic behind the creation of comic-book characters.

The Tick himself is cross between Spider-Man and Adam West as Batman. The Civic-Minded 5 is clearly a reference to the Fantastic 4, American Maid is somewhere between Captain America and Wonder Woman (instead of throwing a "mighty shield", she throws her high-heeled shoes). Die Fledermaus (german for bat)is a cowardly euro-Batman with an imitation Jean-Claude Van Damme-like voice.

The character voices are frequently based upon famous movie characters, and there more than a few obscure in-jokes. The vocal styling given to the character Sewer Urchin is clearly Dustin Hoffman from Rain Man. There is one episode featuring a villain called The Mad Bomber, whose vocal quality, mania, and tics are unmistakable to anyone who has ever heard Tom Leykis' radio show, "BABY!".

Cube (1997)

Inflammatory Racist Images?

[24 July 1999]

I am surprised to read a few comments here and not see this mentioned - the lone black actor just happens to be cast as a murderous sadist - the pale white canadians cowering and awaiting his execution of them. I wondered why I had not heard much about this movie - good or bad. I think this film has a kind of "ambiguous shame" which inevitably comes from this type of casting decision. I recognized this actor (Maurice Dean Wint) but didn't remember from where until I saw that he had been on Earth: Final Conflict, suffering similar stigma. Man, this guy can't get a break! I cringed all throughout the episode in which Mr. Wint played a human whose body had been possessed by one of the ultra-pale ultra-evolved alien beings. This alien was experiencing what was referred to as "a dark journey" in the horrific animalistic world of Mr. Wint's life and body. I cringed throughout the episode, and had a similar feeling watching the ending moments of 'Cube'. There - I said it. Thank you.

Shelf Life (1993)

Fun Claustrophobic Silliness

[17 July 1999]

3 Grown-up children act out scenes from television shows because this is all they know. Trapped in a bomb-shelter, they act out one hilarious and surreal snippet of melodrama after another, their daily cultural rituals based upon childhood and television.

Total Recall (1990)

One scene delivers Philip Dick to the big screen

[17 July 1999]

I'm not a big fan of Schwarzenegger, or of this film, HOWEVER, as a big fan of Philip K. Dick, I must celebrate one scene: Dr. Edgemar trying to convince Quaid to take the pill. The Doctor tells Quaid that all of this is an hallucination, that the Doctor has arranged to appear in the hallucination, and that Quaid's swallowing of the pill will have an effective psychological significance as a symbol of his desire to leave the hallucination. The mere fact that this scene appears in a major motion picture with Arnold Schwarzenegger makes me chortle with joy.

Count Yorga, Vampire (1970)

Childhood favorite, still delivers

[17 July 1999]

I enjoyed this film when it came out and have seen it twice on TV over the years. Quarry's highly charismatic portrayal in the two 'Yorga' films has left me disappointed not to see him in further films over the years. The night is dark and gadgets are afoot! A perfect updating of the Dracula story with 70s Californians as the victims and hunters of the vampire.