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Reviews
Frayed (2007)
Great horror movie that goes beyond the genre
I watched the movie over the weekend with a group of my daughters' friends (about a dozen kids all in high school). It was great to watch a horror movie that I enjoyed and they did too.
The film really is a thinking person's horror movie, and I really appreciated the fact that they didn't dumb it down or insult the intelligence of the audience at any point in the film. There are very few movies where I really respect how the filmmakers treat the audience, and this is one of them where I do. Frayed pays homage to some of the earlier slasher movies, but never appears to be copying them. There are some of the standard scary movie ingredients, but the plot goes way beyond what you expect from a horror movie. The filmmakers were able to take a favorite genre of their own, and make something really creative.
The other thing that really impressed me was the production quality of the film especially when considering the budget constraints of making it. In particular, the special effects were amazingly well done. The thing that most impressed me about the digital effects was the fact that I didn't know most of them were digital effects. After the movie I watched the very brief overview of the special effects and was surprised by some of the things that were done on the computer rather than on the set. This was very well done and I believe the special effects guys deserve huge kudos (and an award for one specific scene) for their accomplishment.
The best endorsement I can give the movie is that I want to watch it again. I know I missed clues and I want to see the movie at least one more time to see what I catch that went over my head the first time. In addition, everyone knows how impatient high school aged kids are, and they not only enjoyed watching the movie, but they watched it again that evening because they all really wanted to see it over again that night.
As for the very violent scene that occurs early in the movie, yes it is uncomfortable to watch. I believe the team earned an award for that one, but they probably won't get one since it is in a small independent movie. The scene is very difficult to watch or even think back to, which is why I recommend watching the bonus feature on that section of the movie. Watching the character/victim in the make up for the final stage jokingly saying "I'm ready for my close up" helped ease the discomfort that the filmmakers were trying (successfully) to make everyone feel.
I recommend watching it with a few friends so you can bat around ideas after the movie. That really helps everyone figure out what actually happens. Frayed goes way beyond a standard slasher movie genre with a tight complex plot, great cinematography, good acting, and remarkable visual effects to deliver a great horror movie.
If the same team makes another movie (which I hope they do), I can't wait to see it.
Titanic (1997)
A waste of time
A shallow movie about shallow people in deep water.
It is a shame that any comments require ten lines of text. This movie doesn't deserve that many lines. I will go ahead and type until I am able to submit my comments, but I hope nobody is still reading this. If you have bone beyond the first line, you are wasting your time, just like you would by actually watching this movie. Here is a synopsis, The girl lives, the guy dies and the ship sinks. Oh, and there is a weak love story involved. The only thing I can add is that the stupid old woman should have left the rock on the deck of the ship and thrown her own sorry a$$ over the edge of the ship.
V for Vendetta (2005)
Takes itself WAY too seriously
Not a terrible movie, but not very good either.
It is the typical liberal program film where the government is evil, homosexuals are put on a pedestal, and religion is evil. The biggest problem with the film is not this one-dimensional approach, but rather that it conveys a feeling of moral superiority because it takes on these "deep" issues.
If you have a couple hours to burn, there are worse movies to watch, but I wish I hadn't wasted my time. It simply takes itself much too seriously. The only way I would recommend this film is if you are a big fan of someone in the film.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Shallow film about shallow people aimed at those who believe they are deep.
The only redeeming thing about this film was the acting. Unfortunately, most of the actors do a little too good a job convincing you how pathetic their characters can be. I do not need to watch shallow people at their shallowest to make me feel deep. I haven't seen such self indulgent tripe aimed at wannabe intellectuals since Lost in Translation came out.
Anyone who gave this film a nine or ten needs to spend a little more time at small theaters that play independent, documentary, foreign, and art house films so they know the difference. If you happen to live in the south Puget Sound area you should check out the Tacoma Grand Cinema.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Michael Moore has become what he mocks
This movie may be entertaining, but a documentary should be factual first and entertaining second. In resorting to a fast and loose approach for the purpose of furthering his own agenda, Michael Moore has become what he mocks.
In addition, I read from an interview with Ray Bradbury that he was not contacted regarding the unauthorized parody of his title Fahrenheit 451, and is so upset he is planning legal action. I disagree with creative theft in any movie.
P.S. Michael Moore can always respond to these issues on his web sight using his own underpaid foreign workers.
Minority Report (2002)
Weak movie with too many holes in the plot.
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** This review contains spoilers.
Minority Report causes me to once again ask: Can anyone make a good action movie? Minority Report strived to be just that, but it has holes in the plot so big you can drive a truck through them. Some of the plot holes I found in the movie are listed below:
1. In 52 years, is human slavery going to be considered acceptable? The movie contains three `pre-cogs' who are being held against their will, in a drugged state, being tortured with nightmarish visions, and nobody seems to care. Even when Tom Cruise is running around the city with one of them, he is treating her more like a tool to provide information than a person. The movie should have dealt with this issue in some way.
2. If police are currently tested for drug use, and drugs continue to be an issue in the future, then how could Tom Cruise's character John Anderton be a cop with a long time drug addiction? In addition, if his character has an any common sense, why would he leave drug paraphernalia all over his apartment?
3. When Tom Cruise's character is pre-identified to commit murder, why is it a brown ball (the murder is premeditated) rather than a red ball (impulsive crime of passion)? Before he enters the room, he knew nothing of the victim, and he suddenly learns of the individual's alleged link to his son, and shoots him out of anger (according to the pre-cogs). He has less time to plan his actions than the character who almost kills his wife and her lover early in the movie, but that one was a red ball (or double red ball to be more specific).
4. If the Pre-Crime Director Lamar Burgess wanted to commit murder, why didn't he just get the victim out of the Washington D.C. area? It would have been much easier and less risky to arrange a meeting in some other city.
5. The movie centers around the idea of pre-crime being taken nation wide. If there are three pre-cogs, and they only seem to be able to see murders in their own area, then how are they going to take it nationwide? There may be a logical explanation for this, like expanded human slavery, but the movie doesn't show it.
6. When the John Anderton character removed his eye bandage early, why didn't he go blind? The movie repeatedly stated that if he removed the bandages before 12 hours were up he would go blind, but that didn't seem to happen. Since the bandage was removed from one eye, and he retained one of his original eyes, I expected a tie-in, but that would have required a little forethought on the part of the producer/director.
7. When the eye surgeon performed the operation, why did he keep talking about how John Anderton ruined his life, and how he was going to return the favor, only to do nothing in revenge? A moldy sandwich doesn't exactly make up for years of abuse in prison.
8. If Speilberg makes a point showing that the pre-cogs can see murder, but nothing else, how is it that when running around the mall, the pre-cog knows everything? Even the mother of pre-crime emphasized that it was the pre-cogs nightmares of murder that came true, not that they could tell everything in the future.
9. If Retinal scans set off alarms wherever John Anderton went, then how could he and his wife continue to use his removed eye to access the most sensitive areas of law enforcement without setting off a single alarm?
10. Automated cars and plants that attack people have been used in movies for years, and in 152 years it may happen, but I don't think it will happen in just 52 years.
11. How sappy can an ending be? I was waiting to see the Mickey Mouse ears on the characters before the end sequence was complete. I know Steven Speilberg is known for happy endings, but this one goes a little far.
I don't know if Steven Speilberg is no longer capable of seeing holes in the plots he creates, if he is too arrogant to ask the opinion of others, or if he feels that a big glitzy movie with Tom Cruise makes up for a substandard plot, but Minority Report is a weak movie dressed up in blockbuster clothing.
The Score (2001)
Disappointing rehash with poor characterization.
I was hopeful that The Score would be what there are too few of today, an intelligent thriller. Instead, I walked out feeling as though I had just watched a movie that I had seen done better before. Angela Bassett and Edward Norton do a great job in this film, but I began to wonder why a character like Bassett's would fall for a looser like De Niro's. Robert De Niro is simply void in this film. He seemed to be on autopilot reading his lines. Marlin Brando came across as pathetic, which his character should not have been if he had been successful in a difficult industry for at least 25 years.
If you simply enjoy the specific members of the cast or you have never watched a film of this genre, you may enjoy the movie, but don't go expecting exciting characters in a creative plot.