king_ghidora Reviews

Nowhere (1997)

Talk about a movie that makes you say "wow".

[8/10 · 10 March 2010]

I really liked this film, pretty much because of how "out there" it is. Gregg Araki created a trippy tale of teen angst that is so over-dramatized that it actually makes you feel drunk while you're watching it. The aliens were a nice addition, but certainly a very random one. I probably haven't seen this much drug content involving teens since I saw the film "Kids". Trust me, "Nowhere" is a movie worth watching. Expect to be feel weird after you have viewed "Nowhere", because you most likely will feel very strange-- talk about Beverly Hills 90210 on acid. The whole atmosphere of the film is reminiscent of such dystopian society displayed in movies such as "A Clockwork Orange", but I'm sure it probably wasn't intended to be that way. "Nowhere" has it all, including its share of sexual tensions between all of the characters, as well as random outbursts of insanity (at one point involving a character being brutally killed with a can of Campbell's tomato soup). "Nowhere" just might frighten you at the most unexpected time, and even if you aren't frightened or disturbed, you'll still be thinking "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?". Beneath all of its extreme oddities, the movie is pretty much a coming-of-age film that depicts the liberal youth's urge to party like an animal on a Friday night. This, of course, is no regular Friday night, for the "party of the year" is supposed to take place. Some party it was, for it was near-literally the end of the world for some characters. You've got to love the touches of strange science fiction to "Nowhere", and of course I am referring to the trippy (and corny in a cool way) alien abductions. Also, here's a word for you that relates to the movie: bisexuality. Yes, bisexual tensions, and just enough of them for you not to say "I can't take this anymore". Despite relationship dramas throughout the movie,"Nowhere" stays away from too many romance factors to stay true to its rather avant-garde-esquire nature, which I found very pleasing. As far-fetched and messed-up the movie sounds, "Nowhere" is an entertaining movie experience. Before you watch any other Gregg Araki movies (such as the amazing "Mysterious Skin"), watch "Nowhere" because it relates to his other films and really gives you a good idea of his film-making style. Watch "Nowhere", chances are you'll think it was worth the time.

Gummo (1997)

A greatly unique film

[9/10 · 10 March 2010]

Even if you ended up hating "Gummo", it was definitely still worth watching. Depressing and even shockingly funny at times, "Gummo" tells a strange story of depravity, white trash people, and youth nihilism. The strangeness of this movie will stick to your mind like chewed-up bubble gum to a sidewalk. Harmony Korine makes himself a creative piece of art with a strong script that really grabs your attention, and Chloe Sevigny (KIDS) gives a good.....well....."performance" as the character that she portrays. The movie Gummo can be described as raw, real, honest, exploitive, distasteful, explicit, artistic, and even "life-changing" as one film critic had said. A great cutting-edge indie exploitation film with a touch of avant-garde film-making is Gummo, and I don't think that you can find a single movie out there quite like it. Well, there is "Julien-Donkey Boy" (also directed by Harmony Korine and stars Chloe Sevigny), but even that good film doesn't match up to Gummo. Before you die, "Gummo" is one of those cinema greats that you have to see.

REC (2007)

Genuinely scary-- and I mean very scary

[8/10 · 25 February 2010]

What a frightening twist on the usual infection/zombie movie. The movie is very intense, as well as being quite entertaining. The ending of the movie just knocked me flat, and some of the other scenes in this film gave me the shivers. Since REC is shot with (what seems to be) a hand-held camera, you feel like you're actually IN the movie at times. I mean, you almost feel as though you're in the apartment with those beasts running towards you. And yes, the zombies actually run for once. If you take an interest in foreign horror/thriller films, you should definitely check REC out. The film is anything but typical horror; it is more extreme than that. Oh yeah, and another thing: don't watch that stupid flick "Quarantine". REC is the original film and Quarantine ripped it off. If you want a good watch, do yourself favor and watch REC. Whether you love it or you hate it, you cannot deny that it is one well-made movie.

Jennifer's Body (2009)

Jennifer's Body was actually good, why the harsh rating?

[7/10 · 1 February 2010]

I didn't expect the film to be good, but it was. "Jennifer's Body" avoided all of the tiring clichés used in generic "teen scream" horror flicks. It had a great plot and a great ending that leaves you feeling a sense of satisfactory. Maybe you think Megan Fox is a bad actress. Well, actually, I would say that she gave a good performance in the movie. Plus, the gore/violence wasn't over-the-top, and there isn't an enormous body count like in other modern horror films. Those are just stupid, while "Jennifer's Body" isn't stupid. The film is practically a horror-comedy, so you don't have to really take it seriously (which you probably wouldn't anyway, considering that it's a Megan Fox horror film). Anyway, give this movie a try, it gives you some good laughs and maybe even scares as well as being fun to watch all the way through.

The Evil Dead (1981)

Evil Dead rules!

[9/10 · 11 January 2010]

Not quite a perfect horror film, but definitely a great and solid one. If you're looking for an extremely gory movie, you've found it. "Evil Dead" is a legendary cult classic that will both scare you and make you laugh. Some people argue that "Evil Dead 2" is better, but I disagree. The original "Evil Dead" is quite gruesome, thus it is very entertaining. Demonic zombies? People possessed by evil spirits? Evil trees? Now that's a movie for you. This is a great movie to watch late at night in the dark, and it is classifiable as a "midnight movie". Evil Dead is not like any other zombie movie that you may have seen; this one is quite original, and it lacks elements of the generic and clichéd zombie movie elements. Instead of your stereotypical zombies, you get scary, deformed monsters. Even murderous trees.

The Fourth Kind (2009)

Like it or not, it's one hell of a movie.

[7/10 · 9 January 2010]

"The Fourth Kind" has crappy acting, and it is not a good attempt at a mockumentary. The movie's ULTRA-disturbing footage will give you shivers either way. Supposedly it is all "real", but not enough proof is given. Special-effects are not overdone, but they are only used to an extent needed to scare and shock the audience. People being lifted up into the air by a mysterious evil force while having a super-seizure? Now THAT is scary. The scene with the supposed "u.f.o." apparently "abducting" the little girl seems like bologna, but something is just so tense and disturbing about it. The scene in "The Fourth Kind" that really makes you lose your marbles is the video tape of the insane man that shoots his family and himself. The gore is blur-censored so the movie can stay with a PG-13 rating, but still, that one scene is psychotically insane enough to give you nightmares. It may not hit you at first, but "The Fourth Kind" is somewhat a modernized exploitation film. The acting may be bad, you gotta love Milla Jovovitch. The character that she portrays definitely contributes to the effect that this movie may have on you. For thrills, I definitely recommend "The Fourth Kind".

Videodrome (1983)

One of the greatest (and the most unique) horror films ever

[10/10 · 8 January 2010]

David Cronenberg's "Videodrome" is amazingly creepy and shocking. It isn't like those boring satires that aren't entertaining; "Videodrome" is a conscious media satire with great shock value. Watching this movie is a good use of time. The message that this movie puts out is great, because it is true. Yet, the scary part is how over-dramatized that message is in this movie. Americans can be consumed by television, and this can in insanity and violence. When what you see on TV becomes a part of your life, the line between reality and fictional content becomes blurred. James Woods's character in this movie lets that happen to him, but partially because it's some hallucinogens and mind-control..... I don't want to spoil it for anyone. You better just watch the movie for yourself. It's a real mind-trip that will leave you wondering about everything after the movie ends.

Hard Candy (2005)

Mind-blowing.

[8/10 · 8 January 2010]

Something about the camera work and the color scheme of the movie sort of got to me, but other than that, I absolutely loved "Hard Candy". Such a small cast, yet the movie has the enormous amount of power that a huge cast would have. Ellen Page is certainly at her best here, as she fearlessly overpowers a pedophile man and psychologically tortures him. When I say torture, no, I don't mean "Saw" or "Hostel"-type torture. I mean, well, more humanized torture. "Hard Candy" is a highly upsetting movie, yet it is so intensely thought-provoking that it can leave you thinking for days. Some things in this movie are not as they seem; I had to watch this film two times to actually catch every detail. "Hard Candy"'s ending is a dramatic, stress-inducing sequence, and if you are a more sensitive viewer it WILL creep you out. The dialogue throughout the film is powerful and well spoken, and it really grabs your attention. The movie's controversy revolves around its mature theme of pedophilia and revenge; therefore, it is something that for sure grabs your attention. "Hard Candy" is a must-see movie.

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

A fun and thrilling creature film

[8/10 · 5 January 2010]

"Snakes On a Plane" may have a lot of cheesy themes to it, but honestly, this is the best movie I've ever seen about snakes. This completely beats Anaconda and whatever stupid movies they made about cobras. SOAP (haha, its abbreviation is soap) is actually a good blend of horror and comedy, there being enough gore to keep horror fans satisfied while having its fix of humor. The most brutal deaths in the film are actually NOT by the snakes, and that shows that the movie has a sense of sophistication in its own way. Complete and utter disaster ensues on the plane; people fall off staircases and are impaled on spike-like things, people trample each other while running, mass turbulence causes chaos in the plane, and eventually, the side of the plane rips open and I'm pretty sure that a few people are sucked out. Also, a man is brutally killed off-screen with a baseball bat. In addition, a DOG gets eaten by a boa constrictor. That scene may upset some viewers, but others may find it pretty funny. "Snakes On a Plane" may not be Sam L. Jackson's best, but his acting in the movie is superb and of course stands out over everyone else's. Modern personas of people are stereotyped in the movie, creating comic effect, and of course the annoying stereotypes are the ones that get killed. The snake attacks are intense and even kind of scary at times. The movie is fun, campy, and generally pretty good, so I would definitely recommend it to those interested at all.