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Reviews
Prom Night (2008)
Prom Night (2008) - Neither Bad or Good
In one sentence: Prom Night (2008) is neither bad nor good.
I am a big fan of the original: it was a fun and unpredictable 80's slasher film, but I walked into the theatre of the "remake" (if you could even call it that) not expecting anything but an average slasher film - despite reading the bad reviews.
'Prom Night' begins with an actually good opening sequence involving Donna and her family - it is a tad creepy and even a little emotional -- involving a scene with her mother. Unfortunately from here, the movies dives into a pool of clichés.
THE GOOD:
*The characters aren't anywhere nearly as annoying as I thought they would be, though Donna did get on my nerves a few times.
*Lisa and Ronnie - these two characters stole every scene they were in. Ultimately for me, Lisa and Ronnie were the film's saving grace - the only thing stopping me from giving this movie a 2/10. They were believable characters and the actors portraying them have good chemistry.
*The previously mentioned opening scene with Donna and her family.
*The acting was pretty good on the most part.
*The film was a lot more emotional than most slasher films - one of the saddest scenes being the aftermath of a character having to ID the body of a dead friend. This was a really powerful scene in an otherwise, pretty bland movie.
*The credits - watching all of the characters dancing in footage taken earlier that night (knowing that many of them are now dead) is oddly creepy.
THE BAD:
*The biggest problem with the film is the script. The characters are all decently written (nothing deep, but they're not shallow clichés) but as soon as it gets time for the scares - the script becomes clumsy. Characters die not because of the killer but because of completely random and increasingly stupid things (to mention any instances would be very spoilerly - so I'll refrain but I will mention that high-heels, birds, and paint cans all play an active role in one character's demise). The funniest scene involves Donna VS a lamp...yes, a lamp.
*Besides the script, the killer is another huge problem in the film. While the killer has a decent back story (it could've been much worse based on other genre entries), he is so far from scary its not even funny. Hannah Montana looks scarier than this killer (who looks a little like Ashton Kutcher). As other reviewers have noted: good looking, normal people are NOT scary killers.
*The final major problem with this film are the death scenes. I know this was rated PG-13 so I wasn't expecting any gore or too much blood and oddly that wasn't the problem with the death scenes. I can live with no gore and not much blood but the death scenes are so stupid, I think the audience felt more pain just having to watch them. Some of the scenes seem to be fast-forwarded a little and it really distracts the viewers. Adding to this, the fact that the killer seems to be able to teleport magically, the on-screen deaths are horribly done (I can only think of two exceptions).
*Oh and the hair salon scene made me want to puke out my insides...
I think 'Prom Night' is a decent, though very bland movie. My overall attitude coming out of the movie was: 'Eh..' (I wasn't happy or angry). Those die-hard slasher fans, looking for something new to the genre, should definitely skip this mess but for anyone just looking to watch an OK teen slasher film, not looking for anything new, I am sure you could do much worse than Prom Night.
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007)
Violent - Unpredictable - Suspenseful
The best direct-to-DVD franchise movie ever? I'd say so. With the new trend of releasing sequels straight to DVD (I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, Return to House on Haunted Hill), Wrong Turn 2 surpasses all my expectations. It has interesting characters, loads of suspense, and great death scenes. Despite the low budget, the film even manages to better the first film.
Don't get me wrong, the film has its faults but they can easily be overlooked when a movie, which with its budget shouldn't be good, turns out to be one of the best horror films of 2007.
Definitely worth renting.
Alias: All the Time in the World (2006)
A Satisfying Conclusion to an Uneven Series
Alias was one of those shows that had some incredible episodes and some amazing seasons but also suffered from some terrible plot lines and contrived episodes. Alias was an uneven series at best. One week it could be great and then the next week it would fall apart and flop terribly.
---------------------- SMALL SPOILER AHEAD----------------------
Now the series finale, 'All the Time in the World', manages to pack a satisfying conclusion to the series. Whilst some things were managed poorly (I agree with the other posters about Sydney's confrontation with her mother)I felt that other things were managed successfully. The series essentially ended the show's story,gave us some great action sequences, and enough emotion to say farewell to the series.
The last episode felt like a movie blockbuster with great characters, action, and twists. In my opinion, the best episode of the series but not without faults.
Alias the show = 7.9/10 'All the Time in the World' episode - 9/10
Black Christmas (2006)
A Great Slasher!
This film is probably the best horror film I've seen in the past two years and the best slasher film (for me anyway) since I Know What You Did Last Summer. Now don't get me wrong, plot holes and character stupidity are all present throughout the film but the film succeeds in one major aspect that so many other horror films fail miserably at: its characters.
Every single one of the characters I cared about. When each met their demise, I was truly sad except one of the characters who was pretty creepy and suspicious for the two minutes they were actually in. But getting back to the point, this was the film's major redeeming factor along with the death scenes (which are over-the-top and gory).
Knowing that each character wasn't really based on a stereotype made me forgive their stupid mistakes (like going out alone to turn the power back on, etc). For the most part, this slasher film is a fun 'slay' ride. It doesn't hold a candle to the original for the fans but even though I liked the first one, the remake is the movie I'd prefer to watch. While the first one was great, it did get a little slow in the middle.
One major disappointment I do need to point out though is that Billy was not creepy enough. He seemed a looked a little too normal to be as frightening as Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers.
Anyway, this is one of the few horror remakes that is actually decent (another good remake of recent times is House of Wax). I'd recommend this film to slasher/horror movie fans but if you don't like the genre, this isn't going to change your views on it.
Veronica Mars: I Am God (2006)
Another Great Veronica Mars Episode!
One of my all-time favourite Veronica Mars episodes.
Below is a very brief episode summary and my review.
****SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD***** Veronica begins having dreams involving the dead students from the bus crash, who drop clues along the way. Meanwhile, Logan and Wallace become unlikely lab partners in Mr. Wu's class, and Keith helps Clemmons expose a doctor's scam.
The reason why I think I loved this episode so much is because it was the perfect way to get Veronica personally-invested in the case but also it was the perfect way to get us (the viewers) to stop referring to them as 'those kids on the bus'. This episode gives us insight to each of the victims along with clues that actually make sense after watching 'Not Pictured'. The dream sequences were great - it kind of reminded me of the flashbacks of Lily. The Logan/Wallace sub-plot was nice as well but the Keith/Clemmons story somewhat bored me.
A Solid 9/10
I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006)
A Great Addition to the Trilogy
I have been a fan of the 'Last Summer' series for a while now and have been anticipating this film for quite some time. After finally getting a copy, I watched it and thought it was another great addition to the trilogy. But don't except a film like the first. The first was one of the best modern slashers and the second, well the second wasn't that great. Then this film came along. It doesn't try to break the genre rules or anything, it just follows them and proves that you can still enjoy a pretty predictable movie. The acting was great especially from Brooke Nevin and Torrey Devitto. The directing was also great but the quick flashes got on my nerves a little (mainly when it took away from a really cool death scene).
So if you're in the mood for a typical teen slasher and like the sounds of this one, rent it or buy it. You won't be disappointed.
Veronica Mars (2004)
An Incredible Show That Needs A Bigger Audience
**May contain very slight spoilers from Pilot episode**
Veronica Mars may seem like your typical teen drama but it is so much more than that.Veronica Mars is smart, witty, and suspenseful and is by far one of the very BEST shows ever seen on television.
Veronica Mars used to be the popular girl at Neptune High, she used to hang around the 09'ers (the rich teens of Neptune)and was accepted by her student body. She had great parents, a boyfriend, and a best friend who also happened to be the sister of her boyfriend.
However, Veronica's life changed forever when her best friend, Lily Kane, was brutally murdered. Veronica's father went after the wrong guy and it cost him is job as sheriff. With the loss of income, Veronica's mother ran away, Veronica was raped by an unknown assialant, and her boyfriend (Duncan Kane) left her for no reason.
She quickly became an outsider with many enemies. Forced to deal with the sudden changes, Veronica learned two things: get tough and get revenge. So that's what she does. With the help of her few friends, Veronica attempts to solve Lily's murder, her mother's whereabouts, the reason Duncan broke up with her, and who raped her along with helping her father run his Private Eye business.
Life's tough for Veronica but she gets even.
A truly incredible show on the UPN, that will hopefully be transferred over to the new CW for a third season. Veronica Mars is the perfect thing for Buffy withdrawal.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
An Amazing Film
===Warning May Contain A Small Spoiler===
"I Know What You Did Last Summer" tells the story of four teens who makea brutal mistake to cover up the truth. Julie, Ray, Helen, and Barry are four friends who have just finished high school. On their way to starting their successful careers, the friends drive down to a beach for one last night of fun. However on the way home, they hit a man. An argument occurs on what they should do and Barry convinces the others despite Julie's pleas to dump the body. One year later, Julie who has been failing school and is having a really hard time comes home to Southport for her summer vacation. Once home she receives a letter with no return address, "I Know What You Did Last Summer". Fearing the worst, Julie tracks down Barry, Ray, and Helen only to learn that there futures were trashed as well. What first seems like a joke soon turns into a deadly game of life and death with the four friends caught in the middle of it.
The four main characters are played brilliantly especially Sarah Michelle Gellar as Helen. All in all, a great modern slasher flick which in my opinion ties with Scream as the best modern day slasher flick available. So rent it, you will not regret it.