dibot's blog

No Way Potter has Children's Wolvesbayne Package

The Children's Hour

Okay. Wolvesbayne is a Sy-Fy original. And it is one of the worst I have ever seen. For real. I wanted to turn it off, but I couldn't find the remote. Jeremy London ("Do You Know Me") stars as an executive trying to buy out an occult store to build condominiums, or something. His last name is Bayne. He gets bitten by a werewolf and then has to ask the girl running the occult store to help him. And there's some sort of war with vampires. Terrible effects. Terrible dialogue and worse acting. Avoid. Please.

No Way Out

Based on a play by Lillian Hellman, The Children's Hour stars Audrey Hepburn ("Always") and a very young Shirley MacLaine ("Valentine's Day") as two teachers at a girl's boarding school. One bratty girl spreads a vicious rumor about the two, and this idyllic world falls apart. James Garner ("First Night") also stars. It sort of feels like a play, mostly because of the settings. But the plot is still tense, and the dialogue and acting superb. I really enjoyed this.

The Package

No Way Out is a surprisingly interesting political thriller starring Kevin Costner ("Swing Vote") and Gene Hackman ("Welcome to Mooseport"). Hackman is a senator and Costner is a Naval Intelligence Officer who works for him. The senator's mistress is killed, and Costner, who was also having an affair with her, is assigned to find the killer. Pretty tense. Some of it is silly, but that doesn't really get in the way of the fun of the intrigue. A good popcorn flick.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Widescreen Edition)

In The Package, Gene Hackman ("Welcome to Mooseport") is a military man transporting prisoner Tommy Lee Jones ("In the Valley of Elah"). When Jones escapes, Hackman attempts to find him, but instead uncovers a plot to kill a world leader. This is an okay thriller. Jones is especially entertaining. 

I really enjoyed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Director David Yates is still at the helm and he does a good, dark wizarding world. I kind of thought the movie should be PG-13. Sure, no that much was shown, but the subject matter was pretty heavy. The kids are in their 6th year at Hogwarts, and things are not looking good. Voldemort is gaining more power and Dumbledore asks Harry to help him with a pretty dangerous quest. Good effects. The acting seems to be getting better as the kids get older. One of the better films in this franchise.

Drag Me to Broken Brothels Beneath Poison

Born into Brothels

Born Into Brothels is a really awesome documentary about a filmmaker who ends up helping the children of prostitutes in Calcutta's red light district learn photography. The children are amazing, and they turn out to be very talented photographers. The film shows how they live and their photos and the endeavors of the filmmakers to help the children out of their environment before their dreams are destroyed. It's sad and beautiful. I really enjoyed it.

The Broken

I would have really liked The Broken, an After Dark horror movie, if it had made any sense. I watched the whole thing, and the ending twice, and I'm still not quite sure what went on. But the cinematography and atmosphere were outstanding. I can't really explain the plot, but people's doppelgangers seemed to be breaking out of mirrors and killing the people upon whom they were based. Maybe. It was very creepy. That's all I can really say about it.

Something Beneath

Something Beneath was so bad, it might have been a Sy-Fy original. This corporation tries to build a hotel, but workers go missing. They push through and then more people disappear. And there's something in the sewer under the building. And it's lame. The effects are terrible. Just don't bother.

Drag Me to Hell

I really enjoyed Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man 3")'s Drag Me to Hell. A young woman is cursed when she refuses an old gypsy a loan. She then tries all manner of things to get rid of the mark. It feels like a Raimi movie, a little over-the-top, especially with the gore. (And the graveyard scene was a straight-up wink to his own "Evil Dead.") And it's a bit cheesy. But very atmospheric and fun to watch. Alison Lohman ("Gamer") really gets into the part. Worth watching for sure.

Pretty Poison

Another weird movie that I stumbled across on TCM, Pretty Poison, stars Anthony Perkins ("In the Deep Woods") as a recently released mental patient who meets a girl, tells her he's a secret agent and then discovers that she might be more crazy than he is. The film is interesting. Good pacing and writing to keep us wondering where the whole thing is headed. A little over the top during some of the confrontation scenes between the girl and her mother. Perkins seemed kind of like his "Psycho" character, but it fit this role. I enjoyed it.

Strait Jacket Tamara's Orphan Vice in District 9

Orphan

Wow. Orphan. My view of this movie is tainted because I saw it when I was still pregnant and there are some things you should just not show a pregnant woman. A super disturbing miscarriage scene being one of them. I spent most of the movie freaking out and/or crying. So, maybe that says something for it. A couple decides to adopt an older child after they lose a baby. And then accidents start happening. The film is well done. It has a very "The Good Son" vibe. I don't know what else to say. I'll never forget it.

District 9 (Single-Disc Edition)

Despite it's obvious message, I really enjoyed District 9. Aliens forced to live in slums when they land on Earth? Awesome premise. The film is mostly shot like a documentary, following around a sort-of hapless government agent as he begins 'relocating' the aliens into a new camp. Then he gets infected by some of their technology and finds himself on the receiving end of this treatment. Like I said, the message is obvious, even from the previews, but it never felt heavy handed to me. Also, the action scenes are good and quite a bit of humor is sprinkled throughout. Very enjoyable.

Miami Vice (Widescreen Edition)

Another Michael Mann ("Public Enemies") style-over-substance film, Miami Vice looks great. Miami is part of the film. But the storyline wasn't. There's undercover stuff and love stuff and partnership stuff between Colin Farrell ("Crazy Heart") and Jamie Foxx ("Law Abiding Citizen") that we're just supposed to go with even though we haven't be given any real reason to. Just don't bother.

Tamara

Tamara is the story of a geeky girl who comes back for revenge on her classmates after they accidentally kill her. It's an okay slasher. The deaths are pretty good. They all involve some sort of public humiliation, one of which was hilarious. The premise seemed okay at first, but by the end, it just felt old. Not horrible, but not very good either.

Strait-Jacket

I had never heard of Strait-Jacket, but when it popped up on TCM one day, I watched it. Surprisingly good. Joan Crawford ("Trog") stars as a woman just released from an asylum where she spent 20 years for committing a double homicide. With an axe. Oh yeah. Upon her release, she begins reestablishing ties with her daughter. But then some people are murdered. Could she still be crazy? Definitely watch to find out.

Bringing Up Public Nightmare Lake Water

Nightmare Man - After Dark Horror Fest

Nightmare Man is one of the After Dark Horror films. In this one, a woman suffering from paranoid delusions takes shelter in a cabin with some interesting strangers. Then it seems that her delusions might actually be real. The story is okay. And the acting isn't so bad. The side characters are just weird, though. And do some weird things. This is a mostly forgettable film.

Eden Lake

If you're afraid of children and/or camping, don't watch Eden Lake. I'm not talking about "evil" kids either, these are just a gang of regular old kids who get caught up in their power and then try to kill a couple camping near a lake. It's really intense and scary. And disturbing. I did not enjoy it. But that was the whole point.

Bringing Up Baby (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Bringing Up Baby is one of those classic screwball comedies that I just don't enjoy. But I keep trying. Katharine Hepburn ("Love Affair") is wonderful as an heiress with a pet leopard who falls for Cary Grant ("Walk Don't Run"). He's clueless. And then there's a missing fossil, mistaken identity and hijinks in general. Grant and Hepburn have excellent chemistry. It moves fairly quickly. I just don't love this genre.

Water

Water is beautiful and heartbreaking. Set in 1938 India, the story focuses on life in an ashram where widows are sent to live. They must spend the rest of their lives there, no matter at what age they were widowed. Child-bride Chuyia really brings the message home as the story compares her exuberance to the defeated attitudes of the older women who were once in her situation. The cinematography is gorgeous, the subject moving. I just don't think I could rewatch because of the sadness.

Public Enemies (Single-Disc Edition)

When I first saw that Johnny Deep ("Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street") and Christian Bale ("Terminator Salvation") would be teaming up for Michael Mann ("Miami Vice")'s Public Enemies, I nearly passed out. I love these guys! Unfortunately, like many Mann films, this one is more style than substance. It looks gorgeous. Everything is perfectly placed, decorated and dressed. But what should be a dynamic story of gangster John Dillinger and the FBI agent determined to catch him, just drags and loses steam. Worth watching, but not the glory I had anticipated. 

Carrie Slashes Lars' Sleepaway Camp Hangover

Carrie (TV Film)

Whoever decided to remake Carrie was terribly misguided. Whoever decided to do it with poor production and a cast full of sub-par actors was just dumb. Patricia Clarkson ("Cairo Time") as Carrie's religious nut mother and Angela Bettis ("All My Friends are Funeral Singers"), Carrie herself, are exempt from the blame. They are obviously trying the hardest. The film is all grainy. The other kids are overacting or just unaware that they should be emoting. I wish the whole thing hadn't happened. And that I hadn't seen it.

Wedding Slashers

Wedding Slashers, despite it's clever title, is another movie I should not have seen. A girl plans for her wedding and then her relatives show up and start killing people. The only good thing is that no one involved takes the film too seriously. But the poor production, shoddy acting and lame story take even the campy fun away. And I think I'm over the inbreeding story lines.

Lars and the Real Girl

Lars and The Real Girl is so freaking awesome. It's Love Object, only sweet. Ryan Gosling ("Fracture") stars as an awkward, shy guy who buys a blow-up doll and pretends she's his girlfriend. But not in a dirty way. The whole town becomes involved in the fantasy and the film transforms into something funny and beautiful. I loved it.

The Hangover (R-Rated Single-Disc Edition)

The Hangover = hilarity. Four friends go to Vegas for a bachelor party. Only they lose the groom and their memories. The rest of the film is spent with the groomsmen trying to remember what happened and reconstructing the night's events as they search for their missing friend. Zach Galifianakis ("Youth in Revolt") is especially hilarious. The film also holds up to a repeat viewing. 

Return to Sleepaway Camp

I went through a run of really bad horror movies there for awhile, and Return to Sleepaway Camp gets added to that pile. I guess I just really love to see a series through to the end (which probably means I'll see Wrong Turn 3 against all better judgement). The filmmakers try to tie back into the original and try to give some twists. It's just not very good. I can't recommend it. Sorry.

From Within 4 Months Wrong Pendulum Shadow

From Within

From Within is an After Dark horror movie where residents of a small town being killing themselves for no apparent reason. At least, that's how it seems on the surface. But there is, of course, a dark history. And a spell. I liked the premise and the idea that it was only what scared you that would kill you. So if you could keep from being afraid, you might survive. But most of the acting was bad and the film just didn't feel scary.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is a wonderfully well done, amazingly depressing tale of of a woman trying to help her friend get an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania. Needless to say, it's uncomfortable and the two have to endure some horrible things to reach their goal. The detail and the day to day mundane touches just make it so believable and painful. I could never watch it again. They do show something that will be burned in my memory forever. Great and painful.

Shadow of a Doubt

Did Alfred Hitchcock ("Family Plot") ever make a bad movie? Shadow of a Doubt is another masterpiece from the master. Joseph Cotton ("The Survivor") stars as the uncle to a young woman who adores him. Teresa Wright ("The Rainmaker") glows as the niece who's oh-so-excited for his visit, but then begins to suspect things might not be right when some men show up asking questions about Cotton. The tension is amazing. And there's quite a bit of humor as well. I really enjoyed this one.

Wrong Turn 2 - Dead End (Unrated)

I've seen a lot, and I mean a lot, of really bad horror movies. But Wrong Turn 2: Dead End is one of the worst. Take away everything good from the first movie and add in Henry Rollins ("H for Hunger") and you'll have this film. A group of people head into the forest to film a reality survival show but stumble across a family of inbred cannibals. And the killing starts. It's gross, not funny, not scary, poorly written, directed and acted. I'm really grumpy about having even watched it.

The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum

Pit and the Pendulum is one of those old Roger Corman ("Frankenstein Unbound") horror movies that everyone says is so great. And it's not that it's really horrible, it's just not as scary as I expect when I hear terms like "classic horror film." It's more cheesy. However, It is a really good story from Edgar Allan Poe. A man investigating his sister's death doesn't believe the reasons presented by her husband. Vincent Price ("Edward Scissorhands") chews up the scenery in his inimitable manner. But I was able to get behind him as the film went on. Worth watching, definitely. Just don't expect the Earth to move.

Perkins' Zero Starman Ghostbuster Body of Lies

Starman (Widescreen / Fullscreen)

Though it's aged quite a bit, John Carpenter ("Ghosts of Mars")'s Starman is still a very engaging love story. Jeff Bridges ("Crazy Heart") stars as an alien who comes to Earth and assumes the form of Karen Allen ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull")'s recently deceased husband. He asks her to drive him across the country. At first she's freaking out, but they begin to bond as the journey continues. The government is also trying to catch them and "study" the starman. Entertaining. But my husband said Bridge's voice was making him crazy.

Ghostbusters 2 (Widescreen Edition)

I know it's no where near as good as the original, but I love Ghostbusters II. I'm not going to deny it. All the guys are back and still funny. Plus, I really enjoy Peter MacNicol ("Numb3rs")'s over the top accent. This time the city is being plagued by emotional ectoplasm and the guys have to come out of retirement to stop it. Maybe not as quality, but still lots of fun. I will watch it whenever I can. 

Zero Effect

Zero Effect stars Bill Pullman ("Your Name Here") as a great detective with no social skills who's trying to crack a strange blackmail case. Bill Stiller ("Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian") plays Pullman's overworked and much put-upon assistant. It's a dark comedy that moves pretty slow. Pullman is very charismatic, but I still couldn't bring myself to care to much about the story.

Body of Lies (Widescreen Edition)

Ridley Scott ("American Gangster")'s Body of Lies is the kind of nice, tight spy thriller we don't see much of these days. Directors seem to be paring up with their muses more and more often now, and so Russell Crowe ("American Gangster") pops up again here. He's the smarmy CIA handler to Leonardo DiCaprio ("Revolutionary Road")'s field agent on site in Iraq. The two fight terrorists as well as each other, with arguments over procedure and withholding of secrets. Very good.

Perkins' 14

Perkins' 14 is an okay After Dark horror movie that I would classify in the zombie genre. Though the editing makes it more confusing that it needs to be, the premise is actually pretty good. A worn down sheriff arrests a man he believes responsible for kidnapping his son several years before. He sets out to find what happened to the boy and discovers strange experiments and crazed killers on the lose. Good ending.

Love with the Innocent Silent Omega Sky

The Innocents

Based on a story by Henry James, The Innocents stars Deborah Kerr ("The Assam Garden") as a governess to two strange and precocious children. As she gets to know the kids, mysterious things begin to happen in the house and she begins to believe the house may be haunted. The film is very atmospheric and creepy. The black and white is used to make us unsure whether Kerr is really seeing ghosts or merely jumping at shadows. A classic I'm glad to have caught up with.

Love with the Proper Stranger

Another classic to finally cross my path, Love with the Proper Stranger, brought me a new side of Steve McQueen ("The Hunter"). He's not got all the answers. After a one night stand with the lovely Natalie Wood ("Brainstorm") finds her pregnant, McQueen must deal with the aftermath. He and Wood try to decide what to do as they try to get to know one another. A good story, still relevant today. And the acting is top notch.

October Sky

For some reason, I put off watching October Sky. Maybe the previews didn't capture my imagination. But I shouldn't have. This is a really good based-on-actual-events story of a small town boy who dreamed of making rockets instead of working in the coal mine. Jake Gyllenhaal ("Brothers") is all fresh-faced and earnest as he tries to find a way out of the future he sees unraveling in front of him. Chris Cooper ("Where the Wild Things Are") is the gruff father that Gyllenhaal desperately wants to make proud. I cried. 

Silent Running

Silent Running is a strange classic sci-fi film staring Bruce Dern ("The Hole") as an astronaut trying to protect one of Earth's last forests, which is on his ship. When the higher ups decide they can no longer afford the upkeep on the forest, Dern snaps. The movie sometimes drags, but I liked the story. And it seems like a real possibility that our plants might only be safe in a space ship orbiting the earth.

The Omega Man

I don't even know what to say about another sci-fi "classic," The Omega Man. Charlton Heston ("The Order") stars as one of the last men on Earth after biological warfare has ravaged the globe. We've seen the story most recently in I Am Legend. Heston chews up some scenery and fights off a weird cult of people wearing ridiculous white make up and black robes. Of course, the story is good, but this version made me groan a lot more than it made me think. 

Three Lethal Snow Angel Summers

Three Kings (Snap Case)

Wow. It's been a long time. But as one of my many New Year's Resolutions, I'm going to pick up on my writing. All kinds of it. So here are some movie reviews. For things I haven't seen in quite awhile. Better late than never. Right? 

Having thoroughly enjoyed David O. Russell's I Heart Huckabees, I was curious to check out Three Kings. And I liked it, but not as much. George Clooney ("Up in the Air"), Mark Wahlberg ("The Lovely Bones") and Ice Cube ("The Janky Promoters") star as American soldiers in Iraq during the first Gulf War who find a treasure map leading to stolen gold. They set about finding the loot and become more involved with the aftermath of the war than they had originally planned. I really enjoyed the interplay between the characters. And the moral conflicts the characters end up facing. I just felt that some of the movie dragged. 

Lethal Weapon 2 (Director's Cut)

Lethal Weapon 3 (Director's Cut)

I'm sort of still boycotting Mel Gibson ("The Singing Detective") but Lethal Weapon 2 and 3 came on AMC and I watched them. I'm still feeling a little guilty about it, truth be told. In 2, Gibson reunites with director Richard Donner ("16 Blocks"), writer Shane Black ("Kiss Kiss  Bang Bang  ") and costar Danny Glover ("2012"). This sequel is actually pretty good. The two cops are assigned to guard Joe Pesci ("The Good Shepherd") and he's actually funny. Lots of explosions and near death experiences ensue. In 3, they keep the stars and the director, but lose the writer. And something gets lost with him. Rene Russo ("Yours, Mine and Ours") turns up, but does not save the show. It's a similar story, lots of action, but it's not as funny. And it starts to get dull. Action movies should not be dull. 

Snow Angels (Widescreen Edition)

David Gordon Green ("The Pineapple Express") is becoming one of my favorite writer/directors. In Snow Angels, Green once again sets his tale in a small town, weaving together a very sad story of regular people. A teenage boy deals with new love, old crushes and loss. Estranged exes, Kate Beckinsale ("Whiteout") and Sam Rockwell ("Everybody's Fine") deal with their split and tragedy. Rockwell pretty much annoyed me and then broke my heart. I could see the tragedy coming, but I still felt it fully. Very good film. 

The Long, Hot Summer

The Long Hot Summer is mostly about Paul Newman ("Cars") looking fine. Not really. Based on a novel by William Faulkner, the plot revolves around a rich, southern family and the con man, Newman, who works his way into it. The neuroses are strong as is the dialogue and sexual tension. And an all star cast doesn't hurt anything either. Orson Welles ("Moby Dick") and Joanne Woodward ("Empire Falls") to name a couple. Enjoyed it.

Night Must Deliver Gaslight Haunting Duplicity

Gaslight

Gaslight stars Ingrid Bergman ("Autumn Sonata") as a young woman haunted by her aunt's murder. She marries a musician and they return to live in her aunt's former residence. Once there, she becomes more and more isolated and it seems her husband could be trying to drive her crazy. This film is really good. The shadows and suspense as well as the acting (Bergman won an Oscar). For those who are put off by black and white films, don't avoid this one please. It's captivating. Also, a very young, almost unrecognizable Angela Lansbury ("Nanny McPhee") pops up in her first film role.

Deliver Us from Evil

A very disturbing documentary, Deliver Us From Evil, tells the story of Father Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest who molested numerous children over the course of his 30 year career. Director Amy Berg, in her first full length film, presents the Church hierarchy as being aware of the priests actions and enabling his behavior. The film has interviews with O'Grady as well as with his victims. Very unsettling. But very well done.

The Haunting in Connecticut (Single-Disc Edition)

I found The Haunting in Connecticut to be really creepy. It starts off slow with the family's problems and their decision to move into this ridiculously cheap new house. Then weird things start to happen. The house was once a mortuary, and, it appears, the spirits are restless. Supposedly based on actual events, which, of course, I did not research, the film relies heavily on jump scares. But there's also a frightening atmosphere created with music and lighting. I enjoyed it. And then, just when you think you're safe at the end of the film, the creepiest end credits ever start up. I left the theater totally freaked out. Scary, scary violin.

Duplicity

I had a lot of fun in Duplicity. I think because everyone involved seemed to be having a good time, especially Tom Wilkinson ("Valkyrie") and Paul Giamatti ("John Adams"). The dialogue is fast. The plot moves right along. And it twists and turns. And I totally enjoyed the whole thing.

I caught Night Must Fall late at night on TCM and found myself sucked right in. An elderly lady hires a man to help out around the house, but her neice (Rosalind Russell, "Mrs. Pollifax-Spy") finds his behavior very suspicious. She also finds him strangely attractive. A fun little thriller.