Orca The Killer Whale

This Moby Dick-like movie from 1977 clearly rode in on the high grossing tail fin of Jaws and while it shares the whole ‘aquatic beasty with a bad attitude’ motif, it really is a different story in which the motivations, both human and animal, can’t fully be faulted. Another difference is that while the shark […]

The Grey

Very well executed ‘Man vs Nature’ film bolstered by believable performances all around. Liam Neeson, as usual, gives the role of Otway a hefty dose of gravity and conviction, not to mention an underlying current of effective sadness. And considering that the director’s previous film was the hyper-kinetic and flawed The A-Team, this one is […]

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

David Fincher’s signature style serves this twisted retelling of the Swedish book/film well. The differences between the two versions are subtle and both are valid. The score by Trent Reznor is very effective in a minimalist sort of way and all the acting is solid. And despite being the ‘Hollywood’ version, it strays away from […]

Sector 7

Wow. I had high hopes for South Korea’s first 3D creature-feature. This one REALLY wants to be The Abyss/Aliens. But it’s not. It’s really REALLY not. Everything about this movie is stupid. Nothing makes sense and the ‘characters’ are idiots who deserve to get munched on by the generic CG underwater beasty. And certain scenes […]

War Horse

Pure, old-school Spielberg. A lil over-cooked in the gooey sentimentality dept. but well balanced out in scope and acting. Some of the cinematography is gorgeous and the attention to ‘period’ detail is great. Some very cool performances from the horses (and a goose!) too. If you’re a fan of The Berg or just like old […]

A Boy and His Dog

Wow. A strange, mildly uncomfortable post WW4 apocalyptic tale from 1975. An 18 yr old Don Johnson is trekking across the desert with his psychic dog Blood, who he speaks with telepathically, as they search for food and women. This is pure ‘grindhouse’ fodder in the low budget and quite un-PC tone. There’s just some […]

Shark Night

This movie is awful. The story is mind-numbingly stupid as told through a group of ‘characters’ that are so obnoxious, while mouthing the idiotic, amateurish dialogue, that you find yourself rooting for the lousy CG sharks (that roar like lions) to ‘eat up!’. Huge holes in the logic of the ‘plot’ and a moronic reason […]

Drive Angry

This flick is a moronic attempt to get as much nonsensical crassness on screen as possible with the help of some really pathetic CG 3D effects and Nicholas Cage’s Chad Kroeger hair piece. The only shining element is William Fichtner’s creeptastic ‘Accountant’ character. At least he seemed to be having fun with the over-the-top ridiculousness. […]

Attack the Block

I promise I’ll eventually review a shitty movie but first…this one is great! A totally fun alien invasion flick that plays out like ‘Critters’ done right…with better tunes. The cast gives it their all while every $ of the small budget stands out on screen. The aliens have a cool, unique look that you can’t […]

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Well done!! I had 0 expectations after having lived through Burton’s ‘attempt’ at a reboot. This is a surprisingly well crafted flick, especially with the simian effects and the believable ways the increased intelligence is displayed. The humans take a backseat to the compelling animal drama and the cinematography is quite strong and creative. As […]