Reviews

Why a perfect score? To really appreciate this production you need to understand that is it less of a movie and more of a motion picture. The colors are incredibly rich. The images amazing (watch the "touch teach" segment, with it's near perfect fusion of concept to image to music). You're not watching a movie. you are watching an incredibly complex painting done on celluloid. Once you accept that, you can begin to apply it to the plot(s). Some of the images are indeed disturbing, yet still beautiful. No, it's most certainly NOT a movie. Connery was incredibly brave for deciding to try this film. Boorman admits it was scripted from a dream. He followed it with "The Emerald Forest" and "Excalibur" and then, after many years, hit his mark with the truly amazing hope and glory. All these films share the same picture-like quality as "Zardoz", but none are quite so inventive.

I read the story over 20 years ago. I waited that long for what I thought would be a good adaption. Instead, I was given a film with a sufficiently rewritten ending that the entire point of the story was changed. Sometimes this works Without giving anything away, in the original "Poltergiest" it's as if Steven Spielberg has put the film to rest and told Tobe Hooper to wrap it because he was going home. The last 15 minutes of the film are some of the best horror ever done. In Spielberg's version of Kubrick's "A.I." you can tell where Stanley would have ended the movie, and where Spielberg HAD to tack on a cute ending. In "The Mist", Darabount is given one of King's best stories and changes the entire point. Want to see what I mean? Read the book. then see the movie. Then cringe in disgust.

Well, the short version is the vampiric version of Romero's "Night of the Living Dead". The spreading infection. The group of dysfunctional family members. The house under siege (granted from within instead of from without). Add a solid dollop of Edward Albee's "American Dream" crossed with Lynch's "Eraserhead" and you MIGHT get the idea. It is gorilla film-making. Have no doubt about that. Overall, I still can't decide if I liked it or not. There is no adherence to mythology (in any universe I've seen vampire films from) so you kind of have to suspend disbelief over a deep pit of boiling lye. But, if you can, you might find it interesting. And, even if you can't, it has a certain "Train Wreck" like charm.

Okay, so Superman (the first movie) is probably one of my favorite films of all time. So this film almost slavishly tried to recreate the feeling of the first movie, but to paraphrase Max Bialystock from "The original version of "The Producers"

How could this happen? I was so careful. I picked the right movie, the right director, the right cast. Where did I go wrong?

Well, first of all, yes Singer picked all the right things, but for some reason, the entire film never gels. You go "Gosh wow!" where you're supposed to, but those moments pass. Brandon Routh was wonderful as the Man of Steel, and had he been given the sort of script Chris Reeve was give, I have no doubt he could have carried it off as well. However, there was no taking off the glasses and saying: "Lois, I have something to tell you." There was no earth-shaking scream when he realizes Lois is dead, and There is no screw you Jorel when he goes back in time to undo her death. There is: "You have something of mine." How original.....NOT. Kevin Spacey I had no doubts about. He did not fail my high expectations. As good as Gene Hackman in his own way. Parker Posey is no Valery Perrine. Kate Bosworth? Well, not to shabby, but did take some getting used to. But she was still, to crib a line from "Lois and Clarke" "Galactically stupid". So, it works like this. If you want to enjoy lots of expensive special effects, by all means, see this movie. Otherwise, rent the first of the Donner versions.

Seriously. The two main characters who had trouble sleeping obviously didn't have this movie to watch. Surely to god the director could have generated something resembling energy for these poor people. Every cliché I have seen in movies filmed in Japan. The Pachinko parlor, the Karaoke bar. Sushi and shinto shrines. Was this the best Sofia Coppola could do? In the first twenty minutes we understand the dilemma of the Bill Murray character. He is lost in translation. Hearing fifty words spoken for a three word request and wondering what all the other words mean. This is the theme of the film. Okay. Great. So this review has to carry on for more lines in order to become acceptable. Hey wait a minute! I'm padding out this review in much the same way the writer-director padded out her film. Drink Sartori! It's a wonderful whiskey. Go into the same bar and sit at the same table. Commiserate with a total stranger. There was little or no substance to this. Sofia Copola couldn't act in "The Godfather Part 3" and she has proved that she can't write or direct in this film. Are you sitting there, reading this review and wondering "Dear Lord, when will it end?". If you are, then I have conveyed my opinion of this movie.

1) Noonan's Frankenstein's Monster IS Karloff. 2)The Wolfman's pleading to be locked up IS Larry Talbot. 3)Okay, the only problem I have is Rieger's Dracula. The cathartic "Give me the amulet you bitch!" IS NOT something Bela would have said. Other then that, I was a ripe old fart of 32 when I saw this, and I still think it rocks the house. The man into bat transformation was not bad. Not as good as the one in "Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, but not bad. And yeah, I cried too when Frankie is drawn into the vortex. So, all told, one of the best movies of it's type. Better then "Goonies" in my opinion, and almost as good as "Matinee"

Along with some of the best animation I've ever seen! Trust this 50 year-old geezer. You like Cthulhu Mythos, you'll LOVE this movie. You like good solid rock? You'll love this movie! You like High-Quality Cell animation? You'll love this movie. Are you a prude, a right-wing religious geek? You won't like this movie. Oh well, you can't please everyone. I'm sure that somewhere, there is an alternate universe where Nelvana got the recognition it deserved for quality work. The plot is literate. The voice casting is great, and watch out for "Uncle Mikey". So here's the point. Now that this film is FINALLY available, don't take my word for it, BUY IT. Don't even bother previewing it. Jut make the purchase!