Reviews

First off, this Salem's Lot has very little in common with the book other than the name of the town and the basic concept of a writer going back to a small town he lived in as a child as it becomes overrun by vampires. Same premise...but it ends there.

On it's own merit, it's not bad (for a made-for-tv movie). It has a few nasty moments and a couple creepy ones. No scares but a touch eerie with a rare grossout moment.

Some of the acting is quite good (Andre Braugher and James Cromwell for instance). Some of it is bad (Rutger Hauer and Samantha Mathis). And then there's the bottom of the garbage pile (Rob Lowe). Rob Lowe should not be faulted, however: he is forced to narrate this film (and participate in its ridiculously stupid ending). His narration goes from comical to downright painful and nearly derails the film. Any eerie moment is broken the moment he starts whining about "small town evil" or "the darkness within".

The movie ends up only being a 5 out of 10. The first half is quite decent (except for the blasted narration) but the second half really becomes ridiculous. The "touching" moments with Samantha near the very end are so hilarious that you no longer view the movie as a horror film....but hey, if it's on TNT for free one night, make some popcorn and decide for yourself.

I wonder if the first person reviewing this film actually saw it or is so beholden to the original that they couldn't accept this version. The original is a masterpiece - no question. But to say this remake is inferior in every way is a gross overstatement. In fact, Patrick Stewart brings a more conniving and regretful interpretation to King Henry which is an interesting approach. Richard the Lionheart is portrayed in a much more somber and serious way here than in the original (Hopkins overacted quite a bit but this was toned down). Prince Geoffrey is far superior in this movie; far more manipulating and quietly seething. Glenn Close is not Hepburn but she does a worthy job portraying Eleanor. Prince Philip is also portrayed in a more serious manner (less prissy than Dalton's rendition). The real letdown is Prince John who is borderline retarded. He's so clearly a blundering mean-spirited moron in this movie that you simply can't buy that King Henry would want him as a successor. Aside from that shortcoming (which is large I must admit), this movie works and is enjoyable and as feisty as one can hope.

I have become increasingly convinced that the people posting about this movie were on LSD at the time of viewing. This movie is utter slop: poorly directed; virtually no scary sequences (only gory ones); and a plotline almost plagertistic of Hellraiser IV. Horrid, contrite and an insult to the viewer - the few scenes with promise are in the first half, and the ending is so ludicrous that you aren't sure whether to laugh, cry or drool on yourself from the utter stupidity of this nonsense. The acting is not half-bad, but the direction certainly is. If you mix the movies "The Black Hole" and "Hellraiser IV", you have Event Horizon. That's it. Move along. Nothing to see here.

This is a good movie. There is no question about this fact. Many people however are getting over-crazed with the praise. This film is lacking a few things which prevent it from being fantastic, including:

Saruman is NEVER in this film leaving a huge gap in the plot (they simply say he's lost all his power).

The final two battles are virtually back to back with all the scenes with the Mouth of Sauron removed making it seem anti-climactic.

The last 30 minutes are slightly cheesy and dull making people wonder when the movie will end.

Arwen is again edited rather badly making her whole purpose and decision confusing for non-die hard fans.

The CGI is generally fantastic but during the Minas Tirith battle, some of the shots of warriors being felled by arrows were so clearly computer generated that some audience members started laughing.

The orc army that's flanked Aragorn's final army just seems to go away after the fall of Sauron. The army attacking from the front fall into the ground but the flanking forces just dissapear with no mention of them.

The attacking Dead Army overrun the orcs at Minas Tirith in 20 seconds then are gone. Again, a bit anti-climactic.

The plot sounded iffy..the previews didn't do it justice. But actually seeing this, might just change your mind about action adventures. This is a surprisingly good yarn about a dragon coming out of hibernation and beginning an apocalypse on the earth by spawning millions of its own kind. While a few moments are cliche, much of it is interesting (with relatively plausible scientific explanations such as dragons being the actual reason for the extinction of the dinosaurs). The special effects are top notch and Christian Bale gives a strong performance as the reluctant hero (the undercurrent theme of Good Guy vs. Good Guy is also fascinating). Definitely worth a watch.

It's been awhile since we've seen monster movies being made (aside from the poor rehashing of worn out series like Halloween and Friday the 13th). Along came this little-anticipated gem. Its creepy, atmospheric and surprising at the end: a mixture of 'Duel', "Chainsaw Massacre" and "Demons". Brother and sister are driving across the mid-west and see a cloaked individual throwing what appears to be sheet-draped bodies down into a gutter. They decide to go back for a second look (the first of a couple of standard dumb teen moments) and find what appears to be hundreds of bodies in the sewer. The rest of the movie has the 'individual' pursuing them in a nightmarish truck, then tracking them as they goto the nearest city for help. I don't want to spoil the surprises but this is worth a rent.

This is one of those films that many beat up on because of its' rather silly title. Despite some bad moments, (and a few bad actors) this movie actually delivers the goods. The Boogens themselves look like oversized turtles with tentacles for arms and a claw coming out of their backside. Silly? yes...but yet there's a few scares here. A scene with a Boogen underneath someone's car is particularly memorable.

This is a good midnight movie: campy and definitely of 'B' origin but surprisingly enjoyable with a healthy amount of shock and gore to please any bad horror movie buff.

A strange and mean spirited movie about an abused boy with a flamethrower and a strong dislike of women. This is hardcore slasher ilk but almost becomes sleazy in its degredation of women. Not for the faint of heart.

I saw this zombie classic (and apparent sequel to Night of the Living Dead) when I was fairly young and it scared me incredibly. Claustrophobic and laden with brilliant special effects, this is the story of four persons trapped in a shopping mall with zombies wandering around the earth. At first, this seems like a safe scenario as they barricade themselves in; but then it falls apart as a rogue gang breaks through their barriers letting hundreds of zombies inside. Campy plot perhaps but some very creepy moments make this worth watching.