Change Your Image
zinesandskafiends
Reviews
Maneater (2007)
My Bloody Valentine
There are several routes this movie could have taken to put it in league with a slew of other amateur films in the back of Shock Cinema. Instead, David Smith and Kris Peraldo chose to make Maneater a romantic comedy that just happens to be about a cannibal. Maneater has a very solid storyline and garners genuine laughs.
Glen is an overeager college student that has perpetual bad luck with women until he meets D'arcy. D'arcy is the maneater of the title, both literally and figuratively, and cannibalism is one of her numerous flaws that Glen overlooks in the name of love. However, Glen's love is put to the test when D'arcy asks him to make the ultimate sacrifice.
If you like your comedy dark and are the sort of good citizen that supports up and coming filmmakers, check this one out.
The Road Virus Heads North (2004)
one of the best King adaptations I've seen
I saw a rough cut of this short many years ago with a friend-of-a-friend of the director. I expected an amateur attempt at Hollywood horror but was pleasantly surprised at how professional the film looked. Most of the major studios that have attempted to transfer Stephen King's work to film have produced mediocre efforts at best, but this little indie film got the tone and pacing down perfect. The screen writing was true to the short story, and the special effects worked quite well. I can honestly say that Road Virus is one of the best King film adaptations this jaded horror fan has seen. I highly recommend it to anyone who has given up hope of seeing decent Stephen King movies.
Before and After (1996)
Surprisingly good
From the beginning I had my doubts about this film. During the opening scene, I braced myself for an onslaught of Sundance clichés, but as the film progressed, I was pleasantly surprised. Before and After is a gem of a character study with believable performances by Meryl Streep and Edward Furlong. Liam Neeson's performance as a father with a reserved psychotic sense of protection toward his son is one of the film's highlights. There were some weak spots in the dialogue, but otherwise the script was well-written and engaging.
Be prepared to be sucked into this movie; it's slow-paced, but the subtle suspense will make it nearly impossible to stop watching. Just when you think the film has told its story and can't develop any further, you discover that you've seen the beginning of Act II instead of the film's climax.