Reviews

It's a horrible thing when a nice looking work makes no sense at all. Sure this is an anthology, but put some clarity into it directors! This film is chock full of episodes (8 or 9 in total), but almost all of them make no sense. Including the bookend storyline - which may be the biggest let down of all the stories. And those that make some sense, have problems keeping a clarity about it. This is - after some research - a film made up mostly shorts which have previously been shown on Youtube - so their lack of consistancy and coherency is not surprising. If the story synopses sounds too good to be true - they are. Without them, you would never "get" this anthology. This is one "manual" that needs to be re-edited.

This disjointed, odd, greatly unsatisfying and confusing series of bland stories that most don't resolve, and they are way too offbeat for clarity. And if if they do resolve, they resolve horribly. There's really not a good one in this batch, and it's a waste of time spent waiting for one.

Sandy Dennis is wonderfully sweet, innocent, naïve, optimistic and down-trodden in this 1967 movie about a young female English teacher in an inner-city New York high school. The theme I'm sure has been done a thousand times before, but Dennis' acting gives a nice freshness to the story. However, it's the story that bring this film down. With so many subplots, it's not surprising that many of them are not finished up by the end of the film - or was that the point? The gritty sixties look is what makes this movie, and I dare anyone to not roll their eyes or giggle at the running gag of bureaucratic paperwork that fills so many scenes. It's worth a watch, but don't expect any great storyline. Although it feels very much like the pilot to a series, it's more of a young woman's graduation to fitting in - as well as the faculty's anguish and acceptance - to a dilapidated school system than that of any of the students moving on.

Although "Braverman" is a very dated movie, and a very hard-to understand and follow movie - due mainly to it's Yiddish/Jewish references - it none the less has it's moments to chuckle and giggle at. The back-and-forth banter between Brooke, Segal, Warden and Wiseman is very much on par with the Taylor/Burton interaction of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and entertaining in itself. There's a little something in this film for all whether it's the vaudevillian Sorrell Brooke/Godfrey Cambridge exchange, the Manhattan/Brooklyn bird's eye view or the in depth underlying message of death and remembrance, you'll be able to at least tolerate this movie.

Figured this out (for a large part) within about 15-10 minutes of the start of the movie. But even if I hadn't, this film still wouldn't have been enjoyable. None of the characters are sympathetic - including the only female of the cast - and you really don't care what happens to them, you just kind of watch them as the transparent story unfolds. The male characters are stereotypical unlikable asses, the mopey protagonist is cookie-cutter material for a thriller movie, and how the villain manipulates technology is never remotely discussed. The climax is anti-climatic and the only positive thing I can say about the experience of watching (and wasting two hours on) this movie is that I'm glad I didn't pay for it (freebie rental!)

This British trilogy promotes itself as the equivalent "in the tradition of 'Asylum' and 'Tales From the Crypt'". That said, you would think it would lead you to some great expectations in an anthology, but instead it leaves you disappointed as this movie doesn't quite make it as a complete, coherent film. The stories, especially the first ("Don't Open the Door") and third ("Time Travellers Knife"), have great possibilities but fall flat in the end. They go along great but ultimately leave you questioning why did the events take place. The second segment ("Over Developed") is just a poor filler with bad acting and horrendous effects. The conclusion to the babysitter storyline is predictable and a letdown. Overall, this movie is the one that "could have been" and this shroud should have covered a much better selection of stories for the time that was spent watching it.

This nicely filmed anthology is better than most. Filmed by some of Thailand's top directors, this movie is almost completely subtitled, which might be a turn off for some watchers. However they are fun stories if not the most original or unique. "Deadly Charm", "The Man In The Middle", and "Flight 244" are however rather predictable if you can follow the story or at least not as surprising as I'd hoped (especially the 'Man in the Middle" - which smacks of a true Hollywood ending). The first, "Loneliness", is the best, and the most spooky out all of them although each have their own 'jump' moment. "Deadly Charm" has an interesting link back to the first story "Loneliness" although this is not clearly spelled out. Is this worth a watch? Yes, so long as it doesn't cost you much. Do they make any sense? No more than a lot of other movies out there. Interestingly enough, two of them, "Deadly Charm" and "Flight 244" actually leave you (or at least it left me) feeling sort of sympathetic with a few of the characters which can be a unique situation for an anthology. But yes, you should watch this; they are well filmed, semi-cohesive tales full of little scares and lots of fun.

This odd, quirky, disturbing, disjointed, irrational, possibly immoral, and offbeat series of VERY short stories containing each letter of the alphabet is highly entertaining if not for it's mere uniqueness. Many stories - like several anthologies - don't make a lot of sense, but are amusing. If you can stand - and stomach - the subject matter,this film can be a quick trip through the violent, sick and twisted alphabet that has never been seen before in any grade school for sure! This film - for good or bad, has a little something for every body: A is for Apocalypse, C for Cycle,and S is for Speed will make you think; F is for Fart and K is for Klutz might make you giggle, and I is for Ingrown and L is for Libido will surely make you turn away.

'Remember Me' is a nicely done, decently filmed movie that weighs evenly on both its positives and its negatives. Initially, I found it hard to figure out the relationships between all the characters; it's not spelled out, but it's also difficult to piece it together. However, once the characters and their relationships and the story is established, I could follow the movie better and began empathizing with them. Although many scenes are slightly predictable if not cookie cutter, they still work for the film. I considered the ending to be a unique one, and those dialogue-less last scenes were apt as nothing needed more to be said. The heart would tell the rest. This is not the best film, nor the worst. It is a good, quaint story that might just help register a little more sympathy , compassion and understanding to those in our own lives.

Not knowing much more about the Attica Prison Riots than hearing about it through "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Saturday Night Fever", but familiar enough that it was a dark period of history, I chose to start my study of the riots by watching this film. Regardless of whether that method of research was the smartest, I watched "Attica" with an open mind and the realization that TV movies tend to overdramatize and take liberties with historical-based subjects. However, I found little of this in "Attica". The movie seems to take a bold, straight-forward look at the events without muddying it with personal relationships, unnecessary side stories or drawn-out dialogue. There is a sympathy, a compassion and an understanding of both sides of the story for both the prisoners and the negotiators. It swiftly moves from one important scene to the next, addressing the pivotal points that occurred throughout those four days, climaxing on the unavoidably prolonged massacre at the film's conclusion. As a whole, I thought this was a well made, well directed, and a well acted movie, and hope that it has been faithful to the facts.

One of the more famous anthologies and Stephen King movies, this is well-known primarily for its appearances by a young James Woods and an even younger Drew Barrymore. With a screenplay by King, it hosts three decent stories, all linked together by a rogue but supernatural cat, a sort of feline protector. Most notably of the three tales is the first: "Quitters, Inc." which has the best ending this side of a Rod Serling Twilight Zone episode. This is a fun movie. King's other movies ("Cujo", "Christine"), are sprinkled in as cameos, many which will leave you giggling along with King's playful nods to himself ("I don't know who writes this crap" as James Woods watches "The Dead Zone"), ("St Stephen's School for the Exceptionally Gifted"). It's better than I expected and better than a majority of horror anthologies out there especially for the time period. The effects - primary used for the third and final episode which has a more mystical spin on it than the previous two - are pretty good considering its the 1980s. The stories are simplistic, creative and effective. If you can sit back and deal with the 80s music and culture (does anyone remember the cassette tape?) you'll have a good time with this well filmed feature.

This animated anthology based on 5 of Edgar Allen Poe's stories is well done, complete with choice actors for narration such as Christopher Lee, Julian Sands and a surprising (but obviously dated) monologue from Bela Lugosi who does a fine job reading through one of Poe's most well-known tales, "The Tell-Tale Heart". Animation is slick in 5 different computer-enhanced styles including a linking story between Poe in the guise of a Raven and a mysterious entity desperately trying to conceal her identity when it's obvious from the start that it is Death. This anthology focuses solely on Poe's more famous dismal stories ("The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar", "The Pit and the Pandulum", "The Masque of the Red Death" as well as the aforementioned "Tell-Tale Heart") and only hint at the less gruesome works and love poems Poe produced during his lifetime. Designed primarily of kids, the interaction between Raven and Death touch on some historical facts of Poe that are quite adult and sad if you know anything about the writer. It's interesting to note how they seem to talk about Poe in both present and past tense. The problem with this anthology is not in the end result but on the material; Poe's works can be very cryptic, hard to read, filled with lavish but difficult to comprehend wording, and host periods of history that sometimes does not translate well with younger generations albeit adults. This anthology may truly only be for Poe fans, as those who do not know his works, or only lightly, may find themselves lost in the imagery and symbolism that he's most famous for.

This cute and funny "mini-movie" pokes great fun at Episodes 1 – 6. But like the Lego games, this is grown-up humor with a galaxy of in-jokes not only from the Star Wars universe, but also from Indiana Jones' and other well-known media. Plenty of background stuff that will make you pause and rewind a number of times. The movie takes very little seriously and in fact makes fun of being Legos altogether complete with plastic hair moving around. For the non-Star Wars fan , this movie will still get you to chuckle. For the SW-Fanboy it's 30 minutes of smiles and giggles and even an outright laugh or two. It's short, but perfectly timed; any longer might make it lose its unique quirkiness.

'Condor' is a classic. It has classic stars like Redford, Dunaway, Von Sydow, Robertson and Houseman; it has a classic 1970's look. But yet, I could not get into it. All the characters are believable (save for perhaps Dunaway's too-easy willingness to help her captive – "Stockholm Syndrome", perhaps?) and the storyline is just. But perhaps I've seen one too many Government Conspired-inspired films over so many years that makes this one just another entry into the paranoia film genre. Granted, it's 1975 at the height of Watergate, so during its original release, it may have rang out especially sensitive back then. But in 2016 in the midst of general public mistrust of the US Government, this movie comes at little to no surprise. It's a decent watch but I found it drag in a few areas at least until the puzzle pieces start to come together.

This fair, above average anthology plays host to a house party of mediocre stories, tied together by a slightly unique commonality: the house itself. A few creepy tales ("Truelife", the Yearling") are right at home here. There are however a few cheap and disappointing visuals that could use a remodeling like the end scene of "Hot Stuff" not to mention the 'Detective' in "Be Careful What you Wish For". (Speaking of - The Detective's true identity though not clear - is the most interesting piece of the movie). The use of some stereotypes like the gypsy fortune teller (complete with overused and exaggerated accent) in the aforementioned segment is just silly and ridiculous - and may have been specifically used to keep in a B-movie category. Overall though, it was a fun watch though this is NOT a mansion of quality like Trick or Treat or Holidays but a quaint but satisfying 'rancher' that could still use some upkeep. It felt like a TV show unlike "Tales from the Darkside", with its less-than-perfect cinematic quality. Each segment could have easily been sliced into their own episode. But as a whole, I could have seen this as "Tales from the Darksite The Movie II". Lloyd Kaufman is either the best or worst host based on how believable you are willing to take his camp and comedic blathering. But somehow, in his hackneyed and clichéd banter, it works.

With all the lackluster horror anthologies that have come out in the last few years, this highly entertaining movie is a nice and surprising blend of predictability ("Valentine's Day"), odd surrealism ("St. Patrick's Day"), purely disturbing ("Easter"), humorously pleasing ("Christmas" and "New Year's Eve") and ironically satisfying ("Halloween"). I went in expecting very little from the film, but I came away from these holidays ready to experience them again. Seth Green is well chosen for his part as is ALL the actors in the film. This is a well done, well made film, well directed film, and inching its way into my own personal collection.

Terror Tract (2000) is a casual stroll down the streets of horror with nothing too assuming and nothing too surprising. Although there's nothing great about it, there's also nothing terrible about it. The only caveat I can add to that statement is, is that if you've hated monkeys like I do, you'll hate them even more after watching this. but these stories are not upscale homes but quaint, safe row homes, more suburbia than suspenseful. David DeLuise and Bryan Cranston bring in decent but unnotable acting. The late John Ritter's character is a believable and fun performance - especially in the end. But don't sign onto this property for a 30 year mortgage. This is fun as a rental - something you can leave behind - and nothing more.

I tried to stay with "The Landlord". I really did. I watched it first because I was into early 1970 movies filmed on location in New York City. When I found that there wasn't too much background footage, I stuck with it to see where it was going. Now, I understand what the writer and filmmaker were going for: the perception and direction of the black community at this period of time and the integration of a naive white person in the midst of it. But I found it to be slow moving, not due to the actors - who do a decent job - and wondering where it was going and ultimately when it was going to end. I know that tons of people like and love this film. And I'm not saying it's awful, but I did lose interest in it, very early on.

Although there's nothing too original with the basic storyline of 'Whites' - the self-absorbed, ignorant lead, the sniveling assistant, the brazen smart-ass, the sassy female lead - it is none the less fun. When dissected, it's very much styled in the pattern of "The Office" (minus the interviews) but the actors put their own lovable quirkiness to their own characters. There's a bakers' dozen of laughs to be found - maybe not in the first episode - but as you get to know the characters, the more enjoyable the series becomes. Its good, consistent writing and you empathize with the them as good scripts should allow you to. Alan Davies is as annoying and fun as David Brent and Michael Scott. 'Whites' is an agreeable flavor of a sitcom as they come.

"Cremains" is a poor man's poor man's B-movie. In fact, it is a C, D or E-movie with poor storytelling, even poorer acting and filmed on your Uncle Charlie's borrowed video camera. The second vignette - "The Ride" for a better name - is the only redeeming piece in the whole film, with an interesting story twist and a single believable psychotic. The final catch ending of this celluloid schlock is disappointing and not even 4 minutes of nudity can redeem this movie that looks more like a high-school film project than anything that was financed. Don't waste your money buying this piece of lackluster horror. Rent it for fun, but don't purchase it for your collection as its "cremains" will remain on your shelf - covered in dust - for a very long time.

The Street is gripping, dark, emotional, heart-wrenching, and humorous - all things great television should be. With its revolving cast of characters all intertwined with each other, you feel for each one - either sympathizing, hating or loving them - and you will not be able to pull yourself away from watching them no matter how painful, humiliating, or disastrous the situation becomes. This is a must series for anyone who appreciates great drama. But beware, the subject matter does not pull any punches. The in-your-face storytelling will almost always leave you with lump in your throat and stifling a tear. Buy this, rent it, do what you have to to watch one of the best series that has come around in ages.