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Pheonix73
Reviews
Bereavement (2010)
Some Moments: Solid and Scary...Most Moments: Laughable and Cliché
I saw 'Bereavement' at a late-night showing, after which the director was available for a Q&A. I really wish I had asked Mena the many questions I had about his film, but, honestly, by that time, I just wanted to get out of there and go home. Although the movie had some brilliant moments (great cinematography, terrific use of sound and very gory scenes) for the most part, it all-too-quickly slips into the realm of "We've seen this before." Examples: A lonely psychopath who lives in a slaughterhouse, a mute child, a big-breasted, small-brained heroine, an ending that involves a fire. Yup. It's all there. Oh, there's also a lot of bad acting and characters who do the most BRAINLESS, RIDICULOUS THINGS POSSIBLE! It's sad, really, because Mena is clearly a passionate, talented man who wore several hats while making 'Bereavement.' Maybe he should have saved some time to give the movie a real, hard, serious look.
Day of the Dead (1985)
Deserved a Better Response
I received the video tape (yes, as in a VHS cassette!) of 'Day of the Dead' as a Christmas present in 1988. When I say I watched it so many times the tape eventually broke, I am not exaggerating.
This is an under-appreciated masterpiece that apparently didn't do well when it opened in the mid-80's. I guess people were expecting the final chapter in Romer's trilogy to be some kind of apocalyptic war between the dead and the undead, complete with buckets of gore from start to finish. How sad that audiences missed true greatness.
One of the many terrific things about 'Day' is that non-horror fans can enjoy it, too. Why? Because the dialogue is compelling, the drama between the survivors is believable and there are characters you genuinely care about. Plus, who can resist the attraction of Bub, the educated zombie? He, his comrades and his enemies are a joy to behold.
Now, don't worry, gore-hounds...I assure you there is enough blood and guts to satisfy, particularly during the climactic last 20 minutes.
Do yourself a favor and get lost in this hopefully-not-forgotten work of art.
The Lost Boys (1987)
Brilliant
I saw this masterpiece in the theater with my sister (which makes me feel very old to admit) and have loved and admired it ever since. It made me want to move to California...or at least make friends with vampires. Well, I did neither, but I still think the movie rocks. It truly has it all: horror, romance, action, comedy, drama and a terrific soundtrack...oh, yeah, and the infamous Two Coreys.
The 80's was a grand decade that churned out some terrific films: 'The Lost Boys' is definitely one of them. Rent it tonight and enjoy it with the lights off.
You won't regret it.
Creepshow 3 (2006)
Worthless
My wife and I rented this, thinking, "Why not?" Our question was answered about 20 minutes later. Each segment is more outrageously ridiculous than the next. To add insult to injury, the goons who put this stupid movie together tried to relate all the segments to each other in a 'Pulp Fiction'-esquire way...big mistake. Sure, there's a lot of gore, but it's sprayed around with a comedic flair. I guess this WAS supposed to be a comedy, even though it SHOULD have been a horror film. Honestly, who cares what it was meant to be? Either way, it turned out awful. Please don't go near what should have been titled 'CRAP-show 3.' Please don't.
The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
Laughable Garbage
For some strange reason, a sequel to the 1976 masterpiece arrived nearly 20 years later. First if all: It should have NEVER arrived. Second: It's more of a remake than a sequel, and it's just awful. The script must have been written by a 14-year-old, most of the acting is hammy and unconvincing and many of the characters are too irritating and stereotypical to care about. For some OTHER strange reason, Amy Irving returns to reprise her role as Sue Snell...now she's a guidance counselor, and a rotten one: She makes grieving students wait for her as she takes care of unimportant school business, she reveals to clients that she spent time in an institution (which, by the way, is called Arkham...Batman, anyone?) and she breaks schizophrenics out of mental hospitals. Amy should have followed Sissy Spacek's lead and just said 'no' to appearing in this brainless, unoriginal, very poor excuse for a movie. The only reason to waste your time with "Carrie 2" is for a few thrilling and gory scenes during the last 15 minutes...and to have a few laughs making fun of everything else. You've been warned.