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Short independent reviews of both blockbusters and overlooked small movie masterpieces.
Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts

Eden Lake

Posted by pantherion Labels: , , ,

Social dramas made by British directors are amazing - take fantastic works of, let's say, Mike Leigh, for example Secrets and Lies. Their horrors are decent too, enough to mention aptly named Descent. The film that combines these two genres in quite a good manner is Eden Lake from James Watkins - a very tense story of a couple terrorised by a bunch of immoral teenagers. What is really good about is its unpredictability, the director plays with the viewers' expectations, and it's sometimes hard to say, what is coming next. It is well acted too, especially the kids seem both realistic and terrifying. Unfortunately, it has one major flaw - massive plot holes. Let me give you an example - when the protagonists' car is stolen from their beach-camp, what do they do? They go to look for it LEAVING ALL THEIR STUFF BEHIND (including the tent and diving equipment)! Oh, come on. If the film wasn't so underwritten, it would be really unmissably great. Now, it's only good.
7/10

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Stephen King's It

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A bit of nostalgia. Yesterday I watched a film I used to absolutely love as a kid. I found it really scary then, but recently I heard opinions it was not that good, so I was a bit worried if I would like it now at all. Fortunately, Stephen King's It is not too disappointing. If you, like me, have really fond memories about this movie I can assure you it is still worth to spend full three hours in Derry, Maine, trying to find a way to kill the evil clown, Pennywise. It is pretty well acted, and if not terrifying, it still has threatening atmosphere. The best thing about the film is Tim Curry's portrayal of the malevolent jester, both scary and funny. What aged badly though are the cheap special effects, which rather will make you laugh than shiver. But if you are looking for an old-school B-movie, especially if you saw it ages ago, it won't be a waste of time.
6/10

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Paranormal Activity

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And now for something completely dreadful. I must confess I am a great fan of all those points and stars given to films by the critics. I just can't afford to spend my precious time watching some crap and tend to trust professionals. So, when I wanted to watch a good horror movie at the cinema the other day, I chose Paranormal Activity, which got a raving, 5-stars review in Empire. I can't describe the disappointment I experienced. The film is terrible. It is boring and not scary at all, apart from the last scenes (which I had seen in the trailer before anyway). Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting any gore or fast-paced action, a remotely entertaining plot, which could sustain tension would be enough. Of course I have seen worse films (still, not a lot of them), but the difference between my expectations and what I got has never been so big. Empire finally understood their mistake and in the dvd review they gave Paranormal Activity 3 stars. Still too many.
3/10

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The Shining

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Today I would like to tell you about the best (and scariest) horror movie ever made. I know it's pretty tricky to say that, since many people won't agree, putting in the first position the likes of The Exorcist or The Blair Witch Project, but for me there is only one winner – The Shining. Based on Stephen King's novel, directed by the genial Stanley Kubrick and starring the always awesome Jack Nicholson – such mixtures don't always work, or at least they may not meet one's expectations. This is not the case here. Everyone is on top of their game and they have created a chilling masterpiece. Some people say that the film's plot is not close enough to the book, but I can't agree. Those changes made by Kubrick only make the whole enterprise more cinematic. A true work of genius.
10/10

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Slither

Posted by pantherion Labels: , , ,

I have just finished watching a proper B-movie, which was actually quite good so I wanted to share my experience. It's called Slither, and although it is pretty new (shot in 2006) and apparently got some enthusiastic reviews from the major critics, I haven't heard about it until recently. The DVD cover claims it is 'the best horror comedy since Shaun of the Dead' which is not fully true, but they've got a point. To be honest it is not nearly half as funny as Shaun..., but for sure is much scarier, still being able to bring a few genuine laughs. Slither tells a well-known story of an alien body-snatchers invading a small American town. It is not at all original, which, surprisingly is not is it's drawback – you can still have fun spotting which scene is a reference to other movies. Some motives are quite imaginative too, as well as are the special effects. All in all it is a good, light entertainment if you like horror films.
6/10

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