Angsty Emo Girls Gone Bad

Since I am a bog fan of werewolf folms, I have been looking forward to this one for some time now.  I think The Howling introduced me to the modern genre (which I saw on the big screen at The Woods theater in Chicago during its original run) and American Werewolf in London hooked me with that awesome transformation sequence.

No awesome transformation in this film, but it was definitely a good watch.  A few characters were a bit over-acted, like the girls' mother, but all in all it had solid, believable performances, an interesting and unique story and a fair amount of viscera.

Rating: 8/10

Could it be .................. Satan?

Apparently so.

I had no expectations going into this movie, as it got quite mixed reviews.  I was pleasantly surprised.

This was no high-level suspense film, nor a slasher film, nor particularly anything more than a contemporary fable.  Since it was PG-13 fare, it was very tame in the bloodletting, which is OK for this film, as it would not have really added anything to the story.  I felt it was an enjoyable little film, with some pretty good performances.

A few of the scenarios were a bit contrived, and some parts of it were predictable, but all in all a decent film.  The end was a bit weak, but I am still glad that I invested the time in it.

Rating: 6/5/10

Nueve

When this was released, I really had no interest in it.  I must have heard someone rave about it, because I added it to my Netflix queue and it finally rose to the top.  Sat down to watch it tonight.

Wow.

Visually stunning, with a mythology that slowly unravels throughout the film, this is a thing of beauty. Some really nuanced visuals made this quite a memorable ride.  The scenes during the playing of Over the Rainbow had a sense of the cyclone-ready sky from Oz.  Just really smart and well done.

And if you can't get enough of the number 9, here you go:

Fuggedaboutit

DVRd this off the Indie movie channel after hearing all kinds of good stuff about it.  Played out mostly in reverse chronological order, this was one film you really have to stay focused on.

Wow.  What a trip.  Really well acted, and a story that seemed a bit scattered early on, but got me really hooked in the second half.

I have heard that some of the DVD versions have a hidden version of the film played out in chronological order.  I would love to see that now that I have seen the mind- and time-bending version.

Rating: 8/10

Nine, ten, never watch again...

Well, there goes 90 minutes I will never get back.

I was really quite hopeful about this one, based on some early previews and the inclusion of Jackie Earl Haley.  I never rushed out to see it, and it finally worked its way to the top of my Netflix queue.

The dream sequences, particularly the transitions between sleep and wake states, are quite nicely done.  Effects are top notch, and the CGI is flawless.

That is all I can say in a positive respect.  The characters are wooden, and the only good performances are brought in by people that die early.  I didn't really care about any of the kids, and the Nancy was a lame emo caricature if ever there was one.  Also, there were no scares in this film, and it was formulaic and predictable.

They should have left well enough alone.

Rating: 2/10

I got your crazy...

Saw this in the theater earlier this year, so this was a rewatch with the wife on new year's eve.

I actually enjoyed it much more the second time around, as I was able to catch some of the little details that I missed the first time.  Also, knowing how it resolves, I saw some of the clues early on that I missed the first time.

Engaging story and well played by the cast.  Good stuff.

Rating: 9/10

The Sin Eater

Released as THE ORDER in the United States, this Heath Ledger movie had escaped my radar until it popped up in the IFC listings recently.

Wow, what a great film.  While it had some things that reminded me of The DaVinci Code (which I hated), it actually was a little lighter on the depth of mythology and much better paces that TDC.

While a few of the reveals in the film were easy to spot coming, there were some decent 'aha' moments, and some really solid performances.

Rating: 8/10