[REVIEWS] Films: Horror
Jan. 10th, 2010 12:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thewlisian_aferMy original plan was to watch and review this batch of movies when I was in the hospital. As it turned out, I didn't feel like pulling my computer out to watch any of them because I knew if I did that I'd start to feel like I was settling in, and I really wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. XD
Saw VI (2009)
Special Agent Strahm is long gone, and Det. Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is now the heir to John Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) terrifying legacy. FBI Agent Erickson (Mark Rolston) is now hot on his trail, but Hoffman is about to reveal Jigsaw's grand plot. Kevin Greutert directs this next installment of the smash horror dynasty, while Betsy Russell, Peter Outerbridge, Tanedra Howard and Shawnee Smith co-star.
I love Costas Mandylor's face, but I hate his character (he has no style), so this wasn't the most enjoyable watch in the Saw series. Not that any of them are lovely or anything, but you know what I mean. This instalment wasn't godawful (like the first one) or disappointing (like the fourth) but ... it's still a Saw movie. I had trouble with the scene with the hot steam because I know someone who died similarly. Other than that, though, there was only one part that made me look away, and that was reused footage from one of the previous films. [Rating: 2.5 stars]
Jennifer's Body (2009)
After a supernatural romp with a satanic emo band, hot cheerleader Jennifer (Megan Fox) is transformed into a demon with an insatiable appetite for high school boys. Now, it's up to Jennifer's BFF, Needy (Amanda Seyfried), to protect the guys from the bloodthirsty man-eater. Penned by Diablo Cody (Juno), this one-of-a-kind horror comedy co-stars Adam Brody as the devil-worshipping band's lead singer.
Huh. I liked this a lot more than I expected to. As a horror flick, it sort of fails. It's not scary. At all. Ever. But it is interesting, and there are some really funny lines, and the relationship between Jennifer and Needy is ... awesome. It's a great portrayal of high school girls' friendships. I'm surprised and pleased to report that Megan Fox actually can act a little, but the movie really belonged to Amanda Seyfried. All of the relationships characters had with hers were the most interesting. And my favorite scene was the love scene between Needy and her boyfriend. It could've been one of my favorite movie scenes of all time if it hadn't been interspliced with the death of the cutest boy in the film. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Orphan (2009)
Picking up the pieces after their baby's tragic death, the Colemans -- Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard) -- adopt 9-year-old Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) from an orphanage, but it doesn't take long for Kate to see through Esther's angelic façade. When John brushes aside Kate's paranoid suspicions, Esther wreaks havoc on the world around her in this chilling tale from director Jaume Collet-Serra.
Okay, let's start with the good things. Peter Sarsgaard is hot. Vera Farmiga and Isabelle Fuhrman were awesome. The couple's other daughter (who happened to be deaf) was awesome. And I really liked how there was no sound at all in the couple of scenes from the deaf girl's POV. Also, it wasn't action-packed but it also wasn't boring. So thumbs up for all of that. Buuuuut... I don't think I'll ever wake up one day and think, "Man, I really want to rewatch Orphan." The twist didn't feel very original even though I don't think I've ever seen anything that used it before, and the reveal wasn't dramatic enough. Not to mention, the little deaf girl was the only character I really cared about very much. Esther could've killed every single one of them and I wouldn't have given a crap. [Rating: 3 stars]
Zombieland (2009)
An easily spooked guy, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), joins forces with wild man Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) to fight for survival in a world virtually taken over by freakish zombies. As they destroy scores of the undead, they meet up with two other survivors, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and Wichita (Emma Stone), and journey to a supposedly safe abandoned amusement park. Ruben Fleischer directs this horror romp.
I wound up liking this movie about as much as I thought I would, but it still wasn't quite what I was expecting. It was really kind of ... not about zombies. You could've replaced them with any sort of creature/monster or probably even with, like ... natural disasters and shit, and you still could've made it work just as easily. It was very funny but it was also very character-based. I liked every single character individually, and I liked every single character's relationship dynamic with every single other character. I was expecting a(n at least slightly) gory horror-comedy, and what I got was a funny flick about a loner finding the people he feels happy with in a world that happens to be overrun by zombies. I liked it. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
District 9 (2009)
When aliens land on Earth, global business conglomerate Multi-National United forces them into rigid containment zones where they are compelled to labor, even as MNU commandeers their otherworldly technology for profit. As tensions build between human and non-human races, a rogue agent leads a resistance movement against MNU's ruthless consolidation of power. Neill Blomkamp directs this cinema verité-style sci-fi thriller.
This wasn't horror but I stuck it in here anyway because ... well ... I felt like it belonged. Anyway, this movie was awesome. I've heard a fair number of negative reviews of it, and it boggles my mind. Seriously, it has everything. Aliens, explosions, big guns, great effects, and all that stuff that make a summer blockbuster ... as well as interesting, dynamic characters, gut wrenching issues, emotions, politics, etc.. This is one that is definitely going to find a home on my DVD shelf. Guh! [Rating: 4.5 stars]
Saw VI (2009)
Special Agent Strahm is long gone, and Det. Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is now the heir to John Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) terrifying legacy. FBI Agent Erickson (Mark Rolston) is now hot on his trail, but Hoffman is about to reveal Jigsaw's grand plot. Kevin Greutert directs this next installment of the smash horror dynasty, while Betsy Russell, Peter Outerbridge, Tanedra Howard and Shawnee Smith co-star.
I love Costas Mandylor's face, but I hate his character (he has no style), so this wasn't the most enjoyable watch in the Saw series. Not that any of them are lovely or anything, but you know what I mean. This instalment wasn't godawful (like the first one) or disappointing (like the fourth) but ... it's still a Saw movie. I had trouble with the scene with the hot steam because I know someone who died similarly. Other than that, though, there was only one part that made me look away, and that was reused footage from one of the previous films. [Rating: 2.5 stars]
Jennifer's Body (2009)
After a supernatural romp with a satanic emo band, hot cheerleader Jennifer (Megan Fox) is transformed into a demon with an insatiable appetite for high school boys. Now, it's up to Jennifer's BFF, Needy (Amanda Seyfried), to protect the guys from the bloodthirsty man-eater. Penned by Diablo Cody (Juno), this one-of-a-kind horror comedy co-stars Adam Brody as the devil-worshipping band's lead singer.
Huh. I liked this a lot more than I expected to. As a horror flick, it sort of fails. It's not scary. At all. Ever. But it is interesting, and there are some really funny lines, and the relationship between Jennifer and Needy is ... awesome. It's a great portrayal of high school girls' friendships. I'm surprised and pleased to report that Megan Fox actually can act a little, but the movie really belonged to Amanda Seyfried. All of the relationships characters had with hers were the most interesting. And my favorite scene was the love scene between Needy and her boyfriend. It could've been one of my favorite movie scenes of all time if it hadn't been interspliced with the death of the cutest boy in the film. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Orphan (2009)
Picking up the pieces after their baby's tragic death, the Colemans -- Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard) -- adopt 9-year-old Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) from an orphanage, but it doesn't take long for Kate to see through Esther's angelic façade. When John brushes aside Kate's paranoid suspicions, Esther wreaks havoc on the world around her in this chilling tale from director Jaume Collet-Serra.
Okay, let's start with the good things. Peter Sarsgaard is hot. Vera Farmiga and Isabelle Fuhrman were awesome. The couple's other daughter (who happened to be deaf) was awesome. And I really liked how there was no sound at all in the couple of scenes from the deaf girl's POV. Also, it wasn't action-packed but it also wasn't boring. So thumbs up for all of that. Buuuuut... I don't think I'll ever wake up one day and think, "Man, I really want to rewatch Orphan." The twist didn't feel very original even though I don't think I've ever seen anything that used it before, and the reveal wasn't dramatic enough. Not to mention, the little deaf girl was the only character I really cared about very much. Esther could've killed every single one of them and I wouldn't have given a crap. [Rating: 3 stars]
Zombieland (2009)
An easily spooked guy, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), joins forces with wild man Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) to fight for survival in a world virtually taken over by freakish zombies. As they destroy scores of the undead, they meet up with two other survivors, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and Wichita (Emma Stone), and journey to a supposedly safe abandoned amusement park. Ruben Fleischer directs this horror romp.
I wound up liking this movie about as much as I thought I would, but it still wasn't quite what I was expecting. It was really kind of ... not about zombies. You could've replaced them with any sort of creature/monster or probably even with, like ... natural disasters and shit, and you still could've made it work just as easily. It was very funny but it was also very character-based. I liked every single character individually, and I liked every single character's relationship dynamic with every single other character. I was expecting a(n at least slightly) gory horror-comedy, and what I got was a funny flick about a loner finding the people he feels happy with in a world that happens to be overrun by zombies. I liked it. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
District 9 (2009)
When aliens land on Earth, global business conglomerate Multi-National United forces them into rigid containment zones where they are compelled to labor, even as MNU commandeers their otherworldly technology for profit. As tensions build between human and non-human races, a rogue agent leads a resistance movement against MNU's ruthless consolidation of power. Neill Blomkamp directs this cinema verité-style sci-fi thriller.
This wasn't horror but I stuck it in here anyway because ... well ... I felt like it belonged. Anyway, this movie was awesome. I've heard a fair number of negative reviews of it, and it boggles my mind. Seriously, it has everything. Aliens, explosions, big guns, great effects, and all that stuff that make a summer blockbuster ... as well as interesting, dynamic characters, gut wrenching issues, emotions, politics, etc.. This is one that is definitely going to find a home on my DVD shelf. Guh! [Rating: 4.5 stars]
