Reviews

Im not ashamed to admit it, I was completely entertained for the whole 90 or so minutes of this film. Yes, it was very cheap looking in parts and the story got a shade this side of silly in the latter half, but it was a damn sight more fun than most "horror" movies Ive seen in the past decade or so. Hopefully the success of 'Jeepers Creepers' will hammer the final nail in the coffin of all the 'Scream' style "Post-Modern"(!) horror flicks that get thrust upon us every year!

Im shuffling through Blockbuster thinking to myself "What shall I waste my £3.75 on tonight". Being a big fan of Action/Sci-fi and previously renting such crap as "Red Planet" & "The 6th Day", I decided to take home a movie of a genre which I am not a fan of, namely Martial Arts/Foreign Language films. Just for a change.

After spending most of the night milling around the house trying to get myself around to sitting through two hours of subtitles and "Matrix" style fighting nonsense. I stuck "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" into the old DVD player.

How surprised was I to witness of the most involving, beautifully photographed/choreographed films I have ever seen. I Even enjoyed the outlandish fight scenes which I think mar good movies like "Matrix" & "Blade" & just about every other film with fight sequences produced since.

What a breath of fresh air. I cant say enough good words about this production.

Top Notch 9/10

If I had rented this movie I would feel less cheated than I feel after paying good money (not to mention time )to see it at the theatre.

Laughable, predictable (very), by-the-numbers crap. Morgan Freeman is a fine actor but whenever you hear that an actor was "sleepwalking" the part, just use his lead in this movie as a text-book reference. Monica Potter is gorgeous, I will make no bones about that, but you have to wonder as to who was the casting genius that threw old Monica into this thankless role.

I honestly would expect more thrills out of a "Movie for a Rainy Sunday Evening" on NBC, BBC or CBS. You name it.

Alex Cross, mate, you are right up there on the crap-o-meter with Hercule Poirot, 'Murder She Wrote' and the 'Father 'Sodding' Dowling Mysteries'. The twists in your 'plots' are about as mind-blowing as an episode of 'Scooby Doo'!.

Whatever happened to the 'Seven's, 'Silence of the Lambs' or 'Manhunter's of the movie world?

I really can't believe the bad things being said about this movie. "Pointless"??? what exactly does that mean?. I agree that everybody is entitled to their opinion, but even if this movie was not your cup of tea, how anybody can complain about the acting and direction being poor is beyond me. The Cast is top rate, in particular Cate Blanchett who is on top form. Keanu Reeves even performs to the best of his (limited) ability, and if you look beyond what he has done in the past is a very menacing character indeed. 'The Gift' is the fine production that the similarly themed 'What Lies Beneath' could only dream of being. If you are after a creepy, involving, intelligent thriller, then look no further than 'The Gift'. Please pay no attention to the naysayers who were obviously expecting Bruce Campbell doing his schtick with a bunch of zombies and buckets of blood.

I was so looking forward to a sequel to 1991's Silence of the Lambs, after a decade of waiting to see a worthy follow-up, we get the disappointing 'Hannibal'. When I heard that Jodie Foster had dropped out of the production, I honestly thought that making this movie would be a terrible mistake. When it was announced that the excellent Julianne Moore was going to step into the part, I thought that it could work but didnt really want it to happen. Its kind of the same feeling when you hear that someone is to take over the character of James Bond or Batman (if you are a fan!). Moore was not to blame for the disappointment of this movie though, overall she was OK, but I think 'Hannibal's' problems lie with the script, the writing and the producers wishes to create a popcorn franchise.

Is it just me or did anybody else find Hopkin's Lecter far more menacing when he was incarcerated?. Lecter's Transatlantic hoppings to me were unbelievable, OK the character is supposed to be of a high intelligence, but dont you think that he may realise that some sort of disguise may be needed to jump a commercial flight especially when you are on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. Didnt the FBI think to look for him in Florence for 10 years considering he had a picture he had painted (from memory, no less!) of the city in his cell in Baltimore.

I feel like Im nit-picking now, but if you are going to make a high budget sequel to one of the best thrillers of the last 20 years, at least give the viewers some credibility.

On a final note and to highlight the last point, the last thirty minutes of this movie contain the most ludicrous, tongue-in-cheek scenes I have witnessed in a production of this calibre. I think the scenes in question would be better suited to a 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' sequel.

What went wrong with this movie? I was really looking forward to this one. The plot was out back having a smoke break and the script must have been written by a five year old. I have to feel sorry for Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Shue as I dont think their careers are going to take a upward path after starring in this clunker. The special effects are fantastic but everything else about this movie takes a back seat to them. The one question I have to ask though is why does making yourself invisible turn you superhuman with the ability to survive anything thrown at you?.

Poor

Billy Elliot is a class act all the way, everybody involved in the production of this fine film deserve the highest accolades. Im glad to see the great response of some US users of IMDB. I grew up in similar surroundings to the title character and would have been around the same age during this period and I have to say that the filmmakers have created the time and atmosphere of Northern England in the early 1980s to perfection. I wish the very best of success to this production and hope that more viewers around the world can see and enjoy a truer slice of English life than the (not to take anything away from these films) "Notting Hill's" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" portrait of the UK. Utterly a Top Notch production.

Scary Movie had me laughing out loud in parts and scratching my head wondering when the punchline was coming in others. I'm really surprised that this movie has made as much money as it has, the 'parody' genre is nothing new and has been done a lot better in the past. Scary Movie does have one thing going for it though, it is a hell of a lot better than 90% of the movies it is poking fun at!.

I'd give this film half marks as there is some genuinely funny moments and it does have enough guts to admit that 90's horror movies are embarrassingly bad!.

I can't believe the whines being aired on some of the comments for Godzilla. What were people expecting?, yes it has tons of dumb dialogue but so does every single movie of this genre. If an 80 foot monster tear-arsing around New York City isn't your cup of tea DO NOT WATCH, quite simple really. I can never remember reading the word 'masterpiece' in a review for any Godzilla movie, and I certainly didn't expect to see it for the '98 version either.

What a fantastic film. I am not the biggest Tom Hanks fan but I couldnt imagine this movie with anybody else in the role of Paul Edgecombe. Mr Hanks and the rest of the cast are excellent and really bring all the characters alive. I cant believe some of the negative reviews I have seen for 'The Green Mile' even if the story isnt your cup of tea, you have got to admit that it is a first rate production. Frank Darabont PLEASE make more movies like this!.

I will start off by saying that 'The Messenger' or 'Joan of Arc' (as it is known in the UK) was a solid piece of entertainment. Milla Jovovich was brilliant as Joan and the camera work was dazzling. I did feel the movie was terribly let down by the following flaws though:

A) I cannot believe for a second that 15th Century soldiers used to shout things like 'Go F*** yourself' or the numerous other 20th century phrases & vulgarities used throughout the film. I feel it just hinders the authenticity of the story.

B) Why on earth did half of the French people in the movie speak with English accents, at times I didnt know who was fighting who, I am sure that Mr. Besson could have cast some French actors in the roles.

C) The writers did really go over the top with making every Englishman in the story to be the most evil person alive. Im sure that we were bad back then, but to portray every English person as snarling, torturers & rapists... give me a break.

Gripes aside, I must say I was very entertained by the film, but I couldnt help to wonder what the movie COULD have been like in the hands of another director. (Sorry Luc)

(The version I saw was the International version).

I cannot believe the positive comments for this terrible piece of straight-to-video bargain bin trash. I have honestly never seen such poor acting in a movie for a good long time. Did anyone actually see the Boom microphone that pops down onto the screen about 3 times during the movie, this film could fill one of those movie bloopers books.

What is so scary about a rubber vampire who flies a plane and wears a £1.99 cape?.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

First off, Carrie 2 has a few good points. The acting was pretty decent, especially the actress who played Rachel. The movie didn't have the cheapo feel to it, unlike most horror fare lining the racks at your video shop.

I can see why they wanted to make a sequel to a classic film, but I dont understand why Carrie 2 was turned into a remake. I must say I enjoyed most of it up until the end which I feel was completely rushed and turned the movie into a needless gorefest. Some of the characters didn't add a lot, like Rachel's foster parents who just made fleeting appearances. Amy Irving's Sue Snell was pretty bad, the character should have been far better written and made more important to the story. At the end you wonder why she was in it at all.

The Rage: Carrie 2 was certainly not a bad effort, but you can't help thinking that maybe with a different director & writer the movie could have been really good.

What can I say about this absolutely classic movie that hasn't been said in most of the IMDB comments. I really believe that this is filmmaking at its finest, the acting, direction and photography are all top notch.

I do have a question for anyone who may read this comment. I first viewed this film on a PAL (UK) videocassette and although I thought it overall to be brilliant then, I did feel the story was slightly tainted by the ending. The version I saw did not show Willard actually attack Kurtz also the scene with the Water Buffalo being sacrificed by Kurtz' followers was not included. I have searched high and low and I cannot find any explanation for these edits on the PAL version. I recently viewed the movie again on a region 1 DVD and the scenes described above were included which I thought was a more fitting ending to a excellent piece of American filmmaking.

If anybody can shed any light on the UK release in question, please contact me on the above Email address.

What a year at the movies, with the exception of ‘The Haunting' and a couple of minor turkeys, I cannot remember a better year for cinema-going. As the year plodded on I thought the best had come and gone until I saw ‘The Sixth Sense', wow, what a brilliant film. Everything about this movie is top notch from the acting, the story, and script, commendation has definitely got to go to the actors, everybody from Bruce Willis to Toni Collette (from Muriel's Wedding) were perfectly cast and all gave career high performances. ‘The Sixth Sense' grabs you from the opening and doesn't let go until its fantastic conclusion, and for a fairly slow paced story you simply cannot take your eyes from the screen. If you like to be scared, this is the movie watch, forget all the garbage Hollywood has been shoving down our throats, Yes ‘Scream' and ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer', I am talking about you. Lets hope that future productions use this style of chiller as a blueprint instead of the thoroughly unimaginative ‘slasher' movies of recent years.

‘The Sixth Sense' has got to be one of the top movies of the year, if not the decade. I watched the film over a week ago and I still think about it, that's just how haunting an experience it is. My highest praise goes out to everyone involved in the making of this unforgettable, excellent motion picture.

What an entertaining movie. I really wasn't expecting too much of 'Go', now Im really glad that I did see it. I've read the majority of user comments posted on the IMDB for 'Go' and most of them contain references to the similarity of the movie & 'Pulp Fiction'. I must agree 'Go' does owe a lot to 'Pulp Fiction', but that doesn't make the movie any less entertaining. Im sure most everyone would agree that ninety percent of films produced are influenced by and borrow heavily from earlier movies, at least Doug Liman et al were influenced by one of the modern classics.

The script was really witty and done great justice by a group of fine young actors and actresses. It will be a great shame if any of 'Go's cast members are forgotten and don't get offered bigger roles in future productions. When I initially saw the trailer for 'Go' I was really put off by Desmond Askew's Simon character, I imagined it to be yet another miswritten English character in a Hollywood film. To my surprise there was none of the 'stiff upper lip' and stereotypical English stuffiness about Simon, which was a refreshing change. I also thought that Sarah Polley was a standout.

If Doug Liman keeps on making quirky, entertaining and genuinely funny movies like 'Swingers' & 'Go', Im sure one day he will get the critical praise and attention that he richly deserves.

I should have (still) known or remembered what a poor movie the first 'Summer' was. 'I still know' makes the original seem like a classic. I wouldn't even know where to begin picking this one apart. Why can't the producers hire some decent writers, I know you are supposed to suspend your belief when watching horror movies but it would be nice to see a more believable plot and maybe a few better written characters.

Jennifer Love Hewitt is certainly easy on the eye and Im sure she has more talent than the filmmakers allowed her in 'I still know' Shes pretty much reduced to walking around aimlessly wearing as many low-cut, two sizes too small T-shirts as the makers can cram into an hour and a half of film.

George Romero's 'Dead' series and 'Candyman' aside I dont ever recall any strong black characters in a horror film, Moesha & the fella out of 'High School High''s character's were terrible. It's got be insulting to the Afro-American community when they are mostly portrayed as Jive talking, foul mouthed and overly horny people in this type of movie.

As for the horror element? well... need I say more than killers walking around with plastic cable ties in their pockets in case they want to 'suntan' a pretty young girl to death on a sunbed. Did anyone ever think of simply reaching out and turning off the sunbed's power during all the screaming and panicking in this ludicrous scene. This series is truly looking like its going to be the 'Friday the 13th' of the 90's. The worrying reality is that its just as stale and crap.

After the media circus and the television programmes, I finally got to see the ‘Blair Witch Project'. Although it didn't live up to all the hype (most movies rarely do), I thought it was a solid, well-made film. Forget the taglines of ‘Scariest Movie Ever' because that's really far from the truth.

It is on the other hand very unnerving at times and the final scene is particularly eerie. The performances from the three leads are very convincing, its not pretty to watch, but they do act as though they are genuinely terrified, there is none of the `what would we do if this were a scary movie' ‘Scream' cockiness here and that makes the performances more believable.

I'm just waiting for the all too predictable backlash against the picture, just like the audience did at the Liverpool cinema I attended, who were obviously expecting a ‘Friday the 13th' style bloodbath.

If you are looking for something different from a film, forget everything you've seen or read and check out ‘The Blair Witch Project'.

Wow, I thought when I read about how the producers were going to use actors from the original and make them up to look thirty years younger and add new material to this classic film. I just watched the finished product, and I must say it was shoddy to say the least.

For Starters, Bill Hinzman looks nothing like he did thirty years ago, I couldnt believe how the producers on the DVD version were crowing on about how he looks exactly the same and the new footage blends seamlessly in. Mr. Hinzman looks twice the man he was in '68 and his makeup was awful. There were a few good points, the picture was excellent, the music was good, and some of the new zombie sequences were quite well done.

I really thought that the new beginning and ending were really poor and did not look very authentic, the Reverend was a dreadful character and added nothing whatsoever to the story or movie. Im all for remastering classics, but cutting scenes out to be replaced with completely new ones is a absolute mistake every time.

The one saving grace of this DVD was that the original, remastered version is also on the disc, and it has never looked better. Nice one Anchor Bay!

I just rediscovered this gem on DVD (UK Directors cut), I thought that Dawn of the Dead would look really dated after all these years, but I was really shocked at how well it has stood the test of time. I think I enjoyed this more in '99 than I did watching it for the first time in the 80's. George Romero really went all out on this one. The cast are brilliant, even though there is not one recognisable actor in it. The humour is great and not piled on too thick, unlike most modern day horror films. I especially liked the part when the guy at the helicopter pad is asking everyone for a cigarette and nobody claims to have one, and then as soon as the helicopter is in the air everybody inside lights up. The special effects are really gruesome and Tom Savini really proves he is a master of his profession. The DVD version I viewed had a audio commentary by Mr. Savini and an uncredited colleague, it was actually quite entertaining as it played out like an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000". The only downside to rediscovering this classic was wanting to see more, so I went and rented the dreadful "Day of the Dead" straight afterwards.! Well George, two great zombie flicks out of three isnt too bad.

I just saw Deep Blue Sea, and must say that it was very entertaining. The sharks were very convincing in some parts and very fake looking in others, I think that they moved a bit too quickly for creatures of 20ft and above. That was my only gripe about the film, I read all the reviews and heard all this whining about how shoddy the script was and how bad the actors were. I think the script added to the overall feel of the movie, and I dont recall anybody being such a bad actor in it. I thought Saffron Burrows was good and I dont see why she has been critisised so much, I hope this bad press doesnt affect her career as I would like to see more of her in the future. All in all this is a total cinema experience, the soundtrack has you jolting and the visuals from start to finish are great. A hell of a lot of work must have gone into creating all the sets, and they do look brilliant. If you are after 2 hours of solid entertainment look no further than the Deep Blue Sea.

Scream 2 is a poor movie, honestly!. I must admit I wasnt a big fan of the first one, and I didnt expect too much of the second. You would think that all the "SMART" pretty young things, who spout off all the way through the film their knowledge of horror movies, would simply leave town for couple of weeks until the murderer was captured. The Killer in the Scream series must be the biggest joke going, for all the amazing things he does like chasing down police cars and killing two armed cops, you would think that he would be able to chase someone through a house without clumsily tripping up over everything and anything. Scary, my arse. I spent the best part of eight years in the states, and I never met anyone as irritating and as annoying there as the college kids in this movie, I was practically shouting for the killer as he bumped off this annoying lot.

Here are are few questions that have been floating around my mind since subjecting myself to Scream 2:

Is Dewey related to Michael Myers? You can stab him 1500 times and he still survives at the end.

Why does the killer always turn into some third-rate comedian when unmasked? and then really emphasise the word "F**k" when speaking.

Why does Wes Craven never have a likeable character in any of his movies?

Is there any overweight or normal looking people at Sydney's College?

WHAT the hell was that terrible, terrible music all about that came on whenever Dewey & Gale were in the same scene.

And finally...... Why does everyone hero worship Kevin Williamson and why is his name above anyone elses on the movie posters?. The best thing he ever wrote was the first season of Dawson's Creek (I wont take that away from him).

Scream 3, No Thank you Messrs. Craven & Williamson

I really cannot believe how many comments of praise there are for this piece of low-budget, low-brow tripe. First off you can spot the "jokes" coming a mile away e.g. the old lady's response when she answered the door to the 2 mormons. I also cannot believe everyone being up in arms about the NC-17 rating (equiv, to a UK 18), the movie is crammed full of sexually explicit language, dildos etc. even with a lower certificate I would find it hard to see this movie raking in a bigger box-office. I did not find this movie offensive in the slightest, but it is an adult film and should be shown to an adult audience. When will people realise that Stone & Parker's talents are limited and see this awful movie for what it is.

This could have been a classic, but Parker & Stone if you ever read any of these comments, I have to say one thing: Why spoil a genuinely witty and funny movie with the overuse (understatement) of really boring and unnessecary profanity. Dont get me wrong, I am no prude, far from it, but after the initial 20 or so minutes (where swearing has a bearing on the story), it gets really tiresome.

After hearing the panning this movie has taken since its release, I was really put off seeing it. I eventually watched it last night and have to wonder what was so bad about it. Have the cinema-going public got so shallow that mediocre films like Scream 1 & 2 and the Matrix see no end to good publicity and rave reviews, but thoughtful, well acted, beautifully filmed movies like 'the Postman' receive Golden Raspberries. Is it some kind of hatred (or dare I say jealousy?) of Kevin Costner.

I remember when everyone was looking forward to seeing 'Waterworld' fall flat on its face.