Reviews

I am a big fan of the Resident Evil video games. Heck, I bought a GameCube just so I could play them, but this movie is such a disappointment. First of all, the movie is so chock full of stupidity in the beginning that I was unable to re-engage my sense of goodwill. First of all (and I'll start with the positives) the sets are excellent. The zombies are excellent. The zombie dogs are great (anyone who played the video game will appreciate them, I think) and Mila Jovovich gives a solid performance as "Alice". (On the other hand, after seeing the film about five times, I can't remember her ever being called Alice and the last time I saw it I watched it just to see if anyone called her that. They didn't. If I'm wrong let me know.) Also British actor James Purefoy is good as Spence even though he wasn't given a great deal to do (if you want to see an even better horror movie check him out in the Brit horror film "Lighthouse".

Now, on to the stupidity. We're told the Hive has only one emergency exit/entrance. Basically that means there are only two ways in and out. Who would agree to live and work there? Hasn't anyone ever heard of "cabin fever"? Sure they have the screen by the windows that shows regular traffic as if they were above Raccoon City, but that isn't the same. Who would willingly "live and work" miles underground in such conditions? On top of that, we're told that the security system/computer the Red Queen went homicidal four hours earlier by the security team. Wait a minute, the security system went homicidal FOUR HOURS EARLIER and security is only just showing up? That's not a very impressive response time. On top of that, we're shown that the biohazard leak is the work of a saboteur, yet for some reason the Red Queen (despite having security cameras set up literally everywhere) doesn't know who it is (because if she did, it would have been a completely different movie). On top of that the false scares are telegraphed and most of the opportunities to genuinely scare the audience are missed (there are a few that are done well, but since these are the highlights of the film I wouldn't dare spoil them). Though on the other hand, the CGI for the "licker" is less than impressive (hasn't anyone seen the "Gollum" in LOTR? Note to budding horror/sci-fi directors: watch those films and learn!). On the whole, this film would be best for horror film fans and fans of the video game. If, however, you're interested in the DVD because of the extras, don't bother. Mila Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez dominate the commentary track with giggling and other inanities drowning out the director just as he's about to tell what seems like an interesting anecdote. On the whole, a zombie movie that's been done before and after and done much better. (How about 28 Days Later?).

This movie was filmed a couple of years after director Roman Polanski's wife Sharon Tate, pregnant with their child, was killed by the Manson family. It shows. This movie is filled with cathartic violence. A brilliant adaptation. If you want to make Shakespeare interesting, this is the way to do it. Not for the faint of heart, nor for people who hate anything that makes them think.

I saw Ringu first, which puts the American remake to shame in countless ways. Ringu is dripping in atmosphere and doesn't come laden with moronic pro-family moralizing. A woman investigating her niece's death comes across a video tape that might have been the cause of her demise and ends up, unintentionally, putting the lives of her son and ex-husband in jeopardy in the process. Subtle and intelligent, which is exactly what the American remake was short of. 8/10

It has it's moments and is beautifully photographed (by Chris Menges), but it still has script problems as well as false history. Ned Broy was not killed during the upheaval after the Irish Republican Brotherhood's formation; he lived long after. Many historical facts were sacrificed for the film. While they did make sense, they didn't make this movie a classic. Still, the character of Michael Collins is inspirational, especially if you have an interest in Irish history or are Irish yourself. The performances are first rate all around, except for Julia Roberts who I thought was expendable. In real-life history her character wasn't very important and is no more important for the film. Still, writer/director Neil Jordan makes a movie that is difficult to stop watching. I give it 7/10

Make no mistake, the book was jazzed up for the Hollywood adaptation. The book was filled with heart-wrenching descriptions of the torture the jockeys put themselves through in order to keep riding. The movie was inspiring, but I resented the way it tugged at my heartstrings. It was just too simplistic. Still, this movie is worth watching. Chris Cooper deserves an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Seabiscuit's trainer Tom Smith. The scenes of the races were incredible. This is the perfect film for people who love to root for the underdog. Even though it was flawed, it's still the best movie out there. 7/10 READ THE BOOK BY LAUREN HILLENBRAND! It was a bestseller for a reason!

I watched this movie for Franka Potente and I was rather disappointed with her performance. I thought she was quite bland. I never cared much for Matt Damon, but I thought Chris Cooper was very good. A decent time waster, but no more. I certainly hope that the sequel is better (and I also hope that Franka Potente appears in it and gives a better performance). 6/10

There is no way on God's green earth that this experiment would be allowed to continue as long as it did. This film was based on the Stanford prison experiment which was cancelled early because of the effects the experiment produced: prisoners became extremely depressed and the guards became incredibly sadistic. This film crossed the line too many times to be taken seriously. As it is, it's a very good and very explicit reality TV show, but the ridiculous depictions of the people running the experiment are laughable in the extreme. In the real world, there would be lawsuits from here to Judgment Day. Still, it's better than the American flick Series 7, but on the other hand, a lot of movies are better than that. Kudos to Moritz Bleibtreu for a solid performance. Worth a look, if you can overlook the shortcomings and are willing to look into the dark heart of man.

7/10

This movie is the worst flick I've seen in the past ten years second only to Jason X. It's pointless and has almost as many unintentional laughs a minute than an Ed Wood film. Long story short: nurse at a home for the mentally ill runs into a guy who almost kills her and falls in love with him even though he treats her like dirt. It's not only unbelievable, but also insulting. An idiotic remake of Breaking the Waves. If Tom Tykwer is the savior of German cinema, German cinema ain't worth saving. 3/10

I've seen this movie more times than I can count and I cry every time. I first saw it in the theater in 1993 and I was rooting for it to win Best Foreign Film Oscar, but it lost to the far inferior Belle Epoque (Spain). As to the person who wrote that this film made Cheng Dieyi seem like he was made to be gay because of abuse, I think you need to take another look. To my mind, Dieyi seemed to be infatuated with Shitzou as soon as he got there. However you look at it, this is a film that has great performances all around. I especially loved Leslie Cheung as the adult Cheng Dieyi (requiem eternem Leslie, 1956-2003), not to mention Gong Li. An excellent film, but be forewarned: it's almost three hours long. 10/10

This is the first John Woo film that I saw. Needless to say, after I saw this I was hooked on Hong Kong action flicks. Chow Yun-Fat looks cool and gets to show his acting range. Ti Lung gives his usual solid performance. Leslie Cheung shows us why he became a huge star after this film. You can probably rent this flick at your local video store for the change in your pocket, so give it a try. 8/10