Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Deadgirl (2008)


This film is morally reprehensible and yet sadly, could be a coming of age film for the masses who seem to treat everything in life as a commodity - people included. Despite a supernatural story element that defies explanation, the morality of the movie and its sexual and violent objectification of women in frighteningly plausible extremes is shocking to say the least. The scariest part is that you know people would relate to both of the main characters differing views and I guess on some level the film is making an attempt at some form of social commentary, despite how majorly it fails. If the film was a little more intelligent and explored some of the themes it attempts a little more deeply it may have been more interesting, but as it stands this is a tasteless and sickening film that will leave you with imagery that you will not quickly shake off.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Recent Movie Viewing

As I am lazy and haven't been writing reviews of late....here is a brief run down of the last few weeks viewing....as you can see I have not been short of movies to watch, just short on writing about them!!

Moon (2009)
Directed By Duncan Jones

Every once in awhile a film comes along that reaffirms your belief in cinema. For me, Moon represents everything I like about the movies and more specifically the science fiction genre. This may stem from the fact that it is not a big budget Hollywood blockbuster! With a cast you could count on one hand and driven by a stellar performance from Sam Rockwell.

Moon proves once and for all that if you have a story to tell, everything else is just secondary.


Zombieland (2009)
Directed By Ruben Fleischer

A completely enjoyable Zombie romp, it seems that Zombies aren't content with the horror genre and are now trying their luck at comedy and rightly so. With plenty of laughs and plenty of gore I am sure this will please all fans of the living dead!


Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Directed By
Phil Lord & Chris Miller

An out of left field CGI tale of self discovery and worth that is far less corny than it sounds... whilst not all the gags work, for the most part this is one of the more decent CGI films to come out of a studio that isn't Pixar in years!


Jennifer's Body (2009)
Directed By
Karyn Kusama

Actually better than I was expecting, perhaps because it was different to what I was expecting. Megan Fox is a bit on the annoying side and the soundtrack could have done with some equalization, but an enjoyable 90 minutes of good horror fun nonetheless.


9 (2009)
Directed By Shane Acker

An interesting post apocalyptic tale that sees small robots in a fight for survival against deadly machines. Great visual effects and an intriguing visual style make the film great to look at. The voice talent do an adequate job to bring the characters to life and the story is interesting although maybe a little rushed.


The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Directed By Terry Gilliam

Terry Gilliam once again proves his directorial mastery and a true return to form with this expertly crafted marvel of celluloid. A pleasure to watch and a great last acting role from Heath Ledger.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

The Final Destination (2009)


Where to begin. This, the fourth Final Destination film brings the series to an all new low with some of the worst casting, scripting, acting and over-the-top death sequences (not to mention the lame 3-D gimmick). What is even more annoying is that it is directed by David R. Ellis, who was responsible for the more than adequate Final Destination 2.

With so many possibilities, and 3 previous films to work from it is quite disappointing that this is the best they could come up with!

Idiot premonition boy and his wonderpals are spending a day at the races, the car races to be exact. Like most other people in the audience they are hoping for a crash and this being a final destination movie it is more than happy to oblige.

After the initial premonition things divert from the usual story arc and rather than have visions of what is to come our lead boy must decipher dodgy CGI effects that are apparently hinting to who is next (as he can't remember) and how they are going to die, that or they are an ad for the local hardware store.

The film is incredibly clunky, the death sequences are more like watching a Looney Toons episode than a Final Destination film and the characters are all so vile or uninteresting that really, the deaths they do suffer are luxury compared to what you would like to have seen happen to them.

So basically, unless you want to waste 90 minutes of your life, treat the film as you would your dodgy Uncle Bob and avoid....

Friday, November 27, 2009

How B Grade Movies Saved (Or Ruined) My Life

Recently I have been moonlighting on a community radio station co-hosting a show called "How B Grade Movies Saved (Or Ruined) My Life". It is currently airing at 5pm on Saturdays, but from December 5th will air at 6pm on Sundays. Each week we discuss a specific genre or subject of B movies as well as new releases on DVD & Blu-ray. We also throw out a B movie challenge to the general populace who are encouraged to seek it out and view it. Of course that requires us to see it too. I figured I would start documenting the shows here on my blog, and maybe at some point begin offering them as a podcast, but we shall see how I go. For now you can tune in live online at www.edgeradio.org.au then select Listen Online.

You can also become a fan of the show on Facebook using the link below.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Back to the Square Box

Well, I have been a bit slack with my TV viewing habits of late...and I am about 1 or 2 episodes behind in my viewing....however I thought I would update what I have chosen to watch in the current TV line up. I haven't exactly added any new shows to the line up, but then there has been anything that has attracted me to view it this season...

Getting better with each season, Dexter is still one of my favorite series, everything about it is a guilty pleasure and the addition of John Lithgow as the new "bad guy" is casting at its best!

Always good for a quick laugh, The Big Bang Theory hasn't outstayed its welcome as much as I thought it might. Testament to good writing, good acting (with perfectly cast roles) and the obvious fun that is had during the creation of the show.

Although on a Sweeps break, the return of Dollhouse had me sit up and take notice. The first four episodes were finally what I was expecting to see in the first season, and awesome powerhouse of a show with potential on so many levels and areas of the human psyche. Now that Echo has become less of the lead, we are given much more to work with and it really has helped the show out!

The Mentalist is far more about the characters than the show....in what essentially is just a light hearted Law & Order show with far less believable plot points, I am hoping that the Red John story line is going to pick up again soon as that was what interested me in the first place, but alas he is nowhere to be seen thus far....

What is it with shows making light of death these days? Castle is another buddy cop drama similar to The Mentalist above, but instead of a "people reader" we have an author. I wonder why it has suddenly become the norm to have female detectives with jokey male "partners".


Back for its 14th Season, Top Gear is back to normal with the usual far out antics and super car madness. Nice to see the Aussies get some representation with Eric Bana as the star in a reasonably priced car and the news involving the recall of prams in the U.S is priceless....

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Rant Alert: Violence & Video Games


For those of you who have read my blog in the early days, you will note the change that has occurred over time. Less ranting, longer reviews and (recently) less posting.

Every once in awhile a topic arises that gets me annoyed enough to write about. It is a sad day when the only time I feel like writing is when I am annoyed.

On my local news website today, two articles appeared in succession that, on the outside, bear no relation to each other.

The first is an article relating to the South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson and his opposition to the introduction of an adult classification rating for video games. You can read it here

I should point out that Mr Atkinson is a right wing labor minister who believes very much in Christian Values. Now I don't have a problem with him wanting to protect children from harmful material, be it pornography, violent video games or even violent TV and Movies, but I do have a problem when that protection also prevents me from accessing material that is, for all intent and purpose, made for me.

I am 28 years old, I do not have children, I am employed full time and have been ever since I left college and I am in a steady relationship that is coming up to its 3 year anniversary. Therefore I believe I am big enough and ugly enough and definitely responsible enough to decide for myself what I should and should not be able to see, read, play or do in the confines of my own home.

Why can't I play an R rated video game?

Apparently I need to protect the children I don't have from viewing violent content, and that means I have to give up my right to play what I want to play.

Correct me if I am wrong, but, children have parents, I thought the role of a parent was to protect their children from harm or foul and raise them to the best of their ability. At what point did this responsibilty get designated to a governing body of politicians? I would have thought that the governments only responsibility is to children whose parents fail in their task.

Am I wrong?

The second article related to a 13 year old boy who took a gun to school with the intent of a killing spree - you can read this article here.

I draw your attention to this line "The boy, said to be a video game enthusiast, had on Monday left a message on his blog stating that "this is the last day of my life''."

The only question I have is what does this sentence have to do with the story?

It would seem I need to post a rant about violence in movies and video games and their relation to violence in society et al, as it is something I do feel very strongly about. For the record, I do NOT think playing a violent video game makes you any more violent than you already would have been. If you want a great visual example for this argument, seek out Penn & Teller's: Bullshit. In their 7th season they did a show on Violent Video Games and this exact argument. You can see a clip below:



I have already posted my thoughts regarding violence and horror in movies, so I don't really want to go through all of that again, but you can read the original post here.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Paranormal Activity (2006)


The horror genre is one of the most versatile genres in Hollywood. It ranges from big budget slasher series with a name cast to minute budget flicks, made in a weekend with some friends.

Paranormal Activity falls somewhat into the last category. Made for a few thousand dollars and using mostly consumer equipment the film was screened at festivals before being picked up by Paramount and shelved for nearly 3 years whilst they tried to make up their mind what to do with it.

To say that it is a rip off of The Blair Witch Project is a little unfair, despite a number of similarities. The Blair Witch was superior in every way to this film. Paranormal Activity has only become popular due to its marketing campaign. The film is not original, it lacks any likable characters, and it drags out an otherwise simple story that is laughable at best.

Whilst it does have a few genuine creepy moments, for the most part I was more than a little disappointed.

I have not posted the trailer for this film for two reasons. Firstly, the trailer is the best thing about the film, secondly, it reveals far more than it should (at least as far as the theatrical version is concerned)

Monday, November 9, 2009

The Time Traveler's Wife (2008)

Based upon the best selling novel of the same name, The Time Traveler's Wife is an interesting tale about a man with an ability he didn't ask for, and that he cannot control and the impact it has on his life and those around him. The book is a sad, almost tragic tale of loss and loneliness and the will to love on, most of which is lost in the conversion to film. Instead, we are given a somewhat bittersweet love story with the occasional science fiction element.

Rachel McAdams stars as Clare, all of her life she has been waiting to meet Mr. Right, the only thing is, she already knows who he is, she has known him for most of her life. His name is Henry (Eric Bana) and he has visited Clare at various times throughout her life and she is completely in love with him. Whilst researching a paper at her local library, Clare finally meets her true love, only he doesn't know her as he has yet to meet her in his future. Sound confusing?

Like any good time travel film, The Time Traveler's Wife does not hold up to much scrutiny, the paradoxes are many and varied and in most instances defy logic. Whilst the film works on some level, helped predominately by the casting, you can't help feel a little disjointed and confused by how things get played out. The look and feel of the film bears a striking resemblance to The Lake House, another disjointed romance featuring time travel as a main character, and, had that film been cast a little differently may have been more successful.

If you have not read The Time Traveler's Wife, then the film is entertaining enough in its own right, however, if you have read the book, then it is doubtful that the film will satisfy your hope for a faithful adaption.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Trailer Alert - Lying

This film looks right up my alley....although made back in 2006 it has taken this long to get a release...it has a strong cast and some great reviews to back it up! Of course it won't be out here in Oz for ages, but I still enjoy the trailer.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Surrogates (2009)

It has to be said that on the outside Surrogates has an interesting idea of the future. And for the most part it works, provided you don't dig any deeper than the surface. Based on the graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, it follows FBI Agents Greer (Bruce Willis) and Peters (Rhada Mitchell) as they investigate what may be the first homicide in countless years since the introduction of Surrogates.

A surrogate is basically a robot avatar that can appear however you want it to, for most major cities in the world they have become the norm, with people choosing to lead their entire lives through their surrogate. Those that don't, live in "Dread Zones", camps set up by and for humans only, these folks are led by The Prophet who appears to secretly be trying to destroy all of the Surrogates, and he has the help of a new weapon to do so.

The plot is a little involved, but the film wastes no time in getting to the action scenes and we learn that all might not be as it seems.

On the whole the film creates an interesting future world view with a unique visual style and if you are after a little science fiction action then it may well be worth your time. If you want something a little deeper though, then perhaps look for something else.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Norwegian Horror Fest

So, last night I sat down to watch 3 Norwegian horror films.....as you do.

Dead Snow
Nazi Zombies. There I said it. Dead Snow is a film with Nazi Zombies. Having heard that myself I had high hopes for it, but alas despite some original deaths and a few comical moments, Dead Snow is just another zombie film, kind of a Shaun of the Dead, only not as funny and Norwegian.

A group of friends set off into the snow covered mountainside (far from civilized society) for a fun weekend of skiing and whatever else it is you do out in the snow. On their first night a weird local shows up at their cabin, criticizes their coffee making ability, drinks their beer and relays the story of "them thar hills" and what happened during the war. Of course, everything he is telling them is true and before you know it all hilarity ensues.

The film is frenetic in its editing, which I found quite distracting. The story is not made abundantly clear until almost three quarters through, where the penny (quite literally) drops.
I also take issue with horror films that make references to other horror films and how silly they are and then falls into exactly the same pitfalls it was previously criticizing, only without the sense that the irony is supposed to be comedy.

Lets face it though, Dead Snow has a pretty decent premise and even if the acting is a little shoddy and the editing, pacing and story are all fairly out there it is still a great way to kill 90 minutes and although you may come away from the film feeling a little cheated there are enough memorable moments to overlook the films more obvious flaws.

Cold Prey
A group of friends set off into the snow covered mountainside (far from civilized society) for a fun weekend of skiing and whatever else it is you do out in the snow. (deja vu) That is of course, until one of your party breaks his leg miles from anywhere. The group stumble upon an abandoned ski resort and decide to spend the night, over the course of which one of their party is brutally slain. It turns out that Skiiers and snowboarders have gone missing in these parts for years and it may not have been as a result of avalanches.

Cold Prey is very much your typical horror film. It has quick camera cuts, loud noises and plenty of red herrings to try and keep the tension up, however the one thing it does have is a lack of exposition. You are never given a true motive for what the killer wants, he simply kills you and dumps your body down a crevasse. End of story.

The film is quite beautifully shot and tightly edited and has a wholly immersive soundtrack, however it has quite a number of obvious and almost laughable moments of stupidity on the characters part, these detract from the story and overall leave you with a sense that the film has offered nothing new to the genre.

Spoiler Alert - If you have not seen the first film, I suggest not reading the review below.

Cold Prey II (Ressurection)
In a move reminiscent of Halloween II (the original, not the god awful Rob Zombie remake), Cold Prey II takes place immediately after the first film. Our lone surviving heroine is found and taken to hospital where she relays her fantastical tale of murder and survival to a group of unsure police officers.

With the help of the local ski patrol, they set off to confirm her story by locating the crevasse she claims her friends where dumped in. Shortly thereafter they believe her story. They retrieve her friends and the killers bodies and bring them back to the hospital, which we have learnt will be shutting down and is therefore running on a skeleton crew and has only 2 other patients.

Of course, like any good horror franchise our killer is only pretending to be dead (or at least, according to the good doctors...never died and was just in a form of hibernation thanks to the cold) Once he is back on his feet all hell breaks loose and once again our heroine must fight for he life.

The interesting thing here, is that I enjoyed the second film more than the first. It had greater tension and less "silly"plot points (although it still has all the usual cliches one could ask for). It is nicely shot with some great use of the widescreen format. The soundtrack is just as impressive as the first and the overall pacing is much nicer and fluent.

There are a few loose ends lost in the mix (we never return to the crevasse after the gruesome discovery), but on the whole this is one of the few examples I know in the horror genre, where the second film is equal to if not better than the original!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Slayer Fest 09

You may have noticed the lack of posts....well, I haven't really been watching many movies of late. I did go and see Up, and I have seen Public Enemies, but neither inspired me to write a review...

So what have I been doing you may ask? Well, I am currently up to disc 2 of season 4 of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which also means that I am playing the old switcheroo with Angel Season 1 to keep things in the correct time line....

This is only my second viewing of both series and I am enjoying it just as much as the first time.

I haven't really been inspired to write of late and it does pain me that the blog has just been left to fend for itself....I must try harder...

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

District 9 (2009)

Every once in awhile a movie comes from left field to deliver an experience rather than an entertainment. District 9 is one such film. Shot primarily in documentary style, complete with sea sickening jerky camera motion for almost its entire duration. What we are presented with though, is a tight, tense and graphic political commentary on immigration, capitalism and racism, hidden beneath the Vail of a science fiction movie.

In the not too distant future an alien mothership parks itself over Johannesburg, its contents are revealed as a race of aliens that appear to be a cross between a shellfish and a cockroach (and bear a remarkable similarity to the alien from Men in Black). They are starving to death and in need of assistance, something which is granted to them in the short term, by way of an immigration camp known as District 9. The film picks up a number of years after their arrival when it is decided that the "prawns" should be moved a further 200km away to another camp.

During this attempted eviction the leader of the group assigned to this immense task (there are over 1.5 million aliens) , comes into contact with an alien substance that sets off a remodeling of his DNA. Of course this makes him a most lucrative asset to his employers as all alien technology is genetically based and by having a human hybrid, the technology may well be within their reach.

The film makes no assumptions about what it portrays, it simply lays it all out in front of you and allows you to witness everything for yourself. This makes a refreshing change from most science fiction films that are very set in their ways. It is also violent, some may say needlessly so, but I think far worse happens in real life, and very much so in stories about apartheid (of which in all honesty this is one), but sadly towards the end of the film the violence almost appears to be used as comic relief which distracts from its initial shock and impact.

My only real criticism though is for the cinematography. Whilst I appreciate that hand held camera operation adds to the realism and "you're there" feel, I think the film could have benefited greatly from at least a few locked off shots that were not relevant to its documentary styling. (I know at least 1 patron at my screening left due to illness)

District 9 is certainly a refreshing change and a welcome addition to the ranks of great science fiction film making and I hope that it will be seen by a wide and just as appreciative audience!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Coraline (2009)

Coraline is a modern day fairytale, but not your backyard Disney variety. Instead we are treated to a dark and grim world in which the heroine is not a nice innocent little girl, but an unpleasant outspoken tween with an attitude. A refreshing change if you ask me.

Coraline's world is anything but perfect. Her parents are busy with their own lives and largely ignore her efforts for attention. As a result of a recent move she has no friends, although she makes no attempt to gain any either. One evening she finds a small hidden door in the living room. Upon opening it she finds herself in an alternate version of her life; a mirrored opposite if you will. At first glance this world appears more suitable to Coraline, her Mother and Father adore her, her new stalker friend can no longer speak and the crazy neighbors seem more inviting, but on closer inspection things might not be all they seem. The story shares more than a few similarities to Alice in Wonderland and the usual array of morals and values are also included.

The film looks incredible, it is safe to say that it creates a visual style all of its own. The stop motion gives a level of realism and dimension not seen in current CGI fare. The use of 3D was not as distracting as I thought it would be, though I still think 3D has a lot of work to do if it intends to be mainstream.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

R.I.P John Hughes


A man who defined a generation and made countless people laugh.

Mr. Hughes I salute you and wish you all the best, wherever you may be now!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Trailer Alert - The Lovely Bones

I was so pissed off when Peter Jackson swooped in and grabbed the rights to this book away from Director Lynne Ramsay. This trailer only helps fuel that fire somewhat...... it has quite a number of spoilers if the film is following the book closely. The cast looks strong, but I really have my reservations about this. The film was in far better hands with Ramsay, who was a perfect choice to direct a film based on a book as melodic and sad as this one. Peter Jackson has just thrown a wad of cash at it and made it a CGI fest with a "name" cast. But I guess I will have to see the film before I can pass a true judgment on it.

From the images in the trailer the film visually looks like a rip off of What Dreams May Come....with both the "heaven and earth reality".

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Studio Ghibli Week (Month)

With the release of Ponyo immanent in the U.S (and my viewing of the movie a few weeks back, thanks to an English friendly Japanese release) I decided to get back on the Studio Ghibli bandwagon. It helped that my girlfriend had not seen many of the films as it is always nice to introduce people to movies you like and see their reactions.

So, the list of viewing thus far....

We started with Spirited Away. The film most audiences have likely seen and winner of the best animated feature Oscar in 2003. It follows Chihiro as she and her family get lost in the spirit world after taking a wrong turn. It is a fantastically animated spectacle with a moving story and brilliant characterization.

Then we watched Howl's Moving Castle. This was only my second viewing of Howl's Moving Castle and the first with the original Japanese dialog. I must admit I enjoyed it a lot more this second time, not sure what it was that made it any better, but I think I understood a bit more of what was happening.

It was decided that we would then start going into the back catalog, so we started with Laputa: Castle in the Sky. I really enjoyed the film for this my third viewing, I still feel that it is a great story with some fantastic animation and a nice message that isn't too political or in your face. I am not sure that "Disney of the East" really reflects Mayazaki's films, but I guess it makes sense as far as the man himself goes, his attention to detail is clearly evident in films like this and Nausicaa.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, the first so-called-Studio Ghibli film (although the studio was actually formed after its creation) and another great tale with awesome animation. This film has quite the underlying moral story too which is not preachy, but certainly gets its message across. Again we are presented with a style of animation that was unseen until this film. It is also an introduction to the Ghibli heroines. Miyazaki is a feminist and it clearly shows in all of his films with his use of strong female lead characters and even strong female incidentals...which brings us to...

Porco Rosso is one of those films that has issues never resolved or explained, but that are imperative to the story. The main character is a pig (or at least his outward appearance.) We learn that this is because of a curse...though we never learn the specific how or why. Although the films main character is in fact male, there is a very strong female presence and the issue of "dont judge a book by its cover" is also used to great effect.

Pom Poko is quite possibly the weirdest Ghibli film (at least of the ones I have seen thus far), It is part comedy part drama and again has an environmental message to tell (a recurring theme in more than half of the Ghibli films) I wasn't blown away by the animation as much as I have been by the others, but this was my first viewing so maybe I was more focused on the story than the art.

Whisper of the Heart is a personal favourite of mine. Proof that animation can be heartfelt, moving and above all human. My only concern is what seems like a rushed ending, but otherwise the film is flawless. It has a melancholic pace that draws you slowly into the world of its characters who are full and rich. The dialog is also believable and realistic.

So Ghibli week turned into Ghibli fortnight and is now in its 3rd week.....next up I have The Cat Returns to watch and then onto some of the more serious Ghibli films as well as a couple of rareties including their "made for TV movie" Ocean Waves".

Stay tuned....

Sunday, August 2, 2009

TV is all the go.....Weekly Round-up

This week I spent my time in front of the magic glowing box watching the usual series and some oddities.


Penn & Teller were up first with their Bullshit episode on Organic Foods. I really like this type of episode that doesn't actually debunk the idea, just the reasons people choose to justify their decisions.


This followed on with the latest Eureka episode in which Carter has to find who is stealing nuclear based power cells.


I am not really sure if I will continue with Warehouse 13. The concept seems flawed and I am not really identifying with the characters as much as I would hope. I may stick with it as none of my other series are starting till September...so we shall see.


Of course the latest episode of Top Gear was in there as well...not quite sure why there were dinosaurs though? but a new episode tonight will keep me occupied :D


I have also started watching Season 8 of C.S.I just for something new....wasn't a fan of the Without A Trace crossover though....never really got the point of these kind of things?

I have also been revisiting all of the Studio Ghibli films recently, but I am working on a post for that so stay tuned....also reviews of Coraline (3D) and Bruno are on their way...

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Trailer Alert - Orphan

When out at the cinema the other day to see Drag Me to Hell, the trailer for this little gem appeared.

I have a love hate relationship with Dark Castle movies, not a single one of them has managed to entertain me for its entirety and yet I love (and I mean LOVE) aspects of nearly all of them. House on Haunted Hill has some great moments and gets points for being the most entertaining, it is only let down by an appalling final 10 minutes. Ghost Ship gets off to a great start with one of the most interesting opening sequences for a horror movie in ages, but again is let down by a sagging middle an incoherent story and a rubbish ending. Gothika was an interesting idea flawed only by its application. I am not sure what The Reaping was an attempt at, but again with the evil child syndrome and the less said about 13 Ghosts the better, but it did still have some original ideas. Which brings us to....

Well, this looks like it could be the best film they have done. I note that the reviews on-line from the U.S have been mixed, but I quite like the idea of evil children, and it works so well when done properly.... this one looks great! What do you think?

Monday, July 27, 2009

Drag Me To Hell (2009)

Hot off the heels of his mainstream acceptance with the Spider-man films, Sam Raimi returns to the genre that got him into the business to begin with.

Alison Lohman stars as Christine, she is a young aspiring loans officer at a bank who, in an attempt to get an assistant manager's position, shames an old gypsy woman by denying her an extension on her mortgage. That, as it turns out, was quite the mistake. On her way home the old woman is waiting for her and during a struggle manages to curse our poor heroine with one of the nastiest things in the book. (Presumably the gypsies keep books with all these curses, after all; the psychics, mediums etc always manage to find a book amongst their collection that will help with the exposition.) In this particular instance it is Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) who comes to the rescue albeit reluctantly at first. Also at her side is Christine's boyfriend Clay as portrayed by Justin Long, although he is not a believer in curses, he does believe in Christine.

Drag Me to Hell plays partly as a comedy, but mostly as a horror and adheres to all of the usual cliche horror moments, the loud noises, the scary jumpy out bits when all is quiet, as well as the obligatory visit to a cemetery during a thunderstorm (when is Hollywood going to learn that lightning and thunder are not the same thing....) that it does all of these things with its tongue firmly in cheek allows for some overlooking.

For the most part I enjoyed the film, but I think that has a lot to do with how well Alison Lohman is cast, she plays Christine as the everyday girl just trying to get ahead, regrettably she chooses the wrong time to take action, but we actually care about her character though and want her to succeed in her quest to get the curse lifted. After all, she only has 3 days before she is being dragged to hell for eternity.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Trailer Alert - Alice in Wonderland

Hmmmm what to make of this. On one hand it does look very pretty and interesting, but it also looks a little "overdone". I guess we shall have to wait and see.



Here is a peak at some of the poster art too....