Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Splice (2009)



"She's not human...not entirely."

- Splice


When I first saw the trailer to this film, it didn't look like something that I really wanted to see. So, I held off on seeing it. Though, it did peak my curiosity...just a bit.

Recently, I made the decision to go ahead and check it out. Going into the movie, I had heard some really bad reviews about it. And, I knew going in - I may not like it.

But, I guess my curiosity got the better of me. Was it worth it? To be honest, I think it was executed pretty badly but had some really good entertainment value (kind of like this movie).

In a way, I guess the trailer can be a bit misleading. When I first saw the trailer, I thought I knew what the movie was going to be all about. And, I assumed the film would just take place in one location. But, I was wrong.

At first, the film is a bit slow. It introduces you to the characters and their lives. At times, the first couple of scenes felt kind of slow.

(Note: For those who have seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

But, the movie does take a turn (about halfway through). To be honest, it really surprised me. From there, let me just say - the events that happened were pretty unexpected. Quite frankly, I was shocked at some of the scenes and events that took place in the film - it truly threw me for a loop.

(Note: For those who have not seen the movie yet, I don't want to ruin it for you but let's me just say - there were a lot of "in your face" type moments that really shocked me).

In my opinion, I guess some of the scenes and events were really quite unexpected and a bit over the top. But, at the same time - it really did have some entertainment value. To be honest, I was stunned yet entertained at the same time. There were some parts of the movie that were so out there yet amused me at the same time.

(Note: For those who have seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

As for the movie itself, I think it had an interesting storyline. Though, it just was not executed that well. And, I think they could have made the story better.

There were parts that were interesting but at the same time - parts that were just too unbelievable and over the top. I think if they changed a few things with the script, it could have worked with better execution.

If you're looking for a really good sci-fi movie with a good storyline and meaning, this film is probably not the best pick. Though, if you enjoy sci-fi type films and want to be entertained in a comedic way - I'd say this film does have some entertainment value.

(Note: When I say "comedic way," it's style and entertainment value can be kind of compared to this movie).

All in all, I'd say this movie would be really fun to watch with a group (if there's nothing else out there to watch). To be honest, I have no more words for this film - I really don't know what else to say. It was both intriguing yet shocking and amusing to watch at the same time.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: NEUTRAL

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Saturday, November 13, 2010

The Town (2010)



When I first saw the trailer for the movie, it really caught my eye. So, I decided to go and check it out.

Going into the film, I was really hoping this would be an interesting movie - one with a good story. Though, the story had a neat concept - I was very disappointed. Why?

To say the least, this movie really dragged in parts. And, it just wasn't the film alone - the dialogue along with the acting was not so great (in my opinion).

(Note: To be honest, I'm not much of a Ben Affleck fan. For the most part, his acting ability does not quite make it to the top of my list. But, that's just me).

For me personally, I felt some scenes felt "forced" and just did not come out naturally. Apart from the poor acting and the dialogue, it made it even worse that the movie seemed to really drag. Sure, there were a couple good action scenes. But, to be honest - there were some points in the film where it just lost my attention completely.

(Note: During these parts of the movie, I actually started to check the time. It was that slow).

Regarding the story itself, it had an interesting concept. Though, I felt that in parts - it just was executed poorly. With better dialogue along with better acting, I think this movie could have worked. But, the way it was - it just didn't do it for me.

(Note: Maybe it was me, but I felt the robbing of the bank scenes with the nuns outfits were a bit too copied from the opening scene of this movie. It just didn't feel original).

Can some people relate to this movie? It's possible. And, I believe this film definitely has an audience. If it were done better, then maybe I would have enjoyed it more. Just my thoughts.

If you've been thinking about seeing this film, I'd say - save your money. It's really not worth it in my opinion. But, if you really want to see it - it's best to hold off and watch as a rental.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: FAIL

(Note: For those who enjoyed the film, these are just my thoughts - it just didn't do it for me).

Happy movie watching!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)



Since I enjoyed the first movie, I decided to see the sequel. And, of all the nights - I saw this one on Halloween.

Going into this movie, I would say it's best to reacquaint yourself with the first one. Why? The reason being is that both movies are connected.

To be honest, it's more of a time line kind of issue. But, you will see a few familiar faces from the first movie. For those who have not seen the first one, it may be a bit confusing. So, I definitely recommend seeing the first film before watching this one.

(Note: For those who have seen this film already, you'll know what I'm talking about).

Regarding the film itself, it's very similar to the style of the first movie - documentary style. At first, I thought the home was the same home as the first. But, as the film progressed - it looked a bit different.

Since I had seen the first movie and was familiar with the documentary style, I was in anticipation as I watched the movie. So many times, I thought something spooky was going to happen. As it turns out, many of these scenes in the beginning were probably meant to keep the audience in anticipation.

(Note: So many times during the movie, I thought I saw shadows of monsters in the background during the night scenes. But, they were only regular objects. I'm wondering if they meant to give it that type of effect. Or, maybe my mind was playing tricks on me!)

In the beginning, the scenes were a bit short. And, many times - the camera view switched towards different parts of the home. As this happened throughout the film, it became faster every time (to show a change in day and night).

Compared to the first movie, this film felt like it went a bit faster. It was more the setting of the story and changes between night and day. To be honest, it was a bit tedious to keep seeing the same parts of the home over and over again with no change. Though, there is a reason to show this as the movie progresses.

As for the story itself, just like the first one - it's a bit comical at first. Being similar to the first movie, I would highly recommend watching this one with a group of friends. It's just very funny to watch some of the scenes and even more around a group of people.

(Note: For those of you who saw the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about. I especially enjoyed the pool scene. It was truly spooky and comical at the same time!)

So, I'm sure you're wondering if this is a scary movie or not. Though it follows the same formula as the first one, I would say it's just not as spooky and has the same effect as the first film.

With the first movie, we really didn't know what to expect. So, a lot of what happened in the first film was unexpected. And, I can honestly tell you - I felt extremely spooked out after seeing the first movie.

But, this film just didn't give me the same feeling as the first. To be honest, it was a bit more comical and funny than the first. Even during the scary parts, I laughed. I guess some of the scenes and the effects in this one made it less believable and more comical. But, that's just me.

(Note: For those who have seen this movie, you'll know what I'm talking about. Towards the end, some of the scenes just didn't seem real. I was actually laughing more than being afraid).

As for the end of the film, it didn't seem as disturbing as the first. And, in a way - it seemed like it just didn't have closure. The end was open ended and left to interpretation.

(Note: For those who have seen the film, I'm thinking they ended the movie the way they did in order to do another sequel. Maybe there are a series of movies planned for this franchise).

All in all, I would say this movie had it's moments. There were definitely a few scary scenes. It was "ok." And, it was entertaining at times. But, it just didn't have the same effect as the first film.

If you're in the mood for a horror type movie, I'd say this one is best to watch as a rental.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: NEUTRAL

(Note: For those who are fans of the film, definitely check out the spoof. Thanks for watching!)

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Monday, November 1, 2010

Indie Film Trailer - London River



Since it's Indie Movie Monday (#IndieMM), I thought I'd post up this indie film trailer, "London River," directed by Rachid Bouchareb . Check it out!

"Set against the backdrop of the 7th July 2005 bombings, London River tells the story of a friendship which develops between two seemingly unconnected people - Elizabeth (Brenda Bleythn) and Ousmane (Sotigui Kouyate). Both of them have come to London to search for their children who are missing in the aftermath of the bombings.

Although they come from different religious backgrounds - Ousmane is an African Muslim living in France and Elizabeth is a white Christian living in Guernsey, they share the same hope of finding their children alive. Putting aside their cultural differences, they give each other the strength to continue the search and maintain their faith in humanity."


Note: For more info about the movie, feel free to visit the website. Thanks for reading!

(p.s. If you have a project(s) you'd like me to check out (i.e. fan trailer, short, spoof, animation, etc), feel free to contact me here or through my Facebook Page. I'm always on the lookout for fresh stuff from emerging filmmakers!)



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