Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Ninja Assassin

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought it looked pretty interesting. The notion of growing up and being trained to be a ninja as a kid sounded very intriguing. With all these "assassin" type movies out there, it kind of made me wonder - are these people real?

Let me just warn you about the film - it feels very low budget. From the very beginning, it just felt that way. There is some corny dialogue and some scenes that just makes watching the movie feel like a B movie. (If you've seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

Once I accepted that, it made it easier to watch the film. Going into it, I knew it was not going to be an over the top movie - I didn't have high expectations for it.

Surprisingly, I found myself entertained. All through the film, there is a lot of action and lots of large explosions. The fighting scenes alone were very entertaining to watch.

As for the story line, it was ok. I think it could have been done better and presented well. Though, the concept was very interesting. I just think they could have gone deeper into the story and the background. (If you've seen this film, I think they did a good job of presenting the story well).

Overall, I think this was an ok film to watch. Would I recommend paying to see it? It depends. If you're really in the mood for an action type movie and there's not much else out there you'd like to see, I'd say it's a toss up. If not, I'd recommend waiting till it comes out on DVD.

(Note: For another perspective on the film, check out my tweep's, Action Flick Chick, review).

Happy movie watching!



Video Link

Friday, November 13, 2009

Indie Film Trailer - The Puzzle

I thought I'd post up this film trailer for the short submitted by Davide Melini (thank you!). Check it out!

"Here is the trailer of my penultimate short, called 'The Puzzle': a psychological horror film made in Málaga, Spain. This video has been realized by Biktor Kero".

If you would like to see the short, you can find it here.

(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. I'm always on the lookout for fresh stuff from emerging filmmakers!)



VIdeo Link

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Lost Highway

"I like to remember things my own way. How I remember them. Not necessarily the way they happened."

- Lost Highway


Based on a friend's recommendation, I decided to check this movie out.

There's just something about David Lynch films that bring a sense of eeriness and mystery to the big screen. Though, some of his films (such as this one) still leave a bit of mystery to the audience, I still re-visit them from time to time.

This film is no exception. It definitely falls in the realm of eeriness and the bizarre. The above quote sums it all.

It's more about a matter of perspective than anything else. What one person sees versus what another sees can be two completely different points of view. (If you've seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

The film starts out kind of slow. (Warning: This is not an action movie. It's more a film about the mind and what the mind sees than anything else. If you're in the mood for an action film, this may not be the the best choice).

It pretty much introduces the characters - shows their daily lives and routines. (I heard a lot of people thought the beginning was kind of boring). There's not much action at the beginning nor through the entire movie. Again, this is a film about the mind (not the body).

As in true David Lynch style, there are some bizarre characters introduced. One such character is first introduced at a party the main characters attend. (If you've seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about). This particular character is a bit spooky - very pale and creepy looking. In fact, he is so pale he almost reminds me of a ghost. Honestly, he does.

There is a point in the first half where something strange happens (as in true David Lynch style) to the main character, Fred, played by Bill Pullman. Then, the story stops. (Yes, right when it was starting to get interesting). And, another story begins.

Ok, you're probably thinking - what in the world? Yes, me too. But, if you've ever seen a David Lynch film you'll know this is to be expected. You'll know that somehow, somewhere the characters and stories introduced somehow intersect and have something in common. Right? Yes. Though, it's may not be quite certain.

As the second story begins, it introduces another character, Pete, played by Balthazar Ghetty. And, somehow there is a connection between Pete and Fred. I don't want to spoil it for you, but let's just say it could be more of a coincidence than anything else. (If you've seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

So, the film progresses and Pete's story begins to unfold. As in the beginning of the film, it again goes into his daily routine and life. And, then it begins to get interesting and bizarre.

Strange things begin to happen as the story progresses. Again, some bizarre characters are introduced that were also in the first part of the story (If you've seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about). And, suddenly there seems to be a connection. Though, it's hard to tell exactly what. Classic David Lynch.

Just as Pete's story begins to unfold and things get interesting (as well as bizarre), then we are taken back to Fred's story. And, we learn of his predicament.

As the audience, we then learn of the connection between both stories. I don't want to spoil it for you but let's just say this is a film that has to do with the mind more than anything else. (Hint: If you've seen this film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

As for the ending, it really left some things unanswered. (I guess this is true of many David Lynch films). As the audience, I really didn't feel like the film had a sense of closure - it just ended.

Though, maybe that is what makes this film a mystery - it's something that makes some people want to try to figure it out and watch it again and again. Though, maybe the film is trying to make a statement - sometimes there are things that remain unanswered.

Since I'm a fan of psychological thriller type films, I can honestly say that I did somewhat enjoy this film. Though the film did not bring a sense of closure and left some things unanswered, it did intrigue me. And, it made me want to watch this film again. Perhaps, I will.

Happy movie watching!



Video Link

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Indie Short Film Trailer - Worth

I thought I'd post up this film trailer by my tweep, Worth Movie. I think it's a very interesting and neat concept. Check it out!

(Note: For more info on the film, check out the website).




Video Link

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Orphanage (aka "El Orfanato")

"Believe and you will see."

- The Orphanage


In the spirit of Halloween, I had been building my list of scary movies to watch. I was looking for scary movies, both old and new, seen and never seen.

So, I decided to watch this movie based on a recommendation from my tweep, The Horror Digest (thank you!). I had never heard of this film before and decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did.

Since I'm very much into psychological thriller type films such as my last review, I really did enjoy watching this movie. The above quote sums it all.

Basically, it's a movie about perspective - how we see things and the difference between seeing and believing. And, if you start to believe so much in something then you will slowly begin to see things that some people may not see.

In turn, this becomes reality - your reality. And, what is real to you may not be real to someone else. (If you've seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

I really enjoyed how the film presented the story to tell both the present and the past, and to connect the past with the present. Though the story went back and forth (present to past and vice versa), I did not feel confused - it had a unique way of telling the story. I also enjoyed the use of older objects and places to unveil past events - this worked very well in the film.

In addition, I also enjoyed the use of sound effects and images. Most of the film took place in the house (aka the orphanage) - there were many creepy sounds within the home being a very old home and all.

As with a lot of older homes, there can be many sounds within the home to make it spooky such as creaky stairs, older plumbing pipes, etc. This was the effect and experience I had watching this film - the whole house felt creepy.

There were a few twists and turns, which I really enjoyed. The film really kept my attention -I wanted to see more. And, the ending is definitely worth the wait. I don't want to spoil it for you but let's just say the film really makes a statement about the power of believing. And, how the power of believing can make things a reality.

If you're in the mood for a psychological thriller type horror movie, I definitely recommend this one.

(Note: For another perspective on the movie, check out my tweep's, The Horror Digest, review).

(p.s. By the way, the entire film is originally in Spanish with English subtitles).

Happy movie watching!



Video Link

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Silent Hill

"Mother is God in the eyes of a child."

-Silent Hill


In the spirit of Halloween, I've been in the mood lately for scary movies. So, I decided to re-visit one of my favorites based on the video game. (By the way, I'm a big fan of the video game. I've played Silent Hill 2, 3, and 4. Now, I'm currently on this one).

When it comes to horror type movies, I enjoy psychological thriller type films that have more to do with the mind - less blood and gore.

As a fan of the game, I really enjoyed watching this movie. The above quote sums it up quite nicely. It's basically about a mother caring for her child. And, the journey that leads them to the eerie place called Silent Hill.

If you've ever played the game, you'll be able to relate a lot to the film. I really enjoyed watching the different scene changes between daylight and night fall thus turning into what is called "nightmare mode." The whole beauty of the series is the psychological factor and questioning - Is what I'm seeing real? Or, is it all in my head?

I don't want to go into too much detail about the movie as I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. Though, I can say it's one of those movies that just needs to be seen rather than heard.

Honestly, I didn't have really high expectations for the film the first time I saw it. Since I'm a fan of the video game, that was a major part of my decision to go ahead and see it. Now, I'm glad I did.

It's probably one of the few films out there based on a video game that is actually good (in my opinion). I've seen other movies based on video games and I've been mostly disappointed. But, not with this one. It was really an enjoyable film from beginning to end.

It had a good story line and it captured my attention during the entire movie. Plus, the special effects along with the music and sound effects were great. Along with the scene changes, I really enjoyed the whole tone and feel of the movie. I was not disappointed.

As for the ending, it really played true to the eerieness of the film as well as the video game. I don't want to spoil it for you but let's just say it really brought together the real world with the imaginary world. And, this brought about a very spooky feeling.

If you're in the mood for a horror type (psychological thriller type) movie, I definitely recommend this one.

(Note: For another perspective on the movie, check out my tweep's, Action Flick Chick, review).

Happy movie watching!



Video Link

Monday, October 26, 2009

Short Film - Night of the Living Bread

Since we were on the topic of zombies in my last film review, I thought I'd post up this short spoof based on the movie.

(Note: It's more relatable if you've seen the film - it basically goes through a lot of similar scenes).

Check it out!

(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. I'm always on the lookout for fresh stuff from emerging filmmakers!)



Video Link