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Review- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

By bonesaw 7 Comments

Jack Nicholson is a man who revolutionized the way actors actually became one of their characters as opposed as to being an actor who is just plays the same character over and over again (i.e Keanue Reaves, Jason Statham).  Between is portrayal of the once infamous Joker in the original Batman movie directed by Tim Burton, to his role as a corrupt general in A Few Good Men who is trying up a conspiracy in which soldier is brutally murdered.  Between these two roles in which Nicholson shows us how easily he can change his spots, it should come as no surprise that he masterfully pulls off the role of a mentally ill bum known as R.P. McMurphy, or "Mac" to the patients who come to know and love him throughout the film.  From the moment he first appears on the screen in his black disheveled beanie, and cheap leather jacket acting as if nothing can touch him, I knew that I was in for one hell of a ride.
The plot is mainly based around Nicholson's character and how and why he ended up where he is and weather or not he is actually insane or not.  From the beginning, its easy to tell that Mac isn't actually insane, but rather a lazy troublemaker who's job it is to make everyone's life around him a living hell just for his own amusement.  However, while Mac does retain most of his trouble making ways throughout the film, he eventually discovers a decent, and charismatic side of himself that could only be revealed in the presence of those who are actually insane and weirdly understand and accept his mischievous ways.  At first, it seems like Mac is going to cause more trouble as usual, especially in a place where no one can hardly keep tabs him much less punish him; but, as Mac becomes acclimated to his environment and befriends many of the patients who have been there for years, we start to see a Mac who is still a troublemaker and a hustler, but also we see a Mac who does these things because he wants his new found friends around him to have a good time and live like normal human beings for once in their secluded lives.  As a result, it becomes easier and easier to actually admire Mac as a misunderstood and caring human being as opposed to a typical criminal who only causes trouble to help themselves and not those around them.
Acting is almost always spot on with each character having a distinct and amusing personality which makes simple encounters between most of them down right hilarious more often than not.  This is due in part to the fact that a few of the actors from this movie went on to become some of the most well-known and respected actors of our time; such as Danny DeVito as the annoying but helplessly amusing and incompetent Martini, who is personally one of my favorite characters, because of his unique charisma and the sly way he easily gets under everyone's skin usually causing massive shouting matches which are by far some of the most memorable moments of the film.  There is also the once well-known Christopher Lloyd as the snide and by far the most "out-going" and insane amongst the patients.  More often the not, he his the one who simply aggravates the hell out of people because his blunt criticisms and booming voice which usually results in mass hysteria and panic amongst the patients.  While these characters do an superb job at portraying their mentally insane characters, none can surpass the brilliance and originality of one Nicholson's best performed roles as Mac.  Between his sarcastic overtones, and his seemingly sly and dirty sense of humor, Mac is simply one of those characters that should be recognized as a guy that you could see yourself hanging out with if he wasn't committed in an insane asylum of course.  Also worth mentioning is the head nurse who is expertly acted by Louise Fletcher.  Simply put, she does an outstanding job of portraying a character who is both serious and by the book, while at the same time a sympathetic woman is has unprecedented patients with these mentally disturbed men.
Through and through this not only one of the best psychological dramas of the seventies but simply one of the most touching, hilarious and down right craziest movie of all time.  Between its captivating and well told story, to its unique and memorable characters who run the gamut from being quiet and mysterious to loud mouthed and simply ridiculous, this movie probably has one of the most endearing and simply mesmerizing cast of any film I have seen in a long time.  In the end really, is doesn't really matter what type of movies you like or what genre's your interested in...this is simply a movie that everyone must see at some point in their lives because it'll truly capture your imagination and attention, while a the same time showing how the now highly respected and rejoiced actors of our time, Jack Nicholson, get his first real hit as seemingly lay and useless nobody, and turned him into one of the most awe-inspiring characters of all time.
5.0/5.0  

one of the most intriguing and magnificent films of all time!
one of the most intriguing and magnificent films of all time!



7 Comments

Review-SAW

By bonesaw 6 Comments

Horror movies of the 21st century have been known for there terrible writing and dialogue and predictable story-lines.  movies such as Prom Night and Black X-mas are just a couple of the many dreadful horror/suspense movies that have plagued the movie industry for sometime.  That was the norm for some time until one unexpected cult film came seemingly out of nowhere.  Sure its sequels aren't nearly as good as the one that started the franchise, but it is still one of the only recent  horror movies that is even remotely memorable.  Unlike most horror films of late, this movie requires your immediate attention in order to understand figure out how and why the mysterious psychopath know as Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is committing these murders and how is latest victims, Adam (Leigh Whannel) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) are connected to all of the recent murders that have taken place.  From the beginning, you are immediately thrown right into the thick of the story with Adam and Dr. Gordon first finding out that they have been taken captive and chained in some room which can only be described as desolate and an almost unnervingly perfect locale to entrap these men.  From there its just a matter of these two characters trying to figure out why they have been placed here and what they have in common would place both of them in this situation.  At first you get the feeling that the plot is going the usual route of most horror movies (victims find out where they are, proceeding to panic and trying to break the bonds which they already know are impossible to break but still doing in anyway because they fail at first to ask themselves the obvious question: "why are we here?").  Thankfully however, this doesn't last long with the characters eventually coming to grips of what their in for and ultimately trying to find a way out of this small, enclosed tomb.  Of course, the whole movie doesn't take place in this one little room, rather it is simply there to state that "this is the present, this what is happening now", with other sequences that take place outside of the room being past events to help flesh out each of the characters backgrounds and purpose while moving the plot along in a gripping and suspenseful fashion.

You'll notice right from the beginning that the majority of the actors in this film aren't really anyone you'll recognize as an A-list celebrities or someone who as been in any recent films.  Sure Cary Elwes definitely known for his roles in The Princess Bride and Robin Hood Men in Tights, two films which are seemingly opposite from the gruesome violence of SAW; and Danny Glover, who was most well known for his bad-ass cop attitude in the Lethal Weapon Films, which carry over nicely into this film as he does reprise the role as an older and more experienced cop.  However, for the most part, the actors in this movie are mostly new acting scene and for the first time appearing in a now well-known cult classic, to a pretty outstanding job in their individual roles.  Sure its not necessarily Emmy award winning by any means, but for a couple of has-beens and unknown actors to be able to pull off a memorable in a twisted and complex plot, its quite impressive how easily these actors can immerse you in this disturbing tale of violence and deceit.
Story wise, this is by far one of the most well though out and complex stories that I have ever seen in a horror movie in a long time.  It keeps you guessing from beginning to end while making sure to effectively fill you in on whats going on with all of the characters and how they are all connected in this tragedy.  The result is a film that is both highly entertaining and complex with just the right amount of gore and horror to give you the sense of the twisted and disturbed mind of Jigsaw.  That's another thing, while you do get to see the disturbing and actually cleverly though ways of Jigsaw's traps and purpose behind them, you don't really actually ever get to see Jigsaw himself.  At first this may a seem a bit unusual to slasher fans who are used to seeing the killer within the first 30 minutes as slices and dices his victims.  Instead, Jigsaw takes the more subtle approach and instead allows the victims to kill themselves in his playground of terror while he simply sits back and watches his victims satisfying perish because of their own stupidity.  In a way, this is actually what makes the movie so enticing, in that this killer never has to show himself to scare and destroy the morality of a person.  Instead he simply leaves a brief recording of his voice and a description of what the victim must do in order to survive.  This makes each well thought out trap and demise of each victim extremely gruesome and satisfying to watch because it is just simply unbelievable how one man could orchestrate so many things at once in order to not only teach victims a lesson but to ultimately never be caught or suspected of such sadistic and twisted malice.
In the end, SAW is a film that captures the imagination and emotion of what a horror movie should be.  Between its complex and captivating story to its expertly written dialogue to its surprisingly memorable characters, SAW is simply a movie way ahead of its time.  Sure its not a genuine classic like Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street, but then again, its hard to compare the complexities of saw to wanton violence portrayed in the latter films.  So, if your like me and have been waiting for a captivating horror movie to come around that has all the violence with a great story SAW fits the bill in almost every way.  From the films somewhat confusing beginning to its epic and jaw-dropping conclusion, you'll be glad you immersed yourself in this menacing tale of a serial killer who hides in the shadows.
4.5/5.0

one of the most unique and complex horror movies of the 21st century
one of the most unique and complex horror movies of the 21st century

  
  
6 Comments

DVD Review: Dexter Season 1

By bonesaw 4 Comments

At a glance, Dexter seems like nothing more than another rip off of the critically acclaimed, long running tv series CSI.  Its got everything from the precise, in depth investigations of a mutilated body to controversial dramatic sequences between the main characters.  However, all similarities stop there, as Dexter proves itself worthy of being not only a great stand alone crime/drama series, but also one of the well crafted and invigorating shows of all time.

    For starters, Dexter is able to extinguish itself adequately from all of the other crime dramas out there by its unique take on the main character Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall).  Sure, he's an upstanding guy who does an unusually thorough job of crafting a crime scene based on just blood alone, but he also as a darker side... another more disturbing side if you will.  From beginning to end, the show focuses mainly on Dexter's disturbing desires to kill all the while trying to show us a more noble side of him that is deeply involved in trying to catch another serial killer like himself.  From there, Dexter takes over and shows the world through his eyes and what we see is a place of crime and despicable human beings which transitions into Dexter stalking and eventually killing his victims in some very satisfying and twisted ways.  However, what makes this show wholly unique and captivating is the actual "personality" that Dexter conveys so precisely and realistically its almost as if we are actually following a fully fledged and trained killer.  Albeit a vigilante killer who is more than just a psychopath with an  obsession with blood.  It goes much deeper than that, with Dexter assuming the role of actual human being at times when situation calls for it, and how portrays this false of himself to all of his co workers and even his sister.  Its almost as if he is putting on an invisible mask which only Dexter knows he is wearing and feels no shame that he is deceivingly fooling these people on a regular basis.  As a result, we get to see Dexter an emotionless and amused psychopath who views the world as his own personal carnival.
    Of course, Dexter would be nothing without a solid cast of characters who are able to interact with Dexter in multiple ways other than just saying "hi" to him when he comes in the office every morning.  Between Dexter's loud mouthed and up in your face Dexter Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter); who admires Dexter while at the same time envying because he gets all of the glory and praise.  To Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King), a hard ass cop who from the beginning despises Dexter for being an unusual and secretive person and also for the fact he is just an asshole in general to everybody around him. This results in some pretty amusing and at times hilarious dialogue, which gives Doakes as a character more staying power and really pressures Dexter to act as human as possible in a world where serial killers are highly frowned upon.  Other characters such as Angel Batista(David Zayas) and Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee) do an outstanding job at attempting to be Dexter's "friends" all the while initiating some pretty raunchy dialogue which makes Dexter roll his eyes and wonder: "why do these guys even try?" Finally, Dexter's love interest Rita Bennett(Julie Benz) does an especially good job at interacting with Dexter in that she understands him and his unusual quirks.  Sure, she never finds out about his killing ways, but its at least nice to see that Dexter can be a little vulnerable around someone, even its only for brief moment.  As a result, we get the feeling that Dexter is more than trying to be human just to avoid being noticed, to some degree he does it because he wants to fit in and be understood and this is especially apparent when he is around Rita and her two children. Overall, acting is top notch with hardly any issues mess ups to speak of which is usually unheard of espicially in tv dramas where at least on character mucks up there performance.
    Story wise for this season, it presents itself from the perspective of Dexter and his search for a very unusual serial killer known as the "Ice Truck Killer".  At first Dexter gets a little pissed off because there is no blood at any of the crime scenes which is both his profession and his aphrodisiac.  However, Dexter, in time, comes to admire this twisted killer and his methods which eventually evolves in the two forming a bond of some type with the killer leaving Dexter little "presents" which he hides conveniently hides in his freezer where he can admire them privately in his own twisted in disturbed manner.  Of course, the plot takes several twists and turns which involve Dexter coming to realize who he is and why and where the desire came to kill so easily.  From there, its all about Dexter trying to track down this maniac and why he feels such a comfort around all of the crimes and why this killer as take such a particular interest in him.
    Really though, at its bare bones Dexter is really nothing more than a twisted tale of the life of a serial killer, and for me, that was more than enough to get me hooked.  Between the way the story is told in such a disturbing and twisted fashion which almost makes you feel like you yourself are bonding with Dexter on a personal level, to the level at which suspenseful and twists are conveyed and thought out, this a nearly flawless performance any way you look at it.  So, if your looking for a crime drama, that has more than suave lead investigator Dexter is right up your alley.  Between its masterful storytelling and stellar casting and acting, you shouldn't deny yourself the twisted and exotic world or Dexter Morgan....a professional blood investigator by day  and a demented, psychopath by night who will win you over in this masterpiece of murder and deceit.
5.0/5.0

a twisted and demented crime drama that will have you on the edge of your seat!
a twisted and demented crime drama that will have you on the edge of your seat!


4 Comments

Mini-Review- A History of Violence

By bonesaw 5 Comments

Like most movie's based on graphic novels, or novels in general, A History of Violence is another one of those movies that is all flash and little substance.  While there are some exceptions to this rule (Sin City, 1408), this movie seems to lie in limbo between a crappy overdone and poorly re-written script based loosely on the plot, to a monumental masterpiece that captures feel of the books that came before them while still keeping you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.  Thats why its frustrating to find myself loving the movie for certain elements (great action sequences and casting) and absolutely despising it for others (poor character development, generalized story that fails to impress).  But through it all, I found myself liking it more than hating because although most of the characters are irrelevant to overall importance of the story (either because they get killed or they only appear briefly to give the plot that extra push it needs to proceed), its the way in which Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), AKA Joey, communicates with them and or puts them out of their misery that makes this film enjoyable to watch.  Sure the acting is great, with most of the characters behaving as you'd expect with little substance or emotion that as result makes you feel disconnected from the characters who's job it is to make you feel a sense of desperation and sorrow when one conflict after another plagues Tom and his family till the very end.  However, even with this major problem, its made up for pretty efficiently by the simple fact that Tom can kick some serious ass.  Unlike most action heros, Tom doesn't go guns blazing for people, he instead waits like a stealthy assassin until the moment makes itself available in which Tom can unleash some serious gut-wrenching attacks, which unfortunately happen so fast that you don't even have time to blink before realized that something crazy just went down.  And ultimately, thats what saves this movie from being another book to movie translation, in that these sequences are thought out and spaced accordingly throughout the film.  Although, it would have been nice if there had been a few more of these insane fights as there are only a couple throughout the films 90 minute showing, which ends almost to quickly and on a mysterious if somewhat confusing ending.

    So, while this movie doesn't win any awards for having an inspiring plot or well thought out characters, it still puts on a hell of a show in the "violence" category as far as im concerned.  In order to really enjoy this film, you to have to understand for what it is: "A history of violence", nothing more nothing less.  Sure it may not be the most awe-inspiring film to come out in the last couple of years but it is definitely without a doubt a hell of an actionfilm at heart which is at least worth a rent if your itching for quick film with tons blood and violence with a mediocre story to push it along. 
3.5/5.0
A decent action flick with unqiue fighting scenes
A decent action flick with unqiue fighting scenes

5 Comments

24 Season 1-DVD Review

By bonesaw 9 Comments

Ever since 24 first debut back in 2001, it was one of the shows that seemingly revolutionized the way a tv series captured an audience.  Between its careful association with the specific hours throughout the day which equal to one full day in real time, to the innovative use of split screens to tell multiple stories at once, 24 was destined to be one of the best action packed and suspenseful series of all time.  I must admit that my expectations were low because when I watched trailers or a few minutes of an episode, all I saw is a run of the mill action series with predictable plot twists and characters. However, it was only when i finally started watching the series from beginning to end that I saw how magnificently each character developed and how each story line seamlessly transitions into another to make a at first confusing series of events into one intricately devised action blockbuster that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

    At first, the story starts out in fairly predictable fashion with Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland)  making a routine trip to CTU to investigate a possible assassination attempt on a black presidential candidate, David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert, AKA All State Guy).  While his teenage daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) stealthy sneaks out of the house to party with friends.  Now you may be asking yourself, "how do these stories in anyway shape or form relate to one another, and how would this make for a suspenseful and unpredictable story.  I dealt with this same dilemma at first, trying to piece together how an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate could relate to the escape and eventual kidnapping of Jack's daughter.  Luckily, this confusion doesn't last long as after the first couple hours you start to see subtle connections which ultimately lead to a much larger conflict than is first implied.  However, this is not the first time this happens, several other sequences are also purposefully told in this fashion to not only confuse you but to really keep you guessing and hooked until the end.  I'll admit I wasn't too thrilled about it at first, simply because it was just hard to fathom and understand how to completely different story lines could come together and actually make sense.  But really, thats what makes 24 so great.  It doesn't go the easy route of presenting one story line at a time with easy to understand hints and plot twists that while predictable are welcomed because they don't force you to think.  24 goes in the completely opposite direction, with several story lines being thrown at you all at once, with so many characters introduced with well thought out personalties and to top it all off there are seemingly endless amounts of twists and turns throughout the show that at times it can become a little frustrating and overwhelming.  In the end though, this helps the story alot more than it hurts it as this experience never completely overwhelms you or over stays its welcome longer than it needs to.  For the most part, the intense scenes are placed appropriately and hardly if ever lead to extreme confusion; its just something that I foundand while it occasionally didn't really tarnish the experience for me, it was really just something I had never experienced before which is why I was a little thrown off by it at first.
    Acting wise, Everyone from the head honcho and off the books hero Jack Bauer to calmer roles like that of Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) a calm and skeptical CTU investigator who is suspicious of Jack's methods of law enforcement all put on an excellent performance of really immersing you into the show with their own quirks and personality traits which really makes them seem like real people as opposed to talented actors. The only character I truly thought hurt the show if only in the slightest was Jacks wife Teri Bauer (Leslie Hope).  I can't really put my finger on it but something about her just irritated me.  Maybe it could have been the fact that she either over acted certain parts or was just a bitch for no real reason at all.  Either way, she isn't terrible overall, but at time she could be a bit much.  Kiefer Sutherland on the other hand is the inevitable star of the show, which is due in part to is spot on acting in almost ever scene.  From being tough and pissed off, to being depressed and hopeless, Sutherland does it all and makes it very believable and realistic at that.
    As I said before there are countless plot twists and conflicts which range from highly predictable to shockingly unexpected.  All of the plot twist (predictable or not) have there part of the show and really round out the show in terms of the right amount of shock value and emotion that goes into each of these sequences. 
    In the end, 24 is ulitmately a show that requires commitment and patients.  Its not like an episode of CSI where you can come in the middle of the season and expect to understand whats going on with this episodes story.  24 requires a much more personal relationship because each episode builds off the suspense and plot points of the other, and chances are if you missed even a single episode you probably missed an important piece of information which is crucial in understanding the next episode.  Which is why I think 24 is been around for as long as it has.  It does what most tv series can't: it captures your attention from beginning to end, something that most shows can only do within the first few episodes.  So, if you're looking for an action packed balls to wall suspenseful tv  series 24 definitely fits the bill in every way.  However, if your one of those people who watched snip-its of most shows, than I'd probably rent a few of the episodes before taking the plunge and buying the first season.  But im sure, after watching those few hours you'll no longer be a sporadic tv watcher, but a devoted and committed fan of 24 where every hour is essential in this thrilling and emotional roller coaster ride.
4.5/5.0

a truly unique and suspenseful television series
a truly unique and suspenseful television series


9 Comments

blog update- upcoming reviews

By bonesaw 2 Comments

hello my few fellow readers,

it has been a while since ive written a review (the last one was DOOM which i reviewed at the beginning of the new year). between coming back to college, keeping up with classes, and even a bit of laziness, i have just been unable to sit down and take some time to write a review on some of the recent tv series ive been watching.  However, come this weekend i will (hopefully) start writing again after taking a more than 20 day hiatus.  So until then ive compiled a brief list of what i plan to review in the coming days with a brief one sentence summary  which should entice you to read the full review when i write it. (eventually)

24 season 1: didn't think i'd like this one too much, but i was actually quite taken with the stellar acting (especially Kiefer Sutherland) and the unique split screen filming technique.
Dexter season 1: one of the most darkly twisted and captivating shows ive seen in a long time...deffinitely one of the best shows of all time in my opinion
Twilight zone season 1: a classic show of suspense and mystery that gets off to a slow start on the first few episodes but picks up the pace immediately after with superbly crafted twists throughout and endings that'll leave your jaw hanging.

thats it for now,
i just want give a couple shout outs to all my friends and family for supporting my writing, especially my gf Ariel, my sister Mollie, my parents, and Jordan my sisters bf. id also like to give a general shout out to all of those who have read and commented on my reviews so far. your criticisms have been helpful in making me a better writer and unbiased reviewer. 

thanks again to everyone,
tyler
2 Comments

DOOM-Review

By bonesaw 2 Comments

    Its hard to know where to begin with a film like Doom.  I mean from the outset I knew this movie wasn't really going to be that spectacular, but still I didn't expect this film to follow in the footsteps of Uwe Boll, a German film director who has done countless video game to movie translation, and all of them have resulted in not just worst media to media transitions, but are simply some of the worst films i've ever seen.  While Doom is not as bad as some of those disgraceful pieces of motion pictures, it still is in a word bad.

    The problems do really start from the beginning with the predictable story-line of aliens from Mars (of all places) infecting and turning archaeological scientist into blood thirsty killing machines.  If the only the movie stuck to the actual story, which instead has the the actual threat of demons from hell which are brought into our world via an ancient arc which the scientist actually open.  While this story isn't necessarily as good or better than the one that took its place, it would have given the movie some credibility since its main objective is to capture the feel of the video game, which causes the movie to contradict itself at time and makes the film slightly convoluted and hard to follow if your familiar with the games that it is based on.  The "aliens" are for the most part portrayed quite poorly, with either stiff anamatromics or crappy CG conveying there forms into something that should scare you but ultimately actually kind of annoy of a.) how poorly each creature looks and b.) how poorly executed each of the intense scenes are.  I don't really know how to describe it other than that each time a monster popped out, it just felt like it was the wrong time in that there wasn't enough suspense built up before the initial "scare".  As a result, the movie fails in its attempts at being an action/horror film, and should be instead categorized under simply action, because as it stands now, there are simply no scares to be had throughout this film.
    As for acting, well... at its best its pretty sub par with screams and jumps coming out in appropriate places helps to somewhat engage you, but in the end most of these attempts almost feel forced instead of being full on screams of anguish.  At its worse, the acting is absolutely atrocious with each character seemingly as robotic and unemotional as the rest.  Sure each individual army meat head has a slightly different personality from another, but even with this, its all personalities we've seen countless times before.  There's the head honcho and supposed bad ass known simply as Sarge (The Rock), who as a leader simply tells everyone to "fucking do this" and "fucking do that" and after a while it starts to wear thin and frankly will grit on your nerves until the very end.  Then there is the sarcastic asshole, who does have a couple of amusing lines here and there, but like the rest of dialogue, its usually either poorly written or executed awkwardly by the actors.  Also, there is the big burly black man who carries a large mini gun, seemingly the most badass of the crew(at first anyway.)  I could go on for a while on the other "unique" personalities, but chances are, you've already guessed the rest of them.
    In attempt to save the movie from its mediocre main story-line, the directors saw it fit to through in a side conflict between the noble and modest marine John Grimm(Karl Urban), and his sister Samantha Grimm (Rosamund Pike).  Usually these scenes come off as either awkward or simply unnecessary in overall spectrum of the film, and as a whole simply doesn't progress the story in any meaningful way.  However, i sort of admire the attempt to take the bite out of the predictable story line that spans the almost two hour film.  But, unfortunately, this side conflict isn't successful and at times makes the film even more unbearable to watch, if for no other reason other than the two actors are probably the most unbelievable actors throughout the film (besides The Rock of course).
    The only real saving grace this movie really has is the first person action sequence which comes in at about the last 20 minutes of the film.  While it does an adequate job of putting in the shoes of the lone marine, its unfortunately to little to late as by the point you'll been annoyed and frustrated with everything else this movie has to offer that this little slice of heaven probably won't even phase you.  However, even this short scene has its problems, with the camera making such erratic spins at times that it can slightly confusing of what's going on around the main character.
    In the end, this is another, poorly executed and portrayed movie based on a video game.  Sure its not as bad as some of the others out there (cough Bloodrayne cough), but really in the grand scheme of things that isn't saying much.  Overall, the movie provides a few moments of promise and excitement, but ends up falling flat on its face, thanks to a mediocre and uninteresting story, and a dreadful acting by all of the characters.  So, unless your in the mood for a bad excuse of film to laugh and poke fun at, Doom is simply a unexciting ride that isn't worth your time even if your a die-hard fan of the DOOM series.
2.0/5.0
i think i was supposed to be scared at this point...
i think i was supposed to be scared at this point...
2 Comments

Good Morning Vietnam-Review

By bonesaw 2 Comments

    When one thinks of the word comedy in association with a person, one usually associates it with well known actors like Adam Sandler or Will Ferrel.  While both are great actors in their own right, they simply can't compare to the comedic genius of one of the best known comedians and actors: Robin Williams.  Between serious flicks such as Bicentennial Man, where Williams portrays a robot who wants to become human and live a normal life.  To films such as Jumanji where he plays the role as an immature adult who tries to finally finish a board game he has been playing for over 20 years.  All these films are well known, and have garnered mostly decent reviews (in the case of Bicentennial man this isn't always true
), which is in part due to the fact that 90's was the pinnacle decade for Williams acting career.  Prior to this though, he was still involved in several productions in the late 80's; one of which was the critically and the lesser known of Williams greater films: Good Morning Vietnam
    The story tells the tale of a young, sarcastic airman (Adrian Cronauer), who arrives in Vietnam to do a radio program for the fighting soldiers who reside in the one main areas of south Vietnam known as Da Nang.  From the beginning it is clear that Adrian is not only an off the wall, crazy comedian, but a man who doesn't play by the rules and believes that anything that can be said should be said.  As a result, we not only see how such open and controversial humor can lighten everyone up, but can also anger a few up tight, professional sergeants who believe Adrian's humor is both immature and unacceptable according to military policy.  Luckily, not only is Adrian liked by everyone who is involved in putting on the radio show, but is also heavily favored by the commanding general who takes great delight in Cronauer's witty, eccentric humor.  Eventually, Cronauer makes a name for himself and becomes the most popular DJ in South Vietnam and gains a huge following of both the local Vietnamese and American infantry alike.
    However, every movie has its conflict, and it mainly revolves around a particular love interest who entrances Adrain by her beauty.  However, she doesn't play a huge role in the overall conflict, but rather introduces him to her brother, Twan, who is at time viewed as a simple, Vietnamese villager who is simply around to look out in the best interest of his sister.  Eventually, as Adrian continues to converse and confide in Twan, he becomes less concerned with getting with his sister, and more so in his involvement in a couple of disturning events which take place throughout this grim film.  Thats not to say the film isn't funny. It definitely has its moments, especially when Adrian gets on wild tangents when doing his broadcasts.  Out of nowhere, he throws out several impersonations, satires of current events, all the while playing famous tunes from hit artist at time such as Bob Dylan and James Brown.  With these hilarious outbursts comes tons of flak from both of his commanding sergeants who on several occasions try to convince him that his comedic approach is highly inappropriate.  Adrian waste no time worrying about their concerns, and instead does his own things and plays by his own rules which was mostly unheard back in the 1960's where deviation from the normal was considered disrespectful.
    The plot is cleverly written, and dabbles in many different genres in several different parts.  From the comedic antics of Adrian on his radio show, to his love interest with a vietnamese girl, to his first hand experience with horrors of war and violence in vietnam, all of these things Adrian a much well rounded and respectful character, as opposed to a crazy comedian who just babbles on and on.  You really get a sense that Adrian is a human being who can be both sympathetic and comedic when the occasian calls for it, and is able to seamlessly transition from to other without even flinching.
    The ending is also quite surprising in that it doesn't follow the usual path of "I'm so sad your leaving, kiss me goodbye and maybe ill see someday."  while it does take that approach at first, it actually ends on a much lighter and heart warming note which neatly ties the film up in way that'll make you smile more than should be.
    Besides Williams, all the actors have their own individual roles, which help to progress the film, in terms of support for their broad casting ally.  Characters such as the quite but likable Edward Garlick (Forrest Whitaker), to the loud mouthed and eccentric Marty Lee Dreiwitz (Robert Wuhl), who always has to something remotely funny at the seemingly wrong time. These, and several other characters do a superb job at rounding out the cast in that they all have their own distinct personalities and always seem to interact in way that is more human like and less robotic than some other films.
    In the end, while Williams has starred in several epic and memorable movies (Patch Adams, Good Will Hunting), in  my opinion, none really quite compare to the sense awe-inspiring humor and drama this film is able to convey so perfectly.  If this films missed your radar amongst the countless other Williams flicks, you owe it to yourself to check out this under appreciated comedy.
5.0/5.0
GOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM!!!!
GOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM!!!!

2 Comments

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-Review

By bonesaw 6 Comments

Whenever you think of romantic film, several characteristics enter you're mind: predictable story and characters, lackluster acting combined with cliche dialogue.  The only reason I watched this movie was because a) it came highly recommended, and b) it had Jim Carrey in it who is a freaking awesome actor.  Even with this, I was still a little skeptical of how the movie would turn out because of the generalization i have with Romantic films.  However, after watching this masterpiece in its entirety I can safely say that any of those generalizations which I have stated previously hold no merit what so ever over this film.  

    Take the story for  instance; basically it tells the story of modest, lonely man named Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) who lives a seemingly boring life and is looking for a someone who can hopefully turn his life around.  Interestingly enough, while this seems like it could turn into another cheesy romance, it actually goes in a completely different direction.  Instead of the story going from beginning to end with said couple getting together than breaking up than getting back together again, it instead postulates the possibility of these two people having their memories erased so they can forget about each other.  At first, it sounds a bit science fiction, but it actually is the core of the whole film, as it chronicles Joel's memories as each one is erased.  Eventually, after living through several memories of his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet), he comes to discover that he doesn't actually want to forget her, he instead realizes that he is more in love with her than he first expected and will do anything to prevent losing all of his dreadful but sometimes joyful memories of his partner.  It times it can get confusing at what is actually going on, since the transition from memory to memory can be pretty sporadic at times.  However, after watching the first few memories, its easy to figure out what is going, and why these memories are all correlated together.  I won't go into too much detail on how or why his memories are erased, but I will say that it makes for a truely unique and sometime trippy experience that rivals not only any romance film plot, but most movies in that have come out recently.
    Both Carrey and Winslet do a phenomenal job at playing their roles; particularly Jim Carrey as the quiet and intelligent Joel, and Winslet as the rebellious and high maintenance Clementine.  The reason both of these personalties are so compatible with one another is because they allow for both romantic and frustrating moments between the two.  This makes the overall relationship seem to have more substance and more realistic and how a couple react to each other's differences.  Its also especially rewarding when they get back together in the end (you saw it coming), because it really shows how in love these two are even after all of the shit they have been through.  It really conveys a sense of maturity and growth which is important in any relationship and is displayed almost perfectly here.
    The cinematography is also well done, between the blurring of the backgrounds to put emphasis on the individual characters, to the different contrasts of colors and environments, it all creates a truly surrealistic experience which constantly keeps the film fresh and exciting instead of just using one angle or one lens to get the job done.  You can really tell the director and cinematographer both did a significant amount of work of getting every angle and shot exactly how they wanted it so each scene would convey the mood and urgency of what the characters were experiencing and feeling.
    As for some of the co-stars in the film, they all have their place and never seem to hinder the films progress.  This is due to the fact that none of these characters are static or typical of relevant people; they all have skeletons in their closets, and one they are shown in full view, display how dysfunctional these at first seemingly normal people can be.  Its really refreshing when compared to most co-staring characters who are simply there to progress the plot as opposed their unique personalities.  In this film, it is a success on both sides, which translate seamlessly in how the story is told, and how smoothly in progresses from memory to memory
      This is all fine in good, but the question remains: what are the negatives?  Not much really. Sure it ends like any typical romantic film, but this doesn't hurt the film in any way, as instead of expecting the two main characters to get back together, you want the two main characters to get back together, which is the overall goal of any romantic film.  Overall, this is not only one of the best romantic films I have ever seen, but also one of the best movies I have seen in years.  Its got everything you could want in a great film: stellar acting, memorable characters, unique story, and even a couple of twists here and there.  Simply put, Eternal Sunshine is a must see no matter what types of movies you're into.  If you have been holding back from seeing this because its a romance, don't hesitate any longer.  Watch this film in all of its crazy glory, you wont be disappointed.
5.0/5.0
a truly imaginative film
a truly imaginative film

6 Comments

Moulin Rouge-Review

By bonesaw 3 Comments

    Yea, thats right ladies and gents I actually watched a romance film.  Not because I particularly enjoy romances (like most guys, I pretty much loathe any romantic films, especially romantic comedies), rather I made the decision because a) I heard a lot of great things about the film from both my sister and my girlfriend and b) well, at some point when you have a girlfriend you're more likely than not going to have through at least a couple of romances whether you want to or not.  So, in an attempt to alleviate the inevitable boredom that i expected from a particular romance, I decided to pick one that at least had some excitement to it.  Although this is a musical, its actually alot more raunchy and riske than you would expect.

    The story takes place in Paris, France around 1900 during which a particular nightclub ( The Moulin Rouge) was extremely popular amongst wealthy gentlemen who were looking for a "good time". While the movie again, does have its share of raunchy exposure, it really doesn't get passed seeing up a girls skirt; there really isn't any nudity to be seen, which makes the film seem less like a porno and more of a interesting romance with a decent story to back it up.  Yes, surprisingly the story is actually well written and fairly interesting.  Sure it does have the cliche love songs and mushy love scenes, but again its a romance and honestly, these scenes aren't as common as you might think.  In truth, they actually do an adequate job of breaking up the scenes so that you have a chance to relax between the more energetic songs and dances which are welcome in a film that, at its core, is (you guessed it) a man a woman who fall in love but along the way are met with difficult obstacles to overcome.  While the story in general is fairly predictable, its the specific details that seperate it from any other romance.  First of all, instead of the main character Satine (Nicole Kidman), being some whiny little rich bitch, it turns out she is actually a seductive prostitute who accidently falls in love with the charming Christian (Ewan McGregor) who swoons her with his exquisite poetry.  I know, sounds lame, but really its actually quite impressive considering the woman he falls in love is in fact prostitute, and you know if you can win over a prostitute than you pretty much win over anyone you want.
    Acting wise, both Christian and Santine due a superb job at portraying their individual characters, all the while singing several songs that make the their relationship seem all the more passionate. Thats the other thing I noticed: both of these actors are actually pretty adept singer; never in a million years would have expected Nicole Kidman to be singing her heart with such poise and devotion that it would actually give me a chill.  McGregor is likewise just as impressive in the vocals, and never fails to put on a spectacular performance, especially in singing a duet with Kidman.  The song list is actually quite impressive as well, particularly because it takes many modern artist's songs (everything from Fatboy Slim to Pink) and puts a classic and exciting twist on them which at times even rivals the vocals and excitement of the actual artist who created the songs! While most people would be inclined to think that this would take out of the experience, but in reality, it immerses you even further into this crazy and at times (yes I will say it) heart wrenching story. 
Other minor character including the owner of the night club Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent) who does a sensational job at acting as an energetic and robust man who's always around trying to keep things going throughout the night all the while trying to hook up Santine with (the man you love to hate in any romance) the Duke (Richard Roxburgh). Like the majority of the actors in the film, he also does an adequate job of acting as the seemingly evil and selfish prick who tries to seduce Santine so that she may fall in love with him
    The ending as expected, is fairly predictable and won't really turn any heads or really shock anyone.  But hey, its a romance, you can't really expect much in terms of a satisfying conclusion.  Still though, it would have been nice to see something that at least, if nothing else satisfied the viewer that everything is going to be okay, but no, such an ending is not given to us.
    However, in the end, its hard to really fault this movie entirely on basis of a lackluster ending and a cliche romantic plot.  Hey, thats what this move is: a romance and it really wouldn't be one without a couple of mushy romance scenes and some drawn out duets.  For the most part, the movie makes up for it with exciting, well choreographed dance scenes combined with familiar modern tunes with an old school twist which will have you tapping your feet from beginning from end.  Be warned though, this IS a romantic film, and as such should be watched with a significant other preferably with a girlfriend or wife.  If you try to watch this movie by yourself, you'll most likely feel awkward especially at the hardcore romance scenes when Kidman and McGregor are passionately making out.  However, if you do have a special someone, and the time has come for you to finally sit down and watch a romance, than this is definitely the film for you.  Hell, you may even find yourself enjoying it, and may even be attempted to watch it again so you can get the can-can song out of you're head.
4.5/5.0
a romance actually worth watching
a romance actually worth watching

3 Comments
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