Return of the Bride of Quick Reviews
Went on a Renting Spree just grabbing stuff that vaguely intrigued me, here's the rundown.
-The Machinist-- Christian (he who will be Batman) Bale stars as a skeletal machine shop guy who hasn't slept in a year. The flick reminded me of "Jacob's Ladder" done up New Millenium style. Course, I was never that big on Jacob's Ladder... The acting's solid, the vaguely surrealist plot is intriguing, but a film like this hinges on its ending, which, quite frankly, lacks the knock you on your assedness of other such films. Worth checking out, but not very highly recommended.
-Appleseed-- Based on the manga by Japanese master Masamune Shirow (which, incidentally, I own Vols. 1-3 of), Appleseed is about a former soldier girl and her former lover (who is now a massive, full conversion cyborg that looks like a metallic bunny) who are drawn out of a post apocalyptic wasteland and into a futuristic utopia, which ain't quite as utopian as it claims to be. The film is a fairly accurate, albiet briefer, version of the manga. A few things are changed for dramatic effect, but the spirit of the original is there. The animation style used is Cell Shading. For those of you unfamiliar, Cell Shading is where you use traditional 3D animation, and then paint over the top of it, giving the finished product a slightly more traditional look. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Not a bad flick overall, worth a watch.
-Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events-- Yeah, yeah, Mr. Crazycomicguy watched a kiddie flick. Shut up. Anyway, "Events" follows the trials and tribulations of the three Beudalaire (spell?) orphans as they (or more appropriately, their inheritance) are doggedly pursued by the dreaded Count Olaf (Jim Carrey, duh). The film is purty, but lacks the requisite menace that a film like this should have. The situations the children end up in just don't seem that dangerous, and Carey's Olaf comes across as something of goofball, not a truly dangerous nemesis. If you want some decent Gothic visuals check it, otherwise, not recommended.
-The Sea Inside-- This Spanish flick tells the true tale of a Spanish parapeligic who wanted to euthanise himself. Sounds depressing, but it's not, as Javier Bardiem (wearing makeup to appear as a middle aged man) brings life, wit, charm, and character to this man who only wishes to truly end a life that he believes is over anyway. The movie plays both sides up evenly, and manages to avoid falling into Hallmarkian mush. Great flick. Recommended.
-Kinnsey-- The true life tale of Alfred "Prok" Kinnsey (played with expert skill by the ever excellent Liam Neeson), the biologist who conducted extensive research into human sexual behaviour in the midst of the ultra conservative 1950s. Many intriguing topics are covered, including Society/Religions views on sexuality, Sex vs. Love, and the sheer grandeur of life itself. Recommended, but a quick word of warning, the film contains graphic sex talk, as well as brief depictions of human sexuality, both hetero and homoerotic in nature. If you're not comfortable with such things, avoid this flick.
-Infection-- Another Japanese horror film. This one's set inside a underfunded hospital, where, after a series of mishaps, a bizarre disease begins consuming the hospital staff. Not a lot of gore (most of that is kept offscreen), not enough truly disturbing moments, hell, not enough of anything frankly. The movie's best weapon is its ridiculously loud array of unearthly background noises. If you're into Japanese Horror, check it. Otherwise, don't bother.
-The Machinist-- Christian (he who will be Batman) Bale stars as a skeletal machine shop guy who hasn't slept in a year. The flick reminded me of "Jacob's Ladder" done up New Millenium style. Course, I was never that big on Jacob's Ladder... The acting's solid, the vaguely surrealist plot is intriguing, but a film like this hinges on its ending, which, quite frankly, lacks the knock you on your assedness of other such films. Worth checking out, but not very highly recommended.
-Appleseed-- Based on the manga by Japanese master Masamune Shirow (which, incidentally, I own Vols. 1-3 of), Appleseed is about a former soldier girl and her former lover (who is now a massive, full conversion cyborg that looks like a metallic bunny) who are drawn out of a post apocalyptic wasteland and into a futuristic utopia, which ain't quite as utopian as it claims to be. The film is a fairly accurate, albiet briefer, version of the manga. A few things are changed for dramatic effect, but the spirit of the original is there. The animation style used is Cell Shading. For those of you unfamiliar, Cell Shading is where you use traditional 3D animation, and then paint over the top of it, giving the finished product a slightly more traditional look. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Not a bad flick overall, worth a watch.
-Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events-- Yeah, yeah, Mr. Crazycomicguy watched a kiddie flick. Shut up. Anyway, "Events" follows the trials and tribulations of the three Beudalaire (spell?) orphans as they (or more appropriately, their inheritance) are doggedly pursued by the dreaded Count Olaf (Jim Carrey, duh). The film is purty, but lacks the requisite menace that a film like this should have. The situations the children end up in just don't seem that dangerous, and Carey's Olaf comes across as something of goofball, not a truly dangerous nemesis. If you want some decent Gothic visuals check it, otherwise, not recommended.
-The Sea Inside-- This Spanish flick tells the true tale of a Spanish parapeligic who wanted to euthanise himself. Sounds depressing, but it's not, as Javier Bardiem (wearing makeup to appear as a middle aged man) brings life, wit, charm, and character to this man who only wishes to truly end a life that he believes is over anyway. The movie plays both sides up evenly, and manages to avoid falling into Hallmarkian mush. Great flick. Recommended.
-Kinnsey-- The true life tale of Alfred "Prok" Kinnsey (played with expert skill by the ever excellent Liam Neeson), the biologist who conducted extensive research into human sexual behaviour in the midst of the ultra conservative 1950s. Many intriguing topics are covered, including Society/Religions views on sexuality, Sex vs. Love, and the sheer grandeur of life itself. Recommended, but a quick word of warning, the film contains graphic sex talk, as well as brief depictions of human sexuality, both hetero and homoerotic in nature. If you're not comfortable with such things, avoid this flick.
-Infection-- Another Japanese horror film. This one's set inside a underfunded hospital, where, after a series of mishaps, a bizarre disease begins consuming the hospital staff. Not a lot of gore (most of that is kept offscreen), not enough truly disturbing moments, hell, not enough of anything frankly. The movie's best weapon is its ridiculously loud array of unearthly background noises. If you're into Japanese Horror, check it. Otherwise, don't bother.
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