When A Stranger Calls (2006)

Director: Simon West

Written By: Jake Wade Well (Based On The Original Screenplay By: Steve Feke & Fred Walton

Cinematography By: Peter Menzies Jr.

Editor:  Jeff Betancourt

 

Cast: Camilla Belle, Katie Cassidy, Tessa Thompson

 

Yet another remake of a Classic Or at least well remembered horror film. Now They call it a re-imagining. Some work some don’t well guess what this is one that doesn’t the filmmakers of this one’s big idea is let’s take the first 20 minutes of the original and make it the whole movie all 90 minutes of the film takes place with our lead character running from a killer who is in the house of course this house is big but at 90 minutes there is only so many places she can hide. So many times the audience can experience false scares and not get tired of it. Then you take out things that would have at least been distracting extreme violence and brutality (killing the young kids comes to mind) that the original had. Since it is based on 20 minutes of the original I guess that is why everything is thin in this movie the actors the characters the script the premise. The only thing that is interesting is that they never show the killer or his face.  But what else can I expect when it was directed by simon west the director who I don’t understand how he gets work he is a hack and worse a hack who copies another hack named Michael bay. But at least Michael bay knows how to blow things up well. Trust me teen melodrama added into the mix doesn’t help a thing or make anyone more interesting we know this is not a joke played on her though maybe the film would have been more interesting if it was at least that would have been a twist I never saw coming and when she defends herself against the killer it ends up being a friend of hers now there that’s entertainment. But in the end the joke was played on the audience who spends anytime watching this.

 

Skip  

Grade: F

Prom Night (2008)

Director: Nelson McCormick

Written By: J.S, Cardone

Cinematography By: Checco Varese

Editor: Jason Ballantine

 

Cast: Brittany Snow, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, James Ransone, Idris Elba, Jonathan Schaech, Joshua Leonard, Scott Porter, Jessalyn Gilsig, Ming-na, Linden ashby

 

Here we go again Another supposed re-imagining. It sure is because the only thing it has in common with the original is the movie takes place at the prom. The history of the characters are different. There is a person from the main character’s past killing all of her friends but here it is different in the original it is a mystery here we know up front who the killer is so that takes all of the mystery out of it and there is no suspense since he is obvious and sloppy with his killings hey you think it’s that creepy guy doing all the killing well give that person a prize. There is nothing graceful about this film it’s sloppy stupid and uninspired and unfortunately this is what passes for big screen horror entertainment it is weak. I should be happy though at least the black character weren’t the first to die. What happened to you jonathan schaech you used to be a dependable actor now between this and quarantine the bad remake of rec. you have graduated from straight to home video sequels (8mm2 and road house 2) To bad big screen remakes. What’s with the hat also so no one can see you on your path to murder. Another thing that bothered me was the way he killed the ladies it’s almost like he is raping them getting on top of them holding there neck so it looks like he is strangling them but really holding them down and then penetrating them with his blade repeatedly and fast.  For shame.

 

Maybe I’m expecting too much I don’t think so all I ask is to be entertained and a little excited. I know it’s not a art-film I’m not expecting jean luc godard I know it’s a popcorn movie all I want is for the money I pay for the film to be coherent and if you can surpise me. But I guess that is too much by the screenwriter of The forsaken and The Covenant  That I figure is the reason these remakes are so short they don’t really have enough material or imagination to sustain a whole movie. This film you know what’s going to happen before it is shown where as the movies that do have imagination are banished straight to home video where it takes awhile to find a audience if ever films like (Inside, Otis, The Signal, All the Girls Love Mandy Lane, May, My Little Eye) Those You Should check out skip this. This film is messy it has no style it’s heavy handed graceless no artistic value or real entertainment value as the film goes along I just couldn’t wait for It to end. The original which while not being great was certainly better and more entertaining then this. It een had a better story.Before this I didn’t know it was possible to rally make a serious horror film that is  not scary

 

Skip    

 

Grade: F

 

Rush Hour 3 (2007)

Directed By: Brett Ratner

Written By: Jeff Nathanson & Ross Lamanna

Cinematography By: J Michael Muro

Editors: Mark Helfrich & Dean Zimmerman & Don Zimmerman

 

Cast: Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, Yvan Attal, Youki Kudoh, Max Von Sydow, Roman Polanski, Mia Tyler, Sarah Shahi, Philip Baker Hall

 

This I just truly abysmal I mean the first two were no great treat but this even surpasses them as to how not to make a sequel even a film.

 

There seems to be little logic or story going on here to make 90 minute filler between action and comedy scenes. Truly proving this movie was made just to make money there is no reason for it were people really left on the edge of there seats at the end of rush hour 2 as to what would be next for these two partners. I at least would have been intrigued by this film if one of the stars dies or got critically wounded and the rest of the movie was a search for revenge or to solve who was behind it. That would have at least pulled the woll over the eyes of the audience to give evidence as to why this film needed to be made.

 

This film not only is bad it looks bad the story line is not at all interesting. It is amazing how they got such actors as max von sydow to appear in the film he must have really needed the money and chris tucker’s only addition to this film is that in every scene the script seem to be thrown away to let him improv and riff on what ever action is happening and to react to some insulting line from another actor.

 

This was the film chris tucker waited years to make. This was why he never made another film after rush hour 2 until this one. Considering all that time doing nothing he could have spent it on his material or making up a good project to return to the screen for.

 

Well he needs to go back to the drawing board because here all he seems to do is sing classic R & B songs to break up the tension and dance other then that he comes off as stupid or a little bit off. He is supposed to be a detective his character in this film could set the on screen reputation of African Americans back another 30 years. All that’s missing is him being a dirty cop or more weed jokes.

 

The action set-pieces are not as awe inspiring as they think they are. By now we are used to the Jackie Chan action sequences where he seems to be the effective clown kick-ass fighter with death defying stunts.      

 

I would include a plot but there is no reason it’s not that easy to flow or necessary there is no reason at all for any of this.

 

Definitely Skip

 

Grade: F

 

 

Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

Directed By: Rob Minkoff

Written By: John Fusco
Cinematography: Peter Pau
Editor: Eric Strand

 

Cast: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, Collin Chou, Yifei Liu

 

This film is in-authentic a bi-product, a mishmash of old Chinese folklore watered down for the masses. They add an American teenager to contemporize it and give a mass American audience to identify with.

 

The film is just bad it is literally celluloid artificial and plastic. The effects are not impressive and look fake. The kung-fu action is second rate. It’s impressive only in the fact that it is stunt filled but it seems like the director Raja Gosnell didn’t know how to film fight scenes properly or impressively that goes pretty much with the filming of the rest of the movie.

 

From the hokey generic where did that come from beginning to the ending. It would have been a bit more entertaining if jet li the quiet stoic one had switched roles with Jackie chan the skilled drunk fighter and comic relief . take them both out of there comfort zones. As it is this is really a kids film with kung-fu. It’s cutesy if you want to see a good fantasy kung-fu movie rent “Hero”, “House Of Flying Daggers” or “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” You can lay this one at the bottom of a heap with “Bulletproof Monk” The intresting thing is that this film shares the same director of photography as Crousching tiger.

 

Yet again with this movie Jackie chan teams up with a star in a movie and they battle evil forces together  then just throw in a romance-less and sexless beautiful asian female co-star.

 

This movie is like a cross between the wizard of oz and the karate kid but not as good as either of those films. This one also has a lot more special effects bad CGI that makes this movie more of a cartoon

 

Grade: D-

 

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE7ny2bfXF0

Sweeny Todd (2007)

Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Anthony Head

 

Directed By: Tim Burton

Written By: John Logan

Based On The Musical by: Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler

Musical Adaptation By: Christopher Bond

Cinematography By: Dariusz Wolski

Editor: Chris Lebenzon

Production Design: Dante Ferreti

Costume Design: Colleen Atwood

 

For a film that had been in development for almost 25 years ever since the broadway show premiered I was expecting a spectacle. I was not disappointed. I really wanted to love this the sixth collaboration between Director tim burton and Johnny depp. With the added bonus after a candy colored kids of them going back to a bleek story a musical none the less. I don’t even care that it’s a musical. I’m not a musical hater far from it. But I am also not a musical lover it depends on my mood. But generally I’m indifferent all that matters is that it is done well.

 

I liked this film I have to say the production design and art direction are sublime. almost delicious. But if that is how you start off a review and it’s the thing I give my highest compliments to you know there is a problem.

 

When it comes to the music I liked it but no songs really stood out at all. I didn’t have a favorite. The songs all seem to gel. The actors were up for it singing in there own voices. Johnny Depp is good as always he doesn’t seem to throw himself into this role as much as he has others in the past but Helena Bonham carter is more then up for the challenge and looks spectacular and sexy in this film. It makes you wish she would work more maybe apart form her husband. The director Mr. Burton! I was also impressed by the child actor ed sanders. He gave a great three dimensional performance as toby.  Mrs. Lovett’s unknowing assistant.  it was hard to believe this was his first movie  

 

Considering the material Tim Burton directing this was a natural choice and he really excels here. This is his most dramatically satisfying film since “big fish” the gore and violence is something really new for him. The darkness and grittiness is not. His previous films were more like goth fantasies. He makes old England seems storybook like. Which is another one of his talents he brings to all of his films. I don’t want to sound ungrateful because I feel like Tim Burton really came into his own with this movie he showed growth and assurance with this film  

 

The main concern I have with this film is I liked it but I didn’t love it like I thought I would for the most part I was indifferent watching this. All the pieces were there but it didn’t come together enough for me. I still can’t pinpoint it.

 

It’s a tragedy of a story that has been done many times on broadway. The story is refreshing. It is the tale of a barber who is locked up by a corrupt judge who wants to steal his wife after he sends Mr. Todd away on false charges he tries to seduce his wife then rapes her she commits suicide and no one saved her. She left behind their daughter who is being raised by the judge. Who plans to marry her soon as she becomes of age but she falls in love with a drifter who Sweeny Todd met on the boat back to his hometown. Now Mr. Todd swears revenge on the judge and kills anyone who steps into his shop. He is driven mad with revenge.                         

 

This film is more like a good rental I don’t think I would suggest buying it unless you are a really big tim burton fan or a fan of the musical or musicals in general. I would also suggest only owning it when it goes on sale maybe previously viewed

 

Grade: B