By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Its stars include Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura, Courteney Cox as Melissa Robinson, Sean Young as Lt. Lois Einhorn, Tone Loc as Emilio, and Dan Marino as himself. The producers are Gary Barber (The Love Guru), Peter Bogart (Con Air), Bob Israel (Bachelor Party), and James G. Robinson (Major League II). This film is directed by Tom Shadyac (Liar, Liar).
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective takes place in Miami, Florida. The story focuses on a wacky pet detective named Ace Ventura. He finds and reunites lost pets with their owners. Two weeks before the Miami Dolphins are to play in the Super Bowl, their dolphin mascot Snowflake is stolen. The Head of Operations Roger Podacter and Chief Publicist Melissa Robinson are told to find Snowflake by Super Bowl Sunday or find new jobs. Melissa decides to call on the services of Ace Ventura. While inspecting the tank, Ace finds a small amber stone in the filter. He concludes that it is from a ring. After clearing local billionaire and fish collector Ronald Kamp, the pet detective discovers that the stone is, in fact, from the 1984 AFC Championship ring. Ace hunts down and clears seemingly everyone who was a part of that team and finds himself at a deadend until he and Melissa learn that Roger Podacter has died of an apparent suicide attempt. The two of them go to visit the crime scene and the pet detective proves that Podacter was actually murdered. He and Melissa head to the stadium to check out the rings' receipts. While in the office, Ace discovers a team photo from 1984 that is different from the one he had been using to track the other players and coaches. He notices the kicker Ray Finkle. Melissa informs him that it was Finkle who missed the field goal that would have won the Super Bowl for the Dolphins that year. The following day Ace heads down to the kicker's hometown in Collier County where he finds his parents. The kicker's senile mother shows him the clip of the missed field goal and the pet detective discovers that quarterback Dan Marino was the holder on that kick. Ray Finkle blames Marino for the missed kick and what happened to him afterwards. Ace immediately calls Melissa and warns her that Dan Marino may soon join Snowflake.
When I first saw this film, I noticed a parallel between it and what happened in Super Bowl XXV when kicker Scott Norwood missed the final field goal that would have won the Super Bowl for the Buffalo Bills over the New York Giants. Like Norwood, Finkle's kick missed wide right. I soon discovered that the film was, in fact, loosely based on what happened in that game. Of course, there are a few differences. For instance, the clip of the miss said it was from Super Bowl XVII. In the real Super Bowl XVII, the Miami Dolphins did actually lose the game but it was against the Washington Redskins and not the San Francisco 49ers, as the film indicates. The final score shows the game was decided by 10 points, 27-17, and not by one point.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was the film that really got Jim Carrey's acting career going. Film viewers got a taste of his comedic acting style. Jim Carrey was seen as someone who was not afraid to make a complete fool out of himself in order to get some laughs. Scenes like the one where he bends over and talks from his rear and his phrase "Alrighty, then!" became synonymous with him. Similar films, like Dumb & Dumber and The Mask, helped Carrey win the 1994 MTV Award for Best Comedic Performance.
To wrap, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a true Jim Carrey film so if you're a fan, you should see it!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Ace-Ventura:-Pet-Detective-Movie-Review&id=6558507] Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Movie Review
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Home Alone Movie Review
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 1990 comedy Home Alone is distributed by 20th Century Fox. Some of its stars include Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, Joe Pesci as Harry, Daniel Stern as Marv, Roberts Blossom as Marley, Catherine O'Hara as Kate McCallister, and John Heard as Peter McCallister. The film's memorable score is composed by John Williams (Star Wars). The director is Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire).
The story takes place primarily in Chicago, Illinois. Kevin McCallister is the youngest of five children. His Aunt Leslie and Uncle Frank and their five kids are staying with them for the night. In the morning they are to board a plane to Paris where they will spend the holidays with Frank and Peter's brother Rob. After Kevin's older brother Buzz deliberately eats up all of the cheese pizza, which is his little brother's favorite, he pushes him against the counter, causing the milk to spill all over. Everyone automatically blames Kevin and he is sent to bed early. Before he goes up for the night, he wishes he would never see his family again. The next morning after the power had gone out overnight, everyone wakes up late and there is a mad rush to get everything ready. Kevin, asleep in the attic and unaware of the chaos below, doesn't hear them. The family mistakes a neighbor boy for Kevin and takes off for the airport. When he finally wakes up and finds the house deserted, he thinks it is all a joke until he remembers what happened the previous night. The young boy realizes his freedom and does whatever he wants. Little does he know that two bandits are looking to rob his house, believing the family to be gone for the holidays. On the plane, Kate finally realizes what is missing but cannot go back until they reach Paris.
Catherine O'Hara's portrayal of Kate McCallister, Kevin's mother, is remarkable. Kate was the last person to see Kevin before they left for Paris and, as a mother, worries the most about the safety of her son. After the family arrives in Paris, Kate decides to go back to the states alone to check on Kevin. She runs into one obstacle after another when she tries to find an available flight back to Chicago because it's the holidays when everyone is travelling. The concerned mother goes on every flight she can hoping that the airport she arrives at will have a place to Chicago. You can clearly see the exhaustion and frustration on Kate's face as she tries to persevere, hoping for a Christmas miracle of some kind. Brilliant acting by a truly gifted actress.
Another feature of the film, and probably it's most well-known feature, is the traps for the bandits. Only a child could think up such elaborate schemes to keep thieves from stealing his family's valuables. We can all appreciate the creative imagination that a child has. As an adult, we tend to lose some of that as we find out more about the world of reality. I believe that this trait is the most powerful one in Home Alone. If an adult were faced with a similar situation, he or she would most likely just call the police and have them handle it. But being a child and, therefore, having a child's imagination, Kevin decides to deal with the robbers in his own way before calling the cops.
To wrap, Home Alone is a heart-warming Christmas comedy that is a true classic and, in my opinion, is well worth your time!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Home-Alone-Movie-Review&id=6558519] Home Alone Movie Review
The 1990 comedy Home Alone is distributed by 20th Century Fox. Some of its stars include Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, Joe Pesci as Harry, Daniel Stern as Marv, Roberts Blossom as Marley, Catherine O'Hara as Kate McCallister, and John Heard as Peter McCallister. The film's memorable score is composed by John Williams (Star Wars). The director is Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire).
The story takes place primarily in Chicago, Illinois. Kevin McCallister is the youngest of five children. His Aunt Leslie and Uncle Frank and their five kids are staying with them for the night. In the morning they are to board a plane to Paris where they will spend the holidays with Frank and Peter's brother Rob. After Kevin's older brother Buzz deliberately eats up all of the cheese pizza, which is his little brother's favorite, he pushes him against the counter, causing the milk to spill all over. Everyone automatically blames Kevin and he is sent to bed early. Before he goes up for the night, he wishes he would never see his family again. The next morning after the power had gone out overnight, everyone wakes up late and there is a mad rush to get everything ready. Kevin, asleep in the attic and unaware of the chaos below, doesn't hear them. The family mistakes a neighbor boy for Kevin and takes off for the airport. When he finally wakes up and finds the house deserted, he thinks it is all a joke until he remembers what happened the previous night. The young boy realizes his freedom and does whatever he wants. Little does he know that two bandits are looking to rob his house, believing the family to be gone for the holidays. On the plane, Kate finally realizes what is missing but cannot go back until they reach Paris.
Catherine O'Hara's portrayal of Kate McCallister, Kevin's mother, is remarkable. Kate was the last person to see Kevin before they left for Paris and, as a mother, worries the most about the safety of her son. After the family arrives in Paris, Kate decides to go back to the states alone to check on Kevin. She runs into one obstacle after another when she tries to find an available flight back to Chicago because it's the holidays when everyone is travelling. The concerned mother goes on every flight she can hoping that the airport she arrives at will have a place to Chicago. You can clearly see the exhaustion and frustration on Kate's face as she tries to persevere, hoping for a Christmas miracle of some kind. Brilliant acting by a truly gifted actress.
Another feature of the film, and probably it's most well-known feature, is the traps for the bandits. Only a child could think up such elaborate schemes to keep thieves from stealing his family's valuables. We can all appreciate the creative imagination that a child has. As an adult, we tend to lose some of that as we find out more about the world of reality. I believe that this trait is the most powerful one in Home Alone. If an adult were faced with a similar situation, he or she would most likely just call the police and have them handle it. But being a child and, therefore, having a child's imagination, Kevin decides to deal with the robbers in his own way before calling the cops.
To wrap, Home Alone is a heart-warming Christmas comedy that is a true classic and, in my opinion, is well worth your time!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Home-Alone-Movie-Review&id=6558519] Home Alone Movie Review
Friday, December 9, 2011
Batman (1989) Movie Review
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 1989 smash hit Batman is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Some of its stars include Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Jack Nicholson as the Joker, Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale, Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth, and Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon. The original music is composed by Danny Elfman (Spider-Man). The director is Tim Burton (Beetlejuice).
The story focuses in on a man named Bruce Wayne, who witnessed his parents' murder at a young age. His alterego, Batman, attempts to avenge their deaths by intimidating and sometimes killing criminals like the ones who killed his parents. He lives in a major city known as Gotham City. It is ruled by a crime boss Carl Grissom and his right-hand man Jack Napier. District attorney Harvey Dent is closing in on one of the gang's businesses, Axis Chemicals. Napier suggests they break in and steal all the records and claim industrial espionage. Grissom, who knows that Napier is secretly seeing his girlfriend Alicia, calls the police after Jack leaves and tips them off to Napier's Axis Chemicals break-in. A dirty cop named Lt. Eckhardt leads the force and tells his men to shoot to kill. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is having a benefit party at Wayne Manor that same night. But he is alerted to the events at Axis after overhearing the police commissioner talking about it and heads over there as Batman. Commissioner Gordon arrives and seizes control over Eckhardt, warning his forces to take Jack Napier alive. Batman has Napier cornered as he tries to shoot but the bullet is deflected back in his face, causing him to fall. Napier catches a bar hanging on the wall to keep him from falling into a vat of chemicals. Batman has his other hand. Napier, thinking Batman will lift him to safety, lets go of the bar. The dark knight then releases the thief's hand and he falls into the vat, much to the chagrin of Commissioner Gordon who had witnessed the whole thing. But it's not over as Napier survived the fall but was severely scarred on his face. The chemicals had caused his skin to turn white and his hair green and, thus, creating the Joker. He kills Grissom and his men and takes over his gang.
In the beginning of the film, we see Batman as a form of vigilante justice at work. Our first example is at the very beginning after two thieves rob an unsuspecting family. One of them believes in "the Bat" and claims that someone he knew, Johnny Gobbs, was forced off the roof of a building by a mysterious figure resembling a bat. The other one doesn't believe him and scoffs at the story. Then, Batman busts both of them on the roof of a building, kicking one in the groin and sending the other into a frightened shock.
The other instance was when Batman dropped Jack Napier into the vat of chemicals at Axis. It is clear here that, at that time, Batman was only thinking about personal revenge rather than true justice because, as we all know, vigilante justice is really not justice at all. The dark knight wanted revenge for the death of his parents at the hands of a remorseless thief.
Another fascinating characteristic of Batman is the portrayal of the Joker as the devil. Before every kill Jack Napier, and later the Joker, asks his victims if they've ever "danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?" Later in the film, this is literally what's happening as the "damsel in distress", Vicki Vale, is dancing with the Joker in the pale moonlight. But there is a scene before this that more accurately shows the Joker under this light (no pun intended). The scene is when the Joker throws out $20 million in cash at the people of Gotham. Then, after all the cash is gone, he tries to kill everyone with Smylex gas. Many could see this as giving into the temptations of evil and facing punishment. It could also be said that the people of Gotham had sold their souls to the devil, which is the Joker in this case.
To wrap, Batman was a huge hit when it first came out and, for many reasons, remains one today.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Batman-(1989)-Movie-Review&id=6558531] Batman (1989) Movie Review
The 1989 smash hit Batman is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Some of its stars include Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Jack Nicholson as the Joker, Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale, Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth, and Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon. The original music is composed by Danny Elfman (Spider-Man). The director is Tim Burton (Beetlejuice).
The story focuses in on a man named Bruce Wayne, who witnessed his parents' murder at a young age. His alterego, Batman, attempts to avenge their deaths by intimidating and sometimes killing criminals like the ones who killed his parents. He lives in a major city known as Gotham City. It is ruled by a crime boss Carl Grissom and his right-hand man Jack Napier. District attorney Harvey Dent is closing in on one of the gang's businesses, Axis Chemicals. Napier suggests they break in and steal all the records and claim industrial espionage. Grissom, who knows that Napier is secretly seeing his girlfriend Alicia, calls the police after Jack leaves and tips them off to Napier's Axis Chemicals break-in. A dirty cop named Lt. Eckhardt leads the force and tells his men to shoot to kill. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is having a benefit party at Wayne Manor that same night. But he is alerted to the events at Axis after overhearing the police commissioner talking about it and heads over there as Batman. Commissioner Gordon arrives and seizes control over Eckhardt, warning his forces to take Jack Napier alive. Batman has Napier cornered as he tries to shoot but the bullet is deflected back in his face, causing him to fall. Napier catches a bar hanging on the wall to keep him from falling into a vat of chemicals. Batman has his other hand. Napier, thinking Batman will lift him to safety, lets go of the bar. The dark knight then releases the thief's hand and he falls into the vat, much to the chagrin of Commissioner Gordon who had witnessed the whole thing. But it's not over as Napier survived the fall but was severely scarred on his face. The chemicals had caused his skin to turn white and his hair green and, thus, creating the Joker. He kills Grissom and his men and takes over his gang.
In the beginning of the film, we see Batman as a form of vigilante justice at work. Our first example is at the very beginning after two thieves rob an unsuspecting family. One of them believes in "the Bat" and claims that someone he knew, Johnny Gobbs, was forced off the roof of a building by a mysterious figure resembling a bat. The other one doesn't believe him and scoffs at the story. Then, Batman busts both of them on the roof of a building, kicking one in the groin and sending the other into a frightened shock.
The other instance was when Batman dropped Jack Napier into the vat of chemicals at Axis. It is clear here that, at that time, Batman was only thinking about personal revenge rather than true justice because, as we all know, vigilante justice is really not justice at all. The dark knight wanted revenge for the death of his parents at the hands of a remorseless thief.
Another fascinating characteristic of Batman is the portrayal of the Joker as the devil. Before every kill Jack Napier, and later the Joker, asks his victims if they've ever "danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?" Later in the film, this is literally what's happening as the "damsel in distress", Vicki Vale, is dancing with the Joker in the pale moonlight. But there is a scene before this that more accurately shows the Joker under this light (no pun intended). The scene is when the Joker throws out $20 million in cash at the people of Gotham. Then, after all the cash is gone, he tries to kill everyone with Smylex gas. Many could see this as giving into the temptations of evil and facing punishment. It could also be said that the people of Gotham had sold their souls to the devil, which is the Joker in this case.
To wrap, Batman was a huge hit when it first came out and, for many reasons, remains one today.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Batman-(1989)-Movie-Review&id=6558531] Batman (1989) Movie Review
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Alien 3 Movie Review
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 1992 science fiction horror film Alien 3 is distributed by 20th Century Fox. Its stars include Sigourney Weaver as Lt. Ellen Ripley, Charles S. Dutton as Dillon, Charles Dance as Clemens, Brian Glover as Superintendent Andrews, and Ralph Brown as Aaron. The producers are Gordon Carroll (Red Heat), David Giler (AVP: Alien vs. Predator), Walter Hill (AVP: Alien vs. Predator Requiem), Ezra Swerdlow (The Good Son), and Sigourney Weaver (Alien: Resurrection). The director is David Fincher (Se7en).
The film's storyline picks up not long after the events of Aliens. Due to a fire aboard the starship Sulaco, Ripley and her companions are put into an escape pod and ejected from the ship while still in hypersleep. The pod crash lands on a remote prison planet known as Fiorina "Fury" 161 where the entire population is male. The lone survivor of the crash is Ripley. She quickly befriends the chief medical officer Clemens and he shows her what's left of the escape pod. The lieutenant spots a burn mark on one of the cryotubes and demands that the doctor show her the bodies. After examining Newt's corpse, she asks the medical officer to perform an autopsy. He reluctantly performs the autopsy and reveals nothing out of the ordinary. After Superintendent Andrews catches them doing this unauthorized action, Ripley tells him that the bodies must be cremated. During the cremation ceremony, the prison dog Spike begins to give birth to another alien, oblivious to everyone else. It is later revealed that the prison has no weapons with which to fight the newborn alien. All the men and Ripley are now trapped on the planet with no way to defend themselves. In addition to all that, Ripley is beginning to show signs that she may herself be pregnant with an alien.
This entry into the Alien franchise is somewhat different from its predecessors. To begin with, we learn that a facehugger, the spider-like being that impregnates its host with the alien embryo, does not have to have a human victim in order to do it. The alien that the characters fight in this film was, in fact, born from a dog. As a result, it moves and acts somewhat differently than any of the previous ones Ripley has encountered. When an alien is born, it inherits many of the traits of its host which, up until now, have all been human.
Another difference is the amount of gore shown on-screen. In the previous two films, there had been relatively little gore visible. In this entry, the deaths are much more graphic. In Alien 3, there is a somewhat gruesome autopsy where we can hear the cutting tool tearing the skin and flesh off the bones. Next, we see a man sliced to bits after catching sight of the alien and also see his body parts all over that area. A man getting his head literally ripped off his body leaves a lot of blood and stunned viewers. Finally, we are treated to a man getting his brain eaten right out of the top of his head. It is pretty safe to say that if you are not a fan of gore, then you shouldn't see this movie.
Throughout the late seventies and eighties, feminists hailed Ripley as one of the first female heroes in a successful film franchise. In this film, she actually shaves her head and, thus, looks more masculine than she had previously. Ripley has to because of a lice problem that Clemens had warned her about. But the script writers may have put this in to make the lieutenant seem tougher and more intimidating to viewers, which was the initial impression I had.
To wrap, Alien 3 is, in my personal opinion, more of a gorey horror film than a classic science fiction flick. But if you are a die-hard fan of the Alien franchise, then this entry you may enjoy!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Alien-3-Movie-Review&id=6558546] Alien 3 Movie Review
The 1992 science fiction horror film Alien 3 is distributed by 20th Century Fox. Its stars include Sigourney Weaver as Lt. Ellen Ripley, Charles S. Dutton as Dillon, Charles Dance as Clemens, Brian Glover as Superintendent Andrews, and Ralph Brown as Aaron. The producers are Gordon Carroll (Red Heat), David Giler (AVP: Alien vs. Predator), Walter Hill (AVP: Alien vs. Predator Requiem), Ezra Swerdlow (The Good Son), and Sigourney Weaver (Alien: Resurrection). The director is David Fincher (Se7en).
The film's storyline picks up not long after the events of Aliens. Due to a fire aboard the starship Sulaco, Ripley and her companions are put into an escape pod and ejected from the ship while still in hypersleep. The pod crash lands on a remote prison planet known as Fiorina "Fury" 161 where the entire population is male. The lone survivor of the crash is Ripley. She quickly befriends the chief medical officer Clemens and he shows her what's left of the escape pod. The lieutenant spots a burn mark on one of the cryotubes and demands that the doctor show her the bodies. After examining Newt's corpse, she asks the medical officer to perform an autopsy. He reluctantly performs the autopsy and reveals nothing out of the ordinary. After Superintendent Andrews catches them doing this unauthorized action, Ripley tells him that the bodies must be cremated. During the cremation ceremony, the prison dog Spike begins to give birth to another alien, oblivious to everyone else. It is later revealed that the prison has no weapons with which to fight the newborn alien. All the men and Ripley are now trapped on the planet with no way to defend themselves. In addition to all that, Ripley is beginning to show signs that she may herself be pregnant with an alien.
This entry into the Alien franchise is somewhat different from its predecessors. To begin with, we learn that a facehugger, the spider-like being that impregnates its host with the alien embryo, does not have to have a human victim in order to do it. The alien that the characters fight in this film was, in fact, born from a dog. As a result, it moves and acts somewhat differently than any of the previous ones Ripley has encountered. When an alien is born, it inherits many of the traits of its host which, up until now, have all been human.
Another difference is the amount of gore shown on-screen. In the previous two films, there had been relatively little gore visible. In this entry, the deaths are much more graphic. In Alien 3, there is a somewhat gruesome autopsy where we can hear the cutting tool tearing the skin and flesh off the bones. Next, we see a man sliced to bits after catching sight of the alien and also see his body parts all over that area. A man getting his head literally ripped off his body leaves a lot of blood and stunned viewers. Finally, we are treated to a man getting his brain eaten right out of the top of his head. It is pretty safe to say that if you are not a fan of gore, then you shouldn't see this movie.
Throughout the late seventies and eighties, feminists hailed Ripley as one of the first female heroes in a successful film franchise. In this film, she actually shaves her head and, thus, looks more masculine than she had previously. Ripley has to because of a lice problem that Clemens had warned her about. But the script writers may have put this in to make the lieutenant seem tougher and more intimidating to viewers, which was the initial impression I had.
To wrap, Alien 3 is, in my personal opinion, more of a gorey horror film than a classic science fiction flick. But if you are a die-hard fan of the Alien franchise, then this entry you may enjoy!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Alien-3-Movie-Review&id=6558546] Alien 3 Movie Review
Monday, December 5, 2011
Contagion Review
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
Warner Bros. Pictures: Contagion
When speaking about movies with plagues and viruses, I think about zombies chasing people down and eating their brains. "Contagion" is obviously nothing like that. This is closer to something like "Outbreak". This was a movie that I was interested in seeing. It features a pretty good cast of credible actors and looked good on the trailers, even though that doesn't mean anything.
"Contagion" follows a group of people through a virus outbreak that threatens mankind and could kill millions. The virus is unknown and anyone who carries it will die within a few days of being infected. Doctors from the world over attempt to find a cure for the lethal disease as people lose control and become more and more desperate.
The movie was alright, but it was nothing spectacular. Although this does contain some drama, it wasn't as dramatic as I would've expected. It was very subdued and didn't get to where I thought it might go. These types of movies are supposed to show us the fear and widespread panic that's going on. It shows a little violence and even less of the fear that would be going around if this actually happened. The lack of drama and fear takes away from a movie that had the space to improve by a good margin. It could have been smarter and delved deeper into what was going on across the multiple storylines. Instead, it focused on a few people and never showed their feelings during most of the events that take place.
"Contagion" never felt like a true disaster movie. The film tells you about the many people that are dying and the amount of people who could die. With the exception of some of the main characters dying off, it doesn't really show any of it. You hear about it from the news broadcast in the background or one of the characters telling another about something, but that's about it. It never allows you to get involved with the characters or the situations they were faced with. It felt like the movie was just a bunch of clips that were put together soap opera style and that hurt the film's continuity. Because of these things that I mentioned, it just felt incomplete and even the ending kind of pops up out of nowhere.
The acting overall was good, with Jude Law and Kate Winslet maybe having the best performances. The acting was easily the strong point of "Contagion", even though the focus shifted continuously from person to person and didn't let you get engaged with them or the stories too much. I also have to wonder why Marion Cotillard's name gets top billing when she's barely in the movie and doesn't do very much when she's on-screen. Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jennifer Ehle, and Jude Law had more face time with far more important roles than she did. It might not mean much, but I just found that odd.
The movie was okay. I just wish it had more structure and character development. It also would've been much better had they shown the destruction that was being caused by this situation. It would have been nice for Steven Soderbergh to really explore a lot of the events that were supposed to be happening in that world, but that didn't happen. Although solid, it lacked depth, tension, structure, and seemingly most of the disaster. I don't know how that happened, but it did.
Score: 6/10
Rating: PG-13
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast:
Matt Damon
Laurence Fishburne
Kate Winslet
Jude Law
Jennifer Ehle
Marion Cotillard
Gwyneth Paltrow
Film Length: 106 minutes
Release Date: September 9, 2011
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Contagion-Review&id=6553489] Contagion Review
Warner Bros. Pictures: Contagion
When speaking about movies with plagues and viruses, I think about zombies chasing people down and eating their brains. "Contagion" is obviously nothing like that. This is closer to something like "Outbreak". This was a movie that I was interested in seeing. It features a pretty good cast of credible actors and looked good on the trailers, even though that doesn't mean anything.
"Contagion" follows a group of people through a virus outbreak that threatens mankind and could kill millions. The virus is unknown and anyone who carries it will die within a few days of being infected. Doctors from the world over attempt to find a cure for the lethal disease as people lose control and become more and more desperate.
The movie was alright, but it was nothing spectacular. Although this does contain some drama, it wasn't as dramatic as I would've expected. It was very subdued and didn't get to where I thought it might go. These types of movies are supposed to show us the fear and widespread panic that's going on. It shows a little violence and even less of the fear that would be going around if this actually happened. The lack of drama and fear takes away from a movie that had the space to improve by a good margin. It could have been smarter and delved deeper into what was going on across the multiple storylines. Instead, it focused on a few people and never showed their feelings during most of the events that take place.
"Contagion" never felt like a true disaster movie. The film tells you about the many people that are dying and the amount of people who could die. With the exception of some of the main characters dying off, it doesn't really show any of it. You hear about it from the news broadcast in the background or one of the characters telling another about something, but that's about it. It never allows you to get involved with the characters or the situations they were faced with. It felt like the movie was just a bunch of clips that were put together soap opera style and that hurt the film's continuity. Because of these things that I mentioned, it just felt incomplete and even the ending kind of pops up out of nowhere.
The acting overall was good, with Jude Law and Kate Winslet maybe having the best performances. The acting was easily the strong point of "Contagion", even though the focus shifted continuously from person to person and didn't let you get engaged with them or the stories too much. I also have to wonder why Marion Cotillard's name gets top billing when she's barely in the movie and doesn't do very much when she's on-screen. Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jennifer Ehle, and Jude Law had more face time with far more important roles than she did. It might not mean much, but I just found that odd.
The movie was okay. I just wish it had more structure and character development. It also would've been much better had they shown the destruction that was being caused by this situation. It would have been nice for Steven Soderbergh to really explore a lot of the events that were supposed to be happening in that world, but that didn't happen. Although solid, it lacked depth, tension, structure, and seemingly most of the disaster. I don't know how that happened, but it did.
Score: 6/10
Rating: PG-13
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast:
Matt Damon
Laurence Fishburne
Kate Winslet
Jude Law
Jennifer Ehle
Marion Cotillard
Gwyneth Paltrow
Film Length: 106 minutes
Release Date: September 9, 2011
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Contagion-Review&id=6553489] Contagion Review
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Jack Frost (1996) - Movie Review
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
Jack Frost is a 1996 horror comedy released by A-Pix Entertainment Inc. It stars Scott MacDonald as Jack Frost, Christopher Allport as Sheriff Sam Tiler, Stephen Mendel as Agent Manners, F. William Parker as Paul Davrow, and Eileen Seeley as Anne Tiler. The producers are Barry L. Collier (Decoy), Barbara Javitz (Profile for Murder), Jeremy Paige (Murder in Mind), and Vicki Slotnick (Tracks of a Killer). The director is Michael Cooney (Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman).
The story takes place in the fictional small town of Snomonton. Serial killer Jack Frost is being transported to his execution when the van he's riding in crashes head first into an oncoming truck carrying new genetic material. The crash frees Jack, but before he can do anything the genetic material splashes all over his body. It melts him into the snow, causing it to take on his personality and store his DNA. Nearby Sheriff Sam Tiler, the one who busted Jack Frost, is still having nightmares about him. His vows to return and kill him and his family still haunt him, as well. The next day, a fellow Snomonton citizen is mysteriously murdered. Tiler and his deputies cannot find anything to indicate what could have happened. Later that day, Billy Metzner is bullying Sam's son Ryan in front of a snowman, who we discover is the supposedly deceased Jack Frost. The snowman pushes Billy into the path of a sledder and the sled's blades decapitate him. After Jake Metzner, Billy's father, angrily chews out Sam for believing such an incredible story, he and his family go home. Jake goes out back to smoke a pipe when the killer snowman forces the handle of an ax down his throat. Then, Jack goes inside the house and strings up Metzner's wife to the Christmas tree after smashing her face in a box of ornaments. Again, law enforcement is baffled until an Agent Manners and Stone show up in town in search of a murderer, which we find out later is Jack. Frost takes out one of the deputies and drives his car back to police headquarters. There he finally meets Sam Tiler again, face-to-face.
If the first thought you have about this film is that it is just another small town horror story, you would be partially right. The small town setting is certainly a huge part of it, but only a part. Snomonton is a secluded town where everybody in town knows everybody else by first name and all are quite close, which makes it seemingly unlikely that a serial killer would target the town. At first glance, a viewer might think it is a film that follows a similar formula to the seventies horror flick The Town That Dreaded Sundown, which is about another secluded small town terrorized by a mysterious killer. But, as you will discover, Jack Frost is no ordinary serial killer. While still human, he was caught just outside of Snomonton by Sheriff Sam Tiler. Later on, a freak accident allows him to return to the town as a snowman. In the aforementioned seventies horror movie, the killer is seemingly human. In Jack Frost, the killer is a mutant snowman.
Another feature of this movie that makes it a somewhat lighter kind of horror is the frequent wise-cracks by the snowman killer Jack Frost. For example upon killing Jake Metzner by forcing an ax down his throat he says, "Gosh, I only axed ya for a smoke!" Later on he kills a man by biting off part of his face, calling it a "frost bite". A few minutes later, he tries to sneak out using another person's body but gives up and throws himself up. Afterward, he looks at the body and remarks, "Don't eat yellow snow!"
To wrap, Jack Frost will never be known as a classic horror movie but the originality of having a snowman as the killer is, I believe, one of its greatest strengths.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Jack-Frost-(1996)---Movie-Review&id=6558558] Jack Frost (1996) - Movie Review
Jack Frost is a 1996 horror comedy released by A-Pix Entertainment Inc. It stars Scott MacDonald as Jack Frost, Christopher Allport as Sheriff Sam Tiler, Stephen Mendel as Agent Manners, F. William Parker as Paul Davrow, and Eileen Seeley as Anne Tiler. The producers are Barry L. Collier (Decoy), Barbara Javitz (Profile for Murder), Jeremy Paige (Murder in Mind), and Vicki Slotnick (Tracks of a Killer). The director is Michael Cooney (Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman).
The story takes place in the fictional small town of Snomonton. Serial killer Jack Frost is being transported to his execution when the van he's riding in crashes head first into an oncoming truck carrying new genetic material. The crash frees Jack, but before he can do anything the genetic material splashes all over his body. It melts him into the snow, causing it to take on his personality and store his DNA. Nearby Sheriff Sam Tiler, the one who busted Jack Frost, is still having nightmares about him. His vows to return and kill him and his family still haunt him, as well. The next day, a fellow Snomonton citizen is mysteriously murdered. Tiler and his deputies cannot find anything to indicate what could have happened. Later that day, Billy Metzner is bullying Sam's son Ryan in front of a snowman, who we discover is the supposedly deceased Jack Frost. The snowman pushes Billy into the path of a sledder and the sled's blades decapitate him. After Jake Metzner, Billy's father, angrily chews out Sam for believing such an incredible story, he and his family go home. Jake goes out back to smoke a pipe when the killer snowman forces the handle of an ax down his throat. Then, Jack goes inside the house and strings up Metzner's wife to the Christmas tree after smashing her face in a box of ornaments. Again, law enforcement is baffled until an Agent Manners and Stone show up in town in search of a murderer, which we find out later is Jack. Frost takes out one of the deputies and drives his car back to police headquarters. There he finally meets Sam Tiler again, face-to-face.
If the first thought you have about this film is that it is just another small town horror story, you would be partially right. The small town setting is certainly a huge part of it, but only a part. Snomonton is a secluded town where everybody in town knows everybody else by first name and all are quite close, which makes it seemingly unlikely that a serial killer would target the town. At first glance, a viewer might think it is a film that follows a similar formula to the seventies horror flick The Town That Dreaded Sundown, which is about another secluded small town terrorized by a mysterious killer. But, as you will discover, Jack Frost is no ordinary serial killer. While still human, he was caught just outside of Snomonton by Sheriff Sam Tiler. Later on, a freak accident allows him to return to the town as a snowman. In the aforementioned seventies horror movie, the killer is seemingly human. In Jack Frost, the killer is a mutant snowman.
Another feature of this movie that makes it a somewhat lighter kind of horror is the frequent wise-cracks by the snowman killer Jack Frost. For example upon killing Jake Metzner by forcing an ax down his throat he says, "Gosh, I only axed ya for a smoke!" Later on he kills a man by biting off part of his face, calling it a "frost bite". A few minutes later, he tries to sneak out using another person's body but gives up and throws himself up. Afterward, he looks at the body and remarks, "Don't eat yellow snow!"
To wrap, Jack Frost will never be known as a classic horror movie but the originality of having a snowman as the killer is, I believe, one of its greatest strengths.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Jack-Frost-(1996)---Movie-Review&id=6558558] Jack Frost (1996) - Movie Review
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Halloween III: Season of the Witch Movie Review
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 science fiction horror movie distributed by Universal. It stars Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis, Stacey Nelkin as Ellie Grimbridge, Dan O'Herlihy as Conal Cochran, Michael Currie as Rafferty, and Ralph Strait as Buddy Kupfer. The producers are Debra Hill (Clue) and John Carpenter (TV movie Body Bags). The director is Tommy Lee Wallace (Fright Night Part 2).
The film opens with a man named Harry Grimbridge being chased by mysterious men wearing business suits and black gloves. He reaches a filling station attendent who takes him to the hospital. At the hospital, he is placed under the care of Dr. Dan Challis who hears him ranting, "They're gonna kill us all!" He is given thorazine and sent to bed. Another strange man wearing a suit and gloves enters the hospital and kills Grimbridge. But before Dr. Challis can stop him, he enters his car and dumps gasoline all over himself. Then, he lights himself on fire. The only clue as to why the man may have been there is a Halloween mask. He and Grimbridge's daughter Ellie head to a small town called Santa Mira, California, the home of the company that made the mask, Silver Shamrock. The company is owned by Conal Cochran. Ellie and Challis stay at the same motel that Ellie's father had stayed in. The next day, the two of them take a tour of the Silver Shamrock factory. After the tour, Ellie spots her father's car being guarded by more men in business suits. She tries to get to it but is stopped. Later on, she is kidnapped, so Challis breaks into the factory to find her. Eventually, he is captured by Cochran's men and shown the whole plan behind the mysterious Halloween masks. Cochran ties the doctor up and locks him in a room with one of the masks on. A television is turned on, waiting for Silver Shamrock's big giveaway which will cause something bad to happen to anyone wearing the masks.
Actor Dan O'Herlihy's role as the Irish owner Conal Cochran is remarkably similar to a role he played five years later, which was the role of the Old Man in Robocop. The Old Man was the owner of another company trying to turn a place into something he viewed as better than it actually was, OCP. In Halloween III, Cochran pretty much owns the town of Santa Mira as all of its prosperity comes from his company. Cochran has video cameras everywhere in the town so he can spy on its inhabitants or any stranger who passes through. Put simply, Cochran's company runs the town and everything in it. In Robocop, the Old Man has a plan to tear down Old Detroit and build a corporate-owned city known as Delta City. The main difference between the two situations is that in Halloween III, Santa Mira has already become corporate-owned whereas in Robocop, Old Detroit is planning to become corporate-owned if the Old Man gets his way.
Upon retrospect, the idea to discontinue the Michael Myers saga from the first two Halloween films was not a very smart one. The original plan for the creators of the films was to kill off Michael Myers at the end of Halloween II and go to a different story for the second sequel. What is the obvious reason to deviate from a successful slasher film series to more of a "mad scientist" storyline is a mystery. The first two films were quite successful, so one has to say, "If it's not broke, don't fix it!" Plus, Halloween III is quite out of place in the series, considering the lack of success led to the return of slasher killer Michael Myers in Halloween 4.
To wrap, Halloween III is the "black sheep" of the Halloween franchise and may have been better off being a separate film from the series.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Halloween-III:-Season-of-the-Witch-Movie-Review&id=6558575] Halloween III: Season of the Witch Movie Review
Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 science fiction horror movie distributed by Universal. It stars Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis, Stacey Nelkin as Ellie Grimbridge, Dan O'Herlihy as Conal Cochran, Michael Currie as Rafferty, and Ralph Strait as Buddy Kupfer. The producers are Debra Hill (Clue) and John Carpenter (TV movie Body Bags). The director is Tommy Lee Wallace (Fright Night Part 2).
The film opens with a man named Harry Grimbridge being chased by mysterious men wearing business suits and black gloves. He reaches a filling station attendent who takes him to the hospital. At the hospital, he is placed under the care of Dr. Dan Challis who hears him ranting, "They're gonna kill us all!" He is given thorazine and sent to bed. Another strange man wearing a suit and gloves enters the hospital and kills Grimbridge. But before Dr. Challis can stop him, he enters his car and dumps gasoline all over himself. Then, he lights himself on fire. The only clue as to why the man may have been there is a Halloween mask. He and Grimbridge's daughter Ellie head to a small town called Santa Mira, California, the home of the company that made the mask, Silver Shamrock. The company is owned by Conal Cochran. Ellie and Challis stay at the same motel that Ellie's father had stayed in. The next day, the two of them take a tour of the Silver Shamrock factory. After the tour, Ellie spots her father's car being guarded by more men in business suits. She tries to get to it but is stopped. Later on, she is kidnapped, so Challis breaks into the factory to find her. Eventually, he is captured by Cochran's men and shown the whole plan behind the mysterious Halloween masks. Cochran ties the doctor up and locks him in a room with one of the masks on. A television is turned on, waiting for Silver Shamrock's big giveaway which will cause something bad to happen to anyone wearing the masks.
Actor Dan O'Herlihy's role as the Irish owner Conal Cochran is remarkably similar to a role he played five years later, which was the role of the Old Man in Robocop. The Old Man was the owner of another company trying to turn a place into something he viewed as better than it actually was, OCP. In Halloween III, Cochran pretty much owns the town of Santa Mira as all of its prosperity comes from his company. Cochran has video cameras everywhere in the town so he can spy on its inhabitants or any stranger who passes through. Put simply, Cochran's company runs the town and everything in it. In Robocop, the Old Man has a plan to tear down Old Detroit and build a corporate-owned city known as Delta City. The main difference between the two situations is that in Halloween III, Santa Mira has already become corporate-owned whereas in Robocop, Old Detroit is planning to become corporate-owned if the Old Man gets his way.
Upon retrospect, the idea to discontinue the Michael Myers saga from the first two Halloween films was not a very smart one. The original plan for the creators of the films was to kill off Michael Myers at the end of Halloween II and go to a different story for the second sequel. What is the obvious reason to deviate from a successful slasher film series to more of a "mad scientist" storyline is a mystery. The first two films were quite successful, so one has to say, "If it's not broke, don't fix it!" Plus, Halloween III is quite out of place in the series, considering the lack of success led to the return of slasher killer Michael Myers in Halloween 4.
To wrap, Halloween III is the "black sheep" of the Halloween franchise and may have been better off being a separate film from the series.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Halloween-III:-Season-of-the-Witch-Movie-Review&id=6558575] Halloween III: Season of the Witch Movie Review
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