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TheLaughingWolf
Reviews
Wolf Creek (2005)
A Blown Opportunity
Too many BAD choices were made by the film makers of this film. Any film that takes over an hour to set up, shouldn't be in theaters. It should go into someones private collection, or to family members and friends of the cast and crew. NOT THE GENERAL PUBLIC. The first hour of this film was more boring and less interesting than the average family's "home movies".
Taking an hour to set up in a "theatrically released" film, causes a lot of problems in the theaters as well. People fidget in their seats, talk to each other and eventually the screen, then ultimately the worst insult, "walk out" before the third act.
The characters were NOT interesting enough, considering that they had an hour to set them up. The film makers and all who were involved in this project tried too hard to break a "mold" and it fell flat. They ended up (intentionally or otherwise) using every cliché' possible. Anyone watching this film could clearly see around every corner it turned.
This could have been a GREAT movie! It's a shame because considering the subject matter and the cinematography, they had a HUGE opportunity to make another big splash from "down under".
Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
An INSULT to movie go-ers worldwide
I was raised to hold my tongue if I had nothing nice to say... But this time I have to SCREAM!!!
1) Today's movies at $12.00 a pop, you want to think a little harder about seeing just anything. I read mixed reviews on here about it so I took a gamble and lost big.
2) The original "Exorcist" is one of the scariest movies of all time. And besides that, it was a damn good movie, had all the right ingredients. Yet it's sequels and prequels or whatever you want to call them, don't even deserve to be mentioned.
3) Let's start with the premise in "the Beginning". A very good idea that had a chance to be somewhat of a decent movie if done right but instead, it struck out looking on 3 pitches. This movie should've never made it out of the story room. One has to wonder how many decent scripts were passed over for this disaster.
4) The original Exorcist (movie) happened to the girl next door while this movie took place mostly in Africa, where most people would never go. Kinda hard to be scared there, but with the right ideas, that could've been solved.
5) The special effects, were terribly substandard. Period. 90% of the movies dialog was barely above a whisper with frequent "Smashcuts" of loud music with 3 second gore shots. Whomever invented this "effect" including all those who employ it should be severely kneecapped!
6) Cheap, trite, dry, predictable formula plot with gaping holes and no real twists. Problems were left unsolved and MANY things were unexplained. The movie starts out interesting then flat lines till the end. And the end was no prize either. After the first 7/8th's of this movie, it ALMOST had you routing for the devil!
7) The characters where VERY uninteresting. However, the main character did a decent job but as a show of respect to him and his craft, I will not mention his name here. I am guessing a man with his talents got side winded into this project by political forces beyond him. Therefore I am guessing that he probably wishes not to have his name mentioned with this mess.
8) I could go on and on and on but I think by now you get the point. This movie was not scary, it was not even interesting. It was a waste. A waste of time a waste of talent but mostly a waste of money. Flops like this cost not only millions of dollars in this one movie but the loss of money for better scripts that could've been made into better movies, WITH THE SAME TALENT!
*** If the subject of exorcism interests you, get the book "HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL", by the Malachi Martin. Martin, was a Jesuit priest who took five separate exorcisms and detailed them (graphically). This book will grab you by the neck and spin your head around! I read the first three stories and had to stop. Too scary! I am going to read the last two stories on the steps of St. Patrick's cathedral in broad daylight just in case. You Hollywood producers can learn a lot from Fr. Martin's book!
The Dead Don't Die (1975)
Greatest Zombie flick yet
This long forgotten gem gets my vote as the gr8est zombie movie ever. it was creepy, scary and haunting. Some of DDDs images will stay with you for a long time. George Hamilton does a great job as the lead. I've seen him in a lot of comedic roles and on all those 70's-80's wacky game shows but he pulls this off as a serious actor.
I think the biggest mistake horror movies make is when they try too hard to mix comedy in and I was sure that, that was what Hamilton was supposed to do. BOY WAS I Surprised! You won't laugh once. Definitely one for the collection.
Buy it... wait till midnight, turn out the lights and enjoy DDD!