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Horror-Lord
Reviews
Hairspray (2007)
It could have been brilliant but....
They went and shoved John Travolta in it. That is probably the only gripe I have with this film really, bar some dodgy acting from that High School Musical guy. Why did they have to do it? Anyone but him would have been fantastic! The thing is, Travolta is only good in one role and even then he's not great- the insane lunatic one. For some unfathomable reason, the producers thought that sticking him in a fat suit, planting a wig on his head and making him camp it up like Christmas would make it funny. They were wrong. However, the film itself is actually really good. It is lighthearted and fun which makes for an enjoyable viewing experience. Nikki Blonsky is great as Tracy- although she doesn't have the spark that the original character had and the songs, as camp and pop-like as there are, are actually quite good, especially for a musical- they are far better than the garbage in some recent high school based musicals (not mentioning any names of course) and, overall, this is definitely a film worth getting your hands on for a lazy, possibly lonely, Saturday night in.
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
An interesting film with an interesting idea but...
OK, I'll start straight away by commenting on the positives, the most obvious of which being that this film is miles better than it's predecessor- Resident Evil: Apocalypse- and does well to keep in line with the games- to a certain extent (obviouisly I'm not including plot in this but the general atmosphere and mood works relatively well.) However, here comes the moan and boy is it a moan? The major problem with this film is that it does absolutely nothing to advance on the plot established in the first two films and acts more as a "filler" of more to come. The plot itself is weak and some of the ideas come across as highly optimistic- i.e. The producers expected a lot more when they wrote them down than when they were actually filmed and put into practise- but, at the same time, it doesn't go off on too many confusing tangents and keeps itself simple which leads to a fun film that is a nice break from some of the mentally taxing jargon that the film industry spouts out these days. As ever, Milla Jovovich plays the character of Alice (or should that be the characters of Alice?) pretty well and keeps the viewers entertained just enough to allow the film some sustainability. The action scenes are graphically very attractive and there are numerous chills and thrills to keep the film alive just enough. Of course, the open ending- which would have been far better had they added another 20 minutes and then let it end properly- is there to allow room for "Resident Evil: Not so extinction after all" and it's sequel "Resident Evil: Oh look, the dead are walking once again" but it is fun and worth seeing, particularly for fans of the game (even though the film has very little to do with any of the games).
Halloween (2007)
The dirty bunch of Philistines!
OK, where do I begin? I'll start by stating the obvious- why in the holy name of God did they have to go and remake a classic horror film- one of the few remaining classic horror films I might add- such as Halloween and, more importantly, place it in the hands of the egotistical maniac that is Rob Zombie? I'll tell you why- because the executives at Hollywood HQ have run out of ideas and, rather than try and save the failing franchise that Halloween has become thanks to the ever ridiculous Halloween: Resurrection and it's predecessor, Halloween H20, they decide to start (and, ultimately end) from scratch with one of the most diabolically, catastrophically awful films I have ever allowed my poor little eyes to witness. Now, of course, it would be harsh to criticise every little thing- for example, the music was good (oh wait, that was a John Carpenter creation so that doesn't really count) and even though the first section of the film, in which we delved a little more into Michael's childhood than the original did, was interesting, it all seemed so very rushed and disorganised. Then came the second section in which we met Laurie Strode and boy oh boy do we all miss Jamie Lee Curtis now? What were the Philistines thinking when they cast her? Laurie was turned from the innocent, pure and ultimately defenceless girl of Carpenter's classic into what could be described as an unpaid prostitute- the character was ruined! Then, don't even get me started on Loomis. As soon as this film was confirmed- sequel, remake or both- a Halloween film without Donald Pleasance as Loomis is not a Halloween film- he will never be surpassed- the character was made for him! And Malcolm McDowell, through no real fault of his own as it was all Zombie's idea, took the character to a level of incredulity and ridiculousness that even I couldn't comprehend, regardless of the fact that the rest of the film was utter garbage. So, in conclusion, if you haven't guessed it already, I am a little bit annoyed that they couldn't even be bothered to try and round the series off with a 9th film that tied all of the events of 1, 2, 7 + 8 with 4, 5 + 6 to finish it and let it rest in peace. ARGH!
Halloween (1978)
A fantastic Horror Slasher
This is, by far, one of the greatest horror films of all time. It has everything from fantastic acting in the forms of Donald Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis to suspense and gore as, slowly but surely, Michael Myers- a crazed psychopath- butchers his way through a group of unsuspecting teenagers. Be warned: This is NOT like Scream or Friday the 13th. It has some top notch acting and a gripping storyline that is slowly peeled like an onion, until revealing its shocking core, a twist that will leave you reeling for more! If I was to suggest one film to you this year, it would be this as it is so excellent. And, its sequels aren't too bad either to be truthfully honest.