rkarlberg Reviews

Terra Estrangeira (1995)

Don't waste your time

[1 October 2003]

I was very disappointed with this film. Nothing that happens makes any sense. Even the other reviews here mention that the plot is not believable and that the production values are poor. I was expecting to see the beautiful scenery of Brazil and Portugal, but everything looks washed out and grainy.

While the acting was good, it was wasted on the go-nowhere story. And as with Midnight, by the same director, the "twist" ending simply makes the whole story pointless. Why did they make this movie? I have no idea.

Scream 3 (2000)

Not scary, not funny, not entertaining.

[3/10 · 24 July 2000]

I enjoyed the first Scream, but this one was a major disappointment. The first time we saw the killer's costume, it was actually scary. There is just something about that mask that really gets to you. But by now, we have seen it so many times, that it just isn't scary anymore.

These characters are so one dimensional, we simply don't care what happens to them. The movie is supposed to be self aware, one of the things that made the first one great, but this one is just a generic slasher film. There is only one brief scene where the horror movie trilogy is discussed, and that's about it. The characters do the usual stupid things otherwise.

There are also many ludicrous coincidences. Time after time, the victim runs around and hides somewhere, and the killer just happens to be right there. How did he manage to set up things so perfectly? And the voice device he uses? Things like that made me begin to hate this movie.

The last straw was the ending. The killer could have been anyone, even a random person off the street. The motivation we are given is a joke. It's painfully obvious that this movie was made just to cash in on the Scream franchise.

Poltergeist III (1988)

Wow, this movie is bad!

[2/10 · 30 May 2000]

Why can't they make original movies?

Poltergeist was simply fantastic. I left the theater shaking, after a whirlwind ride of mystery, suspense and excitement. Steven Spielberg sure knows how to make a movie.

I was dumb enough to see the first sequel, and it was awful. No mystery, suspense or excitement at all. The same goes for part 3. It started off well, with a storyline that drew me in. But it never went anywhere. Great cast, but bad acting. When they were looking in a mirror, screaming at something, it was not believable. The plot made no sense! People appear and then disappear, and special effects are thrown in gratuitously, but have no connection to the story. What a shame.