Change Your Image
oenmet_een_k
Reviews
Tideland (2005)
One word: Amazing
This is a movie that does not rely on SFX to impress the audience. The storytelling is amazing.
Without noticing, I was pulled into the fantasy world that this movie is. Nothing is judged, no good or evil. No clichés, no heroes. Just the story. Not entirely unlike 'Brazil'. But this movie relies less on a 'weird' future world. Sure, the atmosphere is weird. But not the surroundings. Little events, happening all the time, make up the world. It is unclear whether they are happening inside the characters head, or they are real events.
Perhaps a bit too much for most American style 'junk food film' viewers, but I hope some of the 'Hollywood Junk' producers take notice, and learn.
Too bad this movie didn't show in more theaters. A real 'must see' for those who loved 'Alice in Wonderland'
Versus (2000)
surprisingly good
When I picked up this movie, I was expecting some really cheesy and cheap action flick. In some ways it is, but in this case it's in the good way.
The way the characters interact is where the real fun is. Perhaps more could have been made of the two 'guards', but the time they did fill the screen were hilarious moments. The facial expressions of the actors are something special too (especially during the fight-scenes). They know their fighting-arts, but these little additions made it really stand out.
The fight scenes are good, and plenty. Guts are flying around. Even an attempt is made to tell a story (something along the lines of 'the sides of good and evil always changing'). It slightly resembles the feel of 'six string samurai' (but really only slightly).
I can recommend this movie above any crap that Hollywood produces nowadays.
Forgotten Silver (1995)
Unknown Jewel
To me, it is really a mystery why this one isn't more widely known. I admin, I got it via P2P. But after watching it I went searching for a retailer. None of the native retailer I know sold this one. Amazon of course did.
This 'movie' is really a absurd venture into the movements of some movie-maker, who, by some force in the world, misses numerous chances at world fame by just utter bad luck. For me, it left me chuckling for weeks. Really brilliant.
I can't recall anything quite like this. A must-see for anyone interested in deeper backgrounds of making a documentary without any notion or adherence to facts.
Undead (2003)
Deserves recognition just for being different...
...well, sort of, anyway.
I expected a standard '13 in a dozen' zombie flick, but was positively surprised. The 'gore', aka zombies that are being torn apart, is nicely done, with some funny moments, but that doesn't set this movie apart.
What does set it apart though, is its original (in my book anyway) storyline, and some unique twists in the story that aren't mind-numbingly dumb. It is actually convincing, and creates a suspense very different from the standard 'no intelligence required', 'American way scary', style. It certainly is way better than the garbage that is being thrown at the public by Hollywood these years (think Transporter, Sahara style garbage).
Transporter 2 (2005)
Just plain sucks
I went to this movie with a fresh mind. I find Jason Statham an excellent actor (just watch 'Lock, Stock and two smoking Barrels' and 'Snatch'), so I hoped for at least a watchable film. But boy, does this one stink.
I don't know about the first 'Transporter', but this one has such a twisted series of events, that the script must have been missing while they were filming.
The action scenes are really over the top. Still,these sorts of films can be fun to watch. This one isn't, the setting is awful, and something fundamental for a film is missing (aka a descent storyline). And to top it off, the 'evil lovers', in the beginning presented as capable of delivering a good fight, are dealt with in seconds, leaving you (well, me at least) really disappointed.
This is really a wast of anyone's time, even if you like B-movie style action films. I really hope to see this 'Statham' in a decent movie though.
Sahara (2005)
This Custler fellow must be raving mad...
...at this Eisner fellow, and is totally justified for suing this production. It is just a collection of nice scenes. Really, nothing more. Not even the slightest attempt to produce a coherent plot. I haven't read any of Custler's books, but I imagine (I did see some of his documentary's) that there should be some story to it (Even without Custler's talents: It is a book: there has to be a Story!)
Oke, the actors give their best try. It is not their fault. They are the only reason this movie doesn't go towards -1. Some scenes are watchable. But put it together (aka view it as a MOVIE) it just stumps my mind how anyone can let this slip past basic auditing. I've said some things about 'Mr and Mrs Smith', but in the end that movie was watchable. This one just grinned a few millimeters of my teeth. I won't give any spoilers (...ahum...), but Pokemon was more believable...
Really, I have nothing against movies stretching the imagination of what is possible. I don't really know why this one really annoyed me. I love all sorts of adventure / science-fiction. I guess it just tries too hard to convince the viewer the events all plausible. Too bad it only had really dumb people as the audience in mind...
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Missed chances
Even for the non-intelligent comedy that it tries to be, there were so many chances to make the plot a bit more interesting. With a little more time these items could have been resolved. As it is right now, the whole thing seems disconnected from any motive (both between Mr and Mrs, and the agencies). Action is nice, Desperado gun-blazing style (thinking about it is highly discouraged), and there are some nice lines.
The problem is, that the highly predictable Hollywood formula is being followed to the letter. Combined with the unfinished ends, it is a disappointing, but watchable movie, even for a action / comedy flick (whatever that may mean to you).
Not nearly as bad as 'Sahara' though, which made me wanna puke :)