Showing posts with label serial killer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label serial killer. Show all posts

7/13/2012

Stepfather II (1989) Review

Stepfather II (1989)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I actually enjoy Stepfather 2 more than the first Stepfather movie. The haunting theme does a lot for creating a truly sinister atmosphere. Rarely does a film score stick in my head, but this one does. And then there's Terry O'Quinn who plays the character just right.
You have to remember that this film was basically made in only 4 months. That's writing the script, casting, shooting, post production, etc. It was made for about 1 and a half million dollars and originally was supposed to be a direct to video release. Some additional shots were added and changed when the studio decided it was going to run a theatrical release like the first Stepfather, and they needed a more violent "Horror Movie".
The DVD release presents the film in it's original Widescreen format, and it's a very sharp Animorphic transfer. A great thing included on the disc is that it has many alternate and extended scenes that were from the original Director's cut. There is also a short still gallery, and a very interesting full-length commentary by the Director and Producer of Stepfather 2. The only thing missing is a theatrical trailer...albeit most Buena Vista DVD's lack a trailer so it's no big surprise there.
If you like this film then you need this DVD, it easily blows away the old VHS and Laserdisc editions. Now, if only they'd release the 1st Stepfather movie on DVD!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Stepfather II (1989)



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Stepfather II (1989)

Read More...

1/02/2012

Cop (1988) Review

Cop (1988)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
When I first saw COP back in 1988, I could not believe how tough and on-the-edge this action thriller was . . . not to mention the film's total lack of respect for political correctness. James Woods is brilliant and in rare form here. Be warned. Language, action and attitudes are frank. Characters are hardcore and flawed - this includes the hero - and nothing is censored for mainstream tastes.
If you're looking for a politically correct sissy movie like the forgettable PG-13 crap they make today, where all content is watered down so that some conservative soccer mom in Utah can enjoy herself, stay away. This movie means business and does not pull any punches . . . which is why I love it!
James Woods plays Lloyd Hopkins, a hard-boiled American police detective on the trail of a serial murderer who is victimizing women in Los Angeles. The pursuit leads him through a world that has become his own natural habitat . . a nasty, uncompromising world of crime, drugs, prostitution and male hustlers where "innocence kills," according to Hopkins, and continued exposure corrupts.
Paradoxically, this harsh world is also a world of love, secret admirers, romantic feminist poets and modern chivalry. But these elements are woven underneath the tough exterior.
I don't want to say too much about this movie, just this. BUY IT AND WATCH IT! Definitely recommeneded! But it's only for cool guys who love the hardboiled tough stuff! James Woods has never been better!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cop (1988)



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Cop (1988)

Read More...

11/15/2011

Kalifornia (1993) Review

Kalifornia (1993)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Not only is this a completely entertaining flick, but I just discovered a cool tidbit. Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes stop at several points on their crosscountry tour, and the movie provides little "captions" ala "X-Files" from time to time. Six minutes in, they arrive at BRADbury Textile Warehouse in PITTsburgh, Pennsylvania. Twenty-seven minutes in, they're at Novak Farm in FORBES, Tennessee. Then at one hour and six minutes they get to LEWISton Abattoir in Mt. JULIET, Texas. And my favorite, one hour 22 minutes in, they finally arrive at DAVIDson Mine in DEW COVE, NEvada. I know this isn't really a review, but it is so damn cool that I just had to share. Enjoy!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kalifornia (1993)

Excitement, adventure and unimaginable terror await on the road to Kalifornia. "Brad Pitt isoutstanding" (Rolling Stone) and "Juliette Lewis is utterly, heartbreakingly convincing" (Boxoffice) in this chilling psychological thriller co-starring David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes. When urban intellectuals Brian (Duchovny) and Carrie (Forbes) set out on a cross-country trip to research a book about serial killers, they share the ride with a couple they barely knowEarly Grace (Pitt) and his girlfriend, Adele (Lewis). Locked in a car hurtling westward, the four travelers struggle to find some common ground. But when they finally do connect, Early's violent nature abruptly emerges, and the terrified Brian and Carrie realize that they don't need to go very farto learn about ruthless killers...because they're already face to face with one!

Buy NowGet 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Kalifornia (1993)

Read More...

10/18/2011

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2010) Review

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  (2010)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is the first in the trilogy of crime novels written by Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson. Larsson wrote them during his spare time, as a form of amusement. However, the novels were not published until after Larsson's untimely death in Nov 2004. The author never had the opportunity to enjoy the critical and the commercial success his books eventually earned. In 2008 Larssen became the second best selling author on the planet.
Now, on to the story:
Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist, convicted, unjustly he believes, of libel against a powerful industrialist. As Blomkvist awaits the commencement of his sentence, he is hired by a scion of a wealthy family to investigate the disappearance of the man's bellowed niece 40 years earlier. Everyone, initially including Blomkvist, believes the case is hopeless. Unexpectedly though, help comes in form of "the girl with the dragon tattoo", Lisbeth Salander. The mysterious woman clearly has a severe past: despite being 24 years old, her person and finances are being managed by a court appointed guardian. She does however, have a brilliant mind and, as we are about to learn, a powerful will... She quickly becomes the driving force of the investigation. We watch transfixed, as the past reaches into the presence, and touches the lives of Blomkvist, Salander, her guardian, the industrialist and the wealthy scion.
The story, as written by Larsson, is extremely brutal (consider that the original, and the very apt, Swedish title is "Men Who Hate Women"). However, I am inclined to believe the violence serves as another character in the story and as such is necessary. I am therefore glad that the filmmakers did not seek to tamper it, thus neutering the punch the story delivers. Though this Swedish adaptation is scripted and directed to the highest standard, the focus must be on the performance of the actress Noomi Rapace. Her portrayal of Lisbeth is shockingly faithful to the text and the actress manages to take over the film with her very appearance.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is one of the best adaptations I have seen, ever. I encourage you not to miss it; though do see it with friends, as you will afterwards feel strongly compelled to discuss the various explosive plot twists. I hope Hollywood never touches this gem. I am anxiously waiting for the next two installments to hit US screens.
PS: Keep in mind, this film is NOT for the underaged.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2010)

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her beloved uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and the tattooed and troubled but resourceful computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vanger's are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

Buy NowGet 42% OFF

Click here for more information about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2010)

Read More...

9/05/2011

Shoot to Kill (1988) Review

Shoot to Kill (1988)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
A rare action movie that manages to rise above its formula, Shoot to Kill delivers mystery, exciting action, and beautiful cinematography.
Tom Berenger has done many action/thriller movies, but Sidney Poitier steps out for a change of pace in this movie. Its formula is "double-fish-out-of-water buddy picture", and it stays pretty close to the formula throughout the movie.
Poitier plays an FBI agent who blew an arrest and wound up with a dead civilian, and has tracked the (unseen) thief/killer into the Pacific Northwest. Berenger plays a tracker, whose girlfriend runs a trail guide business. The girlfriend (Kirstie Alley in an outdoor role!) has taken her latest group of travelers out into the woods, and Poitier believes that the killer is among them. If that's not bad enough, a deadly storm looks like it's coming on.
The real fun in this movie is in the first half, where you see all of the men in Kirstie Alley's group. All of them are recognizable character actors, and most of them have played villains in other movies before. So which one of them is the killer? I guessed wrong the first time.
Unfortunately, this gets revealed about halfway through, and the movie returns to the formula. However, the excellent performances and lush cinematography elevate it beyond the norm. I thought Poitier did a great job as the city-based FBI agent, and Alley was surprisingly good as the trail guide.
Definitely worth a watch. Or two.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Shoot to Kill (1988)



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Shoot to Kill (1988)

Read More...

7/15/2011

Far From Home (1989) Review

Far From Home (1989)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This movie does several things pretty well. First, Drew Barrymore's character is really well drawn. She's sensitive, consumed by her own emotions, and, well, horny. Unlike the teenagers in so much of today's cinema, Drew's character has a total lack of attitude, she's fueled by feelings, not cliches. This is all done in a subtle way, and that makes her very likable and sympathetic. Also, the "far from home" atmosphere is created nicely. You really do feel as if you're in the last place on earth, with all these oddball characters either trying to get out or else slowly losing their sanity from the isolation and desolation. These things contrast well and give the film a really uneasy feeling. The totally naive girls put in a dangerous place - but of course she doesn't know it's dangerous. It could so easily descend into melodrama, but it doesn't because of the skillfulness with which it is crafted. The other characters are also well done - everyone has a very definite personality and they all add together to create the atmosphere - exactly what you might expect to find in such a place, but of course you've never thought about it before because who would want to?
Overall, an effective film.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Far From Home (1989)



Buy NowGet 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Far From Home (1989)

Read More...