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(*) Hide and Seek ***½
USA: John Polson, 2005 (Watched with commentary by John Polson, Ari Schlossberg and Jeffrey Ford) IMDB reference
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Hide and Seek ***½
USA: John Polson, 2005 Decent and engaging horror movie with a satisfying although not entirely unexpected twist. There's not a whole load of new material here - the disturbed kid storyline has been done before in The Sixth Sense, Godsend and the like - but director John Polson handles the tension well, and Dakota Fanning is positively creepy as the aforementioned disturbed kid. Definitely a "watch once" affair, this is worth a rental. IMDB reference
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(*) Hercules ***
USA: John Musker/Ron Clements, 1997 The coolest thing about Disney's Hercules is its breakneck pace and the character designs, created in an attempt to mimic the style of English cartoonist Gerald Scarfe (who was also the film's production designer). There is a lot more stylistic variation than in most recent Disney films, and yet it all seems to fit. The look of Hell (called "The Underworld" here) is suitably creepy, and the casting of James Woods as the voice of Hades is inspired. However, much of the plot is a retread of any number of Disney's "be who you want to be" stories, with Hercules himself seeming like little more than a more muscular and more annoying Aladdin. The use of Gospel music for a film set in ancient Greece was an odd choice, and Alan Menken's music and songs lack their customary pizzazz. IMDB reference
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(*) Peter Pan ****
USA: Hamilton Luske/Clyde Geronimi/Wilfred Jackson, 1953 IMDB reference
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Blade: Trinity ***
USA: David S. Goyer, 2004 Nothing like as bad as I was expecting - in fact, I enjoyed it quite a lot. Wesley Snipes and the guy playing Dracula (Dominic Purcell) are awful, and the script isn't up to snuff either. Also, the gratuitous Apple/iPod product placement gets old fast. However, it's very entertaining and even pretty funny in places. This movie definitely belongs to Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds and Parker Posey, who make up for Snipes' complete lack of commitment. Overall I enjoyed this a bit more than Blade II and about as much as the original Blade. If you've been avoiding this because of the bad press, check it out and give it a chance - you might enjoy it. IMDB reference
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(*) The Case of the Scorpion's Tail ***½
Original title: La Coda dello Scorpione
Italy: Sergio Martino, 1971 IMDB reference
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Insomnia ***
USA: Christopher Nolan, 2002 Pretty good remake of the Norwegian thriller by Erik Skjoldbjærg. It owes a great deal to The Silence of the Lambs and in many places feels unforgivably mundane, but the various chase sequences are handled well, and Wally Pfister's cold, moody photography is a great asset. Robin Williams is a little distracting here as the killer, given that he is too recognizable a face and doesn't fare well in his more menacing moments. However, Al Pacino and Hilary Swank do pretty well as the two detectives trying to apprehend him. IMDB reference
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The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh ****
Original title: Lo Strano Vizio della Signora Wardh
Italy: Sergio Martino, 1971 IMDB reference
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind *****
USA: Michel Gondry, 2004 IMDB reference
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The House that Screamed ****
Original title: La Residencia
Spain: Chicho Ibáñez-Serrador, 1969 IMDB reference
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Movies
Welcome to the movie checklist!
This section is an archive listing every movie I've seen from January 1 2005 onwards. Films I have already seen are included and will be marked with a (*), but probably won't be reviewed except under special circumstances. I will be including a rating for each film (in stars, out of 5), and hope to be able to include a brief 1-2 paragraph review of each film, although due to time constraints that won't always be possible.
Archives
Films Viewed This Month
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