If you were to strike Ryuhei Kitamura's name from the credits, make me watch it, and tell me who directed it, I wouldn't believe you.
It feels like Del Toro's Mimic, a c-horror movie headlined by a kickass foreign director, but one with his hands tied, not allowed to do the things that made him a kickass director in the first place. Where's the swagger? Where's the over-the-top style? Where are the squealing guitars? Where's the Kitamura who made Versus and Aragami? Besides little touches like the splatter, some camera work, and
the fact that it basically has the same ending as Aragami, with the main character replacing the antagonist in a continuous cycle with no end in sight,
it feels only like a slightly above average contemporary American horror flick.
Amazing first hour and a half. Unbelievably lame ending. Seriously? That's your final confrontation? I wasn't asking for some insane Dark City style psychic battle but.....SERIOUSLY???
Not too shabby.
One thing that really bugged me was the occasional stock sound effect. Which is a shame, because otherwise the sound design was really good. But then once in a while there'd be this stock "monster roar" sound effect that you've heard in a million cheap genre flicks, and you can't help but roll your eyes.
I do kinda agree on the sentiment that the ending was a bit weak. I mean come on, the family with the two kids and the dog just happen to come on at that exact moment?
One of the more noteworthy oddities in the Kaiju genre. If only for the story behind it.
Some of the effects are especially dated, like the rear projections. But others don't look half bad, like the suit and model work. No surprise that those came courtesy of Toho themselves.
Surprisingly accurate to Stoker's novel. A lot of the details that get chronically overlooked are preserved here. Dracula sports a mustache, waxes poetic about his proud lineage, can walk daylight, etc. Quincy Morris is even in the thing!
It's just a shame that it's so awkward and dull.
By far the best of the Taisen series of crossover movies. More characters, better and more drawn-out fight sequences, zero fights in the old abandoned rock quarry. Sure, the script it still pretty weak, but not on the scale of Super Hero Taisen.
What the fuck is this shit? This isn't Mad Max.
Mad Max movies are made of fire and blood, scored with the sounds of roaring engines and breaking bones. Mad Max movies are mean and nasty, not PG kiddie romps with neutered violence and adowable orphan tribes who talk like Jar-Jar Binks.
I can think of several very colorful words to describe Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but only one word best describes it.
BETRAYAL.
What worked about its predecessor was that it had the kind of "oh my God how did they film that and not kill someone??" practical stunt work that seems almost dead in martial arts movies these days.
The sequel, by contrast, is a montage of appallingly bad greenscreens and optical composits, to the point that I often wondered if any of the actors were even in the same room.
And really? Lightsaber sound effects?
Comments 1 - 25 of 123
Movie comment on The Midnight Meat Train
ThomasFTB
If you were to strike Ryuhei Kitamura's name from the credits, make me watch it, and tell me who directed it, I wouldn't believe you.It feels like Del Toro's Mimic, a c-horror movie headlined by a kickass foreign director, but one with his hands tied, not allowed to do the things that made him a kickass director in the first place. Where's the swagger? Where's the over-the-top style? Where are the squealing guitars? Where's the Kitamura who made Versus and Aragami? Besides little touches like the splatter, some camera work, and
Movie comment on C.H.U.D. II - Bud the Chud
ThomasFTB
Better than Citizen KaneMovie comment on Beyond the Black Rainbow
ThomasFTB
Amazing first hour and a half. Unbelievably lame ending. Seriously? That's your final confrontation? I wasn't asking for some insane Dark City style psychic battle but.....SERIOUSLY???Movie comment on The Babadook
ThomasFTB
Not too shabby.One thing that really bugged me was the occasional stock sound effect. Which is a shame, because otherwise the sound design was really good. But then once in a while there'd be this stock "monster roar" sound effect that you've heard in a million cheap genre flicks, and you can't help but roll your eyes.
Movie comment on The Road
ThomasFTB
I do kinda agree on the sentiment that the ending was a bit weak. I mean come on, the family with the two kids and the dog just happen to come on at that exact moment?Movie comment on Pulgasari
ThomasFTB
One of the more noteworthy oddities in the Kaiju genre. If only for the story behind it.Some of the effects are especially dated, like the rear projections. But others don't look half bad, like the suit and model work. No surprise that those came courtesy of Toho themselves.
Movie comment on Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht
ThomasFTB
Surprisingly accurate to Stoker's novel. A lot of the details that get chronically overlooked are preserved here. Dracula sports a mustache, waxes poetic about his proud lineage, can walk daylight, etc. Quincy Morris is even in the thing!It's just a shame that it's so awkward and dull.
Movie comment on Dracula: Prince of Darkness
ThomasFTB
Poor Christopher Lee doesn't even get to talk in this one.Movie comment on Nightbreed
ThomasFTB
That was just silly.Movie comment on Gone Girl
ThomasFTB
That was ridiculous. But great. But RIDICULOUS. But GREAT. But ridiculous.Movie comment on The Disappearance
ThomasFTB
Weird, interesting little flick.My God, was John Hurt really that young once?
Movie comment on Heisei Raidâ tai Shôwa Raidâ Kamen Raidâ taisen feat. Sûpâ Sentai
ThomasFTB
By far the best of the Taisen series of crossover movies. More characters, better and more drawn-out fight sequences, zero fights in the old abandoned rock quarry. Sure, the script it still pretty weak, but not on the scale of Super Hero Taisen.Movie comment on Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
ThomasFTB
What the fuck is this shit? This isn't Mad Max.Mad Max movies are made of fire and blood, scored with the sounds of roaring engines and breaking bones. Mad Max movies are mean and nasty, not PG kiddie romps with neutered violence and adowable orphan tribes who talk like Jar-Jar Binks.
I can think of several very colorful words to describe Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but only one word best describes it.
BETRAYAL.
Movie comment on Masters of Horror: John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns
ThomasFTB
Great idea marred by cheap and bland execution.Movie comment on Singham Returns
ThomasFTB
The fascistic overtones in this series are reaching a fever point......Movie comment on Tom yum goong 2
ThomasFTB
A pale imitation of the original.What worked about its predecessor was that it had the kind of "oh my God how did they film that and not kill someone??" practical stunt work that seems almost dead in martial arts movies these days.
The sequel, by contrast, is a montage of appallingly bad greenscreens and optical composits, to the point that I often wondered if any of the actors were even in the same room.
And really? Lightsaber sound effects?
Movie comment on In the Mouth of Madness
ThomasFTB
Really? Top 500 Horror Films? Cahier du Cinema yearly top list?How could anyone find this meandering, badly acted folderol scary or worth watching?
Movie comment on Riaru: Kanzen naru kubinagaryû no hi
ThomasFTB
Bullshit endingMovie comment on The Creep Behind the Camera
ThomasFTB
In making a movie about one of the worst films ever, they succeeded in making one nearly as bad.Movie comment on Guardian
ThomasFTB
What a colossal piece shit.Movie comment on Kraftidioten
ThomasFTB
Best black comedy since In Bruges?Movie comment on Yong-eui-ja
ThomasFTB
Colonel Min and his comedic number 2 should REALLY have been the main characters.Movie comment on Stage Fright
ThomasFTB
LAAAAMEMovie comment on Malevolence
ThomasFTB
Solid, atmospheric back-to-basics slasher flick.Movie comment on Death Spa
ThomasFTB
"besides, I'm Beta, you're VHS"Showing items 1 – 25 of 123