Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[Juggernaut]

Howl's is a lot like Spirited Away, and PM is a lot like Paprika.

If you could handle Inception, you should find this movie to be at least average.

[Golden Taters]

Watched The Fighter last night, I recommend it if you have yet to see it.

[tigstah]

[center]Dell’s Classics Presents:

i really want to see this.....

[dell71]

The Last Exorcism
Directed by Daniel Stamm.
2010. Rated PG-13, 87 minutes.
Cast:
Patrick Fabian
Ashley Bell
Iris Bahr
Louis Herthum
Caleb Landry Jones
Tony Bentley
Logan Craig Reid
Shanna Forrestall

Cotton Marcus (Fabian) has been preaching ever since he can remember. As a very young boy, his father not only had him in the pulpit, but delivering fire and brimstone laced sermons. Before he had even hit puberty, Cotton graduated to performing exorcisms. He’s now highly sought after for his ability to dispatch demons. He’s also a fraud. He has become disenfranchised with the church and not completely sure he even believes in God. He wants to expose the entire industry of exorcising demons as all fakery and showmanship. To do so, he’s making a documentary not only explaining this, but actually filming the last exorcism he will perform. Yes, this falls squarely into the young, but rapidly growing horror sub-genre of “found footage” movies. Though this is the rare one that doesn’t tell you this up front, you can still guess how it ends for Cotton and his crew. If you’re stuck, think Shakespearean tragedy. If you’re still stuck, read a couple Shakespearean tragedies.

Despite having a pretty good idea how it finishes, these movies can work if the journey to that finale is a good one. The Last Exorcism builds nicely and gives su some tense moments. All of which involve 16 year old Nell (Bell) whom, along with her father, believes she is possessed by the Devil. Her brother Caleb (Jones) has a different take on the situation. We in the audience are led to believe she is, but there may be something to what Caleb thinks. Will Cotton and company figure this whole thing out? What will happen when they do?

Their next move is often a hotly debated topic amongst our would-be filmmakers. It’s what propels the movie. We already know what we think of Nell. Our interest in in how our heroes will react. We’re also interested in what they think is happening. A wide array of speculative statements are made wheny they repeatedly try to come up with a gameplan to deal with their ever-changing situation.

All of this works well enough. Most of us aren’t scared because not only have there been lots of exorcism movies for us to learn from, but this one is fairly obvious in its machinations. Still, we’re intrigued. We wonder how all of this will affect Cotton’s faith. Will he find a logical, human explanation or will he run back to church, apologize to the Lord and beg forgiveness?

There is a big problem with The Last Exorcism. It can be traced back to what type of movie it is. The genre dictates an abrupt ending. That happens here, but only after a revelation we need to know more about. Literally, two minutes after we see something that makes us want to see lots more, the credits are rolling. This works fine in Cloverfield and more recently Paranormal Activity. It doesn’t quite fit, here. In this case, it feels like the most interesting parts of the movie are purposely excluded.

MY SCORE: 5.5/10

[Buzzman]

That is a shame. I found The Last Exorcism to be quite funny. It really made fun of the genre it was playing at for the first 60 minutes. I really enjoyed it up until those last 2 minutes of the film. If they would have just cut that part out, the film would have ended with you deciding who was right in theory, instead it was answered for you.

[dell71]

Holy Rollers
Directed by Kevin Asch.
2010. Rated R, 89 minutes.
Cast:
Jesse Eisenberg
Justin Bartha
Danny A. Abeckaser
Ari Gaynor
Jason Fuchs
Mark Ivanir
Elizabeth Marvel
Bern Cohen
Q-Tip
Hallie Kate Eisenberg

At twenty, Sam’s (Jesse Eisenberg) life appears to be already mapped out for him. He lives with his parents and leads a fairly strict Hasidic lifestyle. He is studying to become a rabbi and it has been arranged for him to marry a very pretty girl. He also works at the dry-cleaners his father owns. That business puts food on the table, but affords the family no luxuries. Even the necessities are worn and ragged. Particularly problematic is the ancient stove. Turning it on requires a pair of pliers and just the right touch.

Sam dreams of bettering his family’s circumstances. If nothing else, he wants to buy his mom a new stove. This is where Yosef (Bartha) comes in. Yosef lives next door and is the older brother of Sam’s best friend. He is also a drug-runner. He works for Jackie (Abeckaser), an Istraeli born Ecstasy dealer. To help the operation, Yosef dupes straight-laced Hasidics into thinking they’re transporting medicine from Amsterdam into the U.S. for the wealthy. Yosef not only recruits Sam for such a trip, Jackie likes Sam so much he quickly becomes an integral part of this small outfit. He’s also sucked into the fast paced lifestyle and becomes an outcast amongst his friends and family.

This is based on a true story. It is interesting and efficiently told. Aside from the fact we’re dealing with Hasidic Jews, there’s not much that’s unique about Holy Rollers. It also lacks the storytelling acumen of movies it’s so clearly influenced by like Scarface and Blow. Though their tales were familiar, even when we first saw them, their sweeping narratives stick with us. Though HR takes its cues from those others, it never really strives to be the type of epic they are. Instead, it moves rapidly through its story, sure not to overstay its welcome.

However, I did say it is efficient. Despite clocking in at a hair shy of 90 minutes, it hits all the spots it has to in order to keep us vested in what happens to Sam. Everything needed to give us a solid crime drama is present. It’s just that not much of it is explored enough to make HR stand out. Part of the problem is that Sam isn’t a dynamic enough personality. Yes, we see that he has dreams and aspirations and the things he’s willing to do to achieve them. Still, he’s little more than a reflection of whoever he happens to be around at the time. Perhaps most troubling, we see how his religion reacts to his indiscretions, but never really find out if there is a real struggle within him. We don’t know if he’s having knee-jerk reactions or really turning his back on his faith. It’s an aspect that could’ve helped the movie by allowing us to participate a little more.

Regardless of its issues, HR is a solid watch. The acting is top notch. In spite of what it leaves out, it never feels like it is rushing through what it has. It makes its way from beginning to end in a manner worthy of your perusal. It just doesn’t quite live up to its potential.

MY SCORE: 6/10

[Senser81]

Have you reviewed The Fighter or Slumdog Millionaire yet? Too lazy to search.

[Palooza]

Have you reviewed The Fighter or Slumdog Millionaire yet? Too lazy to search.

VSN Sports - Uncensored Sports Discussion Forum, Message Board, Fantasy Sports, etc. - View Single Post - Dell's Good, Bad Ugly Movie Reviews

[Senser81]

Thanks for the link, and good review Dell. The moral dilemma of the brother reminded me of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly where Tuco meets his brother who is a priest, and Tuco gets upset because the only way to get out of poverty was to become a priest or a bandit, and Tuco chose bandit.

[dell71]

Thanks for the link, and good review Dell. The moral dilemma of the brother reminded me of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly where Tuco meets his brother who is a priest, and Tuco gets upset because the only way to get out of poverty was to become a priest or a bandit, and Tuco chose bandit.

Interesting. That never occurred to me, but I can definitely see it. Thanks.

[dell71]

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Directed by Jon Turteltaub.
2010. Rated PG, 109 minutes.
Cast:
Nicolas Cage
Jay Baruchel
Alfred Molina
Teresa Palmer
Toby Kebbell
Monica Bellucci
Omar Benson Miller
Alice Krige
James A. Stephens

Way back when, like before David Blaine, there lived a magician…er…sorcerer named Merlin (Stephens). He fought for all things good and had three apprentices. They were Balthazar (Cage), Horvath (Molina) and Veronica (Bellucci). Merlin’s arch enemy was the e-e-evil Morgana (Krige). Somehow, she got Horvath to betray his master and help her do bad things. Of course, the good guy wins, anyway. Morgana gets trapped in a tiny contraption that looks like a miniature weeble-wobble (‘member those?) and Horvath gets trapped in some other thing. Unfortunately, Veronica gets stuck inside the same device with Morgana. Finally, weakened from the battle, Merlin dies. The end.

Sadly, that’s not really the end. Before croaking, Merlin gives Balthazar a ring that looks like a dragon and tells him it will lead him to the Prime Merlinian. The Prime Merlinian is the only person who can actually kill Morgana should she ever escape the weeble-wobble. Fast forward twelve hundred plus years to the year 2000. In true Disney fashion, we quickly surmise that goofy, loner fourth grader Dave (Baruchel) is our hero. A few minutes later, Balthazar finds this out also, pretty much by accident. You see, numbskull Dave wanders off from his class while on a school trip and finds himself caught in the middle of a battle between two wizards after he accidentally lets Horvath out. I hate when that happens. Bada-boom bada-bing, Balthazar gets Horvath back in his cage, but gets trapped there himself. Meanwhile, Dave runs off with the weeble-wobble, throws it in the street and looks like he literally pissed his pants. He’s thoroughly embarrassed in front of the one girl that’s ever smiled at him. The end.

Again, I’m wishfully thinking. Instead, we have to fast forward another ten years to get to the meat of the story. Sadly, it’s the same old meatloaf. You know the routine. That goofy, loner kid is now a goofy, loner college kid. Evidentally, he’s never even been close to getting laid because he’s still pining for the girl from fourth grade who once told him he did something cool. Hey, how did you know it was the same girl that smiled at him? Did you watch this by accident, or something? Oh yeah, I just re-remembered this is a Disney movie. Therefore, no one has ever gotten laid. EVAR! What was I thinking? Anyhoo, Horvath gets out and busies himself trying to find the weeble-wobble so he can bust out Morgana and she can do some really bad things. She’s such a naughty girl. As you might expect, this often involves trying to kill Dave. Thankfully, Balthazar has also gotten out and saves our would-be hero more than once. See, Dave doesn’t know magic. Balthazar has to tutor him as we go along, thus making him…wait for it…wait for it…THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE! Ta-dah!

Okay, fill in the blanks from here. I promise you, the rest of it plays out exactly as you expect. Oh alright, I’ll give you one more morsel just in case you’re slow, or something. Becky (Palmer), the girl that smiled at Dave and told him he did something cool all the way back in fourth grade suddenly pops back into his life. She happens to attend the college he’s transferred to. That’s enough. Get a pen and a napkin. Go! Yup, it’s just like that.

Don’t get me wrong. As a laser and light show, it functions pretty well. Bolts of electricity, bodies and all manner of cgi manufactured goodness whiz across the screen at a frenetic pace. This may cause seizures but it keeps our eyes busy. Fittingly, Nic Cage gets in on the act. His long locks flow and his trench coat swooshes to remind us how cool it would be if we were sorcerers. Maybe not, but he’s Nic Cage and you just wish you were.

Wait, what did I just say? Nevermind.

Speaking of Mr. Cage, he’s thankfully not as over the top as he normally is. The rest of the movie handles things in that department. Still, his more restrained than usual performance is hardly enough to save the movie. That said, it is what it is. Young viewers will likely enjoy it. Veteran viewers will often roll their eyes, never be surprised, proclaim it stupid and still might be mildly entertained by all the stuff that’s going on. They just won’t think it’s good.

MY SCORE: 4.5/10

[Leftwich]

WHY?! WHY?! Why is Nicolas Cage still making movie?!

[dell71]

Paranormal Activity 2
Directed by Tod Williams.
2010. Rated R, 91 minutes.
Cast:
Sprague Grayden
Brian Boland
Molly Ephraim
Katie Featherston
Vivis Cortez
William Juan Prieto
Jackson Xenia Prieto
Seth Ginsberg
Micah Sloat

Right away, we figure something out in Paranormal Activity 2 that alters our vision of the original. Apparently, while Katie (Featherston) and Micah (Sloat) were dealing with an evil spirit in their home, Katie’s sister Kristi (Grayden) and her family is doing the same. Actually, their ordeal starts first. This sudden revelation makes the first movie feel like something is missing since none of this is ever mentioned. Nevertheless, it all begins shortly after little Hunter (the Prieto twins) is born. Pretty soon, inanimate objects are moving about by themselves and things often go bump in the night. Ever the pragmatic, Kristi’s husband Daniel (Boland) always has an explanation for everything while his wife and daughter Ali (Ephraim) think otherwise.

We’re privy to these happenings through two avenues. First, members of the Rey family are fond of carrying around a camcorder, much like Micah in that first movie. Second, they’ve installed security cameras all over the house after what they think is a break-in. Early on, come home to discover their house has been ransacked. Immediately, they assume it was done by burglars. We know better.

As expected, the severity of the strange occurrences elevates as time passes. The Reys are also often visited by Katie and Micah, periodically. Occasionally, Ali’s boyfriend Brad (Ginsberg) is on hand. The family dog seems to be aware that something is not quite right. Even Hunter appears to have the same feeling.

If you’ve seen the original, you’ll notice there’s a few more people around, plus the dog. Basically, this is the only thing that differentiates the sequel from its predecessor. Many of the scare tactics are recycled. The pacing feels identical and the interaction between the skeptic (Daniel) and the believers (Kristi and Ali) feels the same. While the first felt fresh, particularly in the stagnant haunted house genre, this one feels like a remake.

With that said, it’s not a terrible watch. Adding more people to the mix does give us several points of view, which we didn’t have the first time. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that one of them is a baby. Kids in danger tend to get us emotionally involved easier. We just can’t stand it when our angry Casper includes junior in all the fun.

The other thing that keeps us watching is the potential for another crazy ending. We simply have to see how this thing turns out. This one tries but doesn’t have quite the wow factor of the original. It’s interesting, but only in a way that makes you say “Hmmm…that’s interesting.” It doesn’t make you say “OMG!” In summation, that’s the problem with the whole movie. While it’s an okay movie with a couple frights, it often just feels like more of the same.

MY SCORE: 5.5/10

[Rivers17ncsu]

Both you and Buzzman have liked PA2 way more than me. It wasn't as bad as the first one, which wasn't saying much. That movie just really bored me the whole movie. I watched it with my dad and he found it quite hilarious. Maybe these movies made through what seems to be hand held cameras aren't for me.

Also so last night that in October they are releasing Paranormal Activity 3. The one thing I did like about 2 was how they added in the story from one into it. It will be interesting to see what they do with three though I'm not expecting it be a good movie.

[dell71]

Both you and Buzzman have liked PA2 way more than me. It wasn't as bad as the first one, which wasn't saying much. That movie just really bored me the whole movie. I watched it with my dad and he found it quite hilarious. Maybe these movies made through what seems to be hand held cameras aren't for me.

Also so last night that in October they are releasing Paranormal Activity 3. The one thing I did like about 2 was how they added in the story from one into it. It will be interesting to see what they do with three though I'm not expecting it be a good movie.

If I liked PA2 "way more" than you then you must have thought it was the worst thing going. If I had to sum up my review of it in one word, I would say "meh" (if that's really a word). I actually did really like the original. This one, not so much.