Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

**dell71** · 03-19-2009, 06:37 PM

Quarantine
2008. Rated R, 89 minutes.
Director: John Eric Dowdle. Starring Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Jay Hernandez, Columbus Short.

Plot: While following around the firefighters at a local station, young reporter Angela (Carpenter) and her cameraman Scott (Harris) find themselves trapped in an apartment building where some of the tenants seem to have contracted a disease that literally transforms them into homicidal maniacs.

The Good: It gives its intended audience what they came for. We get lots of gore, screaming and running. The one twist on this works out nicely. That twist is the last 10 or so minutes of the movie being shown via the camera's night vision setting. This heightens any tension the movie has because we realize the good guys can't see what's in the dark room with them.

The Bad: What if Cloverfield were a zombie movie instead of a giant monster movie? The answer to that question is Quarantine. It follows that exact template. The entire thing is filmed through a handheld camera. The holder of the camera is heard much more often than seen. We start with 10 or so minutes of idiotic banter thatâ€™s supposed to pass for character development. No one seems to know what's going on. None of the characters are particularly likeable. And, it wants to set you up for a sequel. In fact, if you've seen the trailer, you've seen the ending. To be fair, it's actually a remake of a Spanish horror movie entitled [Rec] (as in the "REC" button on your cam-corder) which was never released in the US. In any event, it felt like I had just watched almost the exact same movie just with a different bunch of people I couldn't care less for.

The Ugly: A zombie trying to walk on a broken leg.

Recommendation: I'll just say again, it's almost exactly like Cloverfield just with zombies in a small apartment building instead of a giant monster in the city of New York. Fans of Cloverfield will either really love it or really hate it. For the rest of us, it'll be just a middle-of-the-road horror flick.

The Opposite View: Prairie Miller, News Blaze

What the Internet Says: 6.2/10 on imdb.com (3/19/09), 59% on rottentomatoes.com, 53/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 5/10

**Pitty** · 03-19-2009, 06:38 PM

Nice, good to see this continued from that former Demon site.

**dell71** · 03-19-2009, 06:44 PM

W.
2008. Rated PG-13, 129 minutes.
Director: Oliver Stone. Starring Josh Brolin, Richard Dreyfuss, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell.

Plot: The life and times of George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States.

The Good: It aptly conveys the arrogance and bull-headedness often associated with the Bush Administration. The cast is mostly outstanding. Of course, this includes Brolin in the lead. He has the former President's mannerisms, voice and speech patterns down cold. The debating between Vice-President Cheney (Dreyfuss) and Gen. Colin Powell (Jeffrey Wright) provides some of the best scenes in the movie, gives us a foundation for the director's opinion on Bush's term and ably showcases the two actors involved. Lastly, the closing scene is a brilliant metaphor.

The Bad: As expected, it's a one-sided representation of Pres. Bush. What wasn't expected is that it's a bit gunshy and falls short of really skewering him. It's content to let you think he's just not that bright and is angry with his father without delving into potentially darker issues like the 2000 Presidential election, what he did or didn't do immediately following the attacks of 9/11, the disaster of Hurricane Katrina or how he amassed his personal fortune. Therefore, at times it feels like an extended Saturday Night Live skit playfully tickling Pres. Bush's feet with a feather instead of really putting them to the fire. It's not that I'm particularly for or against Bush but the movie seems to want to go down that road but can't quite bring itself to. Also, as I said most of the acting is excellent but there is one jarring exception: Thandie Newton as Condoleeza Rice. Newton is a talented actress who usually does good work but she really dropped the ball, here.

The Ugly: Watching the prez manhandle a sandwich.

Recommendation: It's a decent watch. Even though the movie is not on Pres. Bush's side, it does show a measure of sympathy towards him. This is definitely one people into political movies should take a look at and form their own opinions. However, since the movie was released before he even left office I think it might be too soon for a film about George W. Bush, whether biased or not.

The Opposite View: Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing

What the Internet Says: 6.7/10 on imdb.com (3/15/09), 59% on rottentomatoes.com, 56/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6/10

**Len B** · 03-19-2009, 08:02 PM

If you made "the essence of dell", it'd be track after track of great movie reviews and other random lists. Dude is a pro at what he does.

**Palooza** · 03-19-2009, 08:08 PM

this thread is amazing.

*subscribes*

**Bigpapa42** · 03-19-2009, 08:12 PM

Bout time!

I enjoyed Quarantine, but its was in no way special or original. Especially given it was a remake of a Spanish flick.

**Palooza** · 03-19-2009, 08:38 PM

Originally posted by Bigpapa42

Bout time!

I enjoyed Quarantine, but its was in no way special or original. Especially given it was a remake of a Spanish flick.

It pissed me off that the final shot of the movie is in the fucking trailer.

**theMINI** · 03-19-2009, 09:02 PM

subscribed...

**Bigpapa42** · 03-19-2009, 10:02 PM

Originally posted by Palooza

It pissed me off that the final shot of the movie is in the fucking trailer.

Yeah, I'm typically not a fan of the trailer giving away major parts of the film. This one seemed even worse.

**steeljake** · 03-19-2009, 10:50 PM

finally, an MM'er who is worth a shit. nice reviews.

**Palooza** · 03-19-2009, 10:51 PM

Originally posted by steeljake75

finally, an MM'er who is worth a shit.

daaaaaayum.

**Len B** · 03-19-2009, 11:03 PM

lol steeljake throwing the bows.

**dell71** · 03-19-2009, 11:59 PM

Originally posted by Hokie

Movie review turf war about to go down.

Nah. There's room for both of us...Rawlin is doing mostly stuff that's still in the theaters. Most of the stuff I review has already hit DVD.

**dell71** · 03-20-2009, 08:28 PM

Lakeview Terrace
2008. Rated PG-13, 110 minutes.
Director: Neil LaBute. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington, Ron Glass.

Plot: A young couple (Wilson and Washington) move into a pleasant upper-middle class neighborhood only to find out their next door neighbor Abel (Jackson) is a police officer who not only disapproves of their interracial relationship but is determined to make their lives hell because of it.

The Good: The cast all give superb efforts. Aside from the line deliveries, the looks on their faces between their lines really gives insight to the emotions of these people. Of course, Samuel L. Jackson just does what he does. That is, even when he's being an all-out jerk he's the coolest dude ever. Barney Miller fans will get a kick out of seeing Ron Glass. The overall pace of the movie is great. It doesn't rush, but doesn't drag, either. It builds momentum nicely until it brings us to a breaking point.

The Bad: The whole thing feels like White male angst run amok. It seems like its trying to validate the fear that Blacks are out to get them, especially if they (White males) try to identify with Black culture. This makes it particularly impactful that our hero is into rap music (even if it is dated rap) and even moreso given the fate of the thuggish White guy, ahem...3% Cherokee he tells us, that really tries to "act Black." Even our hero's wife resorts to an underhanded strategy to get her way with him. And I haven't even mentioned how the father-in-law (Glass) deals with this situation when asked for help or how the Black family is left. Aside from all that, LT never rises above run-of-the-mill thriller cliches. It threatens to by introducing California wildfires to possibly be a metaphor or aid in creating a metaphor but alas, it merely uses them to provide a dangerous backdrop for our big action finale.

The Ugly: This whole movie might have been avoided if Abel devoted just half as much energy into getting laid. True story.

Recommendation: Samuel L. Jackson makes a believable and despicable villain which is enough to make it a decent watch. I don't necessarily hate it, it functions pretty well as a thriller. I just couldn't get with all the underlying themes.

The Opposite View: Charlotte O'Sullivan, This is London

What the Internet Says: 6.4/10 on imdb.com (3/14/09), 48% on rottentomatoes.com, 47/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 5.5/10

The Graduate
1967. Rated PG, 105 minutes.
Director: Mike Nichols. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katherine Ross, Murray Hamilton.
Just home from college, Benjamin (Hoffman) is seduced by one of his mom's friend, Mrs. Robinson (Bancroft). The movie works for two reasons. First, Hoffman is ridiculously good. He consistently gives off the right vibe at the right moment. Every one of his reactions to the situations he finds himself in ring true. Second, particularly early in the movie, the camera is manipulated in a manner that makes Anne Bancroft more attractive than she actually is. This gives us an appreciation for how Benjamin feels about her and why he acts the way he does when he takes out her daughter Elaine (Ross). Honestly, there are are other reasons it works, funny dialogue chief among them, but those two jump off the screen. For me, this is another of those movies I had only seen in bits and pieces over the years and I'm glad I finally got to enjoy in its entirety. A couple of sidenotes: The iconic scenes are the ones featuring just small parts of Mrs. Robinson with Benjamin in the background. For my money, it's Benjamin's late scene with the very angry Mr. Robinson (Hamilton) and Benjamin's initial date with Elaine that are the best the film has to offer. Second, I found Benjamin's mom (Elizabeth Wilson) much more of MILF than Mrs. Robinson. Sorry if it sounds like I'm bashing Bancroft but I don't really mean to. She obviously got the role because her demeanor, attitude and even her voice were nothing short of perfect. MY SCORE: 9/10

Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

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