edwa8698 Blog

Under discussion:

Prom Night  (1980)

With Halloween in the late 70's the slasher genre was born, and since then there have been few really good slasher film's well this is one of them. The production is obviously low budget but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the final film in fact for me it actually added to the cult feel the film really needs. Technically there is nothing really interesting going on the camera pretty much just takes the same angles over and over again but the mood and tone is very creepy and has a definite 70's feel to it (the theme of the prom is disco). Jamie Lee Curtis comes on the coat tails of Halloween and was obviously type cast which is maybe one reason she gave such a solid performance, all of the other cast did a great job for the purpose of the film. Overall a worthy addition to the indie world and a great harmless scare!!

Under discussion:

American Pie 2  (2001)

I found American Pie to be a sweet and nostalgic look at adolescence and relationships that develop throughout those years. American Pie 2 is pretty much the same recipe add some new characters and a cabin by the lake. Jim and his friends have all finished their first year of college and are experiencing their first summer at home. The Summer starts off slow and then Kevin (Thomas Ian NIcholas) gets an idea from his brother to rent a cabin by lake Michigan. At the end of the summer they plan to throw a huge party that everyone will remember. The jokes are as funny as they where in the first one, the characters are just as likable and in the case of Stifler unlikable as they where in the first one so if you where a fan of the first one you will most likely like the sequel but it doesn't really give any thing new to the formula worked in the first film. Oh well I guess the important thing is that I enjoyed it!!

Under discussion:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull  (2008)

This film has been very controversial since it's memorial day release. I like a lot of other people had high expectations and fortunatley mine where met!! This is exactly what Indiana Jones is supposed to be and Steven, George, and Harrison are back in fine form. I saw this in a packed theatre and the crowd was reacting well to what was going on on screen. After waiting nineteen years for indy to come back to the big screen there couldn't have been better. So i know that viewers are going to have different opinions about the fourth installment of the series but I thought that it was faithful to the spirit of the other three films and for die hard Indy fans will be just what they are looking for.

Under discussion:

Heat  (1995)

One thing that Michael Mann is great at doing is leaving the viewer feeling overwhelmed. He does it again with this epic action/thriller. The scope of this film is enormous and the performances are phenomenal especially from De Niro and Pacino. Other than that is there a reason to see this film the answer to that question is a most definite yes!! I was enthralled by every frame and shot of this picture as I was watching it I couldn't help but love all of the characters (even the villains) there is so much story and character development that the action almost gets in the way. All in all I think that this is one of the most beautiful and compelling thrillers I have ever seen and if you love film at all you should most certainly see it!!

Under discussion:

Exorcist: The Beginning  (2004)

This is a very worthy addition to the horror franchise that is The Exorcist. Now as a prequel the story focuses on the origin of Father Merrin ( one of the priests that exorcised Regan in the original) who is played brilliantly by Stellan Skarsgard. It takes place in Africa and the cinematography and direction are very good. The only qualm I have about this film is that I think there is way to much CGI. The original Exorcist was made in 1973 way before computer graphics where invented so the film makers had to do in camera effects which I find to be a lot more effective in the way of horror films. So I recommend seeing it but the CGI is way overdone.

Under discussion:

Forgetting Sarah Marshall  (2008)

I had a really good time with this film. Comedies usually just annoy and bore me but I found myself laughing out loud to some of the jokes and really identifying with the characters. Technically there wasn't anything that blew me, but the cast and humor more than made up for the lack of direction. The script was well written as well and overall I really enjoyed this film. 

Under discussion:

Atonement  (2007)

Joe Wright is the acclaimed director of the 2005 masterpiece Pride and Prejudice when I saw that I knew his next film would be just as vast and just as emotional. All I can say is that Atonement is all of those things and more, it is beautiful to look at and has a heart wrenching love story. James McAvoy and Keira Knightley are great as the two lovers and all of the other performances are very note worthy as well. One thing I feel I must comment on is the way this film was shot, every frame and every angle was perfectly crafted and executed I could watch it again just to see the beauty of the picture. I was pleasantly surprised by the story and how sweeping it turned out to be, the first time I saw the trailer I thought it looked simple and predictable I was wrong on both counts. Just see this wonderful film and you will be reminded of the power of love, and the power of film.

Under discussion:

In the Valley of Elah  (2007)

Tommy Lee Jones has been in some cracking good films lately, and this is one of them. Paul Haggis is a truly gifted writer/director and he really knows how to emotionally grip an audience. With Crash in 2005 he took the notion that racism is still alive and rampant in America and turned it into a poignant morality tale, he does the same with In the Valley Of Elah only replacing racism with crime in the military. This is a controversial theme especially within the last few years as the war on terror keeps escalating. The performances are perfect and I was especially surprised by some of the cameos included ( James Franco, Josh Brolin, and Jason Patrick) are just a few I noticed. Any way I can't really talk about the film if I don't want to spoil it and I don't all I can say is this is a must see that will leave a powerful impact on the viewer.