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Windbreaker!

  • RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE

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    I don't know... 4 or 5 out of 10, I guess.  20 minutes into this, I began to regret my impulse to queue up RE: Apocalypse after watching RE for the first time.  It felt too much like a made-for-TV action flick.  Not a low budget "we're being creative with limited funds" flick.  A "we're cutting corners and using leftover tricks" sort of flick.

    But I didn't *not* like it.  And now I feel obligated to catch the 2007 RE: Extinction that I didn't even know existed.  I just watched the trailer (thank you, Spout) and I liked what I saw... filling that gotta-have-my-cheeseball-action/horror craving.

    Here's my beef with Apocalypse -- as the plot unfolded, it felt too much like an Alien Resurrection rehash.  Heroine is made almost perfect and shares some sort of deep bond with the enemy.  Sounds familiar, right?


  • a fairly lousy german

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    The Good German  (2006)

    I can't say that I completely lost interest, because I was forcing myself to maintain interest.  Like JimBell said in his post [linky linky], I was looking forward to some noir goodness.  Several stylistic elements are there, but I think Soderbergh just tried too hard. 

    Some of the plot points had potential, but the biggest distraction for me was the portrayal of George Clooney's character.  Was he really a reporter?  If so, what was he reporting and why didn't he ever take notes or type up stories?  In fact, I was convinced that Clooney's character would reveal a dark secret about his background since it was so obvious that he was *not* a reporter brought to Germany by the US military. 

    Bah.  I won't even recommend that you rent this.


  • BLACK BOOK

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    Robocop  (1987)

    Total Recall  (1990)

    Black Book  (2007)

    7/10.  To me, 8+ would qualify for "loved it". 

    I like Paul Verhoeven, and I root for him to make quality films.  He doesn't always make a great flick, but he often has flashes of greatness.  Total Recall & Robocop are required viewing for any sci-fi fan, but obviously not in the same filmmaking universe as Black Book.  Basic Instinct was a very good murder mystery that comes closest in feel to BB -- its moral ambiguity and passion (both good and evil) are central themes.

    Calling BB an epic is a stretch for me, unless you're just referring to the 2 1/2 hour running time.  An epic is a movie that successfully captures viewers for the duration of a journey, while richly establishing characters.  I thought the characters were rich and the acting superb, but the story let me down just a smidge. 

    I'd definitely recommend it for the non-squeamish, but I'm not buying it.  Don't take my squeamish warning lightly!  There are a few brutal scenes in here.


  • RESIDENT EVIL

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    Resident Evil  (2002)

    Ever since 2002 when it first came out, I had no intention of watching Resident Evil.  I'm not a gamer, it nothing about the trailer appealed to me.  Then recently I saw a teaser for RE: Apocolypse and the eeriness intrigued me.  So up it shot in my Blockbuster queue.

    For my fellow zombie fans out there, this is in a Romero-ish mold -- if you get scratched, bitten, or even partially eaten by zombies, then you will share their fate.  And like Day of the Dead - who knows, maybe there's a cure.

    For some mysterious (and obviously sinister) reason, a group of people are exposed to a virus and communication is lost.  Enter elite soldier squad and our heroine, Milla Jovovich, to neutralize any baddies and rescue any hostages.  For the first few minutes, Milla is actually playing the role of Leeloo from Fifth Element.  I'm not complaining, just sharing the facts.  I enjoyed it.  I guess I had semi-low expectations considering its videogame roots, but it was a decent action flick.  The sets and editing played very much like a game:  enter room with boxes, kill zombies, proceed through HVAC to next level.

    Go rent it.  You could do worse.


  • my punishment for being a follower...

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    I am not an Eagles fan.  Never have been.  But like most of the free world, I know at least half of their songs and often don't take the time to switch channels when they come on the jolly box.  So it seems 100% of Amazon readers and every other average Joe in America LOVES this concert.  No casual feelings - I'm talking pure joy.  So like a fool, I added it to my Blockbuster queue, and dammit if I wish the Eagles had never reunited. 

    Three words:  Bored. To. Tears.


  • GODSMACK (2004)

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    This generation's Metallica.  Which is ironic since these dudes are not very young!  Awesome, awesome show including a drum battle between the drummer and lead singer (himself a former drummer).

 


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