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Current IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
My Rating: 6.2/10
I suppose this movie would have been much funnier and made much more sense had I ever played a game of Dungeons & Dragons. For the most part I just went along with the ride and laughed at parts I thought were funny. I understood the Lord of the Rings parody through the last part of the movie, but a lot of the game references were lost to me.
I have to say that the second Futurama movie was the best so far. The jokes were funnier and the story kept my attention much better than this one. I know this is a short review, but I can almost guarantee that I will have forgotten most of this movie by next week. I'm still looking forward to the next Futurama movie that is supposed to be out in February, but this one may go down as the worst of them.
Current IMDB Rating: 4.6/10
My Rating: 5.2/10
Although this movie went straight to video, it seemed like a late night movie you could catch on some lower cable network. Everything was nothing more or less than mediocre. I would actually say that the direction was worse than most of the acting.
The movie starts out with a very short scene from Gacy's childhood which would imply that his father was the cause of all of the events to play out later in life. The movie then switches to his middle age where he is surrounded by people who seem completely oblivious to anything that is going on around them - especially his mother who, when confronted by one of the boys Gacy has attacked, calls him a son-of-a-bitch and slams the door in his face.
The acting in the movie leaves more to be desired, mostly because all of the supporting characters do not appear to have much experience, but it's the directing that brings down the movie. Instead of focusing on Gacy and his murders, the movie spends way too much time establishing Gacy's relationships with people who ultimately become unimportant. This only leaves time for the murders to be shown in short snippets and does not even begin to illustrate the number of murders the man actually committed.
People come into the movie knowing exactly who Gacy is. They know he killed many people, they know that nobody suspected him of anything up to the very end, and they expect to see this in the movie. Instead we get a story about a man who seems to ignore his family, ignore the cleanliness of his house, does a large amount of drugs, swears up a storm, and does not do his job well, but is highly regarded in the community for some reason. It is this man who gets away with murder even though people should be expecting it from someone who is depicted this way. With decent enough actors and a budget that would have allowed for a good story to develop, it seemed as though the people making the film did not know what direction they wanted to go in and made a movie that reflected that lack of preperation.
This movie is a good one for a late night one-off viewing, but if you want to know the real story of the man behind the crimes, find another way to learn about it.
Current IMDB Rating: 8.1/10 (#171 in the Top 250)
My Rating: 8.3/10
It has been a long, long while since a movie has truly sent a chill down my spine and this movie has done just that. You have all of the elements of classic psychological horror here: a secluded location, the option of a horrific fate, and the extremes of mistrust which develop. It is, however, not a perfect film because, I feel, that the people who made it took it's believability factor too far in the last 15 minutes or so and assumed that if you had gotten that far in the movie, then you would just accept anything that happened from that point on.
The story follows a group of Antarctic researchers as they discover an alien presence living among them and imitating those in their group. The alien takes over the body of any living creature in order to survive and tries to get those around it to trust it so that it can take over their bodies as well. As the movie progresses, the researchers become less and less trusting of those in their group to the point of tying several members up and testing their blood to make sure they're human. This scene is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of any movie I've seen because as the alien is exposed, the other members of the group are tied up and cannot get away.
I think the ending of the movie left something more to be wanted as well. To leave the characters alone in the Antarctic is less satisfying than letting the audience know they actually survived and that fighting for their lives for the entire movie was worth it. It left me with what I call "The Descent feeling" where, in the American version of that film one of the characters made it out alive, whereas in the international version all of the characters died. I felt that the international version was more creative, but as a film the American version was more satisfying; that is the same with The Thing.
Current IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
My Rating: 6.8/10
The Searchers is a movie I've always wanted to see, but never really made the time or effort to watch. I recently had a few hours free and saw this on my Netflix instant watching service, so I was finally able to view the film. I have to say, after all of the fuss made over the film from what I've read online, I was hardly impressed. The movie seemed to jump around as inconsistently as the characters. The only real thing that seemed to drive anyone in the movie was the idea of trying to save the surviving member of the family.
As the story goes, a group of Native Americans draw the men of a small town out into the desert in order to easily attack the town. When they return, they find one of the homes on fire and the women from the home are either found killed or presumed kidnapped by the "Comanches." This starts the movie as the two surviving men in the family set off with some others from the town to find the missing girls.
As the movie progresses, years pass without any real sense of time or place except for the mentioning of a passing of time (what amounts to five years by the end of the picture). We see several snowfalls, but it is never really said that it is winter as the men are traveling around the western United States and could just as easily be up into the Rockies instead of any new season. As with the inconsistent passage of time comes the inconsistent way the characters act, mostly seen in the character of Debbie: the last surviving female member of the family who is taken in by the Indians and made a wife of their leader Scar. When she is first found she pleads with the men to leave the tribe alone and let her live in peace with the Indians, but when they get to her the second time she is happy as hell to leave "her people" behind. I did not, and still cannot understand the change in her attitude. First she wants to stay with the Indians, then she can't wait to leave.
Looking past all of the strongly inconsistent actions of the characters in the film, I can understand why it is seen as a classic. The real locations of the film alone are enough to watch the movie. It shows the expansive lonely beauty of the west in a way not seen in probably any other movie.
After all of this, there is the realization that you have just seen stereotypes unlike those seen in many other movies. There is a close-knit American family surviving on their own in the middle of a dusty desert, but somehow they find the means to make it until they are attacked by vengeful Indians who attack and kill the family because they are on "their land." It was hard to see the "good guys" in the movie call these people "Comanches" and "Injuns" - terms that are now seen as racist and inappropriate, but were probably commonplace during the setting of the film. This made it impossible to identify with the main characters because you don't want the heroes of a movie to be bigoted men.
Overall, the movie was a decent story of a time in American that has long since disappeared. It does not reach the grandeur of an epic Gone With the Wind film, but it gets pretty close and does not make you feel as though you wasted your time watching the movie.
In celebration of my 7,000th song added to my computer I decided to make a list of the top 200 songs I have on it. Now, these are not my top 200 favorites of all time. There are many songs missing (though I do not know where I misplaced them) that would be on that list compared with this one. So, here it goes...
200. 4 Strings - Believe
199. Umbrellas - Dignified Exit Society
198. Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko
197. Third Eye Blind - Jumper
196. Res - How I Do
195. The All-American Rejects - Swing, Swing
194. Cornershop - Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)
193. Jennifer Paige - Crush
192. Kylie Minogue - Fragile
191. Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy (Kevin Shields Remix)
190. The Killers - Bones
189. Darren Hayes - On The Verge of Something Wonderful
188. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
187. Pat Benetar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot
186. Donna Summer - Stamp Your Feet
185. Scissor Sisters - Filthy/Gorgeous
184. Cyndi Lauper - Into The Nightlife
183. Janet Jackson - Better Days
182. Vanessa Carlton - Pretty Baby
181. Divine Inspiration - The Way
180. Daniel Beddingfield - James Dean
179. Linkin Park - In The End
178. Shania Twain - From This Moment On
177. Shiny Toy Guns - Chemistry of a Car Crash
176. The Killers - When You Were Young
175. Nena - 99 Luftballons
174. Fatboy Slim - Wonderful Night
173. Nikki Blonsky & John Travolta - Welcome To The '60's
172. Missy Elliott - Gossip Folks
171. Ivy - Undertow
170. Stevie Nicks - Stand Back
169. Maroon 5 - Tangled
168. Irene Cara - Flashdance (What A Feeling)
167. TLC - Turntable
166. Idina Menzel & Tracy Thoms - Take Me or Leave Me (Tracy Young Remix)
165. KMC feat. Dhany - I Feel So Fine
164. Pink Floyd - The Trial
163. New Radicals - You Get What You Give
162. Evanescence - Lithium
161. Junkie XL - Today
160. Aqua - Cartoon Heroes
159. The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Time Warp
158. Garbage - Nobody Loves You
157. Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
156. Shania Twain - You're Still The One
155. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
154. Everything But The Girl - Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)
153. Scissor Sisters - Laura
152. Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way
151. Dido - Hunter
150. Dirty Vegas - Days Go By
149. Ladytron - Blue Jeans
148. 4 Strings - Diving
147. The Dandy Warhols - We Used to Be Friends
146. Markus Schulz - Without You Near (Reprise)
145. Pink - Who Knew
144. Whitney Houston - It's Not Right, But It's Okay (Thunderpuss Remix)
143. Lisa Loeb - I Do
142. TLC - Damaged
141. Jamelia - I Can See It In A Boy's Eyes
140. A Perfect Circle - Weak and Powerless
139. Shape: UK & Chic - Lola's Theme
138. September - Cry For You (Candlelight Edit)
137. Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine
136. t.A.T.u. - Gomenasai
135. Daft Punk - Digital Love
134. Pink Floyd - Run Like Hell
133. Lara Fabian - I Will Love Again (Hex Hector Main Mix)
132. Sarah McLachlan - World On Fire
131. Duncan Sheik - Barely Breathing
130. Simple Minds - (Don't You) Forget About Me
129. Goldfrapp - Ooh La La
128. Nelly Furtado - ...On The Radio (Remember The Days)
127. Röyksopp - What Else Is There?
126. Madonna - The Power of Goodbye
125. Book of Love - Boy
124. Fatboy Slim - Praise You
123. Robyn - With Every Heartbeat (Acoustic Version)
122. Kristine W. - I'll Be Your Light
121. Shiny Toy Guns - Rainy Monday
120. Natalie Imbruglia - Smoke
119. Kate Havnevik - Unlike Me
118. Cher - The Music's No Good Without You
117. Spice Girls - Goodbye
116. Kaskade - Steppin' Out
115. David Morales - Here I Am (Kaskade Radio Edit)
114. Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved
113. Lasgo - Alone
112. Spice Girls - 2 Become 1
111. Johnette Napolitano - Suicide Note
110. ATB - You're Not Alone
109. Pink Floyd - Time
108. Björk - Human Behavior
107. Savage Garden - I Want You
106. Robyn - Show Me Love
105. Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen
104. The Cranberries - Linger
103. Madonna - What It Feels Like For A Girl (Above & Beyond Remix)
102. James Horner - Southampton
101. Iio - Rapture
100. Dido - White Flag
099. Darren Hayes - Words
098. Foggy - Come... (Into My Dream)
097. Celine Dion - To Love You More
096. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
095. Lasgo - Something
094. Paul Van Dyk - For An Angel
093. Adele - Chasing Pavements
092. Goldfrapp - A&E
091. Sarah McLachlan - Fear (Hybrid Mix)
090. Fatboy Slim - Right Here, Right Now
089. Tori Amos - A Sorta Fairytale
088. Kristine W. - The Wonder of It All
087. Ivy - Edge of the Ocean (Duotone Mix)
086. Enya - Only Time
085. Duncan Sheik - She Runs Away
084. Devlins - Waiting
083. Angie Stone - Wish I Didn't Miss You
082. Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone
081. Madonna - Nothing Fails
080. Chicane - Saltwater
079. Savage Garden - Crash & Burn
078. Lasgo - Surrender
077. Basement Jaxx - Good Luck
076. Boomkat - Look At All The People
075. Bob Seger - Turn The Page
074. Puscifer - REV 22:20
073. OceanLab - Satellite
072. Imogen Heap - Hide & Seek (Tiësto's In Search Of Sunrise Remix)
071. 4 Strings - Take Me Away (Into The Night)
070. The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
069. Beth Orton - Central Reservation (The Then-Again Version)
068. Idina Menzel & Kristen Chenoweth - Defying Gravity
067. Paul Van Dyk - Time of Our Lives (feat. Vega 4)
066. Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor - Come What May
065. Madonna - Like A Prayer
064. Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise
063. Prince - When Doves Cry
062. Gabriel & Dresden - Tracking Treasure Down
061. Duncan Sheik - That Says It All
060. Dido - Here With Me
059. Delerium - Silence (feat. Sarah McLachlan)
058. The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
057. The Cranberries - Dreams
056. Cher - Love Is a Lonely Place Without You
055. Jewel - Hands
054. BT - The Force of Gravity
053. Pink Floyd - Hey You
052. Eisley - Telescope Eyes
051. Evanescence - Hello
050. Sarah Brightman - Harem
049. The Fugees - Killing Me Softly
048. Coldplay - Clocks
047. Benassi Bros. - Rocket in the Sky (Original Version)
046. Alanis Morissette - You Learn
045. Brandy - Have You Ever
044. Savage Garden - I Knew I Loved You
043. Spice Girls - Viva Forever
042. Tina Turner - Private Dancer
041. Monica - Angel of Mine
040. TLC - Unpretty
039. Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero
038. Luther Vandross - Dance With My Father
037. Imogen Heap / Frou Frou - Come Here Boy
036. Eminem - Stan
035. Pink Floyd - Money
034. Madonna - Frozen
033. Heart - Alone
032. Armin Van Buuren - Burned With Desire (Rising Star Mix)
031. Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom of the Opera
030. BT - Dreaming
029. Evanescence - My Immortal
028. No Doubt - Don't Speak
027. Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
026. Elton John - Your Song
025. Björk - Joga
024. Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man
023. Alanis Morissette - Uninvited
022. Clint Mansell & the Kronos Quartet - Lux Aeterna
021. Celine Dion - Because You Loved Me
020. Paul Van Dyk - Nothing But You (PVD Radio Mix)
019. Gary Jules - Mad World
018. Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (Sweeping Strings Remix)
017. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
016. Michael Jackson - Thriller
015. OceanLab - Clear Blue Water (Ferry Corsten Remix)
014. Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It?
013. TLC - Waterfalls
012. Dune - Who Wants To Live Forever? (Sixtysix Radio Mix)
011. Bob Seger - Roll Me Away
010. BT - Satellite
009. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart
008. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
007. Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
006. Celine Dion - It's All Coming Back To Me Now
005. Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
004. The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
003. Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
002. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
001. Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall pt. 2
