Directed By: Michael Cohn Written By: Tom Szollosi & Deborah Serra Based on the story “SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS” By: Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm Cinematography: Mike Southon Editor: Ian Crafford
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Sam Neill, Monica Keena, Gil Bellows, David Conrad, Brian Glover, Anthony Brophy
In this dark take on the fairy tale, the growing hatred of a noblewoman, secretly a practitioner of the dark arts, for her stepdaughter, and the witch’s horrifying attempts to kill her.
Interesting telling and reversal of the well-known fairy tale. Here it is much darker.
Though made on a low budget makes it appears to be an affordable production of the tale. Where much of the budget seems to have gone into costumes and set design.
Sigourney Weaver is the only truly interesting performance in the film. They give her character an exciting arc. She blames Snow White for the deterioration of her wedding To her new husband by acting like a brat. Then causing the death of her unborn child. So she takes all of her rages out on Snow White. Getting revenge so that Snow White must flee to survive. She even seduces Snow white, intended..
It would have been interesting if the director decided to pull the film into a genre. Such as horror, action or even just plain old thriller, but he decides to keep it dramatic.
Making the film seem more theatrical only on location. This brings no thrills to the film at all and ends up making it rather dull than anything else.
Considering most of the audience knows the story. It would have been wise to add something surprising other than a fuller backstory for a character’s motivations.
The film is in desperate need to entertain the audience and throw them off guard. As it seems to attempt that then gives up after that one twist.
Directed By: Jake Kasdan Written By: Mike White Cinematography By: Greg Gardiner Editor: Tara Timpone
Cast: Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Schuyler Fisk, John Lithgow, Catherin O’Hara, Leslie Mann, Carly Pope, Lily Tomlin, Chevy Chase, Dana Ivey, Brett Harrison, Natasha Melnick, Harold Ramis, Kyle Howard, Mike White, Fran Kranz, Nat Faxon, Monica Keena, Lizzy Caplan
Shaun Brumder is a local surfer kid from Orange County who dreams of going to Stanford to become a writer and to get away from his disfunctional family household. Except Shaun runs into one complication after another starting when his application is rejected after his dim-witted guidance counselor sends the wrong application. So, Shaun goes to great lengths with a little help from his girlfriend Ashley and his drugged-out loser brother Lance to get into Stanford any way they see fit.
Screenwriter, Mike White seems so seething with ideas and quirky characters ready to bust out on screen. You want to follow in further stories and adventures with the characters. So they usually feel like extended pilots for a new series. Maybe it’s his background in television writing. In turn, his television series always seem like set-ups for films. While he is usually a writer-director here he only handles the script.
Jake Kasdan directs the film. He usually is an inspired comedy director. He has a more subdued, subtle dead own style when it comes to style and scripts. with films like ZERO EFFECT, BAD TEACHER and THE TV SET
This feels like a film that is distracted as we see the cavalcade of well-known actors. Half the time the film’s scenes feel like a set-up for a celebrity cameo. Like there are most to the other characters but we only get to see them at their craziest. Trying to make the celebrities more recognizable or introduce them to a younger audience. The film also plays it smart even when stupid.
This film feels like an MTV film while it tries to match its demographic and quirky style for a built-in audience. That leaves the film inspired but also grasping for something. So that it works more times than not, but still doesn’t shine. Maybe because it seems to try too hard.
Jack Black plays well in the film. What a lot of critics have labeled him, as here I found him quite humorous. As the film has a bunch of standout hilarious scenes, Involving him, but though top-billed he is more here as a supporting actor.
The film’s humor is more sold by more minor performances and supporting characters. Rather than the set-up’s
The leads and the director are both children of Hollywood superstars. They more than hold their own though these are ones they could play in their sleep.
This film feels like a minor work not deep at all. It’s mildly amusing. All could do better and have this seems to like them trying to be more mainstream.
Plus the premise of the film is that his writing is so good because of the characters in his stories. Only they aren’t characters as much as real people. So he is just writing his real-life not that creative. Which is what goes against the premise. At least as far as the ending goes. And seems dependent on.
Plus it feels like his decision at the end is supposed to be heartwarming. It more feels deceptive like he needs more material and inspiration.
Through as much as I criticize. I find myself re-watching it from time to time. It has a highly rewatchable quality. The film is short and sweet. It’s a fun time while it lasts, but never comes close to being a classic
I can’t call it a good movie, more of a precious film that doesn’t seem forced. That younger people can look at it like it belongs in a museum. Like our own personal definite gift shop as a souvenir for others to share and see.
It really says you are a good writer. If you can tell the truth and bring it all together to be told vividly for an audience.
Directed By: Ronny Yu Written by: Damian Shannon & Mark Swift Based on Characters Created by: Wes Craven & Victor Miller Cinematography: Fred Murphy Editor: Mark Stevens
Cast: Robert Englund, Ken Krizinger, Monica Keena, Jason Ritter, Kelly Rowland, Katherine Isabelle, Chris Marquette, Brendan Fletcher, Lochlyn Munro, Zack Ward
It’s been nearly ten years since Freddy Krueger terrorized people in the dreams, and the townsfolk want to keep him erased from their memory. Freddy still has one more plan on getting back to Elm Street. He resurrects Jason Voorhees and sends him off to kill. The more bodies which fall to the ground, the stronger in which Freddy becomes. This is until, Freddy realizes that Jason isn’t going to step aside easily, and must be taken down himself.
Good or bad for a certain generation this was flogging to be a historic crossover and battle of the monsters. It came along when both franchises were in their last legs and helped revitalize interest in both of them and brought out the fans secretly and publicly to both film characters and franchises.
One knows before they got to this version of the movie they were planning many different versions. What we have here is one that plays more conventional and more of an actual lead up to a knockdown bloody fight. While playing by the rules of a conventional slasher film with more supernatural phenomena.
You know what type of film You are going to get. The meet up of two horror titans and icons could have easily gone many ways. Here the film works but doesn’t really cover any new ground. It actually is pretty basic with a more cutting edge style for its time.
When I first saw this film on opening night in the theaters, I enjoyed it immensely. As it was
Like Sugar. It’s so energizing it’s almost like an action film rather than scary or frightening you are paying attention to the kills which feel more like action set pieces. Which might be one of the more disappointing aspects of the film. Is that it runs off of energy and adrenaline do much that other then carnage and special effects it doesn’t really have too much else and never truly seems like a horror film. As even the human characters are barely memorable
The film has plenty of great visuals but they add up to little except to gloss over the thinness of a script that offers nothing new and very little for the audience to really grab onto.
The film more or less plays to the cheap seats and seems very much of it’s time trying to add in plenty of pop culture. Adding singer Kelly Rowland who was in the singing group Destiny’s child to the cast and one character is totally styled after jay of director Kevin Smith’s movie characters jay & silent bob. I am guessing if they added silent bob it would be too oblivious they stole the characters as inspiration. This was obviously catnip for the teenage audience they were trying to entice for a Rated R film. It makes the film more fun but except for its title and subsequent battle, there is very little of note here. As this film would still be subpar as any of their individual sequels. As it comes off very basic and doesn’t age well. It also tries to showcase a sense of humor.
While both series of films and sequels are time capsules of their time periods regardless of quality they will always be memorable and treasured. Though some are more played for shocks And laughs while they are brutal. Which this movie doesn’t provide.
The kills are random and barely noteworthy. Though it’s a movie to see just for the modern merging of two franchise stars. Like a bloodier modern version of King Kong vs. Godzilla. So that many horror fans schoolyard arguments and debates can finally be settled. This crossover seems to be an end of an era. As both franchises have had unsuccessful reboots so far, not really a further sequel.
The film tries to mix in certain details that never seems to exist that make sense but only for the purpose of the film.
Like all of a sudden Jason Voorhies being afraid of water. Which does make sense as he supposedly died because of drowning in the first place but in all the sequels before this water was never a problem for him.
Neither of these killers comes off as he hero, but they try to make Jason come off as more favorable strangely enough.
Kills others get short shrift just to get them out of the way it seems. The director doesn’t even give them the benefit of too much set-up as that would take away from the main event and mean the film might actually have to build up some drama and suspense.
I was excited to see the film overjoyed by what I was watching. Even then some stuff seemed stupid but still entertains. It was a star amongst my DVD collection eventually.
The film is more like a prizefight where the film is meant to get you hyped up for the battle and using all the same theatrics and it’s Good when it comes but liens prize night in modern times easily debates Le but quickly forgotten even though noted.
It doesn’t develop either franchise further. It still stays pop instead of going darker and having more depth.
There is So much potential for what could be it little character development of other characters who are main characters but not the protagonists.
We are here for the main battle but need filler and explanation of how we get there. While having a modern-day set up like a typical horror film still not a good one. So that they wouldn’t even count as good sequels to either franchise.
Which is what both franchises miss. We know the territory so clearly that even the filmmakers give in and don’t try for suspense at all or to even make the film scary it’s all more about violence. Not memorable or original just good enough for the moment to be passable.
That has become the main problem with modern horror either cheap scares or no scares. Trying to make it more psychological or trying to outsmart the audience. Later sequels seemed more gimmicks simple turned creatively bankrupt.
Reading the book on the franchise histories as well as the documentaries helped inform me of different interactions on the history of the films. Have histories, backstories, mythologies how much you care and how deep you want to investigate. So there was a lot going on and to consider when going into this. As do you throw it all out or do you keep some and get rid of others. They went with the simplest to try and make a slaughter-fest that is almost a meeting of the minds but fulfills what is expected in all areas.
Cut To The Chase 