SNOW WHITE: A TALE OF TERROR (1997)

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. 

GRADE: F

ESCAPE PLAN (2013)

ESCAPEPLAN

Directed By: Mikael Hafstrom
Written By: Miles Chapman & Arnell Jesko
Story By: Miles Chapman
Cinematography By: Brendan Galvin
Editor: Elliot Greenberg 


Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Amy Ryan, Jim Caviezel, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Vinnie Jones, Vincent D’Onofrio, Farin Tahar, Sam Neill, Graham Beckel, Matt Gerald

Ray Breslin is the world’s foremost authority on structural security. After analyzing every high security prison and learning a vast array of survival skills so he can design escape-proof prisons, his skills are put to the test. He’s framed and incarcerated in a master prison he designed himself. He needs to escape and find the person who put him behind bars.

Continue reading “ESCAPE PLAN (2013)”

DAYBREAKERS (2010)

daybreakers

Written & Directed By: Michael & Peter Spierig
Cinematography By: Ben Nott
Editor: Matt Villa

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, Willem Dafoe, Isabel Lucas,

In the year 2019, a plague has transformed almost every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.

Continue reading “DAYBREAKERS (2010)”

THE COMMUTER (2018)

commuter2

Directed By: Jaume Collet-Serra
Written By: Ryan Engle, Byron Willinger & Philip De Blasi
Story By: Byron Willinger & Philip De Blasi
Cinematography: Paul Cameron
Editor: Nicholas De Toth 

Cast: Liam Neeson, Sam Neill, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Elizabeth McGovern, Jonathan Banks, Florence Pugh, Carla Lago, Damson Idris, Letitia Wright 


Now a hard-working life insurance salesman and a caring family man, the former police officer, Michael MacCauley, has taken the commuter rail to New York for the past ten years. But, unexpectedly, things will take a turn for the worse, when on one of his daily journeys, the cryptic passenger, Joanna, makes Michael a generous and tempting offer to locate a single commuter or face grave consequences. Is this a sick joke, or is this indeed a serious situation? As Michael races against the clock to solve this wicked conundrum, everyone aboard is a suspect, in a deal where there’s definitely more than meets the eye. Can he decide in time who’s the one?

Continue reading “THE COMMUTER (2018)”