Narnia - C-

WOLF CREEK



"Mick Taylor should be in the pantheon of classic horror characters along with Leatherface and Freddy Krueger."
-- Edward Douglas, COMINGSOON.NET

"[It's] scary cinema pushed to the brink of punishment. But there's no question that what it sets out to do, it does alarmingly well."
-- Dennis Harvey, VARIETY

"This is some horror flick."
-- G. Allen Johnson, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

I had been anticipating Wolf Creek ever since I first heard about it. I didn't know much at first, only that it was a horror film based on true events. But once I saw the first international trailer, I was sold. I eagerly awaited the release date in the U.S. as the film recieved glowing reviews overseas. When the domestic trailer was released my anticipation grew. I had no idea what to expect. When it was finally released in the United States it was met with mixed reviews and bad word of mouth, despite a solid box-office showing in its first weekend. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I finally decided to enter Wolf Creek.

The film follows Liz (Cassandra Magrath), Kristy (Kestie Morassi) and Ben (Nathan Phillips) as they decide to venture away from home on a vacation through the Australian Outback - with the primary attraction being the legendary crater located in a place called Wolf Creek. They expect a time full of fun, sun and adventure - but none of them could ever imagine what actually awaits them. When their car mysteriously breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they are forced to seek help from a seemingly friendly stranger named Mick (John Jarratt) who just happens to be passing by. But the three soon discover that things are never what they seem, and soon they find themselves fighting for their lives in a day full of unrelenting terror.

Much of the criticism that this film has recieved is in regards to the first 45 minutes, which primarily focus on developing the story and the characters. Many people have found this segment boring and uninteresting. I feel completely differently. This portion of the film is essential to the film and I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if this was absent. It allows you to get to know the people on screen and develop a liking for them. I also felt that this portion was very creepy in a way, thanks to the excellent visuals and the haunting score. You can feel something is coming, but you have no idea what to expect.

The second act is just as effective as the first, but in a different way. This is when the film truly becomes a horror film - one that is absolutely terrifying, suspenseful and brutal. I rarely close my eyes in scary movies, I've become accustomed to anything they throw at me, but during several scenes in Wolf Creek my hands were covering my eyes. One scene in the film is so unrelenting and disturbing that it will stay with you for quite a long time to come. Part of the reason why everything is so disturbing here is because of the realism. Because you have gotten to know each character, it is horrifying to see them go through this torture - much like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and had no idea what to expect.

The performances are excellent. The standout is John Jarratt, who creates one of the scariest horror villains in years. He pulls off the role perfectly, drawing the audience in with his friendly attitude and charisma early on but then completely turning the tables by becoming a manic and vicious psychopath. Cassandra Magrath is great and really makes a strong impression. Nathan Phillips is likable as Ben and Kestie Morassi is good as Kristy.

The direction by Greg McLean is fantastic and the cinematography is a wonder to behold. He manages to show the beauty of the Australian Outback while also carefully reminding the audience how isolated our characters really are. He also creates some of the most haunting death scenes in recent memory, easily standing out from any other horror entry this year. The musical score by François Tétaz is moody and foreboding, used at just the right moments to keep the audience in suspsense.

In closing, Wolf Creek is a must-see for any true horror fan. I loved every minute of it, from its moody first act to its disturbing and terrifying finale. This is easily the best horror film of the year and one of the strongest to come along since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Take the trip.

9/10 (A)

Munich
A
Don't know if it's his best work but it's gotta be high on the list.

I thought it was excellent and one of his best as well.

Edit*** Just saw The New World. I am really getting more and more hesitant to slap grades on these, as I usually do it just as a way to encourage or discourage people from seeing a particular movie. New World had some problems, but also proved to have great potential, and is very creative. I tended it react to it more as intallation piece, rather than just a minute 1 to 150 movie. I still have to think about it, but it's getting B+ or upwards.

Murderball - A/A-
The Skeleton Key - B+
Pretty Persuasion - C
Dark Water - C+
The Amityville Horror - C

Meh, on the last three.

Munich - A
Fun with Dick and Jane - C+
Serenity - A-

Bad Education

I had to put subtitles because I was trying to figure out what the hell they were saying, the Spanish talk to fast and with there accent, its very hard to understand them!

Anyways, the movie is very graphic and quite disturbing, not for everyone, some might find it very disgusting and offensive
Gael Garcia gave a fantastic performance like always and the story is phenomenal, I was so confused from until the Father told what really happened with Ignacio. Nice twist

B+

Green Street Hooligans - A

Lawrence of Arabia- A+++++++ (best film ever??)
Bridge n the River Kwai- A+
Fun with Dick and Jane- B-

THE MATADOR - 8/10 (A-)

One of the biggest surprises of the year. A hilarious and fast-paced comedy with great performances and a story that is both funny and touching. Pierce Brosnan is excellent as Julian, giving one of the year's best male performances. His character is a strange individual, one who is likable and charming despite his profession. He pulls off the role with excellent comic timing, adding a layer of depth as well. This easily outdoes his work in the James Bond series. Greg Kinnear is also great as the upstanding yet determined Danny who will do anything for his wife, and Hope Davis is memorable and charming in her few scenes. The film also has a surprising amount of heart to it, something I wasn't expecting at all. Anyways, this is easily one of the year's best comedies and it is one of the most entertaining films of the year. Highly recommended.

I had a Broken Lizard night:

Puddle Cruiser- A
Super Troopers- A+
Club Dread- B+

Oh and before that:

The Ringer- D

very disapointed

so that means 3 out of the 4 last movies I've seen in the theater sucked (in my opinion)

The Ice Harvest- D-
Syriana- D
Then the ringer

Close. Damn close.

Hotel Rwanda- A-
Gosford Park- A

The Aviator - B+

Why Foxx won over DiCaprio is beyond me.

Gremlins- A Classic horror comedy.

Donnie Darko 9/10

The Wedding Planner - B

Cruel Intentions - A

Proof- A-
Crash(2nd viewing)- B+

Sky High

What a very nice surprise!
its a very fun movie to watch, a little cheesy at time but still it was great!

B+

Son of the Mask

i saw it a couple a weeks ago on HBO or cinemax dont remember

anyways....
it was pretty stupid, annoying and horrible, i dont know why the studios even bother to do this one.
everything was highly exaggerated and it was very exhausting to watch

F (Worst than Alone in the Dark)

Based on the play by David Auburn, Proof is one of the many projects that was rushed to release when it was announced that the Weinstein Brothers were leaving Miramax Films to form their own production company. It had been sitting on the shelf for a year for no particular reason. It had an all-star cast, early reviews were fantastic and it seemed to be a shoo-in for awards consideration. However, it was postponed and released quietly in the fall of 2005. It's quite a shame, because this is easily one of the biggest and most delightful surprises of the year.

Gwyneth Paltrow reunites with Shakespeare In Love director John Madden with this project, playing the emotionally fragile Catherine - a woman coping with the death of her beloved mathemetician father Robert (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant man who was also mentally unbalanced. While coming to terms with her loss, she becomes afraid that she has inherited her father's insanity. Her spoiled and self-involved sister (Hope Davis) wants her to move to New York with her so she can be cared for. It is obvious that the two do not have a strong relationship. Jake Gyllenhaal portrays Hal, a mathematician searching for genius amongst Robert's numerous files. He soon becomes close with the grieving Catherine and the two develop a relationship. But everything changes when a proof is discovered beneath the clutter, one that has never been proven before. The real question, however, is who wrote it.

Proof is a film that relies heavily on excellent performances, and each one of the leads delivers in every way possible. Gwyneth Paltrow is amazing here, delivering her best performance since Shakespeare In Love and one of the best female performances of the year. She literally becomes the vulnerable and extremely complex character of Catherine, diving beneath the layers. Her performance is powerful and moving, the real driving force behind the film. This is quite a personal project to Paltrow, with the death of her own father occuring right before the shooting began.

Anthony Hopkins is also great and convincingly shows his character's slow downfall. But he also handles the emotional scenes quite well and his character's love for his daughter feels very realistic. Jake Gyllenhaal is slowly on his way to becoming my favorite actor, always taking on challenging yet interesting roles that show his true talent. After his amazing turn in Jarhead, he once again excels as the caring Hal, the only one who truly believes in Catherine. He has good chemistry with Paltrow and is very likable in his portrayl. Hope Davis does a good job as well, and even though her character is almost unlikable in a way, the motivation behind her actions is very evident.

The one minor problem I had with Proof was that it occassionally felt too stagey. Director John Madden did little to change the concept of the story and things here play out similarly as they would onstage. Other than that, his direction is solid. The screenplay is excellent, full of memorable dialogue and powerful scenes.

I didn't expect to enjoy Proof as much as I did, but it won me over with its fascinating characters, interesting story and brilliant performances. There's no doubt about it, this is easily one of the year's very best films.

9/10 (A)

Cinderella Man

holy hell! lately all these boxing movies have been pretty darn good!

Cinderella Man is a sad, moving, inspiring and exciting movie. The performences were fantastic, i was surprised i liked Russell Crowe, i usually hate him

A

Deuce Bigalow:European Gigolo - D-

Havoc B+ : Very well done film, and Anne Hathaway's performance made it that much more enjoyable.
Land of the Dead B- : I didn't expect it to be very good, but I was plesantly surprised. The pacing was very good.

Bad News Bears - C- Unnecessary formulaic retread, somewhat amusing for the first half or so but quickly deteriorates into a dull, overlong mess.

The Devil's Rejects - B+ Wildly inventive horror film with some great over-the-top performances, a bunch of surprises, and some really creative direction. Falls into the "why is he/she doing that?" trap once in awhile though, and gets predictable in spots.