Back in 2011, there were rumblings of audience members in attendance of “The Tree of Life” screenings who were asking for their money back. Primarily because they didn’t understand the film. Sitting here I can safely say that this movie isn’t for everyone. It’s a thinking man’s picture, an existentialists dream, a study in to the nature of our universe and what we view as world’s colliding and collapsing in on themselves. I couldn’t understand what was so difficult to comprehend with “The Tree of Life.” It’s a film about the crisis of faith, pure and simple.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011) (DVD)
One of the most enduring films of the 1980’s, “Return of the Living Dead” is such a relic of its decade and time that it’d be impossible to remake it. Which is why it’s become such a beloved film among horror aficionados and film buffs alike. For its time, “Return of the Living Dead” was a fresh bold take on the zombie sub-genre and to this day continues to be a template upon which most horror comedies and zombie films are created. Dan O’Bannon’s zombie was an intelligent, unstoppable, lightning fast force of nature and it shockingly only worked for “Return of the Living Dead.” All other efforts were null and void.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 – The Dream Child (1989)
“Dream Child” is admittedly one of my favorite of the Nightmare sequels. While it doesn’t do much to further the lore like “Dream Master,” either, it does strike me as something of an entertaining installment in the series. Even years after watching it on network television time and time again, it still holds up very well to scrutiny. The premise is actually very creative this time around. Though it’s still a cheap excuse to keep the series moving, it’s quite innovative. Freddy has been revived once again and this is through the dreams of Alice. He revives his mother who gives birth to Freddy yet again, and Freddy is able to take on his true form as an adult. He knows something Alice doesn’t.
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
“Freddy’s Dead” is what you would call absolute zero for the franchise and god help me if it isn’t one of my all time favorite guilty pleasures. This is the film that my dad took my brother and I to decades ago and we experienced it in its full 3D glory, loving every single solitary second of it. This is the moment when Freddy Krueger finally dropped all pretense and became a demonic Scud Farkus, a clown prince of the dream world who resorted to cartoon tricks and treats to murder his victims rather than revel in the evil of it all. It’s a shame too because this is technically the final entry in the series and rather than play to the Craven crowds and deliver us a helping of frightening Freddy, we’re instead given funny Freddy. I use the term funny loosely, of course.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
As a person who has taken part in lucid dreams, it’s refreshing to see a sequel strive to turn the premise of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” completely on its head. With states of dreaming and forms of the sub-conscious there is so much one can do with the premise that it’s a dream come true to see folks like Frank Darabont and Wes Craven re-visit the material and figure out a new way to deliver it to fans. Considered arguably the best of the “Nightmare” films, “Dream Warriors” takes a look at what would happen if the kids in Freddy’s dream world decided to finally start fighting back once and for all.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 – The Dream Master (1988)
With “Dream Warriors” there was a purpose for its premise. It was the last of the Elm Street children and they had a score to settle with Freddy. With this Renny Harlin installment there isn’t much that can be done beyond the visual and Harlin brings it to the forefront with all sorts of surrealism that audiences will appreciate. Sadly, the cause for Freddy’s revival isn’t too creative, nor is the reason for the continuation of this narrative. There could have been a lot more to do with the concept of the dream warriors, and “Dream Master” is sadly just a vague reflection of the creativity brought to the aforementioned.
Kidnapped (Secuestrados) (2010)
At the end of the day I really wanted to love “Kidnapped,” but the problem with Miguel Angel Vivas’ lengthy and dreary home invasion picture is that he sends out mixed messages and can never be sure where he wants to lead the audience. Sometimes our characters are merely horror movie cannon fodder to be bashed around and humiliated at a moment’s notice, and other times Vivas seems to really want to depict these characters as fleshed out human beings for the audience. And he fails at accomplishing both tasks. From minute one Vivas almost wants to show us this family bond that is lacking from the get go and never gives us a reason why we should quite care about these people.