“Halloween” will be and must be compared to the original, because it’s a pale imitation, it’s a botched job on every meaning of the word. At the end of the day, while “Halloween” is still one of my all time favorite horror films, “Black Christmas” is by far the better and creepier picture. But the remakes are basically the same. They’re just so bad they’re embarrassing and Zombie fails to inspire an influence and creates what can simply be known as “The Devil’s Rejects: Haddonfield.” Zombie continues with his demonizing of the poor and lower class, while also treading over the same crap we were given in “The Devil’s Rejects.” Is this better than “Halloween: Resurrection”? Sure, but so is smashing your head into a wall.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
So it’s come to this. After all these years following Bourne, after “The Bourne Identity” becoming one of my favorite action films of all time, we’re here at the tail end, and hopefully the last film of the franchise. And with it comes Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Paddy Considine; how can you beat a cast like this? You can’t. “The Bourne Ultimatum” is yet another fantastic entry into the series, and shocking enough: It breaks the rule that the third parts in franchises are terrible. “The Bourne Ultimatum” brings what the former films did.
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
The Beatles are now and have always been four men who carried with them a presence that is hard to pin down or describe. Something about these fab four, these mop tops always inspired an attraction from music lovers and fans around the world. It doesn’t matter what they did or do, people responded and they came in droves to watch the four do what they did best. The transition to film is rarely a successful venture for a musical star. Many times you’ll see a singer anxiously trying to act and failing or just pretty much supplying a string of mediocre performances. “A Hard Day’s Night” makes no bones about itself. It’s a vehicle, a promotional tool, and of course a way for fans to see the Beatles without going to a concert.
A Work in Progress: A Short Film By Wes Ball (2002)
Writers always put themselves into their work, be they articles, reviews, and especially fiction. The stories we tell are a part of us, they’re our personality, our inner most desires, and our greatest wishes. What “A Work in Progress” does is feature a storyteller in search of her own friend. She’s a girl who sits watching many other children play while she’s forced to basically write and create her own characters. And wouldn’t you know it, she begins to tell the sad story of a brown bear in search of a friend.
The Insane (2006)
There’s nothing more exciting for a horror fanatic to watch a film from an undiscovered talent who has a new and original vision for the horror genre. What Ellison and Cripps do is prefer to explore the recesses of the mind and how violence can psychologically alter what we view in our world, and how we view it. Thus, “The Insane” covers some interesting ground in only twelve minutes, and presents a gruesome view of the underworld of crime, while John Vincent goes on the hunt for the maniacs who took his life away.
Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970) (Two-Disc Special Edition DVD)
For Elvis fans of all kind, “That’s the Way It is: Two-Disc Special Edition” will bring about some truly good supplements, including two version of this documentary. You received the original 1970 theatrical edition, and the 2001 Special Edition, which is twelve minutes shorter, but visually restored. Elvis is pretty much like The Beatles, they’re both instantly identifiable, household names, difficult to resist, and made impacts on music that no one could ever re-capture. Pop and Rock stars will come and go, but there is only one Elvis, and the concert film “That’s the Way It Is” proves that, once and for all.
Æon Flux (2005)
I was never a fan of the techno-punk, cult series “Aeon Flux” from MTV, and for good reason. While, I’m always up for an animated series about a hot woman kicking ass, “Aeon Flux” was dull, lifeless, and ached to be as entertaining as fare like “Ghost in the Shell” from day one. Thus was MTV’s prime goal back in the days: make every series hipper than the last. And with this they failed. So it was only a matter of time for a movie to be made and eventually flop. You can blame America’s hesitation to enjoy a female superhero, you can say that they mishandled the character of Aeon Flux, but whatever excuse you create, at the end of the day “Aeon Flux” is a pretty bad film, clear and simple, and worse yet, it hearkens back to the absolutely excruciating “Ultraviolet” on many occasions.