It’s a requirement that anyone playing Lucy Westenra should possess a great deal of sexual allure, for the simple fact that it gives logic to Dracula’s hunt on her before going after Mina. And Sophia Myles hands the requirement like a pro. Myles is utterly ravishing in “Dracula” and she’s lusted after, for good reason, throughout much of the film, possessing her usual charm and likable charisma that makes her such a memorable actress. Myles also has a palpable chemistry with Leonidas, who manages to portray the charming innocence with Myles as the blonde siren that eventually gets bitey.
Tag Archives: D
Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing (2006)
I hate country music. In all of its forms. I think it’s a pro-conservative, right wing, antiquated form of music best suited for run down bars, filled with whiny, bitching, moaning, chaw chewing, cow poking “stars” who have no idea what good writing is (“Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” is proof positive), and is a genre so disgusted with itself it’s lost touch with its roots and instead has turned into another form of adult contemporary pop. That being said I like the Dixie Chicks. Not because of their music, granted, they have great voices, but because one day in a concert, they decided to exercise their freedom of speech and tell their fans what they thought of our government. And the fans, the red state hicks they are, hated that, and turned on them.
Death Note (Desu nôto) (2006)
I admit to never having seen the original anime of “Death Note,” but now I feel compelled to. “Death Note” is an excellent horror film about self-righteousness, and what lengths people are willing to go through to ensure that justice is served when the law fails. Light Yagami is a boy seeking to become a police officer with his girlfriend, but after a frightening confrontation with a child killer who had just been excused of his crimes in a trial, he decides the law doesn’t work. One night, after walking home, he discovers the black book called “The Death Notebook,” a mysterious notebook that kills anyone with the name the holder prints.
Light then secretly becomes an angel of death codenamed Kira, who destroys criminals, and earns a countrywide following of folks who believe him to be a sign from god striking down the wicked. But Light knows better, after being confronted with a twisted winged demon named Ryuuk who explains the intent of the book. “What is the price for this book?” Light asks Ryuuk who responds with a wicked laugh. That’s the question, isn’t it? What price will Light Yagami ultimately pay? But Kaneko simply doesn’t make it a film about a sad little boy killing criminals. He then inserts many other folks into the fold, including many, many plot twists. When it seems Light has fate at his control, a mysterious investigator simply named L enters, and explains that they are on the hunt for Kira.
Light, a pure genius, now attempts to outwit L, who has also narrowed down the list of suspects, killing times, and is intent on finding Kira once and for all. “Death Note” turns then from a horror film, to a murder mystery as L attempts to investigate Kira, while Light attempts to outwit L, who has yet to ultimately reveal his identity to confused officials. But, as the power corrupts Light, he learns that power in the wrong hands is pure evil. Teamed with his wicked accomplice Ryuuk who watches with great interest, Kaneko directs a beautiful horror mystery, introducing many elements and questions. Why the focus on the TV star Misa Misa? How did L figure Kira’s identity? Who is L’s accomplice? Is Ryuuk merely an observer?
Why does he seem so interested in this mystery? Kaneko hopefully answers much of those questions in the last two sequels, but “Death Note” alone is a wonderful elaborate horror film about power and fate. The direction is dark often sleek, with Tatsuya Fujiwara giving a memorable performance as Light, while Ken’ichi Matsuyama is twisted and entertaining as the sugar fiend, L who watches and waits with sheer patience. I enjoyed this film immensely, even if it was a gamble to buy it blindly. Ultimately power corrupts, and Kaneko’s “Death Note” is an entertaining, creepy, and beautifully written horror film about the power of death placed in the hands of someone with the best of intentions. I can’t wait to check out the sequels.
The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” is in fact a remake of the Hong Kong Crime Thriller “Infernal Affairs” which has basically the same plot line, and sense of dread. Scorsese approaches the crime thriller yet again, with his version of the exceptional crime thriller, now set in the mean streets of Boston, and not the murky landscape of Korea. The narrative is basically the same, and Scorsese doesn’t seem to think he can do better than the original film, so he copies the original film verbatim, save for the ending. One big crime syndicate, one big police department. Both are at war. In both teams, the plot slowly unveils and we learn that in the syndicate there is a mole from the police department feeding information back to HQ, while there happens to be a mole from the syndicate in power at the police department distorting information
Doogal (2006)
“Doogal” is basically representative of everything that’s wrong with CGI animation. Everyone is out to be as hip as possible and mimic the success of “Shrek,” that they lose touch with story, characterization, and plot elements the audience can enjoy. I always tend to give the animated films the benefit of the doubt and half the time I’m rewarded. “Doogal” was punishment. It has all the basic principles of a kid’s film but no idea how to get in touch with the heart animation should have. There’s the rabbit Jimmy Fallon singing “You Really Got Me,” and the leader of the land watching the landscape while “It’s Magic” blares in the background. By the time the eighteenth pop culture reference was spewed out in the first ten minutes, I was ready to pack it in.
Dust Devil – The Final Cut (1992) (Limited Collector's Edition DVD)
Richard Stanley’s “Dust Devil” is “The Hitcher” with a supernatural twist. It’s a compelling story about a man who kills random drivers on the road, yet is also a monster impossible to kill. With the special edition of “Dust Devil” from Subversive Cinema, now on DVD, you don’t only get one DVD, you get five. You receive the final cut, the more extended work print, and three other film works from Richard Stanley that are very avant-garde. Like the “Cannibal Holocaust” boxed set, this is well worth the money because it gives film collectors something to really bite on with a wonderfully constructed library of goodies with extras, booklets, production diaries, and even a “Dust Devil” comic book.
District B13 (2004)
I don’t know. Perhaps I’m burned out on action films, particularly from action films with flashy stunts that don’t serve much of a purpose. In the end, “District B13” is a string of action sequences featuring shoot outs, fight scenes, and acrobatics, and not much of a story or characterization to keep us watching. I mean sure, the action scenes are great, but I couldn’t pretend to care when I wasn’t sure who was who and what the grand plot of the entire film is supposed to be.