I love slasher films, I go ape shit for them, and when I read about “Haute Tension” I went nuts especially after watching the trailer when I went to see “Saw” in theaters last year. Modern slasher films have been incredibly watered down with very little gore, and just nonsensical casting, hiring young hip actors to portray the victims. I always say that these days the best films are the foreign films, and the best horror films are indeed the foreign ones, and “Haute Tension” is no exception. This is a great film that was just so reminiscent of Argento’s gory style, with a killer that is awfully scary.
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Home on the Range (2004)
“Home on the Range” is a sign post, it’s a sign post up ahead the reads the basic end of Disney. What once was a company that gave us “The Lion King” and “Bambi” now gives us crap like “Lilo and Stitch”, their direct to video sequels of their classic films, and–this. I wanted to like “Home on the Range”, I really did, I was expecting at best an entertaining animated film that was a guilty pleasure, and even that doesn’t pull off my expectations at all. I was so disappointed after liking the pictures of the animated characters that I saw, but, man, this is a lame movie. The animation is very reminiscent of masters such as Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, and Bob McKimson, the era where cartoons were actually good and funny, does anyone remember that?
Hellboy (2004)
Prolific director Guillermo Del Toro who penned the previous comic film “Blade 2” and the cult psychological horror film “The Devil’s Backbone” gives some competent direction in this adaptation of the hit comic book. A young agent John T. Meyers is recruited into the ranks of Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense Facility, he’s signed on to mentor their primary weapon of choice. Given a tour of the facilities gazing on to Abe Sapien a very intelligent reptilian sea creature, he’s assigned to take care of Hellboy. Discovered as a child during World War 2 during a raid on the Nazis, he was summoned to Earth to become the evil Rasputin’s child and eventual ruler of Earth, but when US soldiers discovered him, professor Broom took him in to reform him and he became Earth’s greatest protector using his powers for evil to protect humanity.
The Hunted (2003)
Tommy Lee Jones plays Lt. Bonham, an ex agent who is now a guard for a nature society tracking animals and stopping poachers and illegal hunters. After two hunters are found gutted, Bonham is called back into duty by an old colleague who needs his help to track the killer, Aaron Hallman, an ex-agent who has begun killing hunters in the forest, brutally gutting them without mercy. Bonham instantly goes into action and begins tracking Hallman making way for a really cool fight scene at the top of the film as the two duke it out in the forest. Director Friedkin manages to direct a very dark and interesting thriller with some good camera work and smooth editing, plus he knows how to create tension and surprises.
Head of State (2003)
This reminded me a lot of the Robert Redford vehicle “The Candidate” which was smart, witty and funny, but the difference between the two is that ultimately, this was much dumber, vapid, very derivative, and pretends to be a political satire when it’s just another Chris Rock vehicle. In this very far-fetched fairy tale, we meet May Gilliam a small time politician for the inner city of Washington DC who works for the people despite the fact we never actually see him at any rallies, holding any conferences or talking with any other politicians and he’s still pretty poor. He claims he wants to work for the people and help the people out yet never actually makes a difference in office. Hell, there’s even a scene that mimics “Harry and Tonto” where a woman refuses to leave her building which is about to be demolished because she can’t find her cat.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
I’m not a fan of romantic comedies, and these days they all seem to have something in common and it’s something that was never present in the classic romantic comedies: these days romantic comedies are incredibly bland. As bland as bland can be, so it was no surprise I entered this film with lower than low expectations. But I managed to actually be surprised at how entertaining and enjoyable this was to watch in its first half. First off, I’m in love with Kate Hudson, so it wasn’t a completely difficult time watching her in this film, and I actually laughed here and there. Hudson and McConaughey pull in two hilarious performances as two people who are attempting to outdo each other.
House of 1,000 Corpses (2003)
“House of a 1,000 Corpses” is a throwback and dedication to the old seventies horror films; a decade which is arguably the best decade to churn out some of the horror genre’s best. Zombie knows his material and uses it in this with the good ol’ tale of a group of teens who enter into the countryside to discover the land and end up getting more than they bargained for. This set up is tired and has been done to death, but do any of us really tired of watching teens get hacked, sliced, cut, tortured, tormented, stabbed, and tied? No! And that’s why I got such a kick out of this groovy horror homage.