Revenge like anything is best served when in intricate doses. Batman, The Punisher, Freddy Krueger, they didn’t elicit their revenge in bouts of quick murder and or suicide. They instead withheld the final blow for as long as they possibly could and made the experience about as painful and immensely grueling as possible before the final closing shot. That’s the case for “I Saw the Devil” one of the most finely tuned revenge films ever created. It’s not just a movie about a man on a rampage looking for the monster who destroyed his life. It’s about a man embracing his inner most monsters and destroying the life of the man who took great pleasure in ruining his.
Tag Archives: Suspense
A Mind Beside Itself (2011)
Director PJ Starks has managed to create something of a very gripping and heartbreaking short film that doesn’t exactly lead audiences where one would expect. All along I suspected director Starks was going for an exploitative horror twist, but in reality the gut wrenching turn that ensues is far from horror and more horrific. But while the center piece is the overall hook to the story, “A Mind Beside Itself” is a testament to the power of grief, and the endless nightmare that is regret and guilt. Regret that we didn’t appreciate our loved ones while we had them. And guilt that it’s much too late to do anything about it. Tristan is a man who has just met the love of his life and they’re experiencing an amazing romance that will define his life forever.
The Town (2010)
Ben Affleck impressed with his debut as director for “Gone Baby Gone,” a criminally underrated film. And he manages to impress yet again with “The Town,” a film about crime becoming a way of life, and death just another consequence for a profession. When is enough finally enough for someone? This is examined with Doug McRay, a man who has resorted to robbing banks for a living after a descent in to drugs. He’s mastered bank robbing down to a fine art, and one he specializes in that keeps him and his group of gun toting guns for hire constantly on the verge of being murdered on the job. As examined by the prologue, crime is often a way of life for folks in their city, and with Charlestown being the number one source for bank robbers, Doug only knows how to commit crimes, and is a veteran of such an common trade that he can barely remember what life was like before it.
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (DVD)
From Anchor Bay Entertainment comes the much touted adaptation one of the most groundbreaking comic books of the new millennium. A thinking man’s horror comic book and teeming with literary value and mainstream appeal, “The Walking Dead” was a series begging to be made in to a big screen version from issue one. Thankfully AMC Networks latched on to the Frank Darabont led production and turned it in to a television series.
What began as a gamble on the horror genre and on a mostly underground comic book, has become a juggernaut that has benefitted the horror community for the better. The highest rated AMC network premiere of all time, and charged by a plethora of seasoned character actors from Jeffrey DeMunn, Laurie Holden and Andrew Lincoln and up and comers like Emma Bell, Jon Bernthal, and Steven Yeun, “The Walking Dead” has been an unstoppable pop culture force.
Bonnie and Clyde vs. Dracula (2011)
Ah that Dracula sure does get around, doesn’t he? He’s met more historical figures than Forrest Gump. In the grand tradition of “Billy the Kid vs. Dracula,” “Emmanuelle vs. Dracula” and “Batman vs. Dracula” comes the lost adventure of two of the world’s most notorious criminals and their confrontation with the lord of darkness. Timothy Friend’s horror crime thriller is in the hokey tradition of absurd battles and there hasn’t been one more absurd since Bonnie and Clyde’s meeting with the undead. Tiffany Shepis stars as Bonnie along Trent Haaga as Clyde in their efforts to thwart off rival criminals and the lawman as they travel across the country. Now down on their luck after a series of unfortunate events leave them penniless and without a car, they meet up with an old friend promising them a big job robbing a local bank.
Species (1995)
Let’s face it, the only reason why “Species” was remotely a financial success was because of Natasha Henstridge. The newcomer not only radiates on-screen but her searing sexuality and ability to look incredible no matter what position or what kind of gelatinous goo she’s covered in outweighs any quality of the film. Sure, the fans can attempt to argue the film’s merits by claiming my own reasoning faulty, but let’s cut the crap here. “Species” was a hit because it offered up two key elements. It had a gorgeous woman was a decent actress, and had an iconic moment of 1995 where the predatory Sil proceeds to bust the backs of heads off of a few unlucky guys who don’t meet her standard for mating.
Kraa! The Sea Monster (1998)
Monster Island is at it again, except this time we enter in to a virtual clone of Power Rangers, all of whom–named the Planet Patrol–take on Lord Doom and his lethal weapon Kraa! I’ve never seen any of the actual material for Planet Patrol (what little there is), nor am I aware of the back story, so “Kraa!” will assuredly be confusing for anyone paying attention. Especially when you see news footage from “Zarkorr!” blatantly reused for “Kraa!” All we’re told is that evil Lord Doom (who dons a stock skull mask and cape) is planning to unleash the Sea Monster Kraa! This monster will rise from the seas to conquer Earth, all the while Doom plans to take the planet’s ice for his world.