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Pet Sematary II (1992) Directed by Mary Lambert

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 1:55 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 20 April 2009)

To be honest I more enjoyed watching this movie than its predecessor. The movie picked a less serious approach of things, which mostly made this an enjoyable one to watch. It was too bad that toward the end the movie becomes a bit too ridicules and its story seems to be completely thrown overboard.

Still can't really understand the hate toward this movie though. If you take this movie for what it is it's simply a good and enjoyable one to watch. It's story might not be anything special but it's simply all good enough for the movie of this sort and it features all of the right required ingredients. It's also a movie done with some more style, which comes back in its more professional visual look.

I found the characters from this movie to be also far more compelling as the ones from the first movie. Perhaps this is also due to the actors playing them. This movie has some more big names in it, such as Edward Furlong, Anthony Edwards and Clancy Brown. The characters work out as more entertaining and they are easier to identify with.

It's true that this isn't really an horror movie and that's probably also why this movie is being blasted a lot by many people who were basically expecting another movie exactly like "Pet Sematary". Perhaps this movie is also better viewed as a stand-alone. Sure the movie has some gore and shock but it's mostly being used for its 'entertainment'.

The movie is good and enjoyable for most part and in those parts the movie is in my opinion also definitely better as "Pet Sematary" but as the movie is heading more and more toward its ending it tends to get worse. A real shame, since it takes away quite a lot from the movie and its entertainment value. It turns into a real poor B-flick and I feel that the makers perhaps also had some difficulties at times finding the right balance between its humor and the movie its more serious intended aspects.

Definitely still a good and enjoyable enough movie to watch, if you're willing to give it a shot and simply take it for what it is.

6/10

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Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) Directed by Irvin Kershner

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 12:39 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 15 March 2009)

Well, to be honest this movie was a bit of a disappointment. I'm in to the genre and always enjoy a '70's movie and the movie had an impressive cast as well but the overall movie is just not that interesting to watch. It's a bit of a waste of such a fine main concept.

Yes, this really could had been one fine supernatural thriller with lots of suspense and mystery. Instead the movie now is one filled with missed opportunities and wasted potential. Blame the script for that (written by none other than John Carpenter) that just doesn't provide the movie with much interesting or much tension. I mean you basically know from the beginning on that the movie is going to have a twist at the ending, so when it comes it's hardly a surprise or a shock anymore. Besides it's rather weak and thin, as is the entire movie its story basically.

The movie could had also really used a bit more '70's style. Guess Irvin Kershner is a bit of a too old fashioned director to include some experimental '70's oddities, though it could had really uplifted the movie with that particular style.

When you look at the cast list you will be rather impressed. However most of the actors (Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif, Rene Auberjonois, Raul Julia) weren't any big stars yet at the time of this movie and most of them still stood at the beginning of their career. Now days the cast list looks far more impressing than it did back in 1978. Faye Dunaway is the star of the movie and she shines as the female lead.

As far as the genre- and '70's movies in general are concerned, this movie isn't among the best. It's still a perfectly watchable movie but not halve as good or interesting as it concept could had allowed it to become.

6/10

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Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami & Roger Corman

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 3:42 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 14 December 2007)

The movie has got some of the worst storytelling I've experienced in a long while. Scene's rapidly follow each other, without often feeling an obvious connection. It's a very disjointed movie, in which some sequence, mostly the action one's, happen without no apparent reason. It makes this one of those annoying hard to watch movies, that is not because of its intelligence or well layered and constructed story. Unfortunately the movie gets only worse as it progresses.

It uses the exact same plot and characters as Akira Kurosawa's "Shichinin no samurai", which is of course fine on its own, since it's also something "The Magnificent Seven" did but it also heavily 'borrows' from other movies such as "Star Wars ", "Superman", "Alien" and the "Star Trek" franchise. In other words every other popular genre piece released before at that time and without any shame. Also especially annoying how the movie uses the same sounds effects as in those previous mentioned movies. For instance, hear Darth Vader's breathing as a door opens...ridicules. It could had worked as this movie was supposed to be a spoof, which it isn't.

Yes the movie is supposed to be comical and has humorous moments, characters and dialogs at times. It helps to give the movie a certain camp and cheesy entertaining value.

The action is a complete bore within this movie, mostly because halve of the time you don't know what is going on and who is fighting who, plus it's all done extremely formulaic and standard. Nothing spectacular or groundbreaking happens ever in this movie.

The special-effects are pretty dodgy looking in the movie (directed by James Cameron by the way). But no, perhaps not as bad as you would expect from a B-movie. Fairly much the same goes for the sets and costumes. Through some of the make-up effects and clothing are hilariously bad. There's a weird bunch of character in this movie!

Perhaps the greatest and only real good thing about this movie is the fine and rather well known musical score by James Horner. Guess this movie also was the reason why he got the "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" job, which is still one of his best and most appreciated works.

Pretty amazing how many well known actors agreed to be in this movie, also especially when considering producer's's Roger Corman's notorious reputation in B and some even Z-grade movies. But in that regard this one perhaps isn't even among his worst movies. Robert Vaughn, George Peppard and Sam Jaffe were no small time actors, although admittedly it's true that their careers were already declining at the time. Jaffe was almost 90 while starring in this movie!

The storytelling makes this absolutely one of the worst genre movie you'll ever see! Two big fat thumbs down for this one.

2/10

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