horishny Reviews

R.I.P.D. (2013)

If you liked the trailer

[6/10 · 24 July 2013]

then you'll like the film. Unlike so many times when you see a trailer, the only notable bits from the film are in that, this film is a good, 2D popcorn matinée.

I don't judge a film based on comparing it to 20 year old successful film franchises, but then I just watch movies. We rarely see films, both my wife and I enjoyed the trailers and thought it would be fun to see and it is. No, it's not MIB, but guess what? It doesn't have Spielberg and W. Smith behind it either. If you want to really eviscerate the film, hey, it doesn't hold up to Ghostbusters either! Jeff Bridges is fun to watch as a blustery cowboy character and I do have to agree with the above reviewer, 'Why in the world would you not mention Kevin Bacon is in your movie?" He gives a good performance, as does Mary Louise Parker, she's a hoot. And a hot looking hoot at that. I don't watch Ryan Reynold movies so I can't be the hater like so many out there seem to be. No, he's not fun like Will Smith, BUT, his character isn't supposed to BE a Will Smith character, and given this character, he does just fine.

I don't care if it's the second GWTW, there's NO way in hell ANY reviewer's comments about Pacific Rim is going to get me to see an Americanized update of a Japanese monster movie. Particularly one that features clean cut 'Murican 'heroes' and not some cool monster beating up other monsters, as is the correct casting for a Japanese monster movie.

It would be tough to be a critic, supposedly knowing all there is to know about a film before you watch something, but in this case, just go see it if you have the least interest in the idea. The film was fun.

Wipeout (2008–2014)

Honest fun

[8/10 · 1 July 2009]

Some people will never appreciate the 3 Stooges. I mean, this show is a live action America's Funniest Home Videos, if you honestly compare the themes repeated on that show, the clips that end up in the final 3 videos and I find it a refreshing reality show without the incessant undermining and cutting down fellow contestants that is the formula for current 'reality' shows. It may be due to the writers, but the quips that all 3 hosts add throughout the show are often more fun than the images of bodies tumbling off the big red balls. What I also like is, these people are going for their money and they earn it. Given the world's current obesity epidemic, anything that promotes physical efforts to the limit of one's capabilities is not to be dissed and aside from muddy water, the contestants aren't humiliating themselves by intentionally laying in boxes of scorpions or eating 6" long cockroaches. The people looking down their noses at this show likely enjoy watching the opening weeks of American Idol and feeling superior to those folks.

The Damned (1962)

A definite source for Clockwork Orange

[6/10 · 4 July 2007]

I think viewing this film as a 60s piece and a Saturday night creepy film genre, it's impact for me was pretty strong. Pluses for me:

Theme song. Soo bad it's good I thought. I hope the film's shown enough that some garage band picks up on the song and re-records it. How did it go? Slash, slash, crash, crash, kill, kill. Very beat.

Motorcycle gang. I loved seeing a group of Brit bikes tooling around and there was a unique Triumph model amongst.

Viveca Lindfors. Hot. I thought her character and the relationship with the head scientist was complicated and interesting to think about. Plus, her studio with her nuclear aftermath looking figures was a nice cinematic touch, imo.

The experiment with the children. Grim, and given this was the era of the Cuban missile crisis, a too close to reality premise.

The ending. I can't believe more people didn't comment or said that the couple escapes?!? The fact that ALL the people who try to help the children, good or bad characters, die, I thought was a very dramatic touch and not very early 60s thing to do. Grim but the right way to end the film.

The biker story could have been better integrated, and could have been a part of the film all the way through, but I think the pluses of this film for me outweigh its weaknesses.