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Reviews
The Gamers (2002)
For Gamers eyes only
Anyone who was hazarded into the world of gaming will appreciate this movie. But you need to either be a Gamer or know a Gamer to get any of the humour in this ... film ... I hesitate to call it a film because it's more like a long video skit then anything else. Production values are about as low as they come but they are more than made up for through enthusiasm and the genuine portrayal of all characters through the neophyte actors.
In the film you follow an all male group of D&D players as they Game in the campus dorm. You see them in real life joking around, annoying the hell out of their Dungeon Master by arguing rules, and getting harassed by the non-gamer female neighbour because of their over-enthusiastic role-playing (ie. yelling battle cries and victory dances). The real charm of this film lies in the portrayal of the D&D characters as they act out the actions of the table-top game. It's an opportunity for Gamers to see just how ridiculous some of the things they do in table-top sessions would be in an actual person were to do them in real life. For example, you cannot help but laugh as the thief steals the clothes off of a bar-patron without the man noticing simply because he has so many points in the skill that he cannot possibly fail.
Inside jokes aimed at the gaming crowd are the heart of this film. That heart beats fiercely and never misses a beat.
Warning: This movie is rife with quotable quotes. If you buy this DVD for a significant other who games be prepared to listen to hours and hours of quotes from this movie for the rest of your life. I'm not kidding.
Ending a movie about gaming is probably the biggest challenge the writer of this script had to face. The games Gamers play can go on forever so how do you wrap it up all nice and tidy for a feature film? Brilliantly that's how. The ending of this film is unexpected and simply brilliant.
This film is destined for the Cult Vault. Not very many people will see it -- but it will find a devoted following in the species known as Gamer.
Alone in the Dark (2005)
Hey, It's better than a made-for-TV movie!
I just read a bunch of reviews slagging this movie but I have got to say lighten up people it ain't supposed to be Shakespeare! I've never played the video game so I did not enter the theater with undo expectations. If you've seen the commercials for this film they clearly show alieanesque creatures popping up behind a security guard and stabbing him through the head. And I promise you this movie delivers exactly what it promises -- Gratuitus violence that you do not have to think about.
The evil creatures are cool looking but unoriginal. The machine gun fights and gore are fun. Seeing Slater on the big screen was a great treat for me and all my girlfriends. Although we were wondering why a guy would go to all the trouble of taking off his belt before bed if he wasn't going to take off the pants too. Sorry, no nudity in this film for either gender to enjoy. Slater does a decent job portraying a character you might expected to see on X-files. But Tara Reid really stinks up the screen. Her lines are delivered flat and quiet. I would have preferred her character to simply not exist; after all, I would think that Slater's character would be more well rounded if he was not only the action-hero but also the geeky archaeologist (an Indiana Jones for the new millennium).
If you ever watch the made for TV movies on Space Channel or Spike I think you'll enjoy this movie because it's definitely a step up from them. Some of the camera shots swing a little wide and the fly-by on the car driving across the bridge is just hilarious -- the camera is actually bobbing up and down. It's obviously a lower budget flick. I would recommend going to see this one in the dollar theaters.
If you go to this film just sit back, relax, enjoy the firefights and laugh at some of the goofy plot twists. And if you're Canadian enjoy the familiar scenery because absolutely no effort is made to hide the fact that they are in Vancouver, BC.
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
A thriller that uses atmosphere rather than fx to create horror.
This is a great thriller that uses atmosphere and plot twist to build up suspense and horror rather than relying on cheesy special effects. Even my friend who hates Horror flicks loved this movie. It's acted beautifully with a strong male and female lead. It really makes you wonder if the Mothman Prophesies are true. X-Files fans will probably notice a few parallels in this film as well.