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Reviews
The Devil's Gravestone (2010)
Surprisingly well done
Vampire movies almost always leave me wanting to die a slow horrible death. So I went into this a little scared of what I might find. To my surprise, the movie ended up being an exception to the rule. It was really quite good.
Story - Jaq (pronounced Jack) was a wife and mother whose life was turned upside down when her husband was turned into a bloodsucker. He quickly feeds on his own son to satisfy his bloodlust. Disappearing into the night, Jaq becomes obsessed with finding him and avenging her child's death. From there we have virgin pregnancies, demonic chants, and a decent amount of gore as the plot widens to have much larger implications. Though it had it's share of creepiness, the movie isn't as scary as I normally would like, but still, the story had me glued to the screen.
There's no escaping the fact that it's a low-budget film, but it's obvious that a lot of care went into each step of the process. Some nice set pieces. Acting, Sound, Music, Editing, and Cinematography are all very well done. It's unfortunate the filmmakers couldn't afford a top quality camera. That being said, it's still one of the better vampire films I've seen.
7/10
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Beautiful
I love the work of David Fincher. His visual sense is quite possibly the best out there these days. This movie takes it to another level. It's a wonderful story told about as well as you could ever expect.
From a technical standpoint, the visual FX are flawless and the attention to detail is impeccable. Quite simply, I was blown away. It felt a lot like a dream, and I didn't want to wake up.
Acting, Cinematography, music, period work, staging, and every other thing is pitch perfect. I never thought Fincher could outdo Fight Club, but I won't doubt him again.
I'll give it a nine out of ten, because I always like to leave room for future improvement.
30 Days of Night (2007)
A Good Flick
This movie has a lot going for it. Start off with a great idea - Alaska's near endless night provides a playground for vicious vampires to reign. Beyond that, they back it up with some nice cinematography, good acting, and a decent story.
I can't say that I loved the film, but I did enjoy it. It's head and shoulders above the vampire films I'm used to seeing. Though it never wowed me, it was consistently interesting and never dull. Well produced in every respect.
I have to rate this film a 6/10. After Bloodrayne, it may deserve a ten.
A quality piece of work.
Reign in Darkness (2002)
Another bad Vampire movie
Anyone who tries to make a movie for little or no money deserves a little credit, but at the end of the day, I still expect to see an enjoyable film. This film does not meet that criteria. The acting is poor, to say the least. The story lacks any interest at all. At first I found some of the weak points to be frustrating, but then the whole thing quickly became laughable. Somehow I sat through it, and I have no idea how I did it.
I've always been a fan of the idea of vampires movies, but at this point I'm starting to hate them. This could be the nail in the coffin. I give the film two stars, though I'm not sure it deserves it.