lewishamilton-35961 Reviews

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Unmissable debut film of Tarantino

[20 September 2019]

The film that announced the genius of Tarantino to the world. Reservoir Dogs grabs you by the throat and digs its claws in deep. From the moment that the unwitting viewer tumbles into the realm of Lawrence Tierney's gang of eight, they are hopelessly trapped there until the final credits roll. The writing is crisp and clean, providing line after line of snappy dialogue designed to leave the viewer alternately pondering and laughing aloud. The gallows humor and dark comedy are among many of Reservoir Dogs' defining elements. This is one of those rare motion pictures that's both intelligent and visceral at the same time. Highly recommended with one caveat: those who are squeamish about blood should be wary. While the gore in this film isn't gratuitous, there's a great deal of it, and one particular torture scene is chillingly and vividly depicted. Gripping and gut-wrenching, Reservoir Dogs is likely to stay with you for a long time.

Event Horizon (1997)

Middling sci-fi.

[6 January 2019]

I liked Event Horizon- at least visually but it suffers from the same problems that plague many average films of this sort- a bland screenplay. Event Horizon takes us to the year 2047 and onto the deep space rescue craft Lewis & Clark as it departs from Earth orbit on a two-month journey to Neptune. The primary mission of the Lewis & Clark is to go into a low orbit around Neptune and make contact with the deep space research vessel Event Horizon, which was initially thought destroyed seven years ago. The would-be rescuers are to search for survivors and salvage anything that's reclaimable, but no one is prepared for the horror that lurks deep within the dark corridors of the dead ship. The crew of the Event Horizon may have had their innards splattered over the bulkheads, but something aboard the ship is very much alive. Event Horizon isn't particularly effective as a horror, adventure, or science fiction film but the atmosphere and set design are good. That is all I can say about it.

World Trade Center (2006)

A reminder of that fateful day.

[9 December 2018]

This is an excellent film on a very touchy subject. World Trade Center makes an excellent companion piece to United 93. The films have different styles and they present diverse perspectives of a day that has limitless faces. Both are thoughtful, intelligent, and emotionally potent. They provoke and challenge, asking us not only to face our memories but to question our future. By being less political than he has ever been, Stone offers a movie that can be embraced by movie-goers who sit on the left side of the theater, in the center, or on the right. It's an achievement, and it makes one hope that future feature films about 9/11 will exhibit the same mix of dramatic force and tasteful restraint.

Strangers with Candy (2005)

Crazy over the top comedy film staring Amy Sedaris.

[16 October 2018]

There is only one reason to watch Strangers with Candy and that is Amy Sedaris. She was the main lead of the TV series of the same name of which this movie is a prequel. The premise is that a 40 something ex junkie female goes back to school to get a degree. Its sad that Sedaris isn't all that well known because she is a funny entertainer. The script could have been slightly more polished but this is a minor grievance. Give strangers with candy a shot, you just might go back and watch the TV series.

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Not on par with Alien or Aliens but worth a watch.

[29 July 2018]

Alien Resurrection concludes the original Alien saga. This time we get a clone of Ellen Ripley(as she had self-immolated herself in 3) that some scientists aboard a spaceship create by working on the DNA samples of Ripley they recovered at the site of movie 3. Along with the DNA is intertwined a DNA of the Queen alien embryo that was gestating inside Ripley in Alien 3. The team aboard the spaceship create eggs from the embryo out of which emerge the new Xenomorphs- these are expert swimmers, creepy looking and share a bond with the "mother" Ellen Ripley. The usual trope follows- the scientists, machine squads and a group of space mercenaries are hunted by the hybrid Aliens. This is a decent film and contains some pretty good action set pieces(an underwater chase sequence is a highlight) and great set designs.