District 9

District 9
Direct by Neil Blomkamp

Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Mandla Gaduka, and Vanessa Haywood

Runtime of 111 minutes

Rated : R

Disrict 9 was a very impressive movie. Delivering great acting from a cast of relative unknowns, with action and suspense, that once it starts it doesn’t relent until credits roll. With its relatively cheap budget of $30 million, the special effects are incredible, especially when you consider the fact that all of the aliens in the movie are completely CGI. The movie is shot as a combination of faux documentary and as a regular movie, alternating between the two styles to create a movie experience that draws you into the story. Producer Peter Jackson and Director Neil Blomkamp have ended the summer movie season with a bang.

As the movie opens we discover that an alien ship is hovering over Johannesburg, South Africa and it has been there for the last 20 years. The movie cuts to different interviews, as well as newsreel footage, in which we learn that three months after the ship first appeared, military forces decide to go in after growing tired of waiting for something to come out. Once inside they discover the aliens living in their own filth and malnourished. The aliens are brought out of the ship and housed in a government-controlled camp called District 9.

After years of ever growing tension between humans and aliens, control of District 9 has been contracted out to MNU (Multi-National United). MNU is given the task of relocating all 1.8 million aliens a safe distance outside the city. The man in charge of the operation is the recently promoted Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley). As Wikus is in the process of searching a suspicious alien residence he contracts a mysterious virus that begins to change his DNA. On the run and with no place to hide, Wikus must seek refuge in District 9 as he begins his search for a cure.

The lead character Wikis is played excellently by Sharlto Copley, a man unknown to many of us in America, but I think that will change after the exposure he will gain from this movie. Copley’s portrayal of Wikis as he goes from being an office drone to terrorized victim to hero is done in an authentic and believable way.

I walked out of the theater not quite knowing what to say in my review. I knew that I would recommend it because it was a very good and so suspenseful that I didn’t even realize that I had my fists clenched for the last 45 minutes of the movie. I said that to say this, if you enjoy a movie that has suspense, action that actually serves the story and the plot, and has developed the characters so that you are concerned for them, then do yourself a favor and watch this movie.

The Buzz on District 9 is 4 stars out of 5

Halloween II

This movie review is one of my older ones, but I'm trying to get all the reviews on here that I have done. 

Halloween II

Directed by Rob Zombie

Starring: Tyler Mane, Scout Taylor-Compton, Danielle Harris,
 Brad Dourif, Sheri Moon Zombie, Malcolm McDowell

Runtime: 111 minutes

Rated R

All I can say is “Wow”, and not the good kind of wow mind you, but the bad kind that comes from seeing a really bad wreck or something go horribly wrong. I am sitting here racking my brain, trying to remember how long it has been since I have seen another movie that was this bad. I’m not entirely sure what writer/director Rob Zombie was trying to accomplish with this movie and while watching it I got the feeling that he didn’t either.

Halloween II begins immediately where the last left off. After the opening sequence the story picks up one year later. The body of Michael Myers is missing and Laurie Strode is trying to cope with what she has been through. This being a Halloween movie, Michael Myers doesn’t stay missing too long and soon returns to finish what he started in the first film. Blood, gore, and a weird chick in a white dress with a white Clydesdale ensue. I could go into further detail about the story and the set up, but I just don’t see the point. In reality, I could have summed up the movie by simply saying blood, screaming, cursing, more blood, weird flashbacks, some more blood, and roll credits.

To say that I didn’t like this movie would be putting it lightly. If there had only been one or two things about the movie that I didn’t like I probably could have let it go, but the further into the movie I got the more I began to hate it. The script by Rob Zombie was just flat out bad. I understand that Mr. Zombie (that’s just weird to type) is trying to give the character of Michael Myers more depth and give us an understanding of why he is the way he is, but I just don’t care. I liked Michael Myers more when he was an unstoppable killing machine and I didn’t know why he was killing. And don’t even get me started on the flashbacks of his dead mother and the horse. As far as the acting I am willing to cut the actors some slack since the script they were working with was utter crap. However, the acting was over the top and corny. The worst offender in the movie would have to be Sheri Moon Zombie, who played Deborah Myers, Michael’s deceased mother. Her time on the screen was nothing more than a distraction. So far, she has been in all of Rob’s movies and she has been atrocious in them all.

I would not recommend this movie to anyone, even if you are a gore hound, skip it and just watch SAW again. In fact, I wouldn’t even watch this movie again if it came on basic cable.

In closing I would like to say a little something to Rob Zombie.

Rob,

Please stop writing and directing. You just aren’t that good at either. However, if you insist on continuing your endeavors, please stop casting your wife.

Thank you,

Brandon

The Buzz on Halloween II is 1/2 star out of 5

Shutter Island

Shutter Island
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, and Max von Sydow
Runtime: 137 minutes
Rating: R

*Note* - This will be a fairly vague movie review, so as to not give away any details about the story and ending.
Shutter Island is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley. Scorsese is at the top of his game working from a screenplay adapted from Dennis Lehane's book of the same name. Lehane is the author of a couple of other books that have been adapted into movies, such as Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone. While I haven’t read any of Lehane’s books, I have seen all the adaptations and this is by far my favorite.
As Shutter Island begins it is 1954 and U.S. Marshalls Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are aboard a ferry to Shutter Island, home to Ashecliffe, a prison for the criminally insane. They have been sent there to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates. Upon beginning their investigation Teddy starts to suspect that things aren’t as cut and dry as he originally thought. Dr. John Crawley (Ben Kingsley) is in charge of the inmates (or patients as he prefers to call them) of the institution and seems to have genuine compassion and concern for those he is in care of. However, it is the uncooperative staff that gives rise to Teddy’s suspicions that there is more than meets the eye to Ashecliffe.
I was very excited to finally go see Shutter Island last week. I have been waiting months to see this movie since it’s originally scheduled release date in October was changed to February. Usually that is a bad sign when a release date is changed to January-March, a time traditionally known as a dumping ground for movies that the studios don’t have too much faith in. However, this movie is the exception.
I was completely engrossed in the movie from the time my cheeks hit the seat until the credits rolled. The movie is gripping and suspenseful. Directed by a master that is only getting better with age. The acting across the board is solid, with excellent performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Kingsley. Just when you think that you have figured out the story and that you know exactly what’s going on, you are presented with something that completely changes your perspective. I dare you to find a rollercoaster at Six Flags that has more twists and turns than this movie. My advice is to go into this movie prepared to have your mind taken on a ride, so just sit back and enjoy.
I still find myself sitting around thinking about the different twists and turns that had my head spinning for much of the movies running time. Not only do I recommend that you go see this movie, but I am going back to see it again the next chance I get...and when it comes out on blu-ray, I’m buying it.

The Buzz on Shutter Island is 4 ½ stars out of 5

The Wolfman

The Wolfman
Director: Joe Johnston
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Emily Blunt
Runtime: 102 minutes
Rating: R

“The Wolfman” is a remake of the 1940’s original, starring Lon Chaney Jr. While I have seen the original, it has been too long ago and I was too young to remember the movie aside from the cheesy werewolf makeup. I said all of that to say that this will not be a review comparing the new to the old, simply a review of the film just released.
The movie begins with Gwen (Emily Blunt) writing to Lawrence (Benicio Del Toro) informing him that his brother and her fiancé, Ben, have been missing for several weeks. As Lawrence arrives he is informed that Ben’s body was discovered in a ditch the previous morning. After Lawrence sees the body (or what’s left of it) he goes to the local tavern where rumors of a foul beast are swirling. Well it isn’t long until Lawrence is attacked and bitten by this “foul beast” or werewolf and that is where the real blood and gore begin…as well as the story.
Now I’m sure you want to know if the movie is any good. I can tell you that it is a decent movie. The acting is good as well it should be with the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, and Hugo Weaving taking up the majority of the screen time (Sorry Ms. Blunt you have yet to wow me). The special effects are on par, but it is noticeable when the film switches from practical to computer generated effects. The make-up is outstanding and I found myself just staring at Benicio Del Toro every time he was on screen in full werewolf makeup. (I can’t wait to watch the special features when this thing hits blu-ray)
My problem with the movie lies with the plot and the lack of character development. I think a little more time could have been spent on character development. As the movie came to a close I wasn’t as concerned about the characters I had been watching for almost two hours as I should have been. Overall, it just wasn’t that scary or frightening. Don’t get me wrong, the movie has its moments of suspense and fright, but it wasn’t enough to have me on the edge of my seat at any point during the movie.
“The Wolfman” is the type of movie that falls into the wait and rent category for me. It was good, but I don’t feel it was worth the ticket price. Save your money and go see Shutter Island, a movie that looks like it will be fantastic.



The  Buzz on The Wolfman is 2 1/2 stars out of 5