The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

Wasted energy

By: JWBM

The main focus of "The Cloverfield Paradox" takes place in the cold, harsh realms of space with a crew of international scientists on a mission to undergo a potentially hopeful, though risky experiment to save humanity during a life or death energy crisis.

Back on the big blue planet, you watch one of the crew's husband act as your eyes and ears, except with every excuse not to show something more interesting: from reading vague messages, to half-heard reports, close-ups, confused conversations, hiding themselves away. I get the whole mystery angle this series relies on and using the ol' noggin for interpretation, though as a third film laying the ground rules it would make more sense to show some of the unimaginable beasts and utter pandemonium you've long wanted to see since the original film came out. It tries to go for the global consequences of "Armageddon" meets "The Day After Tomorrow" with an "Event Horizon" twist, except without the intricate steps or layers to get there. Just a repeat of the outline of the main agenda—we need energy NOW—making that portion feel an after thought and lose its driving point. Including an all-huff-no-facts conspiracy theory dude made one cross their arms more than it did solidify the message.

The most interesting and grab your attention feature here is the moral questions related to multi-dimensional alternate choices and circumstances. It's a perfect mix of something technical meets something emotionally relatable. While the story makes attempts at being fresh and exciting with some creative scenes, it also feels like it makes up rules and circumstances with the wave of a hand. You get slick looking sets, on top of neat gadgets and gizmos like any science fiction film with a budget, except they're often used as major plot points on a whim. Right. Those. While the acting had its certain charms and layers of emotions, it also felt like it created a sense of false drama out of nowhere. I mean, turn up the heat back home with warring nations, though a group of scientists coming together for a greater cause was treated like a petty group of nobodies.

In some respects the film moves quickly and makes attempts to be dramatic and set itself apart from the usual fare. In other respects it clashes tones and grazes over the finer details to make you drop your guard and be fully taken away by its sense of magic.

Rating: 4/10

Director: Julius Onah (The Girl Is in Trouble)
Actors: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Bruhl, Chris O'Dowd
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube link

Extinction (2018)

War and peace

By: JWBM

The majority of us are just busy ants locked into our day to day lives. Some would argue that we lose sight of the world as a whole as a result, while others ignore the naysayers and prefer that bubble that keeps us comfortable and content. Putting your guard down and getting too relaxed can also have its own share of problems when something would otherwise interrupt that near-sighted tranquility.

A man is having strange visions that are beginning to affect his work and personal life. All at once, the answers to a swirling mix of questions comes to light. "Extinction" is a sci-fi/action in the vain of "Independence Day" meets "Total Recall." It's a kill-kill-kill, destroy-destroy-destroy everything kind of film, but with a twist. While this had the potential to be another among the ranks of science fiction to reference or look back on, the story is delivered in an otherwise clunky, convenient, and black and white fashion.

Some scenes have some emotion injected, though two little girls who are incessant screamers and huggers gets tiring. The bad guy has actions that are commendable over your typical villain, yet he feels more planted by the writers to submit to everything the audience wants to hear than a personality with actual backbone that gives and takes. The lead—Michael Peña—plays an imperfect but loving dad who's currently out of step. The character is withdrawn and aloof, but then transitions into a one-track, every-kind-of-man concoction that does and says the right things than his own thinking, reasoning person.

Some of the surprises don't always have a smooth transition, with how one aspect is important towards social justice and giving this some sentiment, but other aspects towards defense or evolution are swept under the rug? It makes it feel more noticeably slanted and manipulated to evolve around a single surprise; making it backtrack more than it expands on its concept. Its mode of action turns into a stale formula: wasn't there for my family, now I must be there for my family when dire events arise. Must run, hide, scream, hug, and fight as bullets and explosions mysteriously fail to never hit their targets while everyone else is conveniently obliterated as the good cinematic martyrs they are.

Rating: 4.5/10

Director: Ben Young (Hounds of Love)
Actors: Michael Peña, Lizzy Caplan
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube link

Tau (2018)

Evolution of the circle

By: JWBM

What is life? No one would question a man or animal that walks and breathes as living. What are emotions? Put a man or animal into a stressful situation outside of routine and no one would question their actions or individual motivations as not being emotional. The bigger question is: Can man create life and emotions, or even individual thought patterns, apart from his DNA?

The story has an interesting sense of evolution to it. Where it starts out like your everyday horror feature with a lone, pretty blonde being kidnapped and experimented on by some rich, hyper-intelligent tycoon, it mutates into something more thought provoking along the lines of science fiction and technological morality. The main villain is an inventor who specializes in lifeforms—he also has success, investors, wealth, and security at his finger tips—though he's obsessive, which makes him alone, and with an ironic sense of being a two-dimensional force lacking in proper human interaction and normal emotional responses. We get to see his test subjects grow and excel beyond their initial capabilities from the caged predicament they are put into—because life flourishes; emotions can't always be held back or controlled.

The lead, Julia—played by Maika Monroe of "It Follows"—is fierce, smart, and adaptive. What separates her from her captor is she recognizes needs and injects careful feeling into processing a situation where true interaction stems. There are intriguing questions of why life protects life from a mutual friendship or benefit, to moral questions of life ending life from severing a relationship or usefulness. Things can't be governed by solely logical actions, as they can't be pure emotions either. Existence isn't perfection, neither is it always nailed down by a single definition in the page of a book.

The film takes place in a single environment, though it used the confined spaces to outline everyday aspects the normal person caught in a routine wouldn't sit down and ponder on. This isn't going to be a lecture by any means; it still has a sense of entertainment with suspense, and a connection to the characters: one human test subject, and one computer test subject who make an unlikely bond that's memorable enough to last after the credits roll.

Rating: 8/10

Director: Federico D'Alessandro
Actors: Maika Monroe, Ed Skrein, Gary Oldman
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

Upgrade (2018)

HAL 9000 just got darker

By: JWBM

What is misery? Some might say that it is an intense, nearly hopeless state that pushes human bounds beyond just sadness. Another might give a more close to home definition of being involved in an accident where you become cripple and also senselessly lose your wife to a gang of thugs. You spent your whole life trusting your hands and working with mechanical parts. Now, you must embrace a futuristic world that is becoming more and more dependent on computers and solid state technology. Though, the bigger question is, is some added convenience worth the unforeseen complexities that go along with advancement? Not just minor attributes when dealing with computer intelligence, such as human laziness, or expense, but a moral dilemma when it does our dirty work?

What is a miracle? Some might say that it is an event or action inexplicably resolved by some higher power. Another might say that a miracle doesn't exist. In this case, they may be right. Grey Trace went from not being able to move anything but his his head, eyes, and lips, to being given the chance to become part of an experimental procedure that gives him not only full function back to his limbs, but also new and potentially deadly abilities. In light of his recent incident involving a gang of outlaws, one might question anything positive coming from it. Seeing both circumstances come together, you can just smell a forecast of revenge and blood in the air.

"Upgrade" guides you by the hand, replaces it with a cybernetic one, and then uses it to manipulate and destroy people in highly creative fashion. Once released from its cage, the film is nearly a constant, adrenaline-packed rush. It's an incredibly fun experience that mixes a blend of its own brand of science fiction where humans go dark with upgrades, and good ol' fashioned action scenes to make the blood pump and the circuits re-connect your senses. Being directed by an original actor and writer of the "Saw" series—Leigh Whannell—this is on par with the violence of a horror movie. Not quite as over-the-top as "Tokyo Gore Police," though it's guaranteed to make the regular cinema goer flinch. The uncut version of "Robocop" might have a new rival in town, where knives carve deeper and uglier than a rush job on a Halloween pumpkin, and heads explode like a well-developed kid going to town on a pinata that represents everything wrong with his childhood.

In order to keep the narrative steadily going, some aspects are convenient, such as an advanced world where the cops are never there at the right time, with criminals and technology instead running rampant. They created some inventive aspects of the future, but didn't overstep themselves and make it over-complicated either. It feels like a kinetic, flowing film from start to finish. It's a basic revenge story, mixed with swirling, more complex questions of where technology could be headed. Super soldiers and electronic implants might be beyond belief, though this dark and visceral experience never lets you think otherwise.

Rating: 8.5/10

Director: Leigh Whannell
Actors: Logan Marshall-Green, Melanie Vallejo, Betty Gabriel
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube trailer

Arrival II (1998)

Aliens and maple leaves

This time around Zane's Canadian step-brother--who's a wizard of a computer geek underneath that '80s looking hairdo--must pick up the pieces from where his distant, paranoid relative left off in a similar DIY investigative fashion for, that's right, humanity's sake. Except he's laid back, shows late for work and would rather run from a situation than get his hands dirty, especially about theories concerning covert extraterrestials. Yeah, those guys...and now gals.

The pacing is along the lines of a made-for-TV mystery with a few thrills to grease the wheels. Production expenses are tighter, so in turn, there are a number of scenes that are overdrawn. The acting isn't expected to be award winning but with the flow being at slower speeds than its predecessor, it makes what comes out of their mouths forced and far from giving the believable sense of actually being there in this state of looming danger. Not to mention the one-dimensional villains that are just shy of being animated over and turned into cartoon characters.

The first film, while not mind-blowing, was fresher with ideas. "The Arrival 2" retreads similar mechanics and the story meddles on with superficial attempts to personalize the experience with little quips, along with token love interests and by-now dated gizmos. Overall, this feels straightforward, anticlimactic and, aside from a few redeeming qualities to keep it afloat, a waste of a sequel.

Rating: 4/10

Director: Kevin Tenney (Night of the Demons, Peacemaker, Pinocchio's Revenge)
Stars: Patrick Muldoon, Jane Sibbett
Link: IMDB

The Arrival (1996)

The truth is out there but closer than we thought

Certain media has come along ranging from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" to "The X-Files" that made it possible for the kooks to buddy up with the crossed-armed cinema goers who are on the fence about intelligent lifeforms from outside of Earth. "The Arrival" is a film that appeals to a wider audience due to its continual action, along with a global message in its wake that affects us all.

Zane Zaminsky, a radio astronomer, works in a job that in real life would be about as exciting as watching cows graze to most folks. Though for cinematic effect, this paranoid chair-jockey catches on to a massive conspiracy theory that the public has not a clue. It's a good thing we have Mr. ZZ flat top to undercover the truth no matter if it might risk him his job, family or freedom. He's a big-screen archetype that's self-sacrificing in his ways and uses his convenient scientific skills to fence off bad guys that range from charismatic to cookie-cutter at every turn.

"The Arrival" on the surface is meant for basic entertainment. Apart from watching the main character figure out all his steps and moves on his own, the only time the brain starts to kick in is towards the latter part of the film with the truth coming out. Locales change and nifty devices are shown with state of the art CGI for its day. Though some of the film mechanics are dated as this is a "movie-movie": something that isn't grounded with real characters and full of events that are meant to look like trial and error but feel guided to go a certain way with the story. Its main perk is its constant traction forward, which makes it feel more like a suspense thriller than a sci-fi/action movie like "Independence Day."

Rating: 6/10

Director: David Twohy (Timescape, writer - Warlock, The Fugitive, Waterworld)
Stars: Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Crouse, Richard Schiff
Link: IMDB

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Truth in the title

A memory impaired man (Daniel Craig) awakes with a strange metal shackle on his wrist and a wound on his side. After showcasing hidden skills like a 19th century Jason Bourne on some rough and tough dudes, he heads to the nearest town of Absolution only to find more hassles. He deals with a spoiled, troublemaker named Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), who's father is a not-to-be-messed-with head honcho of sorts. Percy lands in jail and soon enough the man with no memory ends up in the cell next door, as he turns out to be the infamous Jake Lonergan who has a rap sheet longer than the Oregon Trail. When Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) gets word of his incarcerated son, he storms the streets with his cowboys. Right before a tense showdown, the alien part of the equation shows to make things go boom and people disappear. Jake's bracelet suddenly turns into Mega Man status and he blasts one of the ships down with an energy beam. The creature that operated the vessel flees and they round up a posse to track it back to where their kidnapped loved ones are.

"Cowboys & Aliens" is more about the journey to the final showdown involving various characters that it incidentally never fully scratches below the introductory surface on. It makes a few of them at times more plot devices than natural, especially the woman who feels penciled in after the fact to conveniently solve or perpetuate Jake's issues. Along tags a bartender who's more business than brawn; a mysterious woman who eyes Jake; a practical preacher who knows how to pray and shoot; a young boy who's not yet a man; a loyal Indian who looks at his boss as a father figure; and the former colonel Dolarhyde who's got a thing or two to teach the youngins about battle. Now, where westerns in the past had everybody out for their ruthless selves, this uses the enslaving extraterrestrials as a means to get along for the greater good of humanity, including fierce outlaws and warrior Indians who are in the same dire straits. In the meantime, no one ever claimed the abominable aliens didn't have punctuality as they make a few well-timed appearances to the point of predictably just before a human vs human conflict is about to get all gun crazy. Though like throwing a rock at a tank, these basic, booze-drinkin', boot-wearin' westerners look to be completely overrun and overwhelmed. That is until they have to get sneaky and use strength in numbers to put a stop to the aliens, which at this point are so one-dimensional the movie plays out like an easily sold good vs evil template with nothing left over to put in the bank to accumulate interest.

This is more the former than the latter of the title. The western portion on its own isn't groundbreaking to the genre, and the sci-fi side isn't inventive enough to blow the lid off a long time fan, even if the combination is definitely original. Other aspects to fall back on like the pacing can feel like it revs the engine, then levels at a lower gear. This wouldn't be such an issue but it's not that contemplative of a film to hit the locker room in between for a break, and as a result creates a building list of questions from the viewer that never end up answered about certain plays. It's a film that treads more on mystery when it comes to its antagonists, by at first seeing a shadow, a claw and then a quick full frontal, as well as it only gives little snippets of information for the viewer. Problem is, it doesn't create that intriguing enough of creatures to pull the enigma off--no communication, no interaction with each other, very few distinguishing elements with behavior or appearance--or even go further into why they're on Earth other than laying out a questionable reason at face-value.

Daniel Craig played a simple but commanding presence, as he said little but when it came time for action delivered with full force as if he meant it, and then some. It causes you to focus in on him to not miss his next move, despite getting knocked about with a lesser blow or two on occasion. Clancy Brown plays a memorable role as a tough holy man that adds humor to the situations, but Chris Browning includes cartoon flavor with his crusty chompers and oafish demeanor. Paul Dano, as much as he tried and has the most range, his performance felt misplaced as if he's a tortured man rather than just a fearful kid with no perspective from growing up safe and spoiled. Harrison Ford's character is built up and built up, with other people making not only a legend of him but a power not to be reckoned with, though by the time it comes for him to show his stuff, he falls somewhat short on punch. It's a shame that some of his gruff lines come off as unflattering imitations rather than truly compelling. On an entertainment level, you get massive explosions, O.K. Corral-thumping gun fights, built up thrills, mystery, situational humor, potential love, tragedy, resolution and you get to see two separate genres at the same time. It sounds like a lot, but it didn't always come one after the other or always in a smooth, edge-of-your-seat transition together. The mentioned certainly made this enjoyable and an interesting concept to see but unfortunately it wasn't capable of thoroughly traveling beyond expectations for such a cool premise even with all the budget and all the talent it mustered for a central goal with two contrasting but potentially complementing sides.

Rating: 6/10

Director: John Favreau (Made, Iron Man 1 & 2)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Keith Carradine, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Olivia Wilde, Noah Ringer, Clancy Brown
Website: IMDB

High Plains Invaders (2009)

A group of unlikely citizens fight aliens in the west

It's 1892 in a little mining town called Avaranth in Colorado. Sam Danville is going to be hanged for various crimes ranging from train robbery to murder when suddenly a spider looking alien attacks the town. It's up to Sam, the shopkeeper, a female bounty hunter, a nurse, an outlaw, a scientist and the Sheriff to fend them off till they can get away, die trying or save the day.

This begins like a "Night of the Living Dead" setup where they get holed up in the Sheriff's headquarters, only to periodically come out when finding a different way to kill one. The situation is looking hopeless as every time a bug is taken out another pops right back in its place like a weed. To make matters worse, a woman is injured inside and the loud mouthed bounty hunter named Rose postures and all the while threatens Sam that she's going to collect on his reward dead or alive. The nurse and Sam are attempting to rekindle their relationship that went sour from something that happened with his criminal history. With the exception of the bounty hunter and the opportunist outlaw that was formerly Sam's friend, the rest attempt to use the situation for redemption and turn into self-sacrificing heroes no matter the cost to save humanity from space invaders who are drawn there for a specific reason.



This is derivative but to its benefit "High Plains Invaders" is short and also painless in that the main characters don't make very many stupid moves, in part to how simple it's kept instead of going well beyond its means like many Sci Fi Channel/Syfy made-for-TV movies have done in the past. The majority of the film is a pretty straightforward from-one-thing-to-the-next type with a little down time to somewhat personalize the characters in between random attacks. The performances are passable, nothing that you haven't seen before with people trying to survive from something attacking them, albeit kept a little more realistic than over-the-top cinematic. The tone at points rides a fine line between trying to be humorous and serious, but usually more of the latter. Their western accents come and go per scene and occasionally come off as a caricature but the simplistic dialogue is still said with some meaning.


"High Plains Invaders" is catered to the neck deep genre addicts who are given a little taste of a gimmick when two genres are combined. If you separated both portions, then this would be left standing with two below average movies, with the final result itself hitting around middle road. The look of the western times comes with some harsher color templates such as grays and browns to make it feel more authentic than characters standing around on a pristine movie set. Science fiction fans have seen what invasions can do in the modern day with countless movies on the subject. But if anything, how the west is utilized here seems to limit the level of intensity and big action scenes as the resources were less than spectacular compared to modern weaponry such as tanks and aircraft. It makes the events seem somewhat basic: run, hide, shoot, plan, fight over what to do. Sure it's not going to be "Wild Wild West" or even "Independence Day" due to restrained budget reasons, but they don't always take advantage of what they have and get as innovative as one would like to make up for the fact. Even their shoot outs are fairly uneventful the way bullets bounce off the large bug creatures' hard backs like it was nothing. Though the projectiles the creatures themselves shoot come with some gaping wounds from being quicker on the draw than their western counterparts. Comparing then and now, it goes to show that humans haven't changed all that much even when aliens enter the picture. Some are good, some look bad but are really good, and some are just plain ugly despite looking good.

Rating: 4.5/10

Director: Kristoffer Tabori (Pursued, The Accidental Witness, Fireball)
Stars: James Marsters, Cindy Sampson, Sanny Van Heteren, Sebastian Knapp
Link: IMDB

Splice (2009)

A humanoid with caretakers from hell

This type of story has no doubt been done before where someone, usually raving mad, messes with science for personal reasons by stepping under the red tape and avoiding public consensus. To think someone could do this right under people's noses brings out fear from assuming things are in control and order behind the scenes. Though this Canadian production from the director of "Cube" and "Cypher" attempts to take more of a drama angle in the way events slowly pack on more weight until the thin house of cards it was using as a structure to begin with not surprisingly starts to topple over.

These type of tales never go the way they're supposed to or have rainbows after the thunderstorms but I guess that's the message: evolution has a natural process and when jumping too far ahead our ability to contain it is never matched by the strength of our ambition from the outset. It's supposed to be a downward spiral of events as it's an idea that doesn't work from the start. It's obvious to everyone but the characters. By the time they realize it themselves, the audience has already been there and back again, which can come with some predictibility. Going with that, the film isn't always thrilling or exciting for that matter but more of a learning lesson on both sides of the screen: a long winded and gradual one to show their missteps and let the audience decide where their own morals lay. Entertainment value wise, this is more of an eye opener than an amusing theatrical experience that would lend feeling to our surface senses like the typical high budget summer flick.


A lab combined DNA from a variety of species to create a new organism. They're on their way to tweak with humans and create a cure for all kinds of diseases, when the pharmaceutical company they work for dodges public scorn before it becomes an issue and instead wants to use their research for a lesser means with a livestock protein. The lead biochemists, Elsa and Clive, who are also a couple outside of work, want to put the question to rest while they have the means and do their own private experiment with female human DNA combined with other species. From what looks a fluke, turns out to be a rapidly evolving species of its own kind. With risk of being found out, they have to hide the growing being, now known as Dren, but only keep on having complications along the way that can not only jeopardize their careers but their personal lives.

This isn't a horror or thriller, except for the final 10 minutes when the double helix's really hit the fan. For the majority, this plays out as a drama/science fiction story where the new organism puts up a divide between their relationship as a couple as well as their job that comes with a few hitches as a result of their growing distraction. Some transitions aren't always shown or explained, such as why they end up switching roles, from cold and distant to caring and understanding, to the other taking on the reversed traits as more time goes on. Yet, there are massive screw ups on both their parts as neither one has the strength to fully stop it despite many opportunities. This goes through different stages as the scientists discover something that has never been done before: enthusiasm, moral choices, sympathy, curiosity, frustration to true horror. The level of misunderstanding and mistreatment by the time it closes is going to make a few uneasy to say the least.


"Splice" doesn't always step out of the initial concept stage. The characters are posed with a problem and impulsively jump right into a solution for lack of better reasons or an end goal in sight despite being scientists for a living, having a career that took time and sacrifice, and then other employees to look after who have families and lives of their own. Selfish, not to mention incredibly short sighted for being supposedly analytical persons by trade? Should be a new word for it here. To make it more of an exceptional case these aren't normal individuals, but still, a share of the connectors that would make one suspend their disbelief are missing or glazed right over despite the gradual pacing. They work in a large corporation with millions of dollars on the line and easily slip through the cracks at first by working their highly illegal and unpredictable experiments in an adjacent room without security or superiors finding out. I mean, I've heard of trust, but this doesn't chime with the way the higher ups acted to begin with by shutting out their ideas like a typical corporation mentality but then at the same time completely letting them be in another sense.


There is supposed to be a hush-hush risk here but it doesn't always feel that way. Damaged equipment, no inventories conducted or janitorial employees and then the lead people going off on their own with little question for some time. There's the moral angle and the potential of such a thing being conceived but that doesn't always carry this along or is engrossing enough to keep the mind from wandering into other areas that don't line up. New abilities show up and some accidents happen with Dren but this mainly concentrates on Elsa and Clive and their reactions to it all. This has some revelations come out but the way the pacing moves along makes it lose its knock-me-over impact. This tries to cover up its inconsistencies with a line here and there pointing it out themselves but after a number of them happening, it makes it feel more like they're sweeping it under the rug with excuses in hopes you'll go along. Decent story, just requires the audience to compensate for too many areas of its outline.

Rating: 6/10

Director: Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Cypher, Nothing)
Stars: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chaneac
Link: IMDB

Pandorum (2009)

Where the future reverts back to our past

This is a tale of extreme survival in the distant future for what's possibly to come when over population hits. "Pandorum" is a splice between something like "Planet of the Apes" and "The Descent" with the state of evolution with humans mixed with "The Shining" and "Event Horizon" with the horrors that can happen in an inescapable enclosed area and how the mind can get mixed up. This was actually produced by director Paul W.S. Anderson of "Event Horizon," which I believe is his best film to date. This feels like an apocalyptic future on a ship, where resources are even slimmer than they would be on an impoverished Earth. It uses the uncomfortableness and shock of the horror genre and the speed and physicalities from action to accelerate the story. There's also an element of mystery as the characters are thrown mid-stream into an unknown situation that they have to manage to stay afloat till the deadly pull is over or they can find the shore with solid footing.


It's the year 2174 and the population has grown to such a degree that food and water is scarce. On a ship called Elysium, a man wakes up in a hypersleep chamber with no memory of who he is except the name Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) on the outside glass. Another man with Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid) printed wakes up an hour later and together they try and figure out where everyone else is and what they're doing there. Payton stays in the control center and directs the younger man through the corridors. Bower runs into strange alien looking beings with warrior strength who are trying to kill and eat him. He encounters other humans who treat their dire situation as an every man for himself one. He teams up with a buff, English-less Vietnamese man (Cung Le) who was in the agriculture department and a fierce German woman (Antje Traue) who is protecting the specimens for the planet they were headed to called Tanis that's supposed to be like Earth. Bower has to fix the reactor of the ship that is causing power surges or else they'll get cut off in what could be the middle of space. Meanwhile Payton runs into another man named Gallo (Cam Gigandet) who was part of an earlier team and claims the others went through "Pandorum": a rare condition that makes someone with a tendency for a psychological disorder snap from paranoia due to a side effect of being in deep space.




The movie has an onrushing charge that still manages to take a breather to explain its backstory in steady increments that lead up to a building culmination. The characters run, hide and fight to get through the ship with traps and nests waiting in their way. People aren't who they say they are, things aren't what they seem and some revelations and twists are in store. The performances are more with physicalities and facial expression than with line delivery and the dramatic. With the exception of Payton and Gallo's back and forth banter about making rash decisions, emotions are usually suppressed due to the harsh environment. Though the story and sets act like anchors in this regard to brace the development of the characters and how they interact. There are some grisly scenes when it comes to violence. Some of the fights are choreographed like a martial arts film with high jumps and ferocious kicks and punches, along with makeshift barbaric weapons that cruelly sink into flesh as if this reverted back to the caveman days. The sets are filthy and unkempt, almost like an industrial factory with metal structures and the remnants of everything vile that has crept through. There are some worked up scenes that play on anticipation and the discomfort of it all, such as an incredibly claustrophobic scene where Bower has to crawl through tight spaces with no clue where he's going, little air and no way to turn around. "Pandorum" shows what we're capable of becoming as human beings when adapting to a new situation outside of our normal environment--backstabbers, cannibals, crazed--just taken to the hilt due the unique set of circumstances the film suggests: when space brings out our primal tendencies instead of progress.

Rating: 8.5/10

Director: Christian Alvart (Antibodies, Case 39)
Stars: Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Antje Traue, Cung Le, Cam Gigandet
Link: IMDB

Event Horizon (1997)

The blackness of space

This threw some viewers off when it came out. To set it straight, this is horror first and then an action film that uses science fiction only to set up its diabolical premise. Nothing here projects a utopian society with social commentary or to show progress with science. This is essentially a haunted house like movie except on a space ship in the slightly distant future. All the more reason for not being able to escape the dwelling due to the inside being just as terrifying as the outside. The movie tends to creep up not only on its characters but its audience as well. I mean, a ship displaying supernatural occurrences the moment the crew steps foot on would have most likely made them turn around. It makes sense that there will be pop out scares and random occurrences to make them second guess themselves until it's too late. The horror is psychological in that the characters can't trust their own senses, which are being toyed and manipulated with by a much more devilish force than you can imagine. Instead of making the future a better place, it makes the idea of space exploration about as dangerous as walking down an unknown alleyway in an unfamiliar neighborhood where a presence is lurking in the dark that knows your next moves better than you do.


A crew for the U.S.A.C. is sent out for a search and rescue operation in the year of 2047 near Neptune. A share are of the foul mouthed, joking military kind except with a stern commander named Miller (Laurence Fishburne) to make sure everything goes in order. On board is a guest named Dr. Weir (Sam Neill) who explains that what they're after is the thought to be lost deep space research vessel called "Event Horizon." Seven years ago it was used as a secret government experiment to prove that a vessel can travel faster than light with a gravity drive; essentially it creates a black hole to fold space to get from point A to point B quicker to cut down time on future space travel to reach the stars and beyond. After a seemingly innocent accident, their own ship gets damaged and they have to all board Event Horizon for the meantime. If they don't fix their own ship in time their resources will run out in the remote area of space...but that might not be all that can get them. The crew begins to let their emotions fly and not have each other's best interests in mind. The characters seem like archetypes at first for their specific jobs, though as it moves on the ship has a way of extracting hidden secrets that include their worst fears and nightmares from their past with what seems to be life like hallucinations. The more they find out about the empty Event Horizon, the more their mind wanders into the possibilities of just where the past crew went missing to and where they themselves are headed next.


After setting up its premise, this is a rapidly paced movie that doesn't always get time to truly get inside each of its characters or give them all the depth they deserve which can make it lean a little on the simpler popcorn entertainment side--some one-liners tacked on as well. Though in another regard they display terrified and anxiety ridden reactions for such an incredulous predicament they found themselves in to make it more relating for the audience if they'd potentially do the same. It makes you wonder how much further it could have been taken if it wasn't cut down to make it an R rated film from originally getting NC-17. At times the story is somewhat basic where they move from one place to the next and back again but still with a share of memorable and now classic scenes in between. "Event Horizon" was capable of fully fleshing out its underlying concept as it had the luxury of a high budget with a share of panning shots and amply built sets with unique designs of both the physical and CGI kind.

The gravity drive room is something to really behold with three large rings closely rotating a sinister looking sphere. The orchestral music can go from deep and bombastic build ups to high pitched and racy as if it was scored for a heart-racing thriller instead. The beginning section has some kind of electronic music combination that seems in contrast to the picture but probably purposely so for what's to come. There are some grisly, cruel and downright evil prosthetic effects that are occasionally blended with CG. I seen this film when it came to theaters and still have some of them stuck in my head. The sets are typically cold and gray, with a utilitarian metal design in some regard and grand and futuristic in scope in others. It manages to give this a futuristic hint but not so far distanced that the cold and downcast atmosphere doesn't get through to chill one's bones in the present time.

Rating: 8.5/10

Director: Paul Anderson (Shopping, Mortal Kombat)
Stars: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Richard T. Jones, Kathleen Quinlan, Jack Noseworthy, Jason Isaacs, Sean Pertwee, Joely Richardson
Link: IMDB

51 (2011)

Hard up reporters, subservient soldiers and home sick aliens

It's that day at last, folks! The government is letting journalists on a tour of the infamous Area 51 Air Force base for the first time to dispel rumors of hidden extraterrestrials. Before being let in a Colonel Ronald Martin instructs his men that if any of the guests get to the lower levels they are instructed to shoot them, with jokes to follow since a share of them are left in the dark to what's really going on. The two renowned reporters, along with camera person and photographer, are let into the above ground Hangar 18 and are shown some fancy gadgets that are declassified just for them but still think they're hiding something else. Meanwhile, you guessed it, without even beating around the bush, there's an uprising forming with aliens that Big Brother were hiding below all along.

"51" delivers exactly what its premise suggests, though not much more for the experience that already hasn't been done in other films on the subject. In, out, forgotten--a painless delivery. This isn't exactly ponderous stuff or inventive at that, just a what if question with some action and gory violence to show for itself. The most you might get after is the question of if the government has the right to hide aliens if found or have the right to experiment on them in a callous fashion to supposedly protect ourselves from what we don't understand. For TV material, the acting is mostly consistent and adequate at giving momentum to its story even if their personalities don't have staying power or come across as award winning. Even with the B movie script they're given, this is taken somewhat seriously and by its close they come with changed outlooks from the events instead of remaining the same throughout. It tries, though still feels rushed, not fully outlined and like a demo than anything else. If this were, say, a pilot for a TV show, it wouldn't have held water since the concept only takes it so far.

The budget shows with simplistic sets and a small regiment despite guarding one of the US's most secretive military base. I mean, of course, appearance is everything--in that elite guards would send off red flags--but that's why you put elite guards in regular uniforms or possibly have another base as a backup nearby in case something goes wrong or comes under attack. Then again, this isn't "The Unit" when it comes to an engaging military strategy. They're lucky they get by here. This was surprisingly light on CGI compared to some other SyFy/Sci-Fi Channel features that have aired in the past decade. The prosthetic creature effects are still somewhat scrapped together and unabashedly shown in closeups for extended periods, so compensating is a must for a viewer. It could have used some more memorable scenarios and possibly amped up the action, as for a share of it, it tries to get by only with what little it has stretched out--that includes running around possibly the same reused hallways. Some tension is attempted with various issues arising, such as a self-destruct timer ticking down and an alien called patient zero potentially escaping into the population. Three varieties of alien species are shown: cooperative, monstrous killer and chameleon. This frames two teams, with one on the upper floors guarding in case anything escapes and one roaming the bottom levels with the reporters who are both documenting and fighting the enemy as well to get out alive.

As a horror film, it provides no scares--you can't help but notice the similarities that fall short of "Alien" with drippy mouths and strange noises yet without the tension and anticipation--and the blood shed is treated like it comes with the territory rather than building up to it or actually making it cringe worthy. As a science fiction piece it feels undeveloped compared to what's come before it, especially since the history of Area 51 is only briefly taped into, just the current goings on of the secret facility. As social commentary, it doesn't always carry a dual meaning, except to say that possibly one person can make a difference or not to just blindly hide or blindly take orders. The subtext drives at bringing the truth to the light, but, then again, it's about something that does or doesn't exist, so even then it can be taken with a grain of salt. I'd imagine it still got some triumphant high fives from conspiracy theorists around the country who managed to get away from their computers and "X-Files" DVD collections.

Rating: 3.5/10

Director: Jason Connery (The Devil's Tomb, Pandemic)
Stars: Bruce Boxleitner, Rachel Miner, Jason London, Vanessa Branch, John Shea
Link: IMDB

Butterfly Effect 3 (2009)

Time traveling isn't for winners

A man looks on as an observer in the distance as a woman is savagely murdered near a playground area that she took her boy to. He's transported back to present time in an icy bathtub with the help of his sister Jenna. Currently Sam is commissioned by the police department as a resident "psychic" that gives them accurate information that catches their guy to give the family closure. Everything is going fine until the sister of a woman named Rebecca Brown, the first girl he fell for, came by Sam with evidence in a diary that a man the sister was cheating on Sam with named Lonnie, who went to prison for her murder and has an upcoming execution, didn't actually kill her. Sounds simple: go back in time, stop the killer or just observe and get the charges lifted. Except there are consequential rules in place: never alter your own past or go unsupervised. One small misstep happens and he's already changed the past and created a murderer called the Pontiac Killer that he has to stop but keeps getting knocked back by random circumstance, not to mention the police who are now looking at him as a suspect the more he gets closer. He attempts to go to his sister and physics friend Goldburg for advice but they don't want him to get hurt or alter what already is despite his good intentions. Sam goes on his own through a series of trial and error that leads to frustration and confusion from overlapping events. He's digging a hole that keeps getting deeper and deeper and it becomes uncertain if he can ever can totally fix things and get out.

The story unfolds like a choose-a-new-path tale. The non-linear story mode keeps things intriguing and interesting to where it will go next. This causes some of the performers to change around their demeanor for their new time line. There are some built up dramatic moments, though with the pacing, this keeps itself on the move; luckily to its benefit since there are a few areas that if slowed down would have made the tumblers in your head start to work and question some of the inconsistencies and transitions from point A to B. The movie is somewhat shallow at points with drug use, pointless sex and over-the-top murders that you could care less about the victim at hand, though it's still steadily amusing nonetheless in a low-brow type of way. It's not a smart time travel film that goes on about analytical theory but as a thriller it goes into a number of different directions so as to keep your attention for what new twist of fate will occur. The big twist is somewhat obvious from being given too many clues too early on. The film plays on sensations, so the tone can be both grisly and then light in humor at other times to still keep it fun and not totally lurk in the horror realm. This deals with regret, sacrifice as well as letting go to give it a nice wrap up that probably won't stick with you. Although, the experience in the meantime goes by so succinctly that it's a simple and painless but still entertaining movie on the fly for those nothing-to-do, do-the-thinking-for-me days.

Rating: 6/10

Director: Seth Grossman (The Elephant King)
Stars: Chris Carmack, Rachel Miner, Kevin Yon
Link: IMDB

Mimic 3 (2003)

You'll never see them move in next to an exterminator

One could point to numerous areas of where this film doesn't play out like the first two and be completely right in that respect. It's not a special effects showcasing or a thriller with action packed scenes, as it plays out as a different kind of suspense feature. In one sense it does go for mystery for a majority of the time by giving snippets of clues till a final series of blows. This was handled by another director/writer and filmed in Romania, which gives the setting an off-look to portraying the US. "Mimic 3" tries to take a different route with the tone, pacing and story element, which fans should be all for to include diversity, but in its bold leap forward is still missing something to effectively further the series or completely encompass charging power on it own.

A 24 year old housebound man named Marvin, who was one of the last to get Stricklers disease 10 years ago, bides his time with voyeurism and photography outside of his high-rise apartment bedroom window. Yep, they did it on purpose with an indirect reference to "Rear Window" and all. His sister Rosy has a flair for the wild side, including getting high and hanging out with drug dealers, making her frequently spaced out and dressed in skimpy outfits. She brings a woman named Carmen over that Marvin spies on but they often get caught in awkward situations with his lungs burning from her smoke and perfume. He has no social life and snoops into other people's lives with a view from afar. Him and his sister think they saw a murder and report it to the police, though the detective, who has more an eye on his mother, believes it's a case of the boy who cried wolf and the girl who can't keep her mind focused. Soon enough Rosy and Carmen play amateur detective across the ways with Marvin only to look on helpless to the fact, until the murderers start to kill in the open and get closer and closer to his residence.

"Mimic 3" is essentially about one man who's locked up with little in the way of physical capabilities and then how he's able to overcome attacks against humanity on the outside even though he's one of the weakest of us in strength but not in conviction. Marvin often acts out the mannerisms of something like the "Rain Man" at points to give you an idea. In order to pull off a steady amount of on-screen power requires an amazing amount of range as an actor and the performer doesn't always nail it. He droops his shoulders, dodges physical touch and eye contact, not to mention can't live normally like others: all of which sets up sympathy. Not that much grows from him like other films that go for character development that starts as a seed and springs into a tree, as he essentially acts and maintains the garden and then perseveres despite outside obstacles. Nearly the entire film rests on the shoulders of the lead actor with his movements, emotion or how information gets passed solely through him. The biggest problem here is there isn't an equal balance of information and mysteriousness/wonderment to create a locked in driving point. As a result, a share of this feels like you're in the room with him but still a stranger.

The messages of the film don't come right out and say it, since little is told in the way of narrative, whereas the first two films had Dr. Tyler and then Remi to explain firsthand knowledge of what's going on, making those the more science fiction oriented films. In one sense, this doesn't retread like part two but in the other it's not always more contemplative despite its gradual flow that feels much longer than its hour and 17 minute run time. This is a subtle film where the messages are signaled from afar. It nearly takes the complete view point of Marvin to the point of only seeing things through his zoom lens, often times in the form of snap shots and then odd violin music frequently going like they're filming some 18th century aristocrat instead of some guy held back in modern times. It leaves a lot of questions open and it doesn't create the world of intrigue it wanted to like its predecessor "Rear Window" did. It takes a share of time before anything happens that is significant and this more or less plays on if he's imagining it or is it real and then why no one believes him. If you haven't seen the first two films, there's going to be more surprise with that sentiment, but otherwise it's not the best luring system for an acquainted viewer. The Judas Breed element is somewhat elusive as to why and how they're there, and then what explanation is told is said so quickly so as to miss the focal point. It makes the film wind down inconclusively and feel less part of the "Mimic" series, which is somewhat disappointing even if this tried to be different.

Rating: 4.5/10

Director: J.T. Petty (Soft for Digging)
Stars: Karl Geary, Alexis Dziena, Rebecca Mader, Amanda Plummer, Lance Henriksen
Link: IMDB

Mimic 2 (2001)

Mimic this!

The Judas Breed never completely died out and is killing again--the franchise making company Dimension Films should have told you that as these things never go away, unless it becomes a trilogy, of course. This time it's taking out people that are related to a grade school teacher named Miss Remi Panos who has issues finding men with a wall of shame to show for it. She was Dr. Tyler's assistant from the first film: the strange woman with red hair who liked her Polaroid camera. A detective is attempting to put two and two together of what the connection might be or if she's directly involved in the murders that came with flayed faces. At the same time, the defense department shows up with their equipment and a chip on their shoulder that it's their investigation now--who called them or why they got an inkling, who knows? Remi, a younger student who's aunt forgot to pick him up and a former pupil that is now a homeless alcoholic with an attitude, get trapped in the delipidated school building after hours. Their paths are blocked with obstructions and they spend their time coming up with survival tactics, such as a camera with a blinding flash, to escape the clutches of the giant Judas bug who's got an ulterior motive and is getting closer to its knack for mimicry.

This starts out fine with momentum, though after awhile there doesn't feel like there is enough story to keep the continuation intriguing. The Remi character has some connections to the first, and some areas bring a tone of amusing quirkiness, though halfway into it and we're getting the same explanation retold to a new person of how they work. Instead of a valid new chapter, it feels like a retread. The performers have to react to their newly found situation but still don't carry this as if you care what happens to them. They're just caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. This has some decent suspense scenes come and go, cinematography, setups and effects. There's nothing necessarily wrong with how it was shot, even though some might initially think so--myself included--with the direct to video tag and being the first full length feature from a TV director. Filmmaking wise, this surprisingly wasn't that bad. However, it feels like "Mimic 2" doesn't always kick into high gear or put something in front of the audience that would glue one's attention to move beyond the first film. It tried to wrap up with a state of gripping anticipation with a final twist, except it felt like they didn't have enough to work with, then held it out there too long and made it obvious a few steps ahead, terminating its effective culminating impact.


Rating: 5/10

Director: Jean de Segonzac (Homicide: Life on the Street (TV), Oz (TV))
Stars: Alix Koromzay, Bruno Campos, Will Estes
Link: IMDB

Memorable quote:

"You two, go to the door and keep an eye on the hall."
"Why?"
"'Cause I'm the fucking teacher and I said so!"

Mimic (1997)

Something's lurking in the subway...big rats...think again!

"The Relic" came out as a hybrid science-fiction-thriller-horror early on in '97. Later in the year, "Mimic" wasn't an identical movie by any means in story or character but it still follows a similar genre setup and pacing template that audiences would consciously recognize. This was a story that could have been made in the '50s with science gone wrong and smaller organisms turning into monstrous size--outsourcing us at the top of the food chain, or destroying everything humans have built as payback for killing off nature to make room for concrete jungles. Those films, to an extent (some more than others), tried to make science (or fact) relative to real life, though were often times guess work and were more so playing on fears of what you wouldn't expect to catch a viewer off guard. They posed "what if?" questions to cinema goers in the form of sudden events: What if a cousin of that spider or ant I love to squish under my shoe comes back to get me? Also the "how did they come to be?" was somewhat pushed to the wayside, and the "how do we patch up the crisis?" was usually the main question, especially during a state of confusion and panic. "Mimic" has the moderately enormous creatures of the yesteryear, and it plays on fear, if a little more contained, though it gets somewhat complex with its biggest question posed: Should science play God by creating life of one species in order to save an existing one? As the characters soon find out that dabbling in one area can create another unforeseen catastrophe.

A disease called Strickler is debilitating and killing children when it suddenly comes to New York without a cure. A Dr. Susan Tyler (Sorvino) created a hybrid bug called the "Judas Breed" to attack the resilient cockroach--which was the main carrier of the disease--before it would become a widespread epidemic elsewhere. Three years later a man is being chased by something humanlike in look though with superhuman strength on a roof top. An autistic boy who can imitate just about anything witnesses the event from outside of his rain beaten window. Later at the cops-left-and-right, taped off scene, Tyler's husband Dr. Peter Mann (Northam), who works for the CDC, is instead called in for signs of yellow fever from immigrants in a nearby basement. Meanwhile, to her surprise, Dr. Tyler gets ahold of a Judas insect--which was only supposed to have a short life expectancy and be unable to breed--from young street kids who are selling it to her for a collection. The mysterious person-like thing in a trench coat visits her lab and takes the bug. She needs another specimen to confirm her findings and goes with her husband down in the subway terminals where the boys last seen the bug they sold her.

The beginning portion plays on mysteriousness and moody elements by panning shots, showing rainy and abandoned alleyways, and then giving snippets of information in a gradual unveiling till it's ready to jump in with both feet into a culminating finale. The beginning half is essentially there to build up to a showdown. So the film earns some bonus points for spending a little more time showcasing the characters beforehand until their various story threads eventually interlink. There are those that are directly involved to the bugs, while others find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. The directly involved use more brute force than their background knowledge to combat the enemy and it makes this look like it could have been any warm blooded human with a conscience to save humanity. I'm guessing out of convenience the scriptwriters didn't want to include another hero so they made the same characters jump over and take on both personas. Some of the scenarios make sense in the direct moment but when looking back or with an overview some motivations don't always line up or just seem a little too handy to further the story. It makes this start out with the tumblers working and ends up in the same boat as others that go directly for the throat. The first time I saw this, I remember thinking "Mimic" was a slightly better movie and was somewhat impressed, till that esteem lessened when I tried to get more out of it on repeat comebacks. There are still plenty of filmmaking mechanics to keep one busy and the production looks much better than most other films of the type.

They also play on something among us that isn't what it seems in a big city where everyone is so busy they don't even have time to pause, never mind check if you've got two legs under a trench coat. I couldn't help but be reminded of Raphael from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" without the jokes, of course, but something that big and awkward going mostly unnoticed to busy New Yorkers in the city who move forward like they've already seen it all or as if time is money. The creature effects were a blend of CGI and prosthetics. Their faces are somewhat eerie looking, in that you wouldn't want the normal bug behind your fridge to look similar to your ugly neighbor. This has some violence, though it's not used excessively where blood is spraying this way and that, but more at exposed bug guts and insides than human--I'm sure there's no complaints there as it's either us or them, right?

Unlike some other films where the characters are similar or cut outs, the casting is definitely varied here. They're memorable with their diversity, though what's disappointing is it wasn't always taken further with remarkable performances. That can also be blamed on what range they're given. The weakest link is Jeremy Northam. He feels a little stiff and uncharismatic when attempting to inject emotion. It's like he nailed the everyday guy a little too well with a basic tone of voice and simple look to the point of being easily lost in a crowd. Mira Sorvino does all she can with her role with some intelligence and strength, but they don't always make her glow beyond what's she's given to do, like, say, Ripley in "Alien," which this gives some reference to. The boy and his Geppetto looking father add a contrast here but at times feel like extra bodies that pad the running time. The subway cop, Leonard (Dutton), and CDC agent, Josh (Brolin), represent the loud and colorful personalities. This is part of where some light jokes and fun come out in the meantime. However, the cop quickly gets annoying with nearly every single line he spews being a complaint, until two seconds from the finish line, he decides to be a team player. There isn't much on growth here--bugs excluded--except there is some rewarding resolve with attention to anticipation, which makes it more effective, as over-the-top and cinematic that may have been.

The major strengths of this movie are its aesthetics rather than its story or characters. You could tell Guillermo del Toro had an eye for detail in this early film of his, which I didn't realize till some time later that it was him. There's an ordered structure with a concentration on smooth transitions and getting the frame lined up just right or in a unique fashion--sometimes to a fault, as some scenes are so simple in idea that it feels like it's dressed up to be more than it is. "Mimic" still has a certain atmosphere and enough entertainment and involvement that made a turn around from being just an otherwise below average creature feature.

Rating: 6.5/10

Director: Guillermo del Toro (Cronos)
Stars: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Charles S. Dutton, Alix Koromzay, F. Murray Abraham
Link: IMDB


Facts from the Black and Red:

- Cockroach derives from the Spanish word cucaracha.
- Cockroach skeletons are external.
- Roaches are omnivorous.
- Cockroaches mate facing away from each other.
- The mouths of cockroaches work sideways and they don't have a tongue.

The Relic (1997)

Museums were never so loud, greedy or deadly

A man named John Whitney (Van Bergen) is taking photos of an indigenous ceremony in front of a fire, headed by a small statue. The natives boil up part of a plant and he drinks out of a bowl. The anthropologist runs to a ship and demands crates destined for the National History Museum in Chicago be instead taken off, except the Captain is on a schedule and refuses. Whitney sneaks onto the ship only to find after all that huff and puff they accidentally left off his cargo at the loading dock anyway. Six weeks later the ship arrives from Brazil to Chicago, except everyone is at first missing and there's blood found. A Lieutenant D'Agosta (Sizemore) is called on the scene from Chicago Homicide and figures it had to be a drug hit, only to find dismembered bodies floating in the hull below.

One week later at the History Museum in the windy city and another scientist named Dr. Margo Green (Miller) inspects the crates with nothing found inside but packing leaves and the same statue from the beginning now with the name of "Kothoga": a god that's supposed to be the son of Satan, which at first isn't taken with any bit of seriousness. Though there's going to be a Superstition Exhibit at the museum and it might give her the funding she needs after finding out the foundation is delaying Margo's grant. Her rival Greg Lee (Lo) is applying for the same one, despite if she doesn't get it her department is out of work. It's closing time, she's working late, two boys are sneaking about when they see "something" and then a security guard is smoking in the boys room when his session gets cut short--literally. D'Agosta is called in again but he can't put his finger on what the connection to the bodies at the boat is with the exception of a specific portion missing. Some evidence comes his way of what and who might have done it, though his inner detective's intuition is going off as to why and how. Politics get in the way of police procedure and the exhibit is going on as scheduled that night despite his protests that it might not be over. Us regular movie goers know that with a share of running time still left, that character is always right.

The mystery element is a central driving point with tidbits of information spread out that culminates into a climactic showdown involving a packed exhibit and underground tunnel ways. The latter portion of the film is somewhat dark, though it might have been on purpose to watch it with the lights out and also let the loud sound effects and music make one's mind wander into the worst pathways imaginable. This builds up with superstitions coming alive into scientific fact instead of the supernatural: a detective on one side that believes in them, lucky bullet and all, and on the other a scientist who doesn't, a computer to run DNA and everything. It plays on politics and posturing with ambitious people that curb doing it by the book unlike the two self-sacrificing stars. There are some severed heads, neck stumps and gashes in the gore department. The production values are above average--bar some under lit scenes--with large sets and a craning camera to capture the scope. This has CGI creature effects that were somewhat advanced for '97, along with some prosthetics, though the enigmatic entity frequently blends in with the shadows, only adding to its elusiveness.

"The Relic" is an easy but charging popcorn flick with a decent pacing. The dialogue is going to be simplified for amusement (and occasionally dated with jokes that feel a little too scripted and well-timed than being matched to that character in that moment), there are going to be plenty of jump-and-scare, what-was-that shock theatrics, and try-too-hard characters are going to appear with misplaced flair and sarcasm to momentarily charge your senses. They tried to make Tom Sizemore present himself like Tommy Lee Jones in "The Fugitive" at first by rattling off a huge list of demands to look commanding. The overall objective is to put you in the direct moment and not tread back. This isn't a completely mind-numbing experience like other "something"-attacking-people features where what you see is what you get, since there are some interesting revelations here with a solid reason for the onslaught, not to mention all of the genres are utilized with a certain balance. There isn't enough depth to produce massive echoes, though the characters aren't always tripping over their own shoe laces like other films, only to have a single objective to superficially satisfy the gore hounds.

Compared to the engrossing book, this is a much more straightforward version where only the major essentials are targeted and the rest is left behind on the drawing board. Essentially the mythological, scientific and informational side is narrowed down into a succinct fashion and the creature element is pushed to the forefront. It pales in comparison, and I personally remember passing this off because of that, but looking at it again, it was entertaining enough on its own as a separate experience.

Rating: 6.5/10

Director: Peter Hyams (Outland, 2010, Time Cop)
Stars: Penelope Ann Miller, Tom Sizemore, Linda Hunt, James Whitmore, Chi Muoi Lo, Lewis Van Bergen
Link: IMDB

Tokyo Gore Police (2008)

The net worth of a blood bank spilled

I can probably name all of the movies that I've put on over the years that have turned someone else's stomach or were just too much to handle. One of the more recent ones would be the action/horror/science fiction/satire "Tokyo Gore Police." Recommended to me by another like minded horror enthusiast and then watched with another friend and a buddy and his girlfriend. Needless to say the buddy and his girlfriend are used to the little cubicles of life and their senses couldn't handle the overload of mayhem and carnage. They left after ignored complaints to turn it off and returned some time later to tell me that they don't trust my taste in movies. My DVD shelf shares spots with this and the likes of "City of God" and "Dances with Wolves," but I also like to open my eyes wide to what else is out there to stretch and contort this absurd thing called life in new ways thought unimaginable.

If you're looking for something with moderation, a firm foothold in reality or an engrossing story you won't find it here. This film isn't for everybody as it's incredibly over-the-top, over-the-top--notice the repetition--to even the somewhat depraved genre film with a few things in the extreme. It's unlike anything I've ever seen in a live person film apart from what filmmakers can get away with more in Japanese animes. If you've caught films with ultra violence and perversion from the '80s such as "Urotsukidoji," "Violence Jack" or "Wicked City," than "TGP" feels like a bridge between, except this time with real people. I didn't think many movies could compete with Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive/Braindead" for bloodshed. Even Jackson I'm sure didn't think so when he left those days behind, but then here we are with one of the bloodiest films of the last decade.

Some other films such as "Shogun Assassin" had amputation scenes with a single hose implanted underneath, only to spray spurts of blood to mimic a heartbeat or just explode out in a continuous stream like you've got your thumb on a garden hose. Now, this movie somehow takes that even further to where every time flesh is cut open several hoses spray out blood, no matter where main arteries lay, and then faster and in larger quantities than the human body probably contains. One way of turning that illogical outlook into a new perspective, is that blood is fearful of being trapped in its own body and wants to live on the outside quicker than it can come out to see the world in wonderful streams and bursts. Flesh is so soft and cuttable here, it's as if it was made to be ripped open than stay intact. As if we were meant to be turned inside out rather than inside in. This finds some of the most inventive ways that us humans can be ripped apart and then even built back together again by people called "engineers." It's almost poetic in a morbid way as it can make you think of the vast possibilities of how to dismantle and reconstruct the human body.

This is a somewhat futuristic version of Tokyo where the police are privatized. It's not going to look like, say, "Blade Runner" as they still drive around cars and use other modern devices. Though some of the architecture doesn't look as well-kept and maintained as the cleanly, present day Tokyo. Outlaws called engineers modify their bodies so that when they get injured their wounds reshape into weapons. The only way to kill one is to severe a tiny key shaped tumor in the body. A samurai sword carrying woman named Ruka is an engineer hunter that's called in when the Tokyo Police Corporation have one they can't handle. Ruka isn't sure where she places herself in this odd world. She cuts her arms and rides around in the city with very few words--numb to the violence she commits as soon as her pager goes off alerting her of another engineer. Her mother was a cutter, and her father died as a police officer during a demonstration, though the Chief raised her like a daughter. A serial killer engineer is dismembering women, and then draining their body of blood similar to "Exorcist III" by leaving little jars at the scene and a scar on the skin with the engineer tumor stamp. The killer turns an officer likewise into an engineer and the Chief amps up the authority of the the Police Corporation--who are already donning outfits like samurai warriors instead of peace keepers--to the point of taking out anyone that looks remotely suspicious. Ruka soon has a conversation with the mysterious serial killer who gives some revelations about his actions that tie into her father.

The story takes awhile before it kicks into a narrative flow, as in the meantime it gets caught up in its own creative devices, as well as concentrates on making the futuristic world as atmospheric as they can. There are a lot of strange use of colors with neon lights of the city, along with some purposefully misaligned and miscued camera angles to show ruination and imperfection. Some of the gore and creature effects aren't perfect with some makeshift contraptions, but that's also part of what I think gives this film such a surreal vibe. Not every second is filled with a gore scene but when it gets down it takes a bath with it in an area the size of a lake. It gets so wild that blood doesn't just spray at the camera but drench the lens to the point of having a slimy red tint oozing down. Everything is in such excess from its comic book style action to its sadistic sense of humor, such as certain appendages turning into cruel weapons. There are even some hilarious infomercials/commercials that play on Japanese society in between that are just straight hilarious, such as a brand of wrist cutters promoted by cutesy Japanese girls like they're selling Hello Kitty memorabilia instead.

Sometimes this feels like a collage of highly inventive ideas to take you to a different world and time than being structured with a story that jumps out at you. This is more an exercise in stimulating untapped sensations with the absurd, as the underlying plot about police privatization isn't anything new or made to be message worthy, and just seems an excuse to show perversions of violence and sex taken to the extreme. It's the future and Japanese have gotten so advanced beyond their slimmer cell phones that no one here manages to have sex normally. Other movies include sex and violence that fit in context to the story. "TGP," on the other hand, has brutality and perversion first and then a story or certain scenarios at times that seem only there to perpetuate the mentioned. The message is only going to be taken as far as: "Hey, they should have made the police even more vile!" Though they have enough of their own mechanics and devices to keep a viewer busy and get you locked into their world as exaggerated as that may be. Almost nothing's based in reality here and the mechanics don't make sense outside of the movie, but the filmmakers manage to do it so well that you forget about your surroundings, which is just as good enough to let go to the highly diverting and gruesomely amusing experience.

Rating: 8/10

Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura (special makeup effects on The Machine Girl)
Starring: Eihi Shiina, Yukihide Benny, Itsuji Itao, Ikuko Sawada
Link: IMDB