Review: IRON MAN (2008) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: Jon Favreau.
Written by: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/Thriller
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content.
Released: 2 May 2008 (USA)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Toub, Faran Tahir, Sayed Badreya, Bill Smitrovich, Clark Gregg, Tim Guinee, Marco Khan, Jon Favreau.

Plot: When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil.

Review: 9/10

My Thoughts: Over the years I have grown to hate films that build up my expectations because it never lives up to its full puritanical and I’m left knocked down by disappointment, and even though I may like the film, there will always be this part of me that didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped. But finally a hero has come to save me from disappointment, his name, Iron Man. The film not only lived up to my expectations, it exceeded passed it with shining colors all the way to the top. There is without a doubt in my mind that this film will be marked down as one of the greats right next to other fantastic superhero flicks like Superman, Spider-Man 2, Sin City, and 300, and it very much deserves it.

I must say, I had my doubts in the beginning with this one, because after the sad track record with superhero films lately I started to loss hope in the Comic Book genre (And this is coming from someone with a nick name like “The Comic Whore”), over the last few years it seemed that the studios have only been filming these films so that they could make a quick buck out of the moviegoer audience, with films like; Fantastic Four, The Punisher (2004) , The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , Catwoman, Elektra, and Ghost Rider (Honestly, I could go on forever ) all have proven to be a great hype builder and end up leaving you unsatisfied, thing is the filmmakers don’t usually give the films the proper justice it deserves, which is not to say that its entirely the filmmakers fault, however a lot of it is, thing is they tend to modernize and change things in the very core of the mythology, which isn’t always a bad thing, however when they keep at it they tend to change so much of it that by the time it makes it to screen it’s hardly recognizable anymore, and I thought that the whole point of making these films was to please the fan base you have? Apparently not, something like that could most defiantly cause someone such as myself to have doubt and loss interest.

Will that is defiantly NOT what I got with Iron Man, what I got is an equal amount of pulse pounding action, intelligent storytelling, fantastic dialogue, and suspense that will keep you at the edge of your seat the whole way, not to mention a nice mixture of drama and humor throughout. Easley I can say this will be noted down as one of my favorites of 2008, no doubt, also I should mention that the CGI is so well done, so wonderfully handled with care that it surly was a sight for sour eyes. Also one of the real reasons why this movie worked so well is because of director Jon Favreau, he’s a fantastic actor and a magnificent director, he was born to make Iron Man, I honestly can’t think of anyone else who could have given the justice he gave this film, yes he may have made some changes to the original storyline and even did some miner modernizing there’s no doubt to that, , one of the thing s he modernized was moving Toney’s origin from Asia to Afghanistan which was too bad, it actually worked great that way for today’s times, also the other thing they changed which I didn’t like at first was that they changed Jarvis into an A.I. computer program, see in the comic book he was Tony Starks trusted butler who helped him through the most toughest times in his life, and now they turned him into an integrated A.I.

However over time thinking about I actually like the idea on this because we already have a wealthy Superhero with his trustworthy butler (Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth) so it’s a change that actually works for the better, and aside from all these chagaes he still manages to maintain the core of the comic’s mythology and fully satisfying the true Iron Man fans all over the world by making them shocked and awed having them cheer out in celebration screaming out for more, I for one was thrilled by the very core over this, it was the exact same feeling I got when I first saw Spider-Man on the big screen happening all over again for me, but way batter, yes that’s right, I said it, Spider-Man has been my overall favorite superhero film and I just said Iron Man is better than it, And It’s no big secret that a sequel is now in the works, for those of us who saw the extra footage after the credits know that part two is going to rock even more than this one because what it sets up will be far bigger and epic then this, if you have seen the film but haven’t seen the extra footage at the end of the credits then all I’m going to say is this; Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury. Yeah it doesn’t get any better than this baby, and if you don’t even know who Nick Fury is than you shouldn’t be watching films like this.

The story is about; wealthy industrialist Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) a man who is known by the world as, an inventor, an alcoholic, a womanizer, and mostly knows for is running a company that creates WMD’s for militaries all over the world, some would call him a mass murderer for doing such, but a humanitarian and Hero is defiantly not what he is, of course that is until he is captured by terrorist while in Afghanistan testing a new weapon for the united states government, after surviving the act and witnessing that his own weapons in the wrong hands and being held captive to build a new weapons for the terrorist group he comes to relies the error in his ways and instead build an Iron Man suite to break free from the terrorist, once out and back within the US he decides it’s time to undo the wrong his company has doing for years, by sutting down its weapons division and becoming Iron Man so he can rid the enemy who uses his weapons, but his longtime business partner and friend Obadiah Stane (Bridges) doesn’t like the idea of Tony shutting down the companies weapons division and a more sinister plan in store for Tony.

As for the acting; well let me tell you, Robert Downey Jr. was mind blowing, I was greatly impressed with his performance, he was dead on as Tony Stark, his performance was so good I saw him as the character played rather than the actor playing the character, and there is one thing I can say; despite his troubled past with drug and alcohol abuse, as an actor he is fantastic, and I think Iron Man just brought him back on the top again. Terrence Howard was magnificent, over the years he has shown the public that his acting comes from years of hard work and no role is beyond his talents; he proved that when he played Jim Rhodes with such deduction that now I really look forward to him becoming the War Machine. Jeff Bridges, the dude of all dudes was magnificent as Obadiah Stane AKA The Iron Monger; he gave an outstanding performance giving the character that extra sinister touch it needed. Gwyneth Paltrow was wonderfully fantastic; she gave Pepper Potts the extra charisma and sexiness that made the character work on the big screen, not to mention Gwyneth’s chemistry with Robert gives off this strong bond and attraction between them on the big screen, which is quite lovely to see on screen. and last but not least director Jon Favreau has a nice small roles as none other than Harold "Happy" Hogan, Tony’s chauffeur and personal assistant, it’s always nice to see the director of a film making ether a cameo or have a small role into own films.

Final Say: Iron man was a fantastic film, one I don’t think could have been even possible without Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau behind it, honestly these two men is what makes this comic book adaption work as a motion picture. Also for those of you who are planning to see this let me point out you should look out for a cameo by Stan Lee who plays himself in this, and for Samuel L. Jackson who will be making a pulse pounding cameo as Nick Fury after the credits. I hope to see it again one more time before it leaves theater because this is an exhilarating film that must be seen firsthand on the big screen. I highly recommend it!

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All Rights Reserved

Review: Moondance Alexander (2008) [Review By Kelsey Zukowski]

Starring: Kay Panabaker, Lori Loughlin, Don Johnson, Joe Norman Shaw, Aeden Tomney
Directed By: Michael Damian
Written By: Michael Damian, Janeen Damian
Released: 2008
Grade: C-

Moondance Alexander is a story of an outcast who finds happiness through a horse. The film is very flawed filled with clichés, stereotypes, and so many flat characteristics. It is not terrible, but even in its’ better moments it doesn’t stand out at all against other horse movies. It is the same formula, but with many weaker characters. If you are interested in this type of a movie recent better examples are Flicka and Dreamer. Moondance Alexander ends up just coming off average at best.

Moondance Alexander (Panabaker) is an outcast in her town. She doesn’t even have one friend and she seems to desperately want one. She approaches others and tries to make friends, but is just brutally and embarrassingly shut down. Luckily, it’s summer now though and she’s hoping that she won’t have to see anyone from school. Moondance lives with her mother, Gelsey (Loughlin), who is an art teacher. Her mother soon starts to date one of her art students, Ben (Shaw). This causes some tension between Moondance and her mother, as she is still very much devastated by the death of her father. It makes matters worse when Ben's son, Josh (Tomney) begins coming around a lot, as he is one of the popular guys in school, who Moondance seems to be constantly embarrassing herself in front of.

Moondance finds a way though for her summer to be a little better than her typical life has been. She usually makes deliveries and on one of her deliveries she runs in to something that may change the rest of her life. This thing is a horse that runs in to her, she doesn't see evidence of it belonging to anyone so Moondance takes it home with her. Her mother doesn't let her keep the horse, who Moondance has named Checkers. When they find Checkers' owner, Dante (Johnson) he is returned home. Moondance ends up finding him and after a rough encounter with Dante, she convinces him to let her ride Checkers if she helps out with the work around the stables. After awhile, Moondance begins riding Checkers more and more. She becomes better at riding and Checkers grows a larger fondness for her. Moondance runs in to some of the other girls at school, who constantly put her down. They brag about their horses being pure breeds and therefore superior to her pinto. As they talk about their future wins in the Bow Valley Classic, Moondance is very eager to enter Checkers and herself in this competition. Dante is hesitant at first since he had sworn off teacher, but is in the end convinced to help Moondance. They work to try to prove everyone's doubts and mockery wrong, and to earn some dignity for themselves.

Some of the cast members do better than others, but than to be fair some of the main characters do have a little more to work with than the supporting and minor characters. Kay Panabaker and Lori Loughlin were decent. They do have the family bond that they brought a much higher quality to in the teen drama, Summerland. While it is nice to see them working together again, perhaps they should have waited for better material. There are moments where the dialogue holds them back, but they do succeed in at least showing some depth or realism to their characters. Don Johnson is one of the last actors here who does well. As Dante, he goes from being more secluded and bitter to opening up a bit. While we are revealed his secret that he has been hiding, it isn't given the time that it was built up to have. This secret is revealed by a mere announcer and isn't talked about in any real length. It is not acknowledged by Dante or any other character. This would have given his character the development that he needed to seem authentic. He still is one of the most realistic characters and performers here. James Best also does pretty well one of the towns' shopkeepers who Moondance does deliveries for. He is one of the only energetic and kind people in this film and his acting reflects on this.

Now for the bad, well Olympic ice skater, Sasha Cohen, gave the worst performance as Fiona, one of the conceited and catty popular girls. She should just stick to skating. Between this and The Bratz Movie, it doesn't seem like she is even trying to challenge herself as an actress. Cohen was completely over the top and completely unbelievable. Anytime she was on screen, it drastically took away from the film. There was the opposite problem with Aiden Tomney as Josh. He severely under acted. Now it is obvious that some of this wasn't his fault as his character, although having a fair amount of screen time, wasn't given many lines. Any time we saw him though, he just seemed very flat. So it was very difficult to understand Moondance's fondness for him, there just wasn't anything there. When he starts to show similar feelings for her (even though there still isn't much feeling), it just seems forced.

One major low of Moondance Alexander is the dialogue. Some of the later scenes with Moondance and Dante alone are a bit better. The majority of it though seems like it is just used because those are the type of things that the writer thought would be in a typical horse movie. And consequently, the film isn't anything more than typical. It overall, seems extremely unnatural. The "popular crowd" in particular were horrendous as characters. If they didn't know who Moondance was, like was claimed, they wouldn't be constantly going out of their way to try to make her feel inferior to them. I know girls can be mean, but especially given their age as upper high school students, it seemed like they should have grown up awhile ago. Also, they make horseback riding out to be something that is too cool for Moondance. This seems a bit bizarre, since I wouldn't think of that to be in the top list of "what the cool kids do". I guess I could let this slide though, since it is seems like they are in a more rural area, but using this as a means of humiliation if not involved seems over the top.

With all of the flaws, the film does manage to have positive points. One of these is the relationship between Dante and Moondance. They both are putting their selves on the line and fighting for success. They are both also loners, Dante by choice, Moondance by her seemingly inability to fit in with others. Them being there for each other and supporting one another is strong element of the movie. What ruins this is the film's extreme predictability. Just with the most basic knowledge of the plot, chances are that you already know what's going to happen. There really aren't any surprises and the ending doesn't do anything impressive. It exerts positive messages like: never give up, be yourself, and believe in yourself. Although, they are clear, they aren't well represented. Why should we take anything in this seriously if it isn't even shown in a serious, genuine manner? Moondance Alexander is full of unrealistic dialogue and characters throughout a stereotypical story of a horse and girl, leaving the audience with an okay, but forgettable film.

Exclusive: Interview with Actor John Fallon

TCWreviews.com Administrator Clifford Kiyabu sits down with Actor/Writer John Fallon for an exclusive interview! Most hardcore movie fans out there know him best for his critique work as “The Arrow” on his website Arrow In The Head, a division of the popular website JoBlo.com. I had the honor of chatting with one of best horror film critics on the net; we talked about his early days as an avid moviegoer and what films made the biggest impact on his life, what made him decided that acting and writing was what he wanted to do in life, also we talked about his new film DEADEN which is out now on DVD and is available everywhere movies are sold in the USA, but if you can’t find a copy at your nearby video store you can order the uncut edition which ships anywhere in the world by clicking Here, or visit the films website by clicking Here

Clifford: First off; I'd like to thank you for agreeing to do this interview. It's been my desire to interview a celebrity such as yourself.

John: No problem bro.

Clifford: So how old were you when you discovered your love for the Horror genre?

John: Hmmm probably 10 or 11 years old. I wasn't allowed to watch horror movies which of course made me want to see them more.

Clifford: Which film was your first?

John: To be honest, I vaguely remember catching some of the Hammer films at around 11 years old. Films like Horror of Dracula, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed and all that. But it was when I first saw The Evil Dead in a cabin in the woods with one of my friends that I got scared shitless and fell in love with the genre hardcore.

Clifford: Wait; you saw The Evil Dead in a cabin in the woods?

John: Yup! I went to stay with my friend and his mom for a weekend at their cabin in the woods. At night while my bud's mom was sleeping, we sneaked downstairs in the basement and watched The Evil Dead... I didn't sleep all night after that... [Laughs]

Clifford: Well my hats off to you sir; I don't think I could be as brave as you to watch The Evil Dead in a cabin at night and of course in the woods. Hell I'm not even brave enough to do that now [Laughs]

John: Thanks dude! It definitely marked me. After that experience, I started hunting down horror films like a bitch in heat, even skipping school to rent them and watch them at home. I was hooked!

Clifford: I would think so, I mean after that who wouldn't right? [Laughs] so what interested you to become an actor?

John: Long story short. I had a tough childhood, so I turned to films to "escape". I fell in love with films as a whole first. I went to film school, did two years there, came out and then went to acting school, did 3 years there. Once out of that school, I started to focus solely on acting locally; doing auditions and such. That's how I started acting wise.

Clifford: So it was something that took years to achieve?

John: I guess you can say that. Being that I was interested in every aspects of filmmaking, I wanted to be educated on every level. Personally, film school and even acting school gave me a good base and that was pretty much it. I truly learned and still learn when working on set.

Clifford: So some of it is learned while on the job?

John: In my opinion, acting is a lot like writing, there's always something to learn and you can always be better. It's one of the aspects of the job that keeps it interesting for me. I am very much aware that I don't know everything; I enjoy learning off people and different experiences.

John: Here's an example.

John: When I did 100 Feet with Famke Janssen, I was a bit nervous. Actor Michael Pare showed me how to meditate and that helped. I didn't know shit about meditation before, but now I do. Always something to learn

Clifford: I see, so you learn from other great actors as you go.

John: Yes, or other directors, or editors. And I'm sure some people learn stuff off me that they're not in tune with... like drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels in one sitting or getting hookers for free.

Clifford: Yes that is skills I think everyone should have [Laughs]

John: Amen

Clifford: So how'd you get the nick name "The Arrow"

John: That was my buddy Berge Garabedian aka JoBlo that gave me that nickname before both sites ever existed, cause I was a "to the point" kind of guy...and still am.

Clifford: I see, it's kind of like how I got my nick name "The Comic Whore"

John: Cause you're a whore for comics...

Clifford: Exactly

Clifford: [Laughs]

John: I'm a whore for whores... [Laughs]

Clifford: [Laughs] aren't we all?

John: Funnily enough I would assume yes, but I have met dudes who didn't dig chicks or sex much...much to my dismay. To each his own I guess.

Clifford: Since becoming a writer/critic, you've had the chance to travel to many locations, meet a lot of amazing people and also have the opportunity to attend many events. What would you say was the most educational experience for you?

John: So many to state...Writing, starring in and co producing Deaden, acting in 100 Feet, being a member of the Jury at Sitges, selling my screenplay Trance, shooting my short film The Red Hours... all great learning experiences.

Clifford: I see, so it was a little of everything than.

John: Yes, for me every time I experience something new, I keep an open mind and learn from it. That's a trait I apply within the industry and in my everyday life.

Clifford: By now it should be common knowledge that you receive loads of fan mail on a daily basis. But have you ever received hate mail?

John: Funnily enough - not often. I get maybe 3 to 5 hate e-mails a year, and I just delete them. Waste of time.

Clifford: So then you have very few, if not no hatters than?

John: I guess, I don't know or care. The way I see it, I do what I do, some people like me for it, others hate me for it, that's life. I'm just trying to make a decent living within what I love - films - anything outside of that carries little weight for me.

Clifford: I see your point, man, why bother wasting time with things you have no control over.

John: Exactly. I mean for me the internet is not real life, so any negative thing written about me online is fairly inconsequential. It's like I always say; reality is when I boot off the computer and have to deal with bills, projects, deals, crazy girlfriends, big changes in my life etc. That's where my energy goes, that's what matters to me.

Clifford: Before the film's title was changed to "Deaden" it was originally called "Pain Killer." What was the reason behind the changing of its name?

John: It wound up there was a video game called Pain Killer that we didn't know about. They threatened to sue me and director Christian Viel cause they owned the title. Then they tried to pull a fast one by claiming that we also stole their game's storyline so they wanted us to give them the film too.

John: Of course upon further investigation; we found out that their game was about some dude killing monsters; it had nothing to do with our straightforward vigilante film. So we changed the title and told them to shove their lawsuit up their asses. They never sued, cause once we changed the title, they had nothing to sue us about.

Clifford: Wow, that sucks that a video game company would try and sue you guys over a title

John: One thing I learned about the film industry, fairly quickly at that; don't trust anybody, cover your ass, cause it's filled with crooks. Specially at the low budget-medium budget range. Companies with dough bank on the fact that you're an indie filmmaker with no dough hence they try to fuck you every chance they get.

Clifford: I've also noticed that your character in the film has an arrow in his head. Was that an obvious ode to your own "Arrow in the Head"?

John: Yes it was. Funnily enough, that was director Christian Viel's idea and I fought him on it. I wanted the film to be distant from the site. He felt that we should reference it. So we discussed it and at the end of it all, I said "I disagree but go ahead do it". I mean the dude's the director; I have to respect his vision. So he did it. And in retrospect, he was right to do it and I was wrong to fight it. It works very well in the film and makes for a cool wink to the site. Like I said, we always learn

Clifford: How long did the filming for "Deaden" last?

John: 13 crazy, adrenaline charged and long days. Shooting within such a short span was the only way to accomplish what we wanted to achieve on the budget we had.

Clifford: So than it was a short shoot.

John: 13 days is little time compared to most films who have double that. Personally I liked the intensity that came with shooting with so little time. I was always "on", always stimulated. I mean on bigger budget films, I often wind spending half the day sleeping in my trailer. I like working, being active when on set. So that shoot was quite the rush for me.

Clifford: Were there ever any problems on the set?

John: [Laughs] Yup! The thing about shooting on a low budget with so little time is that if there's a problem, you're fucked, cause you don't have time to fix it. We had some internal conflict on that shoot which lasted half a day. The result is that we didn't have the time to shoot the scene we wanted to shoot. So we simplified it on the spot and shot what we could; then Viel made the best of it in the editing room. That was tough for me. Seeing a very cool scene I had written be ruined before my eyes.

Clifford: What was your hardest scene while filming?

John: I'd have to say the hand to hand fights. We basically learned the choregraphies on the spot, on the day we shot. So we had to remember them while exuding enough intensity to make the fights look real. Yup, me and my co stars punched each other in the face for real a couple of times... [Laughs]

Clifford: That must have been a painful day. [Laughs]

John: It gave a new definition to the expression "rolling with the punches"

Clifford: [Laughs]

Clifford: I see your bud Berge Garabedian (aka JoBlo) has a role in this. What was it like, working alongside him?

John: Me and Berge are best friends, I've known the dude for like 11 years now. It was great to have him in the film, say one line and then get shot in the head. He has a similar role in Recon 2022, in that one he says one line and gets eaten by a giant worm.

Clifford: So basically he always gets killed on film? [Laughs]

John: Yeah, it's a gag that both Christian Viel and I love incorporating within the films we work on together. And Berge digs it too.

Clifford: So how'd you and Berge become friends?

John: I went to acting school with his brother; so eventually I met him through his bro. We hit it off and became friends.

Clifford: As an off topic question; in the film "Freak Out", you're casted as the voice of the Looney Doll. It's a rather funny question, but was that your original voice, or was it edited (i.e. chipmunks) for the actual part?

John: That's my actual voice... [Laughs] I felt the doll's voice should have a Chipmunk tone to it.


Clifford: Well than maybe you should have tried for the Chipmunk movie. [Laughs]

John: [Laughs]

John: Why not!

Clifford: Exactly my point!

Clifford: [Laughs]

John: Maybe for the sequel

Clifford: [Laughs]

John: You just never know man.

Clifford: Bringing this interview to a close, I'd like to play to your fantasy for a moment if you will. If you could reprise the role of one horror icon in a motion picture remake, who would you be? Granted I understand that it is blasphemous to mention remaking a horror icon, no matter who the character is.

John: I'd love to play Jason Voorhees. Sadly I don't think I'm tall enough; I'm only 6 feet tall.

Clifford: You know; you'd actually do well for that part. You match him being shaved an all. lol

John: Exactly! You hear that New Line and Platinum Dunes? Come on! Give me the role!

Clifford: [Laughs)


And that concludes my interview with actor John Fallon. We talked on for a bit more after the interview was done, manly about his work in some film projects of his and a second interview possibly in the near future, and I must say; he’s a real down to earth kind of dude, real easy going and very humble, the kind of dude you’d like to chill out with after a long day of work. I really enjoyed the interview, more so that I hadn’t noticed that two hours had passed in what felt like only twenty minutes, [Laughs] well John’s new movie DEADEN which is directed by Christian Viel is out now on DVD and is available everywhere movies are sold in the USA, but if you can’t find a copy at your nearby video store or live outside the USA then you can order the uncut edition online which ships anywhere in the world by clicking Here

Review: Prom Night (2008) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: Nelson McCormick
Written by: J.S. Cardone
Genre: Horror / Mystery / Thriller
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violence and terror, some sexual material, underage drinking, and language.
Released: 11 April 2008 (USA)
Starring: Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Collins Pennie, Kelly Blatz James Ransone, Brianne Davis, Kellan Lutz, Mary Mara, Ming-Na, Johnathon Schaech, Idris Elba, Jessalyn Gilsig, Linden Ashby.

Plot: Donna's senior prom is supposed to be the best night of her life, though a sadistic killer from her past has different plans for her and her friends

Review: 2/10

My Thoughts: Senior Prom, the night that is supposed to be the best night of your life, enjoying yourself with your friends, your fellow school mates (even the one you hate) and of course your beloved high school crush, all one last time before graduation, frankly I think of it as all Bull S**. Yes, you heard me right, I was never found of Proms, never was and never will, the only thing I remotely like about a prom was a little known movie that came out in the 80’s called Prom Night (1980, ever heard of it?, no? will you should, it only starred Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen. It was an incredibly cheesy horror flick set in the late 70’s early 80’s with a total disco setting, hell even the killers mask had sparkles on it, and as cheesy as it I was, I still liked it, because it did what it set out to do, not like what Prom Night (2008) does, with the remake, well I hardly can call it a remake, because pretty much everything that was the original and been altered and re-written so much that there isn’t much left that resembles the 1980’s classic. What first off the part that made the killer in the original so fun to watch was the mystery, you never knew who was behind the mask until the very end, and it keep you guessing, with the remake, the killer identity is reviled to you within the first five minutes of the film, also they changed the killers background from being someone from the main character’s past, into one of her former teachers who was so obsessed with her, he went crazy.

Plus the killer doesn’t even carry the signature mask or axe like in the original. I always say when making a movie with an iconic slasher such like this, the killers appearances is always important, He /She must wear something that will have them outstand to others such like; Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhees, when creating such a character they must bear some kind fashion statement, something that will keep them in your mind long after the film has finished, but with the killer in the remake doesn’t wear anything special or worthy of remembrance, in fact what I did find was as soon as the film was over I had quickly begin to forget the killer, it isn’t that he wasn’t psychotic enough or cold blooded enough, no, it’s just he seemed too regular and not stand out enough like other psycho killers, I found more chills and thrills (if any) in the bad acting the actors provided on screen, and speaking about chills, the other problem this film suffers is it spends too much time building you up with anticipation for a good scare but never arrives with the goods, and while I’m on the subject, I must say; the killer spend just about all his screen time popping out of nowhere stabbing people up with random objects, and yet, there is not a drop of blood to be seen anywhere on screen!

This ether means that someone on set didn’t think anyone would notices such a thing like this or he’s got to be the cleanest killer I’ve ever seen n my life. It’s obvious they did this intentionally for a PG-13 rating from the MPAA so they could get a bigger audience (Teenage viewers) which only stirs up another question to mind; if they planned it to be made PG-13with hardly any bad language and little or no blood with zero nudity, than why the heck did every actor playing a teenager have to be over the age of 18? I mean I can’t say for sure, but all the actors whose ages are listed on their IMDB are 21 and older. So again I ask why adults must continue to play the roles of children. I mean if there isn’t anything involving breaking any laws than a kid should play the role as a kid, right? Well apparently I’m wrong according to the filmmakers and the bigwigs in Hollywood. And lastly, if you plan to make a horror film don’t go shy on the blood, a horror film with no blood is certainly not a horror film I’ll enjoy, the whole point is to see gore, to see blood, to see the unspeakable happen to someone because it’s what we the moviegoers want, and isn’t making something that will please the moviegoer the whole point of making a film in the first place.

The story is about young girl named Donna (Snow) who comes home one night after a long night with her friends only to see her whole family killed by her high school teacher Mr. Fenton (Schaech) a sickly obsessive man who’ll do anything in his power to have her all to himself, fortunately for Donna he is caught by the police and put behind bars before he could do her any physical harm, now fast-forward three years, Donna now 17 is slowly returning to a somewhat normal life living with her aunt (Gilsig) and uncle (Ashby) and getting ready to have fun with her friends at her senior prom, it may have been three years but Mr. Fenton hasn’t forgotten her and wants her even more now that he’s been locked away from her for so long, and unfortunately for Donna, he’s broken out of prison for this special evening and has plans of his own with her and her friends. Senior prom will never be the same after this.

As for the acting; I can’t stress enough how badly done the acting it, never have I seen actors give such sloppy and lazy performances in my life, Brittany Snow, an actress who I thought was going places, after seeing “Hairspray (2007)” I said “wow, this girl’s going places” but obviously I was wrong, her acting was badly off key to the moments that demanded strength and power, but instead what was given on screen was rather weak, but then again the character she played wasn’t exactly anything worthy of offering something up ether, just like her role, she was simply unlikable. Scott Porter was much ether; I expected a lot more from a guy who acts in a NBC hit show like “Friday Night Lights” but now I can’t see what others see in him, I mean he’s supposed to be portraying a loving kind boyfriend to Brittany Snow’s character, but what I got was this unlikable, and somewhat annoying character, his acting was poor, and no matter how much he tried to get you to see him as the good honest dude, I keep seeing a douche bag jock who’s only dating her so he can get into her pants, so not the knight in shining armor he was trying to be.

Dana Davis was alright, but I felt she was just way too old for the part (Age 24) and that I thought she could have done a much better job than what she did, but hey the film sucked to begin with so it doesn’t really matter right. Collins Pennie was somewhats entertaining, but still lacking in his performances, I felt that 70% of the time he was just reading lines and not trying to act them out. Idris Elba (the only real talent here) was surprisingly good. It’s just sad that his talent is wasted here. And lastly; Johnathon Schaech was not so bad in his performance, he just didn’t stand out as I hoped he would as the killer, it’s not that he’s a bad actor, it’s more like he was trying too hard to be scary than actually being scary, I mean I would have gotten more chills out of watching a monkey walk around with a loaded gun then seeing him trying to scare you… than again a monkey with a loaded gun does sound kind of scary [Laughs] .Hmmm, note to self write screenplay about monkey with a loaded gun.

Final Say: This has got to be one of the worst Horror remakes I’ve seen so far (and remember I’ve seen House of Wax (2005)) the thing that makes this film so bad is the poor acting fallowed by poor plot line, which wraps it all up with bad editing and audio, over all, don’t see this movie, save your money and the Hour twenty-eight minutes of your life doing something more meaningful like reading a book or watching flies F***, or reading a book on flies F****ing, you pick. But as always if that Curiosity of your is still picking away at you than watch at your own risk.

Copyright 2008 TCWreviews.com
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Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008 ) [Reviewed By Kelsey Zukowski]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand
Directed By: Nicholas Stoller
Written By: Jason Segel
Released: 2008
Grade: A

Just looking at the people involved with Forgetting Sarah Marshall, having anything but the highest expectations seems out of the question. Judd Apatow producing it nearly guarantees a laugh out loud film. Of course, one of his regulars, Jason Segel takes the lead on this aside from the loveable and charismatic Kristen Bell, and the beautiful and fiery Mila Kunis. Jason Segel shows such a quirky and goofy attitude through his fiercely funny acting. He shows this week after week on How I Met Your Mother as well as in Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and his performance in Knocked Up. Not only does he give a great performance, but he wrote the film as his screenwriting debut.

Peter (Segel) has been dating TV star, Sarah Marshall (Bell) for 5 years. He is a composer and makes the musical segments for Sarah’s crime investigation drama. As she seems to be working more and more, Peter gets very anxious to see her. However, this anxiety doesn’t lead to anything good. As soon as Sarah gets back she breaks up with a completely naked and vulnerable Peter. He is absolutely devastated by this especially when it comes out that Sarah has met someone else, a raunchy out there rock star, Aldous Snow (Brand). Peter tries to get over Sarah, but he has a lot of trouble. He meets a lot of other girls and has countless one night stands. This just makes him miss Sarah more and more. It doesn’t help that he still has to see Sarah all the time in the press and even at work. His stepbrother, Brian (Hader) and his wife, Liz (Cackowski) try to help him through this and think a vacation would be best for him right now. So Peter goes on a trip to Hawaii, but he ends up in the same hotel as Sarah and Aldous.

At first this seems like a nightmare to Peter, but he also uses this situation to keep an eye on Sarah. He tries meeting friends so he can have a good time while he’s there. The woman at the front desk of the hotel, Rachel (Kunis) helps him with this. She had a long term boyfriend who she moved to Hawaii for. She dropped out of college for him and he ended up cheating on her just a few weeks later. So she knows what he’s going through. They end up spending a lot of time together. While things start not to look so good for Sarah, jealousy breaks out. This vacation has done a lot for Peter though and he begins to realize that he might be even better without Sarah. Rachel pushes him to do things that he can really be passionate about such as a musical version of “Dracula” with puppets, showing the misunderstanding and yearning for love that this vampire has, much like Peter.

The cast is incredible here and add so much to the enjoyment of the film. Jason Segel as the writer obviously had a good understanding of the film. Even beyond that, certain elements of Peter were based on experiences of Segel’s life. The “Dracula” musical seems so funny and out there, especially when it is actually performed on stage with puppets and humans on a full stage of darkness doom and fierce love. It works well and adds to a strength that Peter finds, but also further evidence that him and Sarah weren’t meant to be together. However, it makes you think why this? What even made them think of this? Well the answer is that Segel himself once attempted to make this same musical with puppets included. He also was in a similar situation to the break up that Peter encountered just with a little more dignity and less desperation. Jason Segel is just so much fun to watch. He doesn’t overplay the sadness, but does show that his character is at an extreme, the absolute low of being dumped by someone you thought loved you. Peter isn’t just there for us to feel sorry for him though. He is someone we can genuinely feel for through and through. He is just someone we want the best for and to live life with out fear or holding back. Kristen Bell is wonderful as Sarah Marshall. She nails the bitch role here, but not stereotypically. Her character does develop and we see that there is a bit more to here. Of course what she did wasn’t right and isn’t deserving of any second chances even for us as the viewer. However, we see that she is still human. Mila Kunis is as good in Forgetting Sarah Marshall as she was in her long role as Jackie in That 70’s show, perhaps even better. She is definitely more likeable as Rachel, and has terrific chemistry with Segel. Their characters have a lot in common and can help each other in so many ways. Even beyond that though, she is just a delight to watch and seems to exert some life back in to Peter. Russell Brand was quite funny as the rock star boyfriend. He is very shallow ladies’ man. His care free attitude and absurdities really added the comedy, especially since this is the replacement of Peter.

Brian Bretter of Superbad added a lot of comedy as Peter’s stepbrother. Even Liz Cackowski as his wife made the advice segments to Peter of the movie very entertaining. Jonah Hill has a supporting role as the waiter at the hotel’s restaurant adds a lot in the time he has. He plays an obsessive fan of Aldous Snow. Just his behaviors to show this fanatic admiration is humorous. His best scenes are with Segel, as he is surprised and feeling sorry for him that he is all alone on vacation eating at the restraint. Another member of the Apatow team, Paul Rudd, plays the absent minded surf instructor and shop keeper. He picks up this surfer mentality and even adds some stoner type of comedy without explicitly making it clear this is what he’s doing. Also one of the hotel guests played by Jack McBrayer who is a regular on 30 Rock is a very religious and not very sexually daring man on his honeymoon.

As far as break up movies go, this is one of the best. I really don’t have any complaints. The one warning I have is that this film is full of nudity. It is actually more male nudity than female. More towards the beginning with the lesser known actresses there is more shown, but the main focus is Jason Segel. At times, it does seem excessive, but it is justified at the same time. The nakedness of Peter shows a certain desperation and fragility, as if he has taken off all of his layers off and has no armor left to protect him. It is interesting though seeing him like this at the beginning and how a very similar situation happens at the end with Rachel. The thing is though it is completely different. He still has his layers off, but this represents him being his true self and not being ashamed of it. Rachel, unlike Sarah, accepts him in this way and even more than that encourages and embraces it. One very funny thing about the film is there is a segent where they are making fun of a movie Sarah Marshall was in that follows a very similar description to Pulse, the horrendous movie that Kristen Bell stared in. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is loads of fun from beginning to end. The acting is incredible through so many versatile and thoroughly enjoyable characters. Jason Segel has tremendously succeeded as a screenwriting with this being his first film. I look forward to seeing him as well as the whole Apatow team that seem to continuously pop up in each other’s movies.