Category Archives: Movies

1408 (2007)

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1408

The only demons in room 1408 are those within you. Renowned horror novelist Mike Enslin (Cusack) only believes what he can see with his own two eyes.

D and I caught an early showing of this creep-fest today. Actually, there was some discussion of seeing Evan Almighty, but he made the (wise, as it turns out) choice of Cusack over Carrell.

My usual complaint with Stephen King’s books, and by extension his movies, is his need to wrap up everything neatly. He ties everything together and delivers you a tidy package. For instance, in The Green Mile, the bad guy isn’t just a very bad man, he ends up being the very bad man. The narrator ends up giving us a little synopsis, as well, just in case anything slipped by us. That is true of almost all of his stuff that I can think of.

Not so with 1408, and that is a very good thing. I don’t know whether the credit goes to King, to the screenwriter, or to the director. Whoever it was kept this really creepy movie . . . well . . . really creepy.

Fans of Samuel L Jackson who are hoping to see him do his stuff will be disappointed, he is in only 2 or 3 short scenes. This one is all Cusack, and he owns it.

My one casting complaint is Mary McCormack as his wife, Lily. She appears to have done something to her upper lip leaving it swollen and stiff. Very distracting during her scenes.

Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing: critics 77%, users 88%

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

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Pan’s Labyrinth

In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she’s a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again.

Beautiful, captivating, mesmerizing . . . and a story, as well.

The subtitles were a bit of a distraction since the images were so amazing. Like with Amelie, I hated to look away from the picture to catch the dialog.

The movie is not, however, all fairies and bows and butterflies. It has serious brutality, which is why it loses a star. I am not sure this is a movie I would recommend to my sister, for instance.

This movie is much like Life is Beautiful, involving a fantasy world which helps a child deal with a world which is frightening and harsh.

Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing: critics 96%; users 94%

Shadowboxer (2005)

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Shadowboxer

A late-career change of heart leads to a dangerous life on the run for two seasoned assassins whose complex relationship masks a dark past in Shadowboxer, Lee Daniels‘ pulpy film noir. But when Rose is diagnosed with terminal cancer; she decides to carry out one final killing.

Sounds like a good idea and a great cast; Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding, Stephen Dorff.

Unfortunately, it fails miserably. Even the fine acting can’t save this creepy, icky flick.

I’d sooner sit through 32 hours of Congressional committee testimony about imported yarn than watch “Shadowboxer” again.

Violence, sex….it only merits the half star on the Word of Mouth Scale because of the great cast…and Cuba Gooding’s great backside

Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 19%; Audience 40%

Kinky Boots (2005)

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Kinky Boots

From the makers of “Calendar Girls” comes an uplifting British comedy about two outcast dreamers who finally figure out how to stand up for themselves . . . in thigh-high leather stilettos.

Despite the Rotten Tomatoes rating of just 57% from the critics, this is a sweet movie – perhaps that is why it scored much higher with the general public who give it 78%.

Despite the name, there is nothing kinky, or even racy, about this movie.

Despite the cross-dressers, I recommended this movie to my mother, and she really enjoyed it, as well.

An absolutely fabulous performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor puts it right over the top for me

Rich in spunk, humor, dignity, subtle emotions when needed, and dressed to kill when belting songs like “I Want to Be Evil” in a meaty, gal-guy voice, Ejiofor amps and vamps the contrivances appealingly.

Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 57%; Audience 78%

Snakes On A Plane (2006)

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Snakes on a Plane

Snakes on a Plane

This movie is hilarious.

This movie is exactly what it says it is.

Samuel L Jackson is the MAN!

However, I can’t expect my more reserved friends and family to watch a movie with so much violence, bad language and sex – no matter how fun it turns out to be. Therefore, 1.5 from me. Gonzo’s friends are a bit hipper than mine, so he was able to give it a 5.

There is much screaming and hissing and biting and … oh, it’s marvelously stupid. And exciting. And just plain fun

Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 68%; Audience 55%

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