Diary of the Dead

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This film follows the story of a group of college students (Pittsburg) as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse. During the chaos Jason Creed decides to film the entire series of events as they unfold in hopes of delivering the truth to a popular mass audience. 


This film was directed by George A. Romero-the zombie master! This is a very different outlook on the beginning of the zombie apocalypse outbreak. It also takes a questionable look on the media, on popular culture, and on the human species in general. It's film style is shot from hand held camera's, and video feeds from the internet and the cell phones, and surveillance camera's. This adds a certain style of realism to the horror genre that has grown in popularity. This film style can be annoying to some film goers. This film is definitely filmed for a specific audience-the zombie horror audiences.  Since this film is more focused on the human race and popular culture their aren't many zombies. The zombie's are a secondary side note that pushes the characters into uncertain choices. 


The acting was good. It propelled the conflicts that mankind would face in their destruction. Michelle Morgan takes the leading narrative role of Debora Moynihan. She will step in with side commentary during random segments of the film. Her character also highly develops through out the story. Morgan is a very convincing actress for this style of film. Joshua Close plays the secondary leading role of Jason Creed. He was the character who initially began the filming project and is the one who carries much of the story (film wise). Todd Schroeder plays the role of Brody. He is the film professor that tags along with the students during this outbreak. He is a voice of reason, and he is also the dark voice. He is an amazing actor in this role.

I give this film a 10 out of 10 stars! It is unique to the zombie genere, and explores many nuances that mankind would possibly face in a zombie apocalypse.

Answer to last blog: Kristen Bell was the leading actress for the remake of Pulse in 2006.

Que: What was George A. Romero's first film?

The Crazies
Night of the Living Dead
Dawn of the Dead
Knightriders

Pulse (Kairo)

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This Japanese film follows two different stories simultaneously; Ryosuke Kawashima and Michi Kudo. Ryosuke is a college student student learning about the dangers of the internet, and Michi is a salesperson at Sunny Plant Sales who is trying to figure out why all her friends are mysteriously disappearing.

This film was written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa in 2001-later remade by Wes Craven in 2006. The story has a great lead in, but then begins to tapper off into confusion. The separation of the two stories isn't easily distinguished, and there is a lot of unanswered questions. The connection of what the forbidden room is to what is shown on the internet is confusing. However, the idea in general is very imaginative. The filming and editing of the ghosts was great, and very creepy. This film doesn't have jump in your seat scares, but it is very creepy. The acting was standard for a Japanese film.

I give this film a 6 out of 10 stars! It is a great idea, but I didn't get the story. There was a small connection with the characters. The ghost sequences were very creepy.

Answer to last blog:

Que: Who was the leading actress for Wes Craven's 2006 remake?

Sarah Michelle Gellar
Jessica Alba
Kristen Bell
Naomi Watts

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

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This fourth sequel to the Pirates of the Caribbean films, based off the Disneyland ride attraction, picks up where the the third ended. Jack Sparrow is setting out to find the Fountain of Youth without a ship and a crew. He finds a crew through Angelica Teach, a woman who began as his impostor. Through her Jack finds himself captive aboard Blackbeard's ship; Queen Anne's Revenge. Jack quickly learns of that a ritual involving a mermaids tears and a human sacrifice, needs to be used in order to achieve immortality.


Okay, I kept the description short, but it in no way covers all the material used in this film. This is the first of the film's to be directed by a new director, Rob Marshall (all other films were previously directed by Gore Verbinski). The new director created a new influence for the film's franchise. A lot of material was presented in rapid succession. Which unfortunately, left a lot of open material that could've been explored more in depth. However, the fast paced action was good for the film's style and character development. The action was also unique from the other films in that there is more imagination in them. Since this film had a new director, in several aspects, it felt like it's own film. It wasn't the same as the original three, but it felt like the opening to new story ground. A lot of the original cast did not return for this film, and this-being the first film without the majority of the original cast-feels empty. There are other characters that are used to take the place of the missing characters, but its not the same. The story plot is amazing. It's got several surprising plot twists and a deep story. There is also use of a scene from the ride that was not used in any of the other films, and I was glade to see it. However, reusing a cheap version of pirate zombies didn't really serve much of a purpose. However, heavy religious people should be prepared for the sarcastic religious comments, and ideals, that are present in the story. The zombies also failed to live up to the reputation that was presented in the first pirates film. 


The acting is good, but there is one emotion missing. That deep passionate love, or the sultry love, is missing from the character's in a love interest. Every other emotion is present, and is represented amazingly. In an odd way though, the original character styles were changed around. Sparrow is no longer obsessed with the Black Pearl, and is fighting for the act of love. Barbossa is the one fighting to avenge the Black Pearl. Johnny Depp plays the now leading role of Jack Sparrow once again returning in to the film to only carry his character on in sequels. Whereas the other films followed Orlando Bloom's character, Will Turner, as the main character. This film's story is led by Jack Sparrow. Johnny Depp does great in this film, as he always does. He took what could've been a horrible character-if they had gotten the wrong actor-and turned into something memorable. Penelope Cruz plays his female opposite, Angelica Teach. Angelica was about to become a nun, but was tainted by Sparrow. Years later, she is the daughter of the infamous captain Black Beard. She is a great actress, and creates a fiery character persona for this film. However, there just didn't feel to be any true sultry passion between her and Sparrow. There was emotions, but not that deep passion that was supposed to be existant. Geoffrey Rush returns to the role of Barbossa. He does good in this film, but his character is completely different. His entire character change makes the film feel strange. Ian McShane plays the villainous role of Black Beard. He does amazing in this role. There is a true sense that everyone is expendable if they are in the way-or are troublesome. Sam Clafin plays the role of Philip. Philip is the preaching captive aboard the ship, but is kept alive because of Angelica's beliefs. Astrid Berges-Frisbey plays the role of Syrena. She is the mermaid taken captive for the purposes of the ritual. She is unknown to American film audiences. Both actors managed to achieve great starting role for acting. However, since they are new they lacked the experience that exists among the other actors. There is a sense of desire, but not love between them. 


I give this film a 9 out of 10 stars! It has a great plot, and story idea. Unfortunately, it was represented as too much too fast. The emotion of love is missing, but the character persona's are amazing. 


Answer to last blog: Actress Danielle Panabaker became known to horror film audiences for her role of Jenna from 2009's Friday the 13th. 


Que: What country is actress/model Astrid Berges-Frisbey most popular?


France
Germany
Russian
Spain

(John Carpenter's) The Ward

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This film follows the story of Kristen, a girl who is forced into a mental clinic after being captured by police officers while burning down a farmhouse. She didn't have any memories of why, or how, she wound up there but knows she's not crazy. She kept in confinement with four other girls; Emily, Sarah, Zoey, and  Iris. She finds herself in Tammy's old room, a girl who disappeared. Kristen soon finds herself face to face with the ghost of Alice who is haunting the ward. In her fight for survival she begins to discover the secrets of the ward.

This film was directed by legendary horror filmmaker John Carpenter. This is a comeback film for Carpenter; besides the Halloween franchise. He does a great job in manipulating the film's story, so that you never fully know what is happening until the very end. There are several twists in the plot development-which is good for horror. The music choice is creepy, and fits very well with the story. I really enjoyed the creative credit opening for this film. Using shattered glass that contains pictures of patients who had been trapped in the mental institutions, and the tests they had to endure during their stay. However, the ending with the last jump scare has become way over done in horror films. It does play off the theme of Alice falling down the rabbit hole which is slightly overdone, but is cool story wise. It doesn't bring anything new to the horror genre, and plays to audience's that enjoy these style films. It also isn't really jaw dropping scary, but is more creepy than anything else.

There are moments when the acting was slightly vague in emotion, but the editing kept it together. I think that this was a cast of unknown girls, to popular film audiences, who are beginning their acting careers. Amber Heard plays the leading role of Kristen. This is a great film to get her acting career established as an individual actress who can do leading roles, and not just a secondary character role. Mamie Gummer played the role of Emily, one of the girls trapped in the ward. She does a great job creating a non-violent character who is crazy. It is hard to tell if she really is crazy, or if she is sane and pretending to be crazy. Danielle Panabaker played the role of Sarah. She plays the role of the girl-always seen in horror-who always tries to date the guys around and is the prettiest of them all. She does great in this role. Lyndsy Fonseca plays the role of Iris. She is good in her role, and creates a character who is best represented by her sketch notebook. Laura Leigh plays the role of Zoey. She is great in this role of a the crazy little girl trapped in an adult body. Jillian Kramer plays the role of ghost Alice. She does a good job creating a sympathetic creepy villain.

I give this film a 9 out of 10 stars! It's a good horror film, but it doesn't bring anything really new to the genre. The actress' are getting their careers established in the acting industry, and this is a good starting film for them. However, it fails to be truly terrifying, but has a great story plot line.

Answer to last blog:

Que: What role made actress Danielle Panabaker known to modern popular horror film audiences?

Judy (The Crazies-2010)
Nancy Holbrook (A Nightmare on Elm Street-2010)
Annie Brackett (Halloween-2007)
Jenna (Friday the 13th-2009)

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

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This recent film adaptation from the famous mystery novels by Arthur Conan Doyle. This story follows the story of England's famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart companion Dr. John Watson. Holmes is facing drastic changes in his life as Watson is moving out and getting married to Mary Morstan. While facing these changes he is face-to-face with a new mystery. Lord Blackwood re-arises from the grave, and is quickly turning London upside down with fear. To top it all off, Holmes receives a visit from an old criminal fling Irene Adler who appears to be way over her head in this mystery.

This film was directed by Guy Ritchie known for his British films. I enjoyed the film style for this film. It created an image of an early 1900 industrial London. The film's editing process really makes everything tie in together, and yet leaves you with a building mystery until the very end when all secrets are revealed. The music adds an English Scottish feel to the film. There are moments when Holmes analyzes his ideas for attack, but this is only really done twice and only really emerges when he is in full control of the situation. There is a lot of small things that audiences probably won't notice the first few times watching the film. All small details can get annoying to some people, but to others is highly enjoyable. I can't say how loyal it is to the classic novels, because I haven't read any of them. I have heard that it focuses more on action than the novels tended to. The action does tend to overpower the mystery solving elements of the story, but it also compliments them for cinematic purposes.

Robert Downey Jr. was born to play the leading role of Sherlock Holmes. His general neurotic acting in other films proves to be an amazing fit for this film. He creates a believable character full of 'unconventional' heart, and unusual detective skills of analyzation. Jude Law plays the role of Dr. John Watson does an amazing playing the sane character who keeps Holmes under control, and follows him on all of Holmes misadventures. Rachel McAdams plays the role of Irene Adler. Her character is kind of oddly placed adding moer conflict to the story, but her character carries on the story to the upcoming sequel. There are moments when I could've sworn she looked like a younger version of Helena Bonham Carter. Anyway, she is amazing as the rebellious thief who manages to outsmart Holmes with her cunning intellect. Mark Strong plays is Lord Blackwood the villain who creates the challenging mystery for Holmes. He makes a highly believable villain whose character changes the more Holmes discovers about the mystery.

I give this film a 10 out of 10 stars! It's action sequences were well done, and the filming style really creates the appropriate atmosphere for the film mystery. The actors have an amazing chemistry in this film.

Answer to last blog: Actress Saoirse Ronan starred in the dramatic film The Lovely Bones as Susie Salmon.

Que: What film directed by Guy Ritchie featured the actor Mark Strong?

RocknRolla
The Eagle
Snatch
Cold Mountain

Hanna

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This is a chase thriller film featuring a teenage female heroine. After her mother's death Hanna was raised to seek revenge by her father, Erik, in the forest. She makes the choice to go after the woman, Marissa-who is an operative in the American government, that murdered her mother. After her capture it is quickly apparent that she is more than a teenage girl.


This film was directed by Joe Wright, and was shot as an independent film rather than the usual sharp filmography of common action films. The action sequences were uniquely filmed and edited. It adds to the idea of Hanna being different from the average human-faster. It also establishes her character caught in the center of turmoil. However, if your sensitive to fast motion this might cause some problems. This film isn't constant non-stop action and special effects it instead focuses on the main character Hanna as she discovers the outside world for the first time, and discovers the secrets that made her into what she has become. The techno music can be annoying because the beat never really changes tempo, but it does aid the film creating a sense of chaos to the action. The locations present an underside of the extremes of Europe. The story is great and the filming present a new way to tell a familiar story, but it might make some parents flinch.


Saoirse Ronan makes an acting standpoint in this film as the main character Hanna. She became well known for her previous role, and shows that she can do action as well as drama. She creates this character, surrounded by mystery, and a curious and frightened fascination with the world around her. Eric Bana plays the role of Eric, Hanna's father. For being a major part of Hanna's life he is nearly non-existant in this film. He has one well placed action sequence, and not much else is explained about him. There are enough hints to suggest what happened, but his character is left with a few gaps. Cate Blanchett play the villainous role of Marissa. She is great as a very different type of villain. Her greatest weapon is a gun, and the fear that she gives to Hanna. Her only flaw is the accent attempt. She still has the british sound, but it has a hint of a western texan. Its hard to tell if she was meant to be a mixture of both, or only from the U.S. Tom Hollander plays the role of Isaacs, a man hired to capture Hanna where the government failed to. He does create a sadistic character, but at the same time I get the feeling that he's gay. It is an usual combination, but he pulls it off in a very disturbing way. There was one other person that stood out, Jessica Barden who played the role of Sophie. She did good in her role of becoming Hanna's friend, but unfortunately she quickly became annoying. Her character is a typical teenager without any real boundaries.


I give this film a 10 out of 10 stars! I enjoyed its creative take on a chase thriller story-line. I also really enjoyed watching Saoirse in this film. The chosen editing for the film gave it a great edge.


Answer to last blog: Zoe Saldana was also featured in the film Star Trek.


Que: What dramatic film has actress Saoirse Ronan starred in?


Raise Your Voice
The Runaways
The Lovely Bones
Welcome to the Rileys

Avatar

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This story follows the story of Jake Sully, a once marine that suffered from a spinal injury, trying to live his life on earth as a civilian. He receives unfortunate news that his brother had passed on, but that his brother left behind a science project that he'd spent months training for. Jake decides that he has nothing more to lose, so he agree's to take on his brother's avatar on a hostile planet known as Pandora. This planet has a native race known as the Na'vi that cause a problem for the business organization wanting to harvest the land of Pandora for its resources. Jake meets Neytiri (a Na'vi), and begins to learn more about the Na'vi inhabiting the planet. Jake quickly finds himself facing an oncoming war between the Na'vi and the human race.

Now, we must toss away what the professionals said about this film. About it being nothing more than a hoax of 3-D to make a blockbuster out of a story just about blue people. Sure, it's about blue people but guess what-they're an alien race of beings. Naturally, aliens won't look like humans even in skin color-get over it. I admire the amount of work that director James Cameron placed into the making of this film. He started from scratch creating the individual look of the characters down to their weapon styles and their language, but he also created the plant, and animal, life of the planet. That kind of passion in filmmaking is beginning to fade unfortunately. This film also contains a powerful message-one that the director had wanted to make for a long time.

The effects of this film are highly computer generated. I recently watched the extended version in which I saw a new breed of animal and the future of earth. The Na'vi and the avatar's do have subtle differences such as eyes, nose, and how many digits a hand has. Otherwise, they are very unique, and appealing, in appearance. Their characters are a mix of African native tribes and America's Native Americans. I was surprised that there was never a thought made of the equality among the gender types. Women could actually be warriors in this film-a concept almost unspeakable to most. That might also coincide with the fact that Neytiri's bad-assness comes from her always needing to save Jake. The plant life is exotic and looked really amazing in a 3-D theater at night. The animals were reminiscent to the wildlife you'd see in current jungles, or at least what should be seen. Most of them were deadly, but they were all still very well done. The technology the humans used was pretty cool. The weaponry, the planes, and the computers were very believable. It is very easy to see that technology existing a few years from now. Although, the computer generated images had to be established from scratch, creating a new form of technology, none of it was blotchy or poorly done.

There was a few small quirks mostly involving scientific story conflict. The plantet has no oxygen that humans can breath, but yet fire breathes just fine. Fire lives off the same component as oxygen that humans can't breathe. If the fire was different from fire you'd see in earth-like coloring it blue, purple, or even black. There is also a small question of if technology equipment doesn't work around the tree of souls then how can someone receive aerial photo's of the location? This is a very dramatic story with a message of nature. In the ending battle the constant drama can become almost overwhelming for some people. The message is also placed as the forefront of the story. Its what places the characters in their predicament. Some people might also despise the idea of nature being respected for its beauty, but others will love it for that reason. A few other people will love, or hate, it for the sub-idea of a culture being lost to mankind. One last quirk is that the characters are almost too much alike. There are obvious differences between them, but they essentially all have that same bold headedness idea of being right.

Sam Worthington plays the leading role of Jake Sully. He creates an very unique character to this type of film. He tries to reach an understanding of all sides, and he also acts kind of childish at times. He tells the story through his video-logs, and this allows the audience to hear the story from a somewhat neutral stand point. Zoe Saldana had the difficult role of playing Neytiri. This was one of two major films that was released that year, 2009, starring her. She was the actress who established the language of the Na'vi. She creates a character that is easy liked and understood while maintaining the idea of an alien race. Sigourney Weaver played the role of Grace-the scientist who is fighting for the right of the Na'vi. Oddly enough this wasn't her first time working with James Cameron. They worked together the film Aliens back in 1986. She pulls of the role of being a smart-ass scientist that the audience enjoys watching. Michelle Rodriguez plays the role of Trudy. This is her usual action type role, but it is good to watch. Joel David Moore plays the role of Norm Spellman. He's the jealous scientist who overcomes this and becomes Jake's friend. Stephen Lang and Giovanni Ribisi make up the cast of villains ( Colonel Miles Quaritch and Parker Selfridge). Ribisi plays the role of the business man obsessed with greed, but yet has a small hint of guilt. Lang is the bad-ass who will not stop in his mission-fire nor lack of oxygen will stop him.

I give this film a 10 out of 10 stars! It tells a great story in a unique and entertaining way. It was also a treat to watch it in 3-D and receive the full effect of the film's imagery.

Answer ro last blog: Guy Pearce is widely known for his role in the film Momento.

Que: What film from 2009, also featured Zoe Saldana?

The Hangover
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Angele's and Demons
Star Trek