Can't Buy Me Love (1987)

Prior to the release of Enchanted and Made Of Honor I had never heard of Patrick Dempsey, and I'd never seen Grey's Anatomy, so I figured Dempsey was another "it" guy in the new batch of romantic comedy actors, but as it appears he's been in the business for quite sometime. Can't Buy Me Love is one of Dempsey's popular early films, made in the great teen comedy decade of the 1980's which has spawned a massive amount of classic films. Can't Buy Me Love is among the favored teen romantic comedies of the 80's and receives a lot of love, but it also helped to bring nationwide recognition to an actress who suddenly dropped off the face of the earth which has created some quite interesting rumors.

Can't Buy Me Love is the famed storyline of the transformation from "geek to chic", as Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) gets the opportunity he's been waiting for his entire life, to become popular. Amanda Peterson is Cindy Mancini, the school's drop dead gorgeous head cheerleader and most popular student, but she doesn't know Ronald Miller exists. But that's all about to change when Cindy's in a jam and Ronald provides her with a solution, he'll give her $1000 if she'll pretend to like him and hang out with him for a month. Without many other options Cindy reluctantly agrees, but truly doubts how being seen with her will turn Ronald's popularity around.

She's soon about to discover how shallow her friends are, as being seen with her turns Ronald's life upside down. Soon everyone's eating out of Ronald's hand, and Cindy is actually beginning to enjoy being around him. But Ronald's newly discovered popularity gets the best of him as he loses focus on why he made the deal in the first place, to get closer to Cindy. Now he's managed to alienate his old friends and push Cindy away without even noticing. Ronald thought his life was bad when he was invisible; now wait until he becomes an outcast.

Can't Buy Me Love is an entertaining look at the long time rivalry between nerd and jock, frankly I think these films always embellish the gap between the two groups as well as the groups themselves, but it still makes for an entertaining story. Dempsey and Peterson both play their parts extremely well and helps to make Can't Buy Me Love fit nicely in the mix as one of the better romantic comedies of the 80's, and definitely overshadows much of what we see in the genre today. The rest of the cast is quite medicore and corny but Dempsey and Peterson help to overshadow the rest of the cast, but keep your eyes open for a very young Seth Green, who plays Ronald's brother, he's quite funny.

What I found most interesting was some of the back-story on the two main actors. This film seemed to be a big break for Amanda Peterson who played Cindy, although after this film and a handful of other TV and film roles Amanda seemingly disappeared just as quickly as she appeared. All anyone seems to know is she's either happily married somewhere with three kids or is a drug addict in jail. As for Dempsey, he seemed to turn out alright and has made himself a decent career for himself, but did you know that in 1987 (when this film was made) at the age of 21 he married a 48 year old woman (who was his best friend's mom!) it only lasted about seven years but I still, that's quite strange. A bit of strange info I found when I looked up the two actors, which I thought were quite interesting, but do yourself a favor and check the film out!

8/10

Van Helsing (2004)

Originally Written

Monday, October 30, 2006

From the director that brought audiences one of the greatest action/adventure films of all-time, The Mummy, Stephen Sommers brings forth an awesome display of pure homage to the incredible and long lasting characters of classic horror film. What Van Helsing suffers from most is misplaced ridicule by critics and viewers alike, who tend to over think this film far too often and are quick to slam it as one of the worst films ever made, rather than understanding want the film is really about and how it succeeds.

Van Helsing is the only film that comes to mind in which such a classic group of horror characters are brought together into one film. The story follows legendary hunter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) as he travels the world hunting down evil. Van Helsing has been given a second lease on life yet he is not entirely sure the reason, nor does he have any recollection of his mysterious past, although he is aware of the fact that he has lived over many centuries. It is on his next mission that he hopes to discover some answers that might help to unveil the shroud around his forgotten past.

Sent to Transylvania, Van Helsing must discover the lair of villainous Count Dracula and help to end his reign on the villagers before the death of the final two remaining Valerious heirs. Long ago the Valerious vowed to kill Dracula if in return the curse on their family would be lifted and all those in their family line would be welcomed into paradise. In arriving into the village Van Helsing meets Anna (Kate Beckinsale), after the transformation of her brother into a werewolf she is now the sole surviving member of the Valerious family and their last hope.

In teaming up with Anna, Van Helsing hopes to find Dracula and end the curse set upon her family, yet there is one big problem... Dracula cannot be killed by conventional means, nor can he be destroyed by the usual vampire weapons. If they do not find a way to destroy Dracula he will gain the final piece of his abominable machine and bring life to thousands of his offspring which will strike terror upon everyone. Not only does Dracula hold the secret to his only means of destruction but he also holds the secret to the mysteries that haunt Van Helsing!

If ever a film deserves more respect than it actually receives, it is Van Helsing. In any discussion about horrible films or the worst films of all-time I'm never very surprised to see multiple people almost automatically put Van Helsing on the list, and quite frankly it is very annoying. Van Helsing is no masterpiece, but it is in no way a pile of crap either. It sets out to accomplish a specific goal and completes that goal quite successfully. The purpose of the film is to pay homage to the great classic characters in horror history such as Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, The Wolf Man, Igor, Dr. Jeckle, and Van Helsing, and it's my strong opinion that this film does exactly that.

First off Van Helsing is visually one of the best films I have ever seen, the effects, the locations, the costumes and the sets are top notch which I wouldn't expect much less due to Sommer's previous work. The effects really help to set the mood of this film and truly are amazing. Some people say that the film overloaded on CGI, I totally disagree! Those people must have never watched the Star Wars prequels which contained nothing but CGI. One thing about this film is the CGI effects are so good that a majority of the time they look so real they're not noticeable.

The next strike many people have against the film is a horrible and corny script combined with terrible acting. I will agree the storyline isn't great and the acting on most occasions is average to borderline mediocre, but what these people don't seem to understand is that's how it is supposed to be. This is a homage to the great classic horror films, films that were anything but great stories and top notch acting. It amazes me that people will praise the first Frankenstein film as a classic yet turn against a modern day version that is only meant to bring that classic feel back.

In terms of acting this film doesn't shine, but acting isn't the point of these types of films, it’s the action, the adventure and the characters and that count and this film definitely shines with non-stop action from beginning to end. Hugh Jackman gave a worthy performance as Van Helsing but more to my liking is Kate Beckinsale as Anna Valerious. Personally I think Kate Beckinsale has never looked hotter than she does in this film, and if your a fan of hers at all or solely smitten by her beauty this film is a must see for you, not to mention she does a very convincing Romanian accent.

Now I am going to shock even myself with this rating, but after multiple viewings over the years my opinion still remains the same. I don't hand out high ratings lightly so let me state my reasons clearly for the final time if you haven't already gotten them. Sommers accomplishes with Van Helsing the same feat he did with The Mummy, which was reviving a classic genre of film by mixing modern day filming with the same classic storylines and characters which is why Van Helsing deserves the praise.

In the end, Van Helsing succeeds at what it attempted to accomplished which was bring a modern touch to some much beloved classics characters yet at the same time still preserve the classic ambiance of the stories and the characters. So while most people tend to overlook the purpose of this film and chalk it up to corny CGI cinema, those who understand what the film is intending to accomplish should thoroughly enjoy this movie and appreciate what it tries to preserve.

Available on Blu-ray / DVD / Download

9/10

Vacancy (2007)

Originally Written

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Vacancy is the type of film that makes you rethink staying at any roach infested motel in the middle of nowhere, or for that matter even stopping at one in the middle of the night to ask for directions. It's probably best to stay away from motels all together, stick to hotels! I've heard a lot of mixed comments about this film, so I was going into to it with little expectation and the joy of seeing Kate Beckinsale grace my screen once again, although it would be nice to see her in something a little more light-hearted. Vacancy manages to correct some major flaws that haunt the majority of horror films, but sadly leaves you with an over the top unbelievable ending that may ultimately leave you a little disappointed.

Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson star as Amy and David Fox. A couple who recently lost their son in an accident and seem to be on the final leg of a relationship that obviously wasn't going so well to begin with. Amidst the arguing and blaming the two manage to get lost in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. Lucky for them they are a mile away from a rundown motel and gas station. But in this case luck would have been breaking down in the middle of nowhere with nothing around.

Amy and David decide to walk back to the motel and stay the night so they can have the car looked at in the morning. It doesn't take them very long to realize something is not right with this place. When the phone rings and no ones on the other line, and when someone appears to be banging on the door but no one is there, they begin to get a little on edge. But the proof is the discovery of a stack of video tapes in their room which all seem to have vicious murders recorded on them, murders which all occurred in their room! Amy and David realize they're now the stars of some perverted guy's snuff film. It's time to put aside their differences with each other and attempt to escape from this prison alive. But with camera's everywhere and trap doors leading all around the property, escaping might not be possible.

Vacancy is one of those films that seems to be constantly fluctuating. The first part of the film I was rather annoyed by the two main characters as they constantly bickered over pointless issues. The middle or main meat of the film I have to say was quite well done and had me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the time, as the couple attempts to escape from their prison. The end I started to get a little annoyed once again as Vacancy begins to get extremely ridiculous. I didn't like what happened to Luke's character even though his fate after that was quite predictable and Kate's encounter with the motel manager was completely over the top.

Overall, I thought the acting in the film was quite well done compared to most horror films. Luke Wilson did a pretty good job, and Kate was good as usual. And contrary to what another reviewer said I actually thought the two characters were pretty smart, other than the mistake of going to the motel in the first place! The dumb ones were by far the villains, who made the incredibly idiotic move of leaving those tapes for them to find in the first place. Vacancy was quite exhilarating for the most part, unfortunately the last 15 minutes made me lower my score a little. In the end, it's an interesting film that's definitely different but also quite disturbing at times. I'm not a fan of horrors but this had enough to hold my attention.

And just as an interesting side note, there's a pretty noticeable screw up in the film. Pay close attention to the scene where Kate's character finds an apple in the bathroom. This is the same apple she was eating in the car a few hours ago, when she cut herself; note the fact that the apple is not gotten brown at all. Whoever was responsible for accuracy sorely overlooked this blatant mistake.

7/10

There Will Be Blood (2007)

It seems the Oscar nominations are now awarded to the strangest. What else could explain the nomination for lead actors who portray insanely demented characters, and films that seem more intent on confusing rather than entertaining? If there were an award for the strangest film of the year, There Will Be Blood would definitely be a shoe in, but was all the films hype and critical acclaim truly worthy? While the film might have provided viewers with a few well versed catch phrases, it ultimately falls quite short of anything near greatness.

Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview, a poor silver miner who gives up mining and begins to concentrate on oil drilling full time, soon becoming quite wealthy and well known for his success in the trade. One day he receives a tip from a young man named Paul Sunday about a large quantity of oil nearly pouring from the earth, so Daniel heads to Little Boston, California to see for himself. Upon arriving at the Sunday ranch, Daniel discovers Paul's claims to be quite accurate but with an odd twist.

Paul, now claiming to be named Eli, appears to have a few screws loose in his head, and his main goal in bringing Daniel to Little Boston was a perfectly planned ploy to help fund his crackpot church under the guise of some sort of humanitarian measure. But Eli's only a small bump in the road for Daniel, whose obstacles are about to grow greater and more frequent, whether it be the deafness of his son H.W. or the sudden arrival of his supposed half brother Henry. But nothing hinders Daniel from his quest for more and more oil. It's a quest he shows he's willing to do anything to conquer, and ultimately consumes him, transforming him into a very soulless person.

I've never seen anything like There Will Be Blood, which is not a complement to the film, but the closest I can come to verbally explaining my overall experience. If you’re not of fan of films with more silence than dialogue and long periods of repetitive strange background music you'll want to pass this one by. The beginning of the film runs for a total of fifteen minutes with absolutely no dialogue at all, which is sure to throw some people, follow that with many other silenced moments in the film filled with a rather annoying violin soundtrack that quickly wears out it's welcome and never seems to end. It all adds to the unique or strange quality of the film, however you want to look at it. What ultimately adds There Will Be Blood to the list of overrated Oscar favorites is the story. While Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano put forth excellent performances, it won't stop a lot of people from finding the film quite boring and confusing on many occasions. Only when Lewis and Dano are paired on screen does the film really see its high points, the rest of the time its left to a rather dull and muddled story that is hardly impressive.

Overall, I found There Will Be Blood to be an interesting experience, I in no way loved the film, but it's odd characters and at times bizarre storyline held my attention mainly to see how much stranger this film could possibly get. The only thing worth the praise is the acting, and Lewis and Dano carry this film, which would have been horrible without them. There Will Be Blood is a perfect example of a film that's carried by it's lead actor's performance, a performance that takes a mediocre story and makes it watchable. While I'm not apart of the masses who think Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the best actors of all-time, he definitely puts forth an interesting and at times mesmerizing performance. Had this film not had a lead actor of Daniel Day-Lewis's ability, it would have easily gone unnoticed by the critics because his performance is the only real highlight of the film. In the end, There Will Be Blood is worth a look for curiosity sake and is sure to be one of the stranger films you've seen in recent years, but don't expect anything more from the film than an entertaining performance from the two lead actors.

7/10

Haunted (1995)

I stumbled upon Haunted a few years ago when I decided to watch some of Kate Beckinsale's earlier films, and was pleasantly surprised at how good a film it turned out to be. Not being a big fan of the horror genre I was happy to discover this film wasn't your typical horror. In fact Haunted is more akin to a thriller or suspense and contains quite a few twists and turns to help make the film more interesting than scary.

James Bond Special Edition Reviews

Started back in 2005 in my old Rotten Tomatoes blog I took it upon myself to watch and review all 21 Bond films, in an attempt to pick out the best of Bond. With the arrival of Bond 22 in November I have decided to revisit those reviews, polish them up a little and re-post them here. In addition to reviewing the film I also include what I have addressed as a "Secret File", these Secret Files are linked at the bottom of each review and present a more in depth look into some of the characters and other aspects of the film, so check those out and enjoy. The review for each film will be linked below.