The Final

The Final
by Jose

Consequences. None of us are free from them.

Plot
A group of high school outcasts get revenge on the students that torment them.

What is it about?

This movie is about the tortured masses banding together, and exacting righteous revenge on their tormentors. Any of us, no matter what side we found ourselves on in high school know how bad it can get. We can see how deep and hard the psychological torture is. That is why deep down inside, when we hear about a school shooting, we aren't all that surprised. We understand. We knew the people that got hurt/kicked/abused daily by the rising stars, and were ignored by the school staff. We wondered when they'd crack. We worried they'd find automatic weapons. We joked about it. Until it really happens.

In this movie, the "uncool" kids have had enough. They plan a trap. They draw their tormentors in by taking advantage of their egos with a VIP costume party. They divide and torture them. They single out the abusers that have been tormenting them since grade school, and they exact precise revenge.

The Final, being part of the 8 Films to Die For Horrorfest, did not bring large amounts of blood and guts. We get gun shots, a unique torture scene involving acupuncture needles, a corrosive face mask, bear traps, finger cutting, and some spine severing. But very little blood. It really did not need it. Just the overall feeling of the movie was enough to deliver that special “feel”.

Final thoughts

Dane: Ask yourself one question... what did I do to get here?

There is a message at the end. One that has already been shown to be true. Kids that aren't taught properly how to function in the world will lash out, and sometimes they'll hurt or mentally destroy others who society labels as outcasts and unpopular. And only their inept parents are to blame for it. Too many parents make no effort to ensure their children will behave or act like proper human beings. To be open and respectful to others and to treat others the way they want to be treated. But some parents do not care. They were popular. They bullied and tormented others when they were young. And they survived to grow up to be decent (in their minds) people. That a little “tough love” is good experience to life. These parents then see what their kids do to others and laugh about it. “They are kids being kids”. Yet they fail to realize the damage these things do to kids and teens. Torture. Abuse. Pain. Suffering. All in the name of “kids being kids”.

Fuck you.

Now that I vented. The Final is a decent movie. And a great entry to the Horrorfest series. Highly recommend. If you seen movies like Elephant and Bang Bang You’re Dead then The Final is a movie to pick up or watch.


Rating : 3.5 out of 5



The Final Trailer from AGORA ENTERTAINMENT on Vimeo.

She's Out of My League Review

By: Robert Acosta

Plot: An average Joe meets the perfect woman, but his self esteem issues and the influence of his friends and family begin to hinder the relationship.

My Review: I always thought that Jay Baruchel, main character of She's Out of My League, would be able to carry his own weight in a film, rather than being the guy with a couple lines, hiding in other peoples shadows. This isn't the film that he becomes a breakout star in but I still think he's heading down that road.

She's Out of My League is simply about a guy, Kirk, who sees himself as an unattractive guy and finds himself being asked out by an extremely hot woman, Molly, played by Alice Eve. As the movie goes on, Kirk's self-esteem gets worse and worse and he becomes his own worst enemy.

Most people would see this movie and say, "this stuff only seems to happen in the movies." This movie likes to push that idea away and say no, this could happen to anyone and to remember that love is in the eye of the beholder. Sounds very cliche I know.

Going into this, I expected a comedy much like 40 year old virgin and knocked up and this movie was far from that. Yes, it still has it's moments of comedy and they can be moments where you laugh for a couple of minutes. Mostly, the movie shys away from being hilarious so that story and the moral gets across and so that the movie is taken somewhat seriously.

Now understanding that concept, There were times where they tried to be funny and failed. A lot of lines and scenes with the character Stainer, played by T.J. Miller, ended up being unfunny. Just something about him and his delivery with most jokes didn't get a reaction out of me, kind of looks like Jon Heder as well. On the other hand, the character Devon, played by Nate Torrence, made up for the unfunny parts.

I can respect the moral of the story, viewing myself as unattractive and no way worthy of an extremely beautiful woman. Of course, the cliches come in. Love is in the eye of the beholder. Nice guys get the girl. The list goes on and on. Nonetheless, the movie just make guys like me feel like i've got hope!

Rating: 3.5 Out of 5

Alice in Wonderland Review

By: Robert Acosta

Plot: A teenage woman, Alice, returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Review: I have to admit, i've never read the Alice in Wonderland story before, just never really cared about it. So when I heard a movie was to be made about it, I wasn't excited in the least bit or even remotely interested. I had heard Johhny Depp attached to the movie and that got me a bit interested, I think he's a good actor and fun to watch. I have to say, I was completely surprised and pleased with Alice In Wonderland.

Visually the movie is just stunning, it helps that you can also catch the movie in 3d. From beginning to end, you're drawn in and amazed with the visuals. Though, one of the sights that isn't exactly stunning is Johhny Depp as The Mad Hatter. Depp has played some pretty crazy and weird characters over the years, Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, Mad Hatter, the list goes on and on. Out of all the characters he's played, I was actually a bit frightened by the Mad Hatter. He just looks scary and weird and completely out of his mind and of course, Depp's natural ability to get into a character makes him even weirder.

One of the things that makes this movie very fun to watch are the characters and all the different styles they bring. The crazy Mad Hatter, the big headed Red Queen, the sweet White Queen, the cunning Chesire Cat, the wise Blue Catepillar, the Brave Dormouse, the charming yet dumb tweedledee and tweedledum. They all bring something different to the film, it all blends together and it becomes entertaining to watch.

The big theme that I caught in the movie was acceptance. Alice in the real world was looked at as weird and noone seemed really interested in her besides her father. But in Wonderland, she's just one of them. Now everyone at one point in life or another, has felt this feeling before. Being called "weird" because you didn't fit in with what other people were doing. That's what makes a movie great, tackling a topic that everyone can relate with and tell a good, light-hearted story about it.

I can't honestly express how surprised I was at how great Alice In Wonderland really is. It's one of those movies that anyone, young or old, can relate to and learn from. I can't really seem to find any flaws with the movie, which is rare. Tim Burton, director of the movie, has been known to put together really creative, imaginative stories and films altogether. Some have been hit or miss, most have been, at the very least, entertaining. Alice in Wonderland is just gold.

Rating: 4.5 Out of 5

The Final Destination 3D/2D

The Final Destination 3D
by Jose

What’s it about?

Not sure if I should write anything here considering it is the fourth movie in the Final Destination series. The same formula exists in all movies: group of people are brought together when an individual “sees” their deaths and then prevents it. Putting said group in position to feel Death’s embrace in unique and interesting and gruesome ways. But you can see this one in 3D if you like.

Any good?

Of course it is good. It’s Final Destination in 3D! Yes if you have seen the other three than you know what will happen in this one. Obviously if the formula works why bother to change it. Yes a fix here or an addition there but that is all.
While the very first movie had a spectacular, and some say too realistic for good taste in having witness from within a plane break up and explode upon take-off, this one had an adrenaline pumping stock car race with thousands of potential victims to pick off from that got enhanced thanks to the latest gimmick in town, 3D. Which I found to be better.
I love this franchise due to the fact that it doesn’t take it self seriously. The movies are about cheating death and then death coming back for them. In fun, deadly, and gruesome ways. The characters are not too fleshed out but you do end up liking some of them. I actually liked Bobby Campo’s character Nick in this film. He did a decent job along with the Shantel VanSanten’s character Lori.
If you were able to see The Final Destination in Real D 3D at the theater then you were presented with some great death effects. Sadly whenever these movies get released on DVD we get the classic red and blue glasses. Same effects but the movie is then shaded in red and blue with hints or purple. But the 3D effects themselves are great especially during the race car death scene and other death scenes throughout the movie.

Final thoughts:

Whenever I go to see movies or throw on a DVD I follow a simple rule: Do not go in expecting the best movie in the world. Go in expecting to be entertained and to get lost in the world of the movie your watching. If you don’t you end up hating everything you see. Enough preaching from me. The Final Destination in 2D or 3D was actually very enjoyable and I felt was better than previous entries of the franchise.

Ratings: Theater 3D 4 out of 5
Home 3D 3.5 out of 5

Ninja Assassin

Ninja Assassin
by Jose

What’s it about?
A young ninja turns his back on orphanage that raised/trained him, leading to a confrontation with fellow ninja and master from the clan.

Any good?
Who knew that the most insanely violent, ridiculously brutal and psychotically gory film of the year would be Ninja Assassin. It's quite obvious that the people responsible for this film set out to make the most ass kicking Ninja movie and they even one upped themselves.
I remember when I was younger Ninjas were cool. But since than they've lost their flair and so has the martial arts genre in general. Ninja Assassin brings all that back with a hellacious gut punch. I got this same feeling when watching The Forbidden Kingdom. Ninja Assassin and Forbidden Kingdom brought back that special “awesomeness” that one gets when watching old classic martial arts movies from the 80’s and 70’s and earlier.

Visually the film is incredible. It's unlike anything you've ever seen. The fighting is quick, furious and the story although not completely involving is involving enough so that we end up liking the characters. The main character Raizo (played by Rain) is quite the baddass ninja and I look forward in seeing him in future roles. What the film does explosively well is decapitate, disembowel and explode it's victims across it's blood soaked screen. Imagine slow motion shots of a man diving out of the way of 100's of ninja stars, slicing people in half with samurai swords and being born out of shadows literally. Raizo’s main weapon of choice is a Tsubaki Kusarigama. There is not much for me to say about the amount of blood this one type of weapon sheds in this movie; but it is insane once we see it in action. It's an exciting piece of cinematic brilliance.

Final thoughts:

I can't speak for everyone but to me Ninja Assassin was just freaking crazy as hell. A modern ninja/martial arts movie was doomed to fail from the start. I that’s my opinion. Movies like this tend to fail due to lack of support or because Jet Li or Jackie Chan are not starring in it. Ninja Assassin proved to me that there can be a martial arts movie made now that can be great and I can’t wait to see if we can get more of these types of movies in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Brooklyn's Finest Review

By: Robert Acosta

Plot: Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring extremely different career paths.

My Review: I love a good cop movie. Out of all the genres of movies and sub-genres of movies, cop movies are definitely one of my favorite to watch, so I may be a bit biased in my review. I'll try to be as impartial as I can though.

In many ways, Brooklyn's finest is just a typical cop movie. Between dirty cops, retiring cops, cops in bad financial situations and etc, no new aspects are introduced to the cop movie genre. Don't get the words typical and boring mixed up cause Brooklyn's Finest is far from boring.

From start to finish, Brooklyn's Finest keeps you intrigued with it's well written story and, of course, the fine actors they put on screen like Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle, Richard Gere and Wesley Snipes. The movie is a bit on the long side, reaching about the 2 hour 20 minute mark. The length, to me, wasn't a problem. In order to show the progression of the story and the 3 main characters, the movie had to be that long.

Which leads me into the characters and their progression. Ethan Hawke's character, Sal, is a dirty cop in a bad financial standing. In the beginning, you see him in a situation which automatically sets him as a dirty cop and as the movie goes on, a desperate person with countless number of kids(litterally countless), all living in a small house. With two more kids on the way, his situation only gets worse and so does his desperation. In the end, as always, desperation and greed never solve problems.

Richard Gere's character, Eddie, seems driven to just give up on everything, His job as a cop and his life in total. His days as an unappreciated cop are numbered and he's alone, no wife, no kids and honestly no friends. As the story progresses, his mentality seemingly stays the same. No matter how much good he does or how long he has worked, he will always be unappreciated. In the end, his motives for his actions are unknown and raise the question of "why?"

Don Cheadle's character, Tango, is also an unappreciated cop in a sense. All his hard work and time put into his job and he never gets rewarded with a raise or promotion. The only chance he gets at promotion, comes at the cost of having to bring an old friend back to jail, Wesley Snipes character, Casanova. In the process of trying to keep Casanova out of trouble, both Tango and Casanova get tangled up in something they could do nothing against.

The progression of the characters is the key to this movie, it's what makes the movie really good. Yes, there is violence, lots of blood and shooting. Yes, there is nudity and sex, mostly from Richard Gere believe it or not. And yes, they're are drugs involved. Those are all just small parts of the bigger picture of the movie.

My only problem, and it is a big one, is the ending. I like how the unconnected stories physically become interconnected but how it all unfolds just felt wrong. Some people who live and die at the end will leave you a bit angry and may even hinder how you felt about the movie.

Overall, Brooklyn's Finest is an intriguing story with good character progression but lacks a good or even logical ending to make it stand out.

Rating: 3.5/5  

Trick 'r Treat

by Jose


Poison, Drowning, Claw, Or Knife. So Many Ways To Take A Life.

What’s it about?
Five interwoven stories that occur on the same night. A couple finds what happens when they blow a jack o' lantern out before midnight, a high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer, a college virgin might have met the right guy for her, a group of mean teens play a prank that they take too far, and a hermit is visited by a special trick or treater.

Side Note:
So finally this damn movie was released. Straight to DVD but at least it was released. I personally have been waiting to see Trick 'r Treat ever since it was announced a year or so ago. But due to studio shenanigans it was delayed and delayed. Given a release date then delayed some more. I guess since it was something new and not a remake or sequel the studio decided it won't make money. Yet you constantly see utter shit being released in theaters. But that is for another day.

On to the movie:
It was well worth the wait. Trick 'r Treat is hands down one of the best Halloween inspired movies I have seen. Notice I didn't say best horror or best movie. I know how people get when you say certain things. Back to the movie. When I think of Halloween I think of candy, jack o lanterns, ghosts, witches, zombies, vampires, werewolves, ghouls, freaks, crazy maniacs, and that one neighbor who hates everything. That is Halloween right? Well you get all that and some more with Trick 'r Treat. From the beginning to end it's non stop fun and scares.

Any good?
Trick ‘r Treat obviously takes place during a Halloween night. With the movie being an anthology. Where we have different stories taking place with different characters that all in someway or another interact with each other. To me it was a great way to showcase many characters and themes in one movie. Just like Tales of the Darkside, Creepshow, and Campfire Tales. I don't want to spoil the movie too much so if you don't want to know certain things then look away.

The sack-head kid is great and creepy as this Halloween ghoul that you see everywhere and basically carries the movie. The zombie children at the rock quarry lake are terrifying. The werewolf girls are freaking great. I loved how there transformation was done. Very similar to how werewolves turn in the Hellboy comics. With the skin being cut and ripped off to reveal the werewolf inside. Oh and for your True Blood fans Anna Paquin is a hottie in her Red Riding Hood costume and as one of the she-wolfs.

Final thought:

I highly suggest that every fan of Halloween or a fan of the mentioned classic horror anthologies pick up a copy and enjoy what I believe is a true Halloween movie. Oh if anyone has Halloween movie parties definitely include Trick r' Treat.

Rating: 5 out of 5

The Collector

The Collector
by Jose

What’s it about?
Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer's country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps.

Appetizer

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Arkin (the ex-con played by Josh Stewart) can’t catch a break. He’s working as a handy man for a rich family, has a wife and daughter he needs to take care of, along with lone sharks ready to bite. Arkin needs money desperately. So he decides to steal from the rich family in order to pay back all that he owes. But what he doesn’t realize is that a simple in and out robbery turns into a fight for his life and the life of the daughter of the family.
The movie starts with a bang literally making you jump. So far it’s off to a good start. The opening credits are actually quite good with techno-industrial music playing. The beginning of the movie starts off slow introducing the most of the characters. Arkin and the Chase family. A rich family with the obvious characteristics: wife that injects herself with botox, business father, slutty teenage daughter, and a regular daughter. We then go off and meet Arkin’s family; along with the trouble of lone sharks that are tearing them apart. We then meet someone Arkin knows, although it is not really made clear who it is, but Arkin make a deal to steal from the Chase family to get money to pay off the lone sharks by midnight that night. So this is when the fun starts.
Arkin reaches the house but is met by a dog chained to the yard. Wasn’t there before. Enters the house and finds the safe. Too easy right? Arkin goes to open the safe when the front door opens and someone else enters. Someone with a mask. A mask and a knife. Arkin goes to leave but then is introduced to a wide array of traps.

So is it any good?

The Collector will have you on the edge of your seat. It is a great thriller from beginning to end. The Collector himself is just so damn creepy. But it’s not because he is a monster, or how he is dressed. I mean he wears all black even down to the medical gloves and mask. It is his eyes. Those damn eyes of his. The eyes go from shark black in one scene to silver in other then a glowing green in others. It’s just wrong. In a good way to make the viewer uncomfortable. Now on to the traps. Yes the meat of this movie, the traps. We get a chandelier with knives strapped on. A room “webbed” with razor wire. A room filled with huge hanging fishing hooks. A floor that has this sticky, glue like substance on the floor that eats away at whatever gets stuck. All I got to say about that is poor cat.

The Collector offers up plenty of gore obviously. Cuts, burns, stabbings, things sliced in half, and sliced off, mouths sown shut, electrocutions, and my favorite: the bear trap death. Yes the bear traps. In one scene a victim gets pushed into a floor filled with bear traps. First the ankle, then a knee, an arm, chest, back, then finally the head. All snapped up by bear traps. The blood flows freely and it is a good thing.
Now obviously your going to read all that and say to yourselves. “Hey this sounds all too familiar” “This sounds like a rip-off of SAW”. Well you’re right and wrong. It's written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan (who also directs), the writing team who penned the last three Saw films (including part VI). But The Collector is its own thing and dare I say better then those movies mentioned. To me it has to do with it being a “raw” movie. No extra story. No extra nonsense. It is a straight forward horror movie. There is no reason behind the deaths and traps. No reason behind why the killer picked this family. We don’t know who the killer is at all. All we know is that he kills. He kills everyone except the one he wants to keep. The one he wants to collect.

Final thought:
The Collector is a great horror movie that I really enjoyed. I, personally, wouldn't mind seeing more of The Collector as I like the idea and the character.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Wolfman Review

By: Robert Acosta

Plot: Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf.

My Review: I wasn't around in 1941 to see the original Wolfman with Lon Chaney and i'm glad to say that. I'd be way too old to type and produce for this blog! Nonetheless, this is a real remake. Almost 70 years in the making comes another entry in the Wolfman legacy. All these other movies getting remakes after 20 or 25 years have nothing on the Wolfman's wait. Now onto the actual review.

The casting in this movie is spot on, couldn't have casted anyone better for these roles. Benicio Del Toro as Lawrence Talbot/Wolfman really worked for me, he just has a certain style to him that couldn't see anyone else as the Wolfman. The chemistry between Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins as his father and Emily Blunt as his love interest was seamless. Nothing felt forced, everything was nice and fluid.

As for the Wolfman himself, it was fun to watch. The transition from human to werewolf was intense but fitting. Then again, I say that with the knowledge of i've never seen a human transform into a werewolf in real life and I don't think anyone ever has so speculating as to how that transformation should look like is stupid. All I have to say about it is that it didn't look stupid and it didn't look unrealistic. The Wolfman definitely looked like an imposing figure, as he should. Watching him run from building to building and run on all fours was a nice touch as well.

The gore in the movie wasn't over the top but at the same time, it will keep horror fans satisfied. Some kills happened so fast you couldnt even see them and some just happened in places not shown but you just heard them happen. Some of the kills were comical and really did spark at least a chuckle, which is what the director was probably going for.

The story from start to finish was intriguing and just fun to watch, from the twist and turns of the movie, to the motives of movie. There were a couple of things that were funny to me, funny in the sense that at times it was hard to take the movie seriously. Some of the flashback scenes were like that, along with one of the twists in the movie.

Overall, The Wolfman is more than an enjoyable time at the theater, it's a solid film. Great actors doing a great job in their respective roles, making dialogue and scenes overall feel natural. At times hard to take serious but at times very amazing to watch things unfold.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Long Layoff/March Movie Releases

Wow..It's been over a month and a half since I last updated this blog. It's been a long layoff but a good one, got to put things into perspective and now im ready to put time into this blog. I've missed it, only saw 1 movie in february...depressing.

So here we go! March Movie Releases:
(x)= Limited Release
March 5:

• Alice in Wonderland
• Brooklyn's Finest

March 12:

• Green Zone
• She's Out of My League
• Remember Me
• Our Family Wedding
• Mother(x)
• Suicide Girls Must Die!(x)

March 19:

• The Bounty Hunter
• Repo Men
• The Runaways
• Diary of A Wimpy Kid
• Hubble 3D(x)

March 26:

• I Love You Phillip Morris
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Hot Tub Time Machine
• Greenberg(x)
• The Eclipse(x)
• Chloe(x)

March is shaping up to be a fun month of movies by the looks of it. A couple of comedies to look forward to in Hot Tub Time Machine and She's Out of My League, Matt Damon and the Bourne Trilogy director hook up for another fast paced action movie in Green Zone, and some fantasy movies in Alice in Wonderland and How to Train Your Dragon. Im excited to be back into this. Expect reviews of Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, Wolfman and The Crazies. Have to make up for lost time.