Phil's Netflix Picks: DEATH NOTE (2017) - February 9, 2018

Today's Netflix Pick has its roots in Japanese manga folklore. Based on one of the most popular titles of all time, the manga "Death Note" was created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It became such a huge sensation that it was adapted into a series of live-action films starting with the 2006 release of DEATH NOTE (which I saw at the then San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival). Three more movies were made afterwards. Then on April 30, 2009, Variety reported that Warner Bros. Pictures - who distributed the original Japanese films here in the states - had acquired the rights to do a remake. I witnessed the end results when I finally saw DEATH NOTE this past week.

The film's official synopsis: Light Turner (Nat Wolff), a bright student, stumbles across a mystical notebook from a spirit named Ryuk (Willem Dafoe and Jason Liles) that has the power to kill any person whose name he writes in it. Light decides to launch a secret crusade to rid the streets of criminals. Soon, the student-turned-vigilante finds himself and his girlfriend Mia Sutton (Margaret Qualley) pursued by a famous detective known only by the alias L (Lakeith Stanfield).

The film was written by Charley Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides, and Jeremy Slater. They had the unimaginable task of taking the original Japanese source material and adapting it for American audiences, which is not an easy task. The manga is so dense that it is impossible to make it into a 101 minute movie. Plus with its Japanese mythology, folklore, and beliefs, it's translation would be lost on Americans who aren't familiar with the manga. Because of this, many American remakes lack that certain aspect that makes the J-Horror films amazing -  remakes like THE RING, PULSE, and THE GRUDGE come to mind. They do their best as to cram the bullet points that make the series so popular and, for all intents and purposes, they do a pretty good job. We have a decent three story arc, interesting characters, and a great climax that ties up most of the loose ends. But it is an Americanized film, so it's missing that Japanese flare.

Director Adam Wingard is no stranger to the horror genre. At age 19, he made his feature length debut with his film HOME SICK. He then went on to direct some great films like A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, YOU'RE NEXT and last year's BLAIR WITCH as well as directed segments for THE ABCs OF DEATH and both V/H/S films. Wingard knows the genre and has a visual look that complements it. His compositions are always filled, the camera lingers and pans feverishly, and fits the mood of the film very nicely. He is a very accomplished filmmaker and really enjoyed the look of the movie. He'll be directing the much hyped GODZILLA VS. KONG movie in 2020.

As far as the cast goes, you gotta give it up to Willem Dafoe for his performance. The man looks and sounds like a nightmare come true. The actor's face was motion captured and then digitally placed on actor Jason Liles' body. Together, they make a truly terrifying Ryuk! Nat Wolff does a decent job of portraying moody teenager Light Turner, but I thought Margaret Qualley was awesome as
Mia Sutton. She is so twisted and conniving that half the time I didn't know whether to like her or hoping someone would slap the hell outta her, which is all part of her charm. The weak link was Lakeith Stanfield as the mysterious detective L. I just found his character annoying and lacked any real threat to Light. But then again, I'm not an actor so what the hell do I know, right?

When Netflix made the film available for streaming on August 25, 2017, it received mixed and negative reviews. Granted, some were legit while others were just mean. Now it's not a perfect film, I feel like it was a decent remake. While it's not on par with the other American remakes, it's not that bad either. Even Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata liked the movie, so there's that.

DEATH NOTE is an interesting, thought provoking, teenage angst killer of a movie! It provokes that idea of what would I do if I had the power to take someone's life, and how would I handle that power and responsibility? It digs deep into what's it like to control death, only to discover that you can't control it at all. I think horror fans and fans of the manga should check it out! As I stated, it's not a perfect film, but it definitely has potential to be something more! 3 1/2 out of 5 stars! Definitely worth watching!

DEATH NOTE is now streaming exclusively on Netflix. To start your subscription, visit their website at www.netflix.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the horror!

Phil sees IT at the Cinelux Almaden Café & Lounge Theater - September 14, 2017

In 1990, I saw the TV movie series STEPHEN KING'S IT and it scared the hell out of me! Starring Harry Anderson, Annette O'Toole, Tim Reid, John Ritter, Richard Thomas and the iconic Tim Curry as the infamous Pennywise, the two-part mini series became a huge hit! Fast forward to this past weekend and I'm sitting inside the Cienlux Almaden Theater getting ready to watch the new terrifying version of King's book. And IT was scary as hell!!

The film's official synopsis: In the Town of Derry, the local kids are disappearing one by one, leaving behind bloody remains. In a place known as 'The Barrens', a group of seven kids are united by their horrifying and strange encounters with an evil clown and their determination to kill It.

This was, without a doubt, a truly horrifying film! What makes the film work is the incredible cast that it contains. Stepping in Pennywise's shoes is Swedish born actor Bill Skarsgård (ATOMIC BLONDE, SIMPLE SIMON and TV shows Hemlock Grove and the upcoming Castle Rock). Skarsgård's performance is, without question, amazingly disturbing! His voice, his facial expressions, his mannerism, it's all there wrapped up in a delightful red balloon. I would like to go on record that his Pennywise rivals that of Curry's in the original. Yes friends, he's that damn good!!

Now you can't forget the outstanding child actors that appear in the film. Lead Jaeden Lieberher (ALOHA, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, THE BOOK OF HENRY and the Showtime series Masters of Sex) portrays Bill Denbrough, the leader of group of kids known as "The Losers Club" that help look for Bill's baby brother Georgie (played by Jackson Robert Scott). His group of friends include fowl-mouthed Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard of Netflix's Stranger Things fame), the shy kid Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor from 42 and ANT-MAN), outsider Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs from the TV series Hawaii Five-O), hypochondriac kid Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer from TALES OF HALLOWEEN, SCALES: MERMAIDS ARE REAL), Jewish Stanley Uris (Wyatt Oleff from the GUARDIAN OF THE GALAXY franchise) and tough girl and bad ass Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis), who could be Bill's first love. Together, these young actors have amazing on-screen chemistry with one another and all bring a lot to their respective characters: they're scared, they fight with one another, they have hang ups and they have to help each other to rise up against the evil Pennywise. Bravo to these extraordinary actors!!

Originally, the studio projected that the film would make $50million in its opening weekend, but they were so very wrong! The film ended up grossing a staggering $123.4 million, setting the records for largest opening weekend for both a September release and a horror film. As I am writing this, the film set another record, bringing in an additional $60 million in its second weekend! The film's 10-day domestic total has reached $218.7 million (which is unheard of for both a horror film and a R-rated film) and it looks like the film will continue to scare moviegoers long after it leaves the theaters!

IT is thus far both my favorite horror film and my favorite film of 2017!! If you haven't seen this movie yet, then you need to go to your local theater now and see this horror masterpiece!! The film is making cinematic history as I speak so why wouldn't you participate in it? 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

IT is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Cinelux Theaters here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cineluxtheatres.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees CABIN FEVER from IFC Midnight-February 20, 2016

In 2002, filmmaker Eli Roth made a huge splash in the horror genre with his directorial debut CABIN FEVER. A homage to Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD, Roth's film's was a breathe of fresh (or contaminated) air. After two less than stellar straight-to-video sequels, the series was reported to receive a reboot using Roth's original screenply with Travis Zariwny directing it. Now I found this bit of news perplexing considering that the original film came out only 14 years ago. However, one must remember that this is Hollywood we're talking so I shouldn't have of been surprised. Once the film was completed, the film was picked for distribution by IFC Midnight. So let's talk about what I thought about the remake of CABIN FEVER.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2016)

The film's official synopsis: Executive producer Eli Roth presents this reboot of his instant classic gorefest, which features all new characters and all new kills. The story is familiar: fresh out of college, a group of five friends retreat to a remote cabin in the woods for one last week of partying—only to become snacks for a gruesome, flesh-eating virus. What’s surprising are the ingenious new deaths, which offer a fresh spin on a horror-comedy milestone. With Gage Golightly (Teen Wolf) and Dustin Ingram (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3).

So what did I think of it!? It was OK. There were some cool stuff in it but mostly it was a shot-for-shot remake of the original. My understanding is that the filmmakers used Roth's original script but all the deaths were going to be changed and they incorporated aspects into the film that Roth wasn't able to include. So believe what you want but it was entertaining, albeit an unessesary remake. But I'll explain to you all in more detail what I liked about it.

First up is the cast. The stand-outs for me were actresses Nadine Crocker who portrays Marcy in this version (Cerina Vincent played her in the original). Crocker's performance was really good and she goes full throttle in her performance and doesn't hold back. Her acting is believable, showed great range of emotions and her sex scenes were very hot. I was surprised by how raw and risqué those scenes were because she was very much in the moment. Very beautiful, sexy and talented, I hope to see more of Miss Crocker. The other actress I enjoyed watching was Louise Linton as Deputy Winston. While she didn't get a lot of screen time, I really enjoyed her interpretation of the character. Now as many of you recall, actor Giuseppe Andrews originally portrayed the deputy in the original film. Zariwny changed the character from male to female because he thought there as no way to recapture Andrews' performance. 

Some new ingredients to the remake/reboot include this crazy infested dog, which as a cool concept. The formentioned Deputy Winston gender swap was a good idea. Again, all the character's death scenes were completely different and very gory, which was a lot of fun to watch. Let's see what else am I missing here......well hell's bells, I think that's about it! Oh, during the end credits we see the police arriving and taking away all the dead bodies. So yeah, that's all folks!

Travis Zariwny is best known as a production designer, having worked on films like BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON, WAKE, CHILLERAMA, SUGAR and DIGGING UP THE MARROW. His previous directing duties include SCAVENGERS, INTRUDER and a couple of short films. Overall, I can't really comment on his style cause this was a rehash of the original and I saw nothing new here. I'll have to view his other two films to better make a critique of his directing style.

CABIN FEVER is an OK remake, but honestly, there was no reason to remake the movie. It was perfectly fine but some people can't leave well enough alone. Truth be told, I thought that trailer was better than the film itself. So if you want to see this remake, go ahead but you're better off watching the original. 2 out of 5 stars! It's a rental at best!

CABIN FEVER is playing in limited release in select theaters nationwide. It's also available through Video On Demand. To learn more about upcoming releases, visit the IFC Films website at www.ifcfilms.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees POLTERGEIST at the AMC Showplace Manteca 16-May 25, 2015

I love horror movies. I love them immensely. I have seen countless horror films, raging from the Universal classics to the glut of remakes. Now you may have noticed, Hollywood has been cranking out a series of horror remakes, re-imagines and reboots. This trend started back in 2003 with the remake of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, which was a very good remake that I enjoyed. However, lately I've had the painful responsibility of watching really crappy remakes as of late. This brings me to the latest in this uninspiring cycle of crap. Ladies and gentlemen, boils and ghouls, I present to you my review of 20th Century Fox's remake of POLTERGEIST.

The film's official synopsis: Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi and director Gil Kenan reimagine and contemporize the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is invaded by angry spirits. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and take the youngest daughter, the family must come together to rescue her.

While the synopsis sounds interesting and horrifying, Fox forgot to mention that it sucked and wasn't scary at all.

This is just another sad example that Hollywood has completely and utterly run out of original ideas. Being a serious horror fanatic, this makes me absolutely furious! While their have been other remakes, reimagines, and reboots in other genres, none has been beaten to death than the horror genre. Time and time again, year after year, we have been subdued to watching a pathetic parade of classic horror films being given the Hollywood make-over. But how bad was this film? Let me give a list of reasons why it sucked so damn bad.

1) The film moved way too fast. Unlike the classic Tobe Hooper directed/Steven Spielberg produced 1982 film, director Gil Kenan and screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire totally botched this film by rushing the story and paying no mind to us the audience. We have to be invested in the characters, we have to sympathize with them, we want to feel for them and be scared when they are. But you can't do that when your film is flying at 100 miles per hour because you're hoping that we wouldn't noticed that the script wasn't finished in time before production started.

2) What made the original so great and terrifying was that is was just that. It got under your skin, it terrified you, it made you think twice about purchasing a home that was built on a cemetery. The scary trees, the freaking clown doll that wants to kill you, peeling your face off in the mirror, the demonic spirit that wants your daughter, all these ingredients made the original a classic. The remake had none of these whatsoever. I just sat there thinking that when the hell is this going to get scary.

3) There was no character development. Who are these people? Why should we care about them? Do I even have to like them? The answer  to these questions is a resounding no. I didn't know them and, to be honest, I didn't want to. I could care a less about any of them.

4) The directing didn't look or feel smooth or fluid, rather it felt confusing and just all over the place. Granted this is only the third film that Kenan had directed, but I feel like he might have bitten off more than he could chew here. Maybe this a paid job and not something he really wanted to make?

5) Did I mention it wasn't scary? Oh I did? Ok moving on then.

6)  All the good stuff was in the trailer. In fact, the trailer made the film look scary, which I claim as false advertisment. But what I did find scary was that horror icon and my hero Sam Raimi and his company Ghost House produced this piece of crap! Why Sam why?!? You made the original EVIL DEAD trilogy! You gave us the awesome SPIDER-MAN trilogy! You made DRAG ME TO HELL! But why did you help make this one?!? I need answers man! I can't live like this!! WHY?!?!?

Sorry about that. Got a little carried there. But I'm OK now, really. But I digress...

POLTERGIEST is a worthless, unoriginal, uninspiring, total waste of my hard earn cash remake of a film. This film gave me diarrhea. I felt stupid by the end credits. It doesn't deserve your time and attention. This film hurt me so bad that I'm not even going to rate it. It sucked people. Don't see this movie. Stick to the original and you'll be a lot better off.

POLTERGEIST is currently playing in both 2-D and 3-D in theaters nationwide, including at the AMC Showplace Manteca 16. To view showtimes, visit their website at ww.amctheatres.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!  

Phil sees GODZILLA at the Camera 7 Pruneyard Campbell-May 16, 2014

An actor in a rubber monster suit. Decal buildings and toy cars. Flying creatures on strings. Firecracker explosions decorating the scenery. These images from my childhood conjure some many nostalgic emotions for me. For you see, I use to watch the old GODZILLA movies, and they captured my imaginations like no other! To see Godzilla battle Mothera, or team up with Ultraman, or go head to head with King Kong, these movies were incredible! Sure the budgets of these films were about $35 but who cares! They were entertaining as hell! And I loved them!!

Then came the 1998 remake film with Matthew Brodrick. My childhood died that night.

Now here we are, several years later and Warner Brothers unleashes its newest interpretation of the famed King of Monsters. And after watching it, GODZILLA is a phenomenal cinematic adventure that will appeal to diehard fans worldwide!

The film's official synopsis: A contemporary re-telling of the origin of Godzilla, based on the legendary Toho film series. In this powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, the giant radioactive monster Godzilla rises from the ocean depths to restore the balance, wreaking destruction as humanity stands defenseless and ponders the error of its way.

The movie get the Godzilla legend back on track, thanks to several people. First congratulations to its director Gareth Edward, who made a big splash with his 2010 directing debut MONSTERS. With this, his second feature film, Edwards knocks it out of the park! His style of directing fits perfectly with this legendary icon. His combinations of smooth pans, attention to details, intimate moments, simple shots, and big action sequences make the film all that much more fun to watch. And this is only his second film! As I write this review, Gareth Edwards has been hired to direct one of the STAR WARS spinoff films so congrats to Mr. Edwards and I'm definitely looking forward to his next film!

Also helping to put this legendary icon back in the spotlight are writers Max Borenstein and Dave Callaham. By combining the social commentary from the original film and with today's hot topics, along with a romantic subplot, they successfully craft a screenplay that is thoughtful, topical, as well as damn entertaining!

Another factor that makes the movie incredible is the cast. Ken Watanabe grounds the film in reality and also acts as the link to the original.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson is believable as our hero and protagonist Ford Brady, who must help save not humanity, but also his beloved wife Elle (Elizabeth Olsen) and son Sam (Carson Bolde). Also making a memorable appearance in the film is the one and only Bryan Lee Cranston, who portrays Ford's father Joe Brody. Cranton is most famous for portraying Walter White on the AMC series Breaking Bad and the father Hal on the Fox comedy Malcolm in the Middle.

The special effects are out of this world and look so damn real! Long gone are the days of men in ribber suits. Now some people that I know are refusing to see this film, based on their old and fond memories of watching some actor in a rubber suit destroy a HO scale modle of Japan. But here's a movie that not only pays homage to the original film, but also takes it into the 21st century. Not only is it Japan that gets wrecked, but also Hawaii and none other than San Francisco! Yes sir, no longer is Los Angeles the mecca of destruction. Now NorCal is getting its time in the spotlight!

Overall GODZILLA is a engaging, insightful, and entertaining summer blockbuster that is sure to chase those summer blues away! Now the film is available to see in both 2D and 3D, so either way you need to see the movie on the big screen! it's the only way to see the King Of the Monsters as he was meant to be seen! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

GODZILLA is currently playing in both 2-D and 3-D in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH: VOLUME 1 signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank-March 30, 2014

Boy, this was one crazy busy weekend!! Not only was I attending Monsterpalooza at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, but I was also at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica Saturday night to attend the Troma Marathon! Now on Sunday, after spending the last day at Monsterpalooza, Bobby, Michelle, and I then headed down the street to the Dark Delicacies Bookstore to checkout the RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH: VOLUME 1 signing with Lloyd Kaufman and two of its stars Stefan Dezil (Slayer) and Gabriela Fuhr (Kelly). It's been a couple of months since I was at the bookstore and I was really looking forward to going back to this excellent place where horror is alive and well!

The lovely Pat Kaufman.

Once again Lloyd's wife Pat was there managing the Troma merchandise table. While there I did a little birthday shopping for my younger siblings. For my baby sister Stephanie, I bought her a DVD copy of POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD and a poster of CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER IV. For my younger brother Thomas, I got him the TOXIC AVENGER Boxset and a 8x10 pic of Lloyd Kaufman. To make their gifts even more Tromatic, Lloyd personalized them all, which proves without a shadow of doubt that he truly does love his fans!

Oh I almost forgot. The previous night at the Aero Theatre, I won a RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH poster in a raffle. So I also got that and my Blu-ray copy signed by Lloyd as well as by Stefan and Gabriela!! I also saw my friend Del Howison, the owner of Dark Delicacies. I told him to keep up the great work of getting these events because I will continue to come down from San Jose to attend these!!

Lloyd Kaufman, myself, and the Toxic Avenger.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is a wrap from sunny Southern California!! Wow, what an incredible weekend!! I don't think I've had this much fun in one weekend before! First I want to personally thank Lloyd Kaufman for taking the time out to autograph all my Troma memorabilia and for chatting it up with me! Big hugs to Pat for being such a sweetheart! To all the people I got to meet at Monsterpalooza and to all my friends living in SoCal, it was great to see you all again! So far this was my third trip down here, so you know for a fact that I'll be back down here again soon for another one of my crazy adventures! And last, but not least, thank you all out there for reading my articles! I really appreciate that you take time out of your busy lives to read all my wacky reviews and trips! Till next time my friends! And don't forget, to learn more upcoming events at Dark Delicacies, business hours, and product, visit their website at www.darkdel.com. To learn more about Troma, their film library, and to make purchases, visit their website at www.troma.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees CARRIE at the Camera 12 Downtown San Jose-October 20, 2013

OK, now my reviews follow a specific formula. First I usually make a grand entrance in the first paragraph, then I give the film's official synopsis, talk about what I thought of the film, give some interesting trivia about it, and then my conclusion. That's my thing. I always to that. However, after seeing the remake of CARRIE, starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore, and directed by award winner Kimberly Peirce, I decided to forgo my usual M.O. and just cut to the chase.

I didn't like the film. At all.

There. I said it. Why didn't I like it? Did you see Gus Van Sant's remake of PSYCHO? Remember how much you hated it because it didn't bring anything new to the table and it was a complete waste of your time and was totally an unnecessary remake? 

That's what I thought while I was watching this movie.

I liked the trailer best. It told the whole film under two and a half minutes. But all it was was just a rehash of the original and vastly superior film.  So stick with Brian de Palma's classic and don't even bother with seeing this one.

CARRIE is a pointless remake of a horror classic. And further its blah, blah, blah, blah, yatta, yatta, yatta, yatta, gurgle, gurgle, gurgle. phhht, phhht, phht film. So do yourself a favor and skip seeing this film. And yes, I'm not going to even rate it. It hurt me that really, really bad.

CARRIE is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees EVIL DEAD (again) at the Camera 12 Downtown San Jose-April 6, 2013

OK, I know what you're thinking. "Phil, you already saw this film last night, and you didn't like it." Yes, that may be true, but I wanted to see it again. Reason being was that when I saw it the first time, all I thought about was the original. In all fairness, I believed that I didn't give the movie a fair shot. Also my good friend Laura wanted to see it as well. So for film number four, I headed back over to the Camera 12 to rewatch EVIL DEAD.

So Laura and I entered the theater and found some sweet seats. The lights dimmed and the movie begin. I cleared my mind of the original and I proceeded to watch the film with an open mind. As I was watching the movie, I could hear the audience scream in fear, laugh at the gross out blood shed, whimpered at the ghastly sights that the characters had to endure. Then the lights came on, and the people left the theater. I turned to Laura ans asked her what she thought of it. She replied, "It wasn't scary."

Holy crap!! So I wasn't the only one?!? There was someone else who thought the very same thing!! As I said, I wanted to watch the film again and judge it on its own merits. And unfortunately, I came to the same conclusion that I had from last night. It wasn't scary. There was no build ups, no real character development, no nothing. Sorry to say this folks, but EVIL DEAD is a horror movie that didn't scare me. Wow, am I that desensitized?!? No, I still get scared when I get my taxes done. OK I'm fine folks.

EVIL DEAD is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees EVIL DEAD at the Camera 12 Downtown San Jose-April 5, 2013

So the day has finally come. After months of watching the trailer online, after months reading about it in horror magazines and websites, after months of anticipation, the remake of EVIL DEAD has finally hit theaters. And yours truly was very excited about seeing it! So I made my way over to the Camera 12 in Downtown San Jose to witness this new re-imaging of the iconic horror classic. Was it worth it? Did it live up to all the hype? Is it worthy entry in this beloved and legendary horror series? Yes and no.

The premise of the EVIL DEAD is this: young Mia (Jane Levy), a recovering drug addict, heads to the old remote family cabin in the woods with her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez) and their friends Olivia (Jessica Lucas), Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) and David's girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore). While trying to help Mia with her sobriety, they discover the Book of the Dead in the basement. Eric reads some of the passages from the book that summons the dormant demons that live in the woods. One by one the kids are picked off until there's only Mia left to fight off the evil dead spirits.

So let's begin with the positives that I found in the film. The production values are incredible! The cabin itself looks fantastic, set design looks great, and so is the cinematography. Another interesting fact is that director Fede Alvarez has stated that they didn't use any of CGI in the film. This statement was also said by the film's producers: writer/director of the original EVIL DEAD Sam Raimi, original producer Robert Tapert, and original star Bruce Campbell. In fact, Alvarez said in an online article by Bloody-Disgusting that, "We didn't do any CGI in the movie [...] Everything that you will see is real, which was really demanding. This was a very long shoot, 70 days of shooting at night. There's a reason people use CGI; it's cheaper and faster, I hate that. We researched a lot of magic tricks and illusion tricks." So this I applaud feverishly! Very rarely in this day of age where every single special effect is done with CGI, I was extremely blown away but their technical use of traditional special effects, which by the way, look freaking amazing!

As a special treat to longtime EVIL DEAD fans, there are several references to the original trilogy that are sprinkled throughout this film. First off, Sam Raimi's 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 can be seen in the opening scene with Mia and David arrive at the cabin. Mia wears a Michigan State sweatshirt, just like Betsy Baker's character Cheryl did in the original. Mia gets buck wild with a chainsaw like Campbell's Ash did in EVIL DEAD 2 and ARMY OF DARKNESS. There's also a tree rape scene, just like in the original, only less graphic. These are just some of the observations I made.

So the film is gory as hell! It's sickening as hell! The blood just pours out of the screen! There's body parts being sawed off, nails piercing flesh, carving of a tongue with a box cutter! Yup, there's so much blood in the film that it would make Dracula jealous with envy. But there was one major problem that I had with this film: it wasn't scary.

Yes my friends, it wasn't scary. It was very gory and graphic, but it wasn't scary. Now call me old fashioned, but I remember when horror films use to scare the hell outta me. When I first saw the original EVIL DEAD, it was scary! Raimi's POV shots of the evil spirits that roamed the forest were mesmerizing as well as haunting. It's the POV that made the original so scary. It would stalk each person in the cabin before it possessed them. Raimi used this technique to build up tension as well as scares. We were scared, then it was quiet. Then scared, then quiet. It was this roller coaster ride that made the original film so much fun to watch. With this remake, there's no build ups to the scares. It's all just gore, which look good like I said. But with without the build ups leading to the gore, you have nothing. And unfortunately, this film is NOT scary.

Another problem I had with the film was that I felt all the characters were too flat and interchangeable. Plus Jane Levy's Mia didn't look like a drug addict. She looked way too pretty to be one. But I will give her credit on this though: when she becomes possessed, she goes all out! So basically I'm saying that she plays a better possessed girl than a junkie.

When the film premiered at the ever popular South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, TX on March 8, Alvarez announced that he was working on a sequel to the film. Then a couple of weeks later at the WonderCon Convention, during the EVIL DEAD panel, both Campbell and Alvarez said that their ultimate plan was for Alvarez's EVIL DEAD 2 and Raimi's ARMY OF DARKNESS 2 (which he will write with his brother Ivan Raimi) to be followed by a seventh EVIL DEAD film which would merge both Ash and Mia's worlds. So look at this film not as a remake, but as the next chapter in the EVIL DEAD universe. Also on a side note, stay after the credits for a special bonus scene.

So EVIL DEAD is a fun-filled gorefest ride of death, but it's not "The most terrifying film you will ever experience." The audience I saw it with were scared out of their minds, but unfortunately, it didn't have the same affect on me. But it's worth seeing for all the cool special effects. 3 out of 5 stars. It's worth a peak, but stick to the original.

EVIL DEAD is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil Goes Blooywood: Phil watches AGENT VINOD-September 6, 2012

My quest of watching Bollywood movies continues with today's film. An action packed, spy film starring the love of my life Kareena Kapoor, AGENT VINOD is ode to classic Bond films while simultaneously forging an identity for itself. Doesn't it succeed? Yes and no.

According to the film's official website, "The story begins with a series of seemingly unconnected events. In Uzbekistan, Anex KGB officer is tortured and murdered. In Cape Town, a group of international business tycoons discuss a rumor that the dead KGB officer had a nuclear suitcase bomb hidden away. In Moscow, an Indian secret agent is exposed. The agent is shot dead while trying to send a code red message to India. In India, the head of R.A.W. sees the incomplete message. All it contains is a number 242. Enter Agent Vinod. Vinod (Saif Ali Khan) is the kind of agent who first kicks the door open and then finds out whats behind it. His unconventional approach puts him in dangerous situations, but he manages to get the crucial leads. A series of twists and turns take Vinod across the globe: from Marakkesh to Riga, Karachi to Delhi and finally London where he discovers the ultimate conspiracy."

The film is very entertaining and Khan is terrific as the no nonsense Agent Vinod: tough, strong, amazing martial arts expert, can fire a gun like no other, and looks great in a suit. The only thing missing are the James Bond gadgets! Kareena Kapoor (CHAMELI, RA.ONE, JAB WE MET) portrays his love interest, but what's interesting is that throughout the film, you don't know which side she's one. She has many alias: Iram Parveen Bilal, Dr. Ruby Mendes, and Josie. She's the wild card in the film, which has enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing as to who is the mastermind this elaborate and diabolical scheme of world wide war. Also Kapoor looks breathtaking in her red satin dinner dress!

Director Sriram Raghavan does a fine job of directing the film, and the action scenes all contain that "on the edge of your seat" excitement. There's one particular scene where Vinod and Jamie are engaged in a shoot out in a hotel bar, and it shot and paced so fluidly that it looked like it was shot in one take! Clearly Raghavan took a page out of the Martin Scorsese book of directing.

Along with the action scenes, the musical dance numbers were also sublime! The main song comes in the middle of the third act when both Kappor and Saif Ali Khan perform during the song "Dil Mera Muft Ka." Both ladies look absolutely gorgeous in their scene together!

All this aside, the film does drag on a bit too long in certain parts of the film. Plus some of the storyline became too hard to follow, as many new characters were introduced before I could get an handle on the ones I already saw. And some of the characters were not fleshed out enough for me to care. I know that Vinod is no nonsense agent, but sometimes I felt he was a little two-dimensional, which made him fall flat at times. But these are some of my minor complaints about the film, but these were most noticeable.

The movie borrows its name from the 1977 film of the same name, which begs me to wonder if this was a remake (since there was already a film called AGENT VINOD, I vote this film as a remake even though the two films have very different stories). But this is only one part of the film's many controversies, The soundtrack boasts some excellent vintage Indian songs, but according to Wickipedia, "Reports said that the film featured songs from older films, without acquiring prior permission from the producers. The owners of these songs were not credited in the film. Saif Ali Khan however paid for the rights later, and explained this to be a last-minute co-ordination problem." Also the film was banned in Pakistan as it made references to a section of ISI's involvement in Jihadi groups and terror activities. When the film was releases in India on February 22, 2012, it was panned by the critics and film fans. By the end of its worldwide theatrical run, it was officially declared a box-office failure. 

Even though flawed, AGENT VINOD is still an action packed, spy-filled rollercoaster ride of a film! While not perfect, it is still entertaining and sure to get your blood pumping. So in my humble opinion, it worth checking out. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars!

AGENT VINOD is currently available on DVD from Eros Entertainment. To purchase a copy, visit their official website at http://dvdstore.erosentertainment.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil goes Bollywood: Phil watches AGNEEPATH-August 12, 2012

Hello again and welcome to the return of Phil Goes Bollywood! Now it has been a very long time since I've traveled to India via the amazing and astonishing Bollywood films that it exports! So for tonight I watched India's latest release: the action drama film AGNEEPATH.

The film's about a young man named Vijay Chauhan (Hrithik Roshan), who's father was lynched before his eyes by the evil and sadistic Kaancha (Sanjay Dutt) fifteen years ago. He returns home to his small Indian village of Mandwa with a single goal of avenging his father's death.

The film is a retelling of the 1990 film of the same name and was directed by producer Hiroo Yash Johar's former assistant Karan Malhotra. Here, Malhotra does a superb job of showcasing his skills as a director; capturing in your face action sequences juxtaposed to raw, emotionally charges scenes of love, sorrow, and death. The script was written by Malhotra and his partner Ila Dutta Bedi, both whom weave a complex tale of revenge with such strong layering, tight storytelling, and interesting characters. Speaking of which...

Roshan (DHOMM 2) gives a great performance of the vengeance driven Vijay, who's character is very complex. One side is determined to do whatever it takes to avenge his father's death, even if it means he has to kill anyone who stands in his path. The other is very giving and caring, loves his mother and sister, and who's heart is captured by the love of his life Kaali, portrayed by the stunning Priyanka Chopra (RA.ONE). She is the Ying to Vijay's Yang; she is the light that brightens his darkened world. However, no one is as dark (and as evil) as the sadistic Kaancha. Dutt's performance is just out of this world. His Kaancha will make the hairs on your neck stand up! To be quite honest, he could give Bane from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES a run for his money in the twisted evil villain category. Just an outstanding performance by Dutt!

Since I've never seen the original version of AGNEEPATH, I cannot comment as to how this remakes compares or hold up to its predecessor. However, I think it would be unjust and unfair to compare the two. Both films represent a different point in history, and captures and reflects the Indian culture at that particular moment in time. 2012 is a lot different than 1990, but it's interesting to see how Indian films have evolved since then.

AGNEEPATH is a powerful, bloody, violent, brutal, and brilliant piece of Indian cinema! When you watch this film, ask yourself this one question: how far would you go to avenge the death of someone you love? This is one movie that you defiantly should see! Stop reading this and go see it now! Five out of five stars! Highly recommended!!

AGNEEPATH is still playing at select theaters, but the film was just recently released onto DVD. To purchase a copy, visit the Amazon website or the Dharama Productions website at www.dharma-production.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees DARK SHADOWS at the Camera 7 Runeyard Campbell-May 18, 2012

I'm just gonna go ahead and say this right off the bat: Tim Burton has not made an original film since EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and that was way back in 1990! And while A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS was very groundbreaking and original and his followup CORPSE BRIDE still played on this dark theme concept, his live action films have been, putting it mildly, crap. So it came to no surprise when I saw his latest film DARK SHADOWS, I knew it wasn't gonna be good. And lo and behold, I was correct.

Based on the old ABC American Gothic soap opera created by Dan Curtis that ran from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971, this "re-imagination" stars Johnny Depp (how original) as Barnabas Collins, the only son of wealthy parents Joshua and Naomi Collins. In the year 1752, the Collins family travels to the New World from England settles in Collinsport, Maine, named after them and because of their fishing business. Two decades after his parent's death, Barnabas is a young man; is rich, powerful and the master of Collinwood Manor. However things go sour for him when he scorns the heart of a witch named Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), who kills his fiance, turns him into a vampire and buries him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed and emerges into the year 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his estate has fallen into ruin. Inside he meets his now dysfunctional Collins family: patriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer),  her daughter Carolyn (Chloe Moretz), her brother Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller) and his son David (Gulliver McGrath), David's doctor Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), David's governess Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), and their groundskeeper/butler Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley). Barnabas plans to rebuild the family business to its former glory, but when he discovers that the competitor is owned and operated by none other than Angelique, their bitter feud reignites once more, with yet again the Collins family hanging in the balance.

So the only items I enjoyed about the film was the set design and the cinematography. The sets of the grand Collinwood Manor were indeed extraordinary and impressive; creating the look of a magnificent old English castle that came complete with secret rooms and passages. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel did a great job capturing the images, but other than these two items, the rest of the film fell flat on its face.

Half the time I didn't know if the film was supposed to be campy, scary, funny, or dark. All these elements were never fully balanced in my opinion and this caused me to question the film the entire time I was watching it. I did laugh when I was supposed to, some scenes were scary visually, but a lot of the performances were too over the top or under developed. Depp came off like a cross between Nosferatu and Grandpa from THE MUSTERS complete with a hideous bangs. Pfeiffer's acting was too stiff, and Haley's character didn't really need to be there. I could go on for days as to what was wrong with the film, but I don't have the time nor the patience, so I'll just say this: Tim Burton need to get a real job now.

DARK SHADOWS just plain sucks! There, is said it! It sucks, it's stupid, it's lame, it's proof that Burton needs to get back to his roots and create something original other taking existing properties and remaking them. So skip this film all together and see something else. One out of five stars.

DARK SHADOWS is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees 21 JUMP STREET at the Camera 12 Downtown San Jose-April 20, 2012

This past Friday night my good friend Amanda and I wanted to see a movie. So being the gentleman I am, I said she could pick out the movie. She had decided to see the film 21 JUMP STREET starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Now I had heard from numerous friends of mine that they loved this film, saying that it was the funniest film they had ever seen. Now I have seen some funny films in my lifetime (I am after all a film critic), but at first I was a bit sceptical. But my friend really wanted to see the film, so we did. And I am very glad that we did because the film really was that damn funny!

Morton Schmidt (Hill) and Greg Jenko (Tatum) are former high school classmates who meet again at police academy. Schmidt was a nerd while Jenko was a jock. Now as cops they are trying to make a difference. But when their first bust walks away because Jenko forgot to read the drug dealer his Miranda Rights, the two are reassigned to a revived specialty division on 21 Jump Street. There they meet their new boss Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) and are given their new assignment. Because of their youthful appearances, they are assigned to go back to their old high school as brothers to stop a new synthetic drug from spreading to other campuses by finding the supplier. Soon the guys find themselves in too deep with high school hijinks, throwing parties and crashing the prom to capture the drug supplier. Also appearing in the film are Brie Larson, Rob Riggle, DeRay Davis, Dave Franco (), Jake Johnson, Johnny Simmons, Johnny Pemberton, Dakota Johnson, Ellie Kemper and also look for cameos by original 21 JUMP STREET alumi Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise.

I can't remember the last time I went to see a comedy and laughed all the way through it. Hill and Tatum are hilarious in this buddy cop action/comedy. Another great aspect that unfolded was that seven years after graduating from high school, the definition of cool has totally changed. So now Schmidt, who was ridiculed for being the shy, over sensitive, eco-friendly nerd, is now the cool kid in school while Jenko's jock mentality renders him unpopular. So by having these two characters swapping their respective high school rankings, they awaken hidden talents and abilities that they never knew existed. As a result of this, they grow as characters and help move the movie forward to its ultimate shoot 'em up climax.

21 JUMP STREET is a flat out, balls-to-the-wall, laugh out loud, action packed comedy of the year! Like I said I had my own doubts about seeing this film, but like the old saying goes, "Never judge a book by its cover." So don't judge this film by its poster. Go see this film and be prepared to have yourself one ridiculously fun time at the movies! Five out of five stars!

21 JUMP STREET is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO at the Camera 7 Pruneyard-December 24, 2011

As I've said numerous times before, I'm not a big fan of remakes. A lot of the are very unnecessary, and the end results are just appalling and forgettable. Some of them are so bad I sometimes find myself laughing during the film. But every know and then there are remakes that trump the original (John Carpenter's THE THING and David Cronenberg's THE FLY come to mind). The second film I saw today THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is a perfect example of a remake that falls in the later category.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2011)

The film focuses on Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), a disgraced, left-wing liberal journalist who is in mist of being sued for slander, is hired by retired industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to investigate and solve the murder of his niece Harriet Vanger, who disappeared almost 40 years ago. In need of assistance, Mikael is paired with 24 year-old computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). Soon they both encounter the truth behind Harriet's disappearance, and come face to face with the infamous "killer of women."

I have seen the original Swedish films when they were first released and these were dark, intense, violent, and brutal films to watch. When I first heard about the American remakes, I thought they was no way that they would be made. No way in Hell would the MPAA allow the film to be released in theaters here in America. However once I heard that director David Fincher (Zodiac, Se7en, The Social Network) was on board to helm the remake, I knew this was going to work. But I had no idea how incredible the film would be.

Right from the offset of the film, watching the opening credits with the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Karen O howling her rendition of Led Zepplin's classic "Immigrant Song" while computer images of sheer black leather are animated to resemble the characters in the film, I knew I was going to see something dark, ominous, and bleak. The film stays very faithful to Stieg Larsson's Swedish serial-killer novel and credit goes to Fincher, he doesn't shy away from the taboo elements of the novel: rape, torture, bigotry and murder are left intact and the camera unflinchingly captures this. Add that the film was shot entirely in Sweden, giving the film the authenticity of the novel and the original films.

Craig does a great job of portraying Mikael, bringing intelligence and but Craig still looks too cool and isn't as vulnerable as Michael Nyqvist, the actor in the original Swedish version. This is my only nit-pick about Craig, but you have to give Mara high praise for taking on such a dark, morbid, and fierce role. Portraying Lisbeth is not an easy task, given that Swedish actress Noomi Rapace has made that character an instant international icon. But Mara pulls it off; brooding, insane, intelligent, and tattoos and piercings has never looked sexier. Her scenes are not what most Hollywood actresses can or could handle. The infamous rape scene is brutal to watch, and one cannot watch this without flinching and becoming sick with disgust. Mara handles the intense subject matter with believability and her revenge scene is precise and just. Also Mara took her role of Lisbeth very seriously: all the piercings she sports in the film are real not cosmetic simulations! She got the piercings in a series of sessions in both Brooklyn and Sweden. Now how's that to commitment!

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is one of the best films to be released this holiday season! The movie's a beautifully filmed nightmare showcasing the dark side of humanity; a bleak and grotesque examination of all the things that is wrong with man. It is the perfect anti-Christmas film, so after spending the holidays with your family, go see this film and be thankful that you aren't related to these people. Five out of five stars!! Two very big thumbs up!!

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including the Camera Cinemas here in the South Bay. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees DON'T BE AFARID OF THE DARK at the Camera 12-Sept. 17, 2011

I was on a roll this past Saturday. I saw two films at the Camera 7 (THE HELP and CONTAGION) and third film that I wanted to see was playing at the Camera 12 in Downtown San Jose. So I made my way there to see the new horror film DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, a remake produced by the great Guillermo del Toro. The trailers and commercials made the film look so promising. Needless to say, I really didn't like the film.

The film's about a young girl named Sally (Bailee Madison) who's sent to go live with her dad Alex (Guy Pierce) and his new girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) in their new home that once belonged to a famous and deranged artist. When the family discovers a secret basement in the house, they unwillingly unleash an army of small demonic creatures that want Sally, and Kim is the only adult that can help.

As I stated, the film is a remake of an old TV horror film produced by Lorimar Television company back in 1973. After watching the movie, I knew that I was gonna have a hard time writing this blog.

This film didn't hold my interest at all. I found it flat, boring, no real suspense, no real horror, nothing. However, young Madison was very good in the film. In fact, she was the only thing good about the film! Everything and everybody else in the film is not worth even mentioning. However, I will say that Katie Holmes' career is as good as dead, and it'll be a miracle if she ever gets it back on track.

To try to review or talk about the rest of the film seems utterly pointless right now. I was really looking forward to this film, cause as I've said, I love horror movies. And this my friends, is NOT a good horror film.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK is a lifeless horror film that doesn't even make the attempt to scare you, or at least chill you or thrill you. I'm a big fan of Toro and I admire his work. I just wish he produced a film that was supposed to be scary, not bore me for an hour and a half. My advise is to best skip this movie folks and see something else that's way more entertaining.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK is now playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the South Bay. To view showtimes, visit their website at http://www.cameracinemas.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees CONAN THE BARBARIAN in 3-D at the Camera 7 Pruneyard-August 19, 2011

So the first film I saw today was the previously blogged COWBOYS AND ALIENS, which I had a blast watching. So for my second film of the day I went and saw the remake of CONAN THE BARBARIAN in 3-D. Needless to say, that was a bad idea.

So, instead of doing my usual movie critique, I thought it would be more educational to list what was so bad about the film:

1) All of the acting was just horrible.
2) The directing was equally horrible.
3) Why the hell did they remake this film?
4) If Rose McGowan gets another face lift job, she'll look more like Joan Rivers.
5) Too much CGI, not enough story.
6) Wait, was there a story?
7) I know that Jason Momoa did the best that he could, but he's no Arnold.
8) Why the hell was Ron Perlman in this film?
9) I remember now! No there wasn't a story.
10) Why did I see this movie again?
11) Oh that's right, because I was bored.
12) Who ever thought that remaking this film was a good idea should've been fired....or beheaded.
13) After directing such remake films like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003), FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009) and CONAN knockoff PATHFINDER (2007), Marcus Nispel should be executed immediately and his head should be planted on a spear.
14) The movie looked even worse in 3-D.
15) The poster was more entertaining than the actual film.
16) Why the hell did they remake this film? Oh wait, I already said that one.
17) I got diabetes from watching the movie.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN is the poster child for movie abortion. If there was ever a better example that Hollywood has totally run out of original ideas for movies, let this be proof. In the words of my favorite TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000, "Folks, they just didn't care."

CONAN THE BARBARIAN 2-D & 3-D is now playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the South Bay. To view showtimes, visit their website at http://www.cameracinemas.com/index.shtml

Thanks for reading , and enjoy the show!