DVD Collectors Online

The Fog (remake), a review by Rich

Title: The Fog

Movie Count:5 
TV Ep. Count:4 

Runtime:103
Certificate:NR
Year:2005
Genres:Horror

Plot:From producer John Carpenter comes the all-new retelling of his terror classic, THE FOG. Tom Welling (TV's "Smallville"), Maggie Grace (TV's "Lost") and Selma Blair (Hellboy) star in this sense-shattering tale of demonic retribution, directed by Rupert Wainwright (Stigmata) with screenplay by Cooper Layne.
Trapped within an eerie mist, the residents of Antonio Bay have become the unwitting victims of a horrifying vengeance. One hundred years ago, a ship carrying lepers was purposely lured onto the rocky coastline and sunk, drowning all aboard. Now they're back, long-dead mariners who've waited a century for their revenge. Seeking out the decedents of those responsible for their deaths, they lurk enshrouded within a supernatural fog of terror. Beware, any and all who stand in their way.

My Review:
Disjointed and disappointing, this pointless horror remake was poorly executed and suffered with too little suspense, drama, tension or chills. Masses amounts of CGI special effects could not hold this film up, and the wooden unenthusiastic acting and one dimensional characters began to bore me.
It was 2/3 into the film before it got going, and when it did there was a major feeling of pointlessness. The ending was odd and non-sensical, but it was a relief to get there!
I will probably view the original this month, which I havent seen since VHS days, it was better than this remake by some margin, although I don't remember it as a classic.



(From Rich's October Horror Fest on October 4th, 2009)

Lakeview Terrace, a review by Jon

Lakeview Terrace ****
4 out of 5



A young couple (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington) have just moved into their California dream home when they become the target of their next-door neighbour, who disapproves of their interracial relationship. A stern, single father, this tightly wound LAPD officer (Samuel L. Jackson) has appointed himself the watchdog of the neighbourhood. His nightly foot patrols and overly watchful eyes bring comfort to some, but he becomes increasingly harassing to the newly-weds.

Samuel L. Jackson shares the lead with at least Patrick Wilson, but his powerful performance anchors the film. When I say this is his best role for years, don't be concerned if you think this will be full-on Pulp Fiction Jules. Instead he shows how brilliant he truly is by commanding the screen without taking it over. All three are complicated roles and this isn't the sort of story they can get through with show-boating and shouting.

On paper it seems a new play on the theme used in Pacific Heights (Modine v. Keaton!) or Unlawful Entry (Russell v. Liotta!), but the characters and situations are more exploitive in both of those and descend into predictable action beats. Not that there is anything wrong with that! It's just that Lakeview Terrace is first and foremost a drama that you may be able to identify with more readily, and it seems reluctant to cut loose until the very last moment.

Up until then, director Neil La Bute creates a simmering tension, possibly undermined by your own assumptions. If you go into it expecting Jackson to be an obvious villain, you do his performance a disservice, because throughout he deserves some sympathy. None of the three characters are perfect and it's their flaws that drive the story. Jackson's Turner is a manipulative racist, but he is also a single dad and staring forced retirement in the face. Meanwhile Wilson as Chris is paranoid that everyone is like Turner, judging his interracial relationship. His wife Lisa, played by Washington, doesn't always give Chris enough respect for that position and she also makes a particularly poor judgement that threatens their marriage.

Still, they are a close couple and Wilson and the lovely Kerry Washington have good chemistry, so you want them to work it out and that means dealing with Turner. It's a clever plot development that escalates the situation without turning him into a cartoon villain, even for the ending which is otherwise predictable. I also like the backdrop with California wild-fires that are getting closer throughout the film because that increases the immediacy of a plot that could have become tediously contrived, especially the ending. Like Gone Baby Gone, it is a satisfying conclusion, but not one that suggests a happy ever after. Life isn't like that and to suggest otherwise is insulting.

Occasionally the black versus white sensibilities border on heavy handed, but actually I still found it easier to empathise with than Crash and it bears more similarity with Gran Torino in some ways. It's a well written, cracking little thriller, that doesn't spoon-feed the viewer. Highly recommended. La Bute may have done himself a disservice by making the ill-advised remake of The Wicker Man, because here he shows a far more interesting grasp of difficult material.

(From Jon's Random Reviews on November 29th, 2009)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

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Gilmore Girls: Season One (2000/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (Germany) Length: 874 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English, German, Other, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Romanian

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Gilmore Girls
Season 1.01 Pilot
Writer: Amy Sherman-Palladino (Created By), Amy Sherman-Palladino (Writer)
Director: Leslie Linka Glatter
Cast: Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore), Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore), Melissa McCarthy (Sookie St. James), Keiko Agena (Lane Kim), Yanic Truesdale (Michel Gerard), Scott Patterson (Luke Danes), Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore), Edward Herrmann (Richard Gilmore), Liz Torres (Miss Patty), Jared Padalecki (Dean Forester), Alex Borstein (Drella), Emily Kuroda (Mrs. Kim), Jill Brennan (Mrs. Traister), Cesar Lopapa (Salvador), Marcy Goldman (Woman), Barna Moricz (Joey), Nikki Slater (Girl #1), Heather Shrake (Girl #2), Amy Correa (Girl #3), Jacqueline Smith (Girl #4)

This was a total blind buy. I bought the complete series. Luckily, I enjoyed the first episode. I am already through half the first season and still enjoying it.

Rating:


(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on August 21st, 2013)