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The Covenant, a review by Hal

Title: The Covenant
Year: 2006
Director: Renny Harlin
Rating: PG-13
Length: 97 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: PCM: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai

Stars:
Steven Strait
Laura Ramsey
Sebastian Stan
Taylor Kitsch
Chace Crawford

Plot:
To the students of the Spenser Academy, the Sons of Ipswich are the baddest boys on campus. But that's not all they share. The four friends also share a 300-year-old secret: they're warlocks, the teenage descendants of a 17th-century coven of witches. So when the long-banished fifth son suddenly appears and threatens to kill their loved ones, they realize they must face their enemy in order to prevent him from stealing their powers and shattering THE COVENANT forever.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes

This was an enjoyable film with an interesting premise.  It's one of those really dark movies where it's rather difficult to actually see what is going on.  Seems to be a very popular filming technique for this genre.  I'm not sure why the four didn't band together to fight the bad guy, or why Caleb is more powerful than Chase after ascending and inheriting power.  After all Chase had ascended and inherited power also.  I guess an old-fashioned one-on-one, good against evil was required and four against one wouldn't seem quite fair.  Not that I give a damn about fair in these type of fights!

Worth a look see.

Rating:

(From Hal's 2010 Horror Marathon Reviews on October 6th, 2010)

Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, a review by Jimmy

Title: Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (1981)

Genre: Drama
Director: Uli Edel       
Rating: Unrated
Length: 2h05
Video: Widescreen
Audio: German
Subtitles: English

Stars:Plot:
This movie portrays the drug scene in Berlin in the 70s, following tape recordings of Christiane F. 14 years old Christiane lives with her mother and little sister in a typical multi-storey apartment building in Berlin. She's fascinated by the 'Sound', a new disco with most modern equipment. Although she's legally too young, she asks a friend to take her. There she meets Detlef, who's in a clique where everybody's on drugs. Step by step she gets drawn deeper into the scene.

If you have seen my top ten in an other topic, you already know that this film is on my all time best list. What I like in this movie is the fact that the drug use is not glorified and they don't use a preaching bulshit speech. Like many others I was a drug user in my younger years (ok not so young since I've stop taken it 5 and a half years ago). I was never an addict and I've never hide the fact that I was an user when I was one (never seen that as a big deal at all). But because of this film that I've watched with my parent at 13 years old the lesson was strongly print in my mind : never use heroine. Enough with my life story 

What is the most surprising in this film is the teenagers performance, they are all good. Natja Brunckhorst in the title role does a wonderfull job and for a 15 years old who is in her first movie she is 100% credible. I'm very surprise that she didn't have a bigger career. We have the feeling throughout the film of how was the life in the neighborhood where she live (I hope that it had change now) and the feeling of emptiness and despair they confronted everyday. Some scene are particularly striking : the withdrawal attempt after an overdose, the first time that Christiane sell her sexual favour for drug money and the overdose of her 14 years old friend. The soundtrack by David Bowie is great too, but I'm already a fan.

Not the most feelgood movie, but sometimes it is necessary to watch a film like this to understand the facts of life. A strong recommandation and a film that must be seen by every young teenagers.   

Rating :

(From The little known movie review depot on September 27th, 2008)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

THE WIRE - SERIES ONE - THE TARGET



First aired: 6/2/2002    
During the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale, a mid-level dealer accused of murder, the prosecution's star witness recants her testimony, resulting in a not guilty verdict. After the trial, Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty explains to Judge Phelan how he suspects the Barksdale crew for a slew of related murders. When the judge contacts McNulty's superiors about this revelation, McNulty is taken to task for his indiscretion. Meanwhile, D'Angelo is free to return to work, but he soon discovers that he's been demoted.


(From My PILOT Marathon on June 3rd, 2008)