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From Dusk Till Dawn, a review by Jon

From Dusk Till Dawn
4 out of 5



I love this movie. One of my favourite horrors. And after the last few days of the elegant brilliance of Val lewton, I felt I needed to cut loose with some balls-out action vampire killing!

I wish I could have seen it without knowing what it actually was, because the shock of the switch from thriller to horror would have been great fun. It's great that Rodriguez put full effort into that first half to give us well rounded characters, because a problem with a lot of horror films is the thin characters. What's also lacking is a sense of humour, but last section is full of laughs, especially Tom Savini trying to hide his new teeth! Or the vamp that disintegrates on a pool table and his eyes roll into the pockets!

Speaking of which, the gore never gets boring. So many gags, you could watch this several times and still see something new and disgusting. The script is fantastic, full of quotable lines, some of which I've been able to get into everyday conversation... like "I might be a bastard, but I'm not a f***ing bastard!" or the speech about pussy. Actually, I wish I'd not tried that last one. I'm still not welcome in Asda...

It's alright having a good script, but you need a good cast to deliver it and this lot are perfect. Even Tarantino, working to his, erm, strengths. Juliette Lewis I thought would be wrong, but she strikes a good tone between schoolgirl and temptress to Richie's nightmare. Harvey Kietel is as dependable as ever and Clooney is obviously having a riot. Well, I say "obviously", but the outtakes show him frequently pissed off and without his usual humour, so maybe it just proves what a good actor he actually is. And it does no harm to have room for cult favourites like the afore mentioned Tom Savini and Fred Williamson.

Everything oozes confidences in this movie. All the scenes have that little extra they didn't actually need, but looks cool anyway. It will possibly always stand as Rodriguez' best film because it's the most perfect fit for his seat of the pants directing style and there aren't many stories that can stand such a change in tone and still work fully committed to both styles.

"And I don't want to hear anything about "I don't believe in vampires" because I don't believe in vampires, but I believe in my own two eyes, and what I saw is fucking vampires!"

(From October Marathon: Horror! on October 8th, 2008)

The Lost Boys, a review by Dragonfire

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The Lost Boys Sam and his older brother Michael are all-American teens with all-American interests. But after they move with their mother to peaceful Santa Carla, California, things mysteriously begin to change. Michael's not himself lately.  And Mom's not going to like what he's turning into. The Lost Boys reshapes vampire tradition, deftly mixing heart-pounding terror, rib-tickling laughs and a body-gyrating rock soundtrack. Under Joel Schumacher's direction, a marvelous cast - Jason Patric, Jami Gertz, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, Barnard Hughes and Edward Herrmann - stakes you to gleefully ghoulish entertainment.

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I had heard about this one for many years before I finally watched it and it is one of my favorite vampire movies...about proper, creepy, scary, will rip your throat out vampires...not sparkly, wimpy, whiney vampires.  The plot works well without being too simple or too complicated.  Some of the dialogue is a little cheesy at times, but that doesn't bother me too much.  When I first saw the movie, it was probably one of the first things I saw with younger vampires and had teenagers in danger of becoming vampires.  Things develop a little slower, which works for the movie.  It isn't clear at first what is going on or that David and his gang are vampires.  The story works very well.  The movie isn't too violent overall, though there are a few scenes that are bloodier than others.  The effects are fine and while some things might look a little dated now, I think they and the movie has held up well overall.  The movie is definitely still worth watching.  People that like good vampire movies should check it out.



I did post a longer review at Epinions several years ago.

The Lost Boys


(From Marie's 2013 Halloween/Horror Marathon on October 15th, 2013)

Tom's Random Reviews, a review by Tom

Glee: Season One (2010/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Director: Writing: Length: 926 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Subtitles: Danish, English, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

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Stars:


Plot:
Join the club and bring home the fun with Glee Karaoke and Glee A talented group of high school misfits transforms into a performing sensation with the help of a dedicated teacher. Through laughter, tears, irreverent humor and unforgettable music, they learn to follow their hearts and chase their dreams.

Awards:
Won:

American Film Institute Awards (2009)		TV Programs of the Year
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Chris Colfer)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Jane Lynch)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Golden Globe (2009)		Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series ("Dream On": Neil Patrick Harris)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("The Substitute": Gwyneth Paltrow)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series ("The Power of Madonna": Jane Lynch)

Nominated:

Golden Globe (2009)		Actor - Television Comedy or Musical Series (Matthew Morrison)
Golden Globe (2009)		Actress - in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television (Jane Lynch)
Golden Globe (2009)		Actress - Television Comedy or Musical Series (Lea Michelle)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (Matthew Morrison)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (Lea Michele)
Golden Globe (2011)		Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series ("Wheels": Mike O'Malley)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series ("The Rhodes Not Taken": Kristin Chenoweth)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("Never Been Kissed": Dot Jones)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("Rumours": Kristin Chenoweth)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series ("Mash Up": Matthew Morrison)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series ("Sectionals": Lea Michele)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series ("Laryngitis": Chris Colfer)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series - Actor ("Grilled Cheesus": Chris Colfer)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("Funeral": Jane Lynch)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series ("Pilot - Director's Cut": Ryan Murphy, Brad Fulchuk, Ian Brennan)
Teen Choice Awards (2009)		Choice TV Breakout Show
Teen Choice Awards (2009)		Choice TV Breakout Star - Female (Lea Michele)
Teen Choice Awards (2009)		Choice TV Breakout Star - Male (Cory Monteith)

Extras:

• Commentary
• Featurettes

After the pilot I was not sure if this series will get above an okay series for me. As a matter of fact it took the whole first disc to convince me otherwise. But after the first few episodes I was hooked. I like how they integrate the music into the storylines. And I like the music choices for the most part.
Also Jane Lynch is playing a great nemesis for the glee club as the coach of the chearleading team.
I couldn't resist ordering the second season now, even though I usually wait until the price drops to about half of what it currently is.
It's great that the Blu-ray has on each disc direct access to the songs (even with a play all feature).

#	Episode	Rating
01	Pilot
02	Showmance
03	Acafellas
04	Preggers
05	The Rodes Not Taken
06	Vitamin D
07	Throwdown
08	Mash-Up
09	Wheels
10	Ballad
11	Hairography
12	Mattress
13	Sectionals
14	Hell-O
15	The Power of Madonna
16	Home
17	Bad Reputation
18	Laryngitis
19	Dream On
20	Theatricality
21	Funk
22	Journey to Regionals

(From Tom's Random Reviews on March 11th, 2012)