REVIEW DATE: 04/07/06

Theatre Release: 01/06/06
DVD Release: 04/11/06

More Information:
Movies-Dot-Com
Internet Movie Database
Rottentomatoes-Dot-Com
Blockbuster-Dot-Com
Yahoo! Movies
Ebert & Roeper

WHETHER or not Hostel is classified properly as "horror film" over and against a "gore film" is a question each viewer must settle themselves.  Personally, I did not find many frights or scares throughout the film, but my stomach did turn as horrific, torturous, graphic, glorified, and what I imagine to be realistic (I can only imagine since I've never seen such violent acts) acts of violence were performed upon the film's unsuspecting victims.  Overall, I was rather disappointed with Eli Roth's (director) vision and finished product.  It is an interesting concept, that which the film depicts, but possibly more time and story-progression should have been invested in the development of the torture settings.  The acting was a bit stale, but fairly good by "horror film" acting standards.  And for better or worse, Roth brings back and champions the element gratuitous teenage nudity and sex to the horror film genre.  Summarizing the movie, three young men, including two Americans, Paxton (Jay Hernandez) and Josh (Derek Richardson), and a Swede, Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson), are backpacking throughout Europe looking for fun primarily in the form of drugs, booze, women, and sex.  Coming across a local in one of the many cities and countries of Europe, they are directed toward a small, rural eastern European city in which the most gorgeous and sex-crazed women live; their whole life revolving around orgies and ecstasy, especially regarding American travelers.  However, unsurprisingly, this town and the women in it are not what they seem to be.  Being duped by the modern-day eastern European sirens, those looking for satisfaction and gratification in the arms of beautiful babes find themselves drugged, passing out in their rooms, and waking up in a dungeon-like cell where all kinds of imaginative torture await them.  The rest of the film unfolds in normal horror fashion.  There are no big surprises, no good plot-twists, and no real scares.  It is a complete waste of time for those who are not fans of the horror film genre, though watch them occasionally.  And it is a moderate form of entertainment for diehard horror film genre fans.

REVIEW DATE: 02/28/06

Theatre Release: 10/28/05
DVD Release: 02/28/06

More Information:
Movies-Dot-Com
Internet Movie Database
Rottentomatoes-Dot-Com
Blockbuster-Dot-Com
Ebert & Roeper

THREE different tales from three different directors--Dumplings, Cut, and Box--combine to create the latest Asian addition to the horror genre in Three... Extremes.  Such stories are not for the faint-hearted.  In Dumplings, an aging actress seeks a secretive remedy to reverse the toll nature takes on a woman's body.  The horror is what fills the dumplings.  Cut portrays a vengeful actor taking out an envious rage upon a successful director by means of a maniacal scheme.  And Box brings to life the nightmare trauma a sister suffers as she struggles with the horrors of her past.  Not much else can be (or, rather, should be) said about this movie due to the potential spoilers.  Now, I must admit I was thoroughly excited about this film; hoping it would rival my favorite Asian horror movie, The Audition.  Unfortunately, while the film is a brave assault upon the darkness of one's imagination, it tends to stress artistry at the detriment of horrific tension and scares.  There seems to be a message directed toward/about women that seems to overshadow the horror and actually limits the possibilities, but the attempt toward a singular, unified direction is worthy of applause.  Regardless, if one is a fan of the Asian horror genre, this is a must see.

REVIEW DATE: 02/15/06

Theatre Release: 10/28/05
DVD Release: 02/14/06

More Information:
Movies-Dot-Com
Internet Movie Database
Rottentomatoes-Dot-Com
Blockbuster-Dot-Com

WHILE the edge, suspense, and plot-twist of the original Saw is not equaled in this sequel attempt, nevertheless, Saw II is a fine little horror/mystery on which to waste one and one half hours of your evening.  If one is familiar with the first film, one will find equally heinous contraptions, tests, traps, and modes of audience torture by tension in the imaginative masochism of the films writers.  Some of the "who-done-it" aspects are convenient and less than awe striking, but they are veiled enough to keep one guessing, and there are enough distractions to keep one from solving everything.  Donnie Wahlberg (Eric Matthews, The Sixth Sense) is a cop who must crack Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) dubious plan before eight strangers locked in a house are eliminated one by one as gruesome tests are put before them in order to save their own lives and the lives of those around them.  There is no profound philosophy or life-lesson.  There is no hidden message.  If one attempts to expose a tale of human nature, one is stretching art and symbolism further than it should be.  Regardless, it is a fun film with strong horror-film acting.  The plot is original enough to keep one watching and interested.  Beware of the brutality of this film, though.

REVIEW DATE: 02/13/06

DVD Release: 03/29/05

More Information:
Internet Movie Database
Rottentomatoes-Dot-Com
Blockbuster-Dot-Com

THIS film achieves goals on various levels, from mysterious to dramatic to psychological to horrific.  It is shot and filmed beautifully, using the environment of a house as a living, breathing character in and of itself.  The plot kept me in suspense and provided real intrigue, as well as genuine creeps and scares.  And while the mystery is concrete and surprising, there was some confusion leaving certain personal questions I have unanswered.  One must really pay attention to the details, movement, and flow of the movie as it unfolds.  Direction and writing is certainly the key to success for this movie.  The characters Eun-joo (Jung-ah Yum), Bae Soo-mi (Su-jeong Lim), and Bae Soo-yeon (Geun-yeong Mun) are extremely engrossing and well played.  One really cares about these characters and their roles in this suspense.  This film makes one exercise true intellectual abilities while following the story, but I'm afraid my abilities were not quite up to par, for there are some unanswered questions still lingering within my mind.  Yet, regardless of my shortcomings, this picture thoroughly drew me in and would not let go.  It could have been improved in some areas within the story-line, but I think the intention (to the fault of the director) was to leave some of it still shrouded in mystery.  My "must know what happened"  personality simply doesn't like that.  Or, maybe I do know what happened, but my imagination wants more to be present than what actually is?  Regardless, it is a fine film.  Any movie that has me grappling with the story-line in sincere contemplation is a good movie.

REVIEW DATE: 02/13/06

DVD Release: 10/21/03

More Information:
Internet Movie Database
Rottentomatoes-Dot-Com
Blockbuster-Dot-Com
Ebert & Roeper

AFTER a retinal transplant surgery, Mun (Angelica Lee) can see for the first time since she lost her sight at two years of age.  However, the transplant has given her another sight, or a sixth sense: she can see the dead.  This movie doesn't have any real scares, but there is some tension as one slowly discovers the mystery of how such a sight is possible.  The premise is enough to capture one's attention, but it isn't enough to thoroughly engage all the audience's senses.  Technically, the film is shot in a beautiful manner.  And the acting of Lee is superb.  One may question why she isn't afraid of what she sees from the very beginning, but then one remembers she doesn't know she is seeing something others do not.  She doesn't know any better.  The dead characters are interesting and creepy, but only one or two are genuinely scary.  The story is not about the horror, but attempts a philosophical view point of the beauty of the world in spite of the horror that may accompany it, and appreciation for witnessing any of it.  There is also some interesting irony within the plot.  It is a decent rental for the cinematography, direction, etc.

REVIEW DATE: 02/10/06

DVD Release: 10/25/05

More Information:
Blockbuster-Dot-Com

ALLOW me to defend why I rented this movie whose only records online are from Blockbuster-Dot-Com, which only tells you how long the movie is.  I can't even find "cover art" for this piece of crap.  I'm a huge Japanese horror film fan.  The most disgusting and tense horror movies I've ever seen is a Japanese horror film.  The past five years I've slowly caught up on the classics and studied this Asian drama.  Most titles are not mainstream (i.e. never released in American theatres), so one is usually in the dark as to whether or not they are good movies.  So, one has to take chances when renting these foreign films.  Well, I took a gamble and lost everything.  This "movie" is a collection of six "horror stories" as narrated in a wanna-be Hitchcockian manner.  The film was shot with a mini-DV recorder; probably the same model we bought five years ago.  The stories were extremely lame.  The "special affects" looked like a high school production (seriously).  The acting was horrible.  I can't say enough about the poor quality of this "movie."  Stay away.  Please... stay far away.  I'm speechless.