COP LAND

USA 1997



Director James Mangold's Cop Land looks at a New Jersey town that's become a safe haven for corrupt New York City cops. Sheriff Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone) turns a blind eye to some crimes, but when murder and cover-ups raise the stakes, Heflin must do the right thing. Cop Land gives Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and Ray Liotta a chance to strut their stuff.
10/10



The first time I saw this film was when it first came out. I was 14 and I do not think my maturity level was high enough to really appreciate this film. Now at 25 going on 26 years old, I decided to watch it again without a preemptive research of the film. I had completely forgot the premise and just went with it. I WAS BLOWN AWAY. This movie is so good! I really fall hard for a cast of classic 4th quarter of the 20th century actors and this has a cast of some of Hollywood's best. Without exaggeration I was riveted, straight up. The corrupt seeds of an entire New York precinct planted and nurtured by the Mob in a small town across the bay from New York captured me. Some truth had to have been garnered from actual events to present such a controversial and realistically played out crime drama. Incredible performances! The intensity in the eyes of Ray Liotta, the fear and uncertainty in Michael Rappaport's dialog, the tension between Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel's character relationship, Janeane Garofalo's disappointment and embarrasment for Freddie Heflin, Annabella Sciorra's depressive and lonely aura, Peter Berg delivers an intermittent yet impacting force of all emotions, Robert Patrick just makes you hate him, so well! And Sly... STALLONE... You really feel for the guy, he's such a push over. His ability to turn the other cheek, knowing that what is going on and doing nothing about it, really sets up the climax of nearly no sound and all in slow motion. ABSOLUTELY GENIUS!

They Came Back

France 2004



A group of zombies walk out of their graves and head back home in this intriguing French film directed by Robin Campillo. Relatives of the undead aren't quite sure what to do with their returning loved ones, and neither is the government -- so the zombies are placed in emergency housing while authorities figure out what their role in society will be. Meanwhile, the ghouls are secretly going around conducting a little business of their own.
8.2/10



An interesting very avant-gardesque social study of a community faced with the unthinkable; Their loved ones who were once dead, have returned... In no way does this film overdo the circumstances as plausible, which really makes for a humble interpretation instead of coming off as some pretentious art-house profoundness of an explanation. There is definitely a genuine creepiness to the characters that are undead. As the film moves along at a mild building pace, it's construction can be blurry with an abstract simplicity that keeps you enticed. I was really skeptical within the opening frames but as it developed, the film grew on me. In the end I was not disappointed. The undead have defaulted personalities that are derived from their past lives when they were alive and cannot develop beyond their past habits. Though not justifiable realistic, the subtle manner in which the plot is executed, with reintegrating the "returnees" back into the social form of occupations, their citizenship, as well back into their families and lifestyles, its quite acceptable and intriguing. Nicely done.

V i n y a n

France/Belgium/United Kingdom 2008



Paul (Rufus Sewell) and Jeanne (Emmanuelle Béart) lost their young son, Joshua, in the 2004 tsunami, and cling to the hope that one day they'll find him. Believing she sees Josh in a brief video of orphaned children, Jeanne convinces Paul to undertake a rescue mission. The couple spends the last of their savings on a journey into the jungles of the Thai-Burmese border, where unknown threats await them. Fabrice Du Welz directs this dark odyssey.
8/10



People are really bummed on this film! I honestly do not see why, though. This had to be such a pain in everyone's neck to film. A very grueling, uncompromising slow, wet and muddy film. I felt so uncomfortable for the characters, in my tidy little theater seat, knowing when I left, my modernized lifestyle comfort offers a king mattress. This film was damp and creepy. Yeah yeah, "Apocalypse Now" that is a comparison you will hear when talking to someone who's critical and missing the point by being over analytical. I enjoyed it, it was not an easy watch and the characters were merely 2 dimensional, but the situation was ridiculous. Determination turns to desperation, turns to insanity, turns to prolific sacrifice, turns to muddy boobies and little kids coping feels. Throw some intestines in there for the slow burning. I appreciated it. It is visionary. And I saw it on the big screen with a burned DVD projection with bad sound and a bad transfer. So if I can find quality in that then there are sure to be people who really like this film.

K i l t r o

Chile 2006



Award-winning Chilean stuntman Marko Zaror stars as Zamir, a street fighter in love with the lovely daughter of a tae kwon do master. When her father is threatened, Zamir must learn to control his fighting skills in order to protect them all. Written and directed by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, this energetic kung fu tale of honor and revenge also features Caterina Jadresic and Miguel Angel De Luca.
8/10



A breath of fresh air. This is a film I highly recommend. Very off beat and quirky with a intentionally over dramatic serious undertone. Great direction, great fight scenes nice character development. What really surprised me was the ultra violence. CGI gore fest that's entertaining enough not to ruin the film. Runtime is right on.

Last Great Wilderness

United Kingdom 2003

An unlikely pair, cuckolded Charlie (Alistair McKenzie) and playboy Vincente (Jonny Phillips), agree to share a ride to a Scottish town called Skye. But on the way there, their car breaks down, leaving them stranded in the woods, where they encounter a mysterious hodgepodge of strangers at a rustic resort. Things turn from bad to worse when they join this motley crew, and before long, their adventure turns into survival of the fittest.
10/10



This is the type of movie that builds perfectly. Shot on digital video the storyline starts basic and transcends into a multi-character collage that is very simple but intriguing enough to be natural and acceptable if applied to reality. The acting is superb. The Scottish accents are thick, with no subtitles, so concentrate! This is a very powerful movie. It touched me. The climax is brutal.

Phase IV

USA 1974



When a spate of peculiar activities begins to occur in the Arizona desert, scientists Ernest Hubbs (Nigel Davenport) and James Lesko (Michael Murphy) investigate and discover a colony of highly intelligent ants bent on expanding their terrain -- and on conquering humanity. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Saul Bass, this thought-provoking sci-fi-thriller also stars Lynne Frederick, Alan Gifford and Helen Horton.
10/10



Some may say I am exaggerating when I claim this is one of the best movies ever made, regardless my claim does not falter. This is a work of pure genius and a true visionary gem especially for the time it made. Divided into phases, the movie starts with a straight forward yet vague explanation of an astrological alignment that triggers an advancement in intellect of different species of ants. At that,two scientists on the scene seem to devolve as a result and the ants turn the tables doing some experimenting of their own. This is a very intricate sci-fi/drama with a lot of detail and profound monolith ant colonies emphasizing the evolution of their intelligence and superiority to the humyn race. A must see.

King Corn

USA 2007



In Aaron Woolf's thought-provoking documentary, friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis move back to America's Corn Belt to plant an acre of the nation's most-grown and most-subsidized grain in an attempt to follow their crop into the U.S. food supply. What they discover about genetically modified seeds, powerful herbicides and the realities of modern farming calls into question government subsidies, our fast-food lifestyle and the quality of our food.
10/10



This docu starts off seemingly frivolous and light hearted with a little too much effort emphasizing both. Then you realize that it's a set up for all the sad and serious affects of how the industrialization of agriculture is impacting our blind society. Very well put together and informative film. An easy watch, I highly recommend it.