NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Review

I am not of the generation that grew up watching the originals these recent horror films produced by Michael Bay have been revamping. I have of course seen them in all their campy glory, but would hope these new revisions would be what I would do with the material had I the opportunity to remake it. I think that has been the key downfall with most of these remakes, they haven't lived up to what I always wanted the older ones to be. After last years horrible 'Friday the 13th' update I expected the worst from this film. It is without debate that Freddy Krueger is the most iconic of these movie villains. When it was announced that Jackie Earle Haley would be playing Freddy I was pleased with the choice. Most say his portrayal of Mr. Krueger can never compare to Mr. Englunds, but with a very Rorschach-like voice and overall sense of sick bestowed upon him, this Freddy Krueger is no joke. This is a much more serious film than the original that spawned it. If this wasn't a re-make I would be thoroughly impressed and probably call it one of the better scary movies I've seen in years. The story has elements of the original but has been updated significantly. And most of the time, for the better. This script offers more of a back story and reason as to why it is this specific group of teens having these dreams. It paints a horrifying picture of how Freddy became the nightmare stalker and a complex dilemma in the children that are trying to get rid of him. There are of course a few campy lines, especially as the film gets closer to its climax, but for the first hour or so this is a nicely paced, if not sometimes cliched horror flick. It offers a few jumps, but is never really scary, which I guess is the main detraction from this piece. I have no idea how scary the original was when it first came out, but this one is more good cinematography and surprisingly good acting with less of the things that make you jump in your seat. Still, it isn't as bad as everyone might tell you it is, in fact it is much better. Although I did go in with low expectations and so this may be a little bias in that it exceeded those low expectations to the fullest it could. It doesn't ruin the original but it doesn't set a new standard. The ending is ridiculous and I'm actually not sure if we can expect a sequel. All that needed to be said was said, but I'm sure if this makes enough money we will see Krueger back again.

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Review

I am not of the generation that grew up watching the originals these recent horror films produced by Michael Bay have been revamping. I have of course seen them in all their campy glory, but would hope these new revisions would be what I would do with the material had I the opportunity to remake it. I think that has been the key downfall with most of these remakes, they haven't lived up to what I always wanted the older ones to be. After last years horrible 'Friday the 13th' update I expected the worst from this film. It is without debate that Freddy Krueger is the most iconic of these movie villains. When it was announced that Jackie Earle Haley would be playing Freddy I was pleased with the choice. Most say his portrayal of Mr. Krueger can never compare to Mr. Englunds, but with a very Rorschach-like voice and overall sense of sick bestowed upon him, this Freddy Krueger is no joke. This is a much more serious film than the original that spawned it. If this wasn't a re-make I would be thoroughly impressed and probably call it one of the better scary movies I've seen in years. The story has elements of the original but has been updated significantly. And most of the time, for the better. This script offers more of a back story and reason as to why it is this specific group of teens having these dreams. It paints a horrifying picture of how Freddy became the nightmare stalker and a complex dilemma in the children that are trying to get rid of him. There are of course a few campy lines, especially as the film gets closer to its climax, but for the first hour or so this is a nicely paced, if not sometimes cliched horror flick. It offers a few jumps, but is never really scary, which I guess is the main detraction from this piece. I have no idea how scary the original was when it first came out, but this one is more good cinematography and surprisingly good acting with less of the things that make you jump in your seat. Still, it isn't as bad as everyone might tell you it is, in fact it is much better. Although I did go in with low expectations and so this may be a little bias in that it exceeded those low expectations to the fullest it could. It doesn't ruin the original but it doesn't set a new standard. The ending is ridiculous and I'm actually not sure if we can expect a sequel. All that needed to be said was said, but I'm sure if this makes enough money we will see Krueger back again.

CRAZY HEART Review

I am so thankful I was finally able to watch 'Crazy Heart'. I have wanted to see it since I first heard about it and was even more interested when Jeff Bridges received the Oscar nomination. He completely deserved it by the way. This is one of those movies that just sticks with you. It may be a slightly conventional film when it comes to story of a has-been musician and it plays out with little surprise, but the performances and the heart these actors put behind this material makes it all the more real and affecting. The biggest thing to love about this movie though is Mr. Bridges, hands down. As Bad Blake he epitomizes what country music is supposed to be and he does with with such charm you wish he actually was a country singer. For such a small film it has an amazing supporting cast as well, I like Maggie Gyllenhaal, I really do, but she plays white trash so well it makes you kind of detract from her. She is understandable here and has one of my most unforgettable moments in the film, but the one thing the film doesn't get across well enough to support her decision is the reason behind the attraction she has for Bad. Yes, he's appealing and has that charm, but he is much older, overweight, an alcoholic and has no money to support him let alone her and her child. What about him makes her think everything will be okay if she forgets all those things for the time being? It is one loose end and a detail that can just as easily be looked over. What is essentially cameos from Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall are bright moments in an otherwise cloudy-toned atmosphere the film creates. Farrell is especially effective here as Bads protege Tommy Sweet. He is made to be this unlikeable dirt bag who left Bad in the dust for money and fame, but when we actually meet him about halfway through the film , he is a much more complex character than that. Farrell plays him with the perfect balance of humble and celebrity. He is willing to help Bad to the best of his abilities as long as Bad cooperates and goes with the flow of things. We like Sweet, sometimes more than we like Bad. As for Duvall, he brings Bad back around to right where he needs to be, helps him see the light of day and is the cutest old man here (something I never thought I would say about Mr. Duvall). Besides all of this the music is great. I will definitely be buying the soundtrack and will listen to it often, just to get a sense of how great and rough yet pure Bad's style of country is. Just like the movie in which it comes from.

CRAZY HEART Review

I am so thankful I was finally able to watch 'Crazy Heart'. I have wanted to see it since I first heard about it and was even more interested when Jeff Bridges received the Oscar nomination. He completely deserved it by the way. This is one of those movies that just sticks with you. It may be a slightly conventional film when it comes to story of a has-been musician and it plays out with little surprise, but the performances and the heart these actors put behind this material makes it all the more real and affecting. The biggest thing to love about this movie though is Mr. Bridges, hands down. As Bad Blake he epitomizes what country music is supposed to be and he does with with such charm you wish he actually was a country singer. For such a small film it has an amazing supporting cast as well, I like Maggie Gyllenhaal, I really do, but she plays white trash so well it makes you kind of detract from her. She is understandable here and has one of my most unforgettable moments in the film, but the one thing the film doesn't get across well enough to support her decision is the reason behind the attraction she has for Bad. Yes, he's appealing and has that charm, but he is much older, overweight, an alcoholic and has no money to support him let alone her and her child. What about him makes her think everything will be okay if she forgets all those things for the time being? It is one loose end and a detail that can just as easily be looked over. What is essentially cameos from Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall are bright moments in an otherwise cloudy-toned atmosphere the film creates. Farrell is especially effective here as Bads protege Tommy Sweet. He is made to be this unlikeable dirt bag who left Bad in the dust for money and fame, but when we actually meet him about halfway through the film , he is a much more complex character than that. Farrell plays him with the perfect balance of humble and celebrity. He is willing to help Bad to the best of his abilities as long as Bad cooperates and goes with the flow of things. We like Sweet, sometimes more than we like Bad. As for Duvall, he brings Bad back around to right where he needs to be, helps him see the light of day and is the cutest old man here (something I never thought I would say about Mr. Duvall). Besides all of this the music is great. I will definitely be buying the soundtrack and will listen to it often, just to get a sense of how great and rough yet pure Bad's style of country is. Just like the movie in which it comes from.

DEATH AT A FUNERAL Review

First things first, I have not seen the British version of 'Death at a Funeral' although I have heard great things about it and plan on seeing it soon. Going in to the Hollywood version I didn't know what to expect, except for a great ensemble cast that would hopefully bring the funny. I hate for my opinion of this film to be solely influenced by that of the British version so in most ways I am happy that I saw this version first and had nothing looming over its head to compare or live up to. Standing on its own, this American 'Death at a Funeral' is one funny film. As with last week's 'Date Night' it is sometimes quite farcical, but 'Death at a Funeral' has a much stronger script. Chris Rock heads up the cast as the oldest son of the deceased family patriarch. He holds things together well as you would expect Mr. Rock to do, but for me he has always given off that vibe of trying to act a little too hard and in fact force being funny. This is especially true when he delivers his one-liners. His younger and more popular brother is played by Martin Lawrence who, after this and 'Roscoe Jenkins', seems to work best when he is surrounded by other funny people. Here he is the sleazebag brother who writes hack novels but gets published and doesn't know how to spend his money so his brother ends up paying for everything. While these two anchor the film, and honestly they do a great job of it, the remainder of the cast is filled with extended relatives and strangers who cause all sorts of mishaps that are just a tad past the believability line sometimes. The wonderful Danny Glover plays real old as Uncle Russell, who is constantly angry and takes most of it out on Tracy Morgan, who isn't as annoying as you might imagine here, and acts as if he is part of the family but apparently isn't although I'm not sure it ever explained how he knew them at all. In turn he is good friends with Luke Wilson's character. I like Wilson and enjoy most of his work and he creates some of the best dynamics in the drama here as a suck-up to the brother of the deceased in hopes he will get with his daughter and in the end his money. Problem with that is his daughter, played by the very busy Zoe Saldana is already engaged to James Marsden whom her father hates. Here is where the film really wins you over. I have heard that Marsden does a great spin on the original character here and others have said he is a disgrace for even attempting to do so. For me, he was the best thing about this movie. He is hilarious every second he is on screen. I saw this in a theater that maybe had ten other people in it and everyone was laughing out loud when Marsden was on screen. If you see this for one reason, see it because of him. As the previews gave away, the thick of the plot revolves around a blackmail scheme by the dead mans low down lover. Played by Peter Dinklage, the only cast member from the original. All of this is executed nicely, the pacing is great and the audience is never bored. Much like 'Roscoe Jenkins' this is a collaborative comedy and for the most part it succeeds. I have to mention Columbus Short, as he does a great job here as the cause for all the Valium taking and I hope to see him in more films in the future. Now, off to watch the original, let's hope I haven't let myself sound like a fool.