POMO

Casual, adventurous and likeable entertainment for teenage girls. Misery for everyone else.

In the context of Dario Argento’s filmography, this giallo flick has the most in common with Deep Red – i.e. bloody murders in widescreen. Overall, however, Tenebre is an average film, half a star weaker than the aforementioned classic. The mystery and atmosphere are weaker and even the camerawork is merely utilitatarian rather than  exhilarating. The level of gore escalates with each murder, culminating in a scene at the end for which you don’t regret even a second spent with the preceding weak sauce. Mandatory viewing for fans of the subgenre.

In terms of directing, the sequel is equally as brilliant as the first Ring – the atmosphere and chills in the sharper scenes run at full throttle. But it would be impossible to make a great film from the screenplay. It’s just a mess that in places helplessly steals specific scenes from the first one.

Equilibrium is a decent B-movie with good visuals and an interesting subject, but its undermined by clichés and predictability. It’s a less artistic, poppier version of Lucas’s THX 1138, intended for a younger audience raised on computer games. Kurt Wimmer has something. He could become a great director when he grows up.

A beautifully film storyboard. But not a script with characters who have anything between them.

Below is a sometimes suspenseful and sometimes unintentionally ridiculous variation on Event Horizon that attempts to be a serious drama about guilt, responsibility and a bad conscience in its secondary storyline. As a sci-fi horror flick, it’s worse than Pitch Black, but better than Ghost Ship.

The opening chase is delightful, even if it’s merely the same one from The Fast and the Furious. A feeling of unease builds up over the next twenty minutes. The rest of the film is boring and makes you want to beat your head against the seat in front of you. I swear to God, even the worst episode of Tropical Heat has a better screenplay than this bullshit. The main character is likable, but he’s too soft to carry an action flick. And the other main character is an unlikable and vulgar boor. The bad guy is promisingly conceived but underdeveloped. The plot is primitive and incapable of even tastefully playing with conventional clichés. If it weren’t for the beautifully polished and colorful machines, 2 Fast 2 Furious would be 1-star misery.

A well-written reproduction of the subject of Romero’s mediocre Day of the Dead, spoiled by unsuitable visuals and music. I want a big-budget, celluloid remake by Guillermo del Toro with music by Marco Beltrami!

The Core is purely average in every respect. It’s a bit suspenseful, a bit boring, a bit sentimental, a bit stupid and a bit funny and pleasantly easy-going. Something between Armageddon and Deep Impact, but neither properly action-packed nor sufficiently psychological. A light adventure with technically brilliant execution and decent acting.

A visual embodiment of a man’s depression and VERY bad physical state. The use of a siren’s wail to underscore the imagery is a stroke of genius.