LITERAL REMAINS

I’ve been secluded away on a somewhat sabbatical.  In truth, I’ve been kind of busy and haven’t had time to do much in the last week, and when I have had some free time, I’ve just been goofing.  But I’m trying to do better.

Over the last week or so, I’ve had a second (sometimes third or fourth) viewing of three movies I initially found a little disappointing.  In the case of one, it was major disappointment.

First up, Friday the 13th.  The reboot of the horror stalwart left me wanting more.  More of a good movie, that is.  I thought this remake, re-mash, re-imagining, whatever it’s called, almost completely missed the mark.  I said almost.  There’s a lot going wrong here, there’s a lot that’s brainless, but it has some saving graces.  Upon repeat viewings, I appreciate what Derek Mears brings to the role of Jason; he’s menacing, and I think he may be the best man for the role since Kane Hodder.  I don’t know if it’s my fondness for the series, my love of ol’ hockey face, or what, but this movie has grown on me.  It doesn’t complete me, but it completes my collection.  Director Marcus Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and his crew have a movie that looks good, even when what’s happening in said movie is less than stellar.  But I appreciate the stupidity of it.  I like it a little more than I did before.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans was, and was not, what I was expecting.  I knew the story that was going to unfold before mine eyes, verily, every fan did.  What I was not expecting was for it to unfold in such a lackluster fashion.  Eek Gad!  If this movie had been made first, it might have been a different story for me; as is, it is still the weakest, and worst, entry in the Underworld series.  Until they make another one, then things may change.  Not that it’s completely bad, it’s not without merit, but it falls so short of the two previous films.  I recently watched the Underworld trilogy, beginning with Rise of the Lycans, and this movie still kind of just sits there.  I don’t like it any less, neither do I like it any more.  It’s a good action movie, but doesn’t help the series.  It still feels like everyone is painting by numbers.

When I first saw The Day the Earth Stood Still in December ’08, I wanted to shout “Blasphemy!” at the screen and hurl tomatoes at it.  To call it disappointing is understatement.  But as I said in my original review, there is something about it that is fascinating.  Something draws me to it.  There is something intriguing at work here, and it’s not the big, multi-million dollar, bloated, lifeless, Hollywood mentality.  I believe this movie started out as an honest effort, with good intentions, but, like a lot of us, got lost somewhere along the way.  I saw this movie twice in theaters, and have recently watched it once on DVD.  There is still something at work here, some hidden charm.  I don’t think it’s as quite a disappointment as I originally thought.

the_novacula