Tag: 2000

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Movie Review

Prison of the Dead (2000) Movie Review

Prison of the Dead – Movie Review

Prison of the Dead is a basic horror which lacks too many scares.

First Reaction – Prison of the Dead is a basic horror which lacks too many scares.

Director: David DeCoteau

Writer: Matthew Jason Walsh (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Kristof, an eccentric rich kid, tricks his high school friends into getting back together for a reunion of sorts, under the pretense of a funeral. The group of twenty-somethings is forced to spend the night in an old abandoned witches’ prison. During a Ouija Board séance, the schoolmates accidentally unearth three dead executioners from their graves. A little confused, and quite a bit angry, the Crypt Keepers initiate a killing spree that will only end when everyone is dead. Fortunately, the schoolmates all wore black. Too bad it’s for their own funerals

Runtime: 1 Hour 13 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Prison of the Dead starts when Kristof (Flood) and friends Rory (Guerin), Allie (Ryan), and Michele (Mayer) head to Calvin’s (Page) funeral. However, it turns into a prank by the rich kids getting one over their friends in hopes of bringing them back together.

Meanwhile, they are not alone in the location and both sides clash over what they want. However, it is the bigger secrets for the area that cause the problems, and the evil within the walls gives them a battle to survive.

Verdict on Prison of the Dead

Recap

The movie follows a group of rich kids doing a paranormal investigation in a haunted prison. However, it goes horribly wrong, leading them down a dangerous fight against the undead.

Best Parts

The idea of a paranormal investigation goes wrong is the easy and watchable concept. We get a creepy environment throughout the movie with the storm raging during the night.

Worst Parts

The movie struggles to commit to the bigger, darker storyline, and using the ‘of the dead’ tag makes you think zombie invasion. It is not that more possession of spirits is rising; it is a little bit confusing about what they bring to life. The story takes a while getting going, which holds things back and fails to let the stars give their best performances.

Final Thoughts –Prison of the Dead is a largely dull horror.

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Movie Review

Uzumaki (2000) Movie Review

Uzumaki – Movie Review

Discover the terrifying world of Uzumaki - a captivating horror film that explores the obsession and torment caused by spirals.

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – U

Director: Higuchinsky

Writer: Kengo Kaji, Takao Nitta, Chika Yasuo (Screenplay)

Writer: Junji Ito (Manga)

Cast

Plot: The inhabitants of a small Japanese town become increasingly obsessed with and tormented by spirals.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Uzumaki starts as high school student Kirie Goshima (Hatsune) starts noticing people around her town acting strange. They are getting obsessed with spirals, and believe they have a greater power. It changes people, leading to a series of strange events.

As the spirals start taking over the town, Kirie is forced to understand what they mean. It sees her losing people she loves and facing a battle to stop them before it becomes too late.

Verdict on Uzumaki

Uzumaki is a horror mystery following a small town that becomes consumed by a mysterious series of spirals. It starts taking over their lives as they see them everywhere leading to a series of disturbing events.

This movie is a strange, disturbing and uncomfortable one. It uses the concept of paranoia to create the disturbing beliefs the town gets caught up in. All while leading us down a dangerous path of not knowing what will happen next. The events of the movie create a blend of disturbing deaths, imagery and beliefs that consume people.  However, the wacky concept can sometimes leave things feeling more about the amazing effects, than the story. It can suck the life out of the personal journeys the characters must overcome.

Where to Watch

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JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Uzumaki is a crazy, wacky and wild movie.

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Movie Review

They Nest (2000) Movie Review

They Nest – Movie Review

They Nest is an entertaining horror film about a doctor confronting deadly insects and unwelcoming locals on a Maine island.

First Reaction – They Nest is an entertinaing late-night horror movie.

Director: Ellory Elkayem

Writer: John Vlaflin, Daniel Zelman (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A Maine island becomes infested with lethal insects that root inside their victims, while a local doctor battles the bugs and incorrigible locals that don’t believe him.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: They Nest starts when troubled doctor Ben Cahill (Calabro) takes a break on a Maine island. However, the locals don’t want to welcome him, leading to a clash with handy man Jack (Savage). Meanwhile, deadly bugs have infested the island, leading to Jack needing to work with the local sheriff Hobbs (Stockwell).

Ben begins investigating the strange deaths and win over the town to save their lives. However, the battle with the locals becomes more difficult than the battle with the bugs.

Verdict on They Nest

Recap

The movie follows a troubled doctor taking a break in a small island town. However, the town comes under attack by bugs with deadly consequences. It becomes a race against time to discover the bugs before they destroy the town.

Best Parts

The remote location helps create a feeling of isolation for the characters. We add in the added mix of the town’s people not wanting to welcome in the outsider. This creates to levels of tension before the bug outbreak spreads too far. There are some fun set pieces to create the moments to escape the bugs.

Worst Parts

Some of the special effects have dated and even for the time don’t seem to click on the same level than expected. Elsewhere, the bugs are a threat, but never feel as much of a threat than expected.

Final Thoughts – They Nest is an entertaining late night horror.

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Movie Review

Rules of Engagement (2000) Movie Review

Rules of Engagement – Movie Review

Get a captivating movie review of 'Rules of Engagement' - a tense legal drama that explores the complexities of war and justice.

ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – R

Director: William Friedkin

Writer: Jim Webb, Stephen Gaghan (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: An attorney defends an officer on trial for ordering his troops to fire on civilians after they stormed a U.S. embassy in a Middle Eastern country.

Runtime: 2 Hours 8 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Rules of Engagement starts when decorated Colonel Terry Childers (Jackson) is assigned an extraction order in Yemen. However, the mission has complications leading to the soldiers’ fire on a group of civilians. Back home, Bill Sokal (Greenwood) leads an investigation into the incident that has created tensions between the US and the Middle East.

Terry turns to his oldest friend Colonel Hayes Hodges (Jones) to defend him from his court-martial. Bill recruits Major Biggs (Pearce) to lead the prosecution and is looking to lock the case and be convicted quickly. Hayes conducts his investigation before the trial gets underway.

Verdict on Rules of Engagement

Rules of Engagement is a thriller following a reluctant lawyer defending his military friend. He is accused of murdering a group of civilians, but deep down there is a wide conspiracy in play.

This courtroom drama brings to life the sensitive nature of military operations. It shows how they can spiral out of control and innocent people can be killed. This movie does a good job of showing the tension between the two lawyers through the trial. However, it does something different, it makes the prosecution lawyer Biggs somebody honourable and good at their job. For the most part, we usually despise the person trying to take down the person being charged. However, the people who hire him are the enemies of the case and those who could decide the case. It takes some strange directions as the courtroom sequences can take a backseat to the wider conspiracy unfolding in the movie. However, the all-star cast helps drive the story forward.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Rules of Engagement is a tense courtroom drama.

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Movie Review

The Kid (2000) Movie Review

The Kid – Movie Review

First Reaction – The Kid is a delightful story about understandinig life.

Watch The Kid here.

a
JustWatch

ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – K

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Writer: Audrey Wells (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: An unhappy, disliked image consultant gets a second shot at life when he is mysteriously confronted by an eight-year-old version of himself.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Kid starts when grumpy, disliked image consultant Russ Duritz (Willis) starts seeing his life turned upside. He starts seeing a young boy around his life and a plane following him around. However, once he meets the boy, he discovers it is an 8-year-old version of himself Rusty (Breslin).

Russ must figure out why his younger self has found him and look for a way to return him. However, the more time they spend together, the closer they become, and changes start appearing in Russ. He remembers what was once important to him and wants to live a better life.

Verdict on The Kid

Recap

The movie follows an unpopular but brilliant image consultant who suddenly gets visited by his younger self. He must understand why he has the visit which means diving into his past to learn why he has turned out the way he has.

Best Parts

The story is delightful and shows us how difficult adult life can be. It shows how a small moment in childhood could affect life forever and you will never understand the moment until you can look back as an adult. Bruce Willis is brilliant and brings a comedic side we hadn’t seen in a while, while young Spencer Breslin is great next to him.

Worst Parts

The only negative thing I could see was that Russ was truly horrible, more just showing a lot of frustration about life. He doesn’t have patience and his issues are manageable, and it is more about pointing on the right path.

Final Thoughts –The Kid is an enjoyable family film.

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Movie Review

The Foul King (2000) Movie Review

The Foul King – Movie Review

Discover the hilarious and heartwarming journey of a wimpy bank clerk turned pro wrestler in The Foul King movie review.

Director: Jee-woon Kim (I Saw the Devil)

Writer: Daw-woo Kim, Jee-woon Kim (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A wimpy, incompetent bank clerk decides to become a pro wrestler.

Runtime: 1 Hour 52 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Foul King starts when a bored bank clerk Dae-Ho (Kang-ho) decides he wants to train as a wrestler. He has dreamt of this his whole life and decides to use the opportunity to chase a dream after learning he can’t actually fight.

Once Dae-ho starts training, he gains confidence, unlike anything he has had before. He dedicates his time to perfecting his act and starts to learn there is more to life than being scared.

Verdict on The Foul King

The Foul King is a sports comedy following a shy banker who decides to take up wrestling. He is tired of his everyday work life and decides he needs something more and finds a new level of confidence.

This movie works on many levels with the comedy not taking over the movie. While the sports side shows the dedication to train and prepare to enter a wrestling ring. The two elements balance out to see the wild journey Dae-ho goes on to become a wrestler and improve his life along the way. It proves that a passion can give someone a bigger lust for life, instead of following a flat routine. This embraces the wacky world of professional wrestling and proves that you can tell a story inside and outside the ring.

Where to Watch

The Foul King is on digital platforms from 8 April.

Final Thoughts – The Foul King is an entertaining trip into professional wrestling.

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Movie Review

FInal Destination (2000) Movie Review

Final Destination – ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – F – Final Destination – Movie Review 

Final Destination – ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – F – Final Destination - Movie Review 

Director: James Wong

Writer: Glen Morgan, James Wong, Jeffrey Reddick (Screenplay)

Writer: Jeffrey Reddick (Story)

Cast

 Plot: Alex Browning is among a group of high school students on a trip to Europe. He suddenly has a premonition their airplane will crash, he screams to warn the others but is thrown off of the plane, and the plane crashes after they get off.  

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes  

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review 

Story: Final Destination starts when Alex (Sawa) is heading to France for a school trip. However, once Alex is on board the plane, he has a terrifying vision of the plane exploding. This leads to Alex, Carter (Smith), Tod (Donella) Billy (Scott), Terry (Detmer) and Clear (Larter) leaving the flight.

Once the plane takes off without them, it ends up exploding, killing all their friends. In the aftermath, Alex becomes a suspect in a much bigger investigation. To make matters worse, the survivors start dying in a series of strange accidents.  

Verdict on Final Destination

Final Destination is a horror thriller that follows a group of high school students that cheat death. However, despite escaping the incident, they find themselves getting picked off by death in a series of freak accidents. They must put their differences aside as they look to survive the series of accidents.

This is one of the most interesting concepts in any recent horror movie. The idea someone could see death and escape a disaster. Only to find themselves getting picked off in the order originally planned. While many of the accidents feel like they are put together in a way you could never imagine happening. They do help create a series of unique moments. Where the original stands out is with the FBI investigation, due to the fact the accident could look like a terrorist attack. This angle gets dropped in the sequels and you can see how important it feels. The original gets all the surprise factors and lets us see how the chaos unfolds. 

Final Thoughts –Final Destination is an excellent horror that truly keeps you guessing.

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Movie Review

Dracula 2000 (2000) Movie Review

Dracula 2000 – ABC Film Challenge – Horror – D – Dracula 2000 – Movie Review

Dracula

Director: Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine)

Writer: Joel Soisson, Patrick Lussier (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Gerard Butler (Plane)
  • Justine Waddell (Chaos)
  • Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting)
  • Christopher Plummer (Knives Out)
  • Vitamin C (Rock Star)

Plot: A group of thieves breaks into a chamber expecting to find paintings, but instead they release the count himself, who travels to New Orleans to find his nemesis’ daughter, Mary Van Helsing.

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Dacula 2000 starts as a group of thieves steal a coffin from Abraham Van Helsing (Plummer). He knows this needs to be retrieved, joining his protégé Simon Sheppard (Miller) to locate the coffin. Inside the coffin, Dracula (Butler) has regained his strength, killing the thieves.

Elsewhere, Mary (Waddell) finds herself having increasingly horrific nightmares about a mysterious man. Before she dives into her past to try and learn who her father really was. Discovering it was in fact Abraham and she must continue the fight for the Van Helsing legacy against Dracula.

Verdict on Dracula 2000

Dracula 2000 is a rebooted modern vision of the Dracula tale. Seeing Van Helsing fighting against the legendary Dracula in a modern world, with new rules. It creates a great idea of having Van Helsing capture Dracula and survive using his blood to make sure he remains captured. Only for his past to come back to haunt him, as he needs to locate his daughter to stop Dracula from taking her before can warn her.

The idea of taking on the flashier action horror side of a classic tale works quite well. It does have fun, using modern concepts of horror in the movie. We get to mix rock music into the action that gets to add to everything involved in the movie. This won’t be for everyone and could easily have been a random vampire name to give the same story. Previously seeing the modern vision of vampires from John Carpenter and his vampire universe.

Final Thoughts – Dracula 2000 is a fun wildly over-the-top recreation of Dracula.

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Movie Review

Miss Congeniality (2000) Movie Review

Miss Congeniality – ABC Film Challenge – Action – M – Miss Congeniality – Movie Review

Miss Congeniality

Director: Donald Petrie

Writer: Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford, Caryn Lucas (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: An F.B.I. Agent must go undercover in the Miss United States beauty pageant to prevent a group from bombing the event.

Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Miss Congeniality starts as we meet nonsense FBI agent Gracie Hart (Bullock). She along with her team including Eric Matthews (Bratt) have a failed mission. Eric is assigned the latest investigation believing the Miss United States Beauty pageant I s targeted by a serial bomber.

Gracie is assigned to go undercover in the competition, turning to Victor Melling (Caine) to prepare her. As Gracie is undercover, she must get close to her fellow contestants in hopes of getting inside information, as Eric leads the investigation from the outside.

Verdict on Miss Congeniality

Miss Congeniality is an action comedy following a fiery FBI agent that must go undercover in the Miss America beauty pageant. She is assigned to try and figure out who is behind a series of threats made being made toward the contest.

The movie puts the spotlight on the Miss United States pageant. Seeing an outsider enter the competition undercover to stop a crime. It is a nice spin on the undercover criminal movies out there. Using the fish out of water style to bring plenty of laughs along the way. It has a built-in acceptance to meeting and getting on with more people in life. Sandra Bullock is brilliant in the leading role, showing her tough side, despite being thrown into a feminine environment.

Final Thoughts – Miss Congeniality is a fun comedy which lets Sandra Bullock shine.