Plot: Two CIA agents are sent to Bucharest, Romania to solve a high profile kidnapping. But what they discover is something inexplicable. An evil gargoyle, once thought dead and banished forever, has returned with a vengeance.
Runtime: 1 Hour 27 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Gargoyle starts when CIA agents Griff (Pare) and Jennifer Wells (Hess) must investigate the aftermath of an exchange. They are trying to save a high-profile kidnap victim. However, they discover they are fighting an evil gargoyle picking people off the streets of Bucharest.
Elsewhere, Dr. Christina Durant (Orsini) discovers the origin of the gargoyles, which leads to the two sides needing to work together. However, others are trying to stop them, preventing the beast from killing more people.
Verdict on Gargoyle
Recap
The movie follows two CIA agents who believe they are dealing with a high-profile kidnapping. However, their situation quickly turns deadly as they face an evil gargoyle attacking the locals.
Best Parts
The movie explores a historical creature who has returned. It has elements of a Dracula tale, with people wanting to both fight and raise the creature.
Worst Parts
It has a by-the-book formula and never feels as terrifying as the creature is meant to be. This could have been a lot more horrific and could have dived even more into the history behind the creature.
Final Thoughts – Gargoyle is a by-the-book horror.
Plot: Six high school seniors decide to break into the Princeton Testing Center so they can steal the answers to their upcoming SAT tests and all get perfect scores.
Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Perfect Score starts when Kyle (Evans) finds his dream college in doubt when he struggles on his SAT test. He teams up with his best friend Matthy (Greenberg) to find a solution. The pair turn to the daughter of the building owner Francesca (Johansson) to break in and steal the tests.
As the team comes together, they are joined by stoner Roy (Nam), aspiring basketball star Desmond (Miles) and Ivy League student Anna (Christensen). Now the six come together with a plan to break in and steal the test results to get their dream colleges.
Verdict onThe Perfect Score
The Perfect Score is a comedy heist movie following six high school students who are struggling to get into their desired colleges due to their SAT scores. They team up to steal the answers, in an elaborate heist which could save their futures. However, the risk is worth it to them or more about going against the testing system in the high schools.
This is a movie that brings the heist movie to life for a younger group. It shows the challenges being faced by high school students battling it at a certain college. This gets to show the flaws in the system in that a test puts everyone into a bracket, rather than understanding the best way to learn. Away from that side of the story, we get the generic high school students coming together Breakfast Club style.
The cast is the most interesting here. An early couple of roles for future Avengers Chris Evans and Scarlet Johannson. It all fits the era and has a message about the struggles high school students faced.
Plot: The famed monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula, who is using Dr. Frankenstein’s research and a werewolf for nefarious purposes.
Runtime: 2 Hours 11 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Van Helsing starts when Count Dracula (Roxburgh) reigns terror over Transylvania. Anna Valerious (Beckinsale) is the last in her bloodline who promised to vanquish Dracula. However, her battles are running short and legendary monster hunter Van Helsing (Jackman) is set to help.
He clashes with Anna at first before they learn they want the same thing. They team up to uncover Dracula’s master plan to bring destruction to the world and race to stop him before it is too late.
Verdict on Van Helsing
Recap
The movie follows the legendary monster hunter Van Helsing battling with Dracula. He is joined by Anna a local monster hunter and other Universal Monsters to stop Dracula’s evil plan.
Best Parts
The movie brings the legendary Universal Monsters back to life. It interweaves them into one world as the legendary hunter tracks them down. Following on from The Mummy Stephen Sommers breathes new life into classic monsters. Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale are brilliant together. Along with a bigger secret behind Van Helsing’s bigger power. It is a great time from start to finish.
Worst Parts
The biggest weakness is that we never got a sequel.
Final Thoughts –Van Helsing is a great time and a truly enjoyable movie.
Plot: Alice wakes up in the Raccoon City hospital after the area has been overrun by zombies, and must now make it out of the city before a nuclear bomb is dropped.
Runtime: 1 Hour 34 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Resident Evil Apocalypse starts in the aftermath of the first movie. The virus has spread to the city and a race to evacuate begins with Dr Ashford (Harris). With the city turning into chaos, the undead have taken over and Major Cain (Kretschmann) locks down the city. Alice (Jovovich) joins Jill Valentine (Guillory), Carlos Olivera (Fehr) and other survivors on a mission to find Angie Ashford (Vavasseur).
As the survivors search the city, they come up against the different threats which have been unleashed. However, Alice is prepared to take on the deadliest threat in an exchange with Dr Ashford to save his missing daughter.
Verdict onResident Evil Apocalypse
Resident Evil Apocalypse is an action horror sequel expanding the world created in the first movie. It follows a group of survivors trying to escape Raccoon City after the virus spreads and taking on Umbrella in the process.
This moves more toward the all-out action concept which the series later became more famous for. The horror is mostly the undead and the larger Nemesis project unleashed. It plays out more like a video game, with the core story being a rescue mission to save a young girl trapped in the city. The inclusion of Jill Valentine helps the more hardcore fans of the gaming series after the first movie lacked any of the popular characters. It is big and entertaining, which works for what is trying to be created but is far from the best in the franchise. There are some big set pieces with Alice’s introduction in the church and the final showdown.
Plot: An insight on the gritty life of a bored male, Chelsea football hooligan who lives for violence, sex, drugs & alcohol.
Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Football Factory starts as we meet the football hooligan Tommy Johnson (Dyer) who was raised in a violet firm. He operates with Billy (Harper), and Rod (Maskell) under the ruthless leader Harris (Denham). They spend their time looking for fights with fellow hooligans who support rival teams.
When Tommy and Fred’s latest wild night out sees them clash with members of a rival firm, the war between them elevates. It gets worse when Chelsea draw Millwall in the cup and both sides are prepared for the big fight. However, Tommy starts questioning whether this is what he wants in his life, as he is getting older and feeling more aimless.
Verdict onThe Football Factory
The Football Factory is a crime thriller following a man who has lived for the hooligan nature and wild parties. He starts questioning if it is what he wants in life and slowly begins to understand not everything has been worth it.
This movie explores people living a life of crime and wanting more from their lives. It dives into the pathetic world of football hooliganism where people claim to be fans and search for fights. This shows how pathetic people who want this in life are and give genuine fans a bad name. At the same time, the bigger story about learning is that what you have been taught isn’t the best way to approach life. You can always learn to be better if you open your eyes and learn from misinformation from violent people. Even with the strong message, the glorification of violence and criminal behaviour holds the movie back too often.
Plot: A teenager’s dreams come true when a former porn star moves in next door and they fall in love.
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Girl Next Door starts when an outsider Matthew Kidman (Hirsch) gets a new neighbour the beautiful Danielle (Cuthbert). Matthew is about to graduate and start college, but he finds most social situations awkward. Danielle takes him under her wing to show him more about life, but she has a secret.
One of Matthew’s friends discovers that Danielle is an adult star. It changes how Matthew looks at Danielle and ruins their friendship or anything about their potential relationship.
Verdict on The Girl Next Door
The Girl Next Door is a romantic comedy following a high school student who is about the graduate. He has planned his future through college for years but never managed to live his life. However, it all changes when he gets a new neighbour who has appeared in an adult movie and finds himself learning more about life.
This movie works well for the outlandish concept of high schools wanting to date porn stars. However, it makes it seem like high schoolers are obsessed with porn and not their futures. There are bits which are funny, and other moments can feel more out of the box than expected.
On the 19th of March 2004, Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead was released. It went on to become the most successful change in the zombie movie and made Zack Snyder and James Gunn massive names to pay attention in Hollywood. While people can debate which one is better, very few say either is bad.
Today, I am going to look at Dawn of the Dead 20 Years Later and look at the impact it made on the zombie horror subgenre.
The Original Zombie Movies
The first zombie theme in a movie was released in 1919, it was a French movie called ‘J’accuse’. It focuses more on the zombies from the traumas of war. Elsewhere, ‘White Zombie’ is widely considered the first pure zombie movie. A whole host of zombie movies followed until 1968 changed everything.
George A Romero released ‘Night of the Living Dead’ one of the most grounded-breaking zombie movies ever made. It is considered the one of the greatest horror movies ever made. Lucio Fulci’s ‘Zombi 2’ proved people around the world could bring their own spins on the biggest franchise around. He would continue to be one of the most influential directors in the subgenre too. Stuart Gordon gave us Re-Animator and Dan O’Bannon the cult classic ‘The Return of the Living Dead’.
Stephen King had his spins on the subgenre too, with Mary Lambert directing ‘Pet Sematary’. Peter Jackson gave us ‘Braindead’ proving some of the biggest names were involved in the subgenre. However, one major thing remained in the movies, the speed of the zombies. They were always considered slow and easy to avoid unless there were large numbers.
28 Days Later Changed the Game
In 2002, Danny Boyle released 28 Days Later, and it changed the game. The zombies are referred to as infected and run at incredible speed. This change added an all-new level of fear to the zombie subgenre. One that Zack Snyder ran with in Dawn of the Dead. What followed was a massive increase in the number of zombie movies and we never knew what we were getting from them.
The biggest thing the change did was challenge directors to bring a new original spin to their movies. We did get treated to some excellent additions to the subgenre. However, it also gave birth to the cheaper cash grabs which lacked the imaginations others gave us.
Critical Reception
Dawn of the Dead sits on 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading ‘A kinetic, violent and surprisingly worthy remake of George Romero’s horror classic that pays homage to the original while working on its own terms.’
Positive
Lisa Schwarzbaum for Entertainment Weekly quotes ’Snyder, making a killer feature debut, trades homemade cheesiness for knowing style, revels in the sophistication of modern special effects, and stomps off with the best remake — er, ‘re-envisioning’ — of a horror classic in memory.’
Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times quotes ‘Dawn of the Dead works and it delivers just about what you expect when you buy your ticket.’
Negative
Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune quotes ‘Romero’s movie was both scary and satiric, but this reprise, directed by British TV-ad wiz Zack Snyder, is neither.’
Elvis Mitchell in the New York Times quotes ‘Mr. Snyder’s blood feast is strictly by the numbers: this second-rater could be the world’s most expensive Troma film.’
Box Office
Dawn of the Dead was produced with a budget of $28 Million and went on to make just over $100 Million worldwide. It was the second-highest horror movie in the US Box Office behind ‘The Grudge’ remake. However, worldwide it was fourth behind ‘Resident Evil Apocalypse’ and ‘Saw’.
The Rise of Zack Snyder & James Gunn
Dawn of the Dead is Zack Snyder’s feature film debut after spending his early career directing music videos. We know he has gone on to become one of the biggest names in Hollywood with his involvement in the DCU movies. Outside of them, he has always wanted to bring his own vision to the movie.
James Gunn wrote the screenplay for Dawn of the Dead. He has also gone on to become the lead creative behind the DCU as well as bringing the Guardians of the Galaxy to life. This movie proved the pair knew how to go big and make a major impact in Hollywood.
A Cult Classic or Failed Attempt? The Perfect Score Revisited
On the 30th of January 2004, teen comedy The Perfect Score was released. It follows six high school students who decide the steal the SAT tests to help themselves get the best scores for college. However, along the way, they must overcome their problems and learn what is most important for their futures.
Today, I am looking back at the movie and seeing whether it is a cult favourite in the early career of a few A-Listers, or just another teen comedy.
The Perfect Score: 20 Years Later
Box Office
IMDB reports that The Perfect Score had a budget of $40 Million, which for the time seems crazy for a comedy. If that number is correct, it would put this down as a massive disappointment, only making just under $11 Million worldwide. It opened at number 5 in the US Box Office which is always a negative factor for any movie.
Critical Reception
The Perfect Score has a relatively negative reaction from the critics, sitting with a score of 16%. Most of the critics claimed the lack of laughs to hold the movie back. While other movies have done the similar story, with a better outcome.
Positive
Allison Benedikt in the Chicago Tribune quotes ‘Succeeds because at its core it is about the very different pressures very different young adults face, and the test that insists on judging them as one and the same.’
Mike Clark in the USA Today quotes ‘Johansson’s nearly deadpan deliveries are looking adaptable to a variety of roles, and the Nam character’s stoned demeanor gets laughs in a variety of situations.’
Negative
Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Time quotes’ It’s too palatable. It maintains a tone of light seriousness, and it depends on the caper for too much of its entertainment value.’
Melinda Ennis in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution quotes ‘Despite the serious subject matter, director Brian Robbins can’t decide whether this is a drama, a satire or an American Pie-style teen spoof, and the film dissolves into a shapeless, weightless mass.’
The Pre-Avengers
The Perfect Score has Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson in the cast. They both went on to be the cornerstones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Captain America and Black Widow. However, both the then-young stars had different paths before this movie.
Scarlett Johansson was a child star stepping into more adult movies. Her early credits include ‘Home Alone 3’, ‘Ghost World’ and ‘Eight-Legged Freaks’. In 2003 her performance in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation’ and early 2004 ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ turned heads at her abilities. She has gone on to receive two Oscar Nominations, for ‘Jojo Rabbit’ and ‘A Marriage Story’ both in the same year.
Elsewhere, Chris Evans had appeared in ‘Not Another Teen Movie’, but this was his next major role. A small action movie ‘Cellular’ was the last role before he stepped into his first major comic movie with ‘Fantastic Four’.
The Rest of the Cast
Bryan Greenberg
Bryan Greenberg is the best friend of Kyle and sees his dreams shattered with his lower score, he is a good support character in the movie. However, he went on to have one of the least exciting careers of the whole cast. He has worked on movies such as ‘Bride Wars’, ‘Friends with Benefits’ and ‘The Program’. Bryan never managed to reach a leading man position like his fellow cast members.
Erika Christensen
Erika Christensen has previously appeared in thriller ‘Swinfan’ and appeared in a few of the popular sitcoms of the time. She would be considered the lead female of the film too and much like Bryan Greenberg, she never took off like some of the other cast members. Her biggest role after was in the sitcom ‘Parenthood’ which ran for 6 seasons.
Darius Miles
Darius Miles plays the aspiring basketball player who needs a certain level SAT result to get into college. His character reflected his real career, as he was in the early stages of his professional career in this movie following on from his appearance in ‘Van Wilder’. Darius played professional basketball for nearly 10 years before injury ended his career early.
Leonardo Nam
Leonardo Nam completes the six-person cast on the heist, he plays the typical stoner slacker who ends up joining in the heist. While he never had any major roles, he has become a reliable cast member. In recent years, his most famous role would be in ‘Westworld’. We can also watch out for him in the highly rated Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’.
Matthew Lillard
Matthew Lillard was the main reason I went to check this movie out. He was known for ‘Scream’, ‘Thir13en Ghosts’, and ‘Scooby Doo’ to mention a few. I am still a massive fan of all of these movies and the actor in general. While this is only a supporting role, he makes the most of it with added laughs and has continued to go on to become one of the most loved actors of his generation.
Director
Brian Robbins is the director of The Perfect Score. Before this movie, he director cult comedies ‘Good Burger’, ‘Ready to Rumble’ alongside popular sports dramas ‘Varsity Blues’ and ‘Hardball’. After this movie he remained in comedy with ‘Norbit’ and ‘Meet Dave’.
Teen Comedy Competition
2004 has some of the most popular teen comedies which performed much better at the box office. Some are still considered the best of an era too. ‘Mean Girls’, ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ and ‘The Girl Next Door’ would be considered the three most popular.
Plot: An FBI profiler is called in by French Canadian police to catch a serial killer who takes on the identity of each new victim.
Runtime: 1 Hour 43 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Taking Lives starts when the French-Canadian police discover a dead body. Detective Paquette (Martinez) is leading the investigation until FBI profiler Illeana (Jolie) arrives connecting the cases to a serial killer.
One of the prime suspects is artist Costa (Hawke) whom Illeana is keeping an eye on, as something about his doesn’t add up. However, the case ends up taking a dramatic turn when Illeana gets involved in learning the truth.
Verdict on Taking Lives
Taking Lives is a crime mystery thriller following an FBI profiler, trying to track down a serial killer. The killer has known to steal the identity of the people he kills, making it difficult for the authorities to track him.
This is a dark thriller that constantly keeps us guessing. The twisted mind of the killer helps drive the movie forward, as the identity-stealing killer is impossible to track. This creates a mystery that keeps us guessing, as we literally don’t know who the killer could be. However, this does fall slightly short with the lack of suspects shown to us or clues or evidence. While the movie does have great performances from Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke. It doesn’t help give the movie the level of mystery it needs.
Final Thoughts – Taking Lives is a thriller with a big mystery and plenty of twists.
