Quarantine: Another Zombie Movie

This will be short.

The performances in this film range between good to fantastic, sadly this is just another zombie film. The shaky, on the scene style of filming that combines basic cinematography with the Blair Witch Project and it's effective while being terribly cliche and the fact that the "good guys" don't gear up like Rambo is a pretty nice touch too. There's also a payoff at the end that's not half bad.

Sadly the only thing good about this film is the acting, other than that this is just another zombie film. I'm numb to them now. Like the ghoulish, mindless, boring villains themselves, zombie flicks have been multiplying and spreading across our screens threatening to mark the first decade of this century as the shambling decade of horror.

The plot of Quarantine is uncreative, predictable and unworthy of the performers who put their best efforts in. If you love zombie flicks, then spend some time watching this, yet another example of how Hollywood in unintentional collaboration with numerous European studios can flood the market with mediocre genre films until absolutely no one is watching.

RL

[Spinward Fringe Frontline News: My editor is currently reviewing the first 200 pages as I continue writing past the page 250 mark.]

The Day The Earth Stood Still: A Review Without Spoilers

First of all, this is a review of the new film of the same name as the original black and white classic.

Taking an honest look at this film, it's not so much a remake as it is a new film that considers some of the same issues, uses some of the same imagery and tries to convey a similar message.

There honestly isn't much I can say about this movie without giving something away, so this'll be a short review. I will, however, tell you what you need to know in order to decide whether it's a film you might enjoy.

The directing, acting and special effects are all very well carried out. I didn't doubt any of the performances or characters for that matter. This film isn't another Independence Day, it's not what I'd consider an action movie though there are some explosions and fantastic sights. The film asks questions and answers a few from a certain point of view that have insulted some reviewers.

This is a film with a few very simple messages that is made to entertain as well as provoke thought and discussion. If that's not your cup of tea, then you shouldn't bother renting it. I personally know a few people who felt very insulted by this movie, and to be honest, I hope they spend a little time thinking about why they found the movie insulting. Open minds won't have any difficulty grasping the point behind the whole film, in fact, they're more likely to be entertained by it than anyone.

I highly recommend this film to anyone with an open mind who is tired of empty spectacle movies. There's plenty of spectacle in this feature, but it has a message and I'm a big sucker for a movie that's trying to tell you something, even if it's doing it in a very blunt, straight forward way.

RL

January 25 to January 31 Is Review Week!

I realize that things have been a little slow on my blog lately because I've been working hard on Spinward Fringe Frontline. So I've decided to take half an hour a day this week to review something on television or film.

I used to review interesting and terrible productions on this blog fairly regularly, and I thought, since there was little I could report on while the work continued on Frontline other than the fact that it's going well, I'd give reviews another spin.

There's a few things to keep in mind, however. I tend to be brutal when I review something, I've written such classics as "Top 10 Reasons to Avoid Starship Troopers 3" and "The Happening: Don't Let It Happen To You". The titles are only the beginning of these all out attacks. I actually enjoy pulling entertainment apart if it's likely to waste someone's time.

On the other hand I can be very generous in my reviews, and to be honest I enjoy writing that kind of piece a lot more even though I rarely find entertainment that's worthy of praise.

Anyway, there you have it: Starting tomorrow, it's review week on this blog and I hope to entertain you while I hack and slash or excitedly exult with some humour mixed in either way.

As far as Spinward Fringe Frontline is concerned, well, I'm having quite an adventure and I can't wait to pass it on when the book is finished. It's taking me longer to write this one simply because it's a bigger book, there are three running plotlines, and some very important things happen in this volume. I'll have more to say about that later on, until then, enjoy the fireworks.

RL