Review Archive: Black Rain - Drillbit Taylor

Black Rain
Black Rain is one of those movies that I wanted to see when it first hit theaters. I was 12 when it did so my only option was the VHS rental down the road. I remember watching a little bit of it before losing interest and turning back to my Nintendo. Now, nearly two decades later, I decided to give it another shot. I'm glad I did.

Black Rain is a solid thriller/action flick that doesn't seem to get any recognition these days. It's a shame because it's definitely worth watching. The action is tense, the story is good and wraps you up right from the start. I'm not a big Michael Douglas fan but he's really good in this one.

Black Rain is recommended.

Borderland
This is the first of the After Dark flicks that I've watched for 2007. Not a bad watch. Lots of gore and an interesting story. Seeing that it was inspired by true events made it even creepier. The only negatives were a lack of character development and the length. It's hard to feel sympathy for characters that aren't really fleshed out. And the 105 minute run time is a bit much. They could have chopped it down 10 minutes to tighten it up some.

The Brady Bunch Movie
Growing up in the early 80s, I was a big fan of The Brady Bunch. Through the constant stream of reruns, I probably managed to catch every episode over the course of time. Sure, the show was pretty cheesy but I always managed to enjoy it. Needless to say, when news broke that there would be a movie based on it, I was pretty excited.

Before I watched this the other night, I hadn't seen it in quite some time. It was one of those movies that I'd always watch whenever I stumbled upon it on HBO. I liked it quite a bit and was always amused by it. Watching it now, years after my original viewings, I've found it doesn't hold up nearly as well as I'd hoped it would.

The filmmakers here were absolutely spot-on in recreating the show. They really did a terrific job. The cast pays solid tribute to the originals and are all great. Gary Cole, in particular, as Mr. Brady really hits the mark. All the references to the show are accurate and amusing. The movie's biggest problem is that it is merely amusing and not downright funny. I chuckled often during this but never really found anything hysterical. Ultimately, I was disappointed.

The movie scores high for the nostalgia value and for the accuracy of the characters. If you're a fan of the show, it's recommended for that alone. If you don't like the show, this probably isn't for you.


The Bucket List
The Bucket List is a pretty good movie. You kind of know what it is going in so prepare for the sentimentality. Once that's out of the way, this one's got some pretty funny moments. The chemistry between Nicholson and Freeman comes across very well on the screen. They look like they had a great time filming a lot of the stuff seen here.

The Bucket List is worth seeing.

Buried Alive (2007)
Buried Alive tells the story of a group of college students who go to stay at an old family house out in the desert. This being a horror flick, things don't quite work out the way they'd hoped.

This is a decent movie. The pacing is pretty slow and not much happens for the first hour or so. The story is interesting enough to maintain through the slow times. It picks up considerably in the last 15 minutes or so. The cast is pretty good considering that, with the exception of Tobin Bell, they're fairly unknown. Bell is solid as Lester, the caretaker. He actually looks like he's having a good time with his role. We've got a few pretty good kills and some decent gore in this one.

Buried Alive is worth a rental.

Catacombs
Catacombs was much better than I was expecting. The atmosphere down in the titular catacombs was excellent. It built up a genuine sense of dread primarily because something like this could actually happen. The ending also caught me by surprise. I was expecting it to zig and instead, it zagged on me. Quite a pleasant surprise.

Catacombs is recommended.

Chaos Theory
Chaos Theory was a fairly average movie that could have been a lot better. For a movie billed as a comedy, the laughs were few and far between. If anything, I'd say this leans a bit heavier on the drama. Especially given some of the subject matter. That being said, Ryan Reynolds was pretty solid and Sarah Chalke gets to strut around in bra and panties. Can't go wrong there.

Chaos Theory is alright for a one-time watch. Rent it.

Cloverfield
Cloverfield is one of those movies that you either love or you hate. There really doesn't seem to be any middle ground on this one. Personally, I loved it. Every single second of it. The first 20 minutes set the scene very nicely for what's about to come. I could feel the tension inside of me building as I knew what was about to happen. And once it happened, I was hooked. The 74 minute run time(minus the credits) really just flew by to the point that it left me wanting more. This one is highly recommended.

Clue: The Movie
Clue was one of my favorite movies growing up. It seemed like every time I turned on HBO, Clue would be there. This one never fails to amuse me even though I've seen it dozens of times at this point. Tim Curry is awesome in this one, particularly near the end where he's giving the rundown as to how everything could have happened. Just a great performance.

Clue comes highly recommended.

Crazy Eights
The cast made this one work. It starred a lot of actors whom you'd recognize but might not know by name. A few jump scares and some genuinely creepy scenes make this a worthwhile watch.The biggest drawback on this one is its length. Running at 80 minutes, they could have stretched it out a bit to focus more on character development. Regardless, I enjoyed it.

The Crow: Salvation
This second sequel to The Crow is not a bad flick. It certainly blew the previous sequel, City of Angels, right out of the water. The cast here is solid with Eric Mabius making a good Crow and Walton Goggins providing something of a preview of the character he went on to play on The Shield. At the end of the day, it's not a great movie but it's a decent way to spend 102 minutes.

The Crow: Wicked Prayer
Without a doubt, this is the worst of The Crow series. This movie is extremely boring for the first 50 minutes or so. Once it begins to pick up, it goes from boring to just out and out silliness. The story was lame and the cast really didn't help it much. Furlong was essentially the emo version of The Crow, complaining about wanting to die. I was really hoping someone would have taken him up on it and ended the movie a lot earlier. Skip this one.


Dan In Real Life
I liked Dan in Real Life quite a bit. Much more so than I was expecting honestly. There were a lot of moments that had me laughing hysterically but they were well balanced out with scenes that tugged on the heartstrings a bit. And in my opinion, no one does awkward quite like Steve Carell does awkward. Some of the scenes in this movie had me feeling awkward for him, that's how convincing he is at it.

Dan in Real Life is a solid comedy with a good cast and lots of heart. It's recommended.


David Spade: Take The Hit
David Spade's Take the Hit is his first special for HBO. Spade does have quite a few funny moments here but not quite enough to sustain an hour. I found myself getting a bit restless before the end of the show.

If you're a stand-up fan, there are better discs out there for you than this one. Skip it if you're not a big Spade fan.


Daylight
Daylight is really nothing special. It's not horrible but it also isn't anything really worth going nuts over either. Stallone plays his typical troubled action hero, a former EMS chief with scandal lurking in his past. The only character that is actually interesting is Viggo Mortensen's Roy Nord.

If you're a Stallone fan, check out Daylight. If not, skip it and check out one of his stronger flicks.


Death Valley
Death Valley (a.k.a. Mojave) tells the story of four friends who go out into the desert for a rave and what happens when they run into some trouble with the locals.

For a thriller, Death Valley is decent. It's one of those movies that kind of straddles the line between good and bad. The acting is alright with the biggest surprise being Vince Vieluf who actually came across as menacing here. Some of the acting borders on parody with Dash Mihok at one point giving a "Do it for Johhny" speech that was shockingly similar to The Outsiders. The story, while having been done countless times in the past, still manages to hold your interest.

Death Valley would make for a decent rental if you're a fan of thrillers. Don't let the box art fool you though, this is definitely not a horror flick.


The Deaths of Ian Stone
This is the third Horrorfest flick I've watched for 2007. Of the three I've caught so far, this is the best one. The story is pretty interesting and really not at all what I was expecting. I'd heard this was like a horror version of Groundhog Day but it's really not even close. The effects on the Harvesters were really good...they looked creepy as hell IMO. Mike Vogel was solid as Ian Stone and there was some nice eye candy in the forms of Jamie Murray and Christina Cole.


Definitely, Maybe
Definitely, Maybe is a pretty good movie. It's a father in the midst of a divorce telling his young daughter the story of his love life. Ryan Reynolds has a charm that radiates off the screen and he generally comes off likable. This movie is has some pretty funny moments and has a lot of heart. It helps that the women in his life include Isla Fisher. Yum.

Definitely, Maybe is worth a watch.


The Devil and Daniel Johnston
The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a documentary about musician and artist Daniel Johnston. Johnston has a long history of mental problems and is a diagnosed manic depressive. This documentary is a fascinating look into the life and times of a talented, yet troubled individual. It's often painful sitting through some of the incidents that Johnston went through on his way to finding redemption.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston is recommended.


Diary of the Dead
Diary of the Dead was a pretty big disappointment for me. I went into it really wanting to like it. But, at the end of the day, it felt like one of those flicks that Lions Gate dumps out direct-to-video. I even liked Land of the Dead more than this one. There were a few "Oh shit!" moments and a few moments that made me chuckle but they were so few and far between that it made the movie seem unbearably long.

Skip Diary of the Dead. Especially if you're a fan of the genre.

Doomsday
I really enjoyed Doomsday. There's blood and gore, decapitations and mayhem. All in all, the movie was a blast. I genuinely had a lot of fun watching. The action takes a little bit to get going but once it does, it doesn't let up. The cast is solid and Rhona Mitra is damn sexy.

Doomsday is highly recommended.


Down in the Valley
Down in the Valley is a decent movie. Nothing spectacular but not exactly terrible. Norton is solid, as always, as Harlan. As the movie progresses, you can see the changes in the character and Norton handles the shift quite well. Evan Rachel Wood is good as Tobe.

Down in the Valley is worth watching if you're an Edward Norton fan. Even if not, it's still worth a rental.


Dracula II: Ascension
Dracula II: Ascension is one of the numerous direct-to-video sequels that Dimension released in the early 2000s. If one of their movies was a success, you could count on sequels like this hitting store shelves down the road. This is the follow-up to Dracula 2000.

The curse of direct-to-video sequels like this is that, while they can be entertaining, they're generally not very memorable. This is a prime example. I enjoyed it while watching it but now, all I recall are bits and pieces. The story is interesting but nothing worth going crazy over. The cast here makes the best of what they have to work with. Unfortunately for them, it's not a lot.

If you're a genre fan, this one's alright for a one-time rental. Other than that, skip it.


Dracula III: Legacy
Dracula III: Legacy is the third and (so-far) final film in the Dracula 2000 series. It follows Dracula II: Ascension.

This one sees most of the cast and crew returning from the previous movie. Unlike the previous movie, this one really has nothing making it stand out. It winds up becoming your run of the mill direct-to-video horror flick. It's competently made but completely forgettable.

Skip it.


Drillbit Taylor
Drillbit Taylor is a pretty funny movie. In a way, it comes across as Superbad for a younger crowd. And that makes sense, what with Judd Apatow's involvement and Seth Rogen's writing. You've got your fat kid, your average skinny kid and your ultra dork. They encounter problems with bullies on the first day of high school and wind up searching for a bodyguard. Along comes Owen Wilson, as the titular character. He's charming as always and helps the kids to solve their bully problem.

There are a lot of laughs in this one but it begins to drag a bit about three quarters of the way into the movie. Perhaps the extra 8 minutes this extended edition has to offer are overkill. I'm not sure as I've yet to see the original.

Drillbit Taylor's worth checking out.