The Prestige (2006)

As I mentally prepare myself for this weekend of softball, I decided to watch something relaxing and somewhat thought-provoking. After some thought, I decided on the 2006 sci-fi/mystery The Prestige.

Plot/ Two stage magicians engage in competitive one-upmanship in an attempt to create the ultimate stage illusion.

Any movie that features Nikola Tesla is an automatic winner in my book, plus when the amazing David Bowie is playing that genius, it is a home run. That is exactly what The Prestige is, an amazing journey to another time that doubles as a tremendous character study with a dark look at obsession. Complete with an outstanding storyline, an incredible cast with top-notch performances, and spot on direction and cinematography, this movie does not disappoint in any way. Not to mention the sci-fi/steampunk twist added into what was already a great trip into the world of illusion. Yes, it was a touch predictable if you pay attention to the dialog and hints that are sprinkled in, but that does nothing to bring the movie down. In the end, if you have not seen this film, you are really missing out. It is honestly one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies and a darker film that I could watch over and over again. Highly recommended.

The Devils's Rain (1975)

After taking a slight break from movies and the blog for a couple days, I decided that it was time to fins something mindless to watch. After searching Shudder, I settled on the 1975 cult flick The Devil’s Rain.

Plot/ A bunch of Satanists in the American rural landscape have terrible powers which enable them to melt their victims. However one of the children of an earlier victim vows to destroy them.

The 1970s were such a different time, especially in movies. One of the biggest movements was the fear of Devil worship that overtook every part of culture from movies, to music, and even gaming. This movie clearly falls into the heart of that movement. Complete with a tremendous cast featuring Ernest Borgnine, Tom Skerritt, Eddie Albert, Ida Lupino, William Shatner, Keenan Wynn, and, even John Travolta. The storyline is interesting although some of it is incoherent (especially the opening sequence), and while the schlock-filled effects do not hold up in any way, watching all of the bodies melt is a fun (and surprising) twist I did not expect. Of course, watching Ernest Borgnine transform to a goat was complete cheese and while interesting, the storyline was a mess, but those flaws only add to the schlock factor. In the end, this is not a technically good movie and there are many flaws, but it is fun. If you are into 1970s B-Movie cheese, give it a shot. It is entertaining and fun.

Magic (1978)

After watching the cheesefest that was Contamination, I decided to venture into something different. Subsequently, I searched through Shudder until I found something down a stranger path, finally settling on the underrated 1978 flick Magic.

Plot/ A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.

This was an amazing film, and one that often flies under the RADAR for fans of horror flicks or thrillers. Directed by Sir Richard Attenbourough, this movie oozes atmosphere and is one of the creepier films from that era. Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins is amazing, creating a movie that is in many ways a precursor to his performance in Silence of the Lambs. The cast is strong, the cinematography is solid, the storyline works, and there is great tension sprinkled into the entire film. Yes, some of the pacing may seem slow and there are some head scratching moments, but those do not hold the movie back in any way. In the end, this is a creepy flick that for some reason often overlooked. With the movie now available on Shudder; give it a shot.

Now You See Me 2 (2016)

Today has been a busy day, but luckily, for me, I decided to watch a couple flicks last night, which can give me enough material to jump into the blog tonight before heading off to bed. Next up is the 2016 follow-up to the 2013 entry Now You See Me, with Now You See Me 2.

Plot/ The Four Horsemen resurface and are forcibly recruited by a tech genius to pull off their most impossible heist yet.

Sequels can always be difficult, as most never reach the heights of the original. That was definitely the case with this entry, as it does not even come close to the detail and twists of the first film in the series. While there are some positives with decent performances, some decent effects, and a cast that does work well together, the film never really develops the same tension and atmosphere of the original. The scripting feels off, the characters never come to life, and many details are left floating inside a predictable and clichéd format. In the end, this film is in no way as entertaining as the original and leaves a lot to be desired. Is it terrible? No, but it is not anything special either.

V/H/S: Viral (2014)

Last night I was locked into science class and my weekly assignment. When in that zone, I struggle to get motivated to do any type of writing or reviewing. That was a shame because I still have some stuff from the weekend to catch up on. The next one up from that backlog is the 2014 sequel V/H/S: Viral.

Plot/ Follows fame-obsessed teens that unwittingly become stars of the next Internet sensation.

As a fan of the first two installments of the V/H/S series, I was decently excited to pick this one up when it came out. Unfortunately, that excitement quickly deteriorated once I started watching it. Unlike the first two entries, this one has no coherent moments and is a rather large mess. In fact, I would say that the only redeeming quality is the initial segment about Dante the Great. While not perfect, it did make some sense and was interesting. Other than that, the film felt beyond low budget with poor scripting, uneven editing, poor special effect, and some bad characterization (not sure if that was the script, acting, or both). In the end, stay away, and if you were a fan of the first two movies, stay far away from this one.

Houdini (2014)

After spending the night deep in the Mesopotamian and Egyptian myths and legends of creation, I needed some down time. To help ease my mind, I decided to venture into miniseries mode, by watching the History Channel biopic Houdini.  

Plot/ Follow the man behind the magic as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigori Rasputin.

Biopic miniseries are always tough. On one hand, they must have an entertainment value that keep fans interested; on the other hand, they often accomplish this by embellishing on reality. That was definitely the case with this one, as it is takes a modern approach to a man that has always fascinated society. Harry Houdini was and is larger than life, but this series embellished his legend more than any other attempt at telling his story. Yes, the performances (especially Adrien Brody) were outstanding, the effects were solid, and the overall feel is entertaining. Unfortunately, this miniseries did not capture the true sadness that permeated through Houdini and his life, and did a disservice to the true story of greatness. In the end, this one would be a great flick to introduce Houdini into ones life, and create a fascination for one to do further research into the legend. It is worth watching for entertainment purposes, but not for a true biographical picture.

The Illusionist (2006)

After taking Saturday off to recover from soccer, softball, and fishing, I decided to kick back and watch something with a bit of a lighter feel. After doing some football coverage with my first mock draft of the season, it was time to find something. That is when I found one of my favorite period pieces / mysteries; the Illusionist from 2006.

Plot/ In turn-of-the-century Vienna, a magician uses his abilities to secure the love of a woman far above his social standing.

This movie is rare, as it took two genres and pulled off merging them into one entertaining and fluid pieces of cinema. Everything about this film worked extremely well. The cast bought into their roles and performed them perfectly, the cinematography and visuals are amazing, the scripting keeps you guessing, and the ending was perfect. Honestly, even after viewing it multiple times it is still fascinating to watch. If you have not seen it, yet, then I ask why not? This is a tremendous film and one that should viewed. Check it out!

Now You See Me (2013)

One thing that sometime gets to me is the inability to venture out to see movies in the cinema. Do not get me wrong, I could, but with the over-exurbanite price of everything, I prefer to head to the drive-in, where it is more cost effective. In doing that, there are often movies I miss on the big screen, and I am forced to wait for their release. Now You See Me (2013) was one of those movies.

Plot/ An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

Now that I have seen this, I understand why I heard so many differing opinions at work. While visually stimulating and an interest premise, the potential was here for so much more. The acting was solid, the idea was strong, and the execution was used to create an entertaining movie. However, the lack of characterization, the invisibility of the tremendous cast as a whole, and the overwhelming clichéd ending will in the end keep this from being all that it could have been. Yes, the characters are interesting, but there was no definitive back story, just some disconnected elements that were hinted at throughout. In the end, this one is entertaining and fun, with enough visual to keep you interested the first time through, after that it may be a challenge. 

Lord of Illusions (1995)

It has been an interesting few days at work, as my new class and I overhauled a 1950s RCA Victor phonograph (it sounds awesome) and built a weird vibrating rocket ship. Of course, here at the house, we focused on completing some things for the Fayette County Fair, which we got to enter today. Overall, it was just another busy week. Fortunately, I had some time to squeeze in a movie, Clive Barkers, Lord of Illusions.

Plot/ During a routine case in L.A., NY private investigator Harry D'Amour stumbles over members of a fanatic cult, who are waiting for the resurrection of their leader.

This is by far my favorite film by Clive Barker. The atmosphere, characters and storyline are tremendous with Barker’s signature style permeating throughout the movie. More importantly, there is a nice blend of blood, death and strange happenings woven into the fabric. Yes, some of it may be a bit over the top, but for me, that was only a small detractor. In the end, it may not be as famous as Hellraiser no have the cult following of that classic, but it is a intriguing journey into a magical realm of darkness and a flick that must be seen (especially, the directors cut).

Hugo (2011)

One of the movements in life that I absolutely love, but have not been able to truly find my place in is Steampunk. Everything about it fascinates me, as I feel like much of the world would be better if we embraced that culture and improved upon it. Life could be simpler, better and more open. Ironically, when I first saw the preview for Hugo, that same feel popped into my mind, and now, I finally sat down to watch it to see.

Plot/ Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

This was an interesting flick; I am just not sure who the intended audience was. We picked it up for the daughters, but they drifted off within the first hour, me, I was captivated by the scenery and the idea. Honestly, it may be one of the most visually stunning movies I have seen in some time, and the story, while a bit choppy, inspired me. Yes, some of the pacing seemed a bit slow, and some of it may have been a bit confusing, but that did not deter this film at all. With an amazing atmosphere, solid back-story, heartfelt message and truly amazing look, this movie was like a dream opening the doors to an imagination that had been closed a long time ago. In the end, this ode to the early days of film may be a tad slow, but it is a piece of cinematic genius that must be seen.

Fright Night (2011)

The original Fright Night was one of my favorite 1980s flicks; I remember watching it many times on VHS.  When I first saw the advertisements for the remake, I was unsure what to expect. As many fans of horror already know, the recent trend of remakes have been far from impressive, in fact, many just suck! For the longest time I resisted the temptation to sit down and watch the remake, I did not want to be disappointed again by a subpar moneymaker. Finally, this past weekend I got it as a free rental, so what the Hell, Fright Night 2011 (at least we will not have sparkling vampires in this one).

Plot/ A remake of the 1985 original, teenager Charley Brewster guesses that his new neighbor Jerry Dandrige is a vampire responsible for a string of recent deaths. When no one he knows believes him, he enlists Peter Vincent, a self-proclaimed vampire killer and Las Vegas magician, to help him take down Jerry.

One thing about remakes or re-inventions of classic films is the director’s have some liberties in changing some of the small details from the original to something that works a tad bit better (awesome when used properly – but, unfortunately it is usually overlooked). That is exactly what is done in this edition and it does add something to the storyline. The idea to stay true to the original plot (and some campiness) while moving the setting to Las Vegas, and changing the Peter Vincent character really works. In all, most of the movie is fun and entertaining; complete with solid character development, good performances and the right mix of mood, tension and horror (the soundtrack was awesome). On the downside, some of the CGI effects took away from the overall feel. Of course, this is being overly critical as I am not a fan of CGI, and honestly, some were good.  At the end of the night, this flick may lack scares, but it is pure entertainment marrying a modern twist to a 1980s classic. I totally recommend this one for anyone; it definitely shows why a true vampire will never sparkle.

The Raven (1963)

After a long day, I decided to turn to something reliable to put a smile on my face. What is that? The combination of Roger Corman, Vincent Price and Edgar Allan Poe, in 1963s The Raven.

Plot/ A magician who has been turned into a raven turns to a former sorcerer for help in this film loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem.

While this Roger Corman adaptation of Poe’s The Raven is far from a horror flick, it is definitely a must see for horror fans. Yes, there is not much linking the film to Poe other than the title, but what Richard Matheson’s scripting created is one of the best Corman trips into the world of Poe. Littered with comedy, the fusing of Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff (with a young Jack Nicholson), really works within the confines of this often overlooked Corman masterpiece. The special effects are decent (especially on the budget), the sets are tremendous and the script is amazing. Yes, there are flaws (as there are in all of Corman’s low-budget flicks), but they are easily overlooked. Check this out, you will not be disappointed.