Movie Review: Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

 

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

A Movie Review by Dave Randal

Genre: Drama | History | Thriller

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Writer: Mark Boal

Studios: Annapurna Pictures

Distributed by: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: January 11, 2013

Plot: A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011. 

When I saw the first trailer for Zero Dark Thirty I was pretty worried that it would just be a big piece of political propaganda.  I don't think anyone could seriously blame me for thinking that either.  I'm very libertarian so I'm very much against any movie that would support the ideas of war or force in general.  After watching it though I realized that they kept the political stuff very minimal and I ended up really enjoying it.

Movie Review: Gangster Squad (2013)

 

Gangster Squad (2013)

A Movie Review by Dave Randal 

Genre: Action | Crime | Drama

Cast: Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Writers: Will Beall, Paul Lieberman(book)

Studios: Village Roadshow Pictures

Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: January 11, 2013

Plot: Los Angeles, 1949: A secret crew of police officers led by two determined sergeants work together in an effort to take down the ruthless mob king Mickey Cohen who runs the city.

Gangster movies are one of my favorite genres.  There is just something about them that I really like.  This might make me look like a total geek but screw it, I even like the Star Trek episode "A Piece of the Action" where they go to a planet with Earth-like 1920s gangster culture. When I first saw the trailer for Gangster Squad I instantly got excited.  I mean it has three of the best actors working today in Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Ryan Gosling.  I think because of who was in it I was expecting a little bit more from it than what I saw.

Mini Movie Review: Mulholland Falls (1996)

 

Mulholland Falls (1996)

A Mini Movie Review by Dave Randal

Plot: In 1950's Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.

I went ahead and watched this movie due to the fact that it is inspired by the same true story that the new movie Gangster Squad is also inspired by.  I was only a kid when it came out, but I was still surprised that I had never heard of it before.  Nick Nolte still had a name at the time, but you could see that his star was definitely falling.

Movie Review: Texas Chainsaw (2013)

 

Texas Chainsaw (2013)

A Movie Review by Dave Randal

Genre: Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Cast: Alexandra Daddario, Dan Yeager, Trey Songz, Scott Eastwood

Director: John Luessenhop

Writers: Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan, Kristen Elms, Stephen Susco, Tobe Hooper(characters), Kim Henkel(characters)

Studios: Twisted Pictures, Nu Image, Millennium Films, Mainline Pictures

Distributed by: Lionsgate

Release Date: January 4, 2013

Plot: A young woman travels to Texas to collect an inheritance; little does she know that an encounter with a chainsaw-wielding killer is part of the reward. 

In horror franchises there usually isn't a whole lot of continuity.   This is because a lot of horror franchises usually change directors and writers a lot.  The studios want to make more money off these cash cow franchises so usually what they do is hire other writers and directors to suck on the utters for a while.  Texas Chainsaw is one of those movies.

Mini Movie Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

 

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

A Mini Movie Review by Dave Randal

Plot: On one last road trip before they're sent to serve in Vietnam, two brothers and their girlfriends get into an accident that calls the local sheriff to the scene. Thus begins a terrifying experience where the teens are taken to a secluded house of horrors, where a young, would-be killer is being nurtured.

I'll go ahead and say it right off the bat.  I'm not a huge fan of prequels.  I don't like seeing the events of something when I already know what they are going to lead to.  Sure there are exceptions.  Some prequels don't even have the same characters, but our based in the same universe.  I'm actually alright with those.  When it comes to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, it isn't like that at all.  It has a lot of the same characters and shows a lot of stuff that leads to future events.  Saying that though I honestly didn't mind it too much in this movie.

Mini Movie Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

 

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

A Mini Movie Review by Dave Randal

Plot: A group of friends in Texas are stalked and hunted down by a deformed killer with a chainsaw.

When this movie was announced I'm sure fans of the original were just waiting to tear it apart.  I'm sure they felt how dare they remake such a classic and influential horror movie.  The backlash came from both fans and film critics in a fierce way.  All in all though I find my self defending this movie.

Mini Movie Review: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)

 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)

A Mini Movie Review by Dave Randal

Plot: A group of teenagers get into a car crash on prom night and accidentally wander into the old farmhouse of Leatherface and his cannibalistic family.

Well if you wanted to know where the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise hit a brick wall then look no further.  Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is without a doubt the worst movie in this entire franchise.  This entire movie is just a mess from the acting, to the script, and even all the way up to the studio and marketing for it.

Mini Movie Review: Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

 

Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

A Mini Movie Review by Dave Randal

Plot: A California couple and a survivalist encounter the cannibal Sawyer family. 

Out of all the movies in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, this movie is in my top three right after the original and the remake.  This is the first movie in the franchise that kind of plays up the family of Leatherface.  Although the original and it's sequel play up the family as well to an extent, I think this movie really pulls it off well.

Mini Movie Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

 

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

A Mini Movie Review by Dave Randal

Plot: A rock radio host is victimized by the cannibal family as a former Texas Marshall hunts them.

In the '80s there was a trend that started where everyone saw horror movies start to get a lot more goofy and more comedic.  Most of these were all in the slasher movie genre which was a sub-genre that exploded in the '80s.  Tobe Hooper decided to get in on the action by making a sequel to the movie that originally made him famous.

Mini Movie Review: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

 

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

A Mini Movie Review by Dave Randal

Plot: Five friends visiting their grandpa's old house are hunted down and terrorized by a chainsaw wielding killer and his family of grave-robbing cannibals. 

I first watched this movie a couple of years ago and I remember being a bit disappointed by it.   The movie had such a reputation for being violent that I think I just expected a lot more from it in that regard.  I'm not sure what it is, but if I had to guess I would say I have seen too many torture porn movies like Saw and I believe movies like that have kind of desensitized me to older violent horror movies.